FBI Release Files on 1978 Probe of Threat Against John Lennon
Newly released FBI files on former Beatles musician John Lennon center on a 1978 investigation of a violent threat made against him. The first two parts of the three-part file consist of previously released material from investigations that mention Lennon’s connection to anti-war and related groups in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
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John Winston Lennon (1940-1980) was a British born singer and songwriter known for his years in the Beatles and for his later solo career. The first two parts of this release consist of previously released material from investigations that mention Lennon’s connection to anti-war and related groups in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The third part was released and posted to the Vault in November 2011. It consists of other references to Lennon in FBI files and a 1978 investigation of a violent threat made against him.
Based on a randomized, stratified and statistically valid sample of SPD’s use of force reports from Jan. 1, 2009, to April 4, 2011, factual findings include:
When SPD officers use force, they do so in an unconstitutional manner nearly 20 percent of the time;
SPD officers too quickly resort to the use of impact weapons, such as batons and flashlights. When SPD officers use batons, 57 percent of the time it is either unnecessary or excessive;
SPD officers escalate situations, and use unnecessary or excessive force, when arresting individuals for minor offenses.
This trend is pronounced in encounters with persons with mental illnesses or those under the influence of alcohol or drugs. This is problematic because SPD estimates that 70 percent of use of force encounters involve these populations.
Following a comprehensive investigation, the Justice Department today announced its findings that the Seattle Police Department (SPD) has engaged in a pattern or practice of excessive force that violates the Constitution and federal law. A letter detailing the findings was delivered to Seattle Mayor Michael McGinn and Police Chief John Diaz.
The investigation, launched on March 31, 2011, and conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, focused on whether SPD engages in unconstitutional or unlawful policing through either (1) the use of excessive force or (2) discriminatory policing. The Justice Department found reasonable cause to believe that SPD engages in a pattern or practice of excessive force, in violation of the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. The Justice Department does not make a finding that SPD engages in a pattern or practice of discriminatory policing, but the investigation raised serious concerns that some of SPD’s policies and practices, particularly those related to pedestrian encounters, could result in unlawful discriminatory policing. These practices undermine SPD’s ability to build trust among segments of Seattle’s diverse communities.
The Justice Department’s investigation involved an in-depth review of SPD documents, as well as extensive community engagement. The department reviewed thousands of pages of documents, including written policies and procedures, training materials, and internal reports, data, video footage and investigative files. Justice Department attorneys and investigators also conducted interviews with SPD officers, supervisors and command staff, and city officials; and conducted hundreds of interviews with community members and local advocates.
Tens of thousands of children have suffered sexual abuse in Dutch Catholic institutions since 1945, a report says.
The report by an independent commission said Catholic officials had failed to tackle the widespread abuse at schools, seminaries and orphanages.
But the report also found that one in five children who attended an institution suffered abuse - regardless of whether it was Catholic.
"This episode fills us with shame and sorrow," said a bishops' statement.
The commission, which began work in August 2010, sought to uncover what had gone on and how it had happened, and examined what kind of justice should be offered to victims.
It was triggered by allegations of abuse at a Catholic school in the east Netherlands, which prompted other alleged victims to come forward.
It studied 1,800 complaints of abuse at Catholic institutions, identifying 800 alleged perpetrators, just over 100 of whom are still alive.
The "Hairspray and Eyelashes" reporter interviewing Mr Stanley tries to undermine him from the getgo (as they always do) but he does a very good job of getting the message across.. so much so it seemed to me that the interview ends a little early.
The U.S. Ambassador to Belgium sparked a firestorm controversy with remarks he made at a conference hosted by the EuropeanJewish Union, stating that Israel is to blame for growing anti-Semitism harbored by people of Muslim faith.
U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Howard Gutman
"A distinction should be made between traditional anti-Semitism, which should be condemned, and Muslim hatred for Jews, which stems from the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians," said Howard Gutman, according to news reports.
The ambassador also claimed at the Nov. 30 conference that an Israeli-Palestinian peace treaty will "significantly diminish Muslim anti-Semitism."
Gutman, a Washington, D.C. attorney and major fundraiser for President Obama's election campaign, was nominated in 2009 by Obama to be ambassador to Belgium.
While the White House is distancing itself from the ambassador's remarks, Jewish leaders and organizations expressed outrage.
"[The Anti-Defamation League] was deeply disturbed by the U.S. Ambassador to Belgium's assessment of Muslim anti-Semitism in Europe, specifically Ambassador Gutman's suggestion that the root cause of this anti-Semitism was the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," Andrew Rosenkranz, ADL Florida regional director said in a statement.
Palestinians have raised their flag at the headquarters of the UN cultural agency in Paris in a historic move and symbolic boost for their push for an independent state.
Cheers rose alongside the red, black, white and green flag during a ceremony held in the rain on Tuesday.
"This is truly a historic moment," Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said at the ceremony, his speech punctuated by rousing applause and standing ovations.
"We hope this will be a good auspice for Palestine to become a member of other organisations," he said.
Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland, reporting from Paris, said, "it was a moment steeped in symbolism".
Palestine was admitted as a member of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation in an October vote that prompted the US to cut off funds to the agency.
Two US laws required the halt in the flow of funds to the agency, forcing it to scale back literacy and development programmes in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan and the new nation of South Sudan.
The Palestinians also are seeking full-fledged UN membership, but Washington has threatened to veto that move, saying a negotiated settlement with Israel should come first.
Abbas said on Tuesday that efforts were continuing to gain full UN membership and admission to other international institutions.
"We are currently holding talks with the parties. We have not yet asked for a vote but this could happen at any moment," he said.
"If we don't have a majority, we will repeat our request again and again."
Al Jazeera's Rowland said: "President Abbas made it quite clear that it was an important and significant step on the road towards Palestinian statehood. And he also reiterated his willingness to restart peace talks with Israel."
"It seems that everyone agrees that negotiations are not in any way ruled out by this move but certainly has led to more tense diplomatic atmosphere," she said.
UNESCO 'distraction'
US officials have said UNESCO's decision risked undermining the international community's work toward a comprehensive Middle East peace plan, and could be a distraction from the aim of restarting direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
The US contributes $80m annually in dues - 22 per cent of UNESCO's overall budget - and its 2011 contribution was not yet in when the laws took effect, immediately throwing UNESCO into crisis.
Several countries are lobbying the US to renew its funding.
The Al Jazeera correspondent said "the suspension of lion’s share of the funding to the UNSECO really threatens the UN body's ability to continue with very important, particularly educational programme some of which are in Palestinian territories themselves".
"Really the problem now for UNESCO is to find other donors, other member states to come forward and bring that money.
"There is a serious question over the future ability of UNESCO to carry out some of its very important projects."
UNESCO is known for its programme to protect cultures via its World Heritage sites, but its core mission also includes activities such as helping eradicate poverty, ensuring clean water, teaching girls to read and promoting freedom of speech.
The European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo, or EULEX Kosovo, prevented a convoy of Russian humanitarian supplies from entering northern Kosovo via the Jarinje checkpoint on the Serbian border.
The convoy consists of 25 trucks, carrying food, blankets, cutlery, and portable electric generators.
After the first two trucks went through the necessary customs formalities, the procedure was interrupted, without any explanation provided so far.
According to first-hand accounts and reports provided to Boiling Frogs Post by several sources in Jordan, during the last few hours foreign military groups, estimated at hundreds of individuals, began to spread near the villages of the north-Jordan city of "Al-Mafraq", which is adjacent to the Jordanian and Syrian border.
According to one Jordanian military officer who asked to remain anonymous, hundreds of soldiers who speak languages other than Arabic were seen during the past two days in those areas moving back and forth in military vehicles between the King Hussein Air Base of al-Mafraq (10 km from the Syrian border), and the vicinity of Jordanian villages adjacent to the Syrian border, such as village Albaej (5 km from the border), the area around the dam of Sarhan, the villages of Zubaydiah and al-Nahdah adjacent to the Syrian border.
Update 1:Today at 12:00 P.M. we contacted DOD Press Office via two voicemail messages and one e-mail asking for comment(s) on this story. As of 6:00 P.M. EST we have not heard back.
Update 2:Another journalist with a major mainstream media publication was told by his editors that there would be no coverage or follow up on these developments.
Newly released FBI files on former Beatles musician John Lennon center on a 1978 investigation of a violent threat made against him. The first two parts of the three-part file consist of previously released material from investigations that mention Lennon’s connection to anti-war and related groups in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
