Germany Warns U.S. on Wider Anti-Terror War
Germany Warns U.S. on Wider Anti-Terror War > November 28, 2001 11:56 AM ET BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany warned the United States Wednesday against expanding its war on terrorism in Afghanistan to countries such as Iraq and Somalia. "All European nations would view a broadening (of the conflict) to include Iraq highly skeptically -- and that is putting it diplomatically," Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer told parliament. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder reiterated his support for the U.S.-led coalition but said Germany was not "simply waiting to intervene militarily elsewhere in the world, such as Iraq or Somalia." Both men suggested that bombing Iraq could trigger a wider, uncontrollable conflict in the Middle East. "We should be particularly careful about a discussion about new targets in the Middle East -- more could blow up in our faces there than any of us realize," Schroeder said. "We should try and solve the region's problems politically," Fischer added. President Bush declared last week that "the front against terror is not just in Afghanistanwe're going to fight terror wherever it exists." This week Bush insisted that President Saddam Hussein allow inspectors back into Iraq to show he was not developing weapons of mass destruction. Asked what would happen if Saddam refused, Bush replied: "He'll find out." Some U.S. and Israeli officials have mentioned a putative "phase two," in which the international community would act to isolate a range of Arab and Islamic militant groups and states accused of sponsoring them. But there have been fears that a move into somewhere like Iraq could strain the coalition, unless Baghdad was proven to have had a hand in the September 11 suicide attacks that killed nearly 4,000 people in the United States. Schroeder told parliament: "We will do what is necessary. We will do everything to make sure the anti-terror coalition stays solid. But we should be careful about comments in magazines, newspapers, or from certain junior ministers, looking for new targets already." Last week a junior minister in the Foreign Ministry, Christoph Zoepel, said that Schroeder's Social Democrats would back an anti-terror group in Somalia.
Chile. Communist Party Office Attacked.
Urgent Action Message Communist Party of Chile Offices Ransacked by Police; Gladys Marin and other Party Leaders Beaten, Arrested Dear Comrades, We have just received disturbing news of a brutal, planned attack on the Central Committee offices of the Communist Party of Chile by over 300 members of the Carabineros, the Chilean National Police. According to preliminary reports, the attack took place at the head offices of the CP of Chile in Santiago on November 27. General Secretary Gladys Marin, Luis Barria (Head of the International Department), and the leader of the JJCC (communist youth league) were among the 50 or so party members who were beaten and then detained by the police. Some comrades had to be taken to hospital for injuries. The offices were then trashed, telephone lines cut, and computers and other electronic equipment smashed and thrown out onto the street. Most of the comrades, including cde. Marin, have since been released from custody, but a few are reportedly still under detention. Chilean President Largos, and the newly appointed head of the National Police, Arturo Cienfiegos, have subsequently claimed total ignorance of the reasons for the police action, and have promised a full investigation. Many doubt their professed ignorance however, because it is extremely unlikely that rogue element within the police would complete such an atrocity without approval from the highest levels of the state This attack comes only three weeks before nationwide elections are scheduled to take place, elections in which the vote for the Communists is expected to rise. The destruction of the party national headquarters will severely impact on the election campaign, a result which without doubt was intended. The Communist Party of Canada sharply denounces this vicious repression against Chilean Communists and demands swift action to bring those responsible to account. We urge all democratically-minded Canadians to speak out against this outrage, and to send faxes, e-mails, etc. to the Chilean government and justice system to condemn this attack on democracy in Chile and to demand justice. Further information will be forthcoming as soon as it becomes available. Comradely yours, Miguel Figueroa, Central Executive Committee Communist Party of Canada _ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __
Afghanistan. Allies justify mass killing - The Guardian
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [R-G] Allies justify mass killing - The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/afghanistan/story/0,1284,608721,00.html The Guardian Thursday November 29, 2001 Allies justify mass killing Allies justify mass killing of Taliban prisoners in fort By Nicholas Watt, Richard Norton-Taylor, and Luke Harding in Mazar-i-Sharif Britain and the US were facing growing international pressure last night to explain their role in the deaths of up to 400 Taliban prisoners who were killed by US warplanes and Northern Alliance fighters at a fortress outside the northern Afghan town of Mazar-i-Sharif. As America was forced to apologise for the high death toll, the UN said its high commissioner for human rights, Mary Robinson, would question the allied action during a visit to London tomorrow. The former Irish president will call for alliance forces who have abused human rights to be barred from Afghanistan's future government. The Pentagon was also investigating a Reuters report which said a senior Pashtun commander admitted executing 160 captured Taliban after a battle last week in the town of Takteh Pol, in southern Afghanistan, in the presence of US military personnel. The commander of forces loyal to Gul Agha, a former mojahedin governor of Kandahar, is quoted as saying: "We tried our best to persuade [the Taliban] to surrender before we attacked. But they replied with abuse so we had no choice. We executed around 160 Taliban that were captured. They were made to stand in a long line and five or six of our fighters used light machine guns on them." The commander said seven or eight US military personnel, who had been filming the fighting, tried unsuccessfully to prevent the killings. In an unrelated incident, earlier today the Pentagon announced that during the drop of humanitarian aid on Afghanistan, a woman and a child had been killed when a load landed on their house. Britain and the US defended the action of American special forces who directed warplanes to bomb hundreds of Taliban prisoners at the Mazar fortress after an uprising. One British government source said: "We had to deal with a situation in which prisoners tried to break out with grenades and Kalashnikovs. That situation had to be dealt with and you cannot be too squeamish." Kenton Keith, the chief US spokesman in Islamabad, said: "We are sorry that so many people did die in Mazar-i-Sharif." He insisted that the bombing was "not a massacre, not a reprisal", adding: "What happened in Mazar-i-Sharif was a pitched battle." His response failed to satisfy human rights groups and opposition MPs who believe the US may have breached international law by bombing the Taliban forces, many of whom were tied up and unable to move. Human rights lawyers said that any response to an armed revolt by prisoners of war should be proportionate. As Amnesty International called for a full investigation, the UN said its high commissioner for human rights will voice her disquiet over the bombings at a press conference in London tomorrow. The UNHCR spokesman, José Diaz, said: "Mary Robinson has said one of the things that should be kept very much in mind is the necessity and proportionality [of military action]. This incident might provide an argument for developing this stance." Tony Blair faced pressure at home last night when Menzies Campbell, the Liberal Democrats' foreign affairs spokesman, questioned the bombing of the fortress. "The UN is best placed to make an urgent, impartial inquiry," he said. "The governments of any of the Taliban troops who were killed as a result of the aerial bombardment may well feel that the response was disproportionate." The US named the CIA officer who died in the revolt as Johnny "Mike" Spann, 32. Mr Spann and a second CIA colleague are alleged to have sparked the revolt on Sunday when they attempted to question foreign Taliban fighters about their links with al-Qaida, according to Northern Alliance soldiers and a German television crew at the fortress. The Red Cross said that its workers on the ground would try to answer the "many unanswered questions" that have arisen. A spokeswoman said: "We will be asking the alliance and the coalition forces whether the response was proportionate. How many of the prisoners were armed and how many had a real combat role? "If 700 prisoners were heavily armed then it may be argued that the fortress became a legitimate combat target. But nobody knows the answers to these questions." Human rights groups were less circumspect. Amnesty International said: "An urgent inquiry should look into what triggered this violent incident, including any shortcomings in the holding and processing of the prisoners, and into the proportionality of the response by United Front, US and UK forces." Sadiq Khan, a London-based human rights lawyer, said there appeared to have been a breach of the Geneva convention, which says prisoners "
India. News on CPI (ML) PW
From: "Magnus Bernhardsen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [Peoples War] News on CPI (ML) PW 1) Naxals blast Naidu family's milk plant 2) PWG blows up politician's house 3) No ceasefire without clear stand: Goud http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=102084882 Naxals blast Naidu family's milk plant TIMES NEWS NETWORK HYDERABAD: A milk chilling centre belonging to Heritage Foods Limited, owned by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidus family was blasted by naxalites of Peoples War late on Thursday night. However, no one was injured. According to information reaching here, five armed naxalites barged into the premises of Heritage Foods Limited located on the Tirupati-Pileru Road at 9.55 pm on Thursday and at gun-point asked the few employees on duty to leave the premises.They then blasted the unit using improvised explosive devices, which police suspect, were dynamites. They made good their getaway after raising pro-Peoples War slogans. They left behind a note, the contents of which are unknown. Although the exact loss is yet to be ascertained, police officials said it could add up to several lakh.The main building of the plant and machinery suffered extensive damages, police said. The Pileru unit is among six units in the district owned by Heritage Foods Ltd. It is one of the largest privately-owned units,belonging to Naidus wife Bhuvaneswari Devi. Incidentally, Anantapur range DIG R P Thakur and Chittoor SP C Ramanarayana had arrived in the city late on Thursday night to attend the Collectors /SPs conference scheduled for Friday. On learning about the incident, Chittoor SP rushed back to the district to take stock of the situation. The police have launched a massive man-hunt in Chittoor and Tirupati for the blast suspects. Of late, the Peoples War has made its presence felt in Chittoor by raiding a police outpost in Kuppam and looting a weaponry store. A month ago the naxals had blasted the bottling unit belonging to the Coca-Cola Company at Mangalagiri in Guntur district. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_ID=1610431323 PWG blows up politician's house HYDERABAD: Naxalites of the outlawed People's War Group (PWG) have blown up a telephone exchange and the house of a local BJP leader in Nalgonda and Warangal districts of Andhra Pradesh, the police said. Four PWG action team members blasted the Nampalli telephone exchange building in Nalgonda district Wednesday night after asking the staff to vacate it. In Warangal district, three Naxalites blew up the house of K Yadagiri, a BJP leader, at Lakshmidevipet village in Venkatapuram Mandal on Wednesday, the police said. The militants blasted the house with detonators after asking the inmates to leave it. ( PTI ) http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_ID=349575152 No ceasefire without clear stand: Goud TIMES NEWS NETWORK HYDERABAD:Home Minister T Devender Goud on Wednesday said that Peoples War should clearly and unambiguously spell out its stand about the demand for ceasefire and the ongoing armed struggle which they have been waging against the state for more than two decades. Reacting to the offer made by Narasimha Reddy alias Jampanna, secretary of the North Telangana Special Zonal Committee, that the extremists were ready for negotiations if the government declares a ceasefire, the home minister said that Peoples War should come out with a clear stand and a clear approach on the issue. Devender Goud, who watched an interview with Jampanna along with the other footage of the PW training camp on a private television channel on Tuesday night, told The Times of India that the extremists were speaking in contradictory voices. On one hand they want the government to declare a ceasefire and on the other hand, they are talking of arming themselves and announcing commitment for armed struggle. How are both of them possible? the minister asked. He said the government could not declare a ceasefire without any clear indication from Peoples War. The government has a constitutional role and responsibility to govern the state and maintain law and order, he said. They seem to be in a state of confusion about what they actually want, Goud remarked. _ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __
News on Communist Party of Afghanistan
From: "Magnus Bernhardsen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [Peoples War] News on Communist Party of Afghanistan Communist Party of Afghanistan is a section of RIM. MB http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=1567946240 Afghan left to resist theocracy TIMES NEWS NETWORK KOLKATA: Opposing both the Taliban and the Northern Alliance, the Communist Party of Afghanisan has called for an armed resistance against what it called pan-Islamism and theocracy of both Taliban and non-Taliban variety. In a recent statement, a copy of which was made available to this newspaper, the CPA described the Taliban as well as the Al Qaeda as creations of the United States and said that the Northern Alliance was the new stooge of the US. It is the absolute right and responsibility of the people of Afghanistan to resist the invasion and occupation of the US imperialists and their allies, just as it was to resist the invasion and occupation of the Soviet social-imperialists, the statement says. Meanwhile, the Revolutionary Association of Women of Afghanistan, a banned organisation which shot into prominence after it published shocking live pictures of Taliban atrocities, demanded deployment of a UN peace-keeping force to disarm the warlords of the Northern Alliance. Sahar Saba, spokesperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of RAWA, who came to Kolkata on Thursday, demanded that the former king, Zahir Shah, be placed in charge of the interim government in Afghanistan. For us, this is not the ideal option. But since the true secular forces do not yet enjoy support of the majority, this is the only option under the present circumstances, Saba said. The Northern Alliance should not be allowed to form a government, she insisted. Northern Alliance is as bad as the barbaric and fundamentalist Taliban, she said. Strongly contradicting media reports that the women had attained liberation after the Northern Alliance captured power in Kabul, the RAWA leader said that the women were still being brutalised in the country and there was no difference between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance in this regard. Womens rights are still being violated in Afghanistan ever since the fall of Kabul and other important cities in the country to the Northern Alliance, and we are not safe at all, she said. Saba alleged that media was wrongly projecting that womens rights had been restored in Afghanistan with the defeat of the Taliban. Rights to removing burkha off the faces or listening to music does not mean that the women have attained freedom. Most of the Afghan women are still being forced to stay indoors, she said. The RAWA leader came to the city and attended a reception organised by the womens wing of the CPM, Ganatantrik Mahila Samity. She attended the recent conference of CPMs womens wing in Hyderabad. _ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __
New Worker Online Digest - 30/11/2001
From: New Worker Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [New-Worker-News] New Worker Online Digest - 30/11/2001 New Worker Online Digest Week commencing 30th November, 2001. 1) Editorial - On the sick. 2) Lead story - American aggression threatens the world. 3) Feature article - British transport "worse in Europe". 4) International story - US: recession and hunger. 5) British news item - Tax credits to subsidise low pay. 1) Editorial On the sick. CHANCELLOR Gordon Brown's pre-budget speech was largely a kite-flying exercise to prepare us for a tax rise aimed at boosting NHS funding. It could be just what the doctor ordered -- making the rich pay back more of the wealth the working class have created in order to fund an essential service for the benefit of all. The trouble is it doesn't usually work out quite like that. It is more likely that the rich will continue to get off lightly while higher paid workers do the forking out. There is no doubt of course that our NHS and other public services need the money. Years of Tory cuts took their toll and further years of backdoor privatisation by both Tory and Labour governments have drained money out of the services to provide profits for private investors. As a result Britain's health service is lagging behind those of other west European countries and, as a recent survey has shown, our transport services are among the worst in Europe. This situation is not just a matter of taxation levels. The British working class is saddled with an enormous burden of military spending -- greater than that of other European countries. The desire of the British capitalist class to be second only to the United States as a bullying military power is a very costly business. And of course business and economic domination is ultimately what all that is for. The working class, though it pays the bills, neither starts these militaryy adventures nor gains from them. Some argue that working people do benefit from the victories of the ruling class in the form of crumbs from the rich man's table. But even the crumbs have to be struggled for, and in a kneeling posture to boot. The militarism of the British ruling class is hardly ever discussed in these debates about public spending. But we should demand to know the facts -- facts such as the cost of Britain's participation in the war on Afghanistan. We should demand that Britain withdraw from that imperialist attack on the poorest country in the world and put the war chest at the disposal of the NHS and other socially useful services instead. In effect, the British working class is being prepared for tax rises because the government refuses to consider its spending on war and war preparations. And though Gordon Brown claims he is only concerned with boosting spending on the NHS -- and the extra cash may very well go in that direction -- his argument ignores the whole matter of a ring-fenced defence budget. The Tories, who of course support the bombing of Afghanistan and high levels of defence spending, have an even more reactionary view of tackling the problems in the NHS. They want even more involvement of private funding in the NHS. They argue that the NHS doesn't need lots more public money but a better organisation and more businesslike approach. So far the experience of privatising parts of the NHS has been anything but businesslike. Not only has it created more paperwork and layers of administration, it has caused the contracts of many hospital workers to be redrawn to the detriment of those workers -- we remember the strike of the Hillingdon Hospital cleaners. Privatisation and Private Finance Initiative (PFI) is the very worst road to go down. Down there lies the wreck of Railtrack, the yoke of debt to the finance houses and the end of a universal system of care free to all. We say, keep the NHS as a public service that is democratically controlled. Stop pouring billions into warmongering. Stop the war on Afghanistan. Tax the rich! * 2) Lead story American aggression threatens the world. by our Middle East affairs corresponent AMERICAN ground forces are now operating in Afghanistan following the seizure of Kandahar airport last week. American bombers are continuing their murderous sorties against Kandahar, the last remaining Taleban stronghold in southern Afghanistan. And US warplanes pounded a Northern Alliance POW camp in Mazar-e-Sharif to quell a prison revolt which ended with the death of one American CIA agent and all the prisoners. Ominously the White House is now talking about a "second stage" in the war against "terrorism" -- in thinly veiled threats against Iraq, Somalia and North Korea. Some American pundits are already talking about "victory". Others fear that the Bush agenda could soon spread death and destruction to many more countnes. More war Bush has been mouthing of
Romania. Another anti-capitalist demo.
From: Barry Stoller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [L-I] Another anti-capitalist demo in Romania AP. 29 November 2001. Some 15,000 Workers March Through Bucharest to Protest Low Wages, Job Insecurity. BUCHAREST -- Marching to the beat of a brass band, thousands of laborers from across Romania converged on the capital Thursday to demand job security and higher wages. The mostly male crowd of 15,000 thrust their fists into the air and set off hand-held sirens, while the band played patriotic music at the protest, organized by a trade union that claims 750,000 members. The protest on the icy streets of Bucharest was one of several in recent days. With winter setting in, fears have increased that officials will slash jobs in state-run industries to control spending. "We've had enough! Down with the prime minister!" the workers shouted, cursing the year-old government as they marched, many with flaps on their hats pulled down over their ears to keep out the cold. Romania's poverty bites harder in the winter, when heating bills rise along with the price of fresh produce. Other prices also traditionally increase around Christmas. Many of the defense industry, auto and postal workers marching Thursday fear they will not be able to pay their bills. The government has recently raised utility prices to bring them up to international levels. The protests also reflect a loss of faith in Romania's new government. Prime Minister Adrian Nastase has been criticized for pandering to the West in the government's quest to join NATO while putting a gloss on ordinary people's problems. Formerly communist Romania has had difficulty restructuring its economy along market lines. Although a 4 percent economic growth rate is predicted this year, few people's living standards have improved and the national monthly salary remains at the equivalent of $100. "We want higher wages, lower taxes and a risk bonus," said Elena Baciu, 26, a postal worker from Bucharest, who said she makes the equivalent of $60 a month. Defense industry worker Gheorghe Stoica, 41, said his factory in the town of Plopeni, north of Bucharest, was short on orders, forcing him to work only part-time and cutting his earnings. Unemployment is about 8 percent in Romania, where successive governments have shied away from closing down large state-run enterprises, fearing unrest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry Stoller http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews _ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __
Korean Central News Agency Nov 29
TODAY'S NEWS (November.29.2001 Juche 90) [CONTENTS] * Solidarity with Palestinian people expressed * New poems on torchlight of Ranam * Spokesman for DPRK Foreign Ministry assails U.S. evermore hostile attitude * Korean history seen through pictures * Return of U.S. military base in S. Korea demanded * Working people vow to raise high torchlight of Ranam * Suppression of trade unions in S. Korea denounced abroad * Japan's smear campaign refuted * Greetings to prime minister of Barbados * Greetings to Romanian PM * Greetings to Romanian President * Paek Nam Sun meets Mongolian ambassador For Spanish-speaking people * periodicos conmemoran "dia mundial de solidaridad con pueblo palestino" * vocero de minrex de rpdc se refiere a dialogo con ee.uu. * declaracion de ajdc * poesias relativas a antorcha de ranam Solidarity with Palestinian people expressed Pyongyang, November 29 (KCNA) -- Papers here today observe the "World Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People". On this occasion the Korean people extend firm solidarity to the Palestinian people in their vigorous struggle for the recovery of their legitimate national right and the full settlement of the Palestinian issue, says Rodong Sinmun in a signed article. it continues: The Palestinian people are waging a dynamic struggle for forcing the Israeli aggressors to withdraw from their territory and holy land to the last one and building an independent Palestinian state with Kuds as its capital. The progressive people of the world have positively supported the principled stand and just demands of the Palestinian people, denouncing Israel's brutal murder. The stand of the Korean people supporting the Palestinian people in their cause of justice still remains unchanged. The Korean people will as always stand by the Palestinian people and join hands with them in the struggle for the victory in the cause of independence against imperialism. Minju Joson in an article says that the just cause of the Palestinian people is sure to triumph thanks to the worldwide support. New poems on torchlight of Ranam Pyongyang, November 29 (KCNA) - Poets affiliated to the central committee of the Korean writers union have recently written over 20 poems dealing with the torchlight of Ranam lit in the DPRK in the new century. Among them are poems "a torchlight for the new century," "for bringing earlier spring for a powerful and prosperous nation," "the torchlight of victory" and "may torchlight of Ranam flare up." These poems praise the greatness and immortal exploits of leader Kim Jong Il who highly appreciated the revolutionary spirit and heroic feats displayed by the officials and workers of the Ranam coal mining machine complex and lit the torchlight for new creation and innovation. They also include poems "we have also held high the torchlight of Ranam" and "Let's hold high the torchlight of Ranam" dealing with the revolutionary spirit and strong enthusiasm of the workers and farmers across the country all out to raise high the torchlight of Ranam. Spokesman for DPRK Foreign Ministry assails U.S. evermore hostile attitude Pyongyang, November 29 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK yesterday gave answers to questions raised by KCNA as regards the U.S. evermore undisguised hostile attitude toward the DPRK. Not content with the ceaseless mud-slinging at the DPRK over issues of "human rights", "religion", "biological and chemical weapons" and the like, the united states has recently linked the DPRK with terrorism and even raised the issue of "verifying the possible development of weapons of mass destruction" in a bid to bring pressure to bear upon it, the spokesman said, and went on: This goes to prove that some forces in the United States, in fact, do not want the dialogue for the solution of the problems, though they are giving lip-service to the "resumption of dialogue with the DPRK without preconditions." This compels the DPRK to follow their attitude with particular vigilance. The DPRK has nothing to do with terrorism and has made every possible effort to combat it. Nevertheless, the U.S. is becoming all the more undisguised in its hostile policy toward the DPRK, keeping it on the list of "sponsors of terrorism". It is quite nonsensical for the u.s. to talk about cooperation with the DPRK in its anti-terrorism operation after labeling the DPRK as a "sponsor of terrorism". The building of the light water reactors due to be provided to the DPRK by the U.S. by 2003 under the 1994 agreed framework is being indefinitely delayed. The U.S. is unreasonably demanding the DPRK receive
China. People´s Daily Nov 30
Extracts. DPRK Order Awarded to Chinese Ambassador. A DPRK order was awarded to Chinese ambassador to the DPRK Wang Guozhang with due ceremony at the Mansudae Assembly Hall Wednesday. The friendship order first class of the DPRK was awarded to him in recognition of his positive activities to strengthen and develop the DPRK-China friendship. A DPRK order was awarded to Chinese ambassador to the DPRK Wang Guozhang with due ceremony at the Mansudae Assembly Hall Wednesday. The friendship order first class of the DPRK was awarded to him in recognition of his positive activities to strengthen and develop the DPRK-China friendship. Present at the ceremony were Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's As1embly of the DPRK, Kim Yong Il, vice-minister of foreign affairs, and staff members of the Chinese embassy here. Wang Guozhang said that the order awarded to him is an expression of deep friendship of leader Kim Jong Il, the party, government and people of Korea toward the party, government and people of china, adding he would make every possible effort to develop the friendly relations between china and the DPRK in the future. Kim Yong Nam Meets Chinese Ambassador President Kim Yong Nam of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly met and conversed with Wang Guozhang, Chinese ambassador to the DPRK who paid a farewell visit to him, at the Mansudae Assembly Hall Wednesday. Present there were vice-minister Kim Yong Il of foreign affairs, officials concerned and Tian Baozhen, minister-counselor of the Chinese embassy here, and other embassy officials. Saddam Meets Iraqi Air Force Chief Amid U.S. Anti-Iraq Threat. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein on Wednesday met with Iraqi Air Force Commander Hamid Rija Salah and a number of officials in the air force command amid widespread speculations that the United States might soon launch a military campaign against the country. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein on Wednesday met with Iraqi Air Force Commander Hamid Rija Salah and a number of officials in the air force command amid widespread speculations that the United States might soon launch a military campaign against the country. During the meeting, Salah pledged to Saddam that the pilots and soldiers of the Iraqi air force are ready to carry out any task under the president's order and defend Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity, the official Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported. "Saddam hails the efforts and achievements of the air force fighters, and blesses their keenness to improve their fighting abilities with advanced technical means," the INA said. Saddam has held frequent meetings recently with his top military aides to discuss the security situation in the country as the U.S. toughened its rhetoric against Iraq since the September 11 terror attacks on the U.S.. In the latest warning to the sworn enemy, U.S. President George W. Bush on Monday demanded Saddam to allow arms inspectors back "to show us that he is not developing weapons of mass destruction." When asked about the consequences if Iraq rejects, Bush said: "He will find out." Iraq on Tuesday rebuffed the warning as "arrogant" and vowed not to bow to any threats. Iraq, who has rejected international arms inspection since it was attacked by the U.S. and Britain in December 1998, insists that the return of arms inspectors hinges on the total lifting of the sanctions. Iraq has been under sweeping United Nations sanctions since its 1990 invasion of neighboring Kuwait. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has said that the U.S. could turn attention to Iraq after its military campaign in Afghanistan is over. CIA Officer Killed in Afghan Prison Revolt. An officer of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was killed in a prison revolt near Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan, the U.S. spy agency said Wednesday. An officer of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was killed in a prison revolt near Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan, the U.S. spy agency said Wednesday. The officer, identified as Mike Spann, was the first American officially recognized as being killed in combat situation within Afghanistan. Spann's body was recovered shortly after Northern Alliance forces, backed by U.S. and British special forces, quelled a revolt by hundreds of surrendering foreign Taliban and al-Qaeda prisoners. The CIA did not provide any details on how the 32-year- old spy was killed. Earlier reports had said that one U.S. personnel was killed in a shootout during the revolt which took place on Sunday. But the Bush administration had denied the reports, insisting that all U.S. personnel had been accounted for. The administration later disclosed that five U.S. military personnel were injured by a stray U.S. bomb dropped by U.S. warplanes which intended to provide air support to the Northern Alliance troops to crush the riots. Apart from Spann, another three U.S. military personnel have been
Re: VIRUS!!
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VIRUS!!
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Vietnam News Nov 29
VNA NA approves Vietnam-US trade agreement Vietnam's National Assembly on Wednesday, November 28, passed a resolution ratifying the Vietnam-US bilateral trade agreement (BTA). The resolution won 278 votes in favour, representing 64.3% of total NA deputies, with 85 votes against (19.6%), and 17 abstentions (3.9%). "Vietnam establishes its trade relations with the United States on the principles of respect for independence, sovereignty, non-intervention into each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefits without enclosed conditions," states the resolution. It also states: "The agreement meets the aspiration of two peoples, ushering in a new stage of bilateral relations. The approval of the agreement again affirms Vietnam's foreign policy of openness, multilateralisation, diversification, active integration, and its willingness for equal and mutually-beneficial co-operation with all nations for peace and development." The resolution also points to what actions should be taken by the National Assembly, the government, legislative agencies, entrepreneurs and the Vietnamese people in a bid to quickly adapt to the agreement, implement it in the most effective way, and be actively involved in the world economic market. The NA deputies, in the morning of November 28, under the chairmanship of NA Deputy Chairman Mai Thuc Lan, continued to discuss the implementation of socio-economic tasks and the State budget in 2001; the orientations, tasks and estimated budget for 2002; the general balance of the State budget in 2000 and the five-year 2001-2005 socio-economic development plan. (VNA) Trade agreement will benefit both countries: trade minister The Vietnam-US Bilateral Trade Agreement will bring benefits to both countries, thus contributing to developing relations between the US and ASEAN and APEC member countries, countries in the Asian-Pacific region, and the world. Trade Minister Vu Khoan made this statement at a press conference held in Hanoi on the afternoon of November 28, by the National Assembly's Committee for External Relations and the Trade Ministry. The briefing was conducted immediately after the Vietnamese National Assembly's approval of a resolution ratifying the Vietnam-US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). Minister Khoan said that the agreement would benefit both countries as long as principles of respect for national independence, sovereignty, non-intervention into internal affairs, and the separation of commercial from political issues are upheld. Chairman of the National Assembly's External Relations Committee Do Van Tai, who co-sponsored the press conference, said that immediately after the Vietnam-US BTA was passed, it drew keen interest and attention from the Vietnamese people and business community, who wished for early approval of the agreement. Over the past several months, Vietnam's National Assembly and government have worked together to prepare for approval by the National Assembly, Mr Tai said. He added that the passing of a resolution to ratify the agreement by the National Assembly reflected the Vietnamese people's attitude towards the Vietnam-US trade agreement. Enforcement of the agreement will meet the aspirations of both nations, helping to strengthen Vietnam-US friendship and open up prospects for developing future trade co-operation between the two countries. Minister Khoan and Chairman Tai answered questions from local reporters and foreign correspondents on the prospect of trade development between the two countries, the immediate actions of the Vietnamese government once the BTA becomes effective, the normalisation of the two countries' relations, and advantages that Vietnam will enjoy from the ratified BTA in the context of negotiations to join the World Trade Organisation. Discussing the government's first steps following the ratification of the BTA, Minister Khoan said the National Assembly had instructed the government to spread the agreement to businesses and people nationwide; to map out a programme to adjust legal documents serving the implementation of the BTA; to garner information on related laws to present to local businesses; and to implement plans to increase the competitiveness of locally-made goods and enhance human resources training. All these steps are intended to successfully implement the agreement, the minister said. The Minister said that Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung will lead a Vietnamese government delegation and about 100 business people to visit the United States and explore the US market and business opportunities. "Two-way trade between Vietnam and the US will likely surge after the BTA takes effect and Vietnam's textile and garment exports will enjoy US most favoured nation status (MFN)," Mr Khoan told reporters. However, he pointed out, some National Assembly deputies have voiced their concern over the erroneous actions taken by the US House of Representatives in the period leading up to Vietnam
Radio Havana Cuba-28 November 2001
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2001 05:49:39 -0500 To: undisclosed-recipients:; Subject: Radio Havana Cuba-28 November 2001 Radio Havana Cuba-28 November 2001 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 28 November 2001 . *MORE THAN 300,000 DEMONSTRATE IN HAVANA AGAINST TERRORIST U.S. LAW *FIRST DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF BURKINA FASO BEGINS VISIT *CUBA-GUYANA MIXED COOPERATION COMMISSION CONCLUDES SESSIONS IN HAVANA *EXPERTS DISCUSS TREATMENT OF HIP FRACTURES *CUBA CALLS FOR MORE EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS *GROWING NUMBER OF TOURISTS VISIT THE EASTERN CUBAN CITY OF BARACOA *U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL UNDER INCREASING FIRE FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES VIOLATIONS *MEXICAN PRESIDENT ORDERS INVESTIGATION INTO PAST HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES Viewpoint: *THE TRUTH BEHIND WASHINGTON'S CLAIMS AGAINST CUBA FOR COMPENSATION . *MORE THAN 300,000 DEMONSTRATE IN HAVANA AGAINST TERRORIST U.S. LAW Havana, November 28 (RHC)-- More than 300,000 Cubans demonstrated in front of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana Tuesday afternoon, protesting the Cuban Adjustment Act. During an address to the crowd, many of them dressed in black to mourn the recent drowning deaths of another 30 victims -- Cuban President Fidel Castro described the U.S. legislation as "a terrorist law." The leader of the Cuban Revolution, also wearing a black armband, said that information on the tragic boat accident in which 30 people disappeared, came from news reports -- given that Washington never gives Cuba information on such victims at sea. He emphasized that among those missing from the capsized speedboat, taking them to Florida, were 13 children. Fidel Castro noted that since the Cuban Adjustment Act was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1966, hundreds and perhaps thousands of Cubans have drowned trying to make the dangerous journey through the Florida Straits. He said that the law -- on the books for Cubans only -- encourages illegal immigration and unnecessary risk and actually awards those who reach the United States. The Cuban leader said that illegal Cuban immigrants touching land in the U.S. are automatically granted residency after one year -- something that is not granted to immigrants from any other country. He also mentioned that U.S. officials are now even allowing Cubans to enter the United States if they arrive by air with false documents. All they have to do is say they are Cubans as soon as they arrive at the airport. The Cuban president asked how it was possible for U.S. authorities to safeguard their country when they allow this type of disorder and chaos -- noting that many with criminal records and who would have never met the basic requirements for immigration have been handed residency in the United States. Addressing the crowd of more than 300,000 gathered at the Jose Marti Anti-Imperialist Tribunal, the Cuban leader referred to the most recent victims of Washington's hostile policies: the 13 children, torn from their country. He condemned the U.S. law that leads to "the cruel deaths of so many Cuban children." He said that while there will always be people everywhere willing to risk their lives to immigrate illegally, encouraging them to do so can never be justified. Fidel Castro said that the Cuban Adjustment Act constitutes "a crime against humanity." The Cuban president concluded his speech by saying that the U.S. legislation is "not only a murderous law, but is also a terrorist law; one that fosters the worst kind of terrorism because it deliberately and without remorse kills innocent children." *FIRST DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF BURKINA FASO BEGINS VISIT Havana, November 28 (RHC)-- Roch Marc Christian Kabore, Deputy President of the National Assembly of Burkina Faso began a visit to Cuba today, invited by the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party. Roch Marc Christian Kabore is also Executive Secretary of the National Congress for Peace and Democracy. During his stay on the island, which runs until December 4th, the African leader is scheduled to meet with high-ranking Cuban officials and visit places of social and economic interest. *CUBA-GUYANA MIXED COOPERATION COMMISSION CONCLUDES SESSIONS IN HAVANA Havana, November 28 (RHC)-- The 21st meeting of the Cuba-Guyana Inter-governmental Mixed Cooperation Commission wrapped up on Wednesday with the presence of the Guyanese Minister of Trade and International Cooperation, Clement Rohee. The Guyanese minister, who arrived in Cuba last Sunday, also met on Wednesday with Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Remirez de Estenoz. During his stay on the island, Rohee has met with Raul de la Nuez, Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade and Antonio Carricarte, President of the Cuban Chamber of Commerce. *EXPERTS DISCUSS TREATMENT OF HIP FRACTURES Havana, November 28 (RHC)-- More than 800 delegates from 28 nations are participating here in Havana in the 1st Congress of the Cub
Radio Havana Cuba-27 November 2001
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2001 05:04:15 -0500 To: undisclosed-recipients:; Subject: Radio Havana Cuba-27 November 2001 Radio Havana Cuba-27 November 2001 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 27 November 2001 . *OVERWHELMING SUPPORT AT UN FOR CUBA'S RESOLUTION TO END US BLOCKADE *CUBAN YOUTH DELEGATION CONTINUES ACTIVITIES IN MEXICO *DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER OF LAOS VISITS THE ISLAND *FIRST CONGRESS OF CUBAN ORTHOPEDICS SOCIETY BEGINS IN HAVANA *TRIUMPHANT RETURN OF CUBAN NATIONAL BALLET FROM U.S. TOUR *IRAQ REFUSES TO COMPLY WITH U.S. DEMAND TO ADMIT WEAPONS INSPECTORS *UN-SPONSORED TALKS BEGIN TODAY IN GERMANY BETWEEN RIVAL AFGHAN FACTIONS Viewpoint: *A DAY OF REMEMBRANCE AND PROTEST FOR CUBANS . *OVERWHELMING SUPPORT AT UN FOR CUBA'S RESOLUTION TO END US BLOCKADE New York, November 27 (RHC)-- Cuba received overwhelming support on Tuesday at the United Nations General Assembly for its annual resolution to end the U.S. economic blockade against the island. A total of 167 countries voted in favor of ending the U.S.-imposed blockade, only three countries voted against -- the United States, Israel and the Marshall Islands -- and another three abstained. During a speech before the UN General Assembly this morning, Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque officially presented the resolution. Havana's top diplomat referred to the recent authorization by the United States for a one-time sale to Cuba of food, medicines and raw materials for the production of medicines. He noted that the U.S. government expressed its sorrow and concern for the Cuban people as a result of the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Michelle, announcing its willingness to immediately assess the need for assistance, with a view to possible humanitarian assistance. The Cuban foreign minister said it was an unusual gesture, which Cuba received with the proper appreciation. And he stated that throughout 40 years of tense relations between the two countries, nothing like this had ever happened before. Cuba responded by requesting that, on this one exceptional occasion, the United States allow Cuban state companies to purchase certain amounts of food, medicines and raw materials for the production of medicines in order to restore the country's reserve stocks as quickly as possible. Felipe Perez Roque said that with a positive decision coming from Washington, Cuba can now make this one-time purchase from the United States. But he said that does not mean the end of the blockade. The Cuban foreign minister said that it is only under these special circumstances that the island has been able to do this, with no reciprocal trade whatsoever, overcoming absurd obstacles and countless laws and regulations that specifically prohibit relations and trade between Cuba and the United States. During his speech Tuesday morning before the UN General Assembly, Cuba's top diplomat said that Washington's blockade is the main obstacle to Cuba's economic development today and is responsible for the hardship and suffering of millions of Cubans. But he affirmed that Cuba -- in exchange for the U.S. lifting of the blockade -- would never be willing to make concessions that would impinge on its principles. Instead, the government of the United States must unilaterally lift its blockade -- which was unilaterally imposed against the island -- and end the economic war against Cuba. Felipe Perez Roque said Washington's blockade against Cuba is illegal, violating the Charter of the United Nations and violating norms of international trade and the freedom of navigation. The economic blockade of the island, he said, imposes sanctions on businesspeople from third countries, which constitutes blatantly extraterritorial conduct. The Cuban foreign minister noted that the blockade has caused economic damages to the island of over 70 billion dollars, in addition to even higher sums resulting from the human injuries and economic damages inflicted on the Cuban people throughout more than 40 years of armed aggression, sabotage and terrorism. And finally, Felipe Perez Roque pointed out that Washington's blockade has been overwhelmingly rejected by the international community for the past nine consecutive years. Last year -- the same as this year -- the vote in the General Assembly calling for the lifting of the blockade was 167 votes in favor of Cuba's resolution. *CUBAN YOUTH DELEGATION CONTINUES ACTIVITIES IN MEXICO Veracruz, November 27 (RHC)-- A Cuban youth delegation in Mexico to follow the route of the Granma Yacht expedition, on its 45th anniversary, continues to participate in a packed agenda of activities. The Granma Yacht is the vessel that carried now-President Fidel Castro and his followers to Cuba from Mexico in l956 to begin the armed struggle against the Batista dictatorship. On Wednesday, the Cuban youths visited the University of Veracruz, where they were received by pr
wwnews Digest #354 2/2
3) Hunger & Homelessness Soar by Janet 4) Day of Mourning at Plymouth Rock by Janet 5) Massacred Prisoners' Hands Were Tied by Janet - Via Workers World News Service Reprinted from the Dec. 6, 2001 issue of Workers World newspaper - HUNGER AND HOMELESSNESS SOAR By Heather Cottin Freeport, N.Y. In the gourmet boutiques of Westhampton, Long Island, shoppers decide whether to buy crabmeat or lobster for their guests. But in Mastic Beach, 10 miles away, a woman at a soup kitchen tells a social worker from Adelphi University: "Our welfare benefits were cut. My husband lost his job, so we can't pay our bills. ... Our housing was condemned and social services did not provide enough rent for new housing. ... When we lost our jobs, we lost medical insurance." The new Fairway supermarket in Plainview offers hundreds of international cheeses to tease the palates of Long Island's North Shore residents who can afford these delights. But four miles away, in the Church of St. Kilian Outreach Center in Farmingdale, a parishioner says, "My biggest fear is not only going hungry, but ending up on the street because I can't afford to pay rent. My food stamps have been drastically reduced." This was the picture long before the Sept. 11 disaster, according to the report "Poverty Amid Plenty," published by Catholic Charities and Adelphi School of Social Work in April 2001. This is the new face of homelessness. According to Newsday, in June of 1999 suburban poverty was growing "at a significantly faster pace than urban poverty." Community Advocates--a housing-assistance agency--noted in February that there were 50,000 homeless people on Long Island, 20,000 of them children. Newsday on Nov. 13 reported that "the homeless population of Nassau and Suffolk counties has sharply increased in recent months, the highest since the mid-1990s. There are also hundreds of families on the brink [of homelessness], including those who work, who have never been on public assistance." But now Washington has confirmed that a full-blown recession is underway. Some 40 miles away, in New York City, the problem of hunger and homelessness has reached critical proportions. Columnist Bob Herbert wrote in the New York Times of Nov. 22, "There are more than 1,000 soup kitchens and food pantries in the city, and they are stretched beyond capacity. Last year in New York, about 20 percent of the pantries in the city had to turn people away because they ran out of food. That figure is expected to reach 30 percent this year, according to Joel Berg, director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger." Four days later the Times editorialized, "Food for Survival, the city's largest supplier of emergency food, estimated that more than a million New Yorkers were relying on soup kitchens, food pantries and shelters to avoid going hungry. The New York City Coalition Against Hunger, which represents about 1,000 kitchens and pantries, reported a similar upsurge in demand. Unless more food becomes available, the coalition's members say they will be forced to turn away hundreds of thousands of hungry people." People are hungry and homeless, and the situation is deteriorating in the recession. But these problems are not new. On May 24, the Guardian of Britain did an analysis of poverty in the U.S. Food bank use back then was "up 75 percent in some American cities, [and] one in five U.S. children lives in poverty; 44.3 million are uninsured. ... According to several new reports, it turns out that the reason for deepening U.S. poverty is rather simple: it's all those rich people. Extreme wealth created in the top tier of the economy, rather than trickling down and making everyone better off, is having a direct negative impact on those living in extreme poverty at the bottom." RIPPING UP SAFETY NET FOR FUN AND PROFIT Meanwhile, corporate lobbyists are flooding Washington with a myriad of tax cut proposals that will save the big corporations billions. The House on Oct. 26 voted to repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax on corporations. This is now part of the "economic stimulus" package before the Senate. The AMT has required profitable companies to pay at least some tax, no matter how many loopholes they can find. If the Senate passes the House version, the repeal would be retroactive, so companies would get rebates of all the Alternative Minimum Tax they've paid over the last 15 years. The repeal would allow many companies to pay zero U.S. income tax in perpetuity. Wouldn't we all like to get back the taxes we've paid over the last 15 years? Plenty of economists agree that the claims these corporate tax cuts will "stimulate the economy" are bogus. They know full well that the corporate moguls have no intention of investing in an economy that is operating at a recession level. In a recession, people don't buy much. Inventories are high and manufacturers still have
wwnews Digest #354 1/2
WW News Service Digest #354 1) Threats Grow of Wider War by Janet 2) State Judge Denies Mumia Appeal by Janet - Via Workers World News Service Reprinted from the Dec. 6, 2001 issue of Workers World newspaper - AS DEATH TOLL RISES: THREATS GROW OF WIDER WAR Hawks Press for New Military Adventures By Fred Goldstein As November draws to a close, the Bush administration is dramatically increasing the number of U.S. ground troops in Afghanistan, escalating the suffering of the people there, warning of U.S. casualties, threatening to spread the war to Iraq, and continuing to pursue illegal and unconstitutional repression against U.S. residents of Mideast origin. The Pentagon is sending 1,000 U.S. Marines, equipped with armored personnel carriers, helicopter gunships and fighter plane air support into the battle to take Kandahar. Some 500 of the Marines are at an air base 80 miles southwest of the city and the other 500 at transit points for the city. The U.S. military is establishing a base area around the airport in anticipation of a much larger struggle to take Kandahar. The likelihood that more U.S. soldiers will be sent is considerable in the absence of any significant Afghan puppet fighting forces in the south able to play the same mercenary role the Northern Alliance warlords played in the north. "The degree of difficulty is increasing," President George W. Bush is quoted as saying in the New York Times of Nov. 27. "It may take longer than some anticipate." The Pentagon revealed what it said were the first U.S. battle casualties after five U.S. Special Forces troops were seriously wounded by "friendly fire" when U.S. bombers struck the Qala Jangi fortress outside Masar-e-Sharif. The 19th-century fortress is being used as a prison for surrendering soldiers. It was reported that the 400 or so prisoners were mainly Pakistani, and that almost all were killed. U.S. and British Special Forces were participating in the suppression of prisoners who were said to be resisting their Northern Alliance jailers. The Special Forces had to come in to handle the situation, which they did by calling in air strikes on the prison. These led to the massacre of the prisoners and even killed some 40 to 50 Northern Alliance troops. Bush then took the initiative in a Rose Garden question and answer session at the White House to prepare the population here for battle casualties in the protracted, expansionary wars that the Pentagon has on the drawing board. "Afghanistan is still just the beginning," said Bush. He emphasized that U.S. troops would die. "It's going to happen," said Bush. "I said this early on, as the campaign began: Americans must be prepared for loss of life." GET READY TO DIE--FOR IMPERIALISM It is part of the political objective of the White House and the Pentagon, as well as big business in general, to condition the working class in the U.S. to accept dying on the battlefield. What the workers aren't told is that it is to expand the power of U.S. imperialism, the very exploiters who control their daily lives. It was the workers who died in the tens of thousands and were wounded in the hundreds of thousands in Washington's war to conquer Vietnam. Millions of Vietnamese were killed and wounded and the country was devastated during that war. The Bush administration and the big business media, with the aid of Hollywood, are trying to erase that bloody experience from the memory of the people. They want to use the Sept. 11 disaster and the understandable popular outrage at the massive destruction of innocent civilians as a springboard to convince the working class to accept killing and being killed in the long and widening war that has been promised by the so-called Bush doctrine. Since Sept. 11 there has been a much-discussed conflict raging within the highest ranks of the Bush administration over where to take the war next, assuming that the U.S. military can triumph in Afghanistan. The public figures associated with the two sides of this conflict are Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz and Secretary of State Colin Powell. But these names really represent larger forces within the government and the ruling class. The public has been largely kept in the dark about the secret deliberations at the summits involving the fate of whole countries and regions. The most venomous area of controversy, according to leaks that began just days after Sept. 11, has been the question of a war on Iraq. War against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has also been spoken of quite frequently. ISSUE OF WAR AGAINST IRAQ Just as there are forces in the Pentagon still angry over not having brought to bear enough genocidal force to win the war in Vietnam, there are those burning with the more recent memories of having been stopped short in the 1991 Gulf War without making an all-out assault on Baghdad and o
