Bush Outsources Torture
The AP details the Eurpopean Union report.
The CIA has conducted more than 1,000 clandestine flights in Europe since 2001, and some of them secretly took away terror suspects to countries where they could face torture, European Union lawmakers said Wednesday.
…
''The committee deplores the fact that, as established during the committee's investigation, the CIA has used aircraft registered under fictitious company names or with private companies to secretly transfer terror suspects to other countries including Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Afghanistan,'' according to a copy of the report obtained by The Associated Press.
---
The End Of "Fair Use" Exception To Copyright Law?
A couple days ago, Steve Yahn at E&P reported "New Trademark Law Might Restrict Free Speech "
Embedded deep in H.R. 683--"The Trademark Dilution Revision Act"--is language that would remove key protections that have been part of U.S. law since 1996.
---
This is serious trouble. Plus the proposed changes would eliminate protections not just for newspapers, TV and bloggers, but also for writers, photographers, illustrators, and other artists. And corporate critics. All of whom, with the proposed changes in the law, could be sued for copyright infringement for basic news reporting, satire, and editorial criticism.
Marvin J. Johnson, the Legislative Counsel for the ACLU gave this testimony to the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property. (pdf warning)
---
Snowed
Jim VandeHei and Michael A. Fletcher for WaPo expose Tony Snow as the most gullible person on the planet. They report (with my emphasis added):
Snow, who in his roles as a pundit on Fox News and elsewhere has rapped Bush on several occasions, joined the White House only after extracting a promise that he would become an adviser to the president on day-to-day strategy.
…
"The president's message and vision are firmly in place and are not going to change," [Bush political adviser] McKinnon said.
---
In related news, The Daily Show presents another episode of The Decider.
Norm at onegoodmove has the clip.
Personally, I look forward to Snow going mano a mano with Helen Thomas.
---
Phone Jam-a-rama
TPM has posted a timeline.
---
Democrats and Blogs
Kevin Drum posted results of a poll question regarding blog readership by registered Democrats.
Seems there's "roughly 10 million registered Democrats who read blogs on a regular basis."
More articles by Brian Zick
FBI Director Mueller Contradicts Gonzales
Brian Zick
Democrats Request Special Counsel Be Appointed to Investigate Perjury Charges Against Gonzales
Brian Zick
Rove and Deputy Jennings Subpoenaed by Senate Judiciary Committee
Brian Zick
Sign up for our free newsletter and get all of the most important In These Times stories about labor, politics, Gaza, culture, the far-right and so much more in your inbox once each week.
You'll also get our investigations, like the recently-published "U.S. Jewish Institutions Are Purging Their Staffs of Anti-Zionists" and "The Death Squads Hunting Environmental Defenders."
Thanks for supporting independent media!