[Slonopotam845]

For nearly 28 years the U.S. government has harbored an increasingly embarrassing secret: A CIA tip to South African intelligence agents led to the arrest that put black nationalist leader Nelson Mandela in prison for most of his adult life.

But now, with Mandela en route to the U.S. to a hero`s welcome, a former U.S. official has revealed that he has known of the CIA role since Mandela was seized by agents of the South African police special branch on Aug. 5, 1962.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1...mark-mansfield

[softy54534]

Another fun fact: apartheid laws were based on the Canadian Indian act, we aren't as nice as we claim to be! Not the greatest article, but a little more information

[S.T.D.]

NO! Canada's never done anything wrong!

[Beerinkol]

Well at least we know Sweden never did anything like forced sterilization on aboriginals.

[Ifroham4]

Don't worry, Australia managed to fuck over racial equality in the world by proxy after WW1

Paris Peace Conference, 1919 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Who knew Japan was for equality and the Aussies were acting like nazi's...

[tgs]

Makes me wonder how this setback affected Japanese internal politics. The west-friendly factions must have been somewhat discredited.

[NeroASERCH]

Ex-official: In 1962, the CIA Helped Jail Mandela

People seem to forget exactly why he was arrested. Mandela was the head of UmKhonto we Sizwe, (MK), the terrorist wing of the ANC and South African Communist Party. He had pleaded guilty to 156 acts of public violence including mobilizing terrorist bombing campaigns, which planted bombs in public places, including the Johannesburg railway station. Many innocent people, including women and children, were killed by Nelson Mandela’s MK terrorists.

Read his indictment, for more information. He never rejected any of the claims made against him. In fact, South African President P.W. Botha had, on a number of occasions, offered Nelson Mandela freedom from prison, if he would only renounce terrorist violence. He never did. Most people think he was locked up for leaving the country illegally or for a bad passport. This is a white washed version of events.

If you think he was justified or not, the fact remains that he wasn't some peaceful Ghandi 2.0 figure that everyone is making him out to be.

[brraverishhh]

That's a gross oversimplification of the situation that places too much blame on Mandela. While it's true that he helped found MK, that event occurred in 1961; in another year he would be arrested by South African police. Mandela spent the next 27 years in prison, during which time he was effectively isolated from the ANC and MK.

MK was founded as an organization of violent resistance, but in the beginning it was focused on acts of high profile sabotage which targeted infrastructure such as power plants and not people. It was only in the 1980s when much of the previous generation had been imprisoned or otherwise neutralized that more radical youth took the helm of the MK and other groups and almost all the killings you describe took place. Frustration with apartheid was running high, and while Mandela may not have liked the turn towards overt violence, he was in prison. A man like that has influence as a symbol, but little operational power. Calling MK operatives in the 1980s "Nelson Mandela's MK terrorists" is a stretch and makes it sound like Mandela was personally ordering hits from his cell.

Botha offered Mandela freedom during this period, but he refused to take it. His statement on this matter reads:

I am a member of the African National Congress. I have always been a member of the African National Congress and I will remain a member of the African National Congress until the day I die. Oliver Tambo is much more than a brother to me. He is my greatest friend and comrade for nearly fifty years. If there is any one amongst you who cherishes my freedom, Oliver Tambo cherishes it more, and I know that he would give his life to see me free. There is no difference between his views and mine.

I am surprised at the conditions that the government wants to impose on me. I am not a violent man. My colleagues and I wrote in 1952 to Malan asking for a round table conference to find a solution to the problems of our country, but that was ignored. When Strijdom was in power, we made the same offer. Again it was ignored. When Verwoerd was in power we asked for a national convention for all the people in South Africa to decide on their future. This, too, was in vain.

It was only then, when all other forms of resistance were no longer open to us, that we turned to armed struggle. Let Botha show that he is different to Malan, Strijdom and Verwoerd. Let him renounce violence. Let him say that he will dismantle apartheid. Let him unban the people's organisation, the African National Congress. Let him free all who have been imprisoned, banished or exiled for their opposition to apartheid. Let him guarantee free political activity so that people may decide who will govern them.

I cherish my own freedom dearly, but I care even more for your freedom. Too many have died since I went to prison. Too many have suffered for the love of freedom. I owe it to their widows, to their orphans, to their mothers and to their fathers who have grieved and wept for them. Not only I have suffered during these long, lonely, wasted years. I am not less life-loving than you are. But I cannot sell my birthright, nor am I prepared to sell the birthright of the people to be free. I am in prison as the representative of the people and of your organisation, the African National Congress, which was banned.

What freedom am I being offered while the organisation of the people remains banned? What freedom am I being offered when I may be arrested on a pass offence? What freedom am I being offered to live my life as a family with my dear wife who remains in banishment in Brandfort? What freedom am I being offered when I must ask for permission to live in an urban area? What freedom am I being offered when I need a stamp in my pass to seek work? What freedom am I being offered when my very South African citizenship is not respected?

Only free men can negotiate. Prisoners cannot enter into contracts. Herman Toivo ja Toivo, when freed, never gave any undertaking, nor was he called upon to do so.

I cannot and will not give any undertaking at a time when I and you, the people, are not free.

Your freedom and mine cannot be separated. I will return.

TL;DR - He saw himself as a representative of an oppressed people and banned political party, and was unwilling to enter into unequal negotiations while still a prisoner.

[9mm_fan]

One should also be aware that the Apartheid Government terrorized the african population through systematic government approved violence including regular assassinations/rape/murder/etc.

The African Truth and Reconciliation commission recorded thousands of instances of such crimes including many confirmed by former Apartheid agents who admitted to killing many (after receiving amnesty).

I'm not saying terrorism is justified but the government itself used the same violent tactics to control the populace.

[Fegasderty]

Terrorism is a label applied by those in power.

[softy54534]

That's some college-know-it-all bullshit right there.

[Slonopotam845]

To be clear: Terrorism is a tactic that targets civillians to invoke fear in a populace in the normally vain attemt to instill some kind of change. It's normally used by political groups with no realistic chance of obtaining their desired political change by more conventional means.

State sponsored terror is definitely a thing and does happen. Just not by the major world powers.

[S.T.D.]

As long as we're discussing Nelson Mandela, apparently he's doing better.

It's a difficult circumstance, though, as many have stated that he has lived a full life, & the possible prolonging may lead to further agony. It is conflicting to hear that the lives of our heroes must come to an end... I personally am at a loss on the information...