Feds secretly bring suspected terrorist to NYC to stand trial

Federal officials say a senior member of the al-Shabaab terror group was secretly brought to the U.S. Monday night to stand trial after spending months giving "valuable intelligence" about al-Qaida's operations in Somalia and Yemen.

Senior administration officials say Ahmed Abdulqadir Warsame was arrested April 19 by the U.S. military and kept on a Navy ship at sea, where he was questioned by a team of U.S. interrogators.

"He gave us very valuable intelligence," one official said. Warsame was in a special position to talk about both al-Qaida's operations in Somalia and its operations in Yemen, the official added.

The officials say he was a go-between for both groups, and he's accused of providing both groups with money and training. They say he was in Yemen last year for more than a year, and that the information he provided "has been used to get a better understanding of what we're up against" with al-Qaida in Yemen.

The officials say he was questioned for weeks before he was given any kind of Miranda warning, at which point his cooperation stopped.

He was brought to New York late Monday night and charges were unsealed Tuesday afternoon in New York.

Mystery surrounds South Korean skyscraper tremor -

Authorities in Seoul, South Korea, ordered the evacuation of a 39-story office building Tuesday after occupants reported that it shook for about 10 minutes, local media reported.

There was no seismic activity reported at the time of the tremors, which began about 10:10 a.m., according to a report in The Korea Times.

"I fled the building with everyone else while it was shaking up and down. It almost made me feel dizzy," Lim Joon-hee, who works on the 20th floor of the building, told the Yonhap News Agency.

About 3,000 people were in the building at the time. All were evacuated, and the building, whose tenants include offices, retailers and a theater, will remain closed for up to three days while it undergoes safety inspections, local media reported.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy Independence Day! Here's a shot I took down at Cannon AFB a few years back when the F-117 was still flying. Enjoy and have a happy 4th!

-Steve Douglass

What you need to know about the NextGen bomber

Unclassified Facts on the Air Force Penetrating Bomber
Amy Butler - AVWEEK

PURPOSE:
Provide industry executives the unclassified facts on the new penetrating bomber program.

FACTS:
- Based on Secretary of Defense direction, the Air Force (AF) is developing a new penetrating bomber.
- The new penetrating bomber will be a component of the joint portfolio of conventional deep-strike capabilities.
- The new penetrating bomber will be highly survivable, nuclear capable, and designed to accommodate manned or unmanned operations
- The new penetrating bomber will be able to employ a broad mix of stand-off and direct-attack munitions.
- The total annual budget by appropriation (i.e., RDT&E, Production) is unclassified.
- The Air Force plans to deliver the initial capability in the mid-2020s.
- The new program will leverage mature technologies and constrain requirements based on affordability
- The new program will focus on affordability: unit cost target set to inform design/requirement trades and ensure sufficient inventory.
- The Air Force is projecting to build a fleet of 80-100 aircraft.
- The new program will employ enhanced security measures and be protected by a Special Access Program.
- All other details are classified to protect operational advantages and the nation's investment in critical technologies and capabilities.
- For further information, contact the Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO) or the Program Security Officer (PSO)

Last shuttle mission set for July 8

Launch Preparations Move Forward
Thu, 30 Jun 2011 07:57:48 AM CDT

Preparations at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida are moving forward as space shuttle Atlantis' liftoff on July 8 nears. Today, technicians at Launch Pad 39A will pressurize Atlantis' main propulsion system following the closure yesterday of the spacecraft's payload bay doors.

The STS-135 crew will participate in preflight interviews from NASA's Johnson Space Center today. Briefings about this final mission of the Space Shuttle Program will air live on NASA TV throughout the day and also can be seen online at www.nasa.gov/ntv.