August 13, 2008 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
Georgian pres. Mikheil Saakashvili has said he fears Russia’s military action against his nation is the start of a “chain of events”, rooted in “never-ending appetite” of those he views as Russia’s militarists, that could compromise security across the Sough Caucasus, eastern Europe and the Middle East. He also accuses Russia of having no intention of honoring the tentative ceasefire that was announced yesterday. Russia today has told the United States it must choose between supporting Georgia or being able to cooperate with Russian in other international affairs.
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August 7, 2008 :: J.E. Robertson :: No Comment Yet
The government of US pres. George W. Bush has staked its legacy in the “war on terror” on a series of military tribunals, in which it intends to bring to judgment a number of accused terrorist suspects held at the US naval facility at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. After a series of setbacks, including rulings against proposed prosecution procedures on Constitutional grounds, and the granting of access for detainees to federal appeals courts, the first “military commissions” judgment was handed down yesterday, showing some of the cracks in the process.
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July 11, 2008 :: J.E. Robertson :: No Comment Yet
President George W. Bush yesterday signed an update to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) into law, after the Senate passed the controversial legislation, giving telecommunications firms retroactive immunity for cooperating with warrantless wiretapping conducted on American citizens, with no foundation in US law and in direct violation of the original FISA law, and the US Constitution. A federal court had ruled that the warrantless wiretaps violated the US Constitution, prompting a move by Pres. Bush and his allies in Congress to pass a new law correcting the legal problem.
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July 11, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
Karl Rove has chosen to ignore a subpoena to testify before the House Judiciary Committee in relation to allegations he was part of an administration campaign against officials who did carry out a partisan agenda. By not appearing to testify under subpoena, he has opened himself up to charges of contempt of Congress, and the committee’s chairman, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) has threatened to prosecute Rove if he does not comply, as has Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA), chairwoman of the subcommittee on commercial and administrative law.
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July 9, 2008 :: J.E. Robertson :: No Comment Yet
After many accusations and much speculation, a US government whistleblower has said the vice-president ordered testimony altered to hide findings of the negative impact of carbon emissions and the threats from global warming. VP Cheney is accused of demanding that official EPA findings be altered and that sworn testimony before Congress be “redacted” to exclude […]
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June 29, 2008 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
New Yorker investigative reporter Seymour Hersh reports this week that US joint special operations forces are intensifying “covert military operations” inside Iran. A US State Dept. spokesperson told CNN that US forces are “not operating across the Iraqi border into Iran”, though he did not deny there were operations organized and executed from inside Iran.
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June 23, 2008 :: J.E. Robertson :: 2 Comments
In a speech today in California, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) pledged to create a fund to grant $300 million to anyone who can invent a significantly more powerful car battery, which would make hybrid and electric automobiles more viable as a replacement for petroleum-fueled cars, and promised to give $5,000 tax credit automakers for every zero-emissions vehicle sold. He also demanded that automakers help make every new car “flex-fuel” vehicles, and speed the move away from petroleum powered automobiles.
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June 23, 2008 :: J.E. Robertson :: No Comment Yet
Democratic and Republican leaders have reached an agreement on legislation that would expand the government’s legal right to wiretap foreign suspects on American soil, including up to 7 days surveillance on Americans, where such a method is deemed necessary to target foreign suspects. Warrants will not be passed over completely, and the bill should bring government policy in line with Constitutional provisions on privacy.
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June 15, 2008 :: J.E. Robertson :: No Comment Yet
The US Supreme Court has taken its fourth serious action in limiting the expanded war powers claimed by the administration of Pres. George W. Bush. Observers who favor the president’s views have sought to accuse the court of “liberal” behavior, but 7 of the 9 justices were appointed by Republican presidents. In fact, the Court has moved to scale back revolutionary expansions of legal authority claimed by the executive branch. And, the four rebukes to White House claims in this time of war, are a historic intensification of the Court’s role in protecting the Constitution’s basic principles.
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June 13, 2008 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
The United States Supreme Court has ruled 5 to 4 that individuals held in detention at the US naval base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, can appeal their detention in US civilian courts. The ruling cites the intended permanence of Constitutional safeguards and their relevance to all US government prosecutions. Writing for the majority, Justice Anthony Kennedy explains “The laws and Constitution are designed to survive, and remain in force, in extraordinary times”.
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June 4, 2008 :: J.E. Robertson :: No Comment Yet
Illinois senator Barack Obama has won the race for the Democratic party’s nomination for the US presidency. He is the first African-American to become a major-party candidate for president in the US. Obama spoke to 18,000 supporters in St. Paul, Minnesota, and dedicated the celebration of his achievement to his grandmother, telling supporters, “Tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another.”
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June 2, 2008 :: staff :: No Comment Yet
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) has won the primary vote in Puerto Rico, over rival Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) by a “2 to 1″ margin, as reported by the New York Times. She claims that this most recent victory is evidence she should be the candidate in the fall: the problem, however, is that she trails in both popular vote and pledged delegates, and faces the near mathematical impossibility of surpassing Obama, who long ago had wrapped up a majority of possible primary victories, including the deep south, Texas and rural plains states.
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May 26, 2008 :: J.E. Robertson :: One Comment
According to the Financial Times, the United States is, however gingerly, beginning to break its dangerous reliance on foreign-sourced petroleum-based fuels. Foreign oil has been a major driving force in US economic and political trends for the better part of a century, and many in the US, both in politics and in private life, are increasing their calls for the country to move away from the resource that’s sown so much instability and propped up undemocratic regimes.
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May 26, 2008 :: J.E. Robertson :: No Comment Yet
Former Republican House-member Bob Barr (L-GA) has been named the Libertarian party’s candidate for US president. Barr told CNN “We are going to launch a very vigorous campaign all across America”, and that he believes he can win more votes than either of the two major-parties’ likely candidates. Polls appear to show his candidacy could bring in as much as 7% of the national vote.
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May 22, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
22 May :: The US House has quickly overridden Pres. Bush’s Veto of the $307 billion farm bill… The price of oil has hit a record for the 3rd consecutive day, now topping $135/barrel… McCain campaign aide resigns, honoring pledge not to campaign against Obama…
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May 16, 2008 :: jr3o :: No Comment Yet
16 May :: At least 50,000 people are believed dead in China’s Sichuan province, as the rescue mission extends beyond 72 hours; the massive quake, which included 8 to 10 aftershocks of roughly 5.0 on the Richter scale, caught many small cities unprepared; Chinese authorities have been quick to respond, and civilians are helping to […]
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April 11, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
11 April :: Tsvangirai “optimistic” after meeting with South Africa pres. Thabo Mbeki; opposition, some int’l observers accuse regime of intimidation tactics, including arrests, paramilitary sweeps, confiscation of property; ruling Zanu (PF) party has ceded to perception it could not have won majority, is pressing MDC to accept runoff vote… Cubans now able to buy […]
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April 10, 2008 :: admin :: One Comment
10 April :: ABC News reported yesterday that “In dozens of top-secret talks and meetings in the White House, the most senior Bush administration officials discussed and approved specific details of how high-value al Qaeda suspects would be interrogated by the Central Intelligence Agency, sources tell ABC News”; Rice chaired the meetings, as National Security […]
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April 9, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
9 April :: Reuters reporting: “The self-described mastermind of the September 11 attacks on New York City and the Pentagon [Khalid Sheikh Mohammed] has been assigned a U.S. military lawyer to defend him in the Guantanamo war court, where he could face execution if convicted, The Miami Herald reported”… Famed Harry’s Bar, owned by Cipriani […]
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March 31, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
Demonstrations against Chinese rule in Tibet turned violent in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, yesterday, as police wielded bamboo clubs and beat demonstrators, including Buddhist monks and nuns. The UN has said Nepal’s harsh clampdown on Tibetan demonstrators violates international human rights law, including the right to peaceful assembly, as embodied in treaties signed by Nepal.
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March 12, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
12 March :: Democrats propose permitting telecom firms to defend themselves in ex parte communications with judges, away from view of plaintiffs, where evidence includes classified national security information; move is designed to allow court cases to move forward, permit phone companies right to mount defense, but with no offer of retroactive immunity for any […]
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March 11, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
11 March :: NY Times reports “The House Judiciary Committee filed a lawsuit on Monday seeking to force the White House chief of staff and the former White House counsel to cooperate with the committee’s investigation into the firing of a group of federal prosecutors”; Bolten, Miers have been protected by Bush-appointed AG Mukasey, who […]
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March 9, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
9 March :: Sharif, Zardari form coalition gov’t in Pakistan, calling into quesiton the viability of Pres. Pervez Musharraf, politically; Musharraf has lost substantial support for his hardline attempts to reform the nation’s government structure in his favor, declaring martial law, throwing out judges who ruled against him, detaining lawyers and muzzling the press; former […]
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March 8, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
Reports that have cropped up online, through the blogosphere and which echo a Newsweek report from mid-2004, suggest the White House may be planning to implement a security protocol that would include canceling the 2008 elections in case of “catastrophic emergency”. The key may lie in still classified “top secret” document that combines National Security […]
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March 8, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
8 March :: US pres. George W. Bush has vetoed legislation that would have barred the CIA from using harsh interrogation techniques classed by critics as torture, such as “waterboarding”, a form of simulated drowning; the New York Times reports the veto is affirmation of Bush’s “legacy” as jealous defender of expanded executive power: “The […]
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February 14, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
14 February :: Record-high grain prices will cause an untenable 35% minimum increase in poor nations’ expenditures for cereals imports through July 2008, reports UN Food and Agriculture Organization; prices have increased rapidly due to record oil prices, dramatic deterioration of arable land in China — turning world’s most populous nation into net importer of […]
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February 14, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
Illinois senator Barack Obama scored three convincing wins over rival Hillary Clinton, senator for New York, in the Democrats’ ‘Potomac primaries’. Obama won Virginia by a margin of 64% tp 35%, Maryland by a margin of 60% to 37%, and the District of Columbia by a margin of 75% to 24%, over Clinton. Sen. Clinton […]
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February 7, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
7 February :: Bush spokesman says “waterboarding” is legal, may be authorized for use at any time, “under certain circumstances”; critics express disbelief, as two recent laws, Supreme Court ruling clearly bar use of abusive interrogation techniques; according to the LA Times “The technique has been traced to the Spanish Inquisition and has been the […]
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February 6, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
Lester R. Brown, EPI :: We are witnessing the beginning of one of the great tragedies of history. The United States, in a misguided effort to reduce its oil insecurity by converting grain into fuel for cars, is generating global food insecurity on a scale never seen before.
The world is facing the most severe […]
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February 5, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
5 February :: Quiet in Chad capital N’Djamena, after France announces it will intervene to protect Déby gov’t, rebels pull back; at least one Darfur rebel group also said it would fight to protect Déby’s gov’t, as it considers Déby an ally in its fight against the Sudan regime of Omar al-Bashir… CIA Director Michael […]
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February 5, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
Among the numerous scathing criticisms leveled against the record $3.1 trillion federal budget proposal —which will be the last of the George W. Bush White House— are fiscal irresponsibility, near record deficits, and plans to cut or eliminate fully 151 federal programs, in an effort to save just $18 billion, while base Defense Dept. spending […]
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February 4, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
4 February :: US pres. George W. Bush has presented the nation’s first federal budget exceeding $3 billion in spending; while giving generous expansions to defense spending, the budget seeks to cut $196 billion from healthcare spending, and projects near record budget deficits for at least two years; Bush claims that part of the 6% […]
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February 4, 2008 :: admin :: 14 Comments
The global climate change crisis may soon enter a new phase in terms of human society’s reaction, efforts to curb harmful activities that exacerbate the problem. The United States Dept. of the Interior is considering a proposal to list the polar bear as the first species facing extinction specifically as a side-effect of global warming.
The […]
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January 23, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
“President George W. Bush and seven of his administration’s top officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, made at least 935 false statements in the two years following September 11, 2001, about the national security threat posed by Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. Nearly five years after the […]
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January 14, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
14 January :: Israel, Palestinians have opened most extensive peace negotiations in more than 7 years, after US pres. Bush toured region in effort to accelerate talks; Reuters reports: “Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said she would keep details of her talks with former Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie confidential, but later told parliament she […]
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January 5, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
5 January :: WSJ reporting “After a week of political stalemate and bloodshed, Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki said Saturday that he was prepared to form a government of national unity with the opposition, easing tensions between the two side and potentially setting the stage for negotiations to end violence that has so far killed at […]
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January 4, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
3 January :: Obama leads Dems in Iowa caucuses 38% to 30%, 29% for Edwards, Clinton respectively; Huckabee overtakes Romney 34% to 25%, with McCain, Thompson around 13% each; long-time frontrunners have been overtaken by candidates with fresh pitch, passionate “ground” organizations… Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamanei has said he would favor reestablishing ties with […]
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January 1, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
1 January 2008 :: Le Monde has acquired a document that outlines irregularities recorded by observers of the Kenyan presidential poll, appearing to demonstrate fraud amounting to the altering of millions of votes: according to Le Monde, the report shows that opposition leader Raila Odinga led by as much as one million votes, a lead […]
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December 16, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
16 December :: Bali climate change conference goes into extra day, as EU, US reach agreement on language for roadmap to global emissions rules; CNN reports “The European Union and the United States reached agreement on a compromise for a global warming pact Saturday, setting the stage for intense negotiations in the next two years […]
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December 14, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
14 December :: New Jersey Assembly has passed death penalty ban, Gov. Corzine says he may sign within one week; 8 men currently awaiting execution will have sentences commuted to life in prison, observers comment some states may begin to follow suit, after DNA evidence has demonstrated high rate of erroneous convictions… The Bush admin. […]
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December 13, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
13 December :: Pro-industry forces in the US Senate have blocked the sweeping energy-policy reform bill that Democrats have touted as necessary for future economic and ecological wellbeing of the nation; “in order to bring the bill to a vote, Democrats were forced to drop a provision that required utilities to obtain at least 15% […]
