President Bush, American Law and Global War
Source: www.nation.com.pk
Bush Marches Towards Dictatorship 18th November 2007 by Dr Mujahid Kamran Brzezinski's book "The Grand Chessboard" may be called a script for complete global domination by the US. Published in 1997, this book contains numerous observations that throw light on the mindset and future plans of the US elite. For instance there is a map in which the precise region, currently torn by strife and war, or under the shadow of imminent war, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Central Asia, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey etc, has been encircled and marked as "The Global Zone of Percolating Violence" (p 53). Many states of the region have also been referred to as the "Eurasian Balkans" implying that their maps are likely to be redrawn.
The US leadership has, throughout the twentieth century, employed documented and proven deceptions to arouse the American people into entering major wars. These deceptions involved the loss of innocent American lives. US entry into the two world wars was possible because the US authorities were able to deceive their people into believing that certain belligerent actions were perpetrated against US citizens despite the desire of the US to keep aloof from the conflict between Eurasian powers. Events like Pearl Harbor were carefully planned and secretly manipulated by US agencies, and the reality successfully hidden from the great mass of US people permanently. Both wars resulted in US victory and the consequent emergence of the US as a global power. Therefore such tactics have paid off in the past. Now with the global balance of power altered in favor of the US the American elite is likely to employ similar tactics once again, and it may already have done so, to initiate a long war with the intent of dominating the globe for a long time to come. The Project of the New American Century (PNAC) commissioned by Dick Cheney asserts that the US must preempt the emergence of any major challenge within the short window of time that it has obtained after destroying the USSR. The first phase in this war is the so-called War on Terror aimed at capturing the most vital global resources, viz. oil and gas.
Brzezinski writes (p36) "But the pursuit of power is not a goal that commands popular passion, except in conditions of a sudden threat or challenge to the public's sense of domestic well being. The economic self-denial (that is, defence spending) and the human sacrifice (casualties among professional soldiers) required in the effort are uncongenial to democratic instincts. Democracy is inimical to the cause of imperial mobilization." This key observation explains the shift of American rulers towards dictatorial legislation. A vast apparatus for suppressing the people of US, and its minorities, is already in place in the form of various organizations like FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Authority). FEMA had carried out an exercise a few years ago as to how to intern 400,000 people at short notice. Now the necessary legislation has been quietly put in place, with the so-called "free" US media observing a complete silence, and even complicity, in the entire exercise. The shackles that bind, mostly innocent, prisoners in Guantanomo are now also ready for the US public and minorities. The US public at large is not yet aware as to what is in store if it dissents with the policies of the elite. The eruption of American militarism abroad and the speedy enactment of dictatorial laws at home are therefore two faces of the same coin. On October 17, 2006 President Bush signed a "John Warner Defense Authorization Act of 2007" which practically demolishes the legal bar against the use of military in quelling any disorder without the permission of Governor of the State. This bar was enacted through the famous Posse Comitatus Act (PCA) of 1878, which makes the use of military force in US unlawful except where permitted by the Constitution or Congress. Violation of PCA is punishable, either through a fine, or imprisonment up to two years, or both.
The new law signed by President Bush contains the following clause "the President may employ the armed forces, including the National Guard in Federal service, to restore public order and enforce the laws of the United States when, as result of natural disaster, epidemic, or other serious public health emergency, terrorist attack or incident, or other condition in any State or possession of the United States, the President determines that domestic violence has occurred to such an extent that the constituted authorities of the State or possession are incapable of ('refuse" or "fail" in) maintaining public order, in order to suppress, in any State, any insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy." President Bush has previously interpreted the law in his own way, and will, if needed, do so in the case of the above law as well. The US Supreme Court is now complicit with the US Government in cover-up of its unconstitutional acts and has allowed the Bush regime an astonishingly broad latitude under cover of national security considerations.
One Senator who has criticized the new law is Patrick Leahy of the Democratic Party. This is the same Patrick Leahy who received an anthrax letter when he asked the infamous Attorney General Ashcroft as to how had he undermined the Fifth Amendment. That was enough to close down the Congress and silence Leahy. He said that the new law makes it "easier for the President to declare martial law". In a story filed on October 26, 2006 Frank Morales pointed out "The law also facilitates militarized round-ups and detentions of protestors, so called 'illegal aliens', 'potential terrorists' and other 'undesirables' for detention in facilities already contracted for an under construction by Halliburton". Dick Cheney, whom Michael Ruppert holds responsible of executing the 9/11 attacks, was CEO of Halliburton prior to becoming VP. Halliburton has also been accused of drug running in the Iran-Contra affair.
The passage of the Military Commissions Act of 2006 (MCA) by the Congress has dealt a death blow to fundamental rights such as the right against detention without trial, the right to a speedy trial in front of an impartial jury, the right to appeal, etc. These habeus corpus laws were a pride of the US constitution. Thomas Jefferson wrote "..freedom of the person under the protection of habeus corpus; and trial by juries impartially selected" and other such principles constituted "the bright constellation which has gone before us, guided our steps through an age of revolution and reformation". In fact habeus corpus was essentially enshrined in Magna Carta as far back as 1215. With one stroke of pen on October 17, 2006, Mr. Bush has undone all that.
There has been some disinformation about the repeal of habeus corpus laws. An impression has been conveyed that this is only for aliens. But this is incorrect. The clauses refer to "any person" not just aliens. This law also states "no court, justice, or judge shall have jurisdiction to hear or consider any claim or cause of action whatsoever... relating to prosecution, trial or judgement of a military commission under this chapter, including challenges to lawfulness of military procedures." Of course confessions extracted by torture are now valid material under the new law and the US superior courts have made a mockery of justice in several cases.
Jose Padilla, a US citizen by birth, was kept in confinement in a 9×7 ft cell for three and a half years, denied a lawyer for two years, beaten, abused, given mind altering drugs until he became a pulp of a man, but he did not receive any justice in 21st century United States of America. He was declared "enemy combatant" by President Bush. The judge who dealt with Padilla's case is currently a candidate for Attorney General. Khalid Al Masri, a German citizen of Lebanese descent, was picked up in Macedonia in 2002 while on vacation on grounds that he had the same name as an Al-Qaeda member. He was chained eagle spread to the floor of an aircraft, taken to Afghanistan, routinely beaten and sexually abused. Finally when he went on hunger strike and it became clear that he was the wrong man he was taken and dumped on an abandoned road in Albania. He filed a case against George Tenet and several companies in a US court in 2005 but on the basis of State Secrets Privilege he was denied justice. The US elite is determined to wage endless war to become preeminent for the next millennium if not for all times to come. The use of nuclear weapons is highly likely - Mr. Bush has already talked of the possibility of WW III in connection with Iran. Dissent at home will certainly not be tolerated in times to come.
A couple of billion deaths do not matter for the achievement of the hitherto elusive permanent pre-eminence. It may come as a shock to people that the number of avoidable deaths since 1950 stands at 1.3 billion! The dominant fraction comes from wars manipulated by US agencies and fought by US or its proxies. The US may be the most powerful nation on earth but it is not, as remarked by Michael Ruppert, more powerful than the whole world put together. The earlier this lesson is imbibed the better.
