Hole in Qantas jet forces emergency landing - CNN.com:


(CNN) -- A Qantas flight from Hong Kong to Melbourne made an emergency landing in the Philippines on Friday after a hole appeared in the fuselage and the cabin lost pressure suddenly.

An inspection revealed a hole in the Boeing 747-400's fuselage, and initial reports indicated that a section of the fuselage had separated in the area of the forward cargo compartment, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said in a written statement.

"There was an almighty crack," one passenger said. "We dropped a bit in the air, but other than that it was fine." The Associated Press reported that the plane was at 29,000 feet when the incident happened before descending to 10,000 feet.

"There was a big bang," said another. "I knew there was a hole somewhere, but I didn't know what was going on."

Marina Scaffidi, 39, from Melbourne, told The Associated Press: "There was wind swirling around the plane and some condensation."

She said a hole extended from the cargo hold into the passenger cabin.

Michael Rahill, 57, an architect from Melbourne, told AP the bang sounded "like a tire exploding, but more violently."

Images of the Boeing 747-400 after it landed showed a large hole where the leading edge of the wing attaches to the fuselage.

Manila International Airport Authority spokesman Octavio Lina said there were no injuries, but some of the 345 passengers vomited after disembarking, AP reported. Video of the incident shows passengers applauding as the plane landed safely.

Qantas said the hole, which was between 2.5 to three meters in diameter, was being inspected by engineers.

A report by the airport authority quoted pilot John Francis Bartels as saying an initial investigation indicated there was an "explosive decompression."

Lina said the cabin's floor gave way, exposing some of the cargo beneath and part of the ceiling collapsed, AP reported.

The flight originated in London. It was diverted to Manila International Airport, where it landed around 11:15 a.m. (11:15 p.m. ET Thursday.)

There were no reports of injuries among the 346 passengers and 19 crew, the airline said in a statement. Oxygen masks were deployed during the emergency.

Passengers said their ears popped because of the plane's rapid descent to a lower altitude.

Some passengers vomited after disembarking, Manila International Airport Authority deputy manager for operations Octavio Lina told AP.

The Australian Transportation Safety Bureau and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority have been notified and plan to investigate, according to Geoff Dixon, Qantas CEO.

Posted by mikki at 04:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Once upon a time in Narnia, a little Scots boy lost a battle with corporate lawyers … - The Scotsman:


AN 11-YEAR-OLD boy was last night ordered by a court to hand back his birthday present – a Narnia-based website address – after one of the biggest legal firms in the world said it belonged to its multi-millionaire client.
Comrie Saville-Smith, from Edinburgh, an avid fan of the CS Lewis novels, was given the domain name narnia.mobi as a gift by his parents after it became available online.

But yesterday the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in Switzerland ruled in favour of New York-based law firm Baker & McKenzie, representing Lewis's estate, that the name belonged to its client.

Last night Gillian Saville-Smith, Comrie's mother and a writer, described the decision as a "scandalously one-sided appraisal of the evidence" and added: "We are shocked by the decision. We put up a spirited fight because we wanted to prove that you do not have to hand something over just because someone richer and more powerful tell you to do so."

The family's international legal battle began in April, when they received an unexpected and irate telephone call from the US lawyers demanding they hand over the domain name and threatening legal action.

The Saville-Smiths refused and rejected the offer of a refund for the cost of the site, then another offer asking them to set their own price for the address.

Mrs Saville-Smith and her husband, Richard, a charity adviser and accountant, had paid £70 for the domain name from the internet registration company Fasthosts, keeping it as a surprise for their son's 11th birthday to coincide with release of the film of the second Narnia book last month.

They then received a 128-page legal document before the case went before the WIPO.

Responding to yesterday's judgment, Mrs Saville-Smith continued: "This decision by a one-man panel, supposed to be impartial, allows a multi-million-dollar company to seize a domain name purchased entirely legitimately by ourselves which has not been used in any way improperly or illegally.

"We provided clear statements and evidence to prove we had not profited, nor sought to, from this domain name – yet these statements and evidence have simply been ignored.

"Our lawyer has presided over 80 World Intellectual Property Organisation panels. It is clear from the judgment that the panel had pre-decided to award the decision to the CS Lewis Company.

"There was absolutely no evidence of a 'bad faith' registration put forward by the CS Lewis Company's lawyer's, which was required by the WIPO rules to find against us.

"Justice has not been served, and instead the interests of corporate power and money have wrongly triumphed. 'Narnia' had great meaning before its huge commercialisation in recent years and this judgment effectively says money, not the truth, is all that matters now regarding CS Lewis's magnificent fictional kingdom – despite the values and spirituality that originally lay behind it."

The Saville-Smiths said they could not afford to continue the legal fight.

Stranger than fiction? How the tale unfolded

30 APRIL: Law firm Baker & McKenzie calls and demands that the Saville-Smiths hand over the domain name.

5 MAY: Mr Saville-Smith writes to firm: "You seek an amicable settlement, but in your first contact you threaten my wife with legal action."

8 MAY: Law firm e-mails: "Please advise whether you would be willing to transfer the domain name to CS Lewis Pte Ltd."

8 MAY: Mr Saville-Smith replies: "I am not infringing their trademark, so I see no reason why I should to accede to your request."

Later that day the law firm contacts the family, saying: "What would you consider a reasonable offer?"

9 MAY: Mr Saville-Smith writes back: "We don't want to sell the domain name, as it is a special present for a ten-year-old boy."

28 MAY: The family receives a copy of a 128-page legal complaint filed with the World Intellectual Property Organisation in Switzerland.

Posted by mikki at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

At the Border, Your Laptop Is Wide-Open:


The prospect of warrantless laptop searches at border crossings in the U.S. has companies reviewing their travel and computing policies. These searches can allow access to any data mobile lawyers carry across the border on laptops, BlackBerrys, cell phones and other devices.

Posted by mikki at 09:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cop busts guy for taking his pic: "It's illegal to take a picture of a law enforcement officer... if you don't give it to me, you're going to jail":


Bernardo sez,

I read in Dispatches From the Culture Wars about Scott Conover, who was arrested for taking a picture of a policeman during a traffic stop.

Conover quotes the police officer as saying "... you took a picture of me. It's illegal to take a picture of a law enforcement officer... if you don't give it to me, you're going to jail".

The arrest was, technically, for pointing a laser at a police officer (the officer claims he thought Conover was pointing a laser at him, but he arrested Conover even after discovering that it was a cell phone, which, y'know, looks a lot like a laser, dunnit). A commenter on the Dispatches blog points out how "The law they charged him under is 39-13-605, which requires that 'the photograph... was taken for the purpose of sexual arousal or gratification of the defendant'."... Seems like a bit of a stretch.

The police officer's affidavit also makes for entertaining reading.

Link

(Thanks, Bernardo!)

Posted by mikki at 01:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Spammers Claiming To Be Assassins Try To Scam People Out Of Money - News Story - WRC | Washington:


WASHINGTON -- Spammers claiming to be assassins have been trying to scam people out of thousands of dollars using e-mail threats.
In the e-mail that is making the rounds on the Internet, spammers claim they have been hired to kill recipients, but will graciously drop the contract if recipients send them money.
Maryland's Attorney General Doug Gansler said the e-mails are part of the second generation of so-called phishing scams.
Scam artists send out hundreds of thousands of e-mails containing the threat. If they get just a small percentage of recipients to comply, they can reap huge profits.
"Clearly, they work because they keep doing it," he said.
The e-mail begins "Good day, I have been paid $50,000 in advance to terminate you. Do not contact the police or FBI, because if you do, I will know and might be pushed to do what I have been paid to do."
The e-mail continues, "You will need to pay $20,000 to the account I will provide for you before we will set our first meeting. You don't need my phone contact for now till I am assured you are ready to comply."
"People shouldn't respond to any of these e-mails that they themselves don't initiate," Gansler warned. "They should never send any money to anyone who sends you an e-mail saying that I need this, that and the other."
Most people News4 talked to said they would never fall for the scam.
"It's sort of terrible that people out there are that opportunistic and want to sort of prey on people's fears, and obviously on such a fear as primal as that," said computer user Brian Dahinden.
"I think that I would probably ultimately hit the delete button," Dahinden said.
"I usually just delete it. I don't open. I delete all of my trash," said computer user Ellen Murphy.
Police said people who receive the e-mails should not delete them but, rather, save them and report them to the Secret Service, state's attorney general's office or the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Posted by mikki at 07:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Formal calls for probe into reporter's name on no-fly list - CNN.com:


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A House representative said Thursday she is requesting an investigation after learning a CNN reporter was put on the federal no-fly list shortly after his investigation of the Transportation Security Administration.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas asked Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff about "a curious and interesting and troubling phenomenon" that CNN Investigative Correspondent Drew Griffin was added to the list.

"My question is, why would Drew Griffin's name come on the watch list, post-his investigation of TSA?" Jackson Lee said.

"What is the basis of this sudden recognition that Drew Griffin is a terrorist? Are we targeting people because of their critique or criticism?"

In response, Chertoff said it was "not my understanding the reporter was put on," but that Griffin may share a name with someone put on the list.

"We do have circumstances where we have name mismatches," he said.

Griffin learned in May he was on the list, about two months after he reported on the federal air marshals program.

In a March story, Griffin reported that of the 28,000 commercial flights taking off in the United States every day, fewer than 1 percent have on-board, armed federal air marshals on board.

In response to Griffin's story, TSA said on its Web site that it would not disclose the number of air marshals flying on a daily basis so as not to "tip our hand to terrorists."

"The actual number of flights that air marshals cover is thousands per day," read a statement on the Web site. Jackson Lee said she was using Griffin as an example. Committee members noted during the meeting that Congressman John Lewis, D-Georgia, is also on the no-fly list and has been trying for years to get removed.

"He's still having trouble," said committee chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Mississippi, showing a letter from Lewis.

"And according to this letter, it's still not happening," Thompson said, "even to the point that the department gave him a letter attesting that he was John Lewis and he should be allowed to get on planes."

He asked Chertoff to "find out how many other John Lewises are out there, who are having difficulty explaining to the department who they are so they can get off this no-fly list. We see more and more of it happening and I know Sen. Kennedy had a problem with it, and for whatever reason it was worked out."

Chertoff said he would be "happy" to help Lewis in his efforts to get removed from the list.

Jackson Lee said Griffin also attempted to provide documents indicating he was not involved in terrorism to the Department of Homeland Security.

Chertoff said if Griffin has a complaint, he should go to the department's inspector general. He pointed out, however, that the database of people on the no-fly list is maintained by the Department of Justice, not the TSA.

TSA spokesman Chris White said earlier this week that any connection between Griffin's reporting and his name being added to the no-fly list "is absolutely fabricated."

Griffin reported earlier this week that the database has grown to 1 million names, citing the American Civil Liberties Union, which claims the list is so huge it is "ineffective" and "likely useless" as an anti-terrorism tool.

Federal officials who manage the list say the ACLU's claim is exaggerated, and that about 400,000 names are currently on the list. The Terrorist Screening Center, a division of the FBI, said about 5 percent of those on the list are Americans, and most aren't even in the United States.

"We strive to have the watch list contain all appropriately suspected terrorists who represent a threat to the U.S., but only appropriately suspected terrorists," the center said in a written statement. "Independent government audits have recognized our ongoing efforts to constantly check watch list data to improve quality, reduce the number of misidentifications or mitigate their effects and enhance traveler redress efforts."

Washington attorney Jim Robinson, a former assistant attorney general who told CNN he is among those on the watch list, said he cannot utilize some of the conveniences of air travel, such as electronic check-in, automated ticketing kiosks and curbside baggage checks.

Instead, after he checks in, he has to wait in line while airline agents verify by telephone "that I am not the James Kenneth Robinson who is the cause of my being on the watch list."

The ACLU drew its 1 million figure from an October report by congressional auditors, who put the number of names on the list at more than 750,000, with another 20,000 names being added each month.

Posted by mikki at 06:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Judge: NY man in offensive costume must apologize:


SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) - A judge has ordered a 19-year-old man to write an apology to a the city of Saratoga Springs in New York for dressing in an offensive costume at a high school graduation.

Calvin Morett had pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct for dressing in a 6-foot penis costume at the graduation at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. A video of his visit last month has appeared on YouTube.

The judge has also ordered Morett to pay to have the apology published in a local newspaper, pay court fees and perform 24 hours of community service.

Posted by mikki at 04:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sweden legal group files challenge to wiretapping law with ECHR:


[JURIST] A Swedish legal organization Monday filed a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights, challenging a controversial warrantless wiretapping law passed by the Swedish parliament last month. The law gives Sweden's National Defence Radio Establishment broad authority to monitor international telephone and electronic communications passing through the country. The Centrum för Rättvisa (CFR) argues that the law could violate the right to privacy enshrined in Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, noting that the ECHR has recently struck down a similar UK eavesdropping law.

The Swedish law, which had been initially rejected by parliament, passed by a narrow 143-138 margin after last-minute changes made by lawmakers. The changes included a provision for independent oversight of the program, but critics say the law still does not do enough to protect privacy interests. Opposition party members say the program could also be used to intercept domestic communications, and the International Federation of Journalists argued it could compromise source anonymity. Millions of Swedish citizens have filed electronic petitions against the law, which will take effect in January 2009.

Posted by mikki at 04:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

:


DENVER, Colo.-On orders from Senator John McCain's security detail, Denver police escorted a 61-year-old woman away who was waiting in line to attend a so-called town hall meeting with McCain that was billed as open to the public.

Carol Kreck, who works as a librarian in Denver, held a homemade sign reading "McCain = Bush." On orders from McCain's security detail, police cited her for trespassing and escorted her to the sidewalk. She was told if she returned she would be arrested.

"And all I did was carry a sign that said McCain = Bush," Kreck said. "And for everyone who voted for Bush, I don't see why it's offensive to say McCain = Bush."

This episode by McCain's Secret Service appears to be a rerun of McCain's 2005 town hall in Denver with President Bush in which the Secret Service had three Denver citizens removed from an "open" event where McCain was campaigning with Pres. Bush for his plan to privatize social security.

Posted by mikki at 12:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

IDEA Sues PETA For Copyright Infringement:

Institute for the Development of Earth Awareness sues People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals alleging unauthorized copying of 'The Dreaded Comparison,' book concerning treatment of anmals.

Posted by mikki at 12:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Notorious Spam King Scheduled to be Sentenced on Monday by the U.S. District Court:

Notorious spammer Robert Alan Soloway is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday by the U.S. District Court in Seattle after pleading guilty to single counts of mail fraud, e-mail fraud, and tax evasion. The long list of individuals testifying in federal court for the sentencing of the so-called 'King of Spam' has resulted in an unusual two-day hearing which began on Friday. Soloway is the second person to be convicted of criminal spamming under the 2004 "Can-Spam" law. More...

Posted by mikki at 05:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In a ridiculously symbolic "up yours" to advocates of renewable energy, the Shrub repealed his father's executive order prohibiting offshore drilling. Since there is also a law against it, the executive order is meaningless. Further, even if the law was overturned today, it would be many years before any further drilling would yield any of this "American Oil" that this action is supposed to find.

Yet another band aid approach to a huge issue...the same type of thing that put the economy where it is. But of course our catch phrase spouting buzzword bush bambino can't think far enough to do much else...

Bush lifts executive order banning offshore oil drilling:


[JURIST] US President George W. Bush issued a memorandum Monday to the Secretary of the Interior, lifting an executive ban on offshore oil drilling put in place in 1990 by then-President George H. W. Bush. Monday's action will have little practical effect because offshore drilling is still prohibited by a longstanding congressional moratorium. The limitation on the practice has been in place since 1981, and makes 85 percent of the coastal waters surrounding the US off-limits for oil drilling. On Monday, the League of Conservation Voters condemned Bush's move as a reckless temporary solution to the current oil crisis. Reuters has more. The Washington Post has additional coverage.

Last month, Bush called on Congress to relax restrictions on oil exploration, saying that it should also allow drilling to begin in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Bush argued that resources currently off-limits to energy companies could offset rising fuel prices. Environmental organizations have criticized efforts to expand oil drilling in the Arctic, calling for increased research into energy conservation and renewable resources instead. Critics have also said that offshore development will require several years and a massive infrastructure that could impact local wildlife.

Posted by mikki at 11:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the DC area, and wish to see the Psycho Sensei pretend to be a Shakespearean actor? Now's your chance. Two more shows available.

Coriolanus | DC Theatre Scene . Washington's liveliest theatre web site:


Coriolanus 
Reviewed by Steven McKnight
Coriolanus is one of the more difficult Shakespeare plays due to its static plot and an unlikeable protagonist.  While the Rude Mechanicals don’t entirely work it out, their streamlined modern production is competent and entertaining. 

Alan Duda both directs and stars in the production as the proud Roman general who encounters difficulties when he refuses to kowtow to the populist rabble.  His performance is generally convincing although less facile than it could be.  The cast is uneven and some of the acting is a little broad, but the show includes fine performances by Michelle Trout (his fierce mother Volumnia), Mike Galizia (the Roman nobleman Menenius Agrippa), and Joshua Engel (the Volscian general Aufidius). 

A few modern satirical touches enliven the piece, from the obvious laugh-getters (e.g., the “Volscian Threat Level Indicator”) to the more subtle focus on fickle public opinion in a political setting.   The use of modern clothing and weaponry (e.g., fatigues and plastic guns) and other technology give the production a little added twist.  Overall, though, this production is basically straightforward Shakespeare. 

If you’ve never seen the rarely-performed Coriolanus or you enjoy seeing alternative production styles applied to Shakespeare, you may want to include this show on your Fringe schedule.  If you don’t normally fancy Shakespearean tragedy, this production won’t change your view. 

Running Time:  75 minutes
Tickets:  Coriolanus
Remaining Shows:  Sun, July 20 at 2 . Sat, July 26 at 7:30
Where:  Warehouse Next Door, 1017 7th St NW

Posted by mikki at 01:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Man accused of faking heart attacks to avoid bills:


WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) - A 52-year-old Milwaukee-area man has been accused of faking heart attacks to avoid paying restaurant bills and cab fares.

Police say the Waukesha (WAWK'-uh-shaw) man took a cab to a mall Monday and pretended to have a heart attack. The cab driver left unpaid.

Authorities say the man then ran up a $23 bill when he had a steak dinner at Applebee's. He again pretended to have a heart attack.

This time the fire department took him to a hospital. A doctor there recognized the man as having pulled the same stunt in the past few weeks.

He was charged Thursday with defrauding a restaurant as a habitual criminal. He could get up to nine months in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Posted by mikki at 12:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Worst tourists? Americans in middle of pack:


by Andrea Berry
Special to WTOPnews.com
WASHINGTON - Tourists from around the world were recently pitted against each other in a poll conducted by Expedia. And guess what? Americans actually scored better than some stereotypes might suggest.

More than 4,000 hoteliers across the globe participated in the poll which graded travelers on specific categories, including behavior, manners and their willingness to learn the language and try local cuisine.

Americans ranked 11th among the 21 nations surveyed.

Japan wins the gold medal as being the best tourists overall. Germans and the British tied for second, followed by the Canadians and Swiss. The French ranked 19th for their unwillingness to splurge and their lack of interest in using the local language. The Chinese ranked last.

And while Americans ended up in the middle of the pack, there were some positive findings: Americans put more effort into learning local phrases and are considered the most generous along with the Canadians and Russians.

"Hoteliers are the experts when it comes to interacting with tourists, so as the busy summer travel season approaches and vacationers prepare for their own travel experiences, we thought it would be fun to present their common perceptions regarding tourists from all around the world," says Karyn Thale, travel expert at Expedia.com.

Thale hopes only good things come from the survey.

"We hope the results inspire Americans to keep up their generosity and cultural curiosity and convince them to leave the white tennis shoes and fanny packs at home."

Posted by mikki at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wash. judge tells verbose lawyer to make it snappy:


TACOMA, Wash. (AP) - A federal judge in Tacoma has told a lawyer he needs to make it snappy.

Judge Ronald Leighton balked at a 465-page lawsuit that made its way onto his desk. He invoked a rarely used rule that requires a "short and plain statement" of allegations.

The title of the racketeering lawsuit filed by attorney Dean Browning Webb was eight pages long.

The judge issued his order in a limerick:

"Plaintiff has a great deal to say,

But it seems he skipped Rule 8(a).

His Complaint is too long,

Which renders it wrong,

Please rewrite and refile today."

Posted by mikki at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Concorde supersonic jet to have its nose repaired at New York museum - Pravda.Ru:


A museum official says a two-week nose job should reverse the damage done to a Concorde supersonic jet when a truck rammed it.

The retired Concorde is normally on display at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. It has been at a Brooklyn recreational facility while the USS Intrepid and its home pier in Manhattan are repaired and renovated.

A truck hauling equipment from a Jamaican soccer-and-cricket festival bumped into the Concorde's distinctive nose July 1 and knocked it off.

Museum President Bill White says the cone will be reattached and repaired to original standards.

White said Tuesday the museum apologized to the jet's owner British Airways for not providing better security for the plane.

Concorde was a supersonic passenger airliner or supersonic transport (SST). It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and British Aircraft Corporation. With only 20 aircraft ultimately built, the costly development phase represented a substantial economic loss. Additionally, Air France and British Airways were subsidised by their governments to buy the aircraft. The Concorde was the more successful of the only two supersonic airliners to have ever operated commercially, the Tupolev Tu-144 being the other. The Tu-144 was also the only faster commercial airliner, surpassing the Concorde by 100 mph (~160.9 km/h).

First flown in 1969, Concorde service commenced in 1976 and continued for 27 years. It flew regular transatlantic flights from London Heathrow (British Airways) and Paris Charles de Gaulle (Air France) to New York JFK and Washington Dulles, flying these routes at record speeds, in under half the time of other airliners. Concorde also set many other records, including the official FAI "Westbound Around The World" and "Eastbound Around the World" world air speed records.

As a result of the type's only crash on 25 July 2000, world economic effects arising from the 9/11 attacks, and other factors, operations ceased on 24 October 2003. The last "retirement" flight occurred on 26 November that year.

Concorde remains an icon of aviation history, and has acquired an unusual nomenclature for an aircraft. In common usage in the United Kingdom, the type is known as "Concorde" rather than "the Concorde" or "a Concorde".

Posted by mikki at 12:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Man robbed buying crack calls cops who arrest him:


HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - An East Hartford man called police to report he had been robbed while trying to buy crack cocaine.

Max Minnefield called police Monday to tell them he had paid a man and a woman $8 for drugs he never received.

Police charged him with criminal attempt to commit possession of narcotics.

During his arraignment Tuesday, Judge Bradford Ward asked Minnefield, "Did you really think the police were going to go after the people?" He added that his question was rhetorical.

Prosecutors later dropped the charges.

Laura Weslund, Minnefield's public defender, said no drugs were ever found.

Posted by mikki at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Atheist soldier sues Army for 'unconstitutional' discrimination - CNN.com:


KANSAS CITY, Kansas (CNN) -- Army Spc. Jeremy Hall was raised Baptist.

Like many Christians, he said grace before dinner and read the Bible before bed. Four years ago when he was deployed to Iraq, he packed his Bible so he would feel closer to God.

He served two tours of duty in Iraq and has a near perfect record. But somewhere between the tours, something changed. Hall, now 23, said he no longer believes in God, fate, luck or anything supernatural.

Hall said he met some atheists who suggested he read the Bible again. After doing so, he said he had so many unanswered questions that he decided to become an atheist.

His sudden lack of faith, he said, cost him his military career and put his life at risk. Hall said his life was threatened by other troops and the military assigned a full-time bodyguard to protect him out of fear for his safety. Watch why Hall says his lack of faith almost got him killed »

In March, Hall filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, among others. In the suit, Hall claims his rights to religious freedom under the First Amendment were violated and suggests that the United States military has become a Christian organization.

"I think it's utterly and totally wrong. Unconstitutional," Hall said.

Hall said there is a pattern of discrimination against non-Christians in the military.

Two years ago on Thanksgiving Day, after refusing to pray at his table, Hall said he was told to go sit somewhere else. In another incident, when he was nearly killed during an attack on his Humvee, he said another soldier asked him, "Do you believe in Jesus now?"

Hall isn't seeking compensation in his lawsuit -- just the guarantee of religious freedom in the military. Eventually, Hall was sent home early from Iraq and later returned to Fort Riley in Junction City, Kansas, to complete his tour of duty.

He also said he missed out on promotions because he is an atheist.

"I was told because I can't put my personal beliefs aside and pray with troops I wouldn't make a good leader," Hall said.

Michael Weinstein, a retired senior Air Force officer and founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, is suing along with Hall. Weinstein said he's been contacted by more than 8,000 members of the military, almost all of them complaining of pressure to embrace evangelical Christianity.

"Our Pentagon, our Pentacostalgon, is refusing to realize that when you put the uniform on, there's only one religious faith: patriotism," Weinstein said.

Religious discrimination is a violation of the First Amendment and is also against military policy. The Pentagon refused to discuss specifics of Hall's case -- citing the litigation. But Deputy Undersecretary Bill Carr said complaints of evangelizing are "relatively rare." He also said the Pentagon is not pushing one faith among troops.

"If an atheist chose to follow their convictions, absolutely that's acceptable," said Carr. "And that's a point of religious accommodation in department policy, one may hold whatever faith, or may hold no faith."

Weinstein said he doesn't buy it and points to a promotional video by a group called Christian Embassy. The video, which shows U.S. generals in uniform, was shot inside the Pentagon. The generals were subsequently reprimanded.

Another group, the Officers' Christian Fellowship, has representatives on nearly all military bases worldwide. Its vision, which is spelled out on the organization's Web site, reads, "A spiritually transformed military, with ambassadors for Christ in uniform empowered by the Holy Spirit."

Weinstein has a different interpretation.

"Their purpose is to have Christian officers exercise Biblical leadership to raise up a godly army," he says.

But Carr said the military's position is clear.


"Proselytizing or advancing a religious conviction is not what the nation would have us do and it's not what the military does," Carr said.

The U.S. Justice Department is expected to respond to Hall's lawsuit this week. In the meantime, he continues to work in the military police unit at Fort Riley and plans to leave as soon as his tour of duty expires next year.

Posted by mikki at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)