Ten years ago, we were all rushing to understand and inform — to help many people throw their weight against the intense rush toward imperialist verdicts, war and punishment.
When two planes hit the World Trade Center and a third hit the Pentagon, the U.S. government and media unleashed a flood of manufactured news — funneling the broad shock and anger of people toward support for several impending wars. Little was known among people about Osama Bin Laden or the escalating conflict between the U.S. and Jihadist forces.
In those days, revolutionary forces scrambled to understand and then explain what was known. Here is an article I wrote in those first days (published in mid-September 2001 in the pages of the Revolutionary Worker where I then worked).
* * * * * ** * * * *
by Mike Ely
Young boys digging bomb shelters in the dusty hills of Afghanistan. Tens of thousands of Afghani refugees trekking to the border of Pakistan, desperate to leave before U.S. bombs fall on their country. What will happen to the people of Afghanistan who have lived in war and poverty for so long? It is a terrible thing, that the U.S. power structure is moving its forces halfway around the world–that the U.S. is putting the people of Afghanistan, once again, in the crosshairs of war.
Our heart-felt solidarity goes out to our sisters and brothers there–to the revolutionary people struggling under such difficult conditions in the vast refugee camps of Pakistan and the war-torn villages of Afghanistan itself. We are inspired by the heroic women daring to defy the Taliban and tradition’s chains. And we salute our courageous Maoist comrades working underground among the masses, strategizing about how to launch and win a genuine revolution.
The following appeared on CounterPunch. Thanks to Gio for suggesting this.
The 9/11 Conspiracists:
Vindicated After All These Years?
by ALEXANDER COCKBURN
We’re homing in on the tenth anniversary of the destruction of the Wall Street Trade Towers and the attack on the Pentagon. One in seven Americans and one in four among those aged 16-24, (so a recent poll commissioned by the BBC tells us) believe that there was a vast conspiracy in which the U.S. government was involved. But across those ten years have the charges that it was an “inside job” –– a favored phrase of the self-styled “truthers” — received any serious buttress?
The answer is no.
Did the Trade Towers fall because they were badly built as a consequence of corruption, incompetence, regulatory evasions by the Port Authority, and because they were struck by huge planes loaded with jet fuel. No, shout the conspiracists, they “pancaked” because Dick Cheney’s agents–scores of them–methodically planted demolition charges in the preceding days inserting the explosives in the relevant floors of three vast buildings, (moving day after day among the unsuspecting office workers), then on 9/11 activating the detonators. It was a conspiracy of thousands, all of whom–party to mass murder–have held their tongues ever since.
What has been the goal of the 9/11 conspiracists?
They ask questions, yes, but they never answer them.
They never put forward an overall scenario of the alleged conspiracy. They say that’s not up to them. So who is it up to? Whom do they expect to answer their questions? When answers are put forward, they are dismissed as fabrications or they simply rebound with another question. Like most cultic persuasions they excitedly invoke important converts to their faith and the “1500 architects and engineers in the USA” who say the NIST official report is not thorough and needs another investigation. It’s a tiny proportion of the overall members of their profession. At least 80 per cent of faculty economists in the US believe stoutly in long-discredited theories that have blighted the lives of millions around the world for decades. Their numbers don’t equate with intelligence, let along conclusive analysis.
Danny’s essay first appeared on his News Dissector site. (Salute to Danny for his many decades of tireless resistance and excavation.) This article tracks the illusion and the disillusion in personal detail.
Is it accurate on the “lessons we can’t deny” or is there more to extract?
By Danny Schechter
Journalists are not supposed to have political opinions, and yet we all do. Our “biases” are usually disguised, not blatant or overtly partisan, and can be divined in what stories we cover and how we cover them,
Even ‘just the fact’s ma’am,’ journos for big Media have to decide which facts to include and which to ignore.
Our outlooks are always shaped by our worldviews, values and experience, not too mention the outlets we work for.
Which brings me to the challenge of seeking truth and recognizing it when you see it.
I have to admit that I was seduced by the idea of Barack Obama.
The idea of a black President, the idea of a young President, the idea of an articulate President, and the idea of a man married to such a stand up women from a working class family was hard to resist.
It has become increasingly likely that the Gaddafi family will now be pried out of power in Libya — as their carefully-constructed apparatus of military and patronage power “attrits.” The key element in their overthrow has been the massive deployment of aerial power by major imperialist countries (including the U.S. and its European NATO allies). It destroyed the Libyan government forces, and increasingly picked off, one by one, any concentrations of military forces willing to stand and fight.
A war of craters
The ground-based opposition to Gaddafi has increasingly walked into Tripoli through the cratered remains of Libyan government forces.
A mainstream press article on the NATO role in these events (drawn from the New York Times) writes:
“Through Saturday, NATO and its allies had flown 7,459 strike missions, or sorties, attacking thousands of targets, from individual rocket launchers to major military headquarters. The cumulative effect not only destroyed Libya’s military infrastructure but also greatly diminished the ability of Colonel Qaddafi’s commanders to control forces, leaving even committed fighting units unable to move, resupply or coordinate operations.
Shared from Hayibo. Hopefully while the AU troops complete their relief mission they can also identify elements that can help form a new responsible government and carry out some “nation-building” to help rescue this failed state. Reporters have been holding interviews with British citizens who, the reporters say are eager for any armed force to appear. There is no clear evidence yet of whether troubled Britain has become a haven for terrorist forces, but an messages attributed to Al-Qaida in Yemen took responsibility for the events in Hackney.
Africa to send troops, food parcels to UK as riots spread
ETHIOPIA. The African Union today adopted a unilateral resolution to deploy army troops and care packages to England as looting and violence spread from London to other major cities. Spokesperson Charity Khumalo said “We can no longer stand by while these savages tear themselves apart.”
The AU, meeting today in an emergency session to discuss the ongoing rioting in the UK, has declared that they will do “everything in their power to help bring civilisation to England”.
“It’s just so sad, you know?” said Khumalo, speaking from the organisation’s HQ in Addis Ababa. “Sitting here and watching them on TV while their society implodes. We cannot in good conscience remain idle and let it happen.”
Analleli Rios Ramirez, center, and her brother-in-law, Eusebio Resendiz, try to obtain a permit to take their truck into Mexico.
The following first appeared in the New York Times, August 9, 2011.
Mexico-Bound Immigrants Face Scrutiny at Border
By MARC LACEY
NOGALES, Ariz. — An American immigration agent bounded up the steps of a bus about to cross the United States-Mexico border recently and demanded to see the papers of all those aboard. “Papers!” he shouted, eying passengers warily as he walked up and down the aisle.
Such checks are not surprising given all the attention focused on illegal immigration these days. But this bus full of migrants was leaving the United States, not entering it.
A raft of immigration laws in Arizona and other states is designed to make life so difficult for illegal immigrants that they pack their bags and head home. But the reality on the border is that departing the country has become more complicated than ever — leading some people to worry that the outbound checks could not only dissuade illegal immigrants from leaving the country but also place them in a kind of no-win limbo, reviled if they stay and potentially arrested if they try to leave.
The following video features Tom Burke of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (Fight Back). He talks about intimidation and harassment tactics by the FBI directed at him, his family, and other activists.
With much respect… It is worth thinking about the importance of reaching out to soldiers in wartime, and to those who do such organizing. From GI Cafe Germany about plans around the sprawling Ramstein base in the heart of Europe.
Minneapolis, MN – U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder got a cold reception in Minneapolis May 27, where the Committee to Stop FBI Repression dogged him all day about FBI and grand jury attacks on anti-war and international solidarity activists. 100 people gathered outside his event at the University of Minnesota. The shouts of protesters outside could be heard inside, “Hey Holder, hear our fury! Stop the FBI, end the grand jury!”
In September of 2010, 14 peace and international solidarity activists in the Midwest, including Minneapolis, were subpoenaed to testify at a secret grand jury investigating material support for terrorism. In December, nine more activists were subpoenaed. The 23 activists have declared their refusal to testify and have declared their First Amendment right to protest, to free speech and to assemble. Last week, the FBI stepped up its repression when it participated in a raid on the home of Los Angeles immigrant rights activist, Carlos Montes.
As Holder began to speak at the University of Minnesota event, several people stood up to interrupt him with questions demanding that he explain his why his Department of Justice is pursuing activists.
The first to challenge him was Tracy Molm, one of the targeted activists and a member of Students for a Democratic Society. Holder talked with her after his speech, saying they would have to “agree to disagree” on whether international solidarity activism like hers is constitutionally protected.
FBI plans, interview questions discovered in raided activist’s home
Activists in the Twin Cities today announced at a press conference that they were releasing a recently-found document that was left behind by federal agents when they raided Mick Kelly and Linden Gawboy’s Minneapolis home on 24 September 2010.
FBI agents, who raided the home of Mick Kelly and Linden Gawboy, took with them thousands of pages of documents and books, along with computers, cell phones and a passport. By mistake, they also left something behind; the operation plans for the raid, “Interview questions” for anti-war and international solidarity activists, duplicate evidence collection forms, etc. The file of secret FBI documents was accidently mixed in with Gawboy’s files, and was found in a filing cabinet on April 30. We are now releasing them to the public.
“American imperialists and their allies consider bin Laden’s death a big victory for themselves. Now they show off their power even more than before, pretending that no force can resist them. If we look at this claim from a short term tactical perspective then there is no doubt that it possesses some truth. …
“If we take a deeper look at this issue, however, the imperialists’ strategic weakness and fault can clearly be seen within their current tactical triumph.”
Statement of the Communist (Maoist) Party of Afghanistan on Osama bin Laden’s death:
Forward towards Initiating and Carrying Forward
the People’s Revolutionary War of National Resistance!
The actual pretext for America and its allies’ imperialist military onslaught to invade and occupy Afghanistan on October 7, 2001 was to kill or arrest Osama bin Laden, who was suspected as the real mastermind behind the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
During the past ten years of the war of aggression, and the presence of the occupying forces in Afghanistan that have continued under this pretext or others, tens of thousands of people have lost their lives and thousands of the poor huts of the wretched villagers have been destroyed.
But finally it became clear that bin Laden was not in Afghanistan but in Pakistan, close to this country’s capital, Islamabad, and beside the country’s biggest military training center––a training center for a military that is a vassal of the American imperialists and their allies. Apparently, a small group of 14 American special forces with three helicopters–and definitely with the close cooperation of the Pakistani armed forces–attacked bin Laden’s residence on the early morning of May 1, 2011 and killed him, along with one of his sons, and some of his close associates after a limited fire-fight. Immediately after this assault, Barack Obama announced the “American victory” with tympani and cockalorum.
My son who’s studying abroad this semester was Skyping us.
“So bin Laden’s dead,” he typed.
“Yeah, Mama and I watched Obama’s speech last night.”
“I don’t feel anything.”
“You know, I was just thinking the same thing. Thinking about writing a column about that.”
“Cool.”
What do I feel? First of all, a kind of matter-of-fact appreciation of the report that a mass murderer is no more for this world. His death was his hubris and his karma.
But when I see crowds of Americans waving the flag, singing patriotic songs, and chanting “USA! USA!” I feel a little nauseated. How can anyone aware of what the U.S. is doing in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen and Libya feel nationalistic pride at this moment in history?
When I watch NBC’s Brian Williams eagerly prompting CIA director Leon Panneta to affirm that “enhanced interrogation methods” facilitated bin Laden’s killing, implicitly justifying the water-boarding torture chambers of Guantanamo, I feel sickened further.
Apache helicopter: As if the Nazi Luftwaffe named their jet fighter "Jew."
Noam Chomsky’s remarks appeared on Guernica, May 6, 2011. Surrounded by the nauseating fascination with American Seal death squads and self-congratulation about “success” (from both liberals and conservatives), any thoughtful nay-saying is worth sharing.
“We might ask ourselves how we would be reacting if Iraqi commandos landed at George W. Bush’s compound, assassinated him, and dumped his body in the Atlantic.”
“Operation Geronimo…and naming our murder weapons after victims of our crimes: Apache, Tomahawk… It’s as if the Luftwaffe were to call its fighter planes ‘Jew’ and ‘Gypsy.’”
Noam Chomsky: My Reaction to Osama bin Laden’s Death
By Noam Chomsky
It’s increasingly clear that the operation was a planned assassination, multiply violating elementary norms of international law.
There appears to have been no attempt to apprehend the unarmed victim, as presumably could have been done by 80 commandos facing virtually no opposition—except, they claim, from his wife, who lunged towards them. In societies that profess some respect for law, suspects are apprehended and brought to fair trial. I stress “suspects.”
"No foreign intervention - Libyan people can manage it alone."
by Mike Ely
Over the last days there have been building threats of intervention by the U.S. and European powers in the affairs and events of Northern Africa. It is being announced (as usual) in the name of helping democracy — but, in fact, the deployment of weapons and planes would involve an inevitable power-grab, an attempt to influence (read: control) who emerges with power in Libya, and an attempt to justify the right of imperialist power to continuous and future intervention in the Middle East and Africa.
We should not assume that the U.S. plans some full invasion. They are currently tied up in two losing wars already — Gates just quipped that those who advocate U.S. land wars “should have their heads examined.”
The U.S. is likely to threaten “power projection” — by air, by arms supply, perhaps by dropping an electronic curtain over Libya. It will certainly support actions by its partners-in-crime, like Britain or France (or even various African puppet forces they have cultivated and trained).
Faces of Iraqi children in the aftermath of U.S. attacks -- Let us not forget what the world has learned.
One of the most ugly features of American political life is the casual chit-chat about “the best use of our power” — where both liberal and conservative pundits, politicians, talkshow commentators (Rachel Maddow!) and even assholes drinking coffee in your neighborhood greasy spoon debate their ugly views on how the U.S. “should” pound distant people — running down Pentagon “options” like they are participants in some global war room. The right of imperialism is assumed. The sense of superiority is overwhelming. You can’t help imagining the blood dripping off their lips and down their chins.
Just as we should not be confused by the U.S. bullshit about “helping democracy” so we should not be confused by their claims of restrained and cost-free bullying.
Even a “no fly zone” is an outrage. Just the movement of their navy toward Libya is an aggressive provocation. Every threat they now make is a precedent for more and coming interventions around the world.
We urge everyone to help expose and oppose these imperialist moves — especially the actions of the United States government.
For those unclear on the sinister nature of these moves — we urge you too look closely at the lives and faces of people in Afghanistan and Iraq, where U.S. invasion has led to massive suffering, permanent counter-insurgency, deepened ethnic fragmentation and the rise of utterly corrupt political forces. Worst of all: Where the gun goes, power follows. The intrusion of western military power will never produce liberated people — it will be an attempt to shape turmoil into new regimes of running dogs.
The following appeared in the British Guardian. The first police infiltrator was discussed here.
We have also recently learned of a multi-year undercover FBI infiltration of Freedom Road Socialist Organization in Minnesota.
Revealed: Second undercover police officer who posed as activist
Spy spent four years living in Leeds and played a central role in planning a demonstration to shut down the Drax power station
by Paul Lewis, Rob Evans and Vikram Dodd
The controversy over a police surveillance network embedded in the environmental protest movement has deepened dramatically after the Guardian identified a second undercover officer who spent years living a double life as an activist.
We have just received news that the President of Tunisia has fled the country.
The anger at President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali and his family were brought to flame (in part) bya detailed cable by the American ambassador and made public by WikiLeaks.
Everyone knew, of course, that Tunisia’s president was corrupt and repressive — but the confirmation and documentation (spilled from the U.S. Godfather’s lips) fanned the discontent to rebellion.
“…the Wikileaks cable that unraveled it all: the corruption, the arrogance, the yachts, the shamelessness–of Ben Ali himself, and of course of his family, who has been benefiting from all the riches of his repression. That’s the cable that’s lifted the veil for so many Tunisians who, until then, could at least pretend that maybe, just maybe, things weren’t as bad as the rumors.
There have been face-to-face standoffs in Mulfreesboro where anti-Muslim bigots have been confronted by progressive and radiccal forces.
Jase Short shared the following article with Kasama. It first appeared on Solidarity’s site. Jase’s work has appeared here on Kasama before.
By Jase Short and Andy Woloszyn
WHEN THE MUSLIM community in Murfreesboro, Tennessee sought a permit to build an expanded Islamic Center, local bigots saw an opportunity to exploit the same “moral panic,” invented by the Tea Party, the Christian Right and much of the corporate media, that would also emerge in New York around the so-called “Ground Zero mosque.” The amalgamation of racial, ethnic, religious and national identities into a demonic Islamic “Other,” has been spreading throughout the United States as well as Western Europe.
It was in this context that forces in middle Tennessee — representing some of its most reactionary elements such as real estate mogul and neo-Confederate ideologist Howard Wall — signed on with the national Islamophobic campaign, expecting an easy escalation of anti-Muslim sentiment across the area.
It‘s a condition of the Religious Land Use Act and Tennessee’s zealous equivalent (passed, ironically enough, as an agenda item of the Christian Right), that there is precious little legal space for county planning commissions to bar — for any reason at all — a permit for land use by a religious institution as long as it meets certain legal criteria. The case of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro’s (ICM) purchase of land for an expanded Islamic Center, serving their growing congregation (several hundred families), was no different.
Ten years ago, we were all rushing to understand and inform — to help many people throw their weight against the intense rush toward imperialist verdicts, war and punishment.
