[CTRL] Fw: MRC Alert: Networks Distort Terrorist Surveillance Into 'Domestic Spying'

[Bill Bacon]

-Caveat Lector-

Networks Distort Terrorist Surveillance Into 'Domestic Spying' --1/18/2007-- 
Media Research Center
- Original Message - 
From: Media Research Center 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2007 07:14
Subject: MRC Alert: Networks Distort Terrorist Surveillance Into 'Domestic 
Spying'


  top 
   
 

  A usually-daily report, edited by Brent H. Baker, CyberAlert 
is distributed by the Media Research Center, the leader since 1987 in 
documenting, exposing and neutralizing liberal media bias.
 
 


The 2,341st CyberAlert. Tracking Liberal Media Bias Since 1996
7:15am EST, Thursday January 18, 2007 (Vol. Twelve; No. 11)
   


--
 
  1. Networks Distort Terrorist Surveillance Into 'Domestic Spying' 
  The announcement Wednesday from Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, that 
the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) would now approve of 
surveillance actions under the Terrorist Surveillance Program, prompted a 
return to the bad network habit of describing as domestic spying and 
domestic eavesdropping the effort to monitor communication between people 
inside the United States and suspected terrorists abroad. With Domestic 
Spying on screen, ABC World News anchor Charles Gibson cited a major reversal 
today by the Bush administration in the war on terrorism. Two years ago, you 
may recall, the administration maintained it had the right to spy on people in 
the United States, without court approval. Today, however, the Justice 
Department said there will be no such surveillance of people in this country 
without court approval. The CBS Evening News put Domestic Eavesdropping on 
screen. 

  2. Sawyer Speaks to 16 Female Senators: No War If Women Ran World? 
  Wednesday's Good Morning America ran a taped session from Washington, DC 
of co-host Diane Sawyer speaking with all 16 female members of the Senate. The 
January 17 interview, broken up into two segments, ranged from silly questions, 
such as whether more women leaders could result in less war, to queries about 
whether America is too prejudiced to accept a female President. One question 
that did go unasked is whether Senator Barbara Boxer, who didn't appear on 
camera, should apologize for her recent insinuation that Secretary of State 
Condoleezza Rice is oblivious to the effects of war because she doesn't have 
children. One would think that in a group of professional women this would be 
an important topic. Apparently not. Sawyer began by asking the assembled ladies 
whether or not more women Presidents would lead to peace: Do you believe that 
if there were more women Presidents in the world, there would be less war? How 
sure are you that there would be less war? Later, she pressed the Senators: 
There was a Newsweek poll recently that showed that 35 percent of American 
people do not think America is ready for a woman President. It doesn't mean 
they're saying they wouldn't vote, they just don't think America is ready. Are 
you all absolutely confident?

  3. ABC's 'Boston Legal' Takes Cheap Shots at GOP and Dick Cheney 
  Tuesday's Boston Legal prime time drama on ABC was packed full of 
political jabs at congressional Republicans and Vice President Cheney. 
Buffoonish conservative lawyer Denny Crane (played by William Shatner) was 
placed on the No Fly List and when liberal lawyer Alan Shore (played by 
James Spader) asked if Crane had called for help, he responded: Well, I can't 
get anybody. I called Tom DeLay, his number's disconnected. Foley has got his 
hands full, Frist said, Don't take it personally. I called Clarence Thomas; 
his office said he was indisposed. Shore then asked, Have you tried going 
right to the top? Crane replied: Cheney? Shore also linked being red, white 
and blue with not reading newspapers and got in a slap at Cheney in a quip 
about avoiding the rich friend who will take you to his quail ranch and let 
you shoot him. 


--



  Networks Distort Terrorist Surveillance 
  Into 'Domestic Spying' 

   The announcement Wednesday from Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, 
that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) would now approve of 
surveillance actions under the Terrorist Surveillance Program, prompted a 
return to the bad network habit of describing as domestic spying and 
domestic eavesdropping the effort to monitor communication between people 
inside the United States and suspected terrorists abroad. With Domestic 
Spying on screen, ABC World News anchor Charles Gibson cited a major reversal 
today by the Bush administration in the war on terrorism. Two years ago, you 
may recall, the administration maintained it had the right to spy on people in 
the United States, 

[CTRL] Fwd: [smashthestate] DEA Raids W.Hollywood Medpot Dispensaries

[RoadsEnd]

-Caveat Lector-



Begin forwarded message:


From: baudmax [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: January 19, 2007 5:57:54 AM PST
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [smashthestate] DEA Raids W.Hollywood Medpot Dispensaries
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]


DEA RAIDS WEHO POT CLUBS

January, 18, 2007 – Ryan Gierach, West Hollywood

http://wehonews.com/z/wehonews/archive/page.php?articleID=1097

WeHo Sheriffs providing support for Federal Drug agents inside this
medical marijuana dispensary in West Hollywood, one of five pot clubs
raided on Jan. 17, 2007. Photo by Ryan Gierach.

Federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officers conducted five
simultaneous raids on Medical Marijuana dispensaries operating inside
the City of West Hollywood at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 17,  
2007.


“We were informed earlier today of a raid about to happen at 3  
o’clock,”

Council Member Jeffrey Prang told WeHoNews. “West Hollywood Sheriffs
declined to participate in the raid, but have provided public
safety/crowd control and traffic support.”

The City of West Hollywood, just the night before, had strengthened  
its

Medical Marijuana ordinance by creating a land use category and new
regulations for the dispensaries, which supply a commodity to which  
the

City strongly supports safe access. For that story, click here...Pot
Clubs Limited, Regulated

Six clubs currently dispense Medicinal Cannabis under the State’s
Medical Use of Marijuana Initiative Statute, the legislative name for
1996’s voter-enacted Proposition 215.

“The City of West Hollywood has had a long-standing commitment to the
compassionate use of medical marijuana for those persons who are  
facing

catastrophic illnesses,” said City Manager Paul Arevalo. The DEA’s
enforcement of federal drug laws against the dispensaries conflicts  
with

Proposition 215, a ballot measure approved by the California voters in
1996 decriminalizing the use of medical marijuana.

Protesters holding a banner in front of a West Hollywood medical
marijuana club that was raided by DEA agents. Don Duncan, ASA
coordinator for Southern California, stands in the background on his
cell phone. Photo by Ryan Gierach.

Many clubs in the area were being raided, according to Americans For
Safe Access Southern California (ASA) coordinator Don Duncan,  
“There are
between 11 and 13 dispensaries in Southern California being raided  
right

now as we speak, five of them in West Hollywood.”

As of this writing, no arrests had been announced. Employees were  
being

checked for outstanding warrants and released. Managers, according to
released employees, were being detained.

Employees of two clubs told WeHoNews what happened to them.

“I was in back and I heard a ruckus and yelling,” Mitch Duncan of
Fairfax Healing Services said. “I came out front to face bunch of
tactical weapons pointed at me. They told me to get on the ground. It
was real scary; I looked up into the barrel of a gun.”

Mike Combs told WeHoNews that the managers in the Farmacy, where he
works, were detained. “There were about nine employees working  
today. We
all had to identify ourselves and state our names into a camera for  
them.”


This door once secured the AHHS medical marijuana dispensary, until  
DEA

agents raided the pot cluc in West Hollywood. Photo by Ryan Gierach.

He described chaos when the raid happened, too. “They were yelling  
‘This

is a raid! Get on the floor! Don’t resist. This is a raid!’”

The clubs raided were 7828 Santa Monica - Alternative Herbal Health,
7825 Santa Monica - Medical Marijuana Pharmacy, 7901 Santa Monica -  
West

Hollywood Caregivers, 8464 Santa Monica - California Cannabis Pharmacy
and 8921 Sunset - West Hollywood Center for Compassionate Healing.

The fact that a cluster of clubs exist near the corner of Fairfax and
Santa Monica: Fairfax, the Farmacy and Alternative Herbal Health
Services (AHHS), caused Orange Grove and SMB to become a protest spot,
with employees and supporters from across the city holding banners and
signs.

Eva O. an employee at the only club in the city not raided, Los  
Angeles
Patients’ and Caregivers’ Group (LAPCG), expressed her displeasure.  
“I’m

disappointed that they won’t even tell us why they’re doing this.”

Mike Combs, standing near to her, said the DEA agents told him “what
you’re doing is illegal and state law has nothing to do with what  
we are

doing. We’re federal. We’re just doing our jobs.”

These protesters stood outside a West Hollywood medical marijuana
dispensary that had been raided by the DEA an hour earlier. Photo by
Ryan Gierach.

Also on Tues., the day before this raid, the Los Angeles Police
Commission voted to support a moratorium on new marijuana dispensaries
and institute tougher regulations of existing enterprises, even as
Police Chief William J. Bratton promised to work with federal
authorities to prosecute businesses found to be violating the law.  
It's
my intent to get rid of these places, Bratton said after the  
commission

voted. 24