Paul Davis On Crime

South Philly's Dante & Luigi's Italian Restaurant Is A Longtime Hit

2012-01-30T21:31:00.001-05:00

Although Dante & Luigi's in South Philadelphia has scores of customers who are not mob-related, the outstanding Italian restaurant is as widely known for its connection to organized crime as they are for their wonderful food.

William Bender wrote an interesting piece about the restaurant for the Philadelphia Daily News.

Sure, bullets were flying in the barroom at Dante & Luigi's on Halloween night in 1989, when a masked man pulled a gun out of his trick-or-treat bag and starting pumping round after round into Nicodemo Scarfo Jr., son of the former Philadelphia mob boss.

Before that, the Italian restaurant at 10th and Catharine streets was a hangout for Angelo Bruno, the mob boss who was killed outside his Snyder Avenue home in 1980 by a hitman with a shotgun.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20120130_Dante___Luigi_s__Still_a_longtime_hit.html

William Bender wrote another piece about a South Philly eatery with an organized crime connection, Joey Giusepp's Pizzeria.

The place was formerly owned by the former boss of the Philadelphia Cosa Nostra crime family.

Joe Stanfa doesn't want you to read this.

He can't make you put down the newspaper or click on another website, but he's worried that continuing on could be bad for business, for his fresh start.

"I don't want to scare people away," Stanfa said from behind the counter at Joey Giusepp's, his new pizzeria just off the Schuylkill Expressway, in Grays Ferry.

Stanfa is perhaps the only proprietor in Philadelphia who doesn't want you to know about his pizza joint. He'd rather make you a hoagie than talk about the blood that was shed at the same address nearly 20 years ago, or the story behind the scar on his cheek.

You can read the rest of the story via the below link:

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20120130_MOBBED____with_customers__now__where_wiseguys_once_hung_out.html

A Fast & Furious Fib

2012-01-30T02:56:00.000-05:00

Michael A. Walsh at the New York Post points out the holes in Attorney General Eric Holders' congressional testimony regarding the ATF's "Operation Fast & Furious."

It’s not the crime, it’s the coverup, goes the old Washington cliché. In the case of the Fast and Furious gun-walking scandal, it’s both.

As Attorney General Eric Holder gets ready to face more congressional grilling Thursday, something’s clearly rotten at the Justice Department. The stench goes all the way to the top — to Holder.

... The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the supervision of the US Attorney’s Office in Phoenix — and over the vehement objections of field agents — encouraged some 2,000 guns purchased in Arizona gun shops to “walk” across the border to Mexico, ostensibly for tracking purposes.

In reality, the guns promptly disappeared, only to turn up later at murder scenes in both countries. Yet Justice has refused to come clean about its part in the killing spree, offering an ever-shifting array of “the dog ate my homework” excuses and bureaucratic shuffling, instead of providing Issa and the public with answers.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/fast_furious_fib_4HFAWyPTMmafzVRyE486rN

NCIS Cold Case Squad Never Forgets Victims

2012-01-29T20:55:00.000-05:00

William H. McMichael at the Navy Times offers an interesting story on the Naval Criminal Investigative Service's Cold Case Squad.

You can read the story via the below link:

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2012/01/navy-ncis-cold-case-squad-never-forgets-crime-victims-012912w/

I've covered NCIS for a good number of years, reporting on stories about espionage, procurement fraud, terrorism, and other major crimes.

I wrote a piece for Counterterrorism magazine on how NCIS counters terrorist spies a few years back.

You can read the piece via the below links:

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/SpyEyeJPG1.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/SpyEyeJPG2.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/SpyEyeJPG3.jpg

I also interviewed Mark Clookie, the NCIS director, for Counterterrorism magazine.

You can read the interview via the below links:

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/MarkClookieNCISQandA.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/MarkClookieNCISQandA2.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/MarkClookieNCISQandA3.jpg

Authors Praise Joseph Wambaugh To Mark His 75th Birthday

2012-01-29T12:19:00.001-05:00

Otto Penzler's MysteriousPress.com, the publisher's web site, offers the praise and well-wishes of several well-known authors for Joseph Wambaugh on his 75th birthday. He turned 75 on January 22nd.

MysteriousPress.com publishes some of Wambaugh's classic novels as eBooks.

The former LAPD detective sergeant and novelist has a new novel, Harbor Nocturne (Grove/Atlantic), coming out in April. I received an advance copy and I'm about to begin reading the novel.

You can read the author's comments about Joseph Wambaugh via the below link:

http://mysteriouspress.com/blog/authors-praise-joseph-wambaugh-to-mark-his-75th-birthday.asp

You can also read my previous post on Joseph Wambaugh and link to my interview with him via the below link:

http://pauldavisoncrime.blogspot.com/2012/01/belated-happy-birthday-to-joseph.html

U.S. Navy Wants Commando 'Mothership' In Middle East

2012-01-28T15:14:00.002-05:00

Craig Whitlock at the Washington Post offers a piece on the U.S. Navy's plan to convert the USS Ponce, an amphibious transport dock, into a Special Operations 'Mothership.'

This, in my view, is an outstanding idea, not only due to mobility and striking power, but also for force protection - the safety of the Navy commandos and support personnel.

This also means we won't be dependant on a host country to provide a base for our Special Operations forces.

The USS Kitty Hawk had her combat aircraft removed after 9/11 and during the start of the war in Afghanistan the carrier was used as a floating base for Special Operations. Navy SEALs on helicopters were launched from the carrier's deck and transported into Afghanistan.

The Pentagon is rushing to send a large floating base for commando teams to the Middle East as tensions rise with Iran, al-Qaeda in Yemen and Somali pirates, among other threats.

In response to requests from U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, the Navy is converting an aging warship it had planned to decommission into a makeshift staging base for the commandos. Unofficially dubbed a “mothership,” the floating base could accommodate smaller high-speed boats and helicopters commonly used by Navy SEALs, procurement documents show.

You can read the rest of the story via the below link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/pentagon-wants-commando-mother-ship/2012/01/27/gIQA66rGWQ_story.html

A Brit Looks At An American Crime Writer: Elmore Leonard - The Great American Novelist

2012-01-27T23:59:00.002-05:00

Philip Hensher at the British newspaper the Guardian takes a serious look at an American crime writer, Elmore Leonard.

Hensher suggests we drop the genre qualification.

You can read the piece via the below link:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/jan/27/elmore-leonard-great-american-novelist

You can also read an earlier post on Leonard and his new novel Raylan via the below link:

http://pauldavisoncrime.blogspot.com/2011/03/interview-with-dickens-of-detroit-crime.html

The Navy SEALs Turn 50: Elite Frogmen Muster In Virginia To Celebrate

2012-01-27T23:36:00.002-05:00

Kate Wiltrout at the Virginian-Pilot reports on the muster of U.S. Navy frogmen in Virginia to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Navy SEALs.

You can read the story via the below link:

http://hamptonroads.com/2012/01/elite-frogmen-muster-va-beach-seals-turns-50

I've covered the Navy SEALs for a good number of years and below are two of my Counterterrorism magazine pieces on the Navy's Special Operations warriors.

The first piece offers a Q&A with Dick Couch, a retired Navy SEAL who served in the Vietnam War and wrote an interesting book on the SEALs in the Iraq War.

You can read the interview via the below links:

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/DickCouchInterview1.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/DickCouchInterview2.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/DickCouchInterview3.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/DickCouchInterview4.jpg

My second linked magazine piece offers a history of how the SEALs developed from the World War II Navy UDT frogmen.

You can read the piece via the below links:

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/WWIIFrogmenJPG1.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/WWIIFrogmenJPG2.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/WWIIFrogmenJPG3.jpg

The above U.S. Navy photo was taken by Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Meranda Keller.

Book Review: 'Agent 6' By Tom Rob Smith

2012-01-27T09:36:00.001-05:00

Paula Woods at the Los Angles Times offers a review of Agent 6, the third book in Tom Rob Smith's trilogy of Cold War thrillers.

Four years ago, "Child 44," Tom Rob Smith's debut thriller set in Stalinist Russia was a literary sensation.

An edgy, intense portrait of Russia's secret police and the lengths they would go to to protect their country's image as a crime-free society, "Child 44" managed to straddle a fine line between well-researched, absorbing historical fiction and propulsive thriller that would earn the book universal praise, sales of more than 1.5 million copies worldwide and a place on the Man Booker Prize's longlist (unusual recognition for a work of genre fiction).

"Child 44" introduced 30-year-old Leo Demidov, a fanatically loyal agent with the MGB, the Soviet secret agency that was a precursor to the KGB, and his wife, Raisa, a beautiful schoolteacher.

You can read the rest of the review via the below link:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-book-20120127,0,6136240.story

You can also read my review of the two previous novels in the Tom Rob Smith trilogy via the below link:

http://pauldavisoncrime.blogspot.com/2009/10/soviet-serial-killers-and-secret-speech.html

A Look Back At The FBI Closing In On The Barker/Karpis Gang

2012-01-26T15:22:00.001-05:00

The FBI web site, FBI.gov, offers a look back at their pursuit of the Parker/Karpis gang.

In January 1935—77 years ago this month—more than a dozen Bureau agents surrounded a quaint two-story home on Lake Weir, Florida. Within moments, a fierce shoot-out erupted. It didn’t go well for the heavily armed criminals inside.

For the Bureau of Investigation—just six months away from being renamed the FBI—the firefight was a continuation of a busy year of battling gangsters. In 1934, notorious public enemies like John Dillinger, “Pretty Boy” Floyd, and “Baby Face” Nelson had fallen at the hands of Bureau agents. Heading into 1935, the top priority was to put a dangerous gang—led by the wily Alvin “Creepy” Karpis and a pair of Barker brothers—out of business.

You can read the rest of the story via th below link:

http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2012/january/history_012412/history_012412?utm_campaign=email-Daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=fbi-top-stories&utm_content=65204

A Little Smooth Jazz: Keiko Matsui's 'Falcon's Wing'

2012-01-26T12:01:00.001-05:00

Lately, I've enjoyed listening to Keiko Matsui on Comcast's Smooth Jazz music channel.

I like her blend of smooth jazz, fusion and new wave music.

If you are unaware of Keiko Matsui, you can listen to her song Falcon's Wing via the below link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7alOZoGnKU

U.S. Special Operations Forces Rescue Two Hostages In Somalia

2012-01-25T12:26:00.000-05:00

Foxnews.com reports that U.S. Navy SEALs and other Special Operations forces rescued two hostages in Somalia.

U.S. military forces sent helicopters into Somalia in a nighttime raid Tuesday and freed two hostages, an American and a Dane, while killing nine kidnappers, U.S. officials confirm.

American Jessica Buchanan, 32, and Dane Poul Hagan Thisted, 60, had been working with a de-mining unit of the Danish Refugee Council when they were kidnapped in October.

The raid was conducted by a joint team overseen by Africa Command involving Special Operations forces, including Navy SEAL Team Six, the same unit -- though not the exact same individuals -- that killed Al Qaeda leader Usama bin Laden in May, a senior U.S. military source told Fox News.

You can read the rest of the story via the below link:

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/01/25/sources-us-raid-frees-american-and-dane-held-hostage-in-somalia/

Happy 95th Birthday To Ernest Borgnine

2012-01-24T20:43:00.000-05:00

I loved Ernest Borgnine as Commander McHale in McHale's Navy on TV when I was a kid.

I also liked the big, gruff actor in a number of films, such as From Here to Eternity and Bad Day at Black Rock.

The 95-year-old actor is still working, as I hear his voice on the clever cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants when my grandchildren stay at my house.

Below is a video of Borgnine in McHale's Navy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfkkVFIT_PY

And below is a video of an interview with Borgnine discussing his role as "Mermaid Man."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsHhZ_bnpQg

You can read his biography at IMDB.com via the below link:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000308/bio

FBI Offering $100,000 Reward For Information Leading to Arrest Of Fugitive Robert William Fisher

2012-01-24T05:08:00.000-05:00

The FBI is offering a $100,000 Reward for Fugitive Robert William Fisher

Robert William Fisher is wanted for allegedly killing his wife and two young children and then blowing up the house in which they all lived in Scottsdale, Arizona in April of 2001.

Fisher is physically fit and is an avid outdoorsman, hunter, and fisherman. He has a noticeable gold crown on his upper left first bicuspid tooth. He may walk with an exaggerated erect posture and his chest pushed out due to a lower back injury. Fisher is known to chew tobacco heavily. He has ties to New Mexico and Florida. Fisher is believed to be in possession of several weapons, including a high-powered rifle.

An undated video shows him walking with a small child. Fisher has been on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list since 2002, and the FBI is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading directly to his arrest.

With Luck, HBO's New Crime Series Looks At Horseracing And Gambling

2012-01-23T18:29:00.001-05:00

Tim Goodman at the Hollywood Reporter reviews HBO's new crime series Luck.

You can read the review via the below link:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/luck-review-dustin-hoffman-hbo-283937

Internet's Dr Evil Arrested At 'Bond Villain Lair' In New Zealand

2012-01-23T15:06:00.001-05:00

Anthony Bond at the British newspaper the Daily Mail reports on the police takedown of Kim Dotcom, a suspect in the Megaupload.com scheme, at his "Bond villain lair" in New Zealand.

It sounds like something more reminiscent of a James Bond film than real life.

When police officers attempted to arrest the man accused of being one of the world's biggest internet pirates at his multi-million pound mansion, things were a bit trickier than they might have expected.

Instead of giving himself up easily, Kim Dotcom refused to let the police in, activated a number of locking mechanisms in his sprawling home and then hid in a safe room.

The determined police officers had to cut their way through to gain access and then found Mr Dotcom hiding near a gun.

Fortunately, thanks to dozens of police officers, backed by helicopters, they managed to detain the 38-year-old without anyone coming to harm.

Mr Dotcom, a German national, was one of four men arrested on Friday as part of an investigation of the Megaupload.com website.

You can read the rest of the story via the below link:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2089954/Megaupload-founder-Kim-Dotcom-sprang-electronic-locks-Bond-villain-lair-police-swooped.html

Former CIA Officer Charged With Disclosing Classified Information To Journalists

2012-01-23T12:49:00.002-05:00

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information today:

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A former CIA officer, John Kiriakou, was charged today with repeatedly disclosing classified information to journalists, including the name of a covert CIA officer and information revealing the role of another CIA employee in classified activities, Justice Department officials announced.

The charges result from an investigation that was triggered by a classified defense filing in January 2009, which contained classified information the defense had not been given through official government channels, and, in part, by the discovery in the spring of 2009 of photographs of certain government employees and contractors in the materials of high-value detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The investigation revealed that on multiple occasions, one of the journalists to whom Kiriakou is alleged to have illegally disclosed classified information, in turn, disclosed that information to a defense team investigator, and that this information was reflected in the classified defense filing and enabled the defense team to take or obtain surveillance photographs of government personnel. There are no allegations of criminal activity by any members of the defense team for the detainees.

Kiriakou, 47, of Arlington, Va., was a CIA intelligence officer between 1990 and 2004, serving at headquarters and in various classified overseas assignments. He is scheduled to appear at 2 p.m. today before U.S. Magistrate Judge John F. Anderson in federal court in Alexandria.

Kiriakou was charged with one count of violating the Intelligence Identities Protection Act for allegedly illegally disclosing the identity of a covert officer and two counts of violating the Espionage Act for allegedly illegally disclosing national defense information to individuals not authorized to receive it. Kiriakou was also charged with one count of making false statements for allegedly lying to the Publications Review Board of the CIA in an unsuccessful attempt to trick the CIA into allowing him to include classified information in a book he was seeking to publish.

The four-count criminal complaint, which was filed today in the Eastern District of Virginia, alleges that Kiriakou made illegal disclosures about two CIA employees and their involvement in classified operations to two journalists on multiple occasions between 2007 and 2009. In one case, revealing the employee’s name as a CIA officer disclosed classified information as the employee was and remains covert (identified in the complaint as “Covert Officer A”). In the second case, Kiriakou allegedly disclosed the name and contact information of an employee, identified in the complaint as “Officer B,” whose participation in an operation to capture and question terrorism subject Abu Zubaydah in 2002 was then classified. Kiriakou’s alleged disclosures occurred prior to a June 2008 front-page story in The New York Times disclosing Officer B’s alleged role in the Abu Zubaydah operation.

“Safeguarding classified information, including the identities of CIA officers involved in sensitive operations, is critical to keeping our intelligence officers safe and protecting our national security,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “Today’s charges reinforce the Justice Department’s commitment to hold accountable anyone who would violate the solemn duty not to disclose such sensitive information.”

Patrick J. Fitzgerald, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, who was appointed Special Attorney in 2010 to supervise the investigation, said, “I want to thank the Washington Field Office of the FBI and the team of attorneys assigned to this matter for their hard work and dedication to tracing the sources of the leaks of classified information.” Mr. Fitzgerald announced the charges with James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the FBI, and they thanked the CIA for its very substantial assistance in the investigation, as well as the Air Force Office of Special Investigations for its significant assistance.

“Protecting the identities of America’s covert operatives is one of the most important responsibilities of those who are entrusted with roles in our nation’s intelligence community. The FBI and our intelligence community partners work diligently to hold accountable those who violate that special trust,” said Mr. McJunkin.

The CIA filed a crimes report with the Justice Department on March 19, 2009, prior to the discovery of the photographs and after reviewing the Jan. 19, 2009, classified filing by defense counsel for certain detainees with the military commission then responsible for adjudicating charges. The defense filing contained information relating to the identities and activities of covert government personnel, but prior to Jan. 19, 2009, there had been no authorized disclosure to defense counsel of the classified information. The Justice Department’s National Security Division, working with the FBI, began the investigation. To avoid the risk of encountering a conflict of interest because of the pending prosecutions of some of the high-value detainees, Mr. Fitzgerald was assigned to supervise the investigation conducted by a team of attorneys from the Southern District of New York, the Northern District of Illinois and the Counterespionage Section of the National Security Division who were not involved in pending prosecutions of the detainees.

According to the complaint affidavit, the investigation determined that no laws were broken by the defense team as no law prohibited defense counsel from filing a classified document under seal outlining for a court classified information they had learned during the course of their investigation. Regarding the 32 pages of photographs that were taken or obtained by the defense team and provided to the detainees, the investigation found no evidence the defense attorneys transmitting the photographs were aware of, much less disclosed, the identities of the persons depicted in particular photographs and no evidence that the defense team disclosed other classified matters associated with certain of those individuals to the detainees. The defense team did not take photographs of persons known or believed to be current covert officers. Rather, defense counsel, using a technique known as a double-blind photo lineup, provided photograph spreads of unidentified individuals to their clients to determine whether they recognized anyone who may have participated in questioning them. No law or military commission order expressly prohibited defense counsel from providing their clients with these photo spreads.

Further investigation, based in part on emails recovered from judicially-authorized search warrants served on two email accounts associated with Kiriakou, allegedly revealed that:
*

Kiriakou disclosed to Journalist A the name of Covert Officer A and the fact that Covert Officer A was involved in a particular classified operation. The journalist then provided the defense investigator with the full name of the covert CIA employee;
Kiriakou disclosed or confirmed to Journalists A, B and C the then-classified information that Officer B participated in the Abu Zubaydah operation and provided two of those journalists with contact information for Officer B, including a personal email address. One of the journalists subsequently provided the defense investigator with Officer B’s home telephone number, which the investigator used to identify and photograph Officer B; and
Kiriakou lied to the CIA regarding the existence and use of a classified technique, referred to as a “magic box,” in an unsuccessful effort to trick the CIA into allowing him to publish information about the classified technique in a book.

*
Upon joining the CIA in 1990 and on multiple occasions in following years, Kiriakou signed secrecy and non-disclosure agreements not to disclose classified information to unauthorized individuals.

Regarding Covert Officer A, the affidavit details a series of email communications between Kiriakou and Journalist A in July and August 2008. In an exchange of emails on July 11, 2008, Kiriakou allegedly illegally confirmed for Journalist A that Covert Officer A, whose first name only was exchanged at that point, was “the team leader on [specific operation].” On Aug. 18, 2008, Journalist A sent Kiriakou an email asking if Kiriakou could pick out Covert Officer A’s last name from a list of names Journalist A provided in the email. On Aug. 19, 2008, Kiriakou allegedly passed the last name of Covert Officer A to Journalist A by email, stating “It came to me last night.” Covert Officer A’s last name had not been on the list provided by Journalist A. Later that same day, approximately two hours later, Journalist A sent an email to the defense investigator that contained Covert Officer A’s full name. Neither Journalist A, nor any other journalist to the government’s knowledge, has published the name of Covert Officer A.

At the time of Kiriakou’s allegedly unauthorized disclosures to Journalist A, the identification of Covert Officer A as “the team leader on [specific operation]” was classified at the Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) level because it revealed both Covert Officer A’s identity and his association with the CIA’s Rendition, Detention and Interrogation (RDI) Program relating to the capture, detention and questioning of terrorism subjects. The defense investigator was able to identify Covert Officer A only after receiving the email from Journalist A, and both Covert Officer A’s name and association with the RDI Program were included in the January 2009 classified defense filing. The defense investigator told the government that he understood from the circumstances that Covert Officer A was a covert employee and, accordingly, did not take his photograph. No photograph of Covert Officer A was recovered from the detainees at Guantanamo.

In a recorded interview last Thursday, FBI agents told Kiriakou that Covert Officer A’s name was included in the classified defense filing. The affidavit states Kiriakou said, among other things, “How the heck did they get him? . . . [First name of Covert Officer A] was always undercover. His entire career was undercover.” Kiriakou further stated that he never provided Covert Officer A’s name or any other information about Covert Officer A to any journalist and stated “Once they get the names, I mean this is scary.”

Regarding Officer B, the affidavit states that he worked overseas with Kiriakou on an operation to locate and capture Abu Zubaydah, and Officer B’s association with the RDI Program and the Abu Zubaydah operation in particular were classified until that information was recently declassified to allow the prosecution of Kiriakou to proceed.

In June 2008, The New York Times published an article by Journalist B entitled “Inside the Interrogation of a 9/11 Mastermind,” which publicly identified Officer B and reported his alleged role in the capture and questioning of Abu Zubaydah – facts which were then classified. The article attributed other information to Kiriakou as a source, but did not identify the source(s) who disclosed or confirmed Officer B’s identity. The charges allege that at various times prior to publication of the article, Kiriakou provided Journalist B with personal information regarding Officer B, knowing that Journalist B was seeking to identify and locate Officer B. In doing so, Kiriakou allegedly confirmed classified information that Officer B was involved in the Abu Zubaydah operation. For example, Kiriakou allegedly emailed Officer B’s phone number and personal email address to Journalist B, who attempted to contact Officer B via his personal email in April and May 2008. Officer B had provided his personal email address to Kiriakou, but not to Journalist B or any other journalist. Subsequently, Kiriakou allegedly revealed classified information by confirming for Journalist B additional information that an individual with Officer B’s name, who was associated with particular contact information that Journalist B had found on a website, was located in Pakistan in March 2002, which was where and when the Abu Zubaydah operation took place.

After The New York Times article was published, Kiriakou sent several emails denying that he was the source for information regarding Officer B, while, at the same time, allegedly lying about the number and nature of his contacts with Journalist B. For example, in an email dated June 30, 2008, Kiriakou told Officer B that Kiriakou had spoken to the newspaper’s ombudsman after the article was published and said that the use of Officer B’s name was “despicable and unnecessary” and could put Officer B in danger. Kiriakou also denied that he had cooperated with the article and claimed that he had declined to talk to Journalist B, except to say that he believed the article absolutely should not mention Officer B’s name. “[W]hile it might not be illegal to name you, it would certainly be immoral,” Kiriakou wrote to Officer B, according to the affidavit.

From at least November 2007 through November 2008, Kiriakou allegedly provided Journalist A with Officer B’s personal contact information and disclosed to Journalist A classified information revealing Officer B’s association with the RDI Program. Just as Journalist A had disclosed to the defense investigator classified information that Kiriakou allegedly imparted about Covert Officer A, Journalist A, in turn, provided the defense investigator information that Kiriakou had disclosed about Officer B. For example, in an email dated April 10, 2008, Journalist A provided the defense investigator with Officer B’s home phone number, which, in light of Officer B’s common surname, allowed the investigator to quickly and accurately identify Officer B and photograph him. Both Officer B’s name and his association with the RDI Program were included in the January 2009 classified defense filing, and four photographs of Officer B were among the photos recovered at Guantanamo.

In the same recorded interview with FBI agents last week, Kiriakou said he “absolutely” considered Officer B’s association with the Abu Zubaydah operation classified, the affidavit states. Kiriakou also denied providing any contact information for Officer B or Officer B’s association with the Abu Zubaydah operation to Journalists A and B prior to publication of the June 2008 New York Times article. When specifically asked whether he had anything to do with providing Officer B’s name or other information about Officer B to Journalist B prior to the article, Kiriakou stated “Heavens no.”

As background, the affidavit states that sometime prior to May 22, 2007, Kiriakou disclosed to Journalist C classified information regarding Officer B’s association with Abu Zubaydah operation, apparently while collaborating on a preliminary book proposal. A footnote states that Journalist C is not the coauthor of the book Kiriakou eventually published.

Prior to publication of his book, The Reluctant Spy: My Secret Life in the CIA’s War on Terror, Kiriakou submitted a draft manuscript in July 2008 to the CIA’s Publication Review Board (PRB). In an attempt to trick the CIA into allowing him to publish information regarding a classified investigative technique, Kiriakou allegedly lied to the PRB by falsely claiming that the technique was fictional and that he had never heard of it before. In fact, according to a transcript of a recorded interview conducted in August 2007 to assist Kiriakou’s coauthor in drafting the book, Kiriakou described the technique, which he referred to as the “magic box,” and told his coauthor that the CIA had used the technique in the Abu Zubaydah operation. The technique was also disclosed in the June 2008 New York Times article and referred to as a “magic box.”

In his submission letter to the PRB, Kiriakou flagged the reference to a device called a “magic box,” stating he had read about it in the newspaper article but added that the information was “clearly fabricated,” as he was unaware of and had used no such device. The affidavit contains the contents of an August 2008 email that Kiriakou sent his coauthor admitting that he lied to the PRB in an attempt to include classified information in the book. The PRB subsequently informed Kiriakou that the draft manuscript contained classified information that he could not use, and information regarding the technique that Kiriakou included in the manuscript remained classified until it was recently declassified to allow Kiriakou’s prosecution to proceed.

Upon conviction, the count charging illegal disclosure of Covert Officer A’s identity to a person not authorized to receive classified information carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, which must be imposed consecutively to any other prison term; the two counts charging violations of the Espionage Act each carry a maximum term of 10 years in prison; and making false statements carries a maximum prison term of five years. Each count carries a maximum fine of $250,000.

A complaint contains only allegations and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The government is being represented in court by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Iris Lan (Southern District of New York) and Mark E. Schneider (Northern District of Illinois), and Justice Department trial attorney Ryan Fayhee of the Counterespionage Section of the National Security Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Owings (Eastern District of Virginia) will assist in the matter under local court rules.

Belated Happy Birthday To Joseph Wambaugh

2012-01-23T00:13:00.002-05:00

I'm a day late, but happy birthday to Joseph Wambaugh, author of The Choirboys, The Onion Field, Hollywood Moon, and other fiction and nonfiction classics.

You can read my interview with the former LAPD detective sergeant and author via the below link:

http://pauldavisoncrime.blogspot.com/2009/11/semper-cop-interview-with-novelist.html

You can also visit Joseph Wambaugh's web site via the below link:

http://www.josephwambaugh.net/

U.S. To Keep 11 Aircraft Carriers To Show American Sea Power

2012-01-22T04:55:00.001-05:00

Foxnews.com reports that U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told sailors aboard the USS Enterprise that America is committed to maintaining 11 aircraft carriers in the fleet to project sea power.

Panetta also told the crowd of 1,700 gathered in the hangar bay of the USS Enterprise that the ship is heading to the Persian Gulf region and will steam through the Strait of Hormuz in a direct message to Tehran.

Iran has warned it will block the Strait, a major transit point for global oil supplies, and bluntly told the U.S. not to send carriers into the Gulf. The U.S. has said it would continue to deploy ships there.

"That's what this carrier is all about," said Panetta. "That's the reason we maintain a presence in the Middle East ...

You can read the rest of the story via the below link:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/01/21/us-to-keep-11-aircraft-carriers-to-show-sea-power/?test=latestnews

The above U.S. Navy photo of Panetta on the deck of the USS Enterprise was taken by Petty Officer 3rd Class Scott Pitman.

Charles Dickens: A Tale Of Two Centuries

2012-01-22T04:01:00.001-05:00

Susan Elkins at the British newspaper the Independent looks at the best books on Charles Dickens during his bicentennial year.

If Charles Dickens were as immortal as his writing, he would be celebrating his 200th birthday on 7 February. He may be – like Jacob Marley – as dead as a doornail, but culturally he's never been more alive, thanks to all of those timeless themes in his work. We are still wrestling with Orlick-style crime; punishment for men such as Sykes; daunting lawyers such as Jaggers; greedy industrialists such as Merdle and terrible poverty for Oliver Twist-like children. And family anxieties, tensions, miseries and joys – think Micawber, Pocket, Cratchit, Wemmick and Gradgrind – have changed remarkably little.

...in acknowledgement of his bicentenary, the Dickens commentators, critics, editors and creative responders have been busy producing new books.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/charles-dickens-a-tale-of-two-centuries-6292734.html

You can also read an earlier post on the preparation of the Dickens bicentennial via the below link:

http://pauldavisoncrime.blogspot.com/2012/01/britain-prepares-for-charles-dickens.html

Dom Irrera Teaches Us How To Talk South Philly Italian

2012-01-21T02:58:00.000-05:00

Below is a link to a funny video of South Philly comedian Dom Irrera teaching us how to "talk South Philly Italian:"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2PNtu5KFKc

Legendary R & B Singer Etta James Dies At 73

2012-01-20T17:09:00.001-05:00

The Hollywood Reporter writes that Etta James, the powerful R & B singer who sang At Last and other memorable songs, died. She was 73.

You can read the Hollywood Reporter obituary and view a video of her singing a live version of At Last via the below link:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/etta-james-death-obituary-274873

A Belated Happy Birthday To Edgar Allan Poe, The Inventor Of The Modern Detective Story

2012-01-20T03:58:00.001-05:00

A day late, but happy birthday to one of America's finest writers, Edgar Allan Poe.

Poe was born on January 19, 1809.

He was a poet and a critic and he was is credited with inventing the modern detective story with his 1841 short story, The Murders in the Rue Morgue.

You can read about Poe and crime fiction via the below link to the National Park Service:

http://www.nps.gov/edal/forteachers/upload/detective.pdf

You can also learn about Poe's House in Philadelphia via the below link:

http://www.visitphilly.com/history/philadelphia/edgar-allan-poe-national-historical-site/

You can read Poe's work online at the below link:

http://poestories.com/index.php

Surviving Families, Victims Of Terrorist Attack On The USS Cole Seek Justice

2012-01-20T03:27:00.000-05:00

By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2012 - Family members who lost loved ones during the USS Cole attack and two survivors urged yesterday that justice be served in the quest to ensure a fair trial for the accused mastermind of the attack.

The family members and survivors appeared grim-faced, and some choked with emotion as they spoke to reporters at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, following the second day of a pretrial hearing for Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri.

Nashiri is charged with several crimes, including a role in the Oct. 12, 2000, attack on the Cole as it was refueling in Aden Harbor, Yemen. Suicide bombers detonated an explosives-laden boat directly against the ship's port side, killing 17 sailors and wounding 37 others.

Among the survivors was James Parlier, the ship's command master chief petty officer, who worked directly for the Cole's captain and traveled to Guantanamo Bay to watch the pretrial proceedings.

Parlier admitted yesterday that seeing Nashiri during his first visit to Guantanamo Bay since Joint Task Force Guantanamo was stood up "brings up a lot of raw emotion."

"This is a long process, and it has been tough for all of us," he said, noting that the attack affected not only the sailors killed and their families, but also their shipmates, who continue to suffer from physical injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder.

"Every person on that ship lost something," agreed Ronald Francis, a retired sailor whose 19-year-old daughter, Seaman Lakeina Francis, died aboard the Cole. "Everyone is now affected by the outcome of the USS Cole bombing."

Olivia Rux said her life hasn't been the same since her husband, Petty Officer 2nd Class Kevin Rux, an electronic warfare specialist, "was murdered" during the attack. She shared with reporters the emptiness she feels and her personal struggle as one of the family members left behind "to figure out where I belong in this society that has been overlooked."

Rux dismissed defense arguments during the pre-trial hearing that the military commission process is being rushed, denying Nashiri the opportunity to receive a fair trial.

She recalled the painful wait for news after the attack, not yet knowing if loved ones and shipmates were alive or dead, and the agony of having to bury their loved ones. "Where is the justice in that?" she asked.

Francis questioned, after hearing members of the defense team challenge the fairness of the military commission system, who's thinking about those whose lives were cut short, or were left behind. "When the defense talks about justice, where is the justice [for the] sailors aboard that ship?" he said.

He said he wanted to "see the process and justice done not only for my daughter, but for all the shipmates that were on that ship."

Eleven years after the attack, Master Chief Petty Officer Paul Abney, who was sitting in the ship's mess when the explosion occurred, said he traveled to Guantanamo Bay to seek closure. "I am here to witness justice and to see this process to take place," he said.

He disputed the defense team's arguments that military commissions aren't legitimate court proceedings and insisted that alleged terrorists don't deserve the right to be tried in the United States.

Abney also scoffed at the notion that Nashiri, as a defendant, is likely to have access to national secrets that even he isn't entitled to because he has no need to know. "It doesn't feel fair," he said, "but that's the process and the rules."

He commended the efforts those conducting the commission are making to ensure that Nashiri receives a fair trial. "They are doing their job to be as fair and honest as possible, and we need to let the process go as it was set up at this place, in this time," he said.

Parlier agreed that the legal process has been "more than fair, I believe, with Nashiri." But he made no secret of what he hopes the outcome will be.

"I pray to God that we do prove that he worked with [deceased al-Qaida leader Osama] bin Laden and his cell, creating the nightmare for us that he did," Parlier said. "And I pray that one day, as an older man, that I see him receive the justice that he deserves."

Jesse Neito, whose son, Petty Officer 2nd Class Mark Neito, was killed in the attack, lamented that justice has been "slow, very slow." He expressed hope that he "will be able to see and be alive when the outcome resolves itself."

Rux was more direct. "I have nothing but time to wait until that detainee draws his last breath," she said.

Former NYPD Detective Edward Conlon Nominated For Best First Novel By Mystery Writers Of America

2012-01-19T20:37:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Edward Conlon for his nomination for Best First Novel, Red On Red, by the Mystery Writers of America.

Conlon, who recently left the New York Police Department to write full-time, is also the author of an excellent nonfiction book about his police experiences and the long line of cops in his family called Blue Blood.

You can read my earlier post on Edward Conlon via the below link:

http://pauldavisoncrime.blogspot.com/2011/09/tv-series-based-on-former-nypd.html

The above photo of Edward Conlon by Brian Scannell.

Elmore Leonard And T.Jefferson Parker: Two Crime Writers At The Top of Their Game

2012-01-19T17:08:00.001-05:00

Mike Downey at the Los Angeles Times reviews Elmore Leonard's Raylan and T. Jefferson Parker's The Jaguar.

The new year is a happier one already for aficionados of America's top crime novelists. That is because, along with T. Jefferson Parker and a snarling, teeth-baring rip-snorter called "The Jaguar," a couple of our most creative writers are back and in good form. Their flawed but basically heroic lawmen — Charlie Hood being the Parker brand — are men of action, written with wit. A law gets bent here and there, but who cares?

Kidney-nappers are at the heart of "Raylan," a pair of Kentucky varmints who turn up unexpectedly at your door, disguised behind Barack and Michelle Obama masks, to drug you, drub you, relieve you of a vital organ — two, in some cases — and then rub-a-dub-dub you in a tub. Good ol' Stetson-topped Raylan, the coal miner's son who became a fed, ends up on the case.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-mike-downey-20120122,0,4000042.story

Pretrial Proceedings Begin For Alleged USS Cole Attack Mastermind

2012-01-18T03:47:00.000-05:00

By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service

FORT MEADE, Md., Jan. 17, 2012 - The commander of the U.S. detention facility at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, defended the new policy that allows government officials to monitor prisoners' mail during the opening day of pretrial proceedings for the alleged mastermind in the USS Cole bombing.

Navy Rear Adm. David Woods, commander of Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay, testified today in response to a motion by the defense at the military commission hearing for Abd al-Rahim Hussein Muhammed al Nashiri. Army Col. James Pohl ruled during proceedings at Guantanamo Bay that Woods should explain the policy he instituted last month.

Woods, one of the highest-level officials to testify in a military tribunal, said the new policy balances his responsibilities to facilitate attorney-client communication while also ensuring security, safety, force protection and good order at the facility.

Woods told Navy Lt. Cmdr. Stephen C. Reyes of the defense team the new policy allows members of a team that reviews detainee privileges to conduct a "plain-view review" of written communications not marked as protected attorney-client information. The review, he said, is designed to ensure this correspondence does not include physical or "information contraband" such as maps of the detention facility.

Woods disputed the defense position that the policy violates client-attorney privilege, or that reviewers must read the material in full to make a determination. He also denied that the policy restricts access between detainees and their lawyers.

One of its benefits, he said, is authorizing guards to search the plastic bins reserved for legal paperwork and correspondence in detainee living spaces. Guards reportedly have found contraband stowed in these "legal bins" in the past.

Woods acknowledged that the policy depends on the professionalism of the privileged review team, as well as their contractual commitments, to ensure their review is conducted properly and ethically. He noted that reviewers, all civilian contractors, must sign a non-disclosure agreement that bars them from sharing this information, particularly with prosecuting attorneys associated with the case.

The prosecution called the defense's request for Woods to appear before the court irrelevant to the case because Nashiri hasn't been subject to mail searches.

However, officials said Pohl's decision to call him likely was made because what happens in the Nashiri case the first to go through a revised military commission system -- is likely to set the precedent for trials to follow. Army Col. John Head, deputy chief of staff for the convening authority, told reporters the defense's request likely is intended to institute an across-the-board process that ensures all detainees receive equal treatment.

Pohl is expected to render a decision tomorrow, the second of two days of a pretrial hearing to consider 10 motions in the case.

Nashiri, 47, is charged with "perfidy," or treachery; murder in violation of the law of war; attempted murder in violation of the law of war; terrorism; conspiracy; intentionally causing serious bodily injury; attacking civilians; attacking civilian objects; and hazarding a vessel.

The charges arise out of an attempted attack on the USS The Sullivans in January 2000 and an attack on the USS Cole in October 2000, during which 17 U.S. sailors were killed and 37 more wounded. Nashiri also is accused of involvement in an attack on the MV Limburg, a French civilian oil tanker, in October 2002 in which one crewmember was killed and about 90,000 barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf of Aden. If convicted, Nashiri could be sentenced to death.

Nashiri did not enter a plea during his arraignment at Guantanamo Bay in November.
Although the defendant was in the room during today's proceedings albeit it out of camera view for remote viewers for most of the hearing all the activity revolved around the prosecution and defense teams.

Pohl rejected two defense motions: one to allow Nashiri to be unrestrained during his meetings with his legal counsel, and one to establish an enclave a protected network within the larger Defense Department computer network in an effort to keep DOD from monitoring the defense counsel's computers and electronic communications.

Pohl dismissed civilian defense counsel Richard Kammen's argument that defense counsel should be able to meet with unrestrained detainees in locked-room meetings, as representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross are able to.

The current policy requires detainees to be shackled and in an unlocked room during meetings with their attorneys, enabling guards to enter the room and for attorneys to exit quickly in the event of a disturbance, the prosecution noted.

Anthony W. Mattivi, a member of the prosecution team representing the Justice Department, expressed concern that changing the current policy could put the guards at increased risk and said Woods should be the one to make any changes to the policy, not the court. "That's not his call," Mattivi said of Kammen. "It's the commander's."

Pohl agreed, ruling to keep the current policy intact.

The judge, however, left the door open for a possible request by the defense for an enclave or other security remedy for its electronic communications in the future, while acknowledging that even material in enclaves is subject to monitoring.

Kammen compared the encryption system the defense now uses to protect sensitive materials to putting them in a locked drawer in an office, then handing the government the key to the drawer and leaving the office door open. "It's the appearance of confidentiality without the substance," he told the court.

Lockhart argued that an enclave isn't necessary because encryption already ensures the maximum security possible for the documents. Pentagon computer security expert Adam Bennett, whom she called to the stand, said it's virtually impossible for government officials to access encrypted information or open documents including those used by the defense team without the password and encryption software needed to access it.

Both the defense and prosecution, as well as the judge, recognized that all material on DOD networks is subject to routine, noncontent-related screening to prevent viruses and cyber attacks.

In other motions considered today, Pohl granted a motion supporting more public access to court proceedings. Currently the proceedings are broadcast from the court at Guantanamo Bay via closed circuit to just three locations in the United States. Two of those sites are here at Fort Meade in a theater and training-room facility. Another, at Norfolk Naval Base, Va., is reserved for families of USS Cole victims as well as crewmembers aboard the vessel during the attack.

Pohl also moved that unofficial transcripts of the proceedings, posted online while the official transcript remains classified, may be referred to by both legal teams during the trial.

Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Kammen said the defense considered today "on balance, a very successful day," while acknowledging that some of the motions made could ultimately delay the trial, possibly as far out as 2015.

Kammen called military commissions "at best, a second-class system of justice" and said they are designed to be secretive and provide expedient justice at the expense of transparency and fairness. He added that the defense team today fought for things it wouldn't have had to in federal court, and accused the government of blurring the line between classified and embarrassing information.

Army Brig. Gen. Mark Martins, chief prosecutor for the Office of Military Commissions, disputed Kammen's charges, noting that the prosecution team in the commissions operates much like prosecutors in federal courts. They play no part in handling defendant's correspondence or defense attorney's emails, don't communicate with facility personnel about contacts with an accused legal materials and aren't privy to those materials, he said.

Martins said proceedings like today's are designed to ensure legal issues are resolved in a way "consistent with the fair, transparent and accountable administration of justice under the rule of law."

Despite the manpower and expense associated with the commission proceedings, Martins said the United States has a responsibility to follow them through. "Not only must we continue to pursue the truth for the surviving family members of victims who have been rendered silent, but we must also pursue it because that is what justice requires," he said. "A civilized and open society facing very real and modern security threats can demand no less."

Hell In The Pacific: Rare WWII Photographs Of American Soldiers and Marines During The Brutal Battle of Saipan

2012-01-17T00:48:00.000-05:00

Lydia Warren at the British newspaper the Daily Mail offers a good story on the furious fighting on Saipan in the South Pacific in World War II.

It is the little-known battle that claimed the lives of thousands of Americans during World War II.

But now black-and-white photographs, captured by Life magazine photographer W. Eugene Smith, show the everyday horrors for the U.S. soldiers fighting against Japanese forces on the Mariana Island of Saipan between June 15 and July 9, 1944.
Faces etched with the pain of their experiences, war-weary men are captured transporting their wounded comrades or forcing Japanese civilians from their hiding places.

You can read the rest of the peice and view the great photos via the below link:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2087023/World-War-II-photographs-American-soldiers-fight-survival-brutal-Battle-Saipan.html

You can also learn more about the Battle of Saipan by reading a good piece by Francis A. O'Brie at Historynet.com via the below link:

http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-saipan.htm

The Battle of Saipan interests me as my late father was a UDT frogman who hit the Saipan beach on June 14, 1944, a full day before the American troops landed.

I wrote about my my father and the WWII Navy frogmen for Counterterrorism magazine. You can read the piece via the below links:

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/WWIIFrogmenJPG1.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/WWIIFrogmenJPG2.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/WWIIFrogmenJPG3.jpg

The South Bank Show: A Look Back At 50 Years Of James Bond Films

2012-01-17T00:17:00.000-05:00

With 2012 being the 50th anniversary of the first James Bond film, one might be interested in watching the British TV program the South Bank Show that looked back on the highly successful film series based on Ian Fleming's thrillers.

The TV program offers good interviews with the first Bond film actor Sean Connery and the current Bond actor Daniel Craig.

You can watch the program via the below links to youtube.com:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxtgAuy1rmA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO0nAPGnPRk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdhDqoYZmKk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uTb5HjPP8g&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PN19iaUhzM&feature=related

Celebrating 50 Years Of James Bond Films

2012-01-16T23:59:00.001-05:00

Fifty years ago today the first James Bond film, Dr No, was released and millions of viewers were introduced to the suave and rugged British secret agent with the license to kill.

There are a good number of newspaper, magazine and Internet stories celebrating the history of the film series based on the Ian Fleming thrillers.

The British newspaper the Daily Mail offers an interesting excerpt from the late Bond film producer Cubby Broccoli's autobiography. Broccoli tells of a memo author Ian Fleming that spelled out how James Bond should be portrayed.

We had the script rewritten to bring it more in line with Fleming's original story. Which was just as well, because Ian attended several of our meetings well before the picture started. It was good having him around. His whole persona, the way he held his cigarette, his laid-back style, that certain arrogance, was pure James Bond.

After one of our meetings, Ian sent me a fascinating memorandum, which must be the definitive thesis on the way James Bond should be played.

For instance: 'Atmosphere: To my mind, the greatest danger in this series is too much Englishness.

There should, I think, be no monocles, moustaches, bowler hats or bobbies or other "Limey" gimmicks. There should be no blatant English slang, a minimum of public-school ties and accents, and subsidiary characters should, generally speaking, speak with a Scots or Irish accent.

James Bond: Bond is a blunt instrument wielded by a government department. He is quiet, hard, ruthless, sardonic, fatalistic. In his relationships with women he shows the same qualities as he does in his job. He likes gambling, golf and fast motor cars.

So, incidentally, did Ian - and guns, espionage and beautiful women, particularly in the uniform of the WRNS. He'd have given anything, I imagine, to have been James Bond.

You can read the rest of the story via the below link:

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/home/moslive/article-2085194/JAMES-BOND-MOVIES-Why-said-Dr-No-monkey-revelations.html

Your Guide To Boston's Infamous Mobsters

2012-01-16T07:23:00.000-05:00

The Walpole Times offers an interview with two Boston journalists, Beverly Ford and Stephanie Schorow, about their book on Boston's infamous mobsters, The Boston Mob Guide: Hit Men, Hodlums & Hideouts (History Press).

From gunmen to gangsters, from mob to Mafia, organized crime has left a mark on the City on the Hill, reaching back to the beginning of the last century to the recent capture of notorious mobster James “Whitey” Bulger. Now, two veteran journalists who have untangled the threads of Boston’s bad guys, will talk about the men who made up the Boston mob and their labyrinth of hits, double-crosses and deadly deals on the mean streets of Boston.

You can read the piece via the below link:

http://www.wickedlocal.com/walpole/news/x58613418/Boston-Mob-Guide-authors-will-be-at-Walpole-bookstore-Jan-16#axzz1jYVAhvla

You can also read an earlier post on Boston mobsters in fact and fiction via the below link:

http://pauldavisoncrime.blogspot.com/2010/05/eddie-coyles-new-friends.html

Happy Anniversary, James Bond. Ian Fleming Began First James Bond Thriller On This Date In 1952

2012-01-15T16:20:00.005-05:00

As Dell Deaton at annarbor.com notes, on this date in 1952 Ian Fleming began his first James Bond thriller, Casino Royale.

Fleming, seen on the right in the above photo talking to actor Sean Connery on the set of Dr No, began the novel while vacationing at his Jamaican villa Goldeneye.

In 1952, January 15 was a Tuesday.

Some time that day, Ian Fleming put a blank sheet of paper into his well-used portable typewriter and literally created James Bond.

Ten years and one day later, Sean Connery brought that character to life (so to speak) when the initial day of filming began on the movie version of Dr No.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/bond-james-bond----by-ian-fleming-60-years-ago-today/

You can read more about Ian Fleming and James Bond in my Crime Beat column via the below link:

http://pauldavisoncrime.blogspot.com/2010/06/casino-royale-revisited-film-that.html

As an aside, Fleming's watch was a Rolex Explorer, but Sean Connery's James Bond wore a Rolex Submariner in the films in the 1960s.

Lloyd Bridges also wore a Rolex Submariner as Mike Nelson, the ex-Navy frogman in Sea Hunt, which aired on TV from 1958 to 1961.

The Rolex Submariner was and is a popular watch with sports divers, as well as U.S. Navy frogmen, sailors and military aviators like legendary pilot General Chuck Yeager.

My Rolex Submariner has been my most prized possession since my beautiful wife bought the watch for me a month before we married so many years ago.

Book Em': Elmore Leonard's U.S. Marshal Character Goes From TV Back To A Book With 'Raylan'

2012-01-15T15:36:00.000-05:00

Vince Cosgrove at NJ.com reviewed Elmore Leonard's new crime thriller Raylan.

Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, whose Stetson rides high and whose gun is quick, returns in Elmore Leonard’s latest thriller — after appearing in the novels “Pronto” and “Riding the Rap,” and the short story “Fire in the Hole.”

That story inspired “Justified,” the hit series that stars Timothy Olyphant as Raylan (its third season kicks off Tuesday on FX). Leonard thinks so highly of “Justified” that he dedicated “Raylan” to Olyphant and Graham Yost, the series’ creator

You can read the rest of the review via the below link:

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/arts/index.ssf/2012/01/raylan_a_book_review.html

I'm a big fan of Elmore Leonard and I like his Raylan Givens character in his novels and short stories and on the TV show Justified. I look forward to reading Raylan.

Meet The Boss Of Italy's Biggest Business, The Ruthless Don Running The Mafia

2012-01-14T16:41:00.001-05:00

Nick Pisa at the British newspaper the Daily Mirror wrote an interesting piece about the "boss of bosses" of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra.

The organized crime group was recently reported to be the biggest Italian business.

He's the boss of Italy’s biggest business – but he’s not your run-of-the-mill chief executive.

Worth an estimated £2.5billion, Matteo Messina Denaro loves fast cars, designer watches and sharp suits. But 49-year-old Denaro is also a cold-blooded murderer whose ruthless streak has helped him rise to the very summit of the Italian Mafia.
*
Now known as the Don of Dons, he is believed to have personally executed at least 50 people and ordered the deaths of scores more. He has been on the run since 1993 and has chillingly boasted: “I filled a cemetery all by myself.”
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You can read the rest of the story via the below link:
*
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2012/01/14/meet-the-boss-of-italy-s-biggest-business-the-ruthless-don-running-the-115billion-mafia-115875-23698278/

Investigating Officer Recommends Court-Martial For Suspected Wiki-Leaker PFC Bradley Manning

2012-01-13T16:28:00.000-05:00

By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13, 2012 - The investigating officer has recommended that Army Pfc. Bradley Manning face a general court-martial for charges of leaking classified documents, Military District of Washington officials announced yesterday.

Army Lt. Col. Paul Almanza issued his recommendation yesterday, concluding that reasonable grounds exist to believe that Manning committed the alleged offenses, officials said.

The 24-year-old intelligence analyst is suspected of leaking military and diplomatic documents to the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks in what officials believe is the biggest intelligence leak in U.S. history.

WikiLeaks, in turn, released thousands of these documents, including classified records about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, on its website last year.

Manning faces more than 20 charges alleging he introduced unauthorized software onto government computers to extract classified information, unlawfully downloaded it, improperly stored it, and transmitted the data for public release and use by the enemy.
Almanza's report concluded that the charges and specifications are in proper form for the case to move forward, officials said.

His recommendation follows eight days of pretrial proceedings during Manning's Article 32 hearing, with both prosecution and defense delivering their closing statements Dec. 22.
An Article 32 hearing, often compared to a civilian grand jury, is a pretrial hearing to determine if grounds exist for a general court-martial, the most serious of courts-martial.

The special court-martial convening authority, Army Col. Carl Coffman, will now review Almanza's report, officials said. He will determine if the charges should be handled at his level or forwarded to Army Maj. Gen. Michael S. Linnington, the general court-martial convening authority.

If convicted of all charges, Manning would face a maximum punishment of life in prison. He also could be reduced to E-1, the lowest enlisted grade, and could face forfeiture of all pay and allowances and a dishonorable discharge, officials said.

Allen West On The Marine Pissing Incident: 'Shut Your Mouth, War Is Hell'

2012-01-13T16:22:00.000-05:00

Daniel Harper at the Weekly Standard reports on Congressman and former U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Allen West's comments regarding the video that appears to show U.S. Marines urinating on dead Taliban bodies.

“I have sat back and assessed the incident with the video of our Marines urinating on Taliban corpses. I do not recall any self-righteous indignation when our Delta snipers Shugart and Gordon had their bodies dragged through Mogadishu. Neither do I recall media outrage and condemnation of our Blackwater security contractors being killed, their bodies burned, and hung from a bridge in Fallujah.

“All these over-emotional pundits and armchair quarterbacks need to chill. Does anyone remember the two Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division who were beheaded and gutted in Iraq?

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/allen-west-marines-incident-shut-your-mouth-war-hell_616699.html

American Sniper: A Review Of Former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle's Book

2012-01-13T13:04:00.000-05:00

Joshua Sinai at the Washington Times wrote an interesting review of American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. History.

"One shot, one kill" is the creed of military snipers. For those in elite warfare units such as the U.S. Navy SEALs, the additional skill of being able to quietly infiltrate an enemy's area undetected in order to deliver precision fire is mandatory. Working in proximity to where adversaries are operating, and being expected to survive in order to be deployed to additional firefights, is a given.

"American Sniper" is retired Navy SEAL Chris Kyle's gripping and dramatic account of how he became the deadliest sniper in U.S. history with 160 officially confirmed "kills" in the Iraq War from 2003 to 2009.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jan/13/book-review-american-sniper/

San Francisco Film Noir Festival Celebrates Crime Writer Dashiell Hammett

2012-01-11T19:06:00.001-05:00

G. Allen Johnson at the San Franciso Chronicle reports on the 10th San Franciso Noir City Film Festival. The festival will show films written by or based on work written by the late great crime writer Dashiell Hammett.

"It's amazing - as the sun sets and you sit in this room, it really starts to feel like Sam Spade's apartment," said Muller, referring to Dashiell Hammett's hero in his novel "The Maltese Falcon."

"It is a trip to read that book in this apartment. It makes your head spin. You feel it, you really feel it."

We are sitting in the apartment where Hammett lived in the late 1920s. Here, at 891 Post St., Hammett, a struggling writer who worked at Samuel's Jewelers on Market Street, wrote his first three novels: "Red Harvest," "The Dain Curse" and, of course, "The Maltese Falcon," in which Sam Spade's living quarters and office in the novel was based on Hammett's apartment.

You can read the rest of the story via the below link:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/01/11/DD2U1MKQV0.DTL

TNT Orders Crime Drama Pilot Based On 'L.A. Noir'

2012-01-11T05:55:00.000-05:00

Dave Itzkoff at the New York Times reports that Frank Darabont will write, direct and produce a pilot for the TNT channel called L.A. Noir.

TNT said in a news release that it had ordered a pilot for “L.A. Noir,” adapted from John Buntin’s book of the same title, about the real-life battle between the Los Angeles Police Department and the West Coast mob from the 1930s through the ’60s. The planned series, if it is picked up by the network, will be set in the ’40s and ’50s, and focus on the conflict between the Los Angeles police chief William Parker and the mobster Mickey Cohen.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/09/tnt-orders-crime-drama-pilot-from-former-walking-dead-producer-frank-darabont/

You can also read my review of the book L.A. Noir via the below link:

http://pauldavisoncrime.blogspot.com/2010/02/la-noir-story-of-hood-police-chief.html

Frank Wilson's Column: The Presumption That We Are Not Alone

2012-01-11T05:39:00.000-05:00

My friend and former editor published his latest column yesterday.

It is, for example, widely assumed that Earth cannot possibly be the only life-bearing planet in the universe, given how vast the universe is and how many planets there must be. In fact, of 2,326 planets so far spotted by NASA’s Kepler space telescope, 10 are said to be about the size of Earth and orbiting their suns in what is called a “habitable zone.” Kepler-22b in particular looks promising. Temperature there seems to be around 72 degrees and it circles a star much like our sun.
I don’t really get emotionally engaged by this. It’s fascinating either way.

But if there’s anybody out there like us, they sure have been hearing from us for a bit. We’ve been transmitting radio waves their way for decades now. But they don’t seem to have called back.

That doesn’t mean they’re not there, however.

You can read the rest of the column via the below link:

http://whenfallsthecoliseum.com/2012/01/10/the-presumption-that-we-are-not-alone/

You can also read Frank Wilson's popular literary blog, Books, Inq, via the below link:

http://booksinq.blogspot.com

Mafia Is Italy's Largest Business, Biggest Banker, ABC News Reports

2012-01-10T18:29:00.000-05:00

Phoebe Natanson at ABC News offers a report on organized crime in Italy.

While Italy's new prime minister sweats to fix Italy's dire economic situation and Italians are hit with increased taxes, there are some in Italy who are doing just fine in the country.

A report released today by an Italian employers association states that organized crime is the biggest business in Italy generating an annual turnover of 140 billion Euros (over $204 billion.)

You can read the rest of the report via the below link:

http://abcnews.go.com/International/mafia-italy-biggest-business-biggest-banker/story?id=15329463

Between The Covers: Interview With Stephen Hunter, Author of the Thriller 'Soft Target'

2012-01-10T11:23:00.000-05:00

John J. Miller offers an interesting interview with Stephen Hunter, author of the new thriller Soft Target.

In Soft Target, ex-Marine sniper Ray Cruz, son of the legendary Marine sniper "Bob the Nailer" Swagger, takes on a group of terrorists who've laid seize to the Mall of America.

We've managed to kill most of their smart guys, and now we're dealing with their dumb guys, but the one guy we haven't dealt with is the lucky guy," says Stephen Hunter, author of Soft Target.

You can listen to the audio at National Review Online via the below link:

http://radio.nationalreview.com/betweenthecovers/post/?q=MWZiMjQ5MmRhYTE1Njk3OTYwZDFkYzE2MDhjMjgwOWU=

You can also read my online Crime Beat column about Hunter's earlier thriller, The 47th Samurai, via the below link:

http://www.orchardpress-shortfiction.com/a_samurai_sword_story.htm

Oliver North's Column: Obama's Defense Budget - New Strategic Guidence Is Strategic Capitulation

2012-01-10T08:17:00.001-05:00

In his latest column, retired Marine Lt Colonel Oliver North raps Obama's proposed Defense Department budget.

Washington, DC – The U.S. military better get ready to do a whole lot more with a whole lot less. That’s the bottom line of the so-called “new strategic guidance” issued this week by Mr. Obama during a brief visit to the Pentagon.

Flanked by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and every member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mr. Obama proudly proclaimed to allies and adversaries alike that the United States is heading toward a much less expensive, far smaller, and ultimately less capable military than we’ve had since before World War II.

...He claims it is now a “national security imperative” to reduce our federal deficit “through a lower level of defense spending.”

That’s a “strategy” driven by dollars – not the threats and risks we face.

You can read the rest of the column via HumanEvents.com's below link:

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=48627

Letters Of Note: A Bitter Note From Crime Novelist Raymond Chandler To Film Director Alfred Hitchcock Regarding the Film 'Strangers On A Train'

2012-01-09T16:51:00.001-05:00

Jason Boog at MediaBistro.com offers a look at a note Raymond Chandler wrote to Alfred Hitchcock, blasting him about the script for the film Strangers on a Train.

The excellent Letters of Note site has posted a bitter note that private detective novelist Raymond Chandler mailed to Alfred Hitchcock, an angry sermon punctuated with this zippy line: “if you wanted something written in skim milk, why on earth did you bother to come to me in the first place?”

You can read the rest of the piece an watch a trailer from Strangers on a Train via the below link:

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/raymond-chandler-blasts-alfred-hitchcock_b45139

'Sherlock Holmes': Hollywood Finally Plays By The Book With Watson

2012-01-07T17:49:00.000-05:00

Geoff Boucher at the Los Angeles Times is pleased that Sherlock Holmes' partner in solving crimes is finally being portrayed on the screen as intelligent, which is how he was portrayed by Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson's creator, author Arthur Conan Doyle.

It’s a mystery worthy of Sherlock Holmes — you might call it “The Doltish Doctor of Baker Street” — and the scene of the crime was in Hollywood the day before April Fools’ Day 1939.

That’s when 20th Century Fox released “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” the first of 14 films starring Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Doctor Watson, that daring duo from Arthur Conan Doyle’s famed books. Doyle has deeply devoted fans across the globe and through generations, and the eager ones who went to see “The Hound of the Baskervilles” in theaters back in ’39 were surely shocked when they realized there was something very different about this new Watson: The man was a complete idiot.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2012/01/06/sherlock-holmes-hollywood-finally-plays-by-the-book-with-watson/#/0

The above photo shows Robert Downey Jr as Holmes on the left, and Jude Law as Watson on the right.

Defense Secretary Commends U.S. Navy Team That Rescued Iranian Fishing Vessel From Pirates

2012-01-07T00:54:00.001-05:00

The below was released by the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet yesterday:

From a U.S. 5th Fleet News Release

ARABIAN SEA, Jan. 6, 2012, Jan. 6, 2012 - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta today made a congratulatory phone call to the commander of a U.S. strike group that rescued 13 Iranian sailors from suspected pirates yesterday in the northern Arabian Sea.
*

Panetta called the USS John C. Stennis this afternoon and spoke to Navy Rear Adm. Craig S. Faller, commander of Strike Group 3.

The secretary congratulated Faller and the entire team, saying it was a "well executed effort," adding that the team did exactly the right thing and that he's proud of what they were able to do.

"When we get a distress signal, we're going to respond," he said. "That's the nature of what our country is all about."

At about 12:30 p.m. local time yesterday, an SH-60S Seahawk from the guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd detected a suspected pirate skiff alongside the Iranian-flagged fishing dhow Al Molai. Simultaneously, a distress call was received from the master of the Al Molai claiming he was being held captive by pirates.

A visit, board, search and seizure team from the Kidd boarded the Al Molai and detained 15 suspected pirates who had been holding a 13-member Iranian crew hostage for several weeks. The Al Molai had been pirated and used as a "mother ship" for pirate operations throughout the Persian Gulf, members of the Iranian vessel's crew reported.

The pirates did not resist the boarding and surrendered quickly, officials said.

"The Al Molai had been taken over by pirates for roughly the last 40 to 45 days," said Josh Schminky, a Naval Criminal Investigative Service agent aboard the Kidd. "They were held hostage with limited rations, and we believe [they] were forced against their will to assist the pirates with other piracy operations."

Members of the Kidd boarding party reported that the Iranian crew said they were forced by the pirates to live in harsh conditions, under the threat of violence with limited supplies and medical aid.

"When we boarded, we gave them food, water and medical care," Schminky said. "They had been through a lot. We went out of our way to treat the fishing crew with kindness and respect.

"After securing the ship and ensuring the safety of all persons on board," he continued, "we began distributing food and water to both the crew and the suspected criminals, as is our standard practice in Ccounterpiracy operations."

The pirates were detained on the Al Molai by the Kidd boarding party until this morning, when they could be transferred to the USS John C. Stennis, where the matter will be reviewed for prosecution. The pirates remain on the Stennis.

"The captain of the Al Molai expressed his sincere gratitude that we came to assist them," Schminky said. "He was afraid that without our help, they could have been there for months."

Piracy is an international problem that requires an international solution and is a threat to all mariners, U.S. 5th Fleet officials said, and the presence of U.S. Navy ships in the region promotes freedom of navigation and protects the safety of those who transit the sea.

The John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group is conducting maritime security operations in the 5th Fleet area of operations while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

The above Defense Department photo shows the USS Kidd alongside the Iranian fishing vessel.

Obama Unveils Defense Cuts While Iran Threatens

2012-01-05T19:24:00.001-05:00

KT McFarland at FoxNews.com took Obama to task for his proposed drastic cuts to defense.

Whose bright idea was it for the president of the United States to unveil his defense budget cuts the cusp of a crisis with Iran and in the Pentagon’s briefing room? -- What were they thinking?

McFarland wonders what Iran, the Taliban, North Korea, China and our allies like Israel will think of the proposed military cuts.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/01/05/obama-unveils-defense-cuts-while-iran-threatens-war/

The above Defense Department photo shows Obama and Defense officials at the Pentagon.

Building the Aircraft Carrier USS Gerald R. Ford: A Close Look At The Single Most Expensive Piece Of Military Hardware Ever

2012-01-05T16:55:00.002-05:00

Robert Johnson at the Business Insider reports on the cost overruns in the building of the U.S. Navy's latest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford.

You can read the piece via the below link:

http://www.businessinsider.com/uss-gerald-r-ford-aircraft-carrier-cost-overruns-2012-01

Also, check out the interesting artist renditions and photographs that accompany the piece.

While the cost overruns are lamentable, aircraft carriers are a major factor in making the U.S. Navy the greatest sea power in the world today.

And having the greatest Navy in the world is a major factor in ensuring that America remains the greatest nation in the world today.

As an old carrier sailor (I served on the USS Kitty Hawk during the Vietnam War), I'm pleased with the choice of naming the new carrier after President Ford. President Ford served on an aircraft carrier during World War II.

Spec-Ops Troops Study To Be Part-Spy, Part-Gumshoe

2012-01-04T06:50:00.000-05:00

Kimberly Dozier at the Associated Press wrote an interesting piece about a new training course at Fort Bragg's Special Warfare Center.

The raid to grab Osama bin Laden inside Pakistan took just under 40 minutes , roughly 10 to get to bin Laden.

Special operators spent much of the rest of the time gathering evidence: computer files, written notes and thumb drives that pointed to new al-Qaida plots and previously secret operatives around the globe.

That science is what special operators of all types are learning at Fort Bragg's Special Warfare Center, with real-life scenarios meant to shock , and teach.

...The coursework is similar to the CIA's legendary spycraft training center called The Farm, and is at the brainchild of Green Beret Maj. Gen. Bennet Sacolick, a veteran of elite special operations units and a long stint on loan to the CIA.

Among the students at the CIA-approved Fort Bragg course are Army Green Berets, Navy SEALs and Marine Corps special operators. As in the Navy SEAL raid that killed bin Laden, everything from computers to fingerprints can be retrieved from a raid site and quickly analyzed. In some cases the analysis is so fast it can lead to several new targets in a single night.

You can read the rest of the story at the below link to Philly.com:

http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/nation/washington/20120104_ap_specopstroopsstudytobepartspypartgumshoe.html?c=r

Military Special Operators gathering evidence and intelligence is not a new concept.

None other than Ian Fleming, the creator of the fictional iconic character James Bond, conceived and organized a commando group called the 30 Assault Unit to do just this in World War II.

I wrote a piece on Commander Ian Fleming and his WWII intelligence-commando group for Counterterrorism magazine. You can read the magazine story via the below links:

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/IanFlemingsCommandos.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/IanFlemingsCommandos2.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/IanFlemingsCommandos3.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/IanFlemingsCommandos4.jpg

Meet Navy SEAL Chris Kyle... The Deadliest Sniper In U.S. History

2012-01-04T02:43:00.000-05:00

Michael Zennie at the British newspaper the Dail Mail writes about former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, the Iraq War veteran who claims 225 kills.

You can read the story via the below link:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2081430/255-confirmed-kills-Meet-Navy-SEAL-Chris-Kyle--deadliest-sniper-US-history.html

Kill-Adelphia: Bloodshed Marks Start Of 2012 In Philly

2012-01-02T16:58:00.000-05:00

Myfoxphilly.com reports that the beginning of 2012 brought an explosion of violence across the city of Philadelphia.

You can watch the video and read the story via the below link:

http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/local_news/bloodshed-marks-start-of-2012-in-philly010112

The Philadelphia Police Department's homicide detectives have their work cut out for them.

I visited the offices of the homicide detectives and interviewed them for a magazine story on how the murder cops use video cameras to catch murderers.

You can read the magazine piece via the below links:

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/EyeOnCrime1.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/EyeOnCrime2.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/EyeOnCrime3.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/EyeOnCrime4.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/EyeOnCrime5.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/EyeOnCrime6.jpg

Does Anybody Remember The Battle Of An Loc?

2012-01-02T16:23:00.001-05:00

As we withdrawl from Iraq and Afghanistan, Thomas Fleming, the noted historian and novelist, reminds us of the 1972 Battle of An Loc during the Vietnam War.

Can we prevent a similar massacre of our friends in Afghanistan and Iraq when American forces withdrawl?

...South Vietnam's tragic fate should make us resolve to prevent another terrible blot on America's honor."

You can read the rest of this important piece via the below link to the History News Network:

http://hnn.us/articles/does-anybody-remember-battle-loc

Britain Prepares For Charles Dickens' 200th Birth Anniversary

2012-01-02T15:24:00.000-05:00

Monami Thakur at the International Business Times reports that the United Kingdom is gearing up to celebrate the birth of author Charles Dickens, who was born on February 7, 1812

The year 2012 marks the bicentenary of Victorian author Charles Dickens known for creating some of the most iconic novels and characters of English literature. Throughout Britain, a host of exhibitions, events and activities are being organised to celebrate the life and work of the famed author.

... To commemorate this special anniversary, a website "Dickens 2012" has been set up providing details about all the celebrations across Britain and worldwide. This mainly includes special commemorative exhibitions that are being held in London and the UK while venues in France, Switzerland and the US will showcase the rich heritage of Dickens's life.

"Although a writer from the Victorian era, Dickens's work transcends his time, language and culture. He remains a massive contemporary influence throughout the world and his writings continue to inspire film, TV, art, literature, artists and academia," the site Dickens 2012 states.

You can read the rest of the story via the below link:

http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/275208/20120102/britain-prepares-charles-dickens-200th-birth-anniversary.htm

A Review of 'Buckley: William F. Buckley Jr And The Rise Of American Conservatism'

2012-01-01T16:28:00.000-05:00

James E. Pearson Jr wrote a good review of Carl T. Bogus' book on the late William F. Buckley Jr and American Conservatism in the Washington Times.

Give the late William F. Buckley credit: The witty conservative writer, editor, talk-show host, debater and bon vivant was unafraid to allow liberal biographers extensive access to his life and private papers. In 1988, socialist true-believer John B. Judis published his wide-ranging, well-researched “William F. Buckley Jr.: Patron Saint of the Conservatives.”

... Carl T. Bogus, a self-styled liberal and a law professor at Roger Williams University, has brought forth “Buckley,” a remarkably perceptive biography.

“We often get a better grasp of our own perspective by reflecting on opposing perspectives; sometimes, in fact, that is the best method of self-understanding,” he writes. “It is for these reasons that I believe the story of William F. Buckley Jr. and the rise of American conservatism is not only interesting but also relevant to our present moment.”

You can read the rest of the review via the below link:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/dec/20/at-center-of-conservatisms-advance/

I look forward to reading this book as Buckley was one of my favorite writers. I reviewed two of his books for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

You can read my review of Buckley's The Reagan I Knew via the below link:

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/ReaganIKnewBuckley.jpg

You can also read my review of Buckley's last spy thriller Last Call for Blackford Oakes via the below link:

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/Buckleythriller%20001.jpg

A Look Back At the Rat Pack's Frank, Sammy & Dino In 'Robin And The 7 Hoods'

2011-12-31T17:04:00.003-05:00

Over at Detectives Beyond Borders, an always interesting crime blog, Peter Rozovsky made a remark about Frank Sinatra not needing his fellow "Rat Pack" "nuchscleppers."

I thought that Peter Rozovsky, a copy editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer, where I've been a contributor since 1999, was a bit unfair to Sinatra's pals Sammy Davis Jr and Dean Martin.

The late great crooners were much more than Sinatra's sidekicks.

Sammy and Dino were great singers and entertainers who more than held their own with Sinatra - and Sinatra himself would have the first to say so.

In defense of the Rat Pack I offered a link to a Youtube.com clip of Frank, Dino and Bing Crosby singing in Robin and the 7 Hoods, the 1964 musical comedy film that best showcased the Rat Pack, in my view.

You can watch the great crooners via the below link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwCYBJe0o2M

You can also listen to Dino sing I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face with Chris Botti from his wonderful CD, Italia, via the below link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiSMSKYsWU4

And you can read the discussion at Detectives Beyond Borders via the below link:

http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/2011/12/rat-without-pack.html

If you're interested in international crime fiction, check out http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com

George Carlin's Words

2011-12-30T16:51:00.000-05:00

I came across a funny clip of George Carlin's best routines on words on Youtube.com.

You can watch George Carlin via the below link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgbXtlrGdLs&feature=related

Frank Wilson's Column: Sweeping Your Way To Truth

2011-12-30T16:45:00.000-05:00

The online journal When Falls the Coliseum published my friend and former editor Frank Wilson's latest column.

You can read the column via the below link:

http://whenfallsthecoliseum.com/2011/12/27/sweeping-your-way-to-truth/#more-11744

You can also visit Frank Wilson's popular literary blog, Books, Inq, via the below link:

http://booksinq.blogspot.com

On Her Majesty's Secret Service: James Bond's Holiday Film With Music By John Barry & Louie Armstrong

2011-12-29T16:16:00.000-05:00

As I've noted here before, I like to watch old familiar Christmas films during the holiday season.

One of the classic films I watch every year is not usually connected to Christmas, but On Her Majesty's Secret Service came out at Christmas time in 1969, the film takes place in a Switzerland winter wonderland, and there is a touching and tragic love story.

Although the film lacks the great Sean Connery as James Bond, George Lazenby is a passable Bond, considering that he never acted before this, and Diana Rigg is wonderful as the love of Bond's life.

Telly Savalas is also good and mad as Blofeld and Peter Hunt directed one of the best of the Bond series, in my view.

You can watch the film's trailer via the below link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrSh08f8Nas

You can also listen to the late great Louie Armstrong sing the film's love song and listen to the late great John Barry's film score via the below link:

http://pauldavisoncrime.blogspot.com/2009/11/bringing-in-christmas-season-with-james.html

Car Theft Prevention Tips: New Year's Day Most Popular Car Theft Day

2011-12-29T15:24:00.001-05:00

Josh Max at the New York Daily News writes that according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau New Year's Day is the most popular day for car thieves to steal your car.

It takes less time for a professional thief to break into your car, start it up and drive away as it does for you to walk into Dunkin’ Donuts and pick up a coffee – less than two minutes in some cases. And don't presume your wheezing clunker's immune; the most stolen vehicle of 2011, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, was the 1994 Honda Accord.

To read the rest of the story and learn some car theft prevention tips go to the link below:

http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/year-day-popular-car-theft-day-national-insurance-crime-bureau-article-1.997886

Don't tread On Me: Pentagon Tells Iran That Any Disruption Of Oil Route 'Will Not Be Tolerated'

2011-12-28T15:33:00.000-05:00

FoxNews.com's Jennifer Griffin and the Associated Press reports that the Pentagon has warned Iran against any disruption of the Strait of Hormutz.

...A spokeswoman for the U.S. Navy's 5th fleet warned Iran against disrupting shipments in the strait, saying the U.S. Navy keeps a "robust presence in the region" and is "ready to counter malevolent actions to ensure freedom of navigation."

"Anyone who threatens to disrupt freedom of navigation in an international strait is clearly outside the community of nations; any disruption will not be tolerated," Fleet spokeswoman Lt. Rebecca Rebarich said.

The warning comes as Iranian officials stand by earlier threats to use the passageway to retaliate if the West imposes new sanctions targeting Tehran's oil exports over the country's suspect nuclear program.

You can read the rest of the story via the below link:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/12/28/pentagon-iranian-disruption-oil-route-will-not-be-tolerated/

Snow: The Double Life Of A World War II Spy

2011-12-28T03:24:00.000-05:00

Martin Evans at the British newspaper the Telegraph writes about Arthur Owens, code name Agent Snow, who, according a new book written by Nigel West and Madoc Roberts, was MI5's first double agent in World War II.

Mr West said Agent Snow’s contribution both to the war effort and to the development of espionage cannot be over stated.

He said: “Arthur Owens was the foundation of the double cross system which proved so vital in helping the Allies in so many areas. His contribution has never fully been appreciated, but it is hard to overstate how important his role was.”

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/8961567/Exploits-of-Britains-first-ever-double-agent-revealed-in-new-book.html

Mr. Ritchie, May I Have My Sherlock Holmes Back, Please?

2011-12-26T14:21:00.003-05:00

Andrew Martin at the British newspaper the Independant asks film director Guy Ritchie if he can have his beloved Sherlock Holmes character back.

When people berated Steven Spielberg for dumbing down Tintin, I looked on with bemusement, but then I didn't spend half my childhood reading Tintin stories. I did spend half of my childhood reading Sherlock Holmes stories, which is why I have a bone to pick with Guy Ritchie, director of the Christmas blockbuster and nominal Holmes film, A Game Of Shadows.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/andrew-martin-can-i-have-my-sherlock-back-please-6281534.html

The photo above is of Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes.

Everything You Need To Know About 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'

2011-12-26T13:01:00.001-05:00

Richard Rayner at salon.com offers an educational piece on John le Carre's classic spy thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and the classic miniseries and new film based on the novel.

The Circus is MI6, Britain’s version of the CIA. “C” is “Control,” the murky and mysterious man atop MI6. But what’s the best way to keep track of the film’s timeline? And what about the shadow cast by Alec Guinness, who played George Smiley in a seven-hour 1979 BBC mini-series.

The new adaptation of John Le Carré’s “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” is one of the best reviewed films of the Oscar season — but just as context and information is everything in the spy business, some background makes the film more meaningful as well, whether you’re about to see it for the first time or whether you have questions you want to discuss further.

This expert guide will both deepen the film and provide the ultimate cheat sheet.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link;

http://www.salon.com/2011/12/19/everything_you_need_to_know_about_tinker_tailor_soldier_spy/

You can also read my earlier post on le Carre's spy thriller - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is Almost Perfect, but for the Politics - via the below link:

http://pauldavisoncrime.blogspot.com/2011/12/tinker-tailor-soldier-spy-almost.html

Twas A Crime Before Christmas

2011-12-24T04:39:00.001-05:00

A couple of years ago I wrote a story about a "right jolly old elf" and a crime that occurred prior to his famous annual night out.

You can read the story via the below link:

http://pauldavisoncrime.blogspot.com/2009/12/interview-with-santa-twas-crime-before.html

A Look Back At the 2011 Philly Mob Scene

2011-12-23T10:54:00.001-05:00

George Anastasia, the Philadelphia Inquirer's veteran organized crime reporter and Fox 29 News reporter Dave Schratweiser discuss the year's news about organized crime in the Philadelphia area.

You can watch the Philly.com Mob Scene video via the below link:

http://www.philly.com/philly/video/VideoArchive.html?vgenre=g=mob-scene

The National Consitiution Center's Spies, Traitors And Saboteurs Exhibit In Philadelphia Will End January 8th

2011-12-22T21:58:00.001-05:00

The National Constitution Center's nationally acclaimed Spies, Traitors & Saboteurs: Fear and Freedom in America exhibit, created by the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC, will end a successful ten-month run on Sunday, January 8, 2012.

I covered the exhibit in my Threatcon column back in May. You can read the column via the below link:

http://pauldavisoncrime.blogspot.com/2011/05/history-of-spies-traitors-saboteurs-on.html

If you are in the Philadelphia area between now and January 8th, I suggest you check out this interesting exhibit.

Pretrial Wraps Up For Alleged Document Leaker

2011-12-22T17:31:00.000-05:00

By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service

FORT MEADE, Md., Dec. 22, 2011 - The prosecution and defense rested today after delivering their closing statements in the Article 32 hearing of a soldier charged with leaking hundreds of thousands of classified documents.

Today's session, which adjourned at about 10:30 a.m., wrapped up eight days of pre-trial proceedings in the case against Army Pfc. Bradley E. Manning that began Dec. 16.

An Article 32 hearing, often compared to a civilian grand jury, is a pretrial hearing to determine if grounds exist for a general court martial, the most serious of courts martial.

The investigating officer, Army Lt. Col. Paul Almanza, now has until Jan. 16 to issue his recommendations to the Special Court Martial Convening Authority, a Military District of Washington spokesperson told American Forces Press Service.

Alamanza may ask for an extension, if needed, the official said.

His report will recommend that the case be referred to a court martial, or that some or all of the charges against Manning be dismissed.

The Special Court Martial Convening Authority, Army Col. Carl Coffman, will then provide Alamanza's recommendation to the General Court Martial Convening Authority, and indicate whether he concurs with it, the MDW official said.

Manning, an intelligence analyst, is suspected of leaking military and diplomatic documents to the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks in what officials believe is the biggest intelligence leak in U.S. history.

WikiLeaks, in turn, released thousands of these documents, including classified records about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, on its website last year.

At the time, then-Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and other senior defense officials condemned the organization's actions, claiming the act put deployed service members at an increased risk.

The Article 32 hearing marked 24-year-old Manning's first appearance in a military court since his arrest in Iraq in May 2010.

He faces more than 20 charges alleging he introduced unauthorized software onto government computers to extract classified information, unlawfully downloaded it, improperly stored it, and transmitted the data for public release and use by the enemy.

The charge of aiding the enemy under Article 104 of the Uniformed Code of Military Justice is a capital offense; however, the prosecution team has said it won't recommend the death penalty, a legal official said.

If convicted of all charges, Manning would face a maximum punishment of life in prison. He also could be reduced to E-1, the lowest enlisted grade, face a total forfeiture of all pay and allowances and dishonorable discharge, officials said.

Chinese National Sentenced To 87 Months In Prison For Economic Espionage And Theft Of Trade Secrets

2011-12-22T03:31:00.001-05:00

The U.S. Justice Department released the below yesterday:
*
WASHINGTON – Kexue Huang, a Chinese national and a former resident of Carmel, Ind., was sentenced today to 87 months in prison and three years of supervised release on charges of economic espionage to benefit components of the Chinese government and theft of trade secrets.

The sentencing was announced by Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division, Assistant Attorney General for National Security Lisa O. Monaco, U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Hogsett of the Southern District of Indiana, U.S. Attorney B. Todd Jones of the District of Minnesota, and Robert J. Holley, Special Agent in Charge of the Indianapolis Field Office of the FBI.

This is the first prosecution in Indiana for foreign economic espionage. Since its enactment in 1996, there have been a total of eight cases charged nationwide under the Economic Espionage Act.
*
“Mr. Huang stole valuable trade secrets from two American companies and disseminated them to individuals in Germany and China,” said Assistant Attorney General Breuer. “Economic espionage and trade secret theft are serious crimes that, as today’s sentence shows, must be punished severely. Protecting trade secrets is vital to our nation’s economic success, and we will continue vigorously to enforce our trade secret and economic espionage statutes.”

“The theft of American trade secrets for the benefit of China and other nations poses a continuing threat to our economic and national security,” saidLisa Monaco,Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “Today’s sentence demonstrates our commitment to detect, prosecute and hold accountable those engaged in these illegal activities.”

“The United States Attorney’s Office takes seriously its obligation to protect Hoosier businesses from economic espionage,” U.S. Attorney Hogsett said. “I thank the federal agents and prosecutors who helped bring this landmark case to a successful conclusion.”

“The Kexue Huang investigation and prosecution is an excellent example of how law enforcement and American corporations can work together to protect our corporations from economic espionage and the theft of extremely valuable trade secrets,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Holley stated. “Dow Agrosciences and the FBI cooperated extensively to make this important investigation a success. Economic espionage is a crime that undermines the competiveness of our corporations and our national interest in protecting intellectual property. The FBI will continue to work collaboratively with the private sector to aggressively investigate those individuals that seek to harm our country’s economic interests by stealing our intellectual property and thereby undermining our competitive economic position in the world.”

Huang, 46, was sentenced by the U.S. District Judge William T. Lawrence in the Southern District of Indiana. On Oct. 18, 2011, Huang pleaded guilty to one count of an indictment filed in the Southern District of Indiana for misappropriating and transporting trade secrets from Dow AgroSciences LLC with the intent to benefit components of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Huang also pleaded guilty to one count of an indictment filed in the District of Minnesota for stealing a trade secret from a second company, Cargill Inc.

According to court documents, from January 2003 until February 2008, Huang was employed as a research scientist at Dow, a leading international agricultural company based in Indianapolis that provides agrochemical and biotechnology products. In 2005, Huang became a research leader for Dow in strain development related to unique, proprietary organic insecticides marketed worldwide.

As a Dow employee, Huang signed an agreement that outlined his obligations in handling confidential information, including trade secrets. The agreement prohibited him from disclosing any confidential information without Dow’s consent. Dow employed several layers of security to preserve and maintain confidentiality and to prevent unauthorized use or disclosure of its trade secrets.

Huang admitted that during his employment at Dow, he misappropriated several Dow trade secrets. According to plea documents, from 2007 to 2010, Huang transferred and delivered the stolen Dow trade secrets to individuals in Germany and the PRC. With the assistance of these individuals, Huang used the stolen materials to conduct unauthorized research with the intent to benefit foreign universities that were tied to the PRC government. Huang also admitted that he pursued steps to develop and produce the misappropriated Dow trade secrets in the PRC, including identifying manufacturing facilities in the PRC that would allow him to compete directly with Dow in the established organic pesticide market.

According to court documents, after Huang left Dow, he was hired in March 2008 by Cargill, an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services. Huang worked as a biotechnologist for Cargill until July 2009 and signed a confidentiality agreement promising never to disclose any trade secrets or other confidential information of Cargill. Huang admitted that during his employment with Cargill, he stole one of the company’s trade secrets – a key component in the manufacture of a new food product, which he later disseminated to another person, specifically a student at Hunan Normal University in the PRC.

In the plea agreement, Huang admitted that the aggregated loss from the misappropriated trade secrets exceeds $7 million but is less than $20 million.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia J. Ridgeway of the Southern District of Indiana, Trial Attorneys Mark L. Krotoski and Evan C. Williams of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS), and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Paulsen of the District of Minnesota, with assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterespionage Section. Significant assistance was provided by the CCIPS Cyber Crime Lab and the Office of International Affairs in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

The sentence announced today is an example of the type of efforts being undertaken by the Department of Justice Task Force on Intellectual Property (IP Task Force). Attorney General Eric Holder created the IP Task Force to combat the growing number of domestic and international intellectual property crimes, protect the health and safety of American consumers, and safeguard the nation’s economic security against those who seek to profit illegally from American creativity, innovation and hard work. The IP Task Force seeks to strengthen intellectual property rights protection through heightened criminal and civil enforcement, greater coordination among federal, state and local law enforcement partners, and increased focus on international enforcement efforts, including reinforcing relationships with key foreign partners and U.S. industry leaders. To learn more about the IP Task Force, go to www.justice.gov/dag/iptaskforce/.

Organized Crime: A 'Hostile Takeover' Hits Business Hard

2011-12-21T13:21:00.002-05:00

The national business web site AllBusiness.com published my latest crime prevention piece today.

The piece covered organized crime's takeover of a company.

Shoplifters will steal your products, and armed robbers will steal your money, but organized crime will steal your entire business.

Organized crime has long targeted businesses for extortion. Only last week a man who claimed to be a "strong arm" for organized crime pleaded guilty to charges that he attempted to extort $10,000 from a Massachusetts vending machine business.

But in one alarming case, organized crime stole an entire company.

Last month, federal authorities charged 13 individuals, including an alleged member and an associate of the Lucchese organized crime family, with racketeering and related offenses stemming from an alleged extortionate takeover of FirstPlus Financial Group Inc. (FPFG), a publicly held company in Texas. Racketeers allegedly looted FPFG through a series of fraudulent consulting agreements and acquisitions involving companies controlled by Nicodemo S. Scarfo and Salvatore Pelullo.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.allbusiness.com/operations/16758188-1.html

You can also read my previous crime prevention pieces via the below link:

http://www.allbusiness.com/bio/paul-davis/15479841-1.html

A Look Back At Joseph Wambaugh's Classic TV Series 'Police Story'

2011-12-21T00:33:00.010-05:00

I wrote about Joseph Wambaugh's TV series Police Story in my online Crime Beat column.

Season One of the classic 1970s police drama is out on a DVD produced by Shout!Factory.

You can read the column via the below link:

http://www.orchardpress-shortfiction.com/a_look_back_at_joseph_wambaugh.html

Or you can read the column below:

A Look Back at Joseph Wambaugh’s Classic TV Series Police Story

By Paul Davis

In my first online Crime Beat column in 2002 I wrote about my attending the Philadelphia Police Department’s pilot Civilian Police Academy Program.

I attended the 11-week program as a reporter on assignment for a Philadelphia weekly newspaper and I wrote a 12-part series on police training and operations.

As I noted in my Crime Beat column, the academy instructors sought to disabuse us of our notions of police work gleaned through television.

“It’s not like you see on TV,” was the often heard comment from the police instructors.

“Police recruits are chomping on the bit when they first come here,” one instructor told us. “They want to be just like the cops on TV, but we bring the reins in on them.”

The instructors hated TV cop shows. But there were a couple of shows about cops that cops liked. One was the comedy Barney Miller. Real cops told me they got a kick out of the show.

Another TV program that real cops liked was Police Story, the realistic and gritty anthology series that aired from 1973 to 1978. Joseph Wambaugh, then a working detective sergeant with the LAPD and a best-selling novelist, was the creator and a story consultant on the series, which was produced by David Gerber.

Season one of the innovative TV series is now out on a Shout! Factory DVD.

As a bonus feature, the DVD’s producer, Brian Blum, interviewed Joseph Wambaugh about the origins of the TV series.

“David Gerber contacted me because I was the writing cop,” Wambaugh recalls. “I was an LAPD detective sergeant who had written two best-selling novels, The New Centurions, which became a movie with George C. Scott, and The Blue Knight, which was I think was the first miniseries produced in the United States, with William Holden and Lee Remick. So David thought I would be the ideal person to create the first truly authentic and gritty cop show in the history of television – those were his words.”

Wambaugh said Gerber contacted him in 1972 when he had 12 years of service on the LAPD. He remained a working cop, even though he had published two best-sellers. Wambaugh said that he and his detective partner, Richard Kalk, drove to the Burbank Studios to talk to David Gerber and his team.

Wambaugh and Gerber agreed that they wanted to make an anthology series.

“We would use different actors each week so we can do whatever we wanted to the self-contained drama. If we wanted to kill off the actors, we could kill them off,” Wambaugh explained.

Wambaugh said that their program wouldn’t be a continuing family of actors, as television was used to. They encountered the argument that anthology television was dead, but Wambaugh and Gerber stuck to their guns.

“The stars are no longer as important as the story,” Wambaugh said. “ I’m a writer. I wanted the story to be the star, not the actors. That’s how Police Story was conceived by David and myself.”

Wambaugh noted that in addition to being an innovative, creative, terrific producer, David Gerber was a great salesman, and he sold the idea of Police Story.

I was a fan of the Emmy-Award-winning program during its run on TV in the 1970s and I enjoyed watching the shows again on DVD. Hearing the Jerry Goldsmith theme song and the clever use of the static radio calls from police dispatchers that framed the beginning and end of the drama brought back good memories.

The 6-DVD set offers 21 episodes from the 1973-74 season, including the pilot. The pilot starred several veteran TV actors, including Vic Morrow, who starred in the TV series Combat, Ed Asner from Mary Tyler Moore and Chuck Conners from The Rifleman.

In later shows, Police Story featured other fine actors like Tony Lo Bianco, James Farentino, Angie Dickinson and Kurt Russell.

Like the cops in Wambaugh’s novels, the LAPD officers in Police Story are not super cops or cartoon heroes. They are often average men and women and flawed characters who suffer from divorces, alcoholism and other family and personal issues.

They are human.

That is not to say that Police Story lacks action. The cops chase, hunt and fight the bad guys. The series offers ample gunfights, fistfights and car chases.

But Police Story’s main emphasis was on character.

Clearly, Police Story influenced later award-winning TV police dramas, such as Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue and Homicide: Life On The Street.

Police Story makes an ideal holiday gift and the DVD makes a fine addition to one’s DVD library.

Radio Stations That Switched To All Christmas Music Format Raised Their Ratings

2011-12-20T14:44:00.000-05:00

Despite the grumbling of some folks about Christmas music, Paul Bond at Billboard.biz reports that radio stations that switched to the all Christmas music format have raised their ratings, and in some cases, the radio stations doubled their ratings.

You can read the piece via the below link:

http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/record-labels/how-an-all-christmas-music-format-doubles-1005618152.story

I was pleased to read this report, as I love Christmas music.

I wrote a piece for the Philadelphia Inquirer a few years back about Christmas music and the musical celebration of Jesus Christ.

You can read the piece via the below link:

http://home.comcast.net/~pauldavisoncrime/pwpimages/CarolsCommentaryPhiladelphiaInquirerDec5th2005.jpg

Ernest Hemingway's Granddaughter Returns To Author's Cuban Home

2011-12-20T14:01:00.000-05:00

Louise Boyle at the British newspaper the Daily Mail offers a story about Ernest Hemingway's granddaughter visiting his old Cuban home.

The Cuban government has restored the home and actress and author Mariel Hemingway visited the home last month both to mark the 50th anniversary of her grandfather's suicide and to mark the release of her book, Hemingway: A Life in Pictures.

You can read the piece and view some interesting photos via the below link:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2076184/Ernest-Hemingways-granddaughter-returns-authors-Cuban-home-mark-50th-anniversary-suicide.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Kojak's Police Captain, Actor Dan Frazer, Dies At Age 90

2011-12-20T00:40:00.001-05:00

The New York Times reports that veteran character actor Dan Frazer, best known as Captain Frank McNeil, Telly Savalas' police supervisor on TV's Kojak in the 1970s, died at age 90.

Frazer, seen in the center of the above photo with Savalas on the right, also portrayed a police supervisor, Lt. Byrnes, in Fuzz, a film based on Ed McBain's 87th precinct novel.

You can read the Times piece via the below link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/20/arts/television/dan-frazer-fretful-supervisor-on-kojak-dies-at-90.html

Welcome To Hell, Fearless Leader: Senator John McCain Says The Late North Korean Dictator Is in A 'Warm Corner Of Hell'

2011-12-19T21:00:00.001-05:00

Politico.com offers a report on U.S. Senator John McCain's comments on the death of North Korea's Communist dictator.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) appears to have no doubt where deceased North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il may have ended up in the afterlife.

“I can only express satisfaction that the Dear Leader is joining the likes of Qaddafi, Bin Laden, Hitler and Stalin in a warm corner of hell,” the Arizona senator – not one to be wishy-washy with his words – said in a statement Monday.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-congress/2011/12/mccain-kim-jongil-in-warm-corner-of-hell-108054.html

A Private Letter from Genre To Literature

2011-12-19T17:45:00.001-05:00

Daniel Abraham, a science fiction writer (seen in the above photo), wrote an amusing piece for sfsignal.com about the clash between genre fiction and literary fiction in the form of a letter from the former to the latter.

But allow me this, dear: what you do is crueler. You take the best of me, my most glorious moments - Ursula LeGuin and Dashiell Hammet, Mary Shelly and Philip Dick - and you claim them for your own. You say that they "transcend genre". There are no more heartless words than those. You disarm me. You know, I think, that if we were to compare our projects honestly -- my best to yours, my mediocrities to yours, our failures lumped together -- this division between us would vanish, and so you skim away my cream and mock me for being only milk.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2011/12/guest-post-daniel-abrahams-private-letter-from-genre-to-literature/

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: The Men Behind The Mole War

2011-12-19T06:41:00.001-05:00

Jeff Stein offers a brief history of the real story behind John le Carre's spy novel, which was made into a classic miniseries and is now a feature film starring Gary Oldman.

Stein's piece in the Washington Post covers the Cambridge spy ring, a group of British men who spied for the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Included in the ring was a senior British Secret Intelligence Service officer named Kim Philby (seen in the above photo).

Beautifully directed, wonderfully acted and darkly stylized, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” the latest rendition of John le Carré’s iconic spy thriller, is drawn from real events that shook the British establishment decades ago.

But for two-plus hours, moviegoers — especially those born after the last hammer and sickle flew from the Kremlin in 1991 — might wonder what all the fuss was about.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/tinker-tailor-soldier-spy-the-men-behind-the-mole-war/2011/12/07/gIQABf942O_story.html

You can also read an earlier piece on John le Carre and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy via the below link;

http://pauldavisoncrime.blogspot.com/2011/12/tinker-tailor-soldier-spy-almost.html

And you can read a BBC account of the Cambridge spy ring via the below link:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/special_report/1999/09/99/britain_betrayed/444058.stm

Defense Secretary Panetta Pays Tribute To Fallen U.S. Sailors From First Barbary War In Tripoli

2011-12-19T04:11:00.001-05:00

By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service

TRIPOLI, Libya, Dec. 17, 2011 - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta paused during his historic visit here to lay a wreath on the graves of U.S. sailors lost aboard the USS Intrepid more than 200 years ago.

Panetta, the first defense secretary to set foot in Libya, said he felt honored to pay respects to heroes of the United States' first overseas wars, interred in Tripoli's Protestant cemetery.

The crew aboard the Intrepid was on a mission Sept. 4, 1804, to destroy pirate ships moored in Tripoli harbor during the First Barbary War when their vessel exploded.

Navy Lt. Richard Somers, its commander, and his dozen officers and sailors were killed.

"These brave sailors from the Intrepid, who died in the service of their country, have our nation's enduring respect and gratitude," the secretary said in a statement released after today's visit.

"Having sailed into harm's way to secure our nation's interests, they volunteered for a dangerous mission and paid the ultimate price," he said. "Their courage, and that of their fallen sailors and Marines, have forever emblazoned the shores of Tripoli in our nation's conscience."

Panetta expressed appreciation that despite differences in U.S.-Libyan relations over the years, the Libyan people have maintained the cemetery with the respect and honor it deserves and designated it a protected historic property.

The United States looks forward to working with the Libyans "to ensure that this very special place remains an honored and protected landmark for both of our nations," he said.

Panetta called the Libyan people's efforts to restore the cemetery "a symbol of the vales we share, including an appreciation of the need to honor those who have sacrificed their lives in the pursuit of a cause greater than ourselves."

He reflected on the thousands of Libyans who gave their lives for Libya's liberation as well. "They sacrificed so that Libya and her people could have a new era of hope and opportunity," he said. "Because of their sacrifices, the torch of freedom burns brightly here in Libya."

The 2012 Defense Authorization Act, as passed by the House in December, includes a provision that requires the Defense Department to begin the process of identifying and returning Somers and his sailors to the United States.

Specifically, the bill instructs the secretaries of defense and the Navy to report back to Congress on the feasibility of recovering and positively identifying the missing commandos.

The above Defense Department photo of Leon Panetta is by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo.

Holy Chinese Commie, Batman!: Batman Actor Christian Bale Roughed Up By Chinese Guards While Attempting To Visit Blind Chinese Activist

2011-12-18T15:47:00.002-05:00

Batman has dealt with some evil villains in his day, from the Joker to the Riddler, but Batman actor Christian Bale (seen in the above CNN photo) encountered some true life villains when he attempted to visit Chen Guangcheng, a blind Chinese activist, in Communist China.

You can read an account of the incident in the British newspaper the Daily Mail via the below link:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2074895/Christian-Bale-roughed-guards-trying-visit-Chinese-activist.html

Crime Prevention: The FBI's Holiday Shopping Tips

2011-12-18T04:37:00.000-05:00

Below are some good crime prevention tips from the FBI:

In advance of the holiday season, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reminds shoppers to beware of cyber criminals and their aggressive and creative ways to steal money and personal information.

Scammers use many techniques to fool potential victims including fraudulent auction sales, reshipping merchandise purchased with a stolen credit card, sale of fraudulent or stolen gift cards through auction sites at discounted prices, and phishing e-mails advertising brand name merchandise for bargain prices or e-mails promoting the sale of merchandise that ends up being a counterfeit product.

Here are some tips you can use to avoid becoming a victim of cyber fraud:

Do not respond to unsolicited (spam) e-mail.

Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail.
Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders. Always run a virus scan on attachment before opening.
Avoid filling out forms contained in e-mail messages that ask for personal information.
Always compare the link in the e-mail to the web address link you are directed to and determine if they match.
Log on directly to the official Web site for the business identified in the e-mail, instead of “linking” to it from an unsolicited e-mail. If the e-mail appears to be from your bank, credit card issuer, or other company you deal with frequently, your statements or official correspondence from the business will provide the proper contact information.
Contact the actual business that supposedly sent the e-mail to verify that the e-mail is genuine.
If you are requested to act quickly or there is an emergency, it may be a scam. Fraudsters create a sense of urgency to get you to act impulsively.

Oliver North's Column: Iraq - Victory Or Defeat?

2011-12-18T03:52:00.001-05:00

Retired Marine Lt Colonel Oliver North wrote about the end of the Iraq War in his latest column.

WASHINGTON -- They are coming home. For the first time since March 19, 2003, there are no U.S. combat or combat support troops in Iraq. There is still a contingent of U.S. Marines guarding the biggest American embassy in the world and the largest military attache's office at any diplomatic mission. But there is no doubt in anyone's mind -- ally or enemy -- that the war in Iraq is over. The only uncertainty now: Who won?

Short answer: America's soldiers, sailors, airmen, guardsmen and Marines -- and the American people whose sons and daughters served in Iraq. Though our commander in chief cannot utter the word "victory," it is. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta -- in Baghdad for a ceremonial "casing of the colors" for U.S. Forces-Iraq -- came close when he said of all who served during eight years and eight months of war: "You came to this 'Land Between the Rivers' again and again and again. You did not know whether you'd return to your loved ones. ... Your sacrifice has helped the Iraqi people to cast tyranny aside and to offer hope for prosperity and peace to this country's future generations."

You can read the rest of his column via the below link:

http://townhall.com/columnists/olivernorth/2011/12/16/iraq__victory_or_defeat/page/full/

Are We In A New Golden Age Of Crime Fiction?

2011-12-17T08:51:00.000-05:00

Tom Nolan writes about a possible new Golden Age of crime fiction in the Wall Street Journal.

The private-eye novel, for instance, the hardiest of American detective-story forms, had another fine season, thanks to exciting books by both veterans and newer writers. The lone investigator uncovering nasty truths and righting wrongs has proved as appealing as the cowboy hero; and he (or she) has survived longer than the cowpoke by adapting to change: in technology, in literary technique and in job description.

...The police-procedural is also a resilient U.S. form. No one wrote a better one in 2011 than Michael Connelly, with "The Drop," his latest chronicle featuring LAPD detective Harry Bosch. (And no one wrote a better legal thriller this year than Mr. Connelly, whose "The Fifth Witness" extended his equally compelling series with lawyer Mickey Haller.)

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203430404577094511710196688.html?mod=googlenews_wsj