[LAAMN] Nichols: Tens of thousands in Wisconsin protests, Myra Ferree: Why We March

[Ed Pearl]

http://www.thenation.com/blog/158609/tens-thousands-protest-move-wisconsins-governor-destroy-public-sector-unions?rel=emailNation

Tens of Thousands Protest Move to Destroy Public Unions

John Nichols
TheNation.com: February 17, 2011

I have never been prouder of our movement than I am at this moment,
shouted Wisconsin AFL-CIO President Phil Neuenfeldt, as he surveyed the
crowds of union members and their supporters that surged around the state
Capitol and into the streets of Madison Wednesday, literally closing the
downtown as tens of thousands of Wisconsinites protested their Republican
governor's attempt to strip public employee unions of their collective
bargaining rights.

Where Tuesday's mid-day protests drew crowds estimated at 12,000 to 15,000,
Wednesday's mid-day rally drew 30,000, according to estimates by organizers.
Madison Police Chief Noble Wray, a veteran of 27 years on the city's force,
said he had has never see a protest of this size at the Capitol - and he
noted that, while crowd estimates usually just measure those outside, this
time the inside of the sprawling state Capitol was packed.

On Wednesday night, an estimated 20,000 teachers and their supporters
rallied outside the Capitol and then marched into the building, filling the
rotunda, stairways and hallways. Chants of What's disgusting? Union
busting! shook the building as legislators met in committee rooms late into
the night.

The country was starting to take notice, as broadcast and cable-news
satellite trucks rolled into town. The images they captured were stunning,
as peaceful crowds filled vast stretches of the square that surrounds the
seat of state government.

Republican legislators -- who had been poised to pass the governor's plan
Thursday, and might yet do so - were clearly paying attention. Two GOP
senators broke with the governor, at least to some extent. Dale Schultz from
rural southeastern Wisconsin and Van Wanggaard from the traditional
manufacturing center of Racine, proposed an alternative bill that would
allow limit bargaining rights for public employees on wages, pensions and
health care for the next two years but allow them to continue to bargain on
other issues.

While that's hardly an attractive prospect to state workers - as it would
also require them to make significantly higher pension and health-care
contributions - the measure rejects the most draconian component's of the
governor's plan. Other Republicans resisted the proposal, however, offering
only minor amendments to the governor's plan.

If Schultz and Wanggaard actually vote no Thursday, when the measure is to
be taken up, just one more Republican senator would have to join them in
order to block the bill.

That the first real movement by Republicans came after Wednesday's rally was
hardly surprising, as few state capital's have seen the sort of mobilization
that occurred at mid-day, and that is likely to reoccur at nightfall as
teachers from across the state are expected to pour into the city for a
rally and candlelight vigil.

At a time when it's often tough to tell the difference between the corporate
news and its advertisements, it's essential to keep independent journalism
strong. Support Truthout today by clicking here.

In some senses, Wednesday's remarkable rally began Tuesday evening, when
Madison Teachers Inc., the local education union, announced that teachers
would leave their classrooms to spend the day lobbying legislators to Kill
the Bill that has been proposed by newly-elected Republican Governor Scott
Walker.

The teachers showed up en masse in downtown Madison Wednesday morning.

And then something remarkable happened.

Instead of taking the day off, their students gathered at schools on the
west and east sides of Madison and marched miles along the city's main
thoroughfares to join the largest mass demonstration the city has seen in
decades - perhaps since the great protests of the Vietnam War era.

Thousands of high school students arrived at the Capital Square, coming from
opposite directions, chanting: We support our teachers! We support public
education!

Thousands of University of Wisconsin students joined them, decked out in the
school's red-and-white colors.

***

From: flacks fla...@soc.ucsb.edu
Subject: important information for understanding what's behind the huge
Madison WI protests


-- Forwarded Message --
Date: Thursday, February 17, 2011 1:29 PM -0600
From: Myra Ferree mfer...@ssc.wisc.edu
To: s...@listserv.uri.edu
Subject: [SWS] Madison news (esp for UW alums)

  If you want a better sense of why current UW Madison students and faculty
are upset, my colleague has assembled some of the sources. Unlike the spin
from the NYTimes, the core issue here is not the budget (we sucked up a 8%
pay cut, aka furlough last year with only a few grumbles) but ending the 20
year right for TAs and RAs and academic staff to organize collectively,
ending the 2 year old right for childcare workers to organize 

[LAAMN] Call for demo on Sunday, February 20 -Iran: The movement takes another step

[Cort Greene]

http://www.marxist.com/iran-movement-takes-another-step.htm

 Iran: The movement takes another
stephttp://www.marxist.com/iran-movement-takes-another-step.htm
Written by Hamid Alizadeh Friday, 18 February 2011
[image: 
Print]http://www.marxist.com/iran-movement-takes-another-step/print.htm#

*Since the mass demonstration organised by the opposition on Monday, a tense
mood has gripped the streets of Tehran. The youth has been mobilised and
great pressure has been mounting for the opposition to take further action.
This has led to the call from an umbrella organization of the Reformist
parties to stage a demonstration on Sunday, February 20, in memory of the
two protestors who were killed on the demonstration last Monday. This could
tip the scales and fully revive the revolutionary mass movement of 2009.*
February 14 – The movement revived

The shockwaves from the Arab revolution have broken the fragile calm on
the surface of Iranian society over the last year. The marvellous movement
of the Arab masses has exposed the impotence of the methods of Iranian
“opposition” leaders Mirhossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi’s of writing
resolutions and open letters as a means of pushing for change. That is why
these gentlemen were forced to call a demonstration last Monday in support
of the Egyptian and Tunisian revolutions.

From the beginning all forces knew that this was not going to be any normal
demonstration. What was at stake was not the Tunisian or Egyptian
revolutions, but the future of the Iranian revolution itself. The regime,
while underestimating the strength of the movement, was hoping for a low
turnout so it could use it as an excuse to isolate and crush the movement.
The youth on the other hand were hoping to use the momentum to reopen the
period of revolutionary struggle.

On the day of the demonstration hundreds of thousands defied the threat of a
heavy clampdown and came out on the streets. In a matter of hours everything
was changed. No one could believe what they saw. Hamid Farrokhnia, a labour
journalist reporting from the demonstration captured the mood when he wrote:
“People were smiling in joy for the first time in a long while. Likewise,
many Basijis and NAJA (state police) officers looked positively confused and
crestfallen.”

*Video:*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJuYXQntDi8feature=player_embedded



 A wait-and-see mood in Tehran

The success of the demonstration came as a shock for everyone! The Financial
Times described it as “far exceeding all expectations”. The regime was
completely taken aback while the youth were overtaken by a sense of nervous
relief. Many couldn’t believe that the movement still had the strength to
gather hundreds of thousands.

Many people were pushing for the new demonstrations on Monday and Tuesday,
but no one called one. A nervous and tense atmosphere spread throughout
Tehran. Like two giants about to engage in fierce struggle the revolution
and counter-revolution were eying each other up, watching every single move
the other made.

The masses were pushing for further action because they understood that
retreat was not an option, but they were not sure of how, when, and where it
should be *or* who would call it. The regime, humiliated and scared, did not
know how to act. It tried spreading terror, by staging a demonstration in
parliament, where parliamentarians demanded the execution of Mousavi and
Karroubi. At the same time they arrested hundreds of honest and
revolutionary youth and also many leaders of the Reformist parties. But all
their threats and terror didn’t amount to much in the end.

The masses had sensed blood and they kept pushing for action, although still
no-one called it. The uncertain nervous mood was also present at the funeral
ceremony of one of the demonstrators, Sane Jaleh, who was killed during the
February 14 demonstration. The state, fearing that the demonstration could
turn into a mass rally, tried to sow confusion by spreading the idea that
Sane (a devoted Green activist) was in fact a staunch supporter of the
regime and that his funeral should therefore be attended by the regime.

Thus a strange scene met the participants at the funeral where Basijis and
opposition supporters tried to attend the ceremony. But even though the
state mobilized massively it was still disoriented. This was very clear from
the following report:

“I was there [at Saneh Jaleh's funeral service]. There were two or three
thousand Basijis, and our group was about a 100 or 200 maximum. They
trampled on Saneh's blood. They did nothing but engage in insults at his
service. They got into fights amongst themselves three or four times about
what to do with the kids (to beat them or not, to let them go or not)…”
(Tehran bureau)

In the end most anti-government demonstrators were not let in and many were
beaten up, but again the regime was not able to decisively push back the
youth who were still pressing forward in the understanding that it was vital
to use the 

[LAAMN] Wisconsin Unions and Students Demand Recall of “Hosni Walker”

[Cort Greene]

http://www.socialistappeal.org/content/view/932/73/

  Wisconsin Unions and Students Demand Recall of “Hosni Walker”  [image:
Print]http://www.socialistappeal.org/index2.php?option=com_contenttask=viewid=932pop=1page=0Itemid=73#
 Written
by David May
Thursday, 17 February 2011


On Friday, February 11th, recently-elected Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker
(R) announced that he is prepared to use National Guard troops as part of
his plan to rob public workers of their right to have a union. According to
the Governor, the National Guard will be put on alert “in preparation of any
problems that could result in a disruption of state services.” But public
sector unions and students in Wisconsin have responded in a big way,
flooding the state Capitol building with over 30,000 protesters, and with
students taking action at five high schools.

Last week, as part of what he calls making Wisconsin “open for business,”
the Tea Party-backed Governor introduced legislation that would effectively
break union rights for all public sector workers, with the exception of
firefighters and police. If Walker’s bill is passed, public workers will no
longer have collective bargaining rights, the state would stop deducting
union dues from workers’ paychecks, and raises would be denied, except for
inflation adjustment. Walker also announced, even before the state
Legislature has voted on the issue, that as of March 13th, the state
government will no longer abide by its contracts with the Wisconsin State
Employees Union, which represents 22,000 public workers, most of which are
teachers. The Governor has said that contracts for the rest of the state’s
public sector workers -- around 175,000 in all -- would expire on July 1st.

After Walker’s announcement on Friday, public sector unions and Wisconsin
students quickly responded. On Monday, 10,000 union members and supporters
(including University of Wisconsin students) demonstrated outside the State
Capitol building in Madison as the first legislative hearing on the proposal
took place. Hundreds more demonstrated inside the building and flooded into
the hearing to speak against Walkers’ union busting proposal.

Also Monday, 100 students at Stoughton High School in Madison staged a two
hour walkout, leaving class to attend a rally in support of teachers. On
Tuesday, students from East High School, also in Madison, staged a march
during school hours to the Capitol building. Beginning early the week,
efforts began to link up students into a state-wide coordination and calls
also began for students to walk out of class on Tuesday. Even before more
wide-scale student actions have begun, state schools superintendent Dan
Nerad was pressed just by the idea of a student strike to formally write
Governor Walker, urging him to drop the attacks on state unions.

On Tuesday, union members and supporters staged an even larger demonstration
of 15,000 at the Capitol, calling for the bill to be dropped and with signs
demanding that “Hosni Walker” be recalled. Three thousand crowded into the
Capitol building and jammed the second day of hearings. Many of the workers
and supporters camped out overnight outside the building between Monday and
Tuesday’s demonstration. In addition, some 1,000 other workers demonstrated
Tuesday outside Walker’s home.

Walker’s attack against organized workers is being made from a false sense
of strength on his part. Just six weeks after he was elected with the
backing of the Tea Party, he said that anyone who could not see he was
preparing an assault against the unions “must have been in a coma.” But
Walker, like the rest of the Republican (and Democratic) party and the
corporate media, seems to have gone into a sort of self-induced coma,
believing their own hype about the Tea Party having a real mass base in the
American population. The initial reaction of the working class to the
implementation of the Tea Party’s anti-worker program has quickly shown the
real state of affairs!

Governor Walker has said that his proposals are needed to fix the state’s
$137 million budget shortfall through June. In both Republican- and
Democratic-controlled states, Governors and other public officials are
trying to sell a similar story: since public budgets are in the red, public
sector workers will have “face reality” and will have to pay the bill with
pay cuts and worse. But this is not the reality. In fact, the resources do
exist to guarantee decent pay and benefits to public workers, and to expand
the sector even more, hiring more workers at union wages and providing more
essential services.

However, these resources are instead being used to continue funding the wars
in Iraq and Afghanistan, to pump up the bloated military budget, and to
provide billions in for the wealthiest 1% of Americans. The two-party
political establishment is more concerned with war and enriching its backers
than in providing public services and decent standards of living for those
who provide them. The reality 

[LAAMN] Keepin' It Movin'

[thandisizwe chimurenga]

-- Forwarded message --
From: Some of Us Are Brave someofusarebr...@gmail.com
Date: Fri, Feb 18, 2011 at 1:30 AM
Subject: Keepin' It Movin'
To: tchimure...@gmail.com




 *BRAVE NOTES *

from

 Some of Us Are Brave: A Black Women's Radio Program

*Vol. 1, No. 6**
2**.18.2011*

**

**

* *

*The **mission** of SOUAB is to provide an empowering space for women of
Afrikan descent - to assist them in finding their voices and speaking their
truths, their experiences and their perspectives to the world; to be a
resource for the communities from which we come; and to make a contribution
to the global movement for racial, economic, political** and social justice
and peace*

**

**

**

**

**

**

*   *





**

For a synopsis of the films listed to the right,

you can left click on the photo,

or,

right click and then open the link in a new window









**

**
 *KEEPIN' IT MOVIN'*

Greetings Listeners, Supporters, Friends of Some of Us Are Brave.  Yes, it's
been a lonnnggg time since we communicated with you.  No, we have not been
restored to our previous 60 minute format @ KPFK.  We met with Interim
Program Director Alan Minsky and found out that we had been lied to; that as
Black women we really are not respected @ KPFK, and that *maybe*, when a new
General Manager is hired, *maybe* we can have our time restored, but it does
not look promising.

Bleak outlooks are nothing new to Black women - the ones who came before us
persevered and so will we. **

*So, we'll keep it moving.*

*And we'll keep you posted.
*

Everybody needs a break, especially from disrespect, so, in the meantime, we
invite you to hang out with us this weekend at the 2011 Pan African Film
Festival in Culver City.  We, along with several other grassroots groups are
Community Collaborators on several films so come check us out!

All films will be shown @ the Culver Plaza Theaters, 9919 Washington Blvd.,
across from Sony Studios and the Kirk Douglas Theater, in Culver City.

Unless specified otherwise, all tickets for these films are $11 at the
Culver Plaza Theaters box office

http://app.streamsend.com/c/13432311/82/iyRCyVW/qIj7?redirect_to=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fhome.php%23%21%2Fevent.php%3Feid%3D144087032318963

*Cointelpro 101, Saturday, 2/19 @ 1:45 PM*

*Community Collaborators:*

*Black August Los Angeles, Jericho Amnesty Movement*

http://app.streamsend.com/c/13432311/84/iyRCyVW/qIj7?redirect_to=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fhome.php%23%21%2Fevent.php%3Feid%3D180191045350329

*Hope and Redemption: The Lena Baker Story,*

*Saturday, 2/19 @ 3:40 PM*

*Community Collaborator:*

*Some of Us Are Brave Radio*

**http://app.streamsend.com/c/13432311/86/iyRCyVW/qIj7?redirect_to=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fhome.php%23%21%2Fevent.php%3Feid%3D188327364523652

*Mountains That Take Wing: Conversations with *

*Yuri Kochiyama and Angela Davis,*

*Saturday, 2/19 @ 6:30 PM*

*Community Collaborator:*

*Some of Us Are Brave Radio*

**http://app.streamsend.com/c/13432311/88/iyRCyVW/qIj7?redirect_to=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fhome.php%23%21%2Fevent.php%3Feid%3D187493561272466

*The Black August Hip Hop Project, *

*Saturday, 2/19 @ 10:00 PM*

*Community Collaborators:*

*Black August Los Angeles, Some of Us Are Brave Radio, Mother's Day Radio,
Jericho Amnesty Movement
*

*http://app.streamsend.com/c/13432311/90/iyRCyVW/qIj7?redirect_to=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fhome.php%23%21%2Fevent.php%3Feid%3D169519483094126
*

*Besouro, Saturday, 2/20 @ 3:00 PM*

*Community Collaborator:*

*Capoeira Angola Center Ngolo Arts*

*http://app.streamsend.com/c/13432311/92/iyRCyVW/qIj7?redirect_to=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fhome.php%23%21%2Fevent.php%3Feid%3D197906823559800
*

*Gang Girl: A Mother's Journey to Save Her Daughter,*

*Monday, 2/21 @ 12:15 PM*

*Community Collaborators:*
*Some of Us Are Brave Radio, Mother's Day Radio*



*You can subscribe to a podcast, download, and/or listen to the past 90
days' worth of SOUAB on the KPFK website @
**kpfk.org*http://app.streamsend.com/c/13432311/94/iyRCyVW/qIj7?redirect_to=http%3A%2F%2Fkpfk.org%2F
*. You can also find info on our guests there.  Just look on the left side
of the screen for Audio Archives and scroll down to Some of Us Are
Brave.*




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[LAAMN] Nature Photography: Practical Tips For Great Rainforest Photography

[photography_groups]

Five practical tips to improve your rainforest photography, that any
photographer can try no matter what type of camera you have.

Great rainforest photography is like all nature photography. You get the
best results when you concentrate on nature and light, not on
technology… for details

Visit our website http://4photographytips.blogspot.com/
http://4photographytips.blogspot.com/



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]





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[LAAMN] Videos-Flames of revolt spread to Kurdistan

[Cort Greene]

http://www.marxist.com/flames-of-revolt-spread-to-kurdistan.htm

Flames of revolt spread to
Kurdistanhttp://www.marxist.com/flames-of-revolt-spread-to-kurdistan.htm
Written by Mikail Sonmez Friday, 18 February 2011
[image: 
Print]http://www.marxist.com/flames-of-revolt-spread-to-kurdistan/print.htm#

There have been reports that an uprising has started in Sulaymaniyah, the
capital of the Kurdish region in northern Iraq. Reports indicate that the
security forces have used brute force to suppress the protests and nine or
ten people have been shot and killed. We know that street protests have
taken place on two consecutive days (16th and 17th February).

http://www.marxist.com/images/stories/iraq/Feb_17_Sulaymaniyah-Karzan_Kardozi.jpg
[image: Photo: Karzan Kardozi]
It is evident that the revolution is spreading at extraordinary speed across
the whole of the Middle East. After the events in Tunisia and Egypt, many
other countries in the Arab world have been infected with revolution. It
appears south Kurdistan (northern Iraq) is one of the latest to erupt.

On Wednesday (16th February) there was a spontaneous protest in Bardarky
Sara, the central square in Sulaymaniyah. The trigger was, apparently, an
unemployed young man attempting to set himself on fire, trying to imitate
the young unemployed youth in Tunisia who set the whole region ablaze two
months ago. Once they heard the news people started gathering in the square,
trying to make out what was happening. Eyewitnesses claimed that the young
man who tried to set fire to himself was thrown into a police car and taken
away by the security forces.

As the news spread more and more people gathered in the square until the
crowd numbered between four and six thousand. Spontaneously, chants began to
ring out from the crowd such as; “Electricity, Electricity”, “Water, Water”,
“Work, Work”, “Destroy that building, it belongs to the rulers” and “This is
Tahrir Square, Do you remember Mubarak?” These and other slogans
demonstrated how the rotten regime of the Kurdish Regional Government of
Barzani and Talabani has not provided for the basic needs of the people, and
also how the people are no longer prepared to accept the miserable
conditions any longer.

The first day of the protests took everyone by surprise including the
authorities. According to those who were on the demonstration, a vehicle
carrying around a dozen riot police turned up at one corner of the square,
but when the crowd turned on them and started jeering, they turned tail and
disappeared. As darkness fell and rain began to fall, the crowds melted
away.

The next day they where back out on the streets. This time there were a lot
more and among them were women, children and the elderly. But unlike the day
before, the authorities were prepared. They asked the protestors to return
to their homes peacefully, to which the protestors began chanting “We are
not going, we are not going”. The crowd then marched towards the
Headquarters of the Ruling KDP (Kurdish Democratic Party). At this point
bystanders began joining the procession.

When the crowd reached the building they started shouting slogans among
which “Leave that chair, the Masses are hungry” was particularly striking as
it demonstrated the class nature of this uprising. The gathering began
throwing stones at the building. At that point the security forces and KDP
guards opened fire on the crowd with automatic weapons. Eyewitness reports
say that 10 people have been killed and 35 injured.

The use of force did not disperse the protest. The protestors engaged in
street battles with the security forces. From images we have seen and from
the reports from those who participated in the events, clashes continued all
day. We do not know what the situation is today as there is very little
information coming out from the region. The movement is combined with a
protests with very similar demands in Iraq, where thousands have been
demonstrating in the last few days, from Fallujah to Kirkuk and Sadr City,
asking for electricity, protesting against corruption, etc. In Kout, a 16
year old protestor was shot dead by the police. 4 people had already been
killed on February 3 in Diwaniya.

It seems that the youth who tried to set himself on fire was an Arab, and
that protests in Sulaymaniya involved Kurds, Arabs and Turkmen, which would
indicate that these protests are cutting across the national and religious
divides and uniting the workers and youth on class basis around social,
economic and political demands.

One thing has become abundantly clear; the revolution is spreading. The
flames of revolt have now set alight Iraq and Kurdistan. The International
Marxist Tendency welcomes the emerging struggles and would like to express
its support for the peoples of the Middle East. Tunisia and Egypt have shown
what is possible; the people united in struggle can defeat those who wish to
exploit and oppress. We will follow events and try to report on them as they
unfold. 

[LAAMN] undocumented immigrants stand up to chipotle

[David Bacon]

UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS STAND UP TO CHIPOTLE
By David Bacon
The Nation, web edition, February 15, 2011
http://www.thenation.com/article/158513/undocumented-immigrants-stand-chipotle


Last month six hundred workers at the Chipotle fast food 
chain were fired in Minnesota.
Their crime?  Working.
In the last two years, thousands of others have been fired 
for the same offense - 2000 young women at Los Angeles sewing 
machines, 500 apple pickers in eastern Washington, hundreds of 
janitors in Minnesota and California, and many, many more.  They're 
all victims of the administration's softer immigration enforcement 
strategy.
Its logic is brutal:  Make it impossible for 12 million 
undocumented people in the U.S. to earn a living - to buy food, pay 
rent, or send money home to their children.  Then they'll deport 
themselves.  When their families hear they can't get jobs in the 
U.S., they won't join those already here.
This inhuman logic convinced Congress to pass the Immigration 
Reform and Control Act in 1986.  For 25 years employers have had to 
verify workers' immigration status, and cannot legally employ people 
without papers.  The real impact, though, is on workers.  It's become 
a crime to hold a job.
The justification has always been the same.  Undocumented 
immigrants will go home if they can't work.  But no one has.  Over 
those 25 years NAFTA and CAFTA, and pro-corporate market reforms in 
Mexico and other developing countries, profoundly deepened the 
poverty driving people from their homes.  More people came than ever 
before.
Among them were those six hundred mostly-Mexican workers, who 
got minimum-wage jobs serving Mexican food at Chipotle.  Many of them 
worked years for the company.  Then the Department of Homeland 
Security audited Chipotle's personnel records, found incorrect Social 
Security numbers, and in December sent the company a list of workers 
it had to fire.
Alejandro Juarez, who worked at the Calhoun Lake restaurant 
in Minneapolis, says his manager told him not to bother coming back 
the next day.  He'd spent five years cleaning and fixing the stoves, 
grills and refrigerators, for $9.42/hour.  The company used us, he 
says, and when it didn't serve them anymore, they threw us away like 
trash.
John Morton, head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 
(ICE) says it plans many more mass firings.  The ICE website says it 
targets employers who are using illegal workers to drive down wages 
... [those] likely to pay illegal workers substandard wages or force 
them to endure intolerable working conditions.
At Chipotle, however, as in every other sanctions target, ICE 
never improved conditions.  Wages remain the same.  In fact, although 
Morton boasts ICE collected $7 million in employer fines during 2,740 
audits, those who cooperated in firing workers were given immunity. 
The only people penalized were workers.
Fortunately, in Minneapolis, workers first found the Center 
for Workers United in Struggle, a local workers' center.  With its 
help, they made an alliance with the city's janitors' union, Service 
Employees Local 26.  The local union had already been hit by audits 
that led to the firing of hundreds of its members, including 
stewards, officers and core activists.  Janitors had marched in the 
streets, while the union tried to help them survive.  Together, 
Chipotle workers and building cleaners picketed the restaurants, 
where several supporters were arrested in protest.
As these firings spread, many other unions will face the same 
situation.  Some, like the janitors' locals in Minneapolis and San 
Francisco, have looked for ways to fight.  Their first concern has 
been survival, and they've sought time extensions, back wages and 
vacation already owed, and severance.
In Minneapolis the workers also demand that Chipotle support 
immigration reform.  That puts the human rights of immigrants 
squarely in the center of the table.
Congress' comprehensive immigration reform proposals of the 
last five years would not have stopped these firings - in fact, most 
bills would have increased them.  But though Congress is moving 
rightwards, many immigrant rights groups and unions are moving left. 
They demand reforms that would reinforce the human and labor rights 
of people like the janitors and Chipotle workers.  One proposal, the 
Dignity Campaign, calls for legal status for the undocumented, for 
repealing employer sanctions, and for ending trade policies that lead 
to forced migration.
That reflects the position unions adopted at the AFL-CIO 
convention in 1999.  They argued then that immigrant workers had to 
be able to organize in order to improve Chipotle-level wages and 
conditions.  Making work a crime made organizing harder, while 
pitting workers against each other during times of high unemployment. 
San Francisco's hotel union later won a 

[LAAMN] Iran Breaking News: Armed forces pledge not to shoot on protesters!

[Cort Greene]

http://www.marxist.com/iran-breaking-news-armed-forces-pledge-not-shoot.htm

 Iran Breaking News: Armed forces pledge not to shoot on
protesters!http://www.marxist.com/iran-breaking-news-armed-forces-pledge-not-shoot.htm
Written by Hamid Alizadeh Friday, 18 February 2011
[image: 
Print]http://www.marxist.com/iran-breaking-news-armed-forces-pledge-not-shoot/print.htm#

*As we reported earlier, the situation in Iran is extremely tense. Most
factions of the regime were confident that the mass movement of 2009 was now
dead. But almost like lightning from a clear blue sky the demonstration last
Monday shook the entire establishment, that was taken completely by
surprise. Now it seems that the movement has provoked more serious cracks in
the regime than we had anticipated.*

According to a document received by The Telegraph, several lower ranking
commanders of the Revolutionary Guards (a professional militia counting
120,000) have signed a document stating that they do not want to shoot on
demonstrators. We provide here the full text of the article from The
Telegraph:

“Following the recent violence that occurred during anti-government protests
in Egypt, the officers argue that it is against the principles of Shi'ite
Islamic law to use violence against their own people.

In a suggestion of a major split within the Islamic Republic's ruling
hierarchy over its handling of anti-government protests, the letter has been
circulated widely throughout the ranks of the Revolutionary Guards, the body
responsible for defending religious system.

The letter, a copy of which has been seen by the Daily Telegraph, is
addressed to Major Gen Mohammad Ali Jafari, the Guards' commanding officer.
It calls on Major Gen Jafari to issue guidance to both the Revolutionary
Guards and the Basij paramilitary militia to use restraint when handling
anti-government protests.

During the violent anti-government demonstrations that followed the disputed
presidential election in June 2009, which saw President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
elected to serve a second four-year term, the government relied heavily on
the Basij to suppress the protests over fears that it could not rely on
certain Guards units.

But in the letter, which is signed by senior officers commanding Guards
units in Tehran, Qom, Isfahan and Tabriz, they urge Major Gen Jafari to use
your authority over the Basij to order them to leave their truncheons at
home next time.

It goes on to state unequivocally, We promise our people that we will not
shoot nor beat our brothers who are seeking to express legitimate protest
against the policies and conduct of their leader.

The Iranian government has called on its supporters to take to the streets
today to demonstrate their hatred for the opposition Green Movement, which
has made a dramatic return following the recent unrest in Tunisia and Egypt.
One demonstrator was killed and scores more injured when pro-democracy
activists protested against Mr Ahmadinejad's government, chanting death to
the dictator.

Western diplomats, who have also seen the letter and confirm its
authenticity, say it has now been passed to Mr Ahmadinejad and Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, the country's Supreme Ruler, although no official response has
been forthcoming.” (*The
Telegraph*http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/8331625/Irans-Revolutionary-Guard-pledges-to-hold-fire.html
)

If the information in the document is correct, it marks a very important
milestone in the development of the Iranian revolution. And there are
several factors that would indicate that what is being reported here is in
fact true.

Firstly the revolutions in the Arab world has shaken all regimes in the area
who all feel the ground underneath them shaking. The inspiration that the
Egyptian and Tunisian revolutions provide the masses of the region, however,
spread fear into the ruling circles of all these countries. In Iran too, the
movement is resurfacing. All corners of Iranian society are being affected
as tension is being raised to unheard of levels. Not only is the regime more
oppressive than ever, but the social conditions for millions also being
worsened by the day. This is preparing enormous explosions within society.

On top of this, the legitimacy of the regime is in free fall as it tramples
on all the laws and rules that it insisted on putting in place in the past.
In such a situation even the forces of the Guards are also affected –
especially since the Guards are a professional army, many of whom are
devoted to carrying on the Islamic revolution *and all its laws* (which for
instance include – at least in theory – freedom of assembly and protest).
But as these laws are not respected by the regime itself many of these
Guards, who were once the main social base of the regime, are becoming
disillusioned with it.

The guards are part of the middle classes and comprise of all kinds of
layers. Its lower layers with low wages and lower living standards are
closer to the masses, 

[LAAMN] Libya burning,Bahrain,Yemen - The Arab revolution knows no frontiers

[Cort Greene]

http://www.marxist.com/arab-revolution-knows-no-frontiers.htm

 The Arab revolution knows no
frontiershttp://www.marxist.com/arab-revolution-knows-no-frontiers.htm
Written by Fred Weston Friday, 18 February 2011
[image: 
Print]http://www.marxist.com/arab-revolution-knows-no-frontiers/print.htm#

After the Tunisian people overthrew Ben Ali we were told by so-called expert
analysts that the revolution would not spread to Egypt. After it did just
that these experts weren’t so sure any more about what could happen next.
Already there had been powerful movements in Jordan and the Yemen, as well
as big protests in Algeria and other countries. Now Libya and Bahrain are
joining the queue, as is Iraq, while the Yemen is flaring up again.
Libya burning

http://www.marxist.com/images/stories/middleeast/youth_with_fire-Sara_Hassan.jpg
[image: Young protester in Bahrain. Photo: Sara Hassan/ Al Jazeera]
Official reports coming in from Libya indicate that more than twenty
anti-government protesters were killed in Thursday, February 17 anti-Gaddafi
“Day of Rage”. Protests broke out in four cities across the country, as
Libya feels the knock-on effects of the overthrow of the dictators in
neighbouring Egypt and Tunisia. Thousands were out on the streets of
Benghazi. This indicates that Libya, which until recently seemed to have
escaped the wind of revolution sweeping across from Tunisia and Egypt, is
now also being affected.

In an attempt to stave off protests the Libyan government had announced it
would double the salaries of government workers. It also released a sizeable
number of Islamic militants from prison. Similar tactics have been adopted
by several of the other despotic regimes in the region. To counter the
anti-Gaddafi protests, the regime also mobilized forces similar to what we
saw in Egypt when pro-Mubarak thugs were sent into Tahrir Square.

At least four protesters were killed by Internal Security Forces in
al-Beyda, but other sources say the figure could be eleven. There were also
mass protests in Benghazi, Libya's second-largest city. Two others were
killed in Zentana, and another in Rijban. In Zentana the protesters chanted
anti-Gaddafi slogans and carried a banner that read Down with Gaddafi -
Down with the regime. Videos available on the Internet show a building on
fire in al-Beyda and young Libyans chanting: The people want to bring down
the regime, the same revolutionary slogan of the masses in Tunisia and
Egypt.

Reports from people on the ground indicate that the situation has gone much
further than this. In al-Beyda for instance it seems protesters have
bulldozed the airport runways to stop the regime sending in further
mercenary forces and at the same time captured prisoners have been freed. In
Ajdabia the police seem to have sided with the protesters to fight
government mercenaries and the government has reacted by shutting down
electricity supplies and access to the internet has been blocked. The town
is now surrounded by the military. Benghazi is also surrounded by the
military. In some areas it also seems that the police and security forces
are showing sympathy for the protesters. The number of protesters in
Benghazi today is estimated at being around 100,000.

Gaddafi is under extreme pressure now and is fighting back like an enraged
wild animal. He is is quoted by the BBC as saying, The puppets of the USA,
the puppets of Zionism are falling. He is still claiming to be a
“revolutionary”, trying to revive the aura of anti-imperialism that he had
about him in the past. However, this ignores the fact that Libya eventually
made a deal with imperialism, abandoning its nuclear arms programme, in
exchange for western investment.

In the past Libya suffered UN sanctions but these were lifted in September
2003. This was followed by the United States beginning to remove all their
unilateral sanctions the following year. And finally all sanctions were
removed by June 2006. This opened up Libya to greater foreign direct
investment, especially in the energy sector.

Part of the deal involved a commitment on the part of the Libyan government
to begin dismantling much of the old state-controlled economy. The country
also applied for WTO membership, which involved reducing subsidies on some
basic foodstuffs and plans for privatization. This has led to the economy
being opened up to the whims of the world market, thus increasing social
polarisation.

This process actually began back in 1993 and 1994 when the Libyan government
announced measures that would allow for liberalization of the wholesale
trade and legal guarantees for foreign investment, as well as the
convertibility of the Libyan Dinar. The legal framework for privatization
was quite far-reaching but in practice during the nineties the process was
very slow. But in in 2003, as part of the deal reached with the imperialist
powers, the process accelerated with legislation being introduced by the
Libyan government that prepared the privatization of 

[LAAMN] Worker Solidarity Growing: Wisconsin to IN, OH and Beyond

[John Johnson]

 to our politics. It’s time 
for politicians to come together to create real 
solutions to the problems that are facing ordinary Americans.

At a time of record economic inequality, these 
laws that direct more money to corporations will 
only widen the gap between the wealthy and the 
poor, enriching a lucky few while forcing more 
people into poverty.  Who will control our 
communities: working people or corporations?


__ NOD32 5887 (20110218) Information __

This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system.
http://www.eset.comhttp://www.eset.com




John Johnson
Change-Links Progressive Newspaper
change-li...@change-links.org
http://change-links.org
Subscribe to our list server. Email  change-links-subscr...@yahoogroups.com
(818) 782-1412
Cell (818) 681-7448.

===


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[LAAMN] Fw: BREAKING: House votes to bar Planned Parenthood from federal funding

[Romi Elnagar]

 
Planned Parenthood Online
 
 

#yiv1611876722 img {display:block;}

#yiv1611876722 img {display:block;} 




















Dear Romi,



Minutes ago, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to bar Planned Parenthood 
from all federal funding for any purpose whatsoever. That means no funding to 
Planned Parenthood health centers for birth control, lifesaving cancer 
screenings, HIV testing, and other essential care.



By far, this is the most dangerous legislative assault on women's health in our 
history, and it cannot go unanswered. We need you to stand united with us now. 
We need you to stand with Planned Parenthood and with the three million women, 
men, and teens we serve, who are now at risk of losing access to basic care.



We've drafted an open letter to every single representative in the House who 
voted for this cruel, unconscionable, unthinkable bill, and to every senator 
who still has a chance to stop it. Will you sign it — and share it right now?






















AN OPEN LETTER TO CONGRESS




To the members of the House of Representatives who voted for the Pence 
Amendment to H.R. 1:



How could you?



How could you betray millions of women — and men, and teens — who rely on 
Planned Parenthood for basic health care? 



How could you condemn countless women in this country to undiagnosed cancer, 
unintended pregnancies, and untreated illnesses?



Your vote was not only against those who seek care at Planned Parenthood health 
centers, but against every one of us who has ever sought care there, and 
against every one of us who knows that when we are healthy, when we are in 
charge of our lives, we thrive.



It was a vote against me.




To every senator who will soon consider this legislation:



I stand with Planned Parenthood to say to you: STOP THIS. 



I stand with Planned Parenthood and the hundreds of thousands of people from 
every walk of life and every corner of this country who join me in signing this 
letter to tell you that we will fight this bill and we expect you to do the 
same. 



I stand with and for the millions of women, men, and teens who rely on Planned 
Parenthood, and I expect you to do the same.




To every member of Congress, know that we stand together today against this 
outrageous assault, and together we will not lose.














Romi, this fight will continue next week when our legislators return to their 
home districts, and when the vote heads to the U.S. Senate the following week. 
Your voice, your strength, and your unwavering support are absolutely critical, 
now and in the weeks ahead. I am so glad to know you are with us during this 
very challenging time.










Sincerely,





Cecile Richards, President

Planned Parenthood Federation of America







P.S. Thank you also for your patience as these ongoing threats to Planned 
Parenthood require us to communicate with you so frequently.


















visit plannedparenthood.org


© 2011 Planned Parenthood Federation of America | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use









This message was sent to bluesapphir...@yahoo.com.





 



  

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[LAAMN] ebook download Bajos Las Alas Del CondorTrial of Luis Posada Carriles/Judge Cardone

[Cort Greene]

   Click on the url if you can not download from article:

http://cubajournal.blogspot.com/2011/02/ebook-bajos-las-alas-del-condor.html
eBook Bajos Las Alas Del Condor available for free
downloadhttp://cubajournal.blogspot.com/2011/02/ebook-bajos-las-alas-del-condor.html

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OSoF9K7AUsU/TV576OSX-8I/Ilk/vvU0CyL_VWI/s1600/Bajo%2BLas%2BAlas%2BDel%2BCondor.png
*Click here to 
download*http://cubadebate.cu/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/bajo-las-alas-del-condor.pdf
This eBook is courtesy of the International Book Fair which is taking place
this week in Havana, Cuba.
 Posted by Cuba Journal at 2/18/2011 08:58:00
AMhttp://cubajournal.blogspot.com/2011/02/ebook-bajos-las-alas-del-condor.html





The Trial of Luis Posada Carriles
 El Paso Diary (XX): Judge Cardone
  http://www.tlaxcala-int.org/biographie.asp?ref_aut=7lg_pp=en   José
Pertierra http://www.tlaxcala-int.org/biographie.asp?ref_aut=7lg_pp=en

 Translated by *
Macheterahttp://www.tlaxcala-int.org/biographie.asp?ref_aut=10lg_pp=en
-  Manuel
Talens http://www.tlaxcala-int.org/biographie.asp?ref_aut=1lg_pp=en *



Judge Kathleen Cardone continued the case of Luis Posada Carriles in El Paso
until next Tuesday, February 22, 2011, at 8:30 a.m.  The defense attorney,
Arturo Hernández, moved last week to dismiss counts one through three of the
indictment: those having to do with his client’s false statements about the
bombs that exploded in Havana in 1997.  This morning, the judge was supposed
to have announced her decision regarding that motion, but she surprised
everyone by deciding to delay the case another seven days to “deliberate
calmly.”


  Judge Kathleen Cardone
*Good morning*

Both the defense and the prosecution met yesterday behind closed doors with
Judge Cardone.  This is a judge who enjoys many such meetings, even some ex
parte, meaning that she meets first alone with the defense and later with
the prosecutors (or vice versa).  Although it is permitted, this is rare
during criminal litigation.

Today’s hearing lasted less than ten minutes.  The judge entered the
courtroom with a worried expression on her face.  After a dry “good
morning,” she asked the attorneys, “Are you ready for the jury?”  No one
said no.  It would have been logical for at least one of the attorneys to
ask about the pending motion for dismissal, yet none did.  They remained at
ease at counsel table—like characters in a chronicle of a case foretold.

The members of the jury filed in and walked slowly toward their seats.  When
they were all situated, Judge Cardone told them, “Oftentimes there are
complicated matters that require a lot of thought, and I still have some
legal matters to resolve.”  She apologized for the delay and told them, “I
want you to know that I don’t take these steps lightly.”  She then continued
the case until Tuesday, February 22nd.  The judge reminded the jurors that
they could not read or listen to news about the case nor conduct research
about it on the Internet.  Her smile appeared strained as she dismissed the
jury until next week.

The jurors filed out of the courtroom with no clue about the legal
controversy that had precipitated yet another delay in the case.  Judge
Cardone rose, and without looking at the faces of the attorneys still in the
courtroom or saying a word, opened the door to her chambers and made her
exit.

*The FBI cables*

Things came to a head after Luis Posada Carriles’ attorney lodged
objections.  Arturo Hernández asserted that the prosecution had not shared
two declassified FBI cables that would have exculpated Posada Carriles.  The
first, dated September 24, 1997, reported that an FBI informant had said
that Fidel Castro was responsible for the bombs exploded in Havana.  From
this FBI “source,” Attorney Hernández deduced that “the bombing campaigns
were the opportunistic brainchild of Fidel Castro, then absolute dictator of
Cuba, and his intelligence services, for the purpose of deflecting attention
away from the upcoming visit of Pope John Paul II.”

The U.S. government attorneys, alleged defense counsel, had failed to turn
over this FBI report to him until only a few weeks ago, which resulted in
him not having had time to subpoena the author of the document or identify
the source that provided the information so that both might be brought to El
Paso to testify.

The prosecutors responded to these arguments yesterday.  In a pleading filed
with the court, they discounted the credibility of the source that provided
that information to the FBI, because “the United States has conferred with
the FBI Agent who wrote the September 25, 1997 document, who stated that the
document was based on the statements of an uninformed source who was biased
against Cuba.”

The prosecution added, “the FBI eventually conducted a more thorough
investigation of the Havana bombings, which did not reach the conclusion
that 

[LAAMN] Obama’s FY 2012 Budget Is A Tool Of Class War

[Romi Elnagar]

Obama’s FY 2012 Budget Is A Tool Of Class War







Paul Craig Roberts


February 18, 2011 Information Clearing House  
Obama’s
 new budget is a continuation of Wall Street’s class war against the 
poor and middle class. Wall Street wasn’t through with us when the 
banksters sold their fraudulent derivatives into our pension funds, 
wrecked Americans’ job prospects and retirement plans, secured a $700 
billion bailout at taxpayers’ expense while foreclosing on the homes of 
millions of Americans, and loaded up the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet
 with several trillion dollars of junk financial paper in exchange for 
newly created money to shore up the banks’ balance sheets. The effect of
 the Federal Reserve’s “quantitative easing” on inflation, interest 
rates, and the dollar’s foreign exchange value are yet to hit. When they
 do, Americans will get a lesson in poverty.







Now the ruling oligarchies have struck again, 
this time through the federal budget. The U.S. government has a huge 
military/security budget. It is as large as the budgets of the rest of 
the world combined. The Pentagon, CIA, and Homeland Security budgets 
account for the $1.1 trillion federal deficit that the Obama 
administration forecasts for fiscal year 2012. This massive deficit 
spending serves only one purpose--the enrichment of the private 
companies that serve the military/security complex. These companies, 
along with those on Wall Street, are who elect the U.S. government.







The U.S. has no enemies except those that the 
U.S. creates by bombing and invading other countries and by overthrowing
 foreign leaders and installing American puppets in their place. 







China does not conduct naval exercises off the 
California coast, but the U.S. conducts war games in the China Sea off 
China’s coast. Russia does not mass troops on Europe’s borders, but the 
U.S. places missiles on Russia’s borders. The U.S. is determined to 
create as many enemies as possible in order to continue its bleeding of 
the American population to feed the ravenous military/security complex.







The U.S. government actually spends $56 billion a
 year, that is, $56,000 million, in order that American air travelers 
can be porno-scanned and sexually groped so that firms represented by 
former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff can make large 
profits selling the scanning equipment. 







With a perpetual budget deficit driven by the 
military/security complex’s desire for profits, the real cause of 
America’s enormous budget deficit is off-limits for discussion.

   

[LAAMN] WI Governor's Fake Budget Crisis: Gave Tax Breaks to Wal-Mart to Further Real Agenda--Union Busting

[Romi Elnagar]

WI Governor's Fake Budget Crisis: Gave Tax Breaks to Wal-Mart to Further Real 
Agenda -- Union Busting
  






 







Reprinted from DailyKosI
 have been attending the rallies, watching the coverage, reading the 
blogs and comments and come to the conclusion that most people don't 
know the true horror of this bill.  I have come to set the record 
straight particularly when I saw a Front Page Diary here on Daily Kos 
that, again, talks about this bill only affecting state workers.  There
 is no fiscal crisis in Wisconsin.  Governor Walker reports a nearly 130
 million dollar deficit, but doesn't report that he caused it
 by giving a 140 million dollar tax break to large multinational 
corporations here in Wisconsin (e.g. WalMart).  However, this cover 
story gives him an excuse to do the unthinkable.State
 workers in Wisconsin have been without contracts for some time.  The 
latest agreement (containing major concessions) was not passed by the 
State Legislature last year due to political maneuvering which led one 
Democrat to vote against it (he was later rewarded with a position   in the new 
Walker administration).But
 that's not really what I came to talk about.  I came to talk about a 
so-called Budget Repair Bill to solve a fake budget crisis without 
addressing the budget at all.So,
 what's in the bill?  Prohibition of any unions or collective bargaining
 for most state workers.  Those that continue to have any union 
representation at all will be limited to bargaining for wages
 only which will have a mandatory limit which will be set annually by 
the State Legislature.  So, basically, the boss will tell you how much 
you are permitted to ask for.No
 collective bargaining over insurance (so employees can be given high 
deductible junk insurance with no say in the matter), benefits, 
pensions, holidays or personal days, vacation, working conditions, 
adequate staffing, class size, worker safety issues, mandatory overtime,
 shift selection, requests for days off, etc.If
 that wasn't bad enough, union dues would no longer be collected through
 payroll deduction so the unions would have to collect the dues 
themselves member by member.  On top of that, unions would need to 
recertify every year .  This is the same process that is used when employees 
band together to form a union in the first place;
  a process already so onerous and difficult (therefore, profitable to 
the many union-busting firms across this country) that new unions and 
locals are rarely formed.Think 
that's bad?  The real hidden horror is that Scott Walker didn't stop 
with state employees, but extended the impact of the bill to all city, town, 
village, and county employee in the State of Wisconsin.
  That's the real reason that thousands of public employees are in 
Madison.  It's why non-public employee unions are supporting us.  It's 
why students, patients, and citizens in general have joined us.I'm
 just a retired Milwaukee Country Registered Nurse.  My voice doesn't 
count.  Sometimes I wonder if all my activism counts.  But my voice and 
my activism count today as I join with thousands of proud Wisconsinites 
to protest the rise of a Dictator.I
 hope I've educated you to the realities of this bill.  Thanks for all 
the support, comments, and love that we get here.  Kossack love is like 
no otherr.
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/479146/wi_governor%27s_fake_budget_crisis%3A_gave_tax_breaks_to_wal-mart_to_further_real_agenda_--_union_busting/


  

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[LAAMN] Obama/US vetoes UN resolution -Bullying the Palestinians

[Cort Greene]

The Obama administration and the US vetoed the United Nations Security
Council resolution on a 14 to 1 vote that
would have declared Israel’s settlement construction in the West Bank
illegal and had been supported by over 100 nations. Up until the last minute
the US tried to get the Palestinians to withdraw the resolution.


  Bullying the Palestinians
Barack Obama urged Mahmoud Abbas to block a UN Security Council resolution
condemning settlements.
 MJ Rosenberg Last Modified: 18 Feb 2011 16:01 GMT
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*For Palestinians, Israeli settlements are the very crux of the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict [GALLO/GETTY]
***

It appears that US dealings with the Palestinians have entered a new phase:
Bullying.

On Thursday, President Barack Obama
telephonedhttp://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=208724Mahmoud
Abbas, the Palestinian president, to urge him to block a UN Security
Council resolution condemning settlements. Obama pressed very hard during
the 50 minute call, so hard that Abbas felt constrained to agree to take
Obama’s request to the PLO executive committee (which, not surprisingly,
agreed that Abbas should not accede to Obama’s request).

But what a request it is!

For Palestinians, Israeli settlements are the very crux of the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. After all, it is the gobbling up of the land
by settlements that is likely to prevent a Palestinian state from ever
coming into being.

Asking the Palestinian leader to agree to oppose a resolution condemning
them is like asking the Israeli prime minister to agree to drop Israel’s
claim to the Israeli parts of Jerusalem.

In fact, the mere US request for a 90-day settlement freeze (a request
sweetened with an offer of $3.5bn in extra aid) outraged the Netanyahu
government. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu could not even bring himself
to respond (probably figuring that he will get the extra money whenever he
wants it anyway). The administration then acted as if it never made the
request at all, so eager is it to not offend Netanyahu in any way.

But it is a different story with Palestinians for obvious reasons (they have
no political clout in Washington). Even when they ask the UN to support them
on settlements, the administration applies heavy pressure on them.

But why so much pressure? After all, it is a big deal when the president
calls a foreign leader and, to be honest, the head of the Palestinian
Authority is not exactly the president of France or prime minister of
Canada.

The reason Obama made that call is that he was almost desperate to avoid
vetoing the United Nations Security Council Resolution condemning illegal
Israel settlements. And it is not hard to see why.

Given the turbulence in the Middle East, and the universal and strong
opposition in the Arab and Muslim world to US shilly-shallying on
settlements, the last thing the administration wants to do is veto a
resolution condemning them.

That is especially true with this resolution, sponsored by 122 nations, and
which embodies long-stated US policies. All US interests dictate either
support for the resolution or at least abstention.

But the administration rejected that approach, knowing that if it supported
the resolution, AIPAC would go ballistic, along with its House and Senate
(mostly House) cutouts.
(Herehttp://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/145007-cantor-hoyer-continue-to-press-obama-to-veto-israeli-settlement-resolution
are
some of them issuing warnings already).

Then the calls would start coming in from AIPAC-connected donors who would
warn that they will not support the president’s re-election if he does not
veto. And Netanyahu would do to Obama what he did to former President
Clinton - work with the Republicans (his favourite is former speaker Newt
Gingrich) to bring Obama down.

What was an administration to do? It did not want to veto but was afraid not
to.

Earlier in the week, it floated a plan which would have the Security Council
mildly criticise settlements in a statement (not a resolution). According to
*Foreign 
Policyhttp://turtlebay.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/02/16/in_major_reversal_us_to_rebuke_israel_in_security_council
*, the statement: Expresses its strong opposition to any unilateral actions
by any party, which cannot prejudge the outcome of negotiations and will not
be recognised by the international community, and reaffirms, that it does
not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity, which is
a serious obstacle to the peace process. The statement also condemns all
forms of violence, including rocket fire from Gaza, and stresses the need
for calm and