Al-Qaeda in Iraq has declared a nationwide “curfew” to try to stop Sunday’s elections, warning Iraqis they risked death if they voted.
The Islamic State of Iraq, an Al-Qaeda-led umbrella organization of insurgent groups, set the curfew from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm “throughout Iraq and especially in Sunni areas” in a message posted on its website. For the safety of our people, any of those who learn of this, report it to those who do not know and supply yourself with needs for the curfew, it said. The group added that anyone who defies the curfew will “unfortunately expose himself to the anger of Allah and then to all kinds of weapons of the mujahedeen.” Sunnis are expected to cast ballots in large numbers this weekend, in stark contrast to a 2005 boycott of the poll, despite fresh memories of bloodshed with the majority Shiites that has killed tens of thousands of people. The Al-Qaeda-linked statement came after Iraqi religious leaders ordered their fellow citizens during Friday prayers to vote in weekend parliamentary elections to safeguard the war-wracked nation’s fledgling democracy.

Defence Secretary Robert Gates will review allegations of misconduct in Afghanistan by the company formerly known as Blackwater and shares concerns raised by a top senator, the Pentagon said.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin had made a personal appeal to Gates last week for the Pentagon to consider blocking a potential $1 billion contract with Blackwater, which has changed its name to Xe, to train Afghan police. Levin cited what he called evidence of misconduct in a previous subcontract awarded to a Blackwater affiliate to conduct weapons training for the Afghan National Army. He is looking into it and he takes it seriously, Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said of Gates. But Morrell played down the chances of any swift action to bar Blackwater from contracts, citing Pentagon rules and the company’s unique capabilities. Like it or not, Blackwater has technical expertise that very few companies do have. And they have a willingness to work in places that very few companies are willing to work. So they provide a much-needed service and the ability to do it well, he added. In a letter to Gates dated February 25 and released publicly on Thursday, Levin, a Democrat, said Blackwater may have used a front company for the contract, made false official statements and misled Defence Department officials in its proposal documents. There was also evidence Blackwater may have misappropriated government weapons, carried weapons without authorization and hired unqualified personnel with backgrounds that included assault and battery, as well as drug and alcohol abuse, Levin said. Levin said the Pentagon should consider Blackwater’s past “deficiencies” in deciding whether to award the new contract worth as much as $1 billion to the company to provide Afghan national police training. A US court last December threw out manslaughter charges against the Blackwater guards involved in that incident, a decision that outraged Iraq’s government. In January, two US security contractors working for Paravant LLC, a unit of Xe, which was previously known as Blackwater Worldwide, were arrested in Afghanistan on charges they murdered two Afghans in Kabul and wounded a third.

Scott Brown Acceptance Speech, Republican Scott Brown pulled off a stunning victory over Democrat Martha Coakley on Tuesday in the race to fill the former Senate seat of Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts.

After Coakley called to concede the race, Brown addressed his supporters, thanked those involved, and even had some fun at the expense of his thoroughly embarrassed .

Coakley Concedes, Several supporters of Democrat Martha Coakley were injured during her rush to get to the phone as quickly as possible in order to concede the race for the U.S. Senate in MA to Scott Brown even before AP called the race in favor of the Republican.

That, while some 25% of the precincts had yet to report even how Diebold’s easily-hacked, oft-failed optical-scan machines (which are in violation of federal voting system standards and programmed by a company with a disturbing and criminal background), had even reported their tabulation and, more disturbingly, while 0% of the voters’ cast ballots in Massachusetts had been counted or examined by any human being on the face of the earth.

“After months of campaigning, the Attorney General thought it was important to make sure neither her, nor her supporters voters were actually counted, so best to ensure that the Democracy Menace wouldn’t rear it’s ugly head right here in the Bay State,” said Coakley’s campaign manager Kevin Conroy.

Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) released a statement upon hearing the news, proclaiming he was “proud of the speed at which Martha was able to concede the race with even fewer of the votes counted by anyone — zero in Martha’s case — than when I conceded the race for President of the United States in 2004.” Kerry added that he had prepared his statement on Monday, so as to save valuable time on Election Night, since American Idol was also scheduled to be on.

Massachusett Senate Race Results Update, Massachusett Senate Race Result: Republican Scott Brown has taken the early lead in the Massachusetts special election, an unexpectedly competitive contest that could have significant implications for President Obama’s agenda in Washington.

With 18 percent of precincts reporting, early returns show Brown leading Democrat Martha Coakley 52-47 percent.

Brown’s late-in-the-game surge in the state has commanded the attention of the Democratic Party establishment, which dispatched top officials over the past week to try to keep the seat formerly held by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy in Democratic hands. Democrat Martha Coakley, the state attorney general, was thought to be a shoo-in for the seat until Brown starting gaining rapidly in the polls.

Other preliminary numbers showed Brown faring better than Republican John McCain did in Massachusetts in the 2008 presidential election. Data from three cities showed him running anywhere between 14 and 25 points higher than McCain did. He needs to run about 15 points higher than McCain across the board to take the election.

Rasmussen Reports released some data from its election night survey of 1,000 voters that had positive signs for Coakley. The survey found Coakley had a slight edge, 47-to-41 percent, among those who decided how they would vote in the past few days. Rasmussen reported she had a “big advantage” among those who decided who to vote for more than a month ago.

RadarOnline.com has compiled a list of the 60 hottest women in Hollywood who have put their gorgeous faces and bodies in peril by toughing it out in hard-hitting action films. As per 12newsissues you can watch full details of 60 Hottest Women of Hollywood on 12newsissues.

Michelle Obama Birthday, President Barack Obama waved to onlookers as he and first lady Michelle Obama left dinner at Nora. Photo by Mike Theiler / pool.

The president assembled two of his predecessors in the Rose Garden today to promote humanitarian aid for Haiti.

The president will travel to Massachusetts tomorrow to help a Democrat win election to the Senate and keep the party’s 60-vote hold on the Senate – and with that, the president’s domestic agenda.

Tonight, the president took the first lady to dinner.

Sunday is Michelle Obama’s 46 birthday.

They went out tonight to Nora, near Dupont Circle. Nora bills itself as the nation’s first certified organic restaurant. There was no word on the first couple’s menu selection. Entrees run about $30.

The president wore a gray suit with a collarless black shirt. The first lady wore a black, long-sleeved dress.

But they were not alone.

The dinner roster included : Marian Robinson, the first lady’s mother, Valerie Jarrett, special adviser to the president and personal friend of the Obamas, Eric and Cheryl Whitaker, friends of the Obamas from Chicago, Eric Holder, attorney general, and his wife Sharon Malone, Marty Nesbitt, another friend from Chicago. Susan Sher, the first lady’s chief of staff., Elizabeth Alexander, who recited a poem at Obama’s inauguration,. Cindy Moelis, head of the White House Fellows program, and Jocelyn Frye, policy director in the first lady’s office.

They partied for nearly four hours. They arrived just after 6:30 pm EST, the first main course was served by 8:43 and desserts by 9:04. Guests started leaving at 9:40.

The first couple left the restaurant at 10:10 to the loud applause of bystanders, with about 50 people gathered at the corner of Florida Avenue and R Street singing “Happy Birthday” as the president and first Lady walked to their car.

Reporters from the attendant pool shouted “How was the party?” and “Was the First Lady surprised?” One woman replied that the first lady was indeed “surprised.”

WASHINGTON: Hamid Karzai is an Undeserving Partner: Pelosi, Afghan President Hamid Karzai is an “unworthy partner” who does not deserve a big boost either in US troops or civilian aid, US House of Representatives . Pelosi, a skeptic on sending more troops to Afghanistan, also said in an interview with National Public Radio aired that there was not strong support among her fellow Democrats in Congress for “any big ramp-up of troops” to oppose resurgent Taliban forces. She told in the interview that she had asked fellow Democrats to give President Barack Obama room to decide his Afghan strategy, which is expected to be announced in the coming weeks. Once Obama, also a Democrat, announces his decision, lawmakers would “not be shy” about responding, she said. “The president of Afghanistan has proven to be an unworthy partner. We can not fund a mission where we don’t have a reliable partner and where whatever civilian investments we want to make, which are so necessary, will be diverted for a corrupt purpose,” Pelosi told. Congress appropriates funding for military campaigns. But the controversial Iraq war has demonstrated that many lawmakers are reluctant to cut off money for US troops even for a conflict they dislike.