The Bomb Case_2011

8/9/2019 The Bomb Case_2011

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Published text at The Journal of Aesthetics and Protest issue 8 2011

THE BOMB CASE

The Uncelebratory Task

by Luis Guerra

“ertainly! as "la#o$ %i&ek 'as sayin( this )ornin(! *olitical stru((le and insurrection!

re#olution! and so on! are not structural effects + in the classical conce*tion too, they are

)o)ents! and 'e ha#e to (ras* the )o)ent! na)e the circu)stances! and so on- .ut finally!

the )o)ent! the *olitical stru((le ex*resses! concentrates! the social contradictions- And it is

'hy an insurrection can be *urely sin(ular and uni#ersal, *urely sin(ular because it/s a

)o)ent! the *ure )o)ent! and uni#ersal because finally this )o)ent ex*resses the (enerality

of funda)ental contradictions-

Alain .adiou! PLT", A 33456P75""5 9AL5T"! Saturday 26 November

2005, Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities, London.ranscribed by !obin "ackay.

1

3T79UT3

“7eser#ed docu)ent by ex*erts on antisyste)ic (rou*s, The docu)ent says anarchist authors

of bo)bin(s are in#isible! 5l :ercurio ;hilean ri(ht4'in( ne's*a*er

! 200=-

>L5 is a country 'hich has been kno'n internationally for t'o

bodies bonded by history, "al#ador Allende and Au(usto Pinochet- Allende as

the effecti#e "ub$ect of the 7e#olution and .ody of the 5#ent! and Pinochet as

the *ortrait of the onser#ati#e "la#e and the executi#e body of the a*italist


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U*risin(- :ore than ?0 years ha#e *assed since that =@11 of 1=? 'hen both

confronted and si(ned history 'ith their actions- Today hile continues li#in(

its “recu*erated democratic tradition! )eanin( the elites ha#e re(ained its

“ri(ht of beco)in( elected for (o#ernance- 9urin( the *eriod alle(edly called

“transition! four de)ocratic (o#ern)ents led by a “left4centrist alliance of

*olitical *arties! kno'n as 4“oncertacion de Partidos *or la 9e)ocracia4

acted as ad)inistrator of the “"tate and its econo)ical ad#ances! by and

throu(h the dee*enin( of the neoliberal syste) beBueathed fro) The

9ictatorshi* ;1=?41=8=o' could it be that a nationDs

*o*ulace! after electin( four left4center (o#ern)ents ended u* electin( a ri(ht4

'in( PresidentE The think4tanks of the institutiona# $#eft% are still )ournin(!

thinkin( the *eo*le betrayed the)F .ut the fact is that after 20 years in *o'er!

the executi#e *erfor)ance of the traditional left had left hile 'ith a (ood face

for the international scene ;59! :! U3! etc< but a #ery co)*lex internal

social scenario indeed- This co)*lexity relates to the conditions today 'here

e#ery hilean li#es in a defacto *olitico@cultural a*artheid de#elo*ed and


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*roduced by the econo)ic re(i)e- 5#en thou(h durin( the oncertacion/s

years the le#el of hard *o#erty di)inished! the arch of distribution 'as and

continues to hei(hten as the distances and barriers bet'een rich and *oor has

skyrocket o)inously -

t 'as 200= 'hen durin( a )arch re)e)berin( the =@11 of /? that!

*assin( before the Go#ern)ent Palace! kno'n as La :oneda ;that! as you

kno'! 'as aerially bo)barded on that =@11 by the hilean Ar)y

fro) inside the )arch thre' a :oloto#- The i)a(e of the Palace/s 'indo'

burnin( a(ain! as if it 'ere 1=?! 'as a brutal shock for the entire hilean

society and 'as absolutely conde)ned by all the *olitical elite! but it 'as also

an effecti#e and undeniable si(n of a nonconfor)ity a)on( a youth 'ho had

not *artici*ated in the “de)ocratic stru((les of the 80/s! nor the *olitical

*rocesses of “reconciliation durin( the oncertancion/s (o#ernance-

onte)*oraneous to this 'ere *rotests a(ainst .achelet for ur(ent chan(es in

the Public 5ducation "yste) and a(ainst a ne' and #ery disastrous *ublic

trans*ortation syste) in "antia(o ;the syste) cost the "tate )illions 'hile

creatin( a C*ublicC debt so lar(e that .acheletDs last :inister of Trans*ortation

had to (o to a Pri#ate .ank to be able to continue i)*le)entatin( the

)isbe(otten a *lan


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The Go#ern)ent be(an a delusional *ersecution a(ainst anarchists!

ku*a s*aces ;sBuats

libraries! autono)ous schools! and street art *ractices like (raffitti or )uralis)-

The "tate had found a tar(et easy to *ortray and ex*ose throu(h its )ainstrea)

)edia a**aratus- The "tate had found the *erfect tar(et for the execution of its

*o'er-

2

The .o)b ase

The *olitical *rocess that be(un in 200H coallesced in 2010- A series of

bo)bin(s continued since 200H in different *arts of "antia(o- The "tate and

the :ainstrea) :edia bla)ed these bo)bin(s on anarchist or(ani&ations! and

so)e 'ere in fact clai)ed by anarchist (rou*s- The )ainstrea) )edia

re*eated the story of a youn( anarchist 'ho died tryin( to install a bo)b

outside a *olice buildin(2- These facts be(an a *olitico4$uridical and *olice

*rocedures a(ainst and around the anarchist )o#e)ent as a 'hole-

Ihile the left4center (o#ern)ents ruled! these incidents 'ere not

defined as terroris)- They 'ere s*ecifically labeled as non4terrorist so as not to

*ut the 3ational "ecurity o))ittee into action-

2 :ay 22nd :auricio :orales died 'hen an ex*losi#e blasted hi)! a**arently 'hen he 'as

installin( it outside a buildin( of the "chool of Gendar)erie- :orales 'as an anarchist *artici*atin( acti#ely in oku*as cultural s*aces! social cultural centers and autoono)ous

libraries- >is death *roduced a chan(e in the case i))ediately those s*aces and those 'hich

'ere 'orkin( there 'ere seen as sus*icious of the de#elo*)ent of atte)*ts and bo)bs-


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nce the ri(ht 'in( took *o'er the incident 'as redefined legally as

I##icit errorist (ssociation- The re4definition! 'idely co#ered by the

)ainstrea) )edia! had (reat i)*act- t na)ed in ad#ance as enemies of the

State any for) of dissident beha#ior! *articularly those 'hich the state could

define as antisystemic- The "tate a**roach to *rosecution had beco)e

)ilitari&ed- They be(an accusin( the ku*a/s houses and other anarchist

cultural s*aces as bein( used as “centers of *o'er for the )achinery of

sub#ersi#e action ;The “centers of *o'er ar(u)ent used by the Prosecutor

Ale$andro Pena 'as created initially for dru( traffickin( cases< ?- The 'hole

)o#e)ent had been conde)ned 'ithout any facts-

t 'as the ne' ri(ht4'in( :inister of nterior 7odri(o >in&*eter *ushed

to na)e Ale$andro Pena as the ne' "tate Prosecutor- n :arch 2010 they had

de#elo*ed the thesis of the .o)b ase and started a syste)atic *ersecution

a(ainst ku*a/s s*aces! social libertarian libraries! autono)ous cultural s*aces!

and the fa)ily ho)es of those detained- t created *erfect )o)entu) for the

3e' Go#ern)ent and its *olicy of “the ne' 'ay of Go#ernin(F-

The 'hole of the “anarchist )o#e)ent! the *eo*le *articularly

i)*licated in the case! their fa)ilies and friends ha#e been *ointin( out since

the be(innin( that this case has been a *olitical )onta(e! a theatrical

3 9urin( the .achelet/s (o#ern)ent the ri(ht4'in( *ress 'as constantly accusin( oku*aDs of

bein(l s*aces 'here the anarchist )o#e)ent 'as ar)in( itself- ne of the autono)ous s*aces

attacked 'as the sBuatted "ocial enter Ku*ied and Libertarian Library "acco an&etti-The cri)inali&ation of Autono)ous s*aces reinforced by the fact that 9ie(o 7ios esca*ed

fro) *olice custody- 9ie(o continues as a fu(iti#e- >e 'as accused of the sBuattin( of theAutono)ous "ocial enter and Library Jonny ariBueo! na)ed by a T channel as Ca factory

of bo)bsC-

4 htt*,@@'''-*ortaloaca-co)@#ideos@noticias#ideo@182?4conferencia4de4*rensa4sobre4el4caso4

bo)bas4a)*lio4analisis4de4fa)iliares4y4acti#istas-ht)l


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*erfor)ance! a delusional and *hantas)a(orical construction of characters and

situations! a)*lified by the )achinery of the :ainstrea) :edia- This ima&e)

discourse built by the "tate as a substitute of reality! has been sold constantly

throu(h the )ainstrea) )edia to de)onstrate the ca*acity of executi#e *o'er

to )aintain control and order- Ie 'ere confronted 'ith the )achinery of

*o'er dis*layed 'ithout barriers-

As %i&ek *oints out! extendin( Lacan! the unconscious is o*en- t is at

the surface and it enacts 'ithout )ercy or re)orse- The syste) *resented itself

in its basic for)! in its *olitical acti#e4dyna)ic ;a conser#ati#e discourse of

control dis(uised as ai)s for *eace and *ri#ate *ro*erty *rotection

i)a(inary ;*roducin( a escenario characteri&ed by the Guardians of the

"u*re)e rder as bein( the ene)ies of society as a 'hole< and by a sie(e

;beco)in( effecti#e throu(h *olitically creatin( a le(al state of exce*tion


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3o'! the (aseous ene)y had been codified- The "tate chan(ed the

“identity of the )o#e)ent for its o'n *ur*oses! transfor)in( it into an

insurrectionary cell led *ri)arily by ex4sub#ersi#es fro) t'o leftist *olitical

)o#e)ents, the Lautaro and the :7 M- The "tate 'as no' seen naked throu(h

its creation of a thesis 'here its only *lausible ene)y 'ould be its de)ocratic

ene)y co#ered in the )antle of an the insurrectional left- The "tate created an

“anta(onist! a reco(ni&able ene)y for hi) and for its *ro$ecti#e discourse-

?

.ody of bodies

The "tateDs *ro#ided reasonin( for understandin( Cthe )o#e)entC is

untrue- The )o#e)ent has been *ri)arily and funda)entally an educational

one- ts o*enin( of cultural center and *o*ular libraries! *articularly in socialy

and econo)ically )ar(inal urban &ones! has been its re&ime of visibi#ity- The

"tate lacks a *olicy for buildin( *ublic libraries in hile- ultural *olicies are

stron(ly de*endent on )unici*alities and therefore de*endent of the *o*ulist

*olitics of the )ayors- This has created an o*enin( for inde*endent and

autono)ous libraries! constitutin( s*aces for de#elo*in( critical studies and

5 "ince the case of 9ie(o 7ios! the ri(h4'in( ne's*a*er 5l :ercurio constituted a thesis

linkin( the anarchist )o#e)ent 'ith the Lautaro :o#e)ent! e#en thou(h the Cex*erts onanarchis)C fro) *olice intelli(ent de*art)ent continued ar(uin( the non4hierarchical for)ula

the )o#e)ent- "o)e Buotes *ublished by the ne's*a*er said, Canarchis) is a radical *olitico4*hiloso*hical ideolo(y that calls for the abollition of any hierarchy or for) of control

;---< They re$ect any *olitical! econo)ic! reli(ious or cultural authority- They 'antco)unitarian societies based on the libertarian autono)ous co))une! of #oluntary

association- n endin( 'ith any sub)ission they belie#e in the le(iti)e use of #iolenceC 5l

:ercurio ne's*a*er! 3o#e)ber 2Mth 200=-


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9/18


10/18

Ie are here then in front of )echanis)s of difference! of distance! and

strate(ies of sub$ecti#ity! of resistance! but not re#olution- CIhat is

7e#olutionEC it/s so)ethin( that )ust be ans'ered by each body! )ultitude or

solitude-

Ihat 'e ha#e before us are )ethods of resistance to'ard the conditions

of *roduction in Iestern "ociety- .ut the *oint here is that *erha*s 'e ha#e to

na)e a(ain 'hat has been built! and not to lea#e the existence of e#idence

bein( betrayed by notions that are recu*eratin( the) to the "tate lan(ua(e for

its subseBuent annul)ent- Ihat is at the core here is the necessity of creati#e

*latfor)s that can o#er'hel) the understandin( that function as a sie(e

a(ainst the existence of these s*aces of anomie-

The Unruly "ub$ecti#ity

“n the conte)*orary 'orld! the future of our freedo) lies in the dauntin( task of ta)in(

Le#iathan! not e#adin( it- Ja)es - "cott ! The Art of 3ot .ein( Go#erned! an Anarchist

>istory of u*land "outheast Asia! ha*ter =! *a(e ?2-

The 5#ent e#idences the structures! o*ens it u*! ex*oses to o*en air the

body! the surface! the skin! the entire structure! and not its *ossible

deconstruction! but the structure at such! 'ithin its o'n )ountains and #alleys!

not as a flat )a* but as a friction )a*- The lastest econo)ic crisis has ex*osed

the fra(ility of the financial factory and the ener(y syste)- The financial


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industry has beco)e T>5 bio*olitic a**aratus! an a**aratus of social

en(ineerin( *roducin( a narro' s*ot 'here the s*otli(ht indicates the real of

an i)a(e- Ie are still co4o*ted! our eyes con#ulsi#ely hosta(es by the

dia*hra()! 'e $ust look at 'hat itDs bein( sho'n to us- And the discourse of

the acade)ia! the infa)ous syste) of the Uni#ersity corru*ted by the

econo)ic syste)! is blocked and a)*utated of any ca*acity for de#elo*in(

ne' trails of critical analysis or creati#e kno'led(e- .ut alon(side the

re*etiti#e and (enerati#e associations to a*ital that *roduce the sa)e bodies!

the non4death! *eo*le find 'ays not only to resist the conditions of life to

'hich they are conde)ned since birth- And here 'e are not $ust talkin( about

the resistance of the body! as is usually issued by any *olicy of social aids! but

also the s'irit. Ie here are talkin( about effecti#e or(ani&ation! *olitical one!

that has been 'orkin( o*enly 'ithout fear- The *rocesses! )ethodolo(ies!

*latfor)s and strate(ies ha#e been the sa)e, the educational free s*ace! the

library! the use of a s*ace as a &one for encounter and *roduction! *roduction

of creati#ity! of autono)y- n this! they are al'ays *re*ared to be threatened or

attacked by the "tate- This is *artially a crucial ele)ent of the )o#e)ent that

has been risin(! its *lasticity and no)adicity! its ca*acity of 'orkin( o*en but

in#isible and subtracti#e till the )o)ent 'hen the #oracious Le#iathan a**ears

and the in#isible )ultitude needs to o*erate its disa**earance! lea#in( behind

*laces because it is not attached to any one! the only terrain is the body of

e#eryone in the in#isible )ultitude- This is not the defiant attitude of a

)ultitude on the )arch! too easily ca*tured by the reasonin( of the "tate and


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its shell of resonance that is the )ainstrea) )edia- nstead it is an in#isible

)ultitude battlin( at the &one of habitus! a social4creati#e 'ork *roduced

subtracti#ely in the *lace of the routine! in the ti)e of bein(! an e#eryday onto4

*olitical 'ar-

Ihat is then an Unruly "ub$ecti#ity but the creati#e4*roducti#e

disobedient .ody that re*els the "tate4for)4society and its hierarchical

no)enclature of readin( and narrati#enessE The Unruly "ub$ecti#ity is a

res*onse to the conditions of life in actual conditions of *roduction- Iithout a

standardi&ed or uni#ocal for) it canDt be a**ro*riated by any of the

)echanis)s of annul)ent )aneu#ered by the "tate- t canDt be consu)ed or

fra)ed! it constantly esca*es any inscri*tion! it detours its no)ination!

undecidable *ar excellence! The Unruly "ub$ecti#ity it could be (ras* as an

Conto4*oliticalC conce*tion 'hich exceeds the hierarchical )a$esticity of

citi&enshi* and belon(s to the )utability of bio4thin(ness! d'ellin( at an

Cinaccessible forestC 'here the C*ost4classicalC reasonin(! 'here the an(lo4

continental tradition! is contained into and by )ultitudinous Cbein(C-

Today! all those i)*licated by state discourse in the so called .o)b

ase! *ublicly accused in the )ainstrea) )edia! and held by the Judicial4

Penitentiary "yste)! ha#e been! finally! released 'ithout char(es-

3e#ertheless! none can lea#e the country- The oku*a ho)es ha#e been

abandoned! the *o*ular libraries ha#e been #oided! and the *eo*le ha#e had to

)o#e for'ard reor(ani&in( the)sel#es in different *laces- The *re)ises of an


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unruly sub$ecti#ity and state4re*ellin( society ha#e 'ork here in the sense that

the “)o#e)ent as a 'hole has had to increase its “friction4of4terrain4

re)oteness- f denoted #isible by the "tate and the )ainstrea) )edia! the

)o#e)ent has had to distribute its sensibile to other territories-

Ihat has been at the core of this 'ork is the *ossibility of existence for

a nor)lessness s*ace for the e)er(ence of an Un(o#erenanable "ub$ect- The

anarchist )o#e)ent has been o*enly de#elo*in( strate(ies and *olitico4

cultural instru)ents for exercisin( the ca*acity of self deter)ination and

autono)y! and throu(h it! buildin( disobedience to the "tate4order- These

social tools ha#e been the o*enin( ho)es! of cultural s*aces! libraries 'here

anybody can attend- Iithout any hierarchical syste)! the )o#e)ent has been

orderly interconnected by the *roduction of 'ebsites and ne's*a*er that 'ill

e)brace and share co))on sustainable for)s of life! undoubtedly far fro) the

)odes and )odels of the actual neoliberal 'estern society- Anti4ca*italist

anarchist )o#e)ents ha#e de#elo*ed *latfor)s to critically create dissidence

to the "tate discourse-

Ihat is nextE ertainly 'hat is already ha**enin( is that the or(ani&in(

of Cantisyste)ic (rou*sC continues! not based on a reactionary conduct ;as the

"tate 'ants to sho'


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Ie ha#e no ti)e here for unfoldin( all the coordinates about the history

of the conte)*orary anarchist )o#e)ent in hile- .ut The .o)b ase!

inau(urated by the "tate in its necessity to ex*lain to their sla#e4inhabitants the

inex*licable situation of a series of bo)bin(s! of incidents that ex*oses its

inca*acity to control e#erythin(- t has also ex*osed the existence of a .ody!

the existence of a nor)lessness culture that *aradoxically has not been hidden!

but on the contrary has been o*enly de#elo*in(! 'ithout *ublicity- This bodies

ai)s at autono)y! unruliness! and disobedience- The farce has failed - Iithout

any con#incin( *roof the case is actually slee*in( in tribunals- The "tate

Prosecutor Ale$andro Pena has resi(ned his *osition and! o)inously! has been

hired by the :inister of nterior! *roducin( another scandal about ho' the

Go#ern)ent has used the )echanis)s of the $udiciary syste) for its o'n

*ur*oses- At the end! the .o)b ase is still o*en 'ithout any *erson

*rosecuted-

M

his is the first conc#ussion--- +ritten a#most t+o months a&o---

Today so)e of the *laces 'hich 'ere co))unities are abandoned- The

libraries ha#e disa**eared- 5#erythin( looks like a 'aste land- As the last

for) of re*ression onser#ati#e ne's*a*ers ha#e *ublished lar(e re*orts 'ith

i)a(es of the buildin(s abandoned! exhibitin( to the *ublic the su**osed

“destruction left behind by Cthe anarchists- t is i)*ossible to say 'here


15/18

e#erybody is! it is absolutely unnecessary! but certain that the creati#e ener(y

*roduced by the *ossibility of an e)er(ence outside of the "tateDs re(i)es of

#isibility *er)its us to think that the libraries 'ill be return so)eti)e- The

“.ody doesn/t li#e in a certain or s*ecific matter ! but by the extre)ities of its

o'n ca*acity for ada*tability! its no)adis)! throu(h its )astery for not bein(

Go#erned-

ha#e been tryin( to end this docu)ent since June but the actual

*olitical situation in hile has held )e sus*ended or rather has sus*ended the

ai)s of the text- The e#ents lately (enerated by the "tudent :o#e)ent! by the

5colo(ical :o#e)ent! by the 7e(ional :o#e)ent has shaken not only the

ri(ht4'in( (o#ern)ent but also the re*resentational s*ectru) of the

“de)ocratic *olitical syste)- Ihat 'e are 'itnessin( here in hile is an

entire society re*ellin( the for) of its o'n *olitical syste)- :any are ar(uin(

about the necessity of a constitutional chan(e as the only 'ay of re4describin(

the conditions of the "ociety and its ne' ai)s- As others ha#e been sayin(! it

has been an e#ident necessity to end all the *olitical encla#es of Pinochet/s

9ictatorshi*- inally! 'hat has been at stake is the shakin( of an entire )odel

that can/t continue to sustain itself as a4historical! or rather! as a4te)*oral-

The ideolo(ical he(e)ony of 3eoliberal a*italis) is e#idently at its end and

fro) the riots of Paris to Iisconsin! fro) Tahrir "Buare in 5(y*t to Puerta

del "ol in "*ain! fro) "ao Paulo to "antia(o of hile there is a sub$ecti#ity

u*raisin(! a subect that can/t be na)ed by the endlessly insol#ent


16/18

no)enclature of ca*italis)! nor by its short traditional acade)ic #ocabulary-

A sub$ect clai)s for a ne' for) of na)in(-

Last "unday th ;Au(ust< 'as the lar(est )arch e#er since the return of

de)ocracy in hile- :ore than 1M0!000 *eo*le $oined! $ust in "antia(o city! for

a ne' free educational syste) includin( uni#ersal for all- t is also *ushin( for

bi( refor)s on the tax syste) and a definiti#e chan(e of the constitution-

The history is still in *rocess and it has been bein( 'ritten in the streets-

The trace is e#ident! the body is #isible! and the )o#e)ent continues 'orkin(

beyond the boundaries of "tate nor)4conce*tuali&ation! outside fictional

scenarios! unreachable in the execution of its pure violence-

Luis Guerra

al*araiso! >L5

2011


17/18

.iblio(ra*hy

1- 9ossier del aso .o)bas! Asociacion de A)i(os y a)iliares de los

detenidos el 1 de a(osto de 2010,

'''-solidaridad*orlxs*resxs-blo(s*ot-co)@2011@08@2do4dossier4infor)ati#o4

y4de4analisis-ht)l

2- The Art of 3ot .ein( Go#erned! an anarchist history of the u*land

southeast asia! by Ja)es - "cott! The A(rarian "tudies "eries! Oale

Uni#ersity Press! 200=-

?- The "tate of the 5xce*tion! by Gior(io A(a)ben! translated by Ke#in

Attell! The Uni#ersity of hica(o Press! 200M-

- Lo(ics of Iorlds! by Alain .adiou! translated by Alberto Toscano!

ontinuu)! 200=-

Iebsites

1-htt*,@@solidaridad*orlxs*resxs-blo(s*ot-co)@2011@08@2do4dossier4

infor)ati#o4y4de4analisis-ht)l

2- htt*,@@libertadalos1a-blo(s*ot-co)

?- htt*,@@'''-ho))odolars-or(@'eb@s*i*-*h*Earticle?=2M

;A*ril ! text fro) the i)*risoned after M days of hun(er strike<

-'''-solidaridad*orlxs*resxs-blo(s*ot-co)@*@dibu$os4de4losas4

*resosas-ht)l

;dra'in(s of the co)rades in *rison<

ideo(ra*hy


18/18

1- Press conference by a)ilies and riends of the )*risoned and >u)an

7i(hts r(ani&ations- '''-youtube-co)@'atchE#>'U(QfA

2- htt*,@@'''-youtube-co)@'atchE#A0%U%eB(lcfeaturerelated

?- htt*,@@'''-youtube-co)@'atchE#'J6GL8i:Afeaturerelated

;33 hile<

- htt*,@@'''-youtube-co)@'atchE#)yOM*APM1A(

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The Bomb Case_2011