By CAIN BURDEAU, Associated Press Writer Tue Mar 25, 4:48 PM ET
NEW ORLEANS - The professional organization for engineers who build the nation's roads, dams and bridges has been accused by fellow engineers of covering up catastrophic design flaws while investigating national disasters.
After the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center and the levee failures caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the federal government paid the American Society of Civil Engineers to investigate what went wrong.
Critics now accuse the group of covering up engineering mistakes, downplaying the need to alter building standards, and using the investigations to protect engineers and government agencies from lawsuits.
Similar accusations arose after both disasters, but the most recent allegations have pressured the organization to convene an independent panel to investigate.
"They want to make sure that they do things the right way and that they learn lessons from the studies they do," said Sherwood Boelhert, a retired Republican congressman from New York who heads the panel. He led the House Science Committee for six years.
The panel is expected to issue a report by the end of April and may recommend that the society stop taking money from government agencies for disaster investigations.
The engineering group says it takes the allegations seriously, but it has declined to comment until completion of the panel's report and an internal ethics review.
In the World Trade Center case, critics contend the engineering society wrongly concluded skyscrapers cannot withstand getting hit by airplanes. In the hurricane investigation, it was accused of suggesting that the power of the storm was as big a problem as the poorly designed levees.
The group has about 140,000 members and is based in Reston, Va. It sets engineering standards and codes and publishes technical books and a glossy magazine. Members testify regularly before Congress and issue an annual report on the state of the nation's public-works projects.
The society got a $1.1 million grant from the Army Corps of Engineers to study the levee failures. Similarly, the Federal Emergency Management Agency paid the group about $257,000 to investigate the World Trade Center collapse.
The engineers were not involved in investigating last year's bridge collapse in Minneapolis.
The society issued a report last year that blamed the levee failures on poor design and the Corps' use of incorrect engineering data.
Raymond Seed, a levee expert at the University of California, Berkeley, was among the first to question the society's involvement. He was on a team funded by the National Science Foundation to study the New Orleans flood.
Seed accused the engineering society and the Army Corps of collusion, writing an Oct. 20 letter alleging that the two organizations worked together "to promulgate misleading studies and statements, to subvert appropriate independent investigations ... to literally attempt to change some of the critical apparent answers regarding lessons to be learned."
Maj. Gen. Don Riley, the corps' director of civil works, disputed Seed's allegations at a December meeting in New Orleans.
"He talks about the supposed cover-up," Riley said. "Well, our people live here in New Orleans ... We don't stand behind our work. We live behind our work."
In 2002, the society's report on the World Trade Center praised the buildings for remaining standing long enough to allow tens thousands of people to flee.
But, the report said, skyscrapers are not typically designed to withstand airplane impacts. Instead of hardening buildings against such impacts, it recommended improving aviation security and fire protection.
Abolhassan Astaneh-Asl, a structural engineer and forensics expert, contends his computer simulations disprove the society's findings that skyscrapers could not be designed to withstand the impact of a jetliner.
Astaneh-Asl, who received money from the National Science Foundation to investigate the collapse, insisted most New York skyscrapers built with traditional designs would survive such an impact and prevent the kind of fires that brought down the twin towers.
He also questioned the makeup of the society's investigation team. On the team were the wife of the trade center's structural engineer and a representative of the buildings' original design team.
"I call this moral corruption," said Astaneh-Asl, who is on the faculty at the University of California, Berkeley.
Gene Corley, a forensics expert and team leader on the society's report, said employing people with ties to the original builders was necessary because they had access to information that was difficult to get any other way.
Corley said the society's study was peer-reviewed and its credibility was upheld by follow-up studies, including one by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
"I hope someone looks into the people making the accusations," Corley said. "That's a sordid tale."
Former CIA director George J. Tenet and two other agency veterans are joining the advisory board of the Analysis Corp., a small Fairfax company that has tapped into the government's growing reliance on private sector intelligence firms. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/21/AR2006062102044.html
=========== Here is the biography of the CEO of Then Analysis Corporation, whose employee was contracted out to Patrick Kennedy's passport department, who also succeeded Mitch McConnell as at an insider trade organization. Read and decide if this was an innocent incident or not. Very connected highly political corporationss. This should not be swept under the rug, there is enough to get answers through our constitutional processes.
TAK (The Analysis Corporation) John O. Brennan President and Chief Executive Officer Mr. Brennan was appointed President and CEO of The Analysis Corporation (TAC) in McLean, VA in November 2005. Prior to joining TAC, Mr. Brennan had a distinguished 25-year career with the Central Intelligence Agency, serving in a variety of senior positions throughout the Intelligence Community. His last assignment was (interim) Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC). Mr. Brennan was appointed to that position, with the approval of the President, by the Director of Central Intelligence in October 2004. He served as head of the NCTC until August 2005. Mr. Brennan also served as the Director of the Terrorist Threat Integration Center (TTIC) from 12 March 2003 until 6 December 2004. When the NCTC was formally launched in December 2004, all functions and responsibilities of the TTIC were transferred to the NCTC. Mr. Brennan began his career as an intelligence officer in 1980 with the Central Intelligence Agency's Directorate of Operations as a Career Trainee. After joining the Directorate of Intelligence in 1981, he served with the Department of State as a political officer at the U.S. Embassy in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from 1982 to 1984. From 1984 to 1989, he served in a variety of analytic assignments in the Office of Near Eastern and South Asian Analysis in the Directorate of Intelligence. Mr. Brennan was in charge of terrorism analysis in the DCI's Counterterrorist Center between 1990 and 1992, including during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. After a management position in the Office of Near Eastern and South Asian Analysis, Mr. Brennan served as the CIA's daily intelligence briefer at the White House in 1994 and 1995. Mr. Brennan was the Executive Assistant to then-DDCI George Tenet from 1995 to 1996, and he served as Chief of Station in a major Middle East capital from 1996 to 1999. Mr. Brennan served as DCI Tenet's Chief of Staff from 1999 to 2001 and as Deputy Executive Director of the Central Intelligence Agency from March 2001 to March 2003. In April 2007, Mr. Brennan was appointed Chairman of the Board of The Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA), a not-for-profit professional association of public and private sector leaders of the intelligence and national security communities. Mr. Brennan is the recipient of numerous awards and commendations including the National Security Medal, the Distinguished Intelligence Medal, the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal, the Director of Central Intelligence Director's Medal, and the Defense Intelligence Agency's Director's Award. Mr. Brennan earned a BA in Political Science from Fordham University in 1977, including study at the American University of Cairo in 1975 to 1976. He received a MA in Government with a concentration in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 1980.
========
what i am wondering is exactly how "Low Level" those persons really were ?
Anyway heres some info, probably nothing, but just in case The Jeddah connection peaked my interest. There was a LOT of passport / VISA stuff in Jeddah surrounding the 911 hijackers. Heres a bit of it... ---
"Mr. Brennan began his career as an intelligence officer in 1980 with the Central Intelligence Agency's Directorate of Operations as a Career Trainee. After joining the Directorate of Intelligence in 1981, he served with the Department of State as a political officer at the U.S. Embassy in Jeddah,"
=======
J. Michael Springmann, formerly chief of the visa section at the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, has testified that he rejected hundreds of suspicious visa applications by Saudi Aabian men similar to those named as the 9/11 "Hijackers Patsies" when we was head of the consular section of the US embassy in Jeddah, but C.I.A. officers repeatedly overruled him and ordered the visas to be issued.
Springmann protested to the State Department, the Office of Diplomatic Security, the F.B.I., the Justice Department and congressional committees, but was told to shut up. He later realized that this was a CIA operation, and wrote about it in the Spring 1997 issue of the journal Unclassified. After 9/11, Springmann observed that 15 of the 19 Hijackers Patsies got their visas from the very same CIA controlled consulate in Jeddah (]US News and World Report 12/12/01).
"Only one of the 15 provided an actual address - and that was only because his first application was refused. The rest listed such not-so-specific locations as "California," "New York," "Hotel D.C.," and "Hotel." One terrorist amazingly listed his U.S. destination as simply "No." But he still got a visa. Nikolai Wenzel, one of the former consular officers who analyzed the forms, declares that State's issuance of the visas "amounts to criminal negligence. The law is clear: "Every alien shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he establishes to the satisfaction of the consular officer, at the time of application for a visa, that he is entitled to a nonimmigrant ." State's Deputy Press Secretary Phil Reeker remarks that 214(b) is "quite a threshold to overcome" - it just wasn't for Saudi applicants..." http://911review.org/Wiki/CiaVisasForPatsies.shtml http://911review.org/Wiki/SpringmanInterview.shtml
Position : President and chief executive, the Analysis Corp. (TAC), a Fairfax company that provides analysis and technology support to the federal government's counterterrorism efforts. TAC is a subsidiary of SFA Inc. of Crofton.
Tenet sits on the board of directors of L-1 Identity Solutions, a major supplier of biometric identification software used by the US to monitor terrorists and insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan. The company recently acquired two of the CIA's hottest contractors for its growing intelligence outsourcing business. At the Analysis Corp. (TAC), a government contractor run by one of Tenet's closest former advisors at the CIA, Tenet is a member of an advisory board that is helping TAC expand its thriving business designing the problematic terrorist watch lists used by the National Counterterrorism Center and the State Department.
A company that makes passports for the government announced Monday it will open a Tucson center and hire at least 150 people in within 12 to 18 months.
Stanley Inc., which has a printing facility in Hot Springs, Ark., will open the facility at the former Gateway Ice Center on the East Side. Work at the center, 7333 E. Rosewood St., is expected to begin in the spring.
The announcement was made by officials of the Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities, a public/private economic development agency.
Operations will include 52,000 square feet for printing, quality control and mailing of passports under a contract with the State Department.
Hirings will be made in processing, technical jobs and management and will begin within the month, the announcement said. Some jobs are posted on Stanley's Web site, www.stanleyassociates.com.
All posted jobs require applicants to be U.S. citizens and undergo a rigorous background check.
There was no word on pay ranges for the jobs or a total payroll for the facility and no immediate word on Stanley's capital investment.
TREO spokeswoman Laura Shaw said the 150-200
jobs will range widely in pay, with a good number higher than average.
"I would expect them to be good-paying jobs," Shaw said.
Stanley signed a long-term lease on the property with Bourn Partners, which co-owns the property with Fairfield Gateway LLC, a TREO official said.
"This is good news for our work force and economy amidst predictions for slowing job growth," the announcement quoted TREO President & CEO Joe Snell as saying.
"There is high demand for this industry and the Tucson region will serve a critical need in the international arena for years to come," he said.
======================= Stanley Awarded $570 Million Contract to Continue Support of Passport Program Over 15-Year History of Providing Passport Services Continues
ARLINGTON, Va., March 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Stanley, Inc. , a leading provider of systems integration and professional services to the U.S. federal government, today announced that it was awarded a five-year, $570 million contract to continue support of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs/Passport Services Directorate. Services include production, operational and business process support training, procurement, administration and evaluation of critical supplies, and facilities management support at the four Passport Centers and 14 Passport Agencies nationwide along with the Headquarters' support offices.
The Department of State produced more than 18 million U.S. passports in the past year. Passport production for 2008 is estimated to be significantly higher, due primarily to increased demand as a result of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). With the award of this contract, Stanley will continue its key role supporting the Department of State and providing timely services to the American public.
"Stanley is honored to continue its support services to the Department of State," said Phil Nolan, Stanley's chairman, president and CEO. "We will dedicate all resources necessary to assist Passport Services during this time of unprecedented growth and increasing demand resulting from the WHTI."
"For more than 15 years, Stanley and our team members have had the privilege of supporting our customer's critical mission," added Paul Belanger, Stanley senior vice president. "This award is a testament to the dedicated customer service that our employees provide to the Department of State and we look forward to supporting Passport Services over the next five years under this contract."
This contract award follows Stanley's announcement in December 2007 that it had begun construction of a secure passport production center in Tucson, Ariz., expected to begin operations in spring 2008. The Tucson Passport Center and an existing facility in Hot Springs, Ark., opened in March 2007, were authorized under a 10-year Department of State contract in October 2006, initially valued at $164 million. Stanley oversees operations and the printing, quality control and mailing of U.S. passports and other travel documents at these locations.
The company began its relationship with the Department of State in 1992 when it assisted in establishing the National Passport Center in Portsmouth, N.H. Since that time, Stanley has expanded its services to support passport operations at all 18 locations nationwide.
About Stanley
Stanley is a leading provider of information technology services and solutions to U.S. defense and federal civilian government agencies. Stanley offers its customers systems integration solutions and expertise to support their mission-essential needs at any stage of program, product development or business lifecycle through five service areas: systems engineering, enterprise integration, operational logistics, business process outsourcing, and advanced engineering and technology. Headquartered in Arlington, Va., the company has more than 3,500 employees at over 100 locations in the U.S. and worldwide. In 2008 and 2007, Stanley was recognized by FORTUNE(R) magazine as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For." Please visit http://www.stanleyassociates.com/ for more information.
Any statement in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects for Stanley, Inc., including statements containing the words "estimates", "anticipates", "plans", "expects" and similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, as a result of various important factors discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended June 30, 2007, September 30, 2007 and December 31, 2007, each as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and additional filings with the SEC. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent our views as of the date of this release. We assume no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward- looking statements made herein or any other forward-looking statements made by us, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Stanley, Inc.
CONTACT: Media, Joelle Pozza of Stanley, +1-703-310-3218, Joelle.Pozza@stanleyassociates.com
Web site: http://www.stanleyassociates.com/
==============
Logistics mission planning tool developed for the Army Sustainment Command (ASC) and Forces Command (FORSCOM) to support the APS Program and OEF/OIF missions
http://www.battlebooks.com/BattleWeb_Overview.pdf
For more information on BattleWeb capabilities, e-mail us at bweb@stanleyassociates.com or contact us by phone at (800)-76AWRDS, (762-9737), and select option 2. For more information on Mobile Training Teams and Pre-deployment Training, e-mail us at bwtrainingrequest@stanleyassociates.com or contact us by phone at (404) 464-7090.
========== ARLINGTON, Va., April 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Stanley, Inc. , a leading provider of systems integration and professional services to the U.S. federal government, today announced that it has acquired Lawton, Oklahoma based Techrizon, LLC, a premier provider of software, training, simulation and information security solutions. Techrizon achieved CMMI(R) Level 5 accreditation, in partnership with the Software Engineering Center, Fires Software Engineering Division.
The acquisition combines the specialized expertise of Techrizon with Stanley's proven systems integration capabilities. The two companies provide complementary information technology services and together will offer an expanded suite of solutions for their combined customer base.
"We are pleased to welcome Techrizon employees, management and customers to the Stanley family," said Phil Nolan, Stanley's chairman, president and CEO. "Techrizon has been a valued partner, and like Stanley, provides quality results to its customers day in and day out."
Techrizon has annual revenues of approximately $29 million and 300 employees in Oklahoma, Georgia, New Jersey, Virginia, Washington, South Korea and Iraq, who support the U.S. Army's Communications-Electronics Life Cycle Management Command, the Fires Center of Excellence and the Field Artillery School. The acquisition reinforces Stanley's strategy to expand its presence in key markets positively impacted by the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process. http://www.eeproductcenter.com/showPressRelease.jhtml?articleID=X593742
Stanley Associates, Inc. is a professional services firm providing program, project, and financial management; engineering; environmental; and informational technology system support. We perform management and technical coordination of projects throughout the advanced research and development lifecycle. Stanley also includes CCI Incorporated and Fuentez Systems Concepts (FSC). Both are wholly owned subsidiaries. CCI provide logistics, acquisition, and engineering support services to the NAVAIR and the U. S. Coast Guard. It provides weapon system acquisition support, Test Program Set development, in-service engineering, and aircraft corrosion and structural fatigue analysis. FSC is an ISO 9001:2000 certified information technology company with advanced systems engineering, production, integration and C4ISR expertise. It provides hardware engineering management support, field installation teams, and equipment maintenance for the Global Command and Control System Maritime for Joint Command and Control. FSC also supports SPAWAR, the Office of Naval Intelligence, and the U.S. Coast Guard National Distress and Response System.
February 21, 2006: Stanley Announces Completion of Morgan Research Acquisition
(ARLINGTON, VA) – Stanley, Inc. (Stanley), a leading provider of systems integration and professional services to the U.S. federal government, today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Morgan Research Corporation (MORGAN), a well respected engineering services firm based in Huntsville, Alabama. This acquisition, announced in January 2006, combines the specialized engineering and technology expertise of MORGAN with Stanley’s proven systems integration capabilities. The two companies provide complementary information technology and systems engineering services and together offer an expanded suite of solutions for their existing customer base.
“We’re pleased to welcome MORGAN to the Stanley family,” said Phil Nolan, Stanley’s president and chief executive officer. “The addition of MORGAN positions us to accelerate growth, service new customers, and remain strongly competitive within this industry. We have been very impressed by the quality of their management and staff, and I am excited to embrace them as part of Stanley’s team.”
MORGAN, founded in 1988, has annual revenues of approximately $70 million and 480 employees in Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, and Texas, supporting customers including the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM), U.S. Army PEO STRI (Program Executive Officer for Simulation, Training, & Instrumentation), and NASA.
This acquisition further strengthens Stanley’s presence in the greater Huntsville business community, which will play a key role in securing future Department of Defense contracts relocating to the area as a result of Base Realignment and Closure plans.
Stanley is a prime contractor under the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) SeaPort Enhanced Multiple Award Contract (MAC) for Engineering, Technical, and Programmatic services in support of NAVSEA Warfare Centers, NAVSEA Headquarters, and its related Program Executive Offices (PEOs) and field activities. Stanley is prime on SeaPort Enhanced (SeaPort-e) in each of the seven geographical zones: Northeast, National Capital, Mid-Atlantic, Gulf Coast, Midwest, Southwest, and Northwest.
SeaPort-e covers 12 core Product Areas: Force Level Warfare Systems; Ships and Ships Systems; Surface Ship Combat Systems; Littoral Warfare Systems; Strategic Weapons Systems; Ordnance; Undersea Warfare (USW) Command and Control Systems; Undersea Warfare Weapons and Vehicles; Undersea Warfare Ranges, Analysis, and Assessment; Undersea Warfare Fleet Material Readiness; Homeland Security and Force Protection; and Surface Warfare Logistics and Maintenance.
Points of Contact: Laurie Carter Program Manager (202) 314-4201 seaport-e@stanleyassociates.com Pat Flannery Vice President (703) 684-1125 seaport-e@stanleyassociates.com
DNA and SAR By Betsy Loweer Lowrey B.Lowrey@stanleyassociates.com
The articles on DNA testing and the SAR (Sons of the American Revolution) in recent issue of RootsWeb Review [RWR 5:8, 20 Feb. 2002] caught my attention since I currently work with one of the national officers. His response to the quandary posed by the two authors is as follows:
"The official position of the SAR would be voiced by the Genealogist General who can be reached by e-mail, I believe, through the SAR web site at: http://www.sar.org/
"Generally, the SAR position on establishing lineage is 'preponderance of evidence.' If DNA evidence accomplishes that, then it would probably be acceptable. As for what that might lead to, in my opinion I don't see a lot of activity along those lines. For issues within the past 100 to 200 years there are usually enough records available to prove or disprove lineage. You just have to find them. For older issues it is doubtful that the bodies in question could be found."
http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:kUZLhsjrsqwJ:ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/review/20020306.txt+stanleyassociates.com&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=81&gl=us ============ WEB DEVELOPER IMMEDIATE OPPORTUNITY N. CHARLESTON, SC FULL TIME, FULL BENEFITS The Web Developer develops, implements, and maintains web applications for a large project based organization using Cold Fusion. Work will include development of new modules, conversion of conventional database applications and troubleshooting active modules. REQUIRED Bachelor's degree in a related area and a minimum of 4 years web development experience required. Additional Requirements: Must be proficient in Cold Fusion and HTML, and have a good understanding of Fusebox methodology. Strong understanding of automated process development and the ability to work in a diversified team environment. Occasional domestic travel may be required. Position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a SECRET security clearance; US citizenship required. REQUIRED Demonstrated ability to program JavaScript, Oracle, VB, SQL and Section 508 compliancy requirements desired. *****INTERESTED APPLICATNTS PLEASE EMAIL ME AT LESLEY.TOLER@STANLEYASSOCIATES.COM**** http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-jobs/thread.cfm/threadid:3471
I love those year-end roundups—ubiquitous annual lists of greatest films and albums and lip glosses and tractors. It's reassuring that all human information can be wrestled into bundles of 10. In that spirit, Slate proudly presents, the top 10 civil liberties nightmares of the year:
10. Attempt to Get Death Penalty for Zacarias Moussaoui Long after it was clear the hapless Frenchman was neither the "20th hijacker" nor a key plotter in the attacks of 9/11, the government pressed to execute him as a "conspirator" in those attacks. Moussaoui's alleged participation? By failing to confess to what he may have known about the plot, which may have led the government to disrupt it, Moussaoui directly caused the deaths of thousands of people. This massive overreading of the federal conspiracy laws would be laughable were the stakes not so high. Thankfully, a jury rejected the notion that Moussaoui could be executed for the crime of merely wishing there had been a real connection between himself and 9/11.
9. Guantanamo Bay It takes a licking but it keeps on ticking. After the Supreme Court struck down the military tribunals planned to try hundreds of detainees moldering on the base, and after the president agreed that it might be a good idea to close it down, the worst public relations fiasco since the Japanese internment camps lives on. Prisoners once deemed "among the most dangerous, best-trained, vicious killers on the face of the earth" are either quietly released (and usually set free) or still awaiting trial. The lucky 75 to be tried there will be cheered to hear that the Pentagon has just unveiled plans to build a $125 million legal complex for the hearings. The government has now officially put more thought into the design of Guantanamo's court bathrooms than the charges against its prisoners.
8. Slagging the Media Whether the Bush administration is reclassifying previously declassified documents, sidestepping the FOIA, threatening journalists for leaks on dubious legal grounds, or, most recently, using its subpoena power to try to wring secret documents from the ACLU, the administration has continued its "secrets at any price" campaign. Is this a constitutional crisis? Probably not. Annoying as hell? Definitely.
7. Slagging the Courts It starts with the president's complaints about "activist judges," and evolves to Congressional threats to appoint an inspector general to oversee federal judges. As public distrust of the bench is fueled, the stripping of courts' authority to hear whole classes of cases—most recently any habeas corpus claims from Guantanamo detainees—almost seems reasonable. Each tiny incursion into the independence of the judiciary seems justified. Until you realize that the courts are often the only places that will defend our shrinking civil liberties. This leads to ...
6. The State-Secrets Doctrine The Bush administration's insane argument in court is that judges should dismiss entire lawsuits over many of the outrages detailed on this very list. Why? Because the outrageously illegal things are themselves matters of top-secret national security. The administration has raised this claim in relation to its adventures in secret wiretapping and its fun with extraordinary rendition. A government privilege once used to sidestep civil claims has mushroomed into sweeping immunity for the administration's sometimes criminal behavior.
5. Government Snooping Take your pick. There's the NSA warrantless eavesdropping program wherein the president breezily authorized spying on the phone calls of innocent citizens, in violation of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The FBI's TALON database shows the government has been spying on nonterrorist groups, including Quakers, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and Veterans for Peace. The Patriot Act lives on. And that's just the stuff we know about.
4. Extraordinary Rendition So, when does it start to become ordinary rendition? This government program has us FedEx-ing unindicted terror suspects abroad for interrogation/torture. Khalid El-Masri, a German citizen, was shipped off to Afghanistan for such treatment and then released without charges, based on some government confusion about his name. Heh heh. Canadian citizen Maher Arar claims he was tortured in Syria for a year, released without charges, and cleared by a Canadian commission. Attempts to vindicate the rights of such men? You'd need to circle back to the state-secrets doctrine, above.
3. Abuse of Jose Padilla First, he was, according to then-Attorney General John Ashcroft, "exploring a plan to build and explode a radiological dispersion device, or 'dirty bomb,' in the United States." Then, he was planning to blow up apartments. Then he was just part of a vague terror conspiracy to commit jihad in Bosnia and Chechnya. Always, he was a U.S. citizen. After three and a half years, in which he was denied the most basic legal rights, it has now emerged that Padilla was either outright tortured or near-tortured. According to a recent motion, during Padilla's years of almost complete isolation, he was treated by the U.S. government to sensory and sleep deprivation, extreme cold, stress positions, threats of execution, and drugging with truth serum. Experts say he is too mentally damaged to stand trial. The Bush administration supported his motion for a mental competency assessment, in hopes that will help prevent his torture claims from ever coming to trial, or, as Yale Law School's inimitable Jack Balkin put it: "You can't believe Padilla when he says we tortured him because he's crazy from all the things we did to him."
2. The Military Commissions Act of 2006 This was the so-called compromise legislation that gave President Bush even more power than he initially had to detain and try so-called enemy combatants. He was generously handed the authority to define for himself the parameters of interrogation and torture and the responsibility to report upon it, since he'd been so good at that. What we allegedly did to Jose Padilla was once a dirty national secret. The MCA made it the law.
1. Hubris Whenever the courts push back against the administration's unsupportable constitutional ideas—ideas about "inherent powers" and a "unitary executive" or the silliness of the Geneva Conventions or the limitless sweep of presidential powers during wartime—the Bush response is to repeat the same chorus louder: Every detainee is the worst of the worst; every action taken is legal, necessary, and secret. No mistakes, no apologies. No nuance, no regrets. This legal and intellectual intractability can create the illusion that we are standing on the same constitutional ground we stood upon in 2001, even as that ground is sliding away under our feet.
![[Valid Atom 1.0]](valid-atom.png "Validate my Atom 1.0 feed")
