Budget Shmudget

A Very Public Sociologist does a nice response.

Connecting The Tortured Dots

The Bush administration applied relentless pressure on interrogators to use harsh methods on detainees in part to find evidence of cooperation between al-Qaida and the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s regime, according to a former senior U.S. intelligence official and a former Army psychiatrist.

President George W. Bush made a written determination that Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, which would have afforded minimum standards for humane treatment, did not apply to al Qaeda or Taliban detainees. This act, the committee found, cleared the way for a new interrogation program to be developed in-part based on “Chinese communist” tactics used against Americans during the Korean War, mainly to elicit false confessions for propaganda purposes.

Full Senate Armed Services Report [pdf].

Some Labour MP’s See The Truth About Uribe

(IPS) – A delegation of seven British Labour members of parliament and 10 trade union leaders from the U.S., Canada and Britain said they were in a “state of shock” over what they heard during a week-long fact-finding mission to Colombia. In a strongly worded statement read out in Spanish at a press conference Wednesday in the Colombian Congress, the parliamentary and labour mission accused the government of right-wing President Álvaro Uribe of being an “accomplice of crimes against humanity.”

As you read the statement below be reminded of the New Labour leadership’s close relationship with the Uribe government (as a good US poodle) and Kim Howell’s smearing of Justice for Colombia that put lives in very real danger (ht2 Borev)-

The Justice for Colombia delegation of parliamentarians and trade unionists has returned home safely after an intense week in Colombia during which they met with a wide range of civil society representatives as well as with senior members of the Colombian Government, including President Alvaro Uribe. On their final day in Colombia the delegation held a press conference in the Colombian Congress which received extensive coverage in Colombia. At the press conference the delegation released the following statement.

PRESS STATEMENT: JUSTICE FOR COLOMBIA DELEGATION

We are a delegation of British Parliamentarians and British, American and Canadian trade unionists, and have spent seven days here in Colombia gathering information on human and labour rights abuses. We have met a wide range of individuals and groups across Colombian society, covering civil, political, legal and military interests, including trade unions, students and teachers, indigenous peoples, peasant farmers, trade union lawyers, human rights defenders, and former FARC hostages. We have travelled to Arauca province to hear the testimonials of communities and individuals caught up in the conflict in that part of the country. We visited Buon Pastor prison in Bogota and spoke to the women political prisoners incarcerated there; we also met with Martin Sandoval, imprisoned unjustly in Arauca. We had the opportunity in speaking also with senior members of Alvaro Uribe’s government and the President himself. We are grateful to all those individuals and groups who have generously given us their time.

We are shocked at what we have heard, and have no doubts on the evidence given that the Colombian government of Alvaro Uribe, and the security forces, are complicit in human rights crimes. We are convinced also that the murderous activities of the paramilitary forces are condoned and actively supported by the government and army. These crimes are aggravated by the impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators and the failure of the legal system to prosecute the criminals and those who issue the orders.

Instead of imprisoning the real criminals, the Government has locked up trade unionists, members of the political opposition and human rights defenders like Martin Sandoval. We call for his immediate release and that of other political prisoners and trade unionists.

On our return to the United Kingdom and North America we will be calling for:

an immediate end to all military aid and support to the Colombian Government;
no Free Trade Agreements until human and labour rights are respected in an internationally verifiable way;
the public exposure of multinational companies, such as for their complicity in human and labour rights violations in Colombia;
an immediate end to the criminalisation of legitimate and democratic opposition, including Senator Piedad Cordoba, Senator Gloria Ramirez, Congressman Wilson Borja and Dr. Carlos Lozano and others;
support for dialogue, a peace process and a humanitarian exchange;
An end to extrajudicial executions and ‘false positives’ carried out by the Colombian army.
A full account of our findings and recommendations will be published in the near future.

Signatures Appended, Wednesday, 8 April 2009

List of Delegates

Ian Davidson MP: Member of Parliament for Glasgow;

David Drever: President of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS);

Simon Dubbins: Director of International Relations of Unite the Union and member of the Executive of the European TUC;

Sam Gurney: International Policy Officer for the TUC and member of the ILO Governing Body

Sally Hunt: General Secretary of the University and College Union (UCU), also a member of the Justice for Colombia National Committee and of both the TUC Executive and TUC General Council where she is spokesperson on international relations;

Peter Kilfoyle MP: Member of Parliament for Liverpool, former Government Minister;

Adam Lee: International Officer of the United Steelworkers (USW);

Andy Love MP: Member of Parliament for Edmonton, Parliamentary Private Secretary;

James McGovern MP: Member of Parliament for Dundee;

John O’Neill: Partner at Thompsons Solicitors;

Sandra Osborne MP: Member of Parliament for Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock, Member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee;

Stephanie Peacock: Member of the Labour Party National Executive Committee;

Frederick Redmond: International Vice President of the United Steelworkers (USW) and a member of the AFL-CIO Executive Council;

Mark Rowlinson: Legal Officer of the United Steelworkers (USW);

Mick Shaw: President of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU);

James Sheridan MP: Member of Parliament for Paisley and Renfrewshire North;

Tony Woodhouse: Chair of the National Executive Committee of Unite the Union.

Whiny Authoritarians Of The Police Federation

The Police Federation the tame right wing company -fake- union for police has displayed the sure sign of authoritarians everywhere: Going apeshit when even a scintilla of their authority is questioned. Hysterically they call Nick Hardwick the head of the IPCC  ‘witchfinder general‘, no really. I think what must of really riled their entitled egos was-

He also said police needed to remember they were “servants, not masters” of the people.

Wow, such radical anti-police campaigning! Of course they are also trying to create a narrow band of acceptable discourse, if the IPCC (which has failed in its remit, a catalogue of delays, rejections and basic failures by Nick Davies of Flat Earth News fame) can become the ‘anti’ police side, then the police have very little to worry about indeed.

Stupid War Profiteers- Custer Battles

First, the name, Custer lost his most famous battle, ok it’s named after its founders but ego has overcome good sense in the branding process I would aver. Anyways, Cyrus @ Iran Affairs discovered this trail of intrigue in court filings, do read the whole thing, excerpts-

Battles accidentally left behind an astonishing spreadsheet, which contained rows listing items invoiced under the Dinar Exchange Contract and separate columns listing the ‘Actual Cost’ for the items and the amount ‘Invoiced’ for the items.

This document showed, for example, that for the Baghdad hub of the dinar exchange program, Custer Battles provided two flatbed trucks, for which it paid $18,000 but invoiced the Coalition Authority $80,000. To provide “Life Support, basic level” at the Bagdad hub, it provided generators that cost $74,000 but for which it invoiced the Coalition Authority $400,000.

As it turns out, the money that Custer Battles was paid with was not US money — no, it consisted of “seized” money that the US had gotten from Iraq.

So one theft… after another, like the man said War Is A Racket.

A Third Post Mortem

The cop’s briefs have gotten another post mortem granted (the third!)… anyway might it be worth contacting the IPCC and insist they have someone there too, after all they were barred from the first one (and again worth noting the double standards here).

IPCC London & South East

Customer Services : 08453 002 002 (press 1 at prompt -9.00am – 5.00pm)
Switchboard: 08453 002 002 ( press 2 at prompt – 9.00am – 5.00pm)
Please note for our joint protection and training purposes calls may be recorded
Mincom: 020 7404 0431 Fax: 020 7404 0430 email: enquiries@ipcc.gsi.gov.uk
To contact us by letter or fax our details are:
Independent Police Complaints Commission
5th Floor
90 High Holborn
London
WC1V 6BH

A third postmortem examination is to be carried out tomorrow on the body of Ian Tomlinson, the newspaper seller who died shortly after a police officer hit him from behind during the G20 protests on 1 April.

Lawyers representing a Metropolitan police officer who is being questioned in connection with the incident have appointed a third pathologist and requested that the City of London coroner allow the test to be conducted. The officer has been interviewed under caution on suspicion of manslaughter.

The coroner, Paul Major, has agreed to the third examination. It will be carried out in the presence of a fourth pathologist, who will serve as an observer for the police.

Two previous postmortem examinations came to radically different conclusions over what caused Tomlinson’s death. Dr Freddy Patel said Tomlinson’s liver and heart had been diseased, and found the cause of death was hardening of the arteries.

But Dr Nathaniel Cary, appointed by the Tomlinson family to conduct an independent examination, concluded that the cause of death had been abdominal haemorrhage

Tamils Put In ‘government-run camps’

BBC sez-

Sri Lanka says 63,000 Tamil civilians have escaped from the last remaining area of territory held by Tamil Tiger rebels in the past two days. The army said it had made further inroads into the small area in the north, searching for the rebel leader. It said some civilians fled by sea and were met by the navy. They were being transferred to government-run camps. The rebels alleged the army had killed about 1,000 civilians in the latest fighting. There is no confirmation.

Sri Lankan military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara told the BBC’s Newshour programme that the army had rescued the civilians after breaking down earthen defences, rather than forcing them to flee amid fighting, as suggested by the rebels.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it was “extremely worried” about civilians still trapped in the zone. “The situation is nothing short of catastrophic. Ongoing fighting has killed or wounded hundreds of civilians who have only minimal access to medical care,” said director of operations Pierre Kraehenbuehl.

The rebel TamilNet website said the territory they still controlled was littered with bodies of civilians. Video released by Tiger supporters shows mutilated bodies, but it is not clear when the recording was made.

Tamilnet sez-

Several hundreds of civilians are feared killed and injured and total chaos prevails among civilians as Sri Lanka Army (SLA) advanced into the so-called ‘safety zone’ in Pokka’nai Monday morning 11:00 a.m., according to latest reports from Vanni. Heavy fighting was reported along the bunds of the lagoon and patients in the Puthumaaththa’lan makeshift hospital were forced to run away as Rocket Propelled Grenades launched by the SLA hit the hospital. A few medical staff remaining in the hospital are hiding in bunkers. People were seen running in panic as dead and injured were seen lying scattered everywhere, eyewitnesses told TamilNet.

And the ICG make noises-

“Barack Obama’s administration has said it is committed to the principals of international law and humanitarian protection. Sri Lanka is the perfect opportunity for the new U.S. president to show that this is not empty rhetoric,” says an article by Robert Templer of the International Crisis Group. “Urgent, determined, and united international action is necessary to ensure the safety of the innocent — by the United Nations Security Council, other multilateral organizations, and individual countries that have relations with Sri Lanka, including India and Japan. Only international supervision, unhindered by the government, can provide the necessary level of protection,” writes the author, reflecting the changing and opportunistic perspectives of the IC, but elusive on the crux of the crisis – the Tamil national aspirations.

The International Crisis Group (ICG), which was highly critical of the Eezham Tamil liberation struggle sometimes back, theoretically contributed to Bush’s war on terror and the weakening of the Tamil defences leading to their genocide today, seems to have changed its perspectives, said a political analyst in Colombo.

Corporate Media Covers Up Its Corruption

Journo wins Pulitzer prize for investigation that found the massive coordinated Pentagon program to feed retired military into the media as pundits, whom the media welcome to pimp the Iraq war, media don’t mention it, try to act surprised, Glenn Greenwald-

Awarded to David Barstow of The New York Times for his tenacious reporting that revealed how some retired generals, working as radio and television analysts, had been co-opted by the Pentagon to make its case for the war in Iraq, and how many of them also had undisclosed ties to companies that benefited from policies they defended.

By whom were these “ties to companies” undisclosed and for whom did these deeply conflicted retired generals pose as “analysts”?  ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNN and Fox — the very companies that have simply suppressed the story from their viewers.

I Don’t Think Independent Means What He Thinks It Means

This is Nick Hardwick, head of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) giving evidence to the Commons Home Affairs committee-

He said the severity of the G20 complaints and injuries alleged is greater – although the difference may be accounted for by the presence of “citizen journalists” with mobile phone cameras at the G20 protest. “One of the consequences of this exposure through citizen journalism is that we will all see much more clearly what it is – and sometimes it looks ugly – what we expect the police to do,” he told MPs.

He said there was a need for police to explain better so-called “distraction” techniques they are trained to use in violent confrontations, which he said was a “euphemism” for “kicking, hitting, punching”. It “looks ugly” on the television – but police are trained to use these techniques as long as the force used is reasonable and proportionate and they should not “wash their hands” of this fact.

Mr Hardwick said he made the decision to do a “rigorous, hands-on” assessment of Mr Tomlinson’s death to see if he came into contact with the police before he collapsed. The evidence initially was that there was not any contact, so at first the IPCC decided not to conduct an independent investigation.

He said the police should not have rushed out a statement under media pressure to say there had been no contact with Mr Tomlinson but he was not surprised they did as “they have done it before”. He also owned up to a “mistake” when he said there was no CCTV in the area where Mr Tomlinson collapsed.

So there you have it, no such thing as an assault it’s someone just being a bit distracting. But really does this read like a man who is independent of the police, who investigates them on our behalf? Actually better was Chief Inspector of Constabulary Denis O’Connor who had the weary sardonic air of a supervisor fed up with feckless crooked coppers trying to get away with all sorts-

He was investigating reports some officers had removed their numbers or even refused to give them when asked by members of the public “when it’s the last thing you would expect to occur, particularly in those particularly circumstances”. He said he would look into media reports officers were worried about false “career ending” accusations being made against them if they could be identified, but warned: “I have heard that rationale before. I wasn’t impressed with it then. I doubt if I will be impressed with it now.” And he said his probe would look at whether all officers should be forced to wear name badges, which are currently not compulsory.

The hiding of identifying markings is a very old tactic when they are up to no good, from eleven years ago-

A retired police inspector beaten by baton-wielding riot officers while drinking in a pub has received £10,000 in compensation from Greater Manchester police. Russell Grayson, 55, an officer with Northumbria police for 30 years, yesterday labelled his attackers “thugs in uniform” who were a disgrace to the service.

The Manchester force accepted their actions were “despicable”. But none of the masked riot officers responsible for the attack on Mr Grayson and other football fans near Piccadilly station, following a 1998 FA Cup semi-final between Newcastle United and Sheffield United, has been charged or even disciplined, because they wore no identification numbers.

So let’s not pretend this is a rare rotten apple phenomenon when it is a practiced, long standing means of criminal individuals within the police service to get away with crime.

[And to be fair I do know of -some- police who are just as exasperated with the force's 'inability' to deal with dirty coppers in their ranks as we are, however the omertà, peer pressure & tribalism at play and the ususal financial pressures combined with the lack of a proper progressive union make it a non-starter.]

Commonalities

(IPS) Robert Baer, TIME.com’s intelligence columnist and the author of “The Devil We Know: Dealing with the New Iranian Superpower”, told IPS that unfortunately, Saberi has become caught up in the Iranian election cycle, with hardliners trying to prove they’re tougher than their rivals when it comes to national security.

“It was also unfortunate her press credentials were not current, making her an easy target,” said Baer. “When I was in Iran, I did only what Irshad [Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, which oversees foreign journalists] would let me do, even refusing to meet someone from the British embassy or going to private parties.”

“At least she wasn’t taken prisoner by the CIA – she would have been waterboarded by now,” Baer added ironically.

Or at least-

The facts surrounding the trial and imprisonment of the former university professor (Dr. Sami Amin Al-Arian) have severely tarnished the integrity of the American judicial system and made the government’s vaunted campaign against terrorism look capricious, inept and overtly racist.

Government lawyers made wild assertions that showed a profound ignorance of the Middle East and exposed a gross stereotyping of the Muslim world. It called on the FBI case agent, for example, who testified as an expert witness that Islamic terrorists were routinely smuggled over the border from Iran into Syria, apparently unaware that Syria is separated from Iran by a large land mass called Iraq. The transcripts of the case against Al-Arian—which read like a bad Gilbert and Sullivan opera—are stupefying in their idiocy. The government wiretaps picked up nothing of substance; taxpayer dollars were used to record and transcribe 21,000 hours of banal chatter, including members of the Al-Arian household ordering pizza delivery. During the trial the government called 80 witnesses and subjected the jury to inane phone transcriptions and recordings, made over a 10-year period, which the jury curtly dismissed as “gossip.” It would be comical if the consequences were not so dire for the defendant.

Obama’s Memory Problem

He’s done it again-

“I didn’t come here to debate the past, I came here to deal with the future.”

Is it possible America elected a man who should have been the lead in Memento? If he wanted to actually show he was interested in a different future between the Empire and Latin America he could close WHINSEC/SOA and stop the War on Drugs as cover for imperial brutality & control. Neither of which he has or looks likely to be doing, so this ‘look forward’ schtick? Looks a little backward after all.

Theatrics At Durban

Jewish Voice for Peace sent an email with a link to Muzzlewatch who are following the Durban II pantomime, as they point out, Israel is there in strength-

Turns out Israel is here in full force at Durban II. Earlier today I told you about the range of Israeli-government-narrative-only events being held in UN buildings, while Palestinian NGOs have been banned from holding side-events. (The transparent excuse is that the side-events can not be region specific, only issue specific. The real story is the UN simply folded to pressure.)

As one respondent told me, the UN Human Rights Commissioner is still reeling because she folded on all of the US demands to essentially cleanse the Palestinian narrative from the conference, and still the US and others pulled out. Of course, the UN can’t say no to any leader of state who wants to speak. I’ll post more later about the disaster that was Ahmadinejad’s speech, which, it can be said with certainty, put the issue of Israel and the US back into the center of the conference. In fact, his speech made the scarily well-run Israeli government/pro-occupation NGO propaganda campaign almost unnecessary.

Ahmadinejad has as expected lived up to his gallery playing reputation and the um broohaha shall we call it will of course be used to obscure the very real racist elements of zionism. But why the walk out? Surely a debate and right to reply would be constructive, the walk outs all seem to be desperate not to appear in the same room as someone the Israel lobby use as their bogeyman. As if they have the monopoly on declaring who is racist. Ahmadinejad’s hardly above criticism, so why run away from him? But as Abe Foxman’s attack on Desmond Tutu shows, they are in fact all about defending their racism against exposure and comparison with others bigotry. A rather entitled and exceptionist approach. Which makes you wonder at the countries who ally with them and walked out. No nation can truthfully claim it is without biases and prejudices, institutional and otherwise. Enforcing a no discussion approach will only allow injustices to fester, in all nations.

Update: It turns out the walkout was prearranged, so theatrics indeed.

City of London Police Inspector Hides Number

This police officer searched a protester using s60 powers which he then told his colleagues they should search him for ID which is an offence. April 2nd 2009. He then refused to identify himself after breaking the law. Not surprising for these lying murdering bastards really.

In this sort of amusing clip (in a grim Pythonesque way) seemingly christened the ‘Bishopsgate Police Station’ clip (watch and you’ll understand). His badge shows inspector rank and he is City of London (gold -oh the City!-  insignia, red chequerboard). So a supervising officer breaking the law, makes the bad apple get out a bit of a toughie when Inspectors are doing it.

(ht2 Bloggerheads, Chicken Yoghurt)

Update: A commenter informs me ‘Inspectors and above don`t have numbers.’ In which case why not tell the questioner that and give his rank and name? I phoned the City of London plod who say that yes Inspectors would not have their number on their epaulettes, they could however have a name on their front. So the title should be City of London Police Inspector Hides Identity.

ACPO Reveal Their Fascist Heart

The police service’s handling of the G20 protests has been defended by the Association of Chief Police Officers. Its president, Sir Ken Jones, said that policing of protests in the UK was “proportionate” and recent criticisms had lacked objectivity and perspective. “We need to make sure we don’t condemn the many for the problems created by a few,” he told BBC Radio 4′s Today.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has had almost 90 complaints relating to the London protests.

“I can’t find any other country which doesn’t use water cannon, CS gas, rubber bullets. Our approach is proportionate and, in fact, has delivered on many other occasions,” he said

So 90 complaints, numerous assaults, officers routinely with malice aforethought covering up their identity numbers and one dead resulting in a false autopsy and false police statements to cover up the attack. Action only being taken after video evidence by citizens is widely seen. Yep, nothing to see here, move on.

And the Chiefs are excusing this, so what in effect they have done is…us a favour. They have shown the culture of British policing is corrupted from the top on down. Just read that last bit again-

“I can’t find any other country which doesn’t use water cannon, CS gas, rubber bullets. Our approach is proportionate and, in fact, has delivered on many other occasions,” he said

Sounds like a little glee and a threat, shut up or we get medieval on your ass. That is an authoritarian mindset, do what we say or we use violence. Oh the hubris!

183

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (still in U.S. custody) was waterboarded 183 times in  March 2003 and Abu Zubaydah (the man who allegedly fears insects) was waterboarded 83 times in August 2002.

Apologists say torture works, they must mean the 183rd time it is used, except… coercive methods torture failed to generate significant and actionable intelligence. [1]

Oh erm…

No seriously apologists, any other gems to explain your crimes, maybe- She was asking for it? Children like sex with adults? C’mon, time to start borrowing the classics from your moral peers.