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Police in the NEWS --- A wild look at their lives and what they do out there, news wise..............................
Entry for February 12, 2008 ---- THERE WERE A LOT OF SAPS AND METRO OUT ALL DAY YESTERDAY...
A lot of cars and taxis being checked all over the place -- some POLICE FROM THE METRO OUT ON CORLETT DRIVE AND FURTHER UP IN ROSEBANK AGAIN.....
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Tuesday February 12, 2008 - 12:40am (PST) Edit Delete Permanent Link 0 Comments
Entry for February 12, 2008 --- LOVE POEMS FROM ANGELUS...
I got the call today That I didn't wanna hearBut I knew that it would comeAn old, true friend of ours was talkin' on the phoneShe said you'd found someoneAnd I thought of all the bad luck,And the struggles we went throughAnd how I lost me and you lost youWhat are these voices outside love's open doorMake us throw off our contentmentAnd beg for something more?I'm learning to live without you nowBut I miss you sometimesThe more I know, the less I understandAll the things I thought I knew, I'm learning againI've been tryin' to get downTo the heart of the matterBut my will gets weakAnd my thoughts seem to scatterBut I think it's about...forgivenessForgivenessEven if, even if you don't love me anymoreAh...these times are so uncertainThere's a yearning undefinedAnd people filled with rageWe all need a little tendernessHow can love survive in such a graceless age?Ah...the trust and self-assurance that lead to happinessThey're the very things - we kill I guess...Ohh pride and competitionCannot fill these empty armsAnd the work I put between usYou know it doesn't keep me warmI'm learning to live without you nowBut I miss you, babyAnd the more I know, the less I understandAll the things I thought I'd figured outI have to learn againI've been trying to get downTo the heart of the matterBut everything changesAnd my friends seem to scatterBut I think it's about...forgivenessForgivenessEven if, even if, you don't love me anymoreThere are people in your life who've come and goneThey let you down, you know they hurt your prideYou better put it all behind you baby; cause' life goes onIf you keep carryin' that anger, it'll eat you up inside, babyI've been trying to get downTo the heart of the matterBut my will gets weakAnd my thoughts seem to scatterBut I think it's about forgivenessForgivenessEven if, even if you don't love meI've been tryin' to get downTo the heart of the matterBecause the flesh will get weakAnd the ashes will scatterSo I'm thinkin' about forgivenessForgivenessEven if, even if, you don't love me...Forgiveness (yeah)Forgiveness (baby)Forgiveness (ohh)Forgiveness (ahh yeaaahhh)Forgiveness (ohh)ForgivenessEven if, you don't love me anymore...
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Tuesday February 12, 2008 - 12:36am (PST) Edit Delete Permanent Link 0 Comments
Entry for February 11, 2008 --- NEWS OF THE FORCE...
News of the Force
Monday, February 11, 2008 (Page 2)
Russians can spend $40 to build 'UFO'
For the last six months, a growing number of UFOs have appeared in the Altai region of Russia.
One of the witnesses has revealed the details of the day when he faced the unidentified flying object. On Dec. 10, 2007, he was going down the road to Slavgord. He was passing Priganka village when was suddenly terrified by a strange white cloud in the sky. At first the man took it for an ordinary cell-station lantern, but having looked up he realized that the light from the cloud spread for about a mile. Too scared to drive through, the witness tried to find a by-pass, but on the way to the road he accidentally hit the night keeper's house. Neither the night keeper or the witness knew what the strange neon light was.
One Internet user explains it in this way: "All these witnesses saw what some people call the 'sky light.' That 'sky light' is nothing but a burn covered by a piece of light fabric. Such a device can go high up in the air and fly for about 20 minutes.
Need proof? That’s going to cost you some 1,000 rubles ($40 U.S.).
Local UFO specialists will perhaps organize an investigative experiment in order to finally reveal the truth.
This week in the U.S. Congress
Last week, the president issued his budget for Fiscal Year 2009, which begins Oct. 1. It would spend about $3.1 trillion on the operations of the U.S. government -- about $30,300 per U.S. family. The House and Senate will take it into consideration as they prepare their own budget plans and spending bills, which will be covered in the coming months. Last week, Congress completed work on H.R. 5140, the "economic stimulus package." The president is expected to sign it into law. Tax reductions and other incentives to encourage consumer spending and business investment in the bill would save the average family a little over $550. (Not everyone would get these benefits directly -- these figures are averages.) This is lower than earlier estimates: Some who would receive a rebate under the bill pay no income taxes, or the rebate would exceed the amount of the income taxes they do pay. These rebates are treated as costs to taxpayers. The House this week is scheduled to debate H.R. 3521, the Public Housing Asset Management Improvement Act of 2007. It is intended to improve the operating fund for public housing at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The House may also consider surveillance legislation. A short-term extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act recently passed into law, and another has been introduced.
The Senate is scheduled to continue debating S. 2248, a substantial amendment to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
FDNY unveils its biggest fire safety campaign
The Fire Department of New York (FDNY) is unveiling the largest fire safety campaign in its history. The "Sound the Alarm" campaign was prompted by a fire in the Bronx that took the lives of nine children and an adult last March. It features advertisements and public service announcements educating people on the importance of smoke alarms and proper maintenance of them. The cutting-edge campaign is funded through a major grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Fire Department Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta, Congressman Jose Serrano and the chairman of the fire department's non-profit arm say they'll discuss the new program today at a Bronx fire station.
Wellington gears up for cluster bomb conference
Wellington, New Zealand, is gearing up for an important international conference thatwill bring the world substantially closer to a new treaty on cluster munitions, Disarmament and Arms Control Minister Phil Goff said today.
Ninety five journalists killed worldwide in 2007Ninety-five journalists and other media workers were killed worldwide because of their professional activities in 2007, with Iraq and other conflict zones accounting for more than two-thirds of the deaths.
'Islam vs. the West' a false divide, says Ban Ki-Moon
"People should really try to understand more the cultures and traditions of others," says U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. "There is a perception that the West is on one side and the Muslim world is on the other. We must try to cut off this misperceived linkage."
South Dakota ANG unit headed overseas
Thirty-one members of the South Dakota Air National Guard said good-bye to family and friends in Sioux Falls on Saturday morning before leaving for Southwest Asia.
Army Reserve units deactivated
Saturday marked the end of an era for a Billings, Montana U.S. Army Reserve unit as the 125th Ordinance Battalion was deactivated. The 125th was born in Atlanta, Ga., in 1942.
And a ceremony yesterday marked the deactivation of the U.S. Army Reserve's 318th Maintenance Company, 40 years after it was activated in State College, Pa.
Boating safety
Boating season is kicking off and boat-owners are already taking advantage of the weather.
But before pulling up that anchor, the Coast Guard Auxiliary and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) want everyone to review safety procedures. They hosted a seminar Saturday at Treasure Island Marina in Panama City Beach, Fla., joined by a special appearance from everyone's favorite boat safety mascot, Coastie the Safety Boat.
Coastie made his first debut after a year-long hiatus for repairs from a car accident. He will travel around to teach children about water safety.
"It teaches them at an early stage to be safe in the water," said Treasure Island Marina Service Manager Roland Cortez, who donated his services to repair Coastie, "and it's just a great thing that the Coast Guard does"
Children weren't the only ones learning at the event. "The new technologies they're coming out with especially for people that are just getting into boating," said Ken Nettles who attended the seminar, "even if you're a seasoned captain like myself you should really come and stay in touch with it."
He took advice that can save lives in the most threatening situations.
"The biggest threat on the water is two things, one is not knowing your weather conditions," said NOAA representative Tim Osborn, "that can really cause dangerous storm sea conditions. The other thing is not knowing where you are." He says there are three things boat-owners need to protect: Themselves, by wearing a life-vest; their boat, by maintaining radios and navigation systems; and their passengers, by making sure they know the weather conditions and emergency procedures.
The Coast Guard Auxiliary also holds safe boating classes throughout the year.
Coastie left everyone with his number one safety tip: "The most important thing in the whole wide world is to wear your life jacket!"
Click here for more information on the Coast Guard Auxiliary classes, or NOAA resources.
Star of Jaws movies dies
Roy Scheider, a one-time boxer whose broken nose and pugnacious acting style made him a star in The French Connection and who later uttered one of cinematic history's most memorable lines in Jaws, has died in Little Rock, Ark. He was 75.
International Ice Patrol celebrates 94 years of service
The U.S. Coast Guard's International Ice Patrol has celebrated its 94th anniversary.
The unit is located at the University of Connecticut's Avery Point campus in Groton. Staff there monitor iceberg conditions near the Grand Banks of Newfoundland and provide their locations to mariners to eliminate the risk of striking an iceberg.
After the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912, the Navy assigned ships to patrol the Grand Banks of Newfoundland for the rest of 1912. But in 1913, the Navy did not have any ships to spare for this purpose, so the Revenue Cutter Service, the predecessor of the U.S. Coast Guard, patrolled the area.
After an international conference dealing with safety issues at sea, the various maritime powers signed a convention to create a service to patrol the ice regions. The United States was asked to manage the task. Every year since, with the exception of the two world wars, the Coast Guard's International Ice Patrol (IIP) has maintained a patrol. There has not been a single reported loss of life or property due to collision with an iceberg for vessels heeding Ice Patrol's warnings, according to the IIP.
The IIP conducts ice reconnaissance patrols out of St. John's, Newfoundland, on board Coast Guard Hercules (HC-130H) aircraft from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C.
IIP members in Groton combine the results from these flights with other observation reports of icebergs to produce ice products that are widely distributed to mariners.
15 killed in northern Iraq clashes, U.S. military says
Fifteen people were killed, including 10 suspected al-Qaida insurgents, in clashes with local security units in northern Iraq yesterday, the U.S. military said.
Five people killed in Nineveh
Five people, including a woman, were killed in clashes when gunmen attacked villages manned by neighborhood policemen in the northern Iraq province of Nineveh, police said.
Pakistan nukes completely safe, Adm. Mullen says
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, says he is confidant about the security and safety of the nuclear assets in Pakistan and that no extremist or terrorist can access them.
Attack on Afghan jail leaves 1 attacker dead
Unknown armed men in their attempt to set free a comrade from a jail in western Herat Province raided Shindand Prison, but fled away after facing police resistance, a local newspaper reported yesterday.
Document shows Army blocked help for soldiers
A document from the Department of Veterans Affairs contradicts an assertion made by the U.S. Army's surgeon general that his office did not tell VA officials to stop helping injured soldiers with their military disability paperwork at a New York state Army post.
Border critic 'buzzed' by F-16s
A recent international air space incident involved a critic of the U.S. government's illegal-immigration policies and two F-16 fighter jets.
Glenn Spencer, head of the American Border Patrol, apparently triggered a security trip wire on Jan. 15 as he was flying from El Paso, Texas, in a Cessna 206. "I was monitoring the progress of the government in securing our border, and I was intercepted by an F-16!" Spencer stated in a letter to his supporters. He uses the letter to drum up support for his watchdog cause.
The incident happened shortly after noon, about eight miles east of Douglas, Ariz., as Spencer was descending from about 8,000 feet altitude, he said. And, he said, it's possible his aircraft strayed into Mexico and came back into U.S. air space. His letter continued, "I thought I was going to die! He (the F-16 pilot) made two passes within 100 feet of me!"
Another local private pilot says the air space Spencer was in might have been that used for military operations.
The Bisbee Police Department noted the incident in its log of that day: "12:50 p.m., a federal air marshal reported that a Cessna 206 Highwing single engine aircraft crossed the border from Mexico to Arizona illegally. Contact was to be made with the pilot and he was to call the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) Command Center. Two fighters were launched from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base."
The Air Force confirmed a sortie occurred. "I know for sure one (F-16) was scrambled," said Capt. Lisa Dowling. She is a public affairs officer with the Western Air Defense Sector, or WADS, based at McChord Air Force Base, Wash. WADS' mission, according to its Web site, is to "detect, identify, track and can scramble fighters to intercept unknown or threatening airborne objects."
On Saturday, she confirmed that two F-16s were involved in the incident.
WADS is part of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which is jointly operated by the United States and Canada.
Capt. Dowling said NORAD has conducted air patrols throughout the U.S. and Canada since the start of Operation Noble Eagle, the command's response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Since then, NORAD agencies have responded to more than 2,100 possible air threats and has conducted more than 48,000 patrol sorties.
The fighter intercept surprised Spencer, who for 18 months has been flying his amateur surveillance missions along the U.S.-Mexico border without incident. "I do it all the time," Spencer said, noting he is in regular radio contact with regional flight authorities, including Libby Army Airfield on Fort Huachuca, Ariz. "And we're squawking, and they know who we were," he said, describing the moments leading up to the Jan. 15 incident.
Squawking is aviation jargon meaning an airplane's transponder is sending signals to ground radar to help controllers identify the aircraft.
During the flights between San Diego and El Paso, with the Bisbee Municipal Airport as their home base, Spencer's crew videos the border with high-definition cameras, paying close attention to fence construction.
Using Google Earth to match video to specific locations along the border, Spencer compiles reports for Congress and other interested people. Spencer's non-profit group is known as the American Border Patrol, which is not to be confused with the federal government's U.S. Border Patrol.
Spencer did travel to Washington, D.C., and met a fellow at the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, Edwin Meese, III, who served as the U.S. attorney general in President Reagan's administration. During his visit, Spencer also met staff members of U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, and U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo. Both are staunch illegal-immigration representatives.
As of Feb. 1, according to Spencer, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security claimed to have installed 284 miles of border fence, but by his reckoning there were only 163 miles of visible fencing. "There's a big difference. We have proof," Spencer said, not counting certain "fence" segments that are barriers to vehicles but remain open to foot traffic.
The Jan. 15 incident rattled Spencer as the jet fighter roared past his single-engine aircraft. "You better believe it did," he said. "I thought he was going someplace and didn't see me."
The 57-year-old, who lives on the border in the Palominas area, is an experienced pilot, but he said he was more frightened from the F-16 pass than any previous incident in the air.
Spencer said, "Even though we adhered to all aviation regulations, on the ground I was met by: five patrol cars from the Bisbee Police Department; three Border Patrol vehicles; two Arizona Highway Patrol cars; two Customs and Border Protection vehicles; a drug sniffing dog and various other officials -- all the while two F-16s were flying overhead."
Originally, Spencer was flying with fellow ABP'ers Mike Christie and Wes Fleming. The latter two operate the cameras from the Cessna's rear passenger area, through an open door. Anticipating trouble, Spencer sits on a flak jacket in case he takes rifle fire from the ground.
On this particular flight, Christie was in the right-hand seat, and Spencer was in the captain's chair on the left. Spencer said at the time of the F-16 encounter, he was letting Christie fly the plane and was teaching him dead-reckoning, which is a low-tech method of navigation that estimates one's position by calculating direction and distance traveled.
Christie is a novice, Spencer said, "and we weren't paying a lot of attention."
Spencer said it is possible the craft strayed into Mexico, but he has often brushed the border in the past. He did it consciously on Oct. 19, 2007, when he flew from Bisbee to Douglas, made a 180-degree turn, flying above Agua Prieta, then cruised along the border on the Mexican side on an uneventful journey back to Bisbee.
"You have to file an international flight plan to cross the border," said Roland Herwig, an FAA spokesman for the Southwest Region. Even if American pilots don't land in Mexico, they must clear U.S. Customs when they return to the U.S., he said.
Herwig said that if a person files an international flight plan and is observed returning to American air space, the FAA can then inform intercepting fighter jets that the pilot has clearance to fly from Mexico to the United States.
Capt. Gabe Johnson, a public affairs officer with the 162nd Fighter Wing (Air National Guard) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, whose F-16s are deployed on WADS missions from an alert detachment stationed at Tucson International Airport, commented that "private pilots would do well to know what air space is restricted. "Sometimes (F-16s) are scrambled for people who are in the wrong place at the wrong time, and they didn't talk to the right people," Johnson said.
Because he flies the border "all the time," Spencer said U.S. radar operators know his tail number, and he maintains communication with those authorities. "If they think I've done something wrong, call me up," he said.
Spencer said not only did the F-16s and ground crews not attempt to radio him, but the interceptor jet fighters should have approached him from behind, below and on his starboard side and attempted to make visual contact. "They did none of that," Spencer said.
He said there was a similar, though less traumatic, incident some time ago when he took a CNN crew up over Roger Barnett's ranch near Douglas.
Dowling said she was not able to respond immediately regarding how the fighter jets applied the Air Force's rules of engagement in this particular incident.
Francis McWilliams, a private pilot in Sierra Vista with 4,000 flight hours, said, "I've heard of people being buzzed before. It does not surprise me. They've either been buzzed accidentally or on purpose."
McWilliams also has a friend whose airplane was struck by an AK-47 bullet while it flew along the border from Sierra Vista to Nogales, Ariz.
Consulting his charts, McWilliams also said it appears Spencer was intercepted in or near what is known as a Military Operations Area (MOA), which are special-use air spaces typically placed in rural areas to protect civilians from noise, debris and accidents. If an MOA is "hot" with activities such as military aircraft performing exercises, you don't fly through them, McWilliams said.
As an experienced pilot with more than 6,300 hours of flying time, Spencer should be familiar with MOAs. He has been flying through that area for many months with no incident.
He also has been highly critical of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for "not doing its job."
Chad's rebels urge E.U. not to send peacekeepers to eastern part of the country
Chad's rebels have urged European Union member states not to send peacekeeping troops to the country's east, saying the force would not be neutral because it was dominated by France.
Rebels said yesterday they had occupied an eastern town after clashes with the army and mercenaries from neighboring Sudan. They said they were still in control of the center of the country.
In the capital city, N'Djamena, residents are struggling to put food on the family table as prices soar following a rebel assault on the city last weekend.
SFFD and Coast Guard search for missing surfer
The San Francisco Fire Department and the U.S. Coast Guard are looking for a surfer who went missing in the waters off of Ocean Beach, Calf., on Saturday.
Israel prepares for Gaza offensive
Israel has threatened to use force to topple the Gaza Strip's Hamas leaders following a surge of cross-border rocket attacks by the Palestinian Islamist group.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Israel would intensify air strikes and ground incursions in the Gaza Strip and would prepare for a broader offensive there.
Kids' murals for Canadian troops in Afghanistan get military send-off
While the piper plays the Canadian national anthem, two soldiers stand at attention, saluting.
Dressed in fatigues, Capt. Bob Kennedy, a staff officer with the Army Reserve brigade, and Lt. Mark Timms, a member of the 48th Highlanders, take their places on a platform inside the Royal Ontario Museum. They're about to accept a special gift for the troops stationed in Afghanistan made by the hands and hearts of Toronto school children.
Forty students, ages 8 to 13, from each of five schools, painted a 1 1/2-meter by 2 1/2-meter mural depicting their notions of a hero.
"It was really fun to do," says Rahel Elais, 9, a student at Guildwood Montessori. "We did it together and we painted it for the soldiers. They're being strong and being a leader and I know they won't give up."
Members of the public have come to pen greetings on the blank backs of the murals. Soon the artwork will be shipped to Kandahar.
The Hero Canvas Project is the brainchild of artist, children's author and creative expression teacher Marja Perren. "This is not an endorsement for anything," Perren says, referring to Canada's role in that troubled nation. "It says 'We know you're on a dangerous mission and miss your families and friends.'"
The students filled their canvases with nurses and firefighters, teachers and parents as heroic examples. They invented characters, such as "Environment Girl," a creature who cleans up the Earth, and "Glueman," a masked superhero who helps soldiers, using his ability to make bad people stick to walls.
Rhea Yee, 8, a Dovercourt Public School student, says she hopes her gift will encourage the soldiers to do good.
But do such gestures, however well-intentioned, make the slightest difference in the demanding, difficult life of a combat soldier? Timms' answer is unequivocal: "You don't think stuff like this is a big deal until you're over there. You have a really bad day and then you find a letter addressed to 'any soldier,' and it's a moment of sanity."
Timms returned from Afghanistan at the end of August after a seven-month tour. His wife and 8-month-old daughter, Trinity, are with him at the ROM.
The other schools involved are Holy Name Catholic, Norway Public and Williamson Public.
Minot AFB reports $370 million impact on local economy
A new report says Minot AFB, N.D., has 4,533 active-duty members, including 12 Air Force Reserve members, and it reports a total base population of 11,159.
British Olympic athletes asked not to speak on political issues
British athletes are signing contracts not to comment on "politically sensitive" issues during the 2008 Olympic Games in China.
Sept. 11 co-conspirators charged
The Defense Department announced today that charges have been sworn against six detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, alleged to be responsible for the planning and execution of the attacks upon the United States of America which occurred on Sept. 11, 2001.
Those attacks resulted in the death of nearly 3,000 people. The charges allege a long term, highly sophisticated, organized plan by al-Qaida to attack the United States.
The accused are: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarek Bin 'Attash, Ramzi Binalshibh, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi, and Mohamed al Kahtani. Each of the defendants is charged with conspiracy and the separate, substantive offenses of: murder in violation of the law of war; attacking civilians; attacking civilian objects; intentionally causing serious bodily injury; destruction of property in violation of the law of war; terrorism; and providing material support for terrorism.
The first four defendants, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarek Bin 'Attash, Ramzi Binalshibh, and Ali Abdul Aziz Ali are also charged with the substantive offense of hijacking or hazarding a vessel.
All of the charges are alleged to have been in support of the attacks on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001.
Now that sworn charges have been received, the convening authority will review the charges and supporting evidence to determine whether probable cause exists to refer the case for trial by a military commission. The chief prosecutor has requested that charges to be tried jointly and be referred as capital for each defendant. If the convening authority, Susan Crawford, in her sole discretion, decides to refer the cases as capital, the defendants will face the possibility of being sentenced to death.
The charge sheet details 169 overt acts allegedly committed by the defendants in furtherance of the Sept. 11 events.
The charges allege that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks by proposing the operational concept to Osama bin Laden as early as 1996, obtaining approval and funding from Osama bin Laden for the attacks, overseeing the entire operation, and training the hijackers in all aspects of the operation in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarek Bin 'Attash is alleged to have administered an al-Qaida training camp in Logar, Afghanistan, where two of the 19 Sept. 11 hijackers were trained. He is also alleged to have traveled to Malaysia in 1999 to observe airport security by U. S. air carriers to assist in formulating the hijacking plan.
Ramzi Binalshibh is alleged to have lived with the Hamburg, Germany, al-Qaida cell where three of the Sept. 11 hijackers resided. It is alleged that Binalshibh was originally selected by Osama bin Laden to be one of the Sept. 11 hijackers and that he made a "martyr video" in preparation for the operation. He was unable to obtain a U.S. visa and, therefore, could not enter the United States as the other hijackers did. In light of this, it is alleged that Binalshibh assisted in finding flight schools for the hijackers in the United States, and continued to assist the conspiracy by engaging in numerous financial transactions in support of the Sept. 11 operation.
Ali Abdul Aziz Ali's role is alleged to have included sending approximately $120,000 to the hijackers for their expenses and flight training, and facilitating travel to the United States for nine of the hijackers.
Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi is alleged to have assisted and prepared the hijackers with money, western clothing, traveler's checks and credit cards. He is also alleged to have facilitated the transfer of thousands of dollars between the accounts of alleged Sept. 11 hijackers and himself on Sept. 11, 2001.
Mohamed al Kahtani is alleged to have attempted to enter the United States on Aug. 4, 2001, through Orlando International Airport, where he was denied entry. It is also alleged that al Kahtani carried $2,800 in cash and had an itinerary listing a phone number associated with Hawsawi.
If the convening authority refers the charges to trial, the prosecution bears the burden of proving the case beyond a reasonable doubt, which is the standard applied in all U.S. and military criminal trials.
In the military commissions process, every defendant has the following rights: The right to remain silent and to have no adverse inference drawn from it; the right to be represented by detailed military counsel, as well as civilian counsel of his own selection and at no expense to the government; the right to examine all evidence used against him by the prosecution; the right to obtain evidence and to call witnesses on his own behalf including expert witnesses; the right to cross-examine every witness called by the prosecution; the right to be present during the presentation of evidence; the right to have a military commission panel of at least five military members determine his guilt by a 2/3 majority, or in the case of a capital offense, a unanimous decision of a military commission composed of at least 12 members; and the right to an appeal to the Court of Military Commission Review, then through the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals to the United States Supreme Court.
These rights are guaranteed to the defendant under the Military Commissions Act, and are specifically designed to ensure that every defendant receives a fair trial, consistent with American and international standards of justice and the rule of law.
The sworn charges are only allegations that each accused has committed a war crime under the Military Commissions Act. The accused are presumed innocent of any criminal charges unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at a military commission.
Indiana pilots posing as the 'enemy' in Florida
Twenty pilots with the Indiana Air National Guard are spending two weeks in Florida posing as the "enemy" for a training exercise.
Troops return home
About 220 Massachusetts Army National Guard members returned home yesterday after a 15-month deployment helping NATO peacekeepers in Kosovo.
Illinois Army Guard promotes first female director of operations
The Illinois Army National Guard says its first female director of operations has been promoted to colonel.
Lt. Col. Alicia Tate-Nadeau is also the first Latino in the position since the Illinois National Guard was started in 1903.
She says she's honored to be part of state history. Tate-Nadeau is 1 of 3 female colonels in the Illinois Army National Guard. She is the mother of 2 children.
Major General William Enyart -- who's the Adjutant General for the Illinois National Guard -- says Tate-Nadeau is the perfect example of a dedicated soldier who takes pride in her career and family.
Holocaust survivor Rep. Tom Lantos dies
U.S. Rep. Tom Lantos of California, the only Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress, has died, his spokeswoman said today.
Page Two
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Monday February 11, 2008 - 09:25am (PST) Edit Delete Permanent Link 0 Comments
Entry for February 11, 2008 ---- my SWEET VALENTINE...
Valentine's Day is just around the corner, so get to work and spread some love today!
Sweet Tooth Cupid Valentine
12 Roses for my Valentine
Valentines Baby
Bareskin Rug Baby Valentine
Everyday Valentine
Va-Va-VALENTINE!
Have a great day!
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Monday February 11, 2008 - 07:45am (PST) Edit Delete Permanent Link 0 Comments
Entry for February 11, 2008 --- POLICE CORRUPTION
Police Corruption
Feb 10, '08 9:20 PMfor everyone
February 8, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) The February 13, 2008 program of Conversations with Cops at the Watering Hole focuses on Police Corruption with special guest Lieutenant Stephen Beeler, Los Angeles County Sheriff̢۪s Department (ret.).
Program Date: February 13, 2008
Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific
Topic: Police Corruption
Guests: Lieutenant Stephen Beeler
Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement
About the Guest
In 1962, Stephen Beeler joined the United States Army, serving in Germany. After his discharge in 1965, he joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff̢۪s Department. During his law enforcement career he served in patrol, administration, court services, community relations, press liaison and hostage negotiations. In 1986, he retired because of a duty-related injury. From 1987 to 1995, he was the business manager for the Arizona Department of Corrections in Winslow. Stephen Beeler has a Masters Degree from Pepperdine University at Malibu and a Masters Certificate from Loyola University, Los Angeles. Stephen Beeler is the author of The Firestone Syndrome.
About the Watering Hole
The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life. Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.
About the Host
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years. He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant. He holds a bachelor̢۪s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master̢۪s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, technology and leadership. Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One. He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in law enforcement.
Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement
Program Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
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Monday February 11, 2008 - 07:44am (PST) Edit Delete Permanent Link 0 Comments
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Police in the NEWS --- A wild look at their lives and what they do out there, news wise..............................
Entry for February 12, 2008 ---- THERE WERE A LOT OF SAPS AND METRO OUT ALL DAY YESTERDAY...
A lot of cars and taxis being checked all over the place -- some POLICE FROM THE METRO OUT ON CORLETT DRIVE AND FURTHER UP IN ROSEBANK AGAIN.....
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Tuesday February 12, 2008 - 12:40am (PST) Edit Delete Permanent Link 0 Comments
Entry for February 12, 2008 --- LOVE POEMS FROM ANGELUS...
I got the call today That I didn't wanna hearBut I knew that it would comeAn old, true friend of ours was talkin' on the phoneShe said you'd found someoneAnd I thought of all the bad luck,And the struggles we went throughAnd how I lost me and you lost youWhat are these voices outside love's open doorMake us throw off our contentmentAnd beg for something more?I'm learning to live without you nowBut I miss you sometimesThe more I know, the less I understandAll the things I thought I knew, I'm learning againI've been tryin' to get downTo the heart of the matterBut my will gets weakAnd my thoughts seem to scatterBut I think it's about...forgivenessForgivenessEven if, even if you don't love me anymoreAh...these times are so uncertainThere's a yearning undefinedAnd people filled with rageWe all need a little tendernessHow can love survive in such a graceless age?Ah...the trust and self-assurance that lead to happinessThey're the very things - we kill I guess...Ohh pride and competitionCannot fill these empty armsAnd the work I put between usYou know it doesn't keep me warmI'm learning to live without you nowBut I miss you, babyAnd the more I know, the less I understandAll the things I thought I'd figured outI have to learn againI've been trying to get downTo the heart of the matterBut everything changesAnd my friends seem to scatterBut I think it's about...forgivenessForgivenessEven if, even if, you don't love me anymoreThere are people in your life who've come and goneThey let you down, you know they hurt your prideYou better put it all behind you baby; cause' life goes onIf you keep carryin' that anger, it'll eat you up inside, babyI've been trying to get downTo the heart of the matterBut my will gets weakAnd my thoughts seem to scatterBut I think it's about forgivenessForgivenessEven if, even if you don't love meI've been tryin' to get downTo the heart of the matterBecause the flesh will get weakAnd the ashes will scatterSo I'm thinkin' about forgivenessForgivenessEven if, even if, you don't love me...Forgiveness (yeah)Forgiveness (baby)Forgiveness (ohh)Forgiveness (ahh yeaaahhh)Forgiveness (ohh)ForgivenessEven if, you don't love me anymore...
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Tuesday February 12, 2008 - 12:36am (PST) Edit Delete Permanent Link 0 Comments
Entry for February 11, 2008 --- NEWS OF THE FORCE...
News of the Force
Monday, February 11, 2008 (Page 2)
Russians can spend $40 to build 'UFO'
For the last six months, a growing number of UFOs have appeared in the Altai region of Russia.
One of the witnesses has revealed the details of the day when he faced the unidentified flying object. On Dec. 10, 2007, he was going down the road to Slavgord. He was passing Priganka village when was suddenly terrified by a strange white cloud in the sky. At first the man took it for an ordinary cell-station lantern, but having looked up he realized that the light from the cloud spread for about a mile. Too scared to drive through, the witness tried to find a by-pass, but on the way to the road he accidentally hit the night keeper's house. Neither the night keeper or the witness knew what the strange neon light was.
One Internet user explains it in this way: "All these witnesses saw what some people call the 'sky light.' That 'sky light' is nothing but a burn covered by a piece of light fabric. Such a device can go high up in the air and fly for about 20 minutes.
Need proof? That’s going to cost you some 1,000 rubles ($40 U.S.).
Local UFO specialists will perhaps organize an investigative experiment in order to finally reveal the truth.
This week in the U.S. Congress
Last week, the president issued his budget for Fiscal Year 2009, which begins Oct. 1. It would spend about $3.1 trillion on the operations of the U.S. government -- about $30,300 per U.S. family. The House and Senate will take it into consideration as they prepare their own budget plans and spending bills, which will be covered in the coming months. Last week, Congress completed work on H.R. 5140, the "economic stimulus package." The president is expected to sign it into law. Tax reductions and other incentives to encourage consumer spending and business investment in the bill would save the average family a little over $550. (Not everyone would get these benefits directly -- these figures are averages.) This is lower than earlier estimates: Some who would receive a rebate under the bill pay no income taxes, or the rebate would exceed the amount of the income taxes they do pay. These rebates are treated as costs to taxpayers. The House this week is scheduled to debate H.R. 3521, the Public Housing Asset Management Improvement Act of 2007. It is intended to improve the operating fund for public housing at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The House may also consider surveillance legislation. A short-term extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act recently passed into law, and another has been introduced.
The Senate is scheduled to continue debating S. 2248, a substantial amendment to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
FDNY unveils its biggest fire safety campaign
The Fire Department of New York (FDNY) is unveiling the largest fire safety campaign in its history. The "Sound the Alarm" campaign was prompted by a fire in the Bronx that took the lives of nine children and an adult last March. It features advertisements and public service announcements educating people on the importance of smoke alarms and proper maintenance of them. The cutting-edge campaign is funded through a major grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Fire Department Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta, Congressman Jose Serrano and the chairman of the fire department's non-profit arm say they'll discuss the new program today at a Bronx fire station.
Wellington gears up for cluster bomb conference
Wellington, New Zealand, is gearing up for an important international conference thatwill bring the world substantially closer to a new treaty on cluster munitions, Disarmament and Arms Control Minister Phil Goff said today.
Ninety five journalists killed worldwide in 2007Ninety-five journalists and other media workers were killed worldwide because of their professional activities in 2007, with Iraq and other conflict zones accounting for more than two-thirds of the deaths.
'Islam vs. the West' a false divide, says Ban Ki-Moon
"People should really try to understand more the cultures and traditions of others," says U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. "There is a perception that the West is on one side and the Muslim world is on the other. We must try to cut off this misperceived linkage."
South Dakota ANG unit headed overseas
Thirty-one members of the South Dakota Air National Guard said good-bye to family and friends in Sioux Falls on Saturday morning before leaving for Southwest Asia.
Army Reserve units deactivated
Saturday marked the end of an era for a Billings, Montana U.S. Army Reserve unit as the 125th Ordinance Battalion was deactivated. The 125th was born in Atlanta, Ga., in 1942.
And a ceremony yesterday marked the deactivation of the U.S. Army Reserve's 318th Maintenance Company, 40 years after it was activated in State College, Pa.
Boating safety
Boating season is kicking off and boat-owners are already taking advantage of the weather.
But before pulling up that anchor, the Coast Guard Auxiliary and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) want everyone to review safety procedures. They hosted a seminar Saturday at Treasure Island Marina in Panama City Beach, Fla., joined by a special appearance from everyone's favorite boat safety mascot, Coastie the Safety Boat.
Coastie made his first debut after a year-long hiatus for repairs from a car accident. He will travel around to teach children about water safety.
"It teaches them at an early stage to be safe in the water," said Treasure Island Marina Service Manager Roland Cortez, who donated his services to repair Coastie, "and it's just a great thing that the Coast Guard does"
Children weren't the only ones learning at the event. "The new technologies they're coming out with especially for people that are just getting into boating," said Ken Nettles who attended the seminar, "even if you're a seasoned captain like myself you should really come and stay in touch with it."
He took advice that can save lives in the most threatening situations.
"The biggest threat on the water is two things, one is not knowing your weather conditions," said NOAA representative Tim Osborn, "that can really cause dangerous storm sea conditions. The other thing is not knowing where you are." He says there are three things boat-owners need to protect: Themselves, by wearing a life-vest; their boat, by maintaining radios and navigation systems; and their passengers, by making sure they know the weather conditions and emergency procedures.
The Coast Guard Auxiliary also holds safe boating classes throughout the year.
Coastie left everyone with his number one safety tip: "The most important thing in the whole wide world is to wear your life jacket!"
Click here for more information on the Coast Guard Auxiliary classes, or NOAA resources.
Star of Jaws movies dies
Roy Scheider, a one-time boxer whose broken nose and pugnacious acting style made him a star in The French Connection and who later uttered one of cinematic history's most memorable lines in Jaws, has died in Little Rock, Ark. He was 75.
International Ice Patrol celebrates 94 years of service
The U.S. Coast Guard's International Ice Patrol has celebrated its 94th anniversary.
The unit is located at the University of Connecticut's Avery Point campus in Groton. Staff there monitor iceberg conditions near the Grand Banks of Newfoundland and provide their locations to mariners to eliminate the risk of striking an iceberg.
After the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912, the Navy assigned ships to patrol the Grand Banks of Newfoundland for the rest of 1912. But in 1913, the Navy did not have any ships to spare for this purpose, so the Revenue Cutter Service, the predecessor of the U.S. Coast Guard, patrolled the area.
After an international conference dealing with safety issues at sea, the various maritime powers signed a convention to create a service to patrol the ice regions. The United States was asked to manage the task. Every year since, with the exception of the two world wars, the Coast Guard's International Ice Patrol (IIP) has maintained a patrol. There has not been a single reported loss of life or property due to collision with an iceberg for vessels heeding Ice Patrol's warnings, according to the IIP.
The IIP conducts ice reconnaissance patrols out of St. John's, Newfoundland, on board Coast Guard Hercules (HC-130H) aircraft from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C.
IIP members in Groton combine the results from these flights with other observation reports of icebergs to produce ice products that are widely distributed to mariners.
15 killed in northern Iraq clashes, U.S. military says
Fifteen people were killed, including 10 suspected al-Qaida insurgents, in clashes with local security units in northern Iraq yesterday, the U.S. military said.
Five people killed in Nineveh
Five people, including a woman, were killed in clashes when gunmen attacked villages manned by neighborhood policemen in the northern Iraq province of Nineveh, police said.
Pakistan nukes completely safe, Adm. Mullen says
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, says he is confidant about the security and safety of the nuclear assets in Pakistan and that no extremist or terrorist can access them.
Attack on Afghan jail leaves 1 attacker dead
Unknown armed men in their attempt to set free a comrade from a jail in western Herat Province raided Shindand Prison, but fled away after facing police resistance, a local newspaper reported yesterday.
Document shows Army blocked help for soldiers
A document from the Department of Veterans Affairs contradicts an assertion made by the U.S. Army's surgeon general that his office did not tell VA officials to stop helping injured soldiers with their military disability paperwork at a New York state Army post.
Border critic 'buzzed' by F-16s
A recent international air space incident involved a critic of the U.S. government's illegal-immigration policies and two F-16 fighter jets.
Glenn Spencer, head of the American Border Patrol, apparently triggered a security trip wire on Jan. 15 as he was flying from El Paso, Texas, in a Cessna 206. "I was monitoring the progress of the government in securing our border, and I was intercepted by an F-16!" Spencer stated in a letter to his supporters. He uses the letter to drum up support for his watchdog cause.
The incident happened shortly after noon, about eight miles east of Douglas, Ariz., as Spencer was descending from about 8,000 feet altitude, he said. And, he said, it's possible his aircraft strayed into Mexico and came back into U.S. air space. His letter continued, "I thought I was going to die! He (the F-16 pilot) made two passes within 100 feet of me!"
Another local private pilot says the air space Spencer was in might have been that used for military operations.
The Bisbee Police Department noted the incident in its log of that day: "12:50 p.m., a federal air marshal reported that a Cessna 206 Highwing single engine aircraft crossed the border from Mexico to Arizona illegally. Contact was to be made with the pilot and he was to call the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) Command Center. Two fighters were launched from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base."
The Air Force confirmed a sortie occurred. "I know for sure one (F-16) was scrambled," said Capt. Lisa Dowling. She is a public affairs officer with the Western Air Defense Sector, or WADS, based at McChord Air Force Base, Wash. WADS' mission, according to its Web site, is to "detect, identify, track and can scramble fighters to intercept unknown or threatening airborne objects."
On Saturday, she confirmed that two F-16s were involved in the incident.
WADS is part of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which is jointly operated by the United States and Canada.
Capt. Dowling said NORAD has conducted air patrols throughout the U.S. and Canada since the start of Operation Noble Eagle, the command's response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Since then, NORAD agencies have responded to more than 2,100 possible air threats and has conducted more than 48,000 patrol sorties.
The fighter intercept surprised Spencer, who for 18 months has been flying his amateur surveillance missions along the U.S.-Mexico border without incident. "I do it all the time," Spencer said, noting he is in regular radio contact with regional flight authorities, including Libby Army Airfield on Fort Huachuca, Ariz. "And we're squawking, and they know who we were," he said, describing the moments leading up to the Jan. 15 incident.
Squawking is aviation jargon meaning an airplane's transponder is sending signals to ground radar to help controllers identify the aircraft.
During the flights between San Diego and El Paso, with the Bisbee Municipal Airport as their home base, Spencer's crew videos the border with high-definition cameras, paying close attention to fence construction.
Using Google Earth to match video to specific locations along the border, Spencer compiles reports for Congress and other interested people. Spencer's non-profit group is known as the American Border Patrol, which is not to be confused with the federal government's U.S. Border Patrol.
Spencer did travel to Washington, D.C., and met a fellow at the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, Edwin Meese, III, who served as the U.S. attorney general in President Reagan's administration. During his visit, Spencer also met staff members of U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, and U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo. Both are staunch illegal-immigration representatives.
As of Feb. 1, according to Spencer, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security claimed to have installed 284 miles of border fence, but by his reckoning there were only 163 miles of visible fencing. "There's a big difference. We have proof," Spencer said, not counting certain "fence" segments that are barriers to vehicles but remain open to foot traffic.
The Jan. 15 incident rattled Spencer as the jet fighter roared past his single-engine aircraft. "You better believe it did," he said. "I thought he was going someplace and didn't see me."
The 57-year-old, who lives on the border in the Palominas area, is an experienced pilot, but he said he was more frightened from the F-16 pass than any previous incident in the air.
Spencer said, "Even though we adhered to all aviation regulations, on the ground I was met by: five patrol cars from the Bisbee Police Department; three Border Patrol vehicles; two Arizona Highway Patrol cars; two Customs and Border Protection vehicles; a drug sniffing dog and various other officials -- all the while two F-16s were flying overhead."
Originally, Spencer was flying with fellow ABP'ers Mike Christie and Wes Fleming. The latter two operate the cameras from the Cessna's rear passenger area, through an open door. Anticipating trouble, Spencer sits on a flak jacket in case he takes rifle fire from the ground.
On this particular flight, Christie was in the right-hand seat, and Spencer was in the captain's chair on the left. Spencer said at the time of the F-16 encounter, he was letting Christie fly the plane and was teaching him dead-reckoning, which is a low-tech method of navigation that estimates one's position by calculating direction and distance traveled.
Christie is a novice, Spencer said, "and we weren't paying a lot of attention."
Spencer said it is possible the craft strayed into Mexico, but he has often brushed the border in the past. He did it consciously on Oct. 19, 2007, when he flew from Bisbee to Douglas, made a 180-degree turn, flying above Agua Prieta, then cruised along the border on the Mexican side on an uneventful journey back to Bisbee.
"You have to file an international flight plan to cross the border," said Roland Herwig, an FAA spokesman for the Southwest Region. Even if American pilots don't land in Mexico, they must clear U.S. Customs when they return to the U.S., he said.
Herwig said that if a person files an international flight plan and is observed returning to American air space, the FAA can then inform intercepting fighter jets that the pilot has clearance to fly from Mexico to the United States.
Capt. Gabe Johnson, a public affairs officer with the 162nd Fighter Wing (Air National Guard) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, whose F-16s are deployed on WADS missions from an alert detachment stationed at Tucson International Airport, commented that "private pilots would do well to know what air space is restricted. "Sometimes (F-16s) are scrambled for people who are in the wrong place at the wrong time, and they didn't talk to the right people," Johnson said.
Because he flies the border "all the time," Spencer said U.S. radar operators know his tail number, and he maintains communication with those authorities. "If they think I've done something wrong, call me up," he said.
Spencer said not only did the F-16s and ground crews not attempt to radio him, but the interceptor jet fighters should have approached him from behind, below and on his starboard side and attempted to make visual contact. "They did none of that," Spencer said.
He said there was a similar, though less traumatic, incident some time ago when he took a CNN crew up over Roger Barnett's ranch near Douglas.
Dowling said she was not able to respond immediately regarding how the fighter jets applied the Air Force's rules of engagement in this particular incident.
Francis McWilliams, a private pilot in Sierra Vista with 4,000 flight hours, said, "I've heard of people being buzzed before. It does not surprise me. They've either been buzzed accidentally or on purpose."
McWilliams also has a friend whose airplane was struck by an AK-47 bullet while it flew along the border from Sierra Vista to Nogales, Ariz.
Consulting his charts, McWilliams also said it appears Spencer was intercepted in or near what is known as a Military Operations Area (MOA), which are special-use air spaces typically placed in rural areas to protect civilians from noise, debris and accidents. If an MOA is "hot" with activities such as military aircraft performing exercises, you don't fly through them, McWilliams said.
As an experienced pilot with more than 6,300 hours of flying time, Spencer should be familiar with MOAs. He has been flying through that area for many months with no incident.
He also has been highly critical of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for "not doing its job."
Chad's rebels urge E.U. not to send peacekeepers to eastern part of the country
Chad's rebels have urged European Union member states not to send peacekeeping troops to the country's east, saying the force would not be neutral because it was dominated by France.
Rebels said yesterday they had occupied an eastern town after clashes with the army and mercenaries from neighboring Sudan. They said they were still in control of the center of the country.
In the capital city, N'Djamena, residents are struggling to put food on the family table as prices soar following a rebel assault on the city last weekend.
SFFD and Coast Guard search for missing surfer
The San Francisco Fire Department and the U.S. Coast Guard are looking for a surfer who went missing in the waters off of Ocean Beach, Calf., on Saturday.
Israel prepares for Gaza offensive
Israel has threatened to use force to topple the Gaza Strip's Hamas leaders following a surge of cross-border rocket attacks by the Palestinian Islamist group.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Israel would intensify air strikes and ground incursions in the Gaza Strip and would prepare for a broader offensive there.
Kids' murals for Canadian troops in Afghanistan get military send-off
While the piper plays the Canadian national anthem, two soldiers stand at attention, saluting.
Dressed in fatigues, Capt. Bob Kennedy, a staff officer with the Army Reserve brigade, and Lt. Mark Timms, a member of the 48th Highlanders, take their places on a platform inside the Royal Ontario Museum. They're about to accept a special gift for the troops stationed in Afghanistan made by the hands and hearts of Toronto school children.
Forty students, ages 8 to 13, from each of five schools, painted a 1 1/2-meter by 2 1/2-meter mural depicting their notions of a hero.
"It was really fun to do," says Rahel Elais, 9, a student at Guildwood Montessori. "We did it together and we painted it for the soldiers. They're being strong and being a leader and I know they won't give up."
Members of the public have come to pen greetings on the blank backs of the murals. Soon the artwork will be shipped to Kandahar.
The Hero Canvas Project is the brainchild of artist, children's author and creative expression teacher Marja Perren. "This is not an endorsement for anything," Perren says, referring to Canada's role in that troubled nation. "It says 'We know you're on a dangerous mission and miss your families and friends.'"
The students filled their canvases with nurses and firefighters, teachers and parents as heroic examples. They invented characters, such as "Environment Girl," a creature who cleans up the Earth, and "Glueman," a masked superhero who helps soldiers, using his ability to make bad people stick to walls.
Rhea Yee, 8, a Dovercourt Public School student, says she hopes her gift will encourage the soldiers to do good.
But do such gestures, however well-intentioned, make the slightest difference in the demanding, difficult life of a combat soldier? Timms' answer is unequivocal: "You don't think stuff like this is a big deal until you're over there. You have a really bad day and then you find a letter addressed to 'any soldier,' and it's a moment of sanity."
Timms returned from Afghanistan at the end of August after a seven-month tour. His wife and 8-month-old daughter, Trinity, are with him at the ROM.
The other schools involved are Holy Name Catholic, Norway Public and Williamson Public.
Minot AFB reports $370 million impact on local economy
A new report says Minot AFB, N.D., has 4,533 active-duty members, including 12 Air Force Reserve members, and it reports a total base population of 11,159.
British Olympic athletes asked not to speak on political issues
British athletes are signing contracts not to comment on "politically sensitive" issues during the 2008 Olympic Games in China.
Sept. 11 co-conspirators charged
The Defense Department announced today that charges have been sworn against six detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, alleged to be responsible for the planning and execution of the attacks upon the United States of America which occurred on Sept. 11, 2001.
Those attacks resulted in the death of nearly 3,000 people. The charges allege a long term, highly sophisticated, organized plan by al-Qaida to attack the United States.
The accused are: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarek Bin 'Attash, Ramzi Binalshibh, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi, and Mohamed al Kahtani. Each of the defendants is charged with conspiracy and the separate, substantive offenses of: murder in violation of the law of war; attacking civilians; attacking civilian objects; intentionally causing serious bodily injury; destruction of property in violation of the law of war; terrorism; and providing material support for terrorism.
The first four defendants, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarek Bin 'Attash, Ramzi Binalshibh, and Ali Abdul Aziz Ali are also charged with the substantive offense of hijacking or hazarding a vessel.
All of the charges are alleged to have been in support of the attacks on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001.
Now that sworn charges have been received, the convening authority will review the charges and supporting evidence to determine whether probable cause exists to refer the case for trial by a military commission. The chief prosecutor has requested that charges to be tried jointly and be referred as capital for each defendant. If the convening authority, Susan Crawford, in her sole discretion, decides to refer the cases as capital, the defendants will face the possibility of being sentenced to death.
The charge sheet details 169 overt acts allegedly committed by the defendants in furtherance of the Sept. 11 events.
The charges allege that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks by proposing the operational concept to Osama bin Laden as early as 1996, obtaining approval and funding from Osama bin Laden for the attacks, overseeing the entire operation, and training the hijackers in all aspects of the operation in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarek Bin 'Attash is alleged to have administered an al-Qaida training camp in Logar, Afghanistan, where two of the 19 Sept. 11 hijackers were trained. He is also alleged to have traveled to Malaysia in 1999 to observe airport security by U. S. air carriers to assist in formulating the hijacking plan.
Ramzi Binalshibh is alleged to have lived with the Hamburg, Germany, al-Qaida cell where three of the Sept. 11 hijackers resided. It is alleged that Binalshibh was originally selected by Osama bin Laden to be one of the Sept. 11 hijackers and that he made a "martyr video" in preparation for the operation. He was unable to obtain a U.S. visa and, therefore, could not enter the United States as the other hijackers did. In light of this, it is alleged that Binalshibh assisted in finding flight schools for the hijackers in the United States, and continued to assist the conspiracy by engaging in numerous financial transactions in support of the Sept. 11 operation.
Ali Abdul Aziz Ali's role is alleged to have included sending approximately $120,000 to the hijackers for their expenses and flight training, and facilitating travel to the United States for nine of the hijackers.
Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi is alleged to have assisted and prepared the hijackers with money, western clothing, traveler's checks and credit cards. He is also alleged to have facilitated the transfer of thousands of dollars between the accounts of alleged Sept. 11 hijackers and himself on Sept. 11, 2001.
Mohamed al Kahtani is alleged to have attempted to enter the United States on Aug. 4, 2001, through Orlando International Airport, where he was denied entry. It is also alleged that al Kahtani carried $2,800 in cash and had an itinerary listing a phone number associated with Hawsawi.
If the convening authority refers the charges to trial, the prosecution bears the burden of proving the case beyond a reasonable doubt, which is the standard applied in all U.S. and military criminal trials.
In the military commissions process, every defendant has the following rights: The right to remain silent and to have no adverse inference drawn from it; the right to be represented by detailed military counsel, as well as civilian counsel of his own selection and at no expense to the government; the right to examine all evidence used against him by the prosecution; the right to obtain evidence and to call witnesses on his own behalf including expert witnesses; the right to cross-examine every witness called by the prosecution; the right to be present during the presentation of evidence; the right to have a military commission panel of at least five military members determine his guilt by a 2/3 majority, or in the case of a capital offense, a unanimous decision of a military commission composed of at least 12 members; and the right to an appeal to the Court of Military Commission Review, then through the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals to the United States Supreme Court.
These rights are guaranteed to the defendant under the Military Commissions Act, and are specifically designed to ensure that every defendant receives a fair trial, consistent with American and international standards of justice and the rule of law.
The sworn charges are only allegations that each accused has committed a war crime under the Military Commissions Act. The accused are presumed innocent of any criminal charges unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at a military commission.
Indiana pilots posing as the 'enemy' in Florida
Twenty pilots with the Indiana Air National Guard are spending two weeks in Florida posing as the "enemy" for a training exercise.
Troops return home
About 220 Massachusetts Army National Guard members returned home yesterday after a 15-month deployment helping NATO peacekeepers in Kosovo.
Illinois Army Guard promotes first female director of operations
The Illinois Army National Guard says its first female director of operations has been promoted to colonel.
Lt. Col. Alicia Tate-Nadeau is also the first Latino in the position since the Illinois National Guard was started in 1903.
She says she's honored to be part of state history. Tate-Nadeau is 1 of 3 female colonels in the Illinois Army National Guard. She is the mother of 2 children.
Major General William Enyart -- who's the Adjutant General for the Illinois National Guard -- says Tate-Nadeau is the perfect example of a dedicated soldier who takes pride in her career and family.
Holocaust survivor Rep. Tom Lantos dies
U.S. Rep. Tom Lantos of California, the only Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress, has died, his spokeswoman said today.
Page Two
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Monday February 11, 2008 - 09:25am (PST) Edit Delete Permanent Link 0 Comments
Entry for February 11, 2008 ---- my SWEET VALENTINE...
Valentine's Day is just around the corner, so get to work and spread some love today!
Sweet Tooth Cupid Valentine
12 Roses for my Valentine
Valentines Baby
Bareskin Rug Baby Valentine
Everyday Valentine
Va-Va-VALENTINE!
Have a great day!
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Monday February 11, 2008 - 07:45am (PST) Edit Delete Permanent Link 0 Comments
Entry for February 11, 2008 --- POLICE CORRUPTION
Police Corruption
Feb 10, '08 9:20 PMfor everyone
February 8, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) The February 13, 2008 program of Conversations with Cops at the Watering Hole focuses on Police Corruption with special guest Lieutenant Stephen Beeler, Los Angeles County Sheriff̢۪s Department (ret.).
Program Date: February 13, 2008
Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific
Topic: Police Corruption
Guests: Lieutenant Stephen Beeler
Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement
About the Guest
In 1962, Stephen Beeler joined the United States Army, serving in Germany. After his discharge in 1965, he joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff̢۪s Department. During his law enforcement career he served in patrol, administration, court services, community relations, press liaison and hostage negotiations. In 1986, he retired because of a duty-related injury. From 1987 to 1995, he was the business manager for the Arizona Department of Corrections in Winslow. Stephen Beeler has a Masters Degree from Pepperdine University at Malibu and a Masters Certificate from Loyola University, Los Angeles. Stephen Beeler is the author of The Firestone Syndrome.
About the Watering Hole
The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life. Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.
About the Host
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years. He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant. He holds a bachelor̢۪s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master̢۪s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, technology and leadership. Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One. He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in law enforcement.
Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement
Program Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
http://us.f544.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530
Tags: stephen beeler, police corruption, united states army, watering hole, raymond e. foster, criminal justice, law enforcement, technology, leadership
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Monday February 11, 2008 - 07:44am (PST) Edit Delete Permanent Link 0 Comments
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