Bush: Iran is World’s Leading State Sponsor of Terror
In a speech in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, President Bush accused Iran of being the world’s
leading state sponsor of terror. Bush said he traveled to the Middle East in part
to rally U.S. allies in the region to “confront this danger before it is too late.”
Iran Agrees to Answer Questions About Nuclear Past
Meanwhile Iran has agreed to answer questions about its past nuclear activities within
a month as part of an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency. The timetable
was announced after IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei wrapped up a two-day visit to Tehran.
Sen. Clinton Refuses to Describe War Vote As A Mistake
On the campaign trail, Senator Hillary Clinton is continuing to refuse to describe
her 2002 Iraq war vote as a mistake. In an interview on the Meet the Press with Tim
Russert, Clinton claimed that the 2002 vote was not actually a vote for war.
Sen. Clinton : "it is absolutely unfair to say that the vote as Chuck
Hagel, who was one of the architects of the resolution, has said, was a vote for war.
It was a vote to use the threat of force against Saddam Hussein, who never did anything
without being made to do so.
Tim Russert: The title of the act was The Authorization For Use of
Military Force Against Iraq resolution.
Clinton said she backed the bill after the Bush administration told her they intended
to put inspectors back in Iraq and permit them to finish their job.
Clinton Allies in Nevada Sue to Stop Caucuses in Vegas
Hotels
Meanwhile supporters of Hillary Clinton are being accused of trying to disenfranchise
some Democratic voters in Nevada ahead of the state’s caucus on Saturday. Six Nevada
Democrats and the Nevada State Education Association teachers’ union have filed a
lawsuit to block the Democratic Party from holding caucuses inside Las Vegas strip
hotels in order to allow casino and hotel workers a chance to take part in the caucus
process. The suit was filed just days after the influential Nevada Culinary Workers’
Union endorsed Barack Obama. The teachers union has not endorsed a candidate but the
union’s deputy executive director–Debbie Cahill–is a member of Clinton’s Nevada Women’s
Leadership Council.
NBC Rescinds Nevada Debate Invitation to Kucinich
In other campaign news, Democratic presidential contender Dennis Kucinich is considering
taking legal action after NBC News rescinded an invitation for him to participate
in Tuesday’s presidential debate in Nevada. On Jan. 9, NBC told Kucinich that he had
met the criteria for the debate. Then less than two days later, NBC changed the criteria
and declared that Kucinich no longer qualified.
Court: Gitmo Detainees Do Not Meet Definition of “Person”
The D.C. Court of Appeals has upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by four British
men who were held at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay. The four men had
sued former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other top military officers for
ordering torture and religious abuse. The judges effectively ruled that the detainees
are not persons at all for purposes of U.S. law. The court ruling read in part “Because
the plaintiffs are aliens and were located outside sovereign United States territory
at the time their alleged claim arose, they do not fall with the definition of "person.”
The ruling was issued on Friday just as thousands of human rights activists were gathering
around the world to protest the sixth anniversary of the opening of Guantanamo.
80 Arrested Outside Supreme Court Protesting Guantanamo
In Washington, at least 80 activists were arrested outside the Supreme Court during
a demonstration calling for the shut down of the military prison where over 800 men
and boys have been held without charge. Protesters marched in Washington dressed like
Guantanamo prisoners wearing orange jumpsuits and black hoods.
Joints Chief of Staff Chair Favors Closing Guantanamo
Meanwhile the chair of the Joints Chief of Staff has publicly said he favors shutting
down Guantanamo. Admiral Mike Mullen said “I believe that from the standpoint of how
it reflects on us–it’s been pretty damaging.”
Spy Chief Mike McConnell Admits Waterboarding is Torture
National intelligence director Mike McConnell has acknowledged that the interrogation
practice known as waterboarding could be described as torture. McConnell told the
New Yorker magazine “Whether it’s torture by anybody else’s definition, for me it
would be torture.” “Waterboarding”, involves pouring water over subjects who are bound,
gagged and hooded in order to terrify them by stimulating the feeling that they are
drowning.
Conviction Tossed of Only Officer Charged In Abu Ghraib
Scandal
The U.S. army has thrown out the conviction of the only officer court martialed in
the Abu Ghraib torture scandal. The military has announced that Lt. Col. Steven Jordan
will only face an administrative reprimand. Jordan oversaw the Abu Ghraib interrogations
center in Iraq from September to December 2003. Up until last week, Steven Jordan
was the only officer or civilian leader to have been held criminally responsible for
the abuses at Abu Ghraib.
121 Veterans Have Been Charged With Murder Since Returning
Home
The New York Times has revealed at least 121 veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
have been charged with committing murder after they returned home from duty. The Times
said the numbers indicated a nearly 90 percent increase in homicides involving active-duty
military personnel and new veterans since the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan. The Times
said about one-third of the victims were spouses, girlfriends, children or other relatives.
The Times reports that while many of the veterans showed signs of combat trauma, they
were often not evaluated for or diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder until
after the homicides.
Some Ex-Baathists To Be Allowed to Regain Government
Jobs
Iraqi lawmakers have passed legislation that could potentially allow some former members
of Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party to return to work in government jobs. But some officials
say the law could actually exclude more former Baathists than it lets back in. It
could also bar any Sunni tied to the Baath Party from obtaining a high-level political
position. In 2003 the U.S.-backed Coalitional Provisional Authority removed all Baathists
from the Iraqi government in a move that helped fuel the Sunni insurgency.
Cleveland Sues 21 Banks Over Subprime Mortgage Crisis
In business news, the city of Cleveland has sued twenty-one banks including Goldman
Sachs, Merrill Lynch and Wells Fargo for their role in the subprime mortgage crisis.
Cleveland has been at the epicenter of the country’s foreclosure crisis. The lawsuit
alleges that the predatory lending practices of the banks has created a public nuisance
that hurt property values and city tax collections. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson
said “To me, this is no different than organized crime or drugs. It has the same effect
as drug activity in neighborhoods." There were more than 7,500 foreclosures in Cleveland
last year – up from less than 120 in 2002.
Green Party Holds Presidential Debate in California
The Green Party held a presidential debate on Sunday before 800 people in San Francisco
featuring former Democratic Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney and four other candidates.
Ralph Nader, who ran on the Green ticket in 2000, spoke at the event but did not take
part in the debate. Nader has not yet announced whether he will run for president
again.
Ralph Nader: You want healthcare for all? Who says no? It’s the health
insurance industry, the drug companies and the HMOs. You want living wage? Who says
no and makes it stick? It’s McDonald’s. It’s Burger King. It’s Wal-Mart. You want
peace in the world, and you want a country to wage peace and become a humanitarian
superpower? Who’s opposed to that? The Lockheed Martins. What Eisenhower condemned
is a military-industrial complex. Just ask: Who keeps saying no? And you know what
the focus of a Green Party and an alternative party political movement has to be.
Cynthia McKinney cited Ralph Nader as part of why she was running on the Green ticket.
Cynthia McKinney: Mr. Nader, in a recent piece, asked us to take
the next step if we don’t like what’s happening in our country. I’ve heeded his advice:
I’ve joined your party. I’m helping Green candidates, and I’m here with you today.
I ask you to take the next step with me.
Also participating in the Green Party debate were Jared Ball, Jesse Johnson, Kent
Mesplay and Kat Swift.
Associated Press: “Everything Involving Britney Is A
Big Deal.”
And finally the Associated Press has instructed its staff in Southern California to
be on the lookout for all stories about Britney Spears. Last week an AP assistant
bureau chief wrote a memo to colleagues that read: “Now and for the foreseeable future,
virtually everything involving Britney is a big deal.”
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/1/14/headlines
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