Ridiculous Restrictions on Military Interrogations in Combat Have Gone Nuts

by Andy O’Meara,retired U.S. Army colonel

When President Obama dispatched another 17,000 troops to Afghanistan, he didn’t know that one of the biggest risks they face comes from the U.S. military’s own lawyers. An out-of-control, politically correct legal code means U.S. soldiers could be brought up on charges just for discharging their duty. Take the case of Capt. Roger Hill.

Capt. Hill commanded D Company in the U.S. Army’s 101st Air Assault Division,1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, in a lonely outpost in Wardak Province, Afghanistan, an area the size of Connecticut with many Taliban lurking amid among its half a million people.

The men in Capt. Hill’s unit learned that some of their Afghan interpreters were double agents - passing information to the Taliban about planned troop movements. Ambushes followed. As many as 30 Americans were injured and two were killed.

Capt. Hill detained about a dozen suspects and asked that they be evacuated from the outpost to headquarters for interrogation. His request was denied.

Detainees can be held only 96 hours without charges. Given this constraint and the lack of support from his superiors, Capt. Hill and his officers interrogated the detainees. Worried about the safety of his men, Capt. Hill reportedly made verbal threats, allowed his first sergeant to sit on the prisoners’ chests demanding answers, and is even said to have fired his pistol near the blindfolded heads of prisoners to trick them into thinking one of their comrades had been killed. Capt. Hill was soon brought up on charges for using these methods to learn about future ambushes. The prisoners were not physically hurt by Capt. Hill.

For not meeting standards in the field comparable to those imposed on police investigating a domestic disturbance or a drug ring, Capt. Hill was called before the equivalent of a grand jury, and criminal charges were pursued.

Capt. Hill’s defense attorney was advised that if he pleaded guilty to the charges no court-martial would be conducted. He did so. He was fined by his commander and ordered “discharged” from the Army under other than honorable conditions - an excessive sentence for a fine professional officer operating under duress in a harsh environment. This is a miscarriage of justice that will undermine the war effort. When forced to choose between the safety of our troops and the comfort of the enemy, why is it that the enemy can never be inconvenienced?

The secretary of the Army should authorize an honorable discharge for Capt. Hill or allow him to return to service as a commanding officer. This is not too much to ask since the Army prosecutors decided to downgrade everything to an Article 15 and allowed him to resign his commission (a way to subtly oust him from the Army).

After four years at West Point and nine years of honorable service, including two wars, and having been awarded the Bronze Star for valor, he also deserves his hard-earned veterans benefits.

Our rules of engagement punish servicemembers for nonlethal acts, such as threatening captured enemy agents. In this bitter war, the armed forces have imposed strict rules of engagement upon our forces while our enemy beheads and tortures noncombatants. Strict enforcement against our forces wins us no mercy from the terrorists. Just ask Daniel Pearl.

Meanwhile, we are asking a lot from our people. They must fight the enemy with great restraint. Even the appearance of transgression of the rules of engagement is punished severely by military courts. It is time for a public debate regarding the double standards that bind our hands in battle but impose no restraint on the enemy.

Our soldiers are fighting under the most difficult conditions and are being second-guessed by military lawyers and bureaucrats in snug offices in safe, rear areas. We need to remember that life is a lot messier at the front.

And the public must demand reform. Capt. Hill’s honorable status should be restored and his case should be the last in a string of prosecutorial overzealousness that began in the Bush years.

If President Obama is serious about righting the wrongs of the Bush years and winning the war against terrorists, here is a good place to start.

Andy O’Meara is as retired U.S. Army colonel. Thomas McInerney is a retired Air Force lieutenant general. Paul Vallely is a retired Army major general.

My Groups on Facebook: USA Energy Independence

Please Join my groups on Facebook:

I. Ukraine Energy Independence


I just invited 148 of my friends to become members of "Beyond Fossil Fools" group. I am trying to create a switch grass ethanol industry in the Ukraine so they can be the Brazil of Eastern Europe and have some energy independence from Russia. I thought of using wind turbines & solar panels to power irrigation from the Dniper and Danube Rivers and desalinization from the Black Sea to help grow switch grass for ethanol.If you can think of anything that may aid in the establishment of an ethanol(switch grass-not corn) and jatropha plant biodiesel industry in the Ukraine, such as names of professors of agriculture, chemistry and physics, please contact me.


Я просто предложила 148 своих друзей стать членами "Beyond ископаемых Fools" группы. Я пытаюсь создать переключатель трава этанол промышленность в Украине, чтобы они могли быть Бразилии Восточной Европы и некоторых энергетической независимости от России. Я думал, использование ветровых турбин, солнечных панелей И к власти орошение из Днепр и Дунай реки и опреснения воды из Черного моря, чтобы помочь перейти расти трава для ethanol.If можно думать о том, что что-либо может помочь в создании этанола (переключатель трава -не кукуруза) промышленности в Украине, как, например, имена профессоров сельского хозяйства, химии и физики, пожалуйста, свяжитесь со мной
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Mexico – Closing in on Chaos The Threat to the United States

By Paul E. Vallely, MG US Army (Ret)

A U.S. Department of Justice report by the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) says that Mexican drug gangs pose the biggest organized crime threat to the United States. The report, the annual National Drug Threat Assessment 2009, evaluates the threat posed by illegal drugs by examining availability, production and cultivation, transportation, distribution, and demand. The study estimates that Mexican and Colombian drug trafficking organizations make and launder between $18 billion and $39 billion in wholesale drug profits annually. Mexican drug smugglers control most of the U.S. drug markets, smuggling most of the cocaine available in the U.S. across the U.S./Mexico border.
Mexican drug trafficking organizations control most of the U.S. drug market and have varied transportation routes, advanced communication capabilities, and strong affiliations within the U.S. State and local law enforcement agencies shared information for this report through personal interviews with the National Drug Intelligence Center.
Mexican drug trafficking organizations represent the greatest organized crime threat to the United States. Mexican drug trafficking organizations control drug distribution in most U.S. cities, and they are gaining strength in markets that they do not yet control.
Prevention Threat Recognition: Enhancing border control and increased awareness of drug trafficking organizations may help to control the U.S. drug market.
Prevention Threat Recognition: Is drug trafficking a problem in your area? Do you have gangs in your area that may be affiliated?
Mexico shares a 2,000 mile border with the United States. Mexico ranks now behind Iran as the second largest security threat to United States. Why the growing concern over what is happening south of the U.S. border?
Well, we have vicious and widening violence pitting drug cartels against each other and against the Mexican state that have left more than 6,000 Mexicans dead in 2008 - double the number from 2007. That should set off an alarm right away. Oh yes, then there are over 70 Americans that have been kidnapped and are missing. Mexico is in a tailspin as a result of fighting between the federal government and drug cartels - and among the narco-gangs themselves. Have you visited Tijuana, Juarez or any of the border towns/cities lately? Our borders are flooded with gangs, drug cartel operations, illegal immigrant flow (back and forth), murders, human trafficking and kidnappings. A Threat of major, epic economic and security proportions.
Here is some of the more recent news:
• Authorities arrested a man accused of dissolving as many as 300 bodies in bubbling vats of acid for a Tijuana-based drug lord ( "El Pozolero," named after a local stew)
• Prosecutors reported three heads found in an ice box and a headless body was a discovered in a canal in Ciudad Juarez, a town known as Mexico's deadliest - just over the border from El Paso, Texas. Who are the headless victims? Yes, policemen.

It was bad enough in the sixties when I visited Juarez for the first time. In fact, by all accounts the federal government, politicos, the military and police are under the gun - literally and figuratively - by criminal gangs dealing in meth, cocaine, marijuana and heroin. The public is ruthlessly intimidated. And yes it has poured across the border into Los Angeles, El Paso, and Phoenix and across the entire border and into the mid-west.

Despite this, our government (State and Federal) fails to develop a national strategy as part of the overall National Security Plan to take the necessary action to protect us (and oh, yes, a fence will not do the trick!). We continue to fund military and other aid packages to the Mexican government to help that country's stability. How is that working? Not well, by all accounts. This is a most serious threat……. and this article addresses the threat and a subsequent article will discuss the options we have to protect our soft underbelly and a concluding article on what we must do …..America.

The drug cartels are well-armed with assault weapons, RPGs and land mines and plenty of aircraft, SUVs and trucks to move wherever they want. They are high-tech too, using encrypted communications, wearing night-vision goggles, moving by helicopters and transporting drugs by mini-subs.

President Felipe Calderon is attempting change but he's up against rampant corruption that reaches deep into his government, anti-drug police and Armed Forces (Mexico's former top organized-crime cop was arrested last fall on narcotics-related corruption charges).

Despite reforms, the judicial system is plagued by payoffs, lack of investigative resources and overloaded courts. The police are poorly paid, equipped and trained, leaving them in dire straits battling the narcotraficantes. Some of the cartels' foot soldiers are former military commandos (ZETAs) that we trained at Fort Benning, Georgia. Unfortunately, we're entangled in Mexico's lurch into chaos. Mexican gangs obtain their weapons from international arms merchants, who traffic them illegally on this side of the border.

And continued American demand for drugs (cartel gangs "feed" an estimated 200 US cities) doesn't help, either. As a result, popular support for Calderon's fight against the cartels has waned. The widespread violence leaves many Mexicans ready to throw in the towel, saying drugs are an American problem. But that clearly wouldn't be good for either of us. Mexico is a country of 110 million people and it has become a narco-controlled state The impact on the United States and the Western Hemisphere - is almost incalculable. The US is by far the largest consumer of illicit drugs in the world and therefore provides a huge market for the Cartels to supply. Nixon coined the phrase “the war on drugs” in response to the then heroin epidemic and that was the first administration to direct significant federal funding into the federal anti-drug initiative. We have been fighting this “war” for nearly 50 years and we have made little progress toward eradication of drug demand and the organized crime related to it.
Narco-business is the source of countless troubles: broken families, violence, money laundering, trafficking in guns and people and even terrorist financing. Like Colombia before it, Mexico is now a frontline state in fighting these problems. Programs such as the Merida Law Enforcement Initiative - a US-assisted, Mexican counter-drug program - are vital to opposing the narcotraficantes. But Merida's funding is up for renewal - and Congress and the White House may go wobbly on it. Much more than just drugs are at stake. Mexico is the world's 12th largest economy; it's a major US trading partner and it provides a third of our imported oil and it is now a “failed State”.

Mexico faces a collapsing economy with no turn-around in sight. All that impacts Mexico impacts its northern neighbor. We are now witnessing a possible collapse of the Mexican federal government and this cannot be ignored or kept from the American public. My experience over the last several decades suggests that Government action is generally in reaction to any given situation. Rarely does our government along the borders take proactive action. One needs to look no further than our current economic crisis to witness this characteristic of government.

Prohibition offered the genesis for organized criminal distribution networks in this country. New York and Chicago La Cosa Nostra families saw this opportunity and ceased it. Thus it all began. From there, the 50’s and 60’s saw marijuana as all the rage and the Hell’s Angels and other motorcycle gangs were glad to distribute it around the country. Vietnam and the hippy generation ushered in heroin in the 60’s and 70’s. In the late 70’s and early 80’s heroin was replaced by cocaine as the drug of choice. During the 80’s and 90’s, we witnessed incredible violence in Columbia and here in this Country as drug organizations fought for cocaine distribution networks and territories. For years the Columbian Cartels (Medellin, Cali) were the dominant factors in cocaine production and distribution into the US. Florida was their entry of choice and the intracoastal waterways of southern Florida became cocaine highways. US Route 95 from the Florida Keys to Boston was well known as the eastern cocaine corridor route. In the late 90’s we witnessed a dramatic rise in methamphetamine use replacing cocaine as the primary drug of choice. Mexico has been, and remains, the largest supplier of meth to this country.
Let’s remove the “snooze” button America and let us protect America by protecting our borders.
Sources:
Mexico drug gangs ‘top US threat’
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7785334.stm
National Drug Threat Assessment 2009
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/National-Drug-Threat-Assessment-20...
National Drug Intelligence Center
http://www.usdoj.gov/ndic/

Paul E. Vallely, MG, US Army (Ret) is Chairman of Stand Up America, USA. His latest book is “Operation Sucker Punch – Blood for Our Future”. He is the co-author of “Endgame- A blueprint for Victory in the War on Terror”. See www.standupamericausa.com.

Obama has B_LLS..Takes aim at Wall St. Pay

White House, Senate take aim at Wall St pay
By Susan Cornwell,3 hours ago
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WASHINGTON — The White House pledged action against "irresponsible" bonuses for executives at bailed-out Wall Street companies as a Democratic senator unveiled legislation to limit their compensation to $400,000 a year.

Sen. Claire McCaskill proposed a law on Friday that would prevent executives from making more money than the U.S. president until their companies no longer rely on the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).

McCaskill, an early endorser of President Barack Obama's candidacy, gave an angry speech on the Senate floor in which she said an average of $2.6 million dollars had been paid in bonuses to executives from the first 116 banks that got money from the TARP rescue plan.

"I am mad," the Democrat from Missouri said. "We have bunch of idiots on Wall Street that are kicking sand in the face of the American taxpayer. ... They don't get it!"

At the White House, Obama's spokesman said the president's upcoming plan for financial stability also would address executive compensation and bonuses.

"I think you will see the president and his economic team outline a plan to deal with what he found irresponsible yesterday," Robert Gibbs told reporters. "Stay tuned, because something on that is coming soon." He declined to say more.

Obama on Thursday said recent Wall Street bonuses, given the current situation, were "shameful." His Democratic administration is working on options to stabilize the U.S. banking industry after various experts have said the $700 billion already allocated to TARP will not be enough.

A senior Republican senator, Charles Grassley of Iowa, agreed that Obama should claw back the bonus money.

"The President should use his full power to pull back bonuses for bail-out recipients. That includes past recipients and those going forward," Grassley, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, said on the Senate floor.

HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS MORE

The Congressional Budget Office chief said this week that U.S. banks will need hundreds of billions of dollars more.

Public outcry has grown over reports of corporate excess by companies getting bailout funds, including Citigroup Inc, which intended to purchase a private jet, and bonuses paid by Merrill Lynch & Co, now owned by Bank of America Corp.

Citigroup later canceled the plane order. Bank of America's Chief Executive Kenneth Lewis ousted former Merrill chief John Thain this month after Merrill awarded large bonuses just days before the merger closed, and following huge losses that led Bank of America to obtain $20 billion of government aid to absorb Merrill.

McCaskill's office said the $400,000 compensation cap she was proposing would apply to all employees of a firm and include salary, bonuses and stock options.

Bob Monks, a shareholder rights advocate and former executive who has written nine books on corporate governance, said McCaskill's proposal reflected the rage in the country felt by people who are "having a terrible time".

"That said, the idea is a genuinely bad one. The government mandating a pay-cap is a genuinely bad idea because it never works," he said.

Obama is also working with the Democratic-majority Congress to pass a stimulus plan of over $800 billion in tax relief and government spending to try to revive the moribund economy.

(Additional reporting by Jonathan Spicer; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)

Al Gore: Support a recovery that Repowers America

Dear Cathy,

Today, I will be testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about repowering America and the need for us to resume global leadership on the climate crisis. As you know, it's a critical time in our country and we all have a role to play.

I've recorded a short video message to share my perspective on what's at stake right now. Take a moment and please watch it.
Al Gore's message on the recovery.

In Congress, our leaders are debating an economic recovery package. It includes unprecedented support for putting Americans back to work building a clean energy economy.

But entrenched interests in Washington will be working hard to weaken the legislation -- opposing funding for clean energy programs that support things like wind, solar, energy efficiency and a new national electric grid.



As members of Congress work out the details of a bill that can pass both the House and the Senate, it's important that you let each of your elected representatives know that you want the recovery to be about repowering America.

You and I know that continuing with the status quo will not revitalize the U.S. economy. Please make sure your elected officials know, too.

Watch the video and send a quick note to Congress:

http://www.RepowerAmerica.org/RecoveryVideo

Today, we can start to get America back on track.

Thanks for everything,

Al Gore

www.RepowerAmerica.org

What were they thinking?

**What was Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain thinking when he spent over $1 million to redecorate his office? Big-ticket items included $87,000 for an area rug, four pairs of curtains for $28,000, a pair of guest chairs for $87,000, and fabric for a "Roman Shade" for $11,000. Thain replaced Stan O'Neal, who was ousted in late 2007 as the company suffered major losses from the toxic mortgage-backed assets on their books. In an interview regarding the expenses, Thain claimed he wouldn’t be as productive unless he refurbished the office. Here’s a thought: If you need to redecorate your office in order to be useful, maybe you’re not so useful after all.

**What was Congress thinking when they authorized $700 million for the Troubled Assets Relief Program without knowing where the money was being spent? In a recent interview, Nancy Pelosi, House Speaker was asked to justify why Congress hasn’t been more diligent in figuring out where the $700 million has gone. She put blame on the Republicans. House Minority leader John Boehner was asked the same question. He laid blame on the Treasury Department. Well, isn’t this a surprise, politicians not wanting to be held accountable for their actions.

**What was Michigan’s electric company thinking when they cut off power to the house of a 93-year-old man who then died of hypothermia? The temperature inside Marvin Schur's house was below 32 degrees and the water in the kitchen sink had frozen. Schur, a World War II veteran, was behind in utility payments, which the utility company claims forced them to limit his power and then ultimately shut it off. So this is how we treat senior citizens, especially veterans? What’s worse, no one from the utility company even bothered to contact Mr. Schur.

Of course there’s more news that made the headlines, which I’ll share with you below, along with the new research our editors are uncovering. If you have a “what were they thinking?” story you’d like to share, please send it to us at:

support@websuccess4you.biz

We Bailout GM,but They Give Lithium Battery Contract to Korean,not American Co.?WTF?

I do not have all the details of the Big 3 Auto Bailout. However, if the U.S.
government is loaning billions of dollars to Chrysler and General Motors,
shouldn't the contracts that GM signs for new lithium-ion batteries be with U.S. companies rather with Korean companies? If GM is being loaned money by the U.S.Government,We want contracts to go to American companies like A123Systems.com,not LGChem,a S.Korean co.

I reference this article:
its-official-gm-chooses-lg-chemcompact-power-inc-to-supply-chevy-volt-lithium-ion-battery-packs

While this is happening A123 Systems is applying for $1.84 billion dollars in loans from the Energy Dept.without the GM contract. This insane!!!!!
Complain to your Congressman!!!!!

A123Systems Announces Plan to Build U.S.-based Lithium Ion Battery Mass Production Facilities

Planned $2.3 Billion facilities will support aggressive expansion plan to deliver energy storage systems to A123’s multiple OEM customers in the Electric and Hybrid Electric Vehicle market

Watertown, MA – January 7th, 2009 – A123Systems today announced it has submitted an application under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentive Program to qualify for $1.84 billion in direct loans to support the construction of new world-class lithium ion battery manufacturing facilities in the United States, with the first construction location in southeast Michigan.

If A123’s application is approved, this program would enable the company to dramatically expand production capacity in the United States, with full production volumes designed to supply battery systems for five million hybrid vehicles or half a million plug-in electric vehicles per year by 2013.

"We’re entering an exciting new phase for the automotive industry where we increase the electrification of vehicles, reducing consumption of gasoline through advanced batteries. This new facility would greatly accelerate this change and help ensure that the American economy replaces its dependence on foreign oil with reliance on advanced, homegrown batteries,” said David Vieau, A123Systems President and Chief Executive Officer.

At full operation, A123 expects the combined plants would occupy as much as 7 million square feet and create over 14,000 jobs. These plants would produce battery cells and systems to meet the needs of A123’s broad automotive customer portfolio, which currently includes over seven vehicle manufacturers and 19 vehicle models ranging from HEVs (hybrid electric vehicles) to EVs (electric vehicles).

“Chrysler’s commitment to E-drive industry leadership has led us to a strategic relationship with US-based A123Systems as one of our key suppliers supporting production development of ENVI electric vehicles. Chrysler strongly encourages the efforts of A123Systems to develop and mass produce energy storage systems in the United States” said Lou Rhodes, VP of Advanced Engineering for Chrysler LLC and President of ENVI.

"At GM, we see the development of vehicles powered by electricity as key to the transformation of our industry. And advanced battery technology, is at the heart of this transformation," said Bob Lutz, GM Vice Chairman of Global Product Development. "A123's proposal to manufacture advanced battery cells and packs right here in the United States is a positive development for our industry and the nation."

“At Better Place, we truly believe that there is a path forward for the US to lead the world into a 21st sustainable century led by American innovation. Converting our national fleet of cars from fossil fuel dependent to fully electric revives our core industrial power, addresses key national strategic goals, and starts to address the biggest global risk we have – climate change. It represents a historic opportunity for the US to re-engineer its economy and its global reputation. We look forward to leading the transformation to sustainable mobility with partners like A123 as part of our mission to end the world’s addiction to foreign oil,” said Shai Agassi, Founder and CEO of Better Place.

A123 was born out of the research labs of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was funded initially with a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy in 2001. Existing A123 customers include AES, BAE Systems, Black and Decker, Cessna, Chrysler LLC, General Motors, Project Better Place, and Th!nk.

Support for A123’s US battery plant plans is broad and spans the following:


Michigan State Government

“This plant will be a showcase to our economic turnaround in Michigan. We look forward to working with A123Systems to support their growth in our state,” said Michigan State Governor, Jennifer Granholm.


Senator Kerry


"The new Administration has a great opportunity to insure that a superior American technology originally developed by A123 out of MIT, leads the way to an electric transportation revolution. This is a way to produce tens of thousands of new jobs and millions of oil-free new cars right here in the United States. I look forward to the plant that will be based in Massachusetts as part of the fight we’ll lead to guarantee that the electric fuel of the future will be sourced right here at home instead of overseas," said Senator John Kerry.


Senator Stabenow


“We need a 21st century manufacturing strategy in this country to ensure that the research and production of advanced energy technologies are taking place here at home,” said Senator Debbie Stabenow. “Companies, like A123, are not only creating quality, good-paying jobs in Michigan, but are ensuring that we do not move from a dependence on foreign oil, to a dependence on foreign technology.”


Senator Levin


“The prospect for a new advanced battery production facility in Michigan is exactly the kind of hope that our state needs as we work through a deep economic downturn. Domestic production of American developed battery technology is a key step towards enabling the transformation of the automotive industry to produce greener and more efficient vehicles,” said Senator Carl Levin.


Congressman Markey


“Advanced lithium ion batteries used in hybrid and electric vehicles will be a driving force in strengthening our economy and fighting global warming. We support the efforts of A123Systems and the American battery industry to establish a robust North American mass production base, which will make the U.S. a leader in our clean energy innovation future,” said Congressman Ed Markey.


Congressman Dingell


“I am extremely excited about A123System’s plan to build a battery manufacturing facility in Michigan, home to the most talented workers in the world. The future of this country is dependent upon addressing two vital challenges – stopping the spread of global warming and creating the next generation of manufacturing jobs here in the United States. This project gets us closer to achieving both of these goals,” said Congressman John Dingell.

About A123Systems


A123Systems develops and manufactures advanced lithium-ion batteries and battery systems for the transportation, electric grid services and portable power markets. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Massachusetts, A123 Systems’ proprietary nanoscale electrode technology is built on initial developments from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. For additional information please visit www.a123systems.com.


PR Contact:

Steve Roy 212.819.4869 stephen.roy@edelman.com