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4 More U.S. Soldiers Killed In Iraq

Of course, the following article in the New York Times neglects to mention the U.S.'s role or the CIA, military intelligence agencies, and private contractors' role in fomenting & committing acts of violence, torture, & murder in Iraq.

Attacks Muddle American Plans to Draw Down in Iraq
By MARC SANTORA, NYTimes.com, Sept. 8, 2009

BAGHDAD — In the worst day of violence against American soldiers in Iraq since combat troops moved out of the cities this year, two bombings left four Americans dead, underscoring the dangers troops here still face even as they prepare for their exit from this country.

The American military provided little detail about the attacks, saying only that one soldier was killed in a roadside bombing in southern Baghdad and that three more were killed in another roadside bombing in northern Iraq.

While the American presence here has been greatly diminished, with Iraqis and Americans rarely conducting joint patrols and Iraqis eager to appear in control of their own security, there are still thousands of American soldiers working as advisers inside cities and towns across Iraq. Tens of thousands more are also on the road every night as Americans move equipment and resources in preparation for the large-scale reduction of forces scheduled to begin after January elections here.

click here to read the full article

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Stop Israeli involvement in the repression of the people in Honduras and Latin America

Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, Sept. 9, 2009

Sever Latin American military ties with Israel

Statement in the occasion of the global Action Day against the Coup in Honduras - August 28, 2009

As Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign we raise our voice and join with all those that today are protesting the coup in Honduras, the dictatorship and repression by Micheletti’s regime. As Palestinians, we know that we and the Honduran people are part of the same struggle

We are well aware that this crime would not have been planned and executed without the active support of foreign powers.

Many reports indicate not only involvement of US intelligence but Israeli military and intelligence as well. Israel has a long history supporting the repression of the people in Latin America. From the Contras in Nicaragua to the dictatorships in Paraguay, Guatemala and Chile – Israeli weapons, intelligence and training have offered crucial backing. Today, Colombia is probably the biggest recipient of Israeli arms and training. "I learned an infinite amount of things in Israel, and to that country I owe part of my essence, my human and military achievements," admits Colombian paramilitary leader and indicted drug trafficker Carlos Castao (1).

With this in mind, it is not surprising that today we have received news about Israeli involvement in the overthrow of democracy in Honduras.

We are seriously concerned that Israel might be effectively involved in the coup in Honduras on several levels:

While the entire American continent has isolated the current regime in Honduras, the leader of the coup has announced Israeli backing of his government. Several commentators have highlighted that in the months before the coup, the Israeli embassy was the site of intense diplomatic movement with important representatives of the opposition, including Micheletti (2).

CODEH has denounced the Micheletti regime for contracting Israeli commandos and security companies to train the Honduran forces in the use of violence against the demonstrators, including targeted crimes to sow fear and terror and dismantle the resistance. They report that security company personnel is sometimes directly executing the repression (3).

This description of repression repeats the same patterns of attacks faced by the Palestinian people during the protests against the Wall and the Israeli occupation. Israel is engaged in low intensity warfare against Palestinian communities resisting the Wall, targeting the entire community as well as individuals within it. This includes the violent repression of the demonstrations, targeted killings of activists (mainly at the fringes of the demonstration), collective punishment and psychological terror (4).

The expertise provided by the Israeli military to the Honduran coup has been acquired from killing, repressing and ethnically cleansing the Palestinian people. Indeed, the profits from its arms trade with Latin America allow its arms industry to thrive and to maintain the occupation and colonization of our lands.

Israeli involvement in the coup in Honduras would be only a logical extension of its policies. For Israel, a colonial state built on the expulsion and ongoing repression of the indigenous population, the rise of anti-colonial and emancipatory forces anywhere of the world constitutes a potential threat to the very paradigm it is built on. Clearly, Israeli allegiance to and cooperation with the most right wing US politics make the involvement in the coup a political imperative.

The coup and Israeli involvement in it has implications beyond Honduras, rendering Israeli diplomatic and military presence a threat to all Latin American democratic forces. This coup is not only a brutal act against the people in Honduras but acts as a model for a renewed attack on all the people in Latin America.

We therefore call for all democratic Latin American countries to take a principled step against Israeli crimes and violations of human rights and the historical and current support to anti-democratic forces and repressive regimes in Latin America and to:

- End diplomatic relations with Israel
- Expel Israeli military advisors and 'security firms’
- Immediately stop and cancel arms trade agreements with Israel

The democratic and progressive countries and their regional alliances such as the ALBA, MERCOSUR and others, have to take their commitment to the defense of human rights and democracy in their region and across the globe seriously. Israel does not only kill, torture, imprison and repress the Palestinian people. Far too many Latin American’s have suffered from Israeli trained (para)military and died of Israeli weapons.

Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign

(1)http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Israel/Israel_LAmer_TrailT
error.html

(2)http://www.radioguaimaro.co.cu
(3)http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0908/S00051.htm
(4)http://stopthewall.org/activistresources/2019.shtml

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FREE DR. AAFIA SIDDIQUI, RELEASE THE SECRET U.S. DOCUMENTS ON HER TORTURE

International Action Center, Press Release, Sept. 5, 2009

Sara Flounders, the Co-Director of the International Action Center released the following statement to the media on Friday, September 5, 2009, following the September 3 court appearance of Dr Aafia Siddiqui in U.S. District Court in New York City.

Now that the documents recording the systematic torture of thousands of prisoners in secret U.S. prisons has been released to the world media in U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder’s report, the secret documents on the imprisonment and torture of Dr Aafia Siddiqui must also be released to the courts and to the world.

Days before Dr Aafia Siddiqui, a small woman weighing less than 90 pounds, was again forcibly brought into United States District Court on wild and contradictory charges of trying to murder FBI agents in Afghanistan, the latest documentary evidence of what the FBI and CIA is really doing in Afghanistan and in secret prisons around the world was confirmed in major news stories for all to read.

Tens of thousands of pages of newly de-classified government documents released by U.S. Attorney Holder confirm in the most graphic details that CIA interrogators threatened to kill the children of detainees, threatened sexual assaults on another’s mother, threatened bound prisoners with guns and an electric drill. Used water boarding against one prisoner 183 times, used chocking into unconsciousness, brutal strip searches and mock executions, confinement in a tiny box, continued slamming of the head.

The release of these documents and U.S. Attorney General Holder’s appointment of a special federal prosecutor to investigate interrogation practices of the CIA was announced on August 28, 2009. Monday's documents represent the largest release of information about the Bush Administration's once-secret system of capturing terrorism suspects and interrogating them in undisclosed locations around the world.

An ACLU law suit compelled the release of the CIA’s own 2004 Inspector General’s internal report on stomach turning interrogations. These released documents of "enhanced interrogation" tactics were heavily ‘redacted’ or censored with whole pages blocked out for “security reasons”.

This 2004 Inspector General’s report shows that the CIA kept detailed observational records on thousands of prisoners and the impact of their torture techniques on the human psyche. They made systematic measurements of the prisoners’ reaction to torture. From the censured documents it is clear that medical doctors and psychologists betrayed their profession by monitoring calibrated, incremental increases of torture to bring about excruciating pain, terror, humiliation and shame. The documents make it clear that all tortures were designed to create a systematic emotional and psychological breakdown in the prisoners being interrogated.

At a court appearance on September 3, 2009 the date for the start of Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s trial was set for Monday, November 2. The court room was full of Pakistani and other Muslim supporters. Supporters of the Pakistan USA Freedom Forum and other organizations have mobilized on days when Dr Siddiqui is brought into court. But this is a case that must be taken up in full solidarity by the entire progressive movement in the U.S., including the women’s movement, the movement for immigrant rights and the broad movement against U.S. racism and war.

The demand for Aafia Siddiqui’s freedom and return to her family in Pakistan must be combined with the demand to release all the secret documents on Dr Siddiqui’s long imprisonment. The 130,000 pages of documents released by U.S. Attorney General Holder last week confirms that the most detailed records were kept with, Nazi-like meticulousness, on the wrenching torture and abuse of countless prisoners held in U.S. secret prisons.

The case of Dr Aafia Siddiqui exposes the whole sordid torturous role of U.S. occupation of Afghanistan and widening war in Pakistan. Support for freedom and return to her family in Pakistan is a basic demand for human rights and justice for a woman who has been horrendously abused.

A rally to support Dr Siddiqui is planned for the opening day of her trial, Monday, November 2 in front of U.S. District Court, 500 Pearl Street.

For more info:

International Action Center
55 West 17th St, Suite 5C
New York, NY 10011
www.iacenter.org 212-633-6646
Founded by Ramsey Clark

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U.S. troops stormed Afghan hospital, aid group says

CNN, Sept. 7, 2009

KABUL, Afghanistan - U.S. soldiers searched a hospital in central Afghanistan for Taliban fighters, tying up hospital guards and entering women's wards in violation of local customs, an aid worker said Monday.

The soldiers raided the hospital Wednesday night in Wardak province, said Anders Fange, the country director of the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan.

The troops, from the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division, said they were looking for suspected Taliban fighters in the hospital, he said.

They tied up four hospital guards and searched patients' relatives, broke into the nutrition ward and ultrasound room, and searched the female ward of the hospital, according to the aid worker. He said the actions were disrespectful of Afghan culture.

He called the incident "simply not acceptable."

"It is not only a clear violation of globally recognized humanitarian principles about the sanctity of health facilities and staff in areas of conflict, but also a clear breach of the civil-military agreement between NGOs [nongovernmental organizations] and ISAF," he said, referring to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.

In a statement, the ISAF said it met Monday with staff at the medical clinic "to discuss the force's relationship with the clinic."

"Afghan National Police and International Security Assistance Forces entered the clinic on September 2, acting on a report that an insurgent commander was being treated on the premises," the statement said.

Assisted by ISAF troops, Afghan police searched the clinic to determine if the insurgent leader, who was suspected of being responsible for an earlier attack on a convoy in the area, was present, according to the statement. The ISAF said it informed the clinic staff of its reasons for entering the hospital.

Earlier, Lt. Cmdr. Christine Sidenstricker, an ISAF spokeswoman, said the matter was under investigation. Any operation in the area would have been Afghan-led, supported by ISAF forces, she added. The U.S. Army does operate in the area.

The Swedish aid group reported the matter to Afghanistan's public health minister, who in turn was to take up the matter with the U.S. ambassador, Fange said.

The U.S. Embassy said it had heard of the allegations and was checking to see if the Ministry of Public Health had lodged a complaint or discussed the matter with American officials.

Fange said he is trying to arrange a meeting with a senior U.S. commander in Wardak province.

The Afghan Ministry of Public Health subcontracts aid groups in Afghanistan to provide what's called "Basic Package Health Services."

The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan is responsible for Wardak province. The staff at the hospital work directly for the committee.

CNN's Ingrid Formanek and Wahid Mayar contributed to this report.

*************
International military violently entered SCA Hospital in Wardak
The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, PRESS RELEASE, Kabul, September 6, 2009

On Wednesday evening September 2 at 10 pm coalition vehicles drove up at SCA’s Hospital in Shaniz, Wardak province along the main highway from Kabul to Ghazni. They entered the hospital compound, reportedly without giving any reason or justification for entering the hospital compound. They searched all rooms, even bathrooms, male and female wards. Rooms that were locked were forcefully entered and the doors of the malnutrition ward and the ultrasound ward were broken by force to gain entry. Upon entering the hospital they tied up four employees and two family members of patients at the hospital. SCA staffs as well as patients (even those in beds) were forced out of rooms/wards throughout the search.

On leaving the hospital at around 12 pm, IMF issued verbal "orders"/instructions; that on receiving any patient that could be an insurgent the hospital staff has to report to the Coalition Forces who would then determine if the hospital would be permitted or not of treating such patient.

“This is simply not acceptable. It is not only a clear violation of globally recognized humanitarian principles about the sanctity of health facilities and staff in areas of conflict but also a clear breach of the civil-military agreement between NGOs and ISAF. We demand guarantees from the IMF command that such violations will not be repeated and that this is made clear to commanders in the field. SCA can not and will not tolerate this kind of treatment by the IMF. Nor is the SCA bound by any orders from IMF regarding to whom treatment can be given” says Anders Fange, Country Director, SCA.

The hospital is located in an area where community acceptance is essential to the continued functioning and safety of the hospital and its staff. The hospital has faced a further intrusion on 13 July, when private security guards escorting a convoy came under attack from insurgents and sought shelter/treatment in a very aggressive manner in the hospital and proceeded to assault staff and damage property.

This latest incident comes at a time when a clinic in Paktika was attacked on 26 August by ANSF/IMF following reports of an alleged AOG commander inside. At issue, in addition to the safety of staff and patients, are perceptions amongst all parties as to the status of clearly marked hospital/medical facilities. When such facilities are no longer regarded with the sanctity which has previously been accorded, then hospitals merely become buildings and a legitimate arena to continue the conflict. Such intrusions have previously been recorded by both sides in the conflict.

For more information please contact:

Anders Fänge
Country Director SCA
+93-(0)700-299 288
anders.fange@sca.org.af

Dr. Shams
Coordinator Health Technical Unit
+93-(0)700-395 401
s.s.shams@sca.org.af

Information Unit
+93-(0)700-078 103

Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, Main Jalalabad Road, Paktia Kot. Behind UNO Printing Press.
Kabul, Afghanistan. PO Box 5017
info@sca.org.af.



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A Labor Day Appeal: A Jobless Recovery Means Fight Back Or Starve!

SEPT. 20 MARCH FOR JOBS IN PITTSBURGH BEFORE THE G20 SUMMIT

"Fight or Starve" read the headlines of a leaflet being distributed by the Unemployed Council members in 1933. Flash forwards 76 years and it’s Labor Day 2009. A year ago the collapse of Lehman Brothers set off a worldwide melt down of the banking system and the biggest world economic crisis since the 1930s. One year later, after more than 13 trillion dollars of help from the government, they say Wall Street is okay. As finance ministers prepare for the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh this month, the spin is that the recovery is here or near and that U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke saved the country and the planet from a second great depression.

Saved who from a depression? The official unemployment rate in Detroit , Michigan is 29%. That’s depression-level unemployment. But it’s not just Detroit . While the official national unemployment rate just edged up to 9.7%, when the unemployed and underemployed who are not counted in the official rate are added, it’s really closer to 17%. For teenagers it’s a whopping 25% and for African-American young adults it’s closer to 50%.

We're talking about depression-level unemployment. The rate of home foreclosures continues to soar and it’s only going to get worse.

High unemployment affects every worker. Why? Because it drives down wages and benefits across the board and weakens or breaks union contracts. The real news is that things are never going to be the same unless we do something about it. The jobs that were lost are not coming back. The global economic crisis that hit the fan a year ago has ushered in a permanent and ever-escalating war on the working class and the poor. There will be no more respites of peace and prosperity for most of us.

The only question is what are the workers going to do about it? What are the labor unions going to do about it? What are organizations and activists who are dedicated to social and economic justice going to do about it? Will there be a massive fight back of the kind we haven’t seen since the workers said “we’re not taking anymore” in the early and mid-1930s and then proceeded to stop evictions, organize, strike, occupy factories and scare the hell out of the powers that be?

There’s no nice way of putting this. If poor and working people don’t start fighting back we are going to be destroyed by the greedy, profits before people, rich sociopaths from all the Wall Streets all over the globe.

The eyes of the world will be on Pittsburgh in a few days because the heads of governments and their head bankers will be meeting there to talk about how they can continue their jobless recovery on the backs of the working people of the world.

On Sunday, Sept. 20, the first day of the week of the G20 summit, there’s going to be a major march for jobs. Unemployed and homeless people and their supporters will be coming to Pittsburgh for the march for jobs. With the support of some labor including the United Steelworkers union--which is headquartered in Pittsburgh --and the support of the Black community in Pittsburgh , the march for jobs will assemble in the historic Black community of Pittsburgh known as “The Hill”. The goal of the march is to revive the dream that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. devoted the final days of his life to--a second civil rights movement for the right of all to a decent paying job. After the march and rally that day, many will return to a patch of land next to the Monumental Baptist Church on the Hill, where they will live in a tent city dedicated to the unemployed people of the world for the rest of the G20 summit week.

Everything has to start sometime and somewhere. Maybe we can help start the fight back in Pittsburgh this month. Will you be there? Find a bus, a car, a van or a train headed towards Pittsburgh and bring everyone you can with you. Go to BailOutPeople.org.

March For Jobs and Tent City Conveners include:

Bail Out The People Movement
Picture The Homeless
The Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign
Peoples Organization For Progress
May 1st Coalition for Immigrant and Workers Rights
United Electrical Union
United Steelworkers union
San Francisco Central Labor Council
Million Worker March Movement
Local 10 ILWU
Peoples Fight Back Campaign
Moratorium Now! Coalition Against Foreclosures and Evictions
Pastors For Peace

If your community, union or student group is not already on board—there is still time to get involved.
* Endorse – Organize – and Mobilize!
* Distribute flyers and send out email notices.
* Bring a bus, van or car from your city, town or neighborhood – tell us so we can plan parking.
* Donate $ so that those without funds can attend.
VERY IMPORTANT: Please REGISTER for the Tent City.

If you are going to be participating at the ‘Solidarity with the Unemployed’ Tent City following the March 4 Jobs—it’s critical to register to make sure there are resources and space available. Space is limited. Pre-registration is required.

Register at http://www.bailoutpeople.org/septg20register.shtml

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Cindy Sheehan: If McCain Were President

By Cindy Sheehan, Cindy Sheehan's Soapbox Blog, Sept. 5, 2009

"There's a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part; you can't even passively take part; and you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers and all the apparatus and you’ve got to make it stop; and you’ve got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you’re free the machine will be prevented from working at all.”
Mario Savio, Sproul Hall, Berkeley, 1964


If John McCain were president, we can never be exactly sure what would be happening right now, but I think we can have a little inkling.

First of all, the banksters would be receiving their TARP money and Bernanke would have been re-appointed Fed Chairman.

Robert Gates would probably still be the Secretary of Defense and Sarah Palin would be offering late night comedians endless fodder for their monologues.

Single-payer health care would be “off the table” and McCain’s justice department would be protecting the war crimes of the preceding administration. Official unemployment would be hovering around 10 percent and a troop surge in Afghanistan would be killing scores of humans and the drone bombing would be proceeding apace in the tribal regions of Pakistan.

If McCain were president, Democratic House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and her colleagues would still be funding the repulsive wars…because they support the War Machine just as much as the Republicans do.

If McCain were president, MSNBC would be the faux-opposition and Fox would be the faux-supporter of the regime, and CNN would be pro-war, as usual.

If McCain were president, conservative columnist George Will would be supporting Af-Pak, instead of condemning it under a Democratic regime AND there would be an active “anti-war” movement. But as during the Bush-Republican years, the “movement” wouldn’t be so much anti-war as it would be anti-Republican wars.

The anti-McCain movement would be comfortable marching aimlessly around major cities on Saturdays, when the least amount of affect would be had, but not comfortable doing profound civil disobedience when the gears, levers and wheels of the Machine could be slowed down. Only symbolic efforts would be tolerated, because we don’t actually want to change things, we just want Democrats back in power. Democrats=status quo.

If we truly “put our bodies on the gears” of the War Machine, we would be compromising the other pro-war party, the Democrats, and that would be non-productive in the eyes of the politically "pragmatic" anti-McCain movement.

There are still some of us who realize that the Machine is grinding up and crushing people here and abroad and needs to be stopped, and we are the only ones who can do it.

There will be two major opportunities to put our bodies on the gears of the Machine this fall….

The anti-globalization movement will be out in full-force during the G20 nations’ meeting in Pittsburgh September 23-27 despite the jackbooted thuggery planned by the organizers of the G20 summit. Not only will there be 4000 riot police, but there will be 2000 Pa. National Guard there to suppress opposition. This is merely a bullying tactic designed to scare us away from the global “elite” while they plan more economic devastation for the world.

On October 5th, we will be gathering in front of the White House to protest Democratic wars of aggression (especially Af-Pak, since the 8th is the anniversary of the US invasion) and there will be opportunity for civil disobedience that is not just symbolic. We will also be reading the International People's Declaration of Peace (IPDoP) in front of the White House that day and kicking off the campaign to build an effective grassroots movement against all violence, but particularly, state-sanctioned violence.

The face has changed in DC, but the odious policies of the Machine remain the same.

Remember, if you don’t actively oppose the policies of this government, then you are passively supporting them and you are responsible for helping to oil the Machine and keep it running.

If you can't physically attend the protests, please consider making a contribution, even if it is tiny, to help defray expenses.

**************
Also see:

Sept. 20: March 4 Jobs in Pittsburgh Before The G20 Summit

Sept. 20 - 25: Tent City / Solidarity With The Unemployed in Pittsburgh

Sept. 25: Peoples March On The G20

Oct. 5: Anti-War Protest & Civil Resistance At The White House

Oct. 17: National Day Of Local & Regional Anti-War Protests
& For more on Oct 17 see:
National Assembly To End The Iraq & Afghanistan Wars & Occupations & Iraq Moratorium


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Oct. 5: National Anti-War Protest & Civil Resistance at The Whitehouse

National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance, Sept. 4, 2009

There is an article on Common Dreams http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/09/01-8 that says the White House is worried about pressure from left-wing liberals to end the war in Afghanistan. The administration knows they are in trouble. They know that with record numbers of deaths in Afghanistan there will be a call to bring the troops home.

We have a great opportunity on October 5 to show the Obama administration that they better be scared because the people are not behind them in the illegal war of aggression in Afghanistan, and the people are demanding an end to this immoral war and occupation. The week of October 5 begins the 9th year of the US waging terror on an innocent civilian population. It is time to stop.

This week we learned that peace mom Cindy Sheehan has signed up to be with us at the White House. Won't you join us, as well?

NCNR and many other peace groups are joining together to raise our voices against the imperialistic policies of our government in actions of nonviolent civil resistance at the White House on October 5. We are expecting a few hundred people there willing to risk arrest, but we need to raise that expectation to 300-400. Now is the time for those of us who have been thinking about doing more to take that next step in resistance against government policies that have caused such suffering and death for so many innocent people.

There will be a planning meeting on Oct. 4 at the Festival Center at 1640 Columbia Rd. NW where we will discuss final plans. At this meeting, we will share what the different affinity groups will be doing and people will have a chance to join in with the various affinity groups or to organize their own group.

On Oct. 5 we will gather in McPherson Square at 10:00 am where Liz McAlister will speak to the crowd. We will form a solemn and mournful procession to the White House as we reflect on the suffering and death of so many innocent people. Once at the White House we will engage in an action of nonviolent civil resistance in the spirit and discipline of Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day and others.

We, the people, have the power to bring change, and we will not give up, we will not be deterred. Please join us on Oct. 5. Please http://www.nogoodwar.org and register for the action by clicking on the link to the online form. Please share this information widely.

In peace and resistance,
Joy First
Co-Convener, National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance

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Video: Scores killed in Nato air strike in Afghanistan



A Nato air strike is said to have killed between 70 and 130 people in the Afghan province of Kunduz.

Nato say they targeted Taliban fighters who had seized two fuel tankers.

Al Jazeera's James Bays reports from a nearby village, where locals say many of the killed were civilians.

Ex-Soldier Gets 5 Life Sentences for Iraqi Girl Rape, Family Murders

FOX61 WDSI, Sept. 4, 2009

A former soldier received five consecutive life sentences Friday for his role in the rape and murder of an Iraqi teenager and the slaying of three of her family members.

"What the defendant did was horrifying and inexcusable," U.S. District Judge Thomas Russell said in sentencing to Steven Dale Green, 24, of Midland, Texas. "The court believes any lesser sentence would be insufficient."

A civilian jury in western Kentucky convicted Green in May of raping Abeer Qassim al-Janabi, conspiracy and multiple counts of murder.

Green shot and killed the teen's mother, father and sister, then became the third soldier to rape her before shooting her in the face. Her body was set on fire March 12, 2006, at their rural home outside Mahmoudiya, Iraq, about 20 miles south of Baghdad.

The panel couldn't reach an unanimous decision about whether Green should get a death sentence, automatically making Green's sentence life in prison. Barring a successful appeal or presidential pardon, Green will not be eligible for release from prison.

Green told the judge he merely followed orders from other soldiers involved in the attack.

"You can act like I'm a sociopath. You can act like I'm a sex offender or whatever," Green said. "If I had not joined the Army, if I had not gone to Iraq, I would not have got caught up in anything."

At a hearing in May, Green repeatedly apologized to the al-Janabi family, saying he knew little about Iraqis and realizes now his actions then were wrong. Green described the attacks as "evil" and said when he dies "there will be justice and whatever I deserve, I'll get."

During Green's trial, defense attorneys never contested Green's role in the attacks. Instead, they focused on saving his life by putting on witnesses that testified that the military failed Green on multiple fronts — by allowing a troubled teen into the service, not recognizing and helping a soldier struggling emotionally and providing inadequate leadership.

During the sentencing hearing, defense attorney Patrick Bouldin said Green tried to take responsibility for his role in the attacks, twice offering to plead guilty and serve life in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa Ford said one offer came on the eve of jury selection, the other two weeks into jury selection.

Green and four other soldiers with the 101st Airborne Division based at Fort Campbell, Ky., were investigated after the killings. Three who went to the family's home, along with Green, received lengthy sentences up to 110 years but will become eligible for parole in seven years. Another who had a lesser role was released from military prison after serving 27 months.

All except Green were charged under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and faced a military trial, known as a court martial. Two of the soldiers who were at the home when Green shot the family pleaded guilty and a military jury convicted a third.

Green said the idea of his co-defendants being out of prison one day is "all right with me."

"They planned it," Green said. "All I ever did was what they told me to do."

Green was the first person charged under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act, a law passed in 2000 that allows U.S. authorities to prosecute former military personnel, contractors and others for crimes committed overseas.

By the time the Army pressed charges in June 2006, Green had been honorably discharged with a personality disorder and returned to the United States. Because Green had been discharged, prosecutors filed an indictment against him as a civilian.

Green's attorneys have 10 days to file notice of an appeal.

***************
Brian DePalma made a "fictional" movie about this "Redacted" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0937237/


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Videos: Israeli soldiers fire on Al Jazeera correspondent & nonviolent protesters



Israeli soldiers have fired tear gas on Palestinians protesting against the Israeli separation barrier which cuts through their West Bank village.

The soldiers also fired tear gas at Jacky Rowland, Al Jazeera's correspondent who was covering the event live from near the village of Bilin.

Palestinian villagers protest land seizure



Hundreds of Palestinian villagers have made a short but symbolic march to the separation wall that Israel has built on their land, a non-violent protests that they regularly undertake.

Equally, the protesters, marching from the village of Bilin, are regularly met with a violent response from the Israeli army.

"The village of Bilin is literally on the frontline of Israel's confiscation of Palestinian land and the construction of its separation barrier," Jacky Rowland, Al Jazeera's correspondent reporting from the village, said.

"Later today the villagers of Bilin will protest the fact that not only they, but also five neighbouring villages, have lost their land which has been seized to build an Israeli settlement.

"This huge settlement will result in 40,000 Jewish settlers living on occupied land here in the West Bank and as Prime Minister [Binyamin] Netanyahu is planning to give the go ahead for even more of these settlement homes to be built," she said.

Netanyahu is set to approve plans to build hundreds of new homes on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank, before considering US demands for a construction freeze.

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Israeli commandos in Honduras

By Dick Emanuelsson, The Palestine Telegraph, Aug. 17, 2009

Honduras - There are paramilitary structures that are working in coordination with the armed forces, says the undisputed leader of the human rights struggle in Honduras, Andrés Pavón, in regard to the latest casualty of the dictatorship of the Honduran putschists.

It's not that strange. The main professors of state terrorism come from the Zionist state in order to teach their methods of death, intelligence and terror, and they know how to sustain a state against a population that is fighting for its constitutional rights or recognition. Or, as in Honduras's case, for the re-establishment of democracy. The interview with Andrés Pavon follows and can also be heard here.

Tegucigalpa - August 2, 2009 - We're facing the COPEMH building, which is the professional association for middle education, and we also are speaking with Dr. René Andrés Pavón, who is the President of the Honduran Human Rights Commission (CODEH).

Dick Emanuelsson (DE): Yesterday CODEH put out a news release denouncing a variety of things, among them that Micheletti's de facto government has contracted with Israeli commandos or people to train the Honduran military/police forces. What we know from the civil war in Colombia is that these commandos have also been advising the Colombian military forces. What are the Israelis doing here?

Andrés Pavón (AP): Until now what we know is that their mission is to prepare the Armed Forces and the police to aggressively and violently dissuade the demonstrations, by committing crimes of a selective nature in order to build fear, staged terror, and achieve a dismantling of the resistance. Other actions they are undertaking involve certain employees of private security firms putting on police uniforms and acting aggressively against the demonstrators. The police have already sort of been trained to dissuade demonstrations and are a bit fearful about attacking the demonstrators so that it's as if a bit of their human rights training lingers. On the other hand, the security guards are being paid double and their immunity is guaranteed. These are the practices that they are developing, using the experience of the conflict in Palestine and after having put into practice some of these actions in Colombia.

DE: What's the count up to now, we're five weeks out from the coup d'etat - how many people have died and how many have been detained, tortured, beaten?

AP: We have a register that since the beginning of the curfew has registered more than 2,200 people arbitrarily detained and deprived of their freedom. And in direct actions undertaken to break up demonstrations we have registered more than 600 people. There are more than 120 people wounded, and three people have been killed in direct actions during demonstrations, with another three whose deaths are characteristic of deaths planned and directed by these groups.

For the first time we're going to announce the fact that during the curfew more than 37 homicides via firearms took place while the police and the army were in control of the streets. We are going to ask for the names of those victims in order to make the pertinent investigations in light of the fact that the main suspect is the State.

DE: As for the death of the young man, Pedro Magdiel, in El ParaĂ­so on the 24th and 25th of July, now there's also a photo that came out in the La Tribuna newspaper the same day as the uprising, where a soldier can be seen dragging this boy who showed up dead the following day. How far has the investigation gone in this case?

AP: Yes, we have an investigation going in regard to Magdiel's case; he was the first to be taken by the police and it has the obvious characteristics of an extra-judicial murder. We know that in Danli, in El Paraiso, there are paramilitary groups who are working in coordination with the armed forces and the police there; we believe that this boy was delivered by the police to these groups who committed this barbaric crime. Today we also noted the death of another teacher who was stabbed in the same way as the killing at El ParaĂ­so.

DE: Has there been another death?

AP: There's been another death, a teacher that supposedly left here at two in the morning, his name is Martín Flores Ribera Barrientos, he was killed in the Colonia Centroamérica neighborhood, he was going from here to his house and was stabbed in a taxi. This tells us that the state is providing a model of aggressive conduct.

Another strategy is that the Israelis are training a group to instill in people's minds the idea that those of us who are leaders in this movement have a terrorist past or that we're tied to the same structure as the police. That's what somebody told me yesterday who was trying to put up posters, sticking them on walls in order to create distrust in the part of the population that still lacks awareness about the leaders in this country. According to them, they want the people to think that way; it's a historic strategy in Latin America, and later they try to justify the death of certain leaders as a result of this contradiction.

DE: The reason all these people are here outside the COPEMH headquarters is that yesterday at 1 a.m., the 38 year old Roger Vallejo, a leader of this association, died as a result of a sniper's attack last Wednesday when the National Front Against the Coup D'Etat took the Tegucigalpa North Highway. What is known of that? Because it's already the second sniper-caused death. The first was at the airport on July 5 and now we have another death where a sniper supposedly shot this man.

AP: It's a premeditated killing with certain selective characteristics. They chose a teacher in order to affect one of the associations that presently makes up part of the resistance and has a lot of people tied to the resistance. Everything indicates that it was premeditated. The doctrine of the Rome Statute under which this may come to the International Criminal Court establishes that it's not necessary that the shooter's name be known - it is sufficient to know the name of the person who is directing the repressive policies against a large grouping of the civil population, with the intent to provoke a certain natural psychological reaction among the people. In that regard, well, no doubt, there will come a time when the premeditated act will be the object of a formal denunciation against the organizations who, certainly, in this country are tied to the repressive structures of the State. But that will allow us to prove to the prosecutor for the International Criminal Court that there is something happening here and that what's happening is State policy and that this State policy contributes to the generation of all the repressive acts we're presently experiencing.

DE: Could the selection of this gentleman [as a target] also have been an expression of the advice given by the Israelis?

AP: Yes, of course! It has much in common with the characteristics of the Colombian conflict where there is a confrontation with correlated forces that are somewhat similar to an armed conflict. Here in Honduras, the correlation of forces is not similar to those in Colombia, here there are civilians who are armed with a courageous conscience, truth, and the only type of self-defense exercised once in awhile is that of a stick or a stone. They also have their methods for intervening in situations like this, similar to what has happened in Gaza and the West Bank.

DE: Speaking of Colombia, when Obama became president, a lot of people had hopes that the warmongering policies of the United States would radically change. But what we've seen is that the Fourth Fleet, re-activated in July of last year, continues to sail from Alaska in the north to Patagonia in the south. Five new military bases are to be built in Colombia, among them three on the border with Venezuela and one in Málaga Bay, on the Pacific coast, between Central America and Ecuador. There's no sign that this war policy is going to end. If Hillary Clinton had wanted to do something with the Micheletti government, why have only the visas of four officials in the Micheletti government been canceled, something cosmetic? Or how should this be interpreted?

AP: What Obama says reflects a reality, and what his closest collaborators at the business level or this group known as the hawks have, is another discourse and practice. We read this as Mr. Obama encountering a conflict similar to that faced by other leaders in Latin America; here one has to bear in mind that there could also have been a coup in Bolivia, in Ecuador, in Nicaragua and El Salvador. It also is worth considering that there could be a coup in the United States sooner or later; these are things that seem impossible to dream of, but they could actually happen.

On the other hand there's still another reading of the conflict and this reading could be that the advisers closest to Obama are selling the idea that this is an opportunity to change policy and retake influence as Latin America's policeman. Because when we asked him not simply to withdraw visas we were practically asking for intervention in Honduras, so that we'd have a military intervention similar to what went down in Haiti and it's possible that in this way, Obama's government would try to gain prestige for itself in a situation like this.

I'm sure that if the Marines were to intervene in Honduras, they'd be applauded by a whole bunch of people that aren't here, without dreaming that we are opening the door to future interventions in Latin America and bringing back the Latin American police.

These are all possible details. Of course if that's what Obama's thinking, he's not going to do it right away, it would be a couple of months from now so that elections in Honduras could take place, completely tying up any possibility that President Zelaya might succumb to the social pressure which is demanding the creation of a national constituent assembly.

Dick Emanuelsson's blog can be found at: Latinamerika I Dag/LatinoAmérica de Hoy.

Machetera is a member of Tlaxcala, the network of translators for linguistic diversity. This translation may be reprinted as long as the content remains unaltered, and the source, author, and translator are cited.

Translation: Machetera

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Sept. 26: International Festival at UNCC Palestine Booth

International Festival at UNCC Palestine Booth
Sat., September 26
9:20am - 6:20pm

UNC-Charlotte

9201 University City Blvd
Charlotte, NC 28213

On September, 26th, UNC-Charlotte will host its yearly international festival. I have been participating in this festival, representing Palestine, for the past 15 years. You can see my album pictures which were taken last year from our Palestine Booth. This Year, However, I hope to have the Palestine Booth elaborately exhibited in order to leave a deep impression upon every person passing by our booth. Although, we are forbidden from displaying any political materials, we can certainly make a political statement by showing the deep, beautiful and rich culture and history of Palestine and its people. Also, having many supporters of Palestine at the booth can send a statement that the struggle and support for Palestine is alive and endorsed by many people in our area.

Therefore, I am asking from those of you who are interested to lend me a hand. Let us meet ASAP and plan for this event. We can meet at UNCC or at MAS. Please respond quickly to this by email at sumood67@gmail.com.

For those of us who will not be able to participate in planning, please consider coming to the festival and lend a hand of support and solidarity by joining us at the booth.

In Solidarity with Peace and Justice,
Khalid Hijazi
sumood67@gmail.com

FB Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=251635965065

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The Health Care That Equals "I Don't Care"

By Mumia Abu-Jamal, Prison Radio, Written 8/29/09, Recorded 8/30/09

Listen To Audio Column: Full Version | Short Version

As the White House and Congress square off on health care, take care, because the deals with the big dogs have been made -- and the people will be -- once again -- left holding an empty bag.

That's because in the opening hours of this drama, the central issue -- single payer -- was given away, in an attempt to attract the support of big insurance companies. A pre-pay-off, if you will, to show them that neither their profits nor future growth would be impaired.

Truly, this is change that they can believe in, for it means more clients, more funds flooding their tills, and legislative protection for their dwindling pay outs (for sick people.)

Single-payer means that all doctors and hospitals would have been paid for their services by a single government agency -- spelling the end to the immense profits garnered each year by hundreds of insurance companies -- now costing at least $350 billion annually.

Now, that amount of money would've paid for much of the nation's health care needs, instead of private business profits, and executive bonuses.

With the deal made, that money is gone -- and so are the hopes of millions for a fix of the nation's broken health care system.

Do you really think the insurance companies donated millions to Obama and select members of Congress because they liked their looks?

They'll give dough to Democrats, Republicans -- hell, even communists if they think it'll buy them more profits.

And it looks like they have.

There's an old American saying, 'You get what you pay for.'

Well, they've paid the politicians -- and they're about to get the payoff!

There's considerable coverage on the recent passing of Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, a long time advocate of universal healthcare. While his brain cancer undoubtedly shortened his days, it's also likely that this adept politician, seeing the horse trades being made to sell out the people on health care, caused him to die from a broken heart.

Oh -- and about those town halls? It's much ado about nothing, or as Shakespeare once wrote, it's 'sound and fury, signifying nothing.'

Most of them are people who didn't even vote for Obama, and who call him a 'socialist' for using 'the guvamint to interfere with Medicare.' Nutty as a Snickers bar. Many still believe he was born in Kenya, East Africa!

And yes, a bill will pass, and Obama will sign it, but it'll mean less, not more health care. It'll mean higher co-pays (really prepays, or deductibles), less services, and more profits for their campaign contributors. There will be celebrations and TV PR people will praise it like American Idol -- but it'll be a sell-out -- pure and simple.

Unless -- unless -people really raise hell -- and demand single payer -- and universal health care -- before the door slams shut.

--(c) '09 maj

***************
The Power of Truth is Final -- Free Mumia!

URGENT Need for Petition Signatures at: http://www.iacenter.org/mumiapetition/

Audio of most of Mumia's essays are at: http://www.prisonradio.org

http://mumiapodcast.libsyn.com/

Mumia's got a podcast! Mumia Abu-Jamal's Radio Essays - Subscribe at the website or on iTunes and get Mumia's radio commentaries online.

Mumia Abu-Jamal's new book -- JAILHOUSE LAWYERS: PRISONERS DEFENDING PRISONERS V. THE USA, featuring an introduction by Angela Y. Davis -- has been released! It is available from City Lights Books: http://www.citylights.com/book/?GCOI=87286100448090

If you are planning to organize an event or would like to order in bulk, you can also receive a 45% discount on any bulk orders of 20 copies or more. The book retails for $16.95, for orders of 20 copies or more the discounted price would be $9.32 per book, plus shipping and handling. Prepayment would be required and books are nonreturnable. If you or your organization would like to place a bulk order, please contact Stacey Lewis at 415.362.1901 or stacey@citylights.com

Let's use the opportunity of the publication of this brilliant, moving, vintage Mumia book to build the momentum for his case, to raise the money we desperately need in these challenging economic times, to get the word out – to produce literature, flyers, posters, videos, DVD's; to send organizers out to help build new chapters and strengthen old ones, TO GET THE PEOPLE OUT IN THE STREETS … all the work that we must do in order to FREE MUMIA as he faces LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT PAROLE OR EXECUTION!

Please make a contribution to help free Mumia. Donations to the grassroots work will go to both INTERNATIONAL CONCERNED FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF MUMIA ABU-JAMAL and the FREE MUMIA ABU-JAMAL COALITION (NYC).

WWW.FREEMUMIA.COM

Please mail donations/ checks to:
FREE MUMIA ABU JAMAL COALITION
PO BOX 16, NEW YORK,
NY 10030
(CHECKS FOR BOTH ORGANIZATIONS PAYABLE TO: FMAJC/IFCO)

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
215 476-8812
212-330-8029
Send our brotha some LOVE and LIGHT at:

Mumia Abu-Jamal
AM 8335
SCI-Greene
175 Progress Drive
Waynesburg, PA 15370

WE WHO BELIEVE IN FREEDOM CAN *NOT* REST!!

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State Department Steps Against Honduran Coup Don't Go Far Enough

Center For Economic Policy & Research, Press Release, Sept. 3, 2009

Washington, D.C.- The U.S. State Department issued a release today announcing "the termination of a broad range of assistance to the government of Honduras as a result of the coup d'etat that took place on June 28."

“The State Department is responding to pressure, but it’s still not clear if the Obama administration is serious about dislodging the coup regime that it continues to support with military and economic aid,” said Mark Weisbrot, Co-Director of CEPR.

State Department spokesman Fred Lash told CEPR that total U.S. assistance to Honduras was $100 million and today’s decision affected $30 million: this included $8.96 million from the State Department, $9.4 million from USAID, and $11 million from the Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC) (which will not be officially cancelled until its Board meets next week).

“There is still quite a bit of money that is not food assistance or anything that poor people need that continues to flow to the dictatorship,” said Weisbrot.

“Also, the State Department still hasn’t officially determined that a military coup took place in Honduras,” he added.

Weisbrot also noted that the International Monetary Fund decided just a few days ago to give Honduras more than $160 million. Since the United States has a veto over IMF decisions, this will be seen by the coup regime as a decision of the U.S. government.

“The IMF money, which is a huge amount of money for Honduras, will more than compensate for any cuts in U.S. official aid.”

The World Bank paused lending to Honduras two days after the coup, and the Inter-American Development Bank did the same the next day. More recently the Central American Bank of Economic Integration suspended credit to Honduras. The European Union has suspended over $90 million in aid as well, and is considering further sanctions.

According to the release, "The Department of State further announces that we have identified individual members and supporters of the de facto regime whose visas are in the process of being revoked."

The State Department would not release the names of those whose visas may be revoked.

The release also states: "we would not be able to support the outcome of the scheduled elections [in Honduras]. A positive conclusion of the Arias process would provide a sound basis for legitimate elections to proceed."

This decision on elections brings the United States closer to other countries in the hemisphere, who have stated that they will not recognize elections conducted under the coup government.

However, Weisbrot noted that the 3-month election campaign period has already started, and it is taking place under conditions of political repression and media censorship.

“Each day that goes by with the coup government in power makes it less likely that these elections could be considered legitimate,” said Weisbrot. “Certainly the idea of moving the election up one month to October, which is part of the Arias accord, has to be abandoned.”

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Protect Civil Liberties - Defend Right To Protest The G20 Meeting in Pittsburgh

As we prepare to protest the G-20 in solidarity with the people of the world who are experiencing the ruinous effects of globalization and war, we in Pittsburgh need your solidarity now too. We are facing the repression of the G-20 national security state, which is using propaganda and political tactics in an attempt to SCARE PEOPLE AWAY and SQUASH OUR RIGHTS TO PROTEST.

We will not be shut down – we are determined to hold mass, nonviolent and constitutionally permitted protests because we not only have the right to protest but WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO THE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD. But we need your help as we prepare in all likelihood to launch a federal court case against the Secret Service and the City for our protests, as well as to defeat repressive big-brotherish legislation introduced in City Council by the Mayor (most likely taking his cue from the Federal Government).

Please take a moment to make a quick couple of calls and emails now as we continue the struggle for EVERYBODY’s civil and human rights. This struggle has been a good one, garnering public support for the protests and gathering momentum – let’s step it up a notch and keep opening up the political space for all.

Thanks,

Pete Shell
Pittsburgh Thomas Merton Center Antiwar Committee

PROTECT G20 CIVIL LIBERTIES, CALL THE PITTSBURGH CITY COUNCIL & MAYOR!

Yesterday's public hearing on G20 free speech went well with the City Council. And from that, we anchored today's front page in the Post Gazette (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09246/995280-482.stm)! But we need to keep the pressure on to preserve, advocate for our civil liberties and win permits for the G20 demonstrations and educational activities.

1. Call, fax and email the members of the Pittsburgh City Council. Please ask them respectfully but firmly that:

- Do not pass Ordinances 2009 1708 and 1709 which criminalize intent when carrying certain materials or wearing masks. Reaffirm these ordinances can be used to repress free speech, violate search and seizure laws, facilitate preemptive arrests, and give too much latitude to law enforcement to determine intent in a high pressure environment.

- Pass the Pro-Democracy Resolution (http://g20media.org/city-council-resolution) and affirm that Pittsburgh welcomes dissent and those that oppose the G20.

- Ask Representative Peduto to sponsor the Pro-Democracy Resolution in the City Council as he said he would do at Wednesday's public hearing.

Email each representative by clicking on their picture here: http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/council/
District 5, Council President Doug Shields Phone: 412-255-8965 
Fax: 412-255-0820
District 1, Darlene Harris Phone: 412-255-2135
 Fax: 412-255-2129
District 2, Teresa Kail-Smith Phone: 412-255-8963 Fax: 412-255-2821
District 3, Bruce Kraus Phone: 412-255-2130 Fax: 412-255-8950
District 4, Jim Motznik Phone: 412-255-2131 Fax: 412-255-2821
District 6, Tonya Payne Phone: 412-255-2134
 Fax: 412-255-0737
District 7, Patrick Dowd Phone: 412-255-2140 
Fax: 412-255-2419
District 8, William Peduto Phone: 412-255-2133
 Fax: 412-255-0738
District 9, Rev. Ricky Burgess Phone: 412-255-2137 
Fax: 412-255-8658

2. Call the Mayor's Office and firmly demand the prompt and full granting of the G20 demonstration permits.
Mayor Luke Ravenstahl Phone: 412-255-2626
 Fax: 412-255-2687

email: askpgh@city.pittsburgh.pa.us

Chief of Staff Yarone Zober
 Phone: 412-255-2636 Fax: 412-255-2687

Email: yarone.zober@city.pittsburgh.pa.us

Director of Public Safety
 Mike Huss
 Phone: 412-255-8615
Email: mike.huss@city.pittsburgh.pa.us


After you make phone calls or get email responses back, let us know how it went. This is a fast-moving issue, and any real-time responses we can get will help.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dE5FeU1Wd184M1JyOG5JeWhoR2xXNWc6MA

Thank you for being active and speaking out!
For more information contact the G20 Media Support Team at www.g20media.org

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Oct. 15-16: Jerusalem Women Speak Tour in Charlotte

Jerusalem Women Speak: Three Women, Three Faiths, One shared Vision speaking tour highlights the nonviolent efforts of Palestinians, Israelis, and citizens of other nations to end the occupation of Palestinian territories.

Thurs., Oct. 15
7:00 PM
Providence Day School in the Auditorium

5800 Sardis Rd
Charlotte, NC 28270
(704) 887-6000

Fri., Oct. 16
6:00 PM
Providence Baptist Church

4921 Randolph Rd
Charlotte, NC 28211
(704) 366-4030

About the speakers:

Jala Basil Andoni

Jala Basil Andoni, 61, a Palestinian Christian, and a former English teacher, lives in Beit Sahour, a town also called the Shepherds’ Field, to the east of Bethlehem.

She was studying English literature at the University of Jordan when the six day war broke out in 1967. This marked the beginning of the occupation of the West Bank resulting in separation from her family for two years. In 1969 after her graduation, she rejoined her family and became the first female teacher with a B. A. teaching English in the Bethlehem District.

During that period of time she couldn’t continue her studies due to the restrictions of movement placed upon Palestinians by the occupation. In 1990, the Gulf War broke out. Israeli troops imposed curfews on Palestinian cities and villages. People were imprisoned in their homes and schools shut down. Teachers from the neighborhood assembled and taught lessons at home.

After 5 years her son was able to obtain a scholarship and study computer science in the USA. Her youngest son is studying dentistry at the Arab American University in Jenin, in the north of Palestine.

The busy mother of four children, 2 boys and 2 girls, she was appointed supervisor of English Language at The Directorate of Education in Bethlehem District in 1996.

After the second uprising in 2000 she was convinced that the only way to peace was by building bridges between Israelis and Palestinians, not by building walls and fences. She retired early from the School District in 2003 to have more time to participate in peace building activities.

She currently works with the Wi’am Center for Reconciliation and the Arab Educational Institute (AEI) in Bethlehem, and is a leader of the women’s group at the Alternative Information Center (AIC) in Beit Sahour. Her work includes supporting and empowering women.

She affirms that Muslims and Christians are living together peacefully in the Bethlehem area, and work together on non-violent efforts and actions such as candle light vigils, marches and prayers near the wall.

Ms. Andoni believes strongly that peace in the region depends on American involvement.


Hekmat Besisso-Naji

A Muslim Palestinian originally from Gaza , Ms. Besisso – Naji, 40, currently lives in Ramallah.

Her parents came from rich families who became refugees after the 48 – 49 war. Her grandfather often remarked that he felt sorry his grandchildren were raised poor while he had land, home and a business before the war.

She is an only child and, as such, it was her parent’s dream that she marry and have a family; so she married at 17 and raised 5 children.

She believes it is important to work hard to improve herself and her society. Ms. Besisso – Naji has worked for several international and local organizations including: American Friends Service Committee (Quakers), Save the Children USA, Defense for Children International, the Jerusalem Media Communication Center, and others.

After earning diplomas from Al Azhar University and Kann’an Educational Development Institute in Gaza, she is working on a B.A. in Social Work from Alquds Open University. She also earned a technical training certificate in Field Research and Project Coordination from the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky .

In 2003 Ms. Besisso – Naji divorced and in 2005 remarried and moved with her 5 children to Ramallah. In 2006, she and her husband Naji were blessed with a baby boy.

Since leaving Gaza in 2005, she has not been able to return and was unable to visit her sick mother in 2006 before she died. Mustafa, Ms. Besisso’s eldest son, returned to Gaza in 2006 for a visit and has not been able to receive a permit from Israeli authorities to leave Gaza since.

During 2005, Ms. Besisso – Naji spoke to audiences in the U.S. and Europe through Peace x Peace, Joining Hands Against Hunger (a Presbyterian Church initiative) and the Faculty for Israeli – Palestinian Peace.

She currently works as a Community Trainer, where her main task is to organize, carry out, train, and evaluate nonviolence training and other projects.


Ruth El Raz

Ruth El-Raz, 76, a resident of Jerusalem, was born and grew up in England. She was born asking questions about differences: income, class, race, religion. She started studying political science in London, but in 1954 married and moved to Israel to live on a kibbutz. After divorcing and living in the artists’ village, Ein Hod, for several years, she left Israel to study in France and England, first sculpture, then social work.

She was firmly on Israel’s side during the 6-day war, believing that within 2 years Israel would be out of the Occupied Territories. She returned to Israel in 1970, studying social work and fighting the developing militarism in Israel. In 1972 she was accepted for a field placement at the Hebrew University, and stayed there as a staff member until 1987. She has a masters degree in social work from Rutgers University.

Ms. El-Raz describes herself as a psychotherapist, a sculptor/painter, and a political activist. She currently works as a therapist at the Counseling Center for Women in Jerusalem, which she helped found. She is also a board member of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD), and Bat Shalom, the Israeli side of Jerusalem Link, a joint Israeli/Palestinian women’s peace organization. She is a founding member of Women in Black and participates in weekly vigils. As an active member of Checkpoint Watch, she goes with others twice a day to monitor the attitude of soldiers towards the Palestinians as they pass through various checkpoints between Israel and the Occupied Territories. She is also the proud mother of a wonderful 34 year old daughter, who served in the Israeli army in 1992.

Ms. El-Raz has been on several speaking tours to the U.S. and Europe, and, with a Palestinian partner, represented Jerusalem Link at the first UN World Conference against Racism in Durban, South Africa.

**************
Partners For Peace
1250 4th St. SW WG-1
Washington DC 20024
www.partnersforpeace.org
202-863-2951
1-800-296-6958

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Why The War On Afghanistan Is Illegal

The Illegalities of the Bush Jr. War Against Afghanistan
by Francis A. Boyle, Media Monitors Network, Sept. 13, 2002

The "Blowhard Zone"

On September 13, I got a call from FOX News asking me to go on the O'Reilly Factor program that night, two days after the tragic events of September 11, to debate O'Reilly on War v. Peace. It is pretty clear where I stood and where he stood. I had been on this program before. I knew what I was getting in to. But I felt it would be important for one lawyer to get up there in front of a national audience and argue against a war and for the application of domestic and international law enforcement, international procedures, and constitutional protections, which I did.

Unfortunately, O'Reilly has the highest ranked TV news program in the country. I thought someone should be on there on September 13. I think most people agree that I beat O'Reilly. By the end of the show he was agreeing with me. But the next night he was saying that we should bomb five different Arab countries and kill all their people. But let me review for you briefly some of the international law arguments that I have been making almost full time since September 13. They are set forth in the introduction in my new book, The Criminality of Nuclear Deterrence.

Terrorism v. War

First, right after September 11 President Bush called these attacks an act of terrorism, which they were under the United States domestic law definition at that time. However, there is no generally accepted definition of an act of terrorism under international law, for reasons I explain in my book. Soon thereafter however and apparently after consultations with Secretary of State Powell, he proceeded to call these an act of war, ratcheting up the rhetoric and the legal and constitutional issues at stake here. They were not an act of war as traditionally defined. An act of war is a military attack by one state against another state. There is so far no evidence produced that the state of Afghanistan, at the time, either attacked the United States or authorized or approved such an attack. Indeed, just recently FBI Director Mueller and the deputy director of the CIA publicly admitted that they have found no evidence in Afghanistan linked to the September 11 attacks. If you believe the government's account of what happened, which I think is highly questionable, 15 of these 19 people alleged to have committed these attacks were from Saudi Arabia and yet we went to war against Afghanistan. It does not really add up in my opinion.

But in any event this was not an act of war. Clearly these were acts of terrorism as defined by United States domestic law at the time, but not an act of war. Normally terrorism is dealt with as a matter of international and domestic law enforcement. Indeed there was a treaty directly on point at that time, the Montreal Sabotage Convention to which both the United States and Afghanistan were parties. It has an entire regime to deal with all issues in dispute here, including access to the International Court of Justice to resolve international disputes arising under the Treaty such as the extradition of Bin Laden. The Bush administration completely ignored this treaty, jettisoned it, set it aside, never even mentioned it. They paid no attention to this treaty or any of the other 12 international treaties dealing with acts of terrorism that could have been applied to handle this manner in a peaceful, lawful way.

War of Aggression Against Afghanistan

Bush, Jr. instead went to the United National Security Council to get a resolution authorizing the use of military force against Afghanistan and Al Qaeda. He failed. You have to remember that. This war has never been authorized by the United Nations Security Council. If you read the two resolutions that he got, it is very clear that what Bush, Jr. tried to do was to get the exact same type of language that Bush, Sr. got from the U.N. Security Council in the late fall of 1990 to authorize a war against Iraq to produce its expulsion from Kuwait. It is very clear if you read these resolutions, Bush, Jr. tried to get the exact same language twice and they failed. Indeed the first Security Council resolution refused to call what happened on September 11 an "armed attack" - that is by one state against another state. Rather they called it "terrorist attacks." But the critical point here is that this war has never been approved by the U.N. Security Council so technically it is illegal under international law. It constitutes an act and a war of aggression by the United States against Afghanistan.

No Declaration of War

Now in addition Bush, Jr. then went to Congress to get authorization to go to war. It appears that Bush, Jr. tried to get a formal declaration of war along the lines of December 8, 1941 after the Day of Infamy like FDR got on Pearl Harbor. Bush then began to use the rhetoric of Pearl Harbor. If he had gotten this declaration of war Bush and his lawyers knew full well he would have been a Constitutional Dictator. And I refer you here to the book by my late friend Professor Miller of George Washington University Law School, Presidential Power that with a formal declaration of war the president becomes a Constitutional Dictator. He failed to get a declaration of war. Despite all the rhetoric we have heard by the Bush, Jr. administration Congress never declared war against Afghanistan or against anyone. There is technically no state of war today against anyone as a matter of constitutional law as formally declared.

Bush, Sr. v. Bush, Jr.

Now what Bush, Jr. did get was a War Powers Resolution authorization. Very similar to what Bush, Sr. got. Again the game plan was the same here. Follow the path already pioneered by Bush, Sr. in his war against Iraq. So he did get from Congress a War Powers Resolution authorization. This is what law professors call an imperfect declaration of war. It does not have the constitutional significance of a formal declaration of war. It authorizes the use of military force in specified, limited circumstances.

That is what Bush, Sr. got in 1991. It was to carry out the Security Council resolution that he had gotten a month and one-half before to expel Iraq from Kuwait. But that is all the authority he had - either from the Security Council or from Congress. And that is what he did. I am not here to approve of what Bush, Sr. did. I do not and I did not at the time. But just to compare Bush, Jr. with Bush, Sr. So Bush, Jr. got a War Powers Resolution, which is not a declaration of war.

Indeed, Senator Byrd, the Dean of the Senate, clearly said this is only a War Powers authorization and we will give authority to the president to use military force subject to the requirements of the War Powers Resolution, which means they must inform us, there is Congressional oversight, in theory, (I do not think they are doing much of it), controlled funding, and ultimately we decide, not the Executive branch of the government - we are the ones who gave the authorization to use force.

Again very similar to what Bush, Sr. got except the Bush, Jr. War Powers Resolution is far more dangerous because it basically gives him a blank check to use military force against any state that he says was somehow involved in the attack on September 11. And as you know that list has now gone up to 60 states. So it is quite dangerous, which led me to say in interviews I gave at the time this is worse that the Tonkin Gulf Resolution. Better from our perspective than a formal Declaration of War, but worse constitutionally and politically than the Tonkin Gulf resolution. But still subject to the control of Congress and the terms of the War Powers Resolution. Indeed you might be able to use that War Powers Resolution and the authorization in litigation that might come up. Keep that in mind.

No War Against Iraq!

For example, on Iraq. Right now they cannot use that War Powers Resolution to justify a war against Iraq. There is no evidence that Iraq was involved in the events on September 11. So they are fishing around for some other justification to go to war with Iraq. They have come up now with this doctrine of preemptive attack. Quite interesting that argument, doctrine was rejected by the Nuremberg Tribunal when the lawyers for the Nazi defendants made it at Nuremberg. They rejected any doctrine of preemptive attack.

Nazi Self-Defense

Then what happened after failing to get any formal authorization from the Security Council, the U.S. Ambassador Negroponte - who has the blood of about 35, 000 people in Nicaragua on his hands when he was U.S. Ambassador down in Honduras - sent a letter to the Security Council asserting Article 51 of the U.N. Charter to justify the war against Afghanistan. And basically saying that we reserve the right to use force in self-defense against any state we say is somehow involved in the events of September 11. Well, the San Francisco Chronicle interviewed me on that and asked what is the precedent for this? I said that the precedent again goes back to the Nuremberg Judgment of 1946 when the lawyers for the Nazi defendants argued that we, the Nazi government had a right to go to war in self-defense as we saw it, and no one could tell us any differently. Of course that preposterous argument was rejected by Nuremberg. It is very distressing to see some of the highest level of officials of our country making legal arguments that were rejected by the Nuremberg Tribunal.

Kangaroo Courts

Now let me say a few words about the so-called military commissions. I have a little handout out there called "Kangaroo Courts." It would take me a whole law review article to go through all the problems with military commissions. I have been interviewed quite extensively. I have some comments on it in my book. Professor Jordan Paust, a friend and colleague of mine at the University of Houston, just published an article in the Michigan Journal of International Law which I would encourage you to read. It goes through the major problems. But basically there are two treaties on point here that are being violated at a minimum.

First, the Third Geneva Convention of 1949. I will not go through all of the arguments here but it is clear that just about everyone down in Guantanamo (not counting the guys who were picked up in Bosnia and basically kidnapped) but all those apprehended over in Afghanistan and Pakistan would qualify as prisoners of war within the meaning of the Third Geneva Convention of 1949, and therefore have all the rights of prisoners of war within the meaning of that convention. Right now however, as you know, all those rights are being denied. This is a serious war crime. And unfortunately President Bush, Jr. himself has incriminated himself under the Third Geneva Convention by signing the order setting up these military commissions. Not only has he incriminated himself under the Third Geneva Convention, but he has incriminated himself under the U.S. War Crimes Act of 1996 or so, signed into law by President Clinton and making it a serious felony for any United States citizen either to violate or order the violation of the Four Geneva Conventions of 1949.

The Federalist Society Cabal

I am not personally criticizing President Bush. He is not a lawyer. He was terribly advised, criminally mis-advised, by the cabal of Federalist Society lawyers that the Bush administration has assembled at the White House and the Department of Injustice under Ashcroft. President Bush, Jr., by signing this order, has opened himself up to prosecution anywhere in the world for violating the Third Geneva Convention, and certainly if there is evidence to believe that any of these individuals have been tortured, which is grave breach, let alone at the end of the day executed. So this is a very serious matter.

I did not vote for President Bush, Jr. But I certainly think it is a tragedy that these Federalist Society lawyers got the President of the United States of America, who is not a lawyer, to sign the order that would incriminate him under the Geneva Conventions and United States Domestic Criminal Law. This is what happened.

Jeopardizing U.S. Armed Forces

Moreover, by us stating we will not apply the Third Geneva Convention to these people we opened up United States armed forces to be denied protection under the Third Geneva Convention. And as you know, we now have U.S. armed forces in operation in Afghanistan, Georgia, the Philippines, in Yemen and perhaps in Iraq. Basically Bush's position will be jeopardizing their ability to claim prisoner of war status. All that has to happen is our adversaries say they are unlawful combatants and we will not give you prisoner of war status. The Third Geneva Convention is one of the few protections U.S. armed forces have when they go into battle. Bush, Jr. and his Federalist Society lawyers just pulled the rug out from under them.

U.S. Police State

In addition the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights clearly applies down in Guantanamo. It applies any time individuals are under the jurisdiction of the United States of America. Guantanamo is a colonial enclave, I will not go through its status any further. But clearly those individuals are subject to our jurisdiction and have the rights set forth therein - which are currently being denied.

If and when many of these Bush, Ashcroft, Gonzalez police state practices make their way to the U.S. Supreme Court, we have to consider that a five to four majority of the Supreme Court gave the presidency to Bush, Jr. What is going to stop that same five to four majority from giving Bush, Jr. a police state? The only thing that is going to stop it is the people in this room.

Mr. Francis A. Boyle is a Professor in International Law. The author served as Legal Advisor: to the Palestine Liberation Organization on Creation of the State of Palestine (1987-1989), to the Palestinian Delegation to the Middle East Peace Negotiations (1991-1993) and sometime to the Provisional Government of the State of Palestine. The viewpoints expressed here are his own.

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