BUSH ON TRIAL

JUDGE

MR. JACKSON YOU MAY CALL YOUR FIRST WITNESS

JACKSON

THE PEOPLE CALL DR. CONDOLEEZA RICE

CONDI TAKES THE WITNESS STAND

MARSHAL

DO YOU SWEAR THAT YOU WILL GIVE TRUTHFUL AND HONEST TESTIMONY?

CONDI

ON THE ADVICE OF MY ATTORNEY, I INVOKE THE FIFTH AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES AND WILL REMAIN SILENT FROM THIS POINT ON. I WISH TO STATE FOR THE RECORD THAT I DO WISH TO TESTI……..

JACKSON

OBJECTION, YOUR HONOR----------WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED THAT DR. RICE WOULD TAKE THE 5TH!!!!

GEN. PATTON (STANDING UP)

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS, SHE KNOWS EVERYTHING, MAKE HER TESTIFY, DAMN IT

JUDGE

ORDER IN THIS COURT, GEN. PATTON PLEASE TAKE YOUR SEAT, DR. RICE ARE YOU REPRESENTED BY AN ATTORNEY?

CONDI

YES YOUR HONOR, MR. SULLIVAN IS IN THE COURTROOM

JUDGE

MR. SULLIVAN, PLEASE APPROACH THE BENCH

TEDDY ROOSEVELT

WHY I HAVE NEVER SEEN SUCH A THING, GET MY STICK… I’LL SHOW THAT WOMAN HOW TO TESTIFY TO THE TRUTH, WHAT KIND OF COUNTRY HAVE WE BECOME WHEN A PERSON CAN REFUSE TO GIVE TESTIMONY ABOUT ONE OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES OF THE DAY, GET MY STICK, HURRY!

JUDGE

MR. PRESIDENT PLEASE SIT DOWN AND LET ME SORT THIS OUT

JUDGE

MR. SULLIVAN, CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY THE COURT WAS NOT NOTIFIED THAT DR. RICE WOULD REFUSE TO TESTIFY?

MR. SULLIVAN

THE DECISION WAS ONLY MADE JUST BEFORE WE ENTERED THE COURTROOM, UP TO THAT TIME, I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT DR. RICE WOULD GIVE TESTIMONY, YOUR HONOR.

JUDGE

DR. RICE HAS INVOKED HER 5TH AMENDMENT RIGHTS UNDER OUR CONSTITUTION AND CANNOT BE MADE TO TESTIFY. I DO WARN THE DEFENSE THAT THEY WILL BE HELD IN CONTEMPT OF COURT IF THERE ARE ANY MORE SURPRISES.

MR. JACKSON DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER WITNESS READY OR DO YOU NEED A RECESS TO ARRANGE FOR YOUR NEXT WITNESS?

JACKSON

NO YOU HONOR WE WILL CALL OUR NEXT WITNESS, WHO IS IN COURT.

JUDGE

DR. RICE YOU ARE EXCUSED

BETSY (STANDING---WATCHING CONDI LEAVING)

I GAVE TWO HUSBANDS SO THAT THIS REPUBLIC COULD COME INTO EXISTENCE AND YOU SAY YOU WILL NOT TESTIFY? TEDDY, CAN I USE YOU STICK?

TEDDY

BETSY, TAKE YOUR SEAT, WE ALL KNOW THAT SOMEDAY THIS WOMAN WILL APPEAR BEFORE US AND WE WILL NOT WALK SOFTLY.

JUDGE

MR. JACKSON CALL YOUR NEXT WITNESS

JACKSON

THE PEOPLE CALL MR. DONALD RUMSFELD

RUMMY COMES FROM THE BACK OF THE COURTROOM AND TAKES THE WITNESS STAND

MARSHAL

DO YOU SWEAR THAT YOU WILL GIVE TRUTHFUL AND HONEST TESTIMONY

RUMMY

I DO SO SWEAR UNDER GOD AND IN THE MEMORY OF 911

JACKSON

MR. RUMSFELD, WOULD YOU TELL THE COURT IN WHAT CAPACITY YOU SERVED PRESIDENT BUSH?

RUMSFELD

WELL, YOU SEE YOU NEED TO BE A LITTLE MORE SPECIFIC, I WAS THE 13TH AND 21ST SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, I WAS ALSO THE WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF AND OF COURSE, ONE SHOULD NOT FORGET THAT I WAS A US AMBASSADOR TO NATO, SPENT SOME TIME IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.-------- WOULD YOU REPEAT YOUR QUESTION?

JACKSON (ANNOYED)

WHAT JOB DID YOU HOLD DURING THE PRESIDENCY OF THE 43RD PRESIDENT?

RUMMY

I WAS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

JACKSON

YOU HELD THAT POSITION UNTIL JANUARY OF 2005 IS THAT CORRECT?

RUMMY

YES, THAT SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT, HOWEVER, THERE WAS A TRANSITION PERIOD WHEN I WAS SHARING INFORMATION WITH THE NEW TEAM COMING INTO THE WHITE HOUSE WHO OF COURSE WOULD BE TAKING OVER IN JANUARY OF 2005. I AM NOT SURE IF YOU WISH TO COUNT THE TRANSITION PERIOD OR NOT,----------- DEPENDS ON ONES PERSONALITY I SUPPOSE.

JACKSON

CAN YOU TELL US THE FIRST TIME YOU DISCUSSED WITH ANYONE THE INVASION OF IRAQ?

RUMMY

THE FIRST TIME WE THOUGHT ABOUT THE INVASION OF IRAQ WAS DURING THE CLINTON ADMISTRATION, AFTER THE TERRORISTS ATTACKED OUR WONDERFUL SHIP USS COLE, KILLING MANY OF OUR BRAVE NAVY MEN. WE JUST KNEW THAT SADDAM MUST HAVE HAD A HAND IN THAT, BUT I THINK YOUR QUESTION HAD TO DO WITH WHEN DID I FIRST DISCUSS THE INVASION, ----WELL, I DON’T KNOW----TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION IT MAY HAVE BEEN------NO, WELL IF I HAD TO SAY OR PICK A DATE MAYBE IN 2000, SOMETIME DURING OUR FIRST YEAR IN OFFICE.

JACKSON

CAN YOU TELL US IF YOU HAD ANY DISCUSSION CONCERNING AL-QAIDA DURING THIS SAME TIME PERIOD?

RUMMY

MMMMMMM, WELL, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE DID HAVE SOME CONVERSATION WITH THE OUTGOING ADMINISTRATION CONCERNING Al-QAIDA, SECRETARY COHEN DID MENTION SOMETHING ABOUT OSAMA bin LADEN AND WE TOOK IT UNDER ADVISEMENT.

JACKSON

DID YOU RECEIVE INFORMATION THAT AL-QAIDA WAS PLANNING AN ATTACK AGAINST THE UNITED STATES AND THE ATTACK WOULD HAPPEN IN THE COMING MONTHS?

RUMMY

NO, WE HAD NO INFORMATION THAT AL-QAIDA WOULD FLY PASSENGER PLANES INTO THE TWIN TOWERS IN NEW YORK CITY DURING RUSH HOUR.

PATTON (STANDING AND LOOKING OVER AT IKE)

IKE, THIS SON OF A BITCH ON THE WITNESS STAND SOUNDS JUST LIKE THAT POMPOUS ASS MONTY, LET ME HAVE HIM FOR FIVE MINUTES ALONE AND HE WILL CUT THIS SHIT, HE WILL BE SAYING YES SIR AND NO SIR, JUST FIVE MINUTES IKE!

IKE

GEORGE SIT DOWN AND KEEP THAT MOUTH OF YOURS SHUT, DON’T YOU EVER LEARN?

JUDGE

PLEASE, ANSWER THE QUESTIONS DIRECTLY MR. RUMSFELD, OR I WILL CONSIDER GIVING GEN. PATTON FIVE MINUTES ALONE WITH YOU. CONTINUE YOUR QUESTIONING MR. PROSECUTOR.

JACKSON

DID YOU EVER RECEIVE INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE PRESIDENT OR THE VICE PRESIDENT TO PREPARE AN INVASION OF IRAQ-------YES OR NO PLEASE

RUMMY

YES

JACKSON

DID YOU RECEIVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE 9/11/2001

RUMMY

WELL-----------------------, YES

JACKSON

AFTER 9/11 WHAT WERE YOUR INSTRUCTIONS OR ORDERS CONCERNING RETALIATION?

RUMMY

I WAS ORDERED BY THE VICE PRESIDENT TO PREPARE FOR THE INVASION OF IRAQ, AND ALSO PREPARE FOR THE INVASION OF AFGHANISTAN.

JACKSON

WHY WERE YOU ORDERED TO PREPARE FOR THE INVASION OF IRAQ?

RUMMY

BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT AFTER AFGHANISTAN WE WOULD FINALLY BE ABLE TO INVADE IRAQ. ALL WE NEEDED TO DO WAS TIE 9/11 TO IRAQ AND WE COULD GO AND GET SADDAM.

JACKSON

DO YOU HAVE FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE WHY SECRETARY POWELL AND PRESIDENT BUSH WENT TO THE UN BEFORE WE INVADED IRAQ, WHEN AS YOU TESTIFIED THE DECISION WAS ALREADY MADE?

RUMMY

POWELL WANTED TO GO TO THE UN, I WAS AGAINST IT, AND THE PRESIDENT SAID WHAT THE HELL, YOU CAN USE THE TIME TO GET READY. THERE WAS NO POINT IN FIGHTING POWELL AND HIS WEENY WAY OF DOING THINGS. THE PRESIDENT WAS CORRECT, I DID NEED SOME TIME TO GET US READY FOR IRAQ. SO POWELL HELPED US OUT; WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT HE WAS SAYING TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL WAS GARBAGE. SO WE LET HIM GO.

JURY (MOVES AROUND AND LOOKS AT EACH OTHER IN DISBELIEF)

JACKSON

YOU ARE TESTIFYING THAT YOU AND PRESIDENT BUSH KNEW THAT WHAT SEC. POWELL WAS TELLING THE MEMBERS OF THE UNITED NATIONS WAS UNTRUE, OR AS YOU STATED-------GARBAGE?

RUMMY

WELL, THE INTEL WAS SO VAST AND SO CONFUSING THAT IT DIDN’T TAKE A ROCKET SCIENTIST TO PRESENT WHATEVER YOU WANTED. WE WANTED TO INVADE IRAQ, AND THAT IS WHAT OUR INTEL WOULD SHOW, NO DOUBTING THOMASES WERE ALLOWED NEAR THE PRESIDENT.

JACKSON

LET ME ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS ABOUTTHE ALLEGED TORTURE OF PRISONERS IN IRAQ-----WHEN DID YOU FIRST BECOME AWARE THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM AT ABU GHRAIB?

RUMMY

WELL, WE KNEW WE HAD PROBLEMS IN CUBA, BUT WE WERE OK THERE BECAUSE WE WERE OUTSIDE THE JURISDICTION OF THE FEDERAL COURTS, AND OF COURSE, WE CONTROLLED WHO CAME INTO THE CAMP. WE LEFT THE INTERROGATORS ALONE AND LET THEM DO THEIR THING. WE WANTED INFORMATION AND TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH I DID NOT CARE HOW WE GOT IT, AS LONG AS WE GOT IT. SOME OF THE INTEL PEOPLE WERE SENT TO IRAQ TO HELP, BECAUSE OUR PEOPLE OVER THERE WERE NOT GETTING THE JOB DONE. WE STARTED TO HEAR RUMORS ABOUT A FEW SOLDIERS GOING TOO FAR, I THINK THERE WERE A FEW PRISONERS WHO DIED.

JACKSON

IF YOU HAVE FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE, WHEN DID PRESIDENT BUSH LEARN OF THE ALLEGATIONS OF TORTURE?

RUMMY

FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE, WELL, ------------- I SUPPOSE ONE COULD SAY HE WAS INFORMED ALONG WITH THE VP AND MYSELF WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT SOME DIFFICULTIES IN CUBA

JACKSON

THERE WERE A NUMBER OF SUICIDES AT THE PRISON CAMP IN CUBA, IS THAT CORRECT?

RUMMY

YES

JACKSON

DO YOU KNOW THE NUMBER OF SUICIDES ?

RUMMY

NO

JACKSON

IF I WAS TO SAY OVER 30, WOULD THAT BE A FAIR NUMBER GIVEN WHAT YOU DO KNOW?

RUMMY

I HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY COMMITTED SUICIDE

JACKSON

DID YOU KEEP ANY RECORDS OF THE NUMBER OF SUICIDES?

RUMMY

I AM SURE THERE ARE RECORDS, BUT I DID NOT KEEP TRACK OF THE TALIBAN OR AL-QAIDA WHO WANTED TO DIE, IT WAS JUST ONE LESS PRISONER TO TAKE CARE OF,----------FEEDING AND THINGS LIKE THAT

JACKSON

DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PRISONERS YOU HAD AT CAMP X-RAY, IN CUBA?

RUMMY

ANYWHERE FROM 600 TO 1000 DEPENDING ON THE COMING AND GOING OF THE PRISONERS, AVERAGE ABOUT 700 OR SO, -----I THINK THAT MAY BE ABOUT RIGHT

JACKSON

DURING PRESIDENT BUSH’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS TO THE NATION HE TALKED OF AL-QAIDA MEMBERS BEING ARRESTED OR MEETING A DIFFERENT FATE. HE WENT ON TO SAY LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY, IN A TONE THAT APPALLED

MANY, THEY ARE NO LONGER A PROBLEM TO THE UNITED STATES AND OUR FRIENDS AND ALLIES,---------- DO YOU REMEMBER THAT STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT?

RUMMY

I DO NOT REMEMBER EVERYTHING THAT THE PRESIDENT TALKED ABOUT DURING THAT SPEECH, BUT THAT SOUNDS ABOUT CORRECT.

JACKSON

CONCERNING THE TREATMENT OF THE PRISONERS, DID YOU TAKE THAT STATEMENT AS CONFIRMATION THAT YOU WERE ALLOWED A LOT OF LATITUDE WHEN INTERROGATING PRISONERS?

RUMMY

WELL,----------------LET ME THINK--------WE DID NOT CONDONE TORTURE.

JACKSON

DID YOU AUTHORIZE “STRESS AND DURESS”, INCLUDING SLEEP DEPRIVATION, DENIAL OF MEDICATION FOR BATTLE INJURIES, FORCING THEM TO STAND OR KNEEL FOR HOURS WITH HOODS ON, SUBJECTING THEM TO LOUD NOISES AND SUDDEN FLASHES OF LIGHT AND ENGAGING IN CULTURAL HUMILIATING PRACTICES SUCH AS HAVING THEM KICKED BY FEMALE OFFICERS?

RUMMY

STRESS AND DURESS ARE WELL ACCEPTED WAYS TO INTERROGATE ENEMY COMBATANTS

JACKSON

ON FEB. 12, 2002 YOU CALLED THE PRESS REPORTS ABOUT MISTREATMENT OF PRISONERS “INTERNATIONAL HYPER-VENTILATION”, AND WENT ON TO SAY THAT YOU TREAT DETAINEES IN A HUMANE WAY, DO YOU REMEMBER MAKING THAT STATEMENT IN 2002?

RUMMY

I MADE SO MANY STATEMENTS CONCERNING THE TREATMENT OF PRISONERS THAT MAY BE ONE OF THEM---------YEA, THAT SOUNDS ABOUT WHAT I WOULD SAY.

JACKSON

THAT WAS A LIE, WAS IT NOT?

RUMMY

NO, I WAS RESPONDING TO A QUESTION, I WOULD NOT SAY I WAS LYING, JUST TRYING TO ANSWER SOME STUPID QUESTION BY A REPORTER.

PATTON (LEANING OVER TO TALK TO IKE)

SHIT, DOES THIS MAN HAVE A FUCKING SOUL?

END OF ACT 1