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by David Swanson
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Let’s Try Democracy
May 20, 2018
For those of us who fully expected most U.S. peace activists to vanish once Barack Obama became president but expected them to come back once Donald Trump ascended the throne, the failure of our second expectation has been hard, crushingly hard. But there are a few silver linings.
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Why the Senate Torture Report Doesn’t Matter | Interview with David Remes
breakingtheset on Dec 9, 2014
Abby Martin speaks with human rights lawyer, David Remes, about the contents of the newly released Senate torture report summary and how it will impact the future of the “war on terror”.
Orwellian or a Blunt Tool?: Conflicting Rulings on NSA Spying Set Up Likely Supreme Court Showdown
Image by Stephen D. Melkisethian via Flickr
democracynow on Dec 30, 2013
democracynow – A federal judge has upheld the National Security Agency’s bulk collection of U.S. telephone data just days after a separate court reached an opposite opinion. On Friday, District Judge William Pauley dismissed a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union challenging the NSA’s mass collection of U.S. phone records. Pauley said telephone metadata could have potentially prevented the 9/11 attacks by alerting the government to hijackers who made phone calls from the United States. The issue will likely head to the Supreme Court — Pauley’s ruling comes less than two weeks after another federal judge questioned the program’s constitutionality and described the bulk collection as “almost Orwellian.” We’re joined by two guests: Jameel Jaffer, ACLU deputy legal director and director of its Center for Democracy; and Glenn Greenwald, the journalist who first broke the story about Edward Snowden’s NSA leaks.
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strugglevideomedia on Jul 2, 2013
Mongi Dhaouadi of CAIR CT introduces Sandy Staub of the CT Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. She speaks at the “NSA Don’t Spy on US Forum” June 30, 2013, Berlin, CT for more http://www.acluct.org. Continue reading
by Finian Cunningham
Writer, Dandelion Salad
East Africa
Crossposted from PressTV
June 24, 2013
Image by Michael Fleshman via Flickr
What the disclosures of former CIA contractor Edward Snowden show perhaps above all else is just how petrified the leaders of the United States have become – of ordinary citizens both in the US and around the world. When we say “leaders” we mean the ruling elite – the top one percent of the financial-corporate-military-industrial complex and its bought- and paid-for politicians.
The international manhunt by the US authorities for Snowden, which has accelerated with his flight to Moscow to evade extradition from Hong Kong, is indicative of the desperation in Washington’s elitist establishment to quash him and what he is revealing about their despotic rule.
by Dennis J. Kucinich
Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich
Mar. 16, 2012
Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), who has led opposition to the PATRIOT Act since its inception, today released the following statement after the Justice Department confirmed it maintains classified legal interpretations of the Act.
“In response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Department of Justice recently confirmed that it maintains secret interpretations of Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act. Continue reading
by Rick Rozoff
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
Stop NATO
Stop NATO-Opposition to global militarism
March 7, 2012
Press TV
March 6, 2012
AG’s targeted killing speech ‘a frightening development’
Watch via Press TV
Rick Rozoff, the manager of Stop NATO, censures Attorney General Eric Holder’s speech in which he insisted that the U.S. president has a right to order the assassination of U.S. citizens overseas, and called it “a frightening development.”
American Civil Liberties Union
February 17, 2012
ACLU Argues Dragnet Surveillance of Americans Is Unconstitutional
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org
NEW YORK – The government today asked the Supreme Court to overturn an appeals court ruling that allowed the American Civil Liberties Union to challenge the constitutionality of a law that gives the government unprecedented authority to monitor international emails and phone calls by Americans.
by Andy Worthington
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
www.andyworthington.co.uk
9 December, 2010
On Tuesday, in an extremely troubling ruling in the District Court in Washington D.C., Judge John D. Bates dismissed a lawsuit contesting what is described as President Obama’s “targeted killing” policy, but which is, in fact, a program to assassinate US citizens anywhere in the world, without explanation, and without the involvement of Congress or the judiciary.
The case concerns Anwar al-Awlaqi (aka al-Awlaki or al-Aulaqi), an American citizen living in Yemen, who “was placed on kill lists maintained by the CIA and the US military’s Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) earlier this year,” as the Center for Constitutional Rights has explained. Al-Awlaki was also labeled as a “specially designated global terrorist” on July 16, even though, behind the rhetoric, doubts have been expressed about his significance, which make it obvious that there are profound problems in allowing the executive branch to have the unfettered power to decide when American citizens should be designated for assassination.
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Democracy Now!
Aug. 12, 2010 Continue reading
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American Civil Liberties Union
March 16, 2010
Tells House Subcommittee That Final Administration Decision On Trials Still “Weeks Away”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: (202) 675-2312 or media@dcaclu.org
WASHINGTON – In testimony before a House Appropriations Subcommittee today, Attorney General Eric Holder defended the merits of his November decision to try the 9/11 defendants in federal criminal court, but nevertheless stated that the administration may still consider using the untested military commissions, instead. Holder said a final decision regarding the 9/11 suspects was “weeks away.”
Since 9/11, the military commissions have resulted in three terrorism-related convictions. Federal courts, on the other hand, have produced over 300.
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by Congressman Dennis Kucinich
Washington, Feb 5, 2010
Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) yesterday wrote to Attorney General Eric Holder following news reports that Americans have been included on targeted assassination lists maintained by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). The reports indicate that the President has authorized military operations with the express understanding that Americans might be killed under this policy. In the letter, Kucinich requests the legal basis for revoking the constitutional rights of any American citizens. Continue reading
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American Civil Liberties Union
January 24, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: 212 549-2666; media@aclu.org
WASHINGTON – Criticizing the Obama administration’s decision to charge accused Christmas Day attacker Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab in the criminal court system, members of Congress are calling for legislation requiring intelligence officials to be consulted about how to handle terrorism suspects after their capture, arguing that options other than the criminal justice system should be considered. The Washington Post, in an editorial on January 23, supported this approach.
The members of Congress calling for the legislation are Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Joseph Lieberman (ID-CT), Robert Bennett (R-UT) and John Ensign (R-NV).
The following can be attributed to Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union:
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ACLU
January 13, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: 212 549-2666; media@aclu.org
Asks For Data On “Targeted Killings” Of Suspected Terrorists And Civilian Casualties
NEW YORK – In a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed today, the American Civil Liberties Union asked the government to disclose the legal basis for its use of predator drones to conduct “targeted killings” overseas. In particular, the ACLU seeks to find out when, where and against whom drone strikes can be authorized, and how the United States ensures compliance with international laws relating to extrajudicial killings.
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