Carol Anne Grayson (Radical Sister) blog

“the worse scars are in the mind”

(Professor Sten Jacobssen, Swedish expert on torture)

On the day that the world waits to learn the details of the CIA Torture Report, we must remember that for detainees still held at Guantanamo, the torture is ongoing.

Imagine that you are imprisoned for 13 years, physically and mentally abused. You are never charged, never tried, you are in fact cleared for release but remain a prisoner, separated from your family and friends…Could there be a much worse case of psychological torture, think for a moment on what such a cruel and unjust situation does to the mind. On the one hand you are being repeatedly told that you are theoretically “free” but in reality you are confined to a cell with no forseeable date of release. This is the existence of Shaker Aamer, I hestitate to call it a life, as it is no life!

Hernan Reyes, who was Medical Coordinator for Detention Related Activities, International Committee of the Red Cross, has written a paper examining the consequences of such experiences entitled, “The worst scars are in the mind: psychological torture”. He states,

“torture during interrogation often includes methods that do not physically assault the
body or cause actual physical pain – and yet entail severe psychological pain and
suffering and profoundly disrupt the senses and personality. Solitary confinement and
prolonged sleep deprivation are just two examples of these psychological torture
methods. Even psychological methods which do not amount to ill-treatment when
considered in isolation, amount to inhuman or degrading treatment or torture, when
applied in conjunction with other techniques, cumulatively and/or over a long time.
Often they are part and parcel of the whole torture process and constitute a
‘‘background environment’’ of harassment and duress. The ‘‘cumulation over time’’
factor must thus be considered as part of a system of psychological torture”

What do we know about Shaker’s treatment and conditions in Guantanamo?

In August we heard how Shaker (cleared for release) was allegedly beaten during the process of having blood extracted and over recent times has been subjected to the inhumane and degrading process of force-feeding. In the past, according to his lawyer Clive Stafford-Smith he was physically abused and alongside the beatings was subjected to strappado (dislocating the shoulders by hanging by the wrists).

We know that Shaker has been diagnosed with severe PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) after an independent medical examination (though it took 12 years to get this) and according to Reprieve human rights organization it is recommended that he “receive urgent psychiatric treatment” and “reintegration into his family.” Shaker has a son that he has never seen and three other children. He is completely isolated from his family, missing out on all their formative years and the special moments which bind a family together and without the loving comfort of his wife.

It is clear from a 2013 letter that Shaker who suffers from chronic depression and special housing unit (SHU) psychosis feels despair, persecution and hopelessness as he states,

“they’ve taken almost all my “comfort items” away again now, along with the knee brace the doctors ordered, the back brace, the medical socks for my edema, and the blanket for my rheumatism. Not that I care. Everything is meaningless, so long as I am still here, cleared, without charges, and without a trial”

One can only imagine the world Shaker inhabits which to any observer would surely seem kafkaesque, surreal, senseless, disorientating and menacing. As a qualified mental health professional, I am profoundly disturbed by the treatment of Shaker which is unethical and allegedly criminal as he is cleared for release yet held against his will.

Ellen Gerrity, assistant professor of psychiatry at Duke University and co-editor of “The Mental Health Consequences of Torture argues that,

“the psychological symptoms can often be worse in the sense that a person can never recover from that, and may in the end, be in such despair and pain that they take their own lives, especially if they don’t have treatment or support around them”

Let us not forget that there have been suicides at Guantanamo. On June 10th 2006, Yasser Al-Zahrani, Ali Al-Salami and Mani Al-Utaybi were found dead, all alleged suicides. The New York Times reported, “officials said that the three hanged themselves in their cells with nooses made of sheets and clothing and died before they could be revived by medical personnel.” They had all allegedly left suicide notes. At that time the NYT referred to 41 suicide attempts by 25 detainees in Guantanamo since the facility opened.

On September 8, 2012, Adnan Farhan Abdul Latif, a Yemeni prisoner at Guantánamo, died in disputed circumstances… tragically he had been earlier cleared for release. See the writings of human rights activist Andy Worthington who has long campaigned on behalf of Guantanamo detainees,

http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/category/guantanamo-suicides/

We have a collective responsibility as members of society to fight to uphold the rights of others, not in a position to be heard. What if that were one of our family. It could be any of us. Shaker is an innocent man. He must not become the next Guantanamo suicide.

“We Stand With Shaker”

MP John McDonnal alleges that the US government are holding Shaker “out of spite”. This is because he is a man who has witnessed what many have tried to hide in relation to treatment of prisoners, who was involved and who knew what and when. Where security services and governments are involved there is an enormous abuse of power with many afraid to tackle them on their extraordinary behaviour and allegations of torture.

The anger is so great now that there are fear of reprisals, the Guardian reports,

“the CIA is bracing for what could be one of the most damaging moments in its history: a public airing of its post-9/11 embrace of torture.

The Senate intelligence committee is poised to release a landmark inquiry into torture as early as Tuesday, after the Obama Administration made a last-ditch effort to suppress a report that has plunged relations between the CIA and its Senate overseer to a historic low point.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Monday the administration welcomed the release of the report, but warned US interests overseas were at risk of potentially violent reactions to its contents”

Regarding the contents of the report, we are already hearing reports of how one detainee Abdel Rahman al Nashiri, was threatened with a buzzing power drill (though it was apparently not used) and another sexually threatened with a broomstick. Who knows what else is to come? (The Torture Report has just arrived as I am writing, see link section.) However as Max Abrahms, a terrorism theorist and professor at Northeastern University, US, tweeted, “Senate report says CIA used sexual threats, waterboarding and other harsh methods on terrorism suspects; all were ineffective at getting info.”

What you can do to help Shaker

There is now an active campaign called We Stand With Shaker, you can find out a number of ways you can support, see the following website link,

http://standwithshakeraamer.tumblr.com/submit/

Time is of the essence. Shaker is now physically weak and emotionally fragile and therefore at risk of self-harm. We must ensure that a man who has been cleared for release is actually released. Shaker needs to be returned to the UK and to his family that have waited for many years to see their loved one.

Link to Torture Report

The 500-page executive summary of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s 6,300-page report into the CIA’s post-9/11 torture program.

Click to access sscistudy1.pdf

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad.  Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. (She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”)

The challenge of life on the streets with brother Abdul Hamid Faruki

“If we fail to help those who are in need, then know that we have failed society and humanity.”

As I child growing up, I always wanted to possess a super-power. If there was one that I really wanted, it was invisibility. I could do whatever I want and nobody would notice. As I hit my teens, I came out of fantasy into reality. However, recently I attained my super-power. I finally had the cloak of invisibility. It came to me in the most unexpected fashion. It was not like what I imagined and it came at a price. It was embarrassing and humiliating. I decided thereafter to be content and thankful for what I have and who I am. Invisibility is something I no longer desire.

The As-Suffa Homeless Outreach project conducted and documented a social experiment recently in Birmingham, England. Volunteers were asked to put themselves in the shoes of a homeless person, the project ran for an entire weekend, and volunteers gave whatever time they could. The project was dubbed as ‘Living the streets’. Five people slept, walked and ate on the streets of the city centre. No food, drink or money was taken from home. Whatever money was scraped was used to satiate the stomach and quench the thirst. We needed to be – the homeless. This article details the journey and experience of those that took part in the project.

I joined the men a night later after the start date. It was the last weekend of November so the mornings were fresh and the nights were cold. We all had a slight idea of what to expect physically, but it was hard to prepare mentally and emotionally for such a task. We had only heard of stories from those on the streets in regards to what they go through on a daily basis, and what resorted to them becoming who they were. We left our homes with basic supplies, mainly a sleeping bag, phone, towel and a few toiletries. The clothes we wore at the start, we were to remain in them till the finish. On my arrival I met up with the volunteers. They informed me of the events over the last 24 hours and the plan for the rest of the weekend. They managed to eat during the day with some money they raised, a mere £3.50. A sense of what was to come. We spent some time with a few homeless men, getting their stories and being advised on how to survive the streets. We watched them for a while working the shops and the public for money. It looked all too natural for them, this was their way of life.

Since it was a weekend, the city centre was hectic and trouble was expected. As the time neared midnight, our priority was to find a relative safe and comfortable place to sleep. It took the men almost three hours the night before to find a spot to spend the night. When you’re sleeping outside, you have to be cautious of the elements and dangers that one can be affected by. The best thing for us was to remain as a group, common sense and respect for the streets was the best approach. Our bedding was set out in a car park behind a fast food restaurant. We were fortunate to have an overhead shelter, at least we would be dry if it was to rain. No doubt, there were some that slept without this small luxury. No place is reserved for you, its first come first serve. It was now past midnight and time to experience the sleep in the nightlife of the city.

“A thug thinks he knows the street-life. A homeless lives the street-life.”

The night passed with relative peace, the body had rested well. When you sleeping outside you have no choice but to ignore everything that is going on around you and hope for the best. Just before the sun rose we awoke to the sounds of city. The homeless do not have the luxury of having a lie in, surviving the day by finding food and asking for money is the priority. They have no idea when their next meal will come from and how much money they will earn. Sunday morning saw five of us hit the streets with the intention of understating more about those living on the streets. The gang included myself and Brothers Abdul Lateef, Muhammad Umar Farooq, Ityash Ilyas (Shaka) and Ateeq Azer. Another volunteer Safraz Hussain gave his time the day and night before. Later during the day we were to be joined by two youngsters, Zain Mohammed and Faris Arif, who would document the project. First task of the day was to get breakfast. It came to our attention that there was a drop-in centre run by a Birmingham charity. They are open seven days a week and work with some of the most vulnerable adults in society. On average they provide 1031 breakfasts, 2009 lunches and 429 showers each month, with no charge. So naturally, this was the most obvious place to start from.

On the way, we made a couple of stops. We met a mature woman by the name of Victoria. She was on her way to get breakfast, but not from the same place as us. Unfortunately she was barred from entering the drop-in centre. She had previously displayed inappropriate behaviour. What led her to do this was unknown, and whether the response to this was justified is also of concern, especially when we found out that she was a few months pregnant. It’s not easy for these people. They get harassed by the public and police daily, aggressive verbal sentiments are directed towards them, they are looked down on, ignored and sometimes even physically abused, including Victoria. She told us that recently she was almost a victim of an attack and made very clear to us that she carries a weapon. Do I blame her? Not really. Survival is common sense. How will she give birth, where will it happen, and what will be the future of the child, only time will tell. We need to understand why people like Victoria are filled with negative emotions and may behave in a way which is against social norms. Not all of them have access to help and support, nor do they have family and friends to turn to and there is a stigma attached to them. Their trust for the public is not always the best. They need to be given guidance and support, the blame is not on them solely.

The next stop was accompanying a group of homeless people into a shop to buy their legal daily fix. We were told about this the day before and questioned them as to how they can buy drugs over the counter. Basically these products are known as ‘legal highs’. The substances cannot be sold for human consumption so they are often sold as incense, salts or plant food to get round the law. The packaging may describe a list of ingredients but you cannot be sure that this is what the product will contain. You would think that if you are struggling to survive, you would spend your money wisely. Not on drugs or alcohol. However, they see this as a coping mechanism, it helps them to sleep through the cold and noisy nights, and let them see out the day. When society turns its back to them, they turn to the bottle and drugs. We could only take their word for it, we don’t live in their shoes so we were in no place to judge, but naturally concerned. When consumed, it gives a person the similar effect to drugs like cannabis and cocaine. This shop-keeper knew well that these homeless people were not going to use the ‘legal highs’ for plants or fragrances. She took their vulnerability as an opportunity, and in the few minutes we were there, she easily made a hundred pounds.

Once breakfast was out the way, we needed to plan the rest of the day. Next on the agenda was lunch. We had come across many stories of how the homeless get their money to survive, be it busking or begging. We had followed a 24 year old male approaching people for money. This same person had made just over £40 the night before playing his guitar for the public. This time he tried a different strategy. At one time, he asked almost fifteen people for money before finally someone gave him pound. It had become a way of life for him, the dignity and self respect is lost. It’s not natural for one to do this, but after doing it for eight years he had no choice. It was now time for us to try it out.

We decided to target the area near Birmingham Cathedral, it was busy and was surrounded by retail stores, including House of Fraser. A shopper’s paradise, and what we thought was the best place to get money. Ateeq and Umar were together, Shaka and I sat opposite each other, and brother Abdul Lateef manned a section near a walkway connecting two streets. I had just sat down, put my cup out and in under a minute a man came by and donated a full loaf of bread. I was ecstatic. It was like receiving a gift and he had a beautiful smile on his face. I thought to myself that this was going to be easy, but that thought changed very quickly. A few minutes later a police car pulled up in front of me. The officers signalled to me that I should get up and shift. I walked over to the police and explained to them our social experiment. He was initially very sarcastic and rude towards me, maybe he thought I was making an excuse. It took brother Ateeq to convince him what we were setting out to do and he finally understood, but we were not allowed to beg. I was told that I would be arrested if I kept on begging, because it’s a criminal offence. He told me they actually have officers in plain clothing who keep an eye out for beggars. Nine out of ten times a beggar gets arrested and spends the night in jail. None of us had any talents, a musical instrument or a singing voice, therefore we couldn’t busk. We had to rely on people to assume that we were homeless and give us money out of their good will.

It seemed that the homeless of Birmingham pose more of a threat to the city centre than drug dealers, gangsters, pimps, rapists, and yobs. The homeless are going though enough as it is, they do not need undercover officers targeting and entrapping them. Why not go undercover in other things? Even if they do, then focus on those real crimes. Surely the police force and public funding can be used more wisely and efficiently. Even if begging was illegal, there is no need for a derogatory attitude towards it.

“Sitting on the pavement feeling cold, getting cramped begging for my living, generated a feeling of helplessness. Not knowing when I would eat my next meal created uncertainty and being ignored just made it a hopeless situation. May Allah’s mercy be with the few people who give food or money to the homeless people, without them I couldn’t have survived on the street.” – Brother Abdul Lateef

For three hours we sat on the floor watching the world go by, hoping for money or food. If we did get any donations we had a choice, we could either use the money to buy food and then donate that money to our homeless outreach charity or give it back to the donor and explain the project. If food was given, we either passed it on to those that needed it more or donated its monetary value again to our charity. Hundreds of people passed by and I never got a single penny, the other brothers did slightly better. It was embarrassing and awkward sitting there on the floor, the very same streets that we would walk on to shop, we were now living on it.

We all agreed that it wasn’t the fact that we never got any money that upset us, but it was something much deeper. Something which had become apparent during the weekend, and that was invisibility. When asking for money, we would greet and try to converse with the public. The public ignored us, no smile and no eye contact. I could understand if people had no money, but at the very least acknowledge the fact that we are here and reply to our greetings, we felt sub-human. To make matters worse, brothers Ateeq and Umar had a few abuses voiced at them, the word tramp came up twice. Not being recognised was really hurtful and makes one think how others feel when they go through this every day. Before I left my house the day before, I had this feeling that people would more likely connect to the homeless and needy if they shared something in common. For example colour of the skin, religion, language or nationality. White would ignore white, black would ignore black and brown would ignore brown. As Muslims, we approached other Muslims with the Islamic greeting, and one out of ten replied back. It had become clear that regardless of our background, the discrimination and ignorance towards us was because of who we had become. We were judged upon our position in society.

The sun was setting, cold creeping in and our stomachs were rumbling. We found a chip shop and ordered our dinner, an English favourite, chip butty. We hadn’t collected a lot of money, so we were restricted in what we could buy. We shared four cans and a bag of chips between the five of us. It was a humbling and much appreciated meal. This was the last evening, and a few hours remained before we crossed the finish line. We walked around the city centre trying to get last minute interviews and just absorbing the fast life of society, and the invisibility of the homeless. There surely were two different worlds under the cold black sky. We gathered our thoughts and selves back to our homes, and were left to contemplate.

The experience was an eye-opener and a reality check for all of us. Living in one of the richest countries in the world, we don’t expect to so much poverty in our cities. We give millions to countries abroad, whether it’s financial, military or medical aid, yet we neglect those on our doorstep. Charity starts at home, and if we improve our own society then we will be in a better position to help others. As of December 2013, approximately 2500 people were sleeping rough on any one night and 185,000 people were affected by homelessness, and that’s just in England. Poverty has become an issue that has been largely ignored by our government. Many charities are working hard to eradicate this problem but they need the public support. It doesn’t take much for one to lose everything, a house, job or persons wealth. It can literally happen overnight.

Sitting in our homes now, we realised how we take our luxuries for granted. Having a shower daily, using deodorant, brushing the teeth, warm food, fresh clothes and all the others things we have to make our lives comfortable. The homeless don’t know when their next meal will come or even if they will survive the night. We heard stories of them being beaten, urinated and spat on by members of the public just for a laugh. The police need to work more effectively with them too, arresting them will not solve the problem. We need to recognise and acknowledge the existence of these people, they are not invisible. Even a smile is much appreciated. Tomorrow you and I could be in their position. We would make sure of our survival by any means necessary, if we were living the streets. What we did was merely a drop in the ocean. It’s not just about creating awareness, but also pushing on from here. Now that we have a slightly better understanding, as a community we can hopefully find a solution, and bring hope to those in need.

“You can’t think long term, I am not thinking about tomorrow. It’s all about your next meal. Right now, I am thinking about how I can raise some money for lunch.” Brother Abdul Lateef, As-Suffa volunteer

ABDUL HAMID FARUKI

‪#‎LivingTheStreets‬ As-Suffa Homeless Outreach As-Suffa Homeless Outreach Bolton As-Suffa Homeless Outreach Walsall As Suffa CoventryAs Suffa Homeless Outreach Sheffield

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad.  Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. (She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”)

Taliban in preparation prior to assault on Shorab (Camp Bastion) airbase

The long war in Afghanistan rages on with violence escalating in recent days against NATO troops and the Afghan Nation Army. Many in the west continue to blindly support the occupying forces which can best be summed up in the following statement by Patrick Hennessey who was deployed to Afghanistan in 2007 as a Captain in command of an OMLT (a combined unit of British and Afghan troops) fighting throughout Helmand Province in Sangin, Nahr-e-Saraj and Gereshk,

“the wars of the last decade have been universally unpopular – at best misunderstood misadventures, at worst unjustifiable, crippling crusades – but the support of the British public for the Armed Forces has never been higher”

A particularly daring attack was carried out by 10 “mujahideen” of the martyr unit of the Islamic Emirate (Afghan Taliban) on Shorab airbase (Camp Bastion) in Helmand Province beginning at around 08:00 pm local time on 27^th of November 2014. This came one month after U.S. and coalition troops turned over the base to the Afghan military. The battle was fierce with fighters telephoning other Taliban from the scene relaying progress updates. The assault lasted for 4 days.

I checked out the report on Shorab as issued by the Islamic Emirate alongside press articles. Two lines from the Taliban write-up immediately jumped out at me which read,

“after putting up fierce resistance for several days, the invaders finally used internationally banned chemical weapons fired from air on 01/12/2014 from which the last Mujahid attained martyrdom, may Allah accept them”

This is worrying and all such allegations should be investigated but it is unlikely given that firstly, many in the west will immediately dismiss this as “propaganda” secondly, few officials and human rights organizations will want to investigate given its against the Taliban and thirdly, it could prove difficult to independently research such claims.

Today Sunday 8th December Al Jazeera reports that allegations have also been made against the Syrian government for allegedly using chlorine gas against the Islamic State of the Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed that ISIL fighters showed the effects of a chlorine gas attack and noted, “some of the groups fighters had breathing problems as they attempted to close in on the strategic Deir Ezzor military airport.”

In recent weeks I have been very concerned to see videos which I was told were new reports showing a number of males (alleged to be fighters in Syria) undergoing great suffering, convulsing, foaming at the mouth, discoloured skin, showing signs of chemical weapons poisoning.

I was one of the first to receive video and photographic images plus an urgent cry for help back in August 2013 from Syrian opposition supporters. They depicted disturbing scenes of an alleged chemical attack on East Ghouta, Damascus launched by Bashar al-Assad regime (my article on this can be read in the links section). One alert read,

“East Ghouta, Damascas province, 21-08-2013: regime’s chemical weapons attacks on Ein Tarma and Zamalka in the East Ghouta region of Damascus province tonight. According to an eyewitness in East Ghouta, regime forces are now launching missiles at the areas of the attacks in order to prevent rescuers and medical personnel from reaching them” 

One of many images received alleged to show children suffering effect of “gas attack” Syria

This resulted in a joint mission between the UN and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons programme. The Guardian reported that the joint UN-OPCW mission has said all 1,300 tons of declared chemical weapons have been removed, with Syria declaring four chemical weapons facilities it had not previously disclosed. However with recent allegations reported by Al Jazeera there is a fear that the Assad regime is continuing to use chemical weapons in Syria, in violation of the chemical weapons convention. Chemical weapons could also have fallen into the hands of those fighting against the regime.

So what is a chemical weapon?

The OPCW state that a chemical weapon is usually a toxic chemical contained in a delivery system such as a bomb or shell. The general definition is as follows,

“the term chemical weapon is applied to any toxic chemical or its precursor that can cause death, injury, temporary incapacitation or sensory irritation through its chemical action. Munitions or other delivery devices designed to deliver chemical weapons, whether filled or unfilled, are also considered weapons themselves.

The toxic chemicals that have been used as chemical weapons, or have been developed for use as chemical weapons, can be categorised as choking, blister, blood, or nerve agents. The most well known agents are as follows: choking agents—chlorine and phosgene, blister agents (or vesicants)—mustard and lewisite, blood agents—hydrogen cyanide, nerve agents—sarin, soman, VX”

Chemical weapons were first recorded as tested out on the Germans by the French in August 1914 during the First World War. The delivery system was in the form of tear gas grenades containing xylyl bromide and acted as more of an irritant rather than a gas that would kill. Later types produced included Poison gas (chlorine) used for the first time at the Second Battle of Ypres in April 1915. Other developments included phosgene and mustard gas. The horrors of gas in the trenches is captured in this poignant extract from Dulce et Decorum est written by First World War poet Wilfred Owen,

Gas! GAS! Quick, boys! – An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time,
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And floundering like a man in fire or lime. –
Dim through the misty panes and thick green light
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams before my helpless sight
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

Chemical weapons were used to devastating effect on 16 March 1988 when Iraq dropped bombs containing mustard gas, Sarin and Tabun on the Kurdish city of Halabja. Death figures of civilian casualties range from 3,200 to 5,000, with many survivors suffering long-term health problems.

Poison gas attack Halabja (Kurdish genocide website) 

The New York Times also recently featured a report on “the secret casualties of Iraq’s abandoned chemical weapons. The paper stated,

“in all, American troops secretly reported finding roughly 5,000 chemical warheads, shells or aviation bombs, according to interviews with dozens of participants, Iraqi and American officials, and heavily redacted intelligence documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

The United States had gone to war declaring it must destroy an active weapons of mass destruction program. Instead, American troops gradually found and ultimately suffered from the remnants of long-abandoned programs, built in close collaboration with the West”

Legislation

The first step towards legislating against chemical weapons came in 1925 due to public outrage and prohibited their use in warfare. There were however limitations as this did not prohibit the development, production or stockpiling of chemical weapons. This did not happen until many years later with the introduction of the Chemical Weapons Convention adopted by the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva on 3 September 1992. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons was formally established on 29 April 1997 and the General Assembly in September 2001 ensured a regulated cooperation between the United Nations and the OPCW.

For further information, check out United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) on the following link,

http://www.un.org/disarmament/WMD/Chemical/

Fear of a dirty bomb

On the 5th December, the Washington Times  reported that the Islamic State group claims to be in possession of uranium (allegedly stolen from Mosul University) which could be used in a “dirty bomb” and referred to conversations on Twitter and the possible impact if one was released on London.

Links

“Syria accused of using chlorine gas on ISIL”

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/12/syria-accused-using-chlorine-gas-isil-201412702323939432.html

“East Ghouta, Damascus, Syrian opposition claiming chemical attacks with hundreds killed, urgent investigation required”

https://activist1.wordpress.com/2013/08/21/east-ghouta-damascus-syrian-opposition-claiming-chemical-attacks-with-hundreds-killed-urgent-investigation-required/

“ISIS Twitter accounts claim they have weaponized stolen uranium, created dirty bomb”

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2014/12/04/ISIS-Twitter-Accts-Claim-They-Have-Weaponized-Stolen-Uranium-Created-Dirty-Bomb

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad.  Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. (She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”)

Abu Anwar A Canadi with a video message to Canada

Islamic State (IS) have today released a new video of Abu Anwar Al-Canadi, (also known as John Maguire) a young Canadian from Ottowa who went to fight in Syria. He addresses his audience in English. It will no doubt send a shudder down the spines of politicians and civilians alike as they listen to a message from someone who was “one of their own” and turned his back on his old life to join Muslim brothers in jihad.

The contents are no surprise to those of us that follow and write on the “War on Terror” and have interviewed “jihadists” in the past. Once again we see a educated Muslim, angry and seemingly radicalized by the foreign policy of the Canadian government and other western countries….(and he happens to be white) which will likely send more shock waves through the majority of the population.

The video is positioned as giving citizens a choice and the message is clear “what you give out, you will receive.” So here is the video which I have also transcribed as censorship will very likely kick in and it may be blocked on the internet….

Video Link

 Poster on twitter under “Canada is not safe”

Video transcribed

All peace belongs to Allah and and may peace and blessings be upon his messenger Muhammed, his family and his companions. Peace be upon those who follow the guidance.

Oh people of Canada, you are said.to be an educated people so what is preventing you from being able to put two and two together and understanding operations such as that of bother Achmed (Martin Couture-Rouleau) of Montreal and the storming of Parliament Hill in Ottawa are carried out in direct response to your participation in the Coalition of Nations waging war against the Muslim people.

Your leaders those men and women whom you have elected to represent yourselves in the running of your country’s affairs have gone far out of their way to involve themselves in the global war against the Islamic State. Your representatives, your leaders have voluntarily chosen to join the coalition of countries waging war against the Muslims.

So it should not surprise you when operations by the Muslims are executed where it hurts you most on your very own soil in retaliation to your unprovoked acts of aggression towards our people. You have absolutely no right to live in a state of safety and security when your country is carrying out atrocities on our people.

The more bombs you drop on our people the more Muslims will realize and understand that today waging jihad against the west and its allies around the world is beyond a shadow of a doubt a religious obligation binding upon every Muslim. And the more Muslims living among you whom you oppress by imprisoning them and spying on them and preventing them from migrating to the Islamic State the more they will be inspired to punish your citizens with the likes of that which you are afflicting upon our citizens.

Your people will be indiscriminately targeted as you indiscriminately target our people. I warn you of punishment in this worldly life at the hands of the mujahideen and I would also like to warn you of a greater punishment and that is the eternal punishment of hellfire promised to those who die not having submitted as Muslims  to the one true God of all that exists.

I was one of you, a typical Canadian. I grew up on the hockey rink and spent my teenage years on stage playing guitar. I had no criminal record, I was a bright student and maintained a strong GPA in university. So how could one of your people end up in my place and why is it that your own people are turning against you at home? The answer is that we have accepted the true call from the prophets and the messengers of God.

A call to worship no deity but the one true God alone, who created us to worship Him, who has no partners and no son and to whom we will all return on the day of judgement and then it is either eternal paradise for the believers or eternal hellfire for those who deny and disbelieve. And after submitting to God and accepting the religion of truth we have answered the call to jihad striving with our wealth and ourselves for the sake of God in obedience to Him to establish His laws on the earth because the right to legislate laws for the creation belongs only to the Creator.

I warn you and I warn you clearly that the promise of our Lord is true, the day of judgement will come and I sincerely advise you to read the Qur’an and search for the truth yourself.

Message of the Mujahideen

To the Muslims still residing in Canada, how van you remain living amongst the disbelievers under their unjust man -made laws which are slowly but surely eliminating the rights of the Muslims especially now that the Caliphate has been established and furthermore how can you stand to live amongst them peacefully when their leaders who represent the masses are waging a crusade against your Muslim brothers and sisters at this very moment.

According to Islamic principles you are living in a land of war, a land that is relentlessly oppressing and constantly in support of the oppression of Muslims all around the world. A Muslim has absolutely no place living in a land such as Canada or America or Europe today except to carry out his duty of fighting in Allah’s cause.

Do not be deceived by western leaders telling you that they have nothing against Islam and Muslims and that they are only fighting terrorism. The results of their carpet bomb airstrikes speak for themselves. They are attacking the Muslim people as a whole.

Have you forgotten how Allah tells us the disbelievers will behave towards the believers. Allah says that the disbelievers will never cease fighting you. They will never cease fighting you until they turn you back from your religion if they are able to do so.

So the mujahideen continue to call you to one of two options hijrah or jihad, you can either pack your bags or prepare your explosive devices. You either purchase your airline tickets or you sharpen your knife. You either come to the Islamic state to live under the laws of Allah or you follow the example of brother of brother Achmed Rouleau and do not fear the blame of the blamers.

I ask Allah to guide us to the straight path and peace be upon his messenger Muhammed, his family and his companions. Peace be upon those who follow the Guidance.

A clear message to Canada

END

Links

“Who is Martin Couture-Rouleau” (CBC Canada)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/who-is-martin-couture-rouleau-1.2807285

“Ottawa shooting suspect Michael Zehaf-Bibeau: What do we know?”

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/23/ottawa-shooting-suspect-michael-zehaf-bibeau-canada-parliament

“Interview with British jihadis and what you won’t read in the tackling extremism in the UK report”

https://activist1.wordpress.com/2013/12/13/special-report-interview-with-british-jihadis-and-what-you-wont-read-in-the-tackling-extremism-in-the-uk-report/

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

Osama Bin Laden Compound on 11th May 2011

On 2 ND  May 2011 American leadership proudly announced the hunt for OSAMA BIN LADEN, the world’s most wanted person of the decade. Details about the operation known as  “Operation Neptune Spear “  by US NAVY SEALS were published and broadcast all over the world but it wasn’t disclosed fully, only the favourite and self-congratulatory story of bravery was presented to the world, a project of American think tanks and a pre-planned story was disclosed…. except the CIA FAKE VACCINATION story. But the correct facts had to come to light in the future.

On the 2^nd  May 2011 midnight I suddenly heard an ear splitting noise. I felt helicopters fly over the roofs. In first instance, I thought there is an air strike on the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA). At the same time I rushed towards the flying helicopters. Just after a few minutes I heard big explosives that shake the walls, windows while I was traveling on PMA road and the road was blocked with hundreds of people. I got information about a destroyed helicopter from Bilal town residents. After few minutes I was near that location (later it was declared Osama Bin Laden compound).

When I listened there was another louder explosive, I clearly saw flame and fire and black smoke and parts of destroyed helicopter. That time I saw four double cabin vehicles travelling off road roughly heading back fast from the compound. In the next few minutes I was near the boundary wall of the Osama Bin Laden compound and scattered parts of helicopter were all around. I rushed inside the gate, got a few pictures of wrecked helicopter, in the meantime dozens of policemen rushed inside the compound and they pushed me out from the compound. I was confused why there was an air strike near the PMA.

My first thoughts were that is the strike from India or Israel but in next few seconds I thought to myself that is not possible. Pakistan is fully prepared and fully equipped to face any strike from India and Israel. Then who…? America…. but why? That was the big question in my mind. At the same time I asked a policeman what is this drama? He answered me in whispers that inside compound there was an wounded Arab lady and children. The next movement I saw a technical defence officer I asked him, whose helicopter was this. He answered me that wrecked helicopter was Blackhawk… Blackhawk?  That was a shock to me and I was very clear now that this was an American strike, no confusion. But why were Americas here? For what purpose?

I was very near OBL walls and within a few minutes I was inside the compound. Meanwhile there was heavy deployment of security forces, but I needed the answer why America struck near PMA and same time I saw an officer, went towards him and asked him why America strikes?  He just looked at me and clearly told me that the wounded lady was Osama Bin Laden’s wife and she was injured but alive. I was totally clear now these were American strikes for Osama Bin laden. That is the time to file the story because newspaper had to go for printing. In my story I clearly mentioned that Black Hawk was destroyed and it is an American strike in search of high value target.

After a few minutes three ambulances were on the spot and they took the women and children to the local hospital in high security. Hospital sources confirmed to me that the wounded lady was OBL’s wife Amal Ahmed Abdul Fatah and all the children of different ages were out of danger. Within two hours they were all shifted to an unknown safe house. After shifting OBL’s wife and children, now three gunned down men and a women were shifted to the Morgue for autopsy. Later they were all buried in an unknown place.

Now it is time to talk with the surrounding people about the scene. There were many rumours and speculation, when I was talking with people, many local residents told me that two weeks ago there was blood taken for a Hepatitis diagnostics test for free. They said that Dr Shakil Afridi and a lady social worker were leading the team of local female health workers and they were running a campaign for Hepatitis vaccination. It was Fajar Azan from the Mosques and I was in the home of one lady health worker Amna Bibi  who was a member of this fake vaccination campaign.

She said that in this last campaign Dr Shakil Afridi only focused on the surrounding area  of the compound. She told me that Dr Shakil Afridi made his camp a few feet away from the compound and he asked her and one of her other colleagues “Mukhtaria Bibi” known as “Bakhto” to get blood from inside the compound. For that Dr Shakil Afridi himself worked on the compound gate again and again. She told me that Dr Shakil Afridi had also talked with Arshad Khan (Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti) with the help of the compound watchman and he convinced him for blood sample of women and children living  inside.

She told me that “Bakhto” entered into the compound to get blood. Now morning lights appeared and I was in Bakhto home. She told me that she doesn’t know what happened and who was inside the compound. She told me that she was just doing her duty following orders of Dr Shakil Afridi and a social worker. She said that she had dropped a bag inside the compound wall but she didn’t know what was in the bag. She told me that the bag was given to her by Dr Shakil Afridi and Dr Afridi told her that the bag on her shoulder made her personality dynamic. Bakhto was clearly afraid. I asked her where is Dr Shakil Afridi she abused him and said that after last campaign he never met her and also Dr Afridi never received her calls. She didn’t knows where he was. Its proof that very clearly that vaccination was fake and this was CIA ruse.

Now I am tired and went home for rest. I just took two or three hours sleep. There is noise at home that Osama Bin Laden has been Martyred. Every international and local channel was broadcasting about the Obama announcement. Channels also reported OBL’s wife was also killed but that was not true. After some time talking with BBC radio I mention that OBL wife was alive and then again headed toward the OBL compound but on the way the scene was changed. There was heavy deployment of security. They did not allow any one especially journalists to go near the OBL compound but I manage to go near the OBL compound.

Still at that time only regional journalists managed to reach, local and international journalists were on the way to Abbottabad. At the same time I talk with an officer, he was clearly disappointed and flustered, he blasted America, he asked why American was clearly cheating Pakistan and there will be a reaction. Signs of frustration and anger were clearly on his face. I asked him what about four double cabin vehicles, is that field force of CIA, his answer was very clear ‘yes no doubt’. I start talking with neighbors of OBL compound to get more information. After that I was very clear that vaccination campaign was CIA plot, while doing other stories I was focusing  on CIA fake vaccination.

On 4^th May Amna Bibi, Bkhto Bibi and other lady health workers were interrogated, official statements of many locals were recorded. On 6^th May I got information that spy agency came to conclusion about fake CIA vaccination and I start collected information about Dr Shakil Afridi, talked with his classmates and colleagues. His reputation was not good, he blackmailed pharmaceutical companies, staff for bribe. His promotion was a big question mark. I interviewed dozen of people and I was fully prepared to file story but problem is that Dr Shakil Afridi was still not arrested.

On 23th May I got information that Dr Shakil Afridi was missing. He not attend his office from three days. I reconfirmed that information and approached his home in Hayataabad, Peshawar. His servants told me no one knows the whereabouts of Dr. Afridi not even his wife. Then I checked with my sources, they confirmed to me that Dr Shakil Afridi was in custody. On 29^th May I filed the story and on 4^th June 2011 it was published in Daily Ummat Karachi. The News Item was noticed by people, it was widely shared in social media. I was appreciated because all facts and necessary references were present in the story.

On 11^th June the story was published in London based newspapers. Pakistani media and other world media lift it, fake CIA vaccination story became a hot cake. But after four years still answers are required to many questions.

 Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

Ryan McGee owned terrorist literature, made a bomb in his bedroom

On Wednesday November 27th the publication of The Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill was launched which outlines measures to tackle “extremists” would-be bombers and place restrictions on British “jihadists” travelling to and from the UK. This coincided with the release of the official Inquiry report into the murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby in Woolwich, south-east London by Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale.

Russia Today reported,

“Home Secretary Theresa May outlined the nine principal elements of the bill, which is the seventh major counter-terror law introduced in Britain since 9/11. However, there have been concerns over a number of proposals, as suspects could use loopholes to avoid the measures.

The bill is aimed at tackling the growing threat posed by Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) which, according to May, have given “energy and a renewed sense of purpose to subversive Islamist organizations and radical leaders” in Britain. She added that the UK faces a greater terror threat than ever before”

Recently the media highlighted the case of two brothers, Mohommod Nawaz, 30, and Hamza Nawaz, 24, both from Stratford, east London, who were sentenced to four-and-a-half years and three years respectively and who became the first Britons to be jailed for terrorism training in Syria. As the BBC stated,

“they had admitted conspiracy to attend a terrorism training camp in 2013”

However,

“the judge said the men’s “focus” was the regime in Syria rather than attacks in the UK and there was no evidence either man had taken part in fighting”

Cage is an independent advocacy organisation working to empower communities impacted by the War on Terror. In its report “Blowback- Foreign Fighters and the threat they pose” Cage pointed out that “that there is no empirical evidence to suggest that blowback from Syria or Iraq will occur in the UK.”

Who is the threat?

Examine the case of Ryan McGee, 20, who previously served with 5th Battalion The Rifles at a UK Base in Germany now jailed for 2 years for constructing a nail bomb containing shrapnel in his bedroom. While there was no evidence produced in court that the two Nawaz brother posed any threat to the UK, ironically, the two brothers received higher sentences than McGee who had moved from the thought to the action phase by actually creating a potentially deadly weapon. Whether he would have gone on to use if not arrested is something we will never know.

We do know that McGee had an obsession with right-wing groups namely, English Defence League (EDL), British National Party (BNP) and Ku Klux Klan (KKK). His reading material included terrorist literature and a copy of the Anarchist Cookbook, containing instructions for the manufacture of explosives. As well as expressing racist comments, he also harbored a desire to, “drag every last immigrant into the fires of hell” (alongside himself) and had watched a video of men being executed under a swastika flag. The fact that he is white probably saved him from being labelled a terrorist. Had he been Muslim the outcome would likely have been very different.

McGee’s home-made bomb contained 181 metal screws and bits of glass

In 2013, Channel 4 posed the question, “Are British soldiers joining the English Defence League?” The answer was yes. The MOD claimed in a statement to the program, that Queens Regulations forbid regular service personnel in uniform taking “any active part in the affairs of any political organisation, party or movement and they are not to participate in political marches or demonstrations”. However Stephen Lennon aka Tommy Robinson claimed at that time, he “received messages of support from every regiment in this country on a weekly basis”. He added,

“our military are trained to fight against Sharia and then when they come home are they supposed to turn that off? They’re trained to fight and battle this. We’re the only ones that dare speak up against Islamist ideology.”

Far right party Britain First are seen to adopt a para-military style, wearing uniforms, training for combat and are known to be recruiting former soldiers. The potential teaming up of men of a similar ideology to McGee with a far-right group could turn out to be a serious threat to the UK creating friction between communities and the potential for violence.

We also know from a Guardian investigation that “Britain’s military police, the Royal Military Police, have started at least 126 investigations into incidents in which British troops are alleged to have killed or injured Afghan civilians since January 2005”. Should we be concerned at how these soldiers will or are behaving once back on home soil? There are numerous examples of returning soldiers terrorizing their own families.

Culverhouse killed his 20 month old daughter

Take the example of Lance Corporal Liam Culverhouse who served in Afghanistan and was said to be suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) when he caused the death of Khloe Abrams his 20 month old daughter. He was given a six year sentence after the toddler was identified as having severe brain damage and fractures to her skull, ribs and limbs.

Then we hear the story of Lynn Adams, highlighted in the Telegraph who was attacked by her husband who also has PTSD. She states,

“one night he was in the mood for an argument. I had to work the next day, so I went to sleep in the spare room. He followed me and suddenly his fist came from nowhere and smashed into my face, breaking all my front teeth”

Her husband Dave (who served a 7 month prison sentence) described himself as being,

“like a ticking time bomb, never knowing when there will be a trigger and I’ll be back in the theatre of war again”

This is indeed very worrying for Lynn but also for the community at large. What if a trigger occured with a member of the public? How far might a former soldier go when temporarily taken back in his mindto a state of fear and combat? Theresa May as usual is putting all her energy into the “Muslim threat” but there does not appear to be any mention of concerns regarding returning soldiers and far-right radicalization or threat to home and society.

Veterans with former British National Party (BNP) Chairman Nick Griffin known for his right wing views

Is Britain supporting terrorism through private security companies?

So is Britain supporting terrorism either in an advisory, training capacity or through sending former soldiers to do the dirty work of alleged terrorist states. Some ex soldiers join private security firms such as G4S around the globe. The company has a history of allegations against employees for both physical and mental abuse of those for whom it provides services including prisons and immigration/ detention centres. Allegations have surfaced in relation to the role of G4S in a prison in a South Africa where inmates claim they had been subjected to electric shocks and forced injections. There are further serious allegations regarding G4S role supporting Israel’s brutal occupation,

“G4S operates and maintains security systems at the Ofer prison, located in the occupied West Bank, and for the Kishon and Moskobiyyeh detention/interrogation facilities, at which human rights organisations have documented systematic torture and ill-treatment of Palestinian prisoners, including child prisoners, held in solitary confinement.”

See “G4S must end its complicity in Israel’s abuse of child prisoners” details on following link,

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/04/g4s-complicity-israel-abuse-child-prisoners

The risk to civilians from those working for private security firms including ex military, often goes unchecked and worse still, actually covered up as I found out when I wrote a report for Barbed Wire Britain on abuse of asylum seekers in the UK under the services of G4S. I recall the case of a terrified asylum seeker who had been handcuffed to be delivered to an airport for deportation and who had his knee hit with a metal wheelclamp so severely he was deemed not fit to fly and airport staff ordered those guarding him to take him directly to hospital.

Let us not forget the death of Angolan deportee Jimmy Mubenga who died under the supervision of three G4S security guards pinned down as he suffocated at the back of a plane.

It is also clear that G4S now have a role in Afghanistan. We know one of the two security guards killed in a recent bombing in Kabul was allegedly Mr Jessiman, a former British soldier who once served with 5 Scots, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He was believed to be working for private security firm G4S as a bodyguard looking after the Diplomatic convoy, according to the Daily Mail.

Should we be concerned then that radicalized soldiers with far right tendencies might be travelling abroad under the employment of private security firms putting others at risk? Again we come to the question of monitoring and whether travel restrictions should apply?

Then there are the mercenaries. The Guardian reported on James Hughes, from Reading, Berkshire and Jamie Read from Newmains, north Lanarkshire allegedly working as mercenaries in Rojavs, Syria fighting alongside the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, the YPG defending Kobani. Hughes, a former British infantryman had served in Afghanistan while Read had trained with the French army. Why does Prime Minister David Cameron feel there is a fundamental difference between fighting for the Kurds and joining Isis when both are linked with terrorism.

With the introduction of this new Counter Terrorism and Security Bill, it appears the legislation is likely to be interpreted through parameters which view one group of fighters as acceptable and another group as extremist and terrorists. We have the crazy situation where Muslims returning from fighting in Syria could now be criminalized or made stateless and restrictions placed on movement while former British soldiers are hailed in a positive light with no punishment for serving as mercenaries. Ironically those in the armed services returning from combat zones in a volatile state, suffering PTSD are left with no monitoring, may support far-right paramilitary style groups, be employed by dubious private security firms and find a new career as a mercenary. So to reiterate, who is the threat to society?

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

Gerry Adams campaigning to improve the lives of the long suffering Palestinians

On Friday 5th December Gerry Adams president of the Catholic Sinn Fein party, tweeted his plans for a three day visit to the Middle East, including Palestine and Israel. He wrote on his blog that the purpose of his visit was to meet key players in the region and receive first hand information about the current conditions there. This appears to have caused concern to the Israeli government condemned by international human rights organizations around the world for their oppression of the Palestinian people. Adams was waiting to hear whether he would be granted access to the Gaza strip.

Gaza is home to 1.8 million people, 40km long and 10km wide, on the Mediterranean Sea and bordering Israel and Egypt. It is largely sealed off and often referred to as the “world’s largest open air prison” with strict border controls. Locals suffer endless imposed shortages of essentials such as food, water, medicine and building materials (which Israel tries but fails to hide) and for many years Gaza has relied on a series of secret tunnels to bring in supplies from the outside.

Adams was intending to take up an invitation received from UNWRA, the United Nations agency which provides aid to the Palestinian people and to visit Gaza. In addition a meeting was arranged to meet President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah and with Israeli Labour leader Issac Herzog in Tel Aviv.

The Sinn Fein president has now discovered he has been given the “no entry” sign and is not be able to cross into Gaza. People were quick to take to social media to condemn Israeli actions and Adams reacted with the following words,

“preventing me from travelling to Gaza and talking to those citizens who have survived 3 Israeli assaults in the last decade, runs contrary to the needs of a peace process and is very unhelpful.

The people of Palestine have a right to national statehood. Its not an issue for negotiation. It is a principle and a right. The international community has an obligation to support this and to uphold international law”

Adams is not alone in being barred. Norwegian, Dr Mads Gilbert a trauma surgeon is now facing a lifetime ban for “security reasons”. He became well known for his tweets from Shifa hospital Gaza describing the horrific injuries he and his team had to deal with when body after body was brought in during the 2014 bombardment by Israel. He views the denial of international support from qualified professionals as a form of “collective punishment” against Palestinians by a state that does not want to face the “inconvenient truth” of its actions.

Dr Mads Gilbert (left) and staff member holding the remains of a child (right) during bombing of Gaza by Israel

In an interview with Dr. Christof Lehmann, an independent political consultant on conflict and conflict resolution, Gilbert reminded the world of the shocking casualty figures during the recent attack on the Strip. He stated, “within 51 days they killed, according to the latest UN numbers, 2,131 Palestinians. Among them were 521 children, I repeat, 521 children. 71 Israelis were killed, among them 66 soldiers and 4 civilians, including one child.” He emphasized that even one child, one civilian, was one too many.

Sinn Fein Member European Parliament Martina Anderson criticized the decision of the Israeli government against Adams pointing out that she too had been refused entry to Gaza alongside a delegation of 16 other MEPs from 6 countries that she was leading back in September. She stated,

“as an internationally regarded statesman and peacemaker Gerry Adams brings a wealth of experience in dialogue and conflict resolution and his expertise could prove invaluable to the ongoing efforts towards peace in the region. 

“The Israeli government cannot hide Gaza from the outside world and I am calling for an immediate end to travel restrictions in and out of Gaza.”

Settlements & Separation Wall outside Jerusalem tweeted by Gerry Adams

Although Israel has blocked Adams, Israel is also facing a ban this week. Israeli company Elbit Systems was given the elbow by the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul which cancelled a major collaboration deal. The Boycott,Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign to persuade people not to buy or invest in Israeli products until it complies with international law and Palestinian rights, is taking effect. Jamal Juma’, coordinator of the Palestinian “Stop the Wall” campaign and part of the BDS movement was quoted as saying,

“Elbit Systems has become a symbol of Israel’s construction of an apartheid wall in occupied Palestine and its military aggression against our people. Israel is only able to sustain its human rights violations because of international collaboration including through deals such as the one that the Rio Grande do Sul government has now cancelled.”

In November the Jerusalem Post reported that Leicester city council had taken the decision to ban all Israeli goods “for its continuing illegal occupation of Palestine’s East Jerusalem and the West Bank; for its continuing blockade of Gaza; and the illegal appropriation of land in the West Bank and settlement buildings.”

Gerry Adams plans to take further action in support of the Palestinians. Israel’s ban on him will no doubt strengthen resolve to persuade the Dail to debate a Palestinian State. His hope is that the Irish parliament will soon recognise the state of Palestine and upgrade the Palestinian Mission in Dublin to that of a full embassy. There could be no better response to Israel’s barring of Adams and Anderson than a positive decision from Dail!

Link

“Recognizing the Palestinian state ” (Gerry Adams)

http://leargas.blogspot.co.il/2014/12/recognising-palestinian-state.html

BDS Movement website

http://www.bdsmovement.net/

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

What is this were Karachi (and not Waziristan) hit day after day by drone? 

(image Abdul Rehman Dawar)

The double standards within Pakistan regarding drones gets worse by the day. Once again the Tribal Areas are hit by drone strikes that just happen to coincide with a visit to the US from Chief of the Army Staff General Raheel Sharif. One can only imagine whether dialogue involves a “nod” on who the next drone targets should be?

Still NO meaningful action has been taken to tackle the US on thecontinued use of drones on the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) despite Pakistan officials recently informing the UN that drones are not required since the start of military operation Zarb-e-Asb in June. Indeed back in May, Ambassador Zamir Akram of Pakistan called for a ban on drones at a UN Conference in Geneva. So why has nothing been done in practical terms to stop people from being killed?

Its an entirely different attitude with drones over Karachi. The hypocrisy is beyond belief. Dawn is now reporting that security agencies want action for a complete ban on heli-cams (drone cameras) over Karachi for fear of surveillance operations by undesirables and turning small drones into explosive devices. Heli-cams are largely used by television companies for reporting stories but are now easily available to the public.

What is this drone was carrying a bomb over Karachi?

To quote Sindh police chief Ghulam Qadir Thebo,

“You see, one can’t afford free use of drone cameras in Karachi. Our main concern is that it can be used for any terror or criminal activity. Such a machine can easily be used as an explosive carrier. There are several other issues as well which compromise security arrangements and that’s why we seek a complete ban on it in Karachi”

Firstly, I have no doubt whatsoever that Thebo’s concerns are justified as I warned of personal drones being customized to become weapons of targeted killing on December 2nd 2013 when I wrote the following,

“as technology progresses further and commercial and personal drones become more user friendly, will we see ordinary citizens adapting them in illegal ways, perhaps even using them for personal vendettas. Drones can be operated on land, sea and air, with seemingly endless possibilities for use depending on practicalities and individual imagination.

What about those with a grudge against governments… could insurgents adapt personal drones to carry home made bombs into checkpoints and do away with the “martyrdom operations”… the “suicide bomber”. Time to reflect on the case of Rezwan Ferdaus sentenced to 17 years by a US court for plotting to attack the Pentagon with the aid of an explosive laden model aircraft.

What about security at major events such as the Olympics and World Cup. Could such venues be targeted by personal drones… If a hexicopter can “whizz over” over a prison wall it can surely drop its load over a stadium. Will personal drones be the future of assassination, targeted killing? Governments have had the upper hand on drone technology in recent years but is that about to be challenged? What will governments think of drones then? There is an old saying, “what goes around, comes around” and that day may not be too far off!”

Nabila Rehman (9) whose grandmother was killed when a drone hit her village 

The hypocrisy lays in the fact that the government and security services are willing to allow drones to target alleged insurgents in Waziristan in “not so accurate” so called precision strikes which often kill civilians but want to protect those living in cities. Reprieve, human rights organization recently reported that, “US drone strikes in Yemen and Pakistan have killed as many as 1,147 unknown people in failed attempts to kill 41 named individuals.”

The following statistics are just two of the examples quoted to show the inaccuracy of drone strikes,

• In Pakistan, 24 men were reported as killed or targeted multiple times. Missed strikes on these men killed 874 people, including 142 children.
• It took the US six attempts to kill Qari Hussain, a Pakistani target. During these attempts, 128 people were killed, including 13 children.

https://activist1.wordpress.com/2014/11/26/us-drone-strikes-kill-28-unknown-people-for-every-intended-target-new-reprieve-report-reveals/

While plans are being floated to safeguard Karachi from threats, I am being told from a reliable source in the region that 3 civilians were allegedly killed in a very recent strike near the border with Pakistan, Afghanistan, “a taxi driver name Saz Gul…another was a guest and another local guy Ajmal too killed.”

Drones are the “Muslim killer” of the US. Those who support their use in Pakistan should ask themselves this, how many non-Muslims can they name that have been killed in a drone strike? How many whites can they name killed by drones? If the US was consistent in its policy to eliminate terrorists, why has the CIA never targeted white Christian alleged terrorists on its own soil. This is a war against Islam!

How can Pakistan claim to be an Islamic state when it kills its own Muslims? Now there are more division by drone… the city dwellers are protected whereas the predominantly Pashtun tribespeople in rural areas come under fire day after day.

Safdar Dawar, President of the Tribal Union of Journalists told Pakistan’s media,

‘If I am walking in the market, I have this fear that maybe the person walking next to me is going to be a target of the drone. If I’m shopping, I’m really careful and scared. If I’m standing on the road and there is a car parked next to me, I never know if that is going to be the target. Maybe they will target the car in front of me or behind me. Even in mosques, if we’re praying, we’re worried that maybe one person who is standing with us praying is wanted. So, wherever we are, we have this fear of drones.’

Sadaullah Khan, a 15-year-old who lost both legs in a drone strike (Reuters)

Drones strikes hitting civilian homes are in fact a form of “collective punishment” and human rights groups referring to similar in Gaza refer to the 1949 Geneva Conventions, collective punishment is a war crime.

Part III. Status and Treatment of Protected Persons

Article 33. No persons may be punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited.
Pillage is prohibited.
Reprisals against persons and their property are prohibited.

Is it any wonder that there are those within Pakistan’s armed services very uncomfortable with drone policy which violate the convention. Following my article that examined concerns regarding Pakistan Air Force alleged co-operation with US drone strikes and how those that wanted to speak out within PAF were being punished, a debate ensued. The following comment was left which is very insightful and the government, military and security services should take note,

“if the idea of using F-16s or Drones on Jhang, Lahore or other terrorist infested areas in Punjab seems repulsive to you. Then for a moment wear that green hat of patriotism, and think about the Pakistani civilians of Waziristan. Yes, there are terrorists hiding amongst them, but that doesn’t mean you flatten their homes from the safety of an F-16 or Drones. You get boots on the ground and make sure that they get the job done with minimum collateral damage. You don’t give them a clean chit just because they are holding guns. The problem with fear induced patriotism is that while it seems normal for those who are not paying the cost for it, it seems out-rightly ridiculous to those, who are bearing the brunt of its consequences. It is really difficult to chant Pakistan Zindabad when the state that housed their strategic assets in your homes, is now simply destroying your homes because it says it wants to get rid of those very strategic assets. And you are not even sure whether it means the latter either”

“If you shut up truth and bury it under the ground, it will but grow, and gather to itself such explosive power that the day it bursts through it will blow up everything in its way.”~~Emile Zola

There is more and more growing concern regarding the double standards for protecting civilians depending on location in Pakistan. In addition to the anticipated retaliation from insurgents, there are more and more protests from angry Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who see all they were forced to leave behind being destroyed by drone and jet.

Why are civilians in Waziristan not afforded the same protection as those in Karachi which also suffers from terrorist attacks? Why is it only tribal people that are expected to make sacrifices for a country that has allowed them to be droned by the US for a decade? It is precisely because those living in Karachi don’t want to be spied upon or incinerated in a drone strike and homes destroyed that there are moves to ban heli-cams and personalized drones which could be turned into bombs.

It will perhaps take a customized drone hitting an urban target to wake people up to the suffering of those who live under the daily threat, where children fear to look at the sky. It is not a case of “if” but “when” this will happen.

The unrest within the Armed Services on drones is perhaps the most dangerous. There have been a number of insider attacks in alleged collaboration with insurgents at Mehran Naval Airbase and more recently Karachi Naval Dockyard. When those trained to serve their country start fighting against their employers and their policies you have a major security problem that will become very difficult to quell.

Link

“Drones: I predict personal drones will be used for targeted killing, what goes around comes around”

https://activist1.wordpress.com/2013/12/02/drones-i-predict-personal-drones-will-be-used-for-targeted-killing-what-goes-around-comes-around/

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

Protesters call for action against Elbit Systems from the rooftop of their factory in Port Melbourne (image Angela Wylie)

Today, Rafeef Ziadah, Palestinian performance poet and activist tweeted to the world, “lets start the day with some good news: Major BDS win, Elbit Systems loses key Brazil deal over Palestine protests.”

Earlier this year (August 5th 2014) I reported that London Palestine Action, a network of people in London taking creative action against Israeli apartheid through Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) began a roof-top demonstration at Shenstone, Staffordshire where parts are produced for military drones.

Activists shut down a factory, calling on the British government to “Stop Arming Israel” from UAV Engines Ltd and for bosses to be arrested. They claimed that drone engines manufactured at the factory have been exported to Israel in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Protesters tweeted the following message to Prime Minister David Cameron from their rooftop perch,

“by allowing this factory to export drone components to Israel, UK government is providing direct support and approval to Israel’s massacres.” 

Full article can be read on the following link,

https://activist1.wordpress.com/2014/08/05/stop-arming-israel-anti-drone-protesters-occupy-shenstone-in-solidarity-with-gaza/

Similar protests against the company took place elsewhere including a rooftop demonstration at an Elbit Port Melbourne factory in Australia. The Age (Victoria) reported the words of Sam Castro, a spokeswoman for the Melbourne Palestine Activist Group, who claimed drones built by Elbit had been used in the Gaza conflict. She stated,

“[Israel is] creating an incremental genocide on the Palestinian people. This is not about the Jewish people, this is about a rogue state” 

WARNING GRAPHIC… to see some of the injuries caused by drones and Israeli military, click on the following link,

http://londonprogressivejournal.com/article/view/1903/gaza-genocide-urgent-plea-from-dr-mads-gilbert-shifa-hospital

BDS has today reported that, “the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul has cancelled a major collaboration deal with Israeli military company Elbit Systems in the wake of protests over the firm’s role in oppression of Palestinians.”

Brazilian activists protested to prevent the deal over Elbit’s role in the construction of Israel’s illegal apartheid Wall in the occupied West Bank going ahead. Campaigners also pointed out what they alleged was a close relationship with the Israeli military.

Jamal Juma’, coordinator of the Palestinian Stop the Wall campaign and part of the BDS movement was quoted as saying,

“Elbit Systems has become a symbol of Israel’s construction of an apartheid wall in occupied Palestine and its military aggression against our people. Israel is only able to sustain its human rights violations because of international collaboration including through deals such as the one that the Rio Grande do Sul government has now cancelled.”

Full story here,

http://www.bdsmovement.net/2014/elbit-systems-loses-key-brazil-deal-12878?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PalestineNews+%28Palestine+News%29

Campaigners welcomed the decision of the Rio Grande do Sul government which was keen to point out that they had taken notice of the social movements involved in action against Elbit and the importance of upholding human rights and the promotion of peace.

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

–

If you are involved in activism in Pakistan, there is always the constant fear that a person may be abducted and added to the ever increasing list of “enforced disappearances” and bodies bearing torture marks that turn up day after day.

Back in August a very concerned mother Zubeida Panhwar addressed journalists at Hyderabad Press Club to highlight that her son Asif Panhwar was missing, believed to have been abducted and was very worried that his life would be in danger.

Asif was known to be involved in Jeay Sindh Student Federation (JSSF) the student wing of Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM) a separatist political party in Sindh that believes in the freedom of Sindudesh from Pakistan. The group was added to list of banned “terrorist” organizations by the Pakistan government on 1st April 2013 which led to a ban. Campaigners insist Asif was a non-violent activist, a student who simply wanted a brighter future for Sindh.

Asif was picked up at the residence of advocate Ameer Hassan Panhwar near Naseem Nagar Chowk in Qasimabad on Aug 15 2014 allegedly by personnel of police and agency officials dressed in plain clothes. JSMM and JSSF have since held protests in Badin and Mirpurkhas against the enforced disappearance of their fellow activists from across the province. Sadly to no avail, he lifeless body of Asif has now been found, another life taken, another heartbroken mother.

A message displayed on the Facebook page of JSMM stated,

“martyr Asif Panhwar was a student of I.T. Department of University Of Sindh Jamshoro. He was abducted from University 100 days ago. His crime was that he had demanded the freedom of his country, Sindh. A historical country which was occupied by Pakistan through British strategy. Sindhi from the whole world must have to unite to make free Sindh from the chains of Pakistan, otherwise Sindhi would be killed continuously” 

Asif Panhwar – how many more dead bodies? 

The killings appear to be fuelling unrest, as one activist wrote, “heavy clashes started between students and forces in Sindh university after killing of JSMM’S Asif Panhwar. Sindh university Medan Jang, 100 Students Zakhmi, Students Mathan Rangers, JI firing, Tear gas.”

Demonstrators take to the streets

Back in 2012, Dr Noam Chomsky, a world renowned linguist met with Sindhi activists and wrote a letter expressing his concern over enforced disappearances. He stated,

“I recently met with Sufi Laghari who is a human rights activist. During our meeting he brought to my attention the violence and enforced disappearances that occur in the Sindh and Baloch provinces. These disappearances are a gross human rights violation against the people. A statement issued on October the 13th 2011 by the Asian Human Rights Commission reports that 206 disappeared persons have been extra-judicially killed in Balochistan during the preceding 15 months. Such violence is disturbing and must be brought to an end.”

Chomsky went on to highlight the case of Muzzafar Bhutto who had allegedly disappeared on 25th February 2011 after previously being abducted and tortured between 2006 and 2009. (He later died of his injuries during the second period of detention). Paryal Shah was another JSMM activist whose bullet-ridden body was found dumped at the roadside.

The full Chomsky letter can be read on the following link,

http://www.crisisbalochistan.com/secondary_menu/human-rights/letter-from-noam-chomsky-the-situation-in-pakistan-is-volatile-the-number-of-disappearances-astounding.html

Shoukat Zardari, a broadcast journalist and blogger also drew attention to yet another killing. He tweeted, “bullet riddled body of nationalist worker Waheed lashari found from Karachi. He went missing 35 days Ago from Warah Sindh.” Zardari also penned a very strong “open letter” to ISI Chief Lieutenant General Rizwan Akhtar in the Indus Tribune, (Voice of Oppressed Nation) slating the ISI and alleging the security services may be responsible for abductions. He appeals to the ISI to work within the law and Constitution and help the families of the disappeared stating,

“I am sorry to say as a Sindhi I am already mourning the deaths of many youngsters allegedly killed by ISI but please instead of making things worst try to answer the families of murdered youngsters. Never think you and your organization is above the law. if you can not be asked here then definitely you will asked by Allah who in Quran says “Killing one innocent human is equal to murdering the whole Humanity.” We are still soft on Pakistan army and atrocities of your officials and we still want you to find a proper and constitutional way to bring anybody to justice who you think is anti Pakistan. If you will keep rewarding people with dead bodies than don’t forget what India did to us in 1971.”

Complete letter can be read here,

http://industribune.net/news/1178

Another body that of abducted Sindhi activist Waheed Lashari has just been recovered from Karachi.

The faces of the disappeared seem to be getting younger. The boyish face of Kamlesh Sindhi appears on a poster once again alleging security service involvement.

Kamlesh Sindhi who was also abducted is still missing at the time of writing.

Amina Masood Janjua DHR (Defence of Human Rights and Public Service Trust) runs what is described as “one of the few human rights activist organizations founded by the victims of the violation of human rights. The organization is registered under Trust Act 1882 of Pakistan. It was founded by Mrs Amina Masood Janjua after the abduction of her husband Mr Masood Janjua on 30th July 2005.” She supports families and helps them file First Investigation reports (FIRs) with police to help locate loved ones though many are afraid even to take this step in case of retaliation. It was Amina who was waiting with her supporters to meet those who participated in the “Long March” earlier this year to highlight the disappeared of Balochistan. Baloch activists marched again last week-end to highlight female activists that had gone missing.

Champion of the disappeared Mrs Amina Masood Janjua (left) and Baloch women activists (right)

Details of DHR can be found on the following website,

http://www.dhrpk.org/

The determined wife and mother bravely fights on, trying to obtain justice through the courts with some successes. In the case of those detained at detention centres such as the notorious Kohat centre, the following now applies,

“The families were given the option to file an FIR at the relevant police station if they suspected the involvement of a particular person(s) in the death of a detainee.

The division bench also directed that families be allowed to meet loved ones detained in Kohat whenever they file an application for visitation. It also said the inmates should be given proper health facilities”

See, http://tribune.com.pk/story/798347/enforced-disappearances-families-of-deceased-can-file-firs-phc/

Mrs Janjua hammers the message home for fair and lawful treatment of detainees and repeatedly reminds the world of the following,

Link

“Karachi: Families take to the streets to protest abduction of Baloch women”

https://activist1.wordpress.com/2014/11/24/karachi-families-take-to-the-streets-to-protest-abduction-of-baloch-women/

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.