ZGram - 10/16/2003 - Prisoner of Conscience Letter # 16
zgrams at zgrams.zundelsite.org
zgrams at zgrams.zundelsite.org
Thu Oct 16 06:40:57 EDT 2003
ZGram - Where Truth is Destiny: Now more than ever!
October 16, 2003
Good Morning from the Zundelsite:
I was sorting Ernst's letters this morning chronologically and
reread some of them. The excerpt below was of particular interest to
me because I absolutely do not recall that I had ever read it before.
It seems that the stress of the days following the arrest was such
that I have blocked out large segments of what actually transpired.
Here is that excerpt from a letter dated 2-18-03:
[START]
I know my enemies, Ingrid, I know how absolutely subservient the
system is to every whim, wish and demand of theirs, which in short
order ends up [as] a ruling, court- or deportation order, as we have
learned one more time to our sorrow.
When I arrived at the Canadian border, I could not determine in the
fierce snow storm if it was Niagara Falls or Lewiston because I was
enclosed in a prisoner transport van in handcuffs. I arrived in the
company of two US/INS Enforcement Officers, Scott Pitman and John
Barnes, together with a US Immigration supervisor and two rather
rough-looking, appr. 35-year old man and woman, all plain clothes
types, no identification badges [and] name tags on their outer
garments.
I actually thought they were Canadian Immigration Officers. I told
them what I read in the Asylum texts, when we entered and after we
were in the inside offices of Canada Immigration: "I am requesting
political asylum under the UN Refugee convention on torture, and
request non-removal..." This was already drowned out in their firm
replies from both: "We are American Immigration officers, not
Canadian."
I was never brought before Canadian officials. My passport was
always in the hands of the two officers who had been part of the
initial arrest on the 5th Feb. '03 and who picked me up at 5 a.m. at
Blount County Jail, took me to the airport and flew me via Delta
Airlines to Buffalo via a change in planes in Atlanta. Once again,
their names are Scott Pitman and John Barnes. I remember their names
because I dedicated a little sketch I had drawn on the plane - the
one to Scott Pitman was even on a Delta napkin. I signed, dated, and
personally dedicated each drawing to them.
I am telling you this in such detail because [of] their testimony in
affidavit form that I was already in Canada where I was put in an
office and my handcuffs were already taken off by the American INS
officials at appr. 12:15 noon on President's Day.
Approximately two hours elapsed of wrangling and gesticulating,
waving of arms, shaking of heads - I could hear nothing because thick
glass doors and another glass-enclosed office shielded me from them.
When I came into the large immigration area I was flanked by five US
officials and shunted into a glass-enclosed office at the right.
Sitting on a bench in the open receiving area sat two men in their
fifties, looking like orthodox rabbis. [Both] wore entirely
black-tailored suits and expensive blue or black trench coats and
black shoes. They turned their heads away quickly, while the other
immigration officials in the distance all looked rather curious[ly]
in my direction.
I spent between one and two hours in Canada before I was put back in
US handcuffs by US officers - the same ones who had brought me there,
minus Pitman and Barnes. (...)
Ingrid, those 1 1/2 to 2 hours in Canada might be very important for
us in the near future. So keep this letter. I'll explain!!!
[END]
Why am I putting all this in a ZGram? For two reasons:
First, this is the first time I actually carefully re-read this
letter, because in the havoc of the arrest and what followed, and in
the stress of days and weeks of dealing with various emergencies and
legal moves, I never thought of what this could mean.
Ernst was still in the custody of US officials, whom he mistakenly
identified as Canadian officials. Could it not mean that he asked
the US for asylum? They had not yet released him - as evidenced by
the fact that they then took him back across the border, still in
handcuffs!
Just asking!
The second reason I am documenting this in a Prisoner of Conscience
Letter is that I want a time stamp on the thing!
Ingrid
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