Summer 2007 “Any movement that does not support their political internees is a sham movement." - O. Lutalo Issue #48 WHAT IS THE The Anarchist Black Cross (ABC) began shorly after the 1905 Russian Revolution. It formed afer breaking from the Poliical Red Cross, due to the group's refusal to support Anarchist and Social Revolutionary Political Prisoners. The new group, naming itself the Anarchist Red Cross (ARC), began to pro- Vide aid to_those Politcal Prisoners who were refused support by the PRC In the carly decades, the organization had chapters. throughout Europe and North America. These chapters worked together to provide assistance o prisoners only in Russia. Soon other groups, such as the Latvian Anarchist Red Cross, emerged to provide aid in other Eastem Etropean coun- tries. Armed with the deas of mutual aid and solidarity, these groups worked tirelessly to provide support to those who were suffering because of thei political belicfs. In 1919, the organization’s name changed tothe Anarchist Black Cross to avoid confu- sion with the_International Red Cross. Through the 1920 and until 1958, the organ- ization worked under various ofher names but provided the same level of support a the other groups warking as Anarchist Black Cross, After 1936, the ABC expanded it aid to places such as Greece, laly and Spain. In 1958, the organization collapsed but reemerged in 1967 in London, England Once again ABC chapters spread throughout the globe providing support for imprisoned comrades. Sadly, by the end of the 19705 only a handful of ABC chapters still existed. Introduction: “Crucally important to maintaining the anarchist integrity of this organization T the 80, however, the ABC began (0 gain popularity again in the US and Europe. For years, the ABC’s name was kept alive by a humber of completely autonomous groups scattered throughout the globe and support- ing a wide varicty of prison issues. In May of 1995, a small group of ABC collectives merged into a federation whose aim was 1o focus on the averall support and defense of Politcal Prisoners and Prisoners of War. Various groups have since merged in numerous networks throughout the globe working on various prisonissues. The Anarchist Black Cross Federation (ABCF) has continued its mission to focus on the aid and support of Political Prisoners. We take the position that PP/POWSs demand our top priority. We strive to continue with the same dedication and solidarity to our fallen com- rades as those before us have shown. The ABCF is: PRISONER’S COMMITTEE s the fact that Branch Groups and Support Groups are freely autonomous to OJORELUTALO BILL DUNNE take on whatever nitiatives they can to further the Unity of Purpose of the 59860/ Box 81 10916.086 Trenton, NJ 08625 Box 2068 ABCF. So long as these initiatives do not contradict any preexisting agree- ments (Tactical Unity) that have been made by the ABCF, it is not necessary for all groups to approve of and/or agree with programs, projects or work of other ABCF collectives.” [from the ABCF Constitution and Structure] Inez, KY 41224 USF Big Sandy HANIF BEY 205933 Box 759 Big Stone Gap, VA SEKOU KAMBUI 113058 / BOX 56 SCC (B1.21) Eimore, AL 36025 The following definitions are used to describe the below terms whenever JRANLAAMAN, 210 they appear in the ABCF Update or any other ABCF literature. South Walpol, MA a2t Political Prisoner (PP): A person incarcerated for actions carried out in ABCF GROUPS support of legitimate strugles for self determination or for opposing the illegal policics of the government and/or its political subdivisions. [Special | | NAABS, LY Ay International Tribunal on the Violation of Human Rights of PPPOWS in Coming Soont Phiadelpha. PA US. Prisons and Jails, Dec. '90] JAxABC 19101 oSS0 e ABc Prisoner of War (POW): Those combatants struggling against colonial and | | Jcisonvie 3091 Albar St alien domination and racist regimes captured as prisoners are to be accorded Winieg, anicb, the status of prisoner of war and their treatment should be in accordance with | | MONTREAL ABC the provisions of the Geneva Conventions Relative 1o the Treatment of fl0B 42053 SUCC LansC Prisoners of War of 12 August, 1949 (General Assembly resolution 3103) Monireal QC opox ne MontrealQC o Wnitier, CA 90603 Néw lssue of 4struggiemag PRIPOWS I5sue #9 Out Now! Wiitngs by Polical Prisoners and edited by Jaan Laaman. Avaiabis online at: www.dstrugglemag.org. o gy Herman Bell + Mumia Abu-Jamal « aura Whitehorn + Gord Hill + Mima bdo + Joy James + lonah Fertig + aniel McGowan + Tom Manning * Ashanti Alston + Robert Seth Hayes « Assata Shakur + David Gilbert » Claude Marks + Noam Chomsky + Sofiyah Elijah + Safiysh Bukhari + and more! Writers include: Jaan Laaman, Judy Greenspan, Mike Novick, Russell Shoatz, etc. Paper copies are available (four dollars, free 1o prisoners) by emailing montrealabcf@gmail.com ORDER YOUR COPY NOW! $15/59 for prisoners or writing to: astrugglemag P.0. Box 42053 Suce. Jeanne Mance Certain Days c/o QPIRG Concordia 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. O. Monireal, QC H3G 1M8 CANADA. NEWS FR M THE FRONT Death Penalty Trial for Zolo Thursday, May 10, 2007 the Indiana Supreme Court reversed Boone County Superior Court Judge Steve David's ruling that barred the state of Indiana from pursu- ing the death penalty in the case of Zolo Azania. Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter appealed Judge David’s ruling, which resulted in oral arguments before the. Indiana Supreme Court on June 27th, 2006, Zolo, who was convicted of murder in 1982 has spent the last 26 years in Indiana prisons, most of that time on death row. The Indiana Supreme Court has twice overtumed Zolo's death penalty verdict, due to_prosceution’s suppression of evi- dence favorable to the defendant, ineffec- tive assistance of counsel, and systematic exclusion of African Americans from the Jury pool. CONTACT: Howard Emmer 7734256716 Daniel McGowan Transferred Daniel McGowan, eco-prisoner serving 84-months for his participation in various ELF actions, has been transferred to USP Sandstone i Minnisota. McGowan has been to at least five federal detention cen- ters in the last month. But now it seems like. this may be McGowan's home for a while. For now Daniel can be contacted at the. following address: Danicl McGowan 63794.053 FCI Sandstone Post Office Box 1000 Sandstone, Minnesota 55072 Kamau Sadiki Seriously Il Kamau Sadiki -Former Black Panther, aka. Fred Hilton #115 06 88 is seriously il and incarcerated in Augusta State Medical Prison. Apparenly there has been a change where inmates are not allowed t sleep aver § hours on weekends or holidays. “This has had a negative impact on his and other prisoners health. He is taking a stand against this injustice and is sending out an urgent call that all of us notify the administration (o voice our indignation and concern. | urge you to please pass this on o our friends and comrades. Augusta State Medical Prison 3001 Gordon Highway Grovetown, GA 30813 Dr. Mutulu Shakur Moved ‘We have learned that Dr. Mutulu Shakur has been moved again! As many of you know, in mid-March Dr. Shakur was moved in the middle of the night out of USP Coleman in Florida and transferred to USP Pollock in Louisiana, followed by transfers to Atlanta and Oklahoma before ending up at USP Florence in Colorado. We will update you as soon as we have more information: You can write to Mutulu at: Dr. Mutulu Shakur #83205-012 P.O. Box 8500 Florence, CO 81226 USP Florence Admax Jamil Al Amin Transferred Imam Jamil Al-Amin has been trans- foreed to Federal prison after the state of Georga stated Al-Amin’s case 1o be too difficult for them too handle. While there was know clarity about the meaning of the statement, it is clear that this move has taken Al-Amin from his support base. ‘Al-Amin’s new location is at the notori- ous ADX Florence in Colorado. Florence is designed for high-security prisoners. Many of the political prisoners we support have reluctantly called this place home, Jamil's new address is the following: Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin #99974-555 USP Florence ADMAX P.O. Box 8500 Florence, CO 81226 William Gilday Seriously lll Supporters of William *Lefty’ Gilday have received letters from him indicating he has fallen ill. Recent visits have con- firmed Gilday's statements. According to reports Lefty has lost about 100 Ibs in recent months. Lefty was Supposed to gt his pacemak- ex fixed months ago, but he s stll waiting. Members of Boston Jericho are trying to et attorney visits in hopes of having Lefly sign a medical release form. The form would allow a Jericho Boston member and doctor to represent and advocate Lefty on medical issues. “There is talk among supporters about the possibiliy of getting a commutation of sentence, based on_his age and medical condition (Lefy is 78), and also possibly based on some serious wrongdoing during. his trial. Supporters are beginning to reach out to lawyers and are researching the pos- sibilities. 1f there is no progress with the doctor, call-in‘write-in_ campaign will be announced. For right now, sending Lefly get-well and solidarity cards is definitely needed. He can barely write though, so you may not get a quick response. Gilday's address: William “Lefty’ Gilday PO. Box 1218 Shirley, MA 01464-1218 MCI Shirley Seven Arrested in Germany Scivists were arresed while allegedly atemping to set i to four army trucks in while in’ heir homes. All have been Germany Wants McAliske) ‘Adefense lawyer has told an extradition hearing in Belfast that County Tyrone woman Roisin MeAliskey was not in Germany at the time she was allegedly involved in an explosion there. “The IRA bombed a British Army base in Germany in 1996 and Ms. MeAliskey, a daughter of former civil rights leader. Bermadette Devlin McAliskey, is being sought by the authorities there 10 stand trial. Roisin MeAliskey, now 35, was three months pregnant ten years ago when she was first arrested because of a German extradition warrant. She was released from Holloway prison just in time 10 give bith to her daugher, whereup she was sent to a psychiatric hos. pital “The British home secretary, Jack Straw, then ruled out extradition on health grounds, The Crown Prosecution Service exam- ined the case and found that there was no prospect of conviction. Despite that, the German authorities are again secking her extradition but her lawyer said on August 22 that she was working in the North at the time of the IRA bombing. Spokane Anarchist on Trial “The FBI have accused Travis Richl of vandalizing a pair of recruiting stations in October of 2005. Reihl is a member of Spokane Lack of Action Collective (SLAC), a group that advocates non-vio- lent property destruction. ‘The attacks involved throwing a rock through the Air National Guard's window and spraypainting the words “leave us alone™ as well as an anarchy symbol on another window at the North Washington recruiting station. Agents recovered a Fuji Film Finepix 2600 camera from Richl’s home. The FBI Claim the camera was used to take pictures of the destruction of the recruting offices. Feds also secretly recorded Reihl at his home allegedly admitting responsibiliy for the actions as well as knowing those who set a Humvee on fire at a dealership in 2004, The Earth Liberation Front claimed responsibiliy for the action. Travis Richl will stand trial in October for the attacks on the recruiting offices Fred Burton Still Battling the Courts On July 10th attorneys for Fred “Muhammad’ Burton (Philly 5), presented oral arguments to the ~Pennsylvania Superior Court. The arguments were over an appeal filed earlier this year, citing fraud n his original trial. Muhammad's lawyer, Jonathan Gettleman said this is unusual for the courts to take this step in & PCRA filing, given the time for filing an appeal is long past. Usually the courls will reject anything filed past the 1-year time bar, but_obviously the brief filed by Jonathan has raised some serious issues of fraud commitied by the Commonwealth. The court’s decision is expected in within the next couple months. FAMILY PORTRAIT: Discussing his father’s potential release, Frederick Burton Jr. says “it's time to set the record straight” On an August night 37 years ago, two police officers pulled their cruiser into a Cobbs Creek guard house at 63rd and Catharine streets. A young man flagged them down. It looked Tike he needed help. Instead, the man jogged up 10 the pas- senger window, pulled out handgun and lodged a bullef into one of the officers’ jaws. His parmer jumped from the car, opened fire and called for backup. An officer from 2 nearby precinct heard the call and radioed Fairmount Park Police Sgt. Frank Von Colln, who was in the ‘guardhouse. They wanied to know what the trouble was. “I'm not sure,” said Von Colln, 42 “Through the crackling radio camethe sounds of several more gun- shots. Someone else snuck in and pumped five bullets into an unarmed Von Colln, it was an ambush, planned by several men on a remote police substation.” Two years and three months later, Judge Peter Hagen Jr. gave the jury some Very pointed instructions before they were asked to decide if Frederick Burton was guilty of Von Colln’s murder: “If you feject the testimony of Mrs. [Marie] Williams, the prosecution’s star witness, 10 the effect that the defendant was one of six men who conspired 0 kill policemen, then the Commonwealth's case against this defendant falls, and he must be found not guily.” Burton's _conviction hinged on Williams' testimony. The jury believed her. ‘Three years into Burton’s lfe sentence, he got into more trouble. While in Holmesburg Prison in 1973, Burton and a fellow inmate set up @ meeting with two wardens to arrange for an Islamic prayer toom. When the request was denied, they atiacked and killed the wardens with sharpened kitchen knives. Burton, 27 at the time, was convicted of second-degree murder. He is now at the State Correctional Institution in Somerset. “Two families were devastated by this murder: ours and the Von Collns. Two fami- lies grew up without a father around. But it's time to set my father's record straight." -Fredrick Burton Jr. Since then, Burton's lawyers have filed dozens of challenges to Burton’s original conviction. All have been rejected. But last week, one finally stuck Recently, Burton’s fiancee, Ethel Paris, and friend Lee Wells found two docu. ‘ments while rooting through dusty court recards that never came up during trial: a letter from Williams to the district attor- ney and her sworn statements during a closed immunity hearing. Williams said in both documents that her festimony against Burton was coerced. In July, Jonathan Get-tleman, Buron’s current attorney, will argue that these doc- uments should become evidence, even though the 60-day time frame for using them has expired. The result could breathe new life into Burton's case and spur more hearings. “These are documents the gov- ernment suppressed.” Gettleman says. “While we knew during the trial thai Williams lied, this shows the extent of her lies and the extent that the government coerced her to tell those lies.” During the original nine-day trial, the case against Burton rested on several picces of evidence: first were spent car- tridges, a 9-mm shell and homemade renade found in Burton’s home, similar 1o those at the scene. The second was Williams, who told the jury she heard six men, including Burton, talk about “elimi- nating pigs” in her West Philly basement during a meeting of an alleged offshoot of the Black Panther Party. Between Aug. 30 and Dec. 7, 1972, Wiiliams flipped her story at least four times, according to offi- cial documents. Sometimes. Burton was at the meeting. Other times, he wasn't. Still other times, she said she never overheard the conversation. District Attorney’s Office Spokeswoman Cathie Abookire, however, isn't buying it. “The Von Colln case has been reviewed by a dozen courts, all of which have rejected his claims. There's nothing new here,” she says. Even so, Burion will soon return to court for the first time in 20 years. The decision (o hold the hearings in July, made by a_three-judge appellate pancl in Superior Cour, has quietly resurrected the most trying of fimes for two very different familics. Since Von Colln’s murder, his son Kurt and daughter Barbara Grimes have both oined and retired from the police force. My father was called the *gentle giant,” says Kurt Von Colln, “He kept his gun in a drawer. He played basketball with the neighborhood kids on his breaks. That's the man who was taken away." As for Burton, Gettleman says, “We're not trying to make sure everyone knows hes the best human being on Earth. We're just making sure everyone knows he’s served his time.” If his long-shot legal maneuverings result in exoneration, Gettleman thinks Burion has already served his time for murdering the warden and will walk free. Meanwhile, Burton's son, Frederick Burton Jr, who lives in a one-room apart- ment near 16th and Master streets, is ecstatic. “Two families were devastited by this murder: ours and the Von Collns". he says. “Two families grew up without a father_around. But it's time to set my father's record straight.” Rod Coronado Trial Ends in Deadlock After more than two ful days of deliberation, a 12-person jury informed Judge JefTrey Miller they were hopeléssly deadlocked. Attorneys were informed that the majority was vting for acquit- tal of the environmental / animal actvist ‘The case stems from 3 talk Coronado gave in San Diego on Aug. 1, 2003, about 15-hours afte Earth Liberation Front bured an under-construction University City condo complex to the ‘ground. Coronado did more than four years in prison for destroy- ing buildings and equipment at numerous fur farms in the carly 19905, and he served as a spokesperson for various militant envi- ronmentalist groups, including ELF. Autorney Tony Serra, part of Coronado’s legal team stated, if these prosecutors opt 1o re-try this case, then they are the puppets. we know they are, in the business of suppressing Constitutional rights. We hung the jury probably 10-2 or 9-3 (that specific infor- mation was ot available from the jurors). so we know they can never win. So they would be fools to retry, but this is political and their agenda is political If they re-try, we will win again. Important Message from Leonard Peltier Greetings My Relatives, You know | was just thinking there should be a degree one could receive for having expertise on doing prison time. | think | would be called Professor Peltier, PhD. with 30 years tenure. A friend of min said once, PhD where he is from stands for post hole digger. | think | would at this time, embrace being a post hole digger, although | don'trelish the thought of fenc. ing anything in after being fenced in ‘myself for 30 + years. On being imprisoned, | want o touch on that subject a bit. There are some who have voiced their opinion in one way or another, that I should give up after all these years of trying to win my freedom. Aside from the oppressors who put me here, some of them are people who were at times, part of the Leonard Peltier Defense Commitiee; oth- ers, on the fringes. My answer, to put it in a simple, colloguial phrase, that anyone canundérstand, it ain't gonna happen! ‘There are many reasons, both physical and mental, spiritual and social. The number one reason is that there arent any women in here. That should cover the social. Eh! Another reason is that the struggle is not just about me. Its about life on carth, the struggle to survive, the onslaught of destructive technology, wealth mongering, by those who see the common man as noth. ing more than expendable beings to further their personal quest for power and afflu- ence. I-am here because, as a common man, along with other common men, I chose 10 try 10 stop the exploitation of my people. | know the Creator sent other common men at other times and other places and to other races to do the same. | am honored to be among common men. | know they tried to cause us to separate from alliances by color, religion, and geographic locale but our siruggle is the same. 115 against people taking more than they ned. In my culture it is taught that you should not take more than you need. In Christianity, Buddhism, and Zen, as well as most other spiritual teachings, it is taught that gluttony is a sin. Violation of this teaching is the teason for elobal warming, and the reason for world wars, including the war in Iraq at this time. Because of people who always seck to take more than they need, my people have sulfered greatly. They are the poorest of the poor yet most still cling to the original teachings. They have fought for several ‘generations for the exploitation of our land, Hllegal occupation of our land, unjust treat” ment in the U.S. judicial system, and most of all, government lies and liars that have led the American people to believe all this exploitation and violation of treaties is in their best interest. | waich TV from time to time, and T notice there are those who try to make the wars like a war between reli- ions. 1 tell you my relatives, it s only a Tuse 1o get young men to die for those who crave wealth and power over the common If the many denominations of religions. would stand together as one against the violation that jeopardizes life_itself, it would make a major difference throughout the world. Today, more than any other time in history, you are either part of the prob- lem or part o the solution. I may, by now, have written more than you care to read. But, from where | sit myself, is the best | can do. The Defense Committee that bears my name struggles 1o help enlighten people of events and needs of people in jeopardy. I don't use the word struggle lighily. Aside from trying to raise money for attorneys and office expenses, ctc.. we raise money for food and clothing for needy people on reservations in urban areas. In my world, the poor are common. | am honored to be one of them, t0 represent them from time (o time, though it be from afar. We as Native People look o the Creator's greatest mani- festation for teachings, Mother Earth and her system of nature, along with personal visions, from time to time. In that, we see grass though encased in concrete, pushing its way through the cracks. We see the trees and water break down the structures of man that imprison them. We see everywhere, all life rying to follow the original instruction given by the Creator. If | were a blade of arass, T would grow out of here. If I were water, 1 would flow away from here. If I were a ray of light, I would bounce off these walls and be gone. However, I am not and unless 1, at some future tim, receive my freedom that was unjustly taken in the same manner as was the freedom of so many Native People before me. | can only leave here through my paintings, written words, and some other forms of communi- cation that are sometimes available. | am in my 60's now. If | end up spending all my days body flows to the sea, and the cle- ments of my being make the grass grow and the tees flourish, make no mistake they can Kill my body but they can' kill me. L am a common man. The Leonard Peltier Defense Committee will continue working on my behalf and towards my freedom unless you the supporters tell me o close down the Defense Committee. Having said all this, | wish t0 ask you, if you can in any way help us, meaning the Defense Committee, send any donation to; Leonard Peltier Defense Committce 3800 N. Mesa A2 El Paso, Texas 79902 Pease do so, it s a common cause. If my case stands as it is, no common person has real freedom. Only the illusion until you have something the oppressors want. Back 1o being a post hole digger. I'd rather be a free post hole digger than Professor Update on San Francisco 8 Eight former Black Panthers were arrest- ed January 23rd in Califomia, New York and Florida on charges related to the 1971 killing of a San Francisco police officer Similar charges were thrown out after it was revaled that police used torture to extract confessions when some of these same men were artested in New Orleans in 1973, Richard Brown, Richard O'Neal, Ray Boudreaux, and Hanik Jones were arrested in California, Francisco Torres was arrested in Queens, New York. Harold Taylor was arrested in Florida. Two men charged Herman Bell and Jalil Muntagim have been held as political prisoners for over 30 years in New York State prisons. A ninth man - Ronald Stanley Bridgeforth is still being sought. The men were charged with the murder of Set. John Young and conspir- acy that _encompasses numerous acts between 1968 and 1973, Harold Taylor and John Bowman (recently deceased) as well as Ruben Scott (thought to be a government witness) were frst charged in 1975. But a judge tossed out the charges, finding that Taylor and his two co-defendants made statements after police in New Orleans tortured them for several days employing electric shock, cattle prods, beatings, sensory deprivation, plastic bags and hot, wet blankets for asphyxiation. Such “evidence" i neither credible nor legal Since the artests carler this year, four of the men have been released an bail. It is expected that two others will be released soon. Herman Bell and Jalil Muntagim are not eligible for bail because of their prior convictions. Court dates thus far have been held to dispute bail amounts. The DA has used the testimony of Ruben Scott as a reason for high bail, Scolts testimony was proven to be perjurious in the past. Scot has recanted cooperative testimony by explaining that he was tortured in New Orleans in 1973 along with other Black activists and he was given complete immunity by 2 2004 grand jury in San Francisco for any role he might have played in 1971 connecting him to the death of a San Francisco police officer at the Ingleside Station - this in exchange for fur- ther cooperative statements. “The District Attomey has also argued that the eight men were members of a “gang” that conspired to attack police offi- cers and that the allegations alone are suffi- cient to deny atainable bail. Ray Boudreaus's Bail Hearing Ray was the first to have his bail hearing. He was met with a courtroom full of sup- porters. At one point his attorney asked that all those who supported Ray's motion to rise: the eniire courtroom rose and stood in sup- port of the motion and the SF 8, and remained standing for several minutes. Richard O*Neal's Bail Hearing Both Boudreaux and 0"Neal appeared at court together. During their hearing, their attomeys argued that all eight men should be present at the bail hearings. The judge, sid- ing with the District Atiorney, reject this argument James Bustamante, Richard O'Neal's attorney, presented arguments in favor of reasonable and atainable bail. He, like Michael Burt, Ray Boudreaux's atiomey, argied that the only evidence linking Richard to the case were statements made by Ruben Scot whose testinony was proven o be perjurious by two courts in the past. Richard Brown’s Bail Hearing chard Mazer, representing Richard Brown presented the case for Richard's bai, showing that Richard is not a flight isk due 10 his very deep community tes. His many years of devotion to his family and commu- ity as well as his service as a Community Court Judge Arbitrator were emphasized to ounter the litany from the prosecutors that Leonard Peltier, PhD. May the Creator bless you with all you need. In the Spirit of Crazy Horse, who never ‘gave up. All my relations, Leonard Pelfier #89637-132 USP LewisburzPA. PO Box 1000 LewisburgPA 17837 Case the only issue relevant to bail is the "killing ofcops.” ‘Attorney Mazer also emphasized that the only government evidence is weak and based on the contradictory and perjurious testimony of Ruben Scott, whose role as a government informant was bought by offers of immunity. Mazer said Richard Brown's incentive 1o appear is great, Just as it was when he and others appeared for the Grand Jury hearings in 2005, because "when the defendant knows the government’s case is weak, he has reasons (0 stick around." Francisco Torres Bail Hearing Speaking on behalf of Francisco Torres, Chuck Bourdon presented Cisco's family and described his personal history: VISTA volunteer, Vietnam Vet, long time communi- ty organizer, and devoted family member. Cisco is loved by his community, and is known as someone who helps everyone. He has been showered with leters of support, Ciscois the primary caretaker of a son with sickle cell anemia, who was 100 il o join his family at the hearing today. Summarizing the bail issue of "flight risk," Bourdon emphasized that the men are not flight risks because the case is totally weak. Previous attempls at prosecution have been thrown out, and there is o new evi- dence. The men expect to win. One concrete new example of this is that the defense leamed today that in contrast to the results of fingerprint tests with "new” techniques that would implicate Cisco, current DNA testing contradicts those results. All of the DNA evidence obtained at the scene does not match any of the cight defendants Result: No new evidence. Hank Jones Bail Hearing Jones” attomey, Joha Philipsborn, intro- duced Hank's family. He spoke of Hank's history of activism throughout his life and the FBI repression he faced because of his activism. Despite Hank never having been a member of the Panthers. active with the Black Student Union at the time- Hank's attomey stated the the Panthers could be compared to the African National Congress in South Africa, ie.,illegal organizations at Continue on pg. 9 Omaha Two Retrial Hearing Continues by Michael Richardson Omaha, Nebraska, _birthplace of Malcolm X, has a long history of racial tension. In September 1919 a white crowd of 4,000 burned the Douglas County Courthouse to gain access to an accused black prisoner, Will Brown Brown had been erroncously accused of the rape of a white woman and was in custody at the courthouse when the lynch mob gathered in the streets of downiown Omaha. Mayor Edward Smith sought to quiet the mob and was dragged to a lamppost and hanged with a makeshift noose. Pulled down by a quick acting policeman the mayor hovered near death for several days. Will Brown was not so lucky. The mob hanged Brown and then dragged his body through the downtown streets behind a car before burning it on a street Fifty years later an Omaha policeman shot a 14 year-old girl, Vivian Strong, in the back fo disperse a crowd. The death of the youngster triggered a year of intense tension between Omaha police and the black community. Chief eritics of the Omaha police were Black Panthers Ed Poindexter and Mondo we Langa (formerly David Rice). Poindexter and Langa were the leaders of the Panther group National Commitice to Combat Fascism and were at the center of attention. But it was not just the Omaha police that were watching the two Panthers, the Federal Bureau of Investigation was con- ducting a nationwide secret war against the Panthers code-named COINTELPRO. Poindexter and Langa were targets of COINTELPRO agents. It all came 1o a head one night in August 1970 when police were called to 2 vacant house to investigate an emer- gency call about 2 woman screaming. Instead. a suitcase bomb was waiting for the police. Officer Larry Minard was killed and seven others injured in the blast. Police dragnets swept up dozens of people, multiple arrests were made but in the end a 15 year-old, Duane Peak, con- fessed to placing the bomb. But the COINTELPRO operation did not want a 1S year-old in custody, they wanted to silence the Black Panthers in Omaha Freedom of Information requests have revealed that the FBI worked closely with Omaha police on the case and that critical information was later withheld from defense attorneys for Poindexter and Langa who were charged with the Peak was given a deal and sentenced as a juvenile in exchange for his testimo- ny against Poindexter and Langa. The tape of the emergency call was withheld and later destroyed without ever being heard by a jury. Evidence implicating an uncle of Vivian Strong was not pursued by police. Conflicting testimony by police was made over dynamite allegedly found in Langa’s residence. Poindexter and Langa both denicd their involvement in the crime and con- tinue to proclaim their innocence from their prison cells, thirty-six long years after the trial that resulied in life sen- tences for the pair. However, a now-deceased police dis- patcher, perhaps suspecting COINTEL- PRO dirty trick tactics would be used in the case, quietly made his own copy of the emergency call that lured police to the deadly trap. It took years for the exis- tence of the copy to become known but finally, in May of this year Douglas County Distriet Judge Russell Bowie lis- tened to the tape in open court and heard testimony from an expert witness that the Voice on the tape was not that of Peak. “The Nebraska chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has filed an amicus brief with the court bringing judicial attention to the abuses of COINTELPRO, a then secret operation unknown 10 the jury that convicted Poindexter and Langa, Judge Bowie has spent the summer reviewing the 1971 rial transcript, study- ing the legal briefs and considering the contradictory testimony of police detec- tive Robert Pheffer who claims he found dynamite in Langa's home-dynamite never seen by the erime scene evidence technicians. While the public waits for Judge Bowie to conclude his review of the COINTELPRO tinted trial, two men wait more anxiously than the rest from their cells in the Nebraska State Penitentiary. For Ed Poindexter and Mondo we Langa justice is long overdue. Author's Bio: Michael Richardson is a freclance writer based in Boston. Richardson writes about politcs, election Law, human nutrition, ethics, and music. In 2004 Richardson was Ralph Naders national ballot access coordinator. Chip Tranferred as New Parole Date Nears As Romaine “Chip Fitzgerald is rescheduled for another parole hearing, we have received word that he has been transferred. Chip is @ former L.A. Panther held since 1969 for an altercation with a California Highway Patrol offcer. For the last several years Chip has been held at CSP- Lancaster, a location close to his ailing mother and sup- port_community. Suddenly without notice. Chip was notified that he was going to be transferred. Chip soon found himself transferred to CSP-Centinela, near the Arizona/California border and far away from his sup- port. For the last year Chip’s support community has been s parole hearing. Friends and family preparing for believe this is the best chance he has 1o be released after 38 years in prison. His original parole hearing was Scheduled for March 29, but was cancelled. A new date for his parole hearing has been released: September 26, 2007 “This new date is rather short notice, so we ask all supporters to view LA ABCF's support site for chip at the following address: hitp://wwwv.abef.net/la/laabef.asp?page=lachipl Chip’s new address i the following: Romaine 'Chip' Fitzgerald B-27521 FC-2-110 PO Box 921 Imperial, CA 92251 Love Park 4 - Anti-Racists Activists Arrested On Monday July 23rd, four anti-fascists from the Philadelphia, PA area were arest. ed at what was supposed to be a Ku Klux. Klan rally in Center City, Philadelphia Jared Schultz, Tom Keenan, Jason Robbins “all of Philadelphia Anti-Racist Action - and Jim McGovern - of the Progressive Labor Party - were arrested and changed with a series of trumped up misdemeanors in'a situation that, for all practical purpos- es, was entrapment. Rumors spread through Philadelphia starting Friday July 20th that the Ku Klux Klan was supposed to show up for an 11 am rally on Monday at Love Park. While anti- fascists were present in the arca starting at 10:30AM, no one showed up for the rally until noon, when two men wearing what appeared to be neo-Nazi t-shirts showed up in'the area. Anti-fascists approached the men, confirmed they were neo-Nazis and told them to leave. Words were exchanged between the Klansmen and the ant cists, and then the neo-Nazis said they were leaving. The anti-fascists then followed behind them 1o make sure that they kept their promise. Strangely. Civil Aflars cops remained o the other side of the Park the entire time and made no efforts to follow the sroup even when they were out of their sight. The nea-Nazis got into an SUV around the cor- ner from the park. As they attempted to drive off, conveniently blocked by traffic, 3 verbal confrontation ensued with the anti- fascists lasting several minutes. During the conflict one of the windows fo the SUV was smashed. Apparently the other occu- pants of the car were cops. The driver who could have flashed his badge at any- time to disperse the crowd - ordered three Morristown 3 - Three anti-racist activists, now known as the Morristown 3, were arrested on July28th, 2007 after defending themselves from an attack by white supremacists. The Morristown 3 were_ attending a counter- protest to the Morristown mayor Donald Cresitello’s racist anti-immigrant rally, when the attack took place. Cresitello wants to allow Morristown police officers. to check into the immigration status of anyone pulled over for a waffic infraction The actual attack took place behind the town hall when Erick Weigel - from the white power group, Stormfront- and his wife, Annette, jumped out of their truck armed with baseball bats and knives and assaulted a_crowd of immigrant rights activists. The assault stemmed from Weigel being out-ed as a Nazi carlier at the rally anti-fascists (Schultz, Keenan, Robbins and McGovern) against the wall The arresting officer was Philadelphia Police Department detective, howevr, the SUV was, according to paperwork received by the arrestees, the vehicle of FBI Special Agent Sean Brennan, also present during the amests. What an FBI agent was doing escorting neo-Nazis away from the park remains mystery After the arrests, al four of the anti-fas- cists were transported 1o the 9th Police Precinct, where they remained for approxi- mately 37 hours, awaiting notice of their changs and bail amounts Initally, the armestees were informed that Internal A ffairs was investigating their case and that they would be facing 10 changs - 4 felonics and 6 misdemeanors. Inthe end, however, all of the felonies were. dropped, leaving the arrestees with § mis- demeanar charges of varying degrees upon being bailed out. The fact that the charges were dropped so quickly proves how trumped up these charges are. However there's sill a lot at stake for The Love Park 4, Currently, everyone is facing the same § changs - Possession of an Instrument of ANTI-RACIST Ja &l ACTION ol Crime With Intent, Criminal Conspiracy, Engaging with Possession of Instrument of Crime with Intent, Institutional Vandalisn/lllegal Possession, Reckless Endangering Another Person, Resisting Anest, Criminal Mischief, Harassment - Subject Other to Physical Contact, and Disorderly Conduct/Grading. At this point, everyone is out of jail, doing fine and relaxing for a few days before what could be a lengthy and expen- sive legal ordeal. All of the defendans are scheduled for court on October 3rd, and are in the process of establishing a legal defense fund and securing legal counsel We are confident that with the right resources, all of the anti-fascists arrested will be able to defeat these outrageous chans, which could resul in tens of thou- sands of dollars in fines and years of jail time. The Love Park 4 are asking for resources 1o win this legal batle and you can help right now! Simply go 1o hitp://wwwpaypal com, click on the "send money” tab and make & donation 1o cyndipitt@gmail.com. 1f you wish to send funds through the mail with a check or well concealed cash to Heartsville Community Space PO Box 5917 Philadelphia, PA 19137, (Make sure to note that it is for *The Love Park 4.") Write to philly_ara@yahoo.com to receive updates on how you can lend a hand. They'll be plenty of work to do and will need your help Anti-Racist Actvists Arrested When Wiegel lunged at the anti-racist activist with a knife. He was quickly dis- armed and fell to the ground. Wiegel then pulled a bat from the back of his truck and began to attack the anti-racists with i By this point, more anti-racists activsts began rushing the scene. Weigel and his wife tried o flee the scene but were stopped. Police rushed in and confiscated Weigel's weapons. Weigel told the police they were victims of an unprovoked attack. Police took his word for it, arfesting anti-racist activists several blocks away. Weigel suffered a few scrapes and his wife sulfered a bloody lip. Those attacked with basehall bats and knives suffered injuries to their knees and logs. Once again, no Nazis were arrested. ‘Onie of the anti-racists was charged with two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon. Others were charged with simple assault, disorderly conduct, improper behavior and causing bodily injury. Itis important to note the only Weapons. involved in the incident were used by Weigel and his wife. Fingerprint analysis. supports these claims. Bails were set at between 52,500 to $5,000. All activists were bailed out within three hours of being transferred to. the Morris County Jail Weigel and his friends are posting on Stormfront lists that he was assaulted. Nazis are currently posting pietures of anti- racists at rallies (o target. The Morristown 3 is asking for your help. They are asking for people to donate 1o help cover legal coss. For more information, check out the support site for the Morristown 3 at myspace.com/morristown3 heartening to see a political prisoner issue thrust into the living rooms of everyday Americans. CNN and even Fox News have broadeasted the tragic story of the Jena Six across the world, giving viewers a brief glimpse into the sordid affairs of those who end up on the wrong end of State power. "The tale of the Jena 6 i certainly no cause. for celebration, but one does take heart in the popular furor that has arisen in protest against the injustices plaguing the small town in upstate Louisiana. Jena is a town of 4,000 people, the vast majority of whom are white. The local high school, Jena High, matriculates black and white students, who ofien separate themselves by race in and around the school. As we know, incidents of racism in this country cannot oceur withou the long ten- tacles of white imperialism and domination numbly dragging along. They do not appear out of thin air. Such is the case of the Jena Six, which nominally began on August 31st, 2006. During a school assem- bly. a black Freshman asked the principal if it would be okay if his friends could sit under a tree in the schoolyard where white kids normally socialized. Even though principal responded that students can “sit anywhere they want,” the question was symbolic of the segregated nature of the school. As proof of this, the next morning studens walked into school to find three nooses in_school colors dangling from branches of the tree under which white kids traditionally sat. Later it was discovered that three white students were responsible for the act and received a thrce day in-school suspension. The school superintendent, Roy Breithaupt, was quoting as saying “Adolescents play pranks. 1 don't think it was a threat against anybody.” He over- ruled the principal's decision to expel the white students responsible. lowing weeks, and were doubiless exacer- bated by the visit of a local distict attorney 10 the school, where he reportedly told stu- dents at an assembly 1o stop making a fuss over “an innocent prank” He then noted that he could end students’ lives with the stroke of his pen while looking at a group of black kids sitting together in the audito- On December 1st, 2006—in the days leading up to what is popularly known as the “Jena Six Assauli—a black student, Robert Bailey, attended an all-white party, where he was beaten up and had a bottle broken over his head. One person reccived minor charges and probation, in effect a warning. The next night, at a convenience store, a white man at the party the night before pulled a sawed-off shotgun on three black male students, ane of whom was Robert Bailey. The siudents took the shot- un from the man and ran away, frightened. In a telling twist, the three were later chargd with thefl of 4 fircarm, second- degree robbery and disturbing the peace. December 4th will be a day forever engrained in the minds of Jena students. A white student, Justin Barker, was walking with the thres students responsible for the noose-hanging and allegedly boasting about Robert Bailey being beaten at the party. Six black students jumped him and subsequently beat him to the ground, where he was kicked until unconscious. Justin went to the hospital and was released three hours later. He was well enough to attend a ring ceremony later in the day, where he was “laughing” with friends. “The next day and the day after, the Jena Six were charged with aggravated second- degree battery. The charges were later increased to aitempted second-degree mur- der and conspiracy to commit second- degree murder, which in Louisiana requires a deadly weapon. The “deadly” weapon: sneakers. ‘The six, Mychal Bell, Bryant Purvis, Robert Bailey, Theo Shaw, Carwin Jones, The Case of the Jena 6 In dark times as these, it is especially ‘and an unnamed minor, were expelled from school in January. Three of the six posted bail, and the fourth, Bailey, was released pending trial. To this day, Shaw and Bell are behind bars. Mychal Bells tral began in the spring, and with an inept public defender who did not call a single witness in the trial that fol- lowed. and an all-white judge and jury, the 16 year old was convicted afler & mere 3 hours of jury deliberation. He was tried as an adult and faced up to 22 years in prison. Since the procedures in the courts began, people of all creeds and colors have increasingly stood behind the Jena Six and their families by creating ad hoe support aroups, signing a peiition sent to Governor Blanco of Louisiana—which boasted over 280,000 signatures.— and sending in money 1o the defense fund. The NAACP and the ACLU have also played positive roles in the case, by providing adequate defonder for Bell, On September 20, a huge rally will be held in the small town, where thou- sands are expected to attend in a show of solidarity. For our part, LA-ABCF wrote a statement of unity with the Jena Six. An otherwise no-good-news case has taken a few turns for the better in recent weeks. In September, a Louisiana appeals court threw out the convictions against Mychal Bell, saying he should have been tried as an adult. The charges for three of the i, including Bell, were also reduced 10 aggravated batery, where they initially stood. “Though it cannot be said for certain that the path ahead for the six teenagers will continue to lighten, what progress that has been made can be attributed to the right- cous effort to oppose the often racist judi- cial system in this topsy-turvy nation. 1f only all the political prisoners behind bars in America received such widespread attention and support For more information about the Jena 6, please check out their support ste at. W jenasix.ong Continued from pg. 5 war with a "legitimate” government, with the ANC banned in South Affica and the BPP made de facto illegal by J. Edgar Hoover's FBL. "What do bail issues mean” Philipsborn asked, "when actions are a result of community perception of being oppressed and marginalized?” Harold Taylor’s Bail Hearing During Harold Taylor's bail hearing. his attorney challenged the _distortion” of Talor's previous case by the prosecution. Taylor went to trial in 1976 for a Los Angeles case, which the government is now using as part of their current theory of con- spiracy. Taylor and others were accused of initiating a shootout with eight police who had stopped their car. However, Taylor testi- fied in court that the opposite was true, that the police began shooting at the three men in the car and the men had shot back in self defense. The court saw it Taylor's way and he was acquitted of all charges. ‘Taylor was also arrested in Louisiana in 1973 35 4 suspects in the Ingleside police shooting, Harold, along with John Bowman ‘and Ruben Scott, was brutally tortured by the New Orleans police for five days until he and the others signed a pre-writien confs- sion. The case was subsequently thrown out of court when the judge recognized that tor- wre had produced the “confessions.” Ignoring that court’s ruling, Atiorney General David Druliner now suggesis that torture never took place. In addition to the legal issues, the torture has had a profound personal effect on Taylor, according to his attorney stated. Taylor suffers from both ongoing back and neck injuries as well as constant nightmares resulting from PTSD (post traumatic stress syndrome) Despite the District Attorneys arguments on August 22, the judge reduced bail on six men. Here is Wher their bails stands now. Richard Brown: § 420,000 Hank Jones: $ 600,000 Richard O'Neal: § 200,000 Harold Taylor: $ 350,000 Erancisco Torres: $ 660,000 First Five Out on Bail Richard ONeal was freed on bail ‘Wednesday. August 29 and Richard Brown was freed on bail Thursday, August 30. Ray Boudreaux was freed on bail September 1th. Harold Taylor was freed on bail September 12th. Hank Jones released on September 181, Next hearing September 24 ‘The next court date for the SFS case is September 24th at 9:30 am in Department 23, 850 Bryant Street, 3rd floor. On a side note, Richard Brown has dete- riorating vision. He has lost sight in one eye and has severely reduced vision in the other. Richard was just diagnosed with narrow- angle glaucoma. If not treated agaressively can lead to total loss of vision. Now that he s out he can sehedule surgery and begin proactive treatmen regimen. PFLP Leader to Stand Trlal in Israel ‘The military trial of Ahmad Sa‘adat, General Secretary of the Popular Froni for the Liberation of Palestine, is sched- uled to begin November 4th at Ofer Military Base in Ramallah, Palestine The trial, which was last scheduled on August 20th, has been delayed on multi- ple occasions. Sa'adat has been imprisoned since January 2002. Since his imprisonment he has been held in custody by the Palestinian Authority under U.S. and British Guard, and then by the Lsracli military after their atack on Jericho Prison on March 14, 2006. He has never been tried. Sa'adat, with five other Palestinian political prisoners, was kid- napped from the Palestinian’ Authority prison in Jericho on March 14, 2006, during an armed Isracli military ‘assault on the prison waged in order fo abduct these prisoners. He is charged with a laundry list of “security offenses,” all political in nature, including membership in a for- bidden organization, holding a post in 3 forbidden organization, and incite- ment," for a speech condemning the Isracli military's murder of the man who held his post before him, Abu Ali Mustafa. Sa'adat refuses to cooperate with the court, pointing out that it is an illegitimate court enforcing an illegal military occupation. He believes the court i acting as a weapon of the oceu- pation to persecute Palestinian leaders and political activists and to undermine the Palestinian people's political activity. During his entire time in Palestinian Authority prisons, Sa'adat was never tried or charged. Saadat was a nominal prisoner of the Palestinian Authority, but was in fact guarded by U.S. and British guards, at the behest of Isracl. The Palestinian High Court of Justice ruled that Sa'adat should be immediately released, as did numerous international buman fights organizations. Following his election in January 2006 to the Palestinian Legislative Council, Sa'adat remained imprisoned at Jericho, despite growing calls for his release. On March 14, 2006, the U.S. and British guards assigned to Jericho Prison abandoned their posts in order to allow for an sracli military assault on the prison that ended with the capture of Sa'adat and five other Palestinian political prisoners, the deaths of two Palestinians, and the injury of 23 Palestinians. Following the abduction of Sa'adat, the Isracli military courts admitted they lacked sufficient evidence to try Sa'adat under more serious charges, and have instead charged him with an array of political offenses. Sa‘adat joins over 11,000 other men, women and children, held in Isracli jails as political prisoner for struggling for the tights of their people. These IT.000 Palestinian political prisoners reprosent political activists, organizers and lead- ers. The systematic imprisonment of Palestinians has been calculated by the military occupation in order to disrupt Palestinian political life and extend the illegal military oceupation “The military courts trying Sa'adat and the other Palestinian prisoners are entire- ly institutions of the illegitimate military occupation. They function solely as a means of maintaining that occupation and repressing any and all resistance to its perpetuation. As such, these military courts are illegitimate eniies of an illc- gal military occupation that has been condemned by every leading internation- al body and human rights organization. ‘The situation of Palestinian political prisoners is a human rights. crisis. Palestinian parliamentarians and politi- cal leaders and activists are routinely subject to detention and lengthy terms of imprisonment for their political work on behalf of their peaple. In order to shed light on their situation and create the kind of pressure that is necessary to ensure justice, the voices of internation- al human righis organizations are desper- ately needed. For more information: hitp:/vww freeahmadsaadat.org Press Release by the lawyers of the Cuban Five Oral argument in the appeal_of Gerardo Hernindez, René Gonzdle:, Antonio Guerrero, Ramdn Labaiiino and Fernando Gonzilez, five Cubans unjustly held in United Stares* prisons since 1998 ATLANTA, Agosto 20 Oral argument in the appeal of Gerardo Hemindez, René Gonzilez, Antonio Guerrero, Ramén Labanino and Fernando Gonzilez, five Cubans unjustly held in United States” pris- ons since 1998, took place before the three judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of ‘Appeals on August 20, 2007. ‘At the hearing, as at the wo prior hear- ings held in March 2004 and February 2006, both parties, the Government and the Defense, asserted their arguments and responded to questions from the judges. This hearing is one more step in the long appeal process of these five men since they were sentenced in 2001. As in the past, the Government of the United States was once again unable to refute the arguments of the Defense and sustain the accusations against the five. FREQUENTLY U promoted a accusations onage and conspirax ED For its part, the Defense, demonstrated irmefutably that the improper conduct of the Government during the entire legal process against the five constituted a flagrant viola- tion of due process that influenced the entire proceeding, primarily by the way in which the Prosecttor invented the charges. hostile ‘manipulated the evidence and the jury Other key arguments of the Defense that demonstrate the arbitrariness of the process is lack of evidence to sustain the two main “conspir: the first degree” and the imposition of pletely irrational and unjustifiable life sen- tences. The Government itself admitted during trial that it could not present a single Secret document 1o prove espionage and that it faced an “insurmountable obstacle” o prove the charge of murder. Throughout the tainied process the Government admitted that ts real concern was to protect the anti-Cuban terrorist groups that operate with total immunity in Miami and to punish those who fight against them. Next September 12, these five men, accused of crimes they did not commit, will begin their tenth year in prison only because they attempied to protect Cuba from terrorist acts. Cuba like the United States and any other country of the World has o legitimate right to’ defend itself against the scourge of terrorism that has harmed so many victims. We trust in the professionalism of the panel of judges and that soon or later jus- tice will prevail for Gerardo, René, Antonio, Ramén and Fernando. environment and ¢y to commit espi- to commit murder in Acronyms/ Terms ABCE: Anarchist Black Cross Federation - anti-authoritarian feder- ation of ABC groups who support and defend PP/POWS. ABC-BG: Branch Group - ABCF group with more responsibilities than a SG. ABC than 3 BG. AIM: American Indian Movement - above ground revolutionary organization of Native Americans. Anarchism Free o libertarian socialism. Anarchists are opposed to ‘government, the state, and capitalism. Therefore, simply speaking, ‘anarchism is & no government form of socialism. Types of anarchists include: Anarcho-Communist, Anarcho-Syndicalist, Autonomist, Collectvist, Individualiss, and Mutualiss. 'BLA: Black Liberation Army - revolutionary Black clandestine for- mation formed to defend the Black community and the BPP, ina tive since the '80s. BEP: Black Panther Party - sbove ground Black revolutionary ‘group seeking Black politcal power, disbanded in the mid-"70s. FALN: english translation: Armed Forces of National Liberation - revolutionary clandestine group fighting for Puerto Rican independ- FC: Federation Council - decision-making body of the ABCF. MOVE: Not an actonym, the name of Philadelphia whose members are commitied o the teachings of John Aftica. Their belef is in “lfe. BC: Prisoner’s Committee - rotating body of S PPPOWS on the ABCF's FC Support Group - ABCF group with fewer responsibilties PRIPOWS: Politcal Prisoners and/or Prisoners of War. (See page 1) Self-Defense: The legal act of protecting one’s life or the life of ‘another with the idea/purpose of self-determination and independ- ence. Armed self-defense is elative 1o the ABCF, specifically in the USS..in that as the organization grows, S0 t00 grows the need {o pro- tect ourselves from the armed aggressor of the state,right wing, and other ideological opponents. (Firearms training as preparation for self-defense are legal activities within the confines of the U.S.) Self Determination: The right by virtue of which all peoples are entitled freely to determine their political status and pursue their economie, social, and cultural development. All peoples may, for their own ends, freely dispose of their natural wealth and resources without prejudice to any obligations arising out of international eco- nomic cooperation, based upon the principle of mutual benefit and international law. In no case may a people be deprived of their own means of subsistence, SDS: Students for a Democratic Socicty edin the 60s. The Update: This is a quarterly publication of the ABCF. WUO: Weather Underground Organization - first the Weathermer Tater known as the WUO, evolved out of the SDS as an underground formation of primarily white anti-imperialist revolutionaries from the student movemen, (The Anarchist Black Cross Federation (ABCF) produces. the Revolutionanfvlitcal Dictionary with these and other expanded def - initions of poliical terms. Asailable from Los Angeles ABC for $1 and o 39 cents stamps.) e student group found- Ricardo Palmera, FARC Negotiator, Found Guilty ‘The U.S. war on the Colombian revolu- tionary movement took a serious turn on July 9 when a Washington, D.C., federal court convicted Ricardo Palmera of con- spiring to kidnap three U.S. defense con- tractors in 2003 Palmera, the lead negotiator for the Revolutionsry Armed Forces of Colombia, was captured in Quito, Ecuador, and later extradited_to the United States in December 2004, ‘The three US. agents at issue worked for Northrop Grumman, a defense con- elomerate contracted by the Peniagon to carry out spy work in Colombia. ‘After an initial trial last year ended in a hung jury, this second trial ended in incon- sistent verdicts on the various_phony changs levied against Palmera. The jury found him guilty on one count of conspira- ey, but told Judge Royee C. Lamberth that they could not reach a consensus on the remaining three charges of taking hostages. and a final count of providing material sup- Port o a "terrorist” aganization. Conspiracy is a charge that is always used by U.S. prosecutors in political cases. Aconspiricy is an agreement between peo- Ple to commit a_substantive crime. By using the charge of conspiracy, the govern- ment does not have to prove any underly ing crime. I’ a loaded, “catch-all” charge that almost always results in a guilty ver- dict “This case was no different. After the verdict, Kenneth Wainstein, assistant attor- ney general for national security, said “Anyone involved in the hostage-taking ‘and murder of Americans anywhere around the globe should pay close attention 1o this verdict. This prosecution demonsirates we will spare no effort 10 apprehend, prosecute and punish any individual who participates in the abduction of our citizens.” ‘Two days after he was found guilty, the U.S. Department of Justice indicated that it would seck a reduced sentence for Palmera if the FARC released the three CIA agens. ‘The DOJ also said it would not make “con- cessions to terrorists.” Palmera still faces trial in the Untied States on patently false charges of drug trafficking and dozens of additional changs in Colombia. Palmera’s conviction comes days after another FARC member, Anayibe Rojas Valderama, also known as Sonia, was sen- tenced to 17 years in a US. prison on wrongful charges of cocaine trficking. [See Below] FARC Member ‘Sonia’ Sentenced to 17 years Washington, D.C. - Anayibe Rojas Valderama, 3 member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) also know as *Sonia’, was sen- tenced here, July 2 by Judge James Robertson o nearly 17 years in federal prison on charges of shipping cocaine o the United States. “What took place in this courtroom today was anything but justice. This is a frame-up, pure and simple,” stated Mick Kelly outside the D.C. courtroom. Kelly, who helps lead the defense work for another Colombian political prisoner, Ricardo Palmera, added, “In the course of the trial the prosecution called on a band of professional liars to testify. There was the §15,000-2 month DEA informant, Rocio Alvarez. Then there were the tales of the retired Colombian National Police officer, Mauricio Moreno, who spoke of plots 10 sell cocaine 1o the paramilitaries and then steal it. And then there was *Juan Valdez” whose testimony was a collection of lies.” During the sentencing hearing, defense_attorney Carmen Hernandes pressed for a new trial. She cited the fact that the testimony of “Juan Valdez' was completely discredited and this amount- ed 1o new evidence. She also pointed out that her interviews with the jurors after Sonia’s_conviction indicated that they were influenced by the *Juan Valdez' tes- timony. Judge Robinson agreed that the “Juan Valdez' testimony was dubious at best, but then he ruled against a new trial. Gutside the courtroom, defense attor- ney Hemandez told the press that the trial s not the way things are supposed to work under the constitution. Hernandez was not allowed to make needed investi- gations and the instructions o the jury were flawed. Sonia speaks out {old the court that she was innocent of the chargs. She repeatedly proclaimed. her Sh related that she had been born t0 a {0 attend school barefoot because of her shoes at age 14. It was because of the on- FARC guerillas. She was arrested in February of 2004 the United States 13 months later on Cocaine to the United Staes - the charge She asked how it can be explained tht, Have enough t cat. She iso sad tht fam- could not afford airfare o visit her bership. Because of that label, she was only twice a week - and then only in hand- cuffs. Sonja described her solitary con- finement as “psychological torture.” Sonia noted that during a brief period she had been held in the general popula- tion of the District of Columbia jail and had been able to study and learn some English. She asked that the “terrorist*label be lifted from her so that she not be held in maximum security and would be able to continue to study and learn. “It is sad that a lie has become justice i this court because | have not done what they say I have,” said Sonja. More to come According to US. Assistant Atiomey General Fisher, “The prosecution of these FARC members, the first of its kind in the United States, was made possible because of the exceptional cooperation of Colombian authorities and the hard work and efforts of the DEA agents and federal prosecutors who, working together, were essential to the successful conclusion of this important case.” “Tom Burke of the National Commitice to Free Ricardo Palmera responds: “This case demonstrates that the Bush adminis- tration will stop at nothing to eriminalize the struggle for free and independent Colombia. Sonia is not a drug dealer. She is hero who is being made to suffer for her efforts to bring justice to Colombia. Her frame-up was made in the US.A. and was. assisted by Colombia's death-squad gov- ernment.” Burke urges all progressive people o support these Colombian political prison- ers held in the U_S. prison system. There are no addresses. available for these prisoners as of today. RUNNING DOWN THE W Los Angeles the Walls (RDTW). We held the cvent on Sept. $h at Whitier owo ke, which provided a great apportunity to reflect on the veminded of the othe soldanty runs taking place USP Big Sandy. MCT Walpole, Boston and West Massachusets. port the event and enjoy the weather. In the past. we have had Rob Stiddaugh and Sara Jane Olson at our run. Both supported the oner, Matt Lamont, was at the run. (We hope this changes the at Running Down the Walls) LA Food Not Bombs raciously provided food the event. We wish to personally hank them forther efforts. We would aso ke AK Press. We thank AK Pres fo their genctous prizes. Wit thirty peaple ptiipating, we raised close to $1.700 for the ABCF Warchestand the black Rder Liberation Part. Thanks 10 allthat participted in this year's Running Down the Wall. Western Massachusetts On September 8th at Ipm we headed up Mt. Norwottuck for the first annual Western Massachusetts' Running Down The Walls Sk hike done in solidarity with other RDTW events. At the top of Mt. Norwottuck with the sun shining down and a spectacular view of the Pioncer Valley the names of over a hundred political pris- ALLS 200 PORT ‘oners were read out loud. We then hiked over to the Horse Caves, amazing overhanging rock ledges where Daniel Shay and his men supposedly hid out during the Shays" Rebellion. 1t was a really reat day. $335 was raised Boston On Sunday, September 9th, prisoners in Walpole, Mass, Elmore, Alabama and all over the country were running down the walls. On the outside, about 30 people in Boston ran the SK around Jamaica Pond. It was 4 great event and we would like to thank everybody for participating, and for their generous support. With everybody's participation and solidarity we raised S110011 Half of the funds will go to the Leonard Peltier Defense Commitiee in honor of Leonard's birthday, and the other half will 0 10 the San Francisco . So thanks again for coming out and running. We hope 1o sce ‘you you at next year's Running Down the Walls and on December 3rd for Jericho's cvent recognizing the Intemational Day in Solidarity with Political Prisoners. The Anarchist Subsistence Program The Anarchist Subsistence Program secks to provide material aid to those PP/POWs who come from our own anarchist/anti-authoritarian community. As with the Warchest, this program is designed to aid PP/POWs who receive litle financial aid. However, it is unique because it exclusively assists those from the anar- chist/anti-authoritarian communit Over the last fow years there has been an increase of anarchist/anti-authoritarian PP/POWS. Most of these new prisoners have support committees who raise awareness and funds on their behalf. Long held anarchist/anti- authoritarian PP/POWs have had their support overshad- owed by these new cases. This program is designed to ensure that support for them remains consistent. The two functions of this support campaign include a monthly nancial assistance and forty 41¢ postage stamps per month. Supporters of the Anarchist Subsistence Program send whatever funds they can to Philadelphia Subsistence Report for 2007 AN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG NJHATES C 1 0 o 0o 0 0 0 RYAN/ALSKA 015 0 0 0 0 0 0 E26/N) 0 0 0 o o0 0 0 28X 0 0 0 2 30 0 0 0 TONY/KS 035 0 0 0 0 0 0 CHRIS/NY 0 0 10 10 10 0 10 0 RYAVALASKA 0 0 15 15 15 15 15 15 ANNEJERICHO 0 0 0 0 0 0160 0 ToTAL 0 50 25 45 45 115 185 15 ABC (who facilitates the program) who in turn distributes the funds among anarchist political prisoners who parti pate in the program. All U.S. supporters also take tums Sending the Stamps directly 1o Philadelphia ABC. Listed here are the monthly check documentation and rotation of groups sending stamps. If you want to support this important program and help us expand the number of Anarchist Subsistence Program campaigns we run, con- tact Philadelphia ABC. Make checks or money orders out only to: TIM FASNACHT. Funds should be sent in the last week of the month before the month the funds will be used (i.c., send March funds in the 3rd week of February). (" Stamp Schedule Sept- Philadelphia Oct- Los Angeles. Nov- Philadelphia Dec- Los Angeles Send a check or money order to Philadelphia ABCF made lout to Tim Fasnacht for forty 41¢ stamps in the last week of| the month before the month for which you are responsible. Philadelphia ABCF P.0 Box 42129 Philadelphia, PA 19101 “Thanks much for the support you've been organizing. I really appreciate it. After not having any or very little support for so long, it now seems like people have all of a sudden realized that I am alive.” ~ Sekou Odinga (New Afrikan Prisoner of War) | Name: Ph: | Street Address: | City/State/Zip: | ONE TIME DONATION [ ] MONTHLY SUPPORTER [ ] | Monthly supporters, please check one of the followi | Ll commit 6 months [ ] 1'l commit to 1 year $50,000 Raised Through the Warchest Program SUPPORT THE ABCF WARCHEST ‘The ABCF has initiated a program designed to send monthly checks to PPPOWSs who have been receiving insufficient, lttl, or no financial support during their imprison- ment. PPPOWs requesting funds complete an application of financial questions. ‘When the ABCF has collected sufficient funds to send out another monthly check, the applications are reviewed by a rotating body of PP/POWs called the Prisoner Committee, who make a judgement on which applicant s in the most financial necd. There is also an emergency fund designed to immediately send checks to those PP/POWS in nced of one-time or emergency Founded in 1994, the Warchest has provided cor ing a much- neglected comradely function. Since its inception, the ABCF has raised over $50,000 with just this one program. Al funds raised go directly to the political prisoners, for which the program is designed. Despite our success, our comrades are stil in dire need of funds. Endorse this program by giving a monthly or one-time donation to increase the number of prisoners being supported monthly. A financial report is published that documents all money received and the prisoner it was sent to. The prisoners” addresses are also printed so that endorsers may write and hold us accountable. Send cash,checks or mos made to TIM FASNACHT to: Philly ABCF e P.O Box 42129 e Philadelphia, PA 19101 ¢ timABCF@aol.com FUNDSIN___JAN FEB_MAR_APR_MAY JUN JUL AUG_SEPT FUNDS IN TAABCF/RDTW 100 0 25 0 0 0 0 0 1700 ~Tesq 351 JAX ABCF 0 0 0 30 30 0 0 o [ :ggi ‘;;fi NJ ABCF 0 0 o0 0 0 0 0 o0 [ Tt CHRIS/N] 140 20 25 20 20 0 20 0 [ BT T EZE/NJ 0 0 0 o0 0100 0 0 [ —1999 S84 RYAN/ALSKA 25 35 25 25 25 55 35 35 35 2000 3514 PPROPAGANDI () 0 92 0 0 0 o0 0 2001 5290 JUSTIN/CLEV ) 0 120 0 0 0 o ) 2002 2873 ANON 5 0 0 0 0 0 o0 0 0 2003 1785 JIM/PHILLY 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2004 UNACC* TONY/KS 0 25 0 0 0 0 0 o ) 2005 4439 ALEJANDRO 0 0 15 0 0 0 0 o ) 2006 3268 SHEILA/LA 0 0 0 0 0 0 o0 35 ) 2007 3842 SHARON SHOATZ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 360 [ TOTAL 50366 W. MASS. RDTW 0 0 0 0 0 0 o0 o0 3475 FUNDS OUT TOTAL 357 80 115 317 95 175 75 450 2178 1994 120 FUNDS OUT JAN FEB_MAR APR_MAY JUN JUL AUG SEPT 1995 2796 SEKOU KAMBUI 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 199 4308 RUSSELL SHOATZ 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 1957 4588 JOSEPH BOWEN 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 1998 6412 HANIFF BEY 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 1999 5191 HERMAN BELL 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 2000 4544 SEKOU ODINGA 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 2001 4637 RUCHELL MAGEE 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 2002 4320 ALVARO HERNANDEZ 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 2003 1300 MALIKI LATINE ) 0 50 0 0 0 30 30 2004 UNACC* THOMAS MANNING ) 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 2005 2620 TOTAL 240 240 240 290 340 240 240 270 270 2006 2880 2007 2370 (*Funds unaccounted for due to unreported funds from Jacksonville ABCF) TOTAL 46086 & “Your ABCF Guide to PP/POW Support is great, PERIOD!" - New Afikan POW Sundiata Acoli “You can see many of our concerns addressed in this pam - phiet.” - former Puerto Rican POW Carmen Valentin “Itis extremely well thought out and put together.” - Anti-Imperialist PP Tom Manning Wihat's the ABC? What's the ABCF? Who are Political Prisoners? Who are Prisoners of War? Where are they? Why make a criteria? What do you mean by “documentation”and how do 1 get it? What kinds of sup - ‘por do Polltical Prisoners need? How should 1 o about my work? What can PPIPOWS gt in prison? What do I need o know if I wans - ed 10 visit? Can I bring them food packages? What abour clothes? Wit do you mean' by ‘principled support”? How do I get involved? This is a practical guide compiled by Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War themselves, based on concrete history and work experience. 1t will help answer all of the above questions and more. The ABCF guide to PPPOW includes definitions that were demo- cratically agreed upon at an international tribunal, spet dures ini " proce- ob ‘documentation on PP/POW's. information on visiting, phone contact, food/clothing packages, and the working policies of the ABCF in our work to support PPPOW's. Send $1 ‘and two stamps to ABCF-LA « PO Box 11223 « Whittier, CA + 90603 LA-ABCF Branch Group PO Box 11223 Whittier, CA 90603 “This work is not done for glory, but because we believe in mutual aid.”