BURN DOWN BABYLON: G8 PARANOIA
Indymedia: Eine Stadt verfällt dem Wahnsinn
In Evian (Frankreich) findet vom 1. bis zum 3. Juni der Gipfel der acht mächtigsten Industrienationen statt. Dieses Ereignis lässt eine ganze Region dem Wahnsinn verfallen.
In Genf (Schweiz) werden Schulen und Geschäfte vorübergehend geschlossen, Abschlussprüfungen werden verschoben etc..
Die Kloakenpresse heizt seit Wochen die Stimmung an. So wurde angekündigt, die Post stelle ihren Dienst während des Gipfels ein. Aus Sorge um die Sicherheit der Briefträger. Dieses Vorhaben wurde bereits gestern rückgängig gemacht.
Heute war zu lesen, dass die Kantonsspitäler in Genf und Lausanne geplante Operationen verschieben, das Personal sei in Alarmbereitschaft versetzt worden, um allfälligen schwerverletzten DemonstrantInnen eine angemessene Notfallversorgung zu gewährleisten. Im „Le Matin“ von heute wird Henry Corbaz, der Direktor des CHUV (Kantonsspital des Kantons Wadt) zitiert, es seien Massnahmen getroffen worden um den möglichen Fluss von Schweverletzten zu bewältigen. In dieses Szenario sei auch das Kantonsspital Zürich eingebunden. Die Spitäler sind offensichtlich Teil des repressiven Dispositives.
Blick: Europas Chaoten unterwegs nach Genf und Lausanne
Europas Chaoten drohen:
«Wir werden überall sein»
LAUSANNE. Die ersten G8-Demonstranten sind schon am Genfersee und tausende weitere im Anmarsch. Und sie drohen mit Demos und Blockaden rund um den See.
«Wir starten mit einem Sonderzug in Berlin, fahren quer durch Deutschland und sind dann am Donnerstag in Genf. Der Zug ist mit 1000 Demonstranten ausgebucht. Dazu kommen organisierte Busfahrten», sagt Malte Kreutzfeldt von «Attac-Deutschland». Allein «Attac» wird mit rund 3000 Demonstranten nach Genf reisen. Kreutzfeldt: «Wir werden Blockaden errichten, aber auf keinen Fall Gewalt anwenden.»
3000 weitere G8-Gegner aus Deutschland haben ihre Reise privat organisiert. Ihr Ziel: Lausanne.
Arthur G. aus Karlsruhe zu BLICK: «In Genf wird friedlich demonstriert. In Lausanne treffen wir uns dann mit dem harten Kern der Globalisierungsgegner.» Und G. droht: «Wenn die Schweizer Polizei uns so provoziert wie die Italiener beim Gipfel in Genua, können wir für nichts garantieren.»
Indymedia: G8: Orginal-Schiessbefehl der Schweizer Armee
SELBSTSTÄNDIGER ÜBERWACHUNGSAUFTRAG
ALLGEMEINER AUFTRAG
Im Rahmen eines Assistenzdienstes zu Gunsten des Gipfels von Evian lautet ihr Auftrag: "Überwacht einen Raum oder eine Einrichtung."
Ihr Kommandant trägt die Einsatzverantwortung.
AUFTRAG AN DIE TRUPPE
- Sie stellen durch Beobachten und Horchen Aktivitäten oder Veränderungen in einem Raum oder an Objekten fest, um die Führung von Überraschungen zu schützen;
- Sie alarmieren umgehend Ihren direkten Vorgesetzten wenn Sie eine konkrete Feststellung oder unmittelbare Bedrohung ausmachen;
- Sie können Personen, welche versuchen in den überwachten Raum einzudringen, vorübergehend festnehmen oder an der Flucht hindern;
- Sie können zur Notwehr und Notwehrhilfe von der Schusswaffe Gebrauch machen.
GRUNDPRINZIPIEN
Dialog
Deeskalation
Intervention
ALLGEMEINE REGELN
1. Sie geben grundsätzlich keine Informationen betreffend Ihres Auftrages oder Ihrer Feststellungen;
2. Sie verhalten sich jederzeit korrekt und enthalten sich jeglicher diskriminierender Äusserungen (z.B. duzen oder entwürdigende Ausdrücke);
3. Sie wenden nur die zur Erfüllung Ihres Auftrages minimal nötige Gewalt an (Verhältnismässigkeit)
DER GEBRAUCH DER SCHUSSWAFFE IST ERLAUBT
1. Im Falle eines unrechtmässigen Angriffs oder wenn ein solcher auf Sie oder eine Drittperson unmittelbar bevorsteht, haben Sie das Recht, diesen Angriff mit angemessenen Mittel abzuwehren, um die Gefahr abzuwenden;
2. Wenn Sie oder eine Drittperson am Leben oder körperlicher Unversehrtheit bedroht sind, dürfen Sie als äusserstes Mittel von der Schusswaffe Gebrauch machen, wenn andere Mittel zur Abwehr der Gefahr nicht genügen;
3. Gebrauchen Sie nicht mehr Gewalt, als zur Abwehr der Gefahr oder zur Erfüllung Ihres Auftrages unbedingt notwendig ist.
WARNRUF
Wenn es die Umstände zulassen, ist folgender Warnruf zu machen: Armée suisse! Halte ou je tire!
WARNSCHUSS
Ein Warnschuss darf nur abgegeben werden, sofern die Umstände die Wirkung eines Warnrufs vereiteln
FEUERERÖFFNUNG
- Sie sind persönlich für den Einsatz ihrer Waffe verantwortlich;
- In folgenden Fällen haben sie das Recht von Ihrer Schusswaffe Gebrauch zu machen:
a) Angriffe mit Schuss-, Stich- und Hiebwaffen, brennenden Gegenständen, usw;
b) Sämtliche anderen gefährlichen und gewaltsamen Angriffe, auch ohne Waffe, eines physisch oder zahlenmässig stark überlegenen Gegners (Notwehr/Nothilfe).
- Wenn Sie das Feuer eröffnen müssen, verhindern Sie nach Möglichkeit schwerwiegende Verletzungen;
- Nach dem Schusswaffengebrauch leisten Sie dem Verletzten 1. Hilfe und informieren Ihren Vorgesetzten.
Tagesanzeiger: Zürich vor dem G-8: «Es gibt kein ruhiges Hinterland»
Während Genf dem G-8-Gipfel mit Angst entgegensieht, bleibt ganz Zürich ungerührt. Ganz Zürich? Nein, eine kleine Schar rüstet zum Kampf
Attac: G8 INFO
"BURN IT DOWN"
Wednesday, May 28, 2003
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
FFF: Property Rights and the “Right of Return”
The Israeli government has been taking the position that any hope for a permanent peace settlement with the Palestinians must be preceded by a number of preconditions. One of the leading preconditions is that the Palestinian authority reject any claim for a “right of return.”
What this refers to is the fact that, during the 1948 war for Israeli independence against the surrounding Arab countries, thousands of Palestinian Arab families left those parts of Palestine controlled or occupied by Israeli military forces. Some of these families left because they found themselves in the line of fire. Others left out of fear of living under Israeli rule. And still others left because of appeals by surrounding Arab governments to clear out of the way of their advancing armies
FFF: Property Rights and the “Right of Return”
The Israeli government has been taking the position that any hope for a permanent peace settlement with the Palestinians must be preceded by a number of preconditions. One of the leading preconditions is that the Palestinian authority reject any claim for a “right of return.”
What this refers to is the fact that, during the 1948 war for Israeli independence against the surrounding Arab countries, thousands of Palestinian Arab families left those parts of Palestine controlled or occupied by Israeli military forces. Some of these families left because they found themselves in the line of fire. Others left out of fear of living under Israeli rule. And still others left because of appeals by surrounding Arab governments to clear out of the way of their advancing armies
IRAQ
Swissinfo: Iraqi thieves queue up to plunder pipelines
ZUBAYR, Iraq (Reuters) - Riding a ramshackle donkey cart through the desert wastes of southern Iraq, 15-year-old
Abdullah and his nine-year-old brother Mohammed have taken up a lucrative but deadly trade -- stealing petrol from
pipelines.
Evading British military patrols and gangs of rival looters, they tap into the rusting pipelines running through the desert
from Basra's decrepit refinery, siphoning off petrol that they sell on the black market to feed their family.
In the ruined industrial wasteland south of Basra, among lakes of leaked oil and the skeletons of factories stripped bare
by looters, locals have discovered an emergency valve in a high-pressure pipeline where they can steal as much petrol as
they want -- as long as the British don't catch them.
"We are Iraqis and this is our oil," said Abdullah, a thin teenager in a grubby grey robe. "Why shouldn't we take it? We
have more right to it than foreigners. And we need to eat."
Swissinfo: Iraqi thieves queue up to plunder pipelines
ZUBAYR, Iraq (Reuters) - Riding a ramshackle donkey cart through the desert wastes of southern Iraq, 15-year-old
Abdullah and his nine-year-old brother Mohammed have taken up a lucrative but deadly trade -- stealing petrol from
pipelines.
Evading British military patrols and gangs of rival looters, they tap into the rusting pipelines running through the desert
from Basra's decrepit refinery, siphoning off petrol that they sell on the black market to feed their family.
In the ruined industrial wasteland south of Basra, among lakes of leaked oil and the skeletons of factories stripped bare
by looters, locals have discovered an emergency valve in a high-pressure pipeline where they can steal as much petrol as
they want -- as long as the British don't catch them.
"We are Iraqis and this is our oil," said Abdullah, a thin teenager in a grubby grey robe. "Why shouldn't we take it? We
have more right to it than foreigners. And we need to eat."
BRITAIN
ZMAG: Britain Supports Terrorism by John Pilger
In recent weeks, a number of apparently unrelated news reports have, in sum, told a truth that is never reported. According to Human Rights Watch, thousands of British and American cluster bombs were fired at and dropped on civilian areas in Iraq. British artillery fired more than 2,000 of them at Basra. Each shell scatters bomblets over a wide area, and many fail to explode. Their victims are "not known", says the Ministry of Defence. They are known. They are often children; Iraq's population is almost half children.
At the same time, HMS Turbulent, a nuclear-powered submarine, returned to Plymouth flying the Jolly Roger, the pirates' emblem. This vessel fired 30 American Tomahawk cruise missiles at Iraq, at a cost to the British taxpayer of £21m. What did they hit? How many people did they kill or maim in this nation of sick people and disproportionate numbers of children? The commander would only say that he was "proud to be called forward".
Readers will remember the patriotic calls to "support the troops" regardless of one's misgivings about the war. Why a non-conscripted force deserved our "support" in its illegal and craven actions against a weak and stricken nation was never explained by any politician, newspaper or broadcaster
"CHECK IT"
ZMAG: Britain Supports Terrorism by John Pilger
In recent weeks, a number of apparently unrelated news reports have, in sum, told a truth that is never reported. According to Human Rights Watch, thousands of British and American cluster bombs were fired at and dropped on civilian areas in Iraq. British artillery fired more than 2,000 of them at Basra. Each shell scatters bomblets over a wide area, and many fail to explode. Their victims are "not known", says the Ministry of Defence. They are known. They are often children; Iraq's population is almost half children.
At the same time, HMS Turbulent, a nuclear-powered submarine, returned to Plymouth flying the Jolly Roger, the pirates' emblem. This vessel fired 30 American Tomahawk cruise missiles at Iraq, at a cost to the British taxpayer of £21m. What did they hit? How many people did they kill or maim in this nation of sick people and disproportionate numbers of children? The commander would only say that he was "proud to be called forward".
Readers will remember the patriotic calls to "support the troops" regardless of one's misgivings about the war. Why a non-conscripted force deserved our "support" in its illegal and craven actions against a weak and stricken nation was never explained by any politician, newspaper or broadcaster
"CHECK IT"
IRAQ
Bushwarblog: Trouble in the Hinterlands
Now we begin to see what synergy is all about. There's bad news for the Bush administration from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel. Late last week Richard Lugar, the Republican chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, publicly scolded the Bushmen and warned them that their victory in Iraq was "at risk." But Lugar pulled what might have been his most effective punch when he rather delicately pointed out that continued failure in Iraq would create "an incubator for terrorist cells and activity." The incubator Lugar alludes to is more like a factory, and it has been pumping out product since the invasion of Afghanistan. You have only to look to the waves of foreign volunteers who streamed into Iraq to wage jihad against the Americans at the outset of the war--more than 10,000, according to the European press. And events since then have no doubt galvanized countless more.
Bushwarblog: Trouble in the Hinterlands
Now we begin to see what synergy is all about. There's bad news for the Bush administration from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel. Late last week Richard Lugar, the Republican chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, publicly scolded the Bushmen and warned them that their victory in Iraq was "at risk." But Lugar pulled what might have been his most effective punch when he rather delicately pointed out that continued failure in Iraq would create "an incubator for terrorist cells and activity." The incubator Lugar alludes to is more like a factory, and it has been pumping out product since the invasion of Afghanistan. You have only to look to the waves of foreign volunteers who streamed into Iraq to wage jihad against the Americans at the outset of the war--more than 10,000, according to the European press. And events since then have no doubt galvanized countless more.
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
ABCnews: Israelis Shoot at Diplomatic Cars in Gaza -Sources
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli troops shot at a convoy of diplomatic vehicles at a military roadblock in the Gaza Strip on Monday, twice hitting the windshield of one of the cars but causing no injuries, diplomatic sources said.
The diplomats were badly shaken by the incident as the small convoy was stopped leaving the town of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, close to the main Erez crossing with Israel, the sources said.
They said the convoy included representatives of Switzerland, Britain, Greece, Sweden, and Austria.
A Swiss Foreign Ministry spokesman said its representative to the Palestinian Authority and a colleague had come under Israeli fire at a Gaza roadblock on Monday but was unhurt.
ABCnews: Israelis Shoot at Diplomatic Cars in Gaza -Sources
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli troops shot at a convoy of diplomatic vehicles at a military roadblock in the Gaza Strip on Monday, twice hitting the windshield of one of the cars but causing no injuries, diplomatic sources said.
The diplomats were badly shaken by the incident as the small convoy was stopped leaving the town of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, close to the main Erez crossing with Israel, the sources said.
They said the convoy included representatives of Switzerland, Britain, Greece, Sweden, and Austria.
A Swiss Foreign Ministry spokesman said its representative to the Palestinian Authority and a colleague had come under Israeli fire at a Gaza roadblock on Monday but was unhurt.
BILDERBERG
Americanfreepress: Bilderberg Puts Heat on ‘Loose Cannon’ Bush Over Mideast Policy
Never has a president of the United States been under such Bilderberg pressure as the current George Bush. All U.S. presidents since Richard Nixon have had membership in, or close ties to, the world shadow government.
VERSAILLES, France—President Bush is under heavy Bilderberg pressure to monetarily punish Israel unless the peace process progresses and to share the spoils of war on Iraq with Europe.
Bilderberg also hotly debated establishing a European Union army independent of NATO, whether to accept Turkey into the EU and punishing Belgium because of the rise of a “right wing” party (see related story on page 15).
Americanfreepress: Bilderberg Puts Heat on ‘Loose Cannon’ Bush Over Mideast Policy
Never has a president of the United States been under such Bilderberg pressure as the current George Bush. All U.S. presidents since Richard Nixon have had membership in, or close ties to, the world shadow government.
VERSAILLES, France—President Bush is under heavy Bilderberg pressure to monetarily punish Israel unless the peace process progresses and to share the spoils of war on Iraq with Europe.
Bilderberg also hotly debated establishing a European Union army independent of NATO, whether to accept Turkey into the EU and punishing Belgium because of the rise of a “right wing” party (see related story on page 15).
IRAQ
Islamonline: Four U.S. Soldiers Killed In Iraq, Iraqis More Furious
BAGHDAD, May 26 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Four U.S. soldiers were killed and six others wounded amid a flare-up of resistance activity and street violence Monday, May 27, that highlighted the continuing dangers in Iraq.
Iraqi gunmen fired machineguns and rocket-propelled grenades at a convoy of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment near Haditha, 110 miles northwest of Baghdad, a U.S. statement said.
Hours later, an explosion rocked a U.S. military convoy on the outskirts of Baghdad, killing one soldier and wounding three others and destroying their Humvee military car.
"They deserved it and they deserve more. They are occupiers, not liberators," said Ali Abbas, a resident of the Amiriyah area in western Baghdad, to Reuters.
Islamonline: Four U.S. Soldiers Killed In Iraq, Iraqis More Furious
BAGHDAD, May 26 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Four U.S. soldiers were killed and six others wounded amid a flare-up of resistance activity and street violence Monday, May 27, that highlighted the continuing dangers in Iraq.
Iraqi gunmen fired machineguns and rocket-propelled grenades at a convoy of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment near Haditha, 110 miles northwest of Baghdad, a U.S. statement said.
Hours later, an explosion rocked a U.S. military convoy on the outskirts of Baghdad, killing one soldier and wounding three others and destroying their Humvee military car.
"They deserved it and they deserve more. They are occupiers, not liberators," said Ali Abbas, a resident of the Amiriyah area in western Baghdad, to Reuters.
IRAN
Pakistan Dawn: US lawmakers urge covert action to topple Iran govt
WASHINGTON, May 26: US lawmakers are urging the Bush administration to topple the government in Iran through covert action.
Speaking on television talk shows over the three-day weekend, which ends on Monday, the lawmakers said they believed US intelligence reports that Iran was harbouring Al Qaeda operatives.
Iran, however, has rejected these allegations as baseless and on Monday a government spokesman in Tehran said they have arrested several Al Qaeda suspects.
Senator Joseph Lieberman, a Democratic presidential hopeful, told Fox News that "a regime change in Iran" would help reduce tensions in the Middle East." Senator Pat Roberts, the Republican chairman of the Senate intelligence panel, urged the US government to send "a strong signal" to Tehran that it was supporting "a regime change in Iran."
Pakistan Dawn: US lawmakers urge covert action to topple Iran govt
WASHINGTON, May 26: US lawmakers are urging the Bush administration to topple the government in Iran through covert action.
Speaking on television talk shows over the three-day weekend, which ends on Monday, the lawmakers said they believed US intelligence reports that Iran was harbouring Al Qaeda operatives.
Iran, however, has rejected these allegations as baseless and on Monday a government spokesman in Tehran said they have arrested several Al Qaeda suspects.
Senator Joseph Lieberman, a Democratic presidential hopeful, told Fox News that "a regime change in Iran" would help reduce tensions in the Middle East." Senator Pat Roberts, the Republican chairman of the Senate intelligence panel, urged the US government to send "a strong signal" to Tehran that it was supporting "a regime change in Iran."
IRAQ
News24: Tension simmers in Iraq
Baghdad - Tensions between US-led occupation authorities and Iraq's
residents came to the fore on Sunday as the government in the country's
second- largest city was dismissed amid rising popular discontent. But
the top US civilian administrator, Paul Bremer, struck a more hopeful note
on a visit to Iraq's only deep-water port at Umm Qasr, where he examined
reconstruction efforts, and some public service workers were paid.
Bremer declared Iraq "open for business" as he watched ships unloading food
aid just a few days after the lifting of UN sanctions. "I think this is
really a wonderful indication of how things are getting better in Iraq," he
said.
"Open for Business. Open for American Business"
News24: Tension simmers in Iraq
Baghdad - Tensions between US-led occupation authorities and Iraq's
residents came to the fore on Sunday as the government in the country's
second- largest city was dismissed amid rising popular discontent. But
the top US civilian administrator, Paul Bremer, struck a more hopeful note
on a visit to Iraq's only deep-water port at Umm Qasr, where he examined
reconstruction efforts, and some public service workers were paid.
Bremer declared Iraq "open for business" as he watched ships unloading food
aid just a few days after the lifting of UN sanctions. "I think this is
really a wonderful indication of how things are getting better in Iraq," he
said.
"Open for Business. Open for American Business"
IRAQ
Guardian: UN chief warns of anti-American backlash in Iraq
The UN's most senior humanitarian official in Iraq warned yesterday that US attempts to rebuild the country were overly dominated by "ideology" and risked triggering a violent backlash.
Ramiro Lopes da Silva said the sudden decision last week to demobilise 400,000 Iraqi soldiers without any re-employment programme could generate a "low-intensity conflict" in the countryside.
"The reconstruction of minds is as important. We cannot force through an ideological process too much," said Mr Lopes da Silva, 54, a Portuguese UN official who served in Angola and Afghanistan before becoming the humanitarian coordinator in Iraq last year.
In unusually frank comments, he said the first three weeks after the collapse of the Iraqi regime were characterised by "talk about grandiose plans and a lot of promises but there were no decisions".
Guardian: UN chief warns of anti-American backlash in Iraq
The UN's most senior humanitarian official in Iraq warned yesterday that US attempts to rebuild the country were overly dominated by "ideology" and risked triggering a violent backlash.
Ramiro Lopes da Silva said the sudden decision last week to demobilise 400,000 Iraqi soldiers without any re-employment programme could generate a "low-intensity conflict" in the countryside.
"The reconstruction of minds is as important. We cannot force through an ideological process too much," said Mr Lopes da Silva, 54, a Portuguese UN official who served in Angola and Afghanistan before becoming the humanitarian coordinator in Iraq last year.
In unusually frank comments, he said the first three weeks after the collapse of the Iraqi regime were characterised by "talk about grandiose plans and a lot of promises but there were no decisions".
ISRAEL
the Nation: Road Map or Road Kill?
Apparently having learned nothing from the collapse of earlier efforts, the mainly American drafters of the road map included several features that almost guarantee its failure. One is the absence of a fixed timetable. Thus either party (in practice the Israelis, if the past is any indication) can hold up movement from stage to stage and within each stage. Another feature is the addition of interim phases to a process that is already prolonged. This means, in effect, the postponement of the most difficult aspect of the resolution of the conflict--the negotiation of issues like settlements, sovereignty, Jerusalem and refugees--until a third phase, which, if past practice is any guide, means indefinitely.
the Nation: Road Map or Road Kill?
Apparently having learned nothing from the collapse of earlier efforts, the mainly American drafters of the road map included several features that almost guarantee its failure. One is the absence of a fixed timetable. Thus either party (in practice the Israelis, if the past is any indication) can hold up movement from stage to stage and within each stage. Another feature is the addition of interim phases to a process that is already prolonged. This means, in effect, the postponement of the most difficult aspect of the resolution of the conflict--the negotiation of issues like settlements, sovereignty, Jerusalem and refugees--until a third phase, which, if past practice is any guide, means indefinitely.
IRAQ
ZMAG: Terminating the Bush Juggernaut by Jeremy Brecher (very long article)
Introduction
The Bush administration is presenting itself to the world as a juggernaut – a “massive inexorable force that advances irresistibly, crushing whatever is in its path.”[1] Bush’s National Security Strategy envisions its “war against terrorism” as “a global enterprise of uncertain duration.” It says the US will act against “emerging threats before they are fully formed.”[2] The Bush administration envisions the coming decades as a continuation of recent US demands, threats, and wars. It intends to continue the aggressive behavior already illustrated by war on Afghanistan and Iraq, armed intervention in the Philippines and Columbia, and threats against Syria, Iran, and North Korea. The Bush administration and its successors are likely to continue this juggernaut until they are made to stop.
As the Bush administration sought global support for its attack on Iraq, the New York Times wrote, “The fracturing of the Western alliance over Iraq and the huge antiwar demonstrations around the world this weekend are reminders that there may still be two superpowers on the planet: the United States and world opinion.”[3] But is that “tenacious new adversary” with whom President Bush appeared “eyeball to eyeball” really a superpower, or is it just a well-intentioned but ineffective protest against the inexorable advance of the Bush juggernaut
ZMAG: Terminating the Bush Juggernaut by Jeremy Brecher (very long article)
Introduction
The Bush administration is presenting itself to the world as a juggernaut – a “massive inexorable force that advances irresistibly, crushing whatever is in its path.”[1] Bush’s National Security Strategy envisions its “war against terrorism” as “a global enterprise of uncertain duration.” It says the US will act against “emerging threats before they are fully formed.”[2] The Bush administration envisions the coming decades as a continuation of recent US demands, threats, and wars. It intends to continue the aggressive behavior already illustrated by war on Afghanistan and Iraq, armed intervention in the Philippines and Columbia, and threats against Syria, Iran, and North Korea. The Bush administration and its successors are likely to continue this juggernaut until they are made to stop.
As the Bush administration sought global support for its attack on Iraq, the New York Times wrote, “The fracturing of the Western alliance over Iraq and the huge antiwar demonstrations around the world this weekend are reminders that there may still be two superpowers on the planet: the United States and world opinion.”[3] But is that “tenacious new adversary” with whom President Bush appeared “eyeball to eyeball” really a superpower, or is it just a well-intentioned but ineffective protest against the inexorable advance of the Bush juggernaut
Tuesday, May 27, 2003
OIL
BBC: Iraq halts Russian and Chinese oil deals
The US-run Iraqi administration has cancelled or suspended three oil contracts with Russian and Chinese firms signed by the ousted government of Saddam Hussein.
BBC: Iraq halts Russian and Chinese oil deals
The US-run Iraqi administration has cancelled or suspended three oil contracts with Russian and Chinese firms signed by the ousted government of Saddam Hussein.
AFGHANISTAN
Common Dreams: On the Roads of Ruin
Tony Blair vowed that the West would not walk away from Afghanistan. But in a remarkable journey, meeting militia leaders and the heavily guarded President, Peter Oborne found a nation left to fend for itself - and Taliban thugs undeterred
by Peter Oborne
Common Dreams: On the Roads of Ruin
Tony Blair vowed that the West would not walk away from Afghanistan. But in a remarkable journey, meeting militia leaders and the heavily guarded President, Peter Oborne found a nation left to fend for itself - and Taliban thugs undeterred
by Peter Oborne
IRAQ
Omaha: Iraq's lost children turning to drugs
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Ahmed Abid Sadeh is waiting to inhale.
Just 12 years old, he stares vacantly with bloodshot eyes. He tugs at his soiled red-and-white striped shirt and staggers around the filthy public park, where he sleeps at night and gets high by day.
Removing a dirty blue rag from his pocket, Ahmed douses it with ether and takes a big whiff. By 6 p.m., he has consumed half a clear glass bottle that once held cough medicine. When asked why he likes to get high, he can barely stitch together the words.
"I do it to forget my parents. I do it to forget everything," he said.
Omaha: Iraq's lost children turning to drugs
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Ahmed Abid Sadeh is waiting to inhale.
Just 12 years old, he stares vacantly with bloodshot eyes. He tugs at his soiled red-and-white striped shirt and staggers around the filthy public park, where he sleeps at night and gets high by day.
Removing a dirty blue rag from his pocket, Ahmed douses it with ether and takes a big whiff. By 6 p.m., he has consumed half a clear glass bottle that once held cough medicine. When asked why he likes to get high, he can barely stitch together the words.
"I do it to forget my parents. I do it to forget everything," he said.
ISRAEL
Ananova: Israel approves Palestinians' right to a state
The Israeli Cabinet has approved an American-backed peace plan which envisages a Palestinian state by 2005, but attached a number of conditions.
The Cabinet approved the plan in a vote by by 12 to seven, with four abstentions.
The vote marks the first time that an Israeli Government has formally affirmed the Palestinians' right to statehood.
Ananova: Israel approves Palestinians' right to a state
The Israeli Cabinet has approved an American-backed peace plan which envisages a Palestinian state by 2005, but attached a number of conditions.
The Cabinet approved the plan in a vote by by 12 to seven, with four abstentions.
The vote marks the first time that an Israeli Government has formally affirmed the Palestinians' right to statehood.
IRAQ
Straitstimes: 10 weeks on and still no 'smoking gun'
RUTBAH (Iraq) -- Frustrated weapons hunters are turning away from outdated US intelligence leads, which have failed to turn up any evidence of chemical, biological or nuclear arms in Iraq after 10 weeks.
Teams are now moving towards their own intelligence gathering, based on interviews with Iraqi scientists, factory workers and even neighbours who lived near shadowy operations once run by Saddam Hussein.
The switch comes at a time of lowered expectations and increased frustration among the searchers.
US President George W. Bush has said he began the war to disarm Saddam. But there has been no sign of either the ousted leader or the weapons he long denied having.
In the war's early days, American officers said they expected to find such huge stockpiles of unconventional weapons that their main concern was whether they had enough people to destroy the materials.
Straitstimes: 10 weeks on and still no 'smoking gun'
RUTBAH (Iraq) -- Frustrated weapons hunters are turning away from outdated US intelligence leads, which have failed to turn up any evidence of chemical, biological or nuclear arms in Iraq after 10 weeks.
Teams are now moving towards their own intelligence gathering, based on interviews with Iraqi scientists, factory workers and even neighbours who lived near shadowy operations once run by Saddam Hussein.
The switch comes at a time of lowered expectations and increased frustration among the searchers.
US President George W. Bush has said he began the war to disarm Saddam. But there has been no sign of either the ousted leader or the weapons he long denied having.
In the war's early days, American officers said they expected to find such huge stockpiles of unconventional weapons that their main concern was whether they had enough people to destroy the materials.
USBEKISTAN
Guardian: US looks away as new ally tortures Islamists
Abdulkhalil was arrested in the fields of Uzbekistan's Ferghana valley in August last year. The 28-year-old farmer was sentenced to 16 years in prison for "trying to overthrow the constitutional structures".
Last week his father saw him for the first time since that day on a stretcher in a prison hospital. His head was battered and his tongue was so swollen that he could only say that he had "been kept in water for a long time".
Abdulkhalil was a victim of Uzbekistan's security service, the SNB. His detention and torture were part of a crackdown on Hizb-ut-Tahrir (Party of Liberation), an Islamist group.
Independent human rights groups estimate that there are more than 600 politically motivated arrests a year in Uzbekistan, and 6,500 political prisoners, some tortured to death. According to a forensic report commissioned by the British embassy, in August two prisoners were even boiled to death.
The US condemned this repression for many years. But since September 11 rewrote America's strategic interests in central Asia, the government of President Islam Karimov has become Washington's new best friend in the region.
The US is funding those it once condemned. Last year Washington gave Uzbekistan $500m (£300m) in aid.
Guardian: US looks away as new ally tortures Islamists
Abdulkhalil was arrested in the fields of Uzbekistan's Ferghana valley in August last year. The 28-year-old farmer was sentenced to 16 years in prison for "trying to overthrow the constitutional structures".
Last week his father saw him for the first time since that day on a stretcher in a prison hospital. His head was battered and his tongue was so swollen that he could only say that he had "been kept in water for a long time".
Abdulkhalil was a victim of Uzbekistan's security service, the SNB. His detention and torture were part of a crackdown on Hizb-ut-Tahrir (Party of Liberation), an Islamist group.
Independent human rights groups estimate that there are more than 600 politically motivated arrests a year in Uzbekistan, and 6,500 political prisoners, some tortured to death. According to a forensic report commissioned by the British embassy, in August two prisoners were even boiled to death.
The US condemned this repression for many years. But since September 11 rewrote America's strategic interests in central Asia, the government of President Islam Karimov has become Washington's new best friend in the region.
The US is funding those it once condemned. Last year Washington gave Uzbekistan $500m (£300m) in aid.
ACEH
Independent: Summary executions become routine in Aceh as Jakarta's generals break their promises
The handsome young army captain with the elegant moustache lit another cigarette and placed it between his perfect white teeth. "You must understand," he said, languidly blowing a smoke ring into the air. "We want to protect human rights. We don't want to kill the wrong people."
Two miles down the road, the village of Seunade has just experienced the Indonesian military's interpretation of protecting human rights.
On Friday, three men were gunned down on a bridge as they walked home after harvesting rice in the paddy fields. The following day soldiers returned and dragged two men out of their houses, shooting them dead in front of their terrified families.
"Und die USA, Japan, Australien und die EU senden munter weitere Truppen und Geld nach Indonesien. Alle diese Länder stellen sich gerne als Hüter der Menschenrechte dar, unterstützen aber weiterhin weltweit Regimes die ebendiese Rechte mit Füssen treten solange sie ihren Interessen dienen. Die ganze Heuchelei ist zum Kotzen aber dafür können wir am Abend mit einem guten Gewissen einschlafen"
ZMAG: People Are Going To Be Slaughtered
Delivering the 25th annual Menzies lecture last October, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer declared that "bit by bit, leaders of governments that suppress human rights are being made to feel uncomfortable, however much they bluster and hide behind sovereignty arguments".
ZMAG: All In The Timing
Indonesia invades Aceh
Timing is everything, as they say. The day before East Timor celebrated the anniversary of its independence from Indonesia, the Jakarta government launched an all-out attack on another independence movement, this time in Aceh, a northern Sumatran province rich in oil and natural gas. The 30-50,000 Indonesian troops, covered by warships and fighter jets, constitute the largest military operation since, yes, the invasion of East Timor in 1975. Their overarching mission has been clearly defined by General Endriartono Sutarto: "You must chase and wipe out GAM [the Free Aceh Movement]...you are trained to kill, so wipe them out." (1)
ZMAG: Aceh
In trying to justify the actions of the Indonesian Military (TNI) in Indonesia's westernmost province of Aceh, Indonesia's foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda says that nothing less than the future of the state is at stake. Wirayuda may be right, but not in the way that he thinks.
The behavior of the TNI in Aceh has, by all accounts, been appalling since it started its most recent campaign. The reports published here and elsewhere are disturbing enough.
Independent: Summary executions become routine in Aceh as Jakarta's generals break their promises
The handsome young army captain with the elegant moustache lit another cigarette and placed it between his perfect white teeth. "You must understand," he said, languidly blowing a smoke ring into the air. "We want to protect human rights. We don't want to kill the wrong people."
Two miles down the road, the village of Seunade has just experienced the Indonesian military's interpretation of protecting human rights.
On Friday, three men were gunned down on a bridge as they walked home after harvesting rice in the paddy fields. The following day soldiers returned and dragged two men out of their houses, shooting them dead in front of their terrified families.
"Und die USA, Japan, Australien und die EU senden munter weitere Truppen und Geld nach Indonesien. Alle diese Länder stellen sich gerne als Hüter der Menschenrechte dar, unterstützen aber weiterhin weltweit Regimes die ebendiese Rechte mit Füssen treten solange sie ihren Interessen dienen. Die ganze Heuchelei ist zum Kotzen aber dafür können wir am Abend mit einem guten Gewissen einschlafen"
ZMAG: People Are Going To Be Slaughtered
Delivering the 25th annual Menzies lecture last October, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer declared that "bit by bit, leaders of governments that suppress human rights are being made to feel uncomfortable, however much they bluster and hide behind sovereignty arguments".
ZMAG: All In The Timing
Indonesia invades Aceh
Timing is everything, as they say. The day before East Timor celebrated the anniversary of its independence from Indonesia, the Jakarta government launched an all-out attack on another independence movement, this time in Aceh, a northern Sumatran province rich in oil and natural gas. The 30-50,000 Indonesian troops, covered by warships and fighter jets, constitute the largest military operation since, yes, the invasion of East Timor in 1975. Their overarching mission has been clearly defined by General Endriartono Sutarto: "You must chase and wipe out GAM [the Free Aceh Movement]...you are trained to kill, so wipe them out." (1)
ZMAG: Aceh
In trying to justify the actions of the Indonesian Military (TNI) in Indonesia's westernmost province of Aceh, Indonesia's foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda says that nothing less than the future of the state is at stake. Wirayuda may be right, but not in the way that he thinks.
The behavior of the TNI in Aceh has, by all accounts, been appalling since it started its most recent campaign. The reports published here and elsewhere are disturbing enough.
SYRIA
Newsday: Assad Doubts Existence of al-Qaida
KUWAIT CITY -- Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview published Sunday that he doubts the existence of al-Qaida, the terror group blamed for the Sept. 11 attacks and recent strikes in Saudi Arabia and Morocco.
"Is there really an entity called al-Qaida? Was it in Afghanistan? Does it exist now?" Assad asked, according to the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Anba
Newsday: Assad Doubts Existence of al-Qaida
KUWAIT CITY -- Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview published Sunday that he doubts the existence of al-Qaida, the terror group blamed for the Sept. 11 attacks and recent strikes in Saudi Arabia and Morocco.
"Is there really an entity called al-Qaida? Was it in Afghanistan? Does it exist now?" Assad asked, according to the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Anba
IRAN
thescotsman: US to destabilise Iran for role in Riyhad bombs
THE Bush administration has cut off contact with Iran and Pentagon officials are pushing for action to destabilise the government of the Islamic republic, according to a US newspaper report.
The move follows intelligence reports suggesting al-Qaeda operatives based in Iran played a role in the 12 May suicide bombings in Saudi Arabia.
Citing administration officials, the Washington Post said the White House "appears ready to embrace an aggressive policy of trying to destabilise the Iranian government".
thescotsman: US to destabilise Iran for role in Riyhad bombs
THE Bush administration has cut off contact with Iran and Pentagon officials are pushing for action to destabilise the government of the Islamic republic, according to a US newspaper report.
The move follows intelligence reports suggesting al-Qaeda operatives based in Iran played a role in the 12 May suicide bombings in Saudi Arabia.
Citing administration officials, the Washington Post said the White House "appears ready to embrace an aggressive policy of trying to destabilise the Iranian government".
IRAQ
Pakistan Dawn: Gen Tikriti was double agent, says report
PARIS, May 25: Gen Maher Soufiane al-Tikriti, head of Saddam Hussein's presidential guards, happened to be a double agent working for the CIA, a report on Sunday said.
French weekly newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche quoting sources said that the "a high-level Iraqi official with close links to the former regime," Gen Tikriti was paid several million dollars by the CIA and was sent with his family, probably to the United States, on April 8 on board a US C130 aircraft. At that time, the America had announced in an official communique that Gen Tikiriti had died on the day Iraqi capital was attacked.
The newspaper says that Gen Tikriti was convinced by the CIA to become a double agent a year ago in London through a relative who had fled to UK in 1995 with one of Saddam's sons-in-law
Pakistan Dawn: Gen Tikriti was double agent, says report
PARIS, May 25: Gen Maher Soufiane al-Tikriti, head of Saddam Hussein's presidential guards, happened to be a double agent working for the CIA, a report on Sunday said.
French weekly newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche quoting sources said that the "a high-level Iraqi official with close links to the former regime," Gen Tikriti was paid several million dollars by the CIA and was sent with his family, probably to the United States, on April 8 on board a US C130 aircraft. At that time, the America had announced in an official communique that Gen Tikiriti had died on the day Iraqi capital was attacked.
The newspaper says that Gen Tikriti was convinced by the CIA to become a double agent a year ago in London through a relative who had fled to UK in 1995 with one of Saddam's sons-in-law
IRAQ
SFgate: Behind Baghdad's fall
INSIDE STORY: Hussein son's wild orders led to Iraq military collapse
Baghdad -- In the final days before Baghdad fell, Saddam Hussein's son Qusai issued a series of military orders that sent thousands of elite Republican Guard troops to their certain death in the open countryside.
According to accounts provided to The Chronicle by more than a dozen Iraqi military officials -- some of them still hiding from American forces -- the orders exposed the core of the Iraqi military to devastating U.S. air attacks and left the capital's defenses markedly weakened.
Several officers said the increasing irrationality of these orders, which were widely believed to carry the approval of Saddam Hussein himself, baffled high-ranking officers and helped enable the Americans to enter Baghdad virtually unchallenged.
SFgate: Behind Baghdad's fall
INSIDE STORY: Hussein son's wild orders led to Iraq military collapse
Baghdad -- In the final days before Baghdad fell, Saddam Hussein's son Qusai issued a series of military orders that sent thousands of elite Republican Guard troops to their certain death in the open countryside.
According to accounts provided to The Chronicle by more than a dozen Iraqi military officials -- some of them still hiding from American forces -- the orders exposed the core of the Iraqi military to devastating U.S. air attacks and left the capital's defenses markedly weakened.
Several officers said the increasing irrationality of these orders, which were widely believed to carry the approval of Saddam Hussein himself, baffled high-ranking officers and helped enable the Americans to enter Baghdad virtually unchallenged.
IRAQ
Common Dreams: The War is Far from Over
Unlike most military commentators, I do not think the war in Iraq is
over. On the contrary, the real war is just beginning. America destroyed not
merely Saddam's government but the Iraqi state, and a vast array of
non-state actors are filling the vacuum with Fourth Generation war.
Thus far, American efforts to re-create a state in Iraq have fallen flat.
But even other observers who believe the war is still on think that Saddam
is a goner. Here, I am going to go out on a limb. I am not sure that is the
case. On the contrary, I think there is a possibility that Saddam has
adopted a breathtakingly bold strategy that holds fair promise of
success.
Common Dreams: The War is Far from Over
Unlike most military commentators, I do not think the war in Iraq is
over. On the contrary, the real war is just beginning. America destroyed not
merely Saddam's government but the Iraqi state, and a vast array of
non-state actors are filling the vacuum with Fourth Generation war.
Thus far, American efforts to re-create a state in Iraq have fallen flat.
But even other observers who believe the war is still on think that Saddam
is a goner. Here, I am going to go out on a limb. I am not sure that is the
case. On the contrary, I think there is a possibility that Saddam has
adopted a breathtakingly bold strategy that holds fair promise of
success.
Sunday, May 25, 2003
RUSSIA
Times: Putin orders the clouds not to rain on his parade
PRESIDENT PUTIN has ordered fine weather for the St Petersburg summit and 300th anniversary festivities next week, and it is unlikely to rain on his parade.
Ten aeroplanes will take to the skies, equipped with cloud-seeding agents in an attempt to induce rain away from the city, allowing holidaymakers and visiting
heads of state to enjoy dry weather below.
Vladimir Stepanenko, head physicist of St Petersburg’s Geophysics Observatory, said: “Our aim is to empty all clouds of rain before they hit the city borders.” Such practice may strike awe into the heart of every rain-soaked Brit, but Russians take “cloud-bursting” for granted, having enjoyed its benefits over public holidays since Stalin gave the order to research weather control in the 1930s.
Over decades, the observatory in St Petersburg has developed techniques to dispel clouds, divert hailstorms from harvests, arrest avalanches, disperse fogs from airports and bring rain to drought-afflicted regions
Times: Putin orders the clouds not to rain on his parade
PRESIDENT PUTIN has ordered fine weather for the St Petersburg summit and 300th anniversary festivities next week, and it is unlikely to rain on his parade.
Ten aeroplanes will take to the skies, equipped with cloud-seeding agents in an attempt to induce rain away from the city, allowing holidaymakers and visiting
heads of state to enjoy dry weather below.
Vladimir Stepanenko, head physicist of St Petersburg’s Geophysics Observatory, said: “Our aim is to empty all clouds of rain before they hit the city borders.” Such practice may strike awe into the heart of every rain-soaked Brit, but Russians take “cloud-bursting” for granted, having enjoyed its benefits over public holidays since Stalin gave the order to research weather control in the 1930s.
Over decades, the observatory in St Petersburg has developed techniques to dispel clouds, divert hailstorms from harvests, arrest avalanches, disperse fogs from airports and bring rain to drought-afflicted regions
USA
Information Clearinghouse: Cloudcroft Chief Stops Israelis With Suspicious Cargo
CLOUDCROFT, NM -- That they were speeding through the school zone first got his attention.
That they had Israeli driver's licenses and expired passports made him suspicious.
Cloudcroft Police Chief Gene Green stopped the 2-ton van on Thursday, for speeding. Initially, Green thought the truck was commercial because of exterior markings. But when he found it was out of Chicago, he asked for documentation such as logs books and manifests.
"They said this is a U-Haul truck and handed me a rental agreement (for) in-town delivery only in Illinois, (which) had expired two days before," Green said.
Information Clearinghouse: Cloudcroft Chief Stops Israelis With Suspicious Cargo
CLOUDCROFT, NM -- That they were speeding through the school zone first got his attention.
That they had Israeli driver's licenses and expired passports made him suspicious.
Cloudcroft Police Chief Gene Green stopped the 2-ton van on Thursday, for speeding. Initially, Green thought the truck was commercial because of exterior markings. But when he found it was out of Chicago, he asked for documentation such as logs books and manifests.
"They said this is a U-Haul truck and handed me a rental agreement (for) in-town delivery only in Illinois, (which) had expired two days before," Green said.
911
Chicago Sun-Times: Bush answers on 9/11 overdue
After the Bay of Pigs disaster when the CIA tried to invade Cuba, President John F. Kennedy took personal responsibility and ordered an independent investigation. In fact, the invasion had been planned during the Eisenhower administration, and JFK could easily have blamed the mess on his predecessor.
After the Pearl Harbor attack, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established an investigative commission chaired by Supreme Court Justice Owen D. Roberts, a Republican who had been the prosecutor for the notorious Teapot Dome scandal.
Patently, President Bush is not going to assume responsibility for the World Trade Center catastrophe. His political allies blame former President Bill Clinton (as they are blaming him three years later for the current recession). Moreover, Bush continues to stonewall attempts to set up an independent investigation of what went wrong, and continues to sit on the 900-page report prepared by a bipartisan congressional committee.
Chicago Sun-Times: Bush answers on 9/11 overdue
After the Bay of Pigs disaster when the CIA tried to invade Cuba, President John F. Kennedy took personal responsibility and ordered an independent investigation. In fact, the invasion had been planned during the Eisenhower administration, and JFK could easily have blamed the mess on his predecessor.
After the Pearl Harbor attack, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established an investigative commission chaired by Supreme Court Justice Owen D. Roberts, a Republican who had been the prosecutor for the notorious Teapot Dome scandal.
Patently, President Bush is not going to assume responsibility for the World Trade Center catastrophe. His political allies blame former President Bill Clinton (as they are blaming him three years later for the current recession). Moreover, Bush continues to stonewall attempts to set up an independent investigation of what went wrong, and continues to sit on the 900-page report prepared by a bipartisan congressional committee.
AFGHANISTAN
BBC: Afghans' uranium levels spark alert
A small sample of Afghan civilians have shown "astonishing" levels of uranium in their urine, an independent scientist says
He said they had the same symptoms as some veterans of the 1991 Gulf war.
But he found no trace of the depleted uranium (DU) some scientists believe is implicated in Gulf War syndrome.
Other researchers suggest new types of radioactive weapons may have been used in Afghanistan
He told BBC News Online: "In Afghanistan there were no oil fires, no pesticides, nobody had been vaccinated - all explanations suggested for the Gulf veterans' condition.
"But people had exactly the same symptoms. I'm certainly not saying Afghanistan was a vast experiment with new uranium weapons. But use your common sense."
BBC: Afghans' uranium levels spark alert
A small sample of Afghan civilians have shown "astonishing" levels of uranium in their urine, an independent scientist says
He said they had the same symptoms as some veterans of the 1991 Gulf war.
But he found no trace of the depleted uranium (DU) some scientists believe is implicated in Gulf War syndrome.
Other researchers suggest new types of radioactive weapons may have been used in Afghanistan
He told BBC News Online: "In Afghanistan there were no oil fires, no pesticides, nobody had been vaccinated - all explanations suggested for the Gulf veterans' condition.
"But people had exactly the same symptoms. I'm certainly not saying Afghanistan was a vast experiment with new uranium weapons. But use your common sense."
UK
BBC: Blair faces war crimes suit
Greek lawyers say they are going to sue British officials - including Prime Minister Tony Blair - for their role in the Iraq war
The Athens Bar Association says it will file a suit against Britain at the International Criminal Court - the recently created tribunal for cases of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
The lawyers call the attacks by the United States and British forces against Iraq "crimes against humanity and war crimes".
They have listed a number of international treaties they say the two countries have violated.
These include the United Nations Charter, the Geneva Conventions, the Hague Convention and the International Criminal Court's statute.
BBC: Blair faces war crimes suit
Greek lawyers say they are going to sue British officials - including Prime Minister Tony Blair - for their role in the Iraq war
The Athens Bar Association says it will file a suit against Britain at the International Criminal Court - the recently created tribunal for cases of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
The lawyers call the attacks by the United States and British forces against Iraq "crimes against humanity and war crimes".
They have listed a number of international treaties they say the two countries have violated.
These include the United Nations Charter, the Geneva Conventions, the Hague Convention and the International Criminal Court's statute.
SARS
Rense: SARS - A Lab Accident? From Patricia Doyle, PhD
research for vaccine regarding feline infectious peritonitis which is a feline coronavirus. If the research was ongoing in Europe, it is quite possible that China was also studying feline coronavirus.
It appears that SARS first infected the medical community...and then the public. I believe that SARS was caused by a lab accident.
The Chinese are admitting that SARS agent might have originated in civet cats, but have not gone as far as stating that the agent got loose as part of research. Quite possibly these cats were used in research. The research below uses mouse models.
I, however, do not think that SARS agent jumped from cat to man. I think it is possible that man infected cat. Although, at this time, it would be premature for me to make emphatic statements regarding either scenerio.
If they experiment with coronaviruses in Europe, there is no reason to doubt that China would be researching coronaviruses as well.
Rense: SARS - A Lab Accident? From Patricia Doyle, PhD
research for vaccine regarding feline infectious peritonitis which is a feline coronavirus. If the research was ongoing in Europe, it is quite possible that China was also studying feline coronavirus.
It appears that SARS first infected the medical community...and then the public. I believe that SARS was caused by a lab accident.
The Chinese are admitting that SARS agent might have originated in civet cats, but have not gone as far as stating that the agent got loose as part of research. Quite possibly these cats were used in research. The research below uses mouse models.
I, however, do not think that SARS agent jumped from cat to man. I think it is possible that man infected cat. Although, at this time, it would be premature for me to make emphatic statements regarding either scenerio.
If they experiment with coronaviruses in Europe, there is no reason to doubt that China would be researching coronaviruses as well.
AFGHANISTAN
Observer: Afghanistan Asks West For Another $15 Billion
Afghanistan's interim President, Hamid Karzai, will issue an extraordinary call this week for an extra $15 billion cash from the West for the reconstruction of his war-shattered country.
His wake-up call comes as his government plunges into financial crisis, with the capital Kabul facing its first popular street demonstrations since the fall of the Taliban 18 months ago.
The rising discontent follows the failure of central government to pay police and civil servant salaries. Last week Karzai threatened to resign unless regional warlords paid more revenue into central government coffers.
"Freedom and Democracy"
Observer: Afghanistan Asks West For Another $15 Billion
Afghanistan's interim President, Hamid Karzai, will issue an extraordinary call this week for an extra $15 billion cash from the West for the reconstruction of his war-shattered country.
His wake-up call comes as his government plunges into financial crisis, with the capital Kabul facing its first popular street demonstrations since the fall of the Taliban 18 months ago.
The rising discontent follows the failure of central government to pay police and civil servant salaries. Last week Karzai threatened to resign unless regional warlords paid more revenue into central government coffers.
"Freedom and Democracy"
USA
Rense/Common Dreams: 'The Truth Will Emerge...' By US Senator Robert Byrd May 21st 2003
...And when it does, this house of cards, built of deceit, will fall.'
Truth has a way of asserting itself despite all attempts to obscure it. Distortion only serves to derail it for a time. No matter to what lengths we humans may go to obfuscate facts or delude our fellows, truth has a way of squeezing out through the cracks, eventually.
Regarding the situation in Iraq, it appears to this Senator that the American people may have been lured into accepting the unprovoked invasion of a sovereign nation, in violation of long-standing International law, under false premises. There is ample evidence that the horrific events of September 11 have been carefully manipulated to switch public focus from Osama Bin Laden and Al Queda who masterminded the September 11th attacks, to Saddam Hussein who did not. The run up to our invasion of Iraq featured the President and members of his cabinet invoking every frightening image they could conjure, from mushroom clouds, to buried caches of germ warfare, to drones poised to deliver germ laden death in our major cities. We were treated to a heavy dose of overstatement concerning Saddam Hussein's direct threat to our freedoms. The tactic was guaranteed to provoke a sure reaction from a nation still suffering from a combination of post traumatic stress and justifiable anger after the attacks of 911. It was the exploitation of fear. It was a placebo for the anger.
AFP: Senator Byrd In Scathing Denunciation Of Bush Policies
AFP) -- US Senator Robert Byrd -- a senior Democrat -- issued a scathing denunciation of White House military and diplomatic policy, particularly of the recently-concluded war in Iraq which he said may have been waged in violation of international law.
Rense/Common Dreams: 'The Truth Will Emerge...' By US Senator Robert Byrd May 21st 2003
...And when it does, this house of cards, built of deceit, will fall.'
Truth has a way of asserting itself despite all attempts to obscure it. Distortion only serves to derail it for a time. No matter to what lengths we humans may go to obfuscate facts or delude our fellows, truth has a way of squeezing out through the cracks, eventually.
Regarding the situation in Iraq, it appears to this Senator that the American people may have been lured into accepting the unprovoked invasion of a sovereign nation, in violation of long-standing International law, under false premises. There is ample evidence that the horrific events of September 11 have been carefully manipulated to switch public focus from Osama Bin Laden and Al Queda who masterminded the September 11th attacks, to Saddam Hussein who did not. The run up to our invasion of Iraq featured the President and members of his cabinet invoking every frightening image they could conjure, from mushroom clouds, to buried caches of germ warfare, to drones poised to deliver germ laden death in our major cities. We were treated to a heavy dose of overstatement concerning Saddam Hussein's direct threat to our freedoms. The tactic was guaranteed to provoke a sure reaction from a nation still suffering from a combination of post traumatic stress and justifiable anger after the attacks of 911. It was the exploitation of fear. It was a placebo for the anger.
AFP: Senator Byrd In Scathing Denunciation Of Bush Policies
AFP) -- US Senator Robert Byrd -- a senior Democrat -- issued a scathing denunciation of White House military and diplomatic policy, particularly of the recently-concluded war in Iraq which he said may have been waged in violation of international law.
USA
Rense: The Military-Industrial Complex Speech By Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961
....In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.
We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.
Rense: The Military-Industrial Complex Speech By Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961
....In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.
We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)