The Illegal Interception of President of Bolivia Evo Morales

Unprecedented Interference in Presidential Flight by U.S.

3 July, 06:48 3 

After attending an energy conference in Moscow Bolivian President Evo Morales, who had recently said he would give asylum to Edward Snowden, and the official Bolivian government delegation left the territory of the Russian Federation on the official presidential airliner of the Bolivian president and entered European airspace en-route to South America and the Bolivian capital La Paz.

The preliminary reports say that the United States, suspicious that the young Mr. Snowden was on board, applied pressure to European countries behind the scenes to not allow the aircraft to enter their airspace in an attempt to force the country to land in a country where the plane could be boarded and Snowden detained and renditioned back to America.

Reports say that Portugal and France abruptly revoked permission for the official aircraft of the Bolivian president to enter their airspace causing an emergency change in the president’s flight plane and placing the president and the entire delegation’s lives at risk due to concerns over fuel.

It is unprecedented that any country would not allow the president of a non-adversarial country to land on their territory to refuel while en-route to another location and the forced re-routing has rightfully sparked an international scandal at the highest levels.

The aircraft was supposed to refuel in France before making the long jump across the Atlantic and was eventually forced to reroute to Austria which had earlier refused to grant Mr. Snowden asylum and where there are unconfirmed suspicions that had he been on board he would have been handed over to the Americans.

Although there have been no official admissions by any of the countries involved regarding U.S. pressure, that is the most accepted preliminary version and the most logical. There are also reports that France and Portugal simply did not want to deal with Mr. Snowden if he were to land in their countries and request asylum and took the egregious actions unilaterally.

There are growing indications that time is running out for Edward Snowden. The latest twist in the story shows just how desperate and to what lengths the United States will go to get Mr. Snowden the former CIA employee and NSA contractor who exposed the illegal global spying network PRISM.

According to media reports Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca, speaking to reporters said that the Portuguese and French authorities wouldn't let the plane land in their territories dispelling concerns amidst reports that the plane had been forced down.

Such scandalous behavior against the head of state of a non-adversarial nation is unprecedented and an egregious violation of the rights held by world leaders to travel freely. Bolivia is of course justifiably upset by the incident as are many other countries as the international responses begin to come in. Ecuador has suggested an emergency meeting of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) be held in order to formulate an appropriate and proper international response.

Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca also told reporters: "We are told that there were some unfounded suspicions that Mr. Snowden was on the plane but we do not know who has invented this lie. It was someone who wants to harm our country. This information that has been circulated is malicious information to harm this country. Portugal owes us an explanation. France owes us an explanation. The president's life was put at risk," he said but did not elaborate.

According to the Voice of Russia Bolivian Defense Minister Ruben Saavedra told CNN: “This is a lie, a falsehood. It was generated by the US government. It t is an outrage. It is an abuse. It is a violation of the conventions and agreements of international air transportation.”

Official Moscow has not responded to the incident but I expect that the Russian authorities will be extremely displeased by the latest developments concerning the violation of the rights of one of its allies amid the tensions that the entire Snowden affair has already placed on Moscow.

We have seen and documented thousands of cases of the United States interfering with foreign countries and violating international laws and conventions in the last decade and Washington is continuing to show its own illegitimacy in continuing to go after those who expose illegality and violating international conventions and norms.

The United States is currently running rampant violating the rights and privacy of the governments and peoples of even its closest allies and there are beginning to be calls from varying corners for the implementation of international sanctions against the United States which has delegated to itself the role of the single ruler of the world and the world’s policeman, enforcer and sole military super power.

The hyper damage control mode that the United States is currently in over Mr. Snowden leads one to the conclusion that whatever the further revelations that may be unveiled may be even more damaging that was already been revealed.

Currently Snowden remains in the transit area at Sheremetyevo after filing asylum requests with approximately 20 different countries who are responding negatively one after the other. After filing a request with Russia, a move I personally feel was his wisest Mr. Snowden cancelled it because he did not want to adhere to the one condition put forth the by President Vladimir Putin, namely that he cease and desist in attempting to damage the U.S. Intelligence Community. President Putin said that coming from him such a condition may seem odd but he repeated that Russia will never hand Mr. Snowden over to Washington, even though Mr. Snowden has no connection with Russian Intelligence, was never an agent of the Russian Federation and was not invited onto Russian territory.

The current move to not allow a presidential aircraft to follow its flight plan should be a loud indicator to Mr. Snowden as to just how far the U.S. will go to get him and that his options are very quickly running out.

Experts around the world have said that the best two countries, of a very quickly dwindling few, where he should seek refuge are the People’s Democratic Republic of China and the Russian Federation.

My advice for Mr. Snowden, something I might add the BBC asked me for yesterday: “If you have not burned your bridges in Russia and the government is still gracious enough and willing to take you in, do it. Or try to go back to China. Your options are running out. Let others publish more leaks, you have done enough for now. Maybe an apology to President Putin might be in order after you refused his more than generous offer? After all, in reality, taking you and placing you on a U.S. bound flight does not take an extradition treaty, in reality it would be amazingly easy.”

In addition, according to RT, President Evo Morales put it this way: “If Snowden stays alone, he will be destroyed. But what kind of crimes did he commit? What kind of bombs did he explode or what kind of missiles did he launch? He tries to fight against controlling weak countries. This is why we say that we share what this young man says and that protecting Snowden will protect peace.”

Time appears to be running out for Mr. Snowden and so do his options.

Russia and Latin America united in response to Bolivian presidential aircraft grounding

5 July, 02:46  

The reaction from the authorities of the Russian Federation to the interference of the flight of the President of Bolivia Evo Morales from Moscow to La Paz, by the United States and what are now undoubtedly its proxies, has been extremely sharp and united with Russia’s South American allies and partners.

Official Moscow has blasted the countries which prevented the official presidential aircraft of Bolivia from entering their airspace, an unprecedented move that placed the lives of the president, the official delegation and everyone on board at risk. Those countries now include not only France and Portugal but also Spain and Italy.

After being allowed to land in Austria, a delay of almost 13 hours, and meeting the president of Austria the Bolivian presidential aircraft, FAB-001, left Austria and has arrived in Bolivia. The Bolivian authorities agreed to a voluntary search of the plane which produced no Edward Snowden.

A conversation between president Morales’ pilots and Austrian air traffic controllers indicates that the landing was required as a precaution because the Bolivian plane may have been running out of fuel. After identifying the aircraft Austrian controllers immediately offered the plane assistance and then initiated a landing procedure for the aircraft.

Austrian President Heinz Fischer met with President Morales at Vienna’s airport and stated the following: “On a flight from Moscow to his home country, the president of Bolivia, who is also a good friend of Austria, made a stopover in Vienna – had to make a stopover in Vienna. I first made contact with him on the phone and then I came to visit him here. I satisfied myself that all procedures here in Austria and in Vienna were absolutely correct and that President Evo Morales was treated very well and correctly. We took the opportunity to discuss a few other issues as well. The president will shortly resume his trip to his country and I wish him a good flight and a good return,”

Russia

The Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation released a statement Thursday putting the Russian position on the egregious violation of the rights of presidents and diplomats to travel freely into very clear yet diplomatic terms:“The actions of the French, Spanish and Portuguese authorities could hardly be seen as friendly towards Bolivia and towards Russia, from which the Bolivian President Evo Morales was leaving upon completion of his Moscow visit. The refusal to grant the aircraft the right to overfly could create a threat to the security of its passengers, including the head of a sovereign state.”

"The president of a country is a person who enjoys international protection. In it actions at the United Nations, Russia will push for the strict compliance with international law guaranteeing the inviolability of such persons, and will not allow attacks on their persons, freedom or dignity," said the Foreign Ministry.

Russian diplomats have also said that they will continue to press for unconditional observation of international rules that guarantee the personal immunity of heads of state that prevent any attempts on their life, freedom and dignity according to various official sources.

Bolivia

Bolivia called the grounding an act of aggression and accused the U.S. of being behind the move and promised to file a complaint with the UN.

“We're talking about the president on an official trip after an official summit being kidnapped,” Sacha Llorenti Soliz, Bolivia's Ambassador to the United Nations said on Wednesday. “We have no doubt that it was an order from the White House, by no means should a diplomatic plane with the president be diverted from its route and forced to land in another country.”

President Evo Morales has demanded an explanation from the governments which refused his aircraft to enter their airspace, saying he was not a criminal and the world was no longer in the colonial period.

An emergency UNASUR meeting is currently in progress on the matter with the leaders of the member countries already having issued a denunciation of the "unfriendly and unjustifiable acts." The UNASUR said the presidents of Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, Argentina, Uruguay and Surinam had agreed to attend a summit in Cochabamba, Bolivia, on Thursday.

The Vice President of Bolivia, Álvaro García Linera, denied that a voluntary search had taken place saying: “We haven't allowed a search inside the presidential plane 001 and no special force went into the plane because it is not right. This plane has immunity and by international law, it can't be submitted to a search.”

Argentina

In a speech Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner stated: "(These are) vestiges of a colonialism that we thought were long over. We believe this constitutes not only the humiliation of a sister nation but of all South America!"

In tweets the Argentine president was more vocal saying: “They are definitely all crazy. A Head of State and his plane have complete immunity. I can't believe this level of impunity.”

Ecuador

Rafael Correa stated on Twitter: “Decisive hours for UNASUR: either we graduate as colonies or we revindicate our independence, sovereignty and dignity. We are all Bolivia!”

Venezuela

President Nicolas Maduro stated that he was in contact with President Evo Morales: “I am in touch with Evo, all international immunities that protect Heads of State have been violated due to the Imperial obsession.” and then: “I ratify my complete solidarity with Evo and from Venezuela, with dignity, we will respond to this dangerous, disproportionate and unacceptable aggression.”

Brazil

The President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff stated that: “The Brazilian government expresses its indignation and condemnation of the situation imposed on President Evo Morales by some European countries, who impeded the flight path of the presidential plane. That ‘unacceptable attitude’ was taken under the ‘fantastical pretext’ of Edward Snowden's presence on the President's plane, which, apart from being a ‘serious lack of respect for the law and international protocol ... put [Morales'] life in risk.’

She has also warned that the incident: "… compromises dialogue between the two continents and possible negotiations between them."

In an official statement she also said: "… the posture of certain European governments causes surprise and concern, at the time that some of those governments are complaining of espionage from the United States."

Cuba

Shortly after the incident official Havana issued the following statement: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba is following with serious concern events of the last few weeks related to the significant denunciation of U.S. citizen Edward Snowden, confirming the operation of a global espionage system on the part of the government of the United States, in violation of the sovereignty of states and the rights of persons.”

Official Havana also states: “Cuba calls on the international community to mobilize against these violations of international law and human rights.”

United Nations

The Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon Ban stated that he is "relieved that this unfortunate incident did not lead to consequences for the safety of President Morales and his entourage," and said he hopes the parties will discuss the matter with "full respect for the legitimate interests involved."

United States

Obama and his U.S. State Department are being unusually quiet.

Europe

France is currently the only country that has apologized, stating that they did not know the Bolivian leader was on board.

For the European countries to complain about the United States spying on their countries and their citizens in light of the revelations by Mr. Snowden and then to conduct an unprecedented interference with the protected operations of the official aircraft of a head of state strangely echoes American hypocrisy on the international stage.

This is another glaring example of the United States behaving as if they are the sole rulers of the world and have the right to force the world to bend to their will regardless of the illegality of their own actions.

Europeans appear to not value their own sovereignty and by their egregious actions against the President of Bolivia the countries involved have shown that they are merely proxies for their U.S. masters.

The international blowback may be extreme this time. 

Morales to file crimes against humanity charges at ICC against US

21 September, 16:42 1 

It may be finally getting to the point where the world has had enough of a certain country dictating to it, bombing it and attempting to shape it in its own morally bankrupt and ignorant image. The certain country’s illegality, ignorance, hypocrisy, flaunting of international law, wars of aggression, endless killing, threats of more violence, economic manipulation, spying and acts of aggression have gotten to the point where the elephant in the room that everyone has been trying to ignore the best they can is threatening to not only take over the room but to bring down the entire building.

Under the pretext of security against the bogeyman of terrorism that they have created, funded and supported themselves since 9-11, what can only be described as a monstrous criminal cabal, has been wreaking havoc on the entire planet since the day they got away with the murder of 2,999 innocent civilians on September 11, 2001.

Of late, thanks to the more and more revelations that are finally seeping through to the world’s populace and getting by the media filter set up globally by that country’s special services and the western government-controlled-mass-media, people are truly beginning to finally wake up, and now someone has finally had the courage, along with an undeniable justification, to stand up and do what the world should have done years ago, files charges against the monsters in Washington.

After watching the United States first deny visas to the Venezuelan delegation to the United Nations General Assembly and then prohibit the aircraft of the President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro from flying over the US occupied Latin American Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, the President of Bolivia Evo Morales has decided enough is enough and will be filing charges against the criminal cabal in Washington with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague.

President Morales, himself the victim of US interference in the flight of the presidential aircraft of a sovereign nation recently, over unfounded suspicions that Edward Snowden may have been on his plane, has stated that he will be filling crimes against humanity charges with the ICC.

At a press conference in Bolivia President Morales made the following statement to the world’s press: "I would like to announce that we are preparing a lawsuit against (US President) Barack Obama to condemn him for crimes against humanity," further describing Obama as a "criminal" who willingly violates international law. “

“We cannot accept that the US carries on with politics of intimidation and the prohibition of flights by presidents,"said President Morales, and also that the latest incident "demonstrates the country's predisposition to humiliate other governments and committing crimes against other nations.”

During the same press conference President Morales also called for an emergency session of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) to decide on what joint actions could be take over recent US actions. He has also suggested that the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA) nations should consider a boycott of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in New York City as a response.

The president of Venezuela Nicola Maduro called the US action "an act of intimidation by North American imperialism."

After the plane was denied the right to enter the airspace over the Atlantic near US occupied Puerto Rico, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elias Jaua told reporters the action was an "insult."

"We denounce this as another insult of North American imperialism against the government," Foreign Minister Jaua said.

President Maduro’s flight, which was en route to China, was forced to find an alternate path according to Jaua, he called the action "An act of aggression,"and stated: "No one can deny airspace to a plane carrying a president on an international state visit. There is no valid argument to refuse airspace."

By its own actions the United States is continuing to isolate itself from the world community and prove itself to be the single most dangerous rogue nation in the world. With its plethora of actions that are illegal under international law (including aggressive war after aggressive war) its practice of branding anyone it does not like as rogue state and attempting to bomb them and kill their leader, and its continued unrepentant spying and interference into the affairs of other nations, even moderate states and staunch US allies are beginning to realize the true nature of the beast.

If the United States is taken to the Hague for war crimes and crimes against humanity the possibilities for the door opening to prosecution for a whole series of violations of international law may present itself. This includes the illegal and continuing indefinite detention going on at Guantanamo Bay Cuba, endless renditions, the arrests of Russian citizens in third countries, extra-judicial executions, illegal espionage and spying activities, droning, the support of terrorists such as Al-Qaeda and the use of non-state fighters to destabilize Syria and other countries, all of the crimes committed by Al-Qaeda acting on US direction and finally a true independent investigation into the animals who were behind 9-11.

The US of course will continue with their arrogant impunity and egregious violations of international law as they have plans in place to launch an invasion of the Netherlands and the Hague if one of their ilk is arrested, but once charges are filed there may be enough international support to actually bring about a serious accounting. Of course this may be wishful thinking but it does in fact appear that the world has truly had enough of US aggression.

Imagine a situation where NATO was supposed to protect the Netherlands and Europe from an American attack. If European countries fall into disfavor with the imperial psychopaths in Washington who support child-killing cannibal terrorists in Syria, they may risk being branded rogue nations as well and have their countries bombed.

The US on trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity? Could happen. It would mean that the world was finally beating a cancer that will destroy it, and to think that this may be brought about by the President of Bolivia Evo Morales, who was so easily dismissed by America, would be true and wonderful poetic justice. Regardless US illegality has to end and the cancer has to be cut out to save the patient.