Court dismisses Guantanamo torture suit.
By on Jan 11th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Court dismisses Guantanamo torture suit.
A U.S. appeals court ruled today that “four former Guantanamo prisoners, all British citizens, have no right to sue top Pentagon officials and military officers for torture, abuse and violations of their religious rights.” The judge ruled that the defendants — including Donald Rumsfeld — “enjoyed qualified immunity for acts taken within the scope of their government jobs.”
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In accordance with the Nuremberg Tribunal- THERE IS NO IMMUNITY FOR WAR CRIMES.
January 11th, 2008 at 5:30 pmDoes this mean that government officials are above the law?
Does this mean that “I only followed orders”?
January 11th, 2008 at 5:30 pmA nation of content on continued fostering of hatred.
I wish any/all inbred, asshat trolls would have to courage to visit London, then brag about being a US citizen while there…
Only then would they begin to realize the depth of mistrust and hatred the rest of the free World has for us.
January 11th, 2008 at 5:30 pmLet’s see if the SCOTUS agrees.
January 11th, 2008 at 5:36 pmThe world is not going to like this one little bit. Another blow for decency and justice. Sigh…
January 11th, 2008 at 5:46 pm“The four who brought the lawsuit — Shafiq Rasul, Asif Iqbal, Rhuhel Ahmed and Jamal al-Harith — were released from Guantanamo in 2004 after being held for more than two years.
The suit sought $10 million in damages and named then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and 10 military commanders.
The men claimed they were subjected to various forms of torture, harassed as they practiced their religion and forced to shave their religious beards. In one instance, a guard threw a Koran in a toilet bucket, according to the lawsuit.”
- – - -
This lawsuit appears to be more about money than protecting anyone’s rights.
January 11th, 2008 at 5:49 pmBush/Cheney – Hague Trials ‘09
We are a lawless nation run by war criminals.
Buck Fush
January 11th, 2008 at 5:49 pmYes, Dimster, the entire process of tort law has nothing to do with protecting one’s rights. Except for preemptive value, that is.
January 11th, 2008 at 5:54 pmFollowing that logic, none of the Nazi’s would have been prosecuted since they committed “acts taken within the scope of their government jobs.â€
What an awful precedent we are setting. It’s no wonder the world hates our government. They are a bunch of lawless thugs. I almost want our new Democratic President to be as lawless as this one has been just to hear the right wing scream bloody murder and to show them what happens when you go down a slippery slope.
January 11th, 2008 at 5:54 pmThis lawsuit appears to be more about money than protecting anyone’s rights.
Comment by dim wit — January 11, 2008 @ 5:49 pm
All lawsuits like this have a monetary component. If I’d been through what these people have been through, $10 million wouldn’t be enough.
January 11th, 2008 at 5:55 pmThis lawsuit appears to be more about money than protecting anyone’s rights.
Comment by dim wit
You certainly are aptly named, a true dimwit. If they didn’t sue for money, no one would pay the least bit of attention to them. But, you can bet, if they won their suit and a big monetary award, that this government would think twice about continuing to torture people since the only thing they really understand is money.
January 11th, 2008 at 5:57 pmThis lawsuit appears to be more about money than protecting anyone’s rights.
Comment by dim wit
Nice strawman. Lawsuits use monetary instrument payment as a form of punishment. Although you’d prefer they sued for ONE dollar on moral grounds, you’re a hypocrite. There’s no penalty or justice served.
January 11th, 2008 at 5:59 pmGood to see the new United States Policy set by the Bush Administration. Americans can be proud we now torture and kill prisoners even if their not the enemy. We don’t punish those who torture, kill or rape under the name the United States of America. We’ve become so much like the Holocaust but we chose People from the Middle East as Hitler chose the Jewish people. Next we’ll see American treated this way if they speak out against the Bush Administration.
January 11th, 2008 at 6:00 pmWelcome to the new USA as noted in the novel 1984. For those who don’t read, the movie V for Vendetta would show you how it works.
It’s no wonder the world hates our government.
Unfortunately, there’s so much hate that’s it’s spilled onto us, the general population. Visit the UK and you too will attempt to claim you’re from Canada, or North America!!!
January 11th, 2008 at 6:01 pm“The four who brought the lawsuit — Shafiq Rasul, Asif Iqbal, Rhuhel Ahmed and Jamal al-Harith — were released from Guantanamo in 2004 after being held for more than two years.
The suit sought $10 million in damages and named then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and 10 military commanders.
The men claimed they were subjected to various forms of torture, harassed as they practiced their religion and forced to shave their religious beards. In one instance, a guard threw a Koran in a toilet bucket, according to the lawsuit.â€
- – - -
This lawsuit appears to be more about money than protecting anyone’s rights.
Let’s see. Four men. Each gets 2.5 million. Divide that by 2. 1.2 million per year. We’ll take a typical 40 hour workweek salary of 40k, around the median salary in the US, to start with. There are 168 hours per week. That’s 1 regular time and 3 overtimes. 40k + (40k*1.5 * 3) = 40k + 180k, or 220k. Trebble this because they were not payed for it and had to demand it. 660k. Double that again for pain, suffering, lost time with their loved ones, violation of their freedom of religion, and a host of other things related to being a ‘guest’ at Guantanamo, and you reach the 1.2mln number each man asked for. IMO, the gov got off easily on their claim.
They didn’t sue for too much. They sued for way too little. And you, sir, dimwit, live up to your name. Be gone.
January 11th, 2008 at 6:03 pmOh yeah….the next few years will determine if I try to become a Canadian citizen. However, I worry that 2 years from now, I’ll be scrimping for money to put food on the table….
$1000 taken off my student aid, all thanks to the Subprime Meltdown.
January 11th, 2008 at 6:05 pmThe article says:
“The judge ruled the prisoners were not covered by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act because they “are aliens and were located outside sovereign United States territory” at the time of the alleged violations.”
So, why don’t they move the trial to Cuba and see what happens? No, really.
January 11th, 2008 at 6:11 pm$1000 taken off my student aid, all thanks to the Subprime Meltdown.
Comment by Jeremy in Denver — January 11, 2008 @ 6:05 pm
Nice of us to pay for that, eh? Recipients of child support are paying to reduce the deficit.
Sheesh…
January 11th, 2008 at 6:13 pmNice of us to pay for that, eh? Recipients of child support are paying to reduce the deficit.
Sheesh…
Comment by Zooey
Of course, the GOP creedo: No welfare, unless it’s for our corporate buddies.
January 11th, 2008 at 6:17 pmThere is no justice, just bushco’s point’s of law made up through heir cheney’ patriot act…….No wonder I can’t get well with all this evil sickness going on in our world…..Time for long term shut down….Blessings
January 11th, 2008 at 6:20 pmAnother sleazy decision from our federal judges. Gitmo isn’t sovereign U.S. territory? Well, the U.S. military flies the flag over it, don’t they? They make and enforce the rules, right?
January 11th, 2008 at 6:30 pmAnd to suggest that it was foreseeable that Rumsfeld and his thugs would have to break so many laws in pursuit of the “War on Terror” is staggering. Aren’t laws written to prevent people from acting in the ways proscribed?
We’re getting farther and farther from the rule of law; there’s far too much rule of intimidated or collaborating judges.
I almost want our new Democratic President to be as lawless as this one has been…
Comment by bilbobaggins
Don’t worry… I’ think you’ll get your wish.
January 11th, 2008 at 6:35 pmOh yeah….the next few years will determine if I try to become a Canadian citizen. However, I worry that 2 years from now, I’ll be scrimping for money to put food on the table….
$1000 taken off my student aid, all thanks to the Subprime Meltdown.
Comment by Jeremy in Denver
Buy guns and plenty of ammo. You’re gonna need it in order to kill your neighbors, so you can steal THEIR food, before they kill you for yours.
January 11th, 2008 at 6:38 pmHey, Exley, be proud. You live in a Rogue State.
January 11th, 2008 at 6:46 pmdim wit; So just how much is YOUR freedom worth? If you were imprisoned, tortured, and deprived of making a living, how much would you be owed? I trust you believe you get nothing.
January 11th, 2008 at 6:49 pmWhat an awful precedent we are setting. It’s no wonder the world hates our government. They are a bunch of lawless thugs.
Comment by bilbobaggins
This is not new in any kind of way.
Who said these words?: the U.S. will act “multilaterally when we can and unilaterally as we must,” because “We recognize this area (Iraq) as vital to U.S. national interests” and therefore accept no external constraints.
Yes, Madeleine Albright.
And this one:
if Iraq fails the test of conformity (as determined by Washington), “everyone would understand that then the United States and hopefully all of our allies would have the unilateral right to respond at a time, place and manner of our own choosing,”
Bill “The world loves you” Clinton
Yes, my friends. When it comes to foreign policy there is just one party in the US. Sorry.
January 11th, 2008 at 6:54 pmWe are the torture STATE. This will never go away. Think SLAVERY! Same decisions. Wealthy redundant opressive behavior.
January 11th, 2008 at 6:57 pmYes, my friends. When it comes to foreign policy there is just one party in the US. Sorry.
Comment by Juan C
You’re starting to look a little troll-like Juan. How dare you compare the repubs with the dems. You must be mental to think that any dem is capable of the things these repubs have done.
Any democrat will do more for American citizens by accident than any republican will do for them on purpose.
January 11th, 2008 at 7:01 pmanyone who stands with these criminals are the good germans of the 21st century…..You are destroying America….Why do you hate America?
January 11th, 2008 at 7:04 pmAny democrat will do more for American citizens by accident than any republican will do for them on purpose.
Comment by Fred
Probably for American citizens. That’s why I said: FOREIGN POLICY.
Get a clue and stop cheering people just because they seem to be on your side.
January 11th, 2008 at 7:04 pmOh, I’m sorry. I actually read the article attached to this.
From reading the prior posts, the ACLU has a petition attempting to close Gitmo. Unfortunately, this lawsuit wasn’t seeking that. It was just seeking money.
And of course we’ll all have to assume some sort of tort was actually committed. Yes, they were forced to shave their beards. Oh my, what a horrible act! $10million couldn’t compensate me for having to shave my beard.
Then again what about “innocent until proven guilty?” Forget it. Everyone’s guilty is good enough.
Or how about the FACT the court they were suing in didn’t have juridiction.
January 11th, 2008 at 7:05 pmI guess that doesn’t matter either.
No one would have gone to jail regardless.
Comment by O. Bigfoot
We will never know now.
Keep shoveling those jewish people inside the oven.
January 11th, 2008 at 7:05 pmProbably for American citizens. That’s why I said: FOREIGN POLICY.
Comment by Juan C
You’re telling me that you actually think that abu Ghraib would even exist if it were up to any democrat…..give me a break…maybe you need to buy a clue.
January 11th, 2008 at 7:07 pmGo to Iran and speak out against the government like you do here in the U.S.
Comment by O. Bigfoot
Don’t tase me, bro!
January 11th, 2008 at 7:10 pmYou’re telling me that you actually think that abu Ghraib would even exist if it were up to any democrat…..give me a break…maybe you need to buy a clue.
Comment by Fred
Let’s see…John F Kennedy…loved by everybody, intelligent, charismatic, and certainly a moderate…
Didn’t he send napalm rains over Vietnam killing thousands and thousands of Vietnamese?
January 11th, 2008 at 7:12 pmA cholla is less obtuse than your utterances, Bigpoot.
January 11th, 2008 at 7:12 pmNo one goes to jail regardless.
Comment by O. Bigfoot
That’s hardly the point. The point is that they are immune. Period.
Did you get it?
And what have you got against Jewish people, Juan?
January 11th, 2008 at 7:15 pmNothing really, I just despise its fundies, like in any other religion.
This does not say the Bush Administration is above the law.
January 11th, 2008 at 7:16 pmIt says the Bush Administration IS the unquestionable law of zee homeland.
Well, I’m going to leeave juan, foot and the rest of the trolls to settle it….i’m done for now…..
January 11th, 2008 at 7:22 pmI am sure you realize that your personal opinion of me doesn’t matter to me, right?
Comment by O. Bigfoot
I am sure you realize that your personal opinion about any of us here means nothing to us. You are a gnat and nothing more. Your posts are nothing more than RNC talking points. If you don’t get your talking points, you don’t know what to say.
You know TP, you are really letting us down here. Why are you allowing these useless gnats to pollute this site? Do you really want the high post counts when they are mostly troll dung? Sooner or later you are going to lose your audience because you won’t clean up the garbage.
January 11th, 2008 at 7:27 pmWhat baloney. The United States doesn’t torture.
Comment by O. Bigfoot — January 11, 2008 @ 7:07 pm
Abu Ghraib. Extraordinary rendition. Torture by proxy. Guantanamo suicides.
The US may not torture inside their territories, but it sure looks like they do it in other countries.
January 11th, 2008 at 7:30 pmAnother shame in front of the Goyim!
January 11th, 2008 at 7:44 pmPhu(k. Now we have to start impeaching judges too!!
January 11th, 2008 at 8:48 pmhttp://www.theawarenesscenter.org/lashonhara.html
OBLIGATION TO ACT
How for does our obligation of pikuach nefesh in responding to physical abuse extend? The Talmud, Sanhedrin 73a, bases its requirement to save someone under attack upon two verses: “And thou shalt restore him to himself (Deut. 22:2), which dictates personal intervention, and “Thou shalt not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor” (Lev. 19:16), which directs one even to hire others to accomplish the goal. In codifying this low in Hilkhot Rotseiach 1: 14 Rambam derives the obligation from only one verse.’ He writes,
Anyone who can save (someone’s life) and does not do so transgresses, “Thou shalt not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor.” Similarly, if one sees his brother drowning in the sea, accosted by robbers, or attacked by wild animals and can save him personally or can hire others to save him, and does not save him, or he heard non-Jews or informers plotting evil or attempting to entrap another and he does not inform him…transgresses ‘Thou shalt not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor.’
Thus, according to Rambam, both the personal and delegated responsibility enjoined by the “neighbor’s blood” obligation require the same aggressive, full pursuit of the goal or saving the victim. Lo ta’amod requires a person to exhaust all means in order to effect the saving of the individual.14 This can be accomplished personally, by reporting the matter to the authorities, or by hiring others to accomplish the rescue. However, until the victim has been fully extricated from the dangerous predicament the obligation still obtains.
One who has information to report and fails to do so is in violation of the “neighbor’s blood” obligation,15 and of “if he does not utter it then he shall bear his iniquity” (Lev. 5:1).16 While in monetary affairs the witness can wait until summoned, in other matters the witness must come forward voluntarily17 in order to “destroy the evil from your midst.” 18
A child must be removed from his home if he is in imminent danger of abuse. The welfare of the child supersedes any right the parent may claim; this is a guiding principle in Jewish legal thinking in the area of child custody.
http://www.theawarenesscenter.org/lashonhara.html
Lashon Hara and Sexual Victimization
(’derogatory speech, that is true’)
(Incest, Sexual Abuse, Sexual Assault, Clergy Sexual Abuse Professional Sexual Misconduct, Sexual Harassment)
Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people; neither shalt thou stand idly by the blood of thy neighbor” (Leviticus 19:1)
January 11th, 2008 at 8:57 pmIt is really hard to believe that anyone could be as vile and as ignorant as 0.Bigmouth.
Well maybe dimwit or Frank Moron.
Buck Fush
January 11th, 2008 at 9:38 pmWATCH JOHN PILGER’S ‘WAR ON DEMOCRACY’ and ‘STEALING A NATION’. YOUTUBE! THESE TWO DOCUMENTARIES ABOUT USA’S FORINGNER POLICY! SHOCKING!!!!
January 11th, 2008 at 9:52 pmWhat baloney. The United States doesn’t torture.
Comment by O. Bigfoot — January 11, 2008 @ 7:07 pm
ANOTHER DELUSIONAL REPUBLICAN… BIGFOOT, WATCH ‘WAR ON DEMOCRACY’ AND LEAR WHAT YOUR COUNTRY DID IN LATIN AMERICA… AND IT WASN’T ONLY WATERBOARDING, THEY ALSO USED ELETRICAL SHOCK! THE USA DID USE TORTURE, IT STILL DOES, AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO… SADDLY!
January 11th, 2008 at 9:55 pmDon’t tase me, bro!
Comment by Juan C. — January 11, 2008 @ 7:10 pm
Hilarious!
Are you a troll now, Juan? ;)
January 11th, 2008 at 10:05 pmTHOUSANDS OF LATIN AMERICA WILL HAVE A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW. THE USA DOES TORTURE! RECENTLY IT HAS SENT TO STRIA A CANADIAN CITIZEN TO BE “INTERROGATED”. aND IF YOU THINK WATERBOARDING IS NOT TORTUTE… HAVE A GOOD ONE!
January 12th, 2008 at 3:59 am“SYRIA”!
January 12th, 2008 at 3:59 amPlus, John Pilger work has a lot more integrity and credibility than your “Dear Leader” who lies when he moves his lipps! “WMD”, “Mushroom Clouds”, “Spying on its own citizens withou a court order”, “Vlareie Plame Case”, “World War III”, What credibilty this war criminal has? “Oh yeah…The United States does not torture!”… remeber WMD?!!! And I’m not against the people of the US… they don’t know what has being done in their names… Ask what happen to the people of Diego Garcia!!!! Find out what US/UK did to these people! I don’t believe in one single word that comes from this criminal administration. It is very sad! Nothing to celebrate about…
January 12th, 2008 at 4:07 amI see. Torture is now within the scope of a government job.
Who is this judge and how did he ever get through law school?
Hey judge, ever heard of Nuremberg?
January 12th, 2008 at 10:26 am60 He’s a bush appointee…..does that help you understand why he did this…..they are all criminals….
January 12th, 2008 at 10:46 amWhenever any Progressive blogs report on a judge’s ruling, I wish they would then report on who nominated that particular judge to the bench. Until people begin to see who and what party is behind some of these rulings, we will never really be able to ‘judge’ what kind of appointee is being confirmed and who is responsible for nominating them to the bench. These conservatives have got to be reined in!
January 12th, 2008 at 11:40 amComment by Uncle Ho — January 11, 2008 @ 6:49 pm
- – - -
Uncle Ho,
Did you get your arguement straight from the WH’s talking points? Its hillarious to think you would make the same argument President Bush would make:
“This is a massive and difficult undertaking — it is worth our effort, it is worth our sacrifice, because we know the stakes. ” -Pres Bush
“The defense of freedom is always worth it,” -President Bush
January 12th, 2008 at 2:53 pmI stopped watching leftist propaganda films after high school. Your anti-Americanism is shameful and doesn’t interest me.
The United States does not torture.
Comment by O. Bigfoot — January 12, 2008 @ 3:32 am
bigfoot belongs to an insane cult, and stopped accepting reality a very long time ago. The United States most certainly does torture, and has been reduced in the eyes of the world to a third-rate dictatorship, for good reason. We are led by sociopaths and psychos, and they are followed by the likes of brainwashed nutcases, of whom bigfoot is one of the saddest examples. People like him, afraid to fight for their pronciples, and afraid to read factual representations of current events, are leading us down the road to failure and ignominy.
January 12th, 2008 at 5:46 pmthe USA lost its greatness when the Bush cabal was allowed to steal the government. That’s the sad fact, bigass. The USA was capable of greatness, but those days are over, unless the left emerges to save this country and return freedom to its citizens. The USA was founded as a liberal democracy, and rightwing traitors have ruined it.
January 12th, 2008 at 5:49 pmLet’s see…John F Kennedy…loved by everybody, intelligent, charismatic, and certainly a moderate…
Didn’t he send napalm rains over Vietnam killing thousands and thousands of Vietnamese?
Comment by Juan C. — January 11, 2008 @ 7:12 pm
Actually most of the bombs and napalm was dropped by Johnson and Nixon when it was exccelerated after the false flag Gulf of Tonkin incident.
January 12th, 2008 at 6:35 pm