Monthly Archives: July 2013

Valet-parked cars at airport searched under TSA regulations

"If security feels it is necessary to search some cars in the name of safety, why not search all of them? Laurie Iacuzza walked to her waiting car at the Greater Rochester International Airport after returning from a trip and that's when she found it -- a notice saying her car was inspected after she left for her flight. She said, 'I was furious. They never mentioned it to me when I booked the valet or when I picked up the car or when I dropped it off.' Iacuzza's car was inspected by valet attendants on orders from the TSA. But why only valet parked cars?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingValet-parked cars at airport searched under TSA regulations

Ex-CIA agent convicted of Italian kidnapping and held in Panama being returned to US

"A former CIA base chief convicted in the 2003 abduction of a terror suspect from an Italian street is headed back to the U.S. after being arrested in Panama. Lady was detained in Panama after Italy requested his arrest for kidnapping Egyptian Muslim cleric Osama Moustafa Hassan Nasr-- in one of the most notorious episodes of the U.S. program known as extraordinary rendition, according to Italian and Panamanian officials. The government of Panama, which maintains one of the region's closest relationships with the U.S., was officially silent on the case. Italy conducted an aggressive investigation and charged 26 CIA and other U.S. government employees." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEx-CIA agent convicted of Italian kidnapping and held in Panama being returned to US

Chemicals found in Syrian rebel facility were from Saudi Arabia

"Al-Alam reporter who accompanied the Syrian army on their mission in Jobar’s al-Manashir district, located in Rif Dimashq governorate, said there were packs of poisonous materials and deadly chemicals in the storage. A video filmed by our reporter showed packs of chemical materials labeled 'Made in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia'. The Russian envoy to the United Nations (UN) said baseless allegations blaming Syrian government for applying chemical weapons are aimed at blocking efforts by the UN to probe into militants’ use of chemical weapons in Syria." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingChemicals found in Syrian rebel facility were from Saudi Arabia

Neutrality Toward Syria Is a Non-Aggressive Policy, But Obama Wants Assad Out

"Obama is acting out several parts. He plays the part of a reluctant war-maker. [..] He plays the part of president of the world and all its refugees and disadvantaged. He plays the part of the moral man who is upholding the international provisions against chemical weapons. However, what matters most in understanding Obama and his Syrian policies is that two years ago, Obama called for Assad to resign and he imposed sanctions on Syria. He called for the Syrian people to determine their future. They did, in the usual political ways of this era, by an election in 2012 and by voting in a new constitution. Obama ignored these." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNeutrality Toward Syria Is a Non-Aggressive Policy, But Obama Wants Assad Out

Tear Gas, A Deadly Chemical Weapon, in Bahrain

"This week we read from Britain’s Foreign Secretary that Britain is shipping gas masks to the Syrian rebels. I believe that this is so that the rebels can more freely use chemical weapons against the Syrian government forces. To understand why I say this, we need to connect a few dots. We know that Bahrain has made intensive use of tear gas, enough to kill many civilians and protesters. The United States and Great Britain have supported Bahrain’s government for decades, and they supported the most recent suppression of protests. Britain has supplied Saudi Arabia with many weapons, including tear gas, which were weaponized and used in Bahrain." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTear Gas, A Deadly Chemical Weapon, in Bahrain

Obama on Zimmerman verdict: Trayvon Martin ‘could have been me 35 years ago’

"'When Trayvon Martin was first shot,' Obama said during the daily White House press briefing on Friday, 'I said that this could’ve been my son. Another way of saying that is Trayvon Martin could’ve been me 35 years ago.' 'There are very few African-American men in this country who haven’t had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me. There are very few African-American men in this country who haven’t had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars. That happens to me, at least before I was a senator,' Obama continued." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama on Zimmerman verdict: Trayvon Martin ‘could have been me 35 years ago’

DOJ wants your tips for Trayvon federal civil rights case

"President Obama’s Department of Justice wants Americans’ tips on Trayvon Martin’s civil rights to build its federal case against George Zimmerman, the man acquitted of second-degree murder charges Saturday. The DOJ is asking that all tips be sent to Sanford.florida@usdoj.gov. Barbara Arnwine, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, told the Orlando Sentinel the federal government is appealing to civil rights groups and community leaders to help build its case." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDOJ wants your tips for Trayvon federal civil rights case

“I’m Going to Take Him Out”

"'You’re dead, mother****r!' Those were the last words spoken to 41-year-old Kamas, Utah resident Wade Pennington as he bled to death from two gunshot wounds inflicted at point-blank range. The man who hurled that sadistic taunt at Pennington, Brett Lopez, wasn’t the shooter; his role had been to trap the unarmed victim in the kill zone while his associate, Jared Nichols, pulled the trigger. Neither Nichols nor Perez faced criminal charges, because they were police officers, and their victim was a man with a lengthy criminal record who was on probation at the time of the May 28, 2009 shooting." Continue reading →

Continue Reading“I’m Going to Take Him Out”

Ex-Honolulu TSA screener denies stealing cash, resigns and denounces agency

"Owens said she was arrested at her home on her day-off. 'I told them I didn't do it,' she said. TSA spokesman Nico Melendez said Owens has resigned. 'I couldn't see myself working for an agency falsely accusing me of theft,' Owens said, adding that she had been thinking about quitting at the end of the year. She said she disliked all the 'disgusting' and 'invasive' pat-downs she was required to do on the job. 'It was just humiliating to have to do that to people,' she said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEx-Honolulu TSA screener denies stealing cash, resigns and denounces agency

Police Posing as Punks Bust Rockers: Don’t Cops Have Better Things to Do?

"Boston cops are so eager to bust DIY indie-rock shows that they won't simply wait to respond to noise complaints that might arise. Instead they're going online posing as punk rockers to bust bands before they perform. It's part of a citywide effort to crack down on basement and warehouse shows spurred by a recently passed nuisance control ordinance." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPolice Posing as Punks Bust Rockers: Don’t Cops Have Better Things to Do?