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URBAN PRO WEEKLY
MARCH 17 - 23, 2016 VOL. 5 NO. 25
Monique Walker Kellie McIntyre Candidates for State Court Judge
City Administrator Janet Allen Jackson currently is “outside of the loop” when it comes to selection of the “bond-issue team.” The mayor and the commission are also left out of the process. Photo by Vincent Hobbs
More inclusion, transparency sought in city’s bond-issue “Go-To” team Credit/Financial Counseling
&Truthe Institute Eddie Bussey 706-772-9800
706-664-7093
Accurate Credit History May Not Be Erased
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CITY NEWS Commentary
Commissioner Marion Williams has been asking some very uncomfortable questions about the city’s bond counsel and how he/she is selected. If Williams gets what he’s asking for, it may well shake the city’s financial cabal to its core. Photo by Vincent Hobbs
City’s key leaders, commissioners “outside the loop” on bond issues By Frederick Benjamin Sr. Urban Pro Weekly Staff Writer AUGUSTA Augusta commissioners once again had a discussion about the city’s huge bond issues and, once again, no actionable information could be gleaned from the effort. Ask anyone in city government outside of a small network of financial gatekeepers, about the mechanics of bond issues — what they’re for, who is involved, what’s bid out and what’s not — and you’ll be met
with a puzzled silence. That’s what happened at Tuesday’s council meeting (March 15). Commissioner Marion Williams asked a very specific question about the bond issue process. How is the county’s bond counsel selected? That’s all he wanted to know. At previous meetings he had been far more ambitious and had gotten nowhere, but surely someone could answer that single question. Puzzled silence from the gallery. The administrator, the mayor, the
finance committee chairman and the commissioners sat and waited for someone to at least point in a certain direction. Finally, Finance Department Director Donna Williams addressed the commissioners, and without naming anyone says, “The attorneys are handled through the Law Department.” Naturally, General Counsel Andrew MacKenzie was not present. Deputy General Counsel Wayne Brown was there and said, “The process [to hire the bond counsel]
is the same for any attorney. It goes through General Counsel.” Again, no name was given, but he had to be referring to MacKenzie. One can see why it is so frustrating for Williams and other commissioners who are asking the tough questions and are stonewalled at every turn. Finally, Williams asked, “Who makes the final selection [for the bond attorney]? Why doesn’t it come before this body? Continued on page 4
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Bond financing from page 3 Those are all good questions and depending upon whether you want to preserve the status quo or you want to see meaningful change, you will welcome the inquiry or shy away from it. Mayor Hardie may have said it best, “This is a slippery slope.” Slippery indeed. Here’s the deal. A relatively small coterie of attorneys, financial advisors, bankers and other bond issue operatives control the entire bond issue process from start to finish. No questions asked. They have done so for years. Slippery slope indeed. Those who have been invited into this lucrative “bond-issue enterprise” have benefited mightily and have been secure in the knowledge that what they did was so convoluted and highly specialized that all they ever needed to get from the commission or any city executives was the go ahead to be able to “do their thing” in whatever manner they saw fit and then be left alone. That has to change. In this day and age, one thing we must take to heart is that there’s no good reason to continuing to do something just because that’s the way it has always been done. There’s not an industry that worth its salt that hasn’t drastically modified the way it has done business to take advantage of structural changes in the economy, the society, the culture and the political organization of this county. Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle, an avowed loyalist when it comes to protecting the financial team which has had the privilege of guiding the city’s bond issues for as long as anyone could remember, sounded the alarm.
UPW
“Why reinvent the wheel? We will destroy the foundation on which this organization is built. Nothing good can come of it. We can’t afford to do this,” Guilfoyle said. Getting back to Commissioner
2746 Willis Foreman Road Hephzibah, GA 30815
tor (Williams) and the city’s financial advisor, Dianne McNabb. Now of the three, only MacKenzie and Williams are city employees. So can the bond counsel and financial adviser be replaced? Absolutely!
Bond Issues 101
The following is an edited version of a work by Bloomberg Financial, the authority on municipal bond valuation, The work is entitled Handbook for Muni-Bond Issuers by Joe Mysak.
Bond Issuers must become part of the process The most important thing for you to remember about the professionals who will help you come to market in the new era of increased regulatory oversight may be summed up in three unhappy words: Trust no one. It is no longer enough—if indeed it ever was—for issuers to hire professional help and then to rely on it. You must become deeply involved with every step of a financing, and you must understand precisely what is going on. Now let’s take a look at the basics.
The Bond Market The municipal market is an over-the-counter market, meaning that there is no organized central exchange where a bell goes off to signal the start and finish of the day’s trading. Buyers and sellers communicate and negotiate by telephone. If an investor and a broker agree on a transaction at midnight, that is the “municipal market” at that point in time. Comparatively few of the millions of separate bonds outstanding, totaling more than $1.3 trillion at last count, actually trade at all. And more often than not, the prices of inactive securities are based on little more than a very educated guess.
What is a Municipal Bond? In simplest terms, it is an interest-bearing certificate issued by a government when it wants to borrow money. Most of today’s market is electronic, and comparatively few investors ever get to see the single representative paper “bond” held at a repository. A bond is a loan, unlike a share of stock, which represents ownership in a corporation. Stock-holders agree to ride out both good times and bad, including bankruptcy. Bondholders agree to loan money in return for interest and return of principal. This is why bonds are considered one of the most conservative investments.
Types of Municipal Bonds: General Obligation and Revenue There are two main categories of municipal bonds: general obligation (GO) bonds and revenue bonds. There are of course some hybrids, but in order to understand all else that follows, you must understand the distinction between these two. General obligation bonds are backed by the full-faith and credit pledge of an issuer with taxing power. Such bonds constitute debts of the issuer and normally require approval by election prior to issuance. In the event of default, the holders of general obligation bonds have the right to compel a tax levy or legislative appropriation, by mandamus or injunction, in order to satisfy the issuer’s obligation on the defaulted bonds. The GO bond is the most basic type of municipal bond. From an investor’s point of view, it is also the safest, which is why GO interest rates are typically cheaper than those on revenue bonds by anywhere from 25 to 50 basis points or more (bond yields are figured in basis points, which are one-hundredth of a point; GOs, then, are typically one-quarter to one-half point cheaper for you to sell than revenue bonds). It is no mystery why. In essence, you are Continued on next page
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Williams’ question and lack of answers, Brown finally said, “Three people come up with the bonding counsel. The trio that run things includes the general counsel (MacKenzie), the city finance direc-
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CEO / Sales FREDERICK BENJAMIN SR. 706-306-4647 editor@urbanproweekly.com Sales Partner SHAQUANA RICHARDSON 706-910-4357
Contributors VINCENT HOBBS Photography & New Media KEN MAKIN contributing columnist
Bond financing from page 4
The bond issue team FINANCIAL ADVISER (FA) Helps you decide if a bond sale is appropriate at all; then assists in its planning and preparation. BOND COUNSEL Opines on the legality of the issue and its tax exemption or taxability. Often an excellent source of ideas on the structure of the deal. UNDERWRITERS COUNSEL. A lawyer involved in the transaction, who represents the securities firm buying your bonds. Some municipalities find it in their interest to hire special disclosure counsel to help them with matters relating to ongoing disclosure after the sale. BANKER Specialist in public finance at a bank or brokerage house. Helps with the actual structuring and marketing of the bond issue. ANALYSTS Some work for rating agencies and assess your bond issue for a credit rating. Some work for insurers, who determine if they want to insure your issue. Some work for underwriting firms and provide detailed research reports on your credit to the sales staff and other clients of the firm. Finally, some work for the so-called buy-side or institutional investors such as mutual funds or insurance companies, where they study your bond issue to decide if they want to buy it. UNDERWRITER Professional at a bank or brokerage house who buys your bonds in order for the firm’s sales force to resell them to both institutional and retail investors. Occasionally, firms operate alone, but they usually run in packs, termed underwriting syndicates. PAYING AGENT Responsible for paying principal and interest, when due. TRUSTEE Represents the bondholders; usually also represents the paying agent. BROKER’S BROKER A broker who handles blocks of securities in the interdealer market. Evaluator. An analyst who works for an interdealer broker, a “broker’s broker,” who determines prices on bonds trading in the secondary
Whether you use negotiated or competitive sale, you are going to need a team to help with the financing. The most important single act for you to undertake is the choice of competent professionals. As the IRS and the SEC have made abundantly clear, simply hiring good help is not enough. But it does get you a good deal of the way. An unwatched transaction is a dangerous one. For the bond sale process to work best, you have to put together a team that is responsive to your concerns. The team must work in cooperation, but it also works as a system of checks and balances. The two most important members of the financing team are the bond coun-
What does the Financial Advisor do The most important professional involved in the transaction, and one with whom you will presumably set up a long-term relationship, is the financial adviser. The financial adviser will help you navigate through the bond sale, regardless of whether you sell bonds competitively or through negotiation. A good financial adviser, or FA for short, steers you clear of trouble and is with you at the end of the sale. A bad FA is one who has his or her own agenda, or whose pay is entirely contingent on a bond sale taking place. A good FA will advise you when a bond sale is inappropriate, or when some other course of action will serve your needs better. Yet FAs happen to be a relatively recent addition to the cast of characters at a bond sale. Before the 1980s, few issuers used them, usually instead relying entirely on their bond lawyers. Today, few smart issuers do without FAs, and for the very good reason that the market is more complicated than ever before, and full of shoals for the unwary.
The growth of the role of the bond counsel The bond counsel rose to prominence at the turn of the 20th century, after municipalities that had sold bond issues sought to get out of their obligation to repay, claiming that they never had the legal authority to enter into such financings in the first place. They sought, to use the Latin, legal expression, ultra vires means to void their contractual agreements with bondholders, who soon found it in their best interest to buy only bonds that also had opinions from lawyers attached to them stating that the bond issue was legal. It was not uncommon in the early years of the 20th century for such legal opinions to be attached separately to the actual bonds for which they were given, rather than bound into the preliminary and final official statements as an appendix, the way they are today. No issuer today would think of coming to market without a legal opinion, and one provided by a recognized bond counsel, listed in The Bond Buyer’s Municipal Marketplace, which is known as the Red Book because of its cover’s color. Some issuers have experimented with using a state attorney general’s opinion, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey uses its own general counsel’s opinion, but most issuers will find it in their best interest to retain private bond lawyers who are familiar with public finance in their states.
Bond Credit Rating Agencies Credit rating is a highly concentrated industry, with the two largest Credit Rating Agencies—Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poor’s (S&P)—controlling 80% of the global market share, and the “Big Three” credit rating agencies—Moody’s, S&P, and Fitch Ratings—controlling approximately 95% of the ratings business.
Moodys S&P Fitch Ratings Best Quality Aaa AAA AAA Next Best Aa1 AA+ AA+ Medium Grade Baa1 BBB+ BBB+
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telling your lenders that you will do whatever is necessary, that you will raise taxes to whatever level is required, in order to pay the debt service or annual principal and interest payments due on your bonds. Who sells GO bonds? Any municipality with the power to levy taxes. The other kind of municipal bond, called a revenue bond, is secured by a specific revenue stream such as tolls or other user fees. The concept of using a particular project’s fees to support it dates from approximately 1885. In 1931, the Port of New York Authority, as it was then styled, added a new spin with its consolidated revenue bond, which allowed for the reve, nues from a number of different projects undertaken by the same agency to back the bonds sold to build those projects. This enabled stronger projects, whose revenues exceeded expectations, to support weaker ones, whose income might not cover their own costs for decades. A more modern example of a revenue bond was the $20 million issue sold by Iredell County, North Carolina for the Iredell Memorial Hospital in the fall of 1997. The bonds are, in the words of the official statement, “payable solely from, and secured solely by a pledge of, the Net Revenues” of the hospital.
Why is a team needed?
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CITY NEWS
Plenty of seats up for grabs Judgeships, Commission seats, Sheriff, State House and Senate to be contested By Ken J. Makin Special to UPW AUGUSTA While the nation fixes its eye on presidential primaries and candidates, there are a number of local and state elections that are sure to drive voter interest and participation. Three of the five seats on the Augusta Commission are up for grabs, including Districts 1, 5 and 9. On the state side, candidates will vie for House seats and face off in contested court positions. “I think we are going to be very busy in May,” explained Lynn Bailey, Executive Director of the Richmond County Board of Elections. “A lot of that, I believe, is a direct result of the Augusta Commission, as well as other good, contested races that will draw a lot of interest.” The General Primary/General Nonpartisan and Special Elections will be held Tuesday, May 24. The deadline for voter registration is Tuesday, April 8. The Board of Elections (BOE) will begin sending out ballots through the mail on Friday, April 8, and according to Bailey, it is “not too early to request a ballot through the mail.” Early voting will begin Monday, May 2 and last for a three-week period. Three candidates are in the race for Augusta Commission District 1, including incumbent William “Bill” Fennoy. Denice Traina and Michael J. Thurman will challenge Fennoy. In District 5, Kelby Walker and Andrew A. Jefferson both seek to succeed term-limited William “Bill” Lockett. In Super District 9, incumbent Marion Williams and Ronnie Battle will go head-to-head. That isn’t the only local race sure to get peoples’ attention, though. Two familiar political surnames in Augusta lore will face off in the race to determine whom will succeed John Flythe. Monique Walker and Kellie K. McIntyre, along with Bo Hunter, will vie for one of the State Court judge spots. The other will be retained by Patricia Booker. Omeeka P. Loggins is the immediate benefactor of McIntyre’s political pursuits, as she
will ascend unopposed to the Solicitor General’s seat. In Richmond County’s Civil and Magistrate Court, Ramone Lamkin and Steve Smith will face off for the Marshal’s seat. On the state level, arguably the most visible race with ties to Augusta will be the State Representative, District 124 race between incumbent Henry “Wayne” Howard and Gregory Hill. In District 125, Sheila Clark Nelson will challenge incumbent Earnest Smith. In District 123, three candidates are vying for the seat that opened due to Barbara Sims’ upcoming retirement: Lori Greenhill, Mark Newton and Wright McLeod. Richmond County Sheriff Richard Roundtree is unopposed in the State Senate races in Districts 23 upcoming Democratic Primary, but will face GOP opposition in the and 24 may provide some intrigue. November General Election. Photo by Vincent Hobbs Incumbent Jesse Stone will go up against Stephen Hammond, and FAMOUS POLITICAL NAMES VIE FOR STATE JUDGESHIP a whopping six candidates will do battle in District 24: Brenda Jordan, Gregory Grzybowski, Joe Edge, Lee Anderson, Patricia “Pat” Goodwin and Peter Gibbons. A couple of Superior Court Judge seats will be contested, as well. Incumbent Carl C. Brown, Jr., will be challenged by Chris George Nicholson in one race, while Evita Paschall and John Flythe both seek to succeed Carlisle Overstreet. The Democratic Party will present a question for the May 24 election ballot: “Shall the constitution of Georgia be amended to allow an appointee of the Governor to bypass the elected State School Superintendent of schools in order to take over local school operations, buildings and control of all federal, state and local funding if a school has low scores on standardized test or for any other reason a future legislative act may allow? Y/N” Monique Walker Kellie McIntyre Ken J. Makin is the host of “Makin’ A Difference,” an online radio program available on iTunes and Soundcloud (soundcloud.com/makinadifference). The National Coalition of 100 Black Women in Augusta is sponsoring Updates on the show are available a Community Forum for the Augusta/Richmond County May 24, 2016 atfacebook.com/makinadifferenceElection. show. You can also reach Ken by All candidates’ seats that are being opposed or have more email at makinadifferenceshow@ than one candidate seeking a seat are being asked to participate. gmail.com, or via Twitter @differThe community forum will begin at 6:00 pm on Thursday April 21, encemakin. 2016 at Diamond Lake Gymnasium,103 Diamond Lakes Way, Hephzibah Ga 30815.
Political Forum: April 21, 2016
A Community Easter Egg Hunt - sponsored by the Augusta Recreation, Parks and Facilities Department, Perry Broadcasting, and AmeriGroup will be held at the May Park Community Center located at 622 4th St. in Downtown Augusta on Saturday, March 19, 2016 @ 11:00 a.m. The Easter Egg Hunt will include thousands of candy filled Easter eggs, Lady Bug the Clown, inflatables, prizes, and lots of candy for the kids. Also, the Easter Bunny will be stopping by for a visit. For more information, please call the City of Augusta Special Events Office (706) 821 -1754 or May Park Community Center (706) 724-0504.
Richmond County Board of Education Meetings Friday, March 18, 2016 Spring School Board Retreat – 11:00 A.M. (Room 110-GLRS)
Leonard Williams to speak at Trinity CME Church Annual Women’s Missionary Society Program
Invites you to attend our
14th Annual Banquet Featuring Ventriloquist Tawanna Kelly & Puppet Pal Joy Theme: Helping Our Children Spread Their Wings Saturday, March 19, 2016 @ 6:00pm Edgefield Senior Council Building 15 Center Spring Road Edgefield, SC For more information call (803) 637-2010
2016
The Trinity CME Church will feature its Annual Women’s Missionary Society Program on Sunday, March 20. The guest speaker is Minister Leonard Williams, founding member of the Sensational Williams Brothers Gospel Group. The church is located at 2999 Glenn Hills Drive in Augusta.
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Easter Egg Hunt set for March 19
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SPORTS Paine College
Edward Waters College track athletes pass the baton as they compete in the men’s 4 x 100 relay. (March 12, 2016 - Augusta, GA) Photo by Vincent Hobbs
(At Right) Paine College’s TaShauna Smith competes in the women’s 4 x 400 meter relay. (March 12, 2016 Augusta, GA) Photo by Vincent Hobbs (Far Right) Paine College track athlete Bria McAllister competes in the women’s triple jump. (March 12, 2016 Augusta, GA) Photo by Vincent Hobbs
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(At Right) Albany State and Claflin Univeristy track athletes compete during the Paine Lions Invitational held at Laney stadium. The track and field event included athletes from Augusta University, Fort Valley State, Albany State, Edward Waters College and Claflin University. Albany State took first place in both the men’s and women’s competitions, with a total score of 233 for the men and 213.5 for the women. The Lady Lions placed second overall with 141.5 points. The Lions took third place with 93 points. (March 12, 2016 Augusta, GA) Photo by Vincent Hobbs
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Paine Invitational
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SPORTS Paine College
Paine College softball pitcher De’Jour Davis (L) watches the batter at the plate during a game against Ft. Valley State. Paine, playing on their home field, crushed the Lady Wildcats 10-3 after 7 innings of play. (March 11, 2016 Augusta, GA) Photos by Vincent Hobbs
Ashandria Henry goes up to bat during a game against Ft. Valley State.
Paine College softball catcher Maya Fiield watches the pitch during a game against Ft. Valley State.
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MAKIN’ A DIFFERENCE COMMENTARY by Ken Makin SUPERDELEGATES - THE CULTURE OF PROTECTING PARTY POLITICS
G.O.P. should be ashamed of Trump; Dems should be ashamed of rigging game
I
f you’re reading this column in Urban Pro Weekly, my guess is that the most vile, repugnant term you can hear in politics is “Donald Trump.” Or “Republicans.” And truthfully, I understand your angst. The fact that Trump could run a campaign based in fear, misinformation and without policy is alarming and disgraceful. In terms of the Republican Party, it is, as Malcolm X said, an example of “the chickens coming home to roost.” However, when it comes to the Democratic wing of politics, there are some skeletons falling out of the closet as well. (That’s why America needs to get past the two-party system, but that’s a conversation for another column.) It started with a simple question recently – “What is a ‘superdelegate’?” Google defines it as “(in the Democratic Party), an unelected delegate who is free to support any candidate for the presidential nomination
FORUM
at the party’s national convention.” Wikipedia gives a more in-depth definition, gives historical perspective and even outlines who these “superdelegates” really are. In short, they are 20 “distinguished party leaders,” which consists of high-ranking political figures, past and present; governors; House and Senate members, and Democratic National Committee members. For Google and Wiki’s specific and dynamic definitions, I have one that cuts to the heart of the matter – it’s a way for Dems in power to protect party politics and to ensure their survival. They are doing so at the expense of their constituents. Take the current race between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. As of Tuesday night’s primary results, Clinton had a 1,094-774 advantage in pledged delegates. That is by no means a runaway; in fact, looking at a streak of states which favor Sanders, it shows the race is not nearly over.
However, Clinton has a 467-26 advantage in “superdelegates.” The influence of high-ranking officials and “party pals” gives Clinton a sickening boost. It is ANYTHING but Democratic. I understand that primaries are nothing more than projections, but how can Democrats legitimately advocate the idea of “one man, one vote,” when there are party officials who essentially have the voting power of ENTIRE STATES? It is absurd and un-American. It has also inspired a social media campaign from yours truly. I am a superdelegate. Why? Because I vote in every election. I am aware of and inform people about the politics in my community, whether local, state or national. I am democratic with my intake of information, as well as what I share with the public. My vote AND my voice matter. Recently, the people of Chicago made their collective voice matter
in their disapproval and protest at a recent Trump rally. The nation appeared to stand up in applause. It was a seminal moment during this campaigning period. In the face of Trump’s disgusting presentation to a base focused on hateful rhetoric, the protest made me proud to be an American. I am convinced that a similar disapproval of “superdelegates” must be declared. The process of pushing political influence by the powersthat-be is as un-American as Trump’s ideals. Remember, our VOICE matters just as much as our VOTE! Ken J. Makin is the host of “Makin’ A Difference,” an online radio program available on iTunes and Soundcloud (soundcloud.com/makinadifference). Updates on the show are available atfacebook.com/makinadifferenceshow. You can also reach Ken by email at makinadifferenceshow@gmail.com, or via Twitter @differencemakin.
Revisiting the “Humanitarian” intervention in Libya
By Jeff Bachman Five years ago, on March 17, 2011, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1973 (2011) authorizing “regional organizations or arrangements...to take all necessary measures... to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack” in Libya. The resolution was adopted with ten votes for, none against, and five abstentions. In explaining the reason for its abstention, India implicitly questioned the narrative propagated by the U.S., France, and the UK, which depicted Qaddafi as bordering on genocidal. India noted that Resolution 1973 authorized “far-reaching measures under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, with relatively little credible information on the situation on the ground in Libya.”
India was right to question the credibility of the narrative that was employed to ensure the adoption of Resolution 1973. For starters, the protests were not as peaceful as the pro-intervention narrative suggests. Some protesters in Libya had taken up arms from the first day of the uprising on February 15, 2011, and many more began using violent means soon after. Further, based on the events prior to the adoption of Resolution 1973, there was no indication that Qaddafi’s threats were aimed at anyone other than those who took up arms against his regime. On April 14, 2011, Alan Kuperman asked whether President Obama had used a false pretense for war in Libya, noting that after nearly two months of fighting in Misrata, a city of 400,000 people, 257 people had been killed, including combatants. Of the 949 who had been wounded, 22--less than three
A Libyan rebel fighter points toward the air as he hears the sound of approaching Nato fighter jets over Ajdabiya in 2011. AP Photo percent--were women. Clearly, these statistics do not support the accusations that Qaddafi’s forces were indiscriminately attacking cities and cutting down anyone who stood in opposition to his regime.
According to Kuperman, Qaddafi’s “acts were a far cry from Rwanda, Darfur, Congo, Bosnia, and other killing fields. Libya’s air force, prior to Continued on next page
LIBYA from p.12
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the armed opposition with the knowledge that the rebels were committing war crimes. That adds complicity in the rebels’ crimes to their “humanitarian” record. As if that were not enough, the U.S. and NATO, by virtue of the above, are responsible for the widespread lawlessness that consumed Libya subsequent to the intervention and that continues today. Don’t expect any repercussions, though. As has been demonstrated time
and time again, the actions of the U.S. 13 and its allies occur in an accountability vacuum that is central to the prevailing culture of impunity within which the U.S. acts. Some even hailed the intervention as a success and others still do. Jeff Bachman is a professor of human rights and co-director of Ethics, Peace, and Global Affairs at American University’s School of International Service.
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imposition of a UN-authorized no-fly zone, targeted rebel positions, not civilian concentrations. Despite ubiquitous cellphones equipped with cameras and video, there is no graphic evidence of deliberate massacre. Images abound of victims killed or wounded in crossfire -- each one a tragedy -- but that is urban warfare, not genocide.” Even before Kuperman’s assessment of the justification for intervention in Libya, David Kirkpatrick reported in The New York Times on March 21, 2011 that “the rebels feel no loyalty to the truth in shaping their propaganda...making vastly inflated claims of his [Qaddafi’s] barbaric behavior.” All of this is consistent with what the Obama administration knew, which we now also know, thanks to the release of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s emails. As Dan Kovalik recently detailed, a March 30, 2011 email from Sidney Blumenthal to Secretary Clinton stated that the “humanitarian motive offered is limited, conditional and refers to a specific past situation.” “In other words,” wrote Kovalik, “while NATO would go on bombing for another 7 months, Blumenthal is already admitting that there is really no humanitarian basis for continuing the conflict.” This information was never written into the official narrative, because it was important for the U.S. and NATO that their war of aggression retained its “humanitarian” character. Of course, there was nothing humanitarian about the intervention. If the U.S. and NATO were truly concerned with the security of Libya’s citizens, rather than launching 14,202 strike sorties by the middle of May 2011, they would have supported the creation of a humanitarian corridor. As Vijay Prashad noted, “The real humanitarian intervention there would have been to have conducted the creation of a corri-
dor, a momentary ceasefire, let people leave as war refugees, and then see what happens, because this is not strictly the case in Benghazi of unarmed civilians fighting against a state.” Instead, the U.S. and NATO repeatedly stood in the way of proposed ceasefires. Prior to the initiation of the “humanitarian” bombing campaign, Qaddafi proposed a ceasefire between his forces and the rebels, which was rejected. A second ceasefire offer, developed by the main regional stakeholder, the African Union, and supported by Qaddafi was rejected on April 10. The AU proposal called for a ceasefire, the creation of corridors for the delivery of humanitarian aid, and a dialogue to open discussions on reforming Libya’s political system. A similar proposal was again rejected on April 29. Clearly, the protection of life was not chief among U.S. and NATO’s concerns. This is made even clearer by the U.S. and NATO’s continuous military support for the rebels even as they committed war crimes. In its March 2012 report, the International Commission of Inquiry on Libya found that the rebels committed “acts of extrajudicial executions of those perceived to be loyalists, suspected mercenaries and captured Qadhafi soldiers, particularly when towns first came under control of thuwar (anti-Qaddafi forces).” Again, thanks to the release of Clinton’s emails, we know that the Obama administration was aware that the rebels were committing crimes by as early as ten days into the bombing campaign. In a March 27, 2011 email from Blumenthal, Clinton was informed that “one rebel commander stated that his troops continue to summarily execute all foreign mercenaries in the fighting.” The U.S. and NATO perpetrated a war of aggression against Libya under knowingly false “humanitarian” pretenses. Further, while conducting their war of aggression, they materially supported
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