State yields to call for more road funding

State officials significantly increased the amount of bond money
they plan to allocate this year for road projects, including
carpool lanes for the heavily congested 405 Freeway through
Westwood and the Sepulveda Pass. By Dan Weikel and Jeffrey L.
Rabin.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0IM570EV

For candidates seeking donors, a new California gold rush

Need campaign funds? This is the state, even for elections in Ohio
or Pennsylvania. By Dan Morain.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0IM580EW

Grim mystery unfolds in Central America

Prison killings in Guatemala are the latest chapter in a
cross-border saga. By Héctor Tobar and Alex Renderos.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0IM6A0Eg

Texas talks tough on illegal immigrants

Lawmakers push some of the harshest immigration-related measures
in the United States. By Miguel Bustillo.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0IM6B0Eh

Wildlife refuges lack means to survive

The system that spans states is being forced to choose between
programs, and in some cases, animals, as staff and funding levels
fall. By Tim Reiterman.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0IM6C0Ei
NATIONAL
________
Libby juror dismissed; panel of 11 continues deliberations

A juror was dismissed from hearing the perjury and obstruction
case against I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, but the judge allowed the
panel to continue deliberations with 11 members. By Richard B.
Schmitt.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0IM6G0Em

Padilla prosecutors can't cite purported terror manual

A federal judge in terrorism suspect Jose Padilla's competency
hearing refused to admit into evidence a purported Al Qaeda
training manual that prosecutors said advised captured terrorists
to refuse to cooperate with attorneys and to allege they were
mistreated - as Padilla has done. By Carol J. Williams.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0IM6H0En

Israel clamps down on West Bank city

JERUSALEM - A Palestinian man was killed and another wounded as a
major Israeli military raid in Nablus kept the heart of the West
Bank city under curfew for a second day. By Ken Ellingwood.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0IM6I0Eo

Serbia cleared of genocide

The United Nations' highest court ruled that Serbia failed to
prevent the massacre of Muslims during the Bosnian war but was not
directly responsible for the atrocities, ending a landmark case in
which an entire nation was tried for genocide. By Jeffrey
Fleishman and Zoran Cirjakovic.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0IM6J0Ep

Cheney visit turns up heat on Pakistan

Vice President Dick Cheney's unannounced visit to Islamabad,
Pakistan, Monday was the latest and most visible sign of renewed
American pressure on President Pervez Musharraf to crack down on
Islamic militants in Pakistan's lawless tribal areas bordering
Afghanistan. By Laura King.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0IM6K0Eq

Full ceramic jacket

Revenue for Costa Mesa-based Ceradyne has soared as it battles to
keep up with Pentagon orders for protective plating. By Peter Pae.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0IM6L0Er

Kaiser replaces chief of digital records project

The senior executive overseeing Kaiser Permanente's massive effort
to digitize its members' medical records is being replaced, the
latest sign of turmoil for the $4-billion project, one of the
nation's largest. By Daniel Costello.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0IM6M0Es

Cruise's unit at MGM near funding deal

Wall Street may be ready to show Tom Cruise the money. By Claudia
Eller.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0IM6N0Et

NBA and YouTube will work together

League will enter a partnership with the online video-sharing
website that will encourage fans to post online videos of their
best basketball moves and agrees to share a limited amount of game
and behind-the-scenes video footage with the website. By Greg
Johnson.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0IM6P0Ev

On the mend, with a mission

In "To Iraq and Back," Bob Woodruff talks about the limited care
for soldiers suffering from brain injuries. By Matea Gold.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0IM6R0Ex

Fly on the Oscar wall

Diaz antsy? O'Toole in the pantry? Eastwood sharing tidbits? Out
of lens range, they can be just like us. By Richard Rushfield.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0IM6S0Ey

MoMA demonstrates the art of diplomacy

The loan of 103 artworks for the Museum of Modern Art's "Armando
Reverón" retrospective, MoMA's first solo exhibition dedicated to
a Latin American painter in 50 years, shows that the Venezuelan
government can cooperate with the U.S., at least on a cultural
level. By Chris Kraul.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0IM6U0E1


Redraw congressional districts

Democrats don't mind redistricting reform as long as their
congressional majority stays put. But that leaves district drawing
open to corruption.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0IM6V0E2

U.S. to join Iran, Syria in Iraq talks

Move may signal a new willingness by the White House to expand
diplomacy. By Paul Richter.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0INTA0Ec

World court accuses 2 in Darfur atrocities

The government says it won't cooperate with the International
Criminal Court. By Maggie Farley and Edmund Sanders.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0INTB0Ed

Worldwide sell-off hits Wall Street

Stock prices plunged worldwide Tuesday, in a wild rout that could
signal a threat to the global economic boom. By Tom Petruno and
Walter Hamilton.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0INTC0Ee

San Diego Diocese files for bankruptcy

The filing puts lawsuits from 150 people who alleged that they
were sexually abused by priests in abeyance. One activist calls
the move 'morally bankrupt.' By Tony Perry.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0INTD0Ef

God's word, plus static

Amid accusations over sex, money and control, Pastor Chuck Smith
is about to surrender much of the evangelical radio empire to a
man he calls morally unfit for ministry.. By Christopher Goffard.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0INTE0Eg

Police probe death in organ donation case

Authorities investigate allegations that a Kaiser surgeon in San
Luis Obispo hastened a possible donor's demise. By Charles
Ornstein and Tracy Weber.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0INTF0Eh

Fire officials reassigns official in bias probes

A Los Angeles Fire Department deputy chief who oversaw probes of
two now high-profile discrimination lawsuits is being reassigned,
a move that in effect demotes him as second in command of the
3,900-member force. By Robert J. Lopez.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0INTH0Ej

Migrant studies counter negative images

Immigrants are less likely to go to prison than U.S.-born
residents of the same ethnic group and they boost pay for natives,
research says. By Teresa Watanabe.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0INTI0Ek

Politicians' flights called wasteful

Schwarzenegger and Feinstein preach energy efficiency but often
fly fuel-gulping small jets. By Paul Pringle.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0INTJ0El

With image flat-lining, it's time for spin doctor

I opened my Sunday paper, and wham! By Steve Lopez.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0INTK0Em

No indictment in Emmett Till slaying

A Mississippi grand jury declines to charge a white shopkeeper in
the 1955 killing. By Jenny Jarvie and Richard Fausset.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0INTL0En

Report questions value of some vitamins

An analysis of 68 studies indicates that antioxidant supplements
may do more harm than good. By Thomas H. Maugh II.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0INTM0Eo

Film recalls Japan's economic bender

The makers of 'Bubble Fiction' think the country is ready for a
satiric look at the boom-and-bust 1980s and early '90s. By Bruce
Wallace.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0INTN0Ep

Taliban says it targeted Cheney

Officials doubt the militants knew he was secretly at an Afghan
air base. Two Americans are among the dead in bombing. By Julian
E. Barnes, Josh Meyer and Laura King.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0INTO0Eq

Human Rights Watch lists 39 secret CIA detainees

It names suspects thought to have been held abroad and calls for
fuller disclosure by U.S. By Josh Meyer.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0INTP0Er

A new flight plan for success

Ever since MotoArt began five years ago, sales have soared -
propelling its owners to expand the furniture business overseas.
By David Colker.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0INTQ0Es

Chrysler opens door for Chinese cars in U.S.

Asian automakers' influence in U.S. builds as Toyota also says it
will open a Mississippi plant. By John O'Dell.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0INTR0Et

Costco halts liberal electronics return policy

Refunds were costing the warehouse store chain 'tens of millions
of dollars' a year. By Leslie Earnest and Adrian G. Uribarri.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0INTS0Eu

Recession unlikely this year, many economists say

Tuesday's market sell-off was long anticipated and is not a sign
of coming troubles, analysts say, pointing to renewed consumer and
business spending and a strong labor market. By Molly
Hennessy-Fiske and Lisa Girion.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0INTT0Ev

Financial planners urge calm amid storm

A long-term view and a diverse portfolio can help investors
survive a stock slump, experts say. By Martin Zimmerman and Kathy
M. Kristof.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0INTU0Ew

A makeshift idea for the Olympics

Chicago and L.A. have the same notion for the 2016 Summer Games:
temporary stadiums. By Christopher Hawthorne.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0INTb0EB

Breakthrough

The Bush administration will finally sit down with Iran and Syria.
Even if the only topic is Iraq, it can't hurt.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBJ...Io30G2B0INTj0EJ

SECRECY NEWS
from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy
Volume 2007, Issue No. 23
February 28, 2007

Secrecy News Blog: http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/

Support Secrecy News:
http://www.fas.org/static/contrib_sec.jsp


** SENATE PROPOSAL TO CRIMINALIZE LEAKS SPARKS OPPOSITION
** NEW MILITARY DOCTRINE
** SELECTED CRS REPORTS


SENATE PROPOSAL TO CRIMINALIZE LEAKS SPARKS OPPOSITION

A legislative proposal by Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) that would
criminalize the unauthorized disclosure or publication of
classified information "concerning efforts by the United States
to identify, investigate, or prevent terrorist activity" is
drawing strong opposition even before it has been formally
introduced.

The Kyl proposal, which would amend the espionage statute at 18
U.S.C. 798, is to be offered as an amendment to an unrelated
bill on data mining that will be marked up by the Senate
Judiciary Committee on Thursday, March 1. The text of the Kyl
amendment is here:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/2007/02/kylamend.pdf

Classified information on U.S. counterterror efforts appears in
the press with some frequency and often serves as a stimulus to
intense public deliberation. Today, for example, the Washington
Post reported new information on controversial and possibly
illegal CIA "black sites" where an unknown number of prisoners
are held incommunicado for interrogation.

Under the sweeping Kyl proposal, disclosure or publication of
such information could be punishable by up to twenty years in
prison.

"The proposal seeks to stifle, with the threat of criminal
prosecution, informed public debate about the most serious
matters of the effectiveness of government counterterrorism
efforts," wrote dozens of public interest, first amendment and
civil liberties advocacy groups (including FAS) in a February 27
letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"We strongly reject you to reject the proposed amendment," they
wrote in a letter coordinated by the coalition
OpenTheGovernment.org, directed by Patrice McDermott.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/2007/02/otg022707.pdf

When a bill to criminalize the unauthorized disclosure of any
classified information was introduced in 2000, it passed both
houses of Congress before it encountered effective opposition
(and it was subsequently vetoed by President Clinton).

In remarkable contrast, the present proposal by Senator Kyl has
elicited organized opposition before it has even been formally
introduced.

In addition to the OpenTheGovernment.org letter, a coalition of
media organizations known as the Sunshine in Government
Initiative (www.sunshineingovernment.org), directed by Rick
Blum, issued its own critique of the bill.

The Kyl proposal was previously reported by Rebecca Carr of Cox
News and also by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the
Press.


NEW MILITARY DOCTRINE

A new U.S. Air Force directive "provides policies for managing
nuclear weapons and weapon systems, and for protecting
personnel, property, and the environment from hazardous exposure
to radioactive materials."

See Air Force Policy Directive 91-1, "Nuclear Weapons and Systems
Surety," 13 February 2007:

http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/usaf/afpd91-1.pdf

Another new Air Force document on combating the threat or use of
weapons of mass destruction "provides guidance for
understanding, planning, and executing counter-chemical,
biological, radiological, and nuclear operations to enable US
forces to survive and operate effectively in this deadly
environment."

See Air Force Doctrine Document 2-1.8, "Counter-Chemical,
Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Operations," 26 January
2007:

http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/usaf/afdd2-1-8.pdf

Army doctrine on the use of attack helicopters to locate and
destroy enemy forces and to gather or confirm intelligence is
presented in a new field manual.

See "Attack Reconnaissance Helicopter Operations," Field Manual
FM 3-04.126, February 16, 2007 (320 pages, 9.5 MB PDF file):

http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fm3-04-126.pdf

The new manual notes that it has been reviewed for operations
security considerations and approved for public release.


SELECTED CRS REPORTS

Analysts at the Congressional Research Service continue to churn
out reports for Congress faster than they can reasonably be
digested. Not all of them are of broad interest, nor do they
consistently offer original content or significant analytical
insight.

But as long as Congress refuses to make them available online to
the general public, there seems to be value in our helping to do
so.

Recent CRS products that are not already available in other
online public collections such as OpenCRS (www.opencrs.com) and
the State Department's Foreign Press Center
(fpc.state.gov/fpc/c4763.htm) include the following.

"Is China a Threat to the U.S. Economy?," updated January 23,
2007:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33604.pdf

"China's Trade with the United States and the World," updated
January 4, 2007:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL31403.pdf

"Yemen: Current Conditions and U.S. Relations," updated January
4, 2007:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RS21808.pdf

"State and Urban Area Homeland Security Plans and Exercises:
Issues for the 110th Congress," updated January 3, 2007:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/RS22393.pdf

"The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development,"
updated January 19, 2007:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RS21128.pdf

"Environmental Activities of the U.S. Coast Guard," updated
January 16, 2007:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RS22145.pdf

"The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA):
A Summary," updated January 3, 2007:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL32683.pdf

"Countries of the World and International Organizations: Sources
of Information," updated January 8, 2007:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/96-816.pdf


Steven Aftergood
Project on Government Secrecy
Federation of American Scientists
web: www.fas.org/sgp/index.html
email: saftergood@fas.org
voice: (202) 454-4691

Bomb hits Baghdad book mart

A suicide attacker kills 30 at the longtime haunt of the Iraqi
cultured set. By Christian Berthelsen.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOXK0EM

Walter Reed hearing brings outrage and apologies

Wounded troops tell Congress about their struggles. Army officials
take responsibility. By Johanna Neuman and Adam Schreck.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOXL0EN

Asian air pollution affecting weather

The Pacific region has become stormier, scientists say. By Robert
Lee Hotz.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOXM0EO

New York's Spitzer looks to Schwarzenegger for inspiration

They appear to have little in common, these two governors. By Evan
Halper.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOXN0EP

L.A. Bridges anti-gang effort scrutinized

The city spends millions on the program, but critics say there's
no way to tell how effective it is. By Patrick McGreevy and
Richard Winton.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOXO0EQ

Iraqi risks all for a chance to flee fear

A Baghdad man who worked for The Times takes a nerve-racking
journey to safety. By S. Aziz.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOXP0ER

L.A. facing its driest year ever

Downtown has received only 2.4 inches of rain since July 1,
meteorologists say. By Hector Becerra and Sara Lin.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOXS0EU

Religious schools may use tax-free bonds

State Supreme Court ruling is opposed by civil libertarians. By
Maura Dolan.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOXT0EV


Cheney has blood clot in his leg

The potentially deadly condition is found after a 9-day trip in
which he spent 65 hours on a plane. He's now taking an
anticoagulant. By James Gerstenzang and Thomas H. Maugh II.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOXV0EX

Panel to summon two more ousted U.S. attorneys

Democrats plan to subpoena two more U.S. attorneys who were
recently dismissed, as congressional leaders gear up for House and
Senate hearings today to determine whether the Bush administration
played politics with the firings. By Richard A. Serrano.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOXW0EY

In Washington state, a 'boo ban' isn't likely

But sports officials do discourage high school fans from jeering.
By Sam Howe Verhovek.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOXX0EZ


Psychological torture just as bad, study finds

Damage is equal to that from physical abuse, investigators report.
By Alan Zarembo.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOXY0Ea

Bush to visit Latin America, Chavez's backyard

The president's trip is a bid to counter the growing regional sway
of the Venezuelan leader. By Maura Reynolds, Patrick J. McDonnell
and Chris Kraul.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOXZ0Eb

U.S. airstrike in Afghanistan kills civilians

Nine family members die in the second such incident in less than
24 hours involving American firepower. By Shafiqullah Azimi and
Laura King.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOXa0Ei

Early daylight saving spurs race against time

Clocks move ahead Sunday, but millions of computers are programmed
to make the change in April. Mayhem lite may ensue. By Michelle
Quinn.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOXb0Ej

Gasoline prices jump

Drivers face $3 fuel in parts of California. Experts blame
refinery woes and other factors. By Ronald D. White.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOXc0Ek

Japan may share blame in stock dive

Rate hikes have spurred speculators, who borrowed yen to invest
elsewhere, to sell assets. By Bruce Wallace.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOXf0En

BP gives $25 million to LACMA

The BP donation will go toward a solar entrance that the British
oil firm hopes will invoke energy innovation. By Mike Boehm.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOXl0Et

Pussycat Dolls, 'Top Model' search for new blood

The search is on for 'America's Next Top Model' and a new Pussycat
Doll. Somehow, we don't think this is what the women's movement
had in mind. By Paul Brownfield.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOXm0Eu

Homeless housing: Creative solutions

At any given time, the easiest way to tell which projects are
getting the most attention inside the Silver Lake offices of
Michael Maltzan Architecture is to look at the top of a long, low
bookcase that bisects the main workspace. By Christopher
Hawthorne.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOXn0Ev

Hollywood is another world to foreign directors

Despite recent successes, foreign directors have struggled trying
to make the transition. By Patrick Goldstein.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOXo0Ew

Paris shows reveal a return to pure design

A quieter elegance, good craftsmanship and subtle design elevate
Fashion Week trends. By Booth Moore.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOXp0Ex


Worth a second look

Congress and the Justice Department are right to examine whether
firings of U.S. attorneys pass the smell test.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOXq0Ey

Mexico's own migra

DECK: If you think the U.S. is rough on illegal immigrants, look
at how Mexico treats the undocumented. .
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOXr0Ez

Big business in body parts

Biotech firms make healthy profits from tissue sales. Why not the
rest of us? By Kerry Howley.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOXs0E1

Japan can't dodge this shame

'Comfort women' were forced to work in brothels during World War
II; Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says there's no proof that ever
happened. By Dinah Sehlton.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOXt0E2

No baby pictures, please

Hooray for your new bundle of joy! Now keep Junior's photos to
yourself. By Joel Stein.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOXu0E3

SECRECY NEWS
from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy
Volume 2007, Issue No. 26
March 7, 2007

Secrecy News Blog: http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/

Support Secrecy News:
http://www.fas.org/static/contrib_sec.jsp


** CONGRESSIONAL INTELLIGENCE OVERSIGHT IN JEOPARDY
** CIA UNLAWFULLY IMPOSED PRIOR RESTRAINT, LAWSUIT ALLEGES
** A MEMORABLE LEAK CASE
** CONSERVATIVE LEADER URGES PUBLIC ACCESS TO CRS REPORTS
** SUNSHINE WEEK


CONGRESSIONAL INTELLIGENCE OVERSIGHT IN JEOPARDY

In a "shocking and inexcusable" action that may threaten the
institution of congressional intelligence oversight, an anonymous
Senator yesterday blocked Senate consideration of the pending
Intelligence Authorization Act for FY 2007. No intelligence
authorization bill has been passed by Congress for the past two
years.

If Congress remains unable to legislate an intelligence
authorization act, which is the principal product of the
intelligence oversight committees each year, then the committees
themselves could be rendered irrelevant, officials say.

"The Senate's failure to pass this critical national security
legislation for the past 2 years is remarkably shocking and
inexcusable," said an angry Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), who
chairs the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

"The result of this continued obstruction will be diminished
authority for intelligence agencies to do their job in protecting
America. I hope the [anonymous] Senator involved takes
satisfaction in that," Senator Rockefeller said. See his March 6
floor statement:

http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2007_cr/s030607.html

The Senator who is holding up the bill is Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC),
according to Tim Starks of Congressional Quarterly.

Sen. DeMint "is said to be concerned about provisions of the bill
that require the Bush administration to report to Congress on its
detention policies, such as those pertaining to its secret CIA
prisons, as well as a provision to declassify the total
intelligence budget," CQ reported on March 6.


CIA UNLAWFULLY IMPOSED PRIOR RESTRAINT, LAWSUIT ALLEGES

The Central Intelligence Agency improperly blocked a former CIA
employee from disseminating unclassified information about what he
considered illicit CIA contacts with a foreign national suspected
of criminal acts, according to a lawsuit filed this week in DC
District Court.

Franz Boening, who was employed by CIA from 1980 to 2005, contended
that "the CIA maintained a special relationship with a foreign
individual who committed unlawful human rights violations and
criminal acts with the knowledge of the CIA." He further alleged
that he has suffered retaliation for expressing his concerns.

According to Mr. Boening, "CIA may have violated US laws during its
10+ year relationship with [name redacted]."

As required by his non-disclosure agreement, Mr. Boening submitted
his proposed disclosures to the CIA Publication Review Board,
which refused to authorize their release.

"Although the entire analysis and factual recitation of the CIA's
involvement with this individual was based purely on publicly
available nongovernmental (including newspaper articles) and
unclassified government websites, the CIA 'classified' more than a
dozen pages of publicly available newspaper, radio, and television
information, a practice that was commonly assumed to have been
discontinued by the CIA years ago," according to the complaint,
filed by attorney Mark S. Zaid on March 5.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/jud/boening.pdf

Two former CIA officials contacted by Secrecy News declined to
comment on the case. Another official said that the handling of
the Boening matter over the last couple of years coincided with a
loss of autonomy at the CIA Publication Review Board in favor of
increased control by agency Information Review Officers (IROs).
That trend may now be reversing, the official said, under the
current DCIA Michael Hayden.

Mr. Boening appears to have been the first and perhaps the only
government official ever to take advantage of a provision of the
executive order on classification that encourages authorized
holders of classified information to challenge its classification
if they believe it is improper (executive order 13292, section
1.8).

In order to deflect his challenge, the new complaint says, the CIA
argued that he was not technically an "authorized holder" of the
information in question and therefore did not have standing to
challenge its classification status.


A MEMORABLE LEAK CASE

In the course of an urgent search for the sources who were
providing classified information to journalist Jack Anderson in
1971, the Nixon Administration discovered a surprising culprit.

A Navy yeoman in the National Security Council named Charles
Radford was not only the "almost certain source" of the Jack
Anderson leaks, but he was also in the habit of routinely copying
classified documents in the briefcases of Henry Kissinger,
Alexander Haig, and other senior Administration officials, and
forwarding the documents to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

In effect, the Joint Chiefs were spying on the Nixon White House.

"The P[resident] was quite shocked, naturally, by the whole
situation," according to the diary of Nixon aide H.R. Haldeman.

The whole episode, which has been previously described in various
memoirs and historical studies, was recalled in a recent edition
of Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS), which also
published some newly transcribed Presidential discussions of the
case.

Admiral Welander, yeoman Radford's boss, said that the yeoman
should be put in jail for his actions, Haldeman wrote.

Admiral Moorer, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said that Admiral
Welander should be put in jail.

Kissinger said, "I think Moorer should be in jail."

In the end, nobody went to jail.

"Our best interests are served by not, you know, raising holy
hell," concluded President Nixon.

See the relevant excerpts on the Radford-Joint Chiefs spying case
(documents 164-166) here:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/2007/03/radford.pdf

The full text of the source volume of FRUS is here:

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/frus/nixon/ii/index.htm

A controversial proposal by Sen. Jon Kyl to criminalize leaks of
classified information contained in certain reports to Congress
may be considered by the Senate today or tomorrow.


CONSERVATIVE LEADER URGES PUBLIC ACCESS TO CRS REPORTS

Paul M. Weyrich, the influential culture warrior who leads the
arch-conservative Free Congress Foundation, has called upon
Congress to grant public access to products of the Congressional
Research Service.

"It seems to me that it is time to end the foolishness and just
make the CRS website available to the general public," Mr. Weyrich
wrote in a new commentary.

http://www.freecongress.org/commentaries/2007/070305.aspx

Does Mr. Weyrich's endorsement of public access to CRS reports
imply that continued restrictions on such access might actually be
desirable? Of course not.

Here are some recent CRS acquisitions.

"The Executive Office of the President: An Historical Overview,"
updated November 28, 2006:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/98-606.pdf

"Radioactive Tank Waste from the Past Production of Nuclear
Weapons: Background and Issues for Congress," updated January 3,
2007:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/nuke/RS21988.pdf

"United Nations Reform: U.S. Policy and International
Perspectives," January 22, 2007:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33848.pdf


SUNSHINE WEEK

Sunshine Week, which falls this year on March 11-17, is an annual
effort by news organizations, libraries and public interest groups
to focus public attention on the importance of open government.

Next week, dozens of programs across the country will explore the
costs of secrecy, the virtues of openness, and the path forward.

See the calendar of events and other information here:

http://www.sunshineweek.org/sunshineweek/calendar07

Next week may also see House action on three open government bills
that have been advanced by the House Oversight and Government Reform
Committee under the leadership of Rep. Henry Waxman.

The pending bills include one on Freedom of Information Act
amendments, one on amendments to the Presidential Records Act, and
one on disclosure of donations to Presidential libraries. Markup
of the bills will take place on March 8, and House floor action is
expected next week.



_______________________________________________
Secrecy News is written by Steven Aftergood and published by the
Federation of American Scientists.

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SUPPORT Secrecy News with a donation here:
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_______________________
Steven Aftergood
Project on Government Secrecy
Federation of American Scientists
web: www.fas.org/sgp/index.html
email: saftergood@fas.org
voice: (202) 454-4691

Libby's conviction in CIA leak case a setback for White House

The guilty verdicts against former vice presidential aide I. Lewis
"Scooter" Libby made him the first high-level White House official
convicted of a crime since the Iran-Contra scandal 20 years ago,
and marked the latest fallout from the administration's handling
of the run-up to the war in Iraq. By Richard B. Schmitt and Greg
Miller.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOpT0EW

Talk floats of a possible pardon by Bush
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOpU0EX

Fired U.S. attorneys testify before Congress

A fired federal prosecutor described how two Republican lawmakers
from New Mexico made him feel "sick" after they called him - in
one case at his home - to ask about criminal charges against
Democrats last fall, just as one of the officeholders faced a
tight reelection race. By Richard A. Serrano.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOpV0EY

Iraq attacks kill 110 Shiite pilgrims

Bombings and shootings that killed more than 110 Shiite Muslim
pilgrims observing a religious ritual appear to be part of a Sunni
insurgent strategy to rekindle sectarian warfare to levels that
could derail the latest U.S.-led effort to stabilize Iraq. By
Julian E. Barnes and Christian Berthelsen.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOpW0EZ

Wine czar Ernest Gallo dies

Ernest Gallo, who with his brother Julio created a
post-Prohibition wine business that became one of the most
dominant in the world and changed the American palate, has died.
He was 97. By Claudia Luther and Jerry Hirsch.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOpX0Ea

Atkins diet wins for losing

The largest and longest-running comparison of diet plans found the
low-carbohydrate Atkins regimen produced greater weight loss than
three other popular programs - the Zone, the Ornish and the U.S.
nutritional guidelines. By Denise Gellene.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOpY0Eb

Las Vegas looks north to slake its thirst

Las Vegas' drinking problem is Nevada ranchers' headache as
officials look to tap groundwater in rural counties to slake a
thirst for growth. By Bettina Boxall.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOpZ0Ec


Three Villaraigosa candidates leading

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's school-intervention plans hung in the
balance Tuesday evening as election officials tallied results in
four Los Angeles Board of Education races that could give him an
outright majority of political allies. By Howard Blume and Joel
Rubin.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOpa0Ej

Four F-14s seized at Southland airports

Federal agents seized four F-14 Tomcat fighters in San Bernardino
County - three from airplane museums - after investigators
determined that the jets were not demilitarized and were
improperly sold or transferred to private companies, including the
producer of the TV show "JAG," authorities said. By Maeve Reston
and Garrett Therolf.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOpb0Ek

Steve Lopez: Turning up the heat on a rogue dishwasher
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOpc0El


North Carolina sues to get doctors at executions

The North Carolina Department of Corrections sued the state's
medical board, asserting that the board's threat to discipline
doctors participating in executions had prevented the state from
getting a physician to be present at lethal-injection executions.
By Henry Weinstein.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOpd0Em

Senate votes for more rights for airport screeners

The Senate voted to allow airport baggage and passenger screeners
the same rights to negotiate working conditions that other
employees of the Department of Homeland Security - including
Border Patrol and Customs agents - now have. By Joel Havemann.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOpe0En

British media have more on Labor scandal

The British media fought off court-ordered censorship Tuesday to
report allegations that the Labor government was advised to doctor
its account of events surrounding the alleged trading of peerages
for campaign loans. By Kim Murphy.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOpf0Eo

U.S. pleased with results of N. Korea talks

After sessions on normalizing ties, the American negotiator is
upbeat on prospects for progress. By Maggie Farley.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOpg0Ep

Afghanistan operation targets insurgents

NATO forces launched the alliance's largest offensive yet against
insurgents in southern Afghanistan, marking the start of what both
sides predict will be an intense round of fighting over the spring
and summer. By Shafiqullah Azimi and Laura King.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOph0Eq

Vycon's flywheel device helps power seaport cranes

The company says the technology could help reduce diesel emissions
and fuel consumption. By Ronald D. White.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOpi0Er

Tourists go extra mile to do good

More travelers are taking volunteer vacations. A new website aims
to help them plan. By Kimi Yoshino.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOpj0Es

Internet radio stations face fee hike

Some small operators say a panel's ruling to hike music royalties
may push them off the air. By Jim Puzzanghera and Josh Friedman.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOpk0Et

Federer's history tour continues

The 10-time grand slam champion could surpass Vilas' 46
consecutive match wins with title at Pacific Life Open. By Lisa
Dillman.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOpl0Eu

Top NASCAR teams in woman's hands

GM's program manager for 21 Nextel Cup racers fights her way to
the forefront. By Kevin Baxter.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOpm0Ev

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
__________________
Christina Aguilera gets 'Back to Basics' in concert

Christina Aguilera dons every diva role as she pays her respect
and earns it too. By Ann Powers.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOpn0Ew

Spielberg, Scorsese join L.A. Phil to honor John Williams, Herrmann

Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese join the Los Angeles
Philharmonic to honor John Williams and Bernard Herrmann. By Mark
Swed.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOpo0Ex

From McMurtry, a multilayered saga
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOpp0Ey

FEATURES
________
Eureka, a wine rush!

One-ounce pours by debit card, tasting notes via audio wands,
"love tents" for sipping: Wine merchants are selling a lifestyle,
and we're slurping it all up. By Corie Brown.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOpq0Ez

Aristocratic tilt

The '08 LR2 has genteel charm, off-the-charts handling - and
plenty of star power. By Dan Neil.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOpr0E1

OPINION
_______
Paging the emperor

As Japan struggles to come to grips with wartime atrocities, its
monarch could lead the way.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IOps0E2

Asia woes show little similarity to '97 crisis



Design psychologists analyze your interior psyche

How to design your dream home? Experts in an emerging field
analyze your childhood, happiest moments and favorite objects to
come up with a prescription. By Linda Marsa.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IO5d0EG

Stop, and smell the cut flowers

Vanishing scent is just one reality of today's floral market.
Author Amy Stewart digs up others too. By Suzanne Mantell.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IO5e0EH

Going south

Thanks to an unwise policy on ethanol, the president isn't likely
to get very far on his trip to Latin America.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IO5i0EL

Static over royalties

Internet radio stations should pay fees to artists and labels, but
a recent increase could kill the small guys.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IO5j0EM

In Egypt changing of the gods

Someday soon, someone - his son, or perhaps someone from the
Muslim Brotherhood - will succeed President Mubarak. By Timothy
Garton Ash.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IO5l0EO

The Joe and Valerie show

Libby was convicted, but the Wilsons are the ones profiting from
dishonesty. By Jonah Goldberg.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IO5m0EP

If L.A. were Baghdad

Imagine our reaction to suicide bombers killing 40 USC students
and blowing up South Coast Plaza in the same month. By Patt
Morrison.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IO5n0EQ

CBS' new script: Just the facts, Couric

Sometimes a makeover can be too extreme. By Matea Gold.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPN60EG

U.S. and Iran have been talking, quietly

Despite little public dialogue, the foes share a sliver of common
ground: an interest in Mideast security and resources. By Maggie
Farley.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPN70EH

$49 billion is Slim's pickings in Mexico

Telecom mogul Carlos Slim Helu has built a corporate empire so
vast that it's nearly impossible for most Mexicans to go a day
without slipping a few pesos into his pocket. By Marla Dickerson.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPN80EI

Always a blast with the Boom

Preston Boomer has been teaching science at the same school since
1956. Generations of students recall a fun taskmaster who likes
his explosions. By John M. Glionna.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOA0ES

Giuliani leads GOP pack, doing it his way

Despite liberal leanings and family turmoil, he's the party's
hands-down front-runner, for now. Rudy for president? For months,
it seemed unfathomable. By Janet Hook.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOB0ET

Democrats shift Iraq war debate to exit strategy

House and Senate leaders craft timetables to withdraw U.S. forces.
By Noam N. Levey and Richard Simon.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOC0EU

Poisoning of L.A. women in Moscow remains a mystery

A relative flew the antidote to Russia for treatment of the
victims, a doctor and her daughter who returned home Wednesday. By
Charles Proctor And Andrew Blankstein.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOD0EV

Encounter at LAX closed by falling arches

Officials shuttered the Encounter Restaurant in the iconic Theme
Building at Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday after
workers discovered that space-age arches above the eatery are
unstable. By Jennifer Oldham.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOE0EW

Less isn't more when it comes to voting

Anyone who's looking for another reason to withdraw troops from
Iraq should look no further than the results of Tuesday's school
board election in L.A. If that's what representative democracy
looks like, there's no point in sacrificing more lives so the
citizens of Iraq can enjoy the same freedoms we do. By Steve
Lopez.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOF0EX

At this ski resort, only the snow is all white

In a sport not known for ethnic diversity, Mountain High stands
tall. Most customers are snowboarders, helping supplement skiing's
slow-growing core demographic of white male baby-boomers. By Mike
Anton.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOG0EY

Arrests generate publicity, criticism

Another fugitive on the LAPD's top 10 list is nabbed, but some say
the list is a stunt to mask a lack of success. By Patrick McGreevy
and Richard Winton.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOH0EZ

Children tossed from windows in deadly NYC fire

The blaze in the Bronx home of a Malian immigrant family kills
eight children and 1 adult. By Josh Getlin.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOI0Ea

Border politics may have cost U.S. attorney her job

Critics say Carol Lam was fired in San Diego because she ignored
immigration issues. By Richard A. Serrano.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOJ0Eb

U.S. attorneys' hiring might return to Senate oversight

The Bush administration has agreed not to oppose restoring the
confirmation process, Democrats report. By Richard B. Schmitt.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOK0Ec

Thousands protest Bush's Brazil visit

Security is massive as he arrives for a five-nation Latin tour,
aimed in part at countering Chavez. By Patrick J. McDonnell and
Maura Reynolds.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOL0Ed

Pakistanis suffer under militants

In no-go frontier areas where the Taliban is said to hold sway,
there is an atmosphere of terror. By Laura King.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOM0Ee

Iran arrests 10 at Women's Day rally

Turnout is light after activists were detained at earlier
protests. By Ramin Mostaghim.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPON0Ef

Blogging for dollars raises questions of online ethics

Payments by advertisers to bloggers for writing about their goods,
critics say, blur the line between opinion and product placement.
By Josh Friedman.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOO0Eg

China weighs property law

If passed, the bill would protect ownership and usage rights, a
milestone in a communist nation. By Mark Magnier.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOP0Eh

Sony Pictures may relocate 100 visual effects workers to New Mexico

California may lose yet more film-industry positions if financial
incentives are extended. By Richard Verrier.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOQ0Ei

SEC, citing spam, halts trading in 35 stocks

Last September, Internet spam messages touting the stock of
Covina-based Healtheuniverse Inc. started landing in e-mail
in-boxes across the country. By Walter Hamilton.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOR0Ej

He'll save crusades for later

Conor Oberst, dubbed the next big thing, stays in his indie-rock
cocoon at the El Rey. By Richard Cromelin.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOX0Ep

Segerstrom Concert Hall's six-month report card

Impressive acoustics, solid ticket sales are a plus, but some
patrons have complaints. By Mike Boehm.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOY0Eq

'100' would've been plenty

The death count in the visually stunning '300' will wear down all
but the most bloodthirsty viewers. By Kenneth Turan.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOZ0Er

Conlon, L.A. Opera revive faded 'Voices'

For his first season as music director of Los Angeles Opera, James
Conlon has conducted four productions, three of them new. But that
has hardly been enough for him. By Mark Swed.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOa0Ey

Punk's spunky fashion priestess

Vivienne Westwood marvels at her own career retrospective, but
sees Stone Age style in her future. By Rose Apodaca.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOb0Ez

Remedial plain language

L.A. County's push to turn employees into better writers is a
welcome step, period.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOc0E1

Bumps in the road

Every city wants its share of new transportation funds. Is the
state panel in charge up to the job?.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOd0E2

A modern mockery

Ankara's outdated laws to protect 'Turkishness' only bar free
speech and hold the nation up to ridicule.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOe0E3

For U.S., a mini mea culpa

A federal report has harsh words for foreign governments while
barely mentioning U.S. violations. By Rosa Brooks.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOf0E4

The Gitmo script

A tour of the facility features strict boundaries and
well-rehearsed lines. By Karen J. Greenberg.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOg0E5

Captain America was us

What the comic book hero's career, and demise, say about our
country. By Jacob Heilbrunn.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPOh0E6

SECRECY NEWS
from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy
Volume 2007, Issue No. 27
March 9, 2007

Secrecy News Blog: http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/

Support Secrecy News:
http://www.fas.org/static/contrib_sec.jsp


** FBI COMMITTED NUMEROUS VIOLATIONS IN INFO REQUESTS
** ARMY HUMAN RESOURCES POLICY
** JIHADIS AND THE INTERNET
** MORE FROM CRS


FBI COMMITTED NUMEROUS VIOLATIONS IN INFO REQUESTS

The Federal Bureau of Investigation made numerous "improper and
illegal" uses of the investigative tool known as "national
security letters," by which it gathers information in national
security cases, a report by the Justice Department Inspector
General found.

The abuses identified by the Inspector General "did not involve
criminal misconduct," the report said. "However, the improper
or illegal uses we found included serious misuses of national
security letter authority."

These included the collection of information not permitted by
law, the collection of information on persons not properly the
subject of an FBI investigation, the failure to identify and
report such errors, and quite a bit more.

See "A Review of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Use of
National Security Letters," DoJ Office of Inspector General,
March 2007 (199 pages in a very large 35 MB PDF file):

http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/doj/oig/natsec.pdf

In a statement today, the FBI did not dispute the new report's
conclusions.

"The Inspector General conducted a fair and objective review of
the FBI's use of a proven and useful investigative tool," said
Director Robert S. Mueller, III, "and his finding of
deficiencies in our processes is unacceptable."

http://www.fas.org/irp/news/2007/03/nsl-fbi.html

The development of the FBI's counterintelligence role in the
crucible of pre-World War II security concerns is detailed in an
interesting new book from the excellent University of Kansas
Press.

See "The Origins of FBI Counterintelligence" by Raymond J.
Batvinis, Univ of Kansas Press, March 2007:

http://www.kansaspress.ku.edu/batori.html


ARMY HUMAN RESOURCES POLICY

Army policy on human resources -- the mundane but vital
identification, development, coordination and deployment of
military personnel needed to accomplish Army objectives -- is
presented in a new Field Manual.

See "Human Resources Support," FM 1-0, February 2007 (223 pages,
6.0 MB PDF):

http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fm1-0.pdf


JIHADIS AND THE INTERNET

A new report from a Dutch counterintelligence agency warns of the
growing role of the Internet in Islamic extremist circles.

"The Internet is an important platform for radicalisation and can
even serve as a virtual [terrorist] training camp. Jihadis not
only use the Internet as a resource, but can also attack the
Internet itself with terrorist activities (the Internet as a
target) or use the Internet against other targets (the Internet
as a weapon)," and so forth.

See "Jihadis and the Internet," National Coordinator for
Counterterrorism (Netherlands), February 2007:

http://www.fas.org/irp/world/netherlands/jihadis.pdf

Fortunately or unfortunately, much of the report is overly
credulous and cannot be taken at face value, according to George
Smith of GlobalSecurity.org.

Among other examples, he noted the report's citation to an online
manual on the use of botulinum toxin as a weapon. But the
manual itself is either a hoax or a primitive misunderstanding,
and has previously been debunked by Dr. Smith, a chemist
(Secrecy News, 08/08/05).

It "is an example of someone professing to know what he is doing
on poisons who profoundly and obviously does not know what he is
doing," Dr. Smith said in 2005.

The new Dutch report excludes "the now large critical body of
work" on the magnitude and character of the terrorist threat,
Dr. Smith said. "It's the standard script."


MORE FROM CRS

Some recent publications of the Congressional Research Service
that have not been made readily available to the public include
the following.

"Conventional Warheads For Long-Range Ballistic Missiles:
Background and Issues for Congress," updated February 9, 2007:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/nuke/RL33067.pdf

"The National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center:
Issues for Congress," updated February 15, 2007:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/RL32891.pdf

"National Security Surveillance Act of 2006: S. 3886, Title II
(S. 2453 as Reported Out of the Senate Judiciary Committee,"
updated January 18, 2007:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/intel/RL33650.pdf

"Active Military Sonar and Marine Mammals: Events and
References," updated February 12, 2007:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/RL33133.pdf

"U.S.-China Nuclear Cooperation Agreement," updated January 31,
2007:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33192.pdf



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Terrorism trial gives Spain little comfort

Three years after the Madrid bombings, the threat is believed to
be growing as militants reorganize. By Tracy Wilkinson.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPZ50Er

Businesses pinched as commercial rents soar in Southland

Sizzling demand for offices, warehouses and retail space is
hitting Southern California and other major urban centers. That is
resulting in smaller cubicles and longer commutes for workers,
higher prices for consumers and closure of businesses unable to
meet landlords' demands for higher rent. By Roger Vincent.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPZ60Es

Evangelical agenda fight is heating up

Global warming and other causes stray too far from battles on
abortion, gay rights and similar 'great moral issues,' some
leaders say. By Stephanie Simon.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPZ70Et

FBI abuses may lead to limits on Patriot Act

Irate lawmakers threaten to rein in the bureau after reports of
improperly obtained bank and phone data. By Richard B. Schmitt.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPZ80Eu

Cast into the path of a killer

David Stodden retreads the Pinnacle Lake path where his wife,
Mary, and daughter Susanna were found shot dead last summer. By
Tomas Alex Tizon.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPaA0EC

Ticket scalping comes to a head

NCAA, pro sports leagues and entertainers are angling to control
profitable resale market. By Greg Johnson.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPaB0ED

Gang crackdown raises touchy issue

Questioning suspects' immigration status has been taboo for L.A.
police. But the results of jail screenings revive calls to relax
that policy. By Patrick McGreevy.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPaD0EF

Whew! The weather continues its dry run

It's still winter, but in Southern California it's feeling more
and more like summer. By Hector Becerra.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPaE0EG

Report details risks of gas project

Agencies express concerns about the impact on air quality and
marine life of the proposed liquefied natural gas facility. They
also assess the danger from possible explosion and fire. By Gary
Polakovic.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPaF0EH

Girl's accused killer straddles a racial divide

Jonathan Fajardo, the Latino gang member jailed in the shooting of
a black teen, is part Creole. His mother agonizes over his future.
By Sam Quinones.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPaG0EI

D.C. gun ban bites the dust

The ruling sets up a Supreme Court showdown over the scope of the
2nd Amendment. By David G. Savage.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPaH0EJ

Agent cleared in smuggling case

The officer had given a co-worker's girlfriend a lift from Mexico.
By Nicholas Riccardi.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPaI0EK

Panel widens prosecutor firing inquiry

The judiciary committee asks the White House for legal documents
and interviews with officials. By Richard A. Serrano.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPaJ0EL


Thousands gather to hear Chavez excoriate Bush

The Venezuelan leader packs a stadium in Argentina to scoff at the
president's South American agenda. By Patrick J. McDonnell and
Andrés D'Alessandro.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPaK0EM

Iraq conference raises hopes of U,S,-Iran thaw

Delegates meet in Baghdad for regional conference, paving way for
direct talks on the side. By Tina Susman.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPaL0EN

FDA orders warning on three anemia drugs

The Food and Drug Administration said Friday that three widely
used anemia drugs sold by Amgen Inc. and Johnson & Johnson would
be required to carry a safety warning that they could cause
serious side effects, including death, when used in higher doses
and given to some patients. By Daniel Costello.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPaM0EO

Rising food prices hit Indians in wallet, politicians at polls

The ruling Congress Party puts high priority on fighting such
inflation, which affects poor people disproportionately. By Henry
Chu.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPaN0EP

U.S. gains a modest 97,000 jobs in February

The increase falls short of 100,000 for the first time since
November 2004, a sign of slow economic growth. But wages continue
to climb. By Joel Havemann.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPaO0EQ

Monitoring of employees poses risk of missteps

Policies on monitoring staff haven't kept up with technology,
raising the risk of missteps. By Molly Selvin and Abigail Goldman.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPaP0ER

Loan turmoil closes doors for buyers

Mortgage terms are tightening as more sub-prime borrowers default
and lenders reel. By Annette Haddad and E. Scott Reckard.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPaQ0ES

Duke lacrosse bracing its way

The once-disbanded Blue Devils team is now No. 1, and rape charges
have been dropped, but underlying resentment remains. McFadyen
admits mistake, tells of 'American Psycho' reference. By David
Wharton.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPaR0ET

As the Pac-10 plays out, Bruins regroup across town

Today's Pacific Life Pac-10 tournament basketball final at Staples
Center should be a heated prelude to the upcoming men's NCAA
basketball tournament. But it won't be the whole deal. Expect some
equally hot action about 10 miles west, at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion.
By Bill Dwyre.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPaS0EU

A taste for borscht

Back in the '50s, the name Irwin Mazursky suited a Borscht Belt
comedian the way coleslaw went with pastrami - a perfect match
greater than the sum of its parts. But for the Irwin Mazursky in
question, that less-than-mellifluous birth moniker would hardly
work as an acting credit on Stanley Kubrick's film "Fear and
Desire." So when his soon-to-be wife, Betsy, called him in the
Catskills to ask what name he wanted to use, he was sure of only
one thing: He liked Mazursky. But Irwin? Not so much. By Irene
Lacher.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPaV0EX

Premiere magazine goes from 'it' read to has-been

Following an arc common in the industry it covered, the former
power player is ending its print edition. By Robert W. Welkos.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPaW0EY

'Riches': FX, Izzard find humor in American dream

The network known for its edgy dramas dips into comedy, but it's
hardly standard fare. By Greg Braxton.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPaX0EZ

Let's keep reporters from being G-men

There's virtually nothing an American newspaper writer likes
better than a faux-dramatic adjective or noun. "Unprecedented" is,
of course, the odds-on favorite, but "watershed" and "turning
point" also come rather quickly to mind. As deadline approaches,
they're the last refuge of the desperate, anxious to wring a bit
of attention-grabbing significance from the altogether mundane. By
Tim Rutten.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPaY0Ea


A steadfast ally

President Bush's visit to Colombia will help reaffirm U.S. support
for a partner in the fight against terrorism.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPaa0Ei

Slow-motion asylum

Having encouraged Cuban doctors working in Venezuela to defect,
the U.S. should expedite their requests.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPab0Ej

The bodega beat

Is Latin music immune to the trend of declining sales in the
industry? It's not - and that may be progress.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPac0Ek

McCain goes over to the dark side

John McCain goes over to the dark sideThe presidential hopeful and
former Luke Skywalker wannabe picked a bad time to cozy up to the
GOP empire. By Jonathan Chait.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPad0El

Murdering knowledge

Baghdad's once-vibrant book culture is another casualty of the
war. By Sumana Raychaudhuri and Saswato Das.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPae0Em

Citizenship by birth-can it be outlawed

Anti-immigration lawmakers are pushing the idea, but the 14th
Amendment may get in their way. By James C. Ho.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPaf0En

China's global go-getters

The city of Wenzhou's entrepreneurial people can be found around
the world, turning a profit amid harsh climates and hostile
governments. By Don Lee.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPfS0EA

O.C. fire roars amid heat and strong winds

About 1,200 people are evacuated as the blaze, started by a
burning car, rages in Anaheim Hills and Orange. By Janet Wilson,
David Haldane and Greg Krikorian.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPfT0EB

Advocates promote the other L.A. River

Left out of a $2-billion makeover, downstream cities plan
upgrades. By Deborah Schoch.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPfU0EC

Fallback strategy for Iraq: Train locals, draw down forces

If the current 'surge' fails, planners suggest relying on advisors
as the U.S. did in El Salvador in the 1980s. By Julian E. Barnes
and Peter Spiegel.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPfV0ED

Hike in Boalt Hall fees urged

In an unusual move, Berkeley's law school dean seeks greater
support from the state and students in return for a better
education. . By Richard C. Paddock.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPfW0EE

Love affair with lighthouses has a price

A plan to turn over five aging Bay Area structures to the National
Park Service shows the strong pull the now-obsolete facilities
have on heartstrings and purse strings. By Julie Cart.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPfX0EF

L.A. Zoo to retire elephant to animal sanctuary

Animal rights activists praise decision on Ruby, which ends months
of speculation on her fate. By Carla Hall.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPfY0EG

Parents blame VA in fatal overdose

An Iraq war veteran should have been watched more closely, his
family says, because of his abuse of drugs. By Mary Engel.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPfZ0EH

The American dream is alive at Franklin High

A Highland Park school with a 90% Latino student body is a
laboratory for what's possible when everyone works together. By
Bob Sipchen.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPfa0EO

Gonzales is urged to quit 'for the nation'

Sen. Charles Schumer says the attorney general has politicized the
Justice Department. By Walter F. Roche Jr.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPfb0EP

Media's focus narrowing, report warns

Splintering audiences in the online age are driving risky trends
like 'hyper-local ism,' the Project for Excellence in Journalism
says. By James Rainey.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPfc0EQ

New Orleans native returns as a school reformer

Tyra Newell will help train a new breed of principals in an effort
to overhaul the city's troubled public education system. By Ann M.
Simmons.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPfd0ER


In Colombia, Bush visits ally

He shows his support for President Alvaro Uribe on a rare trip by
a U.S. leader to the violence-racked capital. By Maura Reynolds
and Chris Kraul.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPfe0ES

Baghdad blast kills 31 Shiite pilgrims

A joyful journey ends in carnage when a bomber plows into a truck
carrying 70 revelers. By Tina Susman.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPff0ET

Israel-Palestinian talks yield little

Olmert and Abbas spar over issues from previous sessions. They
agree to meet again. By Richard Boudreaux.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPfg0EU

Pro-Kremlin parties ahead in Russia vote

The strong showing in regional polls will help the groups in
parliamentary elections. By David Holley.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPfh0EV


Halliburton headquarters leaving U.S.

The defense contractor's main office will be in Dubai. It will
keep a Houston presence. By Richard Verrier.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPfi0EW

Wait time on DVD releases shrinks

:DVDs featuring new movies are coming out faster than ever. By
Claudia Eller.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPfj0EX

Word of mouth feeds record debut for '300'

The Spartan-heroism epic scores the highest March opening ever,
grossing $70 million. By Josh Friedman.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPfk0EY

Rappers hear siren song of opportunity

With the genre's sales down, artists are looking elsewhere. Ring
tones and shoes can be lucrative, but how about air fresheners and
wrestling? By Alana Semuels.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPfl0EZ

Zell's past may hint at plan for Tribune

The mogul gave wide latitude to executives when he owned a radio
firm in the 1990s. By Thomas S. Mulligan.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPfm0Ea


A potent stretch for My Chemical Romance

Its dazzling, ambitious album becomes a focus, and source of
discipline, for the band's live show. By Richard Cromelin.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPfs0Eg


Walking: It's good for everything

A simple, brisk stroll has more benefits than you might think, and
it's an easier sell than the high-velocity programs of the '70s.
By Regina Nuzzo.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPfx0El

Heavier girls tend to reach puberty early

Although the early development concerns parents, health experts
warn that obesity is the real problem. By Mary Beckman.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPfy0Em


Do we really need a Gen. Pelosi?

Congress can cut funding for Iraq, but it shouldn't micromanage
the war.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPfz0En

Sub-primes prime the housing slump

Easy money fueled the housing boom, but it may also prolong the
slump.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPf10Ea

Troubled waters on U.N. oceans treaty

The U.S. has been the major stumbling block to a worldwide
agreement on ocean governance and fixing damaged seas. By David
Helvarg.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPf30Ec

A police state on skid row

The LAPD is again rousting and searching homeless people without
cause. By Ramona Ripston.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPf40Ed

Sleep at your own risk

A survey showing that women don't get enough shut-eye shouldn't
come as any surprise. By Meghan Daum.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPf50Ee

In Guatemala, immigration tops Bush agenda

President faces tough questions as he vows reform. By Maura
Reynolds.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPwj0EM

It's August in March for fire agencies

Record-low rainfall has created summer-like conditions and
staffing demands. By Hector Becerra and Andrew Blankstein.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPwk0EN

Key figure in justice department to step down

Gonzales' chief of staff may have played a role in the firing of
seven U.S. attorneys. By Richard B. Schmitt.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPwl0EO

The club no mother hopes to join

Gold Star Mothers, who've lost a child in military service, hoped
to fade into history. But new wars have brought new members. By
Faye Fiore.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPwm0EP

As sub-prime lender implodes, housing shudders

Big Irvine-based lender to risky borrowers nears bankruptcy in
wake of mounting defaults. By David Streitfeld and E. Scott
Reckard.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPwn0EQ

Rebels pose a new threat to Darfur's displaced

Militias linked to the Sudanese regime have long been blamed for
assaults, but now their foes are also accused. By Edmund Sanders.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPwo0ER

O.C. homes helped firefighters get the job done

Newer, multimillion-dollar houses were built with fire-resistant
roofs, and properties had been cleared. That aided a massive
ground and air effort against Windy Ridge blaze. By Garrett
Therolf, Roy Rivenburg and Ashley Powers.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPwp0ES

Perata uses lockout to teach senators a lesson over fundraiser

The president pro tem punishes three Democrats for attending a
caucus fundraiser. By Jordan Rau.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPwq0ET

Accounting blunders cost California $300 million

Mental health officials say the money to pay a children's
program's bills was appropriated for other uses. Other mistakes
included double-billing the federal government. By Evan Halper.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPwr0EU

L.A. produce market's owner charged over alleged health, safety violations

Authorities allege the wholesale operation in downtown L.A. was
infested with rats and violated safety rules. By Richard Winton.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPws0EV

Tracing the path of 2 purloined violins

After they were taken from the home of an L.A. musician, the
instruments, police say, were flown to Europe by a small-time
crook. By J. Michael Kennedy and Achrene Sicakyuz.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPwt0EW

Congressman says he doesn't believe in God

Democrat Pete Stark of California is the highest-ranking elected
official in the U.S. to make such a public acknowledgement. By
Adam Schreck.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPwu0EX

FDA issues guidelines for packaged produce

The voluntary rules for processors are intended to reduce the risk
of illness from bacteria. Critics say only mandatory requirements
will help. By Marla Cone.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPwv0EY

Secret hearings for top 9/11 suspects

Review tribunals have been held for Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and at
least two other Guantanamo detainees. By Julian E. Barnes.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPww0EZ

City's illegal immigration laws go on trial

Hazleton, Pa., defends its measures, but civil liberties lawyers
say they unfairly target Latinos. By Erika Hayasaki.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPwx0Ea

Obese men less likely to commit suicide, study finds

Researchers say higher amounts of insulin increase the levels of
serotonin, a key brain chemical that regulates mood. By Denise
Gellene.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPwy0Eb


Colombia paramilitary scandal widens

Electoral fraud charges are filed against a governor as Interpol
discloses that it has issued a warrant for a former congressman.
By Chris Kraul.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPwz0Ec

Tables turn quickly in Baghdad raids

U.S.-Iraqi forces seize suspects and weapons, only to come under
fire as their mission wraps up in an insurgent stronghold. By
Christian Berthelsen.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPw10EP

Zimbabwe opposition group says leader beaten

Morgan Tsvangirai and others are seized en route to a rally. One
man is killed. By Robyn Dixon and Godwin Mangudya.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPw20EQ


Home woes don't hurt most bonds

Investors shun securities linked to high-risk mortgages but hang
on to other dicey bets. By Tom Petruno.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPw30ER

Upside in L.A. housing market

Condo sales downtown, where prices start in the mid-$300,000
range, are still relatively strong. By Annette Haddad.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPw40ES

Demand surge delays passports

State Department warns of waits as long as 10 weeks for documents
as demand skyrockets. By Jane Engle and Kimi Yoshino.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPw50ET

Judge halts sale of biotech alfalfa seeds

Activists applaud the preliminary ruling as first ban on
genetically manipulated crops. By Marc Lifsher.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPw60EU

Supreme Court TV

The Supreme Court should televise its oral arguments. But Congress
can't force it to make the change.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPxH0En

Jacques Chirac bows out

France will finally be governed this year by someone not named
Chirac or Mitterrand.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPxI0Eo

A soldiers' hospital's duty

It's gratifying to see accountability at Walter Reed, but even
better would be to see an improvement in care.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPxJ0Ep

80 is the new 65

How our expectations of the aging population must change to cope
with longer life spans. By Sonia Arrison.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPxK0Eq

Unity is overrated

Calls to 'put politics aside' really mean 'stop disagreeing with
me and shut up.' By Jonah Goldberg.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPxL0Er

Slaves among us

Nearly 400 years since the British ban, slavery still extends to
all corners of the world - developing and advanced. By John
Miller.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IPxM0Es

PROLIFERATION NEWS
www.CarnegieEndowment.org/NPP
March 13, 2007
REGISTER NOW! Join us for the 2007 Carnegie International Nonproliferation Conference: Tomorrow’s Solutions taking place from June 25 - 26, 2007 in Washington, DC. Click here for more details.



Featured Content:
•"Nuclear Weapons Rarely Needed, General Says," Washington Post
•"Iran Denounces Russia's Decision Not to Ship Nuclear Fuel on Time," Associated Press
•"Next Step: Separate Ideology from the Technicalities of Nuclear Proliferation," Editorial, Daily Star
•"The Gulf States Consider Nuclear Energy," Op-ed by Nicole Stracke, Daily Star
•"Peres: Iranian Nuclear Issue Must Be Dealt with Peacefully," Haaretz
•"IAEA Head in Pyongyang," Editorial, Korea Times
•"Where Those Reactors and Centrifuges Came From," Op-ed by Jeremy Berstein, New York Times

Nuclear Weapons Rarely Needed, General Says
(Walter Pincus, Washington Post)

Saturday, March 10
The head of U.S. Strategic Command has told Congress that precision conventional weapons have replaced the need for nuclear ones in almost all areas, except when a quick intercontinental strike is required against unexpected or fast-moving threats.

"While America possesses dominant conventional capabilities second to none, we lack the capability to respond promptly to globally dispersed or fleeting threats without resorting to nuclear weapons," Gen. James E. Cartwright, commander of U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM), told the House Armed Services subcommittee on strategic forces on Thursday.
Nonproliferation Program Website
CarnegieEndowment.org
Iran Resources
South Asia Resources
Korea Resources
China Resources


Cartwright said the Air Force is studying a conventional-strike missile launched from the United States that is maneuverable at global distances. But he said the near-term solution is "to deploy a precision global strike missile" using current ICBMs, two years after Congress approves funding.

Cartwright voiced strong support for the Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW) program, which could result in a new generation of U.S. nuclear warheads being produced by 2012. He tied the introduction of RRW weapons to the reduction of today's U.S. stockpile of roughly 6,000 warheads to 2,200 or fewer by that date. Cartwright said the new RRW would feature a security device that would render the warhead useless -- like "a paperweight" -- if it fell into the wrong hands.



Iran Denounces Russia's Decision Not to Ship Nuclear Fuel on Time
(Associated Press)

Tuesday, March 13
Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani on Tuesday denounced Russia's refusal to send nuclear fuel to Iran this month, a move that delays the start of Iran's first nuclear power plant.

Larijani suggested that the Russian move would boost Iran's determination to push ahead with uranium enrichment, which the U.N. demands it suspend but which Iran says it needs to fuel its reactor program.

"This (Russian decision) shows that there is no such thing as a guarantee to deliver nuclear fuel," Larijani said, according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency.

The Russian move, announced Monday, means that Iran's first nuclear reactor will not come on stream in September, as was scheduled. This is a major political blow to Iran, which hoped the plant would boost its position in long-running negotiations with the United Nations over its nuclear program.



Next Step: Separate Ideology from the Technicalities of Nuclear Proliferation
(Daily Star - Editorial)

Tuesday, March 13
There seems to be general satisfaction all around after the first meeting Saturday of Iraq and its neighbors, friends and foreign militaries who gathered in Baghdad amid the occasional mortar attack to discuss how to stabilize the situation and get the country back to some sort of normalcy and real sovereignty. When the Iranian and American envoys exchange predictable accusations and subsequently describe the meeting as a good first step, then what we have here is probably a good first step. But toward what? A move to make the second positive step - at the gathering at foreign minister level in Istanbul next month - will quickly run into the obstacles of the big-sticker issues that separate the Americans and Iranians. These are the two large and small hegemons in the region who run into each other when they throw their weight around. To say that their encounter will be radioactive is only to add political hyperbole to the practical realities that define their concerns.

Iran's nuclear plans loom menacingly over the region and these discussions. Whether an Iran with a full nuclear fuel cycle is a genuine threat or mainly a perceived excuse for checking Tehran's regional influence remains hard to determine. More certain is the need to grapple with and resolve the nuclear proliferation issue as it pertains to Iran and, in time, to others in this region who surely will follow Iran, Pakistan and Israel in their nuclear capabilities. Perhaps this is the moment to build on a first good step in Baghdad by moving to an ambitious and slightly romantic next step in Istanbul, on the basis of revisiting an idea proposed previously by Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan: a nuclear fuel bank for all in the Middle East.



The Gulf States Consider Nuclear Energy
(Nicole Stracke, Daily Star - Opinion)

Tuesday, March 13
How far away are the Gulf states from engaging in a nuclear race in the Middle East? This is a legitimate question given the decision in December 2006 by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states to establish a nuclear research program. Up to that point, the GCC states had never seriously considered the use of nuclear energy. Most of the members have signed the major nuclear non-proliferation treaties. Five of the six have qualified for Small Quantity Protocol status, which implies almost zero nuclear activity. Therefore, the decision to initiate a nuclear research program marks a major departure from traditional GCC policy and indicates a new attitude in response to the changing political and security environment in the Gulf.

The reason is simple. The expansion of Iran's nuclear program, coupled with the Iranian government's belligerent attitude in the past year, has generated deep concern among the GCC leadership. As a consequence, it has started looking for its own regional initiatives to counter the possible threat from an aggressive neighbor armed with nuclear weapons.

The decision to establish a GCC nuclear program must be taken seriously by the international community. It was decided at the highest leadership level and has the full support of each of the Gulf governments. Second, since it is a joint program among all member states, logistical and financial support for the program will not be a problem. Third, the decision was reached out of necessity - the GCC countries felt they could no longer lag behind Iran and accept a widening nuclear technology gap, and the long-term possibility of Iran emerging as a sub-regional hegemon intent on changing the regional status quo.



Peres: Iranian Nuclear Issue Must Be Dealt with Peacefully
(Shmuel Rosner, Haaretz)

Tuesday, March 13
Vice Premier Shimon Peres said Tuesday that a peaceful solution must be found to the Iranian nuclear problem, despite its president's vow to wipe Israel off the map.

"I wouldn't like to darken the future with belligerent declarations," Peres said at a news conference when asked about the possibility of a pre-emptive strike. "I do hope that the problem can be solved economically, politically and psychologically."

Peres also reiterated Israel's long-held policy of nuclear ambiguity, a policy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert appeared to veer from in December with remarks that implied possession of atomic weapons. The vice premier said the only thing his nation has ever declared is that it will not be the first in the region to use nuclear weapons despite the many threats against it.



IAEA Head in Pyongyang
(Korea Times - Editorial)

Tuesday, March 13
Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), arrived in Pyongyang yesterday to lay the groundwork for dismantling North Korea’s nuclear facilities as agreed in the six-party talks last month. His arrival took place just a month after the agreement was struck in Beijing on Feb. 13. As he said during his stopover in Beijing, it is a complex process that requires a lot of confidence among the parties concerned.

His initial task in Pyongyang is to provide a framework for the IAEA inspectors’ return to North Korea within 60 days of the agreement to confirm whether or not the North has faithfully implemented the first phase of the agreement requiring it to shut down its main nuclear reactor. However, it is difficult to be overly optimistic as Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions are tied to its security, economic and political issues. Pyongyang’s honesty regarding the inspection process will be the most important factor deciding the fate of this long and treacherous process toward the denuclearization of the peninsula.

In was in 2002 that North Korea expelled IAEA’s inspectors on the heels of its withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty that came after Washington’s allegation that the North had a uranium enrichment program in addition to its acknowledged plutonium program. However, the return of IAEA inspectors to North Korea was made possible only after the worst thing happened. Pyongyang, successful in the detonation of its nuclear device, now calls itself a nuclear power.

It seems apparent that the attitude of the U.S. toward the North has changed greatly since Pyongyang’s nuclear detonation. The U.S., reversing its earlier attitude, finally decided to hold talks with North Korea in Berlin to pave the way toward resuming six-party talks. Washington is also expected to remove financial sanctions against North Korea, which it imposed due to apparent illicit dealings via a Macao bank. Two-way talks to discuss the normalization of their diplomatic relations were held in Washington recently. A notable fact is that all the changes, deemed favorable for the North, have materialized after the nuclear test.



Where Those Reactors and Centrifuges Came From
(Jeremy Berstein, New York Times - Opinion)

Monday, March 12
The six-party agreement signed with North Korea last month should certainly be applauded as a necessary first step in improving relations with the United States. While a good deal of the North Korean program is shrouded in mystery — just this week the United States again urged the North Koreans to disclose any uranium-enrichment activities — there are some things we do know, including the nature and status of the country’s reactors.

North Korea’s one functioning reactor, at Yongbyon, uses natural uranium for fuel and graphite as its moderator (the substance that slows the neutrons and enhances the fission reaction). These are the same ingredients used in the first reactor ever designed, which was tested by Enrico Fermi at the University of Chicago in 1942. The best estimate is that Yongbyon has produced about 100 pounds of plutonium since it went into full operation in 1990. This is enough for six to eight nuclear bombs, depending on their design. (The North Koreans might have used about six kilograms in their Oct. 9 test.) The construction of the larger reactors North Korea was building was apparently already suspended, for various technical reasons, before the agreement.

The North Koreans have been fairly transparent about their reactor program but almost totally opaque about their program to make natural uranium suitable for nuclear weapons by using centrifuges. We know that there is such a program, but we do not know where it is or how much, if any, uranium it has enriched. Centrifuges are much easier to hide than reactors. The North Koreans have reluctantly admitted that they have a centrifuge program but have not let any foreign observers see it. Such a program, if limited, would have been allowed by the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. But the North Koreans would have had to declare it to the International Atomic Energy Agency, which then would have had the right to inspect it. This they did not do.


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A drug's worrisome detour



Everybody hurts

Addiction, loss, tragedy - and the rebel spirit that can shine
through. All have their moment at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
ceremony. By Ann Powers.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQDh0EW

Sadly, his work still speaks to us

The urgent moral relevance of Aharon Appelfeld's profound novels
is one of the scandals of our age. By Tim Rutten.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQDi0EX

Humor in the mind of the married man

To get a sense of how comedians Chris Rock and Louis C.K. process
film genre, it helps to know that C.K. defends "GoodFellas" as
"funnier than 'It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World,' while Rock describes
"Lost in Translation" as "the blackest movie I've ever seen." By
Jay A. Fernandez.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQDj0EY

A buyer's market for theater owners

As they pitch their films, distributors worry about the crowded
summer marketplace. By Sheigh Crabtree.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQDk0EZ

The few, the proud among fans of '300'

To the U.S. Marines serving at Camp Pendleton, there is much to
learn from the Spartans, those heroic warriors of ancient Greece
whom one might have called "the few, the proud" centuries before
the Marine Corps adopted the motto. By Tony Perry and Robert W.
Welkos.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQDl0Ea

At last, a brilliant brew

Move over, espresso. An $11,000 drip machine is in town, and it
makes killer coffee. By Amy Scattergood.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQDm0Eb

Love of their lives

Chefs have fallen for the egg, of all things. Treating it with
tenderness, they've elevated it to a real luxury. By Betty
Hallock.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQDn0Ec

Green, before it was sexy

The renowned French chef, who made vegetables a star, puts in a
guest appearance at Manresa. By Betty Hallock.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQDo0Ed

Troubled beauty

A new automatic transmission makes Maserati's Q-ship easier to
drive. But is it easier to love? By Dan Neil.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQDp0Ee

Super Duke makes a solid case for KTM's street smarts

Think KTM, and a couple of words spring to mind: "Dirt. Orange."
By Susan Carpenter.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQDq0Ef


Legal beagle

Rather than a principled attorney general, Gonzales continues to
serve as a White House enabler.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQDr0Eg

Sub-prime time

Trouble in the mortgage market could rattle the economy. But
there's no reason for a federal bailout.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQDs0Eh

Zimbabwe's Mandela?

Dictator Robert Mugabe may weaken his regime by cracking down on
Morgan Tsvangirai.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQDt0Ei

The two-by-four approach to Bush

Democratic attempts to cut off war funding are best understood as
an attempt to get the attention of a president who loathes
negotiating. By Ronald Brownstein.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQDu0Ej

Guilty of politics

As a former federal prosecutor, Justice Department official and
U.S. attorney, I have viewed claims about the politicization of
the Justice Department with skepticism. Both the law and the
culture of the department historically have insulated federal
prosecutors from the pressures of partisan politics. By Harry
Litman.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQDv0Ek

Reading, writing and Revelation

Public school courses that promote Bible literacy can enhance our
civic life. By Stephen Prothero.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQDw0El

Nobody would lose with a little snooze

It's science - our hyper-productive workforce could be better off
with a midday siesta. By Louisa Thomas.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQDx0Em

Is sumo more act than action?



NTERTAINMENT NEWS
__________________
L.A. dinner theaters keep 'em guessing

Like a little red meat with your murder mystery? Have a seat, and
answer the detective's questions. By Margaret Wappler.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQSw0EY

FEATURES
________
Make way for the iPad

Home automation is ushering in the era of the remote-controlled
house. Some affordable options put the "Jetsons" lifestyle within
reach. By Joe Robinson.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQSx0EZ

Watch out, Malibu Barbie

With his tattoos and goatee, the Lost Angel doll embodies gritty
L.A. By Steve Baltin.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQSy0Ea

OPINION
_______
Immigration comeback

President Bush is right to give comprehensive reform one last
push- and sooner rather than later.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQSz0Eb

The 'SpongeBob debate

Viacom's message to Google: Copyright holders' rights don't
dissolve in the age of the Internet.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQS10EO

No God on his side

Bay Area Rep. Pete Stark has decided to bare his soul- he's
acknowledged that he is a nonbeliever.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQS20EP

The immorality of 'don't ask, don't tell'

A general's disparagement of gays runs counter to public good and
the evidence. By Nathaniel Frank.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQS30EQ

God's dupes

Moderate believers give cover to religious fanatics - and are
every bit as delusional. By Sam Harris.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQS40ER

In Los Angeles, the accents say a lot

Just your average day in cognitive-dissonance L.A., driving around
town with the radio on: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's Styrian
accent comes at me like rubber bullets. A few lilting words from
Beverly Hills' new Iranian-born mayor. A staccato sound bite from
a Vietnamese-born candidate for Orange County supervisor. A swirl
of Greco-English vowels from Arianna Huffington. By Patt Morrison.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQS50ES

TOP STORIES
___________
A passage buoyed by hope alone

Senegal's fishing villages send off their young men in canoe-like
vessels with dreams of Europe and prosperity. Each year, thousands
die. By Robyn Dixon.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQnx0EY

A town right on the default line

Foreclosure notices are painfully common in Perris, where
sub-prime loans built a suburb. By David Streitfeld.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQny0EZ

Earlier primary gives California a major voice

Presidential primary shifts to Feb. 5, altering campaigns'
strategies. By Nancy Vogel and Mark Z. Barabak.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQnz0Ea

Tragedy follows landmark court win

After success in a long fight against forced medication, a
schizophrenic man gained freedom. But now he is accused of killing
his roommate.. By Lee Romney and Scott Gold.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQn10EN

Troop pullout plan fails in Senate, advances in House

Though the margin was slim, the loss is ominous for Democrats.
They remain undeterred. By Richard Simon and Noam N. Levey.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQn20EO

Time Warner Cable exec ousted over poor service

Time Warner Cable Inc. forced out its chief cable guy in Southern
California on Wednesday, but you may not want to throw that help
number away just yet. By James S. Granelli.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQn30EP



WWII veteran of Tarawa invasion targets beach again

The site where many Marines died is now a trash dump. Leon Cooper
of Malibu is fighting to clean up what he calls 'hallowed ground.'
By Bob Pool.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQn70ET

Ensnared on the wireless Web

Hackers' latest tactic to steal information is setting up fake
hotspots that users unwittingly use to access Internet. By Tami
Abdollah.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQn80EU

NATIONAL
________
Cummins fears corruption investigation led to his firing

Still uncertain exactly why he was fired, former U.S. Atty. H.E.
"Bud" Cummins III wonders whether it had something to do with the
probe he opened into alleged corruption by Republican officials in
Missouri amid a Senate race there that was promising to be a
nail-biter. By Richard A. Serrano.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQoA0Ee

Rove may have had role in firings

E-mails show he raised questions early in 2005 about dismissing
U.S. attorneys.. By Richard A. Serrano and Richard B. Schmitt.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQoB0Ef

CPR study: Nix the mouth-to-mouth

Heart attack victims fare twice as well with chest compressions
only than with mouth-to-mouth too.. By Thomas H. Maugh II.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQoC0Eg

WORLD
_____
Sadr City's mayor target of an attack

The Iraqi official had a big role in negotiating the entry of U.S.
troops into the stronghold of a key radical Shiite cleric. By Tina
Susman.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQoD0Eh

China to grant some rights to urban property owners

Concessions recognize the growing power of the middle class, but
they don't extend to farmers. By Mark Magnier.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQoE0Ei

BUSINESS
________
Ameriquest fires big part of workforce

The parent company also shuts six centers in an effort to survive
the sub-prime shakeout. By E. Scott Reckard and John O'Dell.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQoF0Ej

Outside the sub-prime loan box

Imagine you're a mortgage lender, and somebody comes to you with a
marginal credit record, work experience that includes as many
employers as Liz Taylor has had husbands and no Social Security
number. Would you hand him a bunch of money to buy a house? By
Rick Wartzman.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQoG0Ek

Prices leave bitter taste

Orange juice lovers are paying more after California's cold snap
and Florida's hurricanes and diseases thinned the crop. By Jerry
Hirsch.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQoH0El

Sempra CEO's pay in fine print

The firm's disclosures on compensation lack clarity despite new
rules to boost transparency. By Kathy M. Kristof.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQoI0Em

Is Redstone of two minds on YouTube?

Media mogul Sumner Redstone has had a love-hate affair with
YouTube Inc. this week. By Dawn C. Chmielewski.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQoJ0En


FEATURES
________
Candidates court Villaraigosa

Antonio Villaraigosa's endorsement is prized by Democrats (and
Hollywood types). He's still auditioning contenders, though. By
Tina Daunt.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQoP0Et

Sizzle, for there's a lot at stake

Call it sizzle plus. In an effort to shout in the face of the
oncoming Mack truck tentpoles "Spider-Man 3" and "Pirates of the
Caribbean: At World's End," director Michael Bay and his
"Transformers" hype team treated ShoWest attendees to a tour of a
faux mobile government surveillance operation, complete with high
definition video monitors. By Rachel Abramowitz and Sheigh
Crabtree.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQoQ0Eu

A Rock of ages

Women don't come off terribly well in "I Think I Love My Wife,"
writer-director Chris Rock's comedic "update" of the 1972 Eric
Rohmer drama, "Chloe in the Afternoon." It's not so much
misogynistic as it resembles a fossil from another era. By Kevin
Crust.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQoR0Ev

In 'Barley' grows the cost of the Irish cause

For director Ken Loach, the personal is always political, the
political personal. The dean of British independent filmmakers,
Loach has the gift of finding the intensely moving private
emotions in broad, societal dilemmas. He does that with his fine
new film, "The Wind That Shakes the Barley," and he does a few new
things as well. By Kenneth Turan.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQoS0Ew

It's a big leap from broadcast to webcast

Twenty years ago, CBS producer Susan Zirinsky helped inspire the
character of Jane Craig, the hard-charging television producer
played by Holly Hunter in "Broadcast News" who fiercely resists
the devolution of news into show business. By Matea Gold.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQoT0Ex

OPINION
_______
Embracing Bratton

It was a total Jerry Maguire moment. Chief William J. Bratton
stepped to the podium at the Police Department's African American
community forum Wednesday night, threw his arms wide and said, "I
love black people!".
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQoU0Ey

Voive of terror

It's not news that Khalid Shaikh Mohammed was the mastermind of
the 9/11 attacks or that he was involved in other terrorist
conspiracies. It was precisely because of his central role in Al
Qaeda that he was hunted down and captured in Pakistan four years
ago and subjected to harsh interrogation.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQoV0Ez

Not much help

This is hardly what California has been waiting for. After
spending more than a year trying to find a definitive answer to
how much it would cost to educate the state's children properly,
and how the money should be spent, the state now has yet another
white paper. This one is from the governor's Committee on
Educational Excellence, and it says what pretty much everybody
already knows: Spending at least 50% more for education would
enable the schools to do a darn nice job.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQoW0E1

The devil we helped create

What timing! Just when the attorney general and the president were
coming under fire for the politicized dismissals of eight U.S.
attorneys, the Pentagon released a transcript of a March 10
hearing in which Guantanamo detainee Khalid Shaikh Mohammed
confessed to masterminding the 9/11 attacks. Now we can get back
to the Bush administration's preferred topic: What a heck of a job
it's doing in the war on terror. By Rosa Brooks.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQoX0E2

Us to George - sure, whatever

Stop saying President Bush hasn't asked us to sacrifice anything
for the war. He's asked us to sacrifice something enormous: our
civil rights. To which the American people have responded: "Sure,
whatever." By Bill Maher.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQoY0E3

Why we names the names

A glass tower catches the eye. Rising about 36 feet, cylindrical
in shape, it is installed at Madrid's Atocha rail station as a new
but already unmistakable landmark in the Spanish capital. This is
the memorial, unveiled with a laconic ceremony on Sunday, to those
who died in the train bombings of March 2004. By Nigel Spivey.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQoZ0E4

No pardon, no way

It's not that i care if "Scooter" Libby gets pardoned. Sure, he
obstructed justice, but putting someone named Scooter in jail
seems a little harsh. Putting someone named Scooter in elementary
school seems a little harsh. By Joel Stein.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQoa0EC

Mexico meth raid yields $205 million in U.S. cash

Authorities say it's the largest drug money haul in history and
reflects a vast global trade. By Héctor Tobar and Carlos Martínez.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3N0EJ

U.S.-Iraqi joint teams lack a key weapon: trust

U.S. troops are wary of the Iraqi police they now live and work
with. By David Zucchino.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3O0EK

Long-dead killer back in sights of police

A researcher finds clues that revive decades-old cases of missing
Southland children.. By Andrew Blankstein.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3P0EL

Blogs can top the presses

Talking Points Memo drove the U.S. attorneys story, proof that Web
writers with input from devoted readers can reshape journalism. By
Terry McDermott.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3Q0EM

At hearing, it's Plame's turn to talk

She accuses the White House of 'recklessly' blowing her CIA cover.
By Greg Miller.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3R0EN

Could an actor again fill GOP leading role?

Conservatives often ridicule Democrats for espousing the "culture
of Hollywood." But in the latest sign of Republican discontent
with the field of 2008 presidential hopefuls - and in a familiar
plot twist - some of those same activists are eyeing an actor as
the party's potential savior. By Peter Wallsten and Janet Hook.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3S0EO

CALIFORNIA/LOCAL
________________
Cheviot Hills residents divided on light-rail route

A homeowners group has blocked efforts to use an adjacent right of
way, but some residents say the Expo Line would be a boon. By
Jeffrey L. Rabin and Jean Guccione.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3T0EP

Calendar said March, right?

Downtown's day-early St. Patrick's Day Parade draws scant
attention, but it does get motorists stewing over street closures.
By Bob Pool.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3U0EQ

School misused funds, audit finds

The Gorman Learning Center charter program overspent millions, a
state report alleges, including $20,000 for an office aquarium. By
Joel Rubin.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3V0ER

Spector's past to figure in trial

The music producer's reputation for mixing guns and alcohol could
hurt him. Jury selection begins Monday. By Geoff Boucher and Peter
Y. Hong.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3W0ES

O.C. city may screen citizenship

Proposed law in Mission Viejo would require city contractors to
verify the eligibility of employees. By Jennifer Delson.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3X0ET

NATIONAL
________
Texas youth prison board ousted amid sex abuse scandal

All six members step down after reports that officials covered up
molestation allegations. By Miguel Bustillo.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3Y0EU

3 officers charged in N.Y.'s Sean Bell shooting

A grand jury on Friday voted to indict three of the five police
officers involved in the killing of an unarmed black man on his
wedding day, according to attorneys in the case. By Erika
Hayasaki.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3Z0EV

White House throws a wrench in firing inquiry

With delays in turning over documents and allowing testimony, the
House Judiciary Committee is threatening subpoenas. By Richard A.
Serrano and Richard B. Schmitt.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3a0Ec

WORLD
_____
Coroner calls 'friendly fire' death 'criminal'

U.S. pilots who fired on an allied convoy were acting unlawfully,
British inquest finds. By Kim Murphy.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3b0Ed

Protesters in Baghdad say, 'No America!'

Sadr urges followers to unite against 'the grand devil,' even as
the U.S. touts joint patrols in his stronghold as a success. By
Tina Susman.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3c0Ee

Protests grow over Pakistani chief justice's suspension

Musharraf, seemingly caught by surprise, appears to back down. By
Mubashir Zaidi and Henry Chu.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3d0Ef

BUSINESS
________
Blackstone IPO would represent a flip-flop

Wall Street is abuzz, asking why a leader in private buyouts would
itself go public. By Walter Hamilton.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3e0Eg

China to end tax breaks for foreign firms

Preferential treatment will be phased out over five years. By Don
Lee.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3f0Eh

Mexico needs to overhaul tax collection

As oil production drops, the nation must tackle loopholes and
rampant evasion to raise revenue. . By Marla Dickerson.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3g0Ei

Opportunities grow for little performers

Dwarfs have become chic entertainers for parties. Critics say the
jobs are demeaning. By David Colker.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3h0Ej

FEATURES
________
To a single point

Los Angeles Ballet's diverse program forms a robust whole. By
Lewis Segal.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3l0En

LACMA does an about-face on art sale

An ancient Indian sculpture quietly consigned for sale in a New
York gallery by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art will be
returned to the museum, LACMA Director Michael Govan said, as the
museum reconsiders policies on the perpetually controversial issue
of such "de-accessions." By Suzanne Muchnic.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3m0Eo

No trial is the error for justice

In "Silver Blaze," one of the most popular of Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle's celebrated Sherlock Holmes stories, the following exchange
occurs between the great detective and an Inspector Gregory of
Scotland Yard: By Tim Rutten.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3n0Ep

What's past is perfect for her brassy alto

The English singer's retro sound fuses '60s Motown, jazz and rap
with her torchy touch. By Ann Powers.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3o0Eq

OPINION
_______
Light the way

Government should find ways to promote energy-efficient lighting
without imposing bans.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3p0Er

That's rich

The world has 946 billionaires, according to Forbes magazine. Most
of them even earned their fortunes.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3q0Es

English eyes are smiling

As it turns out, the Irish may not be so different (at least
genetically) from their southern neighbors (and rivals).
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3r0Et

At the top, it's men only

You have to hand it to Catalyst, the women's research and advocacy
outfit. It always manages to see a few rays of light in a field of
gloom. Next week, Catalyst will host a big, fancy dinner in New
York to honor companies with successful initiatives to advance
women in corporate America. In the 21st century, you might think,
it shouldn't be hard to find lots of companies to applaud for
expanding opportunities for women. By Judith H. Dobrzynski.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3s0Eu

White House firing line

A firestorm has been ignited over the firings of eight U.S.
attorneys, with new revelations about the Bush administration's
abuses exposed on a daily basis By Dianne Feinstein.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3t0Ev

Neurotic about change

It's hard to shake the feeling that blacks, and black communities,
are under siege. By Erin Aubry Kaplan.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3u0Ew

Wild Irish roads

A motorway cutting across a land of legends would pave over a rich
heritage. By Colum McCann.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ3v0Ex

A hard fall for Irvine mortgage lender


NTERTAINMENT NEWS
__________________
'The Colorful Apocalypse' by Greg Bottoms and 'Gronk' by Max Benavidez

If you've seen "Radio Free Europe," REM's classic music video,
then you've caught a glimpse of Paradise Gardens, the late Rev.
Howard Finster's 4-acre Christian visionary environment, reclaimed
from Georgia swampland and painstakingly constructed out of trash,
including sparkly jewelry, rusted bicycles, TV parts and diseased
tonsils. By Susan Kandel.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ440EO

'Cultural Amnesia' by Clive James

In "Cultural Amnesia," the prodigious critic Clive James succumbs
to a mighty ambition: In 100-plus alphabetically arranged essays,
he pays homage to the vast western humanist enterprise (writing,
filmmaking, music, philosophy, theater), defending it from myriad
enemies By Matthew Price.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ450EP

'Camelia' by Camelia Entekhabifard

If ever there was a literary casualty of our confessional age,
it's the memoir. Once the preserve of established writers with
sufficient humility to know that a life isn't worth telling until
one has acquired enough of it, and the wisdom to tell it without
chest puffing, the genre is overrun today by young things, many of
them first-time writers who are well under 40. By Ella Taylor.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ460EQ

A half-century hoofer

With 'Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life,' it's the role she was born
to play. By Lewis Segal.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ470ER

Long-awaited museum picks Claremont packing house as its home

Downtown expansion project starts up with local artists and a
world view. By Suzanne Muchnic.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ480ES

Eric Idle takes 'Spamalot' for a Vegas spin

Former Monty Python player retools his Broadway hit for the Strip.
By Eric Idle.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ5A0Ec

FEATURES
________
Screenwriter Scott Frank settles into the director's chair

The writer of 'Out of Sight' takes the helm for 'The Lookout.' By
Paul Cullum.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ5B0Ed

Skin care marketers often blur the lines between drugs and cosmetics

Ah, the promise of youthful skin. Products that vow to turn back
the clock blur the lines between drug and cosmetic. But what's for
real?. By Shari Roan.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ5C0Ee

Chloë Sevigny: Beyond the labels

No slave to fashion or a stylist, the actress can dress for
herself - and outdress everyone else. By Rose Apodaca.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ5D0Ef

A new class of L.A. designers brings glamour back

They're imagining a more sophisticated look. By Mimi Avins.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ5E0Eg

Uncle Sam and the cabins

The national forest offers a nice getaway at a great price - plus
a thicket of restrictions. By Ann Brenoff.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ5F0Eh

A shared identity

More a cultural hub and place of the heart for Filipino Americans
than a neighborhood where most hang their hats, Historic
Filipinotown - or Hi-Fi, as locals call it - is now home primarily
to Latinos.Yet Filipinos still gather there for commemorations,
camaraderie, singing and folk dancing or some down-home cooking at
Bahay Kubo restaurant. By Diane Wedner.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ5G0Ei

In Hawaii, awa makes a comeback

The elixir of Oceania is a favorite at Honolulu's Diamond Head
Cove Health Bar. A bowlful and kukakuka. What could be more
relaxing? By Julia Steele.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ5H0Ej

A Belle Époque beauty in San Diego

Take a trip through time at the US Grant near the Gaslamp Quarter.
By Valli Herman.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ5I0Ek

Hiking the trails of Kauai's Kokee State Park

It's the best way to hear the mountains above the Na Pali Coast.
By Thomas Curwen.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ5J0El

OPINION
_______
The forgotten internees

The U.S. owes long-overdue redress to the Japanese Latinos it
kidnapped during World War II.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ5K0Em

Blunder after blunder

Bush and his advisors seem to be in over their heads too often,
and that's not good for them or the nation.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ5L0En

From CAO to CEO

Making Los Angeles County government more accountable is a long
and contentious process - and a crucial one.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ5M0Eo

A wealth of cheapskates

It may sound like the super-rich are giving away a fortune. But
they're actually hoarding a lot more. By Gregg Easterbrook.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ5N0Ep

Why the best schools can't pick the best kids - and vice versa

Spring is here, and along with the crocuses comes the annual
admissions panic. High school kids get anxiety attacks as they
approach their mailboxes. And in some parts of the U.S., parents
stress as they await a phone call from their preschool of choice.
By Barry Schwartz.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ5O0Eq

The boosters are back

L.A. had an apocalyptic phase, but now we're edging into
arrogance. By Matt Welch.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ5P0Er

Democrats turn up heat on firing of U.S. attorney

They allege Carol Lam was ousted in San Diego because she was
investigating Republican politicians in Southern California. By
Richard A. Serrano.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6V0EQ

Antitrust law losing its teeth

The Supreme Court has relaxed rules against price fixing. Coming
up: a big case for retailers. By David G. Savage.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6W0ER

Developers, industry battle for L.A.'s heart

The old warehouse at the corner of Industrial and Mateo streets in
downtown Los Angeles had seen better days when Yuval Bar-Zemer and
his partners at the Linear City development firm bought it in
2002. By Cara Mia DiMassa.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6X0ES

Smuggler's life on the line

He drove and dumped the trailer that claimed 19 illegal
immigrants. The death penalty case would turn on his intent. By
Peter H. King.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6Y0ET

1987 chemical attack still haunts Iran

Iraq's deadly assault on the town of Sardasht continues tocolor
the debate about Tehran's defenses. By Borzou Daragahi.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6Z0EU

Her role as witness to history

After decades on the Soviet stage, Tamara Kryman is reduced to a
room full of memories in a home for theater veterans. By Jeffrey
Fleishman.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6a0Eb

CALIFORNIA/LOCAL
________________
Struggles continue at Juvenile Hall

Under new leadership, L.A. County Probation Dept. has seen a
decline in violence at facilities, but challenges remain. By
Susannah Rosenblatt.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6b0Ec

Not the lesson they intended

Two L.A. charter school teachers lose their jobs over a planned
Black History Month presentation. By Carla Rivera.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6c0Ed

No accounting for L.A. Unified's payroll fiasco

Six weeks ago the Los Angeles Unified School District switched on
a $95-million computerized system for paying the district's 48,000
teachers and other employees. The soft sproing heard from Pacoima
to Palms was the sound of Southern California coming unglued. By
Bob Sipchen.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6d0Ee

UCLA opens the archives of former nun turned political activist

UCLA opens archives of Lupe Anguiano - an ex-nun turned labor
leader, feminist and advisor to presidents. By Catherine Saillant.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6e0Ef

Erasing a line drawn in the sand

Manhattan Beach renames a park to honor a black couple forced to
give up their resort in the 1920s. By Deborah Schoch.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6f0Eg

NATIONAL
________
20 pygmy rabbits released in Washington

The pygmy bunnies, bred in captivity, are released in the wild in
an attempt to save an endangered population. By Lynn Marshall.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6g0Eh

Democrats in Congress kick oversight into overdrive

Stymied on its legislative agenda, the party finds greater success
with a range of investigations. By Richard Simon and Noam N.
Levey.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6h0Ei

Spike in dolphin deaths puzzles scientists

An unusually high number of dolphins are washing up along Texas'
Gulf Coast this calving season for unknown reasons. By Lianne
Hart.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6i0Ej

Slavery apologies debated across U.S.

As the movement to express regret grows, some say the measures
would be cathartic, others call them useless. By Jenny Jarvie.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6j0Ek

News media and politics: an uneasy union

Some prominent journalists have mates who work for a presidential
candidate. They approach this potential conflict in different
ways. By James Rainey.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6k0El

WORLD
_____
Seven troops die, four of them on a single patrol

U.S. military officials announced the deaths of seven American
troops Sunday, and at least seven Iraqis were killed and 26
injured in a car bombing, as the fourth anniversary of the
U.S.-led invasion of Iraq neared. By Christian Berthelsen.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6l0Em

Assessing Iraq war as 4th anniversary nears

Experts disagree on whether the conflict will ultimately prove
worthy of the sacrifices. By Robin Fields.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6m0En

Frozen funds to be released to North Korea

U.S. will allow about$25 million in Macao to be transferred to
Beijing. It clears an obstacle to talks on Pyongyang's nuclear
program. By Mark Magnier.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6n0Eo

BUSINESS
________
Recall of pet food alarms owners

Vets report a surge in calls after many big-name brands are pulled
from shelves. By Kimi Yoshino.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6o0Ep

Working at the highest level

Simon Ramo will be lauded as a pioneer in defense technology,
including the ICBM. By Peter Pae.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6p0Eq

The movie dating game

So much depends on a film's opening weekend that studios are
reaching as far ahead as three years for the best timing. By Josh
Friedman.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6q0Er

Ford aims to make big dent in crossover arena

Sales of the Edge, which entered the hot vehicle market in
December, show some promise. By Martin Zimmerman.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6r0Es

To make a long story short...

Steven Bochco, creator of hourlong TV dramas, shifts online with
brief, amusing clips. By Alex Pham.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6s0Et

SPORTS
______
USC is a bracket duster

Trojans, looking less like underdogs and more like contenders all
the time, storm into Sweet 16 with 87-68 rout of Texas. Up next:
North Carolina. By Ben Bolch.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6t0Eu

In run to Sweet 16, Hackett has been USC's point man

He didn't lead USC in any category Sunday except turnovers, and
the man he spent most of the game guarding scored 30 points. But
if you've been watching - and I get the sense most of you haven't
- you know Daniel Hackett is the star of the Trojans' surprising
run to the Sweet 16. By J.A. Adande.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6u0Ev

Kobe's 50 carries Lakers to win

One game after scoring 65, the Lakers' superstar makes 17 of 35
shots in a 109-102 victory over Minnesota. By Mike Bresnahan.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6v0Ew

Nadal takes Indian Wells tennis title

Spaniard breaks his championship drought with a 6-2, 7-5 victory
over 19-year-old Djokovic in final. By Lisa Dillman.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6w0Ex

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
__________________
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles go digital

The comic-book heroes' fourth film is rendered without stuntmen in
CGI. By Alex Chun.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6x0Ey

'Piano Teacher' at South Coast Rep: Denial is shaken

In a new play, a suburban American finds she's not safe from the
past. By Charles McNulty.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6y0Ez

What makes this bird fly?

"The Seagull" soars with brilliant dancing and stagecraft. Still,
there are flaws. By Lewis Segal.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ6z0E1

Oh, to be indelible

That wild tattoo guy from France has a goal: to imprint his name
on our psyches. By Adam Tschorn.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ610En

'Goodnight Burbank' and a made-for-the-Web future

A couple of years ago, Hayden Black jumped off a cliff,
professionally speaking. He quit his job writing on-air promotions
for TV networks and set out to pursue his dream of - wait for it,
please - writing scripts. By Scott Collins.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ620Eo

FEATURES
________
Masculine side of HPV

Human papillomavirus is common in men too. Studies are underway to
determine if a male vaccine is needed. By Shari Roan.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ630Ep

Soothing the pain of prescription drugs' cost

Many people are unaware of money-saving options, and doctors often
don't think to discuss it. So ask. By Genevieve Bookwalter.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ640Eq

Stunt fighting mixes fitness with some acting

Fake fights but a real sense of power. By Hilary MacGregor.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ650Er

OPINION
_______
Build up in downtown

Selling 'air rights' over the Convention Center is a good way to
increase density downtown.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ660Es

Smarter sanctions against Iran

On Iran, the options for the U.S. are limited, but the best ones
are through the U.N. Security Council.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ670Et

Wal-Mart banking bullies

The retail giant has been foiled yet again by its enemies, this
time in trying to open a bank.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ680Eu

Documentaries or propaganda?

Films such as 'An Inconvenient Truth' don't always let viewers
make their own conclusions. By Meghan Daum.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ7A0E5

Obama the 'Magic Negro'

The Illinois senator lends himself to white America's idealized,
less-than-real black man. By David Ehrenstein.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ7B0E6

Why aren't the Bush daughters in Iraq?

The president's family has set an appallingly bad example for
wartime sacrifice. By Kitty Kelley.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBK...Io30G2B0IQ7C0E7

Mahony accounts of abuse case tape differ

Plaintiffs say he gave the Vatican a graver version of priest's
role than he gave the public. By John Spano.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJI0Ek

Justice Dept. worked to contain U.S. attorney fallout

Documents show that officials scrambled to curb bad publicity over
the widening scandal. By Richard A. Serrano and Richard B.
Schmitt.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJJ0El

Embryonic stem cell research gets surprise support

NIH director backs the lifting of federal restrictions. His
comments energize advocates of pending legislation. By Ricardo
Alonso-Zaldivar and Karen Kaplan.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJK0Em

Neighborhood outposts considered key to Baghdad's security

U.S. planners hope the local stations, jointly run with Iraqi
troops, will encourage residents to provide tips. But people's
distrust is a stumbling block. By Tina Susman.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJL0En

Two men caught in lobster traps

Suspecting poaching in a marine reserve, game wardens set up a
sting. By Louis Sahagun.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJM0Eo

A380: Onboard view of first U.S. flight

The A380 debuts in the U.S. with room for 491 fliers and then some
- but still there are lines at the bar and the 15 restrooms. By
Peter Pae.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJN0Ep

CALIFORNIA/LOCAL
________________
4 more women accuse designer Anand Jon of sex assault

Prosecutors file 15 additional felony counts against Anand Jon as
the investigation into alleged sexual assaults of models expands.
By Richard Winton.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJO0Eq

Protester of group home is targeted

A Norco woman upset over disabled neighbors faces a state and
federal investigation for alleged housing discrimination. By
Garrett Therolf.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJP0Er

Mayor vetoes sale of downtown air rights

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Monday vetoed a plan to sell
9.million square feet of unused "air rights" over the Los Angeles
Convention Center downtown - a gambit to boost the area's nascent
residential boom. By Duke Helfand.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJQ0Es

2 years after losing homes, families still on shaky ground

The owners of nine red-tagged properties are suing the city of
Pomona and a developer over landslide damage. By James Ricci.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJR0Et

Man indicted in devastating wine fire

Authorities say a Sausalito businessman set the
multimillion-dollar warehouse blaze to cover up a scheme to steal
from clients. By Eric Bailey and Lee Romney.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJS0Eu

Detainee confesses to Cole bombing, U.S. says

The Al Qaeda operative also says he was involved in the 1998
bombings of U.S. embassies in Africa. By Josh Meyer.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJT0Ev

Free speech on campus is debated

The Supreme Court hears arguments in an Alaska case that pits
student rights againsta principal's authority. By David G. Savage.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJU0Ew

NYPD officers face manslaughter charges in groom's death

The two plead not guilty. A third is accused of reckless
endangerment in the killing of Sean Bell, 23. By Erika Hayasaki.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJV0Ex

Watergate plotter may have a last tale

Two of E. Howard Hunt's sons say he knew of rogue CIA agents' plan
to kill President Kennedy in 1963. By Carol J. Williams.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJW0Ey


Iraq hangs Hussein's ex-vice president

Rights groups protested the death sentence, saying Taha Yassin
Ramadan's role in a 1982 massacre was minor. By Christian
Berthelsen.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJX0Ez

Bush again urges U.S. to be patient about Iraq

As the president seeks support, a proposal to set a timeline for
withdrawal gains momentum in Congress. By James Gerstenzang and
Noam N. Levey.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJY0E1

Seven Pakistani judges quit over chief justice's suspension

President Musharraf faces crisis amid more protests by lawyers
over his action on top jurist. By Mubashir Zaidi and Henry Chu.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJZ0E2

76 die in blast at Siberian coal mine

Rescuers search for about 35 people still trapped after a gas
explosion at the 5-year-old facility. By David Holley.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJa0EA

More layoffs in sub-prime loan sector

Fremont tells many on staff to expect pink slips. Ameriquest's
name comes off a stadium. By E. Scott Reckard.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJb0EB

Pet death toll predicted to rise

The FDA expects to find more cases of animals sickened by recalled
food as probe continues. By Abigail Goldman.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJc0EC

Few tune in to Web DJs

It may be a lonely effort, but amateur deejaying is a popular
pastime. That could change if online royalty fees rise. By Alana
Semuels.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJd0ED

China plans to set up company to build jetliner

China's long-held goal of developing a jetliner for the world
market may finally take wing. By Martin Zimmerman.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJe0EE


ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
__________________
'300': It's just a movie - or is it?

Call it a grand, vivid spectacle - nothing more, nothing less. By
Patrick Goldstein.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJj0EJ

'300' mixed messages

The film's team says no big statements were intended. Sure. We
believe that. By Carina Chocano.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJk0EK

Networks turn weary eyes to Baghdad on war's anniversary

The movie "Live From Baghdad" was on one of my HBOs the other
night; I came in midstream, as a motley, intrepid band of CNN-ers
(played by Michael Keaton and Lili Tayor and an alt-rock-looking
Helena Bonham Carter) were deciding whether to stay in Baghdad for
the first bombing campaign of the Gulf War. By Paul Brownfield.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJl0EL

Getty carefully packs funerary wreath for trip back home to Greece

Nesting boxes, foam and shock-absorbing polyurethane material are
used to return contested headpiece. By Suzanne Muchnic.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJm0EM

At the collections, the designs are front and center

The gate-crashers and partyers are gone. The only thing left to do
is to check out clothes. By Booth Moore.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJn0EN

OPINION
_______
Airbus c'est arrive!

The giant A380 landed Monday at LAX, which is ill-equipped to
handle many more of them.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJo0EO

'Bong hits' is free speech

The Supreme Court should rule that writing "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" on
a banner is free speech, even for a student.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJp0EP

Stop placating Pakistan

The Bush administration has looked the other way as its ally in
the war on terror veers from democracy.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJq0EQ

Betraying their base - the Democrats can do it too

It's ironic. Republicans by most accounts got trounced in the last
election because they "lost their way." The latest cover of Time
magazine even has a picture of Ronald Reagan crying like that
American Indian from the old anti-pollution ads of the 1970s.
Instead of a bunch of roadside litter, the Gipper is supposedly
looking at the GOP's mess. By Jonah Goldberg.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJr0ER

Why do straights hate gays?

An aging 72-year-old gay man isn't hopeful about the future. By
Larry Kramer.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJs0ES

The case against YouTube

Technology has to have room to grow, but not at all costs. By
Douglas Lichtman.
http://email.latimes.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBL...Io30G2B0IRJt0ET

Gamer is royalty in S. Korea

He's called the Emperor, revered in a nation that takes its video
play very seriously, and he earns hundreds of thousands of dollars
a year. By Bruce Wallace.
http://latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/...?track=ntottext

Venezuela's Rising Role In Drug Transit worries U.S.

Graft and Chavez's stance ease the flow of cocaine from Colombia.
By Chris Kraul and Sebastian Rotella.
http://latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/...?track=ntottext

A once-porous border is a turning-back point

The dusty Grand Central Station of illegal journeys into the
United States lies on the fringes of this village near the Arizona
border, in a junkyard littered with demolished cars. By Richard
Marosi.
http://latimes.com/news/local/la-me-border...?track=ntottext

Injured vet faces battle of red tape

A sniper shot Sgt. Joe Baumann on a Baghdad street in April 2005.
The AK-47 round ripped through his midsection, ricocheted off his
Kevlar vest and shredded his abdomen. By Rone Tempest.
http://latimes.com/news/local/la-me-disabl...?track=ntottext

Blacks are focus of antiabortion efforts

Activists frame their cause as the new frontier in civil rights.
By Stephanie Simon.
http://latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation...?track=ntottext

Bush clashes with Congress over firings

He refuses to let Rove testify. Democrats say they will issue
subpoenas. By Richard B. Schmitt and Richard A. Serrano.
http://latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation...?track=ntottext

CALIFORNIA/LOCAL
________________
Prints may help close 1973 homicide

After a digital database match, an inmate is charged with killing
an 86-year-old South L.A. widow. By Richard Winton and Andrew
Blankstein.
http://latimes.com/news/local/la-me-anna21...?track=ntottext

Gov. rejects views of critics on right

Schwarzenegger's repudiation of the conservative talk show host
comes as he is accused of betraying his party's values. By Robert
Salladay.
http://latimes.com/news/local/la-me-arnold...?track=ntottext

From social club to street gang

Canoga Park Alabama, once a Valley farmworkers group, has been
targeted in L.A.'s gang crackdown. Some question its actual
threat. By Amanda Covarrubias and Richard Winton.
http://latimes.com/news/local/la-me-canoga...?track=ntottext

Hospital could lose 250 resident positions

Officials say such an event at Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor
Hospital could badly damage the region's healthcare system. By
Susannah Rosenblatt.
http://latimes.com/news/local/la-me-kingdr...?track=ntottext

Scandals weighing on the scales of justice

The ongoing scandal involving the U.S. attorney general's office
reminds me how often I hear from people who insist they can't get
a fair shot at justice. Politics worked against them, or money, or
the clout of someone as powerful as Los Angeles Cardinal Roger M.
Mahony. By Steve Lopez.
http://latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lopez2...?track=ntottext

NATIONAL
________
Undercover campaigning on the Web

Because of FEC rules, those behind clips like those on YouTube
about Clinton and Obama remain anonymous. By Dan Morain.
http://latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation...?track=ntottext

House immigration bill offers citizenship

Increased opportunities for illegal immigrants would be matched
with stricter enforcement. By Nicole Gaouette and Teresa Watanabe.
http://latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation...?track=ntottext

New Orleans slaying suspect freed

Garelle Smith is seen by some as an example of the city's troubled
criminal justice system. By Richard Fausset.
http://latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation...?track=ntottext

WORLD
_____
Executed Hussein deputy is buried

He is laid to rest near the former Iraqi leader. Shiites offer
military jobs to Sunni ex-officers. By Alexandra Zavis.
http://latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/...?track=ntottext

Seized cocaine Mexico-bound, U.S. says

A task force plays a role in the confiscation of20 tons of the
drug from a ship off Panama. By Chris Kraul.
http://latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/...?track=ntottext

BUSINESS
________
Dynamic duo break into comics world

The 'tights-and-capes' thing isn't what Boom Studios produces.
That's exactly why the company is thriving. By Adrian G. Uribarri.
http://latimes.com/business/la-fi-comics21...?track=ntottext

Home equity could buoy economy

DECK: Borrowers who have built up their stakes could help keep the
U.S. out of recession, despite troubles in sub-prime lending,
economists say. By Molly Hennessy-Fiske.
http://latimes.com/business/la-fi-economy2...?track=ntottext

State-run insurer fires 2 top officers

A probe by the workers' comp provider leads it to dismiss its
president and a vice president. By Marc Lifsher.
http://latimes.com/business/la-fi-insure21...?track=ntottext

Honda's miles whizzed by too fast

Six million owners are being notified about a settlement over
odometer calibration. By John O'Dell.
http://latimes.com/business/la-fi-odometer...?track=ntottext

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
__________________
FEATURES
________
It's a clear case of diminishing returns

Fledgling rivals steal buzz while some notable designers bypass
Smashbox. By Adam Tschorn.
http://www.calendarlive.com/printedition/c...?track=ntottext

This cable life

Public radio's Ira Glass takes his brand of storytelling to
Showtime. By Lynn Smith.
http://www.calendarlive.com/printedition/c...?track=ntottext

Edison as the first tech-celeb

Americans disdain abstraction, but they adore practical genius.
Hence the long and reverential infatuation with Thomas Edison. By
Tim Rutten.
http://www.calendarlive.com/printedition/c...?track=ntottext

Green clashes with design in S.F. tower

The new 18-story federal building here, designed by Thom Mayne and
the Santa Monica firm Morphosis, is hardly short on symbolism or
story lines. By Christopher Hawthorne.
http://www.calendarlive.com/printedition/c...?track=ntottext

A keen eye, and a dead-on aim

Many tried, but it was writer Jonathan Lemkin's adaptation for
'Shooter' that brought in the big guns. By Jay A. Fernandez.
http://www.calendarlive.com/printedition/c...?track=ntottext

Toyota's lightweight

Cute? Yep, as a bug. But the carmaker skimped too much with its
subcompact Yaris. By Ron Neil.
http://latimes.com/classified/automotive/h...?track=ntottext

V Star 1300: the kind of ride you could settle down with

In the world of cruisers, there are Gingers and there are Mary
Anns - bikes that like to gussy up and make a grand entrance, and
more understated models that can leave the house without double
dipping the mascara. Star Motorcycles' new 1300 cc V Star is
definitely a Mary Ann - unintimidating, low maintenance and just
as happy to grab a burger as dine on filet mignon. By Susan
Carpenter.
http://latimes.com/classified/automotive/h...?track=ntottext

Which is safer in autos, tempered glass or laminated?

There's no clear choice. Laminated windows are stronger - good in
a wreck but bad if you're trapped underwater. By Ralph
Vartabedian.
http://latimes.com/classified/automotive/h...?track=ntottext

OPINION
_______
Bought, sold and defined

How a brand presents itself may not be how others see it. Just ask
all those folks working at 'McJobs.'.
http://latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials...?track=ntottext

Peace and practicality

The U.S. must be creative to avert a diplomatic split with Europe
on the Israeli-Palestinian issue..
http://latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials...?track=ntottext

Shots in the dark

Anonymous political attack ads are proliferating on the Web, but
more regulation isn't the answer.
http://latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials...?track=ntottext

Who's watching the president?

At times, President Bush's second term has resembled a laboratory
test of what happens to a large institution when all mechanisms of
accountability are disabled. By Ronald Brownstein.
http://latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-brow...?track=ntottext

Latino leaders' silence is killing us

I will say publicly what many people are whispering privately in
barbershops, soul food restaurants and church parking lots in
South Los Angeles. If relations don't improve between African
Americans and Latinos in Southern California, we are headed for a
major racial conflict. By Kerman Maddox.
http://latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-madd...?track=ntottext

Tilling a new world

Earlier this month, a draft White House report was leaked to news
outlets. The report, a year overdue to the United Nations, said
that the United States would be producing almost 20% more
greenhouse gases in 2020 than it had in 2000 and that our
contribution to global warming would be going steadily up, not
sharply and steadily down, as scientists have made clear it must.
By Bill McKibben.
http://latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-mcki...?track=ntottext

Break up the FBI

More than five years after 9/11, the United States still has a
long way to go to create an effective and efficient antiterrorism
agency. By John Yoo.
http://latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-yoo2...?track=ntottext

SECRECY NEWS
from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy
Volume 2007, Issue No. 31
March 21, 2007

Secrecy News Blog: http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/

Support Secrecy News:
http://www.fas.org/static/contrib_sec.jsp


** THE WIKIPEDIA FACTOR IN U.S. INTELLIGENCE
** CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY OF PRESIDENTIAL ADVISERS (CRS)
** VARIOUS RESOURCES
** THE FINANCIAL COST OF WAR (CRS)


THE WIKIPEDIA FACTOR IN U.S. INTELLIGENCE

The collaboratively written online encyclopedia Wikipedia,
created in 2001, has steadily grown in popularity, credibility
and influence to the point that it is now used and referenced
in U.S. Government intelligence products.

A March 19 profile of Indian Congress Party Leader Rahul Gandhi
prepared by the Open Source Center (OSC) of the Office of
Director of National Intelligence is explicitly derived from
"various internet sources including wikipedia.org." A March
21 OSC profile of Rajnath Singh, president of India's
Bharatiya Janata Party, is likewise "sourced from
wikipedia.org."

An OSC report last year on the leader of the terrorist group
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Velupillai Prabhakaran,
noted that he and his wife "have two children, a girl and a
boy. According to wikipedia.com, the boy is named Charles
Anthony and the girl, Duwaraha."

The relatively new attentiveness of U.S. intelligence agencies
to Wikipedia and other unorthodox sources (including fas.org)
seems like a healthy development. Of course, like any source
and moreso than some, Wikipedia cannot be used uncritically.

Last December, according to another OSC report, a participant
in an online jihadist forum posted a message entitled "Why
Don't We Invade Wikipedia?" in which "he called on other
participants to consider writing articles and adding items to
the online Wikipedia encyclopedia.... and in this way, and
through an Islamic lobby, apply pressure on the encyclopedia's
material."

For various topics related to space physics, "Wikipedia was the
most complete source of information" compared to other highly
ranked web sites, according to an article in the American
Geophysical Union's Eos magazine (13 March 07) by Mark B.
Moldwin, et al. But some Wikipedia entries on space physics,
the authors found, also contained mistaken use of terminology,
factual errors and omissions.

"Wikipedia lets anyone write or edit it, which of course makes
it vulnerable to vandalism--as when a picture of the evil
Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars briefly adorned the entry for
the new Pope [Benedict]," notes Eric Rauchway in The New
Republic Online (March 21).

Someone (not us) created a brief Wikipedia entry for Secrecy
News.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secrecy_News


CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY OF PRESIDENTIAL ADVISERS (CRS)

The suggestion that it would be inherently inappropriate for
presidential advisers to testify under oath before Congress
regarding the firing of U.S. attorneys was swiftly batted down
with numerous references to a 2004 Congressional Research
Service report on the subject.

CRS analyst Harold C. Relyea identified dozens of cases in
which presidential advisers had been summoned to testify to
Congress, and did so.

See "Presidential Advisers' Testimony Before Congressional
Committees: A Brief Overview," April 14, 2004:

http://www.fas.org/irp/crs/RL31351.pdf


VARIOUS RESOURCES

The Office of Naval Intelligence has published an unclassified
assessment of Chinese naval forces, which have been
modernizing and growing in capability over the past decade.
See "China's Navy 2007":

http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/oni/chinanavy2007.pdf

The National Intelligence Council released an April 2006
"Annual Report to Congress on the Safety and Security of
Russian Nuclear Facilities and Military Forces." See:

http://www.fas.org/irp/nic/russia0406.html

U.S. Army space operations in the 2015-2024 timeframe are
considered in a recent Concept Capability Plan from U.S. Army
Training and Doctrine Command. See "Space Operations:
2015-2024," 15 November 2006:

http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/army/spaceops.pdf

Military doctrine to support joint operations with foreign
military forces is addressed in a new Joint Chiefs of Staff
publication. See "Multinational Operations," Joint
Publication JP 3-16, 7 March 2007:

http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/dod/jp3-16.pdf


THE FINANCIAL COST OF WAR (CRS)

The cost of post-9/11 U.S. military operations has now reached
$510 billion, according to an updated estimate from the
Congressional Research Service.

See "The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on
Terror Operations Since 9/11," updated March 14, 2007:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL33110.pdf



_______________________________________________
Secrecy News is written by Steven Aftergood and published by the
Federation of American Scientists.

To SUBSCRIBE to Secrecy News, send email to
secrecy_news-request@lists.fas.org
with "subscribe" in the body of the message.

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SUPPORT Secrecy News with a donation here:
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_______________________
Steven Aftergood
Project on Government Secrecy
Federation of American Scientists
web: www.fas.org/sgp/index.html
email: saftergood@fas.org
voice: (202) 454-4691

Fighting on Two Fronts: Secular Parties in the Arab World - A ...[/color]
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... nearly a dozen other Middle East nations are moving forward on their own civilian nuclear programs. In the latest development, a team of eight UN experts on Friday ended a weeklong trip to Saudi... ...
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... and Nathan Brown explored the ambiguous position of moderate Islamist movements on crucial political issues—what the authors referred to as “gray zones”. The paper elicited many responses, positive... KEARNEY top favorite ...
The News is nowpublic.com - nowpublic.com:... - <a href="http://www.NowPublic.com" target="_blank">http://www.NowPublic.com</a>Bush's draft dodge
Those who oppose continuing the war in Iraq object to the draft for obvious reasons. But supporters of the president's Iraq policy should not get off so easily. By... Sat, 05/26/2007 - 6: ...
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... A Soldier's Request by Soldier Boy Fri May 25, 2007 at 03:14:22 PM PDTI'm tired. This is the beginning of week 12 of my second tour in Iraq. Its not any better than the first time. This time, a lot of things... e ...
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05/25/07 "Tom Paine" -- - Can we have a little frankness, please? The President of the United States is a racist. Or at the very least, an anti-Muslim bigot. In... | Fri, 05/25/2007 - 8:42pm ...
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Sometimes the Dog Wags the Tail by Stephen Zunes24 May 2007 by KEARNEY
... Stephen Zunes Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert continues to resist pressure that he resign following the publication late last month of the interim report by a special Israeli commission on Israel's war on...
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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Registration rates will increase next week on Thursday, June 7 for the Carnegie International Nonproliferation Conference: Tomorrow’s Solutions taking place from June 25 - 26, 2007 in Washington, DC. REGISTER NOW!

[b]Click here for updates on panels and speakers. [/b]

[/size][size="2"]G8 to Back New "Measures" if Iran Keeps Enriching
(Louis Charbonneau, Reuters)

Wednesday, May 30
Major industrial nations threatened on Wednesday to support "further appropriate measures" if Iran failed to comply with U.N. resolutions demanding that it suspend nuclear enrichment.

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani reiterated that he would not give in to demands that his country suspend uranium enrichment over fears it is developing nuclear weapons. Iran denies that it is secretly developing atom bombs. Larijani is due to hold talks on Thursday with European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana amid a long-running argument between Iran and the West over the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. Diplomats do not expect a breakthrough.

Nonproliferation Program Website CarnegieEndowment.org Iran Resources South Asia Resources Korea Resources China Resources " If Iran continues to ignore demands of the Security Council, we will support further appropriate measures as agreed in Resolution 1747," the Group of Eight (G8) foreign ministers said in a statement issued at a meeting in Potsdam, Germany. The G8 statement also expressed "deep regret that Iran, as we saw in the latest report by the director general of the (International Atomic Energy Agency), has continued to expand its enrichment activities."

Security Council resolution 1747 gave Tehran a 60-day deadline to freeze all enrichment work. Iran ignored the deadline, which expired last week.

The term "appropriate measures" is widely seen as diplomatic code for sanctions. The Council has already imposed two rounds of sanctions on Iran for failing to suspend uranium enrichment, a process of purifying uranium for power plants or weapons.



Rice Holds Line on Iran Nuclear Program
(Anne Gearan, Associated Press)

Thursday, May 31
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice held the hard U.S. line against concessions to Iran over its nuclear program Thursday and renewed a conditional offer to talk to the clerical regime on any subject.

Iran also refused to budge ahead of talks Thursday between Iran's chief international negotiator and the European Union's senior foreign policy official.

Asked if it is time to change tactics in the world's nuclear standoff with Iran, Rice ruled out the idea of dropping a key precondition. "I think it's time for Iran to change its tactics," Rice said.

There is increasing sentiment in Europe that world powers trying to engage Iran should drop the demand that Iran halt, or suspend in diplomatic parlance, disputed nuclear activities before bargaining on a package of incentives could begin.

" The international community is united on what Iran should do, which is to suspend; to demonstrate that it is in fact not seeking a nuclear weapon under cover of civilian nuclear power," Rice said. She spoke during a press conference with Austria's foreign minister, a year to the day after she made a dramatic outreach to longtime adversary Iran. The offer to talk "anytime, any place," was intended to inject new life into an ebbing European diplomatic effort to turn back Iran's advancing nuclear program.



Russia, U.S. Clash on Kosovo, Missile Shield
(Sue Pleming and Noah Barkin, Reuters)

Wednesday, May 30
Russia and the United States clashed over Kosovo and U.S. missile shield plans on Wednesday, souring a meeting aimed at preparing the ground for next week's Group of Eight summit on the Baltic coast.

Lavrov dismissed Rice's comments that Russian opposition to the U.S.'s planned shield was "ludicrous" and he said Moscow was still waiting for answers about the system. "For Russia, this situation is not ludicrous at all."

" At the moment all they are saying is 'don't worry it is not aimed at you'," he added.

The United States wants to deploy a radar system in the Czech Republic and 10 interceptor missiles in Poland by 2011-12. It says the system would counter threats from so-called "rogue states" like Iran and North Korea, but Moscow sees it as an encroachment on its former sphere of influence.

Putin warned this week that it would turn the continent into a "powder keg". Rice countered the shield was no threat to Russia's nuclear deterrent. "There are future threats to be concerned about," she said. "One has to plan for the future."



India, US Begin Talks on Nuclear Deal
(Indo-Asian News Service)

Thursday, May 31
India and the US on Thursday began crucial talks on ironing out differences on a path-breaking civilian nuclear deal ahead of a meeting between their top political leadership in Germany next month.

The technical-level talks on the 123 agreement that will enable the resumption of US nuclear commerce with India after a 30-year gap were being held between senior officials of the two sides.

US Under Secretary For Political Affairs Nicolas Burns, who arrived in New Delhi on Thursday on a three-day visit, is to meet Foreign Secretary Shivshanker Menon for talks on the 123 agreement.

The talks will focus on four key areas: reprocessing of spent fuel, the technology for reprocessing, the right to continue testing, and uninterrupted fuel supplies.

Officials say there are major differences between India and the US on all four issues and intensive negotiations would be required if the text of the 123 agreement is to be finalised by the time Burns leaves Saturday for the G-8 Summit in Germany, on the sidelines of which Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President George Bush will be meeting.



North Korea Blames U.S. For Nuclear Deal Delays
(Global Security Newswire)

Wednesday, May 30
North Korea today faulted the United States for the stalled February agreement to freeze North Korean nuclear activities, Agence France-Presse reported.

North and South Korean officials have been holding bilateral talks this week to discuss the provision of South Korean aid, a move that Seoul has slowed while waiting for the nuclear agreement to advance.

“ Your side knows well why the implementation of the Feb. 13 agreement is being delayed,” said North Korean chief delegate Kwon Ho-Ung. “The U.S. is responsible for the delay, not our side.”

“ Because of the intervention of foreign powers, the implementation of what is agreed upon between the two Koreas is being suspended, and the inter-Korean relationship is being edged out by foreign powers,” Kwon added.

Pyongyang has refused to take the first steps until it receives about $25 million in accounts once frozen by a Macau bank under U.S. pressure. Washington has approved the release, but North Korea has found no other bank to receive the funds that U.S. officials describe as tainted by counterfeiting and money laundering activities.



Koreas Wrangle Over Rice Aid, Nuclear Disarmament
(Yonhap News)

Thursday, May 31
High-level talks between South and North Korea Thursday hit a snag as the communist country protested a delay in the South's promised shipment of rice to the North, officials said.

The chief negotiators of the two sides met ahead of a series of working-level negotiations to discuss topics proposed during a plenary session the previous day.

But the North took issue with the South's decision to withhold rice shipments until the North takes steps to dismantle its nuclear weapons program, said Ko Gyoung-bin, spokesman for the South Korean delegation.

" The North made a protest" over the delay in rice aid, Ko told reporters. "We reconfirmed that the rice shipment will be made in sincerity and pointed out that there are various problems in reality. We proposed to find a way to solve the issue."

But Ko also stressed the South would not backpedal on its stance to withhold rice aid until the North begins its denuclearization process.



<a target="_blank" href="http://list.carnegieendowment.org/t/192924/160657/44697/0/">Washington Ready for Normal Relations with North Korea
(Lee Jin-woo, Korea Times)

Wednesday, May 30
U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Alexander Vershbow said on Wednesday Washington is prepared to move forward toward the establishment of normal relations with North Korea.

``We are ready to begin the process of removing North Korea from the list of state sponsors of terrorism and from the application of the Trading with the Enemy Act,'' Vershbow said at a symposium in Seoul.

But progress on all these tracks depends on achieving the complete elimination of Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programs, he said.

``We’re not ready to settle for a partial solution. It is only with complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization that we can contemplate the full normalization of relations,’’ he said.

Under the Feb. 13 accord in the six-party talks, the United States agreed to begin talks with the communist North over normalizing diplomatic relations. The two countries have had no diplomatic relations since the 1950-53 Korean War, which divided the Korean Peninsula into the two Koreas. The conflict ended in a cease-fire, but no peace treaty was signed.



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