Of course the world is looking forward to seeing Saddam stand trial for crimes against his people. As some simply hated Saddam and thought he was a war criminal when he started his war with Iran, I am very happy that finally he will be put on trial. GWU has an excellent resource center and I am taking the liberty to copy it here for the reader. Thank you GWU
“Washington D.C. October 18, 2005 - The National Security Archive today posted a series of declassified U.S. intelligence documents and other U.S. agency reports on Saddam Hussein’s human rights abuses, one of which is the subject of the first trial of Saddam which begins tomorrow in Iraq. The first set of charges concerns Saddam’s responsibility, along with seven co-defendants, for the 1982 massacre of 143 Shiites in Dujail, a town 35 miles north of Baghdad, after an unsuccessful assassination attempt against Saddam. Procedures for the trial are the subject of significant controversy, as reported by the New York Times’ John Burns today. The Archive’s posting gives a preview of the evidence that the U.S. government may be providing to the trial process.
Saddam may face up to a dozen trials for crimes alleged to have been committed by his regime - among them the gassing of Kurds in Halabja and the suppression of a Shiite uprising in the south. However, in September it was reported that the Iraqi government may waive further proceedings if Saddam is convicted in the first trial, a conviction which could bring the death penalty. (Note 1)
During his years in power, the U.S. Intelligence Community produced estimates and studies of Iraq’s foreign and defense policies, its military capabilities and activities, and analyses of the regime’s domestic policies and actions. Other U.S. agencies, both before and after the termination of Saddam’s rule, also produced reports on the regime’s internal activities.
The collection below contains a number of documents produced by U.S. agencies over the last thirty years concerning the Iraqi regime’s policies and activities directed at maintaining itself in power and eliminating or neutralizing opposition to the regime.”
There are a whole lots of people who should stand trail with him, not only his close associates, but all those who supported him and gave him poltical, economic and miliatry support. All should be on trial so that they neverr again support such criminal dictators. I would like to see few of our officials stand trail with him. He pulled the trigger, they gave him the gun
Friday, October 17, 2008
Saddam. America’s wonder kid finally on trial.
Before Saddam assumed real power within the Iraqi Baathist party in November of 69, the wonder boy of Iraq used to meet almost every week with the CIA station chief at the US Embassy in Cairo. Saddam was not a stranger to the US, since he was adopted by the US at an early stage of his career. PBS’s “Front Line” had a two-hour documentary on the very warm and loving relationship the US had with Saddam.
The US continued to play a major role in mentoring Saddam and have insisted a number of Arab countries to give him this thug, this criminal legitimacy and power and money.
When Saddam started his proxy war with Iran for an on behalf of some Arab countries and the US, Iraq had over $50 BILLION sitting in international banks and Iraq unlike many of the Gulf countries had a very well educated citizens and a very bountiful agriculture and it has all the things the other Gulf counties did not have.
The US anxious to teach Khomeni, (another evil and war criminal) a lesson for humiliating the Shah and humiliating the US, the Reagan Administration was ready to go into action. It recruited a number of Arab countries to give financial support to Saddam and give him “Arab legitimacy” for his war against Iran. Of course some Arab countries, especially the Gulf States had good reason to fear Khomeni and his new and fire brand Islamic Revolution of Iran. Khomeni is as guilty as Saddam in the Iran –Iraq war and he is as guilty as Saddam for the killing and murder of millions of young and innocent lives and for wasting both countries wealth and its manpower, and for what?
Saddam went to war claiming he is reliving the glorious Arab past and claiming he is the guardian of the Arabs against the barbarian Persians. I know many Arab people went along with Saddam and where cheering him on, even when they knew the man was nothing but a total fraud and criminal.
Saddam went to war and the US was an active party to the war supplying Saddam with critical line of credit and of course satellite photos of the battlefield.
Oh, yah, the present secretary of defense, Donald Rumsfeld was the emissary to Saddam visiting him twice and offering military, political and financial support at a time when Saddam was using chemical weapons against the Iranian in the battle field and against the Kurds in northern Iraq.
Poor souls tens and hundreds of thousands died, without one single voice of dissent, not in the Arab world, not hear in Washington and not any where in any of the Western capitals. After all Saddam was Washington boy. He can get away with murder and he did.
Well now many years later this hero to many crawled out of his rat hall, like a beggar asking for mercy from the American soldiers who pulled him of his rat hole.
Sometimes, not really, all of the times I blame the Iraqi people for not going out in the millions defying Saddam and bring him down, just like the Iranians when they forced the Shah of Iran to leave in disgrace. Saddam killed millions of them and they could not go out and topple him down. What a pity, because they are now paying the very heavy price, perhaps much more than the one they would have to pay to bring Saddam down.
It makes me wonder about the people in the Arab world. They have no courage and no imagination to defy the odd and go out and topple all of these useless governments and criminal dictatorships. I guess, they are always used to have someone else do the fighting for them and they end up paying a very heavy price in all cases.
Well, Saddam on trial tomorrow and it must be a site to see. I hope his trial does not turn out to be a joke like the “Almahdawi court” the famous criminal courts of the Iraqi revolutions after 58. As a young boy I used to listen to these horrific courts.
The US continued to play a major role in mentoring Saddam and have insisted a number of Arab countries to give him this thug, this criminal legitimacy and power and money.
When Saddam started his proxy war with Iran for an on behalf of some Arab countries and the US, Iraq had over $50 BILLION sitting in international banks and Iraq unlike many of the Gulf countries had a very well educated citizens and a very bountiful agriculture and it has all the things the other Gulf counties did not have.
The US anxious to teach Khomeni, (another evil and war criminal) a lesson for humiliating the Shah and humiliating the US, the Reagan Administration was ready to go into action. It recruited a number of Arab countries to give financial support to Saddam and give him “Arab legitimacy” for his war against Iran. Of course some Arab countries, especially the Gulf States had good reason to fear Khomeni and his new and fire brand Islamic Revolution of Iran. Khomeni is as guilty as Saddam in the Iran –Iraq war and he is as guilty as Saddam for the killing and murder of millions of young and innocent lives and for wasting both countries wealth and its manpower, and for what?
Saddam went to war claiming he is reliving the glorious Arab past and claiming he is the guardian of the Arabs against the barbarian Persians. I know many Arab people went along with Saddam and where cheering him on, even when they knew the man was nothing but a total fraud and criminal.
Saddam went to war and the US was an active party to the war supplying Saddam with critical line of credit and of course satellite photos of the battlefield.
Oh, yah, the present secretary of defense, Donald Rumsfeld was the emissary to Saddam visiting him twice and offering military, political and financial support at a time when Saddam was using chemical weapons against the Iranian in the battle field and against the Kurds in northern Iraq.
Poor souls tens and hundreds of thousands died, without one single voice of dissent, not in the Arab world, not hear in Washington and not any where in any of the Western capitals. After all Saddam was Washington boy. He can get away with murder and he did.
Well now many years later this hero to many crawled out of his rat hall, like a beggar asking for mercy from the American soldiers who pulled him of his rat hole.
Sometimes, not really, all of the times I blame the Iraqi people for not going out in the millions defying Saddam and bring him down, just like the Iranians when they forced the Shah of Iran to leave in disgrace. Saddam killed millions of them and they could not go out and topple him down. What a pity, because they are now paying the very heavy price, perhaps much more than the one they would have to pay to bring Saddam down.
It makes me wonder about the people in the Arab world. They have no courage and no imagination to defy the odd and go out and topple all of these useless governments and criminal dictatorships. I guess, they are always used to have someone else do the fighting for them and they end up paying a very heavy price in all cases.
Well, Saddam on trial tomorrow and it must be a site to see. I hope his trial does not turn out to be a joke like the “Almahdawi court” the famous criminal courts of the Iraqi revolutions after 58. As a young boy I used to listen to these horrific courts.
The murder game finally caught up with Syria.
All Arab criminal regimes always hid behind Arab nationalism. Saddam killed millions and was an agent of the CIA (a must see PPS documentary- Front Line) while serving the interest of the US and the UK and his war on Iran was nothing but a proxy war on behalf of the West. Of course not to mention that lunatic in Tripoli. Hafiz Assad, the long time champion of Arab nationalism was also a big time criminal who managed to kill tens of thousands and who appointed a war criminal who killed thousands of Palestinians as a minister in Lebanon. The Phalangist under the watchful eye of the Syrian murdered over 4,900 Palestinians in Tal-Zaater.
The Ba’athist regime in Syria is not different from its brothers under Saddam, committing murder and getting away with it. So-called Palestinians nationalist in Syria are bought and sold by the Syrians and do Syria’s bidding, and Ahmed Jebril and Abu-Musa are agents of Syria, in the same way Saddam used Palestinians to commit crimes against the Kuwaitis. The murder of Rafiq Hariri finally caught up with the thugs running Damascus. These same thugs that can arrange the murder of thousands could not protect couple of Palestinians who where murdered in Damascus by the Israeli Mossad. A country that is run by stupid intelligence and security organizations will always fail.
For a long time, Syria has been committing murder and getting away with it. Syria killed Kamal Jumblat and got away with it, killed Ahmed Laouzi and got away with it. Conspired with the Phalanges of Lebanon in the massacres of thousands of Palestinians and got away with it. It was a party in the killing of many Lebanese nationalist, like the late George Hawi and Samir Qassir, and for sure organized and supervised the killing and murder of Rafiq Hariri.
However, Syria should not be the only that is blamed for the big mess in Lebanon. The Lebanese and especially the Lebanese politicians are also to blame for playing Syria’s game in Lebanon. There were the “kiss ass” big times. All Lebanese politicians at one time or the other took their cues and instructions from “Anjar” the border town, which was the seat of Syrian intelligence in Lebanon. The late Ghazi Kana’an ran Syria as it was a grocery store, and Syria ran Lebanon not for the sake of its security, but for the sake of all of the money, corruption and bootlegging could bring to Syria. It was the dollars and the Euros that Syria and its Baathis where after. Syrian could not and was unable to protect is own soldiers from frequent raids by Israel, how could it protect the Lebanese from Israel?
Perhaps the worst things after the Ba’athist in the Arab world are the Lebanese politicians. A very unique breed of sophisticated corrupt politicians unlike anywhere else. Who in their right mind would expect that the Lebanese as sophisticated as they are, (you know the high class there, converse only in French,) how could these politicians ever accept and promote sectarian politics, where citizenship and rights arising from it are based on “religious confession” of whether a Lebanese is a Muslim, Druze, Shiite, or Christians, and even Christians are not all equal? It is a country that after couple of hundred thousands dead, gave leadership of the country to warlords and war criminals. It is the only country in the Arab world, where the throats of innocent people were slashed based on the pronunciations of “tomato”. The Palestinians pronounced at “Bandoura” and the blue-blooded Lebanese pronounce it “Banadoura”. The letter A made the difference in life and death in Lebanon during the civil war. Yet with all of this Lebanon remains a country of sectarian warlords. I hope the Syrian people will put the Baathist out of business and not wait for the Americans to come in and take Bashar and his thugs out.
The Ba’athist regime in Syria is not different from its brothers under Saddam, committing murder and getting away with it. So-called Palestinians nationalist in Syria are bought and sold by the Syrians and do Syria’s bidding, and Ahmed Jebril and Abu-Musa are agents of Syria, in the same way Saddam used Palestinians to commit crimes against the Kuwaitis. The murder of Rafiq Hariri finally caught up with the thugs running Damascus. These same thugs that can arrange the murder of thousands could not protect couple of Palestinians who where murdered in Damascus by the Israeli Mossad. A country that is run by stupid intelligence and security organizations will always fail.
For a long time, Syria has been committing murder and getting away with it. Syria killed Kamal Jumblat and got away with it, killed Ahmed Laouzi and got away with it. Conspired with the Phalanges of Lebanon in the massacres of thousands of Palestinians and got away with it. It was a party in the killing of many Lebanese nationalist, like the late George Hawi and Samir Qassir, and for sure organized and supervised the killing and murder of Rafiq Hariri.
However, Syria should not be the only that is blamed for the big mess in Lebanon. The Lebanese and especially the Lebanese politicians are also to blame for playing Syria’s game in Lebanon. There were the “kiss ass” big times. All Lebanese politicians at one time or the other took their cues and instructions from “Anjar” the border town, which was the seat of Syrian intelligence in Lebanon. The late Ghazi Kana’an ran Syria as it was a grocery store, and Syria ran Lebanon not for the sake of its security, but for the sake of all of the money, corruption and bootlegging could bring to Syria. It was the dollars and the Euros that Syria and its Baathis where after. Syrian could not and was unable to protect is own soldiers from frequent raids by Israel, how could it protect the Lebanese from Israel?
Perhaps the worst things after the Ba’athist in the Arab world are the Lebanese politicians. A very unique breed of sophisticated corrupt politicians unlike anywhere else. Who in their right mind would expect that the Lebanese as sophisticated as they are, (you know the high class there, converse only in French,) how could these politicians ever accept and promote sectarian politics, where citizenship and rights arising from it are based on “religious confession” of whether a Lebanese is a Muslim, Druze, Shiite, or Christians, and even Christians are not all equal? It is a country that after couple of hundred thousands dead, gave leadership of the country to warlords and war criminals. It is the only country in the Arab world, where the throats of innocent people were slashed based on the pronunciations of “tomato”. The Palestinians pronounced at “Bandoura” and the blue-blooded Lebanese pronounce it “Banadoura”. The letter A made the difference in life and death in Lebanon during the civil war. Yet with all of this Lebanon remains a country of sectarian warlords. I hope the Syrian people will put the Baathist out of business and not wait for the Americans to come in and take Bashar and his thugs out.
Finally, and excellent choice from President Bush
With the selection of judge John Roberts as a Supreme Court Justice and then selecting him as the Chief Justice is perhaps the best and most qualified choice he ever made in his troubled presidency. One has to commend the President for his choice; it was simply excellent and outstanding. Congratulation Mr. Bush, finally after 5 years you made the right choice. Perhaps you should fire every one and start all over again. As the 17th Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, all Americans, Democrats and Republicans, liberal and conservatives, well perhaps some conservatives, should applaud such a selection and Americans of all walks of life and of all political spectrum should now feel relaxed, with the US Constitutions in good and trusted hands.
While not able to watch all of the US Senate hearings on his nomination, I was able to
read what the Washington Post and the New York Times published on Chief Justice Roberts, and from what I read Chief Justice Roberts is the finest jurist there is.
At a time when America is divided more that ever, on every issue, from the war in Iraq, to the war on terrorism, to the divisions over taxes and immigrations, women rights, God, yes God, since some believe they have monopoly on faith and morality and God, one has to admire such a man. A brilliant jurist, a decent man, with values that transcend race, color and faith, with commitment and dedication not to political parties and ideologies but to the US Constitution, that one instrument that kept this country together and kept it from falling apart and at a time when ideologue want to change and interpret the US Constitution to be in their own image, and what an image!
For the last 50 or some odd years, since Brown vs. The Board of Education and Rowe vs. Wade, never in the history of the US when our Constitution have been under constant assault. So many people on the right want to change every thing about the US Constitution, wanting to change it to fit their mental retardations and in conformance with what they hear from radio talk hosts and TV pundits. I am sure if these people where in charge of drafting the US Constitution there will never be a USA and our Constitution will look like any constitution from third world countries, changing with every military takes over, and with every change in government.
Thanks God that the job of these justices is for life and I will not be surprised if some of these loonies will soon call for the impeachment of Chief Justice Robert as not being conservative enough. Never understood what is wrong with being fair and liberal.
Perhaps these conservatives want someone like William Bennett who believes the best way to solve crimes is for Black women to abort all of their babies. Now could you ever imagine that a guy like that and who thinks like this was Secretary of Education? Not to mention that axis of evil Tom Delay who have been indicted for conspiracy. Of course both guys believe in law and order, of course for others, but not themselves.
I do wish Chief Justice Robert well and we ask the almighty God to bless him and guide him to serve this nation well and protect all of our rights from those who want to erode and do away with what made this country such a great country, the US Constitution. Sami Jamil Jadallah
While not able to watch all of the US Senate hearings on his nomination, I was able to
read what the Washington Post and the New York Times published on Chief Justice Roberts, and from what I read Chief Justice Roberts is the finest jurist there is.
At a time when America is divided more that ever, on every issue, from the war in Iraq, to the war on terrorism, to the divisions over taxes and immigrations, women rights, God, yes God, since some believe they have monopoly on faith and morality and God, one has to admire such a man. A brilliant jurist, a decent man, with values that transcend race, color and faith, with commitment and dedication not to political parties and ideologies but to the US Constitution, that one instrument that kept this country together and kept it from falling apart and at a time when ideologue want to change and interpret the US Constitution to be in their own image, and what an image!
For the last 50 or some odd years, since Brown vs. The Board of Education and Rowe vs. Wade, never in the history of the US when our Constitution have been under constant assault. So many people on the right want to change every thing about the US Constitution, wanting to change it to fit their mental retardations and in conformance with what they hear from radio talk hosts and TV pundits. I am sure if these people where in charge of drafting the US Constitution there will never be a USA and our Constitution will look like any constitution from third world countries, changing with every military takes over, and with every change in government.
Thanks God that the job of these justices is for life and I will not be surprised if some of these loonies will soon call for the impeachment of Chief Justice Robert as not being conservative enough. Never understood what is wrong with being fair and liberal.
Perhaps these conservatives want someone like William Bennett who believes the best way to solve crimes is for Black women to abort all of their babies. Now could you ever imagine that a guy like that and who thinks like this was Secretary of Education? Not to mention that axis of evil Tom Delay who have been indicted for conspiracy. Of course both guys believe in law and order, of course for others, but not themselves.
I do wish Chief Justice Robert well and we ask the almighty God to bless him and guide him to serve this nation well and protect all of our rights from those who want to erode and do away with what made this country such a great country, the US Constitution. Sami Jamil Jadallah
When joining Al-jazeera becomes a treasonable act!
Does joining Al-jazeera new English network channel disqualify one from being a true patriot, verging on treason? I was quite surprised by the reaction I read today on AOL news section on the story of Josh Rushing joining Al-jazeera.
Josh Rushing, the former captain in the US Marine Corps announced that he is joining the new English Channel sponsored by Al-jazeera, that Arabic channel that made headlines and is giving the American media a run for its money. More surprising are the statements made by those who see themselves as guardian of American loyalty, value and patriotism. I guess these days when every incompetent and corrupt pundit is running for cover and hiding under the shroud of patriotism, I am not so surprised by the attack on Capt. Rushing. These days, any one and every one who does not hold allegiance to the like of Tom Delay or Rush Limbo or that guy on Fox, Bill O’Reilly is labeled as traitor and unpatriotic, as if draft dodgers, and those who had “other important things to do” are defining what is patriotism for all of us Americans.
Cliff Kincaid the appointed and anointed cardinal on patriotism who runs “Accuracy in the Media” criticizes Capt. Rushing joining Al-jazeera and who labeled Al-jazeera as the station that “incites Arabs and Muslims to hate America”. Not only we now have a watch dog to watch over the media and judge their contents, we also have that other wild dog, Campus Watch, that other organization run and operated by neocons with strong ties to Israel that has a chilling effects on the class room, video taping professors and judging them on how they view Israel. Of course if they view Israel favorably, they are accurate and patriots, and if they citizen Israel then they are labeled as intellectual cheats.
For so long, we in American have only one choice to accept and see what some editors or some owners or some lobbyist or some agent of a foreign government making a decision for us on what to see. The media today, especially these days, when news, with few exceptions, is nothing more than a show, a loud mouth show, as we see on Fox and other channels. With the exception of PBS, there are no serious news media and no serious news organizations. No one can match PBS “ Front Line” and being a regular viewer of Al-jazeera, all I can say it match and surpass any news organization here in the US. Of course it does not represent the US administration and it is not beholding to neocons who get this country in trouble and split and chicken out and leave the administration.
Al-jazeera has some great shows, and of course they also have not so great shows, and some even greater documentaries, that NO American media will dare to air, and of course not all of these programs are original Arabic. Many are produced by US documentary produces, but do to the atmosphere of fear that we all feel; no news organizations will dare to air. As for journalist, Al-jazeera has some great journalist that can compete and win with any persons, man or woman on US television. They are not personalities, they are true journalist. The US created “AlHorra” Arabic TV to reach Arab and Muslim audience, so what is wrong with Al-jazeera having an English channel? Capt. Rushing, as a former veteran, I am looking forward to seeing on Al-jazeera English channel.
Josh Rushing, the former captain in the US Marine Corps announced that he is joining the new English Channel sponsored by Al-jazeera, that Arabic channel that made headlines and is giving the American media a run for its money. More surprising are the statements made by those who see themselves as guardian of American loyalty, value and patriotism. I guess these days when every incompetent and corrupt pundit is running for cover and hiding under the shroud of patriotism, I am not so surprised by the attack on Capt. Rushing. These days, any one and every one who does not hold allegiance to the like of Tom Delay or Rush Limbo or that guy on Fox, Bill O’Reilly is labeled as traitor and unpatriotic, as if draft dodgers, and those who had “other important things to do” are defining what is patriotism for all of us Americans.
Cliff Kincaid the appointed and anointed cardinal on patriotism who runs “Accuracy in the Media” criticizes Capt. Rushing joining Al-jazeera and who labeled Al-jazeera as the station that “incites Arabs and Muslims to hate America”. Not only we now have a watch dog to watch over the media and judge their contents, we also have that other wild dog, Campus Watch, that other organization run and operated by neocons with strong ties to Israel that has a chilling effects on the class room, video taping professors and judging them on how they view Israel. Of course if they view Israel favorably, they are accurate and patriots, and if they citizen Israel then they are labeled as intellectual cheats.
For so long, we in American have only one choice to accept and see what some editors or some owners or some lobbyist or some agent of a foreign government making a decision for us on what to see. The media today, especially these days, when news, with few exceptions, is nothing more than a show, a loud mouth show, as we see on Fox and other channels. With the exception of PBS, there are no serious news media and no serious news organizations. No one can match PBS “ Front Line” and being a regular viewer of Al-jazeera, all I can say it match and surpass any news organization here in the US. Of course it does not represent the US administration and it is not beholding to neocons who get this country in trouble and split and chicken out and leave the administration.
Al-jazeera has some great shows, and of course they also have not so great shows, and some even greater documentaries, that NO American media will dare to air, and of course not all of these programs are original Arabic. Many are produced by US documentary produces, but do to the atmosphere of fear that we all feel; no news organizations will dare to air. As for journalist, Al-jazeera has some great journalist that can compete and win with any persons, man or woman on US television. They are not personalities, they are true journalist. The US created “AlHorra” Arabic TV to reach Arab and Muslim audience, so what is wrong with Al-jazeera having an English channel? Capt. Rushing, as a former veteran, I am looking forward to seeing on Al-jazeera English channel.
Free speech in time of war and campus police
Last week, George Mason University police used strong armed tactics deserving of harden criminal posing real and clear danger to the police to arrest a silent war protestor who also happened to be a veteran of the US Air Force and a Pakistani Muslim.
Veteran Tariq Khan who grew up in this country was making a statement in the Johnson Center against the war in Iraq, standing only few feet away from a military recruiting table. Protesting in silence Khan was wearing protest signs on his chest that read” Recruiters Lie, Don’t be deceived”. These words provoked the anger of those supporting the war, where a macho marine, yelling and screaming walked over to Khan and simply ripped the sign off Khan chest. I assume that the marine was fighting for our liberty and freedom, but perhaps he knows nothing of our constitution and our first amendment rights, perhaps he never heard of the first amendment rights.
The campus police, as usual where also ready for action, disparaging Khan and his Middle Eastern background jumped on him, threw him against the wall, handcuffed him and of course took him for booking at the county jail. All the while Khan, the guy who joined the Air Force for 4 years remained silent, but that did not help, a police and a marine, both of whom one would think, would have read the US Constitution and the First Amendment rights before putting the uniform as public servants. Well, may be these two happened to be an exception, we hope.
Without the need to go into the whole thing about the Iraq War and the whole thing about weapon of mass destructions that never existed and without going into the background of all those who planned for and pushed for war, supporting the troop is one thing, supporting the Administration position on the war is another thing.
In the case of George Mason University, the administration and faculty are taking the issue of freedom and free speech very seriously. Provost Peter N. Sterns promised to review policies making sure free speech is protected on campus, with 129 professors signing a letter calling for an independent review of the conduct of university police and a review of policies regarding free speech.
As it happens all administrations that found itself in very unpopular war invoke patriotism to keep the war going, to silence those who disagree and suppress the truth. The biggest casualties in time of war, especially the war in Iraq, is the truth which was scarified long time by lies and lies, and freedom of speech, where police and security agencies, all in the name of national security are abusing the powers and rights they have and creating an atmosphere of fear at all levels.
One have to commend the way George Mason University is dealing with the case, with the need to make sure all police officers on campus, read and memories the US Constitution and should take some short courses in First Amendment Rights. It will do the police lots of good, especially on a campus considered the most diverse in the nation. George Mason University is a great university with great people, administration, faculties, and students. Well, the police like all police have to understand we do lice in the great USA, and not in some dictatorships, and they are officers of the law, and not above the law.
Note: much of the information I got from my daughter Diala who is a junior at George Mason University and from the Washington Post, which had an excellent coverage of the incident in its October 6, 2005 edition. Perhaps it is time for a Jefferson Corner where Marines and students can engage in free speech.
Veteran Tariq Khan who grew up in this country was making a statement in the Johnson Center against the war in Iraq, standing only few feet away from a military recruiting table. Protesting in silence Khan was wearing protest signs on his chest that read” Recruiters Lie, Don’t be deceived”. These words provoked the anger of those supporting the war, where a macho marine, yelling and screaming walked over to Khan and simply ripped the sign off Khan chest. I assume that the marine was fighting for our liberty and freedom, but perhaps he knows nothing of our constitution and our first amendment rights, perhaps he never heard of the first amendment rights.
The campus police, as usual where also ready for action, disparaging Khan and his Middle Eastern background jumped on him, threw him against the wall, handcuffed him and of course took him for booking at the county jail. All the while Khan, the guy who joined the Air Force for 4 years remained silent, but that did not help, a police and a marine, both of whom one would think, would have read the US Constitution and the First Amendment rights before putting the uniform as public servants. Well, may be these two happened to be an exception, we hope.
Without the need to go into the whole thing about the Iraq War and the whole thing about weapon of mass destructions that never existed and without going into the background of all those who planned for and pushed for war, supporting the troop is one thing, supporting the Administration position on the war is another thing.
In the case of George Mason University, the administration and faculty are taking the issue of freedom and free speech very seriously. Provost Peter N. Sterns promised to review policies making sure free speech is protected on campus, with 129 professors signing a letter calling for an independent review of the conduct of university police and a review of policies regarding free speech.
As it happens all administrations that found itself in very unpopular war invoke patriotism to keep the war going, to silence those who disagree and suppress the truth. The biggest casualties in time of war, especially the war in Iraq, is the truth which was scarified long time by lies and lies, and freedom of speech, where police and security agencies, all in the name of national security are abusing the powers and rights they have and creating an atmosphere of fear at all levels.
One have to commend the way George Mason University is dealing with the case, with the need to make sure all police officers on campus, read and memories the US Constitution and should take some short courses in First Amendment Rights. It will do the police lots of good, especially on a campus considered the most diverse in the nation. George Mason University is a great university with great people, administration, faculties, and students. Well, the police like all police have to understand we do lice in the great USA, and not in some dictatorships, and they are officers of the law, and not above the law.
Note: much of the information I got from my daughter Diala who is a junior at George Mason University and from the Washington Post, which had an excellent coverage of the incident in its October 6, 2005 edition. Perhaps it is time for a Jefferson Corner where Marines and students can engage in free speech.
A day to remember all those braves who died for this country
Today we all stand honoring all those of our friends and fellow citizens who gave their lives to defend freedom and democracy. It is a day we honor the millions of those who died to save the country and freedom around the world. Today those who died and wounded during the Civil War, we honor all of them, not only those on the Union but on the Confederate side too. All of them, brave having fought and stood up to what they believe and because of them America is stronger than ever as a nation. We also honor all those who died in World War I and World War II and the Korean War. Brave men and women who gave up their lives for the cause of freedom, not only ours but other nations as well. We give special honor to all those who died and made it possible to end Hitler and his Nazi regime and his evil empire. We honor all those who saved Europe from the ravage of Anti-Semitism and those who saved the body and soul of inmates at the death camps.
We also give special honor for those who died and where wounded during that ill conceived, and ill managed war in Vietnam. I give due respect to some of my friends in high school, like Jack Nurse, and Tom McGee who where the first to die from Gary, Indiana. I also salute my friend Brad Barton, wherever you are who was paralyzed from the waste down as a young marine, during the Vietnam War. Of course, I give no honor and respect for all those politicians who lied about the war and who put us their in the first place. They are held responsible for the tens of thousands who dies, and for the hundreds of thousands wounded during the war, and responsible for the tens of thousands who came back really messed up, mentally and physically. While I give honor and recognize all those brave men and women, I have nothing but contempt for the politicians who put us in the war in the first place. They lied all the way, and the truth was buried with every single soul who died in Vietnam. The war in Vietnam had nothing to do with freedom and liberty for the Vietnamese, but it had to do with every thing for those politicians whose cause was to fight communism and to win votes.
I also raise my hat to my 4 brothers who, together with me served this country with honor. Nabil who retired from the US Army, Lutfi and Taiseer who served in the US Marines, and Sulaiman and I who served in the US Army. We are all proud of having served this country, our country honorably and we will not allow these chicken hawks, and neocons to defame us and challenge our rights as citizens of this great country, and we are not afraid and not intimated by the Patriot Acts and all those laws that are designed not to protect and save guard the nation, but to infringe on our freedom as citizens.
Special honor goes to the brave young souls who are fighting the war in Iraq, and to all those who died there. Iraq is no different that Vietnam based on lies and fabricated information, so that these neocons can come on TV and tell us how safe we are. I think taking out Saddam did not need to cost us more that 1,500 dead, over 25,000 wounded and over $200 billions. To the brave soldiers in Afghanistan, we honor their bravery for putting an end to a criminal regime like the Taliban, and for cleaning up the mess left behind by US administrations after the liberation of Afghanistan from the Soviet.
To the memory of all those who died we give salute and to all those who were wounded we give salute. May God protect American from its enemies overseas, and may God protect American from its own enemies within the government and within the many think tanks here in Washington.
We also give special honor for those who died and where wounded during that ill conceived, and ill managed war in Vietnam. I give due respect to some of my friends in high school, like Jack Nurse, and Tom McGee who where the first to die from Gary, Indiana. I also salute my friend Brad Barton, wherever you are who was paralyzed from the waste down as a young marine, during the Vietnam War. Of course, I give no honor and respect for all those politicians who lied about the war and who put us their in the first place. They are held responsible for the tens of thousands who dies, and for the hundreds of thousands wounded during the war, and responsible for the tens of thousands who came back really messed up, mentally and physically. While I give honor and recognize all those brave men and women, I have nothing but contempt for the politicians who put us in the war in the first place. They lied all the way, and the truth was buried with every single soul who died in Vietnam. The war in Vietnam had nothing to do with freedom and liberty for the Vietnamese, but it had to do with every thing for those politicians whose cause was to fight communism and to win votes.
I also raise my hat to my 4 brothers who, together with me served this country with honor. Nabil who retired from the US Army, Lutfi and Taiseer who served in the US Marines, and Sulaiman and I who served in the US Army. We are all proud of having served this country, our country honorably and we will not allow these chicken hawks, and neocons to defame us and challenge our rights as citizens of this great country, and we are not afraid and not intimated by the Patriot Acts and all those laws that are designed not to protect and save guard the nation, but to infringe on our freedom as citizens.
Special honor goes to the brave young souls who are fighting the war in Iraq, and to all those who died there. Iraq is no different that Vietnam based on lies and fabricated information, so that these neocons can come on TV and tell us how safe we are. I think taking out Saddam did not need to cost us more that 1,500 dead, over 25,000 wounded and over $200 billions. To the brave soldiers in Afghanistan, we honor their bravery for putting an end to a criminal regime like the Taliban, and for cleaning up the mess left behind by US administrations after the liberation of Afghanistan from the Soviet.
To the memory of all those who died we give salute and to all those who were wounded we give salute. May God protect American from its enemies overseas, and may God protect American from its own enemies within the government and within the many think tanks here in Washington.
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