Beyond the Hedges

3/10/11 6:00pm

National

Illinois governor bans capital punishmentIllinois Governor Pat Quinn signed a bill to abolish capital punishment on Wednesday, making Illinois the 16th state to do so. Quinn, a Democrat, said he signed it because there is no way to design a perfect death penalty system that is free from wrongful convictions or discriminatory treatment. Quinn added that signing the bill was his most difficult decision as governor. The bill originated from debates about a dozen death row prisoners who had been wrongfully convicted. It was passed by the state legislature in January and sent to Quinn for his signature. As a result of the approved bill, those on death row will now face life sentences without the possibility of parole. In addition, the new law allocates funds to law enforcement and services for the families of victims. Multiple Illinois Democrats disagreed with the ban, including Lisa Madigan, the state's attorney general, who said she believed that the death penalty should be a punishment reserved for the most severe crimes. However, many victims' families signed a letter to the legislature in support of the bill because they said the current trial-and-appeal process was too lengthy and painful and often didn't result in the intended punishment.

Source: The New York Times

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Obama administration no longer supports challenges to DOMA

The Obama administration announced that it will no longer oppose court challenges to the Defense of Marriage Act. Signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996, this act prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages for purposes of taxes, Social Security and other programs. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder explained the administration's new stance on the issue in a letter to House Speaker John Boehner. According to Holder, the Justice Department will instruct most courts that are still tackling challenges to the act that the administration no longer supports such challenges. However, Holder said recent lawsuits against the act have caused President Obama and the Justice Department to conduct a reevaluation of the law. Obama sees the law as unfair but has yet to declare his opinion of same-sex marriage. Thus, no definite conclusion has been reached about the act. So far, Holder said the law will remain in effect until repeal by Congress or a final court ruling striking it down.

Source: Bloomberg

Hearings on Islamic fundamentalism held

Peter King, a republican member of the House of Representatives from New York, warned the House Homeland Security Committee about the danger of homegrown Islamic radicalization. King claims that Muslim community leaders are not doing enough to help police and federal officers prevent terrorist attacks. Some have expressed concerns that focusing on Muslims risks further endangering the relationship between Muslim Americans and the rest of the nation, and the White House has said that all extremists should be considered threats to U.S. security, not just Islamic Fundamentalists. Congressman John Dingell, a Michigan democrat, warned King against feeding anti-Muslim sentiments among the general American populace. Several hundred people have gathered in Times Square in New York City to protest the hearings.

Source: BBC

International

Suicide bombings continue in Afghanistan

A suicide bomber killed himself and at least three other people on a playing field in the Faryab Province of Afghanistan on Feb. 26, marking the seventh suicide attack on that country in under a month. The attack happened while a crowd was gathered on the field for buzkashi - an equestrian game. Sources said the bomber was a 17-year-old boy, and his suicide happened just as the spokesman of the National Directorate of Intelligence Lutfullah Mashal held a news conference in Kabul during which he condemned the bombers' recent strategy of attacking civilians. Mashal said most attackers were young men who were persuaded, tricked and threatened into killing themselves. He added that men who killed innocent people in that manner lost honor in the eyes of their fellow citizens.

Source: The New York Times

Stashed cash allows Qaddafi to keep fighting

According to officials, Libyan leader Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi has tens of billions of Libyan dinars, U.S. dollars and other foreign currencies hidden in his Tripoli compound, Bab Al Azizia, and banks around the Libyan capital. These extra funds are helping him continue to fight against rebel forces despite a freeze on many Libyan government assets. Qaddafi has used the money to pay his troops, African mercenaries and political supporters to battle the determined uprising. The large amount of cash has also weakened the effect of economic sanctions on Qaddafi and his government. Sources say this extended capacity to fight could put greater pressure on the U.S. and European leaders to act against Qaddafi. In fact, President Obama held a meeting with his national security team met on Wednesday to determine how to remove Qaddafi. Various solutions, such as the possible creation of a no-flight zone, were raised but no concrete decisions were made.

Source: The New York Times

Retired head of Bolivia's anti-drug unit accused of smuggling cocaine

Rene Sanabria, the former head of Bolivia's main anti-narcotics unit and a top Bolivian security official, pled not guilty on March 2, in a Miami federal court, to charges of conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the U.S. This scandal has forced the administration of Bolivian President Evo Morales to enact a large police crackdown. Sanabria was arrested by U.S. and Panamanian agents and police on Feb. 25, for allegedly smuggling up to 315 pounds of cocaine into the U.S. He was then deported to Miami. Sanabria was serving as a top intelligence adviser to the country's Interior Minister, Sacha Llorenti, at the time of his arrest. Bolivia's Social Defence Deputy Minister Felipe Caceres stated that Bolivia will work with the United States in Sanabria's case. According to his lawyer, Christy O'Connor, Sanabria could face a life sentence if found guilty. Caceres, Bolivia's top anti-drug official, added that 15 other police officials were also being detained for involvement in the drug-smuggling operation. According to officials, quite a few of Sanabria's subordinates were corrupt.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

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