japherwocky's posterous

I hear if you lock yourself in a bathroom with the lights off and spin around a hundred times, when you look in the mirror you see the long-term implications of American foreign policy in Iraq.

According to activists in France, who greeted Rumsfeld shouting "murderer" and "war criminal" at the breakfast meeting venue, US embassy officials remained tight-lipped about the former defense secretary's whereabouts citing "security reasons".

Anti-torture protesters in France believe that the defense secretary fled over the open border to Germany, where a war crimes case against Rumsfeld was dismissed by a federal court. But activist point out that under the Schengen agreement that ended border checkpoints across a large part of the European Union, French law enforcement agents are allowed to cross the border into Germany in pursuit of a fleeing fugitive.

I have a feeling that man is going to lead a fairly unpleasant lonely life from this point on.

The comments are well written, and make interesting points, and have the feel of a real community.

It's funny, writing things on the internet.. the greatest anonymity comes with the greatest numbers.

Thank you, person who may read this some day.

GUESS WHO WAS IN PARIS?

That's right, our good buddy Donald Rumsfeld, who is looking guiltier every day.

The French have stepped up to the plate, and are launching an independent investigation into the allegations, which will most likely (given the pretty substantial amount of evidence already unearthed) result in a prosecution of the former Secretary of Defense.

Keep up the pressure, world!

The ACLU has released a book, making some shocking claims, which are backed up by federal documents, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.

The book, Administration of Torture: A Documentary Record from Washington to Abu Ghraib and Beyond, shows that despite the Bush administration's spin on the scandal, interrogation techniques were directly approved by the highest levels of government.

I think we need bullet points for this.

• Though the President and other senior officials insisted that abuse was limited to Abu Ghraib, a Defense Department "Information Paper" shows that, three weeks before the Abu Ghraib photos were leaked to the press, the Army was aware of at least 62 allegations of prisoner abuse in Afghanistan and Iraq, most of which did not relate to Abu Ghraib.


• Some of the Abu Ghraib photos showed prisoners being subjected to the very same interrogation methods that Rumsfeld had endorsed for use at Guantánamo


• According to an Army investigator, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was "personally involved" in overseeing the interrogation of Mohammed al Qahtani, a Guantánamo prisoner who was stripped naked, paraded in front of female interrogators, made to wear women's underwear on his head, led around on a leash, and forced to perform dog tricks.


• Gen. Michael Dunlavey, who asked the Pentagon to approve more aggressive interrogation methods for use at Guantánamo, claims to have received "marching orders" from President Bush.

I want to say something else. There's been a lot of talk in the newspapers and on TV about a program that I put in motion to detain and question terrorists and extremists. I have put this program in place for a reason, and that is to better protect the American people. And when we find somebody who may have information regarding an -- a potential attack on America, you bet we're going to detain them, and you bet we're going to question them -- because the American people expect us to find out information -- actionable intelligence so we can help protect them. That's our job.

Secondly, this government does not torture people. You know, we stick to U.S. law and our international obligations.

Thirdly, there are highly trained professionals questioning these extremists and terrorists. In other words, we got professionals who are trained in this kind of work to get information that will protect the American people. And by the way, we have gotten information from these high-value detainees that have helped protect you.

And finally, the techniques that we use have been fully disclosed to appropriate members of the United States Congress. The American people expect their government to take action to protect them from further attack. And that's exactly what this government is doing, and that's exactly what we'll continue to do.
- George W. Bush, October 5, 2007

"Preventive war was an invention of Hitler. I would not even listen to anyone seriously who came and talked about such a thing." - Dwight D. Eisenhower

I wonder how hard it would be to set a laugh track to Bush's press conferences? By this logic, we really just need assassinate any person smart enough to understand nuclear technology.

But why should we even bother?

The New York Times replies:

Because leaders write the rules, set the standards and offer the tax incentives that drive market behavior across a whole city, state or country. Whatever any of us does individually matters a tiny bit. But when leaders change the rules, you get scale change across the whole marketplace.

“With this incident, the arrow left the bow, and no room is left for the government to hesitate, postpone or fail to launch a cross border operation,” said Armagan Kuloglu, a retired Turkish major general, in a telephone interview. “If the government resists ordering a military operation, such a step would endanger its existence and credibility.”

Peace, people. Is what you're fighting for really worth dying for? We've got to step up and send the message that we want an end to the killings, that there are more important things to be worried about.

It starts right here at home, when you go to a bar and talk to a friend and say, "Man, I wish somebody would grow a pair and get us out of Iraq."

"Most of those killed and wounded were women, children and elderly men which shows the indiscriminate monstrosity of the attacks on this crowded area," Abdul-Mehdi al-Muteyri told Reuters news agency.

But the US military denied civilians had been killed.

"Ground forces reported they were unaware of any innocent civilians being killed as a result of this operation," its statement said.

In Gaza, a 13 year old boy is killed.

In the Congo, thousands are fleeing from a fight between rival warlords the "government" and the "rebels". The words of some of the refugees are particularly compelling:

There was fighting in the mountains. I heard gunfire - the bullets, bombs and rockets.

It was government soldiers against Nkunda's men.

Nkunda's rebels attacked and the soldiers fought back to protect us civilians.

A provisional minister of parliament came to Sake on Sunday. He held a meeting at the market and told us that the government was ready to really begin attacking Nkunda and put an end to the problem. [...]

- Solange, via the BBC.

[Extreme Hypocrisy Alert: I don't have the references on hand, but George Bush is probably going to set the record for presidential vacations, and Republicans have been complaining about the 5 day workweek that Democrat leaders have implemented for Congress. If I run across the links, I'll tie that back in.]

-- George Bush goes on to interrupt every reporter while they try to ask questions, and then completely avoids anything of any substance. By playing dumb, and flat out refusing to comment on foreign policy.

Q Can I ask you whether -- did you support Israel's strike in 1981 on the Iraqi reactor outside Baghdad?

THE PRESIDENT: You know, Dave, I don't remember what I was doing in 1980 -- let's see, I was living in Midland, Texas; I don't remember my reaction that far back.

Q Well, but as you look at it as President now --

THE PRESIDENT: -- private citizen back there in 1981 in Midland, Texas, trying to make a living for my family and --

Q But you're a careful -- someone who studies history --

THE PRESIDENT: Student of history? I do, yes. No, I don't remember my reaction, to be frank with you.

Q But I'm asking you now, as you look back at it, do you think it was the right action for Israel to take?

THE PRESIDENT: David, I'm not going to comment on the subject that you're trying to get me to comment on.

Q Why won't you? But isn't it a fair question to say, is it -- given all the talk about Iran and the potential threat, whether it would be appropriate for Israel to act --

THE PRESIDENT: Hey, Dave -- Dave --

Q -- in self-defense --

THE PRESIDENT: I understand --

Q -- if Iran were to --

THE PRESIDENT: -- I understand where you're trying to take --

Q -- develop nuclear weapons?

THE PRESIDENT: I understand where you're trying to take. It's a clever ruse to get me to comment on it, but I'm not going to. Thank you.

Absolute bull shit.

But hey, much respect for the reporter trying to trick the President into explaining what the hell is going on with Iran.