LAWSUIT PENDING AGAINST ZIOMANIA.COM FOR POSTING A HAARETZ ARTICLE!
Click here to read the email letter I received to remove the article
Click here to read the article that I am being asked to remove
Click here to read various articles about Global CST and Israel Ziv
January 3, 2012
On Dec 21, 2011, I received an email from lawyers based in "Israel" titled:
Legal Notice of a Libelous Publication On The Ziomania Website.
My immediate reaction from what was written on the subject line of the email was that the libel claim was against me personally for something that I might have written and posted on my blog. After opening and reading the attached document I found out that that was not the case.
The email stated:
"Enclosed please find a letter to your attention regarding a libelous publication on www.ziomania.com."
The sender of the email was a law firm based in so-called 'Israel' by the name of 'Moshe Khan Advocates' and their stationary listed two Jewish lawyers based in New York and three others based in "Israel". They were writing to me on behalf of their clients Global CST and Mr. Israel Ziv. After carefully reading the attached email I came to learn that the subject matter was a Haaretz article that I posted on my blog in May of 2010 titled:
Defense Ministry fines firm that sent elite training force to Guinea.
When I Googled the article's heading, only one article came up and that was the one archived on my website. There were two or three blogs that had posted it but only providing the Haaretz link which no longer is online. I read the article again and I remembered what had caught my attention about that particular article:
... Guinea, a small, resource rich, West African country. They [Ziv and co] got a ten million dollar contract, among others, to set up and train a special military guard ...
I was intrigued by how global these so-called "Israelis'' reach was in causing havoc! I am now being asked to remove the article because they had already sued Haaretz for libel and Haaretz had agreed to remove the article from their website and they expected me to accept that as proof of libel. On the 23rd of December, I wrote back them to tell them that I needed some strong evidence of libel such as an email to me from Haaretz or court documents. I informed them that Haaretz more than any other website that I visit has a nasty habit of deleting articles on a very frequent basis. Lest we forget, the Haaretz group are Zionists and they too do have an emotional attachment to stolen Palestine. I stood firm telling them that until I got convincing evidence that the article would remain online on my blog.
On the 25th of December (on Christmas day), I received a reply with an attachment which was to serve as proof to me of libel and it was the signed agreement reached between Haaretz's lawyers and the lawyers for Ziv and Global CST. I was about ready to accept it as evidence until I reached almost the end of the agreement which stated that the writer of the article in question -Melman- was forbidden from writing any articles on Global CST or Ziv ever again. That struck me as strange, outrageous and a total violation of one's freedom of speech. In my reply, I posed this question to them: If this Ziv guy were to murder someone in broad daylight and was convicted of the crime, then the Haaretz author could not write about and he was to remain mum from here to eternity on matters regarding Ziv or Global CST.
Their last email came to me on New Year's day (what a great way to start of the New Year, yea?) which stated:
This will be our final request for its removal from ziomania.com; if the article is not removed by January 6, 2012, our clients will initiate legal proceedings by local counsel in the United States for the damages incurred to them by its publication on your site.
My reasons for not being so willing to remove it while being under a serious threat of a lawsuit by these people are the following:
1. Many other articles, including revelations by American ambassadors that were eventually found on the wikileaks website, do paint this Ziv guy as a merchant of death and a trainer of mercenaries for hire in Africa and other places. How then is it considered 'libel' since the truth is never libel ?
2. Haaretz is a Zionist website and this case is Zionist vs Zionist. Haarertz may not have required much convincing to remove the article since they do protect their Zionist interests as well.
3. The fact that the agreement included the total silencing of one of the writers of Haaretz from ever mentioning the name 'Ziv' or 'Global CST' is very disturbing to my sense of justice and fairness.
4. Haaretz may have come to recognize the Jewish judge in "Israel" handling the matter as a hard-core Zionist and may have agreed to relinquish their rights rather than face what was about to be a biased and sure verdict against them.
5. I was not sure that a libel suit won in "Israel" has the same weight and value as one rendered in the United States.
6. I happen to be traveling outside the country and unable to have easy access to legal consultation on this matter in the United States.
At this point, I am equally divided between removing the article on or before the 6th of January and keeping it online. I cherish my freedom of speech to the highest degree and being forced to relinquish my right without having full knowledge of the circumstances and being forced to remove an article that I do NOT consider libelous in any way shape or form in order to comply with some judge's verdict in "Israel" has left me with a feeling of revulsion. If I am forced to remove the article under threat of a lawsuit, I will consult with my lawyers when I am able to find the time and the finances to do so. If I am encouraged by the lawyer to post it again, I shall do do. I have not decided at this point either way. Stay tuned.
Note: You may find the following related articles of interest:
Israelis to train Equatorial Guinea presidential guard
U.S. scuppered Israeli security firm's South American plans
Colombian Defense Ministry Sours On Israeli Defense Firm
Colombia's Relations With Israel
President Uribe Approves The "strategic Leap"