The Nuclear Resister

Dr. Rafil Dhafir

Jailed Iraqi-American physician and philanthropist Rafil Dhafir will be resentenced on January 5th, 2012 at 10 a.m. in the Federal Building in Syracuse, New York.  Dhafir, imprisoned for the last five years at the high security Communications Management Unit in Terre Haute, Indiana, will not be present as he did not want to travel. Judge Mordue has granted his request that he not be present.

Dhafir was originally sentenced to nearly 22 years, but the federal appeals court, when remanding the case to the trial judge for re-sentencing last year on technical grounds, suggested an even longer term might be in order.

Dhafir founded Help the Needy, a charity that directed more than $1M in aid to Iraqi civilians during the era of U.S. sanctions, 1991-2003. He was arrested February 26, 2003, on the eve of the invasion of Iraq,

Dozens of people who are part of Occupy DC, camping out in Freedom Plaza and McPhearson Square, packed the line on October 13 to get into the House Armed Services Committee where Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was testifying. Only 15 people were allowed in and none were allowed to even quietly hold up signs—a clear violation of their free speech.

One by one, seven people who managed to get inside got up to protest the wars. CODEPINK Alli McCracken, 22, held up a sign saying “Fund My Education, Not Your Wars.” “My generation only knows war and a bankrupt country. We deserve better,” she yelled, as she was yanked out and handcuffed by Capitol Police. Also arrested was 21-year-old Iraq veteran Michael Patterson, who was sent—at the age of 18—to be an interrogator in Iraq. “You are murdering people; I saw what you do to people in Iraq!” he shouted. “Then you refuse to even take care of our veterans when they return.” Nancy Brennan, 63, asked “How many lives will be sacrificed? How many lies will be told?” as she was arrested.

From Max Obuszewski, mobuszewski@verizon.net

As part of the Freedom Square occupation, National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance (NCNR) decided to attempt to obtain a meeting with Lt. Gen. Keith Alexander, the director of the National Security Agency (NSA), to discuss perceived illegal and unconstitutional activities by his operatives.  NCNR sent a letter, signed by thirty people from around the country, to Lt. Gen. Alexander requesting a meeting.

On October 9, approximately 25 people, most of them from the occupation of Freedom Square, went to the NSA in Fort Meade, Maryland with a copy of the letter.  Representatives of the NSA Police said it was not possible to meet with the general.  An NSA public relations officer told the group to leave Fort Meade, and that she would get back to Max Obuszewski on Tuesday with a response to the letter.  Since activists have been unsuccessful for years in obtaining a meeting with the director of the NSA, it was decided to make an attempt to go to the guard station to press the concerns about the NSA spying, its involvement in the extra-judicial killing of U.S. citizens and the firing of Thomas Drake, an NSA whistleblower.

However, instead of getting a meeting with a person of some authority, fourteen people were arrested on the road heading towards the guard station.

Today, October 7, marks the 10^th Anniversary of the war against Afghanistan. This morning  peace activists gathered outside Downing Street in a protest organised by the London Catholic Worker. Red paint was poured on the pavement outside the gates to symbolise the blood of  the 25,000 civilians and 2,500 soldiers who have been killed or wounded in the last decade. 6 people then blockaded the entrance to Downing Street for an hour before they were arrested. The 6 are John Lynes, Ciaron O’Reilly, Maya Evans, Ben Griffins, Chris Cole and Martin Newell.

A dozen activists gathered outside of Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, Arizona at 7 a.m. Monday morning, October 3 to protest drone warfare and war profiteering.  The group held signs reading “No to War Profiteering”, “We Have Guided Missiles and Misguided Men – MLK”, and “Drone Attacks Inspire Hatred of the U.S.”,  as employees drove into the factory.

Tucson Quaker and Catholic Worker John Heid, holding a sign that said “Make Us Instruments of Peace”, walked toward the Raytheon gatehouse to communicate with workers about weapons produced there (including Standard Missiles, Star Wars “kill vehicles”, Mavericks, AMRAAMs, microwave crowd control beams, pilotless drones, cluster bombs and cruise missiles) and particularly about his concerns regarding drone warfare.

Heid was stopped while nearing the gatehouse, arrested and taken to jail.