European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 29, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                O stars and stripes thursday March 29 20n businesses rely on flawed terror watch list by Ellen Nakashima the Washington Post Washington private businesses such As rental and mortgage companies and car dealers Are checking the names of customers against a list of suspected terrorists and drug traffickers made publicly available by the Treasury department sometimes denying services to Ordinary people whose names Are similar to those on the list the office of foreign asset controls list of specially designated nationals has Long been used by Banks and other Finan Cial institutions to Block financial transactions of drug dealers and other criminals but an executive order issued by president Bush after the sept 11 2001 attacks has expanded the list and its consequences in unforeseen ways businesses have used it to screen applicants for Home and car Loans apartments and even exercise equipment according to interviews and a report by the lawyers committee for civil rights of the san fran Cisco Bay area to be issued tuesday the Way in which the list is being used goes far beyond contexts in which it has a link to National Security said Shirin sin Nar the reports author the government is effectively con scripting private businesses into the War on terrorism but doing so without making sure that businesses dont trample on individual rights the lawyers committee has documented at least a dozen cases in which us custom ers have had transactions denied or delayed because their names were a partial match with a name on the list which runs More than 250 pages and includes 3300 groups and individuals no More than a handful of people on the list available on line Are us citizens yet anyone who does business with a per son or group on the list risks penalties of up to million and 10 to 30 years in prison a powerful incentive for businesses to com ply the Laws scope is so Broad and guidance so limited that some businesses would rather deny a transaction than risk criminal penalties the report finds the Law is ridiculous said Tom Hud son a lawyer in Hanover my who advises car dealers to use the list to avoid penal ties it prohibits anyone from doing Busi Ness with anyone who on the list it does not have a minimum Dollar amount the local Deli if it Sells a Sandwich to someone whose name appears on the list has violated the Law Molly Millerwise a Treasury depart ment spokeswoman acknowledged that there Are challenges in complying with the rules but said that the department has extensive guidance on compliance both on the fac web site and in workshops with Industry representatives she also said most businesses can Root out false positives on their own if not fac suggests contacting the firm that provided the screening software or calling an fac hot line Ermeth addict Dies at 35 after video by Jim Suhr the associated press St Louis a former trucker whose documentary chronicled an agonizing descent As methamphetamine ravaged his body has died optimistic to the end that his Story would keep others from the highly addictive stimulant he was extremely satisfied wanting to do More in getting the word out and showing kids what meth harm does we didst get to that Point his father Jack Bridges said shortly after the 35yearold died monday at a hos Pital in Cape Girardeau he didst want anyone to go through what he did his father said Shawn Bridges Drew global at Tention last year for no More sunsets a 29minute film shot by a former Southern Illinois Tele vision vide Grapher at Bridges request by his family account Bridges already had died at least twice his heart so damaged by years of using meth a concoction that can include toxic chemicals such As Battery acid Drain cleaner and it stopped and had to be shocked Back into beating roughly 28000 people sought treatment for meth addiction across the country in 1993 accounting for nearly 2 percent of admissions for drug abuse care according to the Federal substance abuse and mental health services administration a decade later the met related admissions numbered nearly 136000 More than 7 percent of the National total for drug abuse treatment family members have said Bridges had been haunted by the dreary Day in 1976 when his younger brother Jason barely a year old died in a car wreck Bridges was 4 and nowhere near the Accident but still blamed him self wanting to Trade places with his dead sibling his father said a lenient upbringing set bring Shawn Bridges rests in bed at his fathers Cape Girardeau to House in april 2006 Bridges whose documentary showed How methamphetamine ravaged his body died monday is on the Road to becoming a Little monster his father said by 16 the kid was a High school drop out and partier at 26 Bridges had a heart at tack that his father blamed on Meths ability to damage a chronic users heart and other internal organs Bridges Learned he had congestive heart failure twice he tried to kill himself according to family members i dont think people will forget what got him to this Point said Chip Rossetti who filmed the documentary but what he did with his condition is really the Amaz ing thing Rossetti said 500 to 600 copies of the documentary have been sold some going As far As austra Lia Bridges was also profiled on German television Rossetti said monday he plans a sequel Chroni cling Bridges final year and testimonials by people touched by his awareness Effort we wanted to keep him with us a lot longer but we appreciate gods Good Grace Jack Bridges said after his sons death Well still be trying to drive Home the Point that these drugs Are Poison and that people using them Are heading the same place Shawn has gone divided Senate backs deadline for withdrawing troops in Iraq by David Espo and Anne Flaherty tie associated press Washington defying a veto threat the democratic con trolled Senate narrowly signalled support tuesday for the withdrawal of us combat troops from Iraq by next March Republican attempts to scuttle the nonbinding time line failed on a vote of 5048 largely along party lines the Roll Call marked the senates most forceful Chal Lenge to Date of the administrations handling of a War that has claimed the lives of More than 3200 us troops three months after democrats took Power in Congress Senate majority Leader Harry Reid said the moment was at hand to Send a message to president Bush that conservatives oppose projects added to Iraq Bill the associated press Washington Senate conservatives and the Bush administration Are taking aim at billions of dollars of no War spending added to president Bush billion funding request for Afghanistan and Iraq in addition to Money and equip ment for overseas troops there is million for state and local Law enforcement agencies in Den ver and Minneapolis St Paul to provide Security for next years presidential nominating conventions sen Patrick Leahy Dot won renewal of an income subsidy pro Gram for Small operation Dairy Farmers that promises to Cost tax payers billion Over the next five years and Wilile the Senate Bill has no Money earmarked for spinach and Peanut Farmers As there is in a House companion Bill sugar beet growers in the red River Valley stand to get Mil lion to cover crop losses from flood ing two years ago the time has come to find a new Way Forward in this intractable War but republicans and sen Joseph Lieberman an Independent Democrat argued otherwise John Mccain Ariz a presidential hopeful said that we Are starting to turn things around in the Iraq War and that a time line for withdrawal would embolden the terrorists in Iraq and else where the effect of the time line would be to snatch defeat from the jaws of Progress in Iraq agreed lie Berman who won a new term last fall in a three Way race after los ing the democratic nomination to an Antiwar insurgent As the Senate debated the Bill the White House issued another Stern warning to Congress that the president would reject any legislation setting a timetable on the War that not surprising from a White House that has stubbornly refused to change course even in the face of dwindling support from american people whose sons and daughters Are dying said sen Patrick Leahy Dot the administration contends that setting a timetable on the War assumes failure in Iraq this and other provisions would place Freedom and democracy in Iraq at grave risk embolden our enemies and undercut the administrations plan to develop the iraqi Economy the White House said in a statement the billion Bill would fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but order president Bush to begin bringing some troops Home right away with the goal of ending com Bat missions by March 312008