Two days after taking control of most of the capital, and a day after two of Qadhafi’s sons escaped house arrest as pro-Qadhafi forces staged a challenge to the rebel onslaught, Libya’s pro-democracy rebels swept into Qadhafi’s compound in Tripoli. Reports from the Libyan capital spoke of scenes of rebels destroying images of Qadhafi and symbols of his regime, and seizing much of the extravagant wealth he had accumulated over four decades of authoritarian rule.

Beyond Libya’s borders, the capture of Qadhafi’s own main compound is being touted as the true collapse of his regime, though it has not yet brought word of outright surrender by his closest supporters. The whereabouts of Col. Qadhafi himself are as yet unknown, with reports and rumors suggesting he may be hiding in Tripoli itself, or that he may have fled to remote southern Libya, near the Chad border region.

There is also concern the pro-Qadhafi forces’ shelling of civilian areas in Tripoli and Misrata may cause some among the armed rebels to become more radical in the post-Qadhafi era. But the Transitional National Council has reiterated its intention to establish the rule of law, refrain from revenge-oriented actions, and prosecute regime leaders according to recognized standards of due process.

There is optimism that the fall of Bab al-Azizya—Qadhafi’s heavily fortified compound inside Tripoli, guarded by sharpshooters and special forces, and where he survived US airstrikes nearly three decades ago—to Libyan freedom fighters means Libya will see the end of the bloodshed of Qadhafi’s last days. But the mystery of Qadhafi’s whereabouts became all the more urgent this evening, when the missing leader reportedly broadcast a message, saying he would accept only victory or “martyrdom”.

Al Jazeera reported:

“After what we have seen today, after what Mahmoud Jibril (a leader of the rebel National Transitional Council) said, and the international recogntion of NTC as the legitimate representative of the Libyan people, it means that Gaddafi is now just a sought after criminal. The idea of Gaddafi as ‘the Libyan leader’, is over.

Meanwhile, 30 journalists remained holed up in Tripoli’s Rixos hotel on Tuesday. The New York Times reported that journalists from the BBC, CNN and other international news organisations were stuck inside the hotel with no electricity and described the hotel as a “prison”.

The capital is still very much a war zone, and pro-Qadhafi soldiers and mercenaries are reportedly threatening the lives of civilians and journalists, in an effort to hold onto the little terrain that has not been taken by the rebel forces. There had been rumors Qadhafi was holed up in a bunker beneath the Rixos Hotel, and there is concern the civilians inside the hotel might be in danger if they are not allowed to leave.

Seif al-Islam, Qadhafi’s 38-year old son, once thought of as a reformer and now a committed combattant fighting to defend his father’s dictatorship, said his father is safe and inside Tripoli. Observers have expressed skepticism about that possibility, and worry a prolonged manhunt could ensue, disrupting the potential for a peaceful transition to democracy. Others say Qadhafi should be treated as an international fugitive, to be arrested on sight, under indictment from the International Criminal Court, as soon as he emerges, wherever he emerges.

There was also fighting reported today in Ajelat, and in Ageila, along the coast outside Ras Lanuf, a key oil facility. It was reported that Qadhafi loyalists were attacking Ajelat with missiles and tanks and that scud missiles were fired from Sirte, Qadhafi’s hometown, toward Misrata, a city besieged by Qadhafi for four months, and only recently liberated by the rebel forces.

After the shooting of an unarmed man by London’s Metropolitan Police force, in Tottenham, the community organized a peaceful protest, which through a series of events that remains difficult to trace, turned into clashes between police and youths. A rash of riots have now spread across greater London, with arson attacks, looting, and violent clashes between masked youth and armored police.

Prime Minister David Cameron has, after three nights of the worst violence in London since World War II, returned from his family vacation in Tuscany to deal with the crisis. The prime minister, the deputy prime minister, the chancellor of the Exchequer and the Home secretary, were all out of the country, as the violence erupted. Cameron has now called Parliament into special session for hearings on the violence.

More than 500 people have been arrested, and buildings across London have been burned, including furniture company run by the same family for five generations, and a warehouse holding major inventory for independent record labels. Several independent labels may have seen their entire UK inventory destroyed in the fire.

The violence has now spread not only across London, but to other major cities across England, including Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and Bristol. In some areas, curfews have been imposed, and cities are mobilizing large numbers of police to secure the streets. Fires have been set, buildings burned to the ground, and there are videos splashed across the Internet showing rioters attacking police lines.

In London, the effort to clean up the damage, after three nights of looting and arson, have brought people together. The hashtags #prayforlondon and #riotcleanup have been top trends on Twitter today, and residents are posting photos that show the solidarity of citizens joining together to counter the violence and erase the scars of the rioting.

Police are now being deployed en masse, with Prime Minister Cameron promising massive numbers of arrests. As many as 16,000 police will be deployed to “flood” the streets of London, in order to prevent a fourth night of arson and looting. On Monday night, police in London used armored vehicles and anti-riot squads to disrupt the violence and clear the streets.

According to the Guardian:

Senior officers say the violence and looting on Monday night was the worst in living memory; eclipsing the 1980s inner city riots in Toxteth, Brixton and Tottenham at the height of Margaret Thatcher’s premiership.

Armoured vehicles – known as Jankels – were brought in during the early hours of Tuesday morning in Clapham Junction where much of the worst looting and arson took place. The vehicles were driven on to Lavender Hill to push back a crowd of 150 looters who had smashed up Debenhams and other stores and businesses in the area. Jankels were also out in Hackney.

That the riots are occurring now, under the most extreme austerity measures imposed on public services since the Thatcher premiership, has raised criticisms of the Cameron government, suggesting that his policies have been socially unfair, politically biased and economically ill-conceived. Critics are now expressing concern that the UK is undergoing the beginning phases of the “austerity riots” that are threatening to bring down the Greek economy and government.

In Athens, the rioting has been only one element of the response to austerity measures. The protest movement of the “indignants”—similar to the encampments in cities across Spain—is staging massive, persistent, peaceful demonstrations, and urging the ouster of the government, in favor of a new administration focused on healing economic inequities and fostering generalized prosperity.

According to the Montreal Gazette:

Politicians, including Lammy, have been quick to blame the riots and looting on Saturday night and “copycat” outbreaks of violence elsewhere in London on Sunday and Monday on small groups of criminals.

But locals and commentators warn that high levels of long-term and youth unemployment and cuts in services like youth centres in places like Haringey – the borough where Tottenham sits – are creating a tinder box for unrest.

There are concerns that the dysfunctional and obsessive focus of the American political system on austerity may lead to street violence there as well, and some say recent violent assaults by large “flash mobs” in central Philadelphia are the early example. A report from the credit rating agency Moody’s warns that austerity measures in the US could undermine “social cohesion” and lead to outbreaks of violence. The Telegraph reports:

Gordon Brown, the former UK prime minister and chancellor of the Exchequer denounces “the systematic criminality of News International”, accusing the media conglomerate of “lawbreaking on an industrial scale” and of abusing the rights of citizens, crime victims and the families of soldiers who lost their lives in war, for financial gain by the most cynical methods. He added that Murdoch’s UK tabloids had “brought the rats out of the sewer” and acted in league with the “criminal underworld” to attack the innocent and vulnerable.

Brown accused News International not only of using criminal activity to target and to persecute innocent and vulnerable citizens, but of attempting to engineer a systematic sabotage of the BBC, and to establish a de facto monopoly over British media and politics. He accused top News Corp. executives of using their influence and their personal relationships to intimidate public officials. He alleged there was constant resistance by News Corp. to Labour’s view that the UK needed a diverse media, including financially disinterested news sources, in order to have a free media.

Rupert Murdoch has, today, told a Parliamentary committee in London that he was “clearly” misled by unknown persons within News Corp. Several of the committee members have sought to clarify who may have been responsible for misleading him. His son James told the committee that “What happened at News of the World was wrong”, adding that “the company has admitted liability, and we have set up the appropriate compensation schemes”.

The first question was directed to the son, James Murdoch, who was asked what new information had come to light, since the time he had said, in 2008, that there was no apparent information relating to further illegal phone hacking. He prefaced his response with a brief explanation that he and his father were cooperating fully with police, that they took this matter extremely seriously and that they wanted to make sure that all evidence came to light.

Rupert Murdoch interjected, before his son’s response to the question, saying that he wanted to add “This is the most humble day of my life.” He was thanked by the minister asking the question, and the hearing continued.

When asked if he recognizes that as chief executive of News Corp. he is ultimately “responsible”, Rupert Murdoch said flatly “No.” The question was repeated, and Mr. Murdoch specified “The people I trusted, and the people they trusted.” He added “I have known Mr. Hinton for 52 years, and I would trust him with my life.”

Mr. Hinton resigned from News Corp. last week.

Rupert Murdoch also said the decision to close the 168-year-old newspaper News of the World was “far from” commercial in nature, and stemmed from his family’s being “ashamed” of what the paper had done.

When asked about payments made to victims of the illegal spying, James Murdoch said the legal settlements included payments that did not, in his estimation, require any approval from the global company or the board of directors.

James Murdoch was asked about what standards were in place to allow for hiring individuals who would file no invoices. He said he had no knowledge of any established practice for doing so, and said reporters and staff could use cash for such contacts but would normally have to report having done so.

He was also asked whether News Corp. had any practice in place allowing for other forms of remuneration, aside from cash, cheque or bank transfer. He said he had no knowledge of any.

His father said “reporters have no authority to make payments”, in cash or any other form, and that this authority rests with the managing editor.

Rupert Murdoch as asked if after having been raked over the coals in the UK press, he could think differently in future about using his news outlets to do the same to other, potentially innocent people. He declined to say whether he would change his practices, saying “it’s not deliberate” when his newspapers and news outlets cause harm or discomfort to subjects of their reporting.

Critics may bristle at this suggestion, given allegations that News Corp.’s tabloids not only spied on and/or harassed potentially thousands of individuals, but that there may be a tendency to report without evidence or even fabricate accusations, in order to pressure public figures or profit from unfounded gossip.

The elder Murdoch then added, tapping his hand repeatedly on the table, “This country does benefit greatly from having a free press, and so having a transparent society, though it may be inconvenient for some people.”

James Murdoch, when asked for a third time what the nature of the information was that he said came to light only after prior litigation was closed and police had closed their prior investigation, he said that he had been led to believe that there was no additional information to be sought.

He had testified earlier that three sources of information regarding the investigation into illegal phone hacking led News Corp.’s managerial executives, himself included, to conclude that there was no need for further investigation:

• The finding of police that no further evidence of wrongdoing was known to exist;
• The PCC finding that the situation had been properly dealt with;
• The conviction of two individuals for criminal phone hacking, with no evidence of further wrongdoing.

He also said that had he know then, in 2008, what he now knows, he would have supported further internal investigation by News Corp. He also repeatedly

He was asked yet again: “What do you know now that you did not know then?” Murdoch cited the civil litigations underway “at the end of 2010, which indicated to us that there was wider involvement”. He did not specify what information, aside from the fact that “there was wider involvement” of News Corp. media properties and personnel in illegal spying.

The question was posed to both Messrs. Murdoch what sort of coaching they had before testifying today. James Murdoch answered that they consulted counsel on the nature of such hearings, and what to expect, as they were new to the forum, and that they were eager to cooperate, to show that they take the allegations seriously and want to get to the bottom of what went on.

Rupert Murdoch was asked if he in fact had such a “hands off” approach to management as he had suggested in his earlier testimony. He responded that “hands off” was probably not the appropriate way to describe his style of management, but that he felt it was possible he had “lost sight of” some activities and developments at News of the World, “because it was such a small” part of the overall News Corp. business—roughly 1% of global revenues, according to some reports.

He denied speaking once or even twice daily, as has been alleged, to the editor of one or more of his UK newspapers.

There were probing questions regarding payouts to alleged victims of illegal spying activity. There was, for instance, a difference as wide as compensation paid in the amount of £20,000 and £600,000, for the same sort of illegal spying, according to the committee’s questioning.

James Murdoch was then asked to answer whether News Corp. paid the legal fees for Clive Goodman, who was convicted of criminal wrongdoing in the prior phone hacking investigations.

“I was very surprised to hear that the company had made contributions to certain legal fees.” When asked who authorized the payments, he answered that they were done in consultation with the firm’s legal officers, and “the management of the legal cases”.

Rupert Murdoch said “it could have been” Les Hinton, or “the chief legal officer”, and that whoever made the decision, “it would have been on the advice of the chief legal officer”.

Murdoch said it was “sad” that Les Hinton stepped down, after “52 years service”, and that Mr. Hinton resigned, saying that though he was not involved in what took place, he was in charge when it took place, and he felt it was better for him to step down.

He was asked how much “all of these characters”, including Mr. Hinton, Ms. Brooks and others who have resigned, received as compensation upon their resignation. He noted Mr. Hinton’s “would be considerable”, given his many decades of accumulated pension benefits, but said such information was “confidential”.

James Murdoch was again asked whether he could accept or believe that News Corp. was paying legal fees for an employee convicted of illegal phone hacking.

“These are serious litigations, and it was important for all of the evidence from all involved to get to the court at the right time.” He said the “strong advice” was that it was “customary” to cover costs for co-defendents, in order to ensure compliance with legal requirements.

Rupert Murdoch, when asked if was time to cut someone like Clive Goodman loose, to let the prosecution ‘do their worst’, said he “would like to do that”, but that he was not aware of the specifics of what News Corp. was in fact doing, with regard to Mr. Goodman’s legal fees or what the terms of his contract had been regarding such issues.

James Murdoch was again asked about the question of what is now known, specifically with regard to an outside legal review having written an opinion that there was no further evidence to be examined and no indication of further wrongdoing.

It is now known that several cubic meters’ worth of documents and evidence were not yet examined by Scotland Yard, at the time the police investigation, the PCC findings and the legal review were issued, suggesting that there was nothing further to look into. Critics have been pressing for information as to whether undue influence of some kind was used to secure those findings and ‘wipe the slate clean’, even before an exhaustive investigation had been concluded.

One of the questions asked regarded whether Rupert Murdoch had entered Number 10 Downing Street, the prime minister’s residence, “through the back door”. He said he had, and that he had been asked by the prime minister or the prime minister’s staff to do so. The questioning was contentious, almost as if attempting to draw him out emotionally, as it was suggested that heads of state and others enter through the front door, and he was asked to enter through the back door.

He said he had made many visits to Number 10, during the tenures of various prime ministers, including Gordon Brown, where he had been asked to enter through the back door. It was unclear at first, whether the question was intended to bring to light suspicion of wrongdoing on the part of Prime Minister David Cameron or whether it was simply meant to embarrass Mr. Murdoch.

Nothing explicitly suggestive of wrongdoing was revealed in that line of questioning.

Much of the hearing was devoted to personnel issues: How did information become known to News Corp. management, regarding the involvement of various editors, executives and contractors, and when? Who was paid what, and when, and by what means? How was compensation calculated? Were internal investigations thwarted by an effort to mislead top executives? Is there evidence of lying or giving false evidence?

The most significant sticking point seemed to be, throughout the hearing, that a file with emails suggesting wider wrongdoing was given to the outside law firm Harbottle and Lewis. The Harbottle and Lewis file, repeatedly referred to as “the file” or “the emails” during today’s questioning, was reported by the BBC to be a “smoking gun” making evident that News Corp. was aware of wider criminal activity as early as 2007.

Neither Rupert nor James Murdoch seemed willing to reveal who at News Corp. had direct knowledge of the information contained in the Harbottle and Lewis file. The question was posed repeatedly throughout the hearing what information came to light that was not known to top executives in 2007 and 2008, and who might have been responsible for hiding that information. It was also repeatedly asked what the two top executives thought could explain how the outside law firm had issued a report finding no extant evidence, while in possession of this “smoking gun” bundle of documents.

Neither offered an explanation of how that would have happened, though they both said it was important to understand that News Corp. relied on the advice of Harbottle and Lewis as evidence that there was no further wrongdoing to look into.

Rupert Murdoch’s personal connection to the people at the top of his organization was evident, when he was asked whether the close relationships with top officers of the News Corp. family of media properties blinded him or his son to what they may have been doing. Mr. Murdoch was more animated in his response to that question than to any other and vigorously defended Les Hinton by name, saying he did not believe Mr. Hinton misled him or abused his trust in any way.

Asked if people under him might conceal information “in order to curry favor” with the boss, he said “not my trusted advisers”, but that such behavior would be human nature, and “it’s my responsibility to see through that.”

“No, I think it’s terribly wrong. There is no excuse for breaking the law at any time.” He added that it is legitimate for journalists and news outlets to campaign to change the law, but never to break it.

Rupert Murdoch said that he often had contact with prime ministers over the years, and that perhaps his closest relationship was with Gordon Brown, when he was chancellor of the exchequer. He lamented that his relationship with Brown was now so strained and broken, after news came to light News Corp. reporters had spied on Brown’s family. He said he hoped in time he could repair that friendship.

Brown gave an impassioned denunciation of the “sewer” culture that seemed to have taken over the tabloid publications of News International, Murdoch’s UK subsidiary.

UPDATE, 11:55 am EDT: At 4:52 local time, there was a disturbance that appeared to include an attempt, which caused a sudden reflex response from all present, to reach Rupert Murdoch. It is not clear whether something was thrown or whether an individual attempted to breach security and/or attack Mr. Murdoch. As the disturbance occurred, James Murdoch jumped to his feet to defend his father.

The hearing was immediately suspended, for 10 minutes, and cameras were pointed to the wall and/or ceiling, in keeping with protocol.

Security appear to have detained at least one individual, and the BBC reported that a “white substance” of some kind, now perhaps confirmed to be a “pie of foam” thrown at Murdoch. Twitter had come alive with comments regarding foam, a pie in the face attempt and Rupert Murdoch’s wife Wendi Deng leaping to his defense, swatting at the protester.

UPDATE, 12:10 pm EDT: The BBC is now reporting the item thrown at Rupert Murdoch was “a plate of shaving foam”, or the like, and that the incident constitutes an extremely serious and improbable breach of security. A former volleyball player, Ms. Deng reportedly smacked her husband’s attacker and hurled the foam pie back at him.

According to the BBC, police detained, and cleaned up the assailant, then escorted him out of the building, taking him into custody.

The hearing resumed at 5:09 local time, with Rupert Murdoch no longer wearing the jacket that had been smeared with the foam from the assailant’s pie.

UPDATE, 12:26 pm EDT: The questioning was some of the toughest of the day, when it resumed. James Murdoch was asked whether settlements that cost News Corp. significantly more included non-disclosure clauses and whether that was an indication of an attempt by the corporation “to buy silence”. Murdoch said that suggestion would not be true.

Murdoch said the illegal hacking of murder victim Milly Dowler’s voicemail was “a total shock”. He said it was totally unacceptable and something News Corp. would not and cannot justify. He later added that “Illegal activity has no place in this company [and] that goes for the whole company.”

The allegation made by the actor Jude Law that his phone was hacked, while he was on American soil, was raised, as a possible indication that News Corp. employees may in fact have engaged in police bribery and/or illegal spying in order to gain access to private information of victims of the 9/11 attacks and their families.

Citing a litany of revelations about illegal and unethical activity by British tabloid journalists, including an admission by CNN’s Piers Morgan, who used to edit Murdoch’s News of the World, that he had, while working for the Daily Mirror, used phone hacking to win a scoop, the last minister to question the Murdoch’s asked, pointedly: ”Is it not the fact, is it not the truth of the matter, that journalists at the News of the World felt entitled to go out there and use blagging, deception and phone hacking, because that was part of the general culture of corruption in the British tabloid press, and that they didn’t kick it up the chain to you, because they felt they were entitled to use the same methods as everybody else.”

She then asked Rupert Murdoch whether or not he had considered suing Harbottle and Lewis for having failed to reveal evidence of serious criminal wrongdoing, allegedly in its possession. James Murdoch answered that they had not yet explored that possibility. When pressed as to why he had not read through the entire file containing evidence of widespread criminal wrongdoing, James Murdoch answered he had seen enough of it, but that he would “be happy to” read more, looking somewhat quizzical and disgruntled for the first time in the hearing.

Rupert Murdoch was asked, given his testimony that he was not a “hands off” chief executive, whether he had considered resigning. He said no, but that those who misled him, whose identity he did not know or would not reveal, should be the ones “to pay”. He added, “I think I am the best person to clean this up.”

UPDATE, 12:30 pm EDT: Rupert Murdoch made a closing statement, which the committee agreed to, apparently after Mr. Murdoch continued his appearance, despite the assault he underwent.

“At no time do I remember being as sickened as when I heard what the Dowler family had to endure.” He added that he wanted “to thank the Dowlers for graciously giving me the opportunity to apologize in person. I would like all the victims of phone hacking to know how deeply and personally sorry I am… the depth of my regret for the horrible invasion into their lives.”

He denounced paying police bribes and using illegal phone hacking as “wrong” and said they had no place in the company he runs. He added that “It is our duty not to prejudice the outcome of the legal process.” He also noted that he had been led to believe by executives at News International, and others, that with the convictions of Clive Goodman and Glen Mulcaire, in 2007, the phone hacking issue had been fully exposed and resolved.

News Corp., the New York-based multinational media conglomerate whose majority shareholder is the controversial billionaire Rupert Murdoch, is now facing an FBI investigation for illegal activity in news gathering. Long maligned by press advocacy groups as a leading source of biased and abusive media activity, and even of attacks on genuine news sources, News Corp. is now being accused of having authorized bribery and/or hacking activity to gain illegal access to the private files of victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

The Murdoch hacking scandal has been rapidly spreading across the Atlantic, since it was revealed last week in Britain that the News of the World tabloid had not only hacked into the private voicemail of a 13-year-old murder victim, but had deleted messages, interfering with criminal evidence and a police investigation. Some raised concerns that the illegal hacking was not only obstruction of justice, but that it may have made it more difficult to identify and mount an effective legal case against the murderer.

Since then, the scandal has widened, as news has come to light of investigations into illegal hacking at numerous News Corp. publications, going back to 2002. Prime Minister Cameron’s hand-picked (and now former) media director Andy Coulson, who had Murdoch’s UK operations, has been taken into custody. Several other employees of the media company have been arrested, and now Mr. Murdoch and his son will be required to give sworn testimony to the British Parliament, this coming week.

Rebekah Brooks, whom Murdoch had said he would protect, come what may, has now resigned, under significant pressure from inside the Murdoch family, from among her former staff and from Britain’s political elite. According to the Washington Post:

The Libya Contact Group held its most recent diplomatic summit today in Istanbul, to discuss how best to deal with the exigencies of the security crisis there, and possible political solutions. Sec. of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, of the United States, now fully recognizes the Transitional National Council, based in Benghazi, as the legitimate government of the Libyan people.

According to the New York Times:

Speaking at an international gathering here to discuss the five-month-old conflict in Libya, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced that the United States would join more than 30 countries in extending diplomatic recognition to the main opposition group, known as the Transitional National Council, The Associated Press reported.

“The United States views the Qaddafi regime as no longer having any legitimate authority in Libya,” Mrs. Clinton said. “And so I am announcing today that, until an interim authority is in place, the United States will recognize the T.N.C. as the legitimate governing authority for Libya, and we will deal with it on that basis.”

The news is a major breakthrough, as it shows consensus among the NATO powers authorized by the United Nations to use “all necessary measures” to protect civilian life in Libya, and clarifies that the mission to do so can only be completed when Col. Muammar Qadhafi has resigned and left power. The NATO mission is intended to enforce UN Security Council resolutions 1970 and 1973.

The Libya Contact Group (LCG) is also studying how best to deal with severe and mounting humanitarian crisis across Libya, especially in the east, where the military forces of Muammar Qadhafi have been waging a brutal siege against the civilian population. The LCG intends to establish “humanitarian corridors”, starting in the east, in Benghazi, to make sure the civilian population is not cut off from aid by the ongoing fighting.

In recent days, there have been reports from numerous foreign governments that “contacts” with key Libyan officials suggest Qadhafi may be preparing to step down, if a political solution can be reached. There had been reports Qadhafi may have been planning “to blow up Tripoli”, but Libyan officials deny the allegation.

The rebel forces have come under fire from human rights watchdogs who report incidents of vandalism and burning of homes and villages, in areas considered loyal to the Qadhafi regime. Apparently under pressure to scale back such offensives and support efforts to negotiate a comprehensive political settlement, rebels are reportedly holding back from a rumored assault on the capital, Tripoli.

The mounting protest movement in Jordan is organizing massive new demonstrations, calling for constitutional reform that will maintain the monarchy, but establish a fully elected, democratic government. The protests were reportedly sparked by high and rapidly escalating food prices.

There are reports that riot police today attacked demonstrators, though protest organizers say they do not believe security forces linked to the monarchy were involved in any violence. They are calling for comprehensive anti-corruption reform, and the ouster of all political officials linked to corruption and/or intimidation of the civilian population.

King Abdullah II has pledged substantive political reform, including a path to some sort of constitutional monarchy, but protesters now say the reforms have been too slow, and may not be happening at all. There are now demands for immediate action to punish the police responsible for the attacks, against both peaceful demonstrators and journalists.

According to the AFP:

At least 10 people, mostly journalists, were injured on Friday when police tried to stop clashes between pro-reform demonstrators and government supporters in central Amman.

Police used batons to disperse the clashes outside city hall, beating and injuring nine journalists who were wearing orange vests marked “press,” an AFP reporter at the scene witnessed.

The Washington Post is reporting the attacks on pro-democracy demonstrators were carried out by gangs of pro-government demonstrators. It is unclear whether these gangs reflect the wider trend in the region, of regimes using armed thugs to intimidate opponents, in an attempt to debilitate pro-democracy movements.

The Post also reports, however, that King Abdullah II has agreed to key democracy demands: “to have prime ministers and Cabinets elected from parliamentary majorities, but he later said it may take two to three years to put an elected government in place rather than one appointed by the monarch.”

The protest movement that ousted Hosni Mubarak, after three decades of authoritarian rule has returned tens of thousands of people from all walks of Egyptian life to Tahrir Square, to demand significant democratic reform. Protesters say the military governing council has been slow to prosecute former regime figures guilty of corruption and/or crimes against humanity, and alleges it may be trying to slow-walk the revolution into non-existence.

The military council has said it views the protesters occupying Tahrir Square as a “minority” that does not speak for the Egyptian people and which is trying to disrupt the routines of civilian life. Protesters say this rhetoric mirrors that used by the Mubarak regime for three decades to use violence, harassment and intimidation to crush dissent, and they now fear there may be a military offensive against the peaceful pro-democracy demonstrators gathering at the square.

On Wednesday, after the defiant military message accusing the protesters of disrupting Egypt’s recovery, one witness at Tahrir Square told the press that if the military governing council takes a hard line against the peaceful pro-democracy movement, and fails to implement promised reforms, it will be time to call for the military “to return to their barracks” and accelerate the rise of an interim civilian government.

One source of anger among those who helped to stage the peaceful revolution that brought down the Mubarak regime is the large number of detentions (some say over 7,000) of civilians suspected of “disrupting” the military  council’s rule. Protesters also allege there has been little appetite in the military council for prosecuting and punishing former regime officials, or returning assets they may have wrongfully taken control of to the Egyptian people.

There are concerns that mounting tensions may result in a showdown, as protesters say they will not abandon the square until substantive reforms are implemented and real progress is made in dismantling the apparatus of the Mubarak regime. Some observers have accused the military council of prioritizing the power and influence of its own leadership, as Mubarak’s regime essentially established a security state in which most economic activity went through the military, massively enriching top officers.

Newspapers in the UK and TV networks around the world are reporting that UK prime minister Gordon Brown says his bank accounts, property records, his children’s medical accounts and other private accounts, were illegally accessed by the Sun tabloid and/or the Sunday Times, another of Rupert Murdoch’s newspapers in Great Britain. The allegation appears to implicate one or more journalists in gaining private, privileged information relating to the personal health of at least one of Brown’s children, along with other private information.

The former prime minister was first warned of newspapers’ attempt to illegally access personal data regarding himself and his family, as long ago as 2003, raising suspicions of a decade-long campaign of illegal spying. A 2003 Plymouth police investigation, called Operation Reproof, uncovered evidence of the illegal attempts at data acquisition, allegedly an effort by at least one private investigator to purchase private information, on behalf of unnamed journalists.

According to the Guardian:

The purchaser of information on the three Labour politicians was Glen Lawson, another private detective in Newcastle upon Tyne, according to police records and court transcripts obtained by the Guardian.

Lawson, who still trades in Tyneside under the name Abbey Investigations, refuses to say which journalists contracted him to pursue Gordon Brown and other members of the Labour government. He told the Guardian at the weekend: “I am not going to make any comment”.

In September of last year, Wired magazine reported that reporters working under Andy Coulson, who was by then a top media adviser to PM David Cameron, had systematically and persistently sought to spy on hundreds of individuals. According to that report:

Although Coulson has long insisted he knew nothing about the illegal activity, sources who worked at the tabloid told the N.Y. Times Coulson not only knew about it, he actively encouraged it. A dozen former reporters said the hacking was so pervasive at News of the World that everyone knew about it. “The office cat knew,” one longtime reporter said.

It all began to unravel in November 2005, when three aides to the royal family noticed that new voicemail messages received on their mobile phones were appearing in their mailboxes as if they’d already been listened to and saved. Then stories about Prince William began appearing in News of the World that made them think their phone accounts had been compromised.

Mr. Coulson was arrested, and his computer seized by investigators, last week, as information of a programmatic and pervasive conspiracy began to emerge, suggesting that News of the World had routinely flouted the law and spied on thousands of people over several years. It is alleged that “fewer than five” police officers implicated in the scandal may have been made more than £100,000 for their assistance in illegally accessing private information.

Among the alleged victims of the hacking campaign were: the British royal family, the former prime minister, a thirteen-year-old murder victim (whose voicemails were erased by reporters seeking to deny information to all other sources—they face possible obstruction of justice charges), British soldiers killed and wounded in war, victims of the tragic 7/7 terrorist attacks in London. It is now believed at least 4,000 people had their phones hacked by reporters and investigators working for Rupert Murdoch.

There are now allegations that Murdoch’s reporters may also have hacked into the accounts of victims of the 9/11 attacks in the United States. The family of the young girl who was killed say they have had no communications of any kind from News of the World, News Corporation or any of its executives to apologize for the damage caused by its illegal spying on the murder victim.

The office of former British prime minister Gordon Brown has released the following statement:

Gordon Brown has now been informed of the scale of intrusion into his family’s life. The family has been shocked by the level of criminality and the unethical means by which personal details have been obtained. The matter is in police hands. The police have confirmed Mr Brown is on Glen Mulcaire’s list. And sometime ago Mr Brown passed all relevant evidence he had to the police.

(Mr. Mulcaire is the private detective accused of running an illegal campaign of spying on public officials, crime victims, and others, on behalf of one or more of Mr. Murdoch’s publications. He has been under investigation for months, relating to the allegations, before this scandal brought down the 168-year-old News of the World.)

The scandal continues to spread now, as Prime Minister David Cameron has denied knowing about some of the allegations regarding his media director Andy Coulson, despite the Guardian newspaper having provided that information to his top advisers. The leader of the Labour party, Ed Miliband suggested Cameron was not entirely truthful, saying his claim “does not add up”.

With evidence of illegal hacking, bribery and other crimes, now affecting multiple Murdoch publications, the top executives of News International (the UK subsidiary of NewsCorp) are now coming under closer scrutiny. A shareholder’s lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch and other top executives has now been revised to include misconduct relating to the phone-hacking scandal.

The suit had been alleging corporate misconduct relating to Mr. Murdoch’s having used $675 million of NewsCorp money to buy his daughter’s television network. The revision to the lawsuit now alleges “a culture run amok”, in which Mr. Murdoch routinely acted without any effective oversight from the board of directors. One of the plaintiffs alleges that Murdoch’s son, recently promoted to the third highest position in the global firm, is deeply implicated in the illegal spying scandal.

According to Reuters:

Back in May, Grant & Eisenhofer and Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann filed a consolidated Delaware Chancery Court complaint against the officers and directors of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp (NWSA.O), claiming that the News Corp board fell down on the job when it approved the $615 million acquisition of a film and television production company wholly owned by Murdoch’s daughter Elisabeth. “Enough is enough,” said the 51-page complaint.

Turns out enough wasn’t quite enough after all. Late Friday, facing a deadline to respond to News Corp’s motion to dismiss the case, the plaintiffs firms amended their complaint to add allegations based on last week’s revelations in the News of the World phone hacking scandal. Weighing in at 94 pages, the newly-amended complaint accuses the News Corp board of ignoring the tabloid’s “unlawful and reprehensible activity” even as the evidence of the scandal built.

Rupert Murdoch is now also facing the possibility of being denied the right to take over control of BSkyB, the satellite broadcaster of which he currently owns 39%. He had sought to prevent an investigation into the legality of the takeover, fearing an investigation could prevent the takeover. Now, he has floated a proposal to force an inquiry, in order to prevent political interests halting the takeover.

It is unclear whether an investigation will begin in the United States, after revelations reporters working for Murdoch’s multinational conglomerate may have illegally accessed private accounts of victims of the 9/11 attacks. The allegations relate to police information regarding attempts to buy information regarding 9/11 victims’ private accounts. An investigation in the United States could affect some of Mr. Murdoch’s most prestigious and powerful media properties.

Today, at the White House, at 2pm EDT, Pres. Barack Obama became the first American president to “live tweet”, posting to his Twitter account the question, “in order to reduce the deficit,what costs would you cut and what investments would you keep”, signing it, simply “- bo”. The president then answered questions, selected by “curators” across the country, who sorted through tens of thousands of questions from Twitter users. He had no prior knowledge of the questions, nor did the moderator, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey.

He frequently touched on the subject of education, including the need to adapt to the realities of the 21st century by formulating a realistic and dynamic “lifelong learning” policy environment. He also touched on the complexities of budget policy and the need to reform immigration laws to allow for highly skilled immigrants to help create jobs and restore economic vibrancy to the United States. The central theme of his answers seemed to be the need for public officials to come together and deal pragmatically with practical crises.

WordsAgainstChaos.com :: An effort by the Catalan state police, the Mossos d’Esquadra, to remove protesters from the Plaça Catalunya, by use of force, has ended with at least 125 people reported injured, the demonstrators retaking the square, and the Mossos forced to retreat. Protests have now spread to other parts of the city, as students have reportedly closed la Avinguda Diagonal, one of the city’s main thoroughfares, “in solidarity with the protesters in Plaça Catalunya”.

Closer to the central square, chants have been going out, along with sms, email and social media messages, calling on the people of Barcelona to flood the streets and join the demonstrators at Plaça Catalunya, in their demand for “economic democracy” and an end to all forms of “state oppression”. The violence is thought to be likely to spark renewed passion among adherents to the spreading movement, and new calls during the coming weekend, for permanent occupation of public squares, until reforms are instituted.

There is a call now from the protest movement for citizens across Spain to gather in public squares to protest the use of violence by police, and to demand an end to all forms of political and economic oppression.

In Spain’s capital, Madrid, in the heart of the city, at the Puerta del Sol, from which major roads radiate out toward all corners of the country, thousands of protesters, of all ages and social classes, young and old, have set up camp, literally, in what is now a Europe-wide demand for economic democracy. The protesters and “participantes” include not only young and old, students, post-grads and laborers, but also those who work and those who cannot find work.

Spain, at present, is suffering an astonishing 45% rate of unemployment among young people, principally those between the ages of 18 and 25. Many of them blame the ruling class and the generation that holds power for setting up an economic and political system they say is rigged against their interests. But the movement has spread far beyond the young and the unemployed.

Many of the those who attend the protests, and some who camp in Puerta del Sol, are fully employed, and spend their days working and their evenings and mornings protesting. The movement is best described as a peaceful grassroots uprising, demanding full “economic democracy”, a term that is often heard circulating among those gathered in the square and at the “assemblies” (asambleas) that form around specific issues.

There are meetings, or asambleas, to debate the specifics of a given political or economic issue, and out of those asambleas, a ground-up democratic process forms “commissions” (comisiones), which then help to organize the process of debate and the exchange of ideas, regarding that specific issue. Some of the comisiones in the square have a practical on-the-ground function relating to keeping the encampment functioning.

There are comisiones for food, energy, legal issues, communications and outreach, and there are tables that are set up to take down people’s ideas and suggestions. Donations of food and clothes have been brought in to make it possible for the (mostly young) people who are camping overnight in the square to stay there and keep the footprint of the movement visible.

A public address system announces when one of the asambleas is about to form, in a certain part of the square, so that people can attend or join the debate, and have their say. The movement has spread to villages and cities across Spain, and a coordinated effort to formulate parallel local and “global” strategies and platform positions, is ongoing.

An online campaign, involving multiple different websites, Facebook groups, Twitter accounts, and hashtag discussions, is helping to give material shape to the spontaneously formed, “people power” revolution. Protests are now being staged in Athens, in Paris, in London, and across Europe, with the demand for prosecution of financial felons, and political reforms oriented toward fairness and toward honoring the voice of the people.

In Puerta del Sol, one of the initiatives being considered would require a referendum to approve any new binding economic agreements that would affect people living in Spain, one of its autonomous regions, provinces or cities, to ensure that narrow economic interests don’t impose the structures that benefit them on a populace, to the detriment of democracy. Specifics of the initiative are under consideration, including the frequency and manner in which such referenda would be staged.

The movement in Spain is clearly rooted in the energy, methodology and ideas of similar actions taken in Tunisia, in Cairo, and in Madison, Wisconsin, to protest against misuse of government power, the purchasing of political influence and the suppression of fundamental rights for citizens.

Tens of thousands of youth protesters are occupying la Puerta del Sol, the central square in Madrid, the capital of Spain. They have been occupying the square for a week, and last night camped overnight, despite a new government ban. The protesters are calling themselves “los Indignados”, the indignant.

They are demanding new employment opportunity, “better living standards, a fairer system of democracy and changes to the Socialist government’s austerity plans,” according to the BBC. The complained to the press that the government wants them to leave the Puerta del Sol without access to public health (a guaranteed right, in Spain), without universal public education (due to massive budget cuts), with nearly half of the nation’s young people unemployed.

Natividad García complained that on top of all of these hardships the protesters link to the government’s “austerity measures”, they have also increased the age for retirement benefits. There is widespread concern that Spain’s modern welfare state may be failing, and that this generation of youth will live in a less equitable, less free democratic society.

According to the BBC:

Spain’s electoral commission had ordered them to leave ahead of local elections on Sunday.

But as the ban came into effect at midnight, the crowds started cheering and police did not move in.

The protest began six days ago in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol as a spontaneous sit-in by young Spaniards frustrated at 45% youth unemployment.

With police holding back, the protests are expected to spread. Spain has a history of major protest: in 2002 and 2003, in the run-up to the war in Iraq, there were massive street demonstrations, with 94% of the public opposing the Aznar government’s support for the invasion, but the government ignored public sentiment and sent troops into Iraq.

For decades, there have been massive anti-terrorism protests across Spain, demanding an end to separatist violence and a commitment to civics and the rule of law. In 2004, when the Aznar government lied publicly about the evidence for who had carried out the Madrid train bombings, hundreds of thousands flooded the streets to demand the truth be told, rushing Zapatero into government in the election just three days after the attacks.

Spain has long-running, endemic economic problems that have not been resolved by either the Zapatero government or the Aznar government before it. Labor laws are not as well enforced as they should be, leading to widespread exploitation of young or marginal workers, and incentives to start new businesses are not as bold as they could be, keeping pressure on small business owners, holding back employment.

Some have said that enrolling in “el paro” —unemployment— is a rite of passage for young adults, and many expect to go through this rite of passage after receiving a university degree.

There are now large protests growing in cities across Spain, with thousands gathered in Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia, Sevilla, and elsewhere.

The BBC radio today described the Madrid protest as “a large open-air democracy camp”, where protesters have begun forming small civic debates in locations across the square. Sarah Rainsford has reported:

The protesters’ demands, pasted up all over Puerta del Sol, are impossible to ignore.

A statue of King Carlos III on horseback has been decorated with declarations. The metro entrance is now a vast citizens’ noticeboard. “We are not slaves,” one sign says; another instructs: “No alcohol: today the priority is revolution!”

The camp has become more organised by the day, with bright blue tarpaulins strung from statues and lamp posts and tents pitched on the cobblestones. There are sofas, mattresses and – since Wednesday – four chemical toilets, provided by the firm for free.

The protests will, as across the Arabic-speaking world, be fed by the widespread unemployment, which allows the demonstrators to attend and to swell the numbers of the vanguard who seek to occupy the square around the clock. Today’s debate activities and new media attention may be leading toward something of a coordinated list of demands.

In the past, such large demonstrations in Spain have been linked to labor activity, and have included threats of general strike or of attempts to shut down the national economy. In 2008, there was an effort by truckers to literally close down the capital by blocking all access roads. There will be mounting pressure for the Spanish government to alter course, repeal its austerity measures and move toward an investment-oriented recovery plan.

Remarks by the President on Osama Bin Laden
East Room

11:35 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good evening.  Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who’s responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.

It was nearly 10 years ago that a bright September day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history.  The images of 9/11 are seared into our national memory — hijacked planes cutting through a cloudless September sky; the Twin Towers collapsing to the ground; black smoke billowing up from the Pentagon; the wreckage of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the actions of heroic citizens saved even more heartbreak and destruction.

And yet we know that the worst images are those that were unseen to the world.  The empty seat at the dinner table.  Children who were forced to grow up without their mother or their father.  Parents who would never know the feeling of their child’s embrace.  Nearly 3,000 citizens taken from us, leaving a gaping hole in our hearts.

On September 11, 2001, in our time of grief, the American people came together.  We offered our neighbors a hand, and we offered the wounded our blood.  We reaffirmed our ties to each other, and our love of community and country.  On that day, no matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family.

We were also united in our resolve to protect our nation and to bring those who committed this vicious attack to justice.  We quickly learned that the 9/11 attacks were carried out by al Qaeda — an organization headed by Osama bin Laden, which had openly declared war on the United States and was committed to killing innocents in our country and around the globe.  And so we went to war against al Qaeda to protect our citizens, our friends, and our allies.

Over the last 10 years, thanks to the tireless and heroic work of our military and our counterterrorism professionals, we’ve made great strides in that effort.  We’ve disrupted terrorist attacks and strengthened our homeland defense.  In Afghanistan, we removed the Taliban government, which had given bin Laden and al Qaeda safe haven and support.  And around the globe, we worked with our friends and allies to capture or kill scores of al Qaeda terrorists, including several who were a part of the 9/11 plot.

Yet Osama bin Laden avoided capture and escaped across the Afghan border into Pakistan.  Meanwhile, al Qaeda continued to operate from along that border and operate through its affiliates across the world.

And so shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against al Qaeda, even as we continued our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat his network.

Then, last August, after years of painstaking work by our intelligence community, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden.  It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground.  I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden hiding within a compound deep inside of Pakistan.  And finally, last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and authorized an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice.

Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.  A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability.  No Americans were harmed.  They took care to avoid civilian casualties.  After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.

For over two decades, bin Laden has been al Qaeda’s leader and symbol, and has continued to plot attacks against our country and our friends and allies.  The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat al Qaeda.

Yet his death does not mark the end of our effort.  There’s no doubt that al Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us.  We must –- and we will — remain vigilant at home and abroad.

As we do, we must also reaffirm that the United States is not –- and never will be -– at war with Islam.  I’ve made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam.  Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims.  Indeed, al Qaeda has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own.  So his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity.

Over the years, I’ve repeatedly made clear that we would take action within Pakistan if we knew where bin Laden was.  That is what we’ve done.  But it’s important to note that our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden and the compound where he was hiding.  Indeed, bin Laden had declared war against Pakistan as well, and ordered attacks against the Pakistani people.

Tonight, I called President Zardari, and my team has also spoken with their Pakistani counterparts.  They agree that this is a good and historic day for both of our nations.  And going forward, it is essential that Pakistan continue to join us in the fight against al Qaeda and its affiliates.

The American people did not choose this fight.  It came to our shores, and started with the senseless slaughter of our citizens.  After nearly 10 years of service, struggle, and sacrifice, we know well the costs of war.  These efforts weigh on me every time I, as Commander-in-Chief, have to sign a letter to a family that has lost a loved one, or look into the eyes of a service member who’s been gravely wounded.

So Americans understand the costs of war.  Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when our people have been killed.  We will be relentless in defense of our citizens and our friends and allies.  We will be true to the values that make us who we are. And on nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to al Qaeda’s terror:  Justice has been done.

Tonight, we give thanks to the countless intelligence and counterterrorism professionals who’ve worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome.  The American people do not see their work, nor know their names.  But tonight, they feel the satisfaction of their work and the result of their pursuit of justice.

We give thanks for the men who carried out this operation, for they exemplify the professionalism, patriotism, and unparalleled courage of those who serve our country.  And they are part of a generation that has borne the heaviest share of the burden since that September day.

Finally, let me say to the families who lost loved ones on 9/11 that we have never forgotten your loss, nor wavered in our commitment to see that we do whatever it takes to prevent another attack on our shores.

And tonight, let us think back to the sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11.  I know that it has, at times, frayed.  Yet today’s achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country and the determination of the American people.

The cause of securing our country is not complete.  But tonight, we are once again reminded that America can do whatever we set our mind to.  That is the story of our history, whether it’s the pursuit of prosperity for our people, or the struggle for equality for all our citizens; our commitment to stand up for our values abroad, and our sacrifices to make the world a safer place.

Let us remember that we can do these things not just because of wealth or power, but because of who we are:  one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you.  May God bless you.  And may God bless the United States of America.

END               11:44 P.M. EDT

Pakistan’s president Asif Ali Zardari, whose late wife Benazir Bhutto was assassinated by extremists shortly after returning to her homeland to seek the presidency, said he was not informed prior to the operation that it was taking place, but that his government, and all of Pakistan should celebrate bin Laden’s demise. Bin Laden had repeatedly tried to kill Bhutto, and was suspected of plotting to assassinate Pres. Zardari.

Zardari said bin Laden was “an enemy of civilization”, and that all people everywhere are safer because of this covert operation. There has been speculation about whether Pakistan’s people might be offended by this operation or dismayed at the death of a symbolic leader of fundamentalist Islamist insurgency, but Pakistan’s president and other local observers say bin Laden was not in favor in Pakistan, nation should be expected to celebrate.

There is likely to be pressure on the US administration to abandon its policy of targeted missile strikes from drone aircraft, now that bin Laden has been killed, but counterterrorism experts have been telling the press there are still very well-funded, well-armed “second-tier” al Qaeda leaders, who need to be rounded up or targeted.

The United States Department of State has issued a blanket warning for all Americans traveling abroad, to be watchful for the possibility of anti-American attacks as retribution for the killing of bin Laden. The Taliban in Pakistan is now threatening retribution, first against Zardari and the government of Pakistan, then against the United States.

The US Department of Homeland Security has told the press there is no credible evidence of an imminent threat on American soil. The warnings so far have been to Americans traveling abroad, especially to places where there is evidence al Qaeda-linked or Taliban-linked groups could stage an attack.

Fox News is reporting specifics of the top-secret operation:

According to officials, a 40-man Navy SEALs squadron raided bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday. As officials described it, the raid was swift — the team was on the compound for less than 40 minutes and did not run into any local authorities during the firefight.

The top secret raid on bin Laden’s hidden compound is now certain to raise tensions between the United States and some elements of the Pakistan security apparatus, who may also find themselves at odds with the civilian leadership of the government. As TIME Magazine’s Middle East bureau chief Aryn Baker reported today:

That bin Laden had been living in a specially constructed compound less than an hours’ drive from Pakistani military HQ, and in the same town as the country’s premier military academy, makes the near constant denials by Pakistan’s intelligence agencies that the terror group leader was in the country difficult to swallow.

It is now looking increasingly likely that some figures in the government of Pakistan provided direct material aid to Osama bin Laden, to secure his fortified hiding place and to protect him against discovery by American agents and military spy satellites. Baker adds, in her analysis, that Pakistan’s security forces are everywhere in Pakistan, trailing foreigners and spying on journalists and anyone suspected of activity that might run counter to their interests:

The crackle and click of telephone lines is the constant reminder that no conversation over the phone is private, the crew-cut men in beige that materialize whenever I start asking questions proof that one is never quite alone in Pakistan. So the idea that absolutely no one but American intelligence knew who was living in that multi-million dollar compound beggars belief.

It would seem nearly impossible, then, that Pakistani intelligence did not know exactly where bin Laden was hiding, and the concern must now be: will there be a struggle for power among divergent factions within the ISI, some of whom openly support the Taliban and al Qaeda, or at least giving them shelter, and some of whom view them as mortal enemies of the nation of Pakistan? How will Zardari’s government deal with the emerging tensions, as foreign militia groups seek to destabilize his government, and he is likely faced with the need to detain those among his ranks who were, in effect, aiding the enemy?

It is, in some ways, thought that this could be just the most visible symbol to date that the US is no longer going to be patient with Pakistan’s involvement with terrorist gangs, and militia groups like the so-called Haqqani network, which is believed to be funding, training for and carrying out deadly attacks against US interests and civilians, inside Afghanistan.

Tonight, the news is breaking across global television and online media that the president of the United States will be making a special televised address to announce that Osama bin Laden has been confirmed killed. NBC News’ Chuck Todd is reporting the news began to leak out after Pres. Obama began informing, by telephone, the key leaders in Congress, that he would be making this announcement.

After a 10-year manhunt, and a seemingly endless war in Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden was reportedly killed by US forces in a mansion outside the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. It had long been rumored bin Laden was seeking shelter inside Pakistan, after fleeing across the border in the fog of combat during the battle at Tora Bora.

There are reportedly celebrations taking place in New York City, where Bin Laden’s most infamous terror attack took nearly 3,000 lives on September 11, 2001. Massive crowds have gathered outside the White House, cheering and celebrating what might now mark the beginning of the end of the nation’s longest war.

At 11:35 pm EDT, Pres. Barack Obama stepped to the podium in the East Room of the White House, to announce that Osama bin Laden had been confirmed killed in an operation in a mansion outside Islamabad. He recounted the tragic history of the September 11, 2001, attacks. He explained that he had ordered his CIA director Leon Panetta to make capturing or killing bin Laden the top priority of the US efforts against al Qaeda.

Last week, Pres. Obama explained, he determined that there was enough information to warrant covert action against a compound in Abadabad, outside Islamabad. Tonight, he said, conditions were right, and he ordered the operation. Highly trained covert operatives raided the compound, resulting in a firefight, in which bin Laden was killed. The operatives then “took custody of his body”, and were able to confirm that he was in fact Osama bin Laden.

“Let us think back to the sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11. I know that it has, at times, frayed, but … tonight we are reminded that America can do whatever we set our minds to.” He reminded the American viewing public that we can achieve justice and equality, help to spread our values, not owing to our power, but to “who we are, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

UPDATE, 11:48 pm EDT: According to CNN, George W. Bush issued a statement saying he was personally informed by Pres. Obama earlier this evening, that he congratulated the president for the accomplishment and he wanted to remember the military men and women. He said the news makes the message clear: “no matter how long it takes, justice will be done.”

UPDATE, 11:54 pm EDT: NBC News is reporting the most likely command in charge of the covert operation to capture or kill bin Laden was JSOC, the Joint Special Operations Command. Such operations are often acknowledged after the fact, but the involvement of individuals in covert operations will not be made public.

Reports about the precise location of the strike now suggest it took place in Abbottabad, more than 100 km from Islamabad (by automobile, an estimated 35 miles by air), and roughly 200 km east of Peshawar. Bin Laden’s body was removed from the site of the skirmish, as evidence, to confirm the operation had succeeded and would not need to be repeated.

UPDATE, 12:21 am EDT, Monday, May 2: NBC News reporting Osama bin Laden, two al-Qaeda “couriers”, and one adult son of bin Laden, were shot and killed. One woman who was reportedly used by bin Laden as a human shield was also killed. The compound is being described as shockingly massive and fortified. It was a large compound with a central structure many times larger than any other house in the neighborhood, with 12 to 15-foot walls, at least two fortified outer walls, and heavy security.

UPDATE, 1:08 am EDT, Monday: Live video from the site of the World Trade Center, in lower Manhattan, and from Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House, show massive crowds of young people gathering to celebrate a moment in history that many associate with justice, peace, possibly a return to a freer, less fearful way of living.

There are reports at this hour that unknown officials within Pakistan’s government and/or security services had been discovered to be giving tips to al Qaeda targets about imminent attacks, and there is concern about the possibility that the intensely fortified compound where bin Laden was staying may have been somehow provided or given support by some faction within the government or security services. There may now be pressure to find out who may have collaborated with bin Laden, allowing him to seek shelter in Pakistan for what is believed to be much of the last 9 years.

Syria’s authoritarian ruler Bashar al-Assad has lifted a notorious emergency law, after 50 years during which his family has used it to stamp out dissent and democratic process. It was the boldest and most significant concession to date, in the political response to ongoing protests in Syria, but it has not quelled the pro-democracy protests, as video continues to circulate showing the brutality of the regime’s violent assault on protesters.

Assad’s security forces are accused of a flagrant campaign of assassination, disappearance and torture of dissidents, and the protest movement is reported to be improving its media campaign, staging better communication among dissident groups and getting video out that shows the violence used by the government to put down the protests.

Assad’s government is the last stronghold of the Ba’athist Arab socialist movement, and while secular in its politics, is unpopular with western powers, due to its involvement in Lebanon and its position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In March, the largest public demonstrations in Syria for decades took place, and Assad is now facing the destabilization of his regime.

Assad’s arrogant, violent and rhetorically hamfisted response to the protests appears to have further destabilized his position with the Syrian public, which had initially been calling for civil rights and a return to political process. It now appears the extreme brutality of Assad’s response has hardened the protest movement, so that only a resignation of the entire Assad regime, and a transition to nonviolent democratic process will suffice.

Assad continues to say his government is not at risk and will not step aside, but the protest movement has more evidence of a campaign of violence and impunity and is calling for responsible parties to be held accountable for killing civilians. Rights groups and foreign observers are talking about crimes against humanity, and Assad is under pressure to halt the crackdown.

Reports today say the security forces have again fired indiscriminately into crowds of pro-democracy demonstrators, as more than 100,000 gathered to call for comprehensive political reform, an end to authoritarian rule and justice for the victims of state oppression. The news is bei treated internationally as a frightening escalation, and a sign the concessions of this week may have little effect unless real power his handed over to civil authorities.

UPDATE, 9:41 pm EDT: Just one day after long-time strongman Bashar al-Assad lifted the emergency law his family has used to rule Syria for five decades, his security forces reportedly fired live ammunition into crowds of unarmed pro-democracy demonstrators, killing at least 75 people across the country, on Friday.

Today, as thousands of mourners demanded his regime relinquish power and face punishment for war crimes, his security forces again fired into the crowd, with at least another 11 people estimated to have been killed. The violence appears to show a regime now determined to shed the blood of innocent civilians, even mourners at a funeral, to impose the extension of its rule on the people of Syria.

Reports from Tokyo today have authorities telling residents water is now safe for infant consumption, even as reports from Fukushima show radiation levels may have surged to 10 million times the normal level. Readings taken 30 miles out to sea have found radiation levels in seawater at 1,850 times the normal level. More nations around the Pacific Ocean are expressing concern about the handling of the disaster.

UPDATE on DATA: By this evening, TEPCo had released a revision to its earlier reports of radiation at 10 million times normal, correcting the figure to 100,000 times normal. The reading still constitutes a major, and very worrying radiation spike, and the cause of the misreading has not been isolated.

There appears to be a rising tension between Japanese government officials and the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, TEPCo. When three plant workers were reportedly exposed to highly dangerous levels of radiation, two of them hospitalized with severe radiation burns, government officials suggested the radiation may have come from a breach of the reactor core and TEPCo officials retorted that the leak could be coming from a water-pumping system.

It is unclear whether the high levels of radiation can be confirmed, as there may be, at the moment, too much danger for workers to return to the site where the 10-million-times radiation reading was taken. Officials have said they are not concerned about the seawater radiation levels, because ocean currents will “disperse” the radiation. But concern about seafood, Japan’s seafood industry, food supply and the impact on marine life, is mounting.

As reports of the spike in radiation levels went out this morning, there have been more warnings that even the initial process of containment will last for months. It is now becoming clear that the Fukushima disaster will be similar to the Chernobyl disaster in at least one respect: there will be a need for plant workers to continue going into an environment of extreme danger, for many years after the crisis is more or less brought under control, on a daily basis, to make sure the containment operation is running smoothly.

There are increasing calls for a long-term strategy, designed to roll back and contain the release of radiation, on a permanent basis, along with the permanent cool shut-down of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Critics of the crisis response have suggested government and power-company officials may be hoping to avoid that kind of long-term permanent shut-down, and that this reluctance may be hindering the planning for a comprehensive crisis resolution.

As of this writing, several questions remain unanswered:

1. What is the source of intensely radioactive water that hospitalized at least two plant workers last week?
2. Have one or more reactor cores been breached?
3. Are elevated levels of radiation in the Pacific Ocean a permanent contamination?
4. If so, of how wide an area?
5. Of what sort of marine life?
6. Is there any way to prevent radiation in seawater from entering the human food supply?
7. Has meltdown begun in one or more reactor cores?
8. Is there any way to contain radiation emanating from the spent-fuel cooling pools?
9. Will the Japanese government and TEPCo agree to permanently shut-down, secure and seal the Fukushima reactors and spent-fuel cooling pools?
10. Is there a plan in place to achieve long-term containment?

These are just the most urgent questions. There are others that must be asked, by extension. For instance: how is radiation reaching Tokyo in such levels that drinking water was considered no longer safe for infant consumption last week? Then: how can those radiation levels be considered safer now, as levels measured at the source of the radiation —the Fukushima Daiichi plant— soared?

These are difficult questions. No one could possibly envy the officials forced to deal with them, much less the workers who have to do the most dangerous work on the ground. But they are open questions, and tens of thousands of lives will likely hinge on how well and how swiftly they are answered. It is possible to answer these concerns directly, in a forthright manner, and with a scientifically viable crisis response. But it is not possible to do any of that, if authorities do not fully admit to the radical long-term gravity of what they are dealing with.

The royal family ruling Bahrain has taken a military approach to its people’s demand for more democracy. The royal family, increasingly desperate to hold onto power by any means necessary, first called in foreign mercenaries, then the Saudi army, which now effectively occupies the capital, Manama. Reports coming from Manama say doctors and demonstrators gave told the press that Bahraini and/or Saudi forces surrounded the city’s largest hospital to prevent people attacked by gunfire and teargas from getting treatment.

If confirmed, that report alone would be significant evidence that the regime us carrying out crimes against humanity. Not only are security forces using teargas and violent means to disperse protesters; they are reportedly firing into the crowds with live ammunition, then barring entry to medical facilities, to ensure maximum harm to those affected.

Initially, the protest movement there wanted to replace political leaders that were viewed as corrupt, but stopped short of calling for an end to the monarchy. It was after forces working for the al-Khalifa family bean using deadly force against protesters that the pro-democracy demonstrators started calling for the king, the crown prince and at least one other close relative to leave power and to flee the country or face prosecution. Pressure has been mounting to abandon the al-Khalifa family, despite Bahrain’s close alliance with the west.

The military takeover of hospitals has become a hallmark of the regimes seeking to crush pro-democracy movements. In Egypt, there were reports of pro-Mubarak forces blocking access to hospitals and even attacking volunteer doctors and nurses seeking to treat the wounded. In Libya, there are reports today from Misratah that pro-Qadhafi forces have seized control of the hospital and are targeting civilians seeking treatment from sniper positions on the rooftop.

The tactic is a particular show of extreme brutality, and is raising questions about what might constitute crimes against civilians serious enough to warrant UN intervention. The situation in Bahrain appears to be escalating, with tensions across the region, from Saudi Arabia to Iran, mounting over the perceived Sunni-Shi’a struggle there.

In fact, observers on the ground appear to suggest that the sectarian tension that has begun to emerge in the Bahrain situation was promoted deliberately by the Bahrain regime to win sympathy from foreign governments hostile to Iran, and to justify its use of foreign mercenaries to attack civilian demonstrators.

The result is that now the United States and Iran find themselves taking similar views of what is going on in Manama, demanding that the al-Khalifa regime immediately halt all violence against civilians and open credible negotiations with the anti-government demonstrators. The regime’s allegation that Iran’s call for a non-violent response to pro-democracy demonstrators is unwarranted “interference” in its internal affairs is a direct attack on one of its closest allies, the United States, which is also demanding civility.

The al-Khalifa regime has seized dictatorial powers for a three-month state of emergency, and has demolished the iconic pearl monument at the center of Pearl Square in central Manama, an increasingly proud symbol for the opposition movement. The demolition has been seen as another in a series of acts by the regime to undercut the popular pro-democracy movement by use of force. State television has reportedly begun referring to Pearl Square as the GCC roundabout, a reference to the Gulf Cooperation Council, the official title of the Saudi occupation force.

The US is increasingly alarmed by Bahrain’s violent crackdown on dissent. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) has said Bahrain is in violation of an American law —which he authored— that prohibits any US aid to foreign governments that violate human rights. He is calling for an investigation into ongoing human rights abuses by the al-Khalifa regime and a serious examination of the suspension of all military assistance to Bahrain.

The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously this week to authorize the enforcement of a no-fly zone over Libya, and gave member nations the power to take “all necessary measures” to protect civilians. NATO and an alliance of Arab countries are now orchestrating airstrikes against Libyan military positions, to clear the ground for a secure no-fly zone.

The Libyan reaction was mixed and confused. Muammar Qadhafi, the Libyan president of 42 years, warned his forces would attack any Mediterranean traffic close to Libya, while his son Saif al-Islam al-Qadhafi said Libya would protect civilian lives, then said his father’s forces were at war with “gangsters and terrorists”, a suggestion of the defense they might use to continue their military offensive.

But the Libyan foreign minister surprised a group of international journalists being barred from leaving a hotel in Tripoli unaccompanied, and explained that the regime was declaring a unilateral ceasefire and would abide by all of the terms of the UNSC resolution.

On Friday, US president Barack Obama warned the Libyan leader that allied forces would consider him in breach of the resolution if he did not immediately halt the military offensive, withdraw his troops from key cities they had taken back from the rebels, stand down and restore power, water and communications systems to all civilians across the country.

Diplomatic and military analysts have characterized the conditions Qadhafi must meet as beyond his reach, or beyond his will. Today, Qadhafi declared the UNSC resolution illegitimate. International leaders are slated to meet in Paris to plan the assault against Qadhafi’s military installations and artillery, but the Libyan leader seems to be planning an escalation of his planned blitz against Benghazi.

UPDATE, 11:12 am EDT: Shortly before 11 am EDT, French president Nicholas Sarkozy emerged from the Paris Summit in Support of the Libyan People, where he met with allied heads of state and foreign ministers, including US Sec. of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, to announce that French aircraft had already launched operations inside Libya, attacking ground positions and armored vehicles, in an effort to protect civilians in areas held by rebels or recently retaken by Qadhafi’s forces.

There have been reports from outside Benghazi that Qadhafi’s forces violated the ceasefire the Libyan foreign minister had declared just yesterday. The refusal to withdraw from rebel-held territory or to cease operations in the vicinity of civilian populations, along with Qadhafi’s declaration that he would not recognize the legitimacy of the UN no-fly zone, give France, the US and the allied forces clear authority to use “all necessary measures” to prevent violence against civilian populations.

UPDATE, 3:25 pm EDT: At present, it appears the Arab countries’ participation in military operations includes both Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. While France and the UK are leading NATO combat operations, and Italy and Spain are providing basing support, the US is reportedly providing radar, satellite and targeting information, as well as mobilizing submarines in the Mediterranean, to assist the air campaign.

UPDATE, 3:38 pm EDT: News has just broken that US forces have fired the first ballistic missiles into Libya, in support of the NATO-led air campaign. US retired military officers speculated the strikes were likely Tomahawk missiles fired from submarines in the Mediterranean.

French airstrikes earlier in the day reportedly shot down at least one Libyan military plane over Benghazi, suggesting Qadhafi was moving ahead with his plans to attack the rebel-held city. At present no US combat aircraft have been reported to be taking part in the airstrikes.

The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously today —with five abstentions— to support the imposition of a no-fly zone over Libya, authorizing military action against Muammar Qadhafi, to halt his war against the people of his own country. Qadhafi and his sons have been waging a full-scale military assault against civilians and rebel forces supporting the pro-democracy opposition.

The abstention of crucial powers Russia and China —both permanent members with veto power—, as well as Germany, Brazil and India, was itself a clear sign of international consensus that the brutality of Qadhafi’s assault on his people needs to be stopped. The vote was a victory for Arab states, European powers and the United States, which wanted UN support for air strikes against Qadhafi.

In anticipation of the vote, Qadhafi said on state radio that “If the world gets crazy then we will get crazy too” and threatened to accelerate his air war against the people of Benghazi. Thousands of people in Benghazi gathered in the city center, watching news reports of the results of the Security Council vote.

A massive cheer went up from the crowd when it was announced the Security Council had voted unanimously to take “all necessary measures … to protect civilians”. The resolution authorizes any force necessary to prevent violent military action against civilians, and will likely result in an intense barrage of airstrikes against Qadhafi’s forces.

It is not clear at this writing whether Qadhafi will be given an opportunity to back down or to leave the country before strikes begin. The UN has called on all member nations to protect civilians. Enforcing a no-fly zone requires forward clearing strikes. US Sec. of State said it would be necessary to attack Qadhafi’s defenses to ensure the safety of international pilots enforcing the no-fly zone.

What Qadhafi has been planning for in Benghazi, a medieval siege with heavy artillery attacks and waves of bombing raids, is a planned, premeditated war crime, designed to include the mass killing of civilians. Because the Security Council resolution mandate the protection of civilians, any ground action by Qadhafi against the people of Benghazi may result in a full-scale military attack on relevant military positions.

The regime in Bahrain is now officially killing civilians in order to halt what is increasingly a demand for full democratic rights. At first, the democracy movement in Bahrain was not calling for the removal of the king or the al-Khalifa family. But once security forces began cracking down violently on peaceful demonstrators in central Manama, the al-Khalifa family fell out of favor.

By this week, pro-democracy demonstrators began calling for the king, the crown prince, and a royal uncle, the three most powerful men in Bahrain, to leave power and go into exile, largely because they had responded to peaceful protests with arbitrary detentions, foreign mercenaries and lethal force.

This week, the regime escalated tensions dramatically by inviting Saudi military forces into the country, talking of the need to impose an atmosphere of security. The regime’s decision to treat pro-democracy demonstrators as harbingers of chaos and insecurity. Demonstrators said the presence of foreign troops would be viewed as an illegal act of war by the government against its own people.

Today, Nicholas Kristof reported for the New York Times:

It is heartbreaking to see a renegade country like Libya shoot pro-democracy protesters. But it’s even more wrenching to watch America’s ally, Bahrain, pull a Qaddafi and use American tanks, guns and tear gas as well as foreign mercenaries to crush a pro-democracy movement — as we stay mostly silent.

In Bahrain in recent weeks, I’ve seen corpses of protesters who were shot at close range, seen a teenage girl writhing in pain after being clubbed, seen ambulance workers beaten for trying to rescue protesters — and in the last few days it has gotten much worse. Saudi Arabia, in a slap at American efforts to defuse the crisis, dispatched troops to Bahrain to help crush the protesters. The result is five more deaths…

Kristof added:

One video from Bahrain appears to show security forces shooting an unarmed middle-aged man in the chest with a tear gas canister at a range of a few feet. The man collapses and struggles to get up. And then they shoot him with a canister in the head. Amazingly, he survived.

While the UN has approved military action against Libya’s Muammar Qadhafi, who is in the process of waging a full-scale war on his population and Europe, the US and Arab states are preparing to stage military strikes against Qadhafi, to stop the slaughter, western ally Bahrain is flagrantly killing civilians in the streets.

What is taking place in Bahrain is the deliberate participation in crimes against humanity, with the specific intent of crushing a fully legitimate, entirely non-violent protest movement calling for fair and open democratization. The international community must take action to isolate the al-Khalifa family and pressure the regime to stand down.and to honor the basic, universal rights of the demonstrators and of all of the Bahraini people.

As the four troubled nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power complex continue to deteriorate, the news is breaking this evening that workers at Reactor #4 are being forced to abandon the site, due to the risk of extreme radiation contamination. The evacuation means that at least one of the failing reactors will not have any one in place to manage it; at this hour, it is not clear whether the entire Fukushima complex is being evacuated.

If the entire complex is being abandoned, experts say the radiation would have to be so severe it is now no longer feasible to rotate workers in and out to reduce risk to each individual worker. There are mounting concerns that total evacuation of the plant means authorities are taking a “wait and see” attitude, meaning there will no longer be an opportunity to prevent total meltdown, if that is where the failing reactors are headed.

Japan is a very densely populated island nation, and there are fears the fallout resulting from any major nuclear explosion, fire or prolonged radiation seepage, could spread to other parts of the country. Already, the radiation leaking out appears to have affected conditions in Tokyo and also out to see, where US naval vessels were moored, staging rescue and relief operations.

There were reports throughout the day that Japanese authorities and the US military were being asked by the company that manages the Fukushima site to coordinate airborne delivery of water to cool the reactors. As of 10:00 pm EDT, the news was that Japanese authorities planned to assist in the delivery, overland by pump or from the air, of water and boric acid, to cool the overheating reactors.

But just half an hour later, the situation had, reportedly, deteriorated to the point where a decision was made that it would be safer to evacuate the roughly 50 remaining workers from the site, and possibly to start planning containment measures. If, however, the result of abandoning the site is a total meltdown of the radioactive fuel rods in the reactor cores, the resulting release of radioactivity could render a wide area uninhabitable, as occurred after the Chernobyl disaster more than 20 years ago.

UPDATE, 11:02 pm EDT: There are now reports of white smoke rising from both Reactor #3 and Reactor #4. Two workers are still missing from the explosion yesterday. American military personnel flying aid missions into Japan have been given potassium iodide to protect their thyroids from vulnerability to radioactive particulates.

There is now a report that after the workers were forced to evacuate, some, all or a different crew of workers, returned to the site after 45 minutes, to again attempt to restore the cooling and containment process. Several surrounding countries are now examining all food imported from Japan. There is a surge of demand for flights out of Japan, as foreign nationals seek to return home to escape the release of radiation from the Fukushima plant.

European governments are reportedly drawing up plans for a safety stress testing regime for nuclear plants. Germany has ordered seven nuclear plants in operation since prior to 1980 shut down, and the United States Congress is being pressured to call hearings to examine the safety and disaster preparedness at dozens of nuclear plants across the US.

Christian Parenti, author of the book Tropic of Chaos: Climate Change and the New Geography of Violence, told MSNBC tonight that at least two aging nuclear plants in the northeast —one in Vermont and one in New York— are presently leaking radiation. On one day in April 2010, two different nuclear plants in New Jersey were visited by nuclear inspectors, to deal with possible radiation seepage.

According to New Jersey Newsroom, “State and federal inspectors Friday were searching for the cause of a leak of radioactive water into catch basins at the Salem 2 nuclear power plant in Lower Alloways Creek in Salem County.” Then, shortly after the Salem 2 release was made public:

the state Department of Environmental Protection announced that it had been notified by Exelon, owner of Oyster Creek nuclear generating station in Lacey, Ocean County, that a monitor that measures radiation emissions from the facility was discovered to be inoperable. It is unknown how long the monitor has been out of service.

Exelon, the operator of that Ocean County plant, was forced to pay for clean-up of an estimated 180,000 gallons of radioactive tritium-laced water that leaked from the plant on 9 April 2009. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection reportedly found evidence that water with contamination levels 50 times legal limits may have reached the Cohansey Aquifer, an important drinking-water source for southern New Jersey.

UPDATE, 11:31 pm EDT: Chris Jansing reported for MSNBC that a report has found that 25% of all nuclear plants in the United States have leaked or are presently leaking radioactive waste.

Nuclear power plants, like the one at Fukushima Daiichi, contain 1,000 times more radioactivity to leak than the Hiroshima bomb. Nuclear scientists estimate 1,000,000 people would be killed or injured in a major accident, were one to occur at the San Onofre plant in southern California. But Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) on Monday compared the risk to a bridge collapse or a plane crash.

Alexander literally suggested that the scale by which the people of the United States should measure the potential risk of a catastrophic nuclear disaster should be according to their fear of a highway bridge collapse. A highway collapse could kill people, and is and would be tragic, but it would be very unlikely to kill more than a few dozen people. It would be tragic to lose those lives, but such a tragedy is not comparable in scale to death or severe long-term injury to a million people.

It is one of the most astonishing examples of pathological ignorance displayed by any public official in this country for years. It is a sign that Sen. Alexander is willing to put his allegiance to industry ahead of his service to the people and the nation he has sworn to serve. Only a very cynical and corrupt mind could dare to make such a comparison or be so willing to mock the tragedy experienced by victims of radiation fallout.

Sen. Alexander may have made some astonishingly ignorant remarks in the past, or he may not. By comparison, it hardly seems to matter now. He has gone on the record telling American citizens he would be as concerned about the grave need for nuclear security as he would be about highway construction.

It should be so far beyond the acceptable limit for politically motivated misstatements for any public servant to make a remark of the kind Sen. Alexander has seen fit to interject into the debate about nuclear power that no intelligent adult would ever make such an irresponsible and flagrantly offensive statement. But it is not.

Sen. Alexander clearly holds one of two views: either he views the American people as so hopelessly benighted that there will be no political backlash whatsoever to his manipulative and grossly negligent lie, or he actually is ignorant enough to believe what he said, that a nuclear catastrophe is no worse than a highway accident.

Either way, it would seem the people of Tennessee have some thinking to do about how they plan to replace this senator with an individual who is willing to use genuine intellect and moral conscience to serve the better interests of the people of his state.

Tennessee deserves better, and the people of the United States deserve better, than a senator so deeply in league with a private, for-profit interest that makes its living on taxpayer subsidies, that he would suggest the public should not have a serious discussion about whether it is safe to put the most dangerous scientific process known to man in our communities.

A fourth reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has now reportedly lost its cooling system and is on fire, while a third of the troubled reactors has suffered an explosion. The exclusion zone has been expanded to 19 miles, and international monitors now say the Fukushima nuclear emergency is officially the second worst nuclear disaster in history, after the Chernobyl disaster. 

United States service personnel on the USS Ronald Reagan were reportedly “exposed” to radiation in or near Japan,and the ship is being moved, despite already being 60 miles from the site. A BBC World Service report today cited American pilots that may have been exposed while flying over the site. 

There are now questions being raised about whether Japanese authorities or industry officials have been concealing information about what now appears to be the extreme gravity of the crisis. While worldwide news reports have spread the news that the Fukushima plant could easily be brought under control, the news now coming to light appears to show the crisis has been steadily worsening.

On Monday, much attention was devoted to a failed attempt to cool the failing reactors using a rush of cool sea water, a risky process that was expected to increase pressure and which some suspect could be responsible for the latest explosion. 

Japanese authorities now report radiation leakage beyond legal limits and dangerous enough to cause serious harm to human health. It is not known how much radiation has leaked, but a press conference delivered by the power company running the plant suggested that both the reactor core and the outer containment vessel were breached. 

A graphic shown on Japan’s NHK television, and repeated on CNN was used to illustrate the interior of the reactor that suffered yesterday’s massive explosion. While there had not been a specific admission by operators of a serious radiation leak, it was reported that pressure inside the containment vessel dropped and radiation levels outside the containment vessel reached levels a human being could not safely absorb over an entire year.

UPDATE, 10:01 am EDT: Major aftershocks rock Japan, with several registering more than 6.0 magnitude. The nuclear crisis at Fukushima Daiichi has been elevated to a level 6 nuclear emergency, the only such disaster to reach that level other than Chernobyl. 

Radiation levels outside one of the reactors is now listed as 400 times the level a human being could withstand in one year. While authorities refraining from publishing information they fear could lead to panic, the math seems simple: 400 times 365 days, the radiation exposure at the Fukushima plant could be over 14,000 times acceptable daily limits.

As of 10:00 am EDT, there were reports from two US military bases near Tokyo that background radiation levels were elevated, and precautions might need to be taken to ensure there is no impact on human health.

The condition of the Fukushima plant now appears to be deteriorating. Authorities have confirmed the containment vessel inside at least one reactor was breached, and there are reports the fire at Reactor #4 is releasing radioactive material into the atmosphere. 

Ongoing questions about the transparency of the plant operators’ reports regarding the status of the disaster so far are leading to speculation that radiation has been leaking out since well before yesterday’s explosion and fire.

UPDATE, 10:44 am EDT: MSNBC is now reporting radiation levels in Tokyo are at ten times normal, and radiation levels at the Fukushima plant are now elevated enough to kill an adult man in just five hours. The new numbers are a sign of how rapidly the situation is deteriorating. 

The IAEA has reportedly imposed a no-fly zone across a 19 mile or 30 km radius around the plant. The IAEA also reported that the reactors are “safe and stable” and efforts are ongoing to prevent total meltdown. The power company has reportedly requested that the Japanese and US militarize assist by running air drops of water from helicopters. 

This last revelation suggests there is mounting desperation and that no other option seems viable on the ground, at the site of the nuclear release.

Bahrain’s government has asked for and accepted foreign intervention to help secure the nation against a spreading opposition movement. Pro-democracy demonstrators have said they will view any presence of foreign troops as an illegal foreign occupation. There are concerns the foreign forces might inflame sectarian tensions, as they are Saudi Sunni forces defining a minority Sunni regime against a mostly Shi’a pro-democracy movement in a mostly Shi’a country.

For weeks, there have been reports of emissaries from the Saudi royal family pressuring officials, first in Egypt, now in Bahrain, to resist pressure to reform or to resign. Now, Bahrain’s king has declared a three month long state of emergency, which gives him sweeping powers with which he can fight the spreading democracy movement.

Violence has been escalating over the course of the protests. The regime blames protesters gathered at Pearl Square in central Manama, but protests and outside observers say foreign mercenaries and armed thugs, hired by the government, have been attacking protesters, imposing at atmosphere of violence.

The state of emergency is being viewed by many as a declaration of war against the democracy movement, which had begun calling for the king to relinquish power in disgrace for having used violence against unarmed civilians.

The United States Congress today debated the possibility of establishing a military no-fly zone over Libya, to pressure Muammar Qadhafi to leave office. It is not known how close the Obama administration may be to planning for such an operation, though White House and State Dept spokespeople have said the administration wants a UN Security Council resolution to give legal support to a no-fly zone.

Republican Sen. John McCain called for the intervention, saying it was well within the power of the United States to do so and that it would help the people of Libya in their quest to end the Qadhafi dictatorship. But another Republican, Sen. Richard Lugar, who chairs the Foreign Relations Committee, said Pres. Obama should get a full declaration of war from the Congress, before seeking to establish a no-fly zone.

Coptic Christians have been staging a prolonged sit-in at the state television station in Egypt. They began their protest nine days ago after a Coptic Church was burned down. Yesterday, most of the protesters reportedly left and went home after receiving assurances from the military that the church would be rebuilt.

Those who did not leave were removed by force. A local Coptic hospital reported a number of patients who had been at the site of the protests had suffered bruises, “muscle pain”, and in at least one case, a fracture.

Just one day after Wisconsin governor Scott Walker signed a bill into law that strips public employees of collective bargaining rights, the largest crowd to date gathered around the state Capitol building in Madison. Authorities estimate between 85,000 and 100,000 people joined the protest, demanding the repeal of the law and the recall of all the Republican lawmakers involved in the unorthodox parliamentary maneuvers used to force the measure through.

According to Salon.com:

The largest crowd yet has descended on Wisconsin’s Capitol to protest cuts to public worker collective bargaining rights day after Gov. Scott Walker signed the measure into law.

Protests have rocked the Capitol almost every day since Walker unveiled his proposal. But Madison Police estimate Saturday’s crowd as the largest at 85,000 to 100,000 by late afternoon.

Demonstrators say they’re undeterred after lawmakers passed the legislation this week and Walker to put his signature on it Friday. Labor leaders have promised to fire up members and mount a major counterattack against Republicans at the ballot box in 2012.

There is a movement to mount recall bids against every eligible Republican politician involved in the vote, and pressure mounting to begin financing a challenge to Gov. Walker. Video from Wednesday appears to show the Senate majority leader knowing flouting state law in order to force the measure through. Gov. Walker has been accused of abusing his office to force compliance with his agenda.

There may have been inappropriate communications between the governor’s office and wealthy backers, as well as an inappropriate use of state police, including the use of force to remove peaceful demonstrators from public hearings. Walker is even accused of using police to prevent Democratic opponents from accessing the Capitol building during key hearings.

Japanese authorities are reporting, just after 3:00 am EDT, that two of the reactor cores at the Fukushima nuclear plant may have begun meltdown. At least nine people are reported to have been exposed to dangerous levels of radiation. A 20km exclusion zone is being established, and authorities say they are evacuating an estimated 200,000 people from the area.

On Saturday, there was an explosion at the Fukushima complex, and there are reportedly fears of another explosion at the second troubled reactor. The second reactor potentially in meltdown, said to be Fukushima number three, has been reported to be using a plutonium-uranium fuel blend which is much more dangerous than the uranium fuel being used at the other Fukushima reactors.

The mass evacuation has raised discussion of the ultimate security of nuclear energy technology. The nuclear emergency has conjured memories of the Three Mile Island accident in Pennsylvania and of the far worse Chernobyl catastrophe in Ukraine.

<--more-->Experts on Japan’s nuclear industry say it is the world’s most advanced in terms of earthquake preparedness, but that the technology is really designed to withstand a quake as much as 50 times weaker than this quake, by far the worst in Japanese history.

There are serious disparities between the security planning and the security requirements of the nuclear industry. While the physics dictates that some radioactive waste materials, with half-lives as long as 1 million years, will need to be absolutely secured for that length of time, the industry itself has not established a protocol for protecting waste material reliably verey far beyond the expected operable life of a nuclear power plant, some 30 to 40 years.

UPDATE, Monday 14 March, 12:40 am EDT: Reports from Japan and from the IAEA now put two more nuclear power plants in trouble: in Tokai, there is a cooling system malfunction, and at Onagawa, there is a reactor listed as emergency level one, with fear about the possibility of explosion or radiation leakage.

There was also a second explosion reported today at the Fukushima plant, where there is still concern that reactor number three, which uses a mix of plutonium and uranium fuel, might be in meltdown and release radiation or radioactive material into the environment.

According to the New York Times: The release of radioactive steam, as a stopgap emergency measure of cooling malfunctioning reactors could continue for weeks or months. The scale of the nuclear emergency is now said to be spreading, and there are concerns the logistics of getting all the necessary resources, technology and materials to the reactor sites may prove difficult given the collapse of infrastructure across the tsunami affected region.

The Fukushima nuclear plant contains 5 nuclear reactors, which combine to produce the world’s largest concentrated power generation. At least one of the reactors is reported to have radiation levels 1,000 times normal inside one of its control rooms. Today, RussiaToday is reporting that white smoke seen rising from the plant may be due to an explosion. Authorities have warned that some radioactive material may have seeped out into the environment already. There is an ongoing concern that the plant may be vulnerable to meltdown, as plant operators have not been able to resume cooling of nuclear fuel.

Google yesterday launched a “person finder” for Japan, to help people looking for relatives and loved ones who may be lost in a communications outage or in physical danger, due to the earthquake and tsunami. Facebook also has a disaster relief service at facebook.com/DisasterRelief. There is also a surge in information on Twitter at hash-tags like #tsunami or #sendai or Fukushima.