The News Crawler

Wednesday Financial Updates: Stocks Extend Gains Into Second Day... .

Freeman Withdrawal Marks Victory for Israel Lobby Amb. Chas Freeman withdrew from consideration for a top intelligence post in the Obama administration on Tuesday, following a vitriolic battle that pitted Republican lawmakers and pro-Israel hardliners opposed to his appointment against liberals and members of the intelligence and diplomatic communities who had come to his defence

Hersh: 'Assassination ring' reported directly to Cheney Hersh replied, "After 9/11, I haven’t written about this yet, but the Central Intelligence Agency was very deeply involved in domestic activities against people they thought to be enemies of the state. Without any legal authority for it. They haven’t been called on it yet." It’s an executive assassination ring essentially, and it’s been going on and on and on," Hersh stated. "Under President Bush’s authority, they’ve been going into countries, not talking to the ambassador or the CIA station chief, and finding people on a list and executing them and leaving. That’s been going on, in the name of all of us."

Federal job discrimination complaints hit record (AP)

Timeline: US gun massacres

U.N. report says U.S. rendition policy broke international law

Iraq tribes greater role subject to criticism As Prime Minster Nuri Al Maliki decided to give tribes in Iraq a greater role in enhancing national reconciliation, his move was subject to criticism. For more details, click on play movie.

Iraq to rule on mass murder case Court to rule on Saddam-era officials who are alleged to have killed market traders.

Tuesday: 1 Marine, 1 Pakistani, 37 Iraqis; 84 Iraqis Wounded

Al-Qaida blamed for deadly Iraqi suicide attack A suicide bomber struck Sunni and Shiite tribal leaders touring an outdoor market after a reconciliation meeting in a Baghdad suburb Tuesday, killing up to 33 people in the second major attack in the capital area in three days.

Iranian shelling kills Kurdish child on Iraq border: mayor Iranian shelling of Kurdish border villages in northern Iraq left one child dead, a local official told AFP on Wednesday.

Pakistan: 'The System Is On The Verge of Collapse' Pakistan arrests activists, bans protests before anti-government rally.

Khamenei offers praise to Pakistan Pakistan and Iran enjoy strong ties and friendly diplomatic relations, Iran's Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told visiting Pakistani officials

China's exports in sharp decline Chinese exports sank 25% in February from a year ago, figures show, as demand for the country's goods overseas falls.

Officials: Ship in China spat was hunting subs The U.S. Navy ship that got into a scrape with five Chinese vessels last weekend in the South China Sea was looking for threats such as submarines — presumably Chinese — in waters that China claims as its own, defense officials acknowledged Tuesday.

Millions of Darfuris at greater risk with aid groups' removal The expulsion of 13 aid groups follows war crime charges against Sudanese President Bashir.

Alliance Of Sudanese Jihadist Groups Threatens To Carry Out 'New 9/11' A Sudanese group called the Alliance of Jihadist Suicide Groups, which includes groups of Sudanese jihadists and Darfur Arabs, has issued an announcement threatening to carry out 250 suicide attacks

The News Crawler
Free Free Local Business Advertising Available
Last Update: Friday, March 13, 2009

Headlines	Click here for Yesterdays Edition
Wednesday Financial Updates: Stocks Extend Gains Into Second Day... . Freeman Withdrawal Marks Victory for Israel Lobby Amb. Chas Freeman withdrew from consideration for a top intelligence post in the Obama administration on Tuesday, following a vitriolic battle that pitted Republican lawmakers and pro-Israel hardliners opposed to his appointment against liberals and members of the intelligence and diplomatic communities who had come to his defence Hersh: 'Assassination ring' reported directly to Cheney Hersh replied, "After 9/11, I haven’t written about this yet, but the Central Intelligence Agency was very deeply involved in domestic activities against people they thought to be enemies of the state. Without any legal authority for it. They haven’t been called on it yet." It’s an executive assassination ring essentially, and it’s been going on and on and on," Hersh stated. "Under President Bush’s authority, they’ve been going into countries, not talking to the ambassador or the CIA station chief, and finding people on a list and executing them and leaving. That’s been going on, in the name of all of us."	Criticism of the US state department human rights report shows America has lost its moral standing After Abu Ghraib, Gitmo and extraordinary renditions, other countries now challenge America's standing on human rights Jim Cramer Shorting Stocks, Manipulating Markets, Saying The SEC Doesn't Understand On the truth: "What's important when you are in that hedge fund mode is to not be doing anything that is remotely truthful, because the truth is so against your view - it is important to create a new truth to develop a fiction," Cramer advises. "You can't take any chances." U.S. sees expansion of Al Qaeda Al Qaeda has expanded its presence in Afghanistan, taking advantage of the sinking security situation to resurface where it was forced to flee seven years ago, the nation's top military intelligence official testified Tuesday. The Washington Bureau's Greg Miller reports. US Credit Card Delinquencies Rise..
Connecticut
In Connecticut Foreclosures Cases, Legislative Committee Backs Mandatory Mediation Some people have called Connecticut's foreclosure mediation program the most successful of the state's mortgage relief efforts enacted in 2008.	Lawmakers Pull Bill That Proposed Changing Catholic Church Governance
United States
The CIA faces a threat it's never been great at analyzing: the fallout from global recession In 1930, few people thought political turmoil in Germany was the most significant event in the world—not with a global Depression underway. Only the year before, in the German national elections of 1929, Adolf Hitler had still been regarded as "something of a joke, a minor figure from a fringe far-right group" whose Nazi Party managed to win just 2.6 percent of the vote U.N. report says U.S. led 'black site' renditions in war on terrorism A U.N. expert is accusing the United States and some of its allies of breaching international law for the so-called extraordinary renditions and subsequent alleged torture of terrorism suspects during the Bush administration's global war on terrorism, and is launching a probe into the detention of suspects. SEC may reinstate rule to restrict short selling Facing pressure from some members of Congress, securities regulators will consider reinstating a Depression-era rule aimed at preventing a massive plunge in a stock price caused by a rush of short sellers.... Hersh: 'Assassination ring' reported directly to Cheney Hersh replied, "After 9/11, I haven’t written about this yet, but the Central Intelligence Agency was very deeply involved in domestic activities against people they thought to be enemies of the state. Without any legal authority for it. They haven’t been called on it yet." It’s an executive assassination ring essentially, and it’s been going on and on and on," Hersh stated. "Under President Bush’s authority, they’ve been going into countries, not talking to the ambassador or the CIA station chief, and finding people on a list and executing them and leaving. That’s been going on, in the name of all of us."	Feds to Probe Fox News' Sheriff Joe Arpaio Experts say it's the first civil rights probe to focus on immigration enforcement. Chicago-area nuke waste piling up, nowhere to go In a pool of water just a football field away from Lake Michigan, about 1,000 tons of highly radioactive fuel from the scuttled Zion Nuclear Power Station is waiting for someplace else to spend a few thousand years. Newly Formed 150,000-Strong Nurses' Union Pushes for Single-Payer Healthcare Three of the country’s top organizations of direct care registered nurses have come together to form a new national nurses’ union that is advocating for a single-payer national health insurance program. Driving through Tenaha, Texas, doesn't pay for some You can drive into this dusty fleck of a town near the Texas-Louisiana state line if you're African American, but you might not be able to drive out of it -- at least not with your car, your cash, your jewelry or other valuables Ford-UAW deal cuts wages to $55 an hour Ford Motor Co expects operating savings of $500 million per year from an agreement with the United Auto Workers that will push hourly wage rates into the "ballpark" of foreign-based rivals, the company said on Wednesday. "ECigarette" Sparks Interest From FDA A high-tech alternative to cigarettes that claims to help smokers quit is drawing heat from the FDA. Jim Cramer Shorting Stocks, Manipulating Markets, Saying The SEC Doesn't Understand On the truth: "What's important when you are in that hedge fund mode is to not be doing anything that is remotely truthful, because the truth is so against your view - it is important to create a new truth to develop a fiction," Cramer advises. "You can't take any chances." Federal job discrimination complaints hit record (AP) Timeline: US gun massacres U.N. report says U.S. rendition policy broke international law Criticism of the US state department human rights report shows America has lost its moral standing After Abu Ghraib, Gitmo and extraordinary renditions, other countries now challenge America's standing on human rights Terrorist watch list hits 1 million
Madoffed
Allen Stanford not cooperating in SEC probe Allen Stanford, the billionaire Texan accused of an $8 billion fraud by U.S. securities regulators, has refused to cooperate in the government's probe, a court filing showed on Wednesday. No Deal for Bernard Madoff, As Victims Prepare to Face Him in Court Ponzi mastermind Bernard Madoff gets no deal from prosecutors, and will almost certainly spend the rest of his life behind bars. Victims worry Madoff will take secrets to prison Madoff’s Refusal to Admit Conspiracy Said to Have Scuttled Deal Madoff Victims May Recoup Taxes Under Proposed Law

Science
Acid Oceans Altering Marine Life 7 million pounds of trash collected from waterways Nearly 7 million pounds of debris was collected from waterways and shorelines around the world during a single day last year, illustrating that careless people are discarding trash just about everywhere, with much of it eventually finding an aquatic home, according to a report released yesterday.	Early 'Peking Man' was older, colder, study says (AP) A famous early ancestor of humans was able to thrive in glacial weather that would send icy shivers up the spines of most modern people, new research shows Nano-treatment to torpedo cancer Nanotechnology raises hopes of destroying hard-to-treat cancers with highly targeted tumour-busting genes.
Politics
Official Warns Congress Not to Force Lending Treasury official warns Congress not to force banks into making loans deemed risky UBS: Washington's Old Friend Is Now a Foe After years of hiding US money in their Swiss offices, UBS faces a Senate committee made up of legislators under their payroll. Freeman Withdrawal Marks Victory for Israel Lobby Amb. Chas Freeman withdrew from consideration for a top intelligence post in the Obama administration on Tuesday, following a vitriolic battle that pitted Republican lawmakers and pro-Israel hardliners opposed to his appointment against liberals and members of the intelligence and diplomatic communities who had come to his defence Lawmaker wants to blur Google Earth OK, it's California. So we are quite used to the rest of the country rolling their eyes in knowing exasperation at our fads. But often, they turn out to be harbingers of national trends. And so the question: Will AB-255 (a bill that would "censor" some aspects of Google Earth) number among them as well? Inside Murtha's 'earmark factory' Sources assert Murtha has steered funds to PMA clients via a Penn State University research center.	Sanders proposes interest rate cap U.S. Sen. Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., is proposing a 15 percent cap on interest rates on consumer loans including credit cards. House defeats wilderness bill The House Wednesday defeated a bill to set aside more than 2 million acres in nine states as protected wilderness Transcript of Major Interview with Tim Geithner on Charlie Rose Show Tonight Terror group recruits Somalis in U.S., senators told There is an increasing threat of homegrown terror stemming from segments of a deeply isolated and alienated Somali-American community, a U.S. Senate committee hearing concluded Wednesday. U.S. budget gap grows to $764.5 billion Betting the U.S. Government Won't Pay Its Debts Credit markets are actually beginning to bet that the U.S. willdefault on its debt, which means America may be runningout of money to prop up the economy Bill would end cross-border trucking program
Obama
Obama to sign spending bill, push for new rules President Barack Obama plans to sign a massive spending bill to keep the federal government running, but he is cracking down on lawmakers' penchant for stuffing such legislation with billions of dollars in pet projects Pentagon denies undermining Obama on Guantanamo	U.S. official: Obama won't cut military aid to Israel Obama Administration Faces Ethical Conflict By Representing John Yoo Obama to raise ships incident with Chinese minister (Reuters)
Economy
Oil Below $46 After US Report Cuts Demand Forecast	Chu to OPEC: Cutting production will wreck economy Wednesday Financial Updates: Stocks Extend Gains Into Second Day... US Credit Card Delinquencies Rise...

Iraq	Map of Iraq
Iraq tribes greater role subject to criticism As Prime Minster Nuri Al Maliki decided to give tribes in Iraq a greater role in enhancing national reconciliation, his move was subject to criticism. For more details, click on play movie. Iraq to rule on mass murder case Court to rule on Saddam-era officials who are alleged to have killed market traders. Tuesday: 1 Marine, 1 Pakistani, 37 Iraqis; 84 Iraqis Wounded Al-Qaida blamed for deadly Iraqi suicide attack A suicide bomber struck Sunni and Shiite tribal leaders touring an outdoor market after a reconciliation meeting in a Baghdad suburb Tuesday, killing up to 33 people in the second major attack in the capital area in three days. Iranian shelling kills Kurdish child on Iraq border: mayor Iranian shelling of Kurdish border villages in northern Iraq left one child dead, a local official told AFP on Wednesday.	Iraq President in Terhan for economic summit Iraqi President Jalal Talabani arrived to Tehran to participate in the economic cooperation organization summit. Iraq media booming, yet still in sectarian grip A boom in local media since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 has given Iraqis a choice between some 200 print outlets, 60 radio stations and 30 TV channels in Arabic, Turkmen, Syriac and two Kurdish dialects. Two Journalists Among 33 Dead in Iraq Suicide Attack Iraq attacks may signal new alliance TWO sophisticated suicide bombings and other recent violence in Iraq have raised fears Islamist militants and hardline Baathists may renew their partnership Qaeda group claims Baghdad police academy blast Security developments in Iraq, March 11 Two of Saddam's half-brothers sentenced to death
Middle East
Ahmadinejad holds talks with Gul and meets Zardari Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad held talks with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul who arrived to Teheran in order to attend the tenth summit of the Economic cooperation that starts its works today. Ahmadinejad met as well the Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari. Mousavi enters Iran's June poll Iran's prime minister during its war with Iraq in the 1980s - says he will stand in the presidential election in June Japanese Official: U.S. Should Accept Iran As Region-Asia Great Power Hamas crackdown on Jihad ups tensions Hamas says some Palestinian factions trying to create excuse for Israel to resume its "aggression." British lawmaker secretly meets Hamas leader (AP) A renegade British lawmaker who had financial dealings with Saddam Hussein and praised Fidel Castro in Cuba can add this to his resume: an honorary Palestinian passport, awarded during a secret meeting with the prime minister of Hamas.	Gaza family sues Israel over deaths Al-Samounis seek $200m in damages for deaths of 29 family members in Gaza assault. Rocket-Proof Playground for Israeli Kids Turkey indicts 56 with coup plot Prosecutors have issued an indictment for 56 suspects accused of membership in an alleged ultranationalist plot to overthrow the Turkish government, Turkey's official news agency reported Tuesday. Bomb explodes in Iran mosque A bomb exploded in a mosque in the south-eastern Iranian city of Zahedan on Tuesday, in the second such attack on the place of worship in a month, the Fars news agency reported. U.S. queries Israel's toilet-paper rules for Gaza The United States is protesting to Israel over seemingly random restrictions on deliveries to the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip of harmless goods such as soap and toilet paper, diplomats said Wednesday. Iran president blames West for economic crisis
Afghanistan	Map of Afghanistan
Afghan MP Fatima Nazari: U.S. 'Has Focused on Mujahedeen Warlords; They Should Listen to the People' A conversation with the head of Afghanistan's new political party devoted to women's rights. Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran join in drug crackdown Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan carried out their first joint counter-narcotics operation this week, pooling intelligence to arrest suspects and seize drugs in an unprecedented show of cooperation, U.N. officials disclosed Wednesday. Advocate: Taliban deal a threat to women's rights Suraya Pakzad still receives death threats for teaching women how to read and write in Taliban-controlled parts of Afghanistan. Afghan women seek inclusion in Taliban talks (AFP) Advocates for women's rights in Afghanistan urged world leaders to move forward with talks with the Taliban and insisted that women have a place at the negotiating table. For War Supply Routes, US Looks Even in Iran	Karzai condemns reporter killing The Afghan president condemns the killing by gunmen of journalist Jawed Ahmad, who spent 11 months in US custody. U.S. sees expansion of Al Qaeda Al Qaeda has expanded its presence in Afghanistan, taking advantage of the sinking security situation to resurface where it was forced to flee seven years ago, the nation's top military intelligence official testified Tuesday. The Washington Bureau's Greg Miller reports. Court Affirms Blasphemy Sentence for Afghan Journalist Afghanistan’s Supreme Court has upheld a 20-year jail term for the student journalist, Parwez Kambakhsh, whose case has alarmed media and human rights organizations. Ex-PKK terrorists joining US army to fight in Afghanistan- Turkish TV Security developments in Afghanistan
Pakistan	Map of Pakistan
Pakistan: 'The System Is On The Verge of Collapse' Pakistan arrests activists, bans protests before anti-government rally. Khamenei offers praise to Pakistan Pakistan and Iran enjoy strong ties and friendly diplomatic relations, Iran's Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told visiting Pakistani officials	U.S. Supports Pakistan Opposition's Right to March Four dead in Pakistan minister assassination bid: police Four people were killed in a failed attempt to assassinate a provincial minister in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar on Wednesday, police said
Asia
Ship loses oil, fertilizer in storm off Australia More than 30 shipping containers of ammonium nitrate fell off a ship in stormy seas off Australia early Wednesday, damaging the ship's hull and leaking up to 30 tons of oil. Rising navy, assertiveness behind US-China flap (AP) China's weekend scrap with a U.S. Navy surveillance ship is drawing attention to a new submarine base that Beijing is using to strengthen its presence on the strategically vital South China Sea, which it claims as a whole.	China's exports in sharp decline Chinese exports sank 25% in February from a year ago, figures show, as demand for the country's goods overseas falls. Officials: Ship in China spat was hunting subs The U.S. Navy ship that got into a scrape with five Chinese vessels last weekend in the South China Sea was looking for threats such as submarines — presumably Chinese — in waters that China claims as its own, defense officials acknowledged Tuesday.
Europe
Sarkozy to declare decision on Nato Announcement expected from president that France would rejoin Nato's military command. Gassed to death: 300 victims of Yugoslavia's communist regime found in mass grave The mass grave in eastern Slovenia is believed to hold up to 300 victims killed after the Second World War by the former communist regime, authorities confirmed. Greece: Strikers close Acropolis for back pay Striking Culture Ministry employees closed the Acropolis to visitors Wednesday for the fifth time in two weeks, turning hundreds of tourists away from the ancient site Russia now 'top heroin consumer' Global crisis aside, foreign carmakers flock to Russia Police: Teen Gunman 'Carried Out A Bloodbath' Police say a 17-year-old gunman dressed in black opened fire inside his former high school in Germany on Wednesday killing 15 people.	'Terror abroad' retrial ruled out A man accused of orchestrating terror attacks in Pakistan from his home in the UK will not face a retrial, prosecutors say. Top Spanish judge investigated over US sabbatical The Spanish judge best known for indicting both Augusto Pinochet and Osama bin Laden is accused of failing to report that he would be paid during a U.S. sabbatical while drawing his salary in Madrid, a judicial oversight board said Tuesday. Russia issues arrest warrant for mobile phone mogul Russia issued an international arrest warrant on Wednesday for a billionaire who fled Russia after being threatened with prosecution for kidnapping and blackmail. Italy's high court deals blow to CIA kidnap trial (Reuters) Italy's highest court ruled on Wednesday that prosecutors broke state secrecy laws when building their case against U.S. and Italian intelligence agents accused of kidnapping a terrorism suspect.
Africa
Millions of Darfuris at greater risk with aid groups' removal The expulsion of 13 aid groups follows war crime charges against Sudanese President Bashir. Alliance Of Sudanese Jihadist Groups Threatens To Carry Out 'New 9/11' A Sudanese group called the Alliance of Jihadist Suicide Groups, which includes groups of Sudanese jihadists and Darfur Arabs, has issued an announcement threatening to carry out 250 suicide attacks	Al-Jazeera TV Airs Footage of Public Flogging of Two Young Boys in Somalia 5 Years After It Halted Weapons Programs, Libya Sees the U.S. as Ungrateful Libyan officials insist that Washington has done too little to reward the country for giving up its nuclear and chemical weapons programs in late 2003. Madagascar army chief replaced
The Americas
Mexican drug gangs dump human heads in ice coolers Suspected drug gang hitmen dumped five severed human heads in ice coolers on a road in western Mexico on Tuesday with a message threatening rivals, a state attorney general's office said. Ahead of Pivotal El Salvador Vote, Rep. Raul Grijalva Leads Congressional Call to Reverse Longstanding US Interference Voters in El Salvador head to the polls Saturday for a historic presidential election. The leftist FMLN party is projected to win, ending two decades of rule by the ARENA party. Thirty Congress members have sent President Obama a letter calling for US neutrality in Saturday’s election. Five years ago, the Bush administration was accused of threatening to cut off aid to El Salvador if voters supported the FMLN.	Ecuador captures FARC rebel wanted by U.S. Army desertions hurting Mexico's war on drugs Anti-narcotics drive has fuelled drug cartels: U.N. - A U.N. anti-narcotics drive has backfired in part by making drug cartels so rich they can bribe their way through West Africa and Central America, U.N. crime agency chief Antonio Maria Costa said on Wednesday. Mexico drug chaos: Are cartels desperate? Headless bodies in Tijuana, kidnapped children in Phoenix and shootouts on the streets of Vancouver: These are the unwanted byproducts of progress in the Mexican drug war.