CounterPunch: America's Best Political Newsletter: "June 14, 2004
Walls and Checkpoints | The Nightmare Comes True | By URI AVNERY
I thought it was terrible. I was wrong. It is far, far worse!--These words sum up my feelings at that moment.
I was standing on a hill overlooking the infamous Kalandia checkpoint.
Below me was a narrow road, packed with Palestinians in the blazing sun, 30 degrees centigrade in the shade (but there was no shade) trudging towards the checkpoint. Very soon this road will be transformed. It will be widened to three lanes and be reserved for Israelis: on both sides of it, 8-meter high walls will spring up. It will allow the settlers of the Jordan valley to reach Tel-Aviv in about an hour. The Palestinians living on either side will be cut off from each other.
This is a small part of the new reality that is rapidly being created on the West Bank and that is changing the country we knew and loved beyond recognition.
...
Since successive Israeli governments have prevented the Palestinians in East Jerusalem from building new homes, the severe overcrowding has forced a mass exodus to a-Ram, which has grown into a town of 60 thousand inhabitants. Most of them are officially still Jerusalem residents, carrying the blue identity cards of inhabitants of Israel. This allows them to come to Jerusalem, a drive of 10 minutes, work there, tend to their businesses, go to the hospitals and the universities there.
This is about to stop. ...
...
The sole exit from this walled-in area will be a narrow bridge connecting it with the adjacent area to its east, consisting of several Palestinian villages, which will be surrounded by another barrier. This enclave will have a narrow exit to the Ramallah enclave. Through this it will be possible for a person from a-Ram to reach Ramallah, God willing, by a roundabout route of some 30 kilometers, instead of the ten minutes or so it took before the occupation. ...
Monday, June 14, 2004
Top Lawyers Call Legal OK for Torture 'Preposterous': "Lawyers who are employed by the US government have a responsibility to uphold .. US laws"
t r u t h o u t - Top Lawyers Call Legal OK for Torture 'Preposterous': "Dismay at Attempt to Find Legal Justification for Torture | By Edward Alden | Financial Times | Thursday 10 June 2004
Harold Hongju Koh, dean of Yale University's law school and a former US assistant secretary of state, went to Geneva in 2000 to present the first US report on its compliance with the UN 1994 Convention against Torture. He says he told the global gathering the US was 'unalterably committed to a world without torture.'
This week's revelations that Bush administration lawyers had sought to find legal justifications for torturing terrorist detainees have left him dumbfounded.
'They are blatantly wrong,' he says. 'It's just erroneous legal analysis. The notion that the president has the constitutional power to permit torture is like saying he has the constitutional power to commit genocide.'
...
"There are serious ethical shortcomings here," he says. "Lawyers who are employed by the US government have a responsibility to uphold and enforce the laws of the United States," which include domestic and international legal prohibitions on torture. "To make an argument that the president's wartime powers give him the right to avoid these statutes is preposterous."
Harold Hongju Koh, dean of Yale University's law school and a former US assistant secretary of state, went to Geneva in 2000 to present the first US report on its compliance with the UN 1994 Convention against Torture. He says he told the global gathering the US was 'unalterably committed to a world without torture.'
This week's revelations that Bush administration lawyers had sought to find legal justifications for torturing terrorist detainees have left him dumbfounded.
'They are blatantly wrong,' he says. 'It's just erroneous legal analysis. The notion that the president has the constitutional power to permit torture is like saying he has the constitutional power to commit genocide.'
...
"There are serious ethical shortcomings here," he says. "Lawyers who are employed by the US government have a responsibility to uphold and enforce the laws of the United States," which include domestic and international legal prohibitions on torture. "To make an argument that the president's wartime powers give him the right to avoid these statutes is preposterous."
Sanchez, top U.S. commander in Iraq ordered prisoners hidden from Red Cross: "contrary to Army doctrine, and in violation of international law."
USNews.com: How the military treated some inmates at Abu Ghraib like "ghosts" (6/21/04): "6/21/04 Hiding a bad guy named triple X | By Edward T. Pound
The top U.S. commander in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, issued a classified order last November directing military guards to hide a prisoner, later dubbed 'Triple X' by soldiers, from Red Cross inspectors and keep his name off official rosters. The disclosure, by military sources, is the first indication that Sanchez was directly involved in efforts to hide prisoners from the Red Cross, a practice that was sharply criticized by Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba in a report describing abuses of detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad.
Taguba blamed the 800th Military Police Brigade, which guarded the prison, for allowing "other government agencies"--a euphemism that includes the CIA--to hide "ghost" detainees at Abu Ghraib. The practice, he wrote, "was deceptive, contrary to Army doctrine, and in violation of international law." Taguba's report did not cite the November 18 directive issued by Sanchez to hide Triple X, identified as a high-ranking terrorist. It is not known if Taguba saw the directive. He declined to comment. The Army said it could not discuss a classified order. ...
The top U.S. commander in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, issued a classified order last November directing military guards to hide a prisoner, later dubbed 'Triple X' by soldiers, from Red Cross inspectors and keep his name off official rosters. The disclosure, by military sources, is the first indication that Sanchez was directly involved in efforts to hide prisoners from the Red Cross, a practice that was sharply criticized by Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba in a report describing abuses of detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad.
Taguba blamed the 800th Military Police Brigade, which guarded the prison, for allowing "other government agencies"--a euphemism that includes the CIA--to hide "ghost" detainees at Abu Ghraib. The practice, he wrote, "was deceptive, contrary to Army doctrine, and in violation of international law." Taguba's report did not cite the November 18 directive issued by Sanchez to hide Triple X, identified as a high-ranking terrorist. It is not known if Taguba saw the directive. He declined to comment. The Army said it could not discuss a classified order. ...
The newly disclosed details about Pentagon contracts with Halliburton raise questions about assertions by VP Cheney
The New York Times > Washington > Procurement: White House Officials and Cheney Aide Approved Halliburton Contract in Iraq, Pentagon Says: "By ERIK ECKHOLM | Published: June 14, 2004
In the fall of 2002, in the preparations for possible war with Iraq, the Pentagon sought and received the assent of senior Bush administration officials, including the vice president's chief of staff, before hiring the Halliburton Company to develop secret plans for restoring Iraq's oil facilities, Pentagon officials have told Congressional investigators.
The newly disclosed details about Pentagon contracting do not suggest improper political pressures to direct business to Halliburton, the Houston-based company that Vice President Dick Cheney once led.
But they raise questions about assertions by Mr. Cheney and other administration officials that he knew nothing in advance of the Halliburton contracts and that the decisions were made by career procurement specialists, without involvement by senior political appointees....
In the fall of 2002, in the preparations for possible war with Iraq, the Pentagon sought and received the assent of senior Bush administration officials, including the vice president's chief of staff, before hiring the Halliburton Company to develop secret plans for restoring Iraq's oil facilities, Pentagon officials have told Congressional investigators.
The newly disclosed details about Pentagon contracting do not suggest improper political pressures to direct business to Halliburton, the Houston-based company that Vice President Dick Cheney once led.
But they raise questions about assertions by Mr. Cheney and other administration officials that he knew nothing in advance of the Halliburton contracts and that the decisions were made by career procurement specialists, without involvement by senior political appointees....
Saturday, June 05, 2004
Bush takes a tongue-lashing from the Pope ... [in the absece of] respect for basic human rights, "neither war nor terrorism will ever be overcome"
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Bush takes a tongue-lashing from the Pope over Iraq: "John Hooper in Rome and John Aglionby in Singapore | Saturday June 5, 2004 |The Guardian
The Pope yesterday subjected George Bush to a very public, relentlessly critical assessment of the US administration's performance in Iraq, attacking 'deplorable' abuses of prisoners and calling for an international solution to the country's crisis.
During the president's visit to the Vatican, which the administration had hoped would help him win Catholic votes in November's presidential election, the Pope warned Mr Bush he would never succeed in the war on terrorism if he failed to ensure respect for basic human rights.
And he urged him to involve the United Nations in an oper ation for the swift return of sovereignty to Iraq.
In a clear reference to the prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib jail, the pontiff said: "In the past few weeks _ deplorable events have come to light which have troubled the civic and religious conscience of all and made more difficult a serene and resolute commitment to shared human values.
"In the absence of such a commitment, neither war nor terrorism will ever be overcome." ...
The Pope yesterday subjected George Bush to a very public, relentlessly critical assessment of the US administration's performance in Iraq, attacking 'deplorable' abuses of prisoners and calling for an international solution to the country's crisis.
During the president's visit to the Vatican, which the administration had hoped would help him win Catholic votes in November's presidential election, the Pope warned Mr Bush he would never succeed in the war on terrorism if he failed to ensure respect for basic human rights.
And he urged him to involve the United Nations in an oper ation for the swift return of sovereignty to Iraq.
In a clear reference to the prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib jail, the pontiff said: "In the past few weeks _ deplorable events have come to light which have troubled the civic and religious conscience of all and made more difficult a serene and resolute commitment to shared human values.
"In the absence of such a commitment, neither war nor terrorism will ever be overcome." ...
Second top official to quit CIA
BBC NEWS | Americas | Second top official to quit CIA: " Friday, 4 June, 2004, 14:07 GMT 15:07 UK
A second top CIA official is to retire from his post, less than a day after the surprise resignation of the agency's director George Tenet.
James Pavitt, deputy director for operations, is said to have made the decision some weeks ago. [Pavitt has been in charge of the CIA's spies for the past five years]
The departures come as the agency is braced for reports expected to criticise its conduct in the run-up to the 9/11 attacks and the war in Iraq.
The CIA says Mr Pavitt's decision was unconnected with Mr Tenet's departure.
But analysts say the move will mean more upheaval at a critical time for the agency. "
A second top CIA official is to retire from his post, less than a day after the surprise resignation of the agency's director George Tenet.
James Pavitt, deputy director for operations, is said to have made the decision some weeks ago. [Pavitt has been in charge of the CIA's spies for the past five years]
The departures come as the agency is braced for reports expected to criticise its conduct in the run-up to the 9/11 attacks and the war in Iraq.
The CIA says Mr Pavitt's decision was unconnected with Mr Tenet's departure.
But analysts say the move will mean more upheaval at a critical time for the agency. "
The CIA's Tenet resigns: "Was he pushed? to make him a scapegoat for failures in Iraq and elsewhere ...
Economist.com | The CIA�s Tenet resigns: "Was he pushed? | Jun 4th 2004 | From The Economist Global Agenda
George Tenet has resigned as head of the Central Intelligence Agency, citing personal reasons. But speculation is rife that the Bush administration wants to make him a scapegoat for failures in Iraq and elsewhere. Whether he jumped or was pushed, Mr Tenet will not take all the blame with him
... Mr Bush’s sorrow came under immediate suspicion. America's intelligence services, of which Mr Tenet is the most prominent member, have overseen enormous intelligence failures, most famously the lack of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq and the failure to “connect the dots” of the September 11th plot. Many have called for his resignation in the past three years.
So why did he oblige now? The political calendar is sure to be central to speculation on the subject. The presidential elections are just five months away, and continuing violence in Iraq is making Mr Bush’s signature foreign-policy achievement look to more and more voters like a big mistake. Yet there has not been a high-profile resignation yet, fuelling criticism of pigheadedness in the administration. After the Abu Ghraib prison-abuse scandal there were calls for the resignation of Donald Rumsfeld, the defence secretary. But for Mr Bush to sack Mr Rumsfeld would be highly embarrassing, as the defence chief is closely associated with the president and his administration’s style. ...
...
Recently, the Senate delivered yet another blow to the CIA, a 400-page report on the WMD intelligence before the Iraq war, which showers plenty of criticism on the agency. Some suggest that the report was the last straw for Mr Tenet. Or perhaps he really was shoved out by a calculating administration for one of the reasons above. ...
George Tenet has resigned as head of the Central Intelligence Agency, citing personal reasons. But speculation is rife that the Bush administration wants to make him a scapegoat for failures in Iraq and elsewhere. Whether he jumped or was pushed, Mr Tenet will not take all the blame with him
... Mr Bush’s sorrow came under immediate suspicion. America's intelligence services, of which Mr Tenet is the most prominent member, have overseen enormous intelligence failures, most famously the lack of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq and the failure to “connect the dots” of the September 11th plot. Many have called for his resignation in the past three years.
So why did he oblige now? The political calendar is sure to be central to speculation on the subject. The presidential elections are just five months away, and continuing violence in Iraq is making Mr Bush’s signature foreign-policy achievement look to more and more voters like a big mistake. Yet there has not been a high-profile resignation yet, fuelling criticism of pigheadedness in the administration. After the Abu Ghraib prison-abuse scandal there were calls for the resignation of Donald Rumsfeld, the defence secretary. But for Mr Bush to sack Mr Rumsfeld would be highly embarrassing, as the defence chief is closely associated with the president and his administration’s style. ...
...
Recently, the Senate delivered yet another blow to the CIA, a 400-page report on the WMD intelligence before the Iraq war, which showers plenty of criticism on the agency. Some suggest that the report was the last straw for Mr Tenet. Or perhaps he really was shoved out by a calculating administration for one of the reasons above. ...
Wednesday, June 02, 2004
Bush May Hire Lawyer in Probe Over CIA Leak
Excite - News: "Bush May Hire Lawyer in Probe Over CIA Leak | Jun 2, 8:10 pm ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush has sought a lawyer to represent him in the criminal probe into who was responsible for a leak that was seen as retaliation against a critic of the Iraq war, the White House said on Wednesday.
'The president has had discussions with an outside attorney, and in the event that he needs advice he would retain him,' said White House spokesman Allen Abney, naming the lawyer as Jim Sharp."
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush has sought a lawyer to represent him in the criminal probe into who was responsible for a leak that was seen as retaliation against a critic of the Iraq war, the White House said on Wednesday.
'The president has had discussions with an outside attorney, and in the event that he needs advice he would retain him,' said White House spokesman Allen Abney, naming the lawyer as Jim Sharp."