2008-04-21

bleeding is supplemental

Blackwater's contract was just renewed by the State Department. The supplemental appropriation that's about to be brought up before the House includes ongoing funding for Blackwater's activities in Iraq. If we're going to fight this, we need to fight it now.

http://openleft.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=5270

By month's end, House Democrats plan to produce a major supplemental spending bill - totaling as much as $170 billion - to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan into the next presidency, channel more federal money to the ailing domestic economy, and set policies they hope will begin to move US troops out of the Middle East.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/04/21/war_funding_bill_will_test_pelosis_strength/

more
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080428/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/iraq_reconstruction;_ylt=Aq8HHpOZuHmo9AjDrfs1J0Os0NUE

way more
http://www.sigir.mil/reports/quarterlyreports/default.aspx

2008-04-20

fox news, it's hosts, it's producers, it's contributors, it's advertisers, and it's supporters, can go fuck themselves [updated]



http://www.bradblog.com/?p=5909

**** updated



from crooks
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/06/08/fox-news-producer-ambushes-bill-moyers-gets-taste-of-his-own-medicine/

2008-04-17

political discourse

we had last nights abc news philly debate
(no link will be given, if you watched it, you'll understand, if you didn't watch it, the 1st real question was given 52 minutes into it)

compare/contrast to this

http://www.ar-d.com/player/player.cfm?video_id=5108¤t_zone=139&video_zone=139
(especially #3)

and this

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-869183917758574879

2008-04-08

108 counts of capital murder

Scott Horton

The exact circumstances surrounding the dealings between Haynes and Yoo that led to the development of this memorandum are unclear. However, it is clear that Haynes had previously authorized the use of the torture techniques, and had secured an order from Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld authorizing them.

Following the implementation of these techniques, more than 108 detainees died in detention. In a large number of these cases, the deaths have been ruled a homicide and connected to torture. These homicides were a forseeable consequence of the advice that Haynes and Yoo gave.

gratuitously stolen from atrios

more

"... A system that punishes and shames Matthew Diaz, yet obstructs any investigation into the misconduct of John Yoo and Jim Haynes, and particularly their focal rule in the introduction of torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, is corrupt. Indeed, it persecutes the innocent and rewards the guilty. A bar association that disbars Matthew Diaz and leaves Yoo and Haynes free to practice is fundamentally corrupt. In essence, this choice reflects a legal profession that puts upholding the will of the Executive, even when it commands the most egregious and unlawful conduct, over the Rule of Law. It reflects the abnegation of the bedrock principles of the profession and the principles of the American Constitution and the Revolution which gave rise to it. ..."

just so we're clear

By rendering prisoners to Jordan, the United States specifically violated its obligations under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Convention against Torture), which it ratified in 1994.64 The Convention against Torture defines torture as “any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession” and when “inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity.”65 States violate the Convention against Torture not only by directly inflicting torture, like Jordan, but also, under article 3, when they “expel, return (‘refouler’) or extradite a person to another State where there are substantial grounds for believing that he would be in danger of being subjected to torture.”66

Double Jeopardy CIA Renditions to Jordan

http://hrw.org/reports/2008/jordan0408/6.htm#_Toc194401803

more by digby about horton's article

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2008/04/heroes-by-digby-there-have-been-lot-of.html

now, with video

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/04/10/they-knew/

and mr. floyd's contribution

http://www.chris-floyd.com/content/view/1480/135/

as with any topic, one always needs origional source documents to back up your charge

here's two

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB127/02.02.07.pdf
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB127/02.12.02.pdf
(both from http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB127/)

and more on the topic at hand

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/4/10/95033/2181/104/493151

2008-04-07

revolution



fr: SINGING_TROLL

2008-04-03

every thursday in west palm beach they have a free concert of various musical forms in a town square

today was my mom's birthday, she and my dad went to dinner, then a concert

tonight it was vince neil

she's 72, my dad'll be 82, it was their first, and last, rock concert for the both