Truthout's Christopher Kuttruff on new net neutrality legislation; local
opposition to Blackwater's proposed training facility near San Diego;
string
of losses worrying Republicans; politics is interfering with intelligence
reforms; Bush policies have squeezed out moderates in the Middle East;
House
p***** veto-proof farm bill; Robert Scheer on the torture of the torture
laws;
and more ... Browse our continually updating front page at
http://www.truthout.org
t r u t h o u t | 05.15
Christopher Kuttruff | New Legislation and Debate on Net Neutrality
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/051508J.shtml
Christopher Kuttruff, of Truthout: "Last week, lawmakers proposed
legislation
on network neutrality that would open up the possibility for antitrust
lawsuits against companies that violate the bill's regulations. The bill
has
fueled the ongoing debate about the implications of network regulation. On
Thursday, May 8, House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-Michigan) and
Rep.
Zoe Lofgren (D-California) introduced the 'Internet Freedom and
Nondiscrimination Act of 2008' (H.R. 5994) which seeks to prevent
anti-competitive and discriminatory activity by broadband Internet service
providers."
Blackwater's Proposed San Diego Training Facility Draws Criticism
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/051508K.shtml
Tony Perry, of The Los Angeles Times: "Blackwater Worldwide, the global
security firm whose conduct in Iraq has drawn criticism, is again trying
to
open a training facility in the face of local opposition. In March, the
firm
dropped plans to build a 220-acre training camp in rural Potrero, about 45
miles east of downtown San Diego. A coalition of rural property owners,
environmentalists and antiwar activists opposed its effort to build a
'combat
town.'"
Republican Election Losses Stir Fall Fears
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/051508L.shtml
Adam Nagourney and Carl Hulse, of The New York Times: "The Republican
defeat
in a special Congressional contest in Mississippi sent waves of
apprehension
across an already troubled party Wednesday, with some senior Republicans
urging Congressional candidates to distance themselves from President Bush
to
head off what could be heavy losses in the fall. The victory by Travis
Childers, a conservative Democrat elected in a once-steadfast Republican
district on Tuesday, was the third defeat of a Republican in a special
Congressional race this year."
Political Clashes Underline Limits to Intelligence Reform
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/051508M.shtml
Greg Miller, of The Los Angeles Times: "As head of analysis for all US spy
agencies, Thomas Fingar was making final edits last summer on a
long-awaited
intelligence re****t on Iran. The draft concluded that Tehran was still
pursuing a nuclear bomb, a finding that echoed previous *****sments and
would
have bolstered Bush administration hawks. Then, just weeks before the
re****t
was to be delivered to the White House, new intelligence surfaced
indicating
that Tehran's nuclear weapons work had stopped."
David Ignatius | The Squeeze on the Middle East's Moderates
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/051508N.shtml
David Ignatius, of The Wa****ngton Post: "Watching the news from Lebanon,
it's
poignant to read the title of a new memoir by Jordan's former foreign
minister, Marwan Muasher, 'The Arab Center: The Promise of Moderation.'
The
daily headlines tell us that centrist Arabs such as Muasher are becoming
an
endangered species. The center is under siege in Lebanon and across the
Middle
East as the region becomes more polarized between Iranian-backed
extremists
and US-backed forces."
House Approves Farm Bill by Veto-Proof Margin
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/051508O.shtml
Michael Doyle, of McClatchy Newspapers: "The House on Wednesday
emphatically
approved a massive five-year farm bill by a veto-proof margin, setting up
President Bush for a major political embarrassment. Bru****ng off Bush's
opposition, many Republicans joined a majority of Democrats in approving
the
farm bill 318-106. This is well over the two-thirds vote needed to
override
Bush's promised veto."
Robert Scheer | The Tortured Law on Torture
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/051508P.shtml
Robert Scheer, of Truthdig: "Ah, yes, those torture confessions have
proved so
useful. That, at least, was the claim of our president in justifying one
of
the most egregious assaults ever on this nation's commitment to the rule
of
law. But now comes news that charges have been dropped against the
so-called
Sept. 11 attacks' 20th hijacker, one of dozens so identified, because the
'evidence' he supplied under torture and later recanted is not credible
enough
to go to trial. That fact, of course, will not compel President Bush to
cut
the tortured prisoner loose."
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