Suspects' Right to Court Hearing Affirmed;
Obama Advisors Clash on Troop Strength
If you liked the Supreme Court's reinstatement of Habeas Corpus, vote Obama. McCain did not like it and will be in a position to appoint a justice who will vote with the four dissenters.
Bush dismissed the ruling as that of only 5 against 4. (Wasn't that the margin that made him president in 2000?)
The US Constitution says, "The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it."
The Constitution diary says,
"The basic premise behind habeas corpus is that you cannot be held against your will without just cause. To put it another way, you cannot be jailed if there are no charges against you. If you are being held, and you demand it, the courts must issue a writ of habeas corpus, which forces those holding you to answer as to why. If there is no good or compelling reason, the court must set you free. It is important to note that of all the civil liberties we take for granted today as a part of the Bill of Rights, the importance of habeas corpus is illustrated by the fact that it was the sole liberty thought important enough to be included in the original text of the Constitution"
Robert Dreyfuss at The Nation on the conflict between Colin Kahl and Brian Katulis on the future of the US in Iraq. Kahl
'proposes a policy called "conditional engagement" for Iraq that would leave a large contingent of American forces in Iraq for several years, and which would make America's presence in Iraq contingent on political progress in Iraq toward reconciliation among the country's ethnic and sectarian groups and parties.'
Katulis
' to withdraw all U.S. forces from Iraq, except for a small force to protect the American embassy. Katulis' CAP plan also suggests a halt in the U.S. training of Iraqi government forces, while Kahl and CNAS want to continue to train the Iraqi security forces long after U.S. combat forces are withdrawn.'
McClatchy reports political violence in Iraq on Thursday:
' Baghdad
- A roadside bomb targeted the major general’s convoy Sameer Al-Waeli , the head of the social attention in the ministry of interior , near Beirut square in Palestine street neighborhood . Six people were injured including three guards.
- Gunmen threw a grenade on an army patrol in Safarat neighborhood (west Baghdad) . 6 soldiers were wounded.
- A roadside bomb targeted the Shaab’s mayor in Shaab neighborhood (east Baghdad). Five people were wounded including three guards.
- A controlled explosion by the Iraqi army took place for a roadside bomb which was found in Ghadeer neighborhood (east Baghdad) . No casualties reported.
- Three roadside bombs targeted a commandos’ patrol in Beirut square (east Baghdad). Nine commandos’ soldiers were injured.
- A bomb which was put inside a car detonated at the main street of the Muthana airport which houses the headquarters of Iraqi army and Dawa party. 3 people were killed and 15 were wounded (including one police commando killed and 12 others wounded) who were passing by when the explosion took place.
- Police found 4 dead bodies in Baghdad today : 3 were found in east Baghdad ( Risafa bank ); 1 in Zafaraniyah ,1 in Ur and 1 in Shaab. While 1 was found in Dora in Karkh bank.'
Antiwar.com has more.
A British MP resigns over the new law allowing suspectes to be held 42 days in the UK without a court hearing.
Michael Klare on the militarization of energy policy at Tomdispatch.com
Labels: Iraq
posted by Juan Cole @ 6/13/2008 12:30:00 AM
|
Facebook
11 Comments:
The Americans waste their time arguing about troop levels in Iraq.
The New Middle East is about to be born, and their is no USA in it. The neo-cons, both American and Iranian, are bankrupt and the Gulf countries, including Iran, are rolling in oil revenues.
Iraq will have treaties, but with all its 5 neighbors. The Iranians and Saudis are just about to turn into best buddies (just waiting for Iran's neo-con to go.) The Gulf organization will welcome two new members, Iraq and Iran. Europe will get its gas piped through Syria, among other countries. Iraq will be top producer (the ministry of oil survey has just released an estimate for Iraq's reserves: 350B barrels or a third of all usable oil in the world) and will become the workshop of the world (no KBR et al need apply.)
The Americans are the new Byzantines, arguing about trivial things while their empire is collapsing around them.
Iraq-U.S. security talks reach "dead end"
Scram Yanks
In the Constitution, habeas corpus seems to me to be clearly written as a restriction on the powers of government, not as a right which is granted by government to an individual at whim.
In other words, the so-called conservatives simply refuse to accept that the Constitution would ever dare limit the powers of government when it comes to things they want to do.
And if the government can ignore the Constitution and play with habeas corpus at whim, then it is not restricted from suspending it at whim, which is exactly what the Constitution clearly prohibits the government from doing.
Similarly, the Executive Branch does not grant Congress the right to pass legislation; rather the Constitution clearly limits the legislative powers to the House and Senate.
It is incredible that the President of the U.S. will have such disdain to the unique Constitution of the United States and few in Public will raise a voice. What is wrong with you people, you all on drugs.
While Kahl and Katulis argue, what does Obama intend to do about Iraq or Afghanistan or Somalia or Pakistan or Iran?
Yes, vote Democrat. If you can forget the fact of Sen. Levin being the one that traded away habeas corpus for the Guantanamo people.
He'd do it to you too, if it kept them in power.
I am reading the article on TomDispatch about oil.
I had heard of CENTCOM, but didn't really know much about it. Now I realize that CENTCOM is responsible for so much of the middle east, where most of the oil is. Visit centcom.com and look at all the countries it is responsible for. Notice that Israel is not included!
But think about the arrogance of the name CENTCOM! US "Central" Command deals with a place on the other side of the globe! Do we have the right to rule the whole world? Shouldn't the US Central Command focus instead on the Center of the USA?
One very important detail about the constitution and Habeus Corpus: it's in the section that sets out the powers of the congress, not the executive.
If the congress decides that an emergency warrants the suspension of habeus corpus, they can pass legislation to do so. It is not in the president's power, any more than going to war without a declaration of war.
The congress has been shirking their duty for far too long. When you go to the polls this year, vote for candidates who will give more than lip service to the constitution and the rule of law.
OMG the sooner we get Dictator Bush out of office the better off we will all be. OMG this war monger has got to go.
The other problem with abandoning our basic principles is that now terrorist groups like Hamas are justifying their actions by pointing to Gitmo.
It's despicable and we must elect a president who understands that even the president and his flunkies are not above the Constitution.
Check it out at Church of the Apocalyptic Kiwi.
doswheeler: Quit appending OMG to your sentences. You sound like an idiot child with no ability to use proper grammar. Just express your point and people who agree with you, like myself, will have a lot more respect for your comments.
Post a Comment
<< Home