No Attorney General of The United States of America should deem the

[bobthedrummer]

Geneva Convention as "quaint"! If he gets the job we are out of The Weimar Republic phase and into full-blown FASCISM here in the USA!!!
:argh:

[bobthedrummer]

1. What AG is going to flush presumption of innocence down the toilet and

hire torturers with the People's taxes? Hold people in a world system of a gulag for years with no charges brought forth???
Huh???

That's FASCIST TO THE CORE!

[eleny]

2. Since the GC is supposed to help protect our own troops

....we now know crystal clear how he and the shrub feel about our soldiers. It's a quaint notion.

[seemslikeadream]

3. "quaint"

The Israeli Torture Template
Rape, Feces and Urine-Dipped Cloth Sacks
By WAYNE MADSEN

Speculation that "John Israel" may be an intelligence cover name has fueled speculation whether this individual could have been one of a number of Israeli interrogators hired under a classified contract. Because U.S. citizenship and documentation thereof are requirements for a U.S. security clearance, Israeli citizens would not be permitted to hold a Top Secret clearance. However, dual U.S.-Israeli citizens could have satisfied Pentagon requirements that interrogators hold U.S. citizenship and a Top Secret clearance. Although the Taguba report refers twice to Israel as an employee of Titan, the company claims he is one of their sub-contractors. CACI stated that one of the men listed in the report "is not and never has been a CACI employee" without providing more detail. A U.S. intelligence source revealed that in the world of intelligence "carve out" subcontracts such confusion is often the case with "plausible deniability" being a foremost concern.

In fact, the Taguba report does reference the presence of non-U.S. and non-Iraqi interrogators at Abu Ghraib. The report states, "In general, US civilian contract personnel (Titan Corporation, CACI, etc), third country nationals, and local contractors do not appear to be properly supervised within the detention facility at Abu Ghraib."

The Pentagon is clearly concerned about the outing of the Taguba report and its references to CACI, Titan, and third country nationals, which could permanently damage U.S. relations with Arab and Islamic nations. The Pentagon's angst may explain why the Taguba report is classified Secret No Foreign Dissemination.

<snip>

During his testimony before the Senate Armed Service Committee, Rumsfeld was pressed upon by Senator John McCain about the role of the private contractors in the interrogations and abuse. McCain asked Rumsfeld four pertinent questions, ". . . who was in charge? What agency or private contractor was in charge of the interrogations? Did they have authority over the guards? And what were the instructions that they gave to the guards?" When Rumsfeld had problems answering McCain's question, Lt. Gen. Lance Smith, the Deputy Commander of the U.S. Central Command, said there were 37 contract interrogators used in Abu Ghraib. The two named contractors, CACI and Titan, have close ties to the Israeli military and technology communities. Last January 14, after Provost Marshal General of the Army, Major General Donald Ryder, had already uncovered abuse at Abu Ghraib, CACI's President and CEO, Dr. J.P. (Jack) London was receiving the Jerusalem Fund of Aish HaTorah's Albert Einstein Technology award at the Jerusalem City Hall, with right-wing Likud politician Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski in attendance. Oddly, CACI waited until February 2 to publicly announce the award in a press release. CACI has also received grants from U.S.-Israeli bi-national foundations.

Titan also has had close connections to Israeli interests. After his stint as CIA Director, James Woolsey served as a Titan director. Woolsey is an architect of America's Iraq policy and the chief proponent of and lobbyist for Ahmad Chalabi of the Iraqi National Congress. An adviser to the neo-conservative Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, Jewish Institute of National Security Affairs, Project for the New American Century, Center for Security Policy, Freedom House, and Committee for the Liberation of Iraq, Woolsey is close to Stephen Cambone, the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence, a key person in the chain of command who would have not only known about the torture tactics used by U.S. and Israeli interrogators in Iraq but who would have also approved them. Cambone was associated with the Project for the New American Century and is viewed as a member of Rumsfeld's neo-conservative "cabal" within the Pentagon.

<snip>

http://www.counterpunch.org/madsen05102004.html

[bobthedrummer]

4. There was major blowback for Titan in one respect, slad,

they weren't able to merge with Lockheed/Martin into a more evil entity.
Defence giants tie-up unravels (BBC)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3838493.stm

[seemslikeadream]

5. Contractors hired by the Department of the Interior - Gail Norton

US military in torture scandal

Use of private contractors in Iraqi jail interrogations highlighted by inquiry into abuse of prisoners

Julian Borger in Washington
Friday April 30, 2004
The Guardian

<snip>

The US army confirmed that the general in charge of Abu Ghraib jail is facing disciplinary measures and that six low-ranking soldiers have been charged with abusing and sexually humiliating detainees.

<snip>

A military report into the Abu Ghraib case - parts of which were made available to the Guardian - makes it clear that private contractors were supervising interrogations in the prison, which was notorious for torture and executions under Saddam Hussein.

<snip>

But this is the first time the privatisation of interrogation and intelligence-gathering has come to light.

The military investigation names two US contractors, CACI International Inc and the Titan Corporation, for their involvement in Abu Ghraib.

Titan, based in San Diego, describes itself as a "a leading provider of comprehensive information and communications products, solutions and services for national security".

CACI, which has headquarters in Virginia, claims on its website to "help America's intelligence community collect, analyse and share global in formation in the war on terrorism".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1206725,00.html

[bobthedrummer]

6. And Richard Armitage was the head of CACI at one point in his "career"

:mad:

[seemslikeadream]

7. Richard L. Armitage former director of CACI guits to join Bush team

Richard L. Armitage former director of CACI guits to join Bush team


Civilian accused of killing ‘doing fine job’

MICHAEL SETTLE, Chief Political Correspondent May 06 2004

Executives from Virginia-based CACI International complained that they had still not been informed by their client, the US defence department, that their employee, working for the CIA as an interrogator, was involved in the abuse of inmates at Abu Ghraib jail near Baghdad.
Jack London, CACI president, said: "The fact remains we are simply not able to confirm in any fashion any CACI employee was involved in the abuse at Abu Ghraib prison."
Ken Johnson, the company's president of US operations, added: "The employee questioned is still on the site and still performing the duties there and, by all accounts from our understanding, is doing a damn fine job."
It has been suggested the CIA contractor could escape any prosecution because US Army jurisdiction does not extend to American private contractors in Iraq.

http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/15501.html

Contractors act as interrogators

Control: The Pentagon's hiring of civilians to question prisoners raises accountability issues.

Founded in 1962 as a small consulting firm, CACI now has more than $1 billion in annual revenue. It specializes in information technology but also has branched into every corner of the Defense Department to become "essentially an odd-jobs provider for the federal government," according to Tim Quillin, an analyst for the investment banking firm Stephens Inc.

More than 90 percent of CACI's business comes from its main customer - the Pentagon - and other federal agencies, according to reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.


Among the company's former directors is Richard L. Armitage, who resigned in 2001 to accept an appointment from President Bush as deputy secretary of state.


http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bal-te.contractors04ma... ...


But these soldiers aren’t simply mavericks. Some accused claim they acted on the orders of military intelligence and the CIA, and that some of the torture sessions were under the control of mercenaries hired by the US to conduct interrogations. Two “civilian contract” organisations taking part in interrogations at Abu Ghraib are linked to the Bush administration.
California-based Titan Corporation says it is “a leading provider of solutions and services for national security”. Between 2003-04, it gave nearly $40,000 to George W Bush’s Republican Party. Titan supplied translators to the military.
CACI International Inc. describes its aim as helping “America’s intelligence community in the war on terrorism”. Richard Armitage, the current deputy US secretary of state, sat on CACI’s board.
No civilians, however, are facing charges as military law does not apply to them. Colonel Jill Morgenthaler, from CentCom, said that one civilian contractor was accused along with six soldiers of mistreating prisoners. However, it was left to the contractor to “deal with him”. One civilian interrogator told army investigators that he had “unintentionally” broken several tables during interrogations as he was trying to “fear-up” detainees.
Lawyers for some accused say their clients are scapegoats for a rogue prison system, which allowed mercenaries to give orders to serving soldiers. A military report said private contractors were at times supervising the interrogations.
Kimmitt said: “I hope the investigation is including not only the people who committed the crimes, but some of the people who might have encouraged the crimes as well because they certainly share some responsibility.”
Last night, CACI vice-president Jody Brown said: “The company supports the Army’s investigation and acknowledges that CACI personnel in Iraq volunteered to be interviewed by army officials in connection with the investigation. The company has received no indication that any CACI employee was involved in any alleged improper conduct with Iraqi prisoners. Nonetheless, CACI has initiated an independent investigation.”
However, military investigators said: “A CACI investigator’s contract was terminated because he allowed and/or instructed military police officers who were not trained in interrogation techniques to facilitate interrogations which were neither authorised nor in accordance with regulations.”

http://216.239.39.104/search?q=cache:LGgQIc6IKxoJ:south... ...

CACI is among an elite group of Washington area companies that do classified work for the federal government. The company, formed in the 1960s, first caught the government's eye with a computer language it developed that could be used to build battlefield simulation programs.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5677-200...



:hi: O8)

[bobthedrummer]

8. Sorry for veering off-topic, back to Mr. Gonzales, he's an evangelical

of the Dominionist type too-lots of them around The War President.

[bobthedrummer]

9. "quaint" kick

:dem::kick:

[UTUSN]

10. & I'll Join in Kicking & Drumming Any & All GONZALEZ Threads

First, with a tip of the hat to "NightTrain" from this thread (Post #40): http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2728684

"Right-wing black man (Clarence Thomas)
"Right-wing black woman (Condi Rice)
"Right-wing Hispanic man (Alberto Gonzales)
"Right-wing Hispanic woman (Linda Chavez)
"Right-wing Asian woman (Elaine Chao)
"Right-wing Native American man (Ben Nighthorse Campbell)
"Right-wing white male Democrat (Zell Miller)

"Did I miss anyone who has contributed to the Republicans' ongoing quest for diversity?"--------NightTrain

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph ...

Yes, (the arguments go) 1) presidents (in this case "president") are given leeway in choosing their own cabinets and 2) what-part-of-majority/minority numbers don't we understand. I like better what others have posted, that we are the loyal OPPOSITION, or ought to be.

I media blasted (200) e-mails and got exactly ONE auto-reply, from BIDEN. Anyway, fwiw, the first item is the e-ltr and the second is a neat link, stopalbertogonzales.com that also contains a media blast mechanism.

---------------
The supposed Liberal half of the pundits on CNN’s The Capital Gang (11-13) have already sounded the retreat regarding the nomination of Alberto Gonzalez for Attorney General with the words, “He’s got a great personal story, only one of eight siblings to go to college, and he maintains contact with them!”

While the Republican majority makes it unlikely that the nomination can be blocked, Gonzalez’s record, ideology, and role as Bush waterboy need thorough exposure and opposition. But the Democrats have to stay focused on those things and not allow the process to be framed on the basis of “ethnicity,” as in, “the first Hispanic, blah blah…”

During the ESTRADA hearings the beleaguered Democratic leaders actually stood firm and eventually won a rare victory, perhaps surprising even themselves, although the deciding factor might have been Estrada’s possible personal baggage instead of ideology. And almost all of the Hispanic organizations joined in opposing him based on his ideology.

With Gonzalez, the Republicans are springing yet again their “ethnic“ or “racial” trap that started with George I’s use of Clarence Thomas: Nominating a member of a minority group, perhaps not too bright or accomplished, but who toes the Conservative line, and, most of all, stymies the Democrats by their having to oppose somebody from one of their traditional constituencies. The payload of the “ethnic” gambit is to derail the vetting process, keeping attention away from the nominee’s record and ideological fanaticism.

During the Estrada hearings, Orrin Hatch was all over the media with a Shirley Temple pout, saying innocently, “How can the Democrats oppose this well qualified Hispanic?”

The answer then should have been, as now, “It is NOT about the ethnicity. That would be racism and quotas. It’s about the ideology and his record.”

This link covers his whole career: http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF ...

This link covers his role in the torture policy: http://lawofwar.org/Torture_Memos_analysis.htm (Home Page: http://lawofwar.org / )

-------------
Link with e-addy blast list
http://www.stopalbertogonzales.com /

[bobthedrummer]

11. Thanks, UTUSN!

:hi: