Transcript & Video – Update from Ken O’Keefe in Gaza Trade Not Aid/Samouni Project – Oct 2012

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It is Ken O’Keefe back in Gaza. For the last 14, 15 months, I have been dealing with the results of the hijacking of the Trade Not Aid Mission, now I have provided a link to a video on Vimeo which gets into greater detail about this. 

But the short version of the story is that I made a massive mistake by trusting some horrible people particularly Catherine Myles. But she was partnered with Saeb Shaath and some others that effectively infiltrated the Trade Not Aid Mission and stole money, donated goods and vehicles, two vehicles including an 18 ton truck that had been filled with donated goods for the Trade Not Aid Mission. 

Catherine Myles & Saeb Shaath, “co-leaders” of the hijacked Trade Not Aid mission

Now, the trade not aid mission is effectively the brand name for a partnership between the two nonprofit companies, social enterprises that I am the Director of. One, Aloha Palestine CIC, a Community Interest Company and the other one, the Samouni Project.

Now, the Samouni project was formed on the back of my relationship with the Samouni family here in Gaza. I formulated the plan for the Samouni Project with the Samouni family. In fact, the Samouni family put together a board that was comprised of all family members and those family members are the ones that gave me the direction to move forward with the formation of the Samouni Project and the carrying out of the objectives. Now, the two main objectives of the Samouni Project were;

  1. To get the kids the education that they need because after operation Cast lead and the slaughter of the Samouni family by the Israelis, the children obviously were just a little bit traumatized to say the least. This has adversely affected their school and in this sense, they are just like the rest of the kids of Gaza. It is not just a Samouni family, but the Samouni’s have been so incredibly violated and traumatized that these children are suffering. And, one of the things that they are suffering from is lack of ability to concentrate on school and thus they need real special attention—many of them—to even think about concentrating on school again.  Well, here we are nearly four years later and they really don’t have that yet. So this was the goal that was set a year and a half ago when I was here with the Samouni family.
  2. The other objective of the Samouni Project is in line with Aloha Palestine and my goals as a whole which is “Fuck aid”. Aid is not the answer. Aid, okay, in the extreme circumstances where people are literally going to starve to death, yes, you have to do it. But generally, aid is for the aftermath of a natural disaster when you have a hurricane or a tornado or an earthquake or something like that. Then you need send aid because the people clearly in that emergency situation would not have everything they need to survive. But this is not an emergency situation and natural disaster. This blockade of Gaza is now five years plus; it is human created. It is carried out by both the Israelis and definitely under Mubarak it was the Egyptian side, and more importantly for us in the west, it is carried out with the complicity in the cooperation of our corrupt western governments who are taking all our money and giving’em to the banksters and all this sort of stuff. So without our western governments, this blockade of Gaza which is five years plus couldn’t continue and my goal with the Samouni family is to get beyond the blockade to be able to export products that they can produce because they are far worse (off then so many), be able to have them produce their goods, vegetables, chilies, tomatoes, things like this, dehydrate them. I wanted to bring them a dehydrator and use that dehydrator to dehydrate their vegetables and fruits and then we in turn would work to get them out. The plan of this was really that we would guarantee that those things they produced, we would market abroad. People would pay for them. We would pay the Samouni family with those funds and then it would be our task to export them out. So any of the purchasers of the products would have to understand that if we can’t deliver the product, it is because the blockade is still in place.

So, that was the plan with the Samouni family. That is complemented by Aloha Palestine which I formed with Lauren Booth in late 2008 and the whole objective of Aloha Palestine way back in 2008 was trade not aid, to establish a trade route in and out of Gaza so that the people could import and export and basically be able to develop their economy and get back on their own two feet and live a life of dignity. Even just recently here in Gaza, there is an organization set up on the principle of dignity by the youth here and the only way that dignity can be achieved is by the ability to do trade. And, the trade doesn’t sound as sexy and altruistic as aid and charity but it is more important than aid and charity. This is where we as people really need to think about our critical thinking skills. Do we have them or are we continuously being manipulated in the one stupid dead end or another. Aid is not the answer and I am not the only one saying that. It has been said by the Palestinians for a long time. Go watch a video called Donor Opium on youtube, excellent video. It will tell you a lot about how aid is actually insidious and destructive towards the Palestinians who are now per capita the biggest receivers of ‘AID’ in the world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVTYyRLMljc

So that was Samouni project in Aloha Palestine. Now, I fucked up. I trusted the wrong people; they got on the inside. In that position of trust, they breached the trust, they stole vehicles, they stole donated goods, they stole money. Now, I from the beginning, if this had been dealt with properly by the UK police, this could have been sorted. On August 23rd, I submitted a report to the UK police establishing who raised the money for those vehicles. What the purchase of those vehicles was for which I purchased them. The transfer of funds for those vehicles while I was here in Gaza last year to trusted people on the European side back in the UK. The funds were transferred, authorized by me, the purchase of the vehicles authorized by me, the raising of the money by me and those vehicles were registered in the name of the people who I trusted on that end. They were never the legal owners of the vehicles. They were never the legal owners of the donated goods and they certainly were never the legal owners of the donated moneys which I authorized to be put in the Catherine Myles account because I trusted her. This is my fuck up and I apologize to everyone for my screw up as the leader of the mission, I cannot do anything but take responsibility for my fuck up and I fucked up.

Now, what can I do to recuperate that and correct. What did I do? I went to the UK police. I handed them all the evidence to show the ownership of the vehicles. What did the UK police do? Well, they did what the UK government does and that all the western governments are doing. They acted like the corrupt puppet bastards that they are. They didn’t arrest the criminals who provably had shown had stolen vehicles, donated goods and moneys, no, they arrested me. They ‘investigated’ me for five months and then said, “Oh! No further action.” Yeah no shit no further action. Keep in mind, these people had nine hard drives of mine, had every hard drive I had. They had two computers, the only computers I had. They had paper work. They went through my home; they took everything they wanted. They went through my wife’s underwear drawer. They went through everything in my house. Everything that might have established any kind of criminal activity on my behalf, they had access to it and they had it for five fucking months. I had to deal with that crap. I didn’t have any representation for a while and finally I did get a defense attorney, great man, thank you so much Simon Natas and ultimately the police dropped their farcical bullshit investigation and then they said, “Oh, the vehicles, it is a civil matter.” I then had to file a civil case to recover stolen vehicles which is the 18 ton truck and mini bus converted into the mobile office.  Now, that is now still in process and the court system, another story but nonetheless, it looks like I should be recovering in the court system because quite frankly there is no evidence on the side of the criminals to defend what they have done.

I provided that initial report. That was about 108 pages, that initial report. I then supplied a year later, I supplied another 106 page report on the stealing of the vehicles, the stealing of the moneys, the stealing of the donated goods. I handed that over to the police. Who do you turn it over to? I handed it over to the UK police. That was three months ago, haven’t heard back from them and I am talking about bank transfers, witness statements, emails, screenshots, all of it establishing that moneys were taken by Catherine Myles and moneys were transferred into her account and that those moneys are unaccounted for, that they have been stolen based on a principle of some collective and some bullshit group that somehow claims to have taken over the Trade Not Aid mission which they clearly did not. The UK police have dishonored themselves big time. FUCK the UK police that are at the top levels who are corrupt. I don’t fear you, I don’t give a shit what you do. I know who you are and plenty of people know who you are. Just like the UK government. I don’t care what you think you are going to do to me.

Anyway, I have done everything I could to affect legal remedy. But we don’t live in a lawful society. We don’t live with law. Law is violated. Tony Blair’s and George Bush’s, what happens to them? They kill people, what, a million, two million in Iraq, what happens to them? Nothing, there is no law. So the law did not help me. I was foolish to think that they would have. But nonetheless, I have supplied all the evidence to so called legal authorities in the UK; they have done nothing. Now in September just last month, I also compiled a 336 (page) report. This was the conclusive report of everything that happened with the Trade Not Aid Mission. Going back to the formation of Aloha Palestine, all the way through to the present day, this is a conclusive detailed report with every single piece of evidence to establish that those that hijacked the Trade Not Aid Mission, are in fact nothing more than common criminals and thieves. I have established with the evidence that clearly Catherine Myles in particular has committed fraud, she has committed theft. She has committed blackmail and blatantly, fourth, perverted the course of justice. She perverted the course of justice by lying on record to the police saying that she thought that I was the head of a charity, that I had defrauded her and others into thinking that I was a head of a charity and so therefore, they went out to solicit donations for a nonexistent charity. This is bullshit.

Catherine Myles acknowledging Trade Not Aid as a “CIC (non-profit making) trading company”

Every single thing I have ever said publically, in email privately, has always made clear. I am actually not a fan of charity. Charities are often times the means to infiltrate places like Palestine with over paid NGOs that can buy out the best of the private sector and ultimately get the agenda of the outside powers, the colonial imperial powers into lands like Palestine.  I am not a fan of charity. I wouldn’t want to live on charity. I want equality. I want justice and in a just environment, if we partner together, we will be able to provide for ourselves. Fuck charity.

So the idea I ever said that I was the head of a charity is ridiculous. Not only that, but I actually went to Sheikhs, more than one because there is something called Zakat. Muslims are honor bound if they have the means to give a certain amount of their money to charity each year. Now, because my nonprofit companies are not technically a charity, I went to sheikhs, and I asked them listen, is this possible that it would qualify—the zakat—that it would qualify for charity? And effectively, the answer was no. This was very frustrating to me because I knew I couldn’t say that it would qualified as zakat. I wanted to make sure and I did make sure by asking sheikhs, respected sheikhs about this. So I have never once represented myself as the head of a charity. The police could have easily verified that. They could have asked me questions and they could have shown some evidence. Where is the evidence? There is no evidence. And that’s why now, I have got the services of a law firm in London that is representing me in a complaint against the UK police and I can tell you what, they have taken this case free of charge; it is costing me nothing. You know why they are taking the case? Because I have got the fucking police by the balls, that ‘s why, because they have violated my rights. They unlawfully arrested me. They falsely imprisoned me. They assaulted me by taking my DNA and they violated my rights in the European Convention on Human Rights on two different levels.

So all the proof is there, just waiting for the police to give me through, my law firm, to give us all the information that they used to justify my arrest which I can’t wait for that because you know what they is going to do? That is going to show that Catherine Myles once again lied blatantly, perverted the course of justice.

Catherine Myles perverting the course of justice by lying to the police and public that she never knew Trade Not Aid involved non-profit trading companies

What are the UK police going to do then? Are they going to arrest Catherine Myles? I don’t think so. You know why? Because I believe she is definitely an asset of so called intelligence agencies or perhaps special branch. If not, its impossible to explain why are the UK police protecting this criminal? Why? What is the reason for this? I have the proof. I have submitted some of that proof online. You can look at it if you want.
http://www.trade-not-aid.net/documents/

And for you idiots out there that continue to believe in lives of these criminals, who are you? What have you done?

So, I am here in Gaza, amongst the millions of lies that have been told about me over the last 14 months, especially by Catherine Myles once again. One, I am not welcome. I am barred from Gaza. Here I am, I am in Gaza.

Catherine Myles repeating her slander by claiming I am “banned from Gaza”

That screen shot will be put up for you to see as well. I am barred from Gaza am I?  Well I’m here! I am also been suspected of luring young women into my apartment in Gaza and Hamas nearly arrested me twice. Is that right? Well here I am again. Why aren’t they arresting me?

More blatant slander from Catherine Myles

Not only that, but I have come to Gaza for two primary reasons. Two:

  1. To apologize to the Samouni family directly. Especially, to the kids. I love those kids and I am so sorry for what I have done to them by my failure to have the right people who can be trusted inside the Trade Not Aid Mission. I have done that now and I have come and I have explained to them my perspective and I have also submitted to them the evidence that I am talking to you about tonight.
  2. The other reason was to go to the government here.  And I have done that now. I have gone to the Minister of Interior and I have gone to the Minister of Justice and I have submitted 4 reports—the  ones I have just told you about—the initial report that I wrote in August of 2011, the 80 pages, excuse me it was 80 pages of evidence to the UK police in July of 2012 establishing the fraudster, the criminal, the hijacker, the absolute criminal, Catherine Myles with evidence, verifiable evidence I gave to the UK police in July of 2012. I then have the chronological report—336 pages of it—absolutely conclusive establishing everything that the UK police would need to arrest the right people. And lastly, the complaint filed on my behalf by law firm in London. I have handed all that over. All of that has been handed over to the officials here.

I have made it very clear to the government here in Gaza. I am here, I am ready to answer any question at all. In fact, I want to answer any question and I would like to see any evidence, any evidence that indicts me of anything not only illegal but immoral. Show it to me; I am ready for it. And if there is any legitimate evidence against me, which there isn’t but if there is, let’s go! Let’s go! I am here ready to face it.

So, I don’t consider the UK government anything but a bunch of corrupt bastards quite frankly and their little quisling underlings or the UK police. Which, let’s make no mistake as we get closer to the third world war are going to be called on to do horrible things to the UK people. So, I hope you do the right thing, the good people within the UK police.

I don’t believe the government here in Gaza is as corrupt as you are in the UK. And I have handed over all the evidence to the officials here and I have requested that they take all the evidence they have and if there is sufficient evidence to indict me of anything to charge me, I will come back to Gaza. I am coming back to Gaza because I would not be able to stay here too long this time around. But I am here if any charges need to be leveled. And I am coming back as well and here is my open proposal to Catherine Myles:

Catherine Myles, you still maintain possession of stolen vehicles, donated goods and also at least £20,000 of donated money went into your account all verifiable. You say I stole it, show the proof. How did I get money put into your account? Why was I so stupid as to allow it to be put into your account is really the question for me. But nonetheless, me being as stupid as I was, how did I get my hands on money put into your account because you are going to have to show somehow that it was put into my hands. You can’t do that because you stole it. Now, all evidence is there; it’s all there. Catherine Myles, I have found the funds for you to come to Gaza. We will pay for you to go to Gaza. I will pay for your tickets from the UK to Cairo and then your taxi fare to Gaza and your accommodation in Gaza and your return taxi fare back Cairo, back to the UK. You have a paid, PAID trip to Gaza. You come down to Gaza and all those things that you have said about me, everything you have said about me. I am a white supremacist, I am a Nazi, I am a fraudster. My wife is worse than me. My children are illegitimate.

Shame to everyone who supported this and so much of the other slander that even targets my wife and children

All of these lies that you have told, all of them, include accusations that I have stolen money and that I have somehow dishonored myself and harmed the Palestinian cause. You bring all your evidence to Gaza and you face the authorities here in Gaza. If you are not willing to do that, now, today, with the Simouni family coming out and making the statement calling on you, demanding you return all of the items back to me. If you don’t do that, let the whole world know and every single person who cares about Palestine, let them all know you have stolen directly from Palestine. You have stolen directly from the Simouni family and even after the Simouni family have demanded that you return all the stolen property back to me as their friend, as their brother, as their trusted partner. If you refuse to do that, let the wrath of the Palestinian Solidarity Movement come to you. Let it come to you. And Saeb Shaath, as a Palestinian, I suggest you tell Catherine Myles to return the stolen goods now as well.

That is my report from Gaza. I look forward to seeing what happens in the near future but let us make no mistake, NO mistake, no matter how corrupt, no matter how evil, no matter how servile and disgusting, there will be justice in this world, there will be justice in Palestine. And we will never give up and you can make damn sure that I will never give up. I will die with my honor and integrity and I believe that we will see Palestine free in the not too distant future. 


Full video report of the hijacking of Trade Not Aid Mission

Comments(2)

  • mehmet tuzeer
    September 23, 2014, 8:54 pm  

    Hey Ken
    I have just watched (Ken O’ Keefe Dares To Say What Others Do Not) on Press TV
    Man I tell you , loved it, I love you, and God bless you, Thanks what you are doing. You are the greatest. Please be careful against these psychopaths.

  • Elsa
    October 1, 2014, 1:38 pm  

    I am just learning about you…and am keeping awareness on all your efforts to the world and especially Palestine. In the future, can you distance yourself from UK on the Trade Not Aid org. and go to perhaps Ireland who are friends of Palestine, and begin anew from there? Leave this injustice in God’s Hands and let Him show His Authority and Justice in this situation. Let your heart be free to move ahead (and perhaps you have). My prayers for you and Gaza/Palestine. Sad that Scotland was not liberated. All tests will not go in vain. Peace

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