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October 2004Osama bin Laden supports Bush ReelectionPosted: Sunday, October 31, 2004 The timely release of the Osama tape four days before Americans go to the voting booths should come as no surprise. Osama has been a central theme of the election campaign. The Bush administration has been preparing public opinion for the eventuality of a terrorist threat prior to the November 2 elections. Osama tapes have emerged periodically since 9/11 at critical "political moments". Moreover, since 9/11, there have been six code orange "high risk" terror alerts. Often associated with these and other terror alerts, a mysterious Al Qaeda, Osama or Al Zarqawi tape emerges. The Bush administration has in fact intimated on several occasions that a terror attack on America could take place prior to the elections. It had even set in motion formal procedures for canceling the elections in the case of a terror alert. Full Article : globalresearch.ca October Video Jihad Surprise: What's Wrong with This Picture? By J.J. Johnson, www.sierratimes.com And it came to pass when Osama said: "...You American people, my speech to you is the best way to avoid another conflict about the war and its reasons and results. I am telling you security is an important pillar of human life. And free people don't let go of their security, contrary to Bush's claims that we hate freedom...." Wait a minute - a speech... to me? Okay, before someone other than Cronkite yells "October Surprise"... a) Has anyone out there seen the ENTIRE transcript of the recent two video messages from Team Jihad? b) Why would a guy born with the name "Pearlman" (Azzan the American) pal up with a bunch of folks that live to kill his kind? c) Why is Bin Laden and Team Jihad all but throwing the election in W's direction? If someone has the FULL transcript, we'd sure like to see it here. Full Article : sierratimes.com Arafat possibly poisoned: doctors Posted: Sunday, October 31, 2004 Medical tests on the ailing Palestinian President, Yasser Arafat, have ruled out leukaemia or any other life-threatening condition. "The latest tests have found that President Arafat does not suffer from any life-threatening illness and what he has is curable," an aide, Nabil Abu Rdainah, said yesterday. Mr Arafat, 75, underwent tests and scans on Saturday at a French military hospital the day after being flown from his shell-battered compound in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Doctors are looking at a possible viral infection or poisoning, but the final test results will not be available until Wednesday. Full Article :smh.com.au -- Reprinted here Police terror sweeps across Haiti Posted: Sunday, October 31, 2004 UN looks on as slum-dwelling Aristide supporters are killed or thrown into jail without charge Reed Lindsay in Port-au-Prince The Observer UK The bodies had been whisked away but the dried pool of blood covering the dirt-floor dead end of a twisting alley was a chilling sign of what happened here last week. Residents in the National Fort district, which like most of Port-au-Prince's slums is a bastion of support for former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, gathered around the darkening blood the following day. Some, who were afraid to give their names, said policemen wearing black masks had shot and killed 12 people, then dragged their bodies away. At least three families have identified the bodies of relatives at the mortuary; others who have loved ones missing fear the worst. Full Article : observer.guardian.co.uk Latest News Posted: Sunday, October 31, 2004 ¤ Insurgent Rocket Kills 15 Iraqis in Tikrit-U.S. ¤ Oraganisers have estimated a turnout of 70,000 ¤ Hold Off Reacting to Osama's Tape? I Think Not. ¤ Ossama Bin Moore!! ¤ Israeli secret agents liquidate 310 Iraqi scientists ¤ October Surprise: Bush Dodges Major Scandals ¤ World trembles as Bush shapes up for four more years ¤ A look at U.S. military deaths in Iraq ¤ Double Voting Possible in Ohio, Florida ¤ Powell: We’re losing the war in Iraq ¤ Two state flyers spark cries of racism ¤ 'Racially-based suppression of the African-American vote' ¤ Arafat possibly poisoned: doctors ¤ Nigerian Strike to Target Oil Exports ¤ Arafat's Health Improving, Aides Say ¤ Weapons Remain Unaccounted for in Iraq ¤ Terrorism: Tale of the Tape ¤ British soldier found dead at Basra military base ¤ Meet a kinder, gentler terrorist ¤ Why "W" Has Lost My Vote ¤ Stupid People Love Bush ¤ Osama, My Pajama ¤ The ugly American way ¤ Will Osama Help W.? ¤ Bin Laden, master of propaganda ¤ Bush wins boost from terror tape ¤ The winner is... US conservatism ¤ To the bitter end ¤ Major assault heralded as US artillery pounds Falluja ¤ Police terror sweeps across Haiti ¤ Halliburton Got Deal Despite Complaints ¤ Terrorist Tape, Political Angst ¤ Bin Laden's re-emergence ignites rhetoric three days ahead of U.S. vote ¤ Hawking to lead anti-war protest on election day ¤ No justification for insurgency in Iraq: Powell ¤ Bin Laden Releases New Videotape ¤ The eternal circle of the Iraqi insurgency ¤ Tapping terrorism ¤ Attacks Kill Nine Marines In Iraq ¤ Pentagon Extends Tours of Duty for About 6,500 U.S. Soldiers ¤ Endorsing Neo-Craziness? ¤ For a Scary Halloween, Read the Duelfer Report ¤ Halloween Tidings From the 'War on Terror' ¤ The coming war ¤ Over 100,000 Iraqi deaths since war ¤ Japan confirms identity of beheaded man ¤ US forces take major losses across Iraq Latest News Posted: Saturday, October 30, 2004 ¤ 8 US marines killed near Falluja ¤ Witnesses say Iraqi forces fired on civilians ¤ Turkish truck driver killed in Mosul ¤ Uzbekistan and Bush Hypocrisies ¤ Standing at the Graves of Iraq ¤ Landscape of Fear ¤ Osama's Offer ¤ Bush, Ba'ath and Beyond ¤ Strangling Cuba's Economy ¤ Bush Win Would Mean Dark Times ¤ The Most Tragic Victims of the Iraq War ¤ The End of an Error? ¤ U.S. Planes, Artillery Strike Iraq's Falluja ¤ Historians dissect war in Iraq ¤ ACM statement on voting systems ¤ Bush Seeks Limit to Suits Over Voting Rights ¤ Thousands protest in Rome against Iraq war ¤ The Shameful Politicizing of the bin Laden Tape by the Bush Campaign ¤ Bin Laden tape: Your reaction ¤ Bush administration is most corrupt in US history ¤ WHO the hell supports such murderous people like bin Laden? ¤ China, Iran sign biggest oil & gas deal ¤ Ten Questions for bin Laden ¤ Terribly Convenient Timing: Osama bin Laden: He's Back ¤ Palestinians: IDF kills 12-year-old boy in Jenin ¤ Election Day Terror Drills ¤ Italians rally for troop withdrawal ¤ By Our Hand And In Your Name: 100,000 Dead Iraqi's ¤ Car Bomb Kills 7, Injures 19 in Baghdad ¤ For Shame, America ¤ Cheney oil firm faces UK inquiry ¤ Oil prices blight US growth hopes ¤ The second battle of Algiers ¤ Bush campaign hurt by missing arms and Halliburton inquiry ¤ Down With Democracy ¤ Election Day ¤ A War We Can't Win ¤ The Al Qaqaa Explosives ¤ Fighting erupts in Somalia ¤ Osama's Election Editorial ¤ For Bush, Too Late for Honesty Latest News Posted: Friday, October 29, 2004 ¤ Carlyle Covers Up ¤ Despite the Lies about Iraq and the Resulting Disaster... ¤ Weapons for the Taking in Iraq ¤ US occupation through Iraqi eyes ¤ Wounded in Iraq survive, but cost is high ¤ In Russia, Ironies of the War on Terror ¤ U.S. Gearing Up for Fallujah Showdown ¤ Cheney Calls Iraq, Afghan Wars Brilliant ¤ The Latest Bin Laden Video Tape A Fraud? ¤ Osama bin Con-Job Flashback ¤ The Fake bin Laden Video Tape ¤ Blood will have blood ¤ 100,000 Iraqi civilians dead, says study ¤ FBI investigates how Iraq contracts were given to Halliburton ¤ Eminem song puts Bush in the dock ¤ And if it's a tie? Expect 'stark raving mad chaos'. For a month ¤ Welcome to the wacky world of the US Senate elections ¤ Ailing Arafat Flown to Hospital in Paris ¤ Blair signs new EU Constitution ¤ Newspapers as undecided as their readers over choice for president ¤ US troops refused requests to protect explosives store ¤ IAEA Says It Warned U.S. About Explosives ¤ FBI Glossed Over Abu Ghraib Abuses ¤ Pass Now, Investigate Later ¤ No Apology for Putin ¤ Squaddies criticise American forces for 'ruining things' ¤ Humans: a short history ¤ Bush? Kerry? Fuggedaboutit. ¤ Homeland Security Agents Visit Toy Store ¤ Nuclear watchdog insists Iraq explosives taken after US invasion ¤ Bad News Dogs Bush As Election Nears ¤ Report puts Falluja civilian toll at 600 ¤ Iraqi group: Civilian toll over 37,000 ¤ Twin bomb blasts rock southern Thailand ¤ ABC, Fox air tape by purported terrorist Latest News Posted: Thursday, October 28, 2004 ¤ Lyrics - 'Mosh' by Eminem ¤ US, Iran and the Iraqi election game ¤ The WMD-lite scandal ¤ Militant group claims to have killed 11 Iraqi guardsmen ¤ The Gas is Ours ¤ They Didn't Sign Up for Suicide Missions ¤ Jon Stewart vs. the Political Pundits ¤ The Great Delusion ¤ Looking Tough ¤ The Iraq Inspections Worked, Lies Have Consequences ¤ Ugly, Tasteless, Terrifying and Wild... Count Me In! ¤ The world waits: Bush or Kerry? ¤ 179 countries vote against the blockade at the UN ¤ Bush voted "Movie Villain of the Year" ¤ Eyewitness News Video May Be Linked to Missing Explosives in Iraq ¤ Broward scurrying to replace ballots ¤ In 1999, candidate Bush spoke of wanting to invade Iraq if elected ¤ UN rights expert: Israel 'killed' peace plan ¤ Excess 100,000 deaths since Iraq invasion ¤ FBI Investigating Halliburton Contracts ¤ At least 15 dead in Thai bombing ¤ Siberian mine blast kills 13 ¤ Republicans are accused of scaring off voters ¤ Americans prepare for the 'final assault' on rebel stronghold ¤ Russia tied to Iraq's missing arms ¤ Iraq says “impossible” explosives taken before regime fall ¤ The US holds the key to paying off Blair’s debts ¤ Provincial Capital Near Falluja Is Rapidly Slipping Into Chaos ¤ Iraqi police placed in the firing line without weapons ¤ Putin's unchallenged imperialism moves to Ukraine ¤ Bush's Imprudent Foreign Policy ¤ World Safety ¤ No Change in US Torture Policy – Amnesty ¤ Postal Experts Hunt for Missing Ballots in Florida ¤ Concern mounts as Arafat's health deteriorates sharply ¤ Child Abuse 'Rises with Intifada' ¤ US bombing kills Fallujans ¤ Arafat's failing health triggers concern One Hundred Forty Funerals, and the Rest is History Posted: Wednesday, October 27, 2004 A 17-day Israeli onslaught in northern Gaza left in its wake nearly 140 dead, one-third of them children. The newest tragedy to visit the impoverished strip, was neither the first, nor will it be the last. But, in many ways, it was reminiscent of the invasion of Jenin in April 2002. There too, hundreds of people were killed and maimed, and thousands more were left grief-stricken, homeless and defenseless. Those who understand the depth of the tragedy – unhampered by the desensitising Arabic media and dehumanising Western counterpart – may often wonder why such blatant state terrorism would compel no serious response, especially from those who endlessly decry poor human rights records of countries far superior to Israel in their respect for international law and human rights treaties. "I understand the politics of it all," a friend wrote as Israel announced its 'redeployment' in northern Gaza, "but what really bothers me is the benign response of average people everywhere. How callous have we become?" Full Article : ramallahonline.com Latest News Posted: Wednesday, October 27, 2004 ¤ Bulgegate ¤ One for Oil and Oil for One ¤ Amnesty: US 'War on Terror' Mentality Leads to Torture ¤ Bush Website Blocked Outside US ¤ Cuba move triggers war of words ¤ Ex-Guantanamo detainees sue US officials ¤ Africans not falling for Bush's charity ¤ One Hundred Forty Funerals, and the Rest is History ¤ No Longer Unknowable: Falluja's April Civilian Toll is 600 ¤ Oil Wars And US Imperialism ¤ The Terrorism of War and Occupation ¤ Abu Masaab al-Zarqawi formerlly unknown. ¤ Sharon wins historic Gaza vote ¤ That rare thing: drama at the EU ¤ Great expectations ¤ Cuba ends consumer use of US dollar ¤ Thatcher turns up at court in bid to block coup-plot questions ¤ Negligent US forces to blame for massacre of recruits, says Allawi ¤ Army Won 't Shorten Combat Tours in Iraq ¤ Outside View: Picking on U.S. Muslims ¤ Born in America, adopted abroad ¤ For Bush, Lies Are Truth, Truth Are Lies ¤ Scary Nights ¤ The Morality Of Weapons Systems ¤ Will There Be a War Against the World After November 2? ¤ New Quake Rattles Northern Japan, Felt in Tokyo ¤ Iraq transfers war crimes? ¤ Zarqawi the Terror Monster: But Does He Really Exist? ¤ Six killed in Algeria violence ¤ Film exposes US links with Saddam in days of infamy ¤ Halliburton says profit in Iraq is weak ¤ Only the Terrorists Learned Their Lessons ¤ Mean streets ¤ Limitations of democracy ¤ A servile embedded media ¤ Thailand 'risks revolt' after Muslim deaths ¤ BBC: Patriotism skews US media Latest News Posted: Tuesday, October 26, 2004 ¤ The Chicken Salad Election ¤ War on Dissent ¤ After the Fall ¤ I Need a President - Again ¤ Grandmother Confronts Cheney on Iraq ¤ Risk of Massive Voter Disenfranchisement ¤ At least 84 killed in Thai demo ¤ New Florida vote scandal feared ¤ The Colonial Precedent ¤ Elected on Friday, Killed on Saturday ¤ U.S.-Led Afghan Coalition Critcized ¤ Zarqawi the Terror Monster: But Does He Really Exist? ¤ Atrocities in Iraq and Afghanistan ¤ Secret Plans and October Surprises ¤ The Anti-Empire Report: Fear Factors ¤ The Religion of George W. Bush ¤ Increase In War Funding Sought ¤ U.N. Envoy Warns Against U.S. Attack on Fallouja ¤ U.S. Action Bars Right of Some Captured in Iraq ¤ "Explosive" Revelations ¤ Bombshell for Bush: 350 tons of explosives go missing in Iraq ¤ Foreign Policy ¤ A Wildly Exaggerated Threat ¤ Rumsfeld 'ignored Fallujah warnings' ¤ Dollar Fall Gathers Momentum ¤ Jewish Group Hacks DC, NYC & NJ Indy Media ¤ US troop withdrawal to stabilise Iraq: France ¤ First the Back-Door Draft, Now the Foot-in-the-Door Draft ¤ Arabs no longer want ‘devil they know’ in White House ¤ US promises aid to win war on terror ¤ Why the Vietnam War Still Matters ¤ I Think He Can, I Think He Can ¤ Palestinians pick through remains after raid ¤ US aircraft strike Falluja ¤ US: Iraq captives not POW's ¤ Calm returns after bloody Thai protest ¤ Mbeki turns Aids row into race issue ¤ Death Toll From Japan Earthquakes Rises Latest News Posted: Monday, October 25, 2004 ¤ Iraq Govt. Says Has Not Suspended Falluja Talks ¤ Cuba to End Circulation of U.S. Dollar Nov. 8 ¤ Dollar claws back losses on profit-taking ¤ China Dumps Dollars For Oil & Gold ¤ On Kerry, Bush and bin Laden ¤ We Are the Reason Bush Gets Away With It ¤ Vote For Me, Suckers ¤ Flip Flop on the Flu ¤ How the Settlers' Movement Have Infiltrated the IDF ¤ The Government You Deserve ¤ Israeli raid on Gaza kills 16 ¤ The Death of the Bill of Rights in America ¤ Oil backs off a bit ¤ Powell declares North Korea a 'terrorist state' ¤ An Illustration of Terrorism Made in Israel ¤ 12 Palestinians Killed in Israeli Raid ¤ 13 Palestinians Killed in Israeli Raid ¤ Attack continues on Gaza refugee camp ¤ Massacre of 50 Iraqi soldiers ¤ Chaos, murder and mayhem ¤ Results leave Karzai one step from victory ¤ Bush exploits suffering of 9/11, says Carter ¤ Car Bomb Kills 3 Near Australian Embassy ¤ Massacre at Baquba ¤ The Creaky Coalition ¤ Huge Cache of Explosives Vanished From Site in Iraq ¤ Prewar intelligence predicted Iraqi insurgency ¤ Bombs ¤ Iraq purging tens of thousands of police officers for corruption ¤ Spinning Iraqi Opinion at Taxpayer Expense ¤ Gaining control of Russian oil ¤ Iran Plays by the Rules – No Fair! ¤ Bush's Crimes ¤ Blair is a foreign hostage too ¤ The age of anxiety ¤ Commander in Chief ¤ Don’t get beheaded ¤ Crude Oil Reaches Record on Norwegian Oil-Rig Labor Dispute ¤ Attackers target US convoy in Baghdad ¤ Bush: No proof of pre-election attack Latest News Posted: Sunday, October 24, 2004 ¤ U.S. diplomat killed in Baghdad attack ¤ MASSIVE SELL OFF OF US DOLLAR ¤ Number of US Troops Wounded in Iraq War Tops 8,000 ¤ Candidates use fables to convey terror ¤ Iraqis file thousands of claims against U.S. forces ¤ 16 Killed in Algeria Rebel Attack ¤ Karzai Wins Majority in Afghan Election ¤ 6 Said Killed in Fallujah Target Bombing ¤ 'This isn't a presidency, it's a forgery' ¤ Non-Americans dread Bush ¤ Memo Lets CIA Take Detainees Out of Iraq ¤ Gaza settlements under heavy mortar fire; 2 Palestinians killed ¤ Death Toll Now 21 In Earthquakes In Japan ¤ One Third of Reserves Fail to Report for Duty ¤ Dumb show ¤ Bushmen who rule the world ¤ Central Bank stops supporting dollar ¤ The "War on Terror" as Defined by 1984's Emmanuel Goldstein ¤ Powell Rejects North Korean Demand on U.S. ¤ 'Our boys are being used like puppets' ¤ Iraq: 26 killed on horrific day of violence ¤ Storm season leaves Spice Island in ruins ¤ Why Tony would vote for Dubya ¤ Secret report: terrorism spreading across Iraq ¤ Memo Lets CIA Take Detainees Out of Iraq ¤ Chaos Inside The Triangle Of Death ¤ Flame-throwers used at Beslan siege ¤ Black Watch will not blindly follow US orders ¤ The Lethal Game That Knows No Boundaries ¤ Big guns come out for a final assault ¤ Biggest legal battle in US election history looms ¤ Afghan suicide blast toll rises ¤ Iran criticizes EU nuclear proposal as 'unbalanced' ¤ Iran rejects European nuclear offer ¤ 50 Iraqi Soldiers Found Shot to Death ¤ U.S. State Dept. Officer Killed in Iraq ¤ Who benefits from "Anti-semitism" ? ¤ Cheney Conjures a Worse World Had Kerry Led It ¤ Car Bombings Kill 17 Iraqis; Attack Injures 6 U.S. Soldiers Globalization Not New: look at the Slave Trade Posted: Saturday, October 23, 2004 The following is a keynote speech delivered by famed computer scientist Philip Emeagwali on September 18, 2004, at the Pan-African Conference on Globalization, Washington DC. Globalization – or the ability of many people, ideas and technology to move from country to country – is not new. In Africa, it was initiated by the slave trade and given impetus by colonialism and Christian missionaries. The early missionaries saw African culture and religion as a deadly adversary and as an evil that had to be eliminated. In 1876, a 27-year-old missionary named Mary Slessor emigrated from Scotland to spend the rest of her life in Nigeria. For her efforts in trying to convert the people of Nigeria, Mary Slessor's photograph appears on Scotland's ten pound note, and her name can be found on schools, hospitals and roads in Nigeria. The introduction to Mary Slessor's biography, titled: "White Queen of the Cannibals" is revealing: "On the west coast of Africa is the country of Nigeria. The chief city is Calabar," said Mother Slessor. "It is a dark country because the light of the Gospel is not shining brightly there. Black people live there. Many of these are cannibals who eat other people." "They're bad people, aren't they, Mother?" asked little Susan. "Yes, they are bad, because no one has told them about Jesus, the Saviour from sin, or showed them what is right and what is wrong." These opening words clearly show that Mary Slessor came to Africa on a mission to indoctrinate us with Christian theology. She told us we worshipped an inferior god and that we belonged to an inferior race. She worked to expel what she described as "savagism" from our culture and heritage and to encourage European "civilization" to take root in Africa. We accepted the mission schools which were established to enlighten us, without questioning the unforeseen costs of our so-called education. These mission schools plundered our children's self-esteem by teaching them that, as Africans they were inherently "bad people." Our children grew up not wanting to be citizens of Africa. Instead, their education fostered the colonial ideal that they would be better off becoming citizens of the colonizing nations. I speak of the price Africans have paid for their education and "enlightenment" from personal experience. I was born "Chukwurah," but my missionary schoolteachers insisted I drop my "heathen" name. The prefix "Chukwu" in my name is the Igbo word for "God." Yet, somehow, the missionaries insisted that "Chukwurah" was a name befitting a godless pagan. The Catholic Church renamed me "Philip," and Saint Philip became my patron and protector, replacing God, after whom I was named. I have to argue that something more than a name has been lost. Something central to my heritage has been stripped away. This denial of our past is the very antithesis of a good education. Our names represent not only our heritage, but connect us to our parents and past. As parents, the names we choose for our children reflect our dreams for their future and our perceptions of the treasures they represent to us. My indoctrination went far deeper than just a name. The missionary school tried to teach me that saints make better role models than scientists. I was taught to write in a new language. As a result, I became literate in English but remain illiterate in Igbo – my native tongue. I learned Latin – a dead language I would never use in the modern world – because it was the official language of the Catholic Church, which owned the schools I attended. Today, there are more French speakers in Africa than there are in France. There are more English speakers in Nigeria than there are in the United Kingdom. There are more Portuguese speakers in Mozambique than there are in Portugal. The Organization of African Unity never approved an African language as one of its official languages. We won the battle of decolonizing our continent, but we lost the war on decolonizing our minds. Many acknowledge that globalization shapes the future, but few acknowledge that it shaped history, or at least the world's perception of it. Fewer acknowledge that globalization is a two-way street. Africa was a colony, but it is also a key contributor to many other cultures, and the cornerstone of today's society. The world's views tend to overshadow and dismiss the value and aspirations of colonized people. Again, I must impart my own experiences to illustrate this point. I grew up serving as an altar boy to an Irish priest. I wanted to become a priest, but ended up becoming a scientist. Religion is based on faith, while science is based on fact and reason – and science is neutral to race. Unfortunately, scientists are not neutral to race. Take, for example, the origin of AIDS, an international disease. According to scientific records, the first person to die from AIDS was a 25-year-old sailor named David Carr, of Manchester, England. Carr died on August 31, 1959, and because the disease that killed him was then unknown, his tissue samples were saved for future analysis. The "unknown disease" that killed David Carr was reported in The Lancet on October 29, 1960. On July 7, 1990, The Lancet retested those old tissue samples taken from David Carr and reconfirmed that he had died of AIDS. Based upon scientific reason, researchers should have deduced that AIDS originated in England, and that David Carr sailed to Africa where he spread the AIDS virus. Instead, the white scientific community condemned the British authors of those revealing articles for daring to propose that an Englishman was the first known AIDS patient. If these scientists were neutral to race, their data should have led them to the conclusion that Patient Zero lived in England. If these scientists were neutral to race, they should have concluded that AIDS had spread from England to Africa, to Asia, and to America. Instead, they proposed the theory that AIDS originated in Africa. Even history has degraded our African roots. We come to the United States and learn a history filtered through the eyes of white historians. And we learn history filtered through the eyes of Hollywood movie producers. Some of us complained that Hollywood is sending its distorted message around this globalized world. Some of us complained that Hollywood is a cultural propaganda machine used to advance white supremacy. George Bush understood Hollywood was a propaganda machine that could be used in his war against terrorism. Shortly after the 9/11 bombing of New York City, Bush invited Hollywood moguls to the White House and solicited their support in his war against terrorism. Some will even argue that schools play a significant role as federal indoctrination centers used to convince children during their formative years that whites are superior to other races. Fela Kuti, who detested indoctrination, titled one of his musical albums: "Teacher Don't Teach Me Nonsense." It scares me that an entire generation of African children is growing up brainwashed by Hollywood's interpretation and promotion of American heroes. Our children are growing up idolizing American heroes with whom they cannot personally identify. We need to tell our children our own stories from our own perspective. We need to decolonize our thinking and examine the underlying truths in more than just movies. We need to apply the same principles to history and science, as depicted in textbooks. Look at African science stories that were retold by European historians; they were re-centered around Europe. The earliest pioneers of science lived in Africa, but European historians relocated them to Greece. Science and technology are gifts ancient Africa gave to our modern world. Yet, our history and science textbooks, for example, have ignored the contributions of Imhotep, the father of medicine and designer of one of the ancient pyramids. The word "science" is derived from the Latin word "scientia" or "possession of knowledge." We know, however, that knowledge is not the exclusive preserve of one race, but of all races. By definition, knowledge is the totality of what is known to humanity. Knowledge is a body of information and truth, and the set of principles acquired by mankind over the ages. Knowledge is akin to a quilt, the latter consisting of several layers held together by stitched designs and comprising patches of many colors. The oldest patch on the quilt of science belongs to the African named Imhotep. He was the world's first recorded scientist, according to the prolific American science writer Isaac Asimov. The oldest patch on the quilt of mathematics belongs to another African named Ahmes. Isaac Asimov also credited Ahmes as being the world's first author of a mathematics textbook. Therefore, a study of history of science is an effort to stitch together a quilt that has life, texture and color. African historians must insert the patches of information omitted from books written by European historians. There are many examples of the mark Africans have made on world history. Americans are surprised when I tell them Africans built both Washington's White House and Capitol. According to the US Treasury Department, 450 of the 650 workers who built the White House and the Capitol were African slaves. Because the White House and Capitol are the two most visible symbols of American democracy, it is important to inform all schoolchildren in our globalized world that these institutions are the results of the sweat and toil of mostly African workers. This must also be an acknowledgement of the debt America owes Africa. Similarly, discussions of globalization should credit those Africans who left the continent and helped build other nations throughout the world – most nations on Earth. Africans who have made contributions in Australia, in Russia, and in Europe must be acknowledged so our children can have heroes with African roots - so they can know their own roots and be proud of them. The enormous contributions of Africans to the development and progress of other nations has gone unacknowledged. We have yet to acknowledge, for example, that St. Augustine, who wrote the greatest spiritual autobiography of all time, called "Confessions of St. Augustine," was an African; that three Africans became pope; that Africans have lived in Europe since the time of the Roman Empire; that Septimus Severus, an Emperor of Rome, was an African; and that the reason Beethoven was called "The Black Spaniard" was because he was a mulatto of African descent. Why are we reluctant to acknowledge the contributions and legacies of our African ancestors? We cannot inspire our children to look toward the future without first reminding them of their ancestors' contributions. Look at the long struggle of African Australians, who recently became citizens with rights on their native continent. Africans have been living in Australia for 50,000 years. Yet, African Australians were granted Australian citizenship just 37 years ago, in 1967. According to CNN, African Australians were not recognized as human beings prior to 1967. They "were governed under flora and fauna laws." African Australians were, in essence, governed by plant and animal laws. For many years, African Australians were described as the "invisible people." In fact, the first whites to settle in Australia named it the "land empty of people." The contributions of Africans to Russia must be reclaimed. Russia's most celebrated author, A.S.(Aleksandr Sergeyevich) Pushkin, told us he was of African descent. Pushkin's great-grandfather was brought to Russia as a slave. Russians proclaim Pushkin as their "national poet," the "patriarch of Russian literature" and the "Father of the Russian language." In essence, Pushkin is to Russia what Shakespeare is to Britain. Yet Africans who have read the complete works of Shakespeare are not likely to have read a single book by Pushkin. I was asked to share today the story behind my supercomputer discovery. It would require several books to tell the whole story, but I will share a short one that I have never told anyone. The journey of discovery to my supercomputer was a titanic, one-man struggle. It was like climbing Mount Everest. On many occasions I felt like giving up. Because I was traumatized by the racism I had encountered in science, I maintained a self-imposed silence on the supercomputer discovery that is my claim to fame. I will share with you a supercomputing insight that even the experts in my field did not know then and do not know now. In the 1980s, supercomputers could perform only millions of calculations per second and, therefore, their timers were designed to measure only millions of calculations per second. But I was performing billions of calculations per second and unknowingly attempting to time it with a supercomputer timer, which was designed to measure millions of calculations per second. I assumed my timer could measure one-billionth of a second. It took me two years to realize my timer was off a thousandfold. I was operating beyond a supercomputer's limitations, but I did not know it. The supercomputer designers did not expect their timers to be used to measure calculations at that rate. I almost gave up because I could not time and reproduce my calculations which, in turn, meant I could not share them, two years earlier, with the world. After years of research, my supercomputer's timer was the only thing stopping me from getting the recognition I deserved. I realized the timer was wrong, but I could not explain why. I spent two years mulling over why the timer was wrong. It took two long and lonely years to discover why I could not time my calculations. My 3.1 billion calculations per second, which were then the world's fastest, were simply too fast for the supercomputer's timer. What I learned from that experience was not to quit when faced with an insurmountable obstacle – and that believing in yourself makes all the difference. I learned to take a step backward and evaluate the options: Should I go through, above, under, or around the obstacle? Quitting, I decided, was not an option. Indeed, the old saying is true: When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Looking back, I learned that most limitations in life are self-imposed. You have to make things happen, not just watch things happen. To succeed, you must constantly reject complacency. I learned I could set high objectives and goals and achieve them. The secret to my success is that I am constantly striving for continuous improvements in my life and that I am never satisfied with my achievements. The myth that a genius must have above-average intelligence is just that, a myth. Geniuses are people who learn to create their own positive reinforcements when their experiments yield negative results. Perseverance is the key. My goal was to go beyond the known, to a territory no one had ever reached. I learned that if you want success badly enough and believe in yourself, then you can attain your goals and become anything you want in life. The greatest challenge in your life is to look deep within yourself to see the greatness that is inside you, and those around you. The history books may deprive African children of the heroes with whom they can identify, but in striving for your own goals, you can become that hero for them – and your own hero, too. I once believed my supercomputer discovery was more important than the journey that got me there. I now understand the journey to discovery is more important than the discovery itself; that the journey also requires a belief in your own abilities. I learned that no matter how often you fall down, or how hard you fall down, what is most important is that you rise up and continue until you reach your goal. It's true, some heroes are never recognized, but what's important is that they recognize themselves. It is that belief in yourself, that focus, and that inner conviction that you are on the right path, that will get you through life's obstacles. If we can give our children pride in their past, then we can show them what they can be and give them the self-respect that will make them succeed. Emeagwali helped give birth to the supercomputer – the technology that spawned the Internet. He won the 1989 Gordon Bell Prize, which has been dubbed the "Nobel Prize of Supercomputing." Reprinted from: www.blackcommentator.com/110/110_globalization.html Latest News Posted: Saturday, October 23, 2004 ¤ Globalization Not New: look at the Slave Trade ¤ Fighting the War on Terra ¤ Bush's blinkers ¤ Off the telepromter: Is George W. Bush a man of his words? ¤ Bush for dummies ¤ Saboteurs Bomb Iraqi Pipelines to Baghdad ¤ Army officer sues U.S. for deployment ¤ Israelis strongly support Bush win ¤ Settler Runs Over Three Schoolgirls in West Bank ¤ U.N.: Hundreds of Palestinians Homeless ¤ Suicide bombers kill 22 Iraqis ¤ Brazil Reacts Angrily to Report on Nukes ¤ Is Lesser Evilism a Compromise with Evil? ¤ Presidents express concern about Ivory Coast ¤ Aftershocks Strike Fear After Japan Quake Kills 14 ¤ Iraqi guards die in blast near US base ¤ 800 U.S.: Soldiers Failed to Report for Duty ¤ Bush, Kerry take similar approach to war in Iraq ¤ Bin Laden's Illusions – and Ours ¤ Understanding Pro-war Christians' Indifference to Civilian Deaths ¤ State terminates deal for voting machines ¤ Battle to stop e-voting steps up ¤ Integrity of Florida E-Voting in Doubt ¤ Betrayers of Freedom ¤ Fighting Communism ¤ Bush Backers Believe Propaganda ¤ 6.8 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Japan ¤ The Unknown Soldiers ¤ CIA withdraws Iraq WMD claim ¤ No shooting please, we're British ¤ Israel May Have Iran in Its Sights ¤ U.S., Iraqi Forces Detain Sunni Muslim Cleric ¤ UN Declines to Train Iraqis for Saddam Trial ¤ Clare Short accuses Blair of misleading Britain over case for war ¤ Bush backs Belarus sanctions ¤ Iraqi Children Warned to Avoid Soldiers ¤ Two Iraqi Children Killed in Car, U.S. Blamed ¤ Halliburton angers Nigerian MPs in 'bribes' hearing Chavez Frias pledges to fight corruption Posted: Friday, October 22, 2004 President Hugo Chavez Frias pledges to fight corruption on US$700-a-month Unabashed, Chavez Frias (who earns only US$700 a month) says that those who call themselves Chavez supporters should be like him and seek not what their country can give to them but what they can give to Venezuela's future prosperity ... "We should all give an example of selflessness and sacrifice." Chavez says: "Let's fight to the death against corruption ... I don't have a house or a car, nor do I want one ... when I leave this job I'll sling my hammock somewhere. ... I don't have a farm or cattle." Full Article : vheadline.com Chavez Declares "Fight To The Death" Against Corruption In Venezuela Tranparency International placed Venezuela in the low rank of 114 of 146 countries surveyed. The non-governmental corruption watchdog reported that oil producing countries in particular consistenly rank low in transparency scores. "In these countries, the oil sector is plagued by revenues vanishing into the pockets of western oil executives, middlemen and local officials," writes Peter Eigen, Chairman of Transparency International. Chavez on many occasions addressed both the problem of corruption and excessive bureaucracy in Venezuela and earlier this month even announced an "efficiency mission" to deal with both problems that Chavez said can be traced to decades of rule by the political parties currently opposing him. "Undoubtedly there is corruption in Venezuela," President Chavez said in an interview with Mexico's "La Jornada" newspaper in August. "We have a culture of corruption created for half century, in fact it has been carried out by these members of the Democratic Coordinator, the ADECOS and the COPEYANOS who became rich," Chavez said. Full Article : venezuelanalysis.com Strong evidence as Mau Mau file suit against UK Posted: Friday, October 22, 2004 Plans by Mau Mau veterans to sue the British government for reparations have gathered momentum following the completion of the first stage of collecting evidence from former freedom fighters. Nearly 100 former freedom fighters have recorded statements detailing a shocking catalogue of injuries, deaths and injustices meted by colonial forces in the 1950s, The Standard has established. And excitement is building up among members of a team preparing the case, following the impending publication of the first book ever detailing the brutal torture of Mau Mau fighters by the colonial government. Full Article : eastandard.net Latest News Posted: Friday, October 22, 2004 ¤ Faith-Based Deceptions ¤ Killing for Christ ¤ George W. Bush: a Man of His Words? ¤ It's Worse Than a Crime; It's a Blunder ¤ Tarnished Legacy ¤ The Second Invasion ¤ The Illness is the Cure ¤ Wealth of a White Nation: Blacks Sink Deeper in Hole ¤ One More Bogus Rationale ¤ Invitation to a Degraded World ¤ The Presidential Pageant ¤ Denial: The Truth About Iraq Hurts ¤ Deja Vu in Baghdad ¤ He's the exact opposite of what a president should be ¤ Voters report fake calls ¤ Halliburton may keep disputed money ¤ VOTE FRAUD: WHAT THEY AREN'T TELLING YOU ¤ 100 Facts and 1 Opinion ¤ US facing 20,000 insurgents in Iraq ¤ Macedonian Iraq hostages killed ¤ Israel launches new Gaza missile strike ¤ History cleansed to 're-educate' Ba'athists ¤ 'Eight dead' in Iraq car bombs ¤ U.S. renews airstrikes on Fallujah targets ¤ Most Iraqis don't care who wins U.S. election, poll finds ¤ Bush, Kerry take similar approach to war in Iraq ¤ 'Heart of Darkness: The Bush cult and American madness' ¤ Israel bides its time on Iran ¤ Eight years for US soldier who abused prisoners ¤ Public tumble leaves Castro with fractures ¤ At least 63 die in Japanese havoc ¤ George, God here ... ¤ Blair and Brown: The real story ¤ Religious Leaders Ahead in Iraq Poll ¤ Tenet: CIA made errors ¤ Deeper into the Iraqi quagmire ¤ The Unknown Soldiers ¤ We want to see the back of Bush ¤ CNN Connie Chung Tonight (w/ Pat Robertson) ¤ The Last Straw ¤ Are you a terrorist? ¤ Is the Bush Administration Supressing the Price of Gas? ¤ The Moral Level of War ¤ 69 Dead in Japan Typhoon as Hopes Fade for Missing ¤ Several killed in US attack on Falluja ¤ Is Suicide Part of the Job? ¤ Terrorists in Falluja Latest news Posted: Thursday, October 21, 2004 ¤ Undecided or Undiagnosed? ¤ Only Anti-Castro Agitators Need Apply ¤ Are They Really Connected? The War and Globalization ¤ Bolivia a Year After the October Insurrection ¤ Who's Insensitive to Gays? Start with the Cheneys ¤ America's Hidden Vote ¤ To Be Silenced, Or Not to Be: That is the Question ¤ Haitian Priest Jailed Indefinitely for 40 Cent Crime ¤ Bush Running to be National Pastor ¤ Witness says CIA oversaw abuse at Abu Ghraib ¤ 2 Iraqi national guards, 1 woman killed in Baghdad ¤ At least 4 die in Baghdad bus attack ¤ Soldiers Pay ¤ Hoon confirms Iraq troop movement ¤ Bush Backers Steadfast on Saddam, WMD ¤ Couple protests war with display ¤ Silenced By The President ¤ Aftermath Of Last Week’s Editorial Endorsement ¤ The Truth About Beslan “Too Scary” to Reveal ¤ 'When the only thing that's left is fear' ¤ Israel kills four more Palestinians ¤ US now wants more troops in Iraq ¤ Several dead in Baghdad bus attack ¤ Abducted care chief refused to walk out on Iraq ¤ A schoolgirl riddled with bullets. And no one is to blame ¤ Falluja in their sights ¤ Soldier says Abu Ghraib interrogators told him to stage mock electrocution ¤ Commander relieved of duty in Iraq ¤ Bin Laden's al Qaeda control questioned ¤ Bush Predicted No Iraq Casualties, Robertson Says ¤ 148 Trapped Chinese Coal Miners Feared Dead ¤ Car Bomb Explodes in Central Baghdad ¤ Blair denies bailing out Bush charge ¤ Deadly typhoon to kill dozens in Japan ¤ Twin Samarra blasts hit US convoy ¤ Lebanese PM quits amid political crisis ¤ The world has lost Iraq's oil ¤ Holding Up a Mirror to the Face of U.S. “Exceptionalism” ¤ Exaggerations, distortions and good old-fashioned lies ¤ Sunni clerics urge boycott of Iraq elections in wake of Fallujah siege ¤ Exposing Potent Pot Myths ¤ Voter registration workers cry foul ¤ US Soldier Admits Jail Abuse In Iraq Latest News Posted: Wednesday, October 20, 2004 ¤ 300 Iraqi soldiers abandon unit in Samarra ¤ Acquittal proves Zim critics wrong ¤ Family of six killed in Fallujah rocket attack ¤ By the thousands, soldiers 50 and older are being deployed ¤ A Bullet Fired for Every Palestinian Child ¤ The Art of Stealing Elections ¤ STEALING A NATION: The Plight of Diego Garcia ¤ No Flu Vaccine Shortage in Congress ¤ No casualties? White House disputes Robertson comment ¤ SA, Israel sign trade accord amid protests ¤ U.S. Lifts Arms Embargo on Haiti as Tensions Mount ¤ Africa must steer clear of GM crops ¤ 'Ignorant' Americans will re-elect 'liar' Bush ¤ Delusions of Empire ¤ French racism report causes controversy ¤ Israel moves to impede UN relief to Palestinians ¤ Israel more corrupt, third year running, says corruption index ¤ Sinclair Broadcasting’s Long History of Deception ¤ An Engineered Excuse for Killing Iraqis ¤ Chin up - and don't mention the war ¤ A nation of 50 states, but only a dozen will affect election ¤ Military flashes more steel in Iraq: Will it work? ¤ Marines Vent Frustration in Western Iraq ¤ Hans off Iraq! ¤ The Empire Exposed ¤ Better mutiny than 'suicide' ¤ Rewarding Bad Behavior ¤ Gallipoli For Dummies ¤ Bush and Kerry dance to the tune of Ariel Sharon ¤ Kerry Tries to Out-Sharon Bush ¤ The 9/11 secret in the CIA's back pocket ¤ Iraqi pipeline to Turkey set ablaze ¤ 3 soldiers, 4 militants killed in S Waziristan ¤ Car bomb strikes US military convoy ¤ British-Iraqi aid worker abducted ¤ Israel Dismantling Palestinian Society, Culture ¤ The Unfeeling President ¤ Garnier QC leads MP group in quest to impeach the PM ¤ American Multinational Firms Stealing Iraqi Grain Seeds It took Jon Stewart to gun down Crossfire Posted: Tuesday, October 19, 2004 Last Friday afternoon, when comedian Jon Stewart called CNN Crossfire co-host Tucker Carlson a body part exclusive to men, maybe half a million viewers finally saw an honest moment on this program. Too bad. While it was not the first time ever on TV that the American media punditocracy was ripped for its failures, it was probably the most satisfying. That's because it was live, and Stewart confronted the enemy head-on, instead of mocking it from his Daily Show perch where he anchors his celebrated "fake news" program. No wonder more than a million people have downloaded video of the exchange. (Try onegoodmove.org or mediamatters.org.) In fact, due to traffic, some websites crashed. Full Article : thestar.com Latest News Posted: Tuesday, October 19, 2004 ¤ Developed countries taking money back from Africa: UN ¤ African American Voters Face Sadly Familiar Obstacles to Voting ¤ Iraqi National Guard base attacked; 4 killed ¤ Should we outsource torture? ¤ Tahiti crisis sparks mass protest ¤ American Myopia ¤ It's Not Who You're Against; It's Who You're For ¤ "What Goes Around Comes Around" ¤ The 9/11 Secret in the CIA's Back Pocket ¤ Two Weeks to Go -- and One President to Oust ¤ Marines Vent Frustration in Western Iraq ¤ Bush Changes Context for War ¤ Annan Focuses on Iraq Public Sentiment ¤ What is this 'European Union'? ¤ It Took Jon Stewart to Gun Down Crossfire ¤ They weren't savages: kidnapped Aussie ¤ Iraqi Forces Need 5 Years ¤ As election approaches, U.S. troops experience difficulties voting ¤ Blair has lied again ¤ Team Bush declares war on the New York Times ¤ Bush Said the "P" Word ¤ Debate Persists Over Criticizing Iraq War ¤ Hacktackular CNN ¤ Proof of Lies And Evidence Fabrication Against The Hijacker Suspects of 9-11 ¤ Electoral Vote Predictor 2004 ¤ Stocks End Down As Oil Prices Inch Higher ¤ Many casualties in attack on Iraqi forces HQ ¤ UN demands Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon ¤ Resistance in the Slums of Haiti ¤ The connections between racism and revolution ¤ South Africa rejects Haitian claim - Pahad ¤ Putin backs Bush victory ¤ Dirty tricks return to the sunshine state ¤ US wealth gap grows for ethnic minorities ¤ 500 years on, Spanish region tries to evict the Moors again ¤ Death toll climbs as Falluja siege continues ¤ Iraq: Pro-war MPs draw a line in the sand ¤ Burma's military regime 'has ousted prime minister' ¤ Israeli destruction of Palestinian homes 'violates international law' ¤ Towering Inferno In Caracas ¤ Computer problems reported at Broward early voting sites ¤ Israeli forces kill four Palestinians in Gaza ¤ Soldiers fear that they are 'sleeping with the enemy' ¤ Father's former advisor blasts younger Bush ¤ Sudan's Darfur 'safer than Iraq' ¤ So, Did Saddam Try to Kill Bush's Dad? ¤ How the postwar situation in Iraq went awry Latest News Posted: Monday, October 18, 2004 ¤ Facts and Lies; Slogans and Truth ¤ Betting on War ¤ Civil Liberties, Three Years After 9/11 ¤ America: `This is a Crude Government' ¤ Orwellian Twist on the Campaign ¤ Operation Desert Fraud ¤ U.S.: Republican Fraud will Disqualify 200,000 in Florida Vote ¤ Oil Prices 'Heading for 60 Dollars A Barrel' ¤ Lifting Spirits in Iraq a Tough Sell ¤ 'The daily drivel' ¤ Nuclear genie blasts out of the bottle ¤ Google's New PC Search Tool Poses Risks ¤ 'When we came back they had destroyed all the houses' ¤ Six killed as car bomb hits Baghdad cafe ¤ Kerry and Bush target the crucial undecided Florida voters ¤ The war within America ¤ Nevada judge declines to reopen voter registration in Vegas area ¤ As U.S. Forces Pound Fallujah ¤ General Reported Shortages In Iraq ¤ Dubya Gets Serious About WMD ¤ Killing children is no longer a big deal ¤ This week's casualty: the legal case for war in Iraq ¤ Yankees are blind to blundering Bush ¤ The Elections Are Coming, the Elections Are Coming! ¤ Afghan Death Case Renews Calls for Independent Investigation of Abuses ¤ Crude Oil Price Surges Past $55 ¤ Summit rejects foreign meddling in Sudan ¤ No10 did not tell truth about Iraq, says diplomat who quit ¤ Poland is squeezed by cost of Iraq role ¤ British troops in Iraq feel the lessons of history ¤ U.S. ties with Spain show rising tensions ¤ Sending troops to central Iraq fraught with operational problems ¤ Any means necessary Latest News Posted: Sunday, October 17, 2004 ¤ Annan: Iraq War Hasn't Made World Safer ¤ Has Bush lost his reason? ¤ Karzai rival refuses to concede election ¤ Gaza girl death officer cleared ¤ Tens of thousands throng London to protest Iraq war ¤ Violence Continues in Fallujah ¤ Families flee as US, rebels clash ¤ U.S. Continues Major Attack on Fallujah ¤ Sharon Rejects Vote on Jewish Settlers ¤ Battles rage around besieged Falluja ¤ Russia granted military base in Tajikistan ¤ Mortar kills three in Baghdad ¤ We've Seen the Enemy and They Are ... Who, Exactly? ¤ BBC under fire for 'false reality' ¤ Iraq says 'come and get us' to Western oil companies ¤ Scary Ads Take Campaign to a Grim New Level ¤ Israelis quit Gaza after killing 138 ¤ Reservist who refused mission calls mother from Iraq, pleads for help ¤ Star Wars deal places US missiles on UK soil ¤ Churches hit in new wave of Iraq bombings ¤ Elsewhere, 9 Iraqi police officers killed in ambush ¤ Indymedia Seizure Signals Clampdown on Dissent ¤ 'They want Zarqawi. They can't kill him so they're killing us' ¤ 129 Palestinians killed during IDF's Gaza raid ¤ Israeli Tanks Enter Camp in Southern Gaza ¤ Jeb Bush Ignored Felon List Advice ¤ 'All of us refused to go' ¤ Anti-war Americans apologise for Iraq ¤ Battles rage around besieged Falluja ¤ Nine policemen killed in ambush ¤ Bush worries about son, calls Michael Moore ´slimeball´ ¤ Blair is 'using our troops to boost Bush' ¤ How the U.S. Got Caught in a Trap of Its Own Making ¤ Bush signs global anti-Semitism law ¤ Guide to age ¤ the meeting that could have changed the history of Iraq ¤ What are these buses doing at a bomb facility ? Latest News Posted: Saturday, October 16, 2004 ¤ Kerry Out-Hawks Bush ¤ Unmerciful Judge, Merry Executioners ¤ Desolation and Vengeance ¤ About the Bush Bulge ¤ How to Effect Regime Change and Expand the Empire ¤ America, Imagine This! ¤ The Flu Vaccine Question ¤ Dick Cheney's El Salvador ¤ When History Looks Back ¤ Blacks Didn't Get the Vote by Voting ¤ Che Guevara's Daughter Voices Cuban ¤ Voter registration cards found in car ¤ 'Sharon is a butcher' ¤ Bush Needs a Terrorist Attack to Win ¤ Florida Sets Touch-Screen Recounts Rule ¤ This war on terrorism is bogus ¤ Fox moves to fire accuser ¤ Car Bomb Kills Four U.S. Troops in Iraq ¤ A Desperate White House ¤ 'Dream team' ¤ Haiti on alert as tensions rise ¤ Crude oil touches $55 U.S. a barrel ¤ Several killed in attacks across Iraq ¤ The War of Error ¤ Doubts about US morale in Iraq ¤ Unit Refused Iraq Mission, Military Says ¤ 2 Miss. soldiers among 5 reassigned ¤ Why is war-torn Iraq giving $190,000 to Toys R Us? ¤ Army pulls back from Gaza leaving 100 Palestinians dead ¤ An American scapegoat in London ¤ Haiti mob violence overwhelms peace force ¤ The secret dam ¤ US pounds Fallujah in ground and air assault ¤ Opposition leader cleared of treason by Zimbabwe court ¤ Hatred, fear reign after 'liberation' ¤ Unannounced U.S. searches in Iraq find nobody home in rebel towns ¤ Another Dubious Slam Dunk ¤ The Prime Minister has become the main international prop for George Bush ¤ U.S. Embassy Staffers Urged to Leave Haiti ¤ Five Churches, Hospital Bombed in Baghdad ¤ Two U.S. Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan ¤ Moore's Pre-Election TV Special Nixed ¤ Blasts ring out across central Baghdad ¤ Car bomb kills many Iraqis ¤ Palestinian killed as Israel redeploys Why Do Bush and Kerry Fear Hugo Chavez? Posted: Friday, October 15, 2004 By Katherine Lahey The US government and Presidential candidate John Kerry have announced that President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, is a threat to the United States. What is most ironic is that while using a different framework through which to analyze this statement, this is true. The vision of Hugo Chavez and the strong community organizing of the Venezuelan people little by little destroys the corrupt, imperialist, and repressive vision and practice of the US government and its capacity to intervene in the affairs of the people, minimizing their efforts to control the beloved nation called Venezuela. In fact, it transforms their framework while resisting it- that is why recently Colin Powell announced after the referendum that the US, while in "disagreement" over policies and ideology, will find ways in which to cooperate with the Venezuelan government. The work of the people makes it even more impossible for the US government to execute its plan to rule by a foreign hand, buying officials within while foreign banks come to partake in the fruits of the capitalist machine of globalization that has destroyed so many lives and so many countries. However, they continue to sing the cry of threat and danger, their fingers pointed toward Hugo Chavez, the leader of the resistance against neoliberalism and imperialism. Full Article : counterpunch.org The Venezuelan "Threat" Posted: Friday, October 15, 2004 Why Do Bush and Kerry Fear Hugo Chavez? By Katherine Lahey The US government and Presidential candidate John Kerry have announced that President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, is a threat to the United States. What is most ironic is that while using a different framework through which to analyze this statement, this is true. The vision of Hugo Chavez and the strong community organizing of the Venezuelan people little by little destroys the corrupt, imperialist, and repressive vision and practice of the US government and its capacity to intervene in the affairs of the people, minimizing their efforts to control the beloved nation called Venezuela. In fact, it transforms their framework while resisting it- that is why recently Colin Powell announced after the referendum that the US, while in "disagreement" over policies and ideology, will find ways in which to cooperate with the Venezuelan government. The work of the people makes it even more impossible for the US government to execute its plan to rule by a foreign hand, buying officials within while foreign banks come to partake in the fruits of the capitalist machine of globalization that has destroyed so many lives and so many countries. However, they continue to sing the cry of threat and danger, their fingers pointed toward Hugo Chavez, the leader of the resistance against neoliberalism and imperialism. Full Article : counterpunch.org Latest News Posted: Friday, October 15, 2004 ¤ Reparations in Reverse ¤ Zarqawi - Bush's man for all seasons ¤ America's losing war on goods piracy ¤ Platoon defies orders in Iraq ¤ The Brownshirting of America ¤ Empire of Insanity ¤ Why Do Bush and Kerry Fear Hugo Chavez? ¤ The Masterminds of Torture, Humiliation and Abuse ¤ Bush's Best is Not Good Enough ¤ Voter Registration Problem ¤ Palestinian children are not terrorists ¤ UN criticizes Israel for human rights violations in territories ¤ Car Bomb Explodes in Baghdad, Killing 10 ¤ Comparing Iraq and Afghanistan ¤ 59 Reasons Why Bush Sucks ¤ 'It's good to be king' ¤ 'What George W. Bush honestly does not know' ¤ ''We know where the weapons are'' ¤ Poll reveals world anger at Bush ¤ Bombers bring chaos to Iraq's safe compound ¤ Car Bomb Explodes in Baghdad, Killing One ¤ U.S. Security Firm Workers Killed in Iraq ¤ Insurgents strike at heart of America's power in Baghdad ¤ UK ambassador is withdrawn from Uzbekistan ¤ Green Zone blasts show tenacity of Iraq's insurgency ¤ Army pathologist concedes errors in prisoner-abuse case ¤ Tales From the Titan's Mouth ¤ Blair Sells Britain, Buys a House ¤ How Do We Get Out? ¤ War Gave Us Caesar ¤ The making of the terror myth ¤ Auditors Can't Account for Iraq Spent Funds ¤ Reducing Poverty by Reducing Government ¤ Bush must offer America a safe way out of Iraq ¤ Oil, trade and terrorism top Schroeder visit to Libya ¤ Marine in Iraq: 'It's worse every day' ¤ US military steps up bombing of Falluja ¤ Three killed in Israeli air strike ¤ Ex-Troops Fill Haiti's Security Vacuum ¤ EU 'must work with US as an ally' ¤ 500 Sadr partisans held in US Iraqi prisons ¤ IndyMedia Gets Its Servers Back Latest News Posted: Thursday, October 14, 2004 ¤ Maimed for Oil and Empire ¤ Turning Myths into Truth ¤ Insurgents penetrate Baghdad’s Green Zone ¤ 2004 Deficit Hits Record $413 Billion ¤ Marines launch air, ground attacks ¤ 28 US soldiers face charges in deaths of Afghan prisoners ¤ Oil, China Push U.S. Trade Gap Near Record ¤ Uh, Dubya, you really did shrug off Bin Laden ¤ Game. Set. Match. ¤ 'Bush Wired' Story Continues; 'Bulge' Appears in Third Debate ¤ Preview of the Bush Campaign's Media Endgame ¤ A Nice Little War to Fill the Coffers ¤ Of Ties and Truth ¤ Halliburton's Interests Assisted by White House ¤ Bush AWOL As 250 World Leaders Reaffirm Women's Rights ¤ At least 32 killed in Iraq violence, including Green Zone bombings ¤ Several killed in Baghdad Green Zone blasts ¤ Two Explosions Rock Baghdad's Green Zone ¤ Tortured terror suspects have mental illnesses, say doctors ¤ Disarmament is 'mirage' ¤ Allawi Threatens Military Action ¤ New Flexibility on the Evil Axis? ¤ Jordan 'ghost' jail 'is holding senior al-Qa'eda leaders' ¤ Republicrats Still Linking Iraq to 9/11 ¤ Car Bomb 'Weapon of Choice' in Iraq ¤ US admits N-material is missing ¤ Election theft in the making ¤ In Case You Missed It: "I-Team Investigation Uncovers Voter Registration Fraud" ¤ What's Up With That? ¤ Criticizing Israel is not Anti-Semitism Flashback ¤ Bush says bin Laden no threat ¤ The 'Clash of Civilizations' ¤ ANCIENT AND MODERN ¤ A sorry affair ¤ Afghan warlords poised to take up power ¤ Rise in black turnout could hurt Bush ¤ Germany rejects US proposal for mission merger in Afghanistan ¤ Security contractor cites astonishing growth amid Iraq war ¤ The Role of Radio Sawa In Mideast Questioned ¤ 'We blindly supported US' ¤ Osama Surprise ¤ Bring Your Own Boots ¤ Chinese hostage in Pakistan killed in military rescue operation ¤ Prince Norodom Sihamoni Chosen Cambodia's New King ¤ Several killed by US snipers in Ramadi ¤ Bush and Kerry clash on domestic policy ¤ Clinton joins fray as endgame nears after final TV debate Venezuela's Chavez must be doing something right ... right? Posted: Wednesday, October 13, 2004 by Oscar Heck, VHeadline.com I am not an accountant or an economist ... but ... something came to mind recently when I heard about how much Canada's external debt is. I don't know what an external debt is, but I suspect it is money which is owed to people or institutions outside Canada by the Canadian government. Well, surprisingly, Canada's external debt is $510 billion! Why am I surprised? Because Venezuela's external debt is in the vicinity of only $20+ billion ... and the population difference between Canada and Venezuela is not that great (Venezuela = approx. 25 million, Canada = 32 million). If we divide $510 billion amongst 32 million Canadians we get the result that every Canadian owes $15,940. If we divide, say $25 billion, amongst every Venezuela, then every Venezuelan owes $1,000. Quite the difference ... no? Furthermore, Venezuela's savings are almost as high as the debt ... which essentially means that Venezuela is near the break-even point, i.e. ... Venezuela will soon be completely out of debt. This is amazing to me ... even though I am not an economist. It seems to me that Venezuela should be of great interest to investors and business people. Operating a business in a country that is almost debt-free is probably a good thing, don't you think? I wonder how many countries are debt-free? I doubt that there are many. Viva Venezuela! The surprising thing is that even if Venezuela is in such a good shape economically, the anti-Chavez movements continue to speak disparagingly about Chavez, about Venezuela and about the Chavez government ... as if Chavez is driving the country into the ground. One letter-writer says (when referring to oil profits), "...it all goes in passing hand outs to his followers without a payback, so the economy is going downhill and inflation is galloping ahead ..." He also says "I have warned and alerted you before, USA take heed, Chavez is a lunatic and anti-american, he will throw the poison later..." and "...Chavez commits the most arbitrary abuses against private property and other government institutions, disrespecting their autonomy of action and procedures..." Other anti-Chavez writers state: "But so far, he has been a bully, a fascist dictator wannabe ... being friendly with the Colombian guerrilla, the killers and kidnappers of Venezuelan people ..." and "The more the time elapses, the blunter the constitutional violations of the regime, the more I become convinced that the sole way of effectively opposing Chavez is through violence." It is striking that some anti-Chavez movements still believe that Chavez wants to turn Venezuela into another Cuba, that Chavez is a dictator and that Chavez is crazy or dumb. Luckily however, many of the anti-Chavez groups have disbanded and most have failed dramatically ... ending up in messy webs of incoherence, lies, confusion and in-fighting. It is also becoming more and more obvious to people, businesses and investors who are outside Venezuela that the anti-Chavez movement can no longer be trusted. That is, it is not reasonable to believe the information that comes from anti-Chavez groups or people. According to what I have been reading, the Venezuelan economy is the strongest and most active in Latin America. The Chavez government is continuously negotiating with outside investors in the field of oil and gas and mining ... and the Venezuelan government is reviewing and revising existing financial agreements with present contractors to create more equitable deals. Chavez must be doing something right ... right? What do I have to say to anti-Chavez people? Stop screaming and yelling and inventing things ... and get back to work! Join the rest of Venezuelans who are hard at work ... building a new and more equitable Venezuela. Day of Indigenous Resistance Posted: Wednesday, October 13, 2004 Columbus Statue Toppled in Venezuela on Day of Indigenous Resistance Caracas, October 13, 2004--Yesterday in Caracas, on what used to be celebrated in Venezuela as the day of the Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus, a group of young men and women tore down the statue of the 15th Century explorer during this national holiday that was renamed the Day of Indigenous Resistance. The Pro-Chavez website, aporea.org, reported that several groups openly claimed responsibility for the action, which was done independently of any authority in order "undo the symbols of our oppressors." The statue was located in downtown Caracas atop a 30 foot high pedestal. Protestors used thick yellow climbing ropes to bring down the 100 year old statue of Columbus and dragged the remains through downtown Caracas and towards the Teresa Carreño theatre, where hundreds of indigenous people presented their cultural songs and dance to each other and other supporters commemorating October 12. The protestors intended to ask indigenous people to bring Columbus to trial after 512 years. Full Article : venezuelanalysis.com Latest News Posted: Wednesday, October 13, 2004 ¤ The Other Disaster in Haiti ¤ Amnesty International: A False Beacon? ¤ Seven Palestinians killed in Israeli offensives ¤ Gaza rampage claims more Palestinian lives ¤ Schoolgirl shot by Israelis dies ¤ The Neked Truth ¤ The Selling of the President: Will Myth Triumph Over Reality? ¤ A Mistaken Presidency ¤ Israeli Tail Wags American Dog ¤ Zarqawi Is Not In Fallujah, Nor Has He Ever Been There ¤ US endangering free expression ¤ Investigators dig up mass grave seeking evidence to nail Saddam ¥ No WMD's Let's 'dig' up some dirt ¤ N Korea accuses US of inciting an arms race ¤ The Case for Demanding "9/11 Truth" from Bush ¤ President Bush's eyes revealed more uncomfort ¤ 'War is hell' ¤ Up is down and black is white ¤ Bush spins Iraq and its ambiguities into deadly lies ¤ The US deficit vs the dollar ¤ Six U.S. troops, Iraqi police official killed ¤ Bush special envoy embroiled in controversy over Iraq debt ¤ State that knows shape of things to come ¤ Nine Japanese die in suicide pacts ¤ 3 U.S. Soldiers Killed by Bomb in Iraq ¤ My fellow non-Americans ... ¤ The 45-minute claim was false ¤ No WMD But Plenty of Death and Destruction ¤ Bush thinks you are all idiots ¤ Uh Oh ¤ Shooting From the Hip: Kerry Out-Hawks Bush ¤ Thank God Our Leaders Are Completely Different From Bin Laden ¤ Iraq faces soaring toll of deadly disease ¤ Saddam 'recovered fully after op' ¤ How Technology Failed in Iraq ¤ US raid destroys Iraq restaurant ¤ Pre-emptive war policy is dangerous, no matter who's pushing it ¤ Muzzling Soldiers Is Nothing New ¤ More than 80% of all Norwegians opposed the US-led war in Iraq ¤ US soldiers killed in Baghdad ambush ¤ Civilians killed in Falluja missile strike ¤ Israeli army kills Hamas member ¤ Foreign policy experts slam US on Iraq ¤ Indymedia Seizure Hits Two Nations Past Imperfect: The Roots of Darfur Posted: Tuesday, October 12, 2004 Underlying the present hostilities is not only the contemporary political conflict and competition for scarce land and water resources among rival ethnic groups, but also the long, complex history of enslavement and racism in East Africa. Beginning in the tenth century, a.d., the Trans-Saharan slave trade exported East Africans to be sold as slaves in the Arab peninsula. The trade stretched for a full millennium - six hundred years longer than the Trans-Atlantic trade that brought West Africans to the Americas. It was this Saharan trade that dispersed black populations as far as present-day Iran and Iraq, where their descendants remain. (The name "Sudan" is, in fact, derived from the Arabic "Bilad al Sudan" or "Land of the Blacks" - a term that was often used as a general reference to Africa, not solely the current Sudanese nation.) To be accurate, the Arab enslavement did not focus solely upon Africans - Eastern Europeans were also traded as slaves in the Arab peninsula (which is where we derive the term "Slavic" peoples.) Nor was Arab slavery identical to its Western counterpart, as there were a number of circumstances under which one could attain emancipation and slaves often rose to socially significant positions - particularly in the military. Full Article : africana.com Latest News Posted: Tuesday, October 12, 2004 ¤ Profiting with the Enemy ¤ Time for a Change of Course ¤ Dying for a Mistake ¤ Deconstructing Bush ¤ Bush Spins Iraq and Its Ambiguities Into Deadly Lies ¤ Sharon's Doomed Course of Action ¤ True lies . . . untrue facts ¤ War Gave Us Caesar ¤ Attention Flag-Waving Morons! ¤ Chavez Threatens Venezuela's Central Bank ¤ Hi I'm Goerge ¤ Straw withdraws 45 minutes claim ¤ Through Hussein's Looking Glass ¤ Charts of eight little-known Palestine/Israel statistics ¤ Double standards that kill ¤ Students drop 'dead' during anti-war protest ¤ 'Ethno-democracy' in Afghanistan ¤ Soldier Just Back From Iraq Hangs Himself In Jail ¤ Past Imperfect: The Roots of Darfur ¤ U.S. Steps Up Iraq Attacks Before Ramadan ¤ Robert Mugabe is Still the Better "Devil" ¤ Gaza bomb targets Palestinian security chief ¤ Confusion over ousted Iraqi deputy PM Tariq Aziz's Death ¤ Kerry is 'Bush lite' but still hazardous to your health ¤ The madness of George ¤ US and Iraqis raid Sunni centres ¤ U.S. and Iraqi Forces Raid Ramadi Mosques ¤ Oil Rises to Record for 6th Day on Shortfall Concern; Use Jumps ¤ Pak test fires medium range missile 'Hataf-V ¤ IAEA: Iraqi nuclear equipment missing ¤ TV channels to rubbish Kerry on eve of poll ¤ Dead Palestinian girl 'riddled with bullets' ¤ UN sanctions mean war, warns North Korea ¤ Soldier who refused Iraq return is sentenced to 11 months ¤ Sadr fighters disarm, again ¤ After School Siege, Russians' Grief Turns to Anger ¤ Venezuela will Raise Oil Production Royalties ¤ Thinktank: Iraq war boosted al-Qaida ¤ Several killed in US strikes on Falluja ¤ Group: al-Qaida Detainees 'Disappeared' ¤ Keep Talkin’ Happy Talk ¤ Bush Supporters Vindicate the President ¤ Don't Believe a Word ¤ Conservatives Must Face Iraq Facts ¤ 'Anonymous' Thrives in Imperial Press ¤ Serving up apple-pie opiate ¤ Abu Ghraib interrogator tells his story ¤ Cheney's Oil-for-Food Switcheroo Venezuela will Raise Oil Production Royalties Posted: Monday, October 11, 2004 Chavez Announces that Venezuela will Raise Oil Production Royalties By: Gregory Wilpert – Venezuelanalysis.com Caracas, October 11, 2004—During his weekly television program Alô Presidente, President Chavez announced that oil companies that were paying royalties of between 0% and 1% in the Orinoco Oil Belt for extracting extra heavy crude, would be raised to 16.6%, in accordance with Venezuela’s Hydrocarbons Law of 2001. Chavez made this announcement from an oil refinery in Puerto La Cruz, on the Venezuelan coast, where his television program was being broadcast this week. Chavez said, "there will no longer be free petroleum … There is no reason that they should continue to enjoy" this clause for exceptions in the oil law. The oil law allowed exceptions for extraordinary circumstances that "no longer exist, if they ever existed," added Chavez. Venezuela’s Minister of Energy and Mines, Rafael Ramirez pointed out that the synthetic crude that is produced from the extra-heavy crude is selling much better than anticipated, at about $10 above price that was estimated when Venezuela entered into the contracts that limited royalties to 1%. Chavez referred to the implementation of the full oil royalties provided for by the law as the "second phase" of the nationalization of Venezuela’s oil, saying it was the establishment of "full sovereignty." When the production associations were first negotiated for the extraction of extra-heavy crude in the Orinoco Oil Belt, the Venezuelan government agreed to 1% and even 0% royalties in order to attract foreign oil companies to the relatively expensive process of extracting this type of crude. Venezuela is said to have one of the largest extra-heavy or non-conventional crude reserves in the world. According to Chavez and to the Rafael Ramirez, Venezuela has been loosing $1.2 billion dollars of revenue per year due to the low level of royalties for oil production in the Orinoco Oil Belt. The new income due to the increase in royalties would go straight towards social programs. "This is going straight to the state because this is the money of the people and it is to be distributed among the neediest," said Chavez. Venezuela’s Hydrocarbons law, was passed in November 2001 as one of the 49 "enabling laws" that the legislature allowed the president to implement by decree. The law raised the royalties that oil companies had to pay to the Venezuelan state from 16.6% to 30% for heavy and for light crude. Also, it established that extra-heavy crude, which is very costly and difficult to extract and which sells for a much lower price than the higher quality crudes, would be raised from 1% to 16.6%. Royalties are a fixed percentage of oil production that oil companies are supposed to provide to the state for the right to extract oil. At the same time, the 2001 Hydrocarbons law lowered the taxes that oil companies pay on oil extraction. According to oil industry analysts, it is much easier to collect royalties, which are measured simply by counting the number of barrels extracted, than it is to collect taxes, where oil companies first deduct their production costs, which are not easily verifiable. The change in emphasis from taxes to royalties was supposed to be more or less "revenue neutral." Check out: www.venezuelanalysis.com China cancels Africa's debts Posted: Monday, October 11, 2004 Beijing has fulfilled its commitment by cancelling 31 African countries' debts totalling US $1.27 billion. During the second China-Africa trade summit held this week in Ethiopia, China said it would provide enhanced support for Africa, without any political discrimination. Both African and Chinese delegates agreed that there was vast potential for growth in trade between China and Africa, and that this was vital for Africa's development. Chinese and African leaders vowed to build stronger political and economic ties to counter western dominance in world affairs and improve the standing of poor countries. Attending the two-day summit in Addis-Ababa, Chinese Primier Wen Jiabao promised preferential, zero-tariff trade deals with 34 African countries. Wen said China has taken further measures to increase its imports from African countries, and that the trade volume between China and Africa has been increasing at an annual rate of more than 20 per cent. Full Article : warmafrica.com Latest News Posted: Monday, October 11, 2004 ¤ Unforgivable Betrayals and Broken Promises ¤ The Untold Story of Aristide's Departure from Haiti ¤ Rethinking Columbus Day ¤ The Only Ones Who Believe Saddam Had WMDs are Bush, Cheney ... and ¤ Ballot of the Disappearing Ink ¤ Bush Can't Admit Mistakes, But We Can ¤ Columbus Day Celebration? 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Now. Bullets Are Flying ¤ Blair 'clinging to straws' - Blix ¤ Faulty pots of ink undermine Afghanistan's fragile election ¤ The revolution next time ¤ Russia against referral of Iran to UN Security Council ¤ Iraq: ‘Liberation’ or War Crimes? ¤ A well-documented case ties Bush to Abu Ghraib. ¤ Palestinian death toll peaks in Gaza ¤ US convoy hit in Mosul Latest News Posted: Sunday, October 10, 2004 ¤ Rumsfeld visits Baghdad as blasts kill up to 18 ¤ Afghan election fiasco as Karzai rivals pull out over fraud claims ¤ Blast hits Pakistan Shia mosque ¤ U.S. Marine Killed in Western Iraq ¤ Cheating death in Iraq ¤ Tougher attitude from Syria's Assad? ¤ Back in the USSR? ¤ IAF targets Jabalya refugee camp ¤ Blix accuses Blair as Labour MPs turn up heat over WMD ¤ Whew, At Least He Wasn't Fooling Around ¤ A Dying Mom and a Lying President ¤ Distortions Galore at Second Presidential Debate ¤ TV Station Posts 'Test Report' Saying Bush Wins Presidency ¤ Terrorism - A Tool For Whose Agenda? ¤ 'Whispering in Bush's ear' ¤ President’s lies feed terrorism ¤ Is Iraq the curveball that could dismiss the President? ¤ Israelis occupy state of denial over Zionism's great moral crisis ¤ Car bombing leaves 18 dead in Baghdad ¤ Deaths in central Baghdad bomb attack ¤ Controversy clouds showcase Afghan polls ¤ UN inspectors slam Bush, Blair over Iraq ¤ Civilians caught in Israeli missile attack ¤ Australia's Howard Celebrates Fourth Poll Win Flashback ¤ Aussies Do It Right: E-Voting ¤ Rumsfeld ‘Secretly’ In Iraq Amid Bomb Blasts ¤ Bush Has Become Blair's Burden ¤ Baghdad Blasts Kill 10; Rumsfeld Visits ¤ ‘We don’t recognize the results’ ¤ Iraq Contractor Threatens Antiwar.com Partner ¤ Milosevic: 'no link to genocide found' ¤ Saddam's right-hand man dies ¤ Bush Recasts Rationale For War After Report ¤ Afghan Irregularities Prompt Candidates' Protests Latest News Posted: Saturday, October 9, 2004 ¤ The source Duelfer didn't quote ¤ Afghan candidates boycott election ¤ Howard wins historic fourth term ¤ "There Are No Innocents" ¤ The Cost of Using "Any Means" ¤ The Agony of Colin Powell ¤ FBI: School Information Found In Iraq Has No Terror Links ¤ Over one hundred Palestinians killed by Israeli occupation forces' offensive ¤ The Scary Little Man ¤ The True Lies Of Bush-Cheney ¤ OAS Secretary General resigns ¤ Israeli army kills seven Palestinians ¤ Imposing Imperial Democracy ¤ Democrats Challenge Fla. 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Bush will hold back the evil' ¤ Bush and Kerry clash in second TV battle ¤ Sorrow mixed with anger in grieving family ¤ Afghan Opposition Boycotting Election ¤ Polls Show Tight Contest in Australia ¤ Israeli Missile Kills Man in Gaza ¤ Missing Contractor in Iraq Baffles Kin ¤ Brazil President Silva Fined Over Funds Washington's Human Trafficking Charges Drag Down U.S.-Venezuela Relations Posted: Friday, October 8, 2004 By: Council on Hemispheric Affairs • Is the administration flip-flopping on Venezuela? • U.S. sanctions against Caracas further damage already tenuous diplomatic ties between the two nations. • In September, the State Department humiliated Chávez with human trafficking charges, but now has switched to constructive rhetoric. Is this confusion or does it represent a policy? • By threatening to block Venezuela's access to international loans with its de facto veto in international lending institutions, the Bush administration is attempting to punish President Chávez for his August 15 referendum victory and to placate domestic critics who increasingly are complaining that the White House was being too soft on Chávez. • The deterioration of bilateral relations could threaten the much needed flow of Venezuelan oil to bolster the United States' still sputtering economy. • Domestic political considerations in relation to the November presidential election are at the heart of the White House's action against the Chávez government. • Like Washington's certification process, in which the performance of foreign governments' anti-narcotics and counter-terrorism efforts is evaluated, Washington's procedures for monitoring foreign governments' human trafficking records are completely devoid of objectivity or meaningful standards. Although faced with rising international oil prices, Washington has, in an almost consciously destructive mode, once again placed ideology over national interests by single-mindedly aggravating its already strained relationship with Venezuela. The U.S.' oil-rich southern neighbor provides approximately 1.4 million barrels per day to satisfy the country's burgeoning energy needs, and has become the fourth largest foreign supplier of petroleum to the U.S. By attempting to punish Venezuela for the outcome of the August 15 referendum, through the imposition of economic sanctions in response to the Chávez government's alleged failure to crack down on international human trafficking, both in its language as well as its actions, the Bush administration has once again demonstrated a repellently vindictive nature. Washington's decision is patently based more on domestic political considerations than on Caracas' record regarding human trafficking. With two months still to go before the U.S. presidential elections in which Florida's key electoral votes are at stake, the Bush administration has targeted Venezuela in order to appease Florida's staunchly anti-Castro constituency, as well as its growing anti-Chávez Venezuelan expatriate population, hoping to assure victory on November 2 in the pivotal swing state. The debasement of an important global issue through such political skullduggery has not only placed U.S.-Venezuelan relations at an all time low, it also has raised questions over the visceral nature of Washington's commitment to democratic ideals throughout the hemisphere. Political Motivations behind Sanctions The September 10 announcement of economic sanctions against Venezuela represents the latest chapter in persistent U.S. attempts, some more gross than others, to undermine Chávez's credibility and his country's governability. Broadly defined as "recruiting, harboring, transporting or obtaining a person through the use of force, fraud or coercion to subject a person to involuntary servitude, debt bondage or slavery," human trafficking often implies sexual exploitation. The U.S. has accused Venezuela of shipping its own women overseas and importing women from other South American countries to take part in the sex industry. Through its new initiative to block as much as $250 million in loans to Venezuela from various international bodies, which is a consequence of labeling Venezuela a human-trafficking violator, Washington is now intent on exacerbating the already precarious nature of its relationship with Caracas. Basing its trafficking finding upon a State Department report first released in June, the White House appears to be manipulating the global concern of human trafficking to pursue its own narrow political agenda. The announcement of similar anti-human trafficking sanctions against Cuba, North Korea, and Sudan – three countries whose governments historically have been targeted by Washington's negative initiatives – strengthens such speculation, as Venezuela is not customarily linked with these countries. Other aggressive human-rights violators, such as China and Saudi Arabia—with the latter specializing in the export of terrorists and the import of sex workers—have not received comparable rebukes, highlighting the dubious integrity of the State Department findings and further supports suspicions that political, not humanitarian, considerations lie behind the invoking of sanctions. Mixed Messages Secretary of State Powell's response in dealing with Chávez has been inconsistent. He cast doubt on his country's goodwill toward Venezuela's populist leadership when he commented on September 12 that, "We have concerns about some of the actions that President Chávez has taken over the years in pursuit of his vision of Bolivarian democracy." Such language throws cold water on attempts at reconciliation, though on October 4 he said, "We are looking forward to improving relations with Venezuela….the referendum, that's over and behind us, and we should find ways to cooperate." Adding to Powell's conflicting attitude towards Venezuela is newly sworn-in U.S. Ambassador William Brownfield, who said on October 2, "We are ready, disposed, prepared, and enthusiastic about exploring the possibility of improving bilateral relations between our two countries and to collaborate on regional issues." These comments, coming on the heels of the human trafficking accusations, highlight the need for Powell and the administration to cease sending mixed messages and instead develop a consistent and positive relationship with the Chávez government. The Dirty Truth behind US Sanctions President Chávez's overwhelming victory in the August recall referendum, and the subsequent setback suffered by the opposition's reputation for credibility as a result of its self-discrediting claims of electoral fraud, appears to be one of the major inspirations behind Washington's trafficking initiative against Venezuela. Unable to bring down the democratically-elected government in the April 2002 coup, the chronic opposition-led strikes in 2003 and, most recently, by a closely monitored and thoroughly validated national plebiscite, the Bush administration has now reached into its bag of dirty tricks to darken Venezuela's economic and political prospects. The White House has begun planning to obstruct international credits intended to bolster Venezuela's anti-poverty programs and other social reforms, which undoubtedly would have further enhanced Chávez's popularity. However, it appears more than likely that Caracas will be able to put together an alternative network of private and public financial arrangements to facilitate the continued funding of its scheduled programs, even without Washington's backing. In a September 11 press conference, Andrés Izarra, the Venezuelan Communication and Information Minister, declared, "We don't believe the U.S. vote against international loans will be enough to block Venezuela from having access to those loans." Although Washington apparently wants to limit Venezuela's access to development assistance for an array of misanthropic motives, the White House consistently has provided financial backing to political groups opposed to Chávez's populist rule. Through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the partisan National Endowment for Democracy, U.S. institutions have given up to $10 million over the last two years to various anti-Chávez public and private institutions. Súmate, a civic organization which helped organize the recent unsuccessful recall referendum and whose members carried out the controversial exit polls that led to the opposition's bogus electronic fraud claim, received $84,840 from USAID to promote "electoral participation" on August 15. The organization's contacts, however, were not limited to U.S.-funded aid agencies. Miriam Kornblith, Ezquiel Zamora's replacement as vice-president of the National Electoral Council (CNE), also served on an advisory committee organized by Súmate to oversee electoral issues. Through her connection to both Súmate and the CNE, Kornblith's apparent conflict of interest highlights a possible conduit for Washington's continued meddling in Venezuela's domestic affairs, and perhaps underlines the true motives behind the White House's anti-trafficking sanctions. Economic Consequences of the Sanctions Both the United States and Venezuela are heavily dependent on each other for their economic well-being. On one hand, Washington relies on its southern neighbor's abundant petroleum reserves to sustain its ever-growing energy needs. Similarly, Caracas is beholden to the region's dominant economic power for the constant influx of petrodollars required to maintain its expanding social programs. By further straining its diplomatic ties with the important oil-producing country, Washington is not only undermining its standing within the hemisphere as a fair-minded champion of genuinely democratic principles and expanding trade, but also is possibly placing into jeopardy its vital access to Venezuela's vast petroleum reserves. As international oil prices skyrocket to as high as $51 per barrel due to concerns over production in Nigeria, Iraq and Russia, the Bush administration would be wise to seek compromise, not discord, with President Chávez to ensure that there is no question that Caracas maintains its constant supply of oil to the ever-increasing US domestic market. To date, the Chávez government repeatedly has reassured U.S. officials of its continued commitment to export oil to the United States. Since his August 15 recall victory, the Venezuelan president has made overtures of reconciliation to his American counterpart in an attempt to shore up the now very tricky relationship between the two countries. U.S. Domestic Implications' Key The September 10 announcement of the implementation of sanctions in response to Venezuela's supposed failure to take effective action against human trafficking was an overt gesture of contempt towards Caracas. It did nothing but provide a spurt of joy to rightwing elements of Florida's powerful Cuban-American and Venezuelan expatriate communities whose support the Bush administration requires to be competitive in next month's presidential race. To appease this important swing-state constituency, which sees Hugo Chávez's good relations with Fidel Castro as a burning indictment of the Venezuelan leader, Washington has once again, to its own benefit, intertwined domestic politics with foreign policy issues, blurring the lines between partisan electoral politicking and bona fide national interests. Such a political strategy, although beneficial in the short term to one political bloc or the other, will eventually damage the United States' credibility throughout the region and, in turn, its standing in the global community at a time when its integrity is already being questioned on Iraq and the Kyoto Accords, as well as numerous other fronts. This analysis was prepared by Larry Birns and Mark Scott, respectively Director and Research Fellow of the Washington-based Council on Hemispheric Affairs. Additional research was provided by David R. Kolker and Eric Lynn, COHA Research Associates. October 7, 2004 Original source: Council on Hemispheric Affairs Latest News Posted: Friday, October 8, 2004 ¤ Iraq: The Words of Mass Deception ¤ The Israeli Invasion of North Gaza ¤ Media Blackout ¤ Kerry / Edwards Follow the Failed Bush ¤ Oil Wars ¤ Not Enough Troops -- or Truth ¤ Bush's Court Picks: Be Afraid. 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Reasons Unknown ¤ US report on Iraqi weapons deepens Arab hostility towards America ¤ A question of trust ¤ Arab League 'fed up' with US veto ¤ Israeli Incursion Employs High-Tech Power to Lethal Effect ¤ Opposition to grill gov't over U.S. report of no WMD proof in Iraq ¤ French anger at Duelfer report ¤ Gaza raid designed to kill peace US: Iraq was free of WMDs Posted: Thursday, October 7, 2004 Contradicting the main argument for a war that has cost the lives of more than 15,000 Iraqis and over 1000 US soldiers, the US' top weapons inspector has declared that Iraq was free of WMDs before last year's invasion. In a report presented to the US House of Representatives on Wednesday, Charles Duelfer, head of the Iraq Survey Group appointed by President George Bush to hunt for Iraqi WMDs, said Iraq had no stockpiles of biological and chemical weapons and its nuclear programme had decayed since the 1991 Gulf War. The conclusions flew in the face of statements made by the US president before the invasion. Bush had cited a growing threat from Iraq's weapons of mass destruction as the reason for overthrowing former president Saddam Hussein. Full Article : english.aljazeera.net Latest News Posted: Thursday, October 7, 2004 ¤ America and the World ¤ Afghan Elections: US Solution to a US Problem ¤ Beyond the Debates, a Referendum on an Emperor ¤ The Unsung Truth About the War ¤ A Terror Attack, Coming Soon to a Plant Near You ¤ Fighting the Pentagon in Rural Florida ¤ Lies Upon Lies ¤ Fear in Kandahar ¤ The Anti-War Movement's Election Year Challenge ¤ 29 reported dead in blasts near border with Israel ¤ Behind the Scenes of the Iraq War ¤ What Planet Are They On? ¤ Cheney: Weapons Report Justifies Iraq War ¤ Wrath runs high in Iraq toward US WMD report ¤ Blair faces final judgement on WMD ¤ Flashback Rumsfeld: Iraq Lying About Not Having WMD ¤ 'Deadly lies' ¤ 'Dear Mrs. Bush: Your son failed the Global Test' ¤ India, the US and nuclear proliferation ¤ The opiate of the electorate ¤ Insurgents Hit Baghdad Hotel With Rockets ¤ Blair Cuts Short Ethiopia Trip, Heads Home ¤ Israeli missile kills two children ¤ Iraqis may sue US over invasion ¤ Arms expert: Bush in Iraq weapons denial ¤ No weapons, no programmes: nothing to justify the invasion ¤ We saw no WMD - No 10 labelled us 'naive dupes' ¤ How 1,200 inspectors failed to find WMD ¤ The final judgement ¤ Findings on Iraq by 2 UN arms inspectors ¤ Chief U.S. Inspector Concludes Iraq Possessed No WMD Stockpiles ¤ Iraq had no WMD, inspectors conclude ¤ Rewriting History ¤ Africa must negotiate as one bloc: Museveni ¤ Progressives and the Election ¤ Miscalculations and divisions at top exposed ¤ U.S.: U.N. Gaza Resolution Not Balanced ¤ Israel: Palestinian State Shelved with U.S. Blessing ¤ Suicide bomb kills 16 at guard centre ¤ 'We won't demonise Mugabe' ¤ Chavez Rejects Support of Venezuelan Pro-Government Guerrilla ¤ 39 killed in Pakistan blasts ¤ Stalemate in TV debate between Mr Grumpy and Mr Vigorous ¤ Inner Circle No More? ¤ Bush Aides Backtracking on Iraq ¤ US soldier killed near Falluja ¤ Israeli missile kills two children ¤ 2 bombs kill 39 at Pakistan religious rally ¤ Insulted by Cheney's Audacities and Lies ¤ A History Of Deceit: Further Proof That Dick Cheney Is A Liar ¤ UN votes against Israeli barrier ¤ U.N.: Israel Holds Workers Without Charges ¤ US Militarizing Latin America ¤ A Global Test for Pre-emptive War? Cuba is a dirty word ... isn't it? Posted: Wednesday, October 6, 2004 by Oscar Heck, VHeadline.com Even though Cuba sends doctors to "invade" other countries and the USA sends soldiers to murder and rape other countries ... Cuba remains the "bad guys" and the grand USA remains the "good guys" ... at least in the minds of many people in the "western, so-called civilized world." Why is this? What is happening to the "western" mind? A few weeks ago I spent an afternoon with a USA-based priest (and missionary) who was directly involved with Pinochet before the military coup against Allende. According to other people who know him personally (people I personally know), this priest was working for the CIA. True or not, this priest could very well have worked for the CIA ... because of his comments that afternoon. On another occasion, I spent an afternoon with one of the "desaparecidos" (disappeared) during the early days of Pinochet's dictatorial reign in the 1970's. He was one of the thousands of people who were corralled into a stadium in Chile and systematically tortured for days. Many died during these interrogations. He did not ... and he was helped to escape jail by friends who risked their lives to do so. One day I hope to spend a few days with this man and get the whole story ... he tends to avoid the subject. His story is a true story, and I can confirm that it is true because I personally know several of the first-hand witnesses. In comparison, I wonder what is going on behind the scenes in Iraq ... or any other country which the grand USA deems unfit for life on this planet? While Cuba expands its education and medical programs to benefit human beings and to enhance the lives of people, the grand USA expands the use of its subversive tactics and abusive embargoes against countries like Cuba and Venezuela. In Venezuela, the Washington-based National Endowment for Democracy (a definite misnomer!) has been subversively financing anti-Chavez, anti-democratic movements for several years now to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars (you can find all the details on the NED website). The goal: to assist the Venezuelan anti-democratic movements in ousting democratically-elected President Hugo Chavez. Some of these organizations are: Sumate, Fedecamaras and the CTV. In Cuba, the USA continues its senseless embargo ... in their useless attempt at causing so much misery that the Cuban people will rebel against Castro. Well, well, well ... isn't it obvious? Castro has been in power for over 40 years now and the Cuban people have not rebelled! The USA's efforts are futile ... yet they continue to inflict harm instead of good. There are newspapers out there which are reporting that Venezuela is using a "Cuban-backed" educational system to help people get out of their condition of illiteracy ... with a negative connotation of course because it is being said that in the process, the students are being brainwashed to become communists! (What a farce! ... and some people actually believe this!) Thank heaven however, that this education program is "Cuban-backed" and not USA-backed ... otherwise Venezuelans would be brainwashed into believing that the USA is the best country in the world and that everyone should own guns and that all non-friends should be attacked, murdered, bombed, raped and tortured ... and that priests should be used as spies and that military dictatorships are good ... and that embargoes against countries (aimed at starving people to death) are "ok" measures to use against innocent fellow human beings. Thank heaven as well that Mision Barrio Adentro (doctors who heal people in the barrios) is being fulfilled with the help of about 15,000 Cuban doctors! They are enhancing the lives of people in the barrios ... they are not killing people ... like the US soldiers are doing in Iraq ... like they have done in so many countries throughout the world. They are not spraying dangerous chemicals on innocent people like the USA did in Puerto Rico, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, ... and now Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia. They are not feeding people cholesterol-increasing and diabetes-inducing, chemically-filled, fat-food like McDonald's, Wendy's, etc. ... slowly killing people off and making them sicker and sicker. They are not propagating war movies, mass-murder, dismemberment and rape TV programs and video games which only help to twist the already twisted minds of their consumers. The Cuban doctors, on the contrary, are helping people get better. Additionally, I doubt that very many USA-based doctors would want to go live in the barrios like the Cuban doctors are doing. (It is important to note that the main reason why Mision Barrio Adentro is composed of mainly Cuban Doctors is because the Venezuelan Medical College openly refused to participate in the program. That is, they refused to collaborate and send "Venezuelan" doctors into the barrios for this program.) I think that there is something seriously defective with the logic which some "western" countries use to evaluate the value of life. Educating people using Cuban techniques seems to be "worse" than the US government subversively financing anti-democratic, criminal movements in Venezuela or Chile. Using Cuban doctors to heal people seems to be "worse" than assassinating innocent women and children in Iraq or poisoning people in Puerto Rico, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador ... and Venezuela. (I say Venezuela because the US government is apparently spraying chemicals along parts of Colombia which border Venezuela ... in which case it is probable that chemicals are contaminating Venezuelan soil and waters as well.) So ... why is "Cuba" a dirty word and why is "USA" a "good" word? Why is "Castro" a dirty word ... and why is "Bush" a "good" word? Who knows? I don't. I can't see why a society which calculatedly dropped atom bombs on innocent people, instantly killing over 200,000, is a better society that one which exports educational and health programs to enhance the lives of the less fortunate. I don't see any logic in it ... do you? Here is another example. There are chat rooms for travelers on a website called Lonely Planet. Regarding the muggings of some tourists at one of the beaches in Rio de Janeiro recently, one person said, "The video was made by a Brazilian person who lives across the beach and happened to have a video camera nearby. The ones who committed the crimes are young and poor Brazilians from nearby favelas. They did because this world is so messed up that people do not have food to eat and Bush spends 100 billion dollars on arms. And it does make (only some) people feel things are very unfair for most." Another person (from the USA) responds, "Good rationale." People starve because America is at war. Guess what moron, people were starving long before that. See what I mean? Oscar Heck oscar@vheadline.com Africa must negotiate as one bloc: Museveni Posted: Wednesday, October 6, 2004 Herald Reporters Africa has got the resources and what is needed is for the continent to identify the stimulus to transform its economies, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who arrived in Harare yesterday for a three-day State visit, said. Speaking at a banquet hosted for him by President Mugabe at State House last night, Mr Museveni said the continent could initiate this transformation without being continuously lectured on cliches such as development, sustainable development and Millennium Development Goals. He said Zimbabwe and Uganda enjoy good relations despite being on opposite sides in the Democratic Republic of Congo conflict. "In spite of this little misunderstanding, we have always worked together. I come here to show to you that we are brothers. Historically speaking, we are on the same side; we must work together," he said. Full Article : herald.co.zw Chavez Rejects Support of Venezuelan Pro-Chavez Guerrilla Posted: Wednesday, October 6, 2004 By Gregory Wilpert – Venezuelanalysis.com Caracas, October 4, 2004—During his weekly television program, "Hello President," President Chavez said, in reaction to pronouncements of the Venezuelan pro-Chavez guerrilla group FBL (Fuerzas Bolivariana de Liberación – Bolivarian Liberation Forces), "I do not need a guerrilla. I am a soldier and I trust in the military. If it is true that you are Venezuelans and revolutionaries, sirs, turn in your weapons, come and plant coffee, and work in the Mission Vuelvan Caras." Vuelvan Caras is an employment training program. Chavez confirmed that "we have evidence that they do exist." The FBL has long been rumored to be active in various parts of Venezuela, but the government has so far never confirmed its existence. In several communiqués they have said that they support the Chavez government and intend to defend it against paramilitaries and those who try to overthrow the Chavez government. Chavez announced that, "the hour has come to advance and deepen the economic revolution." Most of the program, which was aired from Tachira state, near the Venezuelan-Colombian border, was dedicated to the economic measures his government has taken, such as the restoration of a coffee plantation that was closed down three years ago. Now numerous small cooperatives plant and harvest coffee there. According to Chavez, his government would seek to increase coffee production until Venezuela regained its position as one of the world's main coffee producers. Also, Chavez said that yellow corn production, a Venezuelan food staple that Venezuela had previously imported almost entirely, has increased by 314% in the past year. Its import has declined by 67%. "We are practically self-sufficient and now we will think about exporting," said Chavez. The agricultural development plan is part of an overall plan to make Venezuela self-sufficient with regard to food production. This plan would "liberate us from the capitalist model," said Chavez, "which the imperialists imposed on Venezuela." Chavez recommended a book by Osvaldo Sunkel, Development from the Inside, which "should be a study manual in centers of education at all levels." Chavez added, "we must study neo-structuralism, how to make true independence." Neo-structuralism is an approach to development economics that rejects market liberalization and instead emphasizes the role of the world economy in shaping a country's development level. According to this theory, the state should actively reduce income differences and increase employment. Chavez also announced that he would make a tour of European and Asian countries next month. Check out www.venezuelanalysis.com Take them out, dude: pilots toast hit on Iraqi 'civilians' Posted: Wednesday, October 6, 2004 By Andrew Buncombe in Washington Independent.co.uk The Pentagon said yesterday it was investigating cockpit video footage that shows American pilots attacking and killing a group of apparently unarmed Iraqi civilians. The 30-second clip shows the pilot targeting the group of people in a street in the city of Fallujah and asking his mission controllers whether he should "take them out". He is told to do so and, shortly afterwards, the footage shows a huge explosion where the people were. A second voice can be heard on the clip saying: "Oh, dude." The existence of the video, taken last April inside the cockpit of a US F-16 fighter has been known for some time, though last night's broadcast by Channel 4 News is believed to be the first time a mainstream broadcaster has shown the footage. At no point during the exchange between the pilot and controllers does anyone ask whether the Iraqis are armed or posing a threat. Critics say it proves war crimes are being committed. source : independent.co.uk New 'Liberation Video' Shows Fallujah Bombing Massacre Video Latest News Posted: Wednesday, October 6, 2004 ¤ Iraq Survey Group to concede defeat in search for WMD ¤ Report Discounts Iraqi Arms Threat ¤ Report: Saddam Not in Pursuit of Weapons ¤ When terror bell rings, George Bush smiles ¤ Prison without trial 'justified' ¤ Why Don't Americans Care? ¤ It’s All About Bush ¤ Wrong Town, Wrong Target ¤ Elections Will Not End the Fighting in Iraq ¤ Rethinking Weapons of Mass Destruction ¤ Canadian Firms Soaked in Iraqi and Afghan Blood ¤ Please, Dude, Can I Take Them Out? ¤ Oil Closes Near $52 on Winter Fuel Fears ¤ Bomb kills army recruits in Iraq ¤ Police Continue Attacks Against Aristide Supporters ¤ PART 2: Idealism in a hostile territory ¤ U.S. Inspector Says Iraq Had No Banned Weapons ¤ Suicide bomb kills 16 at guard centre ¤ US: Iraq was free of WMDs ¤ Stretching Cheney ¤ Cheney's Avalanche of Lies ¤ US Dollar Heading For Collapse ¤ White House insists clear 'ties' linked Iraq to Al-Qaeda ¤ UN backtracks on oil sanctions in Sudan ¤ US running mates clash over Iraq ¤ US vetoes resolution calling for Israeli halt to Gaza operations ¤ Palestinian 15-year-olds among growing number of children hit by Israeli snipers ¤ Israel backtracks in dispute with UN ¤ Rumsfeld, Bremer and WMD inspectors cast shadow on war ¤ Take them out, dude: pilots toast hit on Iraqi 'civilians' ¤ New 'Liberation Video' Shows Fallujah Bombing Massacre Video ¤ President remains ignorant of military criticism ¤ Venezuela to Buy 40 Helicopters from Russia ¤ Sit in a New Hampshire diner long enough ¤ Bush is dead wrong ¤ Bush allies admit war blunders ¤ Rumsfeld's missing link ¤ Operation Baghdad? ¤ Pastor Bush ¤ White House Silent on Bremer Troop Request ¤ Bribery begins at home ¤ PART 1: The school of death ¤ Uncle Sam's man ¤ Report May Undercut Bush's Iraq Rationale ¤ Israel continues onslaught in Gaza ¤ Blast at Afghan election rally kills two ¤ Spain snubs U.S. troops in parade after Iraq row ¤ 4500 US troops being shifted to Afghanistan Latest News Posted: Tuesday, October 5, 2004 ¤ Why Washington Won't Save Darfur Villagers ¤ Dirty Politics in Land of "Clean" Government ¤ How to Debate the Terror War Arch Propagandist ¤ A Handy Guide to Halliburton for the VP Debate ¤ Boom Time for Billionaires ¤ Treat Terrorists As The Criminals They Are ¤ Powell Says Brazil Not Developing Nukes ¤ Aristide backers protest in capital ¤ US Vetoes Measure Demanding Israel Stop Gaza Fight ¤ 'Israeli troops shot schoolgirl 20 times' ¤ The Smoking Gun? ¤ War Lies Are Piling Up ¤ US 'bugged' France's Chirac calls ¤ Israeli Military Backs Off U.N. 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For two hundred years, they have ruled the country by proxy and have undoubtedly some responsibility to bear for the current state of affairs in the country. However, following Aristide's forced departure, they have decided to change course. They have established a puppet regime of technocrats with the aim of smoothing the progress of a total minority rule and according to latest indications, they are right on target. The technocrats have turned the country upside down. They have transformed the nation into an open theater with farcical promises, farcical disarmament, farcical trials and upcoming farcical elections. In an attempt to boost its technocratic profile, the U.S.-backed administration--assuming it survives the present chaos--plans to hold digitized elections next year in order to seal a victory for a few. According to a Reuters report released in early August, "Haiti's plans to hold high-tech and costly elections in 2005 are at risk unless international donors rapidly provide promised funds, a senior election official said. Five months after president Jean-Bertrand Aristide was ousted in an armed revolt, Haiti's electoral council needs $100 million to organize what will be the most expensive ballot in Haiti's 200 years of independence, council member Rosemond Pradel said." The nine-member electoral council (CEP) was created without the participation of the Lavalas party, which decided to boycott it following waves of arrests and persecutions of Aristide loyalists. As the report further indicated, such situation "has undermined confidence in the panel, and especially in the government's plans for a computerized voting system that some analysts fear could be manipulated to prevent Aristide's supporters among the poor majority from determining the outcome. Preparations for the election have been torn by infighting, and the electoral council faces the further challenge of trying to organize high-tech voting with digitized identity cards and electronic voting machines in a country that barely has electricity." In an effort to appease critics of the plan, council chairwoman Roselaure Julien made a public statement last week in which she announced that an agreement was reached between the CEP and the political parties to forgo the electronic voting machines and retain the digitized ID cards instead. It is only in this status quo that one can envision digital ID cards without digital machines. Her statement, which failed to address the prospect of influencing the outcomes of the election, comes months after a power struggle to control the electoral body was made public. The infighting was so heated that both Boniface and Latortue had to intervene in order to keep the actual makeup of the institution. The clash was intended to bring down Julien and replace her with the actual representative of the private sector, which in turn wanted to have complete control over the high-tech aspect of the upcoming elections. Julien "accused her colleagues of a plot to hijack the electoral process and denounced a fierce power struggle among those who helped oust Aristide and said she had come under pressure to resign because she had resisted attempts to influence her. I won't kneel down, said Julien, I say there should be a free and fair election, not selection, nomination or plebiscite." In such a context, one must assume that the fight to control the CEP will not go away given that the private sector has no way of capturing the presidency except through electronic ballot. A report released by the Associated Press in late August revealed that "Haiti has signed an agreement with the United Nations and the Organization of American States to organize elections next year and already has US$9 million in U.S. aid available to help cover the costs. The U.S. aid will be spent on training elections personnel, creating a new voter registration system and setting up an electronic voting system." This is why, despite Julien's statement on the rejection of computerized voting machines, American and Venezuelan experts are on the ground conducting demonstrations on the significance and benefits of electronic voting. Last July, international donors pledged over $1 billion to help rebuild Haiti. The technocrats hope to use part of that money to organize a computerized election where the winners will be pre-selected. Upon receiving the donors' pledge, Latortue promised to double electricity service to 12 hours in Port-au-Prince. So where will his administration find enough energy resources to run a high-tech voting system across the country? Through some technocratic means perhaps. Besides the electricity dilemma, other challenges must also be addressed. In a country where close to 80% of the population are illiterate and basic infrastructures are nearly nonexistent, the idea to run a computerized election is beyond human comprehension. Despite all the uncertainties associated with electronic voting machines--a system terribly unreliable and not accountable--Haiti would be the last place in this region to hold high-tech elections. In a further attempt to secure the elections, the private sector has launched a new political party, Parti Libéral Haitien (Haitian Liberal Party). The party will run on a conservative platform with the aim of boosting the private sector and promoting a liberal economy, they claimed. To the surprise of the Haitian political class, the announcement was made in Norway during a forum organized and hosted by the Norwegian government for various segments of the Haitian civil society in late August. In the lead-up to the coup against Aristide, the leader of the Group 184, Andy Apaid Jr., promised his allies that he would never transform his movement into a political party. But things have changed lately and the machine has been set in motion. They have the party and the means; the only missing factor is the ballot. They are in no way capable of collecting the necessary votes except through electronic voting, which is also one tangible way to deter people from voting and suppress the majority. Even f voters were to show up to the polling stations, the technocrats are well aware of the challenges that people will face in trying to use the computerized machines. They will probably rely on high-tech poll workers to "assist" the voters. They are not concerned about huge voter turnout; they only need the elections to be held as planned. Since Aristide's forced departure, the vast majority of Haitians have been marginalized and left with no credible figures to represent their interests. The technocrats have used all tactics in their effort to repress all dissent, to persecute former Lavalas officials and incarcerate them in order to silence the poor majority. In the name of the majority, they are working actively to facilitate a transition that will plunge the endangered nation further into despair. Their ultimate fate lies in their disregard of the country's 200 years history. Lucson Pierre-Charles, a native of Haiti, now lives in Maryland. He can be reached at: lpierrecharles@yahoo.com. This article was reproduced from counterpunch.org by consent of the author. 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US agents in Baghdad and Fallujah have revealed a series of botched and often tawdry dealings with unreliable sources who, in the words of one, "told us what we wanted to hear". "We were basically paying up to $US10,000 ($A13,700) a time to opportunists, criminals and chancers who passed off fiction and supposition about Zarqawi as cast-iron fact, making him out as the linchpin of just about every attack in Iraq," one agent said. "Back home this stuff was gratefully received and formed the basis of policy decisions. We needed a villain, someone identifiable for the public to latch on to, and we got one." Full Article : fairuse.1accesshost.com Pro-Aristide Riots Erupt for Second Day in Haiti Posted: Saturday, October 2, 2004 Violence erupted in Haiti Friday, as supporters of ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide took to the streets for a second straight day, demanding his return. Witnesses say the Aristide supporters fired shots in the air, smashed car windows and blocked streets in Port-au-Prince. The protesters ordered street vendors to stay home, leaving normally crowded marketplaces empty. Full Article : voanews.com Latest News Posted: Saturday, October 2, 2004 ¤ A High-Tech Sham is Underway Haiti's Elections ¤ Balanced Reporting of Political Violence in Haiti is Not Fair ¤ Bush Blows Debate: Talks to Rove in Earpiece! ¤ The Great Debate: An Inventory of Lies ¤ Tweedledumb and Tweedlephony ¤ Two Empty Bottles with Different Labels ¤ 26 killed in India twin blasts ¤ Iraq Hotspots Simmer; Samarra Cool ¤ 'Women, kids among wounded' ¤ Iraqis Condemn Prime Minister After Falluja Raid ¤ Explosions kill 44 in northeast India ¤ US forces pound Samarra and Falluja ¤ See Bush Debate. 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