The Canadian doctor who performed a controversial medical procedure on Tiger Woods is under criminal investigation for drug violations, bringing scrutiny to his colleagues, including one who worked closely with BALCO athletes and A-Rod.

Source:
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2009/12/14/2009-12-14_tigers_doc_linked_to_hgh.html

By Wendy Osher

Maui police have launched an attempted murder investigation following a report of a homeless man being set on fire while he was sleeping.

The incident was reported early this morning in Paia.  The 27-year-old male victim went to the Shell Station where he reported the incident.

He was transported to the Maui Memorial Medical Center where he was treated for second degree burns to 50% of his body.

Police are looking for a local homeless male who is considered a person of interest.  An investigation is ongoing.

GLENN BECK: I got a letter from a woman in Arizona.  She writes an open letter to our nation’s leadership:

“I am a home grown American citizen, 53, registered Democrat all my life. Before the last presidential election I registered as a Republican because I no longer felt the Democratic Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. Now I no longer feel the Republican Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. The fact is I no longer feel any political party or representative in Washington represents my views or works to pursue the issues important to me.   Instead, we are burdened with Congressional Dukes and Duchesses who think they know better than the citizens they are supposed to represent.

There must be someone. Please tell me who you are. Please stand up and tell me that you are there and that you’re willing to fight for our Constitution as it was written. Please stand up now.

You might ask yourself what my views and issues are that I would feel so horribly disenfranchised by both major political parties. What kind of nut-job am I? Well, these briefly are the views and issues for which I seek representation:

One, illegal immigration. I want you to stop coddling illegal immigrants and secure our borders. Close the underground tunnels. Stop the violence and the trafficking in drugs and people. No amnesty, not again. Been there, done that, no resolution. P.S., I’m not a racist. This is not to be confused with legal immigration.

Two, the STIMULUS bill. I want it repealed and I want no further funding supplied to it. We told you No, but you did it anyway. I want the remaining unfunded 95% repealed. Freeze, repeal.

Three, Czars. I want the circumvention of our constitutional checks and balances stopped immediately. Fire the czars. No more czars. Government officials answer to the process, not to the president. Stop trampling on our Constitution, and honor it.

Four, cap and trade. The debate on global warming is not over. There are many conflicting opinions and it is too soon for this radical legislation. Quit throwing our nation into politically-correct quicksand.

Five, universal healthcare. I will not be rushed into another expensive decision that will burden me, my children, and grandchildren. Don’t you dare try to pass this in the middle of the night without even reading it. Slow down!  Fix only what is broken — we have the best health care system in the world — and test any new program in one or two states first.

Six, growing government control. I want states rights and sovereignty fully restored. I want less government in my life, not more. More is not better! Shrink it down. Mind your own business.  You have enough to take care of with your real [Constitutional] obligations. Why don’t you start there.

Seven, ACORN. I do not want ACORN and its affiliates in charge of our 2010 census. I want them investigated. I also do not want mandatory escrow fees contributed to them every time on every real estate deal that closes — how did they pull that one off? Stop the funding to ACORN and its affiliates pending impartial audits and investigations. I do not trust them with taking the census with our taxpayer money. I don’t trust them with any of our taxpayer money. Face up to the allegations against them and get it resolved before taxpayers get any more involved with them. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, hello! Stop protecting your political buddies. You work for us, the people. Investigate.

Eight, redistribution of wealth. No, no, no. I work for my money. It is mine. I have always worked for people with more money than I have because they gave me jobs — and that is the only redistribution of wealth that I will support. I never got a job from a poor person! Why do you want me to hate my employers? And what do you have against shareholders making a profit?

Nine, charitable contributions. Although I never got a job from a poor person, I have helped many in need. Charity belongs in our local communities, where we know our needs best and can use our local talent and our local resources. Butt out, please. We want to do it ourselves.

Ten, corporate bailouts. Knock it off. Every company must sink or swim like the rest of us. If there are hard times ahead, we’ll be better off just getting into it and letting the strong survive. Quick and painful. (Have you ever ripped off a Band-Aid?) We will pull together. Great things happen in America under great hardship. Give us the chance to innovate. We cannot disappoint you more than you have disappointed us.

Eleven, transparency and accountability. How about it? No, really, how about it? Let’s have it. Let’s say we give the buzzwords a rest and have some straight honest talk. Please stop trying to manipulate and appease me with clever wording. I am not the idiot you obviously take me for. Stop sneaking around and meeting in back rooms making deals with your friends. It will only be a prelude to your criminal investigation. Stop hiding things from me.

Twelve, unprecedented quick spending. Stop it now.
Take a breath. Listen to the people. Slow down and get some input from nonpoliticians and experts on the subject. Stop making everything an emergency. Stop speed-reading our bills into law. I am not an activist. I am not a community organizer. Nor am I a terrorist, a militant or a violent person. I am a parent and a grandparent. I work. I’m busy.  I am busy, and I am tired. I thought we elected competent people to take care of the business of government so that we could work, raise our families, pay our bills, have a little recreation, complain about taxes, endure our hardships, pursue our personal goals, cut our lawn, wash our cars on the weekends and be responsible contributing members of society and teach our children to be the same all while living in the home of the free and land of the brave.

I entrusted you with upholding the Constitution. I believed in the checks and balances to keep from getting far off course. What happened? You are very far off course. Do you really think I find humor in the hiring of a speed reader to unintelligently ramble all through a bill that you signed into law without knowing what it contained? I do not.

It is a mockery of the responsibility I have entrusted to you. It is a slap in the face. I am not laughing at your arrogance. Why is it that I feel as if you would not trust me to make a single decision about my own life and how I would live it but you should expect that I should trust you with the debt that you have laid on all of us and our children. We did not want the TARP bill. We said no. We would repeal it if we could. I am sure that we still cannot. There is needless urgency and recklessness in all of your recent spending of our tax dollars.

From my perspective, it seems that all of you have gone insane. I also know that I am far from alone in these feelings. Do you honestly feel that your current pursuits have merit to patriotic Americans? We want it to stop. We want to put the brakes on everything that is being rushed by us and forced upon us. We want our voice back. You have forced us to put our lives on hold to straighten out the mess that you are making. We will have to give up our vacations, our time spent with our children, any relaxation time we may have had and money we cannot afford to spend on bringing our concerns to Washington. Our president often knows all the right buzzwords like unsustainable. Well, no kidding. How many tens of thousands of dollars did the focus group cost to come up with that word? We don’t want your overpriced words. Stop treating us like we’re morons.

We want all of you to stop focusing on your reelection and do the job we want done, not the job you want done or the job your party wants done. You work for us and at this rate I guarantee you not for long, because we are coming. We will be heard and we will be represented… You think we’re so busy with our lives that we will never come for you? We are the formerly silent majority, all of us who quietly work, pay taxes, obey the law, vote, save money, keep our noses to the grindstone… and we are now looking at you.

You have awakened us, the patriotic freedom spirit so strong and so powerful that it had been sleeping too long. You have pushed us too far. Our numbers are great. They may surprise you. For every one of us who will be there, there will be hundreds more that could not come. Unlike you, we have their trust. We will represent them honestly, rest assured. They will be at the polls on voting day to usher you out of office.

We have cancelled vacations. We will use our last few dollars saved. We will find the representation among us and a grassroots campaign will flourish. We didn’t ask for this fight. But the gloves are coming off. We do not come in violence, but we are angry. You will represent us or you will be replaced with someone who will. There are candidates among us who will rise like a Phoenix from the ashes that you have made of our constitution.

Democrat, Republican, independent, libertarian. Understand this. We don’t care. Political parties are meaningless to us Patriotic Americans are willing to do right by us and our Constitution, and that is all that matters to us now. We are going to fire all of you who abuse power and seek more. It is not your power. It is ours and we want it back. We entrusted you with it and you abused it. You are dishonorable. You are dishonest. As Americans we are ashamed of you. You have brought shame to us. If you are not representing the wants and needs of your constituency loudly and consistently, in spite of the objections of your party, you will be fired. Did you hear? We no longer care about your political parties. You need to be loyal to us, not to them… Because we will get you fired and they will not save you.

If you do or can represent me, my issues, my views, please stand up. Make your identity known. You need to make some noise about it. Speak up. I need to know who you are. If you do not speak up, you will be herded out with the rest of the sheep and we will replace the whole damn congress if need be, one by one. We are coming. Are we coming for you? Who do you represent? What do you represent? Listen. Because we are coming. We the people are coming.”

As Christmas is approaching and we thought that we would acquire a few more badges for all you badges collectors and we have reduced some of the badge prices

We have listened to our customer comments, regarding the price of the current US Secret Service badges, that is why that over the next couple of weeks we will be taking delivery of some more US Secret Service Special Agent badges. These badges from another manufacture and have the  hallmark ”bellingham & carrington”on the back of the and with a rear pin attachment. These are excellent reproduction badges of the current issued US Secret service badges and they are at reasonable prices. We still  have the “Sun Badge Co” hallmark badges, which in my opinion are the best ones that the collector can buy, which is reflected in the price, “you pay for the quality. Judge for yourself by looking at the photos of each US Secret Service Special Agent badge on our website. But if the badge is going into a display cabinet, then the Bellingham & Carrington” will be just fine.

We have also got in stock one  U.S.CUSTOMS THE DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY INSPECTOR badge . Has original pin fitting on the back and no makers name a reproduction badge, which is slightly oversized from the original badge and is for available at a bargain price of $60……………that’s right $60 including worldwide registered shipping……..What a bargain!………..when emailing mention this blog for this price, the website shows the price at $60 plus shipping……………come on what are you waiting for…………email us now!!

Badges also expected are: Criminal Investigation – Internal Revenue Service (IRS) special agent badge, the IRS is part of the Department of the Treasury. Again this badge has a rear attachment pin and hallmark “bellingham& carrington”.

All enquiries please email store@policebadgestore.co.uk

Other hallmark “bellingham& carrington” badges are available on special order and the include:  US Secret Service Uniform Division, FBI, US Marshal (round Silver).

(CFD.net.au – Contract for Difference, Share, Forex, ETFs, Commodities Traders) – WA Premier Colin Barnett has criticised a decision to grant refugee status to asylum seekers who survived a boat explosion off Ashmore Reef earlier this year.

Five asylum seekers from Afghanistan died when the boat they were on exploded after catching fire in April. Forty-two other Afghan men survived and have been held in detention since.

The coroner is investigating the deaths but the Immigration Minister Chris Evans says that doesn’t mean the men cannot be given asylum, and he has granted it.

Mr Barnett has told Fairfax Radio the decision should have been put off until after the coronial inquiry investigates allegations the fire was deliberately started by one of the asylum seekers.

“People died, it could be seen as murder,” he said.

“I think that full inquiry should be completed and certainly anyone who is implicated in that should not be given the right to stay in Australia.”

Earlier this month a Northern Territory Police investigation found at least one asylum seeker intentionally set fire to the boat before it exploded.

However, police have been unable to determine which passenger or passengers were involved, and no charges have been laid.

“The criminal investigation has revealed information that suggests that a person or persons had intended to set a fire on board the vessel,” NT Assistant Commissioner Mark McAdie said at the time.

“It is unknown whether the person or persons responsible for the fire intended to cause the explosion that resulted in the loss of five lives.”

Source: WA Premier slams asylum decision

(CFD.net.au – Contract for Difference, Share, Forex, ETFs, Commodities Traders) – Asylum seekers who survived a boat explosion off Ashmore Reef earlier this year will be granted refugee status in Australia.

The 42 Afghan men will be released into the community this week but it is believed the Federal Government will deport any of them who are subsequently convicted of serious charges over the incident.

The boat, known as SIEV 36, was carrying 47 asylum seekers and two Indonesian crew when it exploded while being escorted by the Australian Navy in April, leaving five people dead and injuring dozens more.

Earlier this month a Northern Territory Police investigation found at least one asylum seeker intentionally set fire to the boat before it exploded.

However, police have been unable to determine which passenger or passengers were involved, and no charges have been laid.

“The criminal investigation has revealed information that suggests that a person or persons had intended to set a fire on board the vessel,” NT Assistant Commissioner Mark McAdie said at the time.

“It is unknown whether the person or persons responsible for the fire intended to cause the explosion that resulted in the loss of five lives.”

He would not go into precise detail about how the fire started because it is the subject of a coronial inquiry due to be held in Darwin in January, 2010.

However, he said petrol from a bilge pump had been set alight and scientific evidence suggested that it was not an accident.

“It’s about the quantity of fuel that was involved. It’s simply unlikely that it could have occurred accidentally,” he said.

Immigration Minister Chris Evans says Northern Territory police were happy for the asylum seekers to be granted refugee status.

“It wasn’t appropriate to continue to have these men in detention, there’s no charges laid against any of them, and there may never be,” he said.

“The NT police weren’t suggesting anyone was likely to be charged, just that that possibility might arise if the coroner found evidence that they hadn’t uncovered.

“So there’s no impediment as far as the NT police were concerned to these men being granted refugee status.”

Refugee advocates say asylum seekers have said that Navy allowed passengers to smoke near leaking petrol drums before the fatal fire.

Source: Boat blast survivors get refugee status

(CFD.net.au – Contract for Difference, Share, Forex, ETFs, Commodities Traders) – At least one asylum seeker intentionally set fire to a boat that exploded off Ashmore Reef, a Northern Territory Police investigation has found.However police have been unable to determine which passenger or passengers were involved and no charges have been laid.

The boat, known as SIEV 36, was carrying 47 asylum seekers and two Indonesian crew when it exploded while being escorted by the Australian Navy in April, leaving five people dead and injuring dozens more.

“The criminal investigation has revealed information that suggests that a person or persons had intended to set a fire on board the vessel,” Assistant Commissioner Mark McAdie said at a press conference in Darwin this morning.

“It is unknown whether the person or persons responsible For the fire intended to cause the explosion that resulted in the loss of five lives.”

He would not go into precise detail about how the fire started because it is the subject of a coronial inquiry due to be held in Darwin in January, 2010.

However, he said petrol from a bilge pump had been set alight and scientific EVidence suggested that it was not an accident.

“It’s about the quantity of fuel that was involved. It’s simply unlikely that it could have occurred accidentally.”

Navy praised

Assistant Commissioner McAdie said investigators had ruled out the two Indonesian crew members, who are accused of people smuggling, as suspects in the sabotage of the boat.

He added that no Australian Defence Force personnel are persons of interest.

The Northern Territory Police investigation has involved more than 200 witnesses and 20,000 pages of transcribed interviews.

Police could not rule out that one or more of the men killed in the blast were responsible For the fire.

“[But] we think there is a very good chance that other people on the vessel know something that they aren’t presently telling us,” Assistant Commissioner McAdie said.

He said Australian Defence Force personnel had “behaved professionally, most especially when it comes to the EVacuation of the injured persons from the scene.

“Their quick action is likely to have ensured that, whilst tragically five lives have been lost, none of the people who were seriously injured lost their lives.”

He said all the information available to police had been exhausted so the case was now considered completed but not closed.

It was possible the coronial inquiry could unearth new details, which could then result in charges being laid, he said.

Source: Asylum seeker started fatal boat fire: police

Last week, seven former directors of the Central Intelligence Agency, who made their own contributions to the CIA’s low esteem over the past 35 years, asked President Barack Obama to make sure there is no criminal investigation of the crimes associated with the Agency’s detentions and interrogations policies over the past eight years.

Their letter to the president is particularly self-serving for three of the directors (Michael Hayden, Porter Goss, and George Tenet), who would presumably be the subject of any investigation, and simply self-aggrandizing for the others (John Deutch, James Woolsey, William Webster, and James Schlesinger), whose stewardship of the CIA since the early 1970s has contributed to the Agency’s loss of influence and credibility.

Continues >>

Letter to Obama Warns That The Investigation Will Hinder The CIA’s Counter-Terrorism Efforts

By JONATHAN KARL

Sept. 18, 2009

Seven former CIA directors have asked President Obama to use his authority to reverse Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision to re-open the criminal investigation into the CIA’s post 9/11 interrogations of suspected terrorists.

Over-ruling an attorney general on a criminal investigation would be an extraordinary move, but the former directors contend Holder’s investigation will ultimately “help Al Qaeda elude U.S. intelligence and plan future operations.”

The letter sent to the president on Friday was signed by CIA directors who served under Carter, Reagan, Bush 41, Clinton and Bush 43.

The letter warns that the investigation will hinder the CIA’s counter-terrorism efforts by discouraging risk-taking by agents now in the field, publicly revealing more information about the CIA’s operations, and hindering relations with foreign intelligence agencies.

The former directors contend that Holder’s investigation could “help Al Qaeda.” …

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/cia-holders-investigation-hurts-us-counter-terrorism-effort/story?id=8614065

Did a thoroughly rotten group of politicians get control of America’s government during the 80’s? They pushed narcotics in black neighborhoods of Los Angeles in the 80’s – in order to secretly fund a South American war. There was a trial and convictions of low level involvement.

They started their own war in Iraq using  bogus WMD “evidence”. The resulting mess killed thousands of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. There was no trial for starting that war and consequently no convictions(impeachments) because the neocons were in charge of America’s government. It is known that the neocons protect their own kind – it is debatable whether they protect America with the same “enthusiasm”.

They ran roughshod over America’s laws concerning detentions of human  beings in the name of America. Perhaps they forgot or ignored the fact that in America one is assumed to be  innocent until proved otherwise in a court of law. Since they, for some reason or another failed to collect evidence of wrong-doing against the “terrorist” detained by the neocons – the neocons “needed for the detainees to convict themselves” via torture. Torture was ok, because it had been renamed to “enhanced interrogation” by the neocons.

The neocons had a huge thirst for knowledge of what Americans were saying in their supposedly private conversations on phone, emails and such. And to cover their illegal wire tapping activities they assigned a security classification to it.

The neocons didn’t seem to be too impressed with the idea of “chivalry”. Somehow Valerie Plame’s CIA identity was revealed after her husband came back from Niger with the “wrong” answer to “Did Niger have a WMD connection to Iraq”?

The neocon rascals have the same old retreat – “don’t investigate us or it will hurt the country”! It would be stupid to believe that the CIA – under America laws – suffers the same set of rules that the average American must abide by. But when the CIA, as with other law enforcement entities, OPERATES UNDER THE COLOR OF LAW, that organization should be held accountable – or else America breaks.

The self-serving neocons have been a real experience for America. Ex-President Nixon’s transgression was concentrated. The neocons cancerous transgressions are so widespread that one must wonder if that “cancer” is still treatable.

America says “no one is above the law” – not the President, not the Congressman, not the Judge and certainly not the average citizen. But also that rule is supposed to apply to the CIA and the FBI.

The problem seems to be with the CIA – which the neocons did a lot of work on. And with the head of the CIA being in the military chain of command and with Mr. Bush being at the top of that chain, those 25 Democrats who voted for the change from civilian to military must be proud or something?

Click on this url:Michelle Malkin » And another pipeline closed off: Jindal halts ACORN funds

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The Maui Police Department’s Sergeant David Silva is being honored as the recipient of the Officer of the Year Award from the 2009 Hawaii State Law Enforcement Officers Association.  Sergeant Silva will be honored at HSLEOA Conference banquet which will be held next Friday evening, September 25, 2009, at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Kapalua.

Sgt. David Silva. Courtesy Photo, Maui Police Department.

Sergeant David J. Silva is a 21-year veteran of the Maui Police Department.  He has been assigned to the districts of Wailuku, Hana, Lahaina, Molokai, and Kihei.  He also served in the Communications Section, Internal Affairs, Criminal Investigation, and is currently with the Juvenile Crime Prevention Division.

In his current assignment, Silva’s supervisors said, “Silva always strives to make a difference, accepts challenges, and fights and prevents crime with a vengeance.  He is a true professional that repeatedly sets a fine example for his men and women to follow.  He has effectively managed his personnel to the point that they were even selected by the Maui News to receive the prestigious recognition as the People Who Made A Difference in 2008.”

Supervisors provided further comments and accolades saying, “Sergeant Silva never hesitates to take on a case assignment to assist his team of busy investigators.  As recently as March 2009, Sergeant Silva led and solved a robbery case involving three juveniles who assaulted a male using the ATM machine.  As a result of his tenacity and diligent investigation, he tracked down and arrested two 16-year-old juveniles.  Through his efforts, a third juvenile was also identified.”

In 2008, Sgt. Silva’s team of investigators made more than 88 arrests for prohibitions involving underage drinking.  The team also received the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Law Enforcement Award in both 2007 and 2008 for their work to prevent underage drinking.

Silva also worked to curb truancies and curfew violations.  In 2008, there were 322 arrests for Compulsory School Attendance, and 62 arrests for curfew violations.  Silva also carried out a special operation which involved the arrest of a juvenile selling drugs in a high school parking lot.

In addition to his regular assignment, Silva is also trained as a Crisis Negotiator, a Mobile Command Vehicle Operator, and a recruit class instructor.  His involvement in the community includes work as a coach for flag football at Maui Waena Intermediate School and a volunteer at St. Anthony.

(Posted by Wendy Osher.  The above comments are from a Conference book excerpt; The comments and accolades were from his supervisors in writing him up for the award.)

Stephen Maguire, right, and Jamie Burnett were both questioned by Strathclyde police about their UK Championship match in December last year. Photograph: Julian Finney/Getty Images

Stephen Maguire, snooker’s world No2, and another Scottish player, Jamie Burnett, were today detained by Strathclyde police and questioned over alleged irregular betting patterns during a UK Championship match. The players were released without charge.

The force’s economic crime unit said that a report would be submitted to the procurator fiscal’s office on completion of its inquiries into the game between the Scots in Telford on 15 December last year. The first-round match, which was subject to investigations by World Snooker and the Gambling Commission, was won 9-3 by Maguire. He took the match after Burnett failed to pot a black that would have reduced his score to 8-4.

Before the match, World Snooker was contacted by bookmakers reporting suspicious betting patterns on the outcome. They said there was heavy gambling on a 9-3 scoreline. Both men strenuously deny any wrongdoing and have pledged to co-operate with any investigations.

Losing the health care debate badly? Need to distract the public attention from the horrific deficit forecasts being released tomorrow? No problem, just demagogue a five year old report and threaten to persecute evil Bush era CIA interrogators!

Holder to Appoint Prosecutor to Investigate CIA Terror Interrogations

Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. has decided to appoint a prosecutor to examine nearly a dozen cases in which CIA interrogators and contractors may have violated anti-torture laws and other statutes when they allegedly threatened terrorism suspects, according to two sources familiar with the move.

Holder is poised to name John Durham, a career Justice Department prosecutor from Connecticut, to lead the inquiry, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the process is not complete.

Durham’s mandate, the sources added, will be relatively narrow: to look at whether there is enough evidence to launch a full-scale criminal investigation of current and former CIA personnel who may have broken the law in their dealings with detainees. Many of the harshest CIA interrogation techniques have not been employed against terrorism suspects for four years or more.

The attorney general selected Durham in part because the longtime prosecutor is familiar with the CIA and its past interrogation regime. For nearly two years, Durham has been probing whether laws against obstruction or false statements were violated in connection with the 2005 destruction of CIA videotapes. The tapes allegedly depicted brutal scenes including waterboarding of some of the agency’s high value detainees. That inquiry is proceeding before a grand jury in Alexandria, although lawyers following the investigation have cast doubt on whether it will result in any criminal charges.

Word of Holder’s decision comes on the same day that the Obama administration will issue a 2004 report by the then-CIA Inspector General. Among other things, the IG questioned the effectiveness of harsh interrogation tactics that included simulated drowning and wall slamming. A federal judge in New York forced the administration to release the secret report after a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union.

A separate internal Justice Department ethics report on the professionalism of lawyers who blessed the questioning techniques continues to undergo declassification review and is not likely to be released imminently. The New York Times reported Monday that the ethics report recommended that Holder take another look at several episodes of alleged detainee abuse that previously had been declined for prosecution during the Bush years, bolstering his decision to appoint a prosecutor.

Leaders at the Justice Department and the intelligence community have clashed this year over the release of sensitive interrogation memos, military photographs of detainee abuse and how to handle the cases of more than 200 detainees at the prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Holder’s decision could complicate the Justice Department’s relationship with the White House, where President Obama has repeatedly expressed a desire to move forward from the national security controversies of the Bush administration. Deputy White House press secretary Bill Burton told reporters Monday that the president had complete faith in Holder and that the decision whether to launch an investigation was the attorney general’s sole prerogative.

“The White House supports the attorney general making the decisions on who gets prosecuted and investigated,” Burton said.

Holder acknowledges the possible fallout from his decision, but has concluded in recent days that he has no other choice than to probe whether laws were broken in connection with the Bush administration’s interrogation program, the two sources said. Fewer than a dozen cases will be examined, most from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Any criminal investigation into the CIA conduct faces serious hurdles, according to current and former government lawyers, including such challenges as missing evidence, nonexistent or unreliable witnesses, no access to some bodies of detainees who died, and the passage of up to seven years since the questionable activity occurred far from American soil.

During the Bush years, a team of more than a half-dozen career prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia, which is renown for its expertise in probing clandestine operations, reviewed about 20 cases of alleged prisoner abuse after receiving referrals from the military and then-CIA Inspector General John Helgerson. Among the assistant U.S. attorneys involved in the review was Robert Spencer, who successfully prosecuted al-Qaeda operative Zacharias Moussaoui and who later won one of the highest awards the Justice Department bestows.

In only one of the cases did the lawyers recommend seeking a grand jury indictment. A federal appeals court earlier this month affirmed the assault conviction of David A. Passaro, a CIA contractor who wielded a metal flashlight against a detainee at a military base in Afghanistan. Passaro was not charged with murder. Abdul Wali, the detainee he questioned, died shortly after the beating but investigators could not conclusively link his death to the flashlight attack.

A former government official involved in the previous review said that, given problems with evidence, there was “no conceivable way we could have come out different” and sought criminal indictments. The official said that analysis might change if new and reliable witnesses emerged.

Current and former CIA officials from both Democratic and Republican administrations have cited the prior review by prosecutors as one of several reasons why the Obama Justice Department need not act. They fear that any criminal investigation will chill intelligence activities and alienate operatives who are responsible for protecting national security.

See also:
Attorney General Holder opens ‘preliminary’ investigation of post-9/11 interrogations
Holder Orders Review Into Abuses of Terror Suspects (Update2)
Holder Releases Statement on Detainee Interrogations, Special Prosecutor
Holder’s Pick for CIA Investigation Known as Tough, Diligent
Sources: Report to detail alleged abuse inside CIA secret prisons
CIA staged mock execution, wielded power drill in interrogations, secret report says
CIA Faulted for Conduct at Prisons
DOJ probe opens divides with Hill, CIA
Liberals and the CIA
Civil Liberties Groups Prepare Delicate Message on CIA Probe
GOP senators warn Holder against CIA abuse inquiry
Republicans warn Holder on probe
U.S. Republican senators oppose investigation into CIA
Panetta Letter to CIA Staff on Release of Interrogation Report
Panetta Defends CIA in E-Mail to Agency
Obama White House v. CIA; Panetta Threatened to Quit
Is Panetta About to Quit?
The Justice Dept.’s War On Heroes

Okay, the memo is five years old and the alleged transgressions contained within, from even further back in ancient history, basically boil down to CIA interrogators threatening some of the world’s worst and deadliest terrorists with nasty and frightening, yet totally fictitious, never intended to be implemented, torture techniques and retribution against the terrorists’ family members. Sticks and stones didn’t hurt their bones, only words were used to break them. These allegations have already been thoroughly investigated, a long time ago, by career prosecutors experienced in CIA matters, and in the one case where abuse was found charges were brought.

Why is Holder digging up this well settled grave again after all these years, to placate the uber liberal CIA haters, the ACLU, to stroke his own ego? Doesn’t he care what damage it will do to the CIA and how much it will demoralize CIA operatives out in the field, risking their lives every day to defend America and keep us safe? What part of numerous past and present CIA Directors vociferously telling him, in no uncertain terms, that this new witch hunt is a really bad idea doesn’t he understand? Hell, even Obama doesn’t particularly want to travel down this long abandoned road.

/given Eric Holder’s undaunted determination to give aid and comfort to the enemy, at the expense of those standing between us and the enemy, it’s unclear as to where his loyalties lie and who’s side he’s really on

By Erik Larson

Aug 8, 2009, Sibel Edmonds gave a sworn deposition in which she testified to her knowledge of treasonous crimes and corruption involving current and former members of Congress and State and Defense Dept. officials. Given the nature of the deposition, the lines of questioning focused on Turkish espionage and services obtained through bribery and blackmail by Turkish officials and proxies. However, Edmonds has previously disclosed that the corruption involving U.S. officials also includes money laundering, trafficking in drugs, arms and nuclear secrets, U.S. support for Bin Laden/Al Qaeda, and obstruction of FBI investigations related to 9/11, before and after the attacks; she said these things came up “briefly” during the deposition. Edmonds learned of these things from wiretaps she listened to while working as a translator for the FBI in 2001-2002.

Video shot by me of Q&A sessions outside the deposition – Sibel Edmonds, Stephen Michael Kohn of NWC, Bruce Fein of TALDF and TACA (formerly w/ ATAA) and David Krikorian, at Edmonds’ Aug 8, 2009 deposition

Video coverage from VelvetRevolution.us and BradBlog.com

Edmonds’ Aug 8 testimony was subpoenaed by David Krikorian (Democratic 2010 Congressional candidate- OH) to support his defense against a lawsuit brought by Jean Schmidt, R-OH. Krikorian had circulated a flier in his 2008 campaign in which he alleged that Schmidt had accepted “blood money” from Turkish interests in exchange for opposing a Congressional resolution acknowledging the Turkish genocide of Armenians in World War I. The deposition took place in Washington, DC at the headquarters of the National Whistleblower Center

After the deposition, Edmonds took questions, and spoke in general terms about the deposition subjects (video, 13:25):

Larson- “Were you able to talk about any of the stuff that you’ve said about 9/11 in the past- did any of that come up?”

Edmonds- “We talked very briefly on Central Asia angle and 9/11 and the Mujahideen and Al Qaeda…and the role played by certain Turkish entities, so we talked briefly about that, yes, but mainly on the corruption U.S. persons, even in relation to those activities…it came up briefly.”

Larson- “How about the stuff about nuclear trafficking, drug smuggling, arms trafficking?”

Edmonds- “Yes, it came up- not in detail- Mr. Grossman’s name came up and Brewster-Jennings- I believe this is gonna be for the first time under Oath, on the record, people getting answer on Brewster-Jennings and the real story- not the crap that they got from the media.”

It seems that while a great deal of new information came out in this deposition that will justify criminal investigations and widespread media coverage, Edmonds was witness to a great deal more that remains to be disclosed and properly investigated.

Former Attorney General John Ashcroft had invoked the State Secrets privilege in 2002 to quash Sibel Edmonds’ lawsuit against the DOJ for suppression of her Right to speak freely about the crimes and corruption she had witnessed. He invoked the State Secrets privilege again in 2004 to prevent her from testifying in a case brought by family members of 9/11 victims, classified her date of birth and also retroactively classified letters from Sens. Grassley and Leahy that had been public for nearly 2 years (this was later overturned, when POGO, who had published the letters, sued the DOJ). The DOJ attempted to dissuade Edmonds testifying this time as well, but did not re-invoke the State Secrets privilege and did not appear at the deposition.

No so-called “mainstream” print or broadcast media showed up to cover the deposition. Too bad for them, as Edmonds’ allegations reportedly include a juicy sex scandal involving a current Democratic Congresswoman- exactly the kind of thing the mainstream media loves to cover in depth ad nauseum. Given that these allegations intersect with allegations of treasonous activities by high-level figures in the Democrat and Republican establishment, it seems unlikely the corporate media will report on this, even when the video and transcript are made public.

One mainstream media outlet did acknowledge that the deposition would be happening:

Ex-FBI Translator Tests Justice Dept. Again – CQPolitics.com

Several U.S. and Armenian independent media stayed until the press conference following the deposition, and will be covering further developments:

The event was reported on in advance and live blogged by Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com; Friedman interviewed participants by cell phone with the help of on-site associates, who also took video and photos.

8/8/09: LIVE BLOG: Deposition of Sibel Edmonds Completed, DoJ a ‘No Show,’ Bombshells Under Oath

8/7/09: EXCLUSIVE: FBI Attempts to Block Edmonds Testimony in OH Election Case

8/7/09: EXCLUSIVE UPDATE: DoJ Pressures Ohio Election Commission to Block Edmonds Testimony

8/5/09: Sibel Edmonds Subpoenaed, Set to ‘Break’ Gag Order

Drawn to the event by Krikorian’s campaign-related battles with Schmidt and Edmonds’ reports of Turkish efforts to prevent U.S. acknowledgement of Turkey’s genocide of Armenians, but also interested in the extent of corruption were Horizon Armenian TV, The Armenian Reporter and Armenian Public TV.

Andrew Krieg covered the event for HuffingtonPost.com:

Gagged Former FBI Translator Claims U.S. Rep Bribe Evidence

In response to my (and Brad Friedman’s) questions (video, 16:10) about when the entire video and transcript of the deposition would be made public, David Krikorian said his first priority was defending himself against Schmidt’s lawsuit, and that he needed to confer with his legal and political teams about the timing. He also stated, “I think that the information that was provided in this testimony is something that every American Citizen should be aware of…. What I heard in that deposition room is fairly troubling information…. I don’t see any reason to not make it public.”

As David Krikorian said, quoted by Brad Friedman:

“From my opinion, if I’m some of the current members of Congress, I’d be very very worried about the information that’s going to come out of this. There are current members of Congress that she has implicated in bribery, espionage. It’s not good. It’s crazy, it’s absolutely crazy. For people in power situations in the United States, who know about this information, if they don’t take action against it, in my opinion, it’s negligence.”

Regardless of whether the Obama Administration or the Democrat-controlled Congress want to investigate evidence of treason by Democrats and Republicans, and regardless of whether the corporate “news” media are inclined to report on any of this, public opinion and action organized through word of mouth and the web have the power to compel public servants to follow the law, as well as turn this into a story the corporate media can’t ignore.

According to recent news reports on press releases from Minneapolis police; local and federal law enforcement have arrested at least one suspect and executed search warrants – yielding a database of subscribers to My Fast Pass, apparently in connection with claimed criminal prostitution. An interesting twist in this case, police have publicly declared:

“As part of our ongoing criminal investigation, it is our intention to have face to face contact with people on this list, to include men and women. If you feel it is in your best interest to have input into the time and place of this meeting you can email [minneapolis police].”

I guess you can’t blame a fellow for trying, right?  One must wonder though – what kind of person (in that database) would find it in their best interest to set up an appointment for a police interrogation?  Why help the government take you down?

Most everyone realizes their sacred Constitutional right to silence in the face of police questioning, and their right to have a lawyer present from television and movies.  Unfortunately, many of those entertainments show the fictional suspect waiving their rights, to quickly commit legal suicide – but it does help move the story along, doesn’t it?

 Too few movies and television stories show the innocent bullied or tricked into confessing or admitting facts by trained police officers. Criminal defense lawyers generally advise people suspected by police to (a) remain silent; (b) do not consent to any search of person or property; and (c) consult and retain a good criminal lawyer as soon as possible. In pre-charge, investigatory cases, an ounce or prevention is worth much more than a pound of cure. 

FFI about Minneapolis criminal law: www.Mpls-Criminal-Lawyer.com

(Note: This was originally posted on another of the authors blogs on June 20, 2009 – moved to here, deleted there.)

sigh… 44 people arrested for corruption! Jersey just can’t shake its roots can it? And its equal opportunity crime too, even the orthodox Jews were in on it. You know..I really like New Jersey, lived there for a while, but corruption does seep into the tiniest corners of local government there. Look at Camden. The city has absolutely no tax base because so few businesses have remained. Now how can that be? Because palms are now just greased with federal and state money.  I don’t know how New Jersey will ever be cleaned up, but for the sake of the good people there, I hope something positive happens soon.

…just something I was thinking about…