PACIFICA COMMENTARY FOR NOVEMBER 18, 2004

IT'S TIME FOR HEARINGS

Hello, this is Blase Bonpane with a comment.

It is not simply one exhausted, angry and frightened Marine that shoots a wounded

person. It is not simply a young woman rejected by Walmart who tortures

Iraqi prisoners. Napoleon said, "There are no bad soldiers, there are only bad officers."

Yes, it is the criminal directives of the commander in chief and his Faustian club of

yes people. It is the illegal orders of the secretary of defense, It is the disingenuous

demonization of the Iraqi people as high ranking officers prepare their troops for the

killing fields. It is the buffoon opportunist Allawi who betrays his people by saying there

were no civilian casualties in Falluja. It is a media that has lost its credibility by placing

profit above journalism.

It is now it is up to us to bring this criminal administration to justice as the rest of the

world looks at our country as a rogue and lawless state. (Note the Republican leadership

changing the rules to exempt their leader from long standing norms of ethics).

Democrats might try to cop out by saying, "With a Republican House and Senate

impeachment proceedings will fail." Do not let your representative off the hook by such a

weak comment. Any Representative and any Senator can call a hearing on the war

crimes of our administration. It is our responsibility to demand that these hearings begin

immediately in the House and in the Senate

Call your representatives at the congressional switchboard 202/225-3121 and demand

that the hearings begin. Remind the Democrats of their rights as a minority party and how

they can recover their missing backbone.

We want an accounting of the civilian casualties in Falluja and the rest of that destroyed

nation. Why are the Red Cross and the Red Crescent forbidden to operate? Why

are hospitals taken over and why are Iraqi civilians denied access? Why are

indiscriminate air attacks made on civilian targets? How many homes have been

destroyed, how many schools? How many mosques? How many ambulances have been

attacked? Who exempted the United States from the international prohibition on

aggressive war?

Such hearings are primarily a challenge to the Democrats in the House and Senate.

After such hearings take place with or without impeachment we can begin our petition for

a presidential resignation. Thanks for your wonderful example, Mr. Nixon.

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

This is Blase Bonpane.