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A Victim of Extraordinary Rendition, In His Own WordsMohamed et al. v. Jeppesen was brought on behalf of five men who were kidnapped, flown to CIA black sites and other overseas locations, and tortured. The Bush administration intervened in the case, inappropriately asserting the "state secrets" privilege and claiming further litigation would undermine national security, and the lawsuit was thrown out in February 2008. Last week, the new Justice Department repeated the Bush administration claims of "state secrets" during oral arguments in the ACLU's appeal of the dismissal. One of the plaintiffs in the case is Mohamed Farag Ahmad Bashmilah, who is represented by our colleagues at the International Human Rights Clinic at NYU School of Law. In October 2003, Bashmilah was taken into custody by the Jordanian General Intelligence Department and tortured and interrogated for days. On the morning of October 26, 2003 he was turned over to agents who beat, kicked, diapered, hooded and handcuffed him before secretly transporting him to the U.S. Air Force base in Bagram, Afghanistan. Bashmilah was finally freed on March 27, 2006, never once having faced any charges related to terrorism. All Basmilah and the other plaintiffs in the Jeppesen case are asking for is their day in court. As Basmilah wrote on the Huffington Post today: I believe that acknowledgment is the first step toward accounting for a wrongdoing. The American public needs to face what has happened to those of us who were disappeared and mistreated in the name of their national security, demand accountability for those who committed torture and other crimes, and acknowledge the suffering of those who became victims.
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Feb 20th, 2009 at 2:42am
When will HuffPost, Daily Kos, MSNBC and ACLU come to the stark realization that Bush-Cheney torture policies have led to the torture of U.S. citizens right here at home...
...and that these policies remain in place, and the TORTURE CONTINUES?
Don't believe it? Read the articles linked below. And yes, you can quote me, because I know from personal experience. And I will swear to it.
ONGOING 'EXTRAJUDICIAL PUNISHMENT NETWORK'
TORTURES INNOCENT BUT TARGETED AMERICANS...
...WITH DOJ-APPROVED RADIATION WEAPONS AND GOV'T-SUPPORTED COMMUNITY GANG STALKING.
WHEN WILL BARACK OBAMA AND ERIC HOLDER RESTORE THE RULE OF LAW IN BUCKS COUNTY, PA, PHILA., NYC, D.C. AND ALL ACROSS AMERICA?
An IMMEDIATE series of executive orders banning the Bush-Cheney "extrajudicial punishment vigilante network"...
...and its coordinated array of "programs of personal destruction"...
...could dismantle this American Gestapo -- and stop the persecution of untold thousands of unconstitutionally "targeted" U.S. citizens and their families...
...a methodical social genocide that surely has contributed to the mortgage meltdown that spawned the global financial crisis.
The "Truth Commission" can wait.
First, President Obama and Atty. Gen. Holder, end the crimes against humanity and the unconstitutional abuses of power.
IT IS DAY 32 OF THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION.
DO YOU R*E*A*L*L*Y KNOW WHAT YOUR SECURITY MULTI-AGENCY COORDINATION NETWORK IS UP TO?
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/gestapo-usa-govt-funded-vigi lante-network-targets-terrorizes-u-s-citizens
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/domestic-torture-radiation-weaponry- americas-horrific-shame
OR (if links are corrupted / disabled):
http://www.NowPublic.com/scrivener
Feb 22nd, 2009 at 6:31am
The same history of my brother , I send you hereunder his case, and I hope that the ACLU can help him, I have written about 100 letters without reply.I write a comment it's my alone issue, that the media will considerate this case as a discrimination and harst detention in a jail in USA. For information, I am a member supporter of ACLU.
I would appreciate your attention & help on my brother's case.
My brother Noureddine Malki was transferred from Brooklyn to USP Marion recently.
Here after is sum u of his story.
"My brother's crime is: keeping classified documents after working for he American government as translator"
He used to work for the American government as translator; he has classified documents that he brought with him at NY.
He was sentenced on May to 121 months without any proof of the crime he is accused for.
The judge said that because he gathered classified documents, he might have the intention to use them.
The accusation then is not based on real fact, but based on suspicion.
Suspicions exist because he is native from Morocco and because he lies on earlier 1999 to have an American citizenship after several years working without green card. The immigrations laws are very difficult and the way to obtain the green card or citizenship is very long in USA. for somebody that dreamed of America all his life.
During his job as translator in Iraq, he has recommendations about his good job and about him saving American life, but it seems to be not enough for the judge to give him his freedom.
Recently I read on the NY time’s newspapers about cases worse then his case, but as the defendants are American, they got less than him or no pursue.
After his arrest he was held in solitary confinement in the maximun security special housing in Brooklyn unit with severe conditions of confinement (6 months)
We come out with the conclusion: There are two justices in America; one for the American born and one for the others that are natives from Arabic and Muslim countries.
Once a week From USP Marion, He is allowed to cal one of his family, last time I had him on he phone he complaint that there are 21 inmates separated from others because of their supposed religion and believes".
First of all My brother has nothing to do with population that is accused of terrorism.
My brother served America, but because of his previous lie to become an American citizen, and because he kept intentionally classified documents he is thrown at Marion. There is an appeal running to cancel the unfair sentencing he got on May.
Second: When I search on the website for my brother on the USP Marion, he is simply not found.
I suspect that the website is intentionally not updated,
Third : There is no notion of CMU. My brother explained that all the guys that are with him are under CMU.
They don’t have the same right as the others inmates. Why? Can somebody from your organization investigate and let the media know.
This is an additional punishment for him when he is INNOCENT of the intention the American government is suspecting him.
I need to talk about this issue, at the congress and the media, please help and advise by return of this e-mail the right one.
for your information, the second government attorney that was assigned to my brother's appeal advised recently that she's enable to represents him. So no Lawyer available right now to help him for his appeal.
At the occasion of President Barack Obama election I pray God to help him in accomplishing his hard task.I seize this opportunity to relate to him my Brother case, which was held in Prison after serving his country USA. After the trial and the judgement, he was transferred from New York to Illinois State (Marion Supermax Prison), he can not afford an attorney to defend him, and he deposited an appeal without even knowing if it was recorded at the Appealing Court of New York.Being a French Citizen living in Paris /France, I can only afford to visit him once a year, in this regard; I am asking President Obama to help me, and I am totally ready to provide him with all details that could help my brother.
Sincerely
Feb 22nd, 2009 at 2:16pm
i am from georgetown s.c. i was stripped naked and shoved down in feces while being called"aREDNECK PIECE OF NIGGER SHIT"BY SGT.MGIRT in the gcdc if they do it locally i dont know why they cant get away with it abroad.beside the fact i was in jail due to a false arrest. ihope the corrupt gov. can be stopped.false arrest
X 5 need lawyer help.
ecsm2008@yahoo.com i feel thier pain.thanx
Feb 22nd, 2009 at 2:24pm
the false arrest was in 2005 i was at my grandmothers house gathering tools for katrina cleanup as i was leaving the property officer tisdale and another officer pulled up and arrested me for tresspassing wich was thrown out also i had a tool wich was stated in a written document as a tool for work they arrested me for conceiled wepon inever had due process for either of the charges my work grand strand personell came to the jail and talked to the capt.marsh and they promissed i would have a fair trial.ive never did any time for the charges and never had a day in court for the charges if it is this corrupt in georgetown s.c. i know it is as corrupt in the nation.
Feb 22nd, 2009 at 2:37pm
and the false arrest keep on in nov. of 2008 iwas at my grandmothers house waiting for a ride to go stay at afriends house as a invite i ate dinner at my grandmothers and went outside to wait on my ride. well 2 officers off.john ohler and shep bone pull up to my grandmothers house and arrest me for tresspassing wich john ohler said my grandmother had called him and said i was'nt allowed on the property wich i have written document stateing she didnt call the police that day in nov.
they also arrested me for disorderly conduct for sitting on the front steps of the house and when i get in the patrol car i have my cell phone in my hand and officer ohler says i think he has drugs taze him they taze me twice with the gun after ive already dropped
the phone shep bone continued to taze me with his hand tazer ,after he stabbed me in the leg with his hand held tazer a month later i see him in a store parking lot and he harrasses me by saying do you remeber me im the one who tazed you the corrupt police need to be stopped. help ecsm2008@yahoo.com
Feb 22nd, 2009 at 2:43pm
when i was a child a declerated navy vet.Francis parrish molested my family after the children became older they knew what he had done to them. they told the georgetown police and he went to trial
but the government acwitted him of any counts of child molestation because that is the power and privilage of the united states government please help stop the corruption.ecsm2008@yahoo.com
i am ready to kill myself and leave this world behind due to the corrupt government. what whould you do jesus is not helping.
Feb 22nd, 2009 at 2:47pm
if thier is anyone who can help beat these police and goverment officials
please contact matt at ecsm2008@yahho.com
Feb 22nd, 2009 at 2:52pm
the harrasment started in my grandmothers nieghborhood when i found an african american police officer sleeping in his patrol car and asked him for accistance to get to the hospital after i woke him up from his sleep his reply was "no,im on duty" then after i leave the hospital his car was parked out front i cant put my finger on it but i guarantee he was gathering info on me. i turned him in the next day ,then the harrasment started. help ecsm2008@yahoo.com
Feb 22nd, 2009 at 3:02pm
i was at the georgetown county library and the head of the library called the police on me for exposing myself to children when the police got here they couldnt produce any evidence of a child
wich it would seem that they would procicute me for that kind of horindis act but if you have money power and privilage the police can be paid off and you cant fool anyone with a smile when you are the head of the library.
help ecsm2008@yahoo.com
Apr 25th, 2009 at 12:43am
Sadly Douglas Matthew Mercer,AKA "Dirty" to his friends, was found dead this week of drowning. He was found on Goat Island, located in Winyah Bay, Georgetown, S.C.. There is an ongoing investigation into how and why he ended up in the water, and drowned. At this time authorities are saying that foul play is not suspected. I have known Matt for 17 years, he was an avid surfer and could swim very well. Something is not sitting right with me, about the thought of him just drowning. I hope that there were no members of the local law enforcement agencies involved in his death, because they would certainly have hell on their hands from his friends and family. I also hope that the authorities harrasment didn't push him over the edge to make him take his own life, because that would make me totally disgusted, and untrusting to the very people who are paid to protect and serve this community. Either way Matt will be greatly missed by the people who truly knew him. Rest In Peace brother, and may mother earth provide you with an eternal wave to forever ride.
May 5th, 2009 at 8:58am
To the director Executive Romero
Could you please add to my brother's case the correct informations written by my brother. hereunder his message sent to day as I can't contact him, this the way to have a new from him.
Please let the media writting about him.
Dear sister Halima,
I read your last email dated 04/30/09. You mentioned that I came back from Iraq with classified materials in my laptop.
That's not what happened. My laptop was in my apartment while I was deployed in Iraq. I never took it with me.
My personal laptop computer was void of any classified materials. I wouldn't mix any work-related stuff with my personal files and folders.
The FBI agents, however, having deceptively convinced Vincent to let them into the apartment, went in with neither a search warrant from court, nor my consent. They misled Vincent into believing that I had told him previously to let them into my apartment. They took advantage of his ignorance of the rules of search and seizure. Armed with their malicious intents they ransacked the whole place and took away any thing they deemed good to construct an illusive case against me even when I served the U.S for two years in a time of war. They found -among the piles of Compact Disks I had been using as part of my daily work routine- one work-related CD that has classified information. It had been accidently taken from my work place along with all other disks I had . They consequently used that CD, not the laptop, as evidence against me. So they charged me with unauthorized possession of classified documents.
The racist prosecutor, already predisposed to enhance my sentence, used the wrong sentencing guidelines that carry the maximum prison term of 10 years. Because of my race and religion, he chose the guidelines that can only be used against those who are charged with bad intent to distribute or pass the classified information to others not authorized to have it. He said I had violent plots and criminal intents without proving any facts. If I ever had any bad intent wouldn't I be extra careful and tend to be very calculating? If I ever had any criminal intent I would be very prudent not to leave any trace of evidence. I would have destroyed any evidence simply because I wouldn't be that stupid to leave a trail behind. In fact, violent plots and criminal intents were found only within the prosecutor's and the agents' minds, certainly not mine.
I felt their prejudice from day one. The fact that I had to spend 6 months in solitary confinement is proof that my case was racially motivated. They lied to the judge when he asked why I had been placed in a solitary cell. First they said that they had nothing to with my placement and that it was the bureau of prisons' decision to place me anywhere they wanted. Then it turned out later that they asked the prison authorities to place me in isolation to increase pressure on me to plea guilty for the purpose of depriving me of my due process right to a jury trial. They committed acts of perjury and obstruction of justice by having lied to the judge. Unfortunately nothing was done about their lies. It's just business as usual. The question is: Can a prosecutor charge himself with perjury and Obstruction of justice? The answer is, of course, NO!! They use the law against others and the law can't be used against them, even if they lie.
They even passed classified information to my criminal lawyer, by means of mail and hand delivery, even when she didn't have clearance, at that time, to view secret documents which are deemed classified. So they committed a crime by passing classified information to a lawyer who was not supposed to view it until she gets clearance. Even so, they wanted to show that their duty was to protect America from people like me, whereas the truth lies in the fact that they took my case as an opportunity to save their careers by sacrificing me as a burned offering to the Bush administration. It became apparent that satisfying a political agenda was a primary criteria for them to keep their jobs.
Some good prosecutors somehow resisted pressure from the White House. They used the rule of law by deciding not to prosecute innocent people and instead used common sense, pursuant to ethical rules. Their good intentions back fired and were perceived as politically disloyal. So they were in danger of losing their jobs and being replaced. Former U.S Attorney general, Alberto Gonzales, was asked to fire so many good prosecutors simply they weren't agressive enough to bring charges against democratic rivals and more people of the Muslim faith. those who kept their jobs and couldn't find any real reason to prosecute Muslims, were put under pressure and urged to create any grounds or fake reasons to find Muslims and prosecute them. They used the tax payers' money to hire informants to entrap Muslims into FBI created crimes.
All this was, of course, done to create a sense of fear and make the public believe that they're saving America from the threat of terrorism.
Alberto Gonzales once stole highly classified information and tempered with it. He was never charged of any crime.
There is much more to talk about, more than enough to write books about the subject...I'll stop here for now.
Please pass this information to UCLA and the French media to uncover the false persecution of innocent Muslims.
Regards.
Nour.