Website / newspaper / journal / web based media updates: Jan 25th - Feb 1st

by redjade Sun Jan 25, 2004 17:21

CIA: Iraq at risk of civil war
The warning, at odds with Bush's upbeat view, was delivered this week to Washington. His aides are pushing to save a transition plan.
By Warren P. Strobel and Jonathan S. Landay
Inquirer Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - CIA officers in Iraq are warning that the country may be on a path to civil war, current and former U.S. officials said yesterday, starkly contradicting the upbeat assessment that President Bush gave in his State of the Union address.

The CIA officers' bleak assessment was delivered orally to Washington this week, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the classified information involved.

The warning echoed growing fears that Iraq's Shiite majority, which has until now grudgingly accepted the U.S. occupation, could turn to violence if its demands for direct elections are spurned.

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/front/7765782.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

by Mankind Sun Jan 25, 2004 17:33

Read about the funders of Mary Robinson's Ethical Globalisation Iniative on pages 3 and 4 of the 16th to 29th of January 2004 issue of Phoenix magazine, 'Mary Robinson's Career Network'.

Phoenix fails to mention another funder of the EGI that can be found at:
www.worldforum.org
Amongst the chairs of this latter outfit is Ted Turner of AOL Time Warner.

Is she kicking from within? Is that possible?

by redjade Mon Jan 26, 2004 13:31

9th January 2004
PRESS RELEASE

GREEN PARTY CALLS FOR FULLY INDEPENDENT GARDA OMBUDSMAN AND STAFF

The Green Party has called for the proposed Garda Ombudsman’s office to be completely independent from An Garda Síochána.

“Public confidence in the Gardaí is at an all time low” stated the Green Party’s Justice Spokesperson Ciarán Cuffe TD, “It is crucial that Minister McDowell ensures that the proposed Office of the Ombudsman is fully independently staffed from the outset. The current arrangements whereby the Gardai investigates cases presented to the Garda Complaints Board are completely inappropriate. The Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman’s Office is an appropriate model that this Government should consider.

“We must also review training and recruitment procedures. ‘Square-bashing’ in Templemore is irrelevant to modern policing. Gardaí should also be recruited at more senior ranks, as well as at entrance grades.

http://www.ciarancuffe.com/Media/PressReleases/PR040109JGardaOmbudsman.htm

by redjade Mon Jan 26, 2004 14:00

Rock legends Peter Gabriel and Brian Eno plan to launch on Monday a musicians' union to help artists stand their ground in the digital age.

The union will be called Mudda, short for "magnificent union of digitally downloading artists".

"The digital environment will change the way music is made, and here artists need a voice", Peter Gabriel told BBC News Online at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3424483.stm

also:
http://slashdot.org/articles/04/01/25/1646249.shtml?tid=141&tid=188

http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/main_news.cfm?NewsID=7756

by Kirsten Anderberg Mon Jan 26, 2004 16:16 sheelanagig at juno dot com Seattle, Wa USA

Are They Mutually Exclusive?
Is it irresponsible to take kids to political protests? Are some protests safe and others not? How do you tell the difference? I interviewed 12 activists, 10 of whom are parents, 7 of whom are street medics on this topic.
Full Text Here: http://www.angelfire.com/la3/kirstenanderberg/pagekidsprotest1.html This is Part One of a 4 Part Series on Kids and Protests by Kirsten Anderberg. Watch her website, at www.kirstenanderberg.com, for the next three articles in the series, which will discuss Preparing Kids for Protests, Radical Parenting, and Teens and Protests.
Copyright Kirsten Anderberg 2004

by SFguy Tue Jan 27, 2004 02:04

Democratic Rights for All
http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/3041

The creation of an Irish freedom charter -- a charter for justice and peace in Ireland, a charter that brings together the demands for political and social and economic freedom -- was first raised by Gerry Adams during the peace process.

For Sinn Féin, political freedom is nothing if it does not embrace political, economic, social, cultural and human rights. Parity of esteem, equality of treatment and full human rights must be guaranteed for all.

1. The people of Ireland have the right to national self-determination.

2. The Government of Ireland shall be democratically elected, composed of the elected representatives chosen by the sovereign people through universal suffrage

3. Every Irish citizen at the age of 16 shall be entitled to vote in all elections and to stand as candidate for public office.

4. All necessary measures will be taken to ensure the right of all sections of society, particularly women and also minorities, to fair, full and equal participation in public life. This must include participation in decision-making processes and access to power.

5. Elected representatives shall be entitled to and accorded fair, full and effective participation in the governance of Ireland.

6. The people have the right to a truly responsive democracy and to expect a government to expedite action to redress legitimate grievances. All people, regardless of socio-economic status, will have the right to access and influence decision makers. They also have the right to be involved in shaping the decisions that affect them.

7. The people have the right to good governance. Policy decisions must be made on the basis of public-good criteria, taking full account of all associated direct and indirect social and economic costs, and not dominated by private profit motive.

8. Government shall be responsible and accountable to the people for the proactive implementation of their rights.

9. Government shall be accountable to the people and be based on openness, transparency and effective freedom of information legislation.

10. Political institutions will be accountable to and representative of the people.

11. All public policies shall be equality proofed, poverty proofed and human rights proofed and based on international best practice.

by William Small Tue Jan 27, 2004 08:06

Please click the related link and go to a website where you can sign the petition to Bush for the pardon and release from prison of the anti-nuke nuns Ardeth Platte, Carol Gilbert and Jackie Hudson.

by control everything Tue Jan 27, 2004 12:32

The EU expressed support for Iraq's request to become an observer in the WTO, the European Commission said today.

"The message is loud and clear. The EU supports the Iraqi request to become an observer at the WTO. The EU thinks this will be good for the Iraqi people", the European Commission trade spokesperson said.

http://euobs.com/?aid=14216&rk=1

by redjade Tue Jan 27, 2004 12:50

Corporations Need Treatment, Documentary Argues
by Stephen Leahy

TORONTO - Corporations are not only the most powerful institutions in the world, they are also psychopathic, a new Canadian documentary on globalization elegantly argues.

While the corporation has the rights and responsibilities of ”a legal person”, its owners and shareholders are not liable for its actions. Moreover, the film explains, a corporation's directors are legally required to do what is best for the company, regardless of the harm created.

What kind of person would a corporation be? A clinical psychopath, answers the documentary, which is now playing in four Canadian theatres.


http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0120-03.htm

the Documentary's website:
http://www.thecorporation.tv

by pat c Tue Jan 27, 2004 18:26

Update of larkspririt.com. Dont let the Brits get away with renaming Bobby Sands Street. Read the background to the latest machinations by Perfidious Albion.

For more info on this controversy, you can visit:
http://www.larkspirit.com/hungerstrikes/bobby_sands_street.html



http://www.petitiononline.com/BSands81/petition.html

Above petition, authored by Danny Morrison (SF and Bobby Sands Trust), is
addressed to Iranian President Khatami and urges him to reject British
pressure to rename Bobby Sands Street in Tehran.

For general news/history on the 1981 hungerstrikes, you can visit:
http://www.larkspirit.com/hungerstrikes/

by redjade Wed Jan 28, 2004 00:35

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
--------------------------------
BALSEROS
http://oscar.com/nominees/nom_33104.html
When Fidel Castro announced in 1994 that his government would make no effort to stop boats carrying refugees from leaving Cuba, tens of thousands of Cubans set sail in small, often unseaworthy crafts. The film follows the fortunes of seven individuals from their departure through their internment at Guantánamo Bay to their subsequent lives in the U.S.

CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS
http://oscar.com/nominees/nom_33105.html
A seemingly ordinary Long Island family is torn apart when the father and one son are charged with multiple counts of child molestation. Drawing on sources that include extensive home movie footage, the film traces the unraveling of the Friedmans' lives in the wake of the charges, as well as the often troubling nature of the police investigation.

THE FOG OF WAR
http://oscar.com/nominees/nom_33106.html
Controversial former Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, the man sometimes referred to as the "architect of the Vietnam War," reviews his life and career and offers an unflinching re-examination of the role he played in one of the most anguished periods in U.S. history.

MY ARCHITECT
http://oscar.com/nominees/nom_33107.html
When Louis Kahn died in 1974, his legacy included more than just his influential contributions to modern architecture: Kahn had led separate lives with three different sets of women and children. In an attempt to come to terms with his complicated feelings for his father, Kahn's illegitimate son Nathaniel embarks on an exploration of his work.

THE WEATHER UNDERGROUND
http://oscar.com/nominees/nom_33108.html
As frustration mounted during the 1960s among groups opposing the Vietnam War, disenchanted members of the Students for a Democratic Society formed a radical offshoot called the Weathermen. Dedicated to the overthrow of the American political and economic systems, the group embarked on a campaign of violence that would eventually force many of its members into hiding.

. . .

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
--------------------------------
ASYLUM
http://oscar.com/nominees/nom_33110.html
Baaba is a Ghanaian woman seeking asylum in the U.S. Caught with a false passport by the INS, she recounts her story of mistreatment at her father's hands as she waits in detention for a ruling on her case.

CHERNOBYL HEART
http://oscar.com/nominees/nom_33111.html
In Belarus, the country most seriously contaminated by the Chernobyl accident, the terrible effects of radiation are seen in the high levels of cancer, birth defects, and heart conditions suffered by the region's children.

FERRY TALES
http://oscar.com/nominees/nom_33112.html
In the powder room of the Staten Island Ferry, a group of women gather each day to put on their make-up and share their thoughts and problems.

by redjade Wed Jan 28, 2004 18:31

Scottie & Me
(formerly known as Ari & I)

White House Press Briefing with Scott McClellan

Tuesday, January 27, 2004 - 1:30 PM
by Russell Mokhiber

Mokhiber: Paul Bremer has ruled out quick elections in Iraq. The constitutional law advisor to the Coalition Provisional Authority, Noah Feldman, is quoted in today's New York Times as saying "If you move too fast, the wrong people could get elected." Apparently, there is a fear of electing - polls show that the Shiites would gain control in Iraq if there were an election today - there is a fear of electing an Islamic Iraqi government. Does the President agree with Mr. Feldman - if you move too fast, the wrong people could get elected?

read the answer at...
http://www.commondreams.org/scottie.htm

by alphonso Wed Jan 28, 2004 21:26

Socialist Worker makes some interesting announcements.

I can feel the excitement in the air. The latest issue of Socialist Worker has hit the streets. And the internet.

Before you all rush off to find an SWP stall, an entertained reader thought he might guide the working masses of Ireland to some announcements towards the end of the paper.

There you will find the announcement of the SWP's local election candidates. A fascinating bunch. The list is prefaced with the laudable statement that "socialists and anti-capitalists should cooperate in elections". Later on, the same article announces that the SWP is standing a candidate in Dundrum ward. Against the Socialist Party and against an SP candidate at that who is widely regarded as having a fighting shot at a seat.

Those who find themselves eagerly continuing on through the paper will find an equally strange announcement just a page or two later.

The SWP has announced that it is supporting the candidacy of independent socialist Des Derwin for the SIPTU Vice Presidency. Again all very laudable. The statement however comes after the polls have already opened. Surprisingly, it fails to mention the SWP's failed attempt to stand a candidate against Derwin. Not the slightest reference is made to the candidacy of the unfortunate Derek Delaney.

I know that Socialist Worker is renowned for the intelligence it credits its readers with. It would never be accused of patronising its lucky purchasers. Even still it seems very generous of the SWP to take the attitude that its readers are so up to date with events on the left that they don't need to be informed of such trifles.

Lets not hear a word from those cynics who might put another gloss on all of this.

http://www.swp.ie/html/socialistworker.htm

by Michael G Wed Jan 28, 2004 21:40

Finally, there has been some kind of reply to accusations against shop stewards and the role of the SP in the North over the airport dispute.

http://lark.phoblacht.net/spreply.html

by ec Wed Jan 28, 2004 21:46

.

by iosaf Fri Jan 30, 2004 15:05

an article in today's El Periodico one of the Spanish national newspapers by GEMMA Zabaleta, who is a parliamentary deputy for the Basque Socialist Party.
entitled "why do ETA go on existing?".

It supports the percieved alternative "irish" approach to conflict resolution and the search for an inclusive peace process which will see both victims of terror, and the majority of Basque and Spanish people get on with it, in a new and imaginitive way.

It also seems to imply that the current European right wing nationalist party cabal of interests see more benefit in opposing a "left wing Spain" than any intiative in either Catalonia or the Basque by local leftwing parties.

Bertie, read this, it will interest you.

by redjade Fri Jan 30, 2004 16:50

U.S. plans Al Qaeda offensive

Sources say military is mapping operation to strike inside Pakistan

Advertisement

By Christine Spolar Tribune foreign correspondent

January 28, 2004

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration, deeply concerned about recent assassination attempts against Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and a resurgence of Taliban forces in neighboring Afghanistan, is preparing a U.S. military offensive that would reach inside Pakistan with the goal of destroying Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda network, military sources said.

U.S. Central Command is assembling a team of military intelligence officers that would be posted in Pakistan ahead of the operation, according to sources familiar with details of the plan and internal military communications. The sources spoke on the condition they not be identified.

by - Sat Jan 31, 2004 17:21

appeal for info.
c/f
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=61322&condense_comments=false#comment60429

by commuter Sat Jan 31, 2004 17:36

one we are all proud of.
with record profits!!!!
cheap cheap cheap little birdies coming home to roost.
http://www.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200401280700297119U.html
Taoiseach shouldn't it reflect Irish values?
link to qauter report.