>______________________________ > >ANTIFA INFO-BULLETIN >News * Analysis * Research * Action >______________________________ > >- AFIB No. 252, May 28, 2000 - > >FREE MUMIA ABU-JAMAL! FREE LEONARD PELTIER! >FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS & PRISONERS OF WAR! > >Can we in fact say that the Cold War has actually ended? If the Cold War is >defined as a worldwide contention between the United States and the Soviet >Union for the hearts and minds of the Third World (for whatever motives), >then certainly it is over. But if the Cold War is seen not as an East-West >struggle, but rather as a "North-South" struggle, as an American >effort...to prevent the rise of any society that might serve as a >successful example of an alternative to the capitalist model, and to >prevent the rise of any regional power that might challenge American >supremacy, then that particular map with the pins stuck in it still hangs >on the wall in the Pentagon's War Room. ... The current manifestation of >this continuum, by whatever name, can be viewed as yet another chapter in >the never-ending saga of the war of the rich upon the poor. - William Blum, >Rogue State: A Guide to the World's Only Superpower [Monroe, Maine, Common >Courage Press, 2000] p. 24. > >* * * > >Contents: Number 252 > >1. INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY WITH WORKERS IN RUSSIA [UK]: Mass >Demonstrations Greet New Slave Labour Law in Russia. >2. REFUSE & RESIST! [US]: Update on Court Attacks on Mumia Activists. >3. AN PHOBLACHT/REPUBLICAN NEWS [Ireland]: Journalists Pursued in >Censorship Clampdown. >4. WEEKLY NEWS UPDATE ON THE AMERICAS [US]: Bolivian Coca Growers Fight >Back, Shoot US Helicopter; US Congress Approves "SOA Clone"; Protesters >Return to Puerto Rican Island; FBI Begins to Open Up Puerto Rican Files. >5. THE NEW OBSERVER [Tokyo]: Japan and Project Echelon. >6. THE WASHINGTON POST: Pinochet Probers Tout New Evidence. >7. THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH [London]: Haider Meets Libyan Leader for Secret >Talks. >8. THE GUARDIAN [London]: Soldiers Celebrated IRA Death with Cake. >9. THE TIMES [London]: British Envoy Sent Pope Bulletins on the Holocaust. >10. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESS: Apartheid Scientists Kept HIV-Infected Blood for >"Political Enemy". >11. REUTERS: Arrests as Neo-Nazis March Through German Town. > >* * * > >INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY WITH WORKERS IN RUSSIA (ISWoR) >Box R, 46 Denmark Hill >London, SE5 8RZ >United Kingdom >E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Web: http://members.aol.com/ISWoR/english/index.html >- Wednesday, 24 May 2000 - > >----- >____________________________________________________________________ > >MASS DEMONSTRATIONS GREET NEW SLAVE LABOUR LAW IN RUSSIA >____________________________________________________________________ > >On 17 May 2000 approximately 300,000 workers across Russia participated in >protests against the government's proposal to introduce a draconian new >Labour Code. The new legislation removes workers' rights held for decades, >rendering trade unions impotent and enforcing among other things a 56 hour >working week. > >The actions ranged from stoppages of work to demonstrations and pickets, >often outside the administrative centres of towns. Areas with the largest >turnouts included Kaliningrad (150,000 workers), Astrakhan, where years of >work building up the local Zaschita union by Oleg Shein, one of the key >co-ordinators of the campaign, paid off (10 000), Novosibirsk (8000), >Nizhegorod (where 8000 workers at one factory participated), Samara nearly >4000, Moscow area 4000, Omsk 2000, republic of Komi, 2000 (including 1000 >at a rally at Europe's largest mine). Certain groups of workers >distinguished themselves, for example the dockers, 15,000 of whom >participated in the ports of Vladivostok, Vostochni, Nakhodka, >Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Magadan, Archangelsk, Murmansk and Novorossiisk. >At Yasnogorsk machine plant, whose courageous workers became famous when >their long militant occupation won unprecedented gains, 3500 workers took >part in a stoppage. > >In Kursk and Vladivostok demonstrations were held despite a local ban. > >Although the bureaucratic leadership of the FNPR, the country's largest >trade union federation, pressured by grass-roots activists, had put its >name to a document condemning the new Labour-Code, they did not put any >effort or resources into mobilising for the day. Most of the credit belongs >to activists on the ground, especially those of the militant Zaschita and >dockers union, co-ordinated by a committee set up by Oleg Shein (who has >recently been elected to the Duma) with the help of veterans of workers >struggles such as Yasnogorsk and Vyborg, activists of the Movement for a >Workers Party, etc.. > >The secretary of the FNPR, Andrei Isayev, who last year joined forces with >millionaire Mayor Luzhkov's Fatherland All-Russia coalition, submitted an >alternative draft Labour Code to the one already submitted by colleagues of >Oleg Shein. The draft submitted by Isayev was drawn up in collaboration >with a representative from the right-wing Thatcherite Union of Right >Forces. > >Likewise the Communist Party of Zyuganov (KPRF) was generally noted for its >absence from the struggle. This is not surprising considering that, despite >their rhetoric, the party leadership has willingly approved every >government budget for years and has declared itself in favour of defending >"honest" entrepreneurs. In fact it was on the initiative of the KPRF member >Selezhnev, the Speaker of the Duma, that the government's draft Code was >rushed onto the table for discussion after some years of delay. > >Well over a hundred additional organisations and trade unions sent faxes in >to protest against the new Labour Code. In April ISWoR held protests in >London at the visit of Putin and outside the business Expo "Russia -2000" >drawing attention to the barbaric new Code. > >Despite the widespread participation in the Day of Action, many workers who >are not members of Zaschita or who have never before participated in >industrial action felt that the battle against the new Labour Code was not >relevant to them. This is because so many Russian workers have long been >enduring the conditions to which the new Code gives an official stamp of >approval - payment in kind, arbitrary sacking at the whim of the boss, >casual work with no written contracts at all, long hours without any days >off. With the collapse of nearly 50% of Russian industry since >privatisation was brought in, unemployment and non-payment of workers for >up to 18 months or more is so common that many people are ready to tolerate >any conditions and hours just for the promise of a little cash. > >Nevertheless the struggle IS sharply relevant to even the millions of >workers in casual or non-union (or weak union) labour. Efforts by militant >activists who have experience of successful action to unionise casual >workers, or to encourage those in inactive unions like the FNPR to fight >for their rights can achieve much. But under the new Labour Code all >intervention by unions will be very much harder. > >With top businessmen like the head of Alfa Bank calling on Putin to >introduce a "Pinochet-style" regime, the increase in repression against >active workers, especially those of Zaschita union, has already begun. >Russian workers, who have seen their living conditions plummet and their >life expectancy drop from western levels to just 56, will be battling for >their lives. > >The IMF enthusiastically approved the new Code, which also forces pregnant >women to work night shifts and cuts maternity leave in half. > >The western multinationals and their Russian stooges have devastated the >lives of Russian workers with their privatisation programme. Now as a >result, ultra-nationalism and a hatred of the west per se, as well as >racism against minority groups, have appeared. > >The US, quietly acknowledging the emergence of a new anti-western turn, not >just in public opinion but also among a significant section of the Russian >ultra-rich, is pressing ahead with a "National Missile Defense" programme >which is targeted not least at Russia. > >Workers around the world, following this mass 300,000-strong protest in >Russia, must now show practical solidarity with Russian workers. We must >not bury our heads in the sand while western and Russian governments incite >"patriotic" hatred in preparation to drag us into a nightmare war over >Caspian oil. > >Lisa Taylor >International Solidarity with Workers in Russia (ISWoR-MCPP) > >IMPORTANT NOTICE! > >ISWoR is bringing Oleg Shein, co-ordinator of the committee against the new >Labour Code, to Europe for a speaking tour in the last two weeks of July. >If you would like to be involved or want more information on this, or on >how you can help support the struggles of Russian workers in general, >please contact us now. > >WORKERS OF ALL LANDS & CULTURES UNITE! > >***** > >REFUSE & RESIST! >305 Madison Ave. Suite 1166 >New York, NY 10165 >Tel: 212-713-5657 >Fax: 212-822-8535 >E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Web: http://www.mojo.calyx.net/~refuse >- Tuesday, 23 May 2000 - > >----- >____________________________________________________________________ > >UPDATE ON COURT ATTACKS ON MUMIA ACTIVISTS >____________________________________________________________________ > >By C. Clark Kissinger, [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >As many people have now heard, all the people who pled not guilty off the >demonstration and CD action at the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, last July >3, were convicted an sentence to a $250 fine, $25 to the restitution fund, >and one year of supervised probation. Supervised probation for an offense >equivalent to a parking ticket is unheard of, and shows how much the Mumia >movement is beginning to sting the government. It also represents >punishment for the "crime" of asking for a trial. > >Those sentenced so far include Clark Kissinger, Frances Goldin, Jane >Jackson, Paul Magno, Kim Lamberty, Mitch Cohen, and Joe Brown. The only >other case that we know is still pending is Marcy Gayer. The conditions >imposed on those sentenced requires them to report monthly to a probation >officer, fill out a monthly report on their personal finances, and submit >to visits at home and at work by probation officers. They are further >forbidden to associate with convicted felons (i.e. Mumia), are require to >be employed, have to surrender their passports, and are not permitted to >leave their home federal court districts without permission of their >probation officer. In short, the conditions are similar to those imposed >some years back on banned persons in apartheid South Africa. > >Needless to say, this attack is not going to deter those fighting for >justice for Mumia. In fact, anger over these outrageous actions is going to >inspire even more activity for Mumia. Jane Jackson, an older woman confined >to a wheelchair, has been on a hunger strike to protest her treatment by >the courts. > >Six of those listed above have now filed notice of appeal and asked for a >stay of sentence pending the appeal. The government has submitted a long >brief to the appeals judge opposing any stay. People wishing to demand a >stay and argue for overturning the convictions may write to the appeals >judge, Hon. Bruce W. Kauffman, U.S. District Court, 601 Market Street, >Philadelphia, PA 19106. Judge Kauffman's fax number is: 215-580-2281. > >***** > >AN PHOBLACHT/REPUBLICAN NEWS >58 Parnell Square >Dublin 1, Eire >Tel: +353-1-8733611 >Fax: +353-18733074 >E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Web: http://www.irlnet.com/aprn >- Thursday, 18 May 2000 - > >----- >____________________________________________________________________ > >JOURNALISTS PURSUED IN CENSORSHIP CLAMPDOWN >____________________________________________________________________ > >BY LAURA FRIEL >http://www.irlnet.com/aprn/current/news/18cens.html > >Within days of a critical UN report which accused the British government of >censorship, another journalist writing about Britain's covert war in >Ireland is to be arrested. Liam Clarke, the Sunday Time's Six-County >editor, has been told by London Metropolitan Police Detective Inspector >Alan Learner to present himself for interview. > >In a letter, Learner ``strongly advised'' the journalist to seek legal >advice before responding. Clarke is to be arrested under the Official >Secrets Act in relation to a series of articles carried by the Sunday Times >based on interviews by a former member of the British military >intelligence, the covert Force Research Unit. > >Using the pseudonym, Martin Ingram, the former FRU operative said that the >covert group had colluded with loyalist death squads and had deliberately >destroyed evidence of that collusion. Ingram has said that a British Army >unit, trained in covert breaking and entering, set fire to offices used by >the Steven's Inquiry team. > >Recently, a number of former FRU members have been arrested and questioned >by the London Metropolitan Special Branch in what appears to be a desperate >effort to end Ingram's career as a whistle blower by tracking him down. > >A former FRU officer, who was arrested at Christmas in the belief that he >was Ingram, is currently on bail. A house where the former British soldier >stays outside Britain was recently broken into and a number of items >stolen, including a draft of a manuscript. The document later emerged in >the hands of the British government. > >The action against Liam Clarke appears to have been initiated by the >British Ministry of Defence, which is headed by Geoff Hoon, a close >associate of Tony Blair. The Labour Party vigorously opposed the current >Official Secrets Act when it was introduced by the Tories in 1989. > >Commenting recently on a commitment by the British government to a new >ethos of openness, Hoon endorsed proposed freedom of information >legislation and described it as ``radical''. Despite this, he appears to >have been central to the recent rigorous pursuit of journalists and their >contacts in a concerted campaign by the British administration to stop >information about their covert war in Ireland reaching the public domain. > >The pursuit of Clarke follows a number of actions against journalists >writing specifically about Ireland. In 1989, the home of Tony Geraghty, a >former Sunday Times journalist, was raided by MoD police. > >For over seven hours, military personnel trawled through Geraghty's files. >The journalist's computer, disks and a modem were confiscated during the >raid. Charges under the Official Secrets Act were later dropped. > >Last year, the author of a book about FRU agent Brian Nelson, Nick Davies, >was ordered to hand over his computer and disks. Davies was confronted by a >representative of the Treasury solicitor and an MI5 officer and was handed >a court order authorising the seizure of his computer and files. > >The British authorities are already pursuing Observer journalist Martin >Bright for interviewing former MI5 agent David Shayler. Bright has been >ordered to hand over his notes to the Special Branch and is facing contempt >of court proceedings if he refuses. > >Others to have recently fallen foul of the British government's new ethos >include author Jack Holland in relation to a book about an RUC intelligence >officer; Ed Moloney of the Sunday Tribune in connection with an interview >with William Stobie, a former RUC Special Branch agent implicated in the >murder of defence lawyer Pat Finucane. > >``The Committee'' a documentary about crown force collusion and in >particular Brian Nelson, screened by Channel Four in 1991 and forerunner of >McPhilemy's book of the same name, was also the subject of legal action. > >Television journalist and programme researcher Ben Hamilton was arrested >and Channel Four ordered to hand over documentation revealing anonymous >sources interviewed in the documentary. When Channel Four refused, they >were charged with contempt of court and fined £75,000. Charges against >Hamilton were later dropped. > >Tony Blair's apparent commitment to keeping the tracks of the British >Intelligence services well covered are all the more bizarre given the >latest revelations of their covert actions against many Labour Party >members including MPs and members of the British Cabinet. > >Clare Short, international development secretary, Jack Straw, British Home >Secretary and Peter Mandleson, Six-County direct Ruler, have all recently >been named as having been spied upon by British Intelligence services. > >In a recent submission to the UN, Professor David Miller of Stirling Media >Research Institute notes that there has been a recent ``increase in the >resort to legal action to suppress journalistic inquiries''. The British >state, Miller says, ``shows no willingness to acknowledge openly its own >role in the `dirty' war in Northern Ireland. > >``Legislative developments do not suggest a lessening of attempts by the >state to control information about the activities of it's agents,'' says >Miller. On the contrary ``the British government is tightening the >legislative control on journalists in relation to Ireland''. > >Ironically, contempt of court legislation, traditionally used to suppress >the truth, is also threatening journalists refusing to pass confidential >information to the Saville Inquiry into Bloody Sunday. The impetus here is >exposing the truth, yet for journalists the dilemma remains the same. > >Alex Thompson of Channel Four News, documentary film maker Peter Taylor and >Daily Telegraph correspondent Toby Harnden are all currently facing >possible contempt of court actions because they are refusing to name their >sources. > >In his recent findings, UN Special Rapporteur Abid Hussain considered ``the >use of the Official Secrets Act to prosecute journalists and writers to be >incompatible with media freedom. > >The UN official criticised the ``attacks against the internationally >recognised principle of the confidentiality of journalists' sources.'' Abid >Hussain said emergency powers and the Official Secrets Act had restricted >investigative journalism and should be scrapped. > >The British government should immediately disband emergency legislation >like the Prevention of Terrorism Act which ``have a chilling effect on the >right to freedom and expression,'' said the UN report. > >***** > >WEEKLY NEWS UPDATE ON THE AMERICAS >Nicaragua Solidarity Network of NY >339 Lafayette St >New York, NY 10012 >Tel: 212-674-9499 >Fax: 212-674-9139 >E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Web: http://home.earthlink.net/~dbwilson/wnuhome.html >- Issue No. 538, May 21, 2000 - > >----- >____________________________________________________________________ > >BOLIVIAN COCA GROWERS FIGHT BACK, SHOOT US HELICOPTER >____________________________________________________________________ > >A soldier from Bolivia's Special Force of Struggle Against Drug Trafficking >(FELCN) was injured when a group of alleged campesino coca growers >(cocaleros) fired four shots from an ancient Mauser rifle at a H1H (Huey) >helicopter carrying supplies to camps of the Joint Task Force in the >Chapare region of the Cochabamba tropics, where military and police troops >are carrying out forced eradication of coca crops. The helicopter was >loaned to Bolivia by the US Army, according to Agence France Presse. > >The Ministry of Government blamed the attack on "Campesino Self-Defense" >committees headed by cocalero leader and national legislative deputy Evo >Morales Ayma. [El Diario (La Paz) 5/15/00; El Diario-La Prensa (NY) 5/16/00 >from AFP] Morales denied that the attack was carried out by the Campesino >Self-Defense committees; he said that if committee members were to defend >their crops with weapons, they would do so openly and take responsibility >for their actions. Morales suggested that isolated groups of cocaleros may >have carried out the attack. "Faced with the eradication, militarization >and sense of powerlessness, some of the comrades could be making use of >weapons they have in their homes," admitted Morales. Campesino leader >Felipe Quispe denied that cocaleros had carried out the attack, and said >that the soldiers themselves were responsible for firing the shots. 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