Like The Rule of Law, Only Different
Sep 25th, 2006 at 9:18 pm by Susie
Tim Dickinson at Rolling Stone on the McCain “compromise” (I hear St. John agreed to use different cover sheets for his TPS reports, and now everyone’s happy):
A quick survey of it’s most transparently terrible provisions:
Geneva gives no enforceable rights:
(a) IN GENERAL.—No person may invoke the Geneva Conventions or any protocols thereto in any habeas or civil action or proceeding to which the United States, or a current or former officer, employee, member of the Armed Forces, or other agent of the United States, is a party as a source of rights, in any court of the United States or its States or territories.
Bush gets to define Geneva as he wishes:
(3) INTERPRETATION BY THE PRESIDENT.—(A) As provided by the Constitution and by this section, the President has the authority for the United States to interpret the meaning and application of the Geneva Conventions and to promulgate higher standards and administrative regulations for violations of treaty obligations which are not grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions.
A decade of lawbreaking wiped clean:
(2) RETROACTIVE APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by this section, except as specified in paragraph 2441(d)(2)(E) of title 10, United States Code, shall take effect as of November 26, 1997, as if enacted immediately after the amendments made by section 583 of Public Law 105-118 (as amended by section 4002 of Public Law 107-273).
Why the HELL is it retroactive to November 26, 1997?
Anyone? Anyone?
The end of America.
And a thought on Miss Molly’s observations - I oft awake to the hope that it’s once again seventy-five and all this is just a manifestation of last nights’ whiskey and brown lsd. Oh wait! There’s Cheney, there’s Rumsfeld, Nixon’s buttboys, in office, arghhh, the brown l was double barrel!
I think I understand why the good doctor…
In effect, congress is being asked to invalidate
the Geneva Convention.
THe Nov. 1997 date may be of some significance,
or it may just be a red herring.