Monday, December 08, 2008
Bloody Hands - The Decider and his Groupie
The War based on Non-existent WMD * Torture and Extraordinary Rendition
With 42 days left for the Bush presidency, orchestrated efforts are underway to airbrush his image for posterity. The president has been giving interviews and talking about his achievements. He finally admitted that intelligence about Saddam Hussein's WMD was wrong. Duh. By this time the world knows that he is somewhat dim upstairs but took him a long time to figure it out. However, he claimed that the war achieved its end by doing good.
Now, Condoleezza Rice, the president's secretary of state is speaking out along the same line. The mushroom cloud conveniently forgotten. Later, Secretary Rice was involved in supporting Israel to carry out cluster bombing of Lebanon when cease fire agreement was imminent.
We have yet to hear from the Darth Vader-like vice president. Probably busy destroying records. But if and when he speaks we can rest assured that Vice President Cheney, too, will talk glowingly of achievements.
You wonder if these people ever think of the dead and injured. According to latest figures on web site of Iraq Coalition Casualty Count -- http://icasualties.org/oif/ 4209 American soldiers have lost their lives. The number of wounded is close to 31,000.
The picture is much worse for the hapless Iraqi civilians. Iraq Body Count is reporting number of dead between 89,600 -- 97,828. Some sources, among them British medical journal The Lancet reported significantly higher numbers. Note: Accessing articles in The Lancet will require registration.
Torture
"We do not torture"
--President Bush (White House Press Release Nov 7,2005)
"The United States has not transported anyone, and will not transport anyone, to a country when we believe he will be tortured.
--Secretary of State Rice (Press Release USINFO.STATE.GOV - Dec.5, 2005).
See video clips: Matt Lauer, MSNBC, interviewing the president on Sept.12, 2006. and Helen Thomas at White House Press Meeting April 24, 2008.
And so it goes.
Recommended reading: Naomi Klein's The True Purpose of Torture
