Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:52:26 GMT press tv dot com
Pakistani citizen Aafia Siddiqui, who is charged with attempted murder of FBI agents and US military personnel, has told a New York court that the charges against her are "ridiculous."
On Friday, the prosecution at the New York court brought in a gun instructor from Boston.
Gary Woodworth of the Braintree Rifle and Pistol Club in Massachusetts testified that Siddiqui took a 12-hour basic pistol course in early 1990s, the Daily Mail reported on Saturday.
The move was made in response to a statement by Siddiqui in which she said that she did not know anything about firearms and had not taken a target-shooting course.
She also denied taking pistol lessons at the rifle course in Braintree while she was a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Siddiqui went on to say that she saw an M-4 for the first time when it was produced in the court a couple of days ago as the weapon she allegedly used.
It was absurd to think a US soldier would carelessly leave his weapon in a place where a suspect like her could grab it, she told the jury.
"It's too crazy. It's just ridiculous," Siddiqui said. "I didn't do that."
On Thursday, Siddiqui told jurors in Manhattan Federal Court that charges alleging she grabbed a rifle and shot at US interrogators in Afghanistan are a joke.
"This is the biggest joke. Sometimes I've been forced to smile under my scarf."
Siddiqui denied the FBI's accusations that her purse contained chemicals, a list of terror targets in New York City, instructions on how to make a dirty bomb, and drawings of weapons.
“To answer your question, I do not know how to make a dirty bomb,” Ms. Siddiqui said, adding later, “I did not draw those pictures. I'm definitely not that good an artist, I can tell you that.”
Sidddqui also insisted that she was imprisoned in Afghanistan over the past few years.
It was “pure psychological, emotional torture,” she said, describing her situation.
"I thought it was a continuation of what had been done to me in my secret prison history."
According to some reports, she had been detained at the US military's Bagram prison, which is located north of Kabul, since 2003.
At one point, when her head scarf began to slip over her face, her attorney, Elaine Sharp, asked her to explain her attire to the jury.
“If you've been in a secret prison, abused, you get more modest. And it's part of the religion,” Siddiqui said.
She also repeated claims that FBI agents had threaded to hurt her children in order to scare her.
She said she was shot two or three times by one person in the room of the police station in Ghazni, Afghanistan where she was detained in 2008, and then shot by someone else.
Siddiqui vanished in Karachi, Pakistan with her three children on March 30, 2003. The next day it was reported in local newspapers that she had been taken into custody on terrorism charges.
US officials allege Aafia Siddiqui was seized on July 17, 2008 by Afghan security forces in Ghazni province and claim that documents, including formulas for explosives and chemical weapons, were found in her handbag.
They say that while she was being interrogated, she grabbed a US warrant officer's M-4 rifle and fired two shots at FBI agents and military personnel but missed and that the warrant officer then fired back, hitting her in the torso.
She was then brought to the United States to face charges of attempted murder and assault. Siddiqui faces 20 years in prison if convicted.
However, human rights organizations have cast doubt on the accuracy of the US account of the event.
Many political activists believe she was Prisoner 650 of the US detention facility in Bagram, Afghanistan, where they say she was tortured for five years until one day US authorities announced that they had found her in Afghanistan.
JR/HGL
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
DAY TEN: Dr. Aafia’s trial hits closing arguments Dawn.com
By Masood Haider NEW YORK
Feb 2, 2010
National - Pakistan
Surprise witness at Aafia’s trial Surprise witness at Aafia’s trial NEW YORK: Pakistan scientist Aafia Siddiqui’s lawyers concluded their arguments before a Manhattan court on Monday, insisting that there’s no physical evidence that their client had tried to kill American soldiers and FBI agents.
The trial of Dr Aafia, charged with shooting at her US interrogators in Afghanistan, moved into the final stage. As defence and prosecution lawyers delivered their closing arguments, the 16-member jury went into deliberations to reach a verdict. Sources said the verdict could come early next week.
Dr Aafia, who received graduate degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brandeis University in biology and neuroscience while living in the US between 1991 and June 2002, wasn’t in the courtroom as closing statements were made.
Highlighting contradictions in the accounts by prosecution witnesses, Dr Aafia’s lawyer Linda Moreno said there’s no physical evidence that her client handled the rifle or fired it.
In her closing statement, Ms Moreno said the soldiers and the FBI agents in the room contradicted each other in their testimony and their own statements given to the FBI following the incident.
The defence lawyer also said there were no M-4 bullets, no bullet debris from the M-4 rifle and no bullet holes from the rifle in the room.
“The indisputable fact is there is no physical evidence that an M-4 rifle was touched by Dr Aafia or fired by her,” Ms Moreno said.
She described the 300-square foot room in a court in Ghazni, where the alleged shooting took place as a “sort of a Bermuda Triangle of a room” if you believe the government’s theory in the case.
“According to the government, the laws of science don’t exist in that small room in Ghazni, Afghanistan,” Ms Moreno said. “The laws of physics don’t apply.”
She said the “science” supported Dr Aafia’s testimony that she didn’t touch the weapon or fire it. She pointed out that there were no fingerprints on the rifle, no bullet holes in the wall and no residue on the curtains. No bullet projectiles were found either.
The prosecution lawyers, however, argued that Dr Aafia saw an opportunity to kill Americans and took it when she grabbed a US Army soldier’s rifle in July 2008 and tried to shoot a group of soldiers and FBI agents at an Afghan police compound.
In his closing statement, Assistant US Attorney Christopher La Vigne said Dr Aafia had been arrested by Afghan police in July 2008 with documents that “were a roadmap to destruction” and included references to a “mass casualty attack” in the US
When she saw an opportunity, she grabbed an M-4 assault rifle belonging to a US soldier who was part of a team that had travelled to Ghazni, to interview her about the documents and “tried to kill every person in that room,” Mr La Vigne said.
Feb 2, 2010
National - Pakistan
Surprise witness at Aafia’s trial Surprise witness at Aafia’s trial NEW YORK: Pakistan scientist Aafia Siddiqui’s lawyers concluded their arguments before a Manhattan court on Monday, insisting that there’s no physical evidence that their client had tried to kill American soldiers and FBI agents.
The trial of Dr Aafia, charged with shooting at her US interrogators in Afghanistan, moved into the final stage. As defence and prosecution lawyers delivered their closing arguments, the 16-member jury went into deliberations to reach a verdict. Sources said the verdict could come early next week.
Dr Aafia, who received graduate degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brandeis University in biology and neuroscience while living in the US between 1991 and June 2002, wasn’t in the courtroom as closing statements were made.
Highlighting contradictions in the accounts by prosecution witnesses, Dr Aafia’s lawyer Linda Moreno said there’s no physical evidence that her client handled the rifle or fired it.
In her closing statement, Ms Moreno said the soldiers and the FBI agents in the room contradicted each other in their testimony and their own statements given to the FBI following the incident.
The defence lawyer also said there were no M-4 bullets, no bullet debris from the M-4 rifle and no bullet holes from the rifle in the room.
“The indisputable fact is there is no physical evidence that an M-4 rifle was touched by Dr Aafia or fired by her,” Ms Moreno said.
She described the 300-square foot room in a court in Ghazni, where the alleged shooting took place as a “sort of a Bermuda Triangle of a room” if you believe the government’s theory in the case.
“According to the government, the laws of science don’t exist in that small room in Ghazni, Afghanistan,” Ms Moreno said. “The laws of physics don’t apply.”
She said the “science” supported Dr Aafia’s testimony that she didn’t touch the weapon or fire it. She pointed out that there were no fingerprints on the rifle, no bullet holes in the wall and no residue on the curtains. No bullet projectiles were found either.
The prosecution lawyers, however, argued that Dr Aafia saw an opportunity to kill Americans and took it when she grabbed a US Army soldier’s rifle in July 2008 and tried to shoot a group of soldiers and FBI agents at an Afghan police compound.
In his closing statement, Assistant US Attorney Christopher La Vigne said Dr Aafia had been arrested by Afghan police in July 2008 with documents that “were a roadmap to destruction” and included references to a “mass casualty attack” in the US
When she saw an opportunity, she grabbed an M-4 assault rifle belonging to a US soldier who was part of a team that had travelled to Ghazni, to interview her about the documents and “tried to kill every person in that room,” Mr La Vigne said.
DAY NINE (with Intro) by Petra Bartosiewicz
01/02/2010
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USA v Aafia Siddiqui
Cageprisoners Inside the Courtroom Coverage
by Petra Bartosiewicz
On January 19 the long awaited trial of Aafia Siddiqui began in a federal courtroom in Manhattan. Her case has been one of the most baffling in the annals of post-9/11 terrorism prosecutions. Siddiqui, as regular readers of this website know, is a 37-year-old, MIT-educated neuroscientist, who lived in the U.S. for ten years before mysteriously vanishing from Karachi, her hometown, in 2003, along with her three children, two of whom are American born. For five years her whereabouts remained unknown, while rumors swirled that she was an Al Qaeda operative, and that she had married Ammar al Baluchi, the nephew of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and one of the five accused 9/11 plotters expected to face trial in the U.S. In July 2008 she was picked up in Ghazni, Afghanistan on suspicion of being a suicide bomber. The following day, as a team of U.S. soldiers and FBI agents arrived to question her at the police station where she was being held, she allegedly managed to get hold of an M-4 automatic rifle belonging to one of the soldiers, and, according to prosecutors, she opened fire. She hit no one but was herself hit in the abdomen by return fire. What is known is that the U.S. considered Siddiqui to be someone connected to a number of high level terrorism suspects. They say she went on the run and remained underground during her missing years. But human rights groups have long held that Siddiqui is no extremist and believe she was illegally detained and interrogated by Pakistani intelligence at the behest of the U.S. She now faces charges of attempted murder.
January 29, 2009 (DAY 9)
A day after Siddiqui took the stand in her own defense, her attorneys rested their case. Closing arguments are now set for Monday morning, with jurors expected to begin their deliberations later in the day. In dramatic testimony on Thursday, Siddiqui testified over the objections of her defense team, who argued she is mentally unstable, and described in vivid terms her account of the events at the Afghan National Police headquarters in Ghazni. Siddiqui told jurors she never touched the M-4 automatic rifle she is accused of firing at a group of U.S. soldiers, FBI agents and Afghan police officers and officials. She said that as she peered from behind a curtain where she was being held, she surprised the U.S. team and was shot. "I just wanted to get out of the room," she said. "I never attempted murder. That's a heavy word. No way."
On Friday prosecutors called three rebuttal witnesses to counter statements Siddiqui made during her testimony. Gary Woodworth, a longtime member of the Braintree Rifle and Pistol Club in Massachusetts, said he instructed Siddiqui in a basic 12-hour pistol shooting course in the early 1990's. On the stand prosecutors had asked Siddiqui if she received instruction at the club while living in Boston. "I have no recollection of that," she said. "Actually, you can take that as a no." But Woodworth told jurors he recognized Siddiqui from a photo and recalled he gave her instruction in the use of a 9 mm pistol, among other guns, but not an M-4 rifle. The other two witnesses to testify in the government's rebuttal were the same FBI agents who took the stand on Thursday during a hearing that took place without the jury present. At the hearing, which was meant to determine whether to permit Siddiqui to testify, Special Agents Bruce Kamerman and Angela Sercer both told Judge Richard Berman that they questioned Siddiqui while she was recuperating from her gunshot wounds in Bagram Air Base. While on the stand later that day Siddiqui told jurors that Kamerman had mistreated her, watching her as her wounds were dressed and when she went to the bathroom. She denied making any statements to him. But on the stand Friday, Kamerman told jurors Siddiqui had, in fact, initiated a number of conversations with him. He said she told him she hadn't shot anyone in Ghazni. He said she told him she'd never seen, handled or fired a rifle and she picked up the M-4 rifle because it was leaning up against a wall and she wanted to look at it. "She was holding the rifle when she was shot," Kamerman said. He said Siddiqui later volunteered a different version of events, telling him she picked up the rifle because "she wanted to scare the men so she could escape." But Kamerman did not say that Siddiqui ever confessed to firing the rifle. On cross examination, defense attorney Elaine Sharpe asked Kamerman whether he knew that Siddiqui was on medications such as Percocet and morphine and suggested that her statements were affected by the drugs in her system. The third witness in the rebuttal case, FBI Special Agent Angela Sercer, repeated much of the testimony she gave at the preliminary hearing, saying that she was assigned to gather intelligence from Siddiqui in Bagram during her recuperation. Sercer said she developed a good rapport with Siddiqui as she sat by her bedside, sometimes for 12-hour shifts over a period of approximately two weeks. "She was initially weaker but she became stronger as she began to heal," said Sercer, who described Siddiqui as "very intelligent." She said Siddiqui was particularly open to teaching her about Islam.
Jurors also heard the completion of testimony begun earlier this week in the form of two videotaped depositions taken in Ghazni, Afghanistan from eyewitnesses to the shooting incident. The first was the former deputy chief of counterterrorism in Ghazni, Abdul Qadeer, who testified through a translator that he questioned Siddiqui when she was brought to the police headquarters after being arrested near one of the city's mosques on July 17, 2008. The second witness was Qadeer's deputy, who spoke Urdu and said he was called in to assist in the questioning of Siddiqui and her son. Qadeer said Siddiqui had a young boy with her, who would later be identified as her eldest son, Ahmad. He described how he and a number of other police on staff beat Siddiqui because they believed she was a suicide bomber. "The whole scene was like a drama," he said. "The governor came and hit her and the chief of police came and hit her, and the governor's body guard would come and give her a punch." He said Siddiqui did not want to be handed over to the coalition forces and twice tried to escape. The second time she threatened Qadeer with a can she said contained "exploding materials," but he said he knew the can was empty and disregarded the threat. She was bound but later untied and Qadeer was present in the room where Siddiqui was being held behind a curtain when the U.S. team arrived. He said he saw a soldier go behind the curtain and immediately after that he heard shots. He said there was a stampede of people trying to get out of the room and in the chaos he fell from his chair and was trampled.
Closing arguments are scheduled for Monday, Feb 1, with Day 10, USA v Siddiqui.
Petra Bartosiewicz is a freelance journalist who has written for numerous publications, including The Nation, Mother Jones, and Salon.com. Her forthcoming book on terrorism trials in the U.S., The Best Terrorists We Could Find, will be published by Nation Books early next year. You can find her investigation of Aafia Siddiqui's case, "The Intelligence Factory: How America Makes its Enemies Disappear," in the November 2009 issue of Harper's magazine (www.harpers.org) and at her website www.petrabart.com. She can be reached at petrabart@petrabart.com.
=
USA v Aafia Siddiqui
Cageprisoners Inside the Courtroom Coverage
by Petra Bartosiewicz
On January 19 the long awaited trial of Aafia Siddiqui began in a federal courtroom in Manhattan. Her case has been one of the most baffling in the annals of post-9/11 terrorism prosecutions. Siddiqui, as regular readers of this website know, is a 37-year-old, MIT-educated neuroscientist, who lived in the U.S. for ten years before mysteriously vanishing from Karachi, her hometown, in 2003, along with her three children, two of whom are American born. For five years her whereabouts remained unknown, while rumors swirled that she was an Al Qaeda operative, and that she had married Ammar al Baluchi, the nephew of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and one of the five accused 9/11 plotters expected to face trial in the U.S. In July 2008 she was picked up in Ghazni, Afghanistan on suspicion of being a suicide bomber. The following day, as a team of U.S. soldiers and FBI agents arrived to question her at the police station where she was being held, she allegedly managed to get hold of an M-4 automatic rifle belonging to one of the soldiers, and, according to prosecutors, she opened fire. She hit no one but was herself hit in the abdomen by return fire. What is known is that the U.S. considered Siddiqui to be someone connected to a number of high level terrorism suspects. They say she went on the run and remained underground during her missing years. But human rights groups have long held that Siddiqui is no extremist and believe she was illegally detained and interrogated by Pakistani intelligence at the behest of the U.S. She now faces charges of attempted murder.
January 29, 2009 (DAY 9)
A day after Siddiqui took the stand in her own defense, her attorneys rested their case. Closing arguments are now set for Monday morning, with jurors expected to begin their deliberations later in the day. In dramatic testimony on Thursday, Siddiqui testified over the objections of her defense team, who argued she is mentally unstable, and described in vivid terms her account of the events at the Afghan National Police headquarters in Ghazni. Siddiqui told jurors she never touched the M-4 automatic rifle she is accused of firing at a group of U.S. soldiers, FBI agents and Afghan police officers and officials. She said that as she peered from behind a curtain where she was being held, she surprised the U.S. team and was shot. "I just wanted to get out of the room," she said. "I never attempted murder. That's a heavy word. No way."
On Friday prosecutors called three rebuttal witnesses to counter statements Siddiqui made during her testimony. Gary Woodworth, a longtime member of the Braintree Rifle and Pistol Club in Massachusetts, said he instructed Siddiqui in a basic 12-hour pistol shooting course in the early 1990's. On the stand prosecutors had asked Siddiqui if she received instruction at the club while living in Boston. "I have no recollection of that," she said. "Actually, you can take that as a no." But Woodworth told jurors he recognized Siddiqui from a photo and recalled he gave her instruction in the use of a 9 mm pistol, among other guns, but not an M-4 rifle. The other two witnesses to testify in the government's rebuttal were the same FBI agents who took the stand on Thursday during a hearing that took place without the jury present. At the hearing, which was meant to determine whether to permit Siddiqui to testify, Special Agents Bruce Kamerman and Angela Sercer both told Judge Richard Berman that they questioned Siddiqui while she was recuperating from her gunshot wounds in Bagram Air Base. While on the stand later that day Siddiqui told jurors that Kamerman had mistreated her, watching her as her wounds were dressed and when she went to the bathroom. She denied making any statements to him. But on the stand Friday, Kamerman told jurors Siddiqui had, in fact, initiated a number of conversations with him. He said she told him she hadn't shot anyone in Ghazni. He said she told him she'd never seen, handled or fired a rifle and she picked up the M-4 rifle because it was leaning up against a wall and she wanted to look at it. "She was holding the rifle when she was shot," Kamerman said. He said Siddiqui later volunteered a different version of events, telling him she picked up the rifle because "she wanted to scare the men so she could escape." But Kamerman did not say that Siddiqui ever confessed to firing the rifle. On cross examination, defense attorney Elaine Sharpe asked Kamerman whether he knew that Siddiqui was on medications such as Percocet and morphine and suggested that her statements were affected by the drugs in her system. The third witness in the rebuttal case, FBI Special Agent Angela Sercer, repeated much of the testimony she gave at the preliminary hearing, saying that she was assigned to gather intelligence from Siddiqui in Bagram during her recuperation. Sercer said she developed a good rapport with Siddiqui as she sat by her bedside, sometimes for 12-hour shifts over a period of approximately two weeks. "She was initially weaker but she became stronger as she began to heal," said Sercer, who described Siddiqui as "very intelligent." She said Siddiqui was particularly open to teaching her about Islam.
Jurors also heard the completion of testimony begun earlier this week in the form of two videotaped depositions taken in Ghazni, Afghanistan from eyewitnesses to the shooting incident. The first was the former deputy chief of counterterrorism in Ghazni, Abdul Qadeer, who testified through a translator that he questioned Siddiqui when she was brought to the police headquarters after being arrested near one of the city's mosques on July 17, 2008. The second witness was Qadeer's deputy, who spoke Urdu and said he was called in to assist in the questioning of Siddiqui and her son. Qadeer said Siddiqui had a young boy with her, who would later be identified as her eldest son, Ahmad. He described how he and a number of other police on staff beat Siddiqui because they believed she was a suicide bomber. "The whole scene was like a drama," he said. "The governor came and hit her and the chief of police came and hit her, and the governor's body guard would come and give her a punch." He said Siddiqui did not want to be handed over to the coalition forces and twice tried to escape. The second time she threatened Qadeer with a can she said contained "exploding materials," but he said he knew the can was empty and disregarded the threat. She was bound but later untied and Qadeer was present in the room where Siddiqui was being held behind a curtain when the U.S. team arrived. He said he saw a soldier go behind the curtain and immediately after that he heard shots. He said there was a stampede of people trying to get out of the room and in the chaos he fell from his chair and was trampled.
Closing arguments are scheduled for Monday, Feb 1, with Day 10, USA v Siddiqui.
Petra Bartosiewicz is a freelance journalist who has written for numerous publications, including The Nation, Mother Jones, and Salon.com. Her forthcoming book on terrorism trials in the U.S., The Best Terrorists We Could Find, will be published by Nation Books early next year. You can find her investigation of Aafia Siddiqui's case, "The Intelligence Factory: How America Makes its Enemies Disappear," in the November 2009 issue of Harper's magazine (www.harpers.org) and at her website www.petrabart.com. She can be reached at petrabart@petrabart.com.
DAY NINE: Surprise witness at Aafia’s trial By Masood Haider
Sunday, 31 Jan, 2010
In an attempt to prove that Aafia is lying, the prosecution brought in a rifle instructor to show that she knew how to handle a gun. — File Photo Front Page
Dr. Aafia’s trial hits closing arguments Dr. Aafia’s trial hits closing arguments NEW YORK: In an attempt to prove that Aafia Siddiqui, the Pakistani neuroscientist on trial for attempted murder, was lying, the prosecution on Friday brought in a surprise witness to show that she knew how to handle a gun.
Gary Woodsworth, an instructor of the Braintree Rifle and Pistol Club in Massachusetts, testified that Ms Siddiqui made quite an impression nearly 20 years ago when she took a 12-hour National Rifle Association basic pistol course, asking lots of questions about guns.
Woodworth, who was shown a file photo of Ms Siddiqui when she was a student at MIT in Boston (MAS), said he remembered her.
The defence team tried to suggest it was impossible for Woodworth to remember one of hundreds of students from so long ago, but he insisted he was good with faces.
“You have no records of this session...no documents at all to corroborate your memory?” Ms Siddiqui’s lawyer, Dawn Cardi, asked. “Correct,” Woodworth said.
Prosecutors want to show she knows how to handle a weapon -- and Woodworth said Ms Siddiqui fired between 400 and 1,200 rounds during the course, but no rifles.
Ms Siddiqui was not in the courtroom to see the shooting instructor and chose to watch the proceedings on closed-circuit television in a holding cell next door to the courtroom.
FBI Special Agent Bruce Kamerman also testified, saying Ms Siddiqui told him in July 2008 that she picked up the assault rifle “because she wanted to scare the men so she could escape.”
Kamerman, who interrogated Ms Siddiqui when she was taken to the Bagram Airbase near Kabul for surgery, said he informed his superiors of her statement.
But when defence lawyer Elaine Sharp produced his hand-written notes in which there was no reference to her picking up the gun he was left speechless.
Closing statements will be made by the prosecution and defence lawyers on Monday. The jury will then go into deliberations to prepare its verdict.
In an attempt to prove that Aafia is lying, the prosecution brought in a rifle instructor to show that she knew how to handle a gun. — File Photo Front Page
Dr. Aafia’s trial hits closing arguments Dr. Aafia’s trial hits closing arguments NEW YORK: In an attempt to prove that Aafia Siddiqui, the Pakistani neuroscientist on trial for attempted murder, was lying, the prosecution on Friday brought in a surprise witness to show that she knew how to handle a gun.
Gary Woodsworth, an instructor of the Braintree Rifle and Pistol Club in Massachusetts, testified that Ms Siddiqui made quite an impression nearly 20 years ago when she took a 12-hour National Rifle Association basic pistol course, asking lots of questions about guns.
Woodworth, who was shown a file photo of Ms Siddiqui when she was a student at MIT in Boston (MAS), said he remembered her.
The defence team tried to suggest it was impossible for Woodworth to remember one of hundreds of students from so long ago, but he insisted he was good with faces.
“You have no records of this session...no documents at all to corroborate your memory?” Ms Siddiqui’s lawyer, Dawn Cardi, asked. “Correct,” Woodworth said.
Prosecutors want to show she knows how to handle a weapon -- and Woodworth said Ms Siddiqui fired between 400 and 1,200 rounds during the course, but no rifles.
Ms Siddiqui was not in the courtroom to see the shooting instructor and chose to watch the proceedings on closed-circuit television in a holding cell next door to the courtroom.
FBI Special Agent Bruce Kamerman also testified, saying Ms Siddiqui told him in July 2008 that she picked up the assault rifle “because she wanted to scare the men so she could escape.”
Kamerman, who interrogated Ms Siddiqui when she was taken to the Bagram Airbase near Kabul for surgery, said he informed his superiors of her statement.
But when defence lawyer Elaine Sharp produced his hand-written notes in which there was no reference to her picking up the gun he was left speechless.
Closing statements will be made by the prosecution and defence lawyers on Monday. The jury will then go into deliberations to prepare its verdict.
Aafia turns out to be a credible witness
By Masood Haider
Saturday, 30 Jan, 2010
“I walked towards the curtain. I was shot and I was shot again. I fainted,” Dr Aafia told the court.
Dr. Aafia’s trial hits closing arguments Dr. Aafia’s trial hits closing arguments NEW YORK: Pakistani neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui took the stand on Thursday afternoon to testify in a court where she is facing the charge of trying to kill American servicemen while in custody at Ghazni (Afghanistan).
While denying the attempted murder charge, Dr Aafia told the court that she was concerned she was going to be transferred to a ‘secret’ prison by the Americans and was trying to slip out of the room when she was shot.
“I’m telling you what I know,” she said in response to a question by Assistant US Attorney Jenna M. Dabbs.
“I walked towards the curtain. I was shot and I was shot again. I fainted.” Much to the surprise of her defence team, Dr Aafia turned to be a ‘credible witness’.
She was allowed to take the stand after Judge Richard Berman issued her caveats making her aware of the pitfalls and the dangers of such a move. Her defence team was literally scared that she could turn out to be her own worst enemy given her past record of outbursts.
She had been thrown out of the court several times after being admonished by the judge not to speak out of turn.
But on Thursday she surprised them all and remained calm and composed.Dr Aafia again denied picking up an M4 rifle and taking a shot at American soldiers and instead maintained that she was scared and wanted to run away as she heard conversations from behind the curtain during her incarceration at Ghazni.
She said as she peeked out of the curtain she was shot and injured. She also accused the FBI agents who questioned her time and again of threatening to hurt her children in order to scare her.
At one point she became so chatty that she was asked by the judge to just answer the question instead of elaborating them.
She also denied prosectuion’s claim that she was trained in rifle shooting, saying: “I took physical training but not to shoot a rifle.”
She said she was shot two or three times by one person in the room and then shot by someone else. She also said she did not believe any US soldier in the room would be irresponsible enough to leave his weapon lying around.
A group of FBI agents and US soldiers had travelled to Ghazni to interview Dr Aafia after she was allegedly found with materials that included hand-written notes referring to a “mass casualty attack” in the US and listed several landmark locations, including the Empire State Building and the Brooklyn Bridge, prosecutors have said.
Saturday, 30 Jan, 2010
“I walked towards the curtain. I was shot and I was shot again. I fainted,” Dr Aafia told the court.
Dr. Aafia’s trial hits closing arguments Dr. Aafia’s trial hits closing arguments NEW YORK: Pakistani neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui took the stand on Thursday afternoon to testify in a court where she is facing the charge of trying to kill American servicemen while in custody at Ghazni (Afghanistan).
While denying the attempted murder charge, Dr Aafia told the court that she was concerned she was going to be transferred to a ‘secret’ prison by the Americans and was trying to slip out of the room when she was shot.
“I’m telling you what I know,” she said in response to a question by Assistant US Attorney Jenna M. Dabbs.
“I walked towards the curtain. I was shot and I was shot again. I fainted.” Much to the surprise of her defence team, Dr Aafia turned to be a ‘credible witness’.
She was allowed to take the stand after Judge Richard Berman issued her caveats making her aware of the pitfalls and the dangers of such a move. Her defence team was literally scared that she could turn out to be her own worst enemy given her past record of outbursts.
She had been thrown out of the court several times after being admonished by the judge not to speak out of turn.
But on Thursday she surprised them all and remained calm and composed.Dr Aafia again denied picking up an M4 rifle and taking a shot at American soldiers and instead maintained that she was scared and wanted to run away as she heard conversations from behind the curtain during her incarceration at Ghazni.
She said as she peeked out of the curtain she was shot and injured. She also accused the FBI agents who questioned her time and again of threatening to hurt her children in order to scare her.
At one point she became so chatty that she was asked by the judge to just answer the question instead of elaborating them.
She also denied prosectuion’s claim that she was trained in rifle shooting, saying: “I took physical training but not to shoot a rifle.”
She said she was shot two or three times by one person in the room and then shot by someone else. She also said she did not believe any US soldier in the room would be irresponsible enough to leave his weapon lying around.
A group of FBI agents and US soldiers had travelled to Ghazni to interview Dr Aafia after she was allegedly found with materials that included hand-written notes referring to a “mass casualty attack” in the US and listed several landmark locations, including the Empire State Building and the Brooklyn Bridge, prosecutors have said.
Omar Khadr: Canadian Gov't must respond to Supreme Court of Canada: Amnesty Release
Amnesty I File Photo No Security Without Human Rights
Like many before them, the proponents of the so-called “war on terror” have sought to justify their actions in the name of national security. The result has been the systematic undermining of hard-fought for human rights protections including freedom from discrimination, torture and arbitrary detention. Threats will always be out there from many quarters, be they armed struggles, natural disasters or yet unknown sources. But pursuing genuine security for everyone means placing human rights at the centre of our response. From the headline grabbing cases like Omar Khadr in Guantánamo Bay to the forgotten victims of the "war on terror", this blog covers a wide range of topics on Amnesty International’s work to uphold human rights for all without exception.
Several Recent Items on Omar Khadr from AI Amnesty International: here
here
Canadian government must respond to Supreme Court of Canada ruling on Omar Khadr case29 January 2010 1:20 pm Posted by: Hilary Homes
Amnesty International is calling on the Canadian government to respond immediately to today’s unanimous Supreme Court of Canada declaration that Omar Khadr’s rights have been violated. As a remedy to those violations, Amnesty International continues to call on the Canadian government immediately to seek Omar Khadr’s repatriation from Guantánamo Bay back to Canada.
The Court issued a declaration that the actions of Canadian intelligence officials, who interrogated Omar Khadr at Guantánamo Bay knowing that he had been subject to “improper treatment by US authorities”, breached his rights under section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Court finds that Canada “actively participated in a process contrary to Canada’s international human rights obligations and contributed to Mr. Khadr’s ongoing detention so as to deprive him of his right to liberty and security of the person guaranteed by s.7 of the Charter, contrary to the principles of fundamental justice.”
The Court concludes that it is up to the government to now “consider what action to take in respect of Mr. Khadr, in conformity with the Charter.” The Court did not order Canada to seek his repatriation to Canada from Guantánamo Bay, ruling that it was not their role to specify what type of action the government must take to remedy the violations. It is nonetheless clear that the Court expects the government to take action that will conform to the Charter and will be responsive to the violations Mr. Khadr has suffered.
“The Supreme Court is unequivocal and unanimous in finding that Canadian officials violated Omar Khadr’s rights under the Charter and Canada’s international human rights obligations, but did not feel it was their role to single out a specific remedy, such as ordering the Canadian government to seek his repatriation,” said Alex Neve, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada (English branch).
From Amnesty's photo file of a 2007 demonstrationGovernments must be held to account for secret detentions 27 January 2010 1:19 pm
Posted by: Hilary Homes
Amnesty International today called on all states to take concrete steps to end secret detention, following publication of a detailed United Nations report on its widespread use in the name of countering terrorism.
The UN study highlights the global nature of the problem, naming dozens of countries, covering every region of the world, as undertaking secret detention, or being complicit in it through international networks of detainee transfers and intelligence agencies.
Secret detentions, as the UN report clearly states, constitute a series of human rights violations and ‘cannot be justified under any circumstances.’ The practice is irreconcilable with international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
“Secret detention is not only unlawful in itself, it enables a range of abhorrent abuses including torture and extrajudicial execution,” said Widney Brown, Senior Director of International Law and Policy for Amnesty International.
Read the full AI news release - Go to the URL at top of page
Day NINE: Prosecution’s move to undercut Aafia’s testimony fails Jan 30 2010
APP.pk feed
NEW YORK, Jan 30 (APP): A prosecution attempt on Friday to rebut Aafia Siddiqui’s spirited testimony denying attempted murder and assault charges appeared to have collapsed as the exercise left two of three government witnesses fumbling under sharp cross-examination.
Deposition by the third witness—a female FBI agent—was continuing when the Manhattan federal court recessed for the weekend to meet again on Monday when the trial of American-educated Pakistani neuroscientist will resume. Ms. Siddiqui is accused of grabbing a M-4 rifle and firing at U.S. soldiers and FBI agents who had gone to a police station in Ghazni, a day after her arrest in that Afghan city. No one was hit in the (alleged) incident, but Ms. Siddqui was shot in the stomach by a US soldier.
Despite significant setbacks at the hands of defence lawyers, the prosecution is vigorously pursing it's case against the defendant. On Friday, the prosecution brought in a gun instructor from Boston. The move followed a statement by Ms. Siddiqui on Thursday that she does not know anything about firearms and has not taken a target-shooting course. Gary Woodworth of the Braintree Rifle and Pistol Club in Massachusetts testified that Ms. Siddiqui took a 12-hour basic pistol course in early 90s.
But he appeared a bit uncomfortable when Aafia’s defence team asked him how could he remember one of hundreds of students from nearly 2O years ago. He insisted he was good with faces. “You have no records of this session...no documents at all to corroborate your memory?” defence lawyer, Dawn Cardi, asked. “Correct,” Woodworth said. Under questioning, he admitted that an FBI agent recently showed him Ms. Siddiqui’s picture, with her name on it. Ms. Siddiqui was not in the courtroom on Friday - she chose to watch on closed-circuit television in a holding cell. Also testifying was‘FBI Special Agent Bruce Kamerman, who said Ms. Siddiqui told him in July 2008 that she picked up the assault rifle “because she wanted to scare the men so she could escape.” Kamerman, who interrogated Ms. Siddiqui when she was taken to the Bagram Air Base near Kabul for surgery, said he informed his superiors of her statement.
But he look embarrassed when Defence lawyer Elaine Sharp produced his hand-written notes in which there was no reference to her picking up the gun. Ms. Siddiqui, who was recovering from her wounds, had complained about Kamerman’s behaviour in the course of her testimony. And Ms. Sharp succeeded in extracting admission from him, including that she was kept tied to her bed and he would not (allow) her to close the bathroom door when she was using it.
Closing statements (are expected to) be made by the prosecution and defence lawyers on Monday when the jury will go into deliberations to prepare its verdict.
NEW YORK, Jan 30 (APP): A prosecution attempt on Friday to rebut Aafia Siddiqui’s spirited testimony denying attempted murder and assault charges appeared to have collapsed as the exercise left two of three government witnesses fumbling under sharp cross-examination.
Deposition by the third witness—a female FBI agent—was continuing when the Manhattan federal court recessed for the weekend to meet again on Monday when the trial of American-educated Pakistani neuroscientist will resume. Ms. Siddiqui is accused of grabbing a M-4 rifle and firing at U.S. soldiers and FBI agents who had gone to a police station in Ghazni, a day after her arrest in that Afghan city. No one was hit in the (alleged) incident, but Ms. Siddqui was shot in the stomach by a US soldier.
Despite significant setbacks at the hands of defence lawyers, the prosecution is vigorously pursing it's case against the defendant. On Friday, the prosecution brought in a gun instructor from Boston. The move followed a statement by Ms. Siddiqui on Thursday that she does not know anything about firearms and has not taken a target-shooting course. Gary Woodworth of the Braintree Rifle and Pistol Club in Massachusetts testified that Ms. Siddiqui took a 12-hour basic pistol course in early 90s.
But he appeared a bit uncomfortable when Aafia’s defence team asked him how could he remember one of hundreds of students from nearly 2O years ago. He insisted he was good with faces. “You have no records of this session...no documents at all to corroborate your memory?” defence lawyer, Dawn Cardi, asked. “Correct,” Woodworth said. Under questioning, he admitted that an FBI agent recently showed him Ms. Siddiqui’s picture, with her name on it. Ms. Siddiqui was not in the courtroom on Friday - she chose to watch on closed-circuit television in a holding cell. Also testifying was‘FBI Special Agent Bruce Kamerman, who said Ms. Siddiqui told him in July 2008 that she picked up the assault rifle “because she wanted to scare the men so she could escape.” Kamerman, who interrogated Ms. Siddiqui when she was taken to the Bagram Air Base near Kabul for surgery, said he informed his superiors of her statement.
But he look embarrassed when Defence lawyer Elaine Sharp produced his hand-written notes in which there was no reference to her picking up the gun. Ms. Siddiqui, who was recovering from her wounds, had complained about Kamerman’s behaviour in the course of her testimony. And Ms. Sharp succeeded in extracting admission from him, including that she was kept tied to her bed and he would not (allow) her to close the bathroom door when she was using it.
Closing statements (are expected to) be made by the prosecution and defence lawyers on Monday when the jury will go into deliberations to prepare its verdict.
Day NINE: Aafia Trial: Jury Can Start Deliberation Monday
Posted on 30 January 2010 by Ibrahim Sajid Malick on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at 14:52 (On his blogsite)
Jury in Dr. Aafia Siddiqui trial is likely to begin deliberations Monday afternoon after prosecution and defense attorneys make closing statements.
In a taped video deposition presented by defense on Friday, Bashir, an Afghan police officer testified that he saw an American officer walk behind the curtain just before he heard gun shots, and that he never saw Dr. Siddiqui pick up a gun. Bashir was the last defense witness.
Earlier in the day Judge Richard Berman allowed prosecution to produce additional witnesses to rebut claims made by the defense witnesses and experts.
With lack of physical evidence and burden of proof – the Government has to demonstrate with mathematical certitude that Dr. Siddiqui grabbed the Chief Warrant Officer’s M4 Assault Rifle and fired at United States officers and employees in Ghazni, Afghanistan on July 18, 2008.
A point of possible contention was raised Friday when Bashir testified there were two shell casing found in the room. Government has produced only one .9mm shell casing as evidence during the trial.
The prosecution offered rebuttal witnesses, intended to respond to the evidence presented by the defense. First, the prosecution called a firing range owner, Gary Woodworth, who testified that he remembered Dr. Siddiqui coming to the shooting range 19 years ago.
However under cross examination, Mr. Woodworth also admitted that there were no records of Dr. Siddiqui ever having visited the shooting range, and that even if she had, it could have been as part of her physical education requirements at MIT.
Mr. Woodworth also acknowledged being a member of the National Rifle Association and having very close relationships with law enforcement officers. He also admitted that the course he alleged she came for is a very basic training pistol course.
When asked by a defense attorney if he remembered the student he taught before Aafia he said, “no”; if he remembered the student he taught after Aafia, he said “no”.
The prosecution then called FBI Special Agent Bruce Kammerman, who testified that while recuperating at Bagram Airbase hospital, Dr. Siddiqui had told him that she had picked up the gun because she wanted to scare people in order to ease her escape.
However, on cross-examination, Agent Kammerman admitted that his original handwritten notes about the conversation did not mention anything about “picking up” the gun, but only Dr. Siddiqui’s desire to escape, and that the reference to the gun was added only in the final typed report.
Kammerman testified that during the conversations she was “lucid”, but he was not aware of what medications she was on and did not inquire about them. He testified that he addressed all of her needs for food, water, and bathroom use during his 12 hour daily shifts monitoring her.
In Aafia Siddiqui’s direct testimony during her time at the hospital she said that Bruce’s presence was “torture” for her as he would cross examination, Kammerman conceded that when she needed to go to the bathroom he did insist that the door be open for “security”.
According to Siddiqui’s testimony, he would stay all night and because of this during his entire 12 hour shifts she could not go to the bathroom.
The Prosecution then brought the other FBI agent who monitored Dr. Siddiqui while in the hospital, Angela Sercer. Sercer is a female Special Agent who also kept 12 hour shifts every day that Siddiqui was at the hospital. She offered similar testimony to Kammerman, however, acknowledged that Siddiqui was on a wide variety of medications including, morphine, ativan, haldol, phentinol, and percocet; still she maintained that Siddiqui was “lucid”.
According to Siddiqui Angela seemed like a “nice person”
Both Sercer and Kammerman testified that their purpose in being with Siddiqui was for “security” and to “gather intelligence” about matters unrelated to the shooting incident. They both also testified that Siddiqui initiated the conversations.
If neither of these fact were accurate then Miranda Laws would apply and these alleged self-incriminating statements would not be admissible in court.
According to Miranda laws an arrested individual must be advised of their rights including the right to an attorney and/or consular staff, and right not to speak. Also, law enforcement officals must identify themselves. Although Siddiqui was not read her Miranda rights and FBI officals did not identify themselves, the judge has allowed their testimony.
Thursday had marked a turning point in the trial of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, who decided to take the witness stand in her own defense.
She declared under oath for the first time that she “was tortured in a secret prison” and that her missing children are all that has been on her mind every day. Dr. Siddiqui denied ever having shot at anyone, and appeared to remain unshaken even under intense cross-examination by the prosecution.
She explained that she was shot by US soldiers while attempting to peek around the curtain partition in the interrogation room, while looking for a way to escape.
Before her testimony was cut short by the Judge, Dr. Siddiqui mentioned that her fear of being sent back to a secret prison had made her anxious to escape.
Tags | aafia siddiqui, dr. aafia siddiqui, richard berman
Aafia Siddiqui Trial: Jury Can Start Deliberation On Monday
Jury in Dr. Aafia Siddiqui trial is likely to begin deliberations Monday afternoon after prosecution and defense attorneys make closing statements.
In a taped video deposition presented by defense on Friday, Bashir, an Afghan police officer testified that he saw an American officer walk behind the curtain just before he heard gun shots, and that he never saw Dr. Siddiqui pick up a gun. Bashir was the last defense witness.
Earlier in the day Judge Richard Berman allowed prosecution to produce additional witnesses to rebut claims made by the defense witnesses and experts.
With lack of physical evidence and burden of proof – the Government has to demonstrate with mathematical certitude that Dr. Siddiqui grabbed the Chief Warrant Officer’s M4 Assault Rifle and fired at United States officers and employees in Ghazni, Afghanistan on July 18, 2008.
A point of possible contention was raised Friday when Bashir testified there were two shell casing found in the room. Government has produced only one .9mm shell casing as evidence during the trial.
The prosecution offered rebuttal witnesses, intended to respond to the evidence presented by the defense. First, the prosecution called a firing range owner, Gary Woodworth, who testified that he remembered Dr. Siddiqui coming to the shooting range 19 years ago.
However under cross examination, Mr. Woodworth also admitted that there were no records of Dr. Siddiqui ever having visited the shooting range, and that even if she had, it could have been as part of her physical education requirements at MIT.
Mr. Woodworth also acknowledged being a member of the National Rifle Association and having very close relationships with law enforcement officers. He also admitted that the course he alleged she came for is a very basic training pistol course.
When asked by a defense attorney if he remembered the student he taught before Aafia he said, “no”; if he remembered the student he taught after Aafia, he said “no”.
The prosecution then called FBI Special Agent Bruce Kammerman, who testified that while recuperating at Bagram Airbase hospital, Dr. Siddiqui had told him that she had picked up the gun because she wanted to scare people in order to ease her escape.
However, on cross-examination, Agent Kammerman admitted that his original handwritten notes about the conversation did not mention anything about “picking up” the gun, but only Dr. Siddiqui’s desire to escape, and that the reference to the gun was added only in the final typed report.
Kammerman testified that during the conversations she was “lucid”, but he was not aware of what medications she was on and did not inquire about them. He testified that he addressed all of her needs for food, water, and bathroom use during his 12 hour daily shifts monitoring her.
In Aafia Siddiqui’s direct testimony during her time at the hospital she said that Bruce’s presence was “torture” for her as he would cross examination, Kammerman conceded that when she needed to go to the bathroom he did insist that the door be open for “security”.
According to Siddiqui’s testimony, he would stay all night and because of this during his entire 12 hour shifts she could not go to the bathroom.
The Prosecution then brought the other FBI agent who monitored Dr. Siddiqui while in the hospital, Angela Sercer. Sercer is a female Special Agent who also kept 12 hour shifts every day that Siddiqui was at the hospital. She offered similar testimony to Kammerman, however, acknowledged that Siddiqui was on a wide variety of medications including, morphine, ativan, haldol, phentinol, and percocet; still she maintained that Siddiqui was “lucid”.
According to Siddiqui Angela seemed like a “nice person”
Both Sercer and Kammerman testified that their purpose in being with Siddiqui was for “security” and to “gather intelligence” about matters unrelated to the shooting incident. They both also testified that Siddiqui initiated the conversations.
If neither of these fact were accurate then Miranda Laws would apply and these alleged self-incriminating statements would not be admissible in court.
According to Miranda laws an arrested individual must be advised of their rights including the right to an attorney and/or consular staff, and right not to speak. Also, law enforcement officals must identify themselves. Although Siddiqui was not read her Miranda rights and FBI officals did not identify themselves, the judge has allowed their testimony.
Thursday had marked a turning point in the trial of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, who decided to take the witness stand in her own defense.
She declared under oath for the first time that she “was tortured in a secret prison” and that her missing children are all that has been on her mind every day. Dr. Siddiqui denied ever having shot at anyone, and appeared to remain unshaken even under intense cross-examination by the prosecution.
She explained that she was shot by US soldiers while attempting to peek around the curtain partition in the interrogation room, while looking for a way to escape.
Before her testimony was cut short by the Judge, Dr. Siddiqui mentioned that her fear of being sent back to a secret prison had made her anxious to escape.
Tags | aafia siddiqui, dr. aafia siddiqui, richard berman
Aafia Siddiqui Trial: Jury Can Start Deliberation On Monday
Siddiqui Trial: TINA FOSTER Interview
Tina Foster raises some strong concerns as a lawyer observing this trial. NOTE: although the interview took place BEFORE Aafia offering her own witness, the points are so basic to the overall case, I've decided to post it now for the sake of newcomers who are trying to decide whether or not the trial rates coverage.
GO HERE
tina.foster@IJNetwork.org http://www.IJNetwork.org
1-917 442 9580
GO HERE
tina.foster@IJNetwork.org http://www.IJNetwork.org
1-917 442 9580
Where are Aafia Siddiqui's Children?
Although about a year old and before the eldest son was returned (perhaps after world-wide pressure including from Human Rights Watch?) this article may help remind those following the case that previous to the trial there were some articles that indicated eye witnesses did see nor hear some of the allegations made during the time Aafia was in Afghanistan and taken into custory. here
MORE SIGNIFICANTLY, WHERE ARE THE OTHER TWO CHILDREN? One of them, like the older son now finally returned - is a US citizen.
How could anything be more a type of torture than using threats against a parent - a mother - TO GAIN JUST WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTS in terms of untrue evidence against her? Is not threatening to kill and rape her daughter unless she says and does what the government wants (those she so graciously terms "false Americans") about as low as anyone can go in this "war on terror"?) What might any of us parents do or say were we tortured in this way let alone holding the children somewhere unknown for even a week let alone FOR YEARS.
The witness of Dr. Aafia is that she received threats of raping and/or killing her daughter along with much more and that this was held over her if she didn't respond as she was told. What can be more against the Geneva Conventions or any standard to which the US has signed even in times of war than this: TO THREATEN DR. AAFIA WITH THE MISTREATMENT AND LIVES OF HER CHILDREN AS SHE CLAIMS THEY HAVE DONE?
Frankly, Dr. Siddiqui's own testimony was far more believable than the constant contraditions and the smoke screen of supposed eye witnesses presented by the Government during the past two weeks.
Other articles from this same period of time are welcome as considerations for posting or utilizing in some way - either in Comments below (preferred) or rather than send anon. plz send what you consider significant items to me, Connie, at newlease7@yahoo.com with CLEAR subject heading. (Note that I may not be able to check emails often or immediately.)
MORE SIGNIFICANTLY, WHERE ARE THE OTHER TWO CHILDREN? One of them, like the older son now finally returned - is a US citizen.
How could anything be more a type of torture than using threats against a parent - a mother - TO GAIN JUST WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTS in terms of untrue evidence against her? Is not threatening to kill and rape her daughter unless she says and does what the government wants (those she so graciously terms "false Americans") about as low as anyone can go in this "war on terror"?) What might any of us parents do or say were we tortured in this way let alone holding the children somewhere unknown for even a week let alone FOR YEARS.
The witness of Dr. Aafia is that she received threats of raping and/or killing her daughter along with much more and that this was held over her if she didn't respond as she was told. What can be more against the Geneva Conventions or any standard to which the US has signed even in times of war than this: TO THREATEN DR. AAFIA WITH THE MISTREATMENT AND LIVES OF HER CHILDREN AS SHE CLAIMS THEY HAVE DONE?
Frankly, Dr. Siddiqui's own testimony was far more believable than the constant contraditions and the smoke screen of supposed eye witnesses presented by the Government during the past two weeks.
Other articles from this same period of time are welcome as considerations for posting or utilizing in some way - either in Comments below (preferred) or rather than send anon. plz send what you consider significant items to me, Connie, at newlease7@yahoo.com with CLEAR subject heading. (Note that I may not be able to check emails often or immediately.)
Howard Zinn: A Radical Treasure
(Why was he a radical?) Also note that there are over 391 Comments to date for this recent article...see the URL below and don't hesitate to add your Comment to One Heart blog below...
Op-Ed Columnist New York Times
By BOB HERBERT
Published: January 29, 2010
I had lunch with Howard Zinn just a few weeks ago, and I’ve seldom had more fun while talking about so many matters that were unreservedly unpleasant: the sorry state of government and politics in the U.S., the tragic futility of our escalation in Afghanistan, the plight of working people in an economy rigged to benefit the rich and powerful.
Mr. Zinn could talk about all of that and more without losing his sense of humor. He was a historian with a big, engaging smile that seemed ever-present. His death this week at the age of 87 was a loss that should have drawn much more attention from a press corps that spends an inordinate amount of its time obsessing idiotically over the likes of Tiger Woods and John Edwards.
Mr. Zinn was chagrined by the present state of affairs, but undaunted. “If there is going to be change, real change,” he said, “it will have to work its way from the bottom up, from the people themselves. That’s how change happens.”
We were in a restaurant at the Warwick Hotel in Manhattan. Also there was Anthony Arnove, who had worked closely with Mr. Zinn in recent years and had collaborated on his last major project, “The People Speak.” It’s a film in which well-known performers bring to life the inspirational words of everyday citizens whose struggles led to some of the most profound changes in the nation’s history. Think of those who joined in — and in many cases became leaders of — the abolitionist movement, the labor movement, the civil rights movement, the feminist revolution, the gay rights movement, and so on.
Think of what this country would have been like if those ordinary people had never bothered to fight and sometimes die for what they believed in. Mr. Zinn refers to them as “the people who have given this country whatever liberty and democracy we have.”
Our tendency is to give these true American heroes short shrift, just as we gave Howard Zinn short shrift. In the nitwit era that we’re living through now, it’s fashionable, for example, to bad-mouth labor unions and feminists even as workers throughout the land are treated like so much trash and the culture is so riddled with sexism that most people don’t even notice it. (There’s a restaurant chain called “Hooters,” for crying out loud.)
I always wondered why Howard Zinn was considered a radical. (He called himself a radical.) He was an unbelievably decent man who felt obliged to challenge injustice and unfairness wherever he found it. What was so radical about believing that workers should get a fair shake on the job, that corporations have too much power over our lives and much too much influence with the government, that wars are so murderously destructive that alternatives to warfare should be found, that blacks and other racial and ethnic minorities should have the same rights as whites, that the interests of powerful political leaders and corporate elites are not the same as those of ordinary people who are struggling from week to week to make ends meet?
Mr. Zinn was often taken to task for peeling back the rosy veneer of much of American history to reveal sordid realities that had remained hidden for too long. When writing about Andrew Jackson in his most famous book, “A People’s History of the United States,” published in 1980, Mr. Zinn said:
“If you look through high school textbooks and elementary school textbooks in American history, you will find Jackson the frontiersman, soldier, democrat, man of the people — not Jackson the slaveholder, land speculator, executioner of dissident soldiers, exterminator of Indians.”
Radical? Hardly.
Mr. Zinn would protest peacefully for important issues he believed in — against racial segregation, for example, or against the war in Vietnam — and at times he was beaten and arrested for doing so. He was a man of exceptionally strong character who worked hard as a boy growing up in Brooklyn during the Depression. He was a bomber pilot in World War II, and his experience of the unmitigated horror of warfare served as the foundation for his lifelong quest for peaceful solutions to conflict.
He had a wonderful family, and he cherished it. He and his wife, Roslyn, known to all as Roz, were married in 1944 and were inseparable for more than six decades until her death in 2008. She was an activist, too, and Howard’s editor. “I never showed my work to anyone except her,” he said.
They had two children and five grandchildren.
Mr. Zinn was in Santa Monica this week, resting up after a grueling year of work and travel, when he suffered a heart attack and died on Wednesday. He was a treasure and an inspiration. That he was considered radical says way more about this society than it does about him.
Howard Zinn, Historian, Is Dead at 87 (January 29, 2010)
Bob Herbert, columnist extroidinaire Photo is internet commons, evidently (or if photographer writes me, I'll be glad to give credit Connie Nash newlease7@yahoo.com) I can imagine Bob gesturing like this when in that recent conversation with the master of combining joy, peace and protest!
Bob Herbert is my FAVORITE Columnist at the New York Time...See what great work he does for the poor and the disenfranchized continually. See his constant stand on gun control. Look up his articles on Maher Arar...they are masterful. Now IF only he would cover the Dr. Aafia Siddiqui Case! Be sure to look through recent items and expect more...Why is the FIRST woman detainee to be on trial getting so little decent attention? Why is the public so quick to believe the Government's story? Read and research for yourself...and don't forget the alternative and Pakistani sources. At the very least ask yourself how likely is it she was not tortured?
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Readers shared their thoughts on the above ZINN article. Read All Comments (391)» GO HERE
Also see "Howard Zinn: My Courageous Friend" GO here
Support the Fair Elections Now Act / Reject Supreme Court Decision Now
This one comes from our dear friend Don Mosley about whom I hope to tell you someday. But for now, since he sends out so little -- he's got my attention (as if the decision itself had not!) So am interrupting another focus very briefly to get this out...
=======================
Dear friend,
I hate impersonal form letters, but sometime they are the only way to get word out in time to people who need to hear about it.
I was appalled to see the Supreme Court decision a week ago in the case called "Citizens United vs. the FEC." For better or for worse, I seldom take the time to get involved in such matters - too busy all the time with peacemaking projects, among other things - but this one really bothered me. I agree with my good friend, Bob Edgar, now the President of Common Cause, who calls this one the "Super Bowl of bad Supreme Court decisions. (I have shared some exciting adventures in the Middle East and elsewhere with Bob when he was General Secretary of the National Council of Churches.) It practically guarantees that the influence of money on our elected members of Congress will become even greater - at the expense of all of the rest of us. I am not aware of any act of the Supreme Court which has ever dealt such a devastating blow to our democratic system.
I hope you will read Bob's letter below and send him your support as a religious leader - and/or that you will quickly forward this message to others who will do the same.
Thank you for considering this.
Don
From: Don Mosley [mailto:dmos@igc.org]
Sent: Saturday, January 30, 2010 2:54 PM
To: Bob Edgar
Subject: Re: Religious leader statement/letter on Supreme Court's Citizens United Decision
Bob, Thank you, brother, for speaking out so strongly against this awful situation! Even I, who have just written a book about the importance of resisting despair and putting our faith into action, am having to struggle to keep hopeful on this one.
I would be happy to have my name on the list, but I'm not a "Reverend" - so I am forwarding this to all the qualified people I can think of. I hope they respond in time.
Don Mosley
PS I know you are far too busy to read extra books, but I think you would like my new one, Faith Beyond Borders, Doing Justice in a Dangerous World, to be published by Abingdon in April or May. You figure prominently in one of the key stories toward the end of the book.
----- Original Message -----
From: Bob Edgar
To: dmos@igc.org
Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2010 12:58 PM
Subject: Religious leader statement/letter on Supreme Court's Citizens United Decision (or modify for your own group or self)
Dear Colleagues:
I need your active and urgent help to spread the word to across the country about the horrific effects of the recent Supreme Court decisions: Citizens United vs. the FEC. A coalition of groups working to blunt this decisions and to support changing the way we fund House and Senate campaigns is building support from a variety of constituencies. We are working to get corporation leaders and active lobbyists to stand up and speak out on the impact of this decision.
You can find more detailed information about both the Citizens United decision and the Fair Elections Now Act on Common Cause’s website: www.CommonCause.org. or click here
Here is where I need you help: In the next two weeks we would like the letter, which is attached and below, to be sent to the Congressional leadership, signed by as many religious leaders as possible. Help me send this request out as fast and as widely as possible.
If you are a religious leader, please email me your willingness to add your name, title and religious affiliation to the letter. I would also appreciate your asking your colleagues to consider signing.
If you are not a religious leader, please share this with those you know and/or work with who might be interested in adding their names. Have them email me their name, title and religious affiliation.
As you know, my email address is redgar@CommonCause.org. I can also be reached by cell phone at 202-725-7029.
Thank you for considering this very special request.
Peace,
Bob Edgar
President of Common Cause
www.CommonCause.org
January 28, 2010
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
235 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Re: Citizens United and the Fair Elections Now Act (H.R. 1826 & S. 752)
Dear Speaker Pelosi:
As religious leaders, we believe in equality and justice for all people and in building the common good. In a democracy, these ideals cannot be realized, however, if the rules governing the electoral process actively or passively favor one segment of the population over another.
We believe existing campaign finance laws already permit the unfair influence of persons and groups with extraordinary wealth over the political process by providing them with special access to elected officials. This special access ultimately results in legislative outcomes that reflect the needs of those with the financial means to make political contributions, and not the needs of the poor or disenfranchised.
The recent Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission will surely amplify the voices of the wealthy campaign donors and bring new powerful players to fore at the expense of everyone else.
We believe Congress must address both the Citizens United decision and the problems of the current campaign finance system by passing the Fair Elections Now Act (S. 752 and H.R. 1826). This measure would empower average people to participate in politics with small donations, and would return the gaze of our elected officials solely to the needs of their districts and the nation as a whole, rather than the interests of those with significant financial resources for campaigns.
We pledge our support and we pledge to work among members of our churches and religious communities throughout the nation to encourage support for your efforts to bring about reform.
As you know, the Fair Elections Now Act was sponsored by Assistant Majority Leader Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) in the Senate and House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson (D-Conn.) and Congressman Walter Jones (R-N.C.) in the House. In the House, the legislation has attracted nearly 130 cosponsors. With a strong Fair Elections system in place, candidates will spend less time courting the narrow slice of Americans who currently fund campaigns and engage a larger, more active citizenry.
We hope in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision you will support the Fair Elections Now Act so that Congress can act effectively on the people’s business.
Signed,
=======================
Dear friend,
I hate impersonal form letters, but sometime they are the only way to get word out in time to people who need to hear about it.
I was appalled to see the Supreme Court decision a week ago in the case called "Citizens United vs. the FEC." For better or for worse, I seldom take the time to get involved in such matters - too busy all the time with peacemaking projects, among other things - but this one really bothered me. I agree with my good friend, Bob Edgar, now the President of Common Cause, who calls this one the "Super Bowl of bad Supreme Court decisions. (I have shared some exciting adventures in the Middle East and elsewhere with Bob when he was General Secretary of the National Council of Churches.) It practically guarantees that the influence of money on our elected members of Congress will become even greater - at the expense of all of the rest of us. I am not aware of any act of the Supreme Court which has ever dealt such a devastating blow to our democratic system.
I hope you will read Bob's letter below and send him your support as a religious leader - and/or that you will quickly forward this message to others who will do the same.
Thank you for considering this.
Don
From: Don Mosley [mailto:dmos@igc.org]
Sent: Saturday, January 30, 2010 2:54 PM
To: Bob Edgar
Subject: Re: Religious leader statement/letter on Supreme Court's Citizens United Decision
Bob, Thank you, brother, for speaking out so strongly against this awful situation! Even I, who have just written a book about the importance of resisting despair and putting our faith into action, am having to struggle to keep hopeful on this one.
I would be happy to have my name on the list, but I'm not a "Reverend" - so I am forwarding this to all the qualified people I can think of. I hope they respond in time.
Don Mosley
PS I know you are far too busy to read extra books, but I think you would like my new one, Faith Beyond Borders, Doing Justice in a Dangerous World, to be published by Abingdon in April or May. You figure prominently in one of the key stories toward the end of the book.
----- Original Message -----
From: Bob Edgar
To: dmos@igc.org
Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2010 12:58 PM
Subject: Religious leader statement/letter on Supreme Court's Citizens United Decision (or modify for your own group or self)
Dear Colleagues:
I need your active and urgent help to spread the word to across the country about the horrific effects of the recent Supreme Court decisions: Citizens United vs. the FEC. A coalition of groups working to blunt this decisions and to support changing the way we fund House and Senate campaigns is building support from a variety of constituencies. We are working to get corporation leaders and active lobbyists to stand up and speak out on the impact of this decision.
You can find more detailed information about both the Citizens United decision and the Fair Elections Now Act on Common Cause’s website: www.CommonCause.org. or click here
Here is where I need you help: In the next two weeks we would like the letter, which is attached and below, to be sent to the Congressional leadership, signed by as many religious leaders as possible. Help me send this request out as fast and as widely as possible.
If you are a religious leader, please email me your willingness to add your name, title and religious affiliation to the letter. I would also appreciate your asking your colleagues to consider signing.
If you are not a religious leader, please share this with those you know and/or work with who might be interested in adding their names. Have them email me their name, title and religious affiliation.
As you know, my email address is redgar@CommonCause.org. I can also be reached by cell phone at 202-725-7029.
Thank you for considering this very special request.
Peace,
Bob Edgar
President of Common Cause
www.CommonCause.org
January 28, 2010
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
235 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Re: Citizens United and the Fair Elections Now Act (H.R. 1826 & S. 752)
Dear Speaker Pelosi:
As religious leaders, we believe in equality and justice for all people and in building the common good. In a democracy, these ideals cannot be realized, however, if the rules governing the electoral process actively or passively favor one segment of the population over another.
We believe existing campaign finance laws already permit the unfair influence of persons and groups with extraordinary wealth over the political process by providing them with special access to elected officials. This special access ultimately results in legislative outcomes that reflect the needs of those with the financial means to make political contributions, and not the needs of the poor or disenfranchised.
The recent Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission will surely amplify the voices of the wealthy campaign donors and bring new powerful players to fore at the expense of everyone else.
We believe Congress must address both the Citizens United decision and the problems of the current campaign finance system by passing the Fair Elections Now Act (S. 752 and H.R. 1826). This measure would empower average people to participate in politics with small donations, and would return the gaze of our elected officials solely to the needs of their districts and the nation as a whole, rather than the interests of those with significant financial resources for campaigns.
We pledge our support and we pledge to work among members of our churches and religious communities throughout the nation to encourage support for your efforts to bring about reform.
As you know, the Fair Elections Now Act was sponsored by Assistant Majority Leader Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) in the Senate and House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson (D-Conn.) and Congressman Walter Jones (R-N.C.) in the House. In the House, the legislation has attracted nearly 130 cosponsors. With a strong Fair Elections system in place, candidates will spend less time courting the narrow slice of Americans who currently fund campaigns and engage a larger, more active citizenry.
We hope in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision you will support the Fair Elections Now Act so that Congress can act effectively on the people’s business.
Signed,
DAY EIGHT: Aafia denies lifting gun, terms it a joke
From feed found at UnjustMedia dot com posted January 29, 2010
Aafia denies lifting gun, terms it a joke Aafia Siddiqui denied attempting to kill U.S. personnel in Afghanistan in 2008 and insisted she was framed for the crime. Speaking from the witness stand in Manhattan federal court, with much of her face obscured by a scarf, the U.S.-educated native of Pakistan said she had been trying to sneak out from behind a curtain and escape the police compound where she was about to be questioned on July 18, 2008, when she was shot by an American soldier. She denied seizing an unattended M-4 rifle and firing at FBI agents and military personnel.
"The next thing I know, somebody saw me and said something and shot me," Ms. Siddiqui told the jury during 30 minutes of questioning by defense attorney Elaine Sharp.
When asked by Ms. Sharp if she ever picked up a gun, Ms. Siddiqui called it "the biggest joke. I have sometimes been forced to smile under my scarf. Of course not."
Later, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenna Dabbs asked her on cross-examination, "Are you saying you don't remember?"
Ms. Siddiqui responded, "I'm telling you what I know: I walked toward the curtain and then I was shot. My head does not believe that American soldiers would be so irresponsible to leave a gun around."
"I can't testify to that, the bag was not mine, so I didn't necessarily go through everything," she said.
"Did you have notes on a dirty bomb?" Ms. Dabbs asked.
"To answer your question, I do not know how to make a dirty bomb," Ms. Siddiqui said, adding later, "I did not draw those pictures. I'm definitely not that good an artist, I can tell you that."
Ms. Siddiqui repeatedly snuck into her testimony her claim that she had been held in "secret prisons" and tortured before her arrest in Afghanistan. At one point, when her head scarf began to slip over her face, her attorney, Ms. Sharp, asked her to explain her attire.
"If you've been in a secret prison, abused, you get more modest. And it's part of the religion," Ms. Siddiqui said.
==========
Aafia speaks out about her ordeal in US custody
The Nation dot com dot pk
Published: January 30, 2010
She not only denied firing the M-4 assault rifle, she said when she heard about the allegations she thought, “What does an M-4 look like? She went on to say that she saw an M-4 for the first time when it was produced in the court a couple of days ago as the weapon she allegedly used.
Ms. Siddiqui told the jury it was absurd to think an American soldier would carelessly leave his weapon in a place where a suspect like her could grab it. “It’s too crazy. It’s just ridiculous,” Siddiqui said, adjusting her white scarf. “I didn’t do that.”
Prosecutor Jenna Dabbs then asked about her purse which FBI claimed contained chemicals, a list of terror targets in New York City, instructions on how to make a dirty bomb and drawings of weapons.
Ms. Sidddiqui denied to Ms. Dabbs having any knowledge of the bag’s contents. “I can’t testify to that, the bag was not mine, so I didn’t necessarily go through everything,” she said.
“Did you have notes on a dirty bomb?” Ms. Dabbs asked. “To answer your question, I do not know how to make a dirty bomb,” Ms. Siddiqui said, adding later, “I did not draw those pictures. I’m definitely not that good an artist, I can tell you that.”
At one point, Ms. Siddiqui also said that some of her notes were translations from a magazine article she was asked to prepare by her captors holding threats to the safety of her missing children. It was “pure psychological, emotional torture,” she said, describing her situation.
“I thought it was a continuation of what had been done to me in my secret prison history,” she added, referring to reports that she was imprisoned overseas since 2003.
On cross-examination, Ms. Dabbs, one of the assistant United States attorneys prosecuting the case, tried to establish that Ms. Siddiqui was actually treated well in the hospital and singled out her relationship with Angela Sercer, an FBI special agent. But Ms. Siddiqui said that while in Bagram where she was transported in a critical condition from Ghazi for medial treatment, no one who interacted with her ever identified himself as FBI agent. Ms. Sercer might have just seemed pleasant, leading to one of the more notable exchanges of the afternoon.
“I consider everyone a nice person unless they give me a reason to think otherwise,” said Ms. Siddiqui, before nodding in Ms. Dabbs’s direction. “I think you’re a nice person, too. Why, are you not a nice person?”
Under questioning, Ms. Siddiqui called it “the biggest joke. I have sometimes been forced to smile under my scarf. Of course not.”
The judge allowed her to testify only after a lengthy question-and-answer session on whether she understood her rights and a debate between prosecutors and defence lawyers over whether statements she made to FBI agents while being treated at the Bagram hospital for a gunshot wound could be admitted into evidence.
Judge Berman ruled that the statements could indeed be used to impeach Ms. Siddiqui, and Ms. Dabbs introduced several of them, including one in which Ms. Siddiqui allegedly told an agent she had fired the weapon.
Ms. Siddiqui denied it and making the other statements as well, telling the jury at one point, “If I messed up it was torture. It was the same game.”
She also denied taking pistol lessons at the Braintree Pistol and Rifle Course in Braintree, while she was a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. When asked by Ms. Dabbs whether she had “fired thousands of rounds” at the club, Ms. Siddiqui answered, “I have no recollection.”
At one point, when her headscarf began to slip over her face, her attorney, Elaine Sharp, asked her to explain her attire to the jury.
“If you’ve been in a secret prison, abused, you get more modest. And it’s part of the religion,” Ms. Siddiqui said.
The prosecution is expected to counter that testimony with a witness during its rebuttal case on Friday.
Aafia denies lifting gun, terms it a joke Aafia Siddiqui denied attempting to kill U.S. personnel in Afghanistan in 2008 and insisted she was framed for the crime. Speaking from the witness stand in Manhattan federal court, with much of her face obscured by a scarf, the U.S.-educated native of Pakistan said she had been trying to sneak out from behind a curtain and escape the police compound where she was about to be questioned on July 18, 2008, when she was shot by an American soldier. She denied seizing an unattended M-4 rifle and firing at FBI agents and military personnel.
"The next thing I know, somebody saw me and said something and shot me," Ms. Siddiqui told the jury during 30 minutes of questioning by defense attorney Elaine Sharp.
When asked by Ms. Sharp if she ever picked up a gun, Ms. Siddiqui called it "the biggest joke. I have sometimes been forced to smile under my scarf. Of course not."
Later, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenna Dabbs asked her on cross-examination, "Are you saying you don't remember?"
Ms. Siddiqui responded, "I'm telling you what I know: I walked toward the curtain and then I was shot. My head does not believe that American soldiers would be so irresponsible to leave a gun around."
"I can't testify to that, the bag was not mine, so I didn't necessarily go through everything," she said.
"Did you have notes on a dirty bomb?" Ms. Dabbs asked.
"To answer your question, I do not know how to make a dirty bomb," Ms. Siddiqui said, adding later, "I did not draw those pictures. I'm definitely not that good an artist, I can tell you that."
Ms. Siddiqui repeatedly snuck into her testimony her claim that she had been held in "secret prisons" and tortured before her arrest in Afghanistan. At one point, when her head scarf began to slip over her face, her attorney, Ms. Sharp, asked her to explain her attire.
"If you've been in a secret prison, abused, you get more modest. And it's part of the religion," Ms. Siddiqui said.
==========
Aafia speaks out about her ordeal in US custody
The Nation dot com dot pk
Published: January 30, 2010
She not only denied firing the M-4 assault rifle, she said when she heard about the allegations she thought, “What does an M-4 look like? She went on to say that she saw an M-4 for the first time when it was produced in the court a couple of days ago as the weapon she allegedly used.
Ms. Siddiqui told the jury it was absurd to think an American soldier would carelessly leave his weapon in a place where a suspect like her could grab it. “It’s too crazy. It’s just ridiculous,” Siddiqui said, adjusting her white scarf. “I didn’t do that.”
Prosecutor Jenna Dabbs then asked about her purse which FBI claimed contained chemicals, a list of terror targets in New York City, instructions on how to make a dirty bomb and drawings of weapons.
Ms. Sidddiqui denied to Ms. Dabbs having any knowledge of the bag’s contents. “I can’t testify to that, the bag was not mine, so I didn’t necessarily go through everything,” she said.
“Did you have notes on a dirty bomb?” Ms. Dabbs asked. “To answer your question, I do not know how to make a dirty bomb,” Ms. Siddiqui said, adding later, “I did not draw those pictures. I’m definitely not that good an artist, I can tell you that.”
At one point, Ms. Siddiqui also said that some of her notes were translations from a magazine article she was asked to prepare by her captors holding threats to the safety of her missing children. It was “pure psychological, emotional torture,” she said, describing her situation.
“I thought it was a continuation of what had been done to me in my secret prison history,” she added, referring to reports that she was imprisoned overseas since 2003.
On cross-examination, Ms. Dabbs, one of the assistant United States attorneys prosecuting the case, tried to establish that Ms. Siddiqui was actually treated well in the hospital and singled out her relationship with Angela Sercer, an FBI special agent. But Ms. Siddiqui said that while in Bagram where she was transported in a critical condition from Ghazi for medial treatment, no one who interacted with her ever identified himself as FBI agent. Ms. Sercer might have just seemed pleasant, leading to one of the more notable exchanges of the afternoon.
“I consider everyone a nice person unless they give me a reason to think otherwise,” said Ms. Siddiqui, before nodding in Ms. Dabbs’s direction. “I think you’re a nice person, too. Why, are you not a nice person?”
Under questioning, Ms. Siddiqui called it “the biggest joke. I have sometimes been forced to smile under my scarf. Of course not.”
The judge allowed her to testify only after a lengthy question-and-answer session on whether she understood her rights and a debate between prosecutors and defence lawyers over whether statements she made to FBI agents while being treated at the Bagram hospital for a gunshot wound could be admitted into evidence.
Judge Berman ruled that the statements could indeed be used to impeach Ms. Siddiqui, and Ms. Dabbs introduced several of them, including one in which Ms. Siddiqui allegedly told an agent she had fired the weapon.
Ms. Siddiqui denied it and making the other statements as well, telling the jury at one point, “If I messed up it was torture. It was the same game.”
She also denied taking pistol lessons at the Braintree Pistol and Rifle Course in Braintree, while she was a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. When asked by Ms. Dabbs whether she had “fired thousands of rounds” at the club, Ms. Siddiqui answered, “I have no recollection.”
At one point, when her headscarf began to slip over her face, her attorney, Elaine Sharp, asked her to explain her attire to the jury.
“If you’ve been in a secret prison, abused, you get more modest. And it’s part of the religion,” Ms. Siddiqui said.
The prosecution is expected to counter that testimony with a witness during its rebuttal case on Friday.
Aafia: Jan. 28th Item added to CHRONOLOGICAL postings ALAIWAH!
Dr. Aafia's sister, Dr. Fauzia Siddiqui, comforts her nephew Aafia's eldest son, Mohamad Ahmed, who was returned by the US to the family after a long disappearance. (Human Rights Watch for one demanded his return shortly before the US did so. The photo was evidently taken in Islamabad - posted on DAWN one of the top Pakistani newspapers. This is not a recent photo.
Disclaimer: the following is not meant to be a carefully analyzed and double-checked article but for a long listing of questions and happenings in this case, these items may prove invaluable:
This is included in full (rather than just the URL) just in case the original URLS are somehow technically or purposely blocked so there will be this additional site. There is plenty of new and older writing on this case and I have therefore decided to leave this intact in full including Comments for the benefit of others who are following Dr. Siddiqui's torturous dilemna. Please pray for ongoing strength and presence of mind spirit heart for both Aafia and her family and her current lawyers as well. (Keep in mind that there may well have been some misinformation about her lawyers and their intentions in Dr. Aafia's regard over time including recently but that is another article down the road.)
ALAIWAH!
Dr Aafia Siddiqui Testifies in US District Court on Jan 28, 2010
On January 28, 2010, Dr Aafia Siddiqui being tried on charges she tried to kill Americans while she was detained in Afghanistan in 2008 told a jury that she didn’t picked up a gun or fire it. ”This is crazy,” Aafia Siddiqui testified when cross-examined about the accusations at her attempted murder trial in Manhattan. ”It’s just ridiculous. … I never attempted murder, no way. It’s a heavy word.”
The 37-year-old Siddiqui claimed that she was shot by two men while trying to escape.
”Somebody saw me and said something, a guy standing at the opposite end of the room saw me and shot me. And then another came from here and shot me. And then I just passed out,” she said.
She told jurors her case is an example of how authorities ”frame people,” she said.
Siddiqui, who’s been prone to courtroom outbursts and claims she was tortured in a secret prison, took the stand over the objections of her defense lawyers who said her ”diminished capacity” would turn her testimony into a ”painful spectacle.”
A judge allowed her to testify after prosecutors called her tirades ”opportunistic and calculated.”
The defendant was alternately poised, amusing and combative during about 90 minutes of testimony.
The first question asked by a prosecutor ”You were born in 1972?” got the response, ”If you say so.” She described the charges as being so outrageous that they sometimes ”make me smile under my scarf” a reference to a white scarf covering her head and face. She said that although she’s a scientist, ”I couldn’t kill a rat.”
US authorities’ portrayal is more sinister: They say Siddiqui picked up an unattended US military assault rifle at an Afghanistan police station on July 18, 2008, and fired two rounds at FBI agents and US Army soldiers. She missed and was wounded by return fire.
Prosecutors say the shooting occurred as Siddiqui was about to be questioned a day after she was caught by Afghan police outside a governor’s building. At the time of her arrest, she was carrying instructions for a dirty bomb and a list of New York City landmarks including the Statue of Liberty.
Siddiqui began her testimony by telling jurors she came to the United States to attend the University of Houston.
She later transferred to MIT, where she earned an undergraduate degree in biology, before obtaining a doctorate in neuroscience from Brandeis University in 2001.
She said she left the United States in June 2002 with her three children and returned to her native Pakistan.
Turning to the shooting, Siddiqui testified she was shot shortly after she poked her head around a curtain to see if there was a way she might slip out of the room where she was being held.
She said she was desperate to escape because she had been tortured in a secret prison and feared she would be taken there again.
”I was very confused,” she said. ”I wanted to get out. … I was afraid.”
She not only denied firing the M4 assault rifle, she said when she heard about the allegations she thought, ”What does an M4 look like?”’
After she was shot, she said she heard American voices saying: ”We’re taking this ‘B’ with us. They used the B-word.”
On the way to the hospital, she said she heard others expressing fear she might die. She said one of them said: ”A couple of us are going to lose our jobs.”—AP
On January 27, her defence brought in a forensic expert on Wednesday who testified that there was no evidence that a high-velocity M-4 gun was fired during a 2008 confrontation at an Afghan police station in Ghazni as claimed by the prosecutors.
William Tobin, a former Nasa employee, who testified as a forensic expert, said that in his opinion a photograph showing two holes in the wall were, with “scientific certainty”, not consistent with either a high velocity or low velocity bullet hole. He said they were simply “not bullet holes”. “SS09 bullets would have caused substantially more damage not only to the wall but also to the ceiling,” he testified.
Mr Tobin also said that the firing of an M4 would be such a “devastating event from a material standpoint that there should be a lot of evidence at the scene”.
According to his testimony, FBI officials are trained in gathering even the smallest fragments of evidence, but in the description of the incident given by the government there should have been even large fragments. Despite the fact that FBI officials were present at the shooting, no evidence of M4 shots were collected, neither large fragments nor small ones. Furthermore, no M4 casings, bullets, or residue were found anywhere in the room.
Last week FBI ballistics expert Carlo Rosati, who appeared as a government witness, made a similar statement. According to him, it could not be said with certainty that any shots were fired from the M-4 rifle. The only bullets fired at the scene were from the M-9 pistol that a US Army officer used to hit Dr Aafia.
On Jan 14, 2010, a 16-member jury was chosen for Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s trial next week, as the Pakistani neuroscientist repeatedly interrupted questioning of potential jurors about the Sept 11 terrorist attacks.
MEANWHILE, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Human Rights on Nov 20, 2009 adopted a unanimous resolution demanding early release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui from US detention.
On July 29, 2009, the US District Judge Richard M. Berman ruled that Dr Afia Siddiqui is competent to stand trial, and rejected the finding of a defense expert who concluded she was mentally ill. He based his ruling largely on the findings of three other experts who concluded the woman was faking mental illness to evade trial or improve the chance she would be returned to Pakistan. Her trial is set for Oct. 19.
The mental status of Dr Aafia Siddiqui was discussed in detail at an ‘in-camera’ proceeding in the hearing in the Court of US Federal Judge Richard Berman of the US District Court in Manhattan, New York on July 3. The hearing was then adjourned to July 6.
On June 10, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US met Afia Siddiqui in Texas. He promised to provide her with lawyers and counsellors of her choice. She was in good spirits, according to the Ambassador, but worried about the outcome of her case.
In the New York Jail six masked men tied her hands behind her back, stripped her naked and made her video film. While being taken back to her cell in a wheelchair a woman covered her with a blanket and begged the masked men not to humiliate Dr Afia Siddiqui.
In response to a question about the nature of security checks, Dr Afia said many a times she was stripped for security check in the New York jail and due to that humiliation she even stopped seeing her lawyer. She despised being stripped for security checks.
This is the first hand report recently compiled by the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas on meeting with Dr Afia Siddiqui on October 7, 2008 at Carswell, Fort Worth, Texas, USA.
The meeting with Dr. Afia at Carswell, Fort Worth, Texas, last year was attended by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Senator S M Zafar, Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood, Senator Ms Saadia Abbasi, Iftikhar Ullah Babar, secretary committee/additional secretary and Faqir Syed Asif Hussain, consular, Pakistan embassy, Washington DC.
According to the report, she had been shifted to the Federal Medical Centre at Carswell, Texas for psychological tests and treatment. “She loses track of time and occasionally does not recall names and events. In the medical centre she was also being treated for some gynecological problem. Her gynecologist is a male, while psychologist is a female. She also informed of stone formation in one of her kidneys. According to her a different form of interrogation had begun at the centre but generally conditions were better compared to the New York jail. However, she alleged that she could be killed due to administration of regular injections for speeding her memory loss,” adds the report.
In reply to a question by Senator S M Zafar as to what message she has for the people in Pakistan, she requested that Pakistan should not hand over its citizens to the US for interrogation. She said that when she narrates her story, Pakistan should change its foreign policy. Dr Afia was against some clergy in Pakistan and alleged that they did not work for Pakistan. Senator Saadia Abbasi asked if she wanted the delegation to seek permission for any of her family members to visit her in the US, Dr Afia responded that she did not want any member of her family to travel to the US, as she wanted to go back to Pakistan.
When asked by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed whether she got married to Ammar Ali Balochi, as had been alleged by some US official quarters, she denied knowing Ammar Ali Balochi let alone being married to him. Ammar Ali Balochi is presently under detention at Guantanamo.
Dr Afia Siddiqui wanted to meet her children. Whenever she felt hopeless she wanted to die. Her brother, who lives in Houston, had talked to her only once. She wants to go back to her country and serve her people. Once back in Pakistan, she would teach Quran differently. She had fasted during the holy month of Ramazan.
She replied in the negative when Senator Mushahid Hussain asked whether the identity of the delegation was disclosed to her before the meeting. The members of the delegation encouraged her not to lose hope and think positively. Since she was frail, they also advised her to eat properly and take care of her health. Senator Mushahid told Dr Afia Siddique that in 2009 she would be in Pakistan. When the delegation said ‘Khuda Hafiz’ (goodbye) to Dr Afia, and was about to leave the meeting hall, tears rolled down her cheeks. Before leaving, Senator Mushahid Hussain told her that the entire Pakistani nation was solidly behind her. He said, “There is no charge of terrorism against you and we will seek your release and repatriation to Pakistan.”
Earlier, at the gate of the medical centre the delegation was received by a senior federal representative and security officials of the centre. The members of the delegation passed through security check similar to the one carried out at airports in the US and Europe. During the delegation’s meeting with Dr Afia, the US officials stayed at a distance and did not interrupt the meeting or impose any time restriction. The meeting lasted for two hours and 45 minutes. Dr Afia was brought to the meeting with respect and dignity, without any handcuffs and shackles.
The members informed Dr Afia that the delegation was sent by parliament, backed by the Government of Pakistan and that she had their full support. Dr Afia Siddiqui asked the delegation if America had attacked Pakistan, to which the members replied in the negative. Dr Afia said that all she remembered was that she was traveling in a taxi to her maternal uncle’s house and later found herself in Bagram, Afghanistan. The delegation asked why she had to leave her home to which she replied that at that time she did not enjoy good relations with her mother due to Afia’s divorce from her husband. She did not know where she was taken as she had problem recollecting and reconciling dates and places.
In Bagram, she was physically tortured, however, the Afghans did not humiliate her. Her three children, two sons and a daughter (Ahmad, Suleman and Maryam) were taken away. She was told that her children would be returned only if she confessed to meetings with certain people. She however did not disclose the names of the said people to the delegation. She agreed and feared that this forced confession could go against her in Pakistan. She also feared that her third child, a son by the name of Suleman, might have been killed. She alleged that at Bagram one of the interrogators was an Indian, who was her contemporary at MIT and was interested in her research work.
Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s Sister Meets Holbrooke
Dr Fauzia Siddiqui met PM Gilani and visiting US envoy Richard Holbrooke separately on Feb 10 in Islamabad. Fauzia met PM Gilani at Prime Minister House and appealed for the early release of her sister detained in America on the charges of assault on FBI officials. She informed the PM that Dr Afia was in worst health state and urged the government to use all its sources for her release. She also called on to US special representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, who is on his special visit to Pakistan. In the meeting Dr. Fauzia urged him to take effective measures for Dr Afia’s repatriation as early as possible. Meanwhile, she refused to talk with newsmen following the meeting.
Dr Aafia’s former husband, Amjad Khan, has suddenly reappeared from no where. In a detailed letter to the Daily Dawn, which the latter prominently displayed, he says that “as the father of three innocent children, I have been frustrated and anguished by what has taken place since my divorce from Dr Aafia Siddiqui in August 2002. I hesitated to come forward because I did not want anything I said to be used against the mother of my children. I am only speaking out now because I am desperately worried about my children’s safety.
In October 2002, Dr Aafia and I signed an agreement. I agreed that Aafia would retain custody of our three young children, Ahmed, Marium and Suleman. Aafia agreed to let me meet them and ensure their well-being. But Aafia did not uphold her side of the agreement.She did not let me meet my children or fulfil my obligation of financially supporting them. In June 2003, I filed a lawsuit for custody of the children. Based on past experience, I had reason to fear that Aafia might pursue her political ambitions to the detriment of our children’s welfare. It now seems that the truth may be worse than I could have imagined.
In the course of our lawsuit, Aafia’s mother, Ismat Siddiqui, testified in a sworn deposition in August 2003 that the FBI had informed her US lawyer that the children and their mother were safe with them. In US press reports, however, the lawyer, Elaine Sharp, said the FBI had told her exactly the opposite.
When my family and I inquired from the FBI, we were told that the US was still looking for Aafia and had no information about where the children were. Why did Aafia’s mother claim the FBI had told her lawyer they had the children when plainly the FBI hadn’t said anything of the sort?
My two oldest children are US citizens. If the Siddiquis had evidence that the US was holding our three innocent children prisoner, why didn’t they bring charges in the US against the relevant agencies?
Aafia’s uncle, S. H. Faruqi, in his article published recently, has claimed that he met Aafia in Islamabad in January 2008, and that Aafia’s face was altered by plastic surgery and that she had a national ID card under a fictitious name.
I would like to know where my children were at that time. Who were these ‘captors’ of Aafia and why had they held my children?
More recently, Aafia’s lawyer in the US, Elizabeth Fink, has claimed that our youngest son Suleman died in ‘captivity’. Whose captivity and where? Who were the people who were depriving me and my children from seeing each other? As an anguished father, I appeal to Elizabeth Fink and anyone else, here in Pakistan or in any other country, to come forward with anything they know about what has happened to all three of my children since 2003.
If there is any evidence that the US or any other agencies held them captive or, God forbid, been responsible for their deaths, I would like to see those responsible brought to justice.
I was relieved to hear that Ahmad was located in Afghanistan last month, and was brought to Islamabad, although I have many unanswered questions about how an innocent 12-year-old boy ended up in a war zone. Since Aafia’s sister Dr Fowzia was actively influencing the officials concerned and was posing as the real guardian of Ahmad, she took custody of him. I decided not to interfere in this process because Ahmad’s arrival might have been delayed or jeopardised as a result of the dispute and that would not be in his best interest.
In a New York Times report, Afghan officials who had interviewed Ahmad in Afghanistan said that “the boy was smart, confident and courageous”. After his handing over to the Siddiquis, however, they claimed that Ahmad is mentally unfit and cannot talk to anyone. Their lawyer, E. Fink, at a recent court hearing also claimed that Ahmad was heavily medicated because he is seriously disturbed.
I would like to know what happened after Ahmad was handed over to the Siddiquis that made him so mentally unfit as to require psychiatric treatment.
Since Ahmed returned to Karachi, I have tried contacting the Siddiquis over the telephone to see and meet him, but they refused to talk. I then went over to their house but was turned away from the gate. I sent a congratulatory letter to Aafia’s mother and sister requesting permission to visit and see Ahmad, but I did not get a reply.
Knowing the Siddiqui family’s intentions and attitude, I have no alternative left but to seek legal help for his custody. Why has Dr Fowzia been telling the media and government officials that my and my family’s whereabouts were not known, whereas in reality we had been frequently contacting her in connection with Ahmad. The government officials too did not bother to find out who the real and legal guardians of Ahmad were.
As of today, two of the children still need to be found. The truth does matter. If what the Siddiquis are saying is true, then whoever kidnapped Aafia and the children needs to be held responsible. I am still trying to locate and rescue my two younger children whose lives are in terrible jeopardy. I appeal to the nation to come forward and help in this regard before it is too late.”
On Nov 19, 2008, US District Judge Richard Berman, hearing the case of Aafia Siddiqui, the Pakistani neuroscientist charged with firing on US officials, deferred a decision on her competency to stand trial till Dec 17. At a conference hearing, the Federal Judge asked the defence lawyers and prosecutors to present their own findings on the mental status of Ms Siddiqui by Dec 17 before he could proceed with trial. An evaluation performed by a federal prison doctor in Carswell, Texas, said that Ms Siddiqui was “not currently competent” to proceed as a result of her mental disease, which renders her unable to understand the nature and consequences of the proceedings against her or to assist properly in her defence.
Both the defence and the prosecution expressed reservations about the Carswell prison doctor’s findings. They had both argued earlier that the frail-looking woman should undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
In the meantime, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US, Hussain Haqqani, has sent a letter to the US State Department, urging the US authorities to allow Aafia Siddiqui to return home. The ambassador argued that since Ms Siddiqui had already been declared unfit to stand trial, there was no justification for keeping her in the United States. The ambassador called for her release on humanitarian grounds and said she should be sent to her family for treatment and recuperation.
Earlier, on Nov 17, 2008, US District Judge Richard Berman while reporting the results of the evaluation that Dr Aafia Siddiqui is mentally unfit to stand trial, according to her psychiatric evaluation, had adjourned the hearing to Nov 19 to discuss how to proceed with Aafia’s case, including the possible use of medication to treat her.. He said that Aafia is “not currently competent to proceed as a result of her mental disease, which renders her unable to understand the nature and consequences of the proceedings against her.
Her arraignment was delayed after Ms Siddiqui refused to submit to a strip search or cooperate with prison doctors.
On March 30, 2003, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui had disappeared from Karachi along with her three minor children, after leaving her mother’s house in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi, in a Metro-cab to catch a flight for Rawalpindi; she never reached the airport.
The press reports claimed that Dr Afia had been picked-up by Pakistani intelligence agencies while on her way to the airport and initial reports suggested that she was handed over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). At the time of her arrest she was 30 years and the mother of three sons the oldest of which was four and the youngest only one month.A few days later an American news channel, NBC, reported that Afia had been arrested in Pakistan on suspicion of facilitating money transfers for terror networks of Osama Bin Laden. The mother of the victim, Mrs. Ismat (who has since passed away) termed the NBC report absurd. She went on to say that Dr Afia is a neurological scientist and has been living with her husband, Amjad, in the USA for several years.
When a Newsline correspondent walked into Dr Siddiqui’s large Karachi residence in Gulshan-e-Iqbal soon after her arrest, he was greeted by an old veiled woman. She was Ismat Siddiqui, mother of Dr Afia Siddiqui.
I don’t want to talk with anyone or to give any statement,” said Ismat Siddiqui. However, she went on to speak for about two hours during which time, she generally remained calm, apart from a few emotional outbursts.
My daughter is a highly educated woman, held in high esteem by her professors in the United States. I don’t know where she is and I am extremely concerned about her and her three children,” she said.
On April 1, 2003, a small news item was published in an Urdu daily with reference to a press conference of the then Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat. When questioned with regard to Dr Afia’s arrest he denied that she had been arrested. This was followed by another Urdu daily article on April 2 regarding another press conference in which the same minister said Dr Afia was connected to Al Qaeda and that she had not been arrested as she was absconding. He added: “You will be astonished to know about the activities of Dr Afia”. A Monthly English magazine of Karachi, Newsline, in a special coverage on Dr Afia reported that one week after her disappearance, a plain clothed intelligence went to her mother’s house and warned her, “We know that you are connected to higher-ups but do not make an issue out of your daughter’s disappearance.” According to the report the mother was threatened her with ‘dire consequences’ if she made a fuss.
Dr Siddiqui, who studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US, for about 10 years and did her PhD in genetics, returned to Pakistan in 2002. Having failed to get a suitable job, she again visited the US on a valid visa in February 2003 to search for a job and to submit an application to the US immigration authorities. She moved there freely and came back to Karachi by the end of February 2003 after renting a post office box in her name in Maryland for the receipt of her mail. It has been claimed by the FBI (Newsweek International, June 23, 2003, issue) that the box was hired for one Mr Majid Khan, an alleged member of Al Qaeda residing in Baltimore.
Throughout March 2003 flashes of the particulars of Dr Afia were telecast with her photo on American TV channels and radios painting her as a dangerous Al Qaeda person needed by the FBI for interrogation. On learning of the FBI campaign against her she went underground in Karachi and remained so till her kidnapping. The June 23, 2003, issue of Newsweek International was exclusively devoted to Al Qaeda. The core of the issue was an article “Al Qaeda’s Network in America”. The article has three photographs of so-called Al Qaeda members – Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, Dr. Afia Siddiqui and Ali S. Al Marri of Qatar who has studied in the US like Dr Siddiqui and had long since returned to his homeland. In this article, which has been authored by eight journalists who had access to FBI records, the only charge leveled against Dr. Afia is that “she rented a post-office box to help a former resident of Baltimore named Majid Khan (alleged Al Qaeda suspect) to help establish his US identity.
Later, both the Pakistan government as well as US officials in Washington denied any knowledge of Afia’s custody, making her disappearance even more mysterious. In yet another twist, her husband Amjad Khan, whom Afia divorced three months before her disappearance, is also apparently under suspicion. According to Ismat Siddiqui, Amjad had wanted his eldest son to go to a madrassa, while Afia wanted her children to get an “English education.” Mrs. Siddiqui hinted that her former son-in-law was wanted by the FBI, but was not sure in what connection. Amjad Khan has no political background nor is he affiliated with any group, but his staunch Islamic beliefs may have motivated him to back or support Islamic extremist groups. According to Mrs. Siddiqui, he used to call his wife and mother-in-law “American agents.”
Surprisingly there has been no official report registered with the police about Afia’s disappearance which explains why Afia’s mother wanted to avoid going public. The police, meanwhile, is doing nothing to trace Afia. “We have no knowledge about this case nor has anyone contacted me,” said Sindh police chief, Syed Kamal Shah. Ismat Siddiqui, however, claims that she has spoken to high police officials, including Shah, about her daughter’s disappearance.
Whilst Dr. Afia’s whereabouts remained unknown, there appeared reports of a woman called ‘Prisoner 650′ being detained in Afghanistan’s Bagram prison and that she was being tortured to the point where she has lost her mind. Britain’s Lord Nazeer Ahmed, (of the House of Lords), asked questions in the House about the condition of Prisoner 650 who, according to him is physically tortured and continuously raped by the officers at prison. Lord Nazeer has also submitted that Prisoner 650 had no separate toilet facilities and had to attend to her bathing and movements in full view of the other prisoners.
On July 6, 2008 a British journalist, Yvonne Ridley, called for help for a Pakistani woman she believed was being held in isolation by the Americans in their Bagram detention center in Afghanistan, for over four years. “I call her the ‘grey lady’ because she is almost a ghost, a spectre whose cries and screams continues to haunt those who heard her,” Ms Ridley said at a press conference in Islamabad.
Ms Ridley, who went to Pakistan to appeal for help, said the case came to her attention when she read the book, The Enemy Combatant, by a former Guantanamo detainee, Moazzam Begg. After being seized in February 2002 in Islamabad, Mr Begg was held in detention centres in Kandahar and Bagram for about a year before he was transferred to Guantanamo Bay. He recounted his experiences in the book after his release in 2005. Mr Imran Khan, leader of Pakistan Tehrike Insaf expressed his suspicion that prisoner 650 could be Dr Afia Siddiqui and USA and Pakistani authorities are hiding facts of ‘Prisoner 650′. However, on October 29/ 2008, Ms Yvonne Ridley, a female journalist who turned Muslim after staying in captivity of Taliban, and whose Muslim name is now Marium, stated that Prisoner `650′ was not Dr Afia as first thought by some of the prisoners as the latest information revealed that the lady was still in prison even after Doctor’s transfer to the USA.
To date, neither the American nor the Pakistani government have come out about the arrest and detention of Dr. Afia in either Bagram or Guantanamo Bay where suspected terrorists are held.
On December 30, 2003 Dr. Fawzia Siddiqui, Dr. Afia’s elder sister met with Mr Faisal Saleh Hayat at Islamabad with Mr Ejazul Haq, MNA, regarding the whereabouts of Dr. Afiai. Mr Faisal told Dr. Fawzia and Mr Ejazul Haq that according to his information Dr. Afia Siddiqui had already been released and that she (Dr. Fawzia) should go home and wait for a phone call from her sister.
Media reported that she had been taken by the US authoritieswith compliance of Pakistani authorities since the FBI had wanted to seek some information from her. In the face of general outcry, the US and Pakistani authorities quickly backtracked but then a year later Pakistani Foreign Office admitted publicly that Aafia had been handed over to the US.
She became a concern for human rights organizations including Amnesty International who kept the case alive for five years. Outcry reached a highwater mark and urgent appeals were sent by Asian Human Rights Commission on July 22, to President George Bush and other persons of authority.
On August 4, the US authorities officially admitted of having Aafia in their custody but the US Department of Justice brought forth a charge sheet against her, claiming that she was arrested on July 17 (and not before) while loitering around near the residence of Ghazni’s Governor. They alleged that papers found in her handbag included instructions on making bombs and notes about installations in US.
They explained her wounds by saying that a day after her arrest she took an M4 rife which belonged to US military personnel and fired two rounds at close range, which missed, and she had to be shot in the torso.
Due to a bullet wound and removal of one kidney, Dr. Afia Siddiqui health was in a serious condition when she was flown to the United States, but no medical assistance was provided to her whilst she was been in American custody in New York.
It is reported that she was brought to Pakistan in February 2008 to convince her to become a government witness against Khalid Shiek Mohammad – a high profile Al-Quaida leader and allegedly one of the masterminds of the September 11 attacks, who has been detained in Guantanamo Bay prison. As the case against Khalid Shiekh Mohammad is about to start the American forces need the assistance of Dr. Afia Siddiqui to convict him.
Dr. Afia was allegedly severely tortured in Karachi in order to secure her compliance.
She was produced before a New York court where she had to be assisted into the hearing. It is reported that her health was in a serious condition at the time due to the bullet wound.
According to the information received from a local human rights organisation in Pakistan, her kidney was removed while she was in custody in the United States. A closer look at the picture shows evidence of the years of physical abuse; there are dark circles under her eyes, and her nose was apparently broken at some stage and has been badly set. It is a picture of a severely dehydrated person in desperate need of medical attention.
In addition, although one son is with Dr. Afia but the strong whereabouts of her two other children still remain unknown. Her two children who remain missing were not with her when she was shifted to a governor’s house in Afghanistan, for a brief stop over prior to her journey to New York, under heavy security. When she was being taken aboard a special plane there was no female security officer to provide support or assistance to her, and it was reported she fell down at least two times.
On August 16, the US envoy to Pakistan made a public statement saying that the US had no “definitive knowledge” of the whereabouts of Aafia’s children but only a few days later the Afghan authorities revealed that an 11-year-old boy had also been “arrested” with Aafia and this boy was then repatriated to be received byAafia’s family as her eldest son.
One could smell a rat here: a person of such prominence as US envoy is unlikely to risk a misleading statement unless the stakes are really high. Aafia’s son, finally repatriated by Afghan authorities, cannot recall much and is having nightmares. Did the authorities deny knowledge of his whereabouts initially because at that time they were brainwashing him and were still unsure that it would work?
It seems as if the US authorities knew that this story won’t stand a test in the court and their real strategy was to buy time for declaring Aafia mentally unfit or perhaps even to induce mental disorder while in custody.
The story narrated about this alleged episode is not plausible, and contradictions self-evident. Yet Aafia has been suffering pain and humiliation in US prison for more than two months now. There are fears that she is now being brainwashed in order to render her incapable of giving evidence against any atrocities that might have been committed against her.
Three Anomalies in the Trial
Basically: (a) victim has become the accused; (b) allegations are not being addressed in proper order; and (c) allegations against US authorities by human rights groups and concerned citizens are going un-addressed.
Her children were not mentioned by FO, but President Musharraf later dropped hint in his autobiography that “arresting” minors and even infant children of accused was part of tactics beingused in the US War Against Terror.
Victim has Become the Accused
Those who say that they hope to get justice from US legal system in this case are overlooking the fact that the trial is not being held to provide justice to Aafia. It is being held against her.
Allegations not Addressed in Proper Order
The case involves three allegations, not one. These need to be addressed in the order in which they appeared:
The FBI’s declaration that it needed Dr. Aafia Siddiqui for interrogation (2003).
Allegations raised by human rights organizations and PakistanTehrik-i-Insaf that Aafia Siddiqui was being illegally detained, raped andtortured by US authorities (with possible compliance of Pakistani authorities) for five years, and that her three minor children were inillegal detention. July 6, 2008 is the high water mark for this allegation.
Allegation raised by US authorities against Dr Siddiqui that she tried to assassinate US army personnel on July 18, 2008. This allegation was brought forth on August 4, 2008.
The first of these has not been legally pursued by authorities even after they admitted having custody of Aafia. Hence it may be considered as dropped.
The second allegation, which is against US authorities, has never been answered seriously except for a flat rebuttal in inappropriate and condescending tone (consider the US envoy’s open letter of August 16).
Now the third allegation is being addressed in a court of law without addressing the second. This leads to great confusion. The victim has been given into the custody of the party accused of committing offenses against her, and mandate is given to them to further curtail her liberties as a “high security risk”.
Let’s understand: it’s not as if US Government said that it would rather like to keep Aafia in a rehabilitation center in America for treatment of torments suffered by her during five-year-long illegal detention. The victim is now in custody of the party accused of committing the following atrocities against her:
Abduction and illegal detention of the victim
Abduction and illegal detention of the victim’s minor children
Attempt of coercing the victim to sign false evidence
Threatening the victim with murder of her children
Sexual abuse, rape and torture
Attempted brainwashing
Possibly, murder of two of the victim’s minor children
The first step should have been to ensure that the party accused of committing these offenses didn’t have any further access to her with malevolent intent. The opposite has happened.
In the case of rape, the term “victim” is applied to the aggrieved party even before her case is proven true in a court.
Aafia’s transfer from military to civil authorities doesn’t ensure that her abusers have lost influence: responding to journalists’ question about why they didn’t seek bail for Aafia, her lawyer answered, “There’s more in this case than meets the eye.”
What’s Going Wrong Now
Following incidents which can be seen as injustice or malpractice have occurred after August 6, when Aafia was first presented in New York:
Victim was remanded on implausible charges
Bail was not even sought by her lawyers
US envoy gave a questionable statement about victim’s children
It’s possible that the victim’s eldest son was brainwashed before beinghanded over by Afghan authorities
Motion to establish the victim as mentally unfit to stand trial, if accepted,
will disqualify her from giving evidence later against her abusers
At Carswell, the victim can be at risk of being brainwashed or rendered incapable of providing evidence.
Two children of the victim are still missing. If they are still alive then it is possible that they are being used as hostages to pressurize her. Allegations of her illegal detention, rape, etc, and the abduction of her children, is going unaddressed.
Can She Get Justice from US Legal System?
That question will arise only after a case is brought up to seek justice for her. The current trial has been registered against the victim and not against her abusers.
Unfounded speculation is bad but some speculation is required for arriving anywhere in legal matters. Here we are forced to choose between two options:
either the story about Aafia’s alleged arrest and shooting as told by the DOJ is true, or it is false.
The story is not likely to be true. Consider this passage from rejoinder to US envoy’s letter by Kamran Shafi, journalist and former trainer in small arms:
By the way Excellency, if you care to notice, Aafia Siddiquiis about your build and dimensions. May I suggest you get one of your Marines at the embassy to bring you a US army-issue M4 rifle. Now ask him to clear the chamber, affix the magazine, put the rifle on ‘safe’, and place it on the ground which would be the exact position in which Aafia Siddiqui found hers and with which she is alleged to have fired upon the US officer. You may very well fail toeven cock it in 10 seconds, let alone find the safety catch, lift the rifle to your shoulder and fire it.
Charge sheet against Aafia was implausible and inaccuracies could have been exposed through a simple simulation/demonstration. Yet the American judge gave remand of her person instead of sending her to a hospital as she deserved in view of her condition (she was still bleeding from bullet wounds).
Why should seeking bail be so difficult in a case where the accusation doesn’t pass the test of common sense, let alone legal proceeding? More importantly, why was bail not even sought?
Such speculation sounds harsh but once the DOJ story is rejected there is noway we can pass over it as an “honest mistake”. If the story is false then obviously we are dealing with an unusually ugly and disturbing cover-up of enormous dimensions.
We must not forget the three other victims in this case: Aafia’s minor children.
The first is Ahmad Siddiqui, 11-year-old, and the anomalies in his case raise suspicions of a three-step approach to cover up brainwashing in captivity. First, deny having any “definitive knowledge” of the captive’s whereabouts. Second, admit that he was in detention even at the time of those denials. Third, send him home in mentally unstable state where he cannot recall details about captivity.
There is a stark analogy between his fate and the contradictory reports now coming out about her mother: is she at now, undergoing brainwashing?
By the authorities’ own admission Ahmad’s detention at least from July 17 to August 22 was irregular: it was covered up despite urgent appeals from around the world.
The second victim is Aafia’s daughter Mariam, 10 years old (5 at the time of her disappearance), and the third is the youngest son Salman, 5 years old (six monthsat the time of his disappearance). Authorities deny having “definitive knowledge” of his whereabouts too.
It may be remembered that capture of minor children and infants for pressurizing their parents was described by Pakistan’s former president Muharraf as fair tactic while participating in American War Against Terror.
United Nations was a giant step towards peace, but what about “united humanity”?
We need to alter certain perceptions now and we need to set new precedents.
Consequences for Everyone
The case is so complex, and its details so gruesome, that many still may nothave realized what the possible outcome of her mistreatment might turn out to be.
The analysis offered here may not be how everyone is seeing things now but it is likely to be how these things will be seen in times to come, as the truth gradually seeps into people’s conscience.
Then a great setback for human rights may be suffered because in our timessuch rights rest on the premise that people are entities who should be respected, their humanity cannot be usurped by any government and a person cannot be objectified before the mystique of state. Losing this one case of Dr Aafia Siddiquican mean losing the very premise of human rights, and losing it in bright limelight.
It is not just about Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, but rather ironically, it is also about whather first name means literally in her native language: comprehensive safety. She is a highly educated woman who made it to the upper strata of middle class in two societies – Pakistan and US. What happened to her can happen to anyone, and it may happen more easily in future if bad precedent is set now.
For America, it is a moment of truth. The international community has been hearing so much about the “deposed” Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Chaudhry, who used to take suo moto action on such cases, forcing his government and its much-dread intelligence agencies to become answerable to the court. Global observers are likely to notice that no judge in US seems to be as willing to take suo moto action in this case as Justice Chaudhry of Pakistan would have been even if such thing had been found in his jurisdiction. Tables are turning: at the going rate it might not bevery long before US finds itself lagging behind developing countries in matters ofawareness about human rights among the masses. For its own good, US ought torevise its take on this case.
Aafia’s Sister Speaks to the Press
On August 5, Dr Fauzia Siddiqui, a sister of Dr Aafia Siddiqui who is in US custody, dismissed as a pack of lies FBI’s claim of having found Dr Aafia possessing documents about preparing chemical weapons. Addressing a press conference in Karachi, Dr Fauzia called upon the government and all political and religious parties to rise and stop persecution of Dr Aafia and try to get her and her children released and brought back home because they did not expect justice in a US court. She distributed among journalists copies of the “charge-sheet” against Dr Aafia presented to a US magistrate judge in New York.
Dr Fauzia said that her sister had been tortured for five years until the day the US authorities announced that they had found her in Afghanistan. This showed how they had abused their authority and tortured an innocent woman. “The FBI on July 31 and August 1 confirmed that Aafia is injured and alive and is in custody in Afghanistan” and now it has been stated that she has been shifted to the US.
Dr Fauzia pointed out that an FBI agent had told the US court in an affidavit that Afghan police officers of Ghazni province had found Aafia along with a teenage boy outside the Ghazni governor’s compound. She said it was a joke because a woman who had disappeared while on way to the airport in Karachi to take a flight for Rawalpindi in March 2003 had been found five years later in Ghazni.
Demanding information about her three children, she said that her relatives in the US who wanted to fight her case were being denied access to her.
Dr Fauzia also said that Aafia was not a neurobiologist, but had specialised in helping mentally retarded children to improve their memory.
Answering a question, she said that she and her relatives had met the relevant authorities in Pakistan soon after Aafia’s abduction and they promised that she would be released soon, but all of it turned out to be farce.
She also said that members of her family had been receiving anonymous calls threatening them of consequences if they spoke about Aafia.
Why was she charged with possessing documents about chemical weapons now and why was she not tried five years ago when she had been abducted?, she asked.
On October 8, a delegation of Pakistani senators, consisting of Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, SM Zafar and Sadiq Abbasi met detained Dr Afia Siddiqui. The meeting continued around two and half hours; in the meeting Dr Siddiqui told the delegation about her health. Talking about Dr. Afia’s mental health, Mushahid said, “Dr. Afia is perfectly all right, there seems to be no problem regarding her mental health.” Mr Mushahid Hussain said that she was under enormous mental stress in the past and because of that she might was not well for some times but while meeting with the delegation she was quite happy.
Dr. Afia denied the entire allegation regarding her involvement in a firing on American soldiers’ incident in Afghanistan; she said that all the allegations were fake and unfair.
On August 21, Pakistan’s National Assembly by passing a resolution demanded repatriation from the United States of Dr Siddiqui. “We call upon the federal government to take up the matter with U.S. authorities,” said Foreign Minister, while reading out a resolution adopted unanimously. Qureshi also asked the U.S. authorities to immediately provide necessary medical assistance to Siddiqui, shot in the abdomen when U.S. officials claimed she tried to fire on a group of American troops who wanted to question her in Afghanistan’s Ghazni province.
SEE OTHER POSTS ON ALAIWAH REGARDING THE SAME SUBJECT UNDER DR AFIA SIDDIQUI AND MISSING PERSONS
On Nov 19, 2008, US District Judge Richard Berman, hearing the case of Aafia Siddiqui, the Pakistani neuroscientist charged with firing on US officials, deferred a decision on her competency to stand trial till Dec 17.
At a conference hearing, the Federal Judge asked the defence lawyers and prosecutors to present their own findings on the mental status of Ms Siddiqui by Dec 17 before he could proceed with trial.
An evaluation performed by a federal prison doctor in Carswell, Texas, said that Ms Siddiqui was “not currently competent” to proceed as a result of her mental disease, which renders her unable to understand the nature and consequences of the proceedings against her or to assist properly in her defence.
Both the defence and the prosecution expressed reservations about the Carswell prison doctor’s findings. They had both argued earlier that the frail-looking woman should undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US, Hussain Haqqani, has sent a letter to the US State Department, urging the US authorities to allow Aafia Siddiqui to return home. The ambassador argued that since Ms Siddiqui had already been declared unfit to stand trial, there was no justification for keeping her in the United States. The ambassador called for her release on humanitarian grounds and said she should be sent to her family for treatment and recuperation.
Earlier, on Nov 17, 2008, US District Judge Richard Berman while reporting the results of the evaluation that Dr Aafia Siddiqui is mentally unfit to stand trial, according to her psychiatric evaluation, had adjourned the hearing to Nov 19 to discuss how to proceed with Aafia’s case, including the possible use of medication to treat her.. He said that Aafia is “not currently competent to proceed as a result of her mental disease, which renders her unable to understand the nature and consequences of the proceedings against her.”
Her arraignment was delayed after Ms Siddiqui refused to submit to a strip search or cooperate with prison doctors.
On March 30, 2003, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui had disappeared from Karachi along with her three minor children, after leaving her mother’s house in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi, in a Metro-cab to catch a flight for Rawalpindi; she never reached the airport.
The July 3 hearing was scheduled to ascertain Ms Siddiqui’s mental health to stand trial by.
The court appointed doctor, Powell gave his opinion on Siddiqui’s mental status in the presence of Judge Berman and Siddiqui.
Ms Siddiqui returned to New York from Fort Worth (Texas) where she was sent for mental evaluation.
Siddiqui’s court appointed lawyer, Dawn Cardi, was also present besides a representative of Pakistan Embassy.
During the 30 minute discourse, Judge Berman was informed that Siddiqui was in good physical state. However, her lawyer Dawn Cardi disputed government’s claim.
Last November defense lawyers claimed that Siddiqui who was undergoing court ordered Psychiatric tests was unfit to stand trial. But on March 26 this year, US prosecutors submitted documents to the trial court stating that two independent, government psychiatrists had determined that Ms Siddiqui was ‘malingering’ or faking her symptoms of mental illness.
On July 6, Dr Aafia Siddiqui turned her hearing into a pulpit for telling anyone who would listen that she doesn’t hate America but doesn’t trust its courts. She repeatedly spoke to spectators, a US marshal’s deputy sitting behind her, her lawyers and even a team of five prosecutors and aides in front of her at the start of the afternoon session of the daylong proceeding. They were her first public comments since she was brought to the US from Afghanistan 11 months ago.
‘I want to make peace with the United States of America,’ Siddiqui said to the backs of those at the prosecution table. ‘I’m not an enemy. I never was.’
In court on July 6, she said: ‘I did not shoot anybody. I didn’t fire any bullets.’ Her defence attorney also disputes the US government’s account of what happened in Afghanistan, and a not guilty plea has been entered for Siddiqui. If convicted of the charges, Siddiqui, 37, would face a minimum of 30 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Throughout July 6’s hearing, Siddiqui rubbed her wrists, reddened by what she said was rough treatment by jailhouse guards who forced her to court in observance of the judge’s order that she appear. She pulled a white scarf over her face so only her eyes were seen.
Siddiqui earned an undergraduate degree in biology from MIT in 1995 and a doctorate in neuroscience from Brandeis University in 2001. She left the United States in June 2002 with her three children. She told the FBI that she worked at the Karachi Institute of Technology in 2005, that she tried to look for her husband in Afghanistan in the winter of 2007 and that she stayed for a time in Quetta.
Siddiqui had appeared in court twice after she was brought to the US last August but had refused to attend proceedings since then. US District Judge Richard Berman said he will rule later if she’s competent to stand trial in October.
Newly public court documents contain reports by psychologists who treated Siddiqui after she was arrested in Afghanistan in July 2008 and was charged with taking a gun and shooting at US soldiers and FBI agents. She was shot in the abdomen in the encounter.
Defence lawyers for Siddiqui are challenging her competency for trial, citing the conclusions of an expert who found she is suffering from delusional disorder and depression.
Prosecutors cite reports by psychologists who say Siddiqui’s behavior reflects malingering, the intentional production of grossly exaggerated psychological symptoms aimed at getting a result, such as avoiding trial.
Leslie Powers, a forensic psychologist, wrote in a document dated May 4 and put in the court’s public file late July 2 that new information helps show Siddiqui was living freely in Pakistan and Afghanistan from 2003 to 2008.
Reports prepared by Siddiqui’s psychologists claim that she was living freely in Pakistan and Afghanistan for portions of the five years before her arrest last year, disputing claims that the scientist had spent those years in the custody of foreign authorities.
As opposed to both the above versions, Siddiqui’s supporters and former lawyers maintain she had likely been taken into custody by foreign military intelligence authorities during those years and was subjected to torture, sexual abuse and beatings.
Psychologists say she’s had delusions that include seeing her three children in her cell and being visited by flying infants and dark angels.
L. Thomas Kucharski, a psychologist for the defence, testified Siddiqui suffers from delusional disorder and depression and is unfit for trial. Two mental health experts for the government, Gregory B. Saathoff and Sally C. Johnson, testified she’s fit for trial because her behaviour reflects malingering or grossly exaggerated psychological symptoms aimed at getting a result, such as avoiding trial.
When Johnson testified that Siddiqui had said the judge is a pawn of a Zionist conspiracy and only wants to kill her, Siddiqui turned toward spectators and nodded her head enthusiastically in apparent agreement.
Johnson said Siddiqui’s descriptions of seeing her children in her cell and other events had subsided over the months and an analysis of her recorded conversations with her brother and others had shown that she understood the charges against her and the legal process.
Kucharski testified that her prospects might be worse if she were found incompetent because it could trigger a court order of forced medication to treat symptoms so that she could become competent for trial. And, if her symptoms are not treatable, she could remain institutionalised for life, he said.
The psychologist also wrote that Siddiqui’s ex-husband, Mohammad Amjad Khan, reported seeing either her or their children on several occasions in 2003, 2004 and 2005. ‘While her accounts of her time are incomplete, her statements and other facts gathered seem to corroborate that she was not held captive from 2003 until 2008,’ Powers said.
Powers said Siddiqui was interviewed at length by the FBI for several days after her arrest on July 18, 2008.
She said FBI agents who accompanied Siddiqui on her 20-hour flight to the United States last Aug. 4 reported that she showed no signs of psychosis or psychological distress and that she was fully oriented and talkative throughout the trip.
Powers and two other experts have concluded Siddiqui is competent for trial.
In a defence exhibit, psychologist L. Thomas Kucharski, chairman of the Department of Psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, concluded that Siddiqui suffers from delusional disorder and is depressed.
He said her delusions ‘include the belief that the court is part of a conspiracy to have her killed, tortured and/or have her witness the torture of her children.’
He added: ‘She believes that the outcome of her trial is predetermined; that she will get the death penalty and has stated to this evaluator that there is no need to go to trial or work with her attorneys in her defence because of this predetermination. She required that I inform the court to just impose the death penalty or whatever penalty it chooses and to not bother her with the formality of proceedings.’
Gregory B. Saathoff, an associate professor in psychiatric medicine at the University Of Virginia School Of Medicine, said delusions Siddiqui had had involving flying infants, dark angels, a dog in her cell and children visiting her in her room were largely resolved after she believed she was found incompetent to stand trial.
Sally C. Johnson, a professor in the psychiatry department at the University of North Carolina, wrote in a March 16 report that Siddiqui’s medical problems have been treated and stabilized.
Johnson said Siddiqui has given vague accounts of her whereabouts from 2003 to 2008, saying she was given shelter by different people.
Johnson said Siddiqui has also given varying accounts of where her children were during those years but told one agent that sometimes one has to take up a cause that is more important than one’s children.
Johnson left a warning at the end of her report, saying that in spite of Siddiqui’s frail and timid appearance – she has weighed as little as 90 pounds – ‘her potential for aggression towards herself or others might be underestimated.’
She cited reports that Siddiqui had taken actions to try to escape from custody before she was transferred to the United States. Johnson recommended that adequate care be taken to protect Siddiqui.
‘Given her expressed degree of devotion to her belief system,’ she wrote, ‘it is possible that she could perceive herself as a martyr for a cause.’
Before she left court, Siddiqui insisted she’s not paranoid or psychotic and described her fears that her statements on July 6 might be her last.
‘It’s probably the last opportunity I’m going to get,’ she said, noting the possibility she will be subjected to forced medication. ‘I’ve seen people on the drugs. They can’t talk.’
At least twice during the hearing she indicated she will not cooperate with her court-appointed lawyer, Dawn M. Cardi. Cardi said outside court that her client’s behaviour supported her argument that she’s unfit for trial. ‘She’s not making any sense,’ Cardi said. The lawyer noted that Siddiqui had shouted to spectators that she could bring peace to Pakistan and Afghanistan if she were permitted to speak with President Obama. It was an example of grandiose behaviour that supports conclusions that she is delusional, Cardi said. In court, Siddiqui told spectators: ‘The American president wants to make peace. I want to help him. Am I making sense? I’m sincere.’
According to another report the US Federal Bureau of Investigation has been approached by Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency for access to Dr Aafia Siddiqui to investigate her alleged links with any terror network. FIA Director General Tariq Khosa called for a probe against Siddiqui’s ex-husband, Mohammad Amjad Khan ‘to get vital information,’ a report in this newspaper said. A source claimed that FIA staff had also sought an interview with one of the Pakistani senators, who recently met Dr Siddiqui in the US.
An Islamic charity organization reported recently it has collected some $70,000 for the defense fund of Siddiqui.
The defendant, Aafia Siddiqui, has “sufficient present ability to consult with her lawyers with a reasonable degree of rational understanding and she also has a rational as well as a factual understanding of the proceedings against her,” Berman wrote.
Over the last year, psychiatric experts who have evaluated Siddiqui have said she reported dramatic hallucinations and delusions involving flying infants, dark angels, a dog in her cell and children visiting her.
One expert noted that the hallucinatory experiences ended abruptly after a psychologist found her incompetent for trial last year after a one-month evaluation. The psychologist later changed her opinion after a six-month study and a review of thousands of documents. “This is an instance where a defendant may have some mental health issues but may nevertheless be competent to stand trial,” Berman wrote.
Mental health experts testified earlier this month in a hearing that was interrupted several times by Siddiqui’s outbursts. At one point during a break, she shouted toward prosecutors: “I want to make peace with the United States of America. I’m not an enemy. I never was.”
The judge noted in his ruling that Siddiqui’s polite and appropriate demeanor during the first two hours of the hearing changed abruptly after a prosecutor asked a witness if he had seen any outbursts from Siddiqui. “Immediately thereupon, Dr. Siddiqui became much more loquacious, outspoken and difficult in the courtroom,” Berman said.
The judge noted that Siddiqui appeared appropriately groomed and in good physical condition at her hearing, entering and exiting the courtroom at an appropriate pace and without assistance.
Her lawyer, Dawn Cardi, did not immediately respond to a message for comment.
Yusill Scribner, a spokeswoman for prosecutors, declined to comment.
The committee decided that Dr Aafia’s sister, Fauzia Siddiqui, would be invited in the next meeting to share details of her sister’s case. It also considered sending a delegation of selected members of the committee to the US to meet Dr Aafia.
Dr Aafia’s detention, madrassa reforms, and a review of the report of the committee’s sub-body on the presence of American private security firm Blackwater in the country were discussed in the meeting.
Of the 16 jurors, 12 will be part of the jury team and four will be alternate team in case someone falls sick. Out of the 12, seven are women and five are men, with four alternate jurors, two men and two women.
“I have nothing to do with 9/11,” Ms Siddiqui declared when a potential juror who cited her personal experience on Sept 11 was dismissed. Dr Aafia suggested Israel was behind the attacks.
Ms Siddiqui’s trial for allegedly shooting at her US interrogators in Afghanistan in July 2008 by grabbing rifle during an interrogation in Afghanistan begins in the US District Court in Manhattan on January 19. She’s not facing terrorism charges.
When Judge Richard Berman quizzed the jury panel whether their 9/11 experiences would influence their deliberations, Ms Siddiqui stood up from the defence table.
“The next question will be on anti-Semitism, Israel was behind 9/11. That’s not anti-Semitic,” she said before being escorted out.
Judge Berman later said that anyone who disrupts proceedings will be removed, but that Ms Siddiqui has a right to be present for her trial and would be allowed to return.
On Jan 13, Ms Siddiqui demanded that Jews should be excluded from the jury at her trial.
Ms Siddiqui has repeatedly said she is boycotting her own trial and has attempted to make her case directly to prospective jurors and the judge.
Dr Aafia Siddiqui, a mother of 3 children is facing trial for, supposedly, wrestling an M-16 away from a CIA torture squad and trying to kill them. How did the CIA get her? They bought her. She was sold to them by a corrupt official in Pakistan as a “terror suspect,” a common problem and a well known ploy in the George Bush phony war on terrorism.
Was she a terrorist? There is no evidence of this, even after years of torture. The only serious crimes we find her guilty of is being a house wife, mother and Islamic and, I forgot, having an education. Her victims? Crippled and 100 pounds, she took on a room full of former Navy Seals, Special Forces and “private interrogators.” The obvious truth, of course: the charges are a fabrication by a pack of cowards and liars.
What do we really know?
We really don’t know anything at all.
Nobody has any evidence that this woman, a scientist educated in the US did anything at all.
There is talk, empty talk about her sending money to charities that might be tied to terrorism. The amount of money is about 2% of a typical payment from one of the Saudi royals that have funded terrorists and suicide bombers for years, but none of them are kidnapped, raped, shot or beaten.
They have oil.
...What we see exposed, however, is the slave trade in “terror suspects” created during the Bush Administration fear frenzy when intelligence agencies around the world started dragging innocent people off the streets and selling them to the US for millions of dollars to supply the needed number of “terrorist arrests” to justify wild claims of a successful war on terror continually being made by Dick Cheney, Condi Rice and the rest of the gang.
The crime is an amusing one. A woman who was either just arrested or had been in custody for 5 years, depending on which of her captors you listen to. This should seem like an interesting read:
“On 4 August 2008, shorty after press rumors suggested that Siddiqui had been in Bagram for the last five years, the US government announced that Aafia Siddiqui was arrested on charges related to her attempted murder and assault of United States officers and employees in Afghanistan
The US claims that Siddiqui was not captured in March 2003, that she was arrested on July 17, 2008 outside the home of the Governor of Ghazni.The US account of the July 18, 2008 shooting is that FBI agents, interpreters, and several GIs entered arrived at the Afghan facility where Siddiqui was being held. The personnel entered a second floor meeting room—unaware that Siddiqui was being held there, unsecured, behind a curtain.
The Warrant Officer took a seat and placed his United States Army M-4 rifle on the floor next to the curtain. According to the US account the GIs set down their weapons, whereupon Siddiqui burst from behind a curtain, grabbed an M-4, and opened fire. One interpreter who was accompanying the officers seized the firearm from her.
US officials claim they have no idea where Siddiqui has been in the five years since she was captured on March 17, 2003.
Siddiqui arrived in New York on August 4, 2008, and was presented before a United States Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Siddiqui refused to accept the charges.[27][28][29] Siddiqui’s lawyer stated that no one can believe the FBI story and that Siddiqui had actually been captured in Karachi, Pakistan along with three of her children.
On August 8, 2008 the Daily Times reported that Aafia was captured in Ghazni with her eldest son, Muhammad Ahmed. The report stated that documents existed that confirmed that Affia and her children had been captured in March 2003.”
Real Issues
This woman and her three children were kidnapped, and illegally held for 5 years under the most brutal conditions imaginable without any legal reason. She had been accused of no crime. After years of imprisonment, rape and torture, she is finally arrested for attacking those who tortured her.
Reality Check
After 5 years of imprisonment, Dr. Siddiqui was a total physical wreck, barely able to walk, and seriously disabled from hundreds of torture sessions. Yet she is accused of overpowering several Navy Seals and US Army Special Forces unarmed combat specialists, seizing a weapon and nearly killing all of them, this at a weight of 100 pounds.
“Nearly killing” is a bit of an overstatement. In fact, nobody was injured at all. The more we investigate this, the more this sounds like an outlandish war story cooked up to file for PTSD. She faces 20 years for this crime and only this crime. Since when was it a crime to attempt to escape from illegal imprisonment? Any American who is illegally detained and imprisoned without due process can’t be charged with a crime for resisting torture or imprisonment.
Attorney General John Ashcroft considered the kidnapping of this woman, along with her 3 children, one of the great victories of the War on Terror. However, after 5 years of interrogation and 7 years of confinement, no charges could ever be filed against her other than trying to single handledly crawl out of her death bed and dispatch a room full of “drug store” Rambo types.
Ashcroft has many success in his career. He is the only person in American history to have lost a seat in the US Senate to a dead man. In an unpublicized but much more interesting case, Ashcroft and his band of merry US Attorneys, in their attempt to rack up arrests for terrorism without doing adequate homework actually managed to drag in an entire CIA intelligence organization which had, until broken up by John Ashcroft and gang, penetrated the highest levels of Al Qaeda.
Not much more can be said, but several top CIA operatives now have the embarassing history of having been arrested for terrorist related charges. Ashcroft and later Gonzales have, through incompetence, done more to cripple US intelligence efforts than any group other than the Mossad.
Even the “outing” of CIA nuclear proliferation specialist Valerie Plame, believed to be responsible for North Korea getting nuclear weapons, involved much less utter bungling and inanity.
Witch Hunt
Nearly every legal expert in the world, including almost universal outrage among the legal community is Israel, has called this one of the most insane acts of abuse of any country that claims to have a functioning legal system and representative form of government.
Even the alleged “suspicious acts,” which are, by the way, buying totally legal and harmless gun accessories, is in itself totally insane. Am I going to have to register that dangerous combat assault flashlight I keep by my desk for when I drop my reading glasses?
Any idiot who goes to gun shows knows that the weapons that small children carry around in Afghanistan are ten times better than the things Americans can get from sporting good stores or thru mail order. Every time an American collector sees a photograph of a Taliban member who owns 2 goats carrying an AK rifle with forged receiver and top quality ART sniper scope, something worth $3000 or more in the US, the insanity of purchasing 3rd rate clone parts in the US to ship to a country that has enough assault rifles to supply the world for centuries begins to sink in.
Where is the NRA and ACLU?
Who is the Victims Here?
These things are obvious. We paid criminals to kidnap an innocent person for cheap public relations gain, elections were coming up and our War on Terror was looking as phony as, well as phony as it actually is. Then, after years of rape and torture, this frail Islamic woman tries to fight back, or so we are told, told by people who imprison innocent people, rape and torture. Are these witnesses we would have in an American court? She already considers herself dead. What human can survive such brutality, injustice, humiliation and abuse. Who are the real victims here? Americans who know nothing of the trial, American who sat silently while this went on, Americans who thought their cowardice was buying them “safety.”
100 Comments »
Zenia said
July 25, 2008 @ 12:57 am
It is so sad and shameful that a muslim woman was treated so badly by our own muslim fellows. It is a very heart breaking and painful reality. I can’t imagine what Dr.Afia must have been through and still going through. May Allah help her and ease her problem.Ameen.
Reply
ALI KHAN said
July 25, 2008 @ 7:21 am
SALAM,
I HAVE NO WORDS 2 XPRESSS MY FEELINGS ,
BUT ,
AMERICAN’S & ALL WORLD HAVE 2 THINK ,
THAT’S ALL REASSON’S ,
SUISIDE BOMBER’S ARE BORN .
I ,
HAVE
NO RELATION WITH DOC(DR)
BUT FIRST OF ALL AS A MUSLIAM & AS HUMAN BEING ,
ITS NOT IN MY
HAND OTHER WISE
I KILL ALL
(M.F)AMERICAN”S.
Reply
Adnan`s Crazy Blogging World » Blog Archive » So Isn’t Aafia Siddiqi not a Pakistani Woman? said
July 25, 2008 @ 2:45 pm
[...] she came in news again when Ms.Ridley revealed about her. Aafia was one of the many poor who were sold by Dalal Musharraf to earn dollars to develop himself Pakistan . Jang reported very horrible story [...]
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Saim said
July 25, 2008 @ 3:39 pm
I can’t even think of what is going now with Dr Afia. My God help her.
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gohar said
July 25, 2008 @ 4:50 pm
Shame on our politicians who let a woman esp. muslim humiliated by jews n kafirs,Allah will ask them one day Insha Allah.
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M ABDULLAH said
July 26, 2008 @ 6:17 am
a MUHAMMAD BIN QASIM IS NEEDED TODAY !!!
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IMRAN said
July 26, 2008 @ 7:10 am
my heart is weeping and aur i dont have words to say
isnt there any muhammad bin qasim yet born among us….
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B QAMAR said
July 26, 2008 @ 11:07 am
Is Romans history being replayed, Christ will reborn, why Moses salvaged slaves, when such acts would be earmarked for candidate list of war crimes. Shame on so called AZEEM nation ‘Fort of Islam’, there were people who knew but mum why!
God may save Khan.
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Y. K said
July 26, 2008 @ 2:22 pm
It is terrible to even think the ordeal that Dr. must have been going through…not to say the trauma that she herself must have been facing…i.e. if she has that sense of feeling left in her at all.
May Allah give release her from her pains, Ameen!
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A. J. K. said
July 27, 2008 @ 5:22 am
People of Pakistan had been f**kd by their own politicians and Army over and over but they do nothing and look for a Mohammad Bin Qasim. Again, want someone else to come and do what they need to do while they are busy watching indian movies, listening to western music and lining up in front of other countries embassies for a visa to get out and use their dirty rishwat money.
Am I too harsh, no, I am just truthful. Don’t know what is claimed against Dr. but may Allah give Dr. courage, patience and ajar for her misery. – Ameen
And you Pakis, shame on you, go drown in chullo bhar pani.
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ramanujam Arumugam said
January 20, 2010 @ 9:50 am
What you said is plain truth. I wish I could stop our Indian brothers and sisters to line up in queues for visas for these countries. It like you are lining up for humiliation. APNA DESH APNA HAI.
I feel sad to know about the two other missing children. I cant imagine the ordeal these children are going through in the hands of these American Animals.
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S said
July 27, 2008 @ 6:58 am
May Allah bless her and help her to get released and bless all of us (Muslims),
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Inaam Ullah Azmat said
July 27, 2008 @ 7:44 am
I am really shocked and my heart is weeping. Shame on our politicians and Jahanmi Pervez Musharraf. May Allah help her because Allah is the one Who can help her.
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Kumail Zaidi said
July 27, 2008 @ 7:57 am
Shame on Pakistani Government ,
Are they sleeping , what is happening in their country by their hands ,
that there is no 1 to ask them they are all in all .
what they want to be ,
Just be like a brave man like President OF IRAN,
SHAMELESS PAKISTANIS
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MM said
July 27, 2008 @ 8:45 am
My heart is going to burst. I dodnt know wat i can do for the release of Dr Afiya . A curse of Allah fall upon those who did this for some dollars. May Allah give the reward to dr Afiya and her family.
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Obaid Ali said
July 27, 2008 @ 9:34 am
Please release her.
Allah is Great you can not afford the price of your action as Allah is best compensator.
Thanks
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concerned said
July 27, 2008 @ 1:38 pm
what kind of sick ,retard is this zenia,
wake up bitch,
Dr, Afia is not raped by muslims, rather by US bastards
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Asim said
July 28, 2008 @ 2:57 am
I am waiting for news when the daughter of this a$$ kissing ba$tard Musharaf, will be gang raped by his US brokers.
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mariam said
July 28, 2008 @ 2:59 am
My eyes sting n my heart bleeds…wild cries of anger n pain surronding me shall never fade away, Alas i cannot speak coz im a woman myself …only one things that would ever last is Dua for Doc…May Alllah s.w.t release her from her pains n give peace to her soul …n May Allah send blessing upon us too although we dont deserve much… May Allah give us courage to stand against wrong doing…!!!
w,salam
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Zahoor said
July 28, 2008 @ 8:04 am
I can pray from the depth of my heart for Dr. Afia. May she be in peace where ever she is. May Allah protect her. After all she is human. she must be given a chance to defend herself. If she has the charges against her, this should also be proved before the world. I know that US cares a lot for the humanity. I appeal before them to ponder sympathetically the matter of Dr. Afia. I’ve no expectation from the Pakistan Govt. as the rulers are beggars and traitors of the nation. I request every body to pray for Dr. Afia as she is the sister and daughter of the whole nation.
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shah said
July 28, 2008 @ 9:18 am
So sad, its all because of us.
Today we are being surrounded by all those leaders who do not have “EVEN A BIT OF INTEGRITY” in them. They all are incapable and corrupt. They can not even manage their homes they are living in. Sham on all of them.
We will haveto think and do something otherwise “WE CAN BE NEXT” to Dr Afia.
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Farhan said
July 28, 2008 @ 10:41 am
I was shivering and weeping while reading Dr. sahiba story. I feel ashamed of myself being part of such a nation. Perhaps that is why we are in visible and invisible Azabs of Allah almighty.
Allah please forgive me on this nation’s behalf and pleas please give us another Muhammad Bin Qasim, another Salahuddin Ayubi, another Omer (R.A) to lead us on the right path.
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naureen said
July 28, 2008 @ 11:36 am
I will pray for her …& i will pray to Allah for dreadfull end of all of those who put her in this situation.
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Altaf Jamal said
July 28, 2008 @ 1:19 pm
i just want to say. BIG MUSHRAFF, PIG MUSHRAFF
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kashif said
July 28, 2008 @ 3:06 pm
what to say and what not to say, It is not matter of polliticians, actually we have one thing common and thats individualism, we don’t care even if our neighbours’ house is on fire unless our own house is caught by fire. Thats why we are facing such things…
Reply
Prisoner 650 « Rambling… said
July 29, 2008 @ 5:21 am
[...] Afia Siddiqui did her PhD in genetics at MIT and returned to Pakistan without knowing what was waiting for her in her beloved land. “She was arrested in Pakistan on suspicion of facilitating money [...]
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Arman said
July 29, 2008 @ 10:44 am
I am really ashamed and sorrowful for this lady and have no words to express my feelings. I think everyone in Pakistan and me is responsible for this. Now no one, no lady is safe in Pakistan and US and Musharraf has made this land war ground and they are butchering us like pigs.
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Arman said
July 29, 2008 @ 10:48 am
I am really ashamed that we could not protect this lady
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wasif said
July 29, 2008 @ 11:45 am
Just owfull,
What she did and what she is getting,
sorryyy Dr.,we are not such nice that you can work for us:S
i read a story in IBaghdad news paper that One amercan army bus Rape 8 girls in iraq,they all were doughter and sister, and cousins and they were raped infront of their family members……
These amercans are M.F.
M.F.
B...s God help to DR. !!!!
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Afia_Sister said
July 29, 2008 @ 12:56 pm
In pakistan everyone comes out on the streets and protests for Chaudry Iftikhar and his gang, and we all know that it was Chaudry Iftikhar who strengthened Musharef’s hands.But how come we dont even make one step for this lady Doc.Afia.Doc Afia we are ashamed in front of you and in front of your kids and family.We are so weak and powerless that we cant even take out one protest for this innocent lady.Ya Allah you help Afia and all the other women and girls that are in this situation by the hands of the Kuffar.
Ameen.
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Rashid Sohail said
July 30, 2008 @ 2:34 am
In my life its the first time I am crying from my heart.
I do not know why we are alive and enjoying the life when one of our doughter and sister is going through this.
Shame of thoese afghans there also who are so called Gherat mand. She is muslim and her sister.
Reply
Pakistani said
July 30, 2008 @ 4:44 am
Sorry Dr Afia, we were unable to protect you.
Reply
RAFI AHMED said
July 30, 2008 @ 6:28 am
i want to say that this kind of action creat alot of terrorist so think about it release Dr. AFIA SIDDIQUI please
Reply
Support Appeal For Dr. Afia Siddiqi(Prisoner 650 Bagram Jail)–>AHRC « United4justice’s Weblog said
July 30, 2008 @ 9:31 am
[...] Where is Dr Afia Siddiqui? AHRC [...]
Reply
sulaiman javaid said
July 30, 2008 @ 3:38 pm
shame on our politition what they do and done.
Daugher of adam raped by non-muslim & muslim always considered Terrorist who is terrorist
Reply
Faraz form Lahore said
July 30, 2008 @ 3:48 pm
Hi
i cant find even a word to say and i cant read all article my heart is weeping where is Muhammad bin qasim.
Where is, where is, …………………………
All the world knows what is the plan of American Govt.
But How innocent our politicins, i want to say alot of hard word , they should understand what is every muslim is sayying .
Shame on All Polticins who are involved to support the Americans.
Reply
Faraz form Lahore said
July 30, 2008 @ 3:51 pm
In pakistan everyone comes out on the streets and protests for Chaudry Iftikhar and his gang, and we all know that it was Chaudry Iftikhar who strengthened Musharef’s hands.But how come we dont even make one step for this lady Doc.Afia.Doc Afia we are ashamed in front of you and in front of your kids and family.We are so weak and powerless that we cant even take out one protest for this innocent lady.Ya Allah you help Afia and all the other women and girls that are in this situation by the hands of the Kuffar.
Ameen.
Reply
mirzayasir4 said
July 31, 2008 @ 11:12 am
I am really feeling Very bad, feel like my sister is missing, I am feeling ashamed that I am a pakistani, in my country such people exist who can evel get money & hand over their sisters & mothers to anybody for anything.
This all bad is happening because of Musharaf, Go Musharaf Go
or may be we are bad nation.
O Allah please recover that poor lady from beasts.
Reply
Keya wo Afiya Siddiqi hai « Yasir Imran Mirza said
July 31, 2008 @ 11:17 am
[...] http://alaiwah.wordpress.com/where-is-dr-afia-siddiqui-asks-ahrc/ [...]
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SAMEER Z SHEIKH said
July 31, 2008 @ 2:44 pm
i have recently read Enemy comabatant…it gives me shreeks and shivers to know that a woman could go through all that …a muslim woman ..Moazzam Baig wrote that listening to her screams was more torturous then to go through naked and humialiating punishments.
Reply
ZAIN said
July 31, 2008 @ 4:18 pm
What should i say….guys u people have said absolutely right that the word sorry is nothing in front of such inhumane matter…While reading all above story there are tears in my eyes right now…Im feeling shameful to be a PAKISTANI…and i pray, instead i appeal almighty ALLAH to take a step against those Pakistani officials who are responsible for selling this daughter in hands of those kuffars…I solute you my poor sister, I solute your courage, and i pray ALLAH that he may help you out of this difficulty..listen Mr jinab GEN RETD.PARVEZ MUSHARRAF SAHIB dont forget that u have to answer ALLAH one day about AFIA and dont noe how much such other AFIA’S who are being handed over to those animals for sake of little money to warm your pockets…shame on you.don’t forget that ALLAH is great and he is having a bird’s eye view on all your activities like this one and you will pay for it one day…THE JUDGMENT DAY, WILL BE THE DAY OF AFIA NO DOUBT…guys Hujjaj bin Yousaf is known by us as a bad person in Muslim history…but when one Muslim women cried for help from sindh he sent Mohammad bin Qasim to help her…now just think for a second that how much worst we are..even worst than hujjaj bin yousaf…we are the cunts who sell our Muslim women for the sake of dollars…shame on us….WE ALL HAVE TO ANSWER ALLAH ABOUT AFIA…plzzzz put our hands together to bring our sister back home…INSHALLAH
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omar said
July 31, 2008 @ 9:56 pm
Let start betting for the price Mr Prevez Musharaf will get for his own beloved daughter, wife , sister and mother !!!!!
it is a famous saying “what goes around comes around”.
General Musharaf and his cabinates (formar “selected” and new”elected “) did manage to get away with a cool selling of
1 Lady “Dr Afia” test case
to
1000 ladies ” Jamia Hafsa” proven case
they are so lucky to get all the support and $$ from their masters.
BUT
GOD is just and almighty . In His Creation all humans are equal. He will Inshallah do justice with Musharaf and all his like minded. Musharaf and his fellowers will soon find out dollars and rupees losing value in this world but are worthless in next world.
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Shaista Khan said
August 1, 2008 @ 11:36 am
To help & Support Dr.Afia Plz visit:
http://www.ishtiaqbaig.com/uap.htm
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Saba said
August 1, 2008 @ 8:03 pm
I cant express my feelings for her. This is very sad. Present goverment must not put a further delay and immediate steps should be taken. What a pity.
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shah said
August 2, 2008 @ 1:35 am
Shame on all our
politics
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sallo79 said
August 2, 2008 @ 9:55 am
I really shocked of this miserable story of our sister. some one said: this world is not ruin by voilence of bad people but because of silence of good people. yes… Oh people; when we stand up?against the creulty of USA and our brutal, fascist, and dalal generals like musharaf and his company and also so called politicians who only want to make money and free their cases. Oh Allah, Oh Allah give us strength to unite and end this injustice and cruelty from our homeland and the world.
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Tazeen Hasan said
August 3, 2008 @ 8:13 am
What about her husband? Where is he? Can anyone trace him?
As far as kids are concerned I am sure they r not alive now. They may be killed before the doc to get her mouth open about whta she hasn’t done; what she doesn’t know. Infact if she has really lost her mind this may be due to what happened to the kids.
Those butchers must have used the kids to torture her. She may have committed sucide but her faith still seems to be mighty.
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Hassan Abbas said
August 4, 2008 @ 1:10 pm
A Glorious Dawn…And A Better Day
To Dr.Afia Siddiqui – prisoner # 650 in American custody
Another dawn …another day,
Disgrace; insult is thrown our way;
Yet shamelessly on their golden perch
The spineless look – Oh how they sway!
As if there is no Lord above,
They with the devil-hand in glove;
Selling our dearest values and souls,
For gold and power – push and shove!
This crime you saw they so denied,
To filthy scum they sold the bride;
Yet the mighty Creator seeing it all
Unveils the gruesome act they hide!
Amongst ravenous wolves the fair one lies,
As from brutish hands she helplessly flies;
A suffering sister sane no more,
Her anguished screams – they rent the skies.
And this is all the pride you boast,
Our tormentors you daily host !
But yesterday we shared the cup,
- And today so far apart we coast ?
When comes a ‘Qasim’ to stem this rot?
Of Almighty Allah and His Messenger forgot!
Of cheaply selling our heritage which -
With submission and sacrifice was dearly bought.
And yet the strong will go their way,
As an ‘Iftikhar’ keep the monsters at bay;
Afia! Our elders pray, while the braver fight -
For a glorious dawn…….. and a better day!
Authors Comments: I was motivated to write this poem after reading the shockingly monstrous, inhuman and criminally illegal way the US forces in Afghanistan have treated a Pakistani married women and her small children for the past 5 years.You can see the details of this at the Pakistani blog http://www.teeth.com.pk ; After repeatedly denying any knowledge of her whereabouts for the past 5 years the Americans have finally been forced to admit to their evil act because of the efforts of Mr.Moazzam Begg who recounted his experiences as a US prisoner in a book ; British Lord Nazeer; a British journalist Yvonne Ridley; and a number of human rights organizations (here is one press release you can read http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2008/2947/ who have presented evidence of a certain prisoner-of-war known as Prisoner 650 who was in terrible medical condition within an American prison located in Afghanistan – and that they had reason to suspect that Prisoner 650 is Dr. Afia Siddiqui.
I ask readers of this poem to please join the cause to get her release by signing this petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/af258633/petition.html ……..and doing anything else to protest this American monstrosity- if you so wish.
May I request you to please give this appeal the widest circulation. We may yet save the US forces in Afghanistan from disgracing themselves and the American people even further .
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Azhar Hussain said
August 5, 2008 @ 2:48 pm
Great Pakistan Army
We should be proud of Pakistan Army who is the sign of protection of our masses . Musharraf is the identity of Strength of Pakistan Army and Army should continue supporting him. So many Afias are in the country and Army should try locate other Afias to earn money for Country. We Pakistanis should sell Afias, rest in ligthless rooms with naked dresses and drink local alchol. We are a great nations as we have a huge business potentials. We have 52% female section, so a huge business prospects
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a.siddiqui said
August 5, 2008 @ 8:38 pm
It is unbelievable and shameful for muslims and specially Pakistanis all over the world.
“Phir agar is qaum per Allah ka qahar nazil na ho tu kiya ho”
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Afshan said
August 6, 2008 @ 10:05 am
It has been echoing arround me that Paki can sale their mothers against $2000. Oooooh God what a harsh statement, needed to put by Mr. Ishtiaq Beig in his article. But he is right as the same is happening. People have not forgotton about the decision made by the Basterd Mussaraf to kill so many students in Lal Mosque inccident and now the same ashamful activity came on the scene. May God bless upon pitty Dr. Afiya and made her rest of life in peace. Ameen
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Wish said
August 6, 2008 @ 5:51 pm
THz is indeed very shameful .. And no doubt we muslims are dam weak to face or do anythin:@..
And only Mis.afia but many more lyk her ar ein such circumstances so i pray for all of them .. ALLAH help all thz ppl AMEEN SUMMA AMEEEEN
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE…
or jus wake the true believer muslim spirit in all of us ..:’(
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Iz said
August 6, 2008 @ 10:16 pm
I am waiting for news when the daughter of this a$$ kissing ba$tard Musharaf, will be gang raped by his US brokers, and not only this bastard but all the Pakistani government officials, all of them ar DALLA’s, they have sold thier mother and sisters and daughters, may ALL MIGHTY ALLAH give Dr.Afia courage, patience and ajar for her misery. – Ameen and take revange from those who are responsible for her misery.
AND BY THE WAY WHO GAVE THESE AMERICAN’S THE RIGHT OF ARRESTING ANYONE FROM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD AND TAKE THEM WHERE EVER THEY WANT, ISNT THERE ANYONE WHO CAN ASK THIS BASTERD AMERICAN GOVERNMENT “NOT AMERICAN PEOPLE”.
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Kamran said
January 30, 2010 @ 6:11 pm
How can u use Allah Almighty’s name and swear words on the same post? why do people like you enter into sin while thinking you are helping the cause of Islam. And doesn’t the Holy Quran say that ‘nobody shall bear the burden of another’? knowing that how can you even think of something so despicable for musharraf’s daughter? for all you know, she could also be in favor of Dr. Aafia’s release
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sana abid said
August 8, 2008 @ 10:56 am
we want our sister back in any condition nw.. what the hell is this she did nothing and was treated so badly and unhumanly without any blame proved on her
we ask musharraf why these sort of things done with paki national people and till what time it will b continued? where are the other girls of masjid-e-hafsa who are diappeared this is really horrible and pathetic to treat ladies/girls specially like this, i wish i could do somthing for her
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Kashkin said
August 8, 2008 @ 6:25 pm
Poem:
“”Prisoner 650-Grey Ghost of Bagram”"
My name is Prisoner 650,
Known I am as the “Grey Ghost”
Of Bagram, my home, remember me
In years of silence, in moments
Of indifference, created by you
Familiar are those walls and rooms
Of torture, of questions and of abuse
Familiar are those old echoes,
As all ideologies fall away in shame
Of protection of rights and freedom
Familiar I am to these accusations
As I am dragged, naked and blue
As I carry your foul breath, in eternity
Familiar I am to you and your ways
In labyrinth of twisted torture and routines
As my face begins to fade, in its forms
As this life becomes the burden in its disguise
My name is Prisoner 650,
Known I am not to the land of my birth
Forgotten they have all but few of my own
As I sit here through intervals,
When sanity returns, as this mind play games
Harder to distinguish what is worse
The torture and abuse or being forgotten
By my very own country, of my very own
Through subjugation of humanity
Familiar I am now, to these routines
As I see myself break in pieces,
As I see you, break in your emptiness
Remember me, as I walked with you
Tied down to my knees, in chains
To these graves, in your quest for gold
My name is prisoner 650
Known I am to them as Grey Ghost
Inside me the Bagram and its crimes
Outside this world, you and absent me
All available to you, all known to you
The ambiguity you created, in those cells
As I bath in that abuse in my dreams
The voices, eyes, and rotten crimes
As this civilization eats me slowly
Through hands foreign, through hands
Of my own, my own, my own
Know I of my worth, know I of my place
In these pedestals of humanity,
All gone, inside me, the absent light
As I search for the light, and cold showers
In the old walls of Bagram, familiar I am
To these mountains, my witnesses
Heard me, they have, like those graves
Unmarked, walk with me, sometimes
Feel you will all, what was it like?
Betrayal of my own, betrayal of my own
I am the prisoner 650, cold and silent
Charge me, it cannot be worse,
I have seen it all, I have lived it away
In your presence, the grey ghost
In there, lies me, the old self,
In unmarked graves, finally the freedom
My name is Prisoner 650
Stands here, in front of you
In its demise, in what you created
Against accusation, hollow and false
Pay you will, in this life or next
Familiar not to you, the old justice
My name is Prisoner 650
The grey ghost of Bagram
In my weakened body and soul,
As I carry these imprints
Of your investigations and abuse
Familiar I am to your ways and techniques
As you pronounce in comfort, the justice
Not much left in me, not much to say
Remember the first sentence,
The first utterance, long time ago
Of my innocence, as I screamed
As my skin pierced, as my soul raped
Now what justice will you serve me?
Not there may be, but still inside me
Bagram, and its grey ghost, and you.
I am the prisoner 650
Remember me, unfamiliar I am to you
To my own, in betrayal of my very own
I have no more questions, to ask
I am the Prisoner 650
Never will I be freed, inside me remains
The old landmarks of what I was once,
You have done your work well,
Declare me insane, as insane I am now
They call me the prisoner 650,
The Grey Ghost of Bagram, in your presence
My beauty carved out of torture and betrayal
These beautiful principles of protection
Remember me, how can you forget
In an unmarked grave, finally the freedom
I am the Prisoner 650, Grey Ghost of Bagram!
Kashkin
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Pervaiz said
August 9, 2008 @ 11:18 pm
I don’t know the facts behind her arrest and handing over to FBI, but she has been given a inhumane treatment. Responsibility lies First with person/organization responsible to handover her to FBI
God Help her and her family
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fatima gilani said
August 10, 2008 @ 4:36 pm
its jus beyond words what the american gov has done. we need to do someting about her release rather thhen talk abbout iit. ACTIONS are needed at this stage.not wordss
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Muhammad Khalil said
August 15, 2008 @ 1:27 pm
I had studied a little about Dr A issue.
But found one thing very clear that it is actually WAR B/W ISLAM AND KUFR.
O’ Muslim broths and sisters,
wake up, and show the Kafr, strength of ur sword.
I SWEAR, they are coward.
the need is to show them actual Zarab of MUSLIM sword.
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Muhammad Furqan said
August 16, 2008 @ 1:23 pm
What the hell taliban and alqaida were doing in afghanistan when she was in bigram air base? they did nothing to release her why? these all are bharay kay tato (mercenary) and this innocent girl is suffering due to these mercenaries, only one or two talibans groups are fighting for rights rest of the groups are mercenaries of Indians, Israel, and americans.
Our agencies and politicians are shit specially MF Musharaf who handover this girl to Americans, i wish Americans will do same with his daughter, unable to stop my tears God Bless her and forgive her
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haroon said
August 16, 2008 @ 2:41 pm
every birth has equal rights but americans think they are superior and they juz wan to take all the people away from reality. in all these scenarioes we think AMERICA is a big terriorist and humanity has a great danger of this mean leaders.
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Yasir Haleem said
August 16, 2008 @ 4:34 pm
American’s are Human ?
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irfan said
August 16, 2008 @ 11:45 pm
i want to be a Mohammad Bin Qasim now, really!
i want to cry out loud but.
i don’t know how to exhaust my anger now a volcano is in my heart.
forgive me sister this is my mistake i could not save you from them.
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mehndi said
August 17, 2008 @ 7:27 am
A SHAMEFULL ACT BY AMERICANS
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Faisal said
August 19, 2008 @ 5:52 pm
What should i say !!!!! in oder to Express the Brutality, Cruelity, Attrocity: Perhaps no word can describe the woeful experience . I am shamed of my self along with my country fellow for this henious, deprecating and condemnable deed of highest level. A Phd. In genetics, from an MIT, an institutes that is one of the best in the word, is being rewarded with TERRIORISt for the honour, dignity and respect, she brought along with her by succeeding through one toughest possible examination. Well Done Pakistanis, thats the way of respecting highly educated pakistanis and perhaps that is the most suitable reward, like blame of terriorist, with which we honour our cream of nation. People like Dr. Afia, deserve such reponse from thier country fellows for being remembering thier own country and social values, they must be penalized so that no body can ever, even think of doing that she have done, i.e. remembering pakistan and working its honour and dignity .
Probabily, me and my fellows are perhaps waiting for angles to come down to earth and reply such brutal deeds as we are breathless, cripled and listless. Any way, such Phds are sources of forigne aid, so you sell them and get dollars, Congrats, the most innovative and remarkable use of a Phd.s
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ijaz said
August 20, 2008 @ 7:39 am
plz don’n bark on the site, if u have the stength come to the field other wise shut ur mouth. barking dogs……………….. hopes u wil understand wat i m saying. american; these r just the shitters y i dirty my hands to work in these shits
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Ahmad Abbas said
August 22, 2008 @ 11:11 am
Put this on to the International Forums of Human Rights also.
Keep blogging is just not the way.
We are only good at doing NOTHING for our selves, for our country, and for our peoples.
Dr. Afia don’t look forward toward PAKISTANIs because we are only good at Blogging.
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Readers Edition » Pakistan verkauft seine Mütter für Geld. Teil I: Wo ist Afia Siddiqui? said
August 28, 2008 @ 1:03 am
[...] Afia Siddiqui ist seit fünf Jahren “verschwunden“, seitdem sind ihre Familie, Freunde, Sympathisanten und die Öffentlichkeit besorgt. Im letzten Monat, nachdem Hunderte und Tausende von Leuten weltweit protestierten und sich Menschenrechtsorganisationen des Falls annahmen, gibt es Gespräche über die Mutter, die zusammen mit ihren drei Kindern vom Amerikanischen Bundesamt für Ermittlungen und pakistanischen Geheimdienstmitarbeitern gekidnappt wurde. [...]
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alaiwah said
September 6, 2008 @ 10:40 am
I’m writing to suggest that you please visit the website of http://www.cageprisoners..com which is a UK based NGO actively pursuing the release and support for the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.
This website has alot of useful information including interviews with the family members of the detainees, their addresses (prisoner numbers), and useful suggestions and tips regarding what words of support could one write to someone that one doesn’t know at all.
It appears that a few words of support and care can go a long way in keeping faith and hope alive among prisoners who are in the worse of isolated conditions.. I’ve cut and pasted the following suggestions from the website regarding what to write to the prisoners and you can find a whole lot more about them on this website.
It may sound like doing nothing, but praying for the prisoners and writing to them are very potent instruments at our disposal that can God willing bring about positive change.
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Azo said
September 8, 2008 @ 6:21 am
Sorry
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Azo said
September 8, 2008 @ 6:23 am
Sorry My sisster,
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Best Recipe said
September 12, 2008 @ 7:59 am
May God Help her and her family!
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corpuz said
September 14, 2008 @ 7:13 am
Who told her to go to Afghanistan for trainig?
Who asked her to use her credit cards for buying war equipments over the internet
who asked her to invite saudi people to her apartment in USD
who asked her to donate to banned charity institutes linked to alqaeda
who asked her to get settled in US with her suspecious activities after 9/11
Who asked her to settle in US instead of repeated warnings of her husband
there are so many questions to ask, Her case is not so clean and clear, its shaded with grey
dont be so emotional for her and think before littering this website with plethora of emotional dialogues
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sohail anjum said
September 15, 2008 @ 8:06 am
shame for all pakistanis politician and public who choose these fucking leaders… if its in my hand i shoot all the pakistanis leaders who cannot control their country…
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WAQAR KAHLID SHAIKH said
September 16, 2008 @ 6:28 am
IT IS VERY SHAMEFUL THING TO ALL MUSLIMS PEOPLE BECOZ A MUSLIM LADY IS IN THE CUSTODY OF AMERICAN AGENCIES
WE SHOULD PRAY FOR HER,AND HER CHILDRENS MAY ALLAH BLESS ON HER AMEEN.
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Ali said
September 20, 2008 @ 4:20 pm
Its sad that those who claim to be civilized are involved in such criminal activities in the name of terrorism. Who is really aterrorist here? Its cerytainly US policy makers. But do not forget, you will all be in HELL in the hereafter.
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Ali said
September 20, 2008 @ 4:24 pm
Sorry my respected Sister. You are being tested by God. You know that you will be rewarded at the day of judgement. Make sure do not be afraid to speak the truth in front of these Judges as there is one and only one Judge watching all of these. God bless you, your children and your entire family.
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Muslim said
September 20, 2008 @ 4:27 pm
Mr CORPUZ, Shut the F/up. Look at all the claims you people were making before all these wars? what happened, none of these are true. Do you have a little bit of left over brain—-your own and think.
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Muslim/pakistani said
September 22, 2008 @ 6:23 pm
This is very sad, i can not believe that pakistani govt can do this shit sham on them and i am ashamed of myself of being a muslim. They have forgotton their Allah for sure for this dam money. Think about your own daughters, sisters, mother, grand daughters before you hand over someone else’s daughter to strangers you idiots. ALlah is doing a justice here i guess thats why Pakistan is about the end now. But the sad part is that those dogs are still alive. Its month of Ramadan i always pray from ALlah since ever i got to know abvout this poor lady who has the hightest degree and suffering in Jail that whoever is envolve in this to give her in some strangers hands should go to hell and should be punished from ALLAH so they should never get up again ever in their life. She is highly educated person and Is this the reward she deserve for all her hard work??? You basterd Learn a lesson from non-muslims who always stand for their own nations and look at us.. May Allah give her strength. I feel very sorry for her. I will pray for you always until you come out of jail.
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Sara Ali Khan said
September 23, 2008 @ 7:55 am
I pray from God for better health and safe release of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui. I pray that God give her strength to come back to her own country and sister you sacrifice for all of us. You will be having a great reward from God (The most merciful and powerful). We are all here nothing.
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Umme Mahmood said
September 26, 2008 @ 7:42 pm
To Our Sister in Islam Dr Afia & Family…..Please forgive us
To Our Brother in Islam Muazzam Bag and Sister in Islam Yvonne Ridley…..Jazakumullah for waking us up
To the Rest of the Ummah……Please wake up now.We all need to die of utter shame. Surely Allah the Almighty has paved a path of freedom for her now, but what are we all going to answer to our Lord Allmighty when we face Him. I pray He forgive us all for our negligence and restore Dr Afia’ sanity, physical and mental health and i hope she forever haunts her torturers and may the Almighty punish them both in this world and the Hereafter. Ameen…
And lastly what about the rest of the prisoners of faith?????
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indian said
September 30, 2008 @ 8:07 pm
i pray for this sister to get freedom from terrorists,kindly pray for those who lost their lives in rrorindia and pakistan,by the hand of teists.may god send those to hell who support terrorists.
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indian said
September 30, 2008 @ 8:09 pm
i pray for this sister to get freedom from terrorists,kindly pray for those who lost their lives in india and pakistan,by the hand of terrorists.may god send those to hell who support terrorists.
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john abegail said
October 2, 2008 @ 11:49 pm
to corpuz,
your line of questioning smells of the exact words of her tormentor. when your child is taken from your hands, (hope you have one then you’ll know what i am talking about) and your tormentors (you have seen pics in bagram, needless to say) have been given license to kill, you will say or do anything to save your children. about online payment to purchase night googles, do you think the people who produced whole passports of alleged 911 terrorists out of a towering inferno that allegedly to have melted its way down including the airplane, are incapable of not inventing the most outrageous fairy tales for gullible people like you? afia is our problem, not yours, she is the result of our 60 years of impotency. as far as paying muslim charities are concerned, do i tell the americans to stop giving charity to the israelis? its their money, they can wipe their ass which ever way they choose, stay out of our business.
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A Muslim Sister said
October 22, 2008 @ 4:10 am
My heart simply goes out to Dr.Afia because I am a woman and a Muslim myself based here in the US and this could happen to me anytime. I have shivers go down my spine each time I think of poor Dr. Afia and her kids. And thanks to our leadership and the bastard Musharraf for handing over innocent people. All we can do is pray for her safe return home and that she can be united with her children and family. One feels so helpless in a situation like this one .All we can do is pray to Allah s.w.t to show us his miracle and ease the poor lady from her sufferings.
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mdadil said
October 22, 2008 @ 9:18 pm
THIS IS VERY SAID 4 US AS PAKISTANI BCZ WE ALL WEARS BANGLES IN OUR HANDS IF LIKE THIS SITUATION NEXT TIME PAKISTANI BHARWAY HANDOVER MY OWN SISTER , NOW I M ASKING ABOUT MR ALTAF HUSAIN THIS SISTER AFIA BELONGS FROM KARACHI WHY HIS SHIT MOUTH HAVE NO VOICE , ONLY ONE DAY HE CALL STRIKE 4 DR AFIA NEXT DAY AMARICAN RELASE HER ,
IF HIS MOUTH STIL UNABLE 2 STRIKE THEN THERE IS NO DOUGHT ABOUT HE IS ALSO ————,
AND CALL MUSHARAF ,GOVNER SINDH ,PRIMEMINISTER ,CHIEF MINISTER SINDH & PUNISH THEM,4 THIS ACT
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mdadil said
October 22, 2008 @ 9:30 pm
TO ,
BASTERD CORPUZ ,
AMRICI YAHOODI AGENT ,I READ U R SHITS COMMENTS I THINK U R REAL BASTERD I HOPE U R READY 2 SEND UR MOM ,SISTER , DAUGHTER 2 US SOLDGERS FOR ENJOING ,
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mdadil said
October 22, 2008 @ 9:41 pm
ARAY MUSHARAF TERA BER AGARQ HOO TERI MA BAZAR MAIN BIKAIN TERI NASLAIN BARBAD HOON , JISJISNAY MERI SISTER KAY SATH ZULM KIA USKI NASLAIN BARBAD HOOO JAIN MUSHRAF BEGARATTTTTTTTTTTTTT ,
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sadia adil said
November 17, 2008 @ 9:28 pm
Pakistani agencies including government figures who are acting like the american dogs are forgetting about one harsh reallity that in return of innocent Afia’s cries they are collecting Allah subhana talah’s wreath upon them Who has promised He will uncover the dictators and abusers intentions not only in this world but also there is endless pain after this life. Allah’s justice about one wrong word or one wrong step is quiet clear in Allah Subhanan Talla’s book and the so called muslims who are involved in hading over Afia and his innocent children to FBI should be clear about it that they are more payful for solding out their nation’s daughter instead of knowing all the meanings of hurmat of women in our society of islam. How long they are gonna live to enjoy this world Allah is watching their acts very closely. May Allaha Subhana Thalla reward Afia’s patience and her sacrifice with His blessings. Right now my heart is crying for her suffering and all my prayers are for her children and for her. I pray with the depth of my heart to Allah Subhana thala for His Blessings for Afia and for her kids. When Allah’s answer will come in face of these cruelties then no connections , no hidding and no money will help them inshallah thala. I am waiting for that time and every one else will see Allah’s justice in this world inshallah for Afia.
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f khan said
February 23, 2009 @ 9:18 am
i am surprized the media is being very quite over the doctors case.some news here and there.even the political parties seem to be taking not much interest in it.the inhumanity and satanic vengence against a muslim woman by christian men .this is a sort of a example set by the christians what they feel towards the muslims and by the humiliating torture directed towards the doctor they are humiliating the muslim ummah as the womanfolk of any nation are the symbol of the honour and dignity of that nation ,in this case the muslim ummah.i pray for the doctor and i pray for ALLAH’S mercy on her and the muslim ummah.
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Mariam Jamal said
April 12, 2009 @ 7:06 pm
America needs to stop violating the very basic rights of people for its personal agendas.
Release innocent Dr. Afia and her 3 children
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a.khan said
July 13, 2009 @ 4:03 am
Salaam to everyone all this b.ll sh.t war on islam is fake they were all by yahood and kafirs may Allah ease her pain she will be justify By allah here and hereafter
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raj said
August 16, 2009 @ 7:12 pm
i het u amereka
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Waqas said
October 16, 2009 @ 7:02 pm
Please Join us at Facebook
No More Lies – We Demand Aafia’s immediate Release
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=101968697859
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Islam Ali Mohammad said
November 18, 2009 @ 5:32 pm
i just want to say shame on our Leaders.
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sulemannraja said
January 5, 2010 @ 12:46 pm
shame on muslim brothers 2 not 2 help her what if she was BUSH’s sister hah? oe asife zardar’s hah? & yours? we should do some thing for her
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imran said
January 19, 2010 @ 5:31 pm
shame on humanity! it high time!
na shudhroge pkistaniyon, tumhari dastaan tak na hogi daastano mein…
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poppye said
January 21, 2010 @ 7:28 pm
She is guilty.. 100% guilty.. i am a muslim and a pakistani.. but am not a fanatic like her who were on her way to kill innocent ppl. looking at all these ppl talkin abt her.. i am not surprised y we muslims are so fanatic..
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manikhan@yahoo.com said
January 26, 2010 @ 1:27 am
poppye is right. this should serve a lesson for terrorists. she fired on US troops. her hubby was a terrorist. millions of muslims are living in US, obey the law of the land you are fine, otherwise hell will let loose. i donot think hers is a case of mistaken identity.
mani khan dallas tx
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ayesha said
January 29, 2010 @ 6:13 am
oi popeye soo what u saying she deserves this im a muslim sister myself NOONE DESERVES THIS AND HAS FOR the rest of my muslim PAKISTANI BROTHERS wears bangles and duppateh sit down and cry like kusreh on the day of judgement when ALLAH S.W.T going to ask you what you did for your muslim sister AFFIA on this earth what ALL YOU GUYS gonna say ehhh… Dr affia is the mother the sister the daughter of OUR SOIL from the ummah of our PROPHET P.B.U.H. i want to do something for my sister aunty mother DR AFFIA I SALUTE YOU kasam khuda ki agar mein MARD ZAAT hoti toh kya na kya kar DEYTI. WAKE UP MY MUSLIM BROTHERS who had the right to take OUR DR AFFIA BRING HER BACK TO PAKISTAN.. i MAKE DUAS that that may ALLAH S.W.T ease DR AFFIAS pain and give her strength and i hope these PAKI MEN GROW some balls and be MEN.. nuff respect
ALLAH HAFIZ