Mood:  loud

 

 This spin and dodging is pathetic.Notice Dicks opinion on torture and CIA prisons. My God this is our Leader and I am ashamed! We have been screwed over. This is not my country,it is being ruined by this neocon! This is piss-poor leadership it is asinine and very very wrong.

 

 

DICK CHENEY INTERVIEW

Dec. 18, 2005 — What does Vice President Dick Cheney really think about what's going on in Iraq, the latest revelations about domestic spying and the anti-torture amendment?

The usually media-shy Cheney made a surprise trip Sunday to Iraq, where he talked with ABC News' Terry Moran, co-anchor of "Nightline," about some of the biggest issues facing our country and the world.   

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/IraqCoverage/story?id=1419206

On the Domestic Spying Program

Terry Moran: Let me shift gears. The president has now acknowledged authorizing and reauthorizing, more than 30 times, a program to spy on Americans without any warrant from any court. This is a huge change.

Vice President Dick Cheney: I think that's a slight distortion of what the president said. The president said — is that we will use all of our power and authority — the decision we made after 9/11 — to do everything we can to defend the country. That's our obligation. We take an oath of office to do that.

Moran: That's not in dispute.

Cheney: And that when we have a situation where we have communication between someone inside the U.S. and an acknowledged al Qaeda or terrorist source outside the U.S., that that's something we need to know.

And he has authorized us to look at that. And it is, in fact, consistent with the constitution. It's been reviewed. It's reviewed every 45 days by the president himself, by the attorney general of the U.S., by the president's council, by the director of CIA.

It's been briefed to the Congress over a dozen times. And, in fact, it is a program that is, by every effort we've been able to make, consistent with the statutes and with the law. It's the kind of capability [that], if we'd had before 9/11, might have led us to be able to prevent 9/11.

We had two 9/11 terrorists in San Diego prior to the attack in contact with al Qaeda sources outside the U.S. We didn't know it. The 9/11 Commission talks about it. If we'd had this capability, then we might well have been able to stop it.

Moran: But, Mr. Vice President, this is a program that surveilles people inside the United States. The Constitution—

Cheney: Who are in touch with al Qaeda who are outside the United States.

Moran: Don't you have to have a court give permission for that in any other circumstance — to eavesdrop on communications in America?

Cheney: Terry, these are communications that involve acknowledged or known terrorists — dirty numbers, if you will. And in fact, it is consistent with the president's constitutional authority as commander in chief. It's consistent with the resolution that was passed by the Congress after 9/11.

And it has been reviewed repeatedly by the Justice Department every single time it's been renewed, to make certain that it is, in fact, managed in a manner that's fully consistent with the Constitution and with our statutes.

Moran: But that's all the executive branch. The Constitution calls for a court, a co-equal branch of government, as a check on the power of the executive, to give a say-so before an American or someone in America is surveilled, or searched, or spied upon.

Cheney: This has been done, Terry, in a manner that is completely consistent with our obligations and requirements, I can assure you. That's one of the reasons we hold it and watch it so carefully. That's why it has to go the president every 30 days to 45 days, to make absolutely certain we are in compliance with all of the safeguards with respect to individual liberty, and that it is managed in a very conservative fashion, and it is signed up to by the attorney general of the U.S. and reviewed by the Office of Legal Counsel in the Justice Department.

So we spend a lot of time making certain that this is, in fact, safeguarded. And as I say, we've briefed Congress on it — just a few members, the leadership — on over a dozen occasions.

Moran: Let me take you up on that. Sen. Graham of Florida, ex-Sen. Graham, who was on the Intelligence Committee at the time this program began, suggested to us that when you briefed him, you misled him, [that] you didn't tell him the full scope of the program. That's his feeling now that he sees it exposed.

Cheney: Well, that's not true.

Moran: He knew.

Cheney: He knew. I sat in my office with Gen. Hayden, who was then the head of NSA, who's now the deputy director of the National Intelligence Directorate, and he was briefed as long as he was chairman of the committee, or ranking member of the committee.

On the Anti-Torture Amendment

Moran: The president has said we do not torture, and Sen. McCain proposed a measure in part to vindicate those values that would ban the cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of any person in U.S. custody anywhere in the world. Why did he [Bush] fight so hard against that?

Cheney: Well, we ultimately reached a compromise between the president and Sen. McCain, and it was arrived at just last week. But what I— Excuse me. The position I took was one that was the position the administration had taken when we signaled to the Congress that we were prepared to veto a bill that went farther than we thought it should, in terms of trying to restrict the prerogatives of the president, and—

Moran: How so, when it comes to cruel, inhuman— What's the president's prerogative in the cruel treatment of prisoners?

Cheney: There's a definition that's based on prior Supreme Court decisions and prior arguments, and it has to do with the Fourth, Thirteenth, and — three specific amendments to the Constitution. And the rule is whether or not it shocks the conscience. If it's something that shocks the conscience, the court has agreed that crosses over the line.

Now, you can get into a debate about what shocks the conscience and what is cruel and inhuman. And to some extent, I suppose, that's in the eye of the beholder. But I believe, and we think it's important to remember, that we are in a war against a group of individuals and terrorist organizations that did, in fact, slaughter 3,000 innocent Americans on 9/11, that it's important for us to be able to have effective interrogation of these people when we capture them.

And the debate is over the extent to which we are going to have legislation that restricts or limits that capability. Now, as I say, we've reached a compromise. The president signed on with the McCain amendment. We never had any problem with the McCain amendment. We had problems with trying to extend it as far as he did.

But ultimately, as I say, a compromise was arrived at, and I support the compromise.

Moran: Should American interrogators be staging mock executions [and] waterboarding prisoners? Is that cruel?

Cheney: I am not going to get into specifics here. You're getting into questions about sources and methods, and I don't talk about that, Terry.

Moran: As vice president of the U.S., you can't tell the American people whether…

Cheney: I don't talk about—

Moran: …or not we would interrogate…

Cheney: I can say that we, in fact, are consistent with the commitments of the United States that we don't engage in torture. And we don't.

Moran: Are you troubled at all that more than 100 people in U.S. custody have died — 26 of them now being investigated as criminal homicides — people beaten to death, suffocated to death, died of hypothermia in U.S. custody?

Cheney: No. I won't accept your numbers, Terry. But I guess one of the things I'm concerned about is that as we get farther and farther away from 9/11, and there have been no further attacks against the U.S., there seems to be less and less concern about doing what's necessary in order to defend the country.

I think, for example, the Patriot Act — this week, the Patriot Act, a vital piece of legislation — it was, in fact, passed in the aftermath of 9/11. It extended to our ability to operate with respect to the counterterrorist effort.

It gave us authorities that were already used in other areas against drug traffickers and so forth that broke down that wall between law enforcement and intelligence that had prohibited cooperation. …

And what I'm concerned about, Terry, is that as we get farther and farther from 9/11, we've got — we seem to have people less and less committed to doing everything that's necessary to defend the country.

The Patriot Act, up for renewal, was filibustered in the Senate this week by the Democrats and blocked from passage. As a result, parts of that are going to expire on Dec. 31. Somehow, I think a lot of people have lost their sense of urgency out there. That's hard for me to do or for the president to do.

We get up every morning, and the first thing we do is an intelligence brief, where we look at the threats to the United States. We do that six days a week. We're well aware that there are still terrorists out there who mean to do evil, that they're trying their best to get their hands on deadlier weapons, biological agents or nuclear weapons, to use against us.

And we need to maintain the capability of this government to be able to defend the nation. And that means we have to take extraordinary measures, but we do do it in a manner that's consistent with the Constitution and consistent with our statutes.

On the Current State of Iraq

Moran: So this is your first trip to Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein?

Cheney: It is.

Moran: What surprised you today? What do you know about Iraq today that you didn't know yesterday?

Cheney: Well, I think, like most people who've looked at it, I've been tremendously impressed with what happened in the election just this past week. I mean, I really think that may be a seminal event in the history of Iraq, that it's such an important part of the process of building a democracy, a viable Iraq, an Iraq that can stand on its own, that the thing that strikes you when you come out is just the mood and the demeanor of the people you talk with — speaking with Talabani and Jaafri, for example.

I've met with both of them before, but they both, I think, were visibly relieved at how big the turnout was — that, in fact, the process is working, that there is strong support even in the Sunni areas for participation in the political process.

Moran: But you know, we've had elections before in this country, now, twice before this. There was that moment of hope after the January elections, with the amazing sights that that brought out, and those hopes have been dashed again and again.

What makes you think this time it's going to be different?

Cheney: I disagree with the notion that hopes have been dashed. I don't think that's true.

Moran: Well, the violence has continued.

Cheney: Well, the violence has continued, but I think the key in terms of looking at the elections is that they've made every single milestone that's been set, every single one, from the time we turned over sovereignty in June of '04, to the first elections in January, then writing the constitution, getting the constitution ratified, and now national elections under that new constitution.

They've had three elections this year. Each one's gotten better and stronger and more effective. I do think it's serving to undermine the legitimacy of the insurgency. I think it will make it increasingly difficult for the insurgents to be effective.

We see it, for example, in the volume of tips that we get from the Iraqi people, intelligence information about where to find weapons caches, or who's responsible for some of the terrorist attacks. There's been a quantum leap over the course of the last year in terms of the number of intelligence reports coming in.

The academy is doing better. The Iraqi security services are clearly much, much better now. There's a big change there over the last 18 months. I met today with some of the members and the leader of the 9th Mechanized Iraqi Division. These are men who've signed on to support the new government.

And the benefit of having that election now is we're going to have a government that's a legitimate government of Iraq that nobody can claim lacks legitimacy. It's an Iraqi government elected by Iraqis under a constitution written by Iraqis. And so I think all of that is measurable progress.

And while the level of violence has continued, I do believe that when we look back on this period of time, 2005 will have been the turning point when, in fact, we made sufficient progress both on the political front and the security front, so that we'll see that as the watershed year.

Moran: You talk about undermining the legitimacy of the resistance. Before the war you said Americans would be greeted as liberators here, and yet your own trip here today was undertaken in such secrecy that not even the prime minister of this country knew you were coming, and your movements around are in incredible secrecy and security. Do you ever think about how and why you got it wrong?

Cheney: I don't think I got it wrong. I think the vast majority of the Iraqi people are grateful for what the U.S. did. I think they believe overwhelmingly that they're better off today than they were when Saddam Hussein ruled.

I think the vast majority of them think of us as liberators. And I think your own polls show that, Terry. If you look at the poll that was done just recently by ABC, it shows a great deal of optimism, of hope, on the part of the Iraqi people, that their lives are better and going to get better in the future.

So I really believe the notion that somehow the Iraqi people opposed what we did when we came in and toppled Saddam Hussein, or that a majority of them were against it, is just dead wrong. It's not true. I think a majority of them support it.

On Reports of Secret CIA Prisons

Moran: Does the United States maintain secret prisons around the world?

Cheney: I'm not going to talk about intelligence matters.

Moran: Secret prisons?

Cheney: I'm not going to talk about intelligence matters.

Moran: Does the International Red Cross have access to everyone in U.S. custody, as we are obliged?

Cheney: Terry, with all due respect, I won't discuss intelligence matters. I shouldn't.

Moran: I'd like to put this personally, if I can. You're a grandfather. I'm a father. When we look at those girls and we think that the country we're about to pass to them is a country where the vice president can't say whether or not we have secret prisons around the world, whether waterboarding and mock executions is consistent with our values, and a country where the government is surveilling without the warrant of a court, is that the country we want to pass on to them?

Cheney: I want to pass on to them a country that is free, that is not plagued by terrorist attacks, doesn't see a repeat of the terrible events of 9/11 when we lost 3,000 of our people that morning to a handful of terrorists who had no justification at all for what they do.

I can guarantee you that we do do as a government, as an administration, is to support and uphold the Constitution of United States, that we do, in fact, take extraordinary steps to make certain we maintain our constitutional obligations and responsibilities, which includes both defending the country as well as defending individual liberties and protecting the rights of all Americans.

And I want my kids to grow up in a strong, free, independent America where they are safe from the kinds of outrages that have been perpetrated not only in New York and Washington, but in Madrid, Casablanca, and Istanbul, and Bali, and Jakarta, all over the globe.

And we're up against a very tough adversary, and under those circumstances we need to do everything we can to protect the American people. And that's got to be a prime concern for us, and it is.

On the Indictment of Lewis Libby

Moran: Another subject. When did you first hear the name Valerie Plame?

Cheney: Well, I'm going to respectfully decline to talk about that. There is a trial pending. I have been constrained for the last 2.5 years not talking about that case, because there was an investigation under way.

And now with a trial pending, I think it would be inappropriate for me to say anything about it at all, so I have not said anything about it and won't.

Moran: Can you say, as vice president — can you answer — did you direct anyone to disclose her identity or to lie about…

Cheney: Terry, you can ask the question any way you want. Scooter Libby is a close friend of mine. He's one of the most able and talented people I know. He's entitled to the presumption of innocence, and from my perspective it would be totally inappropriate for me to comment, period. That's been my posture now for 2.5 years and will continue to be.

Moran: I'm going to try once more, because I'm not really asking about the criminal investigation.

Cheney: The answer will be the same, Terry.

Moran: I'm asking about the conduct of the vice president. And people have a right to know this. Did you direct anyone to disclose her name or to cover up disclosing her name?

Cheney: Terry, I have given you the answer. I will not say any more about it. There will be a time when I can discuss it, but not now.

Moran: Fair enough. You mentioned Scooter Libby is a close friend, and…

Cheney: He is.

Moran: … he's worked with you for a long time. What do you make of what he's going through?

Cheney: Well, I'm sure it's very tough. But he's a good man. He's a patriot. And as I say, he's entitled to a presumption of innocence. And we'll leave it at that.

Posted by Joe Anybody at 11:27 PM PDT

Updated: Saturday, 9 September 2006 11:31 AM PDT

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From the pages of --> http://thinkprogress.org/tellabc 

(quote)On September 10th and 11th, ABC Television is planning to run an "inaccurate" film depicting the events leading up to the 9/11 attacks. The film was written by an avowed conservative and it largely places the blame for failing to prevent the attacks on the Clinton administration while whitewashing the failures of the Bush administration.

Our review of the film shows it to be full of such inaccuracies. Its distorted version of history is inconsistent with the 9/11 Commission Report, upon which it claims to be based. The events leading up to September 11, 2001 are too important and too tragic to play politics with the facts.(end quote)

Now my fellow z3 readers will know that this accusation is only half true. Not only do I agree with the thinkprogress website and urge you all to get involved with their issue on this, I go even farther and say there were many, many, lies and cover ups. We as a Nation are being tricked, lied to and abused! Now the word tricked sure is tame compared to using other accusations I could use, yet you know what I mean.

The link above is on the new ABC 911 movie coming out that is full of miss-leading information and twists that are NOT TRUE yet the whole movie is portrayed as a  True Report and it is inferred that the movie is compiled from that.... infamous 911 Commission Report.....but that that is not the fact. It is fabricated and not fact. The movie wants you to think it source WAS the Commision Report, but in reality is just LIES & SPIN!

This movie is misleading and flat out lies. It is being previewed only in Republican circles by being provided in advance to only approximately 900 right-wing bloggers and media personalities such as Rush Limbaughand It will be released on 9-10 & 9-11 to the general Public.

_{(No preview released to the general media, just the hard line Republican pundits get to preview this ABC crap-olla-film)} 

The

 

Spin Machine

 

is in Full Swing

Just more 911 Lies,

And Joe Anybody Hates It!

Please click these link I have included and take as much action as possible to stop this corporate 911 Republican corruptively run bullshit-of-a-lie in their so called new release of a movie, titled

"A path to 911"

*** Another link to the same ABC bullshit is below***

Since publishing our original action alert regarding ABC's inaccurate and biased "docu-drama" to be broadcast on Sept. 11th, we've learned even more disturbing details about the show - which is scheduled to occupy six hours of prime time television, less that two months before an important national election. Now read these facts in the link below from the "working for change " website

http://www.workingforchange.com/activism/action.cfm?itemid=21330&afccode=n71txt

TAKE ACTION - CLICK THESE LINKS TO SEND A MESSAGE TO ABC, DISNEY AND THEIR SPONSERS TELL THEM THAT IT IS SHAMEFUL TO LIE ABOUT 911

I DID!

Here is some Oregon "Local" ABC contacts:

Oregon

• Eugene: KEZI-TV 9
• Klamath Falls: KDKF-TV 31 (Satellite of KDRV-TV 12)
• Medford: KDRV-TV 12
• Portland-Vancouver, WA: KATU 2

 

 

___________________________________________ 

___________________________________________ 

And then my fellow z3 reader go the next half of this Truth Search on the 911 Subject

Check my 911 Truth Page out at this link:

 http://www.joe-anybody.com/id16.html

 

Posted by Joe Anybody at 12:05 AM PDT

Updated: Friday, 8 September 2006 1:43 PM PDT

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 Although this article is about 30 days old, I thought it was worth noting. See what these guys are doing to help out -

"our brothers and sisters that are in need".

GREENPEACE +

DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS

= LOVE

Here is the article dated 8-10-06:

(quote) International - Monday 7 August At 10:00 (CET) this morning Greenpeace's flag ship, the Rainbow Warrior returned to Cyprus, after its second trip to Beirut delivering a total of 60 tons of urgently needed humanitarian supplies on behalf of Doctors Without Borders. A further hundred tons are still scheduled to be transported.

Posted by Joe Anybody at 11:30 PM PDT

Updated: Tuesday, 5 September 2006 11:53 PM PDT

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Mood:  energetic

http://www.motherjones.com/bush_war_timeline/index.html

You Got To See This Mother Jones Time Line

(quote from MJ) From 1993 to 2003 The first drafts of history are fragmentary. Important revelations arrive late, and out of order. In this timeline, we’ve assembled the history of the Iraq War to create a resource we hope will help resolve open questions of the Bush era. What did our leaders know and when did they know it? And, perhaps just as important, what red flags did we miss, and how could we have missed them? This is the first installment in our Iraq War timeline project. (end quote)

Posted by Joe Anybody at 9:20 PM PDT

Updated: Tuesday, 5 September 2006 9:27 PM PDT

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From the website

"Human Rights First.org"

Here we have a group that has to tell our Government how to act appropriate. From the opening paragraph of the Human Rights First web page on this topic, I give you fellow Zebra3 readers, the opening advice that I am sure the White House received as well:

This plan is intended to move beyond concern and dismay and set a positive way forward. The goal of this plan is to help the United States reclaim its role as a leading defender of fairness and liberty in the world and to make clear that abuses like those we have seen and read about can never again be done in America's name

http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/us_law/detainees/end_abuse_plan.htm

10-Point Strategy

1. Commit to upholding the laws on interrogation and detention.

2. Investigate and prosecute all acts of torture and abuse and publicly report on
all cases.

3. Ban the use of torture.

4. Rescind all orders permitting conduct that amounts to torture and abuse.

5. Compensate victims of abuse and notify their families.

6. Mandate rigorous training for interrogators and ban civilian contractors
from conducting interrogations.

7. Disclose the location of all U.S. detention facilities worldwide and account for
all detainees in custody.

8. Inspect all military detention facilities worldwide and report findings to
Congress.

9. Provide all those in custody visits by the Red Cross and due process.

10. Ban transfer of prisoners to countries that use torture.

Seems to me, if my country cant abide by these simple suggested 10 Strategy Points they don't amount to a pile of dog crap on my lawn!

Seems to me, our government and Military might start to try living by some morals and follow the 10 point strategy. Heck - get this country back on its honest & forthright legs......but we will see! We will see indeed!

I actually kind of doubt the Military will do anything unless forced to by the courts! As crazy as that seems. Yet ironically ....Even being "told to by the courts" does not mean - that - "this group of out of control torture provocateurs" will even abide by the judge rule. They are rouge and beyond law as we knew it. Uncle Sam has gone mad!

To this day The McCain Torture Bill has not been abided by or enforced or followed. And  my dear readers, its been over 8 months since bushman was on TV shaking hands and telling the world he was going to follow the anti-torture agreement! Over 8 months and NOTHING done yet........?

....Funny thing HAHAHA after he signed the Torture Bill......he added a "signage clause" to the bottom of the bill that lets him not follow the requirement of the bill or law. ( snicker*)

HAHAHA these guys are as crooked as carnies at the traveling circus! The whole process is a game of charades. Bush still permits torture ....and yet on TV lies and pretends he will stop using it.

Folks you have been bush~shitted! That why these 10 points need to be discussed.

WOW so let me clarify this! We nowhave to spell-out the 10 points solution - for these war mongers to follow?

Kind of odd but ...Did bushman claim he was a Christian? And he allows this torture crap to happen? hmmmm?

"GOOD GRIEF CHARLIE BROWN"

Posted by Joe Anybody at 4:34 AM PDT

Updated: Sunday, 3 September 2006 9:59 AM PDT

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THIS COMIC IS

AMAZING AND I

RECOMMENDED

IT TO EVERYONE

~ ALL AGES ~

Posted by Joe Anybody at 2:20 AM PDT

Updated: Tuesday, 29 August 2006 2:55 AM PDT

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http://www.knife-party.net/flash/barry.html

A Short Neo-Con Movie

Posted by Joe Anybody at 12:05 AM PDT

Updated: Monday, 28 August 2006 1:08 AM PDT

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On his death bed,

he told his mother,

"I can't go out there and

shoot at young children.

I just can't go to Iraq.

I don't care what side they

are on... I can't do it."

Tony Chelsea, 58, a factory production supervisor, said: "My son, Jason, was made very, very lonely by what was happening to him. He was very sad inside and he bottled up what was causing it. It was only after the overdose that he told us about his fears over what might happen in Iraq

His mother added: "Jason said that during the training for Iraq he had been told that children as young as two carry bombs and the time may come when he would have to shoot one to save himself and his friends. I think they need to think again about the training they give to young soldiers before Iraq.

He had even told his parents that he had been warned by his commanders that he could be ordered to fire on child suicide bombers. It was a fear that he never confronted. Within 48 hours of confessing his concerns to his family, Jason at the young age of 19 years old, was dead after taking an overdose of painkillers and slashing his wrists.

**********

_{After watching a football match on the night of 10 August, he calmly wrote the suicide note, telling his father it was a letter to a relative, took 60 painkillers then slashed his wrists. As he lay bleeding, the soldier dialed 999, telling the operator: "I have done something stupid."}

_{In normal circumstances, Pte Chelsea, who suffered from dyslexia, may have recovered from his injuries. But when doctors began tests to assess the damage caused to his liver by the drugs, it was found that the organ had been irreparably damaged by alcohol. His family were told his liver was similar to that of someone who had been an alcoholic for 20 years and he would not survive a transplant. He died on 14 August at St James's Hospital in Leeds after his family gave consent for his other organs to be used for transplants.}

_{His father said he believed t he reasons behind his son's drinking had provoked a previous suicide attempt in 2004, when he cut his wrists in his barracks. After this incident, Pte Chelsea was treated by an Army psychiatrist which the family said had restored his confidence.}

_{Mr Chelsea said: "My son started drinking 18 months ago. He destroyed his liver in less than a year and a half. I believe that is because he was being bullied again. He did not want to make anything of it. He was in the Army, he knew he had to be tough. But it only takes a few words. He said he would hear comments aimed at him because of his dyslexia. He was told he would get his colleagues killed because he was stupid.}

_{"I support the British Army and what it does. But I would like to stand before my son's unit with a picture of him in uniform and ask those who made these comments to him time after time to think about the effect they had."}

_{The young soldier's despair was displayed in the note he wrote to his parents before his overdose. He said: "Really sorry, mum and dad. I'm just no good for you. I have got to finish it. I am just a waste."}

********** 

Four days before the infantryman attempted to take his life, the British MoD released figures showing that 1,541 soldiers who served in Iraq are suffering from psychiatric illness.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE IN FULL FOUND HERE: http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article1221649.ece

There is an article titled  "Soldier suicides hint at military failures" it can be read at this link here: http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060612/NEWS08/606120345/1018/NEWS

Posted by Joe Anybody at 3:37 PM PDT

Updated: Sunday, 27 August 2006 8:49 PM PDT

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/27/AR2006072701908_pf.html

An obscure law approved by a Republican-controlled Congress a decade ago has made the Bush administration nervous that officials and troops involved in handling detainee matters might be accused of committing war crimes, and prosecuted at some point in U.S. courts.

*****

Z 3 Readers

I share this report by Daniel Sherman

June 02, 2005

The United States'

arms policy is hypocritical

 http://www.iowastatedaily.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/06/02/42a09f324ee14

The hypocrisy of the American government has escalated to a point where the future and foundation of our nation is in serious danger. This danger is disturbingly evident in the ominous difference between what we preach and what we practice.

Take, for example, the review conference on the non-proliferation treaty that recently ended in failure this past month. The United States went into the meeting with two priorities: North Korea and Iran. It called for amendments to the treaty which would block the development of nuclear weapons by these countries. Yet, at the same time, the United States regarded its obligations under the treaty as voluntary, not mandatory and refused to reaffirm disarmament commitments. Such behavior is easily perceived as arrogant.

The United States develops new nuclear weapons and pursues the idea of weapons in space, which is prohibited under the treaty, while it selectively scolds other nations for pursuing nuclear energy programs, which is not prohibited under the treaty.

The rationale of the United States is that the development of nuclear weapons will aide in stopping proliferation by acting as a deterrent. The problem is that the United States has lost its credibility and its rationale has no merit.

A recent report by the World Policy Institute depicts this hypocrisy: "Arming repressive regimes in all corners of the globe while simultaneously proclaiming a campaign for democracy and against tyranny undermines the credibility of the United States in international forums and makes it harder to hold other nations to high standards of conduct on human rights and other key issues."

Prior to the war on terrorism, 27 countries were banned from purchasing U.S.-made military equipment because of human rights abuses, nuclear testing and/or the harboring of terrorists. After the war began, however, many of these bans were lifted and military assistance was subsequently provided to nations contributing to the fight against terrorism.

It is puzzling to find out that two years after these restrictions were lifted, 20 of the top 25 U.S. arms clients in the developing world were classified by the State Department as being either undemocratic regimes or governments with records of major human rights abuses.

Countries included are Angola, Algeria, Colombia, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Georgia and Uzbekistan, to name a few. Some of these offer strategic military value, while others offer oil. They all offer business to arms manufacturers, however.

Though dealing arms and providing military assistance to undemocratic regimes seems to be contradictory to our quest for democracy, our government justifies such businesses by claiming that these countries are partners in the war against terrorism. The CIA used the same reasoning when it worked hand in hand with Osama bin Laden, while battling Soviet forces in Afghanistan.

Ironic, isn't it? Essentially, America is bankrolling the abuse of human rights. We preach respect for the dignity of human life, yet we fund its destruction. We claim to fight terror, yet we create it. We want to rid the world of weapons of mass destruction, yet we develop new ones.

It is this hypocrisy that discredits and endangers us. Already, hundreds of thousands of civilians have been affected by the Iraq war. More than 1,600 American soldiers have died. Terrorist attacks continue to increase throughout the world. Basic human rights are being neglected, and instances of torture by the orders of military and civilian leaders are grotesquely indicative of our hypocrisy.

It is time that we consider our collective fate. Despite our differences, it is imperative that we realize our future will be endured together. Should we bring our children and grandchildren into a world of fear and lies or should we stand up together, as one, and demand that the right to life is universal and the act abusing that right is unacceptable? We are the source of our ruler's power; ultimately, it is our decision. ~Daniel Sherman <is a sophomore in liberal arts and sciences-open option from Ames.>

Posted by Joe Anybody at 1:52 AM PDT

Updated: Sunday, 27 August 2006 2:57 AM PDT

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Mood:  crushed out

So how far away does it have to be ...before you say

"It doesn't affect me"? ......Zebra 3 readers the world is your backyard. These are your brothers and sisters. Lets reach out and support Justice, Peace, and Love. Let us support those that are being BEAT DOWN and are political prisoners, or are being repressed and neglected. Let us stand in Solidarity, and stand up to Government abuse of its authority and abuse of the people of this beautiful Mother Earth.

Let us listen to the cry of the protester .......he may indeed be justified and he may indeed be warning us all....if nothing else ask your self

....What is he yelling about? Some people are willing to die for their cause ...better hear them when they were alive than to hears the message when they are gone!

At what point would "you" start protecting what is "YOURS" 

I ask you my fair conscientious reader?

Well I hope you don't have to get off your ass, like these folks have had to do. They did what they "needed to do" Sitting on ones ass reading the Zebra 3 Report is much easier to do, huh?

But let us be aware and informed at what is happening to and in..,

"OUR COMMUNITIES"

People will need to "Take Action" in order to not be bullied and stolen from. If you do "nothing = you get nothing"

I am not willing to settle for nothing.

Watch these North American Natives In the Grassy Narrows Video stand together for their cause ...to protect what is theres

http://freegrassy.org/multi_media/video/

"we are here to "...Protect & Preserve

WATCH THIS YOUTUBE VIDEO

It shows the outcome of all this LOGGING that is going on

- and its impact!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrwoUp6lb-0

Warehouser tells you the spin but this video points it all out!

DO YOU CARE?  or -  DO YOU WANT TO KNOW?

Posted by Joe Anybody at 8:20 PM PDT

Updated: Sunday, 3 September 2006 3:17 AM PDT

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