Comments on: The delicate balancing act of war crimes http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/24/the-delicate-balancing-act-of-war-crimes/ Firedoglake weblog Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:45:13 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: robspierre http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/24/the-delicate-balancing-act-of-war-crimes/#comment-1922735 robspierre Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:55:13 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/24/the-delicate-balancing-act-of-war-crimes/#comment-1922735 <p>This is a travesty. Am I the only one that remembers various Saudi royals and their lackeys dismissing their financing for Al Qaeda as the pious, private gifts of family members (like wives) to what they thought were charities? Not a matter of Saudi state policy at all, oh no! Now that law suits are involved, suddenly family business is sovereign state business?</p> <p>If the government now considers this matter a foreign-policy issue that private suits cannot address, what is our foreign policy doing about it? If the government now considers 9/11 a Saudi state-funded terrorist operation,is Saudi Arabia going to be on the state-sponsors embargo list?</p> This is a travesty. Am I the only one that remembers various Saudi royals and their lackeys dismissing their financing for Al Qaeda as the pious, private gifts of family members (like wives) to what they thought were charities? Not a matter of Saudi state policy at all, oh no! Now that law suits are involved, suddenly family business is sovereign state business?

If the government now considers this matter a foreign-policy issue that private suits cannot address, what is our foreign policy doing about it? If the government now considers 9/11 a Saudi state-funded terrorist operation,is Saudi Arabia going to be on the state-sponsors embargo list?

]]> By: opit http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/24/the-delicate-balancing-act-of-war-crimes/#comment-1922720 opit Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:47:35 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/24/the-delicate-balancing-act-of-war-crimes/#comment-1922720 <p>Bonkers.<br /> Nope. No difference whatsoever. Vietnam proved that.<br /> Just as an exercise in consciousness-raising I’ve tried to get people to note the train of events over the years. Nothing works with people who think a corporate organization touting its plans worldwide to cause death and destruction so as to secure control of black gold - PNAC- is somehow a ‘conspiracy theory’ dreamed up by….who was that masked man again ?<br /> Here’s the War Game ‘Post Saddam Iraq’ aka ‘Desert Crossing’ : a setpiece explaining how to destroy opposition governments.<br /><a href="http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB207/index.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/N...../index.htm</a></p> Bonkers.
Nope. No difference whatsoever. Vietnam proved that.
Just as an exercise in consciousness-raising I’ve tried to get people to note the train of events over the years. Nothing works with people who think a corporate organization touting its plans worldwide to cause death and destruction so as to secure control of black gold – PNAC- is somehow a ‘conspiracy theory’ dreamed up by….who was that masked man again ?
Here’s the War Game ‘Post Saddam Iraq’ aka ‘Desert Crossing’ : a setpiece explaining how to destroy opposition governments.
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/N…../index.htm

]]> By: bonkers http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/24/the-delicate-balancing-act-of-war-crimes/#comment-1922717 bonkers Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:57:18 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/24/the-delicate-balancing-act-of-war-crimes/#comment-1922717 <p>These “people” are proposing to kill untold amounts of innocent people, and laughing and telling jokes about doing it. The video clearly shows this fact. Nothing is being taken out of context or twisted. That’s simply what’s happening.</p> <p>Can someone explain to me how this mentality is different from a serial killer?</p> <p>(oh, and I did strain my middle finger while typing that. Here, wanna see it? There ya go. __i__ )</p> These “people” are proposing to kill untold amounts of innocent people, and laughing and telling jokes about doing it. The video clearly shows this fact. Nothing is being taken out of context or twisted. That’s simply what’s happening.

Can someone explain to me how this mentality is different from a serial killer?

(oh, and I did strain my middle finger while typing that. Here, wanna see it? There ya go. __i__ )

]]> By: Crosstimbers http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/24/the-delicate-balancing-act-of-war-crimes/#comment-1922673 Crosstimbers Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:13:51 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/24/the-delicate-balancing-act-of-war-crimes/#comment-1922673 <p>Uh oh, you’ve made me start all over.</p> Uh oh, you’ve made me start all over.

]]> By: Marion in Savannah http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/24/the-delicate-balancing-act-of-war-crimes/#comment-1922663 Marion in Savannah Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:04:08 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/24/the-delicate-balancing-act-of-war-crimes/#comment-1922663 <p>Dept. of Bush/Cheney Revenue Protection?</p> Dept. of Bush/Cheney Revenue Protection?

]]> By: alank http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/24/the-delicate-balancing-act-of-war-crimes/#comment-1922662 alank Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:03:02 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/24/the-delicate-balancing-act-of-war-crimes/#comment-1922662 <p>From The Young Ones, Oil:</p> <blockquote><p>MIKE: …I am prepared to give free amnesty if you behave like good citizens and dig up all the oil.</p> <p>RICK: You fascist junta! [Vyvyan smacks him again]</p> <p>MIKE: Look, you do want to be incredibly rich, don’t you?</p> <p>NEIL: Uh….</p> <p>RICK: Yes! But why can’t you go down to the cellar and dig as well?</p> <p>MIKE: Oh, that is fab, Rick! That is fab!</p> <p>VYVYAN: Fab!</p> <p>MIKE: So when I shuffle off to see the Saudis, what do I say? Hello, King Fahd. I’ve got some oil for you. In fact, I’ve got a sample of it all over the front of my shirt! You wouldn’t happen to have a tin of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swarfega" rel="nofollow">Swarfega</a> lying around the palace, your Royal Mightiness?! Wise up, Rick. He’d chop my hands off.</p> <p>NEIL: Shhhh! Don’t say that about the Arabs, Mike. You’ll get us all into terrible trouble.</p> <p>[In a thought bubble above Neil’s head, two Arabs are talking.]</p> <p>ARAB #1: Your magnificence! The British Foreign Secretary has arrived to apologize for recent press criticism, in which they alleged mandatory cruelty.</p> <p>ARAB #2: I will see him now.</p> <p>ARAB #1: Which bit of him would you like to see first?</p> <p>[The screen tumbles and fades out.]</p> </blockquote> From The Young Ones, Oil:

MIKE: …I am prepared to give free amnesty if you behave like good citizens and dig up all the oil.

RICK: You fascist junta! [Vyvyan smacks him again]

MIKE: Look, you do want to be incredibly rich, don’t you?

NEIL: Uh….

RICK: Yes! But why can’t you go down to the cellar and dig as well?

MIKE: Oh, that is fab, Rick! That is fab!

VYVYAN: Fab!

MIKE: So when I shuffle off to see the Saudis, what do I say? Hello, King Fahd. I’ve got some oil for you. In fact, I’ve got a sample of it all over the front of my shirt! You wouldn’t happen to have a tin of Swarfega lying around the palace, your Royal Mightiness?! Wise up, Rick. He’d chop my hands off.

NEIL: Shhhh! Don’t say that about the Arabs, Mike. You’ll get us all into terrible trouble.

[In a thought bubble above Neil’s head, two Arabs are talking.]

ARAB #1: Your magnificence! The British Foreign Secretary has arrived to apologize for recent press criticism, in which they alleged mandatory cruelty.

ARAB #2: I will see him now.

ARAB #1: Which bit of him would you like to see first?

[The screen tumbles and fades out.]

]]> By: ghostof911 http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/24/the-delicate-balancing-act-of-war-crimes/#comment-1922659 ghostof911 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:55:30 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/24/the-delicate-balancing-act-of-war-crimes/#comment-1922659 <p>Thanks, Attaturk.</p> <blockquote><p>The case has put the Obama administration in the middle of a political and legal dispute, with the Justice Department siding with the Saudis in court last month in seeking to kill further legal action… The Justice Department had the lawyers’ copies destroyed and now wants to prevent a judge from even looking at the material.</p></blockquote> <p>It would seem that the Department of Justice needs a new name. Suggestions?</p> Thanks, Attaturk.

The case has put the Obama administration in the middle of a political and legal dispute, with the Justice Department siding with the Saudis in court last month in seeking to kill further legal action… The Justice Department had the lawyers’ copies destroyed and now wants to prevent a judge from even looking at the material.

It would seem that the Department of Justice needs a new name. Suggestions?

]]> By: RevBev http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/24/the-delicate-balancing-act-of-war-crimes/#comment-1922658 RevBev Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:54:57 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/24/the-delicate-balancing-act-of-war-crimes/#comment-1922658 <p>New morning post….looks like the Gov’s running gear was left in the van.</p> New morning post….looks like the Gov’s running gear was left in the van.

]]> By: RevBev http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/24/the-delicate-balancing-act-of-war-crimes/#comment-1922657 RevBev Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:51:18 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/24/the-delicate-balancing-act-of-war-crimes/#comment-1922657 <p>NPR says he is due back today….How would they know?</p> NPR says he is due back today….How would they know?

]]> By: Marion in Savannah http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/24/the-delicate-balancing-act-of-war-crimes/#comment-1922656 Marion in Savannah Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:50:53 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/24/the-delicate-balancing-act-of-war-crimes/#comment-1922656 <p>“It was a dark and stormy night…”</p> “It was a dark and stormy night…”

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