Daily Rotten Archives February 20, 2005 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 CIA predicts more preventative wars Express India | Submitted by: Reid Fleming "Pakistan could use nuclear weapons to counter India's larger conventional forces if a war breaks out, though both countries know the likely price to be paid for starting a conflict, a threat assessment report of the CIA has said... The report, titled 'Mapping The Global Future: Pervasive Insecurity', also pointed out that several countries without nuclear weapons in Asia and the Middle East could decide to seek them... The report said the advances in modern weaponry - longer ranges, precision delivery, and more destructive conventional munitions - would create circumstances encouraging the pre-emptive use of military force." Read article... Feds not buying Osama bounty hunter story KSAT-TV 12 San Antonio | Submitted by: Reid Fleming "Authorities say a Texas man told agents at Detroit Metropolitan Airport he was headed to Syria to try to claim the $25 million bounty on Osama bin Laden. Matt Mihsen of Fort Worth was arrested on charges of making false statements to federal investigators... Customs agents at the Detroit airport questioned the naturalized U.S. citizen from Syria. The Detroit Free Press reports they agents found almost $14,000 in cash in Mihsen's luggage - along with a stun gun, 40 rounds of ammunition, pepper spray, a bulletproof vest and three Geiger counters. He's charged with making false statements to federal investigators and trying to smuggle bulk cash out of the country. He's also charged with trying to export money and goods to Syria in violation of a presidential executive order." Read article... FBI drops computer hacking investigation South Florida Sun-Sentinel | Submitted by: Reid Fleming "The FBI has closed its probe into the alleged hacking of Police Chief Eugene Savage's computer, an FBI spokeswoman said. There did not appear to be any 'criminal justification' to continue the investigation, which began in August, said FBI spokeswoman Judy Orihuela... [Anonymous] letters alleged Savage abused his position, had extra-marital affairs with employees and permitted a hostile work atmosphere. After e-mails that appeared to be from Savage's computer were made public in August, he announced the FBI would be looking into the apparent computer hacking." Read article... Bush admits smoking pot, America yawns CNN | Submitted by: POL! "Private conversations with George Bush secretly taped by an old friend before he was elected President foreshadow some of his political strategies and appear to reveal that he acknowledged trying marijuana, The New York Times has reported... In early tapes, Bush dismisses the strength of John McCain for the nomination and expresses concern about rival Steve Forbes. He also praises John Ashcroft as a promising candidate for Supreme Court justice, attorney general or vice president. Bush also criticizes then-Vice President Al Gore for admitting marijuana use and explains why he would not do the same. 'I wouldn't answer the marijuana questions,' he said, according to the Times. 'You know why? Because I don't want some little kid doing what I tried.' ... The White House did not deny the authenticity of the tapes." Read article... Dogs addicted to cane toad juice News.com.au | Submitted by: Reid Fleming "Dogs were licking the backs of the warty pests and becoming addicted to the hallucinogenic poison, a NT vet said yesterday. Megan Pickering, a vet in Katherine, said she had treated a number of dogs affected by the deadly toad poison. 'We have had quite a number of cases of dogs that are getting addicted to the toxin,' Ms Pickering said. 'There seems to be dogs that are licking the toxin to get high. They lick the toads and only take in a small amount of the poison – they get a smile on their face and look like they are going to wander off into the sunset.'" Read article... Fire chief arrested for alleged attempted kidfuckery KSL-TV 5 Salt Lake City | Submitted by: Reid Fleming "A Utah fire official accused of trying to arrange a sexual encounter with a minor has been charged with two felonies. Dennis Steadman, 54, was arrested Wednesday during an undercover operation by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force... According to a probable-cause statement filed in 3rd District Court, Steadman twice arranged over the Internet to meet who he thought was a 13-year-old girl, but was really an undercover agent... After his arrest, Steadman said he had a 'problem' and expressed a desire to go into therapy, according to the statement. Steadman also said he frequently talks to children about sexual matters and he has looked at child pornography on the Internet, according to the statement." Read article... Cop fired for alleged on-duty blowjob bribes Sacramento Bee | Submitted by: Reid Fleming "A California Highway Patrol officer has been fired after his arrest for suspected criminal sexual conduct while on duty, officials said. William Earl Cummins Jr., a 14-year CHP veteran, was arrested Friday on suspicion of attempted oral copulation under color of authority, false imprisonment and soliciting a bribe. The investigation that led to his arrest stemmed from a traffic stop last May, when Cummins, 39, pulled over a 23-year-old woman traveling alone on Highway 50... Sheriff's spokesman Lt. Kevin House said the woman was driving east on Highway 50 when she was stopped for a traffic violation, but a ticket was not issued. Instead, the situation evolved into what House termed a 'quid pro quo' arrangement." Read article... Nazi guard facing possible deportation KCCI-TV 8 Des Moines | Submitted by: Reid Fleming "The government wants to revoke the citizenship of a Des Moines man because he didn't reveal his service as a Nazi guard during World War II. The government says John Hansl, 80, served as a guard at two concentration camps during the war... Hansl and his lawyer say the government knew of his service when he was granted a visa to come to the United States in 1955. Court records show he indicated he had been a soldier with the German Army but did not specify that he was a Nazi guard." Read article... Major scientific fraud exposed Guardian | Submitted by: Darth Suffer "It appeared to be one of archaeology's most sensational finds. The skull fragment discovered in a peat bog near Hamburg was more than 36,000 years old - and was the vital missing link between modern humans and Neanderthals. This, at least, is what Professor Reiner Protsch von Zieten - a distinguished, cigar-smoking German anthropologist - told his scientific colleagues, to global acclaim, after being invited to date the extremely rare skull. However, the professor's 30-year-old academic career has now ended in disgrace after the revelation that he systematically falsified the dates on this and numerous other 'stone age' relics. Yesterday his university in Frankfurt announced the professor had been forced to retire because of numerous 'falsehoods and manipulations.' According to experts, his deceptions may mean an entire tranche of the history of man's development will have to be rewritten." Read article... Would-be rapist picks wrong victim KCRA-TV 3 Sacramento | Submitted by: Toxxxic Dippy Drinking Bird "A high school teacher in Sacramento was almost raped in her office, according to authorities. The 26-year-old, who wanted to remain anonymous, said she was attacked at Hiram Johnson High School Tuesday night. The woman said she was inside a locker room when a man pushed her to the ground and tried to assault her... The woman said what her attacker didn't know is she is a standout college wrestler who is now training to become a cage fighter. 'If I could do it again, I would have hurt him really bad. I'm really lucky that I have the background that I have,' the woman said." Read article... Vagina Monologues banned in Uganda South Africa Mail & Guardian | Submitted by: Reid Fleming "Ugandan authorities have banned the internationally acclaimed women's rights play The Vagina Monologues as an affront to public morality and threatened to arrest organisers if they follow through on plans to stage benefit performances, officials said on Friday. Information Minister Nsaba Buturo said the play has been deemed offensive and vulgar and will corrupt public morals if performed in Uganda... [Buturo characterized the play as] 'a promotion of homosexuality, lesbianism and worship of the female sexual organ.'" Read article... and This article...