Glenn Greenwald: The President's praise of fair trials and the rule of law

[cal04]

By Glenn Greenwald - President Bush today hailed the critical importance of fair trials and the rule of law . . . . in Iraq:

(snip)
George Bush ordered U.S. citizen Jose Padilla abducted and shoved into a black hole for almost four years, all the while torturing him and refusing him any contact with the outside world, let alone any due process. He did the same to U.S. citizen Yaser Hamdi and legal resident Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri. In all of those cases, he claimed -- and still claims -- the power to hold them in that manner forever, and claims they are not entitled to any process of any kind.


(snip)
It is truly vile to listen to George Bush anoint himself the Arbiter of Due Process and Human Rights by praising the Iraqis for giving a "fair trial" to Saddam when we are currently holding 14,000 individuals (at least) around the world in our custody -- many of whom we have been holding for years and in the most inhumane conditions imaginable -- who have been desperately, and unsuccessfully, seeking some forum, any forum, in which to prove their innocence. This lawlessly imprisoned group includes journalists, political activists, and entirely innocent people.

The Bush administration has been steadfastly refusing to grant the very "fair trials" which served today as the basis for the President's pious, patronizing praise for the Iraqis (which, in reality, is intended as self-praise). The President and his followers -- including the majority of the 109th Congress, which just enacted the Military Commissions Act -- have made unmistakably clear that they do not actually believe in fair trials, literally.

(snip)
Apparently, "fair trials" and the "rule of law" are requirements for the Iraqis if, in the President's moving words, their "young democracy (is to) continue to progress." But for our older democracy, such concepts are quaint and obsolete relics which must not interfere with the Leader's Will and with his Glorious, Endless War.

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http://glenngreenwald.blogspot.com/

[ninkasi]

1. It's almost impossible

to believe, after Bush's destruction of our legal system, after doing away with habeas corpus, which has been part of Western civilization's law since 1215, he could have the blinding nerve to praise "fair trials." Has he any, ANY sense of just how hypocritical he is? Doesn't he understand that, aside from a few hardcore supporters still chugging the Kool-Aide, the rest of the world knows just exactly how he has corrupted the ability of this country to hold, not just fair trials, but ANY trials for the ones he decides to imprison?

How can we, as Americans, feel anything but a sense of shame that the man who is considered the most powerful in the world, has become a dictator, and we meekly accept this. I hope, and pray, that the new Congress will do the right thing, and bring the excesses of this madman to a screeching halt. He, and Cheney, at an absolute minimum, must be impeached. Not to do so would be setting the standards required to impeach a president so high, that nothing short of murdering children on live T.V. would bring Congress to take action.

[ninkasi]

2. I forgot to add

Even if he DID murder children on live T.V., there would still be members of Congress too timid to support impeachment. Lieberman would likely be one of them.

[The Blue Flower]

4. He did murder children on live TV

Remember the fireworks of Shock and Awe? We know who were under those bombs.

[ninkasi]

5. You're right

[Uncle Joe]

3. Is Bush speaking of the "fair trial" in which

three of Saddam's defense attorneys were murdered?

[Dan]

6. and on that day, ..

When Bush and members of his administration are judged, I wonder, will they also demand the rule of law be applied with equal vigor, as they did for this world leader.

Maybe they fail to understand, that by this execution - they helped establish a precedent that can be used...against them.

[Straight Shooter]

7. They are, indeed, sowing the seeds. May they reap what they have sown. n/t