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Sat Sep 6 14:34:02 EDT 2008

Martin 17 Jan 2009 Three days before the inauguration of the 44th =
president of the United States, the distinctions have largely been =
effaced between the outgoing and incoming administrations. George W. =
Bush is, as even the corporate-controlled media admits, the most hated =
and despised president [sic] in American history. Barack Obama is, at =
least according to the opinion polls that measure popular moods, the =
beneficiary of a temporary honeymoon period in which hope outweighs =
experience and many are inclined to "give him a chance." Far more =
decisive than these illusions are the policies of the Obama =
administration.

Iraqi election candidate shot dead 16 Jan 2009 Friday, [Blackwater?] =
gunmen shot to death a candidate belonging to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri =
al-Maliki's Dawa Party, while campaigning ahead of provincial =
'elections' scheduled for month-end. Reports quoting police said the =
gunmen intercepted a convoy of Hashim al-Husseini, who was proceeding to =
the town of Jbela, south of Baghdad, for campaign.

Iraq Cabinet member escapes bomb in Baghdad 15 Jan 2009 An Iraqi Cabinet =
member escaped injury Thursday when a roadside bomb exploded near his =
convoy in Baghdad... Abed Theyab, minister of higher education, was =
traveling to work when the bomb went off as he passed through the =
Karradah district, police said. No one in the convoy was hurt but three =
civilian bystanders were wounded, the police added.

Mich. man accused of spying for Iraq pleads guilty 16 Jan 2009 A =
suburban Detroit man accused of spying for Saddam Hussein's former =
government and sharing information with the executed Iraqi president's =
intelligence service has pleaded guilty. Najib Shemami pleaded guilty =
Friday to aiding Iraq without approval from the U.S. government.=20

Saudi Arabia: KBR expands interests to security facilities 16 Jan 2009 =
Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR) is reportedly becoming a serious competitor =
to all major US construction and contracting companies active in Saudi =
Arabia, including notably Bechtel and Fluor.=20

Bolivia to take Israel to The Hague [OMG, take the US too!] 16 Jan 2009 =
Bolivia is seeking to take Tel Aviv to International Criminal Court over =
the brutal atrocities the Israeli forces have committed in Gaza. The =
Andean state says it is intended to make regional allies take a unified =
stance against "the Israeli political and military leaders responsible =
for the offensive on the Gaza Strip" and make it to stand trial at the =
international body in the Hague, said Sacha Llorenti, whose portfolio =
covers civil society.=20

UN accuses Israel of breaking international law 16 Jan 2009 UN diplomats =
have put the Israeli government under pressure over its role in flouting =
international law with its deadly military assault on the Gaza Strip. An =
emergency meeting of the UN has heard Israel=92s strikes on Gaza have =
also targeted hospital, media and UN buildings.

Israeli TV airs Gaza doctor's desperate pleas 16 Jan 2009 Israeli =
television broadcast desperate cries for help from a Palestinian doctor =
on Friday after his children were killed in an Israeli attack in the =
Gaza Strip and troops later helped surviving members of the family. The =
telephone calls created extraordinary scenes during evening news =
broadcasts as the doctor, a Hebrew-speaking physician who spoke =
regularly on Israeli television, said three of his children were killed =
in a tank strike and others were wounded.=20

Israelis 'shot at fleeing Gazans' 14 Jan 2009 Claims have been received =
by the BBC and an Israeli human rights group that Israeli troops have =
fired on Gaza residents trying to escape the conflict area. Israel has =
strongly denied the allegations. BBC journalists in Gaza and Israel have =
compiled detailed accounts of the claims. Some Palestinian civilians in =
Gaza say Israeli forces shot at them as they tried to leave their homes =
- in some cases bearing white flags.=20

Pregnant woman hospitalized as Gaza rocket hits Ashkelon home 17 Jan =
2009 Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip on Friday fired more than =
15 rockets at southern Israel Friday, leaving five Israelis wounded. A =
pregnant woman was hospitalized in Ashkelon after her home suffered a =
direct him from a rocket, while two Israelis were wounded in Ashdod - =
one moderately and the other lightly.=20

CIA chief: No proof of Iranian A-bomb 16 Jan 2009 The Central =
Intelligence Agency (CIA) says there is no evidence that proves Tehran =
is edging towards developing nuclear weapons. Departing CIA Director =
Michael Hayden said Thursday that the Islamic Republic's production of =
low-enriched uranium does not necessarily substantiate an Iranian =
objective to build atomic weaponry.=20

Friendly-fire inquiry after marines from Scots base die in Afghanistan =
17 Jan 2009 An investigation was under way last night into whether two =
British servicemen based in Scotland died in Afghanistan as a result of =
"friendly fire", the Ministry of Defence said.=20

US: Helicopter downed in Afghanistan 16 Jan 2009 The U.S. military says =
one of its Black Hawk helicopters has gone down near Afghanistan's =
capital. No deaths were reported. All seven people aboard survived and =
the military says in a statement that they are "safe and secure."=20

200,000 war veterans homeless in US --300,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war =
veterans file disability claims with US federal government. 16 Jan 2009 =
For six years of war in Iraq, the Bush administration has done =
absolutely nothing to take care of the hundreds of thousands of wounded =
veterans coming home, said Aaron Glantz, a journalist who has been =
covering the stories of US military vets returning from Iraq and =
Afghanistan.=20

CIA Head Defends Harsh Interrogations 16 Jan 2009 CIA Director Michael =
Hayden strenuously defended the effectiveness of the CIA's harsh =
interrogation techniques Thursday, only moments after Attorney =
General-designate Eric Holder said the use of waterboarding was torture. =
Though U.S. officials say interrogators have not engaged in =
waterboarding in the past five years, Hayden said the coercive =
techniques and other harsh tactics were useful in the war on of terror.=20

Appointee: Guantanamo suspects likely to face civilian courts 16 Jan =
2009 It will take a quick pen stroke for President-elect Barack Obama to =
order the closing of the Guantanamo Bay prison. Implementing the =
directive, however, could prove lengthy, complicated and politically =
divisive.

Forgive and Forget? By Paul Krugman 16 Jan 2009 In fact, we=92ve already =
seen this movie. During the Reagan years, the Iran-contra conspirators =
violated the Constitution in the name of national security. But the =
first President Bush pardoned the major malefactors, and when the White =
House finally changed hands the political and media establishment gave =
Bill Clinton the same advice it=92s giving Mr. Obama: let sleeping =
scandals lie. Sure enough, the second Bush administration picked up =
right where the Iran-contra conspirators left off =97 which isn=92t too =
surprising when you bear in mind that Mr. Bush actually hired some of =
those conspirators.=20

In farewell speech, Bush insists "war on terror" must continue By Bill =
Van Auken 16 Jan 2009 An intellectual and moral cipher who was =
catapulted into the White House thanks to family connections and a =
stolen election, [George] Bush=92s name will be forever associated with =
the most shameful episodes in modern American history, from the torture =
of prisoners at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, to the abandonment of the =
people of New Orleans in the wake of Katrina, to Wall Street=92s =
plundering of the economy at the expense of millions of Americans=92 =
jobs and homes.

Satire: Cheney's One Regret: I Should Have Tried Cannibalism By R J =
Shulman 17 Jan 2009 In a candid interview with Fox News commentator Sean =
Hannity, outgoing Vice President [sic] Dick Cheney said that overall, =
his eight years in office were quite fulfilling. "I got to invade and =
decimate helpless countries, oversee torturing prisoners to death, =
funneled funds to Halliburton on no bid contracts, spied on citizens and =
outed spies, watched a whole city drown and witnessed millions thrown =
out of their homes. But I do have one regret," Cheney said, "and that is =
that I didn't eat anyone." (Satire!)

Veterans say CIA tested drugs, mind control on them 11 Jan 2009 ...The =
experiments have been the subject of congressional hearings, and in 2003 =
the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs released a pamphlet said nearly =
7,000 soldiers had been involved and more than 250 chemicals used on =
them, including hallucinogens such as LSD and PCP as well as biological =
and chemical agents. Lasting from 1950 to 1975, the experiments took =
place at Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland. According to the lawsuit, some of =
the 'volunteers' were even implanted with electrical devices in an =
effort to control their behavior. [1950 to 1975. Imagine how much the =
CIA's mind control technology has grown, since then? See: NIU Shooting =
'Oddities' and=20
Virginia Tech Shooting 'Oddities'.]=20

U.S. plots major upgrade to Internet router security 15 Jan 2009 The =
U.S. federal government is accelerating its efforts to 'secure' the =
Internet's routing system, with plans this year for the Department of =
Homeland Security to quadruple its investment in research aimed at =
adding digital signatures to router communications. DHS says its routing =
security effort will prevent routing hijack attacks as well as =
accidental misconfigurations of routing data.

Bush Administration Proposes Letting Oil Companies Drill Offshore 16 Jan =
2009 The Bush administration, in one of its final acts [of terror], is =
proposing to let oil companies drill for oil and natural gas in half a =
dozen areas of the outer continental shelf that had been previously been =
off limits to drilling, a move that will reopen the debate over offshore =
drilling for President-elect Barack Obama.=20

Government giving $20 billion to Bank of America --Guaranteeing losses =
on over $400 billion worth of Citi, Bank of America assets 16 Jan 2009 =
The U.S. government on Friday announced it was injecting $20 billion =
into Bank of America and guaranteeing losses on over $400 billion of =
assets both the Charlotte, N.C. lender and Citigroup. In a statement =
released Friday, the Treasury Department and the Federal Deposit =
Insurance Corporation said they will invest $20 billion in Bank of =
America from the Troubled Assets Relief Program in exchange for =
preferred stock paying an 8% dividend.=20

US Senate votes another $350 billion to bail out the banks By Barry Grey =
16 Jan 2009 The United States Senate on Thursday voted to release the =
second $350 billion installment of the $700 billion bailout fund for the =
banks. The vote came amid predictions of hundreds of billions of dollars =
in new bank losses and calls by economists and some Federal Reserve =
officials for a vast expansion in the transfer of taxpayer funds to Wall =
Street over and above the $700 billion provided by the Troubled Asset =
Relief Program (TARP) passed by Congress last October.=20

Stimulus plan repeals big tax break for banks 16 Jan 2009 House =
Democrats' version of the $825 billion recession rescue package would =
end billions of dollars in tax breaks the Bush regime quietly gave to =
banks last fall. Already almost exclusive beneficiaries of a $700 =
billion Wall Street bailout, banks are largely left out of the House =
stimulus package that President-elect Barack Obama wants passed quickly =
through Congress.=20

FDIC Shuts Down Illinois-Based National Bank of Commerce 16 Jan 2009 =
Berkeley, Ill.-based National Bank of Commerce was closed by regulators =
Friday, marking the first bank failure of 2009, the Federal Deposit =
Insurance Corporation said in a statement. Republic Bank of Chicago will =
assume all of National Bank of Commerce's deposits, while the two =
locations of National Bank of Commerce will reopen Saturday as branches =
of Republic Bank, the FDIC said.

Circuit City to liquidate, shutter stores 16 Jan 2009 Bankrupt =
electronics retailer Circuit City Stores said on Friday it will =
liquidate its assets and shutter hundreds of U.S. stores after failing =
to reach a deal to sell the company. Circuit City is one of the largest =
retail bankruptcies in the current U.S. [Bush] recession.=20

UAW accepts government ban on strikes By Jerry White 15 Jan 2009 It has =
come to light that the federal bailout of General Motors and Chrysler =
approved last month by the Bush administration with the support of the =
incoming Obama administration includes a stipulation that effectively =
bans strikes or work stoppages by autoworkers. The clause, which was =
revealed in a Security and Exchange Commission filing by GM last week, =
coincides with government demands that the 139,000 workers at Detroit's =
auto companies agree by February 17 to accept mass layoffs, plant =
closures and sweeping wage and benefit concessions.=20

Polar bears facing increasingly grim future --Population could drop =
two-thirds in the next 40 years 28 Dec 2008 There are now about 22,000 =
polar bears in the wild, 60 to 70% of them in Canada's north. Recent =
projections, which biologist Andrew Derocher says may be conservative =
given the phenomenal Arctic ice loss seen in the last two years, have =
the bear population plummeting by two-thirds by 2050 as the ice =
retreats. By the end of the century, he says, there may just be remnant =
populations left in Greenland and Canada's most northern Arctic islands, =
which might be the only places cold enough to sustain the iconic bears.

CLG needs your support.=20
http://www.legitgov.org/#contribute
Or, please mail a check or money order to CLG:=20
Citizens for Legitimate Government (CLG)=20
P.O. Box 1142=20
Bristol, CT 06011-1142=20
Contributions to CLG are not tax deductible=20

Previous lead stories: Democratic chairman to reintroduce military draft =
measure 14 Jan 2009 Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) likely will introduce =
his controversial legislation to reinstate the draft again this year, =
but he will wait until after the economic stimulus package is passed. =
Asked if he plans to introduce the legislation again in 2009, Rangel =
last week said, "Probably =85 yes. I don=92t want to do anything this =
early to distract from the issue of the economic stimulus."

UN headquarters in Gaza hit by Israeli 'white phosphorus' shells 15 Jan =
2009 The main UN compound in Gaza was left in flames today after being =
struck by Israeli artillery fire, and a spokesman said that the building =
had been hit by shells containing the incendiary agent white phosphorus. =
The attack on the headquarters of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) =
came as Ban Ki Moon, the UN Secretary-General, arrived in Israel on a =
peace mission and plunged Israel's relations with the world body to a =
new low.=20

Judge orders Guantanamo detainee captured at 14 to be freed 14 Jan 2009 =
A US judge has ordered the military to release a Guantanamo Bay prisoner =
who was arrested in Pakistan when he was 14. Mohamed el-Gharani was one =
of the first people to be sent to the military prison in Cuba in 2002, =
where he has been held ever since. US District Judge Richard Leon ruled =
that el-Gharani, who is also known as Yousuf and is now 21, is not an =
enemy combatant and must be released. His lawyer says he was accused of =
being a member of al Qaida in 1998, when he would have been 11 years =
old.=20

Those who wish to be added to the list can go here: =
http://www.legitgov.org/#subscribe_clg and add your name. Those who wish =
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<DIV align=3Dcenter>Breaking News=20
and Commentary from Citizens For Legitimate =
Government</DIV>
<DIV align=3Dcenter>17&nbsp;Jan =
2009</DIV>
<DIV align=3Dcenter><A href=3D"http://www.legitgov.org/">http://www.legitgov.org/</A></DIV>
<DIV align=3Dcenter>All items are =
here:</DIV>
<DIV align=3Dcenter><A =
href=3D"http://www.legitgov.org/#breaking_news"><FONT=20
face=3DVerdana=20
size=3D3>http://www.legitgov.org/#breaking_news</=
A></DIV>
<DIV align=3Dleft> 
<A =
href=3D"http://www.mercurynews.com/politics/ci_11465384"=20
target=3Ddisplay>Special court OKs broad evidence-gathering =
rules</A><FONT=20
face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=3D2> 15 Jan 2009 The =
government=20
does not need a search warrant when it taps the phones or checks the =
e-mails of=20
suspected terrorists who are outside the United States, even if =
Americans might=20
be overheard on these calls, a special intelligence court ruled in an =
opinion=20
released Thursday. The decision confirms what the Bush regime officials =
and some=20
legal experts have long said. While the Constitution protects the =
privacy rights=20
of Americans against "unreasonable searches and seizures," this =
principle does=20
not bar U.S. spy agencies from conducting surveillance aimed at foreign =
targets=20
abroad. 
<A=20
href=3D"http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/16/washington/16fisa.html"=20
target=3Ddisplay>Court Affirms Wiretapping Without Warrants</A> 16 =
Jan 209 In=20
a rare public ruling, a secret federal appeals court has said =
telecommunications=20
companies must cooperate with the government to intercept international =
phone=20
calls and e-mail of American citizens suspected of being spies or =
terrorists.=20
The ruling came in a case involving an unidentified company=92s =
challenge to 2007=20
legislation that expanded the president=92s legal power to conduct =
wiretapping=20
without warrants for intelligence purposes. 
<A=20
href=3D"http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ipcdFEvhCtlizQ2=
FXys51DiaT1LAD95OI79O0"=20
target=3Ddisplay>Inauguration security center to go live =
Saturday</A> 16 Jan=20
2009 The multi-agency command center, run by the Secret Service eight =
blocks=20
from the White House, will have more than 100 officials from 58 federal, =
state=20
and local agencies overseeing what is likely the largest security =
operation in=20
inaugural history. It is the only command center in the Washington area =
where=20
officials will monitor inaugural activities and public areas via live =
video=20
feeds from the FBI, Metropolitan Police Department, National Park =
Service,=20
District of Columbia Transportation Department, National =
Geospatial-Intelligence=20
Agency and others. 
<A=20
href=3D"http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/jan2009/obam-j17.shtml"=20
target=3Ddisplay>From Bush to Obama: On the eve of a "seamless=20
transition"</A> By Patrick Martin 17 Jan 2009 Three days before the =
inauguration of the=20
44th president of the United States, the distinctions have largely been =
effaced=20
between the outgoing and incoming administrations. George=20
W. Bush is, as even the corporate-controlled media admits, the most =
hated and=20
despised president [sic] in American history. Barack Obama =
is, at=20
least according to the opinion polls that measure popular moods, the =
beneficiary=20
of a temporary honeymoon period in which hope outweighs experience and =
many are=20
inclined to "give him a chance." Far more decisive than these illusions =
are the=20
policies of the Obama administration.
<A =
href=3D"http://www.rttnews.com/ArticleView.aspx?Id=3D827280"=20
target=3Ddisplay>Iraqi=20
election candidate shot dead</A><FONT=20
face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=3D2> 16 Jan 2009 =
Friday,=20
[Blackwater?] gunmen shot to death a candidate belonging to Iraqi Prime =
Minister=20
Nuri al-Maliki's Dawa Party, while campaigning ahead of provincial =
'elections'=20
scheduled for month-end. Reports quoting police said the gunmen =
intercepted a=20
convoy of Hashim al-Husseini, who was proceeding to the town of Jbela, =
south of=20
Baghdad, for campaign.
<A=20
href=3D"http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hwK_CSpBxsNuVUE=
aDuOwmSSCiqGwD95NOIVG1"=20
target=3Ddisplay>Iraq Cabinet member escapes bomb in Baghdad</A> 15 =
Jan 2009=20
An Iraqi Cabinet member escaped injury Thursday when a roadside bomb =
exploded=20
near his convoy in Baghdad... Abed Theyab, minister of higher education, =
was=20
traveling to work when the bomb went off as he passed through the =
Karradah=20
district, police said. No one in the convoy was hurt but three civilian=20
bystanders were wounded, the police added.
<A=20
href=3D"http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iVdusriDxEXvQ5W=
o-j2GrfarPOHAD95OJ1RO0"=20
target=3Ddisplay>Mich. man accused of spying for Iraq pleads=20
guilty</A>=20
16 Jan 2009 A suburban Detroit man accused of spying for Saddam =
Hussein's former=20
government and sharing information with the executed Iraqi president's=20
intelligence service has pleaded guilty. Najib Shemami pleaded guilty =
Friday to=20
aiding Iraq without approval from the U.S. government. 
<A=20
href=3D"http://www.tacticalreport.com/articles.php?country=3Dweekly&amp;a=
rt_id=3D471"=20
target=3Ddisplay>Saudi Arabia: KBR expands interests to security=20
facilities</A> 16 Jan 2009 Kellogg Brown &amp; Root (KBR) is =
reportedly=20
becoming a serious competitor to all major US construction and =
contracting=20
companies active in Saudi Arabia, including notably Bechtel and Fluor.=20

<A=20
href=3D"http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=3D82554&amp;sectionid=3D3510=
20202"=20
target=3Ddisplay>Bolivia to take Israel to The Hague</A> [OMG, take the =
US=20
too!] 16 Jan 2009 Bolivia is seeking to take Tel Aviv to =
International=20
Criminal Court over the brutal atrocities the Israeli forces have =
committed in=20
Gaza. The Andean state says it is intended to make regional allies take =
a=20
unified stance against "the Israeli political and military leaders =
responsible=20
for the offensive on the Gaza Strip" and make it to stand trial at the=20
international body in the Hague, said Sacha Llorenti, whose portfolio =
covers=20
civil society. 
<A=20
href=3D"http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/index.php?sid=3D454454" =
target=3Ddisplay>UN=20
accuses Israel of breaking international law</A> 16 Jan 2009 UN =
diplomats=20
have put the Israeli government under pressure over its role in flouting =

international law with its deadly military assault on the Gaza Strip. An =

emergency meeting of the UN has heard Israel=92s strikes on Gaza have =
also=20
targeted hospital, media and UN buildings.
<A=20
href=3D"http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE50F6ML20090116"=20
target=3Ddisplay>Israeli TV airs Gaza doctor's desperate pleas</A> =
16 Jan 2009=20
Israeli television broadcast desperate cries for help from a Palestinian =
doctor=20
on Friday after his children were killed in an Israeli attack in the =
Gaza Strip=20
and troops later helped surviving members of the family. The telephone =
calls=20
created extraordinary scenes during evening news broadcasts as the =
doctor, a=20
Hebrew-speaking physician who spoke regularly on Israeli television, =
said three=20
of his children were killed in a tank strike and others were wounded.=20

<A=20
href=3D"http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7828536.stm"=20
target=3Ddisplay>Israelis 'shot at fleeing Gazans'</A> 14 Jan 2009 =
Claims have=20
been received by the BBC and an Israeli human rights group that Israeli =
troops=20
have fired on Gaza residents trying to escape the conflict area. Israel =
has=20
strongly denied the allegations. BBC journalists in Gaza and Israel have =

compiled detailed accounts of the claims. Some Palestinian civilians in =
Gaza say=20
Israeli forces shot at them as they tried to leave their homes - in some =
cases=20
bearing white flags. 
<A=20
href=3D"http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1056149.html" =
target=3Ddisplay>Pregnant=20
woman hospitalized as Gaza rocket hits Ashkelon home</A> 17 Jan 2009 =

Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip on Friday fired more than 15 =
rockets at=20
southern Israel Friday, leaving five Israelis wounded. A pregnant woman =
was=20
hospitalized in Ashkelon after her home suffered a direct him from a =
rocket,=20
while two Israelis were wounded in Ashdod - one moderately and the other =

lightly. </FONT></P>
<P align=3Dleft><FONT face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" =
size=3D2><B><A=20
href=3D"http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=3D82558&amp;sectionid=3D351=
020104"=20
target=3Ddisplay>CIA chief: No proof of Iranian A-bomb</A></B> 16 Jan =
2009 The=20
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) says there is no evidence that proves =
Tehran=20
is edging towards developing nuclear weapons. Departing CIA Director =
Michael=20
Hayden said Thursday that the Islamic Republic's production of =
low-enriched=20
uranium does not necessarily substantiate an Iranian objective to build =
atomic=20
weaponry. </FONT></P>
<P align=3Dleft><B><FONT face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" =
size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/Friendlyfire-inquiry-after-ma=
rines-from.4886641.jp"=20
target=3Ddisplay>Friendly-fire inquiry after marines from Scots base die =
in=20
Afghanistan</A></FONT></B><FONT face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, =
sans-serif"=20
size=3D2> 17 Jan 2009 An investigation was under way last night into =
whether two=20
British servicemen based in Scotland died in Afghanistan as a result of=20
"friendly fire", the Ministry of Defence said. </FONT></P>
<P align=3Dleft><B><FONT face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" =
size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hvWEqwq3CrRvaQC=
mt21MfoYhjZJQD95O2OI00"=20
target=3Ddisplay>US: Helicopter downed in =
Afghanistan</A></FONT></B><FONT=20
face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=3D2> 16 Jan 2009 The =
U.S.=20
military says one of its Black Hawk helicopters has gone down near =
Afghanistan's=20
capital. No deaths were reported. All seven people aboard survived and =
the=20
military says in a statement that they are "safe and secure." =
</FONT></P>
<P align=3Dleft><FONT face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" =
size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=3D29803"=20
target=3Ddisplay><B>200,000 war veterans homeless in US</B></A><B> =
--300,000 Iraq=20
and Afghanistan war veterans file disability claims with US federal=20
government</B>. 16 Jan 2009 For six years of war in Iraq, the Bush=20
administration has done absolutely nothing to take care of the hundreds =
of=20
thousands of wounded veterans coming home, said Aaron Glantz, a =
journalist who=20
has been covering the stories of US military vets returning from Iraq =
and=20
Afghanistan. </FONT></P>
<P align=3Dleft>
<P align=3Dleft><FONT face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"=20
size=3D2></FONT></P><FONT face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" =
size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://www.military.com/news/article/cia-head-defends-harsh-inter=
rogations.html"=20
target=3Ddisplay><STRONG>CIA Head Defends Harsh =
Interrogations</STRONG></A> 16 Jan=20
2009 CIA Director Michael Hayden strenuously defended the effectiveness =
of the=20
CIA's harsh interrogation techniques Thursday, only moments after =
Attorney=20
General-designate Eric Holder said the use of waterboarding was torture. =
Though=20
U.S. officials say interrogators have not engaged in waterboarding in =
the past=20
five years, Hayden said the coercive techniques and other harsh tactics =
were=20
useful in the war <S>on</S> of terror. </FONT>
<P></P>
<P align=3Dleft><FONT face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" =
size=3D2><B><A=20
href=3D"http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/59917.html" =
target=3Ddisplay>Appointee:=20
Guantanamo suspects likely to face civilian courts</A></B> 16 Jan 2009 =
It will=20
take a quick pen stroke for President-elect Barack Obama to order the =
closing of=20
the Guantanamo Bay prison. Implementing the directive, however, could =
prove=20
lengthy, complicated and politically divisive.</FONT></P><FONT =
face=3DVerdana=20
size=3D2>
<P align=3Dleft><FONT face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" =
size=3D2><B><A=20
href=3D"http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/16/opinion/16krugman.html"=20
target=3Ddisplay>Forgive and Forget?</A></B> By Paul Krugman 16 Jan 2009 =
In fact,=20
we=92ve already seen this movie. During the Reagan years, the =
Iran-contra=20
conspirators violated the Constitution in the name of national security. =
But the=20
first President Bush pardoned the major malefactors, and when the White =
House=20
finally changed hands the political and media establishment gave Bill =
Clinton=20
the same advice it=92s giving Mr. Obama: let sleeping scandals lie. Sure =
enough,=20
the second Bush administration picked up right where the Iran-contra=20
conspirators left off =97 which isn=92t too surprising when you bear in =
mind that=20
Mr. Bush actually hired some of those conspirators. </FONT></P>
<P align=3Dleft><FONT face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" =
size=3D2><B><A=20
href=3D"http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/jan2009/bush-j16.shtml"=20
target=3Ddisplay>In farewell speech, Bush insists "war on terror" must=20
continue</A></B> By Bill Van Auken 16 Jan 2009 An intellectual and moral =
cipher=20
who was catapulted into the White House thanks to family connections and =
a=20
stolen election, [George] Bush=92s name will be forever associated with =
the most=20
shameful episodes in modern American history, from the torture of =
prisoners at=20
Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, to the abandonment of the people of New =
Orleans in=20
the wake of Katrina, to Wall Street=92s plundering of the economy at the =
expense=20
of millions of Americans=92 jobs and homes.</FONT></P>
<P align=3Dleft><STRONG><FONT color=3D#ff0000>Satire:</FONT> </STRONG><A =

href=3D"http://www.legitgov.org/shulman_cheney_regret_170109.html"><STRON=
G>Cheney's=20
One Regret: I Should Have Tried Cannibalism</STRONG></A><STRONG> =
</STRONG>By R J=20
Shulman 17 Jan 2009 In a candid interview with Fox News commentator Sean =

Hannity, outgoing Vice President [sic] Dick Cheney said that overall, =
his eight=20
years in office were quite fulfilling. "I got to invade and decimate =
helpless=20
countries, oversee torturing prisoners to death, funneled funds to =
Halliburton=20
on no bid contracts, spied on citizens and outed spies, watched a whole =
city=20
drown and witnessed millions thrown out of their homes. But I do have =
one=20
regret," Cheney said, "and that is that I didn't eat anyone." =
(Satire!)
<A href=3D"http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1362418.html" =

target=3Ddisplay>Veterans say CIA tested drugs, mind control on=20
them</A> 11=20
Jan 2009 ...The experiments have been the subject of congressional =
hearings, and=20
in 2003 the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs released a pamphlet said =
nearly=20
7,000 soldiers had been involved and more than 250 chemicals used on =
them,=20
including hallucinogens such as LSD and PCP as well as biological and =
chemical=20
agents. Lasting from 1950 to 1975, the experiments took place at =
Edgewood=20
Arsenal in Maryland. According to the lawsuit, some of=20
the 'volunteers' were even implanted with electrical devices in an =
effort to=20
control their behavior. [1950 to 1975. Imagine how much =
the CIA's=20
mind control technology has grown, since then? See: <A=20
href=3D"http://www.legitgov.org/niu_shooting_oddities.html">NIU Shooting =

'Oddities'</A> and <FONT=20
face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=3D2> <A=20
href=3D"http://www.legitgov.org/virginia_tech_shooting_oddities.html">Vir=
ginia=20
Tech Shooting 'Oddities'</A><FONT=20
face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=3D2>.] 
<A=20
href=3D"http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/011509-bgp.html" =
target=3Ddisplay>U.S.=20
plots major upgrade to Internet router security</A> 15 Jan 2009 The =
U.S.=20
federal government is accelerating its efforts to 'secure' the =
Internet's=20
routing system, with plans this year for the Department of Homeland =
Security to=20
quadruple its investment in research aimed at adding digital signatures =
to=20
router communications. DHS says its routing security effort will prevent =
routing=20
hijack attacks as well as accidental misconfigurations of routing=20
data.
<A=20
href=3D"http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123211817360590363.html"=20
target=3Ddisplay>Bush Administration Proposes Letting Oil Companies =
Drill=20
Offshore</A> 16 Jan 2009 The Bush administration, in one of its =
final acts=20
[of terror], is proposing to let oil companies drill for oil and natural =
gas in=20
half a dozen areas of the outer continental shelf that had been =
previously been=20
off limits to drilling, a move that will reopen the debate over offshore =

drilling for President-elect Barack Obama. </FONT></P>
<P align=3Dleft><FONT face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" =
size=3D2><B><A=20
href=3D"http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/us-government-backs-over-40=
0/story.aspx?guid=3D%7B7A56B898%2DB9BD%2D405B%2DBA65%2D309703E0B4EC%7D"=20
target=3Ddisplay>Government giving $20 billion to Bank of America</A>=20
--Guaranteeing losses on over $400 billion worth of Citi, Bank of =
America=20
assets</B> 16 Jan 2009 The U.S. government on Friday announced it was =
injecting=20
$20 billion into Bank of America and guaranteeing losses on over $400 =
billion of=20
assets both the Charlotte, N.C. lender and Citigroup. In a statement =
released=20
Friday, the Treasury Department and the Federal Deposit Insurance =
Corporation=20
said they will invest $20 billion in Bank of America from the Troubled =
Assets=20
Relief Program in exchange for preferred stock paying an 8% dividend.=20
</FONT></P>
<P align=3Dleft><B><FONT face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" =
size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/jan2009/tarp-j16.shtml"=20
target=3Ddisplay>US Senate votes another $350 billion to bail out the=20
banks</A></FONT></B><FONT face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" =
size=3D2>=20
By Barry Grey 16 Jan 2009 The United States Senate on Thursday voted to =
release=20
the second $350 billion installment of the $700 billion bailout fund for =
the=20
banks. The vote came amid predictions of hundreds of billions of dollars =
in new=20
bank losses and calls by economists and some Federal Reserve officials =
for a=20
vast expansion in the transfer of taxpayer funds to Wall Street over and =
above=20
the $700 billion provided by the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) =
passed by=20
Congress last October. </FONT></P>
<P align=3Dleft><FONT face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" =
size=3D2><B><A=20
href=3D"http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090116/D95OEC801.html"=20
target=3Ddisplay>Stimulus plan repeals big tax break for banks</A></B> =
16 Jan 2009=20
House Democrats' version of the $825 billion recession rescue package =
would=20
<FONT color=3D#ff0000><FONT color=3D#000000>end</FONT> =
</FONT></FONT><FONT=20
face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=3D2><FONT=20
color=3D#ff0000><STRONG>billions of dollars in tax breaks the Bush =
regime quietly=20
gave to banks last fall</STRONG></FONT>. Already almost exclusive =
beneficiaries=20
of a $700 billion Wall Street bailout, banks are largely left out of the =
House=20
stimulus package that President-elect Barack Obama wants passed quickly =
through=20
Congress. </FONT></P>
<P align=3Dleft><FONT face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" =
size=3D2><B><A=20
href=3D"http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/illinois-based-natl-bank-co=
mmerce-closed/story.aspx?guid=3D%7B80A3E573-C6DD-4ADB-A171-A02E74ACE1E8%7=
D"=20
target=3Ddisplay>FDIC Shuts Down Illinois-Based National Bank of =
Commerce</A></B>=20
16 Jan 2009 Berkeley, Ill.-based National Bank of Commerce was closed by =

regulators Friday, marking the first bank failure of 2009, the Federal =
Deposit=20
Insurance Corporation said in a statement. Republic Bank of Chicago will =
assume=20
all of National Bank of Commerce's deposits, while the two locations of =
National=20
Bank of Commerce will reopen Saturday as branches of Republic Bank, the =
FDIC=20
said.
<A=20
href=3D"http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUSTRE50F1VW20090117"=20
target=3Ddisplay>Circuit City to liquidate, shutter stores</A> 16 =
Jan 2009=20
Bankrupt electronics retailer Circuit City Stores said on Friday it will =

liquidate its assets and shutter hundreds of U.S. stores after failing =
to reach=20
a deal to sell the company. Circuit City is one of the largest retail=20
bankruptcies in the current U.S. [Bush] recession. </FONT></P>
<P align=3Dleft><FONT face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" =
size=3D2><B><A=20
href=3D"http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/jan2009/pers-j15.shtml"=20
target=3Ddisplay>UAW accepts government ban on strikes</A></B> By Jerry =
White=20
</FONT><FONT face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=3D2>15 =
Jan 2009 It=20
has come to light that the federal bailout of General Motors and =
Chrysler=20
approved last month by the Bush administration with the support of the =
incoming=20
Obama administration includes a stipulation that effectively bans =
strikes or=20
work stoppages by autoworkers. The clause, which was revealed in a =
Security and=20
Exchange Commission filing by GM last week, coincides with government =
demands=20
that the 139,000 workers at Detroit's auto companies agree by February =
17 to=20
accept mass layoffs, plant closures and sweeping wage and benefit =
concessions.=20
</FONT></P>
<P align=3Dleft><FONT face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" =
size=3D2><B><A=20
href=3D"http://www.vancouversun.com/Polar+bears+facing+increasingly+grim+=
future/1122733/story.html"=20
target=3Ddisplay>Polar bears facing increasingly grim future</A> =
--Population=20
could drop two-thirds in the next 40 years</B> 28 Dec 2008 There are now =
about=20
22,000 polar bears in the wild, 60 to 70% of them in Canada's north. =
Recent=20
projections, which biologist Andrew Derocher says may be conservative =
given the=20
phenomenal Arctic ice loss seen in the last two years, have the bear =
population=20
plummeting by two-thirds by 2050 as the ice retreats. By the end of the =
century,=20
he says, there may just be remnant populations left in Greenland and =
Canada's=20
most northern Arctic islands, which might be the only places cold enough =
to=20
sustain the iconic bears.</FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>
<P align=3Dleft><FONT size=3D2><STRONG><FONT face=3DVerdana =
size=3D2>CLG&nbsp;needs your=20
support. <BR></FONT></STRONG><A =
href=3D"http://www.legitgov.org/#contribute"><FONT=20
face=3DVerdana=20
size=3D2><STRONG>http://www.legitgov.org/#contribute</STRONG></FONT></A><=
A=20
href=3D""><FONT color=3D#000000></FONT></A><A href=3D""></A><BR><FONT =
face=3DVerdana=20
size=3D2>Or, please mail a check or money order to&nbsp;CLG: <BR=20
align=3D"center">Citizens for Legitimate Government (CLG) <BR =
align=3D"center">P.O.=20
Box 1142 <BR align=3D"center">Bristol, CT 06011-1142 <BR=20
align=3D"center">Contributions to CLG are not tax deductible </FONT></P>
<DIV align=3Dleft>
<P align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DVerdana size=3D2>Previous lead stories:=20
</FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT size=3D2><B><A=20
href=3D"http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/rangel-to-reintroduce-militar=
y-draft-measure-2009-01-14.html"=20
target=3Ddisplay><FONT face=3DVerdana>Democratic chairman to reintroduce =
military=20
draft measure</FONT></A></B><FONT face=3DVerdana> 14 Jan 2009 Rep. =
Charles Rangel=20
(D-N.Y.) likely will introduce his controversial legislation to =
reinstate the=20
draft again this year, but he will wait until after the economic =
stimulus=20
package is passed. Asked if he plans to introduce the legislation again =
in 2009,=20
Rangel last week said, "Probably =85 yes. I don=92t want to do anything =
this early=20
to distract from the issue of the economic=20
stimulus."</FONT></FONT></P></DIV></DIV>
<P align=3Dleft><FONT size=3D2><B><A=20
href=3D"http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article55=
21925.ece"=20
target=3Ddisplay><FONT face=3DVerdana>UN headquarters in Gaza hit by =
Israeli 'white=20
phosphorus' shells</FONT></A></B><FONT face=3DVerdana> 15 Jan 2009 The =
main UN=20
compound in Gaza was left in flames today after being struck by Israeli=20
artillery fire, and a spokesman said that the building had been hit by =
shells=20
containing the incendiary agent white phosphorus. The attack on the =
headquarters=20
of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) came as Ban Ki Moon, the UN=20
Secretary-General, arrived in Israel on a peace mission and plunged =
Israel's=20
relations with the world body to a new low. </FONT></FONT></P>
<P align=3Dleft>
<P align=3Dleft>
<P align=3Dleft><B><FONT face=3DVerdana size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5jCITSErUGg=
Ieu1OdiOq_9CBdg_MQ"=20
target=3Ddisplay>Judge orders Guantanamo detainee captured at 14 to be=20
freed</A></FONT></B><FONT face=3DVerdana size=3D2> 14 Jan 2009 A US =
judge has=20
ordered the military to release a Guantanamo Bay prisoner who was =
arrested in=20
Pakistan when he was 14. Mohamed el-Gharani was one of the first people =
to be=20
sent to the military prison in Cuba in 2002, where he has been held ever =
since.=20
US District Judge Richard Leon ruled that el-Gharani, who is also known =
as=20
Yousuf and is now 21, is not an enemy combatant and must be released. =
<B>His=20
lawyer says he was accused of being a member of al Qaida in 1998, when =
he would=20
have been 11 years old</B>. </FONT></P>
<P align=3Dleft></FONT><FONT size=3D2><FONT face=3DVerdana><STRONG><FONT =

color=3D#ff0000>Those&nbsp;who wish&nbsp;to be added to the list can go=20
here: <A=20
href=3D"http://www.legitgov.org/#subscribe_clg">http://www.legitgov.org/#subscribe_clg</A>&nbsp;and add your name.&nbsp;Those who wish to unsubscribe can =
go=20
here:&nbsp;<A=20
href=3D"http://lists.people-link.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/legitgov"><=
FONT=20
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size=3D2>http://lists.people-link.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/legitgov</=
FONT></A><FONT=20
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spam, please mark it as 'not spam' and do not delete from a spam or =
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folder, as such actions trigger false spam complaints against the CLG.=20
If you have any inquiries/issues with your =
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please write: signup at legitgov dot org.



<DIV align=3Dleft>
CLG&nbsp;Managing Editor:=20
Lori Price. CLG Founder and Chair: Michael Rectenwald, Ph.D. Copyright =
=A9 2009,=20
Citizens For Legitimate Government =AE All rights=20
reserved.</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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