of the unjust, illegitimate war in Afghanistan: Wikileaks releases 91,000 records revealing hundreds of civilian deaths, execution squads, other war crimes
On Tuesday night, Barack Obama gave a speech from the Oval Office on Iraq that was almost as full of hideous, murderous lies as the speech on Iraq his predecessor gave in the same location more than seven years ago.
After mendaciously declaring an "end to the combat mission in Iraq" -- where almost 50,000 regular troops and a similar number of mercenaries still remain, carrying out the same missions they have been doing for years -- Obama delivered what was perhaps the most egregious, bitterly painful lie of the night:
"Through this remarkable chapter in the history of the United States and Iraq, we have met our responsibility."
As combat operations officially end in Iraq, nearly seven and a half years after the Bush administration’s illegal invasion, it is difficult to know how to summarize succinctly the tragic cost of the enterprise.
I retain nothing but disdain — and a desire for accountability — for those who initiated this criminal, and criminally ill-conceived attempt at nation-building — primarily, President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Iraq vet: "I'm here because I think I can give some hope to these soldiers, especially if they want to resist... You don't have to go and murder people if you don't want to. You can stand up. These feelings and these doubts that you're having, they are legitimate feelings. And don't ever let those feelings go away. Because that's when you lose your humanity. Hopefully we can change some minds today."
Now that the dust has settled from Glenn Beck’s weekend revival at the Lincoln Memorial, two messages need to be delivered loud and clear.
First: the United States of America has NEVER been a Christian nation, but there are those who would make it so, past and future.
And second: do not discount Glenn Beck becoming president of the United States.
I say these things after having sat through nearly all of the 17-part video rendering of Beck’s rally this past weekend, and having read as many critiques of it---left and right---as I could find.
Press release from the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Constitutional Rights
NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) today filed a lawsuit challenging the government's asserted authority to carry out “targeted killings” of U.S. citizens located far from any armed conflict zone.
The authority contemplated by the Obama administration is far broader than what the Constitution and international law allow, the groups charge.
"Find, fix, finish, and follow-up" is the way the Pentagon describes the mission of secret military teams in Afghanistan which have been given a mandate to pursue alleged members of the Taliban or al-Qaeda wherever they may be found.
Some call these “manhunting” operations and the units assigned to them “capture/kill” teams.
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Press release from the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Constitutional Rights
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