Torture cover-up unravels: Howard and Bush are the real terrorists

[struggle4progress]

Sarah Stephen

<snip> The explosive issue getting quickly lost behind the media “debate” about Habib's character and activities is the fact that he was tortured over a period of three years, and he alleges that in Pakistan and Egypt there were Australian officials present during that torture. Those damning claims are being buried — precisely as the government intends.

What's more, for three years, the Howard government denied that Habib had been taken to Egypt, or that Australian authorities knew anything about it. That was a lie. We know that it was because of admissions by Richardson, who told the Senate committee on February 15: “We formed a view in mid-to late November <2001> that he was most likely in Egypt ... and that was the basis of the representations of Foreign Affairs to Egypt. We established to our satisfaction that he was definitely there in February 2002.”

The question remains, did Australian officials know in advance that Habib was going to be transferred by the US military to Egypt to be tortured, and did they give their approval? If the government lied about not knowing that Habib was in Egypt, it may well be lying about its complicity in his horrific torture. <snip>

“It's not new that the US has been .. torturing prisoners. All the torturers in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Brazil were trained by the CIA ..”.. Peace .. activist Raul Bassi .. told Green Left Weekly. “In Argentina in the 1960s and '70s, the whole army was organised as a torture and killing machine for .. dissidents ... The experience of many activists .. was when you were arrested for anything — whether .. a protest or an industrial strike — the first thing .. was a series of punches, baton hits. If they thought you were more important, you got .. electric shocks. Sexual assault was normal, and they didn't spare women ... By attacking, torturing and breaking the leaders, they expected .. to stop their actions, to morally break the will of the freedom fighters.” <snip>

http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2005/616/616p11.htm

[whistle]

1. Great, so how do the Australians and the Americans get these...

...war criminals out of power?

[Catamount]

2. Perhaps we should appeal to the world court at the Hague?

As an expat Aussie, I feel especially ashamed.

[whistle]

3. You can imagine how I feel as an American, very ashamed of...

...all the atrocities being committed in the cause of freedom and the name of justice. The body count of over 100,000 dead Iraqi women and children and elderly add nothing to America's purpose.

[Catamount]

4. Yes, I feel that too!

Message:
Being constantly torn as to where to ultimately live in my old age,(since I can only do one or the other) I love both countries equally, and all that goes with that.
Our countries are so very similar, there are just so many more people here, making it more exciting and scary.
But I feel that if, WE THE PEOPLE keep up all this good work with each other, informing and urging our politicians to do OUR work, the media and others will have to pay attention eventually, and our so called democracy will prevail.
I know I'm feeling optimistic today and talking like a child, but what the hell, it's sunny and it's Sunday!

:)