A few days before Secretary of State Madeleine Albright’s February 6 appearance at Connecticut’s Wesleyan University, Stanley Heller of the Middle East Crises Committee (MECC) sent a letter asking Middletown police to investigate Albright for war crimes against Iraq.  Police responded to the State Department, who sent two Special Agents to Heller’s home and place of work, with a reminder that he had “every right to write the letter” but he must obey the law!

On the day of her appearance, Heller, another MECC member and two Connecticut Catholic Workers went to the Middletown police station and filed a formal complaint against Albright, alleging her violation of the rules of war, participation in the crime of aggression, and genocide.  At the University, Albright’s talk was interrupted by five people who stood and commented on her ill repute.  All were ejected but not rejected.

Police determined to take no action on the formal complaint against the Secretary of State.

A month later, George Bush received an honorary doctorate of law degree at Central Connecticut State University.  Heller stood up during the ceremony and yelled, “Why did you kill 100,000 civilians after the Gulf War was over?  You violated the Geneva Convention on the laws of war.”  As he was escorted out he was led closer to the platform, so he again shouted, “You bombed the al-Amariyah shelter and killed 400 women and children.” Five others also spoke out and were ejected.  All later received letters from the school barring them from New Britain campus, and from the state, ordering an appearance in court June 15.

For more information, contact the Middle East Crises Committee, POB 8993, New Haven, CT, 06532.

Kissinger

On May 18, a group of some 40 demonstrators interrupted business as usual for some 45 minutes at the Diner’s Club-Enroute luncheon in Toronto, honoring war criminal Henry Kissinger.  Holding citizens’ arrest warrants and a huge, blood-stained banner which read: “Remember Kissinger’s Crimes: Cambodia, Laos, Iran, Kurds, Vietnam, Chile, Greece, Argentina, East Timor, Brazil, Apartheid...”, the group leafletted all the luncheon guests about Kissinger’s crimes and held up the luncheon by blocking the escalator going to the Grand Ballroom.

After some rough treatment, four people who had pleaded with police to act on their citizens’ arrest of Kissinger under the Canadian War Crimes Act, instead found themselves charged. Matthew Behrens, mandy hiscocks, Brent Patterson and William Taylor were dragged to a waiting police van, strip searched, and held until 5 p.m.  All four will be in court June 16 to face charges.

The demonstrators had arrived at the hotel shortly before noon, and, as part of their indictment of the former U.S. Secretary of State, read out the personal testimonies of torture victims in countries where military juntas had been installed and supported by Kissinger. They proceeded to enter the huge Sheraton lobby with large pictures of Kissinger, calling out to hundreds of startled-and suddenly quieted-onlookers, “Has anyone seen this man? There’s a war criminal in this hotel. Please point him out to police so he can be turned over to federal authorities.”

For more information, contact Toronto Action for Social Change P.O. Box 73620, 509 St. Clair Ave. W., Toronto, ON  M6C 1C0, Canada, (416) 651-5800, tasc@web.net