Month: January 2009

OBAMA TAKES THE REINS

January 28, 2009: J. Rosencrantz

After U.S. foreign policy blew back in the form of suicide airline hijackers on Sept 11, 2001, a shocked country looked to the Bush Administration for leadership. How would the United States respond?

The answer came on October 7, 2001 in the form of an aerial bombing campaign that killed over a thousand civilians, with many thousands more dying of starvation, exposure and injuries in the following months.

The government called this “Operation Enduring Freedom,” a first step in the much wider “War on Terror”.

Once on the ground, the U.S. forces rounded up a bunch of people and sent them to extra-legal prisons where they could be tortured at leisure. Many innocent people rot there still, even seven years later, as the Obama Administration takes the reins of executive power.

On January 22, two days after being inaugurated, Obama initiated a clear shift away from Bush policies on torture and rendition by signing four executive orders, one of which ordered the closing of Guantanamo within one year.

However, while Obama’s shift on torture and rendition policies are certainly worthy of approbation, he is continuing Bush’s policy of aerial bombings of villages. On January 24, just four days after taking power, Obama approved air strikes by unmanned Predator drones against two villages in Waziristan, killing at least 15 people, three of them children. (Video here.)

PEOPLE WHO ARE FIXING TO GET AWAY WITH MASS MURDER, TORTURE, AND OTHER WAR CRIMES

January 24, 2009: J. Rosencrantz

As newly sworn-in president Obama paraded toward the White House, former president George W. Bush flew to Midland, Texas where he attended a “welcome home” rally. He told an adoring crowd of 20,000 that during his presidency he had maintained “faith in some fundamental truths” and that he had “followed a set of clear principles”, first among which were this:

Watch it here.

This man, who lied the country into an expensive war of aggression against Iraq, resulting in the untold suffering of millions and the death of many, and who approved the use of torture, resulting in the enduring shame of us all, said that he will not regret what he sees when he looks in the mirror. Then he talked about his plans “to make Laura coffee, skim the newspaper, call some friends, read a book, feed the dogs, go fishing, and take a walk.”

Iraq Body Count web counter

Not everyone gets away with murder, however. Back when Bush was governor of Texas, he signed the execution warrants for 152 prisoners – more people than any other Governor in the history of that fair minded state.

COLD BLOODED KILLERS IN UNIFORM

January 7, 2009: J. Rosencrantz

Yes, this is video of Oakland transit cop Johannes Mehserle publicly murdering 22-year old Oscar Grant in the very first hours of this glorious new year.

THE U.S. / ISRAELI INVASION OF GAZA

January 5, 2009: J. Rosencrantz

Israel’s assault on the open air prison of Gaza continues, using U.S. made weapons with the full support of the U.S. political class.

Israeli officials claim the assault to be a response to the primitive rockets launched into southern Israel by Hamas, which are themselves a response to Israel’s breaking of a six month ceasefire on November 4, 2008 – the day of the U.S. elections. (Not to mention the 40 year occupation or the more recent devastating blockade.)

Israel sympathizers believe that the Hamas rockets, which hadn’t killed anyone during the truce, justify an indiscriminate mass slaughter of civilians in Gaza. According the the UK’s The Guardian:

In total at least 541 Palestinians have died since Israel’s operation began, with more than 2,400 injured. Hospitals have been overwhelmed:morgues were crowded with bodies and injured patients had to be treatedin hallways. On the Israeli side eight people, including five soldiers,have died and about 60, mostly soldiers, have been hurt.

Israel is blocking reporters from entering Gaza, but Al-Jazeera continues to report from the ground.