Israel Asks U.S. For Arms That Could Aid in Strike Against Iran

A front-page article in the Israeli newspaper, Ma’ariv, stated Thursday that President Obama agreed to give Israel upgraded military hardware if Prime Minister Netanyahu agreed to not attack Iran in 2012.

According to an Israeli official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Israel asked the United States for advanced “bunker-buster” bombs and refueling planes that could improve its ability to attack Iran’s underground nuclear sites.

“Such a request was made” when Prime Minister Netanyahu visited Washington this week, the official said, confirming media reports.

Netanyahu told Obama at a White House meeting on Monday that Israel had not yet decided on military action against Iran, sources close to the talks said.

Netanyahu has hinted that Israel could resort to force should Tehran continue to defy pressure to curb its nuclear program.

Israel has a limited cache of older, smaller bunker-busters and a small fleet of refueling planes, all supplied by the U.S.

Occupy Oakland Protesters Charged with Robbery, Hate crime

The Alameda County District Attorney’s office has charged Michael Davis, 32; Nneka Crawford, 23; and Randolph Wilkins, 25, each with second-degree robbery and violation of civil rights “because of the victim’s status and perceived status as a homosexual.”

According to the Oakland Police Department, officers responded to a robbery report in the 4000 block of Piedmont Avenue. The victim told police she had been across the street from Wells Fargo Bank “near a small group of Occupy Oakland protesters calling for a riot,”. She said that she “suggested” they not riot in her neighborhood.

The woman told police that three protesters then surrounded her, battered her, and “yelled vulgar epithets regarding their perception of her sexual orientation.” Additionally, her wallet was stolen.

Documents from the Alameda County District Attorney’s office say the defendants called the woman a ‘Dike’ and used additional derogatory slang terms for lesbians.” The records also say that she was physically injured but not taken to a medical facility.

Yolanda Huang, the attorney representing Davis, said the protesters were leafleting and “engaging people in courteous, civil discussion” at Wells Fargo when the incident started.

Huang said the woman approached a group of protesters and “initiated a verbal altercation.” and that the woman “started using racial slurs, like the N-word” and “accusing people of using crack.”

“Things got a little heated,” Huang said, and the woman grabbed the button on a demonstrator’s jacket. People told her to leave and also tried to restrain the woman, who was “smacking people,” by holding her hand, Huang said. She added that the victim had “prior relations” with some of the other occupiers, but she didn’t elaborate.

Huang said that after the woman used “the N-word,” one of the defendants said, “How would you feel if I called you a bull dyke?”

John Viola, who’s representing Crawford released a statement saying, “These charges are part of a blatant effort” by Oakland police “to discredit and intimidate activists.” He added that the incident has been “exaggerated.”

The preliminary hearing for all three defendants is set to begin March 16.

 

Dems Push Bill to Ban Indefinite Military Detention

Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) and Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) introduced legislation Thursday that would revoke the executive branch’s power to indefinitely detain terror suspects on U.S. soil whether they are citizens or not.

Smith and Udall said that federal law enforcement has proven itself more than capable of handling the threat of terrorism and that federal courts have prosecuted more than 400 terror related cases.

“Our bill would prevent the erosion of our civil liberties and it would strengthen our national security,” Udall said at a news conference introducing the companion bills. “Even in our darkest hours we must ensure that our Constitution prevails.”

President Obama claimed to oppose the military detention provisions in the defense authorization bill but signed it anyway and issued a signing statement indicating that his administration would ignore the military detention provisions.

Sen. Udall said that even if Obama indicated he won’t detain U.S. citizens, the executive branch should not have the ability to wield that power.

“That is the interpretation of just this president,” Udall said. “That policy won’t tie the hands of future administrations.”

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif) is concerned the new legislation would “go too far” by eliminating the option of military custody, spokesman Claude Chafin said.

“Under the guise of providing ‘access’ to civilian courts, the Smith-Udall bill would actually require that foreign terrorists like the underwear bomber be held by civilian authorities and tried in civilian courts as common criminals,” Chafin said. “Those who attack us are not mere criminals, but terrorists. … They should be treated as such.”

Someone should inform Chafin that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the underwear bomber, was tried, found guilty and sentenced to life in prison in a federal court last month.

Sen. Smith said that the legislation would remove any confusion in Congress and the public over the military detention of U.S. citizens by eliminating altogether the executive branch’s ability to detain in military custody all terror suspects captured in the United States.

“More than 10 years later, one thing is clear, Our criminal justice system in the United States is 100 percent adequate to take care of this problem,” Smith said.