June 2004

From Abu Ghraib to Latin America: U.S. pattern of abuse grows

• Torture of Iraqi Soldiers indicative of ongoing policy of systematic and illegal abuse, School of the Americas Watch
  

• Stop the occupation, start the rebuilding , by JIM WALLIS, Sojourners Magazine

• What do we do now?, by Howard Zinn, The Progressive

• The return of people's war, by Martin Jacques, The Guardian

"I questioned (the use of dogs to intimidate prisoners) and the answer I got was: this is how military intelligence wants it done."
— Staff Sgt. Ivan Frederick, a guard at Abu Ghraib

IRAQ: Peace group creates Adopt-a-Detainee Campaign

Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) invites concerned groups to join a concerted effort to win justice for thousands of Iraqi detainees and their families.

Fifty members in 100 groups each sending two letters will generate 10,000 letters! Our goal is 30,000.

No one knows how many Iraqis have been detained by the U.S. military. The U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) asserts between 11,000 and 13,000 but their records may be incomplete. The Baghdad-based Organization for Human Rights (OHR) estimates at least 18,000.

Since July, 2003, CPT has worked to ensure justice for Iraqi detainees. Team members compiled a 16-page report in December based on 72 cases of Iraqi citizens detained and imprisoned by U.S. forces between May and December, 2003. The report identifies numerous violations of human rights guaranteed to detainees and their families under the Geneva Conventions and related international law, including:

• house raids using excessive force against unarmed civilians;

• theft and destruction of personal property, such as jewelry and money;

• mistreatment including torture during interrogation and in prison camps;

• inadequate living conditions for prisoners, including shelter and sanitation;

• denial of access to legal representation or due process.

The U.S. claims the Geneva Conventions do not apply to its war on terror. "Security Detainees" are held with no formal charges for indefinite periods of time.

CPTers have witnessed how these patterns of abusive behavior fuel support among ordinary Iraqis for insurgency attacks on Coalition Forces.

With U.S. elections coming, the Bush administration is eager to convince the American public that its Iraq policies are on track. People of faith to increase pressure for change now.

TERRORS OF DETENTION:

"Security Detainees" are typically swept up in terrifying night-time raids in which Coalition troops storm a house, smash open bedroom doors waking everyone including children, and "secure" the environment.

Soldiers round up all the men of the household, take them outside in their night clothes, and force them onto the ground regardless of weather conditions. The men are handcuffed, hooded, and transported to the nearest military base for preliminary interrogation.

Detainees are eventually transferred to a regional prison facility where they are held without formal charges for indefinite periods of time. There is no functional judicial process for determining a prisoner's guilt or innocence and most are routinely denied access to legal counsel and family visits. Human rights workers, including the Red Cross, are refused entry to prisons and camps making it impossible to monitor conditions.

Many former detainees report suffering abusive treatment while in prison including beatings, deprivation of food and water, and confinement in overcrowded, open-air compounds without adequate clothing, shelter from the elements or basic toilet facilities.

FATE OF FAMILIES:

Families of detainees have virtually no access to information as to the whereabouts or health conditions of their loved ones. Some do not even know if their family member is alive. Usually the only news a family can get comes when a fellow prisoner is released.

The absence of such information and the uncertainty of indefinite separation contribute to the already enormous hardships experienced by families of the detained. Having lost their main income earners, many families must fend off destitution. Some have become homeless, many feel vulnerable to criminal activity, and all face increased emotional stress. Frightened children wonder when their fathers will come home and dread the arrival of bedtime for fear of another house raid.

While some detainees included in this campaign may have been involved in armed resistance to the U.S. occupation, most have not. For CPT, the concern is human rights, not the guilt or innocence of a particular prisoner. “Every detainee is a human being and is entitled to certain protections and rights under international law and, more importantly, under God's law.”

CPT's "Report and Recommendations on Iraqi Detainees" ( www.cpt.org/iraq/iraq.php ) is receiving attention from the media and elected officials in the U.S. and Canada. The CPA is anxious to project an image of bringing progress, prosperity and democracy to Iraq. In January, CPA chief Paul Bremer announced that 500 detainees would be released. Bremer's deputy, Ambassador Richard Jones, told CPT that the detainee issue is a "top priority" for the Coalition. General Ricardo Sanchez, head of U.S. forces in Iraq, promised an inquiry into human rights abuses and prisoner living conditions at Abu Ghraib penitentiary.

MATERIAL AID POLICY:

While recognizing the urgent needs of many of the people with whom we work, we remind supporters that CPT's mandate is violence reduction. In order to work effectively, CPT cannot offer financial, medical or material assistance to detainee families as part of this campaign. We encourage groups to channel such support for Iraqis through other organizations.

Refusing for a secure and lasting peace

from Refuser Solidarity Network

Israel's 37-year military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip is a root cause of the violence devastating Palestinian and Israeli lives. The Israel Defense Forces simply cannot enforce Occupation without soldiers, thousands upon thousands of soldiers. The growing movement of Refusers in Israel — men and women who publicly refuse to take up arms — directly challenges the ability of the IDF to sustain the Occupation.

The original Israeli Refuser group, Yesh Gvul, arose in response to the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, when 168 servicemen were jailed for refusing to serve in the campaign.

The re-occupation of the West Bank and Gaza in 2001 led to an unprecedented resurgence of conscientious objection by Israelis. In 2002, 53 reserve combat officers and soldiers refused to serve , declaring, "We shall not continue to fight beyond the 1967 borders in order to dominate, expel, starve and humiliate an entire people."

In the past year, the ranks of the Refuser Movement have grown to over 1200 conscientious objectors, including 27 Israeli Air Force pilots and 13 reservists in the Sayaret Matkal commando unit. The declaration by two of the IDF's most prestigious and traditionally loyal institutions has thrust the Israeli Refuser Movement into the national spotlight, challenging the national, unconditional public support for Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Rather than reacting with despair to destruction caused by the Occupation, the Refuser Movement has put the military establishment on the defensive, encouraging a renewed effort towards negotiations for a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

ACTION: Contact Refuser Tours, www.refusersolidarity.net, P.O. Box 53474 Washington, DC 20009, 202-232-1100. Make a tax-deductible contribution. Protest the  of refusers’ imprisonment by writing to Minister of Defense, Mr. Shaul Mofaz, 37 Kaplan St., Tel-Aviv 61909, Israel.

Shareholders asked to investigate Caterpillar corporate code of conduct

In April, investors inside the annual Caterpillar, Inc. meeting in Chicago were the first stockholders ever asked to investigate a US corporation's role in the violation of human rights in the Palestinian occupied territories. 4% voted for a shareholder resolution calling for Caterpillar to conduct an internal investigation to determine whether their sale of bulldozers to Israel violates the Cat "good global citizen" code of conduct.

The resolution was filed by Caterpillar shareholders, Sisters of Loretto and the Mercy Investment Program, at the request of the California-based peace group Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). JVP member Sydney Levy said, "We were thrilled by this strong show of support. The fact that we got 4% of the vote, even though Caterpillar urged a 'no' vote, means we will be back next year with the same resolution and an even stronger coalition. Global media coverage of the vote shows that people are interested in US corporate accountability and human rights violations in the occupied territories."

At the meeting, JVP co-director Liat Weingart said, "In the Arab world, the name Caterpillar has become synonymous with the destruction of homes, with destroying infrastructure rather than building it." "Caterpillar bulldozers are tools of war," said, Mary Ann McGivern of the Sisters of Loretto. "Caterpillar is an arms dealer, sharing in responsibility for the horrendous use of those weapons.” Cheryl Broderson, the aunt of Rachel Corrie, an American who was crushed to death by an Israeli Caterpillar bulldozer over a year ago, also made a plea for the resolution.

Middle East Children's Alliance works for peace

By MYRTLE OSNER

The Middle East Children's Alliance (MECA), one of several groups trying to alleviate the hopelessness engendered by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, hopes to raise $30,000 to purchase medicine and medical supplies for children in Iraq and Palestine.

Barbara Lubin, director, writes that in Palestine, "More homes have been demolished. More trees have been uprooted. More families are living in poverty. More parents have lost children to violence. For the first time ever, there is rampant malnutrition among Palestinian children." The (Israeli) wall has cut off people from their work, their farms, access to health care, including for life and death emergencies.

A two -year old child died because the wall blocked access to a local hospital.

In the midst of the hopelessness engendered by the innocent victims in both Palestine and Iraq, Barbara Lubin reports that Palestinian young people are working for human rights, some of whom  are studying in the US through MECA's work. More people here and in Europe are showing solidarity, and many Israeli teenagers are refusing to serve in the army (see related article on Refusers).

MECA sponsored a dance troop from a Refugee Camp on the West Bank, which performed at 22 venues to great acclaim. The troop is a product of the Ibdaa Cultural Center, a grassroots initiative founded in 1995 which now includes a library and computer center, guesthouse, a children's music ensemble, an oral history project, a women's embroidery collective, sports teams, and a young women's leadership project. Activities continue in spite of disruption by the Israeli military.

ACTION: Send donations  to Middle East Children's Alliance, 901 Parker St., Berkeley, CA 94710. 510/548-0542. More information and resources: www.mecaforpeace.org

• California man available to speak about MECA

Rick Eaton, a Carmichael resident, just returned from Palestine, says, "I just got back from a really, really rewarding trip to Palestine. I'm looking for invitations to speak to groups about the political and humanitarian situation there. If you know of any group that would like to have a speaker, let me know. It would be good for a peace group, church group, etc. I am going to try to raise some money for the Middle East Children's Alliance, the group that sponsored the delegation I was on. Rick Eaton, Executive Director, Sierra Service Project, P.O. Box 992, Carmichael, CA 95609, 916-488-6441, www.sierraserviceproject.org

OPINION: Peace requires us to reconsider our values

By KEN KOHLER

Many religious denominations believe that supporting our troops is to support the war in Iraq. One minister I know of, who lives in a town where he and the majority of the townspeople work in a munitions factory, justifies the war with his sermons so that the workers can feel better about making bombs that kill fellow human beings. One worker was quoted as saying (on a TV program), "I'd rather be making toys, but making bombs pays real good."

These religions are not ignorant of the ramifications of establishing a good hold in the Mideast. They work hand-in-hand with the military-industrial complex. Until we raise our consciousness to stop working in companies that make war materials because "the pay is real good," we will continue to live on the brink of an apocalypse. People in these industries need to stop deceiving themselves that they are making weapons to preserve democracy. If democracy can only be preserved through weapons, then we are in serious trouble.

9/11 was not an attack on democracy; it was an attack on an unbridled capitalistic society insensitive to the poor and suffering in other parts of the world while racking up millions of dollars in profits everyday. The United States created the atmosphere in which Osama bin Laden used the propaganda for his hate, and we continue to do so in Iraq today with our inhumane treatment of Iraqi prisoners of war.  The United States was the real creator of 9/11, and we are well on our way to creating another. For many years the U.S. virtually ignored the terrorist acts occurring elsewhere. It was only when we were attacked that the US launched a war on terror.

Since Osama bin Laden was elusive and we knew where Saddam was, it became politically expedient to attack Iraq, although there was and is no evidence tying 9/11 to Iraq. It is ironic that the nation with the most weapons of mass destruction accuses another nation of having them. How much longer will we allow our government to perpetuate such hypocrisy?

In Japan stealing is almost unheard of. It is a matter of principle and honor. However, in this country theft occurs on a daily basis thousands of times in many ways. We claim to be the most honorable country and wrap ourselves in the flag and patriotism, but other nations walk the talk while we do not.

We will never have peace or peace of mind until we cut away those things that cause pain, and partner with the other nations to build a world where no one is hungry or uneducated. To do otherwise is to build our democracies on foundations of sand. Those who point to terrorists and say we must protect ourselves seem oblivious that our policies created them in the first place. To continue the same policies will result in more terror. We therefore need an alternative plan. It is not enough to criticize; alternative solutions must also be presented to be discussed by all world leaders. The Baha’i faith, of which I am not a member, is the only religion that I know that has set forth a concrete plan for world peace. This plan has much to recommend it and needs to be discussed by all. While in the judgment of some, it may need modification, it would bring us a long way from where we are today even in a downsized format. The plan is self-explanatory and so basic that I think one might ask why we have not created such a world.

The Baha’i Plan for World Peace*

1. An unshakable consciousness of the oneness of humanity.

2. Freedom to practice the religion of your choice nonviolently.

3. The affirmation that all persons have the rights declared in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.

4. Capitalism and socialism must be governed by a moral stewardship.

5. Barring all nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction. The ultimate disarmament of all countries except for those weapons necessary to keep internal order.

6. The elimination of nationalism — to see the world as one country. Love of the world first, and then love of your country second.

7. The elimination of all forms of racism.

8. The emancipation of women.

9. Universal education.

10. Adoption of an auxiliary language which all people would learn.

11. The establishment of a world parliament and supreme tribunal whose judgments would be final and binding on all nations.

12. The demolishment of all economic barriers.

13. The adoption of a universal currency.

14. The adoption of an attitude of inner peace which will manifest itself in the greater world.

Lily Tomlin once said, "Reality is our collective consciousness." Our collective consciousness will ultimately prevail and enact provisions similar to the Baha’i Peace Plan, however we are probably 2-3 centuries away based on our current collective consciousness. Our collective consciousness brought down the Berlin Wall, ended communism in the former Soviet Union. We know that it works; we simply need to have the will to do it. How many wars will we have in the meantime? How many lives will be lost to all manner of destruction and famine? Until we act we may have a periodic absence of war, but we will never have a true peace. It is time to think outside of the box and develop a universal consciousness that will bring peace, health, and prosperity to all. Let us all pledge to be peacemakers today so that there will be a world tomorrow.