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Why Hillary Clinton has Always Been a Republican In the first of a series of profiles, Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St. Clair chart the formative years of Hillary Clinton. Watch her as she zigzags from Nixon campaigner and vote-fraud investigator in 1960 to Goldwater Girl and President of Young Republicans at Wellesley to her internship for Gerald Ford and campaigner for Nelson Rockefeller. Witness her reaction to the student protests at Yale and the demonstrations at Grant Park during the Democratic Convention in 1968. Learn how she and Bill vowed to "remake" the Democratic Party--using the Nixon model HRC learned about as a member of the House impeachment staff. And much more! Plus: David Price on anthropologist Andre Gunder Frank, the FBI and the Bureaucratic Exile of a Critical Mind.
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Today's Stories July 21 / 22, 2007 Ralph
Nader July 20, 2007 Eliza
Szabo Pam
Martens Alan
Farago Harvey
Wasserman Marjorie
Cohn Dave
Zirin Anthony
DiMaggio Scott
Liebertz Linn
Washington, Jr. Bill
Piper / Anthony Papa Ramzy
Baroud Website
of the Day
July 19, 2007 Patrick
Cockburn Remi
Kanazi Winslow
T. Wheeler Sharon
Smith Dave
Lindorff Conn
Hallinan D.
K. Wilson Joshua
Frank Norman
Solomon Russell
Hoffman Ray
McGovern Website
of the Day July 18, 2007 Brenda
Norrell Col.
Dan Smith Martha
Rosenberg Conn
Hallinan Binoy
Kampmark Patrick
Bond / Tom
Johnson Paul
Craig Roberts Bob
Quellos Felice
Pace Robert
Weissman CP
Newswire Website
of the Day
July 17, 2007 Patrick
Cockburn Marjorie
Cohn Evelyn
Pringle David
Rosen Susan
Miller Franklin
Lamb Don
Monkerud Harvey
Wasserman Russell
Hoffman Dave
Lindorff Dave
Zirin Website
of the Day
July 16, 2007 Gary
Leupp Ellen
Cantarow Paul
Craig Roberts Allan
J. Lichtman Dan
Bacher Patrick
Cockburn Manuel
Garcia, Jr. James
Brooks Liaquat
Ali Khan Julie
Flint Website
of the Day
July 14 / 15. 2007 Alexander
Cockburn Andy
Worthington Ralph
Nader Robert
Fantina Ron
Jacobs Joshua
Frank Conn
Hallinan Dr.
Susan Rosenthal, MD John
Ross Fred
Gardner Rannie
Amiri Charles
Modiano Anthony
DiMaggio China
Hand Missy
Comley Beattie Dr.
James J. Murtagh, Jr. Kenneth
Rexroth Poets'
Basement Website
of the Weekend
July 13, 2007 Patrick
Cockburn Winslow
T. Wheeler Imran
Khan Todd
Chretien Sam
Husseini Dr.
Herman Mindshaftgap Anthony
Papa D.
K. Wilson David
Michael Green Website
of the Day
July 12, 2007 Paul
Craig Roberts Robert Jensen Dr. Susan Block Joshua Frank John Chuckman Corporate Crime
Reporter Mike Whitney Nicola Nasser Richard Rhames William S.
Lind Website of the Day
July 11, 2007 Patrick
Cockburn Richard
Neville Debra
McNutt John
V. Walsh Scott
Liebertz George
C. Wilson James
McEnteer Philip
Rizk Johnny
Hazard Dave
Lindorff Website
of the Day
July 10, 2007 James
Ridgeway Tariq
Ali Javed
Hussein William
Blum Ralph
Nader Jay
Arena Anthony
DiMaggio Eva
Liddell Jerry
Kroth Alice
Woodward Nikolas
Kozloff Paul
Shannon Website
of the Day
July 9, 2007 Fidel
Castro Diana
Johnstone John
Walsh Uri
Avnery Ramzy
Baroud John
Ripton Stephen
Lendman Bruce
Jackson Michael
Donnelly Doug
Giebel Website
of the Day
Saul
Landau Ismael
Hossein-zadeh Fawzia
Afzal-Khan John
Ross Pat
Williams Rannie
Amiri Farzana
Versey Bart
Gruzalski Paul
Rockwell Reza
Fiyouzat Monica
Benderman Kenneth
Couesbouc Dave
Lindorff Charles
Modiano Missy
Beattie Dal
LaMagna Jean
Gerard Anne
Dachel Ron
Jacobs Poets'
Basement Website
of the Day
Daniel
Ellsberg Gary
Leupp Harvey
Wasserman Omer
Subhani Marjorie
Cohn Christopher
Brauchli David
Michael Green China
Hand Renee
Saucedo Corporate
Crime Reporter Website
of the Day
July 5, 2007 Andy
Worthington Mike
Stark Norman
Solomon Michael
Schwartz Susie
Day Jacob
Hornberger Bill
Hatch Don
Fitz John
Wright Website
of the Day
July 4, 2007 St.
Clair / Frank Vijay
Prashad Carl
G. Estabrook Ron
Jacobs David
R. Dow Claudia
Johnson William
S. Lind Gregory
Afghani Paul
Edwards D.
K. Wilson Niranjan
Ramakrishnan Thomas
Jefferson Cindy
Sheehan Website
of the Day
Bill
Quigley Gary
Leupp Lynda
Brayer Richard
Thieme Helen
Redmond David
Swanson Jacob
Hornberger Ayesha
Ijaz Khan Franklin
Lamb Ray
McGovern Kevin
Zeese Dave
Lindorff Website
of the Day
Andy
Worthington Nina
Serrano Jack
Hirschman Paul
Craig Roberts Bill
Williams Anthony
Papa Sonja
Karkar Louay
Safi Anthony
Gregory Monica
Benderman Website
of the Day
June 30 / July 1, 2007 John
Ross Alan
Farago Peter
Quinn Christopher
Brauchli Robert
Fisk Uri
Avnery Judith
Siers-Poisson Saul
Landau Abbas
Zaidi Ron
Jacobs Ralph
Nader Donald
Worster Mike
Whitney Jacob
Hill Kenneth
Couesbouc Missy
Beattie Mohammad
Kamaali Ramzy
Baroud Leonard
Peltier Phyllis
Pollack Poets'
Basement Website
of the Weekend
June 29, 2007 St.
Clair / Frank Brian
Cloughley Patrick
Cockburn Gilad
Atzmon Dave
Lindorff Jennifer
Matsui / Kevin
Zeese Daniel
Klimek David
Michael Green John
Chuckman Website
of the Day
June 28, 2007 Bill
Quigley Vijay
Prashad Margaret
Kimberley Winslow
T. Wheeler Philip
Rizk D.
K. Wilson Bill
Williams Mahmoud
El-Yousseph Richard
Rhames Paul
Krassner Website
of the Day
Marjorie
Cohn Dr.
Susan Rosenthal, MD Alan
Farago Carla
Blank Matthew
Abraham Sunsara
Taylor Russell
D. Hoffman Robert
Weissman Sen.
Russ Feingold Paul
Buchheit Website
of the Day
June 26, 2007 Jonathan
Cook Ralph
Nader Corporate
Crime Reporter Ron
Jacobs Martha
Rosenberg John
Chuckman Denny
Haldeman Anthony
DiMaggio Stephen
Fleischman William
S. Lind Website
of the Day
Paul
Craig Roberts Jennifer
Loewenstein Bob
Anderson Robert
Pollin Patrick
Cockburn Eva
Liddell Dan
Bacher Larry
Atkins Mark
Brenner James
Rothenberg Website
of the Day June 23 / 24, 2007 Alexander
Cockburn Jeff
Taylor Oren
Ben-Dor Gary
Leupp Robert
Fisk David
Rosen Russell
Mokhiber Alison
Weir Robert
Fantina D.
K. Wilson Nicole
Colson Stephen
Soldz, Steven Reisner and Brad Olson Dave
Lindorff Benjamin
Dangl Michael
Dickinson Poets'
Basement Website
of the Weekend
June 22, 2007 Andy
Worthington Sherwood
Ross Eliana
Monteforte Robert
Weissman Richard
Rhames Christopher
Brauchli Ramzy
Baroud Ehud
Krinis, David Shulman and Neve Gordon David
Michael Green Kathryn
Webber Website
of the Day
June 21, 2007 Peter
Linebaugh Natsu
Saito Ron
Jacobs Saree
Makdisi John
Stauber Scott
Liebertz Tom
Clifford Robert
Jensen Michael
J. Smith Jeb
Sprague Website
of the Day
Omar
Barghouti Andy
Worthington Margaret
Kimberley Robert
Weissman Russell
D. Hoffman Rannie
Amiri Stephen
Lendman Dave
Lindorff David
Swanson Anne
Dachel Website
of the Day
June 19, 2007 Ralph
Nader Dr.
Shepherd Bliss Bill
and Kathleen Christison Jeff
Leys Dave
Zirin Chris
Floyd Ben
Terrall Anthony
Papa VIPS Linda Flores Website
of the Day
John
Ross Paul
Craig Roberts Martha
Rosenberg Norman
Solomon Don
Santina Isabella
Kenfield James
Brooks Eva
Liddell Sam
Husseini Akiva
Eldar Website
of the Day
Alexander
Cockburn John
Halle Robert
Fisk Andy
Worthington Uri
Avnery Fred
Gardner Saul
Landau P.
Sainath Missy
Comley Beattie Alan
Gregory Walter
Brasch Website
of the Weekend
June 15, 2007 Alan
Farago Andy
Worthington Michael
Simmons Franklin
Lamb Gary
Leupp John
Ross Website
of the Day
June 14, 2007 Michael
Donnelly
Faisal
Kutty Harry
Browne Charles
Jonkel Steven
Higgs Bruce
Dixon Bruce
K. Gagnon
Website
of the Day June 13, 2007 Glen Ford Marjorie Cohn Bill Christison Charles Jonkel Silvia Cattori Richard Gott Firmin DeBrabander William S. Lind Keith Rosenthal Website of the Day June 12, 2007 Jeffrey St.
Clair Paul Craig
Roberts P. Sainath Ralph Nader Omar Waraich Dave Lindorff Harvey Wasserman Malini Johar
Schueller Ramzy Baroud Website of
the Day
June 11, 2007 Patrick Cockburn Paul Craig
Roberts Uri Avnery Norman Solomon Eva Liddell Rannie Amiri Rachel Voss Christopher
Brauchli D. K. Wilson Website of
the Day
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Weekend
Edition Protecting El ChinoFujimori's Long Race From JusticeBy MICHAEL BANEY Lima, Peru The legal case against Augusto Pinochet may have died along with the former dictator, but the Chilean courts have found a way to continue protecting coup plotters and human rights abusers. On July 11, 2007 Judge Orlando Álvarez Hernández ruled against the Peruvian state in its efforts to extradite former Peruvian president and dictator Alberto Fujimori. Few politicians in history have had such a meteoric rise to power or such a sudden and decisive loss of credibility as Fujimori. A dark horse in Peru's 1990 election, Fujimori was widely expected to lose to celebrated Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa. Running on the nearly nonsensical slogan "honesty, technology, work," Fujimori refused to publish his political platform until late in the election. Known simply as El Chino to his supporters, he managed to upset Vargas Llosa in the election with vague promises to reject the "shock" neoliberal economic austerity program that Vargas Llosa championed. Once elected, Fujimori abandoned his campaign promises and embarked on a radical program to impose the so-called Washington Consensus on Peru. Despite Milton Friedman's thesis linking capitalism to freedom, Fujimori's government was decisively authoritarian. After being pelted with eggs at the Enrique Guzmán y Valle National University, El Chino ordered the university to be taken over by the military. It was then that members of the Army Intelligence Service and the Army Intelligence Directorate detained nine students and one professor. The ten were tortured, murdered, and buried in a mass grave. They were later dug up and shoved into a furnace at the Army Intelligence Service building. The burned remains were thrown into cardboard boxes, driven to a new location, dumped into a new mass grave, covered up with lime, and left to rot. Fujimori's thirst for power did not simply lead him to murder students. On April 5, 1992, El Chino overthrew the entire government in a move known as the autogolpe or self-coup. In one night, Fujimori put tanks at the steps of Congress, arrested key opposition members, declared the Constitution void, and dissolved the Judicial Branch of the government. After facing international pressure, Fujimori promised to reinstate Congress, but only after a new constitution was written and a new congress elected. Until then, he simply dictated laws with a series of harsh "emergency decrees." It was this mixture of authoritarian coup-plotting, dictatorial rule, and human rights abuses that earned Fujimori the derisive nickname Chinochet, an impossible-to-resist play on El Chino and the name of his ideological brother Augusto Pinochet. Governing Peru as a dictator would require some help. Fujimori's primary advisor and de facto head of the National Intelligence Service, appropriately known as the SIN, was Vladimiro Montesinos, who had once been jailed for giving confidential information to the Central Intelligence Agency. Montesinos ensured loyalty to the Fujimori regime. In charge of military promotions, Montesinos filled the top ranks of the military with Fujimoristas and skipped over anyone whose sensibilities were offended by murder and dictatorship. He also harassed and wiretapped opposition figures and, according to a confidential Department of State source, even sent a bomb to an opposition congressman. He also filed libel lawsuits against whatever newspapers were brave enough to buck the official propaganda repeated by much of the mainstream press. Despite his abuses, El Chino likely would have fairly won reelection in 2000. However, not leaving anything to chance, he decided to buy the elections instead. Shortly after his tainted reelection, which was effectively unopposed when his adversary pulled out after proof of electoral fraud was made public, a bombshell hit the Peruvian political scene. One of the few remaining independent news channels aired a videotape of Vladimiro handing $15,000 to an opposition congressman to switch parties. It later showed videotapes of Montesinos secretly buying editorial control of television stations, ordering the judges of the Supreme Court to make rulings favoring the regime and US companies, meeting with CIA agents, paying off congressmen, and using huge bricks of government cash to pay for the electoral campaigns of Fujimoristas. Unable to govern neither with
Montesinos' tarnished image nor without Montesinos' vast criminal
connections, Fujimori simply gave up and left. A day after making
a sudden getaway to Japan, and less than four months into his
new term in office, Fujimori faxed in his resignation. Congress,
which had for so long been stacked by loyal Fujimoristas, voted
to reject his resignation, and then voted in favor of declaring
him morally incapacitated. As a final indignity, Congress stripped
Fujimori of the presidency and requested his extradition from
Japan. In 2006, however, Fujimori made the shocking decision to go to Chile in order to participate in, or at least interfere with, the Peruvian general elections. Greatly miscalculating the consequences, Fujimori was barred from participating in the elections by the Peruvian government, arrested in Santiago, and made to face an extradition hearing. The Peruvian government asked for extradition for a host of charges including illicit association to commit crimes, abuse of authority, usurpation of functions, aggravated embezzlement or misuse of public funds, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated murder, and treason against the fatherland. Significant evidence implicating Fujimori in the various human rights abuses committed during his government was sent to Chile, including a videotaped confession by the leader of Grupo Colina, the main government death squad, implicating Fujimori. There is also substantial evidence that Fujimori was utterly corrupt, including various congressional inquiries into missing government funds. Nevertheless, the Chilean justice system ruled in favor of Alberto Fujimori. The 100-page decision in the case reads more like an ideological propaganda piece for Fujimori than a carefully reasoned judicial opinion. For example, Judge Álvarez
Hernández opined that "when Fujimori assumed the
presidency, he was completely unfamiliar with the world of the
armed forces and intelligence services and, although he held
the position of Supreme Chief of said armed forces like all Presidents
of the Republic, the operations of the military and the military
command's own professional decisions obviously could not have
been handed over to him." This completely ignores the reality
of the Peruvian situation. The Peruvian government under Fujimori
was totally controlled by the personalistic and neo-populist
head of what the US Department of State's human rights report
called the "overwhelmingly dominate executive branch,"
Alberto Fujimori. Furthermore, Montesinos' promotions ensured
that the military was completely loyal to the Fujimori regime. In what may be one of the most astounding statements, the decision states that Fujimori cannot be held responsible for the infamous Amnesty Laws which, before being declared invalid by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, gave total amnesty to any member of the Peruvian government who had been accused of, tried for, found guilty of, or jailed for human rights abuses. The judge's reasoning? The law had been approved by Congress and "it is entering the land of presumptions to estimate that the president had exercised political influence" on the same Congress that he had militarily attacked, disbanded, packed with supporters, and bribed. Furthermore, in what can only be described as a ridiculous degree of hair-splitting, the judge dismisses the decisions of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights regarding Fujimori's role in two massacres, because the Court sentenced only "the Peruvian State," "the Executive Branch," and "the Presidency of the Republic" without specifically using the name of the one man who led those three organisms: Alberto Fujimori. Only a day after the decision
was released, Peru filed an appeal to Chile's Supreme Court.
It is widely expected that the Supreme Court, comprised of several
liberals, will be more sympathetic to Peru's extradition request.
However, don't hold your breath waiting for Fujimori to pay for
his crimes. The Supreme Court has historically upheld the great
majority of lower court decisions. What's more, Fujimori has
announced that he will run for the Japanese Senate on the ticket
of a small right-wing party that, ironically considering Fujimori's
embrace of free-market capitalism, was founded to oppose the
privatization of Japan's postal service. If he wins the election,
he is sure to argue that as a Japanese senator, he has diplomatic
immunity. Michael Baney recently graduated from the School
of Public Affairs at American University in Washington, DC.
He currently lives in Lima, Peru and works at an intern for APRODEH,
the Pro-Human Rights Association of Peru. He can be reached
at baney@alum.american.edu
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CounterPunch Books of the Crossroads: HOW THE IRISH INVENTED SLANG By Daniel Cassidy  Click Here to Buy! How the Press Failed The Gang's All Here: Judy Miller, Bob Woodward, Rupert Murdoch, Bill O'Reilly...End Times Leaves No Reputation Unstained!  Buy End Times Now! CounterPunch Books! Saul Landau's Bush and Botox World with a Foreword by Gore Vidal  Click Here to Order!  Michael Neumann's Devastating Rebuttal of Alan Dershowitz Grand Theft Pentagon: Tales of Greed and Profiteering in the War on Terror by Jeffrey St. Clair           The Occupation by Patrick Cockburn   Humanitarian Imperialism By Jean Bricmont               CITY BEAUTIFUL By Tennessee Reed        Bruce Springsteen On Tour By Dave Marsh                   |
