Author: David Edwards

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In Iraq, the month of May saw the largest number of Iraqi civilian deaths since the war began 3 years ago. The Baghdad morgue reported over 1400 dead in May. Over 400 of the dead Iraqis could not be identified. Some journalists, like veteran reporter Robert Fisk, claim that the officials are under-reporting the actual number of deaths. In addition, many more bodies can never be counted because explosions and road side bombs often leave little evidence of human remains.

What’s clear is that the violence in Iraq is increasing at a pivotal time for the fledgling Iraqi government. Even the shell-shocked Iraqis are stunned by the new level of violence. For example, over a two day period, 18 severed heads wrapped in plastic have been discovered. The likely cause are the escalating sectarian revenge killings.

In this video, an Iraqi woman cries,

Where is the government?

Where is Bush who occupied our country?

Why did they kill us?

Part 1: Maher’s Monologue, Panel

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Playing Time: 10 minutes

Part 2: Panel Contiuned, New Rules, Maher’s Closing Rant

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Playing Time: 12 minutes

Friday’s episode of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher was the final live broadcast of the season. The panelist were musician John Legend, national security expert Richard Clarke, and academic Cornell West.

Maher took the opportunity of the season final to focus on slamming President Bush. Maher said that Bush was such an easy target that he had avoided having a Bush theme throughout the season.

Discussion of recent stories about the NSA’s domestic programs really took over much of the show. Maher’s panelist were outraged at the Bush Administration’s abuse of power. Cornell West was highly critical of human and civil rights abuses while Richard Clarke warned of the dangers that happen when an incompetent government employs excessive power.

Due to the length of the video, it has been split into 2 parts. Both parts contain clips from the show that focus on Maher’s criticism of Bush and the NSA’s domestic spying.

Cross-posted at Veredictum.com

Promoted by Steven D.

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The number of Iraqi’s forced from their homes due to organized campaigns of ethic cleansing has increased from 30,000 to 100,000 in the month of April.

Only a month ago, we posted a video from ABC News which reported that 30,000 Iraqi had been forced from their homes due to sectarian threats. Some have described the situation that has created thousands of Iraq refugees as an organized effort of ethnic cleansing.

Just 20 days after our initial report, the Iraqi Red Crescent estimates that over 100,000 Iraqis have become refugees in their own country. Some suggest that the number of displaced people might be much higher but the current security situation in Iraq prevents even a cursory audit of more than 1000 refugee camps.

This video combines a report from BBC with an Arab news report from Baghdad. The BBC’s James Reynolds reports from one of the ‘tent cities’. Reynolds is told by the Iraqi Red Crescent that “somebody is behind this war. It is highly organized.”

An Arab news channel, reports on protests in Baghdad where refugees demand that the Iraqi government immediately facilitate a secure return to their homes. Iraqi and Coalition forces have not been able to slow the trend of a growing refugee population. Of course, the combined forces can not begin to ensure protection for over 100,000 displaced Iraqis who wish to return to their homes.
Hard-liners of both Shi’ias and Sunnis are violently “cleansing” their respective regional areas of the other’s people. Under Saddam’s rule, mixed neighborhoods of Shi’ias and Sunnis became commonplace. As the so-called “low level civil war” rages, Sectarian interests have sharply divided the country.

This is not the first time that mass numbers of refugees have been forced from their homes since the American occupation of Iraq. A UN report has found that during the initial invasion and occupation, 140,000 Iraqi refugees fled to Syria. That same report concluded that conditions had become worse for Iraqi than under Saddam’s rule. During the November 2004 destruction of Fallujah by American forces, thousands of families were forced to flee to tent cities. These refugees were forced to struggle through the harsh Winter months without heat, food or humanitarian assistance.

Cross-posted at Veredictum.com

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Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright appeared on CNN’s American Morning to announce her new book, “The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on America, God and World Affairs.” The new book critiques U.S. foreign policy and imperialist notions of manifest destiny. She is particularly critical of the way that George W. Bush has invoked God in the name of advancing narrow political and foreign policy goals.

In her new book, Madam Secretary Albright writes that the invasion of Iraq may be “the worst foreign policy disaster in U.S. history.” CNN’s Miles O’Brien asked Albright to explain her statement (transcript)…

M. O’BRIEN: First of all, one of the important themes of this book is your feeling about how the Iraq situation has played out. And you say this: “The invasion of Iraq and its aftermath may eventually rank among the worst foreign policy disasters in U.S. history.” You don’t even couch the statement. It’s that bad.

ALBRIGHT: I am very troubled by it, because there are so many immediate consequences and then the unintended consequences. First of all, I never believed that there was a connection between Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein. But clearly now Iraq has become a major recruiting ground for everybody who hates us. Then there is the real question about what this has done to America’s authority — our moral authority as a result of what happened in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay, and it has damaged us in terms of what we can do in other parts of the world.

Then I think the biggest unintended consequence is that all of a sudden, Iran is the one that has gained incredible influence in the region. And finally, it has put real question about American power. How do we use it? What are the messages that we’re sending with it? So I think Iraq is a mess. That’s a diplomatic term of art. And I am very worried about the intended and unintended consequences.

Madeleine Albright explains the damage caused by aligning the “Global War on Terror” or any policy with the idea that God is on America’s “side”. If you oppose Bush, the War in Iraq, or the way that American power is being used then you are “picking a fight with God.”, Albright says. The unbridled use of religion in foreign policy narrows our  supporters throughout the world and leads to continued conflict.

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Earlier this week, a European Parliament committee released a report saying that the CIA had illegally detained people and used secret ‘rendition’ flights to transport them to other countries or secret CIA prisons where they were expected to be tortured.

Several members of European Parliament met in Macedonia today to investigate the story of Khaled El-Masri, a German citizen, who was abducted by the CIA. After being kidnapped, he was then ‘rendered’ to a U.S. prison in Afghanistan and held for 5 months.
The International Relations and Security Network reports:

ISN SECURITY WATCH (Friday, 28 April 2006: 10.38 CET) – European parliamentarians are on a two-day fact-finding mission in Macedonia, investigating claims that US agents arrested a German citizen there and sent him to Afghanistan for interrogation.

The European lawmakers arrived in Macedonia and Thursday, a day after a parliamentary committee released a report alleging that the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had run 1,000 illegal rendition flights within the EU since 2001.

The European Parliament committee investigated the alleged CIA activities in Europe for over three months, during which time it interviewed top EU officials, magistrates, human rights activists, and people who claimed to have been kidnapped by the CIA.

“The CIA has, on several occasions, clearly been responsible for kidnapping and illegally detaining alleged terrorists on the territory of member states, as well as for extraordinary renditions,” the committee’s spokesman, Claudio Fava, told reporters.

The report did not include mention of an ongoing investigation into allegations about secret CIA detention centers in Europe.

Check out this article in the Christian Science Monitor for some insights on how the European public is forcing the EU to investigate US human rights abuses. The report concludes that many European countries were actually complicit in the ‘rendition’ flights. European leaders want to cooperate with Bush’s War on Terror (although they won’t call it a war). In contrast, the European people have a great disdain for the United States’ Government’s illegal operations.

Our Corporate Media has refused to report on this important story in National broadcasts. To their credit, PBS NewsHour did quickly mention the EU report. BBC News and BBC World News were broadcasting several extended segments for several days after the report war released.

The video has both the PBS and BBC coverage. If you know of other National networks that covered this story then please let us know.

Cross-posted at Veredictum.com

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Ray McGovern is an Ex-CIA Analyst and a friend of Mary McCarthy who was fired by the CIA fom allegedly leaking classified information to reporters. McGovern is part of the group Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity which has been critical of the Bush Administration for the political use of National Security intelligence.

The opinion of the intelligence community is unanimous. In general, leaking of classified information is a firing offense, possible criminal and can pose a danger to America’s national interests. Ray McGovern agrees that leaks are dangerous and should not be condoned but he says that actions by the Bush Administration have created an “exceptional situation” where leaking may be the only choice for exposing illegal activities.

Ray McGovern says that the “war of aggression” on Iraq, the secret “black” prisons, torture, rendition and other activities are “war crimes”. The American people deserve to know when crimes are being committed by their government. McGovern says:

That’s the reason these prisons are overseas, because there is U.S. law, 18 U.S. Code 2441, the War Crimes Act, which forbids these activities, torture, rendition, putting people, disappearing people, and so forth. And so that’s why these things are created overseas.

But my point is: This is not American. This is not the country that we serve. And when we see this happening, somebody has to speak out.

This video contains about 10 minutes of clips from the interview with Ray McGovern. See PBS Newshour for an entire transcript. Cross posted at Veredictum.com

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On this week’s edition of PBS’s Washington Week, L.A. Times political reporter Doyle McManus provided analysis of Bush’s record low poll numbers.

Doyle relates talking points that were being pushed on him by a Republican operative. Putting a delirious spin on the Bush’s low ratings, the GOP says that “those polls were actually good news because the President’s popularity has bottomed out. It has stabilized…”

While rolling her eyes, Washington Week moderator Gwen Ifill replies, “I’m dizzy from that spin, I think.”

Cross posted at Veredictum.com

UPDATE: The video clip referenced from last night’s Countdown has been added below the fold.

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I’m having a hard time understanding the logic of the Bush Administration on the appropriateness of retired military leaders speaking out about civilian leadership. On the one hand, they are saying that it is inappropriate for retired (and especially serving) military officers to criticize Rumsfeld. On the other hand, military officers who are retired or currently serving are encouraged to speak out in Rumsfeld’s defense.

I just don’t understand a policy that only allows the expression pro-Administration propaganda but deems all criticism – even by retired generals who are now private citizens – “inappropriate”. On last night’s edition of MSNBC’s Countdown, Keith Olbermann posed this question to Howard Fine:

OLBERMANN: Howard, one final question about Rumsfeld. Is this the response from the White House really that retired military personnel cannot comment on civilian leadership if they disagree with it but they are entitled to comment on leadership if they agree with it? I’m just thinking… Is there a hole in that logic somewhere?

FINEMAN: Yeah. There’s a hole large enough to drive an army through and that’s what we’ve done.

If anyone is interested, I’ll be glad to post the clip from Countdown.

Anyway, Jon Stewart did a humorously “fair and balanced” report on the General’s criticism  of Rumsfeld. “It’s not really very fair to attack Secretary Rumsfeld without giving the Secretary an opportunity to respond to thes charges that are being leveled”, says Stewart. “So, here are some of the general’s criticisms of Rumsfeld and his replies which in no way have been manipulated to make Rumsfeld look foolish or out of touch.“

UPDATE: Countdown Asks If Generals Can Only Express Approval of Rumsfeld

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Here’s the video clip where Keith Olbermann asks Howard Fine, “Is this the response from the White House really that retired military personnel cannot comment on civilian leadership if they disagree with it but they are entitled to comment on leadership if they agree with it? I’m just thinking… Is there a hole in that logic somewhere?”

Cross-posted at Veredictum.com

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Tavis Smiley interviews former White House Council for the Nixon Administration John Dean. Dean focuses on the moral and legal failings of the current Administration.

Dean recalls his experiences as an insider during Watergate and is amazed that Bush Administration has ignored those lessons. Dean expands on his March 31, 2006 testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee censure hearing where he said,

No president that I can find in the history of our country has really ever adopted a policy of expanding presidential powers for the sake of expanding presidential powers. And I think that’s what we have going on here in this presidency.

Dean says that the Bush inner-circle has had a policy of expanding presidential powers  from “the day they took office.” Secrecy was one of the symptoms of a now obvious campaign to create a presidency unchecked by government or the people. Dean says the actions of the Bush Administration have gone far beyond Nixon’s “Imperial Presidency”.

Dean goes on to give an ominous warning about slipping into a dictatorship…

The Congress… has lost its’ institutional pride. For some reason it doesn’t try to check this president.

I’ve seen the system how it’s supposed to work and it’s not working that way. When you get it lopsided and one branch is so dominating, it’s something other than our founders really designed.

And, of course, the worse case is that if you go on to something that we really don’t want to get to and that’s a dictatorship. That can happen much more easily than one thinks.

This clip plays for about 10 minutes and was originally broadcast on Wednesday, April 10, 2006. Cross-post at Veredictum.com

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A newly released report from Amnesty International provides additional evidence of secret CIA “black site” prisons located in Africa, Asia and Europe. The report also details the CIA’s practice of “rendering” prisoners to foreign countries to be tortured or detained.

In this video, BBC gives an overview of the new report. Anne Fitzgerald, senior Advisor for Amnesty, explains details of the CIA’s rendition flights. The final clip contains an interview with Muhammad al-Assar who was detained in a CIA “black site” prison for 2 years. He was then “rendered” to Yemen where, under orders from the U.S., he was imprisoned for another year.

Cross-posted at Veredictum.com