RUSHING IN FRONT OF THE CAMERAS TO PROMOTE HER LATEST BOX OFFICE BOMB, TARAJI P. HENSON INSISTED THAT THE PARENTS WERE DOING FINE AND THAT THE PARENTS SHE KNEW WOULD BE FOUND INNOCENT. SHE MADE A DESPERATE PLEA FOR FOX/DISNEY TO CAST THE PARENTS IN THE SIXTH SEASON OF EMPIRE. SAYS TARAJI, "TOGETHER, AS A UNITED FRONT, I STAND WITH THE FREUNDS AND ASK THAT THEY BE BROUGHT ON FOR THE SIXTH SEASON OF EMPIRE."
AS MANY HAVE POINTED OUT, THERE MAY NOT, IN FACT, BE A SIXTH SEASON OF EMPIRE.
It's not the millionth candidate running for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, it just feels that way. Yes, after a long bump and grind, someone's finally pulling it all off and declaring he's all in: Joe Biden is running for president.
Guillotines N' Roses (Taheerah Barney)🌹Retweeted Joe Biden
Your entire record spits in the face of democracy & decency. You rat f**ked Anita Hill, voted for the Iraq War, designed the prototype of & later voted for the Crime Bill, embraced segregation, & eviscerated consumer debt protections.
I look forward to your campaign imploding.
Guillotines N' Roses (Taheerah Barney)🌹added,
Joe BidenVerified account@JoeBiden
The core values of this nation… our standing in the world… our very democracy...everything that has made America -- America --is at stake. That’s why today I’m announcing my candidacy for President of the United States. #Joe2020youtube.com/watch?v=VbOU2f…
Former US senator and former US vice president Joe Biden wasn't ready to run for the presidency in 2016 -- when he could have made a difference -- but with 19 Democrats already running for the 2020 presidential nomination, Joe announced this morning that he was just what the world needs.
Breaking: Joe Biden enters the race and is already polling higher than She’s Too Ambitious, She’s Just Not Likable, She Lacks Experience, and I’d Vote For A Woman But Not That Woman.
Joe enters today with name recognition which is a good thing early on in a race. But it also tends to take a beating as a campaign goes along. For DNC leadership, a fresh face is always better -- 2008, that was Barack Obama and, this go round, many in leadership think it will be Kamala Harris. A fresh face tends to come with far less baggage. Joe's history is not limited to support for the Iraq War or the rat f**king of Anita Hill when she came forward to speak about how now Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas harassed her repeatedly at work.
New: @justicedems say they’ll oppose @JoeBiden’s presidential bid, at least in the primary.
“While we’re going to support the Democratic nominee, we can’t let a so-called ‘centrist’ like Joe Biden divide the Democratic Party and turn it into the party of ‘No, we can’t.’”
Justice Democrats state Joe will turn the party into the party of "No, we can't" -- a play on how 2008, with Barack, was supposed to be about "Yes, we can."
Women face different obstacles as candidates. There is, for example, a focus on their looks. In the spirit of equality, let's hope the press asks Joe about his hair plugs. If they have trouble with those words, they can just show a clip of Joe from the Hill-Thomas hearings and then turn to him and ask, "What's different about the hair today, Joe? You're like a Chia pet."
Joe's a press favorite because he stumbles a lot and that makes for good copy. But his popularity will likely go down. It always has at times like these. He didn't even make it to New Hampshire in 2008, remember? He dropped out right after the Iowa caucus.
Joe's announcement this morning has been hailed for caling out racism. What topic did he avoid?
If it's that important to have Jussie Smollett, please just cancel the whole show.
I find the letter offensive, they insist that Jussie was found innocent. No, he wasn't.
They lied and they think they can bully Fox.
And maybe they could . . . last year. But now Fox is owned by Disney. If Disney has any ethics, it's time to fire Jussie. That's not It's a Small World After All behavior. Lying about an attack is not Disney behavior.
It's time that the low rated EMPIRE was finally cancelled. If the performers want to lie and try to bully, just kill the show. No one's watching.
Wednesday, April 24, 2019. NPR worships at the crotch of the military
in an effort to erase the rights of women, WSWS thinks publisher Julian
Assange might be charged with espionage (did they miss 2015?), and much
more.
As Trina ("Sometimes WSWS irritates me") and Stan ("Lee Daniels confesses he's sexist trash") both noted, this is not a society that values women. If you ever doubt it, just listen to John Burnett's ridiculous MORNING EDITION (NPR) report about
'poor' Edgar Baltazar Garcia. Oh, poor Edgar. He's not an American
citizen. And he served so we all owe him everything. We don't owe him
s**t, hold on for that reality. Poor Edgar went to Mexico to visit
family. On his way back, stopped at the border and he's going to be
deported. Poor Edgar. Convicted of a felony. Poor Edgar. From the
report: Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, in whose South Texas district Baltazar lives, has introduced a bill called the Repatriate Our Patriots Act.
It would prohibit the deportation of any honorably discharged veteran
unless the veteran is convicted of homicide, rape, terrorism or child
sex crimes.
If you're wondering, the idiot Vincente is a Democrat. Not a great day for our party.
The 38-year-old Edar? From the same report:
In one incident last year, he pointed a handgun at his domestic partner;
in a second incident, he punched her. She filed charges. Baltazar was
found guilty of "aggravated assault on a family member with a deadly
weapon."
Oh, okay.
He just pulled a gun on a woman. And then after that, in a second incident, he physically attacked her.
In what world is that acceptable? Let's be really clear that a number
of so-called 'honor' crimes have been carried out in the US in the last
15 years and they've gotten very little attention. Certainly, no member
of Congress has felt the need to speak out for those victims.
From Amnesty International: Noor Almaleki was 20 years old and living in Pheonix when she and her
friend, 43-year-old Amal Khalaf, were struck by a car driven by Noor’s
father. While Amal survived, Noor later died, and her father, Faleh
al-Maleki, was later convicted of killing his daughter. The case of Noor Almaleki has drawn attention, most recently last weekend on CBS’s “48 Hours: Mystery” program, as a suspected case of a so-called “Honor Killing”—one committed here in the United States. And yet, while the case of Noor Almaleki has made national headlines
because it happened in Arizona, so-called “honor killings” happen around
the world at an alarming rate, often with little press and no justice
for the victim. Women around the world suffer so-called
“honor violence” at the hands of relatives, usually male, in an effort
to reclaim family “honor.” If a woman or girl is accused or suspected of
engaging in behavior that could taint her family’s status, she may face
brutal retaliation from her relatives that often results in violent
death. So-called “honor” crime is rooted in a global culture of
discrimination against women, and the deeply rooted belief that women
are objects and commodities, not human beings entitled to dignity and
rights equal to those of men. Women’s bodies, particularly, are
considered the repositories of family honor, and under the control and
responsibility of her family (especially her male relatives). And large
sections of society share traditional conceptions of family honor and
approve of “honor” killings to preserve that honor. That’s the narrative that is used to justify these brutal attacks on women and girls, but here are the facts:
The UN estimates that around 5,000 women and girls are murdered
each year in so-called “honor killings” by members of their families
“Honor” killings are widely reported in regions throughout the
Middle East and South Asia, but these crimes against women occur in
countries as varied as Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, Sweden, Syria, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom, and the United States.
Like other forms of violence against women, “honor” violence against women may be considered a form of torture, whether enacted by the state or by an individual.
While “honor” crime is committed predominantly against women and
girls, “honor” crime is also on the rise against LGBT people,
particularly gay men
In many countries, the punishment for “honor” crimes are inadequate or non-existent—laws
either do not recognize “honor” crime or have insufficient sentencing
for such crime. And in countries where laws have been passed to curb
“honor” crime (for example, in Jordan), such laws often go un-enforced.
Women in Lahore, Pakistan protest "honor" killings. (Arif Ali/AFP/Getty Images)
Make no mistake: there is no honor in violence against women,
and no cultural, social, or religious belief is ever a valid reason to
commit violence against women, or deprive anyone of their fundamental
human rights.
The murder of women in the name of “honor” is a gender-specific form
of discrimination and violence and should be regarded as part of a
larger spectrum of violence against women, as well as a serious human
rights violation. Violence against women in a global epidemic, and it
effects women in every country, at every level of society. The continued coverage of the case of Noor Almaleki reminds us that
women across the world—including our own country—are at risk of such
types of gender-specific violence. But so, too, should countless attacks
on women’s rights that are part of a culture of discrimination against
women. Any attack on women’s human rights threatens to reduce women to
objects or devalue them as less than fully human, and as such, aids and
abets in a global culture in which such horrific violence, as happened
to Noor and as happens to countless women, is not only possible, but is
all too common.
Shame on US House Rep Vicente Gonzalez or any other person who
normalizes violence. No, if you're a non-US citizen assaulting 'loved
ones', you don't need to be in the US. You've already demonstrated you
are a threat to others.
Edgar is not a US citizen and he's twice been violent with a woman.
Since it was a woman it doesn't matter? Or since it was a woman he was
involved with (the confusing 'report' also mentions -- in a photo
caption, a woman who is identified as his "wife"), it's not big deal.
It's just the way love goes? Don't think that's what Janet Jackson
meant in that song.
If you are a woman someone's waiving a gun at, if you're a woman
someone's punching, hate to break it to the ridiculous US House Rep
Vicente Gonzalez, those actions are terrorism. And you don't get a pass
because, over a decade ago, you served in Iraq.
From the report: Baltazar says on the phone from inside the razor-wire detention center,
"U.S. citizens can go out and commit a crime — they never fought for
their country —and they're not deported. I make one mistake, and I have
to pay the price by leaving the country."
US citizens can do a lot of things in the US. That's a true of a
citizen -- any citizen -- in their own country. "I make one mistake . .
." No, you made at least two. In one incident, you pulled a gun on a
woman. In a second one, you beat her.
I don't have any sympathy for you.
From your whining, it's clear that you haven't learned a damn thing.
Not only are you lying and trying to act like you only did one thing
wrong, you're minimizing it.
US citizens don't get stripped of their citizenship for committing a crime.
Edgar is not a US citizen. At the end of the day, that's no one's fault
but his own. I'm not calling him "lazy" -- the veterans advocate
(Richard Pena) in the report does that. But I am saying, there were
avenues he had for citizenship that the average immigrant entering this
country did not have. He served in Iraq under Bully Boy Bush and there
were repeated efforts to bring non-citizens into citizen status under
Bully Boy Bush and that continued under President Barack Obama.
It wasn't an issue for him until this happened. Apparently, he thought he could terrorize a woman and suffer no consequences.
If he'd pulled that gun on a man and then later assaulted the man, we'd
see it as a serious crime. But it's a woman so let's all look the other
way.
Maybe she had it coming?
Is that what passes for 'logic'?
A man who thinks it's okay to assault women? If he's not a citizen of
this country and he's assaulted a woman, get him out of here. That's a
crime of violence and it's a felony. You don't deserve to become an
American citizen.
I know this is hard for some to grasp. I remember when Rachel Maddow
brought on a veteran who clearly was no longer there and she coddled him
and treated him like he was Forest Gump. It annoyed the listeners of
UNFILTERED and they did just a little web surfing and found out that he
had beaten his wife several times -- including before he was in the
military. (He may have been one of those -- like the late Steven Green
who chose the military over prison.) So as they tried to use the
UNFILTERED message board to explain nicely (they were Rachel fans --
goodness knows why) how offensive it was for her to coddle and glorify a
man who had repeatedly beaten a woman, her 'answer' was to bring him
back on Friday for the 'party show' and let him pick the tunes to play.
Rachel has a vagina, that doesn't make her a feminist. Any woman who
responds to serious concerns by doing that is not a feminist.
War Criminal Steven D. Green is dead. AP's Brett Barrouquere, who has long covered Green, reports
the 28-year-old Green was found dead in his Arizona prison cell on
Saturday and that, currently, the operating belief is that it was a case
of suicide.
May 7, 2009 Steven D. Green (pictured above) was convicted for his crimes in the March 12, 2006 gang-rape and murder of Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabi,
the murder of her parents and the murder of her five-year-old sister
while Green was serving in Iraq. Green was found to have killed all
four, to have participated in the gang-rape of Abeer and to have been
the ringleader of the conspiracy to commit the crimes and the conspiracy
to cover them up. May 21, 2009,
the federal jury deadlocked on the death penalty.
Alsumaria explained,
"An ex-US soldier was found guilty for raping an Iraqi girl and killing
her family in 2006 while he might face death sentence. . . . Eye
witnesses have reported that Green shot dead the girl’s family in a
bedroom while two other soldiers were raping her. Then, Green raped her
in his turn and put a pillow on her face before shooting her. The
soldiers set the body afire to cover their crime traces."
As
the jury entered the court room, Green(red sweater vest) let out a
large sigh, not of relief, but seemingly of anxiety, knowing the weight
of the words to come. As Judge Thomas Russell stated "The court will now
publish the verdict," Green interlaced his fingers and clasped them
over his chin. Russell read the verdict flatly and absolutely. Green
went from looking down at each "guilty" to eyeing the jury. His
shoulders dropped as he was convicted of count #11, aggravated sexual
abuse, realizing what this means. A paralegal at the defense table
consoled Green by patting him on his back, even herself breaking down
crying at the end of the verdicts. After
Russell finished reading the verdicts, he begged questions of the
respective attorneys. Wendelsdorf, intending to ensure the absolution of
the verdict, requested the jury be polled. Honorable Judge Russell
asked each juror if they agreed with these verdicts, receiving a
simple-but-sufficient yes from all jurors. Green watched the jury
flatly.
Turning to the United States and what may be the only accountability for the crimes in Iraq. May 7th Steven D. Green (pictured above) was convicted for his crimes in March 12, 2006 gang-rape and murder of Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabi,
the murder of her parents and the murder of her five-year-old sister
while Green was serving in Iraq. Green was found to have killed all
four, to have participated in the gang-rape of Abeer and to have been
the ringleader of the conspiracy to commit the crimes and the conspiracy
to cover them up. May 21st,
the federal jury deadlocked on the death penalty and instead kicking in
sentence to life in prison. Today, Green stood before US District Judge
Thomas B. Russell for sentencing. Kim Landers (Australia's ABC) quotes
Judge Russell telling Green his actions were "horrifying and
inexcusable." Not noted in any of the links in this snapshot (it comes
from a friend present in the court), Steven Dale Green has dropped his
efforts to appear waif-ish in a coltish Julia Roberts circa the 1990s
manner. Green showed up a good twenty pounds heavier than he appeared
when on trial, back when the defense emphasized his 'lanky' image by
dressing him in oversized clothes. Having been found guilty last
spring, there was apparently no concern that he appear frail anymore.
Italy's AGI reports,
"Green was recognised as the leader of a group of five soldiers who
committed the massacre on September 12 2006 at the Mahmudiyah check
point in the south of Baghdad. The story inspired the 2007 masterpiece
by Brian De Palma 'Redacted'." BBC adds, "Judge Thomas Russell confirmed Green would serve five consecutive life sentences with no chance of parole." Deborah Yetter (Courier-Journal) explains,
"Friday's federal court hearing was devoted mostly to discussion of
technical issues related to Green's sentencing report, although it did
not change Green's sentence. He was convicted in May of raping and
murdering Abeer al-Janabi, 14, and murdering her parents, Kassem and
Fakhriya, and her sister, Hadeel, 6, at their home outside Baghdad."
Green
was tried in civilian court because he had already been discharged
before the War Crimes were discovered. Following the gang-rape and
murders, US soldiers attempted to set fire to Abeer's body to destroy
the evidence and attempted to blame the crimes on "insurgents." In real
time, when the bodies were discovered, the New York Times was
among the outlets that ran with "insurgents." Green didn't decide he
wanted to be in the military on his own. It was only after his most
recent arrest -- after a long string of juvenile arrests -- while
sitting in jail and fearing what sentence he would face, that Green
decided the US Army was just the place he wanted to be. Had he been
imprisoned instead or had the US military followed rules and guidelines,
Green wouldn't have gotten in on a waiver. Somehow his history was
supposed to translate into "He's the victim!!!!" As if he (and the
others) didn't know rape was a crime, as if he (and the others) didn't
know that murder was considered wrong. Green attempted to climb up on
the cross again today. AP's Brett Barrouguere quotes
the 'victim' Green insisting at today's hearing, "You can act like I'm a
sociopath. You can act like I'm a sex offender or whatever. If I had
not joined the Army, if I had not gone to Iraq, I would not have got
caught up in anything." Climb down the cross, drama queen. Your entire
life was about leading up to a moment like that. You are a sociopath.
You stalked a 14-year-old Iraqi girl while you were stationed at a
checkpoint in her neighborhood. You made her uncomfortable and nervous,
you stroked her face. She ran to her parents who made arrangements for
her to go live with others just to get her away from you, the man the
army put there to protect her and the rest of the neighborhood. You are
one sick f**k and you deserve what you got. Green play drama queen and
insist "you can act like I'm a sex offender" -- he took part in and
organized a gang-rape of a 14-year-old girl. That's a sex offender. In
fact, "sex offender" is a mild term for what Green is.
Steven
D. Green made the decision to sign up for the US military. He was
facing criminal punishment for his latest crimes, but he made the
decision. Once in the military, despite his long history of arrests, he
didn't see it as a chance to get a fresh start. He saw it as a
passport for even more crimes. What he did was disgusting and vile and
it is War Crimes and by doing that he disgraced himself and the US
military. His refusal to take accountability today just demonstrates
the realities all along which was Green did what he wanted and Green has
no remorse. He sullied the name of the US military, he sullied the
name of the US. As a member of the army, it was his job to follow the
rules and the laws and he didn't do so. And, as a result, a retaliation
kidnapping of US soldiers took place in the spring of 2006 and those
soldiers were strung up and gutted. That should weigh heavily on Steven
D. Green but there's no appearance that he's ever thought of anyone
but himself. He wants to act as if the problem was the US military
which requires that you then argue that anyone serving in Iraq could
have and would have done what he did. That is not reality. He does not
represent the average soldier and he needs to step down from the cross
already.
AFP notes,
"During closing arguments at his sentencing, Green was described
alternately as 'criminal and perverse' and deserving of the death
penalty, and as a 'broken warrior" whose life should be spared'." Brett Barrouquere (AP) has been covering
the story for years now. He notes that Patrick Bouldin (defense)
attempted to paint Green as the victim as well by annoucing that Green
wanted to take responsibility "twice" before but that Assistant US
Attorney Marisa Ford explained that was right before jury selection
began and in the midst of jury selection. In other words, when
confronted with the reality that he would be going to trial, Steven D.
Green had a panic moment and attempted to make a deal with the
prosecution. (The offer was twice rejected because the 'life in prison'
offer included the defense wanting Green to have possible parole.) Steve Robrahn, Andrew Stern and Paul Simao (Reuters) quote
US Brig Gen Rodney Johnson ("Commanding General of the U.S. Army
Criminal Investigation Command") stating, "We sincerely hope that
today's sentencing helps to bring the loved ones of this Iraqi family
some semblance of closure and comfort after this horrific and senseless
act."
Green went into the military to avoid criminal charges on another issue.
He was one of many that the military lowered the standards for.
Gary Roedemeier: Crimes were horrific. A band of soldiers convicted of planning an attack against an Iraqi girl and her family.
Melissa
Swan: The only soldier tried in civilian court is Steven Green. The
Fort Campbell soldier was in federal court in Louisville this morning,
facing the victims' family and WHAS's Renee Murphy was in that courtroom
this morning. She joins us live with the information and also more on
that heart wrenching scene of when these family members faced the man
who killed their family.
Renee
Murphy: I mean, they came face to face with the killer. Once again,
the only thing different about this time was that they were able to
speak with him and they had an exchange of dialogue and the family is
here from Iraq and they got to ask Steven Green all the questions they
wanted answered. They looked each other in the eye. Green appeared
calm and casual in court. The victims' family, though, outraged,
emotional and distraught. Now cameras were not allowed in the courtroom
so we can't show video of today's hearing but here's an account of what
happened. (Video begins] This is a cousin of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl
raped and killed by Steven Green. He and other family members in this
SUV were able to confront Green in federal court this morning. Their
words were stinging and came from sheer grief. Former Fort Campbell
soldier Steven Green was convicted of killing an Iraqi mother, father
and their young daughter. He then raped their 14-year-old daughter,
shot her in the head and set her body on fire. Today the victim's
family was able to give an impact statement at the federal court house
the young sons of the victims asked Green why he killed their father.
an aunt told the court that "wounds are still eating at our heart" and
probably the most compelling statements were from the girls' grandmother
who sobbed from the stand and demanded an explanation from Green.
Green apologized to the family saying that he did evil things but he is
not an evil person. He says that he was drunk the night of the crimes in
2006 and he was following the orders of his commanding officers. In
his statement, Green said if it would bring these people back to life I
would do everything I could to make them execute me. His statement goes
on to say, "Before I went to Iraq, I never thought I would
intentionally kill a civilian. When I was in Iraq, something happened
to me that I can only explain by saying I lost my mind. I stopped
seeing Iraqis as good and bad, as men, women and children. I started
seeing them all as one, and evil, and less than human." Green didn't
act alone. His codefendants were court-martialed and received lesser
sentences. Green will be formally sentenced to life in prison in
September. [End of videotape.] The answers that Green gave were not
good enough for some of the family members. at one point today, the
grandmother of the young girls who were killed left the podium and
started walking towards Green as he sat at the defendant's table
shouting "Why!" She was forcibly then escorted to the back of the court
room by US Marshalls. She then fell to the ground and buried her face
in her hands and began to cry again. The family pleaded with the court
for the death sentence for Green. but you can see Green's entire statement to the court on our website whas11.com and coming up tonight at six o'clock, we're going to hear from Green's attorneys.
Steven D. Green was convicted of War Crimes.
Others should have been as well. The fact that others were not does not make Green any less of a War Criminal.
He killed an entire family and Abeer could hear her parents and sister
being killed in the other room as she was gang-raped. Then Green came
in and took his turn in the gang-rape before killing her. 14-years-old
and she's gang-raped as she hears her family killed and then she's
killed herself at the end of it.
At which point, Green attempted to set Abeer's body on fire to destroy the evidence.
It was originally reported as an act of 'terrorism' and blamed on Iraqis.
--------------
That's a long excerpt but War Crimes need to be noted. The US press
largely turned its head on Green. AP covered it. But this was a War
Crime and so many outlets ignored it. To this day, on campuses, if
Abeer comes up, you will find that easily two-thirds of those present
have never heard of her. That's a reflection on our media and the
stories it chooses to pursue and present.
Saturday brought news of another US service member who died in Iraq. WLKY reports today, "The body of Spc. Ryan Riley, 22, of Richmond, arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware early Tuesday morning."
RT YALiberty "RT mtracey: Spc. Ryan Riley, 22, of Richmond, Kentucky died Saturday in Ninawa Province, Iraq
Free talking point: Trump said the Iraq War was a disaster. Yet young Americans continue to die in Iraq under his command "
He died on his first deployment to Iraq. And, yes, Donald Trump is
continuing the Iraq War. It's never ended. And the bulk of the
candidates for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination seem
unaware of that and certainly feel no pressure to speak of the wars
publicly.
US House Rep Tulsi Gabbagd says the wars have to be ended. She's also
the only one of those running who has spoken out against the persecution
of Julian Assange.
He disclosed a massive and
arguably unconstitutional surveillance program by the United States
impacting virtually every citizen. He later published emails that showed
that the Democratic National Committee and the campaign of Hillary
Clinton lied in various statements to the public, including the rigging
of the primary for her nomination. No one has argued that any of these
emails were false. They were embarrassing. Of course, there is not crime
of embarrassing the establishment but that is merely a technicality.
For the US government, the first extreme bit of embarrassment came on Monday April 5,
2010, when WIKILEAKS released
military video of a July 12, 2007 assault in Iraq. 12 people
were
killed in the assault including two REUTERS journalists Namie
Noor-Eldeen and
Saeed Chmagh. Not only was the US government responsible for that
attack, they were responsible for the lies and the coverup that
followed. When WIKILEAKS published the video, the truth was known.
I'm not pleased with WSWS' dismissal of women's rights -- see Trina's
post -- so you can use that as your cop out if you don't like what I'm
about to say. Oscar Greenfell has written a really stupid article for
WSWS entiled "Legal experts: Assange likely faces espionage charges if extradited to US."
A bunch of experts and 'experts' are quoted saying Julian might be
charged for espionage -- it's a hunch they have. It's not a hunch. And
Oscar's context is flat out awful. Neither he nor the experts he
quotes seems to know a damn thing about recent history.
Yes, it is very likely that Julian Assange is going to be charged with
espionage. No, he shouldn't be but it is very likely he will. And I'm
not basing that on the wording of the current charges. I'm basing that
on what the US government has already attempted with WIKILEAKS.
Today, WikiLeaks' lawyers have written to Google and the US
Department of Justice concerning a serious violation of the privacy and
journalistic rights of WikiLeaks' staff. Investigations editor Sarah
Harrison, Section Editor Joseph Farrell and senior journalist and
spokesperson Kristinn Hrafnsson have received notice that Google had
handed over all their emails and metadata to the United States
government on the back of alleged 'conspiracy' and 'espionage' warrants
carrying up to 45 years in prison. Importantly, the warrants reveal for the first time a clear list
of the alleged offences the US government is trying to apply in its
attempts to build a prosecution against Julian Assange and other
WikiLeaks staff. The offences add up to a total of 45 years of
imprisonment. The US government is claiming universal jurisdiction to apply the
Espionage Act, general Conspiracy statute and the Computer Fraud and
Abuse Act to journalists and publishers – a horrifying precedent for
press freedoms around the world. Once an offence is alleged in relation
to a journalist or their source, the whole media organisation, by the
nature of its work flow, can be targeted as alleged 'conspiracy'. Julian
Assange, WikiLeaks Editor-in-Chief said: 'WikiLeaks has out endured
everything the Obama administration has thrown at us and we will out
endure these latest "offences" too.'
The alleged offences are:
Espionage: 18 U.S.C. § 793(d) - imprisonment up to 10 years
Conspiracy to commit espionage: 18 U.S.C. § 793(g) - imprisonment up to 10 years
The theft or conversion of property belonging to the United States government: 18 U.S.C. § 641 - imprisonment up to 10 years
Violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act: 18 U.S.C. § 1030 - imprisonment up to 10 years
(general) Conspiracy: 18 U.S.C. § 371 - imprisonment up to 5 years
In a letter
to the US Department of Justice and the United States District Court
for the Eastern District of Virginia, WikiLeaks lawyers have requested
further details on the investigation. They state, "We have reason to
believe that these warrants were issued in violation of the Privacy
Protection Act of 1980 ("PPA"), 42 U.S.C. § 2200aa et. seq, which
protects journalists and publishers from being forced to turn over to
law enforcement their journalistic work product and documentary
materials. The subjects of these warrants are journalists working for a
publishing organization." The US Department of Justice confirmed to US federal court on 19 May 2014
that it was "very clear that the main, multi-subject, criminal
investigation of WikiLeaks 'remains open and pending'," but that to
release additional information would "harm" the "ongoing Department of
Justice (“DoJ”) and FBI criminal investigation and pending future
prosecution". In 2012 the US government stated in military court that
the target of the DoJ investigation included the "founders, owners and
managers of WikiLeaks". The investigation began as early as February 2010 and has involved search warrants and court orders for the records of WikiLeaks' associates.
Assange said: 'I call on president Obama to do the right
thing and call off his dogs--for his own sake. President Obama is set to
go down in history as the president who brought more bogus "espionage"
cases against the press than all previous presidents combined.'
Warrants were already issued charging espionage? There's the detail you
keep forgetting or missing. Why do I have to spoon feed? WSWS is
leading the coverage on Julian Assange but they're not aware enough to
know what happened just four years ago?
Yes, the US is going to try to charge him with espionage. No, it's not a
charge that should stick. The persecution needs to end. Julian
Assange is an Australian citizen (whose government is too cowardly to
support him -- and we though Australia was getting braver after John
Howard was forced from office). He is a publisher. He is a
journalist. End the persecution.
And WSWS, if you think the charges might be espionage, know the history
so you can explain to people that this has already happened. Citing the
US government having already used that charge against WIKILEAKS would
make your article a lot stronger.
Very disturbing account of how US Navy Seal killed innocent civilians, including children, in #Iraq in support of Iraqi troops against IS. Shows the lawlessness of covert operations and their hidden warcrimes nytimes.com/2019/04/23/us/…
Navy SEALs tried repeatedly to report their platoon chief for killings in Iraq that they believed to be war crimes. Their command’s response, they said: Stop talking about it. nyti.ms/2ZuTrcB
