Finally some good news on nuclear power

Doesn't B Hussein Obama hate it when he's told he had to obey the law...he will probably whine till he gets another taxpayer paid junket to the West Coast.

Hopefully Congress is not in the mood to take this up until after the elections....and let us pray after that Harry Reid is soon to be ex-senator by then.

Judges block Obama effort to close Yucca Mountain waste site
McClatchy Newspapers

The Obama administration has suffered a defeat in its efforts to close the nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada.

Three administrative judges within the Nuclear Regulatory Commission ruled last week that President Barack Obama and Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu don't have the authority to close the controversial site unilaterally. That can only be accomplished, the judges said, by an act of Congress.

"Unless Congress directs otherwise, DOE may not single-handedly derail the legislated decision-making process by withdrawing the (Yucca repository) application. DOE's motion must therefore be denied," the judges wrote, adding that the DOE had weakened its arguments by "conceding that the application is not flawed nor the (Yucca) site unsafe."

"Given the stated purposes of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act and the detailed structure of that legislation, it would be illogical to allow DOE to withdraw the application without any examination of the merits," the judges found.

...Republicans accuse Obama of moving to close the site to help Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., in his tough re-election battle....

The administrative judges' ruling already is scheduled for reconsideration. On Wednesday, the day after the ruling was announced, the NRC quickly set a schedule to hear an appeal, calling for follow-up briefs to be filed by July 16....If the NRC rules against the Energy Department, the agency can appeal to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. That appellate court is already adjudicating parallel litigation involving Nevada, South Carolina, Washington and other states with large amounts of high-level nuclear waste from past atomic weapons production.

Officer Down

Officer Justin McGrory California Highway Patrol
End of Watch: Sunday, June 27, 2010
Age: 28
Tour of Duty: 2 years, 8 months
Badge Number: 18606
Cause of Death: Vehicular assault

Officer Justin McGrory was struck and killed by a drunk driver while conducting a field sobriety test on I-15 in Barstow at 3:38 am.

He and his partner had stopped a suspected drunk driver and were administering the tests when he was struck. His partner was not injured. The drunk driver who struck him stopped a short distance away. He was arrested and charged with vehicular manslaughter.

Officer McGrory had served with the California Highway Patrol for almost three years. He is survived by his expectant wife and three small children.






Officer Brett Oswald California Highway Patrol
End of Watch: Sunday, June 27, 2010
Age: 47
Tour of Duty: 20 years
Badge Number: 13164
Cause of Death: Struck by vehicle

Officer Brett Oswald was killed when he was struck by a vehicle at the scene of an abandoned vehicle.

He responded to a report that a vehicle had hit a tree on South River Road in Paso Robles. After investigating, Officer Oswald determined that no accident had occurred and that the vehicle was abandoned. He called for a tow truck and was waiting next to his patrol car, when a passing vehicle crossed the double yellow lines and struck the patrol car. The force of the impact pushed the patrol car into him.

Officer Oswald was transported to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries.

The suspect was arrested and charged with felony vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and driving with a suspended license.

Officer Oswald had served with the agency for 20 years and is survived by his wife.






Rest in Peace Gentlemen…We’ll Continue The Watch
Day is done, gone the sun,
From the lake, from the hills,
From the sky.
All is well, safely rest,
God is nigh.

R. Lee Ermey Geico Commerical

Personally I think it would have been better with the gecko on the couch but it's still funny!

Thank You Mr Justice Kennedy

Bad news for Obama: Conservative Justice Kennedy tells pals he's in no rush to leave Supreme Court
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF

...Justice Kennedy, who turns 74 this month, has told relatives and friends he plans to stay on the high court for at least three more years - through the end of Obama's first term, sources said.

That means Kennedy will be around to provide a fifth vote for the court's conservative bloc through the 2012 presidential election. If Obama loses, Kennedy could retire and expect a Republican President to choose a conservative justice.

Kennedy, appointed by President Ronald Reagan, has been on the court 22 years. He has become a bit of a political nemesis at the White House for his increasing tendency to side with the court's four rock-ribbed conservative justices.

.With the retirement of fellow Stanford graduate Sandra Day O'Connor in 2006, Kennedy has inherited O'Connor's mantle as the court's swing vote.
...His voting pattern suggests he's actually become a far more reliable vote for the conservatives.

No, he has matured and become more worldly.... :) Hopefully B Hussein Obama sees no more SCOTUS appointments...

Officer Down

Natural Resources Officer Luke D. Nihart
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Law Enforcement Division
End of Watch: Saturday, June 26, 2010
Age: 32
Tour of Duty: 11 years
Badge Number: 1247
Cause of Death: Accidental

Officer Luke Nihart was killed in an ATV accident while working the Country Stampede music festival at Tuttle Creek State Park.

He was entering the parking area of a Department of Wildlife and Parks office when his ATV flipped over at approximately 3:20 am. He was transported to Mercy Regional Health Center where he succumbed to his injuries two hours later.

Officer Nihart had served with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks for 11 years. His is survived by his wife and two young children.


Rest in Peace Bro…We’ll Continue The Watch
Day is done, gone the sun,
From the lake, from the hills,
From the sky.
All is well, safely rest,
God is nigh.

Officer Down

Deputy Sheriff Carol Scruggs
Marshall County Sheriff's Department Mississippi
End of Watch: Friday, June 25, 2010
Age: 48
Tour of Duty: 4 years
Cause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: Friday, June 25, 2010

Deputy Carol Scruggs was killed in an automobile accident while responding to reports of a suspicious vehicle at 7:30 am. The vehicle was seen at a bank that had recently been robbed.

She was ejected from her patrol car after it left North Red Banks Road and flipped over several times in an adjacent field. She was flown to a hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, where she succumbed to her injuries.

Deputy Scruggs had served with the Marshall County Sheriff's Department for four years.

Rest in Peace Sis…We’ll Continue The Watch
Day is done, gone the sun,
From the lake, from the hills,
From the sky.
All is well, safely rest,
God is nigh.

Convicted NYPD cop killer spared death penalty

Hopefully the DA can appeal the verdict in this.....

Widows victimized once more as double cop killer Ronell Wilson avoids death penalty
Michael Daly

Thursday, July 1st 2010, 4:00 AM


B. Smith for NewsDetective Maryann Andrews, widow of slain Detective Rodney Andrews, wells up with tears after federal appeals court overturned jury verdict sentencing cop killer Ronell Wilson to death.

Xanthos for NewsDetective James Nemorin, the other officer killed by Wilson with his family.



After the death penalty was imposed and he was being led from a courtroom for what seemed the last time, Ronell Wilson turned to the grieving loved ones of the two detectives he had murdered in coldest blood.

This loathsome mutt made the only gesture of contempt he could manage in handcuffs.


He stuck out his tongue.

He did that despite having heard the searing and tearful testimony of the families of Detectives Rodney (Jay) Andrews and James Nemorin in the penalty phase of the trial.

Wilson had listened to Rose Nemorin say, "I am the widow of Detective James V. Nemorin. James, my hero, my husband and the father of my three children: Stephan, 11; Rudolphe, 8, and Sarah, 5 years old. ...

"He once told me, 'Rosie, I am one of the happiest men in the world. I have a beautiful wife whom I love very much, three beautiful children who I love so much and a great job that I love. Rosie, I made success.'"

Wilson had also heard her say, "We no longer celebrate Father's Day at home. Instead, we go to the cemetery and I get to watch our children talk and hug a cold wall. It breaks my heart to see my children leaving notes, gifts and hugging a piece of cold wall.

"The children's notes read: 'I love you, Daddy. I miss you. We wish you were here to celebrate Father's Day with us. We hope you are having a good time in heaven with God.'"

And Wilson had listened to Maryann Andrews say, "Rodney was my best friend, the love of my life, my first love, my husband, the father to my two boys."

The older boy, Christian Andrews, then just 16, had also testified, saying, "He was the best dad I could ask for."

When his turn came, Wilson chose not to take the stand and expose himself to cross-examination that might call his sincerity into question. He instead read a statement to the jury from the defendant's table.

"I want you to understand my deepest sorrow toward the victims' family and friends. ... I am not good with words. I wish I could explain myself more better, but I am not truly ..."

Wilson slipped. He caught himself.

"...but I am truly sorry for the pain I have caused them all. ... I say it again and again, I am so sorry ... I know that the victims' families may not accept my apology, but I pray that God will give them all the comfort and strength that they need to move on from this tragedy. Thank you."

The outraged prosecutors took a step beyond the strictest constitutional guidelines, suggesting to the jury that if Wilson's remorse were genuine he could have expressed it from the witness stand or simply pleaded guilty in the first place.

That is the technical overstep the appeals court cited in tossing out the 2007 sentence, even though it made no material difference. The jury had needed no extra persuading.

Anybody who watched Wilson during the trial knew that his true attitude was reflected with succinct exactitude by what a crony testified he had said when asked why he killed the detectives that night in 2003.

"I don't give a f--k about nobody."

Once the jury proved unswayed and sentence was imposed, the real Wilson showed himself for all to see by making that final gesture of contempt.

The one comfort for the widows was there would be no more courtroom horrors as they struggled to raise their fatherless kids.

Or so it seemed until the appeals court threw out the sentence yesterday. Nemorin's widow was too distraught to attend a Detectives' Endowment Association press conference. Andrews, who is a detective, was there, but too filled with pain to give it voice.

"I can't," she said, fighting tears. "It's just too much."

The drug runners have a sub now....

Damned, money gives you anything you need!!!

DEA Helps Ecuadorian Police Seize Drug Sub - News - POLICE Magazine

Drug Enforcement Administration agents helped Ecuadorian authorities seize a drug sub that had been secretly built to transport tons of drugs to the U.S. and was being readied for its maiden voyage, the DEA announced.



"The advent of the narco-submarine presents new detection challenges for maritime interdiction forces," said Jay Bergman, the DEA's Andean regional director. "The submarine's nautical range, payload capacity and quantum leap in stealth have raised the stakes for the counter-drug forces and the national security community alike."

The twin-screw, electric sub measures about 100 feet long. The air-conditioned interior measures about 9 feet high and included a periscope.

The investigation of the captured submarine and the individuals responsible for its construction is ongoing. One individual has been taken into custody by Ecuadorian authorities at the site of the seizure.

The submarine was constructed in a remote jungle environment in an effort to elude law enforcement or military interdiction, and is currently located near a tributary close to the border of Colombia.

As a result of DEA intelligence, Ecuadorian authorities were able to seize the vessel on July 2 before it was able to make its maiden voyage. This is the first seizure of a clandestinely constructed fully operational submarine built to facilitate trans-oceanic drug trafficking, according to the agency.

You knew this one had to come out

I don't have to add comment.

I guess he will need to go to confession

We all lose it occasionally but this one takes it. Look at what the man used to do...not being a priest.

Ex-priest who pulled gun gets jail
Thought a U.S. Marshal made an obscene gesture at him, so he drew a loaded handgun

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A former priest and anger-management counselor who pulled a gun in a traffic dispute on two men who happened to be U.S. Marshals has been sentenced to a year in prison. Fifty-seven-year-old Jose Luis Avila of Annandale pleaded guilty earlier this year in U.S. District Court to assaulting a federal officer.

In January, Avila was driving by the marshals near his home. He honked his horn because he believed they were standing in the road. When he thought one of the marshals made an obscene gesture at him, he pulled out a loaded handgun.

The 12-month sentence was in line with what prosecutors had sought. Defense lawyers wanted probation or time served; Avila has been jailed since January.

Avila has also been ordered to undergo anger management.

What's going on in the World Today 100704

USA

NSTR

EUROPE

U.S., Poland: Sign Missile Shield Pact

July 3, 2010

The United States and Poland signed an agreement July 3 to carry out a revised missile defense shield despite Russian objections, Reuters reported. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton witnessed the signing of the pact, which allows the two countries to implement plans to station U.S. missile interceptors on Polish soil to defend against potential threats from Iran and elsewhere. Clinton said that the agreement reinforces the United States’ commitment to Poland’s security and sovereignty.

Poland: U.S. Interceptors In Place By 2018 - Spokesman

July 1, 2010

Polish Defense Minister Bogdan Klich said the United States has promised to deploy SM-3 interceptor missiles in Poland between 2015 and 2018 under the U.S. plan to defend NATO allies in Europe from possible Iranian attack, a spokesman for Klich said July 1, Reuters reported.

U.S.: Clinton Hopes Russia Accepts U.S. Missile Defense

July 3, 2010

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton expressed hope June 3 that Russia would reconsider its opposition to a U.S. missile defense system in Europe and accept an offer to cooperate in developing technologies for shooting down hostile weapons, AP reported. She said the NATO-endorsed missile defense system based in Europe would be aimed at Iran’s missile arsenal. Moscow views the project as a potential threat to its own missile arsenal, but Clinton explained that it is a purely defensive system that does not threaten Russia.

IRAN

Seeing they won’t be enforced I gotta agree with him.

Iran: President Calls Sanctions Pathetic

July 3, 2010

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on July 3 said the latest round of sanctions against his country are pathetic and warned world powers that they would regret their bullying, Reuters reported. In his first speech since U.S. President Barack Obama signed into law sanctions targeting Iran’s fuel imports, Ahmadinejad said the measures would not hurt Iran’s economy or stop the country from taking on a greater role in world affairs.

We are talking the French here!

France: Iran Oil Embargo Is A Mistake CEO

July 2, 2010

The CEO of French energy company Total said an embargo on Iranian oil products is a mistake and will harm ordinary people, AFP reported July 2. He said that the embargo is not the proper way to settle political disputes and that Total will resume its deliveries to Iran at the first opportunity.

Iran: Syria Armed With Radar

July 1, 2010

Iran sent Syria a sophisticated radar system, according to Israeli and U.S. officials, The Wall Street Journal reported July 1. The mid-2009 transfer was described in recent months by two Israeli officials, two U.S. officials and a Western intelligence source, and confirmed by the Israeli military. Though they didn’t name the system’s final recipient in Syria, these and other officials described it as part as a dramatic increase in weapons transfers and military coordination among Iran, Syria and Hezbollah. Iran and Syria both denied that a radar transfer took place.

Russia: S-300 Contract Not Tied To Sanctions - Majlis Speaker

July 2, 2010

Iranian Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani called for further talks on Tehran’s contract with Russia for S-300 air defense missiles, IRNA reported June 2, citing an interview with Al-Watan. He said the contract was finalized before the U.N. Security Council placed recent sanctions on Iran. He called the weaponry defensive.
IRAQ

ISRAEL

Egypt: 10,000 Palestinians Cross From Gaza Into Egypt Since June 1

July 3, 2010

Hamas said more than 10,000 Palestinians have crossed into Egypt via the Rafah border since it was opened June 1 following Israel’s attack on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, DPA reported July 3. The Hamas-run corporation for crossings and borders said that 10,531 people crossed from Gaza into Egypt, while another 10,172 crossed from Egypt into Gaza. A Hamas statement said people crossing from Gaza into Egypt are seeking medical treatment in Egypt, are students or are traveling to other countries.

Israel: Relations With Turkey To Be Maintained - PM

July 2, 2010

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he wants to avoid further harm to Israeli-Turkish relations, Reuters reported July 2. Netanyahu said in a televised interview that while there are no specific agreements between the two countries, it would be beneficial to prevent ties from deteriorating.

Israel: No Apology, Compensation Over Flotilla Raid - PM

July 2, 2010

Israel will not apologize or give compensation to those injured in the Gaza aid-flotilla raid, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, Haaretz reported July 2. Netanyahu said he is sorry for the loss of life, but Israel can not apologize for its soldiers acting in self-defense.

Russia: Armored Vehicles To Be Delivered To West Bank

July 1, 2010

Russia will send 50 armored personnel vehicles to Palestinian security forces in the West Bank, Xinhua reported July 1, citing an announcement by the Russian Foreign Ministry. The vehicles will be delivered to Jordan in a matter of days, and then given to security forces in the West Bank, a spokesman for the ministry said.


AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan: Mines Ministry Open To Foreign Investment

June 30, 2010

Afghan Mines Minister Wahidollah Shahrani said nearly 200 international companies are interested in investing in Afghanistan’s mining sector, Pajhwok reported June 30. Shahrani said the ministry will offer the Hajigak iron ore deposit and oil blocks in the Afghan-Tajik basin in early 2011 and the Kashquri oil block and Sheberghan gas block in September 2011. He added that the Afghan-Tajik basin is estimated to hold 1.6 billion barrels of oil.

Afghanistan: Taliban Threaten NGO Attacks

July 1, 2010

The operation commanders of the Islamic Emirate (as the Taliban movement calls itself) are going to meet shortly to finalize a new war strategy under which the foreigners working on their national agendas, particularly Indians, will be targeted, according to Taliban commander Qari Ziaur Rehman, The News International reported July 1. The Taliban commander said they would never hold talks with the Karzai regime or the NATO commander because the Taliban “already won the war. All non-Muslims who try to alienate the Afghan people from the Islamic Emirate will be driven out of the country, he said.

Afghanistan: District Taliban Chief Arrested - NATO

July 1, 2010

NATO said Afghan and international forces captured a Taliban district leader after a four-hour gunbattle in Helmand province, AP reported July 1. A NATO statement said a “large number” of insurgents were killed during fighting in Baghran district. A number of insurgents were wounded and captured, including the Taliban district chief of Now Zad.

Afghanistan: Pakistan To Train Military Officers

July 1, 2010

Afghan President Hamid Karzai agreed to dispatch an unspecified number of military officers to Pakistan for training, the Washington Post reported July 1. Afghan National Security Adviser Rangin Dadfar Spanta said the move was intended to show confidence in Pakistan in hopes of facilitating talks between the two countries on the Taliban. Details are unclear, with the number of officers participating said to be either a handful or a few dozen and the commencement date said to be “soon.” U.S. Lt. Gen. William Caldwell, who leads the NATO training command in Afghanistan, said the United States was not aware of the arrangement.

Afghanistan: Petraeus To Review Air Support Rules

July 1, 2010

U.S. Gen. David Petraeus, the new NATO commander in Afghanistan, said July 1 that he would review restrictions on the use of air power in the war, Reuters reported. Following discussions in Brussels with NATO allies, Petraeus said close air support and other secondary firepower directives were sound, but troops had expressed concerns that some processes had become too bureaucratic. The intention is to look at how the rules are implemented and ensure that implementation is even across all units, Petraeus said, adding that changes would not come if they risked the lives of more Afghan civilians.

SOUTH OF THE BORDER

Mexico: Opposition Party Leads

July 5, 2010

Mexico’s leading opposition party appeared poised to capture most of the 12 governorships at stake in the July 4 elections, preliminary results show, Notimex reported July 5. Candidates from coalitions led by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) led in nine races. President Felipe Calderon’s National Action Party (PAN) led in three races. The PRI led in the states of Chihuahua, Durango, Hidalgo, Quintana Roo, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, Aguascalientes and Zacatecas. PAN led in the states of Oaxaca, Sinaloa and Puebla. Final election results are expected later in the day.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced the arrest of El Salvadorian citizen Francisco Chavez Abarca, whom Chavez linked to “the terrorist Luis Posada Carriles”, EFE reported July 2. Chavez claimed that Chavez Abarca had attempted to enter Venezuela through Maiquetia airport using a fake passport. Posada Carriles is accused of terrorism by the Venezuelan government for his alleged role in the 1976 bombing of a Cuban airliner.

Mexico: Suspect In Killing Of U.S. Consulate Worker Arrested

July 2, 2010

Mexican authorities arrested Jesus Ernesto Chavez Castillo, who is suspected in March of ordering the murder of Lesley A. Enriquez, a U.S. Consulate employee in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state, El Universal reported July 2. Chavez Castillo is a suspected leader of the Los Aztecas criminal group and is believed to have been involved in an attack earlier this year that killed 13 people in Ciudad Juarez.

Mexico: Cantu Murder Linked To Organized Crime

July 1, 2010

An initial investigation by Mexican authorities has shown that the assassination of Tamaulipas state gubernatorial candidate Rodolfo Torres Cantu was linked to organized crime, Milenio reported July 1, citing Tamaulipas state Gov. Eugenio Hernandez. Hernandez said that a political motive for the crime had not been ruled out.

MISC

South Korea: North Korea's Direct Talk Offer Rejected

July 1, 2010

South Korea rejected North Korea’s proposal for direct military talks on the sinking of a warship, saying the issue should be handled under the armistice that ended their 1950-53 war, AFP reported July 1. Seoul should focus on discussions at the U.N. Security Council, said South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Kim Young Sun. It is more appropriate to hold general-level talks between the United Nations Command and North Korea’s military and address the issue within the framework of the armistice agreement, he said.

Kyrgyzstan: CSTO Will Not Send Troops

July 1, 2010

The rapid reaction forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will not be deployed to troubled Kyrgyzstan, the CSTO secretary general said, RIA Novosti reported July 1. Kyrgyzstan’s law enforcement has the necessary forces to solve the tasks facing it, Nikolai Bordyuzha said at the Engineering Technologies 2010 forum near Moscow. CSTO is ready to render any assistance to Kyrgyzstan, including investigating the reasons for the riots in Osh, he stated, adding that international extremist organizations are behind the bloody events in Osh.

U.S.: Al Qaeda Numbers Estimated In Pakistan

July 1, 2010

American intelligence officials estimated that there were somewhat “more than 300” al Qaeda leaders and fighters hiding in Pakistans tribal areas, The New York Times reported July 1. Michael E. Leiter, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, said there have been some “incredible successes” against al Qaedas leadership. The group is weaker than it has been at any time since 2001, he said, adding that weaker does not mean harmless.

THESE MAY REQUIRE AN EMAIL:


Israel, Turkey: Maintaining the Relationship | STRATFOR



Europe: The State of the Banking System

Iran and sanctions

...Decades of neglect, mismanagement and lack of foreign investment...As a result, Iran needs to import roughly 30 percent of its gasoline and relies heavily on Western technology, capital and services ...
... Without the gasoline imports, technology and capital needed to keep Iran economically afloat, the country theoretically could be pressured enough to make concessions on its nuclear program in the interest of avoiding a social uprising that could unseat the clerical regime.

Russian Spies...cool

The Dismantling of a Suspected Russian Intelligence Operation

July 1, 2010

By Fred Burton and Ben West

The U.S. Department of Justice announced June 28 that an FBI counterintelligence investigation had resulted in the arrest on June 27 of 10 individuals suspected of acting as undeclared agents of a foreign country, in this case, Russia. Eight of the individuals were also accused of money laundering. On June 28, five of the defendants appeared before a federal magistrate in U.S. District Court in Manhattan while three others went before a federal magistrate in Alexandria, Va., and two more went before a U.S. magistrate in Boston. An 11th person named in the criminal complaint was arrested in Cyprus on June 29, posted bail and is currently at large.
The number of arrested suspects in this case makes this counterintelligence investigation one of the biggest in U.S. history. According to the criminal complaint, the FBI had been investigating some of these people for as long as 10 years, recording conversations in their homes, intercepting radio and electronic messages and conducting surveillance on them in and out of the United States. The case suggests that the classic tactics of intelligence gathering and counterintelligence are still being used by Russia and the United States.

Cast of Characters

The following are the 11 individuals detained in the investigation, along with summaries of their alleged activities listed in the criminal complaint:




Christopher Metsos
• Claimed to originally be from Canada.
• Acted as an intermediary between the Russian mission to the United Nations in New York and suspects Richard Murphy, Cynthia Murphy, Michael Zottoli and

Patricia Mills.
• Traveled to and from Canada.
• Met with Richard Murphy at least four times between February 2001 and April 2005 at a restaurant in New York.
• Was first surveilled in 2001 in meetings with other suspects.
• Left the United States on June 17 and was detained in Cyprus on June 29, but appears to have skipped bail.

Richard and Cynthia Murphy
• Claimed to be married and to be U.S. citizens.
• First surveilled by the FBI in 2001 during meetings with Mestos.
• Also met with the third secretary in the Russian mission to the United Nations.
• Communicated electronically with Moscow.
• Richard Murphy’s safe-deposit box was searched in 2006 and agents found a birth certificate claiming he was born in Philadelphia; city officials claim there is no such birth certificate on record.
• Engaged in electronic communications with Moscow.
• Traveled to Moscow via Italy in February 2010.

Donald Heathfield and Tracey Foley
• Claimed to be married and to be natives of Canada who are naturalized U.S. citizens.
• FBI searched a safe-deposit box listed under their names in January 2001.
• FBI discovered that Donald Heathfield’s identity had been taken from a deceased child by the same name in Canada and found old photos of Foley taken with Soviet film.
• Engaged in electronic communications with Moscow.
• Tracey Foley traveled to Moscow via Paris in March 2010.
Michael Zottoli and Patricia Mills
• Claimed to be married and to be a U.S. citizen (Zottoli) and a Canadian citizen (Mills).
• First surveilled in June 2004 during a meeting with Richard Murphy.
• Engaged in electronic communications with Moscow.

Juan Lazaro and Vicky Pelaez
• Claimed to be married and to be a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Peru (Pelaez) and a Peruvian citizen born in Uruguay (Lazaro).
• First surveilled at a meeting in a public park in an unidentified South American country in January 2000.
• Evidence against Vicky Pelaez was the first gathered on the 11 suspected operatives.
• Lazaro appeared to communicate with a diplomat at the Russian Embassy in an unidentified South American country.
• Engaged in electronic communications with Moscow.
Anna Chapman
• First surveillance mentioned was in Manhattan in January 2010.
• Communicated with a declared diplomat in the Russian mission to the United Nations on Wednesdays.
• Knowingly accepted a fraudulent passport from an undercover FBI agent whom she believed to be a Russian diplomatic officer June 26, but turned it in to the police the next day shortly before her arrest.

Mikhail Semenko
• First surveillance mentioned in the criminal complaint was in June 2010 in Washington.
• Revealed to an undercover officer that he had received training and instruction from “the center” (a common term for the Moscow headquarters of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, or SVR).
• Accepted a payment of $5,000 and followed orders given by an undercover FBI agent posing as a Russian diplomatic officer to deliver the money to a drop site in Washington.

Their Mission

According to the FBI, some of the alleged “undeclared agents” moved to the United States in the 1990s, while others (such as Anna Chapman) did not arrive until 2009. The FBI says nine of the suspects were provided with fake identities and even fake childhood photos and cover stories (part of what would be called a “legend”) in order to establish themselves in the United State under “deep cover.” Chapman and Semenko used their own Russian identities (Chapman is divorced and may have taken her surname from her former husband). The true nationalities of the other suspects are unknown, but several passages in the criminal complaint indicate that most of them were originally from Russia. The Russian SVR allegedly provided the suspects with bank accounts, homes, cars and regular payments in order to facilitate “long-term service” inside the United States, where, according to the criminal complaint, the individuals were supposed to “search [for] and develop ties in policymaking circles” in the United States.

The FBI criminal complaint provides evidence that two of the deep-cover couples (Heathfield/Foley and Lazaro/Palaez) and the two short-term cover agents (Semenko and Chapman) were operating without knowledge of each other or in connection with the other two couples and Metsos, who did interact. This suggests that they would not have formed one network, as is being reported, but perhaps discrete networks. The criminal complaint provides evidence indicating that most of the operatives were being run out of the SVR residence at the U.N. mission.

It is unclear exactly how successful the 11 accused individuals were in finding and developing those ties in policymaking circles. The criminal complaint accuses the individuals of sending everything from information on the gold market from a financier in New York (a contact that Moscow apparently found helpful, since it reportedly encouraged further contact with the source) to seeking out potential college graduates headed for jobs at the CIA. The criminal complaint outlines one recorded conversation in which Lazaro told Pelaez that his handlers were not pleased with his reports because he wasn’t attributing them properly. Pelaez then advised Lazaro to “put down any politician” (to whom the information could be attributed) in order to appease the handlers, indicating that the alleged operatives did not always practice scrupulous tradecraft in their work. Improperly identifying sources in the field ultimately diminishes the value of the information, since it cannot be adequately assessed without knowing where it came from. If these kinds of shortcuts were normally taken by Pelaez, Lazaro and others, then it would reduce their value to the SVR and the harm that they may have done to the United States. The suspects were allegedly instructed by their handlers in the United States and Russia to not pursue high-level government jobs, since their legends were not strong enough to withstand a significant background investigation. But they allegedly were encouraged to make contact with high-level government officials, in order to have a finger on the pulse of policymaking in Washington.

Tradecraft

The criminal complaint alleges that the suspects used traditional tradecraft of the clandestine services to communicate with each other and send reports to their handlers. The suspects allegedly transmitted messages to Moscow containing their reports encrypted in “radiograms” (short-burst radio transmissions that appear as Morse code) or written in invisible ink, and met in third countries for payments and briefings. They are also said to have used “brush passes” (the quick and discreet exchange of materials between one person and another) and “flash meets” (seemingly innocuous, brief encounters) to transfer information, equipment and money. The criminal complaint also gives examples of operatives using coded phrases with each other and with their operators to confirm each other’s identities.

In addition to the traditional tradecraft described in the criminal complaint, there are also new operational twists. The suspects allegedly used e-mail to set up electronic dead drops to transmit encrypted intelligence reports to Moscow, and several operatives were said to have used steganography (embedding information in seemingly innocuous images) to encrypt messages. Chapman and Semenko allegedly employed private wireless networks hosted by a laptop programmed to communicate only with a specific laptop. The FBI claims to have identified networks (and may have intercepted the messages transmitted) that had been temporarily set up when a suspect was in proximity to a known Russian diplomat. These electronic meetings occurred frequently, according to the FBI, and allowed operatives and their operators to communicate covertly without actually being seen together.

Operations are said to have been run largely out of Russia’s U.N. mission in New York, meaning that when face-to-face meetings were required, declared diplomats from the U.N. mission could do the job. According to the criminal complaint, Russian diplomats handed off cash to Christopher Metsos on at least two occasions, and he allegedly distributed it to various other operatives (which provided the grounds for the charge of money laundering). The actual information gathered from the field appears to have gone directly to Russia, according to the complaint.

It is important to note that the accused individuals were not charged with espionage; the charge of acting as an undeclared agent of a foreign state is less serious. The criminal complaint never alleges that any of the 11 individuals received or transmitted classified information. This doesn’t mean that the suspects weren’t committing espionage. (Investigators will certainly learn more about their activities during interrogation and trial preparation.) According to the criminal complaint, their original guidance from Moscow was to establish deep cover. This means that they would have been tasked with positioning themselves over time in order gain access to valuable information (it is important to point out
that “valuable” is not synonymous with “classified”) through their established occupations or social lives. This allows agents to gain access to what they want without running unnecessary security risks.

Any intelligence operation must balance operational security with the need to gather intelligence. Too much security and the operative is unable to do anything; but if intelligence gathering is too aggressive, the handlers risk losing an intelligence asset. If these people were operating in deep cover, the SVR probably invested quite a bit of time and money training and cultivating them, likely well before they arrived in the United States. According to information in the criminal complaint, the suspects were actively meeting with potential sources, sending reports back to Moscow and interacting with declared Russian diplomats in the United States, all the while running the risk of being caught. But they also took security measures, according to the complaint. There is no evidence that they attempted to reach out to people who would have fallen outside their natural professional and social circles, which could have raised suspicions. In many ways, these individuals appear to have acted more like recruiters, seeking out people with access to valuable information, rather than agents trying to gain access to that information themselves. However, all we know now is based on what was released in the criminal complaint. An investigation that lasted this long surely has an abundance of evidence (much of it likely classified) that wasn’t included in the complaint.

Counterintelligence

According to authorities, the suspected operatives were under heavy surveillance by U.S. counterintelligence agents for 10 years. Working out of Boston, New York and Washington, the FBI employed its Special Surveillance Group to track suspects in person; place video and audio recorders in their homes and at meeting places to record communications; search their homes and safe-deposit boxes; intercept e-mail and electronic communications; and deploy undercover agents to entrap the suspects.
Counterintelligence operations don’t just materialize out of thin air. There has to be a tip or a clue that puts investigators on the trail of a suspected undeclared foreign agent. As suggested by interviews with the suspects’ neighbors, none of them displayed unusual behavior that would have tipped the neighbors off. All apparently had deep (but not airtight) legends going back decades that allayed suspicion. The criminal complaint did not suggest how the U.S. government came to suspect these people of reporting back to the SVR in Russia, although we did notice that the beginning of the investigation coincides with the time that a high-level SVR agent stationed at Russia’s U.N. mission in New York began passing information to the FBI. Sergei Tretyakov (who told his story in the book by Pete Earley called “Comrade J,” an abbreviation of his SVR codename, “Comrade Jean”), passed information to the FBI from the U.N. mission from 1997 to 2000, just before he defected to the United States in October 2000. According to the criminal complaint, seven of the 11 suspects were connected to Russia’s U.N. mission, though evidence of those links did not begin to emerge until 2004 (and some as late as 2010). The timing of Tretyakov’s cooperation with the U.S. government and the timing of the beginning of this investigation resulting in the arrest of the 11 suspects this week suggests that Tretyakov may have been the original source who tipped off the U.S. government. So far, the evidence is circumstantial — the timing and the location match up — but Tretyakov, as the SVR operative at Russia’s U.N. mission, certainly would have been in a position to know about operations involving most of the people arrested June 27.
Why Now?

Nothing in the complaint indicates why, after more than 10 years of investigation, the FBI decided to arrest the 11 suspects June 27. It is not unusual for investigations to be drawn out for years, since much information on tradecraft and intent can be obtained by watching foreign intelligence agencies operate without knowing they are being watched. Extended surveillance can also reveal additional contacts and build a stronger case. As long as the suspects aren’t posing an immediate risk to national security (and judging by the criminal complaint, these 11 suspects were not), there is little reason for the authorities to show their hand and conclude a fruitful counterintelligence operation.

It has been suggested that some of the suspects were a flight risk, so agents arrested all of them in order to prevent them from escaping the United States. Metsos left the United States on June 17 and was arrested in Cyprus on June 29, however, his whereabouts are currently unknown, as he has not reported back to Cypriot authorities after posting bail. A number of the suspects left and came back to the United States numerous times, and investigators appear not to have been concerned about these past comings and goings. It isn’t clear why they would have been concerned about someone leaving at this point.

The timing of the arrests so soon after U.S. President Barack Obama’s June 25 meeting with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev also raises questions about political motivations. Medvedev was in Washington to talk with Obama in an attempt to improve relations between the two countries on the day the FBI officially filed the criminal complaint. The revelation of a network of undeclared foreign agents operating in the United States would ordinarily have a negative effect on relations between the United States and the foreign country in question. In this case, though, officials from both countries made public statements saying they hoped the arrests would not damage ties, and neither side appears to be trying to leverage the incident. Indeed, if there were political motivations behind the timing of the arrests, they remain a mystery.

Whatever the motivations, now that the FBI has these suspects in custody it will be able to interrogate them and probably gather even more information on the operation. The charges for now don’t include espionage, but the FBI could very well be withholding this charge in order to provide an incentive for the suspects to plea bargain. We expect considerably more information on this unprecedented case to come out in the following weeks and months, revealing much about Russian clandestine operations and their targets in the United States.

This report is republished with permission of STRATFOR

Presidential ratings

OK, another summer, another listing of the presidents.

Siena College (I don't hear much about them, do you?) surveyed over 200 college professors for their opinions of the presidents. The authors of the study looked at

...:six personal attributes(background, imagination, integrity, intelligence, luck and willingness to take risks), five forms of ability (compromising, executive, leadership, communication and overall) and eight areas of accomplishment including economic, other domestic affairs, working with Congress and their party, appointing supreme court justices and members of the executive branch, avoiding mistakes and foreign policy.

I wonder what genius selected the areas to look at in this survey. Luck, compromising ability, working with Congress, appointing Supreme Court justices and executive branch members. Tell me professors, seeing you have little real world experience how does "compromising ability" and "appointing Supreme Court justices" show leadership and judgement. That crap about compromise reminds me of a real leader, Lady Thatcher, when she said "Consensus is the absence of leadership."

Now like any "objective" listing they will have "balance". For most listings that will mean 98% leftist/socialist, 1% avowed communist and one token McCain like moderate conservative to be balanced. Who are the top five and other highlights:

2010
1, F. Roosevelt
2. T. Roosevelt
3. Lincoln
4. Washington
5. Jefferson

OK, let me get this straight. Lincoln and Washington below Teddy Roosevelt. I'll call TR a great president but sorry man, but he doesn't belong in the breath of Lincoln or Washington. Both those men kept this country in one piece when it was ready to rip apart, none so badly as during Lincoln's (IMHO he is Number One) term. Hey professors, read a book on the Civil War. You might find that Lincoln had a challenge or two.

Now here are the some of the fun facts these geniuses show us with their rankings:

The current president, Barack Obama, while highly rated on imagination (6th), communication ability (7th) and intelligence (8th) scores poorly on background (family, education and experience) and enters the survey in the 15th position.

Imagination and communication ability...excuse me. Get this man-child away from a teleprompter he sounds like he needs his mommy to walk him to school. Intelligence? He's not qualified to run a cash register at a 7-11 but he thinks he can run our major industries.

George W. Bush, had entered the survey at 23rd when the study was lastconducted one year into his first term. Today, just one year after leaving office, the former president has found himself in the bottom five at 39th rated especially poorly in handling the economy, communication,ability to compromise, foreign policy accomplishments and intelligence.

I have more than a few issues with George W Bush as president (overspending like a drunk Democrat, No Child Left Behind, the attempt at amnesty for illegal aliens) and I voted for him twice. But he showed great leadership after 9-11, lead this country through two wars and oversaw a major expansion of the economy. Putting him below Jimmy "Malaise" Carter says enough about this survey. On the subject of Jimmy:

Jimmy Carter, despite continuing visibility and philanthropic efforts, dropped from 25th in 2002 to 32nd in 2010. Carter’s high suit is his enviable integrity rating (7th) but he draws low marks for his handling of the economy, relationship with Congress, party leadership, luck, executive and leadership abilities and his failure to avoid crucial mistakes.

OK Doc, just one question. How would "continuing visibility and philanthropic efforts" affect his ranking as president at all? What you idiots should be looking at is what the man did during his time in office. Jimmy all in all was a disaster. I used to call him a Model Former President but he had become a bitter old man knowing his time in officer is looked back upon with contempt. He joins the ranks of Ex-Presidents who were just nightmares for this country...Obama is hopefully soon to join him.

Lyndon Johnson, rated number one for his relationship with Congress, fell one place from 15th to 16th, and John Kennedy climbed three spots from 14th to 11th. Kennedy continues to be highly regarded for his communication (4th), ability to compromise (6th), executive appointments (6th), imagination (7th) and his handling of the U.S. economy (7th).

LBJ, who is IMHO the worse man to ever occupy the office, drops a slot but still number one for ability to work with Congress. Pardon me while I puke. His ability to work lead to the death of over 58000 men (their names are on a wall in Washington DC) and he raided the Social Security Trust Fund to pay for his Great Society. In case you don’t know this docs that is why there is no money there. JFK was great on the Cuban Missile Crisis and the economy but overall his foreign policy was poor. A minor question professors you may want to ask is why was JFK in Dallas that morning. Because this great president was not a shoo in for the nomination and even LBJ couldn’t guarantee Texas would not abandon the ticket.

If you want a more balanced and better look at the presidents I recommend Presidential Leadership: Rating the Best and the Worst in the White House which came out in 2005. Unlike most rating schemes, it was actually balanced. It had 49 liberal professors and 49 conservative professors which gives you a more balanced view of our chief executives, not the leftist garbage that normally comes out from the fauty ivory towers.

You spend a billion here and a billion there and soon you're talking about real money

The ability of the man-child B Hussein Obama to waste OPM (Other People's Money) knows no bounds. But this is bad even for this idiot.

WASHINGTON — The government is handing out nearly $2 billion for new solar plants that President Barack Obama says will create thousands of jobs and increase the use of renewable energy sources....

"We're going to keep competing aggressively to make sure the jobs and industries of the future are taking root right here in America," Obama said.

The two companies that will receive the money from the president's $862 billion economic stimulus are Abengoa Solar, which will build one of the world's largest solar plants in Arizona, creating 1,600 construction jobs; and Abound Solar Manufacturing, which is building plants in Colorado and Indiana. The Obama administration says those projects will create more than 2,000 construction jobs and 1,500 permanent jobs....

OK, let's do the math. 1500 permanent jobs (which we know will only be permanent as long as there are annual "temporary appropriations") for 2 billion dollars...that's over a million a job. Am I the only one out there thinking this is a little much for make work.

Obama has said that to bring the nation's economy back from the brink of a depression, it was necessary to add to the country's debt in the short term.

OK Barry, how did you lead us back from the brink of depression...when you were campaigning the unemployment rate was around 5 percent...it's now twice that. You have not only increased the yearly deficit for a couple of budgets but also bankrupted the county.

Obama voters, how's that hope and change working out for you!

Of course an educator would want Stalin shown honors

Churchill said when he agreed to ally with Stalin it was a pact with the devil. He and Roosevelt didn't have much of a choice. Hitler was a terror that needed to be dealt with.

Now that the professional historians are in charge of things they are working to put things in "context". The National D Day Museum put a bust of Stalin next to Churchill and FDR late last year. Why you ask?

“[A]s a lifelong educator, I believe the Foundation has a responsibility to serve as a catalyst for serious discourse regarding key historical figures and their actions as they relate to the D-Day story and World War II in-general,” foundation President Robin E. Reed wrote to the Bedford County supervisors after their motion of disapproval. “To do otherwise is a serious disservice to those individuals that lived and died during those historical events.”

Hey Doc, in case you missed a few points in your history novels, Stalin:

1. Was a major reason for the war. He was an ally with Hitler at the beginning and we will never know why Hitler ever attacked Russia.

2. He killed more people himself than Hitler, a minor fact that leftist professors like to glass over. He had a purge of the Soviet Union in the years prior to the start of the war where he killed over millions of his own people. He murdered millions of Ukrainians, joined in marching a million Poles and Jews off to Siberia, killed 22,000 Polish officers in the Katyn Forest to name a few items.

3. He did not provide any direct aid to Operation Overlord and implied he would make a separate peace with Germany to put pressure on the Allies.

But don't let the facts get in the way of "history"

At least something is starting to brew on this:

Newsmax
Petition Aims to Remove Stalin Bust From D-Day Memorial

A prominent anti-Communist group has joined the fight to get a controversial bust of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin removed from the D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Va.

The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, chaired by the noted conservative author and historian Lee Edwards, contends that Stalin has no business in a memorial dedicated to the memory of the thousands of young men who perished on the beaches of Normandy to liberate Europe from the Nazi jackboot 66 years ago.

“Since the fall of the Soviet Union, statues of Joseph Stalin have been torn down all over Europe and even in the former Soviet Union itself,” Edwards said. “A bust of Joseph Stalin has no place in a memorial whose purpose is to salute the brave soldiers who made D-Day a vital victory in the crusade for freedom.”

Edwards’ group launched a website to petition to remove the bust.

On Monday, the Bedford County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to oppose the Stalin image, which was installed just days before the June 6 D-Day anniversary....

Although the site where the Stalin bust now stands is owned and controlled by the privately owned D-Day Memorial Foundation, Bedford County is donating $23,750 for upkeep in its 2010-2011 budget period starting July 1. The county could slash funding unless the bust is removed.

Wayne Schwartz of Goode, Va., told the supervisors during a public hearing that he had given thousands of dollars to the D-Day Memorial, but that he and his wife were withdrawing financial support until the bust is removed because he didn’t want schoolchildren to get the idea that it is honoring the dictator.

"Stalin is probably the most hated person of the 20th century," Schwartz said. "This bust has no place at the memorial."

Thank you Mr Schwartz. Couldn't have put it better and God knows these leaches at the Foundation, aka the historians will see the error of their ways once they know it will cost them money. Now who is in favor of this....

President Obama hailed the Soviet participation in what he called the “Great Patriotic War” during his meeting with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev on June 25, sparking harsh criticism from Rush Limbaugh and other conservative commentators.

The “Great Patriotic War” is the term Stalin used to refer to World War II, but no American president has ever used the term in a similar context.

Why am I not surprised...at least there are some more reasonalbe Democrats out there.

Rep. Tom Perriello, a Democrat representing the 5th Congressional District in Virginia, informed the D-Day Memorial Foundation that he would request removal of the Stalin statue if the memorial becomes part of the National Park Service, as some propose.

"I believe the inclusion of the Stalin bust on the memorial's grounds is beyond the foundation's mission and even inconsistent with it," Perriello wrote in a letter to the foundation’s president. "I am also concerned that the ongoing controversy could negatively impact our shared goal of having the memorial designated as part of the park service."

The pact with the devil that FDR and Churchill made is something to be discussed and debated but this is a museum dedicated to the mem who made Operation Overlord the greatest invasion of all time. Stalin was not part of it. Stalin has no place here

Oakland...that's no way to live

Oakland is about to riot no matter what...

Oakland braces for possible riots as Mehserle verdict approaches
Regardless of the verdict, demonstrations are expected downtown

SAN FRANCISCO — Police are bracing for riots in Oakland, California as a verdict nears in a racially-charged murder trial of a white former police officer accused of killing an unarmed black man....
"We anticipate that regardless of the verdict reached by the jury, demonstrations could occur in downtown Oakland, and potentially throughout the city," one of the messages said. "We will not tolerate destruction or violence. We live here, and we love Oakland. We understand that the community is grieving, and we are in this together. We will get through this together."

...The jury could begin deliberating late Friday. ...Mehserle is accused of fatally shooting an unarmed man on a California train platform on New Year's Day last year.

...Bay Area Rapid Transit police were called to Oakland's Fruitvale station January 1, 2009, after passengers complained about fights on a train. Officers pulled several men, including Grant, off the train when it arrived at Fruitvale.

The video showed Mehserle pulling his gun and fatally shooting Grant in the back as another officer kneeled on the unarmed Grant. Mehserle has said at the trial that he intended to draw and fire his Taser rather than his gun, KTVU reported....

I recall the a conversation I had with a friend who was living in LA during the Rodney King trials. After the first trial his boss told everyone in the office “If you have to drive through South Central leave now…” Fast forward to the second King trial he and his girlfriend had moved their valuables out of their place, they kept at least a ½ tank of gas in their car, planned to evacuate to another city outside of LA if a riot broke out. I just said that is no way to live. Fortunately he no longer lives anywhere near LA anymore. Unfortunately a lot of people live there in Oakland and a lot of people will start rioting now matter what the verdict. Again, that’s no way to live.

Good Article on Strobing Flashlight

This is from this week's Police Magazine Online...a toy I'm looking at getting in the near future.

How to Use a Strobing Flashlight - Article - POLICE Magazine

How to Use a Strobing Flashlight
by Edward M. Santos
I teach low-light classes nationwide and last year I noticed a dramatic increase in students who arrived for my classes equipped with strobe-capable lights.

As to the exact reason for this phenomenon, I can't tell you for sure.

Come on Mr Santos...cops love their toys! :)

...Many, in fact, believe that the disorientating effect of a strobe light exposure is a relatively new innovation.

It isn't.

The Bucha Effect

Let's look at the history of disorientation caused by strobe light exposure. The phenomenon that occurs when a person experiences dizziness and confusion when exposed to strobe lighting was first identified by a Dr. Bucha in the 1950s when he was asked to investigate a series of unexplained helicopter crashes.

After the crashes, surviving crew members said they experienced dizziness and disorientation from the strobing effect of rotating helicopter blades. The crews reported looking up at the sky with the rotors spinning above, creating the strobing effect that caused the disorientation. The rotor blades of the helicopter caused the sunlight to strobe in the eyes of the pilots, causing them to lose control of their machines. Dr. Bucha's first name has been lost to history, but this phenomenon has been known as the Bucha effect ever since....

Is the strobe light a gimmick or a viable tactical innovation? Do the positive benefits of strobe light deployment outweigh the negatives?

Here are some of the claims that are made in regard to the effects of a strobe light exposure.

•Disorients the suspect
•Diminishes an assailant's night adaptation
•Causes a disruption to the subject's vision, which affects his or her ability to use force
•Provides a visual and psychological hurdle to aggression
•Decreases the suspect's direct and peripheral vision
•Induces fear

Let's take a more in-depth look at some of these claims.

Flash/strobe disorientation is the result of an "after image" or temporary visual imprint caused by a brief exposure to high-intensity light levels. This image varies with light level and time duration or frequency of the exposure. The disorientation occurs as specific light frequencies affect the brain and the light cycles through those frequencies too fast for the brain to adjust.

Strobing tactical lights do not allow the photoreceptors to reset, which shocks an individual's vision. Strobing bright light forces the brain's perception input to arrive in segments, thus creating after images as the brain labors to fill in or complete the partial image created by the momentary exposure of the strobe. These after images compound with each strobe exposure, which increases perceptual disparity.

Police tacticians have long recognized the blinding caused by placing the hotspot of a high-intensity light in a subject's eyes. Add the disorientation caused by the strobing of a quality bright light and the benefits are obvious. However, these benefits also come with some disadvantages and tactical concerns....

Good article all in all and worth the read. I'm starting to look at a strobing light...you can get them for less than 100 bucks.

ALGORE...the saga continues

I've posted on how I thought the ALGORE was asexual...I mean, how does a plant have a basic reproductive function of a mammal. But this will not go away.

Portland Police Reopen Al Gore Sex Abuse AllegationsMasseuse Claimed Former Vice President Subjected Her to 'Unwanted Sexual Touching' in 2006

Portland, Oregon, police have decided to reopen the investigation into a 54-year-old masseuse's allegations that former Vice President Al Gore sexually assaulted her in his hotel room in 2006.

"The Portland Police Bureau has made the decision to re-open the case regarding the allegations brought forward against Mr. Al Gore," a statement posted on the Portland Police Bureau's website this evening said.

"Consistent with our policy regarding open investigations, the Police Bureau will not be commenting on any additional specifics regarding this case at this time," it said.

A family spokeswoman said today that the Gores welcomed the new investigation.

"Further investigation into this matter will only benefit Mr. Gore," Kalee Kreider said. "The Gores cannot comment on every defamatory, misleading, and inaccurate story generated by tabloids. Mr. Gore unequivocally and emphatically denied this accusation when he first learned of its existence three years ago. He stands by that denial."...

...In a statement accompanying the report, Portland Police said that after initially refusing to cooperate in early 2007, the masseuse returned in 2009, finally offering to be interviewed by investigators, bringing a prepared statement and the clothes she said she had worn that night as evidence.

Police said investigators did not collect the clothes she offered at that time because "they did not feel there was any evidentiary value" to them, and the case was "not investigated further because detectives concluded there was insufficient evidence to support the allegations."

There was no indication in the report the police ever interviewed Gore about the allegations.

The district attorney's office said it only learned on June 23 of the follow-up 2009 investigation when it received the 73-page report released to the media.

"If the complainant and the Portland Police Bureau wish to pursue the possibility of a criminal prosecution, additional investigation by the Bureau will be necessary and will be discussed with the Portland Police Bureau," said the district attorney's office.

Fair enough....they are reopening the investigation. However I really love this:

The allegations were first reported by the National Enquirer, which frequently pays news subjects for their first-hand stories.
The Portland Tribune said it had investigated the allegations in 2007 after receiving the police report through a public records request but chose not to publish a story because it said attorneys for the former vice president categorically denied the charges.

Questions, does the objective media every pay for sources? And I recall papers like this sat on the story of a White House intern and the then president although there was evidence to back it up...but it had no problems printing unsubstantiated stories of adultery on the part of George HW Bush and John McCain, even thought they had "categorically denied the charges".

This is not how a cop should behave

I’ve often said I don’t give up my constitutional rights because I put on a cop’s uniform. That being said, I also should not in any way use my views to bring the department in discredit or embarrassment. From a friend on the Houston Police Department this is the story of an officer who should have known that.

Officer's Racist Postings On Facebook Investigated

HOUSTON -- The Houston Police Department has launched an internal investigation after an officer posted on Facebook that she would arrest anyone of a certain nationality for merely looking at her in a certain way,...

"Zero tolerance 4 yall today," she wrote in one of her posts. "Y'all look at me wrong at all today -- y'all riding," she wrote. "Riding" is police lingo for taking a trip to jail....
...The postings on Facebook were discovered by a Honduran woman who was connected as a "friend" with the officer on the popular social networking site, allowing her to read the officer's posts on the World Wide Web.

"At first, they were offensive to me and I just thought she wasn't doing her job," said the woman, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

"I just feel uncomfortable and, to be honest, she's in law enforcement and they should protect and guide us to the right path," said the woman, who has never met the officer in person.

...In some of her postings, the officer wrote her entries on Facebook while she said she was on duty being paid by taxpayers.

...In one posting, the officer included a photograph of a man passed out on the ground with police standing near him. ...

...

Her captain at the Fondren Patrol substation said the department was aware of the postings and an Internal Affairs Division investigation was being started. An HPD Internal Affairs sergeant said she was removed from street patrols and placed on desk duties, pending the outcome of the investigation.

Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland said, "We still have policies and procedures to deal with individuals who do inappropriate things … display what you're saying, any type of a racist connotation, bring discredit or reproach to this organization, embarrass this organization. We have policies to deal with that, and we will."

He admitted that, "Technology is out-pacing not only department policy, but the law, in many aspects."

HPD only has one policy dealing with its officers and their social networking activities. The policy, spelled out in an internal "Circular" dated Oct. 15, 2009 tells officers that they should not display photos of themselves in uniform.

...In some postings, Carabajal includes photographs of the computer screen in her patrol car. Sometimes within minutes of a call for help being received by HPD, she posted photos of the computer screen readout as she poked fun at the nature of the call.

In some of those postings, phone numbers were visible for the citizens who called for help. In others, the gate codes were divulged, telling officers what code to enter so that they can drive onto the apartment complex property....

The fact she has a problem with Hondurans is and of itself is not that outrageous. Before you scream everyone had their own opinions and no I don’t agree with hers. However, she should keep them to herself, especially if she will identify herself as an officer with a specific department. What really gets on my nerves is she put on her Facebook page privileged information. Names, addresses, gate pass codes. This information is law enforcement sensitive, aka LES. She really has no business spreading that around.
The Houston chief and his people are investigating….I see a bit of unpaid leave in this officer’s future. All of this could have been avoided if this officer had exercised some simple good judgment.

What's going on in the World Today 100630

USA

NSTR

EUROPE

NSTR

IRAN

France: Total Halts Gas Sales To Iran

June 28, 2010

Total became the latest big oil company to halt gas sales to Iran, The Financial Times reported June 28. Traders said Total stopped supplying Tehran about a month ago. It remained unclear whether some deliveries already agreed were still pending for delivery.

Iran: No Official Stance From Russia On S-300s - DM

June 30, 2010

Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi said on June 30 that Russia has yet to take an official stance on the delivery of the S-300 missile system, ISNA reported. On the sidelines of a Cabinet meeting, Vahidi said Moscow has obligations that Tehran will pursue.

Iran: Egypt Denies Barring Aid Ship

June 27, 2010

Egyptian authorities denied barring an Iranian vessel from crossing through the Suez Canal to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip, Xinhua reported June 27. A spokesman for the Suez Canal Authority said Iran’s charge that Egypt would not allow Iran’s aid ship through the canal was not true, and that Egypt allows all civilian and military ships to cross the canal in line with the 1888 Constantinople Convention.

Iran: Aid Ship Departure Delayed, New Route Announced

June 27, 2010

The Iranian Red Crescent announced June 27 it has postponed the departure of a ship intended to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip because of tighter restrictions imposed by Israel and other threats on aid vessels, Fars News Agency reported. A senior Iranian lawmaker said Tehran plans to send the aid ship to Gaza via a northern route through the Caspian Sea.

Iran: Enough Uranium Produced For 2 Weapons - CIA

June 27, 2010

Iran is believed to possess enough low-enriched uranium to produce two nuclear weapons, CIA Director Leon Panetta said in an interview with ABC News on June 27. Panetta said Israeli officials believe more strongly than the United States that Iran has already made the decision to pursue building nuclear weapons, but that the Israelis are willing to give the United States the room to try to negotiate with Iran.


Iran: Gaza Aid Delegation To Travel On Lebanon Ship

June 26, 2010

Iranian lawmakers protesting at Israel’s blockade of Gaza plan to travel on an aid ship scheduled to leave from Lebanon, Reuters reported June 26. Mahmoud Ahmadi-Beighash, a member of the Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee, said Iranian parliament delegates could sail on the ship instead of attempting to enter Gaza via Egypt. He said the decision to sail from Lebanon rather than use Egypt’s land border with Gaza was made in a meeting with parliament speaker Ali Larijani.

Iran: Palestinian Issue Puts Pressure On Tehran

June 30, 2010

During a meeting with Hamas political leader Khaled Mashaal, Iranian Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani said there is pressure on Iran over the Palestinian issue, Press TV reported June 30. Larijani disclosed information that reportedly came from the foreign minister of a country that is a permanent U.N. Security Council member. If Iran makes a compromise with the West over the Palestinian-Israeli issue, then all pressure will be eliminated, Larijani stated. The main problem is not over the nuclear dossier, there is no problem even if Iran builds a nuclear bomb, Larijani quoted the unnamed foreign minister as saying.

Iran: Bushehr Plant Operational By Mid-September

June 30, 2010

The Bushehr nuclear plant will be operational by mid-September, according to the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi, ISNA reported June 30. Iran is satisfied with Russian cooperation, Salehi said, adding that 3,000 Russian experts are working in the power plant. He stated that Bushehr is undergoing the last phase of its final test that was delayed for two weeks. Salehi said new sanctions do not have an impact on Bushehr or on Iran as activities continue. Russian Consul General Ali Mitkhadovich Mustafabeyli stated that the plant needs two months or less to be completed.

IRAQ

Iraq: SoL, Al-Iraqiya Leaders To Discuss New Government

June 29, 2010

The leader of Iraqi political coalition State of Law, Nouri al-Maliki, and al-Iraqiya list leader Ayad Allawi met June 29 and agreed to pursue talks in the next few days to break the political stalemate, KUNA reported. An al-Iraqiya list member who attended the meeting said there will be another meeting either June 30 or July 1, which shows that both parties “share the desire to form a new government as early as possible.”


Iran: Opens Consulate Office In Iraq

June 26, 2010

Iran inaugurated a consulate office in Najaf, Iraq on June 26 in a ceremony attended by Arak Friday Prayer Leader Qorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi and Iranian and Iraqi officials, IRNA reported.


ISRAEL

Turkey: Ankara Confirms Rejecting Israeli Airspace Request

June 29, 2010

Turkey confirmed that it turned down a request by Israel to use Turkish airspace, a Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman said June 29, Anatolia reported. The spokesman said use of airspace is divided into civilian and military flights and evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The recent denial came from a request for a military cargo plane, but Israel may continue to use Turkish airspace for civilian flights.


Turkey: Airspace Closed To Israel

June 28, 2010

Turkey closed its airspace to Israel, according to state-run news agency quotes of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, AP reported June 28. The Anatolia news agency quoted Erdogan as telling reporters in Canada that Turkey imposed a ban on flights after the May 31 Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. Erdogan did not elaborate.

Georgia: Israel Will Not Attack Iran From Here - DM

Israel: 150 Trucks Allowed Daily Into Gaza

June 30, 2010

Israeli Defense officials said the international community, led by Quartet envoy Tony Blair, was formulating a plan for Israel to continue to loosen the Gaza blockade, The Jerusalem Post reported June 30. Israel lifted restrictions on food imports and is encouraged to allow Gazans to export goods to potential markets in Israel, the West Bank and Europe. The Office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) informed the Palestinians that 150 trucks, double what was allowed before the easing of the blockade, would pass through the Kerem Shalom crossing. COGAT plans to increase the number to 250.

June 30, 2010

Georgia’s Defense Ministry refuted information that Israel is planning to attack Iran from Georgian territories, Panorama.am reported. The ministry refuted a June 23 article that said Israeli military leadership worked out a plan with Azerbaijan and Georgia for Israel to use the countries’ territories during a military attack on Iran.

AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan: Operation Launched To Clear Insurgents In North

June 29, 2010

The Afghan National Army is leading an operation codenamed “Tawhid-3” to clear insurgents from vulnerable areas of Baghlan province and ensure security for the Sept. 18 parliamentary elections, Afghan Arzu TV reported June 29. The operation will cover Baghlan-e Kohna, Dand-e Ghowri, Shahab and Qaisarkhail districts. National police and International Security Assistance Force troops are backing the National Army and plan to clear insurgents from all northern and northeastern provinces in four phases.


Afghanistan: Taliban Power-Sharing Deal Unlikely - CIA

June 27, 2010

CIA Director Leon Panetta said June 27 a power-sharing deal promoted by Pakistan between Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s government and the Taliban is unlikely because Taliban militants do not have a reason to enter serious negotiations, ABC News reported. Panetta said in an interview that there is no evidence the group is interested in reconciliation, laying down its arms, denouncing al Qaeda or joining Afghan society. He added that unless the militant group believes the United States will defeat them, it will be difficult for a reconciliation process to proceed.

U.S.: Afghan President Assured War Plan Stays

June 26, 2010

U.S. military top officer Adm. Mike Mullen assured Afghan President Hamid Karzai on June 26 that the new NATO commander, Gen. David Petraeus, will pursue the same war strategy crafted by Gen. Stanley McChrystal the ousted general whom Karzai praised for training Afghan security forces and reducing civilian casualties, AP reported.
Mullen visited Afghanistan three days after U.S. President Barack Obama accepted McChrystal’s resignation. Karzai welcomed Obama’s decision to appoint Petraeus, a man he said had a wealth of experience and knowledge about the situation in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Taliban Threatens Mining Companies Monitor

June 28, 2010

The Taliban has threatened to attack any foreign company that tries to extract minerals from Afghanistan, according to the monitoring group SITE, AFP reported June 28. The Taliban claimed that the Afghan government is illegitimate and has no right to issue mineral contracts.

U.S.: System To Assess Afghan Forces Flawed

June 28, 2010

A report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction reveals that the United States does not know the capability of the Afghanistan security forces at this time, Reuters reported June 28, citing U.S. auditors. According to the report, rankings used to grade Afghan forces varied greatly from one region to another, personnel numbers for the Afghan army were overstated and widespread corruption and drug abuse among Afghan security forces as well as logistics issues plagued the effort to develop independent Afghan forces.

U.S.: Lawmaker Blocks Afghan Aid

June 28, 2010

Representative Nita Lowey, who heads the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, said she would hold hearings into allegations that top Afghan officials flew suitcases full of cash from U.S. aid to foreign safe havens, AFP reported June 28. Lowey said she would not appropriate any more assistance to Afghanistan beyond “life-saving humanitarian aid” until she is convinced U.S. taxpayer money is not being abused and until the Afghan government is willing and able to root out corruption within its ranks.

U.S., Afghanistan: Forces Launch Major Assault

June 29, 2010

A force of about 700 U.S. and Afghan troops launched a major assault along Afghanistan’s border with Pakistan, according to senior U.S. Army officials, The Washington Post reported June 29. The U.S. and Afghan troops, flown in on helicopters, seized the mountainous high ground in Konar province’s Marawara district in the pre-dawn hours on June 27 and were attacked by a force of about 200 insurgents. Two U.S. troops died in the assault, and an estimated 150 insurgent fighters were killed in what U.S. officials said was one of the most intense battles of the past year


SOUTH OF THE BORDER

Mexico: La Familia Cartel Member Arrested

June 30, 2010

Mexican authorities arrested Miguel Ortiz Miranda, the person suspected of planning an April 23 attack on Michoacan state Public Security Secretary Minerva Gomez Bautista, Milenio reported June 30. Miranda, a former federal policeman, is a member of the La Familia drug cartel.

U.S.: Wells Fargo Admits Financing Mexican Drug Cartels

June 29, 2010

Wells Fargo and Co. and Wachovia — bought by Wells Fargo and Co. in 2008 — admitted in court they failed to monitor and report suspected money laundering by narcotics traffickers, including cash used to buy four planes that shipped a total of 22 tons of cocaine, Bloomberg Markets reported in its August 2010 issue. The admission came following a March agreement between Wachovia and federal prosecutors. Wachovia also admitted it failed to properly identify illicit funds in handling $378.4 billion for Mexican currency-exchange houses from 2004 to 2007. The federal prosecutor handling the case, Jeffrey Sloman, said Wachovia’s negligence gave international drug cartels “virtual carte blanche” to finance their operations.

Mexico: Gubernatorial Candidate Assassinated

June 28, 2010

Rodolfo Torre Cantu, the Todo Tamaulipas Coalition gubernatorial candidate for the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, has been assassinated in Soto la Marina, Tamaulipas, in an ambush, STRATFOR sources reported June 28. Sources in the candidate’s campaign committee have confirmed his shooting death; he was on his way to the airport to fly to the city of Valle Hermoso, Milenio reported. El Universal reported he was killed in Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas state. Four other people were reportedly killed, El Universal reported.

MISC

South Korea: North Open To Talks On Warship Sinking

June 27, 2010

North Korea is willing to open talks between the North Korean and South Korean militaries addressing the March 26 sinking of a South Korean navy corvette, and said that the United States should not be involved in the case, AFP reported June 27, citing an unnamed military official’s statement released by North Korean state-run KCNA. Pyongyang has demanded that it be allowed to send its own investigators to South Korea to verify the facts of the case, which Seoul has rejected. The North Korean military official also said the United States should not be involved in North-South relations or the investigation under the name of the U.N. Command, and Pyongyang’s Committee for Peaceful Reunification of Korea criticized the South’s participation in recent military drills and U.S.-led efforts to stop the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction

Kyrgyzstan: New Government To Form In July

June 27, 2010

A new Kyrgyz government will be formed by July 10, according to Kyrgyz interim leader Roza Otunbayeva, Interfax reported June 27. Otunbayeva said members of the interim government will resign around July 10 and be replaced by members of the new government.

Turkey: Army To Be Professionalized

June 30, 2010

Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul said the Turkish government is working on a proposal to professionalize the Turkish army but the number has yet to be decided, NTV reported June 30.



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Honor among criminals

Listen to this....the one rioter tells the other "Don't steal" after they have broken a window that costs thousands....gotta love these people.