Why is the national security community treating the “Enemy Belligerent, Interrogation, Detention, and Prosecution Act of 2010,” introduced by Sens. John McCain and Joseph Lieberman on Thursday as a standard proposal, as a simple response to the administration’s choices in the aftermath of the Christmas Day bombing attempt? A close reading of the bill suggests it would allow the U.S. military to detain U.S. citizens without trial indefinitely in the U.S. based on suspected activity. Read the bill here, and then read the summarized points after the jump.
According to the summary, the bill sets out a comprehensive policy for the detention, interrogation and trial of suspected enemy belligerents who are believed to have engaged in hostilities against the United States by requiring these individuals to be held in military custody, interrogated for their intelligence value and not provided with a Miranda warning.
(There is no distinction between U.S. persons–visa holders or citizens–and non-U.S. persons.)
It would require these “belligerents” to be coded as “high-value detainee[s]” to be held in military custody and interrogated for their intelligence value by a High-Value Detainee Interrogation Team established by the president. (The H.I.G., of course, was established to bring a sophisticated interrogation capacity to the federal justice system.) (Read more from theatlantic.com)
U.S. Jewish activist: Why I am protesting the Friends of the IDF dinner Why am I protesting the $1,000-a-plate Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) dinner honoring Chief of the IDF Staff Gabi Ashkenazi at the Waldorf on March 9?
Like many American Jews, I grew up hearing that the IDF was the most moral army in the world. An honest look at the historical and current evidence, however – most recently documented in the report of the UN Fact-Finding Mission on the Israeli Invasion of Gaza (the Goldstone Report)- reveals a very different reality.
As a college student in the 1970s, I defined myself as a socialist Zionist and attended Israeli consulate-sponsored “hasbara” workshops.
The literal translation of hasbara is “explanation,” but specifically refers to Israel’s campaign to promote its public image. These sessions taught a simple strategy for “dealing with” Israel’s critics on college campuses.
Begin by speaking about Israel as having the most moral army in the world. Never address the content of your opponents’ allegations.
Reference the Holocaust repeatedly, emphasizing the need for a Jewish homeland with a strong army so that those who hate the Jews will “never again” prevail.
And be sure to question the integrity of Israel’s critics, insinuating that they are anti-Semitic (or, in some cases, self-hating Jews). Those of us in the room who supported a Palestinian state (and there were a few) recognized ourselves in their descriptions of who to watch out for.
I remained active on Palestine-Israel but left my identity as a Zionist far behind, recognizing the incompatibility of Zionism (and the reality of what it was) with my support for justice for the Palestinian people. (Read more from haaretz.com)
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Pastor Hagee Denounces Goldstone in Jerusalem 3/8/10:
Pastor Hagee and Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem 3/8/10:
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European Parliament endorses Goldstone Gaza report The European Parliament on Wednesday urged its 27-member states to monitor the Israeli and Palestinian probes into alleged war crimes committed during last year’s late-winter conflict in Gaza.
The resolution backed the findings of a UN-appointed expert panel chaired by South African Judge Richard Goldstone, which concluded that both sides committed war crimes and possible crimes against humanity during the war that began in December 2008 and ended in January 2009.
The parliamentary move, which would give the EU an unprecedented role in evaluating the progress of Israel’s war crimes probe, was sharply criticized by Israel. (Read more from haaretz.com)
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Israel: EU support for Goldstone unhelpful to peace talks The Foreign Ministry has condemned the EU Parliament’s decision to express support for the Goldstone report and call for a war crimes investigation against Israel.
“Israel regrets the EU Parliament’s decision, which is unhelpful to the peace process and does not become the principles of law and justice. At a time of international struggle to foster talks it is unfortunate that the European parliament is choosing to express a stance on such a controversial opinion already discussed in other forums. Israel is committed to the peace process and will continue to defend its citizens and soldiers,” the statement says. (Read more from ynetnews.com)
All the talk about an ‘undivided’ Jerusalem is a euphemism for taking land from Palestinians. I’d prefer it if we followed George Washington’s advice and avoided entangling alliances altogether. Unfortunately, we are heavily involved.
Here’s the latest flare-up. These chronologically ordered headlines speak for themselves. Notice the quick stamp of approval by the U.S. government, followed by a rare (but appropriate in my opinion) condemnation.
The family of an American activist who was fatally crushed by an Israeli bulldozer in Gaza accused Israel of whitewashing its investigation into the death Wednesday in the opening of a civil case against Israel.
The parents of Rachel Corrie are seeking unspecified compensation from Israel’s Defense Ministry for their daughter’s death in 2003.
Corrie, a U.S. citizen, was 24 when she was struck and killed in 2003 by a bulldozer as she and other activists tried to stop Israel razing homes in Rafah by using their bodies as human shields.
The driver said he didn’t see her, and the Israel Defense Forces has ruled her death an accident – a version her parents reject. (Read more from haaretz.com)
YUKIHISA FUJITA is an influential member of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan. As chief of the DPJ’s international department and head of the Research Committee on Foreign Affairs in the upper house of Japan’s parliament, to which he was elected in 2007, he is a Brahmin in the foreign policy establishment of Washington’s most important East Asian ally. He also seems to think that America’s rendering of the events of Sept. 11, 2001, is a gigantic hoax. (Read more from washingtonpost.com)
Internet sellers who don’t report their sales will no longer be under the radar. Starting next year, any bank or other payment settlement company that processes credit cards, debit cards, and electronic payments such as PayPal will have to issue information returns telling the IRS what merchants receive. The new returns are Form 1099-K, Merchant Card and Third-Party Payments. (Read more from auctionbytes.com)
Why is the national security community treating the “Enemy Belligerent, Interrogation, Detention, and Prosecution Act of 2010,” introduced by Sens. John McCain and Joseph Lieberman on Thursday as a standard proposal, as a simple response to the administration’s choices in the aftermath of the Christmas Day bombing attempt? A close reading of the bill suggests it would allow the U.S. military to detain U.S. citizens without trial indefinitely in the U.S. based on suspected activity. Read the bill here, and then read the summarized points after the jump.
(Read more from theatlantic.com)