the war that is far away

I was talking to a friend today about the war in Iraq and I started looking up info. Did you know that the documented civilian death-toll is between 89 and 98 thousand Iraqi civilians? This is a well documented and important site dedicated to current information about the civilian death-toll in Iraq.

Also on their site is a very interesting article about the military's determination of the value of an Iraqi ciitizen's life. Check this article out.

Next check out this aritlce written by Frank Rich of the NYT about a year ago. It poses a number of really important questions, one of which I will hopefully treat in greater depth in the next few days (What is our -the american people's responsibility for the violence in Iraq?) This article is filled with links to other articles that deal with certain issues more in depth.

ALso, Rich's article talks about the important witness of WWII vetrans who worked specifically interogating former Nazi officials - their words about torture and interrogations are moving and thought provoking. Check out this link to read the article.

On another note here is another article, written much earlier in the war about the first appearance of contracters in Iraq (that is the first apperance to the public). It is quite interesting to go back and read the information given and now to look at what we know about private contracting companies in Iraq, specifically Blackwater.

That's all for now - keep checking though. I'll keep writing when I can.

Follow up on guantanamo guilty plee

This article talks a bit about the news coming out in the last two days about five men in GB pleading guilty to the crime of Sept. 11, 2001. To clarify, they did not plead guilty but asked if they were allowed to, and as you can see in this article three of them dropped the request.

Families visit Guantanamo - but which ones?

this article talks about the recent decision by the Bush administration to invite family members to Guantanamo bay to see how things are going - that is family members of vicitims of 9/11. A really odd and skechy decision in my opinion - this article talks about the reaons why.

Obama's CIA

Here is an interesting article about how Obama is dealing with his transition to presidency, particularly related to who he will appoint as head in the next few weeks. An important issue especially when looking at questions about exxtraordinary rendition, enemy combatant detainment and coercive practices within CIA detention (aka torture).

GB prisoners to be released into the States?

This is an interesting article dealing with a particular group of men that are being currently held in Guantanamo Bay. They are part of an ethnic and linguistic group of Muslims known as the Uighurs from western China. The government has dropped all enemy combatant status against them and cleared them for release however there are no countries that are willing to take them. Recenly a federal judge determined that they could temporarily be released into the Washington DC area. This is the first time a judge has suggested anyting of the sort and brings up some difficult and important questions: how will our government treat these individuals ? Will they receive pardons? Apoligies? Will they be addressed at all by our government? This demonstrates some of the most important aspects of closing guantanamo that are rarely spoken about in the media.

Boumediene Vindicated!

Today Federal Judge Leon ordered that the five men in the case Boumediene v. Bush be released from Guantanamo Bay. This is unprecedented! Judge Leon was the judge who originally saw the case that eventually went before the Supreme Court. In June his decision was overturned by the Supreme Court restoring the right of prisoners held in Guantanamo Bay to demand the writ of habeas corpus. Judge Leon's decision today is the first time prisoners in Guantanamo Bay have been released in recognition of the fact that there is not good reason to believe they pose any threat to the US . It is the first time a writ of habeas corpus has been handed down since the Bush administration's war on terror.

Report suggesting non-partisan government investigation into Guantanamo Bay

This article is short and quite interesting, suggesting an investigation into the treatment of detainees and the administration's orders pretaining to GB.

Here is a link to the full report that was done in partnership with the Human Rights Center
University of California, Berkeley International Human Rights Law Clinic, University of California, Berkeley, School of Law and in partnership with Center for Constitutional Rights.

The full report is about 100 pages. However, there is an executive summary on pages 1-5.

The First Habeas Corpus Trials Held for Guantanamo Bay Prisoners

The first article to the right hand side, titled Algerians in Guantanamo Challenge, is about the men who were represented in Boumediene v. Bush - the case handed down this July by the US Supreme Court! The court's decision granted the five men the right to demand Habeas Corpus - which is what they are doing right now! This is big news!

In an article appearing on foxnews.com Judge Leon (the federal judge overseeing their case) was mentioned. "Leon, who was appointed to the bench by President Bush, said he expects to decide this month whether to release the Algerians.

Leon described the unprecedented case as a legal and logistical headache that needed to be resolved quickly before any "inevitable delays due to the turnover" of government with the incoming administration of President-elect Barack Obama." Judge Leon was the federal judge who found the government's argument legally convincing and determined that the five men did not have the right to ask for Habeas Corpus - it was this opinion that was overturned by the Supreme Court in July.

Here is a link to another article on the hearings: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/06/AR2008110602945.html?sub=new

Welcom Mr. President

What a pleasure to be writing on the other side of the elections! As you can see my last post (in July) was about the New Yorker cartoon depicting Barack and Michelle Obama. What a long way we have come.

I am glad to be back and hope to be writing and posting on a daily basis.

For now, if you have not already, check out the link I have posted at the top(or click here). It is a song that was created based upon Obama's Yes We Can speech. Most of you might have already seen it but if not check it out.

Also - here is an article that I found particularly interesting in all the election news.

More to come soon...

New Yorker Obama Cartoon - What do you think?

This week's edition of the New Yorker has caused a lot of controversy. The front cover is a cartoon of Barack Obama wearing tradition Muslim clothing (a head covering and a long robe over pants - traditional in some but not all Muslim countries), giving a fist pump to his wife Michelle Obama who is dressed in army gear and toting a machine gun. They are in the oval office and there is an American flag burning in the fire place and a portrait of Osama Bin Laden hung on the mantel. The magazine has issued a response to the harsh criticism that has come in response - saying that it is meant to satirically demonstrate the unfounded criticisms coming from some ultra-conservative right wing pundits in the Obama campaign. However, many people (including both campaign agents from the Obama and McCain team) have argued that it is "tasteless and offensive" (according to the BBC article linked here).

What do you think?? Click on the title of this post to see the cartoon for yourself.

Is it a good use of satire? What point do you think the cartoon drives home? Is it offensive? What do you think most people will get from the cartoon?

I look forward to hearing from you!

Jessica

Technical Difficulties - :(

Sorry guys - for some reason my message board is not working. I likely will not be able to fix it until later this week or into next week. However, I hope to get it up and running soon!
Also, as I will be traveling internationally this week I will not be able to post much - I'll be sure to get back on track as soon as I settle into my new surroundings.

Hope this finds you well.
Jessica

Story of a Released Guantanamo Detainee

Have you every heard from someone who was held at Guantanamo Bay? Not surprisingly those individuals that have been released from GB (approximately 420, none of whom were charged with any crime) have not been outspoken in their first days, months, and years after their release. Most are trying to piece together their lives after years of imprisonment and torture. However, it is essential for us to hear their stories.

This is a link from BBC's website to an interview that one of their reporters conducted recently (July 2008) with Jumah Mohammad al-Dossari, a Saudi Arabian citizen who was held in GB for six years and released with no charge in July 2007.

His story is important and his words are inspiring for those of us who must work to put together the broken pieces of the US legal system and ultimately the dignity and humanity of the United States. Click on this link to listen to the 11 minute interview.

Military Blockade of Iran? Letter Writing Campaign

As you know there has been a lot of talk recently of military action in Iran. It's definitely a hot topic and one that brings cause for concern. US or Israeli military action in Iran would be catastrophic on many levels. Unfortunately there are many people who think that strong arming our way through this situation is the solution - a good number of them are our political representatives.

The Friends Committee on National Legislation is a Quaker lobby in DC that works to promote Peace in legislation. They are great :) Click here to check out their website.

They are working to encourage individuals to contact their house representatives about a bill titled H.CON.RES.362 (click on the link for details) which give the President permission to create a partial Land, Sea, or Air blockade on Iran - which by international law is considered an act of war. This is risky business and I seriously encourage you to go their web page to see if your rep. is on record as supporting the bill: List of Congress Representatives

If they are on the bill write to them (by clicking on this link, and typing in your zip code) to tell them you do not support this legislation and as a voting constituent they are not representing your wishes.

If they are not on record as supporting the bill write to them (by clicking this link, and typing in your zip code) to encourage them to keep their position and not give into pressure to support the bill - remind them again that you are their voting constituent and by voting NO on H.CON.Res. 362 they are representing your wishes in congress.

Writing to your representatives on issues that are important to you is a great way to create a relationship with them on a long term basis. Often representatives get no direct input from constituents about issues and so your words are important! Remember to keep it short and to the point - and always end your letter asking them to take action.

What's going on with the US and Iran?

One question that should be on everyone's mind is - what is going on with the US and Iran Recently there has been discussion of military intervention in Iran by the US or Israel and Bush just handed down a Presidential Finding detailing the vast increase in covert operations being carried out in Iran by the US.

An article appeared today in the BBC International News section entitled "Iran Leader Plays Down War Talk." I have included a section that I think is particularly interesting...

"But Mr Ahmadinejad warned that Iran was ready to defend itself, saying that "the greatest threat in the Middle East and the whole world... is the United States' intervention in other countries". He also suggested that Iran would not launch any attack on Israel - America's ally in the Middle East. "There is no need for any measures by the Iranian people" to bring about the end of the "Zionist regime" in Israel, Mr Ahmadinejad said. And asked if he objected to the government of Israel or Jewish people, he said that "creating an objection against the Zionists doesn't mean that there are objections against the Jewish".
He added that Jews lived in Iran and were represented in the country's parliament. Mr. Ahmadinejad's comments came after he was asked to clarify the statement that he wanted to "destroy" Israel."

There have been wisperings going on for months (if not years - see Semour Hersh's articles in the New Yorkers starting in 2005) about possible US military action in Iran.

A little historical perspective...in 1953 the CIA and British Intelligence forces took out the new popularly elected Prime Minister of Iran, Mohammad Mosaddeq. The coup made way for the pro-western Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi who was in power until the Islamic Revolution in 1979. All in all this is not the first time that the US has considered meddling in Iranian affairs.

For more information on the 1953 coup check out this link. For more information on current events between the US and Iran check out this link to Seymour Hersh's ongoing commentary on the New Yorker website.

So the question remains- what is going on between the US and Iran? Keep your eyes open.

Maher Arar - Victim of US Extraordinary Rendition

Extraordinary Rendition is the US Government's practice of abducting an individual and flying them illegally and secretly to detention centers outside of US territory, known as black sites. These individuals are often tortured and held for indefinite amounts of time. The government does not notify their families and their loved ones are left to guess at their location and their captors. This practice was instituted under the Clinton administration but it was in use even before that time.
Maher Arar is one man who has lived through and managed to be released from this terrifying experience.

This is a short message from him that is included on site dedicated to his story: "It was four years ago that the horrible ordeal I suffered first began. People ask me repeatedly how, during this time, I have been able to cope with the stress of surviving torture, the stress of not being able to find a job, the stress endured at the inquiry, and the stress from the countless hours I spend doing media interviews and talking to my lawyers on the phone. The answers are simple: I draw my strength from my faith; from my loving, caring, strong wife; and from the support and generosity I have received from Canadians. I have rediscovered Canada through its people, people who made me feel proud of being Canadian.

To learn more about what happened to Arar click on his name in the first paragraph.

Also, there is an incredible film that came out within the last two years called Rendition. It stars Reese Witherspoon, Jake Gyllenhaal, Meryl Streep, Peter Sarsgaard and Alan Arkin. The film follows the story of a man who was abducted through extraordinary rendition.

Roger Ebert wrote this on September 8th, 2007 about the film:

TORONTO, Ont. – It’s not often you see films that are perfect. I have just seen two of them here at the Toronto Film Festival, and two others that are extraordinary, and a documentary that is spellbinding. Do I love everything? Not at all. I just happened to have an ecstatic period of moviegoing, that’s all, and that’s enough.

There is no ranking perfection, so I will discuss the perfect films in alphabetical order. The first is “No Country for Old Men,” by the Coen brothers, and the second is “Rendition” by Gavin Hood. The Coens are among our national treasures. Gavin Hood, at 44, was the South African director of “Tsotsi,” the masterpiece which won the Oscar for best foreign film of 2005." (Full Article)

Let it be noted that he ranked Rendition as equally "perfect" as No Country For Old Men which won four Oscars and 85 other awards in various award shows around the world.

It is a great film that should be seen. Unfortunately there is no indication at the end of the film that the story is based upon TRUE EVENTS. Please note this - Extraordinary Rendition really happens and is happening right now. See the movie and if you feel so inclined, spread the word.

Sean Penn's Letter to the President

Here is a quote that I found most interesting - written by Sean Penn in an open letter to the President in May of 07.

"You want to rattle sabers toward Iran now? Let me tell you something about Iran, because I've been there and you haven't. Iran is a great country. A great country. Does it have its haters? You bet. Just like the United States has its haters. Does it have a corrupt regime? You bet. Just like the United States has a corrupt regime. Does it want a nuclear weapon? Maybe. Do we have one? You bet. But the people of Iran are great people. And if we give that corrupt leadership, (by attacking Iran militarily) the opportunity to unify that great country in hatred against us, we'll have been giving up one of our most promising future allies in decades. If you really know anything about Iran, you know exactly what I'm referring to. Of course your administration belittles diplomatic potential there, as those options rely on a credibility and geopolitical influence that you have aggressively squandered worldwide."

For the full letter check out the link provided (FYI it's more blatant than I like but at least he says it with gusto :)

Also - check out his articles written for the San Francisco Chronicle during his trip to Iran. This is a link to the first of five articles written: SFC Penn in Iran

Low down on Boumediene v. Bush

For all of you who I promised I would talk to about Boumediene once I read the opinion:

Some background: Boumediene v. Bush is a case that was seen by the Supreme Court this term dealing with five men being currently held at Guantanamo Bay. Four of them are legal Bosnian citizens and the fifth is a legal resident. They were originally arrested on information from the American government given to the Bosnian government suggesting that they were planning to bomb the US Embassy in Bosnia. After a three month investigation and a ruling by the Bosnian Supreme Court it was determined that there was no evidence to support this claim and they were put under humanitarian protection upon their release. At that time the US government contacted the Bosnian government letting them know that if the five men were not handed over to US forces that diplomatic ties would be cut. Upon their release the men were taken by US forces and transfered to GB, where they have been for over six years.

The major questions examined in this case were:

1. Should the Military Commissions Act of 2006 be interpreted to strip federal courts of jurisdiction over habeas petitions filed by foreign citizens detained at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba?

2. If so, is the Military Commissions Act of 2006 a violation of the Suspension Clause of the Constitution?

3. Are the detainees at Guantanamo Bay entitled to the protection of the Fifth Amendment right not to be deprived of liberty without due process of law and of the Geneva Conventions?

4. Can the detainees challenge the adequacy of judicial review provisions of the MCA before they have sought to invoke that review? (Oyez)

The court decided in favor of the men being held at Guantanamo Bay (the petitioners).

Here's the low down - basically the 5-4 majority determined that the body of legal history that was most sufficiently similar to the current situation at Guantanamo Bay is that dealing with US territories. Simply put, they determined that since we have shown no intention of leaving GB anytime soon (and since we have been there since 1903) the actions of the US military and government that go on at GB should be treated in the same manner as those in US territories (such as Guam and Puerto Rico) - meaning that since the Constitution has been applied fully there it should also be fully applied to Guantanamo Bay.

It is a simple argument and one that was not brought up by either of the two sides in oral argument (although to be fair, they were asked to address the question of the application of the writ in 1789, at which time it was not determined that the Constitution applied to our territories).

The opinion means that prisoners being held at Guantanamo Bay have a "constitutional right" to seek writs of habeas corpus (investigations into the legality of their capture and detention).

Kennedy wrote for the majority, explaining the crux of this decision:

"...the United States is, for all practical purposes, answerable to no other sovereign for its acts on the base...the government's view is that the Constitution had no effect [at Guantanamo Bay], at least as to noncitizens, because the United States disclaimed sovereignty in the formal sense of the term..." However, "[o]ur basic charter cannot be contracted away like this. The Constitution grants Congress and the President the power to acquire, dispose of, and govern territory, not the power to decide when and where its terms apply. Even when the United States acts outside its borders, its powers are not ;absolute and unlimited' but are subject 'to such restrictions as are expressed in the Constitution' Murphy v. Ramsey, 114 U.S. 15, 44(1885)."

This was a great success for human rights and an important step in re-establishing the integrity of the American legal system.

However, it is not the end. I will continue to keep you updated on what comes up.

For more information on the case check out Oyez
or FindLaw

P.S. As soon as I get through the dissenting opinions I'll be sure to give you a concise overview.

NYT, China Inspired Interrogations at Guantánamo

This is a very interesting article about torture techniques used at Guantanamo Bay and their origins: NYT Torture Techniques

Also, if you're interested check out the post by Helena Cobban on Just World News about the article and the following comments: JWN Torture Techniques

"CIA Ignored Iran Nuclear Evidence"

This article is quite interesting in light of the previous post of the article written by Semour Hersh in the New Yorker this past week. Check them both out.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2008/07/20087122240417154.html

Iraq 2.0?

This article has been making headlines for the last few days. It is one of a series of articles that Seymour Hersh has written on Iran since 2005 for the New Yorker. It is important and interesting, covering the idea (old news to many) that the Bush administration is considering military action in Iran. This article covers the topic of the new Presidential Finding issued this week and the large sum of money put toward the secret military campaign already being waged in Iran by US forces.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/07/07/080707fa_fact_hersh?currentPage=all

Firm's unlikely Client: Bin Laden's ex-driver Seattle Lawyers Taking on Bush, Guantanamo

Here is that article I mentioned in my introduction post about some of the attorneys working pro bono representing prisoners at Guantanamo Bay - it's pretty interesting!

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/364638_guantanamo27.html

What is The War on Error?

It is evident to most that throughout the last seven years of the War on Terror there have been multiple errors on the part of our elected officials (WMDs, detainment and torture of prisoners, certain sections of The Patriot Act, unconstitutional suspension of the writ of habeas corpus, wire tapping, etc.).

You might remember that there are three branches of American government: Judicial, Legislative, and Executive. However, I believe there is a fourth: the branch of citizens. Our system of checks and balances is essential to the health of American democracy and our active citizenship is necessary for that to happen.

A great example of this check is the tireless efforts of attorneys who have intentionally entered into the legal questions (and cases) of prisoners being held by our government at Guantanamo Bay, logging thousands upon thousands of pro bono hours to correct the damage done to our judicial system through the War on Terror (see the article titled "Firm's unlikely client: Bin Laden's ex-driver: Seattle Lawyers taking on Bush, Guantanamo"). Another great example of citizen impact is changes that have been made in the original Patriot Act through reaction and protest to the legislation. These are just two examples of how citizens make an impact upon our governments practices.

The most basic aspect of being an active citizen (so as to perform our duty as a check upon our government) is to be informed. That's why I started this blog - so we can more effectively fight the War on Error. By knowing more about our government's actions and taking action against policy or practices with which we disagree we are fulfilling our duty as a check on our government while helping to improve and strengthen the system that should be for the people, by the people.

The Bush administration calls their policy a War and they are fighting with belligerent passion. Let us be encouraged to fight against the errors that have been committed in this war with the same zeal. It is our job as citizens to know what our government is doing and to take action to check the different parts of our government when they have moved beyond their boundaries.

As it is my area of study I will be posting articles mostly relating to The War on Terror and American policy in the Middle East. I try to check out a range of newspapers on a daily basis and will be posting articles that I think are important or of interest. I will also be putting up book reviews, personal reading recommendations, links and other media.

Let me know what you think - and until then, I encourage you to seek other ways to be a more active citizen and fight the war on error.