Today's New York Times carries an interesting article on the "Heavy Hand of the Secret Police Impeding Reform in Arab World." It discusses the many ways that the role of governmental police )the mukhabarat, in Arab societies) in protecting national security can become a role of the government in using "preventive" arrests to stifle dissent and prevent democratic discussion of everything from ideas about ideal government to problems with corrupt governments.
Recall Ari Fleisher's early post-9/11 comment that those who express dissent or disapproval of actions after 9/11 are aiding the enemy. Mr. Bush recently reiterated that theme in a speech to Veterans intended to recast himself as the "Warrior" president making the right decisions to protect us during the "war on terror." Cheney, who most directly linked Saddam to 9/11 and continued claimed "certainty" that Saddam had WMD long after the invasion had substantiated that he had not, is actively lobbying against the bill (already passed by the Senate) that would make it clear that the United States does not treat prisoners cruelly, degradingly or inhumanely.
Let's hope that Congress reads the Times. The current push for a President with enormously enhanced executive powers, including the "right" for the CIA to torture detainees who the President alone determines represent a threat to our national security and the potential control of the military over emergency responses to disasters in the country (from terrorist attacks to major weather emergencies) is a cause for grave concern.
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