Official defends 'lethal force' against US citizens

US Attorney General Eric Holder on Monday defended the government's use of "lethal force," even against American citizens abroad, as part of the effort to protect the nation against terror attacks.

The speech marked the first time a senior US official has publicly justified in legal terms the drone attacks that are believed to have killed at least three US citizens on foreign soil in recent months, including key Al-Qaeda figure Anwar al-Awlaqi.

"Given the nature of how terrorists act and where they tend to hide, it may not always be feasible to capture a United States citizen terrorist who presents an imminent threat of violent attack," Holder said in a speech at a law school in Chicago.

"In that case, our government has the clear authority to defend the United States with lethal force."

Holder said there were circumstances under which "an operation using lethal force in a foreign country, targeted against a US citizen who is a senior operational leader of Al-Qaeda or associated forces, and who is actively engaged in planning to kill Americans, would be lawful."

Such circumstances included that a thorough review had determined the individual posed "an imminent threat of violent attack against the United States" and that "capture is not feasible."

Thirdly, the "operation would be conducted in a manner consistent with applicable law of war principles," Holder told the audience at the Northwestern University School of Law.

"Some have called such operations 'assassinations.' They are not... assassinations are unlawful killings," Holder said.

"Our legal authority is not limited to the battlefield in Afghanistan... We are at war with a stateless enemy, prone to shifting operations from country to country," he added.

"Our government has both a responsibility and a right to protect this nation and its people from such threats." Civil rights groups have cried foul since the killing of Awlaqi in Yemen in September in a US raid.

Some argued it was illegal for the US military to kill an American citizen on the battlefield, following no attempt to indict him. US intelligence officials believed Awlaqi was linked to a US army major charged with shooting dead 13 people in 2009 in Fort Hood, Texas, and to a Nigerian student accused of trying to blow up a US airliner on December 25, 2009.

President Barack Obama said in September that Awlaqi's killing was a "major blow" to Al-Qaeda's Yemeni branch, and marked "another significant milestone in the broader effort to defeat Al-Qaeda and its affiliates."

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) last month filed a lawsuit seeking the release of documents authorizing targeted drone strikes, such as the one on Awlaqi.

US citizen Samir Khan was killed in the same attack on Awlaqi, and Awlaqi's US-born teenage son was killed in October in a separate suspected US air strike in Yemen.

Starved Wisconsin Girl's Statements Detail Her Life

MILWAUKEE (AP) — When the malnourished 15-year-old awoke each morning, she could hear her family eating and getting ready for the day. If she felt especially brave or desperate she would call to her stepmother and beg for food, but usually she just went back to bed and hoped her hunger pangs went away.

The girl was 70 pounds when she was rescued. She told investigators during lengthy interviews at the hospital that most of the food she ate was scraps she found on the floor or in the garbage. She had spent most of five years in the basement of her family's Madison home, where she was beaten and sexually assaulted.

The girl's statements, contained in court documents, paint a troubling picture of physical, mental and sexual abuse. The girl describes running away, only to be found, brought home and threatened. Confined to the basement, she had no one to ask for help. She wasn't allowed to go to school or church, have visitors or talk on the phone.

Dane County officials say the girl is getting help now. She gained 17 pounds after about a week under doctors' care, a criminal complaint said. She has been placed in foster care, and child welfare officials say there's been an outpouring of support from people across the nation, who sent cards and letters.

Her father and stepmother have been charged with child abuse, child neglect and reckless endangerment. The charges carry a maximum combined prison sentence of 11 years, 3 months. The girl's 18-year-old stepbrother is charged with child abuse and child sexual assault and faces 68 years behind bars if convicted.

The three have preliminary hearings set for Thursday morning, and prosecutors say more charges are likely. The Associated Press isn't naming them to avoid identifying the girl. The AP does not usually name victims of sexual assault.

The defendants and their relatives have declined to comment on the charges. The stepbrother's attorney did not immediately return a phone message Monday, and the father and stepmother are still applying for public defenders.

The girl told investigators the abuse started the month she turned 10. Her stepmother beat her, and her stepbrother repeatedly forced her to perform oral sex on him. That's also when the family began keeping her in the basement.

Because it had no bathroom, she said she often bathed in a basement sink that had no hot water and relieved herself in boxes or containers. If she made a mess while doing so, "they will make me eat it. Or drink it or rub it on my face," she said.

She said she was forced to do chores naked and had to call upstairs for permission to eat. She was often told her stepmother was too busy to feed her.

"I know it's a lie," the teen told police. "She's playing with my brother upstairs. I can hear her upstairs watching TV."

She wasted away to 70 pounds. In contrast, police records say her father weighs 240 pounds and her stepmother 370 pounds. The girl implied she could unlock the basement door but said there were motion sensors and an alarm that would draw her stepmother's wrath. Still, she said she fled a couple times, but her parents always found her and threatened to report her to police as a runaway.

Neighbors expressed concern. One called authorities after watching the parents scream at the girl as she was forced to push cement blocks from one side of the yard to the other for no apparent reason. However, the parents blocked county workers from speaking with the girl.

While there might have been more chances to seek help, the girl said she didn't until Feb. 6, when her stepmother threatened to throw her down the stairs. Terrified, barefoot and lightly dressed, the girl bolted through the door and into the cold, wandering aimlessly until a motorist stopped to check on her and eventually contacted police.

"The human brain can only tolerate so much trauma, so much fear," said Ernie Allen, the president of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. "What children in captivity tend to do is figure out whatever they have to do to survive. So we should never be surprised when children don't do heroic things, when they don't try to escape. It's pretty clear that this girl was in a situation in which she had no power, in which every aspect of her life was controlled."

This is a horrific story, hopefully she can begin living a REAL NICE life soon. May God be with her every guiding step, and grant her serenity. This just isn't meant to happen, especially to an innocent little girl. Starvation, her Guardians deserve to be beaten and starved, to teach those sickos Right from Wrong!

Oh Zee

When are Police Gonna Stick to the Script

Stockton, California. What a place to live. That is if your not bothered by the drive by shootings, police brutality, and corruption in the city's foundation. I tend to ignore everything that is not an immediate threat to my livelihood, because I've been through a couple of odd run ins with the Stockton Police Department, and let me tell you, these were not protectors of the public. The things along my own journey that blessed me with enough patience to deal with the bullshit I've had happen to me while living in "The All-American City."

Just recently, I had gone out one night with a friend of mine, well I thought he was a friend. We went to a buddy's of his Auto Shop to talk business. After we pounded a couple of adult beverages, several hours had passed, and now the three of us rode to another friends of his house. At this lady's house we continued to discuss business, in relation to investing in a few of my new start-ups. My buddy Alex tries getting me to drive him home before 2am, otherwise it's all bad for him being that he lives at his parents house still.

"I never drive after drinking, because unlike you, I learn from my mistakes," I told him because of his fifth DUI he received nearly two months prior.

This started an argument, that later turned physical. After defending myself for nearly 30 minutes, catching him off guard a few times with my own heavy hitters. Eventually we were both tired so I went and sat on the curb to catch a breath or two, when I was struck in the back of the head with either the handle of a pistol, or a flat square-ish rock, possibly even a brick and as a result I was knocked unconscious. Face down in the intersection just south of Downtown Stockton is where I laid for Several hours.

While I was out, Alex must have dug into my pockets, and took my keys as well as my wallet and cell phone. He then took my car in an attempt to beat his curfew. When he was driving towards his house, he totaled my car, and ditched it.

When I finally woke up, I was in the San Juaquin County Hospital with no shirt, no hat, no wallet, no phone, and later I found out I no longer had a car.

I walked home from the Hospital and asked my wife, if she drove me to the Hospital. Wow was she mad, furious with me for even leaving the night before, and not calling her all night. Well After I had explained to her the entire story she was more understanding about the missing car not being completely my fault. We had decided to call the Stockton Police Department and Report it Stolen. Several hours passed, before they located the car and called us. They told us where it was and that we had to come and tow it ourselves because it was on Private property.

We were stunned when we finally got to see it, complete disarray, all of my belongings were missing, there was no key, and we are talking about a 2003 All-road with a 2.7 L V6 Bi-Turbo engine, in optimal conditions this beast is boasting nearly 400 Horsepower. More than likely, since my thoughts resonated in my memory that he was the culprit, he was acting strange the whole night.

Later after we took care of the insurance, our insurance company, told us to get a copy of the report from the Police Departrment. When my wife called, they told her there was no report on file. No Report, yet they had record of our call to report the car stolen. So they sent a "sworn officer," to take a report. When the Stockton Police officer arrived, I greeted him, and politely started explaining to him what my issue was. After completing all of the above, the corrupted official told me, "Well, here is what's going to happen, nothing!" "What, why are you telling me nothing? Can you at least write us the report, so our Insurance company can make their diagnosis of the situation." I beckoned with reason. "No, no, no... because I don't feel that a crime has been committed." he said with conviction. "But it doesn't matter what you think, I am telling you facts, I am only asking that you put it into a report." I replied. "We are not going to do that, you got the call log, sorry!" And after he stated this he got into his car and drove off.

Really Didn't want it to come to this

I have been a lot more cordial to ya'll than most People would have.  So understand that there will be no more favors that I "do" for ya'll because you don't appreciate anything.  You are 1 of 6 Billion, what makes you think anybody cares about you.  It's not like you benefit the community one bit, you can't even carry your crews weight, yet you always praise yourself.  It makes one wonder, what are you doing with your life?  I know what I'm doing, and thats why I had to cut ya'll lames off, you were pulling me off my path.  Running in countless circles, Idling in place after you find yourself empty handed from losing the race.  Go ahead and assume you have all the time in the world to make amends, or enough money to save you and your friends.  I am off to save the Wizard, that's it until we meet again.