Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Voice of Taliban on VOA probed

Complaints that the U.S. government's Voice of America (VOA) interviewed a top Pakistani Taliban leader have sparked an investigation into VOA's Pashto language service to determine if it has allowed itself to become a platform for terrorist propaganda.

In a letter obtained by The Washington Times, the State Department's acting inspector general, Harold Geisel, said his office will conduct a review "to determine the effectiveness of their broadcast and editorial practices and policies." The service broadcasts into the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region that serves as a refuge for al Qaeda and the Taliban. ....

Blueprint for New World Order

(Compiler's note: Click on the title above for the full and troubling analysis discussed below. Click here for the full Foreign Policy Magazine.)


If you want to know what the globalist elite really have in mind for us, you should keep your eye on Foreign Policy Magazine, as I do.

The May-June issue is nothing short of a blueprint for where the powers that be plan to take us – and it ain't pretty. ....

White House 'dialogue' site scrubbed of eligibility posts Many Obama birth certificate queries yanked from 'transparency' debate

With more than 200 individual threads and thousands of comments on the eligibility issue alone, moderators of the White House website on "open government dialogue" have been working tirelessly to edit the dialogue about Barack Obama's elusive "long-form" birth certificate. ....

The Emergence of President Obama's Muslim Roots

ABC News' Jake Tapper and Sunlen Miller report: The other day we heard a comment from a White House aide that never would have been uttered during the primaries or general election campaign.

During a conference call in preparation for President Obama's trip to Cairo, Egypt, where he will address the Muslim world, deputy National Security Adviser for Strategic Communications Denis McDonough said "the President himself experienced Islam on three continents before he was able to -- or before he's been able to visit, really, the heart of the Islamic world -- you know, growing up in Indonesia, having a Muslim father -- obviously Muslim Americans (are) a key part of Illinois and Chicago." ....

FBI Eyes Charity Linked To Rep. Murtha

CBS News has learned the FBI is investigating a little-known not-for-profit organization called Commonwealth Research Institute. It's located, like a lot of Rep. John Murtha's, D-Penn., pet projects, in his hometown, Johnstown, Penn.

Commonwealth gets the same benefits as the Salvation Army or any other charity: It doesn't have to pay taxes. But its line of work may be surprising. It's a defense contractor. ....

For the biggest hint as to what Commonwealth is all about, it may help to know something about its parent company, Concurrent Technologies (Corporation - CTC). Concurrent is another defense contractor in Johnstown, also registered as a charity at the same address. And, with the help of Murtha and The PMA Group, a lobby firm that's also under FBI investigation, Concurrent has gotten a billion dollars-plus in defense contracts and earmarks.

Concurrent employees have also given Murtha’s campaign over $95,000 in donations since 2002.

....At last week's annual defense trade show in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, an Associated Press reporter asked Murtha about another local defense contractor also under investigation, Kuchera Industries. Kuchera was just suspended from getting any new contracts with the U.S. Navy. A Navy spokesperson cited the reason for the suspension as "alleged fraud." CBS News affiliate WTAJ in Altoona captured the exchange.

The Geography of Recession

(Compiler's note: A fascinating analysis -- I recommend reading the entire article. Please click on the title of this article.)

By Peter Zeihan

The global recession is the biggest development in the global system in the year to date. In the United States, it has become almost dogma that the recession is the worst since the Great Depression. But this is only one of a wealth of misperceptions about whom the downturn is hurting most, and why.

Let’s begin with some simple numbers.

As one can see in the chart, the U.S. recession at this point is only the worst since 1982, not the 1930s, and it pales in comparison to what is occurring in the rest of the world. (Figures for China have not been included, in part because of the unreliability of Chinese statistics, but also because the country’s financial system is so radically different from the rest of the world as to make such comparisons misleading. For more, read the China section below.)

But didn’t the recession begin in the United States? That it did, but the American system is far more stable, durable and flexible than most of the other global economies, in large part thanks to the country’s geography. To understand how place shapes economics, we need to take a giant step back from the gloom and doom of the current moment and examine the long-term picture of why different regions follow different economic paths. ....

How The Obama DOJ Decision In Georgia Will Aid ACORN And Fraudulent Elections

(Compiler's note: My fear is that this will be just the first of many such incidents. Absolutely must read this full article by clicking on the title above. This leaves no doubt that we are under attack -- and this one is coming from those within our own borders from those who do not respect our U.S. Constitution.)

by Ms Placed Democrat

Obama DOJ Decision Will Allow Non-Citizens to Register to Vote in Georgia…aiding ACORN in their efforts to register fraudulent voters. ACORN will now be allowed to bus illegal aliens to register to vote in the state of Georgia. ....

Decision Bars Georgia From Continuing Voter Verification Process

Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel issued the following statement following the U.S. Department of Justice’s denial of preclearance of Georgia’s voter verification process

Atlanta - “The decision by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to deny preclearance of Georgia’s already implemented citizenship verification process shows a shocking disregard for the integrity of our elections. With this decision, DOJ has now barred Georgia from continuing the citizenship verification program that DOJ lawyers helped to craft. DOJ’s decision also nullifies the orders of two federal courts directing Georgia to implement the procedure for the 2008 general election. The decision comes seven months after Georgia requested an expedited review of the preclearance submission.

“DOJ has thrown open the door for activist organizations such as ACORN to register non-citizens to vote in Georgia’s elections, and the state has no ability to verify an applicant’s citizenship status or whether the individual even exists. DOJ completely disregarded Georgia’s obvious and direct interest in preventing non-citizens from voting, instead siding with the ACLU and MALDEF. Clearly, politics took priority over common sense and good public policy.

This process is critical to protecting the integrity of our elections. We have evidence that non-citizens have voted in past Georgia elections and that more than 2,100 individuals have attempted to register, yet still have questions regarding their citizenship. Further, the Inspector General’s office is investigating more than 30 cases of non-citizens casting ballots in Georgia elections, including the case of a Henry County non-citizen who registered to vote and cast ballots in 2004 and 2006. ....

AIR FRANCE 447 ANALYSIS

(Compiler's note: For those looking for the Air France 447 writeup it can be found by clicking on the title above. A most interesting analysis of what had to have been an extremely terrifying event for those aboard the downed aircraft.)

by Tim Vasquez

....
The satellite imagery indicates that numerous cumulonimbus towers were rising to at least 51,000 ft, and were embedded in extensive stratiform anvils with tops of 35,000 to 45,000 ft. This kind of configuration is actually quite normal for equatorial storms due to the higher tropopause height, but it emphasizes that the aircraft was certainly within the bulk of an extensive cumulonimbus cloud field for a significant amount of time and that storms could indeed have been a contributing factor to the crash. ....

.... Overall what we know for sure is weather was a factor and the flight definitely crossed through a thunderstorm complex. There is a definite correlation of weather with the crash. However the analysis indicates that the weather is not anything particularly exceptional in terms of instability or storm structure. It's my opinion that tropical storm complexes identical to this one have probably been crossed hundreds of times over the years by other flights without serious incident.

Still, in the main MCS alone, the A330 would have been flying through significant turbulence and thunderstorm activity for about 75 miles (125 km), lasting about 12 minutes of flight time. Of course anything so far is speculation until more evidence comes in, and for all we know the cause of the downing could have been anything from turbulence to coincidental problems like a cargo fire.

My own opinion of the crash cause, as of Monday night, based on the complete lack of a HF radio call and consideration of all of the above, suggests severe turbulence (see the BOAC 911 and BNF 250 tragedies) combining in some unlikely way with CRM/design/maintenance/procedural/other deficiencies to trigger a failure cascade. We can almost certainly count on some unexpected surprises once the CVR is recovered. Until then, all we can do is await the investigation and hope that the world's flight operations stay safe until AFR447's lessons are revealed.

Justice Denies the Uighurs … For Now The Supreme Court cannot release them here, but what about the president?

(Compiler's note: It is a long, but must read article. So click on the title above and read the original article. We are going to hear more of this.)

By Andrew C. McCarthy


Courts ought to butt out of how the administration disposes of detainees at Guantanamo Bay. They are not defendants; they are held “as enemies under the laws of war.” And besides, as the Supreme Court held after World War II, it “is inherent in the executive power to control the foreign affairs of the nation.”

What about the Geneva Conventions, you say? Forget it: They don’t create any enforceable rights for these detainees, and federal judges have no business entertaining claims based on them — including claims rooted in the Conventions’ Common Article 3, which has no bearing on this situation. And don’t tell us about how U.S. statutory law might help the detainees. Gitmo is part of Cuba; it’s not sovereign U.S. territory. The judicial power to enforce U.S. law “does not have extraterritorial application and therefore does not apply to petitioners at Guantanamo Bay.” There is, moreover, nothing in the U.S. Constitution that entitles these aliens to relief — on that, a conservative-leaning panel of the D.C. Circuit had it just right when it reversed that bleeding-heart, Clinton-appointed district judge.

Sound familiar? You must figure I’ve dusted off a copy of Dick Cheney Does the Imperial Presidency — or maybe that I’m reading from some relic those Constitution-shredders in the Bush Justice Department left behind.

I am actually reading from the brief submitted to the Supreme Court last week by Pres. Barack Obama’s Justice Department. As the DOJ announced, in what’s becoming its weekly contribution to the Friday Night Embarrassing News Dump, the brief sets forth the administration’s opposition to the Uighurs, Chinese nationals held at Gitmo who are claiming a right to be released in the United States. .....

.... Justice does not make a single reference to Section 1182(a)(3). That’s the provision in which Congress bars from admission any alien who has been affiliated with a terrorist organization or has had terrorist paramilitary training. In this litigation, that would be checkmate, so why not invoke it? Very simply: Because while Section 1182(f) is a limitation on the power of the court, Section 1182(a)(3) is a limitation on the power of Obama. The administration does not want to acknowledge any such limitations — doubtless because, as the brief asserts, “the Executive” is still “encouraging other countries to participate in resettlement efforts.”

Neither the Supreme Court nor Congress is going to like this game. The administration is telling the justices that Congress has rendered them powerless to order the Uighurs’ release in the United States, yet DOJ refuses to acknowledge that Congress has also rendered the president powerless to release them here. Obviously, the administration is engaging in this sleight of hand because President Obama still intends to resettle at least some of these trained terrorists in the United States. Inspiring other countries to be reciprocally suicidal is Obama’s only real chance to honor his reckless commitment to close Gitmo by January.

Somebody on Capitol Hill should ask Attorney General Holder why his department held back from making its best argument to the Supreme Court.

Reporter To Gibbs: How Much Was The President's Tax-Funded Date Night?



Islam and Muslims: History of Oppression, Violence, and Fanaticism

Dr. Sami Alrabaa

Have you ever pondered what has been the contribution of Islam and Muslims to the world civilization until now? The answer is very evident and straightforward: oppression, violence, discrimination, and fanaticism. These negative immoral values have been an essential part of Islam since its inception.
Here is the evidence. Muhammad, the leader of Muslims claimed that he was a “prophet,” and in the name Allah, he ordered his followers to kill the “infidels,” non-Muslims; in particular, Jews and Christians.
While Judaism and Christianity were spread peacefully under sacrifices by followers of Moses and Jesus, Islam was spread under the threat of the sword: “Submit to Islam, otherwise you’ll be killed.” Islam considers non-Muslims the enemies of Allah. For more details, check out Understanding Muhammad by Ali Sina.
Also in the name of Allah, Muhammad urged his followers to conquer the world and force its people to convert into Muslims. Muslims call all this “Futuhat” (opening). The Muslim conquest was bloodier much worse than “colonialism.” The British and French colonialists never forced people to renounce their local faiths. For further details, check out Islamic Jihad by M.A. Khan.
After Muhammad’s death, four of his staunchly contemporary followers took over, called the Caliphs, or “Al Khulafa’ Al Rashidun” (the rightly guided successors) as Muslims prefer to call them. Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman, and Ali, all of them were murdered by fellow Muslims in bitter fights for the leadership of the rising Muslim empire. ....

North Korea's Kim moves to anoint youngest son as heir

SEOUL - North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has told top officials to pledge loyalty to his youngest son, signaling his anointment as heir to the family dynasty that has ruled since the state's founding, a lawmaker and South Korean media said on Tuesday.

Romney to Obama: Stop Apologizing to America's Critics

WASHINGTON -- Republican Mitt Romney, seen as a likely contender for the White House in 2012, scolded President Obama on Monday for apologizing to America's critics in the global arena. ....

U.S. census sparks feud over the counting of illegal immigrants

In a high-stakes battle that could affect California's share of federal funding and political representation, immigrant activists are vowing to combat efforts by a national Latino clergy group to persuade 1 million illegal immigrants to boycott the 2010 U.S. census. ....

Chinese students laugh at Geithner

.... "Chinese assets are very safe," Geithner said in response to a question after a speech at Peking University, where he studied Chinese as a student in the 1980s.

His answer drew loud laughter from his student audience, reflecting scepticism in China about the wisdom of a developing country accumulating a vast stockpile of foreign reserves instead of spending the money to raise living standards at home. .....

Soldiers shot by Muslim convert

(KATV-TV, Little Rock) At a briefing this afternoon, Little Rock police chief Stuart Thomas identified the suspect as Abdul Hakim Mujahid Muhammad, 24, of Little Rock ....

Don't mess with Savage! U.K. home secretary quits

(WorldNetDaily.com) In the wake of scandal over personal use of taxpayer funds and her controversial ban of talk-radio host Michael Savage, British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith will resign ...

Arpaio Goes Head-to-Head with Feds

by Fox News

The Feds are investigating Sheriff Joe Arpaio for possible civil rights violations, and Monday, the Sheriff announced he's going to put the Obama administration under the microscope.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio is asking the Justice Department to investigate the Obama administration -- specifically the Department of Homeland Security, which is led by former Arizona governor, Janet Napolitano.

Arpaio believes he's being unfairly targeted. The sheriff's attorney delivered an 8-page letter to the head of the Justice department, saying the investigation into his department's practices stems from a political agenda and lawyers acting improperly.

The letter details the events surrounding a routine March audit by Homeland Security with senior MCSO officials. No lawyers were present -- and the sheriff says that auditors then shared their information with Civil Rights Division attorneys.

"We are defending ourselves. I'm defending our office, my constitutional authority to enforce all the laws," said Arpaio.

The sheriff called the interaction between the Department of Justice and Homeland Security an orchestrated scheme to acquire documents and testimony. ....

Poll: Most Oppose Closing Gitmo

by USAToday

Americans are overwhelmingly opposed to closing the detention center for suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay and moving some of the detainees to prisons on US soil, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds.

By more than 2-1, those surveyed say Guantanamo shouldn't be closed. By more than 3-1, they oppose moving some of the accused terrorists housed there to prisons in their own states.

The findings underscore the difficult task President Obama faces in convincing those at home that he should follow through on his campaign promise to close the prison in Cuba, especially in the absence of a plan of where the prisoners would go.

In many parts of the world, however, Gitmo has become a symbol of US arrogance and abuse, and Obama has cited its closure as a way to lay the foundation for better relations. He is scheduled to deliver a major address aimed at the Muslim world on Thursday from Cairo.

It is one of the few subjects on which most Americans side with the views of the Bush administration over its successor.

"Coming up on eight years after Sept. 11, fear remains, and fear is politically potent," says political scientist Paul Freedman of the University of Virginia, who studies public opinion. "When it comes to the issue of terrorism … people are inclined to err on the side of that fear." ....

Pakistani Cleric Suspected in Deadly Indian Attack Ordered Freed

by LA Times

A court in Lahore, Pakistan, today ordered the release of a firebrand Islamic cleric with alleged links to the deadly attacks in Mumbai, India, last year, sparking an angry rebuke from Indian officials that Pakistan is not committed to meting out justice to militants.

Hafiz Saeed, head of a charity that international organizations have said is tied to the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which Saeed founded, had been held under house arrest, though he had not been publicly charged or indicted.

Lashkar-e-Taiba has been blamed for engineering and carrying out the attacks on Mumbai, India's commercial capital, that killed 166 people last November.

The United Nations regarded Saeed's charity, Jamaat ud-Dawa, as a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba, which was formed 20 years ago to fight Indian rule in the Himalayan region of Kashmir. Many believe that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency played a critical role in the group's formation.

The order to free Saeed drew a harsh response from the Indian government.

"We are unhappy that Pakistan has not shown the degree of seriousness and commitment it should have to bring to justice the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks," Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram told reporters. ....

Obama says Iran's energy concerns legitimate

LONDON -- President Barack Obama reiterated that Iran may have some right to nuclear energy _ provided it takes steps to prove its aspirations are peaceful.

In a BBC interview broadcast Tuesday, Obama also restated plans to pursue direct diplomacy with Tehran to encourage it to set aside any ambitions for nuclear weapons it might harbor. ....

Arkansas jihad killer went to Yemen seeking to study with jihadist imam

from Jihad Watch

A well-placed source has told me that Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, who shot one soldier and wounded another at an Arkansas military recruiting station yesterday, went to Yemen hoping to study with a jihadist imam, Yahya Hajoori. I haven't yet been able to find out know if he actually studied directly with Hajoori, or with one of his students.

Remember that in August 2008, six Americans were arrested in Yemen. They attended a mosque in Germantown, Pennsylvania that sponsored "students" to go to Yemen to study with the jihadist Sheikh Muqbil -- and after he passed away, with Yahya Hajoori. This was the mosque attended by Howard Cain, the bank robber and killer of Police Officer Stephen Liczbinski.

More exclusive information here.


Monday, June 1, 2009

The 31-Year-Old in Charge of Dismantling G.M.

WASHINGTON — It is not every 31-year-old who, in a first government job, finds himself dismantling General Motors and rewriting the rules of American capitalism.

But that, in short, is the job description for Brian Deese, a not-quite graduate of Yale Law School who had never set foot in an automotive assembly plant until he took on his nearly unseen role in remaking the American automotive industry. .... he has emerged as one of the most influential voices in what may become President Obama’s biggest experiment yet in federal economic intervention. ....

U.S. officials raise alarm about new Venezuelan missiles

Venezuela's recent purchase of the most lethal shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles in the Russian arsenal is sharpening U.S. concerns that parts of President Hugo Chávez's massive weapons buildup could wind up in the hands of terrorists or guerrillas in neighboring Colombia. ....

GM to get $30.1 billion more in federal aid for bankruptcy

By Sharon Silke Carty

DETROIT — The U.S. government will invest an additional $30.1 billion in General Motors (GM) to finance its bankruptcy reorganization to be filed Monday, President Obama's auto task force said in a statement.

The government, which already has provided $20 billion in aid, says this will be the end of the taxpayers' financial support of GM..... bailout

Gitmo case highlights challenge facing Obama

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba - A session of the Guantanamo war crimes court that began Sunday will likely show the difficulties President Barack Obama faces in changing the system and closing the prison by January. ....

Civil unrest to hit this summer? Black unemployment rate reaches depression level of 15 percent

With unemployment hitting 10 percent, the United States may be headed into a summer of civil discord not seen since the late 1960s, Jerome Corsi's Red Alert reports.

Unemployment in March and April remained 20 percent higher in states won by Democratic candidate Barack Obama in last fall's presidential election than in states won by Republican presidential candidate John McCain, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics
. ....

Obama solicitor general supports Saudis' immunity in 9/11 lawsuit Brief seeking to deny Americans access to court remedies for attack

The Obama administration has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to protect Saudi Arabia and four of its princes from being held accountable for their alleged role in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the United States that killed almost 3,000 Americans, according to a report in Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.

Through its solicitor general, Elena Kagan, the Obama administration has asked that the Saudis be held immune under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, or FSIA, even though there is ample U.S. evidence of complicity by the Saudi government and the named princes in support of al-Qaida's terrorist attack.

While the FSIA generally protects a sovereign state, there are exceptions under which its provisions can be invoked. Such interpretations are left largely to the courts to determine.

Families of the 9/11 victims, however, have expressed outrage over the Obama administration's filing. They regard the action as undermining the continuing fight on terror.....

Lawmaker joins push to up cost of drilling

A powerful congressional chairman has joined a growing number of Democrats who want to sharply increase the cost of drilling leases that the government provides on federal lands, a move vigorously opposed by Big Oil and Republicans. ....

What Obama's Cyberplan Means For Business

Digital Threats Mark New Front in Nation's Security

from The Online News Hour

.... Al-Qaida and other terrorist groups have spoken of their desire to unleash a cyber-attack on our country, attacks that are harder to detect and harder to defend against. Indeed, in today's world, acts of terror could come not only from a few extremists in suicide vests, but from a few key strokes on the computer, a weapon of mass disruption.

JEFFREY BROWN: Just last April, The Wall Street Journal reported the U.S. electrical grid had been hacked. It said cyber-spies probed the power system and planted software to cause disruptions.

Another report said the Pentagon's Joint Strike Fighter program was struck, but officials insisted the breach was nothing serious.

Overall, the Defense Department reported 360 million attempts to penetrate its data networks last year, up from six million in 2006. And cyber-damage has cost $100 million over six months. Add to that rising threats to the private sector, including losses from identity theft and monetary scams, and the president said, it's clearly time for urgent action. ....

A New Red Line For Iran

By Graham Allison

The Iranian nuclear challenge was transformed on President George W. Bush's watch. Events in Iran have advanced faster than the policy community's thinking about the problem. The brute fact is that Iran has crossed a threshold that is painful to acknowledge but impossible to ignore: It has lost its nuclear virginity.

Over the past eight years, the United States has insisted that Iran would never be allowed to develop the capability to enrich uranium, as that could be used to build a nuclear bomb. Three unanimous U.N. Security Council resolutions demanded that Iran "suspend all enrichment-related activities." That was a worthy aim. Technically, mastery of enrichment is the brightest red line short of nuclear weapons. Israelis have called it the "point of no return." .....

Jihad terror on American soil: Muslim kills soldier, wounds another at Arkansas military recruiting center

from Jihad Watch

"Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad -- a 24-year-old Little Rock resident formerly known as Carlos Bledsoe -- faces a first-degree murder charge and 15 counts of engaging in a terrorist act..."

"Suspect arrested in Arkansas recruiting center shooting," from CNN, June 1 (thanks to Don):

(CNN) -- An Arkansas man was arrested Monday in connection with a shooting at a Little Rock military recruiting center that killed one soldier and wounded another, authorities said.

Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad -- a 24-year-old Little Rock resident formerly known as Carlos Bledsoe -- faces a first-degree murder charge and 15 counts of engaging in a terrorist act, Little Rock Police Chief Stuart Thomas said. The terrorist counts stem from the shots fired at an occupied building.

The soldier who was killed was identified as Pvt. William Long, 24, of Conway, and the wounded soldier is Pvt. Quinton Ezeagwula, 18, of Jacksonville, Thomas said....

Although military officials initially believed that the shooting was a random act, Thomas said police think the shooter acted alone "with the specific purpose of targeting military personnel."...

Thomas said police recovered three guns from Muhammad's black Ford SUV: an SKS semi-automatic rifle, a .22-caliber rifle and a pistol....

Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad had "political and religious motives." -- so says "Shooter, Victims Identified in West LR Shooting," from KATV7.com, June 1 (thanks to Benedict).

The Detainee Shell Game

The revelation last weekend that the United States is increasingly using foreign intelligence services to capture, interrogate and detain terrorist suspects points up an uncomfortable truth about the war against Islamist terrorists. Demands to raise legal standards for terrorist suspects in one arena often lead to compensating tactics in another arena that leave suspects (and, sometimes, innocent civilians) worse off. ....

NKorea prepares long-range missile launch

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea has transported its most advanced missile, believed to be capable of reaching Alaska, to a launch site on its west coast near China, news reports said Monday.

The reclusive communist country was also reportedly bolstering it defenses and conducting amphibious assault exercises along its western shore, near disputed waters where deadly naval clashes with the South have occurred in the past. ....

Interpol Chief Seeks Police Alliance to Fight Piracy Off Somalia

PARIS — While warships pursue pirates around the Horn of Africa, the secretary general of Interpol, Ron Noble, is pressing for a global alliance of criminal investigators to hunt the bandits by examining the money trail of million-dollar ransoms. ....

Congress to Obama: Gitmo Plan Before Gitmo Money

Members of Congress from both parties clamored Sunday for President Obama to develop a plan for dealing with the suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay if he intends to fulfill his promise to close its prison by early 2010. ....

Better cybersecurity through acquisition key part of White House report

The biggest difference between the Obama administration and the Bush administration's strategies to address federal cybersecurity weaknesses has little to do with technology itself.

Uncle Jay Explains the News: Transform

FBI planning a bigger role in terrorism fight

Bureau agents will gather evidence to ensure that criminal prosecutions of alleged terrorists are an option. The move is a reversal of the Bush administration's emphasis on covert CIA actions. ....

A Closer Look at the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Forces

By Michael Webster:

Protecting America against terrorist attack are the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Forces, or JTTFs, our nation's front line fighting terrorism: JTTF (much like their prey the terrorist) they consists of small cells of highly trained, locally based, passionately committed volunteers. However, in the case of JTTF they also have professional investigators, analysts, linguists, SWAT experts, and other specialists from dozens of U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies from all over the U.S.

According to the FBI when it comes to investigating terrorism, they do it all: chase down leads, gather evidence, make arrests, provide security for special events, conduct training, collect and share intelligence, and respond to threats and incidents at a moment's notice.....