American Muslim travelers these days face denial of ‘forced exile’, no due process and pressure to become informants – just for the unintentional crime of travel. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today issued a travel advisory to American Muslims warning of the risk of "forced exile" when traveling overseas or attempting to return to the United States. CAIR is also urging Muslim travelers to know their legal rights if they are placed on the so-called "no-fly list." In the past few months, CAIR has received a number of reports of American Muslims stranded overseas when they are placed on the government's no-fly list. Those barred from returning to the United States report being denied proper legal representation, being subjected to FBI pressure tactics to give up the constitutionally-guaranteed right to remain silent, having their passports confiscated without due process, and being pressured to become informants for the FBI.
Whistleblower Debbie Crawford manages the mssparky.com website from her Washington home. Crawford is the journeyman electrician who spent two years working for war contractor Kellog Brown & Root in Iraq and was not happy to hear about her employer’s arrogant attitude toward the troops and overall sloppy ethics. So she started a blog mssparky.com – Ms. Sparky is slang for a female electrical engineer. Five weeks later, after a Senate staffer saw her post, Crawford testified before Congress to poor management and poor workmanship by KBR in Iraq, including subcontracting electrical work to locals. When Oregon veterans of the Iraq war appear in federal court in Portland today in their chemical-exposure lawsuit against KBR, they join a wide group of plaintiffs suing KBR -- over electrocutions, burn pits and sexual assault. Much of what connects them all is Ms. Sparky.
And Paulo The Octopus is officially returning to private life. After accurately predicting 8 out of 8 World Cup matches the cephalopod is retiring to "spend more time with his family"...That's what they all say...
- KBOO