On Feb. 28, a federal judge in South Carolina ruled that the U.S. must charge or release accused "dirty bomber" Jose Padilla within 45 days. The Justice Department vows it will appeal. Padilla, a US citizen, has been held without… Read moreDoJ vows to appeal Padilla ruling
Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin announced yesterday that his country will not participate in the missile defense system that the US hopes to build for North America. "This is our airspace, we’re a sovereign nation and you don’t intrude on… Read moreCanada withdraws from “Star Wars,” forfeits “sovereignty”
The Justice Department has dropped its claim that allegations by FBI contract translator Sibel Edmonds of grave security breaches at the translation unit are classified. Edmonds’ claims had already been made public in letters to the DoJ inspector general by… Read moreDoJ blinks in Sibel Edmonds case
Ahmed Abu Ali, 23, of Virginia, held for 20 months in Saudi Arabia, was flown to the US yesterday to face charges of plotting to assassinate President Bush. At his court hearing in Alexandria he requested permission to show scars… Read moreBush: al-Qaeda trying to kill me
Al-Jazeera has aired another propaganda video from Ayman al-Zawahiri, now said to be al-Qaeda’s number two man after Osama bin Laden. "Your new crusade will end, God willing, with the same defeat as its predecessors, but only after you have… Read moreAl-Zawahiri: We’ll kill thousands.
In an uncharacterstically strong and principled lead editorial Feb. 19, the NY Times says its "Time for an Accounting" on Abu Ghraib and the administration’s policy on torture and detainment generally. Maybe, finally, a sign that elite consciences are beginning… Read moreNYT: “Time for an Accounting” on torture, detainment
The NY Times’ Feb. 18 front-page profile of John Negroponte, Bush’s appointment as Director of National Intelligence, did at least mention—albeit towards the end, at the bottom of page 16—"allegations that he played down human rights violations in Honduras when… Read moreNegroponte and the death-squad connection
The American Civil Liberties Union has called for creation of an independent special counsel to investigate "torture policies" following the Senate’s confirmation Feb. 15 of Michael Chertoff as Homeland Security Secretary. (ACLU, Feb. 15) Chertoff headed the Justice Department’s criminal… Read moreACLU protests Chertoff confirmation
More horrific claims of rights violations in Uncle Sam’s military prison camps in Iraq and Afghanistan—including threatening detainees who dared to complain of beatings and torture. One Iraqi detainee who was apparently beaten and injured was forced to drop his… Read moreACLU: more torture in US prison camps
John Negroponte has been named by Bush to be the first Director of National Intelligence, a post created by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Act, recommended by the 9-11 Commission and signed into law in December. If confirmed by the… Read moreNegroponte fingered for intelligence czar
Madrid’s landmark Windsor office tower was gutted by fire the night of Feb. 12, and much of downtown Madrid remains closed off by authorities. The fire (apparently caused by a short-circuit) resulted in only seven injuries, none serious–but several of… Read moreMadrid office tower inferno: lessons for 9-11
A newly declassified report from the 9-11 Commission–released five months late and heavily censored, with several passges blotted out by thick black ink lines–reviews Federal Aviation Administration daily intelligence briefings to airport administrators in the months leading up to the… Read more9-11 Commish FAA revelations: more fodder for conspiranoia mill
