Just when you thought our rulers could not get worse. Obama, taking time out from targeting teenagers for aerial assassination by drone, has surpassed the Bush regime by clamping new and extreme limitations on the right of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay to meet the attorneys who are defending them in court. Sometimes you have to pinch yourself to believe this stuff is true as you type it.
At least one attorney has been told he will have no access to his client unless he signs a “voluntary agreement” which accepts that any meetings with his client are entirely at the discretion of the US authorities and not a right.
In another “technical” adjustment, the Obama administration has altered flight rules to allow unpiloted drones to fly over the United States, in places where previously only piloted planes were allowed. There has been no official reason given for the change in regulations, but it opens the way for unlimited aerial surveillance of US citizens, and the eventual sci-fi scenario of citizens being zapped from the air without warning if Obama does not approve of them, just as has happened to hundreds of people in Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere. That may found far fetched – but so does anti-aircraft batteries on the roofs of London apartment blocks and 17,000 army personnel patrolling the streets of London. Civil liberties have disappeared so fast in the past decade there is no telling where it will end.
Michael or anybody else know if there’s a recording of the crim on his knees at confession on Tuesday?
‘existence has been overtly politicised’ – cheers Suhayl.
otherwise, who’s behind Obama? Like Cheyney et al were behind Bush?
Like to echo that question who are the MICC ?funnily enough Im expecting a sane response.I always wonder why its put down as the president I suspect Obama himself isnt terribly interested in foreign policy other than for vote catching.
“I think someone else mentioned that Israelis are observing the fighting in Syria from the Golan Heights …”
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I didn’t ‘mention’ it, Mary. I posted the story. From the Times of Israel. With a URL:
http://www.timesofisrael.com/war-watching-catches-on-in-israel/
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“even a weak jest gains* immeasurably from being explained in detail, though.
*Or, more likely, not.”
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Nippy today, Komodo.
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Uzbek in the UK,
I asked you where anyone here had condoned terrorism against non-Muslims. Instead of replying, you left the thread and moved on to another one. I think if you’re going to accuse people of ‘hypocrisy’, you should be able to back it up. Or else withdraw the remark.
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And this appeared 2 days ago:
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I just checked and nothing has changed:
{http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/2012/countries/israel}
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Meanwhile, Israel’s Olympics delegation: “Our goal is to tell the world that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel” {http://youtu.be/RzJ_V1LdFSs}
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[If the above formatting doesn’t come out ok …]
Bugger. Paragraph breaks missing.
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[Fixed]
Have a read of the comments in The Jerusalem Post on this story http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=278181
Thank you, mod
Comments very intersting, Anon. I assume that UNSC Res 478 still applies, has not been superseded, and that the BBC are obliged to recognise it. I assume also that most of those commenters have never heard of it – or they’re of the type who think the UN shouldn’t exist anyway.
I was about to post this on Facebook but after reading a few comments, it occured to me – can you back any of this up?
I imagine the attorneys will fight this. Let’s hope they win.
Hi Kyle, Here are a couple of links, this seems to be open knowledge.
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http://www.nextgov.com/emerging-tech/2012/04/congress-to-faa-dont-let-domestic-drones-spy-on-americans/51068/
“… The FAA Modernization and Reform Act, which President Obama signed on Feb. 14, calls for FAA to integrate operation of drones into its National Airspace System by 2015. The agency in March kicked off a rule-making to set up six unmanned aircraft system test ranges by this summer.
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The language in the FAA bill and the rule-making both deal with safety issues and control of unmanned aircraft, but not privacy concerns, an issue the agency should address, Reps. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Joe Barton, R-Texas, co-chairmen of the Bipartisan Congressional Privacy Caucus, said in a letter sent Thursday to Michael Huerta, acting FAA administrator. …”
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http://www.scotusblog.com/2012/07/are-boumediene-rights-expiring/
“… the detainees being held by the U.S. military at Guantanamo Bay have very few legal rights, if any. Even after the detainees gained a constitutional right, from the Supreme Court, to challenge their captivity, the government continued to treat that as a narrow legal opportunity. Now, the Obama Administration is taking the position that the opportunity has been used up by many at Guantanamo, and so they cannot even meet with their lawyers unless a military commander consents. …”
If you want to learn about Obama I suggest you watch the new DVD by Joel Gilbert called Tales From My Real Father.It makes a big case that Obamas father was Frank Marshall Davis.
Its Dreams From My Real Father not tales.
“a big case that Obamas father was Frank Marshall Davis”
Looks like a complete waste of time to anyone except Obama dreamers who want to be distracted from the sweet talking presidents actions.
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May as well re-scrutinise the moon landings fwiw, explore away hard, long and very far from any points of practical contact with the horrible fruit of people lying and killing for profit.
obama was never meant to be anything other than a one term prez, just like Cameron … clegg wasnt media hyped for no reason ..other than to keep brown out.
Hi Craig, iPlayer does work abroad (I know it’s not supposed to). It can be made to work using https://www.torproject.org/ and the instructions on this blog http://hurwi.net/blog/?p=139 🙂
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