Korean Dictator's Final Ride Was In a Vintage Lincoln Continental



Korean Dictator's Final Ride Was In a Vintage Lincoln Continental

 Mourners lined the streets of the North Korean capital Pyongyang today, crying and wailing as the funeral procession of their "Dear Leader' Kim Jong-Il, marched slowly through the streets. But a curious detail was that the boxy black hearse that crept through the light snow was a vintage Lincoln Continental.

The choice of a U.S.-made luxury car seems odd for a country that preached a belligerent self reliance, reviled America and was put on President George W. Bush's Axis of Evil list.

Experts at Edmunds.com put the year of the Lincoln at 1976, making the 35-year-old vehicle older than North Korea's 23-year-old new leader Kim Jong-Un.

The choice of an American luxury car for his final ride is consistent with Kim's tastes, despite his regime's propoganda depicting the U.S. as evil, dangerous and violent, and his history of antagonizing numerous American administrations with threats of war and nuclear weapons.

Kim was reported to be a big fan of Hollywood movies, with favorites including the slasher flick "Friday the 13th" and Sylvester Stallone's action film "Rambo." He supposedly owned both in his
collection of over 20,000 films, many of which starred his favorite actress Elizabeth Taylor. Kim was also a known NBA fan. One of his most prized possessions was said to be an autographed Michael Jordan basketball, presented to him by then Secretary of State Madeline Albright at a rare high point in North Korean-American relations.

Appeals court tosses Obama birthplace challenge

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The so-called birther movement was dealt another legal blow Thursday when a federal appeals court tossed out a lawsuit challenging President Barack Obama's U.S. citizenship and his eligibility to serve as commander in chief.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that none of the challengers had legal standing to file the lawsuit on Jan. 20, 2009, the day Obama was inaugurated. The three-judge panel cited various reasons for disqualifying six sets of plaintiffs, who included Obama's political rivals, taxpayers and military personnel.

The birther movement has filed multiple lawsuits over the issue, so far with no success. Its leaders have lost similar challenges before the U.S. Supreme Court and the California Supreme Court.

The U.S. Constitution says only "a natural born citizen" may serve as president. The challengers allege that Obama, whose father was Kenyan, was born in that African country, rather than the U.S. state of Hawaii. They claim his Hawaii birth certificate is a forgery.

The appeals court didn't address the authenticity of the birth certificate, instead ruling that the challengers couldn't show "concrete injury" from the allegations.

The taxpayers listed in the lawsuit, for instance, failed to show how the citizenship question affected any federal taxing and spending provisions.

The lawsuit was filed in 2009 by 40 plaintiffs, including conservative activists Alan Keyes and Wiley Drake, who ran for president and vice president respectively as members of the American Independent Party against Obama in 2008.

They alleged they had standing to file a lawsuit because of their interest in competing in a fair election. Libertarian Party vice-presidential candidate Gail Lightfoot was also a plaintiff.

Judge Harry Pregerson, writing for the three-judge panel, said Keyes and Drake waited too long to file their lawsuit. The election was over and Obama was already sworn in when the lawsuit was filed.

"Once the 2008 election was over and the President sworn in, Keyes, Drake, and Lightfoot were no longer 'candidates' for the 2008 general election," Pregerson wrote. "Plaintiffs' competitive interest in running against a qualified candidate had lapsed."

Orly Taitz, one of the challengers' lawyers, said she would ask the appeals court to convene a special 11-judge panel to reconsider the case. If she's turned down there, she said she would ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case.

Taitz said she has filed similar lawsuits in five states and has two other federal appeals pending in Washington, D.C.

Drones: A deeply unsettling future

The rapid expansion of a drone arms race has emerged both domestically and abroad, leaving everyone vulnerable.

At least 50 countries already have unmanned aerial fleets - and that number is rising every month [EPA]


San Francisco, California - On Sunday, Iran claimed to have taken down a US drone in Iranian airspace - not by shooting it out the sky, but with its cyber warfare team.

Reports confirm that the US believes Iran is now in possession of "one of the more sensitive surveillance platforms in the CIA's fleet", but deny Iran's involvement. Of course, Iran’s claim of overtaking the drone with its cyber warfare team should be tempered with a serious dose of scepticism, as cyber security experts say the facts may not add up. But this is just the latest story in a series of incidents that raises worrying questions about security problems caused by drones. And given the coming proliferation of drone technology both domestically and abroad, this should be a concern to citizens all over the world.

Two years ago the Wall Street Journal reported Iran-funded militants in Iraq were able to hack into drones' live-video feeds with "$26 off-the-shelf software". In another unnerving incident, Wired reported in October that a fleet of the Air Force's drones was infected with a computer virus that captured all of drones' key strokes. Technicians continually deleted the virus to no avail. How did the drones get infected? The military is "not quite sure". Worse, the Air Force's cyber security team didn't even know about the virus until they read about it in Wired.

Wired reported in a separate story that an upcoming Congressional report will detail how hackers broke into the US satellite system. With one satellite, hackers "achieved all steps required to command" it, "but never actually exercised control".

Last summer, a drone caused a scene in the nation's capital, when, as New York Times wrote, "fighter jets were almost scrambled after a rogue Fire Scout drone, the size of a small helicopter, wandered into Washington's restricted airspace". A similar incident took place in Afghanistan where military planes had to shoot down a "runaway drone" when pilots lost control.

The US, of course, leads the world in drone use for both surveillance and combat missions. Attacks are carried out in Pakistan every four days on average. Many times, the US isn't even sure exactly who they are killing. Despite the fact that the location of vast majority of drone bases are classified, journalist Nick Turse pieced together a startling picture of the massive US fleet. He determined that the US has at least 60 drone bases operated by either the US military or the CIA around the world, and "most of these facilities have remained unnoted, uncounted, and remarkably anonymous - until now".

But drone use is not just relegated to US military. Drone manufacturers already command a $94bn market, according to some estimates, and the drone arms race is in full swing. As the Washington Post reported, the constant buzz of drones and threats of attack now dominates the lives of civilians in Gaza. And Turkey plans to have Predator drones in operation by June 2012.

Meanwhile, Chinese contractors unveiled 25 types of unmanned aircraft last year. In all, at least 50 countries now have some sort of unmanned aerial vehicles, and the New York Times reports that "the number is rising every month". That number also includes Iran, which is seeking to upgrade its fleet. Even the Libyan rebels had their own surveillance drone - provided to them by Canadian defence contractors - before they were in full control of their own country.

The technology itself is also developing at an alarmingly rapid pace. The New York Times reports that researchers in the US are working on "shrinking unmanned drones, the kind that fire missiles into Pakistan and spy on insurgents in Afghanistan, to the size of insects", along with oversized drones that can capture video of an entire city. There are birdlike drones, underwater drones, drones within drones, facial recognition drones, and perhaps most terrifying, completely autonomous drones - currently being tested in Georgia - which will require no human control at all.

As Micah Zenko, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, told me last month, "It's a very impressive and responsive tool that should be used sparingly. Even if we’re responsible now, we might not be forever."

But in the US, drones will become yet another way authorities can compromise the privacy of ordinary citizens, as the FAA plans to propose new rules for their domestic flight. As Newsweek reported, police forces and border patrols in the US are buying the technology from defence contractors, and one has already been spotted flying over Houston. Police departments are already using GPS and cell phone tracking without warrants, this will another powerful surveillance weapon in their arsenal. As privacy advocates warn, "drones can easily be equipped with facial recognition cameras, infrared cameras, or open Wi-Fi sniffers". And while these drones will be used for many surveillance purposes (a scary thought in and of itself), contractors admit they are equipped to carry weapons, such as Tasers.

Whether they are being used for surveillance or all-out combat, drones will soon pose serious risks for all of the world's citizens. They can offer governments, police departments, or private citizens unprecedented capabilities for spying, and given their security vulnerabilities, the potential consequences could be endless.

Trevor Timm is an activist and blogger at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. He specialises in free speech issues and government transparency

The Next D.C. Power Brokers.

It’s not too soon to start cozying up to the future stars who will hold the glamour power positions in Washington after next November’s elections. It’s time to stop saying unkind things about those with prospects, even in private. All this good behavior and restraint makes for boring conversations. But business is business. Already, speculations are whispered about the next bunch of winners and losers, all below the radar to be sure. Yes, it is necessary to pay attention to the obvious choices who sometimes, only sometimes, land the predicted jobs. But turn on the radar for the over-the-horizon surprises that inevitably materialize. Be creative, starting at the top of the ladder.

Sure, it’s almost certain Barack Obama will run again and maybe even win. But what if the economy really takes another dip, despite Friday’s announcement that unemployment has come down? And what if he starts to do really terribly in the polls against one of the powerhouse Republican candidates like Mitt Romney or mighty Newt Gingrich? He might just decide to go back to Chicago Law School, in which case, the Democrats have a terrific candidate staring them in the face: Joseph Biden.


Biden has done a magnificent job as the veep. He’s probably handled the negotiations with Republicans over the economy and federal budget better than the president himself. He certainly talks more plainly and effectively to the public than Obama. On foreign policy, Obama would have saved himself a lot of grief had he followed Biden’s advice on many occasions. In particular, a year ago, Biden urged the president to adopt an antiterrorist strategy in Afghanistan rather than pursuing the fruitless and high-troop-level counterinsurgency strategy. Biden would be a very strong candidate against any Republican and wouldn’t carry much of Obama’s baggage.



Whether it’s an Obama or Biden administration in 2013, look for many new faces in key places. If Tom Donilon, whose position is strong, decides to leave his post as national security adviser, the line of likely successors would be long: Denis McDonough, the present deputy, also known as the Lord High Executioner for Obama; Jim Steinberg, recently retired as deputy secretary of state and now at Syracuse; or Harvard’s Joe Nye. Two insiders with the strongest reputations and the most talent are Mike Froman, currently Obama’s international economics adviser in the White House; and Tony Blinken, Biden’s national security chief. Support is also building for Stephen Colbert.

Hillary Clinton is almost certainly leaving the State Department. The three most-talked-about replacements are Sen. John Kerry, who has already undertaken many diplomatic missions for Obama and is chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Susan Rice, the U.N. ambassador; and Brookings president Strobe Talbott. Stephen Colbert is a long shot.


Leon Panetta could keep his post at defense, since the military already loves him for protecting their budget. Other possibles are Ashton Carter; the current No. 2 at the Pentagon; and Center for Strategic and International Studies president John Hamre; or former Navy Secretary Richard Danzig.


Tim Geithner will be leaving the Treasury to return to dreamy Larchmont, N.Y. Two of the strongest contenders to replace him are Vincent Mai, one of Wall Street’s finest, former head of AEA Investors and a Democrat; and David Rubenstein, cofounder of the Carlyle Group. Another possibility is Kenneth Chenault, who runs American Express. Never count out Roger Altman, financial success and former Treasury No. 2.
Other foreign policy and national security stars to watch: Heather Hurlburt, who runs the National Security Network; Suzanne Nossel, who recently left a key post at the State Department; Daniel Feldman of the State Department; foreign-policy expert Nina Hachigian; and defense expert Brian Katulis; and Diamond Derek Chollet, now of the NSC staff. There are also three standouts at the Council on Foreign Relations: Elizabeth Economy on China, Isobel Coleman on international economics, and Julia Sweig on Latin America. The stars from this pack certain to haul in high posts are Jake Sullivan, now director of the State Department Policy Planning staff; and Mathew Spence, formerly special assistant to Tom Donilon

Other foreign policy and national security stars to watch: Heather Hurlburt, who runs the National Security Network; Suzanne Nossel, who recently left a key post at the State Department; Daniel Feldman of the State Department; foreign-policy expert Nina Hachigian; and defense expert Brian Katulis; and Diamond Derek Chollet, now of the NSC staff. There are also three standouts at the Council on Foreign Relations: Elizabeth Economy on China, Isobel Coleman on international economics, and Julia Sweig on Latin America. The stars from this pack certain to haul in high posts are Jake Sullivan, now director of the State Department Policy Planning staff; and Mathew Spence, formerly special Assistant to Tom Donilon.
 
 
For a Republican president, the national security adviser job might go to Richard Haass, now president of the Council on Foreign Relations; Richard Burt, former ambassador to Germany; Dov Zakheim, former senior official in the Pentagon; and a number of senior military officers who have worked closely with Republicans over the years. Good money is also being placed on Nick Burns, the former super diplomat now at Harvard. Burns could serve the Democrats as well.


Foggy Bottom could turn out to be home to Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.); Richard Armitage, former No. 2 at state to Colin Powell; and Jon Huntsman, former ambassador to China and a Republican candidate for president. And if she seeks a return to State Department haunts, Paula Dobriansky will land a top position. Then, of course, there’s Michele Bachmann’s husband, Marcus, who can bring his “pray the gay away” philosophy to American diplomacy.

At the Department of Defense, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina is bound to be high on the list. Mike Mullen, the retired former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, would be a leading candidate along with former four-star Army Gen. David Petraeus, now hidden away at the CIA. Bill Kristol might accept the job if the Department of Defense returns to its old and glorious name, the War Department.

Treasury, a Republican president might well turn to Robert Zoellick, now president of the World Bank and formally a senior official in several Republican administrations. Jamie Dimon, now chairman of JPMorgan Chase and an amateur boxer when he was unemployed for two years, might be another name discussed. Paul Ryan, the Tea Party congressman of draconian budget fame, also will be part of the Treasury mix. A long shot may be former IBM chief Louis Gerstner.


Upcoming foreign-policy stars for the Republicans don’t have a substantial presence in the op-ed pages and journals and at foreign-policy conferences. One name that keeps popping up is Peter Schweizer of the Hoover Institution and someone who helped out half-Gov. Sarah Palin. Former George W. Bush national security adviser on Iraq Brett McGurk, emerging whiz, is also a contender, as is Danielle Pletka of the American Enterprise Institute. And someone named Hannah Montana