The U.S. imprisons a larger percentage of its black population than South Africa did at the height of apartheid. There is a reason for it — but not a good one. ● Michelle Alexander is a civil rights lawyer, advocate, legal scholar and author of the highly acclaimed 2010 book The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. The book is an impressive work of nonfiction in which Alexander disproves common misconceptions about criminal justice in the United States and paints an appalling picture of where the system stands today.

New documents released by the FBI show that the Bureau is well on its way toward its goal of a fully operational face recognition database by this summer. EFF received these records in response to our Freedom of Information Act lawsuit for information on Next Generation Identification (NGI)—the FBI’s massive biometric database that may hold records on as much as one third of the U.S. population. The facial recognition component of this database poses real threats to privacy for all Americans.

US frigate USS Taylor (FFG 50) has entered the Black Sea, according to the US Navy, as the Pentagon announces plans to dispatch some 600 troops to Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia for military exercises. The US claims the ship’s entry is “to promote peace and stability in the region.” ● Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has previously stated that the US has been violating the Montreux Convention which restricts the number of US vessels operating in the Black Sea and sets a time limit of 21 days for each one. At the beginning of February, the USS Taylor was initially posted in the Black Sea. However, damages to the warship’s propeller assembly after running aground in the Black Sea caused a spike in tensions between the US and Russia after it caused the ship to exceed the time allotted to its stay by 11 days. French frigate Dupleix is expected to enter the Black Sea April 26-27, a military-diplomatic source told Itar-Tass. Once it arrives, the Black Sea will host three NATO vessels. The third one is French surveillance ship Dupuy de Lôme, which is expected to leave for the Mediterranean on April 30.

Alex Lantier ■ A day after the New York Times published a front-page report purporting to show the involvement of Russian Special Forces in protests in east Ukraine, its report, titled “Photos Link Masked Men in East Ukraine to Russia,” has been exposed as a blatant fabrication. || The Times printed low-resolution pictures of fighters—allegedly wearing Russian insignia while in Georgia, and then later as protesters in east Ukraine—asserting they were the same men, thus proving the existence of an armed Russian intervention in Ukraine. It was based on a crude trick first noted by a commenter on a link posted on Reddit. The photos in the Times were down-sampled versions of higher-resolution images circulating online, which show that the men in the different pictures are in fact not the same. It very rapidly became clear that the Times’ claims to have proven that Russian soldiers were driving the east Ukraine protests against the pro-Western regime in Kiev were complete rubbish.

Alex Lantier: The New York Times finds Russian spies in eastern Ukraine
Robert Parry: Another New York Times-Michael Gordon Special?

WSWS: German magazine Der Spiegel campaigns for war and rearmament || One of the most unmistakable signs of the return of German militarism is the barrage of war propaganda in the media. The conservative Die Welt and FAZ, the liberal Süddeutsche and Zeit and the “Green” taz newspaper have all published a torrent of articles urging German rearmament and more aggressive action against Russia.

The coup-appointed Kiev government’s order to use force against Ukrainian citizens is “criminal,” the Russian Foreign Minister told RT. He also denied claims that there is Russian military presence on Ukrainian territory. ● In an interview with RT’s Sophie Shevardnadze, Sergey Lavrov called acting Ukrainian President Alexander Turchinov’s order to reinitiate an anti-terror operation in East Ukraine, a criminal act. Referencing the four-sided talks between the EU, the US, Russia and Ukraine that took place in Geneva on April 17, Lavrov accused Kiev’s coup-appointed government of going back on its pledge to put a stop to all violence. “In Geneva we agreed there must be an end of all violence. Next afternoon [interim Ukrainian President Aleksandr] Turchinov declared almost a state of emergency and ordered the army to shoot at the people.”

US announces extra £30m for coup government ● US Vice-President Joe Biden told Russia today “to stop talking and start acting” to reduce tension in Ukraine. He insisted that Moscow should be using its influence to encourage pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine to vacate government buildings and checkpoints, accept amnesty and “address their grievances politically.” Mr Biden had nothing to say about the ongoing occupation of property by pro-government forces or the role of far-right paramilitary groups. He lectured Moscow on the need to act “without delay,” adding: “We will not allow this to become an open-ended process.” Apparently oblivious to his own country’s history, Mr Biden said that no country had the right to take another’s territory.

PressTV: US controlling interim Ukrainian government: Analyst - Video
RT.com: Lavrov to RT: Americans are 'running the show' in Ukraine
RT.com: Churkin: US behind Ukraine crisis after investing $5bn in 'regime change'

Stephen Lendman: US Threatens Russia ■ Washington bears full responsibility for elevating illegitimate fascist putschists to power. Doing so reflects another sordid chapter in US history. For sure, it won't be the last. Bullying, bluster and threatening ultimatums define US policy. John Kerry warned Sergei Lavrov. Moscow has "days, not weeks," to assure Ukrainian four-part agreement terms are implemented. [...] Fact check: Kiev putschists deployed neo-Nazi Right Sector thugs. They did so to Eastern Ukraine. They unleashed violence. They violated Easter truce terms straightaway. Deescalation is a convenient illusion. Washington bears full responsibility for Ukrainian crisis conditions. Rogue EU nations partner in crime. Cold War 2.0 rages. At stake is world peace. A potential East/West confrontation looms. Washington wants all rival governments eliminated. It wants pro-Western stooge ones replacing them. It wants unchallenged worldwide dominance. It risks possible global conflict in the process. Psaki didn't explain.

Bill Van Auken: ■ Vice President Joseph Biden’s two-day visit to Ukraine has ended with a resumption of the Kiev regime’s military crackdown against its political opponents in the southeast of the country and a dangerous escalation of US threats against Russia. Oleksandr Turchynov, who is both acting president and chairman of the parliament following the US-backed, fascist-led coup of February 22, announced Tuesday that he had ordered the country’s security forces to “carry out effective counterterrorist activities aimed at defending Ukrainian citizens living in the country’s east from terrorists.” Troops have reportedly been massed in the town of Izyum, on the border between Ukraine’s Kharkov region and Donetsk, the country’s most industrialized region. Donetsk has been the center of protests against the US-backed ultranationalists who seized power in Kiev.

Russian Foreign Ministry said there were around '150 American specialists' Statement claimed security firm Greystone sent in specialists 'disguised'. Greystone Ltd founded in 2004 and broke away as standalone firm in 2010. It was an affiliate of Xe Services, which changed name from Blackwater. ● Russia claims 150 Americans have been sent to Ukraine by a U.S. firm with historic links to Blackwater - the private security contractor which made headlines after a mass shooting in Iraq. The Foreign Ministry in Moscow today condemned the use of a supposed private army by Greystone Ltd 'disguised' as local forces. Greystone, which claims it recruits from the world's top armies and police forces, was founded in 2004 as an affiliate of Blackwater before breaking away to become a standalone firm in 2010. Four former Blackwater security guards are facing trial in the U.S. over a 2007 shooting which killed 14 people in Baghdad.

The statement by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs came as the Kremlin - which is facing international condemnation for sending troops into Crimea - warned 'civil war' could be looming in eastern Ukraine. It condemned the arrest today of 70 pro-Russian activists who stormed a government building in Kharkiv, just 25 miles from the Russian border. Russia, which has 40,000 troops on its side of the border, claimed the 'crackdown' was 'against the policies of the current government in Kiev'. The statement then added: 'Of particular concern is the fact that in this operation are about 150 American specialists from the private military organization "Greystone", disguised in the form of units of the "Falcon". 'Organizers and participants of this provocation are taking on a huge responsibility to create threats to the rights, freedoms and lives of civilians and for the stability of the Ukrainian State. 'We call for the immediate cessation of any military preparations, which could lead to the outbreak of civil war.'

The Wall Street Journal reported Greystone had categorically denied deploying anyone in Ukraine. An article quoted representative Coreena Taylor saying: 'We do not have anyone working in Ukraine nor do we have any plans to deploy anyone to the region.' However, Greystone gave no comment when contacted by MailOnline today at its head office in Chesapeake, Virginia. Pressed on whether the comments reported by the Wall Street Journal was accurate or officially sanctioned, a representative replied: 'This is officially sanctioned: We have no comment.' A U.S. State Department spokesman said it could not answer for a private company, but added: 'We do not have any U.S. military units in Ukraine.'

Has Blackwater been deployed to Ukraine? Notorious U.S. mercenaries 'seen on the streets of flashpoint city'

After weeks of search in the Indian Ocean, an investigation into the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is considering the possibility that the plane has landed somewhere else. ● Sources within the team that is based in Kuala Lumpur told the New Straits Times that among areas they were revisiting was the possibility that the Boeing jetliner had landed somewhere else, instead of ending up in the southern Indian Ocean. “We may have to regroup soon to look into this possibility if no positive results come back in the next few days ... but at the same time, the search mission in the Indian Ocean must go on. The thought of it landing somewhere else is not impossible, as we have not found a single debris that could be linked to MH370."

David Axelrod, recognized for creating a winning campaign strategy for Barack Obama’s senatorial race (2004) and presidential elections (2008 and 2012), will spearhead Labour leader Edward Miliband’s campaign for the United Kingdom 2015 General Election. The author of the "Yes we can" slogan promised to project an image of Labour as the bearer of hope, as he had done for his other clients, including President Obama. According to him, the Labour campaign should focus on social inequalities and Ed Miliband’s ability to reduce them.

Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, in his first comments since the crisis in Ukraine boiled over, said on Tuesday that he saw no reason for Russia’s army to intervene in eastern Ukraine at the moment, but left open the possibility of military action, saying that Russia “reserves the right to use all means at our disposal to protect” Russian speakers in the country’s south and east if they are in danger. “We are not going to fight with the Ukrainian people,” he said. “I want you to understand me clearly. If we make such a decision, it will only be for the protection of Ukrainian citizens. And God forbid if any of the servicemen tries to shoot their own people, we will be standing behind them — not in front, but behind. Let them try to shoot women and children!” (Source: NYT)

Warsaw Business Journal: Putin accuses Poland of 'training' Ukrainian revolutionaries
Thierry Meyssan: Ukraine: Poland trained putchists two months in advance

Dozens are reportedly dead in Yemen, including at least three civilians, as the result of a series of drone strikes that started in the southern part of the country on Saturday and is alleged to still be occurring two days later. ● By noontime in Washington, DC on Monday, the Associated Press reported that 55 Al-Qaeda militants were among those that had been killed in an hours-long series of strikes that targeted a training camp operated by the group, according to Yemen's interior ministry. The United States is alleged to have carried out the strikes using unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, but does not legally have to acknowledge any operations conducted by its Central Intelligence Agency and has not commented.

Jason Ditz: At Least 68 Killed as US Drone Strikes on Yemen Enter Third Day
Wayne Madsen: While All Eyes Were on Ukraine, the West U.S. Hatched a Plan for Yemen
Common Dreams: US Drones Continue 'Massive' Operations in Third Day of Attacks

The situation in the Ukraine continues to be characterized by complete chaos and a gradual and steady strengthening of the resistance in the East. ● Following the attack by pro-regime forces on a resistance checkpoint in Slaviansk over the week-end Foreign Minister Lavrov has accused the revolutionary regime in Kiev of breaking the terms of the accord. One could argue that this attack was decided by the Right Sector (that is the conclusion that the Russian-speakers have come to based on the weapons and documents they seized) and that the cannot control them. That is probably quite true (even though the Right Sector has denied being involved). But the regime also declared that the demonstrators which are currently occupying the Maidan square in Kiev have a permit and are there legally. Truly, whether the regime does not want to enforce the terms of the agreement or whether it cannot do so make very little difference to the Russian-speakers in the East: they still have to bury the same number of people and they still face the same threat. Take a look at what Right Sector thugs did to a Russian-speaker yesterday: (no translation needed). And this is just one example amongst many. To be really honest, I have the feeling that a negotiated solution is pretty much impossible at this point. The East really has nobody to negotiate with.

Andrew Korybko: Voter Intimidation and Collective Punishment: Western Democracy at Work in Ukraine ■ Ukraine is in the throes of an imminent human rights crisis, as the red flags of oppression are visible to all objective observers that care to acknowledge the obvious. The near-death beating of Oleg Tsarev and the intimidation of Mikhail Dobkin, both Eastern Ukrainian presidential candidates, are proof, if any more was even needed, that the upcoming “elections” in Ukraine will be neither honest nor representative of the population at large. On top of that, the Kiev junta’s military operations against the pro-reform activists in the east accentuate the violent oppression that has become characteristic of EuroMaidan and its coup plotters. With all of this occurring, the West is ignobly turning a blind eye towards the same human rights values it bombastically (in a literal sense) promoted in Resistant and Defiant (R&D) states such Serbia and Libya.

Bill Van Auken ■ Vice President Joseph Biden began his two-day trip to Ukraine Monday as the country continued to teeter on the edge of civil war. Tensions are mounting over killings in the eastern part of the country, where demonstrators calling either for union with Russia or a federalized system of government have seized control in at least ten towns and cities. Biden’s visit is intended to signal support for the US-backed regime that was installed last February in a fascist-led coup orchestrated by Washington. He is to meet today with the leaders of the unelected government in Kiev, including its president, Oleksandr Turchynov, and its prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk. Beyond that, the visit is aimed at ratcheting up Washington’s threats against Russia, including not only economic sanctions, but also the steady escalation of US and NATO military deployments right up to Russia’s borders.

PressTV: Russia faces more costs, isolation: Joe Biden
PressTV: Treason: Ukraine calls for US military support
RT.com: US confirms $5bn spent on Ukraine "Democracy"

The State Department is vouching for photographic "evidence" that purports to show Russian special forces in eastern Ukraine, despite Vladimir Putin's claims that his operatives are not behind the unrest. ● Ukraine's government has been circulating images over the last several days to international organizations, claiming they show "Russian sabotage-reconnaissance groups" at work in two eastern Ukrainian towns. Their authenticity could not be independently verified, but State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Monday they help bolster claims of ties between Russia and armed militants in eastern Ukraine. "So these are just further evidence of the connection between Russia and the armed militants," she claimed.

Robert Parry: Another New York Times-Michael Gordon Special?
Jason Ditz: US Sees Russians in East Ukraine Protester Photos

Michael S. Rozeff ■ Singling out the last two presidents as evil is not to let other U.S. government officials, past and present, off the hook. It is only to focus on recent, visible and incontrovertible instances of evil deeds done by evil men. Bush lied the U.S. into a vicious and aggressive war against Iraq. He’s responsible for a huge number of deaths and injuries. Obama attacked Libya based on lies. Hoping to destroy the Syrian military by a bombing campaign, he lied about the gas attack in August 2013. Obama constantly lies. Bush and Obama are wicked men, corrupt men, vicious men who have done profoundly malevolent deeds.

Our nation's singular focus on terrorism has led to various branches of the government and counterterrorism pundits declaring all sorts of things to be warning signs of terrorist activity. Here's a short (but by no means all-inclusive) list of activities that are supposedly indicators of terrorism-in-progress.

• Staying in a hotel and doing any number of "odd" things. Like not using the hotel's wifi, making requests in person at the front desk, not bringing enough baggage, using entrances/exits other than the one in the lobby area or turning down room service.
• Complaining about the TSA.
• Complaining about the water quality.
• Complaining.
• Contributing to Wikileaks (or even frequenting the site).
• Deploying glitter during a protest.
• Being a journalist. (UK edition)
• Encrypting your data.
• Expressing dissatisfaction with government policies.
• Having "money problems."
• Operating a food truck.

Now, here's a new one to add to the list. If Lisa Monaco (White House Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor) is to be believed, nearly every parent, especially those with stereotypical teens in the household, is harboring potential terrorists.

A suspected U.S. drone strike hit Yemen on Monday morning, the third such attack in as many days, killing people described as "militants" as part of "massive and unprecedented" operations targeting "al Qaeda" in the Arabian Peninsula. ● According to reporting by the Associated Press, the most recent strike "targeted the mountainous area of Mahfad between the provinces of Abyan and Shabwa," located in the southern part of the impoverished country. Neither the number of casualties nor who they are is clear at this point. An unnamed, "high-level Yemeni government official" told CNN that a "massive and unprecedented" scale of operations targeting AQAP was underway.

Serious Plotting in Ukraine: Biden Arrives.

Letting the fox into the hen house ● The Ukrainian acting prime minister says his country needs to be militarily and economically supported from the United States in its standoff with Russia. “We need a strong and solid state. We need financial and economic support. We need to modernize our security and military forces. We need the real support,” said Arseniy Yatsenyuk while appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday. He made the remarks ahead of a visit by US Vice President Joe Biden to Ukraine this week. ● Accusing the Russian President of undermining global stability and nuclear nonproliferation efforts, Yatsenyuk claimed Moscow is now not only a threat to Ukraine and the EU and but the world. “How can you stop the nuclear-powered state, which is Russian Federation, that spent billions of dollars to modernize their military instead of Ukraine?” he asked. "And it's crystal clear that for today Russia... is the threat to the globe and the threat to the European Union and a real threat to Ukraine." ● The Ukrainian premier added that Kiev in addition to financial and economic support needs US help to renovate its military. “We need to be in very good shape in order to stop Russia. And for this shape, we need to have and to get the real support from our Western partners.” “We need financial, economic support. We need to modernize Ukrainian military and to overhaul all structures of Ukrainian defense system.”

PressTV: Biden arrives in Kiev amid tensions
PressTV: Biden to meet with Ukrainian putschist leaders
RT.com: ‘Kiev desperately pushing for greater conflict with Russia’
Alex Lantier: Western powers, Ukrainian regime call for military buildup against Russia

RT.com: Lavrov: US should face responsibility for powers it installed in Kiev ● "Before giving us ultimatums, demanding that we fulfill demands within two or three days with the threat of sanctions, we would urgently call on our American partners to fully accept responsibility for those who they brought to power,” said Lavrov during a press conference with his colleague from Mozambique, Oldemiro Baloi. All attempts to isolate Russia will lead to a dead end because Russia is "a big, independent power that knows what it wants," he added. Meanwhile, the Russian FM also criticized statements from Western countries and Kiev’s authorities, which “invent possible and impossible arguments against Russia,” claiming that a large amount of Russian arms in the conflict zones proves Russian interference in Ukrainian affairs. He called the statements absurd as Ukraine has traditionally used Russian-made arms. “This statement is ludicrous. Everyone has Russian arms in Ukraine,” Lavrov said.

US military-trained dolphins and sea lions will participate in upcoming NATO military exercises in the Black Sea, the Russian Izvestiya newspaper reported Monday. ● The paper, citing a spokesman for the US Navy’s marine mammals program, said some 20 dolphins and 10 sea lions will participate in exercises. The exercises will test new equipment designed to "disorient enemy sonars, while sea lions and dolphins are looking for mines and military divers," the newspaper wrote. The exercises will be held under the marine mammals’ training program, which trains animals to protect ships and harbors and detect mines. The animals are to be airlifted to Ukraine. This will be the first NATO drill to involve military dolphins. The US military now has more than 100 bottlenose dolphins, California sea lions and beluga whales.

The gun battle was evidence that Ukraine is not reining in
gun-wielding far right extremists, Russia claimed. (Getty)

This is very bad news. The OSCE had reported that Pravyi Sektor paramilitaries were moving to the eastern Donbass region. It looks like they have arrived. It seems the U.S. neocons found out that they can not have the Ukraine and are responding like they always do. "Can't have it? Will destroy it!" This is likely the beginning of an intense civil war in Ukraine. One that is sure to draw external powers into it. Let us not forget who started this. The EU made an "offer" to Yanukovich which could not accept without destroying the Ukrainian economy, especially the eastern industries. When he rejected the "offer" a "color revolution" was instigated in Kiev and the democratically elected Yanukovich was removed by force. The new coup government, a mixture of oligarchs and western Ukrainian fascists, wants to suppress the Russian affine eastern Ukraine. The east responded by calling for greater regional autonomy.

‘Easter truce’ broken: Five deaths reported in overnight checkpoint raid in E. Ukraine
Russia on Eastern Ukraine shooting: Kiev must fulfill Geneva de-escalation pledge

Missile strikes in Yemen, weapons to Syria ● The first American drone missile strike to target Yemen in 2014 killed at least 13 people on Saturday, according to the US-allied Yemeni government. The missile hit a vehicle traveling in the Sawmaa area of al-Bayda province, blasting the car and propelling it 20 meters, while destroying a passing car as well. ● Washington is waging a nonstop campaign of political and media vilification of Russia for its alleged intervention in Ukraine—where a handful of people have died—even as it intensifies its decades-long military intervention in the Middle East, where US wars and US-instigated civil wars have killed millions. The death tolls are well known: more than one million in Iraq (1990-1991, 2003-2011); approaching 200,000 in Syria (2011-2014); well over 100,000 in Afghanistan (2001-2014); over 50,000 in Libya (2011); thousands in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Niger, Mali and other countries hit by US drone missile strikes. These figures do not even take into account the thousands killed by US-backed Israeli violence in Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza during the same period.

‘NYT’ abided by Israeli gag order even as ‘EI’ scooped it repeatedly || Last Saturday, Israel arrested Majd Kayyal, an Israeli Palestinian journalist who works for the human rights group Adalah, after he had visited Lebanon, then detained him incommunicado. Matt Lee of the Associated Press brought up the journalist’s arrest at the State Department briefing on Monday, and Ali Abunimah reported on the case for several days running at Electronic Intifada, noting:

Israeli media are strictly prohibited from publishing any details about Kayyal’s detention under the terms of a Shin Bet gag order approved by the judge.

The New York Times reported on the case yesterday, when Kayyal was released to house arrest, and referred to the gag order in passing– “A court-imposed gag order on the case was lifted on Thursday.” Now it turns out that the Times also abided by that gag order. Today the Times public editor, Margaret Sullivan, published an article about the gag order, stating that the Times bureau accepted it. Sullivan reports considerable confusion inside the Times about whether it does such things. The piece is highly embarrassing to the Times. As Abunimah summarizes the matter: “The New York Times agrees to be gagged by Israel.” [H/T: xymphora]

Thierry Meyssan ■ Lies have shorter and shorter legs. Two months after the change of regime in Kiev, the Polish press has disclosed the role of Donald Tusk’s government in preparing the coup. The new revelations belie Western discourse and demonstrate that the current interim government of Oleksandr Tourtchynov was imposed by NATO in violation of international law. || he Polish left-wing weekly Nie (No) published a startling witness account of the training given to the most violent of the EuroMaidan activists. According to this source, in September 2013, Polish Foreign Minister Rados³aw Sikorski invited 86 members of the Right Sector (Sector Pravy), allegedly in the context of a university exchange program. In reality, the guests were not students, and many were over 40. Contrary to their official schedule, they did not go to the Warsaw University of Technology, but headed instead for the police training center in Legionowo, an hour’s drive from the capital. There, they received four weeks of intensive training in crowd management, person recognition, combat tactics, command skills, behavior in crisis situations, protection against gases used by police, erecting barricades, and especially shooting, including the handling of sniper rifles. Such training took place in September 2013, while the Maidan Square protests were allegedly triggered by a decree suspending preparations for the signing of the Ukraine-European Union Association Agreement, which was issued by Prime Minister Mykola Azarov on November 21, i.e. two months later. The Polish weekly refers to photographs attesting to the training, which show the Ukrainians in Nazi uniforms alongside their Polish instructors in civilian clothing.

A U.S. [terror] drone on early Saturday killed 16 "al-Qaida militants" [people] and five civilians in Yemen' s southeastern province of al-Bayda, a Yemeni army officer said. ● The drone hit a pickup car which was carrying 16 "suspected militants" [people] in Hazmiah area of al-Bayda, about 268 km southeast of the capital Sanaa, local sources said. Five civilians passing by in a nearby car were also killed. Another six civilians travelling in another car on the highway of Hazmiah area were also wounded, witnesses said. It's the seventh of such drone strikes in the past two months.

Common Dreams: US Drone Obliterates Civilians in Yemen ■ A Yemen military official on Saturday says that at least fifteen people were either killed or wounded when a missile from a U.S. drone struck vehicles traveling on a road in the central province of al-Bayda. A pickup truck that was allegedly hit by a US drone in the al-Bayda province. Among the dead, according reports, are what the official claimed were targeted al-Qaeda militants traveling in two vehicles and also non-targeted passers-by traveling on the same road when the powerful U.S. bomb hit. According to Reuters, "tribal sources said a drone had been circling al-Bayda for days and on Saturday struck two cars the suspected militants were in. Three civilians who happened to be in a nearby car were also killed, they said." A security source told Reuters that the missile "targeted cars that suspected al Qaeda militants were in and killed 13 of them." The Associated Press, however, reports that a "Yemeni official" said nine of the victims in the attack were militants while at least six were "innocent civilians." The discrepancy in the early reporting does nothing to erase the fact that none of those killed in the bombing were given the opportunity to defend themselves or declare their innocence before being obliterated by what is assumed to be a U.S. Air Force drone operator controlling the aircraft from thousands of miles away. (Photograph: Stringer/EPA)

The mastermind of the US Central Intelligence Agency’s torture program has hit the headlines after seven years to defend the spy agency’s torture techniques. In an interview with the Guardian published on Friday, James Elmer Mitchell has described the CIA's “enhanced interrogation” program as a “success”. Mitchell was hired by the CIA back in 2002 to develop the so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques". Mitchell also said that he is "skeptical" about a Senate Intelligence Committee report on the controversial program. The 6,300-page report prepared by the committee provides details of torture techniques, including water-boarding, sleep deprivations for several days, confining the suspects in a box and hitting them against walls, used by the CIA under the administration of George W. Bush. The report says the “enhanced interrogation” methods, which were devised by Mitchell, were far more brutal than what was previously known.

NYT: Psychologist in Terror War Is Subject of Complaint