U.S. Military Is Authorized to Kill Iranians Inside Iraq

By Dafna Linzer

Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 26, 2007; Page A01

The Bush administration has authorized the U.S. military to kill or capture Iranian operatives inside Iraq as part of an aggressive new strategy to weaken Tehran's influence across the Middle East and compel it to give up its nuclear program, according to government and counterterrorism officials with direct knowledge of the effort.       Washington Post Article

      WaPo also states that for more than a year the U.S. military has been detaining Iranians for a few days at a time while they have been collecting DNA samples, fingerprints, pictures and other things from some of the Iranians, without their knowledge.

   No big deal on those issues since this action is only meant to intimidate the Iran emissaries. I just wonder if the Iranians will instead become more irate and emboldened by the U.S. actions.

    In case you have not noticed, the Iranian government has thus far been fearless and not to concerned, publicly, with the U.S.

 

Technorati tags: U.S., Military, Iran, Iraq

 

Judges Uneasy With Secrecy Issues In Spy Program

By ADAM LIPTAK

Published: January 26, 2007

The Bush administration has employed extraordinary secrecy in defending the National Security Agency’s highly classified domestic surveillance program from civil lawsuits. Plaintiffs and judges’ clerks cannot see its secret filings. Judges have to make appointments to review them and are not allowed to keep copies.

Judges have even been instructed to use computers provided by the Justice Department to compose their decisions.

But now the procedures have started to meet resistance. At a private meeting with the lawyers in one of the cases this month, the judges who will hear the first appeal next week expressed uneasiness about the procedures, said a lawyer who attended, Ann Beeson of the American Civil Liberties Union.         NYT Article

                                         * * * *

   This can't be good! This looks like just another way for the Bush Crime Family to keep more of its illegal doings under wraps. Strategically, it makes sense because you cannot be sued if the opposing party has no evidence to use against you.

   Having to use computers provided by the Justice Department is definitely not in the judges best interest. Once again it is in Bush's best interest. I'd bet that those computers have been tampered with and I'd also wager that materials and finding have been or will be erased or changed. I see some of the decisions being changed if they are not favorable to Bushco.

Technorati tags: Judges, Secrecy, ACLU, Spy Program