Bush's Executive Order on Lebanon Even Worse than the One on Iraq

By Matthew Rothschild

George W. Bush is churning out executive orders and Presidential directives just as fast as Dick Cheney's lawyers can fill up yellow legal pads.

The power that he is asserting--no, grabbing--with these executive orders is astonishing and alarming. Such power imperils our liberties and our democratic system of government.

Two weeks ago, Bush issued an extraordinary executive order entitled, “Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq.”

It gives to the Secretary of the Treasury the authority to freeze the property of people who are engaging in violence or who "pose a significant risk" of engaging in violence against the Iraqi government or the economic and reconstruction plan for Iraq.

It also bans donations of “food, clothing, and medicine, intended to be used to relieve human suffering” to anyone whose property has been frozen.

On August 1, Bush issued a similar executive order, this one entitled, “Blocking Property of Persons Undermining the Sovereignty of Lebanon or Its Democratic Processes and Institutions.”

Syrian meddling in Lebanon constitutes an "unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States," Bush asserted, adding, "I hereby declare a national emergency to deal with that threat."

This executive order is even more sweeping.

Where the one on Iraq applies to people who engage in violent acts or pose a significant risk of engaging in violent acts, this one doesn't even bother to limit it to that. Anyone who engages in any act--violent or nonviolent--against the government of Lebanon can now have his or her property frozen.

And it also gives the Treasury Secretary the authority to freeze the assets of "a spouse or dependent child" of any person whose property is frozen.

What's next? Impounding the family dog?

The executive order on Lebanon also bans food, medicine, and humanitarian aid to anyone whose property is frozen--and that includes the "dependent child" mentioned above.

Representative Dennis Kucinich denounced the new executive order as "reckless and dangerous." He said it is part of a strategy to "generate more turmoil" in the Middle East.

And amass more power in the Executive Branch.

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globalstomp

Posted: Aug 04 2007, 6:09 PM

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Well then, Kucinch should do something about this and all the other illegal executive orders that have been written just as the rest of congress should do. All we get is lip service from congress who just sit idlely by to state the obvious but offer no solution or action. It seems they are there to tell you of the impending train wreck but do nothing to stop the trains, in fact, they probably speed the trains up if you ask me. Where's the anger and disgust from congress?

Do we have to resort to firing most of congress by replacing the bought and paid for phony representatives of the people with people that will get the job done and prosecute the criminals?
Your damn right we do.....................Pelosi, your days are numbered when you take impeachment off the table when clearly we have criminals running things you are complicit. This is called obstruction of justice, speaker Pelosi! So perhaps you should join the other criminals in jail for being complicit and aiding the enemy in the overthrow of this government. That's what I would do if I were a prosecutor in this case, I would bring you up on treason charges for aiding the enemy to overthrow this country.

The trial of the century will include indictments for the media heads talking or not and all the members of the government that were involved either directly or indirectly in the 9/11 cover-up and all the illegal actions weather physical or written that this administration has taken since that time.

This will happen no doubt, so all you government people out there that have some info to share better step-up now because you won't get a second chance to come clean or redeem yourselves. What's the matter? Are you having a hard time deciding between money, blackmail, or jail? Let me help you, give back the money and stand up because blackmail is not as bad as jail if you want to remain free.

dave

Posted: Aug 04 2007, 10:30 PM

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Often in America the Department of Justice murders people simply because they are black but the US president is the real thing; a hardcore white-collar terrorist with torture and murder admitted to by the authorisations he signed.

As US President he cannot exactly run off to Mexico, rather he is entering bunker mentality in the White House. Thanks to the diligence of people who have never let the truth fall out of reach and to reach people who could not have reached it alone, he cannot ask his militarised media machine to write him an exit strategy. He has authored too much of his own destiny and he is the kingpin of fall guys.

It is entering the stage of the blame game as people ask how did we get here? Cheney will be saying to Bush I told you we needed more war and Bush will be saying we tried that trick too often before.

Reality is already dawning on the populous, the nation is ugly, bankrupt, broken and sinking fast and much of the whole world is not just upset but rightly so. The final collapse is typically marked by a rush of fascist legislation, worst of all it often stays there, but for sure the land of denial which Bush acts out on the public stage is in its death throws.

The public also has denial to resolve, for so many of us have come to realise this has all been building for as long as we can remember, we just were never honest with ourselves, we didn't share our thoughts and accept the responsibility of making sure they were counted.

I hope we all accept responsibility for what has happened, for it would be folly to reach for anger when we are all to blame. Anger is denial of truth and it is truth not anger we need.

The media have lost the war for the hearts and minds of the people, the shock and awe is all but over, as a people the world over we are growing up. As for how we got here, as relevant a point as any is perhaps where this post started: Often in America the Department of Justice murders people simply because they are black.

bolly

Posted: Aug 09 2007, 2:06 PM

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Demand their prosecution, now. It 's got to be heard loud. Keep saying it, writing it, telling it. For the whole world.

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