August 2007 Archives

The United States rejects the rule of international law, refusing to subject itself to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, while claiming oral authority to pronounce unilateral judgment on the behavior of other nations and world leaders. According to the National Conference of Black Lawyers, the state crimes committed against African Americans in the aftermath of Katrina, alone, are ample ground for prosecution of a host of officials in an international court of law. These criminals will be in the dock, August 29, at the International Tribunal on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, in New Orleans. Hang ‘em high.

"Support the International Tribunal on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in New Orleans from August 29 through September 2."

When the International Criminal Court (ICC) was established in 1998, it gave hope to literally millions of desperate, oppressed people around the world who otherwise believed that state-sponsored tyrants, soldiers and thugs who were responsible for mass murder, torture and other atrocities would never be held accountable for their crimes. The ICC, which is governed by the provisions of a treaty known as the "Rome Statute" is unprecedented in that in countries that submit to the court’s jurisdiction, nobody - even heads of state - can be immune from criminal prosecution and punishment for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The creation of the ICC, which was inspired in significant part by incidents where governments used their domestic courts to absolve those guilty of heinous crimes was widely celebrated as a significant step forward for humanity. Even in the United States where there was concern about potential abuse of the court, former President Bill Clinton signed on to the Rome Statute with reservations.

Technically, there was the potential for ratification until Clinton’s successor, George W. Bush, directed that Clinton’s signature be removed from the Rome Statute. While the subsequent U.S. attacks on Iraq, and the tortures that have been carried out in Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib and elsewhere, have likely made the withdrawal from the Rome Statute a pretty good idea from the Bush regime’s perspective, the National Conference of Black Lawyers (NCBL) regards it as a tragic, monumental step backwards in the ongoing movement for the universal protection of human rights.

"The need for the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction over the U.S. is crystal clear."

As we approach the second anniversary of the Katrina disaster, and reflect on the countless crimes that were committed by government officials and employees, the need for the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction over the U.S. is crystal clear. NCBL had the opportunity to not only tour the ruins of New Orleans but to also speak with survivors. They described National Guard troops who allegedly aimed rifles at civilians and their small children while screaming obscenities and forcing them to remain in emergency shelters that contained no food or water and that were filled with human waste and countless dead bodies.

During separate interviews the survivors made almost identical allegations that National Guard troops entered the Super Dome and the convention center and effected with surgical precision the evacuation of white survivors while leaving the throngs of Africans behind to suffer and possibly die. These white-only rescue operations are alleged to have occurred daily and according to a schedule. NCBL also heard the story of one of many survivors who was arrested for a very minor offense and placed in a maximum security penitentiary and held there for months amidst violent criminals without ever appearing before a judge.

"National Guard troops entered the Super Dome and the convention center and effected with surgical precision the evacuation of white survivors while leaving the throngs of Africans behind."

Yet another survivor claimed that he was pepper sprayed and beaten Rodney King style by several New Orleans police officers because he dared to inquire politely whether an officer knew when evacuation buses would arrive. NCBL heard several separate accounts of survivors who allege that they attempted to cross bridges from New Orleans into neighboring parishes, and who encountered police in formation with upraised rifles. The police allegedly shouted racial epithets and profanity as they ordered survivors to retreat.

Perhaps the most alarming allegations concerned several cold-blooded murders that were carried out by National Guard troops. These allegations included: a point-blank gangland style execution by a superior officer; the shooting of a deranged survivor by a Guardsman in a passing vehicle; and the seizure of an irate survivor who was taken to flying altitude in a military helicopter and then dropped overboard to her death.

"NCBL is calling for a people’s campaign to bring the U.S. under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court."

NCBL believes that, at minimum, these allegations should be investigated by independent authorities who are capable of obtaining internal government documents and official information that might provide the basis for prosecutions that can land government criminals in jail. The ICC prosecutor generally has that capacity, but the Bush regime has effectively insulated itself from prosecution by rejecting ICC jurisdiction. There is however a new opportunity to overcome Bush recalcitrance during the ongoing race for the presidency. NCBL is calling for a people’s campaign - not to elect a particular candidate - but to obtain commitments from all candidates that if elected, they will re-sign the Rome Statute, and lead the effort to bring the U.S. under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.

As a first and significant step in this campaign, NCBL hasjoined with the People’s Hurricane Relief Fund, the Mississippi Disaster Relief Coalition, the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, the U.S. Human Rights Network, and many others to conduct an International Tribunal on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in New Orleans from August 29 through September 2. (For details visit www.internationaltribunal.org) At the tribunal NCBL will make the case for ICC jurisdiction while others will present testimony and evidence of the most serious international criminal and human rights violations. (See NCBL’s memorandum at www.ncbl.org)

Never again must government officials be allowed the perception that they can flagrantly ignore the most fundamental human rights and commit crimes against humanity. For its own sake, the United States needs to protect itself from tyranny by submitting to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. NCBL calls upon all people of good will to demand that presidential candidates commit to re-signing the Rome Statute, and leading the effort to bring the U.S. under ICC jurisdiction.

Hello my friend,

Yesterday, according to the New Orleans Times Picayune, Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats toured New Orleans, including the Lower Ninth Ward.  They "signaled that the federal largesse would have limits."  One Louisiana Democratic Representative indicated that they were "here to differentiate the needs from the wants."

However, the Democratic Congress has failed to differentiate Bush Administration needs from its wants and has granted the Administration legalized spying on the American people; funding for the surge and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; and maneuvering room to do all this and more by taking impeachment "off the table."

Katrina survivors, through their People’s Hurricane Relief Fund, are no longer willing to wait for justice; they have formed the Hurricanes Katrina and Rita International Tribunal to hold all levels of the  government accountable for massive failures.  I have joined their call for justice and have agreed to serve as a Convener of the Tribunal.  The Tribunal takes place in New Orleans from August 29, 2007 to September 2, 2007.  If you can make it, please come.  If you are a member of an organization, please have your organization endorse the Tribunal at .

As you can imagine, this is a huge undertaking with significant implications for an unresponsive government. Perhaps it will be the Katrina and Rita survivors who will finally put brakes on a government that is out of control in its utter disregard of the American people.

I remember that it was one brave judge in Spain who agreed to hold Pinochet responsible for crimes committed against the Chilean people. The world’s generosity toward Katrina and Rita survivors was shunned even as today’s needs go unfilled and underfunded. It is to that same international community that survivors now turn. I believe their cries for justice will be heard.

However, please know that efforts to subvert or dilute this effort will surely be made because of the tremendous implications of this action. I do not want the Tribunal to be COINTELPRO’d. Therefore, I am asking that you make a tax-deductible donation to the Tribunal to keep it a true, uncompromised voice of the people.

With your important support, we will see a new generation of authentic leadership rise from the cries of the people for justice—not only in the Gulf States, but all across our country.

Give generously to the Tribunal at: https://www.vanguardsf.org/index.php?s=40.  (*Please be sure to scroll down on the PURPOSE pulldown menu to designate People’s Hurricane Relief Fund as the recipient of your donation).

Checks can be mailed to
People’s Hurricane Relief Fund
c/o Vanguard Public Foundation
383 Rhode Island Street, #301
San Francisco, CA 94103
*please earmark checks - "International Tribunal"

Here’s a letter from the Executive Director of the People’s Hurricane Relief Fund explaining all the background information you might want. For more information, please feel free to contact me at this e-mail address or call the absolutely brilliant Leon Waters in New Orleans at (504) 301-0215. Please give what you can at http://www.vanguardsf.org/index.php?s=40

Here’s the letter:

The People’s Hurricane Relief Fund and Oversight Coalition (PHRF/OC) is a national coalition of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Survivors and their supporters (see www.peopleshurricane.org for more details). PHRF/OC is working to ensure that the people most affected by the Hurricanes – poor Black communities who were marginalized and disenfranchised long before the storms – have a voice in the reconstruction process, and that those responsible for the needless destruction of their homes, communities and lives are held accountable for the actions.

PHRF/OC is seeking your financial support for a critical human rights initiative to hold the US government, on all levels, accountable for the policies and decisions that resulted in the death of over 2,000 people in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast and the displacement of over 1 million in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.  This initiative is the International Tribunal on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita which will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana August 29th – September 2nd, 2007 (see www.internationaltribunal.org for more details). 

The goals of the International Tribunal are as follows:

   1. Hold the US government accountable for its crimes against humanity;
   2. Demand financial restitution and justice for the Survivors of Katrina and Rita; Advance the Katrina reconstruction movement;
   3. Build a national and international campaign against the US government’s program of displacement and ethnic cleansing;
   4. Demand that the US government adhere to UN guidelines on Internally Displaced Persons (IDP).

These goals are the long-term vision we desire from the Tribunal. We seek to permanently and positively change the systems, policies, and structures that failed the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast who were victims of the government’s systematic neglect and depraved indifference.

The International Tribunal is an initiative of PHRF/OC, Mississippi Disaster Relief Coalition (MDRC), and the US Human Rights Network (USHRN). The International Tribunal on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita is a programmatic outgrowth of the demand for justice and restitution called for by the more than two hundred Survivors gathered at the first Survivors Assembly held December 8th – 9th, 2005 in Jackson, Mississippi. The Survivors consisted of those living in the impacted Gulf Coast areas and from more than 15 cities throughout the country where Survivors have been dispersed.

To advance and promote the ongoing work of the International Tribunal, we are seeking your generous financial contribution. We are seeking to raise $300,000 to support the ongoing work of the Tribunal, including providing support for adequate staffing and legal counsel, national and international networking and campaigning, and domestic and international legal action. Anything you can contribute to help us attain this goal will be invaluable in helping us accomplish our mission.
 
To make a contribution to this initiative please make your checks out to: People’s Hurricane Relief Fund (PHRF). Please earmark your checks "International Tribunal". Mail your checks to: Vanguard Public Foundation 383 Rhode Island Street, Suite 301 San Francisco, CA 94103. All contributions are tax deductible.

Respectfully,
Kali Akuno
Executive Director, People’s Hurricane Relief Fund
Monday, August 13th, 200

 

 

Wednesday, August 29th, 2007 will mark the second commemoration of Hurricane Katrina and the Great Flood that devastated New Orleans and revealed to the world the ongoing depth of racism and national oppression that exists within the United States. The People’s Hurricane Relief Fund and Oversight Coalition, a U.S.-based coalition of survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and their supporters, is holding its Second Annual Commemorative March on August 29th and the International Tribunal on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita from August 29th – September 2nd, 2007 (see www.internationaltribunal.org for more details).  

PHRF/OC is calling on justice seeking people throughout the world to stand in solidarity with us on Wednesday, August 29th in support of these actions and demand that the US government be made accountable for the crimes it perpetrated against the marginalized and oppressed peoples of the Gulf Coast – people African descent, Indigenous Peoples, migrants, and the poor - during and after Hurricane Katrina.
We are demanding the following:

1. The US government declare the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Internally Displace Persons (IDP’s) and that they be provided with the basic rights and securities that come with this designation.
2. The US government provide immediate restitution to all Gulf Coast IDP’s, regardless of race, income, or property holding status.
3. Government officers, institutions, and agencies responsible for the death of over 2,000 individuals and the numerous human rights violations and crimes committed during and after Hurricane Katrina be held legally accountable for their actions.

To support this initiative PHRF/OC is asking all of our international supporters and allies to take one or all of the following actions:

1. Hold a demonstration on August 29th at the US Embassy or Consulate in your country and raise the aforementioned demands in support the Gulf Coast IDP’s and the International Tribunal.
2. Deliver a statement addressed to US President George Bush demanding that the US government comply with the just demands of the Gulf Coast IDP’s, including the demands for recognition and restitution.
3. Issue a statement of solidarity to the International Tribunal on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, alerting the body of your actions and support.
4. Join the International Tribunal network and support our ongoing campaign work for justice by registering at the www.internationaltribunal.org website

If you plan on conducting any of the above actions or to receive more information please contact us at tribunal@peopleshurricane.org.

Uphold the Right of Return and hold the US government accountable for its crimes against humanity in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Act Now!  

In Unity and Struggle, 
Kali Akuno

Sessions to open on storm anniversary

A panel of judges from the United States and abroad will gather in New Orleans later this month to hear from survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita who claim that local state and federal governments began violating their rights during the storm, continue doing so and should be held accountable for those actions.

"The American government carried out numerous crimes against humanity, human rights violations," Leon Waters of the Peoples Hurricane Relief Fund said Thursday at a news conference outside U.S. District Court with other conference supporters, among them former U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney of Georgia.

According to survivor advocates, 300,000 New Orleanians, most of them black, have been unable to return to the city largely because of discriminatory rebuilding and public assistance efforts.

Waters’ organization and others, including the Louisiana ACLU, Safe Streets Strong Communities and the U.S. Human Rights Network, have arranged for the survivors to air their complaints and demand reparations during hearings beginning Aug. 29, Katrina’s second anniversary, and ending Sept. 2.

The sessions, to be held daily in the 11th floor conference center of the Pan American Life Insurance Building, 601 Poydras St., will bring together hurricane survivors, delegations from 12 countries and a team of civil and human rights prosecutors.

Judges for the international tribunal will include Louisa Hanoune, a member of the Algerian Parliament, international law scholar Ward Churchill and human rights expert Jill Soffiyah Elijah of Harvard Law School.

The hearings will be based on international law, a practice made standard by the Permanent People’s Tribunal, founded by an Italian law professor in 1979 as an independent international platform for dealing with complaints of human rights violations.

Waters said his organization wants to publish the tribunal’s findings and recommendations around the world and use them to haul government agencies alleged to have mistreated Katrina and Rita survivors into American and international courts to answer charges of crimes against humanity.