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The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, Manfred Nowak, in an interview on Monday 26th January 2009, told CNN that the United Nations had gathered enough evidence to prosecute Rumsfeld for his direct authorization of torture at US detention centres in 2002.
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Iran's blocked Gaza aid ship is now control-and-command HQ for Hamas
DEBKAfile Excllusive Report
January 29, 2009, 10:50 PM (GMT+02:00)
Iranian "aid ship" for Gaza
DEBKAfile's military and intelligence sources report that the aid ship Iran Shahed , which the Israel embargo of the Gaza Strip forced to stay 42 km from the coast, took delivery Monday, Jan. 26 of sophisticated communications equipment from Cyprus for maintaining contact with Hamas leaders who remain in hiding. It came with a group of maintenance engineers.
The Iran Shahed set out from the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas Dec. 29, the second day of the Gaza conflict, as a Red Crescent aid ship loaded with humanitarian and medical supplies for the Palestinian population.
On Jan. 13, when it reached a point 30 km from the shores of Gaza, the aid ship was surrounded by Israeli missile ships and ordered to leave the 40km zone blockaded by Israel at the outset of its Gaza operation. This was Day 18. When the captain failed to respond, a missile boat escorted it none too gently into international water.
Tehran has meanwhile airlifted to its embassy in Nicosia a group of military men in civvies, including intelligence and Revolutionary Guards officers, who are setting up a military ground staff base to support the ship's operations for Hamas. They have also hired Cypriot craft to shuttle between Cyprus and the "aid ship."
Western naval intelligence sources say the vessel has been converted into a floating logistical headquarters for the Hamas leadership, with Hamas frogmen using fishing boats to keep them connected. They believe the converted ship is the first link in a protective belt the Iranians are throwing around the Hamas leadership in Gaza.
Last week, Tehran asked Cairo for permission to fly a group of 20 journalists and photographers to Cairo on their way to the Gaza Strip to report on the situation there. Our sources report that five members of the group were bone fides press people, the rest Iranian undercover agents for attachment to Hamas' Gaza command. Cairo withheld permission.
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Obadiah Chapter 1
By: Joseph Klein
Obama’s dangerous moves on national security. More>
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MUST READ ABOUT MEXICO AND PAKISTAN
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Persons convicted of capital murder would be executed by 5-officer team
9:35 pm Eastern
© 2009 WorldNetDaily
 British firing squad stages execution of German spy during World War I |
One state lawmaker is proposing a bill to expand the death penalty and force people convicted of homicide to face execution by a five-officer firing squad.
New Hampshire State Rep. Delmar Burridge, D-Keene, is sponsoring H.B. 37, a bill providing for execution by firing squad for anyone who causes the death of another person by use of a firearm while engaged in the commission of a felony – an offense that would be considered capital murder under Burridge's plan.
According to the bill, the commissioner of the department of corrections will be required to select five peace officers to carry out the execution of defendants convicted of capital murder.
"The commissioner or designee shall ensure that the method of judgment of death specified in the warrant is carried out at a secure correctional facility operated by the department at an hour determined by the department on the date specified in the warrant," it states.
Current law includes murder of judges, law enforcement personnel, murder for hire, some drug-related homicides and rape-murders as capital offenses, but Burridge is seeking to add homicide during an armed robbery, or other felonies committed with a weapon, to the list – excluding such criminals from the standard death by lethal injection.
"A firing squad is more humane, reliable and quick. And perfectly matches the crime with the punishment," Burridge said last week.
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9:00 pm Eastern
© 2009 WorldNetDaily
 Obama's aunt Zeituni Onyang |
President Barack Obama's illegal alien aunt has enlisted the help of an immigration lawyer to help her win asylum and stay in the United States.
Margaret Wong and Associates is representing Zeituni Onyango, the 56-year-old Kenyan half-sister of Obama's deceased father, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Onyango and her lawyer are scheduled to attend an immigration hearing in Boston on April 1.
"The judge will be looking at evidence that they may not have been aware of four years ago," Michael Rogers, spokesman for Wong, told the newspaper. "Wong is optimistic. We would have preferred to not conduct this case in the media spotlight, but that's not going to happen."
Onyango, revealed in November to be dwelling on Flaherty Way in a South Boston slum, has been living in the United States illegally, refusing to leave the U.S. for her Kenyan homeland after a judge rejected her request for asylum in 2004.
Boston Housing Authority spokesman Bill McGonagle told the Boston Herald she received a small stipend for working six hours a week as a volunteer resident health advocate in her complex.
"Auntie Zeituni" made a $260 campaign contribution to her nephew's presidential bid from a work address in the city. She proudly displayed photos of Obama, including some that appear as old as 25 years, inside her first-floor apartment, McGonagle said.
The Bush administration issued a directive requiring high-level approval before agents could arrest fugitive immigrants on Oct. 31, the Associated Press reported. Immigration and Customs Enforcement documents reveal U.S. officials were concerned about implications of detaining Onyango in the days before the election.
"The Homeland Security Department censored parts of the document before turning it over to the AP, citing privacy and law enforcement reasons for withholding some of the information, including the name of the person who sent the e-mail," the AP revealed. "It also blacked out the names of recipients of the directive, making it impossible to determine whether it was sent to anyone outside the department or outside government."
ICE spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said the order was lifted by the end of November.
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Two Qassam missiles aimed at Sderot early Thursday shatter ceasefire
DEBKAfile Special Report
January 29, 2009, 11:51 AM (GMT+02:00)
Israeli Cobra in action against Hamas
Israeli air raids struck a Hamas target in Khan Younes, inflicting at least 10 Palestinian casualties Thursday, Jan. 29, after two missiles aimed at Sderot from Gaza early that morning landed in the Shear Hanegev region.
The first pair was fired Wednesday. Overnight, the Israeli Air force struck a missile workshop in the southern Gaza town of Rafah. DEBKAfile's military circles report that in the 48 hours since a roadside bomb from Gaza killed an Israeli soldier and injured three, Hamas has reverted to its tit-for-tat cycle in an effort to demonstrate who makes the rules.
Earlier, we reported that the approach of a fresh Gaza flare-up caused defense minister Ehud Barak to cancel his trip this week to Washington for talks with US defense secretary Robert Gates. Wednesday, as Barack Obama's Middle East envoy George Mitchell met with Israeli leaders in Jerusalem, Hamas fired its first two Qassam missiles and several mortar rounds into southern Israel since the 22-day conflict was halted by ceasefires. In Damascus, meanwhile Hamas and other radical Palestinian leaders rejected Cairo's plan for a long-term truce, demanding the reopening of all the Gaza crossings first.
This rejection was backed by the fresh round of missiles and mortar shells from Gaza.
Hamas was signaling its intention to revert to pummeling southern Israel again with rockets and missiles if its armed forces resorted to major retaliation for the fatal roadside bomb.
Until Hamas-Damascus slapped down its veto, Egypt had hoped for a long-term truce to begin on Feb. 5, followed by a power-sharing conference between the warring Palestinian factions on Feb. 22. The timeline was announced by Egyptian foreign minister Aboul Gheit.
But Hamas' rejection has taken Cairo back to square one. The Egyptians believe that a good military hiding by Israel will bring the Palestinian Islamist extremists back to the negotiation table in a more reasonable frame of mind. This situation prompted Barak's remark that another Hamas attack or two is to be expected soon.
Israeli and Egyptian leaders updated Mitchell Wednesday and explained why the ceasefire which he sought to consolidate during his Middle East tour had become untenable. Cairo and Jerusalem were equally resigned to another round of hostilities before diplomacy could take off.
Our military sources stress that the Israeli air strike which killed a Hamas member of the bomb squad in Khan Younis Tuesday night and its bombardment of three Philadelphi Corridor smuggling tunnels early Wednesday were but a foretaste of the reprisals the Israel military has in store for curbing further Hamas aggression.
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ECONOMICS - MUST READ NOW
Storm May Leave Thousands in Darkness for Days
Here comes the gun control. This proposed legislation (H.R. 45)
government that would require you to apply and be tested for a
license to own/possess any handgun or any semi-automatic long gun
than can accept a removable magazine.
Please call/write/email your US Congressman with your opposition
this Bill as soon as possible.
Pass this on to every gun owner you know, and be prepared for much more.
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Israeli air force bombs Philadelphi corridor in three waves
January 28, 2009, 10:11 AM (GMT+02:00)
Israeli towns and communities within rocket and missile range of the Gaza Strip were on tense alert after the Israeli air force struck the Philadekphi corridor border tunnels before dawn Wednesday, Jan. 28. Punishment was promised Hamas after a large roadside bomb blew up an Israel border patrol jeep outside Gaza early Tuesday, killing one Israel soldier and injuring three, one seriously, one week into the Gaza ceasefire.
Several smuggling tunnels caved in under the aerial bombardment. This may not be the end of Israel's response. Barack Obama's Middle East envoy George Mitchell is due in Jerusalem later Wednesday for his first visit. If Hamas goes back to firing rockets, he will land in the middle of another Gaza war.
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Bibi’s Bold Message
By: P. David Hornik
Netanyahu to world: Israel will go it alone. More>
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU - "IRAN"
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US military chief confirms interception of Gaza-bound Iranian arms ship
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report
January 28, 2009, 10:19 AM (GMT+02:00)
Adm. Mullen, Chairman of US Joint Chiefs of Staff
Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen said Jan. 28 the US Navy had intercepted a Cypriot-flagged ship in the Red Sea last week and searched it with the captain's permission for Iranian arms bound for the Gaza Strip.
This Iranian arms ship was first revealed exclusively by DEBKAfile on Jan. 20 and tracked further on Jan. 23 and Jan. 25. Click HERE|http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=5873}.
The Navy had done all it could do legally but was not authorized to seize the weapons," said Mullen, adding he would like authority to act in such cases. The vessel was expected in port in Syria this week, he said.
DEBKAfile's military sources disclose that it is bound for Latakia, where It will dock alongside the Russian guided missile destroyer Admiral Chabanenko . After the US Navy allowed it to continue its voyage through Suez, the Iranian vessel's captain called Tehran for instructions and was told to proceed to this Syrian port and unload its arms consignment for Hamas, including a fresh supply of rockets. Entering the Mediterranean on Jan. 26, the Iranian ship found three waiting three armadas – Israeli warships, the US Sixth Fleet and the Chabanenko. They all stayed close to the vessel – each with its own agenda: The first two blocked its access to the shores of Gaza, while the Russian destroyer kept watch for developments. But there were no further developments because, as Adm. Mullen complained, there are no international mechanisms authorizing its seizure.
Speaking to reporters in Washington the American admiral said he had long favored approaches to Iran. "To the degree that we are able to dialogue with them, find some mutual interests, there is potential there for moving ahead together," he said. He then added cautiously: "Iran is unhelpful in man, many ways in many, many areas, so I wouldn't be overly optimistic at this point.
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What did president tell Supreme Court? Lawyer in eligibility case seeks records of secret discussions
Posted: January 27, 2009
9:47 pm Eastern
By Bob Unruh
© 2009 WorldNetDaily
A lawyer whose case challenging Barack Obama's eligibility to occupy the Oval Office was denied a hearing in the U.S. Supreme Court says she will demand records of a meeting between the justices and the president.
California lawyer Orly Taitz, who has several cases pending over the issue of Obama's status as a "natural born" citizen, told WND she will take action soon.
Her case was the most recent on which the Supreme Court held a "conference," an off-the-record discussion at which justices discuss whether to take a case. Taitz told WND the justices decided Jan. 23 to deny her case a hearing on its merits.
The result was the same for previous cases brought by Philip Berg, whose information is on his ObamaCrimes.com website, as well as Cort Wrotnowski.
Like Berg's cases, Taitz said hers now reverts to the lower court, where it was pending when her emergency appeals were submitted to the Supreme Court.
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RUSH LIMBAUGH AND BILL GERTZ
RON PAUL - THE GREATEST DEPRESSION IS COMING
RON PAUL ON THE ECONOMY
More than 76,000 job cuts were announced by firms in the United States and Europe on Monday.
U.S. firms, including Caterpillar, Sprint Nextel and Home Depot, announced a total of 45,000 job cuts. Since December 2007, the U.S. has lost 2.59 million jobs. The unemployment rate rose to 7.2 percent last month. Economists worry that as many as 600,000 jobs are being lost each month.
“This is a big deal,” said the director of the Center for Economic and Research Policy, Dean Baker. “We’re losing jobs at an incredibly rapid rate, and even with that, I’m worried they’re accelerating. We’re seeing a much more rapid rate of layoff announcements.”
European firms such as Philips and ing also announced large job cuts. In Britain, the government is even thinking about introducing a three-day week—where the government pays firms to operate for only three days a week rather than lay off workers.
In this climate, how can you make sure you keep your job? And what can you do to find another if you do lose it?
At the turn of the century, Elbert Hubbard wrote a short article describing the type of man who is never without work for long. His essay was printed and reprinted around the world. A copy was given to every man enlisted in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corp during both world wars. “Civilization is one long anxious search for just such individuals,” he wrote. “Anything such a man asks shall be granted; his kind is so rare that no employer can afford to let him go. He is wanted in every city, town and village—in every office, shop, store and factory. The world cries out for such: He is needed, and needed badly.”
What sort of man is this? He is resourceful. He is industrious. He has initiative. He simply listens to what his boss tells him to do and does it. Hubbard described such a man in detail in his essay “A Message to Garcia.”
But in today’s abnormal climate, such a man may still find himself without work, laid off with hundreds, or thousands, of others. What can he do then?
He must apply the same diligence and resourcefulness toward finding a job. Make a full-time job out of finding a job.
For seven practical steps to take if you do find yourself without work, see our article “How to Find a Good Job.” In today’s climate, finding a job can be tricky, but with God’s help it is possible. For more on how to succeed no matter what life throws at you, read our booklet The Seven Laws of Success. •
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EDUCATION IN AMERICA
WHAT DID HE SAY ??
