Right Wing Finally Talking about Rule of Law
Don't get me wrong. I'm happy that--after all these years--someone on the right is calling out Presidents Bush and Obama on their abuse of power (watch the video to hear Andrew Napolitano complain about Obama's targeting of Anwar al-Awlaki).
Nader:…
Omar Khadr Condemns the Military Commissions
Carol Rosenberg, recently freed from her arbitrary banning at Gitmo, posts this picture of a statement Omar Khadr read aloud in court today explaining why he wants to boycott any further proceedings. [my transcription; I've added punctuation…
Obama Comes to MI to Celebrate Korean Technology
Let me start by saying I'm thrilled the Obama Administration has focused stimulus and energy efficiency funds to support a number of new battery plants in and around Michigan. For all my complaints about the Obama Administration, it has used…
As April Strawberry Blossoms into Perfect Citizen
A number of you have asked what I make of Siobhan Gorman's latest story describing a program called "Perfect Citizen" that aims to monitor and map out attempted cyber-intrusions of our critical infrastructure.
Before I say anything about…
Spooky Timing
I assume this is a coinkydink. But oh what a coinkydink it is.
Sergei Tretyakov, a high-ranking Russian spy whose defection to the United States in 2000 was regarded as one of the most significant coups against the Russian government since…
Was the Real Target of the Spy Sting Russian Official #1?
It appears the White House may have gotten itself caught in the kabuki it played with the press on the Russian spies now swapped for some spies in Russian custody. But the timing of the kabuki suggests the target of the spy sting may not have…
Bob Corker Kills the Catfood Commission
The catfood commission (aka Obama's deficit commission) is dead.
Well, it must be, right?
After all, that great figure of Beltway-corporatism-posing-as-moderation, Bob Corker, has decreed that we shall pass no legislation during a…
Tory-Speak on the Torture Inquiry
I seem to be one of the biggest skeptics about the torture inquiry David Cameron announced this week. Among other things, I worry that Cameron intends to pressure plaintiffs who allege they were tortured into a mediated settlement to prevent…
DOD Allows Carol Rosenberg to Return to Gitmo Next Week
There are two pieces of good news in this McClatchy story reporting that Carol Rosenberg, one of four journalists banned from Gitmo because she published the previously reported name of Omar Khadr's first interrogator, Joshua Claus, will be…
One Percent of All Americans Will Have Lost Unemployment by Month's End
More than one percent of all Americans--3.3 million people--will have lost their unemployment benefits by month's end if Congress doesn't pass an extension of long-term benefits.
The Labor Department estimates that about 1.7 million have lost…
Apparently, Reporting on Right Wing Death Squads Is Now Material Support for Terrorism
We've discussed the recent SCOTUS decision that ruled the government can charge people engaging in First Amendment activities with material support for terrorism. Even groups trying to teach terrorist organizations to engage peacefully might…
Huge Brass Balls and A Burn In The Bay: BART Shooting Verdict
/
bmazToday was a good day for Michael Rains and his client Mehserle. But a bad day for the City of Oakland. Now the night comes.
Obama Administration Grants Europeans Rights Americans Don't Have
You know what happens when your elected representatives fight for your privacy? Counterterrorism investigators actually grant you some!
At issue is SWIFT--the database that tracked most international money transfers which the Bush Administration…
Did Bad Journalism Make the Country Love Torture?
One of the key takeaways of a study a number of people are buzzing about--showing that a majority of the country has generally opposed torture--is that six months after Obama became president, that changed.
Using a new survey dataset on torture…
GAO to Have Oversight of Most-Secret DOD Programs?
Steven Aftergood reports that DOD signed a directive last week allowing for Government Accountability Office audits of Special Access Programs.
[A] Department of Defense Directive issued last week explicitly allows for GAO access to highly…
Did Adrian Lamo Have Two Days Worth of IM's with Bradley Manning on May 25?
As I noted in my earlier post on Wikileaks leaker Bradley Manning's charging document, there's an apparent discrepancy between the timing Wired gives for Manning's arrest and what the charging document shows. Wired said that the FBI told Adrian…
Another Obama Recess Appointment For Someone Not Named Johnsen
/
bmazYet another recess appointment proves the sham and fraud that was the Obama White House handling of Dawn Johnsen.
Wikileaks Leaker Bradley Manning Finally Charged
The government has finally charged Bradley Manning, the Wikileaks leaker. He is charged with two counts of violating the UCMJ, one related to loading onto his own unsecure computer a set of information and adding unauthorized software to a military…
Is the UK Torture Inquiry an Attempt to Limit Further Disclosure?
There's not yet a lot of reporting about the terms of the British inquiry into its complicity with torture. But from the reports by the Beeb and the Independent, it seems the inquiry itself will not start until all pending civil and criminal…
"Creative" Wall Street and Money-Laundering
I have long maintained that we will eventually learn that Citibank took over where BCCI and then Riggs Bank left off: serving as a money laundering vehicle used by drug cartels and other organized crime, terrorists, and spooks. But this article…