Necessary News

All you need to know to sound brilliant

“Survival Sex:” The U.S. And Iraqi Refugees

• It’s being labeled as “the biggest refugee problem we have at the current time:” 4.2 million Iraqis have fled their country since the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003. [AFP]
• And on Tuesday, a UN official shed light on a tragic, often unseen facet of the tragedy — the increasing rate young Iraqi women being sold as sex slaves in the name of survival.
• Essentially, families make available young girls for “a traditional marriage ceremony” for the weekend to men who are prepared to pay and “the divorce takes place on Sunday in accordance to traditional practices.” Although these trysts may be labeled as “weekend marriages,” they’re nothing short of forced prostitution. Many of the women who engage in the practice, particularly single women heading households, have often no other choice to feed their children.
• Meanwhile, the U.S. government is “unforgivably slow” in resettling Iraqi refugees and has failed to coordinate with its Arab allies to address the suffering of displaced Iraqis, according to a report released Tuesday by a leading Washington-based refugee advocacy group.
• Despite talk of allowing 7,000 Iraqi refugees into the U.S. this year, only 1,608 had been admitted by the end of September and another 450 entered in October. [McClatchy]

Redefining tragedy.

Airport Security: No Shampoo, Yes Bomb Components

• You might want to pack an extra Xanax for your Thanksgiving travels next week: A new report released yesterday by the Government Accountability Office shows gaping holes in security at U.S. airports. [CBS News] [The GAO Report]
• Earlier this year, the GAO sent investigators to 19 different airports. Their undercover agents were successfully able to get through security with components for making bombs and IEDs (improvised explosive devices).
• They bought the bomb parts from local stores and over the Internet for about $150.
• From the report: “Our tests clearly demonstrate that a terrorist group, using publicly available information and a few resources, could cause severe damage to an airplane and threaten the safety of passengers.”
• In one particularly horrifying instance, airport screeners demanded an agent get rid of his regulation-sized bottle of shampoo…but didn’t blink at the bottle containing the liquid component for one of the bombs.
• Another agent filled his pockets with coins to force the security checkpoint workers to give him a more thorough search. They waved a wand…and still missed the bomb components hidden on his person.
• So what’s the solution? The GAO says we need more aggressive screenings, more surprise, unpredictable checks, and development of better checkpoint technology.

Oh, and former CIA director James Woolsey also announced yesterday the U.S. hasn’t done much to prep for another anthrax attack here, too. Sigh. Better make that *two* Xanax.

Dirty Family Laundry Discovered At State Department

THE STORY

• In House Oversight Committee hearings yesterday, Rep. Henry Waxman uncovered an interesting new tidbit in his investigation into State Department Inspector General Howard Krongard.
• Krongard is accused (in part) of turning a blind eye to charges that contractor Blackwater was smuggling illegal weapons into Iraq.
• Now we find out Krongard’s brother sits on Blackwater’s advisory board. You really can’t make this kind of thing up. [TPM]
• Back Story: In a 13-page letter sent to Krongard in September, Rep. Henry Waxman charged the IG “interfered with ongoing investigations to protect the State Department and the White House from political embarrassment.” [Washington Post]
• The letter to Krongard also stated “your strong affinity with State Department leadership and your partisan political ties have led you to halt investigations, censor reports and refuse to cooperate with law enforcement agencies.”
• Example: Krongard refused to let investigators go to Iraq to check out $3-billion-worth of State Department contracts.
• Example: The contractor the State Department hired to build the U.S. embassy in Iraq, First Kuwaiti, made workers into slaves, lying to foreign employees about where they’d be working, shipping them to Iraq then confiscating their passports so they couldn’t escape. Krongard used “highly irregular” procedures to let the company off the hook.
• Example: Krongard “impeded efforts” by his investigators “to cooperate with a Justice Department probe into allegations that a large private security contractor was smuggling weapons into Iraq.” That “private security contractor” was later discovered to be Blackwater, natch. [The Hill]
• Also, two career investigators came forward to say that “they were threatened with firing if they cooperated with a congressional probe” of State Department Inspector General Howard J. Krongard. [Washington Post]

THE AUDIO

• REP. ELIJAH CUMMINGS: Now, here’s a second document. This is a September 5 email that Eric Prince sent to your brother. It says, quote, “Welcome, and thank you for accepting the invitation to be a member of the board.” Now, my question is this. Did you know that your brother, Buzzy Krongard, is a member of Blackwater’s advisory board?
• HOWARD KRONGARD: Sir, I dispute that. As far as I know that is not correct.
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• HOWARD KRONGARD: Yes. I have been brusque. I have been shrill. I have been hard on people. I abusive may be strong because I didn’t intend to abuse anybody.
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Very. Bad. Man.

Gitmo Detainee Manual Reveals Red Cross Evasion

• How does the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay really work? Well, let’s check the manual. [Wired]
• The manual of standard operating procedures for the terrorist holding facility at Guantanamo Bay has surfaced on the internet, and it reveals some potentially shady practices regarding Red Cross access to detainees.[WikiLeaks]
• In 2006, the Bush White House defended their human rights record at Guantanamo by touting their cooperation with the International Red Cross in allowing them “full access to the detainees.” [White House]
• But according to the 2003 “Camp Delta Standard Operating Procedures” manual, detainees were classified according to their “levels of ICRC [International Committee of the Red Cross] contact.”
• These levels ranged from “Unrestricted” to “No Access"—meaning that it was likely that certain detainees were barred access to Red Cross investigators.
• Says Jamil Dakwar, advocacy director of the ACLU’s Human Rights program, “That actually raises a lot of concerns about the administration’s genuineness in terms of allowing ICRC full access, as was promised to the world...They are the only organization that has access to the detainees, and this raises a lot of questions.”
• Even this level of restricted access did not prevent a 2004 Red Cross investigation from concluding that the interrogation and detainment practices at the facility were “tantamount to torture” and that “doctors and other medical workers at Guantánamo were participating in planning for interrogations [in a] flagrant violation of medical ethics.'’ [NY Times]

Full cooperation with the Red Cross ensures their ability to keep our own soldiers safe whencaptured by enemies. So much for supporting our troops.

North America Is Taking A CO2 Bath

• A note from Mic Check: Stop building highways, start planting trees. A new report issued by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program has found that “North America’s ability to absorb global-warming gases created by the USA, Canada and Mexico is smaller than some experts thought and likely to shrink further.” [USA Today]
• The study estimates the continent produces three to four times more carbon dioxide than its forests, croplands, wetlands and coastal waters can soak up. What happens to the rest of those nasty gases? They rest adds to the warming.
• And as you may have expected, we’re the biggest offenders. The USA creates 85% of North America’s total and is the world’s largest emitter. Canada, meanwhile, produces 9%, and Mexico, 6%.
• Plants, trees, soil, water and other components absorb only about one-fourth of the continent’s carbon emissions.
• The sad thing is, this information is nothing new. In fact, most of it is an echo of what was found in previous studies, including the landmark research completed by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The IPCC will issue its final report Saturday in Spain, synthesizing its conclusions on the eve of the United Nations’ annual climate conference, set for Dec. 3 in Indonesia.

Start hugging those trees. Because they’re not going to be around for long.

Good News, Bad News

A judge yesterday ruled O.J. Simpson has to stand trial on the charges of Kidnapping and Armed Robbery. If he’s convicted, he faces life in prison. [New York Times]

Bad News: Get ready for a lot of TV coverage starring the old cast of characters like Marcia Cross, Greta VanSustren and Mark Furman.

Good News: Isn’t this a little like finally getting Al Capone on tax evasion?

Quote Of The Day

“How do we beat the bitch?”

“That’s an excellent question.”

— An exchange between a McCain supporter and McCain himself. Classy. [Queerty]

Speed Round

AUDIO: SPITZER

Eliot Spitzer announces New York will abandon its new plan to provide a tiered system of licenses for immigrants. [CBS News]

AUDIO: SPITZER

In his speech, Spitzer rails against the “toxic” partisan atmosphere that prevents meaningful solutions to mend the immigration system.

AUDIO: MUKASEY IS OFFICIAL

Michael Mukasey swears in as Attorney General.

AUDIO: BUSH LOVES MUKASEY

President Bush praises Gonzo’s replacement.

OUT OF IRAQ

The House passes a $50 billion Defense appropriations bill 218-203 to immediately “redeploy troops and not to extend or prolong the war” in Iraq. [AP]

CURES OF THE CLONES

Researchers in Oregon clone a monkey embryo and collect a batch of stem cells from it, a feat that they claim could be repeated in humans. [Washington Post]

PAKISTAN

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright says Bush’s Pakistan policy is “incoherent.” That’s not the only thing. [Raw Story]

MR. BIG

Mr. Big may love Carrie, but he’s not so fond of Republicans. Actor Chris Noth recently told US Weekly: “In terms of their corruption and their insensitivity to what’s really needed in our society, they’re repugnant. There may be a few good ones out there, but I haven’t read of any.” [US Magazine]

CHECKMATE

Members of the U.S. World Bridge Championship Team caused a stir in Shanghai – during the awards dinner, the women held up a “crudely lettered sign” written on the back of a menu reading, “We did not vote for Bush.” [NY Times]

LORD OF THE DANCE

Examiner: What CD are you listening to now? Newt Gingrich: “Riverdance” [Yeas and Nays]

18.7 TO 20.8

The rate, per 100,000, that veterans commit suicide. That’s compared to other Americans, who did so at the rate of 8.9 per 100,000. [CBS]

WE WON’T HOLD OUR BREATHS

“Bush promises to rebuild Justice Department” [AP]

TRAGEDY

A 7.7 earthquake rocks Chile, killing at least 2 people. [USA Today]

BLAME CANADA

As the dollar drops, Canadian imports are going sky high. Seriously — pot’s getting a lot more expensive. [On Deadline]

THE STREET

The NYSE’s John Thain is tapped to head up embattled bank Merrill Lynch. [NY Times]