Condi admits to war crimes in Europe. We need to make a big fuss

The Daily Kos has a good post related to Condi and her trip to Eurpoe. She plans to speak to Eurpoe's leaders about how they are unwitting allies by allowing transports over their countries. Also that they should deflect criticism over the U.S. and win over the public.

This was already discussed yesterday in The Gnostic's diary here (Condi: Europe, Shut up and Back Off on Torture Flights and in DuctapeFatwa's diaries over at the Tribunes (Rice to warn Europe to back off over torture camps) but we need to keep on harping on it, both in Europe and in the USA.

Rice to warn Europe to back off over detainees (Reuters, via The Star)

On the trip, she will remind allies they themselves have been cooperating in U.S. operations and tell them to do more to win over their publics as a way to deflect criticism directed at the United States, diplomats and U.S. officials said.

This has been alluded to elsewhere, but this points out to two things:

• she basically admits the claims are true;
  
• she says the European countries were complicit

The lesson is that we cannot count on our governments to get to the truth. We have to push for independent enquiries and support the legal procedures that may be started in various countries.

• Jerome a Paris's diary :: ::

click on the image above for larger version

more form the same article

On the trip, she will remind allies they themselves have been cooperating in U.S. operations and tell them to do more to win over their publics as a way to deflect criticism directed at the United States, diplomats and U.S. officials said.

"It's very clear they want European governments to stop pushing on this," said a European diplomat, who had contact with U.S. officials over the handling of the scandals. "They were stuck on the defensive for weeks, but suddenly the line has toughened up incredibly," the diplomat said.

...
Ahern said he accepted the U.S. word. Germany, whose foreign minister also pressed Rice this week during a visit, said it would wait patiently for a U.S. response.

But the State Department also plans a stronger defense of its policies to try to reframe a debate in Europe that threatens to undo some of the repair Rice has made this year to trans-Atlantic ties that were frayed over the Iraq war.

Rice will stress in public that Washington does not violate allies' sovereignty or break international law, and she will remind publics their governments are cooperating in a fight against militants who have bombed commuters in Madrid and London, senior U.S. officials said.

"It is the responsibility, also, of governments to explain as clearly as possible to their publics and publics around the world what it is that they are doing in fighting the war on terrorism," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

It's the usual stuff: 9/11 changed everything, terrorists are evil, and thus we should do anything to fight them. And don't complain about it, because it could strike you as much as us - and because you worked with us before.

The entire post is here. This is a good article. You should read thw whole thing

Daily Kos: State of the Nation