Alaa’ Nassif Jassim al-Bazzouni wins case against guidance issued by UK government An Iraqi citizen has won a legal victory in London over the “barbaric” practice of hooding terror suspects. Alaa’ Nassif Jassim al-Bazzouni argued that government guidance unlawfully condoned hooding prisoners for security reasons. Lawyers for the Iraqi citizen challenged the guidance on the grounds that it explicitly and unlawfully condones the “barbaric practice” of hooding prisoners for “transit and security purposes”. Bazzouni – a father of three who lives in Basra – says he was abused and hooded by British troops in 2006, in the wake of the war to overthrow Saddam Hussein. Bazzouni challenged new guidance issued by the UK government on the interrogation of suspects held by foreign states. The high court heard that British troops or intelligence officers are now banned from hooding prisoners themselves. The guidance still allows them to co-operate with countries that might continue to hood for “security reasons”. On Monday, two judges ruled the guidance should be changed so that hooding was not permitted at all because of the risk it posed to physical and mental health. Phil Shiner, the solicitor representing Bazzouni, said: “This judgment represents the final nail in the coffin of the Ministry of Defence’s desperate and morally corrupt efforts to keep hooding alive as a permissible interrogation technique. “Sir William Gage’s first recommendation in the Baha Mousa inquiry report is that there must be an absolute prohibition on hooding. The MoD’s position has been that it is still legally permissible for security reasons. “This judgment slams the door shut for ever on hooding involving UK personnel anywhere in the world.” Military Iraq Middle East Human rights Torture guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Michael Moore Discusses Receiving Death Threats After Speaking out Against Iraq Invasion at Academy Awards in 2003
October 3, 2011 No Comment
Click here to view this media From C-SPAN’s in Depth on Book TV, author and documentary maker Michael Moore recalls his account of speaking out against the invasion of Iraq during the 2003 Academy Awards and the subsequent death threats he received, egged on by right wing radio and the likes of Bill O’Reilly and Glenn Beck for the year or two following the speech. You can watch the entire three hour interview at C-SPAN’s web site here .
Continue reading …It’s illustrative to look at how the media has covered the origin and growth of the tea party movement with the OccupyWallStreet protests. Even a handful of self-identified tea party activists, with tea bags stapled to their tricorn hats and misspelled signs, were covered breathlessly as the birth of this new populist movement, angry with the direction of the country, and rising influence. That, of course, was all completely untrue. The tea party movement was an astroturfed movement from the beginning, funded and organized by conservative organizations under jingoistic and quasi-populist names like “Americans for Prosperity” and “FreedomWorks”. Compare that to the OccupyWallStreet protesters. Truly grassroots, the media—when they do pay attention—deride them for not having a clear, unified goal (as if the tea party could be more precise than “take our country back”), for being disorganized (which is what happens when Dick Armey isn’t ordering up the signs) and for their inability to effect change (because it’s completely reasonable to expect 10 days of protests to change the status quo of 30 years of Reaganomics on Wall St). Moreover, the truly populist concerns are largely ignored by the media, who are almost monolithically more interested in what’s happening to the privileged few inside the Washington Beltway than the 99% of people who live outside it. One of the few media outlets willing to look at the protest and discuss it in a relatively intellectually honest way is my new favorite weekend news show, Up with Chris Hayes . Nancy Giles, Allison Kilkenny and J.A. Myerson point out that OccupyWallStreet suffers from the media’s own unfair expectations: any true grassroots movement will be disorganized and unlikely to effect immediate change. But it is absolutely inarguable that we are seeing the fomentation of political activism by young people who have been betrayed by the older generation’s greed, short-sightedness and complacency. And whether or not the protesters can actually cause change in Wall Street (which is doubtful, to be honest), that fire of political activism is a good thing and should continue to be stoked.
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Following a Washington Post report that Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry’s family hunting camp in Texas once had the word “Niggerhead” painted on a large rock at its entrance, the Perry campaign is scrambling to control the damage. Perry insists that his father painted over the offensive word on the Fourth of July weekend of 1983 or 1984, as soon as his family began leasing the property, and his campaign communications director Ray Sullivan pointed out in a statement that Perry’s family never actually owned the West Texas property. “A number of claims made in the story are incorrect, inconsistent and anonymous, including the implication that Rick Perry brought groups to the lease when the word on the rock was still visible,” he said. “The one consistent fact in the story is that the word on a rock was painted over and obscured many years ago.” Sullivan’s statement conflicts with some of the witnesses’ accounts in the Washington Post story, which allege that the racial slur was still visible throughout the ’80s and “as recently as this summer.” Fellow Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, who is now neck and neck with Perry, according to a recent Fox News poll, took the opportunity on Sunday to call Perry “insensitive” for his handling of the situation. “There isn’t a more vile, negative word than the ‘n word,’ and for him to leave it there as long as they did is just plain insensitive to a lot of black people in this country,” he said during an interview on “Fox News Sunday.” Political strategists say the racially-charged hunting camp controversy and Cain’s criticism of Perry could potentially be a big problem for the Texas Republican’s campaign as he tries to prove his electability against President Obama. “The issue is, how are the people who are still concerned about Rick Perry’s ability to prevail against President Obama, concerned about his electability, going to take this?” political correspondent Jake Tapper said on ABC’s “This Week.” “There are Republicans in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, who don’t want him on the top of the ticket because even if he beats Obama, he will hurt them with congressional candidates, and this feeds into their concern.” CORRECTION: A previous version of this article stated that Jake Tapper appeared on “Meet the Press.” In fact, appeared on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday morning. WATCH highlights from this week’s Sunday shows:
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How many times have you embarked on a trip with a strict budget? You book your flight with miles, plan your itinerary ahead to avoid impromptu purchases, and even take your full budget out of the ATM and pay for everything with cash so you know just how much you’ve spent. Then you watch solemnly as that budget flies right out the window on day two and you’ve officially entered splurge territory. The good news is that there are fantastic budget-friendly alternatives to most of Europe’s most travel-worthy, but wallet-thinning cities. Can’t really afford a Paris jaunt? Why not book a weekend in Montreal? You’ll still have the chance to get tripped up by a language barrier, walk cobblestoned streets, and take pictures of the Notre Dame (Basilica). Yearning for the sumptuous cuisine and history of Florence? Spend less by booking a flight for Lisbon instead, where delectable dishes and stunning architecture abound. There is also the added bonus of venturing to a locale not as oft-traveled as its pricier counterpart. Feel like indulging in the island life? Ibiza is one of the world’s best known party spots, but that means peak prices and early bookings unless you spring for nearby Mallorca — also off the coast of Spain. There may be less techno music, but white-sand beaches, fabulous people watching, and mouth-watering cuisine are all on offer at a fraction of the cost. Ultimately, nothing can replace the real thing, but just because you’ve caught the travel bug, don’t fret – your budget won’t start deteriorating as soon as you take those vacation days. Feel that familiar rush of immersing yourself in a new place, culture, and cuisine in these substitute cities that definitely don’t disappoint. – Nicole Campoy-Leffler, The Daily Meal (Research by Leora Novick) Notes: All approx. prices are averages based on a search for one week in October and are subject to change. Restaurants and hotels are all comparable for their respective cities. More from The Daily Meal: 7 Days on the American Whiskey Trail 5 Glorious Leaf-Peeping Trips for Autumn Where to Celebrate Oktoberfest Around the World 10 Chocolate Factories to Explore Around the World World’s Best Duty-Free Scores
Continue reading …Everyone’s favorite con comedy has been sprung for a brand new season, according to the Hollywood Reporter . Arrested Development is coming back to TV as “mini-series” leading to an Arrested Development film five years after the program was ended. “It’s true,” twittered star Jason Batemen yesterday. “We will do 10…
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2011 MLB Playoffs – New York Yankees Vs. Detroit Tigers Game 2 John Fixari YouTube Persuasive Speech MLB playoffs 2011 TheYankeesTrap says: 2011 MLB Playoffs : Uncertainty Surrounds Yankees for A.J. Burnett’s Game 4 Start http://t.co/jEc3KhIu #yankees #nyy
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Don Lapre Arrested for Fraud Tiger Woods’ Essential Golfing Product Infomercial Dan McDermott Episode 4 RonTerrell says: MT @ BreakingPHXNews : PHX-based TV pitchman dies in AZ prison: Spokesman says Donald Lapre was found dead… http://t.co/f9lvOAQN
Continue reading …Despite former President George W. Bush calling Iran part of the “axis of evil” and a 1995 ban on doing business there, hard-right supporters the Koch brothers kept selling millions of dollars of petrochemicals to the nation until at least 2007, using complex legal maneuvers and plenty of subsidiaries to…
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Boardwalk Empire S2E2 “Ourselves Alone” Boardwalk Empire Season 2 Episode 2 “Ourselves Alone” part 3/5 Boardwalk Empire Season 2 Episode 2 “Ourselves Alone” part 1/5 Alanaps56 says: prohibition http://t.co/d5M1MUVC Wine During Prohibition
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