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World News
8/19/02 - 8/25/02
Sunday 8/25/02
Saudi trade fair set to open in Baghdad 8/25/02 Arab News, Saudi Arabia: "The first Saudi Arabian trade fair to be held in Iraq since the 1991 Gulf War will open here on Sept. 9 for five days, an official newspaper reported yesterday.
“The biggest Saudi companies” will be represented at the event and offer foodstuffs, electrical and medical equipment and textiles,” Al-Ittihad weekly said, quoting an official source at the Iraqi Trade Ministry.
A big Saudi trade delegation was also expected. The trade fair comes at a time when relations between Riyadh and Baghdad, cut since the war, have begun to warm.
The process began at the Arab summit in Beirut last March and has been aided by Saudi Arabia’s refusal to countenance a US-led attack on Iraq from its soil."
Muscogee Indians revive culture, seek federal recognition 8/25/02 Boston Globe: "Crews said his parents told him little about his Muscogee heritage while growing up. As an adult, he tried several religions but found none he was comfortable with until attending his first busk.
''It didn't take long at all before I knew that I had found home,'' Crews said. ''I knew I was Indian. I knew I was blood."
Flight of the Phoenix: From Vietnam to Homeland Security
An Open Letter to Maj. Gen. Bruce Lawlor, Office of Homeland Security 8/25/02 Counterpunch: "As advisor to the Special Branch, Lawlor also ran the Quang Nam Province Interrogation Center, and there got to know the CIA's regional PRU advisor, Patry Loomis. Bored with merely filing reports, Lawlor jumped at the chance, when Loomis asked him if he'd like to out on some PRU operations. That's when Lawlor started dressing in tiger fatigues and going out on ambushes, and traditional PRU "snuff and snatch" operations… From mid 1972 through 1973 Bruce Lawlor ran the same sort of anti-terror programs that are now in vogue. The CIA has already launched a worldwide Phoenix Program. Is that why he got the Homeland Security job? Is that why the CIA finally let him back inside the fold? Did he promise to allow the CIA to use his Homeland Security programs as a cover to repress political dissent in America? Will he become one of those corrupt officials he hated in Vietnam, and use his power to take revenge on his personal enemies? Is that what Homeland Security is really all about?"
The Trace - Bill Gertz Intel Classified Docs 8/25/02 Cryptome: "The following pages present various documents that highlight the systemic, structural, and cultural problems within the U.S. intelligence agencies that contributed to the intelligence failures surrounding September 11. Most of the documents are classified. The publisher has agreed to withhold some material from publication at the request of the U.S. intelligence community in the interest of U.S. national security."
U.S. Issues Warning to Europeans in Dispute Over New Court 8/25/02 NYT: "The Bush administration has warned European nations that the American role in NATO will change if the European Union refuses the United States' request for agreements to keep Americans out of the reach of the new International Criminal Court.
The foreign ministers of the European Union are scheduled to meet at the end of the week in Copenhagen, where they will begin deliberations on whether to grant the United States such an exemption."
Israeli army under fire for looting 8/25/02 Reuters: ''Danny,'' a recently discharged soldier interviewed under an assumed name, told Israel Radio that troops stole from Palestinian homes during the six-week-long sweep for militants launched after suicide bombings killed scores of Israelis.
''During each search, the head of the family was meant to accompany the soldiers to every room. What we would do is take the man to one room as the soldiers searched other rooms, and they would pocket things while out of his sight,'' he said.
''When it came to commanding officers, some knew about it and some were involved. When it came to squad leaders, all of them knew and were involved,'' Danny said.
The radio report was an embarrassment for the army whose creed requires stringent ethical behaviour."
Saudis '£200m Bin Laden Payout' 8/25/02 Sky, UK: "Members of the Saudi royal family reportedly paid millions of dollars in 'protection money' to the Taliban and Osama Bin Laden's terror network.
Court documents reveal the senior royals outlayed up to £200m in return for the Taliban or al Qaeda not attacking Saudi targets.
The money reportedly enabled bin Laden to fund training camps in Afghanistan, later attended by the September 11 hijackers, reports The Sunday Times."
Saturday 8/24/02
 Chavez supporters protest at ruling 8/24/02 BBC: "More than 100,000 supporters of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez have marched through the capital, Caracas, to protest a court ruling clearing four military officers accused of taking part in a failed coup in April."
August 22 Portland Bush Protest - Photos and Text 8/24/02 IndyMedia: the pigs doing their thing, again.
Gen. Zinni Says War With Iraq Is Unwise 8/24/02 Tampa Tribune: "One of President Bush's top Middle East trouble- shooters warned Friday against war with Iraq, saying it would stretch U.S. forces too thin and make unwanted enemies in the volatile region.
Retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni, the president's special envoy to the Mideast, made some of his strongest comments to date opposing war on Iraq. Speaking to the Economic Club of Florida in Tallahassee, Zinni said a war to bring down Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein would have numerous undesirable side effects and should be low on the nation's list of foreign policy objectives."
Casino vs. Costco: Umpteenth round 8/24/02 The News, Mexico: "Thus, the U.S.-based Costco Wholesale Corp., and Mega Comercial Mexicana stores, together with the Morelos state and Cuernavaca city officials, have sealed the fate of the proposed development in the state capital.
Their pet project, opposed by local residents for more than a year, is now a lost cause.
The unrest followed the announcement that the city had granted Costco its 50,000 dollar license to convert the natural, historic and cultural heritage site into a shopping center and chop down hundreds of 50-year-old trees."
US and Russia in raid to snatch uranium 8/24/02 Times, UK
Zionist terrorist arrested for planning massacres at US mosques 8/24/02 Ummah News: "One day after a stash of rocket launchers, antipersonnel mines and plastic explosives was seized, a Jewish podiatrist has been accused to planning to attack 50 mosques and Islamic centres, it was reported today… "Set timers for approximately 15-20 minutes to allow for enough time to get out of the area, but to confirm explosions has been successful," reads the small print in the plan, which was attached to the federal complaint filed against Goldstein, the Tampa Tribune reported. "Hand to hand (combat) is unlikely but be prepared to liquidate [Muslims] up close," is another entry in the alleged bombing plan.
Bombs and land mines would detonate in parking lots and playgrounds, killing police and fleeing students."
Probe of Hill Leaks On 9/11 Is Intensified 8/24/02 Washington Post: the Imperial Presidency seeks to muzzle the Senate as was done in Rome - "The FBI has intensified its probe of a classified intelligence leak, asking 17 senators to turn over phone records, appointment calendars and schedules that would reveal their possible contact with reporters.
In an Aug. 7 memo passed to the senators through the Senate general counsel's office, the FBI asked all members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence to collect and turn over records from June 18 and 19, 2002. Those dates are the day of and the day after a classified hearing in which the director of the National Security Agency, Lt. Gen. Michael V. Hayden, spoke to lawmakers about two highly sensitive messages that hinted at an impending action that the agency intercepted on the eve of Sept. 11 but did not translate until Sept. 12."
Friday 8/23/02
Cost of War - Wall Street Concerned About a War With Iraq's Effect on the Economy 8/23/02 ABC News
Why Not Wounded Knee? 8/23/02 Alternet: "Indian people live in poverty yet sit on some of the most valuable land in the U.S. According to Native American scholar Ward Churchill, Indians -- whose reservations control 2.5 percent of the nation's land mass, but whose treaties give them right to one-third of the lower 48 -- are per-capita some of the most mineral- and land-rich people on the planet. Too much attention to Indians as victims, or to Indians as living people still here demanding their rights and property, could cause problems for the uranium, oil, coal and natural gas industries, which operate in large part on treaty land."
Ore. Protest Surprised White House 8/23/02 AP: "More than 1,000 people turned out to scream anti-Bush slogans, tag buildings with graffiti and challenge police at barricades around the hotel where the president held a fundraiser for Sen. Gordon Smith.
Among other issues, the protesters said they were upset with Bush's plan to relax environmental standards for logging, a possible war with Iraq, the U.S. stand on the Palestinian question and what they called rampant government corruption.
The group blocked buildings, and Republican donors trying to get to the hotel were taunted and jostled. Many had to be escorted in by police, who later used pepper spray and rubber bullets on the crowd. Six people were arrested."
U.S. soldiers exchange fire with allied Afghan troops 8/23/02 AP
Florida man plotted mosque attacks, feds say 8/23/02 CNN: "A search of Robert J. Goldstein's residence also turned up a list of about 50 Islamic worship centers in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area and other locations in Florida, according to a court papers."
Iraq Talk Spins Out of Control 8/23/02 LA Times: Bush backs down.
Saudi Co. to Defend 9/11 Accusations 8/23/02 Newsday.com: "A Saudi corporation listed in a $1 trillion lawsuit filed by relatives of Sept. 11 victims said it would appear in a U.S. court to defend itself against accusations of funding terrorism.
Dallah Al Baraka Group said in a statement late Thursday it had previously cooperated with international legal bodies and denied "haphazard accusations leveled after the Sept. 11 incidents." It did not elaborate.
It said it was ready to appear in court, although it has not been officially notified of the lawsuit."
No Iraq War Leaves Regional Allies in a Spot 8/23/02 Stratfor: "A number of indicators -- including statements by senior Bush administration officials and the lack of support from coalition allies -- suggest that the United States may back off of its plan to launch a war against Iraq.
Such a move would be an important victory for Saudi Arabia and Iran. The two Gulf giants had teamed up to persuade other Gulf countries not to support the U.S. war plans. Backing off the plans, however, could leave Middle Eastern states like Jordan and Qatar -- which had signaled support for the U.S. plans -- to face the wrath of their neighbors."
Top US general attacks hawks' strategy on Iraq 8/23/02 Telegraph, UK: ""Afghanistan was Afghanistan; Iraq is Iraq," he said, "It would be foolish, if you were ever committed to going into Iraq, to think that the principles that were successful in Afghanistan would necessarily be successful in Iraq. In my opinion, they would not." He made his comments as Britain, America's only likely active ally in military operations, again distanced itself from President Bush's commitment to "regime change" in Baghdad… The debate is as much ideological as strategic. High-profile conservative civilians, led by the defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, see it as their mission to wean the top brass from their love of huge armies and heavy weaponry."
Thursday 8/22/02
Dollar declines as Saudis withdraw billions from US 8/22/02 Arab News: "A high-ranking official of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency confirmed that $200 billion have been withdrawn by Saudi businessmen from the United States. But he denied that the money has been deposited in Saudi banks."
Crushing Congressional Dissent: The Fall of Hilliard, Barr and McKinney 8/22/02 Counterpunch: "Historians will one day write that the 107th Congress was the last to stand up to the constitutional encroachment by the military and monarchist policies of the Bush II administration. Just as with the Roman Senate, the Congress of the United States is becoming an elite club of pathetic assenters and global elitists. Once the domain of great orators and dissenters like Cato and Cicero, the Roman Senate was eventually subsumed by the Roman Army when the Emperor took on dictatorial powers. The Roman Senate could say nothing as the Roman dictatorship annexed Macedonia, Spain, Greece, the Middle East, and North Africa. By the time Emperors Tiberius and Septimius Severus took power, the Senate, which had grown to an elite club of 600, was a rubber stamp body that had no choice but to go along with the military's continued usurpation of power."
The Zionist Lobby and American Foreign Policy 8/22/02 Counterpunch: "In the last weeks there have been some very serious rumours, probably originated in Israel, claiming that George W. Bush's latest speech concerning the need for 'Palestinian reforms' was sent to Jerusalem for final proofing and corrections not less than twenty-eight times. Whether this is the case, whether it was twenty-eight times or just seven, whether it was physically corrected in Jerusalem or just followed some guidelines that were drawn by the Jewish lobby in Washington, is not the real issue anymore. It is more than clear that the American administration is completely biased when it comes to the Israeli-Arab conflict. This very one-sided approach should be scrutinised…. Gilad Atzmon is the top selling jazz musician in the UK. His group is the Orient House Ensemble. He is also the author of a novel, Guide to the Perplexed, just published in Israel to great acclaim. It will be available in English (published in UK by Serpent's Tail, and distributed in the USA by them) from October 17th 2002."
Iraqi Consulate Raid Staged by CIA 8/22/02 Cryptome: "On or about the first week of July this year an agreement was reached between an unknown American (male, mid-forties) temporarily assigned to the CIA chief of station in Berlin and two Iraqi ex-patriate businessmen (one living in Kiel, a former Iraqi air force electrical engineer who spoke near-fluent English, and the other from a suburb of Hamburg). The agreement focused on obtaining records from the Iraqi embassy (and consular offices in particular) in Berlin, either covertly or overtly “before November.” It appears that the latter was selected (perhaps as a result of a subsequent agreement with the BND and/or others in the Shroeder administration).
Apparently one of the two Iraqis was convinced that the diplomatic compound housed certain documents that could establish a link between at least one consular official and the Sept. 11 hijackers who operated primarily out of Germany."
Abu Nidal killed by Iraqi assassins, insist supporters 8/22/02 Independent, UK
FBI Employee Blows Whistle on Suspicious Activities by Coworker 8/22/02 Memory Hole
White House compares Iraqi president to Hitler 8/22/02 Nando Times: Bush's family heritage includes Hitler sympathizers who made a lot of money working with the Nazis well into World War II.
For Black Politicians, 2 Races Suggest a Rise of New Tactics 8/22/02 NYT: "For Democrats to do well this year they need solid numbers of black votes," said David Bositis, senior political analyst for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a Washington-based research group that looks at issues affecting African Americans.
"But if black voters perceive that elections in their districts are ultimately being decided by whites and powerful outside sources with money," Mr. Bositis said, "they may conclude their votes don't matter and decide not to vote at all."
Secret Court Says F.B.I. Aides Misled Judges in 75 Cases 8/22/02 NYT: "The nation's secret intelligence court has identified more than 75 cases in which it says it was misled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in documents in which the bureau attempted to justify its need for wiretaps and other electronic surveillance, according to the first of the court's rulings to be released publicly."
US tells Venezuela to respect constitution, Supreme Crt 8/22/02 Petroleum World: "To avoid strains in its relations with the U.S., Venezuela would do well to search for constitutional solutions to its domestic political problems.
That was message U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Otto Reich delivered to Venezuelan Foreign Minister Roy Chaderton at meetings Tuesday in Washington." Just as the US Constitution is respected by the US Government?
IGNACIO RAMONET TALKS TO GRANMA 8/22/02 Radio Progresso: "This is the second of a three part exclusive interview with the editor of Le Monde Diplomatique on some of the most important world events."
Trashing the Saudis 8/22/02 Robert Novak: "Senior Saudi officials had hoped that Rumsfeld would unequivocally reject and apologize for the briefing by Rand Corporation analyst Laurent Murawiec, which described longtime ally Saudi Arabia as a terrorist nation that is "the kernel of evil" and the U.S.'s "most dangerous opponent" in the Middle East. Instead, Rumsfeld separated himself from the affair, characteristically indicating what bothered him most was that contents of the briefing were leaked.
Few accounts of the bizarre incident paid much attention to the centrality of former Assistant Defense Secretary Richard Perle, the Rumsfeld-appointed Policy Board chairman and a staunch friend of Israel. Perle's arrangement of the Murawiec briefing is seen in both Washington and Riyadh as part of a campaign to recast long-standing U.S. policies with strong, though certainly not unanimous, support in the White House and the Defense Department… As a step toward this grand design, Murawiec's briefing of July 10 lacked Perle's usual sophistication. Murawiec, a French national who was for many years associated with the extremist Lyndon LaRouche's organization, is no Middle Eastern specialist and has never visited Iraq. Yet, his identification of Saudi Arabia as the leading terrorist state drew criticism from only one Policy Board member present, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger."
Bosnia: Sex trade claims against US companies spread 8/22/02 Ummah News: "A Bosnian driver has alleged that he was sacked from a US-backed development project in Sarajevo after expressing discomfort at ferrying around prostitutes.
Edin Zundo has filed suit against KPMG Consulting over the termination of his contract six months early by its Barents Group division, claiming it was a result of his complaints."
Wednesday 8/21/02
US SOLIDARITY ACTIVISTS PREPARE FOR DAY OF ACTION 8/21/02 ANNCOL: "Over 100 progressive organisations in the United States have come together to organise a national day of solidarity with Colombia next month. The main aim of the protest is to call for an end to US military aid to the Colombian security forces… For more information on the protest see www.colombiamobilization.org or contact David Quick (dquick@witnessforpeace.org) or Steve Bennett (bennett@witnessforpeace.org) at Witness for Peace on 202 588 1471."
Georgia Voters Oust Two Incumbents 8/21/02 AP: McKinney out, pro-Likud money wins again - "With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Majette had 65,402 votes, or 58 percent; McKinney had 47,651 votes, or 42 percent… McKinney offered only tepid support for Majette in the general election, saying she "will need our prayers to face the coming storm." She also blamed her loss on "massive Republican crossover" voting, which is allowed under Georgia's open primary system."
Suits galore against US govt on the way 8/21/02 Arab News: "A Saudi lawyer is planning to file more than 15 lawsuits against the US government and other parties for causing physical and psychological damages to his clients, preventing them from completing their studies and damaging their reputation through the media."
Scowcroft sticks to his guns 8/21/02 Asia Times: "For Scowcroft to say anything that can be seen as critical towards the administration is quite amazing," added one former senior official who worked with Scowcroft in the first Bush administration. "Frankly, I can't conceive of him doing so without first talking with Bush's dad."
Swastika film poster escapes ban 8/21/02 BBC: from 2/21/02 - "A French court is considering a request to ban a controversial film poster because it merges a crucifix with a Nazi swastika.
The poster, designed by Oliviero Toscani, the Italian photographer behind the controversial Benetton adverts, promotes the film Amen, which examines the Vatican's silence during the Holocaust.
It depicts a cross twisted into a swastika in red and black, the colours worn by bishops."
La "guerra sucia" que llegó a EE.UU. 8/21/02 BBC Mundo: "El gobierno argentino presentó los 4.677 informes secretos desclasificados sobre los años del gobierno militar enviados a Buenos Aires por el Departamento de Estado de Estados Unidos."
McKinney Election Loss Represents Landmine For Middle East Issues 8/21/02 Black World Today: "Hilliard also pointed to the constant negative editorials regarding McKinney by the Atlanta Journal Constitution as having an impact that cannot be measured in dollars.
“Even as early as July the Atlanta Journal Constitution started a negative campaign against her that cannot be counted.”
From Cynthia McKinney to Katha Pollitt, to the ILWU to Paul Krugman 8/21/02 Counterpunch
Dollar falls as Saudi investors 'withdraw billions' 8/21/02 Guardian, UK: "Despite scepticism over a big Saudi shift out of dollar assets, Iran - described as part of an "axis of evil" by President George Bush - is reportedly considering switching crude oil sales from dollars into euros.
A committee of experts is said to be pondering the move, with Iran's central bank yet to issue a final decision on whether to drop the dollar. Iran has earned at least $10bn so far this year from crude exports, with oil revenues providing 80% of its foreign income."
A True Friend Of Israel Faces A Tough Challenge: Why Jews Must Support Sen. Bob Smith 8/21/02 Jewish Press, US: "At the same time it is abundantly clear that Smith`s opponent, Representative John E.
Sununu, is not a friend of Israel and the Jewish people. Sununu`s voting record on Israel has been
abysmal.
* Sununu was one of only two Republicans who supported allowing Federal taxpayer
funds to go to the Palestinian authority or any unilaterally declared Palestinian state. (H.R. 5272,
passed House Sept. 27, 2000, 385 to 27, Roll 497.)
* Sununu was one of only six Republicans to oppose a measure weakening the
Palestinian Authority." Etc.
Poppy Paradox - U.S. War in Afghanistan Boosts Terror Funds 8/21/02 Pacific News: by Peter Dale Scott, from 8/1 - "Sources in Washington have suggested that behind the Bush decision to tolerate the return of the Afghan drug traffic was the fear that eliminating it might destabilize the Musharraf government and further encourage ISI-linked extremists to overthrow him.
A simpler explanation is U.S. reluctance to take on further responsibility for restoring the Afghan economy, and instead let drugs do the job. A still more cynical possibility is that the Bush administration wants in the short run to limit the embarrassing stories of chaos and rebellion in Afghanistan, which could hurt the Republicans in the November elections."
Schroeder Sees Growing Opposition to Attack on Iraq 8/21/02 Reuters: "Europe's leaders agree Iraqi President Saddam Hussein must let U.N. weapons inspectors back into Iraq unconditionally, but many fear a pre-emptive strike against him could worsen tension in the Middle East and hurt the world economy."
Tuesday 8/20/02
Iraq Shows Baby Milk Store at Reported Weapons Site 8/20/02 ABC News: "Iraq showed reporters a warehouse stuffed with baby milk and sugar on Tuesday to repudiate a U.S. newspaper report that the building was being used to produce biological weapons.
Iraqi Trade Minister Mohammed Mehdi Saleh met international media at a warehouse in the Taji area northwest of Baghdad, which U.S. intelligence officials quoted in the Washington Times newspaper last week said was a biological weapons facility."
Colombians Oppose US Request for Immunity From ICC 8/20/02 AFP: "That has the bad taste of blackmail," said the former Conservative Party presidential candidate.
"(It amounts to) aggressive diplomacy with poor countries."
Former leftist presidential candidate Luis Eduardo Garzon wondered who would be responsible if US personnel committed excesses in Colombia."
Russia outraged by Chechnya crash 8/20/02 BBC: "The Russian military has come under heavy criticism over a helicopter crash in Chechnya on Monday in which 105 people are reported to have died and 33 people were injured."
Saudis withdraw billions of dollars from US 8/20/02 Financial Times, London: "Disgruntled Saudis have pulled tens of billions of dollars out of the US, signalling a deep alienation from America.
One analyst said the total funds withdrawn by individual investors amount to $200bn. Other bankers put the figure nearer to $100bn."
Bush Team Campaigning for Opposition to Mugabe's Rule 8/20/02 NYT: "Though they stopped short of calling for a change of government, the officials said the United States was working with human rights activists, labor unions and pro-democracy groups in Zimbabwe, as well as other southern African governments, to isolate the Mugabe government and encourage democratic opposition."
Bush backing down on Iraq attack 8/20/02 Stratfor: "Partially acceding to a political and psychological defeat, the Bush administration has begun to back down from plans for a near-term attack on Iraq.
The controversial plan was shredding the coalition against al-Qaida, which Washington needs in battling the group, and was causing dissension at home.
The White House's wavering reflects the tortuous political and military complexity of containing a war on Iraq and its aftermath. But the Bush administration, unilateralist chest-thumping aside, also realizes that it needs the assistance of many countries if it is to keep al-Qaida and its sympathizers in check.
A reversal of policy on Iraq was necessary in terms of both long-term U.S. anti-terrorism goals and short-term preparedness for new al-Qaida attacks. However, the retreat is a strategic psychological defeat for the administration, particularly in the Middle East. Washington inadvertently stumbled into exactly the trap al-Qaida hoped to set for it."
Saudi threat to withdraw billions in US investments 8/20/02 Telegraph, UK: "Saudi's richest investors are threatening to pull billions of dollars out of America in anger at suggestions they helped fund Osama bin Laden. A lawsuit filed by relatives of 900 people who were killed in the September 11 attacks is provoking fury among wealthy Saudis. The suit filed in a Washington court last week seeking damages of $100,000 billion names three embers of the Saudi royal family, including defence minister Prince Sultan bin abd al-Aziz al Saud… This threat comes as foreign investment in the US dries up because of business scandals, lower corporate earnings and the collapse of the technology boom. According to government figures, foreigners put $124 billion into the US last year, down from $301 billion in 2000.
Economists say the reluctance of wealthy outsiders to expand their business interests in America is a major threat to the world's largest economy.
Saudi investors have $750 billion in the US. A mass walkout would seriously impede the US's attempts to pull away from recession."
Threat of Middle East war spurs grab for West African oil 8/20/02 World Socialist: "Africa contains 7.2 percent of the world’s proven reserves of oil—76.7 thousand million barrels—more than the proven reserves of North America or the former Soviet Union. The area of sub-Saharan Africa, and particularly the Gulf of Guinea, has seen a big increase in oil exploration and production in recent years, and is now attracting the attentions of all the major oil companies."
Monday 8/19/02
Making enemies of one’s friends 8/19/02 Arab News
Anthrax killer 'is US defence insider' 8/19/02 BBC: "An FBI forensic linguistics expert believes the US anthrax attacks were carried out by a senior scientist from within America's biological-defence community.
Professor Don Foster - who helped convict Unabomber Ted Kaczynski and unveiled Joe Klein as the author of the novel Primary Colors - says the evidence points to someone with high-ranking military and intelligence connections."
Just How Much Does The New York Times Tilt Towards Israel; and How Much Does It Matter? 8/19/02 Counterpunch: "What's most amazing about Sciolino's discoveries was not that the Saudis were concerned about the Palestinian plight, but that Sciolino was surprised to discover that they were. No media person and no one as well informed and savvy as Sciolino should ever have been surprised that the Arab man in the street sees frequent television pictures of Palestinians being beaten and shot by Israelis and that this arouses genuine anger on behalf of the Palestinians. This is an appalling level of obliviousness and denial. The Times understands historic Jewish fears and the impact these have on American Jews when they see Israelis under attack, but it generally isn't able to apply this same level of understanding to Arabs and their sense of solidarity with fellow Arabs under attack."
Iraq war to carry a high tab 8/19/02 CS Monitor
Gifford residents allege police brutality - Incident may be 'racially motivated' 8/19/02 Florida Today: "Police said the three attacked or tried to attack officers, but witnesses said the men had been walking away when attacked by deputies, and that a deputy pulled the juvenile out of her mother's car by her hair.
Even though Dennis Williams had to be treated for a broken rib and punctured lung, police maintain that deputies followed standard procedure and there will be no investigation of police brutality, according to spokesman Joe Flescher." Jeb Bush's finest at work.
Colombia's Drug War Attracts Dubious Ally 8/19/02 LA Times: "A fledgling U.S. program to eradicate cocaine in central Colombia has gained a notorious ally: a right-wing paramilitary army that the State Department has labeled a terrorist organization.
The so-called self-defense forces, responsible for the majority of massacres in Colombia's bloody internal conflict, have thrown their support behind a U.S. alternative development program that seeks to persuade farmers to give up their profitable coca crops for legal products such as beans, chocolate and cattle."
Venezuela's press power 8/19/02 Le Monde Diplomatique: "Never even in Latin American history has the media been so directly involved in a political coup. Venezuela's 'hate media' controls 95% of the airwaves and has a near-monopoly over newsprint, and it played a major part in the failed attempt to overthrow the president, Hugo Chávez, in April. Although tensions in the country could easily spill into civil war, the media is still directly encouraging dissident elements to overthrow the democratically elected president - if necessary by force."
The Death Convoy of Afghanistan 8/19/02 Newsweek: it took months for this story to hit the US media and possibly only now is it being discussed since everyone else in the world knows about it and knows the US involvment, which is much greater than what is depicted here.
Afghan opium crop back to record levels 8/19/02 Scotsman, UK: "THE new Afghan government has "largely failed" in its effort to eradicate the opium poppy crop in Afghanistan, which in recent years became the world’s biggest producer of the raw material for heroin, United Nations crop experts reported yesterday.
The 2002 crop was close to the record levels of the late 1990s and could be worth more than $1 billion (£650 million) at the farm level in Afghanistan. The nation’s GDP for 1999 was put at $21 billion"
U.S. cancels new aid to Egypt 8/19/02 Stratfor
US commandos reported kidnapped in Afghanistan 8/19/02 Ummah News: "Fourteen US commandos have been kidnapped in eastern Afghanistan according to the pro-Taliban news agency Azaam.
. The agency said the abductions occurred when an unknown group of men, who were most likely anti-US Mujahideen, lured the commandos into a trap by claiming to know the whereabouts of Al-Qaidah and Taliban soldiers."
AIDS Groups Feel Heat After Demonstration - Federal Funding Probe Follows Barcelona Protest Against U.S. Health Secretary 8/19/02 Washington Post: "The Department of Health and Human Services is reviewing the federal government's financial support of more than a dozen prominent AIDS service organizations whose members joined in a noisy demonstration against Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson at last month's international AIDS conference in Barcelona, Spain.
HHS officials said they had launched the reviews at the request of 12 members of Congress who also said they were upset by the absence of religious themes at the meeting. While it remains unclear what the outcome of the audits might be, their existence has produced a level of suspicion and mistrust between AIDS activists and government officials not seen in years."
Cauca: Their Fate Lies in Our Hands - Justin Podur interviews Noam Chomsky on Colombia 8/19/02 Znet: first published 7/12/02, remains very readable: "I spent a few days in Cauca, but met mostly people from the southern part, campesinos and indigenous mostly, with personal testimonies that are really painful to listen to. Also met activists from many different groups, very impressive people, and was able to spend a few hours talking to the governor, Floro Tunubala, a thoughtful, articulate, proud indigenous man, maybe the first indigenous elected official at that rank in the hemisphere. His election was a shock to the elites that have run the place forever. It's reminiscent of Haiti 10 years ago. His election was a reflection of the success of local organizing among the popular sectors, the "Bloque Social" -- the Social Bloc. In answer to your question, I'll just quote what he said in a published interview. He warned a year ago of the growing presence of paramilitaries in the north, another step in extending their control over large parts of Colombia. He attributed their invasion of northern Cauca to the successes of the Social Bloc, which has "won economic and territorial rights, and social rights in the areas of education and health." That "attracted the attention of the paramilitaries," who do not tolerate such deviation from the traditional structures of power they protect."
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"There is one safeguard known generally to
the wise, which is an advantage and security to all, but especially to
Democracies as against despots: suspicion." -- Demosthenes
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