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By Will Thomas - March 28, 2007, 9:44AM

Pakistan's $4.2 Billion 'Blank Check' for U.S. Military Aid
"In the three years after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, U.S. military aid to Pakistan soared to $4.2 billion, compared to $9.1 million in the three years before the attacks — a 45,000 percent increase — boosting Pakistan to the top tier of countries receiving this type of funding. More than half of the new money was provided through a post-9/11 Defense Department program — Coalition Support Funds — not closely tracked by Congress." (Center for Public Integrity)

Report Charges Broad White House Efforts to Stifle Climate Research
"Bush administration officials throughout the government have engaged in White House-directed efforts to stifle, delay or dampen the release of climate change research that casts the White House or its policies in a bad light, says a new report that purports to be the most comprehensive assessment to date of the subject. Researchers for the non-profit watchdog Government Accountability Project reviewed thousands of e-mails, memos and other documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests and from government whistle-blowers and conducted dozens of interviews with public affairs staff, scientists, reporters and others." (ABC's The Blotter)

Faulty Contracts Cost the VA Millions
"The Department of Veterans Affairs backdated a key document and violated other rules as it pushed through a $100 million computer security contract that resulted in inflated prices and duplicate payments, according to a previously undisclosed report. In the end, the contract turned into 'an open checkbook' for various VA expenses, and the agency today can't detail the whereabouts of some $35 million in equipment purchased under the contract, the report by the VA's inspector general said." (McClatchy Newspapers)

Guantanamo Prison Likely to Stay Open
"One high-profile prisoner, Australian David Hicks, may be out of Guantanamo prison soon. But as Hicks prepares to leave, a new inmate - accused of helping to plan a deadly 2002 hotel bombing in Kenya - arrived at the prison on the U.S. Naval Base on Cuba's southeastern coast, underscoring that the controversial prison for terrorism suspects won't close anytime soon." (McClatchy Newspapers)

Approps Vows to Cut Earmarks
"Senate appropriators have warned their colleagues that there will be “significant” cuts in the money set aside for Members’ earmarks in this year’s spending bills and that the current anti-earmark climate on Capitol Hill likely will limit the types of projects that will get funding. The warnings have come even as Democrats in the Senate appeared to be moving to block efforts by Republicans to strip out earmarks included in the emergency supplemental spending bill." (Roll Call)

Ethics Committee Issues Earmark Conflict Rules
"The House ethics committee issued broad guidance Tuesday on the chamber’s new earmark disclosure rules, indicating that common sense is the best barometer to determine whether a Member has a direct financial interest in an earmark request. Members have recently expressed confusion over new rules that require them to certify that neither they nor their spouse stand to benefit financially from their earmarks." (Roll Call)

Clyburn Impatient with Pending Jefferson Appointment
"More than a month after Democratic leaders announced Rep. William Jefferson’s (D-LA.) appointment to the Homeland Security Committee, his chair still sits empty in the hearing room. And one member of the Democratic leadership is getting impatient. 'I have made it clear that I favor Mr. Jefferson’s [appointment],' said Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC)." (The Hill)

Foley Back From Rehab; Florida Considers Charges
"Florida law enforcement officials are building a possible criminal case against disgraced former Congressman Mark Foley, R-Fla., based on sexually explicit instant messages that were sent from Pensacola, Fla., to an underage high school student, thereby falling under the state's tough law on Internet sexual predators, ABC News has learned. Foley has begun to re-emerge publicly in Palm Beach, Fla., after spending weeks at an Arizona rehabilitation center for what his lawyer described as issues involving substance and his own alleged sexual abuse as a minor." (ABC's The Blotter)

Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Rumsfeld
"Former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld cannot be tried on allegations of torture in overseas military prisons, a federal judge said Tuesday in a case he described as 'lamentable.' U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan threw out a lawsuit brought on behalf of nine former prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan. He said Rumsfeld cannot be held personally responsible for actions taken in connection with his government job." (Associated Press)

Comments (297)

Andrew wrote on March 28, 2007 9:58 AM:

The funds given to Pakistan and other countries sure doesn't come out of the US budget. Rather, in order to keep all of the military/industiral complex wars and black op's going our government uses huge slush funds in the trillions to keep the war machine going. These account were established by President Reagan and those trillions were supposed to be returned to the US for infrastructure improvements. But people like G.H.W. Bush and slick willie had other ideas. One of which was to line their own pockets.
It's all there in balck and white at www.worldreports.com and if the American people were ever made aware of it, this great country would be in far better financial shape than it is now.

Andrew wrote on March 28, 2007 10:00 AM:

Sorry, that was www.worldreports.org

Pamela Drew wrote on March 28, 2007 10:36 AM:

There are strong connections between the arming of Pakistan, the NeoCon ties to Turkey, Brewster Jennings, Valerie Plame and Sibel Edmonds.

While the Bush Regime works tirelessly to cover up the criminal activities within American government, aided by American media, there is too much evidence to silence everyone.

This video documentary of the details surrounding the Sibel Edmonds case as an FBI translator after 9/11, touches on the relationships and the crimes that are being covered under claims of national security.

It is a download that plays as a Quicktime and runs about 40 minutes. It features whistle blowers, former FBI and CIA agents and first rate investigative journalism, which should be appreciated by the TPM Muckraker audience.

Shocking but no surprise.

http://www.hott.net.au/paulnv/sibeledmonds.mp4.zip

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