By Cynthia Papermaster

I’m still buzzing with adrenaline after telling Dick Cheney to his face today that he’s a mass murderer, torturer and war profiteer and he should be in prison. I never thought I would see him in the flesh, and was so nervous. After all these years of working to get him impeached and now prosecuted, this was like a dream come true– to confront him face to face with his crimes. It feels so good to have done this. As my friend Joe said “You did it for everyone. Thank you.”

Thanks to the expert skills of Nancy Mancias, she and I were able to get into the a private and exclusive investor conference at the aptly-named Palace Hotel in San Francisco, where Cheney was giving a keynote address to about 200 attendees. There he was, mere yards away from me, the Dick himself. I was oddly calm, and just working up the courage to speak out. First Cheney showed the audience his heart pump contraption, then he launched into a history lesson about 9/11 and how the Bush Administration had to adopt new tactics to fight terror. Nancy stood up and called Cheney out for maybe 30 seconds. I took some pictures as she was escorted out of the room. (Unfortunately, our video person was not able to get inside the event). Then Cheney started to talk about Khalid Sheikh Mohammed [who as we know was water boarded 183 times] so I stood up and loudly said, “Dick Cheney, you ordered waterboarding of KSM, a form of torture. You should be in prison for ordering American torture and inhumane treatment leading to at least 100 detainee deaths, including children. You lied to the nation about Iraq and sent thousands of troops to their deaths. You made money from the war for Halliburton and your oil industry cronies– you’re a war profiteer.” Oddly, security didn’t grab me immediately. The MC kept asking me to leave, and some in the audience were telling me to leave and shut up; finally a security person came over and showed me a convenient way out. I was escorted through the hotel to the elegant front entrance where a large group of people were marching, singing, and holding banners and posters saying “Arrest Cheney”. There was Joe, dressed in a black and white jail outfit wearing a Cheney mask. There were young folks from Occupy SF who all wanted to hug me. World Can’t Wait had a microphone and I was asked to give a report about what happened inside. Some San Francisco police were on hand, so I showed them the letter I had sent to the Chief of Police, Sheriff, and District Attorney asking them to arrest Cheney today. I told them that they had the jurisdiction and responsibility to do so, but sadly, the police declined to arrest him. Great day, great action, great pink presence.

Thanks to everyone who came out and participated, and especially to Nancy and Sanaa, who made my dream come true.

Human Rights Watch released a report stating that Bush and Cheney should be prosecuted for crimes of torture and indicated that President Obama has violated the law for not moving forward in prosecution. Watch the Real News Network interview with Michael Ratner, President at the Center for Constitutional Rights.

In preparation for the release of former Vice President Dick Cheney’s new book, “In My Time”, CODEPINK activists are taking action at local bookstores and moving his book to where it really belongs — the New Crime section. It’s scheduled to be released on August 30th. It’s legal. It’s fun. And it will make a difference in how people look at Cheney’s book and our history. Join the Facebook group.

With the 10th anniversary of 9/11 less than a month away, NYC will be the destination of choice for major US war criminals, including Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and John Yoo. Accountability activists, including CODEPINK are gearing up to protest the former Bush administration officials who brought us torture, indefinite detention, and trillion-dollar wars that have claimed countless Afghani, Iraqi and US lives. The activists feel they should be indicted and prosecuted for their crimes, not honored as speakers and special guests at symposia, memorials and fancy dinners. The brutality of the “war on terror” and the US wars of aggression are condemned both by the court of global public opinion and by international law, including the Geneva Conventions and the Convention against Torture.

U.S. Navy veteran and military contractor who is suing Donald Rumsfeld was interviewed on Democracy Now with Amy Goodman. Donald Vance describes in detail his situation in Iraq and the case against former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, which has been allowed in court to move forward.

Human Rights First senior associate Daphne Eviatar released a statement questioning the security of the U.S., ten years after 9/11. Eviatar writes, “We’re fighting three wars far from home. We’re on the brink of yet another financial crisis. We’re holding thousands of faceless prisoners indefinitely without charge around the world, and lack a solid plan for what to do with them.” She goes on to discuss the blank check given to the executive branch to pursue the “war on terror” and the cost to house a single prisoner of $700,000 at Guantanamo.

The Center for Justice and Accountability waged a suit claiming that psychologist John Francis Leso helped developed torture tactics that were eventually used on detainees held at Guantanamo. The suit was brought on by another psychologist named Steven Reisner, but the New York State courts ruled that Reisner could not force an investigation.

While speaking at the Aspen Security Forum, the former Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair called for an end to U.S. drone strikes. He also mentioned that the U.S. over spends billions on security and intelligence. Blair was confirmed in early January 2009 as Director of National Intelligence but was fired by President Obama in May 2010.

Activists in Canada are gearing up for a visit by former President George W. Bush working on efforts to have the former president arrested. Activists who made attempted citizens’ arrests will be in action as well as lawyers who are working on the legal angle.

The Chilcot inquiry keeps moving forward in its questioning of former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s decision to invade the country of Iraq. This fall, the inquiry is expected to be published and is set to challenge Blair’s evidence of Saddam containing weapons of mass destruction.

Touching on issues of Palestine, Afghanistan, Bradley Manning and Iraq, activists in Perth Australia held a lively protest outside a venue where Tony Blair was speaking. Watch as activists the confront local police!

While CODEPINK was making its presence known in Washington, DC, cofounder Medea Benjamin found herself face-to-face with former ambassador to the UN John Bolton. CODEPINK Confronts John Bolton

Bolton helped to launch an illegal war of aggression by disseminating false claims that Iraq was trying to obtain uranium “yellowcake” from Niger through the State Department while he was Under-Secretary of State for Arms Control.

To continue maintaining relationships with clients, mercenary contractor Xe, formerly known as Blackwater is moving its headquarters to Virginia. The office opened its doors on Monday on 19th and Kent in Rosslyn. Erik Prince is the former owner of Xe, whose mercenaries are complicit in murders and other misconduct in Iraq in addition to arms smuggling allegations.

In an amazing turn of events, an Army veteran working for a military contractor while in Iraq will be able to move forward in his case against former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. The veteran claims he was disappeared, tortured and released with no explanation while in Iraq.

Human right groups in Britain are boycotting an inquiry into the government’s role in the torture and extraordinary rendition program. The groups, some representing former Guantanamo detainees, claim the victims of these torture tactics will not be fully represented in the inquiry.

The campaign to seek an international arrest warrant for former Bush CIA General Counsel John Rizzo continues to make headlines. Reports show that lawyers from Pakistan and human rights organization Reprieve are looking into waging cases against other individuals including British officials.

A court in Washington DC has refused to re-open a Blackwater case of the shooting deaths of Iraqi civilians in 2007.  Blackwater was securing a convoy through Nisour Square in Baghdad where the incident took place bringing international outrage. Blackwater’s license to operate in Iraq was revoked by the government.

Criticism of President Barack Obama’s handling of Bush administration torture cases continues to mount. The Department of Justice announced it would close 99 out of 101 torture cases which took place after 9/11 under the Bush administration. Attorney General Holder has indicated he would not prosecute anyone who acted in “good faith”.

Activists held a protest outside the National Committee On US-China Relations in New York City where Henry Kissinger was giving a talk about his new book, Prescription on China.

Groups at the protest  included members of the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network, known as ETAN and CODEPINK Women for Peace.

Finally, reports show that Ehud Olmert and Tzipi Livni may face war crimes charges in Norway in their role in the Gaza offensive.

Former Guantanamo Navy photographer Elisah Dawkins who served in Iraq is facing deportation to the Bahamas and federal prosecution for lying on his U.S. passport application. Dawkins attended high school in Miami, went to nursing school and joined the Navy. While stationed at Guantanamo, he photographed the everyday life of detainees. On returning back to the U.S. from Guantanamo he was arrested by the F.B.I. Dawkins trial took place early this week where the community of Miami rallied in his support.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the Obama administration to investigate detainee abuses under the Bush administration. HRW released a 107-page report titled “Getting Away with Torture” providing background and operations of torture.  Attorney General Eric Holder has indicated the administration would not prosecute any U.S. officials who acted in ‘good faith’.

Former Tony Blair chief of staff’s partner writes a play about her life leading up to the Iraq invasion. Sarah Helm a long-partner to Blair chief of staff Jonathan Powell describes her opposition to the Iraq war and how the invasion changed her home life.

Blackwater (Xe) former and current employees claim they have evidence that the mercenary company overbilled the government $300 million. Blackwater is being sued for alleged contract fraud under a whistleblower lawsuit.

International arrest warrant is sought for former Bush CIA General Counsel John Rizzo. Rizzo is a current legal adviser to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) who has been complicit in torture, ill-treatment of detainees, the establishment of secret prisons, extraordinary and kidnapping and destruction of torture. The legal human rights organization Reprieve which is known for representing detainees at Guantanamo and death row and lawyers from Pakistan are leading the way in seeking an international arrest warrant. John Rizzo admitted in a Newsweek interview that he approved CIA drone strikes.

In what is considered an important case exposing the corruption and abuse of Iraq war profiteer Halliburton and subsidiary at the time Kellogg, Brown & Root (KBR), the alleged rape case of Jamie Leigh Jones was rejected by a jury in a Texas court.

Through her foundation, Jamie Leigh Jones is working to support victims of crimes abroad and holding those accountable who perpetrate the crimes.

Mercenary contractor Xe, formerly known as Blackwater, continues to remake itself, first, with bringing former Attorney General John Ashcroft on board and now the latest political figure to join the company is Jack Quinn. Quinn was the former White House counsel to Bill Clinton and chief of staff to Al Gore. Blackwater is recognized for its strong mercenary presence in Iraq, receiving large sums of government contracts to operate in Iraq from the State Department and the killing of innocent Iraqi civilians.

Former Bush chief of staff Andrew Card who helped coordinate the campaign for the invasion of Iraq has been named the acting dean of the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. Card has also joined a Chamber of Commerce road show with former Sen. Evan Bayh which is aimed at getting Democrats to support the Chamber.

Finally in this week in accountability, the New York Times endorsed the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) calls for the Obama administration to honor those who said no to torture.