NEW YORK –  A city police officer dreamed up plots to kidnap, torture, cook and eat at least 100 women whose photos, names and addresses he pulled from a confidential law enforcement database, authorities said Thursday.Gilberto Valle's fantasies about cannibalizing women — in one, he said he hoped to "cook her over low heat, keep her alive as long as possible" — were retrieved in a trail of emails, computer files and instant messages in online fetish chat rooms, and authorities said he was arrested because he was taking steps to carry them out.None of the women was harmed, although a prosecutor said some of the women knew Valle and he had stalked at least two of them at home or work — once in his police car in a "very intimidating fashion." Authorities said he had had lunch with one of them.Valle's estranged wife tipped authorities off to his chilling online activity, leading to his arrest, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because the official wasn't authorized to speak publicly about an ongoing case.
Valle, 28, was held without bail on charges including kidnapping conspiracy and unauthorized use of law enforcement records. U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry Pitman called the charges against him "profoundly disturbing ... the most depraved, most dangerous conduct that can be imagined" and even more troubling because he is a police officer. Pitman said the charges of the steps Valle took to carry out the plot "suggest more than just talk."One document on Valle's computer was titled "Abducting and Cooking (Victim 1): A Blueprint," according to the criminal complaint. The file also had the woman's birth date and other personal information and a list of "materials needed" — a car, chloroform and rope."I was thinking of tying her body onto some kind of apparatus ... cook her over low heat, keep her alive as long as possible," Valle allegedly wrote in one exchange in July, the complaint says.In other online conversations, investigators said, Valle talked about the mechanics of fitting the woman's body into an oven (her legs would have to be bent), said he could make chloroform at home to knock a woman out and discussed how "tasty" one woman looked.
"Her days are numbered," he wrote, according to the complaint.That woman told the FBI she knew Valle and met him for lunch in July.Valle, who could face life in prison if convicted, sat quietly in a red T-shirt and jeans at his court appearance, answering one question with "yes, your Honor." No one answered the door to his home Thursday in a quiet, middle-class Queens neighborhood.Public defender Julia Gatto had asked for bail, saying the Valle was only guilty of a "deviant fantasy.""There's no actual crossing the line from fantasy to reality," Gatto said. "At worst this is someone who has sexual fantasies about people he knows and he talks about it on the Internet."But Valle was arrested because he was too close to carrying out the "grotesque and disturbing" plots, Assistant U.S. Attorney Hadassa Waxman said. He had "plans to kidnap, rape, torture, kill and eat the body parts of young women, some of whom the FBI has identified and they acknowledge knowing the defendant for a period of time," she said.Valle had created a computer catalogue with records of at least 100 women with their names, addresses and photos, the complaint says. Some of the information came from his unauthorized use of a restricted law enforcement database, authorities said. He claimed, according to the complaint, that he knew many of them."The allegations in the complaint really need no description from us," said Mary E. Galligan, acting head of the FBI's New York office. "They speak for themselves. It would be an understatement merely to say Valle's own words and actions were shocking."
The complaint alleges that in February, Valle negotiated to kidnap another woman — Victim 2 — for someone else, writing, "$5,000 and she's all yours."He told the buyer he was aspiring to be a professional kidnapper, authorities said."I think I would rather not get involved in the rape," the complaint said. "You paid for her. She is all yours, and I don't want to be tempted the next time I abduct a girl."It says he added: "I will really get off on knocking her out, tying up her hands and bare feet and gagging her. Then she will be stuffed into a large piece of luggage and wheeled out to my van."Cellphone data revealed that Valle made calls on the block where the woman lives, the complaint says. An FBI agent interviewed the woman, who told them that she didn't know him well and he was never in her home.Valle, a graduate of the University of Maryland, where he studied psychology and criminal justice, was suspended from the police force after his arrest.
___Associated Press writers Meghan Barr and Larry Neumeister and researcher Barbara Sambriski contributed to this report.Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/10/25/nyc-police-officer-gets-no-bail-in-failed-plot-to-kidnap-torture-and-cook-women/#ixzz2AQLoUc6P

Greece deal delayed by troika discord, government quarrels

Today @ 10:33 OCT 26,12 By Valentina Pop

BRUSSELS - The EU and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are at odds over how to fund Greece for two extra years, while the Greek government has still not reached a agreement on promised budget cuts needed for the next tranche of bailout money.Greek finance minister Yannis Stournaras spent a few hours in hospital on Thursday (25 October) where he was diagnosed with extreme fatigue and a viral infection.
The news came one day after he told Greek parliament that the government reached a deal with the troika of international lenders on granting Greece two more years to reach its deficit and debt targets.But EU officials in Brussels and the head of the European Central Bank - also part of the troika - promptly dismissed the announcement saying that talks are still ongoing.The left-wing junior party in the Greek government is opposed to labour market reforms which are part of the troika requirements."We refuse to accept the troika demands on labour issues ... We call on our European partners to withdraw the troika demands that scrap Greek workers' rights," the Democratic Left party said in a statement.Within the troika itself there is disagreement on how to fund the two extra years.The European Commission and the European Central Bank argue that since Greece is in worse economic shape than expected, the bailout target of reaching a debt of 120 percent of GDP in 2020 should be moved to 2022.The Washington-based IMF is against this, however.An IMF debt analysis presented to eurozone officials spoke of a debt level of 136 percent of GDP in 2020, and that in a "positive scenario" of economic growth and successful privatisations, Reuters reports.
Instead, the IMF want the Europeans to accept restructuring of debt - a taboo issue, particularly for Germany.Troika members are also at odds over how to fill a €16-30 billion funding gap that will emerge if Greece is given time until 2016 rather than 2014 to reach a budget surplus.The IMF would like to see the ECB and EU governments accept losses on the Greek bonds they hold, but its European partners are firmly against it.European ideas on how to fund the gap include allowing Greek banks to borrow money from the ECB; or the eurozone bailout fund (ESM) to buy back some of the existing debt; cutting the interest rate of existing loans and rolling their maturities. But none of these are expected to cover the entire funding gap.
German finance minister Wolfgang Schauble earlier this week told Die Zeit weekly that he would count on the opposition's support in the Bundestag if more money had to be given to Greece - an admission that his coalition is against it.

Canada joins Israel, US in calling for UN rapporteur’s removal

Canadian foreign affairs minister says Richard Falk’s report on settlements is ‘offensive and unhelpful’; Egyptian, Iranian diplomats call assessment fair and balanced

By and October 26, 2012, 10:52 am 8 -THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Canada has joined Israel and the US in calling for the removal of the UN special investigator on human rights in the Palestinian territories, who on Thursday presented a report calling for a boycott of all companies that have dealings with Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem until they adhere to international rights standards and practices.A spokesman for Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said Richard Falk’s report was “offensive and unhelpful.”“Canada calls on Mr. Falk to either withdraw this biased and disgraceful report — or resign from his position at the United Nations,” Rick Roth wrote in an email obtained by Canada’s CBC News.Israel and the US rushed to reject Falk’s report, accusing the UN special rapporteur of bias against Israel and calling for his removal.Israel’s UN Mission called the report “grossly biased” and called for Falk to be replaced.“Israel is deeply committed to advancing human rights and firmly believes that this cause will be better served without Falk and his distasteful sideshow,” said Karean Peretz, spokeswoman for the Israeli Mission. “While he spends pages and pages attacking Israel, Falk fails to mention even once the horrific human rights violations and ongoing terrorist attacks by Hamas.”US Ambassador Susan Rice called Falk “highly biased” and his appeal for a boycott “irresponsible and unacceptable.”“Mr. Falk’s recommendations do nothing to further a peaceful settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and indeed poison the environment for peace,” she said in a statement. “His continued service in the role of a UN Special Rapporteur is deeply regrettable and only damages the credibility of the UN”In a report presented to the UN General Assembly, Falk said a number of Israeli-owned and multinational corporations headquartered in the US, Europe and Mexico appear to be violating international human rights and humanitarian laws by exploiting Palestinian resources and helping Israel construct illegal settlements and provide security for them. However, he said further investigations will be made to determine whether the allegations are well-founded.Falk said the call for a boycott is an effort to take infractions of international law seriously and “use what influence we have to change behavior.” He said the pace of Israeli settlement building has accelerated and Israel has ignored UN resolutions condemning the practice, so “there is a sense that what the UN says doesn’t count.”Falk, an American professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University, has previously angered Israel by comparing the Jewish state to Nazi Germany and accusing it of crimes against humanity because of its treatment of Palestinians. Israel has barred Falk from visiting the Palestinian territories.In the report, Falk reiterated his request that the Israeli government cooperate with his efforts, as he said it is required to do under the UN Charter.The Anti-Defamation League called on UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to rescind his preliminary endorsement of the report and to distance his office from Falk, who was appointed by the UN Human Rights Council.But in the General Assembly, representatives from several countries including Egypt and Iran called Falk’s report fair and balanced.

ISAIAH 17:1,12-14
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
12  Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations,(USELESS U.N) that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
13  The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.
14  And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not.(ASSAD) This is the portion of them that spoil us,(ISRAEL) and the lot of them that rob us.

JEREMEIAH 49:23-27
23  Concerning Damascus.(SYRIA) Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea;(WAR SHIPS WITH NUKES COMING ON SYRIA) it cannot be quiet.
24  Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.
25  How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!
26  Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the LORD of hosts.
27  And I will kindle a fire (NUKES OR BOMBS) in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Benhadad.(ASSADS PALACES POSSIBLY IN DAMASCUS)

Damascus car bomb shatters Syria truce

By Dominic Evans | Reuters – 1 hr 34 mins ago OCT 26,12
BEIRUT (Reuters) - A powerful car bomb exploded in Damascus on Friday, inflicting many casualties and buffeting a shaky temporary truce in the Syrian conflict on the occasion of a Muslim religious holiday.
State television said the "terrorist car bomb" had killed five people and wounded 32, according to "preliminary figures".Opposition activists said the bomb had gone off near a makeshift children's playground built for the Eid al-Adha holiday in the southern Daf al-Shok district of the capital.Fighting erupted around Syria earlier as both sides violated the Eid al-Adha ceasefire arranged by international peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, but violence was far less intense than usual.The Syrian military said it had responded to attacks by insurgents on army positions, in line with its announcement on Thursday that would cease military activity during the four-day holiday, but reserved the right to react to rebel actions.Brahimi's ceasefire appeal had won widespread international support, including from Russia, China and Iran, President Bashar al-Assad's main foreign allies.The U.N.-Arab League envoy had hoped to build on the truce to calm a 19-month-old conflict that has killed an estimated 32,000 people and worsened instability in the Middle East.Violence appeared to wane in some areas, but truce breaches by both sides swiftly marred Syrians' hopes of celebrating Eid al-Adha, the climax of the Haj pilgrimage to Mecca, in peace."We are not celebrating Eid here," said a woman in a besieged Syrian town near the Turkish border, speaking above the noise of incessant gunfire and shelling. "No one is in the mood to celebrate. Everyone is just glad they are alive."
Her husband, a portly, bearded man in his 50s, said they and their five children had just returned to the town after nine days camped out on a farm with other families to escape clashes."We have no gifts for our children. We can't even make phone calls to our families," he said, a young daughter on his lap.The imam of Mecca's Grand Mosque called on Arabs and Muslims to take "practical and urgent" steps to stop bloodshed in Syria.
"PAINFUL DISASTER"
The Syrian conflict has aggravated divisions in the Islamic world, with Shi'ite Iran supporting Assad and U.S.-allied Sunni nations such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar backing his foes."The world should bear responsibility for this prolonged and painful disaster (in Syria) and the responsibility is greater for the Arabs and Muslims who should call on each other to support the oppressed against the oppressor," Sheikh Saleh Mohammed al-Taleb told worshippers during Eid prayers.For some in Syria, there was no respite from war, but by dusk the death toll was still significantly lower than in recent days, when often between 150 to 200 people have been killed.The heaviest fighting took place around the army base at Wadi al-Daif, near the Damascus-Aleppo highway, which rebels have been trying to seize from the army for two weeks.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said nine soldiers were killed by rebel bombardment of the base, which completely destroyed one building, and four rebel fighters were killed in clashes around Wadi al-Daif.
Four people were killed by tank fire and snipers in Harasta, a town near Damascus, activists said. Gunfire and explosions echoed over Douma, just east of the capital. Rockets killed one person in the besieged Khalidiya district of Homs.Clashes erupted at a checkpoint near the Mahlab army barracks in Aleppo. There was shooting at checkpoints near Tel Kelakh, on the Lebanese border, and clashes in the town itself.
Heavy machinegun fire and mortar explosions were audible along the Turkey-Syrian border near the Syrian town of Haram, a Reuters witness in the Turkish border village of Besaslan said.Rebels in the northern town near the Turkish border said a sniper had killed one of their fighters early on Friday."We don't believe the ceasefire will work," rebel commander Basel Eissa told Reuters. "There's no Eid for us rebels on the front line. The only Eid we can celebrate will be liberation."Assad himself, who has vowed to defeat what he says are Islamist fighters backed by Syria's enemies abroad, was shown on state television attending Eid prayers at a Damascus mosque.The prime minister, information minister and foreign minister, as well as the mufti, Syria's top Muslim official, were filmed praying alongside the 47-year-old president.Assad, smiling and apparently relaxed, shook hands and exchanging Eid greetings with other worshippers afterwards.
MILITARY STALEMATE
Protests against him burst out in March last year, inspired by Arab uprisings elsewhere, but repression by security forces led to an armed insurgency, plunging Syria into a civil war which neither side has proved able to win or willing to end.A commander from the rebel Free Syrian Army had said his fighters would honor the ceasefire but demanded Assad meet opposition demands for the release of thousands of detainees.
Some Islamist militants, including the Nusra Front, rejected the truce. Many groups were skeptical that it would hold."We do not care about this truce. We are cautious. If the tanks are still there and the checkpoints are still there then what is the truce?" asked Abu Moaz, spokesman for Ansar al-Islam, a group whose units fight in and around Damascus.The war in Syria pits mainly Sunni Muslim rebels against Assad, from the minority Alawite sect which is distantly related to Shi'ite Islam. Brahimi has warned that the conflict could suck in Sunni and Shi'ite powers across the Middle East.Brahimi's predecessor, former U.N. chief Kofi Annan, declared a ceasefire in Syria on April 12, but it soon became a dead letter, along with the rest of his six-point peace plan.(Additional reporting by Khaled Yacoub Oweis in Amman and Erika Solomon in northern Syria; Writing by Alistair Lyon; Editing by Myra MacDonald)