Reflections about Abdul Razzaq Hekmati, R.I.P.

This week a detainee died of natural causes at Guantanamo. It'll be a fate that will likely befall many other detainees. This particular one was accused of being a terrorist by people who held grudges against him and needed the bounty offered by the US government. He was never charged, never allowed to defend himself in court, and we'll never know just what he was guilty of doing. And if questioned, your leaders will tell you that his detention and death was necessary to protect your family. And you'll still believe that you live in a free society.

LINK to dday's post at Digby's blog

LINK to NY Times story

Here's something else to think about.

And this.

These links are probably not connected. But they very well could be. It is deeply troubling that so few people I know personally don't seem to care one way or the other.

Something John McCain said regarding torture rings in my memory. "We Americans are better than that."
I like that. I hope he does well.


If McCain were to win the nomination, Black said, his doctors would hold a detailed briefing for reporters describing his medical history. That history includes breaking both arms and a leg after ejecting from his fighter jet when he was shot down over Hanoi during the Vietnam War. He also suffered fractures to both shoulders, broken ribs and a severe injury to his right knee from being tortured during 5 1⁄2 years as a prisoner of war.

The result is that McCain cannot raise his arms above his shoulders to comb his hair. When it is very cold, his joints occasionally ache, something he rarely mentions, Cindy McCain said. His hair also turned prematurely white while in prison.

LINK to Energizer McCain keeps going and going



Digby looks at the issue of outsourcing torture to avoid legal problems. The world of legal jurisdictions allows a tempting menu of options to achieve just about any objective as long as the rules are followed (read evaded).

Considering that all this was done by people who had previously brought us secret wars in Cambodia and sold arms to our alleged enemies to fund illegal wars from a shadow government run out of the white house, it really shouldn't be surprising that they did what they did. And unless there is a reckoning, it would be criminally stupid if we are surprised the next time they get their hands on the white house and do it all again. It's what they do.

Sadly, very few people seem to think it's a problem.