Notes on things I didn't know and things I need to research more.

An incremental and interactive blog post.  Please comment:
Making Sense of Indefinite Detention


Drone attacks on Yemen killing three U.S. citizens.
Bin Laden History,
Yemen, Syria, Iran, Afghanistan

History of Suspension of Habeas Corpus in the U.S.


The outrage of the American people at the passing of the NDAA thing  which includes a suspension of habeas corpus for all, including U.S. citizens. What is the problem? As mediocre a student I was in jr. high school even I remember that funny word and that when there is war and the safety of America was in jeopardy it could be suspended for a while.  The government uses it all the time and everyone gets mad and then they forget about it because it really doesn't affect anyone but the occasional person who actually is a danger and might get away otherwise. We know how a dopey cop might forget to read someone his Miranda rights.  It is to prevent someone very dangerous getting off on a technicality.  And to stop someone from doing something really bad.  This gives the president time to use his discretion.  Obama will not be the one to abuse this authority and if he were there are plenty of independent watchdog groups. Republicans and Democrats set aside their petty  differences on this one point.  They continue to sling mud on all the other issues.  It is unlikely that they all decided to "be in on it." They have set aside their gang wars to unite against Al Qaeda.

To rejoice at the execution of a human being who has not undergone the benefit of due process and to then be angry at the new indefinite detention law can be summed up with one word: hypocrisy. "As long as western governments are preaching human rights and democracy while not complying with them in the non-west there will be anti american sentiment."

Drone attacks, the raid on the Bin Laden compound
Execution style killing

NDAA National Defense Authorization Act
Amnesty International watchdog group.

Until the passage of this recent bill U.S. citizens and legal residents were exempt from indefinite detention without due process.  The bill now includes.
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL31724.pdf
U.S. Citizens:
Walker Lindh
Yaser Esam Hamdi
Jose Padilla
Jose Pimentel
Sami Osmakac
"We cannot continue to rely on only our military in order to achieve the national security objectives." Obama 2008 campaign.

http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas.php


Obama Foreign Policy is it any different from Bush? http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/has-obama-taken-bushs-preemption-strategy-to-another-level/2012/01/06/gIQAHDImmP_story.html

ISI Pakistan double agents?
jihad joe 

high turnovers of leadership and decentralization of factions make Al Qaeda and other terrorists organizations difficult to control.

conflicting information obtained through different detainees at Guantanamo from 2002 to 2005. Through "enhanced interrogation techniques." were able to piece together a profile of Bin Laden's trusted courier.
phones are tapped - invasion of privacy for a cause.


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/world/asia/02reconstruct-capture-osama-bin-laden.html?_r=1
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/world-south-asia-13279283
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/world-south-asia-13318372

Ron Paul Foreign Policy

I am using this blog to keep track of things I am learning about politics and the different candidates that may be running in 2012. Here is an interesting video I found in support of Ron Paul. He is a retired obstetrician.

Occupy Will Never Die

Washington D.C. - May 12, 1968
"Resurrection City"  was set up just one month after the assasination of  Martin Luther King - as part of his "Poor Peoples Campaign." The encampment survived for several weeks before it was bulldozed.

San Francisco - December 6, 2011
"Hey Mister We Multiply - Occupy Will Never Die!" chanted the protesters to San Francisco cops last night as they attempted but failed to prevent occupiers from retaking Justin Herman Plaza after the previous night's eviction.

A General Assembly began.  First topic on the agenda was the topic of volunteers for the various working groups.  Following was the announcement of a march planned for this Saturday, Human Rights Day; starting at 2pm.  Then onto requests for the repair of tents, another protest in LA on the 12th to support labor solidarity...

Suddenly from a loudspeaker came an announcement from police that arrests would begin if the protesters remained in the plaza. A few minutes later the occupiers were kettled - a common tactic used in large demonstrations where the crowd is surrounded and allowed one or no exit - and the arrests began. The charge for unlawful assembly met with vociferous complaints. Legal observers from the San Francisco Bay area chapter of the National Lawyer's Guild were present, taking names of those arrested in order track them through jail.  The National Lawyers Guild has telephone hotlines and suggests that protesters have it written somewhere on their skin prior to clashes with the police. In the event they get arrested their cell phones and  all other posessions will be confiscated. They Guild also holds workshops for the defense and empowerment of demonstrators and activists. Approximately 85 protesters were arrested in San Francisco last night.

Washington D.C. - December 6, 2011
On the other side of the country Occupiers from the McPherson Square Park encampment in Washington DC marched to the steps of the Supreme Court.  Eleven protesters were arrested in the protest against the Supreme Court ruling on the case "Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission."  This 2010 landmark decision is said to allow corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money on election campaigns. The Occupy movement in D.C. consists of various encampments including one in Freedom Plaza located on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Elsewhere - December 6 - 8, 2011
Occupy Maine was denied a permit to remain in Portland's Lincoln Park as was Occupy Boston, scheduled for eviction from Dewey Square at midnight tonight.  A police raid took place on Occupy Phoenix.

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/magicmint
http://www.ustream.tv/user/AJwatchDC
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/20/us/disclosure-may-be-real-legacy-of-citizens-united-case.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/before-occupy-dc-there-was-resurrection-city/2011/12/01/gIQAoNqcPO_story.html
http://weekendamerica.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/05/08/1968_resurrection

Setting Up Camp at OWS

An old TV Cabinet with a hitch and set on wheels at

Occupy Boston in Dewey Square just off the South Station T.

OWS encampments have started to get shut down.  This is many times due to not complying with city ordinances and permits.  See how the creative ones are hanging tight and may outlast the others. It seems that time and weather will eventually determine the final outcome.

Protesters get creative as Winter Approaches

How to Build a RanDome Geodesic Emergency Shelter

NYPD Foils Terror Plot

Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Photo: istock.com/EdStock

An Al Qaeda sympathizer was arrested in New York City Saturday afternoon while building a pipe bomb. His intent was to target soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan as well as postal facilities. Jose Pimentel - a U.S. citizen originally from the Dominican Republic - was found drilling into the pipe to be used for one of the bombs while reading how-to instructions from Inspire online magazine. The magazine is an Al Qaeda based English language magazine.

The Manhattan resident has been closely tracked by the NYPD for the past two years. The pipe bomb to be used could have killed close to a dozen people. An informant alerted the NYPD about Pimantel's planned attacks.

At 7:30 pm eastern time Sunday night, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, accompanied by District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly held a press conference on CNN News revealing the foiled terrorist attempt.

The perpetrator most likely has no direct ties to Al Qaeda however had openly shown sympathy to the group and had extremist views regarding Jihad. The arabic  word "jihad" originally meant a type struggle towards excellence however is now understood as the war that Muslims wage against non-Muslims in the name of their god Allah.

OWS Protesters Receive Free Healthcare Screenings

OWS Los Angeles Livestream Reporter See Hang Gets a Checkup.

It was windy and cold today in Los Angeles but that did not impede representatives from various community healthcare organizations from setting up booths outside of City Hall and offer free screenings to anyone who wanted them. 

Livestream correspondent for OWS Los Angeles See Hang had been fasting for almost four days and had a sore throat. He took the opportunity to speak with people at the various booths while he got a checkup. 

He began by having his blood glucose checked at the United Healthcare Workers (UHW) booth as chanting from the protests could be heard in the background. "UHW brings healthcare to the people through cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose screenings and through health education." said the UHW nurse. She also explained that since healthcare cannot be outsourced it is a sector that creates and keeps jobs within U.S. borders and within communities. "Without funding many of the clinics will have to close and people will not have access to life saving services. It is atrocious that in a country of so much wealth and resource a person cannot just walk into a clinic and get their blood pressure checked." She finished See's glucose reading. "Your glucose is fine but why not go get your blood pressure checked too?" she smiled. 

At the blood pressure station the attending nurse asked, "Do you have health coverage right now?" 

"Not at the moment." See answered in a concerned tone. "Left or right arm? " 

"Either one you want. Saint Johns over there can inform you about free healthcare coverage." See waited patiently as the rubber sleeve from the blood pressure gauge tightened around his arm and then loosened again. "It's a little high. Maybe you are a bit excited from all this walking around and stuff. But if I had found it to be critical I would call 911 and you would be on your way to the hospital right now." she laughed. 

The Saint John's booth was next where there was information about their free health care coverage and See took a moment to sign the "right to healthcare" petition which is collecting signatures in protest of proposed cuts to Medicare and Medi-Cal. Saint John's Clinics are located throughout the Los Angeles area and are open Monday through Saturday. See's visit came to a close with a cholesterol check and a free toothbrush from Kids Dental Kare. 

The Health and Wellness Fair hosted many other Los Angeles based health care organizations. Among them were Share! and Skid Row Housing Trust. 

See and his colleagues are currently partaking in a fast for the Occupy Wall Street cause. 

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