Number of aging Political Prisoners seeking release, from decades of solitary confinement into general population. We will speak with a former prisoner who visits many of the sick and elderly people behind ,ars, and with Soffiyah Elijah and attorney that has represented them. Where is this man who is in shackles, in a locked room kind glass with two guards on the other side of the door going to go . To a guestalso speak about whether the longtime solitary confinement of individuals is cruel and unusual. And the number of aging men and women expected to die behind bars has skyrocketed. 33 years in a new york state prison. I served such a lengthy sentence. Because i had not been rehabilitated, but because i was caught up in the system of perpetual punishment. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Has exposed a secret cia program in colombia that has helped to kill at least two dozen rebel leaders. The program relies on help from the National Security agency and is funded through a multibillion dollar black budget each began under president bush but continues under president obama. Up until 2010, the cia controlled the Encryption Keys that allowed homs to read gps data. The u. S. Se, in 2008, and colombia discovered a farc leader hiding in ecuador. The attack killed the rebel leader and sparked a major flareup of tensions with ecuador and venezuela. The u. S. Role in the attack had previously not been reported. We will do an extensive report on that tomorrow on democracy now evacuated states has hundreds of people from fighting in south sudan on fear the country is on the brink of civil war. President obama warned he may take further action to secure persons and property. For u. S. Troops were wounded saturday when the aircraft came under fire. Meanwhile, the United Nations mission has relocated its staff. Coordinatornitarian tommy lands are described the situation there. The situation is very tense. We spent most of the day evacuating wounded, citizens of various countries. ,s we left for the airport there was a lot of looting, gunshots, a lot of dead bodies. Very out of control youth. Heavily armed. Then need to be brought under control. The violence erupted earlier former deputyn a was accused of trying to mount a coup. Two members of the feminist punk releasedt had been from prison in russia under amnesty conditions. Due to be released within the next few months after serving most of their two year sentences. Release,after her Maria Alyokhina denied the move as a stunt for public relations. Now i would like to meet human rights activists and dealing with the issue of prison. I would like to engage in human rights activity. Now i am not afraid of anything anymore, believe me. Former most wealthy businessman was also released. He was jailed after financing prudents opponent and was considered an opponent of conscience. In ukraine, 100,000 people for a fifth week in a row to call for the ousting of the president. The proeu demonstrators have been camping out for weeks in the independent square of kiev. Antigovernment protests also continue in thailand after the Main Opposition Party called for a boycott of elections. Tens of thousands gathered to toss for Yingluck Shinawatra resign. Her opponent accuses her of being the under the control of her brother, who is in self imposed exile. In egypt, three leading activists have been sent to three years in prison. Ahmed maher, ahmed douma, and themmed adel helped lead uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak in 2011. David were the first to be sentenced under a new law that bans public protest by requiring en different coat dish permits for permission to protest. In iraq, a highranking Army Commander and 17 other soldiers were killed on sunday during a raid. The raid took place in the border with syria. Attacks in other parts of iraq killed 13 other people on saturday. In syria, at least 42 people were reportedly killed sunday as helicopters continue to bombard aleppo. At least six children were among the dead. Helicopters had been dropping highly distracted barrel bombs, oil drums filled with explosives and sometimes filled with scrap metal. Hundreds have been killed in the past month. Today is the deadline for most americans to sign up for Health Insurance which starts in january 1 under the Affordable Care act. Despite the rollout, obama claimed that over one Million People had signed up in the first three weeks alone. More than one million americans have selected new Health Insurance plans through the federal and state marketplaces. ,ll told, millions of americans despite problems with the website, are now poised to be covered with quality Health Insurance come new years day. The Company Responsible to building the healthcare. Gov website has a history of other issues. According to the washington executives from the has had cgi federal, instances of mishandling at least 20 other projects. Couples rushed to get married ruled in favor of samesex marriage. On sunday, an Appeals Court rejected a bid by the state to immediately halt weddings. The case is due back in court today. Workersork, domestic and their advocates rallied across the indian consulate to protest and diplomats treatment of her housekeeper. The arrest of Devyani Khobragade , the indian counsel general in afterrk, created a spat complaints of how she was treated. We think people have lost sight of the root cause of the situation. , Domestic Worker was exploited and she was not treated in a way that any other employee or staff member would be treated. Instead, she was treated as a piece of property. We are hoping that coming out here today we can change the conversation and have people focus more on the Domestic Worker and what she went through and push for justice to be served. Has beeni khobragade transferred to a different post with United Nations. Canada has struck down restrictions on prostitution. Prost duchenne is legal, but the brothelsthis limits and street prostitution. The court left the law in effect for a year to allow parliament to draft new regulations. Mexicos president has signed an Energy Reform bill allowing Foreign Companies to drill for oil in mexico for the first time in 70 years. A recent poll showed more than two thirds of mexicans opposed opening up the gas and oil sector. President Enrique Pena Nieto sign the ball signed the bill into law on sunday. Mexicos increase energy security. We can exploit abundant deposits for the benefit of mexicans, which up till now, have not been profitable for pemex. Party has vowed to undo the law through a referendum. Chargein bangladesh at the owners of the garment factory for the death of workers and a fire there last year. Guards,ers, security and others were also charged. All of them could face up to life in prison. Lacked fire exits, leaving workers trapped. Managers and security guards have been accused of instructing workers to get back to work after the fire started. A new report has found the Obama Administration has a history of flagrant violations at factories, including blocked exits. According to the new york times, the Obama Administration buys military items from countries with harsh conditions, including bangladesh and haiti. A colorado teenager shot by a classmate at a high school earlier this month has died. Claire davis, who was 17 years old, had been in Critical Condition when she was shot by karl pierson, a fellow student who then shot himself to death. Authorities believe he randomly targeted davis while seeking a librarian. Illinois,in chicago, three people were killed and 15 wounded in a series of shootings this weekend, including one that killed an 18yearold. Those are some of the headlines. Democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Is great to be here with you on the other side of the camera. Helped to i have cover topics extensively as a producer, and that is the issue of Political Prisoners, here in the United States. It is now december and the holidays, a time of giving and compassion. Often this time of year, we look at the clinical prisoners seeking clemency or pardon. Today, we focus on a particular issue, the large number of aging Political Prisoners in the u. S. Seeking release, or in some cases, seeking release out of solitary confinement into general population. These are largely people convicted of crimes in the 1960s and 1970s after their participation with organizations like the black panther party. Many have poorly treated whilees, like diabetes, at least one has terminal cancer. This issue came up when i attended an event in brooklyn. People had gathered to sign holiday cards for Political Prisoners. Am writing to david gilbert, who is a white european antiimperialist political prisoner in new york state who is aging, wonderfully, as everything else. Over, i believe, a little 70. My daughter made this card. David, as usual, mollie sue wanted to decorate the card, so you get another original this year. I am in between having a lot to say to you and not knowing what to say. Here to see how tall mollie sue has grown. You are here in spirit. I just wish your spirit could enjoy eating the roasted vegetables and nuts. My name is betty davis. I am a member of the Lynne Stewart defense organization. Were arrestede may 19, fighting to liberate south africa, liberty money from banks, and donating it to the South African cause, when these brothers and sisters were arrested, lynne was pulled along. Many of those writing today were her clients. The name goes on and on. Good afternoon. I see that you have another card regarding Lynne Stewart. Card, dear,n the mr. President , time is running out. Free lynne. We do not want to see a situation like that we saw with marilyn buck. Nne has fought for people all her life who have been oppressed in this country and continue to be oppressed. My name is andrew. We are a collective providing support for u. S. Political prisoners and prisoners of war. Sayingto preface this by that one of his codefendants i am sure that your listeners know this. He died after enjoying only three days of prison. What i wrote was, for as hard as be equally as2014 great for your health and freedom in the coming year. Been corresponding with albert for some time now, has he shared with you any of the challenges he has faced, from medical neglect, to being in solitary for decades . It has left him largely debilitated. It has had an effect on his Mental Health as well. It is hard to imagine living under artificial light for 23 hours a day for over 40 years. The strength of mind it takes to endure that is incredible. Cassandra lizzaire, our , thank you forow the report. When we come back, we hold a roundtable discussion on the issue of aging Political Prisoners. We will be joined by two former prisoners, a lawyer that represents them, and a u. N. Repertory who was himself a prisoner in argentina. Democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. We will be back in a minute. {music break] attica blues by archie shepp. Democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Joined by a number of guests, including Soffiyah Elijah. She won the release of marilyn buck in 2010 so that she can live her final weeks in freedom before she died from cancer. As thealso has a career executive director for the correctional. First i want to turn to a comment made by former u. S. Andrew young. Frenchter with a newspaper asked him about the treatment of political dissidents. Young famously raise the issue of Political Prisoners here in the u. S. He said in reference to jailed civil rights and antiwar protesters. , definedelijah political prisoner for us to for we move on to the discussion. People who are incarcerated for their Political Activities and political views. Some here in the u. S. Have expanded definition to include people who went to prison for social crimes and who became politicized, and then their treatment, such as their continued denial of the lease or parole, was tied to their required political beliefs. What happened with marilyn buck, who she was, and how you got her out of prison. She had been labeled by the fbi as the sole and member of the black liberation army, originally from texas, became politicized in the bay area of california, was ultimately sentenced to 40 years in incarceration. During the time she was incarcerated, she helped many women with translation, a skilled spanish translator, but ultimately, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. As many who are victims of incarceration, she was suffering from medical neglect. I pulled out all the stops and went behind the scenes and ultimately was successful in getting her release 21 days before she died. I want to talk more about that process but first i want to get into the mindset of whom marilyn buck was, when she was originally sent to prison. This is her speaking from prison during an interview in 1989. She describes how she came to be involved in the black liberation struggle. In a period ofe revolution, when Armed Struggle was being successfully employed by the vietnamese. Revolution was in latin america. Che guevara was struggling in bolivia along with others that we know and do not know. Learnedhe things that i in thet i really believe question of two or three vietnams. The black liberation struggle was beginning to flower in this country, being getting today will being able to assert itself. Being able to take on the state in certain kinds of way. From an unorganized level of insurrections in detroit and chicago, two more organized forms of struggle. One of the things that really impressed me was that when i met young men and women from the black panther party, and fighting for the liberation of their people, and not having the fear, but the moral and physical courage and knowledge that this was the right and just wait to go forward, impressed me a lot. That if i supported this process, i had to be willing to be able to engage in that. Buckat was marilyn speaking in 1989 from prison. , i wanted to go back to that clip to talk about the time when she went in and to place who these people were when they being became Political Prisoners. Then i wonder if you could talk about how your work getting her out relates to other Political Prisoners seeking release . Maryland became politicized during the black liberation. Ovement she was part of a Larger Movement of north American Anti imperialist who challenged issues of racism and capitalism in the u. S. , and they also challenged u. S. Foreign policy, like the war in vietnam. All of those factors helped to shape who she was. She was committed to antiracism, and she carried that strongly in all of her messages and activities. You know, she became more involved in the black liberation movement. She was accused by the fbi as being a person who purchased guns, produced false identification, in order to protect those targeted by the fbi, as they engaged in what was termed to be ultimately legal activity. Of fbi targeted many members movements for free months, assassinations, and long periods of assassination. Despite the odds, you were able to win her release. This relate to Lynne Stewart, another person who is prison . Ated in federal she is also suffering from given 18d has been months to live by her oncologist. Marilyn and lynne came from the same facility. There are a number of efforts and people who are calling for her release. This is a larger problem in our prison system, compassionate release and medical release. Far too many people are suffering from medical neglect in our facilities. Our society is not compassionate when it comes to how these people should be handled. A few months ago, i had the opportunity to interview Michael Tigar, who represented lynn stewart in 2010, when she was sentenced to 10 years in prison for releasing a press statement from her client Sheikh Omar Abdel rahman. This is what Michael Tigar said. That thisows us prosecution was nonsense. Prosecution involving releasing rhetoric about whether or not there should be a cease fire between the islamic and nonislamic forces in egypt, whether there should be a prosecution about that and label it terrorism, is just nonsense. The speech in question cannot possibly be said to have had any adverse affect. That the rhetoric surrounded it all, none of it is pretty, inflammatory, but we have seen what has happened in egypt, and how the United States has once again screwed up by these interventions into the middle east. Has pouredean power blood and treasure is into this area and not a single effort has succeeded. Anderms of history, law history need to get in touch with one another, and understand themselves. There have been iconic trials that have reflected historical understanding. Nuremberg was one of them. The trial about the french collaborator was one of them. This was not. Was charged with having released to the media a statement by Sheikh Omar Abdel rahman which asked for a rec