OpEdNews - Diary: THE BUSH TORTURE MEMOS

It is vital for Americans to understand the thinking that led the government to this effort to LEGALIZE BARBARIC TREATMENT.

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DIANE'S NEWS CLIPS begins here :)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> Excerpted from: http://www.lewrockwell.com

THE BUSH TORTURE MEMOS President Bush is proposing to medievalize the American legal code by permitting the use of coerced confessions in judicial proceedings. This is one of the most stunning proposals in U.S. political life since Franklin Roosevelt banned private ownership of gold in 1933. It is vital for Americans to understand the thinking that led the government to this effort to LEGALIZE BARBARIC TREATMENT. .......................snip..................... The memo began by largely redefining torture out of existence. It then explained why even if someone died during torture, the torturer might not be guilty if he felt the torture was necessary to prevent some worse evil. The memo concluded by revealing that the president has the right to order torture because he is above the law, at least during wartime (even if Congress has not declared war). Justifiying torture. Continued >> http://www.lewrockwell.com/bovard/bovard40.html _________________________________ http://jablankfort@earthlink.net :

Findley: WHY Was the Palestinian MOTHER OF ELEVEN MURDERED? ...................snip................... Alison Weir, a California journalist and activist who chronicles the bias in U.S. media coverage of Middle East events, bestirred many Americans-perhaps many thousands-in early October with a powerful, chilling Internet account of the largely unreported murder of a Palestinian mother of 11 children by Israeli soldiers in Gaza. Itemad Ismail Abu Mo'ammar was fatally shot while trying to rescue her deaf husband from a severe beating by Israeli soldiers, who were furious because he did not answer their questions. Weir wrote: "Foolishly or valiantly, how is one to say, the 35-year-old woman interfered. She tried to explain that her husband was deaf and couldn't hear their questions. Then she attempted to stop them from hitting him. So they shot her. Several times. She didn't die, though. That took longer, because the soldiers refused to allow an ambulance to transport her to a physician. Finally, after approximately five hours, one was permitted to take her to a hospital where physicians were able to render one service: pronounce her dead. Why did this all happen? The family lived behind the residence of a resistance fighter wanted by Israel. The death of Itemad was simply 'collateral damage' in a failed Israeli assassination-kidnapping operation." Weir searched major U.S. media-broadcast and print-from coast to coast, and found Itemad's death reported in only three newspapers, a single-sentence notice in each. One of the three, The Washington Post, reported inaccurately that the woman was killed by an Israeli tank round. After exchanging messages with Weir, the Post cleared for publication her letter that explained that multiple bullets, fired close up-not a tank round-were the cause of death. But the Post reneged. The letter was not published. Why? Weir's explanation: "After all, these were only Palestinians, and it was just another mother dead." Ponder the "why" of the shooting. Although the distraught woman struggled to get the armed soldiers to stop beating her deaf husband, she surely posed no physical threat to them. Even if they did not understand what she said, she was, at worst, an inconvenience, hardly deserving to be shot. Now consider the "why" of the aftermath. Were the hearts of the Israeli squad so hardened that they could not act with compassion as the husband and children watched helplessly through unavailing tears as the woman bled to death? Why did they want her dead? This Gaza atrocity is not an isolated aberration. Israeli brutality is commonplace, and so is American silence in response. What transformed the soldiers, their military superiors, as well as the civilian leaders of the Israeli government into callous brutes? Is the whole Israeli governmental system so corrupted with anti-Arab passion that mercy for a dying mother is nowhere to be found? [snip] Continued: http://world.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/40707 --- Occupied Canada: Government forming pro-Israel Lobby Truth is indeed stranger and often more frightening than fiction. What is extraordinary is that as the organized Jewish community in the US and abroad moves further and further towards the fascist right, its power over the US and Western governments is growing even more rapidly. One need not argue about the validity of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion while there is an ugly conspiracy unfolding before our very eyes, or at least the eyes of those willing to see. JB http://snipurl.com/19pc1 --- Pacifica Speaks Out on Haiti, Iraq, and Justice While it is important that Pacifica speak out on the injustices being committed by the UN occupiers in Haiti, a story largely uncovered by the mainstream media and seemingly of little concern to the US "anti-war movement," such as it is, Pacifica is still unwilling to take a position supporting the Palestinian struggle for justice against Israel for fear of antagonizing many of its Jewish donors whose names appear on embossed plaques in the entrance way of KPFA, Pacifica's flagship station in Berkeley. This is just another example of how deep the lobby or fear of the lobby has penetrated into all aspects of American society. JB OPEN LETTER TO THE PUBLIC: Pacifica Radio's Board Speaks Out on Haiti, Iraq, and Justice : http://snipurl.com/19pcd --- A Sour Chomsky Shows Disrespect to a Young, Paying Audience by Philip Weiss | NY Observer | 2.6.07 Excerpt: "After the speech the lights came up and without fanfare Chomsky came to the podium. He said he was going to take questions now. Well I thought that was odd. The event was advertised as a lecture from Chomsky. No. He was just taking questions,..." Full article: http://snipurl.com/19pb1 _________________________________ Excerpted from: http://www.truthout.org US Doesn't Sign Ban on Disappearances http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/020807P.shtml Nearly 60 countries signed a treaty on Tuesday that bans governments from holding people in secret detention, but the United States and some of its key European allies were not among them. The signing capped a quarter-century of efforts by families of people who have vanished at the hands of governments. --- Blogger in Jail Longer Than Any Journalist in History http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/020807M.shtml Freelance videographer and independent journalist Josh Wolf defied a federal grand jury's order in July to hand over raw footage of anarchists clashing with police in San Francisco. He said he was protected by the First Amendment. A federal judge said he was in contempt of court. On August 1, the 24-year-old blogger reported to the federal detention facility in Dublin, California. As of Tuesday, he had been incarcerated longer than any journalist in modern US history. --- Jeff Cohen | Jonah Goldberg's Gambling Debt: Will Tribune Company Pay It? http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/020807O.shtml Jeff Cohen writes: "There are many shades of right-wing punditry in our country. Among the shadiest is Jonah Goldberg. With arrogance seemingly matched only by his ignorance, Goldberg was just being Goldberg when he offered this wager two years ago: 'Let's make a bet. I predict that Iraq won't have a civil war, that it will have a viable constitution, and that a majority of Iraqis and Americans will, in two years' time, agree that the war was worth it. I'll bet $1,000 (which I can hardly spare right now).' The two-year period comes due Thursday, February 8. Even Goldberg now realizes his prediction was totally wrong ... So shouldn't Goldberg - or somebody - pay off the $1,000?" --- Craig Unger | From the Wonderful Folks Who Brought You Iraq http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/020807E.shtml "The same neocon ideologues behind the Iraq War have been using the same tactics - alliances with shady exiles, dubious intelligence on WMD - to push for the bombing of Iran," writes Craig Unger. "As President Bush ups the pressure on Tehran, is he planning to double his Middle East bet?" --- Veterans Group Speaks Out on War http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121306H.shtml When Iraq War veteran Jon Soltz accused Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) of "aiding the enemy," the Democratic senators gathered around him yesterday did not wince. Nor did Democrats object when Soltz, the chairman of a group called VoteVets.org, called President Bush and Vice President Cheney "draft dodgers." --- Lawyers for Three Gitmo Detainees Slam Rules http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/020807T.shtml Tight deadlines, rules allowing hearsay evidence and limited access to Guantanamo Bay will hamper efforts to defend three detainees facing military trials at the Navy base in southeast Cuba, their attorneys say. --- Matt Renner | Progressive Democrats Aim to Cut Iraq War Funding http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/020807K.shtml Matt Renner reports, "The Congressional Progressive Caucus is leading the Democratic effort in the House to stop the president's escalation plan in its tracks and bring US troops home within the year." --- William Rivers Pitt | The 21st Century Sucks http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/020807R.shtml After Boston's false bomb threat last week, William Rivers Pitt realizes that the younger generation has been exposed to "bogus terror scare after bogus terror scare, to lies without count about threats beyond measure, to a war seemingly without end that serves only itself." Pitt writes, "a twenty-one year old today was seventeen years old when we invaded Iraq, fifteen years old when September 11th happened, and fourteen years old when the Supreme Court decided to take over the duties and responsibilities of electing our public officials." --- Brzezinski: Iraq War a Calamity http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/020807L.shtml --- Bill Simpich | The Watada Mistrial: Here's What Really Happened http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/020807A.shtml Bill Simpich writes: "First Lt. Ehren Watada knew exactly what his case was about - and that scared the judge. There was absolutely no reason to stop the Watada trial." --- Nicholas D. Kristof | Mr. Cheney, Tear Down This Wall http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/020807C.shtml Nicholas D. Kristof writes: "Mr. Vice President, did you push Mr. Libby to dig into Joe Wilson's background and discredit him? What did you mean when you wrote, in a note to Scott McClellan that has been entered into evidence, 'not going to protect one staffer + sacrifice the guy the Pres. that was asked to stick his head in the meat grinder because of incompetence of others.'" --- NYCLU Sues NYPD on Arrests of Protesters http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/020807D.shtml Hundreds of protesters arrested during the 2004 Republican National Convention were held for up to six times longer than those arrested on charges unrelated to the convention, according to city documents made public Thursday. Records show that protesters arrested on August 31, 2004, were held an average of 32 hours before appearing in court, while those arrested on other offenses were held less than five hours. --- Few Veteran Diplomats Accept Mission to Iraq http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/020807F.shtml While the diplomats and Foreign Service employees of the State Department have always been expected to staff "hardship" postings, those jobs have not usually required that they wear flak jackets with their pinstriped suits. But in the last five years, the Foreign Service landscape has shifted. --- Pierre Rousselin | The Saudi Game http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/020807G.shtml Pierre Rousselin ponders the suddenly active and blatant character of Saudi diplomacy and what it portends for a reconfigured Middle East. --- Senate Panel Reacts to Attorney Firings http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/020807S.shtml A Senate panel advanced a bill Thursday to curb the Justice Department's power to replace federal prosecutors indefinitely, after seven forced resignations sparked accusations of political favoritism. --- NOW | New Bankruptcy Laws Make It Harder for Working Americans to Start Over http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/020807U.shtml --- Bush Budget Would Cut Money for Scenic Wild Lands http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/020807EA.shtml A program that protects more than a million acres of trails, wilderness and historic sites in the West would see another cut under President Bush's proposed 2008 budget. _________________________________

[NEWSDISSECTOR] Mistrial In Liutenant Watada Trial MORE CORRUPTION IN IRAQ | HATE MAIL INUNDATES SOME PUNDITS CNN'S "LOVE TRIANGLE" OBSESSION http://www.newsdissector.com/blog/2007/02/08/mistrial-in-liutenant-watada-trial/ _________________________________ Excerpted from: http://www.alternet.org The Rise of Chistian Fascism | Ammunition for Atheists | How to Prevent War with Iran The Rise of Christian Fascism and Its Threat to American Democracy By Chris Hedges, Truthdig

We must attend to growing social and economic inequities in order to stop the most dangerous mass movement in American history -- or face a future of fascism under the guise of Christian values. Read more » http://www.alternet.org/stories/47679/ --- How to Prevent a War with Iran By Phyllis Bennis, TomPaine.com

To stop the looming war with Iran, Congress needs to pre-empt the possibility of the White House launching an attack. The secret weapon is the Boland Amendment. http://www.alternet.org/audits/47759/ ..............snip.................. A Budget for Permanent War By Ari Berman, The Nation

Bush's military budget reveals his intent to keep the U.S. in Iraq as long as he can. http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/47773/ _________________________________

Excerpted from: http://mediamatters.org MSNBC anchor promised to talk about Pelosi plane story "all day long"* Read more >> VIDEO: http://mediamatters.org/items/200702080009?src=other ----- CNN did not challenge unsubstantiated GOP claim that Pelosi specifically requested "one of the most luxurious planes" Read more >> VIDEO: http://tinyurl.com/25axqt ----- CNN identifies Lieberman on-screen with a "D" as he bashes anti-escalation resolution Read more >> VIDEO: http://mediamatters.org/items/200702080004?src=other ----- ABC's Moran criticized Edwards blogger, failed to ask similar questions about McCain aides Read more >> http://mediamatters.org/items/200702070016?src=other ----- Saying "the country wants ... a little bit of fascism," on Imus Matthews further saluted Giuliani On the February 7 edition of MSNBC's Imus in the Morning, MSNBC Hardball host Chris Matthews heaped praise on GOP presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, calling the former New York mayor "the kind of gutsy, street-corner politician we all grew up with" who "stood on the corner during the fire and told us what was going on." Matthews said that he would like "[a] guy who wasn't on the ranch during Katrina -- who was out on the street corner answering questions," adding: "I'm so sick of southern guys with ranches running this country. I want a guy to run for president who doesn't have a fucking -- I'm sorry -- a ranch. Wouldn't that be good?" Read more >> VIDEO: http://mediamatters.org/items/200702070011?src=other ----- Media have let McCain falsehoods on aide's role in anti-Ford ad go unchallenged In the past 24 hours, numerous media outlets have reported on the uproar among conservatives over the past writings of two bloggers recently hired by former Sen. John Edwards' (D-NC) presidential campaign. But the media have given little attention to Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) recent falsehoods regarding the role of his presidential campaign manager, Terry Nelson, in the production of a controversial 2006 campaign advertisement that many deemed racist. Indeed, since late December 2006, several media figures have allowed McCain or his aides to alternately claim that Nelson "didn't produce" the ad, was "instructed" to approve the ad, or "resigned" from the Republican National Committee (RNC) over the ad -- all assertions contradicted by the facts: Read more >> VIDEO: http://mediamatters.org/items/200702070015?src=other ----- Imus touted Giuliani as willing to "drop [a nuclear weapon] on Mecca" Read more >> VIDEO: http://mediamatters.org/items/200702070014?src=other ----- McCain and his blogger apparently agree: Chelsea Clinton is "ugly" Read more >> http://mediamatters.org/items/200702070007?src=other ----- Despite earlier report to the contrary, Blitzer said Edwards proposes to "raise[ ] your taxes" Read more >> VIDEO: http://mediamatters.org/items/200702070006?src=other _________________________________ Miller Brewing Co. is introducing Miller Chill, a beer flavored with lime and salt next month. The beer is modeled after a popular style of Mexican beer called a "chelada," and will be test-marketed throughout Florida, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and San Diego, reported Business Week. http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8N3R0T01.htm _________________________________ http://rawstory.com | http://www.dailykos.com | http://www.firedoglake.com _________________________________ ********* Links of interest ********** Make your own ringtones > http://www.komando.com/tips/index.aspx?id=2560 Free music! > http://www.komando.com/downloads/category.aspx?id=1605 Connect a music player to your car's stereo > http://snipurl.com/17yfg Be sure to listen to me Monday through Friday. Use my map to find me near you http://www.komando.com/listen/index.aspx _________________________________ eHEALTHY NEWS Air Fresheners May Damage Your Lungs - The chemical that gives mothballs their smell can also put you at risk for diminished lung function, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. http://snipurl.com/19j30 ----- Another Bird Flu Scam - GlaxoSmithKline adds another useless vaccine to the fight against the epidemic that will never happen. http://snipurl.com/19j3e ----- Golfers Aren't as Healthy as They Believe - The majority of golfers are out of shape, although not all of them are aware of it; 30 percent can't even finish a round. http://snipurl.com/19j3f _________________________________ VIDEO: Every Thirty Seconds | United States - 2005 | Running time - 05:50 **** Every thirty seconds a man is hit by a drunk driver... This is that man. http://www.pawky.com/featured/every_thirty_seconds# _________________________________ NationalGeographic.com http://lava.nationalgeographic.com/pod/ _________________________________ NASA Astronomy picture of the day http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html _________________________________ Who can hope to be safe? who sufficiently cautious? Guard himself as he may, every moment's an ambush. ~ Horace _________________________________ Link to: Diane's News Clips http://www.opednews.com/author/author2300.html?entry=diary