News Archive - 2011-03 (March 2011)
2011-03-01 "This Week in WikiLeaks" Podcast - The Corporate War on WikiLeaks Supporters
Update: Edited podcast episode is now posted.
The fourth episode of this weekly podcast, which looks at stories related to WikiLeaks from the past week, featured guest Kevin Zeese, who is with the Bradley Manning Support Network and WikiLeaksIsDemocracy.org, which is a project dedicated to preventing the prosecution and extradition of Assange to the United States. The podcast also welcomed CMN News correspondent Chris Novembrino, who provided commentary throughout the episode.
Here's a widget you can click play on to listen to the episode:
We talked to Zeese about the recent move by PayPal to cut off Courage to Resist and then, later that day, reverse that decision. We talked about Hunton & Williams and their support for HBGary and other security intelligence services' plans to target WikiLeaks, an activist coalition called "Stop the Chamber" (which Zeese has done some organizing with) and the complaint that was filed against Hunton & Williams by a group Zeese is affiliated with, which can be read here.
We had a brief discussion about the history of secrecy. [This Foreign Policy post was part of the conversation.
Then, we looked at a cable from Libya released during the past week---one that dealt with the Gaddafi family. We talked about whether revelations on the family will have any implication on what is unfolding in Libya.
We postponed a conversation on revelations from Mexico cables that La Jornada has been publishing. We will be doing a short half hour podcast tomorrow evening on these cables that will contextualize the cables that have been released.
Again, you can listen to the podcast by clicking play on the widget below.
Or, you can go download the .mp3 file here. (It's also available on iTunes -- just search for "CMN News" and the WikiLeaks podcast should come up.)
And now for a few plugs: WL Central is doing excellent coverage of all the uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa. If you haven't been keeping up on what is happening, check the front page for updates on various countries.
If you would like to learn more about WikiLeaks, I encourage you to buy Greg Mitchell's recently published book, "Age of WikiLeaks," which can be purchased in print on Blurb.com or in e-book form off of Amazon.
I helped Mitchell with parts of the book and I and many others are listed in the back as "resources" on Twitter. In fact, last week's podcast guest Michael K. Busch is listed (he can be followed @michaelkbusch).
You can follow me on Twitter @kgosztola. And here is Mitchell's WikiLeaks blog at The Nation, which just passed Day 90.
2011-03-01 Next big protest in #Iraq on #Mar4 #Kurdistan #Iraq4c #Feb25
WL Central will be updating news on Iraq, with new items added at the top. You can contact me on twitter @GeorgieBC or by email at admin@wlcentral.org.
Current time and date in Baghdad:
TUESDAY, March 1
The next protest in Iraq has been set for Friday, March 4. Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki and Baghdad Operations Command have apologized today for restricting freedom of press during the February 25 protest and released all detained reporters. Maliki has also proposed a reduction in retirement age from 63 to 61 and called to dissolve the municipal council and to hold early provincial elections.
An account of the fourteenth day in Sulaymaniyah from The Moving Silent. MONDAY, February 28 An account of the thirteenth day in Sulaymaniyah from The Moving Silent.
"100s of civlians r held by #KDP in #Erbil 4 protestin, claims pro-democracy Australian doc (who was abducted by KDP) PLS RT WE NEED UR HELP" via @GorranGuy
"@BayanRahman @BarhamSalih @qubadjt Any comments on the kidnapping and torture claims by Australian doc Dr. Reben Renwar in #Erbil?" via @GorranGuy
"Australian doctor was kidnapped , tortured and beaten by #KDP in #Erbil #Kurdistan for wearing a pro-democracy t-shirt" via @GorranGuy
"protest spread to Jalal Talabani's birthplace today in #Koya. Security forces halted a protest and forced shops to close down" via @GorranGuy
"Al-Qaeda in #Kurdistan releases statement saying they won't harm protesters in #Slemani , accusing #KRG of using scare tactics vs ppl" via @GorranGuy
"KDP TV: #Kurdistan might declare independence in near future. #Iraq Other channels: images of Kurdish tanks going to #Kirkuk" via @marius_vh
"Mullah Kamaran, who gave speech yesterday calling for soldiers to join the protests, has been arrested, according to KNN." via @marius_vh
"Protest continuing in #Sulaymaniya. Couldn't go yesterday. Today "Peace Wall" and military both absent. Ended w/o incident." via @marius_vh
SUNDAY, February 27 An
href="http://themovingsilent.wordpress.com/2011/02/27/sulaimany-twelfth-day-of-protest-they-keep-going/">account
"Protesters were upbeat today that #Barzani will not be ruling #Kurdistan come this summer. Our protest is as strong as that of #Egypt" via @GorranGuy
"If Al-Qaeda want to kill protesters in #Slemani, that means they support KRG. Ppl r protesting vs KRG +AlQaeda now want to kill us?Hilarious" via @GorranGuy
"Really disgusting the way PUK/KDP try to divert attention from the ppl's uprising in #Slemani -news of terrorists bust up is fake " via @GorranGuy
"General feeling is that PUK has lost the grip over #Slemani. We will not see the same leaders in this city in 2 months time." via @GorranGuy
"Today we as doctors in #Slemani protested against the killing of innocent people in our city. We are with the protesters" via @GorranGuy
"Heavy gunfire last night in #Slemani , PUK claims they have killed 4 Arabs and arrested 1 - No one believes them" via @GorranGuy
SATURDAY, February 26
The Kurdish child, Garmian Ahmed گەرمیان ئەحمەد , aged 12 who was shot yesterday in Chamchamal (graphic video).
Protest videos of today
Untitled from San Saravan on Vimeo.
Saturday: Another Bloody Saturday from San Saravan on Vimeo.
An account of the eleventh day in Sulaymaniyah from The Moving Silent. My friend is calling me, “You got to see this, lots of Protesters carrying rocks went toward the Peshmerga Force, fight broke out again, but now they are making peace, some members of the Peshmerga Force are putting down their weapons and kissing the protesters, “We are brothers, we Won’t shoot at you”, some are crying”, “How big is the crowd?”, “It is large, very large”. Emotion comes and goes, nothing is predictable. KNN TV and Speda TV on their lower third report “One dead and 11 wounded in today’s protest in Sulaimany.”
"RIP to the 12 year old who was killed in #Chamchamal the 14 yr old who was killed in #Kalar by #Barzani gunfire #Kurdistan" via @GorranGuy
"Shocking news from Fryakawtn Hospital:12 wounded and 2 killed in #Slemani today. I saw both of the deads - multiple bullet wounds " via @GorranGuy
"Loyalists to #KRG carry out a Scare Bomb in #Slemani Meydani Azadi (Freedom Sq) - ppl attack militia - as a result 2 dead and 12 wounded" via @GorranGuy
"the wounded people says Asaysh + Anti Terror Forces (headed by Talabani's nephew) fired on protesters" via @GorranGuy
"Asaish forces at my end of demo did not raise their weapons when protesters stormed at them after explosion." via @marius_vh
"Reports of Iranian Kurds that joined #Sulaymaniya protest being deported from KRG. Death penalty in Iran feared." via @marius_vh
"4 protest organizers reportedly disappeared overnight." via @marius_vh
FRIDAY, February 25
France24 reports that security forces used water cannons and tear gas on protesters in Baghdad, and at least 15 protesters were killed. Four government buildings were set on fire and a provincial governor resigned. Like the Gaddafis in Libya, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki called the protesters "terrorists". Around 5,000 people thronged Baghdad's Tahrir Square, with angry crowds throwing stones, shoes and plastic bottles at riot police and soldiers blocking off a bridge connecting the site to Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, home to the US embassy and parliament. The protest was the biggest of at least 17 separate demonstrations across the country, some sparking clashes in which more than 130 people were wounded, according to an AFP tally based on accounts by officials.
Kurdistan reported the biggest crowds yet, with around 7,000, as many as 35,000 to 40,000 just at Maidany Azady or 60,000 - 100,000 in Sulaymaniya. While those crowds were reportedly peaceful, in Kalar one person died and 27 were wounded, according to Arkan Mohammed, a spokesman for Kalar’s hospital and a child, aged 10 to 12 years old, was killed, and five were injured in Chamchamal.
"Protest in #Sulaymaniya today ended peacefully after "white group" volunteers intervened to prevent a riot." via @marius_vh
Videos of today's protests.
A much needed website has been created called Alive in Iraq posting audio and video from the protests.
The Committee to Protect Journalists reported that security forces prohibited cameras from entering Baghdad's Tahrir Square, where there were thousands of people protesting, and police confiscated tapes that reporters managed to shoot in the square, according to Al-Jazeera. Al-Jazeera reported that dozens of journalists were detained in central Baghdad today.
THURSDAY, February 24
An account of the ninth day in Sulaymaniyah from The Moving Silent. For the first time, the balance of power seem to be shifting toward the Protesters as their number grew and some Religious Leaders join in the Protest. ... At Maidany Azady, as one of the Speaker mentioned that thousands in the town of Chwarqurna (Close to Rania and Iranian Border) are protesting, the crowds went into euphoric chant. Today, many of the shop-owners closed their shops and joined the protest. ... in Halabja for the third day on a row fight broke out between Protesters and Security Services. KNN report that unknown Militants are arresting the Protesters (not listening to Kurdistan Parliament). The head of Police in Halabja told KNN that he didn’t know who were those Militants and why they were arresting the Protesters.
Despite the fact that this WL Central report has lumped the semi-autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan in with Iraq, and they are both holding their "official" protest day tomorrow, most Kurdistan protesters would like it clear that the demands are different.
10:30 PM "Just came back from city center & Iskan street in #Erbil,its calm.Calm before the storm?maybe & maybe just calm with no storm :)" via @ShivanSito
10:30 PM "students in hewler threatened ahead of protests tomorrow." via @Shkow
10:30 PM "all of Kurdistan has eyes on irbil tomorrow! Will the people of irbil protest or will they stay silent." via @Shkow
10:30 PM "Less than 24 hrs ago parliament asked for transparency, & guess what! # KRG r banning TV coverage of future protests. Welcome to #Kurdistan" via @HaremKarem
10:30 PM "all major Kurdish parties refuse to support protests in Kirkuk as arab plan is uncovered to attack Kurdish interests in the city" via @Shkow
10:30 PM "Just to be clear, Kurdish demands are different from the demands of Iraqies in the south." via @RuwaydaMustafah
10:30 PM "8 days on and here I am wondering when will the Western media start to cover the #Kurdistan Uprising! we have #Dictators and #Oil too." via @HaremKarem
10:30 PM Pictures of today's protest in Sulaymaniyah via @marius_vh
10:30 PM "Reports that #Sulaymaniya governor resigned and that students from Suli are sent home from universities in Duhok and Erbil" via @marius_vh
10:30 PM "Demonstration in #Sulaymaniya ended peacefully w/o incident. I would say 6,000 protesters in Freedom Square (Sara Square)" via @marius_vh
The Associated Press reports that the Iraqi reporter arrested for throwing his shoes at former President George W. Bush has returned to the country for his first public visit since being freed from prison, and was forcibly detained for questioning Thursday by the Iraqi army. Muntadhar al-Zeidi had returned to join anti-government protests, according to the AP report.
Iraq's parliament has suspended work for a week according to a report from Reuters which they chose to publish with the extraordinary title "Parliament stops work to listen to Iraqis' gripes". "We asked all members to head to all Iraqi provinces ... They will be working for more than a week," speaker Osama al-Nujaifi told a news conference. They will be in their provinces "until they receive all complaints and see the weaknesses and problems ... to look for solutions in partnership with non-governmental organisations, local governments (and other parties)."
The Babil Investment Commission says Iraq’s investment law has been “paralyzed” by the state’s failure to implement it effectively in ministries and government departments citing lengthy bureaucratic procedures and long time periods required to attain administrative approval. Although Iraq lacks many basic commodities such as housing, sewerage systems and electricity, the government’s delay in adopting the investment law has left foreign investors reluctant to implement projects in the country. “Investment is the best solution to address the deteriorating economic situation in Iraq and radically resolve the problem of unemployment” said the Vice Chairman of the commission. “The Kawthar housing project was obstructed by all government departments in the province,” and the Ministry of Municipalities “gave itself the right to decide about investment projects although the Investment Authority is the only party in the country authorized in this matter according to law. The Ministry of Municipalities has hindered our projects completely.”
WEDNESDAY, February 23
Report on the Baghdad death on Monday from "about 60 knife wielding individuals who attacked demonstrators who are camping at Tahrir (Liberation) Square in the center of Baghdad." Also reports that the protesters have received support from Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani as well as from Sunni clerics, labor unions, tribal chiefs and civil societies. Al-Sistani confirmed the rights of Iraqis to demonstrate against corruption and the lack of public services, provided that the demonstrations remain peaceful and avoid harming public or private property. Sheikh Assaf al-Duleimi, a Sunni cleric, hailed al-Sistani's position which, al-Duleimi said, is consistent with the national and popular position.
An account of the eighth day in Sulaymaniyah from The Moving Silent. "As we all know and I have been reminded by Friends, there are also Protest in Diyarbakir and many other cities in Kurdistan, Turkey. There are not many media coverage, please don’t forget them. ... The wounded from yesterday’s Protest in Halabja has reached 29, there are many wounded from the Security Service also, most of them from rocks. ... Footage is shown of the Protest in Koya, their numbers are at thousands, very peaceful, flowers is given to the Security Services. ... KNN show footage of Rania Protest, the number is big, peaceful also.
Footage is shown from Halabja, the street is a battle zone, rock throwing, shooting, tire burring in the middle of the street, there are even big barrel, the Protester push it toward the police as they run away. So far, one Police is dead and 5 wounded. The crowd is large, it started peacefully and when the crowd tried to got toward the City Municipality, the shooting started. The head of Police claim that all the leaders of the protesters will be arrested. Kurdsat TV claim that some Protesters had weapon with them and shot the Police.
Around 9:30 PM, on its lower third, KNN report that students in Koya are going into the street and protesting. At 10:00 PM, Speda TV also report the same news.
On it’s lower third, Al Jazeera Arabic report that 2 are dead in Halabja.
The White Group protects civilians from security forces in Sulaymaniyah.
More pictures of today's protest in Sulaymaniyah via @marius_vh.
10:00 AM "Violence was averted towards end of protest as protesters form human chain between rioters and military." via @marius_vh
10:00 AM "Another day of protest in #Sulaymaniya ends without casualties. About 5,000 people in Sara ("Azadi") Square." via @marius_vh
As reported on WL Central, the attacks on non-state media in Iraq have been continuing throughout the country all week. Suppression of information has reportedly included preventing hospital staff from reporting accurate numbers of dead and wounded, and preventing certain doctors from even speaking to victims of security violence. There are gross discrepancies between the numbers of dead and wounded in official and unofficial reports in Kurdistan.
The type of coverage being suppressed by the attacks on Sana:
Iraq Freedom Congress satellite TV (Sana) announce: At around 2:30 am Baghdad time a group of anti riot police raided the headquarter of Iraq Freedom Congress satellite TV (Sana) in Baghdad and destroyed every single piece of equipment in the office as well as confiscating a number of documents.
These attacks occurred following broadcasting segments of events took place in Tahrir Square in Baghdad by a number of TV Channels via Sana TV who filmed and documented a particular segments in which protesters clashed with the police on the night of February 20th, 2011 and one protestor was killed as a result, as well as the active participation of Sana TV in assisting of organizing the forthcoming demonstrations in Tahrir Square.
This is the Maliki government and its repressive practices; this is the democracy and freedom of expression which Maliki's is bragging about. He continues sending his militias to silence his opponents and critics. He is no different than Ben Ali, Mubarak and Gaddafi in acts of torture. Iraq Freedom Congress assert that it will carry on the fight and will not bow to the practices of Maliki and his mercenaries and vow that the demonstrations on February 25th, 2011 will continue the pace no matter how brutal this government practices is.
IFC pledges that it will continue organize and fight with full force in the million people march on February 25th, 2011. Iraq Freedom Congress February 23, 2011
Burhan Aydin writes that Hadi JLo Mari, the head of the Journalistic Freedoms Observatory reported a joint military force, led by four officers of various ranks raided the headquarters of the Observatory in central Baghdad, broke doors, and confiscated the contents of the Observatory and the computers and property staff.
Abdus-Samad reports the arrest of two people who made an official request to the government of the province Salah ad Din in order to demonstrate this Friday against the deterioration of services and the growing corruption. The sources said that two people were taken to an unknown destination. The governor of Salah al-Din warned in previous statements by the protesters to leave and said he would deal with them as "terrorists."
Burhan Aydin writes that in Baghdad, one man died and other eight others were injured after an attack Monday by an alleged pro-government militia on a group of demonstrators trying to spend the night at Baghdad's Tahrir square."They came an hour after the midnight curfew. It was a group of around 60, most of them teenagers, armed with knives and clubs. They all jumped of from hummers belonging to the Interior Ministry," said a witness. Bassam Abdul Sattar, another witness, added that Ministry of Defence vehicles cordoning off the area "had left a few minutes before" the attackers arrived. Bassam Abdul Sattar, another witness, added that Ministry of Defence vehicles cordoning off the area "had left a few minutes before" the attackers arrived.
Galal Lawrani, secretary of the Iraqi Parliament's deputy spokesman, pleaded for patience and understanding. "We fight against corruption although we do admit that much of the money is lost in the hands of subcontractors. However, people do not understand that there's very little we can do as these companies are often linked to senior politicians. An intervention could lead to a government crisis almost immediately." "We fight against corruption although we do admit that much of the money is lost in the hands of subcontractors. However, people do not understand that there's very little we can do as these companies are often linked to senior politicians. An intervention could lead to a government crisis almost immediately."
Protest videos via via kchasha کچهشا
TUESDAY, February 22
Pictures of today's protest in Sulaymaniyah via @marius_vh. 
AFP reports around 4000 protesters in the city square of Sulaymaniyah today as well as a total now of three young protesters have been killed and more than 100 wounded since Thursday (see below for very different numbers). "In a bid to prevent further violence, several of the demonstrators wore white shirts emblazoned with the words "Wall of Peace" and stood between the bulk of the protesters and security forces."
An account of the seventh day in Sulaymaniyah from The Moving Silent. He also reports a tense but peaceful protest, with many pictures of militia with narcissus placed in their gun barrels, and Kurdistan flags given to them by the protesters. Small children were among the protesters and a young man holds up a sign reading "Don't Kill Me, My Mom is Waiting for Me". "There are reports (on KNN TV) of at least 15 wounded in Halabja as fight broke out between the Protesters and Police, the Militias started shooting into the crowds."
Reporters Without Borders has documented attacks in journalists during the Kurdistan protests and in particular: Reporters Without Borders is outraged by the destructive attack that 50 masked gunmen carried out at 2:30 a.m. on 20 February on the headquarters of Naliya Radio and Television (NRT) in the compound known as “German Village” in Sulaymaniyah, in northern Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, to prevent it from continuing to cover unrest in the city.
After opening fire on NRT’s guards, wounding one of them, the gunmen smashed all the broadcasting equipment and then set fire to the building. Launched on 17 February by the company Naliya, it was Iraqi Kurdistan’s first independent satellite TV station. It had existed for 72 hours and had provided a total of just 17 hours of broadcasting when the attack took place. In this short space of time, it had distinguished itself by its live coverage of the protests against the Kurdistan Regional Government that had erupted on 17 February and it had broadcast footage of police firing on demonstrators and the resulting bloodshed. NRT’s executive had been receiving threats since the day it was launched.
Channel 10 coverage.MONDAY, February 21 Amnesty urges "restraint" and reports two of the deaths, 17-year-old Serkho Mohammed, who was shot dead yesterday and a second protester who died in hospital today after being shot during the protests, which also left at least 30 people injured. Later they state the KDP militia have killed three people in Sulaimaniya, including a 15-year-old boy. “The two political parties that jointly rule Iraq’s three Kurdish provinces continue to operate armed militia which act almost as a law unto themselves and have been permitted to commit human rights abuses with impunity,” said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International's director for the Middle East and North Africa.
An account of the sixth day in Sulaymaniyah from The Moving Silent. "I would say that more than 20,000 people were taking part in the protest in Bardarky Sara and surrounding area." The president and teachers of the University of Sulaymaniyah along with almost all the students held a demonstration today from 12:00 to 2:30 PM at the center of the University and promise to do so every day until their demands are met. If their demands are not met they will join the protesters. Their demands were: 1. All the forces must leave the streets and Sulaymaniyah. 2. KDP and Kurdistan Regional Government must apologize to the people of Sulaymaniyah. 3. The Television and Media that called the protesters “Troublemakers” “ئاژاوە گێر” must apologize. 4. Answer to the demands of Protesters. Lawyers and law students protested in front of the Justice Building, demanding justice and an inquiry into the killings. Masud Barzani, the president of Kurdistan and the KDP, is blaming Iran for the protests. It is the sixth day of the protest neither Masud Barzani nor Iraqi president, Jalal Talabnai have spoken to the people. Tear gas is reported used. Some protesters are targeting the KDP’s media, Kurdistan TV, Zagroz TV and PUK, while the security forces are targeting KNN (Goran), Nali (independent) and Speda (Islamist). Some independent reporters were also targeted by the Security Forces. KNN report that as of now, there are 3 dead and 123 wounded. "Speda TV shows footage of protest in Rania, there must be thousands of then, most are Young Men. Unbelievable, the Young Men are throwing rocks at the Forces, one footage show a Militia being hit with rocks coming from every direction, he start to shoot into the people and then into the air. Also footage of streets full of trash, tires on fire and protesters running as they are being shot at. For each Security Force it seems like there are 10 Protester. The city is shut down as of now, shops closed. Also, Speda TV report that their reporter was beaten by Security Service."
From @GorranGuy, a doctor at the hospital:
- 5th day of protests continue in #Slemani and surrounding cities today. More than 15 protests today in #Kurdistan So far it has been peaceful
- Doctors in Fryakawtn Hospital have been warned from using Facebk or Twitter by KRG Depart of Health officials loyal to PUK - hav 2 b careful
- Word among doctors at Fryakawtn (Emergency) Hospital is many of the victims are dead - they r put on LifeSupport 2 reduce no. of casualties
- Todays Protest was diff - 1 member of Peshmerga joined the protest- many teachers/docs/women present and very peaceful
- Photos of Day 5 of Protests in Freedom Square (Maydani Seray Azady)
- yes there was a meeting between opposition and ruling parties - news says that the KRG did not commit to change- no agreements
Hospital in Sulaymaniyah.
SUNDAY, February 20
An account of the fifth day in Sulaymaniyah from The Moving Silent. "Last night they burn down the Nalia (NTV) Satellite channel, according to Twana Osman who is the president of NTV “50 militia men, all dressed similar and in military cloth, attacked the building, went into every room and shot every single equipment, the with hand grenade and other explosive, they set fire into the building, bullets into computers screens." They report around 20,000 troops spread out in and around the city but it is unknown who they are. Thousands protest again in Sulaymaniyah, trying to get to Salim street to KDP’s headquarters. At least 2 thousand protesters from Saholaka (South of KDP’s headquarter), tried to go to KDP HQ, and were shot at security forces. KNN report a heavy presence of Security Guards and Police spread out around and inside Erbil, protests starting in Chamchamal, mentions of students protesting at Rania, close to Iranian border and students at Koya close to Ebil. SpedaTV is reporting that in Rania, they are shooting at people and the protesters are throwing stones at the police. Today’s protest in Rania started peacefully but soon turned violent after they Security Service started to attack them with water and then electrocuted them. About 70 Young Men who were arrested yesterday were released today, they talk about been treated badly and beaten. KNN report of 1 dead and 48 wounded.
From @GorranGuy, a doctor at the hospital:
- New protests will take place today in #Slemani #Kurdistan - We need
- Foreign reporters to be present in Berderki Sera 1pm PLS PLS PLS
- This morning in Berderki Sera (tahrir square) in #Slemani #Kurdistan http://on.fb.me/igBZmg Heavy presence of the army HELP HELP HELP
- Presence of Peshmerga in Freedom Square (Berderki Sera) in Slemani Kurdistan
- Thousands of ppl of all kinds gather in Freedom Square in #Slemani #Kurdistan chanting anti-Barzani slogans #Kurdistan #Slemani NOW
- Protests extend to Ranya, Germyan and Koya as well as #Slemani #Kurdistan - biggest protest today
- from my contacts in Ranya & Koya they are civilians no political motivation. Gorran is no longer popular after bein silent 4 long
- No injuries or wounded reported to #Slemani Hospital today - very peaceful protest bt large strong crowd
- Peshmerga fire live ammunition on protesters in #Slemani #Kurdistan that is because u watch KRG media - Nalia TV is the voice of the ppl - and it was burnt down last night by Peshmerga
- Peshmerga fire on protesters - reports of 1 dead and 1 injured reports that casualty have gone to 5 wounded and 1 dead
- reporter for KNN TV (opposition media) is among the wounded today local radio says Barzani's forces were firing at protesters #Slemani #Kurdistan reports of 5 wounded 1 dead
- Journalists & media reporters have been under attack today by Peshmerga in #Slemani #Kurdistan NO respect for free press by KRG
- No deads have been received by my hospital yet - but 3-5 wounded #Slemani #Kurdistan 2 of them are journalists
- casualties re: #Slemani protests today: 18 wounded - 1 dead #Kurdistan
- Hospital sources barr some doctors from speaking to/help wounded just back from a ward round - 33 injured from today's protest
- WORLD WE NEED UR HELP - Protesters camped out in Azady (Freedom) Square in #Slemani #Kurdistan were all arrested and removed by bullets number of today's wounded 48! 1-2 are seriously injured
- News from Fryakawtn Hospital : One protester was beaten to death today - he is in intensive care - He is brain-dead
- Surkew 16, is now pronounced dead - he was shot in his chest this afternoon by Peshmerga
Sunday: words or bullets? from San Saravan on Vimeo.
SATURDAY, February 19
Another eyewitness account of the day in Sulaymaniyah from The Moving Silent. They report two or three thousand people, not just young men, but girls from colleges and high schools, older men, women and children protesting, demanding the KDP’s Zerivan Force leave the streets of Sulaymaniyah. Police in the crowds attacked protesters with knives, some buildings were set on fire, the streets were full of rocks, trash, and burning tires. Rumours of US soldiers and humvees protecting the streets leading to PDK’s headquarters, secret service beating protesters with baseball bats, police shooting and arresting people and attacking reporters. "Horrifying footage shown on KNN, after they spry people with water, they chase them and use electricity on them with a stick. A Young Man was shivering after he was electrocuted. More horrifying footage shown on KNN: Security Service dressed in Civilian cloth are chasing down protesters and shooting at them with hand-guns and Pistols, like they are hunting animals."
Photos from today here and here.
From @GorranGuy, a doctor at the hospital:
- Video of KDP Peshmerga firing live bullets into the running crowd. [Reportedly the boy in red is Zmnako Rzgar, about 13 or 15 years old, now in a very critical condition.]
- 1000s of protesters are in Barderki Serah in #Slemani to condemn the killings of civilians on 17/2 by #Barzani peshmerga
- Photo of the #Slemani protests NOW in #Kurdistan - ppl demand removal of Barzani army- resignation of Barzani
- PUK forces open fire on protesters in #Slemani 's Berderki Serah (tahrir square) - many wounded
- many youngsters arrested in Berderki Serah - at least 1 wounded by gunfire - many are wounded by beating
- Many wounded in central #Slemani #Kurdistan #NOW as PUK forces attack peaceful protesters in Bardarki Serah
- We have just received 8-10 wounded in Fryakawtn Hospital - some of them are Asaysh #Slemani #Kurdistan - We need BLOOD donations
- Today's wounded raise to 12 - 3 of them r journalists - 2 r bullet wounds and the rest are beating / stone wounds
- Main opposition Gorran declares its support to the protesters in #Slemani - ppl now await to see whether they join protests #Kurdistan it is on sbeiy.com It is not as strong as people wanted it to be. Gorran needs to join the people - not just stand by
- KDP and PUK men burn newly-broadcastin Independent Nalia NRT TV station in #Slemani #Kurdistan just minutes ago..Tv station is ablaze the TV station warned tonight that KDP/PUK Ministers have warned them to stop reporting the protests - appealed for help. It'll be ugly 2mro
Saturday: Bleeding injuries from San Saravan on Vimeo.
FRIDAY, February 18
10:00AM "Figures from yesterday's casualties. - 30 gun wound victims have had surgeries - 20 of them are in Intensive Care" via @GorranGuy
10:00AM "Today we were told by hospital directors NOT TO TELL ANYONE about the figure of deads - I CAN TELL U IT IS 10" via @GorranGuy
7:00 AM Facebook page for Iraq protests, with 11,450 likes.
3:00 AM The Belfast Telegraph reports a protest of about 1000 people has blocked a bridge in Basra after repeated protests this week across the country.
3:00 AM A statement from Iraqi Streets 4 Change.
3:00 AM Another video of the Sulaymaniyah atrocity and pictures from the funeral of one of the slain teenagers, Rijwan Ali.
3:00 AM "The #Iraq crackdown continues support #iq4c #Feb25 "@alisaadi: Police prevent journalists documenting demo in Tikrit, Salah Al Din province"" via @MoustafaAyad The Scene At Sulaymania Hospital on the 17th of Feb via Arab Revolution.
5:30 AM Excellent eyewitness account from Kurdistan massacre, also stating 10 dead.
3:00 AM "video of the woudned in Fryakawtn Hospital in #Slemani #Kurdistan http://on.fb.me/gUUckV" via @GorranGuy
3:00 AM "http://on.fb.me/eAEFEi another video of peaceful protesters being shot at by KDP" via @GorranGuy
3:00 AM "100s/1000s of ppl are heading towards the #Gorran HQ (Grdaka) in #Slemani #Kurdistan amid reports that KDP r about 2 attack it" via @GorranGuy
3:00 AM "Video of Kurdish 15 yr old being killed by KDP http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIzWqY4j9X0 RIP - We NEED YOUR HELP WORLD" via @GorranGuy
3:00 AM "i work @ Fryakawtn Hosp, the wounded protesters were all shot in the back. deathcount would go to up2 10. Can u justify that?" via @GorranGuy
2:00 AM "WORLD & FREEDOM LOVING PPL @BBCBreaking #Slemani in #Kurdistan NEED your HELP! Barzani has sent his army to the city. We need ur protection" via @GorranGuy
2:00 AM"Main electricity goes in #Slemani #Kurdistan News that KDP has sent its "Barzani Guards" for revenge, ppl are scared of a bloodpath HELP" via @GorranGuy
2:00 AM "I am a doctor in Slemani hospital - the KDP guards who were wounded had NO bullets inside them - They had stone wounds" via @GorranGuy
12:00 AM "video of the uprising in #Slemani #Kurdistan taken by an American girl http://on.fb.me/i2x7gw" via @GorranGuy
10:00 PM "protesters are still camping out KDP HQs in #Slemani #Kurdistan - many woundeds r held prisoners by KDP" via @GorranGuy
10:00 PM "This is how a KDP armed guard kills a 16 year old. He smashes his AK47 on the youngster's head. http://yfrog.com/h2qy86j" via @GorranGuy
9:00 PM "Protesters FORCE KDP HQ (Lqy 4) to leave ...Asaysh take over the control of KDP HQ in #Slemani #Kurdistan!! Jubilation by protesters by fone" via @GorranGuy
8:00 PM "we have run out of blood - we had 9 people who needed double operations -they all have 10% chance - 57 wounded before my break" via @GorranGuy
8:00 PM "sorry I can not give u my name. i am a doctor at Tawarreka we need O-/O+ for some of the wounded." via @GorranGuy
8:00 PM "This video was taken after the massacre - protesters shouting AZADI (FREEDOM) #kurdistan http://on.fb.me/gy5np7" via @GorranGuy
8:00 PM "More videos of the uprising in #Kurdistan #Slemani - KDP firing on demonstrators http://on.fb.me/fr20j7" via @GorranGuy
8:00 PM "photos of the martyrs in #Kurdistan #Slemani through Facebook http://on.fb.me/geMotG" via @GorranGuy
8:00 PM "I was lucky enough 2 escape the bullets- most of the injured r passers by. PLS PLS WE NEED BLOOD O- O+ type at Fryakawtn Hospital" via @GorranGuy
8:00 PM "more like 10 martyred - not dead - they are martyrs - most of the martyrs are between 14-19 years of age" via @GorranGuy
8:00 PM "video of the uprising in Slemani #Kurdistan , KDP forces kill 10 and wound 50 @BBCBreaking on http://alturl.com/4mrqm through facebook" via @GorranGuy "10 killed in Kurdistan 50 wounded (sources in Slemani hospital)" via @GorranGuy
THURSDAY, February 17
Hundreds of protesters stormed political headquarters in Iraqi Kurdistan and were fired on by police. Reports have two dead and 40-53 others injured. The office of the president issued a statement which said, "Enemies of Kurdish people still continue destabilize Kurdistan, but we will not allow that will happen. People of Kurdistan should be aware of what are at stake and calmly and wisely deal with the situation." The people were protesting against corruption and unemployment and attacked KDP and PUK, the two major political parties who have controlled power since 1991.
WEDNESDAY, February 16
- 2,000 demonstrators attacked government offices, ripping up pavement stones to hurl at a regional council headquarters. Al Jazeera
- Protests in Kut left 55 people were injured and three died, including a 16 year old. Some were shot by police while others were hit by stones or suffered burns. Three government buildings were set on fire, including the governor's official residence.Al Jazeera
- Iraq government cuts minister and MP salaries "We will submit to the council of ministers next week ... a good substantial reduction, in some cases more than 50 percent, of present salaries," said cabinet general secretary Ali al-Alaak. AFP
- Iraq protest map via @Hamzoz
- On Monday Maliki's government withdrew a planned purchase of 18 F-16 war planes from the US and promised to use the money to alleviate poverty. Source Uruknet.
Other Related News Sources:
- Alive in Iraq posting audio and video from the protests.
- San Saravan videos
- Iraqi Streets 4 Change شوارع عراقية من أجل التغيير blog
- The Moving Silent blog
Previous coverage of the Iraq protests on WL Central.
2011-03-01 No million citizen march in #Zimbabwe, UN expresses concern over imprisonment #Mar1
As reported earlier on WL Central, a million citizen march was planned for today in Harare, by a facebook group with currently 1292 members. While the march did not materialize, and neither did protests or demonstrations of any kind, the group is claiming a victory for provoking a reaction from the country's military and police. Armoured cars, trucks of riot police and Israeli-built water cannon vehicles had swept through Harare over the weekend, fanning out into townships around the city. Authorities gave no explanation for the display of force.
The failure of any protest materializing could have been due to the government reaction, or it could indicate, in a country where 15% of the population have internet access, that they simply had not heard of it. There is no mention of it on the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition website and they in fact have stated that they were not aware of it. Neither did it have any stated backing of any other local human rights or political opposition movements.
WL Central also reported earlier on the arrest, imprisonment, and torture for some, of Munyaradzi Gwisai, the International Socialist Organisation (ISO) general coordinator, and 45 others on February 19. They were charged on the 23rd with treason, which carries the death penalty, or subverting a constitutionally elected government, for which the maximum penalty is 20 years imprisonment for watching a video of the uprising in Egypt.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay expressed her deep concern over the case today. "Many people in North Africa have said clearly and loudly that there is no democracy without freedom of expression and assembly. It is both ironic and disturbing that in Zimbabwe, activists are being arrested and abused for simply discussing the efforts in North Africa to bring change through peaceful demonstrations."
2011-03-01 Violence escalates in Abidjan, Ivory Coast as human rights organizations recall horrors of civil war
Violence has continued today in the economic centre of Ivory Coast, the south-eastern city of Abidjan, and has left one dead after clashes between protesters and police forces began early in the morning. Today most of the businesses in the city remain paralyzed and the BBC reports that the La transmission centre of the national television was “burnt down, but is working again, even though the video is of poor quality”. Political tensions over the outcome of the presidential election past November, when the candidate from the opposition Alassane Ouattara accused Laurent Ggagbo, president since 2000, of fraud, have given way to widespread violence in most of the country.
Several days after the official deadline for the results had expired, the Independent Electoral Commission for Ivory Coast claimed Ouattara as the winner with 54% of the votes. The country’s Constitutional Council, however, declared that the commission had no right to publish the results, having missed the deadline to do so. The President of the Council, Paul Yao N’Dre, also said they had decided to nullify around 500,000 votes coming from pro-opposition areas in the north of the country, alleging that the violence and tension that occurred there during the election invalidated the results. They therefore gave a marginal victory to Ggagbo, with a slim 51% of the votes. Both candidates claim they have been sworn into office. The U.N., along with most of the international community, has sided with Ouattara, and imposed sanctions on the Government, calling Ggagbo to step down. Ouattara is known to have strong connections with the West: he studied economics in the U.S. and worked with the International Monetary Fund as an analyst.
On the 19th of February a peaceful pro-democracy was set up by Guillaume Soro, Prime Minister of the Ouattara government, in several places around the country. Most of them were repressed violently by Ggagbo’s Force of Defense and Security (FDS) leaving three demonstrators dead in Abidjan. Media censorship has also been reported and the clashes have escalated progressively, especially in Abobo, a particularly conflictive neighborhood of the city.
Independent media sites covering the unfolding events are saying that the regime is not only using military force on the opposition, but that it is also giving weapons to young loyalists and organizing them, instigating them to fight against militias such as the Forces Nouvelles, operating in the west of the country. According to this blog even young children have been seen carrying weapons, as well as reporting dead bodies with gunshot wounds and slit throats in Abdijan. Human Rights Watch in an effort to avoid “an imminent return to the civil armed conflict that engulfed Côte d'Ivoire in 2002 and 2003”, has called for both sides to do damage control on innocent civilians. They also warn that massive recruitment has been going on by both sides, with Liberian mercenaries included among the regime’s forces, suggesting that “the possible use of former fighters from Liberia's civil war, in which widespread atrocities were committed, raises further concerns about the security of the civilian population”. They also put the number of dead at 17 people, although they admit it could be much higher.
A man, allegedly from the FDR fires a weapon during a protest in Abobo, Abidjan.
2011-03-01 WikiLeaks Statement on Israel Shamir
Responding to the controversy today arising out of a publication by Private Eye, Wikileaks made a statement concerning its relationship with the journalist Israel Shamir, the subject of concerted speculation and rumour over the last few months.
The statement is as follows:
On Tuesday 1st March 2011, @wikileaks said:
WikiLeaks statement that was given to, but not used by, the UK satirical current-affairs magazine, Private Eye:
Israel Shamir has never worked or volunteered for WikiLeaks, in any manner, whatsoever. He has never written for WikiLeaks or any associated organization, under any name and we have no plan that he do so. He is not an 'agent' of WikiLeaks. He has never been an employee of WikiLeaks and has never received monies from WikiLeaks or given monies to WikiLeaks or any related organization or individual. However, he has worked for the BBC, Haaretz, and many other reputable organizations.
It is false that Shamir is 'an Assange intimate'. He interviewed Assange (on behalf of Russian media), as have many journalists. He took a photo at that time and has only met with WikiLeaks staff (including Asssange) twice. It is false that 'he was trusted with selecting the 250,000 US State Department cables for the Russian media' or that he has had access to such at any time.
Shamir was able to search through a limited portion of the cables with a view to writing articles for a range of Russian media. The media that subsequently employed him did so of their own accord and with no intervention or instruction by WikiLeaks.
We do not have editorial control over the of hundreds of journalists and publications based on our materials and it would be wrong for us to seek to do so. We do not approve or endorse the the writings of the world's media. We disagree with many of the approaches taken in analyzing our material.
Index did contact WikiLeaks as have many people and organisations do for a variety of reasons. The quote used here is not complete. WikiLeaks also asked Index for further information on this subject. Most of these rumors had not, and have not, been properly corroborated. WikiLeaks therefore asked Index to let us know if they had received any further information on the subject. This would have helped WikiLeaks conduct further inquiries. We did not at the time, and never have, received any response.
END
Previous coverage on this issue can be found here.
2011-03-03 Meeting on 2nd March in Parliament House Canberra with MPs re Julian Assange.
On 2nd March 2011 at 9.15am a meeting was held, organised by Andrew Laming (Liberal Party MP Bowman Qld) at Parliament House Canberra to allow federal parliamentarians who wished to attend, some insights into the matters of Julian Assange facing extradition from the UK to Sweden, and facing (subject to that extradition process) a possible trial in Sweden and another possible extradition to the USA thereafter.
Among others, MPs Andrew Laming, Malcolm Turnbull, Doug Cameron and Sarah Hanson-Young were in attendance, along with parliamentary staff members.
Three speakers made themselves available for oral presentations and questions: Greg Barns, barrister from Tasmania; former Australian diplomat Tony Kevin and Peter Kemp, solicitor from NSW. The latter two made written material available for the parliamentarians, reprinted below with their permission. Written material was also provided by Jennifer Robinson, UK counsel for the Julian Assange. That material is reprinted with permission here.
After short addresses by each of the three speakers, the meeting was opened for questions and summaries of each speaker in the proceedings appears below, after biographies.
1) TONY KEVIN
Tony Kevin retired from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 1998, after a thirty-year public service career. He served in the Prime Minister's Department, and was Australia's ambassador to Poland and Cambodia. He is currently an honorary visiting fellow at the ANU Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies. He has written extensively on Australian foreign, national security and refugee policies in Australia's national print media, including Eureka Street, Canberra Times, the Age, Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian, and Australian Financial Review. Since February 2002, his research has been focused on the sinking of the asylum-seeker boat that he named SIEV X
Tony Kevin’s summary of the meeting as provided to Wikileaks Central: "Impressions of the multi-party briefing meeting at Parliament House Canberra on 2 March":
It was a most constructive discussion, organised by Liberal backbencher Andrew Laming, and notable for the high level and numbers of political attendance, including Malcolm Turnbull (Liberal) , and Senators Doug Cameron (Labor) and Sarah Hanson-Young (Greens). Many political staffers attended. The discussion was practically focussed, on clear and present dangers to Julian Assange's safety as an Australian citizen but living outside the legal protections of his own country, and how his human rights might best be protected by his government as complex legal situations in Sweden and the USA evolve in coming weeks and months.
Participants went away better informed and with a set of useful briefing papers that will help them better to evaluate and respond to future developments in this unpredictable and fast-moving story. Heartening was the general cross-party responsible concern for Julian Assange's welfare. It is good to see our parliamentary democracy working so well.
Tony Kevin, Canberra 3 March
Tony Kevin provided the following written material for the meeting: ASSANGE TALK - ISSUES
My focus here is not on debating Wikileaks but on:
1. Whether Assange’s rights as an Australian citizen abroad to the Australian Government’s full consular protection against unjust treatment are now at risk?
2. If so, whether our government could or should do more to help protect him, either now or later after the extradition decision on the rape case has been made and implemented?
At the end of this talk I make a recommendation for your committee’s possible consideration. **
There is growing concern in UK human rights circles that too many people are being extradited from the UK whose human rights are then violated. Public concern about Assange taps into this. However, in the UK as in Australia, most extradition decisions are enforced, overriding appeals. Judges consider extradition cases on the procedural legality of the warrant, not on substance of the case.
There is a built -in assumption that the receiving country will judge the case fairly and will respect human rights norms. Some judges even say what happens later to extradited persons is none of their business as judges. Australian governments sometimes ask for political guarantees that death penalties will not be imposed eg in a landmark case of an extradition from here to Singapore.
There is scope for Attorneys-General to override judicial decisions to approve extraditions, on political or humanitarian grounds, but these powers are rarely if ever used. Assange’s team appealed Judge Riddle’s decision last week, to be heard on Thursday 3 March (UK time).
Might Assange’s human rights be at risk if he were extradited against his will to Sweden?
I ask first, were the rape allegations against Assange an unrelated sequence of random events, or might they have been prompted or later exploited by persons with hostile political intent against Assange ? To put it strongly, might Assange have stumbled into some kind of ‘honey trap’ in Sweden, set by people out to cripple Wikileaks’ political effectiveness at the least, and who might have known his personal lifestyle preferences and his vulnerable state of mind at the time?
It seems that Assange was excited and euphoric and quite emotionally vulnerable when he arrived in Sweden in August 2010. He was living through a stressful time of virulent abuse and death threats from people in USA deeply angered by the harm they think Wikileaks is doing to American national interests.
He may have naively thought he had found a kind of refuge from American retaliation among friends and supporters in what he thought was a safe liberal country. He may have naively thought he could relax in Sweden from his normally very guarded personal life. Prominent well-connected figures in US politics both Republican and Democrat have expressed deep loathing for Assange, even calling for him to receive the death penalty or be assassinated for exposing US state secrets.
If there was a honey trap, or political exploitation of a situation randomly created by Assange’s actions, it is quite possible that the US government is not involved. A private contract could have been put out to entrap Assange in Sweden. A lot of this kind of activity has been privatised in the USA in recent decades.
Political background – Relevant Sweden/USA connections
I researched reputable US investigative journalism, as published on US internet sites like Huffington Post and the Swedish English-language internet site www.swedishwire.com by American investigative journalists Andrew Krieg and Roger Shuler. They have raised disturbing questions about the position of the Swedish Government in the case, and its US connections.
Sweden has moved to the right since 9/11 (2001). The present government in Sweden since 2006 is a centre-right coalition government under Prime Minister Fredric Reinfeldt. He leads the Moderate Party, actually a conservative party which has close ties with the US Republican right. Reinfeldt and Bush are friends. Reimfeldt is ideologically and personally close to the former Bush Administration.
Reinfeldt’s party favours Sweden joining NATO, and under his government Sweden operates as a de facto member of NATO. Karl Rove, the controversial architect of George Bush’s political success from 1994 until he resigned under pressure in 2007, has been implicated in many US political-legal scandals though no allegations have been proven or sustained. These scandals include the Valerie Plame affair, the Bush White House e-mail controversy and the related dismissal of U.S. Democratic Party –affiliated state attorneys .
Rove is proud of his Swedish descent and is close to the conservative side of Swedish politics. He has been a friend and political adviser to Reinfeldt for the past two years, and in his private consultancy role visits Sweden regularly e.g. in November last year. The legal firm representing the two women in the rape case, Anna Ardin and Sofia Wilen, is a partnership, Borgstrom and Bodstrom. Both men are former Social Democrat politicians. Bodstrom is a best selling author of spy thrillers. Last year he left his parliamentary seat and moved to the US for six months, citing a need for family time and to write another book.
As Sweden’s Minister of Justice in 2001, Bodstrom had a major policy role in the decision by his government in 2001 secretly to hand over to the CIA two asylum-seekers in Sweden who were suspected by the CIA of being terrorists. The CIA flew the men from Sweden to Egypt where they were tortured. Sweden later awarded them damages for their torture. Bodstrom’s partner on the firm, Borgstrom, represents the two women accusers. Borgstrom is the primary advocate in the complaint initiated by this legal firm against Assange. He stresses that only he, not his partner Bodstrom, represents the women.
Swedish PM’s comments
Swedish national pride is now engaged by Assange’s UK defence team’s casting of doubt on the integrity of Swedish justice.. Geoffrey Robertson said on 11 February that a toxic atmosphere has been created against Assange in Sweden by remarks about the case made by the Swedish PM on 8 February. But some Swedes say that Reinfeldt was legitimately responding to stones that had already been cast by Assange’s lawyers. Reinfeldt was reported by Reuters on 8 February:
What worries me is that they are trying to shy away from the fact that there exist allegations which are very serious.
And as reported more fully on Swedish Wire, from Swedish news agency TT:
It is unfortunate that women’s rights and standpoint is taken lightly when it comes to this kind of question compared to other types of theories presented. I can only defend what everyone in Sweden already knows; that we have an independent, non-coerced judiciary.
Reinfeldt rejected the notion that Assange’s human rights could be violated in a Swedish rape trial.
Unfortunately, this is the kind of thing you hear when a lawyer trying to defend a client gives a condescending description of other countries’ legal systems. But everyone living in Sweden knows that is not in line with the truth.
Assange’s prospects for avoiding extradition to Sweden
Likely that Assange will sooner or later be extradited to Sweden. Hard to see now after the exhaustive Riddle judgement how any UK appeal court could find grounds for disallowing the Swedish request for a European extradition warrant. If anyone has entrapped Assange, they have so far covered their tracks well. It is equally hard to see how the UK Attorney-General could override on humanitarian grounds an appeal verdict that went against Assange, Sweden being a friendly EU member country with a high reputation for due legal process and respecting human rights.
Is Mr Rudd doing enough for Assange? And some awful possible scenarios down the track …
It’s hard to see how the Australian government could ask Sweden to withdraw its extradition request to Britain, which according to Judge Riddle was legally made. A complaint was made by Swedish women that Assange broke Swedish laws in Sweden and Swedish law authorities want Assange in Sweden to answer those accusations.
If Assange were living in Australia and Sweden were to demand his extradition from here on these charges, it would present a very similar problem for Australian courts and an Australian Attorney-General as their British equivalents now face. Rudd has already gone a long way to try to help Assange. Unusually, when you consider the countries involved, the Australian Ambassador in Sweden Paul Stephens sent a letter to Swedish Justice Minister on 10 Feb. According to a document leaked by somebody, it is not clear who, to Agence France Presse on 18 Feb (my source is swedishwire.com 18 Feb) the letter said:
‘I wish to convey the Australian Government’s expectation that, should Mr Assange be brought into Swedish jurisdiction, his case would proceed in accordance with due process and the provisions prescribed under Swedish law’ ….
The letter said also that Australia also expected a Swedish trial of Assange would respect ‘applicable European and international laws, including relevant human rights norms’.
This seems a good action by Mr Rudd. But I note that these requests relate only to the matter of the case brought against Assange by the two women. Let’s assume that Mr Rudd’s requests will be honoured by Sweden. If the cases go to trial, Assange will be judged by Swedish courts, which are assumed to be independent of politics, and according to Swedish rape laws.
If Assange were convicted, Australia could do nothing about any resulting sentence in Sweden except to ask for clemency – as our government often does in other cases of Australians sentenced abroad for actions that would not be crimes, or would be lesser crimes, in Australia.
But the more disturbing possibility – not alluded to in the Australian Ambassador’s letter so far as we know – is that once Assange is in Sweden, whether doing time in a Swedish gaol or not, the Swedish government might be asked by the US government to extradite him to the US to face charges of a political character relating to Wikileaks. How would Sweden respond to US? Would the response be any different from the way the UK or Australia would respond to such a US request, if Assange were to be living in the UK or Australia at the time?
This contingency is possible from the moment Assange sets foot on Swedish soil. It would present difficult political problems for Mr Rudd and Mr McClelland. However much the Australian public might protest (and they would!) against an American request to extradite Mr Assange on Wikileaks grounds, our legal system, like the UK legal system, would seem likely to judge such a US request almost entirely on the legality of the process.
It seems from the Singapore case that Australian judges might not even want to consider the question of Mr Assange’s safety once in the USA. It would then be for our A-G to consider whether to override such a procedurally based decision by our courts on grounds that Mr Assange’s human rights and physical safety might be at grave risk, if Assange were extradited to the US on such political grounds and in the current hostile political climate after Wikileaks.
It would take a brave A-G and Australian Government to take such a decision, which would be applauded in human rights circles but bitterly attacked by conservatives. Sweden – or Britain, if by some miracle Assange were able to stay in Britain - could be faced in a few weeks time with this same situation. Both are US friends and NATO allies. How would the Reinfeldt government most likely respond? I would assume they would be inclined to say yes to the US. What reason would they have for protecting a non-Swedish citizen fron US wrath? Like Pontius Pilate, they might wash their hands of the Assange matter.
How would the Cameron government respond? Hard to say. They remember how UK citizens suffered in Guantanamo and how hard it was for UK to get them back.
In 2001, after 9/11, Australia did nothing effective to protect the human rights of our citizens Hicks and Habib from US punitive mistreatment in Pakistan, Egypt and Guantanamo. Many of us regret that now.
CONCLUSION: I think this option is worth considering - Should Mr Rudd and/or Mr McClelland now be asking the Swedish and British Justice Ministers for humanitarian guarantees that their countries would not surrender up Julian Assange, an Australian citizen, to the US to face political charges there over Wikileaks in view of the current dangerously hostile political climate to Assange in the US, without first giving Australian Government the right to repatriate him here and to consider his rights as an Australian citizen thereafter.
Tony Kevin tonykevin@grapevine.com.au Canberra
2)GREG BARNS
Greg Barns also contributed as a speaker to the meeting.
His bar association biography: Greg Barns graduated BA LLB from Monash University in 1984. He was a member of the Victorian Bar where he practiced in criminal law from 1986-89 and has been a member of the Tasmanian Bar since 2003. Greg was chief of staff and senior adviser to a number of federal and state Liberal Party leaders and ministers from 1989-99. He is also the former National Chair of the Australian Republican Movement and a director of human rights group, Rights Australia. Greg has written three books on Australian politics, is a Director of the Australian Lawyers Alliance, and a member of the Australian Defence Lawyers Alliance.
His summary of the meeting as provided to Wikileaks Central:
Political leaders should not undermine the presumption of innocence or make claims about the legal process – the Assange case bears this out. Prime Minister Gillard and others mused about cancelling Julian Assange’s passport and wasted taxpayers money on a fruitless exercise determining whether or not Assange may have omitted offences under Australian law – he hasn’t and never did! The political necessity of the US alliance overrode the rule of law. Assange cannot be guaranteed safety by the Swedes. While their extradition process is similar to that other countries the political pressure from the Americans is a likely countervailing force that could undermine a proper application of extradition law.
Greg Barns Barrister
Michael Kirby Chambers Hobart
Equity Chambers Melbourne
PO Box 124 Battery Point 7004 TAS +61419 691 846
3) PETER KEMP
Peter Kemp is a solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW and editor here at Wikileaks Central and has contributed various open letters and commentary articles on human rights and the law particularly in relation to Julian Assange and Wikileaks. He currently practises in the criminal law area and child protection matters operating from solicitor’s chambers in Armidale, Moree and Walgett NSW. Peter Kemp made the following observations on the meeting:
This was a most productive meeting and I thank Andrew Laming MP for organising it. My concerns are with the human rights breaches that have occurred in the Julian Assange matter and I believe these concerns were thoroughly ventilated at the meeting by myself Greg Barns and Tony Kevin.
A fundamental principle which I stressed at the meeting in relation to any Swedish trial is that that if justice is to be done it must be seen to be done,and not held in secret. The response from the MP’s present gives me some confidence and hope that a son of Australia will not be abandoned to the dubious legal processes of foreign states.
Peter Kemp provided the following written material to the meeting:
Address to members and staff of the Australian Federal Parliament Peter Kemp 02/03/11
I regard myself as a human rights lawyer in a nation that has no separate human rights legislation on the Commonwealth’s statute books.
Were members to enact a human rights bill, my job in, for example, Child Protection matters before Magistrates in NSW Children’s Courts would be a little easier. Children are being removed by DOCS at birth in NSW without being allowed to bond with their mothers and without medical reasons. That’s an argument for a Bill of Rights for another day but my remit here today is the matter of Julian Assange for which other human rights are paramount in my mind.
1) European Arrest Warrant system
The EAW process has changed arguably for the worse and I agree with Julian Assange’s solicitor Mark Stephen's comment that it is a "tick box" regime. That the EAW system does not allow direct testing of the prosecution evidence is something that might be common with some extradition treaties, but some EU nations have pursued extraditions that are flimsy and have resulted in some rather unfortunate human rights abuses. The threshold is way too low.
The Framework Decision of June 2002 that established the EAW needs modification to prevent abuse. For the UK, prior to the Extradition Act passed in 2003 applications for extradition to the UK had to show a prima facie case, ie is there enough evidence on the face of it that a jury properly instructed could find an accused guilty.
All extradition processes should be akin to committal proceedings in principle and perhaps with witnesses being called only in cases where the defence can establish substantial reasons or special reasons for witnesses to be called to test their evidence, but otherwise all witness statements should be made available to the Magistrate or Judge for extradition purposes, as they are for committal processes, ie a prima facie case.
During Mr Assange’s first bail application in the UK where strength of the prosecution case is an important factor in determining bail, under UK and also Australian bail law incidently, the Swedish prosecution seemed unaware of this and had little to no such evidence available. In any event extraordinarily high bail cash surities have been imposed on Julian Assange involving hundreds of thousands of UK pounds.
The EAW is fast track system and was designed for terrorism offences across the EU at a time of great fear of international terrorism early in the new century. It is being complained about and apparently will be reviewed soon. Sweden’s system in the ongoing extradition process of Julian Assange says in essence “we can arrest and hold people in custody for investigation and interrogation purposes only and maybe depending on that interrogation, we might lay charges.”
Now that does not bar an EAW extradition due to the very wide interpretation of what constitutes a prosecution. In NSW, by comparison, if a suspect is held in custody for more than 4 hours plus timeouts for investigation and no charges, then the case is very likely to be ruined for the prosecution. Mr Assange has not yet been charged, a crucial fact, he is wanted for investigation and may languish for weeks or months in custody in Sweden without legal or other visits.
Mr Assange’s human rights will not be accorded him if he is automatically incarcerated, firstly by inferences that can be drawn from the presumption of innocence and secondly by an automatic refusal of bail. Presumption of innocence and opportunity for bail are both constituent parts of the European Convention of Human Rights that Sweden is a signatory nation to.
Reform of the EAW system is of course both a political question as well as legal one for EU member states plus Gibraltar and their electors in the EU, but we in Australia have a right to complain if a legal regime of extradition ignores breaches of human rights.
Likewise Amnesty International has the right to complain about prima facie breaches of human rights in this nation in relation to any matter they think fit, and any disagreement and resentment on our part about that is irrelevant as the nature of human rights is that they are universal and apply anywhere anytime. Sweden is obliged to enact into domestic law the European Convention. In the UK it’s the Human Rights Act.
2) Human Rights
In Julian Assange’s case, breaches of his human rights or potential abuses are raising questions of whether he will get a fair trial in Sweden (and potentially the USA). The decision of Judge Riddle a few days ago for the extradition of Julian Assange basically ruled out human rights issues as reaching a sufficient threshhold to allow the Judge, in his opinion and judgement, to reject Sweden’s EAW. That does not mean that Sweden’s prosecution authority did not engage in certain conduct. Note that only about 5% of contested extraditions are refused.
Appeals to the High Court and to the Supreme Court (formerly the House of Lords) may take a different view to Judge Riddle on Julian Assange’s case but his lawyers have a very difficult task ahead of them against the “tick box” regime of EAWs.
We might look at the activities of one Claes Borgstrom in the Assange matter. He is senior politician and a lawyer in Sweden who has made the various comments and engaged with the judicial process of Julian Assange as a suspect right from the beginning. What one prosecutor dropped within 24 hours, he went to another and had reinstated. Mr Borgstrom has made statements about the case and I refer to a Guardian article http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/dec/08/julian-assange-rape-allegations
…his clients were "the victims of a crime"
There was nothing unusual about different prosecutors, of varying seniority, coming to different conclusions about whether a crime had occurred.
He refused to reveal sensitive details of the evidence provided to him by the women. "It is important for the future investigation that the suspect himself does not know more than necessary before he is interrogated by the Swedish police," he said.
"These two women were molested by Mr Julian Assange at two different times, independently of each other."
He also said on another occasion that the alleged victims could not be sure of whether it was sexual assault as they weren't jurists. (Australian barrister James Catlin's article at Crikey and elsewhere.)
Mr Borgstrom is being paid by the Swedish government to make all those representations. Sweden allows this. In Australia it would, as Members know, be highly improper and reprehensible and in our system such statements from a politician would go a long way for a defence being able to argue that such utterings widely disseminated as they were, would preclude a fair trial.
If extradited, a trial in Sweden is conducted with one legally trained judge and two or three lay judges, the latter appointed by political parties. We of course have trial by jury and those jurors are selected from jury panels with both sides having an equal number of challenges to strike individual jurors off as part of the selection process.
Mr Borgstom has stated that he is justified in his representations of the two complainants that Julian Assange’s supporters are blackening his client’s names. This would of course never have happened if his clients and/or the Swedish prosecutors had not confirmed (as the case may be) or revealed the accusations and names of all the parties at the beginning.
Mr Borgstrom statements illustrate that the Swedish Criminal Justice system operates by restricting the prosecution evidence available to the accused. In our system and the UK and adversarial systems generally, there is a fundamental imperative and obligation on prosecutors to provide an accused with all the evidence, including exculpatory evidence. This is not the system in Sweden. We have seen this in the Ms Ny’s refusals to provide all evidence to Julian Assange in his language which has cost him personally some 20 to 30 thousand pounds to get authorised translations for the purposes of his extradition hearing. Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights is highly relevant.
Attorney General McLelland has sent me a letter dated 22nd February this year signed personally by him, and he says "...the government cannot interfere in the legal processes of another country." On the face of it that sounds perfectly reasonable but the answer to it is of course, that complaining about human rights abuses does not constitute "interference" if human rights are to have any meaning in an international political context.
Doubtless Messrs Gaddafi and Mubarak would have complained about other governments interfering if they had remained in power and ran star chamber courts to prosecute the protesters. In those circumstances the senator Attorney General would have every right to complain about human rights being abused.
I would say to the Attorney General, respectfully, I believe you are wrong, I believe it is any government’s remit to complain of human rights abuses, wherever they occur and whatever their range of seriousness, whether or not the offending nation is democratic. Back on the subject of incarceration in Sweden as a human rights issue, Judge Riddle at the extradition judgement made a finding that Sweden would hold Julian Assange incommunicado if extradited. The Article 6 questions multiply, but in relation to that Article 5 arguably is highly relevant if he is incarcerated for weeks or months before trial: ie
5(3)Everyone arrested or detained in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 1(c) of this article shall be brought promptly before a judge or other officer authorized by law to exercise judicial power and shall be entitled to trial within a reasonable time or to release pending trial. Release may be conditioned by guarantees to appear for trial.
Prosecutor Ny is on the record as saying her policy is that all males suspected of sex offences should be incarcerated irrespective of the circumstances of the case.
Sweden's lack of consent as an element to sexual assault is another concern which is troubling to me and many other legal practitioners that what was consensual may then be held to be an offence by a Criminal Justice system at trial on what appears to be a policy of extending the scope and liability unknown or alien to adversarial systems.
Lack of consent as an element to be proven by the prosecution, and having to prove it beyond reasonable doubt, is fundamental our system and to worldwide adversarial systems in these types of serious sexual offences for which there is at least one such allegation against Julian Assange. This is called the mens rea or “guilty mind” element.
Not only must the prosecution prove lack of consent but it also must prove to the requisite standard that the accused knew or was reckless as to lack of consent. Sweden has every right to make laws domestically but the question arises as to whether minimum international standards apply under EU law and particularly where the matter spills over into the international arena.
It is difficult to reconcile our concepts of an inherited British justice system with one that does not have, among others the mens rea concept.
3) Further issues of the police/prosecutorial conduct and a fair trial in Sweden:
Two complainants went to police in Sweden last year seeking advice. In relation to that interview it is on the public record that they communicated with each other beforehand and were interviewed together. That means collusion of witnesses and contamination of evidence aggravated by the fact there was no electronic record of interview, only a narrative summary by police, this means that the chance for the defence to expose inconsistencies at trial are much more difficult, perhaps impossible.
The Prosecutor's office apparently confirmed details of the accusations and the accused’s name to Expressen, a Swedish tabloid right at the beginning stage of the matter in 2010. No publicly known action was ever taken against that prosecutor. There is some publicly available evidence to support the contention that the two complainants approached the media as well which may surface in the sms message evidence.
There was another major leak of complainant evidence from the prosecutor’s office minus the exculpatory parts to the Guardian newspaper in the UK, ie the social networking exculpatory “tweets” between the complainants and between them and others. That one sided evidence was again widely disseminated, prejudicing Julian Assange’s right to a fair trial. Australian people might ask just how that was allowed to happen contrary to Swedish law or regulations.
One of the complainants sought unsuccessfully to delete all records of her tweets and online article “how to get revenge” from internet records. Again this is all publically available information and ventilated by a Swedish witness at the extradition proceeding recently. While these are matters for the Swedish criminal justice system, there are legitimate complaints that can be made of prosecutorial conduct and in so far as they are human rights abuses at least, the Australian people and government in my opinion is entitled to so complain.
4) Possible further extradition from Sweden to the USA
(a) Sweden has a record of allowing rendition of people to Egypt (breach of the Convention Against Torture ) at the instigation of US authorities which does not bode well if an extradition application was made by the USA. This was the Agiza-Alzery incident in December 2001 where Swedish authorities signed off on US diplomatic assurances that the two Egyptian men would not be tortured when renditioned by the US to Egypt. Sweden was, I might add held in breach over those renditions by the UN Committee Against Torture in 2003.
Given that the Swedish prosecutor has not laid charges, will not release to Assange the exculpatory evidence by reason apparently either that he is not yet charged and/or the limited evidence policy, and given that it is publicly known to consist of “tweets” and/or sms messages highly damaging to the prosecution case, perhaps fatally, then is it such an unreasonable proposition that the whole exercise may well be to make a holding charge to allow the USA to make an application to extradite Julian Assange from Sweden, after they “discover” they have no sex assault case in Sweden?
And if that extradition occurred, would there be US assurances of not breaching Assange’s human rights and if so what would those assurances be worth given the extreme statements many prominent US citizens have made, for exposing so many of the US’s dark secrets? Australians might well ask these political questions ever since the world saw some novel treatment of other foreigners and international law appeared to go into legal limbo in Guantanamo Bay.
(b) The UK Home Secretary's required consent to a Swedish/US further extradition. Again this is a question of whether political pressure is put by the USA on the UK behind the scenes and whether Sweden would recognise a grand jury indictment as a political charge precluding extradition under the EAW system.
(c) If Julian Assange is extradited to the USA a fair trial may well be compromised by all the incitement so far to assassinate Julian Assange including VP Biden's comment "high tech terrorist" comment (See my article at Truthout http://www.truth-out.org/on-julian-assange-and-inciting-whackers66788 )
Here is what some other prominent US citizens said, all this is available on the internet:
Bob Beckel, an American political commentator and an analyst on the Fox News Channel, said, "There's only one way to do it: illegally shoot the s-o-b."
Tom Flanagan, ex-senior adviser to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, said, "I think Assange should be assassinated, actually." (He has since retracted this statement, which will help him if he is charged and convicted.)
Jonah Goldberg is among the less inciteful. Goldberg is a US syndicated conservative columnist and author who asked, "Why wasn't Assange garroted in his hotel room years ago?" To be fair to Goldberg, he also said he didn't expect the US government to kill Assange, merely "to stop him."
John Hawkins is a professional blogger at “Right Wing News” and fundraiser for conservative candidates in the USA. He said: "Can we have a CIA agent with a sniper rifle rattle a bullet around his skull the next time he appears in public as a warning? You bet we can.... "
Rep. Peter King (R-New York) said, "I mean, they are assisting in terrorist activity," when he requested that the administration have WikiLeaks declared a terrorist organization.
William Kristol wrote an article, "Whack Wikileaks" citing Marc Thiessen and asking, "Why can't we use our various assets to harass, snatch or neutralize Julian Assange and his collaborators, wherever they are?"
Jeffrey T. Kuhner, columnist at The Washington Times, wrote under an article, "Assassinate Assange":
He is aiding and abetting terrorists in their war against America. The administration must take care of the problem - effectively and permanently.... Mr. Assange is not a journalist or publisher; rather, he is an enemy combatant - and should be treated as such.... [W]e should treat Mr. Assange the same way as other high-value terrorist targets.
Julian Assange is no terrorist; he is not a war-defined "belligerent" acting with intent against the United States; and he cannot be treasonous against the US, since, by definition, he is not a citizen of the United States. He is only doing what journalists do, excepting that he does not directly solicit material as the main stream media sometimes does, and if he is to be classified as a terrorist then the New York Times is also a terrorist organisation: ridiculous propositions both. Wikileaks goes out of its way to make the identity of leakers and the leaks to its system unidentifiable and untraceable.
The libertarian Senator Ron Paul put it this way on the word treason being bandied about with respect to whistleblowers: “In a society where truth becomes treason, however, we are in big trouble.”
If Julian Assange is extradited to Sweden and then as is a distinct possibility, extradited to the USA, we should ask ourselves can he get a fair trial in that political environment? Can he get his human rights and a fair trial in a closed court in Sweden if he is deprived of his liberty and precluded from seeing his lawyers while Claes Borgstrom might still be making representations on guilt before trial?
We should ask the Swedish authorities to give him a “fair go”, but so far that notably Australian concept is somewhat wanting to what has occurred so far.
Julian Assange is being treated on multiple levels Members, to a questionable extradition, and questionable prosecution. It’s costing him a small fortune to fight it, and I’d ask you to note and consider the facts, law and general situation in this meeting today. There will be appeals for up to a year or more in the UK, The Appeals Court and up to the Supreme Court formerly the House of Lords.
If he is extradited to Sweden, as a bare minimum, we should insist on an open not closed court unless they can fully demonstrate the validity of an allowable exception for part closed court under European human rights law, and we should insist on a legitimate fair opportunity for bail.
If Julian Assange is further subjected to an extradition proceeding from either the UK or Sweden to the USA, we should carefully examine such charges (presumably under the USA’s Espionage Act, the conspiracy subsections) for strength and if found wanting under US First Amendment rights or otherwise, we should complain of the political nature of those charges given our own Constitutional law which parallels US First Amendment rights, by the High Court of Australia’s ruling that free political communication is implied as a prerequisite for our democracy.
While the USA is our friend and ally, they are on a slippery slope when they appear to be saying that their security requirements and domestic law trumps other nation’s sovereignty and the freedom of speech of Julian Assange and his organization Wikileaks.
As I said earlier, the case of Julian Assange, is highly questionable, on multiple levels there being a large number of legitimate concerns. Thank you
Peter Kemp Jarratt Webb Graham Advocacy Pty Ltd
Solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW
Lofty Chambers
176 Beardy Street Armidale NSW 2350
02-6772 2225
2011-03-03 Rampant, nationwide corruption in Vietnam; how people fight back on the web
Systematic Corruption ruptures Vietnam with inequality
Since the mid-1980s, the time when Vietnam launched the ‘Doi Moi (industrialization)’ project to boost the national economy, Vietnam has recorded remarkable GDP increase rate, 7 to 8% a year. However, the economic inequality gap and government debts are huge, and show no sign of shrinking.
Primary reasons for the problems lie in the structure of the ‘industrialization’. The only legal political party, the Vietnam Communist Party, utilized state owned enterprises(SOE) as useful tools which enable the government to take a firm grip on the state economy. In a rare thesis discussing the privatization of the Vietnamese economy, Fredrik Sjöholm pointed out that it’s actually a state takeover of economy in disguise of ‘privatization’; about one-quarter of state revenues come from SOEs and the state can take control of any SOEs by having ‘minority state ownership share’(Sjöholm, 2006)
Commonplace collusion between politics and economy, interwoven through shares, squandered bailout money and venal practices in the name of ‘industrialization’, generated astounding breeding ground for corruption and rapidly increasing debts. The ‘industrialization’ process had few constructive plans behind it, which produced obfuscated ownership responsibility while working on ad hoc economic strategies. This opened the door for private, often political, actors to ‘hijack’ the real control of the firms.
This came into reality with the help of centralized economy which has kept the circles of corruption intact. The level of centralization is cited in the cable 09HANOI809 that high politicians in VCP have power over economy sectors equal to no one else; for example, the Prime Minister Ngyen Tan Dung has the only right to appoint the chairman of the board of directors. This collusion is also a major cause of immense gap in economic inequality; namely the gap between those who get both political and economic power and those who do not.
Vietnamese dissents fight back through web; a war against government-led cyberattacks
According to an article from AP news in 11th February, the Vietnam government went further after it blocked Facebook in November, 2010. At least two prominent dissident sites got attacked, one completely disappeared.
This strong reaction was followed after the ever-growing effects of both websites. One of them, blogosin.org, launched on 2008, focused on corruption and government incompetence. It was shut down early this February.
Another one was bauxitevietnam.info, started by a group of dissidents critical on the government-led bauxite mine development plan with Chinese company, in Vietnam’s sensitive Central Highlands. Lots of people worried about the possible environmental problem it might bring. The website already got 17 million hits, which denotes a striking level of attention considering that 20 million people in total use Internet in Vietnam.
According to an article from AFP, blogger Nguyen Hue Chi, who administered the Bauxite Vietnam website, he said in Jun, 2010 that he was under attack from unknown hackers, which he believed to be the government. Chi worried that the government now doesn’t just block access, but was trying to shut down the website completely. In 2010 alone, at least 24 websites had been disrupted in this style.
Would the web in Vietnam be kept silent? As many others try aiming to quell freedom of expression merely through stuffing technical ‘gates’, this doesn’t seem to be effective. Lots of Vietnam Internet users immediately started to teach themselves how to reach the blocked Facebook by simply Googling it. The Vietnam government must have one thing in their mind before going after the ‘China-like’ strategies – that the Internet is not a technology, but a spirit; a resistance. Want the most effective way of quenching the dissents in Internet? Act in a more just way, heading toward more open governance, where the very concept ‘dissent threatens national security’ doesn’t exist. The Vietnam government might succeed in closing the voices down; they would never be able to silence the spirit, the overwhelming desire toward truth.
2011-03-03 The Internet, the spirit, the resistance – How the Internet fuels voices of dissent in Vietnam
Despite the fact that the communist government firmly controls the Internet and blocks any web sites that might be any ‘threat to national security’, the Internet silently mends the fire of dissent voices simultaneously around Vietnam.
Courage cannot be ‘centralized’ – Farmers protest against arbitrary land seizures with the help of Internet
In a tightly controlled, Facebook-blocked country, Vietnamese farmers marched out to the Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s second largest city and a national economic hub, to resist the government’s decision to seize their land.
Due to the centralized economy, government authorities are sole legal actors who can switch legal status of any land. Besides, the legal procedure of dealing with various different land rights of the government and farmers are extremely complicated, which becomes the central loophole allowing public officials to blur the line where exact responsibilities lie.
Exploiting this, lots of corrupt officials can take away seemingly profitable lands, handing tiny amount of compensation money to the land owners. The victims mostly fail to find the proper government authorities to get the fair compensation due to the blurred responsibility.
Government officials have been arbitrarily ‘robbing’ the lands as huge ‘development plans’ have swept the major urban cities into the swirl of dazzling real estate speculation. The real estate prices have hit thousands of dollars per square meter, which made both cities involved in the ‘Most Expensive Cities in the World’ list. However, Vietnam has the lowest real estate transparency index among 15 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
Nguyen Van Suu, a lecturer in the Department of Anthropology of Vietnam National University, argued in his paper that the compulsory seizure shows the reality of ‘thousands of Vietnamese farmers have to satisfy their main traditional means of production, for the play of a few hundred wealthy people’(Nguyen, 2009). The seized lands are reformed as luxury golf courses, urban residential areas, tourism sites, and other infrastructures.
In spite of immediate, violent crackdown of the government which leads to long jail terms and even to death, protest against the land seizures becoming notably frequent, spreading around the country. Phillip Robertson in Human Rights Watch told Al Jazeera that due to the Internet, now lots of farmers can see what’s happening around the world and gather important information, which is playing an important role in recent years’ increasing number of protests in Vietnam.
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2011-03-04 Is Bradley Manning being treated like a Guantanamo detainee?
Former Pfc. Bradley Manning, the soldier accused of leaking classified information (specifically a video showing U.S. military in Iraq firing on civilians and two journalists), continues to experience intense solitary confinement in the Quantico Marine Brig in Virginia. The accused military whistleblower, whom the army filed 22 additional charges against days ago, was reportedly stripped naked March 2 of all his clothing and forced to remain in his cell naked for the next seven hours until early in the morning on March 3.
Coombs writes on his blog that a wake-up call was sounded at 5:00 am, "Manning was forced to stand naked at the front of his cell," a Duty Brig Supervisor arrived and Manning "was called to attention," a detainee count was conducted and afterwards Manning was told to sit on his bed, and minutes later his clothing was returned.
This is "degrading treatment," Coombs concludes, that is "inexcusable and without jurisdiction." This is "an embarrassment to our military justice system and should not be tolerated...No other detainee at the Brig is forced to endure this type of isolation and humiliation." But, no other detainee is at the center of a case that US military and government officials seem to have decided to use as an example case that could put in fear in any other military or government official who might seek to disseminate information to any organization like WikiLeaks in the future.
Indeed, since being put in the brig, the military has sought to break the spirit of Manning. David House, a close friend and frequent visitor at Quantico, described visiting Manning and how in the last months he has gone from someone who could carry a conversation to a person who is in an utterly catatonic state. House believe
House began to visit Manning in September. By late November, it became clear that he was more and more often too exhausted to talk with House during visits.
The military is under a lot of pressure to link Manning to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, which they have been unable to do. Recent charges suggest they may be trying to implicitly link him to WikiLeaks. The Article 104 charge of "aiding the enemy" might indicate the military or government considers Wikileaks to be "the enemy." But, it also could mean that the military or government thinks simply giving this to a media or news organization to be published is "aiding the enemy" because, when published, the contents were made available to members of the Taliban, al Qaeda, etc enabling enemies to use the information against the US.
A charge of "aiding the enemy" does give the military the ability to give Manning the death penalty if convicted on that charge. Military lawyer Jon Shelburne does not think there is any real reason right now to believe that the chief military officer will go back on what he has indicated and give Manning the death penalty. However, he admits until the trial is complete there's no way to be certain that would not be considered more seriously.
Most importantly, Shelburne adds, the charge of "aiding the enemy" now makes it possible for the military to possibly give Manning life in prison without parole.
The military has placed Manning under a "prevention of injury order," which means he has been put on suicide watch. This gives the military the authority to subject Manning to harsher confinement conditions and restrictions--not allowed to socialize or eat with other detainees, not allowed to work in the brig, not allowed to exercise and be out of cell except for one hour every day, only allowed to exercise by walking in circles, etc. And, all of these conditions are conditions which Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon's press secretary, has consistently downplayed or outright lied about when talking to media during press conferences.
Morrell has said he is being treated the same as other detainees. House contends a "word game" is being played. Manning is the only "maximum security detainee" in Quantico. When officials say that he isn't being treated any differently than other detainees, military is essentially saying "he is treated the same as himself."
The nature of solitary confinement makes it increasingly possible for one to say that he is being broken down like a detainee might be broken down at Guantanamo Bay prison. David Frakt, lawyer for detainee Mohamed Jawad (who was accused of attempted murder after he threw a grenade at a passing American convoy on December 17, 2002), explained in his closing argument before a military commission how solitary confinement or isolation was used against Jawad. He described two periods, one that appeared to be standard practice and another that he says "was ordered by intelligence officials upon the recommendation of the Behavioral Science Consultation Team psychologist to socially, physically and linguistically isolate this teenage boy in order to create complete dependence on his interrogator."
"This period of segregation occurred from September 17 to October 16, 2003 and was specifically intended to break Mr. Jawad and to devastate him emotionally. The isolation failed in its purpose of persuading Mr. Jawad to admit throwing the hand grenade; he continued to assert his innocence. But it did have the other desired effect of causing emotional devastation. Prison records indicate that he tried to commit suicide on December 25, 2003"
Assange reacted to the latest charges and the military's ongoing treatment of Manning saying they were "trying to make an example" out of Manning.
That might be the case. Daniel Ellsberg, who leaked the Pentagon Papers, points out the Obama Administration has gone after five whistleblowers, nearly twice as many whistleblowers as all previous US presidents combined. And, he notes the military appears to be seeking to discipline Manning and mount a prosecution that under civilian law in America would be nearly impossible.
Ellsberg is struck by the thought that if executed Manning would be the first American to be executed for giving information to Americans since Nathan Hale. He recalled that Nathan Hale said, "I regret that I have but one life to give," and compared him to Manning who in the chat logs indicated he was prepared to go to jail for life or be executed.
The intention of Manning is clearly alleged in the Wired Magazine chat logs between Manning and hacker and federal informant Adrian Lamo. The logs, Ellsberg notes, indicate that Manning had no intention of aiding any enemy. He believed that by releasing the information he would be promoting debate and discussion on events and issues that were being kept secret.
Professor Kevin Jon Heller, who is cited in Glenn Greenwald's post on the military's new charges against Manning, writes in reaction to the charges, "if the mere act of ensuring that harmful information is published on the internet qualifies either as indirectly "giving intelligence to the enemy' (if the military can prove an enemy actually accessed the information) or as indirectly "communicating with the enemy' (because any reasonable person knows that enemies can access information on the internet), there is no relevant factual difference between Manning and a media organization that published the relevant information." This is exactly what Greenwald sought to emphasize in his post on Salon.com.
The Obama Administration, however, has not treated media organizations as if they are acting recklessly, unprofessionally or in a manner that could be considered helpful to "the enemy." Executive editor of the New York Times Bill Keller has recounted, "[T]he Obama administration's reaction was different. It was, for the most part, sober and professional. The Obama White House, while strongly condemning WikiLeaks for making the documents public, did not seek an injunction to halt publication. There was no Oval Office lecture. On the contrary, in our discussions before publication of our articles, White House officials, while challenging somaterial, thanked us for handling the documents with care."
Keller, instead, has concluded, "The official fury of the US government was directed at the presumed source, Bradley Manning, and, most of all, WikiLeaks. The government was not interested in quarreling with the media organizations involved."
A forthcoming report from the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review written by Yochai Benkler highlights this conclusion. Benkler reacts, "It appears as though the Administration either really did not fear disclosure, as long as it was by organizations it felt were within its comfort zone, or was using the distinction and relative social-cultural weakness of Wikileaks to keep the established media players at the table and, perhaps, more cooperative with the Administration's needs."
It should therefore be said that media organizations have directly benefited from the material that Manning leaked, if he is in fact the one who leaked the information. The New York Times and The Guardian have both had members of the news organization write books now that are being sold for profit. News organizations, including but not limited to those two outlets, have cited cables widely in coverage of current Middle Eastern and North African events. Read any report and chances are somewhere a few paragraphs down a cable is cited to color coverage of the ongoing uprisings and conflicts.
Yet, the media continues to approach Manning's inhumane treatment with cynical disbelief or chooses to keep a distance from the story.
There is no consideration of the fact that how he is being treated is darkly similar to how "enemy combatants" are being treated at Guantanamo (and perhaps that's because many in the US media are not appalled by the US government's treatment of Gitmo detainees or feel that socioculturally the press cannot display rage against a government that has tortured and abused human beings at the prison).
The media never had much use for the war logs as they put journalists and pundits in a position of challenging the Pentagon, Bush and Obama Administration's official narrative on the wars, but the fact that Manning has been denied a speedy trial and has had his due process rights infringed upon and continues to face solitary confinement that is tantamount to torture does not stop the media from using cables as a substitute for not having foreign correspondents available to cover certain stories.
They don't probe allegations from Amnesty International that the military has not provided "formal reasons" for his "maximum security classification or the prevention of injury assignment and that efforts by his counsel to challenge these assignments through administrative procedures have thus far failed to elicit a response." They don't demonstrate any interest in the fact that the UN Office on Torture is investigating the military's treatment of Manning.
2011-03-04 Jennifer Robinson: Brief to Canberra meeting of MPs re Julian Assange
The following brief was submitted to the meeting outlined here by WL Central:
On 2nd March 2011 at 9.15am a meeting was held, organised by Andrew Laming (Liberal Party MP Bowman Qld) at Parliament House Canberra to allow federal parliamentarians who wished to attend, some insights into the matters of Julian Assange facing extradition from the UK to Sweden, and facing (subject to that extradition process) a possible trial in Sweden and another possible extradition to the USA thereafter.
Among others, MPs Andrew Laming, Malcolm Turnbull, Doug Cameron and Sarah Hanson-Young were in attendance, along with parliamentary staff members.
Three speakers made themselves available for oral presentations and questions: Greg Barns, barrister from Tasmania; former Australian diplomat Tony Kevin and Peter Kemp solicitor from NSW, the latter two made written material available for the parliamentarians reprinted here with their permission.
The following brief was submitted to the meeting by Jennifer Robinson of the firm Finers Stephens Innocent. She is part of the legal team representing Julian Assange in the extradition proceedings requested by Sweden.
Jennifer Robinson's biography.
1. I am writing to you to provide a briefing for the meeting of members of Federal Parliament on Wednesday 2 March 2011 regarding the case against Julian Assange. This briefing note sets out the timeline of events and the human rights concerns that we have raised in relation to Julian's case in Sweden.
2. Julian is facing extradition to Sweden pursuant to a European Arrest Warrant (EAW). He is currently electronically tagged and held under virtual house arrest, having spent nine days in solitary confinement in a London prison for a crime that he has not been charged with and in relation to allegations that he emphatically denies.
3. It is mutually concerning that an Australian citizen like Julian has been treated in ways which would not accord with the standards of Australian law or indeed international law. As I set out in this note, if he is extradited to Sweden, he will be held incommunicado, in solitary confinement, and without bail for several months and then tried in secret on allegations which are weak and which would not constitute a crime in Australia or in the UK. In such event, it can be predicted that Australians will be outraged and that considerable damage will eventuate in respect of relations between Australia and Sweden.
4. It is hoped that this briefing note will act as a resource for concerned Australian MPs to raise questions and to take action on Julian's behalf.
Timeline of Events and Overview of Concerns
5. Julian had travelled to Sweden in August last year for the purposes of giving public lectures about his work on Afghanistan and in order to seek protection for WikiLeaks from the strong free speech and publication protections under Swedish law in advance of the Iraq War Logs, the publication of Iraq war military reports, and “Cablegate”, the publication of US diplomatic cables. The allegations against Julian were made to police on 20 August 2010.
6. That same day, the initial Prosecutor, Maria Häljebo Kjellstrand, unlawfully told the press that Julian was wanted for rape (reported in the tabloid Expressen) before he himself had been informed. Julian first learned of the allegations when he read it in the papers. In providing this information to the press the Prosecutor contravened Swedish privacy and secrecy law, which protects the confidentiality of preliminary criminal investigations and is supposed to protect those being investigated from adverse and prejudicial media coverage. A complaint was made about the Prosecutor's illegal act to the Judicial Ombudsman but no action is being taken. As a result of this illegal act, Julian discovered in the press that he was ‘wanted for double rape'. Within hours there were millions of website hits for “Assange” and “rape”, causing irreparable and incalculable damage to his reputation. The illegality of the Prosecutor's actions was confirmed by our expert evidence in the extradition proceedings here in London, as was the fact that no remedy exists in Swedish law for the breach.
7. The next day, Chief Prosecutor of Stockholm, Eva Finné, threw out the rape charge after reviewing the police file and the statements of the two women. The investigation continued on lesser allegations of harassment only. Julian volunteered himself for interview on 30 August 2010 in relation to this ongoing investigation. Julian sought an undertaking from the police that his testimony would not be provided to the press. This undertaking was violated: his police interview turned up in the tabloid Expressen the very next day. Again, Julian has no remedy against this breach of privacy and the continued disclosures by police have continued to fuel prejudicial media coverage.
8. An appeal was brought against Ms Finné's decision to drop the rape charges by a lawyer acting for the complainants, Mr Claes Borgstrom. Mr Borgstrom is a Social Democrat politician who was, at that time, campaigning for election in the election to be held the following month (September 2010) and whose political platform and reputation is closely associated with sexual offence law reform. The Prosecutor, Ms Ny, granted the appeal on 1 September 2010 and the rape investigation was reinstituted. Julian was not informed of this appeal or provided the opportunity to make any submissions.
9. The Prosecution continued to provide information about the preliminary investigation to the press. Expressen applied for access to the police file on 1 September and this was granted: redacted versions of Julian's statement and emails between the police and prosecutor were provided to the press shortly thereafter. We were only alerted to this on 21 January 2010, some four months later, when this same material was disclosed by the Prosecutor to Mr Hurtig and passed to us. It is noteworthy that Mr Hurtig had applied for disclosure of the police file in September and November 2010. Both requests for disclosure were denied by the Prosecutor, Ms Ny, despite the fact that some of this material had already been provided to the press.
10. Julian remained in Sweden for approximately 5 weeks to answer the allegations against him. Through his lawyer Mr Hurtig, proactive attempts were made to arrange interview and to seek permission to leave the country. For example, Julian offered himself for interview on 15 September but this was rejected by the prosecutor because the relevant police officer was sick.
11. An interview was finally proposed on 22 September (more than three weeks after Ms Ny had begun the investigation) for 28 September. Mr Hurtig was unable to contact Julian to communicate this request. It is important to note here that Julian was, at that time, difficult to contact. He was maintaining a low profile because of threats to his security and increasing pressure from the US in advance of the two largest disclosures of US classified documents in history: the Pentagon had just announced a team of 120 people dedicated to “taking action” against WikiLeaks. Before Mr Hurtig was able to contact Julian he had already left Sweden for Berlin for WikiLeaks meetings associated, having been told on 15 September that Ms Ny had no objection to him leaving the country. He did not flee the country to avoid interrogation, as has been suggested by the Prosecution, but instead had left for a pre-arranged business meeting with Der Spiegel - one of his media partners in Cablegate, on the understanding that there was no impediment to him leaving the country.
12. Julian telephoned Mr Hurtig from Berlin on 29 September to inform him that his luggage had gone missing on his Stockholm-Berlin flight and that it was now presumed to have been stolen since the airline had not been able to locate and return it. He called to instruct Mr Hurtig to take legal action. It was then he was informed of Ms Ny's intention to interrogate him. Julian offered to return to Sweden on 9-10 October for interrogation. This date was rejected as being ‘too far away'.
13. During October and November, Julian was in London working on the Iraq War Log release and preparing for Cablegate with media partners, including The Guardian, Der Spiegel, Le Monde, El Pais and The New York Times. He also travelled to Switzerland to present at a United Nations Human Rights Council meeting. During this period, we offered that Julian be interviewed via telephone or video-link from London on the condition that the Prosecutor provide him further information about the allegations and potential charges. We offered his voluntary cooperation, through his Swedish lawyer Mr Hurtig, and suggested the use of the Mutual Legal Assistance scheme between Sweden and the United Kingdom. These offers were rejected.
14. In the meantime, I wrote to the UK police on 2 November 2010 and informed them that we acted for Julian and that he could be contacted through us for the purposes of any legal proceedings. This is significant: throughout this period Julian had continually indicated his willingness to cooperate with the authorities by offering alternative means of interview to the Swedish and by reporting his presence in the UK to the local police. The widely reported suggestion he was in hiding from justice is simply false.
15. After our voluntary offers of cooperation were rejected, the arrest warrant in Sweden was granted on 18 November 2010. Ms Ny, the Prosecutor, sought an arrest order to have Julian held incommunicado pending potential trial. These pre-trial detention conditions in Sweden have been heavily criticised by the European Council and by the United Nations, in particular, for the treatment of foreigners.
16. Just before the hearing on 18 November Mr Hurtig was, for the first time, provided a description of the allegations against Julian and provided copies of parts of the police file. At that time he was also shown more than 100 text messages between the two complainants and their friends, which contained important evidence about the allegations and the women's motives. For example, the second complainant had been texting her friends in between sexual encounters with Julian over the course of the evening in question and states that she was “half-asleep” at the relevant time at which the arrest warrant asserts she was “asleep”: a very important factual error in the warrant which undermines the entire case. Further, the women speak of getting “revenge”, making money from the allegations and ruining Julian's reputation by going to the press. However, the prosecutor refused to allow Mr Hurtig to take copies or to even take notes from this important evidence.
17. Mr Hurtig has made numerous requests for further disclosure under Swedish Criminal Procedure Code (Chapter 23.18), but these have been denied. In correspondence with the Australian Embassy in Stockholm, Ms Ny justifies her position in refusing to disclose this important material on the grounds that Julian has not yet been charged. This highlights the injustice of the EAW system: Julian has been held in solitary confinement and is now under effective house arrest without the Swedish Prosecutor having to show a reasonable case against him - or, indeed, any of the evidence against him to the British court.
18. Despite Mr Hurtig's requests, Ms Ny had consistently refused to inform Julian regarding the specific charges to be brought against him before he was interviewed: interview by ambush is the preferred Swedish method. We had requested a specific description of the charges and the evidence in English as a condition precedent to Julian returning to Sweden to be interviewed. This, again, was refused. The first document Julian received from the prosecutor in English was the translation of the EAW provided by the English police at Kentish Town Police station in London when Julian voluntarily met with police to answer the warrant on 7 December 2010. This was the first time he had been informed in writing of the specific allegations and potential charges against him in English. I was with Julian at the police station and witnessed his shock and surprise at reading the allegations as described in the warrant.
19. It is noteworthy that the both the EAW and the Interpol red notice were issued for Julian by Sweden just before WikiLeaks began to publish Cablegate with their media partners and were executed just days after publication began. Had Julian returned to Sweden in October or November, we know (confirmed by the findings of the judge in London on 24 February 2011) that he would have been held incommunicado in prison pending trial and we may not have seen the release of Cablegate. Furthermore, his Swedish counsel, Mr Hurtig noted at the time that it was highly irregular for an international arrest warrant to be sought in relation to allegations of this kind.
20. The Swedish prosecutor has failed to disclose any materials to Julian in English (the language he understands), which is her obligation under the European Convention of Human Rights. We have since been provided certain excerpts of the police file in Swedish and translation costs now exceed £20,000 (AUD$32,000) as a result of the Prosecutor's failure to meet her human rights obligations in this regard. Furthermore, she has failed to disclose relevant exculpatory evidence that tends to demonstrate Julian's innocence.
21. The Prosecutor has apparently failed to consider and disclose exculpatory evidence in her investigation, as is her duty as prosecutor.
(1) First, it is clear that the text messages (approximately 100 of them) between the two complainants and their friends cast doubt on the allegations and contradict the specific factual allegations in the EAW that form the basis of his arrest - though we are unable to properly assess these because the Prosecutor refuses to disclose them to Julian.
(2) Second, it has subsequently come to light that the first complainant, Ms A, has been deleting important evidence (i.e. tweets which demonstrated that she had been enjoying Julian's company after the alleged assault). It is not clear whether this evidence has been considered because, despite the fact it was provided to the Prosecution by Mr Rudling, it does not form part of the police file disclosed to us.
(3) Third, the Prosecutor has not contacted several potential witnesses who spent time with Mr Assange and the first complainant, Ms A, who know them both and can attest to their friendly relations in the days after the alleged assault.
22. The parts of the police file disclosed to the defence on 18 November 2010 (translated at significant cost to Julian) demonstrate that police have acted improperly and in breach of proper procedures in investigating sexual offence allegations.
(1) First, it is clear that the women met together before making the allegations and had discussed the evidence at length, thereby contaminating their evidence.
(2) Second, it has since come to light that the policewoman who had interviewed both women and initially reported the alleged rape to the Prosecutor was a friend of the first complainant, Ms A, and had also run for election for the Social Democrats (the same party for which Ms A and her lawyer, Mr Borgstrom, have stood for election) .
(3) Third, both women were interviewed only briefly over the telephone and their interrogation is in summary form only. Indeed, the second complainant's interview summary is not even signed or approved by her (she was upset at hearing Julian had was wanted for rape and her friend's later interview to the police states that she felt “railroaded” into making the complaint). This breaches police procedure: interviews with witnesses in sexual offence cases must be recorded in full (video or tape recorded) because the initial interview is important evidence at trial. It is notable that all of the Prosecution witnesses interviews are recorded in summary format so it is impossible to know what the police asked and what their precise answers were in response. Only the interviews with Mr Assange and his friendly witnesses were recorded in full. These irregularities in police procedure will cause evidential problems in any trial, particularly if the reliability of the complainants' testimony is in question.
23. As to the strength of the evidence that founds the basis for the warrant, a number of observations can be made. First, evidence at the extradition hearing in London brought to light that not one, but two well-regarded prosecutors in Stockholm do not believe there to be sufficient evidence to found a prosecution. Eva Finné dropped the rape investigation in August but was overruled on appeal. Ms Ny's own deputy, Prosecutor Erika Lejnefors, had told Mr Hurtig in November that the case would likely be dropped because it was so weak. Nevertheless, an international arrest warrant was sought for Julian's arrest. Second, expert evidence from the most respected criminal lawyer in England, Professor Andrew Ashworth of Oxford University, concludes that the facts as alleged in the EAW and the police statements of the two women would not constitute rape or any other crime in England.
24. Further, Julian has suffered immense adverse prejudicial media coverage in Sweden, fuelled both by the disclosure of police material to the press by the Prosecution and by the highly prejudicial media statements of the lawyer of the two complainants and funded by the Swedish government, Mr Borgstrom. Mr Borgstrom has called Julian a 'coward' for not returning to Sweden and has alleged that his refusal to return is indicative of his guilt.
25. The Prime Minister of Sweden intervened in the case by making highly prejudicial and pejorative remarks in the Swedish press following the extradition proceedings in London on 7 and 8 February 2011. The Prime Minister told the press that Julian has been indicted and is being prosecuted for rape. This is not correct - Julian has not yet been charged, the preliminary investigation has not yet been concluded and no decision has been made to prosecute. The Prime Minister's comments are inappropriate given his political position (he had, just weeks earlier, refused to comment on Julian's case on the grounds it was a matter for the courts and not for politicians) and given that a key question being determined by the British court is whether the warrant is for questioning or for prosecution. The Prime Minister made pejorative remarks regarding Julian's legal defence, including the incorrect suggestion that Julian's defence is to deem women's rights “of little value”. This was subsequently reported as Julian and his defence team “trying to limit the right for women to take a claimed sexual abuse to court”. This clearly and unfairly mischaracterises Julian's defence case and has led to him being portrayed as an enemy of Sweden and of women's rights in the Swedish press.
26. Other politicians have followed the Prime Minister in attacking Julian and his defence. For example, the Chancellor of Justice, Anna Skarhed, has described the defence as “shocking”. The Chancellor of Justice then states that the defence has accused the Swedish legal system of being “corrupt”: but anyone who has read our submissions or followed court proceedings will know this is simply not true. Our skeleton arguments and all of the case evidence filed with the court is available on our website: http://www.fsilaw.com/news-media/news/28-julian-assange-case-papers/.
27. Given the nature of the press coverage in Sweden, we have grave concerns as to whether Julian will receive a fair trial: he will be tried in secret, behind closed doors, by a judge and three lay judges (jurors) who are appointed by political parties. The Swedish press does not seem at all concerned with the need for suspects to be presumed innocent and it is difficult to see how jurors could remain unaffected by this media coverage.
28. In summary, our concerns regarding the case in Sweden to date include:
• the unlawful and prejudicial disclosures by police and the prosecution regarding ongoing criminal investigations;
• the failure to disclose details of the allegations and the evidence in English;
• the breaches of police procedures in the investigation of the allegations;
• the apparent failure of the Prosecutor to consider exculpatory evidence;
• the disproportionate behaviour of the Prosecutor in refusing voluntary offers for cooperation and refusing to make use of alternative methods for interviewing Julian - insisting instead on an international warrant which unduly restricts his liberty;
• the pre-trial detention conditions sought by the Prosecutor;
• the prospect of a secret trial; and
• the adverse and prejudicial media coverage, fuelled by the state-funded lawyer for the complainants and the country's most senior politicians, including the Prime Minister.
Decision to grant extradition - 24 February 2011
29. On 24 February 2011, District Judge Riddle ordered that Julian be extradited to Sweden. It must be noted that this is simply the initial ruling on the validity of a EAW and did not deal with the substance of the allegations against Julian, which he has always firmly denied. The judgment concerns whether it is technically valid for a EAW to be used in this manner. The strength or weakness of the allegations, and even their detail, cannot be heard in a EAW case. This is one of the central complaints made by law reformers about the EAW process - a civil liberties disaster and the subject of investigation and campaigns by human rights groups such as Fair Trials International.[1]
30. It must be remembered that under the EAW system, the British courts are bound to regard the prosecutors of no less than 26 countries, including Poland and Romania – as perfect. The Extradition Act 2003 allows European countries to deem prosecutors and even policemen "as judicial authorities" (a contradiction in terms, because they are neither independent nor impartial) and to demand return of their suspects from the UK so long as they tick the right box on the EAW form. In Julian's case, for example, they ticked "rape" and the court cannot dispute that the allegation is of rape, even though the leading authority on sexual offences, the Oxford Professor Andrew Ashworth, disputes this characterisation. There can be no questioning on the merits of the charges – in 2003 parliament abolished the traditional right of a suspect to require foreign governments to show a prima facie case before dragging them off to unfair trials. It also took away the historic right of individuals facing extradition to show that the case against them was unfounded.
31. Judge Riddle - a hostile judge - made a number of important factual findings. Judge Riddle ordered Julian's extradition to Sweden despite the fact that he agreed that:
• upon return to Sweden Julian will be held incommunicado pending trial because Sweden has no system of bail; and
• Julian will be subjected to a secret trial, which is anathema to Australian and British traditions of open justice and an outrage given the widespread dissemination of the allegations against him by the Swedish authorities.
32. The decision to extradite Julian is not final, nor (as has been misreported) does it "determine his fate". Julian is permitted an appeal as of right by the 2003 Extradition Act. Thereafter, points of law may, with permission, be appealed to the Supreme Court.
33. The appeal to the High Court was filed today in London. The dates for this appeal are not yet available but we anticipate it will be heard sometime between April and June.
34. It is our position that the EAW system should not simply be used as a rubber stamp, but instead ought to be used to improve the quality of justice throughout Europe. Extradition ought to be refused when the trial in prospect is likely to be unfair judged according to fundamental fair trial principles because only then can things improve and human rights blind spots be eradicated. If the British courts declare that open justice is the only possible justice by refusing to extradite Julian to Sweden, this would very likely have the result that Sweden would change its unacceptable policy.[2]
Action points for Australian MPs
35. Julian remains willing to cooperate with the Swedish investigations, provided that certain guarantees are provided in respect of the human rights concerns raised above. We would encourage Australian MPs who are concerned at Julian's treatment to raise the following concerns.
36. First, to ask our government to seek guarantees from both the Swedish and British governments that Julian will not be extradited to the United States to face prosecution in relation to WikiLeaks publications. Any such prosecution would violate the right to free speech and the protections of the First Amendment. His concern about being extradited to the US is justified in light of:
• US Attorney-General Eric Holder's ongoing criminal investigation;
• recent subpoenas of Twitter accounts of WikiLeaks, their associates and supporters, which proves an ongoing federal criminal investigation in Virginia and demonstrates intent to prosecute; and
• the recent statement by US Ambassador to the UK to the BBC that the US is waiting to see how things work out in the British courts.
37. Second, demands must be made of the Swedish authorities to ensure that, if Julian returns to Sweden, that his human rights will be protected. These include:
• The evidence in the case be disclosed to him in English, as is Sweden's obligation under the European Convention on Human Rights. Full disclosure of the police file, including the exculpatory evidence such as the text messages, must be provided.
This request - made in November when an international arrest warrant was being threatened and extended by us to Mr Hurtig as condition precedent to Julian returning/being interviewed - has still not been complied with. Translation costs have exceeded £20,000 because of Sweden's failure to meet their human rights obligations in this regard. It has also delayed our work and made our legal defence more difficult.
• A guarantee be provided that he will not be held incommunicado or in custody pending any trial.
Again, this was one of our concerns in October and November when Ms Ny requested that he return to Sweden - a concern that was validated on 18 November when Ms Ny sought an order for arrest that would have seen Julian held incommunicado pending trial. These pre-trial conditions have been criticised by international human rights bodies. Aside from human rights concerns, as noted above, Julian was at that time preparing for the release of the Iraq War Logs (23 October 2010) and Cablegate (28 November 2010). Had he returned to Sweden and been held incommunicado in pre-trial detention, these important and internationally significant WikiLeaks releases would have been jeopardised.
• A guarantee be provided that his trial be heard in public: the press and public should be permitted entry to the Court. Other measures, similar to those deployed in Australian courts, can be taken to protect the women in giving their testimony.
• A guarantee be provided that he will not be extradited to the United States, but instead will be allowed to travel back to Australia.
In considering the risk of extradition to the US from Sweden, it must be recalled that Sweden has a history of complying with US requests to hand over persons of interest notwithstanding potential human rights concerns - international bodies have recently found Sweden liable for handing asylum seekers over to the CIA for torture (see Mohammed Alzery v. Sweden (Communication No. 1416/2005, UN Human Rights Committee) and Agiza v. Sweden (Communication No. 233/2003, UN Committee Against Torture, Decision of 24 May 2005 (CAT/C/34/D/233/2003)).
Further, WikiLeaks cables released last December demonstrate that intelligence sharing and cooperation between Sweden and the US is far deeper than anyone had realised, calling into question Sweden's perceived neutrality, and the extent of this cooperation had been hidden from the Swedish Parliament and the Swedish people.
2011-03-04 WikiLeaks in today's media: Cablegate coverage
Aftenposten: QADHAFI SONS SQUABBLE OVER COCA COLA
"A lengthy standoff between the franchise-holder for Coca Cola-Libya, Ka´Mur Bottling Company-U.K., and two of Mu´ammar Qadhafi´s sons, Mu´tassim and Mohammed, appears to have stabilized in the wake of a compromise agreement. The problem became public on December 28, 2005 as security troops controlled by Colonel Qadhafi´s son Mu´tassim encamped at the Tripoli Coca-Cola plant, owned jointly by Ka´Mur Bottling Company and the Libyan Olympic Committee (LOC) through their joint venture, the Global Beverage Company (GBC). With the plant shut for more than three months, Colonel Qadhafi´s daughter Aisha may have intervened to broker a compromise, according to which LOC would--at an unspecified future date--sell its shares in GBC to the Libyan Social Security Fund. Mu´tassim´s men left the plant in late February, shortly after USLO sent a strongly-worded diplomatic note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressing concern over the legality of the plant shutdown and urging a swift resolution to the conflict. Coca Cola´s General Manager for Libya credits USLO support for helping keep the incident under control as Ka´Mur, GBC and Coca Cola worked their own channels."
El País: El embajador norteamericano en México, noqueado por los papeles de Wikileaks (The U.S. ambassador to Mexico, knocked out by Wikileaks papers)
""¿Ya sabes que el presidente Calderón y el embajador Pascual ni siquiera se hablan?". El rumor corría desde hace semanas por los mentideros políticos y diplomáticos de la ciudad de México, pero ni en Los Pinos -la residencia oficial del presidente- ni en la Embajada de EE UU en México soltaban prenda sobre la supuesta ruptura de relaciones entre el presidente Felipe Calderón y el embajador Carlos Pascual. El desencuentro se inició a raíz de la publicación en EL PAÍS de los papeles del Departamento de Estado filtrados por Wikileaks . ("Do you know that President Calderon and Ambassador Pascual do not even talk each other?". The rumor ran for weeks through the political and diplomatic environments in Mexico City, but not in Los Pinos, the official residence of the president, or the U.S. Embassy in Mexico, where they have not mention the alleged break in relations between President Felipe Calderón and Ambassador Carlos Pascual. The clash was sparked by the publication in El País of the roles of the State Department leaked by Wikileaks.)"
Read more (Spanish) Google Translate
El País: La carrera política del hijo de Gadafi, arruinada por una jaima (The political career of the son of Gaddafi, ruined by a tent)
"Mutasim llegó a ser el hijo predilecto de Muamar el Gadafi, el hombre destinado a sucederle en Libia hasta que topó con la burocracia de Estados Unidos. Era "violento y sediento de sangre", según escribieron los diplomáticos estadounidenses en los cables filtrados por Wikileaks. Pero su padre lo nombró en 2008 Consejero Nacional de Seguridad y comenzó a promoverlo en el exterior. Mutasim se había formado militarmente en Rusia. A diferencia de su hermano Saif el Islam, él no se prodigaba en comparecencias públicas; los seis millones y medio de habitantes del país apenas lo conocían. Pero eso no le impedía luchar por su cuota de poder en Trípoli. No dudaba a la hora de encarcelar y amenazar de muerte a los amigos de su hermano Saif el Islam, su más directo rival en la sucesión. (Mutasim became the favorite son of Muammar Gaddafi, the man destined to succeed in Libya until it met with the U.S. bureaucracy. "Violent, bloodthirsty," according to American diplomats leaked by Wikileaks cables. But his father named him in 2008 National Security Advisor and began promoting him abroad. Mutasim was formed in Russia militarily. Unlike his brother Saif Islam, it is not lavished on public hearings, the six and a half million inhabitants of the country barely knew him. But that did not prevent him from fighting for their share of power in Tripoli. No doubt when imprisoning and threatening to kill the friends of his brother Saif Islam, his closest rival in the succession.)"
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La Jornada: Washington encargó a Valenzuela "presionar" a México para respaldar la política hacia Honduras (Washington instructed Valenzuela "to pressure" Mexico to support U.S. policy toward Honduras)
"El embajador de Estados Unidos, Carlos Pascual, se quejó a principios de diciembre de 2009 de que el gobierno de México era renuente a trasladar en declaraciones públicas firmes e inequívocas el apoyo que nos había manifestado en privado a nuestra política hacia Honduras. (U.S. Ambassador Carlos Pascual complained in early December 2009 that Mexico's government was reluctant to move in strong and unequivocal public statements by the support we had indicated privately to our policy toward Honduras.)"
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La Jornada: "Ayudaremos a retirar a los militares de las calles" ("We will help to remove the military from the streets")
"El gobierno de Barack Obama tenía planes para México en 2010: Ayudaremos al gobierno a consolidar las instituciones penales del poder civil y a retirar gradualmente a los militares de la vigilancia en las calles, una tarea para la cual no tienen ni atribuciones legales ni capacitación. Contaba, para lograr su objetivo, con un compromiso sin precedente por parte de la administración de Felipe Calderón. (Barack Obama's government had plans for Mexico in 2010: We will help the government to strengthen the penal institutions of the civil power and phase out the military for surveillance in the streets, a task for which they have no legal powers or training. The government had, to achieve its goal, an unprecedented commitment by the administration of Felipe Calderón.)"
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La Jornada: "Exija a Calderón respeto a derechos", recomendaron a Obama en 2009; ahora la situación se agrava ("Demand to Calderón respect for rights", advised Obama in 2009; now the situation is aggravated)
"Antes de que el presidente Barack Obama viajara a Guadalajara para asistir a la cumbre de jefes de Estado de Norteamérica el 9 y 10 de agosto de 2009, la embajada de Estados Unidos le aconsejó que exigiera a su homólogo Felipe Calderón un manejo más transparente ante las acusaciones de violación a los derechos humanos, especialmente en los tribunales del fuero militar. (Before the president Barack Obama traveled to Guadalajara to attend the Summit of Heads of State of America on 9th and 10th of August 2009, the U.S. embassy advised him to require his counterpart Felipe Calderon a more transparent management to the allegations of violation of human rights, particularly in the courts of military justice.)"
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(Image Credit: Dali Rău)
2011-03-04 Yemen's 'Friday of Warning' Brings Hundreds of Thousands Into Streets, #Yemen Gov't Fires on Protesters
WL Central will be updating news on Yemen, with new items added at the top. All times are based off of Sanaa time in Yemen. You can contact me on Twitter @kgosztola or by email at kgosztola@hotmail.com.
Current time and date in Sanaa:
FRIDAY, March 4
Many videos and pictures from the day here on this Facebook page, which has been monitoring the Yemeni revolution.
Jane Novak has posted a statement of solidarity from people in Saada, Amran, and al Jawf, an organization that intends to move to overthrow Saleh The statement makes clear how the people plan to continue to push for Saleh to step down:
* We affirm our support and solidarity with members of the Yemeni people to overthrow the corrupt regime, and we stress the following: http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2011/03/04/saada-amran-al-jawf-organization-affirms-solidarity-in-move-to-overthrow-saleh/
* Moved that this move is within the broad popular marches and this is the cohesion and harmony with the position of people in all governorates of Yemen.
* Deplore and strongly condemn what the power of the brutal assaults against the protesters and demonstrators in the arena of freedom in all the governorates of Yemen, and as we express our Isthjanna of these criminal practices by the Authority against the people hold the power, led by Ali Abdullah Saleh and the symbols of corruption responsibility for what is happening bloodshed and the confiscation of the rights and freedoms and demand to bring them to trial before a fair judicial and independent participation of all political groups to receive their penalty kicks their crimes.
* We condemn and denounce the suspicious movements of some personalities and political parties are trying to circumvent the revolution of the people to be aborted and the nip and call upon our people to identify those conspiracies and suspicious movements and warning and danger.
* We affirm that this authority is against all unjust and must act to address them all and drop away from the small and narrow suspicious, logos, and it will not change a people-only regime change.
* Affirm that we are heading for an escalation in our positions and continuing to move and effectively and the momentum of a large rally in order to ensure the necessary pressure to bring down the regime, and we invite all members of the Yemeni people to come out in mass marches in the coming days, God willing, and continue until the overthrow of the regime.
* Announce to all our public events to organize mass rallies and protest activities are diverse and continuing until the overthrow of the regime's corrupt and oppressive and tyrannical, and we invite everyone to attend those events and to participate effectively.
Video of protesters out in Yemen demonstrating The number of people protesting swelled and was larger than previous days in the uprising.
Jane Novak, again, reports on protesters being shot in Amran. A CNN report is quoted and it says, "Security forces opened fire on anti-government protesters in northern Yemen on Friday morning, killing two people and injuring nine others." Forces apparently shot at the protesters to disperse them. Three army planes flying overhead also attacked protesters. Novak writes in reaction to the unfolding violence: "Saada was carpet bombed during the six Saada wars, beginning in 2005. Civilian areas including villages and cities were destroyed and thousands were arbitrarily arrested. A strong case exists against President Saleh for war crimes and crimes against humanity from the conduct of the military over the last several years, including blocking food and medicine to the entire region in a deliberate attempt at starving the people into submission.
Financial Times posts this report on students in Yemen, who have been inspired by Egypt and Tunisia, and asks what they've accomplished so far in their attempts to persuade President Saleh to step down.
Reuters reports on Yemen rallies growing in strength and President Saleh's rejection of a transition plan
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh rejected an opposition plan for him to transfer power this year, as demonstrations against his three-decade rule over the impoverished nation swelled into hundreds of thousands. Saleh, who has ruled the poverty-stricken Arab country for 32 years, is sticking to his earlier offer to step down only when his term ends in 2013. However, he agreed to a reform plan proposed by religious leaders earlier this week which would revamp elections, parliament and the judicial system. "The president rejected the proposal and is holding on to his previous offer," the opposition's rotating president Mohammed al-Mutawakil said on Friday. There was no direct word from the government.
Al Jazeera English reports on Yemeni soldiers firing rockets at protesters.
Soldiers fired rockets and artillery at protesters in Semla, a village in the northern province of Amran on Friday, sources said. The area, about 170km from the capital Sanaa, is a Houthi stronghold. "During a peaceful protest this Friday morning ... demanding the fall of the regime, an end to corruption and political change, a military site fired rockets at a group of protesters and hit dozens of people," Houthi rebels, named after their leader Abdel Malek al-Houthi, said in a statement. Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Sanaa, said local security forces dismissed the Houthi's account of events, saying armed tribesmen tried to enter one of the city's security checkpoints by force, after which "clashes ensued, three tribesmen and four policemen were injured".
2011-03-05 Amnesty alert for Qatari blogger, arrested, held incommunicado, at risk of torture
Amnesty has requested urgent action be taken in the case of Qatari blogger Sultan al-Khalaifi, who was arrested on March 2 and is being held incommunicado. Amnesty is concerned that he is at risk of torture or other ill-treatment.
Amnesty is requesting people to write
Urging the authorities to ensure that Sultan al-Khalaifi is protected from torture and other ill-treatment, and is allowed prompt and regular access to a lawyer of his choosing, his family and any medical treatment he may require;
Asking for details of any charges he faces to be made public and calling on the authorities to ensure that any legal proceedings against him conform to international fair trial standards.
Human rights organization Alkarama reports the arrest of three other Qatari nationals as well and says at nine o'clock at night on March 1, "a number of state security agents" raided Khulaifi's Doha residence and car and took him away. An officer informed his wife that the agents were sent by the Attorney General, but they had no judicial warrant.
Alkarama feels the arrest is a result of Khulaifi's human rights activities. He had served as Secretary-General of the Alkarama Foundation until the beginning of 2010, before leaving to found a new organization for the defense of human rights and he had contacted them recently regarding three cases of arbitrary detention which Alkarama then appealed to Qatari authorities about. The three individuals incarcerated are: Abdullah Ghanem Mahfouz Muslim Jouar, Salim Hassan Khalifa Rashid Al Kuwari and Hamad Rashid Al-Marri.
Alkarama reminds that human rights defenders and others who collaborate with the United Nations human rights mechanisms, are particularly protected by the United Nations and indeed the Human Rights Council adopted resolution 12/ 2 on 1 October 2009 "Cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights" to protect human rights defenders active both inside and outside their countries.
Alkarama calls on the Qatari authorities to respect their obligations under this resolution and requests that they immediately release Mr Sultan Al Khulaifi and those arrested with him or immediately put them under the protection of the law, ensuring full respect for their human rights.
Khulaifi's blog was also highly critical of Qatar's secular approach to governing and tolerance of Israel and the west. Previously, WL Central reported a Qatar protest day planned, rumours of an attempted coup against Emir Hamed Ben Khalifa, and an alleged declaration, signed by 66 political opponents as well as Qatari personalities and ruling families, including 16 figures from the ruling family, in which they announced the non-recognition of the legitimacy of the Emir. Key issues stated were western and Israeli tolerance or leanings by the emir.
2011-03-05 Cables: The Vulnerability of Black African Migrant Workers in Libya
A cable from December 2007 features Gaddafi Development Foundation Executive Director Dr. Yusuf Sawani discussing trans-national terrorism threats and security with US diplomats. The director talks about the fact that a million sub-Saharan African guest workers are resident in Libya and says it should be a “cause of concern.” The workers are a concern because Dr. Sawani believes any of those individuals could possibly commit an act of terrorism. In recent days, many of those guest workers have fled, as Libyans have grown suspicious and attacked a number of black Africans due to reports that Leader Muammar Gaddafi hired “black African mercenaries.”
The latest from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) indicates 191,000 or more have fled Libya to Egypt, Tunisia and Niger. A previous report estimated around 80,000 Pakistanis, 59,000 Sudanese, 50,000 Bangladeshis, 26,000 Filipinos, 2,000 Nepalese and other African and Asian migrant workers are hosted by the country.
OCHA reports have been tracking the risk of violence migrant workers face. In a March 3 update, OCHA notes, “Sub-Saharan nationals remain at risk of violence from local populations on suspicion of being Government-recruited mercenaries.” A report on March 2 detailed the needs of those fleeing Libya highlights the need for protection. It reads:
Fighting in the west of Libya has raised serious protection concerns among humanitarian agencies. UNHCR has also expressed concern for African migrant workers and refugees trapped in Tripoli and unable to flee. Islamic Relief has expressed concern for a group of 200 Africans currently in Benghazi who fear they will be accused of being mercenaries.
Afrol News reported last week that the UN’s refugee agency UNHCR was “becoming increasingly concerned” because, for example, “a journalist” had passed on information “from Somalis in Tripoli who say they are being hunted on suspicion of being mercenaries. He told the agency Somalis “feel trapped and are frightened to go out, even though there is little or no food at home.”
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres appeared on “Frost Over the World” (eighteen minutes into the program) and told David Frost on March 5 workers trying to get out of Libya are most vulnerable right now: “There are hundreds of thousands of African workers in Libya, and very few have shown up at the borders…We have received phone calls from people in a desperate situation, afraid of leaving their homes. It's the situation of these African communities inside Libya that now corresponds to our biggest concern.”
Libya, according to Afrol News, has had a problem with racism for a long time that has grown as a result of the Gaddafi regime allowing “scores of Africans” to cross the Sahara, temporarily reside in Libya and then move on to Europe. Sub-Saharan Africans have typically been “lowest on the social ladder” and have increasingly reported discrimination.
Most of the cables from Libya show a Gaddafi regime that does not want to face the problem of racism or believe that a problem even exists. 08TRIPOL921, which focuses on the regime’s reaction to tribal violence in Kufra. Reports of violent clashes between Toubou tribesmen (including Chadian and Libyan citizens) and Zawiya tribesmen (mostly Arabs) are rejected as “externally-generated propaganda” (much in the same way that protests have been in the past weeks).
The comment at the end of the cable reads:
As in parallel cases such as the 2006 riots in Benghazi, the GOL suppressed real-time coverage of recent events in Kufra and has since rolled out a carefully managed series of revisionist reports in state-owned media that minimized the extent of the conflict, blamed foreign media and opposition for exaggerated reports and highlighted pledges of loyalty to al-Qadhafi. The clear premium is on maintaining the appearance of political order, underscoring the ostensibly universal popularity of al-Qadhafi's rule and minimizing any hint of ethnic or tribal tension. The latter is a neuralgic issue for a regime that, despite its professions of tolerance, publicly (and inaccurately) maintains that Libya is an ethnically and religiously homogeneous state of Arabs. As reported ref C, al-Qadhafi privately told Berber leaders in May that " ... you can call yourselves whatever you want inside your homes -- Berbers, Children of Satan, whatever -- but you are only Libyans when you leave your homes.”
A cable, that has likely been overlooked because it tells a delightfully offbeat story of a “frogman who couldn’t swim,” includes some significant details on the nature of guest worker migration through Libya to Italy. The cable highlights Italy’s frustration with the Gaddafi regime on issues related to counterterrorism and combating illegal migration.
…Italy was alarmed by the marked increase in the number of illegal migrants that had arrived in Italy - primarily on the island of Lampedusa - from Libya. By way of example, he offered that 1,300 Tunisian illegal migrants traveled from Libya to Italy in 2007. In 2008, 5,900 Tunisians made landfall in Italy after departing from Libya's coast. The number of migrants from Somalia - "a derelict state" - who had arrived in Italy increased from 5,110 in 2007 to 31,764 in 2008. The number of Nigerians had increased threefold and featured a heavy contingent of prostitutes and narco-traffickers…
In the cable, Italian Ambassador Francesco Trupiani describes a visit to the “remote southern city of Ghat (located in the southwest, near Libya's border with Algeria, Niger and Chad).” He talks about the city being in a “harsh desert environment and difficult economic situation” that stems from “flour shortages” (during his visit “there was no bread in the city”). Illegal migrants hire local guides, many of them nomadi Tuareg, who are fiercely proud they are not Arabs and are not “uniformly loyal” to the Gaddafi regime. Trupiani says they have suffered “discrimination at the hands of the Arab majority” and are “disproportionately poor.”
Interestingly, it appears that Tuaregs in Libya and from Chad, Niger and Mali might be taking up arms to fight as mercenaries for Gaddafi. They likely will be paid large sums of money up front to go out and kill those who are fueling the revolution.
This backlash against black African workers was probably to be expected. On February 16, 2010, a statement before the UN Human Rights Council by UN Watch was made calling for Libya to end its racism against black African migrants and others. The statement begins, “Libya must end its practices of racial discrimination against black Africans, particularly its racial persecution of two million black African migrant workers. There is substantial evidence of Libya’s pattern and practice of racial discrimination against migrant workers.”
It describes “racist attacks on migrant workers” from Ghana, Cameroon, Sudan, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad and Nigeria, who were “victims of attacks by Libyans targeting black migrants following a government-ordered crackdown on foreign employment, and state-sponsored news reports portraying African migrants as being involved in drug-trafficking or dealing in alcohol.”
Photo a screenshot from an Al Jazeera English video report on black Africans in Libya living in fear.
2011-03-05 Mugabe issues a 'major clampdown'
Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF party have stepped up the customary rampage over human rights in Zimbabwe. Amnesty has issued an alert stating that with over 60 currently held in detention and many allegedly tortured, activists are facing a major clampdown.
Previously on WL Central we reported on the arrest, imprisonment, and torture for some, of Munyaradzi Gwisai, the International Socialist Organisation (ISO) general coordinator, and 45 others on February 19. They were charged on the 23rd with treason, which carries the death penalty, or subverting a constitutionally elected government, for which the maximum penalty is 20 years imprisonment, for watching a video of the uprising in Egypt. More activists have been arrested in Bulawayo and Manicaland province.
SW Radio Africa reports a man in Bulawayo was arrested over a Facebook comment he posted on February 13. Vikas Mavhudzi of Old Magwegwe, is being charged with “subverting a constitutional government” after posting a message on a Facebook page allegedly belonging to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai: “I am overwhelmed, I don’t want to say Mr. or PM what happened in Egypt is sending shockwaves to dictators around the world. No weapon but unity of purpose worth emulating, hey.” He was arrested on February 24th and accused of “advocating or attempting to take-over government by unconstitutional means”. He has been refused bail and was remanded in custody till March 9th.
Meanwhile there are signs that the Mugabe regime intends to increase its ability to spy on innocent civilians. As we reported on SW Radio Africa this week, the government is allegedly moving at a ‘very fast pace’ with the construction of a secret electronic eavesdropping complex just outside Harare. A trusted source said that the Chinese, who are building the complex, have a system that enables most security agencies to ‘spy at will’ on emails, website visits, social networking sessions, and telephone calls made over the internet on a massive scale.
Mugabe has also been fighting back against sanctions on the country, threatening this week to boycott western products and seize companies from countries that have imposed sanctions against him.
The Zimbabwe Mail reports the "shaky coalition government clashed in furious scenes on Tuesday. Indications are that the contentious issues such as targeted sanctions, the media, external radio stations, hate speech, the rule of law, land audit and so on are unlikely to be resolved at the next Cabinet meeting as planned." Zimbabwe will hold elections this year or next in the hope of replacing the current government. "Human rights lawyer, Alec Muchadehama, said in Johannesburg Friday that Mugabe and his party – both out of favour with the electorate due to their failed governance during the past three decades, had once again resorted to violence to try and coerce Zimbabweans into voting them back into power."
Rumours about the 87 year old president's health were widely reported this week, as he underwent medical examinations while on holiday in Malaysia. The rumours have been a frequent occurrence, prompting Mugabe to state last September, "I don't know how many times I die, but nobody has ever talked about my resurrection. I suppose they don't want to, because it would mean they would mention my resurrection several times and that would be quite divine an achievement for an individual who is not divine. Jesus died once, and was resurrected only once, and poor Mugabe several times. My time will come, but for now, no." His party has denied the rumours again, calling them "naked lies".
Other rumours this week report commando troops from Zimbabwe being flown in to aid Gaddafi forces in Libya, and the possibility of Gaddafi escaping to Zimbabwe if he is run out of Libya.
2011-03-06 'This Week in #WikiLeaks' Podcast - @GuantanamoAndy Talks Bradley Manning & #Cablegate Revelations on Guantanamo
Manning's Forced Nudity at Quantico and Spanish Guantanamo Investigation Continues; Plus, 100 Days Since Cablegate Began
This week's guest was freelance investigative journalist, author and filmmaker Andy Worthington, who is known for covering Guantanamo Bay prison, torture and the wider "war on terror." [For Worthington's full bio click here.]
Worthington discussed the forced nudity that former Pfc. Bradley Manning (the whistleblower alleged to have leaked classified information like the "Collateral Murder" video to WikiLeaks) is being subjected to by the US military at Quantico Brig in Virginia and the 22 additional charges, which the military filed against Manning. [To read Worthington's article on Manning published this week, click
here.]
Worthington also talked about an article he recently published on a Spanish Guantanamo investigation into Bush administration officials' involvement in the torture and abuse of prisoners at Guantanamo. WikiLeaks revelations in the cable that showed US government officials interfered and worked to halt a Spanish investigation have pushed the national court to renew its efforts to bring those involved in torture to justice. And so, Worthington also talked about WikiLeaks' impact so far on helping detainees at Guantanamo get one step closer to justice and acknowledgment of the torture and abuse they experienced.
To listen to the podcast, just click play on the widget below. Or, you can go download the .mp3 file here. (Or, find it on iTunes by searching for "CMN News.")
And now for some plugs --
Follow me on Twitter @kgosztola. As I announced at the end of the podcast, I will be tweeting 100 Cablegate Revelations in 100 consecutive minutes to mark the 100th Day of Cablegate.
And now for a few plugs: WL Central is doing excellent coverage of all the uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa. If you haven't been keeping up with what is happening, check the front page for updates on various countries. Most recently, WL Central is covering Amn Dawla Leaks. (Don't know what that is? Well, get to WL Central now.)
If you would like to learn more about WikiLeaks, I encourage you to buy Greg Mitchell's recently published book, "Age of WikiLeaks," which can be purchased in print on Blurb.com or in e-book form off of Amazon.
I helped Mitchell with parts of the book and I and others are listed in the back as "resources" on Twitter. Here is Mitchell's WikiLeaks blog at The Nation, which just is one day away from Day 100.
2011-03-06 Darkness at Noon: Bradley Manning
Authored by Tony Kevin, former Australian Diplomat.
Chillingly, inexorably, the lifepaths of Julian Assange and Bradley Manning are converging.
Not yet in the sense that Manning’s US military torturers hope for, with a desired confession by him whether true or falsely coerced of prior collaboration with Assange to pass US classified intelligence material to Wikileaks. Either would satisfy them, because even a false and forced confession, that could be later disavowed by Manning in court, could be enough in the US judicial system to trigger a valid US secret grand jury arrest warrant for Assange’s extradition to the US. Such a warrant could be served either on the UK or Swedish governments, depending on where Assange was at the time.
More broadly, their stories are appropriately coming together now as stories of two young national heroes, one American and one Australian, who are putting their lives on the line now for the sake of defending the principle of individual moral accountability for the actions of their national states that profess to share similar political values. This principle has been variously expressed by many political leaders and thinkers, of which a few examples here will suffice. I am sure an Obama quotation could be readily found to add to this short list:
US founding father Benjamin Franklin, in 1792 - … a nation as a society forms a moral person, and every member of it is personally responsible for his society.
Martin Luther King at the height of his US civil rights struggle - Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
"Conspiracy as Governance", Julian Assange, 3 December 2006, from me@iq.org
Every time we witness an act that we feel to be unjust and do not act we become a party to injustice. Those who are repeatedly passive in the face of injustice soon find their character corroded into servility. Most witnessed acts of injustice are associated with bad governance, since when governance is good, unanswered injustice is rare. By the progressive diminution of a people’s character, the impact of reported, but unanswered injustice is far greater than it may initially seem. Modern communications states through their scale, homogeneity and excesses provide their populace with an unprecedented deluge of witnessed, but seemingly unanswerable injustices.
Bradley Manning -
12.15:11 PM) bradass87: Hypothetical question: if you had free reign [sic] over classified networks for long periods of time ... say 8-9 months ...and you saw incredible things, awful things ... things that happened in the public domain, and not on some server stored in a datk room in Washington DC ... what would you do?
(Weblog of an alleged conversation between Bradley Manning and Adrian Lamo, published by Kevin Poulsen, as quoted by Robert Manne in his essay "The Cypherpunk Revolutionary" published in 'The Monthly' of March 2011 (see below)).
Different words, but the same moral message of personal moral responsibility for the actions of one's state.
It is appropriate and timely now that Julian Assange has come out paying public tribute to Bradley Manning’s heroic resistance to his torturers.
The calculated and escalating psychological tortures now being inflicted on Manning, while allegedly staying just within legal boundaries of US military regulations governing the treatment of military prisoners deemed to be a high national security risk, are redolent of political prisoner torture techniques so memorably visualised or recorded in Arthur Koestler’s Darkness at Noon, George Orwell’s 1984, and Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s First Circle and Gulag Archipelago.
Manning actually and Assange potentially are now experiencing such hells. The US protocols may be more psychological, less physically violent, than the Soviet versions. But the intent is the same: to strip a man of his morale, sense of self and personal rights, and contextual sense of time and place.
Manning’s jailers seem increasingly desperate to break his will and spirit. On the latest horrifying news that they are stripping him naked, on top of the earlier reports of them waking him if they cannot see him clearlyostensibly to check he is alive and denying him human company and exercise, it seems that they have lost any remaining sense of proportionality and human decency. The torturers are now in control of the jail, as the torturers at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo gained control of their jails a few years ago.
Australian, British and Swedish people of good will and moral decency, regardless of political views on the legality of military personnel’s whistleblowing on evil state actions or on the importance of protecting our respective national alliances with the US, now need to understand clearly that this is the kind of treatment that awaits Assange if he should be extradited to the USA on national security breach charges.
We need to understand that Assange faces what Australian citizens David Hicks and Mamdouh Habib went through a few years ago in Egypt, Pakistan and Guantanamo, when their own government failed in its duty to protect them. Australian citizenship did not protect them then and it will not protect Assange now, should he fall into US hands.
It is up to Australian citizens back home now to try and prevent this from happening by making our well-founded concerns for Assange’s safety and human rights clear to our government - (refer Barns, Kemp and Kevin briefing notes for last week’s meeting of Australian parliamentarians).
Similar cruelties were inflicted on British terror suspects illegally rendered to Guantanamo, and on asylum-seekers illegally rendered from Sweden to torture in Egypt a few years ago.
Illustrious campaigners against human rights abuse in the Bush years - eminent international figures like Philippe Sands in the UK and Mark Danner in the US – need to appreciate that it is all starting to happen again in a similar (not identical, obviously) way in the treatment of Manning and Assange.
While the desired goal of Manning’s torturers must be now to extract from him some kind of ‘confession’ incriminating Assange, their fall-back goal would be to reduce him to an insane or vegetable state from which he could not recover in time to mount an effective public defence of himself in the military court-martial. Manning’s open-court testimony – if he could hold on to his courage, integrity and sanity meanwhile - would be severely embarrassing to his accusers, and could arouse American liberal public opinion in his favour. They would want to try to prevent this risk, hence their present apparently desperate escalation of torture.
Thus, the coming days and weeks are crucial. As a Christian who believes in the power of prayer, I am praying for Bradley Manning now. And anyone, be they British Swedish American or Australian, who cares about defending our nations’ common values of human rights and freedom of speech should be making their views on his current mistreatment publicly known and known to our political leaders.
There are encouraging signs here in Australia in recent days of a growing liberal mainstream concern for and about Julian Assange and Bradley Manning. Australians of conscience are beginning to see more clearly the principles at stake here.
Crikey, a well-regarded and widely read independent internet website and daily email newsletter on politics and society, published two articles last week discussing and condemning Manning’s treatment, by top columnists Guy Rundle on 3rd March 2011 and Bernard Keane. (paywall/free trial) also on 3rd March.
In essence, Rundle is horrified but fatalistic at Manning's escalating mistreatment and at him now facing a possible death sentence under new charges of 'aiding the enemy' (whoever the enemy may be). Manning erred, says Rundle. Rundle prays for a 'quality of mercy' from the US government, but is not hopeful this will be forthcoming. For this, Rundle implies, is how ruthless national security states behave.
Keane is openly outraged that, on the face of it, the new death penalty charges define the media which published and discussed the war diaries and the video of the Iraq helicopter killings (titled by Wikileaks as "Collateral Murder") as the enemy.
I think even more significantly, a lengthy essay discussing Assange (and more briefly Manning) by Australia’s most eminent liberal-humanitarian political commentator Robert Manne appeared in the latest (March, 2011) issue of Australia’s leading monthly public affairs magazine, The Monthly (published in a print version, and an internet version is available to subscribers). Extracts from Manne’s essay were published in the open-access Weekend Australian of 5/6 March and here
Manne’s article is closely historically researched. He digs into Assange’s personal development towards the major political figure he is today. Manne contrasts Assange to the other prominent or notorious, depending on one’s point of view, Australian media figure Rupert Murdoch.
Manne does not present Assange as a plaster saint, but it is clear at least to me that he views Assange in a generally positive light – as a sort of polar opposite to the way in which Murdoch’s Fox News is dragging down the language and mores of American political and public life.
Manne traces Assange’s earlier years in Ayn Rand-influenced ‘cypherpunk’ circles, where Assange honed his skills as a computer systems hacker. Manne shows how Assange finally broke away from that culture, repelled by its self-obsession, its political cynicism and nihilism, and its failure of courage when faced with any kind of state resistance: a conversion to a realization of personal moral accountability that Manne (on my reading) seems to admire in Assange, despite their obvious large differences of political values and style.
Manne’s article will influence Australian liberal mainstream opinion in Assange’s favour. Manne also offers brief but important recognition of the public importance of the Afghan and Iraq War logs and videos that Manning had downloaded to Wikileaks, ‘at least according to very convincing evidence yet to be tested in court’ (Manne, op.cit).
The multi-party parliamentarians’ briefing meeting in Parliament House, Canberra on 2 March, on Wikileaks Central website, is a sign of the way public opinion is beginning to build in Australia around a human rights-based concern for Manning’s and Assange’s safety and human rights.
Australia’s best politicians read the public mood carefully. They know that this could become a big issue as the David Hicks case became a big issue in Australia under Prime Minister John Howard in 2001-2007. Hicks came to be seen as a grievously abused Australian victim of American cruelty and injustice, however hard Howard and his ministers tried to portray Hicks as an Al Qaeda terrorist in training.
Australia’s Labor Prime Minister Julia Gillard (a lawyer) will not want to go too far down that dangerous road. Under growing pressure of public opinion, I believe the Gillard Government will try to find a face-saving way to better protect the human rights of these two men.
This might not much help Manning as an American citizen in his own country. But it might help Assange.
Gillard‘s forthcoming talks with US President Obama are fortuitously well-timed. I have no doubt that the Manning and Assange cases will be privately discussed. Let us hope those discussions are constructive of humane solutions.
2011-03-06 Julian Assange to speak at Cambridge Union
Julian Assange has agreed to address the Cambridge Union on 15 March, reports the student paper The Tab.
The Union, officially the Cambridge Union Society, is a debating society founded in 1815 and is distinct from the student union. In addition to its weekly debates, it welcomes distinguished speakers from around the world.
The event will be open to Union members only. There is no word yet whether it might be otherwise transmitted.
Via @MarksLarks on Twitter
2011-03-06 WikiLeaks in today's media: Cablegate coverage
Next: The Ugly Truth
"Less than a month to the commencement of the next general elections, politicians appear to be scheming again to rig the polls. Attahiru Jega, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), told a beleaguered audience in Abuja that some high profile Nigerians were involved in double registration.
“We even caught some high profile double registrants, and we will start with them in the area of prosecution,” Mr. Jega said."
Next: 'Jonathan voted four times in 2007'
"He was only a candidate for vice president then but in 2007, Goodluck Jonathan took matters into his own hands — literally. According to US diplomatic cables leaked to the whistleblower site Wikileaks, and which were made exclusively available to us, Mr. Jonathan helped himself gain the vice presidency four years ago by voting illegally four times. The astonishing accusation against Mr. Jonathan, now a president seeking validation at the polls next month, came from Edo governor Adams Oshiomhole, in a December 2008 briefing with US diplomats."
(Image Credit: Dali Rău)
2011-03-06 [UPDATE 4] Latest #Amndawla Leaks, Account and Videos of Clashes in #Lazoghly
This story was written by @carwinb and @exiledsurfer. Recent updates by @kgosztola.
[UPDATE 2011-03-06]
Photo by LilianWagdy of protesters praying in front of SS headquarters in Lazoghly
Some protesters are out in Tahrir and some are still even out in and around Lazoghly, where army clashes took place earlier. The protesters were headed to the State Security headquarters. Smoke was coming from the building. State Security has been shredding, burning and destroying documents that presumably would incriminate them, as many like Habib el-Adly, former head of the Interior Ministry, are going to be facing investigations or trials.
Amn Dawla Leaks Website tweets the following links to documents [not in English]: "Outright fraud in the election of the Chamber of Commerce"
And a few on selecting judges:
"Letter to the security of the State Requests sort of judges between the cooperative and is in preparation for the selection of the elections", SSI intervention in identifying some of the judges, and nomination of names of some judges of "collaborators" to monitor the elections
WL Central reported on a document detailing a natural gas deal with Israel. Now, here from Al Masry Al Youm, an article describing the document and giving a little background.
A firsthand account of what happened with the army today from @lilianwagdy, who was there and took photos:
Videos of clashes today
Another video from storming Amn Dawla yesterday. These are underground detention cells:
[UPDATE 2011-03-06]
Al Jazeera English report from @AymanM talking about protesters trying to get into a state security building and the resistance they are meeting from the army. He recounts how protesters gathered around building because state security officers have been shredding documents that might implicate them. They tried to get into the main one and the Egypt military would not let them. Announces that a general ordered the building Egyptians tried to storm was to be sealed so evidence could be supposedly collected for investigation and prosecution of former Mubarak regime and state security officials.
Tweets on current action in #Lazoghly as Egyptians try to get into another security building:
State Security belly dancing suits?
[UPDATE 2011-03-06]
As photos, videos, and documents continue to leak out and spread, the Amn Dawla Leaks Facebook page has launched a discussion over what the world should know about Egypt. It seems that these subjects are going to be topics those behind Amn Dawla Leaks work to inform the world on:
1.Egypt vs. Algeria
2.Torture, which countries used egypt as a torture camp
3. Election Fraud
4. Under the Table deals with Media, Politicians and Authorities including international governments
5. Kedesin church alexandria
6. Khaled Said
7. The companies that worked with amn el dawla, like those who sold them technology enabling them to spy and hack
8. Nile River
9. off shore accounts ... Mubarak family assets inside and abroad
10. Islamists, R they going to take over If so how will they deal with us & our inter$ts?, If not, to what degree will they affect the decision making process?"
11. Sharm, Taba and Dahab bombings! It wouldnt be a surprise to be honest!
Another German security company that served Egypt: Munich based SafeID Solutions SafeID provide ID systems. Customers are mainly the Interior Ministries of Arab countries. Member of the Board: Otto Schily. h/t via @alex_rossner
Document shows a Coptic church in Alexandria bombed on December 31, 2010, was part of a State Security conspiracy to stop Coptic Christians from protesting. A translation reads:
Regarding mandating the leadership 77 on the date 2/12/2010 to try tying the Copts, put out their protests and calming down the pope Shenouda's tone while describing the regime in his speech. we see the prosecution of any damaging act to any of the big churches in the great Cairo and then fabricate it during the investigations to make sure any of the leaders of the church gets it. then showing the pope Shenouda the results of the investigations and negotiate with him to stop the protests of the Copts on each tiny thing, lowering his tone when talking about the political leaders, stop inciting Copts to go to protests and calming them down to be able to move along with the main stream or showing all the evidence that one of the church leaders committed the crime to all the world so the whole world would stand against the pope and the Copts. which will totally guarantee calming the situation down.
This revelation reinforces revelations in US State Cables from Cairo. Details in 10CAIRO153 show January 6 killings in Naga Hamadi by a Muslim gunman, which was allegedly in response to a Coptic Christian raping a Muslim Girl, created renewed tension between Muslims and Coptic Christians. Pastor Sameh Mories of the Qasr al Dubara Presbyterian Church thinks "Egypt's security services are becoming increasingly powerful and hostile to Muslim converts to Christianity." He laments, "Five years ago, converts to Christianity were persecuted by their families; now the police are turning converts over to their families." Mories adds, "As a church that baptizes Muslims, Qasr al Dubara is under constant police scrutiny, and he complained that three U.S. religious leaders who have had contact with the church had been denied entry into Egypt by the Government of Egypt."
Just Another Egyptian provides this document and the document's translation. @MinaNaguib90 uncovers a meeting on exporting natural gas to Israel: The document from 2005 details how Sharm Elsheikh, Mr. Hussein Salem, Mr. Gamal Mubarak and Mr. Alaa Mubarak discussed procedures for moving on with a deal for exporting natural gas to Israel. Gamal Mubarak accuses Salem of being greedy and conspiring to lower his percentage and raise his percentage that he would get from the deal.
State Security plans to destroy documents uncovered: Documents show that all branches and offices planned to chop, not burn, information available in the archives of departments and sections. They planned to edit secret correspondence. The demonstrations by Egyptians had State Security officers worried and they developed plans for evacuation that included disposing the archives. Using chemicals instead of fire was one method considered.
Egyptian State Security 5-star Hotel Offices
[UPDATE 2011-03-06]
The Amn Dawla Leaks Web site launched on Facebook last night to distribute documents and news seized by Egyptian activists in the State Security offices of Nasr City and Alexandria. They now have an official twitter feed, @ADLWebsite.
According to VOANews.comEgypt's former interior minister, Habib Al-Adly, plead not guilty to corruption charges on Saturday.
Revelations pouring online include the minutes of the meeting of the State Security to develop a plan for the destruction of confidential documents.
The deputy interior minister ordered the shredding of Secret Service documents on Feb 26 according to this document, also seen below.
[END UPDATE]
Egyptian ex-pats are calling it 'Bastille Day' in Egypt. Revelations are pouring out onto the twitter hashtag #AmnDawla and the Facebook profile: Amn Dawla Leaks
Debka reports that Friday night, thousands of protesters stormed the headquarters of secret security forces headquarters "(Mahabis Namn El Dawla) in Alexandria, Cairo and the nearby 6 of October town, shutting down its operations across the country, seizing control of the vast archive of records." (Photo Source: AEIMassry
Footage of Egyptians Storming #AmnDawla torture prison showing shelves of files via @moftasabelow.
Storming the Office of the Minister of the Interior Building, the State Security in Nasr City, Egypt below.
US Defense Secretary, Robert Gates, is racing to Cairo on orders from US President, Barrack Obama to handle the fall out and demise of Egyptian military's junta rule, and the exposure of information from "the secret files on every political and military leader in the country, confidential information once accessible only to ex-intelligence minister Gen. Omar Suleiman before the uprising." (Source: Debka).
From previous WL Coverage:
So who is former intelligence minister Omar Suleiman? Jane Mayer asks the question in her article in the New Yorker, and answers it with information from her book The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals.
"Since 1993 Suleiman has headed the feared Egyptian general intelligence service. In that capacity, he was the C.I.A.’s point man in Egypt for renditions—the covert program in which the C.I.A. snatched terror suspects from around the world and returned them to Egypt and elsewhere for interrogation, often under brutal circumstances.".
Revelations also include a sex tape of Kuwait Royal Princess with a businessman in Alexandria from the #AmnDawla twitter feed.
One of the torture devices found:
Egyptian man explaining how he was tortured:
Live streams from demonstrators in front of several State Security buildings and headquarters can be found here via @exiledsurfer.
@Wikileaks has urged the preservation of shredded material.
Softwareused to reconstruct shredded East German Stasi file's may be used.
Picture of a car with shredded paper caught and seized by protesters below:
Numbers have started to increase in front of State Security Headquarters in Nasr City, calling for the Secret Service Forces to be dissolved via egyptocracy on YouTube and @wikileaks.
See the following for additional WL coverage of the Secret Service in Egypt and Western rendition to Egypt:
- 2011-01-29 Who is Egypt's new Vice President?
- 2011-02-14 Omar Suleiman and Canadian complicity in torture
- 2011-02-08 Cables suggest Suleiman handling Egyptians as he has handled Palestinians
- More coverage...
2011-03-07 "Climate of Fear" heating up in Turkey: More journalists arrested
Over the course of the past 2 days, a Turkish court has reportedly ordered a writer and 6 journalists to be remanded in custody for alleged membership in an anti-government terrorist organization (Ergenekon). Odatv.com reports that a total of 15 journalists who write for the Turkish anti-government web site have been detained as a result of the "Odatv raid," which apparently revealed connections with Ergenekon. Yet Odatv reporters insist that the relationship between the suspects and Ergenekon is one of friendship and not active involvement.
The current Turkish government, in power since 2001 and led by the Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP), claims that Ergenekon is one of many terrorist organizations aiming to overthrow the AKP by force. Approximately 400 suspects are already on trial for suspected ties to the Ergenekon coup and similar anti-government coups. Since 2007, AKP government authorities have been rounding up suspects perceived as secularist or anti-Islamist, having questioned, detained and jailed writers (including fiction writers), professors, editors, military officers (including 4-star generals) and others.
The leading prosecutor for the Ergenekon investigation, Zekeriya Oz, said in a statement Sunday that the investigation is confidential and the recent arrests are not related to the suspects' journalistic work, having nothing to do with "their writings or their planned writings or books".
The AKP's actions, coupled with its history of censorship, however, is raising suspicions with Human Rights Watch and others.
Two other journalists, Mustafa Balbay and Tuncay Özkan, have spent two years and two-and-a-half years in prison respectively during their ongoing trial on charges of Ergenekon membership.
"In the absence of evidence that the police have credible reason to think Ahmet Şık and Nedim Şener are responsible for wrongdoing, their arrests are a disturbing development," said Emma Sinclair-Webb, Turkey researcher at Human Rights Watch. "It raises concerns that what is now under investigation is critical reporting rather than coup plots." (Source)
In February 2009, police arrested approximately 30 people on the basis of similar allegations, including 8 army officers, a police chief and 9 police officers. This past February, 3 Oda TV (Söner Yalçın, Barış Pehlivan and Barış Terkoğlu) journalists were detained and jailed, pending trial on various charges relating to alleged Ergenekon involvement.
Critics of the AKP, including demonstrators who gathered on Sunday at the apartment of Ahmet Şık (arrested Sunday), deny that the suspects have partaken in illegal activities and insist that the recent actions of the AKP constitute a clear instance of political oppression. Many believe that the ongoing investigations are part of a campaign to discredit the military, which is extremely secular, relative to the religiously conservative AKP.
Others, including academics and independent journalists, are said to "have welcomed the investigations as part of an overdue process of strengthening democracy, the rule of law and civilian control over the armed forces."
Independent sources at 2 major Turkish universities have said that some detained individuals were likely directly associated with anti-government coups planning violent attacks, but that most of the individuals detained and arrested are likely innocent.
2011-03-07 100 Revelations to Mark 100 Days Since Cablegate Began
*Special thanks to C-Cyte for recording my tweets and posting them online in a post for people to view if they do not normally use Twitter.
One hundred days ago, WikiLeaks began to release the US State Embassy cables. The release event, which continues, became known as Cablegate.
A future post will include a look at Cablegate and what its impact on journalism, international diplomacy, and human rights has been and what its role has been in world events like the uprisings and revolutions the world that are currently unfolding. For now, it is worth recounting what has actually been revealed because of the release.
One common denominator can be found in a majority of the cables: corruption. For all the talk of this country and that country being corrupt and that country being so corrupt it's gone, the plain fact is that between all the countries of the world, perhaps as a result of American coercion and/or threat of force, the world is one corrupt planet.
WikiLeaks has managed to partner with 50 media outlets over the course of the past months. 5,287 of 251,287 cables have been released so far. This not only means there will likely be a 200th, 300th and 400th Day of Cablegate but also means there will be many more revelations to come in the next year.
The following are 100 revelations, which this author tweeted this morning consecutively to mark the 100th Day. The one hundred tweeted revelations are dedicated to alleged whistleblower and hero Bradley Manning, who is currently being abused and humiliated in a military brig in Quantico, Virginia. He has been denied a right to a speedy trial. He has been issued charges but yet the military and government has taken its time with his case. And so, he has been detained and imprisoned since June and, most recently, the military started to force him to sleep naked at night.
If Manning released the material (and he is charged by the military with releasing the cables), it is he who has given us the privilege of reading about what the US government and foreign leaders have been up to for the past years. Manning, if he is the whistleblower, has helped usher in an era of openness and transparency that has shaken the world of diplomacy, international relations and journalism.
Here are the one hundred, which were tweeted this morning:
100. Murdered Ugandan gay rights activist was mocked by Uganda politicians at UN-backed debate http://bit.ly/fEiSh8 #cablegate
99. US' secret list of Allied countries it thinks should contribute more to Afghan war http://bit.ly/fLqsHI #cablegate
98. Panama president wanted US to wiretap his political rivals http://bit.ly/hS2M23 #cablegate http://bit.ly/fLqsHI
97. New Zealand did about-face on troops to Iraq, feared missing out on lucrative Oil for Food contracts http://bit.ly/i4rZES #cablegate
96. Obama pushed Spain to implement law to crack down on illegal Internet downloads http://bit.ly/iflhWB #cablegate
95. US pressured Spain to investigate Islamic centers http://bit.ly/fgzLZz #cablegate
94. Libya bought infected blood then accused Bulgarian nurses of infecting AIDS patients http://bit.ly/fVbB7i #cablegate
93. US thinks Sweden will play critical role in cyber warfare in future http://bit.ly/f4vhFm #cablegate
92. Sec. of Defense Robert Gates thinks Russia is oligarchy run by security services http://bit.ly/fEyqaJ #cablegate
91. US lobbied Russia to amend draft law so it would not disadvantage Visa, Mastercard http://bit.ly/gAtUbf #cablegate
90. Russian Orthdox Church pervades all aspects of Russian society and politics http://bit.ly/ighsI7 #cablegate
89. Saudi Arabia asked US to halt lawsuit against state company being sued for oil price fixing http://reut.rs/f6cCxq #cablegate
88. Libya placed billions of dollars in US banks http://reut.rs/i3rR1Y #cablegate
87. Revelation on Ivory Coast election that divided the country and has created civil war http://bit.ly/g0aE3M #cablegate
86. Deposed president of Madagascar "recruited mercenaries' http://bit.ly/hzpDNC #cablegate
85. Egypt military had a 'Plan B' in the event of regime change http://bit.ly/dU4iWc #cablegate
84. Chamber of Commerce head in Nicaragua used his position to undermine President Daniel Ortega http://bit.ly/gNSHoU #cablegate
83. Rice wanted US diplomats to gather intelligence on Israeli communications tech & Palestinian leaders http://reut.rs/fSV4R1 #cablegate
82. Japan launching first post-war foreign spy agency http://yhoo.it/fJHISP #cablegate
81. China used US debt to pressure US on Taiwan http://bit.ly/gorONi #cablegate
80. Uribe authorized clandestine ops against leftist FARC in Venezuela http://bit.ly/dSWI6L #cablegate
79. US, UK & France considered delaying Internat'l Criminal Court investigation into Bashir http://bit.ly/gIjJbJ #cablegate
78. Karzai warned it would be near impossible to hold credible elections in Afghanistan http://bit.ly/e0PVwp #cablegate
77. A Baghdad zoo with booze-swilling bears and laser-enhanced fish http://bit.ly/ePGi3G #cablegate
76. Mubarak warned Cheney not to go to war in Iraq http://bit.ly/gwb4LI #cablegate
75. How Coca-Cola got embroiled in a feud between Gaddafi sons http://reut.rs/gsenWH #cablegate
74. Fighters in Eastern Libya willing to 'die hard' in Iraq War, fueled by Gaddafi-US link http://wlcentral.org/node/1369 #cablegate
73. Paraguayan president is a US agent http://bit.ly/fwz3It #cablegate h/t @MatrixWikiLeak
72. US concerned with Berlusconi-Putin tie http://reut.rs/id24oy #cablegate
71. Berlusconi entertains escorts at 'Bunga Bunga' parties http://bit.ly/hpHelx #cablegate
70. Russia a mafia state http://bit.ly/dJBhNP #cablegate
69. Impossible to prevent cartels from financing candidates in Mexico elections http://bit.ly/gAbjrl #cablegate
68. US cheered on Operation Cast Lead in Gaza http://bit.ly/dFwv1C #cablegate
67. Obama tried to persuade Saudi Arabia to sign Copenhagen accord http://bit.ly/ewaPHt #cablegate
66. Canadian officials were afraid Obama was too gung-ho on renewable energy http://bit.ly/dMQAr7 #cablegate
65. U.S. and China conspired to block reform on climate change at Copenhagen talks http://bit.ly/eu6l9o #cablegate
64. Dalai Lama thinks climate change should take priority over politics in Tibet http://bit.ly/fTuINF #cablegate
63. Late president of Gabon Omar Bongo embezzled funds, channeled $ to French political parties http://bit.ly/he008Y #cablegate
62. US played a role in a coup in Honduras that was illegal http://lat.ms/gnFJV5 #cablegate
61. US resentment toward unions uncovered in Mexico cable http://wlcentral.org/node/1351 #cablegate
60. Tunisia cables uncovered rampant corruption on Ben Ali or 'The Family' http://to.pbs.org/er6pSn #cablegate
59. US lied in cable about Michael Moore's film 'Sicko' being banned in Cuba http://bit.ly/hSrdgZ #cablegate
58. Revelations on 9/11 gang that fled to London http://bit.ly/e50Om4 #cablegate
57. European feudalism in Azerbaijan no problem for US, oil makes risk of embarrassment worth it http://bit.ly/gQUscn #cablegate
56. UK secretly advised Libya on how to secure release of Lockerbie bomber http://bit.ly/iccGIa #cablegate
55. The Libyan frogman that couldn't swim (truly, a cautionary tale) http://bit.ly/eHpFoK #cablegate
54. Bangladeshi death squad trained by UK officers http://bit.ly/gDlCUO #cablegate
53. Baby Doc Duvalier's return to Haiti was a 'concern' for US http://bit.ly/eRj4hF
52. Saudi Arabia can't pump enough oil to keep prices down, reserves 40% overstated http://bit.ly/e9774n #cablegate
51. US maneuvered to ensure Spanish High Court wouldn't investigate Couso, Guantanamo & CIA flights http://bit.ly/igUQZ0 #cablegate
50. Gordon Brown was concerned about use of bases for US spy planes http://bit.ly/dSOdtQ #cablegate
49. BP had a blast similar to the Deepwater Horizon disaster in Azerbaijan http://bit.ly/fabXL8 #cablegate
48. Pfizer used "dirty tricks' to force Nigeria gov't to drop legal action against controversial drug trial http://bit.ly/hDWjeI #cablegate
47. US, Nato & Red Cross colluded, downplayed number of Afghani civilian deaths in Bala Baluk massacre http://bit.ly/fM1TD2 #cablegate
46. US threatened military action against China during secret "star wars" arms race http://bit.ly/fRIzOT #cablegate
45. Libya pressed oil firms to reimburse terror costs http://reut.rs/gOVobd #cablegate
44. US wanted derogatory information on Bahraini royals http://bit.ly/i0VWVD #cablegate
43. Coca Cola revealed corrupt Israeli tax collectors http://bit.ly/iiDEfu #cablegate
42. Egyptian torturers trained by the FBI http://bit.ly/fY8eHO #cablegate
41. David Letterman does more to dissuade Saudi youth from militancy than US propaganda http://bit.ly/dLzfqJ #cablegate
40. US suggested India send Bollywood stars to Afghanistan to help stabilize country http://bit.ly/gvq3bg #cablegate
39. McDonald's tried to delay US legislation to aid lawsuit in El Salvador http://bit.ly/eNr0tQ #cablegate
38. Shell Oil in main ministries in Nigerian gov't, knows everything http://bit.ly/fJlnpq #cablegate
37. Foreign contractors hired to train Afghan police paid for young "dancing boys" http://bit.ly/gu4b32 #cablegate
36. US, UK conspired to get around British cluster bomb ban http://bit.ly/hJb9sj #cablegate
35. US maneuvered to ensure Spanish High Court wouldn't investigate Couso, Guantanamo & CIA flights http://bit.ly/igUQZ0 #cablegate
34. Millions in US military aid for fighting Pakistani insurgents diverted to gov't coffers instead http://bit.ly/gZe2HB #cablegate
33. US diplomats ordered to spy on UN, obtain iris scans, fingerprints & DNA http://bit.ly/dE1mTt #cablegate
32. US pressured Germany to not pursue 13 CIA agents that abducted Khaled el-Masri http://bit.ly/i9qAmC #cablegate
31. Somali pirates blew cover off weapons deal between Kenya and Sudan http://bit.ly/i7LRsJ #cablegate
30. Iraq War provided few advantages for US oil but plenty advantage for Halliburton http://bit.ly/fbfxiB #cablegate
29. Chinese leaders ordered cyber attack on Google http://bit.ly/g1uBb0 #cablegate
28. Yemen President Saleh fights proxy war for US against Houthi rebels http://bit.ly/eD8Zvz #cablegate
27. Yemen covered up US drone strikes, claimed bombs against al Qaeda were own http://bit.ly/ifjG17 #cablegate
26. Blackwater flouted German arms export laws, transported aircraft to Afghanistan http://bit.ly/guBdwJ #cablegate
25. Omar Suleiman considered halting elections in Gaza to prevent Hamas victory http://bit.ly/gHrtCv #cablegate
24. US mole in NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen's office uncovered http://bit.ly/gXNoVh #cablegate
23. Germany and US cover up Siemens shipment to Iran, 111 containers left at Dubai port http://bit.ly/ekzD8T #cablegate
22. Turkey's role in CIA rendition flights to Guantanamo http://bit.ly/dL6oSO #cablegate
21. German communities fear loss of millions as US reduces troop presence http://bit.ly/ifHOZF #cablegate
20. President Kibaki of Kenya probably didn't brazenly steal election http://bit.ly/gbyo9j #cablegate
19. Francis Mathaura described as being "shadow president' of Kenya http://bit.ly/ea9mst #cablegate
18. US officials surprised at how easy it was to get Russia-Germany gas pipeline grant from Finland http://bit.ly/eDBZ8r #cablegate
17. Finland traded votes with Israel to get spot on UN Security Council http://bit.ly/hjlueQ #cablegate
16. GPS & detailed map feature made Nokia smartphones favorite for Iraqi rebels http://bit.ly/eQWsPf #cablegate
15. Sudan president Omar al-Bashir stashed $9 billion from Sudan in British banks http://bit.ly/hsYaCK #cablegate
14. Qatar adapts Al Jazeera coverage to suit foreign leaders http://bit.ly/hy96Sw #cablegate
13. Gaza wall, valued at $40 million USD, was to be completed December 2010 http://bit.ly/gL2hEu #cablegate
12. Egypt considered nuclear arms if Iran managed to acquire atomic weapons http://bit.ly/ifwKvq #cablegate
11. Uruguay linked to trafficking of arms to Venezuela to former guerrillas for possible coup http://bit.ly/dZlFco #cablegate
10. Danish gov't played double game when pressured to investigate CIA rendition flights http://bit.ly/eomwJg #cablegate
9. US forced Denmark to have armed guards on airplanes http://bit.ly/dHGoMb #cablegate
8. Secret collusion between Swedish and US military and civilian intelligence http://bit.ly/dVFxX2 #cablegate
7. US Embassy in Costa Rica trained, funded security forces used at anti-FTA protests http://bit.ly/fGcN9Z #cablegate
6. Vertical Aviation disqualified from supporting Colombia forces in Afghanistan by State Dept http://bit.ly/hgIvj9 #cablegate
5. US suspected Brazil pres. Dilma Rousseff would "outlaw' antiterrorism bill for "ideological' reasons http://t.co/39bEb9E #cablegate
4. Peruvian Armed Forces still greatly influenced by drugs http://bit.ly/dLWHEo #cablegate
3. US pushed foreign govts to buy aircrafts from Boeing rather than European rival Airbus http://bit.ly/h6rmZi #cablegate
2. Israel's plans for a big war in Middle East against Hamas or Hezbollah exposed http://bit.ly/eZN0Bu #cablegate
1. Monsanto fought off environmentalists/farmers in Argentina, got USG to represent interests http://bit.ly/hqKYrS #cablegate
If you would like to continue to mark the day, see Greg Mitchell's blog on The Nation . He has been live blogging WikiLeaks and covering Cablegate revelations for the past 100 days. So, today, he marks his 100th day live blogging WikiLeaks (and writes about the day that Cablegate swung open).
The Nation has put together this slide show to also mark the day.
And, if that's not enough, there's WL Central, where you can get more of the latest news and updates on Cablegate, protests/uprisings, and more.
x7o put together this fine compilation of Cablegate resources for anyone wanting to stay completely up-to-date on the latest released cables.
Follow me on Twitter @kgosztola to stay up to date on Cablegate revelations and WikiLeaks. And, don't forget to tune in to the weekly podcast I host, "This Week in WikiLeaks" (here's a link to last week's episode). If you'd like to be a guest and come on the podcast and talk WikiLeaks, Cablegate, freedom/secrecy/openness/transparency, etc, email kgosztola@hotmail.com
2011-03-07 WikiLeaks in today's media: Cablegate coverage
Next: Supreme Court judges took bribes to validate Yar'Adua/Jonathan election
"We had just had elections in 2007 that, by most accounts, were possibly worst ever, and the legitimacy of the presidential poll that the authorities had declared won by Umaru Yar'Adua and his running mate, Goodluck Jonathan, hung in the balance.
Justices of our Supreme Court, the final arbiters of the disputed election, immediately became the objects of affection of interested politicians, who proceeded to shower them with cash to make sure they confirmed the legitimacy of the election of Messrs Yar'Adua and Jonathan, according to secret US diplomatic cables leaked to the whistleblower site Wikileaks and made available to NEXT."
Next: EFCC not worth a penny, says Bankole
"Mr. Bankole's conversation with the then U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms. Robbin Sanders, did not only indict the top echelon of the judiciary, the Speaker also derided the country's foremost anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Mr. Bankole said that the chairman of the EFCC, Farida Waziri, with the complicity of the president, was working hand-in-hand with the Attorney General of the Federation to ensure that the corruption charges brought against Mr. Ibori by the former chairman of the EFCC, Nuhu Ribadu, were quashed."
Next: Selling justice to the highest bidder
"The Nigerian judiciary is in the eye of a raging storm. Never before in the country's history has the judiciary been at the centre of so damaging an allegation of graft and misconduct. In the past weeks, the nation's topmost judicial officers - the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Aloysius Katsina-Alu, and the president of the Court of Appeal, Ayo Salami, have traded allegations of monumental corruption.
While the dust raised by those allegations is yet to settle, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole's damaging comments about the judges of the nation's highest court emerged like a bolt from the blue, raising further questions about the integrity of the nation's judges."
The Telegraph: WikiLeaks cables warn of extremist beliefs
"Leaked diplomatic cables obtained by the WikiLeaks website and passed to The Daily Telegraph disclose fears that eastern Libya is being overrun by extremists intent on overthrowing Colonel Gaddafi's regime.
Former jihadi fighters who underwent "religious and ideological training" in Afghanistan, Lebanon and the West Bank in the 1980s have returned to eastern towns in Libya such as Benghazi and Derna to propagate their Islamist beliefs, the cables warn."
MercoPress: US ambassadors consider Mercosur as “anti-American” according to Wikileaks
"United States considers Mercosur as an “anti American” organization and fears the incorporation of Venezuela to the group made up of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay according to one of the latest Wikileaks to see light in the River Plate press.
Mercosur gradually has transformed from an imperfect customs union to a more restrictive and anti-American organization”, points out a cable which resumes some of the conclusions of a meeting of US ambassadors from Southern Cone countries and which took place in Rio do Janeiro in May 2007."
El País: Dudas sobre la presidenta del Banco Central argentino (Doubts about the Argentine Central Bank President)
"La primera mujer en alcanzar la presidencia del Banco Central de la República Argentina (BCRA), Mercedes Marcó del Pont, fue nombrada sin tener experiencia en macroeconomía, ni tampoco en política monetaria, y sus políticas responderán a los deseos del Gobierno de Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, según varias de las fuentes consultadas por la embajada norteamericana en Buenos Aires para redactar un perfil sobre la titular del banco emisor. Contrariamente al liberalismo promovido por Estados Unidos, Marcó del Pont, "estrechamente aliada de CFK", es considerada como una "defensora de la intervención del Estado en la economía", en un informe confidencial enviado al Departamento de Estado el pasado año. (The first woman to reach the presidency of the Central Bank of Argentina (BCRA) , Mercedes Marco del Pont, was appointed without any experience in macroeconomics, or in monetary policy, and policies that respond to the wishes of the Government of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner , according to several sources consulted by the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires to write a profile of the head of the issuing bank. Contrary to the liberalism promoted by the United States, Marco del Pont, "closely allied with CFK", is regarded as an "advocate of state intervention in the economy", it is said in a confidential report sent to the State Department last year.)"
Read more (Spanish) Google Translate
(Image Credit: Dali Rău)
2011-03-08 #Amndawla Leaks Reveals Gamal Mubarak, Egypt State Security Behind Sharm el-Sheikh Bombings
Egyptians stormed Amn Dawla, a State Security building in Nasr City, over the weekend. Protesters were aware that security was burning, shredding and destroying documents that might incriminate State Security officials in any future investigations or pursuits of accountability in the aftermath of the toppling of President Hosni Mubarak. They entered the building, started taking photos and video and took some of the documents to scan and post online or hand over to the armed forces so State Security could not be free from justice.
Inspired by WikiLeaks, Amn Dawla Leaks was instantly born. Twitter and Facebook accounts began to circulate the documents. The information, in Arabic, received many requests for English translation. It became clear there was much world interest and many would want to know what was uncovered.
One main revelation that has come out in the first days involves a bombing that up to this point was believed to have been perpetrated by Bedouins or Islamists. In the resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, about eighty-eight people were killed.
The document describes three car bombs that are to be detonated at the first entrance of the Movenpick Hotel. The second is to be detonated near the hotel and the third is to be detonated at a hotel in the village of Movenpick. All sites of detonation are intended to damage property owned by Hussein Salem. The bombings are planned for Revolution Day, a day that commemorates Gamal Abdel Nasser’s overthrow of King Farouk in 1952.
Prince Mohammed Hashim, Osama Mahmoud Raafat Meselhi and Ziad Abdel-Rahim all agree to terms of implementation on January 29, 2005. The zero hour is scheduled for “the first hour on the morning of 7/23/2005.” It is agreed that the operation will not “depart from the periphery of the parties which combined the same parties that will explode cars when they are inside and thus the process becomes terminated forever.”
The equipment is agreed to be “equipped” and ready on July 20, 2005. The document reveals the bombings were ordered by Gamal Mubarak and former head of the Interior Ministry Habib el-Adly (who since the fall of Mubarak been indicted). The motivation for the bombing, revealed in another document, is a gas deal with Israel. Mubarak believes he must seek revenge because Salem “triggered” a reduction in his commission for the deal from 10% to 5%.
ElBadil writes in their coverage of the document that the Minister of Interior report, which became the official story in Egypt, reads at 1:15 am three locations were bombed in the “P-town of Sharm el-Sheikh.” Islamic elements targeted Ghazala Garden, the Old Market and “a location of the microbus near Naama Bay.” The first blast in the “bazaar” was car bomb that killed 17 people. A bomb stashed in a backpck and placed next to Movenpick Hotel exploded next and killed six tourists. And then, in a hotel in Naama Bay, 45 people were killed.
After the bombing, twenty-five were arrested, as Egypt went after Bedouins they believed were responsible for the bombings. Jonathan Steele, who was The Guardian’s foreign correspondent at the time, appeared on Democracy Now! and reported:
The police still don’t know really which lead to follow. As you say, there are five different groups that have made claims, but no evidence that any of them could be serious. They may or may not be, but there’s nothing to point to it other than just purely the web statements. And I think most people now assume that the link is more with the bombings last October, which appears to have been done by local Egyptian militants of one kind. It’s not quite sure exactly what their purpose was, although obviously Taba is very close to Israel, so it would be connected with the Egyptian-Israeli issue. Egypt, after all, is the country that is most closely connected in the Arab world with Israel. It still has diplomatic relations. And people therefore think it’s not to do with al-Qaeda, it’s not to do with Osama bin Laden; it’s much more to do with Egyptian militants.
Cables released by WikiLeaks mention the Sharm el-Sheikh bombings. 10CAIRO179, which is a scenesetter for then-FBI Director Robert Mueller’s visit to Cairo, describes the “vigilance and effectiveness of the Egyptian security services.”
Egypt is an ally in the GWOT, and we maintain close cooperation on a broad range of counter-terrorism and law enforcement issues, including an annual meeting of the U.S.-Egypt Counter-Terrorism Joint Working Group. Egypt suffered major domestic terror attacks in 2005 (a simultaneous triple bombing in Sharm El Sheikh, which killed 88 and wounded 200), and in 2006 (triple bombing popular tourist town of Dahab, which killed 24 people). There have been no domestic terror attacks in 2007, due in no small part to the vigilance and effectiveness of the Egyptian security services. The Egyptian government's active opposition to Islamist terrorism and effective intelligence and security services makes Egypt an unattractive safe haven for terror groups, and there is no evidence to suggest that there are any active foreign terrorist groups in the country. However, Egypt's northern Sinai region is a haven for the smuggling of arms and explosives into Gaza, and a transit point for Gazan Palestinians. Palestinian officials from Hamas have also carried large amounts of cash across the border. The smuggling of weapons and other contraband through the Sinai into Israel and the Gaza Strip have created criminal networks that may be associated with terror groups in the region, and is an irritant to both the US-Egypt and Israel-Egypt bilateral relationships. The apparent recent radicalization of some Sinai Bedouin may possibly be linked in part to these smuggling networks and Egyptian efforts to dismantle them.
09CAIRO163 and 09CAIRO746 both suggest Sinai Bedouins have been monitored closely by the Egypt government (and the US government) in recent years. It has been feared Iran wanted to recruit them to help “facilitate smuggling to Gaza.” They have been suspected of arms, drugs and human trafficking, which has influenced how the government treats Bedouins that typically tend to be impoverished and undereducated.
2011-03-08 WikiLeaks in today's media: Cablegate coverage
Next: Yar’Adua made me acting President, says Yayale
"As his health failed late president Umaru Yar’Adua illegally bypassed his vice president, Goodluck Jonathan, and handed presidential authority to Yayale Ahmed, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
This unconstitutional act has now come to light through US diplomatic cables leaked to Wikileaks and made available exclusively to NEXT."
Next: Buhari says speaker’s comments confirm his fears
"Two parties who went to court over the 2007 presidential elections, Atiku Abubakar and Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday reacted to comments credited to Speaker Dimeji Bankole that the late president, Musa Yar’Adua, bribed Supreme Court justices to swing the judgment in his favour. While Mr. Abubakar, the candidate of the opposition Action Congress in the election, maintained that the speaker of the House of Representatives’s comment had disgraced Nigeria, Mr. Buhari, the presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, said the revelation had vindicated his stand that the nation’s judiciary could not be trusted, and therefore needed a thorough overhaul."
Der Spiegel: EADS-Manager verspotteten Kollegen vor US-Diplomaten (EADS managers colleagues mocked U.S. diplomats)
"Die Briten "schizophren", der französische Chef ein "überambitionierter Irrer" und der Vorstand spielt "Reise nach Jerusalem": Neu enthüllte Botschaftsdepeschen zeigen, wie EADS-Manager bei US-Diplomaten über ihre Kollegen lästerten. Besonders häufig klagten Deutsche über Franzosen. (The British are "schizophrenic," the French boss is a "over-ambitious madman" and the board plays "a trip to Jerusalem": new unveiled message shows how EADS managers blaspheme about their colleagues with U.S. diplomats. Particularly common are the German complains about their French [counterparts].)"
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El País: El salvajismo del cartel mexicano de La Familia michoacana alarma a Estados Unidos (The savagery of the Mexican cartel "La Familia Michoacana" alarms the U.S.)
"Una brutalidad inusitada y el fanatismo del cartel mexicano denominado La Familia, cuyo bastión es el Estado de Michoacán, atrajeron la atención de la Embajada de Estados Unidos, asombrada por la vesania de una banda que asesinó a 10 policías entrenados por Estados Unidos, según revela un cable , e inculca en sus sicarios un celo limítrofe con el mesianismo. (An unusual brutality and fanaticism of the Mexican cartel called "The Family", whose stronghold is the State of Michoacán, attracted the attention of the U.S. Embassy, amazed by the insanity of a gang that killed 10 police officers trained by the United States, reveals cable, and instills in their assassins a zeal close to messianism.)"
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(Image Credit: Dali Rău)
2011-03-09 Cables: Why Million Women March in Egypt on International Women’s Day Was Disappointing
Stories of what happened as Egyptian women protested in Tahrir Square and called for equality and fairness in Egyptian society in honor of International Women’s Day are circulating. Female Egyptians hoped to have a million women march. Unfortunately, only a few hundred women came out to demonstrate and the action turned violent as men disrupted what should have been a peaceful day of celebration.
Christian Science Monitor reports men showed up and shouted, “Go wash clothes!” And said, “You are not married; go find a husband,” and “This is against Islam!” Men suggested women already have enough rights. They argued now was not the time to argue for rights.
Men decided women had been demonstrating for too long and violently scattered the women provoking the military to fire shots in the air. Sexual harassment, which many female Egyptians said during the uprising had disappeared, happened during the “melee.”
Cairo-based reporter and writer Ursula Lindsey reports one “48 year-old accountant” was "horrified by the protesters’ demand that women be allowed to run for the presidency.” He suggested Egyptians would “reject this completely” and added, “Women have a role, and men have a role. We’re used to men ruling. Who rules in my house? My father. And who rules in my family? I do.”
Lindsey notes, “There were more men than women present, and most of them expressed either indignation or amusement at the women’s demands.” Egyptian women who had struggled alongside men during the uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak were, for the first time, faced with the stark reality that culture and attitudes toward women remained largely unchanged.
Two tweets capture the frustration and rage women felt in the aftermath of the failed march:
There had already been some signs that patriarchy was still alive and well as the committee convened to amend the country’s constitution was all male. And, an amendment up for consideration prohibited a man with a foreign wife from running for president and left no room for the possibility of a woman running for president.
Giving women rights to participate in the political process has historically produced tension. 09CAIRO1148 provides an account of what happened when an amendment supported by the National Democratic Party (NDP) on women’s political participation was approved in 2009.
The Muslim Brotherhood and some independents find the measure to be “unconstitutional.” It is called a “farce,” as several critics thought the amendment was a wrong way to increase women’s participation because it seemed like a way for the NDP to increase the number of seats it had in the People’s Assembly (PA).
The amendment is linked to “Mubarak's pledge during the 2005 presidential elections to encourage women to play a more active role in politics.” It would establish a “quota for women’s participation in the PA for a period of 10 years.” President of the Democratic Front Party Dr. Osama El-Ghazali considers the amendment to be “long overdue” and notes, “Egypt led the region, with the first women MPs elected to parliament in 1957, but that sadly little had changed in over fifty years.”
08CAIRO2262 details Nehad Aboul Komsan, Embassy Cairo’s nominee in 2009 for the Secretary’s International Women of Courage award. Komsan’s efforts as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Egyptian Center for Women's Rights (ECWR) are lauded. It reads:
… courageously pressed for advancement on women's issues in the face of government policy that is often indifferent to women's concerns and sometimes obstructionist. A lawyer by training, she has used her skills to provide legal aid to impoverished women, and legal representation for the plaintiff in the October 21 landmark ruling against a perpetrator of sexual assault (ref B). She has used her political skills to provide training for female candidates who successfully ran in 2005 and 2008 elections that were marred by government interference. Aboul Komsan has deployed her public relations skills in ECWR's campaign to raise awareness of sexual harassment and assault, and to publicize the dangers of female genital mutilation (FGM) -- playing an important role in the passage of the June 2008 Child Law that criminalizes the practice.
According to the cable, she is the leader of the only organization in Egypt waging a public campaign against sexual harassment and assault.
Finally, a September 2009 cable, 09CAIRO1758, outlines the anti-trafficking efforts of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood. The cable specifically focuses on “summer marriages,” a phenomenon that involves Arab tourists that are on vacation “marrying” minors, often impregnating them and then abandoning them after their trips are over. The cable highlights a study that finds “girls and families agreed to these marriages because dowries and bridal gifts help provide substantial income for their families living in poverty.”
… According to the study, in 80 percent of the cases, the girls "consented" to the marriage, primarily because of high dowries of between 5,000-50,000 Egyptian pounds (USD 900-9,000) and bridal gifts help provide substantial income for families living in poverty. The average family of five in the three villages has an annual income of 8,300 Egyptian pounds (USD 1,500). "Brokers," assisted by women in the village, facilitate 85 percent of these "temporary" marriages. Two-thirds of the villagers were aware of summer marriages by girls in the three villages, but only 10 percent approved of these marriages.
The study leads to a telephone hotline being instituted to provide assistance and consulting to girls. Plans are put together to help healthcare providers understand trafficking laws and how to identify trafficking victims. The problem, exacerbated by poverty, leads to the development of a microcredit program. And, additionally, education is developed to inform parents on “dangers of ‘getting paid’ in exchange for their child’s labor as either a domestic servant or street beggar.”
A cable sent out two months later reveals the government decided to move on and go after Egyptian men marrying under-age girls.
Altogether, these cables show that a little progress has been made and that there are people on the ground doing work that must be done to advance the cause of women's rights. But, Egypt, like many countries in the Middle East and North Africa, has much to do to so women can enjoy equality, fairness and respect in society.
Tensions between Coptic Christians and Muslims will probably have to be addressed, especially since there are members of those religious sects that have deep prejudice toward and strict views on women.
As now well-known Google executive and activist Wael Ghonim tweets:
Or, as Amnesty International writes:
The dramatic events of the past two months have seen millions taking to the streets throughout the Middle East and North Africa, calling for change.
Women stood beside men, demanding an end to political repression and calling for root and branch reform. Both women and men have suffered under these repressive governments. But women have also had to cope with discriminatory laws and deeply entrenched gender inequality.
So it’s no wonder that women took to the streets. That they cheered loudly when Mubarak fell. Or that they wanted to believe the promise of a new dawn in Egyptian politics. But it remains to be seen how much will really change for the women of Egypt.
Photo by JMirielleM
2011-03-09 WikiLeaks in today's media: Cablegate coverage
Next: Govt paid N20m ransom to free Delta hostages
"The Nigerian government, through its secret police, fuelled kidnapping in the restive Niger Delta region by paying millions of naira in ransom to kidnappers, a leaked US diplomatic cable, made available to NEXT, has revealed.
The cable, dated February 6, 2007, and which punctured the claims by the government, and the Nigerian security agencies, that ransoms were never paid to kidnappers, detailed how the government funnelled N20 million through an official of the State Security Service (SSS) to militants to free two foreign hostages."
Next: CHEVRON NIGERIA SEEKS LONG-TERM SOLUTION TO DELTA UNREST
"Chevron Nigeria security consultant Hamish MacDonald shared concerns that a large amount of money was paid for the release of the Delta hostages and an industry of hostage-taking may be in the offing. Chevron has managed thus far to stay out of harm's way, but MacDonald feels the urgent need to expand internationally-supported, long-term development programs. He plans to discuss the matter privately with Delta State Governor Ibori. Chevron will be welcoming a new Managing Director, and, with his arrival, MacDonald expects Chevron to transition from an expansion mode to one of consolidation."
El País: "Ábrelo y di ahhhh: Sistema venezolano de salud" ("Open it up and say ahhhh: Venezuelan health system")
"Médicos que aspiran a marcharse fuera del país, falta de recursos, imposibilidad de cubrir las plazas vacantes, tanto en la sanidad pública como en la privada... Ese es el panorama que describe sobre Venezuela la embajada estadounidense en un cable despachado en noviembre de 2008 y cuyo título trata de expresar el horror que sintieron en la embajada al analizar la situación: "Ábrelo y di Ahhhhh: Sistema venezolano de salud". (Doctors who aspire to go abroad, lack of resources, inability to fill vacancies in both public and private health... That is the outlook on Venezuela described by the U.S. embassy in a cable shipped in November 2008 in which the title tries to express the horror they felt at the embassy while discussing the situation: "Open it and say Ahhhhh: Venezuelan health system.")"
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La Jornada: Medina Mora, jugador clave en la Iniciativa Mérida: EU (Medina Mora, a key player in the Merida Initiative: United States)
"En diciembre pasado se reveló un cable de la embajada de Estados Unidos en México en el cual se afirmaba que el pleito entre Eduardo Medina Mora y Genaro García Luna había entorpecido el combate al narcotráfico. Pero según un análisis de la misma embajada, el pleito iba un escalón más arriba. En palabras suscritas en un cable diplomático se pone en boca de Óscar Rocha, asesor de Medina Mora, que las buenas conexiones de su jefe con el PRI no siempre ayudaban: A menudo tenía desacuerdos con (Felipe) Calderón porque no promocionaba la línea del PAN. (A cable from the U.S. Embassy in Mexico was revealed last December, which stated that the dispute between Eduardo Medina Mora and Genaro Garcia Luna had hampered the war on drugs. But according to an analysis of the same embassy, the struggle was a step up. In the words subscribed in a diplomatic cable was put into the mouth of Oscar Rocha, advisor to Medina Mora, that the good connections with PRI have not always helped: they often had disagreements with (Felipe) Calderon because they did not promote the line of PAN.)"
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La Jornada: Chávez Chávez, "un soldado de a pie", según Pascual (Chávez Chávez, "a foot soldier," said Pascual)
"En contraste con los elogios a Medina Mora, la diplomacia estadunidense califica a su sucesor, Arturo Chávez Chávez, de soldado de a pie cuya selección por el presidente mexicano fue totalmente inesperada e inexplicable políticamente. (In contrast to the praise of Medina Mora, the American diplomacy qualifies his successor, Arturo Chavez Chavez, as a "foot soldier" whose selection by the Mexican president was completely unexpected and politically inexplicable.)"
2011-03-10 Bradley Manning placed on "suicide risk" as punishment for January 17 Quantico protest, letter says
In an 11 page legal rebuttal released on his lawyer's Web site, Bradley Manning describes his experience under "maximum custody" solitary confinement and "prevention of injury watch". See Rebuttal Article 138 Complaint - Quantico (PDF) for full legal rebuttal by Bradley Manning via David Coombs. (Source: The Law Office of David E Coombs)
The legal rebuttal was written in response to the base commander, Colonel Choike's (*see photo left), denial of "Manning's request to be removed from Prevention of Injury Watch and to have his custody classification reduced from Maximum to Medium Detention". The letter details the "arbitrary" and "improper" nature of the US Defense Department's treatment of Manning, including his placement on "suicide watch" after the January 18 Protest at Quantico. (Source: The Law Office of David E. Coombs)
"Suicide Watch" in Response to January 18 17 Quantico Protest
On January 18 2011, Manning was placed under "suicide risk", which resulted in his remaining in his cell for 24 hours a day. He was stripped of all clothing with the exception of his underwear. His eyeglasses were removed, which left him, as he describes in "total blindness". Manning recounts his harassment and placement under "suicide risk" on the day protests were held outside Quantico.
YouTube Video of January 18 17 Protest Outside Quantico
Manning writes:
When the guards came to my cell, I noticed a change in their usual demeanor. Instead of being calm and respectful, they seemed agitated and confrontational. Also, instead of the usual two to three guards, there were four guards. Almost immediately, the guards started harassing me. The first guard told me to “turn left.” When I complied, the second guard yelled “don’t turn left.” When I attempted to comply with the demands of the second guard, I was told by the first, “I said turn left.” I responded “yes, Corporal” to the first guard. At this point, the third guard chimed in by telling me that “in the Marines we reply with ‘aye’ and not ‘yes.’” He then asked me if I understood. I made the mistake of replying “yes, Sergeant.” At this point the forth guard yelled, “you mean ‘aye,’ Sergeant.”
The harassment by the guards continued as I was escorted to my one hour of recreation. When I arrived at the recreation room, I was told to stand still so they could remove my leg restraints. As I stood still, one of the guards yelled “I told you to stand still.” I replied “yes Corporal, I am standing still.” Another guard then said, “you mean ‘aye’ Corporal.” Next, the same guard said “I thought we covered this, you say ‘aye’ and not ‘yes,’ do you understand?” I responded “aye Sergeant.” Right after I replied, I was once again yelled at to “stand still.” Due to being yelled at and the intensity of the guards, I mistakenly replied, “yes Corporal, I am standing still.” As soon as I said this, I attempted to correct myself by saying “aye” instead of “yes,” but it was too late. One of the guards starting yelling at me again, “what don’t you understand” and “are we going to have a problem?”
Once the leg restraints were taken off of me, I took a step back from the guards. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I could feel myself getting dizzy. I sat down to avoid falling. When I did this, the guards took a step towards me. I instinctively backed away from them. As soon as I backed away, I could tell by their faces that they were getting ready to restrain me. I immediately put my hands up in the air, and said “I am not doing anything, I am just trying to follow your orders.” The guards then told me to start walking. I complied with their order by saying “eye” instead of “yes.”
"Only later did I learn that there had been a protest outside the gates of Quantico the previous day...The rally was intended to bring attention to the conditions of my confinement. It is my belief that my treatment on 18 January 2010 by the guards and later by the PCF Commander was related to this protest and my earlier complaints."
"After being returned to my cell, I started to read a book. About 30 minutes later, the PCF Commander, CWO4 James Averhart, came to my cell. He asked me what had happened during my recreation call. As I tried to explain to him what had occurred, CWO4 Averhart stopped me and said “I am the commander” and that “no one could tell him what to do.” He also said that he was, for all practical purposes, “God.” I responded by saying “you still have to follow Brig procedures.” I also said “everyone has a boss that they have to answer to.” As soon as I said this, CWO4 Averhart ordered that I be placed in Suicide Risk Status.
Manning Treatment Irregular
Manning says that the decision to maintain him "in MAX Custody after 27 August 2010 has been an abuse of discretion":
I am being treated differently from any other detainee at the Quantico Brig. While the PCF Commander follows the recommendation of the Brig Psychiatrist in dealing with other detainees, this does not happen in my case. Other detainees usually remain on MAX custody or in POI Status for about two weeks before they are downgraded. I, however, have been left to languish under the unduly harsh conditions of MAX Custody and POI status since my arrival on 29 July 2010. In fact, I am currently the only detainee being held under MAX Custody and the only detainee being held in POI status by the Brig. Any objective person looking at the above facts would have to conclude that this treatment is unjustified. The determination to retain me in MAX Custody and under POI Status after 27 August 2010 was improper and constitutes unlawful pretrial punishment. detainee being held in POI status by the Brig.
Other Brig Personnel Recommend Removal from Max and POI
The continued placement of Manning under such terms and conditions has happened despite numerous cited evaluations by brig personnel, including brig psychiatrists, who recommend his removed from MAX Custody and POI Status. Manning is described as "respectful", "courteous", and especially: a “low risk” for self harm.
Manning's Conditions Worsen
His ordeal worsens. Since March 2, 2011, Manning says:
"I have been stripped of all my clothing at night. I have been told that the PCF Commander intends on continuing this practice indefinitely. Initially, after surrendering my clothing to the Brig guards, I had no choice but to lay naked in my cold jail cell until the following morning. The next morning I was told to get out of my bed for the morning Duty Brig Supervisor (DBS) inspection. I was not given any of my clothing back. I got out of the bed and immediately started to shiver because of how cold it was in my cell. I walked towards the front of my cell with my hands covering my genitals. The guard told me to stand a parade rest, which required me to stand with my hands behind my back and my legs spaced shoulder width apart. I stood at “parade rest” for about three minutes until the DBS arrived. Once the DBS arrived, everyone was called to attention. The DBS and the other guards walked past my cell. The DBS looked at me, paused for a moment, and then continued to the next detainee’s cell. I was incredibly embarrassed at having all these people stare at me naked."
In May 2010 Manning was arrested in Iraq on suspicion of having passed classified information to the whistleblower website WikiLeaks. Manning was then flown out of Iraq and detained in a military jail in Kuwait. In July 2010 he was moved to Quantico, a marine base in Virginia, and has since been held in "maximum custody" solitary confinement and on "prevention of injury watch" since January 2011. In March 2011, Manning was charged with an additional 22 counts, including "aiding the enemy," a capital offense.
See the following for additional WL Central Coverage of Bradley Manning.
2011-03-10 Sudan: The protests and other violence #Sudan #Jan30
Demonstrators in downtown Khartoum's Abu Janzeer square were beaten with sticks and truncheons as they protested today for the end of President Omar al-Bashir’s 21-year rule. Reportedly five hundred riot police arrested over 50 protesters today, and beat up others. As WL Central reported, Sudan began protesting for regime change on January 30 and were met with a violent crackdown which resulted in one student dead on the first day. According to Human Rights Watch the students and youth, some as young as 18, were subjected to harsh beatings, electric shocks, and other abuses that amount to torture. Security officials are also implicated in the rape of a female youth activist in February.
Yesterday, police arrested and beat over 40 women after they attempted to stage a protest in Khartoum’s twin city of Omdurman demanding the authorities cease "violence against women," and protesting the rape and beating of Saffiya Ishaq, who was attacked after the January 30 protests. Ishaq told her story in a video posted to Youtube on February 23, please watch.
Last September, over forty women were arrested when they held a peaceful demonstration in Khartoum against flogging of women, after a Youtube video appeared showing Sudanese police lashing a women as she screamed for mercy (below, graphic). Despite the outrage at the video, SkyNews reports thousands of these floggings are ordered every year in Sudan.
Today, alliance spokesman Faruq Abu Issa told AFP "An intifada will not come overnight. It needs build-up and mobilisation. The democratic instruments, the trade unions, the parties, all these things, they were wrecked by the government. So now we are building democratic instruments for a democratic transformation. It may take time. Our people have had similar experiences. They were harshly repressed by two military regimes and in spite of that, they brought them down through intifada. Now we are preparing for the intifada." Abu Issa had told a political rally on Monday that the coalition of opposition parties had rejected an offer of talks with the government, saying regime change was "the only way forward."
Human Rights Watch reported that authorities arrested more than 100 people on January 29, 30, and 31 in Khartoum and Omdurman alone. Today, political opposition sources told the AFP that the secretary general of Sudan's Communist Party, Mohammed Ibrahim Nugud, had been arrested at the site, and that three prominent figures in the communist and Baath parties were also arrested in their homes.
Al-Bashir's party has said he will not call another election until 2015. The International Criminal Court has issued two arrest warrants for president al-Bashir, one in 2008 for crimes against humanity, and another on July 12, 2010 for genocide.
Today al-Bashir was in Egypt, where both Mohamed al Baradei, head of the National Association for Change, and Tagammu Party President Refaat al Saeed refused to meet with him. He requested to meet with the Egyptian political leaders to discuss the latest developments in the wake of former President Hosni Mubarak's ouster. He congratulated the Egyptian people on the success of their revolution, and stressed his ambitions for stronger bilateral relations. Muslim Brotherhood General Guide Mohamed Badie, Guidance Bureau members Mohamed Morsi and Essam al-Erian, and Democratic Front Party President Osama al-Ghazali Harb all met with him.
Meanwhile, violence leading up to the July secession of the south is escalating. The Southern Sudanese Army reported at least 56 dead in clashes with militias in the Upper Nile State so far this month. In a briefing on March 7, Sudanese People's Liberation Army spokesman Philip Aguer reported battles between the Army and militia on March 6. He said 47 militia fighters from the Shiluk tribe and nine soldiers were killed. President Omar Bashir has pledged not to block the secession, but officials in the south asserted that his regime was directing an escalation, particularly in the oil-rich Abyei region. "I think things are going to continue escalating," Aguer said.
Three villages in the Abyei region were burned out last week as shown on the Satellite Sentinel Project and now confirmed on video.
2011-03-10 WikiLeaks in today's media: Cablegate coverage
Aftenposten: FRENCH TOTAL-LED CONSORTIUMS ACCEPT LOWER PRODUCTION SHARES IN LIBYA
"Libya´s National Oil Corporation (NOC) renegotiated the terms of its production sharing agreements with France´s Total and its partners in Libya (Germany´s Wintershall and Norway´s StatoilHydro), adjusting the existing stand-alone contracts to bring them into compliance with the Exploration and Production Sharing Agreement (EPSA) rubric. The renegotiation of Total´s contract is of a piece with the NOC´s effort to renegotiate existing contracts to increase the Libya´s share of crude oil production. An interesting corollary is that one of the affected fields is that from which Saif al-Islam al-Qadhafi, a son of Muammar al-Qadhafi, periodically obtains oil lifts, which he sells to finance his various activities. Depending on whether his lifts had been coming out of the NOC´s production share or Total´s (it´s not clear what the arrangement was), the renegotiated agreements could adversely impact his revenue stream."
La Jornada: En 2009, Pascual destapó la debilidad de AN y Calderón tras la elección intermedia (In 2009, Pascual uncovered the weakness of AN and Calderon after the election term)
"En cable diplomático, el embajador describió el entorno político Calderón, "abrumado e inseguro" sobre la vía a seguir, sostuvo "Cree que un repentino éxito" en seguridad dará impulso a su posición, dijo. (In a diplomatic cable, the ambassador described the Calderón's political environment, [who was] "overwhelmed and unsure" about the way forward; "he believes that an overnight success" in security will boost its position, he said.)"
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(Image Credit: Dali Rău)
2011-03-10 [UPDATE] UN confirms Mossad kidnaps Gaza’s chief power plant engineer, Dirar Abu Seesi, from Ukraine, suspects Ukrainian help
According to the AP, the UN has confirmed that Israel's Mossad kidnapped Gaza's chief power plant engineer and illegally rendered him to an Israeli torture center and then prison, where he is currently held.
Maksim Butkevych, spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Ukraine, said the agency "suspects Israeli and perhaps Ukrainian security forces had a hand in his disappearance and imprisonment in Israel." (Source: AP)
"We don't know details of his trip from Ukraine to Israel — let's put it this way," said Butkevych. "But unfortunately, what happened looks like a violent abduction and not a legal extradition or any other legal action on the part of authorities." Both the Israeli and Ukrainian Foreign Ministries declined to comment on the U.N. allegations. (Source: AP)
According to Richard Silverstein, "Thanks to a major AP story breaking the Dirar Abu Seesi case, the Shabak has modified its gag order and allowed reporting inside Israel that derives from foreign sources (such as AP). But Israeli media are still not allowed to develop their own original reporting, so that leaves us to continue our work." (Source: richardsilverstein.com)
Israel, by kidnapping Dirar Abu Seesi, has violated UN human rights conventions, in particular the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, signed by 110 countries with the exception of Israel and the U.S. (Source: richardsilverstein.com)
Speculating as to Israel's motives, Silverstain says:
"As the chief engineer of Gaza’s power plant [Abu Seesi] may know a good deal of technical information Israel would like to have about the plant, how it operates, how it can be shut down. In fact, given the success of Stuxnet in penetrating Iran’s nuclear facilities, Israel would have a definite interest in being able to penetrate the Gaza plant with a remote program and shut it down during hostilities without having to destroy it as it did during Operation Cast Lead." (Source: richardsliverstein.com)
According to the AP, Abu Seesi's Ukrainian wife, Veronika, "My husband was the heart of the only electric station in Gaza, or rather its brain. It's a strategic object and they wanted to disable it." (Source: AP)
[2011-03-08 Mossad kidnaps Gaza’s chief power plant engineer, Dirar Abu Seesi, while in Ukraine. Now en route from Petah Tikva torture center to Shikma Prison]
On February 18, Gaza’s chief power plant engineer, Dirar Abu Seesi, was kidnapped by the Mossad, while he was traveling in the Ukraine. Abu Seesi is now in Shikma Prison outside Ashkelon after being transferred from the Shabak torture center in Petah Tikva. (Source: richardsilverstein.com, also Ukraine-based Al Raed Press, and Yediot)
According to Richard Silverstein(@richards1052):
[Silverstein] confirmed through the Israeli NGO, HaMoked, that the story of the kidnapping and smuggling of Dirar Abu Seesi is under Israeli military censor gag order. [Silverstein spoke] to [Abu Seesi's] attorney, Michal Rochabi-Dansiger, a government appointed public defender, and she is not allowed to breath a word of his story or detention.
Ukrainian authorities confiscated Abu Seesi's passport, but the document was returned to him shortly before the disappearance on a train en route from Kharkiv to Kiev. His wife, a Ukrainian citizen, Veronica Abu Seesi, said that her husband is in the public service and in no way connected to terrorist organizations. (Source: NewsRu.com)
Silverstein also reports that he is "still waiting to hear an explanation from Ukrainian authorities about how Israeli intelligence agents were able to kidnap a foreign citizen on their state transport system and spirit him out of the country right under the noses of Ukrainian authorities." (Source: richardsilverstein.com)
Israel, by kidnapping Dirar Abu Seesi, has violated UN human rights conventions, in particular the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, signed by 110 countries with the exception of Israel and the U.S. (Source: richardsilverstein.com)
*Photo of Dirar Abu Seesi via richardsilverstein.com
2011-03-11 Cable: Gbagbo exclusively funds Ble Goude with Ivorian taxpayers' money for years
Gbagbo's dictatorial grip of Ivory Coast has allowed him to dispose of the country's budget at his will. This includes heavily funding Charles Ble Goude, the head of Young Patriots(COJEP), a focal point of young supporters of Gbagbo. A cable 08ABIDJAN396 reveals how Ble Goude was effectively ‘converted’ from a boss of an armed militia to a wealthy businessman and ‘serious politician’, by Gbagbo’s limitless economic support out of Ivorian taxpayers' money.
AFP/Archives/Sia Kambou
All actions of Ble Goude have been heavily paid by the taxpayers money
Ble Goude has drawn support from youths of Ivory Coast’s minor ethnic group Bebe tribe, the tribe where Gbagbo is from and representing the southern and western parts of the country loyal to Gbagbo.
He has been able to conduct his costly, large-scale works by means which an officially sworn in government could never dream to use formally; violent looting and strong incitement of terror against its political rivals and personnel from international societies.
He has been under UN sanction since 2006 for this notorious violence; actively participating in looting, rape, extra-judicial killings against UN and other international personnel. The sanction includes banning him from traveling abroad and freezing of assets. His nickname had been Gbagbo’s “Street General” because of his ability to draw storms of young Ivorians within hours by television speeches
However, quotes from French Embassy in the cable suggest that he is not just an alleged ‘Street General’ fervent in supporting Gbagbo. Rather, he had been a real de facto ‘Hidden General’, directly and secretly ‘paid’ by the incumbent president, long before he finally wore some formal title by getting appointed as Gbagbo's youth minister. The quotes inform that Ble Goude is profiting from “substantial holdings in hotels, nightclubs, restaurants, gas stations, and real estate in Cote d'Ivoire” handed to him by Gbagbo. It also states that he “requires payment for all activities he undertakes on behalf of the presidency and the FPI (current ruling party headed by Gbagbo)".
"Life is impossible" in the larger and poorer northern part of Ivory Coast, bombarded by organized discrimination from the government
The larger part of the country, the poorer northern region, has been virtually isolated from all political, economical and social supports they must be given from the government for decades, due to its extreme discrimination, reaching the level of xenophobia. The northern part supports Alassane Ouattara, an internationally recognized winner of the November 2010 presidential election. Alassane Ouattara had been banned from running for presidential election because of his parents' background; they are from Burkina Faso.
UN personnel and other West African nations have provided urgent help in many critical moments. One example out of many is providing emergency aid for the 2006 breakout of a water crisis and preventing rapidly spreading infection of cholera and yellow fever, which was running toward a 'humanitarian crisis' at an appalling rate.
Ble Goude’s political stance, aggressively propagated through government-controlled national media, is that the French peacekeeping troops and UN personnel in Ivory Coast are concocting conspiracy plans to establish a government – namely the one led by Alassane Ouattara – ‘against the Ivorian’s will’. He bluntly refuses to admit the northerners as 'true Ivorians', due to them lacking nationality documentation. The documentation process became controversial after years of delay from the Gbagbo government, which effectively avoided it and exploited it as a 'legal' and systematic weapon to marginalize the north.
Ble Goude exploits the anger of southern-western Ivorians caused by a deteriorating economy to fuel the xenophobia against the north. He urges that those living in the northern part, are 'not Ivorians' and thus their political choice cannot and should not be valued.
Reality: Massive public debt and poverty in Ivory Coast
While the government squanders the national budget in financing its supporters and corrupt officials, Ivory Coast has suffered from widespread poverty; 42% of the population live below the poverty line. The government debt has been huge, taking up 63.3% of GDP in 2010.
The economic problems have piled higher every year with few signs of recovery due to political unrest caused by questioning Gbagbo’s legitimacy after the 2005 election. There have been numerous presidential speeches containing ‘promises’ to tackle public debt and poverty, all without any concrete action.
In an attempt to press the Gbagbo government to conform to the result of the election, international donors including World Bank and African Union Bank temporarily stopped their joint support on the country’s projects to reduce poverty rates. Various sanctions from the UN and EU also have struggled to deter the flow of money funding violence.
2011-03-11 Denial of 'Twitter 3' Request to Throw Out Twitter Order Renews Government War on Internet Freedom, Whistleblowing
Federal Magistrate Judge Theresa C. Buchanan ruled the “Twitter 3,” who have become ensnared in a WikiLeaks investigation, cannot keep the US government from looking at their Twitter information and the information they would like to be public cannot be disclosed. With support from the ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Jacob Appelbaum, Birgitta Jonsdottir, and Rop Gonggrijp, the three, will appeal the decision.
The “Twitter 3” sought to convince the court the Twitter Order violated First and Fourth Amendment rights. The Court found there was no First Amendment violation because the three had “already made their Twitter posts and associations publicly available.” The Court memo on the decision explains:
The Twitter Order does not seek to control or direct the content of petitioners’ speech or association. Rather, it is a routine compelled disclosure of non-content information which petitioners voluntarily provided to Twitter pursuant to Twitter’s Privacy Policy. Additionally, the Court’s §2703(d) analysis assured that the Twitter Order is reasonable in scope, and the government has a legitimate interest in the disclosures sought.
On the Fourth Amendment argument, the Court finds no “privacy interest” in protecting “IP addresses” and argued, “The Court is aware of no authority finding that an IP address shows location with precision, let alone provides insight into a home’s interior or a user’s movements.”
The Court claims that what the “Twitter 3” thought would protect them only covers “content” and not “records.” The Twitter Order does not call for details on content, only details on data transfer, volume, source, destination, IP addresses, Twitter correspondence and notes of records. Therefore, the Court asserts the “customers” cannot challenge the Twitter Order.
This distinction between “content” and “records” is key. It provides a nice cover. What guarantees government does not, in the end, look at “content”? If the “records” produce good leads, the content will surely be subject to scrutiny and investigation.
Making it about “records” makes it hard to challenge the following argument in the memo on why documents must remain sealed:
Petitioners have no right of access to the sealed documents supporting the Twitter Order in case number 10-gj-3793. At the pre-indictment phase, “law enforcement agencies must be able to investigate crime without the details of the investigation being released to the public in a manner that compromises the investigation.” Va. Dept. of State Police v. Washington Post, 386 F.3d 567, 574 (4th Cir. 2004). Secrecy protects the safety of law enforcement officers and prevents destruction of evidence. Media General Operations v. Buchanan, 417 F.3d 424,429 (4th Cir. 2005). It also protects witnesses from intimidation or retaliation. In re Grand Jury Investigation of Cuisinarts, Inc., 665 F.2d 24, 27-28 (2d Cir. 1981). Additionally, secrecy prevents unnecessary exposure of those who may be the subject of an investigation, but are later exonerated. Douglas Oil Co. V. Petrol Stops N.W., 441 U.S. 211, 219 (1979). For these reasons, sensitive investigatory material is appropriately sealed. Va. Dept. of State Police, 386 F.3d at 589.
A chilling footnote indicates Jonsdottir and Gonggrijp could face worse repercussions from this Twitter Order than Appelbaum:
Though they assert First and Fourth Amendment claims, petitioners cite no authority as to the applicability of the United States Constitution to non-citizens residing and acting outside of the U.S. See United States v. Verdugo-Urquidez, 494 U.S. 259, 265 (1990)(Fourth Amendment inapplicable where American authorities searched the home of a Mexican citizen and resident, who had no voluntary attachment to the United States; Wang v. Reno, 81 F.3d 808,817-18 (9th Cir. 1996)(alien entitled to 5th Amendment due process rights only after government created “special relationship with alien” by paroling him from China to U.S. to testify at drug trial). The Court has serious doubts as to whether Ms. Jonsdottir and Mr. Gonggrijp enjoy rights under the U.S. Constitution.
Additionally, the Court memo seems to overlook some elements of the petitioners’ arguments against the Twitter Order on the basis that their arguments stall an investigation into WikiLeaks:
In the context of a criminal investigation, a district court must “balance the possible constitutional infringement and the government’s need for documents...on a case-by-case basis and without putting any special burden on the government”, and must also prevent abuse. In re Grand Jury 87-3 Subpoena Duces Tecum, 955 F.2d 229,234 (4th Cir. 1992). Accordingly, a subpoena should be quashed where the underlying investigation was instituted or conducted in bad faith, maliciously, or with intent to harass.
The three never worked for WikiLeaks, but two of the individuals did work on the “Collateral Murder” video that WikiLeaks released in April of last year. The video showed 2007 attack by a US Army Apache helicopter on a Reuters photographer and his driver. It later showed the helicopter opening fire on a van killing someone trying to save the reporter. The “Good Samaritan” driving the van is killed and the two children are injured badly.
It is this video that former Pfc. Bradley Manning is alleged to have leaked to WikiLeaks. A Panorama documentary on Manning’s detention focuses on how he has been jailed but the shooters in this video, who clearly violated rules of engagement, have enjoyed impunity and managed to walk free.
The release of the video in April created a public relations nightmare for the US government. It continues to be a source of problems as it is really when WikiLeaks began to be a thorn in the side of American superpower.
The information the government would like to gain would likely inform any prosecution of a case against those who leaked the video. They would like the “records” so they can further advance an Obama Administration war on whistleblowing.
If this decision stands, the government will be able to continue to escalate its assault on Internet freedom and whistleblowing.
For previous WL Central coverage of the Twitter Order, click here.
2011-03-11 State Department Spokesman PJ Crowley denounces treatment of Bradley Manning UPDATE 2
In a new development, U.S. State Department Spokesman PJ Crowley has made a statement indicating that opinion is divided among officials in Obama's government concerning the punitive and inhumane pre-trial treatment of alleged Wikileaks whistleblower Bradley Manning.
While speaking to a small audience in MIT organized by the Center for Future Civic Media, Crowley was asked what he thought of the treatment of Bradley Manning. According to an attendee at the meeting, Philippa Thomas, Crowley unequivocally denounced the treatment of Manning by the Department of Defense as "ridiculous, counterproductive and stupid."
What did Crowley think, he asked, about Wikileaks? About the United States, in his words, “torturing a prisoner in a military brig”? Crowley didn’t stop to think. What’s being done to Bradley Manning by my colleagues at the Department of Defense “is ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid.” He paused. “None the less Bradley Manning is in the right place”. And he went on lengthening his answer, explaining why in Washington’s view, “there is sometimes a need for secrets… for diplomatic progress to be made”. But still, he’d said it. And the fact he felt strongly enough to say it seems to me an extraordinary insight into the tensions within the administration over Wikileaks.
Manning has been held for over 10 months in pretrial solitary confinement, and subjected to cruel and unusual conditions criticized widely by the press and by organizations such as Amnesty International. Crowley's statement is in dramatic contrast to that of the spokesman for the Department of Defense, Geoff Morrell, who stated in late January - contrary to the reliable reports of various witnesses - that "assertions by liberal bloggers, or network reporters or others that he is being mistreated, or somehow treated differently than others, in isolation, are just not accurate."
Crowley's statement can be added to those of anonymous military officials who spoke to NBC in January, indicating discontent with Manning's treatment. Nevertheless, Crowley's statement is the most high profile yet, and may be an indicator of far more serious differences of opinion with the Obama administration about the treatment of Bradley Manning. The statement serves as an indication that worldwide protests in support of Bradley Manning do not fall on deaf ears within the Obama administration, and that there is everything to be won by further action.
(18:24 GMT) Update:
Ethan Zuckerman has posted a transcript of the MIT event, here. The relevant passage is the following:
Charlie deTar: There’s an elephant in the room during this discussion: Wikileaks. The US government is torturing a whistleblower in prison right now. How do we resolve a conversation about the future of new media in diplomacy with the government’s actions regarding Wikileaks?
PJ Crowley: “I spent 26 years in the air force. What is happening to Manning is ridiculous, counterproductive and stupid, and I don’t know why the DoD is doing it. Nevertheless, Manning is in the right place.” There are leaks everywhere in Washington – it’s a town that can’t keep a secret. But the scale is different. It was a colossal failure by the DoD to allow this mass of documents to be transported outside the network. Historically, someone has picked up a file of papers and passed it around – the information exposed is on one country or one subject. But this is a scale we’ve never seen before. If Julian Assange is right and we’re in an era where there are no secrets, do we expect that people will release Google’s search engine algorithms? The formula for Coca Cola? Some things are best kept secret. If we’re negotiating between the Israelis and the Palestinians, there will be compromises that are hard for each side to sell to their people – there’s a need for secrets.
(18:34 GMT) Update 2:
Josh Rogin, writing for ForeignPolicy.com's Cable Blog, contacted PJ Crowley for a statement on the above story, and reported on it here.
Crowley confirmed he had made the statement, but claims that it does not represent the opinion of the government:
What I said was my personal opinion. It does not reflect an official USG policy position. I defer to the Department of Defense regarding the treatment of Bradley Manning.
The article also contains record of Obama's statement Friday that he had looked into the treatment of Bradley Manning, and had been assured by the Pentagon that everything is as it should be. Read about it here.
2011-03-11 Who's running Egypt?
“The exceptional circumstances and putting the Constitution on hold are no grounds for dictatorship rule or and tyranny,” said Khaled Ali, head of The Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR) in a statement yesterday. On Thursday, 10 March 2011 ECESR filed a lawsuit against the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) on behalf of named plaintiff, journalist Rasha Azeb and others. The lawsuit seeks to put an end to the trial of civilians by military courts. Azeb, who writes for al-Fagr newspaper, was one of six journalist assaulted in Tahrir Square and then taken before a military court.
Formally it is the army, meaning the SCAF that holds power for a 6 month interim period after Mubarak. The real struggle for power that is going on now will determine the success or failure of the Egyptian revolution. This lawsuit is just one small fight in the revolution's many arenas. Much has been accomplished but much remains to be done. Most of the forces that empowered the old regime are still entrenched in the Egyptian military and civilian society and they will coalesce into a new form of the old tyranny if they are not throughly rooted out.
In point of fact Egypt has been a military dictatorship under Mubarak for 30 years and even before. Since Mubarak was ousted 11 February, the army took over directly and the military dictatorship continues. The night before, on 10 February, Mubarak made his last defiant television appearance. He was widely expected to step down then, as he had been expect to on each of his other two appearance on Egyptian state TV since January 25th. Instead he threw the hook again, promised to leave office when he was damn well ready and to die on Egyptian soil. His speech was followed minutes later by a very threatening new VP and longtime head of state security Omar Suleiman, who promised "to return normalcy to the country."
Suleiman had been positioned to takeover from a resigned Mubarak and carry on business as usual, and it might have worked if Mubarak had resigned in that first speech right after he had appointed Suleiman his first vice president in 30 years but now the people weren't going to buy into that. Politically he was dead and physically he came close to being dead. We now also know that Suleiman was the subject of an assassination attempt in which two people were killed in the first days of February.
The morning after Muburak's defiant speech, a whipped Omar Suleiman announced that Mubarak was out. Mubarak has not been seen publicly since. He's reported to be in a coma. Suleiman hasn't been seen since either, although a few days later a representative of the SCAF said the role of Suleiman would be determined by the SCAF. With that, the two most important figures in the old regime were out of power. That left only Prime Minister Ahmad Shafiq of the triumvirate of old military men that had been running Egypt. The protester had been demanding his removal too. On 3 March, they got it.
So who's running Egypt now?
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) runs the army and so by extension they run Egypt but they run it under revolutionary conditions. These are conditions where the masses are politically mobilized and the army rules with their consent on an interim basis and there is a split within the military where the lower ranks, meaning also the the vast majority, support the people's demand for a complete cleansing of the old regime. This means that the old leadership still hangs on to power but their exercise of that power is limited and the struggle to complete or overthrow the revolution continues on this new basis.
The SCAF has five members. Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, the defense minister, is the head guy. The other members are Lt. Gen. Sami Hafez Enan, the military chief of staff; Vice Adm. Mohab Mamish, commander of the Navy; Air Marshal Rada Mahmoud Hafez Mohamed, commander of the Air Force; and Lt. Gen. Abd El Aziz Seif-Eideen, commander of the Air Defense.
Tantawi has been very visible and very public and acting as Egypt's head of state in recent days. Only Monday, he sent a letter to His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan reaffirming bilateral ties. Tuesday he met with President Omer Al-Bashir of the Sudan in Cairo.
On the other hand he was absent when the SCAF met with 27 leaders of political parties to discusses proposed constitutional amendments, the transitional period, and mechanisms for conducting parliamentary and presidential elections. Bikyamasr reported
Head of the SCAF, Hussein Tantawi, was not present at the meeting but the council was represented by four other members.
The meeting was attended by the head of the liberal al-Wafd party, Al-Sayyed el-Badawi; the Muslim Brotherhood’s General Guide Mohammed Badie; Ossama Ghazali Harb, leader of the Democratic Front Party; Abu el-Ela Madi, head of al-Wasat Party; Hamdeen Sabbahi, head of al-Karama Party; and other prominent opposition politicians.
Reporting on the SCAF attitude towards it's presumed transitory duties.
Wafd Party President al-Badawi said the SCAF voiced its commitment to and support of a peaceful handover of power to a civilian government.
Amina el-Nakash, the Vice President of Al Tagammu` party, said the SCAF called on Egyptian citizens to cooperate with the army to restore stability and order in Egypt, and vowed to prosecute corrupt elements and enforce law.
In contrast to Tantawi's very public role, the other four members have had a very low profile. A Google search on each of them turns up no English language news on any of them by name since the SCAF took over except for a piece the NY Times did on General Enan this Thursday. This article noted that many in the Pentagon consider General Enan "Our man in Egypt." While he never trained in the U.S. like some of the younger officers, he has made frequency trips to the U.S. and led delegations of some two dozen senior Egyptian military officers to Washington on odd numbered years. He was on one such trip this January when he had to rush back to Egypt to respond to the outbreak of protests on January 25th. He was having breakfast with two old American friends at the Ritz-Carlton in Pentagon City when he got the call. He had to cancel dinner with Adm. Mike Mullen, but they keep in touch. In fact the last time they had a chat on the phone was yesterday.
Pentagon officials remain in daily contact with the new military rulers, who are described as overwhelmed and alarmed that no potential candidate for president
General Enan has been mention as a possible presidential contender in the past but now the SCAF has promised that none of it's members will run.
The United States is definitely attempting to bring it's influence to bear in shaping the new Egypt. Apart from all the Pentagon connections and $1.3 billion USD for the Egyptian army, Hillary Clinton and the U.S. State Department are now waving around $150 million USD for activists. A high powered delegation of U.S. officials visited Cairo last month with the money to help shore up the economy and provide technical assistance but they left without finding any Egyptian pro-democracy groups that wanted their help.
Next week Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to be in Egypt herself. She will also travel to Tunisia and meet with the Libya opposition.
Are there cracks in the military?
While the Egyptian army has presented itself to the outside world as a monolith with one unified command, signs of a sharp internal struggle have been noted by careful observers. While most soldiers are conscripts and junior officers represent a younger generation, the senior officers like those on the SCAF are very closely tied to the old regime, the Pentagon and benefit financially from the network of army businesses known as Military, Inc.
Signs of cracks in this command structure showed themselves most decisively on the night of 30 January when Mubarak ordered the army to massacre the protesters in Tahrir Square, the senior command accepted and passed on the orders but the officers in square refused. The protesters had always been careful to befriend and support the soldiers who had been posted there, now they were refusing to fire on the protesters.
The next day the SCAF promised that force would not be used to remove the protesters from Tahrir Square. At the time the proclamation was seen as support for the protesters. It now appears that it was meant to quell a mutiny in the ranks. Later rumors emerged of mutinous officers being persecuted and even executed.
Another indication of sharp struggle in the military took place on 25 February. Ahram online reports,
The second dramatic shift in the minds of the military was subtler, though on close inspection it becomes practically self-evident. Friday night hundreds of military police launch a vicious attack on the protesters who had decided to resume their sit-in in Tahrir sq, on the grounds that most of the revolution’s demands had yet to be met. For the first time since they were ordered onto the streets nearly a month ago, the military found itself risking the hard-earned goodwill of the people. A shift did take place, however, sometime between the attack on Friday night and the next day, when the army issued a profuse, and for the military, remarkably uncharacteristic, apology for the previous night’s attack, immediately released all those who had been arrested in the course of the attack, and pledged never to attack Egyptian civilians again.
And though the army blamed the Friday night attack on low-ranking officers who were acting on their own initiative, only the hopelessly gullible could give any credence to this excuse, though most have been happy to turn over that particular leaf. Since the apology it’s been a week of one concession after another: a 4-hour meeting between the military council and 17 representatives of the Coalition of Youth Movements, in which promises are made that the military will respond to the revolutionary demands, and that Ahmed Shafiq’s cabinet will be dismissed “before the elections.”
And things have moved very fast since that last weekend in February.
3 March Ahmad Shafiq steps down as PM and Essam Sharaf is appointed to replace him. Sharaf was suggested to the SCAF by the Coalition of the January 25th Revolution Youth in earlier meetings with the SCAF. Sharaf had been Minister of Transport under Mubarak and a professor of Engineering at the American University of Cairo.
He had very publicly joined the revolution when he spoke to a crowd of over a million at the sixth Friday protest in Tahrir Square. “If you want me, I will stay. If you do not want me, I will step down and join you”, he told the crowd. The protesters have celebrated the dismissal of Ahmad Shafiq as PM, who was a military man from the old regime and the appointment of Sharaf who the protesters regard as a ‘son of the revolution’
4 March The SCAF, taking a lesson from the revolutionary youth, announces on it's own Facebook page "The referendum on the proposed amendments to the constitution of the Arab Republic of Egypt will take place on March 19, 2011."
Clearly things were moving fast and probably too fast for some people in State Security because they started destroying their records. Up until this point the State Security buildings had been under the careful protection of the army. Something must have spooked them because now they were busy burning and shredding.
5 March, Saturday, protester found out about the destruction of the security files and took over the State Security headquarters in Cairo's Nasr City neighborhood. They immediately started making the secret files public with their own WikiLeaks style website Amn Dawla Leaks. On Sunday, State Security buildings in other cities, including Minya, Marsa Matrouh, Suez, and Assiut, were also occupied by protesters.
On Saturday the website DEBKAfile came out with the headline Gates on urgent mission to Cairo as military rulers lose grip in which it claimed
Barack Obama Saturday, March 5, asked Defense Secretary Robert Gates to set out for Cairo without delay on an emergency mission as the unrest in Egypt veered out of control, DEBKAfile's exclusive sources report from Washington. Friday night, thousands of protesters seized control of the headquarters Egyptian security police (Mahabis Namn El Dawla) in Alexandria, Cairo and the nearby 6 of October town, shutting down its operations across the country.
In the last hours, information reaching Washington indicated that control was slipping out of the hands of the Egyptian military junta ruling the country since Hosni Mubarak's overthrow;
...
Military young leaders are believed to have executed a coup and displaced the veterans.
Although a twitter message also put Gates in Cairo, the Pentagon hasn't acknowledged such a trip, however he did show up on Monday morning on an unannounced visit to Afghanistan. That was convenient as he could have easily stopped over in Cairo on the way.
Also on Sunday, the newly appointed PM Sharaf announced his new cabinet. The swearing in was set for Wednesday but they had to go to work almost immediately. Before that day was done the newly appointed Minister of the Interior was on the phone to a TV talk show talking about the record destruction and promising "the ministry will hold any State Security officer who violated the rights of the people accountable."
Apparently the swearing in the the new PM and his cabinet couldn't wait till Wednesday. It was done on Monday 7 March. Tantawi swore in the new interim cabinet headed by Prime Minister Essam Sharaf. Only three members of the new interim cabinet are holdover from the Mubarak regime.
Demonstrators clashed with thugs as 3,000 protesters tried to gain access the State Security headquarters in Cairo's Lazoghly Square on Sunday. The army fired into the air to dispense the crowds. They detained 29 protesters but later released them and requested that any documents taken from the headquarters be returned to the army.
The question of just what to do with State Security is one that is very important now. State Security has long been the most oppressive and most corrupt organ of the old regime. Under Suleiman, State Security grew into a grotesque apparatus of 350,000 people, almost as large as the army, but unlike the army which was designed to protect the nation, State Security was designed to protect the regime from the people. It was so renowned for it's generalized use of torture that it's services were out-sourced worldwide including by the US CIA.
Given it's history, it's easy to see why the protesters want the old apparatus completely dissolved. However others would like to keep it around but modify it in some way. Essawy promised in his talk show interview that his new ministry will limit the function and powers of State Security to combating terrorism only. But according to the government run al-Ahram newspaper, PM Sharaf is planning to remove State Security from the Minister of the Interior and the Attorney General from the Ministry of Justice and put both under the direct supervisor of the PM and his cabinet.
Also on Monday demonstrators stormed the State Security headquarters in Assiut and in the northern Sinia city of El-Arish, thousands demonstrated, demanding the dissolution of State Security and the release of political prisoners. Amidst these continuing demands, the new Attorney General ordered the detention of 67 State Security officers and policemen pending an investigation into the burning and shedding and documents.
9 March, Wednesday, the SCAF approve a new draft law to fight crimes related to thuggery, intimidating citizens or disturbing the peace. This new law includes the death penalty for acts of thuggery which lead to the death of a victim. This law will be a new tool in the hands of the police and on Wednesday the cabinet announced that the police and security personnel would be returning to the streets on Thursday. They have been absent since they were withdrawn after the first Friday protest on January 28th.
Prime Minister Sharaf urged citizens to “cooperate with the police and support them in performing their duty.” This announcement came as thugs associated with the Mubarak regime demolished tents belonging to demonstrators sitting-in in Cairo’s Tahrir Square.
Amidst all these changes Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradai, the former head of the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog agency announced he will run for president in elections to be held later this year.
At this point the answer to the question "Who runs Egypt?" is anything but settled. This is the nature of revolution. Author and activist Khaled Khamissi summed it well on Wednesday after protesters fought off Mubarak loyalists armed with knives and machetes
There is a power struggle between partisans of the revolution and remnants of the Mubarak regime ... But I have faith that we will overcome.
2011-03-11 WikiLeaks and Muslims: Two of Peter King's Most Favorite Targets
Rep. Peter King of New York, who held the first in a series of hearings on radicalization in the American Muslim community on March 10, has a well-known position on WikiLeaks: It’s terrorism. He urged the Treasury Department in January 2011 “to add WikiLeaks and its founder Jullian Assange to the Specially Designated National and Blocked Persons List (SDN List).”
His letter to the Treasury Department explains his opinion, “The U.S. government simply cannot continue its ineffective piecemeal approach of responding in the aftermath of Wikileaks’ damage. The Administration must act to disrupt the Wikileaks enterprise. The U.S. government should be making every effort to strangle the viability of Assange’s organization.”
Presumably, King would like to see WikiLeaks “strangled” in the way that the Committee on Islamic-American Relations (CAIR) is being cracked down on by the FBI. King explicitly called for Muslim-Americans to reject CAIR, which he said “was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the terrorist financing case involving the Holyland Foundation.”
In the leadup to this hearing I found it shocking and sad that the mainstream media accepted CAIR’s accusations as if it were a legitimate organization. Thankfully, FBI Director Mueller has ordered the FBI to cease all dealings and contact with CAIR. I would hope that all law enforcement officials would follow the lead of the FBI Director.
But, CAIR is a “legitimate” organization, especially in the eyes of the Muslim community in America. Brad Knickerbocker writes for the Christian Science Monitor, “CAIR is a nonprofit organization with 33 chapters in the United States and Canada. The organization’s stated mission is ‘to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.’”
It has been directly involved in issues such as the proposed Islamic center near 9/11’s “ground zero” in New York and the related instances and threats of Koran burning. It has taken legal action on behalf of Muslims – the right to wear head scarves in work places, for example. It has repeatedly condemned terrorism, worked with law enforcement agencies, and promoted a peaceful view of Islam.
It should be noted that thus far there is no indication in any of the released US State Cables on terrorism financing (which the US government tracks extensively) that the organization CAIR is actively promoting the radicalization of Muslims in America for the express purpose of mounting attacks on the United States from within or that it is establishing connections with groups outside the US for the purpose of terror financing.
Knickerbocker makes clear no person from CAIR was invited to speak at the hearing. They submitted written testimony.
King’s opening statement cited Deputy National Security Advisor to President Obama Denis McDonough, who said on March 6, 2011, at ADAMS Center, one of the largest mosques in America, “Al Qaeda and its adherents have increasingly turned to another troubling tactic: attempting to recruit and radicalize people to terrorism here in the United States.”
McDonough also asserted al Qaeda makes videos, creates Internet forums, publishes online magazines all for the “expressed purpose of trying to convince Muslim Americans to reject their country and attack their fellow Americans.”
It is this fear that any Muslim with America’s borders is capable of attacking America if he or she has come in contact with extremist and violent Islamic ideology that King wished to make explicitly clear at the hearing. And, this is the same phobia that motivated King to oppose the Park51 project—or what opponents termed the “Ground Zero Mosque”—last year. As with WikiLeaks, he called for an investigation into developer Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf’s finances to find out where he was getting his money for the project (e.g. al Qaeda).
Rauf reacted to the hearing yesterday, “The fear I have is the banner headline in the Muslim world ... that Muslims are under attack which radicalizes people even further.” He continued, "Our common enemy is extremism and the radicalism that fuels extremism. Whether it's a pastor in Florida who threatens to burn Korans ... whether it's people who attack an embassy and kill people ... all that has no place in civil society today.”
King should take seriously Rauf if he truly is interested in curbing what he considers to be radicalization. A Muslim American Public Opinion Survey (MAPOS), the “largest study of Muslim Americans ever done,” recently found “increased religiosity increases civic engagement and support for American democratic values.”
The report affirmed, “Mosques are institutions that should be encouraged to function as centers of social and political integration in America.” Undermining the anti-Islam industry that has sprung up to unearth so-called “creeping Sharia” in America, it found, “95% of those who are most religious feel Islam is compatible with American politics.”
As indicated by a cable on “Engagement of Muslim Communities in the UK,” opposing mosques is not part of any US counter-radicalization plan. In fact, the policy of the State Department is to fund “engagement activities” with Muslims if possible so that they can prevent them from turning against “US foreign policy interests.”
The Counter-radicalization Strategic Plan complements and in most cases includes PD [Public Diplomacy] programs, outreach, and broad base of Muslim contacts. We use the full range of PD tools at our disposal to influence UK Muslim perceptions of the U.S., to counter violence and ideological extremism, and to empower credible Muslim voices. Our programs focus on Muslim youth and women and potential multipliers such as youth leaders, youth program directors, mosques, and schools. Through interfaith dialogue, the arts, exchanges, and Muslim media, we have a broad base of Muslim contacts who view the Embassy as a reliable and supportive partner. Outreach beyond London is a priority. Areas of emphasis include interfaith dialogue the arts, and exchanges and outreach.
The sheer magnitude of King's ignorance becomes evident when reading this cable, "The Netherlands: Combating Extremism Through Engagement And Outreach." Under the section, "Shared Citizenship within Democratic Rule of Law," the cable details how "contracts and covenants between local authorities, schools, Islamic organizations and mosques on moral frameworks and code of conduct" are being used by the Netherlands government to combat radicalization.
It mentions how NGOs are being engaged and "quasi-governmental organizations" are working to develop "anti-radicalization strategies."
In September, three Dutch mosques in Amsterdam drafted a code of conduct in cooperation with local authorities to help fight radicalism, promote democratic values and encourage imams to speak Dutch in return for stronger action on discrimination against Muslims. Also, a private Dutch foundation that provides consulting advice to small businesses has recently implemented a project to provide such marketing, financial, and legal services to immigrant entrepreneurs in ethnic communities.
But, rather than engage CAIR and Imam Rauf, King and other anti-Islam Americans seem to be more interested in alienating those who would be most capable of fighting radicalization.
King refused to address the idea that US foreign policy is fueling the radicalization of Muslims.
Another cable from The Netherlands mentioning radical Islam:
The attraction of radical Islam for Dutch Muslim youth has grown since the 2004 murder of Theo van Gogh. The report stresses, however, that most radicalized youth adhere to non-violent forms of political Islam; only as small minority join violent Jihad groups. Receptiveness to radicalization and readiness to engage in violent action, which the AIVD terms "jihadization," results from a combination of youths' fixation on "pure" Islam as described in extremist websites and chat rooms, and dissatisfaction with local and international political and social circumstances, such as perceived discrimination against Islam in the West and the war in Iraq.
This cable suggests King’s hearings might pose a risk to national security as they increase the perception among youth fixated on “pure” Islam that there exists discrimination against Islam in the West. It outright notes that the war in Iraq is likely fueling radicalization. So, shouldn’t King be concerned about getting all troops permanently stationed in Iraq out immediately?
What about Afghanistan? Should there be concern for what that is doing to radicalize Muslims?
Not to Peter King. For him, it was far more important for King to have Zuhdi Jasser, founder and president of American Islamic Forum for Democracy, instead make this claim: “To ever be an ally with a Muslim country based on Sharia would be impossible.” That, of course, grossly overlooks Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Egypt.
In fact, as Jeremy Scahill of The Nation points out, individuals with links to the Department of Defense like Joseph Schmitz have suggested Sharia law be applied in Afghanistan to prevent prosecution of Blackwater contractors.
The focus on radicalization by US leaders like King all stems from an understanding that many in the world are becoming disgruntled with American superpower. They are seeking outlets for taking action. Islamic followers have used their religion to empower themselves to strike at America and this has often involved turning to violence.
But, in watching this hearing, it is clear. Leaders have no interest in ending occupations or wars, halting human rights abuses or closing bases that are seen as intrusive to Muslims. They would rather promote fear and intimidate Muslims into submitting to the American empire instead.
2011-03-11 WikiLeaks in today's media: Cablegate coverage
Next: Ibori offers to set up fund with stolen billions
"In a desperate bid to save himself from arrest and prosecution, former Delta State governor, James Ibori, offered to surrender a huge chunk of his stolen billions to a trust fund that could finance development projects, according to a leaked U.S. diplomatic cable made available to NEXT.
The September 24, 2009 dispatch reported that Mr. Ibori, shortly before escaping to the United Arab Emirates after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission closed in on him, approached the United States embassy in Abuja for a deal that would have him give up between 20 and 50 percent of his loot in return for promises by foreign governments not to prosecute him. The former governor, the cable said, approached the embassy through a U.S. businessman and reputed lobbyist in the Washington, DC area, who estimated Mr. Ibori's stolen wealth to be about $3billion (N450 billion)."
Next: Etteh is Obasanjo's romantic interest, say American officials
"That former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the previous and first female Speaker of the House of Representatives, Patricia Etteh, have had more than a passing relationship has been popular street gossip in Nigeria for a long time.
But the Americans took the matter beyond chatter. In an October 19, 2007 cable to Washington, Lisa Piascik, the Charge d'Affairs of the US embassy in Nigeria, stated that both politicians were sweethearts."
(Image Credit: Dali Rău)
2011-03-12 The Canberra investigations of Julian Assange: Consequent inquisitions upon Julia Gillard
A whole new avenue of the Wikileaks story opened up in late November, early December 2010 when the Prime Minister of Australia said the following about Julian Assange:
It’s a grossly irresponsible thing to do and an illegal thing to do.
This writer took umbrage and responded with a letter posted here on 4th December 2011. Many others were outraged and spoke out.
Immediately prior to that, on 29th November 2010 the Federal Attorney General Robert McClelland had said:
From Australia's point of view we think there are potentially a number of criminal laws that could have been breached.
A defence taskforce which had been monitoring Wikileaks would become a "whole-of-government taskforce", Mr McClelland said.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald today 12th March 2011:
The Australian government discussed the charge of treason - the most serious of federal offences and one that carries a mandatory life sentence - when it examined the WikiLeaks matter last year.
The advice, in a departmental briefing for the Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, was among several documents published yesterday by the department in response to Senate estimates questions.
It was provided by a senior officer in the Attorney-General's Department in September, after WikiLeaks published 90,000 US military reports filed during the war in Afghanistan.
There is some uncertainty what the "advice" actually was, legal or otherwise when compared to the evidence given recently by the Attorney General's Department officers: Messrs G. McDonald, (National Security Law and Policy Division, First Assistant Secretary) and Mr Roger Wilkins (AO, Secretary Management and Accountability) in a Senate Estimates Committee meeting on 22/02/2011.
The transcript sheds some light in which mainly Senator Brandis asked a series of questions on the Wikileaks/Julian Assange matter [Pdf]
________________________________________________________
LEGAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS LEGISLATION COMMITTEE
ESTIMATES (Additional Estimates)
[p.107] Senator BRANDIS—I am sure Mr Wilkins would know the answer anyway. Mr Wilkins, I want to raise with you the question of Mr Assange and WikiLeaks.
CHAIR—Sorry, can we just clarify then what program that would be?
Senator BRANDIS—Let me ask my question, please, and once the question is asked, then I am sure Mr Wilkins will be able to work out where it is to be fielded. Mr Wilkins, I want to ask you a couple of questions about Mr Assange and WikiLeaks. On 3 December the Prime Minister announced that she had established an investigative unit within the government, charged with scrutinising the leaked cables.
Mr Wilkins—What date was that?
Senator BRANDIS—3 December, as recorded in the Canberra Times on 4 December. Can you tell us if the investigative unit which the Prime Minister announced on 3 December included officers from your department?
CHAIR—Before you do that, you are going to tell me what program that is in so that I can work out which officers are coming or going?
Mr Wilkins—I do not know of any officers involved in an investigative unit.
Senator BRANDIS—So if an investigative unit in relation—
Mr Wilkins—I have not seen the report. I do not know what we are referring to.
Senator BRANDIS—All right. I might be able to find—Mr Wilkins—That is a newspaper report.I would have to check. Is it a press release?
Senator BRANDIS—It is a newspaper report of a press release. I should be able to give you the press release. But, in any event, let me read you the story: The Prime Minister Julia Gillard has established an investigative unit within government, charged with scrutinising the leaked cables. All I want to know for the moment is whether you are aware of any such unit and whether any such unit involves officers of your department.
Mr Wilkins—I am not sure that I am aware of any unit of that description.
Senator BRANDIS—Mr McDonald, do you know?
Mr Wilkins—I do not think he knows either.
Senator BRANDIS—I see a lot of activity down this end of the table.
Mr Wilkins—Yes, I know. We are trying to work out what it is that you are referring to, I think.
Senator BRANDIS—I have referred you to what was attributed to the Prime Minister in the Canberra Times.
Mr Wilkins—It might be better to ask the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet precisely—
Senator BRANDIS—No, Mr Wilkins—
Mr Wilkins—I have given you an answer.
Senator BRANDIS—So if such a unit were established, it did not involve any officers of your department?
Mr Wilkins—To my knowledge, no.
Senator BRANDIS—That is all right. That is a completely responsive answer. Thank you. Mr Wilkins, while we are on the WikiLeaks matter, as you are aware, the Prime Minister on 2 December said in relation to the placement of material on the WikiLeaks website by Mr Assange and those working for that organisation:
It’s a grossly irresponsible thing to do and an illegal thing to do.
That was in response directly to a question concerning Mr Assange himself.
Mr Wilkins—Who said that?
Senator BRANDIS—The Prime Minister. What I would like to know is whether your department gave any advice to government about the legality or otherwise of the conduct of Mr Assange or WikiLeaks in relation to the posting of classified information on the WikiLeaks website.
Mr Wilkins—No.
Senator BRANDIS—Thank you.
CHAIR—... Sorry, Senator Trood.
Senator TROOD—Thank you. Perhaps you could clarify something for me, Mr Wilkins, because I specifically asked the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet this question last night and I was advised that the Prime Minister had received a briefing from the task force on which, I must say, your department was said to be represented, and advice regarding illegality or an absence of illegality was provided by your department. That was the evidence received last night from officers of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Mr Wilkins—I do not know of any such advice being given to anyone on legality and my officers, so far as I have made inquiries—and I am happy to make further inquiries—do not know of it either.
Senator TROOD—I take it from that that you are contradicting the evidence provided from Prime Minister and Cabinet last night.
Mr Wilkins—No. I am just telling you what I know. I do not know what the evidence was. I have not read Hansard. That would be your interpretation.
Senator TROOD—It is not so much an interpretation, Mr Wilkins.
Mr Wilkins—I have not read Hansard, Senator Trood.
Senator TROOD—I can assure you that was the evidence we were provided with. In fact, I think I was further encouraged, injuncted, to take the matter up with your department at the appropriate time, which of course is now.
Mr Wilkins—I cannot help you.
Senator TROOD—Do you know anything about this, Mr McDonald?
Mr G McDonald—No. I think there have been a few processes in this. Clearly, when some of the first Defence stuff was released, there were some people in Defence who went through and examined the material. Then when the second lot of material came out, there was some work done, looking at what material was there. We were not part of that at all. But later in the piece, there were some policy discussions about the issues, where there were meetings in PM&C. So it may be that people are getting mixed up as to which process was occurring. But there is absolutely no question that we have not provided any advice about whether an offence has been committed or anything like that. We leave that to the police. Our job is to simply brief on what the range of laws might be, to brief on how it might affect our department. In fact, most discussion is around issues like what you need to make sure we have proper security.
Senator BRANDIS—Mr McDonald, when the Prime Minister said on 2 December that what Mr Assange had done was ‘an illegal thing to do’, a proposition from which I might say the other ministers of the government in subsequent days retreated, that statement by the Prime Minister was not based on any advice generated within the Attorney-General’s Department?
Mr G McDonald—No, it was not.
Senator BRANDIS—Thank you.
…………
(P.133)
Senator BRANDIS—I might finally turn to another topic, if I may, please, Commissioner Negus. [Australian Federal Police] That is the subject of Mr Assange and WikiLeaks. Let me go back. On 29 November 2010, when asked about the conduct of Mr Julian Assange in posting on his website classified material, the Attorney-General said:
Well, again, certainly from Australia’s point of view, we think there are potentially a number of criminal laws that could have been breached by the release of this information. The Australian Federal Police are looking at that.
That is what Mr McClelland said on 29 November. On what date, please, did the Australian Federal Police commence to investigate any possible criminal offences that may have been committed by Mr Assange?
Mr Negus—I will just hand over to Deputy Commissioner Drennan, who dealt with that particular matter.
Mr Drennan—On 30 November, the AFP received a referral from the Attorney-General’s Department relating to the WikiLeaks website.
Senator BRANDIS—30 November?
Mr Drennan—That is correct.
Senator BRANDIS—So when the Attorney-General said on 29 November that the Australian Federal Police were looking at that, in fact they were not looking at it then but they were asked the following day to look at it?
Mr Drennan—The first whole-of-government task force on it was commenced on 29 November.
Senator BRANDIS—At whose initiation, please?
Mr Drennan—Prime Minister and Cabinet. They were the chair of that.
Senator BRANDIS—The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet—
Mr Drennan—That is right.
Senator BRANDIS—requested that the AFP join a task force to examine this matter. Is that right?
Mr Drennan—It was a departmental committee, yes, in relation to the WikiLeaks matter.
Senator BRANDIS—Going back to your previous answer, was the first request for the AFP to investigate whether an offence against Australian criminal law had been committed on 30 November?
Mr Drennan—On 30 November we received the referral from the Attorney-General’s Department.
Senator BRANDIS—What did that referral request you to do?
Mr Drennan—I do have the precise details here, but it was really to examine the release of the cables on the WikiLeaks website to see whether any Australian offences had been committed.
Senator BRANDIS—Of course, Commissioner, you do not ordinarily wait for the Attorney-General’s Department to give you a referral before you start to investigate whether or not a crime may have been committed. In the ordinary course of events you initiate that investigation yourself.
Mr Negus—Can I just correct you on that.
Senator BRANDIS—Yes.
Mr Negus—We do receive referrals from a range of agencies. We sometimes would initiate them ourselves but more often than not the AFP would respond to a referral from another department or another agency. Can I just add, too, that the letter that came to the AFP from the Attorney-General’s Department asked us to look at the continuing issues of the WikiLeaks cables and continue to examine material as it came to light to see whether any offences would be or could be identified as breaching Australian law.
Senator BRANDIS—That was the first reference, was it?
Mr Negus—As Deputy Commissioner Drennan said, there had been a task force meeting at which there was some discussion amongst a range of agencies. The formal letter arrived on 30 November, the following day.
Senator BRANDIS—Responsively to that letter of 30 November you commenced an investigation?
Mr Negus—We commenced an assessment of the material to see whether it, in our opinion, breached any Australian laws. There is a difference between an investigation and an assessment. That is all I will say.
Senator BRANDIS—So you did not commence an investigation on 30 November; you commenced an assessment?
Mr Negus—Assessment of the material that we knew at that time, to see whether it breached any Australian laws.
Senator BRANDIS—Did you, and if so on what date, advise the government of your view whether or not an offence had been committed?
Mr Drennan—On 17 December we advised the Secretary of the Attorney-General’s Department, who referred the matter to us. We also advised the Attorney-General’s office and we made a media release in relation to our findings.
Senator BRANDIS—Just summarise your findings for us in a few words.
Mr Drennan—Our findings were that we did not identify any criminal offence where Australia would have jurisdiction.
Senator BRANDIS—Was that the only time that you conveyed a view about the commission or otherwise of an offence against Australian criminal law to the government?
Mr Drennan—There were certainly discussions in the ongoing task force and, as we got closer to that date of 17 December, there were certainly discussions that, on what we had seen to date, we did not think that there would be criminal offences, but that was firmed up and finalised by the 17th.
Senator BRANDIS—So there was never a time when you had even a tentative view that a criminal offence against Australian law had been committed?
Mr Negus—It was under consideration during that entire period. Again, as you recall, there were cables being released almost on a daily basis during that period and each one of those again had to be assessed.
Senator BRANDIS—Apart from assessing the cables, by the way, did you do anything else? Did you, for example, get to grips with the question of the extent of the actual personal involvement by Mr Assange in the solicitation of the cables or the posting of the cables on the website?
Mr Negus—We attempted to obtain all the information we could from our US colleagues in regard to this. Because of the circumstances at the time, we were unsuccessful in gaining much more of an insight into what was happening.
Senator BRANDIS—The Prime Minister is a lawyer, although it is hard to discern sometimes, but on 2 December you are probably aware that she announced—
CHAIR—I hope, Senator Brandis—
Senator BRANDIS—Am I out of order?
CHAIR—I think you might need to withdraw that. It is a reflection on a sitting member of this parliament and the Prime Minister.
Senator BRANDIS—No, it is not. It is hard to discern the Prime Minister is a lawyer.
CHAIR—I think that is a reflection upon her capacity.
Senator BRANDIS—I do not.
CHAIR—I am asking you to withdraw it.
Senator BRANDIS—I will withdraw it, to indulge you, Chair.
CHAIR—Thank you. Please continue with your questions.
Senator BRANDIS—On 2 December the Prime Minister, whose legal insight is so blindingly clear to all Australian citizens—
CHAIR—You might need to withdraw that as well.
Senator BRANDIS—announced that what Mr Assange had done was ‘an illegal thing to do’. At the time the Prime Minister made that claim, the AFP had just begun its assessment. It certainly had not arrived at any conclusions about whether any Australian law had been breached by 2 December, had it?
Mr Negus—That is right.
Senator BRANDIS—And the conclusion, as you have said, Assistant Commissioner Drennan, was that there had not been. Thank you.
_________________________________________________________
The overly simple question that arises from "PM&C" (Prime Minister and Cabinet) meetings, reported above, prior to the commissioning of the AFP to "assess" or "investigate" the Julian Assange leaks matter on 30th November 2010, is: did that AG Departmental "brief" allude to criminality or did the Prime Minister go solo on the "illegality" pronouncement?
Per Mr McDonald above:
But there is absolutely no question that we have not provided any advice about whether an offence has been committed or anything like that. We leave that to the police. Our job is to simply brief on what the range of laws might be, to brief on how it might affect our department.
How is it possible by the way, for a brief mentioning treason under the Commonwealth's Criminal Code to exclude the dimension of culpability, if indeed the document was a part of the PM&C material prior to the AFP doing their assessment?
Perhaps to be generous, the Prime Minister was not paying attention if there was no 'legal' brief on the culpability of Julian Assange: as the SMH reported today 12th March:
Yesterday the department played down the mention of treason, saying it was "standard information included for background purposes only"
"Consistent with the department's role, the briefing does not provide advice or indicate that these offences might apply to the WikiLeaks case or might have been committed by Mr Assange," a spokeswoman said.
In December, after WikiLeaks released 250,000 confidential US State Department cables, Mr McClelland instructed federal police to examine whether any Australian laws had been broken. The police said no Australian offence had been committed.
What can we conclude from all of this? Firstly, it appears that Julia Gillard had apparently formed a view by the 2nd December 2010 that Julian Assange was acting illegally likely founded in earlier PM&C meetings.
Without a copy of the briefing paper(s) from the Attorney General’s Department but accepting for the moment that it did not constitute legal advice on Julian Assange’s culpability under the Commonwealth’s Criminal Code (treason, espionage), the very mention of those offences in the September 2010 document prepared by a senior member of the AG’s department must have had some impact both on her views and those of the Attorney General. It was the latter on 29th November 2010 who stated …there are potentially a number of criminal laws that could have been breached.
This is however, astounding from two people trained as lawyers, when one considers the fact of an Australian citizen outside the Australian jurisdiction releasing documents whose source was solely the United States, into cyberspace, on a question of Australian law that is so simple, as I put in my first open letter to Julia Gillard published here at Wikileaks Central on 4th December 2010:
As a lawyer and citizen I find this most disturbing, particularly so when a brief perusal of the Commonwealth Criminal Code shows that liability arises under the Espionage provisions, for example, only when it is the Commonwealth's "secrets" that are disclosed and that there must be intent to damage the Commonwealth.
Likewise under Treason law, there must be an intent to assist an enemy.
As Greg Barns, barrister, put it in summary of the Canberra meeting on 2nd March 2011:
Prime Minister Gillard and others mused about cancelling Julian Assange’s passport and wasted taxpayers money on a fruitless exercise determining whether or not Assange may have committed offences under Australian law – he hasn’t and never did!
The whole exercise of Defence, the Attorney General’s department, the Prime Minister and Cabinet department and lastly the Australian Federal police investigating Assange on zero legal foundation (that any first year law student could see clearly on reading the simple paragraphs in the Criminal Code) was a disgraceful waste of taxpayers funds. Even worse, prior to the AFP’s inevitable finding, it once again prejudiced Assange’s case in any or all of his foreign legal battles. That a Prime Minister would accuse him of being a criminal, in his country of birth, without legal foundation is inexcusable.
The Attorney General’s part in all of this is likewise seriously questionable. Arguably the janitors in his department might have been able to tell him with some conviction that Julian Assange had no case to answer in Australia. That his senior advisers did not, or did and were ignored, creating the public spectacle of the AFP going through the motions of finding no case to answer, was palpably obvious to anyone with training in Australian criminal law.
This question was also informative:
BRANDIS "...Did you, for example, get to grips with the question of the extent of the actual personal involvement by Mr Assange in the solicitation of the cables or the posting of the cables on the website?
Mr Negus—We attempted to obtain all the information we could from our US colleagues in regard to this. Because of the circumstances at the time, we were unsuccessful in gaining much more of an insight into what was happening.
In December 2010, US authorities were not able to assist on questions of "solicitation" ie evidence of a conspiracy charge under US law. That would likely explain the twitter subpoenas in process now. It also reveals the intent (if not eagerness) of AFP authorities to find out what Julian Assange's foreign culpability was, which is suggestive that the instructions from the Attorney General's department were to leave no stone unturned in both domestic and US law, perhaps to see if there was some Australian connection that would expose some Australian liability, however tenuous.
Arguably Gillard and more so McClelland likely knew full well the paucity of a case in Australia, surely they cannot both be as ignorant as their actions have indicated they might be? Might they have been hoping that the AFP could find some liability? That to me is a likely explanation of the events of late 2010, given Gillard's particularly stupid statement on illegality December 2, prior to the AFP's "no case"--she wanted it to be so.
There is always that one final conclusion that has been drawn before: posturing to the USA is far more important to the Australian government than the rights of any Australian citizen. But did the posturing have more meaning behind it on this occasion?
There are three distinct possibilities: stupidity, posturing and the Machiavellian 'posturing plus'. My money is on the latter.
The 'minority report', so to speak, I leave to Senator Brandis in the event that I am giving Julia Gillard too much credit and it was all about stupidity and/or posturing pure and simple:
…the Prime Minister, whose legal insight is so blindingly clear to all Australian citizens
2011-03-13 Anonymous-Bank of America Employee Emails Story Appears to Have Some Writers Confused
Several writers have published their thoughts on the bank employee emails posted by Anonymous. They appear to have been caught up in the news cycle, hoping to get ahead of this story and get the most traffic to their post. In rushing the story, at least a few have committed a basic failure of journalism, one that could easily be remedied by fact checking.
Juli Weiner at VanityFair.com writes, “A-ha! Bank of America is indeed the large United States bank whose internal documents and e-mails were rumored to soon appear on the Internet. But twist! The leaker of those documents was not WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange, spectral nuisance and folk hero, but Anonymous, the rabble-rousing hacking collective.”
Angela Orr on Technorati writes, “Alluded to by the Anonymous community for months, leaks of Bank of America documents have finally begun to come to light, as the so-called #BlackMonday Operation began, today.”
And, at ComputerWorld, Darlene Storm writes, “It's unclear whether part one of the bankofamericasucks leak is the same information that BofA was afraid WikiLeaks would publish.”
Actually, it is incredibly clear. Look at the dates: they are all from days ago, the first one being sent out on March 10, 2011. This makes it impossible for Anonymous to be leaking whatever material WikiLeaks happens to hold.
This author can reinforce the truth that this is not material coming from WikiLeaks. An online activist with Anonymous tweeted this at me on Friday, March 11: “@kgosztola Shit will hit the fan. But it's not related to that hdd Mr Assange got hold on.”
What the “Anon” was referring to was the hard drive that Julian Assange supposedly has. Back on November 30, 2010, as Cablegate was just beginning, Assange said WikiLeaks was “sitting on 5GB from Bank of America, one of the executive’s hard drives.” He didn’t know how to present the material then and, as he and WikiLeaks address various legal and logistical issues, it appears WikiLeaks is still developing how to present that material (if it contains revelatory information on the Big Bank.)
The confusion could have come from the fact that the site set up for posting the emails was originally launched for posting any leaked information from WikiLeaks on Bank of America. But, again, if one reads the emails, it is clear that this is not what Assange has been hyping (so there's no need for Vanity Fair to remind readers of this checklist).
Additionally, Courtney Comstock at BusinessInsider.com seeks to diminish the significance of the leak with a post claiming this is nothing special and just some whining from a former bank employee. She reveals her sloppiness in a section where she claims “the best emails are not available.”
Comstock is referring to specific lines on the page where Anonymous is presenting the emails: “# Tells me Boa is knowingly hiding Foreclosure information from Feds…", "So why do u want BoA head so bad?" and "So the waitresses knew what happens in BoA?"
This author had no problem getting to “the best emails.” For one, if the page isn’t loading, it may be necessary to sit there and keep refreshing constantly. That will eventually get you through. Secondly, if Comstock had been following the #BlackMonday hashtag closely, she would have seen the complete leak was posted as a file to be downloaded (and also as a torrent for seeding) to make it easier for the leak to be shared widely.
At 2:08 PM ET, Comstock has yet to follow-up and update her post. The information is available. But, perhaps, it’s best not to update with details because then you can display deference toward the Bank of America spokesman’s claim that “the extravagant assertions are untrue.”
Finally, Comstock writes, “There are just too many questions left unanswered in that email for this ‘leak’ to be anything significant.” This statement further displays Comstock’s ignorance, as the leak has just began. And Anonymous is smart to slowly release whatever it has if ‘Part 1’ is just the beginning. That’s how one makes a Big Bank squirm.
Anonymous has learned from WikiLeaks that you don’t dump everything you have on news dump Friday and expect to change public opinion on an illegal war and occupation of a country. No, rather, in order to be most effective and maximize the level of change or blowback, you release the information slowly keeping the target on edge as it wonders when this will be over and if it should just come out and state what is coming so that it can save itself just a little.
In conclusion, the biggest problem with coverage of this story is that there is this idea that Anonymous and WikiLeaks are working together. Recall, twelve days into Cablegate, WikiLeaks distanced itself from Anonymous: “These denial of service attacks are believed to have originated from an internet gathering known as Anonymous. This group is not affiliated with Wikileaks. There has been no contact between any Wikileaks staffer and anyone at Anonymous. Wikileaks has not received any prior notice of any of Anonymous’ actions.”
This project is the work of Anonymous and Anonymous alone. The hacktivist organization, in their operations aimed at going after Bank of America for ceasing to allow donations to be made to WikiLeaks through Bank of America, likely got lucky and made a connection with this employee.
Judging from the HBGary email leak, this is not an absurd notion. Anonymous has proven capable of getting employees within an organization to talk or act out, cooperatively in this case and aggressively in the case of HBGary.
As noted in a previous post, the big news is that other employees may be speaking out now that a channel between Anonymous and this disgruntled former employee has been opened. If successful, one thousand “axes will chop off all the heads of the hydra” and not just one head.
2011-03-13 Bank Employee Urges Anonymous to Help Other Bank of America Employees Leak Details on Fraud
Anonymous, the hacktivist group known for supporting WikiLeaks and mounting actions in cyberspace in defense of freedom of information and transparency, launched “#BlackMonday” at midnight. Emails between an Anonymous user and an employee with Balboa Insurance, whose work is connected to the operations of Bank of America, were posted.
The employee claims to have worked for the company for the last seven years. He writes, “Many of you do not know who Balboa Insurance Group (soon to be rebranded as QBE First by Australian Reinsurance Company QBE according to internal communication sent to all Balboa associates) is, but if you’ve ever had a loan for an automobile, farm equipment, mobile home, or residential or commercial property, we knew you. In fact, we probably charged you money…a lot of money…for insurance you didn’t even need.”
Emails from the employee allegedly affirm suspicions that banks like Bank of America have been engaged in rampant fraud. But, the bigger story here is Anonymous has made contact with an employee at Balboa Insurance and opened up a conduit for getting information out to the world. He appears intent to push others to blow the whistle of Bank of America fraud.
In an email sent on March 11, 2011 at 7:06 pm, the Balboa Insurance employee writes about a key strategic issue that Anonymous faces in its campaign to take down Bank of America for its disingenuous and fraudulent dealings (particularly a campaign that began when the bank announced it would cease to process donations to WikiLeaks).
The employee describes only having emails that focus around a core group of managers. He suggests the emails only “drive the nail into 1 of the hydra’s many heads” and that “Bank of America knows damage control.” He goes on to write, “All you have to do after bringing the one story to light is create an avenue for everyone else to start doing what I did. Once employees see that they can be successful at it, you won’t just have a stronger axe to cut off 1 head…you’ll have 1000 axes aimed at all of the heads.”
It is clear the employee has followed the operations of Anonymous closely. Continuing the hydra metaphor, he notes that, while HBGary Federal had a “handful of people” destroyed, a head will grow in place of where those people used to be and be smarter and faster.
The employee is prepared to work with Anonymous to get in touch with others, who can share emails or evidence of criminal conduct. He writes in an email what he thinks of Bank of America is that it is “a faceless corporation but it is managed and operated by real people like you and I. These people are scared because the Bank of America family is the only safe place they know. Some of them are bad, but some of them are good people that don’t even realize what they’re involved in is wrong. They’re bombarded with corporate brainwashing on a daily basis and never told the full story. They’re encouraged to ignore the media and only listen to official Bank of America internal emails for legitimate news.”
When told Anonymous is can help others tell their story, he reacts, “Don’t hold your breath. These people are conditioned to take orders and not think about anything. Nobody works at BofA because they grew up dreaming to work there. They work there because they’re too scared to stand on their own in this world and want to be protected by the corporate family.”
“This place is run like a cult,” writes the employee. It is clear that he is significantly appalled with Bank of America. And, he pleads with Anonymous to encourage those within Anonymous to listen to other employees’ stories and take them seriously “no matter where they are on the corporate ladder.” He urges Anonymous to “encourage them to take a stand against what they know is wrong. Let them know the BofA way of life is not the only way of life. Give them a voice. What you’ll find when you do that will amaze you.”
Key Exchange Indicating Fraud
An operations manager sends the following:
Subject: GMAC DTNís for Image Removal ñ Urgent Request
Importance: High
Hello,
The following GMAC DTNís need have the images removed from Tracksource/Rembrandt.
354499768
354499769
354499770
354499771
354499772
354499773
354499774
354499775
354499776
354499777
354499734
354499735
354499736
354499739
354499740
354499741
354499742
354499745
354499746
354499747
354499750
354499751
354499754
354499725
354499726
354499727
354499728
354499729
354499730
354499731
354499732
354499733
354499718
354499719
354499720
354499721
354499722
354499723
354499724
354499707
354499708
354499710
354499711
354499713
354499714
354499715
354499697
354499698
354499699
354499700
354499702
354499704
354499705
354499706
354499667
354499668
354499669
354499670
354499671
354499672
354499673
354499674
354499675
354499676
354499677
354499678
354499679
354499680
354499681
354499682
354499683
354499686
354499687
354499688
354499691
354499692
354499693
354499694
354499695
354499696
These are "document tracking numbers," a number assigned to all incoming/outgoing documents (letters, insurance documents, etc).
A woman with Balboa Insurance replies:
I have spoken with my developer and she stated that we cannot remove the DTNís from Rembrandt, but she can remove the loan numbers, so the documents will not show as matched to those loans.
I will need upper management approval from Jason, Peggy and Kirsten, since this is an usual request, before we move forward.
Rembrandt is the insurance tracking system.
Peggy with upper management replies, "Where will these letters show up then?" The woman from Balboa responds, "The letters will not show in Rembrandt if you search by loan number. If you search by DTN, you will find the document, but it will not be matched to any loan."
The numbers' removal are then "approved."
The operations manager expresses his concern:
I'm just a little concerned about the impact this has on the department and company. Why are we removing all record of this error? We have told Denise Cahen, and there is always going to be the paper trail when one of these sent documents come back, this to me, seems to be a huge red flag for the auditors: example: a scanned document that was mailed to us asking why the letter was received when the letter, albeit erroneous ñ this being the letters that went out in error ñ the auditor sees the erroneous letter but no SOR [System of Record] trail or scanned doc on the corrected letter is in the SOR and scanned in). What am I missing? This just doesnít seem right to me.
What Goes on When Working
The employee describes Balboa Insurance Group as a business that profits off of “insurance tracking and Forced Placed Insurance (aka Lender Placed Insurance, FOH, LPI, etc).”
What this means is that when you sign your name on the dotted line for your loan, the lienholder has certain insurance requirements that must be met for the life of the lien. Your lender (including, amongst others, GMAC, Aurora Loan Services [a subsidiary of Lehman Bros Holdings], IndyMac Federal Bank [a subsidiary of OneWest Bank], Saxon, HSBC, PennyMac [a collection agency started by former Countrywide Home Loans executive Stan Kurland after CHL and Balboa were sold to BAC], Downey Savings and Loans, Financial Freedom, Select Portfolio Services, Wells Fargo/Wachovia, and the now former owners of Balboa Insurance themselves…Bank of America) then outsources the tracking of your loan with them to a company like Balboa Insurance.
Balboa makes some money by charging these companies to track your insurance (the payment of which is factored into your loan). If you do not meet the minimum insurance requirements set by your lienholder, Balboa Insurance places a force placed insurance policy on your loan. You are sent a letter telling you that you do not have insurance, and your escrow account is then adjusted for the inflated premium of a full coverage policy placed by Balboa’s insurance tracking group.
One email in particular details fraud and alleges Balboa Insurance/Countrywide knowingly hid foreclosure information from federal auditors during the federal takeovers of IndyMac Federal (a subsidiary of OneWest) and Aurora Loan Services (a subsidiary of Lehman Bros holdings). The email says loan documentation was falsified “in order to proceed with foreclosures by fixing letter cycles in the system, reporting incorrect volumes to all of their lenders and to the federal auditors to avoid fines for falling behind on Loan Modifications, purposely and knowingly adjusting premiums for REO (Real Estate Owned) insurance for their corporate clients while denying forbearance for individual borrowers.”
Such a revelation, when coupled with the revelation that IndyMac/OneWest had “robosigners” sign at least 24,000 mortgage documents monthly, simply adds to the sea of evidence that has been stacking up against banks like IndyMac and Lehman Bros. In fact, a group of homeowners filed a class-action lawsuit against Aurora Loan Services on August 20, 2010, “claiming the mortgage company duped them into paying tens of thousands of dollars each to have troubled mortgages reviewed by the company with promises of loan modifications, only to have their property foreclosed with little or no notice.” The suit stated Aurora Loan had “reaped more than $100 million” in “illicit profits” from the “scheme.”
He details coming in from Countrywide through a buyout and having “inside knowledge” of portfolios transferred to Bank of America with them. He discusses what happened when a Countrywide/BAC contract was made and how he was soon sitting in the same building. The “cross pollination of customer information” (that he considers to be “shady”) happened, and he thinks that should have been addressed by the government during Bank of America’s buyout.
He outlines what is going on: “When you call Blockbuster, you’re not talk to a Netflix rep, or when you return an item to Target, you don’t get Walmart store credit, but somehow that’s allowed in the banking industry. A data entry processor can be working on a loan for GMAC one minute, BofA the next and HSBC the next.”
It gets better: “When you have a loss and call in to their claims department, their representatives aren’t trained on the federal regulations quoted at the bottom of their emails. When you call in to Sprint, for example, you’re required to verify the last four digits of your social security number, date of birth or some other type of information, but when you call in for a home or auto claim to Balboa, regardless of the lender, they will give you any loan information you ask for without you ever having to verify any personal information as long as you know either your loan number, VIN number, or property address, depending on the situation.”
Another couple of emails highlight the division of labor among employees and a “prize” system. The detailing of that system reveals that “mundane tasks” are “outsourced to SPI in the Philippines and Mphasis in India.” He writes, “Every day, there is a call where the execs at those companies are disputing errors” for things like errors with addresses because the “address system is different so they often don’t realize that 123 N Main St is the same address as 123 Main St.”
This highly anticipated release of material should have high impact throughout the day. It is not the release of material Julian Assange or WikiLeaks has been promising, but it looks like the emails will be enough to re-focus people’s attention on the issue of mortgage fraud.
Unfortunately, much has come to the fore in the US on fraud but no executives from banks have faced prosecution or gone to jail.
There is little question that it has taken place. Groups or organizations have engaged in specific actions to call attention to the fraud. Arizona and Nevada have sued Bank of America for "misleading customers with 'false promises' about their eligibility for modifications on their home mortgages." And, US Uncut(a newly formed coalition of activists inspired by UK Uncut) has launched actions against Bank of America to catalyze a movement that will bring an end to the corporate tax dodging Bank of America routinely engages in.
2011-03-13 State Department Spokesman PJ Crowley forced to resign over Manning remarks
The spokesman for the Department of State in the Obama administration, PJ Crowley, resigned today for having criticized the inhumane treatment of U.S. political prisoner Bradley Manning as "ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid."
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Commentary in TIME and Politico strongly suggest that Crowley's resignation was a forced move by an administration that does not bear internal criticism. Politico indicates that insider sources have been heralding the replacement of Crowley - with NSC spokesman Mike Hammer - for a long time, and that the Manning incident allowed this to be expedited. Crowley has publicly expressed his pleasure that Hammer will replace him on his twitter account.
Late last week, commentators on the treatment of alleged whistleblower Bradley Manning were surprised when Crowley unequivocally criticized the Department of Defense at a small seminar in MIT on new media. An attendee reported his statement:
“I spent 26 years in the air force. What is happening to Manning is ridiculous, counterproductive and stupid, and I don’t know why the DoD is doing it. Nevertheless, Manning is in the right place.” There are leaks everywhere in Washington – it’s a town that can’t keep a secret. But the scale is different. It was a colossal failure by the DoD to allow this mass of documents to be transported outside the network. Historically, someone has picked up a file of papers and passed it around – the information exposed is on one country or one subject. But this is a scale we’ve never seen before. If Julian Assange is right and we’re in an era where there are no secrets, do we expect that people will release Google’s search engine algorithms? The formula for Coca Cola? Some things are best kept secret. If we’re negotiating between the Israelis and the Palestinians, there will be compromises that are hard for each side to sell to their people – there’s a need for secrets.
Crowley enlarged upon these statements on Friday, to ForeignPolicy.com:
What I said was my personal opinion. It does not reflect an official [U.S. government] policy position.. I defer to the Department of Defense regarding the treatment of Bradley Manning.
Later on Friday, Barack Obama made a statement indicating that he was unconcerned with allegations of abuse at Quantico, since he had asked the people responsible for the alleged abuse, and they had said that Manning's treatment was appropriate. The president carefully avoided personally endorsing the treatment. As reported by Politico, when pressed on the issue, Obama preferred to avoid the question.
The State spokesman’s predicament may have worsened further Friday afternoon, when ABC’s Jake Tapper asked Obama during a White House press conference whether he agreed with Crowley. “With respect to Private Manning, I have actually asked the Pentagon whether or not the procedures that have been taken in terms of his confinement are appropriate and are meeting our basic standards. They assure me that they are,” Obama said. “I can’t go into details about some of their concerns, but some of this has to do with Private Manning’s safety as well.” When Tapper pressed the president further, Obama replied tersely, “I think I gave you an answer to the substantive issue.”
PJ Crowley's clarifications were apparently insufficient to ensure his continued career as a spokesperson for the Obama government. Issuing a statement this afternoon, Crowley announced his resignation, and further expanded on his position on Manning's treatment:
The unauthorized disclosure of classified information is a serious crime under U.S. law... My recent comments regarding the conditions of the pre-trial detention of Private First Class Bradley Manning were intended to highlight the broader, even strategic impact of discreet actions undertaken by national security agencies every day and their impact on our global standing and leadership. The exercise of power in today’s challenging times and relentless media environment must be prudent and consistent with our laws and values... Given the impact of my remarks, for which I take full responsibility, I have submitted my resignation as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and Spokesman for the Department of State...
Although widely heralded as a backstep on his initial comments, Crowley's resignation comments indicate that he may well still have a serious disagreement with the Obama administration over the prudent and ethical exercise of power over individuals. By forcing his resignation over nothing more than the expression of his personal belief, the Obama administration has shown that it is aware of its vulnerability on the subject of Manning's cruel and unusual pretrial treatment, and so concerned about the possibility of political damage arising out this issue that an internal diversity of opinion will not be tolerated, while Manning's treatment continues to enjoy official endorsement. The Obama has, in essence, as this FDL post claims, taken ownership of the human rights abuses being inflicted on the person of alleged whistleblower, Bradley Manning.
Manning has been held for over 10 months in pretrial solitary confinement, and subjected to cruel and unusual conditions criticized widely by the press and by organizations such as Amnesty International. Crowley's statement was in dramatic contrast to that of the spokesman for the Department of Defense, Geoff Morrell, who stated in late January - contrary to the reliable reports of various witnesses - that "assertions by liberal bloggers, or network reporters or others that he is being mistreated, or somehow treated differently than others, in isolation, are just not accurate."
The resignation of a highly visible government official raises the profile of Manning's incarceration in the run-up to International Bradley Manning Support Day, on the 20th of March, for which international protests are planned in support of the alleged whistleblower.
2011-03-13 This Week in WikiLeaks Podcast: Past Revelations on Iraq War & Bradley Manning Support Day
UPDATE: Unedited podcast is posted.
This week’s guest is Debra Sweet. She is the Director of World Can't Wait, initiated in 2005 to "drive out the Bush regime" by repudiating its program, forcing it from office through a mass, independent movement and reversing the direction it had launched. Based in New York City, she leads World Can't Wait in its continuing efforts to stop the crimes of our government, including the unjust occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan and the torture and detention codes, as well as reversing the fascist direction of U.S. society, from the surveillance state to the criminalization of abortion and immigrants.
Her writing can be read here. Her latest piece is “Nakedness, Justice and Bradley Manning.”
To mark the eighth anniversary of the Iraq War, Sweet discusses some of the revelations that have come from WikiLeaks on the Iraq War thanks to Cablegate and the Iraq War Logs and the "Collateral Murder" video.
Sweet addresses how WikiLeaks revelations on the wars are fueling antiwar resistance in America. She will highlight upcoming actions on March 19 and 20 in the United States to oppose ongoing US wars and occupations and to support Bradley Manning, the alleged whistleblower being held at Quantico Marine Brig in Virginia.
Following Sweet’s interview, some time was spent doing a roundup on some of the past week’s news related to WikiLeaks. The milestone that was reached this week, the 100th Day of Cablegate, was recounted.
To listen to the podcast, click play on the widget below. Or, go to CMN News.
If you would like to call into the show and ask a question or make a remark, dial 724-444-7444. Punch in the following call ID: 83395 and then the #. When asked for a pin, press 1 and the #. We'll take questions and comments in the latter half of the podcast.
If you missed last week’s episode with guest Andy Worthington on Bradley Manning, the Spanish investigation into Guantanamo continuing thanks to WikiLeaks cables and other WikiLeaks revelations, you can download the .mp3 file here. (Or, find it on iTunes by searching for "CMN News.")
And now for a few plugs: WL Central is doing excellent coverage of all the uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa. If you haven't been keeping up with what is happening, check the front page for updates on various countries. Also, see how WL Central is supporting and covering the organization of Bradley Manning Support Days all over the world.
If you would like to learn more about WikiLeaks, I encourage you to buy Greg Mitchell's recently published book, "Age of WikiLeaks," which can be purchased in print on Blurb.com or in e-book form off of Amazon.
I helped Mitchell with parts of the book and I and others are listed in the back as "resources" on Twitter.
Here is Mitchell's WikiLeaks blog at The Nation. He just celebrated his 100th day of blogging WikiLeaks.
2011-03-13 WikiLeaks in today's media: Cablegate coverage
Next: America humiliates Waziri
"On March 14, 2009, Ojo Maduekwe, former minister of foreign affairs, placed a call to Robin Sanders, former United States ambassador to Nigeria. Mr. Maduekwe asked to have a lunch meeting with Ms. Sanders in his private residence in the posh district of Maitama, in Abuja, popularly called Ministers Hill.
The agenda, the minister said, was the African Union Mission in Somalia. As detailed in a US diplomatic cable made available to NEXT, Ms. Sanders hurried to the minister's home. But on arrival, she realized that Mr. Maduekwe had lied to her about the essence of the meeting. The minister had set up another meeting for the US ambassador, and the agenda was far from being about AMISOM, as the Somali peacekeeping mission was known."
(Image Credit: Dali Rău)
2011-03-14 After the Jasmine Revolution: Waging information battles in and out of North Korea
Would revolutions and movements in North Africa and Middle East be able to fuel similar ones toward democracy in North Korea? After the fall of Hosni Mubarak, North Korea’s already harsh censorship has been intensified against the use of mobile phones to block any news about the topic. However, amid the growing grievances due to desperate food crisis, small-scale protests have burst out around the country recently. Part one will roundup what’s reported so far about North Korea in relation with the effects of the revolutions.
A nighttime satellite photo of the Korean peninsula, showing almost no sign of electricity provided in the North.
Source: DailyTech
Spreading and blocking the news; an ongoing battle
North Korean defectors and South Korean military have tried to send news to the North, including news of recent revolutions, by millions of air-drop leaflets. Such attempts became politically sensitive actions which attracted many criticisms, including worries that the action might lead to another bombing similar to the one that hit the Yeonpyeong Island last November. On 27th February, North Korea sent an official notification in the name of the North’s chief delegate to inter-Korean general-level military talks, warning that it would ‘fire aimed shots’ against ‘the spots of propaganda’(Source). North Korea was reported to not have broadcast anything about the revolution in Egypt until at least the 22nd of February.
North Korean defectors secretly distribute 'Stealth USB' to the North
New ways of spreading news have also been developed; members of the North Korean Intellectual Solidarity(NKIS), a group consisting of North Korean defectors living in South Korea, invented ‘Stealth USB’. Stealth USB is programmed to be presented as containing ‘0 byte’ of contents when it goes through the customs searches. After its set time elapses, contents are automatically activated.
According to NKIS, up to several hundred USBs have entered into the border. Alarmed by this, North Korean authorities are heavily scouring for them. Kim told that the group has already started to develop the version 2.0 to detour the intensified censorship.
North Korean Intellectual Solidarity has been established by Kim Hng-gwang. Kim is a well-known North Korean defector, who has worked as a dean of the Department of Computer Science in the North Korean Communist University. North Korean news carried out by his ‘secret correspondents’ mainly in China-North Korea border has been cited in numerous news media, including South Korean press and Japan’s NHK.
Kim said in an interview with Yonhap news agency in 23rd February that the members have been sent numbers of the USB secretly through their North Korean acquaintances. It contains various contents, ranging from political ones to South Korean soap operas. Kim said that the group is planning to send more with updated news on the revolution in Egypt and battles in Libya.
North Korea hit back with ever stronger censorship package
To prevent the flow of news, the North Korean regime has started to obstruct possible sources. It has stiffened censorship of the net and cell phone, outlawed lending cell phones to foreigners, and according to the South Korean National Intelligence Service on 6th March, Kim Jeong-il once deployed several tanks around his official residence for any possible emergency situation.
2011-03-14 North Korea as a future member of 'region in turmoil'? - Possibilities based on similarities and differences
Measuring the Possibilities: Unlikely, although sharing critical conditions that ignited revolutions in Arab nations
Possibilities of ‘North Korean Jasmine Revolution’ based on similarities and differences between the revolution-flaming countries and North Korea, with a glance on the country’s current IT environment, are discussed here.
Similarities:
-Grievances among young soldiers due to decades of food crisis
-High percentage of the youth among the population
Food crisis has been a chronic, serious problem in North Korea since the 1990s’ infamous famine which had taken about 2.8 million lives. The crisis has caused not only huge annual deaths by starvation but also widespread malnutrition which makes the people extremely prone to illnesses and epidemics that almost always lead to death. According to the Report of 2010 published by Amnesty International, about 9 million people suffered ‘severe food shortages’ in the year. International food aids, including the emergency operation of World Food Program, have dropped violently after the series of nuclear weapon tests.
Working in the national army has been one of the most honored jobs in North Korea. However, the army has failed to escape the wave of nationwide food shortage; there have been brigade-scale disobedience inside the army, including the officially reported one from the 47th brigade in Hwanghae district working on nuclear project, calling for enough food.
Young soldiers in their 20s – 30s, comprising 75% of the army, share critical common grounds; they have never benefited from the national food distribution system, free education and medical system which North Korea once provided before the gross economic downturn in the 1990s. Based on this fact, in addition to exacerbating food crisis, some analysts allege that the level of loyalty toward the ruling party is much weaker than older North Koreans. This changing tendency is also common among non-military youth.
Due to the difficult conditions, the term ‘language treason’, which means unacceptable political expressions, became very frequent and prevalent in the country.(Source) Speaking of overall grievances about poverty, starvation and ‘why the great leader cannot provide us anything’ is now said to be accepted somewhat generously, a sharp contrast to the past.
Differences:
-Lacking tools to ‘bind people together’
-Absence of opposition groups
Two computer books in North Korea, shown by Kim Hng-gwang.
However, many analysts point out that North Korea lacks effective tools to bind the likeminded people together, let alone the absence of social network websites.
In North Korea, about 330 thousand mobile phones have been distributed so far, according to Orascom Telecom Holding S.A.E, an Egyptian company that provides cellular phones to the country.
But this doesn’t mean the actual prevalence of mobile phones inside North Korea, according to Kim Hng-gwang. In an interview with the newspaper Asia Economy, he speculated that the distribution might be restricted mostly to the foreign trade company employees and rich North Korean residents in Japan. He also added that the utter shortage of electricity wouldn’t allow widespread use of mobile phones in the country.
North Korea does have Internet, with a domain name ‘.kp’; but it’s very different from the one that connects the world. ‘Gwangmyong net’, an intranet in North Korea launched since 2000, provides some sort of ‘search tools’. But Kim pointed out that the range of information allowed is strictly restricted within the North Korean websites and a portal site ‘Gwangmyong’. It only permits one-way communication; one can download files from it, but cannot upload or post anything.
Another problem is that there has been no actual political protest or opposition groups worth mentioning in the entire history of North Korea, since it declared itself a sovereign nation in 1948 with the help of Soviet Russia. The dictatorship has been firm over the decades, with zero tolerance to freedom of expression, even including religious ones like giving out Bibles. Torture, arbitrary detention, forced labor, and public executions are common outcomes of any intolerable political expression, also mentioned in the report from Amnesty International.
Elite middle class as the only hope?
Although confirming that North Korean revolution would not be practically possible in short time, analysts generally agree that start of meaningful protest can only be initiated by the Pyongyang – based upper middle class.
They are the only population who can have any access to cell phones and the severely weak Internet. Also, they are highly connected, forming strong inner circles based on each group’s interests.
Robert Collins, former ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command political analyst answered in a phone interview with the Dong-a Ilbo that frictions leading to collision of the ‘elite class’, instead of people’s protest, have the possibility of North Korean revolution, if there would be any. He specifically mentioned the power struggle between the hard-liners in military and relatively soft-liners in the department of unification in the Labor party.
China would be critical in North Korean revolution
Unrest in China calling for freedom is thought to be one of the most important factors that can invoke similar unrest in North Korea. This is based on the existence of large floating population crossing the border between China and the country, mostly merchants and workers of foreign trade companies, as part of their daily life and various news from outside world seeps in ‘from mouth to mouth’. About 5000 cell phones are reported to be in use in the area.
Kim told in an interview with Seoulnews that Pyongyang citizens particularly wondered about recent news on the North Africa. “In North Korea, ‘Arab world’ is boiled down to Libya and Egypt, both being long-time ‘friendly nations’. ... If movements break out in China calling for democracy, another close ally, the wonder that why such richer countries should demonstrate against the government must grow stronger.”
2011-03-14 WikiLeaks in today's media: Cablegate coverage
Next: Ojo Maduekwe, an opportunist, says American official
"A former minister of foreign affairs, Ojo Maduekwe, is an opportunist who is willing to serve any administration in power irrespective of how it gets to office, according to a leaked United States diplomatic cable made available to NEXT.
In the October 19, 2007 cable to Washington, Lisa Piascik, the Charge d'Affairs of the US embassy in Nigeria, analysed the different contending groups pulling and pushing for the soul of the ruling People's Democratic Party."
Next: NIGERIA'S PDP - WHEN IS A PARTY NOT A PARTY?
"Obasanjo network:
-- David Mark (former Minister of Communications under Obasanjo, current Senate President)
-- Patricia Etteh (former hairdresser, romantic interest of Obasanjo, current Speaker of the House of Representatives)
-- Aliko Dangote (owner of the Dangote Group with substantial business interests in food processing, cement and freight, prominent funder of Obasanjo's 2003 re-election campaign)
-- Chris Uba (godfather of Anambra State, criminal ties)
..."
Next: KADUNA GOVERNOR BULLISH ABOUT PRESIDENTIAL PROSPECTS
"During a late July conversation with the Consul General, Kaduna State Governor Ahmed Makarfi predicted the presidency would return to the north. Among the Northern governors, Makarfi thought he had the inside track to getting President Obasanjo's approval and clinching the PDP nomination. Makarfi claims a majority of the PDP governors favor a return to the north. Of the contending northern PDP governors -- Adamu of Nassarawa, Mu'azu of Bauchi, Turaki of Jigawa, and Yar'Adua of Katsina -- all have significant handicaps except him. To strengthen his position, Makarfi has been assiduously traversing the country, consulting with key figures in all six of Nigeria's political zones. He has also been careful to consult regularly with President Obasanjo. However, recently Makarfi has gotten a little too comfortable with the media about his presidential ambitions.
Attracting too much of the political spotlight could cause the usually cautious Makarfi to run afoul of an irascible President."
(Image Credit: Dali Rău)
2011-03-15 #Syria protests #Mar15 in #Damascus & #Aleppo
Syria's day of rage was originally scheduled for February 5, but no protesters showed up. On February 15, we reported the arrest of a teen blogger and speculated that the patience of the Syrian people which president Bashar al-Assad was assured would protect his country from protests may soon wear thin. On February 18, we asked, Did Syria run out of patience? as a protest broke out over the beating of a man by police. Since then it has become clear that Syrians have reached a slow boil. This time, on the announced protest day of March 15, Syria was unmistakeably in the streets of Damascus and Aleppo. The facebook page has announced another protest tomorrow, beginning at 12 noon, in all Syrian cities. Reuters announced 40 protesters, but the videos below show far more.
From our previous coverage there are some reasons why the protests are necessary, for more graphic reasons see the last video below. Approximately 10,000 political prisoners are currently being held in Syrian jails. A national state of emergency has been in effect in Syria continuously since 1963 and it is consistently used to suppress and punish any dissent. According to Amnesty International's report on Syria for 2010, "Critics, human rights defenders, alleged opponents of the government and others were detained, often for prolonged periods; some were sentenced to prison terms after unfair trials. Torture and other ill-treatment remained common, and were committed with impunity; there were several suspicious deaths in custody. The government failed to clarify the circumstances in which [17 prisoners and five others] were killed at Sednaya Military Prison in 2008 and, again, took no steps to account for thousands of victims of enforced disappearances in previous years. Women faced legal and other discrimination and violence. The Kurdish minority remained subject to discrimination, and thousands of Syrian Kurds were effectively stateless. At least eight prisoners were executed."
A video posted one month ago showing why the Syrian people must protest
Previous coverage of Syria on WL Central.
2011-03-15 Journalists Expelled from #Yemen & Al Jazeera Journalist Threatened with Kidnapping of Children
WL Central continues its updates on Yemen, with new items added at the top. All times are based off of Sanaa time in Yemen. You can contact me on Twitter @kgosztola or by email at kgosztola@hotmail.com.
Current time and date in Sanaa:
Tuesday, March 15
9:22 PM Journalist Iona Craig files this firsthand report on covering the uprising in Yemen Craig’s report details the worsening conditions for not just the people of Yemen but also journalists:
I crept home to my bed, exhausted after two busy days of covering the sudden upsurge of violence in the capital. Unlike the previous two mornings my wake up call was not an early morning text message telling of gunfire, attacks or impending violence from activists at the university encampment, now the centre stage of the anti-government protests, but this time came from friend and fellow journalist Laura Kasinof.
Armed police had raided the house I’d left just a few hours earlier, arresting four journalist friends. During the next few frantic calls to contacts with friends in high places their location remained a mystery. The political security and police denied they had them and still hours later the British embassy had no idea where they were being held. Then reports came through that they were at the Immigration Authority, but would be released and given a few days to sort out their paper work. Moments later these hopes were dashed when they were spotted at the airport.
The journalists deported were: “Oliver Holmes (Wall Street Journal, Time) Portia Walker (Daily Telegraph, Washington Post) Haley Sweetland Edwards who had returned to Yemen for a few weeks, (Los Angeles Times, Atlantic) and Joshua Maricich, a climbing enthusiast, photographer and researcher who had recently written a government supported book on Yemen.”
Committee to Protect Journalists posts on the expulsion of journalists Oliver Holmes says, "I'm positive that this is related to the fact that all four of us have been reporting about the upswing of violence against protesters." Edwards says "their expulsion was a clear indication that the crackdown against protesters will intensify 'and there's no one here who's going to see it.'"
The journalists had press visas but were "put on a flight to Istanbul." CPJ further reports, "Government supporters continue to intimidate local reporters. On Saturday, a group of about 20 people believed to be government supporters went to the Journalists Syndicate in Sana'a and threatened to burn it down, according to two local journalists and an item posted on the syndicate's website."
Reported days ago but should be highlighted and emphasized: Nerve gas has been used on protesters.
The Guardian’s report on the four foreign journalists expelled
Al Jazeera reports that one of their correspondents, Ahmed Shalafi, has been threatened with the kidnapping of his children for continuing to cover the uprising. Shalafi has been monitored closely by the Yemen government. President Saleh does not want the “chaos” of his country’s people to make it out to the world. He has been using force to prevent and deter protests.
Also, from the same report, the latest on the protests is that hundreds of thousands attended rallies in 12 counties in north and south Yemen. Sit-ins, rallies continue.
Ministry of Information, according to Saba News, denies four journalists were deported A source that provided information for the news report suggests four “foreigners” were hiding and living in popular districts and were posing as reporters without permits or authorization. They were violating visa laws and residence laws in Yemen.
Blogger Afrah Nasser’s “life-threatening” message, which possibly came from someone in the Yemen government:
It seems that peaceful discussion with you won't work out. Even though the meetings you had with ???!!! that seemed nice and respectful and that the other party was kind to you, you see to keep on not wanting to live in peace and security with your poor mother who worked hard and scarified a lot for you and your sister's sake; your sister who is abroad. Your mother did many personal sacrifices to provide decent education for you and your sister and make you decent educated people that every one envies her about. However, it seems the saying "... ..." applies to you. I wish that Mrs. @ # $% Is your role model in life; so don't disagree with her and listen to all her orders because she knows better than you do and knows better how to treat people than you do and
I don't think there is any other person knows what's best for you than your mother. Gosh! I wish this lady to be my mother so I could whatever it takes to make her happy.
Anyways, the past will be forgotten, not for the sake of anything but only for the sake of your poor mother who fought a lot for you and you awarded her with this award; that's to deprive her easily of one of her family member because of your irresponsibility and recklessness. We don't want her to lose all what she earned for the past years.
I wish you received my message ... ..Wake up, waaaaaaaaaaake up! Don't make your mother and your sister pay the price of your recklessness, you educated lady!
Nasser has been uploading photos and posting on the uprising. She has made calls for revolution and is a journalist for the Yemen Observer.
Yemen Times reports the youth movements are consolidating. A coordination council was formed and issued a list of seven conditions that must be met for demonstrations to come to an end.
It’s important to note from the article that the US is not supporting the uprising. They are backing Saleh. Ambassador to Yemen Gerald M. Feierstein is quoted saying, “Our problem is that the [Yemeni] people are demanding [the ouster of Saleh] without any idea how they will manage the government and prevent a disaster for the Yemeni people.”
Protesters write open letter to President Obama.
As spiritual leaders of our community, we are deeply concerned about violence against peaceful protesters in Yemen, including credible medical reports about the use of neurotoxic agents in violation of the Geneva convention. Although you did not create the policy of befriending corrupt dictators who kill and torture their citizens, you will still be held morally accountable for the suffering inflicted by those the US befriends.
For years your predecessor in the White House told us that hostility towards America in the Arab world arose from the fact that "They hate our freedoms." Now we see peaceful civilians around the Arab and Muslim world who are giving their lives for free and fair elections, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, habeas corpus and the right of free association. If we truly support these values, not only for ourselves in the privileged West but for others around the world, we cannot stand silent when unarmed protesters are attacked by the army, security forces, riot police or thugs. Please speak out in protection of the people of Yemen and Bahrain. The war crimes must stop.
Reuters reports “tribesmen” prevented technicians from repairing an oil pipeline in the central province of Maarib. Several oil and gas companies operate in this mountainous area.
2011-03-15 WikiLeaks in today's media: Cablegate coverage
Next: Yar’Adua asked Ibori to turn himself in, says Saraki
"Disturbed by the waning bilateral relations between Nigeria and the US government over the perceived lack of vigour in the anti-corruption fight, late President Umaru Yar’Adua asked James Ibori, the corrupt former governor of Delta State, to turn himself in to the British Metropolitan Police.
According to a U.S. diplomatic cable, made available to NEXT, Bukola Saraki, Kwara State governor, a close friend of Mr. Ibori and confidant of Mr. Yar’Adua, said this in a chat with former US ambassador to Nigeria, Robin Sanders."
Next: ‘We blocked Obasanjo, Babangida’s candidates for PDP chair’
"The emergence of Vincent Ogbulafor as National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2008 was a result of deft political manoeuvring and intense power play among three former Nigerian presidents which saw the camp of late President Umaru Yar’Adua triumphing, according to a leaked U.S. diplomatic cable made available to NEXT.
Bukola Saraki, the Kwara State governor, told former U.S ambassador, Robin Sanders, during a meeting on September 22, 2008 that he used his powerful position as the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to help Mr. Yar’Adua’s anointed candidate emerge victorious."
The Telegraph: US feared British 'sharia banks' would finance terrorist groups
"Britain's enthusiastic support for "sharia banking" raised concerns in Washington that the City of London could become a centre of terrorist funding, leaked documents show.
Financial reforms pushed through by the Labour government allowed Islamic banks to flourish in Britain, amassing assets valued at more than £12 billion."
The Telegraph: US feared British 'sharia banks' would finance terrorist groups
"Japan was warned more than two years ago by the international nuclear watchdog that its nuclear power plants were not capable of withstanding powerful earthquakes, leaked diplomatic cables reveal.
An official from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in December 2008 that safety rules were out of date and strong earthquakes would pose a "serious problem" for nuclear power stations."
La Jornada: EU rechaza que Josefina Reyes haya sido asesinada debido a su activismo (EU rejects that Josefina Reyes has been killed because of her activism)
"Señala en un cable que el homicidio es producto de "sus vínculos" con delincuentes. (It is pointed out in a cable that the murder is product of "ties" with criminals.)"
Read more (Spanish) Google Translate
La Jornada: Por "insistencia" de EU se relegó al Ejército de la lucha antinarco en Juárez (By "insistence" of EU was relegated the fighting anti-narco army in Juárez)
"Cables revelan la "colaboración" estadunidense para dejar al frente a la PF. (Cables reveal U.S. "collaboration" to give control to the Federal Police.)"
Read more (Spanish) Google Translate
La Jornada: PGR y SG pidieron ayuda a EU para enfocar la lucha en dos ciudades (SG [Secretary of Government] and PGR [General Police of the Republic] sought for help from U.S. to focus on the struggle of two cities)
"Calderón "se juega su reputación" en el combate al crimen organizado, afirmaron". (Calderón "is staking its reputation" in the fight against organized crime, they said.)
Read more (Spanish) Google Translate
El País: EE UU cree que Lugo carece de apoyos para gobernar Paraguay (The United States believes that Lugo lacks support to govern Paraguay)
"El presidente de Paraguay, Fernando Lugo, comenzó a gobernar en el año 2008 con serias turbulencias y maniobras desestabilizadoras de la oposición, que a los pocos meses de la investidura imputó al exobispo impericia, favoritismo, la promoción de la lucha de clases y le culpó por la inseguridad ciudadana y el estancamiento político. (The president of Paraguay, Fernando Lugo, began to rule in 2008 with serious disturbances and destabilizing maneuvers of the opposition, which a few months after the inauguration accused the ex-bishop of incompetence, favoritism, the promotion of fights between classes and blamed him about the insecurity and political stalemate.)"
Read more (Spanish) Google Translate
(Image Credit: Dali Rău)
2011-03-16 Bradley Manning's plight rouses interest and concern in the UK (Updated)
Update: Ann Clwyd MP's question today, 17 March, in the Commons, on the turn
MP Ann Clwyd (L-Cynon Valley) today raised the question of the treatment of PFC Bradley Manning at the Quantico military base in Virginia with the foreign secretary, William Hague, during his testimony before the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. (The exchange between Clwyd and Hague appears in the last several minutes here.)
Although Hague stood on legal formalities in his reply -- he cannot take a position without Manning's consent; Manning has stated that he does not consider himself a UK citizen; and it is up to Manning's US lawyer to seek redress of any treatment he considers unlawful -- he made one significant concession. At the close of his remarks he said voluntarily that the concerns of UK citizens about Manning's treatment would be brought to US diplomatic attention because they had been raised in a parliamentary committee.
Earlier in the day, an interview with Manning's friend David House, who has been talking to support networks in the UK this week, was published in the Guardian.
The Guardian was notably more careful in referring to the charges against Manning than it has sometimes been in the past, although it persisted in personalizing the alleged transfer of "reams of data" as a direct transfer to Julian Assange rather than to WikiLeaks.
In addition to describing the regime that both Manning and his visitors must submit to at Quantico, House provides a glimpse into Manning's personality and interests, and the effect that solitary confinement and other abuses have had on his mental state:
Early on Manning and House had what he describes as "wonderful conversations – we had this really deep philosphical conversation about the nature of the internet. We talked about this term – I don't know if he coined it – 'neuro-sociology', the idea that the human race is now connected by the internet, which is like a nervous system for the human race enabling people to organise much quicker and faster. What does that do to us as a species from an anthropological point of view?"
The picture became bleaker, however, as the months of imprisonment wore on, House says. After the suicide watch episode, he says, Manning seemed "catatonic" and exhausted. But he perked up after receiving a small flood of family visitors. His Welsh mother, Susan, flew over last month, accompanied by his aunt and uncle, who also live in Wales (they were prevented from visiting on the grounds that they "weren't on the list", and were made to stay in the brig car park). His father, Brian Manning, has re-married and, despite his own military background, also visits and has made public statements against his son's prison conditions.
In the US, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) issued a press release charging that the US government's treatment of Manning is "cruel and unusual," summoning up the language of the Eighth Amendment, under which such treatment is constitutionally forbidden. They also quoted President Obama's recent words about his understanding of Bradley Manning's treatment, and then turned those words back on the president:
President Obama recently stated that Private Manning’s conditions comply with the Pentagon’s “basic standards.” Given that those standards apparently permit Private Manning to be subjected to plainly unconstitutional conditions, it is clear that the Department of Defense must adapt its standards to meet the demands of the Constitution. We ask that you take immediate steps to ensure that Private Manning is treated lawfully and humanely.
You can follow David House on Twitter @popularch
h/t to @GregMitch on Twitter and at The Nation for the ACLU reference
Update:
On Thursday, 17 March, Ann Clwyd MP formally requested during Business Questions in the Commons that a debate be held on the conditions of Manning's detention. She explicitly compared Manning's treatment to that "meted out" to prisoners at Guantanamo.
In his reply, Sir George Young, leader of the House of Commons, did not disavow the comparison to practices at Guantanamo. He said that the concerns conveyed by Clwyd are "widely shared" and agreed that Manning's case was a "suitable subject for debate" in the Commons.
Via the same link, a transcript and video clip of Clwyd's exchange yesterday with FM Hague in committee.
2011-03-16 Four NYT journalists go missing in Libya
The New York Times has received second-hand reports that 4 of its journalists have been "swept up by Libyan government forces" from Ajdabiya. The reports remain unconfirmed, however. The missing journalists are photographers Tyler Hicks and Lynsey Addario, reporter and videographer Stephen Farrell and Anthony Shadid, Beirut bureau chief and Pulitzer Prize winner.
The last contact received from the journalists was on Tuesday morning (ET).
As Jeremy Peters highlights in his Mediadecoder blog entry,
The Times, like many news organizations, has procedures in place to carefully track its journalists’ whereabouts in war zones and areas of conflict. Susan Chira, foreign editor of The Times, said that each night editors discuss plans for the following day with their correspondents, who are expected to check in regularly.
“We expect to hear from them several times a day — and so do their colleagues in the field, who are often our early warning system of any trouble,” Ms. Chira said.
Executive editor Bill Keller said in a statement,
“We have talked with officials of the Libyan government in Tripoli, and they tell us they are attempting to ascertain the whereabouts of our journalists. We are grateful to the Libyan government for their assurance that if our journalists were captured they would be released promptly and unharmed.”
“Their families and their colleagues at The Times are anxiously seeking information about their situation, and praying that they are safe."
Uprisings in the Arab world make for a dangerous climate for everyone and journalists are no exception. Jeremy Peters reminds us in his blog entry about the two Times reporters who were recently detained in Egypt and eventually released. Others, however, including Lara Logan of CBS News, have not been as lucky.
Last week, the BBC reported that four of its journalists were detained by Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s security forces. They were beaten with rifles and subject to mock executions, the network said.
Chris Hawley of AP takes us further back to September 2009, when
Farrell and Sultan Munadi, an Afghan journalist and interpreter who worked regularly with the Times and other news organizations, were taken hostage when they went to cover the aftermath of a NATO airstrike that killed scores of civilians in northern Afghanistan.
Munadi and a British commando died in the raid that rescued Farrell, a Briton. British forces said they had to leave Munadi's body behind because they were coming under heavy fire.
In 2008, New York Times reporter David Rohde was kidnapped while trying to make contact with a Taliban commander in Afghanistan. Rohde and an Afghan colleague escaped in June 2009 after seven months in captivity, most spent in Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan.
On Wednesday, the White House urged the Libyan government to stop harassing and using violence against journalists. Reporters Without Borders is using its own correspondents to help track down the missing journalists.
"It's a very dangerous climate for reporters right now," said Clothilde Le Coz, Washington director for Reporters Without Borders. "It's a reminder that these are real people, and they are putting themselves at real risk to bring information out of these places." (AP)
2011-03-16 Japan's Growing Nuclear Calamity Compounded By History of Neglecting Safety, Downplaying Accidents
Russian nuclear accident specialist Iouli Andreyev, who helped with cleanup in the aftermath of Chernobyl, said on March 16, “The Japanese were very greedy, and they used every square inch of the space. But when you have a dense placing of spent fuel in the basin, you have a high possibility of fire if the water is removed from the basin.” His comments came as Japan faces a growing nuclear disaster with nuclear reactors leaking and radiation plumes discharging into the atmosphere.
Andreyev put the blame on corporations and United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency, saying they had “willfully ignor[ed] lessons from the world's worst nuclear accident 25 years ago to protect the industry's expansion.” He condemned the nuclear industry for ensuring Chernobyl was not studied properly.
Japan has been scrambling to contain a nuclear catastrophe ever since an 8.9 earthquake struck last week. As of Wednesday, March 16, a helicopter was unable to drop water on “the most troubled reactor” in the country. Workers left the power plant briefly as radiation levels increased.
In 2007, twelve power companies “admitted to thousands of irregularities in reporting past problems.” Japanese citizens began to resist the building of new nuclear reactors. They pushed for legal actions to suspend operations. Now, US State Cables released by WikiLeaks, which are being published by the Telegraph and The Guardian, further affirm that some sort of coverup has been going on.
A cable from 2006 details:
On March 24, the Kanazawa District Court ordered the Hokuriku Electric Power Company (Rikuden) to shut down operations at Unit Two of its Shika Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) due to safety concerns over its ability to withstand powerful earthquakes. A group of 135 plaintiffs from across the country filed the suit against Rikuden in May 2005, after the operator began trial operations, arguing that its anti-seismic design was insufficient and the advanced boiling water reactor (ABWR) design was inherently dangerous. The suit followed up on an earlier unsuccessful attempt to halt the construction of the new reactor. The plaintiffs pointed to a study commissioned by the GOJ's Earthquake Research Committee that concluded there was a two percent chance that an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 or higher could occur along the 44-kilometer long Ochigata fault, which runs near the NPP. The unit was built to withstand a magnitude 6.5 earthquake. The plaintiffs claimed that Unit Two was built to seismic specifications established more than two decades earlier and therefore posed a direct threat to their safety.
The judge believed, “if there was an accident at the plant due to a large earthquake,” there was a possibility of a radiation accident occurring. The judge also said, “Rikuden had not taken into consideration an earthquake that may occur along the Ochigata Fault when building the new reactor.” And, “the court argued that Rikuden's estimates of potential earthquakes in the area were too conservative” (although the court did not buy that the design was unsafe “citing lack of evidence”).
Appearing to take the order seriously, Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) Director-General Kenkichi Hirose said, "I've never thought that a court would order the cessation of the plant's operation." However, NISA's International Affairs Office Director Michio Hashimoto said “NISA believes the reactor is safe and that all safety analyses were appropriately conducted. Thus, NISA did not move to shut down the reactor in question.
As a result, NISA saw no reason why Rikuden should shutdown Unit Two. NISA emphasized the fact that the court order was a result of a civil suit and did not “question the validity of the national regulations themselves through an administrative lawsuit.” Rikuden continued to operate the reactor.
This isn’t really a huge revelation, as many Japanese citizens are aware of the corruption between the nuclear industry and the government. The court order was covered in Japan media. The world has wondered why Japan was so intent on using nuclear power even though it is so susceptible to seismic disasters.
Key events that have plagued the nuclear industry are as follows:
1999 - Two workers killed in explosion at Tokaimura plant
2003 - 17 Tepco plants shut down over falsified safety records
2004 - Five workers killed by steam from corroded pipe at Mihama
2007 - Damage inflicted on Kashiwazaki plant from earthquake
Despite those incidents and disasters in the past, the country has been pushed to rely on nuclear due to a “lack of indigenous energy resources.” A BBC report from July 17, 2007, shows the country has a few geothermal projects but no oil and very little coal.
On March 18, 2009, the high court overturned the order to have the plant shut down. The Japan Economic Newswire reported, “Presiding Judge Nobuaki Watanabe said, ‘We cannot recognize the specific dangers to residents being exposed to radiation due to an accident, as the assessments of active fault and seismic shaking are appropriate.’”
The judge added, “Safety measures taken by Hokuriku Electric Power Co. [Rikuden] against the No. 2 reactor of its nuclear power plant in the town of Shika in Ishikawa Prefecture are in line with the government's quake resistance guidelines, which were revised after the lower court ruling.”
The plaintiffs pushing for the shut down reacted, “The court simply believed what Hokuriku Electric Power said and we can't accept it,” and, “the ruling gives little consideration to the dangers of having nuclear plants in Japan, a seismically active country." A professor of science and history at Kyushu University stated, “The reliability of the new guidelines was called into question by the (Niigata) earthquake and it should have been assessed more skeptically…The ruling conforms to the recent trend of power suppliers underestimating fault plane activity. People won't be convinced that nuclear power plants are safe by this ruling." [And, on February 28 of this year, the plant in Shika was shut down for unplanned repair.]
A cable from October 27, 2008, echoes the charge that Japan’s government has been neglecting the safety of its nuclear reactors. Lower House Diet Member Taro Kono criticized Japanese ministries, particularly the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) saying they were “trapped in their policies, as officials inherited policies from people more senior to them, which they could then not challenge.” For example, following the Chernobyl incident, Kono said “Japanese radiation standards for imported food had been set” but “had not changed since then, despite other nations having reduced their levels of allowable radiation.”
Furthermore, Kono claimed METI was covering up nuclear accidents and obscuring costs and problems being created by then nuclear industry:
He claimed MPs have a difficult time hearing the whole of the U.S. message on nuclear energy because METI picks and chooses those portions of the message that it likes. Only information in agreement with METI policies is passed through to the MPs. Elaborating on his frustrations with the ministries, Kono noted that the Diet committee staffs are made up of professional bureaucrats, and are often headed by detailees from the ministries. He said he had no authority to hire or fire committee staff, and that any inquiries he made to them quickly found their way back to the ministries.
When considering that charge, it is no surprise that BBC reported years ago, “A pervasive culture of secrecy that is commonplace in corporate Japan, and traditional hostility to whistleblowers, make it hard for the industry to change.” It seems like it was going to take a disaster of this magnitude to shock Japan into changing or maybe an international diplomatic crisis brought on by WikiLeaks to alter how the industry functioned in Japan.
In another report, the BBC expounded on accidents & secrecy in Japan. Satoshi Fujino, public relations officer at the Citizens' Nuclear Information Centre in Tokyo, mentions an "extremely lax" safety appraisal process and "very haphazard" inspections carried out after the process all make the industry prone to accidents.
Kono, in the cable, also raised the issue of “nuclear waste.” He suggested Japan had “no permanent high-level waste storage, and thus no solution to the problem of storage,” and, citing “Japan's extensive seismic activity, and abundant groundwater,” asked ‘if there really was a safe place to store nuclear waste in the "land of volcanoes.’” [And, it’s interesting that Kono expressed surprise that there is pushback in the US on storing waste at Yucca Mountain. Kono believed Japan needed such a facility to store waste and stop the process of “reprocessing” or recycling nuclear waste.]
Finally, a cable, from 2008, shows the IAEA was aware of the inner workings of Japan’s nuclear industry and how it was handling safety:
“On earthquakes and nuclear safety, the IAEA presenter noted the Agency has officials in Japan to learn from Japan's recent experience dealing with earthquakes and described several areas of IAEA focus. First, he explained that safety guides for seismic safety have only been revised three times in the last 35 years and that the IAEA is now reexamining them. Also, the presenter noted recent earthquakes in some cases have exceeded the design basis for some nuclear plants, and that this a serious problem that is now driving seismic safety work. The IAEA is issuing a new guide on seismic evaluation to accompany existing guidelines on seismic hazard and design. Finally, the IAEA noted it had launched an International Seismic Safety Center at its September general conference to enhance safety, develop standards, pool and share knowledge.”
Fault lines have been discovered and the likelihood of seismic activity appears to have increased in the past decades. But, as the cables prove (and as news has previously reported), Japan has taken the path of least resistance, continuing to expand its nuclear industry instead of seriously considering alternative energies that would not compound a disastrous tsunami or earthquake.
2011-03-16 Rallies for a united #Palestine - Day Two #Gaza #Mar15
WL Central will be updating news on Palestine, with new items added at the top. You can contact me on twitter @GeorgieBC or by email at admin@wlcentral.org.
Current time and date in Gaza:
WEDNESDAY, March 16
Demands from protesters in Manara square:
- Palestinian National Council elections guaranteeing representation of all Palestinians wherever they are.
- Immediate release of all political prisoners in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, supervised by the Independent Commission for Human Rights. An end to repression of protests.
- A complete halt of incitement on media of all types and by both parties.
There have been many Twitter reports, both today and yesterday, of threatening texts from unknown numbers sent to all Gaza phone numbers and warning them to not attend protests or they would be killed.
Yesterday WL Central reported what seemed to be conflicting reports of assaults by Fateh officers and Fateh officers offering food to the protesters. The offers of food are being interpreted as an attack on the hunger strikers resolve and chants today include "No falafel! No cola!" President Abbas sent four jeeps full of food today, to divided reception.
Police are assisting in keeping the Fateh and March 15 groups from attacking each other in Bethlehem and broke up multiple fights today. According to Ma'an News reports, the Fateh group seems torn between disrupting or joining the protests.
From @PalYouthVoice:
"#March15Ramallah hunger strikers are up to 25 now, spirits are high and we're determined to go all the way to the end"
"things are back to normal, Fateh members helped to contain the thugs that attacked us"
As protesters attempted to gather on March, 16 morning in Al Kateeba sq, dozens of thugs (with sticks and clubs) cracked down on the crowd chanting for unity and raising the Palestinian flag to disperse them.
At least 10 students were taken to the hospital today and around 20 were arrested after Hamas plain clothes police and security forces arrived at Al Azhar university and beat up students and blocked anyone from entering or leaving the grounds. Many of the students were planning on attending today's unity rallies. A spokesman for the Hamas-run interior ministry denied that police had entered the university. "What happened at the university was a problem between students," Ihab al-Ghussein told AFP.
Azhar University
Journey to Gaza is documenting the protests in Gaza with many great pictures and videos (one below) and blog posts. From yesterday: Back home, friends called me telling me police had intervened, fired warning shots in the air. Told them I was on my way back but they strongly urged me not to - all cameras were confiscated, journalists arrested and activists beaten up. My friend Adham said "Al Kateeba is on fire" ... thuoght he was being metaphorical but then another one called to say Hamas had set the tents on fire...
ranabaker is another blog with great pictures and eyewitness accounts. The next day –which is today-, everything looked calm as if nothing had taken place the night before. I took a taxi to The Islamic University, my university, and on the way I asked the driver if anything was happening in The Al-Kateebah Square. He said: “they were forcibly quelled yesterday, nobody is there, the uprising has finished!”
But he was mistaken! At 11:00 in the morning, thousands were protesting at the campus of The Al-Azhar University. It was soon encircled by the regime’s forces and students and girls were again beaten with clubs.
When I heard about the escalation, I called my friends who study there, I could hardly understand what they were saying due to the noise around them. They only thing I could get was: “if you want to protest come to our university!”
When I arrived, there were crowds and crowds of young students being expelled from their own university and hit harshly by clubs. Others were receiving threats and an ambulance was evacuating causality. Actually a couple of ambulances were outside but people were talking about only one casualty.
Yesterday's protests across the occupied territories
TUESDAY, March 15
In a day of rare unity, the Palestinian Authority attacked protesters in the West Bank's Ramallah while Hamas attacked a larger protest in Gaza. The Palestinian populations of both territories also vowed to unite in their call to protest. Between 200,000 and 300,000 people demonstrated in Gaza according to Maan News, calling to end the division of Palestine and unite under the national flag.
The March 15 Youth Coalition in Gaza said violence in Gaza City broke out when some 200 Hamas supporters in the Square of the Unknown Soldier carried party flags and beat up protesters who had called for only the national flag. Security forces had set up hundreds of barriers around the square and they beat people with batons and set fire to their tents. Protesters then gathered in Al-Khatib Square. Women and children were very present in the protests, as shown in the videos and pictures below.
The few thousand protesters in Ramallah had by evening staged a sit in, singing and lighting hundreds of candles in defiance of the security forces. Maan News is now reporting that tear gas was fired at them and two were shot with tasers, along with other reports of security forces handing out food to Ramallah supporters. Reportedly 20 protesters of the roughly 1000 left in Ramallah are on a hunger strike.
Hamas and Fateh had both previously pledged to protect the unity rallies. Gaza's Hamas premier Ismail Haniyeh responded to the protests by inviting his rival, Fateh president Mahmoud Abbas, to talk. "I invite the president, brother Abu Mazen (Abbas), and Fatah to an immediate meeting here in Gaza ... to start national dialogue in order to achieve reconciliation," Haniya said in a live broadcast after an emergency meeting of his government.
And Abbas proposed holding elections "as soon as possible" in order to end the division. "I am with the people and in favour of going back to the people to put an end to the divisions through presidential and parliamentary elections," he said after talks in Ramallah with Cypriot President Demetris Christofias.
Pictures from Gaza today.
Previous coverage of Palestine on WL Central.
2011-03-16 The Latest on Emails Between Ex-Bank of America Employee & Anonymous
An “open letter” from the ex-Bank of America employee was recently posted on the website Anonymous has been using to share the leaked emails. It appears to be in response to how he was characterized in coverage of the leak.
TechHerald.com has focused on this comment, which he wrote in response to a question from Anonymous on whether he had more emails: “I have to save the rest. I promised a WSJ [Wall Street Journal] reporter in Australia the story back in Jan when the Balboa sale was announced. I also need to keep a few aces for my inevitable years of litigation for what I’m doing.”
Today, Anonymous published a letter from him. It suggests he may not be so focused on profiting off his information after all.
He thumps his chest at Bank of America saying Bank of America continues “to underestimate me.”
“I’ve already read their plan of action against me. Anonymous leaked it for the world to see months ago,” he adds. “While “Anonymous” BofA executives huddle together and cower behind their corporate logo, hoping their corporate name can withstand a greater shitstorm than mine, we’ve both been reading the exact same battle plan. Don’t be fooled by press releases. The HB Gary plan cost a lot of the money from their piggy bank, and they’re not ones to let their own money go to waste.”
He suggests he is not afraid of Bank of America executives or employees who might be plotting against him:
I’m not afraid of you. I’m not some distant, unapproachable eccentric like Julian Assange. Sensationalize all you want, but your employees all know me, and they’re slowly starting to figure out why it is you did what you did to me. I live in your backyard. Drag my name through the mud all you want. I can take it. I’ve got more friends in more high places than you think. While the media races to be the first to report any story they can about me to make their money, I’m neither making nor losing money on this. You took my statement of “I’ve got nothing to lose” as meaning I’m desperate and lonely. Get the facts straight. I’ve got a large family that’s been supporting me this entire time. I’ve got friends in places you can’t even imagine. My community knows me, and the bonds I’ve formed are backed by love, not money. When will you ever learn? I know you don’t put your personal name on your statements because you fear the legal action that will be taken against you. You do not want to be made the scapegoat for your own actions.
The ex-employee seems to be frustrated greatly with how the media perceived him and the leak. But, he notes two examples of coverage that he thinks “got it.”
This Daily Finance article took his allegations seriously. It detailed “force-placed insurance scams” and why they work. It also suggested that despite the fact that he might have an axe to grind he seemed to be sharing credible and factual information.
On MSNBC, Cenk Uygur covered the leak. The ex-employee liked this segment.
The ex-employee tells Americans in his “open letter” to “hang in there.” This signals that in the coming days more will be learned about Bank of America.
Additionally, Anonymous has posted an email on the website that shows someone claiming to be a “Special Agent with TARP” asking for help investigating “HAMP violations.” The agent asks to learn more about information the Anonymous member might have on Bank of America.
Doubt has been sprinkled and, in some cases, poured on the release of the emails. Interestingly, the spokesperson with BofA contends the information was stolen and is untrue. One wonders why an ex-employee would steal fake information and disseminate it widely. Unless there is some deeper conspiracy playing out here and employees are trying to sink Bank of America or promote disinformation so that the Big Bank can say this isn’t true and make it harder for critics to take aim at its practices, the spokesperson is obfuscating the truth.
A few outlets are wondering if this is all that will be released. Writers have shared their opinion that this was a big letdown and nothing much to care about at all. This letter suggests details on Bank of America will continue to be released and there is no reason to think Anonymous is hyping what they are helping this ex-employee share with the world.
2011-03-16 WikiLeaks in today's media: Cablegate coverage
Next: 'Vengeance is his': US official on Obasanjo
"Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has a penchant for “storied vindictiveness” and “proverbial vengefulness”, American embassy officials told their superiors in Washington. In a cable titled ‘Bayelsa governor’s arrest strikes fear in the hearts of his peers’ and sent to Washington on October 21, 2005, the consul general at the American embassy in Nigeria at the time, Brian Browne, described how governors of other southern states became jittery following the arrest of the former Bayelsa State governor. Mr. Alamieyeseigha was arrested in London in September 2005 on charges of money laundering. At the time of his arrest, about £1 million cash was found in his London home. He jumped bail in December 2005 but was impeached upon his return to Nigeria and prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for corruption. Two years later, on July 26, 2007, Mr. Alamieyeseigha pleaded guilty to a six-count charge of corruption and was sentenced to two years in prison on each count. The consul general, in his cable, which was sent before the former governor’s escape from the UK, told his superiors that Mr. Alamieyeseigha’s arrest in the UK was not only due to corruption allegations, but also due to his friendship with former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, who was Mr. Obasanjo’s arch enemy at the time."
Next: Inside NDDC and EFCC
"On July 1, Oronto Douglas, human rights lawyer and confidant of Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, said Jonathan will continue to meet with Delta and Bayelsa state militants throughout July in order to gain community input on how to improve the Niger Delta. The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is an incubator for politicians who use the Commission's ample funds to enrich themselves.
President Yar'Adua told two former Niger Delta state governors to undergo Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) investigations before he would consider nominating them for ministerial appointments."
Next: The fear of Obasanjo
"The arrest of Bayelsa State Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha in London has unnerved some of his fellow pro-Atiku southern governors. His interception abroad, where he does not enjoy constitutional immunity, has not only sullied the attraction of frequent travel (one of the governors' favored pastimes), but is causing many of them to rethink the wisdom of backing a retreating Atiku against a surging Obasanjo. Many of them probably would have turned tail and angled toward Obasanjo but for his storied vindictiveness. They cannot be certain if, in running to him, they would not be running into his hard clutches rather than the accepting embrace of a magnanimous chief executive for his prodigal junior executives."
The Telegraph: Indian politicians 'bought votes with cash tucked inside newspapers'
"Indian political leaders admitted widespread electoral corruption and told American diplomats how they had bought votes with cash tucked inside morning newspapers, according to cables disclosed by WikiLeaks.
In conversations with US diplomats, the son of India's powerful home minister P. Chidambaram and an aide to a senior leader of one of the main coalition partners allegedly explained how the main parties in Tamil Nadu state routinely bribe voters to clinch close elections."
Aftenposten: DEFENSE MINISTER KOIKE COMMENTS ON ELECTION FALLOUT, F-22, CHINA
"Defense Minister Yuriko Koike, meeting with former U.S. Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert on August 6, said that opposition control of the Diet´s Upper House would generate some "turmoil," particularly true with respect to the renewal of the antiterrorism legislation authorizing Japan´s Self-Defense Forces to support the multinational mission in Afghanistan. She stressed that Japan hoped to buy the F-22 fighter aircraft from the United States not just to obtain a "new toy" but because it would enhance Japan´s defense capabilities. Koike also noted that the Japanese were endeavoring to establish a new apparatus to secure information and intelligence in the light of recent leaks. Koike and Hastert agreed on the importance of engaging China on environmental, economic, and military issues, and Koike indicated that Japan was looking forward to a visit by China´s defense minister as well as a Chinese ship visit in the near future."
Aftenposten: JAPAN: NUCLEAR POWER: EARTHQUAKE CAUSES FIRE AND LEAK OF RADIOACTIVE WATER AT NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
"The July 16, 2007 earthquake in western Japan caused a fire and radiation leak at Kashiwazki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) and METI ordered that the plant remain closed until pending safety checks. Reports by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) that the radiation posed no environmental hazard were confirmed by Post´s contact at Japan´s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA). NISA´s report to the IAEA, also forwarded to Post, reported that four of the plants seven reactors were operating at the time of the quake, and that all four tripped and automatically shut down. NISA reported a leak of radioactive water on the third floor of the reactor building of unit 6 (which was down for routine maintenance). The radioactivity discharged to the sea is estimated at approximately 60,000Bq in 1.2 cubic meters of water. The fire broke out in a transformer that supplies electricity to unit 3."
Aftenposten: JAPAN: NUCLEAR POWER: ADDITIONAL MISHAPS AT KASHIWAZAKI-KARIWA
"On July 17, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) announced additional problems that occurred at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant in Niigata Prefecture due to the powerful earthquake that hit the prefecture on July 16. However, Japanese government sources indicated to ESTOFF that these problems pose no increased threat to the environment or human safety based on their current understanding of the situation."
Aftenposten: The Japan Economic Scope
"This cable contains the Japan Economic Scope from July 26, 2007."
Aftenposten: Official Discusses Japan´s "Confused" Political Situation, East China Sea and More
"This cable contains the Japan Economic Scope from August 23, 2007."
La Jornada: Leyzaola pactó con los rivales de El Teo (Leyzaola made an agreement with the rivals of "The Teo")
"Washington duda de la conducta del actual director de Seguridad Pública en Juárez. (Washington doubts about the current Juárez Secretary of Public Security's behavior.)"
Read more (Spanish) Google Translate
El País: Japón solo revisó tres veces en 35 años las medidas antisísmicas de sus nucleares (Japan revised only three times in 35 years seismic measures of its nuclear [facilities])
"Japón tenía un punto débil en sus centrales nucleares y el Organismo Internacional de la Energía Atómica (OIEA) se lo dejó bien dicho durante un encuentro celebrado en Tokio en diciembre de 2008. En un cable difundido por Wikileaks, la Embajada de Estados Unidos informaba de que el OIEA advirtió de que las guías de seguridad contra los seísmos sólo habían sido revisadas tres veces en los últimos 35 años. El organismo insistió en que Japón debería aprender de "las experiencias recientes". (Japan had a weak point in its nuclear plants and the International Energy Agency (IAEA) made it very clear during a meeting in Tokyo in December 2008. In a cable released by Wikileaks, the U.S. Embassy reported that the IAEA warned that safety guidelines against earthquakes had been updated only three times in the past 35 years. The agency insisted that Japan should learn from "recent experiences.")"
Read more (Spanish) Google Translate
(Image Credit: Dali Rău)
2011-03-17 Bradley Manning Rallies this weekend
As Human Rights Watch joins Amnesty in calling for the US to explain or desist from the abuse of Bradley Manning, support for Manning has increased around the world. MP Ann Clywd questioned UK Foreign Secretary William Hague regarding Manning's treatment at the meeting of the House of Commons’ Foreign Affairs Committee yesterday (transcript available at UK Friends of Bradley Manning) and she again brought up his treatment today, this time by formally requesting during Business Questions in the Commons that a debate be held on the conditions of Manning's detention. She explicitly compared Manning's treatment to that "meted out" to prisoners at Guantanamo. In his reply, Sir George Young, leader of the House of Commons, did not disavow the comparison to practices at Guantanamo. He said that the concerns conveyed by Clwyd are "widely shared" and agreed that Manning's case was a "suitable subject for debate" in the Commons.
Evidence of international concern is shown in the support for Bradley Manning Day below. For the current conditions of his detainment, and the new charges brought against him, please read Is Bradley Manning being treated like a Guantanamo detainee? For additional WL Central coverage, go here. To read an article by former Australian diplomat Tony Kevin on Manning's detainment, go here. To send an appeal to Cecil B. Wilson, MD, president of the American Medical Association regarding the abuse of medical diagnoses and treatments for torture, written by our correspondent from Holland, go here. For the Amnesty call to action go here.
If you wish to attend a rally and there is none near you, you can start your own by creating an event page somewhere with the date, time and location, and contact us and BradleyManning.org to promote it. Here are ideas to help.
2011-03-17 Human Rights Watch: US must explain conditions of Bradley Manning's confinement
Human Rights Watch has issued a statement demanding that the US government explain the "extremely restrictive and possibly punitive and degrading treatment" of PFC Bradley Manning in pre-trial detention at Quantico Marine base in Virginia:
According to regulations governing operation of the brig issued by the secretary of the Navy, when a prisoner has been assessed to no longer pose a suicide risk by a medical officer they should be returned to appropriate quarters. According to a complaint filed by Manning, on 16 occasions military mental health professionals recommended that he be removed from POI status. While Manning's complaint was made public by his lawyer, the brig commander has not released the brig's formal response to his allegations. If Manning agrees to the release of medical or mental health information that would otherwise be confidential to protect his privacy, the government should immediately make public its rationale for his continued POI status.
... The new charges filed against Manning, for which the death penalty is possible, include aiding the enemy, even though Manning allegedly provided documents to WikiLeaks, not an agent of a government or armed group at war with the US. The removal of Manning's underwear during the evenings began the same day the additional charges were filed.
The language of the HRW statement approaches that of the ACLU's warning that Manning's treatment may be unconstitutional, as we reported here. That report has been updated with news of Ann Clwyd's question in the House of Commons today, the leader's lack of objection to her comparison between Manning's situation and that of prisoners at Guantanamo, and a transcript and video of Clwyd's exchange yesterday in committee with Foreign Minister William Hague.
2011-03-17 New evidence further incriminates the Government of Colombia in illegal wiretapping scandal
The Department of Administrative Security (DAS) of Colombia was used as a tool for domestic spying on various occasions during the Government of Alvaro Uribe (2002-2010). For example, #09BOGOTA849 states that, “CTI investigators reportedly found evidence that since 2004, the DAS had a unit dedicated to spying on groups and individuals considered a threat to the GOC. Originally known as the "G-3" group, the unit did not officially exist and reported only to the DAS director or the deputies in charge of intelligence and counterintelligence. "Semana" reported that besides numerous leftist groups and politicians, the G-3 also collected information on Supreme and Constitutional Court magistrates, Colombian Army officials, and their relatives. The unit was disbanded in late 2005 after a similar domestic spying scandal, but the article claims DAS continued domestic spying through the "National and International Group for Observation and Verification" (GONI) set up in 2006.”
The biggest scandal came in 2009 after weekly publication Semana broke the news that DAS had spied on Supreme Court Auxiliary Magistrate Ivan Velazquez and other leading magistrates that were working on a case investigating links between top level officials of GOC and paramilitary leaders. According to #09BOGOTA688, Semana stated that Velazquez “was followed by DAS detectives and may have had as many as 1900 of his calls illegally tapped over two years”. This quickly led to accusations by the Court that the Government of Colombia was trying to cover up its high level connections to right wing terrorist organizations. The Government denied its involvement in the scheme and was then placed under serious pressure to control DAS, to which Ex-President Uribe complied by placing them under the jurisdiction of the Colombian National Police (CNP) as well as by creating an investigative commission that vowed to identify the culprits.
However, in the same cable Ambassador Brownfield states that high level Government members were behind the plot:“XXXXXXXXXXXX told us that former DAS subdirector Jose Manuel Narvaez--a "paramilitary advisor" who left DAS in 2005 after a previous scandal--had retained access to the agency after his departure and was the Casa de Narino's main liaison with DAS. XXXXXXXXXXXX alleged that Narvaez's Casa de Narino contact was probably Gaviria or Secretary of the Presidency Bernardo Moreno”
This version is strengthened by #09BOGOTA849:
“Local journalist Felix deBedout told us former DAS sub-director Jose Narvaez was behind the original domestic espionage operation and continued to control GONI after his departure from the DAS in 2005”.
Also, in cable #09BOGOTA3271:
“Though he had no proof, and at this time it was his mere conjecture, XXXXXXXXXXXX said he suspected Uribe's Secretary of the Presidency Bernardo Moreno and possibly advisor Jose Obdulio Gaviria had ordered the illegal surveillance. XXXXXXXXXXX said he would pursue the investigation wherever it leads”.
The veracity of the statement is confirmed by Brownfield himself in a comment at the end of the text, saying that, “this falls in the category of informed speculation, but speculation from XXXXXXXXXXXX has a pretty good track record for success”.
Bernardo Moreno was convicted and sentenced to an 18 year ban from public office. Jose Obdulio Gaviria and along with some other of Ex- President Uribe´s advisors are still being investigated by the Prosecutor General´s office.
Uribe´s role in the whole matter has never been determined clearly. Cable #09BOGOTA1618 , however, suggests that he might have had an active involvement in previous spying scandals. Andres Peñate, DAS chief from 2005 to 2007 is quoted as saying that “President Uribe never pressured him to report on the domestic opposition, but did encourage him to coordinate with Gaviria in 2006 when the GOC began to encounter political problems because of the reelection debate. Penate claimed he resigned from the DAS rather than deal with the pressure to use the DAS for domestic political purposes from Gaviria, Moreno, and other presidential advisors”.
Peñate also told U.S. officials that Uribe had made a mistake by opening up the DAS archive to the Prosecutor General´s office because now their investigative commission had access to ex DAS chief Jorge Noguera (2002 – 2005). He also says that these “toxic” files also confirm public reports that Narvaez ordered DAS to provide an armored car to former paramilitary leader Jorge 40 and passed "hit lists" to paramilitary forces. Other information now in the CTI's possession confirms the role of senior DAS official in Santa Marta in the 2004 murder of Alfredo Correa de Andreis, a union official and professor in Barranquilla”.
Peñate incriminates the Colombian government and Uribe even further by saying that “the slowness of the Fiscalia's prosecution of Noguera to GOC pressure on Iguaran not to proceed. Penate believes the pressure reflects the fact that Noguera provided political intelligence to the GOC during the first reelection effort, including intercepts of two Constitutional Court magistrates”
2011-03-17 US Coal Giant Accused of Trade Unionist Killings Asked Diplomat for Help Combating Bad Publicity
On March 12, 2001, in Colombia, then-president and vice president of Sintramienergetica, were both picked up by men of the the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), a terrorist paramilitary force in Colombia that has at this point been mostly dissolved. According to El Espectador, a Colombian newspaper (that has partnered with WikiLeaks), the trade unionist leaders were murdered in Locarno and transported in a van to Orcasita where they were found dead hours after being killed.
Sintramienergetica is a trade union that has workers that do labor for a US company based in Alabama, Drummond Coal. The history between the trade union and the coal giant has been tumultuous. Paramilitary leaders alleged to be responsible for the murders of the two trade unionists have gone on trial with Drummond being accused of handing over a suitcase of money to leader Rodrigo Tovar Pupo asking him to help “remove barriers” the union was creating for the company.
Plaintiffs, children of those killed, have been pursuing a civil suit against Drummond that goes after the company for “paying the right-wing United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) to protect their business interests in the Cesar and Magdalena provinces of Colombia, and to terrorize and murder innocent residents in the region who they perceived as sympathetic to leftist guerilla groups and supportive of local union organizations.” The plaintiffs also contend Colombia military (funded by US taxpayers) and paramilitary forces” have been supporting Drummond.
Cables from WikiLeaks show the president of Drummond, Augusto Jimenez, sought help in October 2009 from the US in combating “publicity” linking the company to the murders of the two trade unionists. Jimenez emphasizes the fact that those charging Drummond was involved had lost their civil suit in the US.
While there is no comment from the diplomat to indicate sympathy, the diplomat does not diminish the concerns of Jimenez about "publicity":
Commercial and Economic Counselors met with the President of Drummond in Colombia, Augusto Jimenez, to discuss recent allegations made against the company -- the largest U.S. investor in Colombia. The U.S. coal firm directly employs an estimated 4,200 workers and provides indirect employment to another 12,000 people. Jimenez expressed frustration over publicity given to recent testimony by a convicted mastermind in the 2001 murders of two labor leaders in SINTRAMIENERGETICA at Drummond. Jimenez noted the testimony raised the same allegations of which the company was absolved in a 2007 U.S. federal court decision in Alabama. The testimony was presented in Alabama on September 22, 2009, in an effort to reopen the U.S. case.
While there is no comment from the diplomat to indicate sympathy, the diplomat does not diminish the concerns of Jimenez.
Jimenez describes how “company executives are distraught over repeated allegations of Drummond’s involvement in the murders” and notes this is not the first time the company has been linked. He attempts to debunk what he considers to be rumors by highlighting “the sworn testimony in the United States by Jim Atkins and Drummond executives, including Jimenez, indicating that the company did not have any agreement or involvement with paramilitaries in Colombia, nor any involvement in the murder of the two labor leaders.”
Specifically, the Drummond president is upset with a Los Angeles Times editorial, “Murder in Colombia and a US multinational,” that more than implies a connection between the death of the two men in Colombia and the coal giant. The editorial explains:
Colombia is the most dangerous place in the world to be a union organizer. In the last 17 years, more than 2,700 teachers, farmworkers, coal miners and other laborers have paid with their lives for seeking rights that Americans have long taken for granted, such as safe working conditions. During that same period, there were more than 4,000 reported death threats against labor leaders, 350 disappearances and kidnappings, and 75 cases of torture.
The editorial goes on to laud the significance of the suit:
… it is significant that a judge in Colombia has asked the attorney general to launch a criminal investigation of top executives at Alabama-based Drummond Co., a multinational coal company. At issue is whether Drummond executives collaborated with the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC in Spanish), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, to murder union leaders organizing the Drummond coal mine in La Loma in 2001. Relatives of three slain men, Valmore Locarno, Victor Orcasita and Gustavo Soler, sued Drummond in Birmingham and lost -- proof, the company says, of its innocence. But new evidence has emerged: In sworn affidavits, ex-paramilitary soldiers are naming top Drummond executives as having requisitioned and paid for two of the murders. The company says those allegations are false.
On the basis of the new information, another wrongful-death suit was brought against the company in May in Birmingham. But a civil action in the United States is no substitute for a criminal investigation in Colombia. The perilous environment for workers there exists not only because of the violence they face but the historical impunity of their attackers…
Jimenez talks about some of the individuals that have been suggesting Drummond is guilty of involvement in the killings. He mentions Rafael Garcia, a former Administrative Security Department (DAS) employee who has claimed publicly that he met with a paramilitary leader and handed over a suitcase of money asking for “labor problems” to be eliminated. According to Jimenez, Garcia changed his story later so is story should be doubted.
Garcia, according to a story written by Forbes reporter Frank Bajak published in July 2007, “pleaded guilty to charges including money laundering and erasing the records of wanted drug traffickers.” He has claimed to “have engineered a massive vote fraud in 2002 that favored Uribe and congressional candidates also supported by the paramilitaries.” [Garcia has also spoken out about Colombian intelligence involvement in working to engineer a coup in Venezuela.]
The diplomat notes two other individuals involved in the case surrounding the murders of two trade unionists: Jairo de Jesus Charris Castro “whose testimony was presented to the court in Alabama,” and Jaime Blanco, who at the time was chief for a cafeteria contract service at Drummond.
Castro was sentenced in August 2009 to thirty years in prison for being the one who led the paramilitaries responsible for committing the murders. Jimenez contends that Castro “demanded in an email that Drummond provide him money in exchange for not accusing Drummond of being involved in the murders; Charris stated that he had been offered money by the union to tell his story to "La Semana" magazine. Jimenez said he notified Colombian authorities, who tapped Jimenez's phone and computer and traced the communications to Charris. In one email, Charris admits to coordinating the operation against the labor leaders.”
In November of 2009, according to Platts Coal Outlook, Drummond essentially won its seven-year court battle when Judge R. David Proctor of the US District Court for the Northern District of Alabama “dismissed one lawsuit against the coal company over its alleged connection to the deaths of union leaders in Colombia because the suit lacked standing.” While Judge Proctor gave the plaintiffs the ability to introduce more evidence and file a second lawsuit that would return Drummond to court, the court did not seem to think the plaintiffs desire to collect “equitable relief and damage” under the Torture Victims Protection Act, the Alien Tort Claims Act and Colombian wrongful death law had much merit.
That the case was heard in court was significant. As noted by the International Labor Rights Forum, the case marked “the first time an American company [had] gone before a jury in a U.S. court for alleged abuses committed abroad.”
A US diplomatic visit to the Port of Santa Marta on February 18 and 19 in 2009, detailed in a cable, includes a stop at Drummond’s coal shipping port. The diplomat that visits expresses no concern then over the possibility that Drummond is cooperating with paramilitary forces, even though a case has been in the news for the past few years. Instead, port expansion and increased production that would lead to the addition of rail line from Drummond’s mine to the port is discussed.
The diplomat notes:
…Since 1996, Drummond has invested USD 1 billion and increased production from 8 million tons to 22 million tons in 2008, expecting production to reach 25 million tons in 2009. Norman noted Drummond transportation -- responsible for moving coal 192km from the mine to the port -- has 1,000 direct and 4,500 indirect employees and 35 locomotives and 1,500 gondolas, while Drummond mining has 3,000 direct and 5,000 indirect employees. Norman said that at upon his arrival in 2003, Drummond coal transport trains were attacked weekly; however, cooperation with the military, President's office, and the improving security situation has resulted in no attacks since 2004…
Drummond plans to expand production significantly with the opening of its new El Descanso field, targeted to start production in 2009. This field would enable Drummond to eventually increase annual production to 40 million tons per year. The expansion, Norman added, should increase employment by 2.3 percent in mining and 1.8 percent in transportation this year alone. Norman said price fluctuations should not be a factor in their expansion plans, as Drummond is profitable with world prices at USD 35 per ton (the current price is USD 65). Drummond also has premium coal, with a sulfur content of 0.37 percent vs. the 0.57 percent average, leading to high demand from its EU and U.S. customers.
The diplomat predicts Drummond’s expansion will turn Colombia, which is already “the world’s fifth largest coal exporter,” into the third largest exporter by 2012. It is noted that Drummond exports a third of the country’s coal.
A motive certainly exists for Drummond to turn to paramilitary forces (or at least the Colombia military) to help preserve profits. Colombia is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous places for a trade unionist. On May 22, 2006, four thousand coal workers from Drummond, Inc. began a strike. The Deputy Chief of Mission, who was leading Drummond’s Colombian operations, did not find the union’s demands to reasonable. In a May 2006 cable detailing Drummond’s handling of the strike, the diplomat writes:
Although XXXXXXXXXXXX said Drummond was not yet "deeply concerned" over the strike, the company, its contractors, and the national economy are facing significant financial losses. He doubted that the company would be able to make up for lost production as the company was already operating at 100 percent capacity, and estimated that the company is suffering daily coal production losses of approximately 70,000 tons, with lost revenue to be about 3.5 million USD daily. According to the company, its domestic and international suppliers are losing approximately 2.8 million USD daily and the GOC is suffering over 250,000 USD daily losses in sales, income, and import tax revenue.
ColombiaReports.com reported in September 2010 on a paramilitary member that testified in court that Drummond had “congratulated members” on murder of the trade unionists. It noted that five paramilitary members had been convicted and that “Samario,” a paramilitary on trial for involvement in the killings, was thanked for helping with the double homicide.
The AUC was declared a terrorist organization in 2002.
Chiquita has also been implicated in the killings of trade unionists by paramilitary members. So, it's not unreasonable to suggest that Drummond has asked paramilitary forces to help protect business.
To date, no executives from Drummond have been convicted for involvement in the killings.
Photo a screenshot of photo from El Espectador.
2011-03-17 WikiLeaks Forum at Sydney Town Hall 16 March 2011
Wednesday's forum on the tribulations surrounding WikiLeaks was timely and a much-needed shot in the arm for political discourse in Australia.
Framed through the lens of Julian Assange and WikiLeaks' David and Goliath struggle against the machine, the dominant theme of the night was the questioning of Australia's political identity and sovereignty in its unbalanced relationship with the United States, and how this imbalance has manifested itself in the lack of political and legal support provided to its citizens. Hence, some parallels between Julian Assange and previous Gitmo detainees David Hicks (present in the audience) and Mamdouh Habib were repeatedly made. On some levels, this may be seen as incongruous - Hicks and Habib were terror suspects, whereas Assange, despite hostile rhetoric, has not been accused of terrorism by a prosecuting authority - but the import of drawing these parallels is the same.
Open to the public, the seats inside Sydney's stately Town Hall filled up quickly, no doubt due to the caliber of the panelists rather than the rain pouring outside. The night's proceedings were emceed by Mark Kostakidis, veteran of Australian public broadcaster SBS. The speakers were the award-winning journalist John Pilger, member for Australian Federal Parliament and famous Iraq war whistleblower Andrew Wilkie, and tireless human-rights campaigner Julian Burnside QC.
Indeed, there were no "hawks" on the panel to provide opposition to the overall theme of libertarianism - not that the audience present minded, for this forum was a chance to escape the endless diatribes of said hawks, who are already in the privileged position of being able to pollute the airwaves, print and the web, stifling such fora under hackneyed pretexts of "national security" (to name but one).
Despite persistent claims that prominent WikiLeaks supporters are essentially leftist idealists, the forum reiterated that such simplistic assertions are logically unsound, as the problems highlighted by the WikiLeaks controversy, and elucidated upon so properly by the panelists, show that all strata of society are deeply implicated and affected by the omission of truth and its consequences.
Kostakidis began by opening with a statement from Amnesty International. The statement, like that of the other panelists tonight, did not mince words. Amnesty advise they give full support to WikiLeaks as a journalistic entity and are appalled by the conditions of Bradley Manning's incarceration. Kostakidis gave an impassioned opening of her own, asserting WikiLeaks's previous triumphs in reportage; that WikiLeaks has effectively changed the balance of power between people and their "governors" - and the course of history itself - citing the Tunisian revolution as an example.
Kostakidis then asked the audience whether they believe WikiLeaks has put anyone in danger with their publications. The collective answer was a boisterous "NO!" which resounded throughout the hall.
John Pilger lead his address by holding up a piece of paper to the audience, telling us it was a classified document from the UK Ministry of Defence, leaked to WikiLeaks, outlining the greatest threats to Western governments. Pilger revealed that, among the expected bête noires of terrorism, including even "the Russians" (which drew laughs from the crowd), the group actually topping this list is journalists. More laughter ensued. This assessment, leaked from officialdom itself, is irony at its apotheosis: absurd yet honest and realistic all at once. As a matter of fact, anyone in power should be afraid of journalists. What is the point otherwise? As Pilger noted, "The real threat is the right to call your government to account."
An eloquent orator, Pilger covered a lot of ground in little time, connecting the roots of deceit in the mainstream media that are fed by false PR (Edward Bernays' propaganda) to infamous manifestations of this deceit - such as the Australian PM Robert Menzies' assurances to the Australian public in the 1960s that Saigon had begged for Australian military intervention, which was a lie. "Imagine if we had WikiLeaks then?" Pilger mused. The real problem, Pilger stated, is that "governments hate the democracy of knowledge" that WikiLeaks represents.
Describing Assange's legal troubles in Sweden as "Kafka-esque," Pilger declared the risk of his ending up in Gitmo is a very real one. Pilger leveled a special charge against Attorney General Robert McClelland: "He knows full well that the circumstances of JA's problems in Sweden STINK." Now on a roll, Pilger shone a torch on Sweden's complicity with the US, calling the Swedish PM a "war-mongering mate" of George W. Bush (Karl Rove also got a mention), and on illegal arrangements for rendition cases between Sweden and the US.
Yet the mainstream press in Australia has made scant mention of this, laments Pilger, choosing instead to focus on Gillard's fawning speech to the US Congress. The US has crushed fifty governments since the Second World War, and Australia continues to show deference to them regardless of who is prime minister, he thundered.
Andrew Wilkie spoke of the immense support from across the political spectrum he received when he publicly criticized Julia Gillard's position on WikiLeaks last year. While he still has reservations about the totality with which WL publishes information, the overriding public concern is "over the abuse of the rule of law and the contempt for the presumption of innocence."
Wilkie also equated political antagonism for WikiLeaks with the wider drift towards internet censorship in Australia, stating that the proposed internet filter "is inconsistent with the nature of the internet" and the persecution of Julian Assange is an extension of this trajectory.
As befits his personal history, Wilkie clearly has the civic duty of whistleblowing close to his heart as a political and juridical issue.
In comparison to the US, he argued, whistleblowing is "still a dirty word in Australia." Culturally, there is no heroism in being a truth-teller in a country that otherwise so convincingly conveys an egalitarian spirit. Wilkie pointed out that this culture is reflected in Australian law: federal public servants still face the threat of up to two years in prison for daring to speak out, and journalists can expect up to seven years for publishing that information.
Wilkie expressed dismay that shield laws to protect journalists and their sources were recently passed in Australia only because it was in the Gillard government's "political self-interest to do so" - referring to the now populous parliamentary crossbench that provides a counterpoint to the two major parties.
The final panelist to speak was Julian Burnside, esteemed Australian barrister and human-rights advocate. Appropriately, Burnside's homily transported this writer to an imagined courtroom during a history-changing case of yore. On trial tonight was not Julian Assange but rather his governors. Burnside started off simply by asserting that Wikileaks has broken no laws in Australia, nor has it done so in the United States, despite well-publicized histrionics by those aforementioned hawks.
Then the courtroom seduction began. Burnside, his barrister's wig firmly on (in the metaphorical sense), tells the crowd that our current systems of law are based on the Hobbesian and Lockean schools of thought. "People surrender some of their individual autonomy in exchange for protection from the state." Clearly, this contract has been perverted. Julia Gillard's actions serve as a "converse of treason," for in her abandonment of Assange as a citizen, she has failed to uphold her part of the social contract as a governor.
Much like Pilger, Burnside is clearly up to speed with the machinations behind Assange's case in Sweden. Citing recent articles by feminist author and activist Naomi Wolf on the case, Burnside remarked that never before has a man accused, not convicted, of rape been imprisoned without bail before questioning.
He told the audience of the farce played out by Swedish authorities at the behest of the US - with Sweden deciding to apply for extradition only when the US was sufficiently embarrassed by Cablegate. "Anyone who thinks this extradition is for a sex crime has been living in sad isolation," he declared. More peals of wry laughter erupted from the crowd.
The main arc of Burnside's speech was that the public bears the greatest responsibility for improving this situation, and only when we overcome our passivity in the face of such injustices will we see results. Christine Assange had called Burnside that day to pass along a message: Contact your local member of Parliament and demand answers about what is being done to protect Assange as an Australian citizen.
Burnside assured the crowd that he knows what it's like to be weary in the face of such oppression. As my time was running short, I wasn't able to stick around too long after the floor opened to the audience. But as I walked out of the hall, Burnside's words echoed in my ears: "Never give up."
UPDATE:
2011-03-17 WikiLeaks in today's media: Cablegate coverage
Next: US view of Nigeria's most influential persons
"Understanding who matters, not what matters, is often the half the battle in Nigeria. Perhaps more than any other country on the subcontinent, Nigeria has hundreds upon hundreds of politicians, businessmen, retired military generals, and traditional leaders who wield tremendous influence and can shape the outcome of whatever current crisis is threatening to unsettle the country. Nigeria is now is at a crossroads, and a rocky one at that. Leadership is lacking; elites, especially the northerners, are anxious about President Yar'Adua's health: and people are worried about the "what next?" scenario -- if Yar'Adua's election is overturned or he becomes incapacitated or dies in office. For a country with a tradition of strongmen with strong personalities as its leaders, there is some disquiet over the state of affairs at the moment However, we find that Nigerian governors and other state officials are concerned primarily with issues directly affecting their states. We see an indifference about what goes on in Abuja from a number of state leaders and governors, who have taken state autonomy to new levels. These governors, plus other members of the elite such as businessmen, military and traditional leaders, and politicians all are pieces of the puzzle. These individuals, whether they are competing against each other or uniting in pursuit of some common political or economic goal, will determine how Nigeria will weather this stormy period. As the Supreme Court nears a decision on the 2007 presidential election and predictions about the President's health become more dire, the Mission has put together a list of leaders who would play a major role in keeping Nigeria either on track, off track, or trying to put it back on track, since it has certainly lost its way over the past 12 months. Therefore, below is the Mission's back-of-the-envelope list of some three dozen Nigerians, separated into seven overarching categories, who are going to be critical in the next couple of months. (Note: the names in each of the sections are NOT/NOT listed in order of importance.)"
Next: Jonathan missing from US list of most influential Nigerians
"Although he was the nation’s number two citizen at the time, the United States did not consider Goodluck Jonathan worthy of inclusion in a list of our country’s most influential personalities of the period. On October 24, 2008, former US ambassador Robin Sanders sent a cable to her principals in Washington detailing “a list of Nigerian leaders who would play a major role in keeping Nigeria either on track, off track, or trying to put it back on track”.
Justifying the rationale for drawing up the list, Ms. Sanders said, “Understanding who matters, not what matters, is often half the battle in Nigeria”."
Aftenposten: SEPARATIST MOVEMENT EMERGES WITHIN BAHRAIN´S LARGEST OPPOSITION SOCIETY
"Following a period of speculation, Nezar Al Baharna, a prominent Shia businessman and former board member of the largest Shia opposition political society Al Wifaq, confirmed to the press in late August that he planned to establish a new political society called the Society of Justice and Development. Soon after, four other prominent Shia, businessman Jala Haji Hassan Al A´ali, leading cleric Seyad Deya´a Al Mousawi, Al Wifaq founding member Jawad Fairooz, and Chairman of the Central Governorates Municipal Council Nabeel Sayed, either publicly announced or indicated to PolOFF that they also intended to join the new society. In response, members of Al Wifaq staged a sit-in at its headquarters on September 1 to protest Al Baharna´s move."
Aftenposten: MINISTER OF INTERIOR DISCUSSES CT, SAUDI ARABIA, IRAN WITH AMBASSADOR
"Minister of Interior Shaikh Rashid, in a January 16 meeting with the Ambassador, said he had been surprised by the January 12 release of terror suspect Yassir Kemal, but promised close surveillance on his activities. He urged that we move forward on setting up a CTOC, expressing hope that an FBI assistance team will come to Bahrain soon. He said that both Saudi Arabia and Iran are wary of Bahrain´s reform process, Saudi Arabia because it does not like falling behind its smaller neighbor and Iran because the reforms bring Bahrain closer to the U.S. He said it will be important to encourage Shia participation in the 2006 elections, but that a meeting by State Department officials with a Shia rejectionist risked sending the wrong message. He emphasized how much Bahrainis appreciated that President Bush received King Hamid in November just after the election."
Aftenposten: REFORM IN BAHRAIN: [TEXT REMOVED BY AFTENPOSTEN] EDITOR HIGHLIGHTS THE CHALLENGES
"Independent newspaper editor [TEXT REMOVED BY AFTENPOSTEN], in a June 28 discussion with the Ambassador, gave a wide-ranging review of the complexities and challenges facing King Hamad as he pursues reform in Bahrain. On the one hand, the King faces challenges from his two uncles: Prime Minister Khalifa and Shaikh Mohammed. The King has been quietly trying to erode the economic power of the Prime Minister, moving PM cronies out of Cabinet positions and granting enhanced powers to the Economic Development Board (overseen by Crown Prince Salman). The PM, however, has allies sprinkled throughout the bureaucracies, and it would be wrong, [TEXT REMOVED BY AFTENPOSTEN] cautioned, to count him out just yet. The other uncle, Shaikh Mohammed, who is in a coma, has long lived outside the law and his financial interests are being ed and advanced by his children. One son, Shaikh Hamad, was at the center of a recent controversy over a wall built in a Shia village that cut off access to the sea. [TEXT REMOVED BY AFTENPOSTEN] led the charge against the uncle, which resulted in a rare retreat by a powerful Royal Family member."
Aftenposten: GOB TEMPORARILY CLOSES ISLAMIC ACTION SOCIETY FOLLOWING EVENT "HONORING" COUP PLOTTERS
"The Shia rejectionist Islamic Action Society (IAS) held a ceremony June 29 to "honor" 73 people convicted in the early 1980´s of attempting to topple the government. Spiritual advisor Sayed Mohammed Hadi Mudarasi telephoned in from Iran and reportedly called for an end to Shia suffering in Bahrain and urged his listeners to "gain their rights." Minister of Labor Majeed Al Alawi (a Shia) told the Ambassador July 4 that activist Abdul Hadi Al Khawaja spoke at the event and insulted the prime minister using "foul language." Al Alawi also said that leading Shia opposition society Al Wifaq Vice President Hassan Mushaima gave a speech asserting that the Al Khalifas are not Bahrainis. (Note: The family came from Qatar to Bahrain in 1783.) Al Alawi said comments like these are aimed at creating conflict between groups in society."
Aftenposten: FRIDAY PRAYERS CANCELED IN PROTEST OF NEW LAW
"Eight political societies, including the boycotting opposition and two somewhat pro-government groups, held a silent protest July 29 against the recently passed Political Societies Law. Leading Shi´a clerics set a precedent by canceling their Friday prayers July 29 in protest against the new law, which they labeled as anti-reform. Youth societies have organized a campaign to amend the section of the law requiring political society members to be at least 21 years old. The Islamiya bloc in parliament vowed to present amendments to the law in the upcoming parliamentary session."
Aftenposten: LUNCHEON WITH KING HAMAD
"King Hamad, during a March 13 luncheon, had high praise for the U.S. and its positive role in maintaining stability in the Gulf. "Without you," he stated, "we´d be squashed." He made clear his concern for Iran, both as a regional power and as a meddling force inside Bahrain. Iran can be expected to bluster, but it is important to stand strong and deal with Iran from a position of strength. Kuwaiti Amir Shaikh Sabah´s initial tour of the Gulf (he visited Bahrain March 12) was aimed in part at continuing his mission of improving relations between Saudi Arabia and its smaller GCC partners. The King lamented that his relationship with the UAE was not as personal or as close following the death of Shaikh Zayid. Domestically, the King welcomed expected participation by leading Shia opposition society Al-Wifaq in this year´s parliamentary elections, and recounted that he had recently tried to encourage one of the few remaining opposition figures still in exile in London to come back. He stated that it was high time to pass a family law aimed at providing legal protection to women in Bahrain."
Aftenposten: GOVERNMENT VIEWS ARRESTS AS SENDING A SIGNAL TO ACTIVISTS
"In separate discussions, Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid and Industry and Commerce Minister Fakhro both told the Ambassador that the government arrested Shia activists Mushaima and Al Khawaja to rein in their unlawful activities, which the government believes have become increasingly defiant. Shaikh Khalid stressed the arrests had nothing to do with the government´s relations with the broader Shia community and cited the helpful role Shia political society Al Wifaq has played. A journalist told the Ambassador that elements within the ruling Al Khalifa family are furious at the activists for their continuing to "carry on," and are angry at the King for allowing this to happen and for his previous leniency with Shia hardliners. In a press conference, Mushaima and Al Khawaja shifted the focus from their alleged crimes to their right of freedom of speech and calls for an investigation of accusations against government figures contained in the September 2006 Al Bandar report. With battle lines hardening on this case, and an already difficult regional environment, relations between Bahrain´s Sunni and Shia communities could become increasingly tense."
Aftenposten: A FIELD GUIDE TO BAHRAINI POLITICAL PARTIES
"This message describes the leading political groupings in Bahrain. The Wifaq party remains the most popular party among the majority Shi´a underclass and advocates non-violent political activism on behalf of the Shi´a community. Two Islamist parties dominate the Sunni side of the political scene. Secular liberals and leftists did poorly in the 2006 elections and have demonstrated little recent evidence of street appeal, but continue to maintain high media profiles."
Aftenposten: RIVALS FOR BAHRAIN´S SHI´A STREET: WIFAQ AND HAQ
"Bahrain´s leading Shi´a parties Wifaq and Haq compete for the support of the Shi´a community, which constitutes 60-70 percent of Bahrain´s citizen population. Wifaq engages and cooperates with the government and is at pains to stay on the right side of the law. Some Haq leaders, by contrast, inspire low-level street violence, and call demonstrations that often get out of hand. The GOB and many mainstream Bahraini politicians believe Haq seeks to provoke the authorities and create martyrs. Relations between leaders of Wifaq and Haq, once cordial, are now strained. While Wifaq has the support of most of the Shi´a community, Haq gains strength whenever Wifaq is perceived as ineffective at obtaining redress for Shi´a grievances against the government."
Aftenposten: WAFA´: A NEW SHIA REJECTIONIST MOVEMENT
"The new Shia opposition grouping Wafa´ ("loyalty") is competing with an older radical group for the leadership of the minority of Bahraini Shia who oppose participation in parliament. It poses little threat for the foreseeable future to Wifaq, the mainstream Shia opposition party."
Aftenposten: FREEDOM HOUSE DEMOTES BAHRAIN
"Freedom House announced January 12 that Bahrain had been demoted from "partly free" to "not free" in its 2010 global survey of political rights and civil liberties. Bahrain´s political rights score fell from 5 to 6 (out of 10), triggering the "not free" designation; civil liberties remained at 5. Freedom House asserts that political rights suffered as a result of "harassment of opposition political figures," namely "the arrests of prominent members of the Haq political society," and "worsening sectarian discrimination." The demotion to "not free" surprised officials, politicians, and other embassy sources. Post believes that human rights activists with close ties to the Haq Movement, a Shia rejectionist group, were successful in lobbying Freedom House´s researchers to downgrade Bahrain."
La Jornada: Monopolios de tv y telefonía manipulan al gobierno: EU (Monopolies of television and the industry of communication manipulate the [Mexican] government: United States)
"Los ahora enfrentados gigantes de la telefonía y la televisión tienen algo en común cuando de defender sus intereses se trata. Un despacho de la embajada de Estados Unidos en México lo pone en estos términos: "como ocurre en las telecomunicaciones, existe preocupación de que las dos compañías de televisión dominantes en el país, Televisa y Tv Azteca, que forman un duopolio en el sector, continúen ejerciendo influencia sobre el sistema judicial, el Poder Legislativo y los organismos reguladores para impedir la competencia"."
Read more (Spanish) Google Translate
La Jornada: Enlistan los sectores con privilegios (United States makes a list of the privileged sectors)
"Unas cuantas empresas se reparten jugosas ganancias en nichos clave de la economía. (A few companies share the juicy profits from key spots of the [Mexican] economy.)"
Read more (Spanish) Google Translate
La Jornada: “El Ejército se siente cómodo al dejar que cárteles hagan la guerra” ("The [Mexican] Army is confortable allowing the cartels to make the war")
"Informó cónsul de EU sobre paramilitares en Ciudad Juárez. (The American consul informed about para-militars in Juárez.)"
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(Image Credit: Dali Rău)
2011-03-18 Bulgarian Organized Crime Uncensored
Bulgarian translation here.
As described in an article on WL Central yesterday, 2011-03-17 Unredacted cable from Sofia shows the total invasion of the state by organized crime, a cable which had 3/4 of its text redacted by the Guardian has now been published in full. This WL Central writer is also a member of the web site Bivol which published the unredacted cable.
Why did The Guardian and Le Monde Conceal Information about Crime in Bulgaria?
The stated policy of Wikileaks is to not publish the original texts of the cables, but rather censored versions, edited by the teams of their partner media, after the latter have examined the content of the documents. This way media, known for their professionalism and good reputation, offer a guarantee the names of informers and third parties and their identities would not be revealed.
Wikileaks have chosen this model in order to not endanger the lives of intelligence agents and informers as it happened after the publication of documents about the US and its allies’ military operation in Afghanistan. At the time, even staunch supporters of freedom of speech, such as “Reporters without Borders,” voiced strong and grounded criticism of Julian Assange.
One cannot help it, but note that in the published cable from July 7, 2005, the section “Who Is Who in Bulgarian Organized Crime” abounds with censored paragraphs. We can only guess the reason of the Guardian journalists to conceal individuals and businesses the Embassy believes are part of organized crime. The names of these individuals and businesses, along with information about alleged ties with organized crime, are nothing new for the Bulgarian and international audience.
The cable further talks about financing of the election campaign of a certain political party in 2001; but the party’s name is deleted. So are names of cities and towns, the cable lists as being controlled by organized crime. It is unclear what would the exact danger be for the alleged organized crime personalities and politicians connected to them if their names are published. Obviously, in order to receive such protection, they have been, themselves, informers of Pardew. It is even more difficult to understand the Le Monde reasons to conceal an entire cable.
The cover-up of this information does not help the effort for more transparency and civil intolerance for connections between the underworld and the power. This contradicts Wikileaks’ main idea – to make public documents, concealing from society the ulcers of organized crime, corruption, the dirty deals of those in power, and ties of political figures with them.
It will be real pity if it turns out journalists from reputed international media use information, provided by Wikileaks as merchandise, whose value depends on the selection of the precise moment to offer it on the market. It is a fact that recently, a special envoy of the Le Monde, Petr Smolar, emerged in Sofia and met with journalists from the Galeria weekly, interviewed Alexey Petrov while he was still under house arrest and wrote an extensive article about the conflict between Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov and Petrov, with details about the wiretap scandal surrounding the use of special surveillance devices (SRS).
Why Are We Publishing This Text?
Bivol received the uncensored text of James Pardew’s cable, dated July 7, 2005. It was provided for us by the magazine “Russkiy Reporter” (Russian Reporter), which is preparing a publication about the influence of Russian mafia in Bulgaria. The magazine asked us to verify the authenticity of the names and the events, and to prepare comments on the faith of the emblematic organized crime bosses, cited in the cable.
We must note that we have no contract or financial relations with “Russkiy Reporter,” its owners and its sources of information. Our professional contacts end with the work on this particular case: summarizing and offering factual information and our editorial analysis of the cable.
The cable’s authenticity was confirmed by another source – the Norwegian paper Aftenposten, which has independent access to all diplomatic cables leaked through Wikileaks.
We examined in detail the entire text and did not find in it a single name of a person that must be concealed for safety reasons, because they have provided information about organized crime to the American Embassy.
We cannot sign under claims of involvement of the quoted individuals and companies with organized crime, like Ambassador Pardew did – he had available sources and methods of collecting information way beyond the possibilities of journalism.
But, as the readers will see for themselves, the cable talks about the total invasion of the State by organized crime – no more and no less.
The mafia, on its part, has a direct connection with the remnants of the Communist Secret Services (DS) and the Russian ones (KGB); a connection which we can say, without falling in the trap of conspiracy theories, is alive today.
Bulgarians must further know this now, because the signing, with Russian monopolists, of some very controversial from economic and strategic point of view contracts for energy projects is pending: South Stream and the “Belene” Nuclear Power Plant.
These projects were supported by NDSV (the decision to build “Belene” was made personally by Simeon Saxe-Coburg in the beginning of his term), by BSP and the President Parvanov.
In 2005, Ambassador Pardew writes that individuals connected to both Bulgarian organized crime and Russian financial and economic interests in the energy sector have finances political campaigns of NDSV, BSP and President Parvanov in order to maintain their positions. Their names are spelled out in the cable.
We also learn that oligarchs, close to now Prime Minister Borisov are considered by our American partners to be close to Russian intelligence.
It is obvious, the financial influence of these circles is not an isolated occurrence, but rather an event that is reproduced in the political cycle. There is a real threat that it would become a factor during the forthcoming local and presidential elections as well. The voters have the right to know how, by whom, and for what reasons their trust is being transformed.
Assessing the information from the point of view of public interest, we believe the only right thing to do is to publish the full, uncensored text of the cable.
Ambassador Pardew’s Analysis
As it has been said many times already – there is nothing new in the information provided by the secret American diplomatic cables. But the well-known old is offered in detail and systematically. The new, in this case, is that we can find out how one of the most successful American diplomats analyses the situation of organized crime in Bulgaria.
Maybe the most important deduction is that the cable outlines in detail the reproduction cycle of the Mafia, coinciding with the political one: dirty money – political campaigns – managing the political institutions after the elections – establishment of rules favorable for money laundering and legalizing and expansion of criminal business.
The cable quotes concrete names of individuals and companies, which still own and manage significant assets in Bulgaria. It examines the symbiosis of crime and power by the financing of election campaigns - NDSV by Vassil Bozhkov and Emil Kyulev in 2001; Georgi Parvanov this same year by Kyulev again, NDSV and BSP in 2005 by Bozhkov, Kyulev, and Sasho Donchev (Banker Kuylev had strong ties with Russian financial interests. Donchev is the Head of Overgaz, a GAZPROM intermediary selling Russian natural gas on the Bulgarian market).
The cable further notes the trend of individuals coming from the organized crime circles to directly enter national-level politics or to directly control local power. A trend that, as we all know, became more and more pronounced in the years to follow. Maybe the climax of this cynicism would be the likely run of Alexey Petrov, an individual indicted for racket and blackmail, for President.
The cable stresses on the legacy of the criminal Communist repressive apparatus for the figures of Bulgarian organized crime. In the beginning of the transition period, in addition to the now-notorious wrestlers, rowers and other sports competitors from the Communists training schools, former “blades” of the repressive system also entered organized crime groups – berets, navy seals and other special task forces, brought up and trained not to fight some external enemy, but to safeguard the favorites of the regime from the anger of the Bulgarian people. The above-mentioned, Alexey Petrov, and his associate Zlatomir Ivanov AKA Baretata (The Beret) are just two of the many examples.
TIM – The Number One of Organized Crime, According to Pardew
Under number one in “Who Is Who in Bulgarian Organized Crime,” Pardew lists the TIM group, which, similarly to the former Multigroup, is attempting to permeate all sectors of legal and illegal business. Today, Pardew’s words that the “up-and-coming star” of the TIM business empire is the most serious economic concern in Bulgaria sound particularly true.
Under the GERB rule, companies connected to TIM impose, undisturbed, cartel prices on grain and consequently on bread and cooking oil, which is, in reality, a daylight robbery, affecting every single Bulgarian. The money from the “Saglasie” and “Sila” retirement funds, controlled by TIM, are redirected to another business of the group, while the authorities discretely close their eyes for these illegal transfers.
On the backdrop of all this, the outrageous TIM project for Alley One, mentioned in the cable, appears to be an almost innocent business endeavor, but focuses the public attention on the attitude of GERB towards the Varna-based group. It is a fact that Boyko Borisov and Tsvetan Tsvetanov stubbornly refuse to comment on anything related to TIM; it is also a fact the GERB Member of the Parliament, Emil Radev, is a former navy seal, from the secret navy unit “Tihina,” famous for being the place of military service for the TIM bosses. This same Radev is lobbying to limit access to the Business Registry for investigative reporters seeking information about the crime groups and their legal business activities.
Indeed, in 2005, Ambassador Pardew had no way of knowing TIM will acquire its greatest power under the GERB rule all while GERB ran its election campaign on promises to sever ties between political power and organized crime. These ties date from a long time ago. Documents from the Business Registry, show Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, had been a co-owner, along with Rumen Nikolov aka The Pasha, from SIK, and Ivo Kamenov, from TIM, of a factory, producing contraband cigarettes in 1995.
The Dead-Lock of the Fight against Organized Crime
In November, 2010, the New York Times noted the dead-lock of organized crime after the not-guilty verdicts of the Galevi Brothers and The Beret’s release from jail.
At that time, we still did not know that “The Octopus,” Alexey Petrov, would also be let walk free mainly over the inability of the prosecution to make their charges hold water in court. So, the most advertised police operation, the symbol of the resolve of the government to fight the mafia, began turning into a farce. This dead-lock has several causes:
A Helpless Court System
This feeling of impasse is becoming stronger by the impression of helplessness of the prosecution. As if on purpose, prosecutors make grave mistakes in the indictments in high-profile cases; delay and doom to failure trials while ties between prosecutors and people from the underworld are public knowledge. Here is a concrete example – one early morning, a wanted by the police gangster was arrested in the home of prosecutor Parvoleta Nikova, who had worked on the Galevi case. The Supreme Judicial Council (VSS), however, does not see this cohabitation as reproachable and as a problem for the image of the judicial power. The case with the lobbyist, known as “Krasio the Black,” reveals the ugly interdependence of magistrates, the business and politicians, but there had been no probe and charges of trading influence. Despite the endless appeals in Brussels’ reports, the true reform of the judicial system looks more and more problematic and impossible.
State Security Everywhere
Another demoralizing moment is the mass presence of former collaborators of the Communist State Security (DS) in the now Security Services, surviving every government over the lack of political will for full lustration.
Under the Communist regime precisely the State Security (DS) agents were the individuals organizing and protecting criminal activities such as the manufacturing and distribution of illegal drugs, support of terrorist organizations and physical extermination of opponents of the regime. DS employess were the executors of the State policy of patronizing criminal activities.
After President Parvanov took office, a person who had also been a DS agent, many former DS employees were reinstated in the Security Services.
This odd restoration continued with Rumen Petkov becoming Interior Minister. He resigned after it was revealed he held a meeting with the “persons of interest,” the Galevi Brothers, organized through the intercession of Alexey Petrov. In 2008 – 2009, Petrov was appointed Special Advisor to the Director of the State Agency for National Security (DANS), Petko Sertov, and, as many experts believe, Petrov actually ran the most powerful secret service in the country.
Currently hundreds of former DS agents and collaborators are employed in the structures of the Interior Ministry and DANS, some at high-ranking positions. Despite the show-off rhetoric of GERB, they failed to undertake a serious lustration move in these law enforecement instituions.
The “Unhealthy” Ties between Politics and Business
Let’s remind that the owner of DZI Bank, Emil Kyulev, a former Interior Ministry employee, is among the advisors of President Parvanov, mentioned in the cable. Kyulev was gunned down in October, 2005, on “Bulgaria” boulevard in Sofia; together with the other shooting victim from 2007, Manol Velev (still in coma), they were members of the notorious “Vazrazhdane” club along with Vassil Bozhkov AKA The Scull, Dimitar Gushterov, Tosho Toshev, Radosvet Radev, and the also murdered, Iliya Pavlov.
In the most current scandal, revolving around leaked taped phone conversations between Bulgarian Prime Minister Borisov and the Director of the Customs Agency, Tanov, where Borisov can be heard insisting on halting a probe against the owner of the “Ledenika” brewery, Mihail Mihov, intimately called by the PM “Misho The Beer,” it suddenly emerged that “The Beer” attorney was Sacho Penov, the same Penov who was the Chair of the President’s Legal Counsel.
The EU funds were frozen over another connection of the President – Lyudmil Stoykov, former representative of VIS-2 in Pernik. Despite OLAF’s revelations of criminal abuse of the SAPARD funds in the amount of EUR 7 M, Lyudmil Stoykov was never sentenced. According to OLAF, Stoykov has been provided a political cover-up from the highest place.
The economic influence of individuals, listed in the cable as having ties with organized crime, continued to expand over the year with the active collaboration of the State, which in reality subsidized their business.
Todor Batkov, attorney for Michael Chorny, received a land swap for hundreds of decares near the sea and was bestowed by the President with the “Stara Planina” order.
Businesses and people connected to Vassil Bozhkov AKA The Scull, and Grisha Ganchev, also obtained priceless plots through scandalous land swaps.
Instead of annulling the contracts and seeking responsibility, the new GERB cabinet temporarily limited construction on plots acquired through land swaps… until a more favorable time.
Can the EU Rescue Bulgaria from the Mafia?
The notorious saying that “in Bulgaria the mafia has a State,” becomes alive by what Pardew has written. The Ambassador bitterly notes the society’s frustration from its helpless situation. Pardew believes the tools of influence of the EU are crucial. “If the EU uses this leverage to demand not only far-reaching judicial reform but effective implementation as well, there is reason to hope that the tide will slowly begin to turn against organized crime in the coming years,” the Ambassador concludes.
In Bulgaria, six years later, three of which as an EU Member State, many of the figures of organized crime, listed by Pardew in 2005, are no longer living. Some, like the Marguin Brothers were arrested and charged, but were exonerated after a long and grotesque court saga. Petar Petrov AKA The Amigos is the only one sentenced at first instance. Currently, none of the emblematic crime bosses has an effective sentence.
Hellas, it becomes more and more clear, the citizens in this dead-lock cannot count on an effective external interference. The Wikileaks information is yet another proof the US understand the seriousness of this situation; offer logistics support, and lead an “aggressive policy” of denying entry visas to scandalous individuals (the latest case is the former Interior Minister, Rumen Petkov). The rest is up to Europe, because the Bulgarian mafia problem is now a problem for the citizens of all European countries.
The question here is – do James Pardew and Bulgarians overrate the EU potential? Even more: judging by the reaction of the leading European newspapers, which concealed the real state of the matters, and reading the “soft” wording in the Brussels’ reports, we have doubts about the will and the capacity of Europe to change the situation in Bulgaria.
There is lots of talk about pressure to fight organized crime, but at the same time, politicians with ties to DS and organized crime are serving as Members of the European Parliament while leading European companies do business with firms managed by people intelligence services suspect of criminal deals.
Not long ago, Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, commented economic problems in the country stem mostly from the fact that “wrestlers, Communists and Komsomol members” have invaded the business and it was “difficult” to work with them. They will be pushed out in a natural way, Djankov believes.
It would be even more natural for the EU to announce a particular lustration for these “wrestlers, Communists and Komsomol members” by preparing a public list of the companies and individuals which are not suitable for doing business with. Pardew’s cable can be used as a helping tool, because it is, most likely, a copy of the list of the Fraud Prevention Unit in Sofia Embassy’s Consular Section.
The full uncensored text of the diplomatic cable about Bulgarian Organized Crime from 2005.
2011-03-18 Hillary Clinton Warned India in December of 'Potentially Embarrassing Disclosures' from #WikiLeaks Cables
India cables released to The Hindu have created a storm in the past days. Now, The Hindu reports that the US State Department warned the India government of the “existence of such communications on December 23, 2010. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and spoke to Krishna about WikiLeaks. She warned the government of “potentially embarrassing disclosures.”
On December 21, 2010, then-State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said, “Those mutual interests are unchanged by any document that has been released by WikiLeaks. We are going to do this one day at a time, one action at a time. The Secretary continues to have regular contacts either in person or in phone calls with world leaders. This issue comes up, and without exception, the leaders reassure her that notwithstanding whatever ripples have been created by these revelations, our relations with these countries will continue because they're important.”
The key cable creating a massive political crisis in India was sent out from Consulate Chennai on May 13, 2009. A US diplomat writes:
The subject of politicians bribing voters, with either cash or gifts, was a recurring theme in the course of covering the 2009 election campaigns in South India. Wherever we went, journalists, politicians, and voters spoke of the bribes as a commonly accepted fact of the election process. Political insiders, and in some instances candidates themselves, admitted to us that candidates regularly violate India's election rules in the course of campaigning for office. This cable examines methods by which political parties bribe voters and how those bribes affect elections in India.
The diplomat reports that in slums in Chennai and Hyderabad poor urban voters expect political parties to pay “come election time.” The two main political parties in Tamil Nadu, the DMK and AIADMK, are described as having a “sophisticated political operation used to distribute cash.”
According to an NGO representative, in the weeks before the elections, "agents of the parties come to the neighborhood with cash carried in rice sacks. They have copies of the voter lists and they distribute the money based on who is on the list." The agents come in the middle of the night, "between two and four in the morning, when the Election Commission is asleep." A neighborhood resident confirmed this version of events, noting that in the 2004 election each family got 500 rupees for their vote. (Note: The residents of this slum reported that they earned around 4000 rupees a month working as day laborers. End note.) In a Hyderabad slum voters we talked with three weeks before voting told us that they were expecting candidates' representatives to pay them a visit soon. "We'll see what they offer, and then we'll decide," said one man who spoke for the group.
It’s important to understand what is responsible for the crisis so far isn’t just the details on “cash-for-votes” scams. Rather, it is the candid admittance by a parliament member to a US diplomat that he bribes his constituents:
Assaduddin Owaisi, a sitting Member of Parliament and leader of the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) party, was surprisingly candid. Owaisi explained to us the ins-and-outs of campaigning over a late dinner after spending a long day on the trail. He said that during the campaign he tries to cover every street in his urban constituency in Hyderabad's Old City, visiting people at their homes and businesses. As he walks the neighborhood, he said, people regularly appeal to him for small favors. One community's leaders asked Owaisi that day to dig them a well. "So I sent one of my party men back later in the day,"" he explained, "to give them 25,000 rupees (approximately 500 USD)." Owaisi emphasized that he does not give cash directly to voters, but rather funds worthy requests: "If they want a well, I give them the money, but make sure they use it for the well." On the same day, he also told us that he had paid 35,000 rupees (700 USD) to pay for the marriage of an orphaned girl. Owaisi contrasted his practice of funding projects for the community's benefit with the Congress and Telugu Desam parties, which Owaisi said pay money to individual voters.
We asked Owaisi point blank whether it was against the law for him to pay for the well and the marriage. Owaisi laughed and said, "Of course, but that's the great thing about democracy." He went on to describe the legal spending limit of 2.5 million rupees (50,000 USD) as ""a joke,"" noting that he would spend 2.5 million rupees on "polling day alone."
The contents of the cable has renewed deliberation on a specific instance of corruption that had long been swept under a rug. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Friday, according to Sify.com, served a notice “notice for a discussion on Tuesday on the WikiLeaks expose on alleged pay-offs to MPs to win a parliamentary trust vote in 2008.”
“The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA has been fuming over the presiding officers of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya not permitting them to seek clarifications Friday from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,” reports Sify.com. His identical statements denying the allegations of payoffs make re-opening debate on corruption urgent.
In the past twenty fours, the Hindustan Times reports “the Opposition” has “launched a no-holds-barred attack on the government by stalling proceedings in both Houses.” They have asked Singh to quit.
Singh says the Government of India “cannot confirm the veracity, contents or even the existence of such communications. I may point out that many of the persons referred to in those reports have stoutly denied the veracity of the contents.” He references a vote in July 2008 on the allegations of bribery in the election and contends that vote in the Committee constituted by the Lok Sabha determined “there was insufficient evidence to draw any conclusion of bribery.”
It should be noted that nowhere in the cable does the diplomat appear to question the corruption or the nature of the bribery schemes. Like a spectator watching a game of cricket unfold, the diplomat recounts what has been found on bribery and corruption in India. Not even in the comment section of the cable does the diplomat make a moral judgment on the situation.
The US has not escaped scrutiny in this political crisis at all. Another India cable shows Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asking many questions about the nature of the UPA government in India.
On Pranab Mukherjee, the then-newly appointed Minister of Finance:
WHAT ARE MUKHERJEE'S PRIMARY ECONOMIC CONCERNS AND HIS VIEWS ON PRIME MINISTER SINGH'S ECONOMIC REFORM AGENDA? HOW QUICKLY DOES HE PLAN TO PURSUE THESE REFORMS? WHAT IS HIS ABILITY TO ENACT REFORMS?
On Anand Sharma, the then-newly appointed Minister of Commerce and Industry:
HOW DOES SHARMA VIEW US-INDIA ECONOMIC RELATIONS?
HOW DOES SHARMA VIEW INDIA'S CURRENT FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT (FDI) GUIDELINES? WHICH SECTORS DOES HE PLAN TO OPEN FURTHER? WHY IS HE RELUCTANT TO OPEN MULTI-BRAND RETAIL? WHAT ARE HIS VIEWS ON THE SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES?
WHY WAS SHARMA CHOSEN FOR THE JOB? WHAT ARE HIS LARGER AMBITIONS? WHY WAS NATH MOVED TO THE ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS PORTFOLIO? WHAT ARE NATH'S VIEWS ON THE CHANGE?
The amount of information the State Department want to know raises questions about the level of US involvement or interference in India's government.
The “International Edition” of Newsweek reported on March 16, 2009 on rampant corruption in India’s Parliament. The story detailed how parties in India have used “allies” to influence voters and how it was getting much more apparent how many members of the Lok Sakhba were crooks. The “cash-for-votes” scam was also mentioned.
Indian members of Parliament went home last week amid hoots and howls, derided as the sorriest lot ever to disgrace the halls of the world's largest democracy. The 14th Lok Sabha, or People's House, met for only 46 days in the past year--the fewest ever--because of disruptions caused by its many dubious members. One in 10 members didn't participate in a single debate. Eleven M.P.s were expelled for taking bribes. The coal minister was compelled to step down when he was convicted of murder (though he was later acquitted on appeal). And when the opposition called for a confidence vote, several members had to be transported to the People's House from the big house--where two of them are serving life sentences for murder--to participate. As the legislators adjourned last week, House Speaker Somnath Chatterjee wished them good riddance: "You do not deserve one paisa [cent] of public money," he scolded. "I hope all of you are defeated in the next election."
Given that assessment in Newsweek from 2009, it’s not all that surprising to read about how a “cash-for-votes” scam. It’s also not surprising that the corruption in India remains prevalent and intrinsic to government operations.
2011-03-18 WikiLeaks in today's media: Cablegate coverage
Next: We got Obasanjo to anoint Yar'Adua, says Saraki
"Contrary to the belief that former President Olusegun Obasanjo personally hand-picked late President Umaru Yar'Adua as his successor, a United States diplomatic cable obtained by Wikileaks and made available exclusively to NEXT, has detailed how a group of governors led by Bukola Saraki, the Kwara State governor, worked behind the scene to pressure Mr. Obasanjo into anointing the former Katsina State governor as his replacement.
No other person than Mr. Saraki himself gave the account of the political intrigues that threw up the late president to a former US Consul General, Brian Browne."
Aftenposten: MP CRITICIZES JAPANESE NUCLEAR PLANS
"Lower House Diet Member Taro Kono voiced his strong opposition to the nuclear industry in Japan, especially nuclear reprocessing, based on issues of cost, safety, and security during a dinner with a visiting staffdel, Energy Attache and Economic Officer October 21. Kono also criticized the Japanese bureaucracy and power companies for continuing an outdated nuclear energy strategy, suppressing development of alternative energy, and keeping information from Diet members and the public. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the current election campaign law."
Aftenposten: CLIMATE CHANGE: EMISSION IMPOSSIBLE: NPP SHUTDOWN EXACERBATES JAPAN´S KYOTO TARGET BIND
"According to a joint Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) and Ministry of Environment (MOE) interim report issued on August 10, Japan will miss its Kyoto Protocol emissions reduction target by 20-34 million tons per year (1.5-2.7 percent of total emissions) if it maintains its current emissions reduction program, the Kyoto Target Achievement Plan. Even this shortfall may be optimistic, since the Plan assumes nuclear power plants (NPPs) operate at 87-88 percent of capacity. Since FY04, Japan´s NPPs have operated at around 70 percent capacity. NPP capacity utilization will fall further with the shutdown of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa NPP following the July Niigata earthquake. Emissions from thermal plants brought online to replace the power lost by the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa NPP shutdown are estimated at around 28 million tons per year. METI and MOE are now studing how to revise the Plan to meet Japan´s Kyoto Protocol obligations."
Aftenposten: DOMINICAN REACTION TO HAITI CRISIS
"Dominicans are apprehensive about the unraveling of Haiti, defensive about possible overflow onto their territory, and unwilling to take in any quantity of refugees. Reactions in the Dominican Republic to the unraveling of neighbor Haiti are mixed. The GODR has reinforced the border with its best troops, but even these are few and far between. The local press headlines Haiti daily, upstaging the presidential election campaign here. The GODR continues to lay responsibility for action on the international community. The Senate has unanimously declared that "Haitian problems should be resolved in Haiti" and has called on the GODR not to accept Haitian refugees. Embassy on February 20 delivered reftel demarche to military and MFA officials, emphasizing the need to prevent Dominican territory from being used by persons seeking to oust President Aristide by violence."
Aftenposten: BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT SEEKS SUPPORT FOR FUTURE UN SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING ON HAITI
"On February 24, Acting Ministry of Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Marilyn Zonicle separately demarched each UN Security Council member with representation in The Bahamas for support for a possible UN Security Council meeting on Haiti that may be requested by Jamaica Prime Minister Patterson as early as Thursday. The original plan was to request the Security Council to meet on February 25 on Haiti, however, President Aristide asked that the meeting be deferred for 24 hours while he pursued the ongoing negotiations. For its part, The Bahamas seeks the active support of the U.S. as the "most important" member of the Security Council as it engages on a full scale diplomatic press to achieve peace in Haiti. If diplomacy fails, The Bahamas believes that military assistance will be essential, and is willing to contribute troops to a multinational effort to maintain law and order."
Aftenposten: CARICOM SURPRISED, UPSET, BUT NOT ANGRY BEING LEFT OUT OF ARISTIDE´S DEPARTURE
"Charge and Political Officer met with the Bahamian Ambassador to Haiti, Dr. Eugene Newry, and the Under Secretary in the Consular Section at the Ministry of Foreign SIPDIS Affairs and Bahamian-Haitian expert, Mr. Carlton Wright, on March 8, 2004 to discuss Bahamian views of the current situation in Haiti. Ambassador Newry claimed that Caricom is not "angry" with the U.S. involvement in the departure of Aristide, but rather was "surprised" by the abrupt decision-making, and Caricom´s lack of involvement. Newry downplayed incendiary phrases in Caricom´s statement on Haiti such as expressing "alarm and dismay" as matter-of-fact descriptions of members´ disappointment, but on a positive note he was quick to say that Caricom will be satisfied as long as their 10-point action plan remains the basis for post-Aristide Haiti and is implemented "as quickly and painlessly as possible." Only history, declared Newry, can determine whether or not ex-President Aristide left voluntarily, because neither he (i.e., The Bahamas) nor his regional colleagues were involved in that process. Bahamian officials were extremely complimentary and positive about joint U.S.-Bahamian efforts to deter or interdict intending Haitian immigrants."
Aftenposten: AMBASSADOR´S CALL ON DOMINICAN PRESIDENT MEJIA
"Dominican President Hipolito Mejia heard out the Ambassador´s request for the country to sponsor the Cuba resolution at the March session of the UNHCR but declined to make any commitment. Mejia said in the course of changes to be announced on national day he will remove several officials to whom the United States has objected. He described his plans for selecting a vice presidential candidate."
Aftenposten: CHRISTIE WANTS TO BE THE TONY BLAIR OF CARICOM
"PM Perry Christie confidant Franklyn Wilson argued during a September 30 luncheon that the U.S. should support Christie´s hope to become a regional leader since the Bahamian Prime Minister was America´s "Tony Blair" inside Caricom. Wilson again raised the Prime Minister´s belief that he was ignored and left exposed by the United States during events surrounding the resignation of Haitian ex-President Aristide and that he should have been consulted by senior USG officials. Wilson claimed, however, that Christie bore "no grudges" at being left out of the loop by the U.S. and Canada."
Aftenposten: DOMINICAN POLITICS #8: FERNANDEZ, THE RIO GROUP AND HAITI
"When the Rio Group summit of November 4 got to the agenda item on Haiti, Dominican President Leonel Fernandez asked for hemispheric help in re-instilling democracy in that &narco-state,8 but he put a big front wrong in advocating the inclusion in the process of former president Jean Bertrand Aristide. Following a November 6 conversation with the Ambassador, Fernandez agreed that Aristide was distinct from Lavalas, and said he meant to say that groups with broad popular support needed to be included in the process. The Ambassador and several other ambassadors see President Fernandez November 16 to discuss Haiti further, per reftel."
Aftenposten: BRAZIL-HAITI: READOUT OF PRESIDENTIAL ENVOY´S ASSESSMENTS
"Presidential Foreign Affairs Advisor Marcos Aurelio Garcia and his deputy, Marcel Biato, returned from a mid-November fact-finding mission to Haiti with the strong view that Aristide must not be allowed back into Haitian politics under any circumstances, Biato told PolCouns in a 19 November meeting at the presidency. The dominant impression gathered over several days meeting with multiple sources is that Aristide is a criminal who should be prosecuted, but still a powerful "shadow" over Haiti that inspires both terror and ill-founded hopes among many. Hence Garcia and Biato brought back to the GOB the key assessment that the "grand strategic question" now is how to quickly create hope for the future among Haitians that is decoupled from Aristide, and specific GOB views outlined below on requirements for stability, assistance programs and political dialogue flow from that question, according to Biato. The highly negative assessment of Aristide by this influential advisor to President Lula da Silva will likely inform GOB policies and actions henceforth."
Aftenposten: CODEL DODD MEETS AN EFFUSIVE CHAVEZ
"Reversing course, on short notice President Hugo Chavez decided to meet with Senators Dodd, Chafee and Nelson and the Ambassador at Miraflores palace on January 10. An effusive and gregarious Chavez explained his commitment to Venezuela´s poor and said his land reform plans were only part of that commitment. The Senators probed Chavez on the future of bilateral relations, including the possibility of a visit to the United States. Chavez responded cautiously, saying a visit was unlikely asserting concerns about security. He concluded that he was nonetheless willing to engage, perhaps starting with a meeting between the new U.S. Secretary of State and the Venezuelan Foreign Minister."
Aftenposten: LABOR MINISTER DALLEY ON SEAGA, GENERAL ELECTION, AND LABOR DISPUTES
"On February 24, Emboffs met with Labor Minister Horace Dalley, who shared his views on former Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) leader Edward Seaga´s departure from politics and the succession issues within the People´s National Party (PNP). He also discussed his view of the party´s platform in advance of Jamaica´s upcoming general election (due by October 2007), commented on recent difficulties he has faced with local labor unions, and expressed concern about the U.S. Department of Homeland Security´s recent cap on H-2B visas."
Aftenposten: BRAZIL: SENIOR GOB OFFICIALS DISCUSS HAITI WITH AMBASSADOR AND WHA DAS FISK
"In separate meetings with President Lula da Silva´s international affairs advisor Marco Aurelio Garcia on 8 June (Ambassador and PolCouns with Garcia and his deputy, Marcel Biato) and new foreign ministry (MRE) Under Secretary for Political Affairs Antonio de Aguiar Patriota (Ambassador, visiting WHA DAS Fisk and PolCouns with Patriota and MRE UN division chief Glivania Oliveira), mission made ref c demarche on USG concerns regarding the situation in Haiti. In the discussions, the GOB officials made clear continued Brazilian resolve to keep Aristide from returning to the country or exerting political influence, and reiterated Brazil´s strategy that security, assistance and political dialogue should move in tandem as priorities in the international effort. The GOB officials registered USG points on the need to curb spiraling violence and reinforce MINUSTAH credibility vice the gangs, but did not clearly share the same degree of urgency on this point. They noted that public criticisms of MINUSTAH´s performance serve to further undermine its standing, and said clear signals of resolve are needed in the form of decisions asap from the UN on both a mandate extension and the naming of a new MINUSTAH commander (the Brazilian candidate, General Tella Amaral, is available, and current Brazilian MINUSTAH commander Heleno can remain in Haiti through the course of the June technical rollover.)"
Aftenposten: FRENCH SHARE CONCERNS ON POSSIBLE ARISTIDE RETURN TO HAITI
"Poloff and Embassy Africa Watcher delivered reftel demarche July 1 to both MFA DAS-equivalent for Central America and the Caribbean Gilles Bienvenu and MFA AF PDAS-equivalent Elisabeth Barbier. Bienvenu stated that the GOF shared our analysis of the implications of an Aristide return to Haiti, terming the likely repercussions "catastrophic." Bienvenu actively sought our thoughts on next steps to prevent Aristide from returning. Initially expressing caution when asked about France demarching the SARG, Bienvenu noted that Aristide was not a prisoner in South Africa and that such an action could "create difficulties." However, Bienvenu later offered to express our shared concerns in Pretoria, perhaps under the pretext that as a country desiring to secure a seat on the UN Security Council, South Africa could not afford to be involved in any way with the destabilization of another country. Barbier, speaking on behalf of the AF bureau, however, did not foresee any problems at all in delivering a demarche in Pretoria."
Aftenposten: FRENCH DEMARCHE TO SOUTH AFRICA ON ARISTIDE
"MFA Southern Africa DAS-equivalent Remi Marechaux called Embassy Africa watcher July 11 to report that the French DCM in Pretoria had raised Aristide´s activities in South Africa with the SAG July 8. Marechaux said that the DCM met with DFA DDG for Americas and Europe Ndumiso Ntshinga, who was familiar with the issue following his meeting with Ambassador Frazer the previous day (ref A)."
Aftenposten: RUMORS ABOUND REGARDING ARISTIDE´S POSSIBLE MOVE TO VENEZUELA
"Rumors of former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide´s possible move from South Africa to Venezuela are swirling through Port-au-Prince following Aristide´s meeting with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in South Africa on September 3 and the announcement September 20 that South African President Thabo Mbeki would resign. Members of Aristide´s Fanmi Lavalas (FL) party assume that Aristide would be under fewer restrictions in Venezuela and therefore more free to involve himself in Haiti´s internal affairs. Some Lavalas insiders privately fear that Aristide´s more active intervention in Haitian politics could further divide their party -- even as they concede that no one in the party can openly oppose Aristide because of the support he still enjoys among the party base. On one side of this fault line are current and former party officials and others who distrust Aristide, have a critical view of his two terms in office, and who want to forge a disciplined national organization with a leadership elected by and accountable to the party in Haiti rather than to the ex-President. On the other side lie activists linked to popular organizations who hope to harness Aristide´s greater proximity to Haiti to revive grassroots militancy."
Aftenposten: VATICAN ON HAITI: CHURCH LOSSES AND RESPONSES
"While devastating, the Church suffered fewer losses in the Haiti earthquake than initially reported in the media. The death of the Archbishop and many seminarians were especially painful but the Vatican is already reviewing how to regroup: Bishop Pierre Dumas, President of Caritas Haiti, could become the new Archbishop. Meanwhile, the Nuncio in PAP is working with Haitian bishops, and with international missionary and other Catholic organizations, to provide humanitarian aid and pastoral care to the victims (see also ref c). Catholic aid organizations have already pledged over $50 million in aid and raised over $13 million in donations; these numbers will increase. On a related note, the Vatican is concerned about future operating funds for the Haitian embassy accredited to the Holy See. On the political front, the Vatican believes the return of deposed Haitian leader (and former priest) Aristide would be disastrous and is trying to get a quiet message to him and/or his confidantes to this effect. Holy See officials have repeatedly thanked Embassy Vatican for USG response to the earthquake and for coordination with the Church on relief efforts."
(Image Credit: Dali Rău)
2011-03-19 Cables debunk Gbagbo’s ‘French Conspiracy against Ivory Coast’
Douoguih: The real reason we’re watching a tragedy in Ivory Coast is that president Gbagbo is a democrat; he is a modern Mandela. He spent 30 years in the opposition. He is not a violent man. He doesn’t have a bank account outside the Ivory Coast. He doesn’t own property anywhere. But his vision is that it is the true emancipation of Ivory Coast. France is afraid of that, because all the former colonies would follow his example, and France would be a big loser. That is what’s at stake in Ivory Coast right now.
Kahn: Let me ask you why they(U.S, UN and France) want Ouattara to be the president?
Douoguih: Here is the reason. Ivory Coast is very rich. And as I told you earlier, president Gbagbo’s vision of running Ivory Coast involves total emancipation. Freedom to deal with all commerce. France does not accept that.”
And leaked cables suggest that the core of the alleged conspiracy is completely groundless in current post-Chirac African policies of France.
The French Conspiracy of Gbagbo government:
“France vetoes Gbagbo government to dominate economy and politics of Ivory Coast”
One of the main reasons for Laurent Gbagbo, an incumbent president of Ivory Coast, to condone the violent attacks committed by youth groups(mainly COJEP, led by Ble Goude for a long time) against French peacekeeping personnel was that France has been politically attacking Gbagbo-ruling Ivory Coast. He strongly insisted that France is trying to regain control of West Africa by cracking down the presidential election of a sovereign nation, which takes 40% of the economic wealth in the region and has a permanent French military base. This has been enormously persuasive to Ivorians, the idea that current international peacekeeping aids are in fact sabotage from France with an election as a ‘pretext’.
Why ‘French Conspiracy’ is so influential
The reason for the ‘French Conspiracy’ being extremely persuasive to Ivorians resides in three decades of dictatorship that Ivory Coast had undergone until the early 1990s, especially with regard to its role in the 'France-Afrique' diplomacy paradigm.
Before France pursued shifts in policies toward its former colonies declaring an end to ‘Chirac-style personal diplomacy’ in Africa in 2007( Source: 07PARIS921), Félix Houphouët-Boigny, a dictator of Ivory Coast who died in 1993, enjoyed decades of support from France beginning in the 1960s. He rose to be a prime partner of France in the region whose works had been a major driving force of founding the notion of ‘France-Afrique’ diplomacy. And together with other leaders in the region, he gained a private fortune through the special relationship.
Gbagbo had been popular as a high-profile opposition party leader who had launched FDI (Ivorian Popular Front) in the early 1980s. However, he had been a controversial figure since the 2005 crisis in Ivory Coast caused by unrest over the presidential election. He has been blamed for aggravating discrimination against the northern part, where a large majority of the population had entered Ivory Coast as a cheap labor force, exploited by the Houphouët-Boigny government in the economic boom that hit Ivory Coast during 1960-1970s. After the November 2010 presidential election, Gbagbo refused to step down after invalidating massive amount of votes from the northern region, where his political rival Alassane Ouattara is popular. He labeled the recognition from the UN, AU, ECOWAS and others that Ouattara is the final winner as a 'fraud' and mostly, a conspiracy led by France.
France’s struggle to stand back from domestic politics of Ivory Coast
Leaked U.S. embassy cables on the attitude of France to the crisis in Ivory Coast, however, reveal completely different facts – France regards its participation in Ivory Coast as a quagmire and wishes to get out of it as soon as possible, it is far from wishing to 'lead a conspiracy'.
Cables show that the major reasons France wants to stand back is that it has suffered from the huge cost it has paid in military bases in the ‘France-Afrique’, the region of former French colonies. The shift has begun since the end of the term of president Jacques Chiraque, as cable 07PARIS921 indicates, that policies on Africa will be changed to be more ‘business-like’ rather than the ‘France-Afrique’ model. 08PARIS1501 especially points out the ‘Operation Lincorne’, current French peacekeeping mission in Ivory Coast, as ‘perhaps France's last unilateral military intervention in the old style’. According to the cable, France is quite ‘bitter’ due to the fact that the operation consumes ‘250 million euro per year, or well over a billion euro in total’. France even welcomes the entering of U.S. and China in Africa with expectations of ‘sharing the burden’.
08PARIS1698 also shows concrete plans of consolidation of French military base in Africa. But there’s no mention of Ivory Coast as a possible stronghold to ‘regain control of West Africa’ as insisted by Gbagbo and Douoguih.
"They foresee their military presence coalescing into two hubs, one on the Atlantic Ocean (Senegal or Gabon) and one on the Indian Ocean(Djibouti or French overseas department Reunion Island). Even these bases may eventually disappear if Africans prove capable of maintaining peace and security."
This attitude towards Ivory Coast appears again in the implementation of a ‘new command structure in Africa featuring four geographic commands’ in 2006, where “Notably, Cote d’Ivoire was dropped from this scheme.”
In the cable, France states its wish to reform the current bilateral defense agreements with eight major countries in Africa – including Ivory Coast – to sub-regional groupings, like ECOWAS(Economic Community of West African States). Based on the talk between Ivory Coast Presidential Advisor Romain Serman and Ambassador Mary Yates (AFRICOM) in June, the cable predicts that “If elections occur successfully in Cote d'Ivoire in 2008 and UNOCI and Operation Licorne then disband, we expect that France's military presence will shrink quickly, with a possible French decision to end basing altogether in Cote d'Ivoire.”
Gbagbo fights for ‘total emancipation in national economy from France’?
Besides the renowned French Conspiracy, the idea is presented by Douoguih that president Gbagbo plans to achieve ‘total emancipation from France’ in terms of Ivory Coast economy; “Freedom to deal with all commerce.” However, according to a document published by the World Bank, Ivory Coast started the ‘trade liberalization’ in 1994, long before Gbagbo was sworn in as a president. And another document, also from World Bank states that the economy of Ivory Coast has been far from ‘dominated by France’.
2011-03-19 Daniel Ellsberg arrested at Bradley Manning rally #March20
WL Central will be covering the Bradley Manning protests in Quantico this weekend. Currently, protesters were warned to leave the site, 118 stayed past the final warning, arrests have begun. FireDogLake reports that the director of operations at Quantico Marine Base issued a “threat advisory” regarding the protests this weekend.
Details of the protests and how to get to one here. For more information regarding Bradley Manning and supporting him, please go here.
2011-03-19 Eight Years of War: What WikiLeaks Has Revealed on the US Occupation of Iraq
This date, March 19, 2011, marks the beginning of the ninth year of the US war in Iraq. The war, which began in 2003 with a bombing campaign of “shock and awe," has for years been more of an occupation than a war. Despite the fact that many believe the war is over (especially Americans), the US still has 47,000 troops in Iraq and, despite a 2011 withdrawal date, will likely continue to have tens of thousands of soldiers based in Iraq for years to come.
The past year has seen the world learn a great deal about the US war and occupation of Iraq. With the WikiLeaks release of US State Cables, the Iraq War Logs, and a “Collateral Murder” video showing US soldiers firing on journalists and innocent civilians from an Apache helicopter, the criminal nature of the war and occupation has become more evident. To mark the end of eight years of US troops in Iraq and the beginning of a ninth year, it is worth noting the many revelations on Iraq that have become known thanks to WikiLeaks.
On October 22, 2010, 390,000 field reports, which became known as the Iraq War Logs, showed the regular use of abuse, brutality and torture used on Iraqis by Iraqi Police and Iraqi Security Forces. The logs revealed, despite US claims, a tracking of civilian deaths had been going on, and, in fact, 66,000 civilian deaths (15,000 which were previously unknown) had occurred.
At a press conference one day after the release, Phil Shiner of Public Interest Lawyers in the United Kingdom, a firm that has acted on behalf of Iraqis claiming they were tortured or the victim of indiscriminate military attacks, explained how the released evidence could be broken into three key categories: unlawful killings of civilians, indiscriminate attacks or the unjustified use of lethal force against civilians, horrendous abuse and torture of Iraqis by the Iraqi National Guard or the Iraqi Police Service, torture of Iraqis whilst in UK custody (presumably, whilst in the custody of US and other coalition forces custody as well).
Specifically in relation to the Iraqi National Guard or the Iraqi Police Service, Shiner highlighted a fragmented order Frago 242, which the US and the UK appeared to have adopted as a way of excusing them from having to take responsibility for torture or ill-treatment of Iraqis by Iraqi military or security forces. This, according to Shiner, runs "completely contrary to international law" and "it's well known that there's an absolute prohibition on torture" and "it may never be used."
The logs further revealed the existence of a “Wolf Brigade” or “Wolf Battalion.” This brigade was a death squad of Iraqi soldiers that went around terrorizing “insurgents.” It became known for its brutality and was so feared in Iraq that US interrogators would threaten Iraqi detainees with the prospect of being turned over to the squad:
DURING THE INTERROGATION PROCESS THE ___ THREATENED THE SUBJECT DETAINEE THAT HE WOULD NEVER SEE HIS FAMILY AGAIN AND WOULD BE SENT TO THE WOLF BATTALION WHERE HE WOULD BE SUBJECT TO ALL THE PAIN AND AGONY THAT THE WOLF BATTALION IS KNOWN TO EXACT UPON ITS DETAINEES." [December 14, 2005]
The Guardian further detailed the Wolf Brigade or the use of an “El Salvador Option”:
"The Wolf Brigade was created and supported by the US in an attempt to re-employ elements of Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard, this time to terrorise insurgents.
Members typically wore red berets, sunglasses and balaclavas, and drove out on raids in convoys of Toyota Landcruisers. They were accused by Iraqis of beating prisoners, torturing them with electric drills and sometimes executing suspects. The then interior minister in charge of them was alleged to have been a former member of the Shia Badr militia."
Additionally, details in log entries from 2004 and 2005, according to The Guardian, indicated US infantry raids led to the handing over of detainees to the Wolf Brigade for "further questioning" multiple times. And, a New York Times writer concluded, "US soldiers, US advisers, were standing aside and doing nothing."
The logs uncovered reports of detainee abuse and brutality. These incidents were recorded and never investigated further.
" A CF party, including a ___ went to the Ar ___ Police Department iot investigate a statement that was done by an ___. He mentioned that detainees are tortured in prison by IZ Police Officers. Using a hygienic inspection as an excuse, ___ detainees were searched and questioned without IZP attendance. The conclusion taken after this is that drug or medicine users are being tortured specially during dark hours. Methods they are using are to blindfold the detainee and hang them upside down on their feet iot hit them on their foot soles. Also the use of an electrical device is confirmed. This subject ___ with senior IZP Officers iot stop this, also ___ inspections ___. ["A CF party, including a ___ went to the Ar ___ Police Department iot investigate a statement that was done by an ___. He mentioned that detainees are tortured in prison by IZ ___" February 10, 2004]
ON 29MAY05 AN MNF-___ APPROVED JOINT INTERROGATION PROJECT WITH THE IRAQI POLICE IN MOSUL REVEALED EVIDENCE OF PRIOR TORTURE/ABUSE ON 3X LOCAL NATIONALS THAT HAD BEEN CAPTURED APPROX. ___. EXAMINATION OF THE DETAINEES SHOWED LACERATIONS ON WRISTS FROM HANDCUFFS, BRUISING ON THE BACK AND THIGHS, BRUISING ON FACE. DETAINEES ALLEGE THAT THEY WERE BEATEN BY POLICE WITH CABLE ON THE BACK, CHEST AND FACE; HUNG BY THE WRISTS AND FORCED TO CONFESS TO TERRORIST ACTS. ["SUSPECTED DETAINEE ABUSE BY IPS IVO MOSUL: ___ DETAINEES ALLEGE ABUSE", May 29, 2005]
Channel 4 News reported that the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) and Channel 4 Dispatches found "between 2004 and 2009 32,563 civilians were murdered" and that of the numerous unidentified corpses, which coalition forces often found in the Tigris River, "10,871 civilians were shot in the head, 439 were decapitated and up to 164 were recorded as children." The news organization suggested these "murders" were largely a result of "sectarian death squads."
TBIJ and Dispatches also found "over 300 classified reports in the Iraq war logs alleging abuse by coalition forces on Iraqi prisoners after the Abu Ghraib scandal" and that, in the time span covered by the logs, "some 180,000 Iraqis were imprisoned" or appoximately "one in 50 of the adult male population of Iraq" were imprisoned. And, "more than 1,300 individual cases of torture and abuse carried out by Iraqis on Iraqi prisoners at police stations and army bases, which imply that coalition forces either witnessed or reported on themselves" occurred.
Also revealed was more details on how military contractors in Iraq (like Blackwater) had killed civilians with impunity.
As Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks said, they showed the “truth that occurred before the war, during the war, and [what has] continued on since the war officially concluded."
On April 6, 2010, WikiLeaks released “Collateral Murder,” a video from the US military showing soldiers targeting and killing civilians in Baghdad. It shows a Reuters journalist and his driver being shot and killed by US soldiers in a helicopter.
It shows a “Good Samaritan,” Saleh Mutashar, driving up in a van and being killed as he tries to save the wounded. His two children are wounded. A US soldier shouts, “Oh yeah, look at that. Right through the windshield! Ha ha!”
Ethan McCord, one of the first soldiers on the scene after the helicopter attack, appears in the video. He saves the two children. His superiors order him to stop saving the wounded. He was deeply bothered by the fact that he was the only one interested in saving lives.
McCord recently appeared in a Panorama documentary. He talked about the shooters in the video being protected and not charged with war crimes, highlighted how the US had covered up the truth of the attack prior to WikiLeaks’ release of the video and juxtaposed that dark reality with the fact that former Pfc. Bradley Manning, alleged to have leaked the video (along with other material) to WikiLeaks, is being held in solitary confinement and abused and humiliated in prison. And, McCord said after the attack he could no longer justify being a US soldier in Iraq.
Aftenposten, a Norwegian newspaper that has partnered with WikiLeaks to release US State Embassy cables, shows how Iraq was the focus of cables in March 2003.
As for Cablegate, the release of US State Embassy Cables that WikiLeaks began over one hundred days ago in the final days of November 2010, there have been some revelations but much more will likely become known. From 2003 to at least 2006, Iraq was one of the most talked about topics by diplomats.
So far, what has become known from cables includes the following:
-The Ministry of Defence in the UK told the US it “put measures in place” to protect America during a Chilcot inquiry into the war.
-Iraqi security firms have been suspected it might try to put America’s own citizens on trial for war crimes committed in Iraq.
-Spanish officials worked with the US to prevent the arrests of soldiers that were likely involved in the killing of Spanish television cameraman Jose Couso.
Now, the US supports and helps reinforce Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's repression of protests in Iraq, as citizens inspired by Egyptians and Tunisians have taken to the streets to demand greater economic justice, human rights and freedom in the past weeks.
Americans opposed to the continuing presence of US troops in Iraq will protest across the country today. As usual, US corporate media will ignore the protests. Few Americans will realize there are people who are willing to take action, that people are outraged by what the US continues to perpetrate in Iraq (unless they read independent media or are following the protests on Twitter or have friends and family that protest).
People like Daniel Ellsberg, who has been a key supporter of Manning and WikiLeaks, will risk arrest in Washington, D.C. because, as WikiLeaks has shown, there are crimes being committed by the US that many believe should be stopped.
*Photo a screen shot from Al Jazeera English's special "The Secret Iraq Files."
2011-03-19 On Julia Gillard’s ‘real mates talk straight’ and the betrayal of Julian Assange.
On 10th March 2011 Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard made a speech to the US Congress. It was notable for one reason, the US media appeared barely to report it—Google searches show Australian entries page after page—and perhaps that’s because the US media market for show ponies, seals and canines performing obsequiously for an audience is already saturated.
Crafted for a US audience it was as Hugh White (Australian National University professor and a former senior Defence Department official) said: a piece of policy-free puff…I suppose she wanted the Americans to like her, but she decided not to say anything serious to them.
Our leaders never say much that is seriously an assertive, independent point of view to the USA. This is of course as befits a thoroughly one sided relationship characterised by ultra obsequiousness by an almost endless line of Australian prime ministers from Robert Menzies who begged the US to join in the Vietnam war; Harold Holt’s—all the way with LBJ and more lately John Howard who jumped on the Bush orchestrated litany of lies bandwagon, otherwise known as the second Iraq war (and absurdly incorporating a war on an abstract noun--terrorism) as if we somehow owed an eternal debt--which can never be repaid--as a satrapy of the USA and our prime ministers are the satraps. Or as liberal party Senator Brandis, leaker of the ‘Ratty’ label might have said in the case of John Howard, a ratsap.
Watching briefly I was hoping that someone would throw Gillard a fish (please, just an itty bitty sardine!) that she would catch instinctively in her mouth, a legacy perhaps from humans having, aeons ago, a common ancestor with seals. It would have been so symbolic of the relationship Australian political leaders have with the USA: always craving that photo-op on the White House lawns, always bowing and scraping to ingratiate themselves while hoping for a lift in the polls back home.
Poor Billy McMahon on the other hand suffered the indignity of being upstaged by his wife whose photographed split dress coming down a White House staircase made world headlines while Billy was nowhere to be seen. The best laid plans of mice and men epitomised our Billy as it often does those craving popularity by association. Nixon didn’t even bother to tell him in advance about the China rapproachment, that’s how much Australia rated in the scheme of Pax Americana.
The only time this writer can ever recall an Australian prime minister being critical of the US was Gough Whitlam when he said that the Nixon administration was “parlous.”
Julia Gillard did however say something of note: In both our countries, real mates talk straight.. That is of course a noble sentiment that is not exclusive to the USA and Australia alone, but the inference she was making was that as two nations we “talk straight” to each other. Sorry Ms Gillard, the Americans talk straight from time to time, we do no such thing unless perpetual yes sir no sir three bags full qualifies as straight talk.
US Presidents talk and say things like “You’re either with us or you’re with the terrorists” and as we know, Australian prime minister John Howard (wilfully unable to see a false dichotomy even if it was an Indonesian Komodo dragon or a despot called Suharto literally or metaphorically chewing on his incredibly thick political hide); quicker than Judith Miller writing “weapons of mass destruction” in the New York Times: jumped into the planning and execution of an illegal war against the wishes of his people.
If Julia Gillard was talking straight to the Australian people, she would have tried to enact the following legislation, (which some people overseas might have believed was already on the statute books?):
Criminal Deeming (Preventing Embarrassment to the USA at all Costs) No Defamation in Political Speeches Bill 2010 Cth.
Armed with this legislation, Ms Gillard could have said anything she liked about the illegality of Wikileaks and Julian Assange, which is what in fact she did on 2nd December 2010. As that legislation does not exist, that comment said outside the House without parliamentary privilege, was potentially defamatory.
Attorney General Robert McClelland might have been talking straight to the Australian people if he had introduced the:
People Who Piss Off the Powerful in the USA (Australian Cancellation) Passport Amendment Bill 2010
Wilfred Burchett was another Australian whistleblower who likewise earned the wrath of the USA. He was the first to report sickness of Japanese from the radiation effects in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This was a story dismissed by the New York Times as Japanese propaganda. Burchett was banned from entering Japan by General MacArthur and much later, after he reported the Vietnam war from the North Vietnamese side, the conservative Australian government refused to replace his lost passport. He was refused entry to attend his father’s funeral in 1969 and only got his passport back during the Whitlam Labor government.
Times have not changed that much in Australia for acts of political bastardry.
What would Gough Whitlam think of those threats to cancel Julian Assange’s passport Mr Attorney General?
What can we make of an Australian Attorney General, kowtowing to US interests and using his power to threaten a citizen who has committed no legal wrong? Not much other than negativity.
The Honourable Minister it must be remembered, swallowed the US propagandistic Assange-is-not-a-journalist bilge:
The fallacy is glaring but I will point it out to the apparent wilfully blind: Senator, how does a media outlet report material if they don’t first obtain it? What does Wikileaks do that the New York Times doesn't do except provide a more sophisticated method for whistleblowers to use?
America can do anything said Ms Gillard in her speech to Congress, but would they please send over Forrest Gump if not to be our next Attorney General then to teach our leaders something about mateship, something about loyalty to countrymen and women and talking straight? Is Tom Hanks at a loose end these days, anybody, to talk on a level that some of our leaders might just understand?
One cannot readily visualise our leaders saying, as per that particular movie: “I gotta get Bubba.” Although some of us might readily see ‘Lieutenant’ John Howard saying “Don’t worry, the VC will look after him and have got these really neat underground hospitals.”
True mateship and love of country means looking after any citizens of our country we happen to be with at the time, which was so nostalgically, powerfully and emotionally (for this writer at least) depicted in the movie ‘Forrest Gump’. In this the ordinary soldiers of Australia and the USA were very very close, having fought that horrible war together.
Where there is a legal duty, as there is, for governments to protect their citizens - so eloquently pointed out by Julian Burnside at the Sydney Town Hall meeting the other night - it is so depressing that opportunistic politicians hoping to tap into the community’s political faultlines, can be so foolish as to betray their own citizens, like Julian Assange, and betray the very idea of democracy for which we the people give up some personal autonomy to the state, give loyalty to it, but expect the state to do all in their power to protect us.
How bitter it is when the state betrays that contract.
It has been said that an American grand jury can be persuaded to indict a ham sandwich. If as seems likely, a Virginian grand jury indicts Julian Assange, it will be that ham sandwich indictment (of that we can have little doubt given the desperate legal fishing expeditions currently underway) and we the Australian supporters of Wikileaks and Julian Assange say, (if I may be so bold) that the Australian government must tell the US administration that it will be totally unacceptable by the majority of Australian people. The Alliance will be threatened if the US proceeds along that path.
We will give you, whoever are our leaders in power in Australia at that time, absolute hell by demonstrations and other dissident conduct, harnessing world support as well, if you do not do your duty.
This is not a partisan issue so do not make the mistake of trying to find a wedge on this matter.
We can have no doubt, given the torture of Bradley Manning - if he was a prisoner of war it would be a violation of Common Article Three of the Geneva Conventions - that Julian Assange would be treated far worse if extradited from the UK or Sweden to the USA.
The message to the Australian government must be made clear.
Australian electors should contact their local members and press them now to take a stand, because if they don’t our citizenship will be demonstrated to be worthless and it will be confirmed that we are all ultimately the slaves of a foreign power to be abused at will.
2011-03-19 The Guardian: Redacting, censoring or lying?
WL Central published an article two days ago, outlining the extraordinarily heavy handed redaction by the Guardian of a Bulgarian cable. Wikileaks tweeted the article, saying it was "Another very serious example of the Guardian "cable cooking" in violation of WikiLeaks agreements". Guardian investigations editor David Leigh responded with "@wikileaks Another stupid lie from #Assange alleging 'cable censorship' by #Guardian, (stuck with UK libel laws as he knows). What a liar!"
Wikileaks did not however, accuse the Guardian of cable censorship, they accused them of "cable cooking". A closer inspection of what happened in this one instance of cable redaction by the Guardian indicates that the Wikileaks description was closer to the mark. In fact, an examination of this document brings a feeling that the world will be in for Cablegate 2.0 when we finally get to see these cables without Guardian redaction.
The redaction on this particular cable is best shown here. The parts redacted by the Guardian are in green.
Before we examine further what was done to this document, it would be good to remember the alternative solutions available were the Guardian truly afraid that the libel laws which did not guard against reports on Gaddafi's botox, hair implants and Ukrainian nurse would suddenly kick in to protect Bulgarian mafia. The first and obvious choice would be to not publish this cable. There were, after all, 251,287 cables to choose from, and after redaction all this cable informed us was that there was crime in Bulgaria, reinforcing the oft repeated claim that the cables tell us nothing new (except gossip about Gaddafi's botox). The other, even better solution, would be to publish this cable while informing the readers that they were only viewing 1406 of the original 5226 words and showing by the typical " ... " or other, where the redactions were made. One would think that would be the only course open to an ethical news source.
Instead, point seven, an extensive 3,986 word analysis of organized crime in Bulgaria containing paragraphs A through M and entitled "Who's Who In Bulgarian Organized Crime?", is brought down to three short paragraphs (357 words) in the Guardian, with no indication that the redaction has taken place. Taken with the preceding and following sections and the title, the implication is that those three paragraphs contain the complete analysis of organized crime in Bulgaria. Since this redacted cable is included as the official source document from the US State embassy in Sofia, the implication is also that this is what the US embassy felt Bulgarian crime amounted to.
To "cook" this document, the Guardian did not present three sequential paragraphs, or even three self contained paragraphs. Instead, they went through the thousands of words available, and spliced a few sentences together to make up their own paragraphs, further altering the meaning of the document. Now a sentence that reads as though it refers to someone in the previous sentence, actually had referred to someone completely different. Now the extensive and complicated world of Bulgarian organized crime appears to be the work of one Russian. This leaves "censorship" and "redaction" in the dust and proceeds directly to the "lying" the Guardian editor was accusing Wikileaks of.
Apparently, the Guardian believes that Bulgarians, but not Russians, are covered by UK libel laws; looking at the incredible volume of redaction and the few sentences used, the selection criteria seems to be for any sentence containing the words "Russia" / "Soviet Union" (nine references) or "sex" / "prostitution" / similar (six references). Of the three sentences which make up the second paragraph, two are almost the exact same, but it allows prostitution to be mentioned twice along with "trafficking in women for sexual exploitation", and "escort and intimate services businesses". Paragraphs one and three are centred around the words "Russia" and "Soviet Union".
There are many questions brought to mind by this, the first of which is of course, why would anyone read the Guardian? But the second would be, why is the Guardian apparently protecting the Bulgarian mafia and preventing people from accessing the truth? Why is the Guardian deliberately misleading its readers, if not outright lying? And last, if we are to believe the Guardian editor's claims regarding UK libel laws, in all the talks we have heard about redaction of Wikileaks documents to protect innocent civilians, why was it not also mentioned that documents were being redacted to protect the Guardian from the lawsuits that Wikileaks has been facing down since its inception?
2011-03-20 Arab League condemns Libya bombardment, Russia calls for a halt #Libya #Feb17
WL Central will be updating news on Libya, with new items added at the top. You can contact me on twitter @GeorgieBC or by email at admin@wlcentral.org.
Current time and date in Tripoli:
MONDAY, March 21
The US stated that Muammar Gaddafi was "not a target" as CNN reports that coalition forces have bombed Gaddafi's compound.
Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, denied that any civilians had been killed during the launching of 110 missiles and the bombing of 20 targets.
Arab League chief Amr Moussa on Sunday condemned the "bombardment of civilians" and called for an emergency meeting of the group of 22 states to discuss Libya. He requested a report into the bombardment, which he said had "led to the deaths and injuries of many Libyan civilians. What is happening in Libya differs from the aim of imposing a no-fly zone, and what we want is the protection of civilians and not the bombardment of more civilians," Egypt's state news agency quoted Moussa as saying.
Edward Djerejian, a former US assistant secretary of state and former US ambassador to Syria, said it had been made very clear that a no-fly zone could not be established without taking military action against airfields and anti-aircraft installations. "A no-fly zone is not just a computer model game," he told Al Jazeera. "It means military action and that was clear to all parties, including the Arab League."
The Libyan military announced its second ceasefire since the UN resolution authorising the no-fly zone was passed. But the White House has said it will not recognise a ceasefire declaration.
US president Obama is working to "try to shore up support within the Arab world for the military mission in Libya."
The Mail Online reports:
- Defence Secretary Liam Fox said yesterday he would sanction a ‘bunker buster’ attack on the Libyan dictator’s lair as long as civilian casualties could be avoided.
- Dr Fox vowed to destroy the Libyan dictator’s entire military infrastructure as senior officials privately admitted they want to engineer regime change.
- A three-storey administration building in Gaddafi's residential compound was struck close to his iconic tent, according to reports. Around 300 of the dictator's supporters were in the area at the time although it was unclear if anyone was hurt.
- A Libyan army spokesman had declared a fresh ceasefire yesterday but the U.S. and Britain said they did not believe Gaddafi was honoring it and would continue to 'enforce the no-fly zone.'
- Three Cabinet ministers last night refused to rule out the eventual deployment of British ground troops.
- The Arab League condemned the air strikes saying: ‘What we want is the protection of civilians and not the bombardment of more civilians’.
- Russia joined the criticism, saying the strikes hit non-military targets and called for a ‘halt in the indiscriminate use of force’.
- MI6 spies phoned Gaddafi’s generals warning them that they will be targeted by missiles unless they defect.
SUNDAY, March 20
NOMINATE MOHAMMED NABBOUS FOR 2011 CNN HERO
A Twitter sensation over the US missiles. The US (and UK?) has fired over 110, and they reportedly cost one million US$ each, causing consternation for some. But they probably cost the same whether they are fired or not. A bigger concern from Libyan state TV which reports 48 people killed and 150 wounded by airstrikes.
"China has noted the latest developments in Libya and expresses regret over the military attacks on Libya" from their foreign ministry. Russia also regrets the action and says it was "was adopted in a haste."
The African Union, after a meeting between presidents from Mauritania, Mali and "Congo", and ministers from South Africa and Uganda called for an "immediate stop" to all attacks. We have not been able to find if the AFP meant the Democratic Republic of Congo or the Republic of Congo, both members of the AU.
Mohammed Nabbous now has a very nice Wikipedia page.
Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya are reporting that Libya has called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council after being attacked by them.
SATURDAY, March 19
Reportedly, French war planes hit four tanks outside of Benghazi, and are targeting Libyan air fields while the US has launched cruise missiles from its ships targeting Libyan Integrated Missile Defence Systems, mainly near Tripoli and Misurata. Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Italy are also involved.
Gaddafi says he will arm civilians to defend Libya against "colonial, crusader" aggression.
In a typical video game homage, the United States has felt the need to name the attack on Libya, "Operation Odyssey Dawn". The US is leading the attack.
Twitter comments focus very strongly on the selection of Libya to protect from a tyrant, as opposed to Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Yemen, Ivory Coast, etc. The role and guidelines for the United Nations Security Council are the huge story, and the fact that Libya contains oil is frequently discussed.
After anti Gaddafi forces reported violation of the UN Security Council's cease fire, some UN member countries began attacks on Libya. A Libyan plane was shot down this morning. Gaddafi forces are claiming that they abided by the cease fire and there have been civilian deaths from the attacks.
One of the first videos WL Central posted when we began our live blog on Libya on February 17th, was a livestream video from a man named Mohammed Nabbous (shown below). The video, entitled "Tell The World What Is Happening To Us!" was the first real live voice out of Benghazi. From the 15th forward there had just been tweets and frightening disjointed street filming. Mo went from that beginning to this livestream which we linked to a few hours ago as he was driving around Benghazi reporting the situation as he saw it. His last broadcast is below, and although we have been holding off reporting this in the hopes that it may not be true, it appears confirmed that he was killed in the attack in that broadcast. There is a memorial facebook page and his wife has announced his death.
Earlier AM:
Livestream chat and video from Benghazi from Libya Alhurra.
Gaddafi forces and anti Gaddafi forces each claiming the other is breaking the cease fire imposed by the UN Security Council. US government officials have stated that Gaddafi is.
Muammar Gaddafi calls the UN resolution blatant colonialism.
FRIDAY, March 18
The United Nations Security Council backed a no fly zone and authorized UN member states "to take all necessary measures ... to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, including Benghazi, while excluding a foreign occupation force of any form on any part of Libyan territory." The resolution was sponsored by France, Britain, Lebanon and the United States. Russia, China, Germany, India and Brazil abstained from voting, the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Portugal, South Africa, Gabon, Colombia, and Bosnia / Herzegovina voted yes. There were no votes against. Serious reservations were voiced by China, and Turkey called for an immediate ceasefire instead.
Britain, France, the US, Norway and Qatar have said they will help to enforce the no-fly zone, China, Germany, Poland, Australia and Russia have indicated they will not. France predicted military intervention would begin "within hours" of a summit meeting in Paris tomorrow.
Key points here.
THURSDAY, March 17
An increasingly threatening Muammar Gaddafi warned today that any foreign intervention would invite retaliation. "Any foreign military act against Libya will expose all air and maritime traffic in the Mediterranean Sea to danger and civilian and military (facilities) will become targets of Libya's counter-attack," said the statement broadcast on Libyan television and distributed by the official news agency JANA. "The Mediterranean basin will face danger not just in the short-term, but also in the long-term." The UN Security Council is due to vote on a no fly zone over Libya later today, urged on by the UK, France, and the US.
After launching air strikes today on the outskirts of Benghazi, Muammar Gaddafi gave a speech, translated by Al Jazeera. In it he equates himself with God, or perhaps the Prophet Mohammed, and promises to forgive "his children" who have been "forced" to turn against him and follow "the infidels" who do not believe in him.
"Throw away your arms and find a way out of the city, and then you are saved. Those young men who have been taken advantage of - those infidels who are attempting to burn down our country to the ground, we should have no mercy on them. Those are the traitors, used and abused by those infidels from Qatar, unfortunately, Kuwait and other countries. How stupid can you become to be taken advantage of to that extent in Benghazi? Now you're hungry and thirsty - we don't have a natural disaster like the one that happened in Japan recently ... but those infidels and traitors we promise to deal with. But the peaceful individuals of our people ... should put down their weapons, there is no danger. They should not feel unsafe. There is not a single officer in Benghazi who did not call us, who have been warning us that they have been threatened by people like Zarkawi of being slaughtered.
"Those who have been forced to follow those infidels ... those also will be forgiven, granted amnesty, those are my children, and we should not leave those children to distort the image of our country after such a bright history. You have been forced.
One of the companions of the prophets who was tortured who was forced to say he did not believe in the Prophet Muhammad, and he could not face the Prophet afterwards. And the Prophet said don't worry, God has forgiven you. Except those who were forced to utter things against their hearts. Even those of you who were forced to say things against myself, you are my children, and those in the special forces, the free officers of this country, you have sworn to defend the revolution of September. To fight the enemies. We are coming your rescue. And we will turn the sad situation into celebrations. We will wipe out this black page of our history.
He says that all who wish to leave the city will be free to do so, but also:
"All people should surround the traitors, to tell them that there is no way out.
They are finished, they are wiped out. From tomorrow you will only find our people. You all go out and cleanse the city of Benghazi. A small problem that has become an international issue. And they are voting on it tonight ... because they are determined. As I have said, we are determined. We will track them down, and search for them, alley by alley, road by road, the Libyan people all of them together will be crawling out. Massive waves of people will be crawling out to rescue the people of Benghazi, who are calling out for help, asking us to rescue them. We should come to their rescue.
"No more fear, no more hesitation, we are no longer reluctant. The moment of truth has come. If you see the cars with loudspeakers, destroy them, destroy their communications points that are spreading lies to you. Our children are the one's who have destroyed these planes.
"Of course, these words will have an impact on the traitors and infidels. Tonight they will panic and they will collapse.
Reuters reports the battle for Ajdabiyah is still on, it is not under Gaddafi control as reported by many yesterday. By Wednesday evening, residents said the rebels held the centre of town while forces loyal to Gaddafi were mostly on its eastern outskirts. Jibril al-Huweidi, a doctor at Benghazi's al-Jalaa Hospital, said he heard from ambulance drivers coming in from Ajdabiyah that they could shuttle back and forth without much problem. "Only the eastern part of Ajdabiyahis controlled by Gaddafi's men," he said. ... On the road between Tobruk and Salum, rebels manned several checkpoints. The border was still under their control.
The UN secretary-general has called for both sides to accept an immediate cease fire.
WEDNESDAY, March 16
Both pro Gaddafi and anti Gaddafi forces are now claiming:
- They are winning.
- They are in control of the same cities.
- The other side is made up of non-Libyan forces.
- The other side is killing anyone who disagrees with them and burning the bodies.
- The Libyan people are with them.
- The other side are using people as human shields.
- They are a democracy.
The obvious difference is when Muammar Gaddafi says "Here, young people are free to express their demands," we remember what happened to 1200 prisoners who were also invited to "express their demands".
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi told Channel 4 that the battle for Libya would be over in 48 hours, too late for the international community to do anything. He also said the anti-Gaddafi forces have been killing anyone who will not join them and burning the bodies, the same accusations that have been leveled at the Gaddafi side.
Libyan state TV subsequently announced to the residents of Benghazi: "The army is coming to support you and to cleanse your city from armed gangs. It urges you to keep out by midnight of areas where the armed men and weapon storage areas are located."
Muammar Gaddafi was interviewed by Le Figaro and he says "the people" are responsible for attacks against the anti Gaddafi forces, not him:
How do you respond to riots that rocked both of your neighbors, Tunisia and Egypt?
At first I thought it was a popular revolution. I quickly became disillusioned. At first I thought there was a real desire to transform the political system of these countries' Jamahiriyya ", inspired by the Libyan model. In the end, we just witnessed a transfer of power from one president to another president, and ex-ministers to other ministers. So these are not real revolutions.
In both cases, Ben Ali and Mubarak were removed from power. If it is in the interest of your country, would you consider you retire, you too?
Me from what? (Laughs) I'm the guide of the Libyan Revolution of 1969. So I can not work against the will of the people. Tunisia and Egypt, people were against their government. In Libya, the opposite, the people are with me. You do not see all these people in the streets, all these events who support me? It is a plebiscite.
After over 41 years at your job, do not you simply want to give place to another, and relax?
I have no connection with politics and power. So I have no power to leave. I have no job to quit.
So who runs your country?
It is the people, Congress general, people's committees ...
In times of crisis, like that crosses your country, is it really possible to solve everything through these people's committees?
It is the people makes it all work. Even attacks against the rebels are undertaken by the people. It's the people that are currently armed.
TUESDAY, March 15
Al Jazeera attempts to provide an analysis of who is winning.
SUNDAY, March 13
Reuters reports 32 members of the Khamis Gaddafi's elite brigade, including a general, have defected to fight with the anti Gaddafi forces in Misrata. Stalled about 10-15 km south of the city, the brigade broke out in a fire-fight after dozens of troops balked at the idea of killing innocent civilians in the impending attack, rebel spokesman Gamal added.
An Al Jazeera cameraman was shot dead during an ambush attack near Benghazi. Al Jazeera director-general Wadah Khanfar has said the killing came after "an unprecedented campaign" against the network by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. He said the network "will not remain silent" and pledged to pursue those behind the ambush through legal channels.
SATURDAY, March 12
The Arab League reports that nine arab states have backed the appeal by anti Gaddafi fighters for a no fly zone to be imposed over Libya. Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said the League, meeting in Cairo on Saturday, had decided that "serious crimes and great violations" committed by the government of Muammar Gaddafi against his people had stripped it of legitimacy.
The African Union announced on Friday that the leaders of South Africa, Uganda, Mauritania, the DRC and Mali will form a panel that will travel to Libya shortly to help end the violence there.
FRIDAY, March 11
Al Jazeera television reports Libyan warplanes bombed rebel hideouts between Brega and Ras Lanuf.
Al-Arabiya reports six anti Gaddafi fighters had been killed in Brega and eight in Ras Lanuf.
All 27 members of the European Union met in Brussels and agreed that the current Libyan government must go, but did not announce any military intervention.
THURSDAY, March 10
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi gave an interview to Reuters today. "It's time for liberation. It's time for action. We are moving now. Everybody is very excited. In a few days ... you will see a surprise, you will see people in the east ... defeating the militia. ... They don't represent anybody. They are self-appointed people. ... It's a joke, it's a Mickey Mouse council. Nobody is with them."
"And now ... we are more convinced and more determined to go towards democracy and freedom. I said this 10 years ago, myself, 2 years ago, last year, today and tomorrow. We have one direction. Democracy and freedom. The target is the constitution so everything is legalised. My father said in public, that I don't want to be the president of all of the country. We want to have a new structure, a new system, new parliament, new government, we have a draft ready. We want to have a modern democracy."
"Today we are going to hand over the Dutch soldiers to the Maltese and Greeks. We told them, don't come back again without our permission. We captured the first NATO soldiers, we are sending them back home. But we are still keeping their helicopter."
Three envoys of the Benghazi-based Libyan national transitional council this morning met Belgian prime minister Yves Leterme to him of "thousands" of casualties from Gaddafi's crackdown and press for the imposition of a no-fly zone over Libya to prevent Gaddafi's air force bombing rebel fighters. Saif al-Islam tells supporters "I send a message to our brothers and friends in the east who are sending us daily calls for help and asking us to rescue them: We're coming. Victory is in sight. Victory is near. I swear before God that we're going to win."
The website for the Interim Transitional National Council of the Libyan Republic contains a map of revolution which shows which areas they claim are under pro Gaddafi forces and which are under their control. They also have a photo gallery full of pictures of military equipment and a hanging effigy and a collection of videos from groups declaring their allegiance to them. Here is the official translation of the founding statement which was released on March 5.
The new government has been recognized by France as the country's sole legitimate representative. Alain Juppe, the French foreign minister said after talks with Guido Westerwelle, his German counterpart, "We are on the same track to say Colonel Gaddafi is discredited, he must go, we must engage dialogue with the new Libyan representatives." Luis Amado, the Portuguese foreign minister, said he had sent a message to Gaddafi saying "The message I sent was that the Gaddafi regime in our view is over, it's legitimacy is over." The anti Gaddafi government says it intends to "open a diplomatic mission, that is our own embassy in Paris, and an ambassador from France will be sent to Benghazi". The website reiterates the transitional government's goal of "relocating its headquarters to our capital and bride of the Mediterranean, the city of Tripoli."
Gaddafi has responded by offering a $500,000 bounty for the head of the leader of Libya's Benghazi-based transitional national council, and obscurely, Libyan state TV says it has learned of a "grave secret" which will end French president Nicolas Sarkozy's career.
Gaddafi forces have also launched a major offensive on Ras Lanuf, Ajdabiya, Brega and Bin Jawad as well as other towns and cities along the coast. Libyan state television announced, "The town of Ras Lanuf has been purged of armed gangs and the green flags have been hoisted over all [government] buildings." The report also said the Gaddafi forces were "advancing on Benghazi".
WEDNESDAY, March 9
French president Nicolas Sarkozy will meet with Libyan envoys from Gaddafi on Thursday to give them a "chance to discuss the general situation in Libya, and in particular the humanitarian situation and the actions of the Libyan National Council," according to his office. Gaddafi envoys have already had an informal meeting with Portugal's foreign minister Luis Amado today, "in order to receive information on the situation in Libya," a Foreign Ministry statement said, as "part of the preparation of the extraordinary meetings of the European Union Foreign Affairs Council and the European Council to be held in the next few days." Earlier, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini stated that Libyan envoys had flown to Brussels to talk to EU and NATO officials.
Associated Press video showing Gaddafi strikes on oil facilities and anti Gaddafi forces.
Reuters reports Libyan government emissaries met Maltese officials on the Mediterranean island on Wednesday and then flew to Portugal, while another Libyan aircraft was on its way to Brussels via France, a Maltese official said. European leaders will meet in Brussels on Friday to discuss the uprisings in North Africa.
Al Jazeera reports that Abdelrahman al-Zawi, the Libyan deputy defence minister, has arrived in Cairo. Three planes belonging to Muammar Gaddafi took off from a military airstrip near Tripoli early this morning, and the two other planes were being monitored by NATO. One had been spotted in Swiss airspace and one over Italy.
Al Jazeera reported the private jet landed on a military airstrip around 1pm, carrying al-Zawi and an official. "As soon as the plane landed, those on board ... were immediately whisked away by private cars." Essam Sharaf, the Egyptian prime minister, had cut a cabinet meeting short to go to a meeting with the military council.
Reports of air raids on Ras Lanuf have continued all day with pictures of thick black smoke that is continuing to burn. Az Zawiyah is surrounded by Gaddafi forces and they are reporting they have retaken Bin Jawad.
Muammar Gaddafi appeared on television yesterday, adding jealous Tunisians and Egyptians to the list he says are fighting against him. He gave another interview this morning, saying "Yesterday, the mosque that the security forces regained power over, they had in this mosque, they had weapons and alcohol as well. Some of them come from Afghanistan, some of them come from Egypt, some of them come from Algeria, just to misguide our children." He warns that foreigners are attempting to take over Libya for its oil.
Libyan crown prince Mohammed El Senussi is asking for a no fly zone over Libya. "I am speaking for all Libyans when I ask for a no-fly zone and targeted air strikes on Gaddafi's air defences although it would be wrong for (there to be) troops on the ground and the people of Libya do not want it," he said from London.
TUESDAY, March 8
Human Rights Watch calls for both sides fighting in Libya to allow aid into the country and refugees out. The number of people crossing Libya's western border into Tunisia has dropped sharply after pro-government forces assumed control of the border area on March 3, 2011, raising concerns that civilians might face restrictions on leaving areas of heavy fighting, Human Rights Watch said. "We are deeply concerned that pro-government forces may be denying people their right to flee the fighting and leave the country," said Bill Frelick, refugee program director.
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs have created a Libya Crisis Map (via @exiledsurfer)
Al Jazeera reports on anti Gaddafi forces offer to Gaddafi: "If he leaves Libya immediately, during 72 hours, and stops the bombardment, we as Libyans will step back from pursuing him for crimes," Mustafa Abdel Jalil, head of the opposition National Council, told Al Jazeera on Tuesday.
Avaaz has a petition calling on the UN Security Council to impose a no fly zone over Libya, an idea that is gaining momentum. The island of Malta already has the international support there waiting for the order.
Libyan state TV is denying that Muammar Gaddafi ever made an offer to negotiate with the anti Gaddafi forces, while Al Jazeera reports the offer was refused.
Al Bayan reports that Gaddafi, who they quote a source as saying is suffering from severe neurological damage caused by drugs, is looking for a safe haven among Arab and other African countries.
There are many reports of Gaddafi forces and others being killed for refusing to fight for Gaddafi.
MONDAY, March 7
Reuters reports that if non-Arab looking Africans in Libya are not mistaken for mercenaries and killed by anti Gaddafi forces, they are being rounded up by pro Gaddafi forces and forced to fight.
According to the UK Daily Mirror the MI6 agents captured and sent out of Libya by anti Gaddafi forces were carrying a letter from UK prime minister David Cameron.
Asharq Al-Awsata is reporting that Muammar Gaddafi sent a negotiator to Benghazi yesterday to negotiate a meeting between The General People's Congress and the interim government in Benghazi. He reportedly has expressed his willingness to step down if he receives assurances for his and his family's safety and wealth. He also demanded assistance in leaving the country, and requested guarantees that he would not be pursued, either internally or abroad, or brought to face international courts.
Sources did not disclose the content of the Council's response, saying only that: "there has yet to be an official response to Gaddafi's demands, whether negative or positive". However, the sources said that the general popular trend at present is to reject all negotiation and dialogue with Gaddafi, under any circumstances.
The Arab League is supporting a no-fly zone over Libya, secretary general Amr Musa told French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe on Sunday. Juppe said Saturday his country was working with Britain to get a United Nations Security Council resolution to impose a no-fly zone in Libya.
The United Nations and the European Union are dispatching fact-finding missions to Libya. Pro Gaddafi forces advanced on Ras Lanuf in a counter-attack that forced residents to flee and rebels to hide their weapons in the desert, moving down the strategic Mediterranean coastal road east of the recaptured town of Bin Jawad, heading toward Ras Lanuf which is about 60 km (40 miles) away and which has a major oil complex, witnesses told Reuters.
Jadallah Azous Al-Talhi, a former Libyan prime minister appeared on state television and asked people to "give a chance to national dialogue to resolve this crisis, to help stop the bloodshed, and not give a chance to foreigners to come and capture our country again."
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told Libyan Foreign Minister Musa Kusa on Sunday that Tripoli must "uphold their responsibility to protect the country's citizens and to heed the Libyan people's legitimate aspirations," and appointed former Foreign Minister of Jordan, Abdelilah Al-Khatib, as a special envoy to Libya "to undertake urgent consultations with the authorities in Tripoli and in the region on the immediate humanitarian situation."
A British Special Air Service (SAS) unit reportedly made up of six elite soldiers and two MI6 agents, that was captured in Benghazi by anti Gaddafi forces has left Libya according to British Foreign Secretary William Hague. "A small diplomatic team has been in Benghazi ... to initiate contacts with the opposition. They experienced difficulties, which have now been satisfactorily resolved. They have now left Libya."
"We do not know the nature of their mission. We refused to discuss anything with them due to the way they entered the country," anti Gaddafi spokesman Abdul Hafiz Ghoqa told reporters.
SUNDAY, March 6
Very disturbing report from Feb17Voices describing 3 - 4 hours of steady gunfire from the same region of Tripoli. Gaddafi ordered 1200 prisoners killed in three hours in 1996.
Reuters reports:
- Anti Gaddafi forces fell back to Ras Lanuf firing at a military helicopter overhead as they retreated.
- Pro Gaddafi forces attacked Bin Jawad.
- Anti Gaddafi forces say they have control of Zawiyah and Misrata and all cities in the east of the country remain liberated.
Guardian reports:
- Pro Gaddafi forces have retaken Bin Jawad.
- A number of suspected SAS personnel parachuted in around four days ago and were caught near the town of Khadra. Anti Gaddafi forces stated the captives were being treated well and would be released as soon as the British government vouched for their identity.
SATURDAY, March 5
Ex-Justice Minister Mustafa Abdel Jalil, of the interim anti Gaddafi national council told Al Jazeera "There are official contacts with European and Arab (countries). Upon the release (later) today of a statement, some countries will announce their recognition."
Pro Gaddafi forces launch attacks on Zawiyah, anti Gaddafi forces advance on Sirte.
From the Guardian
- Fighting has resumed in Zawiya, after anti Gaddafi forces repelled a dawn attack. Pro Gaddafi forces have encircled the city and residents says the centre is under heavy bombardment by tanks and mortars. Around 70 are reported to have been killed and 300 wounded.
- Anti Gaddafi forces say they have captured Bin Jawad.
- The UN says most of the thousands of foreign workers in Benghazi have been evacuated but remain concerned about thousands of African workers still in Libya, as some have been targeted by rebels who believe they are pro-Gaddafi mercenaries.
FRIDAY, March 4
Reuters quotes a resident of Zawiyah, "dozens were killed and more were wounded. We have counted 30 dead civilians". Gaddafi forces used grenade-launchers, heavy machine guns and snipers on a hotel roof to fire at protesters marching through town after Friday prayers to demand Gaddafi's resignation, he said. Both sides now claim control of Zawiyah, as well as the airport and town of Ras Lanuf.
Interpol issued an "Orange Notice" alert against Muammar Gaddafi and 15 members of his inner circle to enable enforcement of travel bans and asset freezes ordered by the United Nations Security Council. "The individuals subject to the Orange Notice have been identified as being involved in or complicit in planning attacks, including aerial bombardments, on civilian populations."
Al Jazeera reports at least 1,000 people protesting against Gaddafi in Tripoli.
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi speaks to Al Jazeera. He continues to call the anti Gaddafi forces Al Qaeda, as they continue to call the pro Gaddafi forces mercenaries.
A great photo gallery from Reuters.
Der Speigel reports on the provisional government in Benghazi.
THURSDAY, March 3
Gaddafi forces took Brega back briefly after a series of air strikes.
A Sky News reporter chooses a spot to stop in Tripoli with Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and he is greeted with gratitude and warmth by the people in the street (Fashlun).
Another dark African caught, attacked, and protected by anti Gaddafi fighters who called him a mercenary
Al Jazeera reporter Evan Hill (@evanchill) was on a road near the port town of Brega earlier today when a fighter jet fired a missile that impacted metres away.
Reuters reports Muammar Gaddafi and the president of the Arab League agreed to a peace plan from Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, according to a Venezuelan news organization. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi replies that he had not heard of the offer, but "We have to say thank you ... but we are able and capable enough to solve our issues by our own people ... ourselves. There is no need for any foreign intervention."
US defence secretary Robert Gates gave a press conference: "There’s a lot of frankly loose talk about some of these military options and let's just call a spade a spade. A no-fly zone begins with an attack on Libya to destroy the air defences, that’s the way you do a no-fly zone, and then you can fly planes around the country and not worry about our guys being shot down. But that’s the way it starts. But it also requires more airplanes than you would find on a single aircraft carrier. So it is a big operation in a big country."
Al Jazeera reports that
- The United States is examining the "full range of options" in dealing with Libya, President Obama said - adding that he did not want to be "hamstrung."
- British Foreign Minister William Hague said that France and Britain want to put "bold and ambitious measures" to next week's emergency European Union summit on the Libyan crisis. Following talks with French counterpart Alain Juppe on ways to stop Gaddafi suppressing a revolt against his rule, Hague said: "Today we discussed how Britain and France will do everything we can to increase the pressure. We also agreed the international community including us and other partners will continue to plan for different contingencies, including a no-fly zone, to ensure that we can respond swiftly and resolutely to the events in Libya."
- The International Criminal Court in The Hague has opened its investigation involving Gaddafi, some of his sons and his inner circle.
- About 300 men loyal to Muammar Gaddafi attacked Brega early on Wednesday morning. Later, an airforce bomber circled the town, and Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley was about 70 metres from where a missile hit.
- the United Nations refugee agency says over 180,000 people have reached land border crossings, with over 77,300 crossing into Egypt (most of them Egyptians) and a similar number in Tunisia. About 30,000 are still waiting at the Libya-Tunisia border, waiting to cross over. ... some Somali and Eritrean workers from Benghazi said they felt "hunted", after being mistaken for mercenaries by opposition forces.
WEDNESDAY, March 2
Protesters took control of Brega.
Muammar Gaddafi gave a three hour speech on Libyan State TV.
Libya responds to foreign talks about involvement in Libyan conflict - NO
TUESDAY, March 1
10:00 PM The Pakistan Observer reports that French, British and US special forces have entered Libya, to train and assist rebel groups to overthrow Gaddafi. The article also outlines how naval vessels from India are underway for deployment in defense of the Libyan uprising. The vessels will presumably join the USS Enterprise, which is also on its way into the Mediterranean via the Suez canal. This follows US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's admission on 28th February that preparations for military assistance for the Libyan pro-democracy movement were underway.
According to an exclusive report confirmed by a Libyan diplomat in the region “the three Western states have landed their “special forces troops in Cyrinacia and are now setting up their bases and training centres” to reinforce the rebel forces who are resisting pro-Qaddafi forces in several adjoining areas.
A Libyan official who requested not to be identified said that the U.S. and British military gurus were sent on February 23 and 24 night through American and French warships and small naval boats off Libyan ports of Benghazi and Tobruk.
The Western forces are reportedly preparing to set-up training bases for local militias set-up by the rebel forces for an effective control of the oil-rich region and counter any push by pro- Qaddafi forces from Tripoli.
Other reports claim that efforts to “neutralize” the Libyan Air Force were also underway to limit Qaddafi’s rule in Tripoli if not fully uprooted from the country.
A breakdown, with some analysis here.
Canadian and South Korean warships have also been sent to the region with a hazy mandate that could include delivering relief, rescuing people or possible military action.
The naval force is expected to also include the American aircraft carrier USS Enterprise and the USS Kearsarge, an amphibious assault ship with more than 700 marines aboard, the Canadian frigate HMCS Charlottetown, along with its Sea King helicopter, the British frigate HMS Cumberland and destroyer HMS York among others.
Canada closed its embassy in Tripoli a few days ago and has set up a satellite diplomatic post in Malta. A senior federal government official confirmed Tuesday that Ottawa has succeeded in freezing $2.3 billion worth of Libyan assets in Canada.
The UN Human Rights Council voted unanimously today to suspend Libya for rights violations.
Al Jazeera reports that Jorge Valero, Venezuela's ambassador to the UN, asked that "We urge peace-loving nations in all regions of the world to put a stop to the invasion plans against Libya, which have been unashamedly announced by the Department of State of the United States and the Pentagon. Its purpose is clear -- to appropriate the vast potential of natural and energy resources that are stored in the motherland of the Libyan people"
Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the UN, said the allegations were "delusional", and it was "shameful that one member state, whose own reprehensible record speaks for itself, would manipulate this occasion to spread lies".
Dmitry Rogozin, Russia's NATO ambassador said "If someone in Washington is seeking a blitzkrieg in Libya, it is a serious mistake because any use of military force outside the NATO responsibility zone will be considered a violation of international law. ... A ban on the national air force or civil aviation to fly over their own territory is still a serious interference into the domestic affairs of another country, and at any rate it requires a resolution of the UN Security Council."
Mikhail Margelov, a Russian parliamentarian, said US military action in Libya could "kill the shoots of democracy in the region".
Alain Juppe, the French foreign minister, said, "At the moment I speak, no military intervention is planned. Different options can be assessed, notably a no-fly zone. But let me put it clearly here - no intervention will happen without a clear UN Security Council mandate".
1:00 AM Reutersreports the prosecutor for the International Criminal Court, has said that anyone who attacked civilians would be investigated and prosecuted and that military commanders could be held accountable for the actions of their troops. Regarding Libya, "We have to decide whether to open an investigation ... and I hope we can move very fast. Within a few days. If people were on the square and they were attacked by soldiers, tanks or airplanes, in a widespread and systematic way, it's a crime against humanity." An investigation team has been formed and his office is in contact with Libyan officials and army staff to understand command structures and how the Libyan military system worked, as well as liaising with the African Union and the Arab League.
The ICC was asked to open an investigation by the United Nations Security Council on Saturday. Permanent Security Council members China, Russia and the United States all backed the referral of Libya, while refusing to accept the court's jurisdiction for themselves.
WL Central Live Blog of Libya from February 15-28
Other WL Central Coverage of Libya:
2011-03-05 Cables: The Vulnerability of Black African Migrant Workers in Libya
2011-02-22 How US Businesses in Libya Made Certain They Could Operate in the Rogue State
2011-02-21 Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Speaks: What Libyan Cables Say About His Address
2011-02-19: Libya, Bahrain & others: Crimes against humanity, what can we do?
2011-02-19 - #Libya, a Republic for the Masses?
2011-02-19 "This Week in WikiLeaks Podcast" on MENA Protests & WikiLeaks
2011-02-18 The Abu Salim Massacre: Cables on Libya's Continued Impunity for 1996 Killings
2011-02-17 Cables Show Repression Has Effectively Limited Libyans' Vision for Reform
2011-02-09 February 17 A Day of Rage to protest against 'The Revolution'
2011-01-31 Cables: Libya threatened to seize assets of Petro-Canada
2011-01-27 Libya is in revolt as Gaddafi worries
2011-01-16 Early reports of unrest in Libya [UPDATE 1]
Other Related News Sources:
- List to follow for Libya news
- map of Libya protests
- An attempt to list all of the deaths of protesters along with their identities
- "Feb 17 voices: We are reaching into Libya, tweeting and relaying Libyan voices in real time."
- Protester controlled Benghazi radio station
- EnoughGaddafi website
- Libyan Youth Movement on Facebook
- EnoughLibya2011 on Youtube
- LibyaFeb17 blog stream
- map and liveblog blog stream via @Arasmus
2011-03-20 Another example of the Guardian’s creative ‘redacting’
Submitted by Bella Magnani
Oh dear, Nick Davies, what went wrong?
Back in 2008 you wrote a book called Flat Earth News, a meticulously researched and scathing analysis of journalistic corruption and murky practices in British newspapers. You told us: “the modern newsroom is a place of bungs and bribes, whose occupants forage illicitly for scoops in databases and dustbins. Newspapers hold others to account while hushing up their own unsavoury methods. Self-regulation does not always offer fair (or any) redress to citizens who have had lies written about them. Stories are often pompous, biased or plain wrong. Some close scrutiny is not only legitimate: it is overdue.” Ed: The quote in this paragraph is quoting a review of Nick Davies book printed in the Guardian (see link), not Nick Davies book as is erroneously implied.
Ugh! Sounds nasty. So glad you took the moral high ground there and called so passionately for journalistic standards to be above reproach, lest readers end up “soaked in disinformation”. Warming to your theme, in another Guardian article - Our media have become mass producers of distortion - you let rip:
“Where once journalists were active gatherers of news, now they have gene rally become mere passive processors of unchecked, second-hand material, much of it contrived by PR to serve some political or commercial interest. Not journalists, but churnalists. An industry whose primary task is to filter out falsehood has become so vulnerable to manipulation that it is now involved in the mass production of falsehood, distortion and propaganda.”
And here you are telling us about the Guardian’s Hay Festival debate on falsehood and distortion in the news: “Faith in 'quality journalism' has never been lower, but public demand for fair and accurate reporting is undiminished”.
Trust me, dear Reader – nice touch, Nick. Thank you, I’ll try.
It’s become a bit of an obsession with you, this drive to expose tabloid corruption and the failings of the press. You even wrote to your MP about it. Well, everyone’s MP actually.
In fact, you rarely cover anything else nowadays – 65 articles (and counting) about the News of the World phone-hacking scandal you’ve been pursuing relentlessly for three years now. Oh, there’s been a few on the Afghanistan War Logs (3), the Iraq War Logs (3), the Swiss bank whistleblower (4), Julian Assange (2), and a couple of weird ones claiming sex trafficking in Europe doesn’t really exist. But ever since your last article on Assange you’ve devoted yourself exclusively to exposing scurrilous journalists.
Here’s one from December 12 last year. Your words:
“Here's the riddle. If the Guardian, the New York Times and Channel 4's Dispatches can all find numerous journalists who worked at the News of the World who without exception insist that the newspaper routinely used private investigators to gather information by illegal means, why can't Scotland Yard find a single one who will tell them the story?”
Yes, it’s a riddle, isn’t it? The strapline on the article puts it even better:
If the Guardian can find numerous News of the World journalists who admit that the newspaper gathered information by illegal means, why can't Scotland Yard? asks Nick Davies.
December 12? Wasn’t that the day the illegally leaked police protocol from Sweden landed on your desk? You know, the one you used to produce “10 days in Sweden: the full allegations against Julian Assange” a few days later, which you said was based on “unredacted statements held by prosecutors in Stockholm”? Well, the world now knows just how ‘unredacted’ your article was. Hmm … your employers are in a bit of bother over that at the moment too, aren’t they ? “Cooking” cables from Russia and Bulgaria and all that. Time to call a staff meeting, Nick – they need a fearless crusader for press truth like you to knock ‘em back into shape.
Here’s the riddle, Nick: why an award-winning investigative journalist couldn’t see the many, many holes in the police investigation sitting on the desk in front of him. The personal and political association of the first investigative officer with one of the complainants; the disturbing news that she was allowed to sit in on the other woman’s interview; the tampering with statements on the police computer; the two women being allowed to produce revised statements on September 2 in the light of the so-far still secret SMS messages; the police asking a witness about a victim’s prior sex life (WTF?); the failure of police forensics to find DNA on the torn, supposedly used condom presented to police 12 days after the event.
And that’s just the tip of a very big iceberg - there’s plenty more beneath the surface.
So, Nick Davies, why did you choose to publish an article based on only one side of the story? In an alleged rape case? Would you consider that good journalistic practice? Or a disgrace to your profession?
Surely any investigative journalist worth his salt could have – would have – torn this ‘story’ to shreds, and called them on it, publicly. Why didn’t that happen here? All of the information above – and more – was available by December 12. Instead, in your “unredacted” version, we got the ‘juiciest’ quotes from the witness statements while others, which flatly contradicted them, were ignored. Of the many questions about police abuse of process raised by the protocol, we got none. And on how the police report came to fall into your hands, we got silence.
Nick Davies' article history.
2011-03-20 Daniel Ellsberg arrested twice in two days at Bradley #Manning rally at Quantico #March20
Updates:
- "The rally at Quantico today was amazing -- a strange electricity in the air. Hundreds arrived to demand better conditions for Bradley. ... I believe Daniel Ellsberg was arrested today at Quantico; still trying to confirm ... After the speeches, the crowd of several hundred flooded into the streets outside Quantico and were met with a line of riot police ... Military figures with gas-masks and teargas canisters on their chests joined the police as arrests were made outside the main gates ... Very excited about the turnout at Quantico; never expected so many young people out there in the streets. No doubt: Something's brewing."
- "80 year-old @DanielEllsberg sitting down at Quantico, refusing to move"
- "Giant "state police" shields, armed vehicles, masked military carrying automatic weapons: Obama's police state ... Mass arrests happening at Quantico. ... Protestors at Quantico facing off against huge line of police shields, per David House @popularch"
- "DanielElsberg at head of very long silent procession to Iwo Jima. Very moving ... Marines only allowing press & 6 veterans on to Iwo Jima memorial. Herding everyone else into the middle of Route 1 "for their own good"... Tapps being played in midst of enormous crowd before Quantico cherrypicks a photo op for press and brownshirts everone else. ... Police siding with Marines, denying access to public to Iwo Jima. Welcome to military rule. ... Right to assembly? Only if Prince William County Police & the Marines say you do. #WhatConstitution? ... Let's be clear about what is happening: Veterans being denied access 2 Iwo Jima memorial to lay flowers. Police force them lay at fence. ... Hard to gauge size of Bradley Manning demonstrators at Quantico, but from video looks to be several thousand:"
The Bradley Manning rallies today inspired a police crackdown which began yesterday with the arrest of Daniel Ellsberg and others. Today David House tweets:
- "MP5s, horses, bulletproof vests, riot shields -- the State comes out to make a point."
- "Massive police presence in full riot gear at Quantico protest"
- "David House @popularch to crowd: "You all give Bradley strength. It's stuff like this that make his eyes light up."
- "@DanielEllsberg: "Manning's treatment shows that Obama is lying when he claims to have ended torture ... I was facing 115 yrs in prison as Manning is, was also called a traitor. Manning no more a traitor than I was. ... I want Bradley Manning's courage to be contagious."
Live TV by Ustream
2011-03-20 Manning set to become an issue during Obama's Ireland visit
Bradley Manning's inhumane treatment during his pretrial incarceration looks set to become a millstone around Obama's neck in his dealings with other countries.
Today, International Bradley Manning Support Day, marks also the announcement of a campaign to have the United States president arrested once he arrives on Irish soil, during a planned visit to the Western European democracy in May. The #ArrestObama #May22 campaign holds that Ireland has an obligation under international law to pursue and prosecute all those within its jurisdiction who carry out or authorize torture, or who permit torture to be carried out, or who obstruct bringing those who do so to justice.
The campaign makes the claim that Obama's failure to prosecute high-ranking Bush administration officials - as well as the cruel and inhumane treatment to which U.S. military whistleblower Bradley Manning is being subjected in the Marine brig in Quantico - constitutes ownership of responsibility for torture.
The campaign comes at an inconvenient moment for the new Fine Gael/Labour coalition government, elected mid-last-month in a landslide ousting of the previously dominant Fianna Fail party. The new government will be seeking to establish strong diplomatic ties with the United States, in the hopes that this will reap benefits in the face of Ireland's withering economic situation. In November, the last Irish government revealed that it had negotiated a deal with the International Monetary Fund, in response to the deepening crisis in the banking sector. Any matter that jeopardizes the precarious bargaining position of the tiny European state will likely frustrate the fledgling government.
This is not the first incident during which the United States torture policies have come into contact with Irish affairs. Irish governments are traditionally very friendly to Washington interests, as is revealed in the release of State Department cables in December and early January. State Department cable 07DUBLIN916 reveals that the Irish government knowingly colluded with the United States government, against the will of the Irish people, to enable secret rendition flights through an Irish airport to torture sites and detainee camps like Guantanamo Bay. Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern discussed with the ambassador ways in which NGO and public opposition to the use of the Shannon airport by the U.S. military could be defused, and requested of the U.S. diplomat that symbolic searches of planes could be carried out, in order to provide the Irish government political cover if it ever came out that rendition flights were occurring. WL Central covered this cable, among others, here.
The campaign to arrest Obama represents a transference of the torture-association from the Bush administration to the Obama administration. Attempts to prosecute high ranking Bush administration officials were carried out in Canada and in France, and only this February, George W. Bush was forced to cancel a visit to Switzerland in avoidance of another prosecution attempt. As Glenn Greenwald noted PJ Crowley's forced resignation after criticizing the Department of Defense's treatment of Manning, last week, has forced the world to acknowledge that Manning's treatment is not the disconnected effort of stray personnel, but the actual Obama policy. It is becoming clear that the treatment of Bradley Manning under the Obama administration is beginning to erode the international goodwill felt towards Obama, who presented himself during his 2008 election campaign as the antidote to George W. Bush's poison. For a president who campaigned on transparency and whistlebower protection, the irregular treatment of Manning looks likely to become an international liability with the publics, if not the governments, of U.S.-friendly states.
2011-03-20 WikiLeaks in today's media: Cablegate coverage
Next: Police admit no justice for Bola Ige
"Police spectacularly bungled the investigation into the brutal murder of Bola Ige, then the attorney general, from the very beginning, and have, to all appearances, given up trying to apprehend the killers. In the days immediately following the murder, the assistant inspector general directly in charge of the investigation confessed to American authorities that the police had already made a mess of their work, and compounded initial errors with even graver ones. The result is that the investigation has hit a dead end, and the police appear to have given up the search."
(Image Credit: Dali Rău)
2011-03-21 Open Letter to the US government from the people of #Bahrain
See the following links for WL Central coverage and documentation of Bahraini protests and crimes against humanity, in both March and February 2011.
Dear Mr. President and Honorable Representatives of the United States Congress,
We, the people of Bahrain, are in deep pain and have great concern for our situation.
We are attempting to deliver our voices.
We have long supported you, and have appreciated the help that you have given our nation in the past.
However, now, in this time of great crisis, it grieves us to realize that you have abandoned the Bahraini people.
King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa and the royal family are acting violently against unarmed and peaceful demonstrators in an unprecedented way.
Bahrain's government has mercenaries and thugs attacking and killing civilians in the streets and destroying people’s property.
At first, they exploited the Sunni and Shia issue. Now they are using violent thugs. They are everywhere. The situation is especially dangerous when they discover that a person is Shia.
The Bahraini security forces and Saudi army are attacking unarmed people with armed helicopters and tanks.
They are killing and injuring people. They have used nerve gas and live bullets to disperse demonstrators.
Bahraini forces and the Saudi army have seized villages and are attacking people in the streets. There are arbitrary arrests, killings, kidnappings, and beatings of protesters. More than 20 people are dead, 63 are missing, and unknown numbers have been arrested.
This campaign of violence has injured thousands, many of whom are critical and will die for lack of medical care.
Security forces have even attacked and taken over hospitals and medical centers in order to prevent wounded demonstrators from receiving needed medical attention. They have also beaten medical personnel.
The army is moving patients to unknown destinations, and seizing and deleting patient medical records. They have warned doctors and nurses to refuse admission to the wounded and to conceal what they have witnessed.
We are calling on the world and human rights organizations to PLEASE SAVE US FROM ANNIHILATION.
We put out a distress call to all the countries of the world: Our weapons are only roses and the Bahraini flag. We are up against foreign troops and GCC armies with real weapons.
Where is everyone? Won’t you help us? Will you just watch us die? Where are the democracies of the world?
These are crimes against humanity. We beseech you to protect the peaceful citizens of Bahrain.
We also request a commission to discover the facts of this campaign of violence and killing committed by Bahraini authorities against unarmed citizens.
We beg you. Help us.
Sincerely,
The People of Bahrain
The People of Bahrain have ask us to send this letter to the U.S. government. When unable to send the entire text, please send a link to this page. See below.
2011-03-21 #Bahrain March 1 to March 21 Coverage
WL Central will be updating news on Bahrain, with new items added at the top. All times are ET in USA. You can contact me on twitter @carwinb or by email at carwinb@hushmail.com. Don't send media when links available. Most email is not encrypted and not anonymous. I cannot guarantee anyone's safety in transmission.
Current time and date in Manama, Bahrain:
Send Arabic #firstaid images by MMS/SMS/email or print as fliers usng http://bit.ly/gv3tS #Bahrain.
See continuing March or February WL Coverage of Bahrain.
MONDAY, March 21
- amworldtodaypm speaks to Hasan who says the missing in Bahrain are turning up dead.
- Unconfirmed reports that the following medical doctors have been arrested: Dr. Mahmood Asghar, Dr. Ali AlEkri, Dr. Bassem Dhaif, and Dr. Ghassan Dhaif
- According to Al Wefaq, more than 100 people are missing. More than 50 people have gone into hiding due to arrest attempts on them. (Source: Facebook Profile:Freedom to Bahrain)
- The family of Bahia Al- Aradi, a nurse, say she is clinically dead. Two days ago she was shot through her neck on her way to work in her car. Unconfirmed reports that she was taken GCC forces to the military hospital in what may have been an attempt to cover up the crime. She died today.
- For the last three days cries of dissent are reported to have been heard for nearly 15 minutes each night: The chant heard was "God is Great! God is Great! God is Great!" One source told us that the experience was "frightening but truly amazing"
- Bahrain FM Khalid Al-Khalifa responeds to CBS Journalist Toula Vlahou on being attacked by police:
SUNDAY, March 20
- Father of the Abdul al Rasul Hassan Ali al Hujairi, a nurse, who was shot by Saudi Wahhabi on March 20, speaking to Al Jazeera News:
- Riot police break into S.Yousif's home
"A group of riot police and masked civilians broke into S.Yousif's house - a human rights activist last night at 2:30 am but he was not there at the time. they inspected and checked all rooms in his house and missed things up. (Source: Facebook Profile: Bahrain Center for Human Rights)
SATURDAY, March 19
- Police destroying vehicles in unidentified villages of Bahrain (Both videos uploaded March 19)
via @MohdRadhi
FRIDAY, March 18
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Bahrain army kidnapping injured patients at Salmaniya Hospital
According to Facebook: Freedom to Bahrain
The army is taking all the admitted and injured citizens in the surgical wards one by one by ambulances to BDF (Bahrain Defense Force) hospital. They are taking their files and notes away from the wards, deleting all the informations from the computers. They have given warnings to the expats nurses if they opened their mouth talking about this issue.
They have locked one of the accesses to the lifts to that building leading to the surgical/ orthopedic wards. The only access to the building is guarded by the armed personnels, not letting any access except after thorough check. The atmosphere in the hospital is frightening and unsecured as the doctors and nurses are telling me.
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We all think that tomorrow some NGO's are coming to visit the Salmaniya hospital to see the injured citizens. For this reason they are hiding all the evidences, by transferring the patients to BDF hospital and hiding/ or eradicating all their notes.
Please call all the NGOs let them know about this issue. Likely that the Red crescent from Kuwait or elsewhere or red cross are coming. We are sure that they will not let any honest/ noble person join these people.
- According to Facebook: Freedom to Bahrain, " It had been confirmed that the injured who were taken from the hospital had been transferred to a prison called “The Dry Dock” or in Arabic “Hawd Al-Jaff”. The prison is located in an area not inhabited by anyone."
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Thousands of Bahrainis are reported to have "gathered for the funeral of Ahmed Farhan, a 29-year-old demonstrator slain Tuesday in the town of Sitra hours after the king declared martial law in response to a month of escalating protests. Sitra, the hub of Bahrain's oil industry, has been the site of the worst confrontations." (Source: a href="http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Bahrain-army-demolishes-monument-at-Pearl-Square-1187027.php#ixzz1H1PMNlnV">TimesUnion.com)
*Photo of three of the medical staff raise their hands up to pry for mercy from Facebook: Freedom to Bahrain
THURSDAY, March 17
- Helicopters firing on Manama, Bahrain (Uploaded March 17)
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Police brutality at checkpoint in Saar on March 17, 2011. We do not know the fate of this man.
- Bahrain police killing people in drive by shootings (Reported March 17 by redactednews.com)
- Unconfirmed reports that Dr. Ali Ekry was arrested while doing an operation in a Salmaniya Hospital by 15 members of the security forces. They took him to an unknown location.
- Reports coming out of Bahrain tonight that healthcare workers are unable to help the injured and wounded. Oxygen and many types of medicine needed to provide treatment to the seriously injured.
WEDNESDAY, March 16
- Lulu Leveled
- Advisor to Supreme Judicial Council of Bahrain, Sh Ahmed Al Asfoor, resigns.
Resignation Letter from Justice Minister (Source: alwasatnews.com)
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Unconfirmed report that more than 40 people are missing since March 16, 2011 in Bahrain.
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Man deliberately run over near the roundabout when he went to collect his car on March 17 2011
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Bahrain helicopter fully armed on Mar 16 2011
- Unarmed, yielding protester shot.
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She was in her house and got shot by Saudi troops on March 16 2011
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Security forces destroy cars to blame unarmed protesters. March 16 2011
- Helicopter near Salmaniya Hospital en route to Lulu Roundabout
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Attack on the people of Qadam (Budya) Bahrain by the Saudi army. Dozens were injured by live bullets from snipers. The attack came on the morning of March 16 2011.
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Al Khalifa thugs nurses with sticks on March 16, 2011
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Attack on the nurses. Reported to have suffered fractures to the pelvis and spine as a result of severe beatings on March 16, 2011
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Bahrain police stamp on man's head then bundle his body into police car in Sitra, Bahrain.
- Clashes in Hamad Town, South of Manama
Reports of clashes between pro-government Sunni Syrians and Shi'ite Bahrainis took place on March 4, according to a report in local pro-government daily, Al-Ayam. (Source: Herald Sun)
WL Central has unconfirmed reports that swords, wooden sticks and rocks were used and that at least eight people injured. At least four men injuried so bad to his hand after being hit with a sword. The clash apparently started earlier in the day on Thursday between recently naturalized Arab Mercenaries family and Bahraini students at school, and escalating overnight to a neighbourhood fight between the two sides.
Al Wefaq MP, Jawad Fairooz told the Gulf Daily News, "There is pressure from all sides and now some bad elements are deliberately carrying out such acts to sow seeds of sectarianism. Any attempt to divide the society at this juncture is critical and should be avoided by everyone." (Source: GDN)
Unconfirmed image of a sword, purported to have been used in the skirmish via wattani.in
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Unconfirmed reports of naturalized pro-government 'thugs' walking around Hamad town holding Al Qaeda flag, threatening residents on March 4.
Below find an advocacy poster taken from a still of the video Link to YouTube video of "Naturalized Gunmen have Knowledge of Al Qaeda in Hamad Town (At time of post, the full video was not embed-able)
- Facebook Profile: 14th February 2011 Revolution Day in Bahrain
- Facebook Profile:Bahrain Freedom Seekers
- Al Jazeera Live Blog - Bahrain
- Global Voices Special Coverage of Bahrain Protests
- Arab Revolution
- Wikipedia: 2011 Bahraini Protests
- Wikipedia: 1990s Uprising in Bahrain
- Bahrain Constitution Online
- Bahrain Protest Photos
A nightmare of war crimes in Bahrain today as cobra and other armed helicopters are reported to have fired on unarmed protesters on the ground. One witness reported that 9 people were shot.
*More images of victims here.
Barhaini police, supported by helicopters and tanks, continued their terror campaign by chasing down individuals in besieged suburbs. One man was beat and shot at close range.
Police supported by tanks, armored personnel carriers, and helicopters moved into Lulu Roundabout at 7am Bahraini time firing tear gas and setting fire to tents. People running from the scene were shot at with a rain of tear gas and hunted down by police, who had blocked all egress and forced upon anyone approaching the roundabout. Multiple protesters killed, by gun fire and other weapons.
Lulu Square, Morning
Security forces block off access to the hospitals denying protesters medical treatment. Reports of police storming hospitals and slashing ambulance tires. According to a report on CNN, a doctor at Salmaniya Hospital says security forces stormed hospital and began beating staff.
SMC medical staff unable to help as the complex is completely blocked by police.
SUNDAY, March 13
On the heels of US Defence Secretary, Robert Gates' unannounced Friday visit to Bahrain it appears that the regime has returned to a hardline stance against protesters in Lulu roundabout and in the financial district of Bahrain.
Pro-democracy protesters blockaded the financial harbor and teachers were called to strike to protest the repetitive assaults and attacks on students throughout the p
ast week. They protested in front of the ministry of education calling for the immediate resignation of it's minister.
Pro-democracy Protesters Blockade Financial District
Picture taken before Attacks of Pro-democracy Protesters
Police have now attacked protesters and are surrounding Lulu roundabout. There are reports of tear gas, rubber projectiles, and stun grenades being used by police. Police have also reportedly removed blockades and tents erected by protesters in both the financial district and Lulu roundabout. Reports are coming out of protesters forming human chains against the police and multiple injuries.
Tear Gas has been used against Pro-democracy Protesters
Injured Protester
SATURDAY, March 5
See continuing March or February WL Coverage of Bahrain.
Other Resources:
2011-03-21 #WikiLeaks makes its first partnership with #Turkey
Last Thursday, 17th March, Wikileaks announced the first partnership with a newspaper in Turkey on releasing around 11,000 U.S. State Department cables regarding Turkey from between 2000 and 2010 to Taraf, a liberal Turkish newspaper . Publishing since late 2007, Taraf has distinguished itself by opposing interference by the Turkish Military in civilian affairs. After Taraf revelations made on June 21 (2008) regarding the Egenoton (an alleged clandestine, ultra-nationalist organization in Turkey with ties to members of the country's military and security forces), when Adnan Demir, who was on the editorial staff of Taraf, was charged with leaking secret military information, the military responded by canceling the newspaper's accreditation for press releases at its headquarters for a short time. Taraf itself is also a whistle-blower journal, since Turkish military leaks were published on its pages more than once. Taraf holds a very good reputation worldwide, the journal was quoted by Der Spiegel, Times Online and such others as "Courageous," "independent," "plucky," and "scrappy".
Because of heavy political persecution on Taraf, deriving from its famously bad relationship with the Turkish Military, most enterprises have a fear of advertising in the journal and its pages present very little propaganda. Various suspicions about who supports Taraf were always present in Turkish people’s mind. Rumors that the CIA or the major party AKP are financially responsible for Taraf still exist among the public. The jewish millionaire who described himself as Taraf’s supporter gave an interview to NYT in 2009.
While Turkey recently suffers from strong harassment on freedom of speech and various journalists and publications are threatened with physical and political violence, Julian Assange pointed to Taraf as “the bravest newspaper in Turkey”.
Today’s highlights of the Wikileaks section of Taraf denounces underground forces inside the government acting against current president Tayyip according to cables of 2002. 
We look forward to covering Taraf’s analysis and gathering more information of its strategy and focus on releasing the leaked cables.
2011-03-21 Greek SKAI media group has access to all of the US state cables
Yesterday, the Greek newspaper "Kathimerini" started publishing US state cables relating to Greece with a six page review of the cables focused on Greek political figures and current items of interest. Tonight Greek TV station SKAI TV and web site skai.gr will also begin reporting on the cables.
"The New Files" newsprogram along with SKAI TV, skai.gr and the daily "Kathihimerini" has gained access to all 250.000 US embassy cables leaked to Wikileaks exclusively for Greece. The access has been granted by the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten. More on "The New Files" broadcast Monday March 21 at 23.00.
SKAI TV, skai.gr and the newspaper Kathimerini are all part of the SKAI Group, one of the largest media groups in Greece.
Greece had a mini-Wikileaks scandal on January 13, 2011 when Regional Development Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis was quoted in a cable telling former US ambassador in Athens regarding Greece’s National Intelligence Service (EYP): “EYP is nothing. It does not serve its mission of protecting Greece and in fact is dangerous to national security because of its many shortcomings, not least of which is a unionized labor force.” He is also reported as saying that Greek police know the identity of virtually all members of domestic terrorist groups but do not have the evidence to prosecute them.
In comments to Skai Television, Chrysochoidis, previously in charge of the public order portfolio, spoke of “hypocrisy” and “conspiracy theories,” noting that the comments attributed to him had been made several times on the record in the past and did not constitute news. “All this has been expressed publicly and I am surprised that it is being presented as a revelation,” he told Skai. The minister added: “I have described publicly thousands of times the unsatisfactory situation that existed then. EYP was not fulfilling its role for the protection of the country.”
2011-03-21 Greek cablegate revelations
As WL Central reported earlier, the Greek SKAI media group has access to all of the US state cables and has begun reporting on them. These are WL Central articles based on the cables being released from SKAI.
Greek Riots of December 2008 – What happened and how they impact U.S. interests.
In the cable dated December 18th 2008, the American ambassador in Athens describes the social and other causes that lead to turmoil in the Greek capital after the murder of the 16 year old Alexis Grigoropoulos by a police officer.
Daniel Speckhard criticizes PM Konstantinos Karamanlis, talking about "lack of Karamanlis", while, referring to the causes of the unrest, he claimed that the Greek media have covered the events of the assassination "irresponsibly and inflammatory". Moreover, he called the two parties of the Left, Communist Party and SYRIZA "dinosaurs". Finally, he characterized the Greek security forces as “demoralized” and “weakened by post-junta limits and public distrust”.
He continues with a current assessment of the ruling party, noting its reluctance to push through reforms and the resistance it encounters from various interest groups.
He concludes noting that the Karamanlis’ government will now be even more inward-looking than before and that the Americans will now have to “monitor aggressively the growing domestic terrorist threat”.
Comments about the Papandreou government
In November 2009, the US ambassador sent to the State Department, the 09ATHENS1661 cable in which he describes the first seven weeks of Papandreou government. He refers to the operating mechanism of the PM’s office, the governmental policies that didn’t prosper and the dichotomy in the political culture of the ruling party’s executives.
The ambassador mentions that “the government of George Papandreou has come under criticism from the Greek public and international markets for an erratic start in implementing its sweeping governmental reform”.
He also refers to the tensions between the two camps of PASOK, the “old lions” and the new ones which appear to have the Prime Minister’s favor.
He continues the rest of the cable referring to specific persons inside the Papandreou administration, most notably the Minister of Environment, Tina Birbili, who was given this position because she was a former Papandreou speechwriter, emblematic of the new breed.
He concludes, almost prophetically, that “commentators have noticed that Papandreou and Papakonstantinou [the Minister of Economics] have recently adopted more populist economic rhetoric, criticizing "plutocrats" and "those who plunder the people´s wealth," leading to speculation that the government´s not-yet-announced tax plan may be designed to benefit core PASOK constituencies at the expense of economic growth. On the other hand, such rhetoric could be a means to try to deflate what is expected to be strong opposition to upcoming, painful reforms [...] and to make the entire process more palatable to the public and the old guard.”
Estimates about internal party developments in PASOK
At the end of June 2008, Daniel Speckhard, the US ambassador in Athens, Greece, sent to the State Department his own assessment about the internal party developments in PASOK (then the main opposition party, now the ruling party) and the potential benefits for the New Democracy party (then the ruling party).
Among other things, he refers to the then emerging Siemens scandal, and the revelations that the former Prime Minister’s right hand man, Theodoros Tsoukatos, had received 420.000€ from the German company, had caused a great turmoil inside PASOK.
Papandreou’s critics mention that he’s trying to change the party by transforming it into something that it can’t be.
The US ambassador concludes that a continued discontent inside the party has pushed Papandreou away from his familiar pro-Western attitude and more toward an often strident, "patriotic"-populist language reminiscent of his late father. He turned against the independence of Kosovo and changed his attitude about Turkey´s EU accession which he supported when he was Minister of Foreign Affairs during Simitis’ residency.
Karamanlis: Putin is no teacher of democracy
During January of 2008, the newly appointed US ambassador in Athens, Daniel Speckhard, meets for the first time with Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis, of the New Democracy party. They discuss, among other things, the name issue of Macedonia, Kosovo, Greece-Turkey relations and energy policy issues such as the South Stream gas pipeline.
Concerning the name of FYROM, he told the ambassador that they had to find a common naming solution, or else Greece won’t consent to FYROM´s entry into Euro-Atlantic institutions.
He told the US ambassador that Greece isn’t ready yet to have a leading role in the EU, but the country now is in the upper half of privileged states, unlike the 80s where it was at the bottom.
He talked about the planned reforms of his government, such as reforms in the pension system, privatizations, and education reform in order to allow for private universities to operate.
Concerning Vladimir Putin, he mentioned that he obviously was “no teacher of democracy” but in basic issues, such as global stability and the battle against terrorism, Russia was a partner and Greece needs good relations with them.
About the South Stream gas pipe concerns of the US ambassador, Karamanlis tried to downgrade the achieved progress of the pipe’s construction, stating that it will be difficult and it will take some time.
According to Mr. Karamanlis, relations with Turkey were better than before but he could not say there had been any progress on any substantive issue.
Finally, he advised the US ambassador to be discrete in his relationship with Greek politicos, journalists, and prominent businessmen.
2011-03-21 US military blames photos of war crimes for causing "distress" [Update 2]
UPDATE: Soldier sentenced for murder: "I lost my moral compass."
UPDATE 2: Rolling Stone, "The Kill Team"
Updates on the turn
“We apologize for the distress these photos cause”
On Sunday, the German weekly Der Spiegel published three photos -- from a reported trove of 4,000 videos and photos -- taken by members of a US army unit operating in Kandahar province last year. Two of the photos show soldiers in the unit lifting the body of an Afghan civilian by the hair and posing thus for the camera; the third shows two Afghans apparently or possibly killed while handcuffed together back to back. The photographs are not yet available onsite at Der Spiegel; David Dayen at firedoglake links to them here, here, and here.
As the Washington Post reported Sunday night, the identities of Gul Mudin, an unarmed Afghan civilian killed by the 5th Stryker Brigade unit, and the two soldiers photographed treating his body as a trophy have been known for some time. Twelve soldiers from the unit are currently being prosecuted in the deaths of three unarmed Afghan civilians last year; two are charged with murder and could face life imprisonment or the death penalty if convicted. The Post follows up with the best analysis so far of the impact these photos might have on those cases.
It is news, however, that the unit would have collected such a store of photographic evidence of their activities -- the Post, following suppressed military court evidence in the US, refers to "several hundred," but the Guardian, citing Der Spiegel, refers to 4,000.
The most telling news of all, however, is the official reaction of the US military to the publication of these three photographs.
In a statement released by Col Thomas Collins Sunday night, the US Army said:
“Today Der Spiegel published photographs depicting actions repugnant to us as human beings and contrary to the standards and values of the United States Army. We apologize for the distress these photos cause ... The actions portrayed in these photographs remain under investigation and are now the subject of ongoing U.S. court-martial proceedings, in which the accused are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.” [Reconstructed from two media sources]
Granted, the statement calls the apparent mockery of a dead body "repugnant" to members of the US Army. But the only straight apology it offers is for the photographs themselves and the impact they may have. That apology is all the more odd since the US Army did not release these photos and a US military court has attempted to suppress them.
We are left to ponder the mindset that considers publication of evidence of a crime more worrisome than the crime itself. We recall that after the publication of the first photos from Abu Ghraib in 2004, Bush administration officials professed to be shocked by the evidence and insisted it was the work of only "a few bad apples," low-level enlisted personnel whom they then proceeded to prosecute sternly. Years later, in spite of the findings of the Senate Armed Services Committee that what happened at Abu Ghraib was the result of a system of attitudes and practices developed within the Department of Defense, from the top down, to deal with prisoners at Guantanamo and then exported to US sites overseas, no one other than the "few bad apples" has been investigated or prosecuted for those crimes in Iraq.
In a system that privileges manners ("We're sorry you've seen these rude photos") over morals ("Murder is a war crime"), telling the truth (publishing the photos) becomes a revolutionary act. It is not hard to see how US soldiers have absorbed that pattern of amorality -- manners ("It's ok if you don't get caught") over morals or principle -- if it is so evident in every official statement released by the Department of Defense, as it is in this one, nor how much courage and intelligence it must take for an enlisted man or woman to resist the system, openly or covertly.
UPDATE: Soldier sentenced for murder: "I lost my moral compass."
Army Specialist Jeremy Morlock, 23, was sentenced on Wednesday, 23 March, by a military court in Washington State to twenty-four years in prison for his part in the murder of three Afghan civilians. He will be eligible for parole in seven years.
Before sentencing, he read out an apology in which he confessed to recognizing that during his time in Afghanistan, he had "lost [his] moral compass," an admission that in theory should have some significance for others higher in the chain of command:
Civilian attorneys for Morlock and other defendants, all enlisted men, have suggested the Stryker Brigade suffered from a breakdown in command and that higher-ranking officers bore some responsibility for the misbehavior of their troops.
One other element of Morlock's plea deal is notable:
Speaking under oath at the hearing, Morlock also implicated the four other members of his infantry unit's so-called "kill team" and agreed to testify further against them if called as a prosecution witness for their courts-martial.
The same condition has been applied to the two most recent plea deals negotiated before military commissions at Guantanamo, those of Omar Khadr and Noor Uthman Muhammed, which we plan to cover in an upcoming review.
UPDATE 2: Rolling Stone, "The Kill Team"
Rolling Stone has published a detailed narrative of the history in Afghanistan of Bravo Company, 3rd platoon, 5th Stryker Brigade, the company concerned in these cases.
The article doesn't advance our knowledge of the legal processes concluded and underway, but it is disturbing background to the relatively limited investigations and prosecutions that appear to be the result for the moment. Rolling Stone publishes more photos than Der Spiegel did, along with two videos that must come with warnings. It is not clear who the Afghans killed in these videos were; it is clear, though, that these were produced as trophy records, widely shared among members of the company, which is at least a violation of the US military code and of international law.
Two questions remain. Mark Boal concludes his article by noting that no senior officers or officials have been investigated in these cases, in spite of repeated warning signs of dangerous attitudes towards Afghans among members of the company:
So far, though, no officers or senior officials have been charged in either the murders or the cover-up. Last October, the Army quietly launched a separate investigation, guided by Brig. Gen. Stephen Twitty, into the critical question of officer accountability. But the findings of that inquiry, which was concluded last month, have been kept secret – and the Army refuses to say whether it has disciplined or demoted any of the commanders responsible for 3rd Platoon. Even if the commanding officers were not co-conspirators or accomplices in the crimes, they repeatedly ignored clear warning signs and allowed a lethally racist attitude to pervade their unit. Indeed, the resentment of Afghans was so commonplace among soldiers in the platoon that when Morlock found himself being questioned by Army investigators, he expressed no pity or remorse about the murders.
Toward the end of Morlock's interview, the conversation turned to the mindset that had allowed the killings to occur. "None of us in the platoon – the platoon leader, the platoon sergeant – no one gives a fuck about these people," Morlock said.
Then he leaned back in his chair and yawned, summing up the way his superiors viewed the people of Afghanistan. "Some shit goes down," he said, "you're gonna get a pat on the back from your platoon sergeant: Good job. Fuck 'em."
And we recall that Der Spiegel claims to have a trove of 4,000 photos and videos. It is hard to believe that they all concern the deaths of only three individuals.
2011-03-21 WikiLeaks in today's media: Cablegate coverage
Next: American official says PDP is not a party
"The United States does not consider the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party a political party, a US diplomatic cable leaked to the whistleblowing site, Wikileaks, and made exclusively available to NEXT has shown.
Charge d’ affaires of the US embassy in Nigeria, Lisa Piascik, in a dispatch dated October 19, 2007, informed Washington that despite its labelling as a political party, the PDP did not meet “the common western understanding” of a political party."
The Guardian: WikiLeaks cable links defecting Yemeni general to smuggling rackets
"US diplomatic cables reveal powerful army chief behind moves to oust president is seen as unwelcome successor to Saleh.
The Yemeni general who has thrown his weight behind moves to oust President Ali Abdullah Saleh is a powerful and shadowy figure who has amassed a fortune in arms and fuel smuggling rackets, according to US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks."
(Image Credit: Dali Rău)
2011-03-22 Ghosts of Allende & Pinochet Haunt Obama During Visit to Chile
US President Barack Obama, currently on a trip through Latin America, visited Chile yesterday to further expand trade relations and military and security cooperation between the two countries. He did not intend for his visit to be about the US’ history of interfering in Chile’s domestic affairs or, for that matter, human rights. But, the first question President Obama was asked was the following: Is the United States “willing to ask for forgiveness for what it did in those very difficult years in the ‘70s in Chile?”
President Obama answered, “I think it’s very important for all of us to know our history. And obviously the history of relations between the United States and Latin America have at times been extremely rocky and have at times been difficult.” But, “I think it’s important, though, for us, even as we understand our history and gain clarity about our history, that we’re not trapped by our history.”
Furthermore, President Obama said he could not “speak to all of the policies of the past” but could “speak certainly to the policies of the present and the future.” As he noted that the US has supported democratic reform in Chile for two decades, President Obama refused to acknowledge the true history of US relations with Chile, a history that involved supporting Gen. Augusto Pinochet in a CIA-backed coup in 1973.
President Obama may not want to get “trapped” in a discussion that leads him to have to take responsibility for the country, which he currently presides over, but files released between 1998 and 2003 show, according to investigative reporter Peter Kornbluh, “The US created a climate of a coup in Chile, a situation of chaos and agitation.”
Worried the Chilean military was not ready for a coup, the CIA mounted a policy that would eventually lead to a coup that would topple Latin America’s first democratically-elected Marxist president President Salvador Allende. The CIA clandestinely armed forces with tear gas canisters, gas masks, and arms to ensure the success of a coup. Some members of the CIA even went so far as to propose a “terror campaign to stun the Chilean people into accepting a military regime.” Dropping bombs and using low-level fly overs of airplanes to psychologically influence the Chilean people was considered.
The US bribed and massively funded non-left wing political leaders in an effort to de-stabilize the country. Declassified documents prove all of this, yet, as evidenced by President Obama’s answer, it is not possible for America to acknowledge historical reality.
Many of the documents, however, were redacted so that people would remain unidentified. And, many more documents on Pinochet and Chile remain classified. That’s why Obama was also asked if he would release more documents to help those who had been victim of human rights abuses committed by Pinochet’s military regime.
As Greg Grandin of The Nation writes, “Last month, in anticipation of Obama’s trip to Chile, Carmen Frei, the daughter of Eduardo Frei Montalva, Chile’s president prior to Salvador Allende and believed poisoned by Pinochet in 1982, said that ‘precisely because there has been such a radical change in the politics of the United States that we believe in the human rights [policies] of President Obama, this is the moment—if he's coming to Chile he can receive the official requests and petitions.’ And just before his arrival, Chile's entire center-left congressional cohort signed an open letter urging the US president to declassify the documents.”
Sen. Isabel Allende, said of the coup prior to President Obama’s visit that the coup "represents an unpaid debt for the justice system, to acknowledge the numerous crimes committed that day, identify those who participated, establishing their criminal responsibilities and knowing the entire truth of that day." She, along with others, prepared themselves to push President Obama to not only declassify documents but push the Chilean government to “deal more forcefully with the darkest period in Chile's political history.”
President Obama, however, chose the path of least resistance. He opted to not take the moment to boldly stand up for accountability, human rights and justice and he would only be able to commit to “reviewing” a request for declassification of information. He said Washington would cooperate “in principle,” but that was as far as he was willing to go. And, he chose to ignore the fact that "Chile's Supreme Court recently ordered investigative judge Mario Carroza to probe Allende's death along with 725 others whose cases were never prosecuted," and "another judge, Alejandro Madrid began probing Frei Montalva's death in 2002, and has charged six people, including doctors and former Pinochet spies, with poisoning him and covering up his death by removing his bodily fluids and organs."
The response is not all that surprising when one looks at how US diplomat Paul E. Simons framed news that a judge had decided Eduardo Frei Montalva was killed by figures linked to Pinochet.
A cable released by WikiLeaks from December 2009 begins with this summary, “On December 7, Judge Alejandro Madrid charged six individuals with assassinating former President Eduardo Frei Montalva in 1982. Frei, who is the father of the current presidential candidate Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, died ostensibly of a bacterial infection after undergoing routine surgery. USG laboratory tests conducted to date have found no evidence of the poisoning that Judge Madrid alleges, though some of the substances alleged to have been used cannot be detected via laboratory tests.”
On an autopsy performed on Frei’s body without the consent of Frei’s family less than one hour after his death, Simons adds, “The highly unusual autopsy was allegedly performed in the hospital room where Frei died, using a ladder to hang the body upside down in order to drain bodily fluids into the bathtub. Some organs, and in particular those whose chemical compositions might indicate poisoning, were removed and destroyed, and the body was embalmed.”
But, Simons ultimately concludes, “Even when a judicial decision is eventually reached in the case, Frei's death--like many other events surrounding the Allende and Pinochet governments--is likely to remain controversial, with Chilean opinions about the matter based more on ideology than fact.”
Simons comments:
…It is easy to see why his family and supporters suspect that he was murdered. And Judge Madrid may have additional evidence which post is not aware of to support this conclusion.
On the other hand, at present the Embassy is not aware of any direct evidence indicating foul play. Official tests conducted by AFIP and unofficial tests by Dr. Centeno have not shown toxic levels for any of the elements tested. Given the extremely long time since Frei's death and the destruction of some key organs, forensic science may not be able to provide definitive evidence whether Frei was murdered. Chile's tragic recent history continues to divide its people, and the death of this emblematic president seems destined to be yet one more area in which the full truth may never be known.
The “direct evidence” could be in the classified documents that have not been released. But, Chileans may never get to see the entirety of what happened from 1970-1990 and how involved the US was in backing and steering the Pinochet military regime. They may never get to see because free trade agreements and security cooperation deals appear to be more important than truth and justice for the Chilean people. And, if information on US involvement was revealed, it could significantly complicate relations with Chile that are especially important to the US.
Unfortunately, it is not all that surprising that President Obama would promote this idea about not getting trapped by history. This meme is essentially a remix of a regular assertion he has made—that “America needs to move forward, not look back.” In the US, Obama has refused to push the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute former Bush Administration officials for torture. The Obama Administration has opted to not have any kind of a commission to review how the Bush Administration lied and manipulated the country into supporting a war in Iraq. The Administration has chosen to not look into the use of illegal wiretapping by the NSA and, instead, has chosen to prosecute an NSA whistleblower for providing classified information to a newspaper reporter in email messages from 2006 and 2007.
It should be said, then, WikiLeaks, through its release of cables, war logs, a US military video of a helicopter attack, and other documents, has forced the US to look back as it tries to move forward. That may be one of the chief reasons why it is regarded as such a potent enemy.
Photo a screenshot of C-SPAN broadcast of Obama's Chile speech
2011-03-22 Greek cablegate revelations
The US ambassador on the state of Greek mainstream media.
Charles Ries, the then US ambassador in Athens, comments on the “incestuous” state of Greek media and newspapers. In a cable dated July 13, 2006 he notes that although at a first glance Greek media appear orderly arranged with constitutional guarantees in place, much like “the media in the U.S”, a closer inspection, “reveals a Greek media industry controlled by business tycoons whose other successful businesses enable them to subsidize their loss-making media operations”.
He states characteristically that Greece has the triple amount, or even more, of newspapers, magazines, radio and TV stations, compared to Portugal which has the same population. He also says that, due to the lack of newspaper subscriptions and the fact that newspapers have to sell themselves from newsstands, “even the occasional calm and partially accurate story will have a misleading or untrue headline that often has nothing to do with the story”, often using DVD and book giveaways as buying incentives.
Concerning the state of internet journalism he states that “the same media companies that own newspapers and broadcasting stations have established internet news portals, but they have not taken off”. Specifically, “there are no "Salons" or "Drudge Reports"”.
Although, he continues, the public generally distrusts the media, there are high levels of anti-Americanism “because people like to vent their frustrations”. However, he states, in a deeper level “you will find that the public is generally content with the decisions the government makes, even those where Greece and the U.S. are allied“.
He then refers to the ethnocentricity that prevails in Greek media, with the problems of the average Greek consuming a great portion of news and with foreign developments receiving a very limited and scarce coverage.
In the ambassador’s words, “the private media outlets in Athens are owned by a small group of people who have made or inherited fortunes in shipping, banking, telecommunications, sports, oil, insurance, etc. and who are or have been related by blood, marriage, or adultery to political and government officials and/or other media and business magnates”. He then refers to specific people, such as Vardinoyannis, Lambrakis, Goulandris and Nomikos in order to document his statement.
As long as journalists are concerned, according to Ries, they are “an underpaid bunch” usually paid by the same politicians they are covering”.
He also states that “Greek public opinion thrives today, as it did in 800 B.C., on myths, scapegoats, and conspiracy theories, with the U.S. portrayed as the "Planetary Ruler" who is to blame for Greece´s domestic troubles and for its lack of stature in the international arena”.
Finally, the ambassador discloses that in order to counter this growing sentiment of anti-Americanism they have succeeded in “placing interviews, locally produced op-eds, and IIP products on key foreign policy concerns”, as well as they are “attempting to counter factual errors and omissions with telephone calls, letters to the editor, and regular meetings with journalists, editors, and publishers”.
He concludes by acknowledging that “despite the efforts of the media, […] the Greek public is comfortable venting against U.S. foreign policy while admiring many aspects of U.S. culture”.
Turkey’s views towards Europe.
(This article is based on a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available)
At December 10, 2005, the then Minister of Foreign Affairs Petros Moliviatis meets with the US ambassador in Athens, who, in turn, sends the next day the cable 05ATHENS2371 to State Department. In it he describes in detail their conversation about the views of Turkey towards Europe as well as the complex relations between Athens and Nicosia.
Specifically, the then US Ambassador Charles Ries states that Moliviatis was worried about the political pressures of Cyprus and France that were “were pushing the Turkey/EU issue into a downward spiral”.
He characterizes Moliviatis as “glum” and notes that even though he had assured the ambassador that the tough line of Cyprus and France in that issue would not be continued so as to put in danger the meeting of the EU, he was not so optimistic now.
As the minister notes, public opinion both in Greece and Cyprus was “very bad”.
He also stressed that the Cypriot Foreign Minister Iacovou was "impossible" on the Turkey/EU issue and that he would simply “not talk to him”.
The cable also states that Mr. Moliviatis asked from the United States not to be publicly involved in the Turkey issue, as France was already causing troubles, and that an involvement of USA would further support France’s arguments that "we shouldn’t let the U.S. define the shape of the EU".
How Cyprus views the appointment of Dora Bakoyianni as a Foreign Minister by the Greek government.
After the appointment of Dora Bakoyianni as a Minister of Foreign Affairs, the US embassy in Nicosia notes the reactions of the political parties.
As it is stated in the cable, the Greek minister and her father are regarded in Cyprus as Pro-Americans and soft on the Cyprus issue.
It also reports that only the right-wing, pro-Annan plan "DISY" political party was “effusive in its praise for the appointment”. The other parties were “noticeably quiet”. The smaller, nationalist parties were concerned at Bakoyianni’s support for the Annan Plan prior to the April 2004 referenda.
The embassy notes that the appointment of Dora Bakoyianni was not a surprise neither for Cyprus, nor for Greece, but in the island there is a concern about her views towards the Cypriot issue.
That’s why, according to the ambassador, the Cypriot minister of foreign affairs Iakovou would go to Greece, in order to reinforce the view that that "Cyprus decides; Greece supports".
Theodoros Pangalos, former Foreign Minister, talks to the US ambassador.
Theodoros Pangalos, former Foreign Minister and then MP with the major opposition party PASOK, met with the American ambassador in Athens, at February 15, 2008. The now Vice President talked openly to the ambassador Daniel Speckhard about the FYROM naming issue, the education reform and the internal party’s issues.
He stated that the conflict regarding the name of the Republic of Macedonia was "ridiculous" and a "disaster from the beginning". He also notes that Greece should be honored that they want to use the name Macedonia. Pangalos additionally stated that “the U.S. should not worry about Greece blaming the U.S. for not solving the problem”.
Regarding educational reform, and specifically the changing of the law in order to allow the operation of private universities, he noted that he did not agree with his party’s position that the law shouldn’t change. He characteristically told the ambassador that the current system of public universities in Greece was “b.s”. He also stated that “particularly guilty was the Synaspismos party, which had taken a demagogic approach to the issue and was just inflaming the situation”, revealing that his current position against the successor of Synaspismos, SYRIZA, has lengthy foundations.
Attempting to explain why his party, PASOK, isn’t doing well in polls despite the conditions in the country, he indicated that this was due to the economic policies of the past which had affected the low and middle classes which were a natural PASOK constituency and that they “were angered by what they perceived to be PASOK´s complicity in cutting government support”. He also told the ambassador that PASOK “suffered from poor leadership and poor leadership decisions. George Papandreou was honest and direct, but he was a poor communicator and not a leader.”
The US ambassador concluded by commenting that “a very small percentage [of Greeks] would agree with Pangalos on the Macedonia name issue”.
2011-03-22 WikiLeaks in today's media: Cablegate coverage
The Telegraph: Qatar asked Shell and ExxonMobil for donations
"Qatar wrote to major international oil companies, including Royal Dutch Shell and ExxonMobil, to demand up to $1.7bn (£1bn) in donations for a medical centre, according to leaked diplomatic cables.
The Middle Eastern nation is one of the world's richest countries per capita on account of its oil and gas wealth. However, it caused surprise by approaching a number of companies that work with Qatar Petroleum with a cash call in 2007. According to the Wikileaks documents, letters signed by Abdullah al-Attiyah, the deputy prime minister, told each company how much they were expected to donate."
El País: Periodismo a sangre y fuego en Yemen (Journalism, blood and fire in Yemen)
"Primero, el presidente de Yemen, Alí Abdalá Saleh, solía enviar al diario Al-Ayyam el mensaje de que la publicación de algún artículo le parecía "inaceptable". Después, el propio presidente llamaba al director del periódico, Hisham Bashrahil, para dictarle un artículo y pedirle que lo firmara con un nombre ficticio. El problema llegaba cuando el director se negaba a entrar en el juego. En el año 2005 el periódico grabó uno de esos dictados al periodista, según revelan los papeles de Wikileaks. (First, the president of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh, used to send the newspaper Al-Ayyam messages when the publication of an article was found "unacceptable." Then the president called the newspaper's director, Hisham Bashrahil, to dictate an article and ask them to sign a fictitious name. The problem came when the director refused to enter the game. In 2005, the newspaper recorded one of these dictates to the journalist, as revealed by Wikileaks papers.)"
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(Image Credit: Dali Rău)
2011-03-23 Syria: At least 4 more dead in 'armed gang' ambulance attack
As many as 10 protesters have been killed in Syrian rallies that officially began on March 15. The latest attack by Syrian security forces took place Wednesday just after midnight at the Omari mosque in Demaa.
The Associated Press reports that an ambulance was attacked by an "armed gang" in this incident, which was initially aired on Syria's state-run TV. Fatalities include a paramedic, a driver, a policeman and Dr. Ali Ghassab al-Mahamid, who traveled to the mosque in order to attend to victims of similar recent attacks.
In Damascus, a group of several dozen plain-clothes Syrian policemen broke up a protest at the Omayyed Mosque on March 21. Security forces reportedly pulled out batons the moment chants broke out and detained at least two activists. At least one activist was beaten for resisting. Many women and children fled the scene as at least 200 protesters gathered, “chanting support for President Bashar al-Assad and waving Syrian flags.”
On March 19, security forces "used teargas to disperse thousands of mourners who gathered for the funeral of [Wissam Ayyash and Mahmoud al-Jawabra] who had been killed." A resident from Daraa spoke with Human Rights Watch:
"After the burial of the two men, ... people left the cemetery chanting that after today there will not be any fear. Security members met them at the bridge with teargas canisters and later used bullets to disperse them."
On Friday March 18, hundreds of people were wounded and at least 4 were reported killed as Syrian security forces claiming to be high ranking officers opened fire on protesters at a rally in Daraa.
According to Reuters, security forces fired on and killed Wissam Ayyash, Mahmoud al-Jawabra, and Ayham al-Hariri. A fourth protester, Adnan Akrad, died on Saturday from wounds also sustained by live ammunition. (HRW.org)
Syria's state news agency SANA said violence and "acts of sabotage" had broken out in Daraa, prompting security forces to intervene.
"Infiltrators took advantage of a gathering of citizens near the Omari Mosque in Daraa ... to provoke chaos through acts of violence which resulted in damage to private and public property," SANA said.
"The infiltrators also set cars and shops on fire, which obliged security forces to intervene in order to protect citizens and property," it added. "They were also attacked by the infiltrators before the latter dispersed."
Human Rights Watch is calling for an immediate "cease use of live fire and other excessive force against protesters" and conformity with international standards that "call on law enforcement officials to apply nonviolent means before resorting to the use of force."
2011-03-23 WikiLeaks in today's media: Cablegate coverage
Next: Aondoakaa is a thug, say US officials
"Mike Aondoakaa, the former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, is a thug who did the late President Umaru Yar'Adua's dirty work, a leaked US diplomatic cable, made exclusively available to NEXT, has said.
In the cable, dated December 24, 2008, American diplomats attached to the US embassy in Nigeria, also criticised the late Yar'Adua's anti-corruption fight citing his choice of people with questionable characters as ministers. The cable, classified by the then acting political counsellor, Cheryl Fernandes and endorsed by then American Ambassador, Robin Sanders, is a comprehensive biographical background check on some ministers that served under the late President. "Aondoakaa is an intelligent, politically savvy lawyer who is reputed to have done some of Yar'Adua's dirty work, including attempts to disgrace Economic and Financial Crimes Commission former chairman, Nuhu Ribadu," the US officials wrote in their dispatch to Washington. "He is considered to be a thug heavily involved in illicit enrichment and cannot be trusted. Yar'Adua keeping him on belies his commitment to the rule of law." Contacted yesterday, Mr. Aondoakaa said the assessment of him was nonsense. "Is it not the same woman who said things about the speaker, about the President?" Mr. Aondoakaa said. "The woman was just here carrying out the wish of her masters. The US doesn't have serious attachment to these cables. The Nigerian government has denied these cables. What she was saying, if she said them at all, is nonsense.""
Next: Bola Ige's family tackles police over murder probe
"The family of the late Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Bola Ige, has reacted angrily to the revelation of the sloppy and unprofessional manner the Nigerian police handled the investigation into its patriarch's murder.
Muyiwa Ige, the eldest son of the late minister, who spoke on behalf of the family, told NEXT yesterday that the revelation had strengthened his family's suspicion that the police was not interested in finding his father's killers."
The Telegraph: Hoax phone call brought India and Pakistan to brink of war
"A hoax phone call and a diplomatic gaffe by a senior Indian official brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war shortly after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, according to diplomatic cables disclosed by WikiLeaks.
In the days immediately after 10 Pakistani Lashkar e Taiba terrorists killed 166 people in Mumbai, a man pretending to be India's then External Affairs Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, called Asif Zardari, Pakistan's president, to warn it was about to launch a military response."
El País: Argelia gana peso como puerta de entrada de las drogas en España y Europa (Algeria gained importance as a gateway drug in Spain and Europe)
"Argelia sirve como un punto de tránsito para el tráfico de drogas (cannabis procedente de Marruecos y cada vez más cocaína y heroína de Sudamérica) hacia Europa. Es la principal conclusión que se extrae de un cable confidencial remitido en diciembre de 2009 por la embajada de EE UU en Argelia al Departamento de Estado. (Algeria serves as a transit point for drug trafficking (cannabis from Morocco and increasingly cocaine and heroin from South America) to Europe. It is the main conclusion to be drawn from a confidential cable sent in December 2009 by the U.S.)"
2011-03-24 Cable Highlights Saudi Anti-Bush Poem Published During Israel's 2006 War in Lebanon
Bombardment of Lebanon by Israel, according to UPI, began on July 12, 2006, just after “Shiite Hezbollah militiamen captured two Israeli soldiers and killed eight others in cross-border attacks.” The country’s infrastructure had been a prime target with the country’s sole international airport in Beirut, ports, power stations, telecommunications, roads and bridges and buildings being devastated. Over three hundred Lebanese civilians had been killed and, simultaneously, the Gaza strip was under assault from Israel as well.
Israel launched the attacks in an effort to neutralize Hezbollah. Arab leaders unified behind a call for an immediate cease-fire in the war. They came out strongly in defense of the Lebanese government and stated a top priority was to silence weapons and help bring an end to the attacks on Lebanese civilians and the destruction of infrastructure.
This is the climate that led columnist Saad Al Bawardi to publish a poem titled, “Letter to Bush,” in an Al Jazeera newspaper on August 13, 2006. The poem condemned then-U.S. President George W. Bush and “U.S. foreign policy regarding Lebanon, Palestine, and Iraq.” And, it was the subject of a diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks that was sent out by US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia James C. Oberwetter from the Riyadh embassy in Saudi Arabia on August 16, 2006.
Oberwetter presented the poem saying it epitomized the Saudi public mood. In the cable, the Oberwetter describes, “Using strong rhetoric and metaphor, [Bawardi] expressed the anger and frustration currently felt by many Saudis toward the Bush administration.” He adds, “Al-Jazeera journalists told Riyadh contacts that their newspaper is receiving many angry letters voicing opposition to the U.S., but due to space constraints, they are able to publish very few. This poem is noteworthy as it was the first one of its kind published in a mainstream newspaper since the start of the Lebanon crisis.”
Perhaps astonishingly, Oberwetter doesn’t just report on the increasingly acrimonious attitude toward the US in Saudi Arabia. He presents a paragraph that could be considered a short primer on Saudi Arabian poetry and its history:
Poetry runs in the blood of the Saudi people. They have historically utilized poetry to express public opinion over social, political, and cultural issues. They also use poetry to curry favor with their rulers, local and regional, as well as share their criticisms in an open forum. Throughout the history of Saudi Arabia, there have typically been two categories of poets: (1) al-Madih, poets specializing in tributes and praise, and (2) al-Hija, poets specializing in satire and critique. In light of recent events, more poets from the al-Hija than the al-Madih category are publishing their work, airing their grievances about regional events. Saudi culture and custom allow poets greater latitude and frankness than that accorded to political commentators or critics, due to poets' greater prestige and traditional status as spokesmen for popular opinion and speakers of "truth" to the elite.
There’s reason to doubt that poets actually have more latitude than others to freely express themselves. Saudi Arabian blogger Roshdi Algadir was arrested, beaten and forced to sign an agreement never to publish his work on the Internet on November 4, 2008, after posting a poem to his blog. The Hisba apparatus arrested him and claimed they were protecting the Islamic religion.
In May of 2005, two writers, Abdullah al-Hamed and Matruk al-Faleh, were sentenced to seven and six years in prison. Their sentences suggested Saudi Arabia was now one of the most restrictive countries for poets and writers, who wished to freely express themselves.
However, the poem published did not put the focus on Saudi Arabia at all. So, perhaps, Saudi writers can freely express themselves, as long as they do not talk about Saudi Arabian politics and government.
Oberwetter included the translated poem in the cable. Here is how it reads when translated into English:
Sorry if I have exceeded my limits
And asked you for a response
Is the one who asks for a "right" a "terrorist?"
Does Palestine-- the occupied land
Have no people or freedom?
Do those who immigrated to it from Poland, Russia or America
Have the legitimate right to the land?
The legitimate right to expel the inhabitants of the land
As if they were red Indians?
Chased and driven out with malignity and fiery clusters of
anger
From their land
Torn apart and divided
To dilute the case of having a "right?"
***
You promised the people of the Middle East of freedom
What freedom? And for Whom?
Freedom of the herdsman? Or the right of the herd?
A creative freedom of chaos?
Bush, Is there a code of ethics for chaos?
Or is chaos but oppression and coffins?
Ask the Statue of Liberty in New York
If it would answer you
It would have answered in anger and wailing
(Freedom is not built by injustice and skulls
Freedom would never be justly served by a tyrant)
***
Bush
Weapons of mass destruction that never existed
Was your excuse for invading the land of Iraq
To destroy Iraq
You left in it thousands of corpses, pain and divisions
Bodies torn by white phosphorous
If not plagued by cancerous diseases...
Tens of deaths every day
And your soldiers around the dead smiling
And your soldiers torturing
What freedom do you speak of?
***
In Lebanon your stupid dummy (Israel)
Took over the matter while you are the actor
Thousands upon thousands of missiles
Of bombs
Thrown by Israel with the hatred of killers
Leaving no stones no trees
No people or animals
Even the roads for those who want to run for safety
Were destroyed and were not saved
From the tyranny of the occupier...nor longer
There are any roads
Those who want to flee would only die
***
You did not do justice to a free and democratic Lebanon
You didn't have mercy on Lebanon of the varied denomination
and religions
You left the summer wind of death blowing in Lebanon
You were the one who gave the orders
But not the one who ordered the killing to stop
What did you give since you came?
Our big world is oppressed...scared
You said big exaggerated words:
"If you are not with us you are against us"
Which terrorist should be crushed?
Is the whole world a terrorist but you?
Bush, you are not an infallible prophet?
You have money, you have influence and you have power
But you don't have the Rightness
You don't follow the Truth
Let the other live without your guardianship
We know that the UN has become American
Rice is hers
Bolton orders and he gets answered
Bush, things will not stay the same
There isn't in the dictionary of freedom
A herdsman and a herd!
2011-03-24 Does Gaddafi Have Chemical Weapons to Use? (What WikiLeaks Cables Reveal)
With a military intervention by Western powers underway to supposedly protect Libyan civilians from Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, one might wonder what Gaddafi’s next move might be. His behavior during speeches prior to the intervention demonstrated Gaddafi is an erratic individual. He has suggested he would enlist the help of al-Qaeda to prevent Libyans from driving him from power. He has also said “I have not yet ordered the use of force, not yet ordered one bullet to be fired…when I do, everything will burn.”
Is Gaddafi a leader that would use chemical weapons (i.e. mustard gas) on his people?
US State Embassy cables released by WikiLeaks show the US has worked with other countries to ensure that Libya abandoned its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) program. It offered incentives for Libya to cooperate. But, cables that have been released suggest a slight possibility that Gaddafi still has chemical weapons materials.
One cable released details a visit by UK chemical weapons experts early in July 2008. They met Dr. Ahmed Hesnawy, the government of Libya’s (GOL) chief interlocutor on chemical weapons issues. One of the experts, Chris Rampling, stresses “the need for greater transparency from the GOL as to the reasons that conversion of the Rabta Chemical Weapons Production Facility (CWPF) from chemical weapons to pharmaceuticals production had been delayed.”
Hesnawy blames Italian company PharmaChem for delays in the conversion. Rampling urges “the GOL to be more transparent about the contract with Italian firm SIPSA Engineering for destruction of chemical agent at Rabta.” Hesnawy appears to agree that “greater transparency could help alleviate concerns about Libya’s activities,” but when asked if a contract with SIPSA has been signed, he complains.
…the Italian Embassy in Tripoli had called regularly - "they are pushing us too hard on this" - to ask whether the contract had been signed, Hesnawy stressed that Libya would "sign when we're ready to sign, and not before". As reported reftel, Hesnawy told us in June that contract negotiations with SIPSA had been completed and terms were mutually understood; however, the contract itself had not yet been formally approved by all relevant GOL entities. (Note: Rampling told us that despite the fact that Italian officials in Rome and at the OPCW deny that Italy's government has played a direct role in the SIPSA contract, Italian Embassy officials in Tripoli freely admitted that they were actively involved in trying to get the contract finalized and signed. End note.) Hesnawy expressed confidence that Libya would "easily meet" the deadline for destruction of its chemical agent…
Hesnawy’s pledge appears to be enough as the cable says the “UK team was ‘greatly reassured’ by its visit to the Rabta CWPF.” The team was able to enjoy full access and take photographs during a visit that lasted more than five hours. The UK team was not allowed to visit the chemical weapons destruction facility as Hesnawy told the team, “Only site preparation work was underway there, and that there was nothing of substance to see.” This, however, does not appear to be a problem for the UK team.
In a cable put together in preparation for Muatassim Gaddafi’s trip to Washington in April 2009, the disarming of chemical weapons facilities is mentioned. Gaddafi’s son appears to be crucial in convincing Libya to fully disarm:
… The logistics to ship 4.6kg of highly enriched uranium to Russia in September 2009 have yet to be set and the conversion of the Rabta chemical weapons facilities to peaceful use has suffered periodic delays. U.S. and UK members of the Tri-lateral Steering Committee charged with monitoring the disarmament report that Libyan progress is sporadic and that periodic unresponsiveness is often blamed on high-ranking regime members' perception that Libya was not getting enough in return for its actions. The GOL has repeatedly called for specific, large projects that, in their view, will demonstrate to the public (and conservative regime members) that the decision to disarm and re-engage was the right one. For example, Muatassim has recently pressed for a civilian nuclear project, mirroring earlier calls for a power-generating or a desalination facility built by a U.S. firm. More conservative regime elements see the WMD decision as a crucial bargaining chip too easily given away and this drives the Qadhafi efforts to show that the policy change toward the U.S. was a beneficial one. If he is successful in Washington, Muatassim can be a key messenger to them that Libya will see further rewards and that further cooperation is possible…
But, in July of 2009, an action request is sent out by then-US Ambassador to Libya Gene Cretz. Someone whose name has been redacted claimed the Libya government was deliberately delaying the implementation of its commitments under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) to destroy its remaining stockpile of declared chemical weapons (approximately 25 MT of mustard agent and 860 MT of chemical agent precursor chemicals).” They are supposed to destroy their mustard stockpile by December 31, 2010 and then their remaining inventory of precursor chemicals by December 31, 2011.
The Italian company SIPSA has been working with Libya on a Rabta Toxic Chemicals Destruction Facility but the government repeatedly has delayed the signing of a contract. Gaddafi is allegedly stalling because he would like Libya to get more compensation. Furthermore, the diplomat says the GOL has repeatedly delayed signing a contract with SIPSA. The person whose name is redacted suggests “even if construction were to begin immediately” it is highly unlikely the GOL “would meet the deadlines for destruction of its mustard agent and precursors.”
Cretz comments:
The GOL has been credited with having largely met its WMD commitments; however, the recent track record is worrisome and suggests that it may be deliberately delaying implementation of commitments it has undertaken under the rubric of the U.S.-U.K.-Libya Tri-lateral Steering and Coordination Committee (TSCC) and multi-lateral mechanisms such as the OPCW. The GOL has delayed since November 2007 signing a U.S.-Libya agreement for the return of spent nuclear fuel (the HEU-LEU agreement); delayed signing a parallel Russia-Libya agreement; given no detail on plans to sell its uranium yellowcake stockpile; delayed signing the SIPSA contract and delayed providing greater detail on its proposed retention of the sandbag enclosure at the Rabta facility.
Months later, a cable on US Senator John McCain’s visit to Libya indicates “Libya's signing of the agreement to transfer its highly enriched uranium to Russia for treatment and disposal, an action that must be taken prior to August 15, 2009, if Libya is going to meet the September deadline for disposal” is still an issue. Additionally, it notes Libya would like a Regional Nuclear Medicine Center to be established as part of the agreement to destroy the weapons.
Then, on September 30, a cable shows Dr. Hesnawy asked for an extension request on the deadline for the chemical weapons destruction.. Dr. Hesnawy gives a “long explanation” for why he should have an extension claiming “local residents complained about the idea of a CW destruction facility being built in their neighborhood and alerted environmental authorities to their concerns; then "all hell broke loose.’” He claims an "environmental agency" began asking tough questions regarding the emissions that would be released by the facility and requested verification of a number of control standards. Hesnawy bragged that he had successfully answered the questions and had come to an agreement with the agency.
This does not pass a smell test for US officials. The diplomat considers what Hesnawy is saying to be plausible except for “the alleged grassroots movement.” The diplomat writes, “Given tight Libyan Government controls over national security facilities and programs, we find it hard to believe that a grassroots movement could affect Libyan policy or action on a sensitive program such as the Rabta facility.”
But, the diplomat does not question Hesnawy’s suggesion that “civil defense people” are “concerned about securing the transfer of the chemical weapons and precursor materials from the storage to destruction sites” and have “demanded that emergency procedures be developed to ensure quick and appropriate response in the event of an accident or leak. A note included reads, “The containers currently housing the material were in fact leaking” when at least one UK official observed them.
Dr. Hesnawy does say “the ground has been leveled and fencing and gates have been put in place. Water and energy sources have been built for the facility,” which to the diplomat is a positive development.
Most curious is this “bio note” on Hesnawy. The diplomat describes Hesnawy as a “charismatic and gregarious character, who spoke fluent American English,” one who “used American expressions and slang with ease.” And someone whose name is redacted is noted as saying “ Hesnawy may be working with National Security Advisor, Muatassim al-Qadhafi, on missile purchase requests.”, making it possible that some quid pro quo has been going on in the effort to get Libya to destroy its chemical weapons.
On March 2, Reuters reported US intelligence agencies do not know where Libya’s stockpile of agents (precursor materials) for chemical weapons are located. Reuters also reported that Gaddafi had stepped up security around Libya’s principal remaining stock pile of agents used in chemical weapons.
There are doubts as to whether gas in the government’s possession is weaponized and usable in a strike against opposition or Western forces. The mustard gas, according to Mark Hosenball, is “probably badly degraded.”
Nonetheless, as of March 6, the IAEA, the UN nuclear watchdog agency was worried about diplomatic isolation, trade and the battles that were breaking out and feared chemical weapons might be used.
The Italian newspaper La Repubblica quoted former Libyan Justice Minister Abdel Jalil Musatafà, who said, “Gaddafi still has large stocks of chemical weapons. Surely the nerve gas, anthrax,” and perhaps even a weaponized form of smallpox.”
It does not seem likely, given what is in the aforementioned cables, that Libya would have met set deadlines for destruction.
Either there isn’t really much of a chemical weapons threat or the Western powers of the world that are intervening aren’t talking openly about chemical weapons because they do not want to provoke Gaddafi. Whatever the case may be, it is evident the cables reveal another layer of diplomatic foreign relations, one that involves figuring out how to handle leaders who realize they can get a lot of what they want if they play a waiting game with foreign leaders.
2011-03-24 WikiLeaks in today's media: Cablegate coverage
El País: Clinton y Moratinos sugirieron que Juan Carlos I llamara a Mohamed VI para resolver el 'caso Haidar' (Moratinos suggested that Clinton and Juan Carlos I called Mohamed VI to solve the 'case Haidar')
"En diciembre de 2009, con una opinión pública conmocionada por la huelga de hambre en la que se había embarcado la activista saharaui Aminetu Haidar, arreciaban las peticiones de que el Rey Juan Carlos mediara en la crisis que había comenzado cuando la autoridades marroquíes impidieron a la líder saharui aterrizar en El Aaiún, le requisaron el pasaporte y la confinaron en el aeropuerto de Lanzarote. (In December 2009, with a public shocked by the hunger strike in which the Sahrawi activist Haidar had embarked, the requests grew for King Juan Carlos to mediate in the crisis that began when the Moroccan authorities prevented the Sahrawi leader landed at Laayoune, seized her passport and confined her at the airport of Lanzarote.)"
Read more (Spanish) Google Translate
El País: La exministra de Salud argentina comunicó a la Embajada de EE UU las carencias de la atención médica (Argentina's former Minister of Health informed the U.S. Embassy about gaps in health care)
"La corrupción farmacéutica, la intromisión sindical en algunos campos de la salud, la drogadicción, los costes asociados a los cuidados médicos de larga duración y el aumento de pacientes, entre otros factores, agravaron los seculares carencias de la sanidad pública argentina, lastrada por la crisis económica del año 2001, según el desolador panorama expuesto ante el embajador de EE.UU, Anthony Wayne, por la entonces ministra de Salud Pública, María Graciela Ocaña. (Pharmaceutical corruption, union interference in some fields of health, drugs, costs associated with long-term medical care and increasing patients, among other factors compounded the secular public health deficiencies of Argentina, burdened by the economic crisis of 2001, according to the bleak picture exposed to the U.S. Ambassador Anthony Wayne, by the then Public Health Minister, Maria Graciela Ocaña.)"
Read more (Spanish) Google Translate
(Image Credit: Dali Rău)
2011-03-25 NYU Law School Panel on the 'Anxiety' Caused in the World by WikiLeaks
A major panel discussion was recently put on by New York University Law. The panel featured various law, Internet, journalism and national security experts discussing WikiLeaks' release of State Department cables. The individuals at the panel included:
Simon Chesterman, Global Professor of Law, Director, New York University School of Law Singapore Program
Norman Dorsen, Frederick I. and Grace A. Stokes Professor of Law, Co-Director, Arthur Garfield Hays Civil Liberties Program
Brian Markley, Partner, Cahill Gordon & Reindel
Burt Neuborne, Inez Milholland Professor of Civil Liberties, Legal Director, Brennan Center for Justice
Samuel Rascoff, Assistant Professor of Law
Jay Rosen, Associate Professor of Journalism, New York University, Author, PressThink
Katherine Strandburg, Professor of Law
Diane Zimmerman, Samuel Tilden Professor of Law Emeritus
Moderator:
Ira Rubinstein, Senior Fellow, Information Law Institute
Panelists each discussed what worried them most about the response to WikiLeaks' leaking of cables and other documents in the past year. The Panel then got into some more specific issues.
Samuel Rascoff, who came to NYU from the New York Police Department, opens the panel saying:
The thing that’s causing the deep-seated anxiety in the national security establishment is that we seem to be structurally incapable of maintaining a secret. It’s not just that hundreds of thousands of sensitive diplomatic cables, of records from the battlefield, of sensitive records of covert operations have now been disclosed, but it’s the sense that going forward we’ll never be able to undertake to do these things without public knowledge and participation. That causes the anxiety especially when it is coupled with the recognition on the part of the government that the legal tools that are available to, let’s say the prosecuting arm of the Dept of Justice, to contain these leaks are actually totally ineffective.
Rascoff laments the fact that the government can legally go after former Pfc. Bradley Manning, the alleged whistleblower, but cannot go after Julian Assange because he is on the level of the New York Times and protected. He says that two good things have happened: the disclosures do not appear to have damaged the US reputation and in some ways have enhanced the reputations of diplomats in the cables. He doesn’t appear to think that laws can rectify the “situation” but does have faith in adjustments to information technology infrastructure to prevent leaks in the future.
Burt Neuborne reacts to Rascoff saying the anxiety created by WikiLeaks is a result of a realization that secrets cannot be kept because of technology. Neuborne compares WikiLeaks to Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press and all of a sudden the people in control was terrified because information was going to be widely available to the masses.
Jay Rosen of PressThink.org take a different tack entirely stating, "It takes the world’s first stateless news organization to show our news organizations how statist they really are." That statement is unpacked.
WikiLeaks can be described as first significant stateless news organization. What I mean by that is that up to now the press is free to report on what the powerful wish to keep secret because the laws of a given nation protect it. WikiLeaks is able to report on what the government wishes to keep secret because the logic of the Internet permits it. And the way that it is organized and the way that it operates is stateless – it doesn’t require the law to protect it.
He adds US News organizations are poorly informed about the way they are embedded in the state. And he comments on Assange being mis-characterized as a "source." With the "network public sphere" at his disposal, he is much more than a source. But that is what is familiar to the press so that is how Assange was characterized. They ignore the fact that he can, at any time, publish the cables himself.
Rosen goes on to note, "The sources are voting with their leaks. They are choosing to go to WikiLeaks instead of the press but rather than interrogate that reason our press has tried to belittle WikiLeaks, to mis-describe it, to keep it in a box that makes it more familiar than it is."
Importantly, Rosen notes that in a fine paper put together by Yochai Benkler on WikiLeaks (read here in .PDF form), Benkler found 60% of reports from media were completely wrong about one key fact: WikiLeaks did not dump 250,000 State Department cables.
That's just the first 15 minutes of the panel. It continues for an hour and a half and gets at many legal issues.
2011-03-25 WikiLeaks in today's media: Cablegate coverage
The Telegraph: BP's German Khan sees Godfather films as 'manual for life'
"German Khan, one of the central figures in oil gaint BP’s operations in Russia, told executives that the Godfather films were his “manual for life”.
At the time, the reports on Mr Khan, the billionaire founder of the Alfa Group consortium, raised questions about the British company’s Russian associates."
2011-03-26 Letter to the Editor regarding #Bahrain | 'Am Sorry but Pictures Speak Better than Words' [WARNING: VERY GRAPHIC]
Dear Editor:
People of Bahrain are asking individuals to spread the news of the massacre that happened in Bahrain last Tuesday and Wednesday 15 and 16 of March, 2011 by the Saudi army. (Everybody is suspicious of the US blessing on this!) Nobody understands this move !!! and the double standard by the Western governments!!! We house the US 5th fleet and forever it's been a British base too.
The people of Bahrain started a peaceful demonstration on 14th Feb as it was the anniversary of the Constitution of the Monarchy in Bahrain. The King promised people greater democracy on that day, and the nation had voted for him. So to symbolise this event, the demands were simple, greater democracy, stop corruption and unemployment, stop nationalising the mercenary army.
On Sunday, 13 of March 2011 - student at the University of Barharin were attacked by some minority thugs holding swords, followed by the Riot police, many were hurt including the medics who tried to help the students, hence few severely wounded by swords cut!!!! pictures speak better than words.
On Tuesday, 15th of March - They stormed over the village of Sitra, below is some evidence of this butchery, the young man in this photo is Ahmad Farhan from Al Mahizaa area in Sitra and the second photo shows him from the back for those (including the Bahrain TV ) who claimed this is an old Palestinian picture....
No words can describe this butchery........
In the picture below, it shows the opposite building "Sitra Health Center" in English and Arabic. The 5th photo is the remains of his brain left on the street.....
(I am sorry but pictures speak better) how could this be allowed? tell me Hillary, Obama and all the rulers of the world, don't you have sons and daughters, didn't this man deserved a better life or better death.
What wrong had he done to say I want the democracy that the West talk about and are teaching us at schools!!!!
.jpg)
And, Wednesday was a total blood bath in Pearl Roundabout. People were woken up to bombing noise and helicopters and black smoke In Manama and the surrounding villages ......
This is the remain of the monument of the Pearl Roundabout, look at the size of the army man....what ever happened here , no one came out to report....number of dead unknown ..! number of wounded again
unknown...! number of mass arrest and missing also unknown ...! as no one could go out on 15/3, 16/3, 17/3, 18/3 to theses areas, as marshal law was in place and it's still on, only for those specific areas ( Shi'ite
areas......!!!!)
Pictures before and after speaks for itself.. The government demolished this huge monument to delete the evidence if the media comes in!!!
Bahrain is a tiny county in the Gulf. Not many Western countries are interested in our oil, so no one will help us except for our voice to reach the world through the Internet to force the Saudis to stop the blood bath among the Shi'ite's.
The riots in Bahrain had nothing to do with Shi'ites or Sunnis, it was basically to stop corruption and unemployment in Bahrain. We have always been the most liberated in the Gulf Shiites and Sunnies and expatriates.
Bahrain has announced Marshall law. Marshal; law by foreign forces, Saudis(They must have brought in Wahhabi's (Al Qaeda people)who want all Shi'ites Killed), Emirate's Army (which consists of mercenaries), plus it's own national forces that consists of mercenaries too, that is why they can kill with no mercy.
Kuwaitis refused to join in the killing of Bahraini's as they know from their history what's it's like to be attacked by a neighbouring country.
On Tuesday, 15 of March 2011, massacres has been happening in the Shi'ites villages or areas, they killed Bahraini's Shi'ites from air as well as on ground. Bahraini's believe that this is a plot, every time the head US Ministry of Defence comes into Bahrain, immediately after a disaster happens. Within two hours of his meeting with the government, the Saudi army enters Bahrain. British and US embassy told it's citizens to leave Bahrain ASAP.
They brutally attacked Sitra village first, and hence the photos of young Ahmad Farhan. For the last five days no one has been able to leave their houses. The main hospital is being surrounded by Saudi tanks and no wounded people can be brought in, nor the ambulances were allowed out. Only a hand full of doctors are now working in that hospital and no cameras were allowed since the invasion (sorry YouTube and Facebook people)you cannot see any live evidence anymore!!
People in the Pearl Roundabout were massacred, we can only hear things as no one could not go out of their homes and the only communication is via mobiles and Facebook. Sitra village has been attacked for two days. The number of the dead is unknown, number of injured is unknown, the number of missing is also unknown as no one has come back to report!!! as no one could go out or take photos to put in YouTube. Internet, phones and electricity are out for the Shi'ites areas. At nights when the curfew is on, people inside their homes, could hear cry for help and shooting and if one tries to get out, is faced by military men! They think a mass arrest and or killing is happening at nights!
The Bahraini's believe the Saudi army is trying to wipe all Bahraini Shi'ites from the surface of earth. Shi'ites make 70 per cent of the population, how much can they kill in one week before the news is out to tWestern people in the hope that they can put pressure on their governments to stop this bloodshed that is happening in Bahrain. (Western governments are keeping a blind eye). As they all say Bahrain has got not much in terms of the world oil. It only houses the Americans 5th fleet and it's the LA of the Gulf! People have been pleading for help from the West. Nothing happens!!
Please spread the world, we might be a tiny country, if you believe in human rights, in democracy , in my blood and your blood are the same
colour!!
This is the time of the Internet...where a teen in Bahrain can talk to a teen in America, Colombia. India, Europe, Africa, Australia and all feel
the same, can talk the Facebook language.. the Teen that is not afraid of anything and can stand up and do things quickly on the Internet and has not got the old generations fear of kings and people in power!
The universe is fed up with what has been happening on earth... The fire that torched Bouazizi in Tunisia is going through the whole world not just the Middle East. People are just fed up with all the corruption that is happening openly every where in the world...Western governments (not the Western people) said a lot of things in the media when the Egyptians kicked corruption out.. now that is Bahrains time they are making it look like a religious thing. Just because the BIG OIL country - Saudi is worried about the fall of it's own monarchy.
Attached are some graphic photos, or maybe it would be best to see them on YouTube address below, this man was hit by something called shozone(I'm direct translating from Arabic as it sounds, it's internationally forbidden to use the Shozone, but in Bahrain they consider us animals and we deserve to die. ????????)
On Friday, 4 of March(some corrupt Sunnis - Al Qaeda gangster (raising the flag of Al Queda)in Hamad town with swords in their hands on the way to attack any Shi'ites houses, while people are protesting in Pearl roundabout. [LINK TO FACEBOOK PHOTO]
and this [LINK TO FACEBOOK PHOTO]
He just wanted a job. Peace to all.
..I cry for you Bahrain, I cry for this young man who lost his life to his country and his eyes tells the story of betrayal...
Is this fair that the democracy in Tunisia, Egypt, and Lybia, in your country is OK and you support it, but Bahrain it should be killed. They
just wanted a simple change and a peaceful one.
How many mothers are screaming on this Mother's Day, Bahrain.
Journalist Alex Delmar-Morgan of the Wall Street Journal was captured on his way to Pearl Roundabout [PICTURE BELOW]. Where is he now, does anyone know? Suddenly all the journalist have disappeared from the massacres scene, isn't that strange??????
Bahrain is full of expatriates, why aren't the journalist talking?
He was just doing his job!!
2011-03-26 #Jordan wants to choose the next new prime minister
The government of Jordan has announced it will "protect freedom of expression as long as it is carried out with responsibility and respect of the law." as opposition parties, reformists and the March 24 Youth Movement (formerly the Jordanian Youth Movement) called for the resignation of the government, the dissolution of the Lower House and the leadership of the security forces after yesterday's protests (below).
“Freedom of expression is a right guaranteed by the Constitution for all citizens and the government and security agencies have been acting accordingly for the past 12 months,” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Saad Hayel Srour said yesterday at a press conference. Srour reiterated that the violent clashes that erupted between a pro-government group and protesters was a “black mark” in the country’s freedom record. However, he stressed, “it will not stop the government from carrying on with its reform efforts and protecting public freedoms”.
The minister announced an investigation has been launched and 21 people arrested following yesterday's violence which saw more than 150 - 160 people injured and one killed in protests. The minister today called for issues to be solved at the negotiating table, not in the streets and government officials at the press conference put the blame for the violence on the protesters. They announced the police had no intention of removing the protester tents set up.
The Muslim Brotherhood, and the March 24 Youth Movement held their own press conferences condemning the police action and holding the government fully responsible for the escalation. Professional associations in the same press conferences announced their withdrawal from the National Dialogue Committee and joined the March 24 movement. The March 24 Movement is refusing dialogue with the government unless the dialogue is formed under a Royal Decree and the agenda includes constitutional amendments to have an elected prime minister and more parliamentary powers. They are also demanding that the Prime Minister Maaruf Bakhit and his government resign and the Gendarmerie Forces be dismantled, along with the restructuring of all security services. They are looking for the formation of a national unity and reformist government that would win the people's trust and protect their lives," said Hamzah Mansur, chief of the powerful Islamic Action Front (IAF). "Any government that kills citizens loses legitimacy," he told a news conference.
Bakhit responded on television "We have invited the Muslim Brotherhood for talks, away from protests and demonstrations, but apparently they have an agenda to create chaos in the country. ... We respect the opposition. We tried our best to contact the Islamist leaders on Thursday to avert sedition, but they preferred escalation."
The son of the protester who died has vowed to not bury his father "We refuse to take his body from the morgue and we will not bury him unless we receive an official apology and the interior minister resigns," Khairy Saad Jamil's son, Nasser, 34, told AFP.
"We will not move from this hospital until his majesty the king comes here and sees who is to blame," Jamil's brother, Said Jamil, told CNN. "We want justice for our brother so his blood is not wasted in vain." The autopsy said that Jamil died of a heart attack, and had no marks of beating, his family insists the heart attack was brought on by assault and are demanding an amended autopsy report.
Bakhit received his appointment on February 1. From WL Central's coverage on February 1: King Abdullah II sacked his cabinet Tuesday after being confronted with the on going protests by thousands of Jordanians over high unemployment and high food prices. Jordan's Royal Palace announced that the Monarchy had accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Samir Rifai, who many blame for rising fuel and food prices and poor economic performance. The King has asked ex-army general Marouf Bakhit to form a new government. Bakhit has been prime minister before and also has been an ambassador to Israel so while this change may be prompted by the demands of the people in the streets, it is not seen as any real change in the status quo.
CNN reports that their team in Amman on Friday witnessed some security forces beating up anti-government protesters and security was reported to have used water cannons on the protesters. There were also reports of police surrounding hospitals and arresting patients or those trying to enter.
Al Jazeera reported two people "killed after being beaten to death by riot police and pro-government loyalists". AFP reported around 200 government supporters hurled large stones at more than 2,000 young demonstrators.
Meanwhile, thousands gathered in Al-Hussein Gardens west of Amman to express loyalty and allegiance to the king, dancing to national songs and waving large national flags and pictures of the monarch.
"Enough is enough," al-Qaisi, an unemployed sociologist, said. "We don't want the king to go, but we want him to listen to us; We're fed up with al-Bakhit, with parliament and with Jordan being a police state ruled by the intelligence department."
2011-03-26 #Yemen President Saleh: Will He Stay or Will He Go? [Update:2]
WL Central continues its updates on Yemen, with new items added at the top. All times are based off of Sanaa time in Yemen. You can contact me on Twitter @kgosztola or by email at kgosztola@hotmail.com.
Current time and date in Sanaa:
Saturday, March 26
9:12 PM Sanaa Time
Hours ago, AFP reported Saleh said his regime is "as firm as mountains." Saleh doesn't appear to want the world to think he is leaving today.
8:46 PM Sanaa Time
This just in from the Associated Press: "A spokesman for embattled Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh says talks with the opposition have made no progress toward a deal on the president's possible resignation."
7:42 PM Sanaa Time
Yemenis are anxiously awaiting news on whether President Saleh will step down or not today. The Twitter-sphere has a few tweets that have become top tweets. They each indicate that Saleh will likely be leaving in the next couple hours. WL Central will stay tuned and bring you the latest developments.
Yemen News Agency (SABA) reports caretaker Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi denies media reports suggesting a transition of power will happen today:
"My statement to Reuters was reported partly and inaccurately, al-Qirbi told Saba.
I have said, in an interview with Reuters, that I pin hopes on coming to an agreement on transition of power today before tomorrow based on the five points the Joint Meeting Parties (JMPs) have previously offered and the President Ali Abdullah Saleh has announced his approval to, the Caretaker Foreign Minister said.
The following is a top tweet right now from Al Arabiya English:
But, 22 year-old Yemeni writer, activist and community worker @imothanaYemen tweets, "The Yemeni president is NOT leaving in 2 hours, the statement was taken out of context from a long Alarabiya interview #Yemen #Saleh"
In the meantime, some of the latest new making the rounds includes:
@alguneid tweets, "IMP NEWS: A Qatina man killed n sit-in.Hamdan tribe,Occupied military reception camp.Rpblcn Guards sent, but blocked by Arhab tribe #Yemen" and "IMP NEWS:From "#TAIZ &elsewhere. #Saleh invited shaikhs&digniteries from all #Yemen to visit him in #Sanaa. Rebound&counterattack #Yemen #yf" and "IMP NEWS: YASIN NOMAN,together went with Feierstien #USA ambsdr to house of Abdrabbu hadi,for meeting.Told, he is UNAVAILABLE ! #Yemen #yf" [All in the past hour.]
Yemen Online reports Saleh has called on “young people” to form their own political party. Saleh wants them to not be a “vehicle of the weak, malevolent and sick souls, who he said want to destroy everything in the homeland.”
Yemen Online also reports that Turkey has declared a Yemen-bound pistol shipment illegal. The shipment was intercepted in Dubai. Sixteen thousand Turkish-made pistols were on their way to Saada province in northern Yemen. Turkish officials said the shipment was not properly authorized.
Just over a week ago, Yemen experienced a bloody massacre of its people. Project Yemen chronicles the day on March 18 with tweets sent throughout the day.
Jeb Boone writes on the prospect of civil war in Yemen.
Friday, March 25
al3ini in Yemen has these great photos from Friday's rallies. The photo on the left is a protester holding a red card up to President Saleh the way a ref might do to a player in football. For more, see al3ini's yfrog profile.
Journalist Iona Craig has some good photos. Here on her Tumblr are "Children of the Revolution."
A blog post on a Yemen without President Saleh
BBC’s Middle East Editor Jeremy Bowen reports on the rumors that Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh is on his way out:
He promised to hand over power after weeks of demonstrations, but only to what he called 'safe hands'. He's been negotiating with a senior general who joined the opposition this week, after the regime killed about 50 protesters at a rally in Sanaa, the capital. But so far, no deal has been made. During the day tens of thousands of protesters, some supporting the president and some the opposition, were said to have been on the streets of Sanaa.
Meet Ahmed Asery, “The Artist of the Revolution.” Project Yemen has a profile of this man, who plays electric guitar and has provided the soundtrack for a revolution in Yemen and played in Change Square. Here’s the profile.
Below is a video with a song from Asery.
Gregory Johnsen on NPR’s radio show “Talk of the Nation.” He discusses what is behind the protests in Yemen.
The Guardian has posted a profile of Yemeni activist Tawakul Karma, woman who has stood up for human rights in Yemen and become a “thorn in the side” of Saleh:
Karman has many grievances against her government but it was a sheikh's tyranny against villagers in Ibb, a governorate south of the capital, that ignited her activism. "I watched as families were thrown off their land by a corrupt tribal leader. They were a symbol to me of the injustice faced by so many in Yemen," she says. "It dawned on me that nothing could change this regime, only protest." While she identifies herself first and foremost as a campaigner for Yemen's alienated youth, she is also a member of Yemen's leading Islamic opposition party, the Islah, a group that has caused alarm in the west, mainly because of its most notorious member, Abdul Majeed al-Zindani, a former Osama bin Laden adviser considered a terrorist by the Americans.
Karman has a mixed relationship with the Islah. She says it was the best party in Yemen for supporting female members but last October she ran into trouble after publishing a paper condemning ultra-conservative party members for blocking a bill that would make it illegal to marry girls under the age of 17.
"The extremist people hate me. They speak about me in the mosques and pass round leaflets condemning me as un-Islamic. They say I'm trying to take women away from their houses."
Good analysis of Yemen from Frederik Ohsten at Marxist.com. On Gen. Mohsen, Ohsten writes:
For Saudi Arabia, the general is a “safe” alternative to the revolution. There is just one small problem: the revolutionary people, once brought to their feet, will not easily be satisfied with cosmetic changes and a “Yemen that looks a lot like Yemen”. On the contrary – they are fighting and dying for a Yemen that looks completely different form the Yemen of today – the Yemen of misery, of poverty, of tribalism, of dictatorship, of national subordination to imperialism. The revolutionary people want radical change, and they will not be satisfied with General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar in the place of Saleh.
BBC report on two rival rallies in the Yemen capital of Sanaa
Laura Kasinof with this article in the New York Times on power transferring into ‘safe hands.’
Mr. Saleh addressed a rally of about 100,000 supporters in the center of Sana, while about 100,000 antigovernment protesters were demanding his immediate departure at another rally across town. While repeating his now frequent offers to relinquish power conditionally, Mr. Saleh also made clear that he would remain “steadfast” in challenging what he depicted as violent attempts to oust him.
“I will transfer the power to safe hands, and not to malicious forces who conspire against the homeland,” he said, renewing an offer to open dialogue with young people leading protests against him. The anti-Saleh demonstrators have rejected such offers in the past. This week, Mr. Saleh offered to leave office by the end of the year, but that did not stanch the protests.
“We are with you,” he said to his supporters, “firm and steadfast against all the challenges.”
He said that his challengers “want to gain power at the expense of martyrs and children.”
ForeignPolicy post from Sheila Carapico outlines what could be considered the worst and best case scenarios for Yemen. Here are her best case scenarios:
Best-case scenarios seem contingent on Salih following Ben Ali and Mubarak's example rather than Qaddafi's. If he resigns immediately, power could be transferred to a technocratic, civilian transitional government. New parliamentary and presidential elections could be organized in a matter of months. This transition would be easier in some ways than Egypt's because there are already organized, legal political parties in Yemen (the several JMP parties and perhaps a reconstituted GPC). Since the existing multiparty electoral process has been suspended rather than irretrievably despoiled, it could be resuscitated.
Demonstrators show their support for Al Jazeera:
Wednesday, March 23
Al Jazeera’s bureau in Yemen has been shut down. A Yemen official iallegedly claims the permit was revoked after it aired a clip of Iraqis' facing severe torture and claimed it was in Yemen.
Human Rights Watch has issued a statement reminding Yemen the state of emergency should not “trump basic rights.”
The action on the emergency law follows more than five weeks of largely peaceful protests against Saleh. Human Rights Watch has documented the repeated use of unlawful and excessive force by security forces against protesters, including live ammunition. Security forces also have assisted or failed to stop pro-government gangs who have shot peaceful protesters or attacked them with knives, sticks, and rocks. The attacks have killed dozens of protesters and wounded several hundred others.
HRW called for “full disclosure of the voting procedures used to pass the law. Article 71 of Yemen's Constitution states that at least half of the 301 National Assembly members must be present for its meetings to be valid. Some opposition legislators issued statements saying that fewer than half the assembly members were present for the vote and that it was taken by a show of hands.”
A call for a reversal of Yemen’s decision to shut down Al Jazeera’s bureau is also in the statement, along with a note that the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ratified in 1987 in Yemen, permits some restriction of rights during a proclaimed public emergency that “threatens the life of the nation.”
Al Jazeera English publishes this article on “fear of the future” in Yemen. Gregory Johnsen, who has become a good resource for all things Yemen, is quoted.
According to Gregory Johnsen, a Yemen expert at Princeton University, "most Yemeni's are no longer buying this argument" that their leader stands in between peace and chaos.
He says that the Houthis - the Zaydi Shia group in the north, and the secessionists of the south will "all play a role in the future of the country".
"All those groups want Saleh to step down. They want different things - and that's going to be a real challenge - how these groups will be able to work together. But people aren't talking about that now because they want to present a unified front against Saleh."
A strong culture of mediation in Yemen could allow this to happen, he says. "Houthis and secessionists need to be reconciled and to come into the fold. Most people realise this."
BBC reports on Yemen’s parliament imposing a state of emergency.
ABC News has some specific details on the state of emergency
The state of emergency suspends the constitution, allows media censorship, bars street protests and gives security forces 30 days of far-reaching powers to arrest and detain suspects without judicial process.
How news organizations like Al Jazeera have been tracking what is going on with uprisings and violence in Middle East/North Africa
Yemen News Agency “urges” foreign media to use “maximum accuracy” when covering Yemen. The Information Ministry will “regrettably withdraw the license of any correspondent for foreign outlets found abusing his profession.” Correspondents will be thrown out for “incitement to violence and chaos or distorting the facts.”
Al Jazeera English “Inside Story” report on Yemen – “Civil war or Saleh out?”
Was state of emergency legitimately approved?
Canadian Calvalley Petroleum contends unrest in Yemen is making it hard to get equipment to Block 9 in the Masila Basin in Yemen, where it operates
Forty killed in clashes in northern governorate in Al-Jawf (ReliefWeb)
Journalist @ionacraig tweets “President agrees to hold presidential and parliamentary elections by the end of 2011 #yemen #yf”
Gregory Johnsen writes a good a blog post on two things that must be considered about Yemen. An excerpt:
… I have been thinking a great deal about Saudi Arabia. Everyone knows that Abu Bakr al-Qirbi, despite being fired as foreign ministry, still traveled to Saudi Arabia over the weekend to sound out Riyadh on their continued support for Salih.
It is anyone's guess - at least I don't know - what took place in those meeting, but they are likely to be determinative going forward.
Essentially, Saudi Arabia has to make a choice is it worse to have chaos and potential civil war in Yemen or to have yet another regime fall in the Middle East with all that will mean for Bahrain and political stirrings at home?
How Saudi answers this question will have a major impact on events in Yemen. Of course, this being Saudi Arabia, nothing is simple. It has been unclear to me for quite some time whether the kingdom actually had a unified foreign policy towards Yemen.
Possibility of another massacre taking place similar to what happened on Friday being talked about as a possibility. AJA has had bureau shut down.
This tweet: “Lot of families are scared in #Aden today, choosing to stay home. Some areas formed civilian neighborhood watch groups for protection.#Yemen”
Monday, March 21
The latest from Yemen Times is that “French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe has called on President Saleh to step down, the 70 Meter Road in front of the Saleh Mosque has been blocked off, and six American M60 Patton tanks are poised directly in front of the grand stands along the main highway
Republican Guard forces, loyal to Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh, have surrounded the presidential palace. Resignations from officials in the Yemen government are increasing. Saleh’s crisis of legitimacy is now worse than ever.
@JNovakYemen tweets: “YemenTV showing old videos of crowds chanting for Saleh as live, but they were shot in the day time while it is night time” and hours ago, “President #Saleh hiding in his palace in #Sanaa, guarded by his son amid mass military defections. Yemen”
Ginny Hill with this analysis of Yemen just up on BBC News:
…Defections have gathered rapid pace since Friday, when snipers opened fire on a pro-democracy camp in the capital, Sanaa, killing more than 50 people.
US officials condemned Friday's violence "in the strongest terms" and expressed hope that Yemen might still achieve a political solution through negotiations and dialogue...
On the US and Yemen, Hill writes:
For several years, the US administration has been supplying military aid and training to elite security and intelligence units under the command of Mr Saleh's son and nephews. The White House is nervous about losing these relationships with local proxies, who have been willing to co-operate in US counter-terrorism operations.
However, the longer US officials try to keep Mr Saleh and his family in place, the more they risk damaging their own interests. Yemenis are furious that units from the US-backed Central Security Forces, commanded by one of Mr Saleh's nephews, have played such a prominent role in cracking down on pro-democracy protests.
US-made CS gas canisters, allegedly intended for counter-terrorism operations, have also been used in raids against pro-democracy protesters.
@HarunAlAmriki tweets: “Nine Yemeni ambassadors in Europe resigned in support to the youth peaceful revolution,” and Al Jazeera report in Taiz “resignations from the ruling party keeps coming from across Yemen. The ruling party is collapsing.”
@alguneid tweets hours ago: “Republican Guards&Central Security have blocked all areas around rpblcn palace.Traffic jam in #Sanaa is very bad,indeed. Tanks,armored cars.”
Saleh swears in newly appointed members of Shura council. Reuters covers: “Yemeni television showed footage of Saleh, facing popular protests against his 32-year rule, swearing in new members of the appointed Shura Council, Yemen's upper house of parliament…The latest defections and resignations were apparently sparked by Saleh's decision to resort to violence to deal with the continuing protests against his rule.”
All diplomats at the Yemen embassy in Canada have declared support for the revolution and peaceful demonstrators
CNN International Correspondent Mohammed Jamjoom has a tweet from government official that what is happening is likely the early stage of a “bloodless coup.” He also tweets: “Yemen’s ambassadors to China, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Algeria all have resigned.”
Following resignation, a former GPC MP is attacked following his resignation
Laura Kasinof, whose work has been getting published by the New York Times, writes about Saleh sacking his Cabinet
High commander in Yemen army, Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmer, announces support for protestors and calls for President Saleh to step down
The National Defense Council is in “permanent session.” Focus is suspected to be how to maintain security of country as protests continue to create shockwaves for President Saleh.
Houthis are pointing out that Al Mohsen Al-Ahmer is a “war criminal AQAP facilitator.” Additionally, The Guardian has coverage of cables showing he leans more toward radical political Islam than Saleh and, more importantly, has engaged in “questionable dealings with terrorists and extremists.” Specificlly, he is a close associate of “noted arms dealer Fairs Manna.”
Yemen's ambassador to the UN, Abdullah Alsaidi, says “President Saleh should quit now, in a dignified way”
Military court is investigating the bloodbath that unfolded on Friday
Alleged sniper and thug attacks being investigated
2011-03-26 WikiLeaks Notes
Debate: This House believes whistleblowers make the world a safer place
On 9 April, the Frontline Club and the New Statesman will host a public debate in which Julian Assange will speak for the proposition "This House believes whistleblowers make the world a safer place."
The debate will be chaired by Jason Cowley, editor of the New Statesman; other panelists have yet to be announced. The event will be held at Kensington Town Hall at 5 pm GMT; it is already fully booked but should be both livetweeted and filmed.
Rob Stary, Australian lawyer for Julian Assange and WikiLeaks: interview
Last week the WikiLeaks Australian Citizens Alliance (WACA) posted the video of an interview they did with Rob Stary, Julian Assange's lawyer in Australia, before the WikiLeaks Free Speech Forum in Melbourne on 4 February.
Some of the interview focuses on legal and political issues particular to Australia. More generally, however, Stary challenges the claims of a number of governments that their legal manoeuvres against Assange and/or WikiLeaks are unaffected by politics. His analysis of the international interplay between law and politics is a fine summary of the state of play so far.
2011-03-26 WikiLeaks in today's media: Cablegate coverage
Der Spiegel: Die verkaufte Demokratie (The sold democracy)
"Indiens Regierung - eine Vetternwirtschaft, die sich aufs Schmieren versteht und politische Mehrheiten einfach kauft: So beschreiben Medienberichten zufolge US-Botschaftsdepeschen den indischen Staat. Premier Singh soll tatenlos zugeschaut haben. Die Beschuldigten weisen das zurück. (India's government - a partisanship that knows how to facilitate its ways and simply buy political majorities: so media reports describe the indian state, according to U.S. embassy dispatches. Premier Singh said to have watched passively. The defendants reject it.)"
2011-03-27 #London: "No government would change in response to 500,000 protesters"
The London demonstrations yesterday, where a reported 500,000 people took to the streets to protest the austerity cuts, will not change government strategy according to Liberal democrat minister Vince Cable. "No government - coalition, Labour or any other - would change its fundamental economic policy simply in response to a demonstration of that kind," he said.
Police arrested 201 people and charged 149 according to the BBC. Police reported that 145 of the arrests were in connection with the group UK Uncut, which occupied luxury grocery store Fortnum & Mason in Piccadilly in protest over alleged tax avoidance by the business's part owners. BBC is reporting 84 injuries, including at least 31 police, with 11 officers requiring hospital treatment.
UK Uncut has posted alternatives to the government's austerity measures:
One alternative is to clamp down on tax dodging by corporations and the rich, estimated to cost the state £95bn a year
Another is to make the banks pay for a crisis they created: last year they paid out over £7bn in bonuses and just four banks made £24bn in profit
The tax avoided and evaded in a single year could pay for the £81bn, four-year cuts programme.
2011-03-27 Anti Gaddafi forces claim Sirte, advance on Tripoli #Libya
The Libyan foreign intervention will pass from the US led force to NATO command, led by Canadian General Charles Bouchard, with the transition completing "within 48 hours".
The anti-Gaddafi forces are once more moving west at a rapid pace, currently claiming to control Sirte, the home of Muammar Gaddafi. Shamsi Abdul Molah, a spokesman for the opposition's National Council, told Al Jazeera that opposition forces had moved into the city at approximately 11.30pm Sunday night. Now AFP is reporting nine powerful explosions heard in Sirte.
Al Jazeera has reported that anti Gaddafi forces are now in control of Bin Jawad, Ras Lanuf, Uqayla, Brega and Ajdabiya, and they say Gaddafi forces are retreating and surrendering each town without a fight. Anti-Gaddafi forces expect a major battle in Tripoli, where Muammar Gaddafi was reported to be Sunday night, since they did not meet with one in Sirte. Fighting broke out again in Misurata, which has been heavily attacked from the air by French and British forces. Air strikes were also reported on Tripoli, Tarhunah, Sabha and Sirte.
UN / NATO air strikes continued in Tripoli Sunday night. Libyan officials said on Sunday that nearly 100 civilians had been killed by foreign forces. "The terror people live in, the fear, the tension is everywhere. And these are civilians who are being terrorised every day," said Mussa Ibrahim, a Libyan government spokesman. "We believe the unnecessary continuation of the air strikes is a plan to put the Libyan government in a weak negotiating position. NATO is prepared to kill people, destroy army training camps and army checkpoints and other locations. ... (Western nations) are starving the Libyan population, (they want) to put Libya on its knees, to beg for mercy. It's a very simple plan. We can see it happening in front of our eyes. They are not trying to protect civilians."
Al Jazeera has posted some extremely upsetting and graphic video from houses that were bombed.
AFP's report on the advance of anti Gaddafi forces below.
Previous WL Central coverage on Libya.
2011-03-27 Secret police, special forces and now the army defend Assad's rule in #Syria
President Bashar al-Assad deployed the army in Latakia today. Until now secret police and special forces have been primarily responsible for quelling the protests this week and killing a large number of protesters, at least 61 according to Human Rights Watch. Exact numbers have been difficult to obtain because of the news blackout imposed in the country, but SANA is reporting 12 killed yesterday in Latakia. Unofficial reports are much higher, but the international news media is being prevented from reporting.
Reuters is reporting two television journalists missing in Syria since Saturday, after "On Friday, Syrian authorities withdrew the accreditation of Reuters text correspondent Khaled Yacoub Oweis, saying he had filed "unprofessional and false" coverage of events in Syria." Al Jazeera had their Sana'a bureau raided on March 22 after an earlier expulsion of two Al-Jazeera correspondents and six other international journalists.
Relative calm is being reported today despite a sit in at the Omari Mosque in Deraa where at least six people were killed on the 23rd. Government officials announced Assad was to make a televised address today, but he has not appeared.
On Saturday, 260 political prisoners were released by the government, and they are now joined by political activist Diana Jawabra, and 15 others who were charged with taking part in a silent protest demanding the release of schoolchildren arrested for scrawling graffiti. The government has also committed to "studying" an end to emergency law and proposing draft laws that would grant greater freedoms in the media and the formation of political parties.
Protesters are not at all appeased by these or promises of other reforms, very familiar to them after years of promises and no results from Assad. They are demanding an end to the emergency law, a drastic reduction of domestic security powers, freedom for all political prisoners and a disclosure of the fate of tens of thousands of protesters who disappeared in the 1980's. Some of the imprisoned human rights defenders are profiled on the Haitham Maleh Foundation website.
Syrian state media is calling the protesters "armed troops, backed by foreigners, attempting to incite sectarian violence" a description familiar to any who have watched protests in any other countries in the region.
Damascus and other cities have also seen demonstrations in support of Assad this week.
Previous WL Central coverage on Syria.
2011-03-27 WikiLeaks in today's media: Cablegate coverage
Next: A culture of vengeance
"Following clashes between Tiv and Jukun ethnic groups in Benue State in October 2001, President Olusegun Obasanjo took the customary step during our all too frequent periods of violent civic unrest and ordered in the army to maintain the peace.
But on Friday October 12 of that year, the bodies of 19 soldiers were found in the village of Zaki-Biam, victims of a local militia. In response, the Army deployed even more troops and subsequently exacted its revenge, with the result that more than 200 villagers, militiamen and innocents alike, were massacred. Local and international observers condemned the barbarous killings, though the military appeared unmoved."
(Image Credit: Dali Rău)
2011-03-28 WikiLeaks in today's media: Cablegate coverage
Romanian Insider: New round of Wikileaks cables on Romania: energy sector, political corruption
"Several confidential documents concerning Romania have recently appeared on Wikileaks and have made headlines in the Romanian media. According to a Wikileaks cable quoted by news website Hotnews.ro, EU advisor Onno Simmons “warned that some sources have said that there is an <
La Jornada: Bajo la mesa, Washigton culpa a México del tráfico de armas (Under the table, Washington blames Mexico for the traffic of weapons)
"El escándalo por el plan Rápido y furioso revela el diálogo de sordos que existe entre ambos gobiernos. (The "Fast and Furious" scandal reveals the deaf dialogue between both governments.)"
Read more (Spanish) Google Translate
Aftenposten: FALUN GONG CRACKDOWN, DAY THREE
"Implementing a decision of the politburo standing committee, the Chinese government on july 22 officially announced a ban on the Falun Gong sect, declaring it an "illegal" organization. Thousands of sect members took to Beijing´s streets in demonstrations that were noteworthy for the general restraint among protesters and police alike. Few practitioners offered resistance as police corralled and loaded them onto buses. Many reportedly are being held in stadiums in western Beijing, although for now we believe these are temporary holding sites, from which protesters will soon be sent home. The regime´s strategy appears to be to seek to neutralize the falun gong by decapitating its core leadership, while refraining from repression of ordinary members. Although Beijing clearly hopes that the cult will disappear without resistance, it may have to reconsider this strategy if practitioners continue to take to the streets and gather in parks for daily exercises."
(Image Credit: Dali Rău)
2011-03-28 Yemeni Commander That Defected Was Once Targeted by Saleh Plus Latest on Al Qaeda in #Yemen
Saudi pilots tasked with striking Houthis in northern Yemen aborted the mission after realizing the site they were being asked to hit was the headquarters of General Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar, a Yemeni northern area commander and known political opponent of Saleh. That’s what a cable released by WikiLeaks sent out from the US Embassy in Riyadh on February 7, 2010 reads.
In recent days, Al-Ahmar has become a significant player in the unfolding events in Yemen. About a week ago he declared that he was going to join the revolution. Just this past Sunday, according to Agence France Presse, he “vowed to bring about Saleh’s overthrow.”
The revelation comes from a meeting that took place between Ambassador James B. Smith and Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation Prince Khaled bin Sultan. Ambassador Smith met with Prince Khaled to express concerns about the “sharing” of US government satellite imagery with Saudi Arabia after evidence of Saudi aircraft strikes on civilian targets. Particularly, Ambassador Smith expressed concern over “an apparent Saudi air strike on a building that the US believed to be a Yemeni medical clinic.” Prince Khaled is shown a satellite image of the building.
Upon seeing the photograph, Prince Khalid remarked, "This looks familiar," and added, "if we had the Predator, maybe we would not have this problem." He noted that Saudi Air Force operations were necessarily being conducted without the desired degree of precision, and recalled that a clinic had been struck, based on information received from Yemen that it was being used as an operational base by the Houthis. Prince Khalid explained the Saudi approach to its fight with the Houthis, emphasizing that the Saudis had to hit the Houthis very hard in order to "bring them to their knees" and compel them to come to terms with the Yemeni government. "However," he said, "we tried very hard not to hit civilian targets." The Saudis had 130 deaths and the Yemenis lost as many as one thousand. "Obviously," Prince Khaled observed, "some civilians died, though we wish that this did not happen."
Prince Khaled goes on to explain that targets are “given to the Saudi Air Force were studied and recommended by a Saudi-Yemeni joint committee headed by Saudi and Yemeni general officers.” It is possible that committee made a mistake. He then relays information about how Saudis now have to be extra cautious about target recommendations from the Yemen government.
…There was one occasion when Saudi pilots aborted a strike, when they sensed something was wrong about the information they received from the Yemenis. It turned out that the site recommended to be hit was the headquarters of General Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar, the Yemeni northern area military commander, who is regarded as a political opponent to President Saleh.
That the cable is now gaining attention is interesting because it was published three months ago. Also, AFP cites the Norwegian daily Aftenposten as a source for their short post on this cable. But, at 1:14 PM New York Time, there is no Aftenposten story posted on this cable. So, did Aftenposten even run this story?
The author does not make this note to suggest media organizations should not cover cables that have already been disclosed. Certainly, as events unfold in Yemen, a revisiting of the cables is called for, especially as players in the story come to the fore that may have been unimportant before the uprising and political upheaval. However, the AFP could easily have done a Google search or gone to one of the databases keeping track of cables and found this cable to see if it was new or not.
A part of the AFP post reads, “The daily did not mention the date of the cable but said the document detailed a "secret" meeting between US diplomats and Saudi Arabian Vice Defence Minister Khaled Ben Sultan on February 6, 2010.” All one has to do is a few cursory keyword searches and the cable can easily be found.
Now, on the defecting commander Al-Ahmar, Al-Ahmar, according to News Yemen, said, “President Ali Abdullah Saleh might use the card of al-Qaeda in an attempt to cling to power and use force against anti-regime protesters.” In an interview with a German News Agency, he did not think al Qaeda would begin to have a growing influence on the turmoil, however, he thought Saleh would use al Qaeda to drag the country into greater problems and justify using force against anti-regime people.
Al-Ahmar also disputed the fear of civil war breaking out in Yemen: “It is true that the Yemeni people have arms but they are now armed with awareness and know how to peacefully demand their rights…Yemeni people put down their weapons in their houses and they are ready to face attacks with their bare chests.”
And, he suggested that Saleh will use his alliance with the US in the global war on terror to “stay in power.”
Reuters has covered cables suggesting Al-Ahmar is likely the second most powerful man in Yemen, a “brutal military commander likely to back a more radical Islamic political agenda and draw little public support.” The cable notes that Al-Ahmar rules with an “iron fist” (but manages to get Al-Ahmar’s age and the region he commands wrong).
The cable correctly highlights how Al-Ahmar is in the business of smuggling and has “amassed a fortune in the smuggling of arms, food staples, and consumer products.”
Reuters reports in addition to the cable, “Although the opposition welcomed Mohsen's support earlier this week, they are also wary of his loyalties, which fall along the country's tribal and ideological fault lines. Northern Shi'ite rebels see Mohsen as a ruthless military leader who led the military campaign against them in a bloody civil war. Leftists and southerners worry that their goals for democracy will be overtaken in a military power struggle, while the Islamist opposition is thought to view Mohsen more favorably.”
The US renewed its support for Saleh on Sunday. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said his fall or replacement by a weaker leader would be “a real problem” for US counterterrorism operations. He added, “I think it is a real concern because the most active and at this point perhaps the most aggressive branch of Al-Qaeda, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, operates out of Yemen.”
Moreover, Saleh continues to claim he has killed al Qaeda or that al Qaeda was involved in this violence or that unrest when there is little evidence to prove they were present. The ammunition factory explosion today was blamed on al Qaeda, but it appears a looter dropped a cigarette and the factory exploded. This does not seem like a planned terrorist attack.
Read AFP's report on what happened:
A security official said the explosions rocked the plant as dozens of residents were inside helping themselves to whatever ammunition and guns were left after Sunday's raid by suspected Al-Qaeda fighters.
Al-Qaeda militants had lured the civilians into a "lethal trap," charged a spokesman for the restive southern province of Abyan, where he said a series of blasts set off a blaze which destroyed the plant.
The blasts were triggered by explosive powder left behind by Al-Qaeda, according to the unnamed official quoted on the defence ministry newspaper's 26sep.net website.
There was no "explosive powder" left behind save for the gunpowder that al Qaeda militants maybe didn't take with them after raiding the factory. And, there's no "trap." The factory was raided by militants a day or two ago and the people came in for the leftovers. Given the escalating violence in Yemen, it shouldn't be surprising that Yemenis want to get their hands on weapons for protection.
Armed groups are believed to have taken over Abyan in south Yemen. Those groups are alleged to be al Qaeda. The government announced on Saturday that three al Qaeda had been killed. But, it’s possible those killed were just “locals.”
As Saleh’s legitimacy continues to weaken, as he depends on the US more and more to stay in power, al Qaeda will likely continue to be the one justification he has for clamping down on the uprising and staying in power. Al Qaeda militants are probably in Yemen taking advantage of the climate. But, not every militant is with al Qaeda. Some "militant" action will take place because of Saleh's repression and the "militants" involved will just be Yemenis with no affiliation to al Qaeda at all.
2011-03-29 'This Week in WikiLeaks' Podcast - Guest @WLLegal Talks Legal Issues Raised by #WikiLeaks [Update:1]
Update: Complete edited podcast is now posted for listen and download
Last week, “This Week in WikiLeaks” took the week off. The host Kevin Gosztola participated in a WikiLeaks panel at the Left Forum in New York City. I appeared with Danny Schechter, who can be found at MediaChannel.org.
The panel looked at what has been revealed by WikiLeaks and had extra significance as it happened right around the eighth anniversary of the Iraq War. Audio of my presentation and Schechter’s presentation will be posted as a podcast episode soon.
Regular scheduled programming resumed last weekend. The show’s guest was Trevor Timm, the person behind the Twitter account @WLLegal. Timm recently helped to make possible a great Personal Democracy Forum event called, “WikiLeaks & the Law.” [Go here for video of the full panel.]
The podcast is now edited and can be listened to by clicking on the widget below:
You can also listen to and download the podcast here. And, it can be found on iTunes by searching for "CMN News" and then the WikiLeaks podcast will appear.
Timm and I talked about some of the legal issues raised by WikiLeaks. I’ll open the conversation by asking Timm what he thinks are the key issues raised by WikiLeaks and how people are responding to WikiLeaks.
We then talked about legal questions that rise from the government being able to make a distinction between who is and is not a journalist (if they would seek to claim or assert such an authority).
We got into a discussion about issues raised by private entities choosing to not let organizations like WikiLeaks use their services because they push legal boundaries and/or make the state uncomfortable.
Following the interview, CMN News correspondents Chris Novembrino and Jordan Williams were brought to continue the conversation.
And now for a few plugs: WL Central is doing excellent coverage of all the uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa. If you haven't been keeping up with what is happening, check the front page for updates on various countries.
I helped Greg Mitchell put together the first chapter of his new book, Bradley Manning: Truth and Consequences. It's his 2nd book on the WikiLeaks story and was published as an e-book here and in print here this week. It is currently the only book on Manning.
I also help Mitchell keep up his WikiLeaks blog at The Nation, which has been going strong for nearly 120 days.
All material used in the opening introduction is covered by fair use. The music is from Freeplaymusic.com.
Any ideas for future guests? Shoot me a message on Twitter or to my email, which is kgosztola@hotmail.com.
2011-03-29 Journalist Olu Jacob of Next on the Complete Nigerian WikiLeaks Cables [VIDEO]
Next, a news organization in Nigeria, has been granted access to all of the US State Embassy Cables from Nigeria. The organization began covering the cables this month.
Unfortunately, WL Central has not really covered the revelations coming out of Nigeria (and that should hopefully change in the coming days). For now, here is a video with Olu Jacob, a journalist from Next, talking about the Nigerian cables and how Next has gone about covering the revelations on STV.
At one point during the interview, there is a discussion about the authenticity of the cables. Jacob is asked about Dimeji Bankole, Speaker of the House of Representatives in Nigeria, denying he said what is written in a cable:
“These are secret discussions that these people have. Nigerian government officials, they didn’t think that this would come to light—never thought so. They met secretly behind closed doors with American ambassador and told them their heart things they cannot say on the record. The WikiLeaks cables shook the whole world. It was an embarrassment to the United States. Now, of course, they will deny it. I’m not really saying Bankole is right or wrong. NEXT is not saying that. NEXT is saying that this is what the American ambassador is saying Bankole told her.”
Jacob adds that it is basic journalism to confirm the contents of the cables. Next tries to ask the officials if they really said what is written. Often, officials do not respond to calls asking for confirmation. And then, when the story runs, they deny that they ever said what is in the cable.
2011-03-29 Syrian government resigns, president Bashar al-Assad stays
There are many online reports again that say Syrian president Bashar al-Assad will address the country tomorrow, and that he will make an announcement "that will please the Syrian people". In the meantime, he has accepted the resignation of the Syrian government, the latest in a series of reforms this week which do not include the protesters' demands of an end to the 48 year old emergency law, a drastic reduction of domestic security powers, freedom for all political prisoners and a disclosure of the fate of tens of thousands of protesters who disappeared in the 1980's. The Syrian government do not possess much power, most still resides with Assad, his family, and the vicious and powerful security forces. The resigning premier has been appointed by Assad as caretaker prime minister and a new government is expected to be appointed by Assad within 24 hours.
Daraa and Lattakia are still having huge protests against the government, while in Damascus Al Jazeera is showing large crowds (variously described in the same article and embedded video as thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands and "perhaps even millions") waving flags and posters in support of Assad. As reported by France24, schoolchildren and government workers were given time off to attend the pro Assad rally. Russia Today has a good video which shows first the huge pro-Assad rally in Damascus which all the major news media not yet evicted from the country were brought to watch, and second the very different and violent protests happening in other regions.
Protests in Daraa shown below. Silmya.org has compiled a list of the 100 martyrs they say have died so far in the Syrian protests. Human Rights Watch earlier reported at least 61 confirmed by them as being killed in these protests.
2011-03-29 US President Obama's Speech on Libya & What the US Stands to Gain from Being Involved
Libya is not Iraq but on Monday, March 28, 2011, US President Barack Obama delivered an address that aimed to brand a pre-emptive war and sell it to the American people. Obama sought to justify intervention into Libya by making the case that it was in America’s interest to act and if action had not been taken a mass atrocity could have taken place.
Few would probably dispute the accuracy of Obama’s explanation of events that have unfolded in accurate. Although the narrative explicitly serves the Western powers that have mounted an intervention, it is all true that Gaddafi launched a military campaign against his own people, attacked hospitals and ambulances, arrested, sexually assaulted and killed journalists, choked of fuel and food supplies, shut off water to Misratah, cities, shelled mosques and apartments, and used jets and helicopters to unleash air assaults on Libyans. It is true that a major humanitarian crisis was erupting, one that human rights organizations that handle refugees were struggling to prevent from worsening.
The “rebels” (that should not be regarded as one homogenous group of people) in Benghazi did face an onslaught from Gaddafi’s forces. Some of the “rebels” did in fact want Western powers to intervene. And so, a UN Security Council Resolution was obtained giving the US, European Union countries and others permission to take action.
But, now that the forces have intervened – now that NATO has taken charge and “allies” of the US like the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Italy, Spain, Greece and Turkey along with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are involved, a key dilemma presents itself. Surely, nobody wants people who are practicing self-determination against a brutal oppressor to be massacred but what happens in Libya now that forces are involved? And, who is going to run the country? If the "rebels" aren't winning this on their own now, will Western powers really be willing to step out of the way and let them govern after the "mission" is accomplished? ["Mission" in quotes because it is unclear what powers involved think the endgame of this intervention should be.]
US President Obama opened his speech with this frame, “For generations, the United States of America has played a unique role as an anchor of global security and advocate for human freedom. Mindful of the risks and costs of military action, we are naturally reluctant to use force to solve the world’s many challenges. But when our interests and values are at stake, we have a responsibility to act.”
William Blum’s compilation of US interventions from 1945 to 1999 suggests the US has historically not been all that reluctant to covertly or openly act militarily. But, Obama is correct: the US has played a “unique role” when it comes to global security and advocating human freedom.
First off, the speech made it clear that a goal of the intervention is to remove Gaddafi from power (initially, that was unclear in the US). As forces close in on Gaddafi, a concern must be that Gaddafi could fear that it is over and take some sort of action that Western powers only thought he would take if they didn’t get involved. Gaddafi has precursor materials for chemical weapons. How he might use those materials and whether they can be weaponized should be paid attention.
Also, the speech indicated Gaddafi’s $33 billion in frozen assets is money that will be used to “rebuild Libya.” The word “rebuild” does not and will not have the same meaning to Western powers as it does to the “rebels.” So, how might Libya be rebuilt? What might countries, which have invested military and security resources into Libya right now, like to get out of Libya in the aftermath of the intervention?
In the case of the US, US State Embassy cables released by WikiLeaks illuminate what those in the Washington establishment might like to see happen.
A cable titled, “Through A Glass, Darkly: GOL Reaches Out To The New Administration As Best It Can,” details some of the problems businesses or trade officials have experienced:
…GOL also recently resurrected its periodic campaign to prevent Emboffs from reaching out directly to GOL entities and, in some cases, quasi-governmental organizations. Meetings with the Ministry of Economy and Trade, the National Oil Corporation and the quasi-governmental Qadhafi Development Foundation were cancelled at the last minute because they had not been coordinated with the MFA-equivalent via diplomatic note. In addition, a well-informed U.S. business person working with the General National Maritime and Transportation Company (GNMTC) on possible deals for port security equipment suggested that the company be in touch with the Embassy regarding related bilateral training and engagement. Our contact received a message from Hannibal al-Qadhafi, head of the GNMTC, through a senior aide (who read from notes he said had been handwritten by Hannibal) on February 1 that dealing with the U.S. was still viewed as "extremely sensitive", that the GNMTC would rather pay private consultants than obtain assistance gratis from the USG and that she should minimize her meetings with Emboffs to avoid creating the "wrong impression” among GOL officials. Finally, the NOC renewed its campaign to solicit contributions to the U.S.-Libya comprehensive claims settlement fund, telling international oil company representatives at a meeting on February 1 that they "must contribute" to the fund by February 28 or would suffer "serious consequences" (ref F).
The US managed to overcome the claims settlement issue (to read about that, click here), but there is still much room for expansion of trade into Libya. The possibility of oil companies expanding operations is a very real prospect, as detailed in this cable on former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s visit to Libya:
ENERGY SECTOR & COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES ¶10. (C) Libya's economy is almost entirely dependent on oil and gas. Libya has the largest proven oil reserves (43.6 billion barrels) and the third largest proven natural gas reserves (1.5 billion cubic meters) on the African continent. Libya currently produces about 1.7 million barrels/day of oil; only Angola and Nigeria produce more in Africa. Oil and gas infrastructure suffered during the sanctions period. The lifting of sanctions has opened the way for new exploration and improved production. New technology and refined management techniques introduced by international oil companies (IOC's) are a key part of Libya's plan to increase oil production to 3.0 million barrels/day by 2013. Most of Libya's oil and natural gas are exported to Europe - Italy, Germany, Spain and France are key customers. Major U.S. energy companies active in Libya include Amerada Hess, ConocoPhillips, Marathon, Chevron, ExxonMobil and Occidental. Joint ventures involving U.S. companies currently account for about 510,000 barrels/day of Libya's 1.7 million barrels/day production. A large number of small to mid-sized U.S. oil and gas services companies are also working in Libya.
After years of isolation under sanctions and limited spending by the GOL, Libya is currently in the midst of an economic boom, partly driven by a desire to complete large-scale infrastructure projects as tangible symbols of the regime's achievements in advance of the 40th anniversary of al-Qadhafi's revolution on September 1, 2009. High oil prices have helped fuel the outlays. Western companies, eager to establish a position in what is expected to be a lucrative market, are arriving in sizeable numbers. A temporary pause prompted by adoption of the Lautenberg Amendment in January 2008 and concern about asset seizure is coming to an end on news of the comprehensive claims agreement. XXXXXXXXXXXX Despite great promise, Libya remains a challenging business and investment environment. Contradictory regulations, inefficient government bureaucracy, limited human capacity and rampant corruption (in 2007, Transparency International ranked Libya 133rd out of 180 countries in terms of being most corrupt) are significant challenges that could hamper greater investment.
Moreover, Libya presents the US with an opportunity to expand the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM). AFRICOM has taken charge of US involvement in operations underway in Libya. John CK Daly for ISN Insights writes, “The current intervention underway in Libya is the inaugural combat mission for the US military's AFRICOM.” It is likely to, in the end, affirm skeptic assertions that AFRICOM is not so much about bringing “peace and security to the people of Africa” and more about controlling Africa’s vast resources and “offsetting China’s expansive investment in the continent.”
Up to this point, Libya has not been subordinated to AFRICOM. But, that may change as this intervention presents opportunities to expand counterterrorism efforts, military-to-military cooperation, regional stability in greater Africa, along with trade and investment.
Unlike the Bush Administration's wars launched in Afghanistan and Iraq, this intervention appeared to begin with more multilateral support than wars the US has been involved in have, in recent history, enjoyed.
Whether President Obama successfully sold the war to Americans Monday night or not is largely irrelevant (Americans like war and will eventually excuse whatever they don’t like about this intervention and "support the troops"). What is more important is war was not declared properly; the US Congress did not sign off on this war in the way it is constitutionally expected to do. President Obama launched this war with support from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, even though the Pentagon was reluctant to get involved.
Essentially, it seems the Obama Administration did not want to see European Union countries and possibly countries in the Arab League launch an intervention that the US was not involved in leading. The Obama Administration engaged in a process that produced a UN Security Council resolution, which has given cover to military action in Libya. The current intervention is the inverse of counterinsurgency operations the US is used to mounting in the global war on terror. In this case, US forces are helping the insurgents.
2011-03-29 WikiLeaks in today's media: Cablegate coverage
La Jornada: Las armas más letales llegan al narco mexicano desde Centroamérica: EU (The Mexican drug cartels's most lethal weapons come from Central America: United States)
"Según el gobierno de Estados Unidos, las armas más letales y poderosas compradas ilegalmente por el crimen organizado en México, entre ellas equipo tipo militar de grueso calibre, no entran por la línea divisoria entre ambos países, sino provienen de los arsenales de los ejércitos de Centroamérica y son contrabandeadas por la frontera sur, a través de los cruces mal protegidos y peor vigilados por las autoridades mexicanas locales y federales. (According to the U.S. government, the most lethal weapons bought illegally by organized crime in Mexico, including team-caliber military-style, are not from the border line between the the US and Mexico, but from the arsenals of armies in Central America and are smuggled through the south border, poorly protected and poorly monitored by local and federal Mexican authorities.)"
Read more (Spanish) Google Translate
La Jornada: Armamento importado por Sedena "se desvía" hacia grupos criminales (Weapons seized by Sedena "deviates" to criminal groups)
"Los narcotraficantes y las pandillas criminales de México no se surten únicamente con armamento contrabandeado desde Estados Unidos. También usan armas importadas con todos los permisos y verificaciones por la Secretaría de la Defensa y que en algún punto de su ruta se desvían y caen en manos indebidas. (Drug traffickers and criminal gangs in Mexico are filled not only with weapons smuggled from the United States. They also use imported weapons with all permits and inspections by the Ministry of Defence and that at some point in its path is deflected and fall into the wrong hands.)"
Read more (Spanish) Google Translate
La Jornada: Lanzagranadas, proyectiles antitanque, misiles antiaéreos... (Grenade launchers, antitank missiles, antiaircraft missiles...)
"Los decomisos de armas a la delincuencia organizada efectuados en años recientes refieren de manera inequívoca un salto cualitativo en el poder de fuego de la criminalidad en México. (Seizures of weapons to combat organized crime in recent years made unequivocally relate a quantum leap in firepower of crime in Mexico.)"
Read more (Spanish) Google Translate
La Jornada: Militares se quejan de la injerencia estadunidense (Mexican Military complain about American interference)
"Los cables de Wikileaks en los que la embajada de Estados Unidos en México descalifica la labor de los militares en el combate al narcotráfico evidenciaron la acción injerencista de las agencias estadunidenses de seguridad y contra el tráfico de drogas y armas. (Wikileaks cables in which the U.S. Embassy in Mexico criticize the work of the military in combating drug trafficking showed the interventionist action that the U.S. security agencies and against the smuggling of drugs and weapons.)"
Read more (Spanish) Google Translate
(Image Credit: Dali Rău)
2011-03-30 #Bahrain 15 year old reported killed by sec force gun shot to the face in Saar, Sec forces reportedly raid activist Naji Fateel home
WL Central will be updating news on Bahrain, with new items added at the top. All times are ET in USA. You can contact me on twitter @carwinb or by email at carwinb@hushmail.com. Don't send media when links available. Most email is not encrypted and not anonymous. I cannot guarantee anyone's safety in transmission.
Current time and date in Manama, Bahrain:
Send Arabic #firstaid images by MMS/SMS/email or print as fliers usng http://bit.ly/gv3tS #Bahrain.
WEDNESDAY, March 30
- The Voice of Bahrain on Facebook reports of attacks on the village of Sanabis today (Source: Images from the Voice of Bahrain on Facebook)
- Unconfirmed reports that security forces raided activist Naji Fateel's house but he wasn't there. They reportedly threatened to come back every night.
- Multiple sources reporting on the death of 15 year old Ahmed Sayed Saeed Shams from Saar, of a gunshot to the face, by security forces. (Source: Voice of Bahrain Facebook Profile)
- Reports of military forces and police arriving with a crane and destroying the small park in the west of Bani Jamrah (a village west of Manama, Bahrain) at 4pm on March 29. (Source: Voice of Bahrain Facebook Profile)
- We have an UNCONFIRMED report that the brutality that took place in these 14 photographs occurred yesterday afternoon 3/30/11 in Karranah. See Photo 1/14 interior.gov.bh Car 999 License Plate No. 3637 . (If you have any more information please email me. See top of entry for more details.)
TUESDAY, March 29
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Global Voices reports that Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al-Yousif has been arrested.
This is an image of his last tweet, which was deleted shortly before 11pm EST, and is no longer available.
The hash tag #FreeMahmood was started on twitter calling for his release.
- Human Rights Watch calls for an investigation into death and disappearance of protesters during #Bahrain regime violent crackdown:
At least 15 people have died since riot police and troops initiated a second round of offensives against anti-government protesters on March 15, Human Rights Watch said. They include Ahmed Farhan, age 24, and Mohammed Eklas, a 50 year-old Bangladeshi citizen, who died in Sitra on March 15. Photographs of Farhan's body show the back of his head blown open and an empty brain cavity, suggesting that he had been shot at close range. According to media reports, Eklas was run over by a vehicle while trying to help some women during the crackdown, but Human Rights Watch could not independently verify this account.(Source: Human Rights Watch: Bahrain: Investigate Deaths Linked to Crackdown
A third Sitra resident, Isa al-Radhi, 46, who had been missing since that day, was declared dead on March 19, when authorities called his family and told them to collect his body. (Source: Human Rights Watch: Bahrain: Investigate Deaths Linked to Crackdown )
The authorities admitted holding four missing persons in the Bahrain Defense Force hospital only after they had succumbed to their injuries. This raises serious concerns regarding the missing persons' treatment and whether authorities are holding other people without notifying their families, Human Rights Watch said. (Source: Human Rights Watch: Bahrain: Investigate Deaths Linked to Crackdown )
SATURDAY, March 26
[UPDATES FROM YESTERDAY]
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Reports that more than 100 people are injured, and they they are receiving first aid in their homes. Hospitals considered unsafe.
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Demonstrator arrested. We cannot confirm the place, nor do we know the fate of the man in this video.(Uploaded March 25)
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Link to Video on Facebook of a Saudi soldier saying he has come to Bahrain to kill Shia (Primary Source: Kuwait TV)
Translation: "This is our homeland there in no place for Christians, Jews, the Magi (referring to Shia). We are Sunnis and do not accept Jews in our homeland." The word "Magi" is an insult to the Shia community. The implication is that Shia protestors are infiltrated by foreign countries without mentioning any by name."
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Abdul Aziz Ayad, killed by government forces has traces of electric shock on his body. He is from AlHajer Budya and was buried yesterday, March 25
- 32 years old Hani Abdul-Aziz Abdullah Jumah family was called at midnight on the 24th of Mar 11 and told to collect his body, which was hidden by he army in Salmaniya Hospital. The funeral took place March 25.
FRIDAY, March 25
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Washington PR firms Qorvis Communications (@quorvis) and @cooperchristoph's Potomac Square Group contracted to spin crimes against humanity for Bahrain regime.
"Potomac Square Group – a new firm headed by ex-Wall Street Journal journalist Chris Cooper – was appointed in February to provide strategic PR counsel to the Embassy of Bahrain in the US" (Source: streetmedia.wordpress.com)"The Bahraini government, which has cracked down on growing political protests, has tapped a former Wall Street Journal national news reporter to help improve the Middle Eastern country's communications with Washington. Christopher Cooper's public relations firm, Potomac Square Group, disclosed last week that it was hired in February by Abdul Latif Al Zayani, the special envoy from Bahrain to the United States. Cooper was hired Feb. 17, after Bahraini troops opened fire on protesters in the Pearl Square in the country's capital of Manama. Al Zayani told CNN at the time that his country's leadership was committed to dialogue with opposition groups, but he added, 'We had to take action, and the action was taken by the law.'" (Source: Huffington Post)
"The contract between Potomac Square Group and Bahrain was signed on February 17." (Source: sunlightfoundation.com)
"Qorvis Communications, one of Washington's biggest PR firms, inked a deal with the island kingdom last year. The firm offered the kingdom's most recent spin on the protest crackdown in a press release highlighting statements made by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, while omitting her statement that the government was "on the wrong track." (Source: sunlightfoundation.com)
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The suppression of a peaceful demonstration today in Buri(Uploaded March 25)
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Suppression of protests in today Sitra (Uploaded March 25)
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Protest in Beni Jamra today(Uploaded March 25)
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Riot police roam the alleys of Aker today (Uploaded March 25)
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Sec forces vandalize cars in Sitra today (Uploaded March 25)
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Unconfirmed reports on today, March 25, of the death of Aziz Aya, 33, who worked as a soldier in the Bahrain Defense Force. He was from the village of Al Hajer/Budya. The government has not released details as to the causes of death. One unconfirmed report from our sources in the ground say he was kidnapped by special forces and tortured with electric shocks until death.
[UPDATES]
- Nurse from Salmaniya Hospital being beaten (Uploaded March 23)
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Unconfirmed reports of plain clothes thugs attacking ppl.
There was an attack last week at Bahrain University, more than 80 people are reported to have been injured. People are afraid to go out, because there are reports that snipers are everywhere according to sources on the ground.
Image attributed to one injured male at Salmaniya Hospitall in the attack on Bahrain University. He is reported to have died.
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Amnesty International Petition, 'Ensuring accountability for excessive force and protection for protesters'. Sign here.
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Body of the Isa Al Radi from Sitra, Mar 20 1011, who was beaten to death. (Uploaded March 21)
- Unconfirmed attack in the village of Bure after the funeral of Abdulrasool al-Hajiri. (Uploaded March 21)
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Abdulrasool was missing for 4 days. His family received his dead body on March 21, 2001. He was reported to have been beaten to death, coming home from work.
"Abdulrasool al-Hajiri, who worked sterilizing medical equipment at Salmaniya Medical Center in this island Kingdom's capital, Manama, came home to the small Bahraini village of Buri on Saturday, dropped off his bag and went out to get a part of his mobile phone fixed. He was never seen alive again. His body was found the next morning, bloody and beaten, on a street in a town four kilometers away. (Source: Time, Reported March 23)
Daughter of Abdulrasool al-Hajiri
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Reports of Bahrain Army open fire on protesters. (Uploaded March 18)
- Protesters being beaten and shot at by police in Manama. (Uploaded March 17)
- Rounds directly in the face of one of the protesters in #Bahrain killed protester (Uploaded March 13)
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Reports of Bahrain thugs attacking female doctors from Salmaniya Hospital. (Uploaded March 14)
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Bahrain police trying to run over protesters near Pearl Roundabout (Uploaded March 14)
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Man injured from police fire in Shahrkan. Reports that he could not go to the hospital for treatment, for fear of being arrested. (Uploaded March 14)
[END UPDATES]
For more WL Coverage of March 1 to March 21 or February of Bahrain.
Other Resources:
- Facebook Profile: 14th February 2011 Revolution Day in Bahrain
- Facebook Profile:Bahrain Freedom Seekers
- Al Jazeera Live Blog - Bahrain
- Global Voices Special Coverage of Bahrain Protests
- Arab Revolution
- Wikipedia: 2011 Bahraini Protests
- Wikipedia: 1990s Uprising in Bahrain
- Bahrain Constitution Online
- Bahrain Protest Photos
2011-03-30 Assad's speech days late, no reforms, more attacks on protesters #Syria
Continuing his customary practice of promises unfulfilled, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad delivered a speech today that was expected days ago and delivered none of the hoped for concessions to protesters. The speech is here, English transcript is here.
Reports online are that after the speech a peaceful protest in Latakia was fired upon. A general commanded that the protesters be shot at. The army would not leave the civilians, they dragged away the bodies of the killed. I saw with my own eyes the bullet shells, I took and kept two in my bag as evidence. They said the security forces shot with automatic weapons. They said the bullets and weapons were Kalashnikovs. Very graphic video reportedly of today's violence has been posted here. An Al Jazeera report from Syria paints a chilling prelude scene before their reporter was turned away. The reporter found a colonel looking down a long range rifle scope at a checkpoint set up with a view of the future protest scene, while everyone was still listening to Assad's speech and the street was empty.
A list is being maintained of people imprisoned, missing and killed since the protests began. This very valuable work shows the name, date, occasionally picture, age, location, circumstance and source for each incident. The total number on the list is now at 275.
After Assad's speech, Syrian state TV showed footage of Assad in Damascus, the site of yesterday's hugely supportive rallies for him, only this time his army of security appeared breached by a rush from the crowd before the TV cut away. Report from News Tsar below.
Excerpts from the TRCB News translation:
I know that the Syrian people have been waiting for this speech since last week; and I intentionally postponed it until I have a fuller picture in my mind, or at least some of the main features of this picture, so that my speech should depart from the emotional rhetoric which puts people at ease, but does not change anything or make any impact at a time when our enemies work every day in an organized, systematic and scientific manner in order to undermine Syria's stability.
Protests are a foreign conspiracy
Our policies had been based on development, opening up, and communicating directly between myself and the Syrian people.
Syrian foreign policy is based on holding to our national rights.
Syria is facing a great conspiracy whose tentacles extend to some nearby countries and far-away countries, with some inside the country.
Some satellite T.V. stations actually spoke about attacking certain buildings an hour before they were actually attacked. How did they know that? Do they read the future? This happened more than once. Then, things started to become clearer. They will say that we believe in the conspiracy theory. In fact there is no conspiracy theory. There is a conspiracy.
We are concerned with the outcome because the last stage for them is for Syria to get weaker and disintegrate, because this will remove the last obstacle facing the Israel?s plans.
They used the satellite T.V. stations and the internet but did not achieve anything. And then, using sedition, started to produce fake information, voices, images, etc. they forged everything. Then they started to use the sectarian element. They sent SMSs to members of a certain sect alerting them that another sect will attack them. And in order to be credible, they sent masked people to neighborhoods with different sects living in them, knocking on people?s doors and telling each that that the other sect has already attacked and are on the streets, in order to get a reaction. And it worked for a while. But we were able to nip the sedition in the bud by getting community leaders to meet and diffuse the situation. Then they used weapons. They started killing people at random; because they knew when there is blood it becomes more difficult to solve the problem.
Reforms will continue at the same glacial pace
If we say that [reforms] were made under the pressure of a certain condition or popular pressure, this is weakness. And I believe that if the people get the government to bow under pressure, it will bow to foreign pressure. The principle is wrong. The relationship between the government and the people is not that of pressure or based on pressure.
I will quickly review the reform process since 2000. It is true that we talked about this at the time but only in headlines. The picture was not very clear about the shape of that reform. Two months after the speech I gave in this magnificent place, the Intifada happened and the conspiracy against the resistance started, and pressures mounted. Then there was 09/11. Islam, Muslims, and Arabs were all accused. There was the occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq, and Syria was supposed to pay a price for its position to invasion. You know what happened in Lebanon in 2005, and later the war of 2006 and its repercussions, and the war against Gaza at the end of 2008. So, the whole period was that of continued pressure. What added to the problems was that we had four years of drought which damaged our economic program.
We did not focus much on political issues like the emergency law and the party law. The reason is that when there are human issues at stake, they cannot be postponed.
... putting a time frame is purely technical. I might put a time frame which is shorter than what is necessary and in that case the pressure of time will affect quality. I think our duty is to provide the Syrian people with the best, not with the fastest. We want to proceed quickly, but we do not want to be hasty.
Protesters will be fought
The Holy Quran says, sedition is worse than killing, so all those involved intentionally or unintentionally in it contribute to destroying their country. So there is no compromise or middle way in this. What is at stake is the homeland and there is a huge conspiracy. We are not seeking battles. The Syrian people are peaceful people, loving people, but we have never hesitated in defending our causes, interests and principles, and if we are forced into a battle, so be it.
2011-03-30 Firoze Manji of Pambazuka News on the Uprisings in Southern Africa
Firoze Manji of Pambazuka News appeared on The Real News Network to talk about the uprisings in southern Africa. He highlighted uprisings in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Djibouti, Gabon and Swaziland and also suggested uprisings are brewing in Kenya and South Africa.
WL Central has been keeping a close eye on many of these uprisings and how they have been brutally suppressed.
Manji explains why people in Africa are revolting:
The reason why this is happening is that everyone shares the experience of the Egyptians and the Tunisians. Yes, the focus has been on getting rid of dictators, but the real common thing that everyone faces has been thirty years of structural adjustment programs (SAPs), thirty years where all social services have been privatized, thirty years where there has been massive accumulation by dispossession. You have the peasantry losing land. You have people migrating to the cities. You have a huge decline in income.
Manji notes the issue of "political dispossession" saying unfortunately governments today are more inclined to listen to the IMF, the World Bank and international aid agencies than they are citizens. He adds "percolating discontent” has not been at this level since the anti-colonial revolutions of the 1950s.
2011-03-30 US Doesn't Intend to Shut Down "Cirque de Saleh" Anytime Soon
Cables recently posted by the Spanish news organization El Pais provide more details on the manic and overbearing Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The cables appear just as Saleh seems to be closer to transferring control of Yemen to another leader, who can diffuse the growing revolt against his regime and as The Nation’s Jeremy Scahill, one American journalist who has not shied away from using the WikiLeaks cables to inform his work, publishes a major story on what is at stake for the US in Yemen.
Over the weekend, widespread rumors suggested Saleh would be stepping down. But, by Sunday, March 27, Saleh’s zealous hold on power only tightened in the face of this notion that he would no longer be ruling Yemen. On the American Sunday morning talk show “Meet the Press,” US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said his fall or replacement by a weaker leader would be “a real problem” for US counterterrorism operations, pretty much solidifying the fact that Saleh would not be leaving yet.
A cable from August 31, 2009, illuminates a leader, who has grown increasingly unstable in recent years. One Member of Parliament explains to then-US Ambassador to Yemen Stephen Seche how the country has serious problems but when he talks about them, Saleh gets angry and tells him to go.
The MP echoes the concerns of many of Saleh’s former confidants and advisors and descirbes how Saleh has over the past fifteen years increasingly shut people like him out and chosen to rely on close family members and himself when making important decisions. The nepotism occurs without challenge because Parliament, the judicial system and all of the Ministries report directly to Saleh. This, as the MP has argued, totally subjugates the Parliament to the Saleh regime.
Also, the MP asserts one third of those in Parliament are uneducated and are afraid to lose their “privileges.” He adds that Saleh is bothered by the fact that he has lost popularity among the general Yemeni population and tells Seche that he plans to launch an “action group” to “compel” the regime to implement reforms. He hopes to conduct a “massive citizen education campaign” that would inform Yemenis about their rights in a democratic system and eventually mobilize the population to “agitate for change through public demonstrations.”
A second cable from October 6, 2009, compares the president’s personal hospital to the oldest hospital in the country in Aden. The 64-year-old Republican Aden Hospital is a 300-bed facility in a “dilapidated state” that has one single x-ray machine that is a “government symbol of neglect,” even by Yemen’s “low public health standards.” Seche describes the hallways and operating rooms as something that evoke “a sci-fi writer’s post-apocalyptic vision.”
It was inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II in 1954 and last renovated in 1985. Renovations that were meant to plug holes in the ceiling to keep out rats and cockroaches were made but have failed to “keep the pests out.” The hospital has to send patients to Sanaa for laboratory tests and anything beyond basic surgical procedures. The Ministry of Health ignores a wish list of easily procurable that includes bedpans and stethoscopes.
Saleh’s personal hospital, the Sanaa Defense Compound, is a different story entirely. The Yemen government-financed hospital, which was completed in May 2009, has sixteen beds and cost $8 million USD, is headed by Dr. Hisham al-Zubairi, Saleh's personal physician. It is staffed with German and Indian doctors and has “state-of-the-art orthopedic, ear, nose and throat (ENT), and 3-D medical imagery technology.”
Someone whose name is redacted once convinced Saleh to open the hospital to top military commanders in critical condition. But, normally, the nurses and doctors can be seen on the three floors smiling and looking bored.
Money that has gone toward fighting the Houthis in the Saada war could easily be used to better fund hospitals like the Aden hospital but Saleh callously disregards the needs of his people.
In a cable from September 15, 2009, released months ago (and recently posted on El Pais with the aforementioned cables), Deputy National Security Adviser John Brennan meets with Saleh, who pledges “unfettered access to Yemen’s national territory for counterterrorism operations.” Brennan raises the issue of economic reform and corruption and delivers a letter from President Obama that contains a 10-point plan outlining necessary economic reforms but has no details on when goals in the plan must be implemented. Fascinatingly, when Brennan expresses concern that economic and other assistance might be diverted through corrupt officials for other purposes, Saleh proposes a solution.
Responding to Brennan's concerns that economic and other assistance might be diverted through corrupt officials to other purposes, Saleh urged the U.S. to donate supplies and hardware rather than liquid funds in order to curb corruption's reach. Saleh also told US officials that they could have full access to financial records to ensure proper usage of donor funding. (COMMENT. Saleh's preference for infrastructure and equipment over cash displays a lack of confidence in his own regime's ability to handle liquid assets and hardly provides a viable solution for stemming the curb of corruption in the long run. END COMMENT.)
During the meeting, Saleh is immensely frustrated with the fact that the US government will not support his war against the Houthis in northern Yemen. He says the war that is being launched is “a war on behalf of the US…the Houthis are your enemies too.” Seche, however, notes the Houthis have not attacked US interests or personnel in the “six wars” that have taken place between Saleh’s regime and the Houthis since 2004. Saleh complains Yemen government forces are “suffering a lot of casualties and loss of material” and renews his requests for armored personnel vehicles, aircraft and medical evacuation vehicles telling Brennan, “We need deeds, not only words.” To which Brennan further emphasizes that the US is “prohibited by law from providing military support” to the Yemen government against the Houthis since the US government “considers the group a domestic insurgency.” [Note: The US can always find a way around legal restrictions so it’s more likely the Pentagon just doesn’t want to be part of a Saleh’s war.]
Saleh continues to persistently push Brennan for support:
Restating claims of Iranian support to the Houthi movement, ROYG officials present said they had provided files supporting an Iranian-Houthi connection to USG officials and would provide more if necessary. (NOTE. The Ambassador acknowledged receiving a file that was reviewed here and in Washington; however, no conclusive evidence of an Iranian-Houthi link has been made from these or other records. Brennan said that he would request a fresh scrub of all available intelligence to see if it turned up any evidence of Iranian involvement. END NOTE.) Saleh said, "Iran is trying to settle old scores against the U.S. by ruining relations between Yemen and GCC countries and the U.S." He also made a tangential reference to Hezbollah, claiming the organization's influence in the region also rendered the ROYG-Houthi war a fight on behalf of the U.S. Referencing the high poverty rate and illicit arms flows into both Yemen and Somalia, Saleh concluded by saying, "If you don't help, this country will become worse than Somalia."
Scahill’s new article titled, “The Dangerous US Game in Yemen,” expertly outlines Saleh’s relationship with the US, how he is being backed up and supported even as an uprising is working to topple his regime and how Saleh came to power.
Saleh, known in Yemen as The Boss, became the country’s leader in 1990 following the unification of the north, which he had ruled since the 1970s, and the south, which had been run by a Marxist government based in Aden. Saleh is a survivor who has deftly navigated his way through the cold war, deep tribal divisions and the “global war on terror.” Under the Obama administration, the United States committed increased military funding for his regime. Though he was known as a double-dealer, Saleh was tacitly viewed as Washington’s man on the Arabian Peninsula.
Scahill quotes an individual who recently left his job as a Yemen analyst at the Defense Intelligence Agency:
Without a guarantee that a successor government will grant US forces such access, peaceful protesters being gunned down will not be the top priority. “The feckless US response is highlighting how shortsighted our policy is there,” says Joshua Foust, a fellow at the American Security Project who recently left the Defense Intelligence Agency, where he was a Yemen analyst. “We meekly consent to Saleh’s brutality out of a misguided fear that our counterterror programs will be cut off, apparently not realizing that, in doing so, we are practically guaranteeing the next government will threaten those very programs.”
The entire article is a must read but this particular paragraph shows how the US has become a slave to Saleh’s wiley authority. It demonstrates what the US (especially the Pentagon) fears most is change because change introduces new variables into the equation and forces adjustments in policy and operations. Someone like Saleh who has been around for a long time can be made to work for the US. Trade deals, economic assistance and military aid can be used to win someone like Saleh over. And, that is why the US has held fast to a policy of supporting strongmen in the Middle East, even when its diplomats knew full well domestic conditions were ripe for popular revolution.
Saleh may indeed be on his way out. He may transfer power and become a ceremonial leader until elections later this year. If he does leave power, the US will have, by then, found a way to ensure that its counterterrorism operations can continue under the next regime and they will have selected a few presidential candidates they think they can support. But, really, Saleh doesn’t have to go. Hundreds of thousands of Yemenis can continue to demonstrate and as long as Saleh has the US backing him up Saleh can insulate himself, further lose touch with reality and continue to lead his regime. Saleh can buy off members of Parliament. The people will soon find out their protests are exacerbating the unjust economic conditions and instability is making it impossible for necessary reform to take place.
Saleh can wait demonstrators out because he, unlike Libyan Leader Muammar el-Gaddafi, plays an integral role in the "global war on terror." Plus, the US isn’t worried a massacre will occur in Yemen. Saleh’s been annihilating Houthis for years and the US has been killing Yemeni civilians in attacks against individuals presumed to be part of Al Qaeda.
*Here is a Nation Conversation with Scahill and Nation editor Betsy Reed on the unrest in Yemen:
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2011-03-30 WikiLeaks in today's media: Cablegate coverage
Aftenposten: FARYAB: A VIEW FROM MAIMANA
"Governor Shafaq, local Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) leaders, PRT Maimana military and civilian representatives all regard insurgency as the principal challenge facing Faryab province. They express their strongest concerns about Ghormach district, but see the entire "Pashtun belt," stretching northeast along the Turkmenistan border as a haven for anti-government fighters both the ideologically-motivated warriors and the "$10 a day" combatants simply seeking a paycheck. The weak performance of the Afghan Border Police (ABP) and the absence of Turkmenistan forces close to the border facilitate insurgent activity in this corridor. The Governor and the Afghan National Police (ANP) Chief favor the establishment of militias to enhance the counterinsurgency effort. From a governance and development perspective, Faryab presents a fragmented picture: a "Lone Ranger" Governor, a self-styled reformer with little confidence in other government officials; a newly-elected Provincial Council unsure of its role; and line ministry officials with differing approaches to incorporating popular wishes into the province's development plans."
Aftenposten: LIBYAN REACTION TO AQ-LIFG MERGER
"Reaction to the November 3 announcement by al-Qaeda´s second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahri, that the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) had joined forces with al-Qaeda (AQ) and was calling for the overthrow of Qadhafi´s regime has been relatively muted. The GOL has not yet issued a public statement and its leadership is reportedly divided over the wisdom of doing so. Regime insiders are concerned that the LIFG/AQ announcement could presage a period of political violence that could hurt their personal economic interests, while the reaction of average Libyans has ranged from concern about instability and adverse economic consequences to enthusiasm for the merger."
Aftenposten: EXTREMISM IN EASTERN LIBYA
"A [TEXT REMOVED BY AFTENPOSTEN] recently described for us social, political and economic factors that have contributed to and facilitated participation by a disproportionately large number of eastern Libya´s native sons in "martyrdom acts" and other insurgency operations in Libya and Iraq. A reportedly deliberate GOL policy to keep the east poor as a means by which to limit the potential political threat to Qadhafi´s regime has helped fuel the perception among many young eastern Libyan men that they have nothing to lose by participating in extremist violence at home and in Iraq. The prospect of financial compensation for their impoverished families motivates some, but local pride in eastern Libya´s historical role as a locus of opposition to occupying forces of various stripes is also an important factor. The fact that eastern Libyan mosques are more numerous and remote, together with tight local social networks, has reportedly circumscribed the ability of GOL security organizations to monitor and control the activities of radical imams as effectively as elsewhere in Libya. Unlike the rest of the country, sermons in eastern Libyan mosques are laced with phraseology urging worshippers to support jihad in Iraq and elsewhere through direct participation or financial contributions. While senior regime figures, including Saif al-Islam al-Qadhafi, appear to have recognized that the east merits more attention and investment, the reported ability of radical imams to propagate messages urging support for and participation in jihad despite GOL security organizations´ efforts suggests that claims by senior GOL officials that the east is under control may be overstated."
Aftenposten: DIE HARD IN DERNA
"Frustration at the inability of eastern Libyans to effectively challenge Qadhafi´s regime, together with a concerted ideological campaign by returned Libyan fighters from earlier conflicts, have played important roles in Derna´s development as a wellspring of Libyan foreign fighters in Iraq. Other factors include a dearth of social outlets for young people, local pride in Derna´s history as a locus of fierce opposition to occupation, economic disenfranchisement among the town´s young men. Depictions on satellite television of events in Iraq and Palestine fuel the widespread view that resistance to coalition forces is justified and necessary. One Libyan interlocutor likened young men in Derna to Bruce Willis´ character in the action picture "Die Hard", who stubbornly refused to die quietly. For them, resistance against coalition forces in Iraq is an important act of ´jihad´ and a last act of defiance against the Qadhafi regime."
(Image Credit: Dali Rău)
2011-03-31 Maher al-Assad and the family business #Syria
Reuters reports that Syria will set up an investigation into the protest deaths, as well as form a committee to "solve the problem of the 1962 census" during which 150,000 Syrian Kurds were denied nationality. It is doubtful that an investigation will be regarded as hopeful by protesters who blame the violence on Maher al-Assad, brother of the Syrian president, one of his closest advisors and head of the Republican Guard.
While Bashar al-Assad is the public face of Syrian governance, his brother is in charge of the security forces that provide Syria with one of the worst human rights and press freedoms records in the world. One of the many things he is commonly accused of is shooting his brother-in-law Asef Shawket (Directory of Military Intelligence) in the stomach. Along with Rami Makhlouf, a cousin of Bashar and Maher al-Assad who controls much of the Syrian business (including SyriaTel) and foreign investment and is under US sanctions for public corruption, Maher is also suspected of public corruption. A video circulating shows a group of dead bodies and what it says is "the killers, or the killer himself, it shows President Bashar Al-Assad’s Brother (Maher Al-Assad) with his personal guards walking over the raped apart bodies and taking pictures with their cell phones." (at 1:05). While there is no indication of the circumstances of the deaths and there could be many reasons for the picture taking, Maher al-Assad is a hated and feared public figure. While many people can still be found to defend president Bashar al-Assad, there are few defenders for Maher al-Assad, brother in law Asef Shawket, or cousin Rami Makhlouf who between them control the military, intelligence and commerce. And for the protesters who have been saying since the beginning that their protest is not against the president but against the security forces and the emergency law, it is Maher al-Assad and his brother in law Asef Shawket they are referring to.
Maher al-Assad is also reportedly one of the prime suspects in the investigation into the assassination of the Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri. Now Lebanon reported on February 17: Former Syrian intelligence operative Mohammad Zuhair Siddiq held an interview with the Voice of Lebanon (100.5) radio station on Thursday in which he revealed who Mr. X – previously mentioned in former United Nations International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC) chief Detlev Mehlis’s first report to the UN Security Council – is. “I have a recording which is exclusive to the investigation committee. People have to know why [Speaker] Nabih Berri closed the parliament for more than seven months. Lebanese people have to know the truth, which is more important than the investigation.” Siddiq then played part of an audio recording in which a man tells another “Summon the [men] quickly for an emergency meeting. We will [terminate] him.” A man responds by saying that “Berri’s political aide Ali Hassan Khalil and [Hezbollah official] Wafiq Safa arrived.” Siddiq said that the man calling for a meeting in the recording is Maher al-Assad – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s brother.
While rumours that Bashar al-Assad heads a puppet government that is or may soon be controlled by Asef Shawket have circulated for years, rumours of Maher al-Assad possibly gaining control have become more prevalent this month. A Chirpstory on Twitter records some of the online rumours (Asef Shawket was not killed by the rumoured shooting).