In the News: May-23

No charges for 2 Marines accused in Afghan deaths - 23 May 2008 at 1:40pm - RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- A Marine Corps general has decided not to bring criminal changes against two officers whose unit was accused of killing as many as 19 Afghan civilians in 2007. The Marines said Friday that Lt. General Samuel Helland, the commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Central Command, made the decision not to bring charges after reviewing the findings of a special tribunal that heard more than three weeks of testimony in January at Camp Lejuene.

Canada's top court orders partial access to Khadr transcripts - 23 May 2008 at 9:58am - The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that the Canadian government must allow access to some confidential documents requested by lawyers for Guantanamo Bay prisoner Omar Khadr.

Iraq's ports thriving, now that the government's in charge - 23 May 2008 at 8:07am - Khor al Zubair, Iraq — Iraq's principal ports, which were plagued by corruption, theft and insecurity while under the control of militia-linked port guards, have registered a dramatic increase in trade, revenues and productivity since the government took control following its March military offensive, according port officials and a British military spokesman.

Thought for the day:
There are no wise few. Every aristocracy that has ever existed has behaved, in all essential points, exactly like a small mob. -G. K. Chesterton (1874 - 1936), "Heretics", 1905