Amendment Requiring Report on Efforts to Overthrow Democratic Governments

[struggle4progress]

House Accepts Lee Amendment Requiring Report on Efforts to Overthrow Democratic Governments

California Political Desk
April 26, 2006

(Washington, DC) - Today, the House approved a measure introduced by Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) that would require the White House to submit classified reports on any efforts to overthrow democratically elected governments.

"I offer this amendment to support and protect our efforts to support democratic movements and to help ensure our actions are consistent with our values," said Lee. "Actions that undermine democracies also undermine our credibility in the world and therefore our ability to be viewed as serious and legitimate agent of democracy."

Lee's amendment to the Intelligence Authorization bill would require the President to submit a report to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees describing any authorization granted over the last ten years to engage in intelligence activities related to the overthrow of a democratically elected government. It was designed to increase transparency and access to information, yet maintain the classified nature of the information as it provides for review by members in a classified setting. The amendment was accepted on a voice vote.

Lee, who is the most senior Democratic woman on the House International Relations Committee and Co-Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Haiti Task Force, introduced legislation in the last two Congresses to create an independent, bipartisan commission to investigate the role of the Bush administration's role in the overthrow of the democratically elected government of Jean-Bertrand Aristide in February of 2004.

http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=8720

[magellan]

1. Yes, we'd all like to know more about Bush**'s role in this.

And it's time for answers. Go, Congresswoman Lee!

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. I say we start with the shenanigans that took place in the 2000 & 2004

election!

[EC]

20. This went all the way back to Bush I

remember Dole was the projected winner, then the DRE counting machines (Carlye Group I believe, or some other Republican)and Bush I got the nom...

[Judi Lynn]

2. What a concept! I'm sure she'll want to include Venzuela, as well.

Everything _Bush has done since he stole the pResidency has been dead wrong. It ALL needs to be voided.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

3. Congresswoman Barbara Lee ...

I salute you! :patriot:

[Selatius]

4. They should investigate the US role in the coup in Venezuela, too! n/t

[meow2u3]

6. They also should probe the GOP role in the US coup

Oops, I forgot. You can't expect neocons to police themselves. :shrug:

[dweller]

5. outstanding!

hold them accountable.

:kick: & R!

dp

[rpannier]

7. Well you noticed how rummy threw in this part on Venezuela

"Even Hitler was elected."

[Kagemusha]

8. They'll just define 'democratically' out of existence

Elections not up to US standards (Ha! Ha!) will simply not count.

[reichstag911]

15. "Down to US standards,..."

...I think you mean. :cry:

[IA_Seth]

17. I think you are exactly right..

Unfortunately that was my first thought as well. While this sounds absolutley terrific at a glance, and would be great as a tool to help check this and future President's, I can just see the whole thing being nullified by statements such as "not a truly democratic regime" and "election are not verified or acknowledged by the global (read -US) community".

Maybe the last 5 years has made me too cynical, but it just seems like this will be a feel good bill that will be walked around.

[IndyOp]

9. Haiti - C. Lee is going after information on the coup in Haiti

in which U.S. agents ousted Jean Bertrande Aristide...

Beyond that - go! But I think her target (given that the article mentions she is Co-Chair of the CBC Haiti Task Force) is Haiti...

[Judi Lynn]

12. Hope she'll realize this means no small planes, ever again!

She's entering a truly dangerous area. They wouldn't think twice about helping her disappear, I'm sure.

Any President who would unleash the mad dog killers on a population the way _Bush did, then surround the country with ships to keep the ones in eminent danger from escaping, detaining them in their small boats and feeding them back into the slaughterhouse is NOT as humane as he wants people to think.

[arikara]

18. I hope they come out with the goods on

the Canadian government too because they were complicit in the Haitian coup along with the US. Our gov't is owned by the corporations too they are just more sneaky with their manipulations.

[rman]

11. past 10 years? need to cover the past 55 years

Ever since WW2 US foreign policy has been about nothing but overthrowing democratic governments and replacing them with RW military dictatorships that "have US interests at heart".

[Canuckistanian]

13. Iran is a classic example

The democratically elected Iranian government was overthrown by a CIA-backed coup back in 1953.

See "Operation Ajax"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Ajax

This was the coup that brought in Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran and the bloodiest regime in Iran's history. American administrations right up to Nixon vigorously supported and armed the Shah's government.

The CIA and Mossad even helped to create and fund SAVAK, the murderous Iranian security agency whose duty it was to quash political oppostion to the Shah.

Western powers have been interfering with Iran throughout the 20th century.

No wonder Iranians want to protect themselves.

[rman]

14. Thanks,

I know about Iran, but i didn't know that plot to has a name.

[reichstag911]

16. For greater depth, check out...

...Stephen Kinzer's All the Shah's Men. He's also done a book on our antidemocratic Guatemalan adventure. Check http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=br_ss_hs/103-6310346-2576623?platform=gurupa&url=index%3Dstripbooks%3Arelevance-above&keywords=stephen+kinzer for Amazon's catalog of Kinzer's work -- good stuff.

[EC]

19. This made it through the House?

I wonder if it will cover the atempted overthrow of Clinton, or if it's just for foriegn countries..

[jamesinca]

21. make it 25 years not 10

I would like to know what Reagan did to Central and South America.