One reason that there seems to be some reluctance to drill down on our acts of torture must be an effort to hide the fact that the Israeli government was involved.
I am amazed that this has not come up in any of the discussions on the topic. Doesn’t anyone remember the Israeli flags draped on the naked prisoner photos from Abu Graib. I am disappointed at the “talking heads” for not investigating or covering this aspect, particularly Chris Mathews and Amy Goodman who usually attempt to get to the bottom of things.
Americans using Israeli “Advisors” to torture captured Arabs and Muslims, it is shameful but it shows just how wrongheaded the last Administration was under Bush and Cheney. In fact, if things ever get too hot for those two here in the United States, look for them to run and hide out in Israel which will harbor them as fugitives for their services. They were the best President and Vice President Israel ever had! It was traitorous how they put Israel’s interests and security in front the the country they were elected to lead, but that has become common place among shameless US politicians, the latest being Jane Harman trying to protect Israelis, AIPAC lobbyist who definitely did not have the best interests of the United States in mind when they committed their crimes.
Iraq was never a threat to the United States, but it was to Israel. Bush and Cheney knew this and acted on it for political reasons but were too cowardly to ever admit this to their fellow American tax paying citizens who have paid dearly for the misguided adventure in blood and treasure. The trillion dollar fiasco according to Joe Stigglets, not to mention the opportunity costs, and lost time.
Why is it that the Jane Harman issue is being hushed up rather than being fully covered by the media?
Why is Israel not being asked to provide combat troops for the latest Afghanistan adventure? Are they not our “allies”? They are often treated better that hardworking American tax payers. What if even half the foreign aid given to Israel was divided among the states to feed the hungry and help those who lost their jobs get back on their feet?
Why does such a small rich country get massive amount of US aid, for how long? Primarily Military aid so they can bully their neighbors. Is Israel a permanent ward of the United States? Isn’t it time to attach some strings to that aid? Should they not be asked or required to chip in, essentially for an operation providing for their own security? Should Americans boys be required to die and be maimed for Israel’s sake with out even knowing this? Why are those questions not being asked? Israel like Pakistan are actually militaries attached to small state. Both Military’s essential created, funded and enlarged by US political maneuvering are clearly tremendously disproportionally large. This was a mistake that must be brought back into line.
Both militaries should be reduced to that which can only support truly vital defensive actions. We can not continue to airlift bombs to Israel as fast as they drop them on civilians in offensive actions as we did during the Israeli incursion into Lebanon in 2006. How come they haven’t been made to pay reparations for that war crime? US Politicians putting Israel’s interested in front of the United States and the world interests again? It is time to identify such politicians and hold them accountable for their actions and support. If they don’t put US interests including; universal health care, education opportunities for all, housing, welfare, employment and infrastructure improvement here in America first why to they have the honor of representing Americans? Enough is enough!
Our unquestioned support for Israel has brought us down in stature and credibility. How can we talk about human rights when it is our weapons and support enables Israel to kill hundreds of defenseless woman and children. Obama has at least stopped the US from behaving like the Israelis as we did under Bush and Cheney; unilateral, belligerent and arrogant. Incredibly, some on the right want us to continue on that failed path ignoring the rest of the world rather than working with it. Now Obama needs to demand better of Israel and stop allowing them to use force and brutality against the elderly, woman, children and the poor. Israel would do better to be big enough to “turn the other cheek” over a few inaccurate rockets and work hard to solve the issues that divide, and not strive to own and control territory and resources that does not rightfully belong to them. If the US wants other countries to abide by UN resolutions what about Israel. Stop the hypocrisy and double standard here!
An illegal blockade and strangulation invites protest rockets. The Israelis knew this and just baited the response to launch another offensive, incursion and opportunity to kill their rivals rather than deal with the democratically elected Hamas government fairly and in good faith prior to the end of the Bush era. A dark mark on the US for allowing such a slaughter. Israeli tanks, helicopter and F-16s do not go against similar opposing weapons they are used on lightly armed men, woman, children and the elderly. When was the last time and Israeli tank took out an enemy tank or a jet shot down and enemy aircraft of any kind. They should be embarrassed to use such disproportional weaponry on people. It is cowardly, like shooting fish in a barrel.
The war on Iraq was as the acronym states for; O.I.L.
That is for OIL, Israel’s benefit and for Logistics profiteering. As the father of a soldier who lost his son in Iraq stated today on Amy Goodman’s show. The war made a few men very rich at the cost of American boys and Iraqi citizens. Bush and Cheney will pay for this if not in this life, soon there after. Those two were urged by the Pope not to go to war on a weaker, poorer country who hadn’t done any harm to Americans yet his warnings were ignored by greedy men intent on war profiteering at public expense, just like those who caused the financial collapse. Unlike that fiasco engaging in an unnecessary war was not just a matter of money, but life and death and right vs wrong or good vs evil as Bush liked to say. The war brought out the worst, a government that deceives and tortures.

sabre, i do hope the info about what israel has, was and still is doing becomes public knowledge, and our policitans can stand up to aipac and the likes. i feel it is slowly happening, but while we wait, more and more civilians, militiry boys are loss.