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Locked on 07/01/2006 1:19:49 PM PDT by Admin Moderator, reason:
New thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1659022/posts |
Posted on 06/01/2006 7:04:43 PM PDT by nwctwx
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1642168/posts
The Mafia's Shadow Kingdom: Across Latin America, governments capitulate to gangsters
spiegel ^ | May 22, 2006, 04:09 PM | Jens Glüsing in Rio de Janeiro
Posted on 06/01/2006 11:56:40 PM PDT by dennisw
Recent violence in Sao Paulo may just be the tip of the iceberg: Many parts of Brazil and indeed across Latin America, governments have capitulated to gangsters, and the rise of organized crime could end the recent leftward shift across Latin America.
Garbage containers block the road into slum district Vigario Geral, one of the most dangerous favelas in Rio de Janeiro. A visitor approaches the barricade, two youths appear from the shadow of a nearby building. They're carrying machine guns, and handguns are tucked into their pants. "You want to go to church, right?" the older of the two asks the stranger politely. "We'll take you there -- we're registered."
A boy rolls the containers aside. The youths deposit their Kalashnikov rifles on the backseat of a taxi and direct the driver through the labyrinthine streets. Father Marco Freitas receives his guest in front of the congregation room of Assembleia de Deus, Protestant sect. The priest knows the two youths: "They respect me; they often come to the service. It's only during police raids that things get dangerous."
But police raids rarely occur. "We're usually warned in advance," the youths point out. They escort the visitor back to the highway onramp and say goodbye. This is where their territory ends and the Brazil of law and order begins -- the Brazil of "asphalt," as the drug mafia calls it.
The slum Vigario Geral is part of a shadowy kingdom of drug gangs and their heavily armed footmen. The territory isn't marked on any map. Paramilitary gangsters control most of Rio's roughly 700 favelas. They've built a parallel government -- like the ones in Sao Paulo prisons, the slums of Caracas and Medellin, and the streets of Acapulco and Mexico City.
Organized crime is on the rise across Latin America.
(Excerpt) Read more at service.spiegel.de ...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1642075/posts
"Haditha Doctor Was Arrested, Hates US Too"
Sweetness & Light ^ | June 1, 2006 | N/A
Posted on 06/01/2006 6:44:37 PM PDT by Sam Hill
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1642134/posts
"Haditha: Blood Money, Lies and Videotape?"
Front Page Mag ^ | June 2, 2006 | Andrew Walden
Posted on 06/01/2006 9:09:03 PM PDT by beaversmom
ON THE NET...
BBC NEWS
http://www.bbcnews.com
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1642182/posts
"Man shot in anti-terrorism raid"
BBC news ^
Posted on 06/02/2006 1:54:17 AM PDT by marthemaria
Last Updated: Friday, 2 June 2006, 08:49 GMT 09:49 UK
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Man shot in anti-terrorism raid
Police have cordoned off three roads in the area A man has been shot by police during a raid carried out under the Terrorism Act, Scotland Yard has said. He was taken to a nearby hospital after police searched a house in Forest Gate, east London. His injuries are not life-threatening.
A 23-year-old man has been arrested and is currently in custody at a central London police station.
The operation, early on Friday morning, was not linked to the London bombings of July 2005, police added.
The decision to launch the raid followed discussions between MI5, the anti-terrorist branch and the Health Protection Agency.
Roads closed
Police officers in protective clothing have moved into the terraced house in Lansdown Road in what is being described as a "precautionary measure".
Several people who were in the house at the time of the raid have been moved to other premises. They have not been arrested.
Lansdown Road, and neighbouring Rothsay Road and Prestbury Road, are all currently closed.
"At this stage there is nothing to suggest members of the public in the immediate area are at risk," Scotland Yard said in a statement.
"If we believe there is a potential risk, appropriate action will be taken and advice issued."
The home secretary has been kept fully informed of all developments since the operation began
Home Office spokesman
According to BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw, the raids follow an investigation into international terrorism targeting the UK.
Security sources have described the Forest Gate raid as "potentially significant" and said it followed months of surveillance.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has been informed and is investigating."
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1642174/posts
"The Terrorist Round-up for 6/2/06"
6/2/06
Posted on 06/02/2006 12:51:07 AM PDT by Straight Vermonter
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1642183/posts
Army crash kills 4
The Moultrie Observer ^ | June 01, 2006 11:15 pm | Lori Glenn
Posted on 06/02/2006 2:04:11 AM PDT by leadpenny
One survivor after helicopter clips tower
Lori Glenn
DOERUN — Four Army soldiers died in a helicopter crash after it clipped a television transmitting tower early Thursday morning. Amazingly, a fifth crew member walked away from the wreckage.
Just after 8 a.m., the MH-47 Chinook helicopter en route from Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah to Ft. Rucker, Ala., hit the WFXL tower just off Ga. Highway 270 east of Doerun during a routine training flight. The military has yet to confirm the cause of the accident. The U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center from Fort Rucker is investigating.
All on board were assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) at Hunter Army Airfield.
The Chinook, a helicopter with a front and rear rotor, appeared to have hit the tower with a rotor about 60 feet from the top of the 1,000-foot structure, taking a chunk out of the tower plus snapping a guy wire in the process. The WFXL tower stands alongside a WALB transmitting tower, which was not damaged. With one guy wire missing, the WFXL tower now has a slight, but dangerous, tilt.
The helicopter hit the tower with such force that three large pieces of the craft plus debris were slung over a quarter mile, witnesses and rescue workers confirmed. The Observer was able to see the cockpit, which was in the same cow pasture as the towers next to a fence lined with oaks and facing somewhat northeast.
(Excerpt) Read more at moultrieobserver.com ...
Bunga, Bunga, Bunga!
It was established on Death Threat thread #7 that Bungholio's name is to be abbreviated:
(_*_)
Draw you own conclusions. The Lizardoids at LGF seem to have as rude a sense of humor as I do...
Well I tell you backhoe; when it comes to cut throat talk, I like to follow the discussion to the very end. So, we'll just follow along here until it gets resolved.
Yes, there's some dissent over there from those thinking the Death Threat updates are hogging the discussion of other matters, but I'm of the opinion that it needs to be taken seriously.
In it's own right, and then there is the pointed question, "how can Reuters be taken seriously as a news source if its corporate culture enables, or at least tolerates, such nastiness?"
This IS important in its own right.
It's time the rest of the world sees what kind of email is sent.
That's why I post some of it here from various sites on the net.
Indeed, and that's a valuable service you provide.
I've found the "comments" sections of the blogs which enable them to be very helpful in fact-checking and providing relevant links and quotes.
Of course, you have to slog through insults, inside jokes, flame wars, trolls, disruptors, and weirdly off-topic replies, too.
Just like forums...
"Just like forums..."
Yep.
ON THE NET...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=jihad
http://www.jihadwatch.org
http://www.memri.org/jihad.html
http://www.internet-haganah.com
Thanks to Tiger Likes Rooster for the post/translation/thread.
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1642192/posts
N. Korea: Report of 1,000 Deaths in Train Crash
The Daily NK ^ | 06/02/06 | Lee Hyun-ju
Posted on 06/02/2006 3:21:31 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
/begin my translation
N. Korea: Report of 1,000 Deaths in Train Crash
Will take months to notify victims' family.
[2006-06-02 10:46]
Buraesan Station along Pyongyang-Pyonggang Line (from "Good Friends")
(note: the station is a spot marked with short solid line in the middle of winding dotted line going from right to left, after branching off from vertical line at the right side of the picture.
A report came out, alleging that large-scale train crash occurred near Gowon County, S. Hamkyong Province, killing over 1,000 passengers. It remains to be seen if this can be confirmed.
A N. Korea aid organization, Good Friends (Co,) reported in its June 1st issue of N. Korean news, "On Apr. 23, near Buraesan(Worker's District) Station, No. 13 Express Train running on Pyongyang-Pyonggang Line had a head-on collusion with a freight train going from Gowon to Yang-duk. Over 1,000 people were killed at the crash."
According to the news, the trains were the special transports carrying infantry soldiers who completed their 10-year service, and those who volunteer for (military) service.
As for the cause, it reported that the compressor of No. 13 Express Train broke down when it was running downhill near Buraesan Station, Gowon Country, which made the train unable to apply its brakes and avoid freight train running upwards, leading to the head-on collusion.
To take care of its aftermath, N. Korean authorities are discussing about compensation to victims' families. However, notifying the families alone would take months, according to the news.
The authorities are busy securing the money for compensation. As one likely measure, they are considering slapping a tax on goods imported through border customs, the publication said.
However, since N. Korean authorities had never given out compensation for any train crash, doubts have been raised on the idea of charging a tax at border customs for compensation money
Lee Hyun-ju lhj@dailynk.com
/end my translation
UPI.com: Washington - "HEZBOLLAH MAY ACTIVATE SLEEPER CELLS" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The New York Post, quoting sources, said the Lebanon-based fundamentalist Islamic group may be planning to activate sleeper cells in New York or other big cities. The investigation is being carried out by the FBI and the Justice Department. Quoting law-enforcement and intelligence officials, the newspaper said about a dozen hard-core supporters of Hezbollah have been identified in recent weeks as operating in the New York area. The Iranian Mission to the United Nations also is being watched. But U.S. officials also told the newspaper there is no intelligence information pointing to an imminent attack by Hezbollah.") (May 22, 2006) (Read More...) (Note: This url may expire.)
FBI.gov - Seeking Information: "ADNAN G. EL SHUKRIJUMAH" (ALIASES: "Adnan G. El Shukri Jumah; Abu Arif; Ja'far Al-Tayar; Jaffar Al-Tayyar; Jafar Tayar; Jaafar Al-Tayyar") (VIEW POSTER. Click Here.)
PERSECUTION.ORG
http://www.persecution.org
Awesome start to an awesome thread! Thanks for the ping Ian.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1642200/posts
"June 6 Focuses Attention on "666" Superstitions"
SUNY-Buffalo ^ | 6-2-06 | Mary Cochrane
Posted on 06/02/2006 4:09:08 AM PDT by Pharmboy
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http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/newsreleases/articles/060531witchita.htm
May 31, 2006
ICE agents arrest five illegally working at Cessna plant
WICHITA, Kan. - Special agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office here yesterday arrested five illegal aliens from Mexico at the local Cessna plant on immigration violations.
ICE received the initial lead from Cessna management regarding a possible discrepancy in the documents the aliens used to gain employment at the aircraft manufacturing plant. ICE conducted a computer records check and determined that the documents were fraudulent, and that the aliens were illegally living and working in the United States. Cessna is fully cooperating in the investigation.
Federal law requires all newly hired employees to complete Form I-9 and present identity documents as proof of authorization to work in the United States.
All five aliens are currently in ICE custody, and are being held on immigration violations. ICE may be presenting these people to the U.S. Attorney's Office for possible criminal prosecution.
“Cessna management followed proper procedures,” said Pete Baird, assistant special agent-in-charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Kansas City, Mo. “It is illegal for employers to knowingly hire or continue to employ illegal aliens. Employers can also be subject to criminal prosecution.”
These arrests represent how ICE is significantly enhancing its worksite enforcement efforts as part of its interior enforcement strategy. They are part of the Secure Border Initiative (SBI), a comprehensive multi-year plan by the Department of Homeland Security to secure America's borders and reduce illegal migration. Under SBI, Homeland Security seeks to gain operational control of both the northern and southern borders, while re-engineering the detention and removal system to ensure that illegal aliens are removed from the country quickly and efficiently. SBI also involves strong interior enforcement efforts, including enhanced worksite enforcement investigations and intensified efforts to track down and remove illegal aliens inside this country.
Other recent ICE Worksite Enforcement Operations include:
Boston Cleaning Business -- On May 12, 2006, Jose Neto, a businessman in Allston, Mass, was convicted of knowingly harboring illegal aliens who worked in his cleaning business. He had previously pleaded guilty to charges of attempting to bribe an ICE agent, inducing illegal aliens to reside in the country, and having a pattern or practice of knowingly employing illegal aliens. Neto, an illegal alien himself from Brazil, faces up to 15 years imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Dragon Buffet Restaurants - (New York) -- On May 11, 2006, Hui Guo, a lawful permanent resident alien and citizen of China, pleaded guilty in Albany, New York, to one count of hiring and harboring illegal aliens in connection with two Dragon Buffet chain restaurants he operated in the Albany area. He was first arrested in November 2005. The investigation into Guo was part of a larger ICE probe into Kun Cheng, who owned six Chinese buffet restaurants in the Albany area. Cheng was arrested in November 2004 for his part in the organization. To date, this investigation has resulted in the criminal arrest of 9 individuals, the administrative arrest of 84 illegal aliens and the seizure of approximately $1.4 million and 11 vehicles.
Golden China Buffet - On May 10, 2006, Jian, Lin, a Chinese restaurant owner and eight illegal alien workers that he was housing and transporting to and from work were arrested in Louisville, Ky. Jian Lin, the 32-year-old restaurant owner, and five illegal Chinese workers were arrested at the restaurant on immigration violations. Three other illegal workers - one Chinese and two Mexican - were arrested at the Wilma Avenue residence that is owned by Lin and was used to house his workers.
Julio's Mexican Restaurants -- On May 10, 2006, ICE agents in Missouri arrested the owner of two Mexican restaurants in Missouri and Iowa on criminal charges of knowingly hiring illegal aliens. ICE agents also arrested a total of 21 illegal aliens during the execution of search warrants on the restaurants. Investigation revealed that many of the employees had not been asked to complete any paperwork or provide documentation to work at the restaurants.
Fischer Homes Inc. -- On May 9, 2006 ICE agents arrested four supervisors of Fischer Homes Inc. and 76 illegal alien workers at Fischer Homes construction sites in Kentucky. Headquartered in Kentucky, Fischer Homes is a leading builder of homes in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, with annual sales of roughly $200 million. The four Fischer Homes managers are charged in a criminal complaint with aiding and abetting, harboring illegal aliens for commercial advantage or private financial gain. The maximum possible punishment for the crime charged is up to 10 years imprisonment, $250,000 or both. On May 11, several contractors and contract companies that provided illegal workers for Fischer Homes construction sites were indicted on criminal charges of harboring illegal aliens in connection with the scheme.
Operation Tarmac -- On May 9, 2006, Karen Sue Rowell and Edward John Pitre, managers of Midwest Airport Services, were sentenced as a result of Operation Tarmac, an ICE critical infrastructure initiative targeting unauthorized employment at U.S. airports. Rowell received nine months federal incarceration and was ordered to pay a fine of $5,000. Pitre received 15 months of federal incarceration and was ordered to pay of fine of $1,000. On May 8, 2006, Midwest Airport Services and Service Performance Corporation were fined $150,000 and $600,000 respectively. In August 2005, Pitre was convicted for conspiracy to unlawfully harbor and shield illegal aliens from detection. Rowell pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting a false representation of U.S. citizenship.
Stucco Design -- On May 2, 2006, Robert Porcisanu, the owner of an Indiana business that performed stucco-related services at construction sites in seven Midwest states was charged with money laundering, harboring illegal aliens, transporting illegal aliens, and false statements in connection with an illegal employment scheme. Porcisanu faces 40 years in prison. ICE is also seeking the forfeiture of $1.4 million. His firm was allegedly able to undercut the bids of contractors to perform work at construction sites by taking advantage of cheap labor costs from the use of illegal alien employees.
IFCO Systems North America-- On April 19, 2006, ICE agents arrested seven current and former managers of IFCO Systems North America Inc., pursuant to criminal complaints in Albany, New York, charging them with harboring illegal aliens for financial gain. ICE agents also apprehended 1,187 of the firm's illegal alien employees during search warrants and consent searches executed at more than 40 IFCO locations nationwide. The arrests were the result of a year-long probe of IFCO, which determined that more than half of IFCO's employees during 2005 had invalid or mismatched Social Security numbers. IFCO is the largest pallet services company in the United States, based in Houston, Texas.
-- ICE --
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http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/newsreleases/articles/060601chicago01.htm
June 01, 2006
Illinois man pleads guilty to illegally wiring almost $4 million to Iran
CHICAGO - A Lincolnwood man pleaded guilty yesterday to operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business and illegally transferring almost $4 million to Iran, an embargoed country. This plea resulted from a joint U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and FBI investigation.
Hossein Esfahani, 45, was indicted on 193 counts in June 2005 for operating a “Hawala” and illegally transmitting $3,918,000 to Iran between 2001 and 2005, which violated the Presidential orders issued under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
“Hawalas” are a form of alternative money-transmitting business, common in many Middle Eastern and African countries, through which funds can be transferred between parties based on ties of kinship and individual trust. There is not an immediate physical or electronic transfer of funds. Money changers, aka “hawaladars,” physically receive cash or funds in one country. Correspondent hawaladars in another country dispense an identical amount (minus any fees or commissions) to a recipient or a designated recipient bank account. These arrangements could be exploited by terrorist groups or other criminal organizations to transfer large sums of money across international borders undetected.
Esfahani pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money service business out of his Lincolnwood home from at least Oct. 27, 2001 to March 22, 2005. Esfahani also pleaded guilty to illegally transmitting $3,918,000 to Iran over the same time period without the required license from the Treasury Department. Esfahani operated Hossein M. Esfahani Exchange, aka Esfahani Exchange, aka King Exchange from his Lincolnwood home and transmitted almost $4 million to at least three money exchange businesses in Dubai, U.A.E., from where the funds were transmitted to Shiraz, Iran, and from there disbursed in accordance with instructions Esfahani transmitted to his agents in Iran.
Under the plea agreement, Esfahani is also obligated to a forfeiture judgment of $481,800, which must be satisfied by the Oct. 3 sentencing date.
“Unlicensed money transmittal businesses and underground financing systems pose a real national threat,” said Elissa A. Brown, special agent-in-charge of investigations in Chicago. “Any criminal or terrorist can come to these underground businesses and have millions wired anywhere in the world with no questions asked. ICE's goal is to identify, disrupt and ultimately dismantle these underground financing and transmittal operations.”
Esfahani was originally arrested March 22, 2005 following the court complaint. He was released with a monitored security ankle bracelet after posting a $600,000 bond last June.
Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), President William J. Clinton signed Executive Orders prohibiting any new investments in Iran by a U.S. person. Violating IEEPA carries a potential penalty of a $250,000 fine, 10 years imprisonment, or both.
-- ICE --
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