Breaking News and Commentary: Citizens For Legitimate Govt

Breaking News and Commentary from Citizens For Legitimate Government

25 May 2013

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2 FBI agents killed in Virginia were on 'very, very elite team' involved in arrest of Boston bombing suspect 20 May 2013 Two members of the FBI's elite counterterrorism unit died Friday while practicing how to quickly drop from a helicopter to a ship using a rope, the FBI announced Monday in a statement. The statement gave few details regarding the deaths of Special Agents Christopher Lorek and Stephen Shaw, other than to say the helicopter encountered unspecified difficulties and the agents fell a "significant distance." ...In interviews Monday, the founder of the Hostage Rescue Team and other former special agents called the unit "elite" while outlining the difficult training exercises members must endure. Last month, the team was involved in the arrest of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings.

Father of Chechen shot by FBI says he thinks son was tortured 24 May 2013 The father of a Chechen immigrant killed during questioning over his [alleged] links with one of the Boston Marathon bombings suspects said on Thursday he plans to travel to the United States where he thinks his son was tortured and killed. Ibragim Todashev, 27, was killed by a federal agent in his apartment complex when he [allegedly] became violent during questioning over his ties to Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the older of two brothers suspected of planting two bombs at the marathon on April 15. "I suspect that they tortured my son and that he suffered a painful death," said Abdulbaki Todashev, wiping away tears at the home in the mostly Muslim region of Chechnya in Russia's North Caucasus.

Teenager arrested over Facebook comments about Boston Marathon bombers denied bail 25 May 2013 Cameron D'Ambrosio, an 18-year-old aspiring rapper from Methuen, about 30 miles north of Boston, was arrested on May 1 after he posted a note on his Facebook page that included the words "a boston bombinb wait till u see the s I do." D'Ambrosio was charged with "communicating terrorist threats" and faces as many as 20 years in prison if he is convicted. D'Ambrosio's lawyer and his family members argued at a bail review hearing this week that the teenager, who has also posted several expletive-laden rap videos online, posed no immediate threat and should be granted bail.

Attorney Kurt Haskell guest on Canadian radio show 25 May 2013 The world was shocked Christmas Day 2009 when Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried to ignite explosives hidden in his underwear, while flying from Amsterdam to Detroit. Only the quick action of passengers and crew averted tragedy in the air. Kurt Haskell, a Detroit attorney,  was on that flight, and he saw the accused earlier in the airport accompanied by an older man. Kurt overheard a conversation that Umar did not show a passport while checking in.  Nonetheless, he was allowed to board the plane. Haskell has concerns about the recent Boston bombings. For example, why did the FBI hold a news conference asking for help, when in reality they had been in touch with the Chechen brothers for years? Also, why the unconstitutional mass shutdown of the city of Boston? Haskell is a radio guest this Sunday, May 26, on 'Perspectives with Barry Shainbaum,' 12:30 pm, EDT, CJTW 94.3, Kitchener, Ont., streamed live. Click on 'Listen Live.'

Parents of fallen SEALs speak out, blame US government for deaths --The families said a meeting with top military leaders after the crash led them to believe the men were not on the right helicopter and they were ordered not to fire back at the Taliban that night. 09 May 2013 Families of three Virginia Beach based Navy SEAL Team Six members and a national guardsmen are blaming President Obama and top military leaders for the August 6, 2011, helicopter crash that claimed the lives of 30 U.S. servicemen in Afghanistan. "The U.S. government and many high-ranking military people own more credit for the shoot-down than the Taliban," said fallen Navy SEAL Aaron Vaughn's father Billy during a Thursday morning news conference in Washington, D.C. Military leaders said the servicemen were all on one Chinook helicopter when Taliban members launched the rocket-propelled grenade that killed them.

Gee, Looks Like Obama Really Is Setting Up 'Death Panels' --Obama drone oversight proposal prompts concern over 'kill courts' --President asks Congress to establish special court or board to authorise legal drone action 24 May 2013 Proposals to vet future US drone strikes risk creating "kill courts" according to human rights campaigners who say Barack Obama's promise of new legal oversight does not go far enough to end what they regard as extrajudicial executions. The president has asked Congress to consider establishing a special court or oversight board to authorise lethal action outside warzones under a new counter-terrorism doctrine which he says will end the "boundless war on terror". But responses to his speech from leading campaign groups, though broadly welcoming, highlight how little change Obama is proposing to the underlying principle that the US has a legal right to kill suspected terrorists abroad without trial.

'Guantanamo guards shot my client 5 times for no reason' 24 May 2013 Over 100 Guantanamo prisoners continue their hunger strike in protest against unlawful - and as it turns out, violent - detention. RT met with the lawyer of inmate Moath al Alawi, who has been shot by guards, denied medical treatment and force-fed. A reported 103 of Guantanamo's 166 prisoners are participating in the hunger strike, which has lasted for more than 100 days. RT spoke with Ramzi Kassem, who represents Moath al Alawi, a prisoner held at Guantanamo without charge for 11 years.

French Soldier Stabbed in the Neck in Paris 26 May 2013 Police in France have said they believe the stabbing of a uniformed soldier in Paris may be linked to the [alleged] brutal murder of British soldier Lee Rigby in London. The 23-year-old French soldier was in a busy underground train station in the west of the city when he was stabbed in the throat by a man believed to be of North African origin at around 6pm on Saturday. The soldier, who has not been named, was with two colleagues patrolling the business area of La Defense as part of France's Vigipirate anti-terrorist surveillance strategy when he was approached from behind and attacked with a knife or box-cutter.

Pakistan Airlines plane alert: Suspects' custody extended 25 May 2013 Two men continue to be questioned on suspicion of endangerment of an aircraft after RAF Typhoon jets escorted a passenger plane over the UK. Police boarded Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight, originally en-route to Manchester from Lahore, after it was diverted to Stansted on Friday. Both suspects are British nationals, aged 30 and 41, Essex Police said. The force confirmed their custody had been extended for 12 hours, from about 16:00 BST.

Man Held In Met Police Terror Investigation 25 May 2013 A 31-year-old man has been arrested in London on suspicion of terrorism offences, Scotland Yard has revealed. The man was detained at 9.30pm on Friday by officers from the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command. He is being held on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. The man has been taken to a south London police station, where he remains in custody.

Two passengers arrested after RAF jets escort diverted Pakistan plane 24 May 2013 Two men have been arrested after a passenger jet from Pakistan was escorted into Stansted airport by RAF fighter planes following a security alert. The Pakistan International Airlines plane took off from Lahore with 297 passengers people on board and had been due to land at Manchester airport at 2pm local time. However, the Guardian understands that the pilot, concerned about at least one disruptive passenger who had started shouting 10 minutes before landing, asked to divert to Stansted as a precaution.

UK sends fighter jets to escort Pakistani passenger plane 24 May 2013 Britain launched fighter jets on Friday to escort a Pakistan International Airlines passenger plane arriving from Lahore in Pakistan to an airport near London after it was diverted from Manchester, the Defense Ministry said. Britain is on high alert after a soldier was hacked to death on a London street on Wednesday in what police are treating as a terrorist incident, but a security source said early indications were that the diverted plane was not the target of a terrorist attack. Flight PK709, carrying 297 passengers, landed at Stansted Airport, northeast of London - one of London's less busy airports, preferred as a location for handling airplane security incidents.

Gunmen kill NATO driver in northwest Pakistan 24 May 2013 Heavily armed gunmen have opened fire at a convoy carrying NATO military vehicles in the troubled northwest Pakistan, killing at least a driver and destroying two trucks. Local security officials said Friday's attack took place near Landi Kotal, the main town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. "Gunmen opened fire from the nearby mountains on the convoy carrying NATO military vehicles after it entered Pakistan from Afghanistan and killed a driver and injured one of the helpers," local police official Khan Dad said. The trucks were carrying NATO vehicles to the southern port city of Karachi.

Afghan Taliban Guerrillas Kill One in Attack on UN Site in Kabul 24 May 2013 Taliban guerrillas stormed a Kabul guesthouse used by the UN International Organization for Migration, killing an Afghan policeman and wounding eight other people, including United Nations personnel, police said. The attack was the second major strike in the city in the past eight days. Four Taliban militants armed with heavy and light weapons stormed the guesthouse after a suicide car bomber targeted the entrance gate of the UN agency, Kabul Police Chief Ayub Salangi said in a phone interview. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed claimed responsibility in an e-mailed statement that said a squad of Taliban guerrillas targeted a guesthouse used by the CIA to train Afghan spies.

No need for U.S. bases in Afghanistan after 2014: Iran 25 May 2013 Iran has advised the United States not to maintain military bases in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of foreign forces from the country, which is scheduled to take place in 2014. Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi made the remarks in a meeting with UN special envoy to Afghanistan Jan Kubis in Tehran on Wednesday. On May 9, 2013, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Washington wants [sic] to maintain nine military bases after the withdrawal of U.S.-led coalition forces at the end of next year.

Seaweed forces EDF to halt Scottish nuclear reactors 24 May 2013 EDF Energy said on Friday it had halted both reactors at its 1,280 megawatt (MW) Torness nuclear plant near Edinburgh after a rising tide of seaweed threatened to clog its cooling system. "Around 1130 (BST) last night, Thursday 23 May, Unit 2 at Torness power station came offline due to increased seaweed levels as a result of the severe weather and sea conditions in the area," EDF said. "This was followed by a decision to take Unit 1 offline just after 3 a.m. today ...when it was clear that the seaweed levels weren't reducing."

US tax dollars at work: Police in Dubai get fleet of supercars 24 May 2013 Police in Dubai have taken delivery of a fleet of exotic supercars capable of catching even the fastest felon. After unveiling a £300k Lamborghini Aventador last month, authorities have now added a Ferrari, Bentley, Mercedes and a £1.6m Aston Martin One-77 to the force. All vehicles, in full livery, are capable of doing over 190mph and some motorists are thought to have actually BEGGED to be arrested in the hope they can be taken back to the local nick in one of the mega-buck motors.

Judge rules against 'America's toughest sheriff' in racial profiling lawsuit 24 May 2013 Arizona lawman Joe Arpaio violated the constitutional rights of Latino drivers in his crackdown on illegal immigration, a federal judge found on Friday, and ordered him to stop using race as a factor in law enforcement decisions. The ruling against the Maricopa County sheriff came in response to a class-action lawsuit brought by Hispanic drivers that tested whether police can target illegal immigrants without racially profiling U.S. citizens and legal residents of Hispanic origin. 

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