Citizens for Legitimate Government: 9 September 2013

Obama administration had restrictions on NSA reversed in 2011 07 Sep 2013 The Obama administration secretly won permission from a surveillance court in 2011 to reverse restrictions on the National Security Agency's use of intercepted phone calls and e-mails, permitting the agency to search deliberately for Americans' communications in its massive databases, according to interviews with government officials and recently declassified material. In addition, the court extended the length of time that the NSA is allowed to retain intercepted U.S. communications from five years to six years -- and more under special circumstances, according to the documents, which include a recently released 2011 opinion by U.S. District Judge John D. Bates, then chief judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. What had not been previously acknowledged is that the court in 2008 imposed an explicit ban -- at the government's request -- on those kinds of searches, that officials in 2011 got the court to lift the bar and that the search authority has been used.

Ruling allowed NSA search of domestic e-mail 08 Sep 2013 The Obama administration quietly won permission from a surveillance court in 2011 for the National Security Agency to search deliberately for Americans' communications in its huge databases of intercepted phone calls and emails, according to a published report. The Washington Post reported Saturday that officials in 2011 got the court to lift the ban on those kinds of searches, which the court imposed in 2008 at the government's request. The court also extended the length of time the NSA is allowed to retain intercepted communications from five to six years.

Snowden leaks: US and UK 'crack online encryption' 06 Sep 2013 US and UK intelligence have reportedly cracked the encryption codes protecting the emails, banking and medical records of hundreds of millions of people. Disclosures by leaker Edward Snowden allege the US National Security Agency (NSA) and the UK's GCHQ successfully decoded key online security protocols. They suggest some internet companies provided the agencies backdoor access to their security systems. The NSA is said to spend $250m (£160m) a year on the top-secret operation.

NSA accused of spying on Brazilian oil company Petrobras --Accusations that NSA is conducting intelligence-gathering operations that go beyond its core mission of 'national security' 09 Sep 2013 The US National Security Agency has been accused of spying on Brazil's biggest oil company, Petrobras, following the release of more files from US whistleblower Edward Snowden. The latest disclosures, which aired on Brazil's Fantástico news program, have led to accusations that the NSA is conducting intelligence-gathering operations that go beyond its core mission of national security - often cited as the key distinction between the agency and its counterparts in China and Russia.

Intercepts caught Assad rejecting requests to use chemical weapons, German paper says 09 Sep 2013 Syrian President Bashar Assad has repeatedly rejected requests from his field commanders for approval to use chemical weapons, according to a report this weekend in a German newspaper. The report in Bild am Sonntag, which is a widely read and influential national Sunday newspaper, reported that the head of the German Foreign Intelligence agency, Gerhard Schindler, last week told a select group of German lawmakers that intercepted communications had convinced German intelligence officials that Assad did not order or approve what is believed to be a sarin gas attack on Aug. 21 that killed hundreds of people in Damascus's eastern suburbs.

Syria chemical weapons attack not ordered by Assad, says German press 08 Sep 2013 President Bashar al-Assad did not personally order last month's chemical weapons attack near Damascus that has triggered calls for US military intervention, and blocked numerous requests from his military commanders to use chemical weapons against government opponents in recent months, a German newspaper has reported, citing unidentified, high-level national security sources. The intelligence findings were based on phone calls intercepted by a German surveillance ship operated by the BND, the German intelligence service, and deployed off the Syrian coast, Bild am Sonntag said. The intercepted communications suggested Assad, who is accused of war crimes by the west, including foreign secretary William Hague, was not himself involved in last month's attack or in other instances when government forces have allegedly used chemical weapons.

Syrian rebels plan chem attack on Israel from Assad-controlled territories - RT sources 09 Sep 2013 A chemical attack may be launched on Israel by Syrian rebels from government-controlled territories as a "major provocation," multiple sources told RT. The report comes as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov proposed that Syria puts its chemical weapons arsenal under international control for subsequent destruction in order to prevent a possible military strike against the war-torn republic. Moscow also urged the Syrian authorities to join the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

Obama Administration Denies AP Requests for Syria Evidence 08 Sep 2013 The Associated Press ran a skeptical piece Sunday about the Obama administration's public case for military intervention in Syria in response to a reported Aug. 21 chemical attack. The AP's Zeina Karam and Kimberly Dozier wrote that "the U.S. government insists it has the intelligence to prove it, but the public has yet to see a single piece of concrete evidence produced by U.S. intelligence -- no satellite imagery, no transcripts of Syrian military communications -- connecting the government of President Bashar Assad to the alleged chemical weapons attack last month that killed hundreds of people." The Obama administration has released videos to make its case, but the AP noted that its requests for additional evidence the government claims to possess have been denied.

Joe Biden in 2012: Mitt Romney 'Ready to Go to War' With Syria 05 Sep 2013 During the presidential election last year, Vice President Joe Biden attacked Mitt Romney for being "ready to go to war" in Syria. He offered no specifics. "He said it was a mistake to set an end date for our warriors in Afghanistan and bring them home. He implies by the speech that he's ready to go to war in Syria and Iran," Biden said Sept. 2, 2012, speaking in York, Pennsylvania.

Senate delays test vote on Syria military intervention 09 Sep 2013 The Senate is delaying a test vote on authorizing U.S. military strikes against Syria. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says it wouldn't be beneficial to hold the vote while international discussions continue regarding Syria's [*alleged*] use of chemical weapons. Reid's action Monday comes amid increased opposition in the Senate to a U.S. military intervention in Syria. The Nevada Democrat had planned a full Senate vote Wednesday.

John Kerry gives Syria week to hand over chemical weapons or face attack 09 Sep 2013 The US secretary of state has said that President Bashar al-Assad has one week to hand over his entire stock of chemical weapons to avoid a military attack. But John Kerry added that he had no expectation that the Syrian leader would comply. Kerry also said he had no doubt that Assad was responsible for the chemical weapons attack in east Damascus on 21 August, saying that only three people are responsible for the chemical weapons inside Syria – Assad, one of his brothers and a senior general. He said the entire US intelligence community was united in believing Assad was responsible.

Hillary Clinton backs Obama on Syria strike 09 Sep 2013 Former secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday endorsed President Obama’s call for military strikes against Syria and said "it would be an important step" if Syrian President Bashar al-Assad surrendered his stockpile of chemical weapons. Clinton, a potential 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, made her first public remarks on Syria during a previously scheduled appearance at the White House. She said she had just come from a meeting with Obama, where they discussed a proposal advanced by Russia to avert U.S. military strikes by having Assad turn over control of the country's chemical weapons to international monitors. [The US and Israel need to do the same.]

Syrian chemical weapons handover proposal wins support 09 Sep 2013 The UN, Germany and the UK have welcomed a Russian proposal that Syria hand over all its chemical weapons for either safekeeping or destruction. Russia said this could help "avoid military strikes". The United States Congress is still debating military intervention in Syria in response to August 21's alleged chemical weapons attack, with Secretary of State John Kerry saying earlier on Monday he had "real evidence" [As opposed to 'unreal' evidence?] that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime was responsible. The handover scheme suggested by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday, however, has highlighted another alternative path of action.

Pentagon adjusts plans for more intense attacks on Syria --U.S. war planners are preparing for three days of attacks on Syria, a longer bombardment than originally envisioned. 07 Sep 2013 The Pentagon is preparing for a longer bombardment of Syria than it originally had planned, with a heavy barrage of missile strikes followed soon after by more attacks on targets that the opening salvos missed or failed to destroy, officials said. Two U.S. officers said the White House asked for an expanded target list in recent days to include many more than the 50 or so targets on the initial list. As a result, Pentagon planners are weighing whether to use Air Force bombers, in addition to five warships now on patrol in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, to launch cruise missiles and air-to-surface missiles from hundreds of miles offshore, well out of range of Syrian air defenses. Syria is also within range of an aircraft carrier strike group in the Red Sea, which includes one cruiser and three destroyers, all capable of firing cruise missiles.

Syria must commit immediately to destruction of chemical arms: France 09 Sep 2013 French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius insisted Monday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "commit himself without delay" to the elimination of his country's chemical weapons arsenal. "The proposal of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov merits close examination," Fabius said, demanding that Assad "commit himself without delay to put his chemical arsenal under international control and to let all of it be destroyed." Fabius also demanded that those behind the alleged August 21 chemical attack that killed hundreds outside Damascus [the 'rebels'] be tried by the International Criminal Court.

Moscow sends new plane to evacuate Russians from Syria 08 Sep 2013 The plane would collect citizens of Russia and other ex-Soviet states "who have expressed a desire to leave the zone of conflict," Russian emergencies ministry spokeswoman Irina Rossius said in a statement. It was not clear how many people would be evacuated on the flight but Russian news agencies said those who wanted to leave were already waiting at Latakia airport. A Russian plane landed in the Syrian port city of Latakia on Sunday, the government said, as it seeks to evacuate its citizens from the escalating conflict.

CNN airs videos of Syria sarin gas victims 07 Sep 2013 CNN aired graphic videos of victims Saturday that it said were shown to select US lawmakers as part of a push to shore up support for a strike on Syria. The broadcaster said the 13 videos were shown Thursday to members of the Senate Intelligence Committee who were told they depict victims of an August 21 chemical weapons attack in the war-torn country. The senators were told by the intelligence community that the videos had been verified, according to CNN. However, the broadcaster said it could not independently verify the authenticity of the material and stressed that the videos do not show who is responsible for the attack [ --the 'rebels'].

'We say no war': Protesters across the world rally against military strike on Syria 08 Sep 2013 Protests were held across the globe on Saturday to speak out against a US-led strike on Syria, as world leaders ask Washington to wait for the results of a UN report before taking military action. Around 200 people gathered outside the White House on Saturday to voice their opposition against a military strike on Syria and demand that Congress votes "no" on the issue. Demonstrators chanted, "They say more war; we say no war" and carried signs stating that war on Syria would be "Built on a Lie."

FBI adds Syrian Electronic Army to wanted list 06 Aug 2013 The Federal Bureau of Investigation has added the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA), an active group of hackers sympathetic to the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad, to its list of wanted criminals. Just one week after the SEA disabled The New York Times' website for a considerable number of hours on August 27, the FBI issued an advisory warning Americans about the SEA and its capabilities. The statement also reported that any US citizen found to be aiding the hackers will be investigated as a terrorist who is actively aiding attacks against US companies.

Taliban bombers hit Afghanistan Wardak intelligence HQ --Nato air strike kills at least nine civilians 08 Sep 2013 At least four Afghan intelligence staff have been killed after suicide bombers attacked offices of the provincial intelligence department in Wardak. Five suicide bombers were shot dead in the series of co-ordinated attacks, an hour away from the capital Kabul. More than 100 people - mostly civilians - were injured, police said. Separately a Nato air strike on Saturday in the eastern province of Kunar killed 15 people, including nine civilians, Afghan officials said.

Soldier's claim SAS hit squad 'did kill Princess Diana' is 'utterly convincing' 05 Sep 2013 An SAS soldier's claims that the elite regiment murdered Princess Diana are "utterly convincing", police have been told. he former sniper's estranged wife has informed Scotland Yard she is completely sure he is telling the truth. Her total belief in Soldier N emerged as she was interviewed at length at a secret location. She told Yard detectives how the veteran soldier had spoken about the involvement of an SAS hit squad in the car crash that killed Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed on several occasions.

Sandy Hook Shootings: Newtown Schools Ordered to Cede Lanza's Records 06 Sep 2013 A Connecticut judge Friday ordered Newtown to comply with a subpoena from the state child advocate's office seeking the school records of [alleged] Sandy Hook Elementary School shooter Adam Lanza. Newtown school officials balked at complying without a judge's order. State Attorney General George Jepson then went to court and requested one. Friday morning, with representatives of both sides present, Superior Court Judge Sheila A. Huddleston granted the state's request.

Sandy Hook: Everyone MUST Check in --Video post by FalseFlagAmerica8675 Jun 2013

Steam leaks at idling Ohi nuclear power plant; workers evacuated --Utility told 20 workers in building to evacuate 05 Sep 2013 The operator of the Ohi nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture says steam leaks occurred in a turbine building of the facility on Thursday. Kansai Electric Power Company says steam leaked at 6 locations from piping near a turbine at the plant's Number 3 reactor. The steam rose as high as 3 meters.

Charges dropped against Japan ex-PM, TEPCO on Fukushima 09 Sep 2013 Japanese prosecutors on Monday decided not to charge former prime minister Naoto Kan and TEPCO bosses over the initial stages of the nuclear disaster at Fukushima. The decision still leaves open the possibility that they will face criminal charges over other aspects of the disaster, including recent leaks of contaminated radioactive water from the crippled power plant. Local residents and activists had filed a criminal complaint against Kan and his ministers alleging professional negligence over the accident. They had also requested prosecutors charge former top executives of Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO), the operator of the plant, and Haruki Madarame, former chief of the Nuclear Safety Commission.

IOC grants Tokyo 2020 Olympics, despite ongoing concerns over Fukushima nuclear plant 07 Sep 2013 Tokyo will host the 2020 Summer Olympics, 56 years after it staged the same event. International Olympic Committee delegates in Buenos Aires chose Japan's capital city over Istanbul in the final round. The prime minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, travelled with the Japanese delegation and [falsely] claimed that problems at the Fukushima nuclear plant were under control... Abe's comments contradict a recent post on the Fukushima Diary website, which tracks horror stories linked to the crippled nuclear facility.

Merck vaccine developer admits vaccines routinely contain hidden cancer viruses derived from diseased monkeys 08 Sep 2013 Decades ago, one of the most prominent vaccine scientists in the history of the vaccine industry -- a Merck scientist -- made a recording where he openly admitted that vaccines given to Americans were contaminated with leukemia and cancer viruses. In hearing this admission, his colleagues break into laughter and seem to think it's hilarious. They then suggest that because these vaccines are first tested in Russia, their side effects will help the U.S. win the Olympics because the Russian athletes will all be "loaded down with tumors." For the record, this is the same vaccine that was given to tens of millions of Americans and promoted by the government.

Flu shots mandatory for hospital employees --'The vaccination does not guarantee immunity from the virus.' 06 Sep 2013 Employees at South Dakota's three major health care systems will for the first time be required to get vaccinated for the upcoming flu season. Sanford Health, Avera Health and Regional Health of Rapid City announced the move Friday in a joint news release. The goal is to reach a vaccination rate above 90 percent among hospital employees and create a "herd immunity" which would protect even those employees who either can't or won't be vaccinated. Those who are exempted will have to wear surgical masks in the hospital during flu season. [Mandatory mercury-laden, squalene-filled vaccines? *We'll take your shot after you take ours.*]

Left with nothing. 08 Sep 2013 On the day Bennie Coleman lost his house, the day armed U.S. marshals came to his door and ordered him off the property, he slumped in a folding chair across the street and watched the vestiges of his 76 years hauled to the curb... The duplex in Northeast Washington that Coleman bought with cash two decades earlier was emptied and shuttered. By sundown, he had nowhere to go. All because he didn't pay a $134 property tax bill. The retired Marine sergeant lost his house on that summer day two years ago through a tax lien sale -- an obscure program run by D.C. government that enlists private investors to help the city recover unpaid taxes. [But the Wall Street whores were bailed out, though, right? Start reading.]

Booker made $689K from ex-law firm while mayor 07 Sep 2013 Cory Booker pocketed $689,500 in payouts from his former law firm while he served as Newark's mayor and the firm pulled down millions in government contracts, he revealed Friday. [Wall Street troll] Booker, the front-runner in the race for New Jersey's US Senate seat, received the payments in annual allotments from 2007 to 2011. At the same time, the Trenk DiPasquale law firm held lucrative contracts with several local government agencies over which the mayor had influence - raking in more than $2 million in fees, records show.

S.W.A.T. kills 107-year-old Arkansas man in shootout 08 Sep 2013 A 107-year old Pine Bluff man died Saturday after a shootout with officers and S.W.A.T. members. The Pine Bluff Police Dept. released the following information about the incident on Saturday evening. "On September 7, 2013, at approximately 4:25 p.m., Officers of the Pine Bluff Police Department responded to a disturbance... When they arrived, they were able to determine that an Aggravated Assault had occurred against two people at the residence. The suspect, Monroe Isadore (M, 107 years old), had [allegedly] pointed a weapon at them.

George Zimmerman questioned by police after wife reports gun threat 09 Sep 2013 George Zimmerman, who was acquitted of murder two months ago in the shooting of Trayvon Martin, was questioned today by police after his estranged wife called 911 saying he threatened her with a gun. "He's in his car and he continually has his hand on his gun and keeps saying step closer...and he's gonna shoot us," a breathless and clearly scared Shellie Zimmerman told the police emergency operator, according to the 911 call released by police. Shellie Zimmerman, who filed for divorce last week, also said her husband had punched her father in the nose and smashed her iPad.

Shark that ate 600 US sailors is 'circling' waters off Britain 08 Sep 2013 Slicing menacingly through the murky water, the huge shark fin unnerved the experienced fishing crew. Although only partially out of the water, it already stood a foot high and was dark grey... The close encounter happened on Wednesday near Looe, off the southern coast of Cornwall. It was just one of a number of sightings last week that has prompted fears a great white shark may be ¬lurking off the south-west tip of Britain.

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