Blackwater Mercenaries Deploy in New Orleans
By Jeremy Scahill and Daniela Crespo
t r u t h o u t | Report
Saturday 10 September 2005
" New Orleans - Heavily armed paramilitary mercenaries from the Blackwater private security firm, infamous for their work in Iraq, are openly patrolling the streets of New Orleans. Some of the mercenaries say they have been "deputized" by the Louisiana governor; indeed some are wearing gold Louisiana state law enforcement badges on their chests and Blackwater photo identification cards on their arms. They say they are on contract with the Department of Homeland Security and have been given the authority to use lethal force.."
Court Gives Bush Right to Detain U.S. Combatant
"WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 - A three-judge federal appeals court panel ruled unanimously on Friday that President Bush had the authority to detain as an enemy combatant an American citizen who fought United States forces on foreign soil..."
Do you get what this is all about? Do you understand what these articles are saying? Do you hear the death knell of Democracy?
Heavily armed and skilled mercenaries have been hired by the US Government, and the State of Louisiana to patrol the streets of New Orleans. They have orders to shoot to kill. Hired Mercenaries whose only loyalty is to their paycheck have been given the power of life or death over innocent Americans. Is this what an American President is supposed to do?
Then we have the other article in which Padilla, a man who is suspected of ties to Al Queda, no proof, just suspected, is rotting away in some dark prison cell, without benefit of a trial, proof of his guilt, a lawyer to advise him, or any of the rights that the Bill of Rights is supposed to provide an American Citizen. And the Court says. "it's ok!".
It is absolutely true, that if you deny one American the Bill of Rights, you will deny all Americans their rights.
Isn't this fucking ironic?
Americans right now are dying in Iraq and Afganistan supposedly to bring democracy to those countries, and we are being denied democracy here. I also hear it over and over, "our boys are over there defending our country". No shit! They are over there 'defending our country' while our rights as American Citizens are being ripped to shreds by the so-called leaders of this country. How fucking ironic can you get? When these brave men and women actually get to return to this country, there won't be a democracy here for them to return to. What then?
By all that is right and proper in this world, these two articles should be the top of the news column today. But they will not be. Bush knows, in order to overthrow the established government of a country you must control the press. Were it not for the internet, none of these truths would be available to us.
So, now what? Even writing these words can be construed in the vague language of Bushdom as 'terrorism'. Merely opposing the imperial decree is tantamount to treason in this country. I wonder if I will disappear too? Or will a Black Water Merc come to my door one day and shut my mouth.
America is dead.
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