Inside the Belly of the Beltway Beast

Street Address of headquarters: 4420 Fairfax Drive N., Arlington, VA WASHINGTON -- On January 2, 2008, one day before the Iowa caucus, citizens will go to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign headquarters, at 4 p.m., to follow up on a letter requesting the Senator's pledge to affirm the points put forth by Voices for Creative Nonviolence. A small delegation of peace activists, representing the Washington Peace Center, Code Pink, Grassroots America and Northern Virginians for Peace and Justice will attempt to persuade Ms. Clinton to take measurable steps to end the Iraq War, which is entering its fifth year. Previously, Ms. Clinton has made remarks indicating her position to keep troops in Iraq through 2013, in spite of the fact that more than 70% of Americans favor a more immediate withdrawal of troops. Voices for Creative Nonviolence www.vcnv.org, the initiator of the SODaPOP "Seasons of Discontent; a Presidential Occupation Project" has made visits to the of

Washington -- During the Atlantic Life Community's faith and resistance winter retreat, a 76 year-old D.C. peace and justice activist was arrested Saturday for the 11th time this year during a protest against the U.S. government's warmongering policies and commemorating the 117th year since the Wounded Knee massacre. Tetaz, and Patrick O'Brien, a member of a Catholic Worker community in North Carolina, were arrested shortly after 12 p.m. in the picture post card zone directly in front of the White House. They refused to leave the space, declared by the Secret Service and the Park Police as an area with unconstitutional limits on the exercise of free speech. Tourists appeared puzzled as the two peaceful and solemn protesters were placed in plastic handcuffs and lead to waiting Park Police cars. "The killing and bloodshed must end," Tetaz said. "Every life is sacred." A retired D.C. public schoolteacher, Tetaz has been a regular feature of nonviolent civil

This is truly disturbing, but it's apparent racism is alive and well in the good old USA. This is nothing less than ethnic cleansing in New Orleans!

Sen. Hillary Clinton 4420 North Fairfax Drive Arlington, VA 22203 Re: Seasons of Discontent; a Presidential Occupation Project Dear Senator Clinton: I am writing to announce a new initiative of Voices for Creative Nonviolence and several peace and justice groups in the earliest races of the presidential campaign, SODaPOP, or "Seasons of Discontent; a Presidential Occupation Project." We at the Washington Peace Center are joining VCNV in this campaign, and are inviting activists to come to Iowa and New Hampshire from around the nation "to bring nonviolent civil resistance and civil disobedience to the campaign offices and headquarters of Presidential candidates, both Republican and Democrat, who do not publicly declare that they will take the necessary concrete steps to end the Iraq war, to rebuild Iraq, to forswear military attacks on other countries such as Iran, and to fully fund the Common Good in the U.S." Please sign the enclosed promise and return it to our of

A US judge has overruled Bush administration objections and ordered a hearing into The tapes are believed to have shown interrogation methods that included simulated drowning known as waterboarding, which has been condemned as torture. The CIA said it destroyed the tapes lawfully and did so out of concern for the safety of agents involved if the recordings were ever made public. The White House has repeatedly denied that the US uses torture. The justice department declined to comment on the judge's hearing order but the department last week urged Kennedy not to investigate the videotapes. It also said that in light of other government probes into the tapes, a judicial inquiry into the destruction was inappropriate. The government has also sought delays in congressional attempts to investigate the tapes' destruction, saying they would hamper a joint investigation by the justice department itself and the CIA. "Plainly the government wants only foxes guarding this henhou

U.S. Accedes on Aid Pledges, Wins Fight to Drop Specific Targets for Emissions Cuts By Juliet Eilperin Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, December 16, 2007; A01 NUSA DUA, Indonesia, Dec. 15 -- Delegates from nearly 190 countries emerged from a final 24 hours of bruising negotiations Saturday with an agreement on a new framework for tackling global warming, one that for the first time calls on both the industrialized world and rapidly developing nations to commit to measurable, verifiable steps. The deal, which will form the basis for a two-year, U.N.-sponsored process aimed at forging a binding international climate pact by the end of 2009, could transform the way rich and poor nations work together to preserve a rapidly warming Earth, observers said. But it also postpones many tough decisions and provides more incentives than penalties when it comes to addressing global warming. The consensus document was accepted by acclamation following an acrimonious confrontation between the U.

Upon completing the course Information and Libraries in Society, I believe I have a richer understanding and appreciation for the information professional’s role within American society. In an increasingly interconnected world where rapid access to information is more easily attainable than at any other point in human history, the need to organize such an enormous amount of data is critically important. Civilizations will continue to need those trained in organizing data and helping researchers obtain information through the most effective means. This class helped me realize that in addition to learning about metadata tags and the finer points of Online Public Access Catalogs (OPACs), and which references are the best when studying a great author or learning more about a particular nation, that it is important that an information professional understand his or her role within modern society. The librarian, or information professional, of today will need to be competent in the services

Americans often need their memories refreshed. This is an old report, but apparently this came out within a month of when the now infamous CIA interrogation tapes were destroyed... Retired agent John Kiriakou is now making major headlines, finally admitting that yes the CIA used water-boarding, and yes it is in fact a form of torture. Anyhow, it's helpful to see what was going on regarding the agency and torture at the time. ASIL Insight Alleged CIA Kidnapping of Muslim Cleric in Italy By Frederic L. Kirgis July 7, 2005 Introduction In late June 2005, it was reported that an Italian judge had issued arrest warrants for 13 U.S. CIA agents accused of kidnapping imam Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr in Italy in 2003, and sending him to Egypt for questioning regarding possible terrorist activities. Nasr apparently is an Egyptian national, although he was living in Italy when he was abducted. Allegedly, when he arrived in Egypt he was imprisoned and tortured during interrogations. The Ital

1. An End to All Funding for U.S. Military Operations in Iraq 2. Safe and Rapid Withdrawal of All U.S. Troops and Coalition Forces from Iraq, With No Future Deployments 3. No Permanent U.S. Military Bases or Installations in Iraq 4. Support for an Iraqi-led Peace Process, Including a Peace Conference to Shape a Post-occupation Transition 5. Return Control of Iraqi Oil to the People of Iraq, as Well as Complete Sovereignty in their Economic and Political Affairs 6. Support for Reparations and Reconstruction to Address the Destruction Caused by the U.S. Invasion, Military Occupation, and Thirteen Years of Economic Sanctions 7. Establish a U.S. “Peace Dividend” fo

ANN WRIGHT SENTENCED TO 3 DAYS INCARCERATION IN PROTEST OF AMB RYAN CROCKER TESTIMONY IN SEPT 2007 Dec. 5, 2007 Former US State Department official and retired Army Colonel Ann Wright was sentenced today to three days in jail, for her role in a protest of testimony by US Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker, at hearings on Sept. 11, 2007. Col. Wright was tried by a jury in DC Superior Court on the charge of “Unlawful Conduct in Congress” (disorderly and disruptive conduct) in connection with hearings before the Senate Armed Services Committee. At that hearing, Col. Wright spoke out at the conclusion of Amb. Crocker’s testimony, saying “I am a diplomat, a diplomat for peace. No peace through occupation!” Following her brief statement (which did not interrupt any speaker) she was placed under arrest and charged with unlawful conduct on US Capitol Grounds. At a jury trial today, Col. Wright was found guilty, following a spirited defense focusing on her personal acquaintanceship with Amb

Tonight, the Constitution Died Wed Nov 28, 2007 There was a moment in tonight's YouTube Republican debate that terrified me. No, it wasn't Romney's chilling equivocation on waterboarding: that was expected, and at least for this electoral cycle, thank God, the party still has John McCain's awesome moral clarity on that issue. Nor was it Tom Tancredo's conflation of the U.S. armed forces with medieval Christian crusaders; after all, the guy doesn't have a chance, any more than does Ron Paul, whose views on the Trilateral Commission reveal him to be only one missed day of meds shy of the reeking lunatics with hand-lettered signs who prowl Lafayette Square. No, what had me shaking with anger and fear tonight was the moment when the Constitution slipped into the abyss for good, and nobody--but nobody--in that auditorium appeared to notice that it has. Did you? I'm talking about the moment when an ordinary American--an all too typical American-- --held up a Bib

The Washington Peace Center presents... To Know The Other: The Human Face of Palestine Thursday, November 29th, 2007 7:00pm Martin Luther King Memorial Library 901 G Street, NW Washington, D.C. Nora Buch , a local DC teacher, returned to Washington, DC from Palestine where she taught English at Al Quds University in the West Bank. She lived with Palestinians in the village of Abu Dees where the university is located. Abu Dees was a part of Jerusalem before the construction of the Separation (Apartheid) Wall. During her time in Palestine her understanding of this region deepened. Nora will share her experiences living and working with Palestinians through an interactive presentation with the audience. This event will mark the commitment by The Washington Peace Center for at least one year, November 29, 2007 to November 29, 2008, to commemorate Al-Nakba, the catastrophe of Palestinian ethnic cleansing and dispossession. This commitment will also involve organizing and supporting e

Today a great Go-go and Hip-hop concert was held on the National Mall. It was organized by the HipHop Caucus and drew attention to the racially-motivated hate crimes happening across the nation. Yes, racism is alive and well in America. It's sad that these heinous and violent hate crimes seem to be happening more frequently. Mentioned were 14-year-old Deonte Rawlings' murder at the hands of police here in D.C., the Jena 6 (Louisiana) injustice and the abominable torture and rape of Megan Williams in West Virginia. Rev. Lennox Yearwood did a great job as emcee, and there were some excellent D.C. Go-go acts, including TCB. Marine mom Tina Richards was working hard, as she often does and it's good to see her as such a solid working partner with Rev. Yearwood. The speakers were eloquent, and expressed truly justified outrage at how messed up things are when it comes to how black citizens are viewed by the prevailing power structure. I enjoyed listening to the New Black Panther

By John Nichols, The Nation When it comes to the question of impeachment, the difference between Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Joe Biden and Department of Peace champion Dennis Kucinich is merely a matter of timing. Biden says that if George Bush attacks Iran without a formal declaration of war by Congress, the president must be impeached. Kucinich thinks it would be smarter to act before the bombs start flying. The distinction was illustrated during Thursday night's Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas when Catherine Jackson, the mother of an Iraq War veteran – Marine Christopher Jackson, who told the audience, "Our troops need to come home now" -- expressed her fear that "members of the Bush administration and neoconservative members of Congress are beating the drums of war again." Ms. Jackson asked what the candidates what they would do to prevent an attack on Iran. Biden was especially pointed in his response, saying of the president: &q

Nov. 15, 2007, 8:31AM © 2007 The Associated Press YANGON, Myanmar — A U.N. human rights investigator said he was able to meet with several prominent political prisoners Thursday before ending his five-day mission to Myanmar. Paulo Sergio Pinheiro was sent by the U.N. to investigate allegations of widespread abuse in connection with the ruling junta's bloody September crackdown on pro-democracy protests. He went to Insein Prison in Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, where he was able to talk with several political detainees, including labor activist Su Su Nway, who was arrested Tuesday, he said at a news conference at Yangon's airport. Pinheiro also met with 77-year-old journalist Win Tin, held since 1989, and members of the 88 Generation Students group, who have been especially active in nonviolent anti-government protests in recent years. Pinheiro did not reveal details of their conversations. He said he had requested a meeting with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is

A well-written piece, and maybe Obama will listen. Hayden is clearly more hopeful about the Dems than I am! I don't think I'll be returning to the party in this lifetime. In addition, I am not convinced that the polarities are false; other progressive Dems should also be abandoning the corporately-controlled party. An Appeal to Barack Obama By Tom Hayden "The Democrats have been stuck in the arguments of Vietnam, which means that either you're a Scoop Jackson Democrat or you're a Tom Hayden Democrat and you're suspicious of any military action. And that's just not my framework." - Sen. Barack Obama. Barack, I thought Hillary Clinton was known as the Great Triangulator, but you are learning well. The problem with setting up false polarities to position yourself in the "center", however, is that it's unproductive both politically and intellectually. Politically, it is a mistake because there last time I looked there were a whole lot more &

I visited Eve yesterday afternoon -- at her apartment! She got out of the D.C. Correctional Treatment Facility at 1:30 PM. Her sister Ann was there to pick her up. Although physically tired, she is in very high spirits. She said she befriended prisoners and guards alike inside. She said that she is more convinced than ever that violence never accomplishes anything. She listened and shared with all the women inside CTF whom she met. Her first cell mate was a young woman who was apparently in for drugs. She immediately helped Eve make her bed, and was very friendly to her. Eve was able to get a Bible, but not until Wednesday. She said she did not see any physical violence, but there were many violent words thrown about. She said the guards were kind of like mamas to the the overall young and overwhelmingly black prisoner population. "My sisters in chains" is how Eve described the inmates. No one treated Eve poorly, although the intake guard gave her a hard time about protesting

By Mike Ferner DES MOINES -- A new campaign to place the Iraq war in the center of Iowa's presidential caucus races kicked off in Des Moines yesterday. But as often happens, it wasn't so much the protest that made the story as the reaction to it. "Seasons Of Discontent--A Presidential Occupation Campaign," or SODAPOP as its organizers dubbed it, targeted the campaigns of Rudolph Giuliani and Hillary Clinton, taking over their offices in the Iowa state capital and disrupting both campaigns for several hours before a total of 19 people were arrested. The "law and order" Giuliani campaign waited only about two hours to call on the suburban Clive, Iowa police to arrest 10 activists. The Clinton campaign appeared more reluctant to remove the protesters, waiting almost eight hours before requesting the Des Moines Police Department remove nine activists. The last two hours of the Clinton occupation generated reactions from young staffers that typically send a candi

First appeared on OpEd News on Nov. 5th By Pete Perry I first met Eve Tetaz over a year ago on September 26, 2006. On that day, we were both being detained by the Capitol Hill Police after nonviolent direct actions on Capitol Hill against the illegal and immoral war and occupation of Iraq. Three groups were arrested that day on Capitol Hill as we attempted to meet with our senators, and deliver a coffin with pictures of those killed in Iraq to the steps of the Capitol Building. Eve was with the group who attempted to deliver the coffin to the steps of the west side of the Capitol, the side facing the mall. The police repeatedly stopped her group that day. The first police line they encountered was when they crossed Constitution Avenue, and were warned that they were violating a permit by crossing the street from where a morning rally had been held. Then her somber and mournful group was stopped twice more on the west lawn. During the third attempt by the police to turn back a group of

From Eve's sister Ann: Thanks, everybody for your concern and good wishes. Here's what I know at4:15 PM on Tues Nov 6. Jack Barringer, one of her lawyers, visited Eve a few hours ago. She was very tired but in good spirits. She didn't get to the jail until 5 PM and the "processing" (like a meat grinder) wasn't over until 4 AM. Her cell mate helped her make up her bunk and has been very nice to her. Eve told Jack : "I'm more committed now than I was when I got here." Remarkable! Her visiting day is (was) yesterday. That means those of us who are not lawyers can't visit. She CAN make collect phone calls, so if you get a collect call from CTF (the privately run correctional facility that's holding her) it's Eve. I will let you know if I hear more details. Jack thinks she won't be released until the weekend or perhaps Monday. He's going to visit her again later in the week.

By Eve Tetaz Dear Friends, As I begin my 7 day sentence in DC Jail for peacefully and non- violently protesting the US invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq, I wish to appeal to the American people to join together as one voice in opposing the illegal and immoral actions of our leaders whom we have elected to act in our name. We are a nation of law governed by the Constitution that begins with the words “We the people…” When our leaders betray our trust by committing crimes against humanity in the waging of a war that has been condemned by international law, the highest religious authorities, and members of our own military, I believe that we must declare before the world, NOT IN MY NAME. When the government advocates the use of such tactics as rendition and torture to further their ends, we must shout, NOT IN MY NAME. As a nation made up of responsible individuals capable of making moral choices, we are obliged to admit our wrong doings in order that justice be serve

Contact: Malachy Kilbride, 202-841-2230 Eve Tetaz, 202-332-0599 November 2, 2007 WASHINGTON – Eve Tetaz, a retired D.C. public schoolteacher, was sentenced Friday to seven days in jail, because of her continuing protests and nonviolent resistance against the war and occupation of Iraq. Shortly before 5 p.m., D.C. Superior Court Magistrate Judge Marisa Demeo sentenced the peace activist and Adams Morgan resident to seven days in D.C. Jail, but delayed the beginning of the sentencing period until Monday. Tetaz, 76, could not begin her sentence Friday because the court was already beginning to close at 5, and there were no longer any U.S. Marshals available to begin processing her. “As a former teacher, I believe that a picture or simple action is worth more than a thousand words,” Tetaz said in her sentencing statement, explaining her protests on Capitol Hill and the White House. “I will continue to do what I am doing.” Tetaz faced four charges stemming from two different protests,

WASHINGTON – Three prominent peace activists will offer their support to a 76-year-old woman this Friday, November 2, when she appears before a senior Judge of the DC Superior Court for a status hearing as a result of her engaging in civil disobedience to nonviolently protest the continued war and occupation of Iraq. Gael Murphy of Code Pink, Rev. Lennox Yearwood of the Hip-Hop Caucus and Adam Kokesh of Iraq Veterans Against the War, will speak to the press supporting the retired D.C. schoolteacher Eve Tetaz. The Adams Morgan resident has a hearing Friday morning in D.C. Superior Court. The three prominent anti-war activists will speak to the media on behalf of their friend at 11 a.m. in front of the courthouse at 500 Indiana Avenue, N.W. "This courageous woman has been an inspiration to us," said Rev. Yearwood. "In order to stop continued illegal and immoral warfare, more will need to follow in her steps." Yearwood has been arrested a few times for protesting the I

Life goes on. School goes on. It was nice to take a break from it all tonight. I spent the evening hanging out with a good friend at a nice bar downtown. I truly love this friend, but it's been decided that we will remain friends. Life often presents you with bittersweet moments, where you know you will not receive what you really, truly wish for but somehow you know that things will turn out alright. I am just thankful to have him in my life. Life is generally OK. Classes are a bit stressful, but I know I will survive. I spend many of my waking hours studying. I also worry about my friend David who will soon be facing a trial in D.C. Superior Court. He is easily one of the most dedicated activists in D.C.; you'll often find him demonstrating in front of the White House in his Bush devil costume. I also worry about my friend Dawn in Burma. She runs a great blog on Xanga. I pray for peace and freedom in the world.

Scheduled speakers to include Rev. Yearwood, president of the HipHop Caucus and Gael Murphy, co-founder of Code Pink. Others have been invited. For more information: Eve Tetaz, 202-332-0599 Dear Friends, On Friday, November 2, I appear in DC Superior Court for a status hearing on 4 charges ranging from failure to obey a legal order to incommoding and unlawful assembly. A press conference will be held on the steps of the court house attended by several leaders and members of the peace community for the purpose of speaking truth to power and drawing attention to the violation of the right of the individual to peacefully and non-violently petition the government for a redress of grievances. On October 15th the Prosecution presented me with a plea bargain that called for my pleading guilty to one of the charges and facing jail time. I will not plead guilty, but am willing to plead nolo contendere which means that I will only admit to peacefully being present at the scene

This is truly frightening, and it pretty much sums up our current political environment. Ralph sounds as great as ever!

(First Appeared on OpEd News) By Malachy Kilbride President Bush will soon ask Congress for about another $200,000,000,000 as the official death count of US service people killed in Iraq passes the 3,800 mark. This 3,800 does not even include those who have died because of their injuries after they left Iraq. The numbers are far higher! According to Iraq Body Count the number of hostile and non-hostile US injured evacuated by air from Iraq was almost 37,000 as of the end of August, 2007. The number of Iraqis killed as a result of the invasion and occupation is estimated to be over 1,063,825. That is more than those slaughtered in the Rwandan genocide according to www.justforeignpolicy.org . Furthermore, these figures do not capture the real horror, devastation, and unimaginable misery inflicted on the Iraqi people. A recently released report by the American Friends Service Committee’s Cost of War Campaign says that the United States is spending about $720 million per day for the Iraq W