[Mb-civic] Action alert re Ohio vote + Baghdad Burning + Gary Webb

[ean at sbcglobal.net]

Please take the action below to help Rep. Conyers force hearings on 
Ohio.

Rep. John Conyers feels he needs a million e-mails to compel the House
Judiciary Committee to hold hearings about the 2004 election.  I appeal to
you to ... spread this message among your list of liberal friends and
associates.  Go here:
http://www.house.gov/judiciary_democrats/contact.html

and tell the Judiciary Committee you want hearings on Ohio!

 
Sample letter:

To the House Judiciary Committee:
I am writing to urge the House Judiciary Committee to hold hearings as
soon as possible on the irregularities of the 2004 election.  I need not
remind the Judiciary Committee members that the Unites States is a beacon
of democracy for the rest of the world.  If we truly wish to remain the
embodiment of democratic values, then we must treat the right of every
citizen to vote and for their vote to count as sacred.  Ample evidence has
arisen that this right was violated or undermined for many Americans in
the 2004 election.  I strongly believe that holding hearings to
investigate and resolve these irregularities would be an act of tremendous
patriotism on the part of Congress, and would serve as a declaration that
we are the world's greatest democracy not only in word, but in deed.
-------------------------------------

Baghdad Burning
http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/

... I'll meet you 'round the bend my friend, where hearts can heal 
and souls can mend...
Sunday, December 12, 2004

Fuel Shortage...
It has been a sad few weeks. 

The situation seems to be deteriorating daily. To brief you on a few 
things: Electricity is lousy. Many areas are on the damned 2 hours 
by 4 hours schedule and there are other areas that are completely 
in the dark- like A'adhamiya. The problem is that we're not getting 
much generator electricity because fuel has become such a big 
problem. People have to wait in line overnight now to fill up the car. 
It's a mystery. It really is. There was never such a gasoline crisis as 
the one we're facing now. We're an oil country and yet there isn't 
enough gasoline to go around...

Oh don't get me wrong- the governmental people have gasoline 
(they have special gas stations where there aren't all these annoying 
people, rubbing their hands with cold and cursing the Americans to 
the skies)... The Americans have gasoline. The militias get gasoline. 
It's the people who don't have it. We can sometimes get black-
market gasoline but the liter costs around 1250 Iraqi Dinars which is 
almost $1- compare this to the old price of around 5 cents. It costs 
almost 50,000 Iraqi Dinars to fill up the generator so that it works for 
a few hours and then the cost isn't so much the problem as just 
getting decent gasoline is. So we have to do without electricity most 
of the day.

Cooking gas has also become a problem. The guy who sells us the 
gas cylinders isn't coming around because apparently he can't get 
the used cylinders exchanged for full ones. People are saying that it 
costs around 10,000 Iraqi dinars to buy one on the street and then, 
as usual, you risk getting one that might explode in the kitchen or be 
full of water. We're trying to do more and more of our 'cooking' on 
the kerosene heater. The faucet water is cold, cold, cold. We can't 
turn on the water heater because there just isn't enough electricity. 
We installed a kerosene water heater some time last year but that 
has also been off because there's a kerosene shortage and we 
need that for the heaters. 

I took my turn at 'gasoline duty' a couple of weeks ago. E. and my 
cousin were going to go wait for gasoline so I decided I'd join them 
and keep them company. We left the house at around 5 a.m. and it 
was dark and extremely cold. I thought for sure we'd be the first at 
the station but I discovered the line was about a kilometer long with 
dozens and dozens of cars lined up around the block. My heart sank 
at the discouraging sight but E. and the cousin looked optimistic, 
"We just might be able to fill up before evening this time!" E. smiled. 

I spent the first hour jabbering away and trying to determine whether 
or not gasoline was actually being sold at the station. E. and the 
cousin were silent- they had set up a routine. One of them would 
doze while the other watched in case a miracle occurred and the 
line actually started moving. The second hour I spent trying to sleep 
with my kneck at an uncomfortable angle on the back head rest. 
The third hour I enthusiastically tried to get up a game of "memorize 
the license plate". The fourth hour I fiddled with the radio and tried to 
sing along to every song being played on air. (It should be 
mentioned that at this point E. and the cousin threatened to throw 
Riverbend out of the car). 

All in all, it took E. and the cousin 13 hours to fill the car. I say E. 
and the cousin because I demanded to be taken home in a taxi after 
the first six hours and E. agreed to escort me with the condition that 
I would make sandwiches for him to take back to the cousin. In the 
end, half of the tank of gasoline was kept inside of the car (for 
emergencies) and the other half was sucked out for the 
neighborhood generator. 

People are wondering how America and gang (i.e. Iyad Allawi, etc.) 
are going to implement democracy in all of this chaos when they 
can't seem to get the gasoline flowing in a country that virtually 
swims in oil. There's a rumor that this gasoline crisis has been 
concocted on purpose in order to keep a minimum of cars on the 
streets. Others claim that this whole situation is a form of collective 
punishment because things are really out of control in so many 
areas in Baghdad- especially the suburbs. The third theory is that 
this being done purposely so that the Iraq government can 
amazingly bring the electricity, gasoline, kerosene and cooking gas 
back in January before the elections and make themselves look like 
heroes. 

We're also watching the election lists closely. Most people I've 
talked to aren't going to go to elections. It's simply too dangerous 
and there's a sense that nothing is going to be achieved anyway. 
The lists are more or less composed of people affiliated with 
the very same political parties whose leaders rode in on 
American tanks. Then you have a handful of tribal sheikhs. 
Yes- tribal sheikhs. Our country is going to be led by members of 
religious parties and tribal sheikhs- can anyone say Afghanistan? 
What's even more irritating is that election lists have to be checked 
and confirmed by none other than Sistani!! Sistani- the Iranian 
religious cleric. So basically, this war helped us make a transition 
from a secular country being run by a dictator to a chaotic country 
being run by a group of religious clerics. Now, can anyone say 
'theocracy in sheeps clothing'?

Ahmad Chalabi is at the head of one of those lists- who would join a 
list with Ahmad Chalabi at its head?

The borders are in an interesting state. Now this is something even 
Saddam didn't do: Iraqi men under the age of 50 aren't being let into 
the country. A friend of ours who was coming to visit was turned 
back at the Iraqi border. It was useless for him to try to explain that 
he had been outside of the country for 10 years and was coming 
back to visit his family. He was 47 and that meant he, in his 
expensive business suit, shining leather shoes, and impressive 
Samsonite baggage, might be a 'Jihadist'. Silly Iraqis- Iraqi men 
under 50 are a sure threat to the security of their country. American 
men with guns and tanks are, on the other hand, necessary to the 
welfare of the country. Lebanese, Kuwaitis and men of other 
nationalities being hired as mercenaries are vital to the security of 
said country. Iranian men coming to visit the shrines in the south are 
all welcome... but Iraqi men? Maybe they should head for 
Afghanistan. 

The assault on Falloojeh and other areas is continuing. There are 
rumors of awful weapons being used in Falloojeh. The city has 
literally been burnt and bombed to the ground. Many of the people 
displaced from the city are asking to be let back in, in spite of 
everything. I can't even begin to imagine how difficult it must be for 
the refugees. It's like we've turned into another Palestine- 
occupation, bombings, refugees, death. Sometimes I'll be watching 
the news and the volume will be really low. The scene will be of a 
man, woman or child, wailing in front of the camera; crying at the 
fate of a body lying bloodily, stiffly on the ground- a demolished 
building in the background and it will take me a few moments to 
decide the location of this tragedy- Falloojeh? Gaza? Baghdad? 
Riverbend is a young woman computer systems analyst in Baghdad

***

From: Don White 
Subject: [alliance] Gary Webb, a hero of mine...


~~~~ Sitting here at the computer in our office at The Peace Center 
I can look up and see a large poster, CRACK THE CIA, which 
announces a major mobilization in front of Los Angeles City Hall on 
Saturday, February 22... but I am searching in my mind for the 
year.....In some ways it seems like a lifetime ago that a group of us 
came together to form CRACK THE CIA in Los Angelesand 
confront the federal government over its drug-dealing in our 
communities to finance the contra war against Nicaragua. By the 
way, the demonstration was huge and one of the most diverse 
crowds I have ever seen in an L.A. protest.It was an amazing time 
in my life and it brought together some of my real heros for very 
exciting and important work. 


 Gary Webb was one of those heroes and his ground-breaking 
work on U.S. government/CIA involvement in the drug trade gave 
the necessary credibility to our work.His book, "Dark Alliance: The 
CIA, the Contras and the Crack Cocaine Explosion" connected all of 
the dots.The government ultimately confirmed portions--but only 
portions-- of his story.They did damage control and explained that 
"loose-cannon agents" were involved. But it was clear:the U.S. 
helped finance the contra war by dealing drugs. 

 The first time I met Gary, when he arrived in Los Angeles for a 
series of appearances, I am sure I felt some of the excitement 
young people feel when they meet a rock star for the first time.But 
I was excited because I was meeting someone who had dedicated 
so much of his life to confirming the ugly story of U.S. drug 
involvement.But Gary was truly "an ol' shoe" and quickly put to rest 
any sense of being special, contrary to the truth. 

 In appearances in South Los Angeles, an especially hard-hit 
target of the government's plan, he connected to families and 
created an almost instant bond with them.And he was able to 
confirm their fears that their "lost sons and daughters" were victims 
of more than only drugs. 

 Gary Webb, connecting the dots of the U.S. contra war strategy, 
gave impetus to Congresswoman Maxine Water's trip to Nicaragua 
to investigate his charges and the now very escalated--and at times 
controversial---career of Michael Ruppert [a founding member of 
CRACK THE CIA] who was investigating the same scenario 
independently of Gary. 

 I have been shocked and deeply saddened by the death of this 
courageous, dedicated, talented, gentle and idealistic writer and 
human being.And tonight I feel very close to the many comrades in 
the movement with whom I worked so closely during those years.I 
name none only for fear of leaving some out ~~~ there were scores 
of us in CRACK THE CIA and its spin-offs. 

 In the Central American movement our companer at s have a 
tradition in which they shout out PRESENTE! after a fallen 
companero/a's name is called out.It means that the person is still 
with us and the work he/she has done lives on and continues to 
have impact. 

Gary Webb, PRESENTE!



Don White CISPES Committee In Solidarity with the People of El 
Salvador 



---



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Action is the antidote to despair.  ----Joan Baez
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