Bush desperate to avoid Impeachment.
Ever since I watched the seemingly desperate rose garden press conference, I have pondered about why Bush seemed more animated, frustrated and even a bit panicked then at any other time including after 9/11 and Katrina. I watched various pun dents conservative and liberal comment on how that press conference was an unwise move. Now, by connecting the dots from news items that have come out since that press conference, the reason for Bush's desperation is clear. He is attempting to avoid being impeached.
First Bush himself tells us that 14 terrorism suspects that have been held in secret prisons by the CIA have been turned over to the Defense Department and Guantanamo Bay. The significance of this is two fold. First this administration and Bush himself have denied the very existence of these secret prisons time and time again. Secondly, these men will now have access to the International Red Cross and thus their stories of detainment and torture could leak to the world very soon.
Then yesterday the story of The Canadian computer consultant Maher Arar comes out. After a 2 and ½ year inquiry by Canadian officials they have issued a report that Mr. Arara Canadian Citizen was incorrectly identified as an extremist with ties to al-Qaeda. He was then detained on September 26, 2002 in New York City, questioned for 12 days in the United States, then flown to Jordan, then driven to Syria. Yes Syria state sponsor of terrorism and Hezbollah. In Syria he was held in a coffin-sized cell and tortured for 10 months.
Arar filed a lawsuit in U.S. federal court, but a judge citing “national security” issues dismissed the case. Yesterday Attorney General Gonzalez denied he was detained in a secret prison or was tortured. He claims he was deported. Deported to Syria? First of all Maher Arar is a Canadian citizen. Second of all if he were a suspected terrorist our government would deport him to a state that supports terrorism?
This is probably the first of many such stories that are about to come out since it is estimated that the CIA has detained 3000 such people in similar fashion. Clearly the administrations attempts to cover up these illegal detentions and tortures are falling apart.
Perhaps however for the first time in this administration’s six years they are taking a clue from History. It wasn’t the break in that sealed Nixon’s fate, it was the cover-up. Thus rather then to continue this attempt to use “national security” as a reason to keep these crimes under wraps their next step is to decriminalize their actions after the fact.
Thus the basis of all of Bush’s speeches last week, on wiretapping, detention and torture. Thus is clear why the desperation when members of his own party stood up on moral grounds to stop this attempt at legalizing some of these crimes.
This is not about being weak on terror. This is not about letting terrorists go free, this is as former Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff referred to, about the moral authority of the United States of America.
That “moral authority” is what allowed our country to lead the world in World War II; it was what made NATO a success all these years. It is why the Geneva Conventions have been in place and endorsed by 195 countries for 57 years. It is why the United Nations exists. It has allowed Israel to exist. It is why the western hemisphere despite poverty and sometimes-corrupt governments has remained mostly at peace the last 50 years. It is why the Berlin Wall no longer exists. It is why when we spoke out against atrocities in the world we were listened to and supported by many nations and people around the world.
The “moral authority” we have had and the fact we as a nation have rarely misused that authority, is one of the primary reasons our nation has been great, strong and a leader in the world. Without this, our nation is weakened and this world will be in greater peril.
For now at least, I believe the United States as a nation has not lost “moral authority” in the eyes of most of the world as of yet. It is the Bush administration that has. The world looks at our citizens and our form of government as the people and the structure that can and will correct the wrongs of this administration.
We must not let ourselves down, our great nation or the world down.
Contact your current Senators and Congressmen now and support those Candidates that too believe restoring our “moral authority” is imperative.
First Bush himself tells us that 14 terrorism suspects that have been held in secret prisons by the CIA have been turned over to the Defense Department and Guantanamo Bay. The significance of this is two fold. First this administration and Bush himself have denied the very existence of these secret prisons time and time again. Secondly, these men will now have access to the International Red Cross and thus their stories of detainment and torture could leak to the world very soon.
Then yesterday the story of The Canadian computer consultant Maher Arar comes out. After a 2 and ½ year inquiry by Canadian officials they have issued a report that Mr. Arara Canadian Citizen was incorrectly identified as an extremist with ties to al-Qaeda. He was then detained on September 26, 2002 in New York City, questioned for 12 days in the United States, then flown to Jordan, then driven to Syria. Yes Syria state sponsor of terrorism and Hezbollah. In Syria he was held in a coffin-sized cell and tortured for 10 months.
Arar filed a lawsuit in U.S. federal court, but a judge citing “national security” issues dismissed the case. Yesterday Attorney General Gonzalez denied he was detained in a secret prison or was tortured. He claims he was deported. Deported to Syria? First of all Maher Arar is a Canadian citizen. Second of all if he were a suspected terrorist our government would deport him to a state that supports terrorism?
This is probably the first of many such stories that are about to come out since it is estimated that the CIA has detained 3000 such people in similar fashion. Clearly the administrations attempts to cover up these illegal detentions and tortures are falling apart.
Perhaps however for the first time in this administration’s six years they are taking a clue from History. It wasn’t the break in that sealed Nixon’s fate, it was the cover-up. Thus rather then to continue this attempt to use “national security” as a reason to keep these crimes under wraps their next step is to decriminalize their actions after the fact.
Thus the basis of all of Bush’s speeches last week, on wiretapping, detention and torture. Thus is clear why the desperation when members of his own party stood up on moral grounds to stop this attempt at legalizing some of these crimes.
This is not about being weak on terror. This is not about letting terrorists go free, this is as former Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff referred to, about the moral authority of the United States of America.
That “moral authority” is what allowed our country to lead the world in World War II; it was what made NATO a success all these years. It is why the Geneva Conventions have been in place and endorsed by 195 countries for 57 years. It is why the United Nations exists. It has allowed Israel to exist. It is why the western hemisphere despite poverty and sometimes-corrupt governments has remained mostly at peace the last 50 years. It is why the Berlin Wall no longer exists. It is why when we spoke out against atrocities in the world we were listened to and supported by many nations and people around the world.
The “moral authority” we have had and the fact we as a nation have rarely misused that authority, is one of the primary reasons our nation has been great, strong and a leader in the world. Without this, our nation is weakened and this world will be in greater peril.
For now at least, I believe the United States as a nation has not lost “moral authority” in the eyes of most of the world as of yet. It is the Bush administration that has. The world looks at our citizens and our form of government as the people and the structure that can and will correct the wrongs of this administration.
We must not let ourselves down, our great nation or the world down.
Contact your current Senators and Congressmen now and support those Candidates that too believe restoring our “moral authority” is imperative.
posted by Joe R at
12:54 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home