Former French President Jacques Chirac has been ordered to stand trial on corruption charges.
A magistrate ordered the trial over alleged false job contracts dating from Mr Chirac's time as Paris mayor.
It is alleged millions of euros were used to provide bogus jobs to political associates and their relatives.
Investigating judge Xaviere Simeoni ordered Mr Chirac and nine former aides to face charges relating to 21 allegedly fake contracts.
The former president's office released a statement saying he was "calm and determined" to prove his innocence.
Another corrupt member of parliament, seems like it's a pre-requisite to be devoid of any morals if you want to get seriously into politics...except for Ron Paul ofcourse. I believe him to be the exception
It is a story that has gripped both the Muslim and Western worlds.
It began in 2008, in the German city of Dresden, when an Egyptian-born woman, Marwa al-Shirbiny, asked a man to make room for her 3-year-old son on a children's playground swing.
The man, Alexander Wiens, responded by calling al-Shirbiny -- who was wearing an Islamic headscarf at the time -- a "terrorist" and a "slut."
Al-Shirbiny summoned the police, and Wiens was subsequently fined the equivalent of $480 on charges of verbal abuse.
When Wiens attempted to appeal the conviction this July, al-Shirbiny, then pregnant, attended the hearing. As she was leaving the courtroom, the court records charge, Wiens leapt at her and stabbed her 18 times with a kitchen knife.
Her husband, Elwi Ali Okaz, tried to protect her, and also suffered multiple stab wounds.
To make matters worse, in the melee a policeman shot Okaz in the leg, apparently assuming that the Egyptian man was the attacker, rather than the German defendant.
The murder trial of Wiens, a 29-year-old ethnic German born in Russia, began in Dresden October 26 in the same courtroom where the murder took place. The dead woman's husband, Okaz, attended on a pair of crutches.
Ayyub Axel Koehler, the head of Germany's Central Muslim Council, told Reuters before the trial started that Muslims everywhere are intensely interested in this case.
"This trial is getting huge attention in the Muslim world,” Koehler said. “There were riots in some Islamic countries because of this murder. So it's up to us Germans to defend our reputation."
Koehler, a convert to Islam, was referring to demonstrations in Egypt and Iran, and Tehran's request for the United Nations to become involved.
He also said that Germany's Muslim community -- the biggest in Europe after France -- has been badly shaken by the affair.
"We're looking at this trial with great anticipation, because our women and girls are obviously scared,” he said. “They are already being discriminated against in public and looked down on."
Koehler said Germany's reputation has suffered badly, and that politicians have ignored Islamophobia and its consequences in society.
State prosecutor Christian Avenarius said in the course of the trial that it was clear the accused was motivated by a fanatic hatred of foreigners.
A top aide to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Commissioner for Minorities Maria Boehmer, called on October 26 for calm, saying she knew that this "terrible deed" caused horror both in Germany and Egypt, as well as many parts of the Arab world.
She said it showed that Germans must "engage daily" to fight against racism, and work for peaceful coexistence.
Security is reported to be tight at the Dresden courthouse, with some 200 policemen surrounding the building. The accused has his hands and feet chained together, and is sitting behind bulletproof glass.
Egypt's ambassador to Berlin, Ramzy Ezzeldin, attended the opening of the trial, telling journalists as he arrived that he has "great trust" in German justice.It is a story that has gripped both the Muslim and Western worlds.
It began in... more
In one case, a juror divulged a verdict on Twitter before it was announced. Now, some judges are trying to manage how members of the jury use Twitter.In one case, a juror divulged a verdict on Twitter before it was announced. Now, some... more
An 18-year Counterintelligence and Counterterrorism Manager for the FBI has called for a Special Counsel to be appointed to investigate the allegations of FBI translator-turned-whistleblower Sibel Edmonds. John M. Cole, who now works as an intelligence contractor for the Air Force, made his comments during an audio interview released late last week with radio journalist Peter B. Collins.
He also offered a detailed insider's look at the concerns among high-level officials inside the Bureau as Edmonds' disturbing allegations began coming to light back in 2002, before they would be quashed for seven long years by the Bush Administration's unprecedented use of the so-called "State Secrets Privilege" to gag her.
Earlier last week, following the publication of a remarkable American Conservative magazine cover story interview with Edmonds --- detailing a broad bribery, blackmail, and espionage conspiracy said to have been carried out between current and former members of the U.S. Congress, high-ranking State and Defense Department officials and covert operatives from Turkey and Israel, resulting in the theft and sale of nuclear weapons technology on the foreign black market --- Cole had been quoted by the magazine confirming one of Edmonds' key allegations.
"I am fully aware of the FBI's decade-long investigation of" Marc Grossman, he said in response to the AmCon article/interview. Grossman had served as the third-highest ranking official in the Bush State Department and was alleged by Edmonds in the interview, and in a sworn, video-taped deposition a month earlier, to have been the U.S. ringleader for a massive Turkish espionage scandal reaching through the halls of power and into top-secret nuclear facilities around the country to the benefit of allies and enemies alike. Cole said that the FBI's counterintelligence probe "ultimately was buried and covered up," and that he believes it is "long past time" for an investigation of the case to "bring about accountability."
In his subsequent interview with Collins last week (audio and text excerpts posted below) Cole elaborated on those comments in much greater detail, noting that Edmonds has been "one hundred percent right on the money, on the mark" and confirming the existence of an "ongoing and detailed effort by Turkey to develop influence in the United States" through various illegal activities.
"Yes, I can confirm that," Cole told Collins, "That's true."
The FBI veteran executive also offered an insider's account of the panic that ensued inside the highest echelons of the bureau following Edmonds' first disclosure of information in 2002, recounting how an executive assistant director admitted to him at the time, just after the story first broke, "Well, all I know is that everything that Sibel is stating is true. I read her file. Everything she stated is, in fact, accurate."
Cole further describes how the concerns about Edmonds ultimately led to the Bush Administration's two-time use of the Draconian "State Secrets Privilege" in hopes of keeping her extraordinary information from becoming public. "Everybody at headquarters level at the bureau knew that what she was saying was extremely accurate."
"I know they didn't want her to go out and speak about it at all," Cole revealed, "and I know they were trying to figure out ways of keeping this whole thing quiet, because they didn't want Sibel to come out."
He also offered information which directly counters one of the criticisms of Edmonds' allegations as frequently offered by skeptics. Namely, that as a short time FBI contract translator --- even though she was tasked to review some seven years of counterintelligence wiretaps made from 1996 to 2002 --- she couldn't have had enough understanding of the full scope of the investigations to understand what was really going on.
More...An 18-year Counterintelligence and Counterterrorism Manager for the FBI has called for... more
One of the architects of the 1994 Rwandan genocide to stand trial. Idelphonse Nizeyimana, was head of intelligence and military operations during the genocide.One of the architects of the 1994 Rwandan genocide to stand trial. Idelphonse... more
A 9-year-old boy charged in the gang-rape of an 8-year-old Liberian girl sobbed in court Monday as his teacher testified that he rarely did his homework and often got into fights with other students. Under questioning by the prosecution, second-grade teacher Toya Abrams said the boy was a challenge and had various behavioral problems.
The boy eventually put his head down on a table and began sobbing, prompting his lawyer to ask for a recess. The boy is one of four Liberian boys facing charges in the rape. Police say the boys lured the girl to a storage shed at a west Phoenix apartment complex with the promise of gum and took turns raping her.A 9-year-old boy charged in the gang-rape of an 8-year-old Liberian girl sobbed in... more
GIRALDI: And Grossman received money as a result. In one case, you said that a State Department colleague went to pick up a bag of money…
EDMONDS: $14,000
GIRALDI: What kind of information was Grossman giving to foreign countries? Did he give assistance to foreign individuals penetrating U.S. government labs and defense installations as has been reported? It’s also been reported that he was the conduit to a group of congressmen who become, in a sense, the targets to be recruited as “agents of influence.”
EDMONDS: Yes, that’s correct. Grossman assisted his Turkish and Israeli contacts directly, and he also facilitated access to members of Congress who might be inclined to help for reasons of their own or could be bribed into cooperation. The top person obtaining classified information was Congressman Tom Lantos. A Lantos associate, Alan Makovsky worked very closely with Dr. Sabri Sayari in Georgetown University, who is widely believed to be a Turkish spy. Lantos would give Makovsky highly classified policy-related documents obtained during defense briefings for passage to Israel because Makovsky was also working for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
GIRALDI: Makovsky is now working for the Washington Institute for Near Eastern Policy, a pro-Israeli think tank.
EDMONDS: Yes. Lantos was at the time probably the most outspoken supporter of Israel in Congress. AIPAC would take out the information from Lantos that was relevant to Israel, and they would give the rest of it to their Turkish associates. The Turks would go through the leftovers, take what they wanted, and then try to sell the rest. If there were something relevant to Pakistan, they would contact the ISI officer at the embassy and say, “We’ve got this and this, let’s sit down and talk.” And then they would sell it to the Pakistanis.
GIRALDI: ISI—Pakistani intelligence—has been linked to the Pakistani nuclear proliferation program as well as to al-Qaeda and the Taliban.LINK TO FULL ARTICLE: http://amconmag.com/article/2009/nov/01/00006/
Who’s... more
Bank of America Corp., the biggest U.S. bank, said it will pay the government $425 million to cancel an unused guarantee of Merrill Lynch & Co.’s assets and cut reliance on federal support after two bailouts.
The payment would end a dispute over what the bank owes the U.S. for a promise to help absorb losses on $118 billion of holdings, mostly at Merrill Lynch. The federal guarantee helped seal Bank of America’s takeover of the New York-based brokerage after fourth-quarter losses spiraled past $15 billion. While the accord was announced in January, an agreement was never signed and the bank resisted paying.Bank of America Corp., the biggest U.S. bank, said it will pay the government $425... more
After The Pirate Bay Four were found guilty earlier this year they appealed, and the date for the new trial was set for November. Now it seems that one of the planned lay judges could be disqualified from participation, since he is an employee of Swedish music outfit Spotify – a company partly owned by the plaintiffs.After The Pirate Bay Four were found guilty earlier this year they appealed, and the... more
Hopefully Bambi has spent her last birthday, her 2nd in prison. I am not thinking she did the ritual sex murder drug thing. Deny the Italian people their opulent drama and let Amanda Knox go home this year.Hopefully Bambi has spent her last birthday, her 2nd in prison. I am not thinking she... more
The three men, involved in the plotting of airline bombings, get life sentences. This trial was the second one, in the first trial the jury couldn't reach a verdict on a key chargeThe three men, involved in the plotting of airline bombings, get life sentences. This... more
Dennis Hastert, Stephen Solarz, Bob Livingston, Tom Lantos, Roy Blunt, Dan Burton and an Unnamed Congresswoman ~ All Named IN MAJOR WASHINGTON DC SCANDAL
A long tale of massive corruption that has been hidden throughout the eight years of the Bush administration is finally surfacing. After years of Federal Gag Orders issued by the Department of Justice , the Obama White House has refused to continue the coverup and has opened the doors to criminal investigation.
What has surfaced, is a scandal that like no other. Showing clearly the selling of American influence and nuclear defense secrets to the highest bidder. The names that have floated to the surface are some of the most trusted highest ranking US government officials. Starting with The Ex-Speaker of the House; Republican, Dennis Hastert, then on to Stephen Solarz, Bob Livingston, Tom Lantos, Roy Blunt, Dan Burton and an (Unnamed Congresswoman) ~ All whom were named (Under Oath) as what appears to be the largest US Scandal of all time.
More will be surfacing as Pandora's box has just begun to open...
Gérartd Angé
------------------------------ Begin Quoted Text: ------------------------------
In this first break-down article, we'll look at the answers given by Edmonds during her deposition in regard to bribery and blackmail of current and former members of the U.S. Congress, including Dennis Hastert (R-IL), Bob Livingston (R-LA), Dan Burton (R-IN), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Stephen Solarz (D-NY), Tom Lantos (D-CA, deceased) and an unnamed, currently-serving, married Democratic Congresswoman said to have been video-taped in a Lesbian affair by Turkish agents for blackmail purposes.
Though Edmonds was careful to not "discuss the intelligence gathering method by the FBI," she notes in her deposition that her claims are "Based on documented and provable, tracked files and based on...100 percent, documented facts."
In further breakdown articles, we'll look at her disclosures concerning top State and Defense Department officials including Douglas Feith, Paul Wolfowitz and, perhaps most notably, the former Deputy Undersecretary of State, Marc Grossman, the third-highest ranking official in the State Department. Also, details on the theft of nuclear weapons technology; disclosures on Valerie Plame Wilson's CIA front company Brewster-Jennings; items related to U.S. knowledge of 9/11 and al-Qaeda prior to September 11, 2001; infiltration of the FBI translation department and more.
---------------------------------------------------------
Brad Friedman: Investigative journalist, broadcaster,
BradBlog.com creator,
Commonweal Institute Fellow.
Posted: September 5, 2009 03:14 PM
Chevron is one of six major oil companies in the world. Against this economic giant there is a trial underway in Ecuador, for environmental damage caused by Texaco company, now owned by Chevron, in the region of Lago Agrio. The oil company would have shed 130 million gallons of oil waste in the area, damaging the 30,000 inhabitants of the Amazon in Ecuador, at least 1400 of whom have developed cancer and physical deformities.Chevron is one of six major oil companies in the world. Against this economic giant... more
Trailer for this new documentary that all should see. Release dates and locations at website.Trailer for this new documentary that all should see. Release dates and locations at... more
The military is a cross section of the larger society, and service personnel reflect the people of the entire nation. This tragedy is not unusual in wartime and is too common in domestic life.The military is a cross section of the larger society, and service personnel reflect... more
Khamenei admits a lack of evidence to foreign instigation of the Iranian riots earlier this year... he has now moved on to this unproven blanket statement; "there is no doubt that this movement, whether its leaders know or not, was planned in advance."Khamenei admits a lack of evidence to foreign instigation of the Iranian riots earlier... more
The Iranian government of Ahmadinejad and Khamenei, after having beaten and killed opponents in the streets and tortured them in prison, now put them under trial. A trial inspired by medieval Inquisition, in which the defendants "confessed" to be manipulated by the enemies of the country and the enemies of God, after being "convinced" in jail with methods that we can easily imagine and that the same regime has, in some cases, admitted.The Iranian government of Ahmadinejad and Khamenei, after having beaten and killed... more
Jean Pierre Bemba Gombo, former vice-president of Congo accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, could be free wainting for the beginning of the process. "His detention is not necessary to ensure his appearance at trial".
Victims and witnesses are starting to be afraid: he could find a way to escape in a country which had not ratified the Treaty of Rome and will not cooperate with the ICC.Jean Pierre Bemba Gombo, former vice-president of Congo accused of war crimes and... more
Former FBI Language Specialist Sibel Edmonds finally gets to testify under oath, after being hit with a gag order. Bombshells Under Oath: INCLUDE: CONGRESS MEMBERS NAMED IN ESPIONAGE, BRIBERY, SEXUAL BLACKMAIL SCHEMES; NEW BREWSTER JENNINGS / VALERIE PLAME DISCLOSURE...
Long gagged under the "state secrets" privilege by the Bush Administration, the Obama Administration's DoJ chose not to re-invoke privilege, paving the way for this information to finally make its way on to the unclassified public record.
WHEN CORPORATIONS FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS CAN USE OUR COURTS AS A TOOL TO SUBVERT THE FABRIC OF OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS THAT PROTECT ALL CITIZENS. THEN... WE ALL LOSE.
IN A SURPRISE TWIST: Our Trial Judge was quickly switched from The Honorable Barbara Miller to: Judge John M. True III.
OUR FIRST HEARING BEFORE JUDGE JOHN M. TRUE III ~ We were Denied our Constitutional Right to equal justice under the law.
" I was ordered by Judge True to represent our corporate case in trial." " I told Judge True NO! That I couldn't do that because I am not an attorney and, I wasn't qualified and, that we already had an Attorney." Judge True III replied: [quote] "That if I SAID THAT YOU would have to represent yourself - Then... that's exactly what you will have to do!... So, Deal With It-!!!!" . [end quote].
By doing that Judge John M. True III first denied us our Constitutional Right to equal justice under the law and then soon after Judge John M. True III... denied our Second Constitutional Right... The Right to a Trial.
On August 04, 2009, Judge John M. True III on behalf of Gap International, a TurkishAmerican company based in Pennsylvania, with self-claimed
[ Deep Government Connections] dismissed our case against the Defendants,
After six years, a series of quick odd rulings a surprise hearing without our attorney present. Fabricated Phony charges of missing "Assignment of Claims" documents that were in fact... never missing at all.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSvlwg3F6q0
Former FBI Language Specialist Sibel... more
She would have be free on May 21st after spending most of the last 20 years in prison. But Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced to other 18 months of house arrest at his home in Rangoon: guilty of having violated her house arrest because she let a pacifist American going into her house.She would have be free on May 21st after spending most of the last 20 years in prison.... more
