Reflections From a Murky Pond

I’m fairly sure I’ll be labeled as a racist for this statement, But Pres. Obama has shown himself to be nothing more than a spiteful little boy. A spiteful little boy who chooses to lash out at those who fail to give him whatever he wants.

I guess our new President expected the rest of the country to accept his mandate like his devoted followers have done.

As part of President Obama’s efforts to close the US detention facility at Guantanamo Bay (Gitmo) and release the various terrorists held therein, he asked the Us Military to delay their trial of Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, the Al-Qaeda terrorist leader who is alleged to have orchestrated the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole that killed 17 U.S. sailors in Yemen.

The US military refused this request.  The judge in the tribunal , Army Col. James Pohl, said it was a difficult but necessary decision to refuse the President’s request. The tribunal must move forward to protect “the public interest in a speedy trial”  – as is required under the 6th Amendment of the US Constitution.

President Obama’s response to being balked by US military was to have all the charges against the terrorist, Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, dropped.  It was arranged for Susan Crawford, the retired judge and political appointee who oversees the commissions, to issue a ruling overriding Col. Pohl and dismissing without prejudice all charges against al-Nashiri.

Spiteful – that’s the only word for it. When he’s defied by the Military courts, he simply lashes out to punish them without care for the damage he causes.

The President – in what must be an excess of either stupidity or arrogance – then tried to invite the families who lost loved ones in the Cole bombing to the White House on Friday, February 6, 2009. Few if any were reported to be pleased with invitation and many refused to meet with President Obama at all, or help him smooth over this atrocity.

My son was blown up along with 16 others. I buried body parts for three years. I’m still suffering and now he’s withdrawing the charges?

There’s nothing he can say to make me feel better. He may be the President but he’s wrong.

— Diane McDaniels
Mother of Seaman James Rodrick McDaniels

“He may be the President but he’s wrong.” Obama may also be the Commander in Chief, but he’s done little or nothing to inspire the US Military’s support or loyalty. He may be the “leader of the free world” but he’s nothing but a spiteful little boy.

Tags: Al-Qaeda | Gitmo | Injustice | Obama | Politics | Terrorism | US Military | War Crimes | War On Terror

This entry was posted on Saturday, February 7th, 2009 at 10:34 am and is filed under Politics. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has once again attempted to overstep its authority by involving itself in matters which are outside of its jurisdiction. On Monday 14 July, ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo will submit to the Judges of Pre-Trial Chamber I his evidence on crimes committed in the whole of Darfur over the last five years. Specifically he is requesting an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir on the charges of genocide and crimes against humanity for the systematic killings in Sudan’s western Darfur region since 2003.

At first read this seems to be a fine idea. It isn’t.

The The International Criminal Court derives its powers from the Rome Statute signed into treaty on 17 July 1998 and entered into force on July 1, 2002. The Rome Statute is an international treaty which specifically grants the ICC jurisdiction in only in those States which formally expressed their consent to be bound by its provisions. These States voluntarily became “Parties” to the Statute. The 106 Nations who are currently States Parties to the Rome Statute do not include Sudan! The ICC has absolutely no jurisdiction over the Sudanese or their President Omar Hassan al-Bashir.

As bad as the situation is in Sudan, especially the Darfur region, I believe it is an even worse situation in the long run for an international body such as the ICC to be gratuitously overstepping its authority and ignoring the dictates and limitations of the treaty that created it and empowered its actions.

I’m fairly sure that the apologetics used to rationalize the ICC’s frankly extra-legal endeavors are that what is happening in the Darfur region of Sudan is an ongoing parade of atrocities, many – possibly most – of them committed systematically at the bequest of al-Bashir’s government. That’s fine and emotionally satisfying, but if one condones such actions by the ICC, then one must also condone the actions of Israel, the US, China, Russia, and any other nation that steps outside of international law and treaties to “do what it deems is necessary” to end an atrocity or protect itself.

For what little it’s worth the Sudanese government has exhibited a fierce defiance of the ICC. They even threatened to try Moreno-Ocampo in a Sudanese court for “terrorism” after the ICC Prosecutor tried to apprehend and arrest Sudanese State Minister Ahmed Haroun, one of the Sudanese citizens facing a previous ICC warrant, as he was about to go on a trip to Saudi Arabia.

NOTE: I really hate feeling the need to make posts such as this one. On a personal level I’d happily sell my life to visit the same horrors upon the Sudanese government and their forces that they’ve visited on the people of Darfur. One has to look beyond that though and see the ramifications the actions taken to redress these issues.

Thank you ever so much, Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, for forcing me to side with al-Bashir and his ilk on anything! May the Gods create a special Hell for you rot within for eternity.

Tags: Africa | Darfur | Ethics & Morality | Genocide | ICC | Injustice | International Law | Politics | Sudan | War Crimes

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 13th, 2008 at 9:58 am and is filed under Politics. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Montgomery County Circuit Judge Katherine D. Savage dismissed the charges against and released Mahamu Kanneh, who was accused of repeated raping and otherwise sexually molesting a seven year old girl of the course of a year. The Liberian immigrant was not released due to lack of evidence but due to the fact that he supposedly didn’t speak enough English!

Judge Savage decided that, after three years of supposedly trying to get a translator for Mr. Kanneh’s native Vai tongue – a tribal language spoken by approximately 100,000 people worldwide – that Mr. Kanneh’s right to a speedy trial had been violated.

This is one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make in a long time

 

— Judge Katherine D. Savage

The Author wonders how it could be other a “most difficult decision” to release an accused child rapist back into society without first allowing a jury to determine his guilt or innocence. Judge Savage had to carefully weigh the facts that: Mahama Kanneh attended high school and community college in Maryland, spoke English to detective and court representatives throughout the proceedings, and had previously waved his right to a speedy trial so that his defense team could conduct its own analysis of DNA evidence. It must have been very hard for Judge Savage to twist the facts in such a way so as to be able to possibly release yet another pedophile back into society.

This must have been especially difficult for Judge Savage to accomplished since one of the primary purposes for The Right To A Speedy And Public Trial is to prevent undue and oppressive incarceration prior to trial. Mahamu Kanneh had only spent one night in jail and was released on a $10,000 bond with the restriction that he have no contact with minors.

Go to the Washingnton Post for the full story.

Tags: Courts | Injustice | Law | Legal System | Prejudice

This entry was posted on Monday, July 23rd, 2007 at 12:35 pm and is filed under Politics, Society. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

In OMAHA, Neb District Judge Kristine Cecava of Cheyenne County sentenced a convicted sex offender to 10 years probation instead of any prison time because he was short. Richard W. Thompson was convicted two counts of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl, yet the judge felt that prison would be too harsh for him because he stood only 5’1”.

So I’m sitting here thinking this guy has earned his way to prison, but then I look at you and I look at your physical size. I look at your basic ability to cope with people and, quite frankly, I shake to think what might happen to you in prison because I don’t think you’ll do well in prison.

— Judge Cecava
Court transcript of the hearing

What makes things even worse – and yes, sadly things do get worse than releasing pedophilic rapist into society – Judge Cecava used to be part of the Nebraska Commission for the Protection of Children! The Author wonders how much protection this woman provided for Nebraska’s children with her penchant for releasing dangerous sexual predators into society. She’s obviously more concerned with the safety and comfort of child molesters than she ever was with the safety of children.

Given the proven rate of recidivism among pedophiles and other sexual predators, Judge Kristine Cecava should not only be removed from the bench and disbarred, but held legally accountable as an accessory before the fact for any future crimes committed by Mr. Thompson.

Tags: Courts | Injustice | Law | Legal System | Prejudice

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 19th, 2007 at 2:33 pm and is filed under Politics, Society. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Bob Teixeira decided it was time to take a stand against U.S. dependence on foreign oil. His reward from a state that heavily promotes alternative fuels: a $1,000 fine last month for not paying motor fuel taxes. He’s been told to expect another $1,000 fine from the federal government. And to legally use veggie oil, state officials told him, he would have to first post a $2,500 bond.

The state of North Carolina has decided that they prefer the $1.2 billion annual revenue from gas taxes over freedom from foreign oil or environmental concerns.

Tags: Biofuel | Green | Injustice | Law | Politics

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 13th, 2007 at 4:28 pm and is filed under Politics, The Environment. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.