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Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the
voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the
path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source
of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives
in fear:               Harry S Truman

Sunday's Kansas City Star had a small article titled "School Subpoenaed Over
Anti-War Event".   The Article began: "In what may be the first subpoena of its
kind in decades, a federal judge has ordered a university to turn over records
about a gathering of anti-war activists" The article referred to a forum that
took place at Drake University in Des Moines Iowa. titled "Stop the Occupation!
Bring the Iowa Guard Home!"

Subpoenaed were members of the Catholic Peace Ministry, The former
coordinator of the Iowa Peace Network, a member of the Catholic Worker
House and an anti-war activist who visited Iraq in 2002. In addition to the
people mentioned; Drakes records of who attended the rally and several
educators from Drake that attended the forum have been subpoenaed. Since
the initial KC Star article and the initial subpoenas, there has been a gag
order placed on the University to quiet any discussion.

Seems somehow this relates to the concerns voiced in the three newsletters
(blogs) that I have sent to you recently concerning the Patriot Act and how it
might be encroaching upon our 1st. amendment rights. Amendment I:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof ; or abridging the freedom of speech or of
the press; or the right of people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the
government for a redress of grievances. (this applies to the Attorney General
also)    That little bit ( ) and the underline added by me.

Below are emails that have come to my attention this evening concerning what
is going on in Iowa. As Brian Terrell of the Peace Ministry , one of those
subpoenaed voiced: "The civil liberties of everyone in this country is in
danger". Please reread President Truman's quote at the top! For an old
country bumpkin from out here in old Grandview Mo. he was pretty a astute
old guy, I think! Read on:

Forward from Brad Grabs (Brad is the chairman of the Kansas City Iraq
Taskforce)

Dear Friends:

Below is an email that I received yesterday about peace activists in Iowa being
subpoenaed by the Polk County Sheriff's Office and FBI Joint Task Force on
Terrorism. After reading it, I called Brian Terrell, who is one of those
subpoenaed. I have known Brian for several years, and have stayed with him
at his Catholic Worker farm in Iowa. He is a pacifist and a man of great
integrity. Brian told me that he believes this legal action is in response to an
anti-war conference that his group (Catholic Peace Ministry) held in
opposition to the war (at Drake University), followed by a demonstration the
next day in front of the National Guard (headquarters). They have also
subpoenaed the professors from Drake who participated in the conference,
and have demanded the list of all people who attended the conference.   After
Brian and the others alerted the press to this bizarre event, the US Attorney
for Iowa placed a gag order on all Drake University employees, barring them
from saying a single word about any of this. He said it has made the headlines
of the Des Moines Register for the last 3 days.   You can read more at
www.desmoinesregister.com (Copied below.)

Brian has requested that people call the US Attorney's office in Des Moines on
Monday (their Grand Jury appearance is on Tuesday). The phone number is
515-284-6257. PLEASE CALL and tell them that you have heard about this
case, and that you are concerned about the apparent violation of freedom of
speech and right to peaceably assemble that this legal action is apparently
targeting. If it can happen in Iowa, it can happen anywhere.

Please forward this to those whom you think might be interested.
Thank you.
Brad Grabs

FROM BRIAN:

Friends, Yesterday, February 3, Detective Jeff Warford of the Polk County
Sheriff's Office-FBI-Joint Terrorism Task Force came to Catholic Peace
Ministy's office here in Des Moines with a subpoena for me to testify before a
Federal Grand Jury next Tuesday, February 10. Mr. Warford also served
papers on Elton Davis at the Catholic Worker House and Patti McKee, who
was coordinator of Iowa Peace Network until last month. The Grand Jury
process is shrouded in secrecy. We do not know who or what the object of this
investigation may be, beyond "possible violations of federal criminal law in the
Southern District of Iowa." The proceeding will be behind closed doors. We
may not have an attorney present. We have the right to plead the Fifth
Amendment, refusing the answer questions that might incriminate us. The
government, then, can offer us immunity from prosecution, in which case we
will obliged to answer under threat of contempt of court and could be
imprisoned for the length of the Grand Jury session, 18 months, should we
continue to refuse to answer. This immunity would be limited to our own
testimony and anything any of us say could be used against the others.
Whatever is going on, this is definitely an escalation on the part of the
government's war on dissent and clamp down on civil liberties. The fact that
anything that we three and the peacemaking communities we represent could
possibly attract the notice of a "Terrorism Task Force" is reprehensible.
Please spread the word, express concerns you have with Federal and Polk
County authorities. Keep us in mind and prayer.

-- Brian Terrell Executive Director Catholic Peace Ministry 4211 Grand Ave.
Des Moines, IA 50312 (515)255-8114

And now for the Des Moines Register Article

Group fights anti-war inquiry
Lawyers move to block subpoenas
By JEFF ECKHOFF and MARK SIEBERT

The Des Moines Register.   02/07/2004 Lawyers worked Friday to derail a
federal grand jury investigation into an anti-war conference held three months
ago at Drake University. Federal officials have refused to say why they want
information about the conference, the legal group that hosted it and four Des
Moines-area peace activists involved.But officials with the National Lawyers
Guild, host of the Nov. 15 conference, said they intend to move Monday to
block the subpoena, one of five delivered this week by the FBI's Joint
Terrorism Task Force.

Bruce Nestor, a Minneapolis lawyer representing the guild, said he will argue
that the subpoena has a "chilling effect on the rights of people to associate
with the National Lawyers Guild and with the rights of our members."

Four of the subpoenas went to Des Moines peace activists, who were told to
appear Tuesday before a federal grand jury. One went to Drake University,
asking for information about the anti-war conference and records of the
National Lawyers Guild local chapter.The U.S. attorney's office in Des Moines
convinced a judge Thursday to issue an order under seal - described by
peace-movement sources as a gag order - to prohibit Drake employees from
talking about the document search.The subpoena demanded records from
campus security reflecting any observations of the Nov. 15 conference,
including "any records of persons in charge or control of the meeting, and any
records of attendees of the meeting." Drake University President David
Maxwell declined to comment Friday on how the university would respond.

Meanwhile, members of the Iowa congressional delegation and legal experts
expressed concern about the appearance that the government is investigating
activists involved in peaceful opposition to war."I don't like the smell of it," said
Sen. Tom Harkin, adding that he did not know details of the investigation. "It
reminds me too much of Vietnam when war protesters were rounded up, when
grand juries were convened to investigate people who were protesting the
war."

The Nov. 15 conference was called "Stop the Occupation! Bring the Iowa
Guard Home!"Organizers widely advertised their intention to hold the
conference and then demonstrate the following day outside the Iowa National
Guard headquarters in Johnston.A flier was sent to the Des Moines Police
Department and media outlets. A Des Moines television station shot video
footage.

On Friday, the Iowa Civil Liberties Union entered the case and plans to
represent one of those subpoenaed. Two other activists are scheduled to
meet with a lawyer Monday.Officials with the civil liberties group wonder
whether the investigation is being conducted under the Patriot Act,
controversial legislation designed to expand the government's ability to pursue
domestic terrorists.

Michael Greenberger, director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security
at the University of Maryland, tracks counter- terrorism efforts
nationwide."Without knowing the details," Greenberger said, "these facts tend
to evidence exactly the kinds of things that people are worried about with
regard to the Patriot Act and other prosecutorial excesses. It seems like
people are being challenged for their free-speech rights."

Other members of Iowa's congressional delegation want to know more.Rep.
Leonard Boswell, a Des Moines Democrat and member of the House
Intelligence Committee, said he understands the need for secrecy when
dealing with matters of national security"However, I am increasingly concerned
about Attorney General John Ashcroft's disregard for explaining the actions of
the Justice Department to the public," Boswell said.

Officials with the U.S. Justice Department in Washington, D.C., said they would
return a telephone call Friday, but failed to do so.Rep. Steve King, a
Republican from Kiron, said it appeared the government was using significant
resources to investigate a relatively minor protest."It definitely has my
attention, and I will be asking questions," King said.

Register staff writers Jane Norman and Madelaine Jerousek contributed to this
report.

So should you be concerned with what is going on in Iowa? Hell yes! This is
our country, we have: Not only a right but a responsibility to voice our
opinions. That is what America is all about isn't it?. It is probably too late (by
the time you receive this) to help those who are undergoing the inquisition by
the Grand Jury. But it is high time to tell our legislators and our President:
"We want our freedom back". "Don't be persecuting the people who care
about our troupes, our Patriots". "They aren't the Terrorists, because they
disagree with your plan". "Concentrate on the real enemies, not our citizens,
who have experienced the deaths associated with your endeavor". " Don't
look for the culprits here because you can't find the culprit in Afghanistan".

I probably should have left out that whole last paragraph, but I'm angry,!...and
Shouldn't you be? This administration is so afraid that "We the people" will
stand up for the guarantees provided us by the Constitution, they have
passed legislation to protect us (or them) from who we are! We must stand up
because:

Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of
opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly
repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and
creates a country where everyone lives in fear: Harry S Truman I think that's
where we are!

Sleep tight &

Take Care: But tomorrow, contact your congress person and Rep and tell
them this is Bull____

Paul






				Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition...creates a country where everyone lives in fear: Harry S Truman

						Governments Attack on Anti-war Activists