The Washington Post weighed in on the expanding controversy over the alleged misconduct of the Office of D.C. Attorney General Peter Nickles and his staff in the litigation over the mass arrests during the World Bank/IMF protests of 2002. The Post is calling for the Court, rather than the City Council, to investigate the case.
I am lead counsel in the Chang case with Dan Schwartz of Bryan Cave Ltd. We have posted the sanctions motions and transcript:
Here are the documents: 1st Notice; 2nd Notice; Sanctions Motion; Sanctions Reply; 072909-SULLIVAN
For the editorial, click here.
When you are Blackwater you are invincible. Don’t you understand. We have the Justice system for Criminals that we want to control and the Governments position when we want to annihilate them. They hold the key to the oils. And all the spoils of war go to the victor.
I echo Jill’s question and her question begs another. Why aren’t some of them already in jail?
Here’s an update on Erik Prince and Blackwater. Why are these people still employed by the govt.?
http://rebelreports.com/
OFF TOPIC
SOTOMAYER CONFIRMED. DAMN
I ‘got it’ indeed, Mike!
I could have dedicated the selection to you, my man. You may have a few years on me, but we are basically, in essence, from the same ‘era’.
I posed Loggins and Messina’s acoustic version of ‘This is it’ from 1993 because I like it and I can sing harmony and play along. It sounds like the Doobie Brothers doin’ back up…
In fact, what a treat…
‘What a Fool Believes- from ’92 with Michael McDonald…
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090817/scahill
From Scahill’s article:
“Blackwater is a law unto itself, both internationally and domestically. The question is why they operated with impunity. In addition to Blackwater, we should be questioning their patrons in the previous administration who funded and employed this organization. Blackwater wouldn’t exist without federal patronage; these allegations should be thoroughly investigated,” Kucinich said.
A hearing before Judge Ellis in the civil cases against Blackwater is scheduled for August 7. (end of quotes from article)
I know that something is going on domestically. I don’t know if Blackwater/Xe is involved or not, but I know that someone must get to the bottom of it.
Patty C,
I know you got my point. Criticism w/o real action, becomes the equivalent of working for the other side. The forces of greed in this country would appreciate an apathetic citizenry even more than those citizens actively engaged on their side. The eventual aim is total apathy of the “everything is awful, so why bother” type. Constant critique, with no recognition of any success, just leaves a feeling of hopelessness, that is soon followed by apathy.
February 2007. Old news, but for any who missed it:
New Intel Firm Signals Major Shift in Industry: CIA Knock-Off For Rent
http://www.thespywhobilledme.com/the_spy_who_billed_me/2007/02/blackwater_lose.html
Thank you to the regulars — voices of reason during a time of madness. Thank you to Jonathan Turley for this blog, which is veritable beacon in the darkness. You give me hope and I thank you for that.
John Dean has it right: “When the truth comes out, it will be worse than Watergate.” Some/many of us already know that “it’s worse than Watergate.” Just how much worse, isn’t yet clear…
I’ll try again to ge the youtube video of Thi is it Live 1993.
It’s a good song and one even I can play.
Mike S wrote:
“Far on the Right we see movements like the birthers, opposers of health care and a general hatred of our President and all political leaders. On the far left we see a distrust of the President, all political leaders and a sense that the country has gone down the tubes. The Rightists to me really have an end game that ends in assassination and coup. The Leftists with whose analysis I generally agree has no plan beyond decrying that it’s all corrupt and we’re screwed, spread the word.”
—
Did you happen to catch Rachel last night talking about ‘Properity America”, the professional PR folks who have organized, nationally, to show up at town hall meetings to incite the masses and confuse the issues by staging the formations of fake ‘grassroots’ movements?
Having taken my stand long ago, I probably sound like a broke record, but I continue to encourage the ‘adults’ to become involved on a local level, personally, if for no other reason than to inform your neighbors and others, rationally, about what they are probably witnessing.
We can have a substantial say in how things turn out, but not if we sit on our hands and communicate nothing, or throw them up and do nothing.
In the infamous words of Kenny loggins and Jim Messina,
“This is it”. ..
I did leave one other point out of my previous post and it was an old saying that we had back in the day, that I still think is relevant today:
If you’re not part of the solution, then you’re part of the problem.
Now, stories like this with Prof. Turley involved make this blawg especially worthwhile.
Thanks Jill; I understood what you meant. However, regarding the mercenary statement, in the 1950s as a young lad I did try to run away from home and join the Foreign Legion. Alas, I only got as far as several miles down the road when I stopped at an old lady’s house to get a drink of water and pet her collie dog. She called my parents, my stepdad spanked me with a willow tree branch, and my mercenary days were over.
Although, I still lament for one of those neat white ‘pill-box’ hats with the white neck-protector apron…
I think this guy used to give the answer to those questions.
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/45035
Far on the Right we see movements like the birthers, opposers of health care and a general hatred of our President and all political leaders. On the far left we see a distrust of the President, all political leaders and a sense that the country has gone down the tubes. The Rightists to me really have an end game that ends in assassination and coup. The Leftists with whose analysis I generally agree has no plan beyond decrying that it’s all corrupt and we’re screwed, spread the word.
I’m capable of doing and have done my own critiques of the American political scene. There is little that goes on that is lost on me. I already am a member of the ACLU, MoveOn and other like minded groups that work for change and decry the status quo, whether it be domestic and/or foreign policy. What I don’t see is a movement that equals the Right Wing in having a plan and a purpose.
Since we all know that the Far Right is very well funded by those very forces that seek to oppress us, what is a person to do to prevent a Fascist takeover and reform our system.
Back in the 60’s the Movement cry was “organize! organize!,” yet they failed to do so because they were too busy making enemies of potential converts, that they lacked people to organize. If we are to stop this spreading threat to our freedoms, I’m in, but could someone please tell me just what the hell is the plan, other than some Paul Revere riding with the news that “The British are coming!” In that instance there was actually a plan and organization to take action upon the spread of the alarm.
I meant to say “are” instead of and. I didn’t mean to imply FFLEO was a mercenary and I retract the statment that we will be safer. We will just have a better chance if more people realize what’s going on.
A.Y.,
This post by JT and the story about Blackwater and all of a piece. Our public servants are no longer accountable to the people. Private contractors take this lack of accountablity one step further. They are the mercenary minions of whomever hires them. They take no oath to the Constitution, however meaningless that has become in this climate. I believe there are still people in the armed services and police force who take their oaths to the law seriously. I believe their are people in mercenary companies, who though they take no oath, are people of honor. FFLEO is exactly that kind of person. I put my faith in these people but they too are fighting to do right in a system designed to do harm. We are in big trouble here and the sooner more people realize it the safer we all will be.
Jill,
I know it is all about Money. It seems that the rich cannot get rich enough. I have a friend, I guess you can call him that. He is worth a lot. This is generational money so he is about as normal as you or I. He is a former SEAL. He also has served in paramilitary coupes. He lives for the excitement, not the paycheck. Although it is tax and duty free.
Thank you for the update. Now Erik Prince is a different story. He is the BIL of Dick DeVos still a Billionaire. But in terms of this his money is new. If you will look closely, the charter schools are a part of the DeVos empire as well as Conservative Republicans that tow the party line.
I remember one election in West Michigan that they funneled more than 400,000 into. The guys still lost against a better candidate who only spend 125,000 for a job that only pays 77,000 per year. Something wrong with that math.
No wonder the banks can screw up so badly. No one knows math and the cost/benefit ratios anymore. That was purely for the bean counters.
What Jill said.
Some AG types look to the federal “Department of Just Us” as a role model, so that may explain some of this type of behavior.
When false arrests of any kind are made. When people are arrested for exercising free speech. When that speech is against the powerful. When the police respond with brutality. When police erase evidence of their own crimes. When the prosecution colludes with the destruction of evidence of crimes by the police. Is it time for the court to sanction the prosecution? You bet.
Any of of these acts strikes at the heart of democracy and a functioning judicial system. Not one of these acts should ever be tolerated. In this case they were tolerated and abetted.
There is a crime wave whose epicenter is Washington, DC. It is the most dangerous crime possible, the use of govt. force and prosecutorial power against it’s citizens. If this isn’t stopped, and stopped now, you will have not only the police arrayed against the people, but the prosecutors as well. This is intolerable.
May I say also, that the story Buddha linked to on the sworn affidavits that Erik Prince of Blackwater/Xe may have murdered or ordered the murder of people who were willing to give evidence of his company’s wrongdoing, should give every citizen pause. Private contracting companies are loyal to whomever is paying them. They are a private army, with full military equipment arrayed against our citizens without judicial accountablity.
We are in a precarious state in this nation and we need to wake up, right now. (Link below to Blackwater story.)
“Sworn statements from two former employees filed in Federal Court also allege that Erik Prince launched a “crusade” to eliminate Muslims and Islam. Read the Full Story at The Nation by Jeremy Scahill”
http://rebelreports.com/
We are only talking about the Banks. The most powerful in the world. You have no right if you disagree. Have you not figured that out. So this guy was a scapegoat for the IMF, divert the attention from the real work.