Update on Our 'Diplomat' in Pakistan

A Pakistani court has said a CIA contractor facing trial over the fatal shooting of two men does not have diplomatic immunity.

The court in the eastern city of Lahore also adjourned hearing of the case where Raymond Davis, 36, is being tried until March 8.

Thursday's decision is at least a temporary blow to the US, which insists Davis was considered a diplomat and was acting in self-defence against the dead men, whom he called robbers.

[...]

Last month an influential US senator, John Kerry, apologised to the Pakistani government over the shooting but Barack Obama, the US president, has said Davis enjoys diplomatic immunity under the Vienna Conventions.

"We expect Pakistan ... to abide by the same convention," Obama said.

  alJazeera

Although they finally admitted Davis is a CIA operative. And because we always abide by universal conventions, notably the Geneva convention.

Really, when all is said and done, will the CIA prove to be the worst thing that ever happened to the world? They'll certainly be at the top of the list.

Egypt Update

The arrest and sentencing of Amr Abdallah Elbihiry, 33, an Egyptian activist, has sparked outrage among pro-democracy activists and human rights groups in Egypt.

Elbihiry was convicted and sentenced to five years in military prison on Wednesday by Egypt's Supreme Military Court, after being charged with assaulting a public official on duty and for breaking curfew.

[...]

Many protesters are currently camping out in Tahrir [Liberation] Square, following ongoing protests calling for the resignation of other key figures of the former regime. And many call for millions to attend Friday’s protest and to raise the demand for Elbihiry's release along with other protesters arrested since January 25, and the resignation of interim prime minister Ahmed Shafiq.

"Nothing has changed, the current regime must go, it is part of the old regime and they are still practicing their old tricks on us," said one of the protesters in Tahrir, echoing a view voiced by many others who are refusing to leave the square until all the demands of their revolution have been met.

  alJazeera

New Charges Against Brad Manning

US Army authorities announced 22 additional charges against Private Bradley Manning, including the serious offense of "aiding the enemy," which carries a potential death sentence.

But military prosecutors do not plan to seek the death penalty if Manning is convicted and instead the 23-year-old soldier would face possible life in prison, the army said in a statement.

  Raw Story

Speaking of Lobbyists

For years, they have been one of the most formidable lobbying forces in town: the elite band of former members of Congress, former diplomats and power brokers who have helped Middle Eastern nations navigate diplomatic waters here on delicate issues like arms deals, terrorism, oil and trade restrictions.

Just last year, three of the biggest names in the lobbying club — Tony Podesta, Robert L. Livingston and Toby Moffett [...] met with dozens of lawmakers and helped stall a Senate bill that called on Egypt to curtail human rights abuses.

[...]

In Libya, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Yemen, Egypt and other countries in the region, leaders have relied increasingly on Washington’s top lobbyists and lawyers, paying them tens of millions of dollars.

[...]

At Qorvis, a global public relations firm that has represented numerous countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Yemen and Cyprus, executives from the firm’s Washington office were visiting the Middle East this week with a business-as-usual attitude.

“Our clients are facing some challenges now,” Seth Thomas Pietras, senior vice president of Qorvis Geopolitical Solutions, said in a telephone interview from Dubai. “But our long-term goals — to bridge the differences between our clients and the United States — haven’t changed. We stand by them.”

  NYTimes

Americans lobbying on behalf of Middle East dictators.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.

Chris Dodd Will Lobby After All

Despite what he said in the past.

[S]ignificant defense spending cuts and curbs on "crony capitalism [...] will never happen absent some serious social unrest, precisely because the factions which benefit from them own all the influence in Washington, thanks to their purchase of people like Chris Dodd. Only the politically powerless -- meaning the nation's middle and lower classes -- will involuntarily "sacrifice" because they can't afford to purchase the influence necessary to defend their interests in this battle over diminishing resources (and, of course, the only large entity capable of providing some minimal counterweight to this lopsided power imbalance -- unions -- happens to be the current target for destruction [...]). That even Good, Liberal Democratic Politicians like Chris Dodd -- who has done some decent things in his career -- scamper out of the Senate to the nearest feeding hole, all to accelerate this process, underscores how potent a process it is.

  Glenn Greenwald

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.

Stolen from Water Tiger

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.

And Speaking of the Dead Gulf

A first-of-its-kind lawsuit alleging gross negligence and fraud has been filed in a Florida state court against Kenneth Feinberg, the administrator of the 20-billion-dollar compensation fund for victims of BP’s Gulf oil spill, and the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF).

Attorney Brian Donovan of the Donovan Law Group from Tampa filed the complaint against Feinberg, his firm Feinberg Rozen, LLP and the GCCF on behalf of Pinellas Marine Salvage, Inc. and John Mavrogiannis.

The complaint alleges, in part, gross negligence, fraud, fraudulent inducement and unjust enrichment on the part of the defendants.

  Dahr Jamail

Good.

Why Not? It's Dead Now Anyway

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement announced Monday that it issued a permit to Noble Energy Inc. to continue work on its Santiago well about 70 miles southeast of Venice, Louisiana.

Drilling will resume nearly one year after BP's blowout created the worst offshore spill in U.S. history.

  CBS

Meanwhile in Columbus

Thousands of demonstrators converged on the state Capitol in Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday as the state legislature began hearings on a bill that targets public sector unions.

The Reuters new agency estimated over 8,000 attended the protest and the AFL-CIO claimed a whopping 20,000 people were present.

  Raw Story

Support Brad Manning

PayPal has blocked donations to a fund to support Private Manning. They're asking people to sign a letter to PayPal to reverse the decision.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.

Fox Lies

Fox News has been making a lot of hay about one of their reporters allegedly being "punched" by a protester in Madison, Wisconsin.

Turns out, that didn't happen.

  Raw Story

He was jealous of the attention Anderson Cooper, Lara Logan and fellow Fox reporter Greg Palkot got when they were roughed up by Mubarak henchmen and thought it might put his career on the fast track while simultaneously painting the pro-union crowds as thugs.

Mike Tobin, reporting from amid the massive demonstration on Friday, claimed that one of the protesters "punched" him in the arm. In another broadcast, he claimed a man threatened to break his neck.

[...]

Last week the hosts of the network's morning show literally flipped the results of a Gallup poll showing strong support for unions, relaying it to their viewers as the opposite.

[...]

Tobin's allegation that he was assaulted might have slipped past without rebuttal were it not for a camera-equipped bystander, who captured the scene.

[...]

Fox News reporters have been repeatedly shouted down by union protesters, many of whom simply chant "Fox News lies!" every time the network's cameras set up for a live shot.

And it just pisses Fox off. So they lie some more.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.

Support Wisconsin; Support Collective Bargaining

We at the UW Teaching Assistants’ Association (TAA) are deeply appreciative of the outpouring of support from around the nation and the world. We continue to accept donations to support the following expenses and activities: food, supplies, cleanup of the Capitol, logistical support, reservation of space, signs, t-shirts, buttons, staff support, phonebanking, legal defense, and general organizational expenses that have arisen due to our occupation of the Capitol. If any money should be left over after our campaign to kill the bill, we will put it toward building a movement to defend and advocate for the rights of workers and unions.

  Defend Wisconsin

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.