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Writers pick up pens to protest 42-day detentions
Dozens of renowned British writers came out against new anti-terrorism legislation Sunday, publishing a collection of satire, essays, fiction and poetry to protest a proposal allowing police to hold suspects without charge for up to 42 days.
Forty-two authors including Monica Ali, Julian Barnes, Ian Rankin, Alain de Botton, and A.L. Kennedy contributed to a collection posted online a day ahead of a critical parliamentary vote on the issue.
Ali, who won widespread acclaim for her first novel "Brick Lane," wrote a satirical dialogue between a grandmother and a child who asks if it's true that "in the olden days" if police arrested you "they had to say what you'd done wrong?"
Linda Grant, short-listed for this year's Mann Booker Prize for "The Clothes on Their Backs," chose an essay.
"The nature of democracy and of basic human liberty rests on the fact that you can't be imprisoned unless you have been charged with a crime and convicted of it in the courts," Grant writes. "However imperfect the judicial system is in Britain, the courts remain the places where justice is tested—if you have a case, make a charge."
Novelist Stella Duffy made a list of things that can take 42 days to accomplish. It included: writing the first six chapters of her first book; going through two rounds of chemotherapy; undergoing in-vitro fertilization and watching the garden change from summer to autumn.
The human rights group Liberty coordinated the protest. The group's director, Shami Chakrabarti, said no writer who was approached by the group turned down the opportunity.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown recently expressed his firm commitment to extending the pre-charge detention period from 28 to 42 days. The counterterrorism measure is one of several that Britain has considered or adopted since suicide bombers killed 52 rush-hour commuters in 2005.
The proposal is expected to meet serious opposition Monday in the House of Lords. The legislation narrowly made it through the House of Commons this summer.
Some police leaders say the measure is needed because terror cases are complex and others say existing powers are strong enough.
Europe's top human rights watchdog, the Council of Europe, recently said such police power could run afoul of European rights conventions.
Kennedy wrote: "In 42 days we will have made you different. You may be charged, you may be released. You will always be different. We will always be in how you think. We do not need to hurt you. We will steal you from yourself." Dozens of renowned British writers came out against new anti-terrorism legislation Sunday, publishing a collection of satire, essays, ... more -
Palin contradicts McCain on North Korea being removed from US terrorism list
Sarah Palin took questions from the press (gasp!) while at a market/gas station in Altoona, Pennsylvania on Sunday, October 11 and shared her position on North Korea being removed from the US terrorism list.
Unfortunately, she forgot to check with John McCain to see what his position was on this issue ... Sarah Palin took questions from the press (gasp!) while at a market/gas station in Altoona, Pennsylvania on Sunday, October 11 and sha... more -
US nuns come home to discover 'terrorist' status
Two Roman Catholic nuns whose non-violent action against nuclear weapons landed them with prison sentences returned home to Baltimore to learn they had been listed as terrorists, they said Friday.
Sister Ardeth Platte, 72, and Sister Carol Gilbert, 60, came back from two weeks out of town to find letters from the Maryland State Police saying they had been wrongfully listed as suspected terrorists in a federal database in 2005-2006.
"To be labelled a terrorist is really very hard to hear and to accept, when your whole life has been one of loving nonviolence," Platte said.
Maryland State Police have sent letters to a total 53 activists wrongfully labelled as terrorists, inviting them to look at their entries in the database -- after which the files would be deleted.
The Dominican nuns broke into a US nuclear missile silo in Colorado in 2002 and painted crucifixes with their own blood -- earning Platte and Gilbert prison sentences of 41 and 33 months respectively.
"If they can label us as terrorists, they can label all kinds of people as terrorists," Gilbert said. "So then people become afraid to speak out against what the established government might be saying -- and that is the demise of democracy." Two Roman Catholic nuns whose non-violent action against nuclear weapons landed them with prison sentences returned home to Baltimore ... more -
N Korea taken off US terror list
Washington is to remove North Korea from its list of countries sponsoring terrorism, US officials have confirmed.
US State Department officials made the announcement after reaching an agreement with Pyongyang over nuclear verification measures.
"Every element of verification that we sought has been included in this agreement," an official said.
The US listing has been a major factor in the deadlock over North Korea's nuclear disarmament.
The State Department spokesman also said that North Korea would resume its disablement of nuclear facilities.
The move follows days of deliberations within the US administration after a visit to Pyongyang last week by US envoy Christopher Hill.
Analysts say the deal will be unpopular with some conservative Republicans.
North Korea began disabling its Yongbyon nuclear reactor in August, but more recently it has made moves to reassemble the plant after Washington refused to remove it from the terror sponsors' list.
In other provocative steps, it expelled UN inspectors and test-fired short-range missiles, heightening tensions with the US.
Correspondents say that Pyongyang wants to come off the US list in order to receive international aid and loans, and as a step towards its diplomatic rehabilitation. Washington is to remove North Korea from its list of countries sponsoring terrorism, US officials have confirmed. ... more -
US believes nuns have a habit for terrorism
Two Roman Catholic nuns jailed for non-violent action against nuclear weapons were also listed as terrorists by US authorities.
Sister Ardeth Platte, 72, and Sister Carol Gilbert, 60, came back from two weeks out of Baltimore to find letters from the Maryland state police saying they had been wrongfully listed as suspected terrorists on a 2005-2006 federal database.
"To be labeled a terrorist is really very hard to hear and to accept, when your whole life has been one of loving nonviolence," Platte said.
Maryland State Police have sent letters to 53 activists wrongfully declared terrorists by authorities, inviting them to look at their entries in the database, after which the files would be deleted.
The Dominican nuns broke into a US nuclear missile silo in Colorado in 2002 and painted crucifixes with their own blood, earning Platte and Gilbert prison sentences of 41 and 33 months respectively.
"If they can label us as terrorists, they can label all kinds of people as terrorists," Gilbert said. "So then people become afraid to speak out against what the established government might be saying - and that is the demise of democracy. Two Roman Catholic nuns jailed for non-violent action against nuclear weapons were also listed as terrorists by US authorities. ... more -
Glasgow bomb hero John Smeaton in intensive care
Glasgow Airport car bomb hero John Smeaton was fighting for his life last night. He was taken ill hours after the first full day of the trial of two men accused of the attack. Sources said 32-year-old Smeaton was rushed from his home in Paisley, Renfrewshire, to hospital after a serious asthma attack on Thursday night.
The former baggage handler has regularly written about his poor health in a tabloid newspaper column.
A spokesman for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde confirmed: "I can confirm that he is in the Royal Alexandra Hospital and that his condition is stable." Sources said that a similar asthma attack a decade ago almost killed him.
Smeaton, who recently revealed he was quitting Scotland for a new life in the United States, became an overnight celebrity after the airport incident on June 30 last year. His efforts to foil the attack followed by comments in a TV interview broadcast across the globe shortly afterwards catapulted him to fame. Glasgow Airport car bomb hero John Smeaton was fighting for his life last night. He was taken ill hours after the first full day of t... more -
US Army "prepares to invade the US"
This is not an exercise in alternate realities. This is happening in America. With all that we know of human nature, the lessons from history, and the inevitably corrupting effect of power on the human brain, there should be no doubt left in our minds that if all the chess pieces are aligned, it is only a matter of time until checkmate.
By JS McDougall This is not an exercise in alternate realities. This is happening in America. With all that we know of human nature, the lessons from ... more -
Body of Lies is an ambitious and cynical look at the War on Terror
The latest in the line of sophisticated thinking - although not so sophisticated that there can't be an explosion or a gunfight every 15 minutes - is Body of Lies, a spy story that seems to come out of Iraq by way of John Le Carre in his special-effects period. The latest in the line of sophisticated thinking - although not so sophisticated that there can't be an explosion or a gunfight e... more
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Senior police officer contradicts de Menezes evidence
A special branch police detective has contradicted evidence previously given by denying that it was ever indicated to officers who shot dead Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes that he was a suspected suicide bomber. A special branch police detective has contradicted evidence previously given by denying that it was ever indicated to officers who sho... more
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McCain-Palin Continue Nasty Obama Attacks
McCain-Palin Continue Nasty Obama Attacks
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U.S. May Remove North Korea from Terrorism List
"Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice could announce as early as Friday that the United States will remove North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, FOX News learned Thursday.
Sources at the State Department told FOX News that there is a potential deal under which the U.S. would de-list North Korea. The deal was discussed during a meeting Thursday morning between Rice and other government agencies.
Sources tell FOX News that it was a direct result of North Korea’s decision to allow U.S. negotiator Christopher Hill recently to inspect its nuclear facilities, including the Yongbyon plant.
Removing North Korea from the terror list would be a major step in mending relations between the reclusive communist nation and the United States, though it also would come amid concerns about North Korea's weapons program.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has said in recent days North Korea appeared to have been powering up its nuclear program and testing missiles. American satellite images confirmed reports of short-range missile testing recently, but the U.S. said those moves would not mean the death of international efforts to persuade North Korea to recommit to an agreement that offers it diplomatic and economic concessions in exchange for nuclear disarmament.
Some officials in Washington have criticized the idea of de-listing North Korea, even labeling the agreement a "get out of jail free card," as key issues, including reported assistance by North Korea to Syria in establishing a nuclear weapons program, are left unaddressed.
Assistant Secretary of Verification and Compliance and Implementation Paula de Sutter told FOX News that she was disappointed that the Verification bureau has not been included in any meetings on what Ambassador Hill brought from Pyongyang and not included in any meetings at the NSC." "Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice could announce as early as Friday that the United States will remove North Korea from its li... more -
UK uses Anti-Terrorism Law to Freeze Iceland Assets
British investors were keen clients of Icelandic banks before the storm hit and Iceland was outraged when Britain used an anti-terrorism law to freeze assets in Landsbanki.
Prime Minister Geir Haarde warned earlier of the risk of national bankruptcy after the central bank tried then abandoned attempts to prop up the currency. "I want to emphasize...that people remain calm and understand that the transaction system is fully functioning and deposits are safe," he said.
The prime minister said he had spoken to British Chancellor Alistair Darling, who had assured him that transactions between the two countries would return to normal. British investors were keen clients of Icelandic banks before the storm hit and Iceland was outraged when Britain used an anti-terrori... more -
UK doctors plotted 'wholesale murder'
TWO doctors have gone on trial accused of being part of an Islamist cell planning murder "on a wholesale scale" by carrying out car bomb attacks in central London and at a packed Scottish airport last year.
Iraqi Bilal Abdulla, 29, and Jordanian Mohammed Asha, 28, were part of a small group that tried to set off bombs outside a busy nightclub and then tried a dramatic suicide attack by ram-raiding Glasgow Airport when their initial plans failed, the prosecution said.
The men wanted to punish the British people for their country's perceived persecution of Palestinian Muslims and those in Afghanistan and Iraq, the court was told.
"These men were intent on committing murder on an indiscriminate and wholesale scale," prosecutor Jonathan Laidlaw told the top security Woolwich Crown Court in east London.
"Apart from the shocking nature of the activity these two defendants were engaged in, the extraordinary thing about this case is that both these defendants are doctors," he said.
"They turned their attention away from the treatment of illness to the planning of murder."
The cell's plans only failed because of a mixture of good fortune and technical mistakes which meant the devices didn't explode, he said.
The first in what the prosecution said was to be a series of "spectaculars" was planned for central London. Two Mercedes cars packed with gas canisters, fuel containers and nails, were driven down from Scotland and in the early hours of June 29, 2007, left in the busy West End area of the capital.
One was parked outside Tiger Tiger, a nightclub packed with more than 500 revellers in the Haymarket, near Piccadilly Circus, while the second was left nearby.
This, Mr Laidlaw suggested, was a "secondary device" deliberately placed to catch those fleeing from the first explosion at the club.
But despite repeated attempts to set off the mobile phone detonators in the cars, neither vehicle exploded.
Having failed, the prosecution said, the bombers dramatically changed their plans, aware that the police and security services would be on to them through clues left in the cars.
"The change in approach was that the next attack was to be a suicide attack. There was to be no repeat of the failure of the devices in London," said Mr Laidlaw.
"There was no change in the ultimate purpose that remained to kill and maim."
The next day, the bombers drove to Scotland. A Jeep Cherokee, also packed with fuel containers and gas canisters, was driven at speed into the international terminal at Glasgow Airport which was experiencing its busiest day of the year.
But the Jeep became stuck in the terminal doors and despite attempts to detonate the car using petrol bombs, the vehicle failed to explode.
Kafeel Ahmed, 28, the driver of the jeep died from burns he sustained, while Dr Abdulla who was in the passenger seat survived.
Mr Laidlaw said Dr Abdulla was a central figure in the plot while Dr Asha, who was neither in London nor Glasgow, was an important member of the cell.
Their plan was to cause fear on a scale generated by the July 7, 2005 London bombings which killed 52 people, Mr Laidlaw said adding that Dr Abdulla would claim the devices were not meant to kill.
Dr Abdulla worked as a junior doctor at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley, west of Glasgow. Dr Asha, a neurologist, worked at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent.
Both deny conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to cause explosions. The trial is due to last three months. TWO doctors have gone on trial accused of being part of an Islamist cell planning murder "on a wholesale scale" by carrying ... more -
UN internal report on Algeria bombing accuses 7 individual staff members.
An internal UN report assigns blame to at least seven UN officials for one of the organization's greatest security breakdowns ever - the Dec. 11 bombing of UN headquarters in Algeria - in which 17 UN staff died. An internal UN report assigns blame to at least seven UN officials for one of the organization's greatest security breakdowns eve... more
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COUNTERTERRORISM functions of FIRE DEPARTMENTS? Yeah.
STRATEGIC OUTLOOK ON INTELLIGENCE
According to the FDNY, intelligence has a place in all three of its missions: prevention, preparedness, and response. For example, advance intelligence (foreknowledge) can alert firefighters responding to an incident to the proximity of volatile chemicals or potentially dangerous activities already under surveillance. Familiarity with surroundings increases firefighters’ situational awareness, improves their operational efficiency, and increases the safety of first responders and the public. Intelligence can also tell fire departments where best to deploy their limited resources on the basis of where threats are most likely to arise. And intelligence can help departments anticipate an event and thereby improve its chances of preventing it.
Collectors of Intelligence
The FDNY has identified the following as ways in which it can produce operational intelligence. Many of them can also be adopted by fire departments across the United States. Increased coordination, integration, and communication with other public-safety agencies enhance a fire department’s ability to fulfill its core mission of protecting life.
* Access to venues. During the course of routine building inspections, arson investigations, and responses to fire and medical emergencies, fire department personnel enjoy access to buildings generally denied outsiders. These firefighters are passive collectors, who are positioned in the normal course of their duties to observe the signs of terrorist activity and, assuming that the firefighters are properly trained, to recognize them as such. When properly shared with local law enforcement and local and national intelligence centers, this information can fill critical intelligence gaps and generate leads.
* Access to, and knowledge of, premises storing hazardous materials. Fire department personnel regularly inspect buildings and sites where hazardous materials are stored. Being familiar with such materials and their destructive potential, fire department personnel are in a privileged position to observe and report on suspicious or unusual conditions and to educate facility managers to do the same.
* Observation of suspicious activity. Firefighters may observe possible terrorist materials, such as equipment and planning documents, in the course of responding to an incident.
* Detection of possible weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Because many fire department units carry equipment, including radiation detectors, capable of identifying hazardous materials, fire departments can assist in discovering materials used in a WMD or dirty bomb. With proper training, firefighters and emergency responders can become alert to physical symptoms in humans that might indicate the occurrence of a biological or chemical attack.[8]
* Protecting critical infrastructure.
Users of Intelligence
Intelligence provided to fire departments can be a force and awareness multiplier in a heightened threat environment. Having access to intelligence about current threats allows fire departments to focus their limited resources on increasing their training and readiness for particular scenarios.
Intelligence Training and Sharing
The FDNY has conducted classes in identifying suspicious behavior and recognizing what might be indicators of terrorist planning.[10] Using faculty from the Combating Terrorism Center at the United States Military Academy, the FDNY has created a graduate-level executive-education program—the first of its kind in the nation—to educate fire and EMS officers (who are under FDNY supervision) about the threat terrorists pose to first responders and the cities they protect.
Sure it's good to keep stuff on the down low so that terrorists don't know every move before we make it. Classified stuff should be classified... At the same time, it's on the internet. So should we feel more comfortable knowing there are more watching out for us? STRATEGIC OUTLOOK ON INTELLIGENCE ... more -
Maryland Cops Put 53 Non-Violent Activists on Terrorist List
Maryland State police placed the names of 53 left-leaning political activists into federal and state databases, labeling them as terrorists, the state's police chief admitted Tuesday.
Evidence that the state police had been infiltrating anti-war and anti-death penalty groups first came to light in July following a government sunshine lawsuit filed by the ACLU on behalf of a prominent peace activist named Max Obuszewski.
Police added Obuszewski and others to a federal database called the Washington-Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area database, The nation's main terrorist watch list is built from nominations from federal databases, but Maryland's current police superintendent told Maryland lawmakers that he didn't think the activists made their way onto that list, according to the Washington Post.
The Maryland spying on peace groups took place in 2005 and 2006, under the leadership of then-police superintendent Thomas Hutchins.
Hutchins defended the spying and the use of undercover informants in anti-war planning meetings, the Post reported.
"I don't believe the First Amendment is any guarantee to those who wish to disrupt the government," he said. ...
But Sen. James Brochin (D-Baltimore County) noted that undercover troopers used aliases to infiltrate organizational meetings, rallies and group e-mail lists. He called the spying a "deliberate infiltration to find out every piece of information necessary" on groups such as the Maryland Campaign to End the Death Penalty and the Baltimore Pledge of Resistance. When Hutchins called their members "fringe people," the audience of activists who filled the seats in the hearing room in Annapolis sighed.
The state is sending letters to those who were labeled as terrorists in the databases and trying to remove their names.
Threat Level is not surprised by the news.
When state and local police are charged with rooting out terrorists inside the United States, set up inside Fusion Centers and tasked with tracking all threats, police are bound -- if only out of boredom or need to keep their budget -- to find or manufacture terrorists somewhere.
In writing about these fusion centers in January 2007, we predicted this would happen:
Expect to see more fusion of legitimate political groups with terrorist groups in the future. These are the kinds of bureaucratic mechanisms that lead police to label Quakers as "criminal extremists," to infiltrate anti-war groups, peaceful protests and Critical Mass bike rides, and to file reports on anti-war protesters in Pentagon databases.
It's the architectural imperative. Maryland State police placed the names of 53 left-leaning political activists into federal and state databases, labeling them as terro... more -
Germany fears terror attack by one of its own
Fears of a terror attack in Germany are mounting as Eric Breininger, an Islamist German suspected of planning a strike in his homeland, remains on the loose.
The BKA, Germany’s federal police force, has been hunting for Breininger (21) since last Thursday. They believe the young German, who spent time in Afghanistan receiving specialised training at a terrorist camp, is dangerous and is planning an attack in his home country.
What makes Eric Breininger so dangerous?
His motivation: The BKA released a personality profile of Breininger. Investigators determined that the young man has a need of recognition. He wants to be important, at least once - by carrying out a violent attack.
Read more... Fears of a terror attack in Germany are mounting as Eric Breininger, an Islamist German suspected of planning a strike in his homeland... more -
The View From Over There
Has America's image been tarnished by the last eight years? Democrats seem to think so, and increasingly so do some Republicans. Collective Journalism contributors around the world work to gauge America's image abroad, as US policymakers struggle to maintain positive feeling in spite of ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"The View From Over There" takes in an depth look at American foreign policy and how it affects America's image abroad. In this show, we feature a look at how other countries view the US, especially in the wake of Sept 11, the War on Terror, and the War in Iraq. We also hear from citizens of other countries about who they prefer in this year's US election. And finally, we show a unique perspective on the issue of how to handle Iran - an Iranian perspective.
Collective Journalism, Current's citizen journalism program, works by combining perspectives from contributors like you around the world. All month until Election Day, CJ will be airing special investigations into the most important issues of this election. Has America's image been tarnished by the last eight years? Democrats seem to think so, and increasingly so do some Republicans. ... more -
New Columbine Interview: Evan Long, "The Columbine Cause"
Evan Long on the "Zero Hour Power" television program hosted by David Eaton. The interview concerns Evan's video, "The Columbine Cause". Below is copy for the video.
"The Columbine Cause" by Evan Long raises questions about the April 20, 1999 attack on Columbine High School which have gone unaddressed or unanswered by corporate and state media, including:
Why do counts of the ballistics evidence charts yield totals far greater than the three hundred-odd shots officially stated by law enforcement officials to have been fired?
Why did students and teachers inside the school during the attack describe up to a dozen distinct shooters, some of whom some of them were able to identify by name as neither Eric Harris nor Dylan Klebold?
Why were the people of the world told that the attack was a "wake-up call" when some Columbine students knew it to have been "the big rumor" for up to two years in advance?
There is much more to the story of the attack on Columbine than has been widely made known.
http://www.xmail.net/evanlong/tcc/ Evan Long on the "Zero Hour Power" television program hosted by David Eaton. The interview concerns Evan's video, "... more -
Who'll Call Obama A Terrorist? - Marc Ambinder
Jonathan Martin notes: "The strategy appears clear: McCain will raise the question to hammer Obama on policy, as he did today on the Democrat's ties to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and hits on taxes, spending and health care. Meanwhile, Sarah Palin will do the dirtier work of using it to hit him on his past associations, notably with Bill Ayers. And should a third party appear on the landscape in the next month, they can go even further."
The reality is that a member of McCain's audience went there today. You can hear it clearly on this video clip taken from MSNBC -- after McCain asks "Who is the real Barack Obama?" the first, loudest voice can be heard answering "Terrorist!"
Judging by McCain's slightly startled reaction, he clearly didn't anticipate that reaction, and McCain's in no way responsible for the utterances of anybody in his audience. But he must have some idea of how deeply this fear/outsider/other meme has spread. A tripartite strategy isn't needed... Jonathan Martin notes: "The strategy appears clear: McCain will raise the question to hammer Obama on policy, as he did today on ... more
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Terrorism
