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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsEric Holder - Death Squad/Torture Lawyer
Having been puzzled by the priorities of Attorney General Holder for some time now, as many on D.U. have expressed the same feelings, I decided to look a little deeper. It seems Mr. Holders past endeavors have been largely swept under the rug/intentionally obscured forgotten since his appointment.
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"Do not expect these recommendations to be carried forward if Eric Holder decides to forgo his lucrative corporate law practice at Covington & Burling and accept the U.S. Attorney General position for which many believe he is the top contender. Eric Holder would have a troubling conflict of interest in carrying out this work in light of his current work as defense lawyer for Chiquita Brands international in a case in which Colombian plaintiffs seek damages for the murders carried out by the AUC paramilitaries - a designated terrorist organization. Chiquita has already admitted in a criminal case that it paid the AUC around $1.7 million in a 7-year period and that it further provided the AUC with a cache of machine guns as well.
Indeed, Holder himself, using his influence as former deputy attorney general under the Clinton Administration, helped to negotiate Chiquita's sweetheart deal with the Justice Department in the criminal case against Chiquita. Under this deal, no Chiquita official received any jail time. Indeed, the identity of the key officials involved in the assistance to the paramilitaries were kept under seal and confidential. In the end, Chiquita was fined a mere $25 million which it has been allowed to pay over a 5-year period. This is incredible given the havoc wreaked by Chiquita's aid to these Colombian death squads."
It seems Mr. Holder was representing a company that surreptitiously aided in the murder of union organizers in South America. His appointment should have sent a clear signal to U.S. labor unions. Instead it seems everyone was swept up in the "thrill of victory".
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-kovalik/lawyer-for-chiquita-in-co_b_141919.html
More on that -
CIA Director Allen Dulles sat on United Fruit Board of Directors, and John Foster Dulles served as United Fruits legal counsel. United Fruit is now Chiquita Brands, with extensive holdings in Latin America and a long history of CIA undermining Latin American governments to benefit its profits via corruption, cocaine & gun running, and associated mass murders. Meanwhile, evangelical Christianity and pentecostalism has boomed throughout Latin America, so far as a variant becoming the religious cult belief of Drug Cartels such as Los Zetas and La Famiglia. After the Dulles brothers had died, Eli Black outbid the George H.W. Bush owned Zapata Corporation for control of United Fruit, and anything you can possibly imagine that could go wrong, did go wrong for Eli, including much of United Fruits paper assets magically vanishing, a fat bribe called Bananagate pinned on Eli suddenly turned up with an SEC investigation, and the 54 year old Jewish businessman who likely (physically) could not fight his way out of a paper bag, miraculously broke an industrial strength window and jumped from the 44th floor of a skyscraper. With Eli conveniently out of the way, Chiquita Brands was taken over by close Bush buddy & religious right Republican big shot Carl Lindner
History of Chiquita Brands at Wikipedia here
4) Obamas Attorney General Eric Holder served as legal counsel for Chiquita Brands and is directly involved in shielding Chiquita Brands corporate executives from murder for hire prosecutions, when Chiquita had hired the Columbian AUC terrorist groups right wing death squads to protect its banana interests in Columbia. Meanwhile, Holder has also been shielding criminal acts of the CIA with the state secret and national security doctrine
http://ronaldthomaswest.com/2013/04/22/this-particular-article-has-been-suffering-visibility-problems/
Anyone interested in finding out more about why things are as they are, why the Bush administration seems to be immune from prosecution, would be well advised to read the info at the ronaldthomaswest link.
"Empirically speaking, a doctors diagnosis of a patient is based on a study of symptoms, and such will be the basis for our examination of todays parasitic infection of the USA by our very own American Deep State network.
The primary symptom of any advanced case of the disease Deep State is impunity. Well begin with an examination of this symptom according to the Oxford:
impunity |imˈpyoōnitē|
noun
exemption from punishment or freedom from the injurious consequences of an action : the impunity enjoyed by military officers implicated in civilian killings | protesters burned flags on the streets with impunity.
ORIGIN mid 16th cent.: from Latin impunitas, from impunis unpunished "
Of course, Mr. Holder was only doing his job, right? Russia seems to disagree on that, having barred Bush era "torture lawyers" from visiting the Soviet Union.
"But several of the Americans targeted by Moscow this time were clearly guilty of human rights crimes. John Yoo and David Addington were former legal advisers to President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, respectively. The two lawyers were famous for inventing new excuses for torture. Two other Americans on Moscows list Major General Geoffrey D. Miller and Rear Admiral Jeffrey Harbeson commanded the extralegal detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
In particular, Yoo and Addington stand out as smug apologists for torture who twisted law and logic to justify waterboarding, painful stress positions, forced nudity, sleep deprivation and other techniques that have been historically defined as torture. In a society that truly respected human rights, they would have been held accountable along with other practitioners of the dark side but instead have been allowed to walk free and carry on their professional lives almost as if nothing had happened.
The Russians were polite enough only to include on the list these mid-level torture advocates and enablers (as well as some prosecutors who have led legal cases against Russian nationals). They left off the list many culpable former senior officials, such as Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, CIA Director George Tenet, Cheney and Bush. Obviously, the Russian government didnt want an escalation."
http://consortiumnews.com/2013/04/14/russia-bars-bush-era-torture-lawyers/
Another recommended reading at the link above.
Welcome to the DEEP STATE, D.U.ers! I wish there was something that gave me an iota of a clue as to what can or should be done. Perhaps some of you have some ideas.
Demeter
(85,373 posts)or whatever the current term for it is.
warrprayer
(4,734 posts)from what I read, had to flee the U.S..
graham4anything
(11,464 posts)so not all, but some.
warrprayer
(4,734 posts)Berlum
(7,044 posts)think
(11,641 posts)I never cared for Eric Holder. Now after learning he's a tool for corporate America's evil doing, I consider him persona non grata.
Chiquita should be the poster child of what is wrong with multinational corporations. From the article referenced above:
Ya Eric Holder is a swell guy. He's right up there with Dick Cheney...
awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)so he has to be good.
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)Bonobo
(29,257 posts)I'd like to see them shunned, mocked and vilified.
And then thrown into the shitbox.
graham4anything
(11,464 posts)think
(11,641 posts)warrprayer
(4,734 posts)right before he was appointed apparently. Everyone (almost) forgot and now they wonder what the deal is.
warrprayer
(4,734 posts)All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.
Edmund Burke
forestpath
(3,102 posts)Corporate crooks own the government.
warrprayer
(4,734 posts)preparing to do for us what they have done 4 the third world.
Teamster Jeff
(1,598 posts)johnnyreb
(915 posts)People should know so they can form their own conclusions. That is, if there's enough time left.
gateley
(62,683 posts)gateley
(62,683 posts)Sincere question. Thanks.
(I only remember Bush's AG turning everything illegal into legal at Bush/Cheney's bidding.)
spanone
(135,830 posts)gateley
(62,683 posts)I found out if the accusation had merit.
dreamnightwind
(4,775 posts)if possible. Seems reasonable to ask, who would you select for Attorney General, or give us a list of possible people you'd select. Then we could take a close look at who these people are.
Of course, candidates could refuse to say, or give a list that includes some good people (Obama's technique), then when elected, select the corporate power players instead. So even getting prior disclosure could be gamed.
We could start asking now. Who's running in 2016? Biden? Clinton? Who would they pick for Attorney General? More of the same, I suspect, but specifics would help.
This, to me, is a good example of why I can't support most of the centrist Democratic Party politicians. Behind the facade is the same fascism, death-squads, proxy wars, control of the people to enable massive profits for the already obscenely wealthy. Not acceptable.
Latin America is making great strides at taking back power from these forces. It's a pity we aren't doing the same.
Thanks for the OP.
vi5
(13,305 posts)Obama said a lot of things in the primaries that turned out to be easily cast aside once in office.
Looks like it doesn't mean a damn thing. What do you do when they tell you what you want to hear and then do the opposite?
blackspade
(10,056 posts)I've realized that our government has become infested with corporate employed operatives and political (bought) patsies.
There are only a few that have not managed to roll over for the 1%.
Solomon
(12,310 posts)Every lawyer has represented someone you don't approve of
Christ on a cracker this place is getting stupider every day.
"In a society that truly respected human rights, they would have been held accountable along with other practitioners of the dark side but instead have been allowed to walk free and carry on their professional lives almost as if nothing had happened."
Octafish
(55,745 posts)There are plenty of good lawyers around who want to put away bad guys, rather than get put on the payroll.
Eric Holder Enables Dishonesty, Fraud and Likely Criminal Activity on Wall Street
MARK KARLIN, EDITOR OF BUZZFLASH AT TRUTHOUT
Friday, 15 March 2013 17:36
Why has BuzzFlash at Truthout been writing a steady stream of commentaries documenting how the Department of Justice (DOJ) has been enabling fraudulent and likely criminal activity on Wall Street?
Well, you need look no further than the abundance of stories on how the multi-billion dollar JP Morgan Chase "whale" loss has just been exposed as the product of a systemic corporate culture at JP Morgan, all the way up to the White House "hero" of Wall Street, Jamie Dimon.
When the reckless, dishonest so-called JP Morgan Chase "whale" loss was first exposed, the business writers and politicians accepted Jamie Dimon's flippant dismissal of the financial fraud as a bump in the road, the irresponsible action of one trader. Dimon has the luminescent protective coating of being Obama's alleged model of Wall Street propriety, so the media did not doubt Dimon's reassurances for a moment.
But on March 14, the New York Times portrayed another side of the story, courtesy of a blistering United States Senate report, on the "whale" trading irregularities and cover-up. The report revealed evidence of the same kind of behavior that led to the collapse of the US economy. The NYT article is entitled, "JPMorgan Faulted on Controls and Disclosure in Trading Loss,"
JPMorgan Chase, the nations biggest bank, ignored internal controls and manipulated documents as it racked up trading losses last year, while its influential chief executive, Jamie Dimon, briefly withheld some information from regulators, a new Senate report says.
CONTINUED...
http://truth-out.org/buzzflash/commentary/item/17863-eric-holder-enables-dishonesty-fraud-and-likely-criminal-activity-on-wall-street
Now that's stupid.
vi5
(13,305 posts)I mean clearly he himself would have preferred someone who didn't love torture and death squads and all sorts of other non-liberal things. But this (as all things bad) simply MUST be the fault of the obstructionist congress and those damn republicans who control both chambers!!!!!!!
This is why we all must go out and vote Democrat across the board for everything at all times and continue to give money so that we can get a super majority of 99 Senators and 4 million reps in the house. That is the only way President Obama will have enough ability to get anything progressive or liberal done!!
warrprayer
(4,734 posts).... as evidenced by the articles in the links. We controlled both houses and the Presidency. Nancy Pelosi made it clear there would be no accountability for the Bush regime. Appointing Holder as A.G. doubled down on that. I mean, the guy got Chiquita brass off the hook for funding a group our own State dept. designated as a terrorist group, with a slap on the wrist. These people were paying to have the poor murdered, for daring to demand fair treatment and wages. Says loads for what we should expect.
warrprayer
(4,734 posts)http://www.lexhelp.com/blog/2013/02/23/a-day-of-reckoning-for-bushs-torture-lawyers/
"A Day of Reckoning for Bushs torture lawyers
Posted on 02/23/2013 by admin A Day of Reckoning for Bushs torture lawyers
Aix en Provence, France ? Under even the most dire conditions, there is a gold standard when it comes to applying the rule of law. It was set 65 years ago by a former attorney general of the United States. At issue today is whether the current attorney general will uphold that standard.
Eric Holder must decide whether to pursue Bush administration lawyers and one sitting federal judge who set the legal stage for officially sanctioned torture and other degrading practices that violated fundamental principles of international law. As Mr. Holder wrestles with this decision, he must consider the gold standard set by his predecessor Robert Jackson at Nuremberg."
"That there will be a day of historical reckoning is beyond doubt. In France the reckoning took 50 years. In 1995 President Jacques Chirac formally and belatedly acknowledged the dark hours that sullied our
history and injured our traditions admitting that the French Vichy regime government was complicit in World War II atrocities. The issue is how quickly it will come. The attorney general must find the
courage to face it now.
Ronald Sokol is a member of the bar in the United States and in France. He practices in Aix-en-Provence. He is the author of Justice After Darwin and other books and articles.''
warrprayer
(4,734 posts)http://rense.com/general86/ATTNY.HTM
Attorneys Want Bush Torture
Lawyers Disbarred
200 Groups File For Disbarment And Displinery
Action Against Twelve Bush Torture Lawyers
By Ilene Proctor
6-4-9
On Monday, May 18, 2009, a broad coalition of organizations dedicated to accountable government, and representing over one million members, filed disciplinary complaints with state bar licensing boards against twelve attorneys who advocated the torture of detainees during the Bush Administration. These detailed complaints with over 500 pages of supporting exhibits have been filed against John Yoo, Jay Bybee, Stephen Bradbury, Alberto Gonzales, John Ashcroft, Michael Chertoff, Alice Fisher, William Haynes II, Douglas Feith, Michael Mukasey, Timothy Flanigan, and David Addington. The complaints, filed with the state bars in the District of Columbia, New York, California, Texasand Pennsylvania, seek disciplinary action and disbarment. Copies of the complaints and exhibits are available at www.disbartorturelawyers.com.
The individually tailored complaints allege that the named attorneys violated the rules of professional responsibility by advocating torture, which is illegal under both United States and international law. Specifically, the Geneva Convention, UN Convention Against Torture, the Eighth Amendment, the Army Field Manual and the United StatesCriminal Code against torture and war crimes all prohibit torture of detainees. The memos written and supported by these attorneys advocating torture have now been repudiated by the Department of Justice, the White House, the Department of Defense and other experts in the field. The recently released Senate and Red Cross reports on detainee treatment provide uncontrovertible evidence that the torture techniques advocated by the attorneys were used on human beings over an extended period of time.
warrprayer
(4,734 posts)http://archive.org/details/DisbarTheTortureLawyersSayRightsGroupsGoodGovernmentOrganizationsAnd
Attorney's Kevin Zeese of Voters for Peace and Marjorie Cohn of the National Lawyers Guild issue calls to US Bar Associations asking them to disbar 12 attorneys over their violations of codes of ethical conduct in their roles facilitating or fostering torture during the Bush administration.
Their complaint list includes former Bush administration attorney's general, John Ashcroft, Alberto Gonzales, and Michael Mukasey as well as the Assistant Attorney General in the legal counsel department, Jay Bybee. They also want Homeland Security Director, Michael Chertoff disbarred as well as present and former DOJ and DOD officials: John Yoo, Douglas Feith, and Stephen Bradbury, David Addington, Alice Fisher, William Haynes II, and Timothy Flanigan.
Also, Geneve Mantri, Amnesty International's spokesperson on Terror, Counter Terror and Human Rights, on the transfer of Guantanamo prisoner Ahmed Ghialani to New York for trial.
warrprayer
(4,734 posts)"Those without honor
Do not recognize truth
They pay homage to whatever benefits them singulary,
Regardless of the suffeing it may cause others
The honorable continuously seek information
They recognize truth when it is present
Regardless of the cost or consequences associated with it
They fight, die and suffer to protect truth.
Without honor, truth cannot exist.
In the absence of truth
All suffer.
HONOR. VALOR TRUTH "
President Obama needs to release this guy, bring him to the White House,, and hand him his Nobel Peace prize.
FOR REAL.
The courage of life is often a less dramatic spectacle than the courage of a final moment; but it is no less a magnificent mixture of triumph and tragedy. A man does what he must - in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures - and that is the basis of all morality.
- John F. Kennedy