Action Alert: Petition to Urge President-elect Obama not to appoint former Adm. Dennis Blair Sign the petition now!

East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) Petition to Urge President-elect Obama not to appoint former Adm. Dennis Blair Sign the petition now! http://www.petitiononline.com/blair01/petition.html

Urge President-elect Obama not to appoint former Adm. Dennis Blair as Director of National Intelligence (www.petitiononline.com/blair01/petition…. As Commander in the Pacific, he cozied up to the Indonesian military and downplayed human rights concerns in the lead up and aftermath of East Timor’s independence referendum. According to news reports, Obama will appoint his intelligence chief this week.

For background go see these ETAN media releases:
etan.org/news/2009/01blair.htm * ETAN Urges President-elect Obama Not to Appoint Adm. Blair Director of National Intelligence
etan.org/news/2008/12blair.htm * ETAN Menolak Adm. Blair sebagai Kepala Intelijen Nasional
etan.org/news/2008/12blair.htm#Menolak

• Adm. Blair Poor Choice as Director of National Intelligence, Says Rights Group; Blair’s History with Indonesia and East Timor Raises Questions about Likely Nominee

In addition to signing the petition, you can also cut, paste and modify the text below and post it to President-elect Obama’s transition website.
Just go here: change.gov/page/s/seattable and send a comment.

Thank you and spread the word! ETAN

President-elect Obama –

We urge you not to appoint Adm. Dennis Blair as Director of National Intelligence. During his years as Pacific Commander, Blair actively worked to reinstate military assistance and deepen ties to Indonesia’s military, despite its ongoing human rights violations in East Timor and its consistent record of impunity. In 1999, he undermined the U.S. efforts to support human rights and self-determination in the Indonesian-occupied territory and opposed congressional efforts to limit assistance.

In April 1999, just days after Indonesian security forces and their militias carried out a brutal, churchyard massacre, Adm. Blair delivered a message of ‘business-as-usual’ to Indonesian General Wiranto, then Commander of the Indonesian armed forces. Following East Timor’s pro-independence vote, Blair sought the quickest possible restoration of military assistance, despite Indonesia’s highly destructive exit and the failure, which continues to this day, to prosecute the senior officials who oversaw the violence. This lack of concern for human rights shows that he is unlikely to be a champion of reform. I don’t believe that this is the kind of change people are expecting.

FBI plans large hiring blitz of agents, experts

By: James Vicini Source: Reuters by way of Yahoo News Published: 01.07.2009

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Wanted by the FBI: agents, language specialists, computer experts, intelligence analysts and finance experts.

The FBI said on Monday it had launched one of the largest hiring blitzes in its 100-year history involving 2,100 professional staff vacancies and 850 special agents aimed at filling its most critical vacancies.

The agency, which seeks to protect the United States from terrorist attack, fight crime and catch spies, among other duties, said it currently has more than 12,800 agents and about 18,400 other employees.

Since the Sept 11, 2001, attacks, the FBI has been criticized for not having enough employees fluent in foreign languages and for not moving fast enough to upgrade its computer system.

FBI Assistant Director John Raucci of the Human Resources division said the federal law enforcement agency is seeking to bring more people on board with skills in critical areas, especially language fluency and computer science.

“We’re also looking for professionals in a wide variety of fields who have a deep desire to help protect our nation from terrorists, spies, and others who wish us harm,” Raucci said.

He said the FBI, which has been investigating corporate wrongdoing in connection with the current financial crisis, also needs finance and accounting experts, along with those skilled in physical surveillance and various other employees.

The hiring initiative for FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., and for its field offices would replace departed staff and add some employees, officials said. (Reporting by James Vicini, Editing by Jackie Frank)