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Stop the ACLU Blogburst Watch: ACLU Accuses Bush Of Gutting Geneva Conventions Enforcement and Undermining Due Process For Terror Detainees
It isn’t surprising that the ACLU were quick to react to Bush’s jaw dropping speech admitting to secret CIA prisons and pushing Congress to pass legislation that would put captured terror suspects under the rule of a military tribunal.Via ACLU:America is a nation dedicated to upholding the rule of law. However, President Bush’s draft proposal for military commissions fails to meet the standards recognized by the Supreme Court in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld. The court held the President’s initial military commission scheme was illegal because it violated Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, the most basic standards regarding treatment of detainees. The new proposal has nearly all of the same problems, and will eventually be found to be illegal. For example, it would allow a person to be convicted based on secret evidence and would allow the use of evidence obtained as the result of horrific abuse.
Of course the ACLU automatically accuse the U.S. of using horrific abuse to obtain our evidence without any evidence whatsoever to back that claim up. You can also bet that if one of their terrorist plaintiffs were to go before our court system they would make the claim that any evidence we have against them was obtained through such procedures and argue it was inadmissible. This is only one of hundreds of reasons that Congress needs to pass the legislation the President is requesting so these terrorist creeps, several of which are in the top Al Qaeda chain of command, need to go before a military tribunal. They are not American citizens and we can not afford the dangers involved in allowing them to be represented before the U.S. courts, in all probability represented by the ACLU.
“The president should have listened to the current Judge Advocates General for the four military services, all of whom have urged close adherence to the court-martial procedures, and all of whom oppose the use of secret evidence and coerced evidence. By contrast, Senators John Warner (R-VA), John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) are reportedly following the advice of these top generals and admirals and supporting due process protections that are more in line with the time-tested courts-martial procedures.
“The president also proposes to gut enforceability of the Geneva Conventions by amending the War Crimes Act to completely immunize from prosecution civilians who subjected persons to horrific abuse that may have fallen short of the definition of ‘torture.’ As a result, government officials and civilian contractors who authorized or carried out waterboarding, threats of death, and other abuse would get a ‘get out of jail free’ card under the president’s bill. The nation’s soldiers and sailors would remain liable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, but civilians would be immune from prosecution under the only statute that applies to many of these acts. That is simply wrong.
No, what is “simply wrong†is that cowards committed to terrorism and jihad against America that do are not signatories of nor abide by the Geneva Conventions should be afforded the protections of it. The sickening
factthing in my opinion is that the ACLU would steep low enough to represent an enemy of our nation to sue a military member for doing their job in capturing and interrogating these killers. This is exactly what the President is asking Congress to keep from happening. The President is asking Congress to make it clear what our protectors can and can not do and to protect them from prosecution of being sued by the very scumbuckets they protect us from.“The new Army Field Manual avoids some of the worst problems with earlier drafts and clarifies that those held by the military or at military facilities must be afforded the protections of the Geneva Conventions. However, it then creates loopholes for so-called ‘unlawful combatants’ by depriving them of the same protections–and specifically authorizes holding persons in isolation. And, the new manual does not apply to those held by the CIA. The Bush proposal is lip service unless the executive branch actually holds people accountable for violating it.
“So called†unlawful combatants? If you are not abiding by the rules of being a lawful combatant then you aren’t one. It is that simple. The ACLU are the ones looking for loop holes in the system, and the very reason they are so up and arms on this is that it closes them up. What the President is asking is for Congress to make the definitions clear. In the Hamdan case, which the ACLU played a major part in, the door was left wide open for Congress to clarify and create legislation making military tribunals the main process for due process dealing with terrorists caught on the battle field. What does the ACLU have against bringing these murderers to justice?
The ACLU Defend the enemy. They have a long history of this one. They defended the P.L.O. in 1985. They defended Quadafi in the 1980’s. And they continue today. They have told Gitmo detainees they have the right to remain silent, as in not talking to interrogators. One issue that really disturbs me is their refusal of funds from organizations such as the United Way that were concerned the money would be used to support terrorism.
In October of 2004, the ACLU turned down $1.15 million in funding from two of it’s most generous and loyal contributors, the Ford and Rockefeller foundations, saying new anti-terrorism restrictions demanded by the institutions make it unable to accept their funds.
“The Ford Foundation now bars recipients of its funds from engaging in any activity that “promotes violence, terrorism, bigotry, or the destruction of any state.â€
The Rockefeller Foundation’s provisions state that recipients of its funds may not “directly or indirectly engage in, promote, or support other organizations or individuals who engage in or promote terrorist activity.â€
They have since then demanded that the government release and make public top secret security information regarding not only the activities of our military, but also that of our intelligence forces. They have also initiated one lawsuit after another against the government to stop the searching of individuals for security purposes in mass transit situations, to stop what they call profiling (we will never see a Protestant white middle-aged woman as a terrorist working with an extremist Islamic organization) by race, sex and religion, and to stop the government from detaining and questioning or interrogating individuals who have ties or contact with known terrorist individuals and organizations.
They tried to kill the Patriot Act because they see the rights of an individual who may or may not be an American citizen as more important than the safety of the nation at large. They want the borders open because they see that as an infringement of the rights of non-Americans to become Americans however they can manage it. They want to have military and intelligence sources, activities, and planning revealed to the public so they can “watch dog†and ensure freedoms of individuals and/or groups are not being compromised, but in doing so will enable those very individuals and/or groups under surveillance the ability to avoid surveillance and possible capture before they do something destructive to American citizens.
When it comes to America’s enemies you can count on the ACLU to be there to defend them.
This was a production of Stop The ACLU Blogburst. If you would like to join us, please email Jay at Jay@stoptheaclu.com or Gribbit at GribbitR@gmail.com. You will be added to our mailing list and blogroll. Over 200 blogs already onboard.
Technorati Tags: ACLU
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The Path to 9/11 Watch: Senate Democrats Threaten ABC with Legislative and Regulatory Reprisals Over Content of Film
Reuters: Democrats urge ABC to withdraw 9/11 movie
Amid an election-year debate over who can best defend America, U.S. congressional Democrats urged ABC on Thursday to cancel a TV miniseries about the September 11 attacks that is critical of former Democratic President Bill Clinton and his top aides.
Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada denounced the five-hour television movie, set to air in two parts on Sunday and Monday nights, as “a work of fiction.”
Reid and other leading Senate Democrats wrote to Robert Iger, president and CEO of ABC’s corporate parent, the Walt Disney Co., urging him to “cancel this factually inaccurate and deeply misguided program.”
Chronicling events leading to the September 11 attacks, the movie suggests the Clinton administration was too distracted by the Monica Lewinsky sex scandal to deal properly with the gathering threat posed by Islamic militants.
The letter is here (via Hugh Hewitt).
September 7, 2006
Mr. Robert A. Iger
President and CEO
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank CA 91521Dear Mr. Iger,
We write with serious concerns about the planned upcoming broadcast of The Path to 9/11 mini-series on September 10 and 11. Countless reports from experts on 9/11 who have viewed the program indicate numerous and serious inaccuracies that will undoubtedly serve to misinform the American people about the tragic events surrounding the terrible attacks of that day. Furthermore, the manner in which this program has been developed, funded, and advertised suggests a partisan bent unbecoming of a major company like Disney and a major and well respected news organization like ABC. We therefore urge you to cancel this broadcast to cease Disney’s plans to use it as a teaching tool in schools across America through Scholastic. Presenting such deeply flawed and factually inaccurate misinformation to the American public and to children would be a gross miscarriage of your corporate and civic responsibility to the law, to your shareholders, and to the nation.
The Communications Act of 1934 provides your network with a free broadcast license predicated on the fundamental understanding of your principle obligation to act as a trustee of the public airwaves in serving the public interest. Nowhere is this public interest obligation more apparent than in the duty of broadcasters to serve the civic needs of a democracy by promoting an open and accurate discussion of political ideas and events.
Disney and ABC claim this program to be based on the 9/11 Commission Report and are using that assertion as part of the promotional campaign for it. The 9/11 Commission is the most respected American authority on the 9/11 attacks, and association with it carries a special responsibility. Indeed, the very events themselves on 9/11, so tragic as they were, demand extreme care by any who attempt to use those events as part of an entertainment or educational program. To quote Steve McPhereson, president of ABC Entertainment, “When you take on the responsibility of telling the story behind such an important event, it is absolutely critical that you get it right.â€
Unfortunately, it appears Disney and ABC got it totally wrong.
Despite claims by your network’s representatives that The Path to 9/11 is based on the report of the 9/11 Commission, 9/11 Commissioners themselves, as well as other experts on the issues, disagree.
Richard Ben-Veniste, speaking for himself and fellow 9/11 Commissioners who recently viewed the program, said, “As we were watching, we were trying to think how they could have misinterpreted the 9/11 Commission’s findings the way that they had.†[“9/11 Miniseries Is Criticized as Inaccurate and Biased,†New York Times, September 6, 2006]
Richard Clarke, the former counter-terrorism czar, and a national security advisor to ABC has described the program as “deeply flawed†and said of the program’s depiction of a Clinton official hanging up on an intelligence agent, “It’s 180 degrees from what happened.†[“9/11 Miniseries Is Criticized as Inaccurate and Biased,†New York Times, September 6, 2006]
Reports suggest that an FBI agent who worked on 9/11 and served as a consultant to ABC on this program quit halfway through because, “he thought they were making things up.†[MSNBC, September 7, 2006]
Even Thomas Kean, who serves as a paid consultant to the miniseries, has admitted that scenes in the film are fictionalized. [“9/11 Miniseries Is Criticized as Inaccurate and Biased,†New York Times, September 6, 2006]
That Disney would seek to broadcast an admittedly and proven false recounting of the events of 9/11 raises serious questions about the motivations of its creators and those who approved the deeply flawed program. Finally, that Disney plans to air commercial-free a program that reportedly cost it $40 million to produce serves to add fuel to these concerns.
These concerns are made all the more pressing by the political leaning of and the public statements made by the writer/producer of this miniseries, Mr. Cyrus Nowrasteh, in promoting this miniseries across conservative blogs and talk shows.
Frankly, that ABC and Disney would consider airing a program that could be construed as right-wing political propaganda on such a grave and important event involving the security of our nation is a discredit both to the Disney brand and to the legacy of honesty built at ABC by honorable individuals from David Brinkley to Peter Jennings. Furthermore, that Disney would seek to use Scholastic to promote this misguided programming to American children as a substitute for factual information is a disgrace.
As 9/11 Commission member Jamie Gorelick said, “It is critically important to the safety of our nation that our citizens, and particularly our school children, understand what actually happened and why – so that we can proceed from a common understanding of what went wrong and act with unity to make our country safer.â€
Should Disney allow this programming to proceed as planned, the factual record, millions of viewers, countless schoolchildren, and the reputation of Disney as a corporation worthy of the trust of the American people and the United States Congress will be deeply damaged. We urge you, after full consideration of the facts, to uphold your responsibilities as a respected member of American society and as a beneficiary of the free use of the public airwaves to cancel this factually inaccurate and deeply misguided program. We look forward to hearing back from you soon.
Sincerely,
Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid
Assistant Democratic Leader Dick Durbin
Senator Debbie Stabenow
Senator Charles Schumer
Senator Byron DorganUnbelievably PATHETIC = Senate Democrats and the American Left
And the first amendment?
Well, the Democrats do not agree with some of the content (characterize this movie content as inaccurate and deeply misguided) and rather than criticize the work (speech) after the airing of the movie they DEMAND prior restraint.
Unbelievable and outrageous….
And where is ABC and the Disney Corporation in all of this? Will they PULL the program as requested by the CLINTON CABAL?
Who knows and who really cares……..
Whatever…..
Flap isn’t relying upon “made for television†movies telling historically significant truths in any case.
But, the Clinton Cabal have certainly made ASSES out of themselves in their attempt at spinning the 9/11 story Slick’s way.
Flap bets that Karl Rove has a smile on his face this evening……
Dean Barnett explains why the controversy matters.
The fact that people are talking about the Democrats’ attitude towards terrorism is horrifically damaging to the Democratic Party. There is, however, a way out for the Democrats. Truly, it would be best for the country and their party if they could arrive at a clearly articulated policy about what they would like to do, rather than simply loudly express primal emotions about how much they detest their domestic political opposition.
Alas, that’s all they have. And this controversy brings their intellectually bankrupt status into the open.
Indeed…….
Captain Ed has Snatching Defeat From The Jaws Of Victory
The Democrats do not do subtlety, or do not do it successfully. They plan on using the power of the federal government to demand political changes to a program before it airs, a dangerous precedent and a completely different problem than what existed before. Presumably, this would become yet another fruit of their takeover of the House should they succeed in the midterms. It makes an excellent argument for extended Republican control.
It’s certainly easy to imagine it now — the Democrats have delivered it. Welcome to the Enforced Perspective Party. It’s a staggeringly dumb political mistake, and if it’s not withdrawn quickly, will do real damage to the Democrats for years.
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The Path to 9/11 Watch: Did ABC AGREE TO EDIT The Path to 9/11 As A Result of Bill Clinton Call?
The Path to 9/11 Watch: Democrat National Committee E-Mail FLAP Part II
The Path to 9/11 Watch: Democrat National Committee E-Mail FLAP
Technorati Tags: ABC, ThePathto9/11, HughHewitt, RushLimbaugh, BillClinton, SandyBerger, MadeleineAlbright
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The Path to 9/11 Watch: Did ABC AGREE TO EDIT The Path to 9/11 As A Result of Bill Clinton Call?
So did ABC Cave in to Clinton?
The Ostroy Report has learned from a reliable source connected to ABC that an unnamed ABC executive said that former President Bill Clinton called Disney President and CEO Robert Iger this week to voice his anger and frustration over the network’s plan to air a six-hour movie, “The Path to 9/11,” on Sunday and Monday, and that Iger agreed to make certain changes requested by Clinton. According to this ABC source, the film is currently being edited. In seeking confirmation, our call to Iger’s office went straight into voicemail. We will update our story if and when we hear from a Disney official. Disney is the parent company of ABC.
Allah points to this Chicago Tribune piece: Following complaints, ABC tweaks its 9/11 mini-series
ABC’s upcoming five-hour docudrama “The Path to 9/11” is becoming a political cause celebre.
In recent days the network has made changes to the mini-series, set to air Sunday and Monday, after leading political figures, many of them Democrats, complained about bias and alleged inaccuracies. A left-wing organization has launched a letter-writing campaign urging the network to “correct” or dump the mini-series, while conservative blogs have mounted a vigorous defense.
Whatever…..
Flap isn’t relying upon “made for television” movies telling historically significant truths in any case.
But, the Clinton Cabal have certainly made ASSES out of themselves in their attempt at spinning the story Slick’s way.
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The Path to 9/11 Watch: Democrat National Committee E-Mail FLAP Part II
The Path to 9/11 Watch: Democrat National Committee E-Mail FLAP
Technorati Tags: ABC, ThePathto9/11, HughHewitt, RushLimbaugh, BillClinton, SandyBerger, MadeleineAlbright
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Al Qaeda Watch: Adam Yehiye Gadahn Indicted for Material Support to Terrorism
Adam Yehiye Gadahn – “Join the Winning Side†Before it is Too Late – MEMRI Cut
ABC News: Gadahn, the American al Qaeda, Charged
ABC News has confirmed that Adam Gadahn, the American who converted to Islam and joined al Qaeda, has been charged in a sealed indictment with providing material support to terrorism.
Gadahn recently appeared with al Qaeda’s No. 2 in command Ayman Zawahiri exhorting Americans to convert to Islam. Gadahn, in addition to helping al Qaeda with propaganda and communications, is also suspected of helping al Qaeda with English translations and understanding U.S. culture and vulnerabilities. Charges may be announced in the next week. Officials have also considered charging Gadahn with treason.
Officials believe that Gadahn is now a top ranking member of al Qaeda and that he is in Pakistan.
A treason charge and the death penalty would be appropriate for this POS scum.
Remember this scum terrorist from last year?
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Al Qaeda Watch: Adam Yehiye Gadahn – “Join the Winning Side†Before it is Too Late – MEMRI Cut
Al Qaeda Watch: Adam Yehiye Gadahn – “Join the Winning Side†Before it is Too Late
Al Qaeda Watch: Californian Adam Gadahn Reveals Role as Al Qaeda Leader
Al Qaeda Watch: Los Angeles and Melbourne Next Targets
Technorati Tags: AlQaeda, AdamGadahn, AdamPearlman
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Senator Joe Lieberman Watch: New Poll Has Joe Lieberman Winning 51-35
U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman marches with his wife, Hadassah, Monday Sept. 4, 2006, in the Newtown, Conn. Labor Day parade. Lieberman, the party’s vice presidential candidate six years ago, marched several blocks behind his former allies in Monday’s parade in Newtown, one of the state’s biggest traditional campaign season kickoff events.
Political Wire: In Connecticut, Poll Finds Lamont Way Behind
A new Public Opinion Strategies (R) poll finds Ned Lamont (D) trailing Sen. Joe Lieberman (I), 51% to 35%, in the Connecticut U.S. Senate race. Republican Alan Schlesinger receives 4% of the vote, while 10% remain undecided.
Key finding: When asked which candidate is running a negative campaign, 40% say Lamont compared to 19% for Lieberman.
Looks like Joementum has taken hold in Connecticut.
Is this why Senate Democrats are being NICE?
Weeks after Lieberman lost the Democratic primary — and defied his party with an independent bid — the three-term Connecticut senator was greeted warmly Wednesday as he attended his party’s weekly luncheon and participated in Senate business.
Democrats gave Lieberman an ovation as Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., introduced him at the lunch and welcomed him back. Republican Sen. Susan Collins (news, bio, voting record) of Maine shared a hug with Lieberman on the Senate floor.
Looks like Kos and the NETNUTTERS are going to take yet another loss.
Sen. Joe Lieberman walks with his wife, Hadassah, as they make their way past Ned Lamont supporters, in Newton, Conn., Monday Sept. 4, 2006, before the start of the Labor Day
parade.Previous:
Senator Joe Lieberman Watch: Newtown Labor Day Parade FLAP
Senator Joe Lieberman Watch: Lieberman Considers Iraq War Withdrawl Plan
Senator Joe Lieberman Watch: Lieberman Certified to Appear on Connecticut Ballot
Senator Joe Lieberman Watch: More Dirty Politics from the Lamont Left
Technorati Tags: JoeLieberman
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The Path to 9/11 Watch: Democrat National Committee E-Mail FLAP Part II
LGF:Democratic Party Wants to Censor “Path to 9/11”
As we wrote earlier, the Council on American Islamic Relations is attempting to whitewash the history of 9/11.
Disgracefully, so is the Democratic Party.
Here’s the page at their web site where they solicit members to complain to ABC about the docudrama The Path to 9/11 (without having seen it): Keep ‘Path to 9/11’ Propaganda Film Off The Air.
Notice that there is a space on this form for your own comments. I urge LGF readers to use this form to add comments supporting ABC’s courage for tackling the issues head-on, and requesting that ABC ignore the complaints and run the movie unedited.
Slick wants ABC to pull the show.
Madeleine Albright and Sandy “SOCKS”
BurglarBerger are upset and crying foul.
Hugh Hewitt explains why the left hates The Path to 9/11.
On Sunday and Monday nights at 8 PM, ABC will air a five hour mini-series, “The Path to 9/11.” I have watched it, and it is a riveting and in some respects horrifying recreation of the events from the hours before the first World Trade Center attack in 1993 through the awful events of 9/11. Rarely does television reach this level of drama, and director David Cunningham and writer Cyrus Nowrasteh deserve great praise from left, right and center for a masterful retelling of the crucial events leading up to the devastation of five years ago.
A five hour show that must condense eight years by necessity will not be complete, but it is very accurate. As a very accurate docudrama, “The Path to 9/11” has drawn the deep anger of the Clinton political machine. Representatives of that era have been demanding at a minimum edits and some outright cancellation of the program. Monica Lewinsky makes an appearance, you see, as does Bill Clinton’s videotaped testimony about his perjury. National Security Advisor Sandy Berger is portrayed as indecisive, Madeleine Albright as misdirected, George Tenet as sputtering. The film does not spare the Bush Administration its shots either, but for the left in the US the most damning thing possible is a recounting of the deep slumber concerning al Qaeda that overcame not just President Clinton but all parts of the national security apparatus throughout the ’90s. The film does not damn those in charge during those years. It does however deliver a indictment of criminal negligence from which there is simply no escape.
Rush Limbaugh’s review is here.
Flap says contact ABC and tell them to air the show. Will the LEFT and the Clinton CABAL be able to censor the show?
Doubtful
Contact information for ABC is here.
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The Path to 9/11 Watch: Democrat National Committee E-Mail FLAP
Technorati Tags: ABC, ThePathto9/11, HughHewitt, RushLimbaugh, BillClinton, SandyBerger, MadeleineAlbright
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France Watch: France rejects “War on Terror”
France’s Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin delivers a speech during a debate on the Lebanon crisis at the National Assembly in Paris September 7, 2006.
AP: France rejects “war on terror”
France issued an implicit criticism of U.S. foreign policy on Thursday, rejecting talk of a “war on terror.”
Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, speaking in parliament, expressed these views on global terrorism, while President Jacques Chirac backed France’s claims to the international front rank with a fresh defense of his country’s nuclear arsenal.
Villepin noted Chirac’s strong opposition to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and said the Arab state had now sunk into violence and was feeding new regional crises.
“Let us not forget that these crises play into the hands of all extremists,” the prime minister said in a debate on the Middle East. “We can see this with terrorism, whether it tries to strike inside or outside our frontiers,” he added.
“Against terrorism, what’s needed is not a war. It is, as France has done for many years, a determined fight based on vigilance at all times and effective cooperation with our partners.
France surrenders AGAIN.
These MORONS in France are not fooling anyone. They are feckless and have a large immigrant Muslim population that are treated like shit by the native born French and are ready to burn Paris down – like last year.
A fireman tries to put out a burning car set ablaze by rioters in ‘La Reynerie’, a popular neighbourhood of Toulouse, south western France. Amid fears that suburban rioters might be planning to bring violence into the capital over a holiday weekend, French police imposed a short-term ban on public meetings in Paris.
So, the center-right leaders of the French government will run against Bush to deflect the radical left,win re-election and then what?
Probably more riots and a government war against French Islamic Jihadists fought on the streets of Paris.
What global war on terror?
Please….
Technorati Tags: France, GlobalWaronTerror
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CIA Leak Case Watch: Karl Rove Owed an Apology
David Broder of the Washington Post: One Leak and a Flood of Silliness
Conspiracy theories flourish in politics, and most of them have no more basis than spring training hopes for the Chicago Cubs.
Whenever things turn dicey for Republicans, they complain about the “liberal media” sabotaging them. And when Democrats get in a jam, they take up Hillary Clinton’s warnings about a “vast right-wing conspiracy.”
For much of the past five years, dark suspicions have been voiced about the Bush White House undermining its critics, and Karl Rove has been fingered as the chief culprit in this supposed plot to suppress the opposition.
Now at least one count in that indictment has been substantially weakened — the charge that Rove masterminded a conspiracy to discredit Iraq intelligence critic Joseph Wilson by “outing” his CIA-operative wife, Valerie Plame.
I have written almost nothing about the Wilson-Plame case, because it seemed overblown to me from the start. Wilson’s claim in a New York Times op-ed about his memo on the supposed Iraqi purchase of uranium yellowcake from Niger; the Robert D. Novak column naming Plame as the person who had recommended Wilson to check up on the reported sale; the call for a special prosecutor and the lengthy interrogation that led to the jailing of Judith Miller of the New York Times and the deposition of several other reporters; and, finally, the indictment of Lewis “Scooter” Libby, Vice President Cheney’s chief of staff — all of this struck me as being a tempest in a teapot.
No one behaved well in the whole mess — not Wilson, not Libby, not special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald and not the reporters involved.
The only time I commented on the case was to caution reporters who offered bold First Amendment defenses for keeping their sources’ names secret that they had better examine the motivations of the people leaking the information to be sure they deserve protection.
But caution has been notably lacking in some of the press treatment of this subject — especially when it comes to Karl Rove. And it behooves us in the media to examine that behavior, not just sweep it under the rug.
Sidney Blumenthal, a former aide to President Bill Clinton and now a columnist for several publications, has just published a book titled, “How Bush Rules: Chronicles of a Radical Regime.” It is a collection of his columns for Salon, including one originally published on July 14, 2005, titled “Rove’s War.”
It was occasioned by the disclosure of a memo from Time magazine’s Matt Cooper, saying that Rove had confirmed to him the identity of Valerie Plame. To Blumenthal, that was proof that this “was political payback against Wilson by a White House that wanted to shift the public focus from the Iraq War to Wilson’s motives.”
Then Blumenthal went off on a rant: “While the White House stonewalls, Rove has license to run his own damage control operation. His surrogates argue that if Rove did anything, it wasn’t a crime. . . . Rove is fighting his war as though it will be settled in a court of Washington pundits. Brandishing his formidable political weapons, he seeks to demonstrate his prowess once again. His corps of agents raises a din in which their voices drown out individual dissidents. His frantic massing of forces dominates the capital by winning the communications battle. Indeed, Rove may succeed momentarily in quelling the storm. But the stillness may be illusory. Before the prosecutor, Rove’s arsenal is useless.”
In fact, the prosecutor concluded that there was no crime; hence, no indictment. And we now know that the original “leak,” in casual conversations with reporters Novak and Bob Woodward, came not from the conspiracy theorists’ target in the White House but from the deputy secretary of state at the time, Richard Armitage, an esteemed member of the Washington establishment and no pal of Rove or President Bush.
Blumenthal’s example is far from unique. Newsweek, in a July 25, 2005, cover story on Rove, after dutifully noting that Rove’s lawyer said the prosecutor had told him that Rove was not a target of the investigation, added: “But this isn’t just about the Facts, it’s about what Rove’s foes regard as a higher Truth: That he is a one-man epicenter of a narrative of Evil.”
And in the American Prospect’s cover story for August 2005, Joe Conason wrote that Rove “is a powerful bully. Fear of retribution has stifled those who might have revealed his secrets. He has enjoyed the impunity of a malefactor who could always claim, however implausibly, deniability — until now.”
These and other publications owe Karl Rove an apology. And all of journalism needs to relearn the lesson: Can the conspiracy theories and stick to the facts.
AMEN
Too much agenda driven advocacy posing as journalism. David Broder has it RIGHT.
Michelle Malkin calls out a few more:
Broder specifically name-checks Sidney Blumenthal, Newsweek (for this Howard Fineman piece), and Joe Conason and The American Prospect.
Mirabile dictu! Good for Broder. Still waiting for the New York Times…
New York Times will probably IGNORE the story – since it does NOT fit their agenda – HATE BUSH.
Richard Armitage and Valerie Plame
Now, what about Scooter Libby?
Shouldn’t a PARDON by President Bush be forthcoming?
Probably…..around Christmas….
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CIA Leak Case Watch: Unfortunate That So Many People Took Joseph Wilson Seriously
Michael Ramirez on CIA Leak Case – Plame Out
CIA Leak Case Watch: Witch Hunt by Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald
CIA Leak Case Watch: Was it Richard Armitage?
CIA Leak Case Watch: Karl Rove Won’t Be Charged in CIA Leak Case
Plamegate Watch: Valerie Plame Cashes IN
CIA Leak Case Watch: Bob Novak – “President Knows Leak Sourceâ€
Technorati Tags: RichardArmitage, BobWoodward, ValeriePlame, JosephWilson, CIA, CIALeakCase, PatrickFitzgerald, RobertNovak, ScooterLibby
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Iran Nuclear Watch: EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana to Meet with Iran’s Ali Larijani on Saturday
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks during a meeting with students and scientists in Tehran September 5, 2006.
AP: Iran-EU meeting Sat. seen as last chance
European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said Thursday that he expects to hold talks with Iran’s top nuclear envoy on Saturday. The talks are considered a final attempt to determine whether there is common ground to start negotiations between Iran and the five
U.N. Security Council nations, plus Germany.Solana did not release the location of Saturday’s meeting, to be held with Iran’s Ali Larijani.
Meanwhile, key European nations warned that Iran is trying to weaken international opposition to its contentious nuclear program by stalling on giving a clear response to terms set by the six world powers for negotiations, according to a confidential document obtained Thursday.
“The Iranian goal obviously is to split the international community,” said the document, drawn up by Britain, France and Germany, and made available to The Associated Press ahead of a key meeting of the five Security Council nations and Germany.
Well, DUH!
But, the real obstructionists to United Nation’s sanctions against Iran are UNSC permanent members Russia and China. They will block any meaningful economic/trade sanctions against Iran while Iran plays the Europeans for fools in the Western media cycle.
Will the toothless and feckless Europeans have the will to sanction Iran?
Doubtful
The EU needs Persian Gulf Oil for their economies and France has a large immigrant Muslim population who has a propensity to riot and burn down Paris at the least provocation.
America and Israel are alone in preventing an Iranian nuclear weapon.
European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana (L) and Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani (R) arrive for a press conference in EU Headquarters in Brussels, July 2006. EU-Iran talks to kickstart negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program and give it a chance to avoid UN sanctions have been postponed at the last minute, a senior Iranian official said.
The P-5-Plus-1 nations are meeting today in Berlin.There will be an announcement – probably meaningless and leaks about possible UNSC sanctions.
Stay tuned for the Saturday meeting and more provocative Iranian statements on their right to
make nuclear weaponsenrich uranium.
Captain Ed has Even Europeans Recognize Iran’s Stall Strategy
We will know more after today. The six nations that promulgated the incentive package for Teheran meet today in Berlin to discuss their options. If they want to demonstrate some resolve against Iran’s provocations, the time is upon them. If they do not meet the challenge, we will know that the international community will have once again abdicated their responsibility — and freed the US to pursue its own solutions to the problem.
Indeed…..
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The Natanz uranium enrichment complex in Natanz is pictured in this January 2, 2006 satellite image.
Technorati Tags: Iran, Ahmadinejad, UnitedNations
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The Path to 9/11 Watch: Democrat National Committee E-Mail FLAP
The no-longer-funny lunatics at Democratic Underground are trying to organize a “Google bombing†of the ABC docudrama The Path to 9/11, because it makes their cognitive dissonance flare up (and we all know how painful that can be): The Great 2006 Google/Technorati 9-11 movie info bomb! (Hat tip: Michelle Malkin.)
Flap supposes that Bill Clinton, Madeleine Albright and Sandy “Socks” Berger cannot stand the heat in the kitchen.
Here is the letter – to put the heat on ABC:
And it isn’t just the nuts at Democratic Underground. Forwarded by a reader, here’s the email being sent out to the membership of the Democratic National Committee (I replaced our reader’s name with “lizardoid operative†to protect his/her identity):
Dear LIZARDOID OPERATIVE,
Does a major national broadcast network want to stain itself by presenting an irresponsible, slanderous, fraudulent, “docu-drama†to the American public?
Not if you and I have the last word — but either way, we’re about to find out.
The ABC television network — a cog in the Walt Disney empire — unleashed a promotional blitz in the last week for a new “docudrama†called “The Path to 9/11â€. ABC has thrown its corporate might behind the two-night production, and bills it as a public service: a TV event, to quote the ABC tagline, “based on the 9/11 Commission Reportâ€.
That’s false. “The Path to 9/11†is actually a bald-faced attempt to slander Democrats and revise history right before Americans vote in a major election.
The miniseries, which was put together by right-wing conservative writers, relies on the old GOP playbook of using terrorism to scare Americans. “The Path to 9/11†mocks the truth and dishonors the memory of 9/11 victims to serve a cheap, callous political agenda. It irresponsibly misrepresents the facts and completely distorts the truth.
ABC/Disney executives need to hear from the public and understand that their abuse of the public trust comes with a cost. Tell Walt Disney CEO Robert Iger to keep this right-wing propaganda off the air — we’ll deliver your message:
http://www.democrats.org/pathto911
This story is breaking quickly. The bias of the “docudrama†only became known when ABC began circulating previews recently. Less than two weeks ago, 9/11 Commission member Richard Ben-Veniste confronted a lead writer of “The Path to 9/11†after watching the first half of the miniseries at a screening, but most of what we know amounts to bits and pieces because ABC chose to screen the miniseries to conservative bloggers and right-wing media outlets exclusively. Almost none of the Democrats portrayed in the film have even been asked for their thoughts.
But we still know enough, thanks to news accounts and crack research, to fact check “The Path to 9/11†as a biased, irresponsible mess. Here’s what you need to know:
Richard Clarke — the counterterrorism czar for the Clinton administration, now himself a consultant to ABC News — describes a key scene in “The Path to 9/11†as “180 degrees from what happened.†In the scene, a CIA field agent places a phone call to get the go ahead to kill Osama Bin Laden, then in his sights, only to have a senior Clinton administration official refuse and hang up the phone. Sandy Berger, President Clinton’s National Security Advisor, called the same scene “a total fabrication. It did not happen.†And Roger Cressey, a top Bush and Clinton counterterrorism official, said it was “something straight out of Disney and fantasyland. It’s factually wrong. And that’s shameful.â€
Another scene revives the old right-wing myth that press reporting made it impossible to track Osama bin Laden, accusing the Washington Post of blowing the secret that American intelligence tracked his satellite phone calls. In reality, responsibility for that blunder — contrary to “The Path to 9/11†— rests with none other than the arch-conservative Washington Times.
The former National Security Council head of counterterrorism says that President Clinton “approved every request made of him by the CIA and the U.S. military involving using force against bin Laden and al-Qaeda,†and the 9/11 report says the CIA had full authority from President Clinton to strike Bin Laden. Yet chief “Path to 9/11†scriptwriter Cyrus Nowrasteh, a friend of Rush Limbaugh, says the miniseries shows how President Clinton had “frequent opportunities in the ‘90s to stop Bin Laden in his tracks — but lacked the will to do so.â€
ABC asked only the Republican co-chair of the 9/11 Commission, Tom Kean, Sr., to advise the makers of “The Path to 9/11â€. The producers optioned two books, one written by a Bush administration political appointee, as the basis of the screenplay — yet bill the miniseries as “based on the 9/11 Commission Report.â€
This is a picture of bias — a conservative attempt to rewrite the history of September 11 to blame Democrats, just in time for the election.
Tell Walt Disney president Robert Iger that you hold his company responsible — and that this community demands that ABC tell the truth:
http://www.democrats.org/pathto911
ABC is trying to use of the airwaves — airwaves owned by you and me, and loaned to broadcasters as a public trust — to slander Democrats and sell a slanderous, irresponsible fraud to the American people, and they’re shamefully doing it just weeks away from Election Day.
The Walt Disney Corporation could have given Americans an honest look at September 11. Instead, the company abandoned its duty to the truth — and embraced the fiction known as “The Path to 9/11.â€
But ABC isn’t the only company pushing this gross revision of history. ABC has enlisted the reputable education and children’s entertainment company Scholastic, Inc. to send 100,000 letters to high school teachers, urging them to show students “The Path to 9/11â€. Scholastic has also created a discussion guide for teachers to use to encourage students and their families to watch this irresponsible fraud and then discuss it in school. The discussion guide does not in any way point out the concerns and criticisms that have been raised about the validity and accuracy of the film.
We’ve got to stop this now.
ABC/Disney must face an accountability moment. You can ratchet up the pressure on ABC by sending your own letter to Walt Disney CEO Robert Iger — tell him to keep this propaganda off their air.
http://www.democrats.org/pathto911
We’ll keep you up to date as this story evolves.
Thank you,
TomTom McMahon
Executive Director
Democratic National Committee
Technorati Tags: ThePathto9/11, DemocratNationalCommittee