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FBI on Trial <> Roadless Areas Surviving <> Disarmament Feedback
Leonard Peltier's voice will never be silenced by the dungeons of a Federal Penitentiary. In this issue Flyby News is forwarding information from the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee about the Redwood Summer Justice Project. This came on the day that Joseph Salvatti testified on Capitol Hill about the FBI's shady use of informants. The bit of good news in this issue is that the roadless forests are protected, still, but the fight is not over.
1) Peltier Supports Bari/Cherney Civil Rights Suit
2) Joseph Salvatti and the FBI's Use of Informants
3) Bush Keeps National Forest Road Building Ban in Place
4) Missile Defense / Disarmament Flyby Feedback
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1) Peltier Supports Bari/Cherney Civil Rights Suit
From the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee (LPDC)
Dear Friends,
Below is a statement from Leonard Peltier in support of the Redwood Summer Justice Project. The Redwood Summer Justice Project is suing the FBI and the Oakland Police for falsely accusing Earth First! Activists, Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney of carrying explosives, after their car was bombed in 1990. The bombing crippled Judi Bari permanently and caused minor injuries to Cherney. The bomb had been placed under Judi Bari's seat. Rather than finding the perpetrator, the FBI launched a major disinformation campaign against the staunchly nonviolent activists, and blamed them for bombing themselves. Since then, FBI materials released through discovery have proven that the FBI was infiltrating the organization and that they withheld photos illustrating the bomb's position in the car, thus discounting their allegations. Sound familiar?
In fact, Richard W. Held, who was also involved in the framing of Geronimo Ji Jaga (Pratt) and Leonard Peltier, headed this "investigation" as well. A hearing on the civil rights case is set for October 1st of this year. The trial will essentially challenge the FBI's use of COINTELPRO tactics. This is truly a case for solidarity. Check this site for more information: http://www.judibari.org
LPDC
= = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Statement from Leonard Peltier in support of the Redwood Summer Justice Project
Dear Friends,
No one can return the twenty-five years I have spent in prison based on an orchestrated frame-up at the hands of the FBI.
The Redwood Summer Justice Project is struggling for all of us who have been targeted for our work in defense of our people and the land.
In May of 1990, as Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney were on their way to an organizing event, they were nearly killed in an assassination attempt. A pipe bomb wrapped in nails for a shrapnel effect and triggered by a motion device exploded under the seat of Judi's car. The force of the blast buckled the car frame and blew a hole in the floorboard. The blast crushed Judi's coccyx and pelvis and left her crippled. Darryl escaped with cuts and broken eardrums.
Within minutes of the explosion, the FBI was on the scene and orchestrated a massive disinformation campaign designed to discredit and imprison these Earth First activists. Equally sinister, the FBI never tried to find the real bomber who to this day, remains at large.
There can be no healing without truth, and the greatest love is that which is based on justice. Together we must guarantee the First Amendment rights of all activists who courageously defy corporate control of our environment.
I urge you to support Judi Bari and Darry Cherney's historic lawsuit that will finally put the FBI on trial.
In the Spirit of Crazy Horse,
Leonard Peltier
http://www.freepeltier.org
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2) Joseph Salvatti and the FBI's Use of Informants
No apology from agent in Salvati case
But he acknowledges a man's innocence
(By Shelley Murphy, Globe Staff)
WASHINGTON - After spending 30 years in prison for a murder that he didn't commit, Joseph Salvati received profuse apologies and promises of compensation from members of Congress yesterday, but not a word of remorse from the FBI agent who helped put him away.
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/124/metro/No_apology_from_agent_in_Salvati_case+.shtml
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3) Bush Keeps National Forest Road Building Ban in Place
Friday, May 04, 2001
http://capitolhillblue.com/Article.asp?ID=1684
The Bush administration will keep in place a contentious ban on road building in much of the nation's federal forest lands while it revises the regulations to give more say to local officials on what forests should be affected, according to government sources.
The road ban, a pivotal part of former President Clinton's environmental legacy, ropes off 58.5 million acres - about a third of the federal forest land - from developers, loggers and mining companies. These industries are lobbying to have the measure reversed.
While the road ban could still be scrapped, congressional and administration officials said Thursday the White House has decided to keep the ban in place while new rules are developed. This process could be lengthy since it would require formal rule making, including public comment periods.
The revised regulations, about which additional details may be announced Friday, are expected to give a greater say to state and local officials. Also the restrictions would likely be imposed on a forest-by-forest basis, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"We are going to be reviewing it for a while, but at least we are going to be doing it on a site-specific basis where real land considerations can be made," a congressional source said.
Exactly how the new rule would be crafted was still fluid late Thursday, but more details could emerge when the Bush administration files a brief Friday in response to a lawsuit brought by the state of Idaho seeking to block the rule.
Clinton's policy, announced Jan. 5, was supposed to take effect in March. The Bush administration delayed implementation until May 12 while it conducted a review.
An announcement of the decision to revise the plan was expected Friday at a news conference with Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman.
The Clinton administration began creating the rules about three years ago, but did not issue them until just weeks before President Clinton left office.
The road ban on much of the federal forest in the West was praised by environmentalists as a way to protect the nation's most pristine forest lands from developers and preserve critical wildlife habitats. Opponents, including the timber and mining industries, say the rules needlessly place valuable resources off-limits.
The state of Idaho and timber company Boise Cascade sued in federal court in Boise seeking to block the rule from taking effect. The Bush administration had until Friday to file a brief with the court outlining its analysis of the rule.
In an interim decision, U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge rejected a call for an immediate blocking on the policy, but said there was "strong evidence" that the process was hurried and the Forest Service was not prepared to produce a "coherent proposal or meaningful dialogue and that the end result was predetermined."
While awaiting the judge's final decision, Chris West, vice president of the American Forest Resource Council, said he would be disappointed if the Bush administration kept the ban in place while a new rule was created. Such a move could put forests in the West at risk to insects, disease and fire because the roadless areas will be inaccessible, he said.
"What has us worried is what they are going to be doing in the interim," said West, whose Portland, Ore.-based group represents timber interests.
Jim Lyons, an agriculture undersecretary in the Clinton administration who oversaw the Forest Service, said the only way the Bush administration could legally change the rules was through the rule-making process, which could be lengthy and provides the opportunity for public comment.
"Clearly, the people close to this process have a strong philosophical problem with protecting roadless areas," said Lyons, now a professor at Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.
Marty Hayden, legislative director for Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund, said he thought the expected revisions would take the Bush administration back to where the government started three years ago - trying to maintain 380,000 miles of roads that have an $8.5 billion maintenance backlog.
"They have chosen not to suspend it because they are feeling the heat of the public support that was behind the rule in the first place," Hayden said. "But they are still heading down a path for undoing it."
The vast majority of roadless federal forests are in the West, including parts of Idaho's Bitterroot range and Alaska's Tongass, viewed by environmentalists as North America's rain forest.
Smaller sections are scattered across the country from Florida's Apalachicola National Forest and Virginia's George Washington National Forest to New Hampshire's White Mountains.
ゥ Copyright 2001 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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4) Missile Defense / Disarmament Flyby Feedback
DANIEL wrote:
> Dear Sir:
>
> Are you out of your mind? Do you honestly think that Russia has not prepared for nuclear war with us already? Why would you not want to be able for the US to be able to defend itself against Russia or some other rogue state such as N Korea, Iran, Pakistan, India, China, ETC., ETC., ad nauseam, that has, will have, or is trying to develop nuke capabilities?
>
> It is a documented fact that Mother Russia violated the ABM Treaty signed with us in 1972. They have developed and installed a BM Shield that is state of the art. This they have done with the aid
of American taxpayer dollars. So if we are going to build them one, why not build one for ourselves?
> Respectfully-
>
> Daniel
jm replies:
thanks for your respectful letter, even though we clearly are coming from different points of view. my interest with russia and other countries are to become allies with them in the mutual beneficial concern to end stupid weapons that can kill all life. my interest is for the u.s. to maintain past treaties and encourage a full disarmament of all weapons of mass destruction. meanwhile, we should be developing a much stronger conventional military force, one that could stop the greater dangers of terrorists using weapons of mass destruction, and by aligning with all nations choosing to outlaw such weapons, we would have the deterrent to wipe out anyone trying to harm life, meanwhile instead of the policies of the last 50 years, which are only making security matters worse, we would engage a more effective security system and alliance with most all nations of the world, committed
to working together to respect all nations living peacefully and under a fair international law and interests.
the fear incentive of preparation with missile defense weakens our nation, since it has been shown to be ineffective, and can waist valuable resources, while other global security interests go down the tubes such as environmental devastation and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. this direction of enforced disarmament of weapons of mass destruction is better to all national security interests.
thanks for writing. i appreciate your consideration and our differences. this issue needs to be debated,
as it is a powerful decision to try and dominate peace with ineffective weapons and development while we are truly at a most dangerous time.
jonathan
>RE: WHAT STAR WARS/NMD IS REALLY ABOUT
To: Daniel
DANIEL wrote:
> Jonathan-
>
> I heartily agree that our 'Free Press' is as bought and paid for as the Atlanta Braves baseball team and Time -Warner Enterprises. The once great nation whose founders designed a government by the people and for the people has tragically been usurped by the love of money. However, with the present shift of power by the Russo-Sino military and political structure would you have us sit on our thumbs and for the 'sake of peace' allow THEM to make a pre-emptive strike making us defenseless against, say, a land invasion?
jm replies:
No, i would actively make these countries partners with the u.s. to solve problems of mutual concern.
there is room in this world without fear and destruction. though, this step would begin by our honoring treaties we signed and commit to joining forces for the direction of disarmament in a unified and verifiable direction. Until we can trust one another, all countries joining the alliance would agree [if necessary] to destroy any member nation going against its pact in order to deny the use of weapons of mass destruction.
>
> These are perilous times indeed, and I am all for world peace, prosperity, live and let live, etc. But not at the expense of my future freedoms, your future freedoms, and the freedoms of our future
children. Do not forget the commitment these folks have over there. Communism is alive and well as the news show with the riots that have occurred since yesterday. Communisms soul objective is total global control without any regards to the economy, environment, religion . . . you name it.
jm/
Communism, in the form you present is only energized by those frustrated by capitalism. If one solves problems within our current system, frustration is reduced or nonexistent. our freedoms and survival rely on the choices for the direction we take. If we try to dominate, to control, it naturally causes a response like cause and affect. If countries and people unite behind common interests, and develop trust, gradually, everyone can benefit by a true direction for peace and well being.
>
> If they were so concerned with 'Peace' they would not make such provoking moves as shooting down our military plane, take over the Panama Canal, establish strategic missile batteries 100 hundred miles off the Fl. coast, etc. I am not blind to the fact that our government has not done things to antagonize their behavior as well, but I feel that mutual respect is achieved when BOTH parties can come to the bargaining table with much to lose.
>
> I appreciate your position and DO agree with you as far as peace is concerned. Peace is often only achieved by holding an olive branch in one hand and a big stick in the other. Platitudes, overtures, and trying to 'buy' them is only viewed as weakness in these cultures and in the ideological view of communism.
>
> Unless you are a communist, I do not think that you would like living in their 'idea' of a peaceful utopian society. The only ones who do like it are the ones who have never lived in it and the ones
who are at the top of the food chain in the nations that are.
>
> This is an age-old debate and one that will never get resolved in the present state. I respect your convictions and our desire is to live as peacefully as best as we can. We however disagree on how that means is to be achieved.
>
> As gentlemen of good will, we can agree to disagree and still be friends.
> I do know for a fact that one day true peace will prevail on earth and I hope with all sincerity that you are there to see it come to fruition.
>
> I will send you an article relating to the present
> Sino-Russo alliance for your review and I wish you the best in your endeavors.
>
> Respectfully-
>
> Daniel
many thanks for your letters. on the big issues we agree, and i agree, our choices for getting there differs greatly. that we can share a respect and disagree is a good beginning to finding solutions that work. your idea of peace with a big stick got us this far, yes, but the consequences are a questionable future as technologies and capabilities expand. we need to transform our direction into win/win rather than win/lose. yes, i value freedom as life itself. i think a big stick in conventional weapon technology should be as far as we go in this direction, if we were smart and choose the direction of disarmament of all weapons of mass destruction. our united will for good is much greater than any separate-ego source. we give it strength by having it affect us to the degree it has, influenced by the greed of those benefitting by development of such technologies and for market domination.
best regards,
jonathan
In another E-mail reply/feedback, (which hopefully represents the feelings of many), Kim wrote:
I'm so grateful for the flyby news. I just wanted to appreciate the work and energy that goes into it so the rest of us can be informed about what's going on
Kim
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Thanks for the feedback, reading, and acting for peace. Keep the dialog flowing and truth will be uncovered and justice will prevail.
Hang loose, soon we will have a discussion board at flybynews.com.