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Pastimes : Clown-Free Zone... sorry, no clowns allowed -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: patron_anejo_por_favor who wrote (286836)	5/11/2004 11:32:44 PM
From: mishedlo	Respond to of 436258

Parents blame Bush for son's execution By Joshua Chaffin in Washington Published: May 12 2004 5:00 \| Last Updated: May 12 2004 5:00 Parents of a UScontractor executed by Islamic militants in Iraq are blaming the Bush administration for his death, saying that US authorities had contributed to the tragedy by unlawfully detaining their son for nearly two weeks before his disappearance. Michael Berg claimed yesterday that his son, Nick, was held by US authorities without access to a telephone or lawyer because of suspicions that he was an insurgent or terrorist. By the time he was finally released in early April, according to Mr Berg, the security situation had so deteriorated that it was difficult for him to make his way home. "That's really what cost my son his life, the fact that the United States government saw fit to keep him in custody for 13 days without any of his due process or civil rights," Mr Berg said. Nick Berg, a small business owner from Pennsylvania, went to Iraq in December to help rebuild the country's infrastructure. Instead, he became the latest western contractor to have died a grisly death in that pursuit. His headless body was found on a roadside by US soldiers yesterday. A video from an al-Qaeda-affiliated website depicted his decapitation by a gang of men who claimed to be taking revenge for the abuses committed by US soldiers at the Abu Ghraib prison. The execution drew outraged comments from US leaders. White House spokesman Scott McClellan said those responsible had "no regard for the lives of innocent men, women and children". Rick Santorum, a Republican senator from Mr Berg's home state, called it "an outrage to the civilised world", and said: "If anyone wants to know what we're fighting and why we're fighting this war on terrorism, this is a very good example of it." The family's accusation comes as the Bush administration struggles to fend off allegations that it has denied the civil rights of thousands of mostly Arab detainees it is holding in military prisons around the world on suspicion of terrorism. Mr Berg was apprehended by Iraqi officials near the northern city of Mosul on March 24, according to his father, who claims that he was then interrogated by FBI agents. Mr Berg was released on April 6, a day after his parents filed a lawsuit in federal court naming defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld as a defendant, and claiming that their son was being unlawfully held. They last heard from him on April 9. The FBI said it was premature to comment on the case. An official familiar with the case acknowledged that FBI agents had interviewed Mr Berg, but said he was in Iraqi - not American - custody. The official was unable to clarify the legal difference between the two, given the US occupation. But Mr Berg's father disputed this, saying it was "the FBI", when asked in a radio interview who had detained his son. "We named Rumsfeld as the responsible person, and I still hold him responsible," Mr Berg said. "It's the whole Patriot Act. It's the whole feeling of this country that rights don't matter any more because there are terrorists about," he added

To: patron_anejo_por_favor who wrote (286836)	5/11/2004 11:34:04 PM
From: mishedlo	Respond to of 436258

I mean 35 on the QQQ M

To: patron_anejo_por_favor who wrote (286836)	5/12/2004 1:38:19 AM
From: Gut Trader	Respond to of 436258

Americas dislocated indiginous people rock...Mideast needs to open a few of these bad boyz up Each Seminole receives $42,000 a year and free health care and college tuition because of gambling income hollywood.seminolehardrock.com HOLLYWOOD, Fla. -- The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino opened today with all the glamour of a Las Vegas event. Let The Games Begin The $279 million project's opening is expected to draw 1,500 people who will attend a brunch, poolside dinner and a performance by Huey Lewis & The News. "We could pick this thing up and put it in the middle of the Las Vegas strip or Atlantic City boardwalk and it could compete," said James F. Allen, chief executive of gaming operations for the Seminole Tribe of Florida. A $167 million sister Hard Rock casino in Tampa opened in March. The casinos are expected to bring in an estimated $1 billion in annual revenue. Existing Seminole operations in Hollywood, Coconut Creek and elsewhere already bring in more than $300 million in profit each year. For all but Native Americans, who are allowed to offer gaming on their reservations, casinos are illegal in Florida. "I think it's going to be a tremendous success. There's a huge untapped market for casino gambling in Florida," said Michael K. Evans, chairman of Evans, Carroll & Associates, a Boca Raton consultancy that tracks the casino industry. "The Seminoles are filling a huge void." The hotel in Hollywood has 500 rooms, 4,000 video gaming machines, poker tables and several restaurants. The public area has large ballrooms and a six-acre pool site with a 180-foot water slide. Guest rooms include marble and granite baths and sweeping balconies overlooking the 100-acre site. The casino does not offer blackjack or table games such as craps or roulette, which are illegal under state law. Tampa Hard Rock is already exceeding the Seminoles' expectations, Allen said. The resort is drawing 20,000 patrons a day on weekends, he said. He predicts the newest resort will draw 12,000 to 18,000 visitors on weekdays and 25,000 to 30,000 on weekends, most from within a three-hour driving distance. Allen said the tribe plans to market the casino through advertising campaigns on network television, radio, print and billboards, mainly in East Coast locations. Local 10 Gets Casino Sneak Peek "This is a new era for our tribe," said Seminole Tribe President Moses Osceola. "In the past, we were just gaming. Now we're a whole entertainment complex that's going to have an impact on the area for a long time." The success of the casinos directly affect the 3,000 members of the Seminole nation. Each Seminole receives $42,000 a year and free health care and college tuition because of gambling income. That amount will likely increase "if the casinos do as well as we think they are going to do," said Jim Shore, the tribe's general counsel. The tribe has had its share of legal troubles over the years, including the downfall of the leader who built the Seminoles' gaming empire -- James Billie. He and other leaders admitted in a federal embezzlement trial that they went on multimillion-dollar spending sprees, but argued that the expenditures were approved. They were acquitted, and only Billie was ousted by the tribe from leadership. Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.