The UN Charter says all member states must settle their international disputes by peaceful means; no state can use military force except in self-defense or when authorized by the Security Council. After the 9/11 attacks, the Council passed Resolutions 1368 & 1373, which condemned the September 11 attacks; but neither authorized use of military force in Afghanistan.

Our Afghanistan invasion was not self-defense per article 51 of the Charter. The 9/11 attacks were criminal attacks, not “armed attacks” wrought by another state — another national government or national military. Afghanistan did not attack the United States. Of the nineteen 9/11 terrorists, 15 were Saudis.

After 9/11, the US did not face an imminent threat of an armed attack of Afghanistan or any other state. Just so, Bush waited three weeks before starting to bomb Afghanistan. And the reason was just that Afghanistan’s Taliban government would not turn over bin Laden, not that the Taliban government made any threat of attacking the US or any of its territories.

The UN-Charter-required self-defense NECESSITY must be “instant, overwhelming, leaving no choice of means, and no moment for deliberation.” This long-standing principle of self-defense was affirmed not only by the U.N. General Assembly, but also by the Nuremberg Tribunal.

Suppose, before 9/11, Afghanistan's Taliban government asserted that a certain international terrorist organization had set up headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri and that the organization had executed a terrorist attack against Kabul. The Taliban government demanded that our government render to the Taliban government the terrorist organization's leaders. Our government refused, asserting sovereignty. The Taliban invade the US to find and apprehend the terrorist organization's leaders, and the Taliban's invading force topples our government.

Obama and the US do not have a defense in the assertion that the Afghan “government” permits the US military’s (and NATO forces’) presence. The Afghan government is a US installation achieved by the US’s illegal invasion. With illegal invasion, the US military ousted the legitimate government of Afghanistan. Even if the current US puppet government WERE legitimate, US (and NATO) military operations are illegal, because the “government” has demanded that the US (and NATO) cede to the government the control of military operations.

Now, instead of withdrawing our illegally-present military from Afghanistan or at least yielding to the Afghan “government” control of military operations there (as that government has demanded), Obama is expanding our illegal Afghan war and invading Pakistan, which has not authorized our invasion and has not given any cause of our invading it for self defense. Pakistan has not attacked the US. No UN Resolution authorizes the US to invade Pakistan. So, each time the US military kills a Pakistani by invading Pakistan, Obama and Gates and their accomplices commit a war crime.

The time to beat Al-Qaeda was in the first (Bush-Cheney) American Afghan War,
he one Bush and Cheney lost. Yea, yea, I know we pushed the Taliban and Al-Qaeda out of Afghanistan into Pakistan (into a nuclear armed camp). Lot of good that did. Since Bush and Cheney lied about WMD to get the Iraq War going, the first American Afghanistan War was ignored and starved of military power.

America must come to terms with its recent extra legal/extra constitutional history under Bush and Cheney, before we take more such dangerous actions in foreign countries.

Bush, Cheney, and appointees lied about WMD, aluminum tubes, and Niger Uranium to con Congress into approving an invasion of Iraq, a country that did not have anything to do with 9-11.

In WW-II, in 4 years, FDR put 13,000,000 men in the fight, beat 3 dictatorships, their leaders dead at the end.

After 7 years of War On Terror, neither Bush nor Cheney could find Osama Bin Laden, our US reputation is in the gutter, we're still at war, over 4,200 US Soldiers are dead, over 30,000 maimed for the Bush-Cheney arrogance and lies. They ordered Torture, a violation of Federal Law.

If we as a people hope to force our public officials to obey our laws and our Constitution,
the time is Now
and the way to do it is
to prosecute members of the Bush administration
who violated Federal Laws,
including the law against Torturing prisoners.

The reason that we continue to have unnecessary wars of choice is
that our Congress makes excuses for lawbreaking officials instead of impeaching or prosecuting them.

Obama is running a risk tht he will soon be seen as
“no change” from Bush.

If Obama's “no one is above the law” is to be believed,

Obama must soon Appoint a SPECIAL PROSECUTOR for all Bush officials who violated Our
Federal Laws (including Torture) and our Constitution

Avoiding prosecution of these well known Federal Crimes is an Admission by Obama
that He Supports Immunity for Bush, Cheney and Himself,
proving to all voters that high US officials
are protected from Federal Laws & our US Constitution
by their successors.

SIGN The PETITION To Prosecute Bush & Cheney for Torture

http://ANGRYvoters.org

The UN Charter says all member states must settle their international disputes by peaceful means; no state can use military force except in self-defense or when authorized by the Security Council. After the 9/11 attacks, the Council passed Resolutions 1368 & 1373, which condemned the September 11 attacks; but neither authorized use of military force in Afghanistan.

Our Afghanistan invasion was not self-defense per article 51 of the Charter. The 9/11 attacks were criminal attacks, not “armed attacks” wrought by another state — another national government or national military. Afghanistan did not attack the United States. Of the nineteen 9/11 terrorists, 15 were Saudis.

After 9/11, the US did not face an imminent threat of an armed attack of Afghanistan or any other state. Just so, Bush waited three weeks before starting to bomb Afghanistan. And the reason was just that Afghanistan’s Taliban government would not turn over bin Laden, not that the Taliban government made any threat of attacking the US or any of its territories.

The UN-Charter-required self-defense NECESSITY must be “instant, overwhelming, leaving no choice of means, and no moment for deliberation.” This long-standing principle of self-defense was affirmed not only by the U.N. General Assembly, but also by the Nuremberg Tribunal.

Suppose, before 9/11, Afghanistan's Taliban government asserted that a certain international terrorist organization had set up headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri and that the organization had executed a terrorist attack against Kabul. The Taliban government demanded that our government render to the Taliban government the terrorist organization's leaders. Our government refused, asserting sovereignty. The Taliban invade the US to find and apprehend the terrorist organization's leaders, and the Taliban's invading force topples our government.

Obama and the US do not have a defense in the assertion that the Afghan “government” permits the US military’s (and NATO forces’) presence. The Afghan government is a US installation achieved by the US’s illegal invasion. With illegal invasion, the US military ousted the legitimate government of Afghanistan. Even if the current US puppet government WERE legitimate, US (and NATO) military operations are illegal, because the “government” has demanded that the US (and NATO) cede to the government the control of military operations.

Now, instead of withdrawing our illegally-present military from Afghanistan or at least yielding to the Afghan “government” control of military operations there (as that government has demanded), Obama is expanding our illegal Afghan war and invading Pakistan, which has not authorized our invasion and has not given any cause of our invading it for self defense. Pakistan has not attacked the US. No UN Resolution authorizes the US to invade Pakistan. So, each time the US military kills a Pakistani by invading Pakistan, Obama and Gates and their accomplices commit a war crime.

http://real-politique.blogspot.com

By Sikander Hayat

The time to beat Al-Qaeda was in the first (Bush-Cheney) American Afghan War,
he one Bush and Cheney lost. Yea, yea, I know we pushed the Taliban and Al-Qaeda out of Afghanistan into Pakistan (into a nuclear armed camp). Lot of good that did. Since Bush and Cheney lied about WMD to get the Iraq War going, the first American Afghanistan War was ignored and starved of military power.

America must come to terms with its recent extra legal/extra constitutional history under Bush and Cheney, before we take more such dangerous actions in foreign countries.

Bush, Cheney, and appointees lied about WMD, aluminum tubes, and Niger Uranium to con Congress into approving an invasion of Iraq, a country that did not have anything to do with 9-11.

In WW-II, in 4 years, FDR put 13,000,000 men in the fight, beat 3 dictatorships, their leaders dead at the end.

After 7 years of War On Terror, neither Bush nor Cheney could find Osama Bin Laden, our US reputation is in the gutter, we're still at war, over 4,200 US Soldiers are dead, over 30,000 maimed for the Bush-Cheney arrogance and lies. They ordered Torture, a violation of Federal Law.

If we as a people hope to force our public officials to obey our laws and our Constitution,
the time is Now
and the way to do it is
to prosecute members of the Bush administration
who violated Federal Laws,
including the law against Torturing prisoners.

The reason that we continue to have unnecessary wars of choice is
that our Congress makes excuses for lawbreaking officials instead of impeaching or prosecuting them.

Obama is running a risk tht he will soon be seen as
“no change” from Bush.

If Obama's “no one is above the law” is to be believed,

Obama must soon Appoint a SPECIAL PROSECUTOR for all Bush officials who violated Our
Federal Laws (including Torture) and our Constitution

Avoiding prosecution of these well known Federal Crimes is an Admission by Obama
that He Supports Immunity for Bush, Cheney and Himself,
proving to all voters that high US officials
are protected from Federal Laws & our US Constitution
by their successors.

SIGN The PETITION To Prosecute Bush & Cheney for Torture

http://ANGRYvoters.org