OntheWilderSide

Greens Party expresses support for Cynthia McKinney’s call for a new investigation and release of 9/11 files, and for a Veterans For Peace resolution on US military policies and impeachment of Bush and Cheney

Green Party leaders expressed support for Green presidential nominee Cynthia McKinney‘s call for a new investigation of the 9/11 attacks and for public release of important evidence and files related to 9/11.

On Thursday afternoon, Ms. McKinney spoke at St. Marks Church in Manhattan at a 9/11 anniversary press conference promoting a New York City ballot initiative for a new investigation (http://www.nyc911initiative.org).  Ms McKinney is speaking at other events related to 9/11 in the next few days (http://www.allthingscynthiamckinney.com/event).

Ms. McKinney has supported calls by families of the 9/11 victims for a transparent investigation into what was called a “failure of intelligence,” although it more closely resembled a failure of response, of standard operating procedures, and of government officials and agencies to respond, prepare for, and comprehend the source of these attacks.  In 2002, Ms. McKinney questioned the Bush Administration’s response to 9/11 and said that Bush officials may have had evidence that the attacks would take place.  Although she was denounced in the media as a conspiracy theorist for her remarks, the 9/11 Commission confirmed McKinney’s assertions.  The Green Party has consistently supported calls for a new investigation (see http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2006_09_11.shtml and http://www.gp.org/press/pr_07_29_04b.html).

The Green Party has long alleged that President Bush exploited public fear, anger, and confusion about 9/11 as an excuse to launch illegal invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, which the administration justified with claims based on manipulated intelligence and numerous deceptions.  The party endorsed impeachment of Mr. Bush in July, 2003, and Ms. McKinney, as US Representative from Georgia, introduced the first motion for impeachment in 2006.

Greens also supported a resolution passed by Veterans For Peace at the latter’s annual meeting earlier this week in Minneapolis addressing Bush military policy in Afghanistan and Iraq and impeachment and prosecution of President Bush and Vice President Cheney for crimes, violations of the US Constitution, and abuses of power.  The text of the resolution is appended below.

“A curtain of censorship hangs over several major national issues in this election,” said John M. Wages, Jr., Green candidate for the US House of Representatives in Mississippi (District 1) (http://www.VoteJohnWages.com).  “The related issues of unanswered 9/11 questions, illegality of the Iraq and Afghanistan occupations, and Congress’s failure to impeach President Bush and Vice President Cheney deserve the kind of discussion that Democrats and Republicans are avoiding.  The Green Party, Green candidates like Cynthia McKinney, and groups like Veterans For Peace are working hard to keep them in the public eye.”

Greens expressed special concern that Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, who is drawing strong supporters from voters opposed to the war, intends to expand US troop presence in Afghanistan, reduce but not end the US occupation of Iraq, and maintain the Bush-Cheney policy of ‘preventive’ military action.  As US Senator, Mr. Obama voted for increased war funding and continues to reject efforts to hold Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney accountable for crimes committed in office.  Republican nominee John McCain also rejects impeachment and would continue Bush-Cheney foreign policies.

“John McCain is trying to confuse voters by talking about victory in Afghanistan and Iraq,” said Rosa Clemente, Green nominee for Vice President (http://www.rosaclemente.com).  “Military occupations aren’t won, they can only be ended either by withdrawal of the occupier’s troops or by resumption of fighting and bloodshed.  US victory can only mean total defeat of these countries, which doesn’t square with the stated goal of ‘liberating’ or ‘democratizing’ their people.  The longer the US keeps troops in these countries, the more Afghan and Iraqi civilians and US servicemembers will be killed and maimed, and the Iraqi oil grab that’s underway is likely to inflame hostility towards the US occupation.  That’s why the Green Party has called for an immediate withdrawal from both countries.”

Veterans For Peace (http://www.veteransforpeace.org): Resolution on Prosecuting George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and other Bush Administration Officials for War Crimes, Crimes Against Peace and Crimes Against Humanity

Whereas, the March 2003 invasion of Iraq was not only immoral but illegal, violating numerous U.S. and international laws, including but not limited to USC 2441 (War Crimes Act of 1996), the Geneva Conventions, the Nuremberg Tribunal Charter, the U.N. Charter and Resolutions, the Laws and Customs of War on Land and;

Whereas, the Veterans For Peace “Case for Impeachment” details six pages of violations of the above laws and is still but a partial listing, and;

Whereas, the spineless dereliction of duty of the U.S. Congress may well allow Bush, Cheney and other administration officials to avoid impeachment before they leave office in January of 2009, and;

Whereas, U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Robert Jackson, appointed by President Truman to be the Chief Prosecutor at the Nuremberg Tribunals following World War II, stated so prophetically, “…let me make clear that while this law is first applied against German aggressors, the law includes, and if it is to serve a useful purpose it must condemn aggression by any other nations, including those which sit here now in judgment.” and;

Whereas, the anguished cry of a village sheik in Iraq must be answered when he implored, “You say you live in a democracy.  How can this be happening to us?” and;

Whereas, as citizens of the United States we are complicit in the crimes of the Bush administration in Iraq because we cannot claim ignorance of these crimes, and;

Whereas, for the sake of humanity, for the sake of history, and to absolve even a small measure of the complicity we each share as U.S. citizens, we must do everything in our power to hold our leaders accountable and bring them to justice;

Therefore be it resolved that Veterans For Peace will take every appropriate measure on our own and in coalition with others to insure that George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and responsible members of their administration are prosecuted for war crimes, crimes against peace and crimes against humanity before any court claiming jurisdiction in this country or abroad, for as long as they shall live.

MORE INFORMATION

“Veteran for Peace: Resolving to Find the Truth” By Mike Ferner, Pacific Free Press , 07 September 2008
http://pacificfreepress.com/content/view/3007/1/

“How the Democrats Helped Bush Hijack the Country” Text of Cynthia McKinney’s speech in Denver, August 24 http://votetruth08.com

Filed under: 9-11, activism, Anti-War, cynthia mckinney, events, Green Party Websites, international politics, Political Websites, Rosa Clemente, US Politics Tagged: | veterans for peace