[Chaos]

Haaaa, I thought I was going to have to go and play on the Hobbit thread.

[FairOpinion]

PING to Thread #2, and:


Al-Qaida (Al Qaeda) program to make chemical, biological weapons was halted by war in Afghanistan

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1065670/posts

[JustPiper]

STATE'S NEXT SAUDI SELLOUT

By JOEL MOWBRAY

January 26, 2004 -- THE commission probing the 9/11 attacks won't like what it hears today.
A chief witness will be Chief of Consular Affairs Maura Harty, the woman in charge of the State Department's processing of visas. She'll undoubtedly be grilled on how several hijackers got visas despite plainly dubious applications. And she may have to explain the program "Visa Express," which let all Saudi residents apply for visas at private Saudi travel agencies - until Congress made State stop it, 10 months after 9/11.

http://nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/16576.htm

[JustPiper]

Breaking News Alert
JERUSALEM (AP) Plane carrying Arab prisoners leaves Israel for Germany, Israeli army reports.
JERUSALEM (AP) Arab prisoners leave Israeli jail for airport and flight to Germany in first step of operation to swap prisoners.

Breaking News Alert
LONDON (AP) Chairman of British Broadcasting Corp. resigns after judge criticizes handling of Iraq story, BBC spokesman said.
LONDON (AP) Senior British judge says British Broadcasting Corp. report claiming government manipulated Iraq intelligence was unfounded.
LONDON (AP) Senior British judge says no one to blame for death of government scientist David Kelly.

_____________________________________________________

CNN Alerts

Why an appeals court opinion on Jose Padilla is not anti-government
01/28/04
In a recent decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit held that the president may not unilaterally arrest a U.S. citizen on American soil and hold him indefinitely in military detention as an "enemy combatant." That is, he may not do so without Congress's prior authorization for such detention.

Matches, lighters on planes too risky?
01/28/04
Two senators said on Tuesday that the Transportation Security Administration should reconsider its policy of allowing butane lighters and matches in the cabins of passenger airliners.

[JustPiper]

TERROR BIG GOT A VISA
New York Post ^ | 1/27/04 | NILES LATHEM
Posted on 01/27/2004 4:16:26 AM CST by kattracks

January 27, 2004 -- WASHINGTON - Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed received a visa to enter the United States weeks before the attacks even though he was under indictment for previous terrorist plots in the Philippines, it was revealed yesterday. The visa, obtained by al Qaeda's master strategist on July 23, 2001, was one of several new details of blunders made by government agencies prior to the attacks that emerged at a hearing by the independent commission probing the attacks.

Thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1065997/posts?page=8

[JustPiper]

Mother charged in child's stabbing
Washington Times ^ | 1-26-04 | UPI
Posted on 01/27/2004 5:06:14 AM CST by JustPiper

A Philadelphia woman faces attempted murder charge after her 19-month-old girl was found in a schoolyard Monday with a steak knife stuck in her back.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported the child was hospitalized in critical condition.

The mother, 19-year-old Tamika Fowler, also was charged with aggravated assault and related offenses.

Police said they went to the John Barry Elementary schoolyard early Monday morning to investigate a report on the stabbing. A man taking his child to day care found the toddler lying in the rear of the schoolyard, police said.

The girl had stab wounds in her back and side, police said. Fowler was arrested at her house.

[FightThePower!]

When will this stupid thread end?