Ray Kelly: Please Call My Spying "Enhanced Police Investigation"
In the city in which the NYT news page insists on calling torture "harsh" or "enhanced interrogation" when America does it, I'm not surprised that NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly objects to news outlets calling his spying spying.
“I just wish…
Cheney's Torture Apologist Complains Cheney's Torture Program Necessitates Plea Deals
As I suggested the other day, the news that Majid Khan has negotiated a plea deal raises interesting questions about why the government decided to offer him one.
What I haven’t seen anyone explain, however, is why the government has suddenly…
Hiding Report on Fratricide in Afghanistan Doesn't Make It Go Away
On January 20, the New York Times carried what they at first thought was a scoop on a "classified" report (pdf) on Afghan military and police personnel killing NATO forces. After they were told that the Wall Street Journal had written on the…
White House Drug Czar Helps Pay for CIA-on-the-Hudson
In its latest update on NYC's spying on Muslims, the AP reports the program is partially funded by the White House Drug Czar in grants associated with the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program.
Some of that money — it's unclear exactly…
Obama's Malign Neglect of Federal Judiciary Redux
Right about this time last exactly one week ago, in relation to predictions of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's retirement, I was describing the derelict judicial policy regarding nominations and confirmations that has characterized the White House of…
After Ray Kelly Proved Incapable of Hosting a Terrorist Trial, His Supporters Shouldn't Call OTHER Cities Overmatched
The NYDN and NYPost continue their uncritical defense of the NYPD's spying on residents of other cities. In response to continued outrage that NYPD's officers profiled Newark's and Paterson's Muslim community, the New York fearmonger papers'…
AP Shows Civilian Casualties Equal To or Worse than TBIJ, Drone Boosters Declare Victory
There's something funny about the response I've seen so far to the AP report on the number of civilian drone strikes.
The AP reports that 30% of the drone strikes in the last 18 months in North Waziristan were civilians or police; discounting…
Is David Petraeus Leaking to Undercut the President? Or Is Someone Framing Him?
The WaPo has the latest in seemingly yearly series of leaks of Top Secret cables designed to undercut the President's plan to withdraw from Afghanistan.
The U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan sent a top-secret cable to Washington last month warning…
If Radical Muslims Aren't Found at Kosher Delis, Then Why Did NYPD Look for Them at Kosher Butchers?
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Congressman Peter King applauds that the NYPD is spying on--among others--some of his own Long Island constituents, including 28 businesses in Oyster Bay. He rather snidely quips that you wouldn't look for radical…
Wall Street Shills Hype How Much Preet Bharara Could Make If He Stopped Shielding Wall Street
The Time Cover--facetiously suggesting that SDNY US Attorney Preet Bharara was busting anyone of note--was bad enough.
But this piece from noted Wall Street booster, Charlie Gasparino, reads more like a reminder to his readers of the protection…
Our Detention Authority Branches Out beyond Al Qaeda
It was pretty inconsiderate of Charlie Savage to break the news that the US had filed military commission charges against Ali Musa Daqduq the day after Jeh Johnson gave a speech emphasizing how our detention authority is restricted to those…
New Anthrax Scare: This Time Leahy's Letter Tests Negative
With the war drums on Iran beating loudly, homeland security theater is ratcheting up yet another level as a wave of letters containing a powdery substance have been mailed again to media and political figures. This time, unlike the October-November…
Why Won't the NYT Report on Ray Kelly's Spooks?
On the NYT's homepage, the story of the ongoing protests in reaction to the burning of Korans at Parwan prison occupies a fairly prominent position.
What you won't find anywhere on the NYT homepage, though, is the story of how the NYPD monitored…
Jeh Johnson on the "Military’s Domestic Legal Authority"
In addition to suggesting that the 16 year old American citizen Abdulrahman al-Awlaki was a legitimate military target, Jeh Johnson spoke yesterday about the "military's domestic legal authority." Now, rest assured, Johnson said the Administration…
Shorter Jeh Johnson: 16-Year Old Abdulrahman Al-Awlaki Legitimate Military Target
I'll have more to say about this speech Jeh Johnson gave at Yale later. But for the moment I wanted to unpack the logic of his comments about targeted killing.
As part of his claim that drone strikes are just like past military killing, Johnson…
Could Santorum's Radical Religious Fundamentalism Propel US Into Religious Violence?
Despite the fact that our country was founded in part by immigrants seeking to escape religious persecution, the current crop of Republican presidential candidates (with the exception of Ron Paul, who gets no media airtime anyway) have carried…
Majid Khan to Accept Plea Deal
The WaPo confirms what a lot of people have been speculating: Majid Khan will accept a plea deal.
In recent days, Khan, a Pakistani citizen who was a legal U.S. resident, was moved out of the top-security Camp 7, which houses the high-value…
Jake Tapper Flummoxes Jay Carney On White House Press Policy Hypocrisy
We take broadside shots at the press fairly regularly, both directly and as a vehicle for explaining ills and issues surrounding the government and, at least in my case, law. And there have been plenty of said shots aimed at the White House…
Four of Seven Dwarves: Consistent, Courage, Resolute, Cheerful
"Consistent" (Paul), "Courage" (Santorum?!), "Resolute" (Willard), "Cheerful" (Newt)
Those are the one word answers the GOP candidates gave CNN's John King to explain themselves.
All I could think of where the seven dwarves remaining.…
A Victory on DOMA For Karen Golinski
Well, while we ponder what will transpire on the mind numbingly restricted "win" for the Perry Plaintiffs in the 9th Circuit, yet another Northern District of California (NDCA) judge has followed in Vaughn Walker's footsteps and has sent…
