[van-announce] John Graham defence events today, Thursday; Leonard Peltier opposes extradition

[Stephanie Smith]

*Please forward widely*

Bob Robideau's lies exposed by new letter from Leonard Peltier:

Show your opposition to the John Graham extradition this week!

Please note the dates and times this week to show your opposition 
to the extradition of John Graham. This email contains very 
important updates on Graham's case.

Below, you will find a sample letter of support, as well as a 
letter from Leonard Peltier that refutes the allegations made by 
Bob Robideau on a recent speaking trip to Vancouver (hosted by 
Aaron Mercredi, other members of Fire This Time and their group 
the Indigenous Rights Action Project). This correspondence can 
leave no doubt that Leonard Peltier does not support the 
extradition of John Graham. It is important, this week 
especially, to mobilize and show our opposition to the campaign 
of disinformation that has been waged in support of the FBI's 
effort to extradite Graham to the United States.

The following materials have been sent out by members of the John 
Graham Defense Committee. Note in particlar the May 4 letter from 
Leonard Peltier, jailed in Lewisburg Penitentiary in 
Pennsylvania.

John Graham's extradition appeal begins on Thursday, May 17, at 
the Supreme Court on Howe St/Smithe. Supporter have been asked to 
be there at 9:00 am with placards and banners.

There is also a rally planned on Commercial Drive on Tuesday, May 
15, 4:30 pm, starting at the Broadway/Commercial Blenz coffee 
place, and marching to Grandview Park.

Please help circulate the following information, which is 
extremely relevant and important.

*********
(Sample letter to send to interested people)

As you may know, former American Indian Movement (AIM) leader 
Leonard Peltier has spent over 30 years in prison after being 
framed for the killing of two FBI agents at the South Dakota Pine 
Ridge reservation in 1976. Despite some 20 MILLION appeals from 
citizens around the world for justice in this case, the US 
government has failed to grant him a fair and impartial review of 
his trial or to return Peltier to Canada, as it is now clear that 
he was extradited on the basis of false "evidence".

Now Canada faces another possible extradition of a former AIM 
member, John Graham. The "evidence" so far provided by the US 
government is highly suspect but Canada's extradition law 
actually allows Canadians to be extradited to the US based on a 
claim of evidence (not the evidence itself!), even if that 
"evidence" can easily be shown to be false or unsubstantial.

John Graham and his lawyer would welcome a trial in Canada where 
our own courts could review the evidence and discredit the 
spurious, false testimony presented by US attorneys. Graham is 
accused of killing Anna Mae Pictou Aquash and hopes that a trial 
in Canada might help find out who the real killer(s) were.

To allow the FBI to continue to hide its own misdeeds by 
convicting yet another person for a crime they are innocent of 
would be not only lamentable, but would mean that Canada was 
complicit in a racist campaign of intimidation and injustice 
directed against native Americans. It is high time we ended our 
part in this war against the First Nations peoples.

Sincerely,

*********************************

NOTE: Some people have been reluctant to support John Graham, 
basing their reluctance on purported statements from Leonard 
Peltier, that he no longer wanted his name associated with 
Graham's.

On May 10, 2007, long time friend of Peltier and the founder of 
BC's first Amnesty International group, Dr. Jennifer Wade, 
recieved a letter from Peltier in which he states that he does 
not want John Graham extradited, and further explains that the 
people who have supposedly been speaking on his behalf are not 
telling the truth and he wants nothing to do with them.

It is clear that someone somewhere (very likely members of the 
FBI and others) are actively working to undermine efforts to see 
justice done in the case of John Graham. This in itself is 
further evidence that Graham would not get a fair trial if he 
were extradited to the US.

Copied below is more information on the Graham case and its 
implications for the rights of all Canadians, as well as the text 
of Peltier's recent letter.

**********************************************
message from Rex Weyler:
Subject: RE: Extradition of Tutchone Native John Graham

Apart from all else, it is very important to keep the following 
in mind re John Graham¹s extradition case, May17th, 2007:


RE: John Graham & Canadian Extradition Law

Most of you probably know this, but in letters to politicians and 
media it might be helpful to make reference to the importance of 
this case in relation to Canadian Extradition law:

1. The extradition agreement with the US, as written, gives the 
US the authority to grab any Canadian citizen from Canada to the 
US on the mere say-so of a US Attorney, based on a claim of 
evidence (not the evidence itself!); and denies Canadian courts 
the right to investigate the evidence or confirm its accuracy.

In Canada, Canadian prosecutors cannot drag you into court on 
phoney evidence or hearsay, but the US prosecutors can!

2. The US evidence used to extradite native American Leonard 
Peltier in 1976 was proven false and fabricated in a US 
courtroom. The FBI kidnapped a poor native woman in South Dakota 
-- Myrtle Poor Bear -- threatened her, threatened her children, 
and intimidated her into signing 3 false and self-contradictory 
affidavits. On this "evidence" Canada sent Peltier to the US, 
where he remains in jail.

3. In the Graham case, Graham's lawyers have already shown in a 
Canadian courtroom that U.S. Attorney Robert Mandel, who filed 
the U.S. request to extradite Graham has presented phoney 
evidence. In a letter on January 26, 2004, Mandel assured Canada 
that "the evidence . . . is available for trial" and sufficient 
to prosecute. Graham's attorney, Terry LaLiberte showed in the 
extradition hearing that the evidence Mr. Mandel put forward is 
spurious:

(a) Mandel told Canada that spiritual leader and elder Al Gates 
was ³available for trial² and could testify that Graham was 
present at the murder. This is false. Mr. Gates had been dead for 
nine months when Mr. Mandel put his name forward.

(b) Arlo Looking Cloud, the only alleged witness to Aquash's 
murder, says the FBI induced him with heroin and alcohol to give 
a false statement. He now insists he will not testify against 
Graham.

(c) A third witness, Frank Dillon, has denied making any 
incriminating statements against Graham, and claims Mandel¹s 
letter misrepresented him.

LaLiberte and Graham have both said they would welcome a trial in 
Canada, where these phoney charges could be exposed. LaLiberte 
says he wants Mandel to explain in court the gaps, 
misrepresentations, and flaws in the extradition request. He said 
"In Canada, I¹d drive a truck through the holes in this case."

4. Supreme Court Challenge to the Extradition Law:

In July of 2006, Canada's Supreme Court, lead by Chief Justice 
Beverley McLachlin, registered concerns that the Extradition Law 
may violate Canadian citizen rights confirmed by the Charter of 
Rights. The case was brought to the Supreme court by Criminal 
lawyer Edward Greenspan.

The court established a new test for judges when deciding whether 
or not an accused should be sent to the US. The court stated that 
the evidence to extradite must amount to a case that could go to 
trial in Canada and potentially result in a guilty verdict. (No 
dead witnesses, no intimidated witnesses or false affidavits.)

The court ruled that "This may require the extradition judge to 
engage in limited weighing of the evidence."

Justice McLachlin wrote that the extradition process must be 
independent in appearance and in substance and that the 
extradition process "must provide real protection against 
extradition in the absence of an adequate case against the person 
sought."

Remember, if anyone is concerned that Mr. Graham may be guilty, 
he and his lawyers have welcomed a trial in Canada where our own 
courts can review the evidence and avoid the spurious, 
fabricated, false testimony contrived by US attorneys.

Furthermore, there exists considerable evidence that the FBI 
itself was complicit in the death of Anna Mae Aquash, that they 
falsified an autopsy, claimed not to recognize her, and buried 
her in a nameless pauper's grave after severing her hands. There 
is evidence to show that Ms. Aquash had been arrested many times 
by the FBI and specifically threatened with death by FBI agent 
David Price and others.

Sincerely,

Rex Weyler  <weyler at telus.net>
*****************************************

Peltier's letter postmarked May 4, 2007. Transcribed with notes 
by Rex Weyler:

Leonard Peltier
#89637-132
US Penitentiary
Box # 1000
Lewisburg, PA, 17837

[To:]

Dr. Jennifer Wade
[address withheld]
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Dear Jennifer!

Please allow me to begin by apologizing for not responding to 
your letters, it was not [that] there is anything personal etc, 
al, it¹s just that I have so much on my plate at times I don¹t 
know if I¹m coming or going, and to even have the time to answer 
my friends becomes a hassle!

"Do I support Bob [Robideau] in his efforts to get John [Graham] 
railroaded into prison? Hell No!  I¹d be a goddamn hypocrite if I 
did. Because I know just about as much as Bob knows about Anna 
Mae¹s murder and that is not a goddamn thing. I know Bob is full 
of shit and that if the truth be known he did not even know her. 
He my have spoken a casual Hello or something like that, 
otherwise he did not know her.

What is his alternative(s)? Well, in his mind, which as far as 
I'm concerned is very small!, this keeps his name in front of the 
public and he has an issue to keep his name in Indian issues. You 
will notice Bob does not go and make these statements on Pine 
Ridge or anywhere in Indian Country. He would get his ass beat 
down bad! A dry snitch is just as bad as a snitch! And that is 
what he is doing, dry snitching, saying shit he has no proof of. 
Hey, if he had real proof, he would have sold it along time ago, 
because this is his real motive, $ $.

Bob got hooked up with B[arry] Bachrach while he was still living 
in Spain. He actually became Bob¹s lawyer more than mine. I told 
them repeatedly I did not want any involvement in what they were 
trying to do with John G. [Graham]. Finally last month I accepted 
Barry¹s resignation, and I¹m waiting for Bob to do the same. 
Remember Jennifer, I am damned if I do and damned if I don't, and 
believe me that is one Hell of a burden to have to endure. So I 
have to wait for his [Robideau's] resignation. [small angry face 
drawn on original]

The government does not want the whole truth to come out about 
Indian peoples' struggles. Clear up to the current day & time, 
they have always denied their genocidal attacks and continue to 
do so today. And any Indian who works with them supports their 
claims [that] the genocide never happened.

Look, I don¹t know if John is guilty or innocent. What I do know 
is this: He will not receive a fair trial if he is returned, so 
we will not know any more than we know now what happened to her 
[Anna Mae Aquash]. I don¹t know how I can help. I cannot even 
help myself. It looks more & more every day that I will die in 
prison. Personally, I know the government was involved some how? 
This is how COINTEL works.

Well my friend, I need to end this. Please contact the director 
Toni of the L.P.D.C. [Leonard Peltier Defense Committee; phone # 
withheld, available on request]. We need to keep in touch. Take 
care.

In the spirit of Crazy Horse,

[signed] Leonard

P.S. Yes, I heard Harriet died.
[Harriet Nahanee, Salish elder; small sad-face drawn on original.]

====================

Notes:

"Dry snitch; dry snitching": refers to someone who is misguided, 
has been duped, or is serving the government's prosecutorial 
interests for other reasons.

"B. Bachrach": Barry Bachrach, former Peltier lawyer, dismissed 
by Leonard Peltier.

"COINTEL": US FBI domestic Counter Intelligence Program 
(COINTELPRO), designed to neutralize perceived political enemies 
or public dissidents; involving the FBI, US Marshals, NSA, 
Pentagon, and other agencies. COINTEL has infiltrated and 
disrupted the Civil Rights movement, Martin Luther King¹s inner 
circle, the women¹s movement, American Indian Movement, 
environmental groups, and other public political groups.

Why this letter is significant in the John Graham Case:

In April, 2007, Bob Robideau toured British Columbia, claiming to 
represent the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee, denouncing John 
Graham, accusing him of murder, and disrupting and dividing local 
native groups. Some observers at the time, including Jennifer 
Wade, Lyn Highway, and others in Vancouver suspected Robideau 
misrepresenting his role with the Peltier defense and of serving 
the interests of US prosecutors to prejudice Canadian opinion 
against Mr. Graham. This letter confirms the former suspicion and 
suggests the latter.


For additional information about this case:

In the Spirit of Crazy Horse, by Peter Matthiessen

The Life and Death of Anna Mae Aquash, by Johanna Brand

Blood of the Land, by Rex Weyler