"Huh?" I asked intelligently, not quite sure what he was talking about.
"You can't be in here protesting," Officer Adkins said, pointing to my Veterans For Peace shirt.
"Well, I'm not protesting, I'm having a cup of coffee," I returned, thinking that logic would convince Adkins to go back to his earlier duties of guarding against serious terrorists.
Flipping his badge open, he said, "No, not with that shirt. You're protesting and you have to go."
Beginning to get his drift, I said firmly, "Not before I finish my coffee."
He insisted that I leave, but still not quite believing my ears, I tried one more approach to reason.
"Hey, listen. I'm a veteran. This is a V.A. facility. I'm sitting here not talking to anybody, having a cup of coffee. I'm not protesting and you can't kick me out."
"You'll either go or we'll arrest you," Adkins threatened.
"Well, you'll just have to arrest me," I said, wondering what strange land I was now living in.
You know the rest. Handcuffed, led away to the facility's security office, past people with surprised looks on their faces, read my rights, searched, and written up." I found this very interesting.
- Mood:
annoyed
What I would want to do is to have my Justice Department and my Attorney General
immediately review the information that's already there and to find out are there
inquiries that need to be pursued. I can't prejudge that because we don't have
access to all the material right now. I think that you are right, if crimes have
been committed, they should be investigated. You're also right that I would not want
my first term consumed by what was perceived on the part of Republicans as a
partisan witch hunt because I think we've got too many problems we've got to solve.
So this is an area where I would want to exercise judgment -- I would want to find
out directly from my Attorney General -- having pursued, having looked at what's out
there right now -- are there possibilities of genuine crimes as opposed to really
bad policies. And I think it's important-- one of the things we've got to figure out
in our political culture generally is distinguishing betyween really dumb policies
and policies that rise to the level of criminal activity. You know, I often get
questions about impeachment at town hall meetings and I've said that is not
something I think would be fruitful to pursue because I think that impeachment is
something that should be reserved for exceptional circumstances. Now, if I found out
that there were high officials who knowingly, consciously broke existing laws,
engaged in coverups of those crimes with knowledge forefront, then I think a basic
principle of our Constitution is nobody above the law -- and I think that's roughly
how I would look at it. ---- Will Bunch
“We have all these documents that are now publicly available that prove that these methods of interrogation were intentionally ordered by Rumsfeld,” against detainees at the US prison facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Nowak said.
Some American Foreign Policy History
I'll begin in the Middle East in 1953. The problem began with the British. They had signed treaties with Middle Eastern countries to pay royalties for the oil they were taking. The trouble is the British wouldn't pay the royalties. Iran was a democratic country at the time and their head of government was a man named Mossandeq. He moved to nationalize the oil in Iran. The British were annoyed at this move and asked for American help. The US sent in the CIA and they managed to topple the democracy in Iran. They replaced the democracy with the Shaw of Iran who was a cruel and repulsive dictator. He executed and tortured many and the US/UK continued to prop up his regime. Out of this US/UK move there became a company called British/American Oil B/A. There used to be a B/A station down the end of my street. So Iran's democracy was set back decades by the thieving UK/US connivers.
Cuba became a colony of the US after the Spanish/American war and was given its independence in 1902. However, written into the independence agreement was an important clause giving America to change any Cuban law whenever the US chose. Some independence! The US continued to support the dictator Fulgencio Batista until Fidel Castro took over in the Cuban Revolution in 1959. Cuba before Castro was heavily influenced by America and was full of crime as well as the Mafia. America pretty much abused Cuba and the Cuban people. America still can't get 'over it' even though, ten years running, the UN has resolved that they should quit the sanctions placed on Cuba. The only nation in the world hating Cuba is the omnipresent USA.
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Hawaii was annexed to the US as a state in 1959 and this still stands today as an illegal move by the US against agreed upon resolutions of the UN. The vote for statehood was rigged very much in favour of the America wish to own Hawaii. The people allowed to vote were any US citizen having lived in Hawaii for at least one year. There was a huge contingent of Americans living there because of the huge naval base at Hawaii, Native Hawaiians would not be allowed to vote unless they agreed to become Americans. Non-American immigrants in Hawaii were not allowed to vote.
"America gained possession of Hawaii through a succession of illegal acts, in 1893, 1898, and 1959, and has admitted to fact of these crimes. Hawaiian national sovereignty has never been extinguished. Essentially, the country of Hawaii is currently illegally occupied by a foreign military power. "
View Image -- http://www.hawaii-nation.org/1959ballot.j
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Chilè - Chilè's democratic government of Allande was in the process of nationalizing some companies and enacting land reforms to improve the lives of The Chilean people. Both of these activities are frowned upon by the US so the US sent in the CIA to upset the government of the popular Allande. They began a system of instigating work stoppages and Nixon sent in $10 just to create propaganda that the economy was falling apart. These efforts did, in fact, create a deleted economy and the economy began to fail with inflation and engineered work stoppages. The Americans chose General Pinochet to become president of Chilè and propped up this cruel man for many years. America ignored the death squads he'd set up. They even ignored the lighting of people on fire on the streets. Pinochet was finally extradited by Spain from the UK where he had gone for medical treatment.
"With active support from the CIA[3][4] Pinochet implemented a series of military operations in which (according to the 1993 Rettig Report) over 3,200 people were killed[5], while (according to the 2004 Valech Report) at least 80,000 were incarcerated without trials and subjected to torture.[6] Another 200,000 more fled in exile, in particular to Argentina, as well as Peru and applied as political refugees; however, they were followed in their exile by the DINA secret police, in the frame of Operation Condor which linked South American dictatorships together against political opponents."
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El Salvador - Has had, shall we say a rugged history of military rule and cruelty to the rural population suffering for many generations. The foremost US activity with and inside the nation of El Salvador began with strength under Reagan in the early 1980s. The US propped up the Christian Democratic government of El Salvador and continued to do so even though this government continued to run death squads who not only killed and 'disappeared' hundreds of innocent people but also targeted priests. The CIA was alive and well in El Salvador, and some would suggest, in league with the death squads. The US government tightly in alliance with El Salvador did nothing to stop the on going terror.
Interestingly -- "ARUN GUPTA: What you’re seeing is, I think, really the fruition of U.S. strategy in Iraq. The Pentagon has spent over $10 billion to try to stand up Iraqi military forces, and it’s been a complete disaster. So what they’re trying to do is they’re turning to death squads to fight the insurgency. The Iraqi forces, the military forces, the army, they really don’t stand and fight; and even when they do, they depend on tremendous U.S. logistical support to carry out any operation. So, they really can’t operate on their own."
http://www.democracynow.org/2005/12/1/is
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Guatemala- While United Fruits held strong control over Guatemala, Guatemala was suffering under a succession of violent dictators. United Fruits, being an "American Interest" was protected by the US. United Fruits owned over 70% of the arable land in Guatemala and, though it used just a tiny fraction of what it owned no peasant was allowed to farm for survival on any of United Fruits land. United Fruits was exempted from paying taxes so they were of no help, whatsoever, to the country of Guatemala.
In 1944 the dictator Jorge Ubico was overthrown and replaced by a reformist leader, Jacob Arbenz. During the "Ten Years of Spring" Arbenz became the democratically elected champion of the people and he initiated many reforms such as: Freedom of Expression; Legalized Unions; allowed for diverse political parties; initiated basic humanity reforms. One key program was a modern land reform effort aimed at relieving the s long suffering rural populations. Large unused acreages were identified by the government and the land was nor expropriated but purchased by the government for the people.
In 1953 United Fruits clashed with land redistribution over their 550,000 acres of which 85% were unused. The US demands that Guatemala pay more for United Fruit's unused lands.
Charles R. Burrows of the Bureau of Inter-American Affairs writes: “Guatemala has become an increasing threat to the stability of Honduras and El Salvador. Its agrarian reform is a powerful propaganda weapon; its broad social program of aiding the workers and peasants in a victorious struggle against the upper classes and large foreign enterprises has a strong appeal to the populations of Central American neighbors where similar conditions prevail.”
1954 -- A CIA operation removes the democratic government of Arbenz from power in a covert (terrorist) operation. The CIA directer of that time was Allan Dulles formerly president of United Fruits (and today he is recognized as a great America!)
This America operation throws Guatemala into civil war and 40 years of American-trained death squads torture, disappear people, and commit mass executions with an estimated death too of 100,000 innocent civilians.
1963 - President Miguel Ydigoras is overthrown in a coup. Some sources believe that this coup was given the green light by President Kennedy.
1982 - 1995 - Guatemala seeks to reduce infant mortality by regulating the marketing of infant formula by multinationals to come up to standards laid out by the World Health organization guidelines and international codes. But Gerber refuses to comply while Guatemala spends five years trying to get it to comply. Gerber threatens a WHO complaint ans American sanctions so, knowing what the US usually does, Guatemala backed down.
1998 - Amnesty International, which Bush just quoted a couple of days ago Aug 2008, claimed that the US shares blame for some killings, Torture, and disappearances; “throughout the world, on any given day, a man, woman or child is likely to be displaced, tortured, killed or ‘disappeared’ at the hands of governments or armed political groups. More often than not, the United States shares the blame.”
1999 - A Historical Clarification Commission report concludes that US-supported Guatemalan security forces had been the source of most of the Human Rights abuses during the decade long civil war. An estimated 200,000 Guatemalan citizens were killed.
March 1999 - President Clinton apologizes to Guatemala for past support of a murderous military.“engaged in violent and widespread repression,” costing the lives of over 200,000 civilians. That policy “was wrong,” the president declares, “and the United States must not repeat that mistake.”
November 19, 2000: Demonstration Calls for Closure of US Army’s School of Americas
Edit event
A nonviolent demonstration is held calling on the US Army to close its infamous School of the Americas, located at Fort Benning, Georgia. [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 11/19/2000; School of America's Watch, 7/12/2001]
The school trained more than 60,000 Latin American military officers over the past 50 years [CNN, 4/3/2000] , many of whom were since implicated in egregious human rights abuses (see March 15, 1993). [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 11/19/2000; Associated Press, 11/20/2000; School of America's Watch, 7/12/2001] 1,700 of the protesters are thrown in jail, including an 88-year old nun. [Associated Press, 11/20/2000; New York Times, 6/24/2001]
Entity Tags: Western Hemispheric Institution for Security Cooperation (School of the Americas), Augusto Pinochet
Timeline Tags: US-Chile (1964-2005), US-El Salvador (1980-2002), US-Nicaragua (1979-)
2002: Guatelmala Ranked Low in UN Index
Edit event
Guatemala is ranked 120th out of 173 countries in the UN Development Index. [United Nations, 2002]
http://www.historycommons.org/timeline.j
TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 118 > § 2441
§ 2441. War crimes
(a) Offense.— Whoever, whether inside or outside the United States, commits a war crime, in any of the circumstances described in subsection (b), shall be fined under this title 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.
(b) Circumstances.— The circumstances referred to in subsection (a) are that the person committing such war crime or the victim of such war crime is a member of the Armed Forces of the United States or a national of the United States (as defined in section 101 of the Immigration and Nationality Act).
(c) Definition.— As used in this section the term “war crime” means any conduct—
(1) defined as a grave breach in any of the international conventions signed at Geneva 12 August 1949, or any protocol to such convention to which the United States is a party;
(2) prohibited by Article 23, 25, 27, or 28 of the Annex to the Hague Convention IV, Respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land, signed 18 October 1907;
(3) which constitutes a violation of common Article 3 of the international conventions signed at Geneva, 12 August 1949, or any protocol to such convention to which the United States is a party and which deals with non-international armed conflict; or
(4) of a person who, in relation to an armed conflict and contrary to the provisions of the Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices as amended at Geneva on 3 May 1996 (Protocol II as amended on 3 May 1996), when the United States is a party to such Protocol, willfully kills or causes serious injury to civilians.
Red Cross finds Bush administration guilty of war crimes Andrew McLemore
Some people today claim that there is just too much information. We are unundated with counter-views all the time; and, in part, this is true. But, this is only part of the whole truth. Much of what we should know is not talked about in the popular media. A lot of what we hear or read from the popular media is full of nonsense and implies that which is quite untrue.
A lot of people just don't care to know. A lot of fundamentalist leaning Christians, for example, say they don't believe that they 'are not of this world' much like Christ was supposed to of said. But, I see them heddonistically enjoying the good life with beautiful homes and fancy cars; a lot of good stuff that really is of this world. Some claim they pray for the dead and dying Iraqis.
Yes, our population is too lazy to really care about the plight of ordinary people under the assault of mostly American military. Other people say that this is 'just a part of war' and sluff off the deaths like water off a duck's back. They seem unable to care. Others, the 'tough type' who would own a powerful Pit Bull and strut the streets feeling full of power with his dog on a chain leash looking hungry proffess that we should 'nuke' Iraq, Iran, North Koria, Russia. Yes, tough talk from a poorly formed mind.
The truth is that the siege on the Holy City of Fallujah, also know as the City of Mosques, was planned mass murder. This is not an exaggeration!
As the siege was being readied the embedded reporters were advised to stay out of Fallujah and, being embedded journalists (1), they did. But some unembedded reporters went into the City of Fallujah and reported upon the truth that should have opened up the eyes of the world. But, like the Denmocrate led Congress the world just sat and watched these atrocities occur.
The siege of the Holy City of Fallujah began with four days straight of bombing. The American onslaught bombed out 70% of the city. Homes, businesses, mosques, museums, hospitals and more were razed by American bombs and untold thousands died. Many thousands of others were left homeless and without their businesses to provide for their families, they became refugees. There are now 5 million plus Iraqis refugees that are not being properly cared for. Others that stayed behind in homes that are now hovels with very little electricity, water, sewage and garbage removal and living with the intolerable stink of death. There is little food.
The America four days of bombing included the use of White Phosphorous. When this substance falls upon a person's skin it burns; it burns right down to the bone. It is a horrid chemical! Can you imagine holding your child or loved-one as they screamed in agony with an unstoppable burning? Although White Phosphorous is not formally illegal we all know that the intentions of international treaties make it an illegal chemical in war.
With other conventional bombs the Americans used Carpet Bombs on the neighbourhoods of Fallujah. Carpet bombs are indescriminate in nature as they spread out over large areas. To use such bombs on neighbourhoods is an obvious attack upon civilians and, therefore, a prime war crime.
There are also reports of the American use of a 'new type of napalm' and the suggestions are strong the evidence has yet to arise.
After, the four days of bombing the Holy City of Fallujah the ground forces moved in with Free Fire Orders(2). And they basically shot everybody.
There were a couple of clinics open during the siege and an American reporter from Alaska was a one of them through the siege. His name is Dahr Jamail and you can find his video speeches on YouTube; http://www.youtube.com/results?search_qu
At one clinic casualties kept coming carrying their wounded. The hospitals were not open and there are reports of snipers on hospital roofs shooting at the wounded looking for help. Ambulances arrived at the clinic riddled with bullet holes and drivers unwilling to go out again. There was no electricity so emergency, life saving operations were done with the flickering light from cigarette lighters. There was no anesthetic so they had to physically hold down screaming patients to save their lives. There were no antibiotics so many sucommed to fever and infection. There was no water and no way to boil it to sterilize the surgical tools.
After the siege Fallujah was left with dead bodies rotting - children, teens, mothers, fathers and grandparents - in demolished and unhit homes and businesses and mosques. Many were partially eaten by marauding dogs. Flies and stench were everywhere.
Doctor Salam Ismael reported - "In Saqlawiya, one of the makeshift refugee camps that surround Fallujah, we found a 17 year old woman. "I am Hudda Fawzi Salam Issawi from the Jolan district of Fallujah," she told me. "Five of us, including a 55 year old neighbour, were trapped together in our house in Fallujah when the siege began.
"On 9 November American marines came to our house. My father and the neighbour went to the door to meet them. We were not fighters. We thought we had nothing to fear. I ran into the kitchen to put on my veil, since men were going to enter our house and it would be wrong for them to see me with my hair uncovered. "This saved my life. As my father and neighbour approached the door, the Americans opened fire on them. They died instantly."
This is what Free Fire orders are about! This is indicative of what happened all over the Holy City of Fallujah.
"Me and my 13 year old brother hid in the kitchen behind the fridge. The soldiers came into the house and caught my older sister. They beat her. Then they shot her. But they did not see me. Soon they left, but not before they had destroyed our furniture and stolen the money from my father's pocket."
"Hudda told me how she comforted her dying sister by reading verses from the Koran. After four hours her sister died. For three days Hudda and her brother stayed with their murdered relatives. But they were thirsty and had only a few dates to eat. They feared the troops would return and decided to try to flee the city. But they were spotted by a US sniper.
Hudda was shot in the leg, her brother ran but was shot in the back and died instantly. "I prepared myself to die," she told me. "But I was found by an American woman soldier, and she took me to hospital." She was eventually reunited with the surviving members of her family."
"I also found survivors of another family from the Jolan district. They told me that at the end of the second week of the siege the US troops swept through the Jolan. The Iraqi National Guard used loudspeakers to call on people to get out of the houses carrying white flags, bringing all their belongings with them. They were ordered to gather outside near the Jamah al-Furkan mosque in the centre of town.
On 12 November Eyad Naji Latif and eight members of his family-one of them a six month old child-gathered their belongings and walked in single file, as instructed, to the mosque."
The stories abound. But, do you hear them on CNN, FOX, BBC, CBC etc. Of course not! These stories might make us need to think. But, the question still stands - Is the west able to consider these problems over that of the price of gas? It's incredible that we would worry more about flaunting our oversized SUV rather than to let our lives be invaded by thoughts of Iraqis being murdered in cold blood.
RC
When they reached the main road outside the mosque they heard a shout, but they could not understand what was being shouted. Eyad told me it could have been "now" in English. Then the firing began. US soldiers appeared on the roofs of surrounding houses and opened fire. Eyad's father was shot in the heart and his mother in the chest.
Embedded Journalists - wear military uniforms, go where the military tells them, stays away when the military tells them, sees what the military allows then, and reports what the military tells them.
Free Fire Orders - basically say shoot anybody. Whether a baby or a granny.
RC
Many seem to believe that the lies by the president is all fine and dandy; they think it proves America a 'tough' nation. But nothing could be further from the truth. America has been weakened by these lies and has become a rogue nation. A nation lacking in morals!
Much of the Christian right in America back their president's lying. I find it absurd that they can think of themselves as Christian and back up the lies that have led to torture, led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis, led to the maiming of hundreds of thousands more citizens of Iraq, and a war brutality completely illegal by the standards that came about after the Nuremberg trials in such treaties as the Geneva Convention.
We must also note that President Bush and his administration have opted out of the Geneva Conventions while at the same time detaining (imprisoning) people under aspects of the Geneva Conventions. Its a sad state of affairs!
It was the Republican led Congress that allowed Bush to act out his wish to invade Iraq. It was not Hillary Clinton who sent us to war it was the Republican majority. I understand that she didn't properly do her duty and didn't access the information she should have, but let's be clear for once here. It is a moot point how she voted because the Republicans had decided to go to war. Let's not continue running around with the stories about how Hillary voted. Let's look, instead, at the others that voted to allow Bush his war. They are the ones who were promoting fear amongst the American population. They are the ones that initiated an emotional gung-ho attitude. So let's blame them. The real conveyors of war.
RC
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