April Reign

Speak your mind even if your voice shakes

al qaeda

War What is it Good For?

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Edwin Starr asked this question back in 1970*

circa 2008 the GOP under George Bush answers,

Part of a proposal for Guantanamo Bay legal detainees, the provision before Congress seeks to “acknowledge again and explicitly that this nation remains engaged in an armed conflict with Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and associated organizations, who have already proclaimed themselves at war with us and who are dedicated to the slaughter of Americans.”

The New York Times’ page 8 placement of the article in its Saturday edition seems to downplay its importance. Such a re-affirmation of war carries broad legal implications that could imperil Americans’ civil liberties and the rights of foreign nationals for decades to come.

It was under the guise of war that President Bush claimed a legal mandate for his warrantless wiretapping program, giving the National Security Agency power to intercept calls Americans made abroad. More of this program has emerged in recent years, and it includes the surveillance of Americans’ information and exchanges online.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_d8C4AIFgUg[/youtube]

*song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for the Motown label in 1969

Mourn for Justice

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khadr.jpgNot only has the Canadian government not petitioned for the release of Omar Khadr, they have helped the U.S. to try to retrieve information from this child. Yes at the time this all started he was a child. A youth of 15, a child soldier.

This is a government that is bringing forth a bill (the sneak anti abortion laws in the back door bill) that claims to recognize crimes against children yet unborn. Yet this same government cannot find any compassion for a child already born. Already dragged through war, already a witness to death and a victim of torture.

This was Canada’s response to Khadr;

He also claims that Canadian diplomats and intelligence officers who later questioned him at Guantanamo refused to help him.

Instead, he says in the affidavit, they questioned him about his late father, Ahmed Said Khadr, who’s been accused of being a founding member and financier of al-Qaeda.

Khadr says he was also interrogated about Maher Arar, the Canadian who was deported to a Syrian prison over alleged links to al-Qaeda. An inquiry later cleared Arar of any links to terrorist organizations.

Khadr says he was also shown photographs of about 20 people and asked to identify them.

He says he ripped off his shirt and showed the Canadians his injuries. He also says he told them he had lied to his American interrogators and told them whatever they wanted to hear because he was scared and wanted them to stop torturing him.

Khadr says they accused him of lying, and passed information from their interviews to U.S. officials.

The Supreme Court has reserved judgement on whether those documents must be released to Khadr’s defence attorneys. Having learned well from their Rovian masters the Canadian government defended against such an action by saying;

[…] Khadr’s demand for documents is a fishing expedition that could compromise sensitive intelligence information. Government lawyers also said a Canadian court is no place to pass judgment on U.S. detention and trial practices.

Take note of this governments behaviour and dismal of the notion of justice. It starts with the Khadr’s but soon catches up with the Joneses.

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