Dude, Where's My Country?!? Revelations on Ashcroft

Yep, I bought the new Micheal Moore book (the edition printed for distribution outside the US, so it's uncensored!). I have to say, there's some absolutely scary sh*t in there.

For example, here is one particularly disgusting bit of treachery by John Ashcroft that I missed out on (probably because the US media barely reported it). After more than a hundred suspected terrorists were rounded up in the month following the September 11th attacks, Ashcroft stopped the FBI from running background checks to see if any of the people who'd been arrested had purchased firearms recently. He claimed, despite the fact that these people had already been denied the right to a lawyer, the right to remain silent, and most other rights we all take (or used to take) for granted, that the US government didn't have the right to keep people, even people in custody for being possible terrorists, from buying weapons! Then, when his own Justice Department officials researched the issue and determined that the government DID have the right to do the checks, Ashcroft suppressed the report.

Finally, in a horrible irony that again went unreported by the US media, Ashcroft appeared in Congress in December of 2001 before the Judiciary Committeeand and berated "liberals" for whinning about civil liberties being withdrawn to fight terror. He said that they were "providing ammunition to the enemy..." and added, "To those who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of 'lost liberty', my message is this: Your tactics only aid terrorists."

This comment is the pinnacle of hypocrisy coming from the very man who defended the suspected terrorists rights to buy and own assault rifles. But the hypocrisy doesn't stop there. Ashcroft, in the same hearing, indicated an Al-Quaida training manual and said ominously "al Quaida terrorists are told how to use America's freedoms as weapons against us."

Indeed: The Violence Policy Center reports that one al Qauida manual, "Firearms training for jihad in America" instructs al Quaida "soldiers" specifically on how to use the US's lax gun laws to kill Americans. A few exerpts:

"(in the USA) firearms training is available to the general public. One should try to join a shooting club if possible and make regular visits to the firing range."

"Useful courses to learn are sniping...Handgun courses are useful, but only after you've mastered rifles."

"If you live in such a country [that allows citizens to own assualt weapons, and the US was previously specifically mentioned], obtain an assault rifle legally, preferably an AK-47..."

"Repsect the laws of the country you are in and avoid dealing in illegal firearms...Learn the most of what you can according to your circumstances and leave the rest to when you actually go for jihad."

So, as Moore asks in his book, why--when the Bush administration is recinding the Bill of Rights for suspected terrorists right and left--why are they bending over backwards to ensure that they DON'T encroach on their right to bear arms?

(all quotes courtesy of Moore's Dude, Where's My Country)