Communiqué on torture and terrorism. Español

from Insurgent Subcommandante Angeles, Branch of Liaison, Communications, and Investigations, Clandestine Command "Division of the North" (Villista National Liberation Front).

This month has been marked by the unmasking of the inhuman face of the United States’ so-called “war on terror,” and concludes with warnings of imminent terrorist attacks on the United States.

These developments should surprise no-one.

What else was the parallel system of indefinite detentions and secret detention facilities for, if not to enable disappearances and torture? Since shortly after the initial terrorist attacks of 11 September, 2001, the Bush Administration has pushed Congress and the courts to accept unprecedented Presidential power to secretly detain whoever it deems a potential terrorist: how could this contempt for the US Constitution and Bill of Rights not be expected to extend to contempt for the Geneva Conventions on treatment of prisoners of war as well? The Bush Administration already showed contempt for international law by waging a war of aggression against Iraq; it confirmed that contempt by supporting the Israeli Government’s abandonment of any pretense of a desire of peace between itself and the Palestinian people.

Now we are supposed to be surprised that the US occupation forces have, in fact, engaged in torture of prisoners. We are outraged, alarmed…but not surprised. We have been expecting this ever since 11 September, 2001.

What does surprise and sadden us was the immediate aftermath: the capture and execution of Nicholas Berg, an “independent contractor” in Iraq.

First, he was captured by US occupation forces: then he mysteriously is “recaptured” by Iraqi insurgents and decapitated on videotape. When and where was he released by the occupation forces and recaptured by these insurgents? We share in the suspicion that, at least, there may have been some collusion between his two sets of captors…if indeed they were separate. If our suspicions prove justified, this would confirm the bloodthirsty ruthlessness of the US “war on terror.”

Now, the US Department of Homeland Security warns us that al-Qaeda is poised to strike again in the US, this time possibly using weapons of mass destruction. Such an attack would be timed to coincide with an important public event, such as the dedication of the monument to the fallen US soldiers of the Second World War, or the Democratic or Republican National Conventions.

Again, this is alarming, but unsurprising. First, is it any surprise that the bitter crop of hatred sown by the US and Israeli occupations would be reaped by al-Qaeda? Second, there have already been indications that the US military is poised for a coup d’etat in the event of a second terrorist attack in the US, especially if weapons of mass destruction are used: the clearest message was sent by General Tommy Franks, former commander of the US occupation forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, in an article in Cigar Aficionado a few months ago, but there have been other ominous signs. We Mexicans have struggled long and hard to avoid the fate of other Latin American military dictatorships: it is extremely alarming that there are such strong signs that such a fate awaits the United States of America! It is a bitter irony that, just as Mexico emerges from a long slumber of party-state dictatorship, there are those in the United States Government that believe, and act on the belief that their powers derive, not from the consent of the governed, but from God. How many will be sacrificed to their apocalyptic vision? Who is safe from these crusaders? Are we doomed to a new religious war between them and al-Qaeda’s jihadists?

We believe that there is a way out of this spiral of death and destruction: those who believe in a world in which many worlds fit must redouble our efforts to defeat the rise of fundamentalist, terrorist fascists, and ensure the victory of:

Liberty! Justice! Democracy! Human Rights!

From the Mexican Northwest, Insurgent Subcommander Angeles, Branch of Liaison, Communications, and Investigations, Clandestine Commando "Division of the North" (Villista National Liberation Front).

P.S. that updates: We have just received information that the invasion against Iraq was the result of a successful intelligence operation ... of Iranian Intelligence against both the Iraqi and US governments! If this information is accurate, the US fascists may have defeated themselves.

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