Conghaileach
24th March 2003, 19:04
Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the March 27, 2003
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------
LEONARD PELTIER SPEAKS OUT AGAINST U.S. WARS
World-renowned Native political
prisoner Leonard Peltier sent the
following statement to the March 15 anti-war demonstrations in
Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. He is serving two consecutive life
sentences for the shootings of two FBI agents in 1975, despite the fact
that government authorities admit they don't know who fired the bullets.
The following are excerpts:
This day is no different than that day in 1975, when I stood up to FBI-
assisted violence on the Pine Ridge Reservation. What is at stake now
is not very different from then.
The American government strong-armed the people of Pine Ridge, too.
Their interest wasn't to protect the Indigenous People living in strife
and poverty, who even to this day can't make ends meet, but to support
multinational corporations that even now are only after the natural
resources from a land rich in uranium.
Iraqi oil is the key. It means everything in this so-called "War on
Terror."
But the greed doesn't end there. Reports in the last few weeks show
private American corporations' profiteers like Vice President Dick
Cheney's former employer are already in place, ready to take government
contracts to rebuild a war-ravaged country blown apart by American bombs
and to
service military personnel that this administration plans to house
there. An occupation force, then.
My own case ended in violent action by the U.S. government and the FBI.
In whose interest was this done? For the people of the Pine Ridge
Reservation? For Native People throughout this land? For Indigenous
Peoples throughout the world? In the interest of the American public?
This sort of aggression nearly destroyed my People.
Let my life serve as a reference point to all of you today. I urge you
to consider the knowledge Indian people gained in the face of terrorism.
If we had unified early on, worked together rather than as separate
nations, we may have prevailed.
These are our brothers and sisters, Aunties and Uncles, we go to bomb.
... I encourage you all to continue together, united. Speak with one
voice.
Say NO to war!
Aho. Megwetch.
Leonard Peltier
- END -
(Copyright Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to copy and
distribute verbatim copies of this document, but changing it is not
allowed. For more information contact Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY,
NY 10011; via e-mail: [email protected] Subscribe wwnews-
[email protected] Unsubscribe [email protected] Support the
voice of resistance http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php)
Reprinted from the March 27, 2003
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------
LEONARD PELTIER SPEAKS OUT AGAINST U.S. WARS
World-renowned Native political
prisoner Leonard Peltier sent the
following statement to the March 15 anti-war demonstrations in
Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. He is serving two consecutive life
sentences for the shootings of two FBI agents in 1975, despite the fact
that government authorities admit they don't know who fired the bullets.
The following are excerpts:
This day is no different than that day in 1975, when I stood up to FBI-
assisted violence on the Pine Ridge Reservation. What is at stake now
is not very different from then.
The American government strong-armed the people of Pine Ridge, too.
Their interest wasn't to protect the Indigenous People living in strife
and poverty, who even to this day can't make ends meet, but to support
multinational corporations that even now are only after the natural
resources from a land rich in uranium.
Iraqi oil is the key. It means everything in this so-called "War on
Terror."
But the greed doesn't end there. Reports in the last few weeks show
private American corporations' profiteers like Vice President Dick
Cheney's former employer are already in place, ready to take government
contracts to rebuild a war-ravaged country blown apart by American bombs
and to
service military personnel that this administration plans to house
there. An occupation force, then.
My own case ended in violent action by the U.S. government and the FBI.
In whose interest was this done? For the people of the Pine Ridge
Reservation? For Native People throughout this land? For Indigenous
Peoples throughout the world? In the interest of the American public?
This sort of aggression nearly destroyed my People.
Let my life serve as a reference point to all of you today. I urge you
to consider the knowledge Indian people gained in the face of terrorism.
If we had unified early on, worked together rather than as separate
nations, we may have prevailed.
These are our brothers and sisters, Aunties and Uncles, we go to bomb.
... I encourage you all to continue together, united. Speak with one
voice.
Say NO to war!
Aho. Megwetch.
Leonard Peltier
- END -
(Copyright Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to copy and
distribute verbatim copies of this document, but changing it is not
allowed. For more information contact Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY,
NY 10011; via e-mail: [email protected] Subscribe wwnews-
[email protected] Unsubscribe [email protected] Support the
voice of resistance http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php)