“On June 28, 2004, in a secret ceremony in Baghdad, the invasion and occupation of Iraq by the United States was officially brought to an end. Held two days ahead of schedule to confound insurgents who threatened attacks, the handover of authority from the Americans to the Iraqis took place without a hitch. …It was […]
6/27/2004
Director of Reconstruction in Iraq L. Paul Bremer issued Order No. 17, which was revised on June 27, 2004. It “granted full immunity from Iraqi laws and the Iraqi legal system to Coalition military forces and all foreign contractors, including private security firms. Non-Iraqi members of the military, corporations, corporate subcontractors and their employees cannot […]
6/26/2004
In President Bush’s June 26, 2004 statement he stated in part, “[T]he United States reaffirms its commitment to the worldwide elimination of torture. The non-negotiable demands of human dignity must be protected without reference to race, gender, creed, or nationality. Freedom from torture is an inalienable human right, and we are committed to building a […]
6/26/2004
When asked if he had discussed the matter of abuse of Iraqi prisoners with the Prime Minister, Bertie Ahem, President Bush replied, “Of course, the Prime Minister brought the issues of Iraq up, as did the President. And I told them both I was sick with what happened inside that prison. And so was — […]
6/26/2004
President Bush said, on June 26, 2004: ” ‘[T]he United States reaffirms its commitment to the worldwide elimination of torture… To help fulfill this commitment, the U.S. has joined 135 other nations in ratifying the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. America stands against and will not tolerate torture. […]
6/25/2004
“…where the CPA [Coalition Provisional Authority] saw progress, Iraqis saw broken promises. As [CPA Director L. Paul] Bremer prepared to depart [in late June 2004], electricity generation remained stuck at around 4,000 megawatts–resulting in less than nine hours of power a day to most Baghdad homes–instead of the 6,000 megawatts he had pledged to provide. […]
6/25/2004
“In his farewell meetings [in late June 2004], he [Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) Director L. Paul Bremer] insisted that the CPA had set Iraq on the path to a democratic government, a free-market economy, and a modern infrastructure. He ticked off the CPA’s accomplishments: nearly 2,500 schools had been repaired; 3 million children had been […]
6/25/2004
From a New York Times article on June 25, 2004: “After analyzing the executive branch’s claims of these previously unrecognized powers, Harold Koh, dean of Yale Law School, said: ‘If the president has commander-in-chief power to commit torture, he has the power to commit genocide, to sanction slavery, to promote apartheid, to license summary execution.” […]
6/24/2004
During a radio interview in Ireland, the President stated: “I don’t like death, either. I mean, you keep emphasizing the death and I don’t blame you — but all that goes to show is the nature of the enemy. These people are willing to kill innocent people. They’re willing to slaughter innocent people to stop the […]
6/23/2004
“On June 23, 2004, [al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-] Zarqawi released an audiotape on a jihadist website that delivered a blistering critique of Saddam, whom he described as a ‘devil’ who ‘terrified the people.’ That audiotape came a week after President Bush had described Zarqawi as ‘the best evidence’ of Saddam’s connection to […]