9/27/06
PROPOSAL: George
W. Bush, president of the United States, proposed that legislation be enacted
to brazenly institutionalize the use of torture by U.S. agents such as the CIA,
to allow secret evidence to be presented against people designated “enemy
combatants” by the president, and to exempt past, present and future U.S.
torturers from criminal prosecution.
OBJECTION: Three
Republican Senators offered some petty amendments to Bush’s proposal, claimed their
objections were based on “principle”, and said they were digging in
for a fight to uphold the rule of law, specifically the Geneva Conventions
prohibiting torture and secret evidence.
NEGOTIATIONS:
Last week, a backroom deal is struck between the warring parties.
RESULT: A “compromise agreement” is struck.
It goes even further than Bush’s original proposal in allowing more universal
use of torture against a wider range of people. Specifically, the new
“modified” Bush proposal now says that “suspects” (and who
isn’t suspect to the Bush Regime?) can only “respond to”, not
“examine and respond to” their charges; evidence seized by government
agents without a warrant anywhere, not just “outside the U.S”, can be used
in trial. The new agreement also expands the definition of “enemy
combatant” to anyone who “has purposefully and materially supported
hostilities against the United States”. This last sentence means, (1) an
“enemy combatant” can be someone involved in political activity or
fund raising for groups disapproved of by the Bush regime; and, (2) it can
include citizens and legal residents of the U.S.
THE
“OPPOSITION”: Senator Harry Reid, leader of the Senate Democrats:
“We want to do this”.
Do you want to do this? Do you want this done to anyone
else, in your name?
THIS REGIME DOES NOT
REPRESENT US, AND WE WILL DRIVE
IT OUT!