Wednesday, April 6, 2011

[hq2600] From Cynthia McKinney: Cynthia's Remarks at the Newseum - 31 March 2011

HQ hq2600 at gmail.com
Thu Mar 31 15:39:55 PDT 2011

Statement of Cynthia McKinney

 Newseum Press Conference on Libya

Thursday, 31 March 2011

I am pleased to stand with my colleagues today who are outraged at Nobel

Peace Laureate President Obama's  decision to wage war on Africa in Libya.  At

 the outset, let me state that Libya is home to tens of thousands or more of

 foreign students and guest workers.  The students come from Ethiopia,

 Eritrea, and Somalia.  The messages I have received from concerned Africans

state that these young innocent people, inaccurately labeled by the U.S.

press as "black mercenaries," have been trapped in hostile territory and are

hated by the U.S.-allied Al Qaeda insurgents.  The press forgot that Libya

is in Africa and that Libyans are Black!

I would also like to acknowledge the outrage of the Women International

Democratic Federation of Brazil that repudiates the invasion of Libya.  They

point specifically to the depressed state of women in pre-Qaddafi  Libya and

how women now have positions that had once been denied to them.  They note

in their communiqué that the National Front of the Salvation of Libya has

been financed by the C.I.A. since 1981 and that its headquarters is in

Washington, D.C.

In fact, I have received messages and phone calls from people literally all

over the world who are outraged at this action.   And because the media

cannot be relied upon to tell the truth, I repeat the call that I received

directly from Libya yesterday for international observers to go to Libya to

tell the world the truth.  I would go.

Sadly, President Obama's justification for war provides answers that don't

 answer, explanations that don't explain, and conclusions that don't

conclude.  Reports continue to emerge of the US ties to the so-called rebel

leaders:  the latest being that Khalifa Hifter, latest leader of the rebel

army, spent much of the past 20 years in Langley, Virginia.  He didn't even

move to Baltimore to disguise the relationship!  Moreover, General Wesley

Clarke told us that Libya was on the U.W. hitlist ten years ago!

This is nothing new.  This operation smells very much like so many other

Africa operations fueled by U.S.-supported individuals who become a rebel

 force able to  threaten an inconvenient leader who stands up to the U.S.  This

particular play has been repeated in Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of

Congo, Ivory Coast, and Angola and  Mozambique before them.  We are not

blind; we recognize this play.  And the use of depleted uranium will cause

health effects for generations to come.

 Pentagon Secretary Gates said "Libya is not part of our vital interest."  Then

 why are we there?   Herein lies the conundrum.  President Obama has

authorized secret support for its rebels in Libya, just like Miami's Cuban

community has received for decades.

Sadly, our President has chosen to spend $600 million per week in addition

 to other war costs at a time when the Black community is melting.   As of the

most recent Economic Policy Institute study, average Black family wealth was

 $2,000 while that of Whites was $94,600.  President Obama has done nothing

to address the disparities that have existed in this country since slavery.

Clearly, our President should focus on home and improving the lot of the

people of this country before launching another war.

Finally, I must say something about the ugly hate language that is  emanating

more and more from Black political voices.  Any politician seeking votes by

 exacerbating divisions in our country does not deserve our votes.  I'm

speaking specifically about the unfortunate remarks of Herman Cain who

should know better.

I stand with those who support the right of self-determination of the Libyan

people, including their right to resolve differences without interference

from  outsiders.

--

 http://dignity.ning.com/

http://www.enduswars.org

http://www.livestream.com/dignity

 http://www.twitter.com/dignityaction

http://www.myspace.com/dignityaction

http://www.myspace.com/runcynthiarun

 http://www.twitter.com/cynthiamckinney

http://www.facebook.com/CynthiaMcKinney

http://www.youtube.com/runcynthiarun

Silence is the deadliest weapon of mass destruction.

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