The highest crimes and biggest criminals

Jamie, thanks for your courageous column. Sometimes the truth is ugly. Remember all the news stories about the CIA's secret "black sites� where the high-value detainees were being held and questioned? Recall that President Bush told the world from the White House East Room on September 6, 2006 that some of these detainees had been subjected to “tough� interrogation techniques at these secret overseas sites but were now being transferred to Guantanamo?

Those detainees who were held abroad, who President Bush is willing to even discuss, are just a few of many who were tortured. About 100 detainees have died ion custody and we know that some detainees were tortured to death. Some were smothered, some were beaten, and some died of hypothermia. We know about these deaths from U.S. government documents.

Here’s a bit of federal criminal law found at 18 USC 2340A(a):“Whoever outside the United States commits or attempts to commit torture shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both, and if death results to any person from conduct prohibited by this subsection, shall be punished by death or imprisoned for any term of years or for life.�

Here’s a definition found at 18 USC 2340(a):“’torture’ means an act committed by a person acting under the color of law specifically intended to inflict severe physical or mental pain or suffering (other than pain or suffering incidental to lawful sanctions) upon another person within his custody or physical control�

And here’s the language at 18 USC 2340A(c) for the torture conspiracy penalty:“A person who conspires to commit an offense under this section shall be subject to the same penalties (other than the penalty of death) as the penalties prescribed for the offense, the commission of which was the object of the conspiracy.�

Yeah, I know, the President claims it was all legal because his lawyers wrote some memos saying was OK. Next time I feel like robbing a bank I’ll get my lawyer to write me one of those memos.

ZZzzzz. Same ol' hippy rant and rave as each week. Another peacenik flower child sheds a tear.... O'Neill, go get in your tie-dyed Volkswagon van and head for Berkely where you belong, or worse yet... you've been banished to San Francisco for your crimes against America.
Don't forget "General" O'neill, we ARE fighting Al Qaida, in Iraq, and need to exterminate every one of those cockroaches, and then some. Flowers in the end of gun barrels won't do that. Don't forget, unlike you hippy draft card burning crybabies, our warriors have VOLUNTEERED to fight wars, and are doing their job well.
Maybe one of you left-wingers can explain why your hero Bill Clinton, the wife of Mr. Hillary, killed innocent women and children in Serbia and Kuwait, yet didn't cry like you do now?

So, another nitwit sounds off, unwilling to use his or her real name, unwilling to take the time to learn to spell the name of the town they associate with the dreaded liberals, unwilling to get even the simplest facts right (Bill Clinton killed innocent women and children in Kuwait?)
aSole is the kind of numbskull necessary to bring a guy like Bush to power, the kind of unthinking twit who gets what little thought he has from the ugliest of propagandists like Limbaugh and Hannity and O'Reilly, a guy hung up on images left over from more than four decades ago. Fortunately, these morons are a distinct minority, willing to call the 70% of Americans who disagree with Bush rule unpatriotic. They want to be lieve that 70% of Americans are "hippys" (sic), and just how idiotic does one have to be to believe a thing like that?
And aSole, if you think these men and women who volunteered are risking their lives to exterminate the "cockroaches" of Al Qaida, why don't you volunteer and get your own sorry self over there to help out. That would be patriotic, unlike youe unquestioning support for bad policies inimical to the interests of the nation you claim to love. People like you have brought this nation to the brink of catastrophe, supporting every numbskull idea Al Qaida could have wished for. As I said in the column, as an American, I'm ashamed of you, and since you haven't the morality or intelligence to feel ashamed of yourself, I'm ashamed for you on behalf of a nation that stands for better things.

aSole, ZZzzz. Same ol' buzzards like you who want to change the subject away from the federal criminal statutes that President Bush and his chickenhawk buddies broke. Without the Constitution and the statutes enacted under its authority there is no office of the President and there is no no United States to defend. Bush had all the laws he needed to fight terrorism and still could have gone to war without torturing "suspects" to death.

Soon there will be a new president in the White House and George W. Bush will be begging for a presidential pardon.

Don't bother to call me a "peacenik" because I served in the Army and was honorably discharged as an E-5. And my son served 11 honorable months in Iraq as an enlisted infantry soldier. We don't go AWOL for a year and a half, like George W. Bush.

And don't bother misquoting Lincoln about the Constitution not being a "suicide pact." America rots from within if it doesn't even have a president who believes in the rule of law.

O’Niell you have sweet gig here with The Post. All you have to do is copy and paste from your plethora of columns that are in the same vein and –voila- another Comrade O’Niell rant that you are paid to produce.

Well, Brad II, I'm glad you know all about copying and pasting, as in your own posts in these forums. I had hoped that somehow you would begin to think creatively, but I was wrong. Your main claim to fame is attacking Jaime O'Neill. It can only be jealousy that motivates you to snidely tell him what a "sweet gig" he has at the Post and then call him "Comrade," which in olden times was like labeling someone a Communist. This is 2008, Brad, and all the old Commies have disappeared into the bushes.(No pun intended.) I believe it is up to the management of the Post to decide who they choose to be their columnists and I believe they even decide how much to pay them. But who knows, perhaps if you keep practicing with your thoughtful posts in these forums, and bone up some more on your copy and pasting techniques, maybe you will get an offer from the Post you will not be able to resist. Or not.

But one good thing comes from your nasty comments, Brad. The more you slam Jaime, the better I like him.

What do you think would happen if EVERY voter in EVERY district of this nation,
where to communicate (that is send an email,fax, letter ... or call) with their elected representatives?

Would Congress sit up and take notice ... HEY the voters are not asleep!

Can we try it?

And while we are at it, ask WHY did Dick Cheney refuse to defend the PENTAGON?

jaime oneill wrote:

So, another nitwit sounds off, unwilling to use his or her real name, unwilling to take the time to learn to spell the name of the town they associate with the dreaded liberals, unwilling to get even the simplest facts right (Bill Clinton killed innocent women and children in Kuwait?)
aSole is the kind of numbskull necessary to bring a guy like Bush to power, the kind of unthinking twit who gets what little thought he has from the ugliest of propagandists like Limbaugh and Hannity and O'Reilly, a guy hung up on images left over from more than four decades ago. Fortunately, these morons are a distinct minority, willing to call the 70% of Americans who disagree with Bush rule unpatriotic. They want to be lieve that 70% of Americans are "hippys" (sic), and just how idiotic does one have to be to believe a thing like that?
And aSole, if you think these men and women who volunteered are risking their lives to exterminate the "cockroaches" of Al Qaida, why don't you volunteer and get your own sorry self over there to help out. That would be patriotic, unlike youe unquestioning support for bad policies inimical to the interests of the nation you claim to love. People like you have brought this nation to the brink of catastrophe, supporting every numbskull idea Al Qaida could have wished for. As I said in the column, as an American, I'm ashamed of you, and since you haven't the morality or intelligence to feel ashamed of yourself, I'm ashamed for you on behalf of a nation that stands for better things.

Zzzzzz... Boring... You still evaded my question.
I did volunteer to kill the enemy, did you?

How do you pronounce aSole? I know how I'd pronounce it.
And what enemy did you volunteer to fight, who did you volunteer to join up with, and why didn't they want you?

It's hard to think of anything...that Bush and Cheney have done that is any good at all. How do they continue to get away with their crimes?

bush is an ass. I am in the military and i truly belive this war is because mister george w. cant mind his own buisiness, that why we are fighting, hey if another country wants to kill there own then shut the fuck up and let em. Dont put my life at risk and my familys life at risk of suffering my deciease. All because your an idiot. C'mon were america the freeest country in the world. Hey let them kill eachoter off that will make it easieer for us when real problems happen. I joined to fight a war a REAL war not your dumb shit lwt me fight real terrorists and crimianals, not people who are fighting because we started telling then what to and to not to do. thats why there pissed so fuck george and the military.
PTOWNS GREATEST/NOW A SLAVE TO NONSENSE

listen to this kid, who else will know but a man in the adctual fight at terrorism?

Jaime ONeill wrote:

How do you pronounce aSole? I know how I'd pronounce it.
And what enemy did you volunteer to fight, who did you volunteer to join up with, and why didn't they want you?

I'll ask one more time; Why did the hero of the left and possibly the next "1st Lady", Bill Clinton, go to Serbia and Kuwait? Innocent people died from the bombings in those countries, yet the left-wing was/is nearly silent about those attrocities. You keep evading my question. Just answer it and leave the spin out. This is the 3rd request for an answer.

Butte born-Now airforce wrote:

bush is an ass. I am in the military and i truly belive this war is because mister george w. cant mind his own buisiness, that why we are fighting, hey if another country wants to kill there own then shut the fuck up and let em. Dont put my life at risk and my familys life at risk of suffering my deciease. All because your an idiot. C'mon were america the freeest country in the world. Hey let them kill eachoter off that will make it easieer for us when real problems happen. I joined to fight a war a REAL war not your dumb shit lwt me fight real terrorists and crimianals, not people who are fighting because we started telling then what to and to not to do. thats why there pissed so fuck george and the military.
PTOWNS GREATEST/NOW A SLAVE TO NONSENSE

How did you pass the ASCAP? CHEAT?

I don't know which is more sad.
When one of our own local young men is stuck in a pointless war when he should still be in school.
Or some Yayhoo curmudgeon for whom school was wasted on, asking for a history lesson, when by his own writing proves himself incapable of understanding the concepts of compassion, reason, or objectivity.

Butte Born, I am very sorry for your situation and wish you a safe and soon return to P town. I do very much appreciate your bravery and intention of protecting America. I ask that you vote with the knowledge that John McCain is opposing the GI bill that is now under consideration in the Senate, as are the other Republicans, whose loud support for the troops, is only verbal.

I have never read such a ridiculos article such as this, Ignorance has to be the reason. you should pack your bags and move to Iraq, since your loyaty seems to be with them.you talk about how many died there, how about comparing the fact that more american soldiers died in the attack on Pearl harbor plus how ever many civilians we never heard about, and how many died on the the march also. But people like you just think its wonderful to complain about how bad our president is, you think his job is easy, dont you realise he only makes those decisions after meeting with a group of other politicians. you think he is bad, wait till Hillary or Obama gets in. if Obama gets elected, you might as well throw your bible out the window and buy the kuran, and people like you will probably adore him, Hillary I dont evn want to go there.

There is no fool like an old fool, is there?
I don't have time to respond to this now. I am sure someone else might want to waste their breath trying to educate Grandpa.

Frank wrote:

I don't know which is more sad.
When one of our own local young men is stuck in a pointless war when he should still be in school.
Or some Yayhoo curmudgeon for whom school was wasted on, asking for a history lesson, when by his own writing proves himself incapable of understanding the concepts of compassion, reason, or objectivity.

Aren't you a little confused here, Frank? From the way I read it, the "local young man stuck in a pointless war" and the "Yahoo curmudgeon for whom school was wasted on," are one and the same. And I have my doubts about this person's military or voting record. Aren't you wasting your time trying to convince him to not vote for McCain when it sounds like he wouldn't know who McCain is.

You seem retarded, James, and I say that with apologies to the retarded. It appears you know nothing of history, or much of anything else. Stupidity like yours has helped bring this once-great nation to where we are today.
And your remarks serve as a preview of the kind of right-wing ignorance we're going to be hearing for months to come, in an election that will be characterized by more of this nonsense that conflates Obama and the Koran. It's so good for the corporate masters of this nation that there are so many abysmally ignorant people like James J. Welch, Sr., people who shame us all. So much wealth, so much privilege, and we produce so many people incapable of serious thought, ignorant of history, geography, and their own political system. Shame on them, shame on us.

Hold on there, Jaime. You're insulting some of my kin folk! I learned a long time ago that arguing with them is futile and insulting them isn't even a gratifying pasttime.