Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Oct. 21-22: Inquiry: Crimes of the Bush Administration


Bombing of Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf (Jamal A. Wilson, Electronic Iraq, 30 August 2003)

Oct. 21-Oct. 22

Commission of Inquiry on Crimes of the Bush administration

the Grand Ballroom of the Manhattan Center,
311 W. 34th Street

From Not in Our Name:

(Note: I don't usually post requests for funds on this site, but this seems like a particularly important event, so I'm making an exception. But I still think you should use due diligence.)

Dear friends of truth and justice,
The Commission of Inquiry on Crimes of the Bush administration is going to tell the world the truth at a moment when it is urgently needed. Indictments have now been prepared on wars of aggression, torture and indefinite detention, global AIDS policy, and the utter disregard for global warming.
In response to many letters and suggestions we received, we have added a special day for hearing evidence on whether the Bush administration actions before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina should be added as a fifth indictment to be considered by the Commission.

There will be an opening message from historian Howard Zinn, and presentations by Marcus Raskin from the Institute for Policy Studies, Michael Ratner and Barbara Olshansky from the Center for Constitutional Rights, Democracy Now! correspondent Jeremy Scahill, Iraq war author Larry Everest, former CIA analyst Ray McGovern, and others.

We need you to go right now to the Not In Our Name statement of conscience and donate generously to both make this happen and to put the video of the Commission proceedings on the internet for the whole world to see. You may also contribute by check. Make payable to Not In Our Name and mail to NION, 305 West Broadway, #199, New York, NY 10013.

We are aiming to reshape the entire debate about the nature of the Bush administration. Is the problem one of "incompetent, ineffectual, and bad policies" --or is the issue one of crimes against humanity?
Think what a difference holding this international condemnation will make. Then think of what the people of world will be left with if we don't do this. Funds are
urgently need to make this as powerful as the political situation demands of us.

We have now raised half the money needed to put on this much needed event that will literally change the terms of debate in this country. You can read the indictments and follow developments at the Commission web site

Also we are now holding the Commission in two sessions because of the great volume of evidence to be heard and the need to carry out our charge to present the truth and weigh the evidence with great rigor.

First session:

Day One -- Is the Bush administration guilty of war crimes and crimes
against humanity?

In this opening session, we will discuss our mission and present indictments of the Bush administration for its specific policies and actions in the following areas: 1) Wars of Aggression, 2) Torture and Indefinite Detention, 3) Destruction of the Global Environment, and 4) Attacks on Global Public Health and Reproductive Rights.

With these presentations a full and clarifying picture of the Bush administration will emerge -- something unconscionable on the scales of history.
This first session will be followed shortly by Session II, a multi-day complete presentation of the evidence supporting the charges, and a finding by the jury of conscience.

Day Two -- Is the Bush Administration Indictable for its Actions on Hurricane Katrina?
This hearing manifests our responsibility to the mission of the commission
-- that when the possibility of crimes against humanity exists, we, as people of conscience, have a solemn responsibility to inquire into the nature and scope of these acts and to determine if they do in fact rise to this level -- and not fulfilling this would be gravely negligent.

The hearing will principally consist of eye-witness testimony from victims of Katrina, together with accounts from rescue workers, and testimony from experts on the Bush administration's actions and policies before, during, and after the Katrina disaster.


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