FBI Secret Probes: 3,501 Targets in the U.S
May 17, 2006 -- FBI Secret Probes: 3,501 Targets in the U.S.
The Department of Justice says it secretly sought phone records and other documents of 3,501 people last year under a provision of the Patriot Act that does not require judicial oversight. (ABC News)
U.S. Secretly Backing Warlords in Somalia
U.S. secretly supporting secular warlords who are fighting Islamic groups for control of capital. (Washington Post)
Verizon Denies Turning over Local Phone Data
Verizon, the country's second-largest phone company, said yesterday that it had not provided local phone records to the National Security Agency as part of efforts to compile a database of calling records to track terrorist activities. (NY Times)
Pentagon Releases 9/11 Security Video
Pentagon Releases Security Camera Images of Plane Hitting Building on Sept. 11, 2001. (AP)
New Tape Stirs Up 9/11 Conspiracy Theories
The minute the Pentagon released images of the Sept. 11 attack on its building, the message boards at ABCNEWS.com lit up with conspiracy theories. (ABC News)
C.I.A. Making Rapid Strides for Regrowth
For all its dysfunction and recent failures, the Central Intelligence Agency that Gen. Michael V. Hayden stands to inherit is far along a path toward rebuilding its network of foreign stations and replenishing ranks that were eviscerated during the years after the cold war. (NY Times)
GERMANY SPYING SCANDAL
German MPs Vote to Release Secret Report in Spying Scandal
Did BND agents spy on journalists? (Deutsche Welle)
IRAN NUCLEAR STANDOFF
Iran Rejects Potential European Incentives
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday rejected a possible European offer for incentives, including a light-water nuclear reactor, in return for giving up uranium enrichment. (AP)
DARFUR UPDATE
Darfur's Rebel Forces Turn On Each Other
With Darfur's remaining rebels still refusing to sign a peace deal, fighters once united against the Sudanese government turn on each other. (The Guardian)
Obstacles Test African Force in Grim Darfur
The African Union force in Darfur has been hamstrung by inadequate equipment, too few troops and a limited mandate. (NY Times)
TURKEY
Gunman Shoots Turkey Court Judges
A gunman opens fire inside Turkey's highest court, leaving a number of judges seriously injured. (BBC)
BRAZIL
5 Days of Violence by Gangs in São Paulo Leaves 115 Dead Before Subsiding
The scale of the fighting has prompted many to question an already shaky faith in Brazil's public security forces. (NY Times)
MLADIC
Serbia Cannot Escape Curse of Mladic
If Montenegro were to vote to secede from Serbia at the weekend, General Ratko Mladic would be an apt choice as pallbearer and gravedigger-in-chief. (The Guradian)
GUANTANAMO
Guantanamo Prisoners' Papers Get Closer Look
More than four years after the U.S. military began sending captives to the Guantanamo prison camp, intelligence analysts at the base said on Tuesday they are still going through the prisoners' notebooks and papers to figure out exactly who they are. (Reuters)
IRAQ NEWS
Driver of Kidnapped Diplomat Dies In Iraq
A Sudanese driver for an Arab diplomat in Baghdad has died after being shot as he tried to stop gunmen kidnapping the envoy, police said on Wednesday. (Reuters)
Judge Allows Defense to Call Saddam
The chief judge agreed Wednesday to allow the defense to call Saddam Hussein and his former intelligence chief as witnesses on behalf of one of their co-defendants in their trial on charges of crimes against humanity. (AP)
Baghdad Journal: May 16, 2006
Keeping Secrets and a Big Interview. (ABC News)
ANALYSIS & OPINION
Forget Privacy, We Need to Spy More
Electronic surveillance is a key weapon in the war on terror. Don't handcuff the president and the NSA. (LA Times)
Spy Tools In Need of a Law
There's one overwhelming problem with the NSA's use of phone records to identify terrorists: It may be illegal. (Washington Post)
The Truth and Legend of the Saddam Trial
Saddam's phrases, actions, upbringing and environment really make one doubt his sanity. It is not fair to treat Saddam Hussein as though he were a normal person. Consequently, the rulings of the subsequent court could be appealed on the grounds that the defendant was mentally unstable. If Saddam is executed in defiance of fundamental legal measures, he will turn into a legend in a region where superstitions are influential. (Al Hayat)
The Insider Daily Investigative Report (DIR) is a summary of major news articles and broadcasts relating to investigative news, including international terrorism and developments in Iraq. The DIR is edited daily from foreign and U.S. sources by Chris Isham, Hoda Osman and Ellen Gustafson of the ABC News Investigative Unit. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ABCNEWS.