Jewish mysticism, contemporary politics, and personal musings, Torture, Treason, Corruption, Lies and Incompetence
On war crimes: Yesterday, one enterprising military commission defense attorneys sent a letter to the commission "judges." It said: dear judges, I'm supposed to file motions today. I request a stay because I don't want to violate Common Article 3 and participating in the commission might make me liable for war crimes.
Rosa Brooks: Did Bush commit war crimes?Supreme Court's decision in Hamdan vs. Rumsfeld could expose officials to prosecution.June 30, 2006But the real blockbuster in the Hamdan decision is the court's holding that Common Article 3 of the Geneva Convention applies to the conflict with Al Qaeda — a holding that makes high-ranking Bush administration officials potentially subject to prosecution under the federal War Crimes Act.Common Article 3 forbids "cruel treatment and torture [and] outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment." The provision's language is sweeping enough to prohibit many of the interrogation techniques approved by the Bush administration. That's why the administration had argued that Common Article 3 did not apply to the war on terror, even though legal experts have long concluded that it was intended to provide minimum rights guarantees for all conflicts not otherwise covered by the Geneva Convention.But here's where the rubber really hits the road. Under federal criminal law, anyone who "commits a war crime … shall be fined … or imprisoned for life or any term of years, or both, and if death results to the victim, shall also be subject to the penalty of death." And a war crime is defined as "any conduct … which constitutes a violation of Common Article 3 of the international conventions signed at Geneva." In other words, with the Hamdan decision, U.S. officials found to be responsible for subjecting war on terror detainees to torture, cruel treatment or other "outrages upon personal dignity" could face prison or even the death penalty.Continue Reading This Article...
Supreme Court Decision on Gitmo Undermines Bush's Legal Case For Warrantless WiretappingThe impact of today's Supreme Court decision on military commissions goes well beyond Guantanamo. The Supreme Court has ruled that the Authorization for the Use of Military Force - issued by Congress in the days after 9/11 - is not a blank check for the administration.The Bush administration doesn't argue that warrantless wiretapping was something specifically contemplated in the text or by Congress. Rather, the administration argues that it is implied as part of a broad authorization to "use all necessary and appropriate force."The Supreme Court has rejected that expansive interpretation. It's a huge blow to the administration's legal rationale for warrantless wiretapping.Continue Reading This Article...
Commerce Committee TieJune 28, 2006by Matt StollerIn terms of the vote, well, we pretty much expected this, though we weren't sure whether we could keep the Dems unified. They held under intense lobbying pressure from the telecoms. I think it's fair to say that we've reversed the momentum on this issue, turning it from a little noticed 23-8 subcommittee vote in the House on April 5 to today's 11-11 tie in Commerce Committee and clearly what will be a contentious floor fight.George Allen, maverick McCain, and Conrad Burns all voted against a free internet. Here's the amount of money they took from telecom PACs and associated individuals:George Allen: $72,000John McCain: $44,250Conrad Burns: $162,600It's important to keep the pressure up prior to the floor fight. If you live in one of these states, call your Senator and thank them/chide them for their vote on Snowe-Dorgan. I've bolded the good guys.NamePhoneFaxTed Stevens (AK):202-224-3004202-224-2354John McCain (AZ):202-224-2235202-228-2862Conrad Burns (MT):202-224-2644202-224-8594Trent Lott (MS): 202-224-6253202-224-2262Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX):202-224-5922202-224-0776Olympia J. Snowe (ME):202-224-5344202-224-1946Gordon H. Smith (OR):202-224-3753202-228-3997John Ensign (NV):202-224-6244202-228-2193George Allen (VA):202-224-4024202-224-5432John E. Sununu (NH):202-224-2841202-228-4131Jim DeMint (SC):202-224-6121202-228-5143David Vitter (LA):202-224-4623202-228-5061---Daniel K. Inouye (HI):202-224-3934202-224-6747Jay Rockefeller (WV):202-224-6472202-224-7665John F. Kerry (MA):202-224-2742202-224-8525Byron L. Dorgan (ND):202-224-2551202-224-1193Barbara Boxer (CA):202-224-3553n/aBill Nelson (FL):202-224-5274202-228-2183Maria Cantwell (WA):202-224-3441202-228-0514Frank R. Lautenberg (NJ):202-224-3224202-228-4054E. Benjamin Nelson (NE):202-224-6551202-228-0012Mark Pryor (AR):202-224-2353202-228-0908
Limbaugh held for having V¡àgrà without prescriptionTuesday, June 27, 2006Rush Limbaugh was detained for about 3 1/2 hours at Palm Beach International Airport after authorities said they found a bottle of V¡àgrà in his possession without a prescription.
U.S. General in Iraq Outlines Troop CutsBy Michael R. Gordon - 6.25.06The top American commander in Iraq has drafted a plan that projects sharp reductions in the United States military presence there by the end of 2007, with the first cuts coming this September, American officials say.Now, after criticizing Democratic lawmakers for trying to legislate a timeline for withdrawing troops, skeptics say, the Bush administration seems to have its own private schedule...
An Inconvenient Truth :: The Trailer
Mission - OPERATION HELMET provides helmet upgrade kits free of charge to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as to those ordered to deploy in the near future. These helmet upgrades do three primary things:* Comfort - If it is more comfortable, it will stay on troop's head longer and more often.* Stability - Keeps the helmet firmly on the head and out of the eyes.* Protection - Shock-absorbing pads keep the helmet from slapping the skull when hit with blast forces, fragments, or being tumbled along the ground or inside a vehicle. This decreases the chance of brain injury from bombs, RPG's, vehicle accidents, falls, etc.As a secondary benefit, the pads make the helmet actually float in water.OPERATION HELMET
Excerpts of S.2766 introduced in the United States Senate on June 12, 2006Purpose: To require the withdrawal of United States Armed Forces from Iraq and urge the convening of an Iraq summit.IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES—109TH Cong., 2d Sess.S.2766SEC. 1084 UNITED STATES POLICY ON IRAQ.(a) WITHDRAWAL OF TROOPS FROM IRAQ. -- (1) SCHEDULE FOR WITHDRAWAL. -- The President shall reach an agreement as soon as possible with the Government Iraq on a schedule for the withdrawal of United States combat troops from Iraq by December 31, 2006, leaving only forces that are critical to completing the mission of standing up Iraqi security forces.(2) CONSULTATION WITH CONGRESS REQUIRED. -- The President shall consult with Congress regarding such schedule and shall present such withdrawal agreement to Congress immediately upon the completion of the agreement.(b) IRAQ SUMMIT. -- The President should convene a summit as soon as possible that includes the leaders of the Government of Iraq, leaders of the governments of each country bordering Iraq, representatives of the Arab League, the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization representatives of the European Union, and leaders of the governments of each permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, for the purpose of reaching a comprehensive political agreement for Iraq that addresses fundamental issues including federalism, oil revenues, the militias, security guarantees, reconstruction, economic assistance, and border security.
From the CommentsStopping of War Funding...There have been several attempts to limit or kill spending for the Bagdad Embassey and the permanent military bases in Iraq. The War Hawks managed to stop them all. It will take strong leadership by our lawmakers to finally shut off the spigot of tax dollars being drained into the desert of Iraq. The NeoCons just will not give up until they are made to. Until we stop the flow of money, the flow of blood will continue... - fcNot One Penny More for War! - Submitted by davidswanson on Sat, 2006-02-25 15:46.No Permanent Bases: Passed Both Houses, Removed in Conference Committee - Submitted by davidswanson on Fri, 2006-06-09 05:20.'No permanent bases' taken out of supplemental spending bill in conference by: kwilkinson June 09, 2006 House Approves $82-Billion War Spending BillFebruary 16, 2004 - War Resisters League's Military Spending "Pie Chart"War Tax Resistance
THE AGE.com.auUS 'allowed Zarqawi to escape'May 1, 2006By Chris Evans"Mr Bush had Zarqawi in his sights almost every day for a year before the invasion of Iraq and he didn't shoot because they were wining and dining the French in an effort to get them to assist us in the invasion of Iraq,""Almost every day we sent a package to the White House that had overhead imagery of the house he was staying in. It was a terrorist training camp . . . experimenting with ricin and anthrax . . . any collateral damage there would have been terrorists."SlateWhy Bush let Iraq's top terrorist walkPosted Friday, Oct. 29, 2004, at 5:08 PM ETBy Daniel BenjaminIn recent months, the mystery of the administration's inaction has only grown. News reports - including, most recently, one in the Wall Street Journal this week - make it clear that military leaders and the CIA felt Zarqawi was a threat that could and should be removed. On at least three occasions between mid-2002 and the invasion of Iraq, the Pentagon presented plans to the White House to destroy the Khurmal camp. Each time the White House declined to act or did not respond at all.
TIMES ONLINE.co.ukIraqis unknowingly captured al-Zarqawi then set him freeDecember 17, 2005From Richard Beeston in Baghdad and Stephen Farrell in FallujahIRAQI security forces captured Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the fugitive terrorist leader, last year but freed him because they did not know who he was. According to Major-General Hussein Kamal, the Deputy Interior Minister responsible for Intelligence, the head of al-Qaeda in Iraq was detained by police for several hours more than a year ago in Fallujah, which was then an insurgent stronghold.
