let us see what love can do

Dear Brothers & Sisters,Best Greetings / Assalmo Alykom
/From Waseem Nasrallah

Today Monday September 15, 2008 the Re-Trial of the Holy Land Foundation (HLF) begins. Please keep yourself informed about this important legal case. Also please pray for these brothers during this blessed month of Ramadan.

What is this Case About?

This case is about criminalizing feeding the children, orphans, and widows.

The government is accusing 5 brothers of supporting a terrorist organization “Hamas”. They claim that through feeding the children of Palestine HLF also indirectly supported Hamas.

Why is this case important?

Not only did the government shut down the Holy land Foundation in 2001, they also indicted 5 brothers in 2004 as part of a conspiracy to provide material support to organizations linked to Hamas (not direct support). These organizations are called Zakat Committees in Palestine. The Zakat committees operated legally under Israeli law. Also, the committees were supported by USAID (A US government agency) and the United Nations. So I ask, ‘why was the HLF singled out’?

A lawyer for Holy Land, John Boyd, said, ”The local Palestinian charities that the foundation supported were also getting funds from the American Government, the United Nations, the Red Cross, and others. I won't even speculate now as to why under these circumstances Holy Land Foundation should have to struggle with this idea that somehow by engaging in charitable efforts in Palestine … that the Holy Land Foundation is now having to fend off a theory that somehow charity equals terrorism,".

In addition the US Government filed a brief to the court listing 306 Muslim individuals and Muslim organizations as Un-indicted Co-Conspirators (UCC) as part of the HLF Case. They made the list public.

The Holy Land Foundation Re-Trial: Justice or Politics?
8/7/2008 by Hadi Jawad

The Bush Administration has systematically compromised the neutrality and independence of the U.S. Justice Department. For proof, look at Monica Goodling and Kyle Sampson. These aides of the last two U.S. Attorneys General, Alberto Gonzalez and John Ashcroft, recently admitted to have favored professed loyalists to President George W. Bush for high-level jobs in the Justice Department. To the aides, admiration for the president was more desirable than upholding justice.

Least surprised by these “new” revelations are American Muslims and their organizations, all victims of unrelenting persecution and harassment by the Bush Justice Department since the ill-fated day of Sept. 11, 2001. As proof of President Bush’s arrogant abuse of power, American Muslims point to the continuing saga of the Dallas-based Holy Land Foundation (HLF). In next month’s retrial, federal prosecutors will be desperately seeking the conviction of any one of the five defendants as a present for Bush before he leaves Washington for retirement in Dallas.

While the prosecution did not accuse the five defendants of committing any acts of terrorism, it argued that by providing humanitarian aid to Palestinian children, the HLF indirectly helped Hamas by freeing up its resources to attack Israel. The government admitted, however, that the Palestinian groups the HLF was accused of helping also received aid from US AID and several European Union countries at the same time.

So why is the HLF being singled out?

"It is a political witch hunt to appease an expansionist power in the Middle East. It is a sure sign we are living in Orwellian times when those who provide food, clothing, and shelter to the hungry and destitute are demonized as criminals as if Palestinian children are not worthy of what every child needs," said John Wolf, a Dallas-area human rights activist.

After lasting two months, the first HLF trial ended in a mistrial; the 14-year federal investigation into HLF conducted in concert with international intelligence agencies across three continents yielded no convictions out of more than 200 indictments. For the first time in American history, a national of a foreign country was allowed to "secretly" testify against American citizens in a U.S. court. The accused were not allowed to question their accuser.

Then, months later, it was revealed that hundreds of pages of "un-admitted and demonstrative evidence" allowed during court room proceedings but barred from jury room deliberations were sent by the defense into the jury room. On Sept. 26, 2007, the jury sent out a note inquiring about demonstrative exhibits. With assurances from the prosecution, Judge A. Fish instructed the Jury that all exhibits in their possession were evidence. In October 2001,President Bush shut down HLF’s non-profit charity work. Six years to the month later, the HLF trial ended in a mistrial.

Now, the Bush Justice Department is going after the same men again using essentially the same accusations. But with approval ratings as low as his, one must wonder whether President Bush would have any friends left in a jury pool. Still, the stakes are high: If HLF wins, the Constitution will have survived yet another assault and America will win. If the Bush Justice Department wins, freedom will be worth less than the paper this letter is written. Jury selection for the re-trial begins September 15.

For more information how you can support due process rights of the defendants, please visit: www.hungryforjustice.org

Environmentally friendly power: Bargain or Boone-doogle? Sunday, August 10, 2008

Kay Lucas

Wind power truly is a great resource. We should be using lot’s more of it. And solar, biomass and geothermal, etc.

But, please ask yourself why taxpayers should foot the bill for oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens, so he can connect his intended wind farm to government subsidized transmission line infrastructure? Heck, his financial statement is not bleeding red ink like the U.S. Treasury.

Twin Tragedies.
By Hadi Jawad

Just as the tragic events of September 11 2001 are forever branded in the minds of Americans, Iranians find it difficult to forget
August 19 1953. It is fair to assume that most Americans are unaware of the significance of that day let alone how the two dates
might be historically connected.

On that fateful day in Iran ( 28 Mordad in the Persian Calendar) the CIA engineered the first 'regime change' in US history, overthrowing

DEBKAfile Special Report August 12, 2008,
New America armada around Iran
DEBKAfile’s military sources note that the arrival of the three new American flotillas will raise to five the number of US strike forces in Middle East waters – an unprecedented build-up since the crisis erupted over Iran’s nuclear program.

This vast naval and air strength consists of more than 40 carriers, warships and submarines, some of the last nuclear-armed, opposite the Islamic Republic, a concentration last seen just before the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Israel backs Georgia in Caspian Oil Pipeline Battle with Russia

DEBKAfile Exclusive Report

August 8, 2008

Georgian tanks and infantry, aided by Israeli military advisers, captured the capital of breakaway South Ossetia, Tskhinvali, early Friday, Aug. 8, bringing the Georgian-Russian conflict over the province to a military climax.

Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin threatened a “military response.”

Former Soviet Georgia called up its military reserves after Russian warplanes bombed its new positions in the renegade province.

http://www.consortiumnews.com August 12, 2008
Neocons Now Love International Law
By Robert Parry

It's touching how American neoconservatives who have no regard for
international law when they want to invade some troublesome country have
developed a sudden reverence for national sovereignty.

Apparently, context is everything. So, the United States attacking Grenada or
Nicaragua or Panama or Iraq or Serbia is justified even if the reasons
sometimes don't hold water or don't hold up before the United Nations,

Bush is at the ranch
3 years ago when we were with Cindy and the other Gold Star families, with MFSO, IVAW and VFP-all in the ditches to protest the war in Iraq.
Stop Him before He Kills Again
End the War / No War In Iran / No to Torture
Come to Crawford Texas this weekend
August 15th 16th 17th
Daily actions at the checkpoint
Join
Ann Wright Bree Walker
and
Your friends at the
The Crawford Texas Peace House
and
Camp at Camp Casey 2008
Rally Sunday
Lunch 12:00 Speakers at 1:00
Protest at the check point
e-mail us at crawfordpeacehouse@gmail.com

Air Force Think Tank: Don't Attack Iran!
8/5/2008
"Tone down U.S. policy statements advocating regime change in Iran," recommended a major study prepared for the US Air Force on how the US should redefine its relationship with Iran.

On July 10, 2008, RAND Project Air Force (RAND PAF)--a division of the defense think tank the RAND Corporation--released a major study recommending alternatives to military conflict with Iran.

BUSH LEGACY BUS TOUR to arrive at Crawford Texas Peace House at Noon on Wed. Aug. 6. If you are in the area be sure and stop by before 2 PM for a tour of the exhibits on display inside the bus documenting the effects of the Iraq War, Economy, Health Care, Environment, Workers, Katrina and Education.