24 posts tagged “usa”
By lying to the federal court (in the Mossaoui case) as well as to the the September 11 commission, the CIA effectively broke the law and obstructed justice. According to the New York Times (Dec. 6)
"The C.I.A. in 2005 destroyed at least two video tapes documenting the interrogation of two [alledged] Al Qaeda operatives [...] Current and former government officials said [the destruction of the tapes] had been approved at the highest levels of the agency. (NYT)
In 2003 and 2005, the C.I.A., then headed by Porter J. Goss
"told federal prosecutors in 2003 and 2005, who relayed the information to a federal court in the Moussaoui case, that the C.I.A. did not possess recordings of interrogations sought by the judge in the case (NYT)
The C.I.A. said [Dec 6, 2007] that the decision to destroy the tapes had been made “within the C.I.A. itself,” and they were destroyed to protect the safety of undercover officers and because they no longer had intelligence value.
Mr. Moussaoui’s lawyers had hoped that records of the interrogations might provide exculpatory evidence for Mr. Moussaoui — showing that the Al Qaeda detainees did not know Mr. Moussaoui and clearing him of involvement in the Sept. 11, 2001, plot.
Porter J. Goss, replying through a spokesperson, declined to comment.
What remains in question is, how is the term "safety of undercover officers" defined? Of course, the agency wished the public to understand this term in the sense that phantom operatives would use the tapes to identiffy then attack officers. In fact, the destruction of the tapes was to protect the officers from legal scrutiny. The decisioon to videotape the interrogations in the first place, was to prevent teh use of coercion and torture.
I am no legal expert, but it would seem that the agency can no longer be seen as reliable in any case. The claims that many defendants are using, that they are being coerced into illegal confessions, appears to be valid in at least some of the cases. If the Hollywood blockbusters are anything to go by, then any testimony or even involvement by the C.I.A. should cause the exoneration of any alledged "terrorists". This particularly when the agency beings to emply the secrecy clauses in its defense when placed under scrutiny or cross examination about people in their custody.
This is genuine madness. God forbid that any of the readers ever find themselves in an American court room. A house full of rats. A shameful abuse of power.
Direction & Cinematography, Laura Poitras
Music title, OH MY COUNTRY composed & performed by Kadhum Al Sahir
Violin, Kais Salman.
Film - In Memoriam, Dr Riyadh's nephew assassinated january 12th 2006
Aluta continua. This movie is dedicated to Dr. Riyadh's nephew who was assassinated in January of 2006. I am always aware of our martyrs in Azania.. the lesser known ones, who died under a blaze of bullets, called terrorists then, forgotten today: Ashley Kriel, Anton Fransch, Hector Peterson, and on all the others in minor streets, and in fields of blood and grenades and bullets under Apartheid. The ones who noone remembers anymore.
We should never forget that a nation that is not vigilant, will pay the price. Perhaps Iraqi's are paying that price today. They allowed that bastard American agent Saddam to reign over them. Now the chickens have come home to roost. I mean no contempt for any nation. But this view is one I heard expressed by an Iraqi participant in this film. I pray each day that Americans stop paying the price as well, for their own sakes, and for their victims. Indeed, the ones who do not fear God, are the least vigilant. I was told this weekend, I am loosing my mind. Do I really think there is a fight on the internet? No way. The fight is on every street. It is in every heart and mind. Beginning with my own.
Related links:
- War After The War: What Washington doesn't see in Iraq by George Packer New Yorker, 2003 [Letter from Baghdad]
- My Country My Country [official site]
- Media brief concerning a film by Eugene Paramoer [UWC presentation]
- Why did the US media put you under so much pressure to prevent Mr. Ahmadinejad from delivering his speech at Columbia University? And why have American TV networks been broadcasting hours of news reports insulting our president while refusing to allow him the opportunity to respond? Is this not against the principle of freedom of speech?
- Why, in 1953, did the US administration overthrow the Iran’s national government under Dr Mohammad Mosaddegh and go on to support the Shah’s dictatorship?
- Why did the US support the blood-thirsty dictator Saddam Hussein during the 1980-88 Iraqi-imposed war on Iran, considering his reckless use of chemical weapons against Iranian soldiers defending their land and even against his own people?
- Why is the US putting pressure on the government elected by the majority of Palestinians in Gaza instead of officially recognizing it? And why does it oppose Iran ’s proposal to resolve the 60-year-old Palestinian issue through a general referendum?
- Why has the US military failed to find Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden even with all its advanced equipment? How do you justify the old friendship between the Bush and Bin Laden families and their cooperation on oil deals? How can you justify the Bush administration’s efforts to disrupt investigations concerning the September 11 attacks?
- Why does the US administration support the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) despite the fact that the group has officially and openly accepted the responsibility for numerous deadly bombings and massacres in Iran and Iraq? Why does the US refuse to allow Iran ’s current government to act against the MKO’s main base in Iraq?
- Was the US invasion of Iraq based on international consensus and did international institutions support it? What was the real purpose behind the invasion which has claimed hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives? Where are the weapons of mass destruction that the US claimed were being stockpiled in Iraq?
- Why do America’s closest allies in the Middle East come from extremely undemocratic governments with absolutist monarchical regimes?
- Why did the US oppose the plan for a Middle East free of unconventional weapons in the recent session of the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors despite the fact the move won the support of all members other than Israel?
- Why is the US displeased with Iran’s agreement with the IAEA and why does it openly oppose any progress in talks between Iran and the agency to resolve the nuclear issue under international law?
Iranian lawmakers called on the UN to deal with American torture and illegal holding facilities at Guantanamo Bay and other secret locations. They labelled the US troops and the CIA as terrorists.
"They (the U.S. army and the CIA) support Israel's state terrorism in its crackdown on Palestinian and Lebanese people, trained Al-Qaida and Taliban and established secret prisons in Europe, torture prisoners in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib,"
Inspectors from the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA, or the International Atomic Energy Agency, on Monday visited a sensitive Iranian heavy water nuclear reactor in Arak, the official IRNA news agency reported.
Iran has blocked inspections from the IAEA to its nuclear sites since January this year after the UN Security Council imposed sanctions over the country's controversial nuclear program.
July 31st, People's Daily Online
Related Sites:
- Torture in the USA (a posting on this blog)
- IAEA - Iran in Focus
- IRCR - Guantanamo
- IRCT - Guantanamo
The entity known as israel exists as a result of racial discrimination. It's continued disregard for human rights is a blemish on all humanity. The Durban conference of 2001 (now over shadowed by the zionist-driven events of September 2001), clearly demonstrated that the world is strongly opposed to the new apartheid in the Holy Land. The implications of the actions of this terror state can be seen in the sad global conflict which threatens to continue spreading like a cancer. Of all the nations on God's beautiful earth, why does South Africa still cozy up to this terrorist state occupying Jerusalem?
The Iranian president, Ahmadi Nejad speaking to the Washington Press Corps on Monday Sept 24th 2007, made these wise comments:
"We do not recognize that regime because it is based on discrimination" and, "It consistently threatens its neighbors."
Good for you President Ahmadi Nejad. Of course, many of his statements continue to be misquoted and ridiculed as deceptive by those who try to conceal the truth about the zionist terrorists and their plans for global domination. Anyone who needs proof for what may seem strange and unbelievable, only needs to look at the wars being fought in order to dominate the oil rich region. Surely South Africa's leaders realise that when Africa stands up against this mighty force of evil, she will be attacked by the kind of military force we see in Iraq and Somalia. What cowards they are to continue to lie to us. We should be putting our voice more firmly behind the downtrodden instead of accepting bribes silently. This kind of dishonesty attracts politicians of low morality and in the end, greed leads to a spiral of moral corruption, and eventual social and political decay. Domestically and internationally, South Africa will lose ground until the truth becomes painfully obvious. Of course, economically South Africa will continue to grow from strength to strength as we did under Apartheid. But in the end, the pack of cards will come tumbling down.
My question remains, why does South Africa support this terror driven state calling itself Israel? I hazard to make two guesses: 1) my question will be ignored or largely countered by unreasonable responses 2) the reason South Africa supports Israel is because Israel supports South Africa i.e. nothing has changed since Apartheid was abolished. A new Apartheid has emerged since the ANC was unbanned. It is an economic apartheid and the country is still dominated by the same kind of selfish criminals as before.
Our prayers are that the Iranian people continue to protect the truth and oppose evil. And for the people of Azania and Palestine, may they also one day be free.
Related Sites:
In minds - Durban Conference against Racism 2001
The Azanian
The Lessons of the Rocks
You Tube channel
Perhaps a translation error? I really don't know. According to one report, the CIA found in November 2006, that there was in fact NO EVIDENCE Iran is developing nuclear weapons. [read French Agency report].
In fact NONE of these statements circulated by the Associated Press Agency are true:
(1) The president of Iran says the holocaust is a myth, (2) Israel should be destroyed, and his country (3) [Iran] should be allowed to build nuclear weapons.
1) President Ahmadenijad was speaking for an examination of the real facts behind the holocaust, and begging the hypothetical i.e. he said "if the holocaust happened in Europe, why should Palestinians have to pay the price for crimes that took place in Europe". If that is saying that the holocaust is a myth, then Europe must be a mythical place. Quite simply, he never questioned whether it happened, only the real circumstances around it and what followed the holocaust i.e. the occupation of Palestine.
2) The call is for the regime in Jerusalem to be removed from the page of history i.e. to see this call in it's context is to understand that it means to expose Israel's crimes and to replace it with a democratic and representative regime that abides by international laws. Iranians call for death to the evil that drives the barbaric regime of Israel. It is the same as saying, "death to terrorism" or calling for a "war on terrorism". Hence, Iran's president wishes to lay a wreath at the WTC ground zero site. Allowing him to do this will go a long way to show the world a true face of Islamic leaders. Unfortunately, he will not be allowed to do this.
3) As to nuclear weapons: Iran is OPPOSED TO NUCLEAR WEAPONS. It is a co-signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (where the U.S.A. has not significantly reduced it's arsenal having declared itself a nuclear nation, and Israel openly expands hers while refusing to sign the NPT). Iran is suspected by the same people who suspected Saddam of not having destroyed the WMD they sold to him previously. These suspicions have to be seen in light of the fact that Iran has the right to develop nuclear power capabilities according to these treaties.
To some of those who have had lies drummed ad nauseum into their unconscious, the crowds listening to Ahmadinejad in this video appear as though they were engaged in "mass hysteria" as a result of years of indoctrination. Yet the same viewer may miss the fact that the participants in the talk show above, have no idea about Iran. it seems as though American viewers are extremely unaware of most things if such shows continue to be aired. I am certain that talk shows in Iran are of a higher standard (just my opinion).
As you view these videos, consider that it is in fact YOU who have been indoctrinated into thinking that Iranians have no minds, no free will. It is YOU who consider that God created women to be paraded naked in public, without modesty. It is YOU who have been duped into thinking that women who choose to live according to how they see God's will (with modesty), are oppressed. No! Women who don't realise they are being used by the media as sex objects, are the ones oppressed. I came across warning on a site on vox, against people posting images of the female body and it got me thinking: people dress in very revealing ways, and when pictures are taken of them, they feel exposed. How strange that they do not feel exposed just walking out into the street dressed in clothing that reveals their most private parts, yet they feel exposed when a photo is taken. How strange that they feel their privacy is breached when they themselves walked out in the public view dressed as they did. I object to pictures being taken also. I also would defend any woman dressing in any way she chooses. But isn't it wonderful that God in His wisdom, has guided us correctly in the way we SHOULD dress. If someone is in error, let him find his own way. There is no compulsion to accept my God. But if there are enough of us who wish to guide our young people correctly by being good examples, if our culture is advanced and civilised, then having such laws as Iran does, is a choice we make as a society.
Somali police have surrounded the offices of an independent radio station in the capital Mogadishu and opened fire on the building, according to station officials.
"Many Mogadishu-based journalists have been forced to flee the country due to the ongoing intimidation of journalists," Joel Simon, the CPJ's executive director, said in a statement.
"We call on the government to stop this harassment and to move its forces away from the main gates of the Shabelle media network offices."
Somalia is also the second deadliest country in the world for journalists, after Iraq, according to the CPJ.
Source - Al Jazeera [more]
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