everyone needs water, but there's more.

3. The US Embassy then advised prison authorities that they will not allow water deliveries to Idema and Bennett. When Afghan Commandants found out that Idema and Bennett were sick from drinking ground water treated with bleach, they called the Embassy and were told by Bashir Mamoon at the Us Consul's office that they didn't deserve drinking water because "they were probably bathing in it." There had not been a water delivery for months. Although these men have not had running water for two years, I can assure this Court that they are not bathing in the pitifully sparse stipend of water the Embassy occasionally delivers. It should also be noted that the Embassy does not provide this water from their precious budget. It is provided by the US Marines who would no doubt gladly make a monthly delivery if not prevented from doing so by the US Ambassador. Further, the US Consul's office has repeatedly threatened to have prison officials fired if they continue to abide by international guidelines for human rights and the Geneva Convention Protocols, and have had at least three commandants fired already for voicing their objection to the continued imprisonment of Idema, Bennett and Banderas, including one General who physically stepped in front of Adrianne Harchick's vehicle to sotp her from leaving without delivering water and money sent by Jack Idema's father. Apparently Harchick was upset that Idema and Bennett would not meet her alone, and then refused to give him money sent by his father when Idema politely asked her not to count it in front of Afghan officers and a Taliban inmate. When Harchick tried to leave with the water and money, the Afghan general stepped in front of the car. He was fired shortly thereafter. In spite of that, Afghan generals have refused to follow the Embassy's orders, but remain in fear of losing their jobs from U.S. pressure.

It is beyond the imagination that someone working in the capacity of serving American interests in a foreign country would act even worse than the hosting country.

4. In July 2004, US Consul Sandra Ingram directed Judge Abdul Basset Bakthyari to find all Petitioners guilty in return for a US Visa and US government protection. Richard Caraballo, brother to Edward Caraballo, has stated that Sandra Ingram told him that if there were no afghan charges there could be no US charges. Therefore, Ingram's statements were clearly indicating that the US was using the Afghan charges to hold the petitioners.

Indeed, this may still happen; the Americans may yet be vindicated and exhonerated publicly of the charges in their first trial because the second trial, mysteriously enough, when they were found innocent and ordered released, never hit the airwaves.

5. In August 2004, the US Counsel Sandra Ingram retained Wadir Safi, a former minister in the Soviet government to act as a translator during the trial. Ingram had direct knowledge that Wadir Safi was a former Deputy Director of the Soviet/Afghan KGB and had directed and led retaliation, assassinations, executions, and murders of Afghan resistance members and Mujahadeen resistance soldiers who were aligned with and working with the American CIA.

Another appalling fact is the Americans working with a known former KGB agent and leading him to do their bidding in the same style as would have happened under the old Communist regime.

6. US Consul Sandra Ingram provided ex-KGB officer Wadir Safi with a lengthy list of allegations and "propaganda points" which she requested Wadir Safi interject into the trial. Ingram offered Wadir Safi financial assistance, then upon information and belief, provided Wadir Safi with financial assistance from a special fund retained for no-oversight expenditures by Ambassador Khalilzad. The same fund was used to provide Chief Judge of the Supreme Court, Mawlawi Fazal Hadi Shinwari with $80,000 for his personal mosque after he supported the original conviction of Petitioners in their first trial.

1. Apparently at least one journalist also called the Minister of Justice and wanted to know why their phones were not confiscated.

2. As counsel to Jack Idema I fully agreed with his refusal to meet Harchick alone without a witness to what she might say, do, or allege. I have reviewed evidence which shows that Harchick has a propensity for altering the statement of Jack Idema during conversations.

3. Shinwari is an Islamic Fundamentalist who has been denounced by Amnesty International, the Union of Human Rights' Defenders, the Afghanistan Human Rights Commission, and other international groups. He is also the cousin of Appeals Court Ismail Abed, and an admitted friend and associate of known Hezb-i-Islami terrorist recruiter Mohammed Sidiq who works directly for Gulbideen Hekmatyar, a terrorist on the US government's most wanted list and one of the prime targets of idema and his task force during 2004.

Most of this horrible chain of events speaks for itself, requiring little commentary. It literally renders me speechless.

This concatenation of events must end.

jack idema
afghanistan
Technorati Search for Jack Idema