WASHINGTON - The White House on Friday played down a report in which U.N. weapons inspectors documented additional materials missing from weapons sites in
Iraq.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the Bush administration had taken steps to ensure sites were secured, and he suggested it was doubtful the looted material was being used to boost other countries' weapons programs.
In a report to the U.N. Security Council, acting chief weapons inspector Demetrius Perricos said that satellite imagery experts had determined that material that could be used to make biological or chemical weapons and banned long-range missiles had been removed from 109 sites, up from 90 reported in March.
The sites have been emptied of equipment to varying degrees, with the largest percentage of missing items at 58 missile facilities. For example, 289 of the 340 pieces of equipment to produce missiles — or about 85 percent, had been removed, the report said.
Perricos said he's reached no conclusions about who removed the items or where they went. He said it could have been moved elsewhere in Iraq, sold as scrap, melted down or purchased.
Friday, June 03, 2005
Friday Night Media Dump: Pentagon Admits Defacing Korans in Gitmo
(06-03) 16:25 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) --
The Pentagon on Friday confirmed for the first time that a U.S. soldier deliberately kicked a Guantanamo Bay prisoner's Muslim holy book in violation of the military's rules for handling the Quran.
In other confirmed incidents, prison guards threw water balloons in a cell block, causing an unspecified number of Qurans to get wet; a guard's urine splashed on a detainee and his Quran; an interrogator stepped on a Quran during an interrogation; and a two-word obscenity was written in English on the inside cover of a Quran.
The findings are among the results of an investigation last month by Brig. Gen. Jay Hood, the commander of the detention center in Cuba, that was triggered by a Newsweek magazine report — later retracted — that a U.S. soldier had flushed one Guantanamo Bay detainee's Quran down a toilet.
The story stirred worldwide controversy and the Bush administration blamed it for deadly demonstrations in Afghanistan.
The Pentagon on Friday confirmed for the first time that a U.S. soldier deliberately kicked a Guantanamo Bay prisoner's Muslim holy book in violation of the military's rules for handling the Quran.
In other confirmed incidents, prison guards threw water balloons in a cell block, causing an unspecified number of Qurans to get wet; a guard's urine splashed on a detainee and his Quran; an interrogator stepped on a Quran during an interrogation; and a two-word obscenity was written in English on the inside cover of a Quran.
The findings are among the results of an investigation last month by Brig. Gen. Jay Hood, the commander of the detention center in Cuba, that was triggered by a Newsweek magazine report — later retracted — that a U.S. soldier had flushed one Guantanamo Bay detainee's Quran down a toilet.
The story stirred worldwide controversy and the Bush administration blamed it for deadly demonstrations in Afghanistan.
Media Hosted Watergate Convicts Without Revealing Their Roles In The Scandal
Amid the extensive media coverage of the revelation that former FBI official W. Mark Felt was the secret Watergate source known as Deep Throat, Charles W. Colson and G. Gordon Liddy -- former Nixon aides who served prison sentences for their involvement in the Watergate scandal -- appeared on numerous network and cable news programs, where they disparaged Felt as unethical, dishonorable, "hypocritical," and "not a hero."
But several hosts and reporters who interviewed Colson and Liddy failed to disclose Colson's and Liddy's roles in the scandal and their resulting convictions.
Both Colson and Liddy were convicted for their involvement in the Nixon White House's campaign of "dirty tricks," which Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncovered with help of information from Felt.
Colson, special counsel to President Richard Nixon from 1970 to 1973, pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice for his role in the burglary of the office of Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist, one of the many crimes linked to the Nixon administration during the Watergate investigations.
(Ellsberg was responsible for leaking the Pentagon Papers to Congress and the media.) Colson subsequently served seven months in prison in 1974.
Liddy, a former FBI agent, helped plan the burglary of the Democratic National Convention headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington while on the payroll of President Nixon's 1972 re-election campaign.
He was ultimately convicted for his role in the break-in, as well as for conspiracy in the Ellsberg case and for contempt of court. He served 4 1/2 years in prison. Cont.
But several hosts and reporters who interviewed Colson and Liddy failed to disclose Colson's and Liddy's roles in the scandal and their resulting convictions.
Both Colson and Liddy were convicted for their involvement in the Nixon White House's campaign of "dirty tricks," which Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncovered with help of information from Felt.
Colson, special counsel to President Richard Nixon from 1970 to 1973, pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice for his role in the burglary of the office of Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist, one of the many crimes linked to the Nixon administration during the Watergate investigations.
(Ellsberg was responsible for leaking the Pentagon Papers to Congress and the media.) Colson subsequently served seven months in prison in 1974.
Liddy, a former FBI agent, helped plan the burglary of the Democratic National Convention headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington while on the payroll of President Nixon's 1972 re-election campaign.
He was ultimately convicted for his role in the break-in, as well as for conspiracy in the Ellsberg case and for contempt of court. He served 4 1/2 years in prison. Cont.
Harness Racing Picks for 06-03-05
Record since 04-26-05
Win (43)
Place (14)
Show (4)
Out of the Money (12)
****************************
Cal-Expo
Race # 2
Horse: WILDER ECHO
Post Position: # 3
Win (43)
Place (14)
Show (4)
Out of the Money (12)
****************************
Cal-Expo
Race # 2
Horse: WILDER ECHO
Post Position: # 3
Conyers at 87,000 Signatures - now wants 250,000!
On Randi Rhodes today, Randi read a letter from the office of Rep John Conyers which said that they've reached 87,000 signatures in just a few days on their latest push concerning the Downing Street Minutes -- and are now raising the goal to 250,000 just to help bring the point totally home.He said - "We're getting 4000-8000 signatures a day, it's unheard of for a Congressional Website".
Conyers Letter on Downing Street: Give one signature and pass it on!
Conyers Letter on Downing Street: Give one signature and pass it on!
Harness Racing Results for 06-02-05
Record since 04-26-05
Win (43)
Place (14)
Show (4)
Out of the Money (12)
****************************
Cal-Expo
Race # 5
Horse: CR SOLDIER BOY (Won)
Post Position: # 1
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Scioto Downs
Race # 5
Horse: ONEFORTHEMASTER (Won)
Post Position: # 1
Win (43)
Place (14)
Show (4)
Out of the Money (12)
****************************
Cal-Expo
Race # 5
Horse: CR SOLDIER BOY (Won)
Post Position: # 1
********************
Scioto Downs
Race # 5
Horse: ONEFORTHEMASTER (Won)
Post Position: # 1
Brazil Approves Breaking AIDS Patent
Brazilian lawmakers have approved a project authorizing the government to break patents on drugs for treating AIDS, O Globo reported Thursday.
For years, Brazil's Ministry of Health has been fighting with pharmaceutical companies for the right to purchase for a fraction of the cost AIDS drugs for Brazil's federal AIDS treatment program.
According of Brazilian Federal Deputy Roberto Gouveia, the decision to break company patents and produce generic drugs does not break international accords because global patent regulations stipulate a patent can be broken for the benefit of public health
For years, Brazil's Ministry of Health has been fighting with pharmaceutical companies for the right to purchase for a fraction of the cost AIDS drugs for Brazil's federal AIDS treatment program.
According of Brazilian Federal Deputy Roberto Gouveia, the decision to break company patents and produce generic drugs does not break international accords because global patent regulations stipulate a patent can be broken for the benefit of public health
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Blair may walk away from U.S. as G8 ally
(UPI)
Britain is considering establishing a European alliance on Group of Eight plans for African aid and debt relief, the Guardian reported Thursday.
In the face of seemingly immutable U.S. opposition to proposals for the cancellation of debt and the tripling of aid to the poorest nations, Prime Minister Tony Blair and Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown are now considering going ahead without Washington fully on board.
Government sources told the Guardian Britain was planning to use the Group of Seven finance ministers meeting next weekend to establish a European consensus on aid and debt relief.
Britain is considering establishing a European alliance on Group of Eight plans for African aid and debt relief, the Guardian reported Thursday.
In the face of seemingly immutable U.S. opposition to proposals for the cancellation of debt and the tripling of aid to the poorest nations, Prime Minister Tony Blair and Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown are now considering going ahead without Washington fully on board.
Government sources told the Guardian Britain was planning to use the Group of Seven finance ministers meeting next weekend to establish a European consensus on aid and debt relief.
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