|
There always seems to be more South Floridians in GD than in the actual state forum, so I'm posting this here. This is a cut-and-paste from an e-mail I just received. RIM
Sunday at 1 PM at the St. Maurice Catholic Church, 2851 Stirling Road, 1 mile west of I-95 in Davie, the South Florida Peace and Justice Coalition will discuss organizing actions to protest against the FBI's entrapment of 7 young Black men whose main crime appears to be their dislike of the government and their gullibility in the face of a well prepared government plot to ensnare them.
The fact that 6 of the men are either Haitian or Haitian Americans makes this case even more outrageous considering our government's record of supporting terrorism in Haiti and racist discrimination against Haitian refugees here.
Once again Haitians are the victims of a racist double standard. Our government protects and promotes Cuban terrorists with a history of violent crimes while it sets up young Haitians to be presented as terrorists in order to justify more government repression here in the US.
This raid makes clear what many of us have been saying for quite some time, that the government's war against terrorism could easily become a war against dissent.
I have reprinted below an good statement by CopWatch that you may have received earlier today. If you missed it earlier please read it now.
The Center for Pan-African Development and Miami CopWatch
Statement on Liberty City "Terror" Arrests
On the day of the Liberty City raids, the story of a former director of the right wing Cuban American National Foundation (CANF), a federally recognized not-for-profit organization based in Miami, admitting to planning terrorist acts against a sovereign state, failed either to draw national attention or merit "above the fold" coverage on the front page of Miami's newspaper of record.
A sub-committee of the CANF board of directors moved beyond the "discussion stage," demonstrating their capacity to carry out terrorist plots by purchasing boats, a helicopter and caches of weapons and ammunition for the purpose of executing the plot. The admission only confirmed commonly held suspicions about the CANF's violent intentions and the government's indifference towards those intentions.
Today, the U.S. government faces intense international pressure over their continued refusal to extradite Luis Posada, suspected mastermind of the bombing of a Cuban airliner- full of human beings- in 1976. Subsequent to the bombing, Posada was rewarded with a slot on the U.S. government payroll for advancing the execution of the dirty wars in Nicaragua and elsewhere.
The lack of action taken against well developed terrorist plots juxtaposed against the recent aggressive action taken against seven Black men, with little to no demonstrable capacity to advance their plans beyond the discussion stage, reveals a double standard in the war on terror, characterized by the selective prosecution of groups with minimal social and political value. The double standard also raises real questions about the role law enforcement plays in these types of investigations in general and the Liberty City raid in particular.
Local police and federal agents have a long history of inciting, provoking and outright entrapping Black organizations and individuals during the civil rights movement and through modern times. As such, it is entirely reasonable to question both the tactics and the motives of the law enforcement agencies who approached seven men, apparently poor and frustrated, with promises of cash and glory.
While the accusations are shocking to the senses, the facts presented thus far fall well short of the hype. The men are charged with plotting sophisticated attacks on complex targets, but appear too unequipped, unsophisticated and unorganized to possibly advance beyond bragging.
For example, the group only gains in capacity due to the largess of the government agent on the case. Much ado is made of the group's "militaristic" attire of combat boots and fatigues. The group, however, was so unorganized, that the federal government, not group members, provided the military equipment which is now the focus of so much attention. The terror plot only advanced as far as taking pictures of potential targets in South Florida. However, the group was unable to conduct the surveillance on their own, and the government provided the surveillance vehicles as well as the cameras with which the strongest piece of evidence was captured. In addition, no weapons of any sort were discovered during the raid.
The group's lack of capacity calls to question their ability to accomplish any mission, much less tackle the logistical challenges of attacking federal buildings and out of state targets. Because government agents are capable of evaluating threats based, at least in part, on the capacity of the individuals involved, the very strategic and national security value of this group is in question. Conversely, the paramilitary experience and capacity of the members of CANF and Luis Posada are well known and yet ignored.
CopWatch does not pretend to know if the accusations against the men are false or inaccurate. However, the veracity of an agency with a history of targeting groups for their political beliefs is a legitimate issue of contention and must be aggressively addressed as the only means of assuring that the accused are extended their rights to the presumption of innocence, due process and a fair opportunity to defend themselves.
Further, the prosecution of an undeveloped plot by a group seemingly incapable of carrying out even the most mundane mission, must not be used to advance a political agenda at the expense of either the Black community or the civil liberties of the broader society.
The Liberty City raid seems to suggest that Black "wannabes" are more valuable targets than actual terrorists who are white. This operation must not be the pretext for more aggressive police presence and tactics in the Black community, as invoking the notion of "terrorism" is not a blank check for the abuse of individuals, entire communities or the rights of either one. Further, the raids cannot be used to justify the continued discriminatory policies directed against Haitian refugees and immigrants.
In the broader context, the general public is being convinced that raiding a marginally competent group of young Black men represents a victory for public safety. Using minimally credible threats to scare the public will not ensure public safety, but can be used to manipulated the public into giving up their rights in the name of security.
CopWatch denounces:
* the disparate treatment of those in the Black community accused of crimes;
* the criminalization of Black communities in the name of fighting crime;
* unfair media accounts which rely on innuendo instead of facts.
CopWatch urges:
* all people to refrain from leaping to conclusions based on unconfirmed and general accusations, particularly given the history of the FBI;
* the public and the media to question the version of events presented by an FBI and government clearly willing to violate individual rights.
CopWatch demands:
* that all accused are extended rights to due process and a fair trial;
* accountability from law enforcement agencies.
CopWatch
A Project of The Center for Pan-African Development
PO Box 510232
Miami, FL 33151
contact:
Max Rameau
afrimax@gmail.com
|
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
