Huzzah! It took a reporter’s question, but the U.S. State Department at least appears to have Iraq’s gay torture on its radar: “Well, let me say that, in general, we absolutely condemn acts of violence and human rights violations committed against individuals in Iraq because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. This is an issue that we’ve been following very closely since we have been made aware of these allegations, and we are aware of the allegations. Our training for Iraqi security forces includes instruction on the proper observance of human rights. Human rights training is also a very important part of our and other international donors’ civilian capacity-building efforts in Iraq. And the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad has raised and will continue to raise the issue with senior officials from the Government of Iraq, and has urged them to respond appropriately to all credible reports of violence against gay and lesbian Iraqis.” —State Department spokesman Ian Kelly at a press briefing yesterday (via)
U.S. State Department Finally Acknowledges Gays are Being Tortured In Iraq
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Richard in DC
The more I read about the State Department, the more I think we made a horrible mistake in the Democratic Primary.
TheJohnV
I’ll second that. Obama is MIA on civil rights issues – how ironic considering his parents marriage. And so the opppressed become the oppressors via their complicit silence.
galefan2004
@Richard in DC: Speak for yourself (said with all due respect). I voted for Clinton in the primary, and I never wanted Obama as it was. I voted him because the choices were Obama or McCain, and I wasn’t about to go with McCain.
Bill Perdue
It’s more than a little two-faced for Hillary Clintons’ DoS to blame the Iraqi police and militia, who the US military command arms and trains, for violating civil and humanitarian rights.
The US is solely and directly responsible for arming, training and unleashing the jihadists who hunt down and murder GLBT folks. The jihadists after all are merely imitating the US government’s international campaign of kidnapping, torture and murder. Obama is continuing those policies, begun by Clinton and continued by Bush, without let up. Bill Clinton is responsible for the deaths of roughly half a million children who died as a direct result of his embargo on food, medicine and sanitary supplies. Bush rehashed Clinton’s lies about WMDs, supported by Biden and Hillary Clinton, to invade and occupy Iraq. Obama is continuing the occupation until the oil is secured and expanding the war, Nixon-like to other nations.
There is no aspect of the vast murder of civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan that does not directly flow from the aggressive wars and occupations by Clinton, Bush and Obama aimed at oil hegemony.
People who voted for Obama got McCain anyway. With Democrats like Obama, Biden and the Clintons who really needs Republicans?
fruxforte
All you guys ever do is whine, even when Obama does something good. Relax. He’s being strategic.
fruxforte
The few things Obama has done for us so far are still a lot better than the zero things McCain would’ve done for us.
Bill Perdue
@fruxforte: Strategic? So were LBJ and Nixon. They were ‘strategic’ all over Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. They were defeated militarily and run out of the White House.
BTW, not that it matters, but who did you say you worked for? CIA? Shell? DIA. Chevron? NSA. DoD? BP? DoS? Haliburton?
bigjake75
@fruxforte: my ass he is being strategic. The little that is happening is because of all the pressure from us a few in the media. If the pressure was not on, nothing would happen. He can end dadt immediately, and by that act of leadership, blow down so obstacles to full equality. He will only act when pushed, and then will take credit for doing the right thing. and people like you will be there to cheer him on as a hero. shameful.
Sick of Whining Bitches
7 posts on this thread? 7?! And 2 of them comparing Obama to Nixon? Give me a fucking break! Not even a few “better later than nevers?” If this was a post pointing out something the administration did WRONG, there would be 100+ screeching posts….They do something right, nothing.
I actually feel sorry for Hauslaib sometimes, as some of the site can be fun, but Queerty wingnuts are the joke of the blogosphere…can you attract any new, sane, posters on the site? Publishing balanced reports such as this, nobody posts. Rock and a hard place. Then again, you kind of brought it on yourself.
InExile
Once again Hillary pulls through with flying colors for the LGBT community. Hillary Clinton is a shinning beacon of true leadership in the state department, she did not forget about us once appointed as Secretary Of State. Leadership, courage, intelligence, character, and deep inner strength always guides Hillary to do the right thing! If only we could clone her and replace the spineless self serving democrats that make promises and never deliver!
Steve
@Richard in DC: If the Democrats had nominated Hillary, we would have a Republican president today.
InExile
@Steve: Yes a Republican who keeps her promises to the LGBT community!
benwa
I was a delegate for Hillary and when I saw how ugly I was treated by Obama’s delegates, I knew then and there I would never vote for him, but effe that if you think I then had to vote for McCain. I did not. Third party all the way, and the more people vote for a third party the more the other two are shaken up and will start to get their stuff together. I’m not one who thinks everything needs to be fixed in one year, there are 3 more years in this admin., but at least he could do is talk about his plans so people could shutup or help advise. Saying and doing nothing brings on angry people, and when people are angry they tend to want to bring you down.
Bob
We don’t want ‘a few things done for us’. These few things (what exactly are they?) are not what was promised for our votes. Obama is a tue-faced rat and will never get my vote again!!!
Bill Perdue
@Sick of Whining Bitches: No matter what name you post under you remain a disgusting and particularly clueless shill for Obama’s war of genocide for oil.
You’re not doing your employers at the DNC any good because even your invective (which really is all you’ve got) is trite, copied from your betters and inept. Why not find some pro-war pro-Obama blog to post your simpering Obot drivel.
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@InExile: Hillary Clinton is a religious nut. What makes you think she’d be an improvement over McCain or Obama?
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2007/09/hillarys-prayer-hillary-clintons-religion-and-politics
[img]http://www.motherjones.com/files/resized/files/legacy/news/feature/2007/09/hillarys-prayer-251×300.300wide.359high.jpg[/img]