A federal judge said Kenneth Feinberg, the lawyer paying victims of BP Plc’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill, can’t identify himself as an independent administrator of a $20 billion settlement fund. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier in New Orleans concluded yesterday that Feinberg must fully disclose his ties to BP when communicating with potential claimants. Lawyers for oil-spill victims had questioned Feinberg’s handling of the $20 billion trust fund, known as the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, or GCCF.

In what appears to be the closest thing the Obama Administration has to an end-game strategy for actually closing Guantanamo Bay anymore, long-standing detainee Awal Gul was reported to have died today of a possible heart attack after “exercising.” Officials said they found him collapsed in the shower and that he was found “unresponsive” when medical personal arrived on the scene. He is the seventh captive to die in US custody at Guantanamo Bay. As with many other detainees at the facility, the US claimed to have considerable evidence against Gul, but never attempted to charge him with any crime and, nine years after his capture and eight and a half years into his stay at Guantanamo Bay, he died a prisoner, but an uncharged one.

WikiLeaks rallies in Australia, US congressman writes to Robert Gates about Bradley Manning's "cruel and unusual" punishment and more of today's WikiLeaks news and views. Julian Assange:

"We support a cause that is no more radical a proposition than that the citizenry has a right to scrutinise the state. The state has asserted its authority by surveilling, monitoring and regimenting all of us, all the while hiding behind cloaks of security and opaqueness."

Carter's status just went up several notches. The lawsuit may very well solidify him as the best U.S. president in the post Kennedy era, for what that may be worth. The $5 million plus lawsuit can be read here. It's a class action for all who bought the book and want to join in. There is the demand for a jury trial. Yes, 2 of the 5 named plaintiffs are admitted U.S./Israel dual citizens. They don't mind bragging about it.

I can't wait for the lawsuit against Bush and his book. It's filled with lies and a jury trial should be a slam dunk for the plaintiffs. How about suing the government for the 9/11 Commission Report? The list of lying books from politicians, think tanks shills and media personalities is so extensive that an army of lawyers could make careers over several lifetimes taking the liars and manipulators to court. Of course this is all about silencing critics of Israel. Make everyone afraid of putting into writing any condemnation of Israel's criminal endeavors. If dual citizens, AIPAC, ADL and their bought allies can't get the laws against free speech they want passed, then sue anyone who dares to speak up into financial oblivion. Let's say that Carter did make some honest but very minor mistakes in his book. That's human. Israel's blatant murderous disregard for international law in Gaza and on the Mavi Marmara was no mistake. We call that inhuman.

Jason Ditz: Jimmy Carter Sued for $5 Million for Criticism of Israel -- In a move that calls back to the attempt by Texas cattlemen to sue Oprah Winfrey for “defamation of beef.” an Israeli lawyer has filed a class-action lawsuit against former President Jimmy Carter, seeking $5 million in damages because his book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid” allegedly defamed Israel. Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner insisted that Carter’s book violated New York State’s Consumer Protection Laws by asserting things, largely that Israel was not inherently reasonable and Syria was not inherently unreasonable, that “even a child” knows is untrue.

Typically, Mubarak has been averse to calls from the U.S. (and presumably other governments) to reform. A WikiLeaks cable, 09CAIRO874, provides insight into Mubarak’s attitude toward reforming his regime:

¶4. (S/NF)No issue demonstrates Mubarak,s worldview more than his reaction to demands that he open Egypt to genuine political competition and loosen the pervasive control of the security services. Certainly the public "name and shame" approach in recent years strengthened his determination not to accommodate our views. However, even though he will be more willing to consider ideas and steps he might take pursuant to a less public dialogue, his basic understanding of his country and the region predisposes him toward extreme caution. We have heard him lament the results of earlier U.S. efforts to encourage reform in the Islamic world. He can harken back to the Shah of Iran: the U.S. encouraged him to accept reforms, only to watch the country fall into the hands of revolutionary religious extremists. Wherever he has seen these U.S. efforts, he can point to the chaos and loss of stability that ensued. In addition to Iraq, he also reminds us that he warned against Palestinian elections in 2006 that brought Hamas (Iran) to his doorstep. Now, we understand he fears that Pakistan is on the brink of falling into the hands of the Taliban, and he puts some of the blame on U.S. insistence on steps that ultimately weakened Musharraf. While he knows that Bashir in Sudan has made multiple major mistakes, he cannot work to support his removal from power.

The above mentioned cable highlights Mubarak’s disdain for all these “freedoms” the US (and other countries) think he should grant Egyptians: “As with regional issues, Mubarak, seeks to avoid conflict and spare his people from the violence he predicts would emerge from unleashed personal and civil liberties. In Mubarak’s mind, it is far better to let a few individuals suffer than risk chaos for society as a whole.” (In addition to Mubarak’s attitude toward “reform,” the cable also indicates Mubarak was not open to talking about the Egypt economy, specifically Egyptian poverty, which has fueled the revolution.)

Protesters in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, are staging a "Day of Departure" for President Hosni Mubarak.

The Egyptian anti-government protesters have started the eleventh consecutive day of their demonstrations across the country to force Mubarak to step down. Protesters are gathering in Cairo's Tahrir Square and millions of Egyptians are expected to take part in the rally. The demonstrators who are reportedly coming to Cairo from other parts of the country, plan to gather at the square and mosques all around the capital and then march to the presidential palace. Protesters are chanting that Mubarak's regime is "null and void." Meanwhile, reports say pro-government vigilantes are trying to prevent demonstrators from reaching Cairo's Tahrir Square which is expected to be the focal point of Friday's protests.

LA Times: Obama urges Egypt to go into transition process 'right now'
VOA: US in Talks With Egypt for Mubarak to Resign Immediately
Tehran Times: Erdogan says Mubarak should go now

Raw Story: US plan: Replace Mubarak with torture-linked ‘CIA point man’
Stephen Soldz: The torture career of Egypt’s new Vice President

Al Jazeera: Egypt's 'final push': Protesters flood Tahrir Square for 'Day of Departure.'
The Independent: President makes final attempt to calm crowds

PressTV: Gazans support Egyptian revolution
PressTV: Former Israeli min. defends Mubrak

Al Jazeera: Live Stream
Al Jazeera: Live blog Feb 3 - Egypt protests

Egypt’s embattled President Hosni Mubarak’s and his family’s net worth is estimated to be between U.S. dollars 40 and 70 billion, a media report said. The wealth of the Egypt’s first family was built largely from military contracts during his days as an air force officer; Mr. Mubarak eventually diversified his investments through his family when he became President in 1981, the ABC News quoted experts as saying. Amaney Jamal, a political science professor at Princeton, said those estimates are comparable with the vast wealth of leaders in other Gulf countries. “The business ventures from his military and government service accumulated to his personal wealth. There was a lot of corruption in this regime and stifling of public resources for personal gain,” Ms. Jamal was quoted as saying.

In exchange for the equivalent of a few euros, poor seasonal workers have taken part in street fighting in Cairo on the side of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. The thugs, who fight with iron bars, knives and clubs, have been recruited by privileged members of the regime, including party officials, security forces and rich business people with lucrative state contracts. The bloody clashes in Cairo show that not all of Egypt's 80 million people want to see President Hosni Mubarak overthrown or a new start heralded by fresh elections. Many are fiercely loyal to the ruling system and are ready to fight for it -- with brutality. On Thursday afternoon, there were even reports on the Al Jazeera news channel that Mubarak supporters were storming the hotels of Cairo and hunting down journalists.

The Independent: Robert Fisk: Blood and fear in Cairo's streets as Mubarak's men crack down on protests
WSWS: Heroic resistance in Cairo to state-orchestrated repression

Der Spiegel: Mubarak's Effort to Discredit the Protest Movement -- It is now clear that the faltering president will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He is even willing to take the risk that the mob will go on a rampage and plunder Cairo in the coming days. There are few recipes for peaceful resistance against a president who is willing to be this ruthless to secure his position of power, even for such a short time.

Vodafone admits that the Egyptian government forced it to send text messages to help organize the Pro-Mubarak demonstrations. LONDON – Egyptian authorities forced Vodafone to broadcast pro-government text messages during the protests that have rocked the country, the U.K.-based mobile company said Thursday. Micro-blogging site Twitter has been buzzing with screen grabs from Vodafone's Egyptian customers showing text messages sent over the course of the demonstrations against Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-old regime. A text message received Sunday by an Associated Press reporter in Egypt appealed to the country's "honest and loyal men to confront the traitors and criminals and protect our people and honor." Another urged Egyptians to attend a pro-Mubarak rally in Cairo on Wednesday. The first was marked as coming from "Vodafone." The other was signed: "Egypt Lovers." In a statement, Vodafone Group PLC said that the messages had been drafted by Egyptian authorities and that it had no power to change them.

Former US defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld says in a new memoir that his biggest regret was not stepping down after the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal, US media reported Thursday. In his book, Rumsfeld -- a lightning rod for criticism during his long tenure at the Pentagon -- defends his handling of the Iraq war and makes no apologies for his major policy decisions, according to advance copies obtained by the New York Times and the Washington Post. But he said he should have forced then president George W. Bush to accept his resignation over the revelations of abuse by US military guards at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. "Abu Ghraib and its follow-on effects, including the continued drum-beat of 'torture' maintained by partisan critics of the war and the president, became a damaging distraction," Rumsfeld writes.

[Editor's Comment:] He should have regretted not quitting before Abu Ghraib, meaning he (correctly) would have admitted responsibility for the atrocities and felt regret for what he did. Rumsfeld however does not feel responsible for the barbarities that he in fact unleashed upon Iraqis. His only concern was that the scandal was a damaging "distraction" (presumably from the important task of eliminating Iraqi resistance to the noble Imperial Agenda). -This is the way of psychopaths.

Former dictator speaks out with claim he wants to rebuild country Combative and demonstrating an unconventional grasp of history, Haiti's former president Jean-Claude Duvalier has given his first major interview since returning home, saying he now intends to play the hard-working statesman, devoting his energy to rebuilding his shattered country. The former dictator, who is still known to locals as "Baby Doc", used an interview with the Spanish-language broadcaster Univision to deny charges of corruption and human rights abuse that were filed against him by local prosecutors last month, following his unexpected arrival in Port-au-Prince. He took issue with a suggestion that he had been a "tyrant", claiming instead to have been responsible for introducing democracy to the country. And he denied charges of having pilfered tens of millions of dollars from the Haitian public, including $6m (£3.7m) now sitting in a frozen Swiss bank account.

Stephen Lendman:
Duvalier in the Dock
Baby Doc Duvalier in Haiti

As Egyptians continue to protest throughout the country demanding political reform and the democratization of their society, what is the United States' roll in this uprising? Is the US standing behind its staunch ally President Mubarak or are Americans secretly behind the protests? RT's Dina Gusovsky is joined by a panel of Andrew Gavin Marshall from the Centre for Research on Globalization and Adrienne Pine, a professor at American University.

Space is so littered with debris that a collision between satellites could set off an “uncontrolled chain reaction” capable of destroying the communications network on Earth, a Pentagon report warned. The volume of abandoned rockets, shattered satellites and missile shrapnel in the Earth’s orbit is reaching a “tipping point” and is now threatening the $250 billion (£174bn) space services industry, scientists said. A single collision between two satellites or large pieces of “space junk” could send thousands of pieces of debris spinning into orbit, each capable of destroying further satellites. Global positioning systems, international phone connections, television signals and weather forecasts are among the services which are at risk of crashing to a halt. This “chain reaction” could leave some orbits so cluttered with debris that they become unusable for commercial or military satellites, the US Defense Department's interim Space Posture Review warned last year. There are also fears that large pieces of debris could threaten the lives of astronauts in space shuttles or at the International Space Station.