Welcome to Boston, Mr. Rumsfeld. You Are Under Arrest

[FourScore]

Mon Sep 19, 2011 at 10:31 PM PDT
UPDATED: Welcome to Boston, Mr. Rumsfeld. You Are Under Arrest.
by Ralph Lopez

(note: some graphic images, mild compared to what is coming out.)

Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has been stripped of legal immunity for acts of torture against US citizens authorized while he was in office. The 7th Circuit made the ruling in the case of two American contractors who were tortured by the US military in Iraq after uncovering a smuggling ring within an Iraqi security company. The company was under contract to the Department of Defense. The company was assisting Iraqi insurgent groups in the "mass acquisition" of American weapons. The ruling comes as Rumsfeld begins his book tour with a visit to Boston on Monday, September 26, and as new, uncensored photos of Abu Ghraib spark fresh outrage across Internet. Awareness is growing that Bush-era crimes went far beyond mere waterboarding.


Torture Room, Abu Ghraib

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told reporters in 2004 of photos withheld by the Defense Department from Abu Ghraib, “The American public needs to understand, we’re talking about rape and murder here...We’re not just talking about giving people a humiliating experience. We’re talking about rape and murder and some very serious charges.” And journalist Seymour Hersh says: "boys were sodomized with the cameras rolling. And the worst above all of that is the soundtrack of the boys shrieking that your government has."

Rumsfeld resigned days before a criminal complaint was filed in Germany in which the American general who commanded the military police battalion at Abu Ghraib had promised to testify. General Janis Karpinski in an interview with Salon.com was asked: "Do you feel like Rumsfeld is at the heart of all of this and should be held completely accountable for what happened (at Abu Ghraib)?"

Karpinski answered: "Yes, absolutely." In the criminal complaint filed in Germany against Rumsfeld, Karpinski submitted 17 pages of testimony and offered to appear before the German prosecutor as a witness. Congressman Kendrick Meek of Florida, who participated in the hearings on Abu Ghraib, said of Rumsfeld: "There was no way Rumsfeld didn’t know what was going on. He’s a guy who wants to know everything."

And Major General Antonio Taguba, who led the official Army investigation into Abu Ghraib, said in his report:

"there is no longer any doubt as to whether the administration has committed war crimes. The only question is whether those who ordered the use of torture will be held to account.".

Abu Ghraib Prisoner Smeared with Feces

MUCH MORE WITH LINKS AT: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/09/20/1018370/-UPDATED:-Welcome-to-Boston,-Mr-Rumsfeld-You-Are-Under-Arrest?via=siderec

[Rex]

1. YES! RUN DONALD YOU FUCKING WAR CRIMINAL!

I can't wait to see him hauled...oh right, forward not back. :eyes:

[sabrina 1]

2. Thank you. I'm not sure what it means in terms of anything actually

being done about these criminals, but it's something.

[Doremus]

3. K&R

[wiggs]

4. To anyone halfway paying attention it has always been clear that

torture and abuse went "far beyond mere waterboarding" three people.

IIRC 25 people died in Abu Ghraib while in custody.

[WildEyedLiberal]

5. Strange headline. The 7th Circuit is Illinois, not Massachusetts

Not sure why Rumsfeld would be arrested there. Hopefully he'll be arrested someday to stand trial for his war crimes.

[lonestarnot]

6. Yeahya, not getting that either.

[lumpy]

7. If ever there should be public outrage over anything it should

be over this. I was sickened and dishearted to realize that this heinous torture was committed in the name of the US. I reluctantly read the entire thing on dailykos and there is no doubt in my mind that Rumsfeld, Bush, Cheney and everyone responsible should be brought to justice so as to guarantee that torture will never be committed by this country ever again. Everyone should be made aware of these horrible acts and a drive to see that the members of the Bush administration are held responsible. We have marched against war, massed together for human rights and now we should march for justice.

[tblue]

8. Dear Pres. Obama, sometimes ya just hafta LOOK BACKWARD!

Is a crime or crime? Or does it depend on who did it or what the political fallout will be?

To let this go was one of the most egregious political calls made in a lot of years. Our name is stained for all time because we did not hold accountable those who did this.

[coalition_unwilling]

9. Thank you so much for posting this. It should be at the top of every

DU forum, imho. K and R!

[JohnyCanuck]

10. K&R n/t

[JohnyCanuck]

11. "Removing Rumsfeld’s status of immunity sends a larger message"

Donald Rumsfeld Stripped Of Immunity In Torture Case
by Cara Palmer, Senior Opinion Editor
September 20, 2011

snip

Donald Vance and Nathan Ertel can continue their suit against Donald Rumsfeld.

The torture of these two United States citizens took place among the wider context of the inhumane torture of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib, which Rumsfeld authorized.

Removing Rumsfeld’s status of immunity sends a larger message that crimes against humanity committed against United States citizens will not be tolerated, no matter who the perpetrators. It is a step toward proclaiming that no such crimes will ever be tolerated, whether the victims are United States citizens or Iraqi citizens or anyone around the world. And it is a step toward proclaiming that no matter who authorized such inhumane, illegal actions, they will be held responsible.

http://www.neontommy.com/news/2011/09/donald-rumsfeld-stripped-immunity-torture-case

One can only hope so.

[malaise]

12. T0 think that all these war criminals are signing book deals and

making money. Arrest these fugging scumbag ReTHUGS NOW!!

[YellowRubberDuckie]

13. Oh My God.

I am sickened by this. I knew it was bad. I was just hoping it wasn't going to be THIS bad.
There is no way to justify this no matter how hard they try. Our constitution, when speaking about the rights of prisoners or criminals of any sort does not say CITIZENS. It says people. These people SWORE to uphold the constitution. And they instead PERVERTED it. We get whatever we deserve. Frankly, all of those bastards need to stand trial in the world criminal court and be in jail.

[Raksha]

14. K & R