Monday, August 28, 2006

The Group that Can’t Investigate Straight

Let me get this straight, the group that sat on their hands for a month blocking all international attempts to cease violence in Lebanon, the administration that approved a rush order of munitions to the aggressor, actually plans to conduct an investigation into Israel’s us of cluster bombs. This same group has a sorry history in conducting credible investigations.

Its Hurricane Katrina Lessons Learned report doesn’t come close to including the basics of an investigation as it leaves unclear who was responsible for what and how they performed. One might think a hospital with 24 patient deaths would warrant mention in the report, but The Carlyle Group’s LifeCare Hospitals got a free pass.

Numerous internal investigations remain “unfinished”, including the CIA agent leak. The Pat Tillman shooting death is on its 5th 6th iteration. It went from an ambush to a shooting by friendly fire.

Yes, this is the group looking into Israel’s use of cluster bombs, the weapons that keeps on maiming and killing. Want to bet the recipient of $2.4 billion in military aid gets a free pass? My money’s on that. With a wider conflict with Iran on the books there will be no Reagan like ban on selling the Israeli’s such weapons for 6 years.

U.S. Defense manufacturers need to keep sending the green to Republican candidates for their re-election campaigns. Reducing their revenue stream would be an unsightly thing for corporate profits. Companies making cluster bombs in America include AeroJet, Alliant Tech Systems, General Dynamics, L-3 Communications, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and Textron Defense Systems.

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