Christopher dorner, the city offers its largest reward ever for the man accused of killing three. In his online manifesto, dorner threaten to wage and conventional and asymmetrical warfare against the Police Department he accused of racism and corruption. The United States ratchets up this economic war against iran ahead of this months nuclear talks. I want to underscore to iran, the window for diplomacy is still open and we have agreed to meet iran again in two weeks. We have made our position clear. The choice is really up to iran. Will speak with president of the National Iranian american council. And historian on the largest and unconventional life of misses paul robeson. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. The vatican has announced pope an addict will step down as head of the Catholic Church later this month. Its a surprise move makes benedict the first pontiff to resign in nearly six centuries his policy has been marked by a range of issues and a number of child molestation scandal and the Catholic Church including allegations he ignored at least one case of abuse while serving as a cardinal. In a statement, benedict, 85, cited ill health of some reason for his departure. The conclave to elect a new pope will be held by the end of march. President obama reportedly is preparing to announce new reductions to the countrys arsenal of Nuclear Weapons. In his state of the Union Address tuesday night, obama is expected to announce plans to cut the number of deployed warheads to just over 1000. Onethird reduction from the current number of around 1700. A former l. A. Police officer accused of killing three people after posting a revenge and a faster online remains on the loose in california. On friday, the lapd announced it would reopen a probe into the incident that caused the former officer, Christopher Dorner, to lose his job. Dorner was fired in 2008 for making false statements after he complained his Training Officer had kicked a mentally ill suspect during an arrest. In a statement announcing the new investigation, the lapd to said it would be reexamined. At a news conference, commander smith said the Police Department is not seeking to appease dorner, but encouraging transparency. Were not opening it up because of the accusations or the musings of someone who is a multiple murder, he is doing it because he wants to assure the public knows that the lapd is fair and transparent. On sunday, the l. A. Mayor announced a record 1 million reward for information dorners. More on this story after the headlines. At least nine People Killed in the weekend blizzard thats what large parts of the northeast. The storm brought over 3 feet of snow in some areas and not without electricity to hundreds of thousands of people, mostly in massachusetts and connecticut. Many are still without power grid roads and Public Transit were shut down in boston, which saw its first travel ban since 1978. Another storm is brewing across the northern plains, bringing more snow and high winds. A series of tornadoes has hit areas of alabama and mississippi, injuring at least 10 people and badly damaging hundreds of homes and buildings. Syrias capital of damascus is seeing its heaviest violence and months. The fighting in damascus comes as rebels have launched offenses in several syrian areas. Activists with the local Coordination Committee set out the 77 people were killed nationwide sunday. A spokesperson at the u. N. Said 5000 syrians are fleeing the country each day. 5000 people now crossing the border of syria and other countries every single day. This is really a fool on crisis right at the moment. Todays figure, 787,000 syrians are registered were being assisted as refugees. If you go back to 1957 december 19 when we issue our region response plan, the figures were 515,000 rid there is a huge increase in january alone. Were talking of a 25 increase in registered refugee numbers every single month. A marine general has assumed control of the as led nato occupation force in afghanistan replacing john allen. Dunford is expected to be the last commander of nato troops before combat operations end in 2014. All the thousands of soldiers will remain behind. In his outgoing address, john allen said the u. S. Is winning the war in afghanistan. Afghan forces defending Afghan People and enabling the governments of this country to serve its citizens, this is victory. This is what winning looks like. We should not shrink from using these words. Ive lived afghanistan will never again be a safe haven to terrorists i believe afghanistan will never again be a safe haven to terrorists and the scourge of the plague of the world. The Obama Administration plans to nominate alan to serve as the next supreme allied commander after he was cleared of misconduct in the scandal of the ousted david petraeus. Israeli forces have dismantled a number another palestinian encampment challenging the settlement growth in the west bank. Activists erected tents near have been saturday in a bid to protect their town. There were forcibly they were forcibly arrested. Bahrains Government Holding reconciliation talks about opposition parties for the first time in over a year. The negotiations last broke down in july 2011 after opposition groups accused the u. S. Backed monarchy of obstruction and failing to address their grievances. Public protests remain barred in cyber rain and the markets attempt to crush a twoyear uprising part in rains in an attempt to crush a twoyear uprising. The demonstrations were held under the banner of lift the burden, a call to in the public bailout of irelandss banking debts. First Lady Michelle obama was among the mourners at a chicago funeral saturday for a 15year old girl killed in a random shooting just days after performing a president obamas inauguration. Hadiya pendleton was with a group of friends when a gunman fired from nearby. She recently had returned from washington where s performed with her School Marching Band during the and our role festivities. The obamas home is about 1 mile from the park or she was killed. During the service, michelle flytilla of the Grain HarvestBaptist Church and hadiyas mother decried gun violence and warned the girls death. Were here because of an innocent victim of gun violence. Anthony and cleo, your angel has become the face and the tragic reality of this epidemic of gun violence that has cost fewer possessions of our children. You dont know how hard this really is. And those of you that to know how hard this is, i am sorry. Im sorry. No mother, no father should ever have to experience this. On sunday, the day after her daughters funeral, two men were taken into custody did in another case of gun violence drawn national attention, four people were wounded in new orleans on saturday when shooting erupted during the annual celebration of mardi gras. One of the victims is in critical condition. In arizona, the armed posse of Maricopa CountySheriff Joe Arpaio held a Training Session over the weekend on using guns to protect schools from attack. The share of record of the hollywood action film star stevens a golf to train his volunteers. They used guns, firing non lethal rounds and had children come in to pose as scared students. And arpaio dismissed those protesting across the street. I am here to try and teach the posse firearms and martial arts to try to help them learn how to respond quicker and help protect our children. I dont know what these protesters are talking about. I am going to say it again. We are here to protect the children. That is the main mission. They can say whatever they want, but im not going to stop. Secretary of state john kerry has made his first Public Comments on the proposed keystone xl pipeline since replacing hillary clinton. Known for being in the environmental advocate while serving in the senate, john kerry will carry out president of a mass decision on whether to approve the massive oil pipeline that critics warn will bring, catastrophe. Speaking alongside Canadian Foreign minister, john kerry vowed a decision in the near term. With respect to the keystone, secretary clinton has put in place a very open and transparent process, which i am committed to seeing through, i can guarantee that it will be fair and transparent, accountable. And we hope we will be able to be in a position to make an announcement in the near term. I will not hand out precisely when, but i say in the near term. A new report has found china and other countries are engaging in rampant Cyber Attacks against u. S. Businesses and institutions for potential economic gain. According to the washington post, a National Intelligence estimate warns the u. S. Is the target of a massive, sustained a spinoff campaign threatening the countrys economic competitiveness. Attacks from china have been the most widespread with other countries, including russia, france, and israel. The potential cost of the hacks has been estimated in tens of billions of dollars. Chinas attacks are at dylan with effort technology. The Obama Administration recently granted itself Broad Authority to carry out cyberattacks on other countries. Those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. The city of los angeles is offering a 1 million reward for information leading to the capture of Christopher Dorner, former lapd officer. Dorner is wanted in the three recent killings targeting fellow officers and their families. During sunday afternoon press conference, the l. A. Mayor announced the bounty. Collectively, this group, led by my office, is posting a reward of 1 million for information that will lead to mr. Dorners capture. We will not tolerate anyone undermining the security, the tranquillity of our neighborhoods and our communities. We will not tolerate this reign of terror that has robbed us of the peace of mind the residents of Southern California desert. The mayor made the announcement after a massive manhunt failed to find the former police officer. Christopher dorner was fired from the Police Department 2008 after being accused of making false statements that his Training Officer had kicked a mentally ill suspect in the course of an arrest. Testimony by the suspects father supported dorners claim. In an online manifesto, dorner claims he was unjustly fired. He also accused the department of racism, corruption, and other abuses. In this message he threatened to wage and conventional and asymmetrical warfare to those in lapd uniform. On friday, the l. A. Police chief charlie beck announced to reopen an investigation into dorners firing. An lapd smith says it was about maintaining public trust in the police force. He is not opening it up because of the accusations or the musings of someone who is a multiple murderer now, but he wants to assure the public knows that the l. A. Police department is fair and transparent. The manhunt for dorner began last week after he allegedly shot dead monica quan, the daughter of the former Police Captain who represented dorner during his disciplinary action as well as her fiancee. Dorner is also accused of shooting several Police Officers, one of them fatally. Police pursuing dorner as part of a multi agency hunt were involved in at least two separate shootings, injuring two people thursday after they came across vehicles that looked similar to the suspects. Dorners truck was found abandoned and on fire. For more go to california to berkeley where were joined by a journalist who runs the popular websites. He is an adjunct professor at San Francisco state. Welcome to democracy now start off by what is most important you think understand about this case and Christopher Dorner at this point . I think what really has captured peoples imagination is through his manifesto is waging war against the l. A. Police department. I think for most people in my seem to be an open and shut case in terms of how peoples emotions would sign read what you found is once you read a manifesto, it is either opened up old wins or reaffirmed what people have long suspected or have experienced in terms of brutality. I think what stands out for me and many of the people i deal with is the fact that there are these troubling allegations. Those things need to be further investigated. Here regardless of what we feel about dorner, whether or not he is a psychopath or any of the words of one to put on him, i am curious as to whether or not these allegations that he has raised renames dates, times, places and names, whether or not the actual check out. I think that needs to be really investigated, above and beyond the immediate scenario which led to his firing, which was a dispute between his sergeant, is supervising sergeant, teresa evans free to for those not following the case in the Greater Los Angeles area, if you can explain exactly what you understand has happened, what this manhunt is about, and what this manifesto is. The main thing with the manifesto, he points out that he is going to wage war on the Police Officers who done him dirty. With that, you see an unprecedented amount of manpower, resources, reward, and language that says all of our security is under mine. The security that is undermined is the Police Department. What you are releasing at the end of the day is higher value placed on the lives of the police and youre seeing them pull all the stops out to find this one individual. Granted, with the murders of the two people, the captains daughter and her fiancee, how do we know he did it . I am not defending this. We know he said this in the manifesto, but what is the evidence they have they are pursuing is the question i would ask. Going above and beyond that, i am still concerned people are concerned that his charges that the lapd is to corrupt and still very violent i think resonates with a lot of folks. That is something that needs to be checked out. We saw that come to the forefront when we saw the two women Emma Hernandez and her daughter, that were shot in their back. There were 30 or 40 rounds. It did not fit the description. We hear there were given no warnings or commands. For many people, that is business as usual in l. A. Explain how that happens. They were delivering newspapers the night the officer in Riverside County was shot. There was this manhunt. Against two undercover cops that were assigned to protect officers that were under threat from dorner approached this truck and shot them rid they shot them from the back. What you got was an apology and a new truck being offered. How about people being arrested for negligence . How about the transparency in the procedures they followed or did not follow in terms of how they went about shooting innocent people . We know there was a man shot. He was driving a truck that was similar but not the same color. We dont even know his name and he was shot by another department, the torrance Police Department. For many people when you hear that, that is like, ok, shoot first and ask questions later. That goes back to a deep sorted history in los angeles. I say that a summit has lived in l. A. For a longtime critic rex i want to read an exit from the manifesto writing i know i will be villified by the lapd and the media. This is a Necessary Evil that i do not enjoy but must partake and complete for substantial change to occur within the lapd and reclaim my name. The department has not changed since the ramparts and rodney king days. It has gotten worse. The Consent Decree should never have been lifted. The only thing that has evolved from the decree as those officers involved in the ramparts scandal and rodney king incidents have since been promoted to supervisor, commanders, and command staff. He went on to say he would use every bit of small arms training, demolition, Survival Training i have been given to bring warfare to the lapd and its families. The Police Department itself is saying it is reopening, investigating why exactly dorner was fired. Which is very interesting, given what has happened. Dorner is challenging reporters in this 11page manifesto to get information about particular cases that he believes he has documentation on. There are few things going on. First of all, anybody who would kill innocent folks up the is a hero. Lets get that off the table because i think when the question is raised about, lets look at what is going on here, what he is raising, lets investigate that, then the responses, are you supporting a killer of innocent people . He named dates, times, and places. Lets check these out. Those allegations are pretty serious. The other thing you have is that initially, they said this manifesto was described by chief back as something that was ramblings on the internet. It was not wranglings when he decided to put 40 to 50 securities wants to protect his officers. He took that seriously. Obviously we are going to reexamine the allegations that he raced around his firing. Theyre taking us seriously. The fact that he kind of implicated himself as being the killer of monica quan and her fiance, keith lawrence, theyre taking this seriously. But the allegatio