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ABDURAHMAN ALAMOUDI SENTENCED TO 23 YEARS IN PRISON IN TERROR FINANCING CASE-- Sentencing Follows ICE, IRS, FBI Investigation in Northern Virginia -- WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A U.S. citizen has been sentenced to 23 years in jail on charges related to his activities in the United States and abroad with nations and organizations that have ties to terrorism, the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security announced today. Abdurahman M. Alamoudi, a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Eritrea, was sentenced to 276 months in jail by District Judge Claude M. Hilton in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia,...

(Reuters) - France has ordered special forces to protect uranium sites run by state-owned Areva in Niger as the threat of attacks on its interests rises after its intervention against rebels in Mali, a military source said on Thursday. ... Seven workers, including five French nationals, were kidnapped in Arlit by al Qaeda's north African arm AQIM in September 2010. It later released three of the hostages but four French citizens are still being held. ... According to a parliamentary committee enquiring into France's supplies of uranium, about 18 percent of the raw material used to power France's 58 nuclear...

If nothing else, the congressional break for the week of Presidents’ Day is a cooling-off period for the fight over former Sen. Chuck Hagel’s nomination to be secretary of defense. Questions about President Obama’s handling of the terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, which killed four Americans, including the US ambassador – an issue, by the way, which Mr. Hagel had nothing to do with – are being answered to the apparent satisfaction of Republicans … at least to the point where they’re willing to end their de facto filibuster of Hagel’s nomination. snip Sen. Graham, along with Sen. John McCain,...

As the details about the Sept. 11, 2012, attacks on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, continue to emerge, a new ebook claims to unveil what it says are the “both uncomfortable and unsatisfying” facts surrounding the events leading up to, during and after the attack. Some have already said the details included in ”Benghazi: The Definitive Report,” which was released Tuesday by authors Jack Murphy, a former Army Ranger and member of the 5th Special Forces Group, and Brandon Webb, a former Navy SEAL, are “shocking but hard to prove.” Webb is the editor-in-chief of SOFREP.com (the Special Operations...

Senator Roy Blunt indicated Wednesday that there are enough votes in the Senate to delay the Hagel confirmation.

See Video of Levin Statement at: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/21134540/vp/50784625#50784625

SNIP Hagel, however, has friends in Democratic lobbying circles. The powerful Washington D.C. organization known as the Podesta Group is reportedly asking defense contractors for financial support to run ads defending the Hagel nomination. Fox News White House Chief White House Correspondent Ed Henry reported on Friday: (2:15 in) "Sources confirm to Fox [that] Democratic super lobbyist Tony Podesta has been hired by a firm known as the Bipartisan Group to help mobilize support for Hagel. And defense contractors received calls this week urging them to be ready for a Hagel pick as soon as Monday, and asking them for...

Former Republican Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel may no longer be President Obama’s favored pick to run the Defense Department, sources told the Free Beacon. Hagel immediately drew a frosty reception from observers who criticized him for advocating in favor of direct unconditional talks with Iran and for backing sizable cuts to the defense budget.

What Wilson Didn’t Say About AfricaJoseph Wilson's Silent PartnersBy Fedora with help from a few FReeper friends Former ambassador Joseph Wilson has been a leading spokesman for critics who accuse President Bush of basing his case for war against Iraq on forged documents purporting that Iraq attempted to buy uranium from Niger. Wilson’s charge has been discredited by a Senate investigation,1 but what remains unanswered are questions arising from what is now known about French intelligence’s role in pushing the forged documents on British and US intelligence. The role of France and Wilson in undermining Bush’s case for war looks...