ACLU Renews Its Call For Investigation Into Civil Liberties Violations At RNC

Minnesota ACLU Takes Legal Action ST. PAUL - In response to reports of widespread civil liberties abuses in connection with mass arrests, police raids on private homes and the detention of several journalists during the Republican National Convention (RNC), the American Civil Liberties Union renewed its call for an investigation into the actions of law enforcement there. "Attempts by law enforcement to squelch lawful political speech and stifle the press have no place in our democracy and are unacceptable," said Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU. "Political conventions should be a showcase for free expression, not a venue for bullying and intimidation." The ACLU specifically called for an investigation into possible violations of the First and Fourth Amendments, including: • the arrest of reporters trying to gather the news; • the mass arrest of hundreds of peaceful protestors; • the surveillance and subsequent raids on several activist groups and private homes; and • the confiscation by law enforcement agents of constitutionally-protected private property. The ACLU affiliate office in Minnesota has assembled legal counsel for many of the reporters and peaceful protestors arrested since Monday. The ACLU of Minnesota has also filed a lawsuit in federal court calling for the release of boxes of literature that were confiscated during Monday's raids.

Neuroleptics shrink brains in monkeys
In this study, both an older neuroleptic (Haldol or "haloperidol") and a newer atypical neuroleptic (Zyprexa or "olanzapine") caused significant shrinkage in the higher level parts of the brains in monkeys. Source: Neuropsychopharmacology 9 March 2005

'Stunning allegations' by ex-RCMP chief blast Canada's spy agency and the U.S. gov't

Former RCMP commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli said the United States effectively "threw away the rule book" in dealing with Canadian authorities on the Maher Arar affair. In an interview with the CBC broadcast Tuesday night, Zaccardelli blamed a post 9-11 hardline attitude in the United States for the Ottawa software engineer's detention and subsequent deportation to his native Syria. After Arar was detained in New York in the fall of 2002, Zaccardelli told the CBC that American authorities indicated to Canadian officials that they didn't have enough evidence to lay charges and asked whether he would be detained upon returning to Canada. "The discussion centres around: 'If we let him go and he comes to Canada, can you arrest him or detain him?' And we keep reaffirming, 'No we can't'," Zaccardelli said in the CBC interview, conducted in Lyons, France, where he is a senior official with Interpol. The Americans then led Canadian officials to believe Arar was going to be released and sent back to Canada, prompting the RCMP to put together a surveillance team to watch him. "We are waiting in Montreal for the plane to arrive with Mr. Arar getting off the plane. The plane arrives. Mr. Arar never got off," he said. Arar spent about a year in Syrian custody where he said he was tortured.

Huge Ice Shelf Breaks Loose in Canada

A chunk of ice shelf nearly the size of Manhattan has broken away from Ellesmere Island in Canada's northern Arctic, another dramatic indication of how warmer temperatures are changing the polar frontier, scientists said Wednesday. Derek Mueller, an Arctic ice shelf specialist at Trent University in Ontario, told The Associated Press that the 4,500-year-old Markham Ice Shelf separated in early August and the 19-square-mile shelf is now adrift in the Arctic Ocean. "It was a shocking event that underscores the rapidity of changes taking place in the Arctic," said Muller. Muller also said that two large sections of ice detached from the Serson Ice Shelf, shrinking that ice feature by 47 square miles — or 60 percent — and that the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf has also continued to break up, losing an additional eight square miles.

Legal bid to stop CERN atom smasher from 'destroying the world'
The world's biggest and most expensive scientific experiment has been hit by a last minute legal challenge, amid claims that the research could bring about the end of the world.

Beslan four years on – the grief remains

Four years after the tragedy in School Number One, which left more than 300 people dead, Beslan remains a small town filled with immense grief. Its cemetery contains the graves of 186 children. On September 3, 2004, Russian forces attempted to release hostages in the school building where terrorists were holding more than 1,000 people. The small town is marking the anniversary of one of Russia's deadliest hostage takings with candles, tolling of bells and tears. Hundreds of mourners assembled at the ruins of School Number One, left untouched since the tragedy, to lay flowers and light candles in memory of those who died in September 2004. The sad day was marked by one minute's silence and the release of 334 white balloons in the air – one for each victim. Then the ceremony moved to Beslan’s Memorial Cemetery, where the list of victims was read out. For many residents of Beslan the days of mourning bring back their bad dreams and memories.

Israeli Army Went to Lebanon War with Outdated Maps

After two years on its humiliating defeat in Lebanon by the Islamic resistance fighters, Israeli army is still trying to figure out what really happened and its leaders are still trying to find excuses for the failure of the “strongest army in the Middle East”. Israeli army Chief Intelligence Officer Brig.-Gen. Yuval Halamish told Israeli daily The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday that the army's Military Intelligence has dramatically increased its relevance and capabilities since the Second Lebanon War, when some field units went into combat with outdated maps of Hezbollah strongholds. "When we look back today at the past two years we are without a doubt in a different place," Halamish said in a rare interview he granted the Post in honor of MI's 60th anniversary. "Like the rest of the IDF at the time, MI was busy focusing on the Palestinian arena and that is where we invested our resources." Incidents such as units being given outdated maps before going into combat should never have happened, he said, revealing that today MI has established an advanced computerized database that stores all of the maps and other intelligence material that is continuously updated and can be distributed to relevant units on short notice.

Britain planned Collusion with Nazis to Rule the World (VIDEO)

Released through the Official Secrets Act after 60 years, the Plan that Britain would Hatch with Germany to Rule the World. The attempt to discredit this as the work of an amateur and maverick WILL NOT WASH. Re: Britain planned Collusion with Nazis to Rule the World. (by setfree69): In fact I have always contended that Edward VIII was forced to resign as King of the UK, for his close ties with the Nazis and personal friendship with Hitler, of course it was easy to blame his choice of Wife! Churchill and Hitler were alike in MANY ways however painful that might be to hear, and it needed someone like Churchill to defeat Hitler. Churchill advocated the forced sterilisation of people deemed as disabled or retarded, and another interesting point was that people often ask why did Hitler never use Gas on London? because oddly enough he hated the use in warfare and Churchill had threatened to respond in like if he did. Wether this is actually true I do not know but have found no hard evidence either way. One last point they say that the Victors are the ones who write the History and the nanquished are demonised, one of Churchill quotes is "History will be kind to me for I intend to write it."