Welfare Warriors

Summer 2007

MW Voice FEATURE

Letters to the  Editor

War

Editor's Tidbits

Mothers news from around the world

Victories

  Fall 2007

Editor's Tidbits

Land of the Free

The Congress has again proven that we need more than a two party system. Despite massive US and worldwide opposition, both parties again voted for funds to continue the greedy bloodbath war. Then in August the Democrat-led Congress gave the nutty Bush bullies more “freedom.” They now have the freedom to spy on any Americans’ phone calls and emails—with no court order.

Decisions about the collection and use of American information will be left to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. (Torture-is-Okay Gonzales). The ACLU wants us to tell Senate Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that we’re sick and tired of Congress failing to defend freedom. Maybe. But it looks like our Congress does defend freedom—the freedom of our government to spy on us…and more.

Homeland Security is funneling millions of dollars to governments nationwide for high-tech video camera networks. Since 2003, it has given $23 billion in grants to local governments to “combat terrorism.” They are transforming city streets and parks into places of constant surveillance. St. Paul got a $1.2 million grant for 60 cameras downtown. Madison, Wis is buying a 32-camera network with a $388,000 grant. Pittsburgh is adding 83 cameras downtown with a $2.58 million grant. Boston has installed 500 cameras in the MBTA system. Liberty, Kan. (population 95), got an HS grant to install a $5,000 G2 Sentinel camera in its park. Scottsbluff, Neb. (population 14,000) police used a $180,000 HS grant to purchase four closed-circuit digital cameras and two monitors (a system originally designed for NY Times Square).

There’s a new player in the CIA’s rendition nightmares. Two victims were recently released after four years in prison—with no charges. ““Being a victim of the CIA’s rendition program was horrific beyond words,” said Bisher al-Rawi. Besides the usual torture, the men describe how the CIA managed to fly them around the world leaving no traces. A report from the Council of Europe shows that Jeppesen Dataplan, Inc., a subsidiary of Boeing Company intentionally submitted “dummy flights” to various aviation authorities. This way they were able to conceal the true flight paths of the rendition planes.

Bisher al-Rawi and Mohamed Farag Ahmad Bashmilah, are charging that Jeppesen knowingly provided flight services to the CIA. Their ACLU case charges Jeppesen with enabling clandestine transport to secret locations where both men were subjected to torture and other forms of cruel and degrading treatment.

Pat Gowens
Editor, Mother Warriors Voice