No Justice In The War on Terror

Jeremy Scahill, who's written extensively about the mercenary Blackwater, reported on December 31st that a federal judge has dismissed charges against Blackwater employes for their massacring seventeen people in Iraq. Charges were dismissed because their testimony was taken under duress and could have caused them to lose their jobs.

Here's Craig Murray:

Yet evidence given by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed during hundreds of torture sessions, including over a hundred sessions of waterboarding, is admissible in the US, torture apparently not being duress like the threat of losing your job.

The US is at the same time going through more angst about the underpants bomber. Get this into your heads; people want to kill you because as a nation you behave in a murderous and arrogant way. That does not justify a terrorist in killing innocent civilians; but killing innocent civilians did not seem to bother the Blackwater boys, or the US armed forces who kill innocent civilians every single day.

US soldier raped and murdered, found guilty

Blogger/Journalist Evan Bright reports: An American soldier has been found guilty on 16 counts by a Federal court in Kentucky of the assault, rape and murder of a fourteen year old girl and the execution-style murder of her family. Sentencing will be Monday and he could get the death penalty on eight of the counts.

Three other soldiers/participants in the rape have already been sentenced to life.

In 2006, Steven Green, now 24, from Texas, assaulted the Hamza al-Janabi family in their house near Baghdad with his comrades from the 101 Airborne Brigade. The five American soldiers, wearing black "ninja uniforms,” had been drinking and hatched a plan to teach an Iraqi family a lesson.

Two of the solders raped Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabi while Green shot dead the other members of the family (mother, father and six year old daughter) in a bedroom. After he had murdered the family, he raped and murdered the girl. The soldiers then burned the girl's body to hide the evidence of rape.

Photo: EPA

The Depth of Torture, War and US Imperialism

Counterpunch

By Chris Floyd, April 22, 2009

You cannot disentangle the torture program from the war of aggression in Iraq – nor from the illegal wiretapping program, the corrupt war profiteering, and all the other degradations of liberty and law that have been so accelerated in the past eight years. They are all of a piece, part and parcel of a plan to expand and entrench America's "unipolar domination" of world affairs with a thoroughly militarized state led by an unaccountable, authoritarian "Unitary Executive."

This is one reason why Barack Obama is so obviously reluctant to tug on the torture thread too hard. If you tear it out, with full-scale prosecutions and top officials locked up behind bars, the whole rotten skein would fall apart. Once you start genuinely subjecting government officials – including security apparatchiks and military brass – to the full extent of the law, there would be no end to the unraveling: senators, contractors, representatives, bureaucrats, generals, lobbyists, judges, corporate chiefs – the whole edifice of Establishment power would be shaken to the core as its leading lights went down, one after the other.

Thus the mere act of applying the ordinary, bourgeois laws of the land as they stand right now would constitute a world-shaking revolution, an overthrow of the existing order every bit as radical as any ideologue's dream of mass uprising. It would be, in effect, a re-founding of the Republic – and the end of the empire, which cannot survive without continual war, lawless rule and endless corruption.

O Come, O Come, Emanuel the Enforcer

Rahm Emanuel's Think Tankers Enforce 'Message Discipline' Among 'Liberals'

The White House is ‘helping’ liberal groups to get their political messages in sync with the official line.
By Jeremy Scahill, RebelReports, April 9, 2009

Over the past several weeks, independent journalists and anti-war activists have tried to shine a spotlight on how groups like the Center for American Progress and MoveOn, which portrayed themselves as anti-war during the Bush-era, are now supporting the escalation and continuation of wars because their guy is now commander-in-chief. CAP has been actively pounding the pavement in support of the escalation in Afghanistan, the rebranding of the Iraq occupation and, more recently, Obama’s bloated military budget, which the group said was “on target.” MoveOn has been silent on the escalation in Afghanistan and has devoted substantial resources to promoting a federal budget that includes a $21 billion increase in military spending from the Bush-era.

What is clear here is that CAP and MoveOn are now basically psuedo-official PR flaks targeting “liberals” to support the White House agenda. This, though, should not come as a shock to those who have closely monitored these groups.

Continue reading Rahm Emanuel's Think Tankers Enforce 'Message Discipline' Among 'Liberals'

OBAMA DID NOT VISIT IRAQ TODAY

Craig Murray

Contrary to what the media are telling you, Barack Obama is not in any real sense visiting Iraq. He is visiting a US base which, under the Status of Forces Agreement, is US territory under US legal jurisdiction. He is not visiting Iraq any more than a vist to Guananamo Bay (Good Lord! Is that still open? What happened?) would be a visit to Cuba.

Which is a point worth making as he delivers an almighty snub to the Iraqi President and Prime Minister. For a visiting Head of State to come officially to your country and not meet the host President or host Government is an almighty breach of protocol, a gesture of supreme contempt. We are told he is going to telephone them.

The visit has the look and feel of an exercise in Imperial hubris, an entirely militaristic display. The Iraqis lost hundreds of thousands killed and saw the deliberate destruction of their water, electricity, sewerage and other civilian infrastructure. They are being visited by a new leader of their occupiers who made a virtue of opposing their invasion and their suffering. They might have expected him to walk on foot and say sorry to the Iraqi people, not glory in the power of his military and hand out medals.

REAL NEWS NETWORK: REPORT ON MARCH 21 PROTEST IN DC

IRAQ: 6 YEARS

Ten Percent

If you take a one second silence for every casualty of the Iraq invasion (on all sides) you will be silent for 15 days, 7 hours, 58 minutes & 7 seconds. You only get to the non-Iraq casualties in the sixth hour of the sixteenth day.

Last year as part of the blogswarm I wrote- Withdrawal, Reparations, Prosecutions. So what d’you reckon?

Withdrawal- Nope, unless you figure 50,000 troops are negligible and the various get out clauses won’t be exploited by the Pentagon or Obama.

Reparations- Sorry, the financial sector got all your cash for generations to come, Iraqis may be able to sell some of the bullets shot at them for (radioactive) scrap.

Prosecutions- Sorry folks but Nuremberg happened because of a victorious allied occupation, after all it excluded European colonialism and the American use of the atomic bomb. So unless the coalition countries are invaded and subjugated by some other power allied with Iraq, seems human society isn’t able to enact justice where the ruling classes are concerned, it’s all just fine words. Keep pushing of course, we may yet become civilised. Still, you can book some of the main criminals for several (hundred) thousands to give you a speech.

Muntazer al-Zaidi is now in jail for 3 years after being beaten and tortured, he threw his shoes at George Bush, Bush laughed it off, both the act and and I am sure the knowledge of al-Zaidi’s abuse and coming years in prison, he likes that kind of thing. Our media continues to shy away from calling torture torture and the few mea culpas over pimping the lies that led to war have not changed their behaviour significantly, one consequence of this is a likely attack on Iraq’s neighbour Iran and a spreading war in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The humanitarian disaster in Somalia goes almost unmentioned as does the particular involvement of the US. Also unmentioned mostly is the Neocon/Zionist axis, but perhaps it is coming into the open a little more.

Mostly I think we are in the invidious position of still many people do not regard this supreme crime as a crime- nationalism, militarism and tribalism remain unexamined, and as such many see no need to stop it, make recompense and punish the guilty. Until that changes we are in for much more bloodshed, empire is a recidivist and the pantry is bare.

AL-ZAIDI TORTURED BEFORE HE APOLOGISED FOR THROWING SHOES

The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at George Bush was tortured into writing a letter of apology, his brother said today.

BEEF

VIA LEFT I
Inane Quote of the Day

"The guy wanted to get on TV and he did. I don't know what his beef is, but whatever it is, I'm sure someone will hear it."

George Bush, referring to shoe-thrower and hero Muntadar al-Zeidi

Yeah, who knows what the "beef" is of someone yelling "This is a farewell kiss, you dog. This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq."? It's a mystery.

Yeah, Mr Prez, indeed, people heard it and have demanded Mr al-Zeidi's release.

Not only does Bush's reaction show his cultural ignorance, but it also shows his insensitivity to the plight of Iraqis after six years of occupation and the arrogance of a warmonger.

If you've got a Facebook account, you can join a group, as I have done, to support the journalist. Type Muntadar al-Zeidi in a search on that site and follow the link.

UPDATE @ 4:36 PM (h/t Ten Percent): Al-Zaidi Remanded Into Custody After Court Appearance

THE AL-ZAIDI MOVE

DENNIS PERRIN

Of course, if any American tried the same thing, the penalty would be severe, since attacking the imperial manager is a serious felony. Not to worry. American journos, especially those covering the White House, are too well conditioned to ever make an al-Zaidi move. Their job is to kiss and polish the president's shoes, not throw their own.

As the AP headline put it, "Bush's Iraq-Afghan farewell tour marred by dissent." Marred. Yep, that pretty much sums up our domestic media mindset. Meanwhile, American liberals are enjoying a mighty laugh over the shoe toss. Were the same to happen to Obama, libs would be the first to scream foul, angered by the lack of foreign respect for the Leader of The Free World, especially from ungrateful Iraqis, who don't have the decency to finance their own submission, as Obama repeatedly points out.

SOFA

RickB at Ten Percent has an astute commentary on the agreement between Iraq and the US to remove US forces from that country. I was struck by yesterday's New York Times headline: "Iraq Approves Deal Charting End of U.S. Role" and how the reader had to search really deep in the article about the details. Of course, the head line should have read: "Iraq Approves Deal Charting End of U.S. Occupation," but as a commenter on Rick's piece notes,

I don’t know if you have seen the Justice for Iraq blog [I add the link] that has something by Sami Ramadani who says SOFA is an illusion and the American establishment want to stay in Iraq for as long as the oil is there and it is a good political vantage point. SOFA is about getting the UN out of the way and the US are arguing for a military presence.

THE FACES CHANGE, BUT THE GAME REMAINS THE SAME

AMERICAN LEFTIST

If there is one consistent theme associated with US military involvement since World War II, it is the willingness of US forces to exploit the reasons for the intervention as a justification to kill large number of civilians, usually non-white ones. George Carlin addressed this subject with characteristic ruthlessness in a monologue about the First Persian Gulf War.

As the oft-paraphrased lyric of Moloko states, the faces change, but the game remains the same. And the game is tragically quite simple: substitute Rumsfeld for McNamara and McArthur, Iraqis and Afghans for Vietnamese and Koreans, Bush for Johnson and Truman, Fallujah for My Lai and Gogyegul. Over 58 years have elapsed since the beginning of the Korean War, a war that, incidentally, that has never formally ended, and the US military continues to conduct operations that treat the lives of civilians as acceptable collateral damage.

What are the reasons for the persistence of it? Of course, there are no doubt many, but recent events in Iraq and Afghanistan highlight an important one, and that is the unquestioning acceptance of perceived danger by US troops as a defense against the killings of civilians. A subjective sense of peril, no matter how implausible, irrational or excessive, is sufficient to relieve troops of any responsibility for their actions.

For example, as I recently observed in regard to Iraq, if a convoy erroneously travels down a civilian roadway near Baghdad airport, experiences a vehicle breakdown and encounters some Iraqi bank employees traveling to work as they had always done after passing through a high security checkpoint, then, they can kill them because they perceive themselves to be in danger, rendering it just an extremely unfortunate and tragic accident.

And this country is about to elect a "peace candidate" - the Democratic Barack Obama - as president.

U.S. DEMANDS 58 BASES IN IRAQ

TODAY FROM INFORMED COMMENT (Juan Cole) --

Leila Fadel reports that Shiite lawmakers in Iraq told her that the US has requested 58 bases from the Iraqi government as part of the security agreement now being negotiated. The US also is said to want the authority to decide when Iraq has been attacked, and when and how to respond. The lawmakers are afraid that Washington will use that provision to drag them into the middle of a war between the US and Iran.

On being informed by McClatchy of some of these details, the campaign of Senator Barack Obama demanded that any such stipulation of 58 bases be submitted to the US Congress for approval, and that the Iraqis be told that the US does not seek permanent bases in that country. The McCain campaign had no comment.

A CONGRESS THAT'S MORE THAN A RUBBER STAMP

Don't expect Peter Welch, who's running unopposed (Vermont's media cover him with helpful stories), to listen to Mumia Abu-Jamal:

As America limps toward the November elections, fatigued by the exertions of war, numb to the lofty promises of politicians, in dread of the economic dragons growling on the horizon, the role of Congress could not be more irrelevant.

That's one of the reasons that GOP presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain (R. Ariz.) has called for a change in congressional tradition, to one which allows the President to answer questions before the body.

It reminded me of the March 25, 2008 vote in the British House of Commons, where members of Parliament debated whether to open an official inquiry into the reasons for starting the war. Not surprisingly, the vote lost, largely along Party lines, as the ruling Labour members voted to protect their party, which sponsored and spearheaded the Iraq War, and avoided a formal inquiry.

Most, but not all.

A dozen Labour backbenchers bolted party ranks to express their support for an inquiry, in terms rarely heard on this side of the Atlantic.

And even though the inquiry vote failed by some 50 votes, it marked a period of questioning of the sort that should actually precede wars, not follow them.
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When should we expect such voices in the U.S. Congress? 2025?

Via Another Green World (thanks).

BUSH ABDICATES TO THE GENERALS ON IRAQ

Informed Comment

War turns Republics into dictatorships. The logic is actually quite simple. The Constitution says that the Congress is responsible for declaring war. But in 2002 Congress turned that responsibility over to Bush, gutting the constitution and allowing the American Right to start referring to him not as president but as 'commander in chief' (that is a function of the civilian presidency, not a title.)

Now Bush has now turned over the decision-making about the course of the Iraq War to Gen. David Petraeus.

So Congress abdicated to Bush. Bush has abdicated to the generals in the field.

That is not a Republic. That is a military dictatorship achieved not by coup but by moral laziness.

DONAHUE ON 'SHUT UP AND SING'

From Real News: Phil Donahue talks about corporate media and the Iraq war:

SING IT LOUD & CLEAR!

"Enough with the slaughter. Enough with the violence. Enough with the hatred in Iraq!"

As Juan Cole of Informed Comment writes, 'Someone should put it to music and sing it at peace rallies.'

FOR THE BLOGSWARM: WINTER SOLDIER TESTIMONY BY IRAQ VET MIKE PRYSNER

As the lack of coverage of the Winter Soldier hearings has proved, the corporate media is not open to the full extent of anti-war feeling, so this blogswarm is one aspect of new media filling the gaps left by institutions who (despite some mea culpas over their cheerleading of the rush to war 5 years ago) still feel most comfortable reflecting elite opinion. I am put in mind of two oft quoted phrases: "Be the change you want to see in the world"-(Mahatma Gandhi) & Be The Media! Combined we are doing that, we are being the media but a different media, we are enacting a change, not beholden to corporate interests or imperial objectives. A grassroots, human movement of global reach and consciousness.

Today's post is for the March 19 Iraq War Blogswarm. I found (thanks to Lenin's Tomb) these captivating & moving videos of Mike Prysner who testified about the horrendous US Occupation of Iraq at Winter Soldier:





More about Mike Prysner here.

View more testimonies at The Real News.

Check out the 300 (+) other anti-war Iraq blogswarmers.

And while you're at it, check out the Warrior Writers: Combat Paper.

WARRIOR WRITERS: COMBAT PAPER

Head over to Speeder & Earl's coffee shop at 412 Pine St. Burlington and take a close look at Warrior Writers: Combat Paper, an artists' project started by Drew Matott and Drew Cameron of the Green Door Studio with members of the Iraq Veterans Against the War. No pun intended, but it will knock your socks off! All I can say is, Wow!

In a creative twist of the metaphor "beating swords into ploughshares," the series of prints on the show was made from uniforms worn by combat veterans; the artists cut, cooked, and beat the uniforms into paper!

The photo above, on the left, shows one of the paper prints from the exhibition.

Hurry now! GO:LOOK & INWARDLY DIGEST THIS MOVING EXHIBIT!

WELCH IS LOST IN A MORAL MAZE REGARDING IRAQ

Sick and tired of progressive Democrats who don't say what they mean or mean what they say? Read on, McDuff....

I was not among the Vermonters who were arrested Monday at Peter Welch's office in Burlington. (I was obliged to care for a sick animal later that evening; otherwise I would have stayed.) But I did sign a comment note addressed to our rep in Washington asking him to vote not to continue funding the war and occupation. Michael Colby at Broadsides gives an eye-witness account of the arrest and unwelcoming attitude of staffers -

We got about three and a half minutes to quickly express ourselves to his clearly contemptuous staff member before having their office doors slammed on our faces with the declaration that we would not be allowed to speak with Peter Welch via the phone and that they had work to do. Wham! Slam! Bam!

No wonder the Iraqis are so skeptical of the so-called democracy we’re trying to export to them. Because if it looked anything like the slamming doors we saw yesterday while trying to express ourselves to our elected official, I wouldn’t want anything to do with it either.

And let’s remember that the twenty of us were there to speak with Welch and/or his staff about the issue he calls his “top priority.” Geez, I’d really hate to see the reaction we would have gotten had we come to address a lower priority of his.

But we dutifully stayed until closing time – just like we promised. And then the cops came — just like they promised. And then the negotiations began.

“What can we do to end this without arrests or incident?” asked the Burlington police officer.
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We would leave if Peter Welch agreed to meet with us at a time, place and date of his choosing. Quite honestly, we thought it would be over and we’d soon be leaving with a promise to meet with our congressman in the near future – a meeting that became even more relevant as the news came out during our time in his office that Bush was seeking an additional $46 billion for the war.

The police and Welch’s staff huddled in the next room to discuss our offer. Calls were made to Welch’s Washington office to further contemplate the offer. We thought they were simply trying to figure out the proper scheduling.

Silly us. Because the police officer came back with the news that stunned us: “They are rejecting your offer and they would like us to arrest you if you don’t leave now.”

COMMENT Michael gives a link to the WCAX report and video clip on the sit-in - Iraq-war Protestors Target Congressman Welch . . . Again. A majority of Americans are against this war and occupation (Vermonters included) and yet, the CAX headline implies that the twenty or so citizens who assembled in Welch's office are a pain in the neck. Well, we should be - Welch's intransigence is an abomination. More protests, please - become a thorn in the side of Peter Welch. It's noteworthy, that just before the video clip (click on it, you'll see...) there's an ad for City Market, the Burlington area food co-op. I would suggest that most of the patrons of the market consider themselves Progressives or Democrats. They most likely voted for Leahy, Sanders, Kerry and Welch the last election. But they continue to live in their Birkenstock cum latte light bubble and will probably vote to re-elect Vermont's congressional delegation and the Democratic presidential nominee next time they walk into the voting booth. Wake up!!