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From LA Times

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4 reputed gang members held in Santa Monica slaying

Four reputed gang members were booked on suspicion of murder today in connection with a shooting at a Santa Monica park that left one man dead and prompted police to beef up patrols in the area, authorities said.

The shooting occurred shortly before 9 p.m. Tuesday at Virginia Avenue Park, next to a police substation and recreation center where the city's Police Activities League sponsors sports programs to help keep youths out of trouble.

Santa Monica police said they had teamed up with Los Angeles Police Department detectives to determine whether the attack was connected to a deadly shooting several hours earlier in Venice. One of the alleged gang members taken into custody was from Venice, Santa Monica police said.

"Our detectives are working with LAPD detectives to see if there was any commonality between the two shootings," said Sgt. David Hunscke of the Santa Monica Police Department.

As two attackers neared the park, Richard Manuel Juarez, 20, was with three Santa Monica High students, officials said.

The assailants fired multiple shots at Juarez and the others, police said. The three students ran away and were not hit, but Juarez was struck at least once. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

The two suspects, along with two others who were in a nearby car, were taken into custody after a patrol officer heard gunshots and saw two people running from the park area, police said.

Police said they arrested Patrick Dwight Birdsong Jr., 18; Norman Lovan Cole, 33; Sean Alex Mermer, 29; and a male juvenile whose name and age were not released because he is a minor.

All four were booked on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and promoting a criminal street gang, police said. Cole and Mermer also were booked on suspicion of violating parole.

Juarez was a graduate of Olympic High School, said Oscar de la Torre, a board member of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.

"He was a good kid," said De la Torre, who also is director of the Pico Youth & Family Center, which offers tutoring and music classes for local youths, and worked with Juarez at the center. "He was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Workers at Virginia Avenue Park said Juarez often was at the recreational center and described him as well-mannered. He had just finished an art class there before he was slain, friends said.

The park is in the city's Pico Neighborhood, which has struggled with poverty and outbreaks of violence over the years. The area is home to the city's largest proportion of Latinos and African Americans.

"It's hard to understand it because there are so many good things that the city is doing," said Aranzasu De La O, 26, a Harvard graduate who was raised in the Pico Neighborhood and worked with at-risk youths at Virginia Avenue Park.

Her 15-year-old cousin was killed in 2006 near the park. Police said he was mistaken for a gang member by his attackers, who were members of a gang.

"It's just bad," De La O said of the violence.

Several hours before Tuesday's slaying, a 19-year-old man was gunned down in Venice's Oakwood neighborhood, which also has battled with its share of gang violence and drug dealing over the years.

William Charles McKillian Jr. was walking in an alley in the 600 block of Westminster Avenue in Venice when he was confronted by at least one attacker who opened fire. No arrests have been made in the shooting, which happened about 3:30 p.m., according to the LAPD.

Police said Thursday that they had not identified any suspects.

Authorities in Santa Monica said they had increased patrols and would be out in force Friday for Santa Monica High School's homecoming football game.

"There will be a heavy police presence at that game," Hunscke said.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/11/santa-monica-venice-killings.html#more

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Police release copy of 911 call in Bay Area gang rape

As attackers gang-raped a 15-year-old San Francisco Bay Area student, a female called police and said the victim was "naked" and "probably intoxicated" and that witnesses didn't want to alert authorities, according to a copy of the 911 tape released today. Click here to hear the 911 call.

"Nobody wants to call the cops. So we decided to call," said the female, who identified herself as Maggie.

The victim was repeatedly raped, beaten and robbed Oct. 24 after she left a homecoming dance at Richmond High School — a crime that sparked outrage and focused national attention on the small city northeast of San Francisco.

The ordeal lasted two to 2 1/2 hours and was witnessed by more than a dozen people who did nothing, police said.

Six people — three adults and three juveniles — have been charged with rape, sexual assault, robbery and kidnapping in connection with the assault, authorities said.

Richmond police said Thursday that the probe was ongoing and that more arrests could be made.

"We know there was more people back there [with the victim] than we have spoken to," said Lt. Mark Gagan of the Richmond Police Department.

The caller was with an an unidentified male as she spoke to authorities. Near the beginning of the 911 call, which lasted 65 seconds, the dispatcher asked about the victim's location:

Dispatcher: "Is she on the school property?"

Caller: "She's in the back by the dumpsters."

Dispatcher: "Is she saying anything?"

Caller: "She's probably intoxicated because she's naked."

Dispatcher: "Is she black or white?"

Caller: "We haven't seen her. We heard that from two of our friends. We didn't want to go back there because we're scared."

Dispatcher: "Do we know if there's anybody around her?"

Caller:  "People who've passed by there have seen her, but nobody wants to call the cops. So we decided to call."

Dispatcher: "How old do you think she is?"

Caller:  "They say she was like a ninth-grader, like about 15, 16."

Dispatcher: "What's your name?"

Caller: "Maggie."

Dispatcher: "OK, Maggie. We'll get someone out there."

When officers arrived, the woman was still being assaulted, authorities said. Several suspects fled the scene.

Gagan said investigators were still waiting for physical evidence to be analyzed but were hoping that it will help develop more leads. "We still have a lot more work to  do," he said.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/11/richmond-rape-911-call.html#more

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LAPD makes urgent appeal to public for tips on a serial kidnapper targeting young girls west of downtown L.A.

The Los Angeles Police Department put out an urgent plea today for the public's help in finding a serial kidnapper believed responsible for abducting and attempting to sexually assault at least four young girls.

The incidents have occurred over the last year in neighborhoods west of downtown Los Angeles, and in some cases the assailant has taken photos of his victims.

The kidnapper allegedly lured the girls into apartment buildings and attempted to sexually assault them in secluded areas, police said.

Det. Monica Cross said the assailant gained entry to the apartment buildings by waiting for residents to leave.

"He has an appetite for young girls," said acting LAPD Chief Michael Downing.

The latest case occurred Wednesday when the assailant lured a girl walking to school near the intersection of Beverly Boulevard and Commonweath Avenue.

Dubbed by police as the "Spikey Hair Sexual Assault Suspect," the assailant is described as a Latino man between 25 and 45 years old, 5 feet 6, weighing 170 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/11/lapd-make-urgent-plea-for-tips-in-serial-kidnapping-cases-involving-young-girls.html#more

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Police believe feud between two gangs led to slaying of Wilson High honors student

Long Beach police believe the fatal shooting of a Wilson High School honors students occurred when two rival groups of gang members at the school's homecoming dance got into a confrontation.

Two reputed gang members were arrested in connection with the shooting Friday night outside the Long Beach high school, and police said they are looking for other suspects.

Melody Ross, who was also a track athlete, was gunned down as she and her friends were leaving a football game. Two men -- an 18-year-old and a 20-year-old -- were wounded in the shooting, which occurred about  10 p.m. as crowds of students gathered near Ximeno Avenue and 10th Street.

Police say Ross was an innocent victim.

At first, police detectives struggled to find witnesses, even though hundreds of students were on campus when the shooting occurred. Police said more students came forward Monday, some at the urging of school officials.

Ross was dressed as Super Girl for the homecoming game against Polytechnic High School, which was attended by a number of students decked out in costumes on the day before Halloween.

The day after the shooting, Ross' classmates gathered at a pedestrian crossing along Ximeno near the football stadium exit to leave flowers and light candles by the curb where she was shot. They hugged one another, and some sat against the school fence or on the grass with their heads down, pondering the loss of a friend they described as polite and well-liked.

The names of the suspects were not released.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/

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Army psychiatrist blamed in Fort Hood shooting rampage

The suspect, stable after being shot himself, is accused of killing 13 and wounding 30 at the Texas Army base. It's not clear whether he is the author of inflammatory comments on the Web.

By Robin Abcarian, Ashley Powers and Josh Meyer

2:34 AM PST, November 6, 2009

Reporting from Ft. Hood, Texas, Washington and Los Angeles -- An Army psychiatrist who was about to be deployed to Iraq allegedly armed himself with two guns and opened fire Thursday afternoon on the grounds of Ft. Hood, the country's largest military base, killing 12 people and injuring 31 others.

UPDATE -- 2:34 a.m.
The Associated Press reports a 13th death, with 30 wounded, in Thursday's shooting rampage at Ft. Hood. Suspected shooter Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who was shot four times, is on a ventilator and unconscious in a hospital.

Officials said that soldiers and civilians ripped apart their clothes to make bandages for fallen colleagues, many of whom were waiting at the base's Soldier Readiness Center for medical and dental exams before deployment. The attack shocked the country and raised questions about base security.

The suspected gunman, who initially was thought to have died, was wounded and in stable condition under guard at a hospital. Identified as Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, he worked at the Darnall Army Medical Center, Ft. Hood's hospital. The facility has an extensive program to help soldiers deal with the stress of returning from war.

Base commander Lt. Gen. Robert Cone said at a news conference Thursday evening that Hasan was shot multiple times by a female civilian Army police officer, who was also injured. The suspect reportedly had not spoken with investigators, and Cone would not say anything more about him.

A senior U.S counter-terrorism official said Thursday night that the Army and FBI were looking into whether Hasan, who is Muslim, had previously come to the attention of federal law enforcement officials as the suspected author of inflammatory Internet comments likening suicide bombers to heroic soldiers who give their lives to save others.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing, said that authorities would examine Hasan's actions in the months leading up to the rampage in part to determine whether authorities had missed warning signs. "This is going to be a long and convoluted and messy investigation," the official said.

Although three other soldiers were briefly taken into custody, Cone said he believed that the gunman acted alone.

President Obama lamented the attack as a "horrific outburst of violence" and promised justice. "We are going to stay on this," he said.

"These are men and women who have made the selfless decision" to protect the nation, Obama said of the victims. "It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an Army base on American soil."

Hasan, a Virginia native, worked at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for six years before his transfer to the Texas base in July. Army officials with access to Hasan's records told the Associated Press that he had received a poor performance evaluation at Walter Reed.

In a post on the website scribd.com that appears to be from May, a writer named "NidalHasan" likened a suicide bomber to a soldier who jumps on a grenade to save the lives of his fellow officers in that both were sacrificing their lives "for a more noble cause."

That cause, he wrote, "is to help save Muslims by killing enemy soldiers. If one suicide bomber can kill 100 enemy soldiers because they were caught off guard that would be considered a strategic victory. Their intention is not to die because of some despair. The same can be said for the Kamikazees in Japan."

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) told NBC News that Hasan was about to be deployed to combat for the first time "and was upset about it." Hasan's cousin, Nadar Hasan, a lawyer in northern Virginia, told Fox News that deployment was his cousin's "worst nightmare."

The shooting broke out about 1:30 p.m. Central time at the Soldier Readiness Center. About 50 meters away, Cone said, 138 soldiers were preparing to go through a 2 p.m. college graduation ceremony before 600 guests.

"Thanks to the quick reaction of several soldiers," Cone said, "they were able to able to close off the doors to that auditorium." That action, he said, saved lives.

Cone said he did not believe that the weapons involved in the attack -- one of them a semiautomatic -- were military-issued.

The rules for carrying weapons on an Army post are standard throughout all bases, service officials said. The only personnel allowed to openly display weapons on the base are military police, said Lt. Col. Nathan Banks, an Army spokesman.

Service weapons are checked daily and are usually only allowed to be removed from an arms room for training on a range or maintenance. Personal weapons must be kept locked and registered with the base provost marshal. The military police keep a record of all of the weapons on a base, Army officials said.

The military has not released the names of those who were wounded or killed.

Lisa Pfund, the mother of a 19-year-old soldier, Amber Bahr, told a Milwaukee TV station that her daughter had been shot in the abdomen and was in stable condition. "We were on the phone. She said, 'Hi, Mommy, how you doing?' And all of a sudden, she said, 'I gotta go.' " The next call she received, Pfund said, was from an emergency room doctor.

Ft. Hood, which sprawls across 339 square miles of Central Texas Hill Country, is the world's largest military installation. Halfway between Waco and Austin, it supports two full armored divisions: the storied 1st Cavalry Division and the 4th Infantry Division. It is the largest single employer in Texas.

The base, home to nearly 70,000 people, was locked down for about six hours. Immediately after the shooting, base residents were told to lock their doors and windows and stay inside. Families used to being separated during long deployments were separated again in a situation that to many seemed surreal.

"My friend's husband called her from Iraq and said, 'Isn't it sad that I am safer over here in Iraq than you are at home?' " said Jessica Sullens, 28, a substitute teacher who had spent hours in a nearby Walmart parking lot, where she had dashed on an errand.

Her husband, Cpl. Thomas Sullens of the 404th Aviation Support Battalion, and their 1- and 2-year old daughters were locked down on the base -- he with his motor pool and the children with a neighbor.

"This is unreal to me," Sullens said. Her husband, she said, described the shooting as "a firefight."

At 7:14 p.m. Central time, she said, the emergency was lifted and traffic onto the base resumed. Sullens was stuck in a line of about 150 cars that moved slowly through security gates, trying to get home.

Base personnel have accounted for more suicides than any other Army post since the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, with 75 tallied through this July. Nine of those suicides occurred in 2009, counting two in war zones.

Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, the Army's vice chief of staff, has been leading an effort to reduce the number of Army suicides, which some have said is a result of long and repeated deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Three of the four brigades of the 1st Calvary Division are in Iraq. The three brigades -- the first, second and third -- are on their third tour. The division's newest brigade, the fourth, has done two tours in Iraq, returning most recently in June.

Ft. Hood also is home to three of the brigades of the 4th Infantry Division. The fourth brigade is now in Afghanistan. The first brigade has done three tours in Iraq, returning most recently in March. The second brigade has also done three tours, returning most recently in September.

Ft. Hood residents were deeply shaken by Thursday's events, even more so because Hasan is a mental health professional.

"It scares me to death," Sullens said. "There was nothing they could have done to keep him off post because he belonged here. It's terrifying to think he's the one who is supposed to be making sure everyone is OK, and he himself is insane."

Today, Cone said, Ft. Hood will observe a day of mourning.

"We will move to normalcy as soon as possible."

http://www.latimes.com/news/la-na-fort-hood-shootings6-2009nov06,0,480863,print.story

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Polygamist sect member convicted of sexual assault

Raymond Jessop is found guilty of sexually assaulting a teen with whom he had a 'spiritual marriage.' He faces up to 20 years in prison.

Associated Press

November 6, 2009

Eldorado, Texas

The first polygamist sect member to face criminal trial after the raid at the Yearning For Zion Ranch in West Texas last year was convicted Thursday of sexual assault of a child.

Jurors took a little more than two hours to convict Raymond Jessop, 38, of sexually assaulting a teenager with whom he had a so-called spiritual marriage.

Jessop allegedly has nine wives. He faces a bigamy charge, but that case is to be tried later. The girl in the assault case, now 21, was previously in a "spiritual marriage" with Jessop's brother before being "reassigned" to Jessop when she was 15, according to documents seized at the ranch. She became pregnant at 16.

Jessop, who had been free on bond during the trial, was handcuffed and led across the Schleicher County Courthouse square to the jail after his conviction. Jurors were expected to return to court Monday to begin deciding his sentence. He faces up to 20 years in prison.

Lawyers in the case declined to comment Thursday.

During closing arguments, Texas Assistant Atty. Gen. Eric Nichols stood before photos of the young mother and toddler in prairie dresses. He pointed to DNA evidence and church documents as he urged jurors to convict Jessop.

"There is a sound foundation based not just in documents -- based in DNA evidence for which the documents serve as corroboration . . . that Raymond Merril Jessop behind those gates, behind that guard house, behind those walls, sexually assaulted" the teen, he said.

Jessop's attorneys had argued that no witness placed Jessop in Schleicher County at the time of the alleged assault. They said prosecutors instead relied on only small snippets of documents to place Jessop and the teen at the ranch run by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at the time of the alleged assault. Many of the documents were seized from concrete vaults inside the temple and temple annex at the ranch.

"It's dangerous when we start trying to convict people based on documents, and we're not sure where the documents came from," said attorney Mark Stevens, noting there was no evidence Jessop ever had seen the documents used by prosecutors to place him at the ranch in 2004 and 2005.

The FLDS is a breakaway sect of the mainstream Mormon Church, which renounced polygamy more than a century ago and does not recognize the FLDS. Based around the Arizona-Utah state line, the FLDS bought a ranch about 150 miles northwest of San Antonio, in Eldorado, six years ago.

The raid of the insular group made national headlines as women in prairie dresses were moved off the ranch, and their children were taken by child welfare officials.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-polygamist6-2009nov06,0,5404113,print.story

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From the Washington Times

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Friday, November 6, 2009

U.S. trials OK'd for 9/11 suspects

Stephen Dinan and S.A. Miller

The Senate on Thursday gave the green light to President Obama to transfer the accused plotters of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to the United States to be tried in civilian courts.

Republicans had tried to tie Mr. Obama's hands by offering an amendment that would have applied to anyone accused of being behind the attacks on New York and the Pentagon, but Democrats said civilian courts can handle suspected terrorists, will ensure they get faster trials and will enhance the U.S. reputation around the world. They blocked Republicans on a 54-45 vote, though four Democrats and one independent joined the Republicans.

"They are criminals. They committed murder," said Sen. Jack Reed, Rhode Island Democrat, who said civilian courts have handled plenty of terrorist cases and are able to take even the worst of those being held at the detention facility at the U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

He said Mr. Obama should have the freedom to choose whether civilian courts or military commissions are the best option.

But Republicans said choosing civilian courts means forgetting the lessons learned the hard way on Sept. 11, 2001, that al Qaeda is at war with the United States.

"Tell the president that we're not going to sit by as a body and watch the mastermind of 9/11 go into federal court and criminalize this war," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican.

The fight came as the Senate debated a spending bill to fund the Justice and Commerce departments and federal science spending. That bill passed bill passed late Thursday evening on a 71-28 vote.

Meanwhile, across the Capitol, the House voted overwhelmingly to extend unemployment benefits and the first-time homebuyer tax credit, sending the bill to Mr. Obama for his signature.

It marks the fourth time lawmakers have extended jobless benefits since the recession began in December 2007.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the bill is an integral part of trying to put the economy back on track, and said every dollar invested in unemployment benefits stimulated $1.60 in new economic demand.

"It's hard to think of any other initiative we can name that is this beneficial to job creation," the California Democrat said.

The House passed the measure in a 403-12 vote, with Republican members casting all the "no" votes. Some Republicans objected to giving out-of-work Americans more benefits because they said it discouraged the jobless from seeking work.

In other action, the Senate blocked an effort to have the Census Bureau tally citizenship in next year's count.

Sen. David Vitter, Louisiana Republican, had sought the information, saying illegal immigrants and other noncitizens who can't vote are still being counted for purposes of apportioning congressional seats.

But Democrats said adding in a new question now would cost $1 billion and could push the census back, meaning states wouldn't be able to redraw their congressional districts in time for the 2012 election. They voted 60-39 to cut off debate on the spending bill, meaning Mr. Vitter's amendment could no longer be offered under the rules of debate.

The Senate also rejected Sen. Tom Coburn's amendment that would have stripped money from the National Science Foundation's political science research program.

Mr. Coburn, Oklahoma Republican, argued the government shouldn't be funding what political pundits do for free on television, but political science professors said their work is valuable and has helped understanding of elections and world politics.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/nov/06/us-trials-okd-for-911-suspects//print/

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Friday, November 6, 2009

Sniper's ex-wife speaks out on abuse

Adrienne T. Washington

Mildred Muhammad says if the police and others "had just listened" to her, the victims of the D.C. sniper might still be alive and ex-husband John Allen Muhammad would not be facing execution next week.

"If they just would have listened, if they just would have put his name in the [National Crime Information Center], if he had been debriefed, if he had been counseled," she said, shaking her head in hindsight about the preventive measures that might have averted the 2002 sniper shooting spree.

Speaking in the suburban Washington office of her nonprofit anti-domestic violence organization, After the Trauma, Mrs. Muhammad maintained that Muhammad conducted the sniper spree as an elaborate ruse to disguise his plans to kill her and reclaim the three children he lost in their divorce in 1999.

"It's unfortunate that innocent lives were lost because John wanted to cover up my murder," she said.

Muhammad and his accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo , then a teenager, terrorized the area during a three-week killing spree in October 2002 that left 10 people dead. Muhammad was sentenced to death for the murder of Dean Harold Meyers at a Manassas gas station and is scheduled to be executed Tuesday. Malvo was sentenced to life without parole.

Lawyers for Muhammad have filed for clemency from Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine on the grounds that their client is mentally ill. They are seeking a stay of execution from the U.S. Supreme Court.

Now, Mrs. Muhammad's main mission is getting the public to realize that victims of domestic violence do not have to show scars to prove abuse. Verbal, psychological, financial abuse and stalking - all of which she suffered toward the end of her dozen years with Muhammad - are insidious forms of domestic violence that often occur long before the bruises, beatings and even death.

She has written a book about her experience, called "Scared Silent," which was released last month. She said the date was timed to coincide with Domestic Violence Awareness Month and was set before a Virginia judge scheduled Muhammad's execution date.

"It is not to explain or get notoriety," she said of the book.

Based on how her ex-husband interacted with his own children, Mrs. Muhammad said she is certain Muhammad manipulated Malvo, whom she never met. She agreed to testify on Malvo's behalf at her children's insistence because they blamed their father for his accomplice's actions.

"They thought [Malvo] was a good person. They had fun with him. They went swimming with him, and that's what friends do," she said. "That's why they asked me to help Lee. They said, 'Mommy, you have to help Lee because if it wasn't for Daddy, he wouldn't be where he is.' "

"Lee was a victim, too," she said.

But to get someone to kill another human being? "You don't know John," she said.

She added that once Malvo was away from Muhammad, "a different person emerged and he was remorseful." After he was captured, the teen sniper sent letters to victims' families "telling them how sorry he was."

Mrs. Muhammad, 50, said her ex-husband's personality changed after he returned in March 1991 from Saudi Arabia, where he had served as an Army sergeant during the Gulf War.

"He acted as if his spirit had been broken - he was confused and depressed all the time and he didn't know where he wanted to go or how to get there," she said.

Eventually, he "manipulated" the couple's friends and convinced them that she was "a drama queen" who lied about his abuses.

"An abuser is a 'Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde' for a reason; he is a different person on the inside, from the outside ... he was two different people," she said. She contended that this explains Muhammad's insistence on his innocence in the slayings: "If you didn't see me do it, then I didn't do it."

Mrs. Muhammad said it is ironic that when her ex-husband was first caught, the only thing police had to hold him on was a weapons charge that stemmed from a restraining order she had obtained against him in Tacoma, Wash.

Police staked out her sister's suburban Maryland home, where she sought refuge from Muhammad, for a nearly week before they knocked on the door, took her to police headquarters and interrogated her, then reluctantly revealed that they were going to charge Muhammad for the sniper shootings.

All she could think about was how to tell her children before they heard it from the media.

"It's still hard to believe that John... did all that..." she said.

Throughout the ordeal, Mrs. Muhammad's biggest concern has been the well-being of her three children, she said. "I've been helping my children deal with their dad and Lee Malvo at the same time."

Neither she nor the children have seen or spoken to Muhammad since he was captured in 2002, but they sent him a letter asking to visit him before his execution.

The children "know what the public feels about their father," she said, adding that "they don't condone nor do they feel responsible" for what Muhammad did.

"Regardless of how anybody else feels, he's still their father," she said.

Her college-aged son and two teen daughters "need to see him ... to seek some type of closure and say 'I love you' one more time."

That last-minute request for a visit is unlikely to be granted, given prison rules. She said it wouldn't be appropriate for the children to watch their father die.

Even though it was painful, the children watched many of the news accounts and documentaries about Muhammad's crimes.

"It was hard for me, but I felt like they needed to know," Mrs. Muhammad said. "And you can't put your head in the sand about this, this was worldwide news. To deprive them of the information would have been more of an insult to them and would have harmed them in the long run."

They seem "pretty well now" as the execution date approaches, Mrs. Muhammad said. "We're handling it one day at a time."

Mrs. Muhammad is waiting for her children to say what they want to do on Tuesday evening when the execution takes place. Whatever it is, she said, "we will be at home," together.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/nov/06/snipers-ex-wife-speaks-out-on-abuse//print/

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From the New York Post

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Fri., Nov. 6, 2009, 6:54 AM 

Army Muslim major kills 13 at Ft. Hood

By ANDY SOLTIS, LEONARD GREENE and DAREH GREGORIAN

Last Updated: 6:54 AM, November 6, 2009

Posted: 3:42 AM, November 6, 2009

The Army psychiatrist who went on a shooting rampage that left 13 people dead and 31 wounded at a Texas Army base yesterday had been eyed by the feds recently for demented Internet postings about suicide bombings, officials said.

Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who was shot at least four times during the massacre at Fort Hood, was upset about his impending deployment overseas, a mission he'd turned against in recent years, relatives said.

He strode into a deployment center, shouting that he was targeting military personnel and warning civilians to get out of the way, Texas station KXXV reported.

Retired Col. Terry Lee, who said he had worked with Hasan, told Fox News he was being sent to Afghanistan.

"We've known over the last five years that was probably his worst nightmare," cousin Nader Hasan said of the deployment.

Officials are investigating whether Hasan was the author of Internet postings that caught their eye about six months ago, discussing suicide bombings and other threats.

In one posting, the author compared Islamic suicide bombers to soldiers who throw themselves on grenades to save their colleagues.

"To say that this soldier committed suicide is inappropriate. Its more appropriate to say he is a brave hero that sacrificed his life for a more noble cause," the Internet posting said. "Scholars have paralled (sic) this to suicide bombers whose intention, by sacrificing their lives, is to help save Muslims by killing enemy soldiers."

One official said last night federal search warrants were being drawn up to authorize the seizure of Hasan's computer.

Born in Arlington, Va., Hasan is a devout Muslim of Palestinian descent who attended Virginia Tech -- scene of a 2007 campus massacre.

In recent years, he expressed his opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and had become angry that President Obama hadn't withdrawn troops from the region.

"He would make comments to other individuals about how we should not be in the war in the first place," Lee told Fox.

He said Hasan would often make "outlandish" comments.

"He said maybe Muslims should stand up and fight against the aggressor," Lee said.

"At first, we thought he meant help the armed forces, but apparently, that wasn't the case."

Nader Hasan told Fox his cousin, a disaster and trauma specialist, had hired a military lawyer to help him get out of deployment.

"We are shocked and saddened by the terrible events at Fort Hood today," he said in a statement issued on behalf of their family. "We send the families of the victims our most heartfelt sympathies."

Texas US Rep. Michael McCaul told the Statesman newspaper Hasan "took a lot of advanced training in shooting" -- training he allegedly put to use when he walked in to the installation's sprawling Soldier Readiness Processing Center at around 1:30 p.m.

Armed with two handguns, one a semiautomatic -- none military-issued -- he started blasting away at his fellow soldiers, many of whom were GIs undergoing last-minute medical tests and other preparation for shipping out to Afghanistan and Iraq, officials said.

He was able to get off numerous rounds at once, sending soldiers scrambling for cover as their comrades fell around them, officials said.

Officials have not ruled out the possibility some casualties may have been victims of "friendly fire," shot by authorities amid the mayhem, said a senior U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"I was confused and just shocked," said Spc. Jerry Richard, 27, who works at the center but was not on duty during the shooting. "Overseas, you are ready for it. But here, you can't even defend yourself."

Soldiers at the base aren't armed unless they're in training exercises.

Quick-thinking GIs helped shuffle their injured colleagues out of the main rooms, and tore up their own uniforms to make makeshift bandages.

They also secured a nearby auditorium, where 600 had gathered for a graduation ceremony.

"As horrible as this was, I'm sure it could have been much worse," base commander Lt. Gen. Robert Cone said last night.

Base and military police responded within minutes, and Hasan was shot by a female officer who was wounded herself, Cone said.

In the confusing aftermath of the attack, there were initial reports Hasan had been killed. But last night, Cone said his death "was not imminent."

He was reported on a ventilator, in critical but stable condition.

Cone said initially three people were held, and all have been interviewed. Authorities believe, however, that there was a single shooter.

President Obama decried the "horrific outburst of violence," and said his "prayers are with the wounded and the families of the fallen."

It's "difficult enough to lose" soldiers in battles abroad, he said, but "it's horrifying that they should come under fire at an Army base on American soil."

The president promised a sweeping investigation of the worst soldier-on-soldier attack ever to take place on US soil.

The attack happened just down the road from one of the worst mass shootings in US history. On Oct. 16, 1991, George Hennard smashed his pickup truck through a Luby's Cafeteria window in Killeen, Texas, and fired on the lunchtime crowd with a high-powered pistol, killing 22 people.

Hasan was an eight-year veteran who was transferred to Fort Hood after getting a poor review at his previous post, the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC.

While an intern at Walter Reed, Hasan had some "difficulties" that required counseling and extra supervision, said Dr. Thomas Grieger, the training director at the time.

Grieger said privacy laws prevented him from going into details, but the problems had to do with Hasan's interactions with patients.

His cousin said Hasan was taunted by his colleagues after the 9/11 attacks.

While living in Virginia, he was a fixture at the Muslim Community Center in nearby Silver Spring, Md., The Washington Post reported.

He was "very devout," a former imam there, Faizul Khan, told the paper. He said Hasan attended prayers every day, often in his Army fatigues.

He'd also applied to a matrimonial seminar, where he had problems finding a love match.

"I don't think he ever had a match because he had too many conditions," Khan said.

"We never got into details of worldly affairs or politics," he said of his talks with the officer. "But there was nothing extremist in his questions."

Covering 339 square miles, Fort Hood is the largest active-duty armored post in the United States. Home to about 52,000 troops as of earlier this year, it is located halfway between Austin and Waco.

The base was locked down after the shootings, and the wounded were rushed by helicopters and ambulances to three hospitals in central Texas.

At least two of the victims were described as being in very serious condition.

There have been other incidents of soldier-on-soldier violence since the Afghan and Iraq wars began, but none this bad.

In 2005, Sgt. Hasan Akbar was convicted and sentenced to death for throwing grenades into troop tents during the early days of the Iraq invasion. Two GIs were killed. Prosecutors said Akbar opposed US troops killing fellow Muslims in the fighting.

http://www.nypost.com/f/print/news/national/army_muslim_major_kills_at_ft_hood_XGrZPwVI9UdcsxpV42AdnK

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From the White House

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The White House Blog

Fort Hood

This morning, when the President gave his opening remarks at the Tribal Nations Conference, the day looked very different.  By 5:02 EST when he was scheduled to give closing remarks , it was clear that all Americans were rightly concerned with the tragedy in Texas, and the President took his time to give his thoughts and prayers:

Now, I have to say, though, that beyond that, I plan to make some broader remarks about the challenges that lay ahead for Native Americans, as well as collaboration with our administration, but as some of you might have heard, there has been a tragic shooting at the Fort Hood Army base in Texas.  We don't yet know all the details at this moment; we will share them as we get them.  What we do know is that a number of American soldiers have been killed, and even more have been wounded in a horrific outburst of violence.

My immediate thoughts and prayers are with the wounded and with the families of the fallen, and with those who live and serve at Fort Hood.  These are men and women who have made the selfless and courageous decision to risk and at times give their lives to protect the rest of us on a daily basis.  It's difficult enough when we lose these brave Americans in battles overseas.  It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an Army base on American soil.

I've spoken to Secretary Gates and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, and I will continue to receive a constant stream of updates as new information comes in.  We are working with the Pentagon, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security, all to ensure that Fort Hood is secure, and we will continue to support the community with the full resources of the federal government.

In the meantime, I would ask all Americans to keep the men and women of Fort Hood in your thoughts and prayers.  We will make sure that we get answers to every single question about this horrible incident.  And I want all of you to know that as Commander-in-Chief, there's no greater honor but also no greater responsibility for me than to make sure that the extraordinary men and women in uniform are properly cared for and that their safety and security when they are at home is provided for.

So we are going to stay on this.  But I hope in the meantime that all of you recognize the scope of this tragedy, and keep everybody in their thoughts and prayers.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/11/05/fort-hood

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From the Department of Homeland Security

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Thursday, November 5, 2009

Open Laptop Bags - Open Government

Head over to the TSA Blog to check out some of their latest responses.

http://www.dhs.gov/journal/theblog/2009/11/open-laptop-bags-open-government.html

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Readout of Secretary Napolitano's Visit to the United Kingdom

Release Date: November 5, 2009

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

London—Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today joined with her international counterparts in the United Kingdom to discuss partnerships to combat terrorism, secure cyber networks and infrastructure, and support international law enforcement efforts.

“Collaborative efforts to confront borderless threats are critical to our shared security across the globe,” said Secretary Napolitano. “Today's meetings reinforced our mutual commitment to working together to counter terrorism, share information and secure our critical cyber networks.”

In meetings focused on enhancing international collaboration and partnerships, Secretary Napolitano met with French Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux, German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere, Italian Interior Minister Roberto Maroni, Polish Interior Minister Jerzy Miller, Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba and UK Home Secretary Alan Johnson to discuss the importance of information sharing to global security—emphasizing their commitment to strong privacy protections that govern how data about criminal threats is collected, stored and shared.

Secretary Napolitano and British Home Secretary Alan Johnson also discussed the unique partnership and strategic relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom reflected by the Joint Contact Group, through which DHS and the UK Home Office have strengthened cooperation on border security, combating violent extremism and other priorities, including collaboration to secure cyber networks and infrastructure.

During these meetings, Secretary Napolitano emphasized the shared international responsibility of mitigating the global effects of the H1N1 virus and highlighted the United States' comprehensive approach to H1N1 preparedness and response.

In London, Secretary Napolitano also visited the Metropolitan Police of London to discuss their unprecedented collaboration with international law enforcement on recent criminal investigations with multinational implications.

On Wednesday, Secretary Napolitano delivered remarks at the London School of Economics and encouraged students to engage with their peers and in their communities in the shared responsibility of ensuring international security—highlighting collaborative responses to borderless cyber threats, the global H1N1 flu virus and transnational criminal activity and terrorism.

Building on her visits to Denmark, Spain earlier this week, Secretary Napolitano will continue to Belgium and the United Arab Emirates in the coming days—her third visit to Europe and second to the Middle East.

Since January, Secretary Napolitano has launched partnerships and bolstered international engagement around the world—facilitating improved information sharing and better protection against violent extremism.

http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1257451094155.shtm

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Secretary Napolitano Announces Full Deployment of Radiation Scanning Technology to the Northern Border Ahead of Schedule

Release Date: November 5, 2009

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced the final deployment of non-intrusive scanning equipment to detect radiation emanating from materials used in nuclear devices at all Northern border land ports of entry—a major security milestone completed two months ahead of schedule that reflects Secretary Napolitano's ongoing commitment to strong, layered security at the U.S.-Canada border.

“Securing our Northern border while facilitating legitimate travel and trade requires a strategic combination of technology, personnel and infrastructure,” said Secretary Napolitano. “This technology enhances our capability to guard against terrorism and criminal threats while expediting border crossings for lawful trade and travel.”

Radiation portal monitors (RPMs)—installed by the DHS Domestic Nuclear Detection Office and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)—are capable of detecting radiation emanating from nuclear devices, dirty bombs, special nuclear materials, natural sources and isotopes commonly used in medicine and industry. The technology offers CBP a non-intrusive means to scan 100 percent of vehicles and cargo containers for radiation entering the country while facilitating the flow of legitimate travel and trade.

Completing this project ahead of schedule—the final installation of RPMs finished on Oct. 29 at the Trout River, N.Y., port of entry—represents another critical step in the Department's efforts to strengthen the interconnected U.S. border security network by installing new technology, deploying personnel to key locations along borders and upgrading aging port infrastructure to meet modern-day security needs.

Using a system that operates without emitting radiation—much like a radio receiver—RPMs respond to certain types of energy and indicate the strength of the received energy to the trained operator. In the case of any alert by a portal monitor, CBP follows strict protocols to quickly determine whether the source of radiation is a potential terrorist threat, a natural source or a legitimate medical/industrial source of radiation

RPM technology currently allows CBP to scan 100 percent of all mail and express consignment mail/parcels, truck cargo and personally-owned vehicles arriving from Mexico for illicit radiological/nuclear materials as well as 100 percent of all truck cargo and personally-owned vehicles entering from Canada. Approximately 98 percent of all arriving sea-borne containerized cargo is also scanned—for a combined total of 99 percent scanning of all cargo entering into the country by these means.

To strengthen security along the Northern border, DHS has adopted a multi-layered, integrated detection strategy at ports of entry utilizing highly trained CBP officers equipped with stationary, mobile and handheld radiation detectors; radiation isotope identifier devices; nonintrusive inspection technologies such as radiography; information technology infrastructure; and physical searches.

For more information, visit www.dhs.gov

http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1257454349707.shtm

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From the Department of Justice

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A Workplace Free From Discrimination

Critical civil rights legislation is currently being considered in Congress. This legislation, known as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), would expand people's rights to be free from discrimination in the workplace.

As federal law, ENDA would prohibit intentional employment discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity by employers, employment agencies and labor organizations.

Today, Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez of the Civil Rights Division testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on this legislation, which is a top priority of the Obama Administration and the Justice Department. Assistant Attorney General Perez:

“On an issue of basic equality and fundamental fairness for all Americans, we cannot in good conscience stand by and watch unjustifiable discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals occur in the workplace without redress. We have come too far in our struggle for “equal justice under the law” to remain silent or stoic when our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender brothers and sisters are still being mistreated and ostracized for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with their skills or abilities and everything to do with myths, stereotypes, fear of the unknown, and prejudice. “

According to the Human Rights Campaign's recently published Corporate Equality Index 2010 , as of September 2009, 434 (87 percent) of the Fortune 500 companies had implemented non-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation, and 207 (41 percent) had policies that include gender identity.

During his testimony, Assistant Attorney General Perez spoke of a police officer in West Virginia who was repeatedly harassed by coworkers because of his sexual orientation. The officer was routinely sent on police calls without back-up, threatening the public safety and his own. After learning of the officer's sexual orientation, one coworker allegedly hit him across the face with a night stick, breaking his glasses and cutting his eye. The officer believes that his eventual discharge was based on his sexual orientation and not his job performance.

“No American should be denied a job or the opportunity to earn promotions, pay raises and other benefits of employment because of his or her sexual orientation or gender identity, which have no bearing on work performance. No one should be fired because he or she is gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. Period.”

And while many businesses and some states have passed protections, no one should have to suffer discrimination based on where they work or where they live. In 29 states , there no protections for lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals and 38 states provide no protection for transgender workers. State laws therefore leave large numbers of LGBT individuals without recourse for workplace discrimination on the basis of the sexual orientation or gender identity.

Assistant Attorney General Perez:

“Protecting valued members of our workforce from discrimination should not be left to a patchwork of state and local laws that leaves large gaps in coverage. Discrimination in my home state of Maryland is just as wrong as discrimination in Montana.”

You can read the full testimony, here  (PDF).

http://blogs.usdoj.gov/blog/archives/313

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