In what can only be described as severe human rights abuses and a massive rush to judgment, in the hours and days proceeding the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, members of the U.S. government, such as Robert S. Mueller, under the misdirection of George W. Bush, rounded up and renditioned Muslim-Americans to foreign countries, where they were imprisoned and tortured. Some were imprisoned domestically and mistreated. Many of these men were innocent.
I read one man’s story and it was terrible. He was renditioned, tortured for months, while imprisoned in a cell so small there was no room to move. He subsequently lost 40 pounds. While that would be great for a Hollywood diet, in the real world, such conduct is a violation of all existing human rights charters.
At the end of his ordeal, realizing their mistake in torturing an innocent man, he was deported to his homeland in the Middle East, after many years as a U.S. citizen.
Sensing history has recorded him in an awful way, former President George W. Bush stated this year, his poor decisions were done, “Under the fog of war.” I disagree. It was done under the fog of stupidity.
Furthermore, did the “fog of war” cause you to routinely make up words such as “strategery” and “misunderestimate” or was that due to having bought your university degree.
U.S. settles suit with Muslims in post-9/11 abuse
Tue Nov 3, 2009 3:13pm EST - NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. government will pay $1.26 million to five Muslim men detained for months without charges after the September 11 attacks who sued for unlawful imprisonment and abuse, their lawyers said on Tuesday.
The men claimed they suffered inhumane and degrading treatment in a Brooklyn detention center, including solitary confinement, severe beatings, incessant verbal abuse and a blackout on communications with their families and attorneys...
U.S. President Barack Obama woke up early this morning to salute 18 fallen American soldiers that died in combat in Afghanistan.
"Dignified Transfer"
The President was present at the U.S. airbase for what is known in military circles as the "Dignified Transfer." Some stated in print and online the move was a PR stunt, while others proclaimed it an effort by the Commander-in-Chief to show the public he is conscious of the sacrifice being made by the troops serving in the military.
U.S. President Barack Obama
War is a bloody business and most people want it to end, as no one is winning in this futile battle. My condolences to the bereaved. Obama, you owe it to the American people to stop this madness George W. Bush and Dick Cheney started under false pretenses.
U.S. President Barack Obama spoke to troops yesterday, telling them he would not risk their lives unless it was absolutely necessary, after a bloody day of combat that left American soldiers dead.
The wars in the Middle East have come at a very high price to the people of the region and soldiers as well, who have lost their lives for reasons unsure.
A high profile member of the U.S. Military, Matthew Hoh, recently resigned, as he deems the war futile, much like the rest of the American and British population, who’ve had to burry their loved ones.
It is easy to speak of sacrifice, when it is not one’s child. When you are required to “Take one for the team” as the phrase goes, the indescribable pain, anguish and sorrow, is not worth it.
These deceitful wars, where people do not even know what they are fighting for anymore, need to end.
October deadliest month for US in Afghan war
KABUL – Roadside bombs — the biggest killer of U.S. soldiers — claimed eight more American lives Tuesday, driving the U.S. death toll to a record level for the third time in four months as President Barack Obama nears a decision on a new strategy for the troubled war.
The homemade bombs, also called improvised explosive devices or IEDs, are responsible for between 70 percent and 80 percent of the casualties among U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan and have become a weapon of "strategic influence," said Lt. Gen. Thomas Metz in Washington...
Tuesday 27 October 2009 14.33 GMT - Matthew Hoh of the state department becomes the first US official to resign in protest of the war in Afghanistan.
A former US marine who fought in Iraq, joined the state department after leaving the military and was a diplomat in a Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan has become the first US official to resign in protest of the Afghan war, the Washington Post reported today.
Matthew Hoh said he believes the war is simply fuelling the insurgency.
"I have lost understanding of and confidence in the strategic purposes of the United States' presence in Afghanistan," Hoh wrote in his resignation letter, dated 10 September but published today. "I have doubts and reservations about our current strategy and planned future strategy, but my resignation is based not upon how we are pursuing this war, but why and to what end."... http://www.guardian.co.uk
America is often referred to as the land of plenty, but a shocking study discovered, 1 in 6 Americans live in poverty. The National Academy of Science stated in a recently released report this week, 47.4 million Americans lived in poverty last year. The U.S. population currently sits at 305 million people.
This dangerous shift, indicates something the Judiciary Report published two years ago. Due to the financial corruption transpiring in America's corporate sector and government's complicity in this regard, the U.S. is heading in the direction of becoming the new India, no disrespect intended to either nation.
Two years ago, on September 27, 2007, in the How George Bush Destroyed The U.S. Economyarticle, the Judiciary Report stated, "What is forming is a similar situation to what happened in India, respectfully, with a small group of rich and a large group of poor. Unemployment is going to skyrocket if the government is not careful."
As time has now shown, that is just what has happened with unemployment, which skyrocketed this year and now the poverty rate is beginning to head in that direction as well, as predicted.
When the gulf between the rich and the poor grows in leaps and bounds, poverty will increase in very demonstrable ways.
The war in Iraq was ordered by the Bush administration to help a handful of rich people get very rich and it inadvertently made many people poor as well, eroding America's overall wealth and standing in the world.
Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney opened a real Pandora's box via said corruption and now they can't shut it. Excessive spending by the new administration is only going to make things worse.
Revised formula puts 1 in 6 Americans in poverty
WASHINGTON — The level of poverty in America is even worse than first believed. A revised formula for calculating medical costs and geographic variations show that approximately 47.4 million Americans last year lived in poverty, 7 million more than the government's official figure.
The disparity occurs because of differing formulas the Census Bureau and the National Academy of Science use for calculating the poverty rate. The NAS formula shows the poverty rate to be at 15.8 percent, or nearly 1 in 6 Americans, according to calculations released this week. That's higher than the 13.2 percent, or 39.8 million, figure made available recently under the original government formula...
When most of us return from a vacation, we think about the work awaiting us. Heads of state are no different. As U.S. President Barack Obama's weeklong Martha's Vineyard vacation in Massachusetts wraps up, it is time to do an overview of the things that await him, upon his return to the White House in Washington, DC.
Health Care
The healthcare debate has intensified, dividing Congress and the American people. It would be great if every person in the world had proper coverage and medical care, but due to financial restraints, this is not a reality at the present time.
Obama seeks to tackle this issue in America, similar to what has been done in Britain, Canada and Israel to name a few, with the latter having a type of insurance tax that covers its citizens.
Since America is one of the largest nations in the world, with over 305,000,000 people (er, that you know about, anyway) this creates a monumental task.
Wars In The Middle East
The sheer number of soldier fatalities of allied troops in the Middle East, has vaulted the subject back onto the front page on newspapers. The public in America and Britain are growing increasingly despondent and disheartened, regarding combat in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Many believe their sons and daughters fighting abroad are dying in vain, as stories have leaked regarding dozens of soldiers dying over 150 votes, in a territory not their own.
Former Vice President, Dick Cheney
I, for one, am not in favor of said combat, as Bush proved too much is hidden from the public and often lies are told to the general public.
Specialized squads that hunt terrorists, preferably bringing them back alive to face justice in official courts of law, would be a better option.
Vast combat in the form of war, has created a very high civilian and soldier death count, with financial costs that are unsustainable. In short, the wars are significantly contributing to bankrupting America.
Reforming The CIA
President Obama announced through Attorney General, Eric Holder, there will be investigations into CIA employee misconduct, regarding human rights abuses that transpired in former President George W. Bush's war on terror. Fixing that which has gone wrong at the CIA is another hurdle facing Obama.
A number of other stories broke in his absence that I'm sure he is aware of, regarding the Pentagon and the FBI.
Ted Kennedy
Robert, Ted and John Kennedy
President Obama's late friend and supporter, Ted Kennedy, passed away this week. Obama is scheduled to deliver the eulogy at his funeral.
Video: Scottish Government Defends Bomber's Release - The Associated Press
FBI Director Robert S. Mueller is being slammed by the Scottish government for a caustic letter he wrote, condemning them for releasing, Lockerbie bomber, Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, who is dying of terminal cancer.
I certainly do not believe he should have been freed, but rather forced to live out his years in prison for crimes against humanity. However, Robert Mueller is in no position to criticize anyone with his track record.
Mueller, as head of the FBI, inexplicablyhas murderers running loose and for several years looked the other way to the criminal misconduct of men like Bernard Madoff and R. Allen Stanford.
It was revealed, he knew for years they were breaking the law and did absolutely nothing to stop them, which would have saved investors billions.
Not to mention, he was at the helm of the FBI when 9/11 happened, which the Bureau could have prevented had HQ not stonewalled its own agents for corrupt purposes. Thousands died, which is way more than the fatalities in the Lockerbie bombing. How do you explain terrorists having a lower body count than you, Mr. Mueller.
Robert Mueller
Your negligence is downright bloodcurdling, as terrorists are boldly proclaiming they shall launch new attacks and I don't doubt they will try.
However, knowing you are in charge of national security should alarm anyone, after what you let happen the first time, on September 11th.
Washington, D.C., New York, New York and Los Angeles, California, among other cities, are prime targets for terrorists with no mercy, yet the FBI is still in a terrible state of disarray thanks to you.
I am of the belief, you could care less about criminals being freed, as you've illustrated with your negligent conduct in numerous cases, including the aforementioned. What you dislike is the fact a case you worked on as prosecutor, has been undone, via freeing a terrorist after 8-years of what should have been a life sentence.
Side Bar: Mr. Mueller, what about the Bush family's special relationship with the Bin Ladens, prior to Osama flipping his lid. Why was his family allowed safe passage out of America during Bush's term, right after 9/11 happened. Why was the CIA in bed with Bin Laden prior to the bombings. Why was the Iraq war, that was concocted by Bush and Cheney on deliberately flawed intelligence, fought for oil and not for freedom. If you are going to throw stones, Mr. Mueller, make sure you don't live in a glass house.
FBI chief's attack 'out of order'
Mr Mueller suggested that Megrahi's release showed support for terrorists. Former Scottish First Minister Henry McLeish has described comments by the FBI chief on the Lockerbie bomber's release as "totally out of order".
Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill freed terminally ill Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi on compassionate grounds on Thursday.
FBI director Robert Mueller said the decision gave "comfort to terrorists". Mr McLeish said it was an unfair slur on the Scots justice system. A former lord advocate said it was "appalling".
Megrahi, who has always claimed his innocence, served seven years, five months and four days of his life sentence for the bombing of the Pan Am jet over Lockerbie in 1988, in which 270 people died.
Since the 57-year-old's release, Mr MacAskill has been criticised for his decision, particularly from relatives of Americans killed in the bombing.
Mr Mueller, who was the US Assistant Attorney General responsible for the Lockerbie investigation, said he was outraged by the release, which he said made a mockery of the grief of the victims' families and undermined the rule of law.
In a letter to the justice secretary, he wrote: "Your action in releasing Megrahi is as inexplicable as it is detrimental to the cause of justice. Indeed your action makes a mockery of the rule of law. Col Gaddafi with Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi...
"Your action gives comfort to terrorists around the world who now believe that regardless of the quality of the investigation, the conviction by jury after the defendant is given all due process, and sentence appropriate to the crime, the terrorist will be freed by one man's exercise of 'compassion'.
"Your action rewards a terrorist even though he never admitted to his role in this act of mass murder and even though neither he nor the government of Libya ever disclosed the names and roles of others who were responsible."
However, Henry McLeish said Mr Mueller's intervention was "totally out of order".
"Let's as Scots, despite the adversity, be conscious that it is Scotland and our criminal justice system which holds its head high throughout the world," he told BBC Radio Scotland.
"It doesn't help if some ill-informed remarks are made by the director of the FBI towards that when it's, quite frankly, none of his business.
"It would be the equivalent of the Metropolitan Police chief writing to Barack Obama to complain about a decision that has been made.
"He has a view - fine - but that was a slur on the Scottish justice system that we didn't deserve as part of the wider debate."...
Karl Rove, the man nicknamed "Bush's Brain" has been exposed as the source behind the firings of several U.S. attorneys, the White House deemed uncooperative with former President George W. Bush's agenda.
It led to the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who as a lawyer, should have known better than to go along with everything presented to him, without questioning the implications down the road, of choices that were being made.
Bush's presidency ended in such a decimated state, replete with sweeping failures, world history shall never forget. It was an appropriate ending to his tyrannical rule, full of treachery and deceit that brought the nation and the world so much misery and loss in the end.
President Obama to VP Biden at the White House: Is that Dick Cheney trying to hop the fence again?
According to reports, former U.S. Vice President, Dick Cheney, is not happy with former President, George W. Bush, regarding his bitterness at the end result of the advice the once second in command gave during his tenure.
The Bush name is now in tatters, with many all over the nation and the world calling for his head, due to terrible choices made with the war in Iraq and economic matters, that plunged the world into a recession-turned-depression.
Dick Cheney
Due to the statute of limitations and the current President, Barack Obama, taking office and distancing himself from the former administration's misconduct, releasing documents previously hidden, so as not to tarnish his own name and legacy, in being wrongfully blamed for Bush and co.'s past missteps and crimes, Cheney's secrets are slipping out into the public domain, much to his anger.
Cheney is writing his memoirs, which gives him an opportunity to unleash his displeasure with current developments unmasking him.
Cheney Uncloaks His Frustration With Bush
'Statute of Limitations Has Expired' on Many Secrets, Former Vice President Says
Thursday, August 13, 2009 - In his first few months after stepping down, former vice president Richard B. Cheney threw himself into public combat against the "far left" agenda of the new commander in chief. More private reflections, as his memoir takes shape in slashing longhand on legal pads, have opened a second front against Cheney's White House partner of eight years, George W. Bush.
Cheney's disappointment with the former president surfaced recently in one of the informal conversations he is holding to discuss the book with authors, diplomats, policy experts and past colleagues. By habit, he listens more than he talks, but Cheney broke form when asked about his regrets.
"In the second term, he felt Bush was moving away from him," said a participant in the recent gathering, describing Cheney's reply. "He said Bush was shackled by the public reaction and the criticism he took. Bush was more malleable to that. The implication was that Bush had gone soft on him, or rather Bush had hardened against Cheney's advice. He'd showed an independence that Cheney didn't see coming. It was clear that Cheney's doctrine was cast-iron strength at all times -- never apologize, never explain -- and Bush moved toward the conciliatory."...
