DEMOCRACY NOW!
Headlines for July 16, 2009
Sotomayor: No Vetting of Personal Views Before Nomination
Confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Sonya Sotamayor continued Wednesday on Capitol Hill. Sotomayor deflected Republican attempts to force her to disclose personal stances on issues such as gun control and abortion. Republican Senator John Cornyn asked Sotamayor if she had been vetted by the White House for her views on abortion.
Sen. John Cornyn: “The White House Press Secretary said the President did not ask Sotomayor specifically about abortion rights during their interview, is that correct?”
Judge Sonia Sotomayor: “Yes, It is absolutely correct, I was asked no question by anyone including the President about my views on any specific legal issue.”
Sotamayor returns for a third and final day of questioning today. A full Senate vote on her nomination is expected early next month.
Ousted Honduran President Calls for “Popular Insurrection”
In Honduras, the installed Honduran president Roberto Micheletti has announced he would step down if the ousted President Manuel Zelaya never returns. Micheletti spoke Wednesday from the presidential palace.
Roberto Micheletti: “I state that if at any given moment there is a decision for peace and calm in the country, and he does not return, on the condition that ex-President Zelaya does not return, I am willing to step down.”
Micheletti’s comments come one day after Zelaya called for a “popular insurrection” to restore his democratically-elected government. Speaking from Guatemala, Zelaya urged his supporters to continue protests and civil disobedience calling for his return. On Wednesday, Zelaya supporters continued daily marches in the capital Tegucigalpa.
Protester: “We are firm in that he will return. He should have faith in the Honduran people which is waiting for him with open arms and with all our will to receive him and bring him to the Presidential house again.”
A new poll meanwhile shows Zelaya remains more popular than his installed replacement. According to Gallup, 46% of Hondurans hold a favorable opinion of Zelaya compared to 30% for Michelleti.
11 Killed in Iraq Bombing
In Iraq, at least eleven people were killed Wednesday in bombings in Baghdad and Ramadi. The Baghdad attack struck the Shia neighborhood of Sadr City, while in Ramadi a suicide bomber hit a police convoy.
July Toll Equals Deadliest Month of Afghan Occupation for Foreign Troops
In Afghanistan, the death toll for foreign troops this month has equaled its highest of any month since the U.S.-led invasion of 2001. One American and two Turkish soldiers died on Wednesday, bringing July’s foreign troop toll to forty-six so far.
Bagram Prisoners Stage Mass-Protest
In other news from Afghanistan, prisoners at the U.S.-run Bagram military jail have been staging a mass protest over the past two weeks against their indefinite captivity According to family members and attorneys, dozens of prisoners have refused to leave their cells since July 1st. News of the protest comes one day after it was revealed a group of Guantanamo Bay prisoners staged a two-week sit-in last month.
Admin Drops Reliance on Torture-Induced Statements
The Obama administration will no longer rely on statements obtained through torture in the case of Guantanano Bay prisoner Mohamed Jawad. The American Civil Liberties Union is currently challenging Jawad’s indefinite jailing. The administration has fought the case, but on Wednesday said it won’t challenge a defense motion to rule out Jawad’s coerced statements. The ACLU says Jawad was abused, threatened, and deprived of sleep in US custody. His case has received further scrutiny because it’s believed he was jailed when he was twelve years old. ACLU attorney Jonathen Hafetz said: “We commend the government for halting its reliance on evidence obtained through torture…. Now it is time to send Jawad home to Afghanistan because there is no credible evidence against him.”
White House Opposes Ban on Contractors in Interrogations
The Obama administration is opposing a measure in a Pentagon spending bill that would ban private contractors from military interrogations. The provision calls interrogations an “inherently governmental function” that “cannot be transferred to contractor personnel.” Obama has also threatened to veto the bill if it includes a $1.75 billion dollar provision for the purchase of additional F-22 fighter jets made by Lockheed Martin. Obama wants to cap the number of F-22s at 187 but several lawmakers are pushing for funding construction of another seven planes.
Viva Palestinia Aid Convoy Arrives in Gaza
A group of around 100 US peace activists have arrived in the Gaza Strip carrying humanitarian aid. The activists are part of the group Viva Palestina, which conducted another aid mission from Europe earlier this year. On Wednesday, the group entered Gaza through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. The convoy includes the former Democratic Congressmember Cynthia McKinney. McKinney’s entry comes just over a week after her deportation from Israel for trying to reach Gaza by sea. She was one of 21 activists kidnapped by the Israeli military in international waters as they tried to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Israeli Soldiers Describe Abuses in Gaza Assault
Meanwhile in Israel, a group of 26 soldiers who took part in the three-week Israeli assault on Gaza have come forward with testimony on the disregard for Palestinian civilian life during the attack. The testimony was gathered by the Israeli peace group “Breaking the Silence”, which says soldiers were instructed to “shoot first and worry later.” Soldiers described witnessing several war crimes including the use of Palestinians as human shields. One Israeli soldier identified as Amir said Israeli soldiers opened fire in Gaza at will.
bq. “Amir”: “At any obstacle, any problem, we open fire and don’t ask questions. Even if it’s firing in the dark, firing aimed at unknown target, firing when we don’t see, deterrent fire, no problem with that, etc. A vehicle that’s in the way–crush it, a building in the way–shoot at it. This was the spirit which was repeated throughout the training.”
PA Bans Al Jazeera
Meanwhile in the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority has banned the satellite network Al-Jazeera for airing what it calls false statements about Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. This week Al Jazeera quoted a Palestinian official as saying Abbas conspired with Israel to assassinate Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat in 2003. Arafat died the next year. The PA has accused Al Jazeera of spreading “sedition and false reports.” Conny Mus of the Foreign Press Association criticized the ban.
Conny Mus: “We urge them to reconsider this decision because the Palestinian authority themselves are in favour and stated that clearly in their institutions of the freedom of the press, and this is a clear violation and we really hope that they will stop these practices immediately.”
Report: 1,400 Dying in Sri Lanka Camps Each Month
In Sri Lanka, the Times of London is reporting an estimated 1,400 people are dying each week at an internment camp for Tamil refugees. Some 300,000 displaced Tamils are living in the camps following the clashes that led Tamil Tiger rebels to end their twenty-six-year struggle in May. Sri Lanka has been accused of trying to prevent refugees from leaving the camps in the hopes of drastically altering the ethnic balance of the region.
Leading Chechen Human Rights Activist Abducted, Slain
In Chechnya, a prominent human rights activist has been found dead. Natalya Estemirova’s body was discovered Wednesday just hours after she was kidnapped from her home. Estemirova was considered a leading voice for victims of Russian and Chechen forces.
Senate Panel Approves First Health Care Measure
Back in the United States, the Senate’s health committee has approved a measure that calls for making health insurance available to all Americans. The vote was split along party lines, with 13 Democrats in favor and 10 Republicans opposed. The measure is the first approved by a Congressional panel in the current debate over health care reform.
U.S. Offers Limited Asylum Path for Abused Women
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