(This posting is in follow-up to 2011-08-01 The Swiss caused Geo Bush to cancel his visit to Geneva. Can we do the same? Bush speaking in Surrey, B.C. (Vancouver) Thursday, October 20th, 2011.)
If you have time for one thing, watch the short newscast interview with Donald Vance. (The UK Daily Mail, Two American men CAN sue Donald Rumsfeld after ‘being tortured by U.S. army in Iraq when they worked for security firm.)
Click on, the video is near the bottom: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2024036/2-Americans-CAN-sue-Donald-Rumsfeld-tortured-US-army-Iraq.html#ixzz1UlPZqjXz (Countdown, the torture of Don Vance)
CONTENTS
- HALLELUJAH! APPEAL COURT UPHOLDS DECISION: TWO AMERICANS CAN SUE DONALD RUMSFELD OVER TORTURE
- IF BUSH OR CHENEY STEP FOOT IN BRATTLEBORO, VERMONT, THE POLICE HAVE TO ARREST THEM FOR WAR CRIMES (2008) (this is not the only community)
- WE ARE EACH OF US TAKING OUR PLACE IN A GLOBAL, HUMAN REVOLUTION … WITH MANY THANKS TO BLAKE MACLEOD
– – – – – – – – – – — –
PREAMBLE
On one hand I say “Hallelujah!”, the court case against Donald Rumsfeld is going ahead.
On the other hand, I watched the video interview with Donald Vance, one of the people who are pressing forward with the court action. And I can’t speak.
Blake’s words in item #3 will mean even more after you watch the video. If Donald Vance can do what he is doing, after going through the torture meted out by the American military, we can get enough information to enough people to ensure that George Bush gets arrested when he is in Vancouver. In solidarity.
Note: Organizing is underway to Get Bush Arrested in Vancouver on October 20th. It is Very exciting with people and organizations from North America involved. Please let me know if you wish to participate in the organizing. We could use some people from Switzerland and Surrey and everywhere!!
Specific NEED: someone to set it up on facebook – – – are you someone?! Get Bush Arrested in Vancouver on October 20, 2011 (or a name decided by the organizers) .
= = = = = = = == = = = = = == = = = = =
- HALLELUJAH! APPEAL COURT UPHOLDS DECISION: TWO AMERICANS CAN SUE DONALD RUMSFELD OVER TORTURE
We have been following the case of Don Vance and Nathan Ertel:
- 2010-03-05 Court Allows Torture Suit Against Former Defense Sec’t Donald Rumsfeld (The first time in American history that court allows torture suit against current or former Cabinet Secretary)
U.S. Federal Judge Wayne Anderson’s ruling was appealed.
Hallelujah! On August 8th, 2011:
“ .. a panel of three judges at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago upheld the decision made by a federal judge in Illinois, voting 2-1.
The verdict paves the way for the lawsuit to proceed, . . . .
Thanks to Citizens for Legitimate Government (CLG). I noticed the news on their feed:
Two American men CAN sue Donald Rumsfeld after ‘being tortured by U.S. army in Iraq’ –Pair say their rights of ‘habeas corpus’ were violated. Donald Vance and Nathan Ertel, who worked for a private security firm in the Middle East country, were allegedly beaten and punished for months in 2006 at Camp Cropper near Baghdad before being dumped at the airport without charge. The pair argue that their rights of ‘habeas corpus’ – the legal term for unlawful detention – were violated, and are seeking damages from Rumsfeld, who was succeeded by Robert Gates in December 2007, and unnamed others.
– – – – – – – – – – —
The UK Daily Mail report on it: 2011-08-08 Two American men CAN sue Donald Rumsfeld . . .
Watch the video of the interview with Donald Vance. It’s near the bottom. It is very important.
– – – – – — – – – – – – – –
The article at Nation of Change is very good and contains quotes from the court decision, click on 2011-08-08 Torture Charges Go Forward Against Bush-Era Defense Secretary
= == = = = = = = == = = = =
2. IF BUSH OR CHENEY STEP FOOT IN BRATTLEBORO, VERMONT, THE POLICE HAVE TO ARREST THEM FOR WAR CRIMES (2008) (this is not the only community)
Susan from the U.S. writes (August 2011):
Brattleboro Vermont passed a resolution in 2008: if Bush or Cheney should ever step foot in town the police would have to arrest them for war crimes. (Link below). The world is getting smaller and smaller for these criminals.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=8257
— – – – – – – – – – – – –
To be arrested in Brattleboro “if they are not duly impeached”
Brattleboro Town Clerk Annette Cappy stands in her office holding a sample ballot.
The courageous people of Brattleboro, Vermont have taken the lead! Frustrated that elected officials have refused to introduce articles of impeachment in defiance of their constituents’ demands, the people of Brattelboro voted to direct town officials to draw up indictment papers against George Bush and Dick Cheney for violating their oath of office.
The Brattleboro vote took place during the Tuesday’s Vermont primary election. Bush supporters launched a major campaign to discredit the referendum resolution and the organizers. Yet the resolution passed by a vote of 2012 in favor to 1795 against.
“Shall the Selectboard instruct the Town Attorney to draft indictments against President Bush and Vice President Cheney for crimes against our Constitution, and publish said indictments for consideration by other authorities and shall it be the law of the Town of Brattleboro that the Brattleboro Police, pursuant to the above-mentioned indictments, arrest and detain George Bush and Richard Cheney in Brattleboro if they are not duly impeached, and prosecute or extradite them to other authorities that may reasonably contend to prosecute them?” The people of Brattleboro answered, “yes!”
The indictment means that Bush and Cheney can be arrested for criminal acts should they ever enter Brattleboro. The indictment would go into effect after Bush and Cheney leave office.
The Brattleboro resolution is becoming a powerful organizing model for cities and towns around the country. The impeachment movement has sunk deep roots throughout this country. The people of the United States are demanding not only that the Constitution be restored, but that the President, Vice President and other officials be held accountable for committing high crimes and misdemeanors.
The Brattleboro resolution shows that even where Congressional representatives are refusing to follow the majority sentiment demanding impeachment, that the people themselves can take action.
When Ramsey Clark launched the ImpeachBush / VoteToImpeach.org movement in January 2003 he sparked something entirely new. In the face of the aggression and arrogance of the Bush Administration, he launched a movement for the people to take back the Constitution. In Vermont, more than 40 town councils voted in favor of impeachment. Throughout California and in the other states of the union, the grassroots movement has put impeachment on the table through referendum, resolutions, demonstrations, rallies, newspaper ads and door-to-door petitioning.
In the next two weeks, ImpeachBush.org is joining with the anti-war movement for mass protests around the country. We are organizing buses, car caravans, printing placards and banners and making sure the call for Impeachment resounds on this coming 5th anniversary of the criminal war in Iraq. These will be locally and regionally coordinated mass actions in cities and towns throughout the country.
The movement is spreading because of the commitment and sacrifice of thousands of individuals who are engaged as volunteers in day-to-day organizing. Everyone should be proud of their work because this is a movement that belongs to all of us.
= = = = = = = = = = = = =
3. WE ARE EACH OF US TAKING OUR PLACE IN A GLOBAL, HUMAN REVOLUTION … WITH MANY THANKS TO BLAKE MACLEOD
Note: sub·rep·tion (a new word to me!)
1. A calculated misrepresentation through concealment of the facts.
2. An inference drawn from such a misrepresentation.
Blake writes:
We are each of us taking our place in a global, human revolution; a movement against a constant and relentless assault on our democratic rights and freedoms, and against our efforts to create a better world.
The counter revolution is being surreptitiously driven by ‘free market forces’ and narrow ideology, is promoted by our own governments by subreption, and it uses our military and police against us.
This is not new; this tension between opposing interests has existed through all human history. What is new is the manner in which we are rising to resist it, and that we are motivated now by our desire to protect the global commons for all life on earth.
We have become true global citizens. We see now that humanity is both obstacle and solution in this struggle, and when we must resolve this conflict if we are to succeed. Every conversation should be framed in this context, because doing so will allow us all to work together…not only to survive, but to create a better world.