The case of Major Nidal Hassan has shocked the nation as his apparent Fort Hood shooting rampage highlights how the military could have missed the warning signs and an emerging possible threat from Muslim soldiers. As the accusations begins to fly in political circles and a series of investigations are being conducted into the matter the biggest question being asked is: why?
Numerous reports have begun to surface about the overall conduct of Hassan over the last several years. Some good examples of this can be seen by looking no further than an Army report that was conducted on Hasan when he was doing his residency at Walter Reed Medical Center in 2007. With the report claiming how he lacked professionalism and did not use good judgment. These warnings signs only become even more troublesome when you consider the facts that Hasan regularly missed work, failed important exams, was reprimanded for inappropriate religious discussions and the fact that he communicated with a Muslim cleric in Yemen only shows how no one was able to figure what was happening. Had any one of Hasan’s superiors been able to piece together what occurring he more than likely would not be in the Army much less in the medical profession.
Washington seems to have hit the mother lode after its lawsuit against Swiss banking giant UBS produced the names of 500 American account holders, with promises of thousands more. The potential threat of Department of Justice (DOJ) investigations led nearly 15,000 wealthy Americans to take advantage of the government’s tax amnesty program which expired in October. In any given year only about 100 individuals turn themselves in to IRS investigators. According to U.S. law, any offshore accounts in excess of $10,000 must be reported to the government.
According to U.S. Deputy Attorney General David Ogden, “The message to American taxpayers is clear: the era of bank secrecy and hidden assets is over.”
Though the tax amnesty program was available to American account holders in more than 70 countries, the successful prosecution of six UBS clients under an earlier disclosure settlement seems to have opened the floodgates. UBS alone is preparing to release the names and information on some 4,450 American-held accounts after being sued this past February over the names of as many as 52,000 potential U.S. tax cheats. Clients of other well-known institutions like Credit Suisse Group AG and HSBC Holdings have also come forward about offshore holdings.
Seven years ago the Elizabeth Smart case was one of the most bizarre kidnapping cases in American history. Where Smart, was abducted by Eileen Barzee and Brian David Mitchell from her Salt Lake City home at knife point.
The two then took Smart up to the mountains above Salt Lake City and began to take her as a polygamist wife resulting in the brutal rape of the young girl. Nine months later she was seen walking down the street of local suburb with the pair.
A new twist has taken place in this bizarre case; Eileen Barzee is scheduled to appear in Federal Court to plead guilty to the kidnapping charge and is expected to receive a life sentence.
This follows years of various legal issues for the two, with both being declared in 2003 mentally unfit to stand trail in state court.
After receiving therapy over the last several years it was determined that Barzee was competent enough to stand trail. At which point, federal charges were brought against her last year.
Sometimes the wheels of justice can move very slowly.
In a case that captured the attention of the nation, justice is finally being delivered for the victim and their family who have struggled to see that the two are appropriately punished for what they did.
Apologies “to every human being” came in the form of a letter that was sent to a TV station in the Sacramento area Thursday from the man responsible for the kidnapping and rape of Jaycee Dugard in 1991. Phillip Garrido, 58, consistently claims that his troubles with sex and violence were resolved through a tranformation involving a peculiar religion he practiced.
However, Vern Pierson, the District Attorney for El Dorado county, scoffed at the regret Garrido seemed to express in the letter, the third one that’s been sent to KCRA since his incarceration. Pierson is of the belief that Garrido is a “master manipulator” who is trying to control the situation around him to best benefit his own needs and beliefs. Since he and his wife, Nancy, were arrested for the kidnapping, rape, and inprisonment of Dugard, it’s been brought to light that Garrido might not be mentally competent to stand trial for his wrongdoings.
This is not the first time Garrido has been brought up on kidnapping charges, serving 11 years of a 50-year sentence for kidnapping a girl in 1976, also claiming that drug use malformed his mind, but religion would transform him into a new person.
The search for Shaniya Davis, a 5 year old from North Carolina who disappeared November 10, has ended.
The girls’ body was found Monday in the woods approximately 30 miles from her Fayetteville home. When Shaniya first disappeared, police investigated man who was reportedly the boyfriend of Antoinette Davis, the girl’s mother. The man was let go, and police charged Mario Andrette McNeil with kidnapping after hotel surveillance video captured him in Sanford with Shaniya. McNeill admitted to taking Shaniya. Antoinette Davis was arrested on felony child abuse and human trafficking charges. Police believe Davis offered Shaniya for sex.
Authorities had hoped the arrests of McNeill and Davis would lead to them finding Shaniya alive. Hundreds of volunteers searched hundreds of miles of woods, ravines, and fields on four wheelers, foot, and helicopters. Theresa Chance, police spokeswoman for Fayetteville, would not release information on the cause of death or the condition in which Shaniya’s body was found.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 – A guilty plea is expected to be heard from the woman that helped kidnap Elizabeth Smart.
Wanda Eileen Barzee is appearing in U.S. District Court in Utah on Tuesday that will enter her guilty plea for the charges of unlawful transportation of a minor and kidnapping, according to Scott Williams Barzee’s attourney.
The sixty-four year old may face up to 15 years for the unlawful transportation charge and a life sentence for the charge of kidnapping. Scott wouldn’t state whether there could be a reduced sentence as part of cutting the deal with the prosecutors for the plea.
Barzee and David Mitchell, are being held of abducting then the 14 year old Smart, at knifepoint from her bedroom at her Salt Lake City home back in June of 2002.
Mitchell said he was a prophet and called himself “Emmanuel”. He had been hired from the Smarts to do some repairs to their home.
Elizabeth testified at the competency hearing for Mitchell in October that he held her captive in California and Utah during the time of the abduction. Smart stated that Mitchell took her in a wooded area just behind her home and proceeded with a mock marriage ceremony with her. Elizabeth proceeded to add that throughout the whole 9 months of being captive there was not one 24 hour period that would pass without Mitchell raping her.
November 30 is when the competency hearing is scheduled to continue, but Mitchell and his attorney have asked for it to be delayed.
Since the Bernard Madoff scandal broke last year thousands of investors have seen their life savings and their livelihoods disappear overnight. This has sparked outrage and anger as to how Madoff was able to commit such a fraud over such a long period of time. As a result federal investigators have been looking for those people who have helped Madoff perform the different acts of fraud committed over the years. This has led to the arrest of George Perez and Jerome O’Hara last week. These two men shared the same office as Madoff and federal officials allege that the two were a major component that allowed the fraud to continue as long as it did. With their technical computer knowledge helping Madoff to create the fake statements that were sent out to investors who were a part of the scam.
What this shows is that the Madoff probe is only continuing to widen as regulators seeking out those people who helped Madoff commit the fraud for so long and are charging them as accomplices in this case. This is clearly a sign that many more arrests are likely to becoming within the next several weeks to months. As federal officials piece together how Madoff was able to conduct the fraud for so long.
Over the last few months the Jaycee Dugard case has been full of strange twists and events that are only continuing to be played out. What happened was Dugard was kidnapped in 1991 and escaped from her captor a few months ago showing up at a local police station. Then, revelations came that her kidnapper had raped her continually over her years in captivity.
As a result, Phillip Garrido was arrested and is charged with kidnapping of Dugard among a laundry list of charges against him. However, the Dugard case only continues to take on a bizarre life of its own with every single development that take place.
The most recent was when Garrido sent a Sacramento T.V. station a letter apologizing to Dugard for kidnapping her. In the letter he claimed that the different sexual frustrations that he had over the years have been solved through the religious experience that he had when he was in jail.
What this shows is that while Garrido could be telling the truth, the reality is that he more than likely is sending these letters to the press in an effort to receive a leniency for the charges that he is facing.
Palin Claims She Did Couric Interview Out of Pity
After Couric’s move from the popular Today show where she anchored a very strong morning show with Matt Lauer and a host of other anchors her ratings seemed to drop.
It has been said that Palin had heard that Couric had low self esteem since the move to the evening and she wanted to help out her ratings if she could by letting Couric interview her.
Palin thought this interview would be done as a favor to Couric since she was a working mother also and knew how hard it was to work along with raising your children.
By watching the interview it was obvious that Palin was not well prepare for this interview since during it one of the questions that Couric asked her was, “What magazine or newspaper to you read?” Palin answered, “Any of them, all of them.”
This would show to everyone that Palin was not ready for the interview and prove that she did the interview out of pity, which Couric was not looking for at all.
In her 413-page memoir titled “Going Rouge” Palin says Couric chose “gotcha” moments while leaving the candidate’s more substantive remarks on the cutting room floor.
She also claims that Couric was far easier on her rival, Democrat Joe Biden.
In a Nov. 16 interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Palin says that the McCain camp told her “‘it was a good interview.’
“And, of course, I’m thinking, ‘If you thought that was a good interview, I don’t know what a bad interview is,’ because I knew it was a bad interview,” says Palin.
Palin’s book will be out Tuesday.
Evangelist Tony Alamo was sentenced on November 13th, 2009 to 175 years in prison for child sex abuse. The decision came from a judge in the Arkansas court. Tony Alamo, whose real name is Bernie Hoffman, is the founder of Tony Alamo Christian Ministries.
The 75 year old self-proclaimed prophet was convicted on a 10 count federal indictment for taking under-age girls across state lines for sex. Authorities claim Alamo used the young girl’s fear of eternal suffering to force them into sham marriages, utilizing his father figure and position as pastor.
Several women who were taken as child ‘brides’ testified in court. In fact, with little physical evidence the prosecutors case rested mostly on these women’s emotional testimonies.
One such woman said to him: “You preyed on innocent children. You have the audacity to ask for mercy. What mercy did you show us?”
Alamo was also fined $250,000 from the millions he has made in his ministry.