Bush Supports The Troops or NOT! - More Stunning Hypocrisy

[otohara]

Bush White House turns its back on Gulf War vets

A case brought by Gulf War veterans who were imprisoned and tortured by Saddam Hussein's regime in 1991 arrived before the U.S. Supreme Court Friday, and it has the potential to set a significant precedent. The group of veterans was awarded almost a billion dollars in damages by a federal district judge in 2003, but the Bush administration intervened, arguing that the Emergency Wartime Supplemental Appropriations Act of April 2003 gave the President the right to have the suit dismissed. The idea was that the newly liberated Iraq could no longer be held accountable for Saddam's crimes (and, from the perspective of an otherwise free-spending White House, couldn't afford to lose big money). Commenting on the case not long after the U.S. military took Baghdad, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said, "These resources are required for the urgent national security needs of rebuilding Iraq."

Last year, the U.S. District Court of Appeals in Washington sided with the Bush administration and dismissed the veterans' case. The court didn't throw out the case on the basis of the Bush administration's arguments, per se, but ruled that, according to its interpretation of the law, the POWs do not have the right to sue the state of Iraq -- only specific officials, employees and agents.

So far, nobody outside the White House appears to agree with the district court's finding against the POWs -- in fact, a number of legal groups (subscription required), including the conservative Washington Legal Foundation, have filed amicus briefs insisting that the veterans do have the right to sue Iraq. These groups, along with the attorneys for the POWs, argue that, under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, states that sponsor terror can be sued for damages and held liable just as individual officials and agents can. Because the U.S. government declared Iraq a terror state in 1990, they say, Iraq can be held liable for its 1991 war crimes.


http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room//index.html

[Joebert]

1. Yet they have no (few) problems recruiting.

Let's see:

Bush administration interferes with lawsuit.
Bush administration makes troops stay longer than contractually bound.
Republicans try to vote down armor.
Upper brass gets no reprimand for Abu Ghraib, but the little guys go away.
VA hospitals? What?

Since they know the military is the only option for some to gain citizenship, or to go to school, the administration doesn't have to show any respect to the troops at all.

[peacetalksforall]

2. Amazing! Cheney doesn't want anyone to get a part of Saddam's

money. After all, Cheney is the money caretaker (and hider - lots of mattresses involved).

[Aviation Pro]

3. For those jackasses....

...like the Swift Boat Liars and their minions this is the real "man of integrity" George W. Bush. This coked-up alcoholic who when called to serve his country fled into the champagne unit of the TANG, frittered away millions of tax-payer dollars during his training and then had the audacity to bail when the going got tough, has always hated, HATED, the true patriots who serve anonymously and with valor.

The 2006 election is the gathering storm. The country is awakening to the reality of the reaming they are getting and as soon as Congress is turned over the first order of business is to remove the cancerous tumor festering in the White House.

[otohara]

4. I Hope You're Right

awsome post BTW... but what if they continue to get away with stealing elections - the liberal media won't say SHIT!