Politics

Homeland Security Alert!

Ridge Wants Legal Status for Millions of Illegal Aliens
WASHINGTON -- Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge has called for millions of illegal aliens in the United States to be given some sort of legal status short of citizenship, a proposal suggesting that the Bush administration might revive an ambitious legalization plan that was sidetracked after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. In comments on Tuesday at a town hall meeting in Miami, Mr. Ridge said, "The bottom line is, as a country, we have to come to grips with the presence of 8 to 12 million illegals, afford them some kind of legal status some way."

Ranchers Sued by Civil Rights Group
TUCSON, Ariz. - A monastery official and a human rights advocacy group sued a southern Arizona ranch family Wednesday, accusing them of impersonating federal agents and violating the rights of illegal aliens. For at least four years, the Barnetts have patrolled their 22,000-acre ranch about five miles north of Douglas, apprehending illegal aliens crossing their property and turning them over to the U.S. Border Patrol. Arizona has become a crossing point for hundreds of thousands of illegals, and the flood of undocumented people has drawn several armed civilian groups that act as self-appointed border watch organizations. The civil action accuses the Barnetts of conspiracy to interfere with the civil rights of illegal immigrants and seeks preliminary and permanent injunctions against them.

Florida Jury Convicts Six Cuban Men in Hijack Case
KEY WEST, Fla. - A Florida jury found six Cuban men guilty on Thursday of hijacking an aging DC-3 plane from communist Cuba to the United States after a trial highlighting the deep political gulf between the two countries. The Cubans face 20 years to life in prison for hijacking the 1940s-era Aerotaxi plane from Cuba's Isle of Youth airport in Nueva Gerona, Cuba, to Key West airport on March 19.

Iraq Suicide Attack Causes U.S. Casualties
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Three suicide bombers attacked the headquarters of the 82nd Airborne Division west of Baghdad on Thursday, the military said. There were casualties, but it was not clear if any U.S. soldiers died in the third suicide attack on American troops this week. "There are reports of casualties, but I don't have any more details," a military source said on condition of anonymity. There were no U.S. fatalities in the previous two suicide attacks this week, indicating that massive defenses erected at American facilities were paying off.

`Third' of New Iraqi Army Quits
WASHINGTON—Plans to deploy the first battalion of Iraq's new army are in doubt because a third of the soldiers trained by the U.S.-led occupation authority have quit, defence officials said yesterday. Touted as a key to Iraq's future, the 700-man battalion lost some 250 men over recent weeks as they were preparing to begin operations this month, Pentagon officials said.

Mad-Dog Malvo
Defense Shrink: Muslim indoctrination made Malvo insane
Lee Boyd Malvo was legally insane during last year's sniper spree because of intense indoctrination by John Allen Muhammad, a defense psychiatrist testified Wednesday at Malvo's trial. Defense mental health experts have said Malvo, 18, was taught by Muhammad that right and wrong are artificial concepts and that the winner in a war determines who is right and who is wrong. Muhammad likened the sniper attacks to a war against the United States government, which he said oppresses blacks. Malvo's attorneys are presenting an insanity defense to capital murder charges in the death of FBI analyst Linda Franklin, who was shot on Oct. 14, 2002, outside a Home Depot.

Taiwan sell-out
President Bush, who not so long ago was spouting eloquent phrases about the U.S. commitment to democracy all over the globe, apparently thinks it is a bad idea for the people of Taiwan to so much as vote on whether they prefer that Chinese missiles not be pointed in their direction. ...it's China that's the aggressor here and Taiwan that's relying on one of the greatest tools of a free people — the ballot box. It was unprincipled for Bush to retreat from his recent words about democracy.

Chen still defiant after Bush rebuke
A defiant President Chen Shui-bian yesterday reaffirmed his resolution to carry out a "defensive referendum" on the day of the presidential election -- March 20, next year -- to denounce China's military threat to Taiwan and demand the withdrawal of ballistic missiles which threaten the nation.

Needed: A Realistic Look at China Policy
John J. Tkacik, Jr. (Heritage Foundation) -- In 2003, China has renewed threats of war against Taiwan, dragged its feet in the war on terrorism, lent moral support to North Korea's nuclear program, continued proliferating dangerous weapons, accelerated its military buildup, been increasingly aggressive in the South China Sea, and cultivated an ever-worsening human rights environment. The Administration and Congress should reexamine their China policy and reconsider why they abandoned the candid, firm, and successful pre-September 11 approach for a policy of conciliation and compromise, which has yielded little beyond rhetoric.

With Court Ruling, Campaign Power Shifts
Toward Independent Tax-Exempt Groups and PACs
WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court's decision to uphold nearly all of the sweeping new federal campaign finance law has profound consequences for the 2004 presidential election and for political parties far beyond, activists and legal experts said. Among the most immediate effects, the ruling intensifies a new kind of dash for campaign cash. Republican strategist Frank Donatelli said the court ruling means that "it's no longer a question" that independent, tax-exempt groups are going to be "major players in the 2004 elections." The confirmation of the soft money ban "clearly means that individual and political action committee contributions are even more important," said David Magleby, dean of the School of Social Sciences at Brigham Young University.

Another Omnibus Spending Bill Loaded with Pork
The congressional spending spree of the past few years is well-documented, and this year promises to be no different. Over the last four years, federal spending has increased from $16,000 per household to $20,000 per household, the highest level since World War II.

Gov't signs $169m deal to develop Khirbet Al Samra plant
AMMAN — The government signed the first build-operate-transfer (BOT) deal of its kind in the region to an international group of companies on Wednesday for the development and expansion of the Khirbet Al Samra Wastewater Treatment Plant. The plant extension, which will treat 80 per cent of the country's wastewater, will be financed by a number of parties — the major portion through a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) grant of $78 million.

Ex-FBI Agent Charged in Mob
Slaying Assaulted in Miami Jail
TULSA, Okla. - A retired FBI agent accused in the mob-related slaying of a Tulsa businessman was assaulted in a Miami jail, officials said. Deputies wanted to arrange for U.S. marshals to bring H. Paul Rico to Tulsa this week, but his injuries will delay the extradition, Tulsa County Chief Deputy George Haralson said. "While incarcerated in a jail facility it was reported he was assaulted by one or more inmates and required medical attention," Haralson said. "At this point in time, we are not sure what his medical status is, and therefore his return trip to Tulsa has been delayed."

JP Morgan Sues Ex-Global Crossing Execs
NEW YORK - Investment bank J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. has sued 23 former officers and directors of Global Crossing Ltd. for $1.7 billion, accusing them of hiding important financial information while running the fiber-optic network, The Los Angeles Times reported in its Thursday editions.

Posted by Editor at December 11, 2003 10:51 AM