Crime

Diplomat: U.S. Special Forces told “you can’t go” to Benghazi during attacks – CBS News

CBS News

The deputy of slain U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens has told congressional investigators that a team of Special Forces prepared to fly from Tripoli to Benghazi during the Sept. 11, 2012 attacks was forbidden from doing so by U.S. Special Operations Command South Africa.

The account from Gregory Hicks is in stark contrast to assertions from the Obama administration, which insisted that nobody was ever told to stand down and that all available resources were utilized. Hicks gave private testimony to congressional investigators last month in advance of his upcoming appearance at a congressional hearing Wednesday.

According to excerpts released Monday, Hicks told investigators that SOCAFRICA commander Lt. Col. Gibson and his team were on their way to board a C-130 from Tripoli for Benghazi prior to an attack on a second U.S. compound “when [Col. Gibson] got a phone call from SOCAFRICA which said, ‘you can’t go now, you don’t have the authority to go now.’ And so they missed the flight … They were told not to board the flight, so they missed it.”

No assistance arrived from the U.S. military outside of Libya during the hours that Americans were under attack or trapped inside compounds by hostile forces armed with rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and AK-47 rifles.

via Diplomat: U.S. Special Forces told “you can’t go” to Benghazi during attacks – CBS News.

Egyptian mob lynches teenage son of Islamist leader – Alarabiya

AFP, Cairo -

An angry Egyptian mob has lynched the teenage son of a Muslim Brotherhood leader, accusing him of killing a man over Facebook comments critical of the Islamist movement, said security sources on Saturday.

The violence that took place on Thursday in the Nile Delta was the latest in a spate of vigilante killings in the region amid growing lawlessness since the 2011 revolution that toppled former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Yussef Rabie Abdessalam, 16, pulled out a gun and opened fire indiscriminately, killing a passerby and wounding another after a heated argument with a man who had openly criticized the influential Brotherhood on the Internet, sources said.

His action sparked fury in Qattawiya, a village in the Nile Delta province of Sharqiya, where Abdessalam’s father, Rabie Abdessalam, is an official at the local branch of the Freedom and Justice Party, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood from which President Mohamed Mursi hails.

via Egyptian mob lynches teenage son of Islamist leader – Alarabiya.net English | Front Page.

FBI Releases Images of Two Suspects in Boston Marathon Bombings

www.fbi.gov/news/updates-on-investigation-into-multiple-explosions-in-boston/photos 

Canadian teen commits suicide after alleged rape, bullying – CNN.com

Ottawa, Canada (CNN)

A Canadian teenager, who was allegedly gang-raped and bullied, has died, her family said.

Rehtaeh Parsons, 17, was hospitalized after she tried to hang herself Thursday. The high school student from Halifax, Nova Scotia, was taken off life support Sunday.

The teen was bullied for more than a year after the alleged sexual assault in November 2011 when she was 15, her family said.

In addition to the sexual assault, a photo taken during the incident was circulated to friends via text and online, and she developed suicidal thoughts as a result, according to her family.

via Canadian teen commits suicide after alleged rape, bullying – CNN.com.

LAPD Investigates Catholic Priests – NBCNews.com

The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating more than 100 catholic priests…  following the release of their personnel files that reveal high-ranking church officials protected priests accused of molesting children from law enforcement.  It is the latest – in what has been called a sad and shameful chapter for the LA Archdiocese – that also saw a cardinal stripped of his duties.  NBC’s Diana Alvear reports.

via LAPD Investigates Catholic Priests – Video on NBCNews.com.

Colombian president: Wanted drug lord captured – CNN.com

(CNN) — Authorities have captured alleged drug lord Daniel “El Loco” Barrera, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said Tuesday night.

Barrera was captured in San Cristobal, Venezuela, Santos said. He is accused of alliances with paramilitaries and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia guerrilla group in addition to drug trafficking crimes over a period of more than 20 years.

via Colombian president: Wanted drug lord captured – CNN.com.

‘Slaughter at Chevaline’: More questions than answers as inquiry expands – CNN.com

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: The wounded 7-year-old survivor came out of a coma on Sunday, prosecutors say
• Investigators are tight-lipped about a possible perpetrator in the killing
• Authorities have not ruled out robbery as a motive, a prosecutor says
• Autopsies show each victim was shot twice in the head, the prosecutor says

London (CNN) — The slaughter at Chevaline.

That’s what the French media has dubbed last week’s daylight execution-style slaying of a British-Iraqi family and a French cyclist at a rural mountain rest stop on the outskirts of the Alpine village popular with outdoor enthusiasts.

Each of them — the man; his wife; a woman believed to be his mother-in-law, and the cyclist — was found with two gunshot wounds to the head.

The couple’s 7-year-old daughter was badly beaten and shot. Their 4-year-old daughter hid for hours behind her dead mother’s legs.

via ‘Slaughter at Chevaline’: More questions than answers as inquiry expands – CNN.com.

AP source: 7 banks subpoenaed over rate-fixing – Businessweek

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A person with knowledge of the matter tells The Associated Press that the attorneys general of New York and Connecticut have issued subpoenas to seven banks over the possible manipulation of an important global interest rate.

The person says subpoenas have been issued to Barclays, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan Chase, HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland and UBS.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

American and British regulators have already fined Barclays $453 million. The bank has admitted that it submitted false information to keep the rate, known as LIBOR, low.

via AP source: 7 banks subpoenaed over rate-fixing – Businessweek.

Disturbing e-mails could spell more trouble for Penn State officials – CNN.com

(CNN) — With convicted serial child sex abuser Jerry Sandusky behind bars, new questions are surfacing about what Penn State officials knew about a 2001 incident involving the former assistant football coach’s encounter with a boy in the shower — and whether they covered up the incident.

After the 2001 incident, Sandusky sexually abused other boys over the course of years until his arrest.

CNN does not have the purported e-mails. However, the alleged contents were made available to CNN.

The messages indicate former Penn State President Graham Spanier and two other former university officials knew they had a problem with Sandusky after a 2001 shower incident, but apparently first decided to handle it using a “humane” approach before contacting outside authorities whose job it is to investigate suspected abuse.

“This is a more humane and upfront way to handle this,’ wrote Gary Schultz, then vice president at the university.

Records show no authorities were ever contacted and Sandusky was eventually charged with having sexual contact with four more boys after the 2001 incident. On June 22, Sandusky was convicted of abusing 10 boys over 15 years.

Painful chapter closes with Sandusky’s conviction for child sex abuse

In an exchange of messages from February 26-28, 2001, Spanier allegedly acknowledges Penn State could be “vulnerable” for not reporting the incident, according to two sources with knowledge of the case.

“The only downside for us is if the message (to Sandusky) isn’t ‘heard’ and acted upon, and we then become vulnerable for not having reported it,” Spanier purportedly writes.

The alleged e-mails among Spanier, Schultz, 62, and former Athletic Director Tim Curley, 57, never mention Sandusky by name, instead referring to him as “the subject” and “the person.” Children that Sandusky brought on campus –some of whom might have been victims — are referred to as “guests.”

The exchanges began 16 days after graduate assistant Mike McQueary first told Coach Joe Paterno on February 9, 2001, that McQueary believed he saw Sandusky make sexual contact with a boy in a locker room shower.

Since the scandal broke, Spanier, Schultz and Curley have publicly maintained McQueary reported only inappropriate conduct — horsing around. The purported e-mails indicate the men could be at additional risk for not disclosing the matter to authorities. Schultz and Curley are currently charged with perjury and failing to report suspected child abuse. They have pleaded not guilty.

How the case unfolded

Paterno testified before a grand jury that McQueary was “very upset” and said he saw Sandusky “doing something with a youngster. It was a sexual nature,” according to a transcript. Paterno testified he told his boss, Curley. Curley and Schultz contacted McQueary about a week and half later about the incident.

In an alleged e-mail dated February 26, 2001, Schultz writes to Curley that he assumes Curley’s “got the ball” about a three-part plan to “talk with the subject asap regarding the future appropriate use of the University facility,” … “contacting the chair of the charitable organization” and “contacting the Department of Welfare,” according to a source with knowledge of the case.

Schultz refers to Sandusky as the “subject” and Sandusky’s Second Mile charity as the “charitable organization,” according to a source with knowledge of the e-mails.

Pennsylvania law requires suspected child abuse be reported to outside authorities, including the state’s child welfare agencies.

But then, something changes.

The next evening, February 27, Curley allegedly writes to Spanier. Schultz, who’s out of the office for two weeks, is copied.

Victim No. 6: Violation and vindication

Curley refers to a meeting scheduled that day with Spanier and indicates they apparently discussed the Sandusky incident two days earlier.

Curley indicates he no longer wants to contact child welfare authorities just yet. He refers to a conversation the day before with Paterno. It’s not known what Paterno may have said to Curley.

Curley writes: “After giving it more thought and talking it over with Joe yesterday, I am uncomfortable with what we agreed were the next steps.”

The athletic director apparently preferred to keep the situation an internal affair and talk things over with Sandusky instead of notifying the state’s child welfare agency to investigate Sandusky’s suspicious activity.

“I am having trouble with going to everyone, but the person involved,” Curley allegedly continues.

Curley writes he’d be “more comfortable” meeting with Sandusky himself and telling him they know about the 2001 incident and — according to a source with knowledge of the case — refers to another shower incident with a boy in 1998 that was investigated by police, but never resulted in charges against Sandusky.

Curley writes to Penn State’s president Spanier that he wants to meet with Sandusky, tell him there’s “a problem,” and that “we want to assist the individual to get professional help.”

In the same purported e-mail provided to CNN, Curley goes on to suggest that if Sandusky “is cooperative,” Penn State “would work with him” to tell Second Mile. If not, Curley states, the university will inform both Second Mile and outside authorities.

Sandusky’s ‘make-believe world’

Curley adds that he intends to inform Sandusky that his “guests” won’t be allowed to use Penn State facilities anymore.

“What do you think of this approach?” Curley allegedly wrote to Spanier.

About two hours later, Spanier responded to Curley in another e-mail and copied Schultz. Spanier allegedly called the plan “acceptable”, but worries whether it’s the right thing to do, according to two sources.

“The only downside for us is if the message (to Sandusky) isn’t ‘heard’ and acted upon, and we then become vulnerable for not having reported it,” Spanier purportedly wrote.

“But that can be assessed down the down the road. The approach you outline is humane and a reasonable way to proceed,” he adds.

The next afternoon, Schultz allegedly responded to the Penn State president and its athletic director. Schultz signs off on handling the matter without telling anyone on the outside, at least for now.

“This is a more humane and upfront way to handle this,’ Schultz purportedly wrote. But he made clear Penn State should inform Sandusky’s charity Second Mile “with or without (Sandusky’s) cooperation.”

As for telling child welfare authorities, he added, “we can play it by ear.”

No one ever reported the 2001 shower incident. A decade later, a 2011 grand jury found no Pennsylvania law enforcement or child welfare agency was ever told.

“It was not only not humane to give Sandusky a pass, but inhumane towards young men who fell prey to him,” said attorney Tom Kline, who represents Victim 5. About six months after the February 2001 incident witnessed by McQueary, Victim 5 was molested. Last week, Sandusky was convicted of having unlawful sexual contact with Victim 5, among 44 other counts involving nine other boys.

Schultz and Curley already are charged with perjury fofr allegedly lying to a grand jury and failure to reported suspected child abuse.

Sources say based on the e-mails and other documents, they could face additional charges. Spanier, sources say, could also be charged, law enforcement sources and legal experts say.

As part of an ongoing grand jury investigation, state prosecutors are pouring over the e-mails turned over by Penn State as part of its own investigation, led by former FBI Director Louis Freeh.

According to court papers, the government is also examining a Sandusky file left behind by Schultz. In a statement, Schultz’s attorney Tom Farrell says Schultz who retired in 2009, did not keep any “secret” files.

Muralist replaces Sandusky image; Penn State looks to cases ahead

Prosecutors say the file was created, maintained, and possessed by Schultz and assert documents in the file are “inconsistent” with statements made by Schultz and Curley to a grand jury.

One inconsistency may involve Schultz’s grand jury testimony stating the state’s child welfare agency was notified about the 2001 shower incident. “My recollection would be … (in 2002) … that they were asked to look into this allegation,” Schultz testified.

He also testified any notes he “probably” took about the 2002 incident may have been destroyed when he retired in 2009.

Curley’s grand jury testimony also appears inconsistent with the e-mails. In the messages, he refers to “a first situation” in 1998, yet he told a grand jury he wasn’t aware of any other allegations of alleged sexual conduct involving Sandusky.

A prosecutor asked Curley: “Specifically, a 1998 report, did you know anything about that in 2002?” Curley responded: “No, ma’am.”

Schultz and Curley, through their lawyers, consistently maintain McQueary didn’t tell them about a sexual assault in 2001, and instead said McQueary described “inappropriate conduct” or horsing around.

McQueary has repeatedly testified he told Penn State officials he saw a boy with his hands up against a wall with Sandusky behind him and heard slapping, rhythmic sounds. He added that someone wouldn’t have to be “a rocket scientist” to figure out what was going on.

A jury acquitted Sandusky of rape involving the 2001 incident, and instead found Sandusky guilty of several other counts involved in that shower incident including unlawful sexual contact.

Spanier’s lawyer did not respond to calls from CNN seeking comment for this story.

According to Penn State’s board of trustees, Spanier was fired last year because “he failed to meet his leadership responsibilities.”

Shortly after his dismissal, Spanier issued a statement that said, in part, “I was stunned and outraged to learn that any predatory act might have occurred in a university facility or by someone associated with the university. … I would never hesitate to report a crime if I had any suspicion that one had been committed.”

In a statement to CNN, lawyers for Schultz and Curley said both men were doing the best they could about a report of “inappropriate conduct” by a man with a stellar reputation.

“As Governor Tom Corbett stated, ‘If we were going to do this case, we had to have the best possible case to go against somebody like Mr. Sandusky who was … loved by everybody. Carried out of the football stadium on the shoulders of his football team. How can anybody say there must be something wrong with him?’” the lawyers’ statement read, citing Corbett’s remarks in a June 25 article by The Patriot News.

“For Curley, Schultz, Spanier and Paterno, the responsible and ‘humane’ thing to do was, like Governor Corbett (said), to carefully and responsibly assess the best way to handle vague, but troubling allegations. Faced with tough situations, good people try to do their best to make the right decisions.”

A spokesman for Paterno’s family, who has not seen any e-mails, told CNN Paterno didn’t communicate by e-mail and defended the coach.

“Everyone should want the truth … and Joe always told the truth,” Dan McGinn told CNN. “He did the right thing. He told his boss about McQueary.”

One thing is clear. There’s no evidence Penn State did anything to find the boy involved in the 2001 incident.

The night Sandusky was led away in handcuffs, Penn State issued a statement calling for healing. So did the family of Joe Paterno.

Healing might take time. Everyone is waiting for the results of Freeh’s investigation, anticipated by this fall. It’s unclear when state investigators will finish their work. The Justice Department is also conducting a probe, as is the U.S. Department of Education and the NCAA.

And Penn State is already reaching out to attorneys representing Sandusky’s victims.

Their lawsuits have yet to be filed.

Kline, Victim 5′s attorney, said he wants to see the results of Penn State’s investigation.

“Everything we saw in this trial could have been stopped by Penn State,” Kline told CNN.

“This is an American tragedy of monumental proportions.”

Matt Sandusky describes alleged abuse

CNN’s Dana Garrett and Chris Boyette contributed to this report

via Disturbing e-mails could spell more trouble for Penn State officials – CNN.com.

Wikipedia: schultz definition: Theodore 1902–1998 American economist. →

Adopted son says Jerry Sandusky molested him – This Just In – CNN.com Blogs

Matt Sandusky, one of Jerry Sandusky’s adopted children, has said that he was molested by the former Penn State defensive coordinator, according to a statement from his lawyers.

via Adopted son says Jerry Sandusky molested him – This Just In – CNN.com Blogs.