The Department of Justice’s shift away from normal crime fighting toward a national security and counterterrorism focus correlates with an overall rise in national street crime, while a recent study from New York University shows the DoJ’s reprioritization is not met by the actual threat, as very few cases billed as “terrorism-related” end up prosecuted as such:
- Justice Dept.’s Focus Has Shifted (Washington Post)
- Law Center: Little Evidence of Jihadists In The U.S. (CNN)
In light of the upcoming attorney general nomination hearing for Mike Mukasey, the New York Times has four legal experts pose questions they would ask to Mukasey, including issues of detainee status and treatment, independence and integrity of the AG’s office, and secrecy vis-á-vis civil liberties:
- Questions of Justice (New York Times)
Hamas throws a wrench in US-Israel-Fatah plans for peace talks without the Islamist movement by publicly declaring negotiations with Israel to be religiously permissible:
- Hamas Softening Throws Twist In Talks (Christian Science Monitor)
Tensions between the Turkish government and Kurdish militant groups reach a new high as Ankara readies its soldiers to conduct raids into northern Iraq despite appeals from the US and Iraq, while international oil prices respond to the possible escalation of regional conflict by hitting a new high at $87 a barrel:
- Iraq and US Urge Restraint As MPs Consider Assault Bill (Adnkronos International)
- Oil Reaches New Records Above $87 (BBC News)
Former principal of New York City’s first Education Department-approved dual Arab-English language school seeks to return to her old position and alleges that she was forced to resign due to threats from city officials saying they would close the school unless she left:
- Arabic School Ex-Principal Fights to Get Job Back (New York Times)
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