Human Rights
The Obama administration’s decision to use a military tribunal rather than a federal criminal court to try alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others means the real motives behind the 9/11 attacks may remain obscure.
The Likud Lobby and their allied U.S. legislators can chalk up a significant victory for substantially shrinking any opportunity for the accused planners of 9/11 to tell their side of the story.
What? I sense some bristling. “Their side of the story?” Indeed! We’ve been told there is no “their side of the story.”
For years, President George W. Bush got away with offering up the risible explanation that they “hate our freedoms.” The stenographers of the White House press corps may have had to suppress smiles but silently swallowed the “they-hate-us-for-our-freedoms” rationale.
The only journalist I can recall stepping up and asking, in effect, “Come on; now really; it’s important; why do the really hate us” was the indomitable Helen Thomas.
The Likud Lobby and their allied U.S. legislators can chalk up a significant victory for substantially shrinking any opportunity for the accused planners of 9/11 to tell their side of the story.
What? I sense some bristling. “Their side of the story?” Indeed! We’ve been told there is no “their side of the story.”
For years, President George W. Bush got away with offering up the risible explanation that they “hate our freedoms.” The stenographers of the White House press corps may have had to suppress smiles but silently swallowed the “they-hate-us-for-our-freedoms” rationale.
The only journalist I can recall stepping up and asking, in effect, “Come on; now really; it’s important; why do the really hate us” was the indomitable Helen Thomas.
The global boycott movement (BDS) and other related campaigns were aimed at exposing Israeli transgressions against the Palestinian people and galvanizing international solidarity. What is so uplifting to see now is how their achievements have far surpassed these initial aims. The campaigns have animated, accentuated and actually legitimized Palestinian civil society - a notion that long stood outside the official paradigm acceptable to Israel, and which had very little space within the restrictive realm of the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Now civil society has been incorporated into the overall political equation as a leading factor in the Palestinian struggle for rights and freedom. The society is also increasingly filling the vacuum created by the PA’s localization of the Palestinian struggle, and Israel’s constant attempt at downgrading any genuine alternative to the PA’s leadership.
Now civil society has been incorporated into the overall political equation as a leading factor in the Palestinian struggle for rights and freedom. The society is also increasingly filling the vacuum created by the PA’s localization of the Palestinian struggle, and Israel’s constant attempt at downgrading any genuine alternative to the PA’s leadership.
BANGKOK, Thailand -- Police are investigating an international "efficient embryo refining" syndicate after discovering 15 women who were allegedly inseminated and kept in a house during their pregnancies so an Internet-based company could sell their babies.
Photographs of "Oriental Selected Egg Donors" showed young, cute Asian women in coy poses on the Babe-101 Eugenic Surrogate website (Baby-1001.com website).
For at least $35,000 anyone could go online and rent a surrogate mother, which included a payment for sperm or an "ovum donor" of their choice who was either "Eastern race" or "Caucasian," with a selected "complexion" of either "Yellow," "Caucasian," "Brown," "African," or "Red."
The company was apparently administered on the island nation of Taiwan with surrogate homes in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
On Wednesday (March 2), the Public Health Ministry, Foreign Ministry, Vietnamese embassy, Thai Immigration Department, and Royal Thai College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists were coordinating how to respond.
Photographs of "Oriental Selected Egg Donors" showed young, cute Asian women in coy poses on the Babe-101 Eugenic Surrogate website (Baby-1001.com website).
For at least $35,000 anyone could go online and rent a surrogate mother, which included a payment for sperm or an "ovum donor" of their choice who was either "Eastern race" or "Caucasian," with a selected "complexion" of either "Yellow," "Caucasian," "Brown," "African," or "Red."
The company was apparently administered on the island nation of Taiwan with surrogate homes in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
On Wednesday (March 2), the Public Health Ministry, Foreign Ministry, Vietnamese embassy, Thai Immigration Department, and Royal Thai College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists were coordinating how to respond.
HONOLULU - Equality Hawaii, the state's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, and the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBT civil rights organization, today congratulated Governor Neil Abercrombie, the Hawaii legislature and the people of Hawaii for enacting civil unions into law. The legislation provides that equal rights and responsibilities of married couples in Hawaii be afforded to thousands of non-married couples in the state – including same-sex couples. The law takes effect January 1, 2012.
"Today is a truly momentous day in Hawaii and a great step forward in our struggle towards full equality,” said Alan Spector, co-chair of Equality Hawaii. "After nearly two decades of debate and sometimes hostile rhetoric, the people of Hawaii have spoken loud and clear, and their words ring true with hope and optimism. Equality Hawaii thanks Governor Abercrombie, the legislature, HRC and all those who have joined this fight for equal rights over the last two decades."
"Today is a truly momentous day in Hawaii and a great step forward in our struggle towards full equality,” said Alan Spector, co-chair of Equality Hawaii. "After nearly two decades of debate and sometimes hostile rhetoric, the people of Hawaii have spoken loud and clear, and their words ring true with hope and optimism. Equality Hawaii thanks Governor Abercrombie, the legislature, HRC and all those who have joined this fight for equal rights over the last two decades."
On January 25th, twelve anti-war and international solidarity activists will be expected to appear before a grand jury in Chicago. They and eleven others from Chicago and the Twin Cities area in Minnesota in the past months were subpoenaed. Several of the activists had their homes raided. Documents, cell phones, storage disks, computers, and children's artwork were seized from their home. The subpoenas indicated the FBI was looking for evidence that the activists had provided "material support for terrorism." And, recently, it was discovered that the FBI had an informant, who went by the name of "Karen Sullivan," infiltrated an anti-war group in the Twin Cities.
I have personally interviewed many of the activists being targeted and have found no evidence that either should be facing any FBI investigation. A "witch-hunt" began on September 24th and, since then, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has been working to get activists to testify before a grand jury in Chicago. So far, all the activists have refused to participate in this "fishing expedition."
I have personally interviewed many of the activists being targeted and have found no evidence that either should be facing any FBI investigation. A "witch-hunt" began on September 24th and, since then, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has been working to get activists to testify before a grand jury in Chicago. So far, all the activists have refused to participate in this "fishing expedition."
The case of Private Bradley Manning raises legal issues about his pre-trial detention, freedom of speech and the press, as well as proving his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Putting aside Manning’s guilt or innocence, if Bradley Manning saw the Afghan and Iraq war diaries as well as the diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks what should he have done? And, what should be the proper response of government to their publication?
A high point in the application of the rule of law to war came in the Nuremberg trials where leaders in Germany were held accountable for World War II atrocities. Justice Robert Jackson, who served as the chief prosecutor in the Nuremberg trials while on leave from the U.S. Supreme Court, said “If certain acts of violation of treaties are crimes, they are crimes whether the United States does them or whether Germany does them, and we are not prepared to lay down a rule of criminal conduct against others which we would not be willing to have invoked against us.”
A high point in the application of the rule of law to war came in the Nuremberg trials where leaders in Germany were held accountable for World War II atrocities. Justice Robert Jackson, who served as the chief prosecutor in the Nuremberg trials while on leave from the U.S. Supreme Court, said “If certain acts of violation of treaties are crimes, they are crimes whether the United States does them or whether Germany does them, and we are not prepared to lay down a rule of criminal conduct against others which we would not be willing to have invoked against us.”
Dear Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman:
I read with interest your article titled: "Ohio State's medical industrial complex under fire for unnecessary surgeries".
As a woman retired MD who specialized in Gynecology and Anatomic Pathology, and who has worked at OSUMC, I have special insight into the situation.
According to the NOW letter to Dr. Gee published in the Dec issue of The Other Paper:
"In view of the fact that best practices calls for pathological analysis by an expert (experienced in gynecologic pathology) to properly determine Pap smear and cervical biopsy diagnosis and OSUMC is capable of providing that expertise in the person of Dr. Gerard Nuovo, there is no good reason for giving Ohio women second class medical treatment and care. And there is no good reason for dismissing an expert who brings shortcomings to the attention of authorities."
Dr Gabbe, the CEO of OSUMC, replies to this letter from NOW with the following statement:
I read with interest your article titled: "Ohio State's medical industrial complex under fire for unnecessary surgeries".
As a woman retired MD who specialized in Gynecology and Anatomic Pathology, and who has worked at OSUMC, I have special insight into the situation.
According to the NOW letter to Dr. Gee published in the Dec issue of The Other Paper:
"In view of the fact that best practices calls for pathological analysis by an expert (experienced in gynecologic pathology) to properly determine Pap smear and cervical biopsy diagnosis and OSUMC is capable of providing that expertise in the person of Dr. Gerard Nuovo, there is no good reason for giving Ohio women second class medical treatment and care. And there is no good reason for dismissing an expert who brings shortcomings to the attention of authorities."
Dr Gabbe, the CEO of OSUMC, replies to this letter from NOW with the following statement:
The Ohio State Medical Center (OSUMC) is performing unnecessary surgeries on women and the world-renowned doctor who blew the whistle on the practice is about to be fired.
Well-respected gynecological pathologist Dr. Gerard Nuovo has provided public records showing that the decision to give women unnecessary surgery on their cervix or endometrium depends upon the diagnosis of an inexperienced pathologist. It has been suggested by the National Organization for Women (NOW) Education and Legal Fund that this is done to maximize profit.
Nuovo has been a tenured professor in the College of Medicine at the Department of Pathology in the OSUMC since 1999. Dr. Nuovo has written a textbook on gynecologic pathology and co-wrote a textbook entitled "Human Papillomavirus and the Relationship to Genital Tract Neoplasms." He has published over 260 peer-reviewed articles and has written 37 chapters in various medical books.
Well-respected gynecological pathologist Dr. Gerard Nuovo has provided public records showing that the decision to give women unnecessary surgery on their cervix or endometrium depends upon the diagnosis of an inexperienced pathologist. It has been suggested by the National Organization for Women (NOW) Education and Legal Fund that this is done to maximize profit.
Nuovo has been a tenured professor in the College of Medicine at the Department of Pathology in the OSUMC since 1999. Dr. Nuovo has written a textbook on gynecologic pathology and co-wrote a textbook entitled "Human Papillomavirus and the Relationship to Genital Tract Neoplasms." He has published over 260 peer-reviewed articles and has written 37 chapters in various medical books.
Just under two weeks ago the WikiLeaksIsDemocracy statement was sent to several leading intellectuals, community organizers, activists, and people from varying political perspectives by Linda Schade. The hope was to begin building a serious, contemplative, engaged community—both nationally and internationally—who are not only concerned about preserving the U.S. Constitution, but understand the consequences of its unraveling as well as the importance of the information being published by WikiLeaks.
Nowhere is this unraveling more apparent than in the WikiLeaks case. Constitutional protections of Freedom of Speech, the Press, and the right of people to peaceably assemble are now in the cross hairs of a United States executive branch run amok with its de facto monitoring of innocent civilians, wars of aggression and other overreaches too numerous to cite here.
Nowhere is this unraveling more apparent than in the WikiLeaks case. Constitutional protections of Freedom of Speech, the Press, and the right of people to peaceably assemble are now in the cross hairs of a United States executive branch run amok with its de facto monitoring of innocent civilians, wars of aggression and other overreaches too numerous to cite here.
A curious turn of events is taking shape in Latin America, one that demonstrates at least two levels of international change. The leaders of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay have stated their recognition of a Palestinian state within the 'green line', the 1948 armistice line between Israel and the Palestinians.