The Brilliant Dr. Mutulu Shakur (Pt. 1 of 3)

[nattyreb]

This 2002 paper is a *must-read* in the struggle to liberate PP's/POW's/Exiles, please study it!

Discussion Paper For "Tear Down The Wall" Conference In Support Of P.P. And P.O.W.'s In The U.S., And Those Held In Cuba

If ever the time seemed right for reappraisal of American foreign policy that moment has now arrived. But with the sound and fury of blind patriotism ringing loudly, it is brutally clear that the "other side" may never be heard. At times such as this, we must find our collective voice and aggressively challenge the country's attempt to force its potent brand of self-righteousness on the rest of the world.

No doubt, America feels her greatest contribution to world civilization will be the agency of globalization - a "New World Order" concept that dates back to Teddy Roosevelt's League of Nations. This concept festered until the establishment of the United Nations, and now since September 11th., the call is at fever pitch.

But what about the "the other side" of September 11th.? The crisis could just as easily conjure up a second round of internments in concentration camps or as equally easy call forth violent retribution to any not affected with enough star-spangled patriotism. Such bold strokes are not unimaginable, but we must not fear. We must seize the moment and demand that this country acknowledge its wrongs even while it is in the midst of committing new ones. We must call for a RECONCILIATION TRIBUNAL because for too long America has punished the innocent and cannot be allowed to escape accountability, because "fanatics are no better than terrorists!".

As long as no real decisions are reached over the defined terms of exactly what constitutes a terrorist act, this country will continue to be a breeding ground for right-wing fanatics who smuggle out of Congress a blood-based rhetoric that aims to destroy anything or anyone it cannot control. Never one to telegraph his punches, Bush is intent on fanning the flames and expanding the psychological occupation of the minds of the American public by increasing the pressure upon them to believe that everything that is not Eurocentric is dangerous.

Many public officials will maintain that this new terrorist agenda that the Bush government -both past and present- is pushing all over the globe is less a conventional war than it is a rounding up of all terrorism's poster children; although it is a common White House refrain, it must be advocated that a domestic policy of a similar nature is a kissing cousin to the one being globally negotiated. And guess what? When Dubya chooses to clean out the terrorist infrastructure at home, the incursions will start inside the prisons! We're such easy pickings, and since we are already under siege, and without International protections, we can be eliminated without any cautions having to be taken. Imagine how easy a task it would be for them to dispose of us, and at some undefined time the Oval Office will commit themselves to just such a search-and-destroy mission.

As a safeguard there is no choice but to push the issue of Political Prisoners, Prisoners of War, and Politicized Political Prisoners because it would be a grave mistake if we failed to comprehend this clear and present danger, and then refused to act.

What now follows is no emotional statement. Rather, it is the "P.O.W. Doctrine", a stark creed of insistence that we deserve the international protections of the Geneva Convention. There is, as of now no time for social arguments or internal debates. We demand action, and our urgency is reinforced by George W. Bush's push for world domination. Through him, we are acquainted with our own Axis of Evil.

Should International Law Be a Protection For The Status Of Politicized Political Prisoners In The Black Liberation Movement In America?

In order to acquaint you with the status of P.P.P's, a definition is necessary, and it is our long-held belief that a P.P.P. is a prisoner whose initial arrest was for criminal, and personal objectives, whose state of mind at the time of his arrest was void of political consciousness and/ or organizational commitment.

However, following his confinement, such an individual becomes exposed and predisposed to political refinement to such a degree that he is transformed into a loyalist to the struggle of the people. It must be noted here that the loyalty expoused by the prisoner is not the simple expression of sympathy, or the slightly more diplomatic inclusion into a cadre. His/her's is a raw conversion as political as the system. This conversion is due to the exposure of the prisoner to the political, social, and religious repression by the State and the Government in the forms of racism, capitalism, and facism; Thus the prisoner becomes politicized/activated to his responsibility for atonement, rectification, and participation in the ongoing Struggle.

Needless to say, as retaliation for this life-altering conversion, the P.P.P. will become the preferred target of the Prison/Industrial Complex based on this newly evolved commitment of activism and revolutionary social change via the State and Government by virtue of his/her commitment and work as he/she transforms him/herself and others recruited into the Struggle cadre to effect change in the system. The P.P.P. is targeted by the prison state directly by the abusive power; Covertly, internally, as well as eternally by the government's Cointelpro. [i.e., E1 Hajj Malik Shabazz, George Jackson, Ahmed Evans, etc.].

As result a result, the P.P.P finds him/herself in something of a quandary because he/she is a dissident cut adrift from any of the basic protections of International Law and, this is the typical atmosphere that spurs on the repressions of the Bureau of prisons, ("B.O.P."), or State-sponsored machinery to use the full range of their immense powers to crush the P.P.P.

In many ways the P.P.P. suffered more than the Political Prisoner ("P.P."), and the Prisoner of War ("P.O.W."). Basically they exist without the possibility of protections of International Law, and generally they are not part of an external organizational base. And so, the government in its retaliation to these comrades for their actions and beliefs uses the prison system as its instrument to isolate them for their continuous success in shaping the minds, the wills, and the politics of the masses. Unless our movements create organizational bases for these comrades, an important ingredient in demanding international protection will be lost.

The criteria for establishing status to prisoners must be that prisoner's relationship to a movement and/or organization on the National/International Theater. [i.e., Ruchel McGee, Akil A1-Junde, Hugo Pinel, Jatir, Zola Angola, etc.]

Now, after conveying that information, I think it would be best if I went to the question of precisely how this P.P.P. certification should occur. Routinely, there are two (2) levels where the certification would prove politically valid.

(1) The movement in general must establish a certification process, but more importantly there has to be, firstly, a critically objective assessment of the status of the certification to our Struggle. ( This is necessary to resolve and eliminate any internal disputes which could breed an atmosphere for Cointelpro.) (2) Upon the establishment of a certification process, our movement must conduct a world-wide search of conflicts to find the applicable parallel on an international level to support the recognition of the P.P.P.'s.

IN THIS PERIOD, IS THE PRISON/INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX -BY VIRTUE OF THE PRISON SYSTEM'S HISTORICAL ROLE IN REPRESSION -AN EXTENTION OF OUR STRUGGLE, AND IF SO, WHAT ARE THE INSTRUMENTS OF INTERNATIONAL LAW THAT PROTECT POLITICAL Sources indicate three(3) categories of International Law that will support the certification of P.P.P's these being namely:

(1) The Geneva Convention
(2) Protocol I
(3) The Political Offense Exception.

Each of these international instruments of law deliver a statement central to the premise that P.P.P.'s can achieve protections under the crystal clear laws of them either singly or combined. It bolsters our contention that P.P.P 's due to their sincerely held political beliefs, can partner in the protection of international Law in the same way as P.O.W 's, and P.P. 's applying an evolved analysis and tactic.