- On November 6, 1971, a remorseful John Kerry told Washington,
DC's WRC-TV that "I gave back, I can't remember, six, seven, eight,
nine medals," protesting against America's Vietnam War involvement.
-
- On April 22, 1971, Kerry testified before the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee as a member of Vietnam Veterans Against the
War (VVAW), saying in part:
-
- He came to discuss an investigation involving "over
150 honorably discharged and many very highly decorated veterans,"
who admitted committing Southeast Asian war crimes, explaining:
-
- "stories at times they had personally raped, cut
off ears, cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephones to human
genitals and turned up the power, cut off limbs, bl(ew) up bodies, randomly
shot at civilians, razed villages (like) Genghis Khan, shot cattle and
dogs for fun, poisoned food stocks, and generally ravaged the countryside
of South Vietnam in addition to the normal ravages of war, and the normal
and very particular ravaging which is done by the applied bombing power
of this country."
-
- Calling it a "Winter Soldier Investigation,"
he said "there is nothing in South Vietnam, nothing which could happen
that realistically threatens the United States of America." Linking
America's involvement "to the preservation of freedom....is to us
the height of criminal hypocrisy...."
-
- "We saw firsthand how money from American taxes
was used for a corrupt dictatorial regime....We rationalized destroying
villages....to save them. We saw America lose her sense of morality as
she accepted very cooly a My Lai," and many others like it. "We
learned the meaning of free fire zones, shooting anything that moves, and
we watched while America placed a cheapness on the lives of orientals."
-
- "We have come here....because we believe this body
can be responsive to the will of the people (saying) we should be out of
Vietnam now...."
-
- Adding much more, he condemned America's illegal, immoral
war, wanting no further part in it. That was then. This is now. Since 1985,
Kerry represented Massachusetts in America's Senate, chairing the Foreign
Relations Committee he testified before in 1971.
-
- In fact, one of many congressional millionaires, he's
the Senate's richest approaching $300 million in net worth as heir, through
his wife, to the HJ Heinz fortune.
-
- Now hawkish, he and five other senators co-sponsored
John McCain's May 23 "S. 194: A Resolution expressing the sense of
the Senate of the United States military operations in Libya," saying:
-
- It "(s)upports the aspirations of the Libyan people
for political reform based on democratic and human rights. Commends the
service of the men and women of the US Armed Forces and our coalition partners
who are engaged in military operations to protect the Libyan people....to
achieve the departure from power of (Gaddafi) and his family so that a
peaceful transition can begin to a government that ensures freedom, opportunity,
and justice for the people of Libya."
-
- In fact, America abhors these rights and freedoms, pursuing
imperial wars of conquest, plunder and exploitation for wealth, power,
and unchallenged dominance.
-
- In 2001 and 2003, Kerry supported wars against Afghanistan
and Iraq for those purposes, not liberation, human rights or democratic
values. He now backs terror bombing Libya for the same reasons, spurning
Libyans who want no part of America's involvement.
-
- In fact, Western media ignored a June 20 one million
strong pro-Gaddafi Tripoli rally, raging against NATO terror bombings,
killing civilians, targeting schools, hospitals, residential areas, and
other non-military sites, what few in the West know about or understand.
-
- On Press TV, independent journalist Lizzie Phelan said
"from my sources, I have information that 90% of the tribes in Libya
are supportive of the government, including the largest."
-
- In fact, Libyans are known for being "non-confrontational
people (who'll) go to the ends of the earth to resolve in a non-confrontational
way."
-
- Washington's led NATO war changed that, pursuing America's
undefined "national security policy interests," that include
mass slaughter, pillaging, colonization, destruction, and exploitation,
common themes of Pentagon terror wars.
-
- On June 22, AP reported that Kerry and John McCain with
other Senate Democrats and Republicans introduced a resolution giving "Obama
limited authority" in Libya retroactively from March 19 when terror
bombing began.
-
- Majority Leader Harry Reid calls it a "clear statement
to our allies, to the world, to the Libyan people and to Gaddafi that we
support the administration's actions," no matter how lawless, immoral,
and defiant of democratic values.
-
- Kerry said ending funding will be a "moment of infamy."
Supportive media reports concur, including a June 16 New York Times editorial
headlined, "Libya and the War Powers Act," saying:
-
- "It would be hugely cost - for (America's) credibility,
for the future of NATO and for the people of Libya - if Congress were to
force (Obama) to abandon military operations over Libya....(It) needs to
authorize continued American support for NATO's air campaign," no
matter how ignoble the cause, mass slaughter, destruction, and human misery
inflicted, issues ignored by Times editors, endorsing the rape and plunder
of another US imperial target.
-
- The Republican controlled House will likely accede, despite
duplicitous posturing for maximum advantage, perhaps concessions for other
hard right legislation, harming working Americans most.
-
- As a result, Speaker John Boehner responded to the Senate
measure, saying:
-
- "They're pushing for an authorization in Libya and
I don't think that is where the House is. The fact is the president has
not made his case to the members of Congress. He's not made his case to
the American people. We've been in this conflict for 90 days and the president
hasn't talked to the American people for four or five weeks about why we're
there, what our national interest is and why we should continue."
-
- Omitted from his comments were international and constitutional
law references, standards all US wars violate, including against Libya,
considerations never raised in either House.
-
- House Republicans may vote this week on one of two resolutions
- either to continue Libyan operations for one year, bar US ground forces,
require Obama to report regularly to Congress, or end involvement entirely.
AP says a Thursday vote is likely.
-
- Supportive congressional members from both parties use
duplicitous rhetoric for it, including Reid saying it's "to stop mass
murder and chaos" that didn't begin until America and NATO intervened,
and that Gaddafi's "repressive dictatorship is a threat to the region
and to the United States national security," when, in fact, he threatens
no one, especially America, the very notion laughable on its face.
-
- Nonetheless, terror bombing Libya will continue, perhaps
ending after turning targeted areas to rubble and inflicting mass casualties
in the process, what America means by liberation.
-
- Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at
lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
-
- Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and
listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive
Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central
time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy
listening.
-
- http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/
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