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BAUAW NEWSLETTER Subscribe/Unsubscribe
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
BAUAW NEWSLETTER-WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2004
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------* END THE U.S. OCCUPATION OF IRAQ! BRING ALL THE TROOPS HOME NOW! MARCH AND RALLY TO STOP THE WAR NOW! WEDNESDAY, NOV. 3RD, 5PM ASSEMBLE AT POWELL AND MARKET- MARCH TO 24TH & MISSION ST., S.F. ---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------* VOTE YES ON N! MEETING THURSDAY, OCT. 28, 7PM, GLOBAL EXCHANGE, 2017 MISSION STREET, SUITE 303 (NEAR 16TH & MISSION STREETS) ---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------* NEXT BAUAW MEETING: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER, 9TH,7 P.M. 1380 VALENCIA STREET (BETWEEN 24TH & 25TH STREETS) We will be tabling on 24th Street in front of the Farmers Market beginning at Noon this Saturday, Oct. 30th. Come help hand out posters, buttons and flyers for Yes on N and the Nov. 3rd march and rally against the war. ---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------* 1) Not in Our Name: Anti-War March and Rally End the Occupation - Out of Iraq Now! No matter who is elected, we say no to war and repression! Wednesday, November 3 5 PM at Powell & Market, San Francisco (map) March to 24th & Mission. Bring flashlights, drums, and noisemakers. Permitted event featuring the Loco Bloco Drum and Dance Ensemble. Volunteers needed, Get involved today! 2) SAVE THE DATE !!! SAVE THE DATE !!! SAVE THE DATE !!! JUSTICE FOR CAMMERIN BOYD 6 MONTHS - 5 OFFICERS - NO JUSTICE MARCH ON CITY HALL 4:45 PM, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2004 Meet at Laguna and Larch Street (between Eddie and Turk) in San Francisco - march to San Francisco City Hall Please forward 3) NO ON MEASURE Y - OAKLAND, CA 4) The Islamic Society of San Francisco Invites you to a break the fast (Iftar) Ramadan Dinner please forward widely Friday, October 29 Time: 5:00 PM: Reception Breaking of fast followed by Delicious spicy 5) Stop the Eviction of a Blind Senior From: Mecca44@aol.com Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2004 09:44:39 EDT 6) Special Taking Aim message - Lynne Stewart testimony has begun! Mon, 25 Oct 2004 11:36:41 -0700 From: "Taking Aim" 7) ANSWER "Adopts" a Local 2 Hotel Weekly Picket on Thursday 4:30  6:30 pm at Crowne Plaza Hotel Until Lock-Out Ends Community Support Urged for Hotel Workers 8) Protest the U.S.-Led Occupation of HAITI This Haiti Solidarity protest on Thursday will march by several Local 2 pickets at Union Square, including the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Sutter Street, where ANSWER activists will join the picket line. Please show your solidarity with both "Break the Silence!" Tell the Truth About HAITI Take Your ANGER to BUSH and POWELL (Streets) Thursday, October 28 -- Emergency Demonstration 4:30 p.m. Gather at Powell & Market, 5:00 p.m. March on Bush and Powell 9) TOUR SCHEDULE OF ISAAC SANEY, AUTHOR OF CUBA: A REVOLUTION IN MOTION MENSAJE SOLO PARA MIEMBROS QUE VIVEN EN EL NORTE DE CALIFORNIA, EEUU MESSAGE ONLY FOR LISTSERVE MEMBERS WHO LIVE IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA 10) ONE MONTH UNTIL THOUSANDS GATHER AT FORT BENNING TO CLOSE THE SOA / WHINSEC! SOA Watch Update October 26, 2004 "We must learn that when we oppose torture against others, we oppose it for ourselves, for the borders are closer than we think. Remember Abner Louima, Rodney King, Delbert Africa, people beaten and brutalized right before your eyes. Remember Archbishop Romero, the nuns raped and murdered in El Salvador by graduates of the SOA. Your tax dollars at work." -- Mumia Abu-Jamal, journalist and political prisoner, summer 2004 11) U.S. considers ways to increase troops in Iraq for vote By Tom Squitieri, WASHINGTON USA TODAY http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-10-25-troops-increase_x.htm 12) British Troops Head North for Mission Near Baghdad By Alistair Lyon BAGHDAD (Reuters) Wed Oct 27, 2004 09:08 AM ET http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6628503&src=eD ialog/GetContent§ion=news 13) INSURGENTS Military Assault in Falluja Is Likely, U.S. Officers Say By ERIC SCHMITT CAMP FALLUJA, Iraq October 27, 2004 http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/27/international/middleeast/27marines.html?hp &ex=1098936000&en=c904464482078c63&ei=5094&partner=homepage 14) Iraq's Prime Minister Faults U.S. Military in Massacre By EDWARD WONG BAGHDAD, Iraq, Oct. 26 http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/27/international/middleeast/27iraq.html?oref= login 15) Guerilla attacks increase as US forces continue air raids against Fallujah WSWS :News & Analysis :Middle East :Iraq By James Cogan 27 October 2004 http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/oct2004/fall-o27.shtml 16) Congo war's 40,000 rape victims face HIV epidemic By Meera Selva in Nairobi 27 October 2004 http://news.independent.co.uk/world/africa/story.jsp?story=576395 17) Get well, Fidel! On Wednesday, October 20, 2004, Fidel Castro tripped and fell after giving a speech, injuring his knee and arm. On Thursday, October 21, 2004. the government of the United States publicly refused the common courtesy of wishing the Cuban leader a speedy recovery! (See State Department transcript provided below.) In June 2004, when U.S. President Ronald Reagan died, the Cuban government publicly declared: "President Ronald Reagan was a tenacious opponent of the Cuban Revolution, but Cuban revolutionaries possess a sense of ethics and honor that is incompatible with the idea of issuing critical judgements or attacks at what is a moment of profound sorrow for his family. That has been and will always be the conduct of the Cuban people and leadership." 18) '04 Election Cost Estimate: Nearly $4 Billion From: alerts@crp.org October 21, 2004 19) Children punished by Australian law Sarah Stephen http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2004/604/604p11.htm 20) SOUTH AFRICA: ANC welcomes Apartheid Israel James Barrett, Johannesburg http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2004/604/604p20.htm 21) US gave date of war to Britain in advance, court papers reveal By Colin Brown, Deputy Political Editor 27 October 2004 http://news.independent.co.uk/low_res/story.jsp?story=576429&host=3&dir=62 22) The Bush Crony Full-Employment Act of 2003 By Evelyn J. Pringle www.dissidentvoice.org October 26, 2004 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Oct04/Pringle1026.htm 23) US Raids Computer Centers, Internet Cafes To Quell Resistance Reporting Oct 22, 2004 By Omar Al-Fair, JUS http://www.jihadunspun.com/intheatre_internal.php?article=100181&list=/home. php ---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------* 1) Not in Our Name: Anti-War March and Rally End the Occupation - Out of Iraq Now! No matter who is elected, we say no to war and repression! Wednesday, November 3 5 PM at Powell & Market, San Francisco (map) March to 24th & Mission. Bring flashlights, drums, and noisemakers. Permitted event featuring the Loco Bloco Drum and Dance Ensemble. Volunteers needed, get involved today! "The lives of children around the world-especially in Palestine and Iraq-are in danger every day because of the militarism and misguided foreign policies of both political parties. Meanwhile, those who speak up for children and provide humanitarian aid are coming under increasing scrutiny and pressure. The Middle East Children's Alliance is proud to join Not in Our Name in its call to stand up to war and injustice-for the sake of all our children." Barbara Lubin, Executive Director of the Middle East Children's Alliance Not in Our Name: Anti-War March and Rally End the Occupation - Out of Iraq Now! No matter who is elected, we say no to war and repression! Wednesday, November 3 5 PM at Powell & Market, San Francisco (map) March to 24th & Mission. Bring flashlights, drums, and noisemakers. Permitted event featuring the Loco Bloco Drum and Dance Ensemble. Volunteers needed, get involved today! On November 3rd, we will still be against the illegitimate occupation left in the aftermath of an unjust war, the police state restrictions of the Patriot Acts, and the ongoing attacks on our immigrant communities. Event initiated by Not in Our Name Bay Area, and endorsed by: * Siafu * Middle East Children's Alliance * Veterans for Peace-SF Chapter 69 * International ANSWER-SF * American Muslim Voice * Northern California RAWA Supporters * American Friends Service Committee-SF * Bay Area United Against War * Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors * Queers for Peace and Justice * Jewish Voice for Peace * Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace * International Socialist Organization * Refuse & Resist! * Korea Solidarity Committee * War Resisters League-West * South Bay Mobilization to Stop the War * East Bay Food Not Bombs * Alameda Peace Network * Bay Area Radical Women * Peninsula Peace and Justice Center * United for Peace and Justice-Bay Area Rock the boat-not just the vote! Get involved today! Organizing Meeting Wednesday, October 27 ~ 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM Not in Our Name Office 3945 Opal Street, Oakland (map) At 40th Street, near Broadway - a short walk from Macarthur BART. Come get some paint on your hands! Work Party Sunday, October 31 ~ 10 AM to 2 PM Grassroots House 2022 Blake Street, Berkeley (map) At Shattuck Street - five blocks south of Downtown Berkeley BART. Only a week to go! We need your help to make sure that the upcoming march and rally sends a loud and clear message that the Bay Area says "NO!" to war and repression no matter who wins the election. Volunteers are needed for flyering, phone banking, event logistics, and much more. Come to Wednesday's meeting and/or Sunday's work party, or call 510-601-8000 to get involved today. The Not in Our Name Project needs your support! Donate online donate.notinourname.net Or send your tax-deductible contribution today to: Not in Our Name 3945 Opal Street, Oakland CA 94609 www.notinourname.net phone: 510-601-8000 email: bayarea@notinourname.net local: bayarea.notinourname.net ---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------* 2) SAVE THE DATE !!! SAVE THE DATE !!! SAVE THE DATE !!! JUSTICE FOR CAMMERIN BOYD 6 MONTHS - 5 OFFICERS - NO JUSTICE MARCH ON CITY HALL 4:45 PM, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2004 Meet at Laguna and Larch Street (between Eddie and Turk) in San Francisco - march to San Francisco City Hall Please forward What: Join family and friends of Cammerin Boyd in a march and vigil to mark the six months anniversary of the murder of Cammerin Boyd by San Francisco Police Officers. YOU CAN HELP GET JUSTICE FOR CAMMERIN: SEND A REPLY E-MAIL(malaika@ellabakercenter.org) TO: * Receive fliers to distribute via e-mail or mail * Sign on to the letter calling for a federal investigation into the police department * Let us know you will come to the rally and that you will bring 5 friends with you BACKGROUND ON CAMMERIN BOYD On Wednesday, May 5, San Francisco Police Officers shot and killed 29 year-old Cammerin Boyd in front of dozens of witnesses. Cammerin, who was disabled, was clearly and vocally surrendering. He had his hands above his head, but the police shot him anyway. They stole his life and robbed his daughters of their father, his mother of her son, and his loved ones of a dear friend and relative. For years, SFPD has had a "shoot first, lie later" policy- especially when it comes to black people and disabled people. With no effective investigation or discipline mechanisms, the department has developed a culture of impunity for rogue officers. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH !!!! NO MORE KILLER COPS ON OUR STREETS ---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------* 3) NO ON MEASURE Y - OAKLAND, CA The No on Measure Y campaign is organizing a press conference for 5:30, Thursday, October 28th, and will put the voices of witnesses and victims of police brutality first. The Citizen Police Review Board is holding a public hearing at the Oakland City Hall (14th and Broadway) on the use of tear gas at the Carijama Festival. There are 11 complaints which have been consolidated into this hearing. Come and support police accountability and No on Meausre Y. E-mail Aaron at ashuman101@aol.com for more info. To see the agenda for the Civilian Police Review Board meeting, click here: http://www.oaklandnet.com/government/citizens/cprb_agenda_oct2804.html GET OUT THE VOTE! Saturday, October 30th, we will be walking precincts from 10AM-2PM with Californians for Justice, meet at the CFJ office 1611 Telegraph Ave, Suite 317 at 10AM, near the 19th Street BART Station. They will also be passing out -Yes on Prop 72 (Increased Healthcare Coverage), and Yes on Prop 66 (3 Strikes Amendment), and those of us who agree (I think that's all of us?) will do so as well. 2-6PM We will be phonebanking along with Californians for Justice office (address above) Sunday, October 31st, we will meet at the ACORN office at 3616 Fruitvale Ave at 10AM and go pass out flyers and our cool newspapers at the Dia de los Muertos celebration on International Blvd in Fruitvale- 10s of thousands of people from Oakland go to this festival. 2-6PM we will be phone-banking along with Californians for Justice (address above) Monday, November 1st, we will meet at ACORN's office at 3PM and disperse throughout the city to do rush hour publicity. We will hold up signs at busy intersections and pass out flyers at BARTs. Tuesday, November 2nd,we will meet at ACORN's office at 6:30AM and again at 3PM and disperse throughout the city to do rush hour publicity. We will hold up signs at busy intersections and pass out flyers at BARTs. At noon we will meet up with BayLOC at 14th and Broadway in downtown Oakland (Bay Area Local Organizing Committee of the National HipHop Political Convention) and march to the courthouse where any registered voter in Alameda County can vote. JOIN US TO CELEBRATE!!! Saturday, November 6th - Sunday, November 7th - We're taking a "get-away" at the Point Reyes Youth Hostel, if you want to come hang out with us, go hiking, chill at the beach, this will be FUN trip to celebrate our victories in changing the debate about the role of police in making us safer and hopefully in defeating Measure Y! If you want to go e-mail Jonah at jzern1@yahoo.com your phone # in the e-mail!! It is $16 for the night at the hostel, so by confirming we're expecting you'll cover this expense even if you have to bail on the trip. NO ON MEASURE Y! NO MORE COPS!!!! http://noonmeasurey.org Education not Incarceration Coalition http://www.ednotinc.org KPFA: http://www.kpfa.org/ Military Out of Our Schools!! http://www.militaryfreeschools.org Proyecto Linguistico http://www.hermandad.com Fast for Education http://www.fast4education.org Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - CNET Editors' Choice 2004. Tell them what you think ---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------* 4) The Islamic Society of San Francisco Invites you to a break the fast (Iftar) Ramadan Dinner please forward widely Friday, October 29 Time: 5:00 PM: Reception Breaking of fast followed by Delicious spicy Dinner The Islamic Society of San Francisco Invites you to a break the fast (Iftar) Ramadan Dinner To help develop better communications, friendship, trust and relationships. We encourage dialogue among religions so that religions can rely on each other and not fight with each other. So that we can jointly take on projects of building peace and tranquility among the American Muslims and people of other faiths. We believe in cooperation and understanding to build a better America & the world. The civilized people use the strength of their arguments to win hearts and minds, the uncivilized use force... Sufi Master When: Friday, October 29 Time: 5:00 PM: Reception Sunset: Breaking of fast followed by Delicious spicy Dinner Hello everyone, We are forwarding the following invitation to the Iftar (breaking the fast) dinner at the Islamic Society of SF. We encourage everyone to attend in the name of friendship and solidarity. As we have since BTN was formed several years ago, we stand in solidarity with all our Arab, Muslim and South Asian brothers and sisters and in opposition to the detentions, deportations, harassment and other persecutions that these communities have unjustifiably been subjected to as a result of the phony and contrived "war on terror" (and real war for empire). In the latest of the uncountable outrages perpetrated by this government, are the October, "pre-election" deportations, interrogations and FBI snooping.. Participating with the Muslim community at this time is an act of solidarity in the face of this kind of persecution. We hope you will join us in this important event. Ben for the BTN SF The Islamic Society of San Francisco Invites you to a break the fast (Iftar) Ramadan Dinner To help develop better communications, friendship, trust and relationships. We encourage dialogue among religions so that religions can rely on each other and not fight with each other. So that we can jointly take on projects of building peace and tranquility among the American Muslims and people of other faiths. We believe in cooperation and understanding to build a better America & the world. The civilized people use the strength of their arguments to win hearts and minds, the uncivilized use force. Sufi Master When: Friday, October 29 Time: 5:00 PM: Reception Sunset: Breaking of fast followed by Delicious spicy Dinner Islamic Society of San Francisco, 20 Jones Street. San Francisco, CA 94102 RSVP: issf@islamsf.com or Call: Souleiman Ghali 415-215-8929 Umah82@hotmail.com Iftekhar Hai 650-872-2578 American Muslim Voice at samina_faheem@yahoo.com or call 650-387-1994 ---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------* 5) Stop the Eviction of a Blind Senior From: Mecca44@aol.com Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2004 09:44:39 EDT Hope you can all join us for a protest against a big time landlord who is evicting a low-income blind senior. Another SF story. tommi Julie Lee, a longtime anti rent-control activist and political insider, won't stop the Ellis eviction of Jeanette Guest, a longtime tenant who is blind. Nor will Julie Lee heed the calls for her to resign from the Housing Authority. Jeanette is being evicted so Lee "a multi-millionaire landlord" can demolish Jeanette's 3 unit apartment building and replace it with a new 3 unit apartment building, which will not be covered by rent control (pursuant to state law exempting new construction from rent control). Join the SF Tenants Union, Senior Action Network and Religious Witness With Homeless People as we protest Julie Lee at the next Housing Authority meeting Julie Lee Eviction Protest II Thursday, October 28 4 PM SF Housing Authority 440 Turk St ---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------* 6) Special Taking Aim message - Lynne Stewart testimony has begun! Mon, 25 Oct 2004 11:36:41 -0700 From: "Taking Aim" Note from the Lynne Stewart Defense Committee - please try to attend the court proceedings this week if you live in the greater NY area. Your presence sends a strong message to the jury and judge that the world is watching and cares about the outcome of Lynne's case. -- Mya Lynne Stewart will take the stand in her own defense today, October 25th at 2:15. She should be testifying all week please come down to court and show your support. Come and Fill the Courtroom for The Trial of Lynne Stewart United States District Court Southern District of New York 40 Foley Square, New York, NY Rm. 110 (the old federal courthouse) Hon. John G. Koeltl presiding Closest Subways: 4,5 or 6 to Brooklyn Bridge or the A, C or E to Chambers 1 or 2 to Franklin N or R to City Hall For more info go to: http://www.lynnestewart.org/ or call 212-625-9696 ---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------* 7) ANSWER "Adopts" a Local 2 Hotel Weekly Picket on Thursday 4:30  6:30 pm at Crowne Plaza Hotel Until Lock-Out Ends Community Support Urged for Hotel Workers (please post and distribute widely) Four thousand of San FranciscoÂs hotel workers are in an intense struggle to save their health care coverage and pensions. After a 4 week lock-out, the big transnational hotel chains are going all out to break the back of one of the strongest unions in the country. Despite warnings from the SF Board of Supervisors and even Mayor Gavin Newsom, the hotel chains arenÂt budging. The workers represented by UNITE HERE Local 2 have kept 24-hour picket lines outside of 14 of San Francisco's high-end hotels. Labor and community support is needed to show solidarity with these workers and help keep the picket lines going. This labor battle represents the broader struggle to save affordable health benefits for all workers. The fierce fight that the hotel workers are waging to save their health care and other benefits will have a significant effect on the future of all working people in a period when more and more employers are trying to pass off rising health care costs to their workers. ANSWER has "adopted" the Crowne Plaza Hotel picket line on Thursdays from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Please join us this Thursday 10/28! (The Crowne Plaza is in Union Square located at 480 Sutter between Powell & Stockton, a short walk from the Powell St. BART station.) We urge all ANSWER supporters to join us on this day to show our support of the Local 2 workers. If you canÂt make it on Thursdays, please join the picket lines at any of the hotels listed below. You can pick up an ANSWER sign that says: "Health Care is a Right!" and "Support the Hotel Workers" at the office at 2489 Mission St., Rm. 24, San Francisco. ---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------* 8) Protest the U.S.-Led Occupation of HAITI This Haiti Solidarity protest on Thursday will march by several Local 2 pickets at Union Square, including the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Sutter Street, where ANSWER activists will join the picket line. Please show your solidarity with both "Break the Silence!" Tell the Truth About HAITI Take Your ANGER to BUSH and POWELL (Streets) Thursday, October 28 -- Emergency Demonstration 4:30 p.m. Gather at Powell & Market, 5:00 p.m. March on Bush and Powell The Haitian people steadfastly demand the return of President Jean Bertrand Aristide since the culmination of the U.S.-sponsored coup on February 29th. The U.S.-appointed, Latortue government has responded by jailing hundreds of Lavalas supporters, including leading activists and several members of the former government. These political prisoners have been illegally detained for months-- none have been tried. Undaunted, tens of thousands of Lavalas supporters marched in Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitian on September 30 to mark the anniversary of the previous coup from 1991-4. Units from the National Police fired on these peaceful demonstrations while United Nations Âpeacekeepers stood by and did nothing. The next morning, de facto Prime Minister Gerard Latortue boasted at a press conference: "We opened fire on demonstrators; some of them have been killed, others injured, and still others fled. Two days later, three leaders of Lavalas were arrested October 2 at Radio Caraibe after criticizing the interim government on air. On Wednesday, October 13 authorities arrested and roughed-up Father Jean-Juste  a beloved priest, activist and pacifist -- while he served 600 hungry children in his parish. Hundreds more have been arrested and many dozens killed just in the past two weeks. As of October 15, the tenth anniversary of AristideÂs return from the previous coup, the popular neighborhoods such as Cite Soleil and Bel Air were under siege by the police -- augmented by the hated former military, as well as U.N. troops. While these deadly attacks continued, U.S. State Department chief-spokesman Richard Boucher absurdly blamed Lavalas supporters for this state-sponsored violence, calling on their movement to "break with [its] legacy of violence and criminality." The message from the Latortue government is clear: ÂHaitians no longer have human rights. The people of Haiti will not back down. They will defend their neighborhoods. They will not give up their demand to return to the constitutional, elected government under President Aristide. The People of HAITI Need Your SOLIDARITY Now More Than Ever. For More Information, CONTACT the HAITI ACTION COMMITTEE: www.haitiaction.net haitiaction@yahoo.com 510.483.7481 To donate to the ongoing work of ANSWER, or to get involved, call 415-821-6545 or go to www.ANSWERCoalition.org To subscribe to the list, send a message to: To remove your address from the list, just send a message to the address in the ``List-Unsubscribe'' header of any list message. If you haven't changed addresses since subscribing, you can also send a message to: For addition or removal of addresses, We'll send a confirmation message to that address. When you receive it, simply reply to it to complete the transaction. ---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------* 9) TOUR SCHEDULE OF ISAAC SANEY, AUTHOR OF CUBA: A REVOLUTION IN MOTION MENSAJE SOLO PARA MIEMBROS QUE VIVEN EN EL NORTE DE CALIFORNIA, EEUU MESSAGE ONLY FOR LISTSERVE MEMBERS WHO LIVE IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA PALO ALTO Tuesday, October 26 7:30 pm Peninsula Peace & Justice Center 457 Kingsley St. (between Waverly and Cowper) Palo Alto For information contact Paul George, (650)326-8837 SAN JOSE Wednesday, October 27 San Jose State University Martin Luther King Library, Room 255-257 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. Open to Students, Faculty, Community Price: Free For information contact Kathleen Densmore kmdensmo@pacbell.net phone (408)92403750, (415)441-7670 SANTA CRUZ Wednesday October 27 5 - 6:30 Stevenson College Fireside Lounge, University of California, Santa Cruz 7-9pm Next Door-Rio Theatre 1205 Soquel Avenue Santa Cruz $5 admission sponsored by Cuba Study Group info: Nancy Abbey nabbey@cruzio.com phone (831) 465-8272 OAKLAND Thursday, October 28 6:30 pm The Eastside Arts Alliance 2587 International Blvd. (between 25th & 26th Avenues) Oakland phone :510-533-6629 Panel: Isaac Saney-author, Cuba, A Revolution in Motion Kali Akuno- Malcolm X Grassroots Movement Ana Perez -Global Exchange Cuba Program Moderated by Phil Hutchings -Oakland-Santiago de Cuba Sister City SAN FRANCISCO Saturday, October 30 2 pm Modern Times Book Store 888 Valencia St. SF (Talk, book signing) Info: 415-282-9246 Saturday October 30 6 pm RECEPTION followed by 7:30 pm talk, Q&A and book-signing at Socialist Action Book Store 298 Valencia Street (at 14th St.) SF Contact Jeff Mackler (415)255-1080 OAKLAND - BERKELEY Sunday, October 31 1 - 4 pm Grand Finale of Isaac Saney's Bay Area Speaking Tour and Introduction to the Casa Cuba Resource Center at the Niebyl Proctor Marxist Library (NPML) 6501 Telegraph Ave (between Alcatraz and 65th) ---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------* 10) ONE MONTH UNTIL THOUSANDS GATHER AT FORT BENNING TO CLOSE THE SOA / WHINSEC! SOA Watch Update October 26, 2004 "We must learn that when we oppose torture against others, we oppose it for ourselves, for the borders are closer than we think. Remember Abner Louima, Rodney King, Delbert Africa, people beaten and brutalized right before your eyes. Remember Archbishop Romero, the nuns raped and murdered in El Salvador by graduates of the SOA. Your tax dollars at work." -- Mumia Abu-Jamal, journalist and political prisoner, summer 2004 SOA Watch Update October 26, 2004 ONE MONTH UNTIL THOUSANDS GATHER AT FORT BENNING TO CLOSE THE SOA / WHINSEC! >From our victory in the 11th Circuit Court to the stories we are hearing from all over the country of local groups organizing in bigger and bigger numbers, this yearÂs convergence at the gates of Fort Benning is shaping up to be our biggest and most exciting yet! Once again we have an amazing line up of dynamic speakers and rousing musicians who will grace our stage this November 20 and 21. This year we are proud to welcome such individuals as Ruby Sales, prominent civil rights activist from Columbus, Georgia; Carlos Mauricio and Neris Gonzalez, torture survivors and plaintiffs in the successful lawsuit against Salvadoran generals now living in the US; Betita Martinez, long time Chicana activist and historian; Bob King, vice president of the United Auto Workers; Sr. Dianna Ortiz, founder of Torture Abolition Survivors and Support Coalition International and MANY MORE. We are also happy to welcome back many of the long-time musicians that have been an essential part of our November presence, including Charlie King and Karen Brandow, The Chestnut Brothers, Pat Humphries and Sandy Opatow, Francisco Herrera, Jon Fromer, David Rovics and Llajtasuyo. Newcomers to the stage this year include Kim and Reggie Harris, Utah Phillips and Chicago-based ska/reggae band Los Vicios de Papá. See the schedule of events here: http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=822 . Check back often as this schedule will be regularly updated as we get closer to the vigil dates. To see these musicians and speakers, to hold a sign demanding the closure of the SOA/ WHINSEC, to participate in the funeral procession -- you WILL NOT have to pass through a metal detector or a police search this year, thanks to the ruling of the 11th Circuit Court on October 15. Visit http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=920 for more information on the ruling and links to media coverage of this great Constitutional victory. How YOU can continue to organize for the November vigil: ORGANIZE Buses and Vans to travel to Georgia and post your transportation information on the SOA Watch Ride Board at http://www.soaw.org/new/ride.php . RESERVE hotel rooms in Georgia for your friends and yourself. Visit the SOA Watch website for logistical information: http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=763 . DOWNLOAD flyers to promote the vigil at http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=763 . Continue to spread the word in your community and fill up those vans and buses! DONATE NOW to support the growing costs of the vigil - every dollars helps. Visit http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=546 . SOA Watch ~ PO Box 4566 ~ Washington DC 20017 ~ (202)234-3440 ~ http://www.soaw.org/ Search /RENEGADE/ for articles that mention the School of the Americas - http://fornits.com/renegade/peaars.cgi?keywords=School+Americas&how=all Search /RENEGADE/ for articles that mention human rights - http://fornits.com/renegade/peaars.cgi?keywords=human+rights&how=phrase /RENEGADE/ Search - GO TO: http://fornits.com/renegade/peaars.cgi? and just type in your topic. For differing results you may uncheck "article" and search on just "subject," etc. /RENEGADE/ also has "time-frame" in the search, so you can tailor your results that way, too. For more information about the School of the Americas and SOA Watch, see: http://www.soaw.org/ or send email to info@soaw.org ---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------* 11) U.S. considers ways to increase troops in Iraq for vote By Tom Squitieri, WASHINGTON USA TODAY http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-10-25-troops-increase_x.htm WASHINGTON - Concerned that they won't get enough new troops from allies to help provide security for Iraqi elections in January, Pentagon officials are considering increasing the current U.S. force by delaying the departures of some U.S. troops now in Iraq and accelerating the deployment of others scheduled to go there next year. The goal is to temporarily raise the number of U.S. troops in Iraq from the current 138,000 to almost 160,000 to help protect international and Iraqi election workers and secure polling locations. That addition would bring the sustained U.S. troop presence in Iraq to its highest level since President Bush declared an end to major combat operations on May 1, 2003. Defense officials were reluctant to discuss the options on the record. But Capt. Harold Pittman, a spokesman for Gen. John Abizaid, the commander of Central Command, said, "Obviously, we are looking at all of those options and taking everything into account. ... There are a lot of options, possibilities and venues on the table to provide additional security during the election time frame." Four Defense officials with direct knowledge of troop planning for Iraq discussed what the Pentagon must do to meet the need for more troops at election time. They asked not to be identified because troop matters are highly sensitive and decisions have not yet been finalized. Abizaid said in September that he would need more forces to secure the elections, but hoped they could be Iraqis or foreign troops. The Pentagon has been unable to persuade allies to send enough new forces, and U.S. commanders have so far been unable to train enough Iraqi troops to fill the gap. The easiest option, the Defense officials said, is to delay the departure from Iraq of the 1st Cavalry Division, which is set to begin leaving in January. At the same time, the Pentagon would move up the deployment of some elements of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division. The other options include using U.S. troops now being held in reserve in Kuwait or deploying elements of the Army's 82nd Airborne, which helped provide security for the elections in Afghanistan earlier this month, the officials said. The White House declined to discuss troop options. "The president will make sure that the commander and the troops in the field have what they need to win in Iraq," said Sean McCormack, a spokesman for the White House's National Security Council. A final decision will be made no later than December after U.S. Army Gen. George Casey, overall commander in Iraq, and Army Maj. Gen. David Petraeus, who is in charge of training Iraqi forces, go through a series of "decision points" to gauge if additional Iraqi forces are sufficiently trained and equipped and what mix of additional U.S. forces will be necessary, the Defense officials said. ---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------* 12) British Troops Head North for Mission Near Baghdad By Alistair Lyon BAGHDAD (Reuters) Wed Oct 27, 2004 09:08 AM ET http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6628503&src=eD ialog/GetContent§ion=news BAGHDAD (Reuters) - British troops rolled north from Basra Wednesday to take over a deadly area near Baghdad and free up U.S. troops for a widely expected attack on Falluja. "The deployment has begun," a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense told Reuters in London. "For operational reasons I can give no further details. But they will be back for Christmas." A British column with Warrior armored vehicles on flatbed trucks headed north, a Reuters photographer said. The Warriors were fitted with extra slat armor to deflect rocket-propelled grenades -- a weapon of choice for Iraqi insurgents. About 850 British troops, mainly from the Black Watch regiment, are due to deploy in a restive region just south of Baghdad, allowing U.S. troops to reinforce units fighting insurgents in rebel-held Falluja and elsewhere. U.S. forces would spearhead any assault on the Sunni Muslim city, which Iraq's interim government has vowed to retake before nationwide elections planned for January. The Iraqi government believes pacifying Falluja would help contain relentless suicide car bombings and abductions. Kidnappers have seized scores of foreigners since April in a campaign to try and force U.S.-led troops and foreign workers to leave Iraq. More than 35 hostages have been killed. The Paris-based aid group Action contre la Faim said it was withdrawing its staff from Iraq due to security concerns, adding that aid activities by U.S.-led forces made it hard for charities to appear impartial. The group's announcement late Tuesday came just a week after unknown kidnappers seized British-Iraqi aid worker Margaret Hassan. Her employer, aid agency Care International, suspended its work in Iraq after the hostage-taking. "Like many other organizations, Action contre la Faim is now forced to leave a country in agony -- mainly due to permanent insecurity," the group said in a statement. A suspected motorcycle bomb attack on a U.S. convoy killed a soldier and wounded another north of Baghdad, the military said. That fatality raised the U.S. combat death to 847 since the start of last year's war to topple Saddam Hussein. U.S. officials said the Pentagon might increase U.S. forces in Iraq for the election period by delaying the departure of some troops and speeding the arrival of others. Hundreds of Falluja families have already left the city for safety. Local leaders said they would travel to Baghdad to renew on-off peace talks with the government Wednesday. The government has vowed to unleash military action unless the people of Falluja hand over foreign militants led by al Qaeda ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, said to operate in the city. Zarqawi's feared Islamist group threatened Tuesday to behead a Japanese hostage unless Tokyo pulls its 550 troops out of Iraq within 48 hours. Japan rejected the demand. The Qaeda Organization for Holy War in Iraq said in a video placed on the Internet that unless Japan complied "this infidel will meet the same fate as Berg ... and the other infidels" -- a reference to American Nick Berg, who was beheaded in May, and five other hostages killed by Zarqawi's recently renamed group. HOSTAGE VIDEO Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who sent troops to Iraq despite public opposition, stood firm Wednesday. "We cannot tolerate terrorism and we will not give in to terrorism," he said. "We will not withdraw the Self-Defense Force (SDF)," he added, referring to the Japanese military. The video showed the hostage, identified as Shosei Koda, 24, with long hair and a thin beard, seated in front of three masked men and a black banner bearing the group's name. "They want the Japanese government and Prime Minister Koizumi to withdraw Japanese troops from Iraq or they will cut my head (off)," Koda said in English. As one militant read out a statement, another grabbed Koda by the hair and pulled his head up to face the camera. Japan's non-combat troops work on reconstruction in Samawa, 270 km (168 miles) south of Baghdad. It was not clear what Koda was doing in Iraq. His family said he was traveling abroad. Militants abducted five Japanese civilians in Iraq in April and threatened to kill three unless Japanese troops left. In July, the Philippines withdrew its 50 troops to save a Filipino hostage under a similar death threat. Interim Defense Minister Hazim al-Shaalan said a security breach in the Iraqi National Guard may have led to a weekend massacre of 49 army recruits that Zarqawi's group claimed. "I don't rule out infiltration inside the National Guard, he told London-based Asharq al-Awsat daily, adding that there could have been spies within the recruits' training camp. (c) Copyright Reuters 2004 ---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------* 13) INSURGENTS Military Assault in Falluja Is Likely, U.S. Officers Say By ERIC SCHMITT CAMP FALLUJA, Iraq October 27, 2004 http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/27/international/middleeast/27marines.html?hp &ex=1098936000&en=c904464482078c63&ei=5094&partner=homepage CAMP FALLUJA, Iraq, Oct. 22 - A military offensive by American and Iraqi forces to reclaim rebel-held Falluja is probably inevitable and would be the largest and potentially the riskiest since the end of major combat in May 2003, senior American officers say. It would also involve major operations to seize control of Ramadi, another contested Sunni Muslim city 30 miles away, and to shut Syrian border crossings to prevent foreign fighters from streaming into Iraq, Marine commanders here say. This expanded set of combat operations reflects a growing consensus among American military commanders and Iraqi government officials that the insurgencies in the two nearby cities are linked and must be quelled at the same time. The timing and decision to carry out any attacks or close any border crossings is up to the prime minister, Ayad Allawi, senior Marine officers say. But as peace negotiations with representatives of Falluja have broken down, senior officers say it could be just weeks before air and ground attacks begin, in a battle that officers estimate could last from several days to two weeks. "If we're told to go, it'll be decisive," Lt. Gen. John F. Sattler, the commander of nearly 40,000 marines and soldiers in western and south-central Iraq, said in an interview. "The goal will be to limit the damage, limit the casualties and do it as rapidly and decisively as possible. We're not here to destroy the town. We're here to give it back." The issue extends far beyond Falluja and Ramadi. Military officials said smashing the resistance there would deal a blow to the insurgency nationally, because Falluja in particular has been a haven and staging ground for attacks. Defeating insurgents there could help to calm the nation and set the conditions for elections, commanders say. Senior officers say they are mindful that an attack on Falluja and Ramadi could set off uprisings in other Sunni towns and possibly in Sadr City, an impoverished Shiite area of Baghdad that exploded in violence during the revolts in April. But military officers say they are planning for such contingencies. Several important military and political decisions remain to be made before any attack, officers said. Britain is redeploying about 850 troops from Basra to an area south of Baghdad to free up American forces to swing into position near Falluja. Iraqi security forces have not yet moved into position, though General Sattler said that would happen quickly once the order is given. A last-minute settlement also is possible, as has happened before at Falluja. Commanders here insist that the planning and timing for any possible offensive has not been influenced by the American elections on Nov. 2 and that political issues have not come up in discussions with their military and civilian superiors in Baghdad or at the Pentagon. In interviews at this dusty desert headquarters three miles east of Falluja and at other military headquarters in Iraq, commanders sketched out a broad outline for how the offensive would probably unfold. They declined to discuss specific troop numbers, tactics and important political and military decision points to protect operational security. But thousands of marines and soldiers, joined by thousands of newly trained and equipped Iraqi soldiers, police officers and commandos, would attack Falluja from multiple directions, unleashing direct tank, artillery and mortar fire against insurgent positions that had been weakened by allied airstrikes and internecine fighting in recent weeks. A great number of residents have fled the city in recent weeks, but thousands of insurgents remain, along with vestiges of the population. While keeping the city out of government control, the insurgents have also orchestrated attacks across much of Iraq. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian militant who is believed to have organized attacks that have killed hundreds in Iraq from his base in Falluja, is of primary interest to the Americans. In the battle of Samarra last month, 3,000 American troops and 2,000 Iraqis fought roughly 500 insurgents. Officers estimated that perhaps three to four times that number of hard-core insurgents are in Falluja, meaning that an American-Iraqi force much larger than 5,000 troops is likely to be massed. As in allied operations in Najaf and Samarra, Iraqi forces would be relied on to clear and secure mosques and other culturally sensitive targets, with marines and soldiers providing backup. "We'll match capabilities with the mission to have an appropriate blend" of Iraqi and American forces, said Col. John Coleman, the First Marine Expeditionary Force chief of staff. Allied warplanes including Navy FA-18's and Air Force F-16's and F-15E's would conduct air strikes against insurgent safe houses, weapons caches and other leadership targets that have been carefully analyzed for possible damage to civilian infrastructure. The bombing would be an intensified version of the nearly nightly strikes the Americans have conducted in Falluja for the past two months but would not be a huge barrage, the commanders say. The weapons of choice have been laser-guided and satellite-guided 500-pound bombs, which are considered better able to limit the risk of civilian casualties than 1,000-pound and 2,000-pound bombs. Commanders say the offensive would get off to a fast start, but the insurgents are likely to respond with roadside bombs and car bombs to slow it, and could try to initiate popular outbursts in nearby Sunni towns. Commanders also say the air campaign in Falluja has been largely directed against the network of Mr. Zarqawi, who is considered so dangerous that the Americans have put a $25 million bounty on him. Using information from informants, spy satellites, communications intercepts and other intelligence sources, commanders have assembled a target list that will change as sites are hit, checked and hit again during battle, or added based on fresh intelligence. Military engineers and civil affairs specialists would follow quickly behind the main combat force, with the job of assessing how to restore services like water, sanitation and electricity, and of assigning contractors or military experts to the task. General Sattler said he and his commanders were not in a rush to storm the city, contending that recent airstrikes have killed many of Mr. Zarqawi's top lieutenants and have seriously disrupted the operations of another Sunni militant leader, Omar Hadid. The insurgent leaders are wary of meeting in groups and have been forced to use couriers and trusted aides to pass messages, fearing that their telephone conversations would be monitored, General Sattler said. Indeed, American forces believe that they have come very close to killing or capturing Mr. Hadid at least twice, the general said. Mr. Zarqawi has been able to keep his leadership ranks filled but is no longer able to plot with his most trusted aides, officers said. "They are replaced by the second string and sometimes the third string," said General Sattler, who commands the First Marine Expeditionary Force. "It's a downward spiral for his organization." Checkpoints on the main roads leading in and out of Falluja have also disrupted the insurgents' operations, commanders said. Nearly 100 people have been detained in a recent seven-day period at temporary barriers, which typically are created for an hour or two. Many of the detainees are still in American custody. In one car that was searched, American troops found rocket-propelled grenades in the trunk; in another, they found $80,000 in crisp $100 and $50 bills. But the insurgents are not giving up easily, commanders acknowledge. Car bombings and suicide attacks have increased here and in Baghdad. Mortar and artillery attacks against American troops and bases have increased, especially since the start of Ramadan in mid-October. An offensive on Falluja would be conducted nearly at the same time as parallel military operations, or possibly political negotiations, in Ramadi, the restive capital of Al Anbar Province, just 30 miles west of Falluja, General Sattler said. Insurgents, including leaders like Muhammad Daham, have seized control of most of the city from the local Iraqi police and municipal officials using a campaign of intimidation, officers said. Although marines are present in Ramadi, the city has become increasingly violent. To keep foreign fighters from joining the battles, General Sattler said, he is considering having military-aged men prevented from crossing into Iraq from Syria at the main border crossings unless they can show they have official business in Iraq. Dr. Allawi would decide that. Senior marines said Syria's recent agreement with Iraq to police its borders had yielded results. "Cooperation has actually risen," said Col. Ron Makuta, the chief intelligence officer for the Marines in Iraq. Copyright 2004 The New York Times ---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------* 14) Iraq's Prime Minister Faults U.S. Military in Massacre By EDWARD WONG BAGHDAD, Iraq, Oct. 26 http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/27/international/middleeast/27iraq.html?oref= login BAGHDAD, Iraq, Oct. 26 - Prime Minister Ayad Allawi blamed the American-led military forces on Tuesday for the weekend massacre of 49 freshly trained Iraqi soldiers, saying the military had shown "major negligence." In a speech before the interim National Assembly, the prime minister said a committee had begun investigating the ambush, the deadliest of the guerrilla war. The assault took place Saturday night in remote eastern Iraq, as three minibuses of unarmed Iraqi soldiers were heading south on leave. Insurgents dressed as policemen waylaid the men at a fake checkpoint, killed all 49 soldiers and their three civilian drivers, mostly with shots to their heads, and burned the vehicles. "I think there was major negligence by the multinational forces," Dr. Allawi said before the 100-member assembly. "It was a way to damage Iraq and the Iraqi people." The massacre took place in an area of the country under the command of Polish forces. Dr. Allawi did not elaborate on his statement, and his aides could not be reached by phone for further comment. The prime minister's lacerating words marked the first time he has publicly criticized the American-led forces, disclosing his profound frustration at the assault and perhaps the deteriorating security situation as well. The American military defended itself in a statement released Tuesday evening. "This was a cold-blooded and systematic massacre by terrorists," the statement read. "They and no one else must be held fully accountable for these heinous acts." An American military official said the ambushed soldiers were members of the 16th Iraqi Army Battalion, Seventh Iraqi Army Brigade, and not of the Iraqi National Guard, as had been widely reported. They had left the main Iraqi Army training base in Kirkush, northeast of Baghdad, about 15 miles from the Iranian border. They were ambushed on an isolated road southeast of Baghdad, he said, not far from the border. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said officers in his United States Army division, which has trained Iraqi national guardsmen, were baffled by the utter lack of protection given the Iraqi soldiers. He said when Iraqi guardsmen under his division's watch go on leave, they are sent off in armored convoys bristling with heavy guns. "We provide the gun trucks and protection, like when we go out ourselves," he said. "There's a lot of people stunned by this," he added. "There's a lot of people scratching their heads. It's a strange one." Capt. Steven Alvarez, a spokesman for Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus, whose command includes the Kirkush base, said in an e-mail message that the general was deferring all comment to the main military press office. The relentless assault on Iraqi security forces continued Tuesday, as a militant group called the Army of Ansar al-Sunna posted photos on the Internet showing that it had captured 11 Iraqi security officers. A message on the Web site said the insurgents had snatched the "infidels" of the "crusaders' militia" on a road between Baghdad and Hilla, about 50 miles south, where the men were apparently on patrol. The posting said the hostages were national guardsmen and part of an outfit called the Legion Security Force. In the photos, some of the guardsmen look frightened, sitting in a dirt pit at the feet of three guerrillas wearing black ski masks and brandishing AK-47's. Most of the hostages have on white T-shirts with "LSF," for "Legion Security Force," emblazoned across the chests. Two are wearing the brown camouflage uniforms of Iraqi national guardsmen, and one has on a plain khaki uniform with a blue "LSF" armband. [Early Wednesday, the television network Al Jazeera reported that an Internet videotape posted on a militant Islamist Web site threatened to behead a Japanese man taken hostage if Japanese forces were not removed within 48 hours, The Associated Press reported. It was not clear if the man, who was shown explaining the kidnappers' demands, was a member of the Japanese forces or was working with them, the agency reported. [There was no confirmation of anyone missing from Japan's forces, but in Tokyo, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told the chief cabinet secretary that Japanese troops would not pull out, Agence France-Presse reported, quoting a spokesman for Mr. Koizumi.] The Army of Ansar al-Sunna has claimed responsibility for several prominent killings in recent months, including the executions of a dozen Nepalese in August. It is an offshoot of Ansar al-Islam, whose mountain redoubt in northern Iraq was overrun by American Special Forces troops and Kurdish militiamen when the war began. It has proven to be one of the most extreme groups operating in Iraq and is suspected in many beheadings. The capture of the 11 guardsmen, the massacre on Saturday and numerous other attacks have shown the weak state of the Iraqi security forces, despite President Bush's assertion that local police officers and soldiers will soon be able to take over security duties from the 138,000 American troops here. An Iraqi national security aide said Monday that 5 percent of the Iraqi forces might be infiltrated by insurgents, and American troops regularly say Iraqi police officers and guardsmen are either worthless as fighters or working with insurgents. Western reporters also frequently encounter Iraqi security officers who say they are ready to take up arms against the occupation forces. The guerrillas who staged the ambush on Saturday probably had inside information on the movements of the soldiers, Iraqi officials have said. The interior minister, Falah al-Naqib, also appeared before the National Assembly on Tuesday and said the government was starting to remove police officers deemed to be bad workers. "Some of them are lazy," he said. "They came just for the sake of making a salary or earning a living. We have a real unemployment problem." In interviews, Iraqi police officers almost invariably cite the lack of jobs as the main reason they joined the security forces, despite the dangers. The nationwide unemployment rate is about 60 percent. The average police officer makes more than $220 a month, a solid middle-class income in this society. If the men are turned away from security jobs or fired, Mr. Naqib said, then insurgents will recruit them and pay them even more. Several recent prominent arrests have exposed potential senior-level corruption among the security forces. Last month, the First Infantry Division arrested a senior commander of the Iraqi National Guard in Diyala Province, where the Kirkush base is situated, accusing him of having ties to the insurgency. In August, marines arrested the police chief of rebellious Al Anbar Province on charges of corruption. Copyright 2004 The New York Times ---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------* 15) Guerilla attacks increase as US forces continue air raids against Fallujah WSWS :News & Analysis :Middle East :Iraq By James Cogan 27 October 2004 http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/oct2004/fall-o27.shtml American-led occupation forces are confronting a surge in Iraqi guerilla activity in the predominantly Sunni Muslim regions of the country. Attacks on the occupation have increased by as much as 30 percent in the last two weeks, with between 80 and 100 taking place each day. The escalation in resistance is taking place amidst an offensive by the American military, particularly against the city of Fallujah in Anbar province, one of the main centres of opposition to the US invasion and occupation of Iraq. Several thousand US marines have Fallujah under siege and it is being bombarded by air strikes every day. Iraqi defenders and American troops are skirmishing on the city outskirts, while tens of thousands of people have been turned into refugees, fleeing the city to escape the American bombing and shelling. Dozens of civilians-including women and children-have been killed or maimed this month alone. According to witnesses interviewed by the Arab cable network Al Jazeerah, US tanks shelled Fallujah's main al-Mathidi mosque on Monday, as fighters and civilians left the evening prayer service. The plight of Fallujah, and the criminal conduct of the US military, has fueled mounting resistance against the occupation. In the northern city of Mosul, two contract truck drivers transporting supplies for the American military were killed in an ambush on Saturday. On Monday, car bombs exploded outside government and police offices in the same city, killing a tribal leader working for the occupation and wounding a number of guards. The head of the local police only narrowly escaped death. On Tuesday, an American convoy was hit by multiple roadside bombs. Iraqi interim president Ghazi Ajil al-Yawar specifically warned earlier this month that there could be an eruption of unrest in Mosul if Fallujah were stormed. With close to three million people, it is the most populated Sunni Muslim city in Iraq. A video aired over the weekend showed an Iraqi who worked for the US military in the city being executed by masked men. Before being killed he was forced to state: "I am telling anybody who wants to work for the Americans, not to work for them. The mujaheddin have very accurate information." There are ample indications that resistance groups have thoroughly infiltrated the Iraqi government, along with the military and police institutions created by the occupation since the invasion. The timing and coordination of many ambushes suggest prior knowledge of the movement of occupation forces. On two occasions this month, mortar attacks have been carried out on buildings as they were being visited by US-installed Iraqi interim prime minister Iyad Allawi. On Saturday, insurgents reportedly dressed in Iraqi army uniforms used a fake checkpoint 95 kilometres east of Baghdad, in Diyala province, to stop three buses carrying around 50 unarmed US-recruited Iraqi national guardsmen. The interim government troops were taken from the vehicles and summarily executed as collaborators. The deputy governor of the province told the media: "There was probably collusion among the soldiers or other groups. Otherwise, the gunmen would not have gotten the information about the soldiers' departure from their training camp and that they were unarmed." In nearby Baqubah, guerillas attacked a US base on Tuesday and fought street battles with American troops. Iraqi national guard posts in the city have been attacked with car bombs for four consecutive days. At least 14 guardsmen have been wounded. In Baghdad, six US soldiers were wounded on Saturday in a dawn ambush as their convoy traveled to the airport. A roadside bomb set one of the American armoured vehicles ablaze. On Sunday, "Camp Victory", a major US base near the airport, was mortared. Ed Seitz, an agent with the US Bureau of Diplomatic Security, was killed and an unspecified number of people wounded. A car bomb exploded as a US patrol passed near the infamous Abu Ghraib prison, causing unknown casualties. According to Al Jazeerah, a massive bomb on the Kharnabat bridge in western Baghdad severely damaged an American tank. Before it could be salvaged, the tank reportedly fell into the Tigris River. The attacks continued on Monday. One US soldier was killed and five wounded by a roadside bomb in the west of the city. An explosion ripped through a market as an Estonian patrol passed by, killing one of the Estonian troops and wounding five. A car bomb exploded near the Australian embassy, hitting an Australian convoy just minutes after it had left the embassy and hurling one of the armoured vehicles off the road. Three Iraqi bystanders were killed and 13 wounded, while three Australian soldiers suffered injuries. In the Shiite city of Karbala, a car bomb killed a Bulgarian soldier and wounded two others on Sunday. This means that six Bulgarian troops have now been killed in Iraq. In British-controlled Basra, a police station was car-bombed over the weekend. Also in the south of Iraq, insurgents fired a rocket into the middle of the heavily fortified Japanese camp outside the town of Samawah. The rocket had no fuse and therefore did not explode. But it has been taken as a signal that Japanese troops can be targeted. A video released yesterday in the name of Al Qaeda-aligned terrorist Abu Musaab al-Zarqawi alleged that a Japanese citizen in Iraq is being held hostage and will be beheaded if the Japanese government does not agree to withdraw its forces. Fighting is continuing in Samarra, which was subjected to a bloody US assault in September and is still under curfew. A car bomb on Saturday reportedly killed four national guardsmen, while clashes took place on Sunday between guerillas and US troops in the city's suburbs. Two children were killed in the cross-fire. On Monday, an American vehicle was damaged by a roadside bomb. Guerillas have also launched attacks in recent days in Anbar province, the region surrounding Fallujah. On Saturday, a car bomb exploded outside a US base in the town of Baghdadi, near the provincial capital of Ramadi. At least 16 Iraqi police were killed and 40 other people injured. Another US base outside Ramadi was bombed on Monday and a convoy car-bombed near the town of Khaldiya. Two US convoys were hit by roadside bombs yesterday. The intensity of the fighting occurring in the vicinity of Ramadi was underscored by an article in the New York Times on October 21. The Second Battalion, Fifth Marine Regiment, was deployed to the city in early September. In just six weeks, six of its personnel have been killed and 72 wounded. A sergeant told the newspaper: "They [the guerillas] know we're here; they know what we do; they know our routine. We're used to coming in [and] blowing stuff up. Now we wait to get hit." Roadside bombs have been found every 500 to 600 metres along major roads traveled by the marines. A young marine told the Times : "This is Vietnam. I don't even know why we're over here fighting. We're fighting for survival. The Iraqis don't want us here. If they wanted us here, they'd help us. They're certainly not helping us in this city." A 21-year-old marine from Nashville, Tennessee, said: "The funny thing that we laugh at sometimes is that the terrorists and us want the same thing. We don't want to be here and they don't want us here." In Fallujah, the US military is continuing to build up its forces for a full-scale assault. British troops of the Black Watch Regiment have begun moving into position around the town of Iskandariyah, relieving US marines to redeploy to Anbar province. As the prospect of a US entry into the city draws closer, Moqtada al-Sadr, the leader of the Shiite uprising that has flared on and off since April, broke weeks of silence on Saturday and declared his support for the resistance fighters in Fallujah. A spokesman for Sadr told the press he was only offering "moral support" at this stage and not calling for his Mahdi Army militiamen to take up arms. The main Sunni religious body, the Association of Muslim Scholars, however, has issued a call for a boycott of the elections being planned for January 2005 and is warning of a massive backlash from the Sunni population unless the occupation forces halt the offensive on Fallujah. A statement endorsed at a conference of 200 clerics last week was released on Sunday. The group's spokesman, Mohammed al-Faidhi, declared: "In the event that Fallujah is invaded or if it continues to be struck by planes, the clerics of Iraq will call on Iraqis to boycott the elections. This condition has already been breached as occupation forces have struck the town since the conference and it is now possible to take this decision. A follow-up committee will meet and announce this decision at the appropriate time... "We will consider the [election] results null and void. Elections that come with the blood of Iraqis, the burning of their properties and the killing of their women and children, are a farce that does not deserve respect." Copyright 1998-2004 World Socialist Web Site www.wsws.org All rights reserved ---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------* 16) Congo war's 40,000 rape victims face HIV epidemic By Meera Selva in Nairobi 27 October 2004 http://news.independent.co.uk/world/africa/story.jsp?story=576395 More than 40,000 women and girls were raped by soldiers and used as sex slaves in the six-year civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and desperately need medical care, according to a report released yesterday. Amnesty International said soldiers from more than 20 armed groups, and government soldiers from the DRC, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda had taken part in the attacks, some on girls as young as five. Even soldiers from the UN peacekeeping mission, Monuc, are under investigation for sexual abuse. In some cases, militias have kept women for several months and attacked them repeatedly. Floriane, 21, was abducted from the forest and held in captivity by a militia from 2001 to 2004. "It was terrible. They used to beat me on my arms with an iron bar, just like an animal. I can't move my arm now. As we were considered sex slaves, sometimes as many as five soldiers would rape me, and I became pregnant. It was a very difficult birth, because I gave birth in the bush. The soldiers wouldn't let me go and the very day I gave birth, several soldiers raped me," she told Amnesty. The human rights group said the problem had been exacerbated by the fact that the DRC's one-year-old transitional government has been indifferent to the problem of sexual violence and had made no attempts to arrest or imprison rapists. It added that the government, headed by President Joseph Kabila, had been "far too slow" in setting up medical care and counselling to help the rape victims, who were usually also tortured. There are only two hospitals that can treat rape victims in the eastern Congo, where most of the fighting has taken place. Most of the treatment for rape victims has been provided by humanitarian aid agencies rather than the government, and even the agencies warn that they are not able to reach all the people who need help. Médecins Sans Frontières estimates that in some regions, it is helping only 5 per cent of women who have been sexually abused. In many cases, women were raped as they walked to medical centres to seek treatment. Health groups warn that the rapes have caused a massive increase in the rate of HIV/Aids infection. More than 20 per cent of the population in eastern Congo is estimated to be infected, and more than half of the population could catch the virus within the next 10 years, making the rate of infection one of the highest in the world. As militias and soldiers from neighbouring countries move back home, they will spread the infection. Stephen Bowen, Amnesty International's campaigns director, said: "Rape in eastern DRC is a human rights and a health crisis. Countless women and girls are in desperate need of treatment but no organised or comprehensive response has been developed to assist them." Many of the victims have since been abandoned by their husbands and shunned by their communities. Soldiers from the Burundian FDD militia raped Eki, 50, in February 2003 while her husband was out fishing. She said: "The soldiers wanted money and when I told them I had no money, they slapped me and threw me to the ground. And there, in front of the children, two soldiers each held one of my legs, another slapped my face while a fourth soldier raped me. When my husband returned he accused me of being an FDD woman and abandoned me, leaving me alone with the children." The six-year war in the DRC began after Rwanda invaded the north and east of the country, saying it wanted to flush out Hutu militias who fled to the DRC after the Rwandan genocide. More than three and a half million people have died of violence, starvation and disease, and the armies of seven foreign countries have been involved in the fighting. A peace agreement was signed last year, but there have since been two attempted coups and militias continue to attack and rape civilians. (c) 2004 Independent Digital (UK) Ltd ---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------* 17) Get well, Fidel! On Wednesday, October 20, 2004, Fidel Castro tripped and fell after giving a speech, injuring his knee and arm. On Thursday, October 21, 2004. the government of the United States publicly refused the common courtesy of wishing the Cuban leader a speedy recovery! (See State Department transcript provided below.) In June 2004, when U.S. President Ronald Reagan died, the Cuban government publicly declared: "President Ronald Reagan was a tenacious opponent of the Cuban Revolution, but Cuban revolutionaries possess a sense of ethics and honor that is incompatible with the idea of issuing critical judgements or attacks at what is a moment of profound sorrow for his family. That has been and will always be the conduct of the Cuban people and leadership." Ministry of Foreign Affairs Havana, June 10, 2004 If you agree that, regardless of political differences common courtesy would have been to wish Cuba's Fidel a speedy recovery, send him a message: getwellfidel@hotmail.com (There is a Cuban saying "lo cortes no quita lo valiente." It means that one can have courtesy and courage at the same time.) http://www.danheller.com/cuba-flowers.html Boucher's Sour Mouthings October 23, 2004 Granma Daily and Juventud Rebelde daily Nothing is as common for the government in Washington as ignorance, charlatanism and lack of scruples. It's very unlikely that the people there even know of the saying coined by the famous writer George Bernard Shaw that "Hatred is the vengeance of a frightened coward". This observation by the Nobel Prize winner for literature mirrors the behavior of US State Department spokesperson, Richard Boucher, who told the press last Thursday that he did not hope for a rapid recovery for Fidel Castro after an accident suffered Wednesday night in which the Cuban leader fractured his knee and cracked a bone in his arm Responding to questions on the subject of the Cuban leader's health, Boucher didn't stop there, but went on to say that Fidel Castro's fall was not the type that his government had hoped for, and that the Cuban government needs to come to an end. The State Department spokesperson is always ready with some witty remark, but shows little understanding of events. The little instruction manual he always carries with him to press conferences gives him away. It is obviously a bitter pill to swallow that the person he hates so much didn't fall apart, but rather endured his intense pain to explain to the young (graduating) teachers, the people of Santa Clara and the general public what had happened, adding with his usual tenacity: "I'm in one piece". However, Boucher is not an isolated case - it is proverbial that the idiots plotting treachery in the US State Department make fools of themselves. The press agencies are recording the joy in which State Department officials received the news of the accident, and the meanness of their loaded comments that have adorned US television transmissions with constant images of the mishap. According to a Europa Press dispatch, what happened to Fidel Castro is a topic of jokes in the corridors of the US State Department - a simple stumble evokes a 40-year-old dream in Washington of the toppling of the "maximum leader". The press agency reports: "'We have waited for Castro's fall for years but didn't think it would be in this way', said an official from Colin Powell's department. 'This is a sign that the regime is falling', joked another US high level official anonymously, seeking an omen in the Cuban leader's accident." What else could be expected of this hateful mendacity that harbors itself in the representatives of this right-wing, neo-conservative administration that howls at the slightest mention of the word "Fidel"? Respect for adversity evidently doesn't control such barbarous conduct by spokespeople and anonymous officials of the State Department. This attitude is part of the "doctrine" which they would impose on the world, where politics have nothing to do with morals. To anticipate or desire the death of even those that do not serve one's interests is a doctrine that goes against all ethical obligations. The leaders of the Cuban Revolution have distinguished themselves with exactly the opposite sentiment, never using taunts at the mishaps of others - not even their worst opponents. Thus history illustrates the principled position demonstrated in Cuba when the news of another assassination attempt against Ronald Reagan reached Havana - a man who was one of the worst enemies of the Island - and how Fidel himself informed the US authorities of the facts; or the immediate condemnation of the atrocious crime on September 11, and the offer to help the people of the USA. Compañero Fidel's unfortunate accident might have stirred up the destructive emotion of hate in State Department officials and others who hold grudges, but it also brought on an intense show of love and affection from many friends across the world. No one who knows him will doubt that, as much as he is indifferent to this primitive and derisory hatred, this avalanche of affection will enormously help in Compañero Fidel's recovery. Translation: Simon Wollers. TRANSCRIPT FROM U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT: QUESTION: Did you hear that Castro fell? MR. BOUCHER: We heard that Castro fell. There are, I think, various reports that he broke a leg, an arm, a foot, and other things, and I'd guess you'd have to check with the Cubans to find out what's broken about Mr. Castro. We, obviously, have expressed our views about what's broken in Cuba. QUESTION: Do you wish him a speedy recovery? MR. BOUCHER: No. QUESTION: No? Do you wish him a speedy demise? MR. BOUCHER: I'll leave the man's health alone. I think our view -- QUESTION: Would you have preferred that his injuries be more life threatening? (Laughter.) People have come out, including your former boss -- MR. BOUCHER: I know. QUESTION: -- and said things like, well, we hope the actuarial tables catch up with Mr. Castro. Are you disappointed that he wasn't more seriously wounded? MR. BOUCHER: I'm not going to express that kind of disappointment. I think, you know, the event speak for themselves. The situation in Cuban is of our primary concern. The situation of Mr. Castro is of little concern to us, but unfortunately of enormous importance to the people of Cuba, who have suffered very long under his role. And we think that the kind of rule that Cuba has had should be ended. QUESTION: Do you think if he stepped aside -- that's an "if" question, of course -- whoever succeeds him would provide any policy more to the U.S.'s liking than Castro has? MR. BOUCHER: It would be highly speculative for me to say that at this point, except to note that we do think the people of Cuba deserve democracy. They, like everybody else in the world, deserve a chance to choose their own fate and future, and that the Secretary of State co-chaired an effort on behalf of this Administration last year to identify what we can do to hasten that day and what we can do when that day comes to support the people of Cuba, as they have found their own democracy, which is something we have strong confidence that they will someday be able to do. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2004/37313.htm GRATITUDE DEPARTMENT: To Nelson for inspiration. To Simon for translation. To Federico for web assistance. To Walter for persistence. WRITE TODAY: getwellfidel@hotmail.com ---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------* 18) '04 Election Cost Estimate: Nearly $4 Billion From: alerts@crp.org October 21, 2004 Center for Responsive Politics 1101 14th Street, NW, Suite 1030 Washington, DC 20005 202/857-0044; 202/857-7809 info@crp.org; http://www.opensecrets.org '04 ELECTIONS EXPECTED TO COST NEARLY $4 BILLION, PRESIDENTIAL RACE TO TOP $1.2 BILLION Contacts: Larry Noble (202/354-0108), Sheila Krumholz (-0104) or Steven Weiss (-0111) WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The 2004 presidential and congressional elections will cost a record $3.9 billion, according to projections based on a study of campaign finance figures by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. The estimate represents a 30 percent increase over the $3 billion spent on federal elections four years ago. The presidential race alone, fueled by massive spending by President Bush, Sen. John Kerry, the political parties and a host of advocacy groups spending millions on ads and voter mobilization, is will cost an unprecedented $1.2 billion or more, according to the Center's estimates. The spending increases are due in significant part to the sharp rise in limited "hard" money contributions to federal candidates and party committees. The 2004 campaign is the first to take place under the new campaign finance law known as the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act. The law raised contribution limits for individuals and banned unlimited "soft" money contributions to the national political parties. "The 2004 presidential and congressional elections will shatter previous records for spending, and the biggest reason is the increase in giving by individuals to candidates and parties," said Larry Noble, the Center's executive director. The largest chunk of money in this year's elections--by far--is coming from individuals giving to federal candidates and political parties, continuing a years-long trend. Individual contributions will total $2.5 billion by the end of the current election cycle, according to the Center's estimate. That represents a significant jump over the $1.5 billion in individual contributions raised in the 2000 election cycle. Contributions from political action committees make up the next biggest portion of election funds. The Center estimates that PAC contributions will total $384 million in this year's elections, an increase of 33 percent over the elections four years ago, when PAC giving accounted for $288 million. Federal candidates will have poured $144 million in personal funds into their campaigns by the cycle's end, according to the Center's projections. Candidates in 2000 spent $205 million of their own money, but that included a record $60.2 million invested by former Goldman Sachs chairman Jon Corzine into his successful Senate campaign and $48 million spent by Steve Forbes on his failed presidential bid. Spending by 527 groups, named for a section of the tax code, is expected to reach $386 million this cycle. The total includes only 527s active in federal elections. Not included in the projection is election-related spending by 501c organizations, which need not disclose their contributions or expenditures. Beginning late in the 2000 cycle, 527s were required to file detailed financial reports with the Internal Revenue Service. --The Presidential Race- It has long been assumed that this year's presidential election will be the most expensive ever. The Center's $1.2 billion estimate bears that out. However, this figure includes a very conservative estimate of spending by advocacy groups. The Center has projected spending by five of the most active 527s in the presidential election to be $187 million. But the total amount spent by 527s and 501c organizations on the presidential race is certain to be far higher than that. For example, the New York Times reported yesterday that advocacy groups will spend more than $350 million on get-out-the vote efforts alone. The total spent on the 2000 presidential race is difficult to estimate. Total receipts by the presidential candidates (private and government funds) and public funding for the party conventions equaled $529 million. But total spending also included an untold amount of money from the political parties and advocacy groups. --Other Findings- The Center's study also found the following: Maxing Out to Presidential Candidates -- Nearly as many individuals have given the maximum allowed to a presidential candidate in this cycle so far as in the entire 2000 cycle, despite the increase in contribution limits. This cycle's presidential candidates had raised the maximum $2,000 from 106,595 individuals through August. That compares with the 108,668 people who contributed $1,000, the old limit, to a presidential contender four years ago. Presidential candidates have become more reliant on maximum contributions under the new limit. This cycle's presidential hopefuls have raised nearly 29 percent of their total receipts in $2,000 contributions, while presidential candidates four years ago raised 22 percent of their money in contributions of $1,000. The figures include contributions to general election legal and accounting compliance (GELAC) funds. President Bush and Sen. John Kerry may no longer raise private funds for their campaign accounts because they accepted general election public funding, but they may still raise up to $2,000 per individual donor in their GELAC accounts. Third party candidates may continue raising private funds. Maxing Out to Congressional Candidates -- With contribution limits set at $2,000 per election, an individual can give a maximum of $4,000 to a congressional candidate who makes it past the primary to compete in the general election. More than 12,000 individuals have contributed $4,000 to a congressional candidate in the current cycle so far. With a few months of the election cycle remaining, that figure is likely to approach the 15,135 individuals who contributed $2,000 to a congressional candidate under the old limit four years ago. Congressional candidates are less reliant on maximum contributions in the current cycle than they were in 2000. Just over 8 percent of the money to congressional candidates has been raised in $4,000 chunks this year, compared to the 11 percent raised under the old maximum in 2000. Maxing Out to Parties -- The political parties are raising the maximum from far fewer people in the current cycle than they did in 2000, a sign of their renewed effort to raise small contributions. Under current limits of $25,000 to a party committee per year, an individual may give up to $50,000 to a party committee per cycle. There are 530 people who have done so in the current election cycle so far. That's a little more than half of the 1,013 people who contributed $40,000 to a party committee in the 2000 cycle. (The old limit was $20,000 per year.) Giving by Women -- Women are contributing a bigger share of large individual contributions in the current election cycle than at any time since 1989. Female donors have given 28.9 percent of the money collected in amounts greater than $200 by federal candidates, political action committees and parties, the Center found. Women contributed 26.1 percent of that money in the 2000 cycle and 24.4 percent in the 1996 cycle. The most significant change in female giving has been to the political parties. In the current cycle so far, women have contributed 29.2 percent of the money the parties have raised in amounts over $200. Women contributed 23.3 percent of the large individual contributions to the parties in the 2000 cycle, and 21.3 percent of such contributions in the 1996 cycle. One reason for the change could be the ban on soft money contributions to the political parties. Women used to give a lower proportion of soft money than they gave of hard money, suggesting that when limits are in place, contributions from wealthy income-earners are often bolstered by donations from their spouses. The Center's estimates are based on campaign finance figures released this week by the Federal Election Commission and the Internal Revenue Service. Each election cycle is two years long. This report, with charts breaking down the Center's estimates of the cost of the 2004 elections, is available online at http://www.opensecrets.org/pressreleases/2004/04spending.asp ActionLA Action for World Liberation Everyday! Tel: (213)403-0131 URL: http://www.ActionLA.org e-mail: Info@ActionLA.org Please Donate to ActionLA! Send check pay to: ActionLA/SEE 1013 Mission St. #6 South Pasadena CA 91030 (All donations are tax deductible) Please join our ActionLA Listserv go to: http://lists.riseup.net/www/subscribe/actionla or send e-mail to: actionla-subscribe@lists.riseup.net UNITED FOR PEACE & JUSTICE | 212-868-5545 This email list is designed for posting news articles or event announcements of interest to UFPJ member groups. It is not a discussion list. To engage in online discussion of UFPJ matters, join our discussion list by sending a blank email to ufpj-disc-subscribe@yahoogroups.com ---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------* 19) Children punished by Australian law Sarah Stephen http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2004/604/604p11.htm [PHOTO NOT SHOWN Born in Fiji, Sereana Naikelekele has lived in Australia for almost 16 years. She is married to Maika Koroitamana and has five Australian-born children. Her eldest child, 12-year-old Sally, is a citizen. Her youngest, three-year-old Glen, is also a citizen. Jope, who turned 10 on August 26, is due to receive a certificate confirming his citizenship. ] In July 2002, when Sereana was working to support her family, but without a permit, she was dobbed in to the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) and taken to Villawood detention centre. Two months later, her three youngest children, Glen, who was then only one and still being breast-fed, two-year-old Lomani and four-year-old Mereani, were brought to join her, because their father had been struggling to look after all five of the children on his own. For the past two years, Sereana has been fighting to get out of detention and for her right to stay in Australia. On October 20, she wiped away tears to argue her case at a Migration Review Tribunal (MRT) hearing to consider an application for a bridging visa. In a room packed with supporters, and with her five children around her, Sereana asked: "How can it be acceptable to place Australian citizens in detention? Do they not have the same rights as other Australian citizens? My kids need to get out of Villawood. I am a good and loving mother, and it is my right to be with them." The MRT member presiding over the case, Amanda MacDonald, found that Sereana did not meet the criteria necessary to be granted a bridging visa, and said that the only avenue left to her was to appeal to the immigration minister to intervene. Sereana and her lawyer Michaela Byers are trying every avenue to win the family's right to stay in Australia. A case currently before the Federal Court is aimed at proving that Australia's laws make her two youngest daughters, Lomani and Mereani, stateless. This is because neither Australia nor Fiji will grant them citizenship. Fiji's constitution recognises citizenship by birth, but doesn't automatically recognise citizenship by descent for children born outside Fiji. Legislation introduced in 1986 narrowed Australian citizenship by removing its automatic conferral at birth. It changed to a system of citizenship by descent, where at least one parent is required to be an Australian citizen or permanent resident. Children of non-residents born in Australia can only become citizens if they live in Australia until they are 10 years old. The High Court's 5-2 rejection of the Tania Singh case on September 9 was a blow to Sereana and many other families in her situation, because it reaffirmed that, despite being born on Australian soil, children who were under the age of 10 could not be considered citizens. However, there was a clause inserted in the 1986 legislation to protect against the potential for statelessness, and it is this provision that Sereana is hoping they can prove should be applied to her two daughters. If all five of Sereana's children are found to be citizens, Sereana and her supporters believe it will strengthen the chances of the immigration minister intervening to grant the whole family the right to stay in Australia. At the beginning of 2004, ChilOut and the Bellingen group of Rural Australians for Refugees arranged pen-pals for Glen, Lomani and Mereani. They were flooded with dozens of letters from school children, parents and teachers. Sereana showed them to me when I visited her on October 20. She was moved to tears as she read out some of the messages. Hand-written and decorated, some are in the shape of doves. Others are covered with glitter and pictures of nice places. One card, signed by a child named Solomon, had a roughly cut-out picture of a happy, laughing family stuck on it, and reads: "We hope you can be happy here!" "Our government is not right in keeping you there", another card says. "Keep positive, you will be out soon. Priscilla." Sereana told me she often reads the cards to her children when they are feeling down, and they smile and feel a bit better. "Don't give up hope", said another card. "Most people in Australia are friendly, and want you here." And another: "We hope that our government will wake up soon and let you come outside to the world from which you belong, love Phillip." Sereana was very distressed about her five children being separated from each other. Sally was not doing well in school, and her teachers were concerned. She didn't talk much when she visited Sereana, who felt that contact between them was slipping away. Some problems with their father resulted in the children being placed in the care of their uncle. Sereana pleaded that she be released to look after them, but DIMIA told her that the only way she could be with her children was for them to be brought into detention as well. Despite the fact that DIMIA policy states that citizens will not be detained except as a last possible resort, Sally and Jope are now in detention as well. Jill Pearce, principal of Macarthur Adventist School, which Sally and Jope attended, has publicly expressed her concern at the children's detention. Pearce told ABC Radio Australia News on October 15 that she asked Villawood's management for the children to be allowed to return to school, but has not received a reply. "We want them to continue on with their education without having it interrupted", said Pearce. "The school is probably the only stable place they've got at the moment. They love their friends, they are secure here." Pearce recently notified Villawood management that the school was willing to waive the children's school fees and pick them up from the detention centre every day. To date, management has not responded to the offer. There is a growing call, endorsed by the National Council of Churches, to set up a new visa category for people who don't meet the criteria for refugee status but who have compelling humanitarian grounds for being able to stay, such as children born in Australia. Individuals and families who have lived for a long time in Australia are routinely denied the opportunity to become permanent residents. Many such cases involve sending children to countries they have never been to before, countries that are in every sense foreign to them, where they may not even speak the language. The vast majority of people living in Australia without valid visas (so- called "illegals") are making a valuable contribution to society, just like Sereana and her husband, who have worked, paid taxes and contributed to their community over a period of 15 years. In 1980 there was a general amnesty for anyone without a valid visa, but legislation was enacted disallowing any future amnesties and both major political parties agreed that there should not be any more. DIMIA argues that Sereana should return to Fiji with her children and apply come back with them when they turn 18. But Sereana knows that would not be possible because she would have to pay the costs of her detention before being allowed back into the country, something she would never have the money for. By end of September 2004, Sereana had been in detention for 791 days, and each of her three children for 740 days. Based on an estimated cost of $125 per day, the total cost of their detention would come to more than $380,000. Glen, Jope and Sally, all Australian citizens, deserve the right to grow up in the country where they were born. Lomani and Mereani deserve the right to have the country where they were born recognise their right to citizenship if the alternative is to remain stateless. All five children deserve to have the love and care of their parents. The 1986 amendment to Australian citizenship should be revoked so no families suffer the way Sereana's has. From Green Left Weekly, October 27, 2004. Visit the Green Left Weekly home page. ---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------* 20) SOUTH AFRICA: ANC welcomes Apartheid Israel James Barrett, Johannesburg http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2004/604/604p20.htm The streets of Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban reverberated on October 16 with cries of "Free Free Palestine", "Isolate Apartheid Israel", "Boycott Israel" and "No to Bantustans", to mark the forthcoming visit of Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to South Africa. Thousands of people took to the streets. On that Saturday's evening news, scenes from the vibrant protests interspersed with footage from the latest deadly Israeli raids into Gaza left viewers questioning why the ANC government, supposedly a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause, could be entertaining such a key representative of Israel. While a stone-faced deputy foreign affairs minister Aziz Pahad attempted to downplay the visit, claiming it to be part of a strategy to encourage Israel's government to negotiate with the Palestinian Authority (PA), the real intentions behind the visit had begun to surface. Olmert, also Israel's trade minister, is the highest-ranking serving Israeli official to ever visit democratic South Africa. He was due to arrive on October 19 with a delegation of 23 elite business figures. Israeli high-tech, security and industrial exporters will visit South Africa in order to increase Israel's exports which already top US$4 billion worth of goods (not including diamonds) every year. Olmert and his South African counterpart Mandisi Mpahlwa are expected to cement a protection of investment treaty during the course of the week. In Israel, Likud spokespersons boasted openly about the visit, while in South Africa, the government attempted to down-play the trip, embarrassed at how bluntly they have put profit before principle. While the Israeli trade department expects trade with South Africa to increase by 5% by the end of the year, more important for the Israeli Apartheid state is the use of South Africa as a launching pad for trade with the rest of the continent. Neoliberal politics overrides any moral considerations for trade with a rogue state. Israel depends on trade and international acceptance just like the Apartheid regime in South Africa did. At the recent United Nations Conference on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinians, held in Cape Town, John Dugard the UN special rapporteur on Palestine and Jody Kollapen the chairperson of the South African Human Rights Commission supported the call from the Palestine Solidarity Committee of South Africa for sanctions and boycotts against Apartheid Israel. This view was vociferously challenged not only by South African cabinet ministers present, but also representatives of the Palestinian Authority, including Saeb Erakat. Ironically, the kind of concrete support offered by the South African state at the conclusion of the UN conference came in the form of an agreement between the Nablus mayor and a representative of the Cape Town municipality to supply pre-paid water technology to Palestinians! This technology is condemned by South African social movements as a form of water privatisation burdening poor communities even further. Last month, at a gathering of anti-war and anti-corporate globalisation movements in Beirut, close to 260 organisations from 41 countries unanimously endorsed a boycott campaign against Apartheid Israel. Recently, the Anglican Peace and Justice Network (APJN) agreed to support the many churches, universities and trade unions in the West that are increasingly calling for a divestment campaign modeled on the popular boycott of Apartheid South Africa. APJN said it would press leaders of the 75 million Anglicans and Episcopalians worldwide to impose sanctions on Israel after an eight-day visit to the occupied territories. In July, the general assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States which has 3 million members, voted overwhelmingly for a boycott of Israel. Following the South African government's laudable submission to the International Court of Justice on the Apartheid Wall that is cutting Palestinians off from their homes, the government should follow through by leading an international sanctions campaign against Israel, the kind of campaign that the ANC promoted during the darkest days of Apartheid in South Africa. Further trade and relations with Israel marks an important turning point in the strategy of the ANC, which smacks of hypocrisy and double talk given its previous strong support for the Palestinian cause. It is squandering the moral high ground earned by the people through great sacrifice. Yet, most dangerously, it gives legitimacy to the so called "peace" plans of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. These "peace" plans - the disengagement and creation of a prison state in the Gaza Strip while carrying out further extermination of the Palestinian people and the annexation of their remaining lands in the West Bank, is a declaration of war and imperialism that makes Apartheid South Africa in the 1980s appear moderate. It is up to us who are in solidarity with Palestine to initiate from the grassroots level an international campaign to isolate and boycott Israel. We have received numerous messages of support from grassroots Palestinian organisations to oppose Olmert's visit. It is in line with these calls from organisations in Palestine that we must begin the task to isolate Apartheid Israel - economically, culturally, academically and morally. In South Africa, the most ardent supporters of Palestinian liberation are the new social movements such as the Anti-Privatisation Forum, the Landless Peoples Movement, Anti-Eviction groups and Jubilee. The leadership of the South African Communist Party (SACP) and COSATU in alliance with the ANC while rhetorically supporting the Palestinian struggle stops short of active involvement in solidarity. This does not reflect the rank-and-file of these organisations who relate extremely warmly to the Palestinian solidarity movement. Fundamentally, when our own government gives in to the logic of neoliberalism and the market over a peoples struggle for freedom and justice, it is up to us to speak out and find spaces in the quest for democracy, peace and social justice. [James Barrett is a member of the Palestine Solidarity Committee and the Anti-War Coalition.] From Green Left Weekly, October 27, 2004. Visit the Green Left Weekly home page. ---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------* 21) US gave date of war to Britain in advance, court papers reveal By Colin Brown, Deputy Political Editor 27 October 2004 http://news.independent.co.uk/low_res/story.jsp?story=576429&host=3&dir=62 Secret plans for the war in Iraq were passed to British Army chiefs by US defence planners five months before the invasion was launched, a court martial heard yesterday. The revelation strengthened suspicions that Tony Blair gave his agreement to President George Bush to go to war while the diplomatic efforts to force Saddam Hussein to comply with UN resolutions were continuing. Alan Simpson, the leader of Labour Against the War, said the documents were "dynamite", if genuine, and showed that Clare Short was right to assert in her book, serialised in The Independent , that Mr Blair had "knowingly misled" Parliament. The plans were revealed during the court martial of L/Cpl Ian Blaymire, 23, from Leeds, who is charged with the manslaughter of a comrade while serving in Iraq. Sgt John Nightingale, 32, a reservist from Guiseley, West Yorkshire, died after being shot in the chest on 23 September last year. < | |