Jul 15 2009
Please support Amnesty International’s powerful new campaign urging President Obama to hold accountable those who have made torture our national policy.
The time to yell louder is now.
Below the fold, 10 renowned poets, activists, authors, interrogators, and torture victims have written their own letters to the President, and ask that you send one of these letters to the White House in their names.
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Jul 15 2009
How Guantanamo’s prisoners were sold
The president of Pakistan’s [Pervez Musharraf] attempts to publicise his memoirs throw light on the flawed and dishonest processes that the US uses in bringing “terrorists” to justice
by Clive Stafford Smith – NewStatesman – 09 October 2006
The payments help us see why so many innocent prisoners ended up in Guantanamo Bay. Musharraf writes that “millions” were paid for 369 prisoners – the minimum rate was apparently $5,000, enough to tempt a poor Pakistani to shop an unwanted Arab to the Americans, gift-wrapped with a story that he was up to no good in Afghanistan.
(emphasis added)
http://www.newstatesman.com/20…
I guess this is the True Meaning of Capitalism — if you can’t find the “bad guys” — Buy Them!
Jul 14 2009
Elizabeth Warren was appointed chair of a newly created Congressional Oversight Panel (COP), which is charged with keeping tabs on the $700 billion bailout of the financial sector – including Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP).
Warren however, has had some “Trouble” getting straight forward answers … as she explained to the Boston Globe:
Jul 14 2009
Crossposted at DKos
A troll on DK beat this diary up pretty bad and killed the thread. If anybody can give me a rescue it would be greatly appreciated.
Please, rec this diary up on DK if you can, so that others may see it as well
If you don’t support warrantless wiretapping, The Patriot Act, torture or any of the other high crimes and War crimes committed by the Criminal Bush Junta you might be interested in H.Res 383.
H.Res 383 was introduced by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA9) and is designed to act as a Congressional oversight bill that would establish a select committee to review national security laws, policies, and practices. Better yet, this committee would have power of subpoena.
If the House Leadership pushes this bill and the House Rules committee allows for open hearings and gives this bill a closed rule barring amendments, we could well be on our way to full investigations of Bush/Cheney and their policies crimes.
Jun 29 2009
Happy Monday and welcome to the Dog’s torture accountability letter writing campaign. The basic premise of this series is that every Monday the Dog will write a letter to decision makers on urging action on accountability for the State Sponsored Torture program of the Bush Administration and provide the links so you the reader can cut and paste the letter or use it as the jumping off point for your own. The important thing is to keep the heat on the people who can move this issue forward by keeping their in boxes full. This week we will be writing the President with carbon copies to the AG, Speaker of the House, Majority Leader of the Senate and Chairs of the Judiciary Committees.
“Originally posted at Squarestate.net“
Jun 27 2009
THE DECLINE OF AMERICAN CHARACTER
THE “CRINGING WIMP” GENERATION
For years we hear little else, “But he kept us safe.” The “but” refers to bankrupting the country, stealing elections, suspending Constitutional Rights, poisoning the air and water and turning the country over to racketeers from oil, drug, insurance and crooked financial services……….
Jun 25 2009
Please support Torture Awareness Day
Simulposted at Daily Kos
Medical reports corroborated the detainee’s account, stating that the detainee had a broken nose, fractured leg, and scars on his stomach. In addition, soldiers confirmed that Task Force 20 interrogators wearing civilian clothing had interrogated the detainee. However, after initially reporting the abuse, the detainee said that he was forced by an American soldier to sign a statement denouncing the claims or else be kept in detention indefinitely. He agreed.
An investigator who reviewed the signed statement concluded that “[t]his statement, alone, is a prima facie indication of threats.” However, despite the medical report and testimony from other soldiers, the criminal file was ultimately closed on the grounds that the investigation had “failed to prove or disprove” the offenses.
Does anything stand against the American concept of the rule of law more than this?
Jun 18 2009
Is this Global War on Terror going to last forever? Has it already changed our nation from an historically defensive Athens to an offensive Sparta whose military looks everywhere for trouble and finds it? Who is calculating the cost-to-benefit ratio of sending Green Berets and other Special Operations troopers into remote corners of the world to assassinate suspected terrorists?
Ever since the Vietnam War, our presidents have ushered members of Congress into the grandstand where they can boo or cheer military decisions but not make them, despite what the Constitution says right there in Article 1, Section 8: “The Congress shall have power to provide for the common defense.”
Jun 01 2009
Usually they get away with …
Usually they trade their knowledge, for money or power, and no one notices —
But not always:
Insider-Trading Ring Bust May Fuel Hedge-Fund Concern
By David Scheer – March 2, 2007
March 2, (Bloomberg) — The U.S. government’s accusations that Morgan Stanley, UBS AG and Bear Stearns Cos. employees were central figures in an insider-trading ring illustrate why regulators and lawmakers are suspicious of Wall Street’s relationship with hedge funds.
Prosecutors in New York and Washington yesterday brought criminal charges against 13 people, claiming that an executive at UBS and a former compliance lawyer at Morgan Stanley tipped off hedge-fund traders and brokers to new analyst ratings and secret takeover talks. Bear Stearns was home to at least four professionals who traded on information leaked from inside the two firms, according to a complaint filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
(emphasis added)
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/…
White Collar Crime, is not any less heinous, because they commit it with a Keyboard, instead of a Handgun. Yet more often than not, in the Wild West of electronic casinos, these criminals can make “a killing”, without having to pull that trigger themselves … without ever having to worry about ever facing their “day in court” …
May 25 2009
In his farewell address to the nation after spending 8 years as president, in 1961 Eisenhower warns of a growing danger.
Eisenhower on the Military Industrial Complex
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…
Why would a respected President, set the sights so high, for his successors, and for America, as the dawn of the Television Age, blazed its path, towards an unknown Future?
May 14 2009
Wow, this Oval Office is pretty cool.
Hey, guys, listen up. We’ve got a little PR problem. Not a big one. Hey, we’re America, right? We’re too big to fail. We can weather this storm. This wasn’t on our watch. But, guys, listen up, we cannot release those pictures from Abu Ghraib. And it’s not about endangering the troops, though use that old canard if you want, what endangers our troops is being a troop in occupied territory, but guys, Mr. President, please, these photos, raping kids in front of their parents and the like, well, sirs, it just wouldn’t go down well with, well, with anyone with a conscience.
