Freedom Rider: Bush Crimes Continue

Freedom Rider: Bush Crimes Continue Print
Wednesday, 05 November 2008

by BAR editor and senior columnist Margaret KimberleyFRbush_devil

George Bush is busily putting the finishing touches on his legacy of aggressions. His recent attack on Syria, a country that has been cooperative with America's so-called "war on terror," was designed to "make certain that nations labeled as enemies stay that way." Bush stokes tensions between the U.S. puppet, Colombia, and neighboring Venezuela and Ecuador, to keep the pot boiling right up to Barack Obama's inauguration. Bush is confident his legacy will outlive his presidency, since "Obama's objections to Bush policy are about little more than management style."
Freedom Rider: Bush Crimes Continue

by BAR editor and senior columnist Margaret Kimberley

"The Bush doctrine will morph into the Obama doctrine."

George W. Bush famously said, "They misunderestimated me." His ungrammatical statements induce sneers and snickers, but convey powerful truths. After stealing the 2000 election, violating international law, trampling on the Constitution, and emptying the treasury to profit his pirate friends, Bush will go down in history as one of the most successful presidents in history. Because of the constant collusion of the supine Democratic party, he has achieved nearly all of his goals in domestic and foreign policy. It is not surprising that the Bush doctrine credo, "I'm the decider," has gone unchecked at the eleventh hour.

The United States attack on the Syrian town of Sukkariyah is a case in point. Syria reported that eight people, including children, were killed in a United States Special Forces raid in that country. Unnamed military sources claimed that the target of the attack was Abu Ghadiyah, an alleged al-Qaeda "insurgent" responsible for attacks in Iraq. Those sources claimed that Ghadiyah was killed after a battle between U.S. Special Forces and members of his alleged cell. The anonymous sources made vague statements about "taking matters into our own hands."

"Because of the constant collusion of the supine Democratic party, Bush has achieved nearly all of his goals in domestic and foreign policy."

The strike has all the tell tale signs of standard Bushite policy. Syria and the United States are not at war and Congress has not given approval for any military action against that nation. The strike was carried out from Iraq, a formerly independent nation now under Unites States occupation. Despite Iraq's humiliating circumstances, the Bush administration hopes to sign a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), which will determine how long American troops can remain in Iraq. Bush is in a race against time to get an agreement before the December 31st expiration of the United Nations mandate that allows U.S. forces to remain.

Iraqi president Nouri al-Maliki is holding out for an agreement that would send all American troops out of his country by 2011. Maliki is also under immense pressure from within his own country and from Iran not to sign an agreement at all. The Bush administration would seem to be undercutting itself by using Iraq to stage an attack against Syria and make life difficult for Maliki, but there is always a twisted logic which explains Bush administration actions.

The Bush regime does not want states or individuals they demonize to start looking good to anyone else. Syria's foreign minister was on the verge of attending a diplomatic meeting in London. The Syrians were improving relations with other European nations, Lebanon and even with Israel by using Turkey as a go between. They must have been making headway, because an important part of the Bush doctrine is to make certain that nations labeled as enemies stay that way. If Syria is welcomed into the world community, then its ally Iran might be as well. It would then be more difficult to find a pretext for waging full scale war against either nation, and a Bush and Cheney dream would be unfulfilled.

"An important part of the Bush doctrine is to make certain that nations labeled as enemies stay that way."

Bush took similar action earlier this year against Venezuela. When Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez was on the verge of freeing hostages held by Colombian FARC rebels, the Bush administration pressed Colombia to attack FARC in Ecuador, violating that nation's borders and in the process nearly starting a war between among the three South American nations. The events in Syria belong in the same category of making certain that enemies not become friends.

The world is in as much danger from the Bush regime now as it has been for the past eight years. Barack Obama/Joseph Biden transition plans will get all the attention, and George W. Bush/Dick Cheney will be figuring out how to keep their legacy alive. While we are told to pay attention to new cabinet appointments and every nuance of transition team activity, the Bush doctrine will morph into the Obama doctrine. Obama's objections to Bush policy are about little more than management style. Obama is opposed to "dumb" wars, but not to all of them. He concedes that the Iraq occupation belongs in the dumb category, but he doesn't intend to end it.

"Obama's objections to Bush policy are about little more than management style."

Maliki's desire to get American troops out of his country are in conflict with Obama's plan that would keep troops in Iraq. "Under the Obama-Biden plan, a residual force will remain in Iraq and in the region to conduct targeted counter-terrorism missions against al Qaeda in Iraq and to protect American diplomatic and civilian personnel."

The strike on Syrian territory fits well within Obama's category of "targeted counter-terrorism missions." No wonder Joseph Biden rants hysterically about upcoming crises around the world and the need for Democrats to shut up and go along with the new administration's plans.

Obama's acceptance of Bush war crimes would not be tolerated on a playground. "He started it," is a child's plea routinely ignored by responsible adults. American presidents are very lucky. They get more leeway than children having temper tantrums.

Margaret Kimberley's Freedom Rider column appears weekly in BAR. Ms. Kimberley lives in New York City, and can be reached via e-Mail at Margaret.Kimberley(at)BlackAgandaReport.Com. Ms. Kimberley maintains an edifying and frequently updated blog at freedomrider.blogspot.com. More of her work is also available at her Black Agenda Report archive page.
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Foul
written by New World , November 05, 2008

The Indecency of linking Obama to GWB (withour a trial) is more than scandelous*


Shame on you Margaret Kimberley.

Why do you people so hateful & self destructive??

the test
written by litmus , November 05, 2008

if obama calls for war crimes tribunals for the bush administration, we know obama is legit. if not...

fool me once, shame on you. fool me twice, well...uh...you ain't fooling me again.

Thank you Freedom Rider!
written by sunny , November 05, 2008

Always a clear voice for the truth-not the idiotic worship of a staged/created man whose shady backers were successful in their task to slip him into a new position. Anyone who thinks the anointed one is different should only listen to what he has said, (go into Pakistan and kill people) and just as importantly WHAT HE DOES NOT SAY. He had every opportunity to bring GWB to task for his war crimes and everything else. He has remained silent. Enough said.By the way, i find his constant recriminations of everything and claims that he can redefine everything very creepy.Does he know what the job of the president is? If he wants to be a saviour and preacher, he is going to be in the wrong job.I still cannot stomach that pap he spouts, nothing has changed for me because the anointment was successful.Nothing to say he won't be a halfway decent president; the point for me is the way he got there: disrespecting people of color, not-rich people, working people, pathologically lying, disrespecting women, deliberately changing his position on things he should not have, i.e. FISA, etc. You get my drift.

Economic stimulus
written by Mary , November 05, 2008

The Bloomberg.com lobby has hit the ground running. Recalling the Obama Veepstakes, the transition team is floating names of high-profile Clinton cabinet members and investment bankers to lead the new administration's fiscal strategy.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aeCd8KKVyyJQ

Any article that begins by evoking Larry Summers is a "must read."

In response to New World...
written by Jay , November 05, 2008

I'm not sure what you're trying to say (I'll avoid attacking your grammar), but no need to shame M. Kimberly. Good points were brought up in the article.

f/u to litmus's "Test"
written by Lou , November 05, 2008

1. Will Obama prosecute ANYBODY, let alone Bush, for a plethora of crimes? Will he use his proxies to hold hearings at a minimum? Will he at the very, very least air Bush's crimes? Don't bet on it. Impeachment's been off the table.

2. Will he end the Iraq War, the "cause" which propelled him into the WH (other than the serendipity of the economic crisis and McCain's stupidity)? Not if the surge succeeded "beyond is wildest dreams."

3. Will he change courses in terms of Bush's Doctrine of Preemption, belligerence towards Russia, extra-territorial incursions in Iran, Syria and Pakistan, fanaticism towards Iran, or simply do it more efficiently, with better management and PR? The Wash Post wrote months ago that his foreign policy vision was quite similar to that of GWB.

Stay tuned. I wish I could hope for boldness and thinking outside the box, I'm afraid what we'll get is a cool, centrist management style, a cafe au lait version of Bill Clinton, you know, the "first" Black president who put the "fix" in while we were serenading his "blackness."

Look at the bright side, at least mass murder will feel more guiltless now, kinda like your 6th cup of coffee with Sweet N Low.

No Sovereignty No Peace
written by S Murph , November 05, 2008

Thanks Miss Kimberly for clarity in the mist of the smoke and mirrors show that we get from our media and both political parties AKA Republicrats. Yes the midget brain lunatic that is masquerading as the POTUS (President of the United States) is at it again. Like Miss Kimberly says the United States is not about making friends it is about keeping enemies (once an enemy ALWAYS an enemy is the favorite motto for this Wrecking Crew). OOOOh Yea bucket brain and his henchmen are doing every thing that they can to keep the water boiling, the pot stirred up with as much chaos confusion and calamity as they can kick up. The clear examples of what has been happening with Venezuela, Colombia, and Iraq are beyond dispute.

Copy and paste this link http://www.thenation.com/blogs...?rel=hpbox

This is an article that covers the incident in Syria that Miss Kimberly is talking about and the rational that is used to justify it. The article states this; "The military's argument is that 'you can only claim sovereignty IF YOU ENFORCE IT,' said Anthony Cordesman, a military analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 'When you are dealing with states that do not maintain their sovereignty and become a de facto sanctuary, the only way you have to deal with them is this kind of operation,' he said." Sooo if you are a nation state that can not defend yourself against American military might YOU DO NOT HAVE ANY STINKING SOVEREIGNTY. Ok this is the Dred Scott decision (remember that one) applied on an international scale (The Supreme Court ruled in 1857 that a slave had no rights that a white man needed to respect). Fast forward to the present using the same logic if a nation state can not defend itself form American military power then said nation has NO SOVEREIGNTY that Amerikkka needs to respect, it is all clear to me now.

Ah yes the Bush gang went Old Skool on us when it came to lying about the latest act of mayhem and madness with collateral damage. And if you think that this kind of phony doctrine created by the exiting Wrecking Crew will not be continued by the new POTUS think again.

Peace

S Murph


The "Omen" coming Thursday on C-Span
written by Lou , November 05, 2008

Why is Rahmn Emanuel's name being floated about as Chief of Staff? Mr. DLC Centrist/Militarist extraordinaire? Speaking of which, the LITMUS test will come sooner than you think, this Thursday. That's when Harry Reid will set down with the back-stabbing, hardcore Zionist, AIPAC shill, militaristic, neo-con, Joe Lieberman and decide his fate for being McCain's stooge and hit man, and generally putting a twisting knife to the Dem Party.

We'll see if ol Joe, not the Plumber, but Lieberman gets a free pass, retains some seniority and choice seats, don't expect him to be banished. They're going to "reach across the aisle" after all? No more bickering, we're all grown now.

The "Omen." While everyone has been enraptured with BO's historic achievement, Bush is bombing the hell out of Pakistan and running cross-border incursions into Syria, and Lord knows where else. Seymour Hersh reported special ops activities in Iran over 2 years ago.

Is somebody giving Bush a wink and a nod to do something tremendously foolish, economy wrecking viz a viz Iran? Is this the "test", the one Biden intimated? Second, we'll see how the vaunted Progressive Machinery, the folks armed with iPods, cell phones, and text messaging react to giving Joe three demerits and a slap on the wrist.

I don't think we'll need 100 days to sort this out.

Bush-Lite
written by Lance Watkins , November 05, 2008

The above title may be an apt description of certain policy positions for the President-elect, if one believes the chatter emanating from some talking heads.

The very fact that Mr. Obama has gotten this far, you can be sure, is evidence that an adequate level of militarism has been agreed upon.

The story has yet to unfold as to the degree of - death by democracy - masked as promoting freedom that will be imposed on by many from this perceived Black Messiah. Talk about change we can believe in..

The hangover is over
written by cripes , November 06, 2008

Jesus, the color of a president's skin is no substitute for the content of his cabinet, to paraphrase MLK.

The same pimps that funded him into office will be there to collect the check once he's installed. Big pharma, telecoms, banking and insurance and the military complex. Oh yeah, the CFR, the trilateral commission and the Wall Street wise guys.

Our job is to build a lobby-a MOVEMENT- that can compete against these entrenched interests.

"I serve as a blank screen on which people of vastly different political stripes project their own views." - Barak Obama, Audacity of Hope


Change We can Believe in??
written by Lou , November 06, 2008

Is it just me, or does it seem like every DC insider or wannabe insider's name is being bandied about for the Cabinet? You know, the same tired, white male retreads who prop up empire. I feel like I'm watching an NFL coaching carousel. A "change" from the "new" to the "old" hands? Last, we might just see more ethnic diversity in GWB's cabinet(s), good grief.

But don't get mad or fearful, after all the vaunted Progressive Movement, the boots on the ground, will pressure BO to get it right...RIGHT??


...
written by Michael Hureaux , November 06, 2008

Yeah, well, you know, Lou. Already critics of the incoming Chief Executive and his Consigliere Mr. Emannuel. Whereas, for months we were told we were "haters" and "spoiler black people eaten up with self hatred" , now we are are being told that if we speak up, we're attacking Obama "simply for having ambition". I'm not aware that any of us ever faulted the President Elect for his ambition, what we were critiquing was his use of personal ambition to mislead and his cynical manipulation of the honest energies of activists who are in the process of finding out what actually drives this wretched system we live under. We're not self-hating, we've never judged loud honest mistakes here. But we have been ruthless in our common aversion to partyline thinking coming from people who actually ought to know better. We're not cynical, we just refuse to believe in Tinkerbelle.

Food for thought.. humble pie for all
written by Lou , November 06, 2008

Michael, your are so right. It's getting to be so tiring and sobering I'm getting past snideness to make points and will try to rely on facts and reasoning. And try to challenge his supporters to articulate WITH facts, WITH critical thinking how we are getting it wrong. And to stop confusing our critique for some lusty desire to see this man actually BLOW GRASPABLE OPPORTUNITIES to be even a little bold.

I strongly suggest checking out Robert Kuttner's interview with Terry Gross on NPR. Kuttner has written a book, "Obama's Challenge: America's Economic Crisis and the Power of a Transformative Presidency."

The downstream is at npr.org, go to Programs and click Fresh Air.

Kuttner outlines simple, straightforward economic steps to forestall a depression, similar to Nouriel Roubini. Obama supporters, all Americans, should check it out and use it to apply pressure to and shape the agenda for jumpstarting or saving the economy. They can then decide as a result of their success or failure, either their "power" or the "direction" of the Obama Presidency.

If a grassroots, progressive movement was actually built by President-Elect Obama, I suppose we should see it put into action shortly? I also wonder what role are his supporters having in shaping his Cabinet? And to what extent are certain policies being signaled or put in place already? We know he's been planning his transitional team for 2 months.

Nobody wants to see this man fail, but it is frustrating to see the lack of him being made accountable.

Likewise, Obama supporters will be reconciled soon with their own accountability as we all are confronted with the question/fact of "was winning what it was ultimately all about?" if all we see our centrist, neo-con light (and hard) luminaries in the Obama Cabinet and Executive Staff?

I truly hope we capture the promise that is within reach.

This is not the "Black Agenda Report" .................lol
written by New World , November 06, 2008

This is the "Black Acrimony Report"

A gathering of pseudo intellectual misfits*

A Paradoxical Klan of Self Doubting, Self Hating yesteryears Black Nationalist, Vindictive bitter bordering on "Reverse Racist".

Well Studied, well Researched 'Educated' Faithless Fatalist...

A Whole Herd of "Chicken Little's"

As You Brilliant Keepers of the *Real Light* bask in ya Church of Doom & Gloom wallowing in doubt & animosity.
Seething & stuck at the Gate of yesterday's Hate as World Turns & Heals & Marches On & On & On...

Sad Sick Silly Misstepping, Goose Stepping Fear mongrels,
delusional derisive deriding doppelgangers

Pretentious Presumptuous wanna be Revolutionaries Self Appointed Guardians of the poor ignorant Black Masses...

more like Lucifer & his crew rebelling against Heaven.........lol

NO Thanks!

Rant & Rage all you want you Tragic & Motley Crew.

The Multitudinous Millions upon Millions have Spoken...

History will erase your errant footsteps*


POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!!




Long Live President Barack Hussein Obama!

May God/Allah/Amun-Ra Guide his administration...

May We the People work hard & hand N hand to keep him accountable & Create a Better World.


May the Hope & Prayers of All & All be Answered*







New World is Exhibit A , no different than the RW loonies in their loyalty
written by Lou , November 06, 2008

An intellectual misfit who confuses CONSTRUCTIVE criticism for "hate." "..rebelling against Heaven...lol."
LOL is correct, you blasphemous clown.

"May We the People work hard...to keep him accountable and create a Better World." Pull the rose petals out of your eyes long enough to recognize that's what some posters are attempting. This is the last time I'll even bother replying to someone like you with your childish name-calling, someone probably too ignorant to even read the Kuttner piece and use it as a possible guideline and argument for positing policies that help regular Americans. No, you're so immature and void of critical thoughts, you should trust no politician to "do the right thing." Why do you think the Founding Fathers created checks and balances?

Once again, another example of "cheerleading" like a little Bitch instead of robust discussion of accountability or studied responses to criticism.

Lou..................Ha ha ha ha ..........lol
written by New World , November 06, 2008

Did I hit a nerve??

There is difference between "CONSTRUCTIVE criticism & "hate."

The insinuation of this article & Glen Ford's trash he calls "the Obama Phenomena.." is not "robust discussion of accountability or studied responses to criticism"...

This isn't drinking Hater-aid to you?!

It is an "example of "cheerleading" like a little Bitch instead" if accepting the possibility of evolving consciousness of the masses & the power & Potential of "the People to work hard & hand N hand to keep him accountable & Create a Better World."

Sorry if that is outside of your realm of thought..

& Dear Boy, "rebelling against Heaven...lol." ... was a metaphor

LOL is correct, you blasphemous clown.


Chewy Louey, an elementary school attendee knows that politics is a poison brew & WE/Blacks were not included in the Founding Father's checks & balances... those were rich white folks trying to expand a flourishing colony in to a bona fide New World.

Can you hypothesize that Obama did foster a unprecedented socio-political movement & that there may be a remote possibility of sincerity in his intent to implement Healing & Profound Change with what he has to work with...

If so then it behooves us, to apprise ourselves of what's really going on... The 'Young People' did indeed out vote all other groups, and their main message was/is stop fighting, let the past go, come together and leave "them" a New World that WE may govern in a fledging new found Peace.


Let go Go Lou;

Try Peace & Love Brother*

Can't you smell the Roses?


& "This is NOT the last time I'll even bother replying to someone like you with your childish name-calling,"

Beside Lou I wasn't talkn bout you...
written by New World , November 07, 2008

If the shoe doesn't fit,
Don't wear it...

You are a little pessimistic, but thought of you as the exception to the rule*


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