Monday, November 26, 2007

SPB News for Monday.


US obtains Swiss records and flies in British witness in BAE investigation --Washington wants papers from SFO's Saudi inquiry --Britain trying to block questions on payments. US corruption investigators have gone behind the back of Downing Street to fly a British witness to Washington to testify about Saudi arms deals with the UK arms firm BAE Systems, the Guardian can disclose. In a hitherto secret move, Swiss federal prosecutors have also agreed to hand over to Washington financial records linked to the Saudi royal family. The US is seeking - but has so far been refused - more than a million pages of documents seized from BAE, its bankers, Lloyds TSB, and the Ministry of Defence during an investigation by the Serious Fraud Office.

US is 'worst' imperialist: archbishop The Archbishop of Canterbury has said that the United States wields its power in a way that is worse than Britain during its imperial heyday. Rowan Williams claimed that America’s attempt to intervene overseas by "clearing the decks" with a "quick burst of violent action" had led to "the worst of all worlds".
Flight logs reveal secret rendition The secret flight plans of American military planes have revealed for the first time how European countries helped send prisoners, including British citizens, to the Guantanamo Bay prison camp. Despite widespread criticism of alleged human rights abuses and torture at the US base in Cuba, a Sunday Times investigation has shown that at least five European countries gave the United States permission to fly nearly 700 terrorist suspects across their territory.
U.S. could withdraw up to 20,000 troops from Iraq by July U.S. military officials say the improved security situation in Iraq hiring more killer militias will enable the withdrawal of 5,000 U.S. soldiers - the first reduction in overall troop strength since the surge of U.S. forces began in early 2007. U.S. officials have said they could withdraw about 20,000 U.S. troops by July, if the security situation in Iraq permits.
New Buchanan Book Declares 'End of America' "America is coming apart, decomposing, and...the likelihood of her survival as one nation...is improbable -- and impossible if America continues on her current course," declares Pat Buchanan. Specifically, Buchanan contends: Free trade is shipping jobs, factories and technology to China and plunging America into permanent dependency and unpayable debt. One of every six U.S. manufacturing jobs vanished under Bush. --As U.S. wages are stagnant, corporate CEOs are raking in rising pay and benefits 400 to 500 times that of their workers.

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