Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
There are two key takeaways I get from this comprehensive WaPo piece on why Gitmo will never close.
First, after just one Congressman--VA's Frank Wolf--bitched about the plan to bring innocent Uighurs to the US, the plan was shut down (apparently…
Obama Pretends the Bob Woodward Law Doesn't Exist
Yesterday, Michael Whitney pointed out how irresponsible it was for the ultimate commander of all the people who will decide Bradley Manning's innocence or guilt to state publicly, before his trial, that "he broke the law." But there was…
DC Circuit Reinstates Blackwater Nisour Shooting Prosecution
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bmazThe Blackwater Nisour Square shooting prosecution may be back on for now, but I would not be surprised in the least to see the case dismissed again. Here is why.
DOJ Sits On Its Thumbs A Year After Macondo's Mouth Of Hell Roared
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bmaz A year after Macondo the Mouth of Hell roared in the Gulf of Mexico, forever altering the ecology and lives of those who depend on the Gulf for their existence, it is business as usual for BP and a complicit Department of Justice.
Manning Protesters Sing to Obama: "We Paid Our Dues; Where's Our Change?"
At today's presidential fundraiser in San Francisco, several attendees sang a song to Obama protesting Bradley Manning's treatment. (From the White House pool report)
Mr. Obama was in the middle of his remarks when a woman in a white suit…
CIFA 2.0 Back in the Outsourcing Business
Remember the Counterintelligence Field Activity (CIFA)? Here's how I described it back in 2007.
CIFA is, along with the National Security Letters Congress is now cracking down on, probably the biggest abuse of civil rights and privacy BushCo…
What Happened to Bradley Manning in January
I wanted to put a few details about what happened to Bradley Manning in January together.
The other day Manning's lawyer, David Coombs, revealed he had been about to file a habeas petition when DOD suddenly decided to move Manning to Fort…
As Expected, DOD Charges al-Nashiri; Will the US Also Charge His Torturer?
DOD has filed charges against Abd al Rahim al-Nashiri, the alleged mastermind of the USS Cole bombing. (h/t jl)
The Department of Defense announced today that military commissions prosecutors have sworn charges against Abd al Rahim Hussayn…
Did the Pentagon Misinform Obama When It Said Bradley Manning's Treatment Met Our Standards?
Back on March 11, in response to Jake Tapper's question whether he agreed with PJ Crowley's judgment that Bradley Manning's treatment was "ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid," President Obama said the Pentagon had assured him that…
MSNBC's New Sources on Bradley Manning's Treatment: Pentagon Officials
Back in January, long-time Pentagon reporter Jim Miklaszewski caused a stir when he published a story with two big scoops. First, that investigators had been unable to tie Bradley Manning to Julian Assange. More importantly, Miklaszewski cited…
Air Force: We're Screwed
The Air Force is using stimulus dollars to rebuild some family housing at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. Since they're using stimulus dollars, they have to get a waiver for anything they say they can't source to an American company. Among…
Did BP Have Special Reason to Worry about the Iraq War for Oil?
The Independent reveals what we've always known: the Iraq War was about oil. Or rather, there were significant discussions in Fall 2002--the period when the US and UK were busy lying us into war--about who would get Iraq's oil. (h/t Susie)
The…
PJ Crowley: "Will My Words Be Credible?"
There's something deeply ironic about the beltway's most tawdry purveyor of the Village narrative, Politico ("Win the morning™"), treating former State Department Spokesperson PJ Crowley's investment in a strategic narrative dismissively.…
How to Stage Manage a Show Trial
Michelle Shephard reports on an effort Omar Khadr's military lawyers are making to win clemency for their client. (h/t JL) Much of it focuses on the role psychiatrist Michael Welner, who testified that his interview with Khadr proved he'd never…
Some Context on MI's Emergency Financial Manager Law
On Saturday, I described how the democratically-elected government of Benton Harbor, a poor, segregated MI city about an hour south of me, lost its power to the city's Emergency Financial Manager.
There are two parts of the story that I didn't…
NYT Speculates on Departure of Goldman Sachs' Blankfein, Doesn't Mention Levin's Referral
The NYT has what I assume to be a bizarre form of beat sweetener on Goldman Sachs today. It spends most of 1,300 words speculating on who might replace CEO Lloyd Blankfein if he were to step down, exploring three possible candidates in depth.
But…
US-Based Drones for the Sake of Drones
Apparently, a bunch of people claiming to be interested in jobs inserted an amendment into the FAA bill requiring the FAA to allow for drones in US airspace. (h/t NC)
I became aware of the pro-drone legislation from a February 10, 2011,…
Using New Emergency Financial Manager Law, They Start Dissolving Governments in Michigan
In what is likely to be just the first of several dissolutions of democratically elected city governments and school boards in Michigan, the Emergency Financial Manager of Benton Harbor, Joseph Harris, just took away all authority from the city's…
The United States of Monsanto
Last night, I was on BlogTalkRadio with former Ambassador to Nigeria John Campbell talking about WikiLeaks, secrecy, and democracy. As a way to illustrate how the secrecy of diplomatic cables hides a great deal of undemocratic ideas, I raised…
Former Army Intelligence Analyst: "Army security is like a Band-Aid on a sunken chest wound"
Evan Knappenberger, a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War who served in roughly the same position Bradley Manning did (but several years earlier), was interviewed by his college newspaper about my latest obsession, DOD's network security.…