White House aide accused of plagiarism

Timothy Goeglein, a special assistant to Bush and deputy director of the Office of Public Liaison, was accused of plagiarism on Friday. An article he had published in The News-Sentinel in Fort Wayne, Ind. was found to be copied almost directly from a Dartmouth College publication. The News-Sentinel is now looking for other articles Goeglein could have plagiarized.

http://www.mercurynews.com/natbreakingnews/ci_8408740

Goelgein’s actions are good examples of what not to do when becoming a journalist. This one instance could very well ruin his entire reputation. If there are enough people reading the right articles, it is only a matter of time until someone like this gets caught. Though it is not clear if he will keep his job, he will most likely be punished in some way.

Bush: More Free Trade, not Less

President Bush is pushing for the Colombia Free Trade Agreement to pass, despite opposition from Obama and Clinton. Bush believes that it will ensure that everyone is treated fairly in trading, whereas Obama and Clinton believe that the agreement will cause many workers to lose their jobs.

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dc/2008/02/bush-more-free-trade-not-less.html

If this agreement is passed, it will supposedly allow products to be traded freely and equally between Columbia and the U.S. However, there is the chance that it will have the same effect as NAFTA had on Ohio, hurting both its workers and its economy. If it is not passed, Bush believes that “it will sorely affect the national security interests of the United States…It will undermine the standing of courageous leaders like [Columbian] President [Alvaro] Uribe.”

Bush names special US envoy to Islamic conference

President Bush named a Texas entrepreneur, Sada Cumber, to The Organization of the Islamic Conference. Cumber will represent more than 50 Islamic states and explain to them that America values freedom, despite anti-American sentiment.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/28/america/NA-GEN-US-Muslim-Envoy.php

This new entrepreneur, though a Texan, is still a Muslim by faith and should help support America’s name. Many people from other countries come to America to escape religious persecution and with any luck, Cumber will teach the Islamic world just that.

Senate candidate calls for Bush’s arrest

Laurie Dobson, an Independent U.S. Senate candidate stationed in Kennebunkport, Maine, wants Bush and Cheney to be indicted as war criminals. She called Bush “the worst president in the history of the United States,” because he had “made killing fields of many countries.” She also wants a warrant for Bush and Cheney’s arrests for “crimes against our Constitution.” Despite the facts that towns in Maine have no power to indict and the police will not arrest Bush or Cheney should they arrive in the town, Dobson is adamant on getting something done.

http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080226/NEWS/80226036/-1/NEWS19&sfad=1

At such a late stage in Bush’s presidency, anything as drastic as indictment will most likely not happen unless Bush completely messes up. As of now, Dobson’s campaign is small and will not attract as much attention as would be necessary for the kind of change she is looking for. With everyone looking forward to the next presidential race, America’s attention is divided from Bush and focused on who our next president will be; furthermore adding to the lack of attention Dobson’s campaign will receive.

Bush Lobbies Again for Surveillance Law

On Monday President Bush lobbied “for an intelligence law allowing government eavesdropping on phone calls and emails.” His reasoning behind this was that the “enemy” needs to be monitored whenever they call into America. As long as the people who are being monitored are not a particular target, this eavesdropping would be allowed. Companies that had previous helped the government spy on customers without warrants are now being sued for billions of dollars despite the fact that the government forced them to do this. Though Bush wants them to have immunity to lawsuits, the House will not allow it. The Democrats are against such law, however, and accuse the Republicans of “resorting to scare tactics.” The Republicans just believe they are doing all that is necessary to gather intelligence on the “enemy.”

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hJKgeE0Z-SivATjok-utYBdh9wDwD8V1J5JG0

This proposed law will enrage many Americans due to a fear of a lack of privacy. This law will be hotly debated over because of this and, if passed, will most likely not be exactly as Bush wants. Democrats believe that this law is a way of diverting attention away “from the economy and other policy failures.” Though it may be just that, the law could indeed help America find out information on the “enemy” and learn about any new attacks. However, invading everyone’s privacy will be a great deterrence from getting this law passed.

5 Iraqis Killed as Rockets Hit U.S. Base in Baghdad

11 rockets struck the American base near Baghdad International Airport late Monday afternoon killing five Iraqi civilians and wounding at least two American soldiers and 14 Iraqi civilians. Six suspects were arrested at the launching site, an area known to have “Mahdi Army militiamen loyal to anti-American Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr.” Because Mr. Sadr had imposed a cease-fire last summer, which resulted in less American deaths in Baghdad, recent attacks were blamed on “Shiite fighters not abiding by the cease-fire or expelled by the Mahdi Army.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/19/world/middleeast/19iraq.html?ref=worldspecial

Despite all the cease-fires and alliances America has accrued, attacks against them still occur. The recent attacks will most likely cause the American forces to bolster their defenses and provide more financial assistance to their allies. Because of attacks like these, it is becoming more evident that the groups responsible possess large stockpiles of weapons. This means that America will have to look out for more attacks.

Admiral: Al Qaeda in Iraq 'killing off' former allies

A video recovered late last year, during a raid, depicts an al Qaeda in Iraq firing squad executing fellow Sunni extremists. These once allies were apparently not loyal enough to the terror organization and did not share its ideologies. This video, along with other documents found in the raid support the idea “that al Qaeda in Iraq is waging a violent campaign against its former allies”. These documents show the executions and criticisms of those that do not follow their ways.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/02/18/alqaeda.sunnis/index.html#cnnSTCText

Al Qaeda in Iraq is taking extreme measures in making sure that those who oppose them are either silenced or killed. This may cause some Sunni factions to ban together to have a better chance against them. Even the U.S. has begun to help Sunnis and some Shiites in their fight against extremists. The U.S. was able to provide these groups with $148 million in aid. With the execution of its once allies, the Sunnis, and many others, al Qaeda in Iraq will be seeing more opposition than ever.

Blast kills senior Gaza militant

Ayman al-Fayed, an Islamic Jihad commander, was killed in his Gaza Strip home from an explosion, though the cause of the blast is unknown. It flattened the Bureij refugee camp, killing at least six people, two of which were al-Fayed’s children, and wounding more than 40 others. An Islamic Jihad spokesman has vowed revenge on Israel even though Israel had no knowledge of the raid being carried out.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7247983.stm

This is bad news for Israel, regardless of whether or not they actually were the ones that carried out the attack. Israel was possibly blamed due to its announcements earlier in the month that they were going to increase efforts to kill militant leaders in Gaza. Now, the Islamic Jihadists are preparing to attack their enemy with full force.

Pleas for Condemned Saudi 'Witch'

In 2005, Fawza Falih, an illiterate Saudi Arabian woman, was detained by religious police and was beaten in order to force her to admit to this illiteracy. Now she is being convicted of witchcraft and faces a death sentence. However, a US human rights group is asking for these charges to be dropped and that the religious police are charged for mistreatment.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7244579.stm

Witch hunts have been around for centuries, though they only began to occur frequently in Europe during the mid-1400s. At that time, they used torture and other trials to “prove” that a person practiced witchcraft. It lasted up until the early 1700s when it was outlawed in many European countries. Ms. Laih was charged because of written statements of people claiming she had bewitched them. The human rights group says that the “trial failed to meet the safeguards in the Saudi justice system.” Claims of witchery are undefined and extremely vague and are not even admissible in most countries.

Bomb kills top Hezbollah leader

Imad Mughniyeh, one of the top leaders of the Lebanese group, Hezbollah, was killed in a car bombing in Damascus despite being in hiding for years. Hezbollah has blamed Israel for his assassination, though the Israeli prim minister’s office rejected such accusations. Hezbollah declared Mughniyeh to be a martyr for their cause. Both Syria and Iran condemn the killing and give their condolences to the Lebanese people. The death is still being investigated.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7242383.stm

Mughniyeh was high on US and Israeli wanted lists due to the beliefs that he was “behind a wave of Western hostage-taking in Lebanon during the 1980s.” He is also “among several suspects indicted in the US for the 1985 hijacking of a TWA airliner in which a US Navy diver was killed.” He was thought to have been a part of many other crimes, including several bombings. Those in the US and Israel see Mughniyeh’s death as a great blow against terrorists.

Fair trial pledge to 9/11 accused

Six men accused of organizing the 9/11 attacks were promised a fair trial. These trials are questionable, however, because the defendants were tortured for information. They will receive the full due-process of the law, including lawyers and rights. Evidence obtained from torture may or may not be allowed. Charges include “conspiracy, murder in violation of the laws of war, attacking civilians, destruction of property and terrorism.” Because of the Military Commissions Act, all trials will be held by military tribunal.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7240213.stm

If someone were to hear that these men took part in the 9/11 attacks, most would just send them off to their deaths rather than give them a fair trial. The fact that torturing these men might not allow for their evidence to be admissible in court will act as a hindrance to convicting them. If convicted, these men will most likely be put to death rather than sending them to prison due to the severity of their crimes.

“‘Al-Qaeda boys’ in training video”

In December, during raids of suspected al-Qaeda hideouts north of Baghdad, the US military found videos of boys under the age of 11 going through a series of training exercises.

Wearing balaclavas and brandishing actual guns, the boys participated in a mock kidnapping where they held their victim at gunpoint and forced him to his knees.
These boys appeared to be acting on their own volition and were even shown declaring they killed their own hostages.

This video footage is believed to be shot for “propaganda films aimed at attracting new, young recruits”.

Thought to be a “sign of desperation” by al-Qaeda, Iraqi defense ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari “claimed that children were trained to kidnap to raise funds from ransoms”.

This is showing how al-Qaeda is trying to recruit soldiers while they’re still young and impressionable. Since they’re training their recruits at such a young age, they will have much more experience and knowledge of the workings of al-Qaeda by the time they’re old enough to become leaders.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7231829.stm