"Information Dominance" in the Land of the Free

What on earth are these people thinking when they come up with such subversion? This NY Times special report is way too important and long for a really good synopsis, but I hope this will wet your appetite enough to go to the source:
Message Machine
Behind Analysts, the Pentagon’s Hidden Hand
By DAVID BARSTOW, April 20, 2008In the summer of 2005, the Bush administration confronted a fresh wave of criticism over Guantánamo Bay. The detention center had just been branded “the gulag of our times” by Amnesty International, there were new allegations of abuse from United Nations human rights experts and calls were mounting for its closure.
The administration’s communications experts responded swiftly. Early one Friday morning, they put a group of retired military officers on one of the jets normally used by Vice President Dick Cheney and flew them to Cuba for a carefully orchestrated tour of Guantánamo.
[...] Hidden behind that appearance of objectivity, though, is a Pentagon information apparatus that has used those analysts in a campaign to generate favorable news coverage of the administration’s wartime performance, an examination by The New York Times has found.
The effort, which began with the buildup to the Iraq war and continues to this day, has sought to exploit ideological and military allegiances, and also a powerful financial dynamic: Most of the analysts have ties to military contractors vested in the very war policies they are asked to assess on air.
[...] Those business relationships are hardly ever disclosed to the viewers, and sometimes not even to the networks themselves. But collectively, the men on the plane and several dozen other military analysts represent more than 150 military contractors either as lobbyists, senior executives, board members or consultants. The companies include defense heavyweights, but also scores of smaller companies, all part of a vast assemblage of contractors scrambling for hundreds of billions in military business generated by the administration’s war on terror. It is a furious competition, one in which inside information and easy access to senior officials are highly prized.
[...] Five years into the Iraq war, most details of the architecture and execution of the Pentagon’s campaign have never been disclosed. But The Times successfully sued the Defense Department to gain access to 8,000 pages of e-mail messages, transcripts and records describing years of private briefings, trips to Iraq and Guantánamo and an extensive Pentagon talking points operation.
These records reveal a symbiotic relationship where the usual dividing lines between government and journalism have been obliterated.
Internal Pentagon documents repeatedly refer to the military analysts as “message force multipliers” or “surrogates” who could be counted on to deliver administration “themes and messages” to millions of Americans “in the form of their own opinions.”
[...] Torie Clarke, the former public relations executive who oversaw the Pentagon’s dealings with the analysts as assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, had come to her job with distinct ideas about achieving what she called “information dominance.” In a spin-saturated news culture, she argued, opinion is swayed most by voices perceived as authoritative and utterly independent.
And so even before Sept. 11, she built a system within the Pentagon to recruit “key influentials” — movers and shakers from all walks who with the proper ministrations might be counted on to generate support for Mr. Rumsfeld’s priorities.
[...] Don Meyer, an aide to Ms. Clarke, said a strategic decision was made in 2002 to make the analysts the main focus of the public relations push to construct a case for war. Journalists were secondary. “We didn’t want to rely on them to be our primary vehicle to get information out,” Mr. Meyer said.
[...] Over time, the Pentagon recruited more than 75 retired officers, although some participated only briefly or sporadically. The largest contingent was affiliated with Fox News, followed by NBC and CNN, the other networks with 24-hour cable outlets. But analysts from CBS and ABC were included, too. Some recruits, though not on any network payroll, were influential in other ways — either because they were sought out by radio hosts, or because they often published op-ed articles or were quoted in magazines, Web sites and newspapers. At least nine of them have written op-ed articles for The Times.
The group was heavily represented by men involved in the business of helping companies win military contracts. [otherwise known as "WAR PROFITEERING"] Several held senior positions with contractors that gave them direct responsibility for winning new Pentagon business.
[...] Two of NBC’s most prominent analysts, Barry R. McCaffrey and the late Wayne A. Downing, were on the advisory board of the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq, an advocacy group created with White House encouragement in 2002 to help make the case for ousting Saddam Hussein. Both men also had their own consulting firms and sat on the boards of major military contractors.[...]
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/washington/20generals.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin

Canada Flip Flops on Torture

Did someone get their nuts squeezed? Monsieur Bernier does look a bit, er, stressed. How awful to be stuck in a “diplomatic” position over reprehensible policies. You can't cover your ass and be a nudist at the same time!
The link to the original Reuters report follows the sorry attempt to reframe shit for brains:
Torture watch list with US, Israel not govt policy: Canada FM
1 day ago
OTTAWA (AFP) — Canadian Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier disavowed Saturday the inclusion of Israel and the United States on an official list of countries where prisoners can be tortured, and said the document would be revised.
"I regret the embarrassment caused by the public disclosure of the manual used in the (Foreign Affairs) department's torture awareness training," Bernier said in a statement.[...] Training diplomats to make them more aware of torture began after Syrian-Canadian Maher Arar in 2002 was deported by the United States to Syria, where he was imprisoned for nearly a year and said he was tortured.
A Canadian inquiry cleared Arar of all suspicions of terrorism and the Canadian government issued an apology and awarded him a substantial compensation. [my bold]
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5g3U1eWP6wkS7eJJxucVIEFyrLz_w
Canada places U.S., Israel on torture watch list
Thu Jan 17, 2008 3:13pm EST
By David Ljunggren
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's foreign ministry has put the United States and Israel on a watch list of countries where prisoners risk being tortured and also classifies some U.S. interrogation techniques as torture, according to a document obtained by Reuters on Thursday.
[...] The document -- part of a training course on torture awareness given to diplomats -- mentions the U.S. jail at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba where a Canadian man is being held.
The man, Omar Khadr, is the only Canadian in Guantanamo. His defenders said the document made a mockery of Ottawa's claims that Khadr was not being mistreated.
[...] Other countries on the watch list include Syria, China, Iran, Afghanistan, Mexico and Saudi Arabia.
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN1762987120080117

Your Service is Required

Children of the 20th Century wars must bear witness to the tragedies our government has imposed upon the world in the surge for world domination. We cannot call it anything else. Africa, America, Europe, Vietnam, Iraq, what country will next suffer from such "liberation" ? Warmongers and financial manipulators leave bullet holes and bomb craters wherever they go, with our silent complicity. We then have the audacity to ask why they hate us. There is no they, only WE, the people who work for our daily bread. It is up to us, not US, to bring down those who care nothing for our life and liberty. Please, for decency sake, take some form of action on January 11, even if only by wearing a bit of orange as you go about the day. Start a conversation, don't be afraid! You may be surprised by who agrees with you.

Friday, January 11, 2008
The 6 year anniversary of the first prisoners being brought to Guantánamo

"There is little question of how history will respond to Guantánamo…it will be looked back on with condescension and bemusement. How could we be so foolish, misguided, cruel? How we will respond is a legal question and a political question. But it is most of all a moral question. Will we respond with courage or cowardice? This is our choice."
--- Joseph Margulies, a lawyer challenging the indefinite detention of the prisoners at Guantánamo
On January 11th, 2002, twenty hooded and shackled men shuffled off a plane from Afghanistan, arriving at the U.S. prison at Guantánamo. In an attempt to sidestep the Geneva Convention protections for prisoners of war, the Bush administration created a new category of "enemy combatant" for these men captured in the "war on terror."
We call on the United States government to:
* Repeal the Military Commissions Act and restore Habeas Corpus.
* Charge and try or release all detainees.
* Clearly and unequivocally forbid torture and all other forms of cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, by the military, the CIA, prison guards, civilian contractors, or anyone else.
* Pay reparations to current and former detainees and their families for violations of their human rights.
* Shut down Guantánamo, Abu Ghraib, Bagram and all other U.S. prisons overseas, including secret CIA detention facilities.
http://www.witnesstorture.org/

Resolve to Impeach This Administration

Cheney Impeachment Cracks Corporate Media
Congressman Robert Wexler writes:
"The mainstream media has awakened to this movement and to the extraordinary support you have given it. Your calls, letters, and emails have clearly made a difference. Already 140,000 people have joined us in demanding impeachment hearings for Vice President Dick Cheney."
Congress is watching, so... Add your name http://www.wexlerwantshearings.com
The op-ed posted at that site was originally rejected by corporate newspapers. Now, the Philadelphia Inquirer has published it, the Miami Herald has published an edited version, and numerous newspapers have reported on the growing push for impeachment in the House Judiciary Committee.
Listen to Rep. Wexler, Bob Fertik, David Swanson, and Dave Lindorff on a recent online radio show HERE.
Let the Speaker of the House and members of the Judiciary Committee know you want the Cheney impeachment to begin:
http://democrats.com/topelosiandjudiciary
Ask your local newspapers to publish the op-ed, and ask the national media to cover impeachment: http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/1084
Learn and do more: http://impeachcheney.org
Start a Cheney Chain E letter by forwarding this Email to everyone you know and asking them to do the same!
Join Gore Vidal, Dennis Kucinich, and David Swanson
On Sunday, January 6, from 8-10 p.m. ET, you can participate in a forum on "Separation and Balance of Power" live video streamed at http://www.kucinichtv.com
The Panelists are:
* Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich of Ohio, Candidate for President of the United States.
* David Swanson, Co-founder of www.afterdowningstreet.org
* Gore Vidal, World renowned author, playright and peace activist.
This program will will feature live audience participation along with questions received by email from the viewing audience. If you are in New Hampshire, please join us live at 540 N. Commercial Street in Manchester.
Cries for Justice to Converge on DC on 1/11
On December 1st, a former college professor named John Nirenberg left Boston, Massachusetts, to begin a one-man march to Nancy Pelosi's office in Washington, D.C., to demand that she restore our Constitution and lift her ban on the use of its most central check on abuses of power: impeachment. John plans to arrive in Washington, D.C., on January 11th, and we should all be there to welcome him: http://www.marchinmyname.org
Close Guantánamo
Friday, January 11, 2008, is also the day for actions in Washington, D.C., and around the country aimed at closing the illegal U.S. prison in Guantánamo. January 11th will be the 6-year anniversary of the first prisoners being brought to Guantánamo.
Last year on the same date, 500 people marched, 150 risked arrest, and 88 were arrested in Washington, many of them refusing to provide their names and instead using the names of men held in Guantánamo. This year, events will begin with a rally on the National Mall co-sponsored with Amnesty International and the National Religious Campaign Against Torture followed by a “prisoner procession” to the Supreme Court.
Learn more and find out how to hold an event in your town on 1/11: http://www.witnesstorture.org
What People Are Saying About "Impeach Bush and Cheney" Bracelets
Katherine B. writes: "I just wanted to let you know that I was thrilled I got the bracelets in time for the Springsteen show in DC. We (the members of a popular website for Springsteen fans) had a big pre-party before the show I used the bracelets to help raise money for our charity, HUNGRY FOR MUSIC which was founded by ESB guitar player, Nils Lofgren. I had no problem selling them and I probably could have sold another 25 of them. We ended up raising $500 for the charity. They were a hit and I hope to get one to The Boss himself when he returns to the US. I wear mine proudly. Thanks again." GET YOURS: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/bracelet

Sunday NYC Demo

December 23rd: "Stand Against Torture" Sunday

Tapes Destroyed . . . The Torture Goes On . . .
Bush & Co. have been caught red-handed lying, torturing and covering it up and yet the crimes continue. We must respond, beginning NOW – right now in the middle of the “holiday season” -- and build towards major actions and events on January 11th: Be part of a “Stand Against Torture” – this Sunday, December 23rd.
NYC World Can’t Wait is making a broad call to peace organizations, the religious community and all who oppose torture to come together on Sunday, Dec. 23rd, and at 2:00 PM, to assemble at 5th Avenue and 50th Street, to line the streets, many clad in orange jumpsuits, as those tortured in Guantanamo are forced to wear, and the rest carrying signs in orange or black. This Sunday we need to have the simple and clear message made in a visually compelling way that “torture is wrong, it is criminal, it is immoral, it is being done in our name, and it has got to be stopped.”
http://www.wcw-nyc.blogspot.com/

Missing Habeas Corpus Corrupts US

Democracy Now! has a new look and is much more user friendly. If you cannot hear this most important daily news report from Amy Goodman, Juan Gonzales and the crew, you can download to print, or stream with audio and/or video via internet.
Today there is a story to remind us that the victims of 9/11 weren't all murdered that day. Too many innocents languish in Guantanamo Bay, suffering from almost incomprehensible abuse. Here is an update on the struggle to restore habeas corpus for them, and for the sake of all citizens.
Attorneys Ask Supreme Court to Restore the Right to Habeas Corpus for Guantanamo Prisoners
On Wednesday, attorneys for prisoners at Guantanamo called on the Supreme Court to restore the Constitution and grant the prisoners habeas corpus—the right to challenge their imprisonment before a judge. “All have been confined at Guantanamo for almost six years, yet not one has had meaningful notice of the factual grounds of their detention,” said former Solicitor General Seth Waxman in his oral arguments. [includes rush transcript] http://www.democracynow.org/2007/12/6/supreme_court_considers_whether

The Moral Authority? Impeachable Scum!

A new book written by ACLU attorneys interviews an Erie County judge who says both Bush and Rumsfeld directed and supervised his work. From the Erie Times News:
Orders from the top
Dunlavey: Guantanamo mission came straight from Bush, Rumsfeld
BY LISA THOMPSON, lisa.thompson@timesnews.com
Published: November 02. 2007 6:00AM
When military investigators questioned Erie County Judge Michael E. Dunlavey about reported prisoner abuse during his tenure at the Guantanamo Bay camp for suspected terrorists, Dunlavey told them he got his "marching orders" from President Bush, according to a new book about U.S. policies regarding torture.
…In a statement Dunlavey provided to a U.S. Air Force lieutenant general investigating FBI reports of detainee abuses at Guantanamo Bay, Dunlavey explains that as leader of interrogations at Guantanamo, he reported directly to President Bush and then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
...The SECDEF said he wanted a product and he wanted intelligence now. He told me what he wanted; not how to do it."
... The directions changed and I got my marching orders from the President of the United States."
…"Virtually no one had a degree of expertise to deal with these people. They do not subscribe to our values legally and morally." [Emphasis added]
…The Erie Times-News currently has an appeal pending over the Department of Defense's refusal to release to the newspaper documents relating to Dunlavey's tenure at Guantanamo.
http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071102/NEWS02/711020374/-1/NEWS

Proud Vets of PO Box 1142

Interesting story about a WWII veterans who participated in a top-secret mission called P.O. Box 1142. Their job was to interrogate Nazi prisoners of war at Fort Hunt, but in this article they expressed dismay and disgust at BushCo’s interrogation tactics.

Fort Hunt's Quiet Men Break Silence on WWII
Interrogators Fought 'Battle of Wits'
By Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, Saturday,October 6, 2007

Several of the veterans, all men in their 80s and 90s, denounced the controversial techniques. And when the time came for them to accept honors from the Army's Freedom Team Salute, one veteran refused, citing his opposition to the war in Iraq and procedures that have been used at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

"During the many interrogations, I never laid hands on anyone," said George Frenkel, 87, of Kensington. "We extracted information in a battle of the wits. I'm proud to say I never compromised my humanity."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/05/AR2007100502492_2.html?hpid=topnews