Alert Air Passenger Warns of Fuel Leak

Arid Uka shot at servicemen in Frankfurt last year

(AP) - An Islamic extremist who killed two US airmen bound for Afghanistan at Frankfurt airport last year and injured two others was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison today. The state court in Frankfurt convicted 22-year-old Arid Uka of two counts of murder. It also found him guilty of three counts of attempted murder and serious bodily harm for wounding two other servicemen and taking aim at a third before his 9mm pistol jammed. More»

Scale far greater than Air Force initially admitted

(NEWSER) - The remains of far more troops were dumped in a Virginia landfill than the military has previously acknowledged, the Washington Post has discovered after pressing the Air Force for information. Records from the Dover Air Force Base mortuary show that the cremated partial remains of at least 274 troops were sent to a landfill—along with 1,762 unidentified remains collected from battlefields that were too damaged to undergo DNA testing. More»

'We're here to accommodate all religions, period,' faith chief says

(NEWSER) - The United States Air Force Academy in Colorado is taking its commitment to respect religious minorities very seriously, the Los Angeles Times finds. Earlier this year, the academy dedicated a Stonehenge-like worship center on a hill for the use of current and future cadets who are pagans, druids, Wiccans, or other followers of what the academy calls "Earth-based" religions. Two witches—a civilian and an Air Force reservist—lead ceremonies at the site. More»

Post: Air Force disposed of unidentified body parts that way for years

(NEWSER) - How's this for a disturbing follow to yesterday's already disturbing report of how the main US military mortuary lost and otherwise mishandled troops' remains: The mortuary at the Dover Air Force Base routinely disposed of some body parts by incinerating them and dumping them in a landfill, reports the Washington Post . That was standard procedure from 2003 to 2008 for body parts that could not be identified. More»

Suspect is a 21-year-old Kosovo citizen

(NEWSER) - Hours after a gunman killed two US airmen on a bus outside the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, more questions than answers are in play. Some wire highlights:

• The suspect: He's identified as 21-year-old Arif (or Arid) Uka, a Kosovo citizen who worked at the airport. His relatives tell AP that he's a devout Muslim from a pro-American family. He's been charged with murder and attempted murder but nothing related to terrorism so far. There are conflicting reports on whether he was born in Germany or Kosovo.
• The victims: The bus driver and another member of the Air Force were shot to death, and two others wounded, one with life-threatening injuries. They haven't been identified. The airmen had just arrived from Britain and were on their way to the Ramstein military base, ultimately en route to Afghanistan and Iraq.