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NEWS ... GLOBAL NEWS ... plants share their pots, they get persons based on mere affiliations with a IS YOUR CAR SPYING ON YOU? competitive and start growing more roots, —_ large number of groups that, in fact, are not ince 2000, most domestic automobile which allows them to grab water and __ on the Department of Homeland Security's manufacturers, namely General Motors mineral nutrients before their neighbours terrorist watchlist. Moreover, the (GM) and Ford, have been quietly get them. It appears, though, that they connection between such detainees and __ installing what are technically called only do this when sharing a pot with — such organisations varies considerably. | Motor Vehicle Event Data Recorders unrelated plants; when they share a pot _ Eight per cent were detained because they (MVEDRs). These are devices based on with family, they don't increase their root were deemed "fighters for", 30 per cent | IEEE standards formally adopted in 2002. growth. Because differences between __ were considered "members of", a large The MVEDRs are wired to the car's groups of strangers and groups of siblings | majority—60 per cent—were detained __ electronic sensing devices and constantly only occurred when they shared a pot, the merely because they were "associated with" receive input from various features in root interactions may provide a cue for kin a group or groups which the government —_ modern cars. recognition. asserts are terrorist organisations. For two Unlike the aeroplane versions, black "Gardeners have known for a long time __ per cent of the prisoners, a link to any _ boxes in cars do not record conversations that some pairs of species get along better _ terrorist group was not identified. inside the car, and retain data from only than others, and scientists are starting to 4. Only five per cent of the detainees _ five seconds before a crash until a few catch up with why that happens," says — were captured by United States forces. seconds after, triggered by an increase in Dudley. "What I've found is that plants Eighty-six per cent of the detainees were _—_g-forces on the vehicle. The data are from the same mother may be more arrested by either Pakistan or the Northern _retained for as long as 45 days after an compatible with each other than with — Alliance and turned over to United States event. Until now, what MVEDRs plants of the same species that had custody. They were handed over during a = capture—and even when they retain it— different mothers. The more we know _ time when the US was offering large _has been left up to the manufacturers. about plants, the more complex their bounties for the capture of suspected Now, GM has already found novel ways interactions seem to be, so it may be as__ enemies. to integrate its MVEDR collection into hard to predict the outcome as when you 5. Finally, the population of persons other aspects of the company, such as mix different people at a party." deemed not to be enemy combatants— OnStar—a roadside service package (Source: PhysOrg.com, 13 June 2007, — mostly Uighurs—are in fact accused of —_ available in all GM cars. http://physorg.com/news 100963920.html) more serious allegations than a great many In 2004, while testing a 2005 Chevy persons still deemed to be enemy Malibu Maxx, the editors at AutoWeek SHOCK OVER GUANTANAMO combatants. reported that, after taking the SUV around DETAINEES REPORT (Source: "Report on Guantdnamo a particularly gnarly set of cones, the A little-known report released in Detainees: A Profile of 517 Detainees OnStar button lit up and the speaker ebruary 2006 reveals that the through Analysis of Department of Defense system offered a helpful voice to ask if majority of prisoners at Guantanamo were Data" by Mark Denbeaux and Joshua W. everything was alright. No one in the car not accused of hostile acts and, shockingly, | Denbeaux, Seton Hall University, School of | had reported a problem. Rather, the that 95 per cent were seized by local __Law, Seton Hall Public Law Research Paper _ vehicle's MVEDR system had kicked in bounty hunters and sold to US forces for No. 46, February 2006, http://papers.ssrn. _ because of the increase in g-force data. US$5,000 per claimed Taliban fighter and — com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=885659) AutoWeek reported that OnStar collects €96 DAN Fae anch on ad AT Onoda plants share their pots, they get competitive and start growing more roots, which allows them to grab water and mineral nutrients before their neighbours get them. It appears, though, that they only do this when sharing a pot with unrelated plants; when they share a pot with family, they don't increase their root growth. Because differences between groups of strangers and groups of siblings only occurred when they shared a pot, the root interactions may provide a cue for kin recognition. "Gardeners have known for a long time that some pairs of species get along better than others, and scientists are starting to catch up with why that happens," says Dudley. "What I've found is that plants from the same mother may be more compatible with each other than with plants of the same species that had different mothers. The more we know about plants, the more complex their interactions seem to be, so it may be as hard to predict the outcome as when you mix different people at a party." (Source: PhysOrg.com, 13 June 2007, http://physorg.com/news 100963920.html) persons based on mere affiliations with a large number of groups that, in fact, are not on the Department of Homeland Security's terrorist watchlist. Moreover, the connection between such detainees and such organisations varies considerably. Eight per cent were detained because they were deemed "fighters for", 30 per cent were considered "members of", a large majority—60 per cent—were detained merely because they were "associated with" a group or groups which the government asserts are terrorist organisations. For two per cent of the prisoners, a link to any terrorist group was not identified. 4. Only five per cent of the detainees were captured by United States forces. Eighty-six per cent of the detainees were arrested by either Pakistan or the Northern Alliance and turned over to United States custody. They were handed over during a time when the US was offering large bounties for the capture of suspected enemies. 5. Finally, the population of persons deemed not to be enemy combatants— mostly Uighurs—are in fact accused of more serious allegations than a great many persons still deemed to be enemy combatants. (Source: "Report on Guanténamo Detainees: A Profile of 517 Detainees through Analysis of Department of Defense Data" by Mark Denbeaux and Joshua W. Denbeaux, Seton Hall University, School of Law, Seton Hall Public Law Research Paper No. 46, February 2006, http://papers.ssrn. com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=885659) SHOCK OVER GUANTANAMO DETAINEES REPORT A little-known report released in ebruary 2006 reveals that the majority of prisoners at Guantanamo were not accused of hostile acts and, shockingly, that 95 per cent were seized by local bounty hunters and sold to US forces for US$5,000 per claimed Taliban fighter and $25,000 for each supposed Al-Qaeda member. In addition, at least 20 detainees were children, some as young as thirteen. The report is the first effort to provide a more detailed picture of the Guantanamo detainees and how they ended up there, and the purported basis for their enemy combatant designation. It is based almost entirely upon the US government's own documents. Among the findings: 1. Fifty-five per cent of the detainees were determined as not having committed any hostile acts against the United States or its coalition allies. 2. Only eight per cent of the detainees were characterised as Al-Qaeda fighters. Of the remaining detainees, 40 per cent were determined as having no definitive connection with Al-Qaeda at all and 18 per cent as having no definitive affiliation with either Al-Qaeda or the Taliban. 3. The US has detained numerous Glad te have yo" on board the new Sub-committee. er amt Be a sible is to foret P z mittee: ewes ting new ee Sub “eaee S. ils (rs sat Sia FI " (ep i ie =) “, het ra lle Ss aL ~ je n f= xo 7 7 ° — NEXUS +7 AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2007 www.nexusmagazine.com