What are we going to do about it?

That is the question Edward Snowden has put to all of us? Read this important story and then ask yourself that same question.

oh, and perhaps even more importantly -- Free James Risen

Today, fourteen Pulitzer Prize winners have issued statements in support of journalist James Risen and in protest of the Justice Department's attempt to force Risen to testify against his sources. Risen has vowed to go to jail rather than give up his source, but the Justice Department has steadfastly refused to drop its pursuit. On Thursday, many of the major US press freedom organizations will hold a press conference in Washington DC and deliver a petition with over 100,000 signatures to the Justice Department, calling on them to do the same.
what a cluster F*** our president has turned out to be...
Sigh.....
MORE HERE

FREE THE TORTURE REPORT

There are quite a few people that access my blog from government agencies. I assume not all of them are watching the blog for business reasons! So, for those of you out there working for the government with access to the torture report- why don't you do our country a favor and leak it to the press----No, not to me---but to someone out there that will make sure we all get to see the full report. This government secrecy has got to stop.

August 8, 1974

Nixon resigned in disgrace. I was so very proud of my country.... but we (or at least I) did not know the half of it. he was not just a crook he was engaged in treason.

Yes--Torture is torture and by any other name......

The news media has been complicit in my countries criminal activities by refusing to call torture what it is--torture. Instead they used words like "enhanced interrogation" to somehow make the torture seem more palatable. Yesterday the New York Times finally agreed that it should use the proper word....emptywheel has more here.

IN OTHER NEWS-- IN THIS HERE COUNTRY OF MINE....

oh, and in case you didn't hear

After 9/11"we tortured some folks..".

That would be my president speaking.
 I noticed shortly after he was elected he started holding himself like GW Bush-- the way he walked and his haughty stance. Then he started talking like that imbecile GW. This is a great example of Obama becoming Bush.
What an asshole.

Excuse me while I vent.....UPDATED

I am sick and tired of the DC Circuit allowing the military to do any god damn thing it wants to the men at Guantanamo..... todays decision can be found here.
enough said.

Steve Vladeck has more on the DC Circuit opinion here.

More on the decision by the European Court of Human Rights...

And that is precisely why accountability is so vital to American democracy. We cannot have reached the stage in our development as a country where the very enormity of the government's misconduct becomes its shield against exposure. We cannot, in other words, reward the government for its wrongdoing by promising that only modest and insignificant transgressions will be brought to light. To do so would be to encourage the government to break its solemn faith with us, not by unfortunate and excusable negligence, but by unforgivable and deliberate venality. Our government would then cease to be our servant in any sense that does justice to the word. I cannot believe we have fallen that far.
Reacting to the court's decision, a spokeswoman for the Polish president said it was "shameful for Poland." But Poland at least has the opportunity to make amends, to purge its shame by confronting its past. One day the United States may do the same, but only if Americans demand more of their government. The "overriding point," we should remind our leaders, is not simply "that this program no longer exists."
 Read the entire op-ed by Joe Margulies here.http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-margulies-poland-black-site-rendition-ruling-20140727-story.html

THE GOVERNMENT'S BOOK FOR BLACKLISTING....

If you want to know how the US government decides who to track ---the rule book and a guide to to the rule book can be found here. The short version is that there are no real rules....

 "The Obama administration has quietly approved a substantial expansion of the terrorist watchlist system, authorizing a secret process that requires neither “concrete facts” nor “irrefutable evidence” to designate an American or foreigner as a terrorist, according to a key government document obtained by The Intercept."

THE CIA'S NOT SO SECRET TORTURE PRISON

For the last few years both the US and Poland have denied what was clearly true--that the US ran a torture compound in Poland. Now the European Court has agreed. You can read more about it here.

More on last weeks En Banc decision

Outside Congress, it seems that no one believes that the military commission system should continue to stand. For twelve years, the system has created nothing but embarrassment for its proponents as the highest-profile prosecutions have repeatedly tripped over their own feet. The first cases have also created waves of fundamental legal challenges. This week's decision simply postponed the most basic issues to be resolved by some future case. That leaves a very real prospect that the 9/11 prosecutions fall apart up on appeal years after trial court proceedings are over, as Bahlul's material support conviction did. The administration wants to try terrorism suspects in federal court for good reason. Congress should not stand in its way

Read the entire article here: http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/judicial/212488-warning-military-commissions-act-convictions-may-self-destruct#ixzz387Hu3T9o

Meanwhile.....in Russia

Putin expands the list of people who cannot go to Russia because of their ties to Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib. The list is much too short but it is a start (there is a link to the list in the article) ....I could suggest quite a few names if anyone cares to ask me.
Now, if only more countries would do this!

Snowden and Guantanamo

Let me start out by publicly proclaiming that I will take on the represenation of Edward Snowden if he ever ends up at Guantanamo.....but in all seriousness (he will never be held at Guantanamo) I really hope that Mr. Snowden understands that he will never get a fair trial in these United States....the deck is stacked in favor of the government and Snowden would spend the rest of his life in prison. Ed you cannot come home again, do not trust anything anyone in this godforsaken country/government tells you. Please find a safe and secure home.....

Six to be sent to Uruguay?

This deal has been in the works for a long time.... seems Hagel finally got around to approving it. Read more here.