Bin Laden Code-name “Geronimo”

[E.P. Grondine]

Hi Kathryn, all -

And the correct answer is:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/ct-oped-0508-page-20110508,0,2052163.story

Based on this report, the code name decision was not made by Obama, nor any of his generals, but instead the decision to use the code name "Geronimo" was made in 2006 under W. Once Obama was in office there was absolutely nothing he or anyone else could do about it.

Naturally, the whole process is classified, and W.'s crew has been happy to set back and let Obama take the heat, even though the code name decision was most likely made by an analyst in the DIA by at least 2006.

If W. has any spine, he'll stand up to the plate and admit he himself signed off
on the proposed code name, but perhaps that is expecting too much from him, though I really do hope that he does.

I'm pretty sure Apache serving in the military are taking some pretty serious  ribbing right now.

Kathryn, what specific actions were you hoping for from the Obama administration that has left you so disappointed with it?

[educatedindian]

That last article actually says the Pentagon won't say how the name was chosen. It also gives us the familiar argument we hear about sports mascots, "It honors you."

Even if an analyst at the DIA did choose it, there's no reason Obama or anyone else high up in the admin couldn't have changed it, just like Bush's people did with Operation Crusader after they realized how offensive it'd be perceived.

[E.P. Grondine]

Hi EI -

My guess is the Pentagon won't say.

You may have noticed that none of the SEAL team were identified at lunch. And everyone who works for them or with them doesn't talk about them. They don't exist.

It looks to me like no one wanted or wants to speak about how the code name was adopted, or by who, as they don't exist either. This is entirely a guess on my part, but it may be that the bbc helped spread a cover story from the SAS that the code name "Geronimo" was chosen because the SEALS call "Geronimo" when they jump out of helicopters. That was probably all that could be done.

With at least some 2 years of use of the code name "Geronimo" when Obama walked in the door, there is no way anyone in the Obama White House could have changed it. (The code name "Crusader" was stopped at the beginning.)

Thinking about it, the guys who made the code name decision are exactly the kind of people who when trying to think outside the box will read a book on thinking outside the box.

And the fact that they thought Osama in any way resembled Goyathala explains a lot about how they missed finding Osama for so long. Goyathala would not have gone off with a young wife to some oasis and hide his face completely while sending his warriors off on death missions.

For some reason these people had expected Osama to be near the front for a long time. And I think that nearly everyone in the country had picked this up subconsciously, as everyone was pretty surprised when Osama showed up living in a villa in Kashmir with his youngest wife.

My thinking is that W. could do the nation a lot of good by quietly meeting with Apache now, but I may be way optimistic in even thinking that that might occur...

My estimate based on their past behavior is that Rush and the other TP radio newstalk folks will be talking about this before their audiences as a PC demand for entitlements by the Peoples, or they may try to use the code name decision to accuse Obama of being less competent in some way.

[Sparks]

I would like to inform you that there is a Facebook campaign starting today, asking people to sign a petition demanding an apology:

INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS CAMPAIGN "WE ARE ALL GERONIMO"
Please read all and thanks for your inmediate response and support:
ACTIONS (What can we do?)
1. Copy this letter, put your signature at the end of the petition with (Name, state, country, email) and email it to native.elders@hotmail.com in order to send a general letter with all the supporters to the US Government.

2. Please, share and invite al your friends and netwroks to join this event and support this cause por peace, respect, dignity and for the healing of all our relations. Share this links on FB as well http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=117741901642097

3. Inmediate release. Email and forward this letter to all your relativers, friends, networks, communities and all people who can be interested to suscribe this petition. We'd love to receive a copy of this to native.elders@gmail.com Thanks and advance with

4. Post this letter to all the levels of the US Government, local and federal. Using all social networks. To call or mail post them, and in all ways. Promote this information in all means of communications, media, newspapers, radio, tv, talk about it with friends, schools and social networks.

5. Invite people to become supporters and help this international campain in each location, town, country, state, country, around the world. We need your solidarity and colaboration.

6. To act, to make events, all actions for changing this in a good way, for peace and respect.

7. To join Native Elders every day for praying for the Healing of Mother Earth and Bring more Peace and Harmony in Our Human Family. Honoring our Indigenous Peoples, elders and ancestors.

8. Email us in order to receive ideas, suggestions and possitive words.

2. PLEASE, SHARE, INVITE EVERYBODY TO PUT YOUR SIGNATURE ON THIS LETTER. THANKS FOR SUPPORTING OUR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES.
* * * * *
LETTER
PUBLIC APOLOGY

Petition to:
The Government of the United States of America U.S.
Senate & House Of Representatives
CIA and the Pentagon
Western Society

Atention: Mr. President Barack Hussein Obama

With sincerity and respect. With all our hearts.

The Elders, Children, Young People, Men, Women of the American Indian Nations, Indigenous Peoples and Sisters and Brothers around the World demand an inmediate apology from All the Government of the United States of America for allowing the code name "Geronimo" to be related with the international terrorism. This US insensitivity to indigenous Americans continues, like the naming of a killer attack helicopter "Apache". We manifest our higher consternation and we condemn this unacceptable and unjustified act of humiliation and degrading, that not contribute for this peace and dignity with our Native Nations. This Elder Geronimo case is a clear proof how the western society promotes oppression, genocide and ethnocide against our Indigenous Peoples since five centuries ago.

We demand justice for these historial debts, because of the invasions and theft of our territories, the confinement on reservations are part of the long list of insults and historical injuries that our Peoples have faced until now.

Western people need to understand who were first on the land. We ask to stop this xenophobia, racism and discrimination, that must to finish NOW. It's time to STOP the criminal way that our Indian Relatives are treated, especially our Lakota Brother Leonard Peltier!!!

The association of Geronimo's name with terrorism is yet another degrading slap in the face to American Indians and All Indigenous Nations from the government of the USA who waged an "unnecessary holocaust war" against American Indians in the forming of the America we have today. True American history shows Indians wanted peace, with justice, dignity and respect of their sovereignty. They had every right to stand up for their true home land, way of life, freedom, civil liberties and right to self government.

Geronimo is one of our most Beloved Elders, Spiritual Leader, Medicine Man, Wisdom Keeper and a Defender of the Sacred Land of our Ancestors. He's a true Hero and an American Indian civil rights leader icon in U.S. history. Who would dare allow the name Martin Luther King, Jesse Jackson, Gandhi, Jesus, Mohamed, or Mandela, Dalai Lama and any other prominent name be associated to terrorism. This one point alone being made goes to the heart of demanding an apology from the Government of the United States of America.

We are not agree to gross oversite in allowing Geronimo's name to be used as references that are offensive to our Elders, Ancestors and Indigenous Heros, with is another dark day in American history branded on the Indian community and totally unjustified.

The US government took what it wanted whenever it wanted without thinking of the consequences. without thinking of the people it hurt along the way. without being truthful, transparent, or in integrity about its motivations for what it was doing, and instead using excuses, saying we did what we did in the name of whatever, without ever taking full responsibility and never truly apologizing (without being asked to apologize) directly to the people it hurt. and the result of this has been much pain, war, distrust, and suffering for many, many people.

An apology from the Government and Western Society of the USA will not change history, but a public apology has to be part of that history for future generations and people around the world to fully understand the plight of American Indians and All Indigenous Peoples, their service and contribution for Mother Earth and World Peace.

It's time to truly accept that We as American Indians Nations and all Indigenous Peoples, have the right to Self Determination as all the Peoples around the world as in the context of the international law. And to be respected, including our Sacred Heritage, Cultural Legacy, Our Ancestors like our Elder Geronimo.

Our Prayer is for the Understanding, Harmony and Healing of All Our Relations. With Peace and Respect.

Sincerely,
American Indian Nations and Indigenous Peoples around the World
(Signatures here of all the Elders, Organization, Nations, First Nations, Councils, Movements, Families, and all)

And Sisters and Brothers from around the World
(Signatures here, Individual and groups with name, email, state and country)
Email it to
native.elders@hotmail.com

WE ARE ALL GERONIMO. THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

It's not easy to find out who the initiators are, claiming to represent "The Elders, Children, Young People, Men, Women of the American Indian Nations, Indigenous Peoples and Sisters and Brothers around the World". There are two of them:

1. The group DEFENDING OUR INDIGENOUS ELDERS, ANCESTORS & HEROS (31 members so far; you have to apply to become one; I hesitate to do so when it's so mysteriously secret who started it):
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_224775620871971

2. The Administrator of said group is a Facebook entity calling itself Native Elders:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000636796167
— which by now has 4473 Friends. I was recommended by friends in my Sami networks in both Norway and Sweden to join some months ago, but I have never received any reply to my request. It is therefore quite unclear to me who these Native Elders are.

Is this something one really should spread and sign, or is caution required? Is it just another Facebook wannabe fad?

Maybe I am overly suspicious, but the anonymity of it all does not appeal much to me. Is there something i don't see or understand? Please help me straighten out what this is all about!

[Sparks]

Maybe I am overly suspicious, but the anonymity of it all does not appeal much to me. Is there something i don't see or understand? Please help me straighten out what this is all about!

I found some additional material, and asked some more questions under "Research Needed":

http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=3320.msg28815#msg28815

[E.P. Grondine]

NCAI statement here:

http://www.nc-cherokee.com/theonefeather/2011/05/12/%E2%80%9Cgeronimo%E2%80%9D-code-name-for-bin-laden-operation-angers-some/

The cover story that "Geronimo" was a reference to the helicopter jump option is maintained.

After some 70 years of using "Geronimo", about the only subsititute jump into combat call that might be possible most likely would be "M***** F*****" or "Son of a bitch", in my opinion.

It was interesting to see Goyathala' s decendant call for a purge of his name from government records, as they don't exist either and  probably won't for another 50 years or so. In any case, the National Archives is expressly forbidden from doing that.

My estimate is that the return of Goyathala's remains to his family is very likely.

Like everyone else, I gasped in amazement at the code name choice. My guess is that the cover story is about a good an apology as will be made publicly.

I don't see a Republican candidate familiar with Native issues out there yet,
and I am worried about backlash on this from the Limbaugh types out there on talk radio.

In other news, Bin Laden's porn stash has been found.

[E.P. Grondine]

In my opinion, this is a very good time to press this issue:

http://www.angelfire.com/az/GERONIMO/

[Laurel]

Geronimo E-KIA, a poem by the 1491s:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7vKu7X4aNA&feature=digest

[E.P. Grondine]

The thought came to me to pray that Obama be given the wisdom to order the US Army to return Goyathala's remains to his family, people, and lands. This is something that Obama can do with a few strokes of a pen.

I also know full well that my own prayers will not be sufficient, so I ask you here to consider this. I will consult those whose guidance I depend upon for their thoughts on this.

[critter - a white non-ndn person]

I thought the code name was for the covert action, not the target (bin laden) ..
But that doesn't make it better.
Using someone's name for a code regarding anything is not the best or brightest idea.

It's just another example of people having no connection to reality of other people
existing and ending up using some part of them while totally wrapped up in their
own little worlds that don't include anyone but their selves and those who think like them.