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shniad | 1 Mar 2003 01:22
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Human rights advocates applaud spate of charges


Globe and Mail	   Wednesday, February 26, 2003 

Human rights advocates applaud spate of charges

In Chile, secret police agents are arrested, while in East Timor, UN indicts
eight for war crimes

By Timothy Appleby

Human-rights activists had double reason for a cautious cheer yesterday:
Criminal charges were laid in two countries with particularly notorious
track records in the violent suppression of political dissent.

In Chile, five former members of ex-dictator Augusto Pinochet's secret
police were arrested and accused of plotting the 1974 killing of an army
general who opposed the regime. Local rights groups hailed the decision as a
historic breakthrough.

And in East Timor, the United Nations charged former Indonesian military
chief General Wiranto with committing crimes against humanity during the
1999 Timorese independence plebiscite. Also charged were six senior army
officers and East Timor's last civilian governor.

The Indonesian government responded by saying it would never hand over the
eight indicted men for trial. The UN plans to lodge international arrest
warrants with Interpol, which means that the suspects could be arrested if
they ever go abroad.

The charges in Chile arise from the car-bomb slaying of Gen. Carlos Prats,
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shniad | 1 Mar 2003 01:18
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Finding Trouble in U.S. (Bernadette Devlin McAliskey)


Newsday    February 24, 2003 

Finding Trouble in U.S. 

by Jimmy Breslin 

"I'm a 55-year-old granny with a gammy leg after years of to'ins and
fro'ins, and I'm here on a cheap holiday in New York, sourced on the
Internet by my daughter," Bernadette Devlin McAliskey was saying yesterday. 

"We were going for our luggage. We were in Chicago. The cheap flight takes
you to New York that way. We didn't have to go through immigration, they
pass you through in Dublin now. The loudspeaker calls out 'McAliskey.' We go
up to your man and say yes, and we're immedately surrounded by three men and
a woman. They grab the passports out of our hands. One of the men says to
me, "We've a fax from our agents in Dublin. It says you're a potential or
real threat to the United States.'" 

She told them to look at the name on the passport, which says Bernadette
Devlin McAliskey. 

"I've been coming back and forth to this country for 30 years," she told
them. 

"You've evaded us before, but you're not going to do it now," one of the
immigration people, the oldest one, said. 

"Look at the passport. Read the name. I was a member of Parliament."
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shniad | 1 Mar 2003 01:20
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AFL-CIO Exec Council says Pres has not made compelling, coherent explanation for military action

http://www.aflcio.org/aboutaflcio/ecouncil/ec02272003h.cfm


Iraq:

AFL-CIO Exec Council says Pres has not made compelling, coherent explanation
for military action

February 27, 2003
Hollywood, Fla.

America’s working families and their unions fully support the efforts to
disarm the dictatorial regime of Saddam Hussein. This is best achieved in
concert with a broad international coalition of allies and with the sanction
of the United Nations. We believe there may be times when we must stand
alone and act unilaterally in defense of our national security. But, in the
context of the global war on terrorism, the threat posed by Saddam Hussein
deserves multilateral resolve, not unilateral action. We are pleased that
the administration has decided to seek additional United Nations sanction. 

Saddam Hussein is a demagogue and a despot, with an appalling human rights
record over the past two decades. He rules the Iraqi people through torture,
murder and fear. His rogue regime has invaded Iran and Kuwait and launched
missiles against the civilian populations of neighboring countries.
Repeatedly, he has proven his intent to manufacture and conceal stockpiles
of biological and chemical weapons, while working relentlessly to build a
nuclear capacity. Again and again, his regime has defied the resolutions and
agreements of the United Nations.    

A decade ago, when Iraq invaded its neighbor, Kuwait, the United States
organized a broad coalition of our allies to stand united against this
(Continue reading)

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shniad | 1 Mar 2003 01:13
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America uses Israel's words to justify occupation

Independent    February 28, 2003 

America uses Israel's words to justify occupation 

by Robert Fisk

Ah, to be a "viable" state! The word "viable" has now become the be-all and
end-all of American policy towards Palestine. "For its part," George Bush
told us, "the new government of Israel, as the terror threat is removed and
security improves, will be expected to support the creation of a viable
Palestinian state."

Well, since Ariel Sharon, the Israeli Prime Minister, says that the
Palestinians may only get 50 per cent of the West Bank and his new chums in
his coalition government are all for more settlements in that area, why
should Muslims take this talk seriously? They don't. It's just another word
trick to kick-arse the Arabs into support – or at least acquiescence – in
the American invasion of Iraq.

Not once did President Bush mention the word "oil" – save for a brief
reference to the disastrous oil-for-food "program" – though there was just
one mention of the occupied territories (or "so-called occupied" as Donald
Rumsfeld infamously called them). But once America occupies Iraq, what
argument can the Arabs deploy against Israel? If the West Bank is occupied,
well so is Iraq. If the United States occupied Iraq to spare the world from
"terror", why shouldn't Israel occupy the West Bank to spare itself from
"terror"? Few have yet worked through this dangerous equation.

Much of the Bush speech to the American Enterprise Institute was written in
the language of Israel. "If war is forced upon us by Iraq's refusal to
(Continue reading)

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shniad | 1 Mar 2003 01:19
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UK taxpayers forced to pay millions for Iraq arms

The Guardian   Thursday February 27 2003 

UK taxpayers forced to pay millions for Iraq arms 

David Leigh and Rob Evans 

The British taxpayer has unknowingly picked up huge bills for helping to arm
Iraq before the last Gulf war, the Guardian can disclose. 

The government has secretly written cheques totalling more than £33m for
arms companies who supplied Saddam Hussein in the 1980s. 

The files on these disastrous insurance deals have been locked up for 12
years since they were secretly authorised by Margaret Thatcher. The total
loss to the taxpayer on military and civil credit sales her administration
carried out with Iraq now exceeds £1bn. 

In a detailed investigation, we have identified for the first time from
Whitehall documents all the arms contracts concerned and the firms and banks
who benefited. 

Racal, Thorn-EMI and Marconi secretly supplied President Saddam's army with
artillery control, anti-mortar radar and secure radio systems, much of which
it is believed still to possess. The firms are all now subsidiaries of
defence giants BAE and Thales. 

Military deals also included generators to start up military jets and
helicopters from Houchin Ltd and Braby Auto Diesels; air force
reconnaissance cameras from Vinten; and an electron microscope from
Cambridge Instruments.
(Continue reading)

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shniad | 1 Mar 2003 01:21
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U.S. diplomat's letter of resignation to Secretary of State Colin Powell

New York Times	February 27, 2003

U.S. diplomat's letter of resignation to Secretary of State Colin Powell

The following is the text of John Brady Kiesling's letter of resignation to
Secretary of State Colin L. Powell. Mr. Kiesling is a career diplomat who
has served in United States embassies from Tel Aviv to Casablanca to
Yerevan.

Dear Mr. Secretary:

I am writing you to submit my resignation from the Foreign Service of the
United States and from my position as Political Counselor in U.S. Embassy
Athens, effective March 7. I do so with a heavy heart. The baggage of my
upbringing included a felt obligation to give something back to my country.
Service as a U.S. diplomat was a dream job. I was paid to understand foreign
languages and cultures, to seek out diplomats, politicians, scholars and
journalists, and to persuade them that U.S. interests and theirs
fundamentally coincided. My faith in my country and its values was the most
powerful weapon in my diplomatic arsenal.

It is inevitable that during twenty years with the State Department I would
become more sophisticated and cynical about the narrow and selfish
bureaucratic motives that sometimes shaped our policies. Human nature is
what it is, and I was rewarded and promoted for understanding human nature.
But until this Administration it had been possible to believe that by
upholding the policies of my president I was also upholding the interests of
the American people and the world. I believe it no longer.

The policies we are now asked to advance are incompatible not only with
(Continue reading)

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shniad | 1 Mar 2003 01:22
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Shin Bet chief canceled trip to Belgium fearing arrest

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/266742.html 

Haaretz   February 26, 2003

Shin Bet chief canceled trip to Belgium fearing arrest 

By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent 

Shin Bet chief Avi Dichter recently canceled a planned trip to Belgium for
fear the Belgians would try to arrest him because of his involvement in
Israel's counter-terrorism war in the territories, defense establishment
officials confirmed Tuesday night after Channel 10 reported it. 

Dichter was scheduled to deliver a lecture on international terror at a
conference. Although the law enabling Belgian courts to prosecute alleged
crimes against humanity was in appeal in court, the Shin Bet chief asked for
a legal opinion on the possibility he might be arrested. 

Dichter's staff asked the foreign ministry and defense establishment experts
to look into it and when they did not provide an unequivocal answer, Dichter
decided to cancel his trip. 

Since the intifada began two and half years ago, and because of the
increasing European criticism against Israel, many senior officers have
consulted jurists prior to visiting Western European countries. However,
this is the firs time a senior security official cancels a trip abroad
fearing legal problems. 

_______________________________________________
Rad-Green mailing list
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Hans Ehrbar | 1 Mar 2003 02:00
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[shniad <at> sfu.ca: AFL-CIO Exec Council says Pres has not made compelling, coherent explanation for military action]

------- Start of forwarded message -------
http://www.aflcio.org/aboutaflcio/ecouncil/ec02272003h.cfm

Iraq:

AFL-CIO Exec Council says Pres has not made compelling, coherent explanation
for military action

February 27, 2003
Hollywood, Fla.

America’s working families and their unions fully support the efforts to
disarm the dictatorial regime of Saddam Hussein. This is best achieved in
concert with a broad international coalition of allies and with the sanction
of the United Nations. We believe there may be times when we must stand
alone and act unilaterally in defense of our national security. But, in the
context of the global war on terrorism, the threat posed by Saddam Hussein
deserves multilateral resolve, not unilateral action. We are pleased that
the administration has decided to seek additional United Nations sanction. 

Saddam Hussein is a demagogue and a despot, with an appalling human rights
record over the past two decades. He rules the Iraqi people through torture,
murder and fear. His rogue regime has invaded Iran and Kuwait and launched
missiles against the civilian populations of neighboring countries.
Repeatedly, he has proven his intent to manufacture and conceal stockpiles
of biological and chemical weapons, while working relentlessly to build a
nuclear capacity. Again and again, his regime has defied the resolutions and
agreements of the United Nations.    

A decade ago, when Iraq invaded its neighbor, Kuwait, the United States
(Continue reading)

Permalink | Reply | 0 comments |
headers
Hans Ehrbar | 1 Mar 2003 02:01
Picon

[shniad <at> sfu.ca: UK taxpayers forced to pay millions for Iraq arms]

------- Start of forwarded message -------

The Guardian   Thursday February 27 2003 

UK taxpayers forced to pay millions for Iraq arms 

David Leigh and Rob Evans 

The British taxpayer has unknowingly picked up huge bills for helping to arm
Iraq before the last Gulf war, the Guardian can disclose. 

The government has secretly written cheques totalling more than £33m for
arms companies who supplied Saddam Hussein in the 1980s. 

The files on these disastrous insurance deals have been locked up for 12
years since they were secretly authorised by Margaret Thatcher. The total
loss to the taxpayer on military and civil credit sales her administration
carried out with Iraq now exceeds £1bn. 

In a detailed investigation, we have identified for the first time from
Whitehall documents all the arms contracts concerned and the firms and banks
who benefited. 

Racal, Thorn-EMI and Marconi secretly supplied President Saddam's army with
artillery control, anti-mortar radar and secure radio systems, much of which
it is believed still to possess. The firms are all now subsidiaries of
defence giants BAE and Thales. 

Military deals also included generators to start up military jets and
helicopters from Houchin Ltd and Braby Auto Diesels; air force
(Continue reading)

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headers
Hans Ehrbar | 1 Mar 2003 02:01
Picon

[shniad <at> sfu.ca: America uses Israel's words to justify occupation]

------- Start of forwarded message -------
Independent    February 28, 2003 

America uses Israel's words to justify occupation 

by Robert Fisk

Ah, to be a "viable" state! The word "viable" has now become the be-all and
end-all of American policy towards Palestine. "For its part," George Bush
told us, "the new government of Israel, as the terror threat is removed and
security improves, will be expected to support the creation of a viable
Palestinian state."

Well, since Ariel Sharon, the Israeli Prime Minister, says that the
Palestinians may only get 50 per cent of the West Bank and his new chums in
his coalition government are all for more settlements in that area, why
should Muslims take this talk seriously? They don't. It's just another word
trick to kick-arse the Arabs into support – or at least acquiescence – in
the American invasion of Iraq.

Not once did President Bush mention the word "oil" – save for a brief
reference to the disastrous oil-for-food "program" – though there was just
one mention of the occupied territories (or "so-called occupied" as Donald
Rumsfeld infamously called them). But once America occupies Iraq, what
argument can the Arabs deploy against Israel? If the West Bank is occupied,
well so is Iraq. If the United States occupied Iraq to spare the world from
"terror", why shouldn't Israel occupy the West Bank to spare itself from
"terror"? Few have yet worked through this dangerous equation.

Much of the Bush speech to the American Enterprise Institute was written in
(Continue reading)

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