Posted by admin on Apr 17th, 2008
Feds plan to expand DNA database By Ellen Nakashima and Spencer Hsu. The Washington Post. Wed., April. 16, 2008
The U.S. government will soon begin collecting DNA samples from all citizens arrested in connection with any federal crime and from many immigrants detained by federal authorities, adding genetic identifiers from more than 1 million individuals a year to the swiftly growing federal law enforcement DNA database. The policy will substantially expand the current practice of routinely collecting DNA samples from only those convicted of federal crimes, and it will build on a growing policy among states to collect DNA from many people who are arrested. Thirteen states do so now and turn their data over to the federal government.
» click here to continue reading
Posted by admin on Apr 16th, 2008
Update from the Freedom for Ivan Committee
Thursday, 17 April, is political prisoner’s day. In Montreal, Ivan Apaolaza Sancho – a 36 year old Basque refugee claimant and political prisoner – has been in detention for over ten months. Ivan is accused of having been a member of the ETA (an armed nationalist Basque organization); an accusation that he denies. He has been detained at Rivière des prairies Detention Centre since June 2007 and faces deportation solely on the basis of accusations made by the Spanish state; no actual evidence to support the allegations has been presented. Moreover, the allegations themselves seem to come from a confession obtained under torture (see below). If the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) Commissioner accepts
those allegations, Ivan faces deportation to Spain where he expects further arbitrary detention and possible torture.
» click here to continue reading
Posted by admin on Apr 10th, 2008
Proposed anti-terrorist fence rankles Que. town. By Nelson Wyatt, THE CANADIAN PRESS
MONTREAL – People in Les Eboulements are ready to go to the wall over suggestions government officials might install an anti-terrorist fence to block off their local pier. “We don’t have problems with terrorists so far,” Serge Bernier, owner of a local art gallery and auberge, said with a laugh Wednesday. Like many residents of the town of 1,250, Bernier is bewildered by the idea the wharf on the St. Lawrence River in Quebec’s Charlevoix region could be on a terrorist hit list.
» click here to continue reading
Posted by admin on Apr 5th, 2008
Under the rhetoric of “protecting citizens”; governments, international bodies, and the corporate sector are rapidly intensifying security, surveillance and anti-terror regimes at the national and global levels.
In light of the next SPP Summit in New Orleans in April 2008, join us for a free public forum including SHORT FILMS and SPEAKERS to find out about these developments and what you can do to challenge this expanding industrial-complex.
Sunday April 27 at 6 pm. YWCA (733 Beatty Street, corner W. Georgia). 1 block from Stadium Skyrain Station
Did you know that:
– In Canada, over $25 billion has been spent on security measures since 9/11?
» click here to continue reading
Posted by admin on Apr 2nd, 2008
The Canadian Press
OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada, for the second time in a year, has turned down an effort by accused terrorist Momin Khawaja to derail his prosecution on constitutional grounds. In a ruling released without comment Thursday, the court refused to hear Khawaja’s challenge to federal legislation designed to safeguard secret intelligence. At issue was a portion of the Canada Evidence Act, under which the government can refuse to disclose sensitive information to an accused person on national security grounds.
» click here to continue reading
