Thursday, March 10, 2011

How Many Afghan kids need to die to make the news ??? Questione posed By FAIR- Fairness And Accuracy In Reporting


Afghan women protesting US occupation and the wanton killing of Children by US Forces.


Obama and human rights- Obama refuses to shut down Guantanamo prison and allows for abuse and torture of detainees.

Not much really has changed since the days when so called enlightened Americans went out hunting down native Americans with impunity.

Now America is out to destroy all Muslims, Arabs, Persians , Pashtuns  who dare resist American colonial style invasions of their lands or nations.
Any who resist the the brutality of American invaders is according to the Americans is by definition a "Terrorists".
America's allies include any nation or individuals who work on behalf of American imperialism.

Obama is adamant that he will seek out and imprison and put on trial anyone who dares reveal what is actually taking place at Gitmo and dozens of other US prison facilities.


Media Advisory from Fairness Accuracy In Reporting 2/8/11

How Many Afghan Kids Need to Die to Make the News?

3/8/11

The number of Afghan boys gathering firewood killed by a March 1 U.S./NATO helicopter attack in Kunar Province: Nine.

The number of stories about the killing of the nine children on ABC, CBS or NBC morning or evening news shows (as of March 6): Two.

One was an 80-word report on NBC Nightly News (3/2/11), the other a brief ABC World News Sunday story (3/6/11) about Afghan president Hamid Karzai's "harsh words for the U.S." after the "mistaken killing of nine Afghan boys in an airstrike."

On the PBS NewsHour? Two brief mentions (3/2/11, 3/7/11), both during the "other news of the day" segment.

On NPR? Nothing. On the"liberal" MSNBC? Zero. Fox News Channel? Zero.

CNN had several mentions of the killings. In one report (3/2/11), correspondent Michael Holmes remarked: "It does a lot of damage to the U.S. mission in Afghanistan. You don't win hearts and minds that way."

In the Washington Post (3/3/11), the children's deaths were called "the latest irritant" in the relationship between U.S./NATO forces and the Afghan government. Civilian casualties are "a sore point," and U.S. commander David Petraeus "has had to walk a fine line. Civilian casualties undermine NATO's counterinsurgency mission here by angering Afghan civilians and bolstering the Taliban's attempt to portray foreign troops as ruthless invaders."

In contrast to the corporate media, Democracy Now! (3/3/11) talked about the attack as part of the larger story of civilian deaths in Afghanistan. "It was at least the third instance in two weeks in which the Afghan government accused NATO forces of killing large numbers of civilians in airstrikes," host Juan Gonzalez noted in introducing a discussion. "An Afghan government panel is still investigating claims some 65 people, including 40 children, were killed in a U.S.-led attack last week."

It is often said that Afghanistan is largely a forgotten war--a critique usually meant as a comment on the lack of attention paid to the hardships of U.S. military personnel. Far less consideration is granted to the Afghans who are suffering in far greater numbers.

While the Obama administration claim to be concerned about human rights it has adopted some of the former Bush administration policies which in fact violate human rights and violate international law.


For example Obama insists on having the right of indefinite detention of prisoners who are accused of terrorist activities .

As in the case of Bradley Manning and other detainees Obama administration is using various techniques in order to interrogate and get information from detainees.
These techniques which are considered to in effect constitute torture such as stress positions, sleep deprivation ie frequent flyer program, prolonged solitary confinement using threats and intimidation, denied their legal rights, due process, not told what the specific charges against them are or not allowing the Red Cross ICRC or other human rights organizations to have free access to those detained at Guantanamo, Bagram or dozens of other sites where detainees are being held by the US or one of its proxies ie Syria, Jordan,Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Morocco .

For all the critique of China, or Iran or Egypt or Libya for spying on the Internet and even shutting it down or at least the social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook etc. Obama also has said he believes it is necessary for him to have a "kill Switch" for the Internet.
Obama has also taken more direct action against whistleblowers such as Manning than did the Bush Regime.
Obama has also been permitting the military to target civilians in Afghanistan, Pakistan gathered for instance for a wedding & other family gatherings because there might be one or more terrorists among them .

Obama has also refused to investigate those who ordered or those who took part in torture, renditions etc. by American personnel during the previous Bush administration whether in the Whitehouse, Pentagon, the CIA and Special Operations.
Obama has assured all Intelligence agencies and US military that he is not interested in uncovering and detaining these offenders of International law or even of common decency.
So the message to American personnel or their proxies in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan etc. that they are being given free reign to do as they please and if especially egregious to make sure they don't get caught.
As we see Obama is more interested in making Manning an example so that other whistleblowers will know what to expect if they are found out.


Obama Makes Indefinite Detention and Military Commissions His Own
by Dafna Linzer via Commondreams, March 9, 2011

President Obama yesterday formalized indefinite detention for dozens of men held at Guantanamo Bay and announced that the Pentagon would move ahead with military trials for a handful of other detainees.
In an executive order, which we first reported on in June 2009, the White House created a board to periodically review the dangerousness of prisoners being held without charge or trial. The order says the new process will allow detainees -- some in custody for nearly a decade -- to challenge the government's determination that they pose a threat if released.



From: AFP | Mar 9, 2011

The USA assures India that if it is committing war crimes or crimes against humanity that the USA will not criticize them and will defend any actions taHoken by India - We can assume that the US is giving India carte blanche to use whater methods they want to . India in Kashmir have been accused of robery, abuse and torture of prisoners, raping Kashmir women , killing large numbers of unarmed citizens even ironically during peaceful demonstrations protesting the against the heavy handed tactics and abuse and torture army and police heavy handed treatment of civilians.


Richard Holbrooke admits ISI-Taliban links, assures India role in Afghanistan July 22, 2010




Pakistan has been Keeping the Afghan War Alive, Record US Deaths This Year, $7.5 Billion 'Aid'




Julian Assange interviewed about releasing documents pertaining to US conduct on its War on Terror.
Assange believes it is Wikileaks to keep American citizens and those of other nations informed on what is going on so people can make an informed decision about whether or not to support the United States and Britain and NATO forces in this conflict.

In response the Obama administration is seeking to arrest Assange and put him in indefinite detention along with Bradley Manning and then hold a military kangaroo court to have Assange put in jail for  life or have him executed as an enemy of the United States.

It appears Obama  and his administration no more interested in giving the American people the facts but rather insists that American citizens and of other nations not question the Official Propaganda of the American military, Pentagon and the White House or else face the consequences.
The Obama administration for instance that it is a treasonous act to read or repost information from the Middle East broadcasters such as Al Jazeera .

WikiLeaks Documents Reveal US Government Knew Pakistan Financed Enemy, Gave $7.5 Billion



Pakistan Government military and ISI corrupt & Taliban still entrenched in Pakistan
US military covers up fact that Taliban in Afghanistan
Taliban in Pakistan bribing and intimidating officers in the Pakistan
Taliban more heavily armed than the public is being told
Sanchez CNN- Rick's List
Sanchez exited and upset about what is contained in the Wikileaks documents/Cables released
He appears to support what Wikileaks does before most of the media and US government went on the attack of Wikileaks
US Finances Pakistan, Pakistan Supplys and Finances Taliban, Taliban Get Heat Seeking Missiles



Former president of Pakistan Musharraf whom for years the US kept claiming was one of the good guys is under investigation for the murder of Benazir Bhutto
Musharraf is also alleged to have misappropriated to enrich himself and his family in millions of dollars in US aid .
Musharraf while in power allowed the ISI and police in Pakistan to abuse and torture detainees whether suspected terrorists or in fact those dissidents who opposed the Pakistan government or who were being held for other criminal offenses.

During his time in office Musharraf lied again and again to the US and to other nations that he was cracking down on extremist Islamist in Pakistan while in fact the ISI and military were aiding the Pakistan Taliban and other such groups.
Musharraf and his administration did nothing to help find Osama Bin Laden.
If the pressure from America was increased the Pakistan ISI or Military would round up a few Arabs who may have been connected to terrorists groups or might be completely innocent but by doing so the Americans would then back off.

They would also at times go after some small fringe group to prove their loyalty to the American

Empire.

Arrest warrant for Musharraf over Bhutto killing



and so it goes,
GORD.

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