Silencing of Assange Sparks Historic Ten-Hour Online Vigil To #ReconnectJulian

By Elizabeth Vos, Editor-in-Chief at Disobedient Media
March 29, 2018
https://disobedientmedia.com/2018/03/special-report-silencing-of-assange-sparks-historic-ten-hour-online-vigil-to-reconnect-julian/

Right after it became known on March 28 that Ecuador had silenced Julian Assange by cutting off his Internet access, phone, and ability to have visitors at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, friends of Julian orchestrated an online conversation/vigil under the banner #ReconnectJulian, while supporters in London gathered in front of the embassy.

The live-streamed expression of solidarity stretched to over ten hours, and is embedded in Elizabeth Vos’s article. Ray welcomed being asked to take part and spent five of those hours as a panelist. The particular segment in which he was asked to talk about Julian in general and his current predicament runs from 2:49:30 to 3:55:55 (including Q & A).

Two reports on latest indignity visited upon Julian Assange

1 —
Do Not Hold Julian Assange Incommunicado
Chomsky, Brian Eno, et al. Demand Ecuador #ReconnectJulian Assange
https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Intellectuals-Demand-Internet-Access-for-Julian-Assange-20180330-0005.html
March 30, 2018

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2 —
Silencing Julian Assange
Elizabeth Lea Vos, Editor-in-Chief of Disobedient Media and panelist for Wednesday–Thursday’s vigil, Is Interviewed by Eresh Omar Jamal
http://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/interviews/silencing-julian-assange-1555720
March 31, 2018
(Ray spent a delightful five hours with other panelists/supporters of Julian for the on-line vigil.)

Lower rate of postings this week

Joe McGovern, Ray’s son and Webmeister of raymcgovern.com (which, btw, is SEARCHable – see the SEARCH widget just below the photos on the homepage), will be somewhat distracted over the next few days.  He is taking time out to get married.

We call your attention to the SEARCH functionality because many comments we receive reflect an unfortunate lack of awareness of it. Those of you who have been unaware may wish to take advantage of this week’s lower rate of postings to use the SEARCH widget.  You will find it helpful in digging more deeply into issues on the front — or back — burner, in which you may have particular interest.  And there are 12 years of postings eager to be noticed.

Jim Woolsey and Ray debate the intelligence on Iraq on the Charlie Rose show in 2004

https://charlierose.com/videos/7621
August 20, 2004 (26 minutes)

The occasion was the debut of the full-length documentary “Uncovered: The War on Iraq,” produced and directed by Robert Greenwald during 2003-2004, in which many early VIPSers played more than just cameo roles.  “Uncovered” premiered in New York City in August 2004 and Robert asked Ray to accompany him to the various media events that had been arranged to promote the film.

While there we got word that former CIA Director James Woolsey wanted to debate Greenwald about the film on the Charlie Rose show.  Robert refused, offering me instead.  The half-hour with James Woolsey left Ray very grateful that he had left CIA before Woolsey arrived.

Woolsey comes up with “new evidence” supporting the yellowcake uranium fable and, when Ray mentions Israel, Woolsey plays the anti-semitic card.  Woolsey’s hair has not changed in the 14 years since, but Ray’s has, as he keeps trying to make some sense out of the things Woolsey and his crowd still say and do.

“Uncovered: The War on Iraq” may be worth digging out, in retrospect, on anniversary of the initial attack.  Yesterday, a friend happened to send Ray the link to the video of the Woolsey-McGovern debate, such as it was, with Charlie Rose letting Ray get a word in now and then.  Ray found Charlie an empty suit on this kind of issue — a very nice looking suit, to be sure, but empty.  And, of course, Ray did not know the half of it.

US Veterans spend tense day with Ahed Tamimi and extended family in Palestinian village of Nabi Saleh; experience first hand the brutality Palestinians endure at the hands of Israeli settlers and soldiers

Proud Nabi Saleh teens shouted “We won,” after powerful anti-Wall demo. Here Ray welcomes them back to the Tamimi house.

http://thepeacereport.com/one-day-one-village-one-family-nabi-salih/
published March 13, 2018, (38 minutes)

New documentary created by Chris Smiley: From the series ‘Veterans For Palestine.’ See more from this docu-series here: http://bit.ly/2FLP6Lp

Ray was a member of this small Veterans For Peace delegation to Palestine in Feb./March 2017.

UK Radio Hosts Ray on front-burner Issues: poisoning of Sergei Skripal; new low for the UK & U.S. media; House Intel. Committee — the major premise for “Russia-gate” (that Putin favored Trump) is assumption lacking evidence; FBI is still “investigating,” with all deliberate speed, Seth Rich murder; text exchanges between FBI’s Dumb-Strzok and mistress Lisa Page; Gina Haspel, torturer-in-chief of the first CIA “black site,” who ordered videos of the torture sessions destroyed, now picked to be CIA director; and, finally, Sen. Richard Burr, head of Intel. Committee, who ordered all copies of the explosive Senate investigation of CIA torture released in Dec. 2014 returned to him.

Ides of March 2018 — 56 minutes (excluding break between minutes 25:35 and 27:25)

Ray welcomed the chance to address more immediate issues, against the backdrop of his more historically oriented recent discussions with Scott Horton.