Monthly Archives: March 2013

Bin Laden son-in-law court appearance reignites debate over handling of terrorism cases

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“With the surprise appearance in a New York courtroom of Osama bin Laden’s son in law on Friday, the US justice system’s handling of terrorism cases itself went back on trial.
Until now, alleged Al-Qaeda figures have been more likely to be blown apart by a missile from a US drone or to disappear into the netherworld of secret CIA or secretive military prisons, before resurfacing in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  But on this occasion, Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, accused of conspiring to kill US nationals, was arraigned in a wood-paneled Manhattan federal courtroom, accompanied by three lawyers and witnessed by the media.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/03/08/bin-laden-son-in-law-court-appearance-reignites-debate-over-handling-of-terrorism-cases/

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Is the U.S. at War with Al-Qaeda?

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thelrcblog-50016

“Imagine Ma Barker’s gang or a gang of John Dillingers who unilaterally declare ‘war’ against the U.S. Would the U.S. in turn declare war against them? Metaphorically it might, in order to show a steely determination to capture and stop them. But does their declaration by itself entitle the U.S. to kill them without an attempt to capture them and place them on trial? Certainly not. Lynching is summary execution. No government can be trusted with the power of summarily killing someone, even if that person has ‘declared war’ on that government. Such a power is too easy to extend and expand and inflict upon the innocent.”

http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/133568.html

 

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U.S. diplomat warns of global effort to curb Internet freedom

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“A number of countries are aggressively trying to control the Internet, a top US diplomat cautioned Thursday, insisting Washington would give no ground when it comes to curbing freedoms on the Web.  The fact that many countries appeared to be investing heavily, ‘billions and billions of dollars’, in next generation surveillance technologies was an indication of their intentions to clamp down on Internet freedoms, Ross warned.  The clamp-down was coming amid a clear shift of power all over the world from governments and other state hierarchies towards citizens and networks of citizens, he said.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/03/07/u-s-diplomat-warns-of-global-effort-to-curb-internet-freedom/

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Saudi rights activists given heavy jail terms

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“A Saudi court on Saturday dissolved a human rights group and handed down heavy jail terms to two of its members.  He also upheld a six-year prison term for one the group’s members, Abdullah al-Hamed, by a court of first instance, while also handing him a new five-year sentence and an 11-year travel ban to come into force when he leaves jail.  Another rights activist with the ACPRA, Mohammed Gahtani, was jailed for 10 years and banned from travelling for 10 years.  The defendants were convicted of violating a law on cybercriminality by using Twitter to denounce various aspects of political and social life in the ultra-conservative kingdom.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/03/09/saudi-rights-activists-given-heavy-jail-terms/

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The Truth Behind the Decline in Somali Piracy

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EPJ13

“[P]rivate security forces thwarted Somalian piracy and not the mighty navies. It is interesting to note that while everyone from navies of different countries to ‘the transitional administration in Somalia’ becoming more successful are cited as causes of this, it notes that ‘For many in the shipping industry, the fall in attacks is a vindication of the decision to massively ramp up the use of armed guards’.  It also notes that ‘So far, not a single ship with armed guards has been taken by pirates’. Looks like the risk/reward of being a pirate is not economical anymore. All due to private security. Walter Block would be happy.”

http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2013/02/the-truth-behind-decline-in-somali.html

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Private Schools in India Serve the Poor, but Can They Survive Attacks by Government?

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“I despise policies such as corporate subsidies, bailouts and minimum wage laws.  So you’ll understand why I’m particularly upset that the government of India is now trying to undermine opportunity for the poor by shutting down private schools.  Because the government schools do a terrible job, there are millions of poor families who are sacrificing to send their kids to private schools.  Apparently embarrassed by the fact that so many millions of poor families would rather pay for good private schools than go to free state institutions, the government is trying to regulate the private schools out of existence.”

http://danieljmitchell.wordpress.com/2013/02/08/private-schools-in-india-serve-the-poor-but-can-they-survive-attacks-by-government/

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US DOT Blasts Mississippi For Diverting DUI Funds To Speeding Tickets

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“Mississippi police agencies have been diverting federal grant funds intended to combat drunk driving into an expansion of the use of speed traps. The US Department of Transportation’s inspector general chided the NHTSA for its lax administration of the ‘Section 154’ grant program that failed to prevent the misuse of taxpayer money.  2926 citations were issued by 127 state and local police officers using the DUI grant money. The analysis found 73 percent of the officers issued no drunk-driving related citations at all. There were only 147 DUI arrests or citations, and the rest were for speeding, seat belt use or other minor infractions.”

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/40/4025.asp

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Indian starving children’s fund used to fix buses

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“A fund of millions of dollars raised to help malnourished children in western India has been diverted to maintain public buses, a report said on Friday.  The ‘Child Nutrition Surcharge’ was set up 16 years ago to collect a small percentage of each bus ticket fare in major cities in Maharashtra state, where thousands of children die from malnutrition each year. But public transport officials say that millions raised have yet to be transferred to the state treasury because they allegedly need the funds to maintain buses and keep them on the road, the NDTV news channel reported.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/03/08/indian-starving-childrens-fund-used-to-fix-buses/

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Shanghai Introduction

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Shanghai Introduction

“Shanghai is the world’s largest city, when considering population size living within city limits — not counting suburbs. With 18 million people, it if filled with action and ideal people-watching conditions, with its densely-packed population. Shanghai is one of the world’s most modern cities, which might surprise those who think that China is not yet a developed nation. Glistening new skyscrapers make this the largest collection of tall buildings on Earth. It is a great place to discover on foot.”

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US drugs prosecutors switch sides to defend accused Colombian traffickers

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“US prosecutors and other senior officials who spearheaded the war against drug cartels have quit their jobs to defend Colombian cocaine traffickers, saying their clients are not bad people and that United States drug policy is wrong.  Senior former assistant US attorneys and Drug Enforcement Administration agents are turning years of experience in investigating, indicting and extraditing narcos to the advantage of the alleged traffickers they now represent.  Feitel and Klapper spoke of recognising the humanity of their clients and called for alternatives to a four-decade-old ‘war on drugs‘ which costs billions of dollars and incarcerates thousands.”

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/27/us-drugs-prosecutors-defending-traffickers

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