American voters in the background
America has told Britain that it can “kidnap” British citizens if they are wanted for crimes in the United States.
A senior lawyer for the American government has told the Court of Appeal in London that kidnapping foreign citizens is permissible under American law because the US Supreme Court has sanctioned it…
Until now it was commonly assumed that US law permitted kidnapping only in the “extraordinary rendition” of terrorist suspects…
Legal experts confirmed this weekend that America viewed extradition as just one way of getting foreign suspects back to face trial. Rendition, or kidnapping, dates back to 19th-century bounty hunting and Washington believes it is still legitimate.
Shami Chakrabarti, director of the human rights group Liberty, said: “This law may date back to bounty hunting days, but they should sort it out if they claim to be a civilised nation.”
The thugs in the White House rewrite history and law to suit themselves.
One of these days we may rejoin the assembly of “civilised nations”. Not until American voters progress beyond the week’s popularity contest on YouTube.
Thanks, Sergio
#19, DeLaMa,
Ok, did anyone note that this law was included in our Constitution because it already exsisted as an international law ?
No, I missed that one. Where in the Constitution is rendition or extra territorial jurisdiction covered?
#28 OFTLO – My bad.
#29 TomB – Dog The Bounty Hunter wouldn’t cut it since they eat dog. 😉
I think thats what letters of marquee are.
Mr Fusion, nice to see you disagreeing with some of the other liberals on this site. I remember someone posting that everything should have been handled as a law enforcement issue.
>>I remember someone posting that everything
>>should have been handled as a law enforcement
>>issue.
Well, it wasn’t Mister Mustard.
However, if we had handled it as a pillow fight or as a ping-pong game, it couldn’t have gone more horribly wrong than the way the Chimperor in Chief fucked things up.
Violence is only of use in canceling other violence, and in the case of Afghanistan (or more specifically, UBL’s band of neer-do-wells) we had in fact been dealt a violent blow. Iraq, however, was a contained mistake, a tempest in a teapot. These winds are only blowing now because that teapot was broken in the PNAC/Neocon’s foolish quest for empire, and now it is so thoroughly shattered that it’s not going to ever be rebuilt. I pray that we will not reap what we have sown, but I’m concerned that the inevitable laws of reality are more powerful than my prayers.
But, this whole side debate is a distraction. Back on topic: the problem with kidnapping people off of the streets of the world is when this principle comes to be applied to us. Well, that is one problem. Another is the degree to which this alienates our friends and allies. Showing a lack of trust in someone is a sure way to loose their trust, after all. And those who have taken the time to be aware know that we have been doing little but showing a lack of trust to anyone who shows their face on our shores for many years now.
If you still think this is a good idea, ask yourself this question; what if we ever find ourselves in need of help? Forget terrorism, let’s say there is a great tsunami, or Yellowstone erupts.
Who will come to help us?
Who would want to?
Oops..might be my bad ? I read both the article from Eideard and a link from TomBs’ post. I was getting ready for work and musta been a tad sleepy because I mentioned a statement from TomBs’link to an editorial on the Progessive Report site from senior editor Fred E.Foldvary wherein he states : “…Such Letters are grantable not just by the U.S. Constitution, but also by international law, which is why it was able to be included in the Constitution. The Letters are grantable whenever the citizens or subjects of one country are injured by those in another country and justice is denied by the government of that country, as happened with the attack by persons who were in Afghanistan.”
The editorial refers to Letters of Marque, et al. and is in favor of the current policy we are trying to sell as legitimate to the rest of the world.
I’m seldom overly cognizant first thing in my morning and not much better afterwards but, I do my best.
Better ?
ok… so the moral of the story here is hat if you kidnap someone and then it looks like they might get “rescued” by their govt, then its best to taser the shit out of em, chop the body up & grind into the latest batch of Tyson sausage.
so, to recap:
taser, grind, sell to wallmart
#37, DeLaMa,
Letters of Marque are commissions given to private parties, usually ship captains, allowing them to act as military agents of the government. They were also called Privateers. Which meant they were legal pirates and got to keep the ship and cargo of any vessel they captured. This was quite lucrative up until the steam age. Nations, such as the US that didn’t have large navies, often used this technique.
Privateers such as Drake and Howard preying upon the Spanish in the Caribbean helped provoke the Spanish Armada attack against England. Other famous Privateers included Capts. Henry Morgan, Kidd, John Laffyte, Magnus Heinason , and John Bart. Roger Morris, the first American millionaire, got most of his fortune from privateering during the Revolutionary War. George Washington is reported to have owned a Privateer during the Revolutionary War as well.
Letters of Marque (and privateering) were abolished by an international treaty in 1856. Although the US did not sign the treaty, they have pledged to uphold and follow its tenants.
If you read the part of the Constitution, it refers to declaring war. You can find it at Art. I, Sect. 8, Cl. 11. There is nothing in a Letter of Marque to suggest it might be used for renditions.
Gads I must be tired…
I thought I had posted a bit more info as to the TomB post of the article/link but, suffice to say, I meant the et al as an indicator of more than just Letters of Marque…could you maybe just read the darn thing and then tell me what’s up ? I already knew a bit about the origins of Letters of Marque and it really reflects rather tellingly on the origins of *some* businesses in this country. As for the rest..it’s kinda been there done that already and I still maintain it ain’t right for civilized folks to practice tit for tat crapola like this. Respect goes a liitle further when it’s practiced by both parties.
The only way to get back to the Constitution is to vote Ron Paul for President of the U.S.
Check our what he’s saying..awesome!
http://www.ronpaul2008.com
He actually wants to follow the Constitution and stay within his jurisdiction as president.