American murdered in Haiti -- family needs your help

[JustinF]

Cassey Auguste, a 22-year-old American citizen, was murdered in Haiti on March 3rd by members of the "Gonaives Resistance Front," a group whose human rights abuses have been given covert support and tacit approval by the Bush administration. I had the chance to talk to Natasha Michaud, Cassey's sister. She and her family are currently in Brooklyn, where Cassey grew up. They are desperate and traumatized by these events. They have been ignored by the U.S. media, the U.S. embassy, and the State Department.

I would ask that you all PLEASE just take five or ten minutes of your time to help get this famly's story out. Here are some links where you can learn more:

http://www.unobserver.com/layout5.php?id=1688&blz=2
http://www.dissidentvoice.org/June04/Felux0621.htm
http://www.sfbayview.com/062304/casseyauguste062304.shtml
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=20&ItemID=5532

Send this information to the news media. Urge them to cover the story. Here is a useful list of contacts--send it to all of them:

[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]

Contact your government officials and ask them why they are stonewalling this family's search for justice:

Ambassador James B. Foley U.S. Embassy, Port-au-Prince, Haiti phone: [phone] or 509.222.0200 fax: [phone] email: [e-mail]

State Dept. WHA Press & Public Affairs Advisor Gonzalo R. Gallegos: 202-647-4252

State Dept. WHA Deputy Press & Public Affairs Officer Robert Zimmerman 202-647-0842

Contact your representatives in Congress through www.house.gov and www.senate.gov

[travisleit01]

1. Done.

I emailed everyone on your list. Thanks for taking the time to alert others about this.

[JustinF]

2. Thank you!

Thank you so much. I know for a fact that the Michauds appreciate every ounce of help they can get. It's really sad that this poor old woman (Cassey's mother) had to watch her son be shot to death and nobody in this government cares. They can't make politcal hay out of Cassey's murder, unlike the killings of Berg, Daniel Pearl, et al.

Thanks again.

[Tinoire]

3. Thank you! And the CBC too!

Thank you. Yikes... :(

[JustinF]

4. Cassey Auguste and Rachel Corrie

I see that you have Rachel Corrie as your avatar. We need a similar movement to draw attention to Cassey's death, like the one that developed around the brutal killing of Rachel Corrie. Sadly, I'm worried that the fact that Cassey is a Haitian might be a hindrance to that. Not as much attention was paid to the killing of Surida Saleh, for example. She was another American citizen killed in the occupied territories. She was shot a bunch of times by the IDF while holding her baby in her lap.

Thank you for taking notice!

[JustinF]

5. Someone contacted me who was there

Here is a photo of the bodies