PACIFICA COMMENTARY FOR NOVEMBER 12, 2003

Hello, this is Blase Bonpane with a comment. One of the common characteristics

of imperial behavior is the inability to learn. Empire cannot learn because it has no ability

to dialogue. Why talk to people when you have raw power? What is there to talk about?

You will do what we say or we will kill you. As a result the performance of empire is

consistently static, repetitive, and counterproductive.

Now Paul Bremer has been called to the White House to discuss our failed policy. He

has already expressed what he has in mind. He will recommend the treachery of

para militarism. He will say that we don't want the honor of our military to be dragged

through the muck by a policy of summary execution, torture and rape. He knows that our

troops might not even comply with such orders. They have morals and the code of

military justice does not permit such atrocities. Furthermore, such behavior can lead to

mutiny.

So why don't we do what we did in Vietnam and Latin America? That's it! A

paramilitary program. These people will be hired and actually given a certificate of

recognition as paramilitaries. They will not be Americans. Now we can say that our

military has nothing to do with the massacres. It was the paramilitary and we just don't

know who they might be.

I have personally seen para militarism in Guatemala. I asked the civilian dressed

killers who gave them the authority to kill? They showed me their cards as comisionado

militar. Yes, they were commissioned by the Guatemalan Military under the direction of

the U.S. Military. The military, however, will deny any knowledge of these paid killers

torturers and rapists..

And what about Colombia? The same drill. We asked the Commanding General in

Uraba if he knew who these paramilitary were. "They are delinquents," he said. They are

the enemy" "But General, they are based five kilometers from here and they wear the

same uniforms as your troops." They even have military helicopters to bomb the

Choco. "Well, maybe they rented them," said the General.

Oh yes, I remember them in Nicaragua as well. They were called

Contras. They stayed away from the Nicaraguan military and specialized in

killing clergy, social workers, teachers and other non-combatants.

Friends, the paramilitary in Vietnam, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and

Colombia are all the same. And they will be the same in Afghanistan and Iraq. This is the

shadow military removed from any code of conduct who are unleashed to torture, rape

and conduct summary execution.

Paul Bremer, why don't you forget your paramilitary dream? It will do nothing but

expand the conflict as it has done everywhere else in the world. Paramilitary actions

simply represent a defeated and exhausted imperial policy of repetitive malice and

stupidity.

For a free copy of this program call 323/852-9808 323/852-9808.

This is Blase Bonpane.