Saturday, March 19, 2011

US Supports Violence Against Bahrain's Protesters :Freedom of Speech and Human Rights Not A Priority of The Obama Administration



"...The controversy over Manning's treatment has reached to the heart of the Obama administration. This week, state department spokesman PJ Crowley resigned, having called the confinement "ridiculous and stupid" and warned it could damage the global standing of the US. Obama himself was forced to defend the regime, saying he had been "assured" by the Pentagon it was in Manning's own interests."
Bradley Manning's Military Doctors Accused Over Treatment
WikiLeaks suspect treated cruelly, says rights group, which accuses psychiatrists of 'violating ethical duties ' by Ed Pilkington from Guardian UK via CommonDreams.org, March 15, 2011




" The United States has denied a travel visa to Malalai Joya, an acclaimed women’s rights activist and former member of Afghanistan’s parliament. Ms. Joya, who was named one of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world in 2010, was set to begin a three-week US tour to promote an updated edition of her memoir, A Woman Among Warlords, published by Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster." US Government Denies Entry Visa to Afghan Women’s Rights Activist and Author Malalai Joya March 17, 2011

"NEW YORK - March 17 - Prominent lawyers and law professors today wrote to Cheryl Mills, U.S. Department of State Chief of Staff, criticizing United States Government interference with former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s constitutional and human right to return from forced exile to Haiti. President Aristide is expected to leave South Africa for Haiti on Thursday, March 17. On Monday, Department of State spokesperson Mark Toner urged the South African government to prevent the plane’s departure before Haiti’s upcoming elections."

Aristide’s Return to Haiti: Prominent Lawyers and Law Professors Urge U.S. to Respect Human Rights Center for Constitutional Rights and Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti March 17, 2011via CommonDreams



The right to Freedom of Speech according to the Obama administration does not protect those who are critical of the USA's policies regarding its occupation of Afghanistan or its policies regarding Haiti or its War on Terror and its foreign relations policies in general .

 But this narrow view of freedom of speech in effect denies critics of the US their freedom of speech and the protection of their human rights.

The test for instance of a governments protection of freedom of speech and of human rights is the governments response to its critics and the right to dissent.

So just this week the Obama administration in three separate cases proves that US foreign policies and US interests over-ride human rights and freedom of speech .

The three cases involve Jean-Bertrand Aristide prevented from entering Haiti
Malalai Joya Afghan feminist and activist denied entry into the US and Bradley-Manning subjected to torture for daring to leak the truth out to the American public about its foreign affairs policies.


This all seems a bit hypocritical on the part of the Obama administration as it claims to champion human rights and democratic principles such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of association.

But then again the USA & Obama supported the Saudi military intervention in Bahrain to suppress and terrorize the citizens of Bahrain taking part in the pro-reform pro-democracy protests.

The tyrannical brutal illegitimate Monarchy of Saudi Arabia kills protesters in Saudi Arabia and in Bahrain with impunity as US refuses to criticize the House of Saud meanwhile condemning Iran for its crack down on protesters. FYI The House of Saud was made the rulers of Saudi Arabia not by the peoples of Saudi Arabia but by the British in the 1920s. In the a similar manner the USA and Britain put the Shah of Iran in power against the wishes of the Irani peoples in 1953.

US Government refuses to acknowledge Saudi Arabia's involvement with terrorists in Afghanistan , Pakistan, India (Mumbai)  Europe 9Spain, Britain, France) or even the 9/11 attacks. Saudi Arabia has given aid and weapons to the Taliban in Afghanistan . Meanwhile the US condemns Iran even though Iran is anti-Taliban.
Taliban are Sunni extremists . Saudis are Sunni . Iran is Shia/ Shiite Saddam's government in Iraq was pro-Sunni and anti-Shia/Shiite

anti-democracy Wahabbi House of Saud can oppress its own population and that of Bahrain with the full support of the Obama administration in order to protect US interests in the gulf region.




US ignores or gives tacit approval of Saudi military intervention in Bahrain to crush the pro-democracy pro-reform movement.



As president Carter defended the ruthless Shah of Iran so President Obama supports the brutal monarchies of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia etc. US remember supported Mubarack up to his last days in power. The US is only concerned with its own interests ie the flow of oil and domination over the Gulf Region, North Africa etc.
President Obama supports dictators in the Middle East while only paying lip service to Pro-democracy and Pro-reform
USA gives green light for Saudi army to slaughter Bahraini protesters after Robert Gates visit





The USA had no problem allowing anti-Muslim quasi Fascist Geert Wilder into the country to take part in a speaking tour but has a problem with allowing a well known Afganistan human rights activist Malalai Joya into the country for a speaking tour.
Even during the Bush Regime George Galloway MP who is an activists on the part of the Palestinians was permitted to take part in a speaking tour in the USA.
So why is the US government unwilling to allow Ms. Joya from entering the USA.
It appears Ms.Joya committed the grave offense of criticizing the US NATO mission in Afghanistan.

The American public should insist that she be allowed into the USA.

US Government Denies Entry Visa to Afghan Women’s Rights Activist and Author Malalai Joya March 17, 2011


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 17, 2011
9:06 AM
CONTACT: Rights Activists
Sonali Kolhatkar (626-676-7884), Prachi Patankar (917-415-0659), or Natalie Reyes (562) 319-3046)

NATIONWIDE - March 17 - The United States has denied a travel visa to Malalai Joya, an acclaimed women’s rights activist and former member of Afghanistan’s parliament. Ms. Joya, who was named one of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world in 2010, was set to begin a three-week US tour to promote an updated edition of her memoir, A Woman Among Warlords, published by Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

Joya’s publisher at Scribner, Alexis Gargagliano, said, “We had the privilege to publish Ms. Joya, and her earlier 2009 book tour met with wide acclaim. The right of authors to travel and promote their work is central to freedom of expression and the full exchange of ideas.” Joya’s memoir has been translated into over a dozen languages, and she has toured widely including Australia, the UK, Canada, Norway, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, and the Netherlands in support of the book over the past two years.

Colleagues of Ms. Joya’s report that when she presented herself as scheduled at the U.S. embassy, she was told she was being denied because she was “unemployed” and “lives underground.” Then 27, Joya was the youngest woman elected to Afghanistan’s parliament in 2005. Because of her harsh criticism of warlords and fundamentalists in Afghanistan, she has been the target of at least five assassination attempts. “The reason Joya lives underground is because she faces the constant threat of death for having had the courage to speak up for women’s rights – it’s obscene that the U.S. government would deny her entry,” said Sonali Kolhatkar of the Afghan Women’s Mission, a U.S. based organization that has hosted Joya for speaking tours in the past and is a sponsor of this year’s national tour.

Joya has also become an internationally known critic of the US-NATO war in Afghanistan. Organizers argue that the denial of Joya’s visa appears to be a case of what the American Civil Liberties Union describes as “Ideological Exclusion,” which they say violates Americans’ First Amendment right to hear constitutionally protected speech by denying foreign scholars, artists, politicians and others entry to the United States.

Events featuring Malalai Joya are planned, from March 20 until April 10, in New York, New Jersey, Washington DC, Maryland, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington and California. Organizers of her speaking tour are encouraging people to contact the Department of State to ask them to fulfill the promise from the Obama Administration of “promoting the global marketplace of ideas” and grant Joya’s visa immediately.

Another example of the anti-democracy policies of the Obama Regime this week is the administration's involvement in not allowing Jean-Bertrand Aristide's return to Haiti to take part in elections there.
Is it because Aristide is too liberal in his political views or not pro-American enough to satisfy the Obama Regime. Is Aristide guilty of that great sin of being on the side of the average citizens of Haiti and not on the side of those who are willing to do America's bidding even at the expense of the Haitian people.

Aristide’s Return to Haiti: Prominent Lawyers and Law Professors Urge U.S. to Respect Human Rights Center for Constitutional Rights and Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti March 17, 2011via CommonDreams


David Lerner, Riptide Communications, dlerner@riptideonline.com, 212 260-5000
Brian Concannon Jr., Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti, brian@ijdh.org, 541-263-0029

NEW YORK - March 17 - Prominent lawyers and law professors today wrote to Cheryl Mills, U.S. Department of State Chief of Staff, criticizing United States Government interference with former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s constitutional and human right to return from forced exile to Haiti. President Aristide is expected to leave South Africa for Haiti on Thursday, March 17. On Monday, Department of State spokesperson Mark Toner urged the South African government to prevent the plane’s departure before Haiti’s upcoming elections.

The letter to Chief of Staff Mills explains that U.S. Government’s interference in President Aristide’s return violates his rights guaranteed by Haiti’s Constitution and international law.

Bill Quigley, Legal Director of the Center for Constitutional Rights and Professor at Loyola New Orleans Law School stated that “the United States trying to control when any Haitian citizen—especially a former President—can enter Haiti is outrageous. It violates a stack of binding international human rights treaties. I felt compelled to speak out to defend both President Aristide’s human rights and the American tradition of rule of law that I teach in my classroom.”

The letter notes that Mr. Toner’s expressed justificationfor restricting President Aristide’s right to return home—a fear that he might “impact” elections scheduled for Sunday, March 20, is an additional violation of President Aristide’s rights to free expression and freedom to take part in the conduct of public affairs. The letter finds such statements “especially disturbing” coming from a State Department that has noted human rights experts on its staff.

Brian Concannon Jr., Director of the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti, added that “while Secretary Clinton has been promoting democracy and the rule of law in the Middle East, the State Department has been undermining it in Haiti. It is time for the U.S. Government to practice in Haiti what it preaches elsewhere.”

Over 100 lawyers, professors, students and other individuals have signed the letter, including law professors from Harvard University, New York University, University of San Francisco and Loyola University Law Schools, and lawyers from prominent human rights and civil rights organizations throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.

* * *
and Why o Why is Obama not stopping the torture of Bradley Manning .
The issue has been raised that medical personnel are acting as enablers for the torure and abuse of Bradley Manning.
But we shouldn't be surprised because Obama has kept the policies of the Bush/Cheney Rumsfeld regime more or less in tact and in fact he is seen as giving tacit approval by not investigating the use of torture by the Bush Regime.




Bradley Manning's Military Doctors Accused Over Treatment
WikiLeaks suspect treated cruelly, says rights group, which accuses psychiatrists of 'violating ethical duties ' by Ed Pilkington from Guardian UK via CommonDreams.org, March 15, 2011



A leading group of doctors in the US concerned with the ethical treatment of patients has questioned the role of military psychiatrists in Quantico, Virginia, where the suspected WikiLeaks source Bradley Manning is being subjected to harsh treatment that some call torture.

The advocacy body Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) has sounded the alarm over the role of psychiatrists at the brig in the marine base where Manning has been in custody since last July.

The group sees the psychiatrists as trapped in a classic case of "dual loyalty", where their obligations to the military chain of command may conflict with their medical duty to protect their patient.

Christy Fujio, author of a forthcoming report on the issue, said the main concern was that psychiatrists were allowing Manning's continuing solitary confinement.

"Even if they do not officially approve it, by continuing to examine him and report back to the government on his condition, they are effectively taking part in security operations. Their failure to call it what it is – cruel and inhumane treatment – constitutes a violation of their ethical duties as doctors."

Manning, who has been charged with passing a mountain of digital US state secrets to WikiLeaks, is under a prevention of injury order (PoI) that requires him to be kept alone in a cell for 23 hours a day and checked every five minutes. Since earlier this month, he has also been stripped naked each night and made to parade in front of officers.

Manning himself says the conditions amount to pre-trial punishment provoked by a sarcastic remark he made to guards.

...The controversy over Manning's treatment has reached to the heart of the Obama administration. This week, state department spokesman PJ Crowley resigned, having called the confinement "ridiculous and stupid" and warned it could damage the global standing of the US. Obama himself was forced to defend the regime, saying he had been "assured" by the Pentagon it was in Manning's own interests.

While the Quantico psychiatrists are given credit for having consistently argued that Manning should be removed from the current extreme regime, there are serious questions about whether they are doing enough to force change.

Doctors have been under tight ethical guidelines to protect their patients since the framing of the Nuremberg ethic at the end of the second world war.

More recently, the American Medical Association ruled that physicians "must oppose and must not participate in torture for any reason ... Physicians should strive to change situations in which torture is practised or the potential for torture is great"

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