It appears that there is no limit to our hypocrisy on torture. While blocking any criminal investigation or prosecution of American officials for our torture program, the Obama Administration is demanding to question the Sri Lanken Army Chief Sarath Fonseka over allegations of the torture in Sri Lanka.
The State Department is demanding answers to determine culpability for the crimes. Fonseka is visiting his daughters in Oklahoma and the US State Department wants him to testify against Sri Lanka’s powerful defense secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. After all, we cannot allow torture to go unpunished — so long as it is not an American official.
For the full story, click here
AY,
What is an Obama dissenter?
Get ready for all of the Obama dissenters to clog this blawg. German Chancellor Merkel is to address Congress on Global Warming today.
“Exactly.
Whatever their reasons … more important things to worry about, concern for those who “were just following orders”, afraid that if this President goes after the last administration then the next one will go after his … whatever the music this administration has been listening to for inspiration, it’s not a concert I wish to attend.”
I suspect the bad actors in D.C. won’t pay attention until We the People go all Hell’s Angels at Altamont on them and their K, C & J Street masters. Their narcissism and sociopathic greed won’t let them see the blows coming until they land. They simply cannot comprehend that not only could they lose and lose big but that as a matter of practical mathematics, they are GUARANTEED to lose. And once that first blood is drawn, as we all know, it’s too late. Once that switch is flipped and the populace goes after the pols, it won’t be turned off with ease or without much suffering.
Yeah, it’s a show alright. But I have to agree, it’s not one I like watching.
This ruling (below) will ensure many more tortures, police abuse, everything we do not want, everything that is against the rule of law in this nation:
“It’s not often that an appellate court decision reflects so vividly what a country has become, but such is the case with yesterday’s ruling by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in Arar v. Ashcroft (.pdf). Maher Arar is both a Canadian and Syrian citizen of Syrian descent. A telecommunications engineer and graduate of Montreal’s McGill University, he has lived in Canada since he’s 17 years old. In 2002, he was returning home to Canada from vacation when, on a stopover at JFK Airport, he was (a) detained by U.S. officials, (b) accused of being a Terrorist, (c) held for two weeks incommunicado and without access to counsel while he was abusively interrogated, and then (d) was “rendered” — despite his pleas that he would be tortured — to Syria, to be interrogated and tortured. He remained in Syria for the next 10 months under the most brutal and inhumane conditions imaginable, where he was repeatedly tortured. Everyone acknowledges that Arar was never involved with Terrorism and was guilty of nothing. I’ve appended to the end of this post the graphic description from a dissenting judge of what was done to Arar while in American custody and then in Syria.”
(From Glenn Greenwald’s column of today)
“Jill
This won’t be easy. I don’t even know if we can be successful, but if we don’t try, failure is assured.”
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Exactly.
Whatever their reasons … more important things to worry about, concern for those who “were just following orders”, afraid that if this President goes after the last administration then the next one will go after his … whatever the music this administration has been listening to for inspiration, it’s not a concert I wish to attend.
You must read these.
http://bailaman.blogspot.com/2009/10/taliban-cannot-be-defeated-by.html
http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2009/11/01/no-nation-can-afford-foreign-funded-terrorists-run-part-territory-grab-large-parts-l
Blouise,
I think you made an important point–we have to demand the rule of law in this nation. The US is running around the entire world demanding everyone but the US and Israel be held accountable for war crimes. We simply have no moral credibility in these demands. What compliance we will get will be because we threaten to use military/economic force.
The US is the world’s bully. Bullies need to be confronted and forced to stop. As citizens, we must step up to the plate and demand this govt. become accountable to the law and to the people. This won’t be easy. I don’t even know if we can be successful, but if we don’t try, failure is assured.
I voted for him but I never really bought into the hype so I’m not terribly disappointed.
Precisely why the two party paradigm MUST be brought down.
We elected a man who lied with virtually every breath (but thank goodness he is black and a member of the “Opposing party”).
We get what we deserve because of this very mindset.
Hypocrisy is the pledge one never intended to fulfill and the cost is the trust those who believed no longer hold. (paraphrasing a quote I can’t remember word for word)
Being held to a higher standard is so difficult … many do as the President has done and excuse themselves. I wonder if he still considers himself a leader? I voted for him but I never really bought into the hype so I’m not terribly disappointed. However, I still believe that we are a nation of laws and that those laws should be enforced so I will continue to demand that it be done.
But folks, the FB&I is ‘shere to hepp protect us frum them evildoin’ fuerners–maybe them next door or juss down your street…you no, them darkies at the end of the 1st Street cull-dee-sack.
_________________________________
Quote:
[1,600 are suggested daily for FBI’s list
Number of names on terrorist watch list at 400,000, agency says
By Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, November 1, 2009
In a different vein, the FBI was asked why it is losing new recruits as special agents and support personnel at a time when terrorist investigations are increasing. The FBI responded that failed polygraph tests rather than other factors, such as the length of time for getting security clearances, are the main reason recruits are ending their efforts to join the bureau. In the past year, polygraphs were the cause of roughly 40 percent of special-agent applicants dropping out, the records showed.]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/31/AR2009103102141.html
Here’s the present:
“OBAMA RESUMING G.W. BUSH’S “EXTRAORDINARY RENDITIONS”
Submitted by davidswanson on Sun, 2009-11-01 16:13.
By Sherwood Ross
Even though Barack Obama, the candidate, pledged to end “the practice of shipping away prisoners in the dead of night to be tortured in far-off countries,” his FBI has been rendering kidnap victims to the U.S. The practice is still kidnapping, however; and it’s still illegal.
Unlucky victim No. 1 was Raymond Azar, 45, flown from Afghanistan to Alexandria, Va., not to a foreign country. The construction manager for Sima International, a Lebanese outfit that did work for the U.S. military, Azar said he was tortured by his abductors. He might just as well have been flow to Egypt under the Bushies.
Interestingly, Azar was never charged as a dangerous terrorist, only with conspiracy to commit bribery for wiring $106,000 in kickbacks to a U.S. employee’s bank account in hopes of getting $13 million in unpaid bills okayed.”
(from afterdowningstreet.org where there’s more)
Here’s the past:
“Released Government Documents Responsive to 2004 Torture FOIA (10/30/2009)
Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel Letters and Memos to CIA Regarding Detention and Interrogation Policies:
* 11/3/2003 Letter to Senator Leahy from FBI Director Mueller confirming that the CIA is bound by the Constitution
* 10/18/2004 CIA Office of Medical Services (OMS) Guidelines on medical and psychological support to detainee rendition, interrogation and detention
* CIA Office of Inspector General report excerpts
* Interrogation Legal Authorities
* Description of stress positions and facial slap
* Interrogation of Detainees
* Guidelines for Memo on Interrogation” (aclu website where there’s more)
Indeed, Sri Lanka has much to learn from the US.
Sri Lanka’s government is despicable so I don’t mean this literally, but I’d love to offer their PR office my advice on phrasing a response to the US’s demand that they come clean about torture.
Now what happens if it turns out the guy used water boarding?
Don’t know the best way to provide possible post material (no email addy’s given). So I will post it here:
The Garrity Rule comes in handy.
“I’m out of it,” he exclaimed to one of the new arrivals. “I want my Garrity.”
http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/041750.html
(Yeah, a Lew Rockwell article)
President Obama and Eric Holder said Dick Cheney and George Bush will not face questioning by the US government, over alleged war crimes committed before and during the war with Iraq and ordering torture.
Obama has told the BBC that he objects to American plans to interview Dick and George, who ares currently at large in the US. Mr. Obama feels it is vital to look forward as looking backward and at the present would clearly show the US engages in torture and is in violation of multiple national/international laws.
The American State Department published a recent report outlining allegations of human rights abuses during the war in Iraq and the lead up to it. These violations continue under the war on terror.
The UN has previously said an inquiry is needed to determine culpability.
Dick and George are visiting their daughters regularly in the US. They have been asked to present themselves for an interview with the Department of Homeland Security, Wednesday on Fox, to explain why we need to torture and had to go to war under false pretenses.
US officials have declined to confirm reports of the putative interview.
The US state department submitted its report to Congress in mid-October, outlining serious violations allegedly committed by our current and former leadership, asking that the report be immediately buried.
At the time, Holder said he would appoint a hand picked, high-ranking committee to probe claims of human rights abuses during the continuing war on terror. Obama promised everyone in advance that nothing will come of the investigation.
The US military had blamed reports of civilian deaths on the leadership of the US govt., both civilian and miliatary – with UN estimates of up to hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians killed. Mr. Obama has himself provided an amazing level of new civilian body counts in this first months in office due to his illegal use of drones.
Contractors hired by the US govt. are accused by many of indiscriminate bombardment, and using heavy weaponry in areas where civilians were present.
Have a nice day.
It is embarrassing to be an American right now.
another year or so and it should all be good
Well it is a start, he is making his way slowly to DC
Makes me proud to say the least. If I cannot hold myself accountable, then I certainly know that you should not be doing what I am doing, therefore I know what to look for what you are doing and then I can catch you. There, enough said….