> Franklin's Focus 9/25/10
>
> A Revival of the FBI of the 60s
>
> Some of my older readers may recall how viciously fascistic the FBI
> became during the Vietnam War. The American Indian Movement, which was a
> group dedicated to fighting for Indian civil rights, greatly annoyed the
> FBI. The feds therefore hired a group of mercenary killers who
> assassinated nearly the entire leadership of AIM. Militant black civil
> rights groups also routinely had their leaders murdered by paid FBI
> killers. Of course, Martin Luther King was murdered by our government.
> And so on.
>
> My older readers may remember the practice of the FBI of sending squads
> of agents to the homes of antiwar persons. Their supposed task was to
> search for evidence indicating that antiwar leaders were traitors. These
> squads of goons wreaked havoc in the homes they searched. Upholstered
> furniture and mattresses were slashed into ribbons. Any locked wooden
> cabinets were smashed. Locked metal filing cabinets were broken into with
> crowbars. The contents of kitchen cabinets were knocked onto the floor
> thusly shattering much glassware. The contents of filing cabinets were
> dumped and scattered on the floor. Many books, periodicals notebooks, and
> so forth were confiscated. Small children seeing their parents roughly
> knocked about and huge damage being inflicted on the contents of their
> home were deeply frightened and traumatized.
>
> These scenes are once again unfolding in Amerika, specifically in
> Minneapolis and Chicago. Once again, it is the so called 'peaceniks' who
> are being targeted. Once again opposition to American militaristic
> imperialism is being interpreted as disloyalty to Amerika. The fanatics
> invading the homes of antiwar activists are the same neofascists who
> committed the same despicable actions during the Vietnam War. What is it
> that the victims of those criminal invasions were guilty of? Those
> supposedly filthy traitors opposed the war in Vietnam, which made them
> traitors in the twisted minds of hoodlum FBI agents.
>
> Nowadays, we are seeing the same sort of searches being conducted by an
> FBI that is a replica of the FBI during the 60s. Keep in mind that the
> FBI is an arm of the Justice Department which is an arm of the executive
> branch. Of course, the head of the executive branch is Big Boss Obama.
> The thuggish, violent assaults on the homes of peace activists are not
> taking place without the knowledge and approval of the big boss. One
> cannot even imagine such huge violations of civil rights and free speech
> being done without the knowledge of the White House. I must say once
> again that Obama has been revealed as the authoritarian I said he was
> when he was a mere candidate for the presidency.
>
> The mainstream newspapers are printing news of the FBI's home invasions
> in articles appearing well buried within newspapers. Of course, I see
> these horrendous violations of the Constitution as front page news. I
> guess the shredding of the Constitution has become so routine it barely
> merits mention.
>
> For your perusal I attach an AP article that appeared well within the
> pages of the local newspaper. I trust you will do as I have done, and
> that is to read between the lines and imagine the horrible scenes
> unfolding in family homes where searches are being committed with an eye
> to harassing or possibly arresting so called traitors. Why are they seen
> as traitors? These alleged traitors or fellow travelers of traitors have
> daringly opposed the honorable military actions of Herr Obama in Third
> World countries in the Middle East and Latin America.
>
> It strikes me as highly significant that not one single person was taken
> into custody by the FBI marauders. That suggests that they either had no
> warrant, or if they did it was a farce.
>
> (Several of my readers are natives of Minneapolis. I appended the
> following item largely for their benefit. I must confess that the latest
> Gestapo searches that caught my eye took place in my once beloved native
> city. Yes, it was once a truly fine city. It no longer is. I hardly even
> recognize it when I visit. The streetcars along with the clean air are
> long gone. The downtown theater district is gone. The air is now marked
> by ugly smog. Huge insurance buildings now stand on the shores of our
> once beautiful lakes and lake shores. And so on.)
>
> Today's Quotation
>
> '... that fantastic theory that makes the state begin with a contract is,
> I think, disposed of. He who commands, he who is master by 'nature', he
> who comes on the scene forceful in deed and gesture — what has he to do
> with contracts?'
>
> Friedrich Nietzche, 'The Genealogy of Morals'
>
> Curiously, the theory of a social contract was adopted by and believed in
> by many of our so called 'founding fathers'. They allegedly believed that
> democracies are forms of government based on an inherent social contract.
> Of course, that theory is not taught in our schools, and most Americans
> have not idea what the term 'social contract' even refers to.
>
> Warmest regards,
> Richard
>
> ========================================================
>
> Sep. 24, 2010 AP
>
> FBI serves terrorism warrants in Minnesota., Chicago
>
> by STEVE KARNOWSKI, Associated Press Writer
>
> Supporters of anti-war activists whose homes were raided by FBI agents
> gathered, Friday, Sept. 24, 2010 in Minneapolis. The FBI searched eight
> addresses in Minneapolis and Chicago on Friday. Warrants suggest they're
> looking for connections between local anti-war activists and terrorist
> groups in Colombia and the Middle East.
>
> MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The FBI said it searched eight addresses in
> Minneapolis and Chicago as part of a terrorism investigation Friday.
> Warrants suggest agents were looking for connections between local
> anti-war activists and terrorist groups in Colombia and the Middle East.
>
> FBI spokesman Steve Warfield told The Associated Press agents served six
> warrants in Minneapolis and two in Chicago.
>
> "These were search warrants only," Warfield said. "We're not anticipating
> any arrests at this time. They're seeking evidence relating to activities
> concerning the material support of terrorism."
>
> The homes of longtime Minneapolis anti-war activists Mick Kelly, Jess
> Sundin and Meredith Aby were among those searched, they said. All three
> were subpoenaed to appear before a federal grand jury in Chicago: Aby on
> Oct. 5, Sundin on Oct. 12 and Kelly on Oct. 19.
>
> "The FBI is harassing anti-war organizers and leaders, folks who opposed
> U.S. intervention in the Middle East and Latin America," Kelly said
> before agents confiscated his cell phone.
>
> Sundin said she believes the searches are connected with the Minnesota
> Anti-War Committee's opposition to U.S. military aid to Colombia and
> Israel, as well as its opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
>
> "It's kind of outrageous that citizens of the United States could be
> targeted like this," Sundin said.
>
> In Chicago, the home of activists Joe Iosbaker and his wife, Stephanie
> Weiner, was searched by more than a dozen agents who carried out boxes
> full of their possessions — including their cell phones — and loaded them
> into a white van, the couple's attorney said.
>
> Stepping outside his house briefly as FBI agents searched inside,
> Iosbaker was clearly shaken when he told The Associated Press: "I have
> done nothing wrong."
>
> Their attorney, Melinda Power, said the warrant cited possible support,
> in her words, "for unnamed terrorist organizations." Iosbaker and Weiner
> were summoned to testify before a grand jury on Oct. 5.
>
> "These are people committed to social justice," Power said. "That is not
> a crime in this country."
>
> As news of the raid spread around the neighborhood, friends and fellow
> activists gathered outside the house and several sang John Lennon's,
> "Give Peace a Chance."
>
> "These people have been activists all their lives," said Bob Hearst, who
> said he was a family friend. "I can't imagine why the FBI would have any
> interest in them."
>
> Warfield said he couldn't comment on whose homes were searched or give
> details on why because it was an ongoing investigation. "There's no
> imminent threat to the community," he said.
>
> The Minneapolis searches were first reported by the Star Tribune.
>
> The warrant for Kelly's home, provided by his attorney, sought evidence
> on travel he did as part of his work for the Freedom Road Socialist
> Organization and information on any travel to Colombia, the Palestinian
> territories, Jordan, Syria or Israel. The warrant for Sundin's home was
> similar but included a slightly different list of targeted groups.
>
> Kelly's warrant also said agents sought information on contact with the
> Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the Popular Front for the
> Liberation of Palestine and Hezbollah. The U.S. government considers
> those three groups terrorist organizations.
>
> "It appears to be a fishing expedition," said Kelly's attorney, Ted
> Dooley. "It seems like they're casting a huge seine or net into the
> political sea and see what they can drag up on shore and dry out. There's
> no rhyme or reason to it in a free society."
>
> The federal law cited in the search warrant prohibits "providing material
> support or resources to designated foreign terrorist organizations."
>
> "I'm having a hard time paying my rent," Kelly said. "There is no
> material support."
>
> In June, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a free-speech challenge to the
> law from humanitarian aid groups that said some provisions put them at
> risk of being prosecuted for talking to terrorist organizations about
> nonviolent activities.
>
> Two groups use the name Freedom Road Socialist Organization, one based in
> Chicago and one in New York. They split several years ago, and the New
> York group said it was not targeted.
>
> The website for the Chicago group, which describes itself as a
> "revolutionary socialist and Marxist-Leninist organization," shows Kelly
> and Sundin have been affiliated with it. Kelly edits FightBack!, a
> Minneapolis-based website and newspaper for the group.
>
> Kelly's subpoena also commanded him to bring records he might have
> relating to the Middle East and Colombia, along with "all records of any
> payment provided directly or indirectly to Hatam Abudayyeh."
>
> The subpoena did not further identify Abudayyeh, but FightBack has
> interviewed and carried articles by a Hatam Abudayyeh who's the executive
> director of the Chicago-based Arab American Action Network. Abudayyeh did
> not immediately return a phone message left at his office.
>
> Kelly said he went to Lebanon two years ago for a Palestinian solidarity
> conference, and he's been on Colombian radio by phone from the U.S.
>
> Sundin said she visited Colombia 10 years ago for a conference organized
> by a social movement there in opposition to U.S. military aid.
>
> Aby said she went to Palestine in 2002 and Colombia in 2004 and 2006 to
> meet with activists. She said anyone who's an activist in those counties
> gets labeled as a terrorist.
>
> Both Sundin and Kelly were organizers of a mass march on the first day of
> the Republican National Convention in St. Paul two years ago, and
> recently appeared at a news conference to announce plans for another
> protest if Minneapolis is selected to hold the 2012 Democratic National
> Convention.
>
> Police estimated the peaceful march in 2008 drew 10,000 protesters;
> organizers put the figure at 30,000. Other protests were marked by
> destructive acts by anarchists. More than 800 people were arrested during
> the four days of the convention, including Sundin and Kelly.
>
> Other Minnesota anti-war activists whose homes were searched included Anh
> Pham, Sarah Martin and Tracy Molm, Dooley said. He said he didn't know
> whose homes were searched in Chicago.
>
> The FBI's spokesman in Chicago, Ross Rice, would only say two searches
> were conducted Friday in Chicago and there were no arrests.
>
> Asked about the reports, the U.S. Attorney's office spokesman in Chicago,
> Randy Samborn, confirmed warrants were served in the city "in connection
> with a law enforcement investigation." He also declined to provide
> details. [I'm sure you've noticed how often this phrase appears where the
> FBI goons are concerned.]
>
> Associated Press Writers Michael Tarm in Chicago and Martiga Lohn in
> Minneapolis contributed to this report.
>
> End