Fw: THE REVOLUTIONARY ARMED FORCES OF COLOMBIA - PEOPLE'S ARMYFARC-EP [WWW.STOPN
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- - Original Message - From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>Sent: Monday, December 31, 2001 4:17 PMSubject: THE REVOLUTIONARY ARMED FORCES OF COLOMBIA - PEOPLE'S ARMYFARC-EP THE REVOLUTIONARY ARMED FORCES OF COLOMBIA - PEOPLE'S ARMY FARC-EPSECRETARIAT OF THE CENTRAL GENERAL STAFFNEW YEARS MESSAGEWe greet the Colombian people in the midst of the paralysis of the Dialogue and Negotiation Process caused by the conditions imposed by the President in his October 7th statement on the occasion of the extension of the demilitarized zone, two days after the signing of the San Francisco de la Sombra Accord.The results produced after three years of joint efforts are not what the immense majority of Colombian hoped for, fundamentally due to the regime's lack of political will to undertake the structural changes Colombia requires for solution of the social and armed conflict. On the contrary, through the information media the enemies of peace are mounting a morbid campaign, the aim of which is to disparage the FARC-EP making use of the drama of a sick child whose father would have returned home if the government had accepted our proposal of a humanitarian exchange for the guerrilla prisoner Ignacio Gonzalez Perdomo, who suffers from a painful illness. On the other hand they say nothing about the situation of state abandonment of 300,000 Colombian children suffering grave illnesses. Paramilitarism, the expression of state terrorism against the people continues dominating cities and areas of the countryside, leaving in its wake a toll of cadavers, hundreds of thousands of displaced persons and the economic ruin of the regions, in the midst of total impunity. Meanwhile, the intellectual, material and financial authors of this form of dirty war are in power and in the bases of the armed forces of the state.The economic crisis is sharpening due to the impositions of the International Monetary Fund, which are keeping the country in its most severe recession of recent decades. As a consequence of this, three and one half million Colombians do not have work; five and one half million more subsist on the informal economy and gleaning; we, the poor of Colombia, now number twenty five million. Of these, eight million live in absolute poverty. The circumstances in Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Bolivia and Brazil present a similar panorama, countries that do not have guerrilla movements to be blamed for every evil in order to hide the real causes of the crisis generated by the economic system. Argentina is the most recent example where the people have now risen up in rebellion against their rulers, causing the fall of President Fernando de la Rua.Due to the imposition of U.S. interests, the Colombian state is carrying on a chemical and biological war against the plantings of coca and opium poppies, ignoring the socio-economic problems of the campesino cultivators. A real agrarian reform that involves manual eradication together with social investment, in agreement with the communities and not via repression, is the path to the solution of the problem of theillegal crops, as was stated in the Accord of Los Pozos signed by President Pastrana and Commandant Marulanda. The so-called "Plan Colombia" is the military instrument of the imperialist economic annexation scheme known as the FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas). Our attention is drawn by the silence of the presidential candidates who, in the face of the large and profound economic, social and political problems affecting Colombians, present themselves bereft of proposals and programmes that go to the root causes of this grave situation. Likewise, the electoral campaign is proceeding without guarantees of rights for the democratic opposition and alternative movements.Before the Colombian people the FARC-EP affirm their will to continue contributing initiatives to free the Dialogues of obstacles. The proposed meeting next January 15 with the presidents of the three powers of state and other representatives of the establishment so they explain what it is they are ready to negotiate in favour of peace with social justice and sovereignty, is such an initiative. On the occasion of the New Year, we call upon the Colombian people to organize and fight in co-ordination to win decent conditions of life and work and achieve the objective of a Government of National Reconciliation and Reconstruction that would implement the Ten Point Programme of Government contained in the Political Platform of the FARC-EP.CENTRAL GENERAL STAFFREVOLUTIONARY ARMED FORCES OF COLOMBIA - PEOPLE'S ARMYFARC-EPMountains of Colombia, December 27, 2001 ==^ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://TOPICA.COM/u/?a84
Another 100...... [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- US accused of killing over 100 villagers in air strike Rory Carroll in Kabul Tuesday January 1, 2002 The Guardian Fresh controversy over American bombing flared last night after Afghans claimed more than 100 people died in an air strike. US officials hotly denied that any civilians died during the attack against what it said was an al-Qaida compound from which surface-to-air missiles had been fired. Reports from the village of Qalaye Niazi, in Paktia province, which borders Pakistan, yesterday said human remains were scattered among craters. Two days earlier, the Afghan defence minister - a leading Northern Alliance commander who wants minimal foreign military involvement in the country - called for an end to the air strikes. The question of ongoing bombing by American forces pursuing clusters of al-Qaida and Taliban fighters who have eluded them, is one of many issues confronting the man named yesterday as Washington's special envoy to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad. Mr Khalilzad, the national security council's specialist on south-west Asia, the near east and north Africa, is to be President Bush's representative to the Afghan people "as they seek to consolidate a new order [and] reconstruct their country", the US announcement of the appointment said. Trying to hold the government together will be a key task, and the US air raids are among many issues threatening to split the interim administration. Paktia, just south-west of the Tora Bora cave complex, is a focus of current bombing because it is a suspected hideout of any fighters, including Osama bin Laden, who may have escaped last month's US pounding. A Qalaye Niazi villager, Janat Gul, told Reuters he was the sole person from his 24-member family to survive Sunday's pre-dawn attack by helicopters and jets. "There are no al-Qaida or Taliban people here," he insisted. Haji Saifullah, head of the tribal council, invited US forces to inspect the village, claiming 107 civilians died, including women and children. An ammunition store destroyed in the bombing had been seized from Taliban fighters who retreated from the area nearly six weeks ago, said Mr Saifullah. The US central command at Tampa, Florida, dismissed the reports, saying the attack was early on Saturday, not Sunday, and that two B-1B bombers and a B-52 - not helicopters - hit a known terrorist target. "You don't have a village launching surface-to-air missiles at aircraft. You have a known al Qaida-Taliban leadership compound," said a spokesman. The strikes set off secondary explosions consistent with stockpiled arms and ammunition but caused no civilian casualties, he said. Mr Saifullah accused rival ethnic groups of passing "wrong information" to the US in a successful attempt to provoke an attack. Several four-wheel-drive vehicles with US and Northern Alliance soldiers were spotted yesterday at the Tira Pass heading in the direction of the village. The Pakistani-based Afghan Islamic Press news agency said at least 92 died in the attack. Qalaye Niazi is two miles north of the city of Gardez, capital of Paktia. US planes have made several raids in the area in the past fortnight based on intelligence that Taliban and al-Qaida remnants are hiding in the mountains. Two of the earlier raids on eastern Afghanistan were reported to have killed more than 100 people. There are no independent accounts of these incidents, but many Afghans are convined that the dead were civilian victims of intelligence blunders. While the interim government's defence minister, General Mohammed Fahim, wants the bombing to stop, the foreign minister, Abdullah Abdullah, has said that Bin Laden could still be in Afghanistan and the air campaign could continue "for as long as it takes to finish the terrorists". The prime minister, Hamid Karzai, owes his position at the head of a stitched-together government of rival factions largely to US sponsorship and is not eager to alienate the backer on which he will almost surely continue to rely. On his inauguration day, December 22, the US bombed what it said was a convoy of enemy fighters, but people from the area later said the group consisted of tribal elders on their way to Kabul for the ceremony. Survivors claimed a rival group had falsely identified them as terrorists - the same claim as in Qalaye Niazi. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2002 ==^ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^
DPRK to focus on consumer welfare [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- AFP. 1 January 2002. North Korea's economic policy puts priority on welfare. SEOUL -- North Korea said Tuesday it would give priority to raising living standards, adding a breakthrough was made last year in rebuilding the isolationist country's economy. The Stalinist nation said in a New year message its economy has entered "a new phase of radical change" after several years of hardships. "Our socialist construction which experienced hardships for several years has now entered a new phase of radical change," said an editorial carried by government, ruling party and military newspapers. "What is most important in this regard at present is to speed up socialist economic construction to decisively improve the people's living standards." The editorial described 2001 as an "historic year when a breakthrough was made in the building of a socialist powerful nation". "Priority will be given to goods for the popular masses and to the solution of problems arising in improving people's daily life," it said. The editorial, which contained policy guidelines for 2002, called for greater efforts to ease the North's energy and food shortages and for particular attention to be paid to the information and technology industry and boosting agricultural production. The editorial urged North Koreans to accelerate an economic rehabilitation drive called Ranam, which refers to an industrial complex where workers allegedly achieved technical miracles despite a lack of materials and food. The Ranam drive, ordered by leader Kim Jong-Il, followed the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. The worst of North Korea's famine, which some estimates say killed 2.5 million people, has abated, UN agencies said. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry Stoller http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews ==^ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^
Fw: Hate Crimes U.S.A. - Vandals damage Islamic center, Koran [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- - Original Message - From: Vicki Andrada Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2002 9:07 AM Subject: Fw: [GNAA] Vandals damage Islamic center, Koran to visit my home page go to: http://www.nosanctions.com - Original Message - From: K. Haddad To: Undisclosed-Recipient:; Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2002 1:22 AM Subject: [GNAA] Vandals damage Islamic center, Koran Vandals damage Islamic center, Koran December 31, 2001 Posted: 12:09 PM EST (1709 GMT) COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Vandals broke water pipes and flooded the Islamic Center of Columbus and left several copies of the Koran shredded or thrown in the parking lot. "I think this is part of the hate crimes that we have received right after the September 11 attacks," said Mohammed Shareef, president of the Islamic Foundation of Central Ohio and a center member. "Things have been cooled down, but it looks like there's some new revival." Police have no suspects and have made no arrests, said spokesman Sgt. Earl Smith. Members of the three-story center, which serves as a mosque and has classrooms, discovered the damage when they came for prayer services about 7 a.m. Sunday, said Siraj Haji, one of the first to arrive. The vandals went to a third floor bathroom and pulled the water pipes from the sink and walls, said Ahmad Al-Akhras, president of the Council on American Islamic Relations in Columbus. Holes were drilled into the floor on the top story so water flowed to the lower levels, Haji said. The basement had 2 inches of water. "When you first walked in, it was if it was raining," Haji said. "Water had soaked into floors and the ceilings. ... Basically, it was unsafe to enter the building." In addition to the water damage, several copies of the Koran, the Islamic holy book, were shredded or thrown into the parking lot, and light fixtures were pulled from the ceiling, Haji said. Several Ohio mosques have been targets of attacks since the September 11 terrorist attacks. At least one window was damaged by gunfire at the Islamic Center of Toledo, while a mosque in Parma, near Cleveland, has reported damage to windows. On December 12, Eric M. Richley, a suburban Cleveland man, pleaded guilty to felony charges of burglary, ethnic intimidation and vandalism for ramming his car into the Islamic Center of Cleveland six days after the terrorist attacks. Richley, 29, is to be sentenced January 9. Copyright 2001 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.The Global Network of Arab Activists (GNAA) is a democratic forum for all activists who strive to promote Arab culture and advance the civil and human rights of all Arab peoples. Unless indicated otherwise, all statements published on this forum represent the views of their authors and not necessarily those of GNAA. To subscribe to GNAA, send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, send the message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Inquiries may be directed to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Members may view the guidelines of this forum anytime at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GNAA/message/3543?&start=3514 ==^ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://TOPICA.COM/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^
Corrupt Russian elections turning voters into cynics [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- The Globe and Mail (Canada) 1 January 2002 Corrupt Russian elections turning voters into cynics Promise of democracy has been supplanted by bribery, ballot-stuffing and murder By GEOFFREY YORK MOSCOW -- It was a fairly typical Russian election. A bomb exploded at a Siberian polling station, killing one person. Another bomb exploded near the apartment of a controversial candidate, an alleged organized-crime leader and nightclub devotee known as Pasha the Disco Lights. A rival candidate, the notorious aluminum baron Anatoly Bykov, campaigned from the isolation of his solitary-confinement cell in a Moscow prison, where he was awaiting trial on charges of conspiring to murder his former business partner, the same alleged kingpin who was the target of the bomb blast. In the end, it turned out to be a happy week for both Siberian tycoons. Mr. Bykov captured 53 per cent of the vote in his Krasnoyarsk district in the Dec. 23 regional election, despite the handicap of his prison cell. His former partner, Pavel Struganov (a.k.a. Pasha the Disco Lights), lost his bid for office but survived the bomb and won a legal victory: Police freed him after he was arrested at a club on suspicion of planting the polling-station bomb. For many Russians, the Siberian election was an entertaining saga of crime and violence. But in a week that marked the 10th anniversary of the Soviet Union's collapse, the election was a reminder of the shabby and deteriorating state of Russian democracy. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Russians flocked to the polls to support candidates who promised democracy and freedom. Today, Russian elections are routinely marred by cynicism, bribery, fraud, apathy and frequent state control of the outcome. Most Russians are so cynical about politics that they don't even bother voting. But since elections would be invalid if fewer than a required number (usually 25 or 50 per cent) of eligible voters went to the polls, authorities have resorted to a combination of bribery and fraud to ensure the minimum turnout. In an election last month in the Siberian city of Yakutsk, authorities blatantly gave away financial benefits to lure voters to the polls. City officials stood at polling stations, handing out coupons for a 100-ruble discount (about $5) on the electricity bills of anyone who voted. Voters could also enter lotteries for prizes. The head of the regional election commission said the Yakutsk handouts were a form of illegal bribery, but no one was prosecuted. Voters were equally apathetic in Moscow, where authorities offered free movies and cheap food to attract voters in city elections. In both elections, authorities later said that the number of voters had reached the minimum necessary -- but only after a mysterious last-minute surge of votes in near-empty polling stations, which led to the widespread suspicion that officials had manipulated the results. In both elections, the regional governments appeared to have fixed the results. Pro-government candidates won easily. In Moscow, supporters of the pro-Kremlin mayor won 33 of the 35 city seats after negotiating a power-sharing agreement. Most of the major political parties had agreed in advance to form a coalition, dividing up the seats among themselves. Faced with elections that never seem to matter, a growing number of Russian voters are alienated from the process. In the Yakutia region, 8 per cent of voters rejected all of the candidates, voting for "none of the above." In Moscow, 15 per cent voted against all candidates. Much of the alienation and apathy is because of the pervasive corruption and fraud that make a mockery of many elections. Russian governments, even at the highest level, are increasingly skilled at controlling results and manufacturing whatever vote tallies they want. Last year, a six-month investigation by a Moscow newspaper found evidence of large-scale fraud in Vladimir Putin's presidential-election victory. It concluded that Russian officials had used tactics such as ballot-stuffing, vote-buying, bribery and administrative pressure, and it said that at least 2.2 million votes had been falsified -- enough to ensure that Mr. Putin captured a first-round victory. Cynicism has reached such heights that Russians barely pay attention to the bizarre scandals and reversals of their politicians. The former bad boy of Russian politics, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, caused barely a ripple this month when he dropped his ultranationalist stance and announced that he supports the United States. Mr. Zhirinovsky, who had spent most of his career denouncing the United States and threatening to drop nuclear bombs on it, switched his position after Mr. Putin adopted a pro-Western foreign policy. Mr. Zhirinovsky said his party would abandon its anti-Western slogans, and he even suggested a U.S.-Russia merger. "The Cold War does not exist any longer," he declared. Russians paid lit
Deadliest Year in Palestinian Territories Since 1967 War [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
Title: Message HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- Published on Tuesday, January 1, 2002 by OneWorld.net Deadliest Year in Palestinian Territories Since 1967 War by Jim Lobe The year 2001 was the bloodiest for Palestinian inhabitants of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip since Israel conquered those territories in the Six-Day War of 1967, according to a new report released Monday by the Israeli human rights group, B'Tselem. A total of 345 Palestinian civilians were killed by Israeli security forces in the territories during the course of the year, of whom 38 were under the age of 15. It was also one of the deadliest years for Israelis living within the country's 1967 borders, according to the report. Seventy-nine Israeli civilians were killed within the 'Green Line' by Palestinians during the year. That total accounted for almost one third of the 260 Israeli civilians killed within the country's old borders since the first intifada, which broke out 14 years ago. The Palestinian toll recorded by B'Tselem did not include six Palestinians who were killed Sunday by Israeli troops in two separate incidents in Gaza. The Israeli authorities said they were slain in clashes, but Palestinians denounced them as executions. Sunday's killings dampened hopes that a two-week-old reduction in Israeli-Palestinian violence could be sustained long enough for a ceasefire to take hold. As a precondition for talks on implementing a United States plan for a permanent ceasefire and an eventual resumption of peace talks, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has demanded that there be no violence from the Palestinian side for at least one full week. Israel's insistence that the six were killed while carrying out operations against Israelis will set the clock back yet again. Sunday's killings were also the worst incident of violence since Friday's launch in Jerusalem of the Israeli-Palestinian Coalition, which aims at reviving the peace constituencies in each camp following the the latest intifada which started in September 2000 when Sharon, then leader of the opposition, made a controversial visit to the site of one of Islam's holiest shrines, the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. The Coalition, led by Palestinians Sari Nusseibeh and Hanan Ashrawi, and several Israeli opposition legislators, including Yossi Beilin and Yossi Sarid, is calling for a final peace accord based on the creation of a Palestinian state, Jerusalem as the capital for both nations, and the removal of Israeli settlements from the occupied territories. The new grouping has been buoyed by recent polls showing that about two-thirds of Israelis strongly favor a resumption of peace talks, and more than 70 percent of Palestinians support Yasser Arafat's recent call for a ceasefire. "We are not willing to continue to be held hostage by extremists from both sides," said Israeli author David Grossman, one of the founders of the Coalition. "We all know what the framework of the only possible permanent settlement is. Why not arrive at it now and prevent thousands of tragedies?" The grim statistics of the tragedies over the past year were the subject of the B'Tselem report. In addition to the 351 Palestinian civilians killed by Israeli security forces, 103 members of the Palestinians security services were killed in the occupied territories by their Israeli counterparts. Seven Palestinian civilians, including a two-month-old baby, were killed by Israeli civilians during the year, the report said. Also in the occupied territories, 65 Israeli civilians, including six under the age of 15, were killed by Palestinians. Twenty-one Israeli soldiers were also killed there during the past year. Along with the 79 Israeli civilians killed inside Israel proper, according to the report, 16 members of the Israeli security forces were killed there during the year. The worst monthly total was December when 23 civilians were killed in two suicide bombings in Jerusalem and Haifa. The additions of the past year put the total number of Palestinian civilians in the occupied territories killed by Israeli security forces and settlers since the al-Aqsa intifada began, at 601. In addition, 138 members of the Palestinian security forces have been killed during the same 15-month period. Since the intifada began, a total of 83 Israeli civilians and 40 Israeli soldiers and police have been killed by Palestinians in the occupied territo
News, 1.1.2002, 16:00 UTC [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- Deutsche Welle English Service News 01st January, 2001, 16:00 UTC Introduction of Euro Currency Successful say Banks The introduction of euro banknotes seems to have got off to a good start, with demand for the new bills strong and banks reporting barely a hitch in the logistics. EU Commission President Romano Prodi hailed the launch of the euro, saying the identity of the new currency will be strong, leading to more growth, efficiency and competition. Every citizen of the Euroland's 12 member countries will have "a piece of Europe in the palm of the their hands", said Prodi. The euro currency became legal tender overnight for more than 300 million residents. Opting out are Britain, Denmark and Sweden. Europen Central Bank president Wim Duisenberg said the euro launch would generate up to one per cent in additional economic growth. Even threats of strikes at banks in France and Italy when business resumes on Wednesday after the New Year holiday failed to dampen confidence that the change would go smoothly. Meanwhile some major department stores in the United Kingdom have said they will accept the new euro currency, and in even in Switzerland residents were queueing to swap their Swiss Francs. India Offers Peace Talks, Pakistan says Situation Highly Explosive India on Tuesday offered peace talks if Pakistan dropped its "anti-Indian mentality" but Islamabad said New Delhi was still massing forces and the situation remained "highly explosive". Despite fears of war, the nuclear rivals renewed a 1991 pact not to attack each other's nuclear facilities. In a new year message to his nation, Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said he did not want war and would consider talks on disputed Kashmir -- at the heart of the latest tensions -- but only when Pakistan acted against cross-border terrorism. Pakistan said British Prime Minister Tony Blair planned a peacemaking visit to both countries next week, while accusing India of continuing its military build-up along the border. India denied the charge, saying its defensive build-up was "more or less complete". The stand-off has raised fears of a fourth war between the nuclear rivals, who have already gone to war twice over the Himalayan region of Kashmir, India's only Muslim-majority state. Argentina calls Emergency Meeting to Pick New Leader Argentina's Peronist Party called an emergency session of Congress on Tuesday to name another new president to try to lead the nation out of a chaotic four-year recession. After Sunday's shock resignation of the second president in barely a week, the Peronist senator Eduardo Duhalde is seen as the favourite. On Sunday, Adolfo Rodriguez Saa, who'd replaced Fernando De la Rua, resigned after serving only one week as interim president. Duhalde, if picked, could see out De la Rua's intended term in office until December 2003. Argentine police are girding for more unrest, especially outside banks, judicial and public transport centres. On Friday there were renewed protests in Buenos Aires and other cities when the courts upheld limits on bank customers' cash withdrawals. A week ago Argentina suspended repayments on massive foreign loans. Thousands Protest Zambian Election Results Zambian police fired teargas on Tuesday to disperse thousands of protesters who tried to march on President Frederick Chiluba's official residence, demanding that he nullify last week's election result. The clashes came as 10 opposition parties went to court to pursue their claim that Chiluba's ruling party rigged last week's presidential poll in favour of its candidate Levy Mwanawasa. Latest results from the Electoral Commission showed Mwanawasa of the Movement for Multiparty Democray (MMD) strengthening his lead, despite widespread accusations the MMD is to blame for graft, mismanagement and divisive tribalism. The Zambian authorities are expected to announce the winner of the cliffhanger elections later today, in what has been the closest since Zambia's independence from Britain in 1964. Advance ISAF Team Flying to Afghanistan An advance team of the U.N. peace force for Afghanistan, ISAF, has flown from London, heading for an as-yet-unnamed Afghan airport after days of delay. The German defence ministry said an Airbus was carrying 150 personnel, including nine Bundeswehr officers. In Oman, they would switch to a British aircraft. This follows agreement between ISAF's designated British commander John McColl and Afghan interior minister Yunis Kanuni on an ISAF force to comprise 4,500 soldiers from 17 nations. Tribal forces in Helmand province claim to be nearing Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar near Baghran. The U.S. military has denied that U.S. planes killed 107 civilians while bombing a village in the eastern Afghan Paktia region on Sunday. A U.S. spokesman said it was a "known" al-Qaeda-Taliban compound. Sharon Blocks Katzav Speec
Unrest continues in Argentina [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- AP (with additional material by BBC). 1 January 2002. Rival Protesters Clash Outside Argentina's Congress as Lawmakers Struggle to Pick a New President. BUENOS AIRES -- As Argentina's parliament meets in emergency session to name a new president, demonstrators have been fighting running battles in the streets of the capital. The violence broke out between supporters of Mr Duhalde's Peronist party and the opposition United Left, Argentine radio said. Police used rubber bullets and tear gas to bring the stone-throwing rioters under control. Hundreds of rival protesters threw stones and bottles at each other outside Congress on Tuesday. The supporters of rival parties clashed briefly before riot police firing tear gas separated them, while differences between legislators delayed an emergency session of Congress supposed to pick a new president. There were no immediate reports of injuries in the unrest. But tensions were high, and hundreds of police fanned out around Congress and the Plaza de Mayo, a major city square, fearing a return of widespread street violence that has shaken this capital in recent weeks. The abrupt resignation of interim President Adolfo Rodriguez Saa on Sunday left the country without any clear leadership and, even worse, without a concise economic plan to pull Argentina - long Latin America's most prosperous country - back from virtual bankruptcy after four years of deep recession. Emerging as the likely candidate to fill the post is Sen. Eduardo Duhalde, a Peronist Party political boss and fierce critic of the free-market policies undertaken by the government over the past 10 years. While Duhalde appeared to have the backing of many in his party, political infighting has gripped the Peronist party, which controls both houses of Congress and is now the country's leading political force. One faction appeared to favor calling general elections to elect a new president in March, while another wants to appoint a leader to serve out the remainder of de la Rua's term through 2003. "Argentines must be allowed to elect a new president," said Jose Manuel de la Sota, an influential Peronist governor. "It's the only way we can move forward to lift this country out of this disaster." Worried about the political and economic upheaval, Gov. Carlos Ruckhauf, who controls Buenos Aires province, appealed for "a government of national salvation" made up members of all the political parties. Duhalde is a two-time governor of Argentina's powerful Buenos Aires province, and two years ago he was resoundingly beaten by de la Rua in a bid for the presidency. His stint as governor was marred by heavy spending that racked up high debts for Buenos Aires. Charges of corruption against figures in his government also surfaced, though he was not touched personally. Some Argentines seemed to worry about a possible Duhalde administration. "He's the kind of politician the people have been saying they no longer want leading this country," said Jorge Ocampo, a 38-year-old electrician. "The problem is that there aren't any alternatives; our political leaders are all either scarred by charges of corruption or seen as part of the system." Whoever is appointed will face down an economy that has ground to a halt. Thousands of police had their leave cancelled ahead of the vote and extra guards were drafted in to protect the government palace and congress buildings, the scenes of violent demonstrations at the weekend. Some 45,000 police were on standby in and around the capital, with soldiers also helping guard the nearby government palace known as the Casa Rosada. It is the worst crisis since the interruption of democracy by a 1976-83 dictatorship. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry Stoller http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews ==^ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^
re: Unrest continues in Argentina [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- According to AP this is quote " the worst crisis since the interruption of democracy by a 1976-83 dictatorship". Actually this would seem to be a "worse" crises. The capitalists, both in Argentina and particularly the U.S weren't bothered in the least by the imposition of military dictatorship. In fact, they fully supported and were behind it! For them, this crisis is perceived as much worse, because their business interests and the ability to profit from their continual and continuous impovertisation of the Argentinean people is threatened. Watch for another U.S backed, right wing military coup or even direct U.S. military intervention. mart - Original Message - From: Barry Stoller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2002 5:33 PM Subject: Unrest continues in Argentina > HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK> ---> > > AP (with additional material by BBC). 1 January 2002. Rival Protesters> Clash Outside Argentina's Congress as Lawmakers Struggle to Pick a New> President.> > BUENOS AIRES -- As Argentina's parliament meets in emergency session to> name a new president, demonstrators have been fighting running battles> in the streets of the capital.> > The violence broke out between supporters of Mr Duhalde's Peronist party> and the opposition United Left, Argentine radio said.> > Police used rubber bullets and tear gas to bring the stone-throwing> rioters under control.> > Hundreds of rival protesters threw stones and bottles at each other> outside Congress on Tuesday.> > The supporters of rival parties clashed briefly before riot police> firing tear gas separated them, while differences between legislators> delayed an emergency session of Congress supposed to pick a new> president.> > There were no immediate reports of injuries in the unrest. But tensions> were high, and hundreds of police fanned out around Congress and the> Plaza de Mayo, a major city square, fearing a return of widespread> street violence that has shaken this capital in recent weeks.> > The abrupt resignation of interim President Adolfo Rodriguez Saa on> Sunday left the country without any clear leadership and, even worse,> without a concise economic plan to pull Argentina - long Latin America's> most prosperous country - back from virtual bankruptcy after four years> of deep recession.> > Emerging as the likely candidate to fill the post is Sen. Eduardo> Duhalde, a Peronist Party political boss and fierce critic of the> free-market policies undertaken by the government over the past 10> years.> > While Duhalde appeared to have the backing of many in his party,> political infighting has gripped the Peronist party, which controls both> houses of Congress and is now the country's leading political force.> > One faction appeared to favor calling general elections to elect a new> president in March, while another wants to appoint a leader to serve out> the remainder of de la Rua's term through 2003.> > "Argentines must be allowed to elect a new president," said Jose Manuel> de la Sota, an influential Peronist governor. "It's the only way we can> move forward to lift this country out of this disaster."> > Worried about the political and economic upheaval, Gov. Carlos Ruckhauf,> who controls Buenos Aires province, appealed for "a government of> national salvation" made up members of all the political parties.> > Duhalde is a two-time governor of Argentina's powerful Buenos Aires> province, and two years ago he was resoundingly beaten by de la Rua in a> bid for the presidency. His stint as governor was marred by heavy> spending that racked up high debts for Buenos Aires. Charges of> corruption against figures in his government also surfaced, though he> was not touched personally.> > Some Argentines seemed to worry about a possible Duhalde administration.> > "He's the kind of politician the people have been saying they no longer> want leading this country," said Jorge Ocampo, a 38-year-old> electrician.> > "The problem is that there aren't any alternatives; our political> leaders are all either scarred by charges of corruption or seen as part> of the system."> > Whoever is appointed will face down an economy that has ground to a> halt.> > Thousands of police had their leave cancelled ahead of the vote and> extra guards were drafted in to protect the government palace and> congress buildings, the scenes of violent demonstrations at the weekend.> > Some 45,000 police were on standby in and around the capital, with> soldiers also helping guard the nearby government palace known as the> Casa Rosada.> > It is the worst crisis since the interruption of democracy by a 1976-83> dictatorship.> > > . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .> > Barry Stoller> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews> ==^ This
Cuba: National Liberation Day 2002 [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- AP. 1 January 2002. Cuba Promises to Fight for Return of Five Secret Agents as It Commemorates 1959 Revolution. HAVANA -- The Cuban government promised Tuesday to fight for the return of five agents sentenced in Miami on espionage charges as it celebrated the 43rd anniversary of the Cuban revolution. "Cuban men and women, we toast this heroic nation capable of so many great achievements, the revolution that illuminates our hopes, (and) the return of the heroes to the homeland," read the government's New Year's message, published on the front page of the Communist Party daily Granma. Jan. 1 is the most important day on communist Cuba's calendar, marking the day in 1959 that Fidel Castro and his bearded revolutionaries entered the eastern city of Santiago after dictator Fulgencio Batista fled the country. Winning the return of the five agents has become a top priority for Castro. Last week, he called a special session of the National Assembly, which unanimously agreed to bestow the title of "Heroes of the Republic of Cuba" on the five men. The men were convicted in December and given sentences ranging life in prison to 10 years. Prosecutors said they were assigned by Havana to warn about signs of a U.S. invasion. Gerardo Hernandez was sentenced to life on charges of trying to infiltrate U.S. military bases and conspiring in the deaths of four Cuban-Americans whose private planes were shot down by Cuba in 1996. The others received lesser terms - two on charges of trying to penetrate U.S. military bases and two convicted of failing to register as foreign agents and conspiracy. Castro said the men were patriots protecting their country from possible terrorist attacks. During the special parliamentary session Saturday, Castro told the assembly that because of the men's importance, 2002 would be officially known as the "Year of the Heroic Prisoners of the Empire" - a reference to the United States. The Cuban government regularly chooses a slogan for each year, which then is used in official correspondence and in state media instead of the year's number. In its New Year message, the government also claimed 3 percent economic growth during 2001, despite a drop in tourism, sinking prices for Cuban exports and heavy damage from Hurricane Michelle in early November. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry Stoller http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews ==^ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^
Duhalde 'named' as pots & pans resound [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- AP (with additional material by Reuters and BBC). 1 January 2002. Argentina Names New President. BUENOS AIRES -- Congress named a Peronist party leader as Argentina's the fifth president in two weeks Tuesday as the country reeled from its most serious political and economic crisis in decades. The Peronist-controlled Congress overwhelmingly confirmed old-style populist Eduardo Duhalde as head of state. The vote was 262-21, with 18 abstentions. Pots and pans could again be heard in several districts of the capital after news of Duhalde's appointment. "No to Duhalde. Elections now," read pamphlets scattered across a Buenos Aires park after New Year's celebrations. In a brief outburst of violence hours earlier, hundreds of rival political demonstrators battled each other with slingshots, stones and paving blocks. Although the violence was swiftly quelled by police firing tear gas and rubber bullets, the street brawling was a clear sign of Argentines' simmering anger at their politicians, whom they blame for a crippling recession of nearly four years. Waving red flags, student supporters of more extreme left-wing groups battled with the Peronist demonstrators. At least two injuries were reported. Argentine radio said that police used tear gas and rubber bullets against the rioters during the "hellish clash." Standing outside Congress, his shirt smeared in blood from a rubber bullet wound, Fernando Ramirez said he hoped lawmakers would find solutions quickly. "I hope Congress can find some reasonable way out of this situation because this chaos is getting out of control," he said. Many Argentines stayed at home this New Year and streets were mostly empty and restaurants boarded up amid fear of violence. In this country of 36 million people, around 2,000 people a day fall below the poverty line and many are so angry at politicians seen as corrupt that they have insulted and spat on legislators and government officials in the street. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry Stoller http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews ==^ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^
Balkan News Review (01/01/02) [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- 1. US spreads Euro word in Kosovo (Associated Press, AP) 2. Turkey criticizes EU on terror lis (AP) 3. Southern Serbia still tense despite end of conflict (Reuters) 4. Turkish troops go after PKK in northern Iraq (Reuters) 5. Balkan territories slip quietly into Euro party (Reuters) U.S. Spreads Euro Word in Kosovo By GARENTINA KRAJA .c The Associated Press ROGANE, Yugoslavia (AP) - U.S. soldiers and other NATO-led peacekeepers - in Kosovo to prevent violence - have taken on an unusual new task: heading out on the worst roads into the most remote areas to spread the word about the new European currency, the euro. Kosovo - still a province of Yugoslavia - isn't part of the European Union, but since 1999 it has depended on the German mark as its currency. So when the euro replaces the mark in Germany on Tuesday, it does the same in Kosovo. The territory, which is run by international administrators since Yugoslav troops were forced out, is the first place to officially adopt the euro outside the 15-nation European Union. Twelve EU nations start using the currency Tuesday. American, British, French and German soldiers - and others in the 39-nation peacekeeping force - are pitching in to inform Kosovars about the new currency and how to change their money. ``It's different,'' says Capt. Andrew Zacherl, 32, from Denver, at the idea of an American soldier ``selling'' the European currency here. Soldiers of the 9th Psychological Operations Battalion, from Fort Bragg, N.C., have for weeks been defying some of Europe's worst winter weather, lugging euro pamphlets, euro calendars, wallet-size exchange rate cards and other paraphernalia linked to the currency changeover. Normally the unit hands out fliers urging parents not to buy war toys for their kids or helps organize call-in radio shows - part of an effort to nudge majority ethnic Albanians and minority Serbs away from confrontation and toward cooperation. The euro operation has ``long term U.S. benefits,'' Zacherl said. ``If Europe has a stable economy, that means the economy in the States will be stable.'' After coming under U.N. and NATO control in June 1999, Kosovo's unstable Yugoslav dinar was replaced with the German mark to keep inflation in check. Even before that, the mark was king among most Kosovo residents. With the mark one of the currencies being displaced by the euro early next year, there is no other choice for Kosovo but to go along. Like villagers elsewhere, locals in Rogane village, some 50 miles east of province's capital, Pristina, have for weeks been exposed to information preparing them for the changeover starting Jan. 1 and ending Feb. 28. Peacekeepers have put up euro fact sheet posters, with euro-mark exchange rates and other information to remind people that the clock is ticking down on the Deutschmark. Radio messages and television spots with the same message are aired dozens of times a day. Like members of the other euro nations, Kosovo residents will head to the bank to turn in their marks for the new currency. Many look forward to the change, hoping it will bring them closer to Europe's more prosperous economies. Shaban Bajrami, a 28-year-old jewelry store owner, had kept his life savings buried in his garden for years. Now, he plans to open a bank account in euros. ``Finally I have the feeling that we are part of Europe,'' Bajrami said. ``At least now we get to do business like they do.'' Village teacher Gani Basha sounds a similar chord. ``I'm excited,'' he said. ``We are joining Europe.'' Although Kosovo is traditionally a cash-based society, part of the euro campaign has focused on encouraging residents to deposit money long kept hidden at home. That has led to about 100,000 new bank accounts being opened in the last month alone, compared to 1,000 new accounts over all of the rest of 2001, says EU spokesman Mike Todd. There are also hopes that a common currency will encourage European nations to invest in an economy shattered by years of political repression and months of war pitting forces loyal to former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic against ethnic Albanian guerrillas. AP-NY-12-29-01 1631EST Turkey Criticizes EU on Terror List By BEN HOLLAND .c The Associated Press ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) - Turkey on Saturday criticized the European Union's failure to include militant leftist and Kurdish groups that have carried out attacks in Turkey on its list of terrorist organizations. The European Union's omission of the Kurdistan Workers' Party or PKK, and a militant leftist group that is leading a hunger strike against prison conditions was incomprehensible, according to Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. ``Nobody has any doubt that these are terrorist organizations,'' Ecevit said. ``The fact that the EU has not included these two groups on its terrorism list is beyond comprehension.'' The EU made public Friday a list of organizati
Fw: [CubaNews] Cuba Opposes U.S. Plan for Prisoners at Guantanamo [WWW.STOPNATO.
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- Forward from mart. PLease distribute. FREE THE MIAMI 5! END THE BLOCKADE! U.S. OUT OF GUANTANAMO! NOW! - Original Message - From: Jose G. Perez To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2002 11:27 PMSubject: [CubaNews] Cuba Opposes U.S. Plan for Prisoners at GuantanamoSaturday December 29 6:57 PM ETCuba Opposes U.S. Plan for Prisoners at GuantanamoBy Andrew CawthorneHAVANA (Reuters) - Senior Cuban officials voiced their opposition Saturdayto Washington's plans for housing Taliban and al Qaeda prisoners at a U.S.Navy base at Guantanamo Bay on the communist-run Caribbean island.``Of course, we don't agree with this, since even though it is occupied bythe Americans, this is Cuban territory,'' said Gen. Ramon Espinosa, head ofthe Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces' eastern section, which includes theGuantanamo area.Espinosa, in rare comments to reporters, stressed, however, that theproposal to turn the U.S. facility on Cuba's southeast tip into a detentioncenter should not ruffle the military calm on the base's border, which isheavily guarded on both sides.``We hope to maintain that zone as it is today, pretty quiet on bothsides,'' he said, adding that Cuba aspired to regain control of the area oneday ``by peaceful means.''Another senior member of President Fidel Castro's government, HigherEducation Minister Fernando Vecino Alegret, also criticized the plan tobring detainees from the conflict in Afghanistan half-way around the worldto the century-old base.``I think it would be yet another mistake by the Americans to use thatusurped territory ... I think there will be repudiation of that around theworld,'' Vecino told reporters outside a special session of Cuba's NationalAssembly parliament.Cuban Attorney General Juan Escalona scoffed at the proposal as ``anotherprovocation'' from the Americans.''While condemning the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, Havana has alsoopposed the bombardment of Afghanistan, calling it a barbaric massacre ofcivilians to advance imperial goals.Castro and his ruling Communist Party have long opposed their politicalfoe's military presence at the 45 square mile base in Guantanamo Bay,calling the installation a ``dagger pointed at Cuba's heart''.NO COMMENT YET FROM CASTROThe base was founded after U.S. Marines landed at Guantanamo Bay in 1898during the Spanish-American War and, under a 1934 treaty, can only bedisbanded by mutual consent or if the U.S. forces pull out voluntarily.Castro has still not commented in public on the U.S. plan, and state mediahave not mentioned the news.Ordinary Cubans appeared to agree with the officials. ``We don't tell theAmericans what to do in their territory, so they shouldn't come here anddictate on our land,'' 26-year-old Julio Mier said on a Havana street.In his announcement on Thursday, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld saidWashington did not anticipate any trouble from Havana over the use ofGuantanamo, which he described as ``the least worst place we could haveselected.''One senior U.S. military official said earlier this week that ultimatelyhundreds of captured al Qaeda and Taliban members could be brought toGuantanamo for interrogation. Washington accuses the al Qaeda network, whichhad been protected in Afghanistan by the former Taliban government, ofmasterminding the Sept. 11 attacks.One of the last front lines of the Cold War, the Guantanamo base has longbeen a sore point in the United States' tense relations with Cuba sinceCastro's 1959 revolution.At Saturday's special session of the Cuban parliament, five Cuban agentsjailed in Florida on spy charges were awarded the distinction of ``Heroes ofthe Republic'' and lauded as patriots unfairly punished for trying to blockanti-Communist ''terrorism.''``They have carried out with exemplary dedication, dignity and firmness thesacred mission of defending the fatherland and protecting it fromterrorism,'' said a citation read by National Assembly President RicardoAlarcon in Castro's presence.During sentencing in recent days, three of the five alleged members of ``TheWasp Network'' spy ring received life sentences, while the other two werejailed for 15 and 19 years respectively.As part of a mass campaign to demand their release, 40,000 Cubans attended astate-organized rally earlier on Saturday in western Pinar del Rio province.(Additional reporting by Nelson Acosta)=To subscribe to CubaNews, send an email to:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ==^ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://TOPICA.COM/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^
Civilian Death Toll Is Not Big News [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/opinion/2002/0102/opt1.htm The Irish Times Wednesday, January 2, 2002 Civilian death toll is not big news OPINION/Vincent Browne More than 100 civilians were killed in a small village, Qalaye Naizi, in eastern Afghanistan by bombs dropped from US aircraft on Sunday. A cameraman who visited the village after the bombing said he could see huge craters blasted by bombs. Amid the destruction were scraps of flesh, pools of blood and clumps of what appeared to be human hair. On Thursday last, US warplanes killed 40 civilians in Ghazni, south-west of Kabul. Also recently, 65 people, including tribal elders, were killed by US bombing while they were travelling in a convoy to Kabul to take part in the inauguration ceremony of the Afghan interim government. On October 11th, more than 160 civilians were killed in a bombing raid in Karam, west of Jalalabad. Of the 60 mud huts in the village, 40 were destroyed. On October 18th, the central market place, Sarai Shamali, near Kandahar, was bombed and 47 civilians were killed. On October 23rd, low-flying US gunships fired on the farming villages of Bori Chokar and Chowkar-karez, north of Kandahar, killing 93 civilians. On November 10th, villages in the Khakrez district were bombed and more than 150 civilians were killed. On November 18th, bombing by US B52s killed again more than 150 civilians. On the morning of Sunday, December 1st, B52 bombers made four passes over the village of Kama Ado, south-west of Jalalabad. The planes dropped 25 bombs each of 1,000 pounds. Prof Marc Herold, of the departments of economics and women's studies at the University of New Hampshire, has published his estimate of the number of civilians killed in the bombardment of Afghanistan by US forces from October 7th, when the bombing started, to December 7th. He relied only on official news agency reports, major newspapers in the US, Britain, Pakistan and India, and broadcast organisations, notably the BBC. He has calculated that in the period covered by his research the number of people killed has been 3,767, an average of 62 civilians per day. The total is well in excess of the number of people killed in the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon on September 11th (that figure is now estimated at around 3,100). Assuming that the average killing rate has been maintained since December 7th, the total number of civilians killed in Afghanistan is now (as of New Year's Day) 5,317. Prof Herold acknowledges that his tabulation is based only on killings reported in the mainstream media. What of killings in remote areas of Afghanistan which never got recorded in the major news outlets? What of the people who have later died of wounds inflicted by the bombing? And how about the number of people who have died as a direct result of the war; people denied access to food aid (over one million people were said by the aid agencies to be at risk at the outset of the bombing), people who have died because electricity was cut off, because hospitals were bombed, because their access to food was shut down? For the most part, the media in the US, Britain and here have been indifferent to this slaughter. It is not that these atrocities have got no coverage, although precious little, it is that they are rarely highlighted and never drawn together to present the full awful picture of what is going on. For instance, yesterday's New York Times carried no mention of the killing of the 100 civilians in Qalaye Naizi on Sunday night. The Washington Post carried the story in an inside page, as did the Los Angeles Times. There was no mention in the Boston Globe. Sky News and CNN carried the story in its news bulletins on Monday but in secondary slots after reports of the launch of the euro (which was hardly news at all since we all knew about this for years). As I was out of Ireland on Monday I don't know how RTÉ television news treated the story but it rated behind a thoroughly innocuous statement from the European Central Bank on the 1p.m. radio news. The RTÉ website news carried no mention of the bombing on Monday evening. When stories of these slaughters are carried at all they are prefaced by denials by the US military. And even when the US military acknowledge a slaughter, it is carried as though it was of no consequence. When a Pentagon spokesman was asked about the bombing of Chowkar-karez on October 23rd when at least 93 civilians were killed, he said: "The people are dead because we wanted them dead." When asked about the incident, Donald Rumsfeld said: "I cannot deal with that particular village." And that was that. And, of course, nobody in government or in politics has a word to say about it, not in the US, not in Britain, and certainly not here. This is not quite a new barbarism as the obscenities engaged in by both sid
War is good business! (Invest your son). [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- from The Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19095-2001Dec23.html Once Again, War Is Good for Business By Renae Merle Once the uncool cousin to high-flying dot-coms, government contractors adopted a new swagger in 2001. The industry continued a trend toward consolidation that strengthened already large companies going after ever-larger federal contracts. Nearly across the board, stock in such companies surged after Sept. 11. An extreme example was CACI International Inc. of Arlington, the stock price of which nearly doubled before a 2-for-1 split in November. Expectations for the sector are high. Before the terrorist attacks, the federal government was expected to spend $46.3 billion on information technology this fiscal year, which ends next September. Now, the Government Electronics and Information Technology Association predicts that federal spending on information technology will jump to $49 billion this fiscal year and reach $65 billion in fiscal 2007. As the government focuses on homeland security, federal agencies are considering how to secure their computer networks and continue to offer more services to the public on the Internet. Contractors in the intelligence field in particular should benefit over the next few years, analysts said. "Even before the terrorist attacks . . . federal government outsourcing was on the rise, and defense spending, after 15 years of decline, was poised for growth," Legg Mason analyst Bill Loomis said. "Now the outlook is even more favorable for federal government contractors." The government technology was already revitalizing. Even before Sept. 11, companies that usually deal in the private sector market had their eyes on government business. "Until there is a drastic change, we will see more and more companies trying to get into government," said Thomas Meagher, an analyst for BB&T Capital Markets. Others, such as Bethesda-based Lockheed Martin Corp. and SRA International Corp. continued to grow through acquisition. In October, Lockheed Martin agreed to buy OAO Corp., a Greenbelt-based federal information technology firm. SRA International, a Fairfax government information technology contractor, purchased Marasco Newton Group, another privately owned information technology firm. Computer Science Corp. of California won a 10-year $2.5 billion contract to take over technology services for the National Security Agency. One thousand NSA employees will become Computer Science employees in the biggest outsourcing arrangement ever for a federal agency. New York-based International Business Machines Corp. New York-based IBM Corp. won a $1.3 billion contract to overhaul the U.S. Customs Service's computer system. If the sector's positive outlook was not already evident, ManTech International Corp., a Fairfax technology services company, said in November that it would raise as much as $92 million in an initial stock offering, one of only a few IPOs this year in any industry. More IPOs by government-technology firms could be on the horizon. "An initial public offering has often been, and in the current favorable market conditions remains today, one way to finance growth," said Ernst Volgenau, SRA's president and chief executive. He did not comment on his company's plans. _ (c) 2001, The Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com __ Do You Yahoo!? Send your FREE holiday greetings online! http://greetings.yahoo.com ==^ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^
China removes another trace of British rule in Hong Kong [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- Tuesday, January 01, 2002 4:14 PM Monday, December 31, 20012:53 pm (GMT+8) China removes another trace of British rule in Hong Kong Soldiers stand guard at the Prince of Wales Barracks in Hong Kong in this file photo. The Chinese military is changing the facility's name to the Central Barracks. REUTERS/Larry ChanThe People's Liberation Army (PLA) said on Monday it was renaming one of its main barracks in Hong Kong, as China removes another trace of British rule in its former colony. The Prince of Wales Barracks, which stands prominently along the main waterfront, will change its name to Central Barracks on Tuesday, the PLA said in a statement. Hong Kong reverted to Chinese rule in mid-1997 after more than 150 years as a British colony. The legislature approved the changes in May 2000, but it is not clear why the PLA waited until now to rename the barracks. The PLA was not immediately available for comment. A 5,000-strong PLA garrison has been based in the territory since the handover, although troops have kept a low profile and are rarely seen in public. The South China Morning Post said the barracks chapel will be removed and the space will be put to a different use. It said seven other barracks across the territory would also be given new names. Monday, December 31, 200114:53 pm (GMT+8) Soldiers stand guard at the Prince of Wales Barracks in Hong Kong in this file photo. The Chinese military is changing the facility's name to the Central Barracks. REUTERS/Larry Chan ==^ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^ reuterlogo2.gif Description: GIF image rule150.gif Description: GIF image <> clicktozoom.gif Description: GIF image reuterlogo2.gif Description: GIF image <> reuterlogo2.gif Description: GIF image
UPGRADED SSBN MADE FIRST APPEARANCE IN THE CHINESE NAVY [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- Tuesday, January 01, 2002 4:08 PM UPGRADED SSBN MADE FIRST APPEARANCE IN THE CHINESE NAVY Jun Shi Shi Jie Hua Kan Photo China has recently released the picture of her upgraded version "XIA" SSBN. There have been signs that one newly upgraded XIA Type 092A took part in a series of exercises this year and was involved in the joint military exercise with the Russian-made KILO. The latest picture of the upgraded "XIA" indicates that there have been no major structural changes on the submarine. The upgraded "XIA" has far fewer drain holes than the earlier version, which suggests that the main purpose of the upgrading was to lower the level of noise. In addition, the upgraded "XIA" is tinted with black sonar-wave absorbing material, just like that on the "Song" model. Judging from the height of the missile compartment, there have been no big size changes either. Kanwa believes that the possibility of installing JL2 on the upgraded "XIA" is low and it may still use the upgraded model of JL1, which has a longer effective range. ==^ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^ <<092m.jpg>>
China concerned over Japan's growing military might [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- Tuesday, January 01, 2002 4:07 PM China concerned over Japan's growing military might EIJING: China's military Tuesday expressed concerns that Japan's recent sinking of a suspected North Korean spy ship reflected Tokyo's growing ambition to become a global military power.An editorial on the website of the leading People's Liberation Army Daily said Japan and the United States would seek to expand Japan's military might despite the long-standing legal restraints of Japan's "peace Constitution."The December 22 sinking of the suspected spy ship outside of Japan's territorial waters and within China's exclusive economic zone was "a precedent for Japan in the post-(World War II) period," it said."In order to realise the dream of becoming a regional military power and to increase and expand the space for its self-defence forces into the high seas, Japan could well continue to create similar incidents in the future," it said.Asian nations were already expressing concerns of Japan's growing military might, especially its acquisition of high-tech destroyers and transport ships that smacked of an effort "to project military power.""Japan will cast off its Constitution and related legal shackles ... and while relying on the Japan-US military alliance, seek to realise its goal of becoming a big political power," it said.Following the incident, China's foreign ministry formally expressed concern over Japan's use of military force in the waters of the East China Sea, and expressed sorrow at the deaths of up to 15 crew members.Beijing also made further inquiries with the Japanese government over the incident, and urged Tokyo to maintain frequent consultations on new developments.Tokyo is considering whether it can salvage the boat now lying at a depth of some 100 metres (330 feet) on a continental shelf without offending Beijing.The ship has so far not been conclusively identified as North Korean, although the Japanese coastguard has retrieved the bodies of two Asian men with Korean character writing on them, including a tag on a lifejacket.( AFP ) ==^ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^ spacer.gif Description: GIF image B.gif Description: GIF image
North Korea ends 2001 with anti-U.S. diatribe [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- Monday, December 31, 20016:14 pm (GMT+8) North Korea ends 2001 with anti-U.S. diatribe A protester sticks a "unity flag" with the shape of the Korean peninsula on his mask during an anti-American protest in Seoul on December 31. North Korean media ended 2001 with a sharp blast at the U.S., accusing it of plotting a war in Korea. REUTERS/Lee Jae-wonNorth Korea's state-controlled media ended 2001 on Monday with a sharp blast at the United States, accusing Washington of plotting a war in Korea to further its aims of dominating Asia. "The U.S. seeks to launch an aggression against the DPRK with South Korea as its military stronghold in a bid to swallow up the whole of Korea and, furthermore, dominate other Asian countries," said the ruling communist party newspaper Rodong Sinmun. DPRK is the acronym for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "The U.S., buoyed up by its self-claimed 'victories' in a series of wars in recent years, are running amuck to ignite a new war in Korea," said the commentary, published by the official Korea Central News Agency (KCNA). The commentary did not mention specific American actions, but followed weeks of hostile rhetoric which analysts said signalled North Korean discomfiture at U.S. statements about the North's suspected weapons of mass destruction. In November, North Korea angrily rejected U.S. calls for inspections to hunt for suspected weapons of mass destruction, including biological and chemical arms. The state of U.S.-North Korea ties is significantly different from a year ago, when the Clinton administration had dramatically improved relations with Pyongyang. That budding rapprochement led to several high-level exchanges, including a trip to North Korea by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and talk of a visit by Bill Clinton. The Bush administration put North Korean relations on ice when it took office last January but in June offered talks without conditions. North Korea has not taken up the offer. North-South Korean ties spent nearly all of 2001 at a standstill, despite an unprecedented series of exchanges in 2000 which raised hopes of reconciliation. The two Koreas remain technically at war because they failed to sign a peace treaty at the end of the 1950-53 Korean conflict. The United States keeps 37,000 troops in the South to deter a repeat of the 1950 North Korean invasion which sparked the war. Monday, December 31, 200118:14 pm (GMT+8) A protester sticks a "unity flag" with the shape of the Korean peninsula on his mask during an anti-American protest in Seoul on December 31. North Korean media ended 2001 with a sharp blast at the U.S., accusing it of plotting a war in Korea. REUTERS/Lee Jae-won Close Window Copyright © 2002. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved ==^ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^ reuterlogo2.gif Description: GIF image rule150.gif Description: GIF image <> clicktozoom.gif Description: GIF image Newscomlogo_Left.gif Description: GIF image Newscomlogo_Right.gif Description: GIF image reuterlogo2.gif Description: GIF image <> reuterlogo2.gif Description: GIF image
Xinhua: U.S. Hegemonism Develops after September 11 Attacks: Lebanese Informatio
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- Tuesday, January 01, 2002 3:27 PM U.S. Hegemonism Develops after September 11 Attacks: Lebanese Information Minister Xinhuanet 2002-01-01 02:12:32 BEIRUT, December 31 (Xinhuanet) -- Lebanese Information Minister Ghazi Aridi said on Monday that the U.S. hegemonism further developed after the September 11 terror attacks in New York and Washington, the official NNA news agency reported. "We are facing a new international political system after the suicide attacks. The world has seen more U.S. hegemonism in the year of 2001. In the region of Middle East, Israel has succeeded inusing U.S. support to wage a war against Palestinians," said the information minister. "With the name of anti-terrorism, we have seen more Palestinian civilians killed by Israeli troops," Aridi noted. He also expressed regret that the Arab world can not unify a position to help Palestinians' intifada and face external pressure. While referring to the problem of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Aridi said: "We have to take the refugee problem into consideration in our foreign policies. What we should do if they can not return to Palestine and remain in Lebanon?" It is estimated that more than 350,000 Palestinian refugees are currently staying in 12 refugee camps in Lebanon. Lebanon insists that they have to go back to their home land. But Israel refuses toaccept all Palestinian refugees mainly scattered in Arab countries.Enditem ==^ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^
Xinhua: No Chinese Activities on Border: Indian Army [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- Tuesday, January 01, 2002 3:15 PM No Chinese Activities on Border: Indian Army Xinhuanet 2002-01-01 21:44:33 NEW DELHI, January 1 (Xinhuanet) -- The Indian Army on Tuesday denied reports that there were any Chinese activities going on along the borders of the North East, the Press Trust of India (PTI)reported. The PTI quoted Lt. Gen. J S Varma, the General Officer Commanding of Army's Fourth Corps, as saying that there was "totalpeace and tranquillity all along the border in the North East." The Indian Army was reacting to a report published in a sectionof the Indian press about Chinese activities in some areas along the northeastern borders, the PTI noted. Enditem ==^ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^
Stratfor: Spy Ship Sinking Draws Muted Response [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- Spy Ship Sinking Draws Muted Response2330 GMT, 011231 Summary The sinking of a suspected North Korean spy ship by Japanese vessels Dec. 22 has accelerated the debate in Japan about the role of the country's defense forces. North Korea denied any involvement and condemned Tokyo's action while China and South Korea had more subdued reactions. Beijing and Seoul may be willing to overlook Japan's efforts to remilitarize as long as Tokyo refrains from proving conclusively that the ship is North Korean -- because if it does, the fallout would destabilize Northeast Asia. Analysis A suspected North Korean spy ship sank in waters within China's Exclusive Economic Zone Dec. 22, following a six-hour chase by vessels and aircraft of the Japanese Coast Guard and Maritime Self Defense Force. It remains unclear whether the alleged spy ship, which was originally spotted within Japan's EEZ, was scuttled or sank due to damage sustained in a firefight with Japanese ships. The incident was similar to an alleged North Korean incursion into Japanese waters that took place in March 1999. The incident has kindled the debate inside Japan and among its neighbors over the future role of the Japanese military. North Korea belatedly responded by calling Japan's pursuit and sinking of the ship an act of piracy and terrorism, but China and South Korea have taken a more subdued tone. Both countries are concerned about Tokyo proving that the ship was North Korean -- because in doing so, it would destabilize the precarious balance of relations in Northeast Asia. Japan, for its part, will exploit this fear to further its goal of restructuring its military. If the boat is shown to be a North Korean spy vessel, it would require a diplomatic, economic and perhaps even military response from Japan. The United States, China and South Korea would be drawn into the conflict. This would destroy South Korea's attempt to reconcile with the North and set of alarms in Beijing. Pyongyang's already tense relations with Tokyo have plummeted in recent months, with Japan raiding the offices of pro-North Korean financial organizations and Pyongyang canceling the search for "missing" Japanese - those believed kidnapped in the 1970s and 1980s -- in North Korea. At the same time, Washington has sent less-than-subtle hints to North Korea that it is declaring open season on all potential terrorist and rogue nations following the Sept. 11 attacks. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is exploiting Washington's tougher line to press his case for a revitalized Japanese military, one no longer constrained by the U.S.-imposed pacifist constitution of 1947. Japan has recently made several revisions to the principles governing the deployment of its Self Defense Force personnel. For instance, it sent Maritime SDF ships to the Indian Ocean in support of Washington's war in Afghanistan, and it is paving the way for a broader domestic and international role for those forces. Chinese Advice Has Japan up in Arms Japan's moves to redefine the role of the Self Defense Forces are drawing concern from its neighbors, particularly North Korea and China. Although Beijing has softened its criticism since the Sept. 11 attacks, Chinese officials reportedly told their Japanese counterparts that Tokyo should not send maritime SDF vessels to the Indian Ocean on grounds that it would violate Japan's constitution. Tokyo may exploit alleged Chinese interventionism to bolster its case for a full review of the role of the SDF -- possibly leading to alteration of the constitution itself. Analysis Chinese foreign policy officials reportedly told their Japanese counterparts Nov. 21 that Japan's deployment of maritime Self Defense Force vessels to the Indian Ocean -- part of Japan's commitment to the U.S. anti-terrorism war -- was unconstitutional. The Japanese daily Sankei Shimbun cited government sources Dec. 17 as saying Beijing argued against the deployment; the paper added that Beijing's attempts to interpret the Japanese constitution may be tantamount to interference in Japan's internal affairs.Click here to continue. Related Analysis: N. K