THE US, THE UN AND IRAQ, TENTH THREAD.

ican, Why do you continue to mischaracterize what the UN authorized?
...

Public Law 107-243 107th Congress Joint Resolution Oct. 16, 2002 (H.J. Res. 114) To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq.
www.c-span.org/resources/pdf/hjres114.pdf

numbers added by ican

Congress wrote:

...
[10]Whereas members of al Qaida, an organization bearing responsibility for attacks on the United States, its citizens, and interests, including the attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, are known to be in Iraq;

[11]Whereas Iraq continues to aid and harbor other international terrorist organizations, including organizations that threaten the lives and safety of United States citizens;

All I could think of when I read this story was, 'holy ****. Is Miller lying?'

Quote:

Former NY Times reporter Judith Miller to assert she was warned of large scale attack before 9/11
RAW STORY
Published: Thursday May 18, 2006


Print This | Email This


In AN ALTERNET EXCLUSIVE THURSDAY, former New York Times reporter Judy Miller tells Rory O'Connor and William Scott Malone about the story she'll regret for the rest of her life -- the fact that an anonymous White House source told her in July 2001 that an NSA intelligence report predicted a large al Qaeda attack, possibly on the continental United States, RAW STORY has learned.
...

Cycloptichorn

Quote:

2003 invasion of Iraq
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
...

Public Law 107-243 107th Congress Joint Resolution Oct. 16, 2002 (H.J. Res. 114) To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq.
www.c-span.org/resources/pdf/hjres114.pdf

numbers added by ican

Congress wrote:

...
[10]Whereas members of al Qaida, an organization bearing responsibility for attacks on the United States, its citizens, and interests, including the attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, are known to be in Iraq;

[11]Whereas Iraq continues to aid and harbor other international terrorist organizations, including organizations that threaten the lives and safety of United States citizens;

Bush really blundered about WMD in Iraq. He should have been smart enough to realize that the sufficient reason for invading Iraq was identical to the sufficient reason for invading Afghanistan. Both the governments of Afghanistan and Iraq ignored our requests to remove al-Qaeda from their countries where they were harbored prior to our invasions.

Despite all the many dire warnings Bushie had this to say about al qaeda and bin Laden "I was not on point ... I didn't feel that sense of urgency". Criminal negligence?

Americas

Times Online May 19, 2006



Detainees at America's prison camp at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba

UN panel tells America to end torture and close Guantanamo
By Simon Freeman and agencies

A powerful United Nations panel today made the strongest call yet on the United States to close down the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and to disclose the locations of all of its rumoured secret prisons abroad.

The committee said it was "deeply concerned" that detainees were being held at the prison camp in Cuba for protracted periods without proper legal safeguards or reliable judicial justification.

The ten members of the UN Committee Against Torture also called upon President Bush to end the use of torture and cruel treatment in interrogation of detainees, citing sexual humiliation, mock drownings and the use of dogs to induce fear.

In a troubling 11-page report published today, the panel ordered the US to reveal the location of any of the secret prisons, believed to be in Egypt, Jordan and Eastern Europe, to which suspects are allegedly transported by special rendition for interview under conditions which violate human rights conventions.

The panel has no legal power to enforce the US to abide by any of its demands but it wields considerable moral authority. For the first time in six years, the US sent a delegation of 30 officials to Geneva to defend its conduct at a hearing before the committee earlier this month.

The delegation was criticised for refusing to comment on questions about secret prisons.

The report's findings will add to growing condemnation of America's activities in the War on Terror. It also stated that if proved, many of these actions could be in breach of international law.

It ruled that there had been "reliable reports of acts of torture or cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment" by US military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. It said that some "have resulted in the death of some detainees during interrogation" and criticised vague US guidelines that "have led to serious abuse of detainees."

In a judgement which could also have implications for British efforts to deport foreign nationals suspected of terrorism-related offences, the report also demands detainees should not be returned to any state where they face a "real risk" of being tortured."

In its testimony, the US delegation told the committee that use of torture or inhumane and degrading treatment by the US military or intelligence services was outlawed, wherever they may be operating. The delegation also told the committee that 89 service personnel had been convicted in 103 courts martial as authorities attempted to root out abuse.

They included a series of prosecutions following revelations in 2004 of the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison, outside Baghdad, as well cases involving personnel in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay.

Nineteen of the convictions involved sentences of at least one year, while 28 personnel were thrown out of the US military, officials said. Nevertheless, the UN committee said it was "deeply concerned" at the "very lenient sentences" even after cases that had involved fatalities.

It added that such action did "not reflect the seriousness the state party claims in dealing with those abuses."

The final version of the report is due to be released later today.

The governent of Iraq did not reply to our demand. The USA subsequently invaded Iraq.