this entire thread has been saved.
challenge that!
Woo Hoo!
took three-four years to do it but I did.
WOO HOO!
and you think this ma be something?
Politics, Everyday, All day... morning, noon and night....
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DVD Burner
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DVD Burner
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DVD Burner
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Sounded so nice I had to post it twice:
Leadership in Conflict With Hezbollah Faulted
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... /16/AR2007 011601663.html
By Scott Wilson
Washington Post Foreign Service
Wednesday, January 17, 2007; Page A10
JERUSALEM, Jan. 17 -- Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, head of the Israel Defense Forces, resigned abruptly Tuesday after one of his predecessors presented findings of an internal review that sharply criticized the military's leadership during the war with Hezbollah last summer.
Since the end of the 33-day war, Halutz has come under heavy pressure from senior reserve officers to step down. The war failed to achieve the stated goals of freeing two Israeli soldiers captured by the Lebanese Shiite militia in July and stopping Hezbollah rocket attacks on Israeli cities.
Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz had been pressed to resign since end of war. (Eric Sultan - AP)
But Halutz insisted as recently as two weeks ago that he would remain in his post unless called on to resign by the Winograd Commission, an inquiry panel established by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to examine the performance of the military and political leadership during the war.
The commission's interim report was due in coming weeks. Olmert, who has also been severely criticized for his management of the war, reportedly expressed regret over Halutz's decision to resign after trying to persuade him to change his mind.
"It is the nature of people not to be overjoyed serving in a system that is not appreciated and not protected by those it represents," Halutz wrote in his letter of resignation, according to a translation published online by the newspaper Haaretz.
"We must promise never to reach a situation in which people of quality would hesitate to tie their fate and future with" the Israel Defense Forces, he wrote. "Neither good education nor a strong economy would help us then, and there is a danger that the threats the state of Israel faces will become more substantial."
Halutz was appointed the first air force officer to lead Israel's military in July 2005 by then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
Among his first duties was to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli settlements and military installations from the Gaza Strip, an operation praised for its speed and precision. But it won him few supporters among hawkish lawmakers and reserve officers, some of whom opposed the withdrawal on strategic and ideological grounds.
Sharon's decision to appoint Halutz reflected the shifting priorities within the military from infantry to air power. Most Israelis serve in the military because of mandatory service requirements, making the chief of staff position one of the most highly esteemed and scrutinized in the country.
Born in 1948 in the Israeli town of Hagor to a Jewish family of Iranian descent, Halutz joined the air force in 1966. He flew F-4 Phantoms during the war of attrition in the Sinai between the 1967 and 1973 Arab-Israeli wars and was credited with shooting down three combat aircraft in the 1973 Arab-Israeli conflict, known in Israel as the Yom Kippur War.
The sharp public criticism of his leadership during the most recent Lebanon war, much of it from senior reserve officers, has focused on Halutz's heavy reliance on air power against an entrenched guerrilla force often fighting from residential areas.
Hezbollah fired about 4,000 short- and medium-range rockets into Israel, including more than 100 on the last day of fighting. The Israeli military said 117 soldiers died in combat during the fighting. In addition, 41 Israeli civilians were killed, most of them by rocket fire.
Halutz also came under public pressure when it was revealed that in the first hours of the war he took the time to phone his stockbroker with instructions to sell portions of his portfolio, fearing a decline in value because of the conflict.
Earlier Tuesday, Dan Shomron, a retired lieutenant general who led Israel's military from 1987 to 1991, told the Israeli parliament's defense and foreign affairs committee that the summer war in Lebanon was "run without any goal."
"The prime minister instructed the army to halt the rocket fire on Israel, but the army failed to translate it into a military objective," Shomron told the committee, although he did not call on Halutz to step down.
Halutz is the third general to resign as a result of the war against Hezbollah, whose performance against Israel's modern military has strengthened its position within Lebanon's fractious political system and drawn praise across the Arab world.
Maj. Gen. Udi Adam, head of the Northern Command, resigned in September. Halutz accepted the resignation two months later of Brig. Gen. Gal Hirsch, an esteemed younger officer who led the Galilee Division, the unit responsible for the Israel-Lebanon border. Hirsch called on Halutz to resign at the same time.
In his resignation letter, Halutz expressed "great pride" in his career and said he had "fulfilled my obligations."
Maj. Gen. Moshe Kaplinsky, the deputy chief of staff, will at least temporarily replace Halutz.
Leadership in Conflict With Hezbollah Faulted
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... /16/AR2007 011601663.html
By Scott Wilson
Washington Post Foreign Service
Wednesday, January 17, 2007; Page A10
JERUSALEM, Jan. 17 -- Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, head of the Israel Defense Forces, resigned abruptly Tuesday after one of his predecessors presented findings of an internal review that sharply criticized the military's leadership during the war with Hezbollah last summer.
Since the end of the 33-day war, Halutz has come under heavy pressure from senior reserve officers to step down. The war failed to achieve the stated goals of freeing two Israeli soldiers captured by the Lebanese Shiite militia in July and stopping Hezbollah rocket attacks on Israeli cities.
Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz had been pressed to resign since end of war. (Eric Sultan - AP)
But Halutz insisted as recently as two weeks ago that he would remain in his post unless called on to resign by the Winograd Commission, an inquiry panel established by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to examine the performance of the military and political leadership during the war.
The commission's interim report was due in coming weeks. Olmert, who has also been severely criticized for his management of the war, reportedly expressed regret over Halutz's decision to resign after trying to persuade him to change his mind.
"It is the nature of people not to be overjoyed serving in a system that is not appreciated and not protected by those it represents," Halutz wrote in his letter of resignation, according to a translation published online by the newspaper Haaretz.
"We must promise never to reach a situation in which people of quality would hesitate to tie their fate and future with" the Israel Defense Forces, he wrote. "Neither good education nor a strong economy would help us then, and there is a danger that the threats the state of Israel faces will become more substantial."
Halutz was appointed the first air force officer to lead Israel's military in July 2005 by then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
Among his first duties was to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli settlements and military installations from the Gaza Strip, an operation praised for its speed and precision. But it won him few supporters among hawkish lawmakers and reserve officers, some of whom opposed the withdrawal on strategic and ideological grounds.
Sharon's decision to appoint Halutz reflected the shifting priorities within the military from infantry to air power. Most Israelis serve in the military because of mandatory service requirements, making the chief of staff position one of the most highly esteemed and scrutinized in the country.
Born in 1948 in the Israeli town of Hagor to a Jewish family of Iranian descent, Halutz joined the air force in 1966. He flew F-4 Phantoms during the war of attrition in the Sinai between the 1967 and 1973 Arab-Israeli wars and was credited with shooting down three combat aircraft in the 1973 Arab-Israeli conflict, known in Israel as the Yom Kippur War.
The sharp public criticism of his leadership during the most recent Lebanon war, much of it from senior reserve officers, has focused on Halutz's heavy reliance on air power against an entrenched guerrilla force often fighting from residential areas.
Hezbollah fired about 4,000 short- and medium-range rockets into Israel, including more than 100 on the last day of fighting. The Israeli military said 117 soldiers died in combat during the fighting. In addition, 41 Israeli civilians were killed, most of them by rocket fire.
Halutz also came under public pressure when it was revealed that in the first hours of the war he took the time to phone his stockbroker with instructions to sell portions of his portfolio, fearing a decline in value because of the conflict.
Earlier Tuesday, Dan Shomron, a retired lieutenant general who led Israel's military from 1987 to 1991, told the Israeli parliament's defense and foreign affairs committee that the summer war in Lebanon was "run without any goal."
"The prime minister instructed the army to halt the rocket fire on Israel, but the army failed to translate it into a military objective," Shomron told the committee, although he did not call on Halutz to step down.
Halutz is the third general to resign as a result of the war against Hezbollah, whose performance against Israel's modern military has strengthened its position within Lebanon's fractious political system and drawn praise across the Arab world.
Maj. Gen. Udi Adam, head of the Northern Command, resigned in September. Halutz accepted the resignation two months later of Brig. Gen. Gal Hirsch, an esteemed younger officer who led the Galilee Division, the unit responsible for the Israel-Lebanon border. Hirsch called on Halutz to resign at the same time.
In his resignation letter, Halutz expressed "great pride" in his career and said he had "fulfilled my obligations."
Maj. Gen. Moshe Kaplinsky, the deputy chief of staff, will at least temporarily replace Halutz.
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DVD Burner
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EvilDustBooger
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There are still huge disparities and questions surrounding the actual numbers of Iraqi deaths, both civilian and insurgent.
Here is a little historical article; written early in the "war" .
It still rings true.
The situation has remained the same,... only the date, the names of the Generals, Agencies and Dignitaries has changed
...along with the numbers of fatalities.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editor ... asualties/
-----------------------------------------------------------
US stays blind to Iraqi casualties
By Derrick Z. Jackson, 11/14/2003
THE WHITE HOUSE always said it would never count how many Iraqi parents we killed to liberate their children. We would never count how many toddlers we blew to pieces to free their elders. We would never count how many nuclear families we vaporized. We would never know if we razed a village to save a child.
This is the most disgusting and least discussed aspect of President Bush's invasion and occupation of Iraq. In the early days of his war Bush said, "The citizens of Iraq are coming to know what kind of people we have sent to liberate them. American forces and our allies are treating innocent civilians with kindness."
No one could possibly know the truth or lie of that statement, since the mantra of the military from Tommy Franks down to his spokespeople was, "We don't do body counts." The most bald-faced expansion on that policy was given in April by Brigadier General Vincent Brooks of Central Command. "In all cases, we inflict a considerable amount of destruction on whatever force comes into contact with us," Brooks said. "It just is not worth trying to characterize by numbers. Frankly, if we are going to be honorable by the warfare, we are not out there trying to count up bodies."
You cannot be any more frank than that. The very people we claim to liberate are not worth the honor of counting.
It is obvious why. In an unprovoked war based on unproven threats, it was not enough to vilify Saddam Hussein's soldiers to gain the invasion's acceptance among the American people. Bush also had to dehumanize innocent civilians to the point where if we slaughtered some of them, they were not worth our time, either. Bush clearly figured, if you do not count, you cannot lie.
If you do not count, you can stonewall the press and hit its softballs out of the park. In April, David Frost of the BBC suggested to Secretary of State Colin Powell that an early Iraqi figure of 1,254 civilian deaths was "relatively low." Powell responded, "I would say that's relatively low." In August, Paul Bremer, the US administrator in Iraq, said: "If you go back to what we achieved here, which was the liberation of 25 million people in less than three weeks, with fewer civilian casualties and less collateral damage than any war in history . . . the loss of innocent life is a tragedy for anyone involved in it but the numbers are really very low."
This has worked magnificently for eight months with no widespread complaints from Americans. That raises as many questions about our own humanity as Bush's. Did the Pentagon really do that good a job brainwashing Americans on the notion of sanitized warfare? Amid the demonizing of Saddam, were Iraqi civilians easier to dismiss because they were tan, Muslim, or both? Is the United States still mired in a quagmire of paternalism that goes back to the "saving" of "heathens" by yanking them from Africa and baptizing them into slavery?
Such questions ought to be stonewalled no more. Medact, the British affiliate of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, this week published a report that estimates the number of Iraqi civilian deaths during the invasion to range from 5,708 to 7,356. The report estimates that the number of civilian deaths after May 1, when Bush declared an end to major combat operations, ranges from 2,049 to 2,209.
Another study released last month by the Project on Defense Alternatives, based in Cambridge, estimated that the number of Iraqi civilian deaths in the first month of the war to be between 3,200 and 4,300. In June, the Associated Press estimated the number of Iraqi civilians killed in the invasion to be 3,250. The AP report said, "hundreds, possibly thousands of victims in the largest cities and most intense battles aren't reflected in the total."
The total of civilian deaths, whether they be 3,200 or 10,000, is low compared with conventional wars a half-century ago. But for a decade the Pentagon promised to end wars as we knew them with laser-guided surgical strikes of only military targets. The military cannot have it both ways, promising unprecedented precision at the same time it downplays mistakes through historical context. The alleged precision makes the casualties look less like an example of Bush's kindness than William Calley's out-of-control forces gunning down up to 500 Vietnamese civilians at My Lai in 1968.
Just one Iraqi civilian death is horrible blood on our hands given that the attack on Iraq appears to have been based on a lie. Yes, Saddam Hussein killed thousands of his own people. But an American massacre does not make things right. If Americans have half the humanity they claim, they will no longer accept Bush at face value when his officers say, "We don't do body counts."
If we do not count the bodies, this atrocity will never have a face.
Here is a little historical article; written early in the "war" .
It still rings true.
The situation has remained the same,... only the date, the names of the Generals, Agencies and Dignitaries has changed
...along with the numbers of fatalities.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editor ... asualties/
-----------------------------------------------------------
US stays blind to Iraqi casualties
By Derrick Z. Jackson, 11/14/2003
THE WHITE HOUSE always said it would never count how many Iraqi parents we killed to liberate their children. We would never count how many toddlers we blew to pieces to free their elders. We would never count how many nuclear families we vaporized. We would never know if we razed a village to save a child.
This is the most disgusting and least discussed aspect of President Bush's invasion and occupation of Iraq. In the early days of his war Bush said, "The citizens of Iraq are coming to know what kind of people we have sent to liberate them. American forces and our allies are treating innocent civilians with kindness."
No one could possibly know the truth or lie of that statement, since the mantra of the military from Tommy Franks down to his spokespeople was, "We don't do body counts." The most bald-faced expansion on that policy was given in April by Brigadier General Vincent Brooks of Central Command. "In all cases, we inflict a considerable amount of destruction on whatever force comes into contact with us," Brooks said. "It just is not worth trying to characterize by numbers. Frankly, if we are going to be honorable by the warfare, we are not out there trying to count up bodies."
You cannot be any more frank than that. The very people we claim to liberate are not worth the honor of counting.
It is obvious why. In an unprovoked war based on unproven threats, it was not enough to vilify Saddam Hussein's soldiers to gain the invasion's acceptance among the American people. Bush also had to dehumanize innocent civilians to the point where if we slaughtered some of them, they were not worth our time, either. Bush clearly figured, if you do not count, you cannot lie.
If you do not count, you can stonewall the press and hit its softballs out of the park. In April, David Frost of the BBC suggested to Secretary of State Colin Powell that an early Iraqi figure of 1,254 civilian deaths was "relatively low." Powell responded, "I would say that's relatively low." In August, Paul Bremer, the US administrator in Iraq, said: "If you go back to what we achieved here, which was the liberation of 25 million people in less than three weeks, with fewer civilian casualties and less collateral damage than any war in history . . . the loss of innocent life is a tragedy for anyone involved in it but the numbers are really very low."
This has worked magnificently for eight months with no widespread complaints from Americans. That raises as many questions about our own humanity as Bush's. Did the Pentagon really do that good a job brainwashing Americans on the notion of sanitized warfare? Amid the demonizing of Saddam, were Iraqi civilians easier to dismiss because they were tan, Muslim, or both? Is the United States still mired in a quagmire of paternalism that goes back to the "saving" of "heathens" by yanking them from Africa and baptizing them into slavery?
Such questions ought to be stonewalled no more. Medact, the British affiliate of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, this week published a report that estimates the number of Iraqi civilian deaths during the invasion to range from 5,708 to 7,356. The report estimates that the number of civilian deaths after May 1, when Bush declared an end to major combat operations, ranges from 2,049 to 2,209.
Another study released last month by the Project on Defense Alternatives, based in Cambridge, estimated that the number of Iraqi civilian deaths in the first month of the war to be between 3,200 and 4,300. In June, the Associated Press estimated the number of Iraqi civilians killed in the invasion to be 3,250. The AP report said, "hundreds, possibly thousands of victims in the largest cities and most intense battles aren't reflected in the total."
The total of civilian deaths, whether they be 3,200 or 10,000, is low compared with conventional wars a half-century ago. But for a decade the Pentagon promised to end wars as we knew them with laser-guided surgical strikes of only military targets. The military cannot have it both ways, promising unprecedented precision at the same time it downplays mistakes through historical context. The alleged precision makes the casualties look less like an example of Bush's kindness than William Calley's out-of-control forces gunning down up to 500 Vietnamese civilians at My Lai in 1968.
Just one Iraqi civilian death is horrible blood on our hands given that the attack on Iraq appears to have been based on a lie. Yes, Saddam Hussein killed thousands of his own people. But an American massacre does not make things right. If Americans have half the humanity they claim, they will no longer accept Bush at face value when his officers say, "We don't do body counts."
If we do not count the bodies, this atrocity will never have a face.
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EvilDustBooger
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anyone see this?
http://www.eff.org/news/
January 08, 2007
Florida Voters Challenge Judge's Shutdown of Election Investigation
Ruling Impedes Search for Answers in Sarasota County Congressional Race
Tallahassee, Fla. - A bipartisan group of Florida voters today challenged a court ruling that is preventing a thorough, independent investigation into alleged voting machine failures in the state's 13th congressional district race.
The appeal asks for a reversal of last week's ruling that allowed electronic voting machine vendor Election Systems & Software (ES&S) to keep its software, hardware, and related documentation hidden from the voters -- even though experts from both sides agree that something went seriously awry during November's election.
"The court wrongly decided that the voters' legitimate demand to determine who won their election was less important than the remote possibility that an independent investigation by nationally-recognized experts would harm the trade secrets of the vendor," said Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) Staff Attorney Matt Zimmerman. "The court could easily have addressed the vendor's concerns the same way trade secret concerns are usually handled in litigation -- by simply issuing a protective order that set limited use of the information to the litigation. The judge had the power to protect the interests of all parties. Unfortunately, in this case, he decided not to use it."
According to the electronic voting machines used during the November general election, more than 18,000 people in Sarasota County -- approximately 15% of the voter turnout -- did not cast a vote for any congressional candidate for the hotly contested seat. Instead of performing a robust analysis of the county's voting machines and software, the Florida Elections Canvassing Commission certified Vern Buchanan as the winner by 363 votes.
The voter plaintiffs' appeal comes days after a key member of the House of Representatives weighed in on the disputed Florida congressional election, saying that not only the litigants but the House of Representatives itself would benefit from more open discovery. On Thursday, the incoming Chairwoman of the House Administration Committee -- which has the responsibility for evaluating any House election contest -- submitted a letter to the Florida First District Court of Appeal noting that the House's evaluation would be assisted by the creation of a complete record, including all relevant and critical evidence.
EFF, VoterAction, People for the American Way Foundation, and the ACLU Foundation of Florida represent 11 Sarasota voters seeking an investigation into likely voting machine malfunctions and a revote if lost votes cannot be recovered. The suit is nonpartisan and not affiliated with either candidate from the race.
For the full request for appeal:
http://www.eff.org/Activism/E-voting/fl ... oinder.pdf
http://www.eff.org/news/
January 08, 2007
Florida Voters Challenge Judge's Shutdown of Election Investigation
Ruling Impedes Search for Answers in Sarasota County Congressional Race
Tallahassee, Fla. - A bipartisan group of Florida voters today challenged a court ruling that is preventing a thorough, independent investigation into alleged voting machine failures in the state's 13th congressional district race.
The appeal asks for a reversal of last week's ruling that allowed electronic voting machine vendor Election Systems & Software (ES&S) to keep its software, hardware, and related documentation hidden from the voters -- even though experts from both sides agree that something went seriously awry during November's election.
"The court wrongly decided that the voters' legitimate demand to determine who won their election was less important than the remote possibility that an independent investigation by nationally-recognized experts would harm the trade secrets of the vendor," said Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) Staff Attorney Matt Zimmerman. "The court could easily have addressed the vendor's concerns the same way trade secret concerns are usually handled in litigation -- by simply issuing a protective order that set limited use of the information to the litigation. The judge had the power to protect the interests of all parties. Unfortunately, in this case, he decided not to use it."
According to the electronic voting machines used during the November general election, more than 18,000 people in Sarasota County -- approximately 15% of the voter turnout -- did not cast a vote for any congressional candidate for the hotly contested seat. Instead of performing a robust analysis of the county's voting machines and software, the Florida Elections Canvassing Commission certified Vern Buchanan as the winner by 363 votes.
The voter plaintiffs' appeal comes days after a key member of the House of Representatives weighed in on the disputed Florida congressional election, saying that not only the litigants but the House of Representatives itself would benefit from more open discovery. On Thursday, the incoming Chairwoman of the House Administration Committee -- which has the responsibility for evaluating any House election contest -- submitted a letter to the Florida First District Court of Appeal noting that the House's evaluation would be assisted by the creation of a complete record, including all relevant and critical evidence.
EFF, VoterAction, People for the American Way Foundation, and the ACLU Foundation of Florida represent 11 Sarasota voters seeking an investigation into likely voting machine malfunctions and a revote if lost votes cannot be recovered. The suit is nonpartisan and not affiliated with either candidate from the race.
For the full request for appeal:
http://www.eff.org/Activism/E-voting/fl ... oinder.pdf
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robbidobbs
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- Camp Name: Pottie Central
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If I recall correctly, wasn't Colorado considering something similar to the Trans-Texas Corridor, before deciding that it didn't make any financial sense? (Of course, I suppose it would generate a nice profit for whoever gets the contracts to build the thing, and whoever owns the hotels, gas stations, etc, along the right of way. 
)
B.
)B.
"Nothing is withheld from us which we have conceived to do.
Do things that have never been done."
--Russell Kirsch
Do things that have never been done."
--Russell Kirsch
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AntiM
- Moderator
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Worrisome for most regular folks, but if you're a trucker, not having to bother the four-wheelers is very appealing. And if there's travel plazas, finding a safe place to park for your mandatory DOT rest time is extra appealing. Tolls? Pre-pass, paid for by the trucking company. Figuring out if your route is legal for a commercial vehicle your size? Priceless if your dispatcher relays piss-poor instructions. Oh yes, this makes sense if you've ever spent even a few days on a truck.
As the wife of a truck-drivin' man, I'm just giving the other perspective.
As the wife of a truck-drivin' man, I'm just giving the other perspective.
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robbidobbs
- Posts: 2825
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A smooth ride for the truckers is fine, but I have a problem with the other ramifications, like:
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=15017
There's a distinct un-sovereignification going on.
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=15017
There's a distinct un-sovereignification going on.
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cowboyangel
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DVD Burner
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Germany issues CIA arrest orders
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6316369.stm
Germany has ordered the arrest of 13 suspected CIA agents over the alleged kidnapping of one of its citizens.
Munich prosecutors confirmed that the warrants were linked to the case of Khaled al-Masri, a German national of Lebanese descent.
Mr Masri says he was seized in Macedonia, flown to a secret prison in Afghanistan and mistreated there.
He says he was released in Albania five months later when the Americans realised they had the wrong man.
Mr Masri says his case is an example of the US policy of "extraordinary rendition" - a practice whereby the US government flies foreign terror suspects to third countries without judicial process for interrogation or detention.
Code names
Prosecutors in Munich said in a statement that the city's court had issued the warrants on suspicion of abduction and grievous bodily harm.
The information on which the warrants were based came from Mr Masri's lawyers and a journalist and officials in Spain, where the flight carrying Mr Masri is thought to have originated.
The names and nationalities concerned were not released but prosecutors said the names identified were thought to be the code names of CIA agents.
"The investigation will now focus on learning the actual names of the suspects," they said.
Speaking at a news conference, Mr Masri's lawyer, Manfred Gnjidic, said the arrest warrants were "a very important step in the rehabilitation of Masri".
"It shows us that we were right in putting our trust in the German authorities and the German prosecutors," he said.
German arrest warrants are not valid in the US but if the suspects were to travel to the European Union they could be arrested.
Italian case
Mr Masri says he was abducted by US agents in the Macedonian capital, Skopje, on 31 December 2003.
He is seeking to sue the US government over his detention, but in May a judge dismissed a lawsuit he filed against the CIA, citing national security considerations.
The US government is not assisting the German authorities with the case.
Meanwhile in the Italian city of Milan, court hearings to decide whether to indict 25 alleged CIA agents and several Italians accused of kidnapping a Muslim cleric in 2003 are under way.
Osama Mustafa Hassan, or Abu Omar, says he was abducted from the streets of Milan and then tortured in Egypt.
If the case proceeds to trial, it would be the first criminal prosecution over America's rendition policy.
The practice has drawn widespread criticism from human rights groups, legal experts and the international community.
But last week a European Parliament committee approved a report saying EU states knew about secret CIA flights over Europe, the abduction of terror suspects by US agents and the existence of clandestine detention camps.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6316369.stm
Germany has ordered the arrest of 13 suspected CIA agents over the alleged kidnapping of one of its citizens.
Munich prosecutors confirmed that the warrants were linked to the case of Khaled al-Masri, a German national of Lebanese descent.
Mr Masri says he was seized in Macedonia, flown to a secret prison in Afghanistan and mistreated there.
He says he was released in Albania five months later when the Americans realised they had the wrong man.
Mr Masri says his case is an example of the US policy of "extraordinary rendition" - a practice whereby the US government flies foreign terror suspects to third countries without judicial process for interrogation or detention.
Code names
Prosecutors in Munich said in a statement that the city's court had issued the warrants on suspicion of abduction and grievous bodily harm.
The information on which the warrants were based came from Mr Masri's lawyers and a journalist and officials in Spain, where the flight carrying Mr Masri is thought to have originated.
The names and nationalities concerned were not released but prosecutors said the names identified were thought to be the code names of CIA agents.
"The investigation will now focus on learning the actual names of the suspects," they said.
Speaking at a news conference, Mr Masri's lawyer, Manfred Gnjidic, said the arrest warrants were "a very important step in the rehabilitation of Masri".
"It shows us that we were right in putting our trust in the German authorities and the German prosecutors," he said.
German arrest warrants are not valid in the US but if the suspects were to travel to the European Union they could be arrested.
Italian case
Mr Masri says he was abducted by US agents in the Macedonian capital, Skopje, on 31 December 2003.
He is seeking to sue the US government over his detention, but in May a judge dismissed a lawsuit he filed against the CIA, citing national security considerations.
The US government is not assisting the German authorities with the case.
Meanwhile in the Italian city of Milan, court hearings to decide whether to indict 25 alleged CIA agents and several Italians accused of kidnapping a Muslim cleric in 2003 are under way.
Osama Mustafa Hassan, or Abu Omar, says he was abducted from the streets of Milan and then tortured in Egypt.
If the case proceeds to trial, it would be the first criminal prosecution over America's rendition policy.
The practice has drawn widespread criticism from human rights groups, legal experts and the international community.
But last week a European Parliament committee approved a report saying EU states knew about secret CIA flights over Europe, the abduction of terror suspects by US agents and the existence of clandestine detention camps.
https://www.facebook.com/NeXTCODER
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DVD Burner
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Bush Is Not Above the Law
By JAMES BAMFORD
January 31, 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/31/opini ... ref=slogin
LAST August, a federal judge found that the president of the United States broke the law, committed a serious felony and violated the Constitution. Had the president been an ordinary citizen — someone charged with bank robbery or income tax evasion — the wheels of justice would have immediately begun to turn. The F.B.I. would have conducted an investigation, a United States attorney’s office would have impaneled a grand jury and charges would have been brought.
But under the Bush Justice Department, no F.B.I. agents were ever dispatched to padlock White House files or knock on doors and no federal prosecutors ever opened a case.
The ruling was the result of a suit, in which I am one of the plaintiffs, brought against the National Security Agency by the American Civil Liberties Union. It was a response to revelations by this newspaper in December 2005 that the agency had been monitoring the phone calls and e-mail messages of Americans for more than four years without first obtaining warrants from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, as required by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
In the past, even presidents were not above the law. When the F.B.I. turned up evidence during Watergate that Richard Nixon had obstructed justice by trying to cover up his involvement, a special prosecutor was named and a House committee recommended that the president be impeached.
And when an independent counsel found evidence that President Bill Clinton had committed perjury in the Monica Lewinsky case, the impeachment machinery again cranked into gear, with the spectacle of a Senate trial (which ended in acquittal).
Laws are broken, the federal government investigates, and the individuals involved — even if they’re presidents — are tried and, if found guilty, punished. That is the way it is supposed to work under our system of government. But not this time.
Last Aug. 17, Judge Anna Diggs Taylor of the United States District Court in Detroit issued her ruling in the A.C.L.U. case. The president, she wrote, had “undisputedly violatedâ€
By JAMES BAMFORD
January 31, 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/31/opini ... ref=slogin
LAST August, a federal judge found that the president of the United States broke the law, committed a serious felony and violated the Constitution. Had the president been an ordinary citizen — someone charged with bank robbery or income tax evasion — the wheels of justice would have immediately begun to turn. The F.B.I. would have conducted an investigation, a United States attorney’s office would have impaneled a grand jury and charges would have been brought.
But under the Bush Justice Department, no F.B.I. agents were ever dispatched to padlock White House files or knock on doors and no federal prosecutors ever opened a case.
The ruling was the result of a suit, in which I am one of the plaintiffs, brought against the National Security Agency by the American Civil Liberties Union. It was a response to revelations by this newspaper in December 2005 that the agency had been monitoring the phone calls and e-mail messages of Americans for more than four years without first obtaining warrants from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, as required by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
In the past, even presidents were not above the law. When the F.B.I. turned up evidence during Watergate that Richard Nixon had obstructed justice by trying to cover up his involvement, a special prosecutor was named and a House committee recommended that the president be impeached.
And when an independent counsel found evidence that President Bill Clinton had committed perjury in the Monica Lewinsky case, the impeachment machinery again cranked into gear, with the spectacle of a Senate trial (which ended in acquittal).
Laws are broken, the federal government investigates, and the individuals involved — even if they’re presidents — are tried and, if found guilty, punished. That is the way it is supposed to work under our system of government. But not this time.
Last Aug. 17, Judge Anna Diggs Taylor of the United States District Court in Detroit issued her ruling in the A.C.L.U. case. The president, she wrote, had “undisputedly violatedâ€
https://www.facebook.com/NeXTCODER
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Archantael
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The United States of America is at war. War is not pleasant. War is not fair. And when you're at war you do what you have to do to win the damn thing or else your enemy will either nuke your ass, or you'll be learning a foreign language before you know it.
If it will keep the towelheads from making America the next Islamic state as they ultimately wish, I would even go so far as to support a nuclear strike on Iran....consequences be damned. I don't want my daughter growing up having to learn Arabic and being forced to adhere to Sharia Law. Wiretapping now may keep it from coming down to a nuclear holocaust....while you have to keep an eye out for mission creep on a decreasing scale....there is certainly a place for wiretapping...hell if people realized how far gone the process is they would just turn around and walk away. This train is already gone.
You know....MikeVDS was right...there is a place for discrimination...and it definitely kicks in when self-preservation is the bottom line.
/soapbox
If it will keep the towelheads from making America the next Islamic state as they ultimately wish, I would even go so far as to support a nuclear strike on Iran....consequences be damned. I don't want my daughter growing up having to learn Arabic and being forced to adhere to Sharia Law. Wiretapping now may keep it from coming down to a nuclear holocaust....while you have to keep an eye out for mission creep on a decreasing scale....there is certainly a place for wiretapping...hell if people realized how far gone the process is they would just turn around and walk away. This train is already gone.
You know....MikeVDS was right...there is a place for discrimination...and it definitely kicks in when self-preservation is the bottom line.
/soapbox
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The CO
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Please. Fearing that Muslims will take over the US is like fearing the Chinese will launch a seaborne attack on the west coast. If there is one thing the clusterfunk in Iraq has shown, it's that we have the best armed military in the world. To say nothing of our armed civilian population. We've all seen Red Dawn. I'm far more frightened of Christian fundies, especially when they get into postions of power.
Yes, the US is at war. One which we started, and which seems to be motivating more and more international people to view us as the assholes.
K-IV, don't you live in Kansas? Are you really worried anyone wants to attack... anything in the midwest?
And honestly, "towelheads"? I'll remember that the next time you complain about gay-bashing or anti-semitism. How many Muslims do you know? I expected better of you than that.
Yes, the US is at war. One which we started, and which seems to be motivating more and more international people to view us as the assholes.
K-IV, don't you live in Kansas? Are you really worried anyone wants to attack... anything in the midwest?
And honestly, "towelheads"? I'll remember that the next time you complain about gay-bashing or anti-semitism. How many Muslims do you know? I expected better of you than that.
M*A*S*H 4207th: An army of fun.
I don't care what the borg says: feather-wearers will NOT be served in Rosie's Bar.
When I ask how many burns, I mean at BRC.
I don't care what the borg says: feather-wearers will NOT be served in Rosie's Bar.
When I ask how many burns, I mean at BRC.
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Archantael
- Posts: 472
- Joined: Tue Oct 14, 2003 10:29 pm
My experiences with Muslims of late have not been pleasant and I've had more than a few. I'm pissed off right now about some things...I'll cool off soon enough.
America's supposed to be the great melting pot....someone forgot to turn up the heat so to speak so everyone gets melted in and you get groups of "towelheads" who exclude others who don't share their point of view. When I walk into a restaurant or cafe I expect to be treated with respect, and I expect the women that are present to be treated respectfully. When that doesn't happen I have an issue with it. And I'm still steaming over 2 incidents that happened...complaints were made and attitudes are being addressed.
America's supposed to be the great melting pot....someone forgot to turn up the heat so to speak so everyone gets melted in and you get groups of "towelheads" who exclude others who don't share their point of view. When I walk into a restaurant or cafe I expect to be treated with respect, and I expect the women that are present to be treated respectfully. When that doesn't happen I have an issue with it. And I'm still steaming over 2 incidents that happened...complaints were made and attitudes are being addressed.
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Archantael
- Posts: 472
- Joined: Tue Oct 14, 2003 10:29 pm
By the way China has threated to nuke the West Coast.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/28cfe55a-f4a7-1 ... 511c8.html
Ignoring the PLA is foolish...after all just last week they conducted an anti-satellite weapons test that was quite successful. Put two and two together and figure out who's satellites they would like to take out in the future. And how about explaining the super-quiet diesel subs they keep acquiring, and on and on it goes. This ain't conspiracy theory crap, this is stuff that has made the mainstream American and International media to be checked out.
And as for having the most powerful military in the world, we still do for the moment...however when I work in Kansas these days I can look out the window at the BNSF transcon line and see tanks, APC's, etc being hauled out for repairs in the shops. It's almost a daily occurance. It's just more proof that our military is crumbling. I have two friends who work in a shop in Springfield repairing all kinds of military aircraft and they've got a two year backlog and are facing more budget cuts. Our military needs serious funding and they needed it yesterday.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/28cfe55a-f4a7-1 ... 511c8.html
Ignoring the PLA is foolish...after all just last week they conducted an anti-satellite weapons test that was quite successful. Put two and two together and figure out who's satellites they would like to take out in the future. And how about explaining the super-quiet diesel subs they keep acquiring, and on and on it goes. This ain't conspiracy theory crap, this is stuff that has made the mainstream American and International media to be checked out.
And as for having the most powerful military in the world, we still do for the moment...however when I work in Kansas these days I can look out the window at the BNSF transcon line and see tanks, APC's, etc being hauled out for repairs in the shops. It's almost a daily occurance. It's just more proof that our military is crumbling. I have two friends who work in a shop in Springfield repairing all kinds of military aircraft and they've got a two year backlog and are facing more budget cuts. Our military needs serious funding and they needed it yesterday.
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DVD Burner
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- Contact:
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Archantael
- Posts: 472
- Joined: Tue Oct 14, 2003 10:29 pm
I find the reaction on here to be very interesting....especially considering that a co-worker and good friend Aris is the one that introduced me to the term. In any event the first time anyone was offended by me saying or writing the term was on here. That doesn't mean it's right or wrong...but it does remind me of how hyper-touchy the eplaya can be sometimes. And it's good to know that someone still reads my posts.DVD Burner wrote:Archantael wrote: towelheads
I do think that's called racisim.
But racist? Me? Please. That's the most hilarious fucking charge anyone could level against me. You don't have a clue. Think what you want...and you will, I'm moving on with it.
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DVD Burner
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Archantael wrote:
But racist? Me? Please. That's the most hilarious fucking charge anyone could level against me. You don't have a clue. Think what you want...and you will, I'm moving on with it.
As you know, I dont consider you racisist. However, Towel head is a racisist midwestern term.
just so you know.
I'll give you an example:
Do a google on it and here's what you get
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=n ... Towel+head+
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DVD Burner
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Archantael
- Posts: 472
- Joined: Tue Oct 14, 2003 10:29 pm
A word can very much depend on context and connotation. Here it seems the word towelhead was used as a label, as an explanation of sorts, but many others (myself included) will have a knee-jerk reaction interpreting it as racism.
I have a group of japanese girls working for me - absolutely awesome people&workers - and we often refer to them as 'Team Japan'. The other day I remarked that we had "all the Japs on today" and got some nasty looks from some of my North American co-workers. And I remembered that not too long ago 'Jap' was a negative term related to the war. Caught me off guard.
I have a group of japanese girls working for me - absolutely awesome people&workers - and we often refer to them as 'Team Japan'. The other day I remarked that we had "all the Japs on today" and got some nasty looks from some of my North American co-workers. And I remembered that not too long ago 'Jap' was a negative term related to the war. Caught me off guard.
You call it malt liquor, I call it breakfast.
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DVD Burner
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Archantael wrote:Points made, accepted, and applied.
I shouldn't have said what I did, and now I understand why.
The best part of all is instead of flaming me over it people offered examples of why it was wrong which allowed me to learn from the mistake.
Thank you.
Hey,
That because we love you and Joel and all.
Not your fault you dont know.
It's all good.
(I know, that's old and corney.)
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DVD Burner
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K-mom wrote: 'Team Japan'.
Honest truth, Team Japan is not quite the same as "Gook".
There is a difference.
Gook=Nigger, wetback.........
You get the message from there.
We dont need to go there but as you can see, I can go there and bring everyone back, as I usually do.
And enjoy doing, cause I love you all.
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DVD Burner
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Judge Declares Mistrial In Watada's Court-Martial
POSTED: 11:54 am HST February 7, 2007
UPDATED: 12:40 pm HST February 7, 2007
http://www.thehawaiichannel.com/news/10 ... etail.html
FORT LEWIS, Wash. -- A judge has declared a mistrial in the court-martial of an Army lieutenant who refused to deploy to Iraq.
There was a delay in the court-martial of Lt. Ehren Watada in Fort Lewis, Wash., earlier on Wednesday when lawyers and the judge discussed a dispute over evidence that could possibly lead to a mistrial.
The dispute arose on Wednesday morning when the lawyers were discussing the jury instructions. It involves evidence that Watada agreed to accept by stipulation
The judge said it became clear during the discussion about jury instructions that, Watada did not understand the stipulation. The judge wants to question him about that but his defense lawyer wants to know the questions in advance, which the judge refused to allow.
The dispute led the judge to throw out evidence, which triggered a mistrial.
Watada had been expected to testify on Wednesday. He's charged with missing a troop movement and conduct unbecoming and officer for refusing to go to Iraq and criticizing the war.
The stipulated evidence covered two charges that were dropped involving statements Watada made to reporters.
POSTED: 11:54 am HST February 7, 2007
UPDATED: 12:40 pm HST February 7, 2007
http://www.thehawaiichannel.com/news/10 ... etail.html
FORT LEWIS, Wash. -- A judge has declared a mistrial in the court-martial of an Army lieutenant who refused to deploy to Iraq.
There was a delay in the court-martial of Lt. Ehren Watada in Fort Lewis, Wash., earlier on Wednesday when lawyers and the judge discussed a dispute over evidence that could possibly lead to a mistrial.
The dispute arose on Wednesday morning when the lawyers were discussing the jury instructions. It involves evidence that Watada agreed to accept by stipulation
The judge said it became clear during the discussion about jury instructions that, Watada did not understand the stipulation. The judge wants to question him about that but his defense lawyer wants to know the questions in advance, which the judge refused to allow.
The dispute led the judge to throw out evidence, which triggered a mistrial.
Watada had been expected to testify on Wednesday. He's charged with missing a troop movement and conduct unbecoming and officer for refusing to go to Iraq and criticizing the war.
The stipulated evidence covered two charges that were dropped involving statements Watada made to reporters.
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EvilDustBooger
- Posts: 3807
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- Location: Outside the Box
...going back to the State of the Union address...
I wish somebody would find and put on U-Tube - the main camera`s view of the segment of Bush`s speech where he talks about the oil industry and fuel costs, saying something like: "We are making plans to cut American gasoline consumption by 20%" . . .
...right over the President`s shoulder...
...the look on Cheney`s face and the way his eyes were dancing around the room maniacally at that suggestion,... says it all.
I always suspected that our government had been infiltrated by evil zombies...and now there is proof.
You have GOT to see that look. Absolutely PRICELESS.
I wish somebody would find and put on U-Tube - the main camera`s view of the segment of Bush`s speech where he talks about the oil industry and fuel costs, saying something like: "We are making plans to cut American gasoline consumption by 20%" . . .
...right over the President`s shoulder...
...the look on Cheney`s face and the way his eyes were dancing around the room maniacally at that suggestion,... says it all.
I always suspected that our government had been infiltrated by evil zombies...and now there is proof.
You have GOT to see that look. Absolutely PRICELESS.