Friday, June 23, 2006

[political-research] Digest Number 1270

Messages In This Digest (9 Messages)

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1.

Invaluable contribution of Jewish community

Posted by: "Vigilius Haufniensis" nerdmann@earthlink.net concept_of_irony

Thu Jun 22, 2006 6:04 pm (PST)

http://www.edgwaretimes.co.uk/news/opinion/display.var.803948.0.invaluable_contribution_of_jewish_community.php

Invaluable contribution of Jewish community
This year we celebrate the 350th anniversary of the readmission of the Jews to England, writes Hendon MP ANDREW DISMORE.
Jews were first recorded in England in Norman times. They were subject to prejudice and worse, from the start.

In 1190, around 150 Jews lost their lives in York. In 1255, 18 were executed, after an infamous ritual murder libel in Lincoln. Both cities are now represented by Jewish MPs. In 1290, Edward I expelled the Jews from England. Small communities of Jews continued to live secretly in London, but for more than 350 years, Jews were unable to play any visible part in the life of our country. In September 1655, the Amsterdam-based Rabbi Menasseh ben Israel petitioned Oliver Cromwell to grant Jews the right to re-settle. The following year, Cromwell told the Jewish community it could live openly and he would protect it. I doubt Cromwell could have foreseen that one day, his Commons seat of Huntingdon would be held by a Jew, as it is today.

During the 18th Century, the Jewish presence in England continued to grow. London became home to one of the largest urban Jewish communities in Europe. From the 1880s more refugees arrived fleeing the pogroms of Poland and Russia.

Britain was not particularly receptive to Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazis. The notable exception was the Kindertransport, which on the eve of war rescued Jewish children (their parents were not given visas) from Germany.
Historically, anti-Semitism was tolerated and even encouraged, exemplified by stereotypes like Shakespeare's Shylock, through to Dickens' Fagin. Quite rightly, this attitude was resisted.

The Battle of Cable Street took place in 1936 a clash between the police, overseeing a march by the British Union of Fascists (BUF), and anti-fascists including local Jewish groups who erected barricades. After running battles, the BUF were dispersed. But anti-Semitism remains. 455 incidents were recorded in 2005 including 82 violent assaults.

Jews have contributed to our national life in so many ways. The first documented military contribution is from 1757, when Captain Schonfield commanded HMS Diana, supporting General James against the French at Quebec. In the First World War, 55,000 Jews enlisted; 1,100 decorations were won, including the first Jewish VC. In the Second World War, about 65,000 served. 3,000 gave their lives.

In 1847, Lionel de Rothschild was elected MP, but could not take the oath. After he had won four successive elections, this was amended, allowing him to become the first practising Jewish Member of Parliament.

Many household business names were founded by Jews, like Marks & Spencer, Tesco and ICI.

Lord Winston, the infertility treatment pioneer, leads a long list of Jewish scientists. Jews are represented throughout the arts and in sport.

Boxer Daniel Mendoza was heavyweight champion from 1792 until 1795, even though he was only 5ft 7in tall and only 11.5 stone. Harold Abrahams, the hero of Chariots of Fire was the 1924 Olympic 100m champion.

Ever since its return, the Jewish community has played a full part in our country's success in every field and has proved diversity does not mean division. We wish the Jewish community mazeltov' for its 350th anniversary.
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2.

Bloglines - Bush's Real Response to the August 6th PDB

Posted by: "bill.giltner@gmail.com" bill.giltner@gmail.com bgiltner

Thu Jun 22, 2006 6:13 pm (PST)

BODY {background-color: white} body, div, p, th, td, li, dd,
code, tt { font-size: 10pt; font-family:
verdana,helvetica; white-space:wrap;} h2 {
font-size: 16px; margin: 0; color: 1393C0; }
.blogtitle { font-size: 16px; } Bloglines
<http://www.bloglines.com> user bill.giltner@gmail.com has sent
this item to you.

9/11 Blogger - Blogging 9/11 Related Alternative News
<http://www.911blogger.com>
All comments are welcome! but please avoid hate speech and
profanity, and use references when possible.
Bush's Real Response to the August 6th PDB
<http://www.911blogger.com/2006/06/bushs-real-response-to-august-6th-pdb.html> By dz
Couple days late on this, sorry.

Ron Suskind, George W. Bush and the Aug. 6, 2001, PDB
<http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2006/06/20/911pdb/index.html> - salon.com
We've known for years now that George W. Bush received a
presidential daily briefing on Aug. 6, 2001, in which he was
warned: "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S." We've known for
almost as long that Bush went fishing afterward.

What we didn't know is what happened in between the briefing and
the fishing, and now Suskind is here to tell us. Bush listened to
the briefing, Suskind says, then told the CIA briefer: "All
right. You've covered your ass, now."

Sounds like words from someone who had no idea something like
9/11 would occur soon eh?

A relevant quote from George Bush on the PDB:
"David, look, let me just say it again: Had I known there was
going to be an attack on America, I would have moved mountains to
stop the attack. I would have done everything I can. My job is to
protect the American people. And I asked the intelligence agency
to analyze the data to tell me whether or not we faced a threat
internally, like they thought we had faced a threat in other
parts of the world. That's what the PDB request was. And had
there been actionable intelligence, we would have moved on it."
- George W. Bush, April 11th, 2004

Thanks Gold for the quote


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3a.

Data mining methods revealed

Posted by: "Sean McBride" smcbride2@yahoo.com smcbride2

Thu Jun 22, 2006 6:17 pm (PST)


<http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2006/06/22/data_mining_methods_revealed/>

Excerpt:

Even as others cited the Fifth Amendment, a former data broker enthralled Congress yesterday with a behind-the-scenes lesson on how this shadowy industry covertly gathers Americans' telephone records without subpoenas or warrants.

Some lawmakers gasped and others shook their heads in amazement during testimony from James Rapp, a former data broker run out of the business years ago by Colorado police.

Others identified as active data brokers refused to answer questions about how they conduct business, invoking their constitutional rights against saying anything under oath that might be used by prosecutors.

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3b.

Re: Data mining methods revealed

Posted by: "better_off_said" better_off_said@yahoo.com better_off_said

Thu Jun 22, 2006 7:40 pm (PST)

"Rapp described what steps he would use, for example, to locate and
steal the credit-card records..."

[...]

"Brokers have tricked telephone carriers into disclosing private
customer information and broken into online accounts..."

These "data brokers" are nothing more than identity thieves. It's
disgusting that they'd be treated as a legitimate business by law
enforcement agencies.

If their methods for obtaining information were legal, then they
wouldn't have to "trick" anyone to get it-- it'd be PUBLIC. Surely
there are laws against obtaining PRIVATE customer information
(otherwise companies should refer to it as "open customer
information")?

P.S. Should the name Yontef ring a bell?

--- In political-research@yahoogroups.com, Sean McBride
<smcbride2@...> wrote:
>
>
>
<http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2006/06/22/data_m
ining_methods_revealed/>
>
> Excerpt:
>
> Even as others cited the Fifth Amendment, a former data broker
enthralled Congress yesterday with a behind-the-scenes lesson on how
this shadowy industry covertly gathers Americans' telephone records
without subpoenas or warrants.
>
> Some lawmakers gasped and others shook their heads in amazement
during testimony from James Rapp, a former data broker run out of
the business years ago by Colorado police.
>
> Others identified as active data brokers refused to answer
questions about how they conduct business, invoking their
constitutional rights against saying anything under oath that might
be used by prosecutors.
>
>
>
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> Save and share anything you find online - Furl @
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4.

Fwd: Connotate's Information Agent Suite 6(TM) Transforms the Web In

Posted by: "Sean McBride" smcbride2@yahoo.com smcbride2

Thu Jun 22, 2006 6:18 pm (PST)


Yahoo!News Search Results for artificial intelligence <rssfwd@rssfwd.com> wrote: Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2006 08:35:53 +0800
From: Yahoo!News Search Results for artificial intelligence <rssfwd@rssfwd.com>
Subject: Connotate's Information Agent Suite 6(TM) Transforms the Web Into a Research Goldmine; Newly Released Platform Provides (RedNova)

body { background-color: #fff; color: #333; } body, p, ol, ul, td { font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; } pre { background-color: #eee; padding: 10px; font-size: 11px; } a { color: #000; } a:visited { color: #666; } a:hover { color: #fff; background-color:#000; } Connotate Technologies, Inc., the leading provider of solutions which delivers actionable intelligence from the Web, today announced the release of Information Agent Suite 6(TM). Thu, 22 Jun 2006 22:08:45 GMT

---------------------------------

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/search/artificial+intelligence/SIG=14iv18h23/*http%3A//www.redorbit.com/news/technology/547199/connotates_information_agent_suite_6tm_transforms_the_web_into_a/index.html?source=r_technology

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5.

Coulter: If Murtha did get fragged, he'd finally deserve one of thos

Posted by: "Sean McBride" smcbride2@yahoo.com smcbride2

Thu Jun 22, 2006 7:34 pm (PST)


<http://mediamatters.org/items/200606220013>

Comment: Neocon chickenhawks are now calling for the murder of American veterans and military heroes. You knew it would come to this. It will get much worse before this boil is lanced.

Summary: Ann Coulter refused to explain -- and even expanded upon -- her recent claim that Rep. John P. Murtha is "the reason soldiers invented fragging," military slang meaning the intentional killing of a member of one's own unit. On a Denver radio show, Coulter referred to her fragging comment as one of her "best lines" and refused to confirm that she was not "suggesting that anybody should off John Murtha," stating only: "It is what it is." On Fox News' Hannity & Colmes, Coulter further expanded upon her statement, asserting that if Murtha "did get fragged, he'd finally deserve one of those Purple Hearts."

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6.

Daniel Pipes/Michael Massing Exchange on Campus Watch

Posted by: "Sean McBride" smcbride2@yahoo.com smcbride2

Thu Jun 22, 2006 7:55 pm (PST)


<http://mparent7777.livejournal.com/9687321.html>

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7.

Re: When robots learn social skills

Posted by: "better_off_said" better_off_said@yahoo.com better_off_said

Thu Jun 22, 2006 8:05 pm (PST)

Hell, I'd marry one if they'd teach it to open the door for me and
not belch in public...

--- In political-research@yahoogroups.com, Sean McBride
<smcbride2@...> wrote:
>
>
> <http://www.physorg.com/news70202621.html>
>
> Learning to communicate and adapting our behaviour to the
information we receive has been fundamental to human evolution. If
machines could do the same the intelligent talking robots of science
fiction could become the stuff of science reality, as researchers
aim to prove.
>
>
>
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> Save and share anything you find online - Furl @
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>

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8.

OregonLive.com's Printer-Friendly Page

Posted by: "Bill Giltner" bill.giltner@gmail.com bgiltner

Thu Jun 22, 2006 8:06 pm (PST)

*OregonLive.com's Printer-Friendly
Page*<http://www.oregonlive.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/news/1150858542262640.xml&coll=7>

Feds want NSA suits united for D.C. trial *Secrets - Critics say
the government wants eavesdropping challenges rebuffed all at once *
Wednesday, June 21, 2006 ASHBEL S. GREEN
*The Oregonian*

Facing two dozen legal skirmishes around the country over top-secret NSA
surveillance programs, federal lawyers want to shift the battlefield to
their home turf, where they will try to put an end to it all with a single
shot.

In a little-noticed filing, U.S. Department of Justice lawyers on Monday
asked the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to consolidate about
two dozen cases, including two from Oregon, before a judge in Washington,
D.C.

Federal lawyers said they intended to seek dismissal of all the suits in
order to protect state secrets.

The move, which did not reach many opposing attorneys until Tuesday, comes
as federal attorneys are expected today to inform a federal judge in
Portland that a lawsuit here would expose state secrets. They are expected
to make the same argument in San Francisco later this week.

Last week, Justice Department lawyers filed a lawsuit trying to stop New
Jersey from subpoenaing information about an NSA program and defended
another lawsuit in Michigan.

By asking the federal panel in Washington to consolidate all the lawsuits,
Justice lawyers say they are trying to be efficient and protect national
security. But lawyers challenging the program bristled at the move.

"It sounds like forum-shopping to me," said Jon Eisenberg, one of the
lawyers representing an Oregon Islamic charity that claims it has proof the
NSA illegally eavesdropped on phone calls between the group's directors and
its U.S. attorneys.

Together, the multiple NSA lawsuits challenge two distinct surveillance
programs and allege violations of several federal laws.

The first program, revealed by The New York Times late last year, involves
the warrantless eavesdropping of phone calls between suspected terrorists
overseas and U.S. citizens on American soil. The other, reported earlier
this year by USA Today, involves the collection and analysis of phone calls
of millions of average Americans since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist
attacks.

In Oregon, lawsuits have been filed challenging both NSA programs.

In addition, some lawsuits are aimed at the federal government while others
charge telephone companies with violating privacy rights.

It is unclear whether the motion by federal attorneys will immediately
affect any pending cases. The Multidistrict Litigation panel is not
scheduled to consider consolidation until late July.

While attorneys challenging the NSA programs are crying foul, other see the
government's move as logical and correct.

"Intelligence is a different world so it's always been treated differently.
So there are real risks to letting this sort of litigation go forward," said
James Lewis, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International
Studies, a Washington think tank. "Tossing it into a single court serves the
intelligence interests. How many times do you want to judge whether the
federal government did the right thing? The answer is you really only want
to judge it once."

For more than 50 years, the government almost always has prevailed in civil
litigation when it claimed that the case threatened national security by
revealing state secrets.

The so-called "state secrets privilege" not only applies to lawsuits against
the United States government, but also federal lawyers have intervened in
private legal disputes to assert it.

*Privilege used sparingly *

But the privilege has been used sparingly -- an average of fewer than twice
a year since the U.S. Supreme Court first recognized it in a 1953 case.

Critics charge, however, that the government has increasingly asserted the
privilege since the 1970s. And just as important, judges almost never look
into whether the assertion is valid or merely an attempt to cover up
something embarrassing.

"The courts have failed to provide a fair forum to determine the merits,"
said Louis Fisher, author of an upcoming book on the legal history of the
state secrets privilege. "Because if you just accept what the government
says, you're not going to get the facts and the plaintiffs -- the private
party -- don't have a chance."

Fisher points to the example of Khaled el-Masri, a Kuwaiti-born German who
was arrested in 2003 while on vacation in Macedonia and held for five months
in a prison in Afghanistan.

Although U.S. officials have acknowledged that el-Masri probably was
mistaken for an al-Qaida operative with a similar name, Justice Department
lawyers successfully persuaded a Virginia judge last month to dismiss his
lawsuit to protect state secrets.

Eisenberg, who represents the Ashland-based Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation,
said he suspects federal lawyers are growing nervous because judges around
the country are not rolling over.

In Michigan, U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor has indicated she plans
to rule on the legality of the eavesdropping program before taking up the
government's state secrets assertion.

*Turned back in Oregon *

In Oregon, U.S. District Judge Garr M. King has rebuffed the government's
request to read secret documents that Al-Haramain attorneys cannot see.

"They're frightened of Judge Taylor and they don't know what to make of
Judge King," Eisenberg said. "It doesn't make sense otherwise."

William Weaver, a professor at the University of Texas El Paso and an expert
on state secrets, said the government's move makes a lot of sense for the
reasons it stated: efficiency and the protection of top-secret materials.

But Weaver, a critic of the program, also says government lawyers have a
strong tactical motivation to get all the cases in front of one friendly
judge so it can snuff out the litigation all at once.

"This is clearly in the government's favor," Weaver said. "And it's also
clearly in the businesses' favor because it will end up immunizing them from
liability."

Ashbel "Tony" Green: 503-221-8202; tonygreen@news.oregonian.com

(c)2006 The Oregonian

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