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interpreting the constitution
| redstat |
News
News
News
crowd control
spread of the red
number 138 02.10.08
| redstat archive |
| verbatim archive |
| ML King streaming audio |
United States military veterans
are not legally entitled to any
specific form or level of medical
care, according to government
lawyers responding to a class
action lawsuit against the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
In documents filed last week in
federal court in San Francisco, the
Justice Department argued that a
law providing for medical services
for veterans after their discharge
does establish “veterans’ eligibility
for health care, but it does not
create an entitlement to any
particular medical service.” Bush
administration attorneys assert in
the filing that such services are
provided entirely at the discretion
of the VA, and only to the extent
that funds are available.
The lawsuit was brought by a
coalition of advocacy groups on
behalf of veterans and their
families who claim that the VA
has illegally denied mental health
care to troops returning from
overseas duty. A lawyer for the
plaintiffs told the San Francisco
Chronicle, “Veterans need to
know in this country that the
government thinks all their
benefits are mere gratuities.
They’re saying it’s completely
discretionary, that even if
Congress appropriates money for
veterans’ health care we can do
anything we want with it.”
The case is being heard at a time
of increased concern over mental
health issues for returning troops.
Last week the Associated Press
reported on a VA study that said
such concerns were a factor in
high unemployment rates among
former soldiers. it's all true
are not legally entitled to any
specific form or level of medical
care, according to government
lawyers responding to a class
action lawsuit against the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
In documents filed last week in
federal court in San Francisco, the
Justice Department argued that a
law providing for medical services
for veterans after their discharge
does establish “veterans’ eligibility
for health care, but it does not
create an entitlement to any
particular medical service.” Bush
administration attorneys assert in
the filing that such services are
provided entirely at the discretion
of the VA, and only to the extent
that funds are available.
The lawsuit was brought by a
coalition of advocacy groups on
behalf of veterans and their
families who claim that the VA
has illegally denied mental health
care to troops returning from
overseas duty. A lawyer for the
plaintiffs told the San Francisco
Chronicle, “Veterans need to
know in this country that the
government thinks all their
benefits are mere gratuities.
They’re saying it’s completely
discretionary, that even if
Congress appropriates money for
veterans’ health care we can do
anything we want with it.”
The case is being heard at a time
of increased concern over mental
health issues for returning troops.
Last week the Associated Press
reported on a VA study that said
such concerns were a factor in
high unemployment rates among
former soldiers. it's all true
New concerns about the vulnerability of
crucial international communications
systems have arisen after at least four
major undersea fiber optic cables were
cut in a period of six days last week,
knocking out Internet access for
hundreds of millions in the Middle East
and South Asia. Officials have been
quick to deny that any of the cables
were intentionally cut, and have said that
an abandoned anchor weighing more
than five tons severed one of the cables
in the Persian Gulf. Despite these
assurances, speculation about sabotage
and possible motives and actors has been
rampant, particularly among bloggers.
The damaged cables slowed Internet
service throughout the Middle East, with
Egypt, Oman, and the United Arab
Emirates suffering outages and delays.
Service in India was impacted, with local
crucial international communications
systems have arisen after at least four
major undersea fiber optic cables were
cut in a period of six days last week,
knocking out Internet access for
hundreds of millions in the Middle East
and South Asia. Officials have been
quick to deny that any of the cables
were intentionally cut, and have said that
an abandoned anchor weighing more
than five tons severed one of the cables
in the Persian Gulf. Despite these
assurances, speculation about sabotage
and possible motives and actors has been
rampant, particularly among bloggers.
The damaged cables slowed Internet
service throughout the Middle East, with
Egypt, Oman, and the United Arab
Emirates suffering outages and delays.
Service in India was impacted, with local
media reporting that while multinational
corporations were able to reroute their
service through alternative cable
networks, smaller business and home
users experienced severe disruptions.
The private companies that own the
affected cables said that repairs to the
first two would be completed this week.
The extent of the interruption of
Internet and telecommunications
services in Iran remains unclear, but
some observers have suggested that if
the cuts were indeed sabotage, the
intended effect may have been to disrupt
the launch of the Iranian oil bourse,
scheduled for this month. The bourse
represents the first attempt to trade oil
internationally without using the US
dollar as the reference currency. The
dollar is seen by some oil producing
nations as too volatile. it's all true
corporations were able to reroute their
service through alternative cable
networks, smaller business and home
users experienced severe disruptions.
The private companies that own the
affected cables said that repairs to the
first two would be completed this week.
The extent of the interruption of
Internet and telecommunications
services in Iran remains unclear, but
some observers have suggested that if
the cuts were indeed sabotage, the
intended effect may have been to disrupt
the launch of the Iranian oil bourse,
scheduled for this month. The bourse
represents the first attempt to trade oil
internationally without using the US
dollar as the reference currency. The
dollar is seen by some oil producing
nations as too volatile. it's all true
verbatim number 27.1
"America stands
for liberty...
for liberty...
…for the pursuit
of happiness…
of happiness…
...and for the
unalienable
right of life."
Washington DC 11.03.03
unalienable
right of life."
Washington DC 11.03.03
source: Center for Disease Control
| Human deaths from Bird Flu top five countries |
0 20 40
| Thailand |
| Indonesia |
| China |
| Turkey |
| Vietnam |
The top commander of US military
detention operations at Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba has confirmed for the first
time the existence of “Camp 7,” a
super-secret facility within the prison
compound that houses just 15 “high
value” terrorist suspects. Delegations
from International Red Cross and some
civilian government authorities have
had access to the secret site, but the
comments by Rear Admiral Mark Buzby,
in an interview with the Associated
Press, represent the first official public
acknowledgement that such a detention
center is in operation. Buzby said the
maximum-security unit holds prisoners
transferred from secret CIA prisons
around the world in 2006.
Some journalists have been allowed to
tour Camp Echo and Camps 1,2,3,4,5,
and 6, where 260 military detainees
detention operations at Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba has confirmed for the first
time the existence of “Camp 7,” a
super-secret facility within the prison
compound that houses just 15 “high
value” terrorist suspects. Delegations
from International Red Cross and some
civilian government authorities have
had access to the secret site, but the
comments by Rear Admiral Mark Buzby,
in an interview with the Associated
Press, represent the first official public
acknowledgement that such a detention
center is in operation. Buzby said the
maximum-security unit holds prisoners
transferred from secret CIA prisons
around the world in 2006.
Some journalists have been allowed to
tour Camp Echo and Camps 1,2,3,4,5,
and 6, where 260 military detainees
have been in custody for up to six years.
It had been widely assumed that the
most important suspected terrorists
were being held in either Camp 5 or
Camp 6, which are also high-security
complexes. In December, when lawyers
for detainee Majid Khan released
documents related to his case, the New
York Times noted, “The documents
also suggest that Mr. Khan, 27, and
other high-value detainees are now
being held in a previously undisclosed
area of the Guantanamo prison in Cuba
he called Camp 7.”
Buzby said that the 15 prisoners were
confined to Camp 7 in part to protect
other inmates, citing a “potential for
retribution” among detainees. He
stressed that very few personnel were
allowed entry to the unit. Col. Bruce
Vargo, chief commander of the Joint
It had been widely assumed that the
most important suspected terrorists
were being held in either Camp 5 or
Camp 6, which are also high-security
complexes. In December, when lawyers
for detainee Majid Khan released
documents related to his case, the New
York Times noted, “The documents
also suggest that Mr. Khan, 27, and
other high-value detainees are now
being held in a previously undisclosed
area of the Guantanamo prison in Cuba
he called Camp 7.”
Buzby said that the 15 prisoners were
confined to Camp 7 in part to protect
other inmates, citing a “potential for
retribution” among detainees. He
stressed that very few personnel were
allowed entry to the unit. Col. Bruce
Vargo, chief commander of the Joint
Detention Group at Guantanamo,
told the AP, “Not everybody, even
within the Joint Task Force, has
access or even knowledge of where
Camp 7 is.”
The disclosures about Camp 7 came
as the Bush administration announced
plans to try a number of “high-value”
terrorist suspects in special tribunals
to be held at Guantanamo Bay. The
detainees, who are reportedly facing
the death penalty, are presumed to
be those confined to Camp 7. A
2006 change to regulations allows
military executions to be performed
at Guantanamo, which is not on US
soil. The rule change will effectively
limit the right of appeal of so-called
"enemy combatants" who are tried
and convicted outside of the US
justice system. it's all true
told the AP, “Not everybody, even
within the Joint Task Force, has
access or even knowledge of where
Camp 7 is.”
The disclosures about Camp 7 came
as the Bush administration announced
plans to try a number of “high-value”
terrorist suspects in special tribunals
to be held at Guantanamo Bay. The
detainees, who are reportedly facing
the death penalty, are presumed to
be those confined to Camp 7. A
2006 change to regulations allows
military executions to be performed
at Guantanamo, which is not on US
soil. The rule change will effectively
limit the right of appeal of so-called
"enemy combatants" who are tried
and convicted outside of the US
justice system. it's all true
Vets Forced to Fight
For Medical Benefits
For Medical Benefits
Cutting of Cables May Delay Cutting of Cord
US Achieves Robust Growth in Secret Prison Camp Sector
Through his own inaction President
Bush has nullified a commission set
up by Congress to monitor his
administration's anti-terror programs
for abuses of civil liberties and privacy
rights.
The terms of the current members
of the Privacy Board expired on
January 30 and the administration has
not nominated candidates to fill
positions on the 5-person board. The
Board reviews the administration’s
national security surveillance
programs to make suggestions to
ensure that American’s civil liberties
are protected. The panel was
reconfigured by Congress in 2007 at
the recommendation of the 9/11
commission to include members
from both parties, but the panel
remains under the authority of the
president.
The panel’s first yearly report since
being reorganized was released last
year after the Bush administration
had made over 200 revisions. The
edits included deleting whole sections
regarding administration anti-
terrorism programs that the Board
saw as “potentially problematic” to
civil liberties and criticism of federal
prosecutors’ authority to indefinitely
detain material witnesses. The panel’s
only Democrat resigned due to
administration’s interference in the
release of the full report. it's all true
Bush has nullified a commission set
up by Congress to monitor his
administration's anti-terror programs
for abuses of civil liberties and privacy
rights.
The terms of the current members
of the Privacy Board expired on
January 30 and the administration has
not nominated candidates to fill
positions on the 5-person board. The
Board reviews the administration’s
national security surveillance
programs to make suggestions to
ensure that American’s civil liberties
are protected. The panel was
reconfigured by Congress in 2007 at
the recommendation of the 9/11
commission to include members
from both parties, but the panel
remains under the authority of the
president.
The panel’s first yearly report since
being reorganized was released last
year after the Bush administration
had made over 200 revisions. The
edits included deleting whole sections
regarding administration anti-
terrorism programs that the Board
saw as “potentially problematic” to
civil liberties and criticism of federal
prosecutors’ authority to indefinitely
detain material witnesses. The panel’s
only Democrat resigned due to
administration’s interference in the
release of the full report. it's all true
President Bush has proposed a budget
for the 2009 fiscal year that reduces
funding for Medicare and Medicaid and
eliminates funding for many federal
programs while at the same time
increases funding for both the Pentagon
and the Department of Homeland
Security.
Bush proposes in his 2009 budget to
freeze spending on domestic programs
including food programs for poor
children, community development
programs, training programs for displaced
workers, subsidies for home heating and
funding for public housing. The proposed
budget eliminates or reduces funding to
over 150 federal programs.
The budget also calls for legislative
changes to reduce spending on Medicare
by $6 billion in 2009 and by $91billion by
2013. Bush proposes eliminating
programmed annual increases in
payments made to hospitals, home
health care providers, nursing homes and
hospices. Federal payments to these
institutions are currently adjusted
annually for inflation.
The Bush budget cuts would impact
America’s hospitals the most, including
cutting funding for in-patient care by $15
billion reducing funding to hospitals that
serve large poor populations by $25
billion. The proposed budget also finds
savings in cuts to Medicaid of $1.3 billion
in 2009 and more than $13 billion over
the next four years.
for the 2009 fiscal year that reduces
funding for Medicare and Medicaid and
eliminates funding for many federal
programs while at the same time
increases funding for both the Pentagon
and the Department of Homeland
Security.
Bush proposes in his 2009 budget to
freeze spending on domestic programs
including food programs for poor
children, community development
programs, training programs for displaced
workers, subsidies for home heating and
funding for public housing. The proposed
budget eliminates or reduces funding to
over 150 federal programs.
The budget also calls for legislative
changes to reduce spending on Medicare
by $6 billion in 2009 and by $91billion by
2013. Bush proposes eliminating
programmed annual increases in
payments made to hospitals, home
health care providers, nursing homes and
hospices. Federal payments to these
institutions are currently adjusted
annually for inflation.
The Bush budget cuts would impact
America’s hospitals the most, including
cutting funding for in-patient care by $15
billion reducing funding to hospitals that
serve large poor populations by $25
billion. The proposed budget also finds
savings in cuts to Medicaid of $1.3 billion
in 2009 and more than $13 billion over
the next four years.
The proposal also reduces funding for
federal block grants to communities that
support day care and foster care
programs, children’s health services and
other family services. Overall, the Bush
budget proposes to cut more than $2
billion from programs overseen by the
Department of Health and Human
Services.
The Bush budget also cuts funding to
educational programs including
eliminating the early childhood literacy
program called Even Start and defunding
a college scholarship program. The
budget also cuts federal funding to the
states to promote technology education
and provide training for incarcerated
youth.
Although the president reduced federal
spending for these and more domestic
programs, the proposal increases military
spending as a percent of the total budget
to a level not reached since World War
II. The budget calls for $515.4 billion for
the Pentagon in 2009. That figure does
not include appropriations to support
the occupation of Iraq and the military
actions in Afghanistan. Bush has, over
the past years, funded these military
operations by submitting special
supplemental funding bills to Congress
instead of adding them to the annual
budget request.
The budget that Bush proposed could be
the first proposed by a US president that
exceeds $3 trillion. it's all true
federal block grants to communities that
support day care and foster care
programs, children’s health services and
other family services. Overall, the Bush
budget proposes to cut more than $2
billion from programs overseen by the
Department of Health and Human
Services.
The Bush budget also cuts funding to
educational programs including
eliminating the early childhood literacy
program called Even Start and defunding
a college scholarship program. The
budget also cuts federal funding to the
states to promote technology education
and provide training for incarcerated
youth.
Although the president reduced federal
spending for these and more domestic
programs, the proposal increases military
spending as a percent of the total budget
to a level not reached since World War
II. The budget calls for $515.4 billion for
the Pentagon in 2009. That figure does
not include appropriations to support
the occupation of Iraq and the military
actions in Afghanistan. Bush has, over
the past years, funded these military
operations by submitting special
supplemental funding bills to Congress
instead of adding them to the annual
budget request.
The budget that Bush proposed could be
the first proposed by a US president that
exceeds $3 trillion. it's all true
With members of Congress working
towards the passage of legislation
banning certain extreme interrogation
techniques including simulating drowning
through the use of waterboarding, Bush
administration officials have come
forward stating that although
waterboarding could lead to the death of
suspects, the CIA used the technique at
the detention camp in Guantanamo Bay,
Cuba and other black-site prisons around
the world and could use the technique
again at the direction of the President.
The use of waterboarding to extract
information from subjects is considered
to be torture by most of the world’s
countries, including many of America’s
allies.
towards the passage of legislation
banning certain extreme interrogation
techniques including simulating drowning
through the use of waterboarding, Bush
administration officials have come
forward stating that although
waterboarding could lead to the death of
suspects, the CIA used the technique at
the detention camp in Guantanamo Bay,
Cuba and other black-site prisons around
the world and could use the technique
again at the direction of the President.
The use of waterboarding to extract
information from subjects is considered
to be torture by most of the world’s
countries, including many of America’s
allies.
CIA chief, Michael Hayden admitted for
the first time that the CIA had utilized
waterboarding during interrogations in
2002 and 2003. Hayden told a
congressional committee that the
technique was used on specific “high-
value” detainees and that less than a
third of detainees held in the CIA’s
detention and interrogation program
were subjected to “coercive”
techniques. Hayden said that although
waterboarding is not currently employed
by the CIA as an interrogation
technique,”it is not certain that the
technique would be considered to be
lawful under current statute.” The
technique it is not specifically banned
under current law.
the first time that the CIA had utilized
waterboarding during interrogations in
2002 and 2003. Hayden told a
congressional committee that the
technique was used on specific “high-
value” detainees and that less than a
third of detainees held in the CIA’s
detention and interrogation program
were subjected to “coercive”
techniques. Hayden said that although
waterboarding is not currently employed
by the CIA as an interrogation
technique,”it is not certain that the
technique would be considered to be
lawful under current statute.” The
technique it is not specifically banned
under current law.
White House spokesperson Tony
Fratto later clarified Hayden’s
statements stating that the
administration considers water-
boarding to be a legal interrogation
tool that could be used at any time
by when authorized by the president.
President Bush has said that he would
veto any legislation that places
restrictions on CIA interrogators.
The Vice President recently told a
gathering that he was proud to
support Bush’s decision to use water-
boarding. Speaking of the detainees
who were tortured, Cheney said, “Its
a good thing we had them in custody,
and its a good thing we found out
what they knew.” it's all true
Fratto later clarified Hayden’s
statements stating that the
administration considers water-
boarding to be a legal interrogation
tool that could be used at any time
by when authorized by the president.
President Bush has said that he would
veto any legislation that places
restrictions on CIA interrogators.
The Vice President recently told a
gathering that he was proud to
support Bush’s decision to use water-
boarding. Speaking of the detainees
who were tortured, Cheney said, “Its
a good thing we had them in custody,
and its a good thing we found out
what they knew.” it's all true
Torture Regime Trumpets Using Terrible Tactic on Terror Suspects
President's Budget Buys Bombs, Torpedoes Programs
Bush Boards-up
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