On the occasion of Queen Elizabeth II's visit to America: Should the monarchy be abolished in Britain? Or should other nations have kings and queens so they can stop worshiping movie stars?
I am 46 years old, Canadian citizen and native of Pakistan (Muslim). I was an immigration consultant in Canada and as part of my business; I had an office in New York.
During 2001 immediately after the Sept 11, event the US govt arrested me on Oct 25, 2001 on anonymous call, as a material witness for the 9/11 world trade centre terrorist attack. A detail investigation by the FBI and USA Naval intelligence dept was conducted and I was cleared, but even then govt put me in front of Grand jury, and I was cleared and the case was dismissed by the Grand jury of the US Federal Court.
Approximately after 2 weeks , before I was released from custody the US Govt imposed a new charges of Fraud and money laundering , under the advice of my attorney , I pleaded guilty and I was sentenced to prison for five years (which was four years more, what I pleaded). In which I had already spent 3 years in Detention jail, during the case , I had about 14 months left to finishing my sentence ,(instead of appealing, I preferred to applied for Treaty Transfer to Canada, because if the case is in the appeal, defendant is not eligible for transfer back to his home country).
While at prison, I learned from the case manager Miss House, that my citizen was incorrect in the FBOP’s (Federal Bureau of Prison) computer system as Pakistani instead of Canadian.
Its important to note , that all of my Canadian identifications (passport , citizenship card , S.I.N , Health card , Driving license etc) were under FBI’s possession, with a great deal of concern, I wrote a letter to the Canadian Consulate in Buffalo, N.Y to notify such mistake and requested them to fix this problem. This is especially important for Treaty Transfer back to Canada.
The Canadian Consulate official sent a letter to the jail to correct my citizenship status, however FBOP ignored the request and the citizenship status in the FBOP computer still reflect Pakistani instead of Canadian (Note: - I would be required to obtain visa to visit Pakistan) .In contrast, the deportation letter received from US Immigration dept, Contained the correct citizenship status of Canada.
At the hindsight, I believe that the FBOP intentionally left the citizenship as Pakistani, so that they could retained me at their facility, while the govt is planning to file new charges against me 3rd time.
Approximately six weeks before my released date on Jan 30, 2006 I was notified by the FBOP that I was being transferred from Ellenwood, PA to MDC (Metropolitan Detention Centre) in Brooklyn N.Y, it was explained to me, that the purpose of this transfer was in preparation for deportation back to Canada, (after few days, I signed the immigration deportation papers, with my consular Miss Chen).
But immediately after my arriving to MDC Brooklyn, I discovered during a phone call with my family in Montreal, that RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) official had contacted my sister and brother-in-law regarding the whereabouts of my wife and my current situation, there was no explanation given by the RCMP official to the purpose of the call and he left his phone number and asked my wife to call him back immediately, my wife called the RCMP official and left messages in his voice mail. Then the official contacted my brother-in-law again and had asked him to tell my wife not to call again, because there is nothing good nor anything bad.
Meanwhile the AUSA (United States Attorney) office Investigator and FBI brought me to their office to be interrogated without an attorney present, even AUSA told in the court to the judge on March 16, 2006 that he arranged attorney for me before my arrival from Ellenwood PA to MDC Brooklyn, N.Y, on Transcript; page 11, Transcript line No: 14 to 23.
AUSA: - He (Khalid Awan) was writ in the cause of a grand jury investigation. He clearly had criminal exposure. So to protect his interest I made an application to the duty magistrate for counsel to be appointed.
THE COURT: - Initially he was brought here by a Court to testify before the grand jury?
AUSA: - That is correct, Your Honour.
THE COURT: - When he arrived here, you made arrangements for an attorney to be pointed to request him?
AUSA: - Yes, Your Honour.
This interrogation started with the AUSA office Investigator stating that my family will be arrested in Canada if I refused to answer their questions.
At this point I am certain that my family is in great danger for reasons that I am not aware of. I was scared that my family would be harassed by these people along with the Canadian RCMP official; I strongly believe that the RCMP is doing this intentionally in collaboration with FBI official to further harass me to admit charges that I never committed.
Without knowledge of the reasons why the Canadian RCMP agency was involved. I was surprised that RCMP official directly approached my family instead of me without proper explanation, and its also shocked for me, that how RCMP got the phone number of my family (because before my arrest, I don’t have any single record in any police dept, of any country).
I was intimated and pushed to the edge during this interrogation; I was determined to provide anything these USA officials wanted to make them happy even is the questions made no sense, because I want them to stop the harassment to my family.
On March 15, 2006 I completed the term of my imprisonment and was to be released from American Custody and deported back to Canada. Before that I was arrested again 3rd time, and charged with providing “material support to a foreign terrorist” and money laundering (to an organization and person, which are not designated by the USA govt and belongs to Sikh religion).
These charges emerged while I was still in prison and without the capability of providing any type of support. It was even difficult for me to get enough financial assistance to pay legal fees. I could not have provided any material support while I was in prison for five years and I could not launder any money because I did not have any.
AUSA filed three counts of indictment against me.
Conspiracy to provide material support.
Provide a material support to the foreign terrorist.
Money laundering to support terrorism.
(Please note, that in my previous case govt charged me for money laundering and fraud from Jan 1999 to 2002 and “its mentioned in the plea-agreement by the AUSA that no further money laundering charges will be brought against defendant from Jan 1999 to April 2002” even then govt indict me for money laundering from 1998 to Nov 2001 (Which is double Jeopardy and violation of 5th Amendment of U.S Constitution.)
In Oct 2006, during pre-trial hearing on the motions filed by my attorney the first two counts of my indictment were dismissed by the judge, stating that there is a lack of facts and figures.
After two weeks AUSA re-indicted me again. I believe this is a desperate act of the AUSA to cover up a huge embarrassment. Further this hastily drawn indictment was full of factual errors and creative legal theories.
Since I was first arrested by the American govt, I believe that I have been singled out, isolated and discriminated against primarily because of my race and religion, in addition to the fact that I don’t know any information that the American govt is trying to pressure out of me.
I do not understand the American laws and this is what led to my pleading guilty in the first case. I have difficulty understanding the new charges also.
I have been charged under, section 2339(a) of Title 18 of the United States code, which makes it illegal to provide material support to a foreign terrorist.
Please understand, I am not a terrorist, I do not know any terrorist and I have had no connections with or to any known or unknown terrorist. I have been incarcerated for last 5 years and I had no money to provide or launder.
The law enforcement have in America is pressuring me to provide information to them that I really do not have or know. I am a Canadian Citizen and nearly all of my family is in Canada, including my wife and kids. I don’t know any information to tell them to help their investigation.
Because of this, I am being treated unfairly and my rights under the American constitution are being violated. I am being held here in further detention against my will for crimes which I could have never committed, because I was in prison.
I believe that I am a victim of the discrimination that was outlined in the July 3, 2006 issue of Time magazine (Page 29, column 3). In this article section 2339(a) & (b) are discussed and criticized “as most suspects are charged under these two sections. However, the justice dept here in America admits that of the more than 218 guilty pleas that it has obtained, most are for minor investigation issues that are uncovered deeding the course of their terrorism investigation. This suggest, according to the article that the Attorney General’s office have is not concerned about the rights or fairness or the manner in which it achieves convictions for the people they arrest. Furthermore, criticizes have noted that one of the patterns to emerge from these domestic prosecutions is that suspect seen too incompetent to carry out the deeds they are accused of. The Deputy Attorney General acknowledges that the Dept of Justice’s goal is “preventions through prosecutions” and this is done with no regard for an individual’s rights.
I agree that these guilty of terrorism should be prosecuted. But as the above mentioned article suggest, innocent people should not be targeted because of their race or religion.
I am not a terrorist and I should not be targeted and treated unfairly and unjustly.
I need your assistance desperately in my case, as I believe that I am being treated unjustly here. I would like to send you my attorney’s contact information and provide you with legal documents related to my case, so that you may become more familiar with my situation.
Please also note, that I appeared in the court , for no guilty of my 2nd superseding indictment on Aug 02, 2006 and on Aug 03, 2006 FBOP officials placed me in the SHU (Segregation Housing Unit) out of these months, I placed in the SHU isolation from Aug 03, 2006 to March 6, 2007 for unknown “Pending Investigation” in these 215 days of my segregation and isolation, I don’t have a single phone call access to my family, no legal calls to my attorney and Canadian Council, my legal mail opened in my absence, no medical treatment for my injured shoulder (even I went for hunger strike for 3 and half day) I harassed by the various jail officials and lot of other problems too which already been submitted in the attention of the FBOP higher authorities, but no action taken on them, after writing the court, instead of receiving the response or any action on my complaints, jail officials removed /moved me from MDC federal facility to Nassau County Jail .
My suffering has gone on for far too long, and I need your help to bring my suffering to an end. I want to return home to my family, because my imprisonment was injustice and will remain a great injustice forever.
May God bless you and be with you in your efforts to champion the cause of human rights, and the suffering of innocent prisoners and restore hope, faith and love to peoples all over the world.
Canadian / Pakistani Khalid Q Awan Facing Unjustice .
Khalid Q Awan detainee is now facing different preplanned, Fabricated charges in NewYork USA during his jail period,Khalid Awan is now looking forward your special attention and help towards this case for saving his innocent life. As we know, he is innocent and you can do further correspondence with him in detention centre NewYork USA and his attorney Khuram and Maher LLP NewYork to find out the reality and truth, and to bring the reality in front of the world that no innocent face that kind of the situation in future.
Khalid Q Awan detainee himself disagree with the charges imposed on him by the FBI, The charges are not related with him by all means. How can be possible a person in jail /custody since 9/11 now become terrorist while he proved not guilty in the same court in the past. So he is looking forward your help to get the justice and Clear and fair investigation in these imposed fabricated charges. It is possible with the involvement of the organizations like your’s, so that the innocent will come back to his normal life This is the mission of the human rights commission that innocents to be protected in all over the world from injustice ,and illegal Custody.
As by the press reports and by governments officials, In the court room only FBI representatives and some press reporters were present and no one else was there to see what is going over.
Help requested from high officials in Canada, U.S.A, and UNO & also from the NGOS who work for the human rights in all over the world.
Once again the request for find out the truth and reality in the above case.
With best wishes and regards
The sisters and whole family of Khalid Q Awan from Canada, and Pakistan.
The court will announce a decision on 24 may 2007.
Dear Sir / Madam
I am 46 years old, Canadian citizen and native of Pakistan (Muslim). I was an immigration consultant in Canada and as part of my business , I had an office in New York.
During 2001 immediately after the Sept 11, event the US govt arrested me on Oct 25, 2001 on anonymous call, as a material witness for the 9/11 world trade centre terrorist attack. A detail investigation by the FBI and USA Naval intelligence dept was conducted and I was cleared, but even then govt put me in front of Grand jury , and I was cleared and the case was dismissed by the Grand jury of the US Federal Court .
Approximately after 2 weeks , before I was released from custody the US Govt imposed a new charges of Fraud and money laundering , under the advice of my attorney , I pleaded guilty and I was sentenced to prison for five years (which was four years more, what I pleaded). In which I had already spent 3 years in Detention jail, during the case , I had about 14 months left to finishing my sentence ,(instead of appealing, I preferred to applied for Treaty Transfer to Canada, because if the case is in the appeal, defendant is not eligible for transfer back to his home country).
While at prison, I learned from the case manager Miss Mause, that my citizen was incorrect in the FBOP’s (Federal Bureau of Prison) computer system as Pakistani instead of Canadian.
Its important to note , that all of my Canadian identifications (passport , citizenship card , S.I.N , Health card Driving license etc) were under FBI’s possession, with a great deal of concern, I wrote a letter to the Canadian Consulate in Buffalo, N.Y to notify such mistake and requested them to fix this problem. This is especially important for Treaty Transfer back to Canada.
The Canadian Consulate official sent a letter to the jail to correct my citizenship status, however FBOP ignored the request and the citizenship status in the FBOP computer still reflect Pakistani instead of Canadian (Note:- I would be required to obtain visa to visit Pakistan) .In contrast , the deportation letter received from US Immigration dept, Contained the correct citizenship status of Canada.
At the hindsight, I believe that the FBOP intentionally left the citizenship as Pakistani, so that they could retained me at their facility, while the govt is planning to file new charges against me 3rd time.
Approximately six weeks before my released date on Jan 30 ,2006 I was notified by the FBOP that I was being transferred from Ellenwood , PA to MDC (Metropolitan Detention Centre) in Brooklyn N.Y, it was explained to me, that the purpose of this transfer was in preparation for deportation back to Canada, (after few days, I signed the immigration deportation papers, with my consular Miss Chen).
But immediately after my arriving to MDC Brooklyn, I discovered during a phone call with my family in Montreal, that RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) official had contacted my sister and brother-in-law regarding the whereabouts of my wife and my current situation, there was no explanation given by the RCMP official to the purpose of the call and he left his phone number and asked my wife to call him back immediately, my wife called the RCMP official and left messages in his voice mail. Then the official contacted my brother-in-law again and had asked him to tell my wife not to call again, because there is nothing good nor anything bad.
Meanwhile the AUSA ( United States Attorney) office Investigator and FBI brought me to their office to be interrogated without an attorney present, even AUSA told in the court to the judge on March 16, 2006 that he arranged attorney for me before my arrival from Ellenwood PA to MDC Brooklyn, N.Y, on Transcript; page 11, Transcript line No: 14 to 23.
AUSA:- He (Khalid Awan) was writ in the cause of a grand jury investigation. He clearly had criminal exposure. So to protect his interest I made an application to the duty magistrate for counsel to be appointed.
THE COURT:- Initially he was brought here by a Court to testify before the grand jury?
AUSA:- That is correct, Your Honour.
THE COURT:- When he arrived here, you made arrangements for an attorney to be pointed to request him?
AUSA:- Yes, Your Honour.
This interrogation started with the AUSA office Investigator stating that my family will be arrested in Canada if I refused to answer their questions.
At this point I am certain that my family is in great danger for reasons that I am not aware of. I was scared that my family would be harassed by these people along with the Canadian RCMP official, I strongly believe that the RCMP is doing this intentionally in collaboration with FBI official to further harass me to admit charges, that I never committed.
Without knowledge of the reasons why the Canadian RCMP agency was involved. I was surprised that RCMP official directly approached my family instead of me without proper explanation, and its also shocked for me, that how RCMP got the phone number of my family (because before my arrest, I don’t have any single record in any police dept, of any country).
I was intimated and pushed to the edge during this interrogation, I was determined to provide anything these USA officials wanted to make them happy even is the questions made no sense, because I want them to stop the harassment to my family.
On March 15, 2006 I completed the term of my imprisonment and was to be released from American Custody and deported back to Canada. Before that I was arrested again 3rd time, and charged with providing “material support to a foreign terrorist” and money laundering (to a organization and person, which are not designated by the USA govt and belongs to Sikh religion).
These charges emerged while I was still in prison and without the capability of providing any type of support. It was even difficult for me to get enough financial assistance to pay legal fees. I could not have provided any material support while I was in prison for five years and I could not launder any money because I did not have any.
AUSA filed three counts of indictment against me.
Conspiracy to provide material support.
Provide a material support to the foreign terrorist.
Money laundering to support terrorism.
(Please note, that in my previous case govt charged me for money laundering and fraud from Jan 1999 to 2002 and “its mentioned in the plea-agreement by the AUSA that no further money laundering charges will be brought against defendant from Jan 1999 to April 2002” even then govt indict me for money laundering from 1998 to Nov 2001 (Which is double Jeopardy and violation of 5th Amendment of U.S Constitution.)
In Oct 2006, during pre-trial hearing on the motion’s filed by my attorney the first two counts of my indictment were dismissed by the judge, stating that there is a lack of facts and figures.
After two weeks AUSA re-indicted me again. I believe this is a desperate act of the AUSA to cover up a huge embarrassment . Further this hastily drawn indictment was full of factual errors and creative legal theories.
Since I was first arrested by the American govt, I believe that I have been singled out, isolated and discriminated against primarily because of my race and religion, in addition to the fact that I don’t know any information that the American govt is trying to pressure out of me.
I do not understand the American laws and this is what led to my pleading guilty in the first case. I have difficulty understanding the new charges also.
I have been charged under, section 2339(a) of Title 18 of the United States code, which makes it illegal to provide material support to a foreign terrorist.
Please understand, I am not a terrorist, I do not know any terrorist and I have had no connections with or to any known or unknown terrorist. I have been incarcerated for last 5 years and I had no money to provide or launder.
The law enforcement have in America is pressuring me to provide information to them that I really do not have or know. I am a Canadian Citizen and nearly all of my family is in Canada, including my wife and kids. I don’t know any information to tell them to help their investigation.
Because of this , I am being treated unfairly and my rights under the American constitution are being violated. I am being held here in further detention against my will for crimes which I could have never committed, because I was in prison.
I believe, that I am a victim of the discrimination that was outlined in the July 3, 2006 issue of Time magazine (Page 29, column 3). In this article section 2339(a) & (b) are discussed and criticized “as most suspects are charged under these two sections. However, the justice dept here in America admits that of the more than 218 guilty pleas that it has obtained, most are for minor investigation issues that are uncovered deeding the course of their terrorism investigation. This suggest, according to the article that the Attorney General’s office have is not concerned about the rights or fairness or the manner in which it achieves convictions for the people they arrest. Furthermore, criticizes have noted that one of the patterns to emerge from these domestic prosecutions is that suspect seen too incompetent to carry out the deeds they are accused of. The Deputy Attorney General acknowledges that the Dept of Justice’s goal is “ preventions through prosecution’s” and this is done with no regard for an individual’s rights.
I agree that these guilty of terrorism should be prosecuted . But as the above mentioned article suggest , innocent people should not be targeted because of their race or religion.
I am not a terrorist and I should not be targeted and treated unfairly and unjustly.
I need your assistance desperately in my case, as I believe that I am being treated unjustly here. I would like to send you my attorney’s contact information and provide you with legal documents related to my case, so that you may become more familiar with my situation.
Please also note, that I appeared in the court , for no guilty of my 2nd superseding indictment on Aug 02, 2006 and on Aug 03, 2006 FBOP officials placed me in the SHU (Segregation Housing Unit) out of these months, I placed in the SHU isolation from Aug 03, 2006 to March 6, 2007 for unknown “Pending Investigation” in these 215 days of my segregation and isolation, I don’t have a single phone call access to my family, no legal calls to my attorney and Canadian Council, my legal mail opened in my absence, no medical treatment for my injured shoulder (even I went for hunger strike for 3 and half day) I harassed by the various jail officials and lot of other problems too which already been submitted in the attention of the FBOP higher authorities, but no action taken on them, after writing the court, instead of receiving the response or any action on my complaints, jail officials removed /moved me from MDC federal facility to Nassau County Jail .
My suffering has gone on for far too long, and I need your help to bring my suffering to an end. I want to return home to my family, because my imprisonment was injustice and will remain a great injustice forever.
May God bless you and be with you in your efforts to champion the cause of human rights, and the suffering of innocent prisoners and restore hope, faith and love to peoples all over the world.
i WILL SAY LEAVE THE QUEEN AND THE MONARCY ALONE. AT LEAST THEY KNOW HOW TO RUN THEIR COUNTRY. MORE THAN I CAN SAY FOR OURSELVES. INNOCENT BLOOD IS BEING SHED FROM OUR CHILDREN. AND FOR WHAT? IRAQ HAS BEEN THE WAY THEY ARE BEFORE THE EXISTENCE OF CHRIST. ACTUALLY THEY ARE THE OLDEST COUNTRY BEFORE CHRIST. WHY DO WE FEEL WE HAVE TO CHANGE THEM? I DONOT BELEIVE IN THEIR WAY OF BELIEF OR THINKING BUT I CANNOT JUDGE THEM. GOD BLESS AMERICA AND GOD SPEED TO OUR TROOPS.
Hi,
In the history of world evolution those country lead the world which break the old tradition to give a place to new one.In presnet time the scandle of royal family and life style is beyond the expectation of the people of Uk.The ideal model of royal life has been broken ,the financial burden of royal life style already weaken the people budget and the semi god concept of wolrd empire has been changed by the new world.so,what is the use of to carry this old fashion institution which could not prevail the sancity of the british life style.if the life style of royal family memebrs are like stars of the nation then what is the use to carry this one.The star bringing the wealth and reputation to the nation than parasitic royal institution.so what is the use to carry both. The wise man says "as soon as u separate the parasite as u will be better "
Hands off the Queen, you peasants !! It's teh only decent thing to have come out of Britain, even if they are bunch of damned Germans or Saxburg-Gothans!
Only Americans would take orders from an idiot like Bush, and grin like demented barbarians as they ravish the oldest civilisation known to mankind .....
Abolish the Queen? The only question we need to ask is why does she bother? We need to start by clearing up two common misconceptions. Firstly, the Queen has no real power. Although technically she has almost unlimited power e.g. declare war, pick prime minister, make laws etc; the reality is that she follows the advice of MPs who have been elected. If she started to act unilaterally she wouldn't be Queen for long unless in a SEVERE crisis situation where she would have the support of the people anyway. She is a vital safeguard however because if a government passed a wildly unpopular bill nagainst the will of the people the Queen could, however unlikely that may be, veto it (something increasingly been called for the EU constitution)
Secondly, the monarchy doesn't cost a fortune. Yes the Queen receives taxpayers money via the civil list but they give up their private income to the treasury in return. This is a net gain of something like £160m PER YEAR in Gordon's favour. Even with palace maintenance etc it amounts to pence per person per year to maintain the Family and all the pomp etc. Not a bad bargain when you consider all the tourist money etc...they don't come here for the weather do they? And a drop in the ocean to the £120bn($245bn)per annum blackhole that is the NHS budget!
So as you can see the Queen spends most of her life in faultless service to her country for what? For some left-wing republican fool to bemoan the disgrace that is Royalty and call for an elected President. Why? The reason the monarchy won't be going anywhere soon is because whereas a million people came to the Mall to cheer the Queen on her jubilee and wish her long life, you'd struggle to find a hundred that would do the same for Blair. The British people are not about to replace a powerless, expensive Royal with a (probably even more) expensive, powerless politician!!!
Which brings me back to my original point. If i was Her Majesty, i would be tempted to think "ah sod it". I would retire to the countryside to a life of luxury and leisure (no more boring investures, government papers, citizens to meet all day everyday etc). I'd spend my large increased income on things i wanted to do, and say things that i wanted to say rather than be stifled by duty and convention. And all the time i would laugh as some dour, useless, corrupt MP moves into Buckingham Palace to all the same criticisms i faced, but worse because hes a hated politician. I'd be laughing as Britain goes even more down the celebrity obsessed gutter.
But she won't. Because she believes in honour, oaths, and duty. Can you say the same about most politicians?
Assuming what you've stated is true you are caught up in the new McCarthyism in America. We're (the US) not turning over rocks to ferret out Commies anymore. Now we're turning over rocks to ferret out the terrorists.
Unfortunately, all you can do is what you are currently doing. Write letters and emails to every news organization in this country explaining your circumstances and hope one decides to investigate it. Should that investigation prove you correct the resulting press coverage will win you a seat on an airliner back to Canada.
Some years ago the Brits were polled on whether to keep or abolish the Monarchy. They overwhelmingly said to keep them.
So be it. It's their choice.
Interesting though, Tony Blair's wife would like to be rid of them.
It was 1974, I first visited UK. Since then I always developed a liking for the queen in person. In 1974 she was yonger, elegant and at 1st look demand a respect.
The queen of England have no match with the movie stars. Because movie stars are not genuine, they are just playing their role for entertainment industry. Queen is real and still like a fairy tale is comfort provider for millions.
The wisdom of royal family is that they are changing with the time and respecting the will of people.
I remember long time before when queen was celebrating her birthdy there was lot of controversy that weather UK afford to continue the Royal family.
The answer is yes. They are much better than the elected representatives which comes in power by corrupt practices and continue to play dirty politics to keep them in power.
In South Asia unfortunately all elected representative behave themselves as king and queen with out even a small percentage of ethics which royal family practice every day.
I am not a Britisher and for last 7 or 8 years not visited UK. I am very well aware that now with present polluted atmosphere if at any time for some genuine reason I apply for a UK visa it will be dealt harshly and results will be uncertain.
I am 46 years old, Canadian citizen and native of Pakistan (muslim). I was an immigration consultant in Canada and as part of my business , I had an office in New York.
During 2001 immediately after the Sept 11, event the US govt arrested me on Oct 25, 2001 on anonymous call, as a material witness for the 9/11 world trade centre terrorist attack. A detail investigation by the FBI and USA Naval intelligence dept was conducted and I was cleared, but even then govt put me in front of Grand jury , and I was cleared and the case was dismissed by the Grand jury of the US Federal Court .
Approximately after 2 weeks , before I was released from custody the US Govt imposed a new charges of Fraud and money laundering , under the advice of my attorney , I pleaded guilty and I was sentenced to prison for five years (which was four years more, what I pleaded). In which I had already spent 3 years in Detention jail, during the case , I had about 14 months left to finishing my sentence ,(instead of appealing, I preferred to applied for Treaty Transfer to Canada, because if the case is in the appeal, defendant is not for transfer back to his home country).
While at prison, I learned from the case manager Miss Mause, that my citizen was incorrect in the FBOP’s (Federal Bureau of Prison) computer system as Pakistani instead of Canadian.
Its important to note , that all of my Canadian identifications (passport , citizenship card , S.I.N , Health card , Driving license etc) were under FBI’s possession, with a great deal of concern, I wrote a letter to the Canadian Consulate in Buffalo, N.Y to notify such mistake and requested them to fix this problem. This is especially important for Treaty Transfer back to Canada.
The Canadian Consulate official sent a letter to the jail to correct my citizenship status, however FBOP ignored the request and the citizenship status in the FBOP computer still reflect Pakistani instead of Canadian (Note:- I would be required to obtain visa to visit Pakistan) .In contrast , the deportation letter received from US Immigration dept, Contained the correct citizenship status of Canada.
At the hind sight, I believe that the FBOP intentionally left the citizenship as Pakistani, so that they could retained me at their facility, while the govt is planning to file new at their facility, while the govt is planning to file new charges against me 3rd time.
Approximately six weeks before my released date on Jan 30 ,2006 I was notified by the FBOP that I was being transferred from Allen wood , PA to MDC (Metropolitan Detention Centre) in Brooklyn N.Y, it was explained to me, that the purpose of this transfer was in preparation for deportation back to Canada, (after few days, I signed the immigration deportation papers, with my consular Miss Chen).
But immediately after arriving to MDC Brooklyn, I discovered during a phone call with my family in Montreal, that RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) official had contacted my sister and brother-in-law regarding the whereabouts of my wife and my current situation, there was no explanation given by the RCMP official to the purpose of the call and he left his phone number and asked my wife to call him back immediately, my wife called the RCMP official and left messages in his voice mail. Then the official contacted my brother-in-law again and had asked him to tell my wife not to call again, because there is nothing good nor anything bad.
Meanwhile the AUSA (ASH United States Attorney) office Investigator and FBI brought me to their office to be interrogated and FBI brought me to their office to be interrogated without an attorney present, even AUSA told in the court to the judge on March 16, 2006 that he arranged attorney for me, on Transcript; page 11, Transcript page no 14 to 23.
AUSA:- He (Khalid Awan) was write in the cause of a grand jury investigation. He clearly had criminal exposure. So to protect his interest I made an application to the duty magistrate for counsel to be appointed.
THE COURT:- Initially he was brought here by a Court to testify before the grand jury?
AUSA:- That is correct, Your Honour.
THE COURT:- When he arrived here, you made arrangements for an attorney to be pointed to request him?
AUSA:- Yes, Your Honour.
This interrogation started with the AUSA office Investigator stating that my family will be arrested in Canada if I refused to answer their questions.
At this point I am certain that my family is in great danger for reasons that I am not aware of. I was scared that my family would be harassed by these people along with the Canadian RCMP official, I strongly believe that the RCMP is doing this intentionally in collaboration with FBI official to further harass me to admit charges, that I never committed.
Without knowledge of the reasons why the Canadian RCMP agency was involved. I was surprised that RCMP official directly approached my family instead of me without proper explanation, and its also shocked for me, that how RCMP got the phone number of my family (because before my arrest, I don’t have any single record in any police dept, of any country).
I was intimated and pushed to the edge during this interrogation, I was determined to provide anything these USA officials wanted to make them happy even is the questions made no sense, because I want them to stop the harassment to my family.
On March 15, 2006 I completed the term of imprisonment and was to be released from American Custody and deported back to Canada. Before that I was arrested again 3rd time charged without providing “material support to a foreign terrorist” and money laundering (to a organization and person, which are not designed by the USA govt).
These charges emerged while I was still in prison and without the capability of providing any type of support. It was even difficult for me to get enough financial assistance to pay legal fees. I could not have provided any material support while I was in prison for five years and I could not launder any money because I did not have any.
AUSA filed three counts of indictment against me.
Conspiracy to provide material support.
Provide a material support to the foreign terrorist.
Money laundering to support terrorism.
(Please note, that in my previous case govt charged me for money laundering and fraud from Jan 1999 to 2002 and “its mentioned in the plea-agreement by the AUSA that no further money laundering charges will be brought against defendant from Jan 1999 to April 2002” even then govt indict me for money laundering from 1998 to Nov 2001 (Which is double Jeopardy and violation of 5th Amendment of U.S Constitution.)
In Oct 2006, during pre-trial hearing on the motion’s filed by my attorney the first two counts of my indictment were dismissed by the judge, stating that there is a lack of facts and figures.
After two weeks AUSA re-indicted me again. I believe this is a desperate act of the AUSA to cover up a huge embarrassment . Further this hastily drawn indictment was full of factual errors and creative legal theories.
Since I was first arrested by the American govt, I believe that I have been signed out, isolated and discriminated against primarily because of my race and religion, in addition to the fact that I don’t know any information that the American govt is trying to pressure out of me.
I do not understand the American laws and this is what led to my pleading guilty in the first case. I have difficulty understanding the new charges also.
I have been charged under, section 2339(a) of Title 18 of the United States code, which makes it illegal to provide material support to a foreign terrorist.
Please understand, I am not a terrorist, I do not know any terrorist and I have had no connections with or to any known or unknown terrorist. I have been incarcerated for last 5 years and I had no money to provide or launder.
The law enforcement have in America is pressuring me to provide information to them that I really do not have or know. I am a Canadian Citizen and nearly all of my family is in Canada, including my wife and kids. I don’t know any information to tell them to help their investigation.
Because of this , I am being treated unfairly and my rights under the American constitution are being violated. I am being held here in further detention against my will for crimes which I could have never committed, because I was in prison.
I believe, that I am a victim of the discrimination that was outlined in the July 3, 2006 issue of Time magazine (Page 29, column 3). In this article section 2339(a) & (b) are discussed and criticized “as most suspects are charged under these two sections. However, the justice dept here in America admits that of the more than 218 guilty pleas that it has obtained, most are for minor investigation issues that are uncovered deeding the course of their terrorism investigation. This suggest, according to the article that the Attorney General’s office have is not concerned about the rights or fairness or the manner in which it achieves convictions for the people they arrest. Furthermore, criticizes have noted that one of the patterns to emerge from these domestic prosecutions is that suspect seen too incompetent to carry out the deeds they are accused of. The Deputy Attorney General acknowledges that the Dept of Justice’s goal is “ preventions through prosecution’s” and this is done with no regard for an individual’s rights.
I agree that these guilty of terrorism should be prosecuted . But as the above mentioned article suggest , innocent people should not be targeted because of their race or religion.
I am not a terrorist and I should not be targeted and treated unfairly and unjustly.
I need your assistance desperately in my case, as I believe that I am being treated unjustly here. I would like to send you my attorney’s contact information and provide you with legal documents related to my case, so that you may become more familiar with my situation.
Please also note, that I appeared in the court , for no guilty of my 2nd superseding indictment on Aug 3, 2006 to March 6, 2007 FBOP officials placed me in the SHU (Segregation Housing Unit) out of these months, I placed in the SHU isolation from Jan 2, 2007 to March 6, 2007 for unknown “Pending Investigation” in these 215 days of my segregation and isolation, I don’t have a single phone call access to my family, no legal calls to my attorney and Canadian Council, my legal mail opened in my absence, no medical treatment for my injured shoulder (even I went for hunger strike for 3 and half day) I harassed by the various jail officials and lot of other problems too which already been submitted in the attention of the FBOP higher authorities, but no action taken on them, after writing the court, instead of receiving the response or any action on my complaints, jail officials removed /moved me from MDC federal facility to Nassau County Jail .
My suffering has gone on for far too long, and I need your help to bring my suffering to an end. I want to return home to my family .
May God bless you and be with you in your efforts to champion the cause of human rights, and the suffering of innocent prisoners and restore hope, faith and love to peoples all over the world.
Of course the monarchy should be continued. It is a very valuable tool for international diplomacy. The royal family deserves to be kept like a mistress in a penthouse. After all, we are of the royal bloodline. I know it's difficult for you commoners to understand, especially you upstarts in America, but the monarchy has been a tradition in England for many centuries and I know that my subjects just could not function without the knowledge that I am watching over them like a benevolent uncle.
At least not Bush - I think you put your finger on the problem. Somehow people tend to think that Royalty or aristocrats or famous movies stars are somehow better than the rest of us. I would like to point out to you that the inbred gaggle of Amercian aristocracy are "C" students or worse. They are congenital idiots, nowhere near as bright as most posters in a forum such as this. George Bush AND John Kerry have the creativity and intelligence of a shrimp, for God's sake. Then, the British royalty never disappoint. Andrew dumped his fiance becasue her mother asked the Queen the way to the bloody bathroom. ALl of the British press is agog today that Bush *winked* at the Queen following her speech. One commentor said "...it is not good manners to wink at your guest like your President did yesterday after making a speech, makes you look common...."
Now, far be it from me to defend our inbred idiot President, but the British are clueless twits if they think we give a hoot about looking "common".
Actually, common ordinary every day people, who are NOT corporate CEO's or politcians or aristocrats or royalty or Hollywood movied stars
are far far far superior to the lot of them. They have more commn sense, more courage, and a better moral compass. Ideally, we would consign these spoiled brats to the farm and randomly select one or another of us to run things for a year or two. I figure I have more and better ideas about energy conservation, health care, immigration, before breakfast than the whole of Congress and the Whitehouse after deliberating and studying the problems for a year.
We..our vaunted democracy, voting, has brought us Bush.
Maybe a monarchy with some sense would be a GOOD thing.
May I also point out our last TWO elecions with Bush have been questioned...and certainly questionable. Think hard if you're prone to sneer at the Brits.
Should the Monarchy be abolished?
Should you mind your own business?
Have you nothing else to do?
Are you afraid these posts will reflect some real news?
That you don't want to confront?
As they have lately?
How stupid has this post become?
Some countries have a tradition of a nominal head of state who is a king or queen. The UK has this tradition and they will likely stick to it for some time to come. Commonwealth countries are less wedded to it. Australia is seriously considering or has actually initiated procedures for cutting their ties to the British royals. A few other countries still have kings, which stabilize things to some extent, but it is clearly a dying system. Lichtenstein Duke probably owns much of the country and can still call it his own, perhaps.
Our worship of movie stars, who are mostly over paid people with poor personal habits, is pretty silly. Just like baseball, basketball, football "stars" are set up as role models, which they usually do not fill very well.
What we need is to be able to look up to intelligent, well read and educated leaders who are suitable material for leading this country. Instead we get self appointed political opportunists who decide they can raise enough money to convince people that they can be our leader. Just look at the 20 candidates who have so far decided they would like to run this country, backed by money which has decided that these people can be controlled to benefit the oligarchy, as they have, especially since Regan.
In England, the Queen says what the government writes for her. In the US the President speaks what Cheney and the staff tell him to say and write for him. since he cannot speak extemporaneously.
King Cheney governed for 6 years.
the will of the people in the last election for us government seems largely disregarded-this seems to become worse with each election, regardless of which political party wins.
To whoever criticised me:
1 -English is not my first language, given this fact I consider that I handle it well (better than many native speakers I've met)
2- it is not "grammer"...it is grammar
3 - I am not drunk, crazy or impaired....those at this site are when they formulated nonsensical questions. Someone (I just forgot who) said: Ask nonsensical question and get nonsensical replies.
4 - I can only agree with the fact that in typing too fast, I was bound to mistakes..and this question drove me to this kind of reaction. I found it (this question in particular)so senseless it should be some kind of joke, a bad one.
As an Australian where the Queen is head of state ( through a resident Govenor General appointed by the Government) -(like New zealand) I prefer to keep the existing system. It has served us well for 221 years and continues to be the system preferred by the majority of both countries.
What a loaded and condescending question. Don't dump on the British monarchy, because you weren't invited to dinner. Arguing this point with you would be an utter waste of time. If you're going to be silly, write about spring gardening.
Good grief . . . . Have we fallen so far that we can't tell when the tongue is in the cheek? It appears that a number of the respondents have lost their senses of humor!!!
Why is this question being debated in a U.S. newspaper site? What the hell has it got to do with us? Most Brits think Bush is a moron but we'd be outraged if they ridiculed our head of state or started preaching to us about how we should organise our constitution or our way of running the country. Keep your noses out of other peoples' business - pity we didn't do that in Iraq.
As you say, a perrenial question, the topic, for example, of a recent Gueardian Talk thread. The royals are, of course, quite impotent politically (and the male members need only be sexually potent enough to father one or two heirs) but that very impotence is the secret of their survival. The present British gov't is the product of the Glorious Revolution of 1689 when James II, the last king foolish enough to try to rule, was given the boot.
Since then, all Brirish monarchs - with the exception of the dinwitted Hanoverians - have accepted their purely ceremonial function without audible protest.
They are, of course, objects of worship like the flag, but lately they've become part of the entertainment and tourist industries. And that's just where they fall short, because, with the exception of Princess Diana - who was, of course, an ex-royal - they haven't been very entertaining.
Therefore, in order to preserve the monarchy it may be necessary to replace hereditary monarchs with professional actors who,like Olivier, Glenda Jackson, Peter O'toole, Judy Dench, Helen Mirren, et al, play royal roles far more convincingly than the incumbent amateurs.
"...Or should other nations have kings and queens so they can stop worshiping movie stars?"
-David Ignatius
Dear David,
MMMmmm, David, you've really come up with a heavy weight philosophical question there dude...
Sparked a short term synaps search to recall somewhen a fellow once told the story about how Washington DC was chosen as the nation's capital.
Seems the founding fathers determined that the debate between NYC and DC was to be resolved by the Mayor's drawing straws to see who got all the politicians and who got all the lawyers.
NYC lost. But that is another debate entirely...
As to lifestyles of the rich and brain dead, I can tell you one thing for certain;
If those able to effect the most good with the most bucks, having the buckos to do so, did so , then we wouldn't think of them as brain dead, would we?
I agree with Margaret you are a crass and crude lot.
I would also ask why would you be questioning Americans about the prupose or need of a British Monarchy can't see that their opinion would mean a hoot.
Go back to your usual kings and queens of the entertainment world who grab their crotch and expose their breasts and just generally exude common behavior.
Apparently this is all you are capable of understanding.
Monarchy is all about descendance.When a not too erudite son can take over from his father as president,you could suspect at least oligarchy or worse.Monarchy and republic both share a common trait;the rich basically call the shots!
This from the British perspective is a perenial question.
As a British subject I cannot say that I'm a great fan of the Royal Family, however, the problem is what to replace it with.
God forbid that we replace it with the equivalent of George W. Bush.
What is also not well known is that Britian has already tried the Republic idea (before the word Republic was even invented) and rejected it Oliver Cromwell).
Furthermore, what doesn't seem to be understood is that the Royal Family are largely a figurehead and have no real power. They are dictated to by the government of the day.
Also, the truth be told, the heriditary rule has served Britain very well throughout the ages. So, at least for the present I see no alternative.
Readers’ Responses to Our Question (80)
Hello
G'night
January 10, 2008 8:54 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Hello
Bye
December 30, 2007 10:32 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Hello
pesos
swan lake barbie clipart
xp 10
pornographic movie
bin file viewer
Bye
November 25, 2007 1:14 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Hi all!
2003 truck tailgates
belfast peace line
summer lake subdivision
1087 downtowner blvd
maternity sewing patterns
carz the movie
G'night
November 24, 2007 2:05 PM | Report Offensive Comments
ch game stick
barbecue tool
snoqualmie pass weather
How To Cook Beef Tenderloin
November 15, 2007 12:19 PM | Report Offensive Comments
ch game stick
barbecue tool
snoqualmie pass weather
How To Cook Beef Tenderloin
November 15, 2007 12:16 PM | Report Offensive Comments
A Victim of the Discrimination
Dear Sir / Madam
I am 46 years old, Canadian citizen and native of Pakistan (Muslim). I was an immigration consultant in Canada and as part of my business; I had an office in New York.
During 2001 immediately after the Sept 11, event the US govt arrested me on Oct 25, 2001 on anonymous call, as a material witness for the 9/11 world trade centre terrorist attack. A detail investigation by the FBI and USA Naval intelligence dept was conducted and I was cleared, but even then govt put me in front of Grand jury, and I was cleared and the case was dismissed by the Grand jury of the US Federal Court.
Approximately after 2 weeks , before I was released from custody the US Govt imposed a new charges of Fraud and money laundering , under the advice of my attorney , I pleaded guilty and I was sentenced to prison for five years (which was four years more, what I pleaded). In which I had already spent 3 years in Detention jail, during the case , I had about 14 months left to finishing my sentence ,(instead of appealing, I preferred to applied for Treaty Transfer to Canada, because if the case is in the appeal, defendant is not eligible for transfer back to his home country).
While at prison, I learned from the case manager Miss House, that my citizen was incorrect in the FBOP’s (Federal Bureau of Prison) computer system as Pakistani instead of Canadian.
Its important to note , that all of my Canadian identifications (passport , citizenship card , S.I.N , Health card , Driving license etc) were under FBI’s possession, with a great deal of concern, I wrote a letter to the Canadian Consulate in Buffalo, N.Y to notify such mistake and requested them to fix this problem. This is especially important for Treaty Transfer back to Canada.
The Canadian Consulate official sent a letter to the jail to correct my citizenship status, however FBOP ignored the request and the citizenship status in the FBOP computer still reflect Pakistani instead of Canadian (Note: - I would be required to obtain visa to visit Pakistan) .In contrast, the deportation letter received from US Immigration dept, Contained the correct citizenship status of Canada.
At the hindsight, I believe that the FBOP intentionally left the citizenship as Pakistani, so that they could retained me at their facility, while the govt is planning to file new charges against me 3rd time.
Approximately six weeks before my released date on Jan 30, 2006 I was notified by the FBOP that I was being transferred from Ellenwood, PA to MDC (Metropolitan Detention Centre) in Brooklyn N.Y, it was explained to me, that the purpose of this transfer was in preparation for deportation back to Canada, (after few days, I signed the immigration deportation papers, with my consular Miss Chen).
But immediately after my arriving to MDC Brooklyn, I discovered during a phone call with my family in Montreal, that RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) official had contacted my sister and brother-in-law regarding the whereabouts of my wife and my current situation, there was no explanation given by the RCMP official to the purpose of the call and he left his phone number and asked my wife to call him back immediately, my wife called the RCMP official and left messages in his voice mail. Then the official contacted my brother-in-law again and had asked him to tell my wife not to call again, because there is nothing good nor anything bad.
Meanwhile the AUSA (United States Attorney) office Investigator and FBI brought me to their office to be interrogated without an attorney present, even AUSA told in the court to the judge on March 16, 2006 that he arranged attorney for me before my arrival from Ellenwood PA to MDC Brooklyn, N.Y, on Transcript; page 11, Transcript line No: 14 to 23.
AUSA: - He (Khalid Awan) was writ in the cause of a grand jury investigation. He clearly had criminal exposure. So to protect his interest I made an application to the duty magistrate for counsel to be appointed.
THE COURT: - Initially he was brought here by a Court to testify before the grand jury?
AUSA: - That is correct, Your Honour.
THE COURT: - When he arrived here, you made arrangements for an attorney to be pointed to request him?
AUSA: - Yes, Your Honour.
This interrogation started with the AUSA office Investigator stating that my family will be arrested in Canada if I refused to answer their questions.
At this point I am certain that my family is in great danger for reasons that I am not aware of. I was scared that my family would be harassed by these people along with the Canadian RCMP official; I strongly believe that the RCMP is doing this intentionally in collaboration with FBI official to further harass me to admit charges that I never committed.
Without knowledge of the reasons why the Canadian RCMP agency was involved. I was surprised that RCMP official directly approached my family instead of me without proper explanation, and its also shocked for me, that how RCMP got the phone number of my family (because before my arrest, I don’t have any single record in any police dept, of any country).
I was intimated and pushed to the edge during this interrogation; I was determined to provide anything these USA officials wanted to make them happy even is the questions made no sense, because I want them to stop the harassment to my family.
On March 15, 2006 I completed the term of my imprisonment and was to be released from American Custody and deported back to Canada. Before that I was arrested again 3rd time, and charged with providing “material support to a foreign terrorist” and money laundering (to an organization and person, which are not designated by the USA govt and belongs to Sikh religion).
These charges emerged while I was still in prison and without the capability of providing any type of support. It was even difficult for me to get enough financial assistance to pay legal fees. I could not have provided any material support while I was in prison for five years and I could not launder any money because I did not have any.
AUSA filed three counts of indictment against me.
Conspiracy to provide material support.
Provide a material support to the foreign terrorist.
Money laundering to support terrorism.
(Please note, that in my previous case govt charged me for money laundering and fraud from Jan 1999 to 2002 and “its mentioned in the plea-agreement by the AUSA that no further money laundering charges will be brought against defendant from Jan 1999 to April 2002” even then govt indict me for money laundering from 1998 to Nov 2001 (Which is double Jeopardy and violation of 5th Amendment of U.S Constitution.)
In Oct 2006, during pre-trial hearing on the motions filed by my attorney the first two counts of my indictment were dismissed by the judge, stating that there is a lack of facts and figures.
After two weeks AUSA re-indicted me again. I believe this is a desperate act of the AUSA to cover up a huge embarrassment. Further this hastily drawn indictment was full of factual errors and creative legal theories.
Since I was first arrested by the American govt, I believe that I have been singled out, isolated and discriminated against primarily because of my race and religion, in addition to the fact that I don’t know any information that the American govt is trying to pressure out of me.
I do not understand the American laws and this is what led to my pleading guilty in the first case. I have difficulty understanding the new charges also.
I have been charged under, section 2339(a) of Title 18 of the United States code, which makes it illegal to provide material support to a foreign terrorist.
Please understand, I am not a terrorist, I do not know any terrorist and I have had no connections with or to any known or unknown terrorist. I have been incarcerated for last 5 years and I had no money to provide or launder.
The law enforcement have in America is pressuring me to provide information to them that I really do not have or know. I am a Canadian Citizen and nearly all of my family is in Canada, including my wife and kids. I don’t know any information to tell them to help their investigation.
Because of this, I am being treated unfairly and my rights under the American constitution are being violated. I am being held here in further detention against my will for crimes which I could have never committed, because I was in prison.
I believe that I am a victim of the discrimination that was outlined in the July 3, 2006 issue of Time magazine (Page 29, column 3). In this article section 2339(a) & (b) are discussed and criticized “as most suspects are charged under these two sections. However, the justice dept here in America admits that of the more than 218 guilty pleas that it has obtained, most are for minor investigation issues that are uncovered deeding the course of their terrorism investigation. This suggest, according to the article that the Attorney General’s office have is not concerned about the rights or fairness or the manner in which it achieves convictions for the people they arrest. Furthermore, criticizes have noted that one of the patterns to emerge from these domestic prosecutions is that suspect seen too incompetent to carry out the deeds they are accused of. The Deputy Attorney General acknowledges that the Dept of Justice’s goal is “preventions through prosecutions” and this is done with no regard for an individual’s rights.
I agree that these guilty of terrorism should be prosecuted. But as the above mentioned article suggest, innocent people should not be targeted because of their race or religion.
I am not a terrorist and I should not be targeted and treated unfairly and unjustly.
I need your assistance desperately in my case, as I believe that I am being treated unjustly here. I would like to send you my attorney’s contact information and provide you with legal documents related to my case, so that you may become more familiar with my situation.
Please also note, that I appeared in the court , for no guilty of my 2nd superseding indictment on Aug 02, 2006 and on Aug 03, 2006 FBOP officials placed me in the SHU (Segregation Housing Unit) out of these months, I placed in the SHU isolation from Aug 03, 2006 to March 6, 2007 for unknown “Pending Investigation” in these 215 days of my segregation and isolation, I don’t have a single phone call access to my family, no legal calls to my attorney and Canadian Council, my legal mail opened in my absence, no medical treatment for my injured shoulder (even I went for hunger strike for 3 and half day) I harassed by the various jail officials and lot of other problems too which already been submitted in the attention of the FBOP higher authorities, but no action taken on them, after writing the court, instead of receiving the response or any action on my complaints, jail officials removed /moved me from MDC federal facility to Nassau County Jail .
My suffering has gone on for far too long, and I need your help to bring my suffering to an end. I want to return home to my family, because my imprisonment was injustice and will remain a great injustice forever.
May God bless you and be with you in your efforts to champion the cause of human rights, and the suffering of innocent prisoners and restore hope, faith and love to peoples all over the world.
Sincerely,
KHALID AWAN
FBOP NO. 50959-054
June 22, 2007 1:36 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Canadian / Pakistani Khalid Q Awan Facing Unjustice .
Khalid Q Awan detainee is now facing different preplanned, Fabricated charges in NewYork USA during his jail period,Khalid Awan is now looking forward your special attention and help towards this case for saving his innocent life. As we know, he is innocent and you can do further correspondence with him in detention centre NewYork USA and his attorney Khuram and Maher LLP NewYork to find out the reality and truth, and to bring the reality in front of the world that no innocent face that kind of the situation in future.
Khalid Q Awan detainee himself disagree with the charges imposed on him by the FBI, The charges are not related with him by all means. How can be possible a person in jail /custody since 9/11 now become terrorist while he proved not guilty in the same court in the past. So he is looking forward your help to get the justice and Clear and fair investigation in these imposed fabricated charges. It is possible with the involvement of the organizations like your’s, so that the innocent will come back to his normal life This is the mission of the human rights commission that innocents to be protected in all over the world from injustice ,and illegal Custody.
As by the press reports and by governments officials, In the court room only FBI representatives and some press reporters were present and no one else was there to see what is going over.
Help requested from high officials in Canada, U.S.A, and UNO & also from the NGOS who work for the human rights in all over the world.
Once again the request for find out the truth and reality in the above case.
With best wishes and regards
The sisters and whole family of Khalid Q Awan from Canada, and Pakistan.
The court will announce a decision on 24 may 2007.
Dear Sir / Madam
I am 46 years old, Canadian citizen and native of Pakistan (Muslim). I was an immigration consultant in Canada and as part of my business , I had an office in New York.
During 2001 immediately after the Sept 11, event the US govt arrested me on Oct 25, 2001 on anonymous call, as a material witness for the 9/11 world trade centre terrorist attack. A detail investigation by the FBI and USA Naval intelligence dept was conducted and I was cleared, but even then govt put me in front of Grand jury , and I was cleared and the case was dismissed by the Grand jury of the US Federal Court .
Approximately after 2 weeks , before I was released from custody the US Govt imposed a new charges of Fraud and money laundering , under the advice of my attorney , I pleaded guilty and I was sentenced to prison for five years (which was four years more, what I pleaded). In which I had already spent 3 years in Detention jail, during the case , I had about 14 months left to finishing my sentence ,(instead of appealing, I preferred to applied for Treaty Transfer to Canada, because if the case is in the appeal, defendant is not eligible for transfer back to his home country).
While at prison, I learned from the case manager Miss Mause, that my citizen was incorrect in the FBOP’s (Federal Bureau of Prison) computer system as Pakistani instead of Canadian.
Its important to note , that all of my Canadian identifications (passport , citizenship card , S.I.N , Health card Driving license etc) were under FBI’s possession, with a great deal of concern, I wrote a letter to the Canadian Consulate in Buffalo, N.Y to notify such mistake and requested them to fix this problem. This is especially important for Treaty Transfer back to Canada.
The Canadian Consulate official sent a letter to the jail to correct my citizenship status, however FBOP ignored the request and the citizenship status in the FBOP computer still reflect Pakistani instead of Canadian (Note:- I would be required to obtain visa to visit Pakistan) .In contrast , the deportation letter received from US Immigration dept, Contained the correct citizenship status of Canada.
At the hindsight, I believe that the FBOP intentionally left the citizenship as Pakistani, so that they could retained me at their facility, while the govt is planning to file new charges against me 3rd time.
Approximately six weeks before my released date on Jan 30 ,2006 I was notified by the FBOP that I was being transferred from Ellenwood , PA to MDC (Metropolitan Detention Centre) in Brooklyn N.Y, it was explained to me, that the purpose of this transfer was in preparation for deportation back to Canada, (after few days, I signed the immigration deportation papers, with my consular Miss Chen).
But immediately after my arriving to MDC Brooklyn, I discovered during a phone call with my family in Montreal, that RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) official had contacted my sister and brother-in-law regarding the whereabouts of my wife and my current situation, there was no explanation given by the RCMP official to the purpose of the call and he left his phone number and asked my wife to call him back immediately, my wife called the RCMP official and left messages in his voice mail. Then the official contacted my brother-in-law again and had asked him to tell my wife not to call again, because there is nothing good nor anything bad.
Meanwhile the AUSA ( United States Attorney) office Investigator and FBI brought me to their office to be interrogated without an attorney present, even AUSA told in the court to the judge on March 16, 2006 that he arranged attorney for me before my arrival from Ellenwood PA to MDC Brooklyn, N.Y, on Transcript; page 11, Transcript line No: 14 to 23.
AUSA:- He (Khalid Awan) was writ in the cause of a grand jury investigation. He clearly had criminal exposure. So to protect his interest I made an application to the duty magistrate for counsel to be appointed.
THE COURT:- Initially he was brought here by a Court to testify before the grand jury?
AUSA:- That is correct, Your Honour.
THE COURT:- When he arrived here, you made arrangements for an attorney to be pointed to request him?
AUSA:- Yes, Your Honour.
This interrogation started with the AUSA office Investigator stating that my family will be arrested in Canada if I refused to answer their questions.
At this point I am certain that my family is in great danger for reasons that I am not aware of. I was scared that my family would be harassed by these people along with the Canadian RCMP official, I strongly believe that the RCMP is doing this intentionally in collaboration with FBI official to further harass me to admit charges, that I never committed.
Without knowledge of the reasons why the Canadian RCMP agency was involved. I was surprised that RCMP official directly approached my family instead of me without proper explanation, and its also shocked for me, that how RCMP got the phone number of my family (because before my arrest, I don’t have any single record in any police dept, of any country).
I was intimated and pushed to the edge during this interrogation, I was determined to provide anything these USA officials wanted to make them happy even is the questions made no sense, because I want them to stop the harassment to my family.
On March 15, 2006 I completed the term of my imprisonment and was to be released from American Custody and deported back to Canada. Before that I was arrested again 3rd time, and charged with providing “material support to a foreign terrorist” and money laundering (to a organization and person, which are not designated by the USA govt and belongs to Sikh religion).
These charges emerged while I was still in prison and without the capability of providing any type of support. It was even difficult for me to get enough financial assistance to pay legal fees. I could not have provided any material support while I was in prison for five years and I could not launder any money because I did not have any.
AUSA filed three counts of indictment against me.
Conspiracy to provide material support.
Provide a material support to the foreign terrorist.
Money laundering to support terrorism.
(Please note, that in my previous case govt charged me for money laundering and fraud from Jan 1999 to 2002 and “its mentioned in the plea-agreement by the AUSA that no further money laundering charges will be brought against defendant from Jan 1999 to April 2002” even then govt indict me for money laundering from 1998 to Nov 2001 (Which is double Jeopardy and violation of 5th Amendment of U.S Constitution.)
In Oct 2006, during pre-trial hearing on the motion’s filed by my attorney the first two counts of my indictment were dismissed by the judge, stating that there is a lack of facts and figures.
After two weeks AUSA re-indicted me again. I believe this is a desperate act of the AUSA to cover up a huge embarrassment . Further this hastily drawn indictment was full of factual errors and creative legal theories.
Since I was first arrested by the American govt, I believe that I have been singled out, isolated and discriminated against primarily because of my race and religion, in addition to the fact that I don’t know any information that the American govt is trying to pressure out of me.
I do not understand the American laws and this is what led to my pleading guilty in the first case. I have difficulty understanding the new charges also.
I have been charged under, section 2339(a) of Title 18 of the United States code, which makes it illegal to provide material support to a foreign terrorist.
Please understand, I am not a terrorist, I do not know any terrorist and I have had no connections with or to any known or unknown terrorist. I have been incarcerated for last 5 years and I had no money to provide or launder.
The law enforcement have in America is pressuring me to provide information to them that I really do not have or know. I am a Canadian Citizen and nearly all of my family is in Canada, including my wife and kids. I don’t know any information to tell them to help their investigation.
Because of this , I am being treated unfairly and my rights under the American constitution are being violated. I am being held here in further detention against my will for crimes which I could have never committed, because I was in prison.
I believe, that I am a victim of the discrimination that was outlined in the July 3, 2006 issue of Time magazine (Page 29, column 3). In this article section 2339(a) & (b) are discussed and criticized “as most suspects are charged under these two sections. However, the justice dept here in America admits that of the more than 218 guilty pleas that it has obtained, most are for minor investigation issues that are uncovered deeding the course of their terrorism investigation. This suggest, according to the article that the Attorney General’s office have is not concerned about the rights or fairness or the manner in which it achieves convictions for the people they arrest. Furthermore, criticizes have noted that one of the patterns to emerge from these domestic prosecutions is that suspect seen too incompetent to carry out the deeds they are accused of. The Deputy Attorney General acknowledges that the Dept of Justice’s goal is “ preventions through prosecution’s” and this is done with no regard for an individual’s rights.
I agree that these guilty of terrorism should be prosecuted . But as the above mentioned article suggest , innocent people should not be targeted because of their race or religion.
I am not a terrorist and I should not be targeted and treated unfairly and unjustly.
I need your assistance desperately in my case, as I believe that I am being treated unjustly here. I would like to send you my attorney’s contact information and provide you with legal documents related to my case, so that you may become more familiar with my situation.
Please also note, that I appeared in the court , for no guilty of my 2nd superseding indictment on Aug 02, 2006 and on Aug 03, 2006 FBOP officials placed me in the SHU (Segregation Housing Unit) out of these months, I placed in the SHU isolation from Aug 03, 2006 to March 6, 2007 for unknown “Pending Investigation” in these 215 days of my segregation and isolation, I don’t have a single phone call access to my family, no legal calls to my attorney and Canadian Council, my legal mail opened in my absence, no medical treatment for my injured shoulder (even I went for hunger strike for 3 and half day) I harassed by the various jail officials and lot of other problems too which already been submitted in the attention of the FBOP higher authorities, but no action taken on them, after writing the court, instead of receiving the response or any action on my complaints, jail officials removed /moved me from MDC federal facility to Nassau County Jail .
My suffering has gone on for far too long, and I need your help to bring my suffering to an end. I want to return home to my family, because my imprisonment was injustice and will remain a great injustice forever.
May God bless you and be with you in your efforts to champion the cause of human rights, and the suffering of innocent prisoners and restore hope, faith and love to peoples all over the world.
Sincerely,
KHALID AWAN
FBOP NO. 50959-054
May 23, 2007 3:27 PM | Report Offensive Comments
i WILL SAY LEAVE THE QUEEN AND THE MONARCY ALONE. AT LEAST THEY KNOW HOW TO RUN THEIR COUNTRY. MORE THAN I CAN SAY FOR OURSELVES. INNOCENT BLOOD IS BEING SHED FROM OUR CHILDREN. AND FOR WHAT? IRAQ HAS BEEN THE WAY THEY ARE BEFORE THE EXISTENCE OF CHRIST. ACTUALLY THEY ARE THE OLDEST COUNTRY BEFORE CHRIST. WHY DO WE FEEL WE HAVE TO CHANGE THEM? I DONOT BELEIVE IN THEIR WAY OF BELIEF OR THINKING BUT I CANNOT JUDGE THEM. GOD BLESS AMERICA AND GOD SPEED TO OUR TROOPS.
May 20, 2007 2:04 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Hi,
In the history of world evolution those country lead the world which break the old tradition to give a place to new one.In presnet time the scandle of royal family and life style is beyond the expectation of the people of Uk.The ideal model of royal life has been broken ,the financial burden of royal life style already weaken the people budget and the semi god concept of wolrd empire has been changed by the new world.so,what is the use of to carry this old fashion institution which could not prevail the sancity of the british life style.if the life style of royal family memebrs are like stars of the nation then what is the use to carry this one.The star bringing the wealth and reputation to the nation than parasitic royal institution.so what is the use to carry both. The wise man says "as soon as u separate the parasite as u will be better "
May 11, 2007 11:34 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Cristina
I think you made the most interesting remark of the whole damned lot. Do you look as nice as you sound ?
May 10, 2007 9:43 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Hands off the Queen, you peasants !! It's teh only decent thing to have come out of Britain, even if they are bunch of damned Germans or Saxburg-Gothans!
Only Americans would take orders from an idiot like Bush, and grin like demented barbarians as they ravish the oldest civilisation known to mankind .....
May 10, 2007 9:39 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Abolish the Queen? The only question we need to ask is why does she bother? We need to start by clearing up two common misconceptions. Firstly, the Queen has no real power. Although technically she has almost unlimited power e.g. declare war, pick prime minister, make laws etc; the reality is that she follows the advice of MPs who have been elected. If she started to act unilaterally she wouldn't be Queen for long unless in a SEVERE crisis situation where she would have the support of the people anyway. She is a vital safeguard however because if a government passed a wildly unpopular bill nagainst the will of the people the Queen could, however unlikely that may be, veto it (something increasingly been called for the EU constitution)
Secondly, the monarchy doesn't cost a fortune. Yes the Queen receives taxpayers money via the civil list but they give up their private income to the treasury in return. This is a net gain of something like £160m PER YEAR in Gordon's favour. Even with palace maintenance etc it amounts to pence per person per year to maintain the Family and all the pomp etc. Not a bad bargain when you consider all the tourist money etc...they don't come here for the weather do they? And a drop in the ocean to the £120bn($245bn)per annum blackhole that is the NHS budget!
So as you can see the Queen spends most of her life in faultless service to her country for what? For some left-wing republican fool to bemoan the disgrace that is Royalty and call for an elected President. Why? The reason the monarchy won't be going anywhere soon is because whereas a million people came to the Mall to cheer the Queen on her jubilee and wish her long life, you'd struggle to find a hundred that would do the same for Blair. The British people are not about to replace a powerless, expensive Royal with a (probably even more) expensive, powerless politician!!!
Which brings me back to my original point. If i was Her Majesty, i would be tempted to think "ah sod it". I would retire to the countryside to a life of luxury and leisure (no more boring investures, government papers, citizens to meet all day everyday etc). I'd spend my large increased income on things i wanted to do, and say things that i wanted to say rather than be stifled by duty and convention. And all the time i would laugh as some dour, useless, corrupt MP moves into Buckingham Palace to all the same criticisms i faced, but worse because hes a hated politician. I'd be laughing as Britain goes even more down the celebrity obsessed gutter.
But she won't. Because she believes in honour, oaths, and duty. Can you say the same about most politicians?
May 10, 2007 3:58 PM | Report Offensive Comments
We have more 'queens' in San Francisco than any country ever had or has, and at they least they know how party!
May 10, 2007 7:23 AM | Report Offensive Comments
CH,
Assuming what you've stated is true you are caught up in the new McCarthyism in America. We're (the US) not turning over rocks to ferret out Commies anymore. Now we're turning over rocks to ferret out the terrorists.
Unfortunately, all you can do is what you are currently doing. Write letters and emails to every news organization in this country explaining your circumstances and hope one decides to investigate it. Should that investigation prove you correct the resulting press coverage will win you a seat on an airliner back to Canada.
May 10, 2007 6:21 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Some years ago the Brits were polled on whether to keep or abolish the Monarchy. They overwhelmingly said to keep them.
So be it. It's their choice.
Interesting though, Tony Blair's wife would like to be rid of them.
May 10, 2007 5:46 AM | Report Offensive Comments
It was 1974, I first visited UK. Since then I always developed a liking for the queen in person. In 1974 she was yonger, elegant and at 1st look demand a respect.
The queen of England have no match with the movie stars. Because movie stars are not genuine, they are just playing their role for entertainment industry. Queen is real and still like a fairy tale is comfort provider for millions.
The wisdom of royal family is that they are changing with the time and respecting the will of people.
I remember long time before when queen was celebrating her birthdy there was lot of controversy that weather UK afford to continue the Royal family.
The answer is yes. They are much better than the elected representatives which comes in power by corrupt practices and continue to play dirty politics to keep them in power.
In South Asia unfortunately all elected representative behave themselves as king and queen with out even a small percentage of ethics which royal family practice every day.
I am not a Britisher and for last 7 or 8 years not visited UK. I am very well aware that now with present polluted atmosphere if at any time for some genuine reason I apply for a UK visa it will be dealt harshly and results will be uncertain.
But still I am glad to say "Long Live Queen"
May 10, 2007 3:54 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Dear Sir or Madam;-
I am 46 years old, Canadian citizen and native of Pakistan (muslim). I was an immigration consultant in Canada and as part of my business , I had an office in New York.
During 2001 immediately after the Sept 11, event the US govt arrested me on Oct 25, 2001 on anonymous call, as a material witness for the 9/11 world trade centre terrorist attack. A detail investigation by the FBI and USA Naval intelligence dept was conducted and I was cleared, but even then govt put me in front of Grand jury , and I was cleared and the case was dismissed by the Grand jury of the US Federal Court .
Approximately after 2 weeks , before I was released from custody the US Govt imposed a new charges of Fraud and money laundering , under the advice of my attorney , I pleaded guilty and I was sentenced to prison for five years (which was four years more, what I pleaded). In which I had already spent 3 years in Detention jail, during the case , I had about 14 months left to finishing my sentence ,(instead of appealing, I preferred to applied for Treaty Transfer to Canada, because if the case is in the appeal, defendant is not for transfer back to his home country).
While at prison, I learned from the case manager Miss Mause, that my citizen was incorrect in the FBOP’s (Federal Bureau of Prison) computer system as Pakistani instead of Canadian.
Its important to note , that all of my Canadian identifications (passport , citizenship card , S.I.N , Health card , Driving license etc) were under FBI’s possession, with a great deal of concern, I wrote a letter to the Canadian Consulate in Buffalo, N.Y to notify such mistake and requested them to fix this problem. This is especially important for Treaty Transfer back to Canada.
The Canadian Consulate official sent a letter to the jail to correct my citizenship status, however FBOP ignored the request and the citizenship status in the FBOP computer still reflect Pakistani instead of Canadian (Note:- I would be required to obtain visa to visit Pakistan) .In contrast , the deportation letter received from US Immigration dept, Contained the correct citizenship status of Canada.
At the hind sight, I believe that the FBOP intentionally left the citizenship as Pakistani, so that they could retained me at their facility, while the govt is planning to file new at their facility, while the govt is planning to file new charges against me 3rd time.
Approximately six weeks before my released date on Jan 30 ,2006 I was notified by the FBOP that I was being transferred from Allen wood , PA to MDC (Metropolitan Detention Centre) in Brooklyn N.Y, it was explained to me, that the purpose of this transfer was in preparation for deportation back to Canada, (after few days, I signed the immigration deportation papers, with my consular Miss Chen).
But immediately after arriving to MDC Brooklyn, I discovered during a phone call with my family in Montreal, that RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) official had contacted my sister and brother-in-law regarding the whereabouts of my wife and my current situation, there was no explanation given by the RCMP official to the purpose of the call and he left his phone number and asked my wife to call him back immediately, my wife called the RCMP official and left messages in his voice mail. Then the official contacted my brother-in-law again and had asked him to tell my wife not to call again, because there is nothing good nor anything bad.
Meanwhile the AUSA (ASH United States Attorney) office Investigator and FBI brought me to their office to be interrogated and FBI brought me to their office to be interrogated without an attorney present, even AUSA told in the court to the judge on March 16, 2006 that he arranged attorney for me, on Transcript; page 11, Transcript page no 14 to 23.
AUSA:- He (Khalid Awan) was write in the cause of a grand jury investigation. He clearly had criminal exposure. So to protect his interest I made an application to the duty magistrate for counsel to be appointed.
THE COURT:- Initially he was brought here by a Court to testify before the grand jury?
AUSA:- That is correct, Your Honour.
THE COURT:- When he arrived here, you made arrangements for an attorney to be pointed to request him?
AUSA:- Yes, Your Honour.
This interrogation started with the AUSA office Investigator stating that my family will be arrested in Canada if I refused to answer their questions.
At this point I am certain that my family is in great danger for reasons that I am not aware of. I was scared that my family would be harassed by these people along with the Canadian RCMP official, I strongly believe that the RCMP is doing this intentionally in collaboration with FBI official to further harass me to admit charges, that I never committed.
Without knowledge of the reasons why the Canadian RCMP agency was involved. I was surprised that RCMP official directly approached my family instead of me without proper explanation, and its also shocked for me, that how RCMP got the phone number of my family (because before my arrest, I don’t have any single record in any police dept, of any country).
I was intimated and pushed to the edge during this interrogation, I was determined to provide anything these USA officials wanted to make them happy even is the questions made no sense, because I want them to stop the harassment to my family.
On March 15, 2006 I completed the term of imprisonment and was to be released from American Custody and deported back to Canada. Before that I was arrested again 3rd time charged without providing “material support to a foreign terrorist” and money laundering (to a organization and person, which are not designed by the USA govt).
These charges emerged while I was still in prison and without the capability of providing any type of support. It was even difficult for me to get enough financial assistance to pay legal fees. I could not have provided any material support while I was in prison for five years and I could not launder any money because I did not have any.
AUSA filed three counts of indictment against me.
Conspiracy to provide material support.
Provide a material support to the foreign terrorist.
Money laundering to support terrorism.
(Please note, that in my previous case govt charged me for money laundering and fraud from Jan 1999 to 2002 and “its mentioned in the plea-agreement by the AUSA that no further money laundering charges will be brought against defendant from Jan 1999 to April 2002” even then govt indict me for money laundering from 1998 to Nov 2001 (Which is double Jeopardy and violation of 5th Amendment of U.S Constitution.)
In Oct 2006, during pre-trial hearing on the motion’s filed by my attorney the first two counts of my indictment were dismissed by the judge, stating that there is a lack of facts and figures.
After two weeks AUSA re-indicted me again. I believe this is a desperate act of the AUSA to cover up a huge embarrassment . Further this hastily drawn indictment was full of factual errors and creative legal theories.
Since I was first arrested by the American govt, I believe that I have been signed out, isolated and discriminated against primarily because of my race and religion, in addition to the fact that I don’t know any information that the American govt is trying to pressure out of me.
I do not understand the American laws and this is what led to my pleading guilty in the first case. I have difficulty understanding the new charges also.
I have been charged under, section 2339(a) of Title 18 of the United States code, which makes it illegal to provide material support to a foreign terrorist.
Please understand, I am not a terrorist, I do not know any terrorist and I have had no connections with or to any known or unknown terrorist. I have been incarcerated for last 5 years and I had no money to provide or launder.
The law enforcement have in America is pressuring me to provide information to them that I really do not have or know. I am a Canadian Citizen and nearly all of my family is in Canada, including my wife and kids. I don’t know any information to tell them to help their investigation.
Because of this , I am being treated unfairly and my rights under the American constitution are being violated. I am being held here in further detention against my will for crimes which I could have never committed, because I was in prison.
I believe, that I am a victim of the discrimination that was outlined in the July 3, 2006 issue of Time magazine (Page 29, column 3). In this article section 2339(a) & (b) are discussed and criticized “as most suspects are charged under these two sections. However, the justice dept here in America admits that of the more than 218 guilty pleas that it has obtained, most are for minor investigation issues that are uncovered deeding the course of their terrorism investigation. This suggest, according to the article that the Attorney General’s office have is not concerned about the rights or fairness or the manner in which it achieves convictions for the people they arrest. Furthermore, criticizes have noted that one of the patterns to emerge from these domestic prosecutions is that suspect seen too incompetent to carry out the deeds they are accused of. The Deputy Attorney General acknowledges that the Dept of Justice’s goal is “ preventions through prosecution’s” and this is done with no regard for an individual’s rights.
I agree that these guilty of terrorism should be prosecuted . But as the above mentioned article suggest , innocent people should not be targeted because of their race or religion.
I am not a terrorist and I should not be targeted and treated unfairly and unjustly.
I need your assistance desperately in my case, as I believe that I am being treated unjustly here. I would like to send you my attorney’s contact information and provide you with legal documents related to my case, so that you may become more familiar with my situation.
Please also note, that I appeared in the court , for no guilty of my 2nd superseding indictment on Aug 3, 2006 to March 6, 2007 FBOP officials placed me in the SHU (Segregation Housing Unit) out of these months, I placed in the SHU isolation from Jan 2, 2007 to March 6, 2007 for unknown “Pending Investigation” in these 215 days of my segregation and isolation, I don’t have a single phone call access to my family, no legal calls to my attorney and Canadian Council, my legal mail opened in my absence, no medical treatment for my injured shoulder (even I went for hunger strike for 3 and half day) I harassed by the various jail officials and lot of other problems too which already been submitted in the attention of the FBOP higher authorities, but no action taken on them, after writing the court, instead of receiving the response or any action on my complaints, jail officials removed /moved me from MDC federal facility to Nassau County Jail .
My suffering has gone on for far too long, and I need your help to bring my suffering to an end. I want to return home to my family .
May God bless you and be with you in your efforts to champion the cause of human rights, and the suffering of innocent prisoners and restore hope, faith and love to peoples all over the world.
Sincerely,
KHALID AWAN
FBOP NO. 50959-054
May 10, 2007 3:44 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Of course the monarchy should be continued. It is a very valuable tool for international diplomacy. The royal family deserves to be kept like a mistress in a penthouse. After all, we are of the royal bloodline. I know it's difficult for you commoners to understand, especially you upstarts in America, but the monarchy has been a tradition in England for many centuries and I know that my subjects just could not function without the knowledge that I am watching over them like a benevolent uncle.
Helloooooooooooooooooooooo! (queenly wave)
May 9, 2007 4:01 PM | Report Offensive Comments
At least not Bush - I think you put your finger on the problem. Somehow people tend to think that Royalty or aristocrats or famous movies stars are somehow better than the rest of us. I would like to point out to you that the inbred gaggle of Amercian aristocracy are "C" students or worse. They are congenital idiots, nowhere near as bright as most posters in a forum such as this. George Bush AND John Kerry have the creativity and intelligence of a shrimp, for God's sake. Then, the British royalty never disappoint. Andrew dumped his fiance becasue her mother asked the Queen the way to the bloody bathroom. ALl of the British press is agog today that Bush *winked* at the Queen following her speech. One commentor said "...it is not good manners to wink at your guest like your President did yesterday after making a speech, makes you look common...."
Now, far be it from me to defend our inbred idiot President, but the British are clueless twits if they think we give a hoot about looking "common".
Actually, common ordinary every day people, who are NOT corporate CEO's or politcians or aristocrats or royalty or Hollywood movied stars
are far far far superior to the lot of them. They have more commn sense, more courage, and a better moral compass. Ideally, we would consign these spoiled brats to the farm and randomly select one or another of us to run things for a year or two. I figure I have more and better ideas about energy conservation, health care, immigration, before breakfast than the whole of Congress and the Whitehouse after deliberating and studying the problems for a year.
May 9, 2007 3:43 PM | Report Offensive Comments
We..our vaunted democracy, voting, has brought us Bush.
Maybe a monarchy with some sense would be a GOOD thing.
May I also point out our last TWO elecions with Bush have been questioned...and certainly questionable. Think hard if you're prone to sneer at the Brits.
May 9, 2007 3:07 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Should the Monarchy be abolished?
Should you mind your own business?
Have you nothing else to do?
Are you afraid these posts will reflect some real news?
That you don't want to confront?
As they have lately?
How stupid has this post become?
May 9, 2007 3:03 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Some countries have a tradition of a nominal head of state who is a king or queen. The UK has this tradition and they will likely stick to it for some time to come. Commonwealth countries are less wedded to it. Australia is seriously considering or has actually initiated procedures for cutting their ties to the British royals. A few other countries still have kings, which stabilize things to some extent, but it is clearly a dying system. Lichtenstein Duke probably owns much of the country and can still call it his own, perhaps.
Our worship of movie stars, who are mostly over paid people with poor personal habits, is pretty silly. Just like baseball, basketball, football "stars" are set up as role models, which they usually do not fill very well.
What we need is to be able to look up to intelligent, well read and educated leaders who are suitable material for leading this country. Instead we get self appointed political opportunists who decide they can raise enough money to convince people that they can be our leader. Just look at the 20 candidates who have so far decided they would like to run this country, backed by money which has decided that these people can be controlled to benefit the oligarchy, as they have, especially since Regan.
In England, the Queen says what the government writes for her. In the US the President speaks what Cheney and the staff tell him to say and write for him. since he cannot speak extemporaneously.
King Cheney governed for 6 years.
May 9, 2007 12:52 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Why take the time / effort to abolish it ? It is a part of English culture like bangers & mash and bad teeth .
May 9, 2007 12:49 PM | Report Offensive Comments
To Mark:
"Cristina:you grammer none so good neither, verrrrry confusing"
Oh, well, neither yours!...:)
May 8, 2007 11:36 PM | Report Offensive Comments
the will of the people in the last election for us government seems largely disregarded-this seems to become worse with each election, regardless of which political party wins.
May 8, 2007 11:17 PM | Report Offensive Comments
To whoever criticised me:
1 -English is not my first language, given this fact I consider that I handle it well (better than many native speakers I've met)
2- it is not "grammer"...it is grammar
3 - I am not drunk, crazy or impaired....those at this site are when they formulated nonsensical questions. Someone (I just forgot who) said: Ask nonsensical question and get nonsensical replies.
4 - I can only agree with the fact that in typing too fast, I was bound to mistakes..and this question drove me to this kind of reaction. I found it (this question in particular)so senseless it should be some kind of joke, a bad one.
May 8, 2007 10:59 PM | Report Offensive Comments
As an Australian where the Queen is head of state ( through a resident Govenor General appointed by the Government) -(like New zealand) I prefer to keep the existing system. It has served us well for 221 years and continues to be the system preferred by the majority of both countries.
May 8, 2007 10:06 PM | Report Offensive Comments
What a loaded and condescending question. Don't dump on the British monarchy, because you weren't invited to dinner. Arguing this point with you would be an utter waste of time. If you're going to be silly, write about spring gardening.
May 8, 2007 9:46 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Good grief . . . . Have we fallen so far that we can't tell when the tongue is in the cheek? It appears that a number of the respondents have lost their senses of humor!!!
May 8, 2007 9:43 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Guy Fawkes The Only Honest Chap To Walk Into Parliament.
May 8, 2007 8:19 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Long Live the QUEEN!!!!
May 8, 2007 8:14 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Why is this question being debated in a U.S. newspaper site? What the hell has it got to do with us? Most Brits think Bush is a moron but we'd be outraged if they ridiculed our head of state or started preaching to us about how we should organise our constitution or our way of running the country. Keep your noses out of other peoples' business - pity we didn't do that in Iraq.
May 8, 2007 8:13 PM | Report Offensive Comments
As you say, a perrenial question, the topic, for example, of a recent Gueardian Talk thread. The royals are, of course, quite impotent politically (and the male members need only be sexually potent enough to father one or two heirs) but that very impotence is the secret of their survival. The present British gov't is the product of the Glorious Revolution of 1689 when James II, the last king foolish enough to try to rule, was given the boot.
Since then, all Brirish monarchs - with the exception of the dinwitted Hanoverians - have accepted their purely ceremonial function without audible protest.
They are, of course, objects of worship like the flag, but lately they've become part of the entertainment and tourist industries. And that's just where they fall short, because, with the exception of Princess Diana - who was, of course, an ex-royal - they haven't been very entertaining.
Therefore, in order to preserve the monarchy it may be necessary to replace hereditary monarchs with professional actors who,like Olivier, Glenda Jackson, Peter O'toole, Judy Dench, Helen Mirren, et al, play royal roles far more convincingly than the incumbent amateurs.
May 8, 2007 8:13 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Guy Fawkes The Only Honest Chap To Walk Into Parliament!
May 8, 2007 8:13 PM | Report Offensive Comments
"...Or should other nations have kings and queens so they can stop worshiping movie stars?"
-David Ignatius
Dear David,
MMMmmm, David, you've really come up with a heavy weight philosophical question there dude...
Sparked a short term synaps search to recall somewhen a fellow once told the story about how Washington DC was chosen as the nation's capital.
Seems the founding fathers determined that the debate between NYC and DC was to be resolved by the Mayor's drawing straws to see who got all the politicians and who got all the lawyers.
NYC lost. But that is another debate entirely...
As to lifestyles of the rich and brain dead, I can tell you one thing for certain;
If those able to effect the most good with the most bucks, having the buckos to do so, did so , then we wouldn't think of them as brain dead, would we?
Best Regards,
EJ
May 8, 2007 8:04 PM | Report Offensive Comments
I agree with Margaret that this question shouldn't have been posted while the queen is here.
Also, who cares what we think about the monarchy, it isn't our institution to abolish.
May 8, 2007 7:36 PM | Report Offensive Comments
I agree with Margaret you are a crass and crude lot.
I would also ask why would you be questioning Americans about the prupose or need of a British Monarchy can't see that their opinion would mean a hoot.
Go back to your usual kings and queens of the entertainment world who grab their crotch and expose their breasts and just generally exude common behavior.
Apparently this is all you are capable of understanding.
May 8, 2007 7:19 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Monarchy is all about descendance.When a not too erudite son can take over from his father as president,you could suspect at least oligarchy or worse.Monarchy and republic both share a common trait;the rich basically call the shots!
May 8, 2007 7:09 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Abolish the monarchy
(and execute the monarchist)
May 8, 2007 6:33 PM | Report Offensive Comments
This from the British perspective is a perenial question.
As a British subject I cannot say that I'm a great fan of the Royal Family, however, the problem is what to replace it with.
God forbid that we replace it with the equivalent of George W. Bush.
What is also not well known is that Britian has already tried the Republic idea (before the word Republic was even invented) and rejected it Oliver Cromwell).
Furthermore, what doesn't seem to be understood is that the Royal Family are largely a figurehead and have no real power. They are dictated to by the government of the day.
Also, the truth be told, the heriditary rule has served Britain very well throughout the ages. So, at least for the present I see no alternative.