Mirror Editor Fired Over Iraqi Abuse Photos
Despite mounting expert criticism of the pictures, and a statement by the government Thursday that they were fake, Morgan insisted his stories of abuse by troops were accurate.


"The pictures accurately illustrated the reality about the appalling conduct of some British troops," he said.

Unbelievable (I guess, in the media, the ends justify the means).

'Senior officers from the regiment accused the Mirror of putting the lives of British soldiers at risk. One picture showed a soldier apparently urinating on a prisoner.


"That photograph was a mocked-up fake and it wasn't taken in Iraq. This is a deadly serious business because people's lives have been placed in jeopardy by what has turned out to be utter and complete nonsense," Sheldon said.



Can we investigate Kerry's self confessed war atrocities?


WASHINGTON — A nationwide probe into child pornography trafficking using Internet file-sharing networks has resulted in 1,000 investigations and at least 65 arrests, federal officials announced Friday.


The broader investigation centers on the growing use of "peer-to-peer," or P2P (search), networks that allow users to connect computers directly with one another to exchange files rather than using traditional Internet servers that are easier to track.

"No one should be able to avoid prosecution for contributing to the abuse and exploitation of the nation's children," Attorney General John Ashcroft (search) said.

Agents from the Justice Department (search), FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, sometimes working undercover, have infiltrated many of the networks in the past few months to identify people involved in distribution of child pornography.

Charges against the 65 people arrested so far have included possession and distribution of child pornography and sexual abuse of children. The 1,000 investigations have involved more than 350 searches of computers and other property, officials said.

Among the specific cases:

—Jimmy Richard Morrison faces federal pornography distribution charges in Wyoming alleging he was a P2P client named "Pedokiller." Authorities said that Morrison used the P2P networks because police were known to be examining Internet chat rooms for child pornography activity.

—Mathew Fling was indicted in New York in February for child pornography in an investigation that also led to allegations that Fling molested two girls, ages 6 and 8, during the past four years. Fling faces state charges in the molestation case.

—A P2P investigation in Lincoln, Neb., led to the arrest of Jeremiah Zalesky on charges that he molested the daughter of a couple with whom he was staying. Child pornography images were later found on his computer, officials said.

The maximum sentence for a federal child pornography distribution conviction is 20 years in prison.


Can't we just send them to Iraq wearing placards that say,"Allah sucks"?
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,119984,00.html


Congressional Hearing On Same Sex Marriages Shows True Colors of Some Congressmen

CAPITOL HILL - The hearing started off on a biblical note with the amendment's sponsor, Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO) explaining the main reason why traditional marriage must be saved.

Musgrave said, "We are created as male and female, and for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined with his wife and the two shall become one in the mystical, spiritual, and physical union we call marriage."

This hearing is part of an overall plan by Republicans on the Hill to build support for a federal marriage amendment. The fear is that if they stop holding hearings on this, support for an amendment will slip because it will not be on the congressional agenda anymore.

Well, it was certainly front and center on Thursday, and on display were the passionate arguments from both sides. Lawmakers pressed gay Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) throughout the hearing.

Congressman Steve King (R-IA) said, "If we don't draw the line here at this point with a constitutional amendment, then where and how and under what legal circumstances could a line be drawn somewhere between homosexual marriage and bigamy, polygamy and group marriage?"

Congressman Frank says there is a line to draw. "You do say, yes, that two consenting adults that could be an element of social stability, but if you get into three and four or five, no, that has inherent difficulties, that's not the way for children."

King asked, "So you would draw the line at two people?" Frank responded, "Yes."

Then the issue turned toward the Bible, with Frank saying marriage has not always been between one man and one woman. He said, "It is often been between at least one man and at least one woman. Figures such as Joshua or Abraham in the Bible, for instance, were in that situation."

Later in the hearing, Congressman John Hostettler (R-IN) took issue with this comparison, saying Abraham was married to just one woman. And while on the subject, he brought up how homosexual behavior has in part led to the destruction of a society.

Hostettler said, "You will admit that there is biblical precedent for a former residence of Abraham's nephew Lot, and an adverse impact on society in the case of Sodom."

Then the issue turned to a study done by secular social scientist Stanley Kurtz, which details how gay civil unions in Scandinavian countries have contributed to the decline of heterosexual marriage and the rise of out-of-wedlock births. Jay Sekulow, from the American Center for Law and Justice, cited that survey, to make the point that if you let marriage be anything you want, it loses its special purpose.

Sekulow said, "The uniqueness of the relationship as viewed by the state, changes; therefore, those entering into it view the uniqueness as no longer important, and that's why you're seeing an increase in the amount of out-of-wedlock births. That's why you're seeing a decrease in the number of marriages. It's the uniqueness of it and the special categories on which it was based, and the special protections on which it was based, that have been removed. And that's not a trend for four years, that's been a trend in the context of Europe for about 15."

Frank responded, "They haven't had same-sex marriage in these countries for 15 years."


Sekulow disagreed, and both men continued to argue the point.

Finally, Congressman Melissa Hart (R-PA) interrupted the discussion by saying, "I think I'm asking the questions here."

And Congressman Steve Chabot (R-OH) asked for order in the court.

Minutes later, the Kurtz research came up again.

Congressman Tom Feeney (R-FL) commented, "I would ask for unanimous consent that the Kurtz's research be submitted as part of the record because that does show..."

But Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) said, "I object to that travesty. I withdraw my objection. I was just emotional."

But just a moment later, Congressman Nadler again laid into the Kurtz research. "I think the last hearing showed pretty conclusively that as a matter of social research, that Mr. Kurtz's work is a piece of garbage, actually."

Clearly the issue of homosexual marriage is a contentious topic on Capitol Hill. Voters, however, are heavily opposed to it. And it is almost certain to be the top cultural issue in this year's elections.

House Approves Resolution: U.S. Courts Cannot Judge Based on Foreign Law

A House subcommittee has approved a resolution to make it clear that the court decisions in the United States should not be based on foreign laws. Recently, there has been a growing movement in the courts to cite laws from other countries as a basis for the decisions judges come to, in cases before them. The backers of the resolution say Article VI of the U.S. Constitution clearly states that the Constitution and the laws of the United States are the supreme law of the land. Yet, six Supreme Court justices have written or joined opinions that cited foreign authorities, including courts in Jamaica, India, Zimbabwe, and the European Union, to justify their decisions. This legislation does not have the rule of law, rather it would simply be an affirmation that the U.S. House of Representatives recognizes that U.S. decisions should not be based on foreign court decisions.

Harkin Introduces 'No Junk Food' Bill for U.S. Public Schools

Democratic Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) has introduced a bill that removes candy, chips and other snack foods from the vending machines in the nation's public schools. The bill would give the Department of Agriculture the authority to regulate sales of junk food at schools. It would also provide grants to schools so they could provide healthier food alternatives. At the press conference announcing the bill, there was also a survey released by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which showed that 75 percent of the drinks and 85 percent of snacks sold in school vending machines are of poor nutritional value. Critics of the bill say this is "legislative lunacy." The Center for Individual Freedom has criticized it, saying that the federal government shouldn't be involved in decisions like this. Instead, it should be up to local school districts and the parents.