{"id":117739,"date":"2014-05-11T07:30:00","date_gmt":"2014-05-11T07:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/?guid=885db476decfbd23c511f7469e14d6b5"},"modified":"2014-05-11T07:30:00","modified_gmt":"2014-05-11T07:30:00","slug":"fascist-killers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/editorials\/fascist-killers\/","title":{"rendered":"Fascist Killers"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\"><b>Fascist Killers<\/b><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">by Stephen Lendman<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Three nations among others stand out: America, Israel and Ukraine.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">America&#8217;s deplorable history reflects barbarism writ large. Killing civilians is longstanding policy. Doing so violates core international law.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">It prohibits collective punishment. It forbids attacking noncombatants. Targets unrelated to military necessity are strictly off-limits.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Lawless attacks constitute crimes of war, against humanity and genocide. Committing them reflects official US policy. It&#8217;s been so throughout America&#8217;s sordid history.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">It&#8217;s guilty as charged. Its drone program alone is damning. It reflects out-of-control state terror.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Attacks are indiscriminate. Mostly noncombatant civilians are killed. A 2012 &#8220;Living Under Drones&#8221;<a href=\"http:\/\/livingunderdrones.org\/\"> <span style=\"color: #1255cc;\">report<\/span><\/a><span style=\"color: #323333;\"> explained.<\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Stanford University&#8217;s International Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Clinic (SU) and New York University School of Law&#8217;s Global Justice Clinic (NYU) jointly prepared it.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Credible firsthand documentation was compiled. It &#8220;present(ed) (clear) evidence of the damaging and counterproductive effects of&#8221; Obama&#8217;s drone-strike policy.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">So-called benefits don&#8217;t exist. Mostly noncombatant civilians are harmed. Men, women, children, infants, the elderly and infirm are murdered in cold blood.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;Living Under Drones&#8221; exposed what official accounts suppress.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">US imperial wars killed millions of civilians. Indiscriminate mass murder reflects longstanding US policy.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">March 19 marked the 10th anniversary of Washington&#8217;s Iraq war. Waging it destroyed the cradle of civilization.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">It&#8217;s one of history&#8217;s greatest crimes. It followed Gulf War devastation and punishing sanctions.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">They caused about 1.5 million Iraqi deaths. Most were young children. Up to 7,000 died monthly.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Former UN humanitarian coordinator Dennis Halliday resigned in protest. He refused to be part of what he called &#8220;genocide.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Weeks of so-called &#8220;Operation Iraqi Freedom&#8221; destroyed virtually everything needed for normal functioning.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Terror bombings and ground assaults damaged or demolished targets unrelated to military necessity.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">They included power plants, dams, water purification facilities, sewage treatment and disposal systems, telephone and other communications, hospitals, schools, mosques, residential neighborhoods, factories and private businesses, government buildings, historical sites and much more.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">The region&#8217;s most developed country was systematically destroyed. The cradle of civilization no longer exists. Dystopian hell replaced it.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Millions of Iraqis suffer horrifically. They struggle daily to survive. Their nation remains a cauldron of violence and instability.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">US installed stooge governance remains. So-called elections are farcical when held. Democracy is pure fantasy.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Crimes of war and against humanity continue. Iraq is a virtual free-fire zone. Washington bears full responsibility. Obama continues what Bush began.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Hegemons operate this way. Fascist regimes give no quarter. America represents the worst of imperial barbarism.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Conquest, domination, colonization and plundering nations for profit matter most. Millions of human lives lost attest to Washington&#8217;s ruthlessness.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">They&#8217;re inconsequential. They&#8217;re considered a small price to pay. Coverup and denial suppress the worst of US policy.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">America&#8217;s human rights record is appalling. It&#8217;s by far the world&#8217;s worst. Every imaginable crime and then some was committed.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">They continue out-of-control. They&#8217;re largely out of sight and mind. They&#8217;re unreported.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Torture is sanctioned. Peace and stability are verboten. Permanent war is official policy. So is global state terror.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">America operates the world&#8217;s largest gulag. Thousands of political prisoners fill it. Global torture prisons supplement it.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Crime bosses make policy. Monied interests control them. New World Order ruthlessness reflects official policy. Rule of law principles don&#8217;t matter. Washington rules alone apply.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Israel operates the same way. So-called &#8220;Dahiya Doctrine&#8221; lawlessness is official policy. It&#8217;s named after a Beirut suburb.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">It reflects how all Israeli wars are waged. Former IDF Northern Commander Gabi Eisenkot explained earlier, saying:<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;What happened in the Dahiya quarter of Beirut in 2006 will happen in every village from which Israel is fired on.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;We will apply disproportionate force at the heart of the enemy&#8217;s weak spot (civilians) and cause great damage and destruction.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;From our standpoint, these are not civilian villages (towns or cities). They are military bases. This is not a recommendation. This is a plan. And it has been approved.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Terror bombings target civilians. They&#8217;re murdered in cold blood.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Israel&#8217;s preemptive 2006 Lebanon war horrific. Weeks of slaughter, destruction, mass displacement and human misery followed.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Over 1,000 died. One-fourth of Lebanese people fled for their lives. Terror bombings were merciless.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">They destroyed or damaged ports, Beirut International Airport, roads, bridges, other infrastructure, schools, hospitals, power stations, commercial sites, factories, dams, civilian neighborhoods, government buildings, mosques, churches, radio and TV stations, an orphanage, Sidon&#8217;s refugee camp and other non-military targets.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Jiyeh\u2019s utility plant south of Beirut was struck. Doing so caused massive oil spillage. Over 90 miles of coastal waters were polluted.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Biodiversity was damaged. Heightened cancer risk followed. Many thousands of Lebanese remain vulnerable.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">A land, sea and air siege was imposed. Illegal weapons were used. They included depleted uranium, chemical agents, as well as white phosphorous bombs and shells. They burn flesh to the bone.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">So-called thermobaric bombs were dropped. They contain polymer-bonded or solid fuel-air explosives. They penetrate buildings, underground shelters and tunnels.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Their blast pressure sucks oxygen out of affected areas. It horrifically affects people in them. It\u2019s a terror weapon designed to kill and destroy monstrously.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Israel&#8217;s December 2008\/January 2009 Gaza war replicated Lebanon atrocities. Appalling crimes of war and against humanity were committed.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Israel did so with impunity. Goldstone Commission findings were damning. They showed clear &#8220;evidence indicating serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law\u2026&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">They said Israeli &#8220;actions amount(ed) to war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity.&#8221; Indisputable evidence explained.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Over 1,400 Palestinians died. They were murdered in cold blood. Roads, bridges, other infrastructure, residential neighborhoods, schools, hospitals, mosques, public buildings, factories, Gaza&#8217;s sole power plant, police stations, other structures and facilities were damaged or destroyed.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Israel&#8217;s lawless siege prevents proper reconstruction. So do repeated air, ground and sea attacks.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">They inflict more death and destruction. Children are affected most. Longterm trauma persists.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">World leaders able to make a difference turn a blind eye. Doing so lets Israel get away with mass murder. Committing it is official Israeli policy. Unaccountability follows every time.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Ukraine represents America&#8217;s latest imperial adventurism. Democratic governance was destroyed. Illegitimate coup-appointed fascists replaced it.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">They&#8217;re committing the unthinkable. They&#8217;re waging war on their own people.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">They&#8217;re using tanks, artillery, mortars, APCs, helicopter gunships other heavy weapons, and toxic chemicals against lightly armed Eastern Ukrainian freedom fighters.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">They&#8217;re willfully murdering unarmed civilians. They&#8217;re doing it daily. The May 2 Odessa massacre killed around 300 defenseless city residents.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Doing so reflects how far they&#8217;ll go. It suggests much worse to follow. Washington endorses their worst barbarism.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Orders come straight from the White House. No-holds-barred death and destruction was OK&#8217;d. Tyrants operate this way. One fascist regime supports another.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Washington blamed victims for their own deaths. It blames Russia for its crimes. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki consistently turns truth on its head. She lies for power.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">She suppresses what people most need to know. She does it in regular press briefings. She substitutes misinformation Big Lies for vital truths.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">On Friday, she outrageously &#8220;condemned the outbreak of violence caused by pro-Russian separatists\u2026in Mariupol\u2026&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: Kiev putschists bear full responsibility.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They acted on direct orders from Washington.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They murdered around 20 civilians in cold blood.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They injured many others.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They violated core international law provisions.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They operate with impunity.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They likely plan much greater bloodbaths.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: Eastern Ukrainian self-defense forces aren&#8217;t separatists.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They&#8217;re not terrorists.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They&#8217;re federalist supporters.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They&#8217;re freedom fighters.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They reject US-installed Kiev fascist putschists.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They want local autonomy.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They&#8217;re Ukraine&#8217;s best and bravest.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They fighting for rights everyone deserves.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They merit worldwide support.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: Kiev putschists have no legitimacy.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They demand universal condemnation.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">It bears repeating. Fascist regimes operate this way. America is by far the worst. Kiev putschists serve US interests.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">They do so at the expense of their own people. Exploiting them ruthlessly is planned. So is letting Western corporations plunder Ukraine&#8217;s resources. IMF diktats demand it.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">War on Eastern Ukraine continues. Mass slaughter may follow. Bloodbath conditions promise much worse ahead.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">It bears repeating. Hegemons operate this way. Proxy stooges serve their interests. One fascist regime supports another.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Longstanding US policy reflects its dark side. It shows America&#8217;s true face. It exposes the depths of its depravity. Humanity&#8217;s fate hangs in the balance.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">A Final Comment<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Jaime Lopez and Dallas Peavy endured weeks of political imprisonment. They&#8217;re US citizens.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">From March 14 through April 22, they were held lawlessly in Djibouti. They committed no crimes. They&#8217;re uncharged.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">US consular officials are complicit with Djiboutian authorities. They want Lopez\/Peavy abuse kept under wraps. They want Congress US media kept uninformed.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">On Saturday, Lopez emailed this writer. He asked for help. He explained what happened.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">He detailed how grievously he and Peavy were treated. He explained:<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;US embassy (officials) provided derogatory written and verbal information to US military base (Camp Lemonier)&#8221; authorities.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Doing so got its commander &#8220;to declare us to be persona non-grata at the base.&#8221; Misinformation claimed &#8220;Mr. Peavy (was) wanted by the FBI.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">US consular officials hold Lopez&#8217;s passport. They won&#8217;t return it. Both men committed no crimes. They want to go home.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">They&#8217;re prevented from doing so. They remain effectively imprisoned.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">US consular officials lied. They claimed &#8220;they are no longer involved in the legal matter,&#8221; said Lopez.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Even though both men are uncharged. US citizens warrant consular protection. Their fundamental rights were violated.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">It bears repeating. Washington is complicit with Djiboutian authorities.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">It&#8217;s acting against the welfare of two of its citizens. It doesn&#8217;t give a damn how they&#8217;re treated. Lopez emailed this writer for help.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">He and Peavy are two among countless victims of America&#8217;s contempt for fundamental human rights. They&#8217;re trapped against their will in Djibouti.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">They can&#8217;t get out. They can&#8217;t go home. They&#8217;re stuck where they don&#8217;t want to be.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Consular officials haven&#8217;t done a thing to help. Whether things get resolved appears unlikely short-term. Both men remain in limbo.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">His new book as editor and contributor is titled &#8220;Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">http:\/\/www.claritypress.com\/LendmanIII.html<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">http:\/\/www.progressiveradionetwork.com\/the-progressive-news-hour&nbsp;<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div><b>Fascist Killers<\/b><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>by Stephen Lendman<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Three nations among others stand out: America, Israel and Ukraine.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>America&#8217;s deplorable history reflects barbarism writ large. Killing civilians is longstanding policy. Doing so violates core international law.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>It prohibits collective punishment. It forbids attacking noncombatants. Targets unrelated to military necessity are strictly off-limits.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Lawless attacks constitute crimes of war, against humanity and genocide. Committing them reflects official US policy. It&#8217;s been so throughout America&#8217;s sordid history.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>It&#8217;s guilty as charged. Its drone program alone is damning. It reflects out-of-control state terror.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Attacks are indiscriminate. Mostly noncombatant civilians are killed. A 2012 &#8220;Living Under Drones&#8221;<a href=\"http:\/\/livingunderdrones.org\/\"> <span>report<\/span><\/a><span> explained.<\/span><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Stanford University&#8217;s International Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Clinic (SU) and New York University School of Law&#8217;s Global Justice Clinic (NYU) jointly prepared it.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Credible firsthand documentation was compiled. It &#8220;present(ed) (clear) evidence of the damaging and counterproductive effects of&#8221; Obama&#8217;s drone-strike policy.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>So-called benefits don&#8217;t exist. Mostly noncombatant civilians are harmed. Men, women, children, infants, the elderly and infirm are murdered in cold blood.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;Living Under Drones&#8221; exposed what official accounts suppress.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>US imperial wars killed millions of civilians. Indiscriminate mass murder reflects longstanding US policy.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>March 19 marked the 10th anniversary of Washington&#8217;s Iraq war. Waging it destroyed the cradle of civilization.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>It&#8217;s one of history&#8217;s greatest crimes. It followed Gulf War devastation and punishing sanctions.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>They caused about 1.5 million Iraqi deaths. Most were young children. Up to 7,000 died monthly.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Former UN humanitarian coordinator Dennis Halliday resigned in protest. He refused to be part of what he called &#8220;genocide.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Weeks of so-called &#8220;Operation Iraqi Freedom&#8221; destroyed virtually everything needed for normal functioning.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Terror bombings and ground assaults damaged or demolished targets unrelated to military necessity.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>They included power plants, dams, water purification facilities, sewage treatment and disposal systems, telephone and other communications, hospitals, schools, mosques, residential neighborhoods, factories and private businesses, government buildings, historical sites and much more.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The region&#8217;s most developed country was systematically destroyed. The cradle of civilization no longer exists. Dystopian hell replaced it.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Millions of Iraqis suffer horrifically. They struggle daily to survive. Their nation remains a cauldron of violence and instability.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>US installed stooge governance remains. So-called elections are farcical when held. Democracy is pure fantasy.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Crimes of war and against humanity continue. Iraq is a virtual free-fire zone. Washington bears full responsibility. Obama continues what Bush began.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Hegemons operate this way. Fascist regimes give no quarter. America represents the worst of imperial barbarism.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Conquest, domination, colonization and plundering nations for profit matter most. Millions of human lives lost attest to Washington&#8217;s ruthlessness.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>They&#8217;re inconsequential. They&#8217;re considered a small price to pay. Coverup and denial suppress the worst of US policy.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>America&#8217;s human rights record is appalling. It&#8217;s by far the world&#8217;s worst. Every imaginable crime and then some was committed.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>They continue out-of-control. They&#8217;re largely out of sight and mind. They&#8217;re unreported.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Torture is sanctioned. Peace and stability are verboten. Permanent war is official policy. So is global state terror.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>America operates the world&#8217;s largest gulag. Thousands of political prisoners fill it. Global torture prisons supplement it.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Crime bosses make policy. Monied interests control them. New World Order ruthlessness reflects official policy. Rule of law principles don&#8217;t matter. Washington rules alone apply.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Israel operates the same way. So-called &#8220;Dahiya Doctrine&#8221; lawlessness is official policy. It&#8217;s named after a Beirut suburb.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>It reflects how all Israeli wars are waged. Former IDF Northern Commander Gabi Eisenkot explained earlier, saying:<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;What happened in the Dahiya quarter of Beirut in 2006 will happen in every village from which Israel is fired on.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;We will apply disproportionate force at the heart of the enemy&#8217;s weak spot (civilians) and cause great damage and destruction.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;From our standpoint, these are not civilian villages (towns or cities). They are military bases. This is not a recommendation. This is a plan. And it has been approved.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Terror bombings target civilians. They&#8217;re murdered in cold blood.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>Israel&#8217;s preemptive 2006 Lebanon war horrific. Weeks of slaughter, destruction, mass displacement and human misery followed.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Over 1,000 died. One-fourth of Lebanese people fled for their lives. Terror bombings were merciless.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>They destroyed or damaged ports, Beirut International Airport, roads, bridges, other infrastructure, schools, hospitals, power stations, commercial sites, factories, dams, civilian neighborhoods, government buildings, mosques, churches, radio and TV stations, an orphanage, Sidon&#8217;s refugee camp and other non-military targets.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Jiyeh&rsquo;s utility plant south of Beirut was struck. Doing so caused massive oil spillage. Over 90 miles of coastal waters were polluted.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Biodiversity was damaged. Heightened cancer risk followed. Many thousands of Lebanese remain vulnerable.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>A land, sea and air siege was imposed. Illegal weapons were used. They included depleted uranium, chemical agents, as well as white phosphorous bombs and shells. They burn flesh to the bone.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>So-called thermobaric bombs were dropped. They contain polymer-bonded or solid fuel-air explosives. They penetrate buildings, underground shelters and tunnels.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Their blast pressure sucks oxygen out of affected areas. It horrifically affects people in them. It&rsquo;s a terror weapon designed to kill and destroy monstrously.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Israel&#8217;s December 2008\/January 2009 Gaza war replicated Lebanon atrocities. Appalling crimes of war and against humanity were committed.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Israel did so with impunity. Goldstone Commission findings were damning. They showed clear &#8220;evidence indicating serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law&hellip;&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>They said Israeli &#8220;actions amount(ed) to war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity.&#8221; Indisputable evidence explained.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Over 1,400 Palestinians died. They were murdered in cold blood. Roads, bridges, other infrastructure, residential neighborhoods, schools, hospitals, mosques, public buildings, factories, Gaza&#8217;s sole power plant, police stations, other structures and facilities were damaged or destroyed.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Israel&#8217;s lawless siege prevents proper reconstruction. So do repeated air, ground and sea attacks.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>They inflict more death and destruction. Children are affected most. Longterm trauma persists.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>World leaders able to make a difference turn a blind eye. Doing so lets Israel get away with mass murder. Committing it is official Israeli policy. Unaccountability follows every time.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Ukraine represents America&#8217;s latest imperial adventurism. Democratic governance was destroyed. Illegitimate coup-appointed fascists replaced it.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>They&#8217;re committing the unthinkable. They&#8217;re waging war on their own people.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>They&#8217;re using tanks, artillery, mortars, APCs, helicopter gunships other heavy weapons, and toxic chemicals against lightly armed Eastern Ukrainian freedom fighters.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>They&#8217;re willfully murdering unarmed civilians. They&#8217;re doing it daily. The May 2 Odessa massacre killed around 300 defenseless city residents.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Doing so reflects how far they&#8217;ll go. It suggests much worse to follow. Washington endorses their worst barbarism.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Orders come straight from the White House. No-holds-barred death and destruction was OK&#8217;d. Tyrants operate this way. One fascist regime supports another.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Washington blamed victims for their own deaths. It blames Russia for its crimes. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki consistently turns truth on its head. She lies for power.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>She suppresses what people most need to know. She does it in regular press briefings. She substitutes misinformation Big Lies for vital truths.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>On Friday, she outrageously &#8220;condemned the outbreak of violence caused by pro-Russian separatists&hellip;in Mariupol&hellip;&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: Kiev putschists bear full responsibility.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They acted on direct orders from Washington.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They murdered around 20 civilians in cold blood.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They injured many others.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They violated core international law provisions.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They operate with impunity.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They likely plan much greater bloodbaths.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: Eastern Ukrainian self-defense forces aren&#8217;t separatists.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They&#8217;re not terrorists.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They&#8217;re federalist supporters.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They&#8217;re freedom fighters.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They reject US-installed Kiev fascist putschists.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They want local autonomy.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They&#8217;re Ukraine&#8217;s best and bravest.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They fighting for rights everyone deserves.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They merit worldwide support.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: Kiev putschists have no legitimacy.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They demand universal condemnation.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>It bears repeating. Fascist regimes operate this way. America is by far the worst. Kiev putschists serve US interests.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>They do so at the expense of their own people. Exploiting them ruthlessly is planned. So is letting Western corporations plunder Ukraine&#8217;s resources. IMF diktats demand it.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>War on Eastern Ukraine continues. Mass slaughter may follow. Bloodbath conditions promise much worse ahead.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>It bears repeating. Hegemons operate this way. Proxy stooges serve their interests. One fascist regime supports another.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Longstanding US policy reflects its dark side. It shows America&#8217;s true face. It exposes the depths of its depravity. Humanity&#8217;s fate hangs in the balance.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>A Final Comment<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Jaime Lopez and Dallas Peavy endured weeks of political imprisonment. They&#8217;re US citizens.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>From March 14 through April 22, they were held lawlessly in Djibouti. They committed no crimes. They&#8217;re uncharged.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>US consular officials are complicit with Djiboutian authorities. They want Lopez\/Peavy abuse kept under wraps. They want Congress US media kept uninformed.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>On Saturday, Lopez emailed this writer. He asked for help. He explained what happened.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>He detailed how grievously he and Peavy were treated. He explained:<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;US embassy (officials) provided derogatory written and verbal information to US military base (Camp Lemonier)&#8221; authorities.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Doing so got its commander &#8220;to declare us to be persona non-grata at the base.&#8221; Misinformation claimed &#8220;Mr. Peavy (was) wanted by the FBI.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>US consular officials hold Lopez&#8217;s passport. They won&#8217;t return it. Both men committed no crimes. They want to go home.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>They&#8217;re prevented from doing so. They remain effectively imprisoned.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>US consular officials lied. They claimed &#8220;they are no longer involved in the legal matter,&#8221; said Lopez.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Even though both men are uncharged. US citizens warrant consular protection. Their fundamental rights were violated.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>It bears repeating. Washington is complicit with Djiboutian authorities.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>It&#8217;s acting against the welfare of two of its citizens. It doesn&#8217;t give a damn how they&#8217;re treated. Lopez emailed this writer for help.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>He and Peavy are two among countless victims of America&#8217;s contempt for fundamental human rights. They&#8217;re trapped against their will in Djibouti.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>They can&#8217;t get out. They can&#8217;t go home. They&#8217;re stuck where they don&#8217;t want to be.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Consular officials haven&#8217;t done a thing to help. Whether things get resolved appears unlikely short-term. Both men remain in limbo.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>His new book as editor and contributor is titled &#8220;Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>http:\/\/www.claritypress.com\/LendmanIII.html<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div>http:\/\/www.progressiveradionetwork.com\/the-progressive-news-hour&nbsp;<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1217,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[461],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-117739","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-editorials"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117739","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1217"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117739"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117739\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}