Government Workers Ordered Not to Read Cables --Govt workers told to notify their 'Information Security Offices' if WikiLeaks cables were downloaded 05 Dec 2010 Obama administration and the Department of Defense have ordered the hundreds of thousands of federal employees and contractors not to read the secret cables and other classified documents published by Wikileaks and news organizations around the world unless the workers have the required security clearance or authorization. The directive applies to both government computers and private devices that employees or contractors might carry in their briefcases and pockets or have in their homes.

US blocks access to WikiLeaks for federal workers --Employees unable to call up WikiLeaks on government computers as material is still formally classified, says US 03 Dec 2010 The Obama administration is banning hundreds of thousands of federal employees from calling up the WikiLeaks site on government computers because the leaked material is still formally regarded as classified. The Library of Congress tonight joined the education department, the commerce department and other government agencies in confirming that the ban is in place. Although thousands of leaked cables are freely available on the Guardian, New York Times and other newspaper websites, as well as the WikiLeaks site, the Obama administration insists they are still classified and, as such, have to be protected.

Library of Congress Blocks Access to Wikileaks 03 Dec 2010 The Library of Congress has blocked access to the Wikileaks site on its staff computers and on the wireless network that visitors use, two sources tell TPM. The library is a governmental institution and serves as the research arm for Congress.

PayPal Freezes WikiLeaks Account 04 Dec 2010 In potentially the most significant attack on WikiLeaks to date, PayPal on Friday froze the account of the German foundation accepting donations for the secret spilling website, claiming that WikiLeaks was in violation of PayPal's terms of service. "PayPal has permanently restricted the account used by WikiLeaks due to a violation of the PayPal Acceptable Use Policy, which states that our payment service cannot be used for any activities that encourage, promote, facilitate or instruct others to engage in illegal activity," reads a statement on PayPal's website.

U.S. officials deny they are urging technical takedown of WikiLeaks 03 Dec 2010 U.S. officials at the Pentagon and State Department denied Friday knowing of any efforts to take down the WikiLeaks website or asking companies to do so. The site's efforts to publish 250,000 diplomatic cables has been hampered by denial-of-service attacks, ejection from its server host and cancellation of its name by its American domain name provider. Each time WikiLeaks has worked out other arrangements to bring the site back online. In written answers to readers' questions posted on the website of The Guardian, WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange alleged "abusive elements of the United States government" were behind the site's technical problems.

Lieberman Introduces Anti-WikiLeaks Legislation --Leaking such information in the first place is already a crime, so the measure is aimed squarely at publishers. By Kevin Poulsen 02 Dec 2010 Senator Joseph Lieberman ['R'-Sociopath] and other lawmakers on Thursday introduced legislation that would make it a federal crime for anyone to publish the name of a U.S. intelligence source, in a direct swipe at the secret-spilling website WikiLeaks... The so-called SHIELD Act (Securing Human Intelligence and Enforcing Lawful Dissemination) would amend a section of the Espionage Act that already forbids publishing classified information on U.S. cryptographic secrets or overseas communications intelligence -- i.e., wiretapping. The bill would extend that prohibition to information on HUMINT, human intelligence, making it a crime to publish information "concerning the identity of a classified source or informant of an element of the intelligence community of the United States," or "concerning the human intelligence activities of the United States or any foreign government" if such publication is prejudicial to U.S. interests.

LHC refuses to block WikiLeaks in Pakistan 04 Dec 2010 Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday dismissed a petition seeking ban on access to website WikiLeaks. The judge declared the petition non-maintainable as access to information was the fundamental right of every citizen. The judge held that the people in over 170 countries were accessing the secret cables and it should not be blocked in Pakistan.

WikiLeaks diverts to European websites amid U.S. fury 03 Dec 2010 WikiLeaks directed readers to a web address in Switzerland on Friday after two U.S. Internet providers ditched it in the space of two days, and Paris tried to ban French servers from hosting its trove of leaked data. The Internet publisher directed users to www.wikileaks.ch after the wikileaks.org site on which it had published classified U.S. government information vanished from view for about six hours. A Dutch and a German-based site, www.wikileaks.nl and www.wikileaks.de, were also giving readers access to the leaked documents.

Fresh warrant issued for Assange's arrest 04 Dec 2010 As the fallout grows from WikiLeaks' release of secret US diplomatic cables, the website's founder Julian Assange could be extradited to Sweden as early as today. A fresh arrest warrant has been issued for the Australian, who is believed to be in hiding in Britain, to face possible charges of rape and molestation. WikiLeaks embarrassed the US government this week by releasing thousands of secret diplomatic cables.

WikiLeaks founder says guards against death threats 03 Dec 2010 WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said on Friday he and colleagues were taking steps to protect themselves after death threats following the publication of leaked U.S. diplomatic cables on their website. One of Assange's lawyers said he would also fight any attempt to extradite his client to face questions over alleged sexual misconduct, adding that he believed foreign powers were influencing Sweden in the matter... Answering questions online from an undisclosed location, the Australian said anyone making threats against his life should be charged with incitement to murder.

WikiLeaks cables: Yemen offered US 'open door' to attack al-Qaida o... --Dispatches reveal president's secret deal to let US launch missile attacks on Aqap, but claim it as Yemen's own work 03 Dec 2010 The president of Yemen secretly offered US forces unrestricted access to his territory to conduct unilateral strikes against al-Qaida [al-CIAduh] terrorist targets, the leaked US embassy cables reveal. In a move that risked outraging local and Arab opinion, Ali Abdullah Saleh told Barack Obama's deputy national security adviser, John Brennan, in September 2009: "I have given you an open door on terrorism. So I am not responsible," according to a secret dispatch back to Washington.

Wikileaks: U.S. ignored British concerns over secret spy flights 03 Dec 2010 Leaked documents have revealed how American officials ignored British complaints about secret US spy flights from a UK airbase. Labour ministers feared making the UK an accomplice to torture by letting America use RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus to launch spy planes over Lebanon. In April 2008, Britain demanded the US provide details of the flights so ministers could decide if they were illegal, the WikiLeaks cables show. But the Americans rejected the concerns, with a senior diplomat saying they were "burdensome" and "an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy".Government reports violations of limits on spying aimed at U.S. cit... 03 Dec 2010 The federal government has repeatedly violated legal limits governing the surveillance of U.S. citizens, according to previously secret internal documents obtained through a court battle by the American Civil Liberties Union. In releasing 900 pages of documents, U.S. government agencies refused to say how many Americans' telephone, e-mail or other communications have been intercepted under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act - or FISA - Amendments Act of 2008, or to discuss any specific abuses, the ACLU said... Semiannual internal oversight reports by the offices of the attorney general and director of national intelligence identify ongoing breaches of legal requirements that limit when Americans are targeted and minimize the amount of data collected.

Iran accuses UN nuclear agency of sending spies --Intelligence minister says British, US, Israeli intelligence services behind murder of nuclear scientist 05 Dec 2010 Iran accused the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Saturday of sending spies from foreign intelligence services to the Islamic state. Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi made the allegation two days before Iran is due to resume talks with world powers seeking to resolve a long-running row over Tehran’s atomic work. "The IAEA has been sending spies working for foreign intelligence organisations among its inspectors, and it should be held responsible," Moslehi was quoted as saying by state broadcaster IRIB.

'In US, 80 agencies eye coup in Iran' 03 Dec 2010 Iran's intelligence minister says as many as 80 organizations have been established in the United States for the sole purpose of attempting to overthrow the Islamic Republic government. "These 80 organizations are actively operating in the United States with an estimated annual budget of 2 billion dollars," said the Iranian Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi, adding that "there are numerous like-minded institutions and agencies inside and outside of Iran, whose missions are mainly focused on toppling the Islamic establishment in the country," IRNA quoted the intelligence minister as saying on Thursday.

Bomb blast kills 7 Iranians in Iraq 04 Dec 2010 Several people, including seven Iranians pilgrims, have been killed and dozens more injured in bomb attacks across Baghdad, Iraqi security officials say. On Saturday, five bombing attacks hit the capital of Iraq, killing around 50 people and wounding 160 others.

US-led soldier dies in Afghanistan 04 Dec 2010 Another US-led soldier has lost his life due to non-combat injuries in the eastern part of Afghanistan, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) says. "An ISAF service member died as a result of a non-battle related injury in eastern Afghanistan today," ISAF said in a press release on Saturday.

Calif. man charged in Somali terror case 03 Dec 2010 A Southern California man has been indicted on charges of supporting a foreign terrorist organization in the government's latest strike targeting Somalia's al-Shabaab. The federal indictment unsealed Friday says 35-year-old Ahmed Nasir Taalil Mohamud of Anaheim worked with three others who already have been charged in San Diego.

Powder found in Texas fed. building investigated 03 Dec 2010 Authorities say a suspicious white powder found in a balloon that prompted the evacuation of a federal office building in suburban San Antonio has tested inconclusive for hazardous materials. Windcrest Fire Chief Dan Reese says investigators still were trying to determine what the powder was Friday, but it didn't harm anyone inside the building that houses U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and other agencies.

250 people evacuate ICE building after hazmat scare 03 Dec 2010 (San Antonio, TX) As many as 250 people were quarantined inside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices on the city's Northeast side this morning. Employees were stuck inside for nearly 4 hours while Hazmat crews tried to identify a suspicious, white powder.

Peter Orszag Close to Joining Citigroup --Orszag left the White House team in July 02 Dec 2010 Citigroup, in which the US government owns an 11 percent stake, is close to hiring Peter Orszag, the former budget director in Barack Obama’s administration, according to people familiar with the situation. Mr Orszag, a protege of Robert Rubin, a former U.S. Treasury Secretary and Citi director, is in advanced discussions to take a senior role at the bank’ securities unit.

Obusha, DemocRATs poised to surrender to their GOP overlords and corpora-terrorists again: Senate rejects Obama plan to end tax cuts for top earners --Reid hopes deal can be finalized by Wednesday 05 Dec 2010 The Senate rejected President Obama's proposal to let tax rates rise for the highest-income Americans yesterday, as Republicans held firm in their push to continue all of the expiring Bush-era tax cuts. The White House and congressional leaders are now discussing a deal to extend the reduced tax rates at all income levels, at least temporarily, perhaps for two years. But with Senate Democrats and the White House badly splintered, and some lawmakers increasingly angry at the idea of sustaining President [sic] George W. Bush’s [disastrous] economic policies, the prospects of a compromise remained uncertain.

Millions Bracing for Cutoff of Unemployment Aid 04 Dec 2010 More than two million jobless Americans are entering the holiday season seized with varying levels of foreboding, worry or even panic over what lies ahead as they cope with the expected cutoff of their unemployment benefits. Tuesday marked the expiration of a pair of federal programs that had extended unemployment benefits anywhere from 34 to 73 weeks on top of the 26 weeks already provided by the states.

National monument status urged for Arctic refuge 04 Dec 2010 President Obama is being urged to bestow national monument status on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for its 50th anniversary in what supporters say would finally put the refuge's coastal plain beyond the reach of oil companies. They want the country's largest and most untamed refuge to join the likes of the Statue of Liberty in New York, the Giant Sequoia groves of California, the Sonoran Desert in Arizona and George Washington's birthplace in Virginia.

The battle to save the burning North 05 Dev 2010 After more than three days, Israel’s worst-ever fire still raging; Five million trees destroyed across 50,000 dunams of land; World’s biggest fire-fighting plane joining the battle. The inferno that has been raging in northern Israel since Thursday, the worst in the country’s history, will hopefully be brought under control if not completely doused by the end of Sunday, the Israel Police and IDF predicted on Saturday night.

U.S. aircraft to join international effort to fight Israeli fire 04 Dec 2010 Five U.S. Defense Department aircraft will leave for Israel this weekend to help fight a wildfire that has killed at least 41 [42] people and injured 17 others. They include three C-130 fire-fighting aircraft from the U.S. Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard and two C-130s from the U.S. European Command, which will depart Ramstein Air Base in Germany carrying 20 tons of fire retardant, the U.S. Agency for International Development said.

Source: http://www.legitgov.org/#breaking_news