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Thursday, October 19, 2006

Plane Truth 



Illinois Times Oct. 19:

by C.D.Stelzer

... Despite the clamor of anti-war protesters, few details concerning these Air Force-sponsored flights have been publicized in the United States.

When asked directly, a spokesperson for the AMC at Scott refused to divulge whether CRAF planes specifically carry weapons, preferring instead to generically refer to all cargoes as Defense Department “freight.”

An Atlas Air spokesperson declined to comment, saying only, “As a matter of corporate policy, we do not publicly comment on our customers, their cargo, routes, or schedules.”

There is no doubt, however, that CRAF planes are hauling weapons. In a recent letter obtained by Illinois Times through the office of Irish Sen. David Norris, Irish Minister for Transport Martin Cullen cited five instances in which Polar Air Cargo flights had been granted exemptions by the government to fly weapons or munitions through Irish airspace. ...

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Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Phillie Bust: Able Danger as a Campaign Issue? 

WPVI TV, Philadelphia, Oct. 17:


Federal agents raided the home of U.S. Representative Curt Weldon's daughter and Weldon's friend. The agents pulled into an alley behind Karen Weldon's 3-story home on Queen Street in Philadelphia and came out with armfuls of boxes. Federal agent Jerri Williams wouldn't comment further because the affidavit in the case is sealed. Meantime, in Delaware County, FBI agents blocked off Kelli Lane near

Charles Sexton's house in Springfield and took a box and other material from his home today. Sexton has been an associate of Weldon's for 3 decades and is in business with Weldon's daughter. Last Friday, word broke that the FBI is investigating whether the Delaware County congressman used his influence to help his lobbyist daughter get contracts. Weldon denies that, and says the raids are politically motivated. He is locked in a tight re-election race against Democrat Joe Sestak.

... Weldon, regarded by some as a foreign policy expert, has clashed at times with the Bush administration. In the last year, he has repeatedly said a secret military unit called "Able Danger" used data-mining to link four Sept. 11 hijackers to al-Qaida more than a year before the attacks. A Pentagon report rejected the idea. ...

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