Lawyers made their final arguments in the perjury trial of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby Tuesday, with the defense arguing that Libby was a scapegoat for presidential aide Karl Rove's disclosures. In its final remarks, the prosecution argued that Libby was merely trying to a cover up a potentially illegal intelligence leak. In response, the defense said the government's witnesses were not credible and to accept the testimony of Meet the Press moderator Tim Russert as truth "would just be fundamentally unfair."

Libby's defense team rested last week, one week after the prosecution finished presenting its evidence against Libby. Also last week, Chicago Sun-Times columnist Robert Novak testified that Libby did not leak Plame's identity to him. It was Novak's July 2003 column that publicly outed Plame, thus igniting the CIA leak scandal. Libby is not charged with leaking Plame's identity, but instead faces perjury and obstruction of justice charges in connection with the investigation into the leak.

The HTP Unit will work to enhance the Department’s investigation and prosecution of significant human trafficking and slavery cases, such as multi-jurisdictional cases and those involving financial crimes. The Unit will also engage in training, technical assistance and outreach initiatives to federal, state and local law enforcement and NGOs.

The HTP Unit will be headed by noted anti-trafficking prosecutors who have prosecuted traffickers and freed hundreds of foreign and domestic victims from sex trafficking in brothels and forced labor in fields, homes and factories. Robert Moossy will head up the Unit, and is joined by Chief Counsel Lou de Baca and Special Litigation Counsels Hilary Axam and Andrew Kline, who bring significant anti-slavery experience to this effort and have been leaders in developing the modern victim-centered approach to human trafficking investigations and prosecutions. They will be joined in the coming months by additional federal prosecutors, a victim/witness specialist, and support staff. Attorney General Gonzales has made combating human trafficking a top priority of the Justice Department. In the last six fiscal years, the Civil Rights Division, in conjunction with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, has increased by six-fold the number of human trafficking cases filed, quadrupled the number of defendants charged, and tripled the number of defendants convicted. In FY 2006, the Department initiated 168 investigations, charged 111 defendants in 32 cases, and obtained a record number of convictions totaling 98.

A BID to extradite two people to the United States over an alleged international operation to produce an illegal drug got under way yesterday.

Brian Howes, 43, and Kerry Ann Shanks, 29, are wanted by the American authorities to face 82 charges over the alleged supply of chemicals to people believed to be involved in the production of methamphetamine, better known as crystal meth.

An initial extradition hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard claims that chemicals allegedly supplied by the pair, of Bo'ness, were traced to more than 80 unlawful laboratories in the US.

Sheriff Isabella McColl remanded them in custody until a further hearing in March.

State lawmakers, governors, and privacy advocates have express concerns about implementing the federal law, with many objecting to the expensive undertaking required for state compliance and privacy concerns associated with the federal requirements. In December 2005, the National Governor's Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, collectively released a report concluding that states are unprepared to implement the law and may need up to eight years to acquire the resources and time to successfully enact the legislation.

U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, said Tuesday that President Bush’s State of the Union address was bipartisan in both approach and appeal.

"I think the president understands, for him to get something done in the next two years, he is going to have to be bipartisan," Upton said in a telephone interview following the speech.

The Michigan Republican said the president’s tone was genuine and positive, and drew support from both Democrats and Republicans.

 
"You didn’t have the normal teeter-totter," Upton said of what he called the "one side is up, one side is down" response that often marks State of the Union speeches.

Upton praised the president’s energy-saving proposals, but said he does not support an increase in American troops in Iraq.

"As much as I’d like to think a troop surge would work, I don’t believe that it will," said Upton.

Upton said he supports the bipartisan plan to begin the phase-out of troops at the end of this year.

The lawmaker’s comments were among several issued by members of the area’s congressional delegation.

U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-2nd, said in a statement that, "I couldn’t agree more with the president’s message that, as lawmakers, we are here to work across party lines to provide hope and opportunity for every American."

Donnelly said he is encouraged by the president’s desire to "establish a steady and clean supply of energy that decreases our dependence on foreign oil."

"On the subject of Iraq," Donnelly said, "my greatest concern is that the additional troops that are being sent to Iraq could end up caught in the crossfire of a civil war."

Donnelly called for the establishment of specific benchmarks to achieve progress and monthly reports from U.S. generals "detailing the progress being made."

U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar said Tuesday that he is encouraged by the president’s proposals to reduce gasoline usage by 20 percent over the next 10 years.

The president also called for an increase in the supply of alternative fuels and the modernization of fuel economy standards for cars.

Lugar noted that in last year’s State of the Union address the president had declared that "America is addicted to oil," and said the president’s focus had helped spur "new thinking, new policy suggestions and a new realism."

Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., called the president’s energy plan "a positive step toward achieving energy independence," adding, "but we can do more."

Bayh said he has introduced bipartisan legislation to reduce American dependence on foreign oil and called for the president to embrace what Bayh called "our more aggressive plan."

U.S. Rep. Mark Souder, R-3rd, said he supports the president’s plan to increase the supply of renewable and alternative fuels. "But while I support the president’s efforts to secure our border and provide temporary work permits for immigrants, I oppose his plan to grant citizenship to millions of illegal aliens."

Indiana Republican Party Chairman Murray Clark praised the speech and said the president’s "commitment to alternative fuels is welcome news here in Indiana."

The US House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill Tuesday to deny retirement pensions to any member of Congress "convicted of any of certain offenses," including fraud, bribery and perjury. Currently, federal lawmakers can only be stripped of their benefits for treason or espionage. The new legislation, passed by a vote of 431-0, adds to the list the crimes of bribery, acting as a foreign agent, breaking restrictions on becoming a lobbyist, committing perjury, convincing another person to commit perjury, and conspiracy to commit one of these crimes. Some legislators even sought to go further, including Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL) who failed to secure passage of an amendment that would have also put crimes such as tax evasion, wire fraud, and racketeering on the list. The House bill still needs to be reconciled with the Senate's version before a final vote can be held. Neither the House nor Senate version of the bill is retroactive.

Tuesday's unanimous vote signals House lawmakers' desire to improve their image after a year in which several bribery and influence-peddling scandals made headlines. Most notably, former US Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX) was forced to resign [JURIST report] and former US Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) was sentenced to prison for their connections to lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Meanwhile, former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA) received a record sentence in March 2006 for taking bribes from a defense contractor, and Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) came under investigation in a separate bribery investigation.