Wednesday - May 25, 2011

america. damned if we do and damned anyway

I wouldn’t normally post the entire column but in this case ....

In fact, I often get frustrated when I read this fellow. So why do I read him?  Coz I’m not smart.

Just so our readers know, the name Gary McKinnon will come up in this article.  I’ve avoided the issue because I didn’t have anything to contribute to the story, and because I don’t find any sympathy for the jerk.

It must be said that the agreement re. extradition we have with the Brits appear to be quite one sided. And most Brits aren’t happy about it. Which you can not fault them on. However, every single damn time his name comes up, it’s always mentioned that the fruit cake has what I call Asparagus syndrome.
OK, I’m making fun of his condition. It’s actually Asperger’s syndrome, whatever the hell that is.  Every time his story is told here, it’s mentioned he’ll kill himself if extradited to some cruel American prison. Yeah well, the jerk should have thought of that when he hacked into Pentagon computers.  They claim he was only there looking for little green men. Ppl from Mars, space travelers. Uh huh. He’s 45, lives with mommy and is actually a very bright man. And when he hacked those puters, he was doing more then looking for evidence of space ships landing in Nv. in the 50’s.  He also left very well written and very articulate anti war diatribes along with the usual anti Bush BS.  In other words ... he had a less innocent agenda then his current apologists claim.  Brits want him tried here in the UK.
Americans believe they’ll lean in his favor and not punish the grown baby.  Brits believe Americans won’t give him a fair trial and seek revenge for the impressive embarrassment he caused, not to mention the million dollar damage claim. 

It is most likely very true that the extradition treaty is one sided in American favor, which I don’t understand. Why would the Brits sign on to such a treaty?
I don’t pretend to know but would like to. But what I am sure of is, our side dropped the security ball and so far we haven’t heard a word I’m aware of that anyone has been brought up on some charge.  But I’m also certain that Gary ‘asparagus’ McKinnon damn well knew exactly what he was up to and thought he’d never be found out or if he was, wouldn’t be prosecuted.  And I don’t really believe he’d try and kill himself. But if he should try, I wish him good luck and much success.

And as usual there is this.

Cameron wouldn’t find it hard to keep quiet about either, but he is surrounded by boat-rockers in his own party and Lib Dems who think McKinnon, Guantanamo Bay and Private Manning are all disgraceful U.S. abuses of power.

So you can see why I sometimes find things a bit frustrating. Now I’ll share it with you.

Obama: It’s wham bam and thank you ma’am
By PETER MCKAY

Accompanied by an entourage of 1,500 — from chefs to sharp-shooters — President Barack Obama is in London for a two-day state visit. Security alone is said to be costing £10 million.

Obama will address the Lords and Commons. The Queen will give him a banquet at Buckingham Palace.
No 10’s chatelaine, Samantha Cameron, and First Lady Michelle Obama will co-host a barbecue — weather permitting.

What’s it all for? Usually, the outcomes of these visits — the justification for them — are fixed in advance. So what might we expect to hear before Obama leaves on Thursday for France, his next port of call.
According to U.S. elder statesman Henry Kissinger, Britain’s leading role in the Libya action has improved Obama’s opinion of David Cameron. Obama arrives here ‘with a more positive attitude of restoring the high degree of confidentiality and trust that existed previously’.

So what can we get out of it? We’d prefer the U.S. to play a more positive role in the military action against Gaddafi — not leave it to the U.S.’s partners in Nato.
We’ve stretched the UN resolution justifying our military action against Gaddafi almost to breaking point, and he’s still there. We need America’s help to finish him off.
But Obama has just assured Americans — in a letter to Congress — that the U.S. has ‘limited’ objectives in Libya. Meaning, he won’t help us much more than he’s already doing.

( According to a report I heard last night, the USA is footing 75% of the NATO bill in this little adventure, and you folks will be interested to learn that according to the so called freedom fighters in Libya, many of them think it’s the French who get most of the credit for trying to free them from Gaddafi.)

Our side complains that the effectiveness of our campaign against Gaddafi is hampered by a lack of U.S. leadership. According to one news report yesterday, U.S. diplomats respond by saying Britain is ‘a skittish and unpredictable ally’.

Doesn’t exactly sound as if the high degree of trust and confidentiality that existed between us previously is fully restored, does it? Americans seem to have learned more than we have in Iraq and Afghanistan — that it’s easier invading a country than organising a fair system of government there afterwards. 
They took one look at fractured, tribal Libya — home to many of their Al Qaeda enemies — and told us: ‘You have a go this time, friends. We’ll keep a watching brief in case it all goes pear-shaped.’

David Cameron might enjoy a personal boost from the visit if he can persuade Obama not to extradite British computer hacker Gary McKinnon, 45, to America for trial.
The hacker is said to be a fragile character who suffers from Asperger’s syndrome and might not survive the brutal U.S. prison system.
Cameron has said McKinnon should be tried in Britain. What’s the chance of that? U.S. presidents have the power to pardon alleged criminals, but U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder — backed by seven judges — insists McKinnon ‘must be held accountable for the crimes he committed’, which, says Holder, cost £1 million (isn’t it marvellous how such round figures are arrived at?). 

Obama would prefer members of Cameron’s Coalition to keep quiet about the continuing existence of America’s Guantanamo Bay prison camp, despite his promise to close it, and the cruel, year-long solitary confinement of 23-year-old Private Bradley Manning, who is accused of supplying the secret Government cables to WikiLeaks.

Cameron wouldn’t find it hard to keep quiet about either, but he is surrounded by boat-rockers in his own party and Lib Dems who think McKinnon, Guantanamo Bay and Private Manning are all disgraceful U.S. abuses of power.

Even if they do keep quiet, gay campaigner Peter Tatchell, who once tried to make a citizen’s arrest of Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe — accusing him of torturing homosexuals — plans a London demonstration aimed at demonising Obama over his treatment of Manning, who, he says, ‘revealed war crimes’.

Obama doesn’t have to give us anything, of course. He knows that merely visiting Britain boosts our Government and head of state, the Queen. Cameron and co can pretend the ‘special relationship’ still exists. The Crown takes comfort in being honoured by the head of a former colony that chose to fight us for its independence.

The President’s state visit here, followed by France, will provide upbeat media coverage at home and valuable video that his re-election team will use to persuade U.S. voters in 2012 that Obama is loved and respected by leaders world-wide.
So it’s wham, bam, thank you, ma’am. As always.

SOURCE

The five pm news is on and I’ve been listening to Obama on Libya. Of course, the Brit PM has been on that subject and the buzz word is civilians.
Sure, this incursion into someone’s civil war is all about protecting civies. But seem quite apparent now with the bombing of Tripoli and now the new threat of choppers to go in close and personal, that civilians will die there as well.  So I guess the bottom line then is, some civilians are more worthy of life then others.

Want a huge laff?  An American living here since the age of nine, has just made the claim that Carter was a very smart president. He’s an adult now, and how he came to that opinion I have no idea. Carter smart?

Posted by peiper     on 05/25/2011 at 10:32 AM   
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