Just the same, Russia needs reassurances that it will no longer fall victim to 'political trade winds' in the USA and ultimately face 'threats' again from a country that it has mostly existed in peace with for generations. Russia wants 'the doubt' of its power and integrity removed, how that is accomplished with this administration will be odd, interesting and cautiously approached. It will be more than interesting to see what the two diplomats initially agree upon and watch it grow from there.
The Miami Herald knows something about foreign nationals that come to American soil with suspect pasts. It will be of interest to their opinion of all this, however, in seeking Russian support by Secretary Hillary where does Russia begin to 'estimate' its future with the USA? Where can the two countries agree and how do we 'close the gap' on uncertain wars in the future. The 'course' the USA was on was Anti-America. It was Anti-Democracy. It was Anti-American Prosperity. It was Anti-Peace. The USA was hostile, aggressive while at the same time, 'contained' through global efforts. It was a hideous place for the USA to exist and it was more than uncomfortable for many patriotic Americans.
In some ways, the Russians should know what it is to have a revitalization of 'The Worker's Party.' It shouldn't be so much of a reach to find 'common ground' and bring about constructive change to finally end the hideous presence of nuclear weapons on Earth. If we are to end nuclear weapon capacity as was the 'spirit' of Non-Proliferation; what are the understandings and will both countries legislatively cease such research as an initial way of verifying their overall intentions and as example to other countries, including Iran, that the day of 'The Bomb' is over?
Supreme Court ends enemy combatant's detention challenge (click here)
By MARK SHERMAN
Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Supreme Court dismissed a challenge Friday by suspected al Qaeda sleeper agent Ali al Marri to the president's authority to detain people without charges, granting an Obama administration request to end the high court case.
The Supreme Court also threw out, as moot, the federal appeals court ruling Marri was challenging that affirmed the president's power to detain people in the United States without trial.
Last week, President Barack Obama ordered Marri transferred from military to civilian custody to face federal charges of conspiracy and providing support to terrorists.
But Obama has not renounced the use of preventive detention, which was pursued and defended aggressively by the Bush administration after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The administration's silence on this issue was the main reason Marri's lawyers pushed the court to hear the case, even after their client got what he was seeking -- if not his release, a trial at which he could answer criminal charges....
As suspected previously, there was a lot of damage done to our intelligence agencies with the Bush/Cheney Executive Branch. Records destroyed, policies changed and basically turning a democratic process of handling 'critical' information into a dictatorship that would 'secure the exoneration of its Chief Executives.'
Until the agencies finally cleanse themselves of 'ill gotten' policy and over reaching authority there will be little change as security overrides change. The agencies will more than likely 'tweek' their procedures and laws to better accommodate the needs of the country. Incremental change may be the word of the day as a reassurance to those that handle sensitive information it is on the path to better protections from a position of strength rather than compromise. I would hope the change President Obama will bring to the intelligence communities are policies they have longer for to enhance their abilities while protecting the precious freedoms guaranteed every American.
Obama releases secret Bush anti-terror memos (click here)
By DEVLIN BARRETT and MATT APUZZO
Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration threw open the curtain on years of Bush-era secrets Monday, revealing anti-terror memos that claimed exceptional search-and-seizure powers and divulging that the CIA destroyed nearly 100 videotapes of interrogations and other treatment of terror suspects.
The Justice Department released nine legal opinions showing that, following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Bush administration determined that certain constitutional rights would not apply during the coming fight. Within two weeks, government lawyers were already discussing ways to wiretap U.S. conversations without warrants.
The Bush administration eventually abandoned many of the legal conclusions, but the documents themselves had been closely held. By releasing them, President Barack Obama continued a house-cleaning of the previous administration's most contentious policies....
