China, Irony, the Pope

THE ABSURD TIMES

Illustration: I don't know.

    So, do you remember Obama’s first act as President?  He shut down Gitmo.  It seems to still be there, however.  (See interview, below.)

 

          I do remember he is a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.  I once said that there is no such thing as irony, but if there was, his having a hit list of who to assassinate next is a good approximation of what Irony is.

 

          Whoever can prove what Gitmo is still doing there, other than continuing torture, wins a free entry in the Publisher’s Clearing House Sweepstakes.  Could be worth millions, but won’t be.  Still, you have a better chance of winning that than living to see Gitmo closed.

 

          Another prize could be a free cruise to the Pope’s home town in Argentina on Carnival Cruises.  If you like, you could also buy at a discount the new Notre Dame basketball uniforms. 

 

          Sorry, no openings as a commentator on the Jodi Arias murder trial as it is carried on several stations and also a cable network.  Watching it, however, has replaced the death penalty in several states.

    I am giving myself an award for being mellow.  Today, at the store, some little old lady grabbed my arm and said "They finally got Whole Wheat Bread!"  Last century I might have stuck my fingers up her nose and ripped it off her face.  Today I just said "I am so happy for you".   How's that??!!

 

          On one single day, last week (I haven’t looked since) these were the stats for the ABSURD TIMES:

 

          EntryPageviews

China

117

United States

80

Germany

54

Russia

53

France

18

Sweden

17

Ukraine

13

Israel

11

Turkey

10

Poland

8

 

 

          Any idea why 117 Chinamen decided to visit?  The last time something that weird happened as when about 200 Mauritanians decided to visit. 

 

         

 

           I can't get this text any larger, sorry:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over 100 Guantánamo Prisoners on Hunger Strike, Citing Threat of Return to "Darkest Days Under Bush"

More than 100 detainees held in the U.S. military prison at Guantánamo Bay are reportedly entering their fifth week of a hunger strike sparked by deteriorating conditions. News of the hunger strike first emerged last week, but it appears the action involves far more prisoners than previously thought. In a letter to his attorney, one detainee wrote: "We are in danger. One of the soldiers fired on one of the brothers a month ago. Before that, they send the emergency forces with M-16 weapons into one of the brothers’ cell blocks. ... Now they want to return us to the darkest days under [George W.] Bush. They said this to us. Please do something." We’re joined by Pardiss Kebriaei, senior staff attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights and counsel for one of the hunger strikers. [includes rush transcript]

TRANSCRIPT

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

NERMEEN SHAIKH: More than a hundred detainees held in the U.S. military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, are reportedly entering their fifth week of a hunger strike against deteriorating conditions. News of the unrest comes as U.S. military officials have confirmed a guard fired rubber bullets at detainees in January for the first time in the prison’s history. The incident took place on a soccer field for cooperative captives when, authorities say, a detainee sought the attention of a guard in a watchtower who controlled a gate leading to a pathway back to the prison. The detainee allegedly tried to scale the fence.

Meanwhile, more information about the ongoing hunger strike has begun to trickle out in letters from detainees. Some say Arabic interpreters have searched their Qur’ans in ways that constitute desecration according to their religious beliefs. Others report guards have been taking away detainee possessions.

AMY GOODMAN: Yemini detainee Bashir al-Marwalah wrote in a letter to his lawyer, quote, "We are in danger. One of the soldiers fired on one of the brothers a month ago. Before that, they send the emergency forces with M-16 weapons into one of the brothers’ cell blocks. ... Now they want to return us to the darkest days under Bush. They said this to us. Please do something," he wrote. Lawyers for the detainees say some prisoners who have refused to eat for weeks in protest are now "coughing up blood" and "losing consciousness."

For more, we’re joined by Pardiss Kebriaei, senior staff attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights. She spoke last Thursday with her client Ghaleb Al-Bihani, who is one of the hunger strikers. Welcome to Democracy Now!

PARDISS KEBRIAEI: Thank you.

AMY GOODMAN: Can you tell us what he said? We now hear that well over a hundred of the 166 prisoners are on this hunger strike.

PARDISS KEBRIAEI: He said what we’ve heard from every other detainee who has communicated with his lawyer since February, which is that there is a large-scale hunger strike in Camp 6, which is the largest of the facilities at Guantánamo. That prison holds about 130 men. He said that almost everyone, except for a few who are sick and elderly, are on strike.

He himself had lost over 20 pounds. He is a diabetic. His blood glucose levels are fluctuating wildly. He told me that medical staff at Guantánamo have told him his life is in danger. And he and others want us to get the word out about this.

We, last week, CCR and group of other habeas counsel, wrote a letter to the authorities at Guantánamo and to the Department of Justice reporting what we have heard and asking for a response. And to date, almost two weeks later, we have not heard anything, other than denials of the strike.

NERMEEN SHAIKH: How is it that a Guantánamo spokesperson is saying that there are only five or six people on hunger strike?

PARDISS KEBRIAEI: That’s right. They have downplayed the scale of the strikes and have said that there are only a handful on strike and only a handful being tube-fed. It may be a matter of semantics: The way that Guantánamo authorities define people on hunger strike is largely discretionary.

But what we have heard from every habeas counsel who has been down to the base or communicated with their clients since February is the same, which is that there is a large-scale strike, men are refusing food. We’ve heard reports of people losing over 20, 30, 40 pounds. And we’re now today in day 36 or so of the strike. By day 42, 45, you start seeing things like loss of vision, loss of hearing, and eventually death. So this is—it’s an emergency situation. We view it as an emergency situation. And denials by the authorities, at this point, of the strike are dangerous and irresponsible.

AMY GOODMAN: Pardiss, can you tell us about your client, who told you about this hunger strike?

PARDISS KEBRIAEI: He is a young man from Yemen. He’s one of 89 Yemenis. They make up the largest group of men at Guantánamo. There are 166 people who remain. He and—like everyone else from Yemen, even if he were cleared to leave Guantánamo, which most of the men at Guantánamo now are cleared by the Obama administration to leave, he would be stuck there. He would remain in prison because of a continuing moratorium on all transfers to Yemen. So, he’s one of many men who has, at this point, lost a great deal of hope about when his detention at Guantánamo will ever end. He’s never been charged. He’s been held now for over 11 years.

AMY GOODMAN: For over 11 years without charge.

PARDISS KEBRIAEI: Over 11 years without charge.

AMY GOODMAN: How many men are in a similar circumstance? A hundred sixty-six are there. More than half have been cleared for release, just aren’t being released.

PARDISS KEBRIAEI: There are 166 men; 86 of them have been cleared by the Obama administration to leave. That means that every government agency with a stake in Guantánamo has unanimously declared that those people do not need to continue to be held. Most of the men who are cleared are Yemeni. There are 56 Yemenis who are cleared. There’s a handful of other men who could leave but need resettlement in third countries. So that is who we’re talking about at Guantánamo. There’s a small number of people, about 34, whom the government has said it ever plans to charge. The rest are not people that the government plans to ever charge, and most, as we’ve said, have been cleared to leave.

NERMEEN SHAIKH: So can you explain, though, Pardiss, why—after so many years, why are conditions now deteriorating to such an extent that these men have decided to go on hunger strike? What’s prompted that?

PARDISS KEBRIAEI: Well, the literal trigger that we’ve heard about is searches of the men’s Qur’ans, which they view as religious desecration.

NERMEEN SHAIKH: But why now? What was happening in the last few years?

PARDISS KEBRIAEI: The motivation is unclear to us. There’s been a change in personnel at Guantánamo. That may have triggered it. This is against a broader background, we’ve heard, of regressive practices more recently. But I think what it can’t be divorced from is the fact of 11 years, 11-plus years of detention, and a sense of extreme desperation, extreme hope, men who have seen their fellow prisoners die over the past few years, men who were told by President Obama in 2009 that the prison would close within a year. So that is the context we’re talking about. And a provocation like searches of the Qur’ans is severe enough, but I think it can’t be—it’s not disconnected from the broader context at Guantánamo.

AMY GOODMAN: We’re going to go to a break and then come back to this discussion. Our guest is Pardiss Kebriaei, and she is with the Center for Constitutional Rights, represents one of the prisoners at Guantánamo. We have word that perhaps more than a hundred of them are on a hunger strike, for some of them, at this point, life-threatening. When we come back, we’re also going to talk about the case that’s before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and speak with the lawyer who represented attorneys—represented detainees at Guantánamo and testified at that hearing. Stay with us.

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Syria, the greatest Democratic Project

THE ABSURD TIMES

Syria, the greatest Democratic Project of the Century and the Real Responsibility to Protect

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SyriaThe Greatest Democratic Project Of The Century. The Real Responsibility To Protect

Christof Lehmann (nsnbc).- The national dialog in Syria continues making progress. Unnoticed by most international mainstream media, and distracted by sustained acts of terrorism, the national dialog in Syria, facilitated by the government, continues with systematic and comprehensive initiatives toward turning Syria into a pluralistic and modern Democracy, unheard of in those nations, who are preaching democracy, aided by bombs, guns and state-sponsored terrorism, which is being carried out on their behalves, by backward Wahhabi fanatics and the socio-economically underprivileged who have no better means of earning a meager income than to volunteers as mercenaries.

While the USA and many of its allies continue their descend into neo-fascism, exemplified by the sweeping and dangerous powers of the US Department of Homeland Security, which the renown US-American philosopher of science James Henry Fetzer has compared to the “Stasi”, the State Security of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) (1 ;..

While Saudi Arabia has only days ago sentenced two human- and civil rights protesters to 10 years in prison, on charges including “speaking to foreign media”, (2;…

And while US Secretary of State John Kerry, by signing a USD 60 million check to the “Syrian Opposition” for all intends and purposes implicitly stated, that the USA is prepared to start world war three over Syria (3;….

The government of Syria, together with representatives of ethnic and religious communities, political parties, advocacy and special interest organizations, continue the national dialog, which could, if it won´t be derailed by state sponsored terrorists, result in a Syrian democracy, that would put those who are preaching it by means of violence and propaganda lies to shame.

After more than one year of meetings and initiatives, largely neglected by both western as well as Russian, Chinese and other nations mainstream media, the Syrian national dialog has made so much progress, that the work is branching out into sub-committees on a regional level, as well as on the level that addresses particular problems about how to assure that the process is working both from the top and down and from the bottom and up, and that with regard to all initiatives and all stakeholders.

The beauty of this near-democratic approach is, that while it is the government that has taken the initiative and tasked a ministerial commission, led by P.M. al-Halki, the system is designed to empower local communities to taking part in deciding, and actively taking part in building a new Syria.

It is an approach unheard of in European Democracies, unheard of in the USA who prides itself in its“Freemasons Founding Fathers”, not even to mention the crackpots dictatorships in the Persian Gulf, like Saudi Arabia, who found it appropriate in December 2011, to sentence a young woman to death by public beheading, for charges of “Sorcery”. (4

While the world media focus on Saudi-backed, backward and medieval “holy warriors” who kidnap UN peace keepers, behead prisoners of war or incite children to do it for them, rob, pillage and rape in the name of God while soiling the very essence of spirituality with blood-sins, the Syrian subcommittee, tasked with setting up the required mechanisms for inviting the national opposition and political forces to dialog in Sweida, has met with the elites of Syrian intellectuals, of the Syrian educational sectors, social elites who represent a vibrant diversity, that is unheard of in most other, if not in all other Arab nations.

On the table on regional levels are, visions about the shape and content of the national dialog conference, visions for implementing a program to solve the crisis nationally and peacefully. The Governor of Sweida, the Chairman of the Subcommittee, Dr. Atef al-Naddaf, underlined the importance of the meetings as a forum to discuss visions and viewpoints, so that they can be embodied in the political program. Participants in the meeting reiterated, that they reject and denounce the violence and foreign interference.

Subcommittee meetings are also taking place in Damascus and other regions. In Damascus, the subcommittee is developing the mechanism for inviting the local branches of the national opposition and the political forces to dialog, it met with representatives of the Syrian Nationalist Party (SSNP), the Democratic Socialist Unionist Party and other.

It is important to stress, that these subcommittee meetings are taking place, after the ministerial commission, led by Prime Minister al-Halki, has held successful and constructive meetings with representatives of the Syrian Kurd´s National Initiative, the Peoples´Will Party and others, and that the meetings on regional subcommittee level are evidence for, that Syria is now entering a phase, where the process of creating a new Syria, a Syria by the Syrian people for the Syrian people is mobilizing the creativity and aspirations of the masses. (5

The national dialog in Syria is, objectively observed, the greatest democratic project which any nation has embarked upon over the last 100 years. It is the greatest democratic project of the century in spite and because of the onslaught of fanatic hirelings whose medieval, Islamo-Fascist Wahhabi philosophy of intolerance and violence, makes them the perfect representative of the true face of the modern western fascism of the USA/NATO and allies. While the West is regressing to anarchy and barbarism of global proportions, the Syrian national dialog is in fact a beacon of hope for humanity.

Germany, priding itself for its democratic values after the horrors of National-Socialism, would be well advised to learn from Syria´s national dialog. Germany, which was liberated by the USA in 1945, still has no constitution and must suffice with a “Grundgesetz”.  Germany is still under de facto allied, that is US-American control. The “Chancellor File”, which determines who exactly is Germany´s “Sovereign” is still so highly classified that even members of the German parliament and Ministers cannot access and read it, and will be classified for at least another 70 years. Food for thought for any German who lets him or herself be propagandized into supporting freedom and democracy a la USA in Syria or anywhere else.

I wonder what women in Saudi-Arabia were thinking on international woman´s day ? What were Saudi-Arabian and Syrian women thinking about their Saudi-Arabian sister who was beheaded for “sorcery” in 2011 ? In Saudi-Arabia, falling out with a husband can result in charges of sorcery and a public beheading that tells all other Saudi wives, that they better continue letting their dignity and humanity be raped or else.

I wonder what women in Syria were thinking on women´s day ? Their hopes and dreams and aspirations ? While I am certain that there is a lot that can improve for them, as it can for women and all human beings everywhere, I am also certain, that one of their greatest fears must be a Syria, that is being “liberated” by Saudi, US, EU, Zionist, paid, armed and commanded Wahhabi mercenaries.

No political system is perfect, and even the most perfect political system is, in terms of realpolitic, not better than those who are at the helm of a nation. When comparing the national dialog and reform which, unless it is derailed by state-sponsored terrorism, by those who are preaching democracy to Syrians with any other nation over the last century, my conclusion is, that Syria has embarked on the greatest and most genuine democratic project any nation has embarked on during the last 10o years.

Who can compare ? A USA which is rapidly declining into fascism ? A Germany, whose people are not allowed to read the document that regulates German sovereignty and which does not have a constitution ? Russia, whose democratic project was led by oligarchs  and an alcoholic President Jeltsin who strip-sold national assets to anyone who would keep him in power; a Russia which is only now recovering under President Putin ? The people of Libya who have been liberated to death ?

Behind the Orwellian deceit, 2 + 2 still equals 4, and those who are serious about “democracy, freedom and justice” better realize their “Real Responsibility to Protect”  is the responsibility to protect the Syrian people from further US/NATO led aggression.

NB.: On closing, media reports today highlight that the USA may be training insurgents in Syria. I would say, “well done mainstream media. nsnbc has since September 2011 written about the fact, documented it with witness testimony by an officer serving at the US-Special Forces at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, USA, and documented it further by publishing the Special Forces Unconventional Warfare Training Circular TC – 18-01. The manual details how to illegally subvert a country, is used by special forces and distributed to “Foreign Students”. It is classified as restricted and has a destruction notice to prevent unauthorized dissemination. It was also published on nsnbc – So, the fact that it takes mainstream media, including Russian two years to catch up with reality is deeply disturbing.

Notes:

1) United States Department of Homeland Security: The Unanswered Questions

2) Saudi-Arabia sentences Rights Activists; 10 Years for “Speaking to Foreign Media”

3) Kerry after Friends of Syria Meeting clarifies, US determined to initiate World War III in Syria

4) Saudi woman beheaded for “sorcery”

5) Syrian P.M. Al-Halaki meets with delegation of Popular Will Party, led by Ala al-Din Arafat

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About the Author

Christof Lehmann - Dr. Christof Lehmann is the founder and editor of nsnbc. He is a psychologist and independent political consultant on conflict and conflict resolution and a wide range of other political issues. His work with traumatized victims of conflict has led him to also pursue the work as political consultant. He is a lifelong activist for peace and justice, human rights, Palestinians rights to self-determination in Palestine, and he is working on the establishment of international institutions for the prosecution of all war crimes, also those committed by privileged nations. On 28 August 2011 he started his blog nsnbc, appalled by misrepresentations of the aggression against Libya and Syria. In March 2013 he turned nsnbc into a daily, independent, international on-line newspaper.

Latuff the Soothsayer

THE ABSURD TIMES

The cartoon was produced by Carlos Latuff whose work we have been fortunate enough to post here from time to time.  The strange thing about this is that the cartoon was drawn and distributed a couple days before the photograph next to it was taken.

Carlos has already won the highest acclaim and also came in the top three of the top anti-semites in the world (right above millions of European Football or Soccer fans).  Now, The Absurd Times takes this opportunity of proclaiming him soothsayer. 

We bestow this honor after careful consideration and extend to Carlos our undying admiration and awe.