Minnesota anti-shari’a bill dropped by lawmaker who introduced it
MINNEAPOLIS – An anti-shari'a (Islamic law) bill deemed discriminatory by the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations has been shelved by the lawmaker who introduced it. According to a press release from Republican State Senator Dave Thompson, the bill is off, as he said, “It was never my intent to...Retired generals to Obama in Washington Post: No war with Iran
WASHINGTON — Several former high-level military and intelligence officials took out a full page ad in Monday’s Washington Post urging President Obama to resist pressure to attack Iran nuclear program.The letter included retired Army Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, retired Army Lt. Gen. Robert G. Gard Jr., retired Marine Gen. Joseph Hoar,...Two lawmakers ask for repeal of NDAA indefinite detention and torture provisions
WASHINGTON - Barely two months after President Obama authorized the indefinite detention of Americas, two members of U.S. Congress are asking fellow lawmakers to approve a bill that will repeal a controversial provision of the NDAA.U.S. President Barack Obama inked the National Defense Authorization Act on New Year’s Eve, essentially...
Obama signs anti-protest Trespass Bill
March 10th, 20120 President Barack ObamaOnly days after clearing Congress, US President Barack Obama signed his name to H.R. 347 on Thursday, officially making it a federal offense to cause a disturbance at certain political events — essentially criminalizing protest in the States.RT broke the news last month that H.R. 347, the Federal Restricted...
New Obama indefinite detention and torture guidelines merely a skillful PR move
March 2nd, 20120 WASHINGTON —President Barack Obama issued a policy directive on Tuesday that was quickly portrayed as a resolve to his right to detain U.S. citizens without trial. In reality, the plan is a carefully crafted PR move that doesn’t strip his absolute power over Americans. The presidential policy directive released by the White House...Lieberman edges U.S. to war with Iran
Sen. Joe Lieberman is leading a group of nearly one-third of the U.S. Senate urging that the red line on war with Iran be shifted from building a nuclear weapon to the vague notion of Iran having the “capability” to build one. The neoconservative senator from Connecticut has introduced a “Sense of the Senate” resolution that...Report: Abuse, neglect of children costs U.S. $124 billion
A new report estimates that $124 billion is the cost of child maltreatment, including physical abuse, psychological abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse. That's according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as published in the Child Abuse and Neglect, The International Journal.Lifetime costs for a victim of maltreatment on...U.S. to cut Baghdad embassy staff?
The U.S. Embassy in BaghdadBADGHDAD - The United States is looking to cut the size of its embassy in Iraq - the largest and most expensive U.S. diplomatic mission, officials say.A state department spokeswoman said the objective was to reduce the cost of the embassy, which employs about 2,000 diplomats and 14,000 contractors.The New York...
Study: Radical U.S. Muslim terrorism a “minuscule threat”
February 10th, 20120 WASHINGTON — A new study of homegrown terrorism involving Muslim Americans suggests alarm bells set off by Congress over sleeper cells of Islamic extremists may be much too loud. Study finds radical Muslim Americans are hardly a threat to United States.Despite warnings of a potential wave of violent attacks hatched on U.S. soil,...
Poll: U.S. Favorable attitudes toward Egypt in sharp decline
February 10th, 20120 WASHINGTON, DC - For the first time in two decades, U.S. opinion toward Egypt is in sharp decline with an overall favorability of 33%, according to a poll released by the Arab American Institute this week, with 34% holding a negative view. In July 2011, AAI polling showed 5% of Egyptians held a favorable view of the U.S. The poll...
NYPD document: Gather intel info at Shi’a mosques
February 4th, 20120 By Matt Apuzzo, Adam Goldman, Eileen Sullivan and Chris Hawley NEW YORK — The New York Police Department recommended increasing surveillance of thousands of Shi'a Muslims and their mosques, based solely on their religion, as a way to sweep the Northeast for signs of Iranian terrorists, according to interviews and a newly obtained...
NDAA indefinite detention provisions already being used
February 3rd, 20120 Not even a month after President Barack Obama signed his name to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, the U.S. government is already using the legislation to justify its ongoing detainment of a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay.Musa'ab al-Madhwani had barely entered adulthood when he first arrived at the military prison...Poll: Two-thirds of people aware of Google privacy changes, even more concerned
UTICA, NY — Three-fourths of U.S. adults are concerned about Google's changes to its privacy policies that allow the company to follow activities of users as they move across the firm's various services, a new IBOPE Zogby survey finds.The IBOPE Zogby interactive poll conducted from January 27-30, 2012 also finds nearly two-thirds of...ACLU sues U.S. for information on targeted killing program
On Wednesday, Feb. 1, the ACLU filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act to demand that the government release basic — and accurate — information about the government’s targeted killing program.The government’s deliberate and premeditated killing of American terrorism suspects raises profound questions that ought to be...
U.S. “No Fly” list doubles in just a year
February 1st, 20120 As the U.S. prepares to withdraw from Afghanistan, domestically the government feels that threats are increasing. Despite taking down no fewer than three key al-Qaeda members in the last year, the U.S. has doubled the size of its notorious no-fly list. Government figures provided to The Associated Press this week reveal that the no-fly......
Legislation introduced against NDAA indefinite detentions
January 26th, 20120 Rep. Ron Paul of Texas also took a break from campaigning last week to speak on the House floor about the highly controversial National Defense Authorization Act, and to introduce legislation to strike down a key provision in the bill authorizing discretionary detention of citizens. The NDAA was signed into law on New Year's Day by...
Iraqi outrage as U.S. marine walks free for massacre
January 26th, 20120 A U.S. military court judge ruled that Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich will serve no time in jail for a 2005 massacre that killed 24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha, enraging local Iraqis who condemned the verdict as an "assault on the blood of Iraqis." U.S. Marine Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich leaves the courtroom after his sentencing at Camp......
Obama brags about bin Laden killing, renews commitment to Israel and pledges to prevent nuclear Iran
January 26th, 20120 Obama brags about bin Laden killing, renews commitment to Israel and pledges to prevent nuclear Iran U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with congressional pages following his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, January 24, 2012. REUTERS/Jason ReedWASHINGTON – U.S. President...Obama sued over indefinite detention and torture of Americans act
In the past, journalist Chris Hedges has worked for NPR, The New York Times and The Christian Science Monitor. In his latest endeavor, however, he is teaming up with an unlikely pair: a couple of attorneys that will help him take on the president. U.S. President Barack Obama is the target of a suit filed by Pulitzer Prize-winner Hedges,...
“Largest online protest in history” held against Internet censorship bills nets favorable results
January 20th, 20120 A massive online protest extending from various social media platforms into some of the web's most popular sites against the pending Stop Online Piracy Act (HR 3261), and the Protect IP Act (SB 968) bills is being called the largest such protest in history and has reportedly caused numerous Congresspeople to rethink or change their...
NYPD and Pentagon to place mobile scanners on NYC streets
January 20th, 20120 New York City’s war on freedom could be adding a new weapon to its arsenal, especially if NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly has his say. The head of the New York Police Department is working with the Pentagon to secure body scanners to be used throughout the Big Apple. Terahertz Imagining Detection scanners can measure the energy that is......
‘Occupy AIPAC’ preparing large counter-protest to policy convention
January 13th, 20120 Following a successful protest in 2011 titled ‘Move Over AIPAC,’ over 100 groups across the country are preparing to launch another protest against the Israeli lobbying organization in March in a plan to capitalize on the momentum of the ‘Occupy’ movement across the United States. scenes from last year’s ‘Move Over...Pending bill would strip U.S. citizenship of anyone “engaging in hostilities”
WASHINGTON — The recently-introduced “Enemy Expatriation Act,” HR 3166, brought about by Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Rep. Charles Dent (R-PA), is the latest in a line of bills that have caused great concern among civil rights and constitutional advocates. The bill, introduced on October 12, 2011 but devoid of media......
‘Marines urinating on Taliban’ video scandal sparks outrage
January 12th, 20120 WASHINGTON — The U.S. military on Thursday was investigating a "disgusting" online video purportedly showing Marines urinating on the corpses of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, a Pentagon spokesman said. The video shows what appears to be four servicemen, dressed in U.S. military uniform, relieving themselves onto three bloodied...Civil rights leader Gordon Hirabayashi honored after recent passing
HirabayashiSAN FRANCISCO — Civil Rights hero Gordon Hirabayashi was honored by the Fred T. Korematsu Institute for Civil Rights and Education along with various other Asian American organizations on January 3 after his passing on the previous day in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada at the age of 93. Hirabayashi's former wife, Esther,......
