'Kill Americans' plot: Syrian held - CNN.com

MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- 'Police in Spain and Romania have arrested three men wanted by the United States for conspiring to sell millions of dollars worth of weapons to a Colombian terrorist organization, the U.S. Embassy in Madrid says.'
[...]
"Kassar and his co-defendants are accused of conspiring to sell surface-to-air missile systems (SAMs), rocket-propelled grenade launchers (RPGs), thousands of machine guns and millions of rounds of ammunition to the FARC," the embassy said.'
[...]
'Kassar was also implicated in the 1985 hijacking of the "Achille Lauro" cruise ship in the Mediterranean, in which four Palestinian terrorists took control, killing wheelchair-bound American Leon Klinghoffer the anti-terrorism source said.'

Document: Iran Caught Red-Handed Shipping Arms to Taliban

'NATO officials say they have caught Iran red-handed, shipping heavy arms, C4 explosives and advanced roadside bombs to the Taliban for use against NATO forces, in what the officials say is a dramatic escalation of Iran's proxy war against the United States and Great Britain.'

Purple frog among 24 new species found in Suriname | Science | Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - 'A purple fluorescent frog is one of 24 new species found in the South American highlands of Suriname, conservationists reported on Monday... The discovery of so many species outside the insect realm is extraordinary and points up the need to survey distant regions, said Leeanne Alonso of Conservation International, which led the expedition that found the new species.'

Report confirms terror dry run - Washington Times

'A newly released inspector general report backs eyewitness accounts of suspicious behavior by 13 Middle Eastern men on a Northwest Airlines flight in 2004 and reveals several missteps by government officials, including failure to file an incident report until a month after the matter became public.'

American Thinker Blog: The Caracas connection

'It seems that the ever so efficient Venezuela Connection keeps sending thousands of kilograms of cocaine to airports and ports all around the world. Nearly a year ago, on April 11 2006, Mexican authorities seized 5.5 tonnes of high purity cocaine in Ciudad del Carmen's airport. Today Mexican daily El Universal reports that nearly a ton of cocaine was seized aboard a plane arriving from Venezuela in Mexico City's International Airport: 25 pieces of luggage -from flight 374 of Mexicana de Aviacion- were detected containing the drugs.
But this is not the first instance where drugs coming from Venezuela -in that very flight- have been seized in Mexico City's airport.'

courant.com | Soldier's Mother Defiant

'The last letter from the Stoughton Ridge Condominium Association arrived in January, notifying her that the American flag, along with her Blue Star flag hung by mothers of soldiers, will be tolerated until Labor Day weekend. Every day after that, she will be subject to a $25 fine.
But Richard is standing firm and vows not to lower her flags after Labor Day, or any other day'

kgw.com - Governor seeks to remove Climatologist who doesn't believe Global Warming is Man-made

'In the face of evidence agreed upon by hundreds of climate scientists, George Taylor holds firm. He does not believe human activities are the main cause of global climate change.
Taylor also holds a unique title: State Climatologist.
Hundreds of scientists last Friday issued the strongest warning yet on global warming saying humans are "very likely" the cause.
“Most of the climate changes we have seen up until now have been a result of natural variations,” Taylor asserts.
Taylor has held the title of "state climatologist" since 1991 when the legislature created a state climate office at OSU The university created the job title, not the state.
His opinions conflict not only with many other scientists, but with the state of Oregon's policies.
So the governor wants to take that title from Taylor and make it a position that he would appoint.'

WorldNetDaily: Campaign launched on behalf of German teen

'Homeschool students and their families across America are being urged to flood the German embassy with e-mail, telephone calls and letters in support of a German teen who was taken by police to a psychiatric ward because she was being homeschooled.
WND reported late last week on that situation, when a German organization working in support of homeschooling, even though it's illegal in Germany, contacted the news site.
According to the new announcement, the Home School Legal Defense Association is urging its members to act.
"Many families who have had their children forcibly taken from their home each day and taken to government school have since fled Germany, but there are still some homeschoolers. The latest incident involves 17-year-old Melissa Busekros, the girl sent to the Nuremberg psychiatry unit. What is being done to this sensitive girl – just to set an example of enforcing the compulsory schooling at all costs – is reprehensible and causing trauma to unassuming and lovable Melissa," the group said.'

Two New Books Confirm Global Warming is Natural; Not Caused By Human Activity

'Two powerful new books say today’s global warming is due not to human activity but primarily to a long, moderate solar-linked cycle. Unstoppable Global Warming Every 1500 Years, by physicist Fred Singer and economist Dennis Avery was released just before Christmas. The Chilling Stars: A New Theory of Climate Change, by Danish physicist Henrik Svensmark and former BBC science writer Nigel Calder (Icon Books), is due out in March.'

Throngs in Venezuela protest Chavez plan - Yahoo! News

CARACAS, Venezuela - 'Blowing whistles and waving flags, hundreds of Venezuelans protested Tuesday against a congressional measure that would grant President Hugo Chavez the power to pass laws by decree in areas from the economy to defense.
Some 400 to 500 protesters stood in a Caracas plaza and shouted in unison: "Faced with authoritarianism, more democracy!"
The protest came as lawmakers in the entirely pro-Chavez National Assembly announced they would postpone until next Tuesday a session to grant final approval of a so-called "enabling law" allowing Chavez to enact laws by decree during an 18-month period. Chavez is seeking special powers to quickly push through changes from nationalizing electrical companies to imposing new taxes on the rich.'