Finally, 3 convicted of war crimes in Sierra Leone

Cross-posted at Rosemary's Thoughts.

Source: CNN.

I have been waiting for many years to hear this news, and they still have not convicted Charles Taylor, ex-President of Liberia. Does anyone remember how long it took for them convict Milosevic? That's right. They never did. He died after 4 years - at least - of waiting for them to convict him or let him go. (And they have a problem with Gitmo? HA!)

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP) -- A U.N.-backed court trying those accused of bearing greatest responsibility for the brutality of Sierra Leone's civil war issued its first verdicts Wednesday, convicting three former leaders of a junta that had terrorized the country during a brief reign.

The court found the three defendants guilty of 11 of 14 charges, including terrorism, using child soldiers, enslavement, rape and murder. [Continue reading.]

The crimes they were NOT convicted of were the crimes against the children. There were no sexually charged crimes that these scums were convicted of for having committed.

I have mixed feelings about this. I'm very glad these terrorists were FINALLY convicted. This lets the other people know that when you enslave children and force them to take up arms, you will be found guilty of war crimes. (Except in the Middle East, I suppose.) This trial has set that precedent. On the other hand, if you only rape these children, then what? That doesn't matter? That is very disheartening.

Charles Taylor's trial began in the ICC (International Criminal Court) a month ago. I guess we have at least 10 years before we get a verdict out of there. That is, if he lives that long...

Originally posted June 29, 2007.

Oh my! Have I got news for you

I have been so busy copying the news (just in case they decide to move the links) that I forgot to post the articles over here! D'oh!

Okay, here we go:

U.S. House members blast China, May 6, 2007.

U.S. House members blast China, 5/6/07.

Sudan, Chad reach Darfur deal, 5/6/07.

Cheadle acts to stop Darfur Genocide, 5/6/07.

China Neutralizes Cutting-Edge Magazine, 5/6/07.

Book Review: The Truth about Muhammed, 5/7/07.

In Mind and Body, N. Koreans Still Suffer After Defection, 5/13/07.

U.N. official accuses Sudan of 'disproportionate' attacks, 5/13/07.

Siniora officially asks UN to form Hariri tribunal, 5/14/07.

'They will repent: 'Ahmadinejad vows 'severe retaliation' for any US attack, 5/14/07.

Palestinian interior minister quits in protest, 5/14/07.

Egyptian court upholds Mubarak decision to try Brotherhood members before military tribunal, 5/14/07.

Japanese premier defends invasion of Iraq, 5/14/07.

Iran lifts 9-month ban on moderate newspaper, 5/14/07.

Moderate Muslim Voices Silenced, 5/15/07.

Television evangelist Falwell dies at 73, 5/15/07.

Islamism, not Islam is the Problem, 5/18/07.

Operation Recruiter Appreciation Day--GOE, 5/19/07.

Moderate Muslim voices silenced, 5/23/07.

With Honor, 5/23/07.
Harsh Birth Control Steps Fuel Violence in China, 5/27/07.

Villagers riot as China enforces birth limit, 5/27/07.

Congress ignores population police in China: Help!, 5/27/07.

Report: North Korea test-fires missiles, 5/28/07.

Hospital ship begins trip around Africa in Liberia, 5/28/07.

U.N. peacekeeper killed in Darfur, 5/28/07.

In Darfur camp, women recount rapes, suffering, 5/28/07.

3,000 Darfur refugees make 10-day trek through bush, 5/29/07.

Your e-mails: Will U.S. sanctions on Sudan work?, 5/30/07.

Tibetan Abbot Forced To Step Down, 5/30/07.

Blair to G8: Keep African promises, 5/31/07.

Burma Detains Opposition AIDS Activist, JUNE/1/07.

In land of war criminals, Liberia divided on Taylor trial, 6/3/07.

C.P.B.’S ‘Rosa Parks’ Treatment, 6/4/07.

So you see, I've been quite busy reading. These are just the articles I copied, btw. lol. I have to stop before my fingertips fall off. LOL.

Justice for Jack Idema Blogburst 4/25/2007

Hi. As I told you last week, we have now changed the blogburst to, "Justice for Jack Idema Blogburst." That is because there has not been any justice in this shameful action of our government.

It's been over two weeks since the news broke that US Special Forces soldier Jack Idema has been released from nearly three years of illegal-detention in an Afghanistan prison filled with Taliban prisoners. Anyone hoping this event would mean Jack could finally return home to the US, however, is likely to be disappointed.

This is quite true. I am not only disappointed, I am angry. We are treating these terrorists with kid's gloves, while we treating our own with extreme prejudice. When we go to war, we go to kill. What the hell do they think is going to happen? We did not send our men to play patty-cakes! (Haditha)

As we learned from Jack's Afghan lawyer, Rahim Ahmadzai, last week, the US State Department is doing everything in its power to prevent Idema from leaving the country:

The United States Embassy has since blocked the return of Jack Idema’s original passport, which is prima facie evidence of his innocence on several of the accusations made. Additionally, the United States Embassy has blocked the return of Jack Idema’s documents and property from the National Security Directorate (NDS).

In spite of these difficulties, Jack remains optimistic that he will be able to get out of Afghanistan at some point in the next few weeks. What's less certain is the fate that awaits him when he does.

Since when does the State Department get a say in what happens during war? Are they not the department that always wants to talk? I AM THROUGH TALKING TO TERRORISTS!

See, the State Department's refusal to hand over Jack's passport is disturbingly reminiscent of their behaviour toward Captain Brent Bennett upon his 'release' last October. Back then, of course, Brent was the one on the receiving end of the State Department's passport-fixation. On route to an unspecified destination (and still officially 'in custody') Brent managed to persuade airport authorities in a neutral country that his captors had no right to keep him handcuffed and without his documents. He was issued a temporary passport and fled. As of now, he is still unable to return to the US and is, in his own words, a 'man without a country'.

I see. So if you go after the enemy, you are more evil than enemy you are supposed to kill? The enemy you are getting PAID to kill? That is why I hate the State Department. Another reason being that they brokered a deal so that they could have Sharia Law in Afghanistan! What the hell? After we kicked Japan's ass, WE wrote their constitution for them. That is why we must except nothing less than total victory. Screw world opinion.

Although Jack's position as a free man is certainly more secure than was Brent's at that time, it remains to be seen if he will ultimately join his second-in-command in a state of forced ex-patriation. So that's one thing.

Another is Jack and Brent's need for justice. Here are two men who are completely guiltless who have been tortured and illegally-imprisoned for more than two years by agents of their own State Department. Finally that same State Department was forced to release them from captivity. It cannot, must not, be the right of the State Department officials to do this. They must be held responsible and not allowed to walk away from the Idema case without ever being forced to account for their actions.

There must be redress -- Not just for Jack and Brent's sake, but so that the message is heard loud and clear that no one serving our country with honour can be used as a political pawn to then be discarded.

Jack and Brent may be free, but the fight to clear their names must continue.

That is exactly correct. This is an outrageous act by our government, I don't care which side of the aisle you are upon which you stand. If you cannot see the injustice in this, your 'causes' are selfish and mean nothing. Only because you do not really believe in what you are professing. The cause itself may be worthy, but you are not. Be gone.

So what can we do? Well, anyone reading this with their own blog can sign up for the weekly Justice For Jack Idema Blogburst by emailing Cao or Rottweiler Puppy for details. I'd urge everyone to do this, as we're still terribly short on takers. If you want to know more about the story, Cao's Blog has a large section devoted to Jack Idema. There's also a timeline here, and, of course, a huge amount of information is available over at SuperPatriots, without whose work none of us would have learned about Jack's story.

Finally, PLEASE NOTE: The SuperPatriots and Jack images on this site are used with WRITTEN COPYRIGHT PERMISSION and any use by any third party is subject to legal action by SuperPatriots.US

Technorati tags: jack idema, afghanistan and Technorati Search for Jack Idema

The Free Jack Idema Blogroll:
The Lone Voice, Kender's Musings, Cao's Blog, Rottweiler Puppy, Causes of Interest, Stuck On Stupid, You Don't Know Jack, Right Voices, Causal Nexus and A Real Man.

Listen to this podcast.

Please excuse my choice of words. I know you are not used to hearing this type of language here. I am just so upset over this (or any) injustice. It must not stand.

Jack Idema Gets US Judicial Support

Just when it seemed as though things couldn't get any worse for illegally-imprisoned US Special Forces soldier Jack Idema, they suddenly -- Got a Whole lot better:

The following transaction was entered on 3/21/2007 at 11:59 AM and filed on 3/21/2007

Case Name: IDEMA et al v. RICE et al
Case Number: 1:05-cv-2064
Document Number: 43

Docket Text: ORDER dismissing as moot habeas claims of petitioners Bennett, Caraballo, and Banderas, denying as moot [26] petitioners’ Life & Death Emergency Motion; denying [7] petitioners’ Motion for TRO and Other Relief and Rule 60 Motion; denying as moot [12] petitioners’ Motion to Compel; denying as moot [23] respondents’ Motion for Reconsideration; directing respondents to respond to factual allegations and show cause as to petitioner Idema by April 10, 2007. Signed by Judge Emmet G. Sullivan on March 21, 2007.

Or, to translate this from legalise into plain English:

My name is Judge Emmet G. Sullivan, and I couldn't give a don't frankly care what either President Karzai or the US State Department think. What I want to know, and all I want to know, is why a certain US citizen by the name of Jack Idema seems to have been tortured and falsely-imprisoned with the apparent complicity of the United States Government.

Here's the court's statement in full:

"Idema is the only individual who still remains incarcerated at Pulacharke Prison in Afghanistan. The Court is deeply troubled by the allegations raised in the habeas petition and various subsequent filings regarding the level of U.S. control over petitioners’ arrest, conviction, appeal, and confinement.
"While this Court is keenly aware of case law suggesting that it does not have jurisdiction over a habeas petition stemming from a foreign conviction and sentence, petitioners’ claim does more than simply challenge a foreign conviction. Petitioners allege that United States officials ordered their arrest, ordered their torture, stole exculpatory evidence during their trial and appeal, exerted undue influence over Afghan judges, and either directly or indirectly ordered judges who found petitioners innocent not to release petitioners from prison."

"These facts are alleged in a habeas petition and later statements of fact and affidavits that have all been verified as true and correct by petitioners under penalty of perjury."

"The Court cannot simply ignore petitioners’ alleged facts and find that it lacks jurisdiction without any response to these troubling facts by respondents. Indeed, the respondents have invited the Court to seek further information from respondents regarding the facts in this case. Accordingly, the respondents shall respond to petitioners’ factual allegations and show cause why this Court should not grant a writ of habeas corpus to petitioner Idema by April 10, 2007."

All good stuff but for those of us who feel the Truth ought to be sum-uppable in a single line, here's what Jack's second-in-command, Captain Brent Bennett had to say about this judgement:

Reap the whirlwind.

Well. Yes. After four long, agonizing years, maybe the storm-clouds are finally building.

News from Liberia: CNN; 2/27-28/2007

MONROVIA, Liberia (Reuters) -- Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf accepted the resignation of her chief of staff, Willie Knuckles, after he was photographed having sex with two women, tarnishing a government campaign for moral probity.

Johnson-Sirleaf, a longtime campaigner for women's rights, said Knuckles had not broken the law but the scandal threatened to derail efforts to combat sexual abuse and raise standards in Liberia's public life after a brutal 1989-2003 civil war.

Knuckles, who is also minister of state for presidential affairs and is married with children, has accused opposition lawmakers of trying to use the photographs to blackmail him. [Continue reading at CNN. If this link no longer works, use this one.]

MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) -- The former president has been charged with stealing more than $1 million from Liberia's coffers while in office, government officials said Wednesday.

Gyude Bryant, who led the interim government from October 2003 until current President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf took office in January 2006, had previously been accused of embezzlement in a report issued by the Economic Community of West African States.

Police had questioned Bryant in recent months as part of a wide anticorruption campaign, and government officials said they finally had enough information to issue charges. [Continue reading CNN. If that link no longer is available, try this one.]

Update: Nathan is kind enough to have an open trackback at Church and State this weekend, and he also has a great site. Please be sure to read the policy on trackbacking before you use it. Remember to be kind, and also be sure to stop by during the week. I appreciate your civility. :) Have a nice weekend.

The good and the evil: SWC

Below you will find some activities and news about events and situations that has not yet caught the eye of the dinosaur press. You see, they'll write about it AFTER the tragedies occur. They cannot be bothered beforehand.

• "I Have Never Forgotten You, The Life and Legacy of Simon Wiesenthal" Documentary Premieres at 2007 Berlin Film Festival.
• New Book Could Signal The Return Of Antisemitic Conspiracy Themes In Japanese Mainstream.
• Germany’s Conviction Of Holocaust Denier Applauded.
• Nazi-Like Depiction Of Jews By Prolific And Popular Korean Author Denounced.
• Jihadist Website Underscores Dangers Confronting Jews of Yemen.
• SWC: Russian Support For Lifting Of Sanctions Against Hamas Damages the International Struggle Against Terrorism.

I hope you read at least one of these articles. We cannot allow this to continue. We are fighting for the reformists in the Muslim world, we should at least do as much for our ally--Israel and our Jewish brothers and sisters. Thank you.

Saddam hanged

TimesOnline is reporting that Saddam has been sent to hell. They didn't say it like that, but I can see no other place for him to go. He can now sit with his favorite person, Hitler. Yes, didn't you know he admired him? Maybe there are a lot more things you do not know! Try opening up your mind to learning.

I will try to have the video for you as soon as I can find it. The TV's here will not show it, but there are people in Iraq that will!

Here is the article I have been writing waiting for this to be finalized. Have a drink for aud lang sign!