"The Drone Papers", and Obama the Assassin

For a great overview of this subject and interviews with the investigative journalists involved, see today's newscast at Democracy Now (Friday, October 16, 2015).  I doubt you'll see anything like it on the Corporate Media outlets...which seem to be obsessed with the weather.

A whistleblower has supplied The Intercept.com with official secret documents regarding Obama's Drone Wars in Yemen, Somalia, & Afghanistan.  At their website (The Intercept), there's a series of articles based upon those documents:  "The Assassination Complex", "A Virtual Glossary", "The Kill Chain", "Find, Fix, Finish", "Manhunting in the Hindu Kush", "Firing Blind", "The Life and Death of Objective Peckham", and "Target Africa".  In a classified Pentagon study, officials found significant flaws in the Drone Program, including faulty Signals Intelligence (cell phone calls, texting, emails, etc.) and serious limitations in the drone technology itself.

Other of the Papers revealed that sometimes nine out of ten people killed are not the intended target.  [Anyone killed in a drone attack automatically is classified as an EKIA (Enemy Killed in Action)... even if that person is the target's grandmother.]  Also, reliance upon foreign intelligence is heavy, and in some cases, it's entirely possible that political opponents (especially in Yemen), not terrorists, were killed.  The Papers also revealed that in a few Afghan provinces, the residents opposed/resisted the Taliban...until Americans invaded their land.  There's much, much more, but I don't have the time or energy to cover it.  See the newscast at Democracy Now.

Obama is unconstitutionally targeting people for death.  A clause in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution makes it clear that only Congress, not the Executive Branch,can issue "Letters of Marque and Reprisal" (assassination orders).  Perhaps some people think, so what, he's killing terrorists who are a threat to us.  Too bad that's not always true...too bad that many more innocent people are being slaughtered than what we've been told by the Executive Branch, and too bad that we're not even at war with Somalia, Yemen, or Pakistan... all sovereign nations.  Pakistan, in particular, repeatedly has told our Gov't to stop bombing in their country.  Too bad that the Taliban now control more of Afghanistan than they ever did in the last fourteen years.  Too bad that Afghanistan is known (for very good reasons) as "The Graveyard of Empires".  The old Soviets had 500,000 Russian troops there...they lost that war.

Obama just recently stated (paraphrased):  "You know I'm not in favor of Endless War.".  All I know, Mr. President, is that's what you keep saying.  I see little to no evidence of the truth of that.  You claim these Drone Wars are not "war".  If that's true, then here's a thought for you:  you have no legal authority to order the murder of people around the world.  Who died & thus made you King?  Some of the people you're having killed probably were toddlers on 9-11-01.  Have they attacked us?  The fact is, even more than Bush-Cheney, you've maneuvered us into a present & future of perpetual war.  There's no end in sight.  There's no reasonable plan in sight.  Drone wars, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Pakistan, and who knows what's next--- you're a warmonger, all in the name of national security.  Wow, what an original justification.  Here's another fact:  your military actions are making new terrorists and stirring up the old ones.  A final fact:  IT IS LAW ENFORCEMENT and everyday citizens who are keeping us safe from Terrorism...not your terrorist-creating, military maneuvers.  You've succeeded in making our Gov't's actions the number one generator of terrorists in the entire world.  You've beaten out Bush-Cheney in that regard.  I didn't think that was possible.

I (& many reputable analysts) think your military misadventures are because the economy here is in bad shape, our fiscal & monetary conditions are appalling, the dollar's world reserve currency status is being seriously threatened, and your implementation of the Big Stick around the world supposedly will hold it all together.  All you're doing is making enemies around the Globe, while at the same time, destroying our economy.  You people in the DC Ivory Tower need to wake up and pay attention.  You're not the Master, you're the Servant.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Clinton is Either Ignorant or Lying...O'Malley Too

That's what Norman Solomon, documentary producer & long-time political activist, said on Democracy Now today.  I agree.  He was talking about her response regarding a question on Edward Snowden during the Democratic Debate Tuesday night.  Hillary essentially said that Snowden "could have been" a whistleblower "if" he had gone through the proper channels and gotten the "protections" provided to whistleblowers.

That statement by Clinton is either a lie, ignorance on her part, or a really bad joke.  Tom Drake, Jeffrey Stirling, and several others spent months going through the proper, internal channels with their whistleblowing.  All that did was target them for persecution, and then selective prosecution.  "Selective" because guys like David Petraeus only get a slap on the wrist.  Guys like Brennan, Panetta, & Clapper get NOTHING.

As Solomon stated (paraphrased), Obama's war against whistleblowers and journalists is unprecedented in our history.  Indeed.  Barack Obama is perhaps the most Fascist President we've ever had in the Oval Office.  Propaganda calling him "socialist" is just that---propaganda.  As I've pointed out many times, both FDR and Mussolini defined Fascism as:  the marriage of the Power of the State to the Power of Big Business.  That fits Obama to a tee.  Those who wept with joy at his election in 2008 must be the most disappointed voters in our political history.  They elected a Corporatist posing as some sort of Populist and/or Leftist.

Then, too, we had O'Malley of Maryland in the Debate stating that "whistleblowers don't run to Russia".  Again, ignorance, or a lie, or a bad joke.  Snowden was on his way from Hong Kong to Ecuador.  At the stop in Russia (or maybe in-flight from H.K.), the U.S. Gov't revoked his passport.  He then wasn't allowed to board the plane to continue his journey.  It always amazes me how politicians twist stories to suit their particular agendas.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well