Bush's Executive Orders: Read the Fine Print

maha

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sat Aug-09-03 06:14 AM
Original message

Bush's Executive Orders: Read the Fine Print

Behind our backs and outside the view of the "news media," President Bush is using executive orders to advance his personal agenda.

Last week I tried to sound an alarm in a late Friday night update to the August 1 Mahablog (scroll down). No response. But now a handful of newspaper columnists are picking up on this new end run around We, the People, so I'm going to try again.

The concern du jour is Executive Order 13303, otherwise known as Executive Order Protecting the Development Fund for Iraq and Certain Other Property in Which Iraq Has An Interest of May 22, 2003. According to Lisa Girion of the Los Angeles Times, the order gives blanket immunity from lawsuits and criminal prosecution to U.S. oil companies in connection to the sale of Iraqi oil. Read remainder ...

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

MGKrebs

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sat Aug-09-03 12:08 PM
Response to Original message

1. Heh.

You nailed it. I remember we were talking last week about the reauthorization of the sanctions, and it appeared that that would keep US companies from handling Iraqi oil. Well, you've found the yang that goes with the yin.

FWIW, I sent some of this info to a reporter at the Atlanta paper. No response yet.

There is enough of this crap going on to keep six special prosecutors busy for years.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

maha

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sat Aug-09-03 01:04 PM
Response to Reply #1

2. Thank you

I'm having a hard time getting anyone to pay attention to this. All help is appreciated!

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

scarletwoman

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sat Aug-09-03 09:46 PM
Response to Original message

3. Have you seen this from the SF Chronical?

As ordered,it's about oil -- by Ruth Rosen?

AN EXECUTIVE ORDER can be a surreptitious way of making policy. It often makes an end-run around Congress and frequently escapes the media's attention as well. It is, in short, a way of making policy by fiat.

<snip>

Here's what happened: On May 22, the U.N. Security Council passed Resolution 1438, which provided gas and oil companies in Iraq with limited immunity until Dec. 21, 2007. Their reason? To protect the flow of oil revenues into the development fund that will be used to reconstruct Iraq. The U.N. resolution, however, did not provide immunity from human rights violations or environmental damage. Nor did it protect any employee or any company after the oil was produced and extracted in Iraq.

Notice what President Bush changed when, on the same day, he issued Executive Order 13303 -- called "Protecting the Development Fund and Certain Other Property in Which Iraq Has an Interest." Unlike the U.N. resolution, the president's order appears to place U.S. corporations above the law for any activities related to Iraq oil, either in that country or in the United States.

It also declared a national emergency as the justification for sweeping aside all federal statues, including the Alien Tort Claims Act, and appears to provide immunity against contractual disputes, discrimination suits, violations of labor practices, international treaties, environmental disasters and human rights violations. Even more, it doesn't limit immunity to the production of oil, but also protects individuals, companies and corporations involved in selling and marketing the oil as well.

This IS some major sh*t! Thank you for YOUR efforts!

sw

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

LiberalFighter

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Aug-10-03 07:22 PM
Response to Reply #3

4. Then a end run needs to be done against it...

Let's see... this only applies to American interests. But it is in a foreign country and the laws for that country apply to any illegal activities. All that needs to happen is for the Iraqis to break any contracts made because they were not approved by the proper local authorities. And individuals installed by a foreign entity (American) would not have that authority.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

maha

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Aug-10-03 09:04 PM
Response to Reply #4

5. Help spread the word!

Very few of the "news media" have caught on to this yet. Please spread it around!

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

DU AdBot (1000+ posts)

Sun May 12th 2024, 07:14 PM
Response to Original message

Advertisements [?]

Top

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators

Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.