CLG: Chemicals from stain repellent disrupt brain signal in polar bears, Putin in film on Crimea: US masterminds behind Ukraine coup, helped train radicals, Maduro wins decree powers to fight 'U.S. imperialism'

News Updates from CLG
17 March 2015

http://www.legitgov.org/
All links are here:http://www.legitgov.org/#breaking_news

Previous edition: Obama approves $75 million in 'non-lethal' aid to Ukraine

Secret C.I.A. Fund Adds Millions to al-Qaeda Coffers --'God blessed us with a good amount of money this month,' Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, al-Qaeda's general manager, wrote in a letter to Osama bin Laden in June 2010. [No, not God. The CIA.] | 14 March 2015 | In the spring of 2010, Afghan officials struck a deal for 5 million to free an Afghan diplomat held hostage by al-Qaeda [incontrovertibly, *al-CIAduh*]. They first turned to a secret fund that the Central Intelligence Agency bankrolled with monthly c-sh deliveries to the presidential palace in Kabul, according to several Afghan officials involved in the episode. The C.I.A.'s contribution to al-Qaeda's bottom line, though, was no well-laid trap. It was just another in a long list of examples of how the United States...has sometimes inadvertently fin-nced the very militants it is fighting.

ACLU files new lawsuit over Obama administration drone 'kill list' | 16 March 2015 | On Monday, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) will file a disclosure lawsuit for secret Obama administration documents specifying, among other things, the criteria for placement on the so-called "kill list" for drone strikes and other deadly force. Information sought by the ACLU includes long-secret analyses establishing the legal basis for what the administration terms its "targeted killing program" and the process by which the administration determines that civilians are unlikely to be killed before launching a strike, as well as verification mechanisms afterward to establish if the strike in fact has caused civilian deaths.

No, *This* is ISIS: 'Dirty Brigades': US-Trained and Armed Iraqi Forces Investigated for War Crimes | 11 March 2015 | U.S.-trained and armed Iraqi military units, the key to the American strategy 'against' ISIS [-CIA-SIS], are under investigation for committing some of the same atrocities as the terror group, American and Iraqi officials told ABC News. Some Iraqi units have already been cut off from U.S. assistance over "credible" human rights violations, according to a senior military official on the Pentagon's Joint Staff. The investigation, being conducted by the Iraqi government, was launched after officials were confronted with numerous allegations of "war crimes," based in part on dozens of ghastly videos and still photos that appear to show uniformed soldiers from some of Iraq's most elite units and militia members massacring civilians, torturing and executing prisoners, and displaying severed heads.

UN torture expert refused access to Guantánamo Bay and US federal prisons | 11 March 2105 | The United Nations’ top investigator on the use of torture has accused Washington of dragging its feet over his requested visits to prisons and refusing to give him access to inmates at Guantánamo. Juan Méndez said he had been waiting for more than two years for the United States to provide him access to a range of state and federal prisons, where he wants to probe the use of solitary confinement. Méndez told reporters in Geneva he wanted to visit federal prisons in New York and Colorado and state prisons in New York, California and Louisiana, among others.

Israel election: Binyamin Netanyahu rules out Palestinian state as voting begins | 16 March 2015 | Israel's prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu has unequivocally ruled out the establishment of a Palestinian state as he vowed to strengthen construction of settlements in occupied east Jerusalem should he be re-elected on Tuesday. Netanyahu's comments reinforced his hardening message of recent days and confirmed his final abandonment of his at best tepid commitment to a two-state solution designed to see the creation of an independent Palestinian state. While his remarks will be seen in large part as election rhetoric designed to cement his standing with his country's hard right at a time when Netanyahu has been struggling in his campaign, they will further strain relations with the US and other key allies should he win a third consecutive term.

Ex-Mossad chief Dagan: I would have resigned if Netanyahu ordered Iran strike | 15 March 2015 | Former Mossad Chief Meir Dagan said Saturday night that he would have resigned if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had decided to attack Iran's nuclear facilities. In his interview with Channel 10, Dagan said, "it was his fully within his authority to make such a decision, but I decided that I would resign at that moment." In the interview, Dagan also showed the letter in which he requested to leave his post - responding to claims made by Netanyahu's associates that his criticism of the premier was due to personal reasons, after Netanyahu decided not to renew his tenure.

Putin in film on Crimea: US masterminds behind Ukraine coup, helped train radicals --'They facilitated the armed coup.' | 15 March 2015 | The Ukrainian armed coup was organized from Washington, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in an interview for a new documentary aired Sunday. The Americans tried to hide behind the Europeans, but Moscow saw through the trick, he added. "The trick of the situation was that outwardly the [Ukrainian] opposition was supported mostly by the Europeans. But we knew for sure that the real masterminds were our American friends," Putin said in a documentary, 'Crimea - The Way Home,' aired by Rossiya 1 news channel. "They helped training the nationalists, their armed groups, in Western Ukraine, in Poland and to some extent in Lithuania," he added.

Maduro wins decree powers to fight 'U.S. imperialism' [It's about time!] | 15 March 2015 | Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Sunday was given the right to rule by decree for nine months, as he continued to capitalize on the backlash created by recent U.S. sanctions. In a raucous session full of chanting and blistering speeches, the National Assembly, which is controlled by the ruling party, passed the "Anti-Imperialist Enabling Law for Peace." The law, which gives Maduro the ability to bypass congress in issuing security and defense legislation through December, is expected to go into effect Monday when it's published in the official gazette.

Venezuela Sounds Alarm after Obama Invokes International Emergency Act | 10 March 2015 | Venezuelan foreign minister Delcy Rodriguez sent an alert to international solidarity groups this afternoon, indicating that recent actions taken by the US government are meant to justify "intervention," and do not correspond with international law. The warning came within 24 hours of an address made by US president Barack Obama, in which Venezuela was labeled an "unusual and extraordinary threat to [US] national security". While slapping a new set of sanctions on the South American nation, Obama declared a national emergency, invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) against Venezuela.

Vigil for Julian Assange to mark 1,000 days in embassy for Wikileaks founder | 16 March 2015 | Supporters of the Wikileaks founder Julian Assange will hold a vigil today to mark the 1,000th day of his stay inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London. His sympathisers will display posters and banners opposite the Knightsbridge building where the Australian has been holed up since June 2012. The 43-year-old has been living in the embassy to avoid travelling to Sweden where he is wanted for questioning over claims of sex assaults against two women [in a CIA 'honeypot' trap], which he denies. Assange fears being extradited to the United States if he goes to Sweden, and face interrogation over publication of secret documents by WikiLeaks.

Sydney siege gunman's lawyer Adam Houda takes on terrorism suspects' case | 16 March 2015 | A lawyer who accused Prime Minister Tony Abbott of prejudicing the trial of two terrorism suspects by "milking" it for political gain [So true!] has taken on their case, indicating they will plead not guilty. Adam Houda, the former lawyer of Sydney siege gunman Man Haron Monis, appeared in Central Local Court on Monday on behalf of two Fairfield men accused of plotting a terrorist attack in Sydney..."From what I've seen, the essential feature of this case is the video and I've seen the video and it's not convincing," Mr Houda said outside court. In February, Mr Houda said Mr Abbott had prejudiced the trial of the Fairfield pair by reading out details of that video in Parliament.

Police watchdog to investigate claims Met covered up child sex abuse | 16 March 2015 | The Independent Police Complaints Commission has launched an investigation into allegations of police corruption in London relating to child sex offences dating back to the 1970s, including that officers colluded in the coverup of a high-level paedophile ring. The allegations, referred by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), include suppressing evidence, hindering or halting investigations and covering up offences because of the involvement of MPs and police officers. "These allegations are of historic, high-level corruption of the most serious nature," said Sarah Green, the IPCC deputy chair.

Met Police pedophiles get a pass: Police condemned for using stop and search powers on 300 children aged under five --Metropolitan Police stopped and frisked 184 under-fives in last five years | 15 March 2015 | Nearly 300 children under the age of five have been stopped and searched by police over the last five years, it has emerged. Officers across the UK have been condemned for using their powers to stop and search toddlers on suspicion of a host of offences including drug or knife crime, possession of weapons and terrorism. Police said that in nearly all cases, officers had carried out the searches after believing the child had been an innocent party who had been used by adults to conceal drugs, weapons or stolen goods.

Canada-wide demonstrations against proposed anti-terrorism law --Conservative government introduced legislation, known as Bill C-51, in January | 14 March 2015 | Demonstrators are gathering across Canada today to protest the government's proposed anti-terrorism legislation. Organizers say demonstrations will take place in dozens of cities in Canada, from Victoria to Halifax, in an event they have dubbed "Defend our Freedom." In Toronto, hundreds gathered at city hall to speak out against the proposed legislation, with many holding signs, chanting and drumming in protest of the bill they call dangerous, reckless and unacceptable. The wide-ranging bill would give police much broader powers and allow them to detain terror suspects and give new powers to Canada's spy agency.

Families of nine Sandy Hook victims sue estate of Adam Lanza's mother | 16 March 2015 | The families of nine people killed in the Newtown elementary school shooting have filed lawsuits against the estate of the [alleged] gunman's mother. The lawsuits allege that Nancy Lanza incorrectly secured her legally owned Bushmaster AR-15 rifle, which her troubled adult son, Adam Lanza, used to kill 20 children and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012, the Connecticut Post reported Friday. The lawsuits seek to collect on Nancy Lanza's homeowner's insurance, the Connecticut Post reported.

Ebola Is a Man-Made Virus From America; Why Go to Liberia for Vaccine Trials, Asks Monrovia Local --Reporter asked whether signing Ebola vaccine consent form was tantamount to a 'death warrant' for volunteers. [It is.] | 13 Mar 2015 | The United States is helping to lead a large study of two vaccines against Ebola..."When we look at Ebola, it came from America," [Most likely, Fort Detrick] said Sylvester George, a pastor's assistant, expressing doubts about the clinical trials at an information session. "It's a man-made virus. So why didn't they do this trial in America, but they decide to come to Liberia?" The phrase "Ebola prevention vaccine" is used rather than "Ebola vaccine," to help avoid the impression that the vaccine might cause Ebola. [It does.] ..."They said they want more Ebola patients because government is using them to make m-ney," Samuel Weah said. "The more dead and infections, the more m-ney."

Americans Evacuated After at Least 10 Aid Workers Had Possible Ebola Contact | 14 March 2015 | Several American aid workers, among at least 10 who might have come into contact with the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone, were evacuated on Saturday, according to a United States Embassy spokeswoman in the Sierra Leonean capital, Freetown. They will be the most Americans who have returned home over fears of exposure to the virus since an outbreak in three West African countries was declared last year. Another American aid worker, who was showing signs of illness, arrived in the United States on Friday evening, hours after a colleague with Ebola was flown from Sierra Leone to the clinical center of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. That patient, a clinician who was not identified, tested positive for the virus on Tuesday, and investigators feared that he had exposed others to it.

U.S. appeals ruling on size of BP oil spill | 14 March 2015 | The U.S. government is appealing a federal court ruling that reduced the potential penalty BP Plc must pay for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill by almost $4 billion. The appeal, which was filed on Friday in U.S. District Court in New Orleans, challenges a January decision by U.S. District Court Judge Carl Barbier that set the size of the spill at 3.19 million barrels. The government had estimated the size of the spill at 4.09 million barrels and BP at 3.26 million.

Chemicals from stain repellent disrupt brain signal in polar bears --Scientists have warned that a quarter of Canadian polar bears could be wiped out by the end of the century because of shrinking ice caps. Warming temperatures could destroy one tenth of the bear's habitat, affecting their ability to roam across huge expanses of ice to hunt for food and mate. | 16 March 2015 | Polar bears are suffering potentially harmful changes to their brains due to the accumulation of pollution in the arctic, according to a new study. Scientists have found that key processes in the brains of polar bears are being disrupted by man-made chemicals such as stain repellents and water-proofing treatments. They claim this could result in changes to polar bear behaviour and hormone balance that may ultimately affect their ability to survive.

Vanuatu's Cyclone Pam death toll rises to 24 | 16 March 2015 | The United Nations reported Monday that 24 people are confirmed dead and 3,300 have been displaced by Cyclone Pam in the South Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu. Radio and telephone communications with outer islands have not yet been established two days after what the country's president called a "monster" storm, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. It said 3,300 people are sheltering in 37 evacuation centres on the main island of Efate and in the provinces of Torba and Penama.

Did Time magazine just put DEVIL HORNS on Hillary Clinton's head? Suspected political jab has Democrats seeing red | 13 March 2015 | The latest issue of Time magazine features Hillary Clinton on its cover, but there's something different about the former secretary of state and would-be Madam President. The way the magazine's graphic designers positioned her silhouette under the letter 'M' in its iconic masthead appears to tack a pair of devil horns on her head.

GOP Rep. Aaron Schock Announces Resignation Amid Scandals | 17 March 2015 | Illinois Rep. Aaron Schock resigned Tuesday, less than 12 hours after POLITICO raised questions about tens of thousands of d-llars in mileage reimbursements he received for his personal vehicle...The discrepancy added to a growing wave of ethical and legal problems the 33-year-old politician faces. During the past month, Schock repaid the government 40,000 after spending m-ney from his official office budget to redecorate his office in the theme of PBS's "Downton Abbey," an English historical drama. He also reimbursed taxpayers more than 1,200 after using his office account to pay to fly on a private plane to a Chicago Bears football game.

Dems will try to override Christie veto today on Port Authority reform bill | 16 March 2015 | The state Senate is schedule for a veto override vote this afternoon on a Port Authority reform bill vetoed by the governor in December. While Democrats control the Senate and Assembly, they lack the two-thirds majority needed in either chamber for an override, and have never succeeded in pulling the GOP votes necessary to push through bills vetoed by the Republican governor. The senate's Democratic sponsors of the reform bill, S-2181, had been optimistic about the chances for an override, after Republicans had joined in approving it last fall without a single no-vote in the Senate or Assembly.

N.J. pension system worst in nation, new study shows | 12 March 2015 | New Jersey's record of funding its p-nsion system is the worst in the country, according to a new study by the National Association of State Retirement Administrators. That chronic underf-nding has led to a deepening pension crisis and individual p-nsion f-nds that could run out of m-ney by 2027, officials say.

State, county police take over Ferguson protest security after shooting | 12 March 2015 | With tensions running high after the shooting of two officers in Ferguson, Missouri, state and county police took over protest security in the St. Louis suburb Thursday. St. Louis County Police and the Missouri State Highway Patrol are assuming "command of the security detail regarding protests," St. Louis County Police said, while Ferguson Police will remain responsible for "routine policing services" in the city.

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