Cynthia McKinney not permitted to exit the country to speak in Damascus, Syria

http://greenpages.wordpress.com/2008/11/24/cynthia-mckinney-not-permitted-to-exit-the-country-to-speak-in-damascus-syria/

November 24, 2008
Cynthia McKinney not permitted to exit the country to speak in Damascus, Syria


Today, November 23rd, I was slated to give remarks in Damascus, Syria at a
Conference being held to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and, sadly, the 60th year that the Palestinian
people have been denied their Right of Return enshrined in that Universal
Declaration. But a funny thing happened to me while at the Atlanta airport
on my way to the Conference: I was not allowed to exit the country.
I do believe that it was just a misunderstanding. But the insecurity
experienced on a daily basis by innocent Palestinians is not. Innocent
Palestinians are trapped in a violent, stateless twilight zone imposed on
them by an international order that favors a country reported to have
completed its nuclear triad as many as eight years ago, although Israel has
remained ambiguous on the subject. President Jimmy Carter informed us that
Israel had as many as 150 nuclear weapons, and Israel’s allies are among the
most militarily sophisticated on the planet. Military engagement, then, is
untenable. Therefore the exigency of diplomacy and international law.

The Palestinians should at least be able to count on the protections of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. What is happening to Palestinians in
Gaza right now, subjected to an Israeli-imposed blockade, has drawn the
attention of the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, who noted
that over half of the civilians in Gaza are children. Even The Los Angeles
Times criticized Israel’s lockdown of Gaza that is keeping food, fuel, and
medicine from civilians. Even so, Israel stood fast by its decision to seal
Gaza’s openings. But where are the voices of concern coming from the
corridors of power inside the United States? Is the subject of Palestinian
human rights taboo inside the United States Government and its
government-to-be? I hope not. Following is the speech I would have given
today had I been able to attend the Damascus Conference.

Cynthia McKinney
Right of Return Congregation
Damascus, Syria
November 23, 2008

doesn't mean I think she's completely sane and stable.
She is a little bit of a loose cannon.

I just don't feel comfortable with her
representing people in the US.
That said, she ought to be able to speak anywhere she
wants.

Was the plane just overbooked? What does she mean by mistake? TSA? or something completely unrelated? Looks like Cynthia just wanted an excuse to get her unhelpful little screed more widely disseminated.

Oh, and the first time this was posted, it turned into a flamefest and got locked.

so why make out like she was purposefully detained?

borderline opportunistic to me.

:eyes:

They won't let you get on a plane if you're not going to be allowed into the country it's headed to. What was the reason they didn't "permit her to exit the country?"