Pentagon requests $49m to build new prison at Guantanamo

Pentagon requests $49 million to build new prison at Guantánamo for 'special' detainees 21 Mar 2013 The United States Southern Command has requested $49 million to build a new prison building at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, for "special" detainees prisoners on top of other renovations it says are necessary since Congress has decided to keep it open indefinitely. That brings the potential taxpayer bill for upgrading the deteriorating facilities to an estimated $195.7 million, the military said on Thursday. That overall price tag is significantly higher than the estimate of $150 million to $170 million that General John F. Kelly, the Southcom commander, gave in Congressional testimony on Wednesday. The special detainee facility was not included on the list of requested construction projects released by Southcom on Wednesday when reporters asked for details. [There's $200 million for the Pentagon's corpora-terrorist trolls to keep rebuilding prisons at Guantánamo--and yet, Obama and the GOP keep pushing to slash Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid?]

No sequester for Guantanamo Bay: Guantanamo Bay has become money pit - former prison official 22 Mar 2013 Former Guantanamo prison official Ret. Col. Morris Davis has discussed with RT how the once 'temporary' facility has become a money pit as repair costs and yearly maintenance bills begin to pile up. As prison officials at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, struggle to explain an inmate hunger strike a new report has revealed that the United States Southern Command has requested funding for construction of a new building, as well as for maintenance on the existing facility. Media outlets have speculated that the new project could cost American taxpayers a sum approaching $200 million, a sum that had some scratching their heads after Southern Command General John F. Kelly testified before Congress Wednesday that the 'improvements' would cost between $150 and $170 million.

Top U.S. diplomat Kerry asks Iraq to stop arms to Syria [Yeah, only USociopaths and their deranged allies are allowed to send them there. What nerve. Someday, a nation is going to grow a set and stop the world's psycho self-appointed policeman. --LRP. NSAciopaths/Google goons -- that would be Lori Price, saving you time.] 24 Mar 2013 U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry pressed Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Sunday to stop Iranian flights over Iraq from carrying arms to Syria during a visit to the Iraqi capital. Kerry also urged Iraq's Sunni Muslim, Shi'ite and ethnic Kurdish factions to commit to the political process as the country's precarious intercommunal balance comes under growing strain from the conflict in neighboring Syria. A U.S. official said earlier on condition of anonymity that Washington believes flights and overland transfers from Iran to Syria via Iraq take place nearly every day, helping President Bashar al-Assad crush a two-year-old [Western-fomented] revolt against his government.

CIA trains and spies for Syrian rebels - report 23 Mar 2013 Some Syrian 'rebel' groups get training and intelligence straight from CIA officers, US officials told media. The helping hand is meant to bolster the secular opposition against both governmental troops and Islamist forces. The CIA's increased involvement in Syria is part America's greater engagement in the war-torn country, according to The Wall Street Journal. The spy agency has selected some small rebel units from the Free Syrian Army to receive combat training and fresh intel they can act upon, the newspaper says, citing unnamed US officials and rebel commanders. The training is provided by the CIA, working together with British, French and Jordanian intelligence agencies.

CIA Providing Intelligence to Syrian Rebels, Wall Street Journal Says 23 Mar 2013 The US Central Intelligence Agency has been feeding information to 'select rebel fighters' in Syria to try to make them more effective against government troops, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday. Citing unnamed current and former US officials, the newspaper said the new CIA effort reflected a change in the administration's approach that aims to strengthen 'secular rebel fighters.' The CIA has sent officers to Turkey to help vet 'rebels' who receive arms shipments from Gulf allies, the report said.

Israel PM apologies for Gaza flotilla deaths 22 Mar 2013 Israel's prime minister has apologised to Turkey for "any errors that could have led to loss of life" during the 2010 commando raid on an aid flotilla that tried to breach the Gaza blockade. Benjamin Netanyahu also agreed with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to compensate the families of the nine activists who were killed. Mr Netanyahu had previously only expressed regret for the deaths. The deal was brokered by US President Barack Obama during a visit to Israel.

Pro-Taliban militants threaten to kill former Pakistani president --Bush ally Musharraf has been charged with several offences, including involvement in the 2007 assassination of former Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto. 23 Mar 2013 In a newly-released video, the pro-Taliban militants have threatened to kill former President Pervez Musharraf upon his arrival in Pakistan. On Saturday, Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Ehsanullah Ehsan said in the video that the militant group had prepared a "death squad" to kill Musharraf. This comes as the former leader prepares to fly home after nearly five years of self-imposed exile. The warning has come only a day ahead of Musharraf's flight from Dubai to the port city of Karachi.

Afghan official says member of government-backed militia has shot and killed 5 colleagues 22 Mar 2013 An Afghan official says a member of the country's government-backed militia has shot and killed five of his colleagues. Badhis provincial government spokesman Mirwais Mirzakwal told The Associated Press on Friday that the shooting happened Thursday morning in a remote part of Qadis district. The attacker was a member of the Afghan Local Police, a program in which the government in Kabul and international allies train and fund villagers to mount defence forces against 'insurgents.'

US-led soldier killed in blast in eastern Afghanistan 22 Mar 2013 A US-led foreign soldier has been killed in a blast in the troubled eastern Afghanistan as foreign fatalities continue to rise across the war-ravaged country. “An International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) service member died following an improvised explosive device attack in eastern Afghanistan today,” said the Western military alliance in a statement on Friday.

Marines ID Gunman, 2 Victims in Va. Base Shooting --Military officials have not released a motive for the shooting. 24 Mar 2013 A Marine who shot two of his colleagues to death and then killed himself was a tactics instructor at a school that tests Marines who want to become officers, military officials said Saturday. Sgt. Eusebio Lopez, 25, gunned down 19-year-old Lance Cpl. Sara Castromata and Cpl. Jacob Wooley, 23, on Thursday night inside barracks at the Marine Corps Base Quantico in northern Virginia. Other than to say the three Marines worked together at the school, military officials have not described their relationship or released a motive for the shooting.

Northern Virginia officials worry secret CIA facility could scuttle hopes for landing FBI HQ 23 Mar 2013 Fairfax County officials want Uncle Sam to know they have the perfect site in Springfield to replace the FBI’s 39-year-old Washington headquarters... But some Northern Virginia officials have been told that the biggest obstacle to redevelopment may be a federal client that’s already at the site: the CIA. In what has been an open secret in Northern Virginia for years, elected officials say the CIA maintains a classified facility in what appears to be a warehouse on property owned by the General Services Administration, the federal government’s landlord. The high-stakes competition for the FBI has put a new spotlight on the site, including new details that suggest the spy agency’s facility is more elaborate than a warehouse.

Military-style drones will patrol NYC: Bloomberg [Well, until people start blowing them out of the sky. Then, they will stop patrolling.] 22 Mar 2013 Like it or not, the eye in the sky will soon be following your every move, according to Mayor Bloomberg. "You can't keep the tides from coming in," the mayor remarked when asked about drones on his weekly radio show. The NYPD already has cameras mounted at strategic locations around the city and there's no reason, by the mayor's reckoning, that they have to attached to light poles. "It's scary. What's the difference if a drone is up in the air or on a building," he said. The mayor put the timeframe for an all-seeing society at about five years, when he estimated "there'll be cameras every place."

19-Year-Old Sailor Found Shot Aboard USS Essex 22 Mar 2013 A 19-year-old female sailor assigned to USS Essex was found with a gunshot wound aboard the ship Thursday and later died from her injuries, Navy officials confirmed. According to Navy media operations officer Rick Chernitzer, the ship's medical personnel responded to the scene and found the wounded sailor. She was transported to the UCSD Trauma Center and was pronounced dead a short time later. He said a formal investigation is underway aboard the amphibious assault ship, which is currently at its homeport in San Diego.

No radiation at Berezovsky home, no sign of outside role in death 24 Mar 2013 British police searched for radiation and chemicals at former Russian 'oligarch' Boris Berezovsky's home near London on Sunday but found none, and said there was no evidence anyone else was involved in his still unexplained death. The arrival of a team of investigators searching for radiation briefly evoked the death of Berezovsky's friend Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian spy poisoned with radioactive material in London in 2006. However, police gave the all clear on Sunday morning, saying no radiation had been found. [How come Mitt Romney and/or the CEOs of the largest US corporations aren't referred to as 'oligarchs' in the US media? Oligarch = bad. CEO = good. Get it?]

Chemical experts sent to the home of Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky who was found dead 'in bath' 23 Mar 2013 Officers trained to deal with chemical and radiological threats have been sent to the home of Boris Berezovsky, the exiled Russian 'oligarch' who was found dead on Saturday. Police investigating the circumstances of the sudden "unexplained" death said the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear experts were conducting a "number of searches as a precaution". A cordon was in place around the property and neighbours in Mill Lane, Ascot, have not been allowed into their homes.

Report: Gunman with rifle in Administration Building on University of Arizona --University of Arizona campus clear after reports of man with gun --'Police say it is too early to tell if this situation was legitimate or a hoax.' 22 Mar 2013 Authorities searched the administration building at the University of Arizona in Tucson after they received a 911 call reporting that a gunman with a rifle was on campus on Friday afternoon. Initial reports said the potential gunman was in the Administration Building. University and Tucson Police were inside the building working to locate a potential gunman, according to police. At 9:00 p.m. on Friday night UAPD gave the all clear and reported they found no shooter on campus.

MLB will honor Newtown shooting victims at all openers --Robbie Parker to throw ceremonial first pitch before the Texas Rangers' home opener April 5. [Flashback: Robbie Parker prepares for a Sandy Hook media conference.] Major League Baseball announced Friday that it will honor the victims of the shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., at its season-opening games at each ballpark this season. 30 teams that will honor the 20 children and six adults who were killed. Every player, manager, coach, umpire and on-field personnel will wear a symbolic ribbon patch through April 2. The patch features the official seal of Newtown, along with a black memorial ribbon and 26 stars. There will also be a moment of silence at each ballpark.

Curiouser and curiouser: Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper was friends with the father of white supremacist 22 Mar 2013 Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) said Friday he is close friends with the father of the white supremacist who is the focus of the investigation into the killing of one of his cabinet members and of a pizza delivery man. But the governor vehemently denied he had anything to do with the release of parolee Evan Ebel from prison earlier this year. Ebel was killed Thursday after a chase and shootout with Texas authorities. Ebel's father, Jack, is an attorney who lives in Boulder. Hickenlooper said he has known Jack Ebel for years. They worked together at an oil company when Hickenlooper was a geologist and they have stayed close.

Shell casings from shootout in Texas similar to those found at home of slain Colo. prison chief 22 Mar 2013 Shell casings from a Texas shootout with a white supremacist Colorado parolee are the same make and caliber as those found at the home of Colorado's prison chief after he was killed, according to legal papers. It's the closest link yet between Evan Spencer Ebel -- who died in the shootout -- and the slaying of Tom Clements, who was shot and killed when he opened his door Tuesday evening. Authorities also say they found a Domino's pizza bag and a jacket or shirt in the trunk of the car Ebel was driving when Texas deputies tried to pull him over -- a link to another slaying, that of a pizza deliveryman whose body was found Sunday.

Detroit GOP-installed EFM Kevyn Orr to be welcomed with civil disobedience and mass protests 23 Mar 2013 Rev. Jesse Jackson on Friday called for mass protests in response to Republican Gov. Rick Snyder's appointment of Emergency Manager [corpora-terrorist] Kevyn Orr, and it appears he may get his wish. Rev. Charles Williams II, pastor of King Solomon Baptist church and the Michigan leader of Al Sharpton's National Action Network, said 657 people, according to the sign-in sheet, attended a emergency manager mobilization meeting at his church Saturday. Reporters Police agents were excluded from a portion of the meeting, which leaders spent discussing civil disobedience tactics, training for activists and other topics Williams said participants didn't want public.

FAA to Close 149 U.S. Airport Towers After Budget Cuts 23 Mar 2013 The U.S. will close 149 air-traffic control towers run by contractors at small- and mid-sized airports beginning on April 7 as a result of automatic budget cuts at government agencies. The Federal Aviation Administration spared 24 towers on its original list of 173 subject to closing, it said in an e-mail yesterday. All the towers being shut down are run by private companies, not the government as at larger facilities. The shutdowns will be phased in over four weeks. About 750 to 1,100 controllers and supervisors may lose their jobs, said Spencer Dickerson, executive director of the Alexandria, Virginia-based Contract Tower Association.

Senate passes budget after late-night 'vote-a-rama' 23 Mar 2013 Senators rammed through a whopping 101 amendments and took 70 roll call votes in a late night "vote-a-rama" session that lasted until 5:30 a.m. Saturday. The budget plan, proposed by Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray, only narrowly passed by a 50-49 vote. The blueprint seeks to raise almost $1 trillion in new tax revenue through closing loopholes and tax breaks on the wealthy. It also aims to reduce the deficit by $1.85 trillion over the next 10 years through the revenue and additional spending cuts.

Obama judicial nominee, opposed by GOP, withdraws 22 Mar 2013 President Obama's most prominent judicial nominee withdrew her name from consideration Friday in the face of continuing Republican opposition. Caitlin Halligan, a prominent New York prosecutor twice nominated by Obama to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, would have been a potential future Supreme Court nominee had she won Senate confirmation. Instead, after more than two years of effort, she and the president agreed Friday to call it quits. [Right, Obama can't *wait* to surrender to his GOP overlords, in every instance. The only group he'll stand firm and oppose is his Democratic 'base.']

Legislator claims one in 10 darted polar bears die - 60 times the number reported by scientists 23 Mar 2013 On March 1, in response to the state losing its appeal of the threatened-species designation for polar bears, Rep. Eric Feige (D) said the federal government itself was responsible for the deaths of many bears. "If the polar bear are so threatened, then why do we kill 10-percent of the ones we dart and tag for scientific and management purposes?" Feige said in prepared statement issued by the House majority press office. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says, two polar bears have been killed in the Alaska Arctic since 2003 as a result of its research program. About 1,220 were darted.

Severe U.S. storm brings heavy snow, baseball-sized hail 23 Mar 2013 A major early spring storm brought heavy snow, severe thunderstorms and floods as it moved east across the United States on Saturday, closing highways and causing a pileup involving dozens of vehicles. Baseball-sized hail was reported in northern Florida, along with possible tornadoes, while heavy snow in Colorado and Kansas delayed flights and shut down part of Interstate-70. A crash involving up to 50 vehicles closed part of Interstate-25 near Loveland, Colorado, north of Denver.

Ohio prosecutors 'indict' Punxsutawney Phil over early spring forecast, seek death penalty 22 Mar 2013 Famed groundhog Punxsutawney Phil might want to go back into hibernation. Authorities in still-frigid Ohio have issued an "indictment" of the furry rodent, who predicted an early spring when he didn't see his shadow after emerging from his western Pennsylvania lair on Feb. 2. "Punxsutawney Phil did purposely, and with prior calculation and design, cause the people to believe that spring would come early," Mike Gmoser, the prosecutor in southwestern Ohio's Butler County, wrote in an official-looking indictment. Gmoser wrote that Punxsutawney Phil is charged with misrepresentation of spring, which constitutes a felony "against the peace and dignity of the state of Ohio."

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