This is a video of Malalai Joya being interviewed on Ten TV Channel in Australia.
From Torstar news service in Canada:
Pullout urged for Afghan mission
Politician warns against support of government
Canada must pull its troops out of Afghanistan and no longer support a government full of “warlords, drug lords and criminals” if it wants to aid in rebuilding the stricken nation and avoid another 9/11, says a controversial Afghan politician.
“(Canada) must act independently and not follow the policy of the United States,” said Malalai Joya, 29, a firebrand currently on a nationwide speaking tour that brings her to Toronto tomorrow night.
Canadian soldiers fighting the Taliban are unwittingly promoting U.S. foreign policy, which is propping up a corrupt government, says Joya, who has garnered a legion of fans for her advocacy work on women’s rights. “This policy is a mockery of democracy and a mockery of the war on terror,” the youngest member of the Afghan Parliament said from Vancouver.
Canada must lend moral and material support to “freedom-loving democratic parties” that can’t even afford to print party literature, she said.
It is a bit typical for media in countries with governments allied to George W. Bush that Torstar news service should refer to Ms Joya, expelled from the Afghan parliament for standing up for women and against warmongers, as ‘controversial’. Has it ever refered to pro Afghan war politicians, in Canada, in the USA, or the “warlords, drug lords and criminals” in Afghanistan itself, as ‘controversial’?
See also here.
South Korea to pull out troops from Afghanistan: here.
Dear Kitty. Some blog 
coat@list.openconcept.ca wrote:
> Please link to and circulate this article
>
> MAJIIC Wars:
> Canada’s RADARSAT satellite company sold to “weapons & space” giant, ATK
> By Richard Sanders, Editor, Press for Conversion!
>
> The news today (January 9, 2008) is that a Canadian company, called MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA), will sell off its space divisions to the US war industry giant, called Alliant Techsystems (ATK).
>
> Just a few weeks ago (December 14, 2007), the world’s most advanced “synthetic aperture radar” satellite, a Canadian invention called RADARSAT-2, was finally blasted into space.
>
> There is a major connection between these two stories.
>
> MDA has been the proud owner and controller of RADARSAT-2, since the Government of Canada generously handed this publicly-funded satellite over to them. RADARSAT-2 was almost entirely paid for by Canadian citizens and it got into the private hands of MDA thanks the Liberal government’s obeisance to the god of privatization. Now, RADARSAT-2 and the ground stations in 35 countries that download its data, are being sold to a large US war industry, ATK.
>
> Most Canadian taxpayers probably don’t even know that they paid over a Billion dollars for the RADARSAT system (including $500 million for the development of RADARSAT-2 alone). And, most don’t know that the Liberals gave it all away to their friends in a private company, called MDA. ( David Emerson was on MDA’s Board back when he was a Liberal and MDA was owned by a US “missile defence” rocket maker called, Orbital Sciences (OS). The former manager of OS, Carl Marchetto, is going to run ATK Space Systems.)
>
> ATK, the new owner of “Canada’s” satellite, touts itself as “an advanced weapon and space system company.” Good combo that, “weapons” and “space.” It’s the way of the future, they say. (Not that Canada would ever have anything to do with such things, ha ha.) ATK has its fingers in everything from “missile defense” rocket motors to ammo for small arms. So if you need a diversified war industry to park your cash in and watch it grow, you know where to stick it. ATK tells us they are “the nation’s largest producer of commercial and military ammunition and a leading provider of gun systems,” and now they’re set to own and control RADARSAT-2, which is probably Canada’s single greatest technological contribution to the US war machine.
>
> Check out ATK’s website, where the lead banner shows a flashy image of RADARSAT-2. It sure makes one proud to be a peace-loving Canadian!
>
> MDA got a whopping $1.325 billion (in cash) for the sale to ATK. Not bad, considering RADARSAT-2 was mostly paid for by you and me, the lowly taxpayer who had no say in the matter. And, why should we expect to have any say in this? Hey, we didn’t even know anything about it in the first place. It was all under the radar, so to speak.
> MDA selling Canadarm business to U.S. firm
>
> Unfortunately, Canadians aren’t even allowed to know how much MDA paid to take the burden of RADARSAT-2 off our hands. Was it a dollar? We can’t know for sure, but maybe the Liberals (and their collaborators in the Conservative party) gave it away for a song, perhaps it was the “Star Spangled Banner.”
>
> We lowly taxpayers can’t know the details of this scam because the contract between the government of Canada and MDA is still secret. And, get this, the Liberal and Conservative MPs on a Parliamentary Committee teamed up in March 2005 to vote against an NDP-Bloc motion to have that contract made available for a quick viewing by MPs on the committee. It would be bad for business, said the Liberal government of the day, and–of course–the Conservatives agreed.
> The Contract is Secret
>
> What’s more, the Liberal’s C-25 Space Treaty, that’s the one called the RADARSAT Bill, has an Annex in it that is Top Secret. Even the MPs who had to vote on turning this RADARSAT Bill into law, were not allowed to read this secret annex! Hmmmm… Passing laws that they aren’t even allowed to read? Now that’s fine print!
> Secret Annex to RADARSAT Law
>
> But this only scratches the surface of some of the many scams surrounding RADARSAT-2 that you will not read about in the corporate media. (I’ll give you a theory on that at the end of this article.). But you can read much more about why RADARSAT is the best example of Canada’s role in the militarisation of space by clicking here:
> RADARSAT – The Warfighters’ “Eye in the Sky”
>
> NATO and US warplanners are even planning for RADARSAT-2 to have a major role in pre-emptive first strikes that are to be part of so-called “missile defense.” (It’s brilliantly called “missile defense” because it’s designed to defend our missiles when we are using them in offensive wars.) RADARSAT-2’s GMTI technology will come in real handy if and when the US ever manages to fabricate a suitable pretext for launching air strikes against Iran. Read how GMTI works here:
> RADARSAT, Missile Defense and the Holy Grail
>
> So, now that Canada’s new and improved military “eye in the sky” is up there watching down over us all, do you feel more secure? (Even though it’s being turned over to a “weapons” and “space'” company?) Some cognitive dissonance may be in store for those who have been absorbing all the media hype about RADARSAT-2 being a hot new tool for monitoring rapidly-melting ice caps and expanding deserts caused by global warming.
>
> But what we haven’t heard much if anything about from the corporate mainstream media is that RADARSAT-2 is going to be useful for fighting the very hot wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (and all future scorched-earth policies, that may arise if WWIII with Iran ever comes to pass). These wars will now be made all that much easier, for US!
>
> MAJIIC: Pulling a War out of your Hat
>
> RADARSAT-2’s role in current and future wars, hinges on something that is cleverly called MAJIIC. It’s a well-known fact that warplanners and warfighters love acronyms. MAJIIC is a good example.
>
> It stands for this mouthful: “Multi-sensor Aerospace-ground Joint ISR Interoperability Coalition.”
>
> As you can see, this acronym has another acronym within it, ISR. For those uninitiated into the sacred rites of war, ISR stands for “Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance.”
>
> You can’t win a war without using ISR. Never could, never will. ISR is as essential to war as the weapons, the war budget, a good enemy, a taxpaying public duped into footing the bill, and a media that promotes and then covers up the whole fraudulent operation. With the right shills, a willing mark and crafty fast-talking conmen to pull off the scam, it’s a grifter’s dream come true! Hello money!
>
> But back to the sleight of hand trick they call MAJIIC. On January 3, 2008, Aviation Week ran an article that starts:
> “A nine-nation intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) project sponsored by NATO is yielding ‘powerful new technologies that soon could be deployed to Afghanistan,’ the NATO Consultation, Command and Control Agency (NC3A) says.”
> ‘Majiic’ Brings NATO ISR Data Together
>
> What’s this got to do with Canada you ask? The article explains:
> “Countries involved in Majiic are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.”
>
> So, what’s this all about?
> “Majiic is about developing standards and technologies that will allow NATO commanders to instantly tap into real-time data from a number of NATO and national systems.
>
> ‘With Majiic we will be able to deploy a wide array of air, ground and space surveillance assets, from different countries, and have them provide commanders with a single, coherent and detailed picture of what’s happening on the ground,’ says Joe Ross, technical manager at NC3A.” (emphasis added)
>
> Sounds important, eh? It is. Deadly important.
>
> RADARSAT-2 is Canada’s state-of-the-art-of-war satellite system and it is the top jewel in the MAJIIC crown. Through MAAJIC (and the earlier project from which it evolved, namely CAESAR*), NATO has been preparing for the day when its warfighters can download RADARSAT-2 data from space for speedy, real-time use in live wars.
>
> I’m here to tell you that that day has now finally arrived!
>
> For my analysis of the government and military industry documents detailing NATO’s preparations for the use of real RADARSAT-2 data, see these articles:
> Use of RADARSAT-1 and -2 data in NATO “wargames”
> Cleanhunter
> Strong Resolve
>
> For many years, the boys over at NATO have been practising for this day using “simulated RADARSAT-2 data.” They’ve done this in various “war games” that have involved thousands of real troops and billions worth of real weapons systems. Now these machines of war, and their operators, are all hooked up to the real thing, RADARSAT-2. So, now that the boys have their new toy, they are raring to have a go with it under the real conditions of war. No more playing around, they want the real thing.
>
> Shhh! Don’t tell anyone… Canada is a Warmonger
>
> Will anyone notice? I mean any of us in Canada. As for the victims on the ground who at are the receiving end of the weapons systems that are targeted using RADARSAT-2 data, we can be sure that–during their final moments–they’ll perhaps notice something, though we can be sure they won’t know that they have Canada to thank for whatever hit them. Neither, presumably, will their friends, family and neighbours know that Canadians paid for the targeting system.
>
> As Major-General Andrew Leslie, Canada’s military commander in Afghanistan, once said: “Every time you kill an angry young man overseas, you’re creating 15 more who will come after you.”
>
> By that logic, it’s better if they don’t know it was us who killed them.
>
> So perhaps that’s how we Canadians want it. Perhaps we want the world–and even ourselves–to remain blissfully ignorant of Canada’s role in the militarization of space and the many ways in our country is deeply complicity in the global business of war. That way if any terrorists are ever looking for revenge because neighbourhoods in their country were leveled during a US-led war, they won’t know enough to look over here to Canada for potential targets.
>
> So, can we continue–for example–to keep Canada’s role in the Iraq war and the militarization of space a big secret?
>
> And, by trying to bust the myth of Canada the great peacekeeper, are we aiding and abetting the enemy?
>
> Since the announcement was made last night, there have about 163 news stories on the upcoming sale of MDA to ATK. At least that’s what Google News finds as of 11am January 9.
> Google search: MDA ATK
>
> However, among those 163 stories, only two distinct articles even mention RADARSAT.
> Google search: MDA ATK RADARSAT
>
> And, of course, the military uses of RADARSAT are not mentioned in those two articles.
>
> So, perhaps our secret is still good. Canada is still seen as a great promoter of world peace! And, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, it’s a grave matter of national security!
>
>
> * CAESAR, the Coalition Aerial Surveillance and Reconnaissance, was the aptly named NATO program through which Canada rendered up its RADARSAT capabilities to warfighting for the empire, i.e., “Give unto CAESAR that which is CAESAR’s” and all that.
—————————
Malalai Joya: a victim of Canadian hypocrisy
Special to Canadian Dimension May 21, 2008
Prior to the recent extension of Canada’s war in Afghanistan, a common argument was rained down on critics. We stood accused of opposing women’s rights, and positive reconstruction projects for education and housing.
In a place like Afghanistan, merely asserting these things packs a punch. The fragile country has the lowest GDP per capita in the world. The UN notes that 70% have no access to safe drinking water, 88% have no access to reasonably sanitary living conditions, and 25% of children don’t live beyond the age of 5.
Who would oppose improving this horrifying situation? For war boosters, championing womens’ rights and reconstruction made perfect sense. It was a brilliant tactic to marginalize dissent.
Or so the boosters thought until May 21, 2007. On that day, something happened that tore the “humanitarian” label off this war, and Canada’s support for its apparent lofty values. Malalai Joya, one of sixty-eight Afghan women MPs, was ejected from parliament under a cloud of controversy.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper was in Afghanistan the next day, but said nothing of the incident. Pro-war spin doctors have been in “issue management” mode ever since — and to great success. Joya’s expulsion has barely been mentioned beyond her country.
What was Joya’s crime? In a televised interview in March 2007, she referred to the Loya Jirga (Afghanistan’s parliament) as a “stable”, and likened several of her colleagues to barnyard animals.
Canadians may well be non-plussed by such words. On the surface, they resemble the gutterball politics that happens here all too often. In 2006, many will recall, Defense Minister Peter MacKay was accused of referring to Liberal MP Belinda Stronach as a dog.
But the context behind Joya’s remarks was important. By the time of her expulsion, Joya had run afoul of US and Saudi-backed warlords who, according to Human Rights Watch, hold several top posts in President Hamid Karzai’s government. What’s worse, an estimated 60% of all Afghan MPs have connections to these warlords.
In 2005, Joya demanded the warlords be brought to justice for crimes committed during Afghanistan’s civil war in the early to mid 1990s. During this period, tens of thousands died as rival warlords ravaged Kabul with armaments purchased from foreign providers.
When Joya first raised this issue in parliament, she was pelted with water bottles. Warlords screamed “be quiet!”, and “rape her!” — but Joya gave no quarter. In the face of such barbarism, she continued to speak out. She has survived four assassination attempts since. Her supporters call her the bravest woman in Afghanistan.
Joya has visited Canada several times, speaking to packed out halls. She has recounted the stories of Afghans who suffer, and others reaping the spoils of the NATO occupation. She speaks of women selling their children so the rest of their family can eat. She fumes about riches stolen from “reconstruction” funds, and mansions built by warlords in Kabul. She laments the over 1000 people who starved to death in her country’s bitter winter this year, and the million pounds of bombs dropped on Afghanistan in 2007.
Most importantly, she accuses NATO of “pushing Afghans from frying pan into the fire” — a metaphor to explain why support for the Karzai’s warlords is even worse than the West’s previous support for the Taliban.
The one-year anniversary of Joya’s expulsion is an important reminder of who Canada is really supporting in Afghanistan. In March 2007, months before Joya’s ouster, the Loya Jirga passed an amnesty for all combatants during Afghanistan’s civil war, effectively insulating warlords from legal prosecution. Is this the democracy Canada’s troops are being sent to defend?
It’s time to set the record straight. Set against its frothy talk on womens’ rights, our federal government cuts funding to Canadian womens’ groups, blocks efforts to create a Canadian public childcare system, attacks abortion rights through proposed Criminal Code amendments, and sanctions the muzzling of outspoken women in Afghanistan.
We now have a name to answer the pro-war devotees of womens’ rights. That name is Malalai Joya, and she is a victim of Canadian hypocrisy.
Joel Davison Harden is a member of the Ottawa Peace Assembly, a city-wide coalition of community groups opposed to Canada’s complicity in the so-called “war on terror”. He is an unabashed Malalai Joya fan.
http://canadiandimension.com/articles/2008/05/21/1834/
LikeLike
Afghanistan: Malalai Joya versus Washington’s warlords (+ video)
http://links.org.au/node/585
By Farooq Sulehria
August 20, 2008 — Afghanistan lives in fear of US-sponsored warlords.
These hated warlords are not scared by the Taliban monster raising its
head in the south. But ironically, they live in the fear of an unarmed
women in her late twenties: Malalai Joya. To silence Joya’s defiant
voice, the warlords who dominate the national parliament suspended
Joya’s membership for three years in 2007. Earlier, at almost every
parliamentary session she attended, she had her hair pulled or was
physically attacked, and called names such as “whore”. “They even
threatened me in the parliament with rape”, she says. But she neither
toned down her criticism of the warlords (“they must be tried”) nor
the US occupation of her country (“the ‘war on terror’ is a mockery”).
Understandably, she’s been declared the “bravest woman in Afghanistan”
and even compared with Burma’s Aung Sun Suu Kyi.
LikeLike
Pingback: US private death squads in Afghanistan, Pakistan | Dear Kitty. Some blog
Pingback: Afghan Malalai Joya on US bombs | Dear Kitty. Some blog
Pingback: Afghan women “worse” off than under Taliban | Dear Kitty. Some blog
Pingback: US bombs kill Afghan children, women | Dear Kitty. Some blog
Pingback: New anti-women law in ‘new’ Afghanistan | Dear Kitty. Some blog
Pingback: Afghan US puppets jail journalist for women’s rights reporting | Dear Kitty. Some blog
Pingback: New list of ‘Top 25 stories’ censored in the big media in the USA | Dear Kitty. Some blog
Pingback: Rape rampant in Canadian army | Dear Kitty. Some blog
Pingback: 200 British soldiers died in Afghanistan | Dear Kitty. Some blog
Pingback: Canadian female veteran says get troops out of Afghanistan | Dear Kitty. Some blog
Pingback: Afghans under Bush even worse off than under Taliban | Dear Kitty. Some blog
Pingback: Bush’s ‘new’ Afghanistan lies about poetess Nadia Anjuman’s death | Dear Kitty. Some blog