Turture and abuse orders did come from the above

The top US general in Iraq authorised interrogation techniques including the use of dogs, stress positions and disorientation, a memo has shown...
...The September 2003 document is signed by the then commander of US forces in Iraq, Gen Ricardo Sanchez...
...Army investigations have generally found that, where proven, abuses were not the result of policy set by senior leaders.

Read the rest here.

A beginning to an end?

A love song performed by an Israeli and a Palestinian has been broadcast simultaneously on Israel Army Radio and Voice of Palestine radio.

I don't know how much of an impact this will have in a start to ending the violence between Israelis and Palestinians and towards a meaningful and fair peace, but I like the idea and I hope this initiative can be expanded to even more practical initiatives towards peace.

Some simple questions

US will accept Israel settlements

During a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to the White House last April, President George W Bush said a permanent peace deal would have to reflect "demographic realities" in the West Bank regarding Israel's settlements.

These remarks have been recently repeated by the US embassador to Israel. First of all, who the hell is the US to accept or reject any idea regarding a significant matter such as the illegal settlements which has to be dealt with by Israelis and Palestinians? Secondly, is the US bored by lack of violence in the past little while between the Palestinians and Israelis that US authorities are now making such provocitive remarks? Or do their remaks mean that if a country invades another country and manages to keep the invasion for long, then that country should be allowed to keep what it has stolen because of the change in the "demographic realities" ? Then what does the US have in mind regarding Iraq?

Releasing criminals in return for spying

US intelligence and military police officers in Iraq are routinely freeing dangerous criminals in return for a promise to spy on insurgents.

Yeah, they brought freedom to Iraq but not for ordinary Iraqis but for the abductors, as long as they agree to spy for the Americans.

Iranian New Year and Iraq invasion

Beginning of spring, the Iranian New Year, has always been the most exciting time of the year for me. But two years ago, when I knew that almost at the peak time of my celebrations, bombs would start falling on Iraqi Children, when I knew that so many bodies would be burnt, so many lives would be shattered and a country would be invaded by the forces of the bullies, the excitement of the new year fast faded in me and was replaced by anger and sorrow.

I don't quite know what to say now, except to hope that the new year would bring some smile on the faces of humanity. With that hope, Happy celebration of life, Happy arrival of spring, Happy Norouz; the Iranian New Year.

More about Norouz; from National Geographic, here.

In the name of humanity, Join them; there must be something near by!

Via this link, you can find the list of 726 towns and cities, in all 50 states, that are holding events on the second anniversary of the Iraq invasion. The number and geographic spread of these events reflect the growing breadth of the anti-war movement. This is more than double of what took place last year in the first aniversary of the invasion of Iraq.

This is of course in addition to the world wide protests that will widely take place against the cowboy barbaraism. But even in the US, it does not matter where you live as good chances are that something is happening near by. Please join them to condemn this modern technological barbarism of the 21st century.

Fox guarding the hen house?

Many good reasons why Paul Wolfowitz would make a good World Bank president

In the memory of Rachel Corrie, the courageous American friend of the Palestinian people, killed by the Israeli occupiers

The 24-year-old Corrie was killed on March 16, 2003 when she tried to block an Israeli army bulldozer from destroying a Palestinian house near the Philadelphi Route, the strip of land in the Gaza Strip bordering Egypt.

Last year, I had this post regarding the killing of this courageous American woman who gave her life while defending innocent Palestinian civilians. In revisiting the post, I noticed that the three links in the post are leading to nowhere now and the accounts of two of those three are suspended and the third is not available. What the exact reason for this is, I don't know. But it is not surprising if the accounts have been suspended because they represent "unfavourable" material.

Regardless of all of this, the fact remains that Rachel Corrie's memory will live forever, as she was a great American, a great human being who cared for justice for the innocent Palestinians. Regardless of the wave of fascistic bahaviour of many Americans, I am sure there are millions of Americans who do care about non-Americans who are being victimized by the American Neo-Con policies, either directly by their crimes against the humanity, or indirectly by their unconditional support of the crimes committed by states such as Israel against the Palestinian people.

A few diplomatic lessons for Rice and Celluci

Former Canadian Foreign Affair Minister, Lloyd Axworthy has written an open letter to Condoleezza Rice, teaching her a few lessons of wise and civilized diplomatic behaviour. Axworthy also does not forget to trash the US's so-called ambassador to Canada, Paul Celluci.

I wanted to bring some excerpts of the letter, but then I thought almost every word of the letter has a world in it. So here you go, check it out yourself.

Found at Stageleft.

"Funny", Isn't it?

US State Department has issued its so-called Human Rights reports on many countries around the world including Canada. Yes, the State Department criticizes Canada for human rights abuses. I am not going to comment on this here, as it might be well trueto some extend. But, US STATE DEPARTMERNT? C'on! US government is that ruthless to criticize any country in the world for human rights abuses? Is this George B. (Butcher) Bush's goverment talking?

Amongst countries criticized in the report is China:

The Government used the international war on terror as a pretext for cracking down harshly on suspected Uighur separatists expressing peaceful political dissent and on independent Muslim religious leaders.

But obviously there was no word in the report on the crimes and tortures committed by the US in many countries including Iraq. Like Abu Ghraib never happened. Like Guantanamo Bay turture camp is not a reality today and like.... . This is the true face of hypocracy; American style.

Well, after the State Department "forgot" to mention the home-grown butchers, China did it for the Department:

In 2004 the atrocity of US troops abusing Iraqi POWs exposed the dark side of human rights performance of the United States. The scandal shocked the humanity and was condemned by the international community.

I still can't believe that the US, THE US, with criminals such as Bush, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Wolfowitz and Rove are daring to criticize ANY country for the abuses of human rights. It is true that the criticisms on many countries are warranted but, not by the US.

US citizen, Imprisoned without a charge for almost 3 years, in the land of the "free"

U.S. Citizen: Imprisoned without trial for 2 years and 270 days by the US Government in the land of the free; my a**!

Better late than never!

Did you know that:
"In Vermont, 48 town meetings voted last night to condemn the war in Iraq and to call on political leaders to bring home the state's National Guard"?

Worth repeating: CIA's secret wars

The following was first posted on my blog on August 23, 2004.

The secret wars of the CIA:
Watch/listen to John Stockwell, former CIA Station Chief in Angola in 1976 and what he says about how 6 million People Were killed in CIA secret wars against third world countries.