Whitey Bulger gets life for racketeering, killings

Whitey Bulger gets life for racketeering, killings
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In this courtroom sketch, James “Whitey” Bulger sits at his sentencing hearing in federal court in Boston, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013. Bulger was convicted in August in a broad indictment that included racketeering charges in a string of murders in the 1970s and ’80s, as well as extortion, money-laundering and weapons charges. (AP Photo/Jane Flavell Collins)

In this courtroom sketch, James “Whitey” Bulger sits at his sentencing hearing in federal court in Boston, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013. Bulger was convicted in August in a broad indictment that included racketeering charges in a string of murders in the 1970s and ’80s, as well as extortion, money-laundering and weapons charges. (AP Photo/Jane Flavell Collins)

In this courtroom sketch, Steven Davis, second right, brother of slain Debra Davis, is comforted by his wife, right, as he testifies at the sentencing hearing for James “Whitey” Bulger, left, at federal court in Boston, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013. Bulger was convicted in August in a broad indictment that included racketeering charges in a string of murders in the 1970s and ’80s, as well as extortion, money-laundering and weapons charges. Jurors could not agree whether Bulger was involved in Debra Davis’ killing. (AP Photo/Jane Flavell Collins)

Sean McGonagle, the son of James “Whitey” Bulger victim Paul McGonagle, speaks with reporters after a sentencing hearing for Bulger at federal court in Boston, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013. Bulger was convicted in August in a broad indictment that included racketeering charges in a string of murders in the 1970s and ’80s, as well as extortion, money-laundering and weapons charges. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

David Wheeler, left, son of Roger Wheeler, speaks with reporters next to his attorney, Frank Libby Jr., after a sentencing hearing for James “Whitey” Bulger at federal court in Boston, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013. Bulger was convicted in August in a broad indictment that included racketeering charges in a string of murders in the 1970s and ’80s, as well as extortion, money-laundering and weapons charges. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Steven Davis, center, brother of slain Debra Davis, speaks with reporters after James “Whitey” Bulger’s sentencing hearing at federal court in Boston, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013. Bulger was convicted in August in a broad indictment that included racketeering charges in a string of murders in the 1970s and ’80s, as well as extortion, money-laundering and weapons charges. Jurors could not agree whether Bulger was involved in Debra Davis’ killing. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

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BOSTON (AP) — Former Boston crime boss James “Whitey” Bulger was sentenced Thursday to life in prison for his murderous reign in the 1970s and ’80s, bringing to a close a case that exposed FBI corruption so deep that many people across the city thought he would never be brought to justice.

Bulger, 84, was defiant to the end, calling his trial on racketeering charges a sham and refusing to testify or provide information to probation officials preparing a sentencing report for the judge.

A jury convicted Bulger in August in a broad racketeering indictment that included murder, extortion, money-laundering and weapons charges. The jury convicted Bulger in 11 of the 19 killings he was charged with participating in but acquitted him of seven and could not reach a conclusion on an eighth.

Judge Denise Casper heard testimony Wednesday from a dozen relatives among the 19 slaying victims. They called him a terrorist, a punk and even Satan. Prosecutors called him a sociopath.

On Thursday, Casper delivered a blistering speech before sentencing Bulger to two consecutive life sentences plus five years, as prosecutors had requested.

She called his crimes “almost unfathomable” and the human suffering he inflicted “agonizing to hear” and “painful to watch.” She said at times during the trial she wished she and everyone else in the courtroom were watching a movie, because the horror described seemed unreal.

She read off the names of Bulger’s 11 victims. “Each of these lives came to an unceremonious end at your hands or at the hands of others at your direction,” Casper said.

Bulger stood and folded his hands in front of him, expressionless, as the judge imposed his sentence. Relatives of the victims remained quiet.

His attorney Hank Brennan promised an appeal of the conviction, though he didn’t say on what grounds. He railed against the plea deals given to Bulger associates who testified against him.

“Why in the world do we have a handful of murderers walking the streets?” Brennan asked.

U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz said prosecutors had to make difficult decisions to get Bulger, who they believe was the organization’s kingpin.

“Was it worth it? I believe so, but it’s not something you enjoy doing,” Ortiz said. She added that Bulger “deserves nothing less than to spend the rest of his life in prison for the harm, the pain and the suffering that he has caused to say many in this town.”

Bulger, the inspiration for Jack Nicholson’s sinister character in the 2006 movie “The Departed,” was seen for years as a Robin Hood figure who bought Thanksgiving turkeys for working-class South Boston residents and kept hard drugs out of the neighborhood. But that image was shattered when authorities started digging up bodies more than a decade ago.

Prosecutors at his two-month trial portrayed him as a cold-blooded, hands-on boss who killed anyone he saw as a threat, along with innocent people who happened to get in the way.

Corrupt Boston FBI agents protected Bulger for years while he worked simultaneously as a crime boss and an FBI informant who ratted out the rival New England Mafia and other crime groups.

Former Boston FBI agent John Connolly Jr. — Bulger’s handler when he was an informant — was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted of tipping him off ahead of an indictment. After receiving the tip in 1994, Bulger fled Boston and remained a fugitive for more than 16 years until he was captured in Santa Monica, Calif., in 2011.

Connolly was later convicted of second-degree murder in Florida for leaking information to Bulger that led to the slaying of a gambling executive.

Tommy Donahue, whose father, Michael, was killed by Bulger said he had been waiting 31 years for someone to be convicted for it.

“That old bastard is finally going to prison. He’s going to die in prison,” he said.

Associated Press

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Lawless Drone Killings

Two UN reports highlight the problem. More on them below.

Sixteen-year-old Malala Yousafzai is an activist for women’s education, a blogger, and Sakharov Prize winner. She’s a Pakistan National Youth Peace Prize recipient.

She was a 2013 Nobel Peace Prize nominee. Desmond Tutu nominated her for the International Children’s Peace Prize. On October 16, Canada said it plans to grant her honorary citizenship.

Obama invited her to the White House. Perhaps he wishes he hadn’t. She took full advantage. She didn’t hold back. “(D)rone attacks are fueling terrorism” she said.

“Innocent victims are killed in these acts, and they lead to resentment among the Pakistani people.”

Predator drones sanitize killing on the cheap. Remote warrior teams operate computer keyboards and multiple monitors.

They murder by remote control. They target faceless victims. They kill indiscriminately. They do so unaccountably.

Drones are instruments of state terror. Studies show mostly innocent civilians are killed. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

A previous article discussed a joint Stanford University International Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Clinic (SU)/New York University School of Law Global Justice Clinic (NYU) report.

It’s titled “Living Under Drones.” The dominant Washington narrative claims drone strikes are precise and effective. Targeted killings “minimi(ze) downsides or collateral impacts,” it says. Doing so makes America safer, it alleges.

False! Drone attacks kill indiscriminately. Mostly noncombatant civilians are affected. “Living Under Drones” exposes what Washington won’t say.

Obama’s a serial liar. He falsely claims drones haven’t “caused a huge number of civilian casualties. They’re targeted, focused at people who are on a list of active terrorists trying to go in and harm Americans.”

Hard evidence proves otherwise. On site investigations and eyewitness testimonies are damning.

According to SU/NYU:

“US drone strike policies cause considerable and under-accounted-for harm to the daily lives of ordinary civilians, beyond death and physical injury.”

“Drones hover twenty-four hours a day over communities in northwest Pakistan, striking homes, vehicles, and public spaces without warning.”

“Their presence terrorizes men, women, and children, giving rise to anxiety and psychological trauma among civilian communities.”

Official statements about drone killings keeping America safe are false. SU/NYU evidence shows at most only 2% of victims are high-value combatants.

Others are mostly innocent civilians. Drone killings fuel resentment. They facilitate anti-American recruitment. Most Pakistanis call America the enemy. So do people in other affected countries.

Professor Christof Heyns co-directs the University of Pretoria’s Institute for International and Comparative Law. He serves as UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions.

His September 13-dated UN report is titled “Extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.” It omits offender country names. He clearly holds Washington responsible.

“The expansive use of armed drones by the first states to acquire them, if not challenged, can do structural damage to the cornerstones of international security and set precedents that undermine the protection of life across the globe in the longer term,” he said.

“The use of drones by states to exercise essentially a global policing function to counter potential threats presents a danger to the protection of life, because the tools of domestic policing (such as capture) are not available, and the more permissive targeting framework of the laws of war is often used instead.”

On October 25, General Assembly member states will discuss Heyns’ report. It calls for obeying international law. According to Heyns:

“Drones come from the sky but leave the heavy footprint of war on the communities they target.”

“The claims that drones are more precise in targeting cannot be accepted uncritically, not least because terms such as ‘terrorist’ or ‘militant’ are sometimes used to describe people who are in truth protected civilians.”

“Armed drones may fall into the hands of non-state actors and may also be hacked by enemies or other entities.”

“In sum, the number of states with the capacity to use drones is likely to increase significantly in the near future, underscoring the need for greater consensus on the terms of their use.”

Protecting against clear imminent threats to life alone are permissible.

“The view that mere past involvement in planning attacks is sufficient to render an individual targetable, even where there is no evidence of a specific and immediate attack, distorts the requirements established in international human rights law.”

Countries may not consent “to the violation of their obligations under international humanitarian law or international human rights law.”

Reprieve is a UK-based human rights group. It’s legal director Kat Craig said:

“This report rightly states that (America’s) secretive drone war is a danger not only to innocent civilians on the ground but also to international security as a whole.”

“The CIA’s campaign must be brought out of the shadows: we need to see real accountability for the hundreds of civilians who have been killed – and justice for their relatives.”

“Among Reprieve’s clients are young Pakistani children who saw their grandmother killed in front of them. The CIA must not be allowed to continue to smear these people as ‘terrorists.’ “

Ben Emmerson is UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counterterrorism. His September 18-dated UN report is titled “Promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism.”

UN investigations identified dozens of US drone strikes causing civilian deaths and injuries. Doing so clearly violates international law.

Emmerson wants Washington to declassify relevant information. He wants more clarity on America’s drone attacks. His report discusses incidents in Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Pakistan and Gaza.

“While the fact that civilians have been killed or injured does not necessarily point to a violation of international humanitarian law, it undoubtedly raises issues of accountability and transparency,” he said.

Lack of information about CIA drone strikes creates “an almost insurmountable obstacle to transparency.”

“One consequence is that the United States has to date failed to reveal its own data on the level of civilian casualties inflicted through the use of remotely piloted aircraft in classified operations conducted in Pakistan and elsewhere.”

Obama lied saying “before any strike is taken, there must be near-certainty that no civilians will be killed or injured.” According to Emmerson:

If international laws are strictly followed, “remotely piloted aircraft (perhaps can) reduc(e) the risk of civilian casualties in armed conflict by significantly improving the situational awareness of military commanders.”

At the same time, “no clear international consensus” exists regarding drones used for targeted killing.

Washington must “further clarify its position on the legal and factual issues.”

It must “declassify, to the maximum extent possible, information relevant to its lethal extraterritorial counter-terrorism operations.”

It must “release its own data on the level of civilian casualties inflicted through the use of remotely piloted aircraft, together with information on the evaluation methodology used.”

It bears repeating. Drones are instruments of state terror. Killing is done extrajudicially. America bears most responsibility.

Obama’s kill list decides who, where and when. Human lives don’t matter. Nor do rule of law principles. Summary judgment means international, constitutional and US statute laws don’t apply.

Francis Boyle calls drone attacks “murders, assassinations, and extrajudicial executions.”

They constitute “a grave violation of international human rights law, the laws of countries where attacks take place, and US domestic law.

Pentagon/CIA drone attacks raise “serious problems of discriminating between civilians and insurgents engaged in armed conflict.”

The disproportionate number of civilians killed “raises the issue of war crimes accountability.”

Large numbers of civilian casualties suggests drones “can never be used in a manner consistent with the laws of war in actual war zones.”

According to Marjorie Cohn:

Unlawful drone strikes “not only undermine the rule of law, (they) prevent the United States from reasonably objecting when other countries (target their own) kill lists.”

“Obama’s ‘War on Al Qaeda has been used as an excuse to assassinate anyone anywhere in the world” on his say.

So-called “signature strikes” mean “bombs are being dropped on unidentified people (in areas) where (alleged) suspicious activity” exists or occurred.

Doing so “goes beyond the illegal practice of ‘targeted killing.’ People are being (indiscriminately) killed without even being an identified target.” Drone attacks violate well-established international law principles.

Former UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions Philip Alston calls targeted killings “intentional, premeditated, and deliberate use of lethal force (against individuals) not in the physical custody of the perpetrator.”

They constitute grave international law breaches. They’re war crimes. The 1996 US War Crimes Act (WCA) calls them “grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions” committed against people they protect.

WCA applies if either victims or perpetrators (to the highest levels of government) are US nationals or armed forces members.

Penalties call for either life imprisonment or death. America remains unaccountable. Obama’s war on humanity rages. Lawlessness begets more of it.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected]. 

His new book is titled “Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity.”

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs Fridays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour

http://www.dailycensored.com/lawless-drone-killings/

Global Research

Lawless Drone Killings

Docs: Dead marathon suspect tied to 2011 killings

BOSTON (AP) — Slain Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev was named as a participant in an earlier triple homicide by a man who was subsequently shot to death while being questioned by authorities, according to a filing made by federal prosecutors in the case against his brother, surviving bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

According to the filing made Monday, Ibragim Todashev told investigators Tamerlan Tsarnaev participated in a triple slaying in Waltham on Sept. 11, 2011.

In that case, three men were found in an apartment with their necks slit and their bodies reportedly covered with marijuana. One of the victims was a boxer and friend of Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

Todashev, a 27-year-old mixed martial arts fighter, was fatally shot at his Orlando home during a meeting with an FBI agent and two Massachusetts state troopers in May, authorities said. He had turned violent while being question, according to authorities.

The filing is prosecutors’ attempt to block Dzhokhar Tsarnaev from getting certain information from authorities, including investigative documents associated with the Waltham slayings.

“The government has already disclosed to Tsarnaev that, according to Todashev, Tamerlan Tsarnaev participated in the Waltham triple homicide,” prosecutors wrote.

According to prosecutors, the ongoing investigation into the 2011 slayings is reason not to allow Dzhokhar Tsarnaev access to the documents he’s seeking.

“Any benefit to Tsarnaev of knowing more about the precise ‘nature and extent’ of his brother’s involvement does not outweigh the potential harm of exposing details of an ongoing investigation into an extremely serious crime, especially at this stage of the proceeding,” prosecutors wrote.

Prosecutors also said Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is not entitled to the information because his brother’s criminal history will be relevant, if at all, only at a possible future sentencing hearing.

A phone message left for a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office was not immediately returned Tuesday night. A message left for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s federal public defender was also not immediately returned.

Authorities allege that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 20, and 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev, ethnic Chechens from Russia, planned and carried out the twin bombings near the finish of the marathon on April 15. Three people were killed and more than 260 were injured.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev faces 30 federal charges, including using a weapon of mass destruction and 16 other charges that carry the possibility of the death penalty.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev died in a gunbattle with police as authorities closed in on the brothers several days after the bombings.

Associated Press

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Docs: Dead marathon suspect tied to 2011 killings

[198] NSA Recruiting Fail, Gabon Ritual Killings, Egypt in Turmoil, Mos Def Gets Tortured

Bulger"s ex-partner to testify about killings

This pair of file photos shows Stephen “The Rifleman” Flemmi, left, on Sept. 22, 2008, as he testified in a Miami court in the murder trial of former FBI agent John Connolly; and James “Whitey” Bulger, right, in a June 23, 2011 booking photo provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. Flemmi, Bulger’s alleged former partner serving a life sentence after pleading guilty to 10 killings, is expected to testify in Bulger’s trial Thursday, July 18, 2013 in federal court in Boston. Bulger, now 83, is accused in a 32-count racketeering indictment and in playing a role in 19 killings in the 1970s and ‘80s while he allegedly led the Winter Hill Gang in Boston. (AP Photos/J. Pat Carter and U.S. Marshals Service, File)

This pair of file photos shows Stephen “The Rifleman” Flemmi, left, on Sept. 22, 2008, as he testified in a Miami court in the murder trial of former FBI agent John Connolly; and James “Whitey” Bulger, right, in a June 23, 2011 booking photo provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. Flemmi, Bulger’s alleged former partner serving a life sentence after pleading guilty to 10 killings, is expected to testify in Bulger’s trial Thursday, July 18, 2013 in federal court in Boston. Bulger, now 83, is accused in a 32-count racketeering indictment and in playing a role in 19 killings in the 1970s and ‘80s while he allegedly led the Winter Hill Gang in Boston. (AP Photos/J. Pat Carter and U.S. Marshals Service, File)

BOSTON (AP) — Stephen “The Rifleman” Flemmi barely scratched the surface of his long criminal relationship with James “Whitey” Bulger as he began what is expected to be hours of testimony against Bulger at his racketeering trial.

During his brief, 15 minutes of testimony Thursday, Flemmi said both he and Bulger were partners in the Winter Hill Gang, a violent Irish mob. He also said he and Bulger were longtime FBI informants who squealed on the rival Mafia as well as assorted criminals in South Boston.

But court recessed for the day before prosecutors had a chance to ask Flemmi about Bulger’s role in numerous killings Bulger is accused of orchestrating or committing.

Flemmi is due back on the witness stand Friday.

As court ended Thursday, the 79-year-old Flemmi, with his hands on his hips, glared at Bulger as he waited to be taken away by federal marshals. The two men then snarled what sounded like obscenities at each other.

It was their first meeting in nearly two decades.

Flemmi said he hasn’t seen Bulger since about a week before Christmas in 1994. That was when they got tipped off by John Connolly, their former FBI handler, that they were about to be indicted.

Bulger fled Boston and was one of the nation’s most-wanted fugitives for more than 16 years until he was captured in Santa Monica, Calif., in 2011.

Flemmi was arrested and has been in prison ever since.

Flemmi said he was with Bulger and heard him give information to Connolly “hundreds of times” over 15 years.

“Who did most of the talking at these meetings?” prosecutor Fred Wyshak asked.

“James Bulger,” Flemmi replied.

That comment seemed to rankle Bulger, who insists that he was never an informant and told people that being a “rat” was the worst thing anyone could do, according to testimony.

Prosecutors said Bulger and Flemmi ran the Winter Hill Gang for more than 20 years, making millions by extorting drug dealers, bookmakers and loan sharks.

Bulger is accused of participating in 19 killings during the 1970s and ’80s. Flemmi pleaded guilty to 10 killings, extortion, drug distribution and other charges. He is serving a life sentence.

Before Flemmi took the stand Thursday, word spread through the courtroom that a former Boston liquor store owner who had hoped to testify against Bulger and openly despised him had been found dead. Authorities said a jogger discovered the body of 59-year-old Stephen “Stippo” Rakes in the woods along a street Wednesday in Lincoln, Mass.

Prosecutors said an autopsy Thursday found no signs of trauma. Investigators trying to establish the cause of death were awaiting toxicology results.

Bulger is accused of forcing Rakes and his former wife to sell their store in 1984 to use as a headquarters for his gang and as a source of legitimate income.

Kevin Weeks, Bulger’s former protege, gave a differing account when he testified last week. Weeks said Rakes wanted to sell the store, agreed to a price and then tried to increase that price.

Friends said Rakes was eager to testify against Bulger.

“The day I see him in a box, not breathing, will be better,” Rakes told The Associated Press in April.

But it appeared earlier this week that prosecutors had decided not to call Rakes as a witness after all. When they listed their remaining witnesses for the judge, Rakes was not among them.

Associated Press

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Bulger"s ex-partner to testify about killings