Obama Assassination Plan Foiled

A routine traffic stop for a suspected drunken driver lead Aurora, Colorado police officers to apprehend a group that were allegedly plotting to assassinate the Democratic presidential presumptive nominee, Barack Obama, during his upcoming open air acceptance speech that will air on national television on Thursday night in front of a crowd of 70,000.

Tharin Gartrell, a 28 year old convicted felon, was stopped when police observed his vehicle swerving between lanes early Sunday morning. They found two high-powered scoped rifles, ammunition, sighting scopes, radios, a cellphone, a bulletproof vest, wigs, drugs and fake ID’s.

As reported by Denver’s KCNC Channel 4, under questioning Gartrell implicated three others–Nathan Johnson, 32, Shawn Adolph, 33, and Natasha Gromack, who is Johnson’s girlfriend. Adolph, who wore a ring with a Nazi swastika, was injured when he jumped out of a hotel window while fleeing Secret Service agents. The group is being held on weapons and drug charges.

Under questioning, the group revealed that they planned to kill Obama during his nationally televised speech at Invesco Field on Thursday night. They are each being held in Arapahoe County jail on $50,000 bail.

Several federal law enforcement agencies have been investigating the threat for the past 48 hours and believe that the group of drug using criminals posed no credible threat to Obama.

A news conference will be held at 4:00 p.m. Denver time on Tuesday by FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Aurora police. Aurora is 25 minutes from Denver.

Developing story…

Another photo and Video below.

Source: BittenandBound.com

E.U. President Rules Out Sanctions Against Russia

Current EU president France has ruled out sanctions against Russia as European Union leaders consider ways to pressure Moscow to fully comply with a ceasefire agreement. Lisa Bryant reports from Paris that EU leaders will meet next week to discuss the crisis in Georgia.

In an interview on French public radio Monday, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said the European Union did not foresee sanctions against Russia, even though Moscow continues to have troops in Georgia.

Kouchner said the worst had been avoided in Georgia and the majority of Russian troops had retreated from Georgian territory.

Kouchner spoke a week before European leaders meet in Russia to decide how to deal with the Georgian crisis that flared up over the breakaway region of South Ossetia. France currently holds the rotating presidency of the 27-member European Union. Acting on behalf of the bloc, French President Nicolas Sarkozy flew to Russia and to Georgia earlier this month to negotiate a cease-fire after clashes between the two over South Ossetia.

The EU divided over how to deal with Russia, with some members wanting a tougher position against Russia than others.

Moscow has refused to fully retreat from Georgia, arguing the cease-fire deal gives it the right to keep some forces there. On Monday, Russia’s lower house of parliament vowed to back independence for South Ossetia and another breakaway region in Georgia.

Kouchner said it was important to control the corridor in which the Russian forces patrol - and it would be easier after the summit to send observers from the EU and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to Georgia to monitor the cease-fire.

Source: Voanews.com

Iraq Demanding Specific Deadline for Removal of Troops

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki dug in his heels Monday on the future of the U.S. military in Iraq, insisting that all foreign soldiers leave the country by a specific date in 2011 and rejecting legal immunity for American troops.

Despite the tough words, al-Maliki’s aides insisted a compromise could be found on the two main stumbling blocks to an accord governing the U.S. military presence in Iraq after a United Nations mandate expires at the end of the year.

Last week, U.S. and Iraqi officials said the two sides agreed tentatively to a schedule that includes a broad pullout of combat troops by the end of 2011 with the possibility that a residual U.S. force might stay behind to continue training and advising Iraqi security services.

But al-Maliki’s remarks indicated his government was not satisfied with that arrangement and wants all foreign troops gone by the end of 2011.

That cast doubt on whether an agreement is near and suggested al-Maliki is playing to a domestic audience frustrated by the war and eager for an end to the foreign military presence.

“There can be no treaty or agreement except on the basis of Iraq’s full sovereignty,” al-Maliki told a gathering of Shiite tribal sheiks. He said an accord must be based on the principle that “no foreign soldier remains in Iraq after a specific deadline, not an open time frame.”

Al-Maliki said the U.S. and Iraq had already agreed on a full withdrawal of all foreign troops by the end of 2011 — an interpretation that the White House challenged. Until then, the U.S. would not conduct military operations “without the approval” of the Iraqi government, al-Maliki said.

White House spokesman Tony Fratto said negotiations with the Iraqis were continuing and repeated the U.S. position that the withdrawal must be linked to conditions in Iraq — a clear difference with al-Maliki’s interpretation of what had been agreed.

“Any decisions on troops will be based on the conditions on the ground in Iraq. That has always been our position and continues to be our position,” Fratto said Monday in Crawford, Texas. “There is no agreement until there is an agreement signed.”

Fratto said the U.S. was “optimistic that Iraq and the U.S. can reach a mutual agreement on flexible goals” and allow “Iraqi forces to provide security for a sovereign Iraq.”

President Bush has long resisted a timetable for removing troops from Iraq, even under strong pressure from an American public distressed by U.S. deaths and discouraged by the length of the war that began in 2003.

Last month, however, Bush reversed course and agreed to set a “general time horizon” for bringing troops home, based on Iraq’s ability to provide for its own security. But the Iraqis insisted they want a specific schedule.

“We find this to be too vague,” a close al-Maliki aide told The Associated Press on Monday. “We don’t want the phrase ‘time horizons.’ We are not comfortable with that phrase,” said the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations.

Another top al-Maliki aide, also speaking on condition of anonymity for the same reason, said the Iraqi government had “stopped talking about the withdrawal of combat troops. We just talk about withdrawals,” including trainers and logistics troops.

U.S. and Iraqi officials said last week they had agreed to remove American combat troops from Iraq’s cities by next June, withdrawing to bases where they could be summoned if necessary. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, but the plan appeared in line with a U.S. strategy to turn urban security over to Iraqi police.

During his Monday address, al-Maliki also suggested the question of legal immunity for U.S. military personnel or contractors remains a sticking point in the negotiations.

The draft agreement provides that private U.S. contractors would be subject to Iraqi law but the Americans are holding firm that U.S. troops would remain subject exclusively to U.S. legal jurisdiction. The U.S. has ruled out allowing American soldiers to face trial in Iraqi courts.

But al-Maliki said his country could not grant “open immunity” to Iraqis or foreigners because that would be tantamount to a violating the “sanctity of Iraqi blood.” He did not elaborate.

One of the al-Maliki aides said he believed language could be found to overcome differences over the withdrawal schedule but immunity was a tougher issue to resolve.

U.S. officials in Washington have privately expressed frustration over the Iraqi stand in the negotiations, which were supposed to have ended by July 31. The agreement must be approved by Iraq’s factious 275-member parliament, where opposition to a deal is strong.

It appeared al-Maliki was seeking to bolster his nationalist credentials ahead of provincial elections late this year and a national ballot in 2009.

Al-Maliki’s Shiite allies face a strong challenge from followers of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, long an opponent of the U.S. presence. The prime minister’s strong statements in support of an end to immunity and for a firm withdrawal timetable would make it difficult for him to accept an agreement that falls short of his public demands.

In violence Monday, an American soldier was mortally wounded in a shooting attack on his foot patrol in north Baghdad, the U.S. military said. An Associated Press tally shows at least 4,147 U.S. military personnel have died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003.

Source: Yahoo.com

NYC Pays 52 Antiwar Protesters $2 Million

The City of New York has agreed to pay $2 million to a group of fifty-two protesters who were swept up in a mass arrest during a peaceful antiwar protest outside the headquarters of the Carlyle Group in 2003. We speak with the lead plaintiff in the case, Sarah Kunstle

Russia Cancels Military Cooperation with NATO

Russian authorities informed the Norwegian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday that officials in Moscow were immediately halting, canceling or postponing all planned military cooperation with NATO’s members.

Russia’s relation to NATO would then be re-evaluated, reported Aftenposten.

The warning from Russia signals a further deterioration in relations between Russia and western nations. It comes a day after NATO members meeting at a summit in Brussels criticized Russia’s military aggression in Georgian territory and voted to suspend cooperation with NATO’s Russian council.

“There’s no doubt that our relationship to Russian has now chilled,” Espen Barth Eide, state secretary in the Defense Ministry, told Aftenposten.

Barth Eide was working Wednesday afternoon to determine the actual effects of the Russians’ announcement to halt cooperation.

Around 10 joint military exercises were planned involving Russian and NATO members through the end of this year. They will probably all be cancelled.

Source: Aftenposten,no

Obama’s Running Mate Announced Tomorrow

Rumor has it that Obama may be announcing his running mate tomorrow. This news coming from Drudge, he states that the New York times will be running the presses off tomorrow with this information. Others say that he is way off. Only time will tell..

Obama Upset With McCain’s Rich Definition

Barack Obama seized the opportunity Monday to criticize comments made by his opponent John McCain over the weekend in which the presumptive GOP nominee defined wealthy Americans as those who make an income of $5 million or more.

“He [McCain] was in a panel the other day with Rick Warren, some of you may have seen it — and Rick Warren asked him — how do you define rich? He said — maybe he was joking — he said, ‘$5 million,’” Obama told a small group of women at a campaign event in Albuquerque, N.M.

“I guess if you’re making 3 million (dollars) a year, you’re middle class,” Obama said.

“That’s reflected in his policies,” he continued, adding that McCain would give a $500,000 tax break to people making more than $2.5 million.

“This is a fundamental difference in this election,” he said.

McCain predicted his remarks would be taken out of context when he responded to a question Saturday from prominent evangelical pastor Rick Warren during a televised forum on religious issues at Saddleback Church in Orange County, Calif.

When Warren asked McCain how he defined “rich,” McCain replied by saying, “I think if you’re just talking about income, how about 5 million (dollars)?”

McCain quickly elaborated on his answer by adding, “I’m sure that comment will be distorted, but the point is … that we want to keep people’s taxes low and increase revenues.”

On Monday, McCain campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds responded to Obama’s criticism, saying McCain had been prescient in his warning.

“As was immediately predicted by John McCain after he made the remark, Barack Obama is already distorting his comment about the definition of ‘rich’ in America. Remember when Barack Obama said he was ‘tired of distortion, name-calling and sound bite solutions to complicated problems?’ Neither do we,” Bounds said.

A McCain aide later told FOX News that the GOP frontrunner was “asked about defining who is rich in the context of raising taxes.”

McCain “firmly believes in not raising any American’s taxes. It’s not the job of government to define who is rich,” the aide said.

The remarks on income served to underscore the candidates’ differences on economic policy, which has become a central issue among voters’ angered over a stumbling economy.

Obama responded to the same question during the candidates’ joint appearance at the church Saturday by defining the wealthy as anyone making over $250,000 a year.

“I would argue that if you are making more than $250,000, then you are in the top 3, 4 percent of this country,” he said.

John Edwards Admits to Affair

Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards admitted to an extra-marital affair Friday. ABC News’s “Nightline” will air the exclusive interview tonight.

In the interview, Edwards says he lied repeatedly about the affair with a 44-year-old woman while his wife struggled with cancer. He denied he is the father of the woman’s child as reported by The National Enquirer, which broke the story.

The woman, Rielle Hunter, had run a firm that directed four Web videos for Edwards’s political action committee in 2006. Hunter had a daughter on Feb. 26, 2008. She did not put a father’s name on the birth certificate filed in California, according to the Associated Press. Andrew Young, an aide to Edwards, has claimed to be the father.

Edwards came in second in the Iowa caucus behind Barack Obama and ahead of Hillary Clinton. He withdrew his candidacy in January after finishing third in the South Carolina primary, and he endorsed Obama in May.

The former North Carolina senator and his wife, Elizabeth, used his presidential platform to become champions for the working-class with his anti-poverty agenda and support for universal health care.

Edwards was the party’s 2004 nominee for vice-president. Elizabeth announced she had breast cancer in November 2004, shortly after John Kerry lost to President Bush. In a joint press conference in March 2007, the Edwards announced her cancer had returned and spread to her bones. It is treatable, but not curable.

Elizabeth Edwards’ public struggles often placed her in the spotlight along with her husband, where she is a prominent advocate for health care reform.

The admission of the affair throws in to question what role, if any, the two will play during the Democratic convention in Denver later this month. According to Marc Ambinder of The Atlantic, Elizabeth is scheduled for a prime-time speaking slot.

David Bonior, Edwards’ campaign manager, told the Associated Press on Friday that he was disappointed and angry after hearing about Edwards’ confession.

“Thousands of friends of the senators and his supporters have put their faith and confidence in him and he’s let him down,” said Bonior. “They’ve been betrayed by his action.”

Asked whether the affair would damage Edwards’ future aspirations in public service, Bonior replied: “You can’t lie in politics and expect to have people’s confidence.”

Source: WSJ.com

Russia Attacks Georgia!

Russian and Georgian troops fought Friday over the disputed Caucasus region of South Ossetia as world powers implored the two nations to end the violence.

News reports documented fierce clashes between Georgian and Russian forces — engagements that caused deaths, property damage, and population displacement in South Ossetia, a pro-Russian autonomous region of Georgia.

Much of the fighting was in and around the South Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali, where black smoke from fire wafts overhead, Interfax news agency reported.

One U.S. State Department official involved in the diplomacy called the conflict a “very dangerous situation” and said diplomatic moves are afoot around the globe to stop the flare-up.

Georgia — located on the Black Sea coast between Russia and Turkey –appealed for diplomatic intervention, but stressed it was not asking for military assistance.

Georgia’s president said: “All day today, they’ve been bombing Georgia from numerous warplanes and specifically targeting (the) civilian population, and we have scores of wounded and dead among (the) civilian population all around the country,” President Mikhail Saakashvili told CNN in an exclusive interview.

“This is the worst nightmare one can encounter,” he said..

Hundreds of people, possibly thousands, are fleeing South Ossetia to the Russian region of North Ossetia-Alania, the United Nations reported Friday, citing Russian officials. About 400 more are believed to have fled for other parts of Georgia, the United Nations said.

Asked whether Georgia and Russia were now at war, he said, “My country is in self-defense against Russian aggression. Russian troops invaded Georgia.”

About 150 Russian armored vehicles have entered South Ossetia, Saakashvili said, and Georgian forces had shot down two Russian aircraft.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, quoted by the Russian news agency Interfax, said Russians had died because of Georgia military operations in South Ossetia.

Russia “will not allow the deaths of our compatriots to go unpunished” and “those guilty will receive due punishment,” he said. “My duty as Russian president is to safeguard the lives and dignity of Russian citizens, wherever they are. This is what is behind the logic of the steps we are undertaking now.”

Source: CNN.com

Detroit Mayor Jailed!

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, awaiting trial on perjury and other charges, has been sent to jail after violating bail by leaving the country.

Prosecutor Robert Moran argued that Kilpatrick should have told Judge Ronald Giles of a trip to Canada. The mayor, who is required to alert the court to all travel plans, went across the border last month on business.

Kwame Kilpatrick apologized, but Giles ordered him into custody, saying he was giving the mayor the same treatment as any other defendant.

Kilpatrick faces charges of perjury, misconduct and obstruction of justice stemming from a scandal in which he and ex-Chief of Staff Christine Beatty lied about having a sexual relationship and their roles in firing a police official.

Beatty and Kwame Kilpatrick denied under oath during a civil trial last year that they had a romantic relationship in 2002 and 2003.

Text messages allegedly exchanged between the two in April reveal sexually explicit exchanges and professions of love and promises of marriage.

Kilpatrick was also busted in a sordid love tryst with Carmen Slowsky … whoever that is. Something tells us it could be an alias. Just maybe.

His attorneys have questioned the authenticity of those and other allegations, fighting battles on several legal and political fronts.

Source: thehollywoodgossip.com

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