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From the L.A. Daily News

Survey: 1 in 10 teens smokes dope almost daily

by Jennifer C. Kerr

WASHINGTON - More teens are smoking dope, with nearly 1 in 10 lighting up at least 20 or more times a month, according to a new survey of young people.

The report by The Partnership at Drugfree.org, being released Wednesday, also said abuse of prescription medicine may be easing a bit among young people in grades 9 through 12, but still remains high.

Partnership President Steve Pasierb says the mindset among parents is that it's just a little weed or a few pills - no biggie.

"Parents are talking about cocaine and heroin, things that scare them," said Pasierb.

"Parents are not talking about prescription drugs and marijuana. They can't wink and nod. They need to be stressing the message that this behavior is unhealthy."

Use of harder drugs - cocaine and methamphetamine - has stabilized in recent years, the group's survey showed. But past-month usage of marijuana grew from 19 percent in 2008 to 27 percent last year. Also alarming, says Pasierb, is the percentage of teens smoking pot 20 or more times a month. That rate went from 5 percent in 2008 to 9 percent last year, or about 1.5 million teens toking up that frequently.

Alex, 17, in Houston, says he started smoking pot at age 13, mostly on the weekends with friends.

"I just liked being high," said Alex, who is in a recovery program and asked that his last name not be used. "I always felt happier. Everything was funnier and my life was just brighter."

Alex then started abusing prescription drugs at 14. He blacked out one day at school, got arrested and ended up in rehab. After being sober for two years, Alex slipped and smoked pot last month. Still, he says he hopes to work toward a more sober life.

The findings on marijuana track closely with those in a recent University of Michigan study sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health. That study also found marijuana use rising among teens the past few years, reversing a long decline in the previous decade.

The partnership study suggests a link between teens who smoke pot more regularly and the use of other drugs. Teens who smoked 20 times or more a month were almost twice as likely as kids who smoked pot less frequently to use ecstasy, cocaine or crack.

Other findings:

• One in 10 teens reports using prescription pain medication - Vicodin or OxyContin - in the past year. That's down from a peak of 15 percent in 2009 and 14 percent in 2010.

• Just over half of Hispanic teens say they have used an illicit drug, such as Ecstasy or cocaine, in the past year. That compares to 39 percent for Caucasian teens and 42 percent for African American teens.

The Marijuana Policy Project, which advocates legalization, says making pot legal for adults might help cut teen usage.

"We definitely don't think that minors should be using marijuana any more than they should be drinking or using tobacco, but arresting people for doing that never stops minors," said Morgan Fox, a spokesman for the group. "If we remove marijuana from the criminal market and have the market run by responsible business people that have an incentive to check IDs and not sell to minors, then we might see those rates drop again."

The Partnership's study was sponsored by the MetLife Foundation. Researchers surveyed 3,322 teens in grades 9-12 with anonymous questionnaires that the youngsters filled out at school from March to June 2011. The study has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Based in New York, The Partnership at Drugfree.org is formerly The Partnership for a Drug-Free America - perhaps best known for the "this is your brain on drugs" ads of the 1980s and 1990s. The nonprofit group launched its new name in 2010 to position itself as more of a resource to parents and to avoid the misperception the partnership is a government organization.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_20526342/survey-1-10-teens-smokes-dope-almost-daily

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Ohio wild animal stampede ignites vast law review

by Sue Manning

LOS ANGELES - Of all the beasts set free by the suicidal owner of an exotic animal farm in Ohio last year, few were as scary or as lethal as the big cats.

Tigers, leopards and lions - more than two dozen - were loose before being hunted by sheriff's deputies.

While the slaughter was chilling, it was truly panic-inducing that an unstable owner had accumulated such a collection of dangerous animals.

Yet, by some estimates, there are thousands of tigers in captivity in American backyards - more than there are in the wild on the planet.

No one knows the number for certain because there's only scattered regulation for such pets. In fact, it's easier in some states to buy a tiger or lion from a breeder than it is to adopt a kitten from a shelter.

That's likely to change after the Zanesville stampede drew the attention of lawmakers around the country.

Legislation has been proposed in Congress that would ban private ownership of exotic cats. Ohio and other states are also looking to outlaw the animals or to keep them more tightly controlled.

One leader of the cat fight is actress and animal activist Tippi Hedren, best known for being terrorized by crows in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds."

Hedren has devoted much of her life to rescuing big cats at her Shambala Preserve north of Los Angeles, home to 53 seized or abandoned exotic cats, and she doesn't think they make good pets.

"It is the job of the predator to take out any old, sick or lame animal. What quality there makes for a good pet?" she asked. "If you get near its food, it will kill you."

The Zanesville animals may have forced the issue into the open, but it certainly isn't the first tragedy involving private cats.

Since 1990, 21 people, including five children, have been killed and 246 mauled, according to Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Fla. Over that period, 254 cats have escaped and 143 have been killed.

There have been other federal laws proposed over the years, but most have failed.

Deputies shot nearly 50 wild animals freed on Oct. 18 at Muskingum County Animal Farm near Zanesville. Owner Terry Thompson opened their cages before committing suicide. Some believe it was one last act of retaliation against neighbors and authorities.

Reps. Howard "Buck" McKeon, R-Calif., and Loretta Sanchez, D-Calif., introduced the Big Cats and Public Safety Protection Act in February to require owners of tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, panthers and other cats to register with the Department of Agriculture. Breeding would be banned except at accredited zoos and research and educational institutions. Penalties would include seizures, fines and jail.

"When accidents happen and these wild cats are released into our neighborhoods, it causes panic, puts a strain on our local public safety responders and is extremely dangerous," McKeon said. He believes his bill will protect the public and the cats.

In Ohio, the state Senate recently passed a bill that would ban new ownership of lions, monkeys and other exotic animals, but allows current owners to keep their animals by obtaining a new state-issued permit by 2014 and meeting other strict conditions. It now goes to the House for consideration. Meanwhile, the Ohio Department of Agriculture announced Monday that it will return five surviving exotic animals, including two leopards, to Terry Thompson's widow, Marian Thompson.

Virginia, Arizona, Missouri, West Virginia, Tennessee, Indiana and Oklahoma are also considering exotic animal bans, according to Uappeal, an exotic animal lobbying group.

Currently, no single agency oversees how big cats are kept or treated. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums and USDA have some regulations. Some states, counties and cities have laws but many don't.

The federal bill has the backing of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Born Free USA and other groups. But fans of the majestic beasts are in an uproar.

"All a ban law will do is force all these people to go underground and it will not help the animals at all," said Joseph Schreibvogel, president of the United States Zoological Association, which advocates on behalf of wild animal owners.

Lynn Culver, executive director of the Feline Conservation Federation, thinks the number of people who keep exotic cats as pets has been hugely inflated by proponents of the House bill. She says the bill will interfere with captive conservation and bring an end to circus and stage acts and cats in movies and on television.

"Independent zoos will be allowed to keep their existing animals but when the cats die, there will be zoos without big cats and that's tragic," Culver said. "Big cats are charismatic species, key to the success of any zoo or wildlife exhibit."

There are as many as 20,000 privately owned cats in the U.S. and about half are tigers, according to groups like the World Wildlife Fund and the AZA. The WWF says there are only 3,200 tigers left in the wild in Asia.

How the backyard population swelled while dwindling in nature is partly attributed to an unregulated industry, where a tiger cub can be bought for as little as $300 without any permit or registration.

Yet someone trying to adopt a kitten from a shelter might have to undergo a home inspection and have the pet sterilized, vaccinated, microchipped and licensed, said WWF senior policy adviser Leigh Henry.

In just months, a cub can weigh 400 pounds, cost $5,500 a year to feed and need room to roam. Defanging and declawing them doesn't make them safe, said AZA spokesman Steve Feldman.

Backyard breeders sell the big cats for pets, parts, game ranches, canned hunts, sideshows, photo booths and roadside attractions.

Overwhelmed pet owners often turn to sanctuaries to rescue them from mounting bills and potential danger.

Bobbi Brink, owner of Lions Tigers and Bears outside San Diego, started her sanctuary in 2002 after rescuing tigers Raja and Natasha from a Texas man who was ordered to upgrade their 6-foot-by-12-foot cages or find new homes for them.

She spent $250,000 on a tiger habitat with a pool and plenty of running room on 94 acres.

Brink recently said no to three 8-year-old Texas tigers seized from a man with dementia. She doesn't have room.

Accredited and established sanctuaries across the country are reaching capacity and some have been forced to close because donations dwindled during the recession. Accredited zoos will no longer take privately owned tigers. Their goal is species preservation and privately owned or "generic" tigers can't be traced to their wildly caught ancestors.

If the McKeon-Sanchez bill succeeds, some worry there will be a glut of displaced tigers and too many will be euthanized.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_20525465/ohio-wild-animal-stampede-ignites-vast-law-review

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Chemicals from China that could make $40M of meth seized at LAX

by Art Marroquin

Two Chinese shipments of chemicals that could have been used to produce $40 million worth of methamphetamine were seized last month at Los Angeles International Airport, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said Tuesday.

About 5,700 pounds of methylamine chloride arrived at LAX from China on April 19 and 23, with a final destination of central Mexico, said CBP spokesman Jaime Ruiz.

While the white, powdery chemical could be legitimately used for pesticides and solvents, it is also essential for the production of meth and ecstasy, Ruiz said.

Suppliers are subject to manufacturing, importation and distribution of the corrosive chemical under the Controlled Substances Act.

"Once again, we take enormous pride in the exceptional caliber of our officers in intercepting these drug precursors from Asia and preventing their reaching the cartels in Mexico," said Todd Owen, CBP's director of field operations in Los Angeles. "The alertness and attention to duty is vital to the mission of CBP in protecting the homeland from all harm, including that of dangerous drugs."

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_20522221/chemicals-from-china-that-could-make-40m-meth

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From the Washington Times

FBI arrests 5 men in alleged plot to blow up bridge near Cleveland

by Jerry Seper

FBI agents have arrested five people on suspicion of conspiring to blow up a bridge near Cleveland, three of whom were identified by federal authorities as self-proclaimed anarchists who formed a small group and considered a series of evolving plots over several months.

Douglas L. Wright , 26, Brandon L. Baxter , 20, and Anthony Hayne , 35, were arrested Monday night by members of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force on charges of conspiracy and attempted use of explosive materials to damage physical property affecting interstate commerce.

Also arrested were Connor C. Stevens , 20, and Joshua S. Stafford , 23.

The FBI said the five men planted what they thought were explosives underneath the bridge's column and tried to set it off remotely. Instead, they were arrested by undercover agents who were monitoring the group by video.

“The complaint in this case alleges that the defendants took specific and defined actions to further a terrorist plot,” said U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach in Ohio. “The defendants stand charged based not upon any words or beliefs they might espouse, but based upon their own plans and actions.”

FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony , who heads the bureau's Cleveland division, noted that the public was never in danger from the explosive devices, which were controlled by an undercover FBI employee. He said the five men were closely monitored by law enforcement personnel and the explosives they are accused of purchasing and attempting to use were inoperable and posed no threat to the public.

A criminal complaint in the case was filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Cleveland . At a hearing Tuesday, all five were ordered to be jailed without bond pending a hearing Monday.

An Occupy Cleveland spokesman, Jacob Wagner , told reporters that some of the men had attended the group's events but were not affiliated with the Occupy group or acting on its behalf.

According to the complaint, Mr. Wright , Mr. Baxter and Mr. Hayne considered several plots, including the use of smoke grenades to distract law enforcement personnel to allow them to topple financial institution signs atop high-rise buildings in downtown Cleveland. The complaint said the plot later developed to the use of explosive materials.

The men, according to the complaint, conspired to obtain C-4 explosives contained in two improvised explosive devices to be placed and remotely detonated. It said they also discussed various bridges and physical targets in and around the Cleveland metropolitan area over the course of several months.

The final plan resulted in the State Route 82 Brecksville-Northfield High Level Bridge being the designated target. The bridge crosses from Brecksville to Sagamore Hills over the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The bridge is used by nearly 14,000 motorists every day, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation.

Mr. Anthony said the safety of the citizens of Ohio “is and continues to be our primary focus,” adding that those charged in the case “were intent on using violence to express their ideological views.

“The Joint Terrorism Task Force will continue to be vigilant in its efforts to detect and disrupt any terrorism threat, domestic or international,” he said.

According to the complaint, an FBI informant recorded numerous conversations with Mr. Wright in which he discussed the need to obtain explosive devices or make them using the book “The Anarchist Cookbook.” Mr. Baxter allegedly told the informant that destroying a bridge would cause great financial harm.

“Taking out a bridge in the business district would cost the corporate bigwigs a lot of money,” Mr. Baxter purportedly said.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/1/fbi-arrests-5-alleged-conspiracy-blow-cleveland-br/

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From Google News

New Hampshire

Pelham police seek cooperation from community groups

May 2, 2012

by John Toole

PELHAM — Police are asking town organizations to take a survey about community policing.

The survey is tied to a $196,000 federal grant voters approved accepting at Town Meeting.

The grant is funding a police officer for three years.

The town is required to pick up the cost for one additional year — in 2016. Officials estimate the expense for pay and benefits at $80,000 for that year.

The grant was awarded under the federal Community Oriented Policing Services program.

"Through your participation in this assessment, our agency will be able to gather valuable data allowing us to enhance our community policing practices and identify community policing strengths and areas for improvement," Lt. Gary Fisher said in a message to participants.

Community policing is a strategy that emphasizes partnerships in the community and problem-solving techniques to reduce crime.

Among those participating in the survey are government agencies, nonprofit organizations and businesses.

The survey covers a variety of topics including how well police collaborate and communicate with other agencies and share resources. Fisher said the department doesn't dedicate one officer to community policing but considers it an overall philosophy.

"I think our mission statement sums it up pretty well: 'Our commitment is to protect and serve the people with the highest quality of professionalism and courtesy, while maintaining a partnership with the community,'" Fisher said.

http://www.eagletribune.com/newhampshire/x474409520/Pelham-police-seek-cooperation-from-community-groups

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From the Department of Justice

Al Qaeda Operative Convicted by Jury in One of the Most Serious Terrorist Plots Against America since 9/11

Defendant and Co-Plotters Came Within Days of Suicide Bombing of New York Subways
Defendant Attempted Suicide Attack on Whitestone Expressway in Queens, New York

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Earlier today, following a four-week trial, Adis Medunjanin, 28, a Queens, N.Y., resident who joined al-Qaeda and plotted to commit a suicide terrorist attack, was found guilty of multiple federal terrorism offenses. The defendant and his accomplices came within days of executing a plot to conduct coordinated suicide bombings in the New York City subway system in September 2009, as directed by senior al-Qaeda leaders in Pakistan. When the plot was foiled, the defendant attempted to commit a terrorist attack by crashing his car on the Whitestone Expressway in New York in an effort to kill himself and others.

The guilty verdict was announced by Loretta E. Lynch, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Lisa Monaco, Assistant Attorney General for National Security.

The government's evidence in this and related cases established that in 2008, Medunjanin and his co-plotters, Najibullah Zazi and Zarein Ahmedzay, agreed to travel to Afghanistan to join the Taliban and kill U.S. military personnel abroad. They arrived in Peshawar, Pakistan, in late August 2008, but Medunjanin and Ahmedzay were turned back at the Afghanistan border. Within days, Medunjanin, Zazi and Ahmedzay met with an al-Qaeda facilitator in Peshawar and agreed to travel to Waziristan for terrorist training. There, they met with al-Qaeda leaders Saleh al-Somali, then the head of al-Qaeda external operations, and Rashid Rauf, a high-ranking al-Qaeda operative, who explained that the three would be more useful to al-Qaeda and the jihad by returning to New York and conducting terrorist attacks.

In Waziristan, Medunjanin, Zazi and Ahmedzay received al-Qaeda training on how to use various types of high-powered weapons, including the AK-47, PK machine gun and rocket-propelled grenade launcher. During the training, al-Qaeda leaders continued to encourage Medunjanin and his fellow plotters to return to the United States to conduct “martyrdom” operations and emphasized the need to hit well-known targets and maximize the number of casualties. Medunjanin, Zazi and Ahmedzay agreed and discussed the timing of the attacks and possible target locations in Manhattan, including the subway system, Grand Central Station, the New York Stock Exchange, Times Square and movie theaters.

Upon their return to the United States, Medunjanin, Zazi and Ahmedzay met and agreed to carry out suicide bombings during the Muslim holiday of Ramadan, which fell in late August and September 2009. Zazi would prepare the explosives, and all three would conduct coordinated suicide bombings. In July and August 2009, Zazi purchased large quantities of component chemicals necessary to produce the explosive TATP (Triacetone Triperoxide) and twice checked into a hotel room near Denver to mix the chemicals. Federal investigators later found bomb-making residue in the hotel room.

On Sept. 8, 2009, Zazi drove from Denver to New York, carrying operational detonator explosives and other materials necessary to build bombs. However, shortly after arriving in New York, he learned that law enforcement was investigating the plotters' activities. The men discarded the explosives and other bomb-making materials, and Zazi traveled back to Denver, where he was arrested on Sept. 19, 2009.

On Jan. 7, 2010, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Medunjanin's residence. Shortly thereafter, Medunjanin left his apartment and attempted to turn his car into a weapon of terror by crashing it into another car at high speed on the Whitestone Expressway. Moments before impact, Medunjanin called 9-1-1, identified himself and left his message of martyrdom, shouting an al-Qaeda slogan: “We love death more than you love your life.”

Today, Medunjanin was convicted of conspiring to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiring to commit murder of U.S. military personnel abroad, providing and conspiring to provide material support to al-Qaeda, receiving military training from al-Qaeda, conspiring and attempting to commit an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries, and using firearms and destructive devices in relation to these offenses. When sentenced by U.S. District Judge John Gleeson on Sept. 7, 2012, Medunjanin faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison. To date, seven defendants, including Medunjanin, Zazi and Ahmedzay, have been convicted in connection with the al-Qaeda New York City bombing plot and related charges.

“Adis Medunjanin was an active and willing participant in one of the most serious terrorist plots against the homeland since 9/11. Were it not for the combined efforts of the law enforcement and intelligence communities, the suicide bomb attacks that he and others planned would have been devastating,” said Assistant Attorney General Monaco. “I thank the many agents, analysts and prosecutors who helped bring about today's result. I also thank our counterparts in the United Kingdom for their assistance in this investigation and prosecution.”

“Justice was served today in Brooklyn, as a jury of New Yorkers convicted an al-Qaeda operative bent on terrorism, mass murder and destruction in the New York City subways,” said U.S. Attorney Lynch. “Adis Medunjanin's journey of radicalization led him from Flushing, Queens, to Peshawar, Pakistan, to the brink of a terrorist attack in New York City – and soon to a lifetime in federal prison. As this case has proved, working against sophisticated terrorist organizations and against the clock, our law enforcement and intelligence agencies can detect, disrupt and destroy terrorist cells before they strike, saving countless innocent lives.”

U.S. Attorney Lynch expressed her gratitude and appreciation to the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York and each of the federal, state and local law enforcement personnel who took part in the investigation, as well as to the law enforcement authorities in the United Kingdom and Norway who assisted with the case.

The government's case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Bitkower, James P. Loonam and Berit W. Berger of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, with assistance provided by the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department's National Security Division.

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2012/May/12-nsd-565.html