In the early morning hours of February 5, a group of armed men – some dressed in Pakistani police uniforms – appeared at Kareem Khan’s home, awoke him and his family at gunpoint, and took him away in an unmarked vehicle. Khan was hooded, shackled around the wrists and ankles, and driven for hours, eventually arriving at a building where he was thrown into a windowless holding cell. There he stayed for more than a week, during which he was subjected to sensory deprivation and physical abuse. Khan says he was repeatedly beaten on the soles of his feet and threatened with death by his captors. He was kept hooded and shackled for most of the day, and fed only dry bread and water.
“I thought I would never get out,” Khan later told his Pakistani lawyer, Shahzad Akbar. “…I thought I would become one more among thousands of ‘missing persons’ in Pakistan.”
Khan has no doubts about why he was targeted. He is the first person to attempt a legal challenge to the CIA drone program in Pakistan, after his son and brother were killed in a drone strike near his home in North Waziristan on December 31st 2009. His abduction and detention occurred just over a week before Khan was to travel with Akbar and Jennifer Gibson, a lawyer with the UK-based legal charity Reprieve, to speak with European parliamentarians about the CIA drone program. Among the topics of discussion were the extralegal nature of the program, as well as covert intelligence sharing by European spy agencies.
While in captivity, Khan was interrogated by men who refused to identify themselves, and who questioned him repeatedly about his plans to speak with the media and about the cases of others who had been killed by drones. As Khan described them to The Intercept, the questions posed to him were circular and repetitive, and appeared to be more about intimidation than intelligence gathering.
Since the start of the “War on Terror” it has been estimated by local human rights groups that as many as 8,000 Pakistani citizens have been “disappeared” by local intelligence agencies, often at the behest of their American counterparts. In the words of one former detainee in Islamabad, quoted in a 2007 report by Human Rights Watch, “It seemed to me that this place was controlled by the Americans. They were in charge.”
The widespread perception in Pakistan is that criticizing government collaboration with US intelligence agencies can lead to threats from local security forces. As a Pakistani lawyer representing the families of several missing persons put it: “You will not be jailed in America if you say you hate the United States…..But I, as a Pakistani, cannot criticize the policies of America or my own government while in Pakistan for fear of becoming a missing person.”
In Khan’s case, Gibson told The Intercept that while it was too early to speculate about who was behind the kidnapping, “the manner in which he was abducted and tortured clearly fits into a longstanding pattern of detention and abuse by Pakistani intelligence forces.”
After nine days of imprisonment Khan was hooded and removed from his cell. He was placed in a van blaring loud music and, after being driven around again for hours, released and ordered not to speak to the media or “cause any fuss.”
Khan’s flight for Europe was due to leave the following day. His lawyers gently encouraged him to stay home and recover, but Khan rejected the advice. “No,” he said. “I’ll still go.”
Indeed, he managed to maintain his itinerary, meeting with EU lawmakers and telling the human story behind the casualty figures of drone strikes.
Last week, in a private session with German parliamentarians, he described his own grief following the drone strike that killed his family members.
“I suffered every parent’s worst nightmare…..my son and brother….were sitting in our house, working on the computer and having tea, when a missile destroyed their futures. Both had bright futures. My brother had a Masters degree and taught English in our local government-run school. My son was working part time in another local school in order to raise money so he could further his education. This is a tradition in my family – we are all teachers or doctors. That is who we are. And that is who my son wanted to be.”
People in rural North Pakistan are accustomed to being denied justice; relatives of the thousands believed to have been killed or lost loved ones due to the CIA drone strikes have gone to local authorities, only to be ignored. As Akbar told The Intercept:
“Most of the Waziris just take it as their fate, they are told by their mullahs or politicians that it’s just an act of God and they can’t do anything about it…. Kareem was the first person who really wanted to do something about what had happened to his family.”
Khan has long known he could pay a price for his actions. Soon after filing the high-profile legal challenge in the Islamabad High Court against the CIA in 2010 – specifically naming former station chief Jonathan Banks as a defendant – as well as a formal complaint to the UN Human Rights Council, he began facing threats and intimidation.
The terror of his detention and torture is still evident when speaking to Khan. Even while travelling in Europe, he is still unable to sleep out of fear that he will be awoken and detained again in the dead of night. At the sight of a German police car he tenses up in fear. For a man who has already endured the deaths of his family members, his recent imprisonment is another cause for emotional distress.
But Khan is determined to put a human face to the victims of drones who are often counted as mere statistics. He believes that allowing himself to be silenced will only keep the drone program out of legal and public oversight. What’s more, as Gibson says, “Drone strikes are only part of the story.” Psychological trauma is now endemic among the people of rural Waziristan; both as a result of drone strikes and abuses by local security forces.
“Everyone in these areas being subjected to drone attacks is a victim, they never know if they’re going to be killed on any given day,” she says. “They don’t know why these attacks are happening or how they can protect themselves and their families. Entire communities are being terrorized on a daily basis.”
At a recent Congressional hearing, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Mike Rogers, defended the drone program, warning that recently announced changes to the program, meant to provide safeguards and openness, “are endangering the lives of Americans at home and our military overseas.”
However according to Gibson, such pleas are really about allowing the program to continue in secrecy and with impunity. Recent revelations in this publication about the use of highly circumstantial metadata to make life-or-death targeting decisions would seem to lend credence to her argument. As she told The Intercept:
“This program is based on flawed intelligence, no public oversight….it doesn’t matter what the technology is if the intelligence is bad. The people in Waziristan have children, families, and until we begin to understand who we’re killing the public will not be able to appreciate the kind of indiscriminate harm we are inflicting on these communities.”
Such circumstances further fueled Khan’s lawsuit – one which he hopes to pursue in European and international courts as well.
It will be an uphill battle. A different lawsuit, filed by Reprieve on behalf of drone victim Noor Khan – whose father was killed in a 2011 strike – was recently thrown out by a British court, which specifically cited its fear of criticizing the United States as cause for dismissal. While the court found the allegations of GCHQ involvement in the killing of his father was “compelling”, the legal challenge was still rejected on the grounds that: “a finding by our court that the notional UK operator of a drone bomb which caused a death was guilty of murder would inevitably be understood…by the US as a condemnation of the US.” In effect, justice continues to be denied to the innocent victims of drone strikes on purely political grounds.
Nevertheless, Kareem Khan remains hopeful that he will win justice for the deaths of his brother and son. He is heartened by the international outcry over his detention, which has given him greater confidence in his own struggle for justice. In addition to statements by international politicians and lawyers demanding his immediate release, protests and an online campaign were also launched to put pressure on the Pakistani government to secure his release. Upon seeing the clips of protests by international activists decrying his detention Khan would say: “Except for my family, I didn’t think anyone would care if I disappeared….After my release from this captivity, when I saw what all these people had done to help me, I realized what a strong difference a community can make. The only reason I know I was released was because of this.”
Thank you for yet another important and good article!
I see some “trolls” in here who want to turn the tables around, and thus ask Khan what he did to stop the Taliban?!?
Damn, that’s like the police going into a bank and shooting everyone inside, because there just might be 1 or 2 robbers in the midst of the 50 or so clients. And then telling their families that it’s just too bad, but what did they do to stop the people in their city from becoming bank robbers?!?
Nevertheless, I feel shame when reading the coward reply from the British court, where they do not even have the honor to be frank and truthful. Call it by it’s name – murder!
And we all should be wary, that one day in the not too distant future, the drones will be over our heads – controlled by our foes, who we have given the excuse to use them against the civilian population.
“a finding by our court that the notional UK operator of a drone bomb which caused a death was guilty of murder would inevitably be understood…by the US as a condemnation of the US.”
That’s incredible. But I imagine that when people throw that statement up to the British courts, and to everyone everywhere who promotes or defends lawless law & order governments, they will be told that that statement has been taken out of context. Then again, Possibly not. We have gone that far.
This collection of comments seem to produce a certain kind of cognitive dissonance…
I have written the following song and sing it unaccompanied as a testament to these crimes.
“The Wrong Side of a Drone”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEKp1nnu3r4
This afticle contains some very interesting facts. However, I think it would benefit from serious editing as to clarity — by a native English-speaker. It was unclear what certain phrases referred to, for instance. I had to go back a second and third time to get the meaning of many sentences and paragraphs. It is such an important article i am afraid some people will not finish it. /// There is a problem with the website. I find i cannot put the cursor at the end of the sentence; cannot erase, therefore, on this phone. So some words are left which should have been erased:n
ill not finish it.second and
The CIA and the American military, this is how they create more terrorists.
Many moons ago a teacher told me “they go after the artists and educators first!”
Keep up the good work guys, the world deserves the truth. Mr Snowden, Mr Manning and Julian Assange are great heroes along with you three true journalists! Thanks for the truthful reporting!!!
What the article fails to mention is that almost 50, 000 Pakistanis have been killed so far. Most of them by Taliban.
I hope the EU people meeting this guy ask him, what did he do about the Taliban and other criminals living in his home? These people are currently sheltering these mass killers. Wazirs actively protect TTP and allied groups. Now that Pakistan army has finally decided to take action, these rats are coming out and crying about “injustice”. Who will provide justice to thousands of Pakistanis killed by these animals?
how about more disection of the NSA documents and less completely unbacked BS. There’s no way I can check if any of this is real, it’s now just your words against government words, in other words – propaganda. Mr Greenwald, this site is starting to look like a parody of your earlier work.
Or did they finally get to you?
Stories like this need to be retweeted so Americans can stand up and stop our own CIA abuses.
Stories like this need to be retweeted so Americans can stand up and stop our own CIA abuses!
MK-ULTRA meets Operation ARTICHOKE : Was It Used On American Citizen?
A former Grammy voting, filmmaker-musician, is convinced rogue covert factions of the government have been targeting him covertly for years; that on August 8, 2011, after being terrorized for 6 days that caused severe anxiety and fear that most likely was PTSD, went to New York City and gave a Free Speech in Union Square Park .
“A stealth, deeply under the radar, MK-ULTRA MIND CONTROL program was implemented against me,” Rocco Michael Iannacchino said.
Mr. Iannacchino: “On August 8th, 2011, I had had enough. Exercising my 1st Amendment to free speech, I told a group of New Yorkers I was in fear of my life due to being covertly tortured. I posed no threat to myself or anyone that day, and I spoke calmly and clearly, and coherently. I then was falsely arrested. I was sent to a NYC hospital for 23 days of “treatment.””
Mr. Iannacchino alleges doctors used the excuse of “treating” for “Schiztophrenia” when the doctors knowingly treated a non-mentally ill person as a “schizophrenic.”
“I have reason to suspect that this first hospital stay was specifically done to further the Mind Control with techniques used to “brainwash” me. In other words, a total mind f*ck,” Mr. Iannacchino said.
In essence, doctors were working to create a “mental illness” when there was no mental illness to begin with. PTSD should have been considered but they chose to misdiagnose Mr. Iannacchino with the worst diagnosis.. with the worst drugs, and the worst outcome, when caution should have been used.
Techniques that were used on Iannacchino at the Mental Asylum:
Sleep Deprivation – “I did not sleep for 23 days, the medication felt like Cocaine. I couldn’t sit still for not even a minute. I paced the hallway all day and night,” Mr. Iannacchino said.
Iannacchino was forced to take Mind Altering Drugs, a Brain CT Scan was ordered with 500 times the radiation of a normal X-ray.
Mr. Iannacchino was also feeling fear and terror after nearly breaking his arm when a guard slammed and tackled him against a door.
Mr. Iannacchino: “My arm turned completely black. I thought I was going to lose it.”
On page 27 of the Operation ARTICHOKE file, which was obtained using the FOIA, states: There are many other more important aids to hypnosis than a social drink or two. The first of these I believe would be anxiety, another would be fear, third might be exhaustion.
Mr. Iannacchino had Anxiety – CHECK – Fear? CHECK – Exhaustion?
23 days without sleep. That’s not accurate. We must also count the 6 days prior to the commitment, that would make it 29 days of Sleep Deprivation. I think that would cause a bit of EXHAUSTION – CHECK..
Add to the mental mix 500 times the Radiation of a normal X-ray, some fancy mind altering drugs” CHECK!
Sounds like a good launchpad for a solid foundation of Hypnosis to flourish and prosper.
Mr. Iannacchino went on, “This I suspect was done to tag the victim, me, with the stigma of “mental illness” and a lifelong “treatment” with “therapy,” with the continued use of harmful drugs, so I would “get these delusions of my government covertly targeting me out of my mind.”
“That was the cover and rationale, “reasoning” used; but the real purpose of my cherry-blossom-busting first psychiatric-Maiden Voyage-experience was to formerly unequivocally indoctrinate me into the world of the 21st Century Mind Control MK-ULTRA meets Operation ARTICHOKE Protocol. The ultimate goal being to facilitate the use of Hypnosis anytime it is called into practice to achieve a desired effect.”
“MK” most likely stands for ‘Mind Kontrolle.” The German word “Kontrolle” translated into English is “control.” Operation PAPERCLIP was created after WW2. The sole purpose of Operation PAPERCLIP was to gather as many Nazi scientists, doctors and the like and bring them to the United States where they could continue their work under the umbrella of the C.I. A. – before the Russians got to them. MK-ULTRA had its true origins in Nazi Germany, as it was applied to Concentration Camp victims. After the war, MK-ULTRA experiments continued in the United States.
Various techniques to control human behavior under MK-ULTRA
included:
*Radiation Exposure
*Electroshock
*Psychiatry
*Harassment Substances
*Paramilitary Devices
The CT Brain Scan Mr. Iannacchino was subjected to falls under the MK-ULTRA spectrum.
Mr. Iannacchino has stated that for 6 days prior to going into NYC for his free speech, he was electrically shocked in his own bed as he lay trying to sleep. Many times throughout the night he would wake up. This went on for 6 days causing lack of sleep.
The “electric shocking” did not end there.
Mr. Iannacchino: They shocked me every night I tried to sleep in my cot for 23 days at the hospital. I dared not tell anyone at the hospital in fear they would use the excuse to keep me longer. They did seem perplexed though, when I answered I had slept fine.”
Now, before anyone jumps to conclusions; these weapons have been proven to exist. I want the reader to step back for a moment. Were we able to get a man on the moon? Making a weapon most likely derived from a laser harnessing electricity that doesn’t kill the subject should be a walk in the park. No? Yes?
The DrudgeReport just happens to have an article from Yahoo, linked as of 2/18/2011.
US Navy ready to deploy laser system this summer; rail guns aren’t far behind
What this actually means is: the word is getting out that very sophisticated weapons exist and this is a confirmation of that fact. In fact, the weapons have been used covertly – for years.
Mr. Iannacchino mentions he “had had enough” and went into the city to seek asylum. What had happened just before venturing to the city was the last straw. Mr. Iannacchino was handed the phone by his wife, and caller ID showed it was his “attorney.” When Mr. Iannacchino said, “hello,” a strong burst of air went into his ear and he immediately became sick. So sick his eyes dilated, and permanent ear damage has resulted in the form of a loud ringing sound to this day.
There wasn’t anyone on the phone. Iannacchino’s wife and child were present when this attack occurred. Mr. Iannacchino’s wife did not hear the burst of air sound, but his child, however, standing to the right of him was close enough, and did hear the sound.
We were able to get a man on the moon.. Navy admits to “laser weapons”.. There is a past history of programs being used to program, torture people.
Does it really seem far fetched that a phone could be turned into a weapon?
Revelations by Edward Snowden, reported by Glenn Greenwald, should tell us what was not believable before has now turned out to be true. There is more proof that these technologies and weapons and mind control protocols exist than that of God existing.
Mr. Iannacchino, on the advice of his wife went to a local “holistic psychiatrist” for a 1 hour appointment not long after the 23 day hospital stay. The 1 hour appointment consisted of the psychiatrist hitting himself in the knee and pointing a device with a ball on the end of it at Mr. Iannacchino. Never did it make contact with Mr. iannacchino’s body, but was done over and over again for most of the hour.
“At least a hundred times if not more,” Mr. Iannacchino said.
What else was Mr. Iannacchino to do than watch the psychiatrist do this over and over and over and over again? The “treatment” cost 500 dollars. Could this session have been 1 hour of reinforcing “MK” – Hypnosis, that had already begun a month before?
Formal complaints have been lodged with the NYS DoH, Office of Professional Medical Conduct on the egregious behavior of both the NYC Psych Hospital and the Long Island, “Dr. Hypnotism” “holistic psychiatrist.”
“After a year of one hospital after another, doctor after doctor, “treatments,” telling the same story, I stopped the insanity and walked away from the harmful drugs used for people with BI Polar and Schizophrenia, and began to work on my health again as it had declined.”
Before this traumatic event, Mr. Iannacchino had no mental illness whatsoever or diagnosis of mental illness ever in his life.
Arrest at Union Square Park – 8-8-11
(image by Rocco Iannacchino)
At the time of his arrest and commitment, Mr. Iannacchino was putting the finishing touches on his third album: Kyrie http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CFEP3Z6/ref=dm_ws_sp_ps_dp
And he was completing his second self-produced movie, Kyrie, which is now available for digital download: http://distrify.com/films/7060-kyrie
A claim for false arrest has been acknowledged by the City Comptroller of NYC.
I don’t believe I just read all of that…
I like this idea of pre-emptive attacks on your potential enemy. In my day we did it to people who would eventually have possibly gone on to not like us. You know…terrorists.
When you find a group of people who don’t like you then you have to eliminate them in order to keep the rest of the people safe. This USA is my kind of country!
quote”I like this idea of pre-emptive attacks on your potential enemy. In my day we did it to people who would eventually have possibly gone on to not like us. You know…terrorists. “unquote
In your day. right. You did it to people who would eventually …have possibly..gone on..to ..well..not ..ahem “like us”.
Folks, witness a psychopath in the making . Like us. right. ..
hahahahahaha…. son, take a deep deep breath, and then go out and stare at the universe. ..if you have the courage to climb out from under your bed, and the insight to tie your shoes..and then..face your wife.
“Joseph Stalin”
Dear Mr. Stalin. Unbeknownst to you..your body is lying in reprieve for eternity, you words, your soul and your deeds, have gone down in the annuals of the most depraved, evil and vile sub human atrocities ever perpetuated on mankind. Now shut the fuck up and crawl back in that cesspool you call home with the rest of your pond scum buddys. Oh, btw Mr. bloody murderer..since you think that you can show up here as a reincarnation of one of the most insidious war criminals to ever walk on this planet , I have a suggestion for you. Try and grow a garden of love first. Oh..and tie your shoes before you fall on your ugly stupid face too.
Uh…I’m pretty sure he’s not the real Stalin mate.
par·o·dy [par-uh-dee]
noun, plural par·o·dies.
1.
a humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing: his hilarious parody of Hamlet’s soliloquy.
2.
the genre of literary composition represented by such imitations.
3.
a burlesque imitation of a musical composition.
4.
any humorous, satirical, or burlesque imitation, as of a person, event, etc.
5.
the use in the 16th century of borrowed material in a musical setting of the Mass (parody Mass)
Google’s altering their search results for “nsa news” prompting us to “national security agency” to weed out the other poor acronyms and dump a thick load of summatious BS.
But, at the page bottom options offer us access to “national security agent login.” Pretty shabby of you, Google NSA, the New Chrome. This is not my day old NSA news page. That’s administrative.
Are they fracking serious? Looking to start a fright? I would never trouble a site I’ve no business buzzing, but Google and NSA should know better than to make a honey trap out of search engines. All these months calling up NSA news and this new dump of detailed shite is news to me.
I wouldn’t eat that cottage kids, it’s full of cheese!
Nicht der ist gesund, der gut isst, sondern der, der gut verdaut!
Indisches Sprichwort
He is not healthy, eating well, but the one who digests good! (Google Translator)
Indian Proverb
@Murtaza Hussain your story is very good but its just a story and holds no truth. If the anti drone activist was taken from his house and he was hooded then how did he know the appearances of his abductors? Were you there with him when they took him hostage and were you the eye witness to this incident? Let me tell you you are a yellow journalist and non of your story is reliable and shame on you for lying and deceiving the public with your made up story.
Let me guess, ISI?
So,just out of curiosity, taser bot, do you dispute that drones are or are not being used to TERRORIZE whole countries unwarrantedly, illegally, immorally, and ill-advisedly ?
Because while Khan’s personal plight is certainly a horrific condemnation of drones, the more important aspect is why we are murdering peoples we are not at war with, and don’t pretend to offerthe thinnest of legal – much less moral – reasons for said murders.
Does Britain have no more sovereignty? Is it so enthralled to the United States, formerly its colonies in the Americas, that it dares not allow its own courts system to function out of fear that to do so might bring on the punishment of the Empire?
The US government is working tirelessly towards a world in which no nation has sovereignty anymore. This is what a one world government is going to look like. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
“At a recent Congressional hearing, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Mike Rogers, defended the drone program, warning that recently announced changes to the program, meant to provide safeguards and openness, ‘are endangering the lives of Americans at home and our military overseas.’”
Surprise, surprise… Mikey likes it! Why would Congressman Rogers dutifully line up to defend the rising tide of non-accountability by US defense contractors and his fellow congressional corporate minions? Could it be because his campaign was funded by prominent defense contractors like SAIC, Boeing, and ManTech International?
Boeing Corporation is just one of several defense contractors who are competing for a piece of the highly lucrative UAV (drone) Market:
The Boeing Phantom Eye is a high altitude, long endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicle liquid hydrogen-powered[1] spy plane developed by Boeing Phantom Works.
The aircraft is Boeing’s proposal to meet the demand from the US military for unmanned drones designed to provide advanced intelligence and reconnaissance work, driven by the combat conditions in Afghanistan in particular.
For complete article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_Phantom_Eye
Has Rogers taken any hard blows to the head? I’m curious about his legal options.
Jerry MacGuire , Wall Street’s research guy who got to run their fasci plot to overthrow FDR had a silver plate in his head from WWI. He died soon after testifying at the McCormack-Dickstein Committee Hearings, lucky for Jack.
McCormack: Do you know Jack?
MacGuire: I don’t know…Jack.
That’s funny because Morgan loaned him $5 Grand to search Europe for the best fasci vehicle to ride to power in the US. Sacre Bleu! Those head injuries come handy.
Yes.
That is the same Mike Rogers who is neither a fan of Edward Snowden, or Mr. Greenwald.
http://nypost.com/2014/02/05/pol-journalist-fencing-snowden-secrets-should-be-jailed/
“At a recent Congressional hearing, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Mike Rogers, defended the drone program, warning that recently announced changes to the program, meant to provide safeguards and openness, ‘are endangering the lives of Americans at home and our military overseas.’”
Surprise, surprise… Mikey likes it! Why would Congressman Rogers dutifully line up to defend the rising tide of non-accountability by US defense contractors and his fellow congressional corporate minions? Could it be because his campaign was funded by prominent defense contractors like SAIC, Boeing, and ManTech International?
ManTech international is the Parent company of H.B Gary:
In 2010, Aaron Barr, CEO of HBGary Federal, alleged that he could exploit social media to gather information about hackers.
In early 2011, Barr claimed to have used his techniques to infiltrate Anonymous,[3][11][12] partly by using IRC, Facebook, Twitter, and by social engineering.[3][13] His e-mails depict his intention to release information on the identities of Anonymous members at the B-Sides conference and to sell it to possible clients,[3][14] including the FBI.[15] In the e-mails, Barr explained that he identified his list of suspected Anonymous “members” by tracing connections through social media, while his main programmer criticized this methodology. In a communiqué, Anonymous denied association with the individuals that Barr named.
On February 5–6, 2011, Anonymous compromised the HB Gary website, copied tens of thousands of documents from both HB Gary Federal and HB Gary, Inc., posted tens of thousands of both companies’ emails online, and usurped Barr’s Twitter account in apparent revenge. Anonymous also claimed to have wiped Barr’s iPad remotely, though this act remains unconfirmed. The Anonymous group responsible for these attacks would go on to become LulzSec. (Wikipedia: HB Gary)
For complete article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HBGary#Wikileaks.2C_Bank_of_America.2C_Hunton_.26_Williams.2C_and_Anonymous
There’s a guy working at the White House in Washington D.C. Has he read this article?
“At a recent Congressional hearing, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Mike Rogers, defended the drone program, warning that recently announced changes to the program, meant to provide safeguards and openness, ‘are endangering the lives of Americans at home and our military overseas.’”
Surprise, surprise… Mikey likes it! Why would Congressman Rogers dutifully line up to defend the rising tide of non-accountability by US defense contractors and his fellow congressional corporate minions? Could it be because his campaign was funded by prominent defense contractors like SAIC, Boeing, and ManTech International?
In March 2001 SAIC defined the concept for the NSA Trailblazer Project. In 2002, NSA contracted SAIC for $280 million to produce a “technology demonstration platform” for the agency’s project, a “Digital Network Intelligence” system to analyze data carried on computer networks. Other project participants included Boeing, Computer Sciences Corporation, and Booz Allen Hamilton. According to science news site PhysOrg.com, Trailblazer was a continuation of the earlier ThinThread program. In 2005, NSA director Michael Hayden told a Senate hearing that the Trailblazer program was several hundred million dollars over budget and years behind schedule. (Wikipedia: Leidos)
NSA whistleblowers J. Kirk Wiebe, William Binney, Ed Loomis, and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence staffer Diane Roark complained to the Department of Defense’s Inspector General (IG) about waste, fraud, and abuse in the program, and the fact that a successful operating prototype existed, but was ignored when the Trailblazer program was launched. The complaint was accepted by the IG and an investigation began that lasted until mid-2005 when the final results were issued. The results were largely hidden, as the report given to the public was heavily (90%) redacted, while the original report was heavily classified, thus restricting the ability of most people to see it. (Wikipedia; Trailblazer)
Barak Obama should be impeached for continuing to support the drone program. The USA is a threat to all the people of the world with their immoral policies and belief that american lives are worth more than those of other nationalities. We have not forgotten the mass murders committed by Bush and Blair and we will not forget Obamas murderous policies either.
http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/22227-focus-kareem-khan-is-free-and-you-should-care
a tougher take than the story above
Last week’s take on this here:
http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/22227-focus-kareem-khan-is-free-and-you-should-care
Somewhat tougher than this piece
It is and always will be, embedded in my mind, the picture on the local news, of George W. Bush and Tony Blair Shaking Hands, (With Big Smiles),
When they took Control of the Opium Trade under the guise of, (The War On Terror).
Who do you think controls 90% of the world’s opium trade??
Opium production in Afghanistan has been on the rise since U.S. occupation started in 2001. In 2007, 92% of the non-pharmaceutical-grade opiates on the world market originated in Afghanistan.[2] This amounts to an export value of about $4 billion.(According to Wikipedia)
Just who do you think Controls these money’s???
Unfortunately, the average “brain dead” American thinks of all people outside the borders of the continental USA as subhuman cave dwellers. We are approaching a time where the rest of the world is going to demonstrate to us, otherwise
Average brain dead American objects to slur:
http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/22227-focus-kareem-khan-is-free-and-you-should-care
Somewhat tougher than this piece
And that won’t change as long as we repeat it, either.
Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their Constitution before someone sets fire to it!
It’s not an uncommon sentiment, which is perhaps why few choose to agitate. The “Why Bother Song” GCHQ sings so very well. Send Tokyo my roses, GCHQ.
After what you know others put themselves through to get us to the point we can free associate in public, are we going to let that go? Hell NO! We got to fight, for our right….to PAARRRRTY!
A friend just reminded me all Americans think all Germans were Nazis. He should know better, he’s German-American. Can’t be Muslim because we were sharing ribs. Uh oh, is that creedist?
With regard to Obama’s Drone Wars in which suspected “terrorists” are blown to bits along with others who supposedly weren’t targeted we would all do well to remember that of the 800 people imprisoned at Guantanamo only 8 were ever convicted by the kangaroo court there. It is reasonable to think that even those 8 convicted were not, in fact, “militants” or “terrorists”. Such is the “human intelligence” and “signal intelligence” that there is certainly no reason to believe US propaganda that any of the victims of drone strikes are actually terrorists or militants or even people planning a terrorist attack or something. However, to Obama and his ilk “due process” is whatever they decide to do.
http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/22227-focus-kareem-khan-is-free-and-you-should-care
a tougher take on Obama
The Australian David Hicks was innocent.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hicks
Like Dylan’s Hurricane, David Hicks was falsely tried. He was an innocent man in a living hell.
If this is what you get for seeking justice by reasonable means – what can we expect others to do? But I’m sure that is no real conundrum for people in the various agencies involved. They have their futures to consider too.
It begins within a radius of a space our government can convince us deserves no compassion, while claiming it is trying to relieve the population of intimidation and occupation by an oppressor who cares nothing for them and uses them like pawns. Whatever, Goliath. What about the goats?
I see we still kick ass at this souless game of death. I am so tired of waking up to read it’s the fracking 1970s, again. Will Condor NEVER die? There’s a big remodel due us because this olive and burnt orange shite has GOT to GO! Who’s buying this BS rug? Bring our rights up to style before NSA runs us down, again. How ’bout something solid but retro, like a Craftsman? Fat arses can’t break that style down.
annenigma
Yes, He does look like Greenwald with a beard.
Targeted Like Me…I see the similarities.
He doesn’t have to look like me to get my compassion. Nor does Glenn.
If this went down in the US, we’d go batshite crazy. Ruby Ridge kinda nutz. I’ve seen the nutz from both sides and an Apache trance dance can become a terrifying menace in a isolated white man’s mind. Ooops. Wrong call, Scouts. Don’t kill the medicine man, Troops! Massacre central. Tonto mess, my kins’ address.
This is straight from The Hunger Games, with the US & allies as the Capitol and the friendly districts exploiting the Middle East (District 12) for oil instead of coal. The allegorical accuracy of this mainstream young adult story is absurd.
I am no longer proud to be an American after reading this story, if true, Obama is a murdering mongrel. Slowly as the ignorance fades and I see more and more reports that the US is silencing people and committing horrible acts the more I am ashamed of our country. If the politicians we put in power are doing these awful things then they are traitors and need to brought to justice. Mike Rodgers, Obama, the people at the Pentagon, if they aren’t doing the right thing and are doing horrible things, it will come to light. You will be brought to justice. Believe that.
I feel your shame, and can tell you it takes a while but we will finally get to the bottom of this lagoon and get that fracking monster back in his cage. Remember when we got that cancer call back in the 1970s? Well, it’s BA-ACK. Good thing that kid saw the blood on our stool before it killed our freedom to go.
It’s the lying that hurts the most, isn’t it. I shouldn’t be surprised we fell for it. We are great liars, too. Make the lie worth dying for and think of all the killing you can do!
The only way these creeps will be brought to justice is if WE THE PEOPLE do it ourselves.
The “justice” department will never prosecute criminals in the government.
They are too busy trying to prevent a real democracy in America.
Thank you, Intercept.
CIA/OBAMA tell us that they are using the drones to destroy ‘terrorists’ but in my opinion they are using the drones to create anti-American sentiment which will hopefully (for them) give a seemingly legitimate reason to continue on the current war path. They are literally purposefully creating new enemies every single day
Let’s remember that this was a war- the war of terror– that was started by King George and the Neo-cons. President Obama hasn’t ended it, but he isn’t responsible for starting it.
Obama did not start the war in Iraq but he is guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity. He kills Americans, he is responsible for many civilian deaths, he lies about “transparency in government”. From 2008 he has lied about everything.
Your phrasing, “war of terror” instead of “war on terror” provokes an interesting question: who are the terrorists? Reducing one’s actions to the level of the enemy erases any moral standing used to justify the war. There is no honor in this fight!
quote:”Your phrasing, “war of terror” instead of “war on terror” provokes an interesting question: who are the terrorists? “unquote
Says another ‘murican slowly awaking from his USG propaganda dreamstate. Meanwhile, the last 20 years of the answer awaits his eyes.
The word “terrorist” is meaningless. America became a country because “terrorists” fought the British to become independent.
There is nothing wrong with being a “terrorist” if you are fighting for justice.
I am proud to call myself a terrorist in the fight to eliminate the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. Those institutions have become enemies of justice.
Some interviewer needs to ask Obama if he realizes that the drone program, besides being criminal, is an “evil-doer” creator.
These horrors will multiply and amplify for as long as the perpetrators – torturers, drone murderers, murder planners or deciders -, even when known, are NEVER punished and are usually rewarded and promoted for jobs well done. And, of course, the victims, if they survive bombs, rape, burns or medieval-style torture and detention, are targeted for further enhanced terror if they dare speak out in opposition to such horrors. It’s therefore advantageous and rewarding to align with the evil side and it’s dangerous to openly oppose evil.
The captain of the ship that shot down an Iranian airliner full of passengers was promoted, Scooter Libby walked free, George DoubleCrap Bush is busy decorating his presidential library, Harry Truman of Hiroshima and Nagasaki fame is often respectfully quoted and admired. Lincoln, Clapper, Obama and his attorney general, the Clintons, Janet Reno, Kissinger, Israel’s Zionist founding fathers, various lesser Neocons have shed blood or fearlessly advocated mass murder and terror and will never have to answer for their deeds and most will be treated well by our mainstream historians.
Find ways to actually punish the murderers and dispense justice to the victims and things may change. One small step in that direction: don’t be so shy when it comes to revealing the actual identity of the monsters and their collaborators when you publish these documents. Seriously, why hide it?
I remember that the Waco massacre survivors ended up sued by the suave US Gov’t and many of them actually did time for being guilty of not jumping into the government-ignited flames and allowing themselves to burn as patriotic Americans are expected to do.
Your inclusion of Lincoln on that list;Are you an unrepentant southern slaver?Please,your other miscreants are spot on criminals,but Lincoln?
Ha! Lincoln cultist!
Name one other country that had to go through a butchery like the US civil war that killed some 620,000 humans to end slavery.
Can you explain why everywhere else in the world slavery just withered on the vine and disappeared? I bet you can’t because the US civil war was not about ending slavery. Or you didn’t know that? And, yes, anyone who triggered a process that killed more than half a million people is a bloody monster. Don’t you agree?
John Brown’s body is a’spinning in the grave…
I shouldn’t squeak, my kin were slave trading Quakers.
Slavery has not withered on the vine and disappeared. It is alive an well in many parts of the world. Africa, the Middle East, the Far East.
Well… there are many forms of slavery. Are the poor Ukrainian or Moldovan girl that are lured into Israel, have their passports taken away from them and then forced to have non-stop sex until they bleed in order to pay for the cost of their journey ‘slaves’? I don’t know, maybe they are.
But my question still stands. Name another country in the past couple centuries where getting rid of slavery took a war that killed over 600,000 people. And, of course, it didn’t happen anywhere, not even in the US. Even Lincoln stated that the North vs. South war was not about ending slavery.
Here’s Lincoln’s own words from his famous letter to Horace Greeley and pay attention to the first sentence and tell me what the war was really about. Lincoln was a bloody mass murderer.
“If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union. I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause. I shall try to correct errors when shown to be errors; and I shall adopt new views so fast as they shall appear to be true views.”
John Brown’s body lies a’spinning in the grave.
If not Lincoln, some other poor soul would have had to suffer our salvation. Same goes for Hitler. He didn’t invent fascism, he just rung all the juice he could out of that strange fruit with his fellow corporatists.
Militarism that plays handsies with business and bigotries, how original is that? My family floated boats full of humans doing that with the Brothers Barclay of same banking giant. We were great Friends of one another.
Obama just keeps digging
If you pay the Pakistani army well enough, they will look the other way while you mess up their people. The politicians soon fall in line or they can be eliminated. If their own protectors don’t do their duty, who will? It’s all their fault and now they have started blaming everyone else. Chinese are also to be blamed for doing nothing.
I love India and the US. I hope Pakistan accepts my distant view.
I found the following allegation extremely disturbing.
Mark Halperin and John Heilemann’s book “Double Down: Game Change 2012” notes President Obama commenting on drone strikes, reportedly telling his aides that he’s “really good at killing people.”
The quote from the book was first reported in Peter Hamby’s review in the Washington Post.
The White House did not respond to this allegation, only that the administration decried leaks.
In print, that reads like a boast, but if you read the full passage from the book, it is more of a wry reflection on what he has become.
Obama didn’t need to run through this preamble. Everyone knew the litany of his achievements. Foremost on that day, with the fresh news about al-Awlaki, it seemed the president was pondering the drone program that he had expanded so dramatically and with such lethal results, as well as the death of Bin Laden, which was still resonating worldwide months later. “Turns out I’m really good at killing people,” Obama said quietly, “Didn’t know that was gonna be a strong suit of mine.”
The longer any fight goes on, the more difficult it becomes to tell the two sides apart. Eventually you become the thing you are fighting against.
And for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that, “Our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken. You cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.”
Obama, 2008 Inaugural.
When you adopt the methods of your enemy, you have already lost.
As they grow older and become more aware of world events, how will Obama’s two daughters rationalize the actions of their father? At some time in their lives, likely during their college years, they will learn what he and his administration ordered: drone killings of innocent civilians and assassination of Americans, and allowed to happen: unjust prosecution of whistleblowers, and the extinction of the 1st and 4th Amendments of the Constitution. What will they think of their father when they learn of his hypocrisy and the evils he did to our nation?
“What will they think of their father when they learn of his hypocrisy and the evils he did to our nation?”
Do you really think they’ll care as long as their Gold Cards still work and their Secret Service Agents are cute?
“how will Obama’s two daughters rationalize the actions of their father?”
Most or nearly all children of the ‘elite’ assimilate into it.
This man lost his son and brother by a terror drone, and is detained and tortured?
What can we do to stop this cruel madness going on all over the world ?
Protest, or have we forgotten how we came here?
Who’s you Antie?!
First, let your Congress folk know you got them in your crossed hairs and you can pull a lever better than John Wayne. You VOTE your conscience.
I know Marx claims it’s only a sedative, but it sure keeps those pols up late at night grubbing for money like a honey badger. Watch out, if you get between them and their money, they will bite your balls off. Promote SAFE elections.
I don’t know what’s more disgusting; how our Imperial Corporate Government has become so vile and corrupt and above the law worldwide or how brainwashed, complacent and stupid the American public still is. OWS was a freaking clown show compared to what needs to happen in this country.
All that needs to happen is a fully independent and empowered Inquiry followed by any necessary resignations, expulsion and impeachment hearings, or do we forget how the people kick arse? Go listen to Barbara Jordan come down on Nixon’s arse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDcYiyF5eLc
No need to freak on anyone but your reps and let them know if they fold to NSA ,in 2014 we are going to demand an inquiry on their incompetence.
I hope you let yours know Feinstein’s bill is a get out of jail swipe card for her colluding cronies. If they don’t take a stand for liberty, tell them we can set them free to find another job picking loot.
Watcha gonna do, Daaaa-vy?
I’d remount that play about the night you spent in jail. I believe in the power of suggestion. Can’t kill it with a gun. Agitator, where is thy spin cycle? We got at least three rings to get through.
“Ring around the collar!”
Why should I fear NSA or GCHQ when I beat MadMen into the dirt from which Adam sprang?
I am woman, watch me tear this government a new wind hole.
“Please, Mr. Senator, I just don’t know what to do about this dreadful spying and droning of Americans without trials. You aren’t gonna call me a witch and toss me in the river, too, are you? Because if you do, you aren’t the only one who can fabricate a sex charge against your ‘adversary’… “Help! Dick Wolf!!”
I call that the honey trap with a big stinger. Don’t force us to MIMIC you, GCHQ! Has Law & Order capitalized on these imperialdickheads, yet? Or do we have to wait for the reality show in the UK to end first with all their D notices and such garbage.
There’s a reason Godot and No Man’s Land are a big hits again in London. If only I had resources.
I would shut up as long as I can watch theatre and consume German/French food, GCHQ, but then I’m gonna bring it back up on you. Sticky stuffy redux! So don’t offer me a deal. Brazil meets Mr. Creosote. You figure out the threat level.
Start a petition to stop Drone attacks, this is also terrorism attacking civilians in the name of home securities.
This brave man deserves justice alongside the other families. It’s a heartbreaking story. It just shows how little regard the US military has for non-western foreigners who they admit are just fair game. How many more must there be like Khan who don’t have the resources to stand up against this random brutality? It must be hard enough just putting your life back together. The Pakinstani government also have a lot to answer for.
Good article obamas drone policy is crap and needs to change
Stories like this make me proud to not be an American.
This Mike Rogers appears to be the most despicable scum in the Universe. I wish some day some files directly relating to him will be published. I am quite sure he is just as much a scum in his private life, so I am looking forward to a great story about him.
A good outing by anonymous would be fitting.
I propose keeping him under surveillance with an armed drone 24/7.
Mike Roger’s is the evil “Angel” who feeds off childish fear in Episode 59 of StarTrek.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dtaAcg7OEw
Look at him, children!! He’d be nothing without us!
It’s sad but predictable that the UK goverment, and judiciary, in so beholden to the US. Their lack of willingness to take and hold a moral position against murder is in line with their history as an imperial nation with a long and bloody history which the U.S. has chosen to emulate and unfortunately, escalate.
Imperialism is bought and paid for in pain and suffering of both the “colonies” as well as the citizens of the “republic” from Athens to the failing American Empire with all the inherent “collateral damage” through the ages. Such is the cost of empire and the privilege of the powerful.
Kareem Khan’s experience of support, by an international community of citizens is a wonderful sign. Of those whose enlightened self interest, for justice is both inspiring and a symbol of hope and reconciliation, between supposedly diametrically opposed groups. Who recognize and respect their shared humanity and commitment to a civilized world where murder and torture are no longer accepted as justifiable means to any end.
It is long past time to acknowledge that what we do to one another, however “demonized” the “other” may be, is what in the end, we do to ourselves. For as we sow, so shall we reap. The persecution of any groups, who are committed to resistance of violence in the end validates our humanity and the movement towards a recognition of a growing global community committed to peace and mutual respect.
Thank you, Mr. Houssain for reporting this. We must all stand with Mr. Khan. My thoughts an prayers are with him and his family. He is indeed showing tremendous courage under extreme circumstances.
May we all stand together as human beings, condemn such horrible actions as the Khan family and others have suffered, and work to end them.
Gee I wonder who wants to cover their crimes and terrorize this brave man. What he has had to endure is disgusting. What has the US become, and should we be surprised that we are making more enemies by the day?
Thank you.
Now I have another hero to add to my list: Kareem Khan. Thank you for letting me know about him. The people who continue to strive for justice offer inspiration in the midst of all the despair. I am so glad to have this news organization to turn to for truly important news.
Obama was supposed to be the one to stop the destruction of our rights and our national morality, but, sadly, it’s only much worse now. Obama’s betrayal of the ideals that he held out when he was a Senator is the story of his precedency, not a bunch of talk supporting gay rights, not an insurance company giveaway named Romeycare, not being black. It’s his embrace and advancement of the shadow government that stands in opposition to our constitutional government that he will be remembered for.
Obama is a faker – utterly and completely. My sympathy to those who fell for him…
Murtaza, thank you for continuing to cover stories of those who’s lives are effected by the dreadful & deadly drone program. After reading the article and re-reading the last comment made by Khan, which was: “After my release from this captivity, when I saw what all these people had done to help me, I realized what a strong difference a community can make. The only reason I know I was released was because of this.”………I appreciate journalist who are willing to report not just on the politicians and the politics but the REAL PEOPLE who are traumatized by these drones, such senseless killings. It’s as if humans have become so desensitized by war and killing (specifically with the push of a button) that we disconnect & deny any emotions for the REAL people who suffer because to truly feel their pain and loss, would mean we also must allow ourselves to feel that same pain and loss! Nobody wins, just the ego!…I digress…
You said exactly what I wanted to say. A powerful article that reminds us that there really is strength in numbers.
I try to imagine the raw terror of being kidnapped at gun point and tortured, but then have to factor in that this is a man grieving the recent murder of loved ones killed by drones. Almost unimaginable to go to places that extreme, even as a thought experiment, but Murtaza takes us there.
Has it ever stopped?
I recall with horror the South and Central American atrocities we enabled and encouraged. I saw they called back that ghoul Steele old to run the Iraqi death squad system by which they do our dirty work for us upon their own people. Such a stabilizing strategy, no? Of course not! Just stepping into Saddam’s shoes.
My dad told a few flybuddies when drunk that he thought the military official hosting the dinner his War College class touring the Southern Command enjoyed made a show of ordering an action against communists they claimed to have cornered just for show so we knew they were doing our dirty work for us. Pretty sure that was Chile. he went to like 8 countries.
This drunken confession was a few years later after he’d watched same military official take down his own government in a US supported coup. Dad was disgusted as were his friends who had shite to say about Cambodia, too. I bet a lot of soldiers confess in their cups. I just hung around and listened from the eves. For good’s sake, you NEVER turn this criminal shite on your OWN! Where’s the honor in THAT?
I bet that’s another benefit of drones. No conscience. Would an officer be a gentler man if he had to bomb that wedding?
A-10 says, “STOP!”
NSA says, “GO!”
Now I know why they want to kill the Warthog! Evidence! Those pilots can see everything! NSA just hears a telephone ring.
‘ For good’s sake, you NEVER turn this criminal shite on your OWN! Where’s the honor in THAT?’
If he was a human being, then he was one of your own’
Until, and unless, all you people realise this (including all those bastard politicians), the human race can never evolve.
Yes. The quote resonated with me as well. In particuar that there is an international community oppsed to these attrocities.
The UK really is the lapdog of the US, isn’t it.
Despicable.
The UK is the 51st Police State !
However, NSA lets GCHQ whip on anyone underneath them with stimulating impunity.
House of Cards crumbling to a cyberstation near you! Yup, some of those characters hurt themselves because they’ve hurt so many others they know they are going to hell. The rest just enjoy the benefits.
Oboma hoodwinked us. Twice. Those of us who voted for him believed he’d restore decency and common sense to American policy home and abroad. Instead he ordered the drone strikes, by now indisputable documented, be increased on his watch. He wages war without the declaration our constitution demands. He should be impeached by the House and convicted and removed from the Presidency by the Senate. Except cowardice prevails throughout our civic life.
Not so much cowardice as an absolute confluence of opinion when it comes to who counts and who doesn’t. Party politics has become a kabuki show.
the house and senate are part of the same beast, wouldn’t really matter if they impeached the president. you think the VP would suddenly end drone strikes and restore the constitution? btw, when’s the last time anyone heard about Biden. seriously, what does he do?
“Biden. seriously, what does he do?”
Do? Bwhahahahahahahahaha! Notwithstanding trying to finish page 1 of “Tying your Shoes for Dummys”, taking out the garbage seems to challenge his day.
…and when is the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee going to release the 6,300 page CIA Torture Report??? The report was turned over to the intelligence committee in December 2012 and cost taxpayers $40 million.
It seems the CIA, the Pentagon, the President and executive branch can all act with IMPUNITY…
Dick Cheney wrote a book which openly discussed using torture and illegal renditions. CIA attorney John Rizzo wrote a book which covered these subjects as well. Both of them even did book tours and plenty of interviews.
Seems the CIA has plenty of time to approve these insiders’ accounts–but anything which exposes the TRUTH must wait to be released…
How upside-down is the system when it openly allows the approved propaganda to be distributed for $39.95 while the TRUTH is put on ice for 50 years or so???
That’s discouraging, and I wonder if “wanted to do something about” is slightly inaccurate. I read this in the article, “their mullahs or politicians that it’s just an act of God and they can’t do anything about it…” But it’s hard to believe that some or many of those choosing to do nothing about it is due to fear, intimidation rather than being convinced that ‘it’s an act of god.’ If fear and intimidation are the reasons why Kareem Khan is so far the lonely voice trying to do something about it, can we begin to hope that Courage is Contagious will take hold, and an avalanche of people trying to do something about it will roll forth?
Well it’s not just them being too scared, remember the 8,000 people who were secretly murdered? Those weren’t people who had plane tickets to the EU Parliament. You’re overlooking the obvious fact that had he been anyone else it’s very likely he would have been killed too.
No, I’m not overlooking a fact, obvious or not. And I’m not underestimating the danger each victim is in. Kahn very well could have been killed, and said so himself in this very article. He in fact *expected that he most likely would be killed. I’m guessing that the reasons why he wasn’t was because, prior to being abducted, he had determined to make his case, and so that was part of the reason why his abduction garnered so much attention. As was stated in the article, others are not making their case for reasons already covered. It is my hope that this outcome will help to encourage others to follow Kahn’s choice. I’m sure, as I previously stated, that they all feal warranted fear and intimidation due to the real dangers that they face. But maybe “just an act of God” will no longer be what moves them to decide one way or the other.
I wondered the same, but I imagine that “doing something” meant in a politically organized way. I imagine every single person who has lost someone to a drone wants to do many things to those inflicting this on them, most of them unprintable. The notion that too many are too intimidated by fear seems spot on. Those who’ve lost no one and who have far less to fear in retaliation have done nothing, so imagine the stakes for those who know they’re in the active target zone.
Like you, I hope courage is contagious.
We care Mr. Khan. The sad truth of it is, we are nearly as powerless as you are to stop our own government. It is a dysfunctional, tragic, dangerous, possibly evil, mess.
I appreciate how demoralizing this is, but they are the ones lacking, so I hope you’ve at least contacted your reps.
If Hillary thinks I’ve voting for some Kissinger in a wig, she’s flipped hers. Look at Petreaus calling her viable on Benghazi so he can rejoin her as “Punch and Judy.” She will take his punches while he’s just another superior f-up she’ll cover for. They will duke it out for fake shiek and Murdoch will spread the banners.
Aren’t you tied of liars for president? Me three.
Sorry to interrupt this comment section but I am having difficulty using my preferred email address and must resort to the spy kings at google to get my comments published. My preferred address contains a country specific suffix which apparently your systems don’t like – HELP!
That’s terrifying.
I will not comment where I’m forced onto a common rail car to a Swifter form of cold storage. Are you sure? You may need to cancel some Google accounts. Get some YouTube kid to tell you how to keep their parent off you back. Chrome has f-ed up my laptop just like Frank Zappa said it would. They have duplicate files of everything Microsoft does, so I bet NSA pays for our data a dozen times over, folks.
I thought we were going to get some real revelations and new material from The Intercept not just wormed over old news.
Exactly! This has really been a disappointment. They haven’t even done one story on Justin Beiber yet!
Could you please share some links where the up-to-the-minute news on these topics is offered?
OMG, this could be a backstory in a Big Bang episode. I know how it feels to run out of grain when you are full of grist, gang, but this is getting grinding.
Surely you have some imaginations for search items. NSA news is a very good place to start. I am not spooning sugar, here, just salt talks
I read a CNN article and a BBC article and one other article, all dated from about a week ago. None of them mentioned or included the following language:
The other articles leave the reader feeling much like the Pakistanis in this article who are quoted as saying, “there is nothing to be done about it.” But this article makes it very clear who Kareem Khan and his legal help know they need to expose in order to do something about it.
Thanks, Kitt! I would have been very surprised had blueba been able to come up with something.
Especially since it is not clear what wormed-over news is…..
Isn’t that when you toss newspaper in the compost bin?
That’s what my Grandpa did with his old newspapers: into the worm compost (for fishing news). Best use of wormed over news ever.
HA HA HA!
That figure is starting to resemble the number of disappeared government opponents in Operation Condor, carried out primarily by the military dictatorships of Chile and Argentina, starting around 1975.
Unsurprisingly, the US provided operational and financial support to Operation Condor.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/25/pakistan-khan-uk-mps-us-drone-strikes
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/apr/13/lawyer-victims-cia-drone-pakistan
Really happy to see people ready to defend The Intercept. I support them also, I’m just a little frustrated by all this effort and delay when the Guardian was doing a perfectly good job. Clapper et al are squirming a little now but if new things don’t come out that starts to cost jobs and some real sweat from the president et al then the job is not done.
I want to see more documents soon.
Are you aware that there is a whole cache of documents with an article that were published here yesterday? And are you aware that not everyone connected with The//Intercept is in a position to write about and post the documents? And are you aware that many document stories – via Greenwald, Poitras, Gelman and (?) – were published on various new outlets aside from The Guardian after Glenn Greenwald was no longer at the The Guardian?
Look, I understand how important this journalism is. I also understand that it is a daunting task to read and thoroughly understand the documents before publication. I respect Greenwald for his work along with the others.
However, this is not a climate where I am willing to just accept uncritically the behavior of the various people working at The Intercept. I am deeply suspicious of billionaires and especially tech billionaires so there is a question which hangs over this enterprise. Clearly, and especially now, it is not a good idea just to accept without question any journalism from anyone.
Additionally, (and perhaps this is a completely unfair comparison) Marcy Wheeler over at The Emptywheel often produces 3 or more long and very detailed posts in a given day. Why is that not possible here? ( She is listed as “Staff” but on her site she says she is only consulting.)
Oh yeah,the Guardian,the selective comment filter clowns who are all part of the problem of propaganda on our lack of civilization.A bastion of Zionism lite.Assange fingered their motives a couple of years ago.
What is irritating and disingenuous and or lazy about your comment is that you pretend as if none of your “there is a question” has been dealt with time and again. I’ve left several links on various posts, as have others. Twitter is full of links to posts that deal with what you pretend has not been dealt with.
Even in the discussion we had about this post you answered back about this being an old story by posting links that all but one were pre-release stories. What all was reported in this story included new developments and details and commentary of this story. You either didn’t notice that or pretended not to notice that. That seems to be exactly what you are doing with either not noticing that your “questions” have been repeatedly dealt with. You try to present yourself as The One! “Not a climate where I am willing to uncritically….” Well, try paying attention. Maybe you’ll learn something and have some of your “uncritically” answered so you can move beyond being redundant. If whenever someone presents you with information, you choose to ignore it or not acknowledge it was even handed to you, what would be the point of continuing to converse with you?
@blueba
Here’s more stuff for you to ignore and or pretend was never posted. This is from Scahill:
I am responding both to your post and the one below that had no “reply” button. I take your views and criticism seriously and accept that I have shortcomings. Kltt posted about the relationship with WH or whatever not with the ownership of The Intercept which I was referring to. Perhaps I am just too impatient regarding the release of new material but whatever. This is probably not a useful use of your time or mine so lets just get back to these important matters concerning our very humanity – that is our private lives being invaded and dirtied by these monsters.
Your getting new and shocking revelations every day, and I suspect that maybe why you are so keen to try to discredit it.
If you ever find someone who disputes the assertion that the UK is a client state of the US, just cite the court decision mentioned in the article:
In other words, case dismissed on the grounds that we don’t want to upset our masters.
It’s the Mr. Bate’s Defense! That’s not legal, even if he might cut your throat in your sleep. Depends upon who you’ve been molesting and if you are family.
A little rationalized murder just between US? What would Agatha say? Poitrot would say, “Poo poo!” Sherlock would out the iceholes. Hitchcock would say, “Copyright theft!” Let’s get some rope.
Don’t you see the cold blood between the two? It’s really old cold blood.
Anyone else think that Kareen Khan in this photo looks a lot like Glenn Greenwald with a fake beard and keffiyeh?
I fear that Glenn would get similar treatment if he were to return to the the Homeland, but I doubt they’d let him go free afterwards.
My heart goes out to Mr. Khan and all who are harassed and persecuted by the regime. Stay strong everyone.
Funny you mention the “Homeland”.
It has been reported that Markus Wolf (now deceased), former head of the Stasi consulted with our Government, and aided them in setting up the Department of Homeland In-security.
Yes, Khan does look like Greenwald with a beard. Interesting.
Does this have any connection to the CIA and the surge in heroin overdoses? Who is bringing this into the US, and why not a single bust?
The CIA drug connection has been firmly established, one does not have to go out on a limb to figure out what is going on. Google Clinton and Mena if you have any doubt. Very typical of US government to create a problem and then try to look like they are solving it at the same time, while the money flows from both directions. Sort of like the Mafia offering you “protection”. Mainstream media does not touch it though and Americans have been so brainwashed to believe that they are on the good side they will not look at the facts.
Boy there will be outrage and a demand for change after tonight when Rachel Maddow and Bill O’Reilly and NBC, CBS, and ABC evening news report this! Oh wait…. never mind.
^ISI, not CIA.
Can we end that US/UK thing somehow? World would be a better place without them.
Maybe Russia can help?
Or maybe their citizens should stop thinking they had only two possible parties to elect?
It’s worse than you think – the EU /Euro Zone are little more than simi-atunomous political regions of the US Neoliberal Empire.
It is appalling what depths our Government has sunk to.
So good that you are bringing this story to light.
It reminds me of what the U.S. did in South and Central America and all of their Desaparecidos.
But like the ICC, apparently the 2006 International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance doesn’t apply to the U.S.
Thank God our brave heros in the CIA are keeping us safe by kidnapping anyone who objects to having his family members obliterated by a hellfire missile in a country we are not at war with.
Yay us!
Just wait until they start doing that here, to US.
While not exactly kidnapped and beaten in the same way local cops commit similar atrocities on pretty much a regular basis here too. The difference is its not usually for political reasons or to prevent someone from speaking out against the police. Although a few years ago Radley Balko, who is now at the Washington Post and writes about police abuses, was visited by a SWAT team pretending to be looking for someone else. So yea, it will probably happen sooner rather than later here.
The out of control police is a whole other topic.
They are way out of control.
I’m not so sure it is a whole other topic anymore. Its certainly part of an overall trend that people in the “keeping us safe” racket aren’t subject to the same laws we are. I think the CIA and NSA’s arrogance as we saw in James Clapper and Keith Alexander is part of the same culture of arrogance that exists at the local level with cops and goes all the way up to Washington.
“Droning” innocent People is bad enough, but trying to suppress their Voice is equally worse. America seems utterly determined to loose any Moral Fiber left after the Bush Years … thanks for reporting this!
It is stunning and mind boggling, the depths of which our Nation has fallen. We pale in comparison to what the Nazi’s did in Germany. The Military-Industrial-Media Complex is truly out of control.
Seems we are much better at keeping our crimes against humanity secret than the Nazis were.
We held the Nuhremberg Trials and exposed them.
Only to do more of everything. Even Nazis didn’t kill quite as indiscriminately out of their country until the war started. For the (Nobel peace prize winning) president to personally decide who should die today is just amazing. At least Norway didn’t give Hitler the peace prize, though British Prime Minister of the time nearly did.
I just hope Snowden get the Nobel Peace Prize.
That will level the playing field.
Yeah,Hitler only invaded his neighbors at first,we invade globally.And Hitler had some historical justification,because they were all parts of the Reich at one point,before being dismembered as victors justice.(Parts of Poland,Czechoslovakia and Alsace Lorraine.)Oh,the frailty of our poohbahs in reordering the world.
How about that haul in Ukraine? If they are going to dump their dirty business records, they should have pitched them further out to sea. That data should keep things warm this winter.