Det danske Fredsakademi
Kronologi over fredssagen og international politik 18. maj 2011
/ Time Line May 18, 2011
Version 3.0
17. Maj 2011, 19. Maj 2011
05/18/2011
Første internationale diplomatkonference om fred starter i
Haag, 1899.
Første børnenes verdensfredsdag, 1921.
05/18/2011
Committee to Stop FBI Repression Statement (May 18,
2011)
Secret FBI documents reveal attack on democratic rights of anti-war
and international solidarity activists 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.
The raid at the Kelly/Gawboy home was one of the many coordinated
raids at Minneapolis homes and the offices of the Anti-War
Committee on September 24, 2010. Two additional homes were raided
in Chicago. To date, 23 anti-war and international solidarity
activists have received subpoenas to appear in front of a Chicago
Grand Jury headed by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald.
Taken as a whole, the secret FBI file shows the willful disregard
for the rights of anti-war and international solidarity activists
– particularly the first amendment rights to freedom of
speech and association. The documents make it clear that legal
activity in solidarity with the peoples of Colombia and Palestine
is being targeted. The documents use McCarthy-era language, which
gives one the feel that the 1950s red scare has returned. And
finally, the documents show the chilling plans for the armed raid
that took place at the home of Kelly and Gawboy on September 24,
2010.
The documents show that public advocacy for the people of Colombia
was the genesis of the FBI investigation. The ‘Operations
Order’ for the FBI SWAT Team states “The captioned case
was initially predicated on the activities of Meredith Aby and
Jessica Rae Sundin in support of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Colombia, a U.S. State Department designated foreign terrorist
organization (FTO), to include their travel to FARC controlled
territory.”
While we have no way of knowing if it was speaking tours or
educational events on Colombia that got them so riled up, there is
something we can state with certainty: There is nothing illegal
about traveling to Colombia, or visiting the areas where the FARC
is in charge. This is something that journalists, including U.S.
journalists, do, and we have yet to hear of their doors being
broken down. Upon returning from Colombia, Aby and Sundin spoke at
many public events about their experiences.
The FBI interview questions for Meredith Aby ask “1) Have you
ever met Lilia [sic] Obando? 2) Where? 3) When? 4) Why?”
Liliana Obando is a well-known Colombian trade unionist who spoke
in the Twin Cities at an event organized by the Anti-War Committee.
She received a visa to travel in the U.S. from the U.S.
government.
She spoke about the sickening human rights violations that were
being carried out by the Colombian government and its paramilitary
allies. While we understand that the Colombian government is the
third largest recipient of U.S military aid, and that government
officials would prefer that that people here in the U.S.
don’t get a chance to hear about human rights abuses
committed with their tax dollars, the fact remains: there is
nothing criminal in trying to learn the truth. The FBI is attacking
the right of anti-war activists to speak out against U.S. foreign
policy.
Likewise, the “interview questions” make a big deal
about delegations that visited Palestine. The Israeli authorities
try to disrupt these trips because people return from them and
expose the gross human rights violations that are carried out in
the context of the military occupation. But once again – this
is a legal activity that activists have every right to engage
in.
The documents show how the FBI investigation expanded outwards,
starting with Colombia and soon focusing on Palestine. How did the
FBI get involved? The most likely explanation is that a undercover
police officer going by the name “Karen Sullivan”
infiltrated the Anti-War Committee shortly before the 2008
Republican National Convention. Among the first people she met were
Meredith Aby and Jess Sundin, who often spoke at public events
about what they saw in Colombia.
Karen Sullivan - the professional liar - then gave her reports to
the FBI, paving the road to the September 24 raids.
The New McCarthyism
When Wisconsin Senator Joe McCarthy went on a red-baiting witch
hunt in the 1950s, communists, socialists and progressives of all
stripes were hounded out of jobs, housing, the entertainment
industry and institutions of higher education. More than a few
people were jailed for their ideas. The secret FBI documents
indicate an investigation is underway that takes its cues from this
shameful past.
The FBI documents include 57 interview questions about Freedom Road
Socialist Organization, the organization that some of those who
were raided or subpoenaed to the Grand Jury are members of. The
questions include; “Are you a member?” “How many
members are there?’’ “Who are the leaders?”
And on and on and on. It is like pages of the calendar have been
turned back 60 years.
In the United States there is a constitutional right to
association. Like-minded people are allowed to form groups and
political parties that promote their views. FRSO members, along
with others, were very active in organizing the massive anti-war
protests at the Republican National Convention. They participate in
the labor movement, community organizing, and the anti-war movement
too. And they advocate that capitalism should be abolished and
replaced with socialism. Given the bank bailout, continuous wars
and the economic crisis it is not unreasonable to see these
activities and views as a breath of fresh air.
“Dangerous” raid
In the documents, the “Operations order” for FBI SWAT
for “Operation Principal Parts” the raid on the
Kelly/Gawboy home has the word “DANGEROUS” in
underlined bold type at the top of the page. FBI agents were told
to bring assault rifles, machine guns and two extra clips of
ammunition for each of their side arms. Two paramedics were to
stand by in the event of causalities. Other documents include
photos of Kelly and Gawboy, as well as pictures of stairs leading
to their front door and the front door itself.
What transpired on September 24 was this. Gawboy was awoken by the
FBI pounding on the door. When she stated she wanted to see the
search warrant, agents used a battering ram on the door, breaking
the hardware and shattering a fish tank in the process. Gawboy was
taken down the front steps in her nightgown while the FBI swat team
entered her home.
The justification for this armed home invasion is given in the
“Operations plan” - “Kelly is believed to be the
owner of an unknown number of firearms which may be at his
residence...”
Kelly, who learned to shoot while in Boy Scouts, owns guns –
just like a lot of Minnesotans. The “Operation Plan”
also claims that Kelly “offered to provide weapons
training” - an outright lie that originated with the police
infiltrator “Karen Sullivan” or a fiction writer at the
FBI office.
The bottom line is this: there can be no justification for the raid
in the first place, and still less for it to be done by agents
smashing doors and wielding machine guns. This is a recipe for
people getting hurt or killed. The events of September 24 and the
ongoing grand jury are not about “material support of
terrorism,” as any normal person would understand it. What is
happening is this: anti-war and international solidarity activists
are being targeted for practicing our rights to speak out and
organize. We have done nothing wrong. Our activism is making this
world a better place.
05/18/2011
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