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July 29, 2010

      France: in a move under-reported in the North American press, French President Nicholas Sarkozy has ordered the destruction of 300 Roma camps and the deportation of inhabitants without papers. He has indicated plans to re-write French law to make deportation easier "for reasons of public order" (BBC). Sarkozy's statements follow acts of violence by Roma in the Loire after the police killing of a motorist. The overt state persecution of Roma as a larger group including Sinti, Travellers, 'gypsies', is a theme made familiar by occupation programs in WWII. The President's action targeting 'gypsy crime' is consistent with far right propaganda throughout Europe. It follows the French neo-conservative scapegoating of the burqa (see also the Charest efforts in Quebec) affecting a tiny minority of French Muslims. Generally deserted within Europe except by human rights organizations, Roma groups have received some concern from the U.S. and Canada, and deserve much more particularly from Jewish groups, Communist states, organizations of disabled, gay rights organizations, and other groups once targeted for elimination by the Nazi State. Bishops of the French Catholic Church have spoken out condemning the scapegoating of Roma and and the President's incitement of prejudice. In Germany the government has decided to deport 12,000 Roma - 6000 of them children raised or born in Germany, to join a vulnerable Roma minority in Kosovo. In Hungary, the town of Tatarszentgyörgy, as the dwelling of a Roma family burned the father and son were shot and killed escaping to the woods and the women were hospitalized. A stong Jobbik area, no one was apprehended. 8 other Roma were killed this year in similar organized attacks during a wave of "gypsy crime" propaganda. FBI assistance suggested the killers are police or "French Foreign Legion" trained. What appears to be an inter-European program also appears in Slovakia, Finland where 'illegal' gypsy camps are being closed in Helsinki, Poland where a Roma family was recently attacked in Limanowa, and among other nations, Denmark with the mass arrest of 23 Roma in Copenhagen where the mayor makes anti-Roma statements. The European pattern dating back to the Nazi era and before, stresses the 'criminality' of 'gypsies', their poverty, sometimes genetic traits, their mobility and 'illegal' immigration within a borderless new Europe, etc.. While professional class Roma remain included, a majority of Roma (among other impoverished people) at the margins of European economies will be directly affected by neo-conservative austerity programs. Czechoslavakia's new right-wing government for example, is expected to severely cut all social programs and benefits.   European Union: genocide warning.    Partial sources: "France cracks down on Roma after violence," July 29, 2010, upi.com; "France: Church defends Roma, Gitanes from repressive new laws," July 29,. 2010, romea.cz; "12,000 Roma to be deported to Kosovo," July 29, 2010, Der Freitag; "Hindus urge Germany to stop deporting Roma children," July 9, 2010, ROMEA; "France to shut illegal Roma camps and deport migrants," July 29, 2010, BBC News; "Dark secret of town's anti-Roma attacks," Aug. 18, 2009, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung; "EU to fund anti-Roma patrols," Aug. 26, 2010, Hospodárské Noviny; "Illegal Roma camps closed in Helsinki," July 27, 2010, Romanian Times; "Roma reach out to citizen's ombudsman," July 29, 2010, Nowe Media, Polskie Radio; "Mass Deportation of Romani EU Citizens in Copenhagen Condemned," ERRCJuly 12, 2010, romea.cz; "The lure of the far-right," July 29, 2010, presseurop.eu; "The newly-formed Czech government wages a war on welfare while state-run energy giant profits soar," July 21, 2010, ROMEA.

 

 

July 27, 2010

      Honduras: faced with the takeover of a democracy June 28, 2009, the National Popular Resistance Front (FNRP) continues to represent the poor and majority. President in exile (the Dominican Republic) Manuel Zelaya, is head of its executive committee. FNPR still supports calling together a popular assembly to re-write the country's constitution, and plans not to cooperate with the current Honduran electoral process. The Front's website is available in Spanish [access:< http://www.resistenciahonduras.net/ >]. See previous. Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua passed up a U.S. controlled "Central American Integration System" meeting, noting that the push to integrate the Honduran coup-government was ridiculous. While corporate media announce Honduras included, others claim the inclusion requires unanimity and Nicaraguan approval (Resistencia). Within Honduras eight journalists have been murdered so far in 2010, and there's a national emergency in response to dengue and hemorrhagic dengue fever.    Partial sources: "Honduras: Resistance meets, discusses plans," July 25, 2010, Green Left Weekly; "Ortega stands firm against recognizing Honduras," EFE, July 22, 2010, ticotimes.net; "Patching things up," July 22, 2010, The Economist; "Americans warned about dengue fever cases in Honduras," Staff, July 19, 2010, CNN; "FMLN Rejects Return of Honduras to OAS," July 25, 2010, Resistencia.

 

      Peru: Sendero Luminoso remains a presence. On July 12th the U.S. Embassy in Peru announced a 5 million dollar bounty reward for comrade Artemio (Florindo Eleuterio Flores) and another for comrade José (Victor Quispe Palomino), unit leaders in the interior. Sendero is considered involved in Peru's coca production which has surpassed Columbia's. Funding for the bounties comes from the U.S. Narcotic Rewards Program. High bounty fees have been used against FARC in Columbia to encourage betrayal. Against the laws of war, the tactic is even avoided by drug cartels. The former commander of Sendero, Abimael Guzman, tried many times and serving a life sentence, was denied permission to travel from the Callao Naval Base to Santa Monica women's prison where poet Elena Iparraguirre, his sub-commandante and partner, is incarcerated. They've decided to marry. Authorities declare the journey too hazardous for prison staff, so one or both prisoners will have to appoint stand-in(s) for the civil ceremony. Peruvian Times notes that before the third trial Guzman and Iparraguirre were able to live together as cellmates. Other news: we were happy to hear that on May 25th a Peruvian judge freed to parole American Lori Berenson who served nearly15 years of a twenty year sentence for allegedly aiding guerrillas. She married in 2003 while in prison. On May 27th she and her year old son left prison. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has awarded Ms. Berenson thirty thousand dollars to pay her legal fees since she was initially convicted by a faceless military court under the war criminal Fujimori. See previous. Also, on July 15th the Federation of Construction Workers of Peru brought a hundred thousand workers throughout the country to the streets in protest of the government's anti-labour policies. The government recently fired 4000 workers for trying to unionize.    Partial sources: "Peru: 100 thousand construction workers rally to demand wage increases and improved working conditions," Yásser Gómez, July 25, 2010, Peru en movimiento; "US offers bounty for Shining Path leaders in Peru," Terry Wade (Reuters), July 14, 2010, arabnews.com; "Prison wedding request denied; Shining Path founder and his second-in-command lover told to seek stand-ins for ceremony," Andean Air Mail & Peruvian Times, July 6, 2010, Peruvian Times; "Peru: U.S. offers bounty for Shining Path leaders 'Artemio' and 'Jose'," Isabel Guerra, July 12, 2010, LivinginPeru.com; "Peru Wages 'Slanderous Campaign' Against Inter-American Court," Ángel Páez, July 25, 2010, Upside Down World; Committee to Free Lori Berenson, current [access:< http://www.freelori.org/ >].

 

      Brazil: in 2005 Dorothy Mae Stang, a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur, born in Dayton Ohio, was murdered by ranchers faulting her advocacy for poor farmers and the forests of the Amazon basin. According to Wikipedia she was invited to meet with the ranchers and was stopped on her way by Rayfran das Neves Sales and Clodoaldo Carlos Batista, allowed to read from her Bible "Blessed are the poor in spirit," and executed. The two men were convicted in 2005; Sales was sentenced to 28 years; Batista to 17 years. Amair Feijoli da Cunha, a middleman, was convicted and sentenced to 18 years. The man who hired them, Vitalmiro Bastos Moura, was first convicted in 2007 and after court reversals and four trials again convicted to serve 30 years. Shortly after, on May 1, 2010, Regivaldo Galvao, convicted of collaborating with Moura, was sentenced to 30 years. He has appealed his sentence. For 25 years only a small percentage of cases are tried in the 1500 local murders of activists, witnesses, judiciary.    Partial sources: "Dorothy Stang," current, Wikipedia; "Brazilian rancher convicted in killing of U.S.-born nun," Bradley Brooks, May 2, 2010, The Washington Post; "Brazilian rancher convicted of planning Amazon defender's murder is set free pending appeal," Stan Lehman (AP), May 19, 2010, The Daily Gleaner (Canada).

 

      U.S.: Wikileaks has placed on line about 3/4 of 90 some thousand secret and classified field documents concerning U.S. military operations in Afghanistan. The material is cryptic and difficult to access. The New York Times, The Guardian and Der Spiegel with early access to the documents revealed portions in their online editions of July 25th. The New York Times finding the public's need to know overcoming laws against publication of classified materials, nevertheless rigorously excluded information which might compromise field operations or security. A focus on the un-reported civilian deaths minimizes the cumulative numbers of civilian casualties in an invaded and occupied country. Media accounts substantiate the existence of an illegal special forces death squad unit, "Task Force 373," associated with Fort Bragg North Carolina, and Hunter Army Airfield Georgia, operating in Afghanistan and targeting individual enemy combattants for extraction and murder. The unit has a "joint prioritised effects list" of 2000 targets to "kill or capture." Assassination is against the laws of war. Because TF 373 is subject to military law and international law, U.S. legislation/legal mechanisms contravening established treaties may eventually be found invalid. See "Against the killing of Anwar al-Aulaqi & others."    Partial sources: "U.S. condemns posting of secret Afghanistan files online," Xinhua, July 26, 2010, English.xinhuanet.com; " Afghanistan war logs: Secret CIA paramilitaries' role in civilian deaths," David Leigh, July 25, 2010, guardian.co.uk; "Afghanistan war logs: Task Force 373 – special forces hunting top Taliban," Nick Davies, July 25,. 2010, guardian.co.uk; "Piecing Together the Reports, and Deciding What to Publish," July 25, 2010, The New York Times online.

 

 

July 23, 2010

     New York City: on July 15th Marilyn Buck, political prisoner sentenced to eighty years, was freed from the U.S. federal prison hospital in Carswell New Mexico to parole in New York City. Welcome back. For the nightslantern "political prisoners archives" see *.     Partial sources: "Poet and political prisoner Marilyn Buck freed after 25 years in federal prison," Thorne Dreyer, July 19, 2010, The Rag Blog; "Warrior-Poet Marilyn Buck: No Wall Too Tall," Mariann G. Wizard, July 23, 2010, 4Strugglemag.

 

 

July 17, 2010

     Rwanda: despite attorney Peter Erlinder's bail/release on humanitarian grounds and his return to the U.S., the charges against him remain to be answered in Rwanda. The most effective pressure for his release, attributed to a nod from Hillary Clinton, was the insistence of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. To understand the U.S. / Kagame regime approach to upcoming elections: after Erlinder's arrest and release the next Rwandan attorney for presidential candidate Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza , Mr. Theogene Muhayeyezu, was arrested, tortured and held incommunicado. Another presidential candidate, Bernard Ntaganda, and hundreds of supporters were arrested on June 24th. Kagame's former head of the Army, Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa who had fled to South Africa, barely survived an assassination attempt on June 19. The investigating Rwandan journalist Leonard Jean Cherif Rugambage, known for uncompromised freedom of expression was murdered on his Kilgali doorstep June 24th. On July 13th Prof. Jwani Timothy Mwaikusa - an International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda defense attorney (as Erlinder is) was murdered in Tanzania where the court is based. On July 14 Andre Kagwa Rwisereka, a leader of Rwanda's opposition Green Party was found after a brief disappearance, dead on a river bank with his head partially severed.    Partial sources: "Missing Rwandan opposition leader found dead," Edmund Kagire (AP), July 14, 2010, Antiwar newswire; "ICTR defense lawyer shot dead," Drew Singer, July 15, 2010, Jurist; "Rwanda: Kagame tortures opposition, arrests Ingabire's new lawyer,": Ann Garrison, July 2, 2010, digitaljournal.com; "Les éditeurs africains condamnent l'assassinat du journaliste Rugambage," PANA, July 6, 2010, Agence Rwandaise d'Information; "Editor's murder 'approved by Rwandan President'," July 2, 2010, The Independent; "A Rwandan shooting," June 25, 2010, The Economist.

 

     New York City: while Peter Erlinder was released by Kagame's courts on humanitarian grounds, U.S. government prosecution at home continues its "war on terror" with the persecution of attorney Lynn Stewart. Ms Stewart remains strongly identified with legal defense of those deprived of rights in New York. She was a court appointed attorney for her client. Declared guilty for carrying out of prison messages from her client to his congregation, she was sentenced to 28 months in prison. For crimes of communication, the government asked a thirty year sentence. Suffering from cancer the 70 year old woman's case was appealed by the government prosecutors to impose the more severe sentence, an unorthodox step returning Ms Stewart to court on a judicial error. Elaine Brower reporting the July 15th proceeding described Atty. Stewart as a subdued spirit, pleading with the judge for mercy, saying that an increase in time to be served would in her case be a death sentence. Judge John G. Koeltl, re-sentenced her to ten years in prison. The lack of mercy reveals the pervasive damage of a "war on terror" turned to the destruction of human rights. In fact the charges against Lynn Stewart in any functioning society, remain ridiculous. The malice of the Prosecution is unnecessary and basically compromises civilian law with military and covert policies tested in Peru's "war on terrorism" (1992) under Fujimori, now serving 30 years in a Peruvian prison as a war criminal. Lynn Stewart's sentence is inappropriate to her actions, effective in its attempt to terrorize lawyers, and reveals government interference with the judicial process. The New York City legal system has previously clarified its service through the witch-hunt conviction of Aafia Siddiqi. Previous. For more background.    Partial sources: "The Veil is Lifted, the Gloves are Off," Elaine Brower, July 15, 2010, OpEdNews.com; "Lynn Stewart, 70-year-old radical lawyer, sentenced to 10 years in prison for aiding bomb plotter," Scott Shifrel & James Fanelli, July 15, 2010, NY Daily News; "Lawyer Stewart Gets 10 Years for Aiding Terrorists," Patricia Hurtado, July 15, 2010, Bloomberg Businessweek.

 

     U.S.: the military newspaper Stars and Stripes reports 21 active duty suicides and 11 reserve duty suicides in the month of June, the worst on record. The statistics concern 'successful' suicides. In the month of May, 89 Marines for example, attempted suicide. Previous claims that suicides are abating have been overturned. In 2001-2009, Defense Department statistics confirm 2000 military suicides. There is no indication that policies of deploying mentally unfit combat troops has changed, or of less reliance on "medication", anti-depressants and sleeping pills among frontline troops. There is no indication military thinking understands war crimes as a kind of suicide or as post-suicidal. There is no indication that suicide statistics include carelessness / mistakes in combat leading to the soldier's death. With 1 in 5 of 2 million veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan coming home with post traumatic stress disorder, on July 12th the Veterans Administration announced new rules which make benefit claims for PTSD more accessible. No one asks how military men and women can regain their sense of wholeness when used in criminal wars.    Partial sources: "Army sees worst month for suicides ever," Megan McCloskey,, July 15, 2010, Stars and Stripes. "Real way to reduce suicides too painful for military," Rick Rogers, July 16, 2010, North Country News; "Rules Change for Vets' PTSD Benefits," July 12, 2010, PBS NewsHour.

 

 

July 15, 2010

     Turkey: for insight to the effect on women choosing to wear the burqa or niqab, Akder offers a comprehensive updated report on the effect of the headscarf ban on Turkish women ("A Statistical Examination of the Condition of Women in Turkey and the Impact of the Headscarf Ban on Turkey's Gender Equality Ranking" [access:< http://www.ak-der.org/en/law/1203-yasagin-etkileri.html >] appreciation to Atty. Fatma Benly and recommended): in Turkey's "modernization" women are not allowed to wear headscarves in education, government employ, public places. Since it's a religious and customary choice of many these are forced out of government work and access to education, then into poverty. Only 3% of Turkey's population are women with university educations. Lack of respect for women's preferences in dress is accompanied by an increase in gender-based violence. The code is not leading to their emancipation but to the abuse of women as a group. Among other cornerstones of human rights the report cites the U.N.'s Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance "Article 18."

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     Morocco: lawyers have filed a complaint for the arrest of Ehud Olmert, Tzipi Livni, and Ehud Barak for their roles in "Operation Cast Lead," Israel's attack on Gaza which resulted in the immediate deaths of 1400 Palestinians. See previous.    Partial sources: "Lawyers file complaint in Morocco seeking arrest of Israel officials," Dwyer Arce, July 12, 2010, Jurist; "Lawyers file case against Israel with Moroccan prosecutor," AFP, July 12, 2010, Google News.

 

     Spain: a list of 6000 Jews in Spain was prepared by General Francisco Franco and presented to the SS Conmmander Heinrich Himmler as Spain considered fighting alongside Hitler during WWII. According to Haaretz the list was prepared by a security order of May 13, 1941 and to note for every Jew " personal and political leanings, their means of supporting themselves, their commercial activity, the level of threat they constitute and their security classification." The document was recently discovered in Spain and reported by El Pais. See Judge Baltasar Garzon. See Garcia Lorca.    Partial sources: "WWII document reveals: General Franco handed Nazis list of Spanish Jews," Ofer Aderet, July 10, 2010, Haaretz.com; "General Franco gave list of Spanish Jews to Nazis," Giles Tremlett, June 20, 2010, guardian.co.uk.

 

     Oak Ridge Tennesee: 36 nuclear resisters were arrested at the Y-12 Nuclear Weapons Complex, July 5th, for blocking the gate or attempting access. The action was the celebration of a declaration of independence that resists the threat of nuclear weapons and war, and in tribute to the original Plowshares 8 action at King of Prussia about thirty years ago. Honour and respect to those arrested: Marcus Atkinson, Steve Baggarly, Alice Baker, Bill Bichsel, Jon Blickenstaff, Ed Bloomer, Beth Brockman, Stephen Clemens, Barbara Corcoran, David Corcoran, Frank Cordaro, Susan Crane, Dennis DuVall, Paul Fesefelt, Carol Gilbert, Nancy Gowen, Clare Grady, Jean Gump, Joe Gump, Judith Hallock, Martha Hennessy, Billie Hickey, Jackie Hudson, Steve Jacobs, Mary Dennis Lentsch, Bradford Lyttle, Elizabeth McAlister, Joan Noyes, Tom Palumbo, Pepperwolf, Ardeth Platte, Beth Rosdatter, John Schuchardt, Janice Sevré-Duszynska, Bonnie Urfer, Michael Walli.    Partial sources: "Nuclear weapons protested," Frank Munger, July 5, 2010, knoxnews.com; "Resistance for a Nuclear Free Future – Report on the July 3-5, 2010 Gathering and Action," Nuclear Resister, Nukewatch, & Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, July 8, 2010, The Nuclear Resister.

Historical note:
The original Plowshares 8 were Daniel Berrigan, Philip Berrigan, Dean Hammer, Karl Kabat, Elmer Maas, Anne Montgomery, Molly Rush, John Schuchardt. On September 9, 1980 they walked into General Electric's "Nuclear Missile Re-entry Division" at King of Prussia Pennsylvania, beat at nose cones with hammers, prayed and poured blood on files. Denied a "Nuremberg defense" in court they served time despite an altercation of conviction, acquittal, appeals and resentencing. See "The Plowshares 8", The Plowshares Disarmament Chronology 1980 - 2003, Art Laffin [access:< http://www.craftech.com/~dcpledge/brandywine/plow/webpages/plow8.htm >]. Elmer Maas was also of our family. "The Plowshares 8" (accompanying) and "Swords into Plowshares" were done about 1980, and "In memory - Elmer Maas" in 2005 (all artwork by Julie Maas). Dan Berrigan's "Tribute to Franz Jagerstatter"refusing the normalization of death and violence, is onsite and some of the nuclear resisters appear throughout nightslantern's "suppressed news" and "political prisoner" archives.

 

     Fort Bragg California: Charles B. Gittings, who created the "Project to Enforce the Geneva Conventions," (see links) a valid and valuable response to the crimes of Guantanamo Prison Camp and other violations of international law by government, died July 14, 2010 of cancer. His sense of history, loyalty to his country and roots, faith in a continuity of justice, confronted what were initially Bush administration betrayals of the Geneva Conventions at a time when the Justice Department, and most in the U.S. legal profession and law schools kept silent or furthered the alleged crimes. Charly's work strengthened the exceptions. Honour and respect, Charles Gittings. The Project continues.

 

 

July 13, 2010

     France: by a vote of 335 to 1, the National Assembly of France has voted to make it a crime to wear a face covering in public. The French Senate is likely to support the ban. This law targets about 2000 Muslim women of about 5 million Muslims in France. Islamic law doen't require the burqa. French law would make a woman honouring her understanding of her faith, a criminal. Penalties are more severe for husbands or fathers if responsible. In any event sums of money would be extracted from believers for honouring their personal beliefs. The popular ban directly counters France's cultural dialogue with difference. See also previous and previous.   Partial sources: "France Nears Ban on Facial Veils in Public," Steven Erlanger, July 13, 2010, The New York Times"; "French parliament votes to ban the burka," July 13, 2010, ABC News.

 

     Canada: on July 6 the Federal Court of Appeals found the decision to deport Jeremy Hinzman to the U.S., flawed. The U.S. soldier resisting the war in Iraq and AWOL since 2004 sought asylum in Canada. Now his application for permanent residence must be reconsidered in light of his sincere beliefs. This may signal a change in prospects for all U.S. war resisters in Canada. While Parliament has made its position clear in favour of letting U.S. war resisters stay the Conservative government has attempted to please U.S. military interests. For previous on Jeremy Hinzmen's efforts, see March 24, 2005,   Nov. 16, 2005,   Aug. 14, 2008,   Sept. 20, 2008,   Sept. 24, 2008,   Oct. 11, 2008,   Jan. 8, 2009.    Partial sources: "War resister wins another shot at permanent residence," Wendy Gillis, July 6, 2010, thestar.com; "Federal Court of Appeal rules in favour of Iraq War resister Jeremy Hinzman and family!!!," Press release, July 6, 2010, War Resisters Support Campaign, apprec. LAW.

Province of Ontario police have charged Salman Hossain with hate crimes and "two counts of advocating genocide against an idenitifable group" (Jurist) for alleged calls to exterminate Jews. Mr. Hossain is said to be outside the country and beyond legal reach.    Partial sources: "Canada man charged with advocating genocide," Dwyer Arce, July 9, 2010, Jurist; "Ont. police to track down extremist charged with promoting genocide," Kathryn Blaze Carlson, July 8, 2010, National Post.

Omar Khadr (see previous) has fired his U.S. attorneys and it remains unclear whether his scheduled Guantanamo trial will proceed. While some media reported his pre-trial hearing cancelled, Khadr appeared in court at Guantanamo July 12th to explain his reasons for boycotting the Tribunal. He recognized a lack of soundness in the Military Commission's legality, revealed prosecution plea bargain attempts which serve political interests rather than justice and stated: "Lastly I will not take any plea offer because it will give excuse for the government for torturing and abusing me when I was a child" (CTV News). On July 12th in Canada the Minister of Justice announced the Harper government's intention to appeal Judge Zinn's ruling that requires immediate Canadian government action on Khadr's behalf. By waiting until the last minute and with a likely time delay required for the appeal, the government's appeal may allow the U.S. Military Commission to 'try' and sentence Khadr unaffected by Canadian law. Previous Canadian court orders to assure Khadr some rights have been parried by the Harper government's use of court delays to intentionally deprive this citizen of fundamental human rights. The Government justifies its position by citing demands of its foreign policy, overriding the Canadian Charter of Rights and international laws intended to protect people from crimes of state. Khadr's Canadian lawyers will ask the court to find the Harper government in contempt.    Partial sources: "What Omar Khadr said at his Guantanamo Bay hearing," Canadian Press, July 12, 2010, CTV News ; Khadr court ruling to be appealed by Ottawa," July 12, 2010, CBC News; "Khadr's Guantanamo pretrial hearing cancelled: lawyer," Carmen Chai Canwest), July 8, 2010, National Post; "Omar Khadr's Guantanamo hearing suspended," Michelle Shephard, July 8, 2010, thestar.com.

 

      U.S. South Coast: the U.S. Federal Appeals Court in New Orleans has refused the Obama administration's appeal to continue the moratorium on deepwater oil drilling. The administraton is likely to request another moratorium. Having irreparably damaged the Caribbean there is some evidence that rigs are being pulled to work foreign waters. The government of Canada responding to the interests of its Atlantic fisheries may sue British Petroleum for damage by the deepwater oil spill. Cuba, Venezuela and Mexico, among other countries more immediately and deeply affected by the catastrophe remain silent. 7000 marines based in North Carolina have relocated to Costa Rica which is permitting the armed presence along with 46 warships for six months. The European Union is considering limiting the depth of deepwater drilling and instituting a temporary moratorium. See previous.    Partial sources: "EU to consider deepwater drilling limits ," Drew Singer, July 10, 2010, Jurist; "Canada may sue BP over oil spill," July 9, 2010, CBC News; "Court Rejects Moratorium on drilling in the gulf," John M. Broder, July 8, 2010, The New York Times; "US mulls response after court refuses drilling stay," Jeremy Pelofsky, July 9, 2010, Reuters; "Media Clampdown in the Gulf Coast: Government and BP Place More Restrictions on Journalists Covering the Oil Spill," Amy Goodman, July 7, 2010, Democracy Now!"; "NATO Orders 7,000 US Marines To Costa Rica As Gulf Oil Disaster Quake Fears Grow," Sorcha Faal, July 8, 2010, whatdoesitmean.com; "Costa Rica Congress OKs US warships," Latinamerica Press, July 13, 2010, Eurasia Review; "Gulf 'media blackout' triggers journalist fury," Karl Burkart, June 11, 2010, mother nature network.

 

 

July 7, 2010

      Ottawa: re. Omar Khadr (previous); on July 5th a Federal Court judge ruled unequivocally that Omar Khadr's Charter Rights having been violated must be set right. The Government is required to do so. While the Supreme Court decision (see Davidson, previous) backed off suggesting the Government's course of action, relying in good faith that the government would counter its violations of Khadr's rights, the Federal court was faced with the government's refusal to give Khadr those rights which are his. The Court has instructed the Harper Government to provide specific remedies to its violations of law within seven days. The definition of an effective remedy rests with the judge who may impose a remedy if the Government doesn't comply. One effective remedy available would be to request the U.S. return Omar Khadr to Canada immediately. His trial before a U.S. Military Commission is set to begin August 10th. Note: the military "trial" of Omar Khadr is immersed in a sea of violations of international law and Geneva Conventions. Given evidence that as a child Khadr was tortured by U.S. forces and detained without legal protections, it's against U.S. interests to try his case in military or civilian court. It's to Canada's interests to honour the intent of its Supreme Court decision, this Federal Court decision, and Canada's obligations to its people, by effecting Khadr's return immediately. The Government's refusal to demand Khadr's return, contempt for international laws protecting the rights of children, complicity in violations of Geneva Conventions, denial of Charter Rights to a young Muslim, pit the courts and the concerned against a fashionable, Conservative, fascist, agenda.    Partial sources: "Reasons for Judgement and Judgement," "Omar Ahmed Khadr vs The Prime Minister of of Canada, the Minister of foreign Affairs and the Minister of Justice" and "Omar Ahmed Khadr vs The Prime Minister of of Canada and the Minister of foreign Affairs," The Honourable Mr. Justice Zinn, Docket T-231-10, July 5, 2010, Federal court.

Re. the G-20 Conference in Toronto: when heads of state become criminal they criminalize the military and law enforcement: the 'trains run on time' but not for the thousand in G-20 related arrests: there are written reports of unidentified van-kidnapping of community activists, targeted arbitrary detention, random unprovoked arrest, threat of rape and gang rape against detained women, targeted arrest of journalists, confiscation / theft of video equipment and money, violence against the nonviolent, degradation of protesters and witnesses in detention, agent provocateurs, brutality. (alternative sources). The National Post reports "G20 police 'yanked' off prosthetic leg: amputee" (Kenyon Wallace, July 6, 2010).

 

 

June 25, 2010

      Ottawa: initial reports of a 5.5 earthquake were reduced to 5.0. On June 23rd the strong tremor shook downtown Ottawa, breaking windows in City Hall (CBC News). Some government buildings, schools, and Parliament Hill were evacuated. The epicentre is reported 11.2 miles deep, 33 miles (U.S. Geological Survey) outside Ottawa in Quebec, felt in Montreal, Toronto and the States. The Chalk River nuclear facility, possibly a 100 miles from the epicentre is currently closed for repairs (see previous etc. ). Unofficial sources say its accumulated high level radioactive waste is stored in six underground chambers. These and waste piping could be vulnerable to increased magnitude earthquakes. Safety regulators report no difficulty at Canadian facilities. Repairs of the Bruce River reactor have occasioned requests by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission for extensive testing of repair workers. It's possible that workers / contractors not trained to deal with nuclear hazards have been working without appropriate protective gear. The workers may have experienced exposure to alpha radiation. If breathed, ingested or entering the skin alpha particles lodge in tissue emitting radiation over a long period. The Globe and Mail reports hundreds of workers have to be tested by the deadline June 25, and Bruce Power is appealing the request.    Partial sources: "Nuclear plant balks at regulator request to test all employees for radiation," Martin Mittelstaedt, June 23, 2010, The Globe and Mail; "Quebec quake damages buildings, highway," June 23, 2010, CBC News; "Ontario-Quebec tremor reflects potentially disasterous fault lines," Ann Hui, June 23, 2010, Globe and Mail; "Health Risks of Radon and Other Internally Deposited Alpha-Emitters: BEIR IV," Committee on the Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiations, National Research Council , The National Academies Press [access:< http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=1026 >]; "Follow-Up to Ottawa Earthquake," June 23, 2010, CNSC; "CNSC issues a request for corrective action to Bruce Power ," June 18, 2010, CNSC; "Earthquake Rocks Southern Ontario and West Quebec: Perspective," Kittoh, June 24, 2010, Eaglewatch; "Alpha contamination at Bruce," Gordon Edwards, June 23, 2010, Eaglewatch.

 

      Spain: following the extreme right's removal of human rights pioneer Judge Baltasar Garzon, the Spanish Senate has passed a motion banning the Islamic full body covering. In the Netherlands the right-wing Freedom Party has more than doubled its seats in Parliament (from 9 to 24) with an anti-immigrant / anti-burqa platform in the recent elections. Party leader Geert Wilders has previously advocated banning the Koran. Belgium and France both have legislative measures in progress banning garments that conceal the face. Conservative French President Sarkozy has decided wearing the veil is a sign of subservience. Others see the banning laws as "criminalizing women to free them" (Der Spiegel's phrase). The European Council has voted unanimously to oppose bans on the full face veil. In Canada neo-conservative forces support a ban and women seeking corporate advancement rarely wear niqabs or burqas. Objections to face covering could be understood as a class bias rather than an effort to emancipate. Previous; previous etc..    Partial sources: "Council of Europe opposes bans on Muslim full-face veils," ANI, June 24, 2010, sify news; "Spain's Senate Votes to Ban Burqa," Raphael Minder, June 23, 2010, The New York Times; "Are Women's Rights Really the Issue?" cgh, June 24, 2010, Spiegel Online International; "Surge for Dutch anti-Islam Freedom Party," June 10, 2010, BBC News; "Dutch Freedom Party Leader Geert Wilders: Calls for Koran ban after leader of ex Muslim group is assaulted in name of Islam," Reuters August 8, 2007, Militant Islam Monitor.
 

A Mexican song: "Los Paliacates," Oscar Chavez   [access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIWkApDvupw >]. 
 

      Belgium & others: on behalf of a Belgian national and 13 Gaza residents, two Belgian lawyers are attempting to bring charges against 14 Israelis for crimes against humanity / war crimes in Israel's planning, offensive and occupation of Gaza, 2008 and 2009. For background. The action against Barak, Livni, Olmert, Vilani and others draws on the Goldstone Report and relies on Belgium's provision for universal jurisdiction, at the discretion of the country's attorney general. In France flotilla participants from the Campagne Civile Internationale pour la Protection du Peuple Palestinien and Comité de Bienfaisance et de Secours aux Palestiniens and three parliamentarians (ynet) are taking Barak to court in Marseilles. Early reports indicate in Evry as well. They plan a similar case at the Hague. The Palestine Legal Aid Fund plans to present a case in Britain for the families of eight murdered Turkish men and one Turkish American. June 24th in Strasbourg the Council of Europe declared Israel's attack on the Gaza Flotilla a violation of international law and has requested entire lifting of the blockade. The U.S. position: in a letter of June 21, 2010 to U.S. President Obama, 87 U.S. Senators support Israel's blockade of Gaza, defend Israel's attack on the Gaza flotilla, and attack the U.N. Human Rights Council. See previous. See also Kawther Salam, links page and previous.     Partial sources: "14 Israeli War Criminals Sued in Belgium, Including Livni, Barak, and Olmert," Saed Bannoura /IMEMC, June 24, 2010, ; "Belgian lawyers to charge Barak and Livni for war crimes," Danna Harman, June 23, 2010, Haaretz.comapprec LAW listserv; "European Council: 'Lift the blockade'," Rebecca Anna Stoil & staff, June 24, 2010, The Jersulem Post; "Resolution On Israel By European Parliamentary Group 'Inexplicable'," Press release, June 24, 2010, Anti-Defamation League; "Sail participants to sue Barak in France," Roni Sofer, June 11, 2010, ynet news; "UK charity to sue Israel over flotilla raid," June 25, 2010, Ma'an News Agency; "Reid and McConnell lead letter to Obama defending Israel in flotilla incident," Eric Zimmermann, June 23, 2010, The Hill; "Lawmakers Urge Obama To Show Greater Support For Israel," June 23, 2010, RTT News; "87 senators oppose U.N. flotilla inquiry," June 23, 2010, UPI.com; "French charity files complaint after Israeli attacks," Wire News Services, June 4, 2010, Herald de Paris.

 

 

June 23, 2010

      Congo (DRC): Jurist announces that in Belgium charges are brought against 12 Belgian officials for their part in the murder of Patrice Lumumba, Katanga province 1961. Democratically elected to lead the country he brought into independence, faithful to his people, Lumumba was removed from power. It is likely he was murdered by a joint Belgian - C.I.A. operation consolidating the military takeover by Joseph Mobutu. In response to evidence of its own implication the Government of Belgium apologised in 2002. Despite evidence of U.S. involvement no U.S. officials are currently charged. For background on Lumumba see our links page: Friends of the Congo.    Partial sources: "Charges sought in death of Congo leader Lumumba," Slobodan Lekic, June 21, 2010, APV ~ Breitbart.com; "Patrice Lumumba," current, Wikipedia; "Belgium officials accused in murder of former Congo leader," Andrea Bottorff, June 22, 2010, Jurist.

 

      Kyrgyzstan: the constitutional referendum election is scheduled for June 27th. The June 11th state of emergency is extended to June 25th. Al-Jazeera quoting the interim President indicates a possible death toll of 2000 rather than 200; previous, previous.    Partial sources: "Kyrgyzstan interim government extends state of emergency ," Sarah Miley, June 20, 2010, Jurist; "Kyrgyzstan extends emergency rule," June 20, 2010, aljazeera.net.

 

      Oakland California: in a picketing action endorsed by county labor councils protestors interrupted the unloading of cargo from Israel, June 20. The dockworkers union refused to cross their picket line. The ship was unloaded a day later. The Portworkers Union in Sweden previously honoured a callout for union solidarity made by the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions. See previous.    Partial sources: "Bay Area Dockworkers Answer Palestinian Call for Solidarity," Euku Ide & Kevin Lynch, June 21, 2010, Labor Education and Research Project ; Israeli ship unloads after flotilla raid protest," Associated Press, June 21, 2010, Mercury News.com; "Protesters Block Israeli Ship from Unloading at Oakland Port," June 21, 2010, Democracy Now!; "Sweden, Norway Act Against Israel ," June 5, 2010, Wall Street Journal.

 

      Louisiana: a District Court judge has lifted the moratorium on offshore drilling as the British Petroleum oil spill continues to add rapidly to 120 million gallons (Jurist) polluting the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic. While news of the disaster is available and news of financial compensation to immediately affected businesses and workers is announced, appropriate action by government or corporation is lacking. The safety of the food chain at risk in sections of the South from nuclear waste (see the historical note on the Savannah River watershed) is further damaged by pollution of surrounding waters and coast. While noting some medical effects of oil pollution ( kidney and liver damage) the media have avoided information about the effects of oil on aquatic life, its consumption, correlations of petroleum-contaminated fish with cancer, effects on Atlantic fisheries as contamination of the ocean moves northward and spreads through the Carribean. There is no mention of restitution to Cuba or Mexico among others. BP's lack of adequate protection for environment, its lack of respect for life, lack of safety for workers, lack of recourse to cope with the problem, present a direct and permanent threat to all people. In 1991 during the Gulf War 462 million gallons of oil were "spilled" into the Perisan Gulf as a result of both the U.S./allied targeting of oil facilities and tankers, and Iraq's tactical military action of emptying oil tanks before the U.S. landed in Kuwait.    Partial sources: "Federal judge blocks deepwater drilling ban in Gulf ," Sarah Miley, June 22, 2010, Jurist; "Gulf War Oil Spill," current, Wikipedia; "Each day, another way to define worst-case for oil spill," Joel Achenbach, June 23, 2010, The Washington Post.
Note: this is a crime against all life, unnecessary and terrible beyond the imagination of most legal systems. The Convention on Genocide focuses on the destruction of defined groups of people in peace or war. BP's damage to the U.S. southland's coasts (most immediately) is not being considered an act of war or extermination yet millions of people are its eventual victims. It's a destruction of life for private gain.

 

 

June 19, 2010

      Rwanda: see previous; on June 17th Rwandan court allowed Peter Erlinder (in hospital) bail for humanitarian reasons. Erlinder is free to leave the country but must keep the court informed of his location. He's expected to return to the U.S. today or tomorrow. Proceedings against him continue. However Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza remains on house arrest, also under Rwandan charges of "genocide denial." After a lengthy exile she is assuming political leadership of Kagame's opposition. Exiled primarily in the Netherlands Ms. Ingabire, a corporate lawyer, managed 25 accounting departments across Europe for a Dutch-based company. Her wish to recognize Hutu deaths in the Rwandan genocide was used to accuse her. Such political use of Rwandan cautionary laws against genocide render the Convention on Genocide an arbitrary tool of the group in power. It parallels a flaw of the International Criminal Court, where selective application and enforcement of the Convention favour powerful countries and allow an ongoing genocide against the Congolese people, among others.    Partial sources: "Ingabire's appeal: Stand with Rwanda as with Prof. Peter Erlinder," Ann Garrison, June 18, 2010, Digital Journal; "US attorney charged in Rwanda to travel to Kenya," AP, June 19, 2010, google news; "Rwanda frees U.S. lawyer due to health, charges remain,"Hereward Holland, June 17, 2010, Reuters; "Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza," as of June 19, 2010, Wikipedia encyclopedia; "Congolese Women Suffer As Rwanda Squashes Dissent," John Lasker, June 15, 2010, Toward Freedom.

 

     U.S.:

Smothers Brothers "Boil that Cabbage down"   [access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIfl2o44zb0 >]

 

 

June 16, 2010, updates

      Kyrgyzstan: see previous; the government has called for Britain to return the son of former (deposed) president Kurmanbek Bakiyev, to face charges of instigating ethnic violence with gangs of mercenaries in military uniform. He was arrested after landing in a private jet at Farnborough outside London England. The U.N. suggests there is an indication of planned ethnic violence.    Partial sources: "Kyrgyzstan asks Britain to hand over deposed president's son," Richard Orange & Damien McElroy, June 15, 2010, Telegraph.co.uk; "Kyrgyzstan asks Britain for suspect," Richard Orange & Damien McElroy, June 15, 2010, The Daily Telegraph / Montreal Gazette; "Kyrgyzstan violence: Agencies rush aid to Uzbek refugees," Luke Harding & Mark Tran, June 15, 2010, guardian.co.uk; "Refugee crisis worsens in Kyrgyzstan," June 15, 2010, BBC World Service.

 

      Rwanda: see previous; The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda has asked the Kagame government to release Peter Erlinder immediately. Erlinder, a lead defense counsel for the ICTR was arrested on charges of genocide denial, questioning the current Rwandan government's policy and interpretation regarding the 1994 Rwandan genocide. According to the ICTR letter the prosecution used Erlinder's work at ICTR as evidence against him. While major lawyers organizations strongly protest the arrest, organizations traditionally guardian to freedom of speech remain silent. An African site, Modern Ghana reports President Kagame's former bodyguard, Innocent Kalissa's escape from torture and death at a "safe house", arriving shackled and wounded in a sealed container of vegetables.    Partial sources: "President Kagame's Bodyguard Escapes," Norman Miwambo, June 13, 2010, Modern Ghana; "UN's Rwanda genocide tribunal calls for Erlinder's release," Jeremy Herb, June 15, 2010, startribune.com Staff blogs ; "ICTR calls for immediate release of Peter Erlinder from Rwandan prison, as Erlinder's wife appeals to U.N. Security Council members," June 15, 2010, BayView.

 

      Washington, D.C.: see previous; the peace activists tried June 14th in Superior Court were acquitted. A recent press release from "Witness Against Torture" indicates 24 found innocent while making no mention of others included in previous press releases. An article at Masslive.com notes 27 acquitted, four of them women from Western Massachusetts.    Partial sources: "D.C. judge acquits 27 Guantanamo protesters - including 4 from Pioneer Valley - of charges from Capitol Hill protest," Patrick Johnson, June 15, 2010, Masslive.com; "Twenty-Four Anti-Torture Activists Acquitted in Trial for Protest at the US Capitol Calling for Guantanamo's Closure and the Investigation of Deaths at the Prison," Press release, June 15, 2010, Witness Against Torture.

 

 

June 15, 2010

      Kyrgyzstan: rioting has become extreme with accusations of a "genocide" of the Uzbek people. Both sides of the conflict are Sunni muslim; the country is under a popular interim government which just took over; the country is of strategic importance to the U.S./ NATO supply facilities for Afghanistan. There are Russian military facilities as well which are being reinforced. A report from Osh (the violence appears to include surrounding towns) indicates the (national ?) military is siding with gangs in the slaughter of Uzbeks. As many as 100,000 Uzbeks are said to have sought refuge in Uzbekistan. Night's Lantern does not have enough reliable information to place a genocide warning. Note: current NATO media management of Israel's attack on the Gaza flotilla, and of Rwanda's illegal arrest of Peter Erlinder, suggests reporting of war crimes is increasingly "managed" in a coherent conservative information war, forcing people to rely on selected experts.    Partial sources: "Uzbeks flee southern Kyrgyzstan," The Canadian Press, June 14, 2010, CBC News online; "Kyrgyz ‘genocide’ spreads, 113 killed," June 14, 2010, Daily Times Pakistan; "Kyrgyz gangs accused of 'genocide' as death toll rises," Shaun Walker, June 14, 2010, The Independent U.K..

 

      Winnipeg The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (Indian Residential Schools) holds its first of seven events June 16th-19th at the Forks, downtown Winnipeg. Chief Louis Daniels who was to lead a protest against it has died of unstated causes. Kevin Annett and Friends and Relatives of the Disappeared with others will hold a protest June 15th outside the meeting place. According to Annett's press release of May 21, five aboriginal members of Friends and Relatives of the Disappeared died or were murdered in the past year: Johnny "Bingo" Dawson, Mike Wickson, Elder Phillipa Ryan, Norma Jean Baptiste, Chief Louis Daniels, and a sixth, William Combes , is missing. Four were high-profile protestors or witness to wrongs by the churches responsible for the residential school crimes. Night's Lantern's early attempts to support FRD's attempt to find a voice and hearing weren't successful (previous). Note: while the Conservative government has publicly "apologized" for crimes committed at Residential Schools, it has refused to sign the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (previous). This Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 5 year (60 million dollar) program coincides with ongoing corporate inroads into the land's resources and native rights. A North American mechanism of status for 'first peoples' and tribes ideologically advances tribal 'purity,' encourages both dissension and federal controls, and attempts to legitimize a select group to bargain what belongs to the future of all people (re. the uses of of tribalism in the American south, see my "Historical note on the Savannah River watershed."See "genocide warnings" for Canada.    Partial sources: "Urgent Action alert," Press release, May 21, 2010, Hidden from History [access, http://www.hiddenfromhistory.org >]; "Remember the Murdered Children - Stop the Whitewash of Genocide in Canada!" Press release, June 1, 2010, Hidden from History; "Truth and Reconciliation announces details for first National Event," Press release, Dec. 11, 2009, Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada; "FAQs: Truth and Reconciliation Commission," June 14, 2010, CBC News.

 

     Democratic Republic of Congo: amid the decimation of its peoples and resources, a universal message:

"Mpo na Kongo," English version [access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQPxPn9wAVY >]
"Lopango ya Banka (Mpo na Kongo)" francais [access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vDmjhX0fUY >]

 

 

June 13, 2010

etching proof         apparition         julie maas         2010

 

 

     Washington, D.C.: 27 human rights activists go on trial tomorrow for peaceful actions on the capitol steps and inside the Rotunda, January 21rst of this year. 14 were arrested for holding a memorial service inside, honouring three muslim detainees said to have committed "suicide" at Guantanamo. A search of the 2004 through 2007 Guantanamo archive reveals a regimen at the prison camp driving prisoner after prisoner to suicide, attempts at mass suicide, attempts at terminal hunger strikes and forced feedings that became torture. But circumstances in the deaths of Yassar Talal Al Zahrani, Mani Shaman Turki Al Habardi Al Tabi, and Ali Abdullah Ahmed (see June 15, 2006), were askew enough to lead Amnesty to demand their investigation. Subsequent evidence suggests the men were murdered. See previous and...    Partial sources: "Trial for 27 Anti-Torture Activists Who Protested Obama's Failure to Close GITMO Begins Monday (6/14)," [WAT] Press Release, June 11, 2010, Witness Against Torture; "Murders at Guantánamo: The Cover-Up Continues," Andy Worthington, June 12, 2010, Global Research; "Death in Camp Delta," Mark Denbeaux & co-authors at the Center for Policy & Research, Dec. 7, 2009, Seton Hall University School of Law, with ongoing "Guantanamo reports" [access:< http://law.shu.edu/ProgramsCenters/PublicIntGovServ/policyresearch/Guantanamo-Reports.cfm >].

 

     Ottawa: Barriere Lake Algonquin and friends are protesting the Bureau of Indian Affairs attempt to close down the community's traditional means of governance by employing a section 74 order, last used in 1924. There will be a "Feast and Observance of Customary Governance," 6:30pm June 14th, Bronson Centre, and subsequent actions. According to Indian and Northern Affairs Canada there are 662 on and off reserve registered members of the tribe.     Partial sources: "Canada to abolish Barriere Lake Algonquins' customary governance, logging threats increase," announcement, June 10, 2010, nowar=paix listserv; "Indian Act, Section 74 to Destroy Algonquin Traditional Government," anon, June 12, 2010, Infoshop News.

 

 

June 12, 2010

     Canada: in Edmonton attorneys Nate Whiting and Dennis Edney have asked Federal Court to review the government decision not to repatriate Omar Khadr. Although Canada's Supreme Court decided Khadr's rights were violated it left the remedy to a Conservative government which hasn't respected its obligations to this citizen. See previous. On May 6, the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict requested Canada repatriate Khadr, citing the "Convention on the Rights of the Child" and its "Optional Protocol." Canadian Press reports Khadr's civilian lawyers are under threat of investigation by a proposed U.S. legislative provision introduced by Rep. Jeff Miller (R - Florida). With its nod to Sen. Joseph McCarthy, the provision encourages investigation of lawyers for interference with the Guantanamo trial process or any Defense Department policy. Some defense lawyers have already been threatened or 'punished' for providing legal counsel to detainees and alleged 'terrorists' (see "lawyers threatened for defending their clients" as well as notes on the Padilla case).     Partial sources: "Defence lawyers urge Supreme Court to force Khadr review," Sheila Pratt (Canwest), June 9, 2010, The Ottawa Citizen online; "Push for Khadr plea deal going nowhere, sources say," Steven Edward (Canwest), May 27, 2010, The Ottawa Citizen online. "Gitmo detainee lawyers dismayed by Congressional bill," The Canadian Press, May 26, 2010, CTV News; "UN Official calls for Khadr's release to Canada," Andrea Bottorff, May 7, 2010, Jurist.

 

 

June 11, 2010

     Rwanda: U.S lawyer Peter Erlinder was returned from hospital to prison. Denied a return to the U.S. on compassionate grounds (illness), June 4th, he appeared in court June 7th, to plead not guilty to the Rwandan court's charge of "genocide denial". He was denied bail and returned to prison. The arrest has rendered the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, inoperable. Thirty of its attorneys have protested the arrest for their own safety. In a show of support for the Kagame government's judicial practices, the ICTR administration on June 8, 2010 turned over another 25 cases from its jurisdiction to the Rwandan government. Peter Robinson, an attorney from California representing an accused at an ICTR trial in Kilgali Rwanda and refusng to proceed with his work following Erlinder's arrest, was arrested for contempt of court. Examination of Erlinder's writings available on the internet finds, rather than genocide denial, an inclusion of Hutu tribes people in the larger group of humanity and raises a possibility of genocide against their group as well as the Tutsi group. Lack of appropriate effective response by the United Nations, ICTR administration, and the U.S. State Department, may signal a tactical military agenda by these parties rather than the political convenience of Rwanda's own government. Erlinder's life remains in danger: his writings and evidence directly counter a political use of the Convention on Genocide as supported by the Kagame government of Rwanda, the U.S. and U.N.. See previous, previous, previous. Within a U.S. domestic context Erlinder has defended both the Canadian Mohammed Abdullah Warsame, and Florida professor Sami Al-Arian, alleged "terrorists" who committed no act of violence yet were imprisoned under duress for years without just judicial recourse. The elements common to both cases are that both are muslims, and the extra-judicial punishment of each resulted after alleged refusal to cooperate with government requests for false testimony.     Partial sources: "Mohammed Warsame," current, Wikipedia; "ICTR transfers 25 cases to Rwandan jurisdiction," Dwyer Arce, June 8, 2010, Jurist; "The Torture of Sami Al Arian," Peter Erlinder, March 11, 2008, Jurist; "Rwanda's Thought Police," Peter Erlinder, May 14, 2010, Black Star News; "More Prosecution’s Case Files Transferred to Rwanda," ICTR/INFO, ReliefWeb; "ICTR Attorney Charged With Contempt of Court," Edwin, Musoni, June 9, 2010, The New Times / AllAfrica; "Erlinder Denied Bail," Edmund Kagire, June 8, 2010, The New Times ; "ICTR defense lawyers call for release of US lawyer, threaten boycott," Drew Singer, June 9, 2010, Jurist.

 

 

June 6, 2010

Historical note: two versions of the Romani anthem.
"Jelem Jelem - Gypsy / Roma Holocaust" [access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0R_yzRdk6U >]
The Gypsy Rebels "Jelem Jelem" [access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKnEB4LleXI >]

 

 

June 4, 2010

      Rwanda: attorney Peter Erlinder's arrest and interrogation has resulted in what Rwandan authorities call a "suicide attempt." Erlinder is now held in hospital. As noted, the American attorney is visiting Rwanda to aid the defense of a Rwandan rival for the presidency in upcoming elections. In the U.S. Erlinder is one of the attorneys representing the widow of Juvenal Habyarimana, former Rwandan president whose plane was shot down, signalling the start of the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Erlinder's evidence finding Kagame's forces responsible, contradicts a U.S. media instructed campaign. The State Department is deeply involved with Kagame and successfully fought any investigations of Kagame's responsibility for genocide at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Under Canada's Louise Arbour, ICTR evidence against Kagame was not investigated. Under Switzerland's Carla del Ponte who attempted an investigation - she was allegedly ordered to stop by the Bush administraton's Pierre Prosper and on proceeding was removed. Minnesota Public Radio reports that Erlinder has been made to retract any statements about genocide that the Rwandan government objects to. See previous. The U.S. State Department has called for his release.     Partial sources: "Rwanda Says Jailed American Tried to Kill Himself ," Jeffrey Gettleman & Josh Kron, June 3, 2010, The New York Times. "Locked Up in Rwanda," Elizabeth Dickinson, June 1, 2010, Foreign Policy. "Jailed prof filed Kagame suit," June 2, 2010, The Straits Times; "Rwandan prosecutor says Erlinder retracted statements on genocide," Elizabeth Dunbar, June 2, 2010, Minnesota Public Radio; "US calles for Rwanda to release professor," Henry C. Jackson, AP, June 3, 2010, San Francisco Chronicle / SFGate.

 

 

June 2, 2010

      Israel: on May 31rst in international waters Israeli forces attacked a Peace Flotilla of six unarmed ships. The largest, a Turkish ship carried 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid for Gaza. After firing on the passengers and crew Israeli forces boarded the ship. There was some unarmed resistance. The ship raised a white flag. All communications from the ship were cut off. Early reports (Xinhua, The Australian) give evidence of as many as 19 peace activists murdered and many wounded. The Israeli military confiscated all evidence at the crime scene. Subsequent coverage by global media began lowering the death toll to nine dead, then mentioned only wounded. There appears to be a media / government attempt to sanitize the crime against humanity, the murder of unarmed civilians in international waters, the kidnapping of nearly 700 passengers and crew to detention, and individual acts of violence against them. Canada's Conservative government has made no comment concerning the crime or its detained citizens. Previous foreign civilians murdered by Israel include Rachel Corrie (human rights worker), Tom Hurndall (journalist/student), James Miller (journalist)     Partial sources: the story is heavily covered but with increasing unreliability: among early and eye-witness accounts: "Fire Started Before IDF Landing, Wounded bled to Death," (heavy quotes from eye-witness Hanon Al-Zoubi, NDA Knesset member), June 1, 2010, Kawther Salam; "MOP's silent on Israeli's arrest of activists," June 2, 2010, CBC News; "Israeli commandos kill 19 in attack on flotilla trying to break Gaza blockade," John Lyons, June 1, 2010, The Australian; "Previous activists killed by Israel," May 31, 2010, Al Jazeera; "Israel Murders Human Rights Workers Delivering Humanitarian Aid," Marjorie Cohn, May 31, 2010, Huffington Post; "World condemns Israel for attacking Gaza aid flotilla," Xinhua, June 1, 2010, English.news.cn.

A note: Israel's blockade of Gaza remains a flagrant violation of international law, as a collective punishment and part of Israel's continuing genocide against the Palestinian people. Because no government has taken action to counter the murder and wounding of unarmed civilians attempting humanitarian assistance to Gaza, because the global machinery of press and government are complicit with Israel's impunity, because Israel refuses to respect the basic international treaties protecting life and human rights, and because the peoples' defenses against genocide-by-government have been taken over, Gerald and Maas places another genocide warning for the people of Gaza and all Palestinians. Please note the text of the U.N.'s Convention on Genocide. It is a crime without statute of limitations. While common sense would dictate the Convention's application in areas such as Israel's policies toward Palestine or U.S. policies toward Iraq and Afghanistan, lawyers of the 'genocide industry' avoid this subject rendering current application of the Convention to the most powerful, non-existent. An exception: Peter Erlinder (previous) entered this area when he attempted to bring charges against Rwanda's Paul Kagame in the U.S.. Another exception: Judge Baltasar Garzón of Spain (previous) who brought charges against General Augusto Pinochet of Chile.

We support the people of Palestine against a threat of extinction by Israel's war crimes and aggression. Free Gaza. - Gerald and Maas

 

 

May 31, 2010

      Rwanda: Night's Lantern which began to archive specific genocide warnings in 2004 hasn't previously listed a genocide warning for Rwanda. According to Wikipedia as many as 800,000 Tutsi people and moderate Hutu died in the Rwandan genocide of 1994 at the hands of Hutu militia. But evidence is now available that as many as two million Hutu were massacred in Rwanda from 1993 through 1994 with full knowledge of the U.S. State Department. Recent assessments by Herman and Peterson strongly suggest responsibility for the massacres of Hutu rested with the RPF - the Tutsi forces of Paul Kagame current president of Rwanda. The issue surfaces again for these reasons: 1. clear acquittal by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda of Hutu military leaders accused of creating the genocide; 2. evidence confirming Michael Hourigan's presentation (see previous) that Kagame's RPF shot down the former President's plane - triggering the genocide - Peter Erlinder has taken this case against Kagame to court in Oklahoma; 3. refusal of U.S. controlled avenues-to-justice to allow investigation of Kagame's forces; 4. President Kagame's arrest of Hutu political candidates opposing him, depriving the majority people of its democratic rights. Information surfacing in response to Kagame's arrest of Peter Erlinder (see previous), and the ongoing severe suppression of truths about responsibility for the genocide suggest there should be a longterm genocide warning for the Hutu.     Partial sources: "The Tactical Use of Genocide in Sudan and the Five Lakes Region," J.B.Gerald, February 2006, Global Research & Night's Lantern; "The 'Third Force' in Rwanda and Sudan," John Bart Gerald, Sept. 22, 2004, Night's Lantern; Peter Erlinder, The Rwanda Documents Project recommended [access:< http://www.rwandadocumentsproject.net/gsdl/cgi-bin/library >]; "Peter Erlinder Jailed by One of the Major Genocidaires of Our Era," Edward S. Herman and David Peterson, May 29, 2010, Monthly Review; "Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Propaganda System," Edward S. Herman and David Peterson, May 2010, Monthly Review recommended [access:< http://www.monthlyreview.org/100501herman-peterson.php >].

 

 

May 29, 2010

      Rwanda: urgent ; on May 28th Paul Kagame's government arrested Peter Erlinder, the defense lawyer and professor, on a charge of denying the 1994 genocide of Tutsis. Erlinder, a critic of Kagame and what is thought to be a U.S./U.K. program which bears responsibility for Rwanda's genocide (see previous), was in Kilgali to represent Rwandan presidential hopeful in the coming election, Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, also accused of denying genocide. Both arrests seem to be the result of raising questions about the massacres of Hutu in a tragedy where U.S. media perception management focuses on the massacres of Tutsi. The 1994 Rwandan genocide is gradually understood as an attempt to depopulate the entire area. If considered a crime against both ethnic groups, attention would turn to foreign powers responsible, so the truth is vigorously suppressed. The arrest of this lead defense attorney for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda is 'being looked into' by the U.S. Embassy in Kilgali which also hosts Kagame's interrogations of his political opponents. An American, Erlinder was already on Kagame's list of "foreigners to target" ("The Rwanda Hit List: Revisionism, Denial, and the Genocide Conspiracy," Keith Harmon Snow, March 12, 2010, conscious being). He has filed a case in the U.S. against Kagame, charging him with shooting down of the former Rwandan President's plane, an act precipitating the Rwandan genocide. In short: President Kagame, trained at Fort Leavenworth, is a U.S. government client .... Erlinder is an honest man and a brave lawyer, at risk without appropriate support from the Obama administration. Erlinder needs immediate international support. Recommended: The Rwanda Documents Project, current [access:< http://www.rwandadocumentsproject.net/gsdl/cgi-bin/library >].     Partial sources: "Rwandan Arrest of U.S. Lawyer Motivated by Politics," Marjorie Cohn, May 29, 2010, The Huffington Post; "Rwanda arrests US lawyer on genocide denial charges," Billie O'Kadameri, May 29, 2010, RFI; "Rwanda arrests U.S. lawyer for genocide denial," Hereward Holland, May 28, 2010, Thompson Reuters.

      Canada: Margaret Atwood has apparently declined the request by Gaza school children to not accept Israel's Dan David Prize. A biting article by Jennifer Matsui reports Ms. Atwood will accept the approximately half million dollars in Tel Aviv, to avoid enforcing a kind of "censorship." The children are of victim families in Israel's armed invasion of their land and destruction of their lives and bodies See previous. The leading Canadian writer of her generation Ms Atwood has helped many well-educated women make peace with their privilege. She is also a former President and current Vice President of the writers' organization, P.E.N. Canada. See previous. On May 16th, the American MIT professor Noam Chomsky whose artform is memory and whose writings synthesize facts, was invited to lecture at Palestine's Bir Zeit University and meet with Palestinian officials. He was flatly refused entry to Palestine by Israel. Working musician Elvis Costello (British) simply cancelled his two performances in Israel, June 30th and July 1: "It is a matter of instinct and conscience."     Partial sources: "Margaret Atwood Cashes In," Jennifer Matsui, May 18, 2010, Atlantic Free Press; "Chomsky Likens Israel to "Stalinist Regime" After Denied Entry to West Bank," Amira Hass, May 17, 2010, Haaretz; "It is after considerable contemplation..." Elvis Costello, May 15, 2010 [access:< www.elviscostello.com >].

 

 

May 23, 2010

      Spain: a formal complaint in support of Judge Baltasar Garzón (see previous) is gathering strong backing from leading organizations of human rights and international law. Lawyers Rights Watch Canada, European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Asian Legal Resource Centre, Lawyers Without Borders / Canada, are joined by the Center for Constitutional Rights, Fédération internationale des ligues des droits de l'Homme, the World Organisation Against Torture, National Lawyers Guild, International Association of Democratic Lawyers, and after finalization of the letter, the Asociación Espańola para el Derecho Humano a la Paz. A .pdf file of the letter as re-submitted to the United Nations Special Rapporteurs and Human Rights Council Committees is available - [not currently available]: "Formal Communication for Consideration and Action Re: Judge Baltasar Garzón," [from LRWC, ECCHR, ALRC, LWBC, CCR, FIDH, NLG, IADL & OMCT], May 20, 2010, Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada.

 

 

May 20, 2010

      Spain: four organizations concerned with international law have joined forces to make a formal complaint to U.N Special Rapporteurs about Spain's suspension of Judge Baltasar Garzón from practice (see previous). The lawyers point out Garzon has a duty under the law to investigate the deaths of over a hundred thousand human beings murdered and hidden in graves here and there in Spain by Franco's forces during the Spanish Civil War and during the dictator's rule. The Spanish Amnesty law of 1977 suppressed truth, denied redress to the victims' families, and hid fascism's depravity. Within a judicial system that has recently changed its laws to accommodate the war crimes of more powerful nations, it was brave of Garzon to allow the unearthing of Spain's past. Not only suspended, he is threatened with jail and is under attack in several legal battles attempting to discredit him. Lawyers Rights Watch Canada, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, the Asian Legal Resource Centre, and Canadian Lawyers Without Borders, have in their letter of May 19th, 2010, requested that the appropriate offices of U.N. rapporteurs as well the Human Rights Council's working groups on Arbitrary Detention, and Enforced Disappearance, all pressure the Government of Spain to fulfil its obligations to international law. ["Formal Communication for Consideration and Action Re: Judge Baltasar Garzón," [from LRWC, ECCHR, ALRC, LWBC,] May 19, 2010, Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada Replaced by amended complaint. of May 20, 2010 (above).]

Historical note
Dolores Ibarruri, "Farewell to the International Brigades" [access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Xfm3o45iIE >]
Gente del Pueblo (Sevilla) "Dolores Ibarruri ~ Pasionaria " [access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QFM-HdAvkg&feature=related >]

 

 

May 19, 2010

      Palestine:
Mahmoud Darwish reading "Carte d'identité," with French subtitles [access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTREbsUK_HE&feature=related >]
Mahmoud Darwich -- "Identity Card," read in Arabic and English [access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Avv6oty0kO0&feature=related >]
Notre Musique Mahmoud Darwish and Judith Lerner, interview [access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erzl60Dk2bM&feature=PlayList&p=A5B29C077F6E9331&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=9 >]

 

 

May 16, 2010

      Spain: on May 12, Spain's Supreme Court allowed the indictment of Baltasar Garzón to proceed. See previous and previous. On May 14, Spain's General Council for the Judiciary voted to suspend him. The vote may silence Garzón as a defender of human rights in Spain. He is to be tried for exceeding his authority in attempting to uncover General Franco's crimes against humanity during the Spanish Civil War and subsequent dictatorship which left a deep and current ambiguity in the judicial system. Because crimes against humanity have no statute of limitations Garzón's investigation was to international observers, in order. It focused on the forced disappearance of over a hundred thousand people including the poet Garcia Lorca. The Spanish legal system's ability to block the investigation weakens Spain's commitment to international treaty obligations and with an implicit threat to the people the advancement of human rights. Garzón's previous adversaries at law include Spanish drug lords, State run death squads against the ETA (Basque Nationalists), Chile's General Pinochet, Osama bin Laden, etc.. In possibly unrelated news, on May 13, the United Nations General Assembly elected Spain to the U.N. Human Rights Council, along with Guatemala (see previous), among others.     Partial sources: "Spain judicial panel suspends judge Garzón over Franco probe," Daniel Makosky, May 14, 2010, Jurist; "Ocampo: Garzón charges not legitimate," Angelo Ricardo Martinez, May 10, 2010, Radio Netherlands Worldwide "Baltasar Garzón: General Franco's Latest Victim," Julius Purcell, May 15, 2010, The Atlantic online; "Crusading Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzón is suspended ," May 14, 2010, BBC News; "Baltasar Garzón's Trial Threatens "Universal Justice," Tito Drago, May 13, 2010, IPS - Inter Press Service; "Guatemala, Ecuador Take Latin American Seats for U.N. Rights Panel," May 15, 2010, Latin American Herald Tribune.

 

 

 

comprendí que me habían asesinado.
Recorrieron los cafés y los cementerios y las igelsias,
abrieron los toneles y los armarios,
destrozaron tres esqueletos para arrancar sus dientes de oro,
Ya no me encontraron,
żNo me encontraron ?
No. No me encontraron.
Pero se supo que la sexta luna huyó torrente arriba,
y que el mar recordó ˇde pronto !
los nombres de todos sus ahogados.

 

       ...Tres - Federico García Lorca  
        Born 1898. Executed July 1936 during the Falangist occupation of Granada.

 

 

 

 

 

May 9, 2010   Mothers Day

      Afghanistan: Save the Children's "2010 Mothers’ Index Rankings" reveals that in 2008 over a quarter of Afghanistan's children died before the age of five. Currently Afghanistan has the highest infant mortality rate in the world and the lowest life expectancy for women (In 2008, the U.S. rate for infant mortality before the age of five was eight infants per thousand). Wikipedia suggests as many as 28,360 civilian deaths since 2001 as a direct or indirect result of U.S./ NATO military actions and 5579 as a result of resistance actions. In 2001 the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was first subjected to bombing and continuing aggressive military actions by U.S. and NATO forces. I don’t think there is a big need for military activity in Afghanistan anymore. - Afghani President Karzai in 2005. Western perception management stresses the need to liberate Afghani women from practices such as full face covering. See Netherlands.     Partial sources: "Women on the Front Lines of Health Care," 2010, Save the Children; "Civilian casualties of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present)," current, Wikipedia.

 

 

May 7, 2010

Historical note : a presentation of Gandhi's nonviolence: "Understanding Gandhi’s Ahimsa (Non-violence)," Balwant Bhaneja (*asteriskos (2007) 3/4 ).

 

 

May 5, 2010

Historical note : two valuable works that further understanding of genocide, Jean-Paul Sartre's article on genocide during the war in Vietnam and Frantz Fanon's speech (1959) on the role of culture in the struggle for freedom, are available in the new issue of Indigenist World Magazine 05.2010  [access:< http://www.ourmedia.org/media/indigenist-world-magazine-052010 >]. Fanon's writings are suppressed in colonialist countries. For an English documentary / introduction to his thinking: Frantz Fanon Documentary - Black Skin, White Mask - 1/5 [access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KNSipIY5cI >] [increasingly edited; some excluded background material: "Frantz Fanon": [access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfUdOREnsDo >] ]

      Global: bees continue to die by the millions. The Ecologist reports the loss of another third of the U.S. bees during the winter. This establishes a pattern of about thirty percent loss each winter over the past four years. Losses are being attributed less to "colony collapse disorder," than to starvation and weather. The disaster was noted in the Cuban press by Fidel Castro, April 2007. The New York Times in September 2007 found the principle suspect a virus (Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus). No one is sure why the bees are dying. In Britain some bee keepers are questioning the effects of two pesticide producing companies (Syngenta and Bayer Crop Sciences) who have made a sponsorship agreement with the British Bee Keepers Association, although the Association doesn't approve Bayer's pesticides containing neonicotinoids which are already banned in Italy and France. Britain may have lost a third of its bees in the past two years. As much as a third of world's food relies on bee pollination. See previous 1,  2,  3.     Partial sources: "Heavy bee colony losses in US could lead to price rise ," May 4, 2020, Ecologist; "Bee keepers blame sponsorship deal over collapse in numbers," May 4, 2010, telegraph.co.uk; "North American bee catastrophe unfolds," Press TV, May 5, 2010, Tehran Times; "Scientists See Suspect in Mass Deaths of Bees," Andrew C. Revkin, Sept. 6, 2007, The New York Times.
  "Appalachian Trail Bluegrass Band 1990's "Wild Mountain Flower"   [access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhV_pLz1OLs >] 
      Bolivia: Agence France Presse reports that Evo Morales has nationalized the Vinto-Antimonio antimony smelting plant (owned by local Colquiri, owned by Sinchi Wayra, part of the Swiss, Glencore International). History: the state-owned plant was privatised then bought by a U.S. company , Allied Deals, which sold it to former President Losado's Comsur, which sold it to the Swiss. See previous.     Partial sources: "Bolivia nationalises Swiss smelter plant," AFP, May 3, 2010, Bolivia rising; "Bolivia Seizes Swiss-Owned Antimony Smelter," May 4, 2010, Latin American Herald Tribune; "Bolivia nationalizes Glencore antimony smelter," Reuters, May 5, 2010, CFDsPROS.com.

 

 

May 2, 2010

      Canada: Canadian, Abousfian Abdelrazik remains without the right to work. He remains on a UN Security Council's 1267 blacklist which makes it illegal for other Canadians to provide him with any funds. A telethon held April 28th, to raise funds for his support and existence, received donations from 120 (plus) people across Canada, who risk prosecution by the Crown for their affirmation of both humanity and reason. Abdelrazik has never been found guilty of a crime, or charged with a crime. A government political agenda targeted a muslim Canadian as though he has no rights. Abdelrazik was previously held in Sudan, tortured, released as innocent, and denied the right to return home by the Harper government which under public pressure eventually renewed his passport. See previous 1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8. For updates and more information see Project Fly Home, the peoples commission network [access:< http://www.peoplescommission.org/en/index.php >].     Partial sources: "Abdelrazik and the sanctions-busting telethon," Mary Foster, April 28, 2010, rabble.ca; "One hundred and twenty risk arrest to donate to Abdelrazik," Project Fly Home, April 29, 2010, Commission populaire

Canadian Omar Khadr's case is currently before a U.S. military commission at Guantanamo. The "trial" is receiving media attention. Coverage tends to legitimize a case brought against a muslim man imprisoned as a child, raised in a military maximum security prison without the Geneva Convention rights assured humanity. The detention, the prison, the treatment, the court, have the authority of brute force rather than law. For more on Omar Khadr's case see January 29.

The case of Mohamed Harkat, a Canadian Security Certificate detainee now living under house arrest in Ottawa, is under consideration by the court. Of the portion open to the public, final arguments will be presented May 20th to May 28th. For background see January 22. Recommended: the Justice for Mohamed Harkat website [access:< http://www.justiceforharkat.com/news.php >].

While five Canadian Security Certificate detainees have been released from incarceration, Mohammed Mahjoub, who went home to his wife and children April 12, 2007 after nearly 7 years, requested return to incarceration to spare his family the destructive conditions imposed by his house arrest. Surveillance has included the illegal wire tapping of his discussions with his lawyer. Mahjoub remains in the Kingston Detention Centre, the father of a family, without ever being charged with a crime, without being convicted of a crime. Long-term hunger strikes have weakened his health. See previous 1,   2,   3,   4,   5,   6.

All four men are civilians. All four are muslim. Despite U.S. pressures of the "war on terror" and the demands of Canada's security, these men haven't been found guilty of anything. Innocent under the law, each continues to undergo extreme persecution by the state. Their families are damaged. Their communities become terrorized by the targeting of apparently innocent people. Within a military context such as a "war on terror" and political policies turned to warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan, the government's acts against them could be interpreted as war crimes, and through a pattern in the treatment of muslim suspects, a crime against humanity. The Convention on Genocide remains in effect under civilian or military law, whether there is war or peace.

 
      Bolivia: President Evo Morales has returned to state ownership four hydro-electric companies, giving Bolivia over 80% control of its electricity. The natural gas industry was re-possessed in 2006. This aspect of Bolivia's cultural revolution will directly affect the U.K. company, Rurelec, and France's GDF Suez, among others. The announcement of a British Petrolum subsidary's nationalisation (jet fuel) was made in 2009.     Partial sources: "Bolivia nationalises energy firms," May 1, 2010, Al Jazeera English; "Bolivia's Morales Nationalizes Four Power Companies," Bloomberg, May 1, 2010, San Francisco Chronicle; "Bolivia nationalises three private electricity firms," May 1, 2010, BBC News.

      Mexico: international media have reported the return of a photographer and a journalist, David Cilia and Erika Ramirez, who escaped a "UBISORT" paramilitary ambush of a relief caravan to San Juan Copala in the Oaxaca region of Mexico. Cilia was wounded; both hid with others nearly three days in the forest. Two other journalists who were shot, Noe Bautista and David Venegas, re-appeared April 29th. News of the murder in the ambush of a woman political leader (the director of CACTUS, focusing on the human rights of native women), Beatriz Alberta Carińo Trujillo, and a Finn, Jyri Antero Jaakkola, a human rights worker sitting beside her, are under-reported. Ms Carińo's murder was caused by head shots which may suggest a targeted assassination. The Finnish worker is author of communalist direct-democracy writings. The ambush occurred as the caravan with human rights workers, journalists, and basic necessities passed through La Sabana. An early report suggested at least 15 wounded - a woman, Monica Citlali Saniago Ortiz, unmentioned by major media was "shot in the back" (Intercontinental Cry). San Juan Copala is trying to resist attacks by paramilitaries traced to Ulises Ruiz , Governor of Oaxaca and its ruling PRI party.     Partial sources: "Reporters Missing After Mexico Attack Rescued Alive," April 30, 2010, Latin American Herald Tribune; "Authorities rescue 2 stranded Mexican journalists," Morgan Lee, May 1, 2010, AP ~ Google News; "Leaflet written by the Finnish activist killed in Oaxaca, Mexio," anon, may 1, 2010, Infoshop News; "Paramilitaries Kill Two Human Rights Activists in Oaxaca," Amy Goodman, Kristin Bricker, April 30, 2010, Democracy Now!; "Two dead and three missing after paramilitaries attack peaceful caravan," Ahni, April 28, 2010, Intercontinental Cry.

 

 

April 26, 2010

      Guatemala: assassinations of labor leaders are increasing.The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) headquartered in Brussels, announced April 3rd the assassination of two leaders of the Indigenous and Rural Workers Trade Union Movement Of Guatemala (MSICG). The body of Luis Felipe Cho , tortured and shot many times in the head, was found March 6th. Samuel Ramírez Paredes was assassinated March 26th during MSICG negotiations with the U.S. government in an attempt to bring labor rights to Guatemala .The news is generally suppressed. Workers rights / union rights providing one index of the peoples' freedom, are particularly threatened throughout Central America by U.S. support of the effected coup d'etat in Honduras which denied any principles of democracy (Greater concern, witness, support from North American unions is necessary. - ed.). See 1, 2, 3, 4.

Background; since the CIA overthrow of Guatemala's elected President Arbenz in 1954, the governments installed were accompanied by repression against unions, extreme under periods of military rule. According to Guatemala: el costo de la libertad sindical, periodo 2005 - enero 2010, published by the Movimiento Sindical Indigena y Campesino Guatemalteco - MSICG -, unions continue to be targets of violence and assassination. The number of union leaders assassinated in 2008: twelve. In 2009, sixteen. In about the first month of 2010: two. About 90% of the assassinated belonged to the MSICG. All were shot and 23% of them with the known participation of the security forces of Guatemala. 98% were murdered following some affirmation of their human rights (union rights). MSICG claims there have been no successful prosecutions for these acts. The rise in death rate is accompanied by a higher increase in acts of violence against union workers and union leaders, and criminalization of workers exercising their union rights. Anti-unionist propaganda is increasing and the MSICG is increasingly excluded from representational interface with the government.

Concerning genocide: the Guatemalan army recently released to the President documents of "Operation Sophia," specific evidence supporting allegations that Efraín Ríos Montt among others is responsible for genocide during his tenure as dictator from 1982 to 1983. What is referred to as the "civil war" which rose out of the U.S. deposition of Arbenz, lasted from 1960 to 1996 and may be considered not so much a civil war as a slaughter of the poor (mostly indigenous peoples), with some resistance. Montt at 83 is currently a Guatemalan senator. "Operation Sophia" reveals a policy of stripping civilian infra-structure and resources to deprive uncooperative areas the means to survive. There's a parallel to U.S. policies during Vietnam (ie. use of "agent orange") and the 1990 bombing of Baghdad's infrastructure and subsequent destruction of Fallujah, etc.. In Guatemala the field commands of "Operation Sophia" show an attempt to destroy the people of Quiche in the north (northwest). A case is currently proceeding in Spain against seven former Guatemalan commanders charged with torture, genocide and terrorism by the State. A U.S. organization, National Security Archive follows this area and unclassified materials appear on its site [access:< http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/ >]. These reveal the names of the Guatemalan units involved, their officers, and personnel, and occasionally the identity of U.S. diplomatic and military assigned, amid ironies of their dismay at the crimes of the client state. Over ten years ago (1999) the Historical Clarification Commission / Comisión para el Esclarecimiento Histórico (CEH) formed by the Oslo Accords and supported by the United Nations found the acts against Guatemala's indigenous population a genocide with responsibility resting beyond its immediate perpetrators: #124. Based on the fundamental conclusion that genocide was committed, the CEH, in keeping with its mandate to present an objective judgement on the events of the internal armed confrontation, indicates that, without prejudice to the fact that the active subjects are the intellectual and material authors of the crimes in the acts of genocide committed in Guatemala, the State is also responsible, because the majority of these acts were the product of a policy pre-established by a command superior to the material perpetrators ("Report of the Commission").

Lack of response to the declared genocide has allowed ongoing human rights violations and the increasing power of foreign corporations. The targets aren't only the unions. On March 4th and 5th, La Unión Nacional de Mujeres Guatemaltecas, el Equipo de Estudios Comunitarios y Acción Psicosocial, and other groups held a "Tribunal of Conscience" for women to break their silence about sexual violations, rape, killing during the "civil war." Their cases have never been adjudicated. Among the Tribunal's conclusions: Que el hecho notorio de que ningún jefe, oficial o mando medio del Ejército o de las fuerzas de seguridad del Estado fuera procesado ni condenado por estas acciones violatorias de los derechos humanos a lo largo de tantos ańos, refuerza la percepción de que en su mayoríalas violaciones cometidas fueron resultado de una política de orden institucional, que aseguró una impenetrable impunidad, la cual persiste hasta el día de hoy; trans.: the notorious fact is that no commander, official, or middle-man of the Army or State security apparatus is prosecuted / convicted for these acts violating human rights over a time span of so many years, reinforces the perception that its major violations resulted from an institutionalized policy which assured an impenetrable impunity, such that it persists even to this day. ("Pronunciamiento final"); additionally, severe violations of women's rights by insurgent forces also went without administration of justice by their command.

Partial sources: Guatemala: el costo de la libertad sindical, periodo 2005 - enero 2010, Movimiento Sindical Indigena y Campesino Guatemalteco, Feb. 2, 2010, MSICG; "Guatemalan Army Plotted “Annihilation” of Indian Region," April 24, 2010, Latin American Herald Tribune; "Guatemala hands over key file in army genocide case," Sarah Grainger,Reuters, April 22, 2010, Washington Post; "Operation Sofia: Documenting Genocide in Guatemala," Kate Doyle, Dec. 2, 2009, National Security Archive; "Otros dos líderes del Movimiento sindical, indígena y campesino de Guatemala (MSICG) asesinados," 31 de marzo de 2010, ITUC International Trade Union Confederation Brussels; "Guatemala: Assassination Of Trade Union Leaders," Press Release: International Trade Union Confederation, April 3, 2010, Scoop - Independent News; "Conclusions" #124, Christian Tomuschat, Otilia Lux de Cotí, Alfredo Balsells Tojo, Guatemala: Memory of Silence: Report of the Commission for Historical Clarification Conclusions and Recommendations" [access:< http://shr.aaas.org/guatemala/ceh/report/english/toc.html >]. "Tribunal de Conciencia 2010," March 5, 2010, ECAP; "Pronunciamiento final," Tribunal de conciencia contra la violencia sexual hacia las mujeres durante el conflicto armado interno en Guatemala, March 5, 2010, ECAP.

 

      Colombia: evangelist Christian churches in the south of Cordoba have put out an SOS, after six church communities received renewed death / rape / torture threats from the paramilitary group in the region, the "Rastrillos," one of the new paramilitaries emerging from the Colombian government's disbanding its paramilitary in 2003. The government hasn't dealt with the previous threats to the churches.     Partial sources: "Columbian Churches Plead for Help," CSW, April 24,, 2010, persecution.org; "A Paramilitary Death Threat Against the Church," Janna Hunter-Bowman, April 2010, Soujourners magazine.

      Hungary: the 25 April run-off elections continued Hungary's shift toward a right wing ideology, as foreseen; massive support for center-right Fidesz party yields it a two-thirds majority and by early count, 263 seats in Parliament which will allow laws to be changed. The Jobbik party won 47 seats. The Socialists retain 59 seats of Parliament's 386. The (new green party) LMP won 16 seats. See previous.     Partial sources: "Landslide victory for Hungary's conservative opposition ," April 25, 2010, BBC News; "Factbox: Leverage provided by two-thirds majority," April 23, 2010, politics.hu; "Fidesz warns Jobbik would reverse efforts of past 20 years," MTI, April 23, 2010, politics.hu; "Hungary's Fidesz wins historic two-thirds mandate," Marton Dunai and Krisztina Than, April 25, 2010, Reuters.

 

 

April 22, 2010

      Bolivia: President Evo Morales is hosting an inclusive global summit on climate change and its effects on people. It is a conference about the "rights of Mother Earth" rather than capitalism. Morales clarified the choice "to continue along the road of capitalism or death, or to take the road of harmony with nature and respect for life in order to save humanity." Over 130 countries are represented and as many as 20,000 people in attendance. The U.S. government refused the invitation.     Partial sources: "An S.O.S. from Tiquipaya," Nidia Diaz, April 22, 2010, Digital Granma Internacional; "Bolivian climate summit gets UN nod ," April 22, 2010, Aljazeera; recommended - April 19-22, Democracy Now [access:< http://www.democracynow.org >]; "Evo Morales' message to grassroots climate talks – planet or death," Andres Schipani, April 21, 2010, guardian.co.uk.

      Hungary: elections April 10th gave the right wing Fidesz party a 53% majority, augmented by a 17% vote for the extreme right wing and populist Jobbik party. Socialists lost heavily. A second election April 25th is likely to increase right wing power. Jobbik vote was negligible 2 years ago when Night's Lantern first noted it as a growing threat to Hungary's Roma. Jobbik policy is that Roma must be part of a "world of work, laws and education," or leave. The Roma, increasingly called "Gypsies", aren't entirely welcome in the job market, or society, as revealed by Jobbik street actions, the "Hungarian Guard," and an informal rhetoric of dehumanization. Anti-semitism continues. Jobbik is appealing to the young and university students by opposing the large corporations, criminality, State corruption, and ...Jobbik is pro-Palestine and pro-Arab for its own reasons. Also there is opposition to "Israeli firms'" importance in the real estate market. Jobbik is attempting to reinstate the "Hungarian Guard," a currently illegal paramilitary group glorying in Hungary's military traditions which unfortunately include Admiral Horthy's "White Terror" of reprisal against Communists and Jews, a local initiative pre-dating Hitler. Due to deep inequities and the ugliness of corporate policies Jobbik also appeals to a portion of the poor set against the over 90% of Roma who are poor. A genocide warning for the Roma remains. The pressure is likely to extend to Jewish communities since psychological preparation for ethnic cleansing, considered a subset of genocide, increases the momentum of exclusionary nationalism. See previous: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.     Partial sources: " Rightward Swing Has Fascist Overtones," Apostolis Fotiadis, April 18, 2010, IPS-Inter Press Service; "‘Openly antisemitic’ party gains power in Hungary," April 14, 2010, The Jewish Tribune; "Big shift in Hungary’s political landscape," Olivia Ward, April 20, 2010, thestar.com; "What's Behind Hungary's Far-Right Jobbik," Leigh Phillips, April 20, 2010, Business Week; "What do we mean by radicalism?," Gábor Vona, Nov. 28, 2009, Jobbick, the Movement for a Better Hungary web site.

      Mexico:

Himno del Ejército ZAPATISTA de Liberación Nacional E.Z.L.N.
[access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j2wMihbNyY&feature=related >]

      Argentina: Reynaldo Bignone (82), former president, and Santiago Omar Riveros and Fernando Verplaetsen, all former generals, were sentenced to 25 years in prison for their crimes against humanity focusing on the torture of 56 prisoners at the Campo de Mayo during Argentina's "dirty war." Three others received shorter sentences and a police chief was found not guilty.The former president claimed that his military "had to intervene to defeat terrorism." The commanders' amnesty was nullified in 2005, which allowed their prosecution.The junta ruled from 1976 to 1983, disappearing, torturing and murdering, with impunity, thirty thousand people. See "Desaparecidos - the Vanished Gallery" on our links page.     Partial sources: "Argentinean junta leaders sentenced to 25 years," IANS/EFE, April 21, 2010, CalcuttaTube; "Last Argentine dictator jailed for 25 years," Reuters, April 20, 2010, The Washington Post.

 

 

April 19, 2010

      "Against the killing of Anwar al-Aulaqi & others," by J.B.Gerald, considering the U.S. policy of targeting "inspirational threats" for assassination.

 

 

April 14, 2010

      U.S.: the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has denied federal prisoners the right to receive fair pay (something better than 19 cents/hour) for their labor. The Court points out the Constitution allows forced labor as a punishment when duly convicted, and finds the U.N.'s International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, not applicable because it isn't a "self-executing" treaty, in other words because it doesn't say how the law is to be applied. The U.N.'s basic document on the rights of all prisoners is similarly ignored. This failure of the U.S. legal system leaves prisoners at the mercy of involuntary servitude, reinforcing a slavery of indenture. As more prisons are built more will serve the prison industry's profit. Missing from the decision is respect for prisoners as human beings. With increasing privatization of the prison system, Michelle Alexander points out many States are garnishing post-release prisoners' wages to pay for their imprisonment. Department of Justice statistics as of mid-2006 found 46% of American prisoners Black, 20.8% Hispanic. and by 2008 approximately 2.3 million people in U.S. jails and prison. Note our political prisoner pages.     Partial sources: "Ninth Circuit rules prisoners have no right to fair pay," Steve Dotterer, April 12, 2010, Jurist; "Ninth Circuit Rejects Challenge to Prison Inmates’ Wages," Steven M. Elllis, April 12, 2010, Metropolitan News-Enterprise; "Part II: Michelle Alexander on “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness," Amy Goodman, Juan Gonzalez & Michelle Alexander, March 12, 2010, Democracy Now!; "What percent of prisoners are black?" current, WikiAnswers; "Incarceration in the United States," current, Wikipedia.

      Spain: citing politically motivated charges, Judge Baltasar Garzon has appealed the high court decision to charge him with over-reaching his authority; Garzon has attempted to investigate war crimes from Spain 's Civil War era, which raises the hostility of current Fascist representation within the judicial system. Affirming their culture Spanish movie directors, poets, actors, are joining in political protest to support Garzon's struggle against impunity. See previous. Mas Franco ? No gracias.     Partial sources: "Spain judge Garzon appeals high court indictment," Ximena Marinero, April 10, 2010, Jurist; "Pedro Almodóvar y otras personalidades solidarizan con Baltazar Garzón," April 13, 2010, radio.uchile.cl; "Figuras de la cultura participan en un acto en apoyo a Garzón," Agencia EFE, Aprilo 13, 2010, Google Noticias.

      Montréal: another Muslim woman , Aisha from India, has been barred from her schooling in a Montréal suburb, for wearing a niqab. The educational institution staff and the student were informed by a government Ministry of Immigration team enforcing their preference. Québec Premier Jean Charest's Liberal leadership has reached an extreme low point in popularity and is generally approving a niqab ban made explicit in Bill 94, currently under consideration, despite its violation of an individual's freedom. There are similar attempts in Belgium and France where right wing politicians seek to improve their political position by dehumanizing Muslims. See previous and previous.     Partial sources: "Niqab gets 2nd Québec student expelled," April 12, 2010, CBC News; "Québec Liberals' popularity at record low: poll" April 12, 2010, CBC News; "Veil of tears for expelled student," Katherine Wilton, April 13, 2010, Montréal Gazette.

      Belfast: the U.K.'s intelligence headquarters in Belfast was targeted after midnight April 11th-12th. With a warning, fifty local residents were evacuated from the area. The car bomb caused little damage and no casualties. The action was claimed by the Real IRA, considered a dissident Provisional IRA group (the same faction is blamed for a recent 250 lb blast and previous 1000 lb blast, in Newry). The event is notable because it coincided with transfer of legal power of police, prison services and judiciary from London to Belfast that midnight, while the main counter-terrorism office remains in London. Further signs of dissatisfaction are expected with general elections next month.     Partial sources: "Blast rocks MI5 office near Belfast," April 12, 2010, Al-Jazeera; "Irish peace process 'rock solid' despite bomb blast outside M15," David Sharrock, April 13, 2010, Times Online; "Dissidents 'to target election'," Tom Brady, April 13, 2010, Independent.ie.

 

 

April 11, 2010

Albert Schweitzer  J.S. Bach, from Chorale Overture BWV 727 [access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZJtFDbOHmU&feature=related >]

Historical note:
Prominent Canadians speak out against the war on Gaza - Jan 08 2009 (the other videos of this series are recommended as well):
      Anton Kuerti [access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv1Zjohxc8I >]
            Adagio from Sonata No. 3- Beethoven [access=< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KnKdGLIWDI&feature=related >]
      Judith Deutsch [access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT6d2jR45ko&feature=related >]
      Michael Mandel [access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hmNAZJiFtc&feature=related >]

 

 

April 10, 2010

      Palestine: responding to human rights violations in occupied Palestine, the UN Human Rights Council passed the following resolutions on March 25 and 26, 2010: 1. The Council reaffirms the Palestinian people's right to self-determination (only the U.S. voted against this). 2. The Council demands Israel to end occupation of lands taken over since 1967 and cease its human rights violations there (Belgium, France, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, U.K., and U.S. voted against this). 3. The Council asks Israel to stop building settlements in the Syrian Golan (only the U.S. voted against this). 4. The Council condemns Israel's building of new settlements in Bitar Elite and Ramat Shlomo (only the U.S. voted against this). 5. The Council again asks Israel to comply with the General Assembly and investigate human rights violations of the 2008-9 military action by Israel, reported by the Goldstone report (see previous 1,   2) (Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Slovakia, Ukraine, the U.S., voted against this). For Night's Lantern's entries during the January 2009 attack on Gaza see: 1,   2,   3,   4,   5,   6,   7,   8,   9,   10,   11,   12.     Partial sources: "UN Human Rights Council slams Israel in 4 resolutions," March 24, 2010, UN Watch; "Action on Resolutions Under the Agenda Item on Human Rights Situation in Palestine and Other Occupied Arab Territories," March 24, 2010, UNISPAL; "Action on Resolutions Under the Agenda Item on Human Rights Situation in Palestine and Other Occupied Arab Territories," March 25, 2010, UNISPAL; "UN Human Rights Council Adopts Five Resolutions Against Israel," Cem Ertur, March 26, 2010, Global Research; "UN Human Rights Council passes 3 resolutions condemning Israel ," News Agencies, March 25, 2010, Haaretz.

      Spain: Baltasar Garzon, a Spanish judge who doesn't compromise fundamental human rights, is credited with the international charges against Chile's General Pinochet among other cases against extremes of power. Now the extreme right wing in Spain has charged him in Spanish court with exceeding his authority. Garzon set aside the amnesty granted former General Franco fascists responsible for the preponderance of war crimes in Spain's Civil War. At the request of the victims' families Garzon has tried to find the bodies of over a hundred thousand murdered by Franco's death squads and buried in hidden mass graves. In a court system where Franco appointed judges still hold power, and in a global politik where all the powerful fear justice, the Economist online suggests this challenge to Garzon will end his career. His career may be just beginning: Garzon's respect for law runs deeper than political power and he's supported by people for refusing to accept the unacceptable, and by international law. However, if barred from the bench he won't be able to pursue prosecution of Bush administration officials currently under his investigation for torture (previous). See also, previous.     Partial sources: "Judge not," April 8, 2010, The Economist online; "Top Spanish judge Garzon backed by Chilean counterpart," March 9, 2010, expatica.com; "Spain’s Judge Garzón faces suspension —after opening Bush-era war crimes probe," Feb. 28, 2010, Voltairenet.org; "An Injustice in Spain," ed., April 8, 2010, The New York Times; "Spanish justice on trial," Miguel-Anxo Murado, April 9, 2010, guardian.co.uk.

      North American nuclear notes: New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has added another objection filed with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in an attempt to deny Entergy Corporation renewal of its Indian Point license. The plant is too close to New York City and continues to be a health hazard. Meanwhile the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation finds Indian Point in violation of the Clean Water Act. Entergy has received an extension until Feb. 17, 2011 to upgrade the reactors' security. In Vermont the legislature just voted to close Vermont Yankee, found leaking tritium despite the company's initial denials. But Entergy in Vermont has started a campaign to tell voters how safe the plant is and how expensive and rare electricity is and how many jobs would be lost if the plant closes.The Vermont governor, Jim Douglas, backs the plant. In Ontario, across Lake Ontario from Rochester New York, Canada has given MMM Group Limited/Conestoga-Rovers and Associates Ltd. a twenty million dollar contract to make a long term "facility" for nuclear waste storage at Port Hope (see previous). The area was previously used for radium/ uranium refining from 1933 to 1938 by Eldorado Nuclear and predecessors. The contract includes the removal of half a million cubic meters of low level radiated waste from the Port Granby closed facility. The Port Hope Project will haul away another 1.2 million cubic meters from other sites in the area. All this waste will be contained in two domes in Port Hope and Clarington. See previous and previous. See also "Nuclear notes on the Savannah River watershed" for difficulties with U.S. intentions to move forward with nuclear power.     Partial sources: "Canada awards contract for legacy waste facility," March 2, 2010, Nuclear Engineering International; "The Government of Canada commits to long-term low-level radioactive waste containment facility in Port Hope," Government of Canada, march 1, 2010, Canada News Centre [access:< http://news.gc.ca >]; "NY AG opposes Entergy Indian Point reactor renewal," March 19, 2010, Reuters; "Indian Point, Vermont Yankee Reactors Not Likely to Close," Jonathan Fahey, April 5, 2010, Forbes.com's The Energy Source; "Security deadline extended for Indian Point," Greg Clary, March 31, 2010, The Journal News.

      Montreal: a Concordia University student was arrested while sitting on a bench at 2:30 AM. Ms. Amal Asmar who said she was resting on her way home, is of Palestinian descent and was wearing a 'Palestinian scarf' around her neck. A police cruiser stopped, arrested her and released her after giving her two tickets, one for unlawful use of city property (C$620), one for making a noise (C$420) as a result of apparent police mistreatment while handcuffing her and taking her to the cruiser. Quebec's ability to interface humanely with reminders of the Arab world or Islam, is becoming an issue. See previous. See previous. See previous.     Partial sources: "Concordia student alleges racial profiling," Evan LePage, April 6, 2010, The Concordian; "Concordia student claims racial profiling," April 8, 2010, CBC News.

 

 

April 8, 2010

      Toronto: citing the University of Tel Aviv's "long and well documented history of collaboration with the Israeli military and intelligence services," (PSCAB), students from 10 schools in Gaza have written Canadian author Margaret Atwood asking her to refuse the University based Dan David Prize this Spring. The students lost family or parts of their bodies to Israel's invasion of Gaza causing 1440 deaths and 5380 wounded. With their homes destroyed many are living in tents. They note that Ms. Atwood supported sanctions against the apartheid regime of South Africa as a young writer. The poet, essayist, novelist, is to share a million dollar prize with an Indian (Asia) / American writer, both donating ten percent to graduate student fellowships. The prize offered to this important Canadian intellectual, comes from the centre of Israel's cultural / financial life, as Israel's war crimes against its captive people reach the proportions of genocide. Defining the Dan David Prize at its inception Mr. Dan David ended his address with a quote from H.G.Wells -"...But for man, no rest, and no ending. He must go on, conquest beyond conquest. First this little planet and all its winds and ways, and then all the laws of mind and matter that restrain him..." Canadian advancement of international law has suffered since collaboration with the U.S./Coalition invasion of Iraq in 1991 (some remember that initial five Hiroshima's worth of ordnance dropped on a civilian population). Margaret Atwood who at points has resisted Canada's conservative intellectual management program said in a 1986 interview, "I like to show that the Third Reich, the Fourth Reich, the Fifth Reich did not last forever" (Oates). The students are asking for genuine moral compass. To read their open letter: http://sabbah.biz/mt/archives/2010/04/06/an-open-letter-to-margaret-atwood-from-gaza/ .     Partial sources: "Margaret Atwood's Tale," Joyce Carol Oates, Nov. 2, 2006, New York Review of Books; "An Open Letter to Margaret Atwood from Gaza: Don't Stand on the Wrong Side of History," the Palestinian Students' Campaign for the Academic Boycott of Israel (PSCABI), April 6, 2010, Sabbah Report (Because Silence is Complicity); "Atwood wins major international prize," Peter Scowen, March 26, 2010, Globe and Mail; "Inaugural Address by Mr.Dan David, May 2002," Dan David Prize.

 

 

April 4, 2010, Easter

      Palestine: as Israel attacks Gaza on Easter weekend sixty leading South African church and religious leaders, Christian , Muslim and Jewish, have announced their solidarity with Palestinian Christians and the Kairos Declaration. The Kairos document declares military occupation of Palestine a sin against god and humanity and calls for resistance through love, against Israel's aggression: "resistance is a right and duty for the Christian;" "We do not resist with death but rather through respect of life." [Meanwhile in Jerusalem] Palestinians and specifically Christians are banned from attending Easter services. International pilgrims are permitted. On Palm Sunday demonstrations for West Bank Christian entry resulted in the detention of ten by Israel. In response to a lone rocket ground fired into an empty field in Israel, Israeli planes attacked six or more locations throughout Gaza (the BBC reports thirteen air strikes).     Partial sources: "A moment of truth," Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches Jerusalem, Dec. 2009, Kairos Palestine [access:< http://www.kairospalestine.ps/ ]; "South African Christians show Easter solidarity with Palestinians as Gaza is attacked," staff, April 2, 2010, Ekklesia; "Jerusalem ban angers Christians," April 3, 2010, Al-Jazeera; "Palestinian Christians to be barred from Old City," April 3, 2010, Maan News Agency; "Israel pounds Gaza with missiles," April 2, 2010, Al-Jazeera; "Thirteen Israeli air strikes hit Gaza Strip," April 2, 2010, BBC.

      Australia: on March 31, The Bonhoeffer Four, a Baptist pastor, a community worker, a university lecturer, and a social worker, entered the classified military base at Swans Island, shutting down electronic communications equipment including a switchbloard and satellite. As a result the base was locked down. The Bonhoeffer Peace Collective of Rev. Simon Moyle, Jacob Bolton, Jessica Morrison, Simon Reeves, is named after active theologian / ethicist, Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Imprisoned as a member of the German resistance, he was hung by the Nazis on April 9, 1945, with Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, General Hans Oster, General Karl Sack, General Friedrich von Rabenau, Theodore Strunck, and Ludwig Gehr. Nazi Germany surrendered in May.(Wikipedia). (See previous).     Partial sources: "Bonhoeffer Four charged after entering Swan Island Base," Flowerpower, March 31, 2010, IndyMedia Australia; "War protesters 'switch off' defence satellite dish ," Reid Sexton and Dan Oakes, April 1, 2010, The Age.

      Scotland: on April 3rd, six clergy from Scottish Clergy Against Nuclear Arms (SCANA) distributed communion to about a hundred people blockading Faslane nuclear weapons base, a berth for Trident submarines and slated to become the single operating centre for Britain's entirely nuclear submarine fleet. "Trafalgar" class subs and "Astute" vessels will be re-berthed there. Faslane is on the Clyde. The situation does not please the Scots. And Tridents are generally considered first strike weapons: their existence is a war crime. See previous. Blockading the base north gate for two hours, no one was arrested.     Partial sources: "Communion shared at blockade of Faslane nuclear base," staff, April 3, 2010, Ekklesia; "Nuclear protesters blockade base," April 3, 2010, BBC; "Nuclear sub fleet moved to Clyde," May 6, 2010, BBC.

      Haiti: as the UN announces over five billion dollars to be donated to / invested in NGO's and government agencies to rebuild Haiti within a predictable corporate template, Cuban medical effort remains excluded from the news. The Henry Reeve Cuban Brigade, an emergency medical response group, sent 230 Cuban trained doctors as part of a medical effort outstripping the services of Médecins sans Frontičres, the U.S. and Canada. According to disaster response statistics by March 23rd: Médecins sans Frontičres fielded 3408 medical staff, Cuba 1504, the U.S. 550, and Canada 45. Cuba treated 227,143 patients, MSF 54000, Canada 21000, and the U.S. 871 (Kirk, Counterpunch and Prensa Latina). The U.S. and Canadian teams were out by March 9th. Cuba called on volunteers from the many nations trained without charge at the Latin American School of Medicine, Havana. 250 volunteers of 25 nations and 300 Haitian medical students in Cuba returned to help Haiti. Volunteers included seven women doctors from the U.S.. 350 Cuban doctors were already working in Haiti when the earthquake struck. Prensa Latina reports over a thousand Cuban medical workers currently in Haiti. See previous     Partial sources: "How Cuban-Trained U.S. Doctors Treated Thousands of Haitians After the Quake," March 17, 2010, AlterNet; "Healing body and heart, the Cuban style," Beverly Bell, April 1, 2010, The Huffington Post; "Cuban Medical Aid to Haiti," Emily J. Kirk and John M. Kirk, April 1, 2010, Counterpunch; "Cuba's Health Aid to Haiti, One of World's Best Kept Secrets," April 3, 2010, Prensa Latina; "More Than $5 Billion Promised to Rebuild Haiti" (Steve Ember), April 2, 2010, Voice of America.

 

 

April 3, 2010

      Belgium: a parliamentary committee (Justice and Home Affairs) has proposed legislation to ban burqas and entire-face veils in public. Violations may be accompanied by fines and up to a week in jail. Parliament will vote in late April. The legislation which the committee approved unanimously, carries phrases such as "le port du voile intégral est contraire au principe de fraternité...". The bill targets several hundred of 630,000 Muslims in Belgium. Reflecting the media's general lack of concern for the human rights of individuals, U.S. Time Magazine seems to favor the "European pushback of Islam," saying most Belgian Muslims don't favor the burqa... Both NATO and the European Union are headquartered in Belgium. See France.     Partial sources: "Belgium parliamentary committee votes to impose nationwide burqa ban," Carrie Schimizzi, March 31, 2010, Jurist; "Doc 52 2289/001," Dec. 1, 2009, Chambre des Représentants de Belgique; "Document parlementaire 52K2289," March 31, 2010, laChambre.be; "Belgium Moves Closer to Europe's First Burqa Ban," Leo Cendrowicz, April 3, 2010, Time.

 

 

March 31, 2010

      Switzerland: Reaffirming also that all human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated, on March 25, 2010, the United Nations Human Rights Council strongly condemned the current (Swiss) ban on construction of minarets and other recent discriminatory measures of Islamaphobia that have unforeseen consequences. See also Quebec and France (below).     Partial sources: Draft resolution "Combatting defamation of religions ," A/HRC/13/L., March 11, 2010, 13th Session Human Rights Council [access:< http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/LTD/G10/119/77/PDF/G1011977.pdf?OpenElement >] "UN rights council condemns Switzerland minaret ban," Daniel Makosky, March 26, 2010, Jurist; "UN council targets Swiss anti-minaret vote," March 25, 2010, swissinfo.ch.

      France: Presenting its report March 30th to the Prime Minister of France, Le Conseil d’État has advised its government of the lack of legal principle in any banning of the full face veil which risks breaking French Constitutional law, and the "European convention safeguarding human rights and fundamental liberties." The report was made in response to Prime Minister Sarkozy's request, as he proposes legislation to ban the full-face veil. Le Figaro Magazine reports that the public's confidence in Sarkozy is now at an all time low. See previous.     Partial sources: "Le Baromčtre Politique Figaro Magazine," TNS Sofres /Logica, Avril 2010, Le Figaro Magazine; "Étude relative aux possibilités juridiques d’interdiction du port du voile intégral," 30 mars 2010, Le Conseil d’État et la Juridiction Administrative; "France council advises against full veil ban ," Sarah Miley, March 30, 2010, Jurist; "Council of State (France)," current, Wikipedia.

      Ottawa: according to the front page banner headline in The Ottawa Citizen, "Ottawa imam ordered out of Canada" (Jennifer Green, March 30, 2010), Canada's Conservative government has told the imam of Ottawa's principal Mosque to leave the country. Khaled Abdul-Hamid Syed is an Egyptian citizen. His wife and child must leave with him. Citizenship and Immigration refused his work permit on the grounds that his application was late, which the imam says is untrue. The imam's correspondence with a prominant Minister of Parliament failed to remedy the misunderstanding. The headline will remind all religious people who's boss. The Mosque community has struggled to find an imam willing to work in Ottawa. Also: the current government delayed a visa for March 19th to Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, a Nobel nominee, a non-violent physician and member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, causing cancellation of his speaking tour in Canada. Prime Minister Harper previously denied entry to George Galloway, the British Minister of Parliament who took medical supplies to Gaza ( previous and previous). In contrast, Ann Coulter, a U.S. right-wing columnist known for offending Muslims, gays and others, was welcomed to Canada, possibly to take its temperature. Francois Houle, Provost of the University of Ottawa took the precaution of forewarning Ms. Coulter to be careful with her wording. After ethnic rudeness to an Arab student at University of Western Ontario, University of Ottawa students protested her agenda and Ms. Coulter's security cancelled her Ottawa performance. Democracy Now! (U.S.) journalist Amy Goodman whose honest coverage of the traditional left is more harmonious with Canadian values, was stopped and interrogated at the border November 25, 2009. Increased use of Canada's borders as a political filter helps effect the perception management of Canadians.     Partial sources: "Sound reforms on refugees," March 31, 2010, Edmonton Journal; "Harper Government obstructs visit of Respected Palestinian Leader," press release, March 19, 2010, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East; "University to Ann Coulter: Please watch your mouth","Adam McDowell, March 22, 2010, National Post; "Ann Coulter’s speech in Ottawa cancelled," Steven Chase, March 23, 2010, Globe and Mail; "Ann Coulter brings heat in trip to Canada," QMI Agency, March 23, 2010, Toronto Sun.

      India: overt anti-Christian persecution has eased in Orissa but intensified in Karnataka (a million Christians among 52 million) where attacks continue at an average of two a day. India's ruling party (BJP) currently wages a war on all the poor as it pursues "operation Green Hunt" against Maoists. The Hindu extremist party VHP is blamed for the attacks. Police arbitrarily arrest Christians and charge them with 'forcing conversions' (see previous and previous).     Partial sources: "Christians Face 1,000 Attacks in 500 Days in Karnataka, India," March 22, 2010, Compass Direct News.

      Detroit: "Invincible & Finale - Locusts (Docu-Music-Video)" [access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97IpJ9OTMQQ ].

     Urgent , Congo: As reported by Ann Garrison at KPFA Berkeley, in the U.S., Peter Erlinder, Professor of law and a lead defense counsel of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), claims: there are a half million deaths in Uganda resulting from U.S. support for Museveni's assumption of power (mid-Eighties); Museveni and Kagame were responsible for the invasion of Rwanda and the murder of its President (which triggered the genocide - an additional 800,000 deaths); these actions "we can show were financed by Britain and the United States pentagon." He assigns both powers responsibility for the Ugandan/Rwandan invasions of the eastern Congo in an ongoing war for its resources which has cost at least 6 million deaths so far. Erlinder finds a U.S., Museveni, Kagame and U.N. joint perception management program that has allowed the deaths of 8 to 10 million Africans in the region. See also my essay,"The Tactical Uses of Genocide in Sudan and the Five Lakes Region" (2007). - ed.. Recent efforts by Kagame's government in Rwanda, its rapprochement with France's Sarkozy, its "investigation" of the death of Kagame's predecessor, suggest an attempt to sanitize history. The issue may impact Canadian trials of Rwandan genocide suspects, and directly affects the International Criminal Court's warrant for the President of Sudan where the ICC Prosecutor Luis Ocampo has pressed charges which are comfortable with the U.S.policy and agenda for the region. Aside from its uses to NATO policies in the trial and judicially convenient "suicide" of Yugoslavia's Milosevic, recent ICC attentions focus primarily on Africans while ignoring clearcut instances of genocide in Palestine and Iraq. See "UK and US finance Central African wars; eight million Africans die," Ann Garrison KPFA Berkeley [access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Yb29bk48q8 >] (appreciation to Global Research). See also Friends of the Congo at our links page.

      International: posted March 30th at chainlessway.ca (Gerald and Maas), Carnival World, four prints by Julie Maas.

 

 

March 26, 2010

      Uganda: a bill before Ugandan Parliament would impose extreme sentences including the death penalty for acts by gays, lesbians and transgender people. While there is homophobia in parts of Africa, in Uganda the gay community is generally persecuted. Democracy Now! carries reports that virulent homophobia is furthered by U.S. conservative Protestant Evangelical groups, and is being used as a political control. A similar pattern is initiated in Nigeria. Less likely to be under evangelist influence, Zimbabwe's President Mugabe and Prime Minister Tsvangirai both maintain an ugly opposition to equal rights for gay people. Although Hillary Clinton and U.S. President Obama have publicly spoken in support of Uganda's gay community, since the 1980's the U.S. has funded Museveni's Uganda as a launch pad for covert and overt armed interventions in Rwanda (Kagame), Sudan, and Eastern Congo. In 2008 when 66 countries passed a declaration at the U.N. General Assembly, affirming the human rights of gays, lesbians and transsexuals, the U.S. didn't sign (see previous). Canada did, and for a complete list see our archives, Dec. 31, 2008. With a record of concern for human rights Canada's Parliament has unanimously passed a motion calling for the Ugandan legislation to be withdrawn.     Partial sources: "International Uproar over Uganda Anti-Gay Bill, Study Finds American Evangelicals Encouraging Homophobia," Amy Goodman, Rev. Kapya Kaoma, Frank Mugisha, March 25, 2010, Democracy Now!; "Mugabe, Tsvangirai reject gay rights for Zimbabwe charter," AFP, March 26, 2010, IC publications.

      Quebec: on March 24th (Federalist) Liberal Premier Charest's government tabled Bill 94, legislation which removes a woman's right to wear the niqab if she seeks government services, employment, healthcare, or education. The legislation is couched in terms of affirming human rights. The issue itself is a familiar theme of the U.S. led occupation of Afghanistan and "liberation" of its women. In 2008-9 application of a niqab ban at Montreal's health board would have affected ten women out of 118, 000 (CBC). So this symbolic act, specifically targets a small minority of Muslim women. By it, Quebec Liberals place their Party in the position of upholding Quebec's cultural integrity. The Sovereigntist party, Parti Quebecois, consistently attempts to remove all religious symbols from government, but more wisely without targeting specific religious groups for its political advancement. Bill 94 threatens all immigrants by intruding into the personal lives of a few who have trusted Canada's acceptance. The Quebec government action coincides with France's anti immigrant agenda (see below). Canada's Liberal Party leader, a former Harvard "expert" on Human Rights Michael Ignatieff, appears to approve of the Quebec move. Muslim immigrants are often refugees from countries and cultures being destroyed by the U.S./ NATO militaries: the need to erase public reminders of victim cultures by interfering with a personal decision to veil, serves power but not the people. See also previous. And previous.     Partial sources: "Quebec niqab bill would make Muslim women unveil," Andrew Chung, March 25, 2010, thestar.com; "Red Flaq on Quebec niqab ban," Marian Scott, March 26, 2010, The Montreal Gazette; "Unveil, Quebec says,"Graeme Hamilton, March 25, 2010, National Post; "Quebec will require bare face for service,"Canadian Press, March 24, 2010, CBC; "Ignatieff defends Quebec over niqab legislation," Christian Spencer, March 26, 2010, canoe.ca.

     France: President Sarkozy announced 24 March 2010, that he will present legislation outlawing the full face veil. The declaration couched in the language of human rights ("Le voile intégral est contraire ŕ la dignité de la femme"), follows his generous proposal that youth who don't adapt well to normal schooling be placed in special establishments. He is supported by a French Assembly report calling for the ban of entire-face covering. The French President's conservative agenda to modernize France economically coincides with targeting a minority symbolic of traditional ways, specifically attacking this small Muslim group. France has recently instituted courts to deal formally with genocide. What media and politicians ignore is that in an ongoing genocide of Muslim peoples in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Palestine, NATO countries have a legal responsiblity to respect the cultures of those fortunate enough to escape. For the recent Swiss deviation from basic human rights see previous.     Partial sources: "Déclaration de M. le Président de la République," March 24, 2010, Présidence de la République; "France to propose law banning full face veil in public: Sarkozy," Andrea Bottorff, March 25, 2010, Jurist.

      Indonesia: Democracy Now ! reports that the journalist Allan Nairn is under threat of arrest by the Indonesian military for publishing an article identifying participants in Army death squad activities against political activists.The Indonesian Army relies on the U.S. for training and support and is currently seeking U.S. funding from President Obama. Alan Nairn is a brave valuable journalist of long standing and deserves international support.     Partial sources: "Indonesian Media Reports Journalist Allan Nairn Faces Arrest," Amy Goodman, March 25, 2010, Democracy Now!; "Exclusive: Journalist Allan Nairn Facing Possible Arrest in Indonesia for Exposing US-Backed Forces Assassinated Civilians," Amy Goodman and Allan Nairn, March 24, 2010, Democracy Now!.

 

 

March 17, 2010, St. Patrick's Day

      New Zealand: today the jury found three Ploughshares activists not guilty on charges of "intentional damage" and burglary - "entering a property with the intention to commit a crime" (Scoop). On April 30, 2008, the Anzac Plougshares, aka Waihopai Plougshares, a priest, a teacher and a farmer, broke through security at the Waihopai Electronic Spybase in New Zealand, prayed and damaged the installation (see action of May 2008). Defense testimony was presented that the U.S. war in Iraq is illegal and Waihopai as an electronics command center for the U.S. led war and occupation of Iraq (and Afghanistan) is causing terrible suffering. Other sources confirm Waihopai is a global center for U.S. Canadian, British, Australian and New Zealand's signals intelligence. The jury's decision strengthens a tradition of effective nonviolent resistance linked with direct action. Under New Zealand's law the "claim of right" was successful in response to an overwhelming crime of power. With a "lawful excuse" defense (English Law), in 2006, the Pitstop Ploushares, Ciaron O’Reilly, Nuin Dunlop, Karen Fallon, Damien Moran, were found not guilty by the jury in Ireland for disabling (2.5 million US dollars) a U.S. Navy jet on the Shannon runway in 2003. The jury's decision was unanimous. In the States, the "Nuremberg Defense" has proven less successful and nonviolent Plowshares actions have occasionally drawn heavy sentences. The recent Disarm Now Trident Plowshares Action (Nov. 2, 2009) is currently uncharged. See Jonah House and a history of Plowshares actions at our links page. For another example of how U.S. law responds to acts of faith, see the 2006 Weapons of Mass Destruction Here Plowshares..     Partial sources: "Acquitted on all counts by trial jury - 6:30pm 17/03/10, "Swords into Ploughshares" ploughshares aotearoa; "Waihopai Ploughshares Acquitted" Bryan, March 18, 2010, Cairns Peace by Peace; "Ciaron O’Reilly," current, Wikipedia; "Waihopai Ploughshares Trio Acquitted On All Charges," Bryan Law, March 17, 2010, Scoop; "New Zealand Plowshares Activists ACQUITTED! and more plowshares news," March 17, 2010, Jonah House email.

 

 

March 16, 2010

      Canada: Gail Davidson on "Torture as Foreign Policy: the Omar Khadr Decision." [not currently available]. For background on the Supreme Court decision see previous, and previous.

 

 

March 14, 2010

      Ottawa: former Supreme Court Judge Frank Iacobucci was appointed by the Prime Minister to review the government's information on Canadian Forces turning over suspects to torture by Afghanis, which could indicate a criminal policy. Parliament has requested the documents, unredacted. The Prime Minister is not complying, for reasons of "national security." By appointing a third party to review the appropriateness of information for release to Canada's Parliament, Harper applies the same "special advocate" mechanism he instigated for use against Canadian Security Certificate detainees seeking information about why they were imprisoned.     Partial sources: "Red Cross contradicts Ottawa on detainees," Paul Koring, march 8, 2007, Globe and Mail; "Ottawa anticipated Afghan torture allegations: memo," Gil Shochat, March 8, 2010, CBC news; "Afghan detainee torture risk raised in 2005," March 10, 2010, CBC news; "Ottawa knew of alternative Afghan prison-transfer plan," Steven Chase, March 11, 2010, Globe and Mail; "Canada wanted Afghan prisoners tortured: lawyer," March 5, 2010, CBC news; "A trusted set of eyes," March 6, 2010, Globe and Mail online; "Frank Iacobucci's appointment diminishes Parliament," Thomas Walkom, March 10, 2010, thestar.com.

      Calgary: "Splitting the Sky," John Boncore, on March 17, 2009 attempted a citizen's arrest of George W. Bush for war crimes. His attempt to pass through police lines resulted in arrest and abuse by police. The activist's trial March 9, 2010 was closed after two days. Witnesses for the defense, Prof. Anthony J. Hall traveling from England, and former U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, were not allowed to testify. The Crown held that one has to be a witness to a crime before making a citizen's arrest. Accepted as evidence for the defense was an article by Prof. Hall, and Gail Davidson / Lawyer's Against the War's letter to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police War Crimes Section (March 11, 2009, archive). The letter requests an RCMP investigation of Bush's war crimes and asks the Harper government be informed of the former U.S. President's inadmissability to Canada under Canadian law. According to Prof. Hall the judge's decision on John Boncore's effort to affirm Canadian law will be rendered June 7th.     Partial sources: "Trial of John Boncore for attempting to arrest G.W. Bush shut down," Anthony J. Hall, Mar. 10, 2010, Lawyers Against the War email; "Citizen's Arrest of George W. Bush Justified, Court Hears," Kevin Martin, March 8, 2010, Calgary Sun apprec. Global Research; "Should George W. Bush Be Arrested in Calgary, Alberta, To Be Tried For International Crimes?" Anthony J. Hall, March 9, 2009, voltairenet.org.

Historical note: Gail Davidson at Lawyers Against the War filed torture charges in Federal court against George W. Bush in November 30, 2004 when the U.S. President was visiting Canada. The case was dismissed on grounds of diplomatic immunity for a head of State... An appeal while the U.S. President was still in office was muffled by the court which then mistakenly considered the case politically motivated. The case was appealed and dismissed in 2006.

      Chicago U.S.: a federal court judge ruled March 11th to proceed with a suit against Donald Rumsfeld for authorizing torture. The suit against the former U.S. Secretary of Defense was brought by two former employees of Shield Security Group in Iraq who were providing the FBI with information about their employer, and when discovered were double-crossed by the government and imprisoned without rights by U.S. forces.The allegations of inhumane treatment (sleep deprivation, etc.) are milder than many forms of torture used under Rumsfeld's and the Bush administration's authority in Iraq, Abu Ghraib, Bagram, and Guantanamo.     Partial sources: "Court Allows Torture Suit Against Rumsfeld," Andy Thayer ,Huffington Post, March 11, 2010, Global Research; "Court Allows Torture Suit Against Former Defense Sec't Rumsfeld," Andy Thayer, March 5, 2010, Chicago Indymedia. "Opinion" (Vance & Ertel v. Rumsfeld), Wayne R. Andersen, apprec. Loevy and Loevy [access:< http://chicago.indymedia.org/usermedia/application/6/vance.opinion.pdf].

 

 

March 11, 2010

      NYC: according to an article by Moazzam Begg of cageprisoners.com and a former Guantanamo detainee, there was a woman whose screaming he heard as he was tortured by Americans at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. His torturers had told him the woman was his wife. Eventually he found it wasn't but still kept trying to find out who the woman was, and learned it was Dr. Aafia Siddiqui (prisoner #650). Dr. Siddiqui was recently convicted in New York City without substantial evidence, of attempted murder. While in custody, she supposedly shot at US soldiers and FBI men guarding her. Apparently, they shot her (See * February 3, 2010 in "When the 'War on Terror' Becomes Genocide").     Partial sources: "Hatred and Another Agenda: a response by Moazzam Begg," Feb. 26, 2010, cageprisoners.com; "Siddiqui Denies Firing Weapon at American Troops in Afghanistan," Jan. 29, 2010, Voice of America.

      Quebec: the Province offers free French lessons to immigrants. The Quebec Minister of Immigration has outlawed a student's covering her face with a niqab in class. The decision supports France's recent attempts to strip Muslim women of their physical and religious privacy. Within symbolic context, depriving a woman of what she needs to wear, is much like a hate crime, moving society toward accepting less symbolic acts of power. The student has filed a case with the Human Rights Commission in Quebec. The European Commissioner for Human Rights marked International Womens Day by addressing current right wing surges in Europe that interfere with an woman's right to wear a burqa. The Commissioner asked those in power to consider articles in the European Convention on Human Rights. respecting "private and family life," and "freedom of thought, conscience and religion."     Partial sources: "Europe rights commissioner cautions against burqa ban," Steve Dotterer March 8, 2010, Jurist; "Student files rights case over Quebec niqab ban," Jonathan Montpetit, March 3, 2010, thestar.com; "Niqab heats up rights controversy," Marian Scott, March 3, 2010, Montreal Gazette. "James firm on niqabs in French class: 'We want to see your face'," Kevin Doughtery, March 10, 2010, Montreal Gazette.

 

 

March 4, 2010

      Augusta Georgia: "Nuclear Notes: the Savannah River Watershed," by J.B.Gerald

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February 27, 2010

      Switzerland: Muammar al-Gaddafi of Libya has suggested a holy war on Switzerland. Switzerland recently voted against any new construction of minarets, a symbol of the Islamic faith. The strange ban was passed by popular vote at the urging of the Swiss Peoples Party (Schweizerische Volkspartei ~SVP) under Christoph Blocher, former Swiss Minister of Justice & Police and financier industrialist, which mobilized provincial aspects of popular sentiment into a campaign against immigrants and foreign influence, a right wing agenda appearing throughout Europe. See the Jobbik party in Hungary. Der Spiegel notes similar anti-immigrant / anti foreigner prejudice against Germans in competition with German-speaking Swiss for economic information and jobs. German speaking areas of Switzerland supported the ban of minarets by 70%. This is problematic for Swiss in that the ban violates human rights of religious freedom and undermines the country's historical neutrality; as the centre of the International Red Cross which administers the Geneva Conventions, and Geneva based host of the UN Human Rights Council, impediments to corporate and fascist agendas are weakened. The minaret ban is currently on appeal at the European Court of Human Rights. Europe tends to tease Islamic immigrant communities with the Danish cartoons, the current Sarkozy / French difficulties with burqas, - in northern France a fast food chain observing Muslim dietary laws was shut down, all mild examples compared to programs of physical violence against Algerians in France in the 1960's. Historically, vast numbers of immigrants from Europe to the Americas suggest European difficulties with nonconforming groups. Without justice for Islamic states at International law, Gaddafi's suggestion relies on a religious commonality. While media suggest that his lack of patience with Switzerland may be a result of his wife's and a son's arrest in 2008, the portrayal of Gaddafi as an irrational or self-serving leader is a facet of psywar previously used against Mugabe, Aristide, and in the villainization of Saddam Hussein. Gaddafi's argument with the Swiss will encourage transfer of Islamic nation investments from Swiss banks, possibly to Libyan banks.     Partial sources: "Gaddafi calls for jihad against Switzerland," Mark Tran, Feb. 26, 2010, guardian.co.uk; "Swiss face 'holy war' with Gadhafi's Libya," Bradley S. Klapper ~AP, Feb. 26, 2010, The Washington Post; "UN deplores Gaddafi call for anti-Swiss 'jihad'," Feb. 26, 2010, BBC News; "Gaddafi says Switzerland 'infidel, obscene' state destroying mosques," Reuters, Feb. 25, 2010, World Bulletin - Turkey; "Swiss minaret ban may irk some Muslim bank clients," Lisa Jucca and Martin de Sa'Pinto Reuters, Nov. 30, 2009, CFA Institute: "Swiss minaret ban may signal new right-wing surge," Sam Cage, Nov.30, 2009, Reuters / Valentin Flaurand; "Unwelcome Immigrant: Bank Data Spat Fuels Anti-German Sentiment in Switzerland," Mathieu von Rohr, Feb. 26, 2010, Spiegel Online; "After burqa, France protests Halal meat," Feb. 19, 2010, oneindia news.

      Canada, France, U.K., Sweden: B'Nai Brith of Canada has found an 11% increase in anti-semitic incidents across Canada 2009, with 59% increase in Montreal, and a slight decrease in Toronto. In France, during 2009, anti-semitic incidents doubled, while in Great Britain there was a 55% increase. The percentages rose sharply during Israel's invasion of Gaza. In Malmo, Sweden, with a Jewish community of 700 in a city of 300,000, overt harrassment of Jews is reported on AOL news, with 30 families relocating. A fifth of the town's population is Muslim and Muslim radicals are most heavily blamed for the incidents, then neo-nazis, then left-leaning politicians who reject both anti-semitism and zionism.     Partial sources: "2009 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents," League for Human Rights of B’nai Brith Canada, 2010 [access:< http://www.bnaibrith.ca/ >]; "Study finds anti-Semitism on the rise," Daniel Dale, Feb.25, 2010, thestar.com; "Anti-Semitism up sharply in France, Britain," Feb. 11, 2010, j. the Jewish news weekly of Northern California., "Anti-Semitism Is on the Rise in Sweden," Theunis Bates, Feb. 26, 2010, AOLNews; "Anti-Semitic incidents at record high in U.K.," Chris Dade, Feb. 5, 2010, Digital Journal.

 

 

February 23, 2010

 

February 22, 2010
français

      U.K.: Amnesty International founded in 1961 with particular concern for "forgotten prisoners," has come under attack for its association with Moazzam Begg, former Guantanamo detainee whose website, cageprisoners.com [access:< http://www.cageprisoners.com/index.php >], keeps track of political prisoners in the U.S. "war on terror." The website is invaluable due to its concern with those denied protections of Geneva Conventions and international laws against torture, particularly iri light of initial U.S.Guantanamo policies which kept prisoners' names secret (see previous). The primary Canadian website which includes Muslims in its concern for political prisoners, Sumoud [access:< http://sumoud.tao.ca/ >] is currently only available with technical difficulties. Confronting crimes of government, Amnesty became a political force and a likely target for infiltration, data collection, and government agendas. Attacks on Amnesty risk damaging the principles it defends. In England Gita Sahgal, of Amnesty's gender unit, attacked her organization for its European initiative of working with Mr. Begg in seeking countries to accept Guantanamo prisoners found innocent. The Times Online misreported in her favour an Amnesty chief's response to the attack ("Second Amnesty chief attacks Islamist links"). Writer Salmon Rushdie (see previous), still amongst us after years of suffering terrible threats, accused Amnesty of "moral bankruptcy" for supporting cageprisoners.com (see nightslantern's political prisoners links). Other recent challenges to reason: a U.S.Justice Department investigation found two lawyer architects of the Bush torture programs acting ethically; a U.S. court dismissed a case for damages by the families of two Guantanamo detainees driven to "suicide"; two Canadian courts denied compassionate justice to Muslim defendants during the decimation of Muslim civilian populations abroad ( 1,  2); the Canadian Prime Minister shut down Parliament during investigation of his government's responsibility for torture of Muslim detainees and denied a Muslim citizen his Charter Rights; a four centuries old mosque minaret in Meknes Morocco collapsed as the imam started his sermon; in France the mosque at Sorgues was vandalized by the painting of racist epithets - the sixth incident of mosque vandalizing in France this year. In a variant display of fascism, an anti-racism rally in Athens, asking for second generation Greek citizenship, was attacked and beaten by extremists in black hoods - 44 of whom were arrested. Etc..     Partial sources: "Second Amnesty chief attacks Islamist links", Feb.14, 2010, Times Online; "Hatred and Another Agenda: A Response by Moazzam Begg," Feb. 19, 2010, cageprisoners.com; "Letter to the Sunday Times," Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Director, Feb.18, 2010, cageprisoners.com; "Amnesty International,"Wikipedia; "Rushdie attacks Amnesty's 'moral bankruptcy'," Hasan Suroor,Feb. 22, 2010The Hindu; "U.S. court dismisses suit over Guantanamo suicides," Feb. 17, 2010, Reuters; "Vindicating John Yoo: Bush lawyers are found to have acted ethically, unlike their accusers,"Feb.22, 2010, Wall Street Journal; "400-years Moroccan mosque minaret collapses at Friday prayer, kills two," Reuters. Feb.19, 2010, World Bulletin Turkey; "Mosque vandalised with racist graffiti in France," Reuters, Feb.19, 2010, World Bulletin; "Greece holds 44 over attack on anti-racism rally," Feb. 21, 2010, World Bulletin.

 

 

February 21, 2010

      Iraq: the Obama administration has re-branded the U.S./ Coalition war against Iraq, "Operation New Dawn." The phrase risks threatening Iraq's people with a broader application of the U.S. "Operation New Dawn (Äl Fajr)" against Fallujah in 2004, which began obliteration of the city and its civilian population. For ongoing effects on the people of Fallujah see previous.     Partial sources: "Exclusive: War in Iraq to Be Given New Name," Jake Tapper (ABC), Feb.18, 2010, uruknet.info; "Investigators focus on Marines in Falluja civilian deaths," July 5, 2007, CNN.com; "Operation New Dawn," Cindy Sheehan, Feb.20, 2010, OpedNews.com.

      The Netherlands: Dutch Parliament has brought down its government in order to refuse continuation of a 2000 element military force as part of the ongoing occupation of Afghanistan (see "Afghanistan" genocide warnings). A government committee recently found the 2003 invasion of Iraq illegal, and political support by the Netherlands misled. The Netherlands position concerning the U.N. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide finds the U.S. not a party to the Convention on Genocide due to U.S. "Reservations and Declarations" which refuse to place international law before U.S. authority. According to The New York Times U.S. troop numbers in Afghanistan will rise from 75 thousand to 98 thousand this summer.     Partial sources: "Status as at 21-02-2010 01:47:59 EDT," Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, United Nations Treaty Collection [access:< http://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-1&chapter=4&lang=en >]; "Dutch Government Falls Over Stand on Troops," Nicholas Kulish, Feb 20, 2010, The New York Times; "Dutch Cabinet quits over Afghan troops," Vaiju Naravane, Feb. 21, 2010, The Hindu; "Dutch government falls over Afghanistan mission," Feb. 20, 2010, Xinhua, English.news.cn.

 

 

February 19, 2010
français

      Poland: Jurist reports that relatives of victims in the Katyn massacre of 1940, have been joined in their lawsuit at the European Court of Human Rights, by the Polish government.

Historical note: in 1939 while Poland was losing to the Nazi German invasion, the Soviet Union invaded. France and England bound to Poland by treaty did not act. Members of Poland's officer class and civilian establishment were interned as political prisoners. Russian ethnic groups were gathered into the Soviet, German ethnic groups turned over to the Nazis and nationalist Poles were under Beria's orders, approved by the Politburo and signed by Stalin (Wikipedia), marked for death. In 1940 about 22,000 officers, NCO's, police, officials, the intelligentsia, landowners, priests, doctors, lawyers were slaughtered in the Katyn Forest, prisons, and where they could be found. The Soviets ceded the area to Nazi forces, regaining it in 1943 and subsequently blamed evidence of the Katyn Forest Massacre on the Nazis. Roosevelt suppressed information on Soviet responsibility for the massacre to maintain the Allied effort. Heavily suppressed by all governments, particularly in Soviet Poland and the Soviet Union the instance of mass murder and cultural genocide found no admissable recourse in any court until the May class action suit noted above, some 70 years later. The Katyn Forest Massacre is often confused with the March 22,1943 Khatyn massacre, the destruction of a Byelorussian village and its people by Nazi forces which killed 2,230,000 people of Belarus in the three years of Nazi occupation.

Similarities of both massacres to the fate of civilian society in Iraq and of the peoples of Iraq and Afghanistan, may discourage discussion within a perspective of genocide.     Partial sources: "Poland government joins suit against Russia for 1940 Katyn massacre," Zach Zagger, Feb. 18, 2010, Jurist; "Katyn massacre," Wikipedia; "Khatyn massacre," Wikipedia; "Russia's Putin invites Tusk to Katyn massacre event," Feb. 4, 2010, BBC; "Hillary Clinton to open Katyn exhibit?" Feb. 9, 2010, Polish radio external service; "Katyn Massacre," Encylopedia Britannica eb.com.

      Quebec: Said Namouh, 37, a legal landed immigrant from Morocco since 2003, was sentenced February 17th in a Quebec Court, to life imprisonment, the maximum sentence allowed under Canadian law.The severity of the sentence is mitigated by eligibility for parole in ten years. Namouh was convicted of conspiring to set off a car bomb in Austria, and participating in and facilitating terrorism, and extortion in editing a video that threatened Austria and Germany if they didn't withdraw troops from Afghanistan. The media reports no evidence that any act of violence was committed, or any evidence that Said Namouh was capable of violence. Namouh's claim that he didn't advocate violence was rejected by the judge. Namouh's work as a film editor for "The Global Islamic Front" portrayed as Al-Qua'ida's propaganda organ, and contributions to internet chatrooms, are presented as evidence. Chatroom notes and volatile jihadist materials gathered on Namouh's computer drives were analyzed for the Crown by Rita Katz, director of "SITE Intelligence Group," a private monitor of Muslim fundamentalist websites which supplies data to US field military and government. A veteran of the Israeli Defense Forces whose father was hung in Iraq as an Israeli spy, she claimed among the defendant's targets, OPEC in Vienna, the U.N., government officials, a soccer tournament. In harmony with the trials of the so-called "Toronto 18" Namouh was tried and judged as a Muslim. The judge suggested at sentencing that the defendant was not sorry, and that the severity of the sentence would show that Canada was no "safe-haven". The sentence will be appealed. Ed.note: Because evidence as presented by press accounts of the trial stresses his participation in "propaganda" efforts by groups denied recourse to justice at international law, the severity of the sentence threatens freedom of expression, and could suggest that the courts are being used in a campaign against a religious group. See previous. Media accounts make no mention of NATO's ongoing crime against the country of Afghanistan.     Partial sources: "I'm not violent: convicted terrorist," Sue Montgomery (Montreal Gazette), Nov.14, 2009, Calgary Herald; "One of 'the spokesmen for al-Qaeda': Crown," Graeme Hamilton, Feb.1, 2010, National Post; "Trial begins for Quebec man accused in foreign bomb plot," Feb 2, 2010, CBC news; "Said Namouh Convicted in Canada," feb 10, 2009, Global Jihad Net; "Quebec terror suspect linked to BBC journalist kidnapping, trial hears," Graeme Hamilton, Feb. 02, 2009, National Post; "Quebec man sentenced to life in jail for terror activity," Irwin Block (Montreal Gazette), Feb 17, 2010, Calgary Herald; "Quebec man gets life in prison for terrorist plot," News Staff, Feb 17, 20010, TV News; "Canadian terrorist handed life sentence," Les Perreaux, Feb. 17, 2010, Globe and Mail; "Que. man to appeal bomb plot sentence," Canadian Press, Feb. 18, 2010, CBC news;"'Where do you draw the line'," Graeme Hamilton, Feb. 20, 2010, National Post.

 

 

February 17, 2010

      Europe: Voice of America reports that officials from "Central and Middle" European countries, previously communist states, find the growth of far-right parties a threat to Roma, Jews, and other minorities. Hungary is a principal concern where the Jobbik party is preparing to advance in the parliamentary elections this April. VOA finds Jobbik's platform "euroseptic". See previous, etc.). Hungary's Supreme court has banned Jobbik's paramilitary guard which plans to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (Strasbourg). The right wing is also gaining strength in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia. In the Czech Republic (see previous, and previous, etc.), The Prague Daily Monitor reports a poll finding Czechs against having Israeli neighbours - 40%, Arab neighbours - 60%, Roma neighbours - 75%. The poll assesses that 70% of Czechs have a positive attitude toward "Jewish culture". In Italy (see previous, and previous), on Holocaust Remembrance Day Pope Benedict XVI clearly objected to the slaughters at Nazi Germany's concentration camps, while portions of Italy's Jewish Community are at odds with his plans to make Pope Pious XII, leader of the Church as European countries sacrificed Jews, Roma, the handicapped, gays, petty criminals, political prisoners and others to the fascist death machine, a saint. In Romania where Roma are forcibly and poorly relocated in violation of their rights, 24% of the population but 75% of the Roma, live in poverty. In the U.K. the conservatives (Tories) are planning restrictive measures for encampments of "Gypsies and Travellers," while in Northumberland, Gateshead, Middlesbrough 2 million pounds is being allocated to settle caravans in specially approved areas.     Partial sources: "Poll: Most Czechs against Arabs, Roma as neighbours," CTK, Feb. 13, 2010, Prague Daily Monitor; "Officials Warn: Extremist Parties Threaten Eastern Europe's Stability," Feb. 14, 2010, VOAnews.com; "Jobbik loses legal battle to keep paramilitary Hungarian Guard," Dec. 17, 2010, World Jewish Congress; "Tories to crack down on Traveller sites," Emily Twinch, Feb 16, 2010, Inside Housing; "Special sites developed for Travellers," Adam Jupp, Feb.16, 2010, JournalLive.co.uk. "Vatican: Pope remembers Nazi slaughter," Jan.27, 2010, Adnkronos e-news; "Concern over forcible evictions of Roma people in Romania," Jan.31, 2010, Ekklesia.

      Iraq: in the north, where Paulos Faraj Rahho, archbishop of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Mosul was found dead two weeks after being kidnapped in 2008, 40 Christians in Mosul were killed during the past two months. The auxiliary bishop states "We do not know who is behind these attacks" (Adnkronos). 700,000 Chaldean Christians remain in Iraq's Chaldean community which numbered 1 million before the U.S. / U.K. invasion of 2003.     Sources: "Iraq: Senior cleric deplores Christian killings in north," Feb. 16, 2010, Adnkronos International.

 

 

February 14, 2010

Valentine's Day:
Dock Boggs "New Prisoner's Song" [access< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAE-lXkOyLE >]
Melina Mercouri ~ Mikis Theodorakis, "the judge" [access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN05Bj_wycw >]

      Haiti: Jean-Bertrand Aristide is still denied return to Haiti where the people elected him President. "No, I didn’t resign. What some people call resignation is a new coup d’état or a modern kidnapping. ...Because they broke the constitutional order by using force to have me out of the country ...." President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to Amy Goodman, March 2004 / Feb. 10, 2010, Democracy Now!. In response to a Security Council request the United Nations is sending 2000 more troops to join its contingent of 7000, and 1500 more police to join its force of 2100. The U.S is reducing its military force in Haiti from 20,000 to 13,000. For the militarization of aid to Haiti see Coalition Against the Arms Trade: http://coat.ncf.ca/our_magazine/links/65/InvAID.htm . See previous.     Partial sources: "Extra UN troops and police pledged for Haiti," Edith M Lederer (AP), Feb. 11, 2010, Seattle Times; "US reduces troop numbers in quake-hit Haiti," AFP, Feb. 14, 2010, France 24.

      Spain: the Brussells Tribunal has issued a "Statement on the Closure of the Legal Case for Iraq in Spain, filed against four US Presidents and Four UK Prime Ministers for War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide in Iraq" (for "introduction to the legal case" and press release see [access:< http://brusselstribunal.org/LegalCaseSpain070210.htm >]). Filed October 6, 2009 (see previous) the case was rejected by the Spanish judge and the motion for additional time to appeal was also rejected. The Brussells Tribunal has called for "coordinated action" to begin to assure justice for the millions of Iraqi victims killed or destroyed in the aggression and genocide by the U.S., U.K, and Coalition starting with the Gulf war invasion, 1991. In another Spanish case, Judge Baltazar Garzón has begun a criminal investigation into alleged torture of Guantanamo detainees and primarily the Spanish citizen Ahmed Abderraman Hamed. The case would implicate US officials such as John Yoo and Jay Bybee. William Pepper and the ACLU among others have joined the prosecution. See previous.     Partial sources: "Judge Garzon beginning investigation of suspected Guantanamo torture," Dwyer Arce, Jan. 31, 2010, Jurist; "U.S. Lawyers point to Bush for the tortures," Pere Rusingol ( Publico), May 9, 2009, WordPress.com; "Torture Lawyers on Trial ?" David Cole, Feb. 11,2010, The Nation.

      Uruguay: the former President of Uruguay, Juan Maria Bordaberry, was sentenced on February 10th to thirty years in prison for betraying the Constitution (leading to a military dictatorship) and for political murders.     Partial sources: "Uruguay ex-president sentenced to 30 years in prison over 1973 coup ," Brian Jackson, Feb. 11, 20010,Jurist; "Uruguay's ex-ruler Bordaberry jailed for 30 years," Feb 11, 2010, BBC News.

 

 

February 7, 2010

      U.S.: an early genocide warning for Muslim peoples in the United States. The "Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide" stresses the prevention of genocide ahead of prescribing recourse and manner of punishment... To continue see "When the 'War on Terror' Becomes Genocide."

      Canada: despite the Supreme Court order to rectify government's violations of Omar Khadr's human rights Stephen Harper's government will let Omar Khadr face trial in an illegal court, at an illegal prison camp, with illegally obtained evidence, where a Canadian citizen was deprived of his rights under the Geneva Conventions. The Prime Minister's lack of respect for the Court (see previous) shows some parallel to his lack of respect for a Parliamentary demoracy and for the Canadian Forces risked to war crimes and prosecution by ordering the turning over of detainees in Afghanistan to alleged torture. Khadr's older brother, Abdullah Khadr, is fighting extradition to the U.S which wants to try him in Boston on charges related to terrorism. Corrected [A Canadian citizen, Abdullah Khadr was arrested in Pakistan after the U.S.placed a 500,000 reward for his capture; Pakistan refused to send him to the States but returned him to Canada . His brother Abdurahman] Khadr was released from Guantanamo by agreeing to cooperate with the CIA, but on assignment escaped home to Canada.     Partial sources: "Canada government will not seek Khadr repatriation," Megan McKee, Feb. 5, 2010, Jurist; "Ignoring Supreme Court's Khadr ruling, Ottawa won't request repatriation," Kirk Makin, Feb. 3, 2010, Globe and Mail; "Final arguments in Abdullah Khadr extradition set for April," Noor Javed, Jan. 25, 2010, thestar.com; "Abdullah Khadr,"Wikipedia; "Abdurahman Khadr," Wikipedia.

 

 

February 4, 2010

Historical note
In the fight against fascism 67 years ago, the story of a young woman called a terrorist by the forces invading her homeland: "Comrade Zoya" [access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hE6q739_qQ >].

 

 

January 29, 2010

      Ottawa: the Supreme Court of Canada, refuses to back the Federal Court's request that Harper repatriate Omar Khadr. Media coverage of the ruling is presented as a victory for the Prime Minister (under the ruling the Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, head of Canada's intelligence services and Commissioner of the RCMP are no longer violating a Federal Court order). ie.: "Canada Needn’t Seek Return of Terror Suspect Khadr," Joe Schneider & Alexandre Deslongchamps, Jan. 29, 2010, Bloomberg.com; "Ottawa not obliged to help Omar Khadr: court," Jan. 29, 2010, Reuters; "Supreme Court won't force Ottawa to repatriate Khadr," Janie Tibbetts Canwest, Jan. 29, 2010, National Post; "Citation: Canada (Prime Minister) v. Khadr, 2010 SCC 3," Jan. 29, 2010, Judgements of the Supreme Court of Canada; etc.. The decision is made during the Prime Minister's arbitrary closing of Canada's Parliament (see previous, and previous). What is suppressed is that the Supreme Court confirms that the Federal Court, although it erred in its specific remedy, was right: the violations of Khadr's rights are violations of fundamental justice and international law (the ruling mentions only the superficial injustices), and the government must rectify them ( English and French language links to Canada's Charter Rights and War Crimes Act are featured at our law directory [the links are not currently available]). What the Crown and Canada's legal and Human Rights establishments avoid saying is that the violations of Khadr's Charter Rights are prosecutable crimes under Canada's War Crimes Act.. Because domestic recourse exists and is not being exercised, because the highest Court's fidelity to tradition and law recognizes an outrageous crime yet denies human justice to the victim, because the Canadian media aren't able to resist a corporate government agenda, because Canadian Security Certificate detainees are Muslims and after massive public humiliation are found to be innocent or without proven guilt, because Afghanistan and the invasion of Iraq in 1991 are/were aggressive wars destroying Islamic civilian populations, because targeting and entrapment (the Toronto 18") of young Muslims was preferred to assuring them legal recourse to protest the crimes against Islam, as the "war on terror" becomes a corporate international campaign against Islamic peoples, and as denial of mercy and denial of rights becomes dehumanization, I'm placing an early genocide warning for Muslims in Canada...-ed.       2009 updates on Omar Khadr : 1   2   3   4   5    6   7    8   9. Night's Lantern political prisoners pages first noted Omar Khadr in July 2005 among other reports of Guantanamo detainees. Entries throughout "Guantanamo Camp 2004 ~ 2005 ~ 2006 ~ 2007", "Guantanamo Camp 2008", and "suppressed news" archives (see below) reveal a US and Canadian ongoing crime against a Muslim Canadian citizen placed beyond minimal protections of the Geneva Conventions. Attacked and wounded as a child by U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan, tortured to obtain information in return for treatment, tortured in Guantanamo, raised in shackles without an education, about to be tried in a court upholding military crimes, and up for transfer from Guantanamo to a prison in Illinois, the tragic Americanization of Omar Khadr continues.

      U.S.: Howard Zinn, honest American historian, died January 27, 2010 at the age of 87.

 

 

January 27, 2010

      Haiti: Jean Bertrand Aristide, deposed by a U.S. takeover with United Nations cover, is still refused the right to return to his people. While militaries and relief agencies begin to distribute food and medical care to some, most Haitians remain unfed and uncared for in what may be the preview of a Haiti reconstructed for profit. "Red zones" of the poor are being passed over ("Security 'Red Zones' in Haiti Preventing Large Aid Groups from Effectively Distributing Aid," Amy Goodman, Jan. 22, 2010, Democracy Now!) . The generosity of people throughout the world is bent by using humanitarian aid, food and water, as a corporate political weapon. Aside from the media machinery of fund raising and the official assistance, there are individual rescue and medical workers helping the victims directly. In the U.S. 12,000 nurses ready to go immediately to Haiti were ignored by the government ("Michael Moore on Haiti," Michael Moore and Amy Goodman, Jan. 26, 2010, Democracy Now!). In the U.S. and Canada, why aren't there international emergency brigades of rescue workers, doctors, nurses, to respond to disasters immediately and without guns ? In Canada the Mackenzie-Papineau Memorial Fund & Friends of the Mac-Pap Battalion, Int'l Brigades currently accepts donations to be used entirely for support of Cuban medical personnel at work in Haiti (see previous). Ref.: The Canadian Network on Cuba "Cuba for Haiti" campaign [access:< http://www.canadiannetworkoncuba.ca/>]. - ed..

Historical note on international brigades:
Christy Moore [access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_ZCM0d6umM&feature=related >]
Among the International Brigades which went to Spain to fight fascism were the Abraham Lincoln Battalion and from Canada the Mackenzie - Papineau Battalion.

 

 

January 25, 2010

The Night's Lantern "genocide warnings" page is updated 
      Ottawa: at one o'clock PM January 23rd, there were about 2500 people gathered in front of Parliament to state disfavour for Prime Minister Harper's proroguing of Parliament. Under the Harper Conservative government "proroguing" comes to mean shutting down (temporarily) the Parliament of a people's democracy, to the political advantage of the Prime Minister. The gathering was notable for its modesty and seriousness, the sunny afternoon, almost no police presence. Rallies across the country were well attended. For readers outside Canada it helps to understand that Canadians don't vote directly for a prime minister but rather for members of Parliament...[previous]

      Washington, D.C.: on January 22nd 150 members of Witness Against Torture completed a 12 day "Fast for Justice" to end imprisonment at Guantanamo and torture. On January 21rst, 42 men and women submitted to arrest on disorderly conduct charges, for stating that torture is an unacceptable crime. The arrests occurred on the capitol steps and at a memorial inside commemorating the three Guantanamo "suicides" recently revealed as murdered (The Guantanamo "Suicides": a Camp Delta sergeant blows the whistle," Scott Horton, Jan. 18, 2010, Harper's Magazine). Witness Against Torture gatherings are nonviolent with orderly lines of men and women in orange jumpsuits and black hoods. These separating themselves from the continuing crimes of government, receive little media attention but leave their indelible impression. Previous   1     2     3     4     5.     Partial sources: "Police Arrest Anti-torture Protesters at Capitol," Ilana E. Strauss, Jan.22, 2010, Infozine; "42 Arrested at U.S.Capitol in Day of Action to Denounce Obama's Broken Promises on Guantanamo, America's Broken Laws, and the Breaking of Lives by Torture," Witness Against Torture, Jan. 21, 2010, Witness Against Torture mailing; "Fast for Justice Kicks off Tomorrow," Jan 10, 2010, Witness Against Torture mailing.

 

 

January 22, 2010

      Ottawa: this week Mohamed Harkat, held on a Canadian Security Certificate since 2002, imprisoned in solitary confinement for 43 months, freed to house arrest and wearing an ankle monitor, continues his plea before the Federal Court of Canada to have the Security Certificate which holds him, quashed. The Security certificates against Adil Charkaoui and Hassan Almrei have been revoked. The Security Certificate mechanism as applied was found illegal by the Supreme Court, then adapted by the Harper government to give an appearance of complying with the Court's intent. It is increasingly evident that the secrecy required by Security Certificates was necessary to cover lack of sound evidence. “How many more lives will have to be destroyed before this madness ends"- Sophie Harkat (apprec. Mohammed Adam, Canwest) before once again entering court to help free her husband.     Partial sources: "Solidarité avec Mohamed Harkat : Suivi," Francine Dumas, Jan.21, 2010, email announcement; "Fwd: [Harkatjustice] Important-Court]," Jan 17, 2010, nowar-paix listserv; "Sophie Harkat pleads for abolition of Canada's security certificate regime," Mohammed Adam, Jan. 15, 2010, The Ottawa Citizen; "Accused terrorist Harkat not violent: CSIS," Mohammed Adam, Jan. 18, 2010, Canwest ~ canada.com; "Solidarité avec Mohamed Harkat : 18 janvier 2010 et autres," Francine Dumas, Jan.12, 2010, email announcement; "La justice canadienne s’interroge sur le cas de l’Algérien Mohamed Harkat soupçonné de terrorisme," Hakim Arous, Jan. 12, 2010, TSA, Tout sur l'Algérie; "Harkat challenge of security certificate goes to court," Jan.15, 2010, CBC News.

Background:    1      2      3     4     5     6      7      8      9      10 

 

 

January 21, 2010

      The Hague, Netherlands: on January 19th American lawyer and professor, Francis A. Boyle (Iraq and the Laws of War) presented a request to the Chief Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, for the arrests of six former officials of the U.S. government, charging them with the "extraordinary rendition" of a hundred people, and warning any Obama administration officials of charges if they continue a policy of forced disappearances. The officials directly charged are: "George W. Bush, Richard Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, George Tenet, Condoleezza Rice, Alberto Gonzales." While the US. doesn't subscribe to the I.C.C., with no recourse available under the Obama administration and since many of the victims are citizens of countries which subscribe to the I.C.C., the crime would fall under I.C.C. authority. See "enforced disappearances", previous.     Partial sources: this news is almost entirely suppressed in North American and global media; "ICC Complaint Against Bush, Cheney et al," Francis A. Boyle, Jan. 20, 2010, Lawyers Against the War listserv; "International Arrest Warrants Requested," press release: afterdowningstreet.org, Jan. 20, 2010, Scoop - Independent News NZ; "ICC: Complaint Filed Against Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld et al," Jan 20, 2010, [acess:< www.unobserver.com/layout5.php?id=7110&blz=1 >].

      Haiti: the chance for Haiti to regain autonomy, to rebuild its own culture and communities, is passing with the denial of Jean Bertrand Aristide's right of return to Haiti. In response to the catastrophe the Haitian people are suffering in community a lack of humanitarian aid, and slowness in distribution of water, food, medical supplies and anaesthetic, alleviated by civilian and small nation efforts, while US and UN militaries in great force have so far attended to "security" (this seems to be better managed by the victims) more than the people. See previous.     Partial sources: "Group: 20,000 Dying Daily from Lack of Surgery," Jan. 20, 2010, Democracy Now!; 6:00 PM News, Jan. 21, 2010, CBC News; "Haiti earthquake: rescue teams lose hope as cries from the rubble fall silent," Rory Carroll and Peter Beaumont, Jan. 20, 2010, guardian.co.uk.

      U.S.: the U.S.Supreme Court has denied Mumia Abu-Jamal a new sentencing and the case is returned to a lower court which may re-sentence him to life or uphold the death penalty. On death row, solitary, since 1982, Abu-Jamal has become a voice of the oppressed people well beyond U.S. borders. The racism apparent in his initial conviction and the court system mocks the history of American struggles for justice and equality. For some background.     Partial sources: "Court Tosses Ruling to Set Aside Death Sentence," Jan. 21, 2010, Courthouse News Service; "A Supreme Court blow to anti-death penalty icon Mumia Abu-Jamal," Warren Richey, Jan. 19, 2010, The Christian Science Monitor; "Supreme Court Tosses Re-Sentencing for Mumia Abu-Jamal," Jan. 20, 2010, Demoracy Now!.

      Canada: on January 23rd Canadians across the country will protest the Harper government's proroguing of Parliament. See previous.

 

 

. January 17, 2010

      Haiti: see previous. The media's wide coverage of the Haitian people's terrible suffering is not suppressed news. However militarily related information is inreasingly controlled. The disaster found the population helpless and Haiti is totally reliant on aid structures of foreign interests. Canadian, French and US. planes continue to evacuate their surviving citizens, with a report that the U.S. is monopolizing the runway since taking military control of the airport. A French plane with a hospital was not allowed to land ("Anger at US builds at Port-au-Prince airport," Deborah Pasmantier, Jan. 16, 2010, Agence France Presse ~ Google news ). 400 doctors from Cuba were in Haiti, and medical teams from Canada, Venezuela and China arrived early. On the 16th a Canadian ship was anchored waiting for a way to land humanitarian cargo. Despite U.S. military control of access to the disaster zone and substantial military / humanitarian commitments the U.S. did not field the necessary medical / rescue teams in the first 72 hours to save trapped victims. By January 17th there are inreasing reports of "looting" as survivors forage for food and water.

Context: elected President Jean Bertrand Aristide, deposed by a US., French, Canadian alliance, remains exiled by force in South Africa and asking to return to his people. His majority Lavalas party was recently denied participation in Haitian elections.The U.N. has provided an occupying military force to cover what was basically a U.S. takeover of Haiti. The occupation remains a crime but without legal recourse. See also, previous 1   2   3   4   and "another massacre has occurred in Haiti (2005)".

Information about the duration of the initial shock is missing from news reports and government press releases, which makes it harder to be sure the catastrophe is a natural disaster; ie.: the shock of underground nuclear tests has a much shorter time duration than earthquakes. There are non-official reports suggesting an initial shock duration of seconds.

Historical note: There are some similarities to China's Sichuan earthquake of 2008: both victim population groups were outside the NATO economy; about 200,000 ([estimates: the death toll in Haiti is currently lower and rising; the Sichuan toll varies widely acording to source]) died in each catastrophe; neither region was recently earthquake prone; in both earthquakes the epicenter was about 10 kilometers deep; both earthquakes were about 7 (Haiti: 7 - Sichuan: 7 and 7.9) magnitude; both areas of destruction were essentially symmetrical. The China earthquake may have damaged some Chinese nuclear laboratories / facilities so there was non-government conjecture that a nuclear detonation may have initiated the Chinese quake, or use of HAARP (radio waves from satelite). Both catastrophes were responded to as military rather than medical emergencies.

Partial sources: "Oil in Haiti - Economic Reasons for the UN/US occupation," Ezili Danto, Oct 13, 2009, open salon; "Sichuan Earthquake," May 6, 2009,The New York Times; "China earthquake kills thousands," Mark Tran, Elizabeth Stewart, May 12, 2008, guardian.co.uk; "Canadians flee Haiti as death toll nears 200,000," Jorge Barrera `Canwest, Jan. 16, 2010, canada.com; "344 Cuban Medics Treat Earthquake Victims ," Cuba Support Group Ireland, Jan. 16, 2010, Global Research; "Canadian military relief arrives in Haiti," Jan. 14, 2010, UPI.com; "Nuclear Explosion Occurred Near Epicenter of the Sichuan Earthquake, Expert Says," Wu Weilin, June 3, 2008, Epoch Times [unverified]; "Looters scramble for scarce food, water," Steven Edwards and Jorge Barbera (AFP), Jan. 17, 2010, Ottawa Citizen.

 

 

January 14, 2010

      Haiti: in response to the earthquake of January 12th and ongoing tragedy, both Canada and the U.S. have rapidly sent military forces to Haiti; CBC news reports seem not to stress the sending of medical units and food for the people. The U.S. and Canada are promising substantial financial aid. The Haitian prime minister suggests as many as a hundred thousand deaths, and there is an outpouring of contributions meant for the Haitian people from Canadians and Americans. Areas not considered by media: geologic data to explain the shallow earthquake (approximately 15 [correction: 10 to 13] kilometers deep). Since nuclear testing began in the 40's incidence of earthquakes has doubled; there is evidence testing and use have weakened the earth's crust and slightly shifted the earth's axis (See "www.ratical.org : #1. Nuclear Bomb Tests & Their Relationship to Earthquakes Planetwide. Silicon Graphics. 1992. #2. Bomb Tests & Earthquakes Section: British, German, Japanese & Canadian studies & Shigeyoshi Matsumae, President Tokai Univ. Yoshio Kato, Dept. of Aerospace Science. #3. Killer Quakes & Bomb Tests Section," footnote to "Apology To The Earth For Nuclear Bombs and War," Mary Hamer, M.D, Jan 4, 2010, countercurrents.org). The shallow depth of the epicentre, thought to be reachable by drilling (as in the Russian Kola Peninsula boring project) might not discourage those researching nuclear detonation triggers for earthquakes and tsunamis. Lack of warning for the Haiti earthquake is puzzling: it's likely NASA has the capacity to anticipate earthquakes through Interferometric-Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), satelite equipment able to determine earth crust movement to within 1mm a year, and low-frequency magnetic signal technology among other early warning system signals ("Anticipating Earthquakes," Aug. 11, 2003, Science @ NASA). The devastation is contained neatly within Haiti's border with the Dominican Republic's two-thirds of the island: the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism reports no difficulties and all facilities open. The destruction of so many Haitians and much of Haiti's infra-struture, as a "poor" nation, reminds of the merciless bombardments of Iraq and loss of so many people. There is some parallel to what happened to Haiti's democracy when U.S., French, and Canadian administrations deposed elected Haitian President Aristide.

      Malaysia: Al-Jazeera (English) has reported attacks on 4 Christian churches in rising tensions between the Islamic majority and Christian community. The government had banned non-Muslim use of the word "Allah" for God, although in large areas one word denotes the other. The ruling was overturned and the matter is in court.     Partial sources: "Malaysian churches attacked," Jan. 8, 20010, Al-Jazeera "Churches Attacked in Malaysian dispute," Seth Mydans, Jan. 8,2010, New York Times>.

      Ethiopia: genocide warning for the Oromo people, the largest population group of Ethiopia numbering up to 30 million people; the Oromo Support Group has claimed that with support of Western governments the government of Ethiopia engages in practices consistent with genocide against the Oramia and other peoples of southern Ethiopia. US.military assistance and sales to the government of Ethiopia were about forty million dollars in 2002-2006. [unverifiable phrase deleted]. The US supported Ethiopia's invasion of Somalia begun in December 2006. See previous 1,   2,  3,   4.  Currently to the south of Somalia the UN recently shut down food relief operations due to continuing resistance by Al-Shabab with its roots in the Somalian government forced out by the U.S / Ethiopian invasion. The U.S. military command for Africa (AFRICOM) currently based in Stuttgart Germany is meeting pan-African resistance to relocation in Africa despite recent offers of hosting by Liberia and Morocco.     Partial sources: "Genocide against the Oromo people of Ethiopia? Western influence," Dr. Trevor Trueman, Oramia Support Group "Violence, fear and confusion: welcome to the Horn of Africa," Peter Beaumont, Jan. 10,2010, guardian.co.uk; "Somalia in Obama's Agenda: Fresh Interests," Mohamed Yusuf Abshir, Jan. 12, 2010, IslamOnline.net "Africom - Latest U.S. Bid to Recolonise Continent,"Tichaona Nhamoyebonde, Jan. 13, 2010, Blacknet.co.uk; "UN suspends food aid to southern Somalia," Scott Baldauf, Jan. 5, 2010, Christian Science Monitor; "US Military Assistance to Ethiopia and Ethiopia’s Gross Human Rights Abuses / End Game," Alemayehu G. Mariam, June 2, 2009, gadaa.com.

      Netherlands: the Committee on Inquiry appointed by the Dutch government, found the US.and British invasion of Iraq in 2003, not justified by U.N. Security Council resolutions and so against international law, and against policies of a Dutch Parliament not appropriately informed when the country's political support was obtained. Protestors throughout the world understood the invasion more simply as the crime of aggression.     Partial sources: "Conclusions of the Committee of Inquiry on Iraq ," Jan. 12, 2010, Committee of inquiry Iraq [access:< http://www.onderzoekscommissie-irak.nl/#pagina=849 ]; "Dutch Inquiry says no legal basis for Iraq War: echoes LAW articles," Jan 12, 2010, Lawyers Against the War; "Iraq invasion violated international law, Dutch inquiry finds ," Jan 12, 2010, Citizens for Legitimate Government.

 

 

January 12, 2010

winter soldier [access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akm3nYN8aG8 >]

 

 

January 10, 2010

      Global: a military anti-insurgent tactic initially traced to the U.S. School of the Americas, enforced disappearance is increasingly used in the "war on terror" as a population control. Terrorization and disappearances of individuals and groups of poor are followed by political takeover with corporate access to a region's resources. The Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons in Kashmir alleges that 10,000 were "disappeared" by Indian security forces in the Kashmiri Separatist revolt, as unmarked graves for 1700 were recently discovered. In India the government's current "Operation Green Hunt" is threatening and with what seems to be a news blackout, pursuing, huge military operations against "Maoist rebels" indistinguishable from poor people throughout central India. In Pakistan, according to Defense of Human Rights of Pakistan 10,000 persons remain "disappeared" since the start of the US "war on terror." The names of 369 "enforced disappearances" are acknowledged as suspects turned over to the U.S.. North Americans are more familiar with the disappearances of students, radicals, union leaders, by School of the Americas trained cadre throughout South and Central America. Over 300 officials have been convicted in Chile, and 55 in Argentina so far in investigations of actions from the 60's and 70's. See Peru; see Guatemala; see Chile; see Argentina 1 and 2; see the Vanished Gallery ~ Desaparecidos and Memoria Viva on our links page. See also: School of the Americas Watch.     Partial sources: "The issue of 10,000 disappeared persons haunts Pakistan governent," Abdus Sattar Ghazali, Jan 9, 2010, OpEdNews.com; "Argentina's 'disappeared:' Justice at last or reneging on amnesty?" Sam Ferguson, Dec.24, 2009, Christian Science Monitor; Families of Missing Persons Protest in Indian Kashmir, Dec.18, 2009, New Tang Dynasty Television.

 

 

January 8, 2009

      Gaza: around midnight and in the early hours of January 8th, Israel bombed food tunnels in a heavily populated area. The tunnels bring food and necessary goods into Gaza which has remained under seige.The air strikes follow the arrival in Gaza of a caravan of activists carrying emergency medical supplies. Starting in England the caravan accompanied by British MP George Galloway, was delayed in Egypt where a number of activists were wounded by police actions. Other air strikes against urban centres and refugee camps are reported but slow to be veri fied. North American media are not yet carrying news of Israel's actions.     Partial sources: "Breaking News: All of Gaza under attack now," Jan. 8, 2010, Desertpeace; "Breaking News: 3 civilians killed in Gaza as Israel strikes food-tunnels," via Ayman Quaider and Sameh A. Habeeb, Jan 8, 2010, The Palestine Telegraph.

      Canada: amid media observations such as "Introducing Canada's Minority Dictatorship" (Globe and Mail Jan. 8, 2010), Prime Minister Harper maintains his proroguing (shutdown) of Parliament until March 3rd as normal procedure. Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff has claimed Liberal Ministers of Parliament will be back at work January 25th, discussing among other things Afghan detainees. Polls show that Canadians generally reject Harper's efforts to silence Parliament. A facebook group has so far a hundred thousand signers protesting the Conservative government's contempt. See previous     Partial sources: "Harper has 'crazy way' of running democracy: Ignatieff," Jan. 8, 2010, CBC News; "Majority blasts PM's shutdown," Jan. 8, 2010, thestar.com.

 

 

January 4, 2009

      Africa: the failure of the Copenhagen talks (see previous) risks African countries, Bangladesh and others to catastrophe. Revelations of this cost of industrial production, and ongoing U.S. wars, have not been addressed by wealthy nation governments. If governments hosting military and industrial production continue to contribute to the foreseen destruction of entire peoples, this will be resisted internationally. Wealthy country governments have previously risked application of the Convention aganst Genocide in response to attempts to destroy peoples of resource rich areas.
Oliver Mtukudzi, "Mutavara", historical note: Zimbabwe [access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg-nV7M0UyE >]
Letta Mbulu, "Amakhamandela (Not yet Uhuru)," South Africa... [access< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Js95topeKI ]

      Canada: Canadian media are presenting a low key steady reminder that the Prime Minister has shut down Parliament to avoid investigation of his government's role in alleged war crimes. See previous.

Elliott Brood, "The Valley Town" [access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLYvOe10lEw >]

Nuclear Waste Management Organization, charged by the Canadian government with long term spent nuclear fuel management, is believed to be attempting a multi-billion dollar nuclear storage site in the Ignace area of northwest Ontario. With programs of 'education' about the benefits of the nuclear industry, the promise of jobs, and a history of furthering profit, the government is attempting to woo First Nations people of the area. There are Nishnaabe communities, as well as lakes and waterways throughout the region. In Nunavut, environmental protections written into the land claims agreement are considered a failure. In 2007 uranium exploration was allowed by the Nunavut Planning Commission. While there are First Nations groups refusing uranium exploration, mining and storage, a united and unequivocal First Peoples' stand against, is lacking. U.S. difficulties with waste storage / radiation saturation - ie. the Savannah River Site in South Carolina - suggest increasing pressure on Canada as a receiver site for radioactive waste. "No Olympics on Stolen Native Land," the banner of protest to the Olympic Games in Canada, as the Torch travels from Province to Province, explores a fault line in the government's understanding of stewardship.     Partial sources: "Snow Job in North Western Ontario Ignace Looks at Storing Nuclear Waste: We Look at the Madness of Nukes," Kittoh, Dec 29 2009, Eagle Watch #23; "Editorial: Nunavut’s Radioactive Issue," Dec. 28, 2009, Nunatsiaq News, apprec. Eagle Watch #24; recommended: Miningwatch Canada.

Editor's note: While some First Peoples try to protect earth and water others bargain land and water rights to corporate exploitation. The mining, processing and storage of uranium damage the earth forever. The agreements profit both parties while ultimately destroying portions of humanity. The "legality" of rights bargained between two parties while affecting humanity and its future, is questionable. Occupation of a territory by one nation or tribe over the course of history can never legally forfeit the rights of all life to earth and sea. The rights of all life cannot be negotiated. Within this perspective uranium mining for example, is understood as a crime.

"La Frontera", Lhasa de Sela, who died at 37, January first in Montreal, of cancer [access:< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka2t4uA8VKA >]

 

 

 

Suppressed news archives
2009      2008      2007      2006      1995 - 2005
is-it-fascism 2004 - 2006
environment 2005-2009
current genocide warnings
genocide warnings & updates 2007
genocide warnings & updates 1995-2006
north american political prisoners 2004 -2008

 

 

A branch that comes from violence will not take root;
for a blighted root is on sheer rock, like reeds by the
banks of a river, which are dried up before any grass; but
kindness, like eternity, will never be cut off, and faithfulness
will be established forever - from Ben Sira
(Dead Sea Scrolls Bible, Abegg et al)

 

This account is against forgetfulness.