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August 2008Israel 'needs Georgia for Iran strike'Posted: Thursday, August 28, 2008 ¤ Children Killed By U.S. Airstrike In Afghanistan Were Guilty Of Sleeping ¤ Another day, another war crime: 95 Afghans butchered by U.S. bombs ¤ U.S. soldiers say they executed Iraqis Three U.S. soldiers killed four handcuffed and blindfolded Iraqi prisoners with pistol shots on the bank of a Baghdad canal last year, the New York Times reported on Wednesday. Sergeant First Class Joseph P. Mayo, the platoon sergeant, and Sergeant Michael P. Leahy Jr., Company D's senior medic and an acting squad leader, made sworn statements in January to Army investigators in Schweinfurt, Germany probing the incident, the newspaper reported on its website. ¤ End the Afghan war ¤ Report: Israeli Guards regularly abuse prisoners Wardens who set dogs on inmates, an inmate being held under administrative detention for 10 years, and serious flaws in prison medical care are only some of the conclusions of an investigation conducted by the Israel Bar at Hadarim Detention Center and Hasharon Prison. The investigation, summed up in a report by attorneys Amnon Zikhroni and Michael Atiya, probed the conditions afforded by the felony and security wards at Hadarim, where most of the Palestinian organization's leaders are held in Israel, as well as the conditions in the juvenile and women's wards in Hasharon Prison. ¤ Georgia war rooted in US 'self-deceit' The United States policy of absorbing Georgia and Ukraine into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which was enthusiastically embraced by Senator Barack Obama and his Democratic running mate Joseph Biden, has undoubtedly been given a major boost by the Russian military operation in Georgia. ¤ Does Bush Want War With Russia? ¤ Why I had to Recognise Georgia's Breakaway Regions On Tuesday Russia recognised the independence of the territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. It was not a step taken lightly, or without full consideration of the consequences. But all possible outcomes had to be weighed against a sober understanding of the situation - the histories of the Abkhaz and Ossetian peoples, their freely expressed desire for independence, the tragic events of the past weeks and international precedents for such a move. ¤ Why was Cheney's Guy in Georgia Before the War? ¤ Russia Defies West by Recognising Georgian Rebel Regions ¤ Russia warns Moldova against "Georgian mistake" ¤ Israel 'needs Georgia for Iran strike': report A recent report suggests that the US and Israel had plans to use Georgia as a launchpad for aerial strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, PressTV reported. Columnist Ian Brockwell says the US is interested in Georgia because it borders Russia, has a pipeline that is intended to transfer oil to Israel, and most importantly is a country that can be used in an attack against Iran. ¤ The Aftermath of Georgia's Invasion of South Ossetia ¤ Honduras left behind by Washington, turns to Chavez ¤ Who Won This Year's Olympics? Who won this year's Beijing Olympics? Of course, the United States did, right? And, if you were to judge this by looking at the American new media, you'd be right. But, alas, as the American Mainstream News Media is wont to do, they don't report the facts. From mushrooms clouds created by bombs dropped by Saddam Hussein over American cities; to hidden caches of Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq; to even repeating such brash hypocritical nonsense as Condi Rice's quote about military power: That it is "not the way to deal in the 21st century," the American media have it, most unfortunately, wrong once again. America did not win this year's Olympic games. The fact of the matter is that, China did. China gets the gold; America gets the silver; Russia gets the Bronze. ¤ Children of Katrina Still Bear the Scars ¤ Katrina Pain Index: New Orleans Three Years Later ¤ Katrina, the Pain Index ¤ How the Democrats Helped Bush Hijack the Country ¤ Pakistan's Flawed Presidency ¤ The Guantánamo Suicide Report Two years and two months after three prisoners at Guantánamo died, apparently as the result of a coordinated suicide pact, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), which has been investigating the deaths ever since the three long-term hunger strikers were found dead in their cells on June 10, 2006, issued a 934-word statement on Friday that purported to draw a line under the whole sordid affair. ¤ Nuclear Chicken in Poland: Putin Can't Afford to Back Down ¤ White Paper Justifying Iraq War Written Three Months before Intel Report Arrived ¤ Obama selects Biden to reassure the US ruling elite ¤ On Iraq, Biden Is Worse than McCain ¤ Foreign Lobbyists and the Making of US Policy ¤ When the Cure Is Worse Than the Disease Mary wonders why the new young doctor she visited recently says to nearly every patient, after examining their throat, that it looks like their esophagus is being eroded by stomach acid and they need to start taking acid-blocking pills. He hands patients free samples provided by pharmaceutical companies. The patients are oblivious to the fact that if they begin using the drug, they may never be able to stop taking it without experiencing an excruciatingly painful bout of rebound heartburn. ¤ Why Not Let the Republicans Deal with This Mess? Losing Control -- the Unraveling of the U.S. Empire Posted: Thursday, August 21, 2008 ¤ Bled Dry by the Oil Giants ¤ British security services colluded in unlawful detention of terror suspect ¤ Charity Raids Coordinated by the US and Financed by the EU ¤ A crisis Russia did not want ¤ The Puppet Masters Behind Georgia President Saakashvili ¤ Proportion and Distortion Russia and Georgia It's said that Russia's response to Georgia's attack on South Ossetia is disproportionate: we hear of "Western leaders anxiously watching for a withdrawal and puzzling over how to punish Moscow for what they called a disproportionate reaction to the Georgian offensive". No one has asked whether a disproportionate reaction or response is always wrong. ¤ The Humbling of the Hyperpower Many are drawing analogies between the U.S.-led attack on Yugoslavia in 1999 and the Russian attack on Georgia earlier this month. Most, including Russian officials, do so to highlight the hypocrisy of Washington's criticism of Russia's action. Russia's ambassador to NATO, Dmitri Rogozin, went so far as to state last week, "If we had the territorial integrity of Serbia in the case of Kosovo, then we would have the territorial integrity of Georgia . . . with regard to South Ossetia and Abkhazia." He added that NATO's war in 1999 "takes away the right to criticise Russia for any present or future action." ¤ Bush to Putin, "Get out now!". Putin to Bush, "Nyet!" The illusion created by the western media, is that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin are hanging on every word that emerges from the White House and gaging their strategy accordingly. Wrong. In fact, they're not even listening; they can't be bothered. Whatever Bush says is irrelevant. Who cares? Not Putin, that's for sure. Moscow is working out the details of its so-called "withdrawal plans" with the United Nations, not Washington. Bush isn't even a part of the process; he has no say-so at all. None. His fulminations might add a few toxins to the jet stream, but other than that, they make no difference at all. Putin is in the driver's seat now. ¤ Crisis in the Caucasus. What Were They Smoking in the White House? The Bush administration appears to have pulled off its latest military fiasco in the Caucasus. What was supposed to have been a swift and painless takeover of rebellious South Ossetia by America’s favorite new ally, Georgia, has turned into a disaster that left Georgia battered, Russia enraged, and NATO badly demoralized. Not bad for two days work. Equally important, Russia’s Vladimir Putin swiftly and decisively checkmated the Bush administration’s clumsy attempt last week to expand US influence into the Caucasus, and made the Americans and their Georgian satraps look like fools. ¤ Behind the 2008 Georgian War ¤ Suicide bombers kill 59 at Pakistani arms factory ¤ Afghan civilians said killed in U.S.-led air raid ¤ Losing Control -- the Unraveling of the U.S. Empire Time was when the U.S. was the greatest economic empire in world history. The dollar was strong and the U.S. was the world's largest creditor. Immediately following World War II, the U.S. was fiscally sound, militarily powerful, and the rest of the world was weak and heavily damaged from massive warfare on worldwide theaters of battle, from which the U.S. was excluded as a battlefront. ¤ A New Age of Torture Behind the 2008 Georgian War Posted: Sunday, August 17, 2008 ¤ Behind the 2008 Georgian War Perhaps the most ironic statement yet in the war of words over Russia's military intervention in Georgia was John McCain's assertion that "I'm interested in good relations between the United States and Russia, but in the 21st century, nations don't invade other nations." Too bad no one told the Bush administration that before it went into Iraq. From Off-Shore Drilling to the Georgian War Posted: Tuesday, August 12, 2008 By Paul Craig Roberts August 11, 2008 counterpunch.org It was ABC News that served up the neocon disinformation that the anthrax had been traced to Saddam Hussein. And, today, August 9, 2008, as I write, it is the "liberal" Washington Post that has written an editorial urging the US to go to war with Russia. Full Article : counterpunch.org US and Canada Found Guilty of Racism Posted: Tuesday, August 12, 2008 ¤ Wake up, racism is not 'a thing of the past' When did racism become a thing of the past? When did white Americans have a convention and decide that they would no longer support, tolerate or benefit from a system of white supremacy that gives them advantages in virtually every aspect of life? Nobody in a position of power and authority in New Orleans can seem to fathom why civil rights veteran Jerome Smith, founder of Tamborine & Fan, who was beaten to within an inch of his life by the hands of "the authority" during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, became enraged after the incident at Tremé Community Center involving an off-duty policewoman who pulled a gun on another parent in front of dozens of children. ¤ US and Canada Found Guilty of Racism The international community now fully recognises the native peoples' right to protect their lands and live distinct lifestyles. Yet, most of the world's 370 million indigenous peoples continue to face abuse and injustices at the hands of state authorities and commercial concerns. ¤ US Vilifies Faithful Old Ally ¤ The Forged Iraqi Letter: What Just Happened? What just happened? Evidence. A secret that has been judiciously kept for five years just spilled out. All of what follows is new, never reported in any way: The Iraq Intelligence Chief, Tahir Jalil Habbush — a man still carrying with $1 million reward for capture, the Jack of Diamonds in Bush's famous deck of wanted men — has been America's secret source on Iraq. Starting in January of 2003, with Blair and Bush watching, his secret reports began to flow to officials on both sides of the Atlantic, saying that there were no WMD and that Hussein was acting so odd because of fear that the Iranians would find out he was a toothless tiger. The U.S. deep-sixed the intelligence report in February, “resettled” Habbush to a safe house in Jordan during the invasion and then paid him $5 million in what could only be considered hush money. ¤ The Food Crisis and Global Institutions The food crisis reflects a breakdown in our global food system that threatens to worsen poverty, hunger, climate change, and insecurity. Global institutions and governments are responding, yet their answers are vastly inadequate. For decades, trade and investment liberalization have undermined human rights and the environment. The food crisis should help us to understand that now it is time for a new vision of global cooperation, one that is democratic and accountable to people and the planet. ¤ The Lies of Hiroshima Live On, Props in the War Crimes of the 20th Century When I first went to Hiroshima in 1967, the shadow on the steps was still there. It was an almost perfect impression of a human being at ease: legs splayed, back bent, one hand by her side as she sat waiting for a bank to open. At a quarter past eight on the morning of August 6, 1945, she and her silhouette were burned into the granite. I stared at the shadow for an hour or more, then walked down to the river and met a man called Yukio, whose chest was still etched with the pattern of the shirt he was wearing when the atomic bomb was dropped. ¤ The Legacy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ¤ Targeting Civilians On August 6 and 9, 1945, the United States government dropped atomic bombs on two densely-populated Japanese cities, killing between 200,000 and 300,000 civilians. Commemorations of the atomic bombings often focus on the need to destroy nuclear weapons. But the anniversary raises another issue that is no less important, for the bombings had specifically targeted Japanese civilians. The military tactic of targeting civilian populations in times of war was nothing new, with deep historical roots extending back to Biblical times when armies would lay siege to entire cities. ¤ Iraq's Nationalist Surge Barack Obama was lucky in the timing of his visit to Iraq. He arrived just after the Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki had rejected a new Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) institutionalizing the US occupation. The Iraqi government is vague about when it wants the final withdrawal of US combat troops, but its spokesman Ali al-Dabagh said that they should be gone by 2010. This is within the same time frame as Obama's promise to withdraw one combat brigade a month over 16 months. Suddenly John McCain's claim that US troops should stay on until some undefined victory sounded impractical and out of date. ¤ What About the Black Community, Obama? ¤ Turning Sewage into Snow on the San Francisco Peaks ¤ The Decline of the Olympics from Mexico City to Beijing ¤ Journalists, their lying sources, and the anthrax investigation ¤ Professional Protesters and the Political Class ¤ Is the U.S. Banking System Safe? ¤ Can't Win in Afghanistan? Blame Pakistan ¤ How the West (Except for the U.S.) Ended Slavery ¤ Hugo Chavez sends diesel shipment to Paraguay ¤ Military insists 'segregation boxes' for Iraqi prisoners are 'humane' ¤ Does This Make You a Proud American? ¤ Vote for Bush? Pay Up Sure, you could start with an open-palmed apology, a profoundly contrite on-your-knees sort of thing, maybe an open letter in your local paper or a heartfelt speech at your next dinner party whereby you stumble though some sort of "I don't know what the hell I was thinking" or "I must've been blind" or "Wow, that mescaline sure was potent" type of defense for your unfortunate and reprehensible choices. But the fact is, that's not really gonna cut it. ¤ The Tragic Last Moments of Margaret Hassan ¤ U.S. Headed Toward Bankruptcy, Says Top Budget Committee Republican Video ¤ France denies Rwanda genocide role ¤ New Book Claims Bush White House Used Forged Documents In Case For Iraq War ¤ 'Fakeproof' e-passport is cloned in minutes ¤ The Outsourcing Tragedy ¤ We Don't Need a War on Terrorism Many opponents of the Bush administration's invasion and occupation of Iraq have always argued that this conflict is an irrelevant and even counterproductive sideshow to the real "war on terrorism" in Afghanistan. In fact, Barack Obama led the parade to initiate a troop surge in Afghanistan after having opposed it in Iraq. ¤ We helped in Iraq - now help us, beg Georgians ¤ Russia opens new front, drives deeper into Georgia ¤ Bush says violence in Georgia is unacceptable ¤ More than 56,000 in U.S. infected with AIDS each year Venezuelan Supreme Court Ratifies Candidate Disqualifications as Constitutional Posted: Thursday, August 7, 2008 By Gregory Wilpert August 7th 2008 Venezuelanalysis.com Venezuela's Supreme Court issued a series of decisions yesterday and today that validated the Comptroller General's ruling to temporarily disqualify nearly 300 opposition and pro-Chavez Venezuelans accused of corruption from holding public office. The decisions were eagerly awaited by the opposition, which says that the disqualifications are an effort to eliminate viable candidates from running in the November 23rd regional elections. The most important decision, which was made by the court's constitutional chamber yesterday, declared the constitutionality of article 105 of the law governing the Comptroller General's office. According to the law's challengers, this article violates both constitutional due process guarantees and the right to run for political office. The court, in a four to one decision, said that due process is respected in the Comptroller General's law because defendants are guaranteed full due process rights in the three-phase administrative process when accused of corruption or administrative irregularities that can lead to disqualification from holding public office. Another argument brought against the disqualifications was that these are unconstitutional because article 42 of the constitution only allows the loss of citizenship and political rights in the case of final court decisions. The Supreme Court, though, countered that article 42 only refers to political rights lost in the context of loss of citizenship and not when they are lost in other circumstances. Other decisions were made by the political-administrative chamber of the Supreme Court, which unanimously affirmed the disqualifications of the mayor of the wealthy Caracas district of Chacao, Leopoldo Lopez, who wants to run for mayor of Greater Caracas, and David Uzcategui, the opposition nominee for the other wealthy Caracas district of Baruta. Both the plaintiffs and the court used similar lines of argument as in the cases before the constitutional chamber. Lopez reacted to the court's decision by saying that it was made out of "fear" of the majority and that it was "in favor of a government that can manipulate the public powers in order to impose its will because it has lost popular support." Lopez is accused, among other things, of having engineered a 60 million bolivars ($106,000) donation to his newly formed political party, Primero Justicia, from the state oil company in 1998 when both he and his mother were working there. The check was signed by his mother. The oppositional student leader Yon Goicochea also reacted to the decision, saying that the Chavez government is closing the avenues for peaceful change in Venezuelan. "The people want to find solutions via justice. What does the government want? It wants to set fire to this city [Caracas]. They are looking for violence. If they do not let us express ourselves peacefully at the voting booths, ... they are looking for us to set fire to the city," said Goicochea. "The people must understand that the fight is today or there will be none. The fight is for democracy and liberty," he added. Comptroller General Clodosbaldo Russian responded to the ruling by saying that Tuesday's court decision was the third such decision in the past four years pertaining to disqualifications for those found guilty of having committed acts of corruption. "Now this sentence is putting a final point on what has been contradicted by sectors of the opposition," said Russian on Venezuelan state TV. Lawyers for the opposition, said Russian, "must admit that things have changed in Venezuela and that crimes against the public good are punished... A serious and sustained effort is being made in Venezuela by the institutions of the state to clean up the country and put an end to corruption and impunity." Another government supporter who expressed their satisfaction with the court's decision was Celia Flores, the president of the National Assembly. According to her, "This Supreme Court decision contributes to the doing of justice, and those who commit crimes, irregularities, or mistakes can be punished," said Flores. While the court issued its rulings, though, two parliamentarians who belong to the Human Rights Commission of the Mercosur Parliament arrived in Venezuela today to examine the human rights implications of the disqualifications. Adriana Peña of Uruguay and Mirtha Palacios of Paraguay responded to the denunciation of Mayor Lopez that his disqualification represents a violation of his right to run for political office. Peña and Palacios are scheduled to meet with representatives from opposition parties, the government, and Comptroller General Russian. The president of the Mercosur parliament, Florisvaldo Fier, of Brazil's Workers' Party, denied that Peña and Palacios are in Venezuela on official business. "Peña does not represent the Mercosur parliament and neither the Human Rights Commission because for that ... an authorization is needed that she does not possess," said Fier according to the newspaper El Universal. Reacting angrily to the visit, Venezuela's foreign minister Nicolas Maduro said that Peña is in Venezuela "to interfere" in the internal affairs of Venezuela and to met with her friends who are "accused of corruption." Russian reacted more positively to Peña's visit, saying that he welcomes it. When he meets with her, he would "congratulate her for her interest in the defense of human rights. I don't have any problems in talking about human rights, not with the deputy nor with anyone else," said Russian. Africa's wealth for Africans Posted: Thursday, August 7, 2008 By Tsitsi Makwande August 07, 2008 The Herald Africa, is without doubt, the richest continent in the world in terms of both natural and human resources yet, ironically, it is also the poorest. This may be a bit difficult to understand for someone who appreciates the vast wealth of minerals to be found across the length and breadth of the continent. Countless valleys, innumerable mountain ranges, limitless flowing rivers, a variety of flora and fauna, the most beautiful natural tourist attractions and so many more features of wealth and interest abound in Africa. This picture contrasts sharply with the levels of poverty on the ground. Of course, all is not doom and gloom, but the fact is that pandemics like Aids have wreaked havoc, wars have played their part and food insecurity is real and present across the continent. According to one Unicef report, about 30 000 children die daily due to the effects of poverty. Water-borne diseases such as cholera caused by poor sanitation also claim their share of precious lives. Life expectancy has been declining, while in other parts of the world, which do not have the kind of natural and human resources that we have, people are living longer and leading improved lives. It has been estimated that the gross national product in the countries worst affected by HIV and Aids could contract by 18 percent by 2020, and the disease could kill 13 to 26 percent of the agricultural labour force in those countries during the same period. The United Nations said its efforts to provide anti-retroviral treatment for one million infected people in 2007, was outpaced by the number of new infections, which numbered 2,5 million that year. (Thankfully, though, in Zimbabwe's case new infections are declining.) Millions others have died or were displaced as a result of civil wars and natural disasters. The disturbing images of malnourished children in Sudan or Somalia with more bones than flesh, quickly come to mind. But this is more than just an image; it is a stark reality that has to be dealt with immediately. The question we have to ask ourselves is: why are our people living under such conditions when the continent is the richest in the world? Mining giant De Beers details in one report that Africa produces about 76 percent of the world's supply of diamonds valued at US$10 billion. Zimbabwe alone boasts of deposits of more than 40 minerals, including ferrochrome, gold, silver, platinum, diamonds, copper and asbestos, and about 19 million hectares of forest as of 2000. With such amazing wealth, it is confusing to see our people so disadvantaged. The reason is although we are rich, we continue to live in poverty because we still have not found ways to harness our resources for our own good and for that of our children. Instead, many African countries continue to be a source of raw materials, leaving foreign countries to benefit from the real business in the resultant finished product, a situation no different from what happened during the slave trade and colonialism. As Zimbabweans, we need to come up with sustainable strategies that will allow our people, and not only foreigners, to benefit from the vast treasures of gold, diamonds and other minerals available in our land. We should open our eyes and see how other countries have done it and follow suit. It may take a while and require strong financial backing, but if others have done it, so can we. Zimbabwe needs to take charge of its economy and alleviate poverty in our nation without having to depend on donors and aid relief organisations. Despite the economic challenges we are facing, we can take a leaf from Cuba, which has been under economic sanctions since 1963 but still managed to revive its economy and boast of the best social services in the world. This is not an event that will happen overnight, but a process requiring innovative and dedicated people and strategies. We have such people in our country, people who can make things happen, people who can build realities out of dreams, intelligent and hard-working people. It is pleasing, therefore, to see Government embarking on its empowerment drives with such gusto. Land reform signified the first stage of the process of harnessing our resources for our own development and now we have an all-encompassing empowerment law. Our goal should be to ensure that this piece of legislation is fully implemented to improve the livelihoods of the people of Zimbabwe, who are the rightful owners of the resources found across the country. The entire African continent can learn from the manner in which Zimbabwe has striven to empower its people. The imagination of people from all walks of life in Zimbabwe has been captured by the empowerment drive that started in 2000 with the Land Reform Programme. Over the past eight years, about 300 000 families – which translates to over a million individuals if we assume the average family size is five – have been empowered by the changes in land tenure systems. When the situation in the country stabilises and people can access agricultural inputs on time, one can only imagine the benefits these families and the entire nation shall reap. Recently, President Mugabe signed into law the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act. This piece of legislation will see the manufacturing and mining sectors being indigenised in the same way that agriculture has been. The requirement is that Zimbabweans should own at least 51 percent of any company in the country and already big firms such as Old Mutual have said they see no problem with such an arrangement. After all, the resources are for Zimbabweans and it only makes sense that locals are enriched by them ahead of foreign companies. South Africa has also embarked on its own Black Economic Empowerment policy and the challenge for the rest of the continent is to move towards the strengthening of the economic position of indigenous people. Various models can be employed to do this, but the ultimate aim should be the empowerment of Africans. Indeed, the African Union should declare 2009/2010 as the year for 100 percent empowerment of Africans using African resources for Africa's development. |
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