'Bush A War Criminal And A Capital-Crime Felon': Ray McGovern

[kpete]

The Torturer's Apprentice
Ray McGovern
September 07, 2006

Addressing the use of torture Wednesday, President George W. Bush played to the baser instincts of Americans as he strained to turn his violation of national and international law into Exhibit A on how “tough” he is on terrorists. His tour de force brought to mind the charge the Athenians leveled at Socrates—making the worse case appear the better. Bush’s remarks made it abundantly clear, though, that he is not about to take the hemlock.

As the fifth anniversary of 9/11 approaches and with the midterm elections just two months away, the president's speechwriters succeeded in making a silk purse out of the sow’s ear of torture. The artful offensive will succeed if—but only if—the mainstream media is as cowed, and the American people as dumb, as the president thinks they are. Arguably a war criminal under international law and a capital-crime felon under U.S. criminal law, Bush’s legal jeopardy is even clearer than when he went AWOL during the Vietnam War. And this time, his father will not be able to fix it.

Bush in jeopardy? Yes. The issue is torture, which George W. Bush authorized in a Feb. 7, 2002, memorandum in contravention both of the Geneva Accords and 18 U.S. Code 2441, the War Crimes Act that incorporates the Geneva provisions into the federal criminal code which was approved by a Republican-led Congress in 1996. Heeding the advice of Vice President Dick Cheney’s counsel, David Addington, then-White House counsel Alberto Gonzales and Assistant Attorney General Jay Bybee, the president officially opened the door to torture in that memorandum. His remarks yesterday reflect the determination of Cheney and Bush to keep that door open and accuse those who would close it of being "soft on terrorists."

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Accountability

Is there no one to hold our leaders to account? The Bush Crimes Commission, a grassroots citizens’ initiative determined not to follow the example of the obedient, passive Germans of the 1930s, has taken testimony on torture and other key issues to establish whether President Bush is guilty of war crimes. Testimony was taken in October 2005 and January 2006, indictments have been brought and served on the White House, and the judges will issue their verdict on Sept. 13 in Washington. (Full disclosure: I am proud to have taken part in the proceedings of the Bush Crimes Commission.) Join us next week.

more at:
http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2006/09/07/the_torturers_apprentice.php

[quiet.american]

1. K&R. n/t

[Vincardog]

2. First we take back the Congress then the revolution will be televised.

[StraightDope]

13. The revolution will NOT be televised...

It's on the internet!

:)

[Vincardog]

14. aWoL's trial will be on the teeVee

[TheFriedPiper]

3. Bush is a lying thieving punk and only cowards support him

[IChing]

4. War crimes have been committed according to the Geneva Convention

The list is too long on the illegal acts they have committed against the American public, the American soldier and citizens of the world.
The only way we can restore any honorable standing to all citizens of this planet is to send them all to the Hague.
Right now I am either too pissed or too sad to add anymore to your thread except to give it a nomination and a kick.

[malaise]

5. Thanks Ray McGovern

Arrest this criminal.

They're discussing this on MSNBC now.

[Solly Mack]

6. I like Ray

[Peace Patriot]

7. 63% of the American people oppose torture "under any circumstances"

(May '04), and 80% of their votes were "counted" by two Bushite coroprations in 2004, using TRADE SECRET, PROPRIETARY programming code, with virtually no audit/recount controls--a Bushite electronic voting (s)election system that was installed during the 2002-2004 period, engineered by the biggest crooks in the Anthrax Congress, Tom Delay and Bob Ney.

The November (s)elections will favor torture, unjust war, looting of the federal budget, multiple tax cuts for the super-rich, a $10 TRILLION deficit, and other grievous crimes--to the delight of the war profiteering corporate news monopoly lapdogs, who will wiggle their cute little curls and their snippy little rightwing butts in pure glee at the Bushites' miraculous "comeback" victory.

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Throw Diebold, ES&S and all election theft machines into 'Boston Harbor' NOW! (--or the nearest Louisiana leve!). Bust the Machines--Vote by Absentee Ballot this November! A MASSIVE citizen revolt against these election theft machines is needed in order to FORCE reform NOW! BOYCOTT the machines! Vote on PAPER!

[Jack Rabbit]

8. It's time to convene an international tribunal

The Torturer's Apprentice
by Ray McGovern
TomPaine.com, Thursday September 7

Bush in jeopardy? Yes. The issue is torture, which George W. Bush authorized in a Feb. 7, 2002, memorandum in contravention both of the Geneva Accords and 18 U.S. Code 2441, the War Crimes Act that incorporates the Geneva provisions into the federal criminal code which was approved by a Republican-led Congress in 1996. Heeding the advice of Vice President Dick Cheney’s counsel, David Addington, then-White House counsel Alberto Gonzales and Assistant Attorney General Jay Bybee, the president officially opened the door to torture in that memorandum. His remarks yesterday reflect the determination of Cheney and Bush to keep that door open and accuse those who would close it of being "soft on terrorists."

Ray McGovern is right. These are violations of international law and truly heinous acts. These are war crimes, but so was the invasion of Iraq itself.

For many years, I have been advocating that Bush, Cheney, Gonzales and others should be indicted for war crimes and tried in federal court; un addition to that, if the United States is unwilling or unable to prosecute, then an international tribunal for war crimes in Iraq and crimes against humanity arising out of the war on terror should be established for that purpose.

No act of Congress can legalize torture. No act of Congress can say that waterboarding, setting dogs on detainees, stress positions, or sleep or sensory deprivation isn't covered by the Convention against Torture, to which the US is a party. No act of Congress by legalize "extraordinary rendition", which is explicitly prohibited by the convention. And no pronouncement by any tyrant can make torture an effective interrogation tool; any information obtained under such duress is naturally unreliable.

No act of Congress can make a secret tribunal a legitimate court of justice. No act of Congress can deny the ability of a defendant in a criminal case the right to call witness, cross examine witnesses against him, examine the evidence against him or freely consult with his attorney and call that acceptable due process. And no pronouncement by any tyrant, whether he came to power through a coup d'etat, a rigged election and judicial manipulation or even a legitimate free and fair election, will change that.

If Congress passes what Mr. Bush proposes, it will be a sign to the world that the US has turned its back on human rights and international humanitarian law. An international tribunal will be the last resort to bring the rogues of the Bush Regime to justice; the convening of such a tribunal would be an appropriate response.

[ninkasi]

9. Bush is a sociopath

who is at the present time the leader of the United States. With our wealth, we could have been a force for much good in the world, but instead, he and his fellow criminals, especially the equally sadistic Cheney, are dismantling what has been good about our country, sucking up all of our assets for themselves, and leading us into tyranny. These people are, in spite of their wealth and power, no better than barbarians.

They are vicious, and utterly without conscience. Their absolute, always loyal base, is made up of people much like them. Bringing their bigoted opinions, their shameful policies of screwing the poor, to light by exposing what they are doing will not deter their base, because this base agrees with them.

They deserve to be tried, convicted, and live the rest of their lives in prison. Their personal wealth should be confiscated, and used to help the many lives they have ruined, and the damage they have done. The great lengths they have gone to to be able to torture says it all. They are completely without any redeeming qualities. Torture is abhorrent, and always wrong. We could not have had any worse president an vice-president forced upon us by the SOCTUS, because they represent the very worst in humanity. I'm not sure they can even claim the right to be considered human.

[hootinholler]

10. Please sign the Petition.

Right down there in my sig. Help me demand a grand jury!

-Hoot

[tbyg52]

11. Is there supposed to be something there?

I get 26.4K, so I block everything graphic that I can.

[hootinholler]

12. The petition link?

It's ok for dialup.

-Hoot

[tbyg52]

15. I meant that I don't see any link in your message

and I thought maybe it was something graphic that I was blocking.....?

[tbyg52]

16. Never mind....

And a RTFM to me.....!

Yes, I do have signatures turned off.... :blush:

[hootinholler]

17. It all makes sense now ;) n/t