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February 4, 2017 - No. 3
Developments
Since the Inauguration of New U.S. President
All Out to Defend
the Rights of All!
Shooting
at
the
Centre
culturel
islamique
de
Québec
• All Out to Defend the Rights of All!
• Vigils and
Actions Across Quebec and Canada
Trump's Executive
Orders
• Unite in Action in Defence of the
Rights of All!
• Immediate Opposition Across the U.S. and
Other Countries
Attempts to Embroil
Canada in Aggression and War
• No to Placement of U.S. Forces in
Canada! Get Canada Out of NORAD!
No to Joining U.S. Missile
Defence!
- Enver Villamizar -
Dangerous U.S. War
Preparations in Europe
• Thousands of U.S. Troops Enter
Poland
- Margaret Villamizar -
Information on U.S.
Executive Orders
• "Border
Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements"
• Sanctuary Cities and Increasing
Conflicts Between
Federal and State Authorities
• Restriction of Entry for Foreign
Nationals and Refugees
- Sam Heaton -
In Memoriam
William McQueen
With profound sorrow the Communist Party of Canada
(Marxist-Leninist) informs you of the death of Comrade William
(Bill) McQueen on the morning of February 3, 2017, the result of
a brain hemorrhage. The Party sends heartfelt condolences to
Bill's beloved partner Bon, his brother Jim and sister-in-law Beth, as
well as to all his comrades,
colleagues and friends.
Bill McQueen was born in Alva, Oklahoma, United States
into a
family of musicians. After completing high school, he moved to
New York City to attend college. While there he came to know
about the work of Comrade Hardial Bains and The
Internationalists, reorganized as a Marxist-Leninist youth
and student organization in Montreal in 1968.
Since that time, Bill's areas of expertise included a
broad
knowledge of the Cold War politics of the U.S. imperialists.
Inspired by Paul Robeson and other progressive and
democratically-minded people who stood up for their rights and
the rights of all, Bill took a firm stand against the
state-organized persecution and anti-communist hysteria, and
espoused the cause of justice and peace.
Bill's profoundly anti-imperialist spirit and deep
interest
in communism, as well as his militant opposition to the U.S. war
of aggression in Vietnam, led to his decision to leave the U.S.
for Canada in 1969. In his new home, he took up the Necessity
for Change analysis and joined the work of The
Internationalists, which led to the founding of CPC(M-L) on
March 31, 1970.
Bill contributed his many talents to the Party's work
on
various fronts. As a member of the People's Front in the 1980s,
he took part in mobilizing opposition to state-organized racist
attacks and participated in all the battles of the Canadian
people for their rights. In the 1990s and since the new
millennium, he was engaged in the work for political renewal and
a modern constitution. As a talented videographer, Bill helped to
document the proceedings of many Party Congresses, plenums, and
other important meetings and occasions.
Of particular note is Bill's contribution to the
defence of
the rights of those whom society dismisses as "disabled" and
forces to fend for themselves on the grounds they are a drain on
the allegedly scarce resources. Together with Comrades Judith
Snow, Marsha Forest and many others, great advances have been
made to ensure that the most vulnerable members of society stand
second to none and those in positions of power are held to
account.
Along with two other colleagues, Bill founded Fireweed
Media
Productions, focused on "community development, learning
strategies and human transformations through telling stories in
the first person." Out of this work came the documentary series The
Disability Network that ran on the CBC from 1990
to
1997, described as "the first program in North America on
disability issues to be produced by people with disabilities."
His commitment to empowering those labelled "disabled" to speak
for themselves and take part in mass media, culture and society
as a whole, led him to become a facilitator and developer of the Media
Access
and
Participation
Initiative, and
organizer
and founder of Group4Access.
Comrade Bill earned a graduate degree at the Ontario
Institute for Studies in Education in the field of adult
education in the late 1990s. For a number of years he edited the Canadian
Association
for
Studies
in
Adult
Education
journal and helped to organize various conferences and meetings
across Canada to involve students and academics in this field in
the promotion of democratic citizenship and lifelong
learning.
Bill's talent as a musician found expression among
other
things as a founding member of the Counterpoint Community
Orchestra based out of the 519 Church St. Community Centre in
Toronto. He played clarinet and served in various capacities as a
board member and chairperson from 1987 to 2016.
All those who had the opportunity to know and work with
Bill
highly value his commitment, fidelity and practical approach to
opening society's path to progress. He will be sorely missed. A
memorial event to commemorate Bill's life and contribution will
be held at a later date.
Shooting at the Centre culturel islamique
de
Québec
All Out to Defend the Rights of All!
On the evening of January 29, six people were killed by
a
shooter during prayer at the Islamic Cultural Centre in Quebec
City, and another 19 injured. Shortly after, one man was
arrested and has now been charged with six counts of first degree
murder. Immediately, Quebeckers and Canadians rallied to express
their deep concerns about these violent acts in the spirit that
we will stand as one in defence of the rights of all. The vigils,
rallies and ceremonies expressed condolences and support for the
family, friends and community that lost loved ones and all the
Muslim communities across the country which have been targets of
state-organized and inspired Islamophobia. A clearer statement could
not be made by the people of this country that they reject attempts to
divide and rule whether in the name of national
security, tolerance, strength in diversity or any other line
given to block the people's unity in action in defence of
rights.
In this issue, TML Weekly is publishing
CPC(M-L)'s statement on the shooting at the Centre
culturel islamique de Québec, as well as a photo review of the
actions taking place across Canada in defence of rights,
including vigils as well as demonstrations against the
destructive, destabilizing, warmongering and racist executive
orders issued by the U.S. President in the week following his
inauguration.
Statement of Communist Party of Canada
(Marxist-Leninist)
- January
30,
2017 -
The Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist)
condemns the
crime committed at the Centre culturel islamique de Québec. We
offer our sincere condolences to the families, friends and
colleagues of the victims and to the Muslim community targeted by
this violence. [...]
 The violent crime committed
in Quebec City tells us once
again that these attacks are state-organized and inspired,
attempts to blame the American and Canadian people
notwithstanding. The attack came just days after the publication
of the racist, destabilizing, destructive and warmongering
presidential decree in the United States that, in the name of the
fight against terrorism, stopped citizens from seven countries
from entering the U.S. and closed U.S. borders to refugees.
Countries with Muslim populations and Muslim communities are
taken as specific targets of U.S. state terrorism. A toxic
climate is created where anything can happen. This in turn
creates a climate of total anarchy and violence which is used to
permit the unfettered use of police powers against the people and
any notion of civil society.
It is the people's resistance struggle in defence of
the
rights of all which opens society's path to progress. Within the
dangerous situation which has been created by the U.S.
imperialist striving for world hegemony and that of their NATO
allies including Canada, the people must take charge of putting
an end to this state of affairs by intensifying their struggle to
defend the rights of those who are targeted and the rights of
all.
Oppose the U.S. imperialist hegemonism and regime
change
against the countries it has targeted for attack. End Canada's
participation in the U.S. aggression, wars and violation of
international norms. Canada cannot be part of these crimes in the
name of peace and other high ideals and then wring its hands in
sorrow at the consequences. Whether they are carried out in the
name of diversity, national security or any other high ideal,
condemn the state-organized and inspired crimes committed against
the peoples.
CPC(M-L) reiterates its deepest condolences to the
grieving
families and friends and calls on everybody to speak out and take
action to change things in a way that will benefit the people and
their cause.
Vigils and Actions Across Quebec and Canada
Beginning January 30 in dozens of communities from
coast to
coast to coast, thousands gathered to pay their respects and
offer their sincere condolences to the victims of the January 29
shootings in Quebec City, their families and the Muslim
community. In Quebec City on January 30, more than 5,000 people
took part in a vigil in the parking lot of the Notre-Dame-de-Foy
church, near the Centre culturel islamique de Québec where
the crime took place. On February 2, some 10,000 people attended
a funeral in Montreal for three of the victims of the shooting:
Abdelkrim Hassane, Khaled Belkacemi and Aboubaker Thabti. On
February 3, a funeral was held at the Quebec City Convention
Centre, for the remaining victims: Mamadou Tanou Barry, Ibrahima
Barry and Azzeddine Soufiane.
Quebec City
Rimouski
Montreal
St-Jerome
 
St. John's
Halifax
Fredericton
Moncton
Ottawa
Kingston
Sudbury
Toronto
  
Mississauga
Burlington
Hamilton
 
St. Catharines
Guelph
Kitchener
Windsor
 
Winnipeg
Regina
Calgary
Edmonton
Slave Lake
Fort McMurray
Kelowna
Vancouver
Iqaluit
Yellowknife
Whitehorse
Trump's Executive Orders
Unite in Action in Defence of the Rights of All!
Protest at San Francisco International Airport, January 30, 2017.
On January 25 Donald Trump issued two executive orders,
one concerning immigration and border security and detention and
the other to remove federal funding for sanctuary cities.
Sanctuary cities and counties are those that refuse to cooperate
with the federal government in enforcing federal immigration
laws, particularly requests to detain "undocumented" immigrants.
On January 27, another executive order was issued that bans entry
to any non-citizen with a passport from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria,
Somalia, Sudan or Yemen and suspends entry of refugees to the
United States. All three orders serve to attack the rights of
immigrants and the conception and responsibilities of citizenship. They
also serve to further intensify the conflicts between federal and state
authorities -- all of which have their own armed police forces -- and
to violate the nation-to-nation relations and principles
on which the recognized international rule of law is based. The
executive orders also give evidence of the intention of the U.S.
presidency to act with impunity. Besides the racist and
destructive intent of these measures, the method of creating
utter chaos to turn upside down the lives of all institutions
affected and all individuals and their collectives serves the
police powers the Trump presidency has seized.
 This is what makes the
resistance so significant.
Demonstrations took place immediately in numerous cities,
including New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, defending the rights
of immigrants, residents and citizenship rights and affirming No
Human Being Is Illegal. These followed numerous
actions before Trump's inauguration and those during and after
his inauguration, all calling to defend the rights of immigrants
and reject their criminalization. The American working class and
people is made up of people of all the nationalities that are
under attack at this time. It is as clear as clear can be that
there is a big clash taking place between the conditions which
exist and the authority which prevails. The definition of rights
contained in the U.S. Constitution is anachronistic because the
public authority and arrangements of a civil society they were
defined to maintain no longer exist.
According to the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, at
least 39
cities and 364 counties nationwide count themselves as sanctuary
jurisdictions. These include Seattle, Portland, San Francisco,
Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Santa Fe, Denver, Houston,
Dallas, Miami, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York City and
Washington, D.C. All of the various forces at federal, state and
local levels have sizable police forces of their own, all of
which are highly militarized. The larger cities have police
forces that include tanks, helicopters and automatic weapons,
etc. While Trump may be putting these executive orders forward as
a negotiating tactic to see who will submit and who will
negotiate, as his and others' comments indicate, they are also
serving to intensify the conflicts between federal and local
authorities, with the federal government challenging states'
rights and acting to tear them asunder.
What it means is that the conflicts the powerful forces
among
the rulers are engaged in to maintain their power bases are
becoming increasingly fierce and the people are being asked to take
sides. It shows that the definition of rights as contained in the
arrangements cemented by the U.S. Constitution are no longer
adequate to resolve the differences within the ranks of the U.S
ruling circles. These are civil war conditions, a serious danger
to the people in the U.S. and the peoples of the world on whose
backs these fights are being fought.
 Taking sides between federal
or local and state
authorities
is not an option if it is done in lieu of fighting to establish
arrangements which favour the people. In other words, taking
sides must not undermine the people's resistance struggles. It
must always be kept in mind that state and local governments and
state agencies are racist to the core. As the people fight, they
must seize the initiative to establish modern arrangements over
which they exercise control. Reliance on a dysfunctional Congress
and the courts will also not provide security and are fronts of
struggle the people can put in their service only when done to
advance their own cause of creating modern arrangements.
It is vital to step up the work to defend the rights of
all
on the basis of independent politics of the working class which
must be taken to all sections of society favoured by opening
society's path to progress. The path of resistance has always
been the proud path of the American working class. Today the
American people are opening another proud chapter in their
history of struggle in defence of the rights of all.
Our Security Lies in Fighting for the
Rights of All!
Unite in Action in Defence of the Rights of All!
Immediate Opposition Across the U.S.
and Other Countries
The assault on rights imposed by the Trump
administration's travel ban was met with swift and vehement opposition
across the U.S. as well as in other countries. Thousands turned out at
airports across
the U.S. with the immediate aim to liberate all those who had
been detained while travelling to the U.S. Americans from all
walks of life stood up to unequivocally reject the
state-organized racism and attempts to divide the people. All
manner of legal challenges are underway to overturn the ban,
while many detained have now been freed and permitted to return
to their lives in the U.S.
Boston, Massachusetts
New York City
New Brunswick, New Jersey
Washington, DC
Chicago, Illinois
Indianapolis, Indiana
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Raleigh, North Carolina
Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
Los Angeles, California
 
San Francisco, California
 
San Diego, California
Portland, Oregon
Seattle, Washington
Canada
Demonstrations
demanded
immediate
action
by the Canadian government to condemn the
executive order and to end security arrangements with the U.S., such as
the Safe Third Country Agreement. According to this agreement, put in
place in December 2002 by the Chrétien Liberal government and
the George W. Bush administration, any refugee fleeing to the U.S. or
Canada must apply for asylum in the country in which they first set
foot. Therefore, anyone arriving in Canada via the United States is
barred from claiming refugee status, unless an exception is granted.
Protestors also expressed their support for all those in the U.S.
taking a stand to resist the executive order.
Ottawa
 
  
Toronto
  
 
  
Montreal
February 4 Day of Action
More actions took place on February 4, in which
thousands of people participated, to oppose the chaos and racism that
the state has unleashed and to call on the government of Canada to
respond to the U.S. government's measures by taking action to uphold
the rights of Canadian citizens, residents and refugees and oppose
Islamophobia. The demonstrations called for immediate condemnation of
the January 27 executive order by the Canadian government; revoking the
Safe Third Country Agreement and Designated Country of Origin List;
ending indefinite immigration detention and granting permanent
residence to migrant workers; and repealing Bill C-51 and the Barbaric
Cultural
Practices
Act as well as ending the use of Security
Certificates.
Charlottetown
Montreal
Ottawa
 
 
Toronto
 
   
London
Owen Sound
Calgary
  
 
Vancouver
  
Britain
Protests are also taking place internationally. Large
demonstrations took place in Britain, where not only was the
travel ban denounced, but so was Prime Minister Theresa May's
recent visit with President Trump. Trump is to make a state visit
to Britain later this year, but this has met with widespread
opposition, including a petition signed by more than one million
people that says Trump should be allowed to visit, but at
a lower protocol level than a state visit.
London
Manchester
Scotland
Glasgow
Edinburgh
Attempts to Embroil Canada in Aggression
and
War
No to Placement of U.S. Forces in Canada!
Get Canada Out of
NORAD!
No to Joining U.S. Missile Defence!
- Enver Villamizar -
 
To defend their own rights
and
the rights of all, Canadians should demand an immediate halt to
the passage or implementation through regulation of any measures
by the Trudeau government that put the U.S. in a position to
decide anything that happens in Canada. They should also demand
that all measures which place U.S. security or military
personnel or any others in control of what happens in Canada be
immediately suspended so that Canadians can assess the extent to
which their sovereignty has been compromised and take measures to
reverse this situation.
Dangerous Legislation in Parliament
The Liberals are hoping to pass two pieces of
legislation in
this sitting of Parliament that are based on negotiations with the
Obama
administration over the placement and operation of U.S. security
forces on Canadian soil. This is being done in the name of
increasing the efficiency of travel and trade across the
Canada-U.S. border as well as ensuring the "security of the
continent."
Bill C-23, An Act respecting the preclearance of
persons
and goods in Canada and the United States and Bill C-21, An Act
to amend the Customs Act are both at second
reading.
Bill C-23 is to facilitate the placement of U.S.
security
agents on Canadian soil to "pre-clear" travellers seeking to enter the
U.S. by plane, boat or train. It
would give the Minister of Public Safety the right to increase the
placement of
U.S. border officials at Canadian ports of entry. If passed, U.S.
agents would be enforcing the U.S. government's
racist policies in more places in Canada. To become law, Bill C-23
requires the passage of legislation in the U.S., which took place on
December 8, clearing the way for the measures to be implemented in
Canada.
Bill C-21 would allow Canadian border officials to know
who is leaving Canada via land border crossings, something they have
not previously been able to do. It is part and parcel of the efforts
launched between the U.S. and Canada following 9/11 to establish
a North American Security Perimeter, within which the movement of
people and goods is tracked and U.S. and Canadian border
agencies can target people for persecution based on their race,
religion, political views, lifestyle and ability.
Indicating that a main aim of the legislation is to
serve the monopolies and that the Liberals have given up any pretense
of Canada as an independent and sovereign nation, on January 26 Public
Safety Minister
Ralph Goodale stated in an interview that his preoccupation was
expanding the arrangements in Bill C-23 to pre-clear not just people
but also cargo. "One of the logical
extensions now is can we find a way to make this apply to cargo
so that you speed up that critical crossing of the border,"
Goodale said. "I have raised it in a brief way with some of the
representatives of the Trump organization ... and they seem to be
very interested." This is related to a longstanding demand of the
monopolies to place U.S. agents in Canadian factories to
pre-clear goods which then travel along rail and other corridors which
are monitored and controlled by U.S. Homeland Security and thus
considered part of the U.S. "Homeland."[1]
In this regard, on February 3 Canada's Foreign Minister
Chrystia Freeland spoke with her counterpart in the U.S., Secretary of
State Rex Tillerson. A report on the conversation from Global Affairs
Canada said the two "highlighted the progress of recent pre-clearance
measures, as well as the need for a safe and secure border that does
not impede the smooth flow of goods and people."
Push to Expand NORAD and for Canada to Join U.S.
Missile
Defence
While Canadians are concerned about Canada's relations
with the U.S. from the standpoint of how to affirm the rights of all
under the present circumstances, sections of the ruling elite in Canada
are using the occasion to push for more of Canada's territory and armed
forces to be brought under U.S. control. This is presented as a means
to appease Trump, but is in fact a longstanding program of the ruling
circles who only see a future for Canada as a willing weapon of U.S.
imperialism and its war preparations.
One of the point people within Canada's ruling circles
on relations with the U.S. at this time is Derek Burney, former
chief of staff to
Brian Mulroney.[2]
According to the Globe and Mail,
Burney,
along
with
Mulroney
himself,
have
been
enlisted
by
the
Trudeau
government
to
"open
doors"
in
Washington.
Burney
currently
works for Norton Rose Fulbright, one of the
largest consulting firms in the world.
On January 24, Burney urged the Trudeau Liberal
government to consider
expanding U.S. control over Canadian airspace and territory
through NORAD as well as finally agree to hand over Canadian territory
to the U.S. for placement of its missiles and
sensors under the guise of "protecting Canada."
In an interview with CBC, Burney is quoted as saying:
"We reacted well under 9/11, but that was spontaneous and voluntary.
There was no pre-arrangement that allowed so many American planes to
land in Newfoundland. It just happened because of the nature of our
relationship. Maybe we can't take those things for granted. Maybe we
have to codify a few more of them." On the day of the attacks on the
twin towers in New York all air traffic in the U.S. and Canada was
grounded. In addition, Canadian and U.S. fighter jets were scrambled to
escort planes to land, including those which were thought to be part of
further attacks. It is not clear what Burney is referring to when he
says "spontaneous and voluntary." On January 30 in the House of Commons
Minister of Defence Harjit Sajjan fielded two detailed questions about
what took place in Canadian airspace on September 11, 2001 -- one from
the Liberal Minister of Citizenship and one from a Conservative MP.
Indicating that moves are afoot in this direction, the questions dealt
with, among other things, whether the Canadian fighter planes that were
scrambled on September 11 were those allocated to NATO or NORAD
commands. Sajjan noted that NORAD did in fact "take control" of
Canadian airspace on September 11. Whatever the case may be, there are
clearly things taking place behind closed doors concerning NORAD which
indicate that Canadian territory and airspace are being further made
ready for the U.S. war preparations. Burney's remarks indicate that
Canada, already 100 per cent under U.S. command, is to be used in a
manner Canadians disapprove of.
Burney also said that Canada should look at joining the
U.S.
on continental missile defence as one area of "common ground"
that "could go a long way in boosting Canada's voice at the
table." "North Korea has got the capacity to launch a missile as
far as North America," he said. "Why wouldn't we at least sit
down and at least explore the prospect of joining with the
Americans; why don't we renovate NORAD with something to protect
us against the 21st-century threat in the same way NORAD helped
us with 20th-century defence?"
Since well before Trump's election the ruling circles in
Canada have been preparing conditions for Canada to join the U.S.
ballistic missile defence program. Beginning in April 2016, the Trudeau
Liberals' Defence Policy Review was taken as a reason to revisit the
question of Canada's involvement in U.S. ballistic missile defence,
asking whether "given changing technologies and threats," Canada should
go back on its 2005 decision to not join the program. Bill Graham,
Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs when the decision was taken, has
since come out as a major proponent of placing U.S. missiles in Canada.
Graham cynically told a Senate committee in 2014 that it was the
negative opinion Canadians held about George W. Bush that forced the
government to stay out. "If it had been President Obama asking with his
approach, you never know, we might have said yes," he said. At this
time, the uncertainty and chaos created by the Trump presidency is
taken as a reason to sow doubt and fear and push for Canada to make
such arrangements as soon as possible on the basis of appeasing the
U.S. The problem for the ruling circles is that Canadians have made
clear time and time again that they do not want their country to be a
base for U.S. missiles but want Canada to be a zone for peace.
Notes
1. For background on Bill C-21 and
C-23
see: "Dangerous New
Measures Tabled in Parliament," TML
Weekly, July 16, 2016 and "Canada Taken Further
Down Treasonous Path," TML Weekly,
November
12,
2016.
2. Burney was Chief of Staff in
the
Office of Prime Minister Mulroney. He served as Canada's
Ambassador to the United States from 1989 to 1993 and played a
central role in the negotiations that led to the North American
Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). In 1993 he was appointed Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer of Bell Canada International (BCI)
and from 1999 to 2004, he served as President and Chief Executive
Officer of CAE Inc., a large military and civilan aerospace
company based in Canada. Burney is a point man for the Canadian
state, having headed the Conservative Transition Team following
the Canadian federal election in early 2006 and, in October 2007,
Mr. Burney was appointed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper to be
on the Independent Panel on Canada's Future Role in
Afghanistan.
Dangerous U.S. War Preparations in Europe
Thousands of U.S. Troops Enter Poland
- Margaret Villamizar -
 
Demonstrations at NATO meeting in Warsaw, Poland, July 9, 2016.
On January 9, 2017, between 3,500 and 4,000 U.S. Army
troops entered Poland as part of an arrangement that will see
U.S. troops deployed there on a "continuous" (i.e. permanent) basis.
Under its Operation Atlantic Resolve the U.S. will be deploying
its forces in back-to-back nine-month rotations to Poland and other
parts of Eastern Europe, or what NATO calls its Eastern flank. It
is reported that for now the U.S. troops are to fan out across
Poland, as well as the Baltic States, Romania, Hungary and
Bulgaria to train with local troops. Along with the soldiers
making up three armoured brigade combat teams, the U.S. shipped
"a full set of tanks and artillery" and more than 2,500 "military
vehicles" to Poland. The deployment was announced last year by
the Obama administration.
While much is said about the encirclement of Russia by
U.S.
and NATO troops it is important to note that the U.S. is taking
over territory of more and more sovereign countries in Europe all
in the name of deterring Russia. Not only does this represent a
threat to Russia and its peoples but also the peoples of eastern
Europe whose governments are placing their countries in the
service of U.S. war preparations. The permanent stationing of
U.S. military in these countries means that in the name of
security for U.S. and other NATO troops and equipment there will
be stepped up criminalization of all those who do not accept that
their territories are used in the service of war. In addition the
U.S. military will also directly interfere in the affairs of
these countries in the name of protecting U.S. national
interest.
While most of the troops arrived directly in Poland
from the U.S., others -- along with equipment -- arrived in Germany at
the port
of Bremerhaven then travelled by road convoy across Germany to
Poland. Protests greeted them in Bremerhaven with people marching
on city streets carrying signs and banners reading, "No NATO
deployments! End the militaristic march against Russia!" and "Out
of NATO."
By contrast, the Polish government and military
officials
welcomed the U.S. troops with fanfare, organizing "Safe Poland"
picnics for the occasion to try and encourage residents to mingle
with the U.S. soldiers as well as their Polish counterparts and
view the military hardware they had brought. All of it is aimed
at presenting the Polish people as wanting their country to be
turned into a U.S. base.
 Poland's Defence Minister Antoni
Macierewicz is reported to
have said that a total of 7,000 U.S. and NATO troops will be
stationed in his country in the coming years. He said U.S. troops
would help ensure "freedom, independence and peace in Europe and
the whole world" and that Poland was proud of "joint efforts that
guarantee the security of Europe and of the eastern flanks of
NATO." In remarks at a welcoming ceremony he also said, "'We
waited for you for a very long time, for decades."
U.S. European Command General Curtis Scaparrotti said:
"Today, marks a significant moment in European deterrence and
defense as our rotational Armored Brigade Combat Team crossed
from German to Polish soil. The European infrastructure and
integrated support has enabled our force to rapidly be ready and
postured should they need to deter Russian aggression."
Spokesperson for the Russian government Dmitri Peskov
said,
"We see it as a threat to us. This is an action that threatens
our interests, our security, moreover, this is a third nation
that is increasing its military presence near our borders in
Europe, and it's not even a European nation. One thousand or
10,000 -- we're talking about the increase of military
presence."
In April, the U.S. will also be sending a squadron from
its
2nd Cavalry Regiment to northeastern Poland as a "contribution"
to NATO's operations in the region. While the January 9
deployment is not under NATO, the upcoming April deployment is.
At its Warsaw Summit in July NATO announced plans to send four
multinational brigades of about 1,000 troops each, along with an
array of tanks, other armoured vehicles and drones to the Baltic
States and Poland in early 2017. At a meeting of NATO defence
ministers in October it was reported that troops from Britain and
Romania would be joining a U.S.-led NATO brigade in Poland.
Troops from several other countries would join brigades stationed
in Lithuania (commanded by Germany), Estonia (commanded by
Britain) and Latvia (commanded by Canada).[1]
It is of note that the arrival of thousands of U.S.
forces
coincides with the building in Redzikowo, Poland of a U.S. Aegis
Ashore ballistic missile defence battery. Poland and Lithuana
surround the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast, a port on the
Baltic Sea that houses Russia's Baltic fleet and is its only
European warm water port (with water that does not ice over in
winter). It has been reported that the NATO brigade to be
stationed in northeast Poland and led by the U.S. will be close
to what the U.S. military calls the "Suwalki Gap," located an
equidistant 40 miles from Kaliningrad and Belarus.
In November BBC reported that a Russian news agency
quoted
Russian defence committee chairman Viktor Ozerov as saying
"Iskander [missiles] and S 400 surface to air missiles [had been]
deployed in Kaliningrad to counter a planned US missile defence
shield in eastern Europe."
Other U.S. Troop Deployments in Europe
On January 16 330 U.S. marines arrived at the Norwegian
base
in Vaernes. As TML Weekly reported in November, according
to The Marine Corps Times the U.S. military "had
already pre-positioned thousands of pieces of equipment including
M1A1 Abrams tanks in Norwegian caves to support 15,000 Marines
for up to one month of combat operations." The deployment to
Norway is for one year, involving two six-month troop rotations.
Norwegian military officials claimed the stationing of foreign
troops on Norwegian soil for the first time since World War II
was a chance for the marines to gain experience with winter
warfare, including learning how to cope with skis and survive in
an Arctic environment. Major General Niel E. Nelson, commander of
U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa, said last year
however that a Marine presence in Norway would "increase NATO's
ability to rapidly aggregate and employ forces in northern
Europe." Norway is an arctic nation whose northern tip borders
the Russian oblast of Murmansk in the arctic. Murmansk is where
the Russian Northern Fleet it based. Meanwhile it is also
reported that at the end of March the U.S. plans to station a
combat aviation brigade with about 10 Chinook and 50 Black Hawk
helicopters and 1,800 troops and a battalion with 24 Apache
attack helicopters and 400 troops in Germany, with a number of
the aircraft destined for use in Latvia, Romania and Poland.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova
says
the U.S. is "actively investing in the development of military
infrastructure and potentials of rapid deployment of major
military units close to the Russian borders, including updating
of the network of airfields where US large transport airplanes
could land." She also made reference to an arms depot the U.S.
recently re-commissioned in the Netherlands "to house a brigade
set of heavy armour" and to a similar facility it intends to
create in Belgium and two more in Germany.
Referring to the permanent stationing of U.S. and NATO
troops
and equipment in Europe, Zakharova said all this comes "against
the background of unilateral and unrestricted development of
potentials of US missile defense systems in Europe having an
increasingly destabilizing influence on European and global
security, as well as upgrading of US nuclear weapons deployed on
the territory of other NATO countries."
Note
1. TML Weekly November 12,
2016
Information on U.S. Executive Orders
"Border Security and Immigration
Enforcement Improvements"
The executive order issued January 25, "Border Security
and Immigration Enforcement Improvements" includes various
measures, two of the most important being the building of more
detention or concentration camps along the border with Mexico,
and extending the existing border wall. The order was justified
with the claim that "Among those who illegally enter are those
who seek to harm Americans through acts of terror or criminal
conduct. Continued illegal immigration presents a clear and
present danger to the interests of the United States."
 The order states that it is the
"policy of the executive
branch to (a) secure the southern border of the United States
through the immediate construction of a physical wall on the
southern border, monitored and supported by adequate
personnel..." and "(b) detain individuals apprehended on
suspicion of violating Federal or State law, including Federal
immigration law, pending further proceedings regarding those
violations."
The call for the wall was rejected on both sides of the
border, with Mexico's president cancelling a planned visit to the
White House in response.
The detention of people simply suspected of violating
immigration laws has repeatedly served to impose government of
police powers by increasing racist government profiling and
targeting those guilty of no crime and activists opposing these
attacks. Use of suspicion, rather than probable cause, also means
actions are arbitrary, subject to the discretion of the policing
agencies involved. The order promises 5,000 new Border Patrol
agents and triples the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
workforce from 6,000 agents to 18,000.
The executive order also calls for building more
concentration camps for immigrants, including children, saying
"(a) The Secretary shall take all appropriate action and allocate
all legally available resources to immediately construct,
operate, control, or establish contracts to construct, operate,
or control facilities to detain aliens at or near the land border
with Mexico." In addition, "The Secretary shall immediately take
all appropriate actions to ensure the detention of aliens
apprehended for violations of immigration law pending the outcome
of their removal proceedings." The Secretary is also to provide
new guidance to promote detention and terminate "catch and
release," for those considered no threat and awaiting
determination of their status.
This flies in the face of the fact that legally,
violations
of immigration law, such as entering the country without
documentation for the first time, or over-staying a visa, are
still considered civil, not criminal violations. This is why the
language used targets the violation of such laws. There is no
mention of a crime being committed. The punishment being
demanded, however, automatic detention, which could be for years
pending the outcome of each case, is consistent with serious
crimes.
As the order indicates, there are no funds currently
available for building the infamous wall, detention centres or to
pay for the big increase in the number of agents. This will
require appropriations by Congress. In this respect, the outcome
is not certain but what is certain is that Trump is maneuvering
to appear to make good on his campaign promises, while their
actual implementation remains in doubt, not least of all because
of the number of legal challenges these measures have triggered,
besides opposition which will arise in the Congress, coupled with
unfettered deal-making by all parties involved to achieve coveted
aims.
In this vein, the executive order also sets the stage
for
further strengthening executive action in the event Congress does
not provide funds. As Trump indicated in his inauguration speech,
"Today we are not merely transferring power from one
Administration to another, or from one party to another -- but we
are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back
to you, the American People." In this manner, whatever opposition
there is from Congress or elected officials more generally can be
rejected by Trump, in the name of the people.
Sanctuary Cities and Increasing Conflicts Between
Federal and
State Authorities
Rally in Philadelphia, November 2016 for sanctuary cities.
The direction of impunity and arbitrary actions by the
Trump presidency is further indicated in the January 25 executive
order concerning sanctuary cities, named "Enhancing Public Safety
in the Interior of the United States." It repeats that
undocumented immigrants "and those who overstay or otherwise
violate the terms of their visas present a significant threat to
national security and public safety." It claims that sanctuary
jurisdictions across the U.S. "have caused immeasurable harm to
the American people and to the very fabric of our Republic." Both
are stated with no information or facts concerning the
claims.
The order resurrects two programs, 287(g) and Secure
Communities, which were used by the previous Bush and Obama
administrations to bring local and state officials under federal
authority by having them join in enforcing federal immigration
law. Over time both programs were rejected as harmful by many
states, such as New York and California, and local jurisdictions.
Many local and county police officials publicly opposed them,
saying they harmed community relations and created fear, not
security. Broad and repeated actions by immigrant communities and
in cities more generally denounced both programs for increasing
racist government profiling and attacks, unjustly targeting
mostly workers and tearing apart families. This included
deporting millions, the majority guilty of no crime or only of
minor infractions, like traffic violations.
 Trump is attempting to
resurrect both programs as part of
continuing federal efforts to unify the many policing agencies
across the U.S. under federal command and eliminate all the
competing authorities which challenge the ability of the
oligopolies to take over the services and markets concerned. This
is a daunting task but necessary for those who have usurped the
executive power in the U.S. in conditions where a government of
police powers has been imposed. To do so the order also provides
for broad discretion by the executive:
"(b) To the extent permitted by law and with the
consent of
State or local officials, as appropriate, the Secretary shall
take appropriate action, through agreements under section 287(g)
of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), or
otherwise, to authorize State and local law enforcement
officials, as the Secretary determines are qualified and
appropriate, to perform the functions of immigration officers in
relation to the investigation, apprehension, or detention of
aliens in the United States under the direction and the
supervision of the Secretary..."
The order specifically calls for blocking federal funds
for
those local, county and state jurisdictions that refuse to comply
with the executive order, again providing broad discretion to the
executive: "The Attorney General and the Secretary, in their
discretion and to the extent consistent with law, shall ensure
that jurisdictions that willfully refuse to comply with 8 U.S.C.
1373 (sanctuary jurisdictions) are not eligible to receive
Federal grants, except as deemed necessary for law enforcement
purposes by the Attorney General or the Secretary. The Secretary
has the authority to designate, in his discretion and to the
extent consistent with law, a jurisdiction as a sanctuary
jurisdiction."
It also calls for making public, on a weekly basis "a
comprehensive list of criminal actions committed by aliens and
any jurisdiction that ignored or otherwise failed to honor any
detainers with respect to such aliens." Detainers are the
requests by federal authorities for local officials to hold
individuals that they otherwise would release, often because
charges were dropped. Criminal actions are also not convictions,
so the list can be used to target those arrested, or for minor
violations. It also promotes government profiling, making public
only those activities of immigrants in conditions where the
government has long unjustly charged and criminalized workers and
those resisting attacks.
 The public list and
blocking of funds are a means to
broadly
humiliate immigrants and city and county officials, while also
justifying further federal action.
According to immigration law experts, there are at
least
three federally funded programs that can be blocked without
Congressional approval: The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice
Assistance Grant Program (JAG), the Community Oriented Policing
Services (COPS) and the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program
(SCAAP), all of which are administered by the Department of
Justice.
It remains unclear if any of these funds will be cut,
given
they all involve law enforcement efforts. It is also unclear
whether Congress will support cutting other federal funds.
Already there are plans for court cases by local officials,
saying the executive order is unconstitutional.
However, in conditions of a government of police
powers,
where the government of laws has essentially been eliminated, it
remains to be seen whether the executive will submit to court
rulings. Obama already showed that Supreme Court rulings, such as
those concerning Guantánamo, would not be followed. Trump is
likely to carry this further. This is indicated by the fact that
Customs agents at major airports, including Los Angeles, Chicago,
JFK in NYC and Dulles in DC, are not complying with court orders
barring deportation of those with visas or green cards.
Local Officials Reject Trump's Order Violating
Sanctuary
The fact that the orders are intensifying conflicts
between
federal and local and state officials was made clear by the
response of mayors and other officials. Los Angeles Mayor Eric
Garcetti said in a press release January 25, "Splitting up
families and cutting funding to any city -- especially Los
Angeles, where 40 percent of the nation's goods enter the U.S. at
our port, and more than 80 million passengers traveled through
our airport last year -- puts the personal safety and economic
health of our entire nation at risk. It is not the way forward
for the United States."
New York's Attorney General Schneiderman said, "I urge
President Trump to revoke this Executive Order right away. If he
does not, I will do everything in my power to fight it." Mayor
Bill de Blasio of New York said, "We're going to defend all of
our people regardless of where they come from, regardless of
their immigration status."
"We're going to stay a sanctuary city," Chicago Mayor
Rahm
Emanuel declared at a press conference.
Restriction of Entry for Foreign Nationals
and
Refugees
- Sam Heaton -
One of many airport protests across the U.S., January 28, 2017, at JFK
Airport in New
York City.
A Presidential executive order signed January 27, titled
"Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the
United States," prohibits the entry of most citizens of seven
countries into the U.S. -- Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan,
Syria and Yemen -- for 90 days, suspends the Syrian refugee
program indefinitely, and halts U.S. acceptance of any refugees
for 120 days.[1]
Since the
order was announced, mass demonstrations have taken place
throughout the U.S. and the world condemning the measure as
destabilizing, warmongering, racist and destructive. These
include ongoing mobilizations at major airports across the U.S.,
and demonstrations at U.S. embassies around the world.
 The order was initially
reported to be a blanket ban on all citizens of the seven countries who
are not U.S. citizens. On the day the order was issued, reports began
of detentions and deportations of those already in transit, including
those with valid visas and permanent residence. In the days before the
executive order was signed, visas for some citizens of the seven
countries were suddenly revoked and they were denied re-entry into the
U.S. On January 28, Gillian Christensen, acting Department of Homeland
Security spokesperson in an e-mail to media stated that the order "will
bar green card [permanent residency] holders." The same day, a New York
federal judge granted a request of the American Civil Liberties Union
for a nationwide stay on part of the executive order, intended to halt
the deportation of those with valid visas who had been detained at
airports.
On January 29, White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus then said, "As
far as green card holders, moving forward, it doesn't affect them," but
clarified that they would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. On
February 2, a federal judge in Boston declined to extend the measure
halting deportations. Also on February 2, in response to a lawsuit
filed by two brothers from Yemen, a judge in Virginia ordered the White
House to provide a list of all people prevented from entering the U.S.
due to the travel ban by February 9. A Justice Department lawyer told
the Virginia courtroom that more than 100,000 visas have been revoked
to date, while the State Department issued a statement claiming that
the number was fewer than 60,000.
Later on February 3 Judge James L. Robart in Seattle
issued a nationwide order temporarily halting enforcement of the
travel ban and refugee restrictions pending a decision on a
lawsuit launched by the Attorney General of Washington, Bob
Ferguson. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told
media that the order will have no immediate effect as all
previously issued visas from the seven countries have already
been cancelled. The State Department announced on February 4 that it is
reversing the previous cancellation of visas, while the White House
press secretary announced that the Justice Department will "file an
emergency stay of this outrageous order and defend the executive order
of the President."
 The executive order requires
the Secretaries of State
and
Homeland Security to submit four reports to the President, the
first after 30 days, the second after 60 days, the third after 90
days, and a fourth after 120 days. The second report will include
"a list of countries recommended for inclusion on a Presidential
proclamation that would prohibit the entry of foreign nationals."
The list would comprise countries that do not provide to the U.S.
information to be determined that is deemed to be "needed from
any country to adjudicate any visa, admission, or other benefit
under the INA (adjudications) in order to determine that the
individual seeking the benefit is who the individual claims to be
and is not a security or public-safety threat." In other words,
the list of countries affected by the travel ban could grow
depending on what demands the U.S. imposes for allowing citizens
of a country to set foot on U.S. soil.
Some governments, such as those of Canada, Australia,
the
United Kingdom, Sweden, Switzerland and Germany, claim to have
received assurances that their citizens who are also citizens of
one or another of the seven affected countries will, in fact, be
able to enter the United States. Others such as France have advised
their citizens who are also citizens of any of the seven countries to
avoid travel to the U.S. until the rules are clarified. The
French Confédération Générale du Travail
(CGT) union centre has
called on its members at Air France to refuse to serve on U.S.-bound
flights. "To dare associate nationals from seven Muslim-majority
countries with terrorism is a provocation and incitement..." the
CGT said. "Air France has an obligation to support its
passengers, of all religions and nationalities, and must express
clearly its refusal to implement illegal measures." The
government of Iran gave a reciprocal response by banning all U.S.
citizens from entering the country. On January 30, the Iraqi
Parliament called on the government to "respond in kind to the
American decision in the event that the American side does not withdraw
its decision."
The destabilizing and warmongering nature of the
executive
order was made clear by the targets themselves. All of the
countries included in the restrictions have been targets of U.S.
destabilization, destructive regime change and interference --
including bombings, invasion and occupation -- under the past two
U.S. administrations.
On January 25, two days before the order was signed,
the U.S.
carried out an attack in Yemen using Navy special forces that
killed 30 people, including 10 women and children. On February 3,
the U.S. imposed sanctions to "blacklist" 12 businesses -- some
Iranian, some Chinese and others from Lebanon and the United Arab
Emirates, and 13 individuals of various nationalities for
alleged involvement with Iran's legitimate defence program. A
statement issued by White House National Security Advisor Michael
Flynn made spurious claims such as that "Iran is the world's
leading state sponsor of terrorism" and that Iran "continues to
threaten the United States." It declared "The days of
turning a blind eye to Iran's hostile and belligerent actions
toward the United States and the world community are over."
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif responded, "Iran is
unmoved by threats as we derive security from our
people. We will never use our weapons against anyone, except in
self-defense."
Note
1. Of the seven countries, only
one -- Syria -- is named in the executive order. The order refers
only to "Countries of Particular Concern" and "aliens from
countries referred to in section 217(a)(12) of the [Immigration and
Nationality Act], 8 U.S.C.
1187(a)(12)."
This section of the Act refers to Iraq and Syria and "any other
country or area of concern designated by the Secretary of
Homeland Security." An estimated 500,000 U.S. permanent residents
are citizens of one of the seven countries, and 40 per cent of
U.S. refugee intake is from the seven countries.
The seven countries were designated under the previous
U.S.
administration. An omnibus spending bill signed in December 2015
included the Terrorist Travel Prevention Act,
implementing restrictions on the Visa Waiver Program, which
allows citizens from 38 countries to visit the United States for
less than 90 days without a visa. The Act disqualified anyone who
had visited Iran, Syria, Sudan or Iraq in the past five years or
held dual citizenship from one of those countries who would
otherwise be eligible for the Waiver Program. Then, in February
2016, the Obama administration via its executive powers added Libya,
Somalia and Yemen to the list of restricted countries.
According to the draft copy of Trump's executive order, the
countries whose citizens are barred from entering the United
States is based on the Terrorist Travel Prevention Act.
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