Thursday, July 24, 2003

Ugly Truth Of War QUOTE OF THE DAY "The High Contracting Parties solemnly declare in the names of their respective peoples that they condemn recourse to war for the solution of international controversies, and renounce it, as an instrument of national policy in their relations with one another." - - Article One of the Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1929 KNOW YOUR HISTORY - JULY 1929 - - President Hoover proclaims the Kellogg-Briand Pact, an international treaty which became effective on this day, providing for the renunciation of war as an instrument of national policy. http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/kbpact/kbpact.htm RHINO HERE: So given the little known history of the Kellogg-Briand Pact cited above, the powers that were, back in 1929, had already concluded that war was obsolete. So what happened? Yesterday's Blog was about the government lies & schemes. Today's Blog is about the results of those lies, other than the profits made by the military industry moguls. Rhino's tongue is tied today, except to say, "These hoodlums have gotta go!" The Tragic Cost of a Rash Iraq War Toronto Star Editorial, Tuesday, July 22, 2003 British scientist David Kelly should be alive today. But like thousands of others, he has become a casualty of the American/British rush to make war on Iraq. The Defense ministry microbiologist and former United Nations weapons inspector killed himself last week after being sucked into a nasty fight between the government and the media. Kelly committed suicide after being named as the source for a British Broadcasting Corp. report that Prime Minister Tony Blair's government had "sexed up" intelligence presented to Parliament to strengthen the case for war to a public that opposed it. The BBC reported that the government overplayed a claim that Saddam Hussein could launch chemical and biological weapons on just 45 minutes' notice. Kelly denied saying as much, but committed suicide after a parliamentary grilling... THE REST IS POSTED AT: http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0722-08.htm Warning of Toxic Aftermath from Uranium Munitions By Anthony Cardinale, The Buffalo News, Tuesday 22 July 2003 The American use of depleted uranium munitions in both Persian Gulf wars has unleashed a toxic disaster that will eclipse the Agent Orange tragedy of the Vietnam War, a former top Army official said Monday evening. Former Maj. Douglas Rokke, who was director of the Army's depleted uranium project, spoke to 125 people at the Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society. The Champaign, Ill., science professor was brought here by the Western New York Peace Center. "I am a warrior," the 54-year-old Vietnam War veteran began. "The sole purpose of war is to kill and destroy. There are no winners." Dressed in sneakers, blue jeans and a red polo shirt, Rokke fit the image of an animated science professor, hair tousled, adjusting his glasses and eager to impart his findings to the next generation. If what he says is true, students will soon have yet another chapter of heartbreaking history to study in the schools. If he is wrong, it will take years to disprove.... IT'S ALL AT: http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20030722/1038561.asp 6:54:10 AM    comment

RHINO'S BOTTOM LINE - The ugly truth of America's Camp Cropper The ugly truth of America's Camp Cropper, a story to shame us all by Robert Fisk, independent.co.uk,  22 July 2003 Now here's a story to shame us all. It's about America's shameful prison camps in Iraq. It's about the beating of prisoners during interrogation.  "Sources" may be a dubious word in journalism right now, but the sources for the beatings in Iraq are impeccable. This story is also about the gunning down of three prisoners in Baghdad, two of them "while trying to escape". But most of all, it's about Qais Mohamed al-Salman. Qais al-Salman is just the sort of guy the US ambassador Paul Bremer and his dead-end assistants need now. He hated Saddam, fled Iraq in 1976, then returned after the "liberation" with a briefcase literally full of plans to help in the restoration of his country's infrastructure and water purification system.  He's an engineer who has worked in Africa, Asia and Europe. He is a Danish citizen. He speaks good English. He even likes America. Or did until 6 June this year. That day he was travelling in Abu Nawas Street when his car came under American fire. He says he never saw a checkpoint. Bullets hit the tyres and his driver and another passenger ran for their lives. Qais al-Salman stood meekly beside the vehicle. He was carrying his Danish passport, Danish driving licence and medical records. But let him tell his own story. "A civilian car came up with American soldiers in it. Then more soldiers in military vehicles. I told them I didn't understand what had happened, that I was a scientific researcher. But they made me lie down in the street, tied my arms behind me with plastic-and-steel cuffs and tied up my feet and put me in one of their vehicles."... READ THE REST AT: http://sf.indymedia.org/news/2003/07/1629518.php "RHINO'S BLOG" is the responsibility of Gary Rhine. (rhino@kifaru.com) Feedback, and requests to be added or deleted from the list are encouraged. SEARCH BLOG ARCHIVES / SURF RHINO'S LINKS, AT: http://www.rhinosblog.info RHINO'S OTHER WEB SITES: http://www.dreamcatchers.org (INDIGENOUS ASSISTANCE & INTERCULTURAL DIALOG) http://www.kifaru.com (NATIVE AMERICAN RELATIONS VIDEO DOCUMENTARIES) Articles are reprinted under Fair Use Doctrine of international copyright law. http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html All copyrights belong to original publisher. 6:03:27 AM    comment

© Copyright 2005 Gary Rhine.