[Marxism] Organizing against the government entrapment of the Liberty City 7

[JollyJack@xxxxxxx]

The South  Florida Peace and Justice Network is holding a meeting today  to
organize 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 man are either Haitian or Haitian Americans  makes
this case even more outrageous considering the US government's  record of
supporting terrorism in Haiti and it's racist discrimination against  Haitian
refugees here.

Once again Haitians are the victims of a racist double  standard. The US
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 with more  details and analysis by
The Center for Pan-African Development and Miami  CopWatch

Best Regards,
Jack  Lieberman


Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2006 18:42:56 -0400
From: "Max Rameau" <afrimax@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Liberty City Raid


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@xxxxxxxxxx (mailto:afrimax@xxxxxxxxx)




Best  Regards,
Jack Lieberman
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