Beyond The Hedges

11/18/10 6:00pm

National

Guantanamo detrainee tried in U.S. civilian court

Tanzanian Ahmed Ghailani is the first Guantanamo detainee to be tried in U.S. Civilian court. After being cleared of 285 other terror charges, Ghailani was found guilty of conspiracy to damage or destroy U.S. property with explosives. Ghailani, who was involved in the 1998 bombing of the U.S. embassy in Tanzania, faces a minimum charge of 20 years in prison. The embassy attack was considered to be one of the first demonstrations of the Al-Qaeda's international strength.

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Source: BBCRangel found guilty for House rules violations

Democratic New York Representative Charlie Rangel was found guilty of 11 House rules violations by the House ethics subcommittee. The veteran congressman was re-elected this month despite facing 13 charges at the time. His charges included failing to pay taxes for his Dominican home and improper use of government mail service. First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1970, he stepped down from his position as Ways and Means Committee chairman amid an ethics probe earlier this year.

Source: CNN

Reid to end "Don't ask, don't tell"

Senate majority leader Harry Reid of Nevada said he would push for a military bill that would authorize the Pentagon to repeal the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy. The policy bars openly gay and lesbian individuals from serving in the U.S. armed forces. The White House also spoke out stating President Obama's support for the repeal of the policy. Senator Reid is expected to take the bill to the floor sometime in December.

Source: The New York Times

International

Death sentence of Hussein ally opposed

Iraq President Jalal Talabani declared Wednesday his opposition to the death sentence of Tariq Aziz. 74-year-old Aziz was the highest ranking Christian in Saddam Hussein's inner circle. Formerly Iraqi foreign minister, Aziz was sentenced in October for allegedly playing a role in the persecution, killing and torture of Shiite opposition members, who now control the government. Death sentences must be ratified by the president before they can be carried out, but support for the sentence from Talabani's deputies and the Iraqi parliament would bypass the president's decision.

Source: Associated Press

First case of avian flu since 2003 confirmed in China

Hong Kong has confirmed its first case of bird flu in humans in seven years. The first international bird flu outbreak among humans started in 1997 and ended in 2003. Tested positive for Influenza A, a variant of the original H5N1 strain, 59-year old woman was hospitalized in serious condition after a visit to mainland China. Health officials are working to determine where she originally contracted the virus and monitoring the people she has been in contact with. The Hong Kong government has raised its flu response level to serious, but Hong Kong Secretary for Food and Health York Chow said that they have not confirmed human-to-human transmission.

Source: Bloomberg

Britain offers help to Irish economy

European countries have been trying to bailout Ireland from debt as the euro faces a crisis of confidence. The push intensified as Britain, who does not use the euro and insisted it should not be expected to rescue economies in the Eurozone, offered to aid its neighbor across the Irish Sea. Ireland is a major market for British exports. Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said that it was in Britain's best interest to help the Irish economy. However, the Irish government has so far resisted attempts at financial aid.

Source: Los Angeles Times

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