About why the State Department isn't getting involved. Isn't that their job? She's only a former 6 term (?) Congresswoman, and former Presidential candidate for the Green Party.

Edit: I know the answer to the question.

Edit:

7/5/09 LATEST UPDATES on the GAZA 21 and Cynthia McKinney

As of this morning, the Americans were moved to a detainment facility that is close to the airport.

FLASH: As I am writing this at 7PM EST, the latest unconfirmed reports have Cynthia McKinney returning to the US with the port of entry being NYC sometime in the late afternoon/early evening on Monday 7/6/09. Approximately 24 hours from now. Plan on a welcoming party and a press conference. GET READY! More info will be posted as soon as it is confirmed!

You can read more here:
http://www.opednews.com/articles/McKinney-Relocated-from-Is-by-Meryl-Ann...

*****************************************
From John Judge:

Friends,

I just got a call confirming that former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney and three other U.S. citizens were transferred from the Israeli prison at Ramale to Ben Gurion airport in Israel, the standard site for deportations. This information came originally from Mairead Maguire, the Irish Nobel laureate and was confirmed by the US Embassy in Tel Aviv, which is sending representatives to the airport. Maguire was told that the authorities would return to take her next, but she stated she is concerned about the fate of the remaining prisoners from Yemen, Jordon, the UK, Scotland, Palestine and Denmark, and may refuse to be released until all are released.

My note:
What possible grounds do the Israelis have to release these kidnapped prisoners a few at a time? If one is released then all should be released, since none of them acted differently than the others. I have been told that the form Cynthia McKinney was asked to sign was written in Hebrew, which if true is also illegal. She refused to sign the form, in any case, and then the Israeli authorities claimed that Israeli law required her to be held an additional three days, until Monday, July 6. Her early release today may reflect the level of pressure on Israel and the U.S. authorities generated by your work. By my count, the following twelve prisoners remain in Ramale:

Othman Abufalah, Jordan
Othman is a world-renowned journalist with al-Jazeera TV.

Mansour Al-Abi, Yemen
Mansour is a cameraman with Al-Jazeera TV.

Ishmahil Blagrove, UK
Ishmahil is a Jamaican-born journalist, documentary film maker and founder of the Rice & Peas film production company. His documentaries focus on international struggles for social justice.

Derek Graham, Ireland
Derek Graham is an electrician, Free Gaza organizer, and first mate aboard the Spirit of Humanity.

Alex Harrison, UK
Alex is a solidarity worker from Britain. She is traveling to Gaza to do long-term human rights monitoring.

Denis Healey, UK
Denis is Captain of the Spirit of Humanity. This will be his fifth voyage to Gaza.

Fathi Jaouadi, UK
Fathi is a British journalist, Free Gaza organizer, and delegation co-coordinator for this voyage.

Mairead Maguire, Ireland
Mairead is a Nobel laureate and renowned peace activist.

Lubna Masarwa, Palestine/Israel
Lubna is a Palestinian human rights activist and Free Gaza organizer.

Theresa McDermott, Scotland
Theresa is a solidarity worker from Scotland. She is traveling to Gaza to do long-term human rights monitoring.

Adnan Mormesh, UK
Adnan is a solidarity worker from Britain. He is traveling to Gaza to do long-term human rights monitoring.

Adam Qvist, Denmark
Adam is a solidarity worker from Denmark. He is traveling to Gaza to do human rights monitoring.

-- John Judge
Researcher, Lecturer, Congressional staff
Real Democracy Project
PO Box 7147
Washington, DC 20044
202-583-5347
*******************
FROM FREE GAZA:
Some of the UK FreeGaza 21 detainees likely to be deported Monday, should arrive to Heathrow 13.30 Monday.

We have just heard that at least 3 of the 6 British FreeGaza detainees are being put on a flight to London in the morning, due to arrive at Heathrow at 13.30 p.m.

Because it is a Sunday and we have only just heard this news, we are trying to spread the word as well as we can - so we'd be really really grateful if you could forward this email to your contacts. Some relatives and supporters will be there to meet them - but we ask anyone in the London area who is able to go to the airport to meet them to do so.

We are currently unable to make contact with the group, who have been moved to cells at Ben Gurion airport detention center. Once we have confirmation that they are on the morning flight, we will post to our website: www.freegaza.org

If you live in the London area, please try and make it down to Heathrow to meet them. We expect to have journalists at the airport to report on their deportation, and we are trying to arrange for a press conference in London for later in the afternoon.

More to follow! ... http://www.freegaza.org
*********************
Anita Stewart
New Media Powerwriting
http://www.twitter.com/anitastewart
http://www.myspace.com/anitaitconsultant
http://www.facebook.com/anitastewart
http://www.linkedin.com/in/anitastewart
http://hoodooed.blogspot.com
http://naturepictures.ning.com
813-312-2292
***
DIGNITY ACTION MOVEMENT
http://www.livestream.com/dignity
http://dignity.ning.com/
http://www.twitter.com/dignityaction
http://www.myspace.com/dignityaction
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Dignity-Action-Movement/10838269...
http://www.twitter.com/cynthiamckinney
http://www.myspace.com/runcynthiarun
http://www.facebook.com/CynthiaMcKinney

I can't believe you can't find this story anywhere. Even NPR hasn't mentioned it. Not one reporter out there is questioning anyone. Not the State Dept. not the Whitehouse. Wow this is really pathetic isn't it. If you mention the story to people they don't believe it cause it would have been on the news. Maybe we need to petition someone like Jimmy Carter to make some noise somewhere.

I would be very curious as to how these people were treated in Israeli prison. Perhaps the Israeli prison guards have been instructed to be on their best behavior, on account of the Falk incident. In December 2008, Prof. Richard Falk (79 year old professor emeritus of international law) who has written extensively about the Israel-Palestine conflict, was apparently treated very badly in an Israeli prison after being arrested while making an official UN visit to Israel, accompanied by staff members from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. His only "crime" was to bring attention to the appalling human rights violations being carried out by the IDF.

What will the State Dept. do, re. the McKinney et al case? What will the mainstream media in the US do? More than likely, absolutely nothing, because successive US Administrations, including the current batch, have issued a blank check to Israel which implies that they can do whatever they like, however they wish, whenever and wherever they want, and even if it means killing civilians by the thousands (such as aiding and abetting the 1980s Sabra and Shatila refugee camp massacres and many other notorious terrorist incidents), they have our full, unconditional support and blessing". The Israelis are also aware that nobody in the US mainstream dare raise any difficult or controversial material, or ask pointed questions, or even make the mildest criticism of domestic and foreign policy concerning Israel... for fear of being branded "anti-semitic", even a "Jew hater", or worst of all, a "Holocaust denier". This emotional blackmail is employed to the maximum by the Israeli government, supporters and the mainstream press (especially in the US).

A very unpleasant thought experiment, the reality of which I fervently hope we will never get to witness: "If Israel preemptively attacks Iran and nuclear weapons are included in the attack, killing say, one million Iranian civilians or more at a stroke, how would the current US Administration react?" The pragmatist in me tells me that the reaction would be something like the following: "US officials have so far declined to comment and have remained silent on the issue..... etc. etc. etc.". Thoughts?