IRAQ
Zmag: An Anti-Colonial War Against The Americans May Have Already Begun, Democracy Now interviews Robert Fisk
An Interview With Robert Fisk On Democracy Now
Goodman: After spending a month in Iraq, could you describe your thoughts?
Fisk: Well, my assumption is that history has a way or repeating itself. I was talking to a very military Shiite Muslim from Nashas about only five days ago and a journalist was saying to him “do you realize how historic these days are?” and I said to him “do you realize how history is repeating itself?” and he turned to me and said “yes history is repeating itself, and I knew what he meant. He was referring to the British invasion or Iraq in 1917 and Lt. Gen. Sir Stanley Maude, when we turned up in Baghdad and Sir Stanley Maude issued a document saying “we have come here not as conquerors but as liberators to free you from generations of tyranny.” And within three years we were losing hundreds of men every year in the guerilla war against the Iraqis who wanted real liberation not by us from the ottomans but by them from us and I think that’s what’s going to happen with the Americans in Iraq. I think a war of liberation will begin quite soon, which of course will be first referred to as a war by terrorists, by al Qaeda, by remnants of Saddam’s regime, remnants (remember that word) but it will be waged particularly by Shiite Muslims against the Americans and the British to get us out of Iraq and that will happen. And our dreams that we can liberate these people will not be fulfilled in this scenario.
CHECK IT
Friday, April 25, 2003
Thursday, April 24, 2003
IRAQ
Spiegel: Tarik Asis in US-Gefangenschaft
Riesen-Triumph für die Amerikaner: Tarik Asis, Vizepremier des Saddam-Regimes, ist in Gewahrsam der US-Militärs. Er war eine der schillerndsten Persönlichkeiten im irakischen Führungszirkel
Independent: Tariq Aziz gives himself up to US
Iraq's former foreign minister and deputy prime minister, Tariq Aziz, has surrendered to US forces in Baghdad, it was reported last night. He is the highest-profile member of the ousted regime of Saddam Hussein to have fallen into Washington's hands
Spiegel: Tarik Asis in US-Gefangenschaft
Riesen-Triumph für die Amerikaner: Tarik Asis, Vizepremier des Saddam-Regimes, ist in Gewahrsam der US-Militärs. Er war eine der schillerndsten Persönlichkeiten im irakischen Führungszirkel
Independent: Tariq Aziz gives himself up to US
Iraq's former foreign minister and deputy prime minister, Tariq Aziz, has surrendered to US forces in Baghdad, it was reported last night. He is the highest-profile member of the ousted regime of Saddam Hussein to have fallen into Washington's hands
BUSH /b>
Counterpunch: Bush's "Christian" Blood Cult (english)
Concerns Raised by the Vatican
"Gut informierte Quellen aus dem Vatikan wissen, dass der Papst zunehmend beunruhigt ist über Bushs ultimative Ansprüche. Bushs Blutrausch, seine wiederholten Glaubensbekenntnisse und seine ständigen Erwähnungen des Bösen weisen in den Augen vieler gläubiger Katholiken darauf hin, dass er derjenige sein könnte, vor dem in der Offenbarung gewarnt wird - der Anti-Christ"
Counterpunch: Bush's "Christian" Blood Cult (english)
Concerns Raised by the Vatican
"Gut informierte Quellen aus dem Vatikan wissen, dass der Papst zunehmend beunruhigt ist über Bushs ultimative Ansprüche. Bushs Blutrausch, seine wiederholten Glaubensbekenntnisse und seine ständigen Erwähnungen des Bösen weisen in den Augen vieler gläubiger Katholiken darauf hin, dass er derjenige sein könnte, vor dem in der Offenbarung gewarnt wird - der Anti-Christ"
IRAQ
Spiegel: US-SOLDATEN SCHMUGGELN IRAKISCHE KUNST
Einige im Golfkrieg eingesetzte amerikanische Soldaten und Medienvertreter haben den Irak offenbar als Selbstbedienungsladen angesehen. Sie versuchten, Kunstgegenstände, Bargeld und vergoldete Waffen in ihre Heimat zu schmuggeln.
Spiegel: US-SOLDATEN SCHMUGGELN IRAKISCHE KUNST
Einige im Golfkrieg eingesetzte amerikanische Soldaten und Medienvertreter haben den Irak offenbar als Selbstbedienungsladen angesehen. Sie versuchten, Kunstgegenstände, Bargeld und vergoldete Waffen in ihre Heimat zu schmuggeln.
INTERNET
Graffitimachine: GRAFFITI
Create your own graffiti in the internet
"gar nicht schlecht gemacht"
Graffitimachine: GRAFFITI
Create your own graffiti in the internet
"gar nicht schlecht gemacht"
SITE OF THE DAY
Check BOZACK NATION Issue 1
Issue one of the online Art-zine Bozack feat. Tracy 168, Pictures of the first tags in NY and plenty other street stuff
Bozack Nation Homepage
Check BOZACK NATION Issue 1
Issue one of the online Art-zine Bozack feat. Tracy 168, Pictures of the first tags in NY and plenty other street stuff
Bozack Nation Homepage
DEMOCRACY IN AFGHANISTAN
Rense/Washington Post: 16 Months After Taliban - Afghanistan Founders In Pain
KABUL, Afghanistan (Washington Post) -- Sixteen months after the ruling Taliban fell and Hamid Karzai took over as president, Afghanistan is still struggling to establish the basics of a working government.
As Karzai and his U.S. and international supporters have found, virtually every significant system in the country is broken.
Rense: Pro-Taliban Leaflets Call For Jihad Against US
Rense/Reuters: Afghan Commander, Bodyguards Killed In Ambush
MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A military commander belonging to the Afghan faction of ethnic Uzbek warlord Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum and two of his bodyguards were killed on Tuesday in an ambush in the trouble-plagued north.
Commander Shahi was driving to the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif when his car was ambushed in the Char Bolak area about 18 miles to the west, one of Dostum's deputies, General Majid Roozi, told Reuters.
Rense/Afp: Taliban Regrouping In Afghanistan
KABUL (IRIN-AFP) -- Hakim Taniwal, the governor of Afghanistan's volatile eastern province of Khowst, told IRIN on Friday that the country's former hard line Islamist Taliban rulers were regrouping in an effort to step up anti-government militancy. There are fears that this could further harm security in the region and impact on aid work and reconstruction.
"We know that they are preparing, but they will not be able to achieve anything," he told IRIN from the Afghan capital, Kabul, adding that although a lot of reports were being received about Taliban activities, little movement had been seen on ground.
Ny Times: A NATION AT WAR: KABUL; Attacks Riddle Afghanistan, Including Shootings and Explosions
ABSTRACT - Opponents of Afghan government continue attacks; most violent incidents occur along border with Pakistan and in Kabul; relatives of Kandahar Gov Gul Agha Shirzai are attacked and governor's spokeman blames Pakistani authorities for harboring Taliban; map (M) Opponents of the Afghan government continued their attacks this weekend. On Saturday, a car packed with explosives blew up in eastern Afghanistan, killing the driver and three others. In the Pakistani border town of Chaman today, gunmen fired on the motorcade of the brother of the Kandahar governor, wounding him and killing another relative.
Rense/Washington Post: 16 Months After Taliban - Afghanistan Founders In Pain
KABUL, Afghanistan (Washington Post) -- Sixteen months after the ruling Taliban fell and Hamid Karzai took over as president, Afghanistan is still struggling to establish the basics of a working government.
As Karzai and his U.S. and international supporters have found, virtually every significant system in the country is broken.
Rense: Pro-Taliban Leaflets Call For Jihad Against US
Rense/Reuters: Afghan Commander, Bodyguards Killed In Ambush
MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A military commander belonging to the Afghan faction of ethnic Uzbek warlord Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum and two of his bodyguards were killed on Tuesday in an ambush in the trouble-plagued north.
Commander Shahi was driving to the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif when his car was ambushed in the Char Bolak area about 18 miles to the west, one of Dostum's deputies, General Majid Roozi, told Reuters.
Rense/Afp: Taliban Regrouping In Afghanistan
KABUL (IRIN-AFP) -- Hakim Taniwal, the governor of Afghanistan's volatile eastern province of Khowst, told IRIN on Friday that the country's former hard line Islamist Taliban rulers were regrouping in an effort to step up anti-government militancy. There are fears that this could further harm security in the region and impact on aid work and reconstruction.
"We know that they are preparing, but they will not be able to achieve anything," he told IRIN from the Afghan capital, Kabul, adding that although a lot of reports were being received about Taliban activities, little movement had been seen on ground.
Ny Times: A NATION AT WAR: KABUL; Attacks Riddle Afghanistan, Including Shootings and Explosions
ABSTRACT - Opponents of Afghan government continue attacks; most violent incidents occur along border with Pakistan and in Kabul; relatives of Kandahar Gov Gul Agha Shirzai are attacked and governor's spokeman blames Pakistani authorities for harboring Taliban; map (M) Opponents of the Afghan government continued their attacks this weekend. On Saturday, a car packed with explosives blew up in eastern Afghanistan, killing the driver and three others. In the Pakistani border town of Chaman today, gunmen fired on the motorcade of the brother of the Kandahar governor, wounding him and killing another relative.
IRAQ
ABC News: Missed Opportunity?
U.S. Attack May Have Ended Saddam Surrender Attempt
B A G H D A D, Iraq, April 21 — Saddam Hussein's intelligence chief sought help last week to arrange some kind of a deal between the United States and Saddam, leaders of the prominent Iraqi Dulaym Tribe told ABCNEWS.
ABC News: Missed Opportunity?
U.S. Attack May Have Ended Saddam Surrender Attempt
B A G H D A D, Iraq, April 21 — Saddam Hussein's intelligence chief sought help last week to arrange some kind of a deal between the United States and Saddam, leaders of the prominent Iraqi Dulaym Tribe told ABCNEWS.
IRAQ
Rense: US Worse Than Saddam, Iraqi Shiite Leader Charges
A prominent Iraqi Shiite cleric, saying he was detained and beaten by US forces, charged that American methods were "worse" than those employed by the ousted regime of Saddam Hussein.
"Our arrest by the Americans was worse than the arrests that Saddam ordered against our students," Sheikh Mohammed al-Fartusi told Abu Dhabi television.
The cleric, whose followers said he was detained Sunday by US troops along with five other Shiites, reappeared in Baghdad on Tuesday to cheers from hundreds of supporters who had held protests for two days.
Fartusi's comments came as another cleric reported kidnapped was said to have been released along with two busloads of Shiite Muslim pilgrims heading for the holy city of Karbala.
Fartusi claimed that "we were beaten ... spent a night with our hands tied behind our backs," adding however than an American officer did turn up and offer an apology.
"It was disgusting. Despite the fact that none of our young men has pointed a weapon against America ... but next time, God alone knows what popular anger could lead to?"
Rense: US Worse Than Saddam, Iraqi Shiite Leader Charges
A prominent Iraqi Shiite cleric, saying he was detained and beaten by US forces, charged that American methods were "worse" than those employed by the ousted regime of Saddam Hussein.
"Our arrest by the Americans was worse than the arrests that Saddam ordered against our students," Sheikh Mohammed al-Fartusi told Abu Dhabi television.
The cleric, whose followers said he was detained Sunday by US troops along with five other Shiites, reappeared in Baghdad on Tuesday to cheers from hundreds of supporters who had held protests for two days.
Fartusi's comments came as another cleric reported kidnapped was said to have been released along with two busloads of Shiite Muslim pilgrims heading for the holy city of Karbala.
Fartusi claimed that "we were beaten ... spent a night with our hands tied behind our backs," adding however than an American officer did turn up and offer an apology.
"It was disgusting. Despite the fact that none of our young men has pointed a weapon against America ... but next time, God alone knows what popular anger could lead to?"
IRAQ
Spiegel: Schiitische Religionsgelehrte greifen nach der Macht
Während die USA im Irak erste Schritte zur Wiederherstellung der öffentlichen Ordnung unternehmen, haben die Anhänger der schiitischen Religionsgelehrten inoffiziell bereits vereinzelt staatliche Funktionen übernommen.
Spiegel: Widerstandsgruppe will US-Verwalter Garner töten
Im Irak hat sich eine Widerstandsbewegung gegen die alliierten Truppen gegründet. Sie kündigte den bewaffneten Kampf gegen die Amerikaner und Briten im Land an. Die einflussreichste schiitische Oppositionsgruppe lehnt dagegen den bewaffneten Widerstand ab.
Spiegel: Schiitische Religionsgelehrte greifen nach der Macht
Während die USA im Irak erste Schritte zur Wiederherstellung der öffentlichen Ordnung unternehmen, haben die Anhänger der schiitischen Religionsgelehrten inoffiziell bereits vereinzelt staatliche Funktionen übernommen.
Spiegel: Widerstandsgruppe will US-Verwalter Garner töten
Im Irak hat sich eine Widerstandsbewegung gegen die alliierten Truppen gegründet. Sie kündigte den bewaffneten Kampf gegen die Amerikaner und Briten im Land an. Die einflussreichste schiitische Oppositionsgruppe lehnt dagegen den bewaffneten Widerstand ab.
SCHWEIZ
Tagesanzeiger: Die Berner Stadtregierung entmachtet ihren Hardliner
Kurt Wasserfallen darf nicht mehr über die Berner Polizei gebieten. Das hat die Stadtregierung entschieden, um einen Exodus von Polizeioffizieren zu verhindern
Die «Vertrauenskrise» gehe hauptsächlich auf unterschiedliche Auffassungen über die Grundsätze der Polizeiarbeit zurück. Die Stadtregierung befürworte eine «auf Dialog und Deeskalation beruhende Strategie», wie sie seit dem Amtsantritt von Polizeikommandant Daniel Blumer vor zwei Jahren «konsequent» umgesetzt worden sei. Dessen politischer Vorgesetzter Kurt Wasserfallen hingegen, der im Nationalrat als drogenpolitischer Hardliner auftritt, hatte sich gerade in letzter Zeit mit harten Worten und Taten gegen Demonstranten in Szene gesetzt.
Tagesanzeiger: Die Berner Stadtregierung entmachtet ihren Hardliner
Kurt Wasserfallen darf nicht mehr über die Berner Polizei gebieten. Das hat die Stadtregierung entschieden, um einen Exodus von Polizeioffizieren zu verhindern
Die «Vertrauenskrise» gehe hauptsächlich auf unterschiedliche Auffassungen über die Grundsätze der Polizeiarbeit zurück. Die Stadtregierung befürworte eine «auf Dialog und Deeskalation beruhende Strategie», wie sie seit dem Amtsantritt von Polizeikommandant Daniel Blumer vor zwei Jahren «konsequent» umgesetzt worden sei. Dessen politischer Vorgesetzter Kurt Wasserfallen hingegen, der im Nationalrat als drogenpolitischer Hardliner auftritt, hatte sich gerade in letzter Zeit mit harten Worten und Taten gegen Demonstranten in Szene gesetzt.
SARS-PEKING
Tagesanzeiger: Peking unter Quarantäne
Im Kampf gegen die Lungenkrankheit Sars sind die Universitätsklinik und alle Gefängnisse der chinesischen Hauptstadt hermetisch abgeriegelt worden
Straitstimes: Beijing starts quarantines after WHO advisory
Tagesanzeiger: Peking unter Quarantäne
Im Kampf gegen die Lungenkrankheit Sars sind die Universitätsklinik und alle Gefängnisse der chinesischen Hauptstadt hermetisch abgeriegelt worden
Straitstimes: Beijing starts quarantines after WHO advisory
Wednesday, April 23, 2003
ISRAEL
Democracynow.org: Democracy Now! Talks To Photographer Who Witnessed Killing Of AP
Cameraman,
On Saturday an Israeli soldier shot and killed an Associated Press
cameraman in the West Bank city of Nablus on Saturday. Nazeh Darwazeh,
45, was filming Israeli troops firing on rock-throwing Palestinians. Then, an Israeli
soldier pointed his gun at the journalists and fired. Darwazeh was shot
in the head. He and the other cameramen covering the melee wore brightly
colored vests that said "Press" in bold letters. The Foreign Press
Association in Israel called for a comprehensive investigation into
Dawarzeh's shooting. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights yesterday
accused the IDF of stepping up the attacks on the media, "in an attempt
to gag it and prevent public debate on the acts of the Israeli army." The
IDF has killed seven journalists - six Palestinians and one Italian - in
the past two years in the territories. Abed Qusini a Reuters photographer
who was standing next to Nazeh Darwazeh when he was shot, talked to
Democracy Now! on Monday, April 21, 2003. Below is a rush transcript of an
interview between Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman and Abed Qusini.
Democracynow.org: Democracy Now! Talks To Photographer Who Witnessed Killing Of AP
Cameraman,
On Saturday an Israeli soldier shot and killed an Associated Press
cameraman in the West Bank city of Nablus on Saturday. Nazeh Darwazeh,
45, was filming Israeli troops firing on rock-throwing Palestinians. Then, an Israeli
soldier pointed his gun at the journalists and fired. Darwazeh was shot
in the head. He and the other cameramen covering the melee wore brightly
colored vests that said "Press" in bold letters. The Foreign Press
Association in Israel called for a comprehensive investigation into
Dawarzeh's shooting. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights yesterday
accused the IDF of stepping up the attacks on the media, "in an attempt
to gag it and prevent public debate on the acts of the Israeli army." The
IDF has killed seven journalists - six Palestinians and one Italian - in
the past two years in the territories. Abed Qusini a Reuters photographer
who was standing next to Nazeh Darwazeh when he was shot, talked to
Democracy Now! on Monday, April 21, 2003. Below is a rush transcript of an
interview between Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman and Abed Qusini.
ISRAEL WMD
Truthseeker: MSNBC Reveals Facts on Israel's Weapons of Mass Destruction
Here is MSNBC, giving us more information on Israel's weapons of mass destruction (WMD) than I've seen in any left-wing or peace-activist news source. Here is the mainstream U.S. media, that beast we love to hate, giving us a story that gives away the store.
It's a story we expect the elite media to hide, because it is so embarrassing to U.S. policymakers. How could anyone cheer for the carnage in Iraq, where no WMD have yet been found, if they knew that Israel is the only Middle Eastern nation with a proven WMD arsenal? How could anyone approve of a U.S. policy that kills where WMD don't seem to exist and turns a blind eye where they obviously do?
Far from hiding the story, though, MSNBC uses its graphic skills to put all the details just a mouse-click away. What's going on?
MSNBC: Strategic Israel
Truthseeker: MSNBC Reveals Facts on Israel's Weapons of Mass Destruction
Here is MSNBC, giving us more information on Israel's weapons of mass destruction (WMD) than I've seen in any left-wing or peace-activist news source. Here is the mainstream U.S. media, that beast we love to hate, giving us a story that gives away the store.
It's a story we expect the elite media to hide, because it is so embarrassing to U.S. policymakers. How could anyone cheer for the carnage in Iraq, where no WMD have yet been found, if they knew that Israel is the only Middle Eastern nation with a proven WMD arsenal? How could anyone approve of a U.S. policy that kills where WMD don't seem to exist and turns a blind eye where they obviously do?
Far from hiding the story, though, MSNBC uses its graphic skills to put all the details just a mouse-click away. What's going on?
MSNBC: Strategic Israel
IRAQ
Washington Post: U.S. Planners Surprised by Strength of Iraqi Shiites
As Iraqi Shiite demands for a dominant role in Iraq's future mount,
Bush administration officials say they underestimated the Shiites'
organizational strength and are unprepared to prevent the rise of an
anti-American, Islamic fundamentalist government in the country. The
burst of Shiite power -- as demonstrated by the hundreds of thousands who
made a long-banned pilgrimage to the holy city of Karbala yesterday -- has
U.S. officials looking for allies in the struggle to fill the power vacuum
left by the downfall of Saddam Hussein..."
Washington Post: U.S. Planners Surprised by Strength of Iraqi Shiites
As Iraqi Shiite demands for a dominant role in Iraq's future mount,
Bush administration officials say they underestimated the Shiites'
organizational strength and are unprepared to prevent the rise of an
anti-American, Islamic fundamentalist government in the country. The
burst of Shiite power -- as demonstrated by the hundreds of thousands who
made a long-banned pilgrimage to the holy city of Karbala yesterday -- has
U.S. officials looking for allies in the struggle to fill the power vacuum
left by the downfall of Saddam Hussein..."
SITE OF THE DAY
STOPJAYGARNER.COM
StopJayGarner.com is an international coalition advocating for the United Nations - not weapons maker Jay Garner - to oversee Iraq's transition to democracy. Read more and take action here!
STOPJAYGARNER.COM
StopJayGarner.com is an international coalition advocating for the United Nations - not weapons maker Jay Garner - to oversee Iraq's transition to democracy. Read more and take action here!
CNN PROPAGANDA WATCH
Heise: Bewusste Täuschung oder reiner Zufall?
Bei CNN ist bei der Oscar-Verleihung am lautesten gebuht worden
Dass man seinen Augen nicht trauen darf, ist bekannt. Zu oft wurden und werden nicht nur in Kriegszeiten Fotos und Filme so manipuliert, dass sie einen bestimmten propagandistischen Zweck erfüllen. Dass man aber auch seinen Ohren nicht mehr trauen darf, hat bisher nur einer in aller Deutlichkeit öffentlich ausgesprochen: Der ehemalige irakische Informationsminister Saeed al-Sahaf, der auf einer mittlerweile legendären Pressekonferenz Journalisten verraten hat, dass der zuvor zu hörende Einschlag von Bomben in Wirklichkeit nur die Detonation von amerikanischen "Sound-Containern" gewesen sei.
Audio and Documentation
Heise: Bewusste Täuschung oder reiner Zufall?
Bei CNN ist bei der Oscar-Verleihung am lautesten gebuht worden
Dass man seinen Augen nicht trauen darf, ist bekannt. Zu oft wurden und werden nicht nur in Kriegszeiten Fotos und Filme so manipuliert, dass sie einen bestimmten propagandistischen Zweck erfüllen. Dass man aber auch seinen Ohren nicht mehr trauen darf, hat bisher nur einer in aller Deutlichkeit öffentlich ausgesprochen: Der ehemalige irakische Informationsminister Saeed al-Sahaf, der auf einer mittlerweile legendären Pressekonferenz Journalisten verraten hat, dass der zuvor zu hörende Einschlag von Bomben in Wirklichkeit nur die Detonation von amerikanischen "Sound-Containern" gewesen sei.
Audio and Documentation
SPANIEN
Spiegel: Neues Gesetz gegen Anti-Kriegs-Demonstrationen
Spanien plant erstmals seit Ende der Franco-Diktatur die Ausweitung der Militärrechtsprechung. Diese sieht unter anderem vor, die Beteiligung an Demonstrationen gegen den Krieg unter Strafe zu stellen.
Heise: Demonstrationen als Wehrkraftzersetzung
Spanien will Zivilisten, die gegen einen Krieg protestieren, vor ein Militärgericht stellen
Mit Gefängnis zwischen "einem Jahr und sechs Jahren" soll bestraft werden, wer "in einem internationalen bewaffneten Konflikt, an dem sich Spanien beteiligt, öffentlich Handlungen vornimmt, um diese Beteiligung in Misskredit zu bringen". Das ist ein Auszug aus dem Artikel 49 eines Gesetzesentwurfs des spanischen Verteidigungsministeriums zur Reform des Militärgesetzes. Auszüge aus dem Gesetzesentwurf hat am Dienstag die spanische Tageszeitung El Pais veröffentlicht. Mit der Vorlage soll das Delikt der Wehrkraftzersetzung wieder eingeführt und die Militärgerichtsbarkeit ausgeweitet werden. Zivilpersonen, die gegen Kriege protestieren, wie im Fall des Irak, sollen dann vor Militärgerichte gestellt werden.
Spiegel: Neues Gesetz gegen Anti-Kriegs-Demonstrationen
Spanien plant erstmals seit Ende der Franco-Diktatur die Ausweitung der Militärrechtsprechung. Diese sieht unter anderem vor, die Beteiligung an Demonstrationen gegen den Krieg unter Strafe zu stellen.
Heise: Demonstrationen als Wehrkraftzersetzung
Spanien will Zivilisten, die gegen einen Krieg protestieren, vor ein Militärgericht stellen
Mit Gefängnis zwischen "einem Jahr und sechs Jahren" soll bestraft werden, wer "in einem internationalen bewaffneten Konflikt, an dem sich Spanien beteiligt, öffentlich Handlungen vornimmt, um diese Beteiligung in Misskredit zu bringen". Das ist ein Auszug aus dem Artikel 49 eines Gesetzesentwurfs des spanischen Verteidigungsministeriums zur Reform des Militärgesetzes. Auszüge aus dem Gesetzesentwurf hat am Dienstag die spanische Tageszeitung El Pais veröffentlicht. Mit der Vorlage soll das Delikt der Wehrkraftzersetzung wieder eingeführt und die Militärgerichtsbarkeit ausgeweitet werden. Zivilpersonen, die gegen Kriege protestieren, wie im Fall des Irak, sollen dann vor Militärgerichte gestellt werden.
IRAQ
Moscow Times: Global Eye -- Dark Passage
Not since "Mein Kampf" has a geopolitical punch been so blatantly telegraphed, years ahead of the blow.
Adolf Hitler clearly spelled out his plans to destroy the Jews and launch wars of conquest to secure German domination of world affairs in his 1925 book, long before he ever assumed power. Despite the zigzags of rhetoric he later employed, the various PR spins and temporary justifications offered for this or that particular policy, any attentive reader of his vile regurgitation could have divined his intentions as he drove his country -- and the world -- to murderous upheaval.
Similarly -- in method, if not entirely in substance -- the Bush Regime's foreign policy is also being carried out according to a strict blueprint written years ago, then renewed a few months before the Regime was installed in power by the judicial coup of December 2000.
Moscow Times: Global Eye -- Dark Passage
Not since "Mein Kampf" has a geopolitical punch been so blatantly telegraphed, years ahead of the blow.
Adolf Hitler clearly spelled out his plans to destroy the Jews and launch wars of conquest to secure German domination of world affairs in his 1925 book, long before he ever assumed power. Despite the zigzags of rhetoric he later employed, the various PR spins and temporary justifications offered for this or that particular policy, any attentive reader of his vile regurgitation could have divined his intentions as he drove his country -- and the world -- to murderous upheaval.
Similarly -- in method, if not entirely in substance -- the Bush Regime's foreign policy is also being carried out according to a strict blueprint written years ago, then renewed a few months before the Regime was installed in power by the judicial coup of December 2000.
IRAQ
Asiatimes: Freedom unbound, and out of control
BAGHDAD - The imam was on fire. "None of us want an occupation of an Islamic country!" he seethed over the (very loud) loudspeakers of the Abu Hanifah mosque in the capital during Salat al-Juma prayers last Friday afternoon.
"Not Shi'ites! Not Sunnis! The soldiers of the Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, will destroy any American or Israeli troops - just wait! We will not let any government trick us! No one can be the governor of Iraq if he is not a good Muslim and applies sharia [Islamic law]!"
When the celebrated Sunni Doctor Ahmad al-Qubaisee got to the obligatory part that goes "America is the enemy of God! Israel is the enemy of God! Down with Israel! Down with America!" - his voice rose to a shrill hectoring screech that harmonized sweetly with the occasional staccato pop-pop-pop sound of Kalashnikovs going off in the distance.
The imam was breathing fire, and the crowd was catching. It was the sort of stump speech that's designed to pack them in in this part of the world, and liberated Baghdad proved no exception. Thousands strong when the sermon began, the crowd had been expanding by the minute, overflowing the mosque and taking over every available speck of pavement on Omar Abduaziz Street in the northwestern Adhamiya district. By mid-afternoon, everything not able to walk, crawl or roll out of reach of the crowd - including a surrounded tanker truck complete with hapless driver trapped in the cab - found itself blocked in by prayer rugs and unable to move
Asiatimes: Freedom unbound, and out of control
BAGHDAD - The imam was on fire. "None of us want an occupation of an Islamic country!" he seethed over the (very loud) loudspeakers of the Abu Hanifah mosque in the capital during Salat al-Juma prayers last Friday afternoon.
"Not Shi'ites! Not Sunnis! The soldiers of the Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, will destroy any American or Israeli troops - just wait! We will not let any government trick us! No one can be the governor of Iraq if he is not a good Muslim and applies sharia [Islamic law]!"
When the celebrated Sunni Doctor Ahmad al-Qubaisee got to the obligatory part that goes "America is the enemy of God! Israel is the enemy of God! Down with Israel! Down with America!" - his voice rose to a shrill hectoring screech that harmonized sweetly with the occasional staccato pop-pop-pop sound of Kalashnikovs going off in the distance.
The imam was breathing fire, and the crowd was catching. It was the sort of stump speech that's designed to pack them in in this part of the world, and liberated Baghdad proved no exception. Thousands strong when the sermon began, the crowd had been expanding by the minute, overflowing the mosque and taking over every available speck of pavement on Omar Abduaziz Street in the northwestern Adhamiya district. By mid-afternoon, everything not able to walk, crawl or roll out of reach of the crowd - including a surrounded tanker truck complete with hapless driver trapped in the cab - found itself blocked in by prayer rugs and unable to move
IRAQ-MOSUL
Yellowtimes: Mosul Dangerously Close to Civil War
TORONTO (NFTF.org) -- Sources in Mosul with access to satellite phones (Iraqi entrepreneurs are selling a minute of conversation for 10 U.S. dollars) have said that the city is on the verge of a civil war. All the military hardware abandoned by the Iraqi Army and Republican Guard have been confiscated by the PUK and KDP Kurdish factions who are now employing them to threaten the Arab, Chaldean Christian, and Turkomen communities in the north, the sources say.
Apparently, the Kurdish militia are refusing to leave Mosul which is starting to exasperate U.S. forces in the region. For their part, the U.S. is trying to maintain control and civility by assuring the non-Kurd majority in the city that it will not be occupied by Kurdish militia for much longer.
Yellowtimes: Mosul Dangerously Close to Civil War
TORONTO (NFTF.org) -- Sources in Mosul with access to satellite phones (Iraqi entrepreneurs are selling a minute of conversation for 10 U.S. dollars) have said that the city is on the verge of a civil war. All the military hardware abandoned by the Iraqi Army and Republican Guard have been confiscated by the PUK and KDP Kurdish factions who are now employing them to threaten the Arab, Chaldean Christian, and Turkomen communities in the north, the sources say.
Apparently, the Kurdish militia are refusing to leave Mosul which is starting to exasperate U.S. forces in the region. For their part, the U.S. is trying to maintain control and civility by assuring the non-Kurd majority in the city that it will not be occupied by Kurdish militia for much longer.
WORLD NEWS
Harpers: Weekly Review
Chaos ruled Baghdad for a second week; much of the city, already without water, food, electricity, a stable currency, or a governing body, was on fire, though the rampant looting that defined the country's first days of liberation abated when there was nothing left to loot. Iraqis exercised their newfound freedom to complain, with tens of thousands publicly protesting their conditions and the possibility of a long-term American occupation. U.S. officials insisted they were not interested in occupying Iraq, but expected to retain four military bases there to be used for future crises. The White House was said to regard Syria, Cuba, and Libya as members of a "junior varsity axis of evil," but although the administration repeated accusations that Syria was providing sanctuary to Iraqi fugitives, Colin Powell assured the world that Washington has no war plan "right now" to address that country's disobedience. Another administration official worried about wasting an opportunity in the Middle East: "We have to make it clear that we didn't just come to get rid of Saddam. We came to get rid of the status quo." .....
Harpers: Weekly Review
Chaos ruled Baghdad for a second week; much of the city, already without water, food, electricity, a stable currency, or a governing body, was on fire, though the rampant looting that defined the country's first days of liberation abated when there was nothing left to loot. Iraqis exercised their newfound freedom to complain, with tens of thousands publicly protesting their conditions and the possibility of a long-term American occupation. U.S. officials insisted they were not interested in occupying Iraq, but expected to retain four military bases there to be used for future crises. The White House was said to regard Syria, Cuba, and Libya as members of a "junior varsity axis of evil," but although the administration repeated accusations that Syria was providing sanctuary to Iraqi fugitives, Colin Powell assured the world that Washington has no war plan "right now" to address that country's disobedience. Another administration official worried about wasting an opportunity in the Middle East: "We have to make it clear that we didn't just come to get rid of Saddam. We came to get rid of the status quo." .....
IRAQ
Guardian: How American power girds the globe with a ring of steel
New bases take Pentagon's armed presence far and wide
Whenever America goes to war, the spoils of victory invariably include more US military bases overseas.
Having vanquished Saddam Hussein, the Pentagon is planning to establish four US bases in Iraq, according to reports in Washington yesterday.
The Iraqi deployment plans fall into the century-old pattern of US foreign bases being built on the back of military victory. They are also the latest episode in an extraordinary surge in America's projection of military muscle since September 11.
Guardian: How American power girds the globe with a ring of steel
New bases take Pentagon's armed presence far and wide
Whenever America goes to war, the spoils of victory invariably include more US military bases overseas.
Having vanquished Saddam Hussein, the Pentagon is planning to establish four US bases in Iraq, according to reports in Washington yesterday.
The Iraqi deployment plans fall into the century-old pattern of US foreign bases being built on the back of military victory. They are also the latest episode in an extraordinary surge in America's projection of military muscle since September 11.
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
Electronic-Intifada: The men who are selling Palestine
David Hirst, the veteran correspondent for The Guardian, reported in 1996 on fears in Yasser Arafat's entourage that the Israelis would turn the Palestinian security forces against the Palestinian leader. According to Hirst, a Palestinian official said that the Israelis had so "penetrated" the security forces "that some of its leaders now depend on them at least as much as they do on Arafat. The time is coming when the Israelis decide that Arafat - who argues too much - has served his purpose." The official told Hirst that, "the Israelis are grooming Abu Mazen [Mahmoud Abbas], one of the secret negotiators of the Oslo accord, to take Mr. Arafat's place, and that they will count on Muhammad Dahlan, head of Preventative Security in Gaza, to lead the putsch."
Spiegel: Arafat und Abbas einigen sich im letzten Moment
Die Krise um die Bildung einer neuen Palästinenser-Regierung wurde in letzter Sekunde entschärft. Präsident Jassir Arafat und der designierte Ministerpräsident Mahmud Abbas haben sich nach wochenlangem Machtkampf auf ein Kabinett geeinigt.
Electronic-Intifada: The men who are selling Palestine
David Hirst, the veteran correspondent for The Guardian, reported in 1996 on fears in Yasser Arafat's entourage that the Israelis would turn the Palestinian security forces against the Palestinian leader. According to Hirst, a Palestinian official said that the Israelis had so "penetrated" the security forces "that some of its leaders now depend on them at least as much as they do on Arafat. The time is coming when the Israelis decide that Arafat - who argues too much - has served his purpose." The official told Hirst that, "the Israelis are grooming Abu Mazen [Mahmoud Abbas], one of the secret negotiators of the Oslo accord, to take Mr. Arafat's place, and that they will count on Muhammad Dahlan, head of Preventative Security in Gaza, to lead the putsch."
Spiegel: Arafat und Abbas einigen sich im letzten Moment
Die Krise um die Bildung einer neuen Palästinenser-Regierung wurde in letzter Sekunde entschärft. Präsident Jassir Arafat und der designierte Ministerpräsident Mahmud Abbas haben sich nach wochenlangem Machtkampf auf ein Kabinett geeinigt.
USA-GUANTANAMO
Spiegel: US-Militär hält Kinder gefangen
Menschenrechtsgruppen sind empört: Die Amerikaner halten auf ihrem Stützpunkt Guantanamo Bay auf Kuba auch Jugendliche unter 16 Jahren gefangen.
ABC: Children Being Held At Guantanamo Terror Camp
The US military has revealed it is holding juveniles at its high-security prison for terrorists at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, known as Camp Xray.
The commander of the joint task force at Guantanamo, Major General Geoffrey Miller, says more than one child under the age of 16 is at the detention centre.
However, Maj Gen Miller has revealed little more about their welfare.
Maj Gen Miller says the US is holding "juvenile enemy combatants" at the centre, confirming rumours of children being held
Spiegel: US-Militär hält Kinder gefangen
Menschenrechtsgruppen sind empört: Die Amerikaner halten auf ihrem Stützpunkt Guantanamo Bay auf Kuba auch Jugendliche unter 16 Jahren gefangen.
ABC: Children Being Held At Guantanamo Terror Camp
The US military has revealed it is holding juveniles at its high-security prison for terrorists at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, known as Camp Xray.
The commander of the joint task force at Guantanamo, Major General Geoffrey Miller, says more than one child under the age of 16 is at the detention centre.
However, Maj Gen Miller has revealed little more about their welfare.
Maj Gen Miller says the US is holding "juvenile enemy combatants" at the centre, confirming rumours of children being held
IRAQ
BBC: Blix: 'US undermined inspectors'
American officials tried to discredit the work of inspectors in Iraq to further their own case for war, the chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix has charged
BBC: Blix: 'US undermined inspectors'
American officials tried to discredit the work of inspectors in Iraq to further their own case for war, the chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix has charged
USA
Washingtonmonthly: Practice to Deceive
Chaos in the Middle East is not the Bush hawks' nightmare scenario--it's their plan.
Imagine it's six months from now. The Iraq war is over. After an initial burst of joy and gratitude at being liberated from Saddam's rule, the people of Iraq are watching, and waiting, and beginning to chafe under American occupation. Across the border, in Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, our conquering presence has brought street protests and escalating violence. The United Nations and NATO are in disarray......
CHECK IT
Washingtonmonthly: Practice to Deceive
Chaos in the Middle East is not the Bush hawks' nightmare scenario--it's their plan.
Imagine it's six months from now. The Iraq war is over. After an initial burst of joy and gratitude at being liberated from Saddam's rule, the people of Iraq are watching, and waiting, and beginning to chafe under American occupation. Across the border, in Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, our conquering presence has brought street protests and escalating violence. The United Nations and NATO are in disarray......
CHECK IT
IRAQ
canada.com: Looted Iraqi antiquities already surfacing on world art markets
WASHINGTON (AP) - Art collectors and dealers say they already are getting queries about artifacts looted from Iraq's museums, and the FBI said Monday that at least one suspected piece has been seized at an American airport.
Thousands of items, some dating back many thousands of years, were taken when U.S. forces overthrew Saddam Hussein's regime. Some have blamed the Americans for failing to protect Iraq's cultural and historical sites They point out that the troops were quick to secure the Oil Ministry in Baghdad.
WSWS.org/Rense: US Implicated In Planned Theft Iraqi Antiquities
As the full extent of the looting of Iraq's National Museum in Baghdad emerges, it becomes clear that there was nothing accidental about it. Rather it was the result of a long planned project to plunder the artistic and historical treasures that are held in the museums of Iraq.
Had the National Museum of Iraq been looted by poor slum dwellers it would have been crime enough, and the responsibility would have rested with the American administration that refused, despite repeated warnings, to provide for the security of Baghdad's cultural buildings.
Once the museum staff were able to communicate with the outside world, however, it became apparent that the looting was not random. It was the work of people who knew what they were looking for and came specially equipped for the job.
canada.com: Looted Iraqi antiquities already surfacing on world art markets
WASHINGTON (AP) - Art collectors and dealers say they already are getting queries about artifacts looted from Iraq's museums, and the FBI said Monday that at least one suspected piece has been seized at an American airport.
Thousands of items, some dating back many thousands of years, were taken when U.S. forces overthrew Saddam Hussein's regime. Some have blamed the Americans for failing to protect Iraq's cultural and historical sites They point out that the troops were quick to secure the Oil Ministry in Baghdad.
WSWS.org/Rense: US Implicated In Planned Theft Iraqi Antiquities
As the full extent of the looting of Iraq's National Museum in Baghdad emerges, it becomes clear that there was nothing accidental about it. Rather it was the result of a long planned project to plunder the artistic and historical treasures that are held in the museums of Iraq.
Had the National Museum of Iraq been looted by poor slum dwellers it would have been crime enough, and the responsibility would have rested with the American administration that refused, despite repeated warnings, to provide for the security of Baghdad's cultural buildings.
Once the museum staff were able to communicate with the outside world, however, it became apparent that the looting was not random. It was the work of people who knew what they were looking for and came specially equipped for the job.
CHIAPAS
Zmag: Kommunique des Geheimen Revolutionären Indigenen Komitees
Generalkommando der Zapatistischen Armee der Nationalen Befreiung
von Subcommandante Marcos
An das Volk von Mexiko:
An die Völker der Welt:
Brüder und Schwestern:
Auf der ganzen Welt finden heute Mobilisierungen statt, um gegen den Krieg der Vereinigten Staaten und Großbritanniens gegen die irakische Bevölkerung zu protestieren.
Wir möchten daher unsere Worte mit einem Gruß an alle Menschen beginnen, die weltweit und in andere Teile Mexikos demonstrieren, um "Nein" zum Krieg der Mächtigen zu sagen.
Denn man kann einen Krieg nicht ablehnen ohne klar zu definieren, wer ihn führt, genau wie man kein Verbrechen verurteilen kann, ohne den Mörder zu erwähnen.
Dort oben, wo das Geld Gott und Meister ist, feiern sie einen Sieg, der nichts anderes ist als eine Attrappe, die mit arabischem Blut bemalt ist, das, wie wir nicht vergessen sollten, menschliches Blut ist, auch wenn die großen Medienmonopole uns gerne vom Gegenteil überzeugen würden.
Zmag: Kommunique des Geheimen Revolutionären Indigenen Komitees
Generalkommando der Zapatistischen Armee der Nationalen Befreiung
von Subcommandante Marcos
An das Volk von Mexiko:
An die Völker der Welt:
Brüder und Schwestern:
Auf der ganzen Welt finden heute Mobilisierungen statt, um gegen den Krieg der Vereinigten Staaten und Großbritanniens gegen die irakische Bevölkerung zu protestieren.
Wir möchten daher unsere Worte mit einem Gruß an alle Menschen beginnen, die weltweit und in andere Teile Mexikos demonstrieren, um "Nein" zum Krieg der Mächtigen zu sagen.
Denn man kann einen Krieg nicht ablehnen ohne klar zu definieren, wer ihn führt, genau wie man kein Verbrechen verurteilen kann, ohne den Mörder zu erwähnen.
Dort oben, wo das Geld Gott und Meister ist, feiern sie einen Sieg, der nichts anderes ist als eine Attrappe, die mit arabischem Blut bemalt ist, das, wie wir nicht vergessen sollten, menschliches Blut ist, auch wenn die großen Medienmonopole uns gerne vom Gegenteil überzeugen würden.
SARS
Tagesanzeiger: Peking schliesst Schulen
Aus Angst vor einer Ausbreitung der Lungenkrankheit Sars hat die chinesische Hauptstadt Peking alle Schulen geschlossen.
SouthAsiaTimes: HONGKONG: Health officials stumped by more resistant cases showing up
Unlike the first cases of Sars in the territory, recent ones appear to be less responsive to treatment
News24: SARS Mutates - Now Hitting Intestines, Too
HONG KONG -- The deadly Sars virus is now attacking the intestines as well as the respiratory system, a leading Hong Kong microbiologist said on Tuesday.
Speaking on Hong Kong radio station RTHK, Professor Malik Peiris of Hong Kong University said the change may indicate the virus has mutated as many experts feared.
Professor Peiris is one of the microbiologists at the forefront of the Hong Kong research into the Sars virus which on Tuesday claimed another five people in the territory bringing the total deaths to 99.
His comments come amid growing concern that the virus is becoming more virulent with many doctors noting changes in the way the disease behaves and who it proves fatal to.
News24: More Scientists Say
SARS Is A BioWeapon
Moscow - The deadly pneumonia that has killed more than 100 people around the world may be a man-made biological weapon, Russian experts said on Friday.
Nikolai Filatov, head of Moscow's epidemiological services, told the Gazeta daily that he thought the pneumonia was man-made because "there is no vaccine for this virus, its make-up is unclear, it has not been very widespread and the population is not immune to it."
Tagesanzeiger: Peking schliesst Schulen
Aus Angst vor einer Ausbreitung der Lungenkrankheit Sars hat die chinesische Hauptstadt Peking alle Schulen geschlossen.
SouthAsiaTimes: HONGKONG: Health officials stumped by more resistant cases showing up
Unlike the first cases of Sars in the territory, recent ones appear to be less responsive to treatment
News24: SARS Mutates - Now Hitting Intestines, Too
HONG KONG -- The deadly Sars virus is now attacking the intestines as well as the respiratory system, a leading Hong Kong microbiologist said on Tuesday.
Speaking on Hong Kong radio station RTHK, Professor Malik Peiris of Hong Kong University said the change may indicate the virus has mutated as many experts feared.
Professor Peiris is one of the microbiologists at the forefront of the Hong Kong research into the Sars virus which on Tuesday claimed another five people in the territory bringing the total deaths to 99.
His comments come amid growing concern that the virus is becoming more virulent with many doctors noting changes in the way the disease behaves and who it proves fatal to.
News24: More Scientists Say
SARS Is A BioWeapon
Moscow - The deadly pneumonia that has killed more than 100 people around the world may be a man-made biological weapon, Russian experts said on Friday.
Nikolai Filatov, head of Moscow's epidemiological services, told the Gazeta daily that he thought the pneumonia was man-made because "there is no vaccine for this virus, its make-up is unclear, it has not been very widespread and the population is not immune to it."
IRAQ
Tagesanzeiger: Massenproteste gegen die USA
Hunderttausende Schiiten haben ihre Pilgerfahrt in Karbala fortgesetzt. Begleitet wurden die Feierlichkeiten von anti-amerikanischen Protesten.
Am Mittwochmorgen waren in der ganzen Stadt Parolen gegen die USA zu hören. Auch gegen den von Washington favorisierten Oppositionsführer Ahmed Chalabi richteten sich die Proteste.
«Wir lehnen die Besatzung ab, wir wollen eine gewählte Regierung, die das Volk repräsentiert», sagte einer der Organisatoren der Pilgerfahrt, Scheich Rajed Haidari. Bereits am Dienstag hatten tausende Pilger gegen die US-Besatzung demonstriert.
Tagesanzeiger: Massenproteste gegen die USA
Hunderttausende Schiiten haben ihre Pilgerfahrt in Karbala fortgesetzt. Begleitet wurden die Feierlichkeiten von anti-amerikanischen Protesten.
Am Mittwochmorgen waren in der ganzen Stadt Parolen gegen die USA zu hören. Auch gegen den von Washington favorisierten Oppositionsführer Ahmed Chalabi richteten sich die Proteste.
«Wir lehnen die Besatzung ab, wir wollen eine gewählte Regierung, die das Volk repräsentiert», sagte einer der Organisatoren der Pilgerfahrt, Scheich Rajed Haidari. Bereits am Dienstag hatten tausende Pilger gegen die US-Besatzung demonstriert.
USA
Tagesanzeiger: Powell droht Frankreich
«Wir müssen alle Aspekte unserer Beziehungen zu Frankreich überprüfen», sagte US-Aussenminister Colin Powell in einem Fernsehinterview mit Blick auf das Verhalten Frankreichs im Uno-Sicherheitsrat. Er drohte mit Konsequenzen.
BBC: Q&A: US-French relations on ice
US Secretary of State Colin Powell has warned France that there will be consequences following its refusal to support military action against Iraq.
BBC News Online world affairs correspondent Paul Reynolds looks at what those consequences might be and why
Ny Times: France Urging U.N. to Suspend Iraq Penalties
UNITED NATIONS, April 22 — The French ambassador to the United Nations called today for the immediate suspension of most United Nations sanctions against Iraq, allowing unrestricted nonmilitary trade to resume.
The move by the ambassador, Jean Marc de la Sablière, was intended to avert a new Security Council showdown over the role of the United Nations and could also be an attempt by France to avoid the possibility of being frozen out of plans for a postwar Iraq.
Tagesanzeiger: Powell droht Frankreich
«Wir müssen alle Aspekte unserer Beziehungen zu Frankreich überprüfen», sagte US-Aussenminister Colin Powell in einem Fernsehinterview mit Blick auf das Verhalten Frankreichs im Uno-Sicherheitsrat. Er drohte mit Konsequenzen.
BBC: Q&A: US-French relations on ice
US Secretary of State Colin Powell has warned France that there will be consequences following its refusal to support military action against Iraq.
BBC News Online world affairs correspondent Paul Reynolds looks at what those consequences might be and why
Ny Times: France Urging U.N. to Suspend Iraq Penalties
UNITED NATIONS, April 22 — The French ambassador to the United Nations called today for the immediate suspension of most United Nations sanctions against Iraq, allowing unrestricted nonmilitary trade to resume.
The move by the ambassador, Jean Marc de la Sablière, was intended to avert a new Security Council showdown over the role of the United Nations and could also be an attempt by France to avoid the possibility of being frozen out of plans for a postwar Iraq.
HOAX
disinfopedia: NEO-NAZI HOAX EXPLOITS IRAQI WAR BIAS
An anti-Semitic web site called the "Barnes Report" is distributing
fake whistleblower memos on media bias in the Iraq war that attempt
to exploit public skepticism about the accuracy of U.S. news
coverage. Excerpts from the alleged memos appear on a series of web
pages titled "Controlling the News." The "memos" instruct reporters
to avoid showing scenes of violence from the war and to stress
images that depict U.S. policy in a favorable light. Peace
activists tempted to believe the hoax should note that the "Barnes
Report" is an anti-Semitic web site whose primary propaganda goal
is disparagement of Jews and denial that the Nazi Holocaust ever
occurred.
"Den Artikel habe ich auch gepostet..hier ist der link: Barnes Report"
disinfopedia: NEO-NAZI HOAX EXPLOITS IRAQI WAR BIAS
An anti-Semitic web site called the "Barnes Report" is distributing
fake whistleblower memos on media bias in the Iraq war that attempt
to exploit public skepticism about the accuracy of U.S. news
coverage. Excerpts from the alleged memos appear on a series of web
pages titled "Controlling the News." The "memos" instruct reporters
to avoid showing scenes of violence from the war and to stress
images that depict U.S. policy in a favorable light. Peace
activists tempted to believe the hoax should note that the "Barnes
Report" is an anti-Semitic web site whose primary propaganda goal
is disparagement of Jews and denial that the Nazi Holocaust ever
occurred.
"Den Artikel habe ich auch gepostet..hier ist der link: Barnes Report"
PROPAGANDA WATCH
Salon: POSTER BOY FOR WAR
Just when you thought American TV couldn't stoop any lower, now we
have the plight of Ali Abbas, a 12-year-old Iraqi boy who lost both
of his arms, along with his parents, three siblings and ten other
relatives, in a missile strike on Baghdad. Now he has become "a
redemption story, the kind we like," muses Joan Walsh. The U.S.
military has flown him to Kuwait, where reporters are breathlessly
following his medical treatment. "But some of the stories have
tried to deal with an uncomfortable fact. Ali is, um, well, he's
angry at the U.S. for killing his family," Walsh writes. "And
American journalists have been flummoxed by how to report on his
feelings." CNN hit bottom Wednesday morning, when anchor Kyra
Phillips asked Ali's physician, "Doctor, does he understand why
this war took place? Has he talked about Operation Iraqi Freedom
and the meaning? Does he understand it?"
Salon: POSTER BOY FOR WAR
Just when you thought American TV couldn't stoop any lower, now we
have the plight of Ali Abbas, a 12-year-old Iraqi boy who lost both
of his arms, along with his parents, three siblings and ten other
relatives, in a missile strike on Baghdad. Now he has become "a
redemption story, the kind we like," muses Joan Walsh. The U.S.
military has flown him to Kuwait, where reporters are breathlessly
following his medical treatment. "But some of the stories have
tried to deal with an uncomfortable fact. Ali is, um, well, he's
angry at the U.S. for killing his family," Walsh writes. "And
American journalists have been flummoxed by how to report on his
feelings." CNN hit bottom Wednesday morning, when anchor Kyra
Phillips asked Ali's physician, "Doctor, does he understand why
this war took place? Has he talked about Operation Iraqi Freedom
and the meaning? Does he understand it?"
USA
Usimc: POETRY IS DANGEROUS AGAIN
New Mexico high school teacher Bill Nevins is fighting a March 17
suspension from his teaching job, after a student on his poetry
team read an anti-war poem over the school's closed circuit TV
system. School administrators have accused him of "permitting"
students to participate in after-hours poetry contests at a local
bookstore without school permission. (Kids these days. Why can't
they just watch TV like decent folks?)
SOURCE: Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center, April 17, 2003
More web links related to this story are available at: http://www.prwatch.org/spin/April_2003.html#1050552002
Usimc: POETRY IS DANGEROUS AGAIN
New Mexico high school teacher Bill Nevins is fighting a March 17
suspension from his teaching job, after a student on his poetry
team read an anti-war poem over the school's closed circuit TV
system. School administrators have accused him of "permitting"
students to participate in after-hours poetry contests at a local
bookstore without school permission. (Kids these days. Why can't
they just watch TV like decent folks?)
SOURCE: Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center, April 17, 2003
More web links related to this story are available at: http://www.prwatch.org/spin/April_2003.html#1050552002
PROPAGANDA WATCH
NY Times: SADDAM DID 9/11 -- THE BIG LIE TACTIC WORKS AGAIN
Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels observed that "the bigger
the lie, the more people will believe it." The Big Lie technique
has worked well in Bush's war on Iraq. The New York Times reports
that "organizers of the antiwar movement lament how well the
administration argued that there was a link between Al Qaeda and
Iraq, playing on Americans' residual anger and fear after the
attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. About half the American public,
according to several polls, believed that Saddam Hussein was
personally involved in planning the attacks -- an argument the
administration did not make." On the contrary, officials including
Powell, Cheney and Bush, in tandem with Fox and other pro-war
media, repeatedly linked Iraq to the 9/11 attacks, although there
still exists no credible evidence for it. This is the essence of
the Big Lie technique, when authorities repeat an outrageous
falsehood until it is widely believed. Opinion polls and interviews
with US troops show the effectiveness of the Big Lie.
SOURCE: New York Times, April 20, 2003
NY Times: SADDAM DID 9/11 -- THE BIG LIE TACTIC WORKS AGAIN
Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels observed that "the bigger
the lie, the more people will believe it." The Big Lie technique
has worked well in Bush's war on Iraq. The New York Times reports
that "organizers of the antiwar movement lament how well the
administration argued that there was a link between Al Qaeda and
Iraq, playing on Americans' residual anger and fear after the
attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. About half the American public,
according to several polls, believed that Saddam Hussein was
personally involved in planning the attacks -- an argument the
administration did not make." On the contrary, officials including
Powell, Cheney and Bush, in tandem with Fox and other pro-war
media, repeatedly linked Iraq to the 9/11 attacks, although there
still exists no credible evidence for it. This is the essence of
the Big Lie technique, when authorities repeat an outrageous
falsehood until it is widely believed. Opinion polls and interviews
with US troops show the effectiveness of the Big Lie.
SOURCE: New York Times, April 20, 2003
PR WATCH
PRweek: PENTAGON DEALS OUT "PR PLAY OF THE WEEK"
PR Week's "PR Play of the Week” goes to the Pentagon's limited
edition playing cards, which the trade publication described as
"part troop diversion and part Most Wanted poster.” The cards
features the pictures of the of 55 top members of the fallen Iraqi
regime. "The deck's unveiling in and of itself would have amounted
to a smart PR move, as the reporters stationed at the briefing
center have grown restless in recent weeks from the perceived lack
of real information and news coming from [Brig. Gen. Vincent]
Brooks' daily briefings,” PR Week writes. "Nevertheless, besides
providing the media with at least one story that day, the Iraqi
rogues' gallery playing cards also seem to serve as a great
communications tool on at least two levels. First, the deck served
an immediate practical function by showing the troops what members
of the Iraqi regime look like. Secondly, the cards' subtlety
reinforced the notion that the Hussein regime was on the run, and
the only major wartime task left was to round up the suspects.”
According to the Guardian, the decks are being marketed in the
U.S. for more than $100.
PRwatch: PRO-WAR RALLY GETS PR HELP
"Shirley & Banister Public Affairs helped put together one of the
largest pro-Bush rallies during the Iraq war on the National Mall
in Washington, D.C., last Saturday, starring Republican
heavyweights G. Gordon Liddy, former senator and actor Fred
Thompson and Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol, among others,"
O'Dwyer's PR Daily reports. "The event, which drew between five and
ten thousand people, was staged for longtime client Citizens United
Foundation. ... The firm credentialed 60 reporters and landed
coverage on NBC, ABC, CNN and in The Washington Post, The
Washington Times and Associated Press."
SOURCE: O'Dwyer's PR Daily, April 17, 2003
PRweek: PENTAGON DEALS OUT "PR PLAY OF THE WEEK"
PR Week's "PR Play of the Week” goes to the Pentagon's limited
edition playing cards, which the trade publication described as
"part troop diversion and part Most Wanted poster.” The cards
features the pictures of the of 55 top members of the fallen Iraqi
regime. "The deck's unveiling in and of itself would have amounted
to a smart PR move, as the reporters stationed at the briefing
center have grown restless in recent weeks from the perceived lack
of real information and news coming from [Brig. Gen. Vincent]
Brooks' daily briefings,” PR Week writes. "Nevertheless, besides
providing the media with at least one story that day, the Iraqi
rogues' gallery playing cards also seem to serve as a great
communications tool on at least two levels. First, the deck served
an immediate practical function by showing the troops what members
of the Iraqi regime look like. Secondly, the cards' subtlety
reinforced the notion that the Hussein regime was on the run, and
the only major wartime task left was to round up the suspects.”
According to the Guardian, the decks are being marketed in the
U.S. for more than $100.
PRwatch: PRO-WAR RALLY GETS PR HELP
"Shirley & Banister Public Affairs helped put together one of the
largest pro-Bush rallies during the Iraq war on the National Mall
in Washington, D.C., last Saturday, starring Republican
heavyweights G. Gordon Liddy, former senator and actor Fred
Thompson and Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol, among others,"
O'Dwyer's PR Daily reports. "The event, which drew between five and
ten thousand people, was staged for longtime client Citizens United
Foundation. ... The firm credentialed 60 reporters and landed
coverage on NBC, ABC, CNN and in The Washington Post, The
Washington Times and Associated Press."
SOURCE: O'Dwyer's PR Daily, April 17, 2003
PR WATCH
Chron.com: CORPORATIONS CO-OPT EARTH DAY
"Earth Day, which began 33 years ago today as a nationwide rally to
clean up the planet, has become the latest victim of the corporate
takeover. From Houston to Hong Kong, companies are seeking to
polish their green image by sponsoring Earth Day events, which
grass-roots groups and cities struggle to fund. This year, garbage
haulers, coffee companies and even missile manufacturers are
underwriting Earth Day festivities, a public relations strategy
that has divided environmentalists and led to protests of Earth Day
itself. ... Houston Earth Day 2003, held this past Saturday ... was
made possible by a $15,000 donation by [Houston-headquartered]
Waste Management. ... 'Waste Management sponsoring Earth Day is
similar to Enron sponsoring a seminar on corporate responsibility,'
said John Stauber, [co]author of Toxic Sludge is Good for You:
Lies, Damn Lies and the Public Relations Industry, which examined
how companies disguised poor environmental records beneath glitzy
green advertising and marketing."
SOURCE: Houston Chronicle, April 22, 2003
PRwatch: RENDON'S WAR IS PEACE
The secretive Rendon Group, run by self-proclaimed "information
warrior" John Rendon, has a long history of accompanying the CIA
and Pentagon into battle. Now they have launched a project called
"Empower Peace," through which they are calling on young people
throughout the world to "help us develop an International Youth
Pledge of Peace." Does this mean they've joined the anti-war
protests? Not exactly. Empower Peace wants people "not to refer the
current political situation going on in the world today but rather
focus and emphasize on the importance of breaking down cultural
barriers in order to achieve peace."
Chron.com: CORPORATIONS CO-OPT EARTH DAY
"Earth Day, which began 33 years ago today as a nationwide rally to
clean up the planet, has become the latest victim of the corporate
takeover. From Houston to Hong Kong, companies are seeking to
polish their green image by sponsoring Earth Day events, which
grass-roots groups and cities struggle to fund. This year, garbage
haulers, coffee companies and even missile manufacturers are
underwriting Earth Day festivities, a public relations strategy
that has divided environmentalists and led to protests of Earth Day
itself. ... Houston Earth Day 2003, held this past Saturday ... was
made possible by a $15,000 donation by [Houston-headquartered]
Waste Management. ... 'Waste Management sponsoring Earth Day is
similar to Enron sponsoring a seminar on corporate responsibility,'
said John Stauber, [co]author of Toxic Sludge is Good for You:
Lies, Damn Lies and the Public Relations Industry, which examined
how companies disguised poor environmental records beneath glitzy
green advertising and marketing."
SOURCE: Houston Chronicle, April 22, 2003
PRwatch: RENDON'S WAR IS PEACE
The secretive Rendon Group, run by self-proclaimed "information
warrior" John Rendon, has a long history of accompanying the CIA
and Pentagon into battle. Now they have launched a project called
"Empower Peace," through which they are calling on young people
throughout the world to "help us develop an International Youth
Pledge of Peace." Does this mean they've joined the anti-war
protests? Not exactly. Empower Peace wants people "not to refer the
current political situation going on in the world today but rather
focus and emphasize on the importance of breaking down cultural
barriers in order to achieve peace."
PR WATCH
Fair.org: CNN'S RELIABLY NARROW SOURCES
The media watchdog FAIR/Extra! has studied the guestlist of CNN's
Reliable Sources to see how many critical voices were heard on the
program that claims to "turn a critical lens on the media."
Covering one year of weekly programs, the FAIR study found that
Reliable Sources strongly favored mainstream media insiders and
right-leaning pundits. In addition, female critics were
significantly underrepresented, and ethnic minority voices were
almost non-existent.
SOURCE: FAIR, March/April 2003
Guardian: BBC BIASED IN WAR COVERAGE
"The BBC was attacked by both sides over the Iraq war. It was the
only news organisation apart from the Sun that was targeted by
anti-war demonstrators, and senior managers apologised for the use
of biased terms such as 'liberate' in their coverage. Meanwhile,
ministers publicly criticised the BBC's alleged bias towards
Baghdad," David Miller reports for the Guardian. "The BBC argued
that criticism from all sides showed it must be getting something
right. The empirical evidence, however, suggests a pro-war
orientation. ... The BBC thus turned a blind eye to divisions in
the [UK]. A study of coverage in five countries for the Frankfurter
Allgemeine Zeitung shows that the BBC featured the lowest level of
dissent of all. Its 2% total was even lower than the 7% found on
the US channel ABC."
SOURCE: The Guardian, April 22, 2003
Fair.org: CNN'S RELIABLY NARROW SOURCES
The media watchdog FAIR/Extra! has studied the guestlist of CNN's
Reliable Sources to see how many critical voices were heard on the
program that claims to "turn a critical lens on the media."
Covering one year of weekly programs, the FAIR study found that
Reliable Sources strongly favored mainstream media insiders and
right-leaning pundits. In addition, female critics were
significantly underrepresented, and ethnic minority voices were
almost non-existent.
SOURCE: FAIR, March/April 2003
Guardian: BBC BIASED IN WAR COVERAGE
"The BBC was attacked by both sides over the Iraq war. It was the
only news organisation apart from the Sun that was targeted by
anti-war demonstrators, and senior managers apologised for the use
of biased terms such as 'liberate' in their coverage. Meanwhile,
ministers publicly criticised the BBC's alleged bias towards
Baghdad," David Miller reports for the Guardian. "The BBC argued
that criticism from all sides showed it must be getting something
right. The empirical evidence, however, suggests a pro-war
orientation. ... The BBC thus turned a blind eye to divisions in
the [UK]. A study of coverage in five countries for the Frankfurter
Allgemeine Zeitung shows that the BBC featured the lowest level of
dissent of all. Its 2% total was even lower than the 7% found on
the US channel ABC."
SOURCE: The Guardian, April 22, 2003
Tuesday, April 22, 2003
IRAQ
Tages Anzeiger: Journalisten-Hotel nicht erkannt
Der Kommandant einer US-Panzereinheit, durch deren Beschuss im Bagdader Hotel «Palestine» zwei Kameramänner starben, will nicht über den Aufenthalt von Journalisten in dem Gebäude informiert gewesen sein.
Bei dem Beschuss des Hotels am 8. April waren ein Kameramann der Nachrichtenagentur Reuters und ein Kollege des spanischen Fernsehsenders Tele 5 ums Leben gekommen. Drei weitere Reuters-Mitarbeiter wurden verletzt.
Das französische Magazin «Nouvel Observateur» zitierte US-Hauptmann Philip Wolford mit den Worten, er habe den Beschuss freigegeben, nachdem seine Männer auf dem Dach des Hotels eine Person mit einem Fernglas gesehen habe.
Tages Anzeiger: Journalisten-Hotel nicht erkannt
Der Kommandant einer US-Panzereinheit, durch deren Beschuss im Bagdader Hotel «Palestine» zwei Kameramänner starben, will nicht über den Aufenthalt von Journalisten in dem Gebäude informiert gewesen sein.
Bei dem Beschuss des Hotels am 8. April waren ein Kameramann der Nachrichtenagentur Reuters und ein Kollege des spanischen Fernsehsenders Tele 5 ums Leben gekommen. Drei weitere Reuters-Mitarbeiter wurden verletzt.
Das französische Magazin «Nouvel Observateur» zitierte US-Hauptmann Philip Wolford mit den Worten, er habe den Beschuss freigegeben, nachdem seine Männer auf dem Dach des Hotels eine Person mit einem Fernglas gesehen habe.
ARGENTINIEN
Tages Anzeiger: Strassenschlacht in Buenos Aires
Bei gewaltsamen Protesten in Buenos Aires sind sechs Tage vor der argentinischen Präsidentenwahl nach offiziellen Angaben mindestens 31 Menschen verletzt worden. Die Polizei setzte Tränengas und Gummigeschosse ein.
Diese wollten die Arbeiter einer bankrotten Textilfabrik unterstützen. Die Arbeiter hatten versucht, die stillgelegte Fabrik «Brukman» im Balvanera-Viertel der argentinischen Hauptstadt aus eigener Kraft wieder in Betrieb zu nehmen.
Firmenvertreter sagten, die Besetzer verkauften die Maschinen und zerstörten die Produktionsanlagen. Am Freitag hatte ein Gericht die Räumung der Gebäude angeordnet.
Tages Anzeiger: Strassenschlacht in Buenos Aires
Bei gewaltsamen Protesten in Buenos Aires sind sechs Tage vor der argentinischen Präsidentenwahl nach offiziellen Angaben mindestens 31 Menschen verletzt worden. Die Polizei setzte Tränengas und Gummigeschosse ein.
Diese wollten die Arbeiter einer bankrotten Textilfabrik unterstützen. Die Arbeiter hatten versucht, die stillgelegte Fabrik «Brukman» im Balvanera-Viertel der argentinischen Hauptstadt aus eigener Kraft wieder in Betrieb zu nehmen.
Firmenvertreter sagten, die Besetzer verkauften die Maschinen und zerstörten die Produktionsanlagen. Am Freitag hatte ein Gericht die Räumung der Gebäude angeordnet.
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