State Terrorism

“Anti-war” Liberals: No More Excuses

"Thanks to NBC News, a lot of (now-former) drone supporters are confronted with a confidential Justice Department white paper justifying presidential killing of American citizens abroad, seemingly on the basis of thin air. The document, 16 pages of Bushian doublespeak, declares 'Here the Justice Department concludes only that where the following three conditions are met, a U.S. operation using lethal force in a foreign country against a U.S. citizen who is a senior operational leader of al-Qa’ida or an associated force would be lawful.' In other words, we’ll obliterate you because of reasons, and you’re now a terrorist because we said so." Continue reading →

Continue Reading“Anti-war” Liberals: No More Excuses

Newspapers accused of ‘shameful’ complicity for hiding existence of secret U.S. drone base

"US news organisations are facing accusations of complicity after it emerged that they bowed to pressure from the Obama administration not to disclose the existence on a secret drone base in Saudi Arabia despite knowing about it for a year. On Tuesday, following Monday’s disclosure by NBC of a leaked Justice Department white paper on the case for its controversial targeted killing programme, the Washington Post revealed it had previously refrained from publishing the base’s location at the behest of the Obama administration over national security concerns. The New York Times followed with its own story." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNewspapers accused of ‘shameful’ complicity for hiding existence of secret U.S. drone base

Karl Rove: ‘God bless President Obama’ for killing U.S. citizen al-Awlaki

"Republican strategist Karl Rove ripped the media on Tuesday for attacking Bush administration officials who justified the use of torture. He also praised President Barack Obama for using drone strikes to kill suspected terrorists, including U.S. citizens. The former Bush adviser said that officials like Alberto Gonzales, John Yoo, Jay Bybee and others were 'excoriated' and 'hounded' by liberals and the media. Yet the Obama administration has faced little criticism for justifying the use of drone strikes against U.S. citizens. Though Rove believed the 'cowardly' media was 'hypocritical' and 'callow,' he said he supported the President’s use of drones." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingKarl Rove: ‘God bless President Obama’ for killing U.S. citizen al-Awlaki

Charlottesville, Virginia Becomes First City to Pass Anti-Drone Legislation

"Charlottesville, Va., has become the first city in the United States to formally pass an anti-drone resolution. The resolution passed by a 3-2 vote and was brought to the city council by activist David Swanson and the Rutherford Institute, a civil liberties group based in the city. The measure also endorses a proposed two-year moratorium on drones in Virginia. Councilmember Dede Smith, who voted in favor of the bill, says that drones are 'pretty clearly a threat to our constitutional right to privacy'." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCharlottesville, Virginia Becomes First City to Pass Anti-Drone Legislation

To Kill an American

"There were not too many surprises in the newly disclosed 'white paper' offering a legal reasoning behind the claim that President Obama has the power to order the killing of American citizens who are believed to be part of Al Qaeda. We knew Mr. Obama and his lawyers believed he has that power under the Constitution and federal law. We also knew that he utterly rejects the idea that Congress or the courts have any right to review such a decision in advance, or even after the fact. Still, it was disturbing to see the twisted logic laid out in black and white. It had the air of a legal justification written after the fact for a policy decision that had already been made." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTo Kill an American

Extraordinary rendition report claims 54 countries ‘offered covert support’ of CIA torture operation

"The full extent of the CIA’s extraordinary rendition programme has been laid bare with the publication of a report showing there is evidence that more than a quarter of the world’s governments covertly offered support. A 213-page report compiled by the Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI), a New York-based human rights organisation, says that at least 54 countries co-operated with the global kidnap, detention and torture operation that was mounted after 9/11, many of them in Europe. So widespread and extensive was the participation of governments across the world that it is now clear the CIA could not have operated its programme without their support, according to the OSJI." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingExtraordinary rendition report claims 54 countries ‘offered covert support’ of CIA torture operation

The USS Liberty, Israel & President Johnson’s Order to Destroy the USS Liberty

"The USS Liberty encompasses far more than a murderous psychopathic American president resorting to hideously evil deeds to get re-elected. In addition to ordering the total destruction of the USS Liberty and sending 294 Americans to a watery grave in the Mediterranean Sea, LBJ also ordered the nuclear bombing of Cairo, an event specifically designed to create a nuclear war by blaming the entire USS Liberty affair on Russia or Egypt. US planes were on emergency standby orders as pilots waited on the runways in their planes armed with nuclear weapons. The nuclear bombing of Cairo was called off only 3 minutes before the nuclear bomb drops." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe USS Liberty, Israel & President Johnson’s Order to Destroy the USS Liberty

Panetta: US needs to keep up drone war

"The assassination of Al-Qaeda figures in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia with unmanned, robotic aircraft has provoked widespread criticism from human rights groups and some US allies, but Panetta said the US campaign has been effective. Asked if the CIA 'targeted killings' should be curtailed in coming years, Panetta told AFP in an interview that there was still a need to continue the drone strikes more than a decade since the attacks of September 11, 2001. 'I think it depends on the nature of the threat that we’re confronting. We are in a war. We’re in a war on terrorism and we’ve been in that war since 9/11.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPanetta: US needs to keep up drone war

Paul Craig Roberts: In Amerika Law No Longer Exists; the extermination of truth

"In the 21st century Americans have experienced an extraordinary collapse in the rule of law and in their constitutional protections. Today American citizens, once a free people protected by law, can be assassinated and detained in prison indefinitely without any evidence being presented to a court of their guilt, and they can be sentenced to prison on the basis of secret testimony by anonymous witnesses not subject to cross examination. The US 'justice system' has been transformed by the Bush/Obama regime into the 'justice system' of Gestapo Germany and Stalinist Russia. There is no difference." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPaul Craig Roberts: In Amerika Law No Longer Exists; the extermination of truth

Former Obama Intel Chief: Pentagon, Not CIA Should Control Drone Strikes

"Admiral Dennis Blair, the Director of National Intelligence from January 2009 to May 2010, told a Council on Foreign Relations conference call that current U.S. policy has created 'all kinds of legal knots' regarding how and when America uses the controversial counterterrorism tactic. Last week The Washington Post reported that the Obama administration is almost done with its 'playbook' designed to establish clear rules for targeted-killing operations, but the CIA will continue to be exempt from the rules for the next year or more." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFormer Obama Intel Chief: Pentagon, Not CIA Should Control Drone Strikes