ZGram - 10/16/2003 - Prisoner of Conscience Letter # 16

[zgrams at zgrams.zundelsite.org]

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