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WASHINGTON (AP)— A federal judge has ordered the release of a Kuwaiti man held at Guantanamo Bay and rebuked the U.S. government for relying on scant evidence, uncredible witnesses and coerced confessions to hold him for more than seven years. In an opinion declassified Friday, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said government attorneys presented a “surprisingly bare” record during four days of classified hearings last month to oppose Fouad Al Rabiah’s request for release from the U.S. naval detention facility in Cuba. She said the aviation engineer is being held almost exclusively on confessions obtained through abusive techniques and that...

GLENDALE -- SNIPPET: "Cornelius Hardy, who often goes by Neil, was last seen Saturday evening at his home near 67th Avenue and Glendale Road. Friends and family have gathered at that home this morning. Annette Hardy said she came home at about 8:30 p.m. to find her husband gone. Hardy's family said the 41-year-old is consistent in his routine and that it's not at all like him to simply disappear. They said they have checked his credit cards and cell-phone records and found no activity since Saturday." SNIPPET: "Hardy has high security clearance at the Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant,...

Gulf Region Division commander, Maj. Gen. Michael Eyre (left), passes the flag to Gulf Region South District commander, Air Force Col. Jeffry Knippel, during the historic July 9 change-of-command ceremony while outgoing commander, Col. John Drolet looks on. Knippel is the first Air Force officer to command a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ district. (GRD photo) TALLIL — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Gulf Region Division (GRD) in Iraq made history July 9, when Col. Jack Drolet relinquished command of the USACE's Gulf Region South (GRS) district to Col. Jeffry D. Knippel, the first U.S. Air Force officer...

Note: The following text is a quote: 09 July 2009 EGYPT ARRESTS TERRORIST CELL OF 25 MEMBERS CAIRO, July 9 (Xinhua) The Egyptian authorities have arrested a terrorist cell of 25 members, 24 Egyptians and one Palestinian, for plotting to carry out terrorist attacks in Suez Canal, Egyptian Interior Ministry said in statement issued on Thursday. According to the statement, the members of the cell who believe in Jihad (Holy War) were located in Cairo, Alexandria and Daqahlia governorates and communicated through internet with other terrorist groups outside Egypt. The cell's members, mostly engineers, were developing high-tech and electronic devices...

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, May 27, 2009 – As thousands of additional troops arrive in Afghanistan, one concern has been having enough civilian experts to fill an increasing shortage in support roles. Last month, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said he may ask reservists skilled in certain areas to deploy and fill those roles until replacements arrive. Joint Sustainment Command Afghanistan engineer Army 1st Lt. Alex R. Chester III installs wiring while building the 143rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command compound at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. Chester uses his civilian engineering skills to support the build-up of troops in Afghanistan. U.S. Army photo...

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Senior Airman Brandon Lindley finishes up a testing sample Jan. 16, 2009. The sample measures the strength of concrete, which will be used in upcoming projects throughout Balad. Photo by Tech. Sgt. Lionel Castellano, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing. JOINT BASE BALAD — The engineering flight of the 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron here has earned the Brig. Gen. Archie S. Mayes Award for 2008 -- an Air Force-level award that recognizes the most accomplished CE programs flight for the year. “[The flight] feels honored,� said Capt. James Rosner, Green team lead project manager. “This [Air Expeditionary Force] rotation and the...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2009 – A project engineer from the Balad Resident Office in Iraq was selected as one of the 2009 “Top Five New Faces in Engineering” for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Liz Burg, a project engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Balad, Iraq, briefs Richard Hancock, Gulf Region Division chief of programs, about the Pipeline Exclusion Zone project. Burg was recently named one of the “Top Five Faces in Engineering” by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. U.S. Army photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Elizabeth Burg, an Army civilian who...

CHATSWORTH, Calif. (CBS) ― Metrolink officials Saturday put the blame squarely on the engineer of the train for the deadly crash that has claimed at least 25 lives. They say he ran a red light. But a group of local teens, train enthusiasts, who know the engineer well doubt that he was to blame. They called their friend professional and caring and said he helped them learn about trains and being an engineer. To a man, they said he would "never" have been reckless or unprofessional or run a red light. But one minute before the deadliest crash in Metrolink...

LOS ANGELES (CBS) ― A commuter train engineer who ran a stop signal was blamed Saturday for the nation's deadliest rail disaster in 15 years, a wreck that killed at least 25 people with more bodies still to be pulled from the smoldering, twisted metal. A preliminary investigation found that "it was a Metrolink engineer that failed to stop at a red signal and that was the probable cause" of Friday's collision with a freight train in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley, Metrolink spokeswoman Denise Tyrrell said. She said she believes the engineer, whose name was not released, is dead....

Team members visit a renovated school. Most schools in southern Iraq showed years of neglect so the renovations normally included window and door repair, new lights, bathroom fixtures and painting. Darrow’s six-person FEST-A team started 170 projects, including 49 schools, during four months in 2003. Courtesy photo. FOB KALSU — He was among the first helping rebuild key facilities in southern Iraq shortly after Saddam Hussein’s regime was toppled. This month, Lt. Col. Michael Darrow returned to Iraq on another U.S. Army Corps of Engineers mission. This time he will be the Officer-in-Charge of the Forat Area Office overseeing 42...

SOUTHWEST ASIA, April 8, 2008 – A flight engineer with the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing’s 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron surpassed 10,000 flight hours during a KC-10 Extender mission March 29. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Robert Fisher, 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron flight engineer, steps off a KC-10 Extender after his landmark flight surpassing 10,000 flight hours for his career, March 29, 2008. Courtesy photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Senior Master Sgt. Robert Fisher, a St. Petersburg, Fla., native home-stationed at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., ended his landmark flight with 10,003 hours. “The most difficult...

A Chinese-born engineer convicted of conspiracy to export U.S. defense technology to China was sentenced Monday to 24 1/2 years in federal prison by a judge who said the defendant betrayed his adopted country. Chi Mak, 67, who worked on naval propulsion systems, was also convicted of acting as an unregistered foreign agent, attempting to violate export control laws and making false statements to the FBI. Federal prosecutors asked for 30 years, while Mak's defense team proposed 10 years. There is no parole in the federal prison system. Mak asked U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney for leniency before sentencing....

BASRA, Iraq, Jan. 30, 2008 – The Basra Children’s Hospital project can get its hooks into people. Workers take a lunch break while others work at the Basra Children’s Hospital, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project in Iraq’s Basra province. Photo by Mohammed Aliwi  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Take Army Lt. Col. Kenneth McDonald, for example. He’s an area deputy commander in the Gulf Region Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and he leads the Basra Area Office in the division’s southern district. Part of his job is overseeing the Basra Children’s Hospital project,...

A federal judge denied a motion Monday for a new trial in the case of a Chinese-born engineer convicted of conspiring to export U.S. defense technology to China. U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney rejected Chi Mak's motion after a hearing that included testimony from several defense witnesses. Carney set Mak's sentencing for March 24. Mak could face up to 45 years in prison. Mak, 67, was convicted last May of conspiring to export U.S. defense technology to China, including data on an electronic propulsion system that prosecutors said could make submarines virtually undetectable. A jury also found him guilty of...

TALLIL — The Adder Area Office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is hoping to wrap up more than a dozen projects of different sorts before the end of the year. Navy Cmdr. Mike Lang, officer in charge of the office, said the intent is to end the year “with a strong finish” by closing out a significant number of projects. The office is part of the Corps’ Gulf Region South (GRS) district, which serves Iraq’s nine southern provinces. Among the projects being eyed for completion before year’s end are three primary healthcare centers (PHC) in Dhi Qar...

For decades, and most particularly since Sept. 11, 2001, commentators have noted the curious prevalence of higher education amongst members of radical Islamist movements. The idea that poverty is a "root cause" of radical terrorism can no longer be put forward without attracting snickers -- at least not without some further account of why it is the brightest and educationally best-equipped in poor societies who turn to violence. Of course, no one can be surprised that university campuses should serve as incubators of radicalism in the Muslim world, since they have served the same function here for so long. The...

US researchers have engineered a line of "mighty mice" whose human equivalent would have similar abilities to the bicycling champion Lance Armstrong, according to research published Thursday. The breed of mice can run six kilometers (four miles) at a speed of 20 meters (yards) per minute for up to six hours without stopping, according to Richard Hanson, a biochemistry professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. "They are metabolically similar to Lance Armstrong biking up the Pyrenees; they utilize mainly fatty acids for energy and produce very little lactic acid," said Hanson, the senior author of the article...

Source: Harvard University Date: October 2, 2007 Even Without Math, Ancients Engineered Sophisticated Machines Science Daily — Move over, Archimedes. A researcher at Harvard University is finding that ancient Greek craftsmen were able to engineer sophisticated machines without necessarily understanding the mathematical theory behind their construction. Recent analysis of technical treatises and literary sources dating back to the fifth century B.C. reveals that technology flourished among practitioners with limited theoretical knowledge. "Craftsmen had their own kind of knowledge that didn't have to be based on theory," explains Mark Schiefsky, professor of the classics in Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences....

Judaeo-Christian values are considered by many in the West to be what separates modern civilization from intellectual, moral and spiritual chaos of the societies that threaten and denigrate the West. Honesty and fidelity are indeed the Judaeo-Christian values on record. While these traits observably exist among Western-Western relations, do not credit Westerners for the invention of honesty and fidelity. Instead, Westerners discovered the success of such behavior through the trials and tribulation of disease, famine and war. The genius of Western Civilization is not contained in individual piety found among Western prophets but instead derives from a collective genius, repeatedly...

Capt. Dave Lin discusses details regarding the camp's new conference center with site engineer Renato, Jan. 11, in Afghanistan. Lin is an engineer with the International Security Assistance Force headquarters. U.S. Air Force photo U.S. Air Force Capt. Dave Lin Engineer Helps Give Afghans Skills to Rebuild By Capt. Stacie N. Shafran International Security Assistance Force Headquarters KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 12, 2007 -- A day in the life of a project engineer fills up pretty quickly. Between meetings and constant walks around the base to survey projects, there's concrete to be poured, gravel to be delivered and contractors needing...

A Chinese engineer was charged Thursday with stealing trade secrets from a Silicon Valley company that made military training software and attempting to sell them to Asian governments. Xiaodong Sheldon Meng, 42, a Chinese national with Canadian citizenship, was indicted on 36 felony counts, including the rare charge of economic espionage to benefit a foreign government and various violations of military technology export laws. In an unrelated but similar economic espionage case, two other engineers pleaded guilty Thursday to stealing proprietary computer chip designs from four technology giants and attempting to smuggle them to China. Prosecutors say Meng stole the...

BASRAH, Iraq, Oct. 3, 2006 — A group of California National Guardsmen from the 40th Engineer Brigade are making a difference in Iraq serving with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Basrah Area Office of the Gulf Region South District. “There are three of us serving down here in Basrah,” said Maj. Zac Delwiche, a liaison officer with the Oil Area Office. “We all have different jobs, but the Corps is making good use of all of our skills.” Delwiche is joined in Basrah by fellow 40th Engineer Brigade soldiers: Master Sgt. Bob Lamoureux and Sgt 1st Class...

Like many other baseball fans, Joe Kosa, 28, is spending his Sunday glued to a TV. But relaxed he's not. Instead, the ESPN (NYSE:DIS - News) production assistant is stationed in front of dozens of flat-screen TVs tuned to global sporting events at the headquarters of the Disney-owned network. He's furiously jotting down notes to weave into a storyline that will be read in 60 seconds flat on tonight's 6 p.m. SportsCenter broadcast. With the San Diego Padres leading the Chicago Cubs 9-0, the outcome is hardly in doubt, and writing the highlights should be easy. Then, Clay Hensley, who...

BAGHDAD, Aug. 11, 2006 -- Bettering the lives of Iraqi youngsters is what Peter Debski says is the best part of his job. Project engineer Peter Debski poses for a photo with local children at a youth center in Baghdad’s Kadamiyah district in February. Debski said renovating the facility is one of the most fulfilling things he’s done in his career. Photo by Norris Jones  '(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. He’s been involved in overseeing millions of dollars of reconstruction work in and around Baghdad over the past 10 months, including new water and sewer networks, electrical distribution...

To the editor of the Washington Post, After spending almost three days traveling with and being interviewed by one of the co-writers of a very poorly written article (“Much Undone in Rebuilding Iraq, Audit says”, Washington Post, August 2, 2006), I’m astounded at how distorted a good story can become and what agenda drives a paper to see only the bad side to the reconstruction effort here in Iraq. Instead of distorting the facts, let’s get to the truth. There is no flailing reconstruction effort in Iraq. The United States has rightfully invested $20 billion in Iraq’s reconstruction - in...

I am submitting this as a Letter to the Editor based on the terrible, and largely inaccurate, article I read by Andy Mosher. he knows there is a good side to the story of Reconstruction in Iraq; he saw it! yet he chose to write a negative story based on old SIGIR findings. Why? Don't you want the American people to know the truth?Why Won’t They Tell You the Truth? After spending almost three days traveling with and being interviewed by one of the co-writers of a very poorly written article (“Much Undone in Rebuilding Iraq, Audit says”, Washington Post,...

KABUL, Afghanistan — Army Col. William E. Bulen assumed command of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Afghanistan Engineer District from outgoing Commander Army Col. Christopher J. Toomey on Aug 2 during a change of command ceremony here. Lt. Gen. Karl W. Eikenberry, commander of Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan, presided over the transfer of leadership while Master Sgt. Eric O. Johnson, AED’s Command Sergeant Major, oversaw the exchange of colors. Lt. Gen. Eikenberry used the occasion to reflect on America’s continued commitment to Afghanistan illustrated in the District’s work. “As we look to improve Afghanistan’s infrastructure, AED is helping to lead...

FOB KALSU, Iraq (Army News Service, July 28, 2006) – With hard hats on, building materials nearby, and hammers and construction plans in hand, five 6th Iraqi Army Division engineer officers teamed up with their peers from Multi-National Division – Baghdad’s 62nd Engineer Battalion, 16th Engineer Brigade. The IA engineers took advantage of classroom education and learning new construction management techniques during the Engineer Officer Shadow Program June 17-23. “The program provided an opportunity for IA engineer officers to actually get some hands-on experience, both with construction skills, and new equipment, and in working side-by-side with their fellow U.S. Army...

Lt. j.g. Alfred Nuzzolo mingles with school children in Iraq during his recent seven-month deployment. Nuzzolo helped local Iraqis rebuild a training base that had been damaged during the global war on terrorism. Courtesy Photo U.S. Navy Lt. j.g. Alfred Nuzzolo Engineer Returns from Helping Rebuild Iraq By Pat FisherMarine Corps Logistics Base MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE ALBANY, Ga., July 21, 2006 -- A Navy engineer assigned to the Resident Officer in Charge of Construction office here recently returned from a seven-month deployment to Iraq to help rebuild an Iraqi training base. Lt. j.g. Alfred Nuzzolo, assistant resident in...

His e-mail cites a conflict over his support of those who questioned flight preparation The Johnson Space Center's director of engineering said Monday that NASA has removed him from the management team for the space shuttle flight scheduled for Saturday after he expressed support for workers who questioned preparations for the flight. Charles Camarda, 54, a former shuttle astronaut and veteran aerospace engineer, said in an e-mail to colleagues that his removal from involvement in the scheduled launch of Discovery, on which he flew last year, was against his will. The e-mail was distributed to others, including reporters. "I refused...

 The city of Kabul sits behind Eric Aubrey as he visits a local job site. Aubrey just completed a second tour in Afghanistan with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  Photo courtesy Afghanistan Engineer District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Eric Aubrey Engineer Reflects on Second Deployment to Afghanistan U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Afghanistan Engineer District KABUL, Afghanistan, June 14, 2006 — The red-headed guy with the calm, quiet demeanor and ready smile who steps off the plane in Moline, Ill., reminds you of a good neighbor or the nice guy next door. He is both. But, what...

If you are looking for the legacy of Abu Musab al Zarqawi, do not look in the concrete rubble of so-called safe house in Baqubah that became his final resting place. Instead, look less than 10 miles to the west, on the side of the road in the desert town of Hadid, for a pile of cardboard banana boxes. Inside those boxes were nine human heads. Some of the heads still had their blindfolds on. Iraqi police are still attempting to identify the murdered men. Days earlier, in Baquba, Iraqi police found another eight severed heads. One of those heads...

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A military investigation into allegations that U.S. troops intentionally killed Iraqi civilians in a March raid in Ishaqi, a village north of Baghdad, has cleared the troops of misconduct, the military said Friday — despite dramatic video footage of slain children. Meanwhile, a lawyer representing families of some of the two dozen unarmed Iraqi civilians allegedly killed by U.S. Marines in the western town of Haditha on Nov. 19 said three or four Marines carried out the shootings while 20 more waited outside the homes. He also said victims' relatives turned down a request by U.S. investigators...

San Francisco -- The numbers don't add up. China and India are not turning out nearly as many engineers annually as commonly believed, Duke University researchers report, and the ones they do graduate are probably not as well-trained as their U.S. counterparts. In testimony this month before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, the researchers said their study of engineering-school graduates showed far less disparity in numbers among the three nations than reported elsewhere. "It's contrary to what everyone else is saying," said Vivek Wadhwa, executive-in-residence and adjunct professor at Duke (Durham, N.C.). Looking at all computer science...

Remember the Trebuchet, the original siege engine?It's back and ready to put your physics muscles to the test. Custome build your "Treb" to take on three seperate challenges: Distance, Accuracy and Power. GlobalSpec Treb Challenge

From left, U.S. Army Sgts. Jack Rauschenbach and Scott Buck and Spc. Michelle Frank help build housing for soldiers at Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan, April 12, 2006. The soldiers are assigned to the 961st Engineer Detachment, deployed from Milwaukee. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Samuel Hays Army Engineer Unit Ready for Afghan Duty The 961st Engineer Detachment looks ahead to "great things" during their Afghan deployment. By U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Nicholas Lutton 345th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan, April 21, 2006 — U.S. soldiers assigned to the 1224th Engineer Detachment transferred authority to...

The first Slovakian engineers came into Iraq in August 2003; their primary duties are unexploded ordnance disposal and engineering work. CAMP ECHO, Iraq, March 2, 2006 — Slovakian engineer units working in Multinational Division Central-South held a change of command ceremony at Camp Echo, Ad-Diwaniyah, March 1. The 5th rotation of the Slovak Engineer Unit transferred authority to the 6th rotation composed of 100 troops. The handover ceremony was attended by authorities of the Slovakian Armed Forces, Multinational Division Central-South, senior national representatives and distinguished guests. The first Slovakian Engineers came into Iraq in August 2003 with Multinational Division Central-South....

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Kevin Powell Engineer Helps Rebuild Iraq By Norris Jones Gulf Region Central District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers BAGHDAD, Iraq, Feb. 16, 2006 — "We’re helping shape a nation,� said Kevin Powell in describing U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ reconstruction mission in Iraq. Powell is concluding a six-month tour as Gulf Region Central District’s Deputy Commander for Program Management. He’s Mobile District’s Florida Area Office Area Engineer and as such manages a program valued at $42 million yearly. While in Iraq he was overseeing programs involving more than 1,200 projects valued at $2.3 billion....

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) - A judge on Friday denied a request to free a Chinese American engineer who was arrested for allegedly trying to send military secrets to China. U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney listened to more than six hours of testimony before deciding to keep Chi Mak, 65, of Downey in custody. Carney said he found it "troubling" that the defendant had taken restricted documents to his house. "I'm going to stick with my previous ruling," he said. The FBI arrested Mak and his wife in October for investigation of conspiracy to steal U.S. government documents. That...

MOSUL, Iraq, Jan. 10, 2006 – After years of tyranny and war, the children of Iraq have almost nothing and are very grateful for each gift they receive. Lana Aziz, an Iraqi citizen and junior engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, coordinates the collection and distribution of shoes and school supplies for Iraqi children. With each gift she gives to a needy child, she also gives joy and hope to their lives. Through her childhood, Aziz watched as American organizations sent clothing and items to local churches in her community. She watched as the goods were distributed, and...

U.S. Air Force Maj. Alberto Mezarina teaches Iraqi engineers to label circuit breakers during final construction inspection. U.S. Army photo by Suzanne M. Fournier U.S. Air ForceMaj. Alberto Mezarina Air Force Engineer Helps Iraqis Rebuild By Suzanne M. Fournier Gulf Region Southern DistrictU.S. Army Corps of Engineers BASE CAMP ADDER, Iraq, Dec. 30, 2005  — Deploying to Iraq with an Army unit offered a unique opportunity for an Air Force officer to be blue in a green Army world. United States Air Force Academy instructor Maj. Alberto Mezarina said he volunteered because he wanted to do his part to...

Engineer Paul Green wheels his company's new fully armored combat vehicle over the clay roads and muddy streambeds of the South Carolina backcountry, guns the engine and races over one hill and then the next. "This is designed to be what we thought would be a step up from the Humvee," he shouts as he shifts gears. "This vehicle was never designed to be a direct replacement for the current armored Humvee." But the prototype -- christened the MUV-R (Mine-protected Utility Vehicle/Rapid Deployable) by its manufacturer, Charleston, S.C.-based Force Protection, Inc. -- may well be.

SANTA ANA – A federal judge on Monday overruled another judge's decision to grant release on bond to a U.S. defense technology engineer charged with being an unregistered agent for China. U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney said he recognized strong character evidence supporting the release of engineer Chi Mak but that the nature of the charge and alleged activities made it impossible to grant bond. Mak, his wife, Rebecca Laiwah Chiu, and his brother, Tai Wang Mak, were indicted on a charge of being unregistered agents for China. All have pleaded not guilty. Investigators allege that Chi Mak, 65,...

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) - A federal judge set bail at $300,000 Friday for a Chinese-American engineer accused of stealing U.S. military secrets, but ordered his younger brother held until another hearing later this month. Chi Mak, his wife and brother were indicted Tuesday on a charge of acting as agents of a foreign government without prior notification to the U.S. attorney general. If convicted, each could face up to 10 years in prison. According to the original affidavit, Mak, 65, stole computer disks from defense contractor Power Paragon, where he was lead engineer on a sensitive research project involving...

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) - A Chinese-American engineer appeared in federal court Thursday on charges of conspiring to steal sensitive information about U.S. Navy warships and smuggle it to China. With his hands shackled, Chi Mak stood quietly in a Santa Ana federal court as a magistrate judge agreed to his request for a new defense lawyer. Mak, a naturalized U.S. citizen from China, was arrested Oct. 28 on charges of stealing government property, aiding and abetting, transportation of stolen goods and conspiracy. He was held without bond last week after authorities accused him of taking computer disks from Anaheim...

WASHINGTON (AFP) - An engineer who worked on the development of the US B-2 bomber has been arrested in Hawaii for allegedly passing secret technology related to the radar-evading plane to three foreign governments, the FBI said. Noshir Gowadia was accused of "willfully communicating national defense information to a person not entitled to receive it," the Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. A Pentagon spokesman said he was unaware of the details of the FBI investigation and so could not comment on the extent of the damage that may have been caused. "Our modern weapons sytems use advance...

Between forkfuls of angel-hair pasta, Metra engineer Mike Smith calmly told his story Monday, detail by agonizing detail, of the ill-fated Rock Island line train that jumped the tracks under his control. At Nick and Tony's restaurant downtown, Smith talked to reporters for the first time, saying he was sorry that his passengers -- "the most precious cargo" -- suffered and died in the horrific crash. But last month's derailment that killed two women and injured dozens of others was not his fault, he said. "I can say I'm sorry even though I had nothing to do with it," said...

Local authorities in our New Orleans levee project take the prize in the area of callous disregard and their bungling remains notorious to this day. From NRO: As a retired structural engineer who has done exhaustive work on bulk liquids retention structures, including dams, dykes and levees; also having audited engineering schematics on the New Orleans levees in the 1994-1996 era, rest assured that federal officials were properly concerned about that situation. The problem was that they were the only ones. We bucked and kicked local officials for years throughout the entire project. The municipality demanded the money, and received...

BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) -- It is 110 degrees and temperatures are steadily on the rise. Luckily, the office is air conditioned -- until the power goes out. An Airman puts in a work order, but it is not the only office that is suffering from this side effect of the heat. However, within 15 minutes, an ice-cold breeze of relief surrounds the office just as a civil engineer pokes his head in to say the malfunction has been fixed. Providing relief from the heat is just one of the many things Army and Air Force civil engineers here...