World News - Pentagon Back on Defensive Over Jails
Allegations of torture. Pictures of bloodied prisoners. Reminders of embarrassing acts by American troops. All of a sudden, the Bush administration finds itself back on the defensive in its long campaign to persuade the Muslim world that the global war on terrorism is not a war on the Muslim faith. In just a few days, the United States has endured a pair of blows to its image abroad. The publication of previously unseen photos from the infamous Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, plus a U.N. report calling for the closure of the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, have forced the administration to defend its record and try to regain the upper hand in public relations. ``It reiterates how important the battle for hearts and minds is, and how poorly we're doing,'' said P.J. Crowley, a former Pentagon spokesman who is director of national defense and homeland security at the Center for American Progress, a liberal-leaning research institute. ...
http://www.guardian.co.uk
FACTBOX-Security incidents in Iraq, Feb 17
The following are security incidents in Iraq reported on Friday, Feb. 17, as of 1330 GMT.U.S. and Iraqi forces are battling a Sunni Arab insurgency against the Shi'ite- and Kurdish-led government in Baghdad.Asterisk denotes a new or updated item.*BAGHDAD - A policeman was killed and two were wounded when a roadside bomb exploded near their car in Al-Yousifiya, 15 km (9 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.BAGHDAD - Gunmen wearing police uniforms abducted an Iraqi bank manager and his son after killing five of their bodyguards in southern Baghdad on Thursday, police said on Friday....
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/GEO730873.htm
Bush Administration's War Spending Nears Half-Trillion Dollars President Asks Taxpayers for Another $65 Billion for Iraq and Afghanistan
In a single year, it is difficult to measure overall progress in the war on terror. But ABC News has learned today that President Bush will ask Congress for an additional $65.3 billion for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. It brings the total funds requested this year to more than $110 billion for those operations. This is the fourth time in three years that the Bush administration has asked for additional funds for Iraq and Afghanistan, and the $65 billion request is $2 billion higher than expected. Of that amount, $38 billion will be spent for ongoing military operations, with $11 billion going to repair and replenish war-fighting equipment ravaged by wear and tear. Another $1.9 billion is allocated for protecting against improvised explosive devices. ...
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/IraqCoverage/story?id=1629118&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312&WNTad=true
Judge's anger at US torture
A high court judge yesterday delivered a stinging attack on America, saying its idea of what constituted torture was out of step with that of "most civilised nations".The criticism, directed at the Bush administration's approach to human rights, was made by Mr Justice Collins during a hearing over the refusal by ministers to request the release of three British residents held at Guantánamo Bay. The judge said: "America's idea of what is torture is not the same as ours and does not appear to coincide with that of most civilised nations." He made his comments, he said, after learning of the UN report that said Guantánamo should be shut down without delay because torture was still being carried out there. The report, by five inspectors for the UN human rights commissioner, refers to shackling, hooding and forcing detainees to wear earphones and goggles. In particular, it refers to interrogation techniques and excessive violence used to forcefeed prisoners on hunger strike. ...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/guantanamo/story/0,,1711833,00.html
Wash. Marijuana Harvest Sets Record
Law enforcement officers harvested a dubious record last year, enough marijuana plants to rank the illegal weed as Washington state's No. 8 agricultural commodity, edging out sweet cherries in value. The 135,323 marijuana plants seized in 2005 were estimated to be worth $270 million, a record amount that places the crop among the state's top 10 agricultural commodities, based on the most recent statistics available. "We're struck by the amount of work they put into it," said Rich Wiley, who heads the Washington State Patrol narcotics program. "It's very labor intensive. They often run individual drip lines to each plant, and are out there fertilizing them." The net results have a tremendous payoff to illegal growers, said Wiley, who coordinates pot busts with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and local law enforcement agencies. A single plant can produce as much as a pound of processed marijuana, worth an estimated $2,000, he said. ...
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/17/national/main1326025.shtml?CMP=OTC-RSSFeed&source=RSS&attr=U.S._1326025
Kenyans demand more graft scalps
Riot police have deployed in Kenya's capital as anti-corruption protesters took part in a banned demonstration. "Our money, our money!" thousands of protesters shouted in central Nairobi demanding the vice-president and head of civil service step down. They, along with three ministers who have already resigned, were named in a graft report which has rocked Kenyans. One of those ministers, Chris Murungaru, has appeared in court on Friday morning to be charged. Mr Murungaru, who was national security minister, pleaded not guilty to refusing to declare his assets before the country's Anti-Corruption Commission. He says it infringes on his human rights. The charge carries a maximum sentence of three-years in prison. ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4723480.stm