robert parry breaks it down:
Russia-gate enthusiasts are thrilled over the guilty plea of President Trump’s former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn for lying to the FBI about pre-inauguration conversations with the Russian ambassador, but the case should alarm true civil libertarians.
What is arguably most disturbing about this case is that then-National Security Adviser Flynn was pushed into a perjury trap by Obama administration holdovers at the Justice Department who concocted an unorthodox legal rationale for subjecting Flynn to an FBI interrogation four days after he took office, testing Flynn’s recollection of the conversations while the FBI agents had transcripts of the calls intercepted by the National Security Agency.
In other words, the Justice Department wasn’t seeking information about what Flynn said to Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak – the intelligence agencies already had that information. Instead, Flynn was being quizzed on his precise recollection of the conversations and nailed for lying when his recollections deviated from the transcripts.
For Americans who worry about how the pervasive surveillance powers of the U.S. government could be put to use criminalizing otherwise constitutionally protected speech and political associations, Flynn’s prosecution represents a troubling precedent.
Though Flynn clearly can be faulted for his judgment, he was, in a sense, a marked man the moment he accepted the job of national security adviser. In summer 2016, Democrats seethed over Flynn’s participation in chants at the Republican National Convention to “lock her [Hillary Clinton] up!”
Then, just four days into the Trump presidency, an Obama holdover, then-acting Attorney General Sally Yates, primed the Flynn perjury trap by coming up with a novel legal theory that Flynn – although the national security adviser-designate at the time of his late December phone calls with Kislyak – was violating the 1799 Logan Act, which prohibits private citizens from interfering with U.S. foreign policy.
But that law – passed during President John Adams’s administration in the era of the Alien and Sedition Acts – was never intended to apply to incoming officials in the transition period between elected presidential administrations and – in the past 218 years – the law has resulted in no successful prosecution at all and thus its dubious constitutionality has never been adjudicated.
this is the biggest bunch of nonsense.
and brian ross of abc 'news' flat out lying makes it even more clear - by the way, read c.i.'s 'How much money did ABC cost you on Friday?' and realize just how big abc's f**k up was.
let's close with c.i.'s 'Iraq snapshot:'
Friday, December 1, 2017.
The month of many holidays kicks off today.
A child in a home with Christmas decorations.
Outside as something moves in the sky.
Woman's voice: Let's go look for Santa. Is he here?
Child's voice: I think I see it.
But it's not Santa's sleigh. It's a War Plane. Shooting missiles.
Several hit the home.
A series of quick cuts of various WIKILEAKS exposes.
"The forever war."
"Don't let it happen to you."
WIKILEAKS.ORG
Meanwhile, in Riverside, California, a family mourns the death of Todd McGurn. While in Baghdad last month, he began training and was killed in what's being termed "friendly fire." Tony Shin (NBC4 -- link is text and video) reports:
The month of many holidays kicks off today.
A child in a home with Christmas decorations.
Outside as something moves in the sky.
Woman's voice: Let's go look for Santa. Is he here?
Child's voice: I think I see it.
But it's not Santa's sleigh. It's a War Plane. Shooting missiles.
Several hit the home.
A series of quick cuts of various WIKILEAKS exposes.
"The forever war."
"Don't let it happen to you."
WIKILEAKS.ORG
Meanwhile, in Riverside, California, a family mourns the death of Todd McGurn. While in Baghdad last month, he began training and was killed in what's being termed "friendly fire." Tony Shin (NBC4 -- link is text and video) reports:
The victim’s family said they know the service member who
accidentally killed Todd is feeling a tremendous amount of guilt, but
they are not angry with him.
“We’re angry at the fact that there’s not enough training for these
men who are risking their damn lives for us,” the victim’s sister Tawnie
Martinez said.
According to [his mother] Lori, Todd felt that there was a lack of comprehensive training.
“He never imagined the army being like this,” she said. “He did the
Riverside Police Explorers for two and a half years and got more
discipline and more respect.”
Todd McGurn is the fourth US service member to die serving in Iraq since October 1, 2017.
Staying with the topic of tragic death, there's a new hashtag trending on Twitter: "#ENDTuzkhurmatuGenocideNow":
Every single Kurd on social media is called on to share this:
#ENDTuzkhurmatuGenocideNow
No excuse for you not to share. It is your duty.
Some1 who really care about #HumanRights should get a serious response 2 stop the current GENOCIDE in TUZ-KHURMATU wich is done by pro-Iranian thugs& Iranian controlled gov known as @IraqiGovt,
#ENDTuzKhurmatuGenocideNow
@SenBobCorker @SenatorCardin @SenatorMenendez @marcorubio
#ENDTuzKhurmatuGenocideNow
#IRGC #IRAN backed militias committing #Genocide against Kurds in #TuzKhurmatu
@SenSchumer @SenBobCorker @SenJohnMcCain @MarshaBlackburn @SenCoryGardner @SenJohnBarrasso @SenBlumenthal Too many innocent lives have been lost due to genocide at the hands of Iraq & Iran. Please stop turning a blind eye. #ENDTuzKhurmatuGenocideNow
The world must react to human rights violations by Shia Militias in Kurdistan/Iraq, especially in #TuzKhurmatu. Thousands of Kurdish homes have been looted, set on fire. Thousands &thousands of Kurds have been/are being displaced. Humanity needs us now!
#EndTuzKhurmatuGenocideNow pic.twitter.com/qMI7mAxIy1
Innocent Children & women of TUZ-KHURMATU are became homeless, Schoolless and malnutrition, I'm surprised where are all of humentrian organizations ? Which told that human rights should be set as priority. Who cares about kurds ?
#ENDTuzKhurmatuGenocideNow
#TwitterKurds
Kurds helped the world vs barbaric #ISIS. where is the world now when kurds being forced away from their home?
#ENDTuzKhurmatuGenocideNow
World must wake up and stop on going Ethnic cleansing and Genocide against Kurds ,which is happening in Tuz Khurmatu NOW, before it's too Late!!!
#ENDTuzKhurmatuGenocideNow
Retweet this if you agree please
#ENDTuzKhurmatuGenocideNow save the people of Tuz Khurmatu and Kirkuk from barbaric genocidal campaigns!
Please join Twitter Storm to support the Kurds in this dire moment by tweeting: #ENDTuzKhurmatuGenocideNow
Since our legitimate referendum 4 independence on 25th Sept, Iraqi ISIS Al Shaabi terrorist R on genocide rampage with the approval of Iranian backed Baghdad gov, UK, USA...
I am sure #HumanRights groups and world has seen how #kurds are been #targeted in #TuzKhurmatu but they choice to stay silent #ENDTuzKhurmatuGenocideNow #ENDTuzKhurmatuGenocideNow #ENDTuzKhurmatuGenocideNow
USA is aware of the genocide against Kurds but refuse to do anything. Where the rest of the world is silent #ENDTuzKhurmatuGenocideNow #ENDTuzKhurmatuGenocideNow
#ENDTuzKhurmatuGenocideNow
100.000 Kurds forced out of their homes by Shia militias @UNHumanRights
#Iranian backed Shi’a militias #Iraqi #PMF forces genocide at #Khurmatu will remain in history
#ENDTuzKhurmatuGenocideNow
#ENDTuzKhurmatuGenocideNow PUN did this where is #HumanRights
The Shi'ite militias are now part of the Iraqi forces and there have
been many War Crimes committed by the Iraqi forces in the so-called
'liberation' of various areas. Last week, Amnesty International's UK director addressed the editorial board of THE GUARDIAN:
Ghaith Abdul-Ahad’s extremely disturbing report on Iraqi government soldiers torturing and cold-bloodedly killing captives after this year’s battle for Mosul should be urgently acted on (After the liberation of Mosul, an orgy of killing, 22 November). The authorities in Baghdad should establish an independent, impartial inquiry into all aspects of the conduct of its troops and allied forces – including United States and United Kingdom ones – during this cataclysmically bloody assault.
Deliberately killing fighters who have surrendered or who have been captured is absolutely prohibited under international law. Needless to say, killing civilians in these circumstances is also utterly unlawful – a war crime.
Kate Allen
Director, Amnesty International UK
Back in July, Amnesty issued "AT ANY COST: THE CIVILIAN CATASTROPHE IN WEST MOSUL, IRAQ."
Those killed and wounded, and the War Crimes themselves, have largely
been ignored by the US government -- the same US government that has
provided the forces training, equipment and money.
But indiscriminate bombing and collateral damage are also a War Crimes
and the US-led coalition has killed thousands of Iraqi civilians.
Yesterday, REUTERS reported:
At least 800 civilians have been killed in strikes in Iraq and Syria
by the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State since the campaign began
in 2014, according to a report released by the coalition on Thursday.
The estimate in the monthly report, which said coalition strikes had
unintentionally killed at least 801 civilians between August 2014 and
October 2017, was far lower than figures provided by monitoring groups.
The monitoring group Airwars says a total of at least 5,961 civilians have been killed by coalition air strikes.
The bombing of Syria and Iraq by the U.S. led coalition has been much more intense than news reports might suggest. Here are the figures from Airwars:
In other news, the US government has been detaining an American citizen in Iraq.
Judge says Trump admin is trying to claim “unchecked power that is, quite frankly, frightening," in refusing to provide any details on U.S. citizen they have been holding in military custody in Iraq for over 11 weeks: nytimes.com/2017/11/30/us/…
Yesterday, the ACLU issued the following:
Admission Comes in ACLU Challenge to Military Detention of U.S. Citizen Held for Over 2 Months
125 Broad Street
18th Floor
New York, NY 10004
United States
(212) 549-2666
November 30, 2017
WASHINGTON — The government told a federal court today that a U.S.
citizen detained by the U.S. military in Iraq has asked for an attorney.
The unidentified American has been held since mid-September for allegedly fighting with ISIS in Syria. The American Civil Liberties Union had filed a request with the court to be put in contact with the American for legal assistance, and the government is fighting the ACLU’s request.
“This admission by the government reinforces our demand that the citizen be given access to a lawyer, which is his fundamental right under the Constitution,” said ACLU attorney Jonathan Hafetz. “The Trump administration’s position that it can secretly lock up an American without charges or the ability to challenge the detention in court is not how our legal system works.”
At a hearing in the case this morning, Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered the government to say by 5 p.m. whether the man had been advised of his right to an attorney and whether he had asserted that right.
The government’s response stated that FBI agents questioning the American “for law enforcement purposes” advised him of his Miranda rights.
The response went on to say, “The individual stated he understood his rights, and said he was willing to talk to the agents but also stated that since he was in a new phase, he felt he should have an attorney present. The agents explained that due to his current situation, it was unknown when he would be able to have an attorney, and the individual stated that it was ok and that he is a patient man.”
The ACLU filed a habeas corpus petition on the man’s behalf on October 5, demanding that the Trump administration justify its continued detention of the American without charge and without access to a court. The government has said that it is holding the citizen as an “enemy combatant.”
Because the government is denying the citizen both access to counsel and the ability to challenge his detention himself, the ACLU has filed as a “next friend” of the American. The government argued that the ACLU does not have standing to file the petition on the U.S. citizen’s behalf.
The case, ACLU Foundation v. Mattis, is in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Today’s government’s filing is here: https://www.aclu.org/legal-document/aclu-foundation-v-mattis-governments-response-nov-30-court-order
More on the details of the case is here: https://www.aclu.org/blog/national-security/detention/trump-administration-keeping-us-citizen-secretly-locked-without
All documents filed in the case are here: https://www.aclu.org/cases/aclu-foundation-v-mattis
The unidentified American has been held since mid-September for allegedly fighting with ISIS in Syria. The American Civil Liberties Union had filed a request with the court to be put in contact with the American for legal assistance, and the government is fighting the ACLU’s request.
“This admission by the government reinforces our demand that the citizen be given access to a lawyer, which is his fundamental right under the Constitution,” said ACLU attorney Jonathan Hafetz. “The Trump administration’s position that it can secretly lock up an American without charges or the ability to challenge the detention in court is not how our legal system works.”
At a hearing in the case this morning, Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered the government to say by 5 p.m. whether the man had been advised of his right to an attorney and whether he had asserted that right.
The government’s response stated that FBI agents questioning the American “for law enforcement purposes” advised him of his Miranda rights.
The response went on to say, “The individual stated he understood his rights, and said he was willing to talk to the agents but also stated that since he was in a new phase, he felt he should have an attorney present. The agents explained that due to his current situation, it was unknown when he would be able to have an attorney, and the individual stated that it was ok and that he is a patient man.”
The ACLU filed a habeas corpus petition on the man’s behalf on October 5, demanding that the Trump administration justify its continued detention of the American without charge and without access to a court. The government has said that it is holding the citizen as an “enemy combatant.”
Because the government is denying the citizen both access to counsel and the ability to challenge his detention himself, the ACLU has filed as a “next friend” of the American. The government argued that the ACLU does not have standing to file the petition on the U.S. citizen’s behalf.
The case, ACLU Foundation v. Mattis, is in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Today’s government’s filing is here: https://www.aclu.org/legal-document/aclu-foundation-v-mattis-governments-response-nov-30-court-order
More on the details of the case is here: https://www.aclu.org/blog/national-security/detention/trump-administration-keeping-us-citizen-secretly-locked-without
All documents filed in the case are here: https://www.aclu.org/cases/aclu-foundation-v-mattis
The following community sites -- plus BLACK AGENDA REPORT, GORILLA RADIO and PACIFICA EVENING NEWS -- updated:
