One good reason to hate Bush, but only one

"WASHINGTON — The latest chapter in the legal history of torture is being written by American pilots who were beaten and abused by Iraqis during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. And it has taken a strange twist.

The Bush administration is fighting the former prisoners of war in court, trying to prevent them from collecting nearly $1 billion from Iraq that a federal judge awarded them as compensation for their torture at the hands of Saddam Hussein's regime.

The rationale: Today's Iraqis are good guys, and they need the money.

The case abounds with ironies. It pits the U.S. government squarely against its own war heroes and the Geneva Convention.

Many of the pilots were tortured in the same Iraqi prison, Abu Ghraib, where American soldiers abused Iraqis 15 months ago. Those Iraqi victims, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has said, deserve compensation from the United States.

But the American victims of Iraqi torturers are not entitled to similar payments from Iraq, the U.S. government says.

"It seems so strange to have our own country fighting us on this," said retired Air Force Col. David W. Eberly, the senior officer among the former POWs.

The case, now being appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, tests whether "state sponsors of terrorism" can be sued in the U.S. courts for torture, murder or hostage-taking. The court is expected to decide in the next two months whether to hear the appeal.

Congress opened the door to such claims in 1996, when it lifted the shield of sovereign immunity — which basically prohibits lawsuits against foreign governments — for any nation that supports terrorism. At that time, Iraq was one of seven nations identified by the State Department as sponsoring terrorist activity. The 17 Gulf War POWs looked to have a very strong case when they first filed suit in 2002. They had been undeniably tortured by a tyrannical regime, one that had $1.7 billion of its assets frozen by the U.S. government.

The picture changed, however, when the United States invaded Iraq and toppled Hussein from power nearly two years ago. On July 21, 2003, two weeks after the Gulf War POWs won their court case in U.S. District Court, the Bush administration intervened to argue that their claims should be dismissed.

"No amount of money can truly compensate these brave men and women for the suffering that they went through at the hands of this very brutal regime and at the hands of Saddam Hussein," White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan told reporters when asked about the case in November 2003.

Government lawyers have insisted, literally, on "no amount of money" going to the Gulf War POWs. "These resources are required for the urgent national security needs of rebuilding Iraq," McClellan said."

www.latimes.com...

Undeniable proof that GW is an f...ing liberal.

Impeach the bum......................if he doesn't fix this..............




[edit on 18-2-2005 by John bull 1]

Horacid it's music to my ears I'm surprised to see that you have compassion for your fellow man

[edit on 17-2-2005 by drfunk]

Un-Freaking-Believable

I'm at a loss for words. I am truly having a hard time believing this article could possibly be true. It's unconscionable.

If this is corroborated and found to be true, I'm going to be sending out some mail to quite a few people -- and some phone calls, which is very rare for me.

I will be keeping an eye open for more news on this case.

I want to make sure I understand it better before passing judgment, but my current disposition is that I'd better set aside some time to contact my representatives.

Because of this story is true, I will be part of the outcry, and there will be a reckoning.

I won't hate Bush, but I'll make damn sure every government official associated with this case hears my opinion and hears it well.

Un-freaking-believable.

I think I need a shower after reading this.

Oh, and if this article isn't true? Don't even go there.

seems like Bush isn't the hero of the fighting man and veteran he's made out to be, I hope they get their money and also bury that greedy SoB's presidency along with it.

Hey that's ok, we just sucked something like 5 billion in Iraqi Currency into the american federal reserve. Between that and the 30 some odd billion halliburton 'lost', there's plenty of dinars for everybody. Now with the installation of capitalism, we will be able to rob them proper.

There's also Bush's open border with Mexico policy to be really "thankful" for.

[edit on 2/17/2005 by centurion1211]

Originally posted by DrHoracid
Undeniable proof that GW is an f...ing liberal.

Damn right, I've been saying this for awhile. Neo-con is just another way of saying closet-libral. How else will you trick the right into accepting more control and larger government.
This story is just more proof that the elite couldn't care any less about you. As long as you work long hours, for measly pay, and spend the rest of your time watching mindless reality TV. And when you get bent over and rammed from behind you better moan like you like it or you might be a terrorist.

Why should the current iraqi government be held guilty for the criminal actions of saddam hussein?

Is that a Greek soldier or a Roman?

EDIT: Oops I guess its Roman. Nice!

[edit on 17-2-2005 by CmptrN3rd5]

Originally posted by centurion1211
There's also Bush's open border with Mexico policy to be really "thankful" for.

[edit on 2/17/2005 by centurion1211]

Well, you don't want to lose that important Hispanic vote in 2008 now do you. Seriously, nothing shocks me from either side anymore. When are we going to realize that in order for any of these politicians to get to the national level they are, by that point, in someones pocket. It's all about money and these guys are answering to and reacting for those that are truly in control.

Though I think the guy should get some compensation but a BILLION dollars is alittle much IMHO.

I mean if every allied G.I in WW2 that was tortured under just the Japanese got that much I figure Japan would be a few Trillion in debt just to pay the lawsuits.

And those guys in WW2 were often tortured for years.

[edit on 17-2-2005 by ShadowXIX]

.
.
.DrH - Did you know that MOST of the reparations money already went to international corporations to compensate for "loss of business" and other important things like that?



.

Paying out POWs with any history of torture in either Gulf War is obviously a very dangerous precedent for the Bush administration.

We are really only seeing the tip of the iceberg.

If you wait long enough george bush's colors will make sense to even the
blindest of the color blind. I know those pilots have been trying to get money for a long time, and I was for them until we started brutalizing innocent people. Even bush can see the irony in that.

The tip of the iceberg indeed. you'll start seeing the true colors soon enough, for those of you who still do not quite see yet.

This is something that there needs to be more talk about. The press and its limits can be so frustrating!

Originally posted by Halfofone

Originally posted by DrHoracid
Undeniable proof that GW is an f...ing liberal.

Damn right, I've been saying this for awhile. Neo-con is just another way of saying closet-libral. How else will you trick the right into accepting more control and larger government.
This story is just more proof that the elite couldn't care any less about you. As long as you work long hours, for measly pay, and spend the rest of your time watching mindless reality TV. And when you get bent over and rammed from behind you better moan like you like it or you might be a terrorist.

Well you are right Neo-Conservatism, or "New Conservatives" is traced back by those from the left who become disillusioned and move to the right. In fact they are disillusioned liberals.

thanks,
drfunk

Can I apply for reparations for the abuse I suffered in basic training? Suck it up. Being a patriot isn't easy. You pay. You dont "get" paid.

I very much dislike the word and concept of reparations. IF there are EVER reparations paid, they must be limited to the original victims. None of this BS of claiming reparations for something that happened to your ancestors.

In this case, however, our people must come first. Compensate military people wronged in the service of their country BEFORE doing the same for others. At least, it must be handled equitably.

Originally posted by centurion1211
I very much dislike the word and concept of reparations. IF there are EVER reparations paid, they must be limited to the original victims. None of this BS of claiming reparations for something that happened to your ancestors.

In this case, however, our people must come first. Compensate military people wronged in the service of their country BEFORE doing the same for others. At least, it must be handled equitably.

Congress opened this door in 1996. These guys walked through it, pay them their due, even if it comes out of the "staff" salaries.......