From owner-imap@chumbly.math.missouri.edu Sat Dec 7 14:24:29 2002
Date: Fri, 6 Dec 2002 10:42:00 -0600 (CST)
From: MichaelP <papadop@peak.org>
Subject: Icelandic government censorship [of Peace 2000 & Thor
Article: 148037
To: undisclosed-recipients:;

To: GlobalGreens@yahoogroups.com
From: GlobalCirclenet <webmaster@globalcircle.net>
Date sent: Fri, 06 Dec 2002 08:24:01 -0700
Subject: [GlobalGreens] Icelandic government censorship

Government trying to isolate Peace 2000 from the world: Media Ban, Smear Campaign and Internet Shutdown

From Global Greens, 6 December 2002

A systematic campaign to discredit Peace 2000 and its President Thor Magnusson is taking place in the Icelandic media. Earlier this week State TV and Radio reported that a charge has been issued by the Icelandic State Prosecutor calling for 3 year prison sentence over AstThor Magnusson. But the news are a fabrication and an obvious campaign to scare activists from speaking out. Authorities are obviously struggling to find legal grounds in Icelandic law to make the charges in court. State Police replied to a letter from our lawyer that no charge has been made yet. The lawyer said our phones are being tapped and now he is so scared he is refusing to give Peace 2000 a copy of the written reply from the Police worried about our distribution internationally.

State TV reported that the WARNING TO AIR PASSENGERS has reached hundreds of thousands of people internationally. They filmed the Peace 2000 webpage that carries the warning. Within hours our Internet connection was shut down completely. All Peace 2000 websites are now down and completely shut off from the world. We are sending you this message through a friends dial-up connection.

Media Smear Campaign

The Media is refusing to carry press releases from us. Their news are so one sided that we have filed a complaint with the ethics committee of the Icelandic Press Association and the Independent Committee of the State Radio. We have asked if Peace 2000 and Thor Magnusson are subject to a state controlled media smear campaign and who is pulling the strings.

Government Ministers are giving different stories about the agreement to use Icelandic aircraft for NATO. Some are saying the passenger aircraft of Icelandair and Air Atlanta will carry weapons and troops, others are saying they will only be carrying humanitarian aid for NATO! Foreign Minister gave a speech in the Althing and described how NATO has brought peace to Jugoslavia and Afghanistan following their humanitarian bombing of the countries. We have sent letters to Prime Minister David Oddsson and Foreign Minister Halldor Asgrimsson asking which one of them is lying about the intended NATO use of Icelandic passenger aircraft.

Hundreds of protest letters blocked from delivery

Your protest letters were blocked from delivery by various government agencies central computer systems. Please resend your protest directly to them. We have enclosed the mailing list with this message. Simply copy and paste the addresses into the email address field of your message.

PLEASE SEND YOUR PROTEST OR RESEND YOUR EARLIER PROTEST TODAY TO EMAIL ADDRESSES ENCLOSED These are email addresses of Members of Parliament, Civil Servants, Airlines and Media. 1. December 2002

Corrupt Members of Icelandic Parliament engaged in scandal cover-up

Hundreds of protest letters from all over the world are flooding email boxes of parliamentarians, civil servants and the media in Iceland. It's really working! They are now running so scared they have started using corrupt members of parliament to call peace activists and lie to them about our story.

The latest is a member of the Left/Green Party, Mr. Arni Steinar Johannsson, called an activist in the USA and told him that the prison I was held in is like a country club and nothing like what I have described. A reporter wanted to photograph the prison cell, but the police refused. We should demand the prison cell being shown to the media, preferably the International media.

The media in Iceland has systematically been used to try to discredit me. Hardly anyone has the guts to speak out. Members of parliament do not want to disturb their opposition too much because after upcoming elections they may need their support for forming a multi-party government. What is happening here is the death of a one thousand year old democracy.

Employees of the newspapers DV have made physical threats against my person which are now being investigated by the police. I call on you to ask your newspaper and TV media contacts to see the prison cell I was kept in and send a request for this to the enclosed email list for distribution to all members of parliament, civil servants and the media in Iceland. 1.

December 2002 WARNING TO AIR PASSENGERS:

WARNING: Icelandair, Atlanta, Air France, Iberia, Virgin Atlantic, Malaysia Airlines, Saudia Airlines, Air Algerie, Excel Airways, Garuda Indonesia, Air Asia, Southern Winds Airlines, Nigeria Airways, Aeromar. These airlines may be using aircraft under contract to fly dangerous weapons and troops.

[snip]

It appears that the peace.is internet contact may have been blocked

Media Contact: Thor Magnusson—Peace 2000—Vogasel 1—109 Reykjavik —Iceland. Telephone: +354 557 1000. Fax: +354 552 2000. www.peace2000.org —Email: thor@peace2000.org

I repeat the email address to send protest to is: althing@peace.is <mailto:althing@peace.is>

Please also copy to in case the government tries to shut us down: thormag@myrealbox.com <mailto:thormag@myrealbox.com>