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December 2006Hold these grotesque executioners to accountPosted: Sunday, December 31, 2006 By Iain Macwhirter Stop all the clocks. He is dead. Saddam Hussein had a rather good death, and dictators shouldn't have good deaths. He went to the gallows in dignity, holding the Koran, urging reconciliation, his head uncovered amid his captors' balaclavas. The grotesque exercise turned a brutal tyrant into something like a martyr, a victim of a victor's justice. After what Human Rights Watch called a "trial by ambush", because of the conduct of the defence and the rush to judgment, the execution was overhasty too, as if his captors felt they had to dispatch him before 2006 was out. Was this intended as a kind of new year message from George W Bush? For Auld Lang Syne? The execution of Saddam may have brought "closure" to the White House, but it left a bitter taste in the mouths of the rest of us. He was executed under the auspices of an Anglo-American occupation that has brought little but death and destruction to Iraq. Even members of the Iraq Study Group in the US Senate accept that the people of Iraq are probably worse off now than under Saddam. So, who is going to hold the executioners to account? Full Article : sundayherald.com They made sure Saddam took his secrets to the grave Posted: Sunday, December 31, 2006 On the Gallows, Saddam Curses U.S. and 'Traitors' By Marc Santora, NY Times BAGHDAD, Dec. 30 — Saddam Hussein never bowed his head, until his neck snapped. His last words were equally defiant. "Down with the traitors, the Americans, the spies and the Persians." Robert Fisk: He takes his secrets to the grave. Our complicity dies with him How the West armed Saddam, fed him intelligence on his 'enemies', equipped him for atrocities - and then made sure he wouldn't squeal We've shut him up. The moment Saddam's hooded executioner pulled the lever of the trapdoor in Baghdad yesterday morning, Washington's secrets were safe. The shameless, outrageous, covert military support which the United States - and Britain - gave to Saddam for more than a decade remains the one terrible story which our presidents and prime ministers do not want the world to remember. And now Saddam, who knew the full extent of that Western support - given to him while he was perpetrating some of the worst atrocities since the Second World War - is dead. Full Article : independent.co.uk Robert Parry: Bush Silences a Dangerous Witness Like a blue-blood version of a Mob family with global reach, the Bushes have eliminated one more key witness to the important historical events that led the U.S. military into a bloody stalemate in Iraq and pushed the Middle East to the brink of calamity. "But now with nearly 3,000 American soldiers killed and the Iraqi death toll exceeding 600,000 by some estimates, Bush may be forced to savor the image of Hussein dangling at the end of a rope a little more privately. Still, Bush has done his family's legacy a great service while also protecting secrets that could have embarrassed other senior U.S. government officials. He has silenced a unique witness to crucial chapters of the secret history that stretched from Iran's Islamic revolution in 1979 to the alleged American-Saudi "green light" for Hussein to attack Iran in 1980, through the eight years of the Iran-Iraq War during which high-ranking U.S. intermediaries, such as Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates, allegedly helped broker supplies of war materiel for Hussein." Full Article : consortiumnews.com Now Saddam's Accomplices Where Were the Mass Graves? Saddam's Hanging Verdict Is Illegal And Unjust Ethiopian tanks move south from Mogadishu Posted: Sunday, December 31, 2006 Ethiopian tanks have driven south from Mogadishu to attack fighters of the Islamic courts movement whose leader reportedly urged them to make a stand in Kismayu, a port city in Somalia. Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys apparently made the call during Friday prayers at a mosque, a day after armed units of his Somalia Islamic Courts Council fled the capital in the face of government troops backed by Ethiopian armour. Full Article : english.aljazeera.net Saddam told them to 'go to hell' Posted: Sunday, December 31, 2006 "Executions are generally expected to be solemn affairs –- certainly not opportunities for thugs to score some final sectarian points before the "enemy" is disposed of. The video itself seems quite distasteful –- but it is informative to the extent that it reveals the political baggage that the current government carries on its shoulders. It does not add up to a pretty picture." Full Article : blogs.abcnews.com Saddam buried in his home village Relatives of the former Iraqi president say Saddam Hussein has been buried in a family plot in Awja, close to Tikrit. An earlier family statement issued on Saturday night said the executed leader would be buried in Ramadi, but the authorities there said they were unaware of any plan to bury him there. Full Article : aljazeera.net Renegades Dinner and Awards Ceremony Posted: Sunday, December 31, 2006 The 5th Annual Renegades Dinner and Awards ceremony was held at Porky's Restaurant and Bar on Wrightson Road, Port of Spain on Saturday 30th December, 2006. Many members and specially invited guests of the BP Renegades Steel Orchestra came out in their fancy suits and dresses to witness this auspicious occasion and to wine and dine at this formal ceremony. The MC for the night was the young Keron Yan who very skillfully kept the audience entertained throughout the night's proceedings. Full Article : trinbagopan.com NYAC's Emancipation and Young Composers ... Posted: Sunday, December 31, 2006 The National Youth Action Committee held its Annual Young Composers Competition and Annual Emancipation Competition prize-giving ceremony on Thursday 28th December, 2006, at the SWWTU Hall on Wrightson Road, Port of Spain. The audience mainly included the participants of the two competitions, their parents and their supporters. The MC's were Mrs. Dela Obika, President of the National Women's Action Committee and Mr. Oji Borel. Full Article : trinisoca.com December 30, News 2006 Posted: Saturday, December 30, 2006  Remember that this execution was carried out by a U.S. installed government in Iraq while the U.S. is also occupying Iraq. The U.S. illegally invaded Iraq and killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. Simply put, Saddam Hussein was executed by the U.S. government no matter how they try to spin it. --Ayinde ¤ Saddam was Right and Bush was Wrong Flashback NO PROOF SADDAM GASSED THE KURDS! ¤ Where Were the Mass Graves? ¤ Executing Saddam, Protecting the Rackets ¤ Official Lies, Dogma and Unaccountable Power ¤ At the End of My Rope ¤ Saddam at the End of a Rope It was symbolic that 2006 ended with a colonial hanging--- most of it (bar the last moments) shown on state television in occupied Iraq. It has been that sort of year in the Arab world. After a trial so blatantly rigged that even Human Rights Watch---the largest single unit of the US Human Rights industry--- had to condemn it as a total travesty. Judges were changed on Washington's orders; defense lawyers were killed and the whole procedure resembled a well-orchestrated lynch mob. Where Nuremberg was a more dignified application of victor's justice, Saddam's trial has, till now, been the crudest and most grotesque. The Great Thinker President's reference to it 'as a milestone on the road to Iraqi democracy' as clear an indication as any that Washington pressed the trigger. ¤ A Nation Soaked in Blood Tears Itself Apart ¤ Storm Rages Over Trial, Sentence ¤ Bush Lies Again After Saddam Executed Saddam Hussein had barely stopped dangling when George W. Bush revved up the lie machine. His idea of justice is "rough justice" or "frontier justice" or "the King's justice," whereby if he calls it justice, it is justice. If he deems it a fair trial, it is a fair trial. "Today, Saddam Hussein was executed after receiving a fair trial," he said in the very first sentence of his rushed statement, a claim Bush repeated, in case you missed it, in his second sentence and then again in his third. But Bush, as powerful as he is, does not make a trial fair by declaring it fair. ¤ So Long to 'Our' Tyrant ¤ Shaking Hands with Saddam Hussein Seven New Orleans officers indicted in post-Katrina killings Iraq poll: U.S. troops departure is asset BAGHDAD, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- About 90 percent of Iraqis feel the situation in the country was better before the U.S.-led invasion than it is today, according to a new ICRSS poll. Top Ten Ways the US Enabled Saddam Hussein The tendency to treat Saddam and Iraq in a historical vacuum, and in isolation from the superpowers, however, has hidden from Americans their own culpability in the horror show that has been Iraq for the past few decades. Initially, the US used the Baath Party as a nationalist foil to the Communists. Then Washington used it against Iran. The welfare of Iraqis themselves appears to have been on no one's mind, either in Washington or in Baghdad. Hanging Saddam The execution of Saddam Hussein is another grim chapter in the catalogue of war crimes perpetrated against the Iraqi people. It is a gratuitous act of barbarism devoid of justice. Bombings Kill at Least 68 in Iraq Bombings killed at least 68 people in Iraq on Saturday, including one planted on a minibus that exploded in a fish market in a mostly Shiite town south of Baghdad. BBC - Saddam Hussein executed in Iraq (with Iraqi TV images) Saddam Hussein 'executed in Iraq' Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has been executed by hanging at an unspecified location, reports say. Iraqi TV said the execution took place just before 0600 local time (0300GMT). It was witnessed by a doctor, lawyer and officials. It was also filmed. Full Article : news.bbc.co.uk Reports: Saddam Executed in Baghdad Some Arab media, including Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya and the U.S.- financed Al-Hurrah, reported about an hour before daylight Saturday (about 10 p.m. EST Friday) that Saddam had been executed. There was no confirmation from the Iraqi government. Full Article : breitbart.com Saddam Hussein hanged, says Al Hurra TV station U.S.-backed Iraqi television station Al Hurra said Saddam Hussein had been executed by hanging shortly before 6 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Saturday. Full Article : news.yahoo.com Saddam Hussein was hanged just before 10 p.m. EST. Full Article : talkingpointsmemo.com It's a hornet's nest. But I'm game. So why not jump in. "Bush administration officials" are telling CNN that Saddam Hussein will be hanged this weekend. Convention dictates that we precede any discussion of this execution with the obligatory nod to Saddam's treachery, bloodthirsty rule and tyranny. But enough of the cowardly chatter. This thing is a sham, of a piece with the whole corrupt, disastrous sham that the war and occupation have been. Bush administration officials are the ones who leak the news about the time of the execution. One key reason we know Saddam's about to be executed is that he's about to be transferred from US to Iraqi custody, which tells you a lot. And, of course, the verdict in his trial gets timed to coincide with the US elections. Full Article : talkingpointsmemo.com Robert Fisk: A dictator created then destroyed by America But history will record that the Arabs and other Muslims and, indeed, many millions in the West, will ask another question this weekend, a question that will not be posed in other Western newspapers because it is not the narrative laid down for us by our presidents and prime ministers - what about the other guilty men? Full Article : independent.co.uk Arab haj pilgrims outraged at Saddam execution Taliban says Saddam's execution to intensify jihad The Execution of Saddam Hussein The execution of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein serves not justice, but the political purposes of the Bush administration and its Iraqi stooges. The manner in which the execution was carried out—hurriedly, secretively, in the dark of night, in a mockery of any semblance of legal process--only underscores the lawless and reactionary character of the entire American enterprise in Iraq. Full Article : trinicenter.com Saddam Hussein's execution: Your views The Execution of Saddam Hussein Posted: Saturday, December 30, 2006 By the Editorial Board, wsws.org December 30 2006 The execution of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein serves not justice, but the political purposes of the Bush administration and its Iraqi stooges. The manner in which the execution was carried out—hurriedly, secretively, in the dark of night, in a mockery of any semblance of legal process--only underscores the lawless and reactionary character of the entire American enterprise in Iraq. There were conflicting statements throughout Friday about how and under what circumstances the death sentence against Hussein, confirmed by an Iraqi government tribunal December 26, would be carried out. There were continual communications back and forth between the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, which nominally controlled the judicial proceedings, and the American military authorities who had physical control of the prisoner and delivered him to the execution site in the US-controlled Green Zone. Full Article : wsws.org A dictator created then destroyed by America Posted: Saturday, December 30, 2006 By Robert Fisk, independent.co.uk December 30 2006 Saddam to the gallows. It was an easy equation. Who could be more deserving of that last walk to the scaffold - that crack of the neck at the end of a rope - than the Beast of Baghdad, the Hitler of the Tigris, the man who murdered untold hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis while spraying chemical weapons over his enemies? Our masters will tell us in a few hours that it is a "great day" for Iraqis and will hope that the Muslim world will forget that his death sentence was signed - by the Iraqi "government", but on behalf of the Americans - on the very eve of the Eid al-Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice, the moment of greatest forgiveness in the Arab world. But history will record that the Arabs and other Muslims and, indeed, many millions in the West, will ask another question this weekend, a question that will not be posed in other Western newspapers because it is not the narrative laid down for us by our presidents and prime ministers - what about the other guilty men? Full Article : independent.co.uk Top Ten Ways the US Enabled Saddam Hussein The tendency to treat Saddam and Iraq in a historical vacuum, and in isolation from the superpowers, however, has hidden from Americans their own culpability in the horror show that has been Iraq for the past few decades. Initially, the US used the Baath Party as a nationalist foil to the Communists. Then Washington used it against Iran. The welfare of Iraqis themselves appears to have been on no one's mind, either in Washington or in Baghdad. A Brief History of Toco Posted: Saturday, December 30, 2006 It is a most common assumption that once you have left Valencia and have entered into the region of the northeast coast, that you have arrived in Toco village. This is a myth, for although the Toco main road passes through several villages such as Balandra, Rampanalgas and Cumana and the entire region is referred to as the Toco region, the Toco village lies at the center of a chain of 14 coastal villages. The village of Toco is the most northeasterly village on the island of Trinidad at the point where the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean meet. Tobago lies only some 35 kilometers to the northeast which renders Toco the closest point in Trinidad to the sister island. The name Toco was ascribed to the area by its early Amerindian inhabitants. The meaning of the name is uncertain, yet its historical significance and value to the country is well noted. Full Article : triniview.com Saddam Hussein Executed Posted: Friday, December 29, 2006 Remember that this execution (assassination) of Saddam Hussein was carried out by the U.S. installed government in Iraq while the U.S. is illegally occupying Iraq. The U.S. had physical control of Saddam up until the time of his execution and transported the body afterwards. Simply put, Saddam Hussein was executed by the U.S. government. It is also important to remember that the U.S. illegally invaded Iraq and is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. --Ayinde BBC - Saddam Hussein executed in Iraq (with Iraqi TV images) Saddam Hussein 'executed in Iraq' Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has been executed by hanging at an unspecified location, reports say. Iraqi TV said the execution took place just before 0600 local time (0300GMT). It was witnessed by a doctor, lawyer and officials. It was also filmed. Full Article : news.bbc.co.uk Reports: Saddam Executed in Baghdad Some Arab media, including Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya and the U.S.- financed Al-Hurrah, reported about an hour before daylight Saturday (about 10 p.m. EST Friday) that Saddam had been executed. There was no confirmation from the Iraqi government. Full Article : breitbart.com Saddam Hussein hanged, says Al Hurra TV station U.S.-backed Iraqi television station Al Hurra said Saddam Hussein had been executed by hanging shortly before 6 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Saturday. Full Article : news.yahoo.com Also Read: Saddam Hussein was hanged just before 10 p.m. EST. Full Article : talkingpointsmemo.com It's a hornet's nest. But I'm game. So why not jump in. "Bush administration officials" are telling CNN that Saddam Hussein will be hanged this weekend. Convention dictates that we precede any discussion of this execution with the obligatory nod to Saddam's treachery, bloodthirsty rule and tyranny. But enough of the cowardly chatter. This thing is a sham, of a piece with the whole corrupt, disastrous sham that the war and occupation have been. Bush administration officials are the ones who leak the news about the time of the execution. One key reason we know Saddam's about to be executed is that he's about to be transferred from US to Iraqi custody, which tells you a lot. And, of course, the verdict in his trial gets timed to coincide with the US elections. Full Article : talkingpointsmemo.com A dictator created then destroyed by America By Robert Fisk, independent.co.uk December 30 2006 Saddam to the gallows. It was an easy equation. Who could be more deserving of that last walk to the scaffold - that crack of the neck at the end of a rope - than the Beast of Baghdad, the Hitler of the Tigris, the man who murdered untold hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis while spraying chemical weapons over his enemies? Our masters will tell us in a few hours that it is a "great day" for Iraqis and will hope that the Muslim world will forget that his death sentence was signed - by the Iraqi "government", but on behalf of the Americans - on the very eve of the Eid al-Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice, the moment of greatest forgiveness in the Arab world. But history will record that the Arabs and other Muslims and, indeed, many millions in the West, will ask another question this weekend, a question that will not be posed in other Western newspapers because it is not the narrative laid down for us by our presidents and prime ministers - what about the other guilty men? Full Article : independent.co.uk Arab haj pilgrims outraged at Saddam execution Taliban says Saddam's execution to intensify jihad The Execution of Saddam Hussein By the Editorial Board, wsws.org December 30 2006 The execution of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein serves not justice, but the political purposes of the Bush administration and its Iraqi stooges. The manner in which the execution was carried out—hurriedly, secretively, in the dark of night, in a mockery of any semblance of legal process--only underscores the lawless and reactionary character of the entire American enterprise in Iraq. There were conflicting statements throughout Friday about how and under what circumstances the death sentence against Hussein, confirmed by an Iraqi government tribunal December 26, would be carried out. There were continual communications back and forth between the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, which nominally controlled the judicial proceedings, and the American military authorities who had physical control of the prisoner and delivered him to the execution site in the US-controlled Green Zone. Full Article : wsws.org Saddam Hussein's execution: Your views Final Plans Made for Saddam's Execution Posted: Friday, December 29, 2006 Final Plans Made for Saddam's Execution U.S. Judge Rejects Saddam Plea Official: Saddam to Be Executed Tonight Saddam's last hours Former leader sees brothers and leaves will as judge says hanging imminent Saddam Hussein's execution was imminent last night as senior Iraqi officials finalised details of his hanging and indicated that it would probably take place shortly before dawn this morning. The Iraqi prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, signed the former dictator's death sentence and at a late night meeting with US officials agreed the execution formalities. Saddam to hang within hours: officials Saddam Execution Set to Destabilise Iraq Further The Rush to Hang Saddam The important question was never really about whether Saddam Hussein was guilty of crimes against humanity. The public record is bulging with the lengthy litany of his vile and unforgivable atrocities: genocidal assaults against the Kurds; aggressive wars against Iran and Kuwait; use of internationally banned weapons like nerve gas; systematic torture of countless thousands of political prisoners. December 29, News 2006 Posted: Friday, December 29, 2006 Saddam Hussein 'executed in Iraq' Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has been executed by hanging at an unspecified location, reports say. Iraqi TV said the execution took place just before 0600 local time (0300GMT). It was witnessed by a doctor, lawyer and officials. It was also filmed. ¤ Why Somalia war unsettles the world ¤ U.S. Embassy Is Warning Beijing on Iran Gas Deal ¤ No delay in Saddam execution, Iraqi PM says ¤ The 'untouchables' of US science ¤ James Brown draws a crowd for last Harlem appearance ¤ This 'victory' could mean a return to anarchy ¤ The trials of occupation ¤ More Troops but Less Control in Iraq ¤ The Disrespect for Truth has Brought a New Dark Age ¤ Suicide bomber kills 10 north of Baghdad ¤ Reyes: U.S. intelligence 'manipulated' ¤ New Orleans officers charged with murder ¤ $200 bill ¤ A Tale of Two Sisters ¤ The Re-Talibanization of Afghanistan ¤ World Responds to Palestinian Family's Jailing Despite Media Blackout ¤ Peace mom arrested at Bush's ranch ¤ Saddam likely to be hanged within hours: senior Iraqi source ¤ George W. Bush Is Going To Bomb Iran ¤ Saddam wins big! (And human rights take a thumping) ¤ Horn of Africa: Latest Victim of 'War on Terror' ¤ SADDAM'S HANGING VERDICT IS ILLEGAL AND UNJUST ¤ The temples of the occupation ¤ Israeli journalist reveals the secrets of the assassination of Arafat by Ariel Sharon ¤ "Press Release" Defense Committee for President Saddam Hussein ¤ Silence Of The Lambs U.S. Embassy Is Warning Beijing on Iran Gas Deal Posted: Friday, December 29, 2006 WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration and Congress are warning that a proposed $16 billion deal between a Chinese company and Iran could trigger economic penalties under an American law aimed at starving Iran of funding for terrorism and nuclear weapons. Officials at the American embassy in China delivered a demarche Saturday in Beijing. They demanded an explanation of the deal from Chinese government officials and warned them that it could trigger a 1996 law, the Iran Libya Sanctions Act. The law prohibits foreign firms that invest more than $10 million in Iran's energy sector from raising capital in American financial markets. Full Article : nysun.com In Somalia, a reckless U.S. proxy war Posted: Friday, December 29, 2006 NAIROBI: Undeterred by the horrors and setbacks in Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon, the Bush administration has opened another battlefront in the Muslim world. With full U.S. backing and military training, at least 15,000 Ethiopian troops have entered Somalia in an illegal war of aggression against the Union of Islamic Courts, which controls almost the entire south of the country. As with Iraq in 2003, the United States has cast this as a war to curtail terrorism, but its real goal is to obtain a direct foothold in a highly strategic region by establishing a client regime there. The Horn of Africa is newly oil-rich, and lies just miles from Saudi Arabia, overlooking the daily passage of large numbers of oil tankers and warships through the Red Sea. General John Abizaid, the current U.S. military chief of the Iraq war, was in Ethiopia this month, and President Hu Jintao of China visited Kenya, Sudan and Ethiopia earlier this year to pursue oil and trade agreements. Full Article : iht.com U.S. Should Not Support Ethiopia's Invasion of Somalia Why Somalia war unsettles the world Posted: Friday, December 29, 2006 How a war ends often depends on how it began. Take the one that boiled over in Somalia last week. Islamist forces attacked a legal government guarded by an invading Ethiopian army. Which side had just cause? The answer isn't so easy. Both the UN and the African Union, two international bodies that often intervene in sovereign nations, largely stood by, argued, or scratched their collective heads as the fighting in Somalia raged on. Secretary-General Kofi Annan declared a UN-backed intervention was not needed. Full Article : csmonitor.com James Brown draws a crowd for last Harlem appearance Posted: Friday, December 29, 2006 Even in death, James Brown can move a crowd. Thousands of people danced and sang in the streets outside the historic Apollo Theatre in raucous celebration of the "Godfather of Soul" yesterday as his body was displayed on the stage where he made his 1956 debut. Music thumped from shop fronts and portable stereos. People sang on the pavements. Brown's wails and growls blasted on a loudspeaker inside the auditorium as fans marched quietly past his open gold coffin, where he lay resplendent in a blue suit, white gloves and silver shoes. Full Article : guardian.co.uk Ethiopian-led forces seize Mogadishu Posted: Friday, December 29, 2006 Somali government troops marched into the country's capital, Mogadishu, last night as the Islamic militias that have controlled the city and much of southern Somalia fled in disarray. "We are in Mogadishu," declared Mohamed Ali Gedi, the head of the weak transitional government of Somalia that had previously failed to even reach the capital and been forced to set up further west in Baidoa. The real power behind the sudden shift, Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, said his soldiers would ensure Mogadishu does not descend into chaos. "We will not let Mogadishu burn," said Mr Meles who claimed the fighting could be over "in days, if not a few weeks". Full Article : independent.co.uk Saddam may be hanged by Saturday Posted: Friday, December 29, 2006 Baghdad - Saddam Hussein's lawyers have been asked to pick up his personal effects but Iraq's justice ministry denied it had taken custody of the former president and dismissed a US suggestion he would hang as early as Saturday. One defence lawyer, who declined to be identified, said Saddam had been handed over by US forces to Iraqi government custody. US military spokespeople said they had nothing to add to a statement late on Thursday that he was still in their control. Asked about comments from the defence lawyer that Saddam had been handed over, Deputy Justice Minister Bosho Ibrahim told Reuters: "This is not true. He is still with the Americans." Full Article : iol.co.za Source: Saddam's Time Running Out U.S. Takes First Step Toward Handing Him Over To Iraqi Authorities Al-Dulaimi warned that turning over Saddam to the Iraqis would increase the sectarian violence that already is tearing the country apart. "If the American administration insists in handing the president to the Iraqis, it would commit a great strategic mistake which would lead to the escalation of the violence in Iraq and the eruption of a destructive civil war," he said. December 28, News 2006 Posted: Thursday, December 28, 2006 ¤ What freedom of information? ¤ Bush's Great Leap Forward ¤ Blair's Folly ¤ In Somalia, a reckless U.S. proxy war ¤ Ford Speaks From The Grave, Criticizes Bush On Iraq ¤ The Trials of Occupation ¤ Saddam Ready for 'Sacrifice' as Baathists Vow Revenge ¤ The life and afterlife of James Brown ¤ Prices and Blizzards ¤ Indian leader likens caste system to apartheid regime ¤ U.S. Embassy Is Warning Beijing on Iran Gas Deal ¤ Dollar Slides; U.A.E. Says Selling U.S. Currency, Buying Euros ¤ Bush Could Usher in a Very Dangerous New Year ¤ Somalia to declare martial law ¤ Killing children is no longer a big deal ¤ Iraq prepares for rapid Saddam execution ¤ Our Next Big Mess ¤ James Brown lies in repose at Apollo ¤ Saddam Is The Last Hope For The US ¤ Stress of violence leads to more suicides ¤ Lynching Saddam – Part 11 Venezuelan and Ecuadorian Presidents Seal Friendship ... Posted: Thursday, December 28, 2006 Caracas, December 22, 2006 (venezuelanalysis.com)— Ecuador’s President Elect Rafael Correa arrived in Venezuela Tuesday to strengthen his friendship with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and to sign cooperation commitments. The two presidents signed a joint declaration to promote integration via the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) and for energy cooperation. Correa also requested that Venezuela rejoin the trading group of the Community of Andean Nations (CAN). Full Article : venezuelanalysis.com FAQ: War between Somalia and Ethiopia Posted: Thursday, December 28, 2006 Is there a history of violence between the two countries? Yes. Successive Somali governments objected to the demarcation of the 1,000-mile border with Ethiopia, which was drawn by colonial powers. In 1964, the two countries fought a war over the Ogaden region of eastern Ethiopia, which is home to mainly ethnic Somalis. War erupted again 13 years later but Ethiopia, backed by Soviet and Cuban forces, inflicted a heavy defeat on its neighbour after a two-year conflict. During the 90s, Ethiopia launched attacks on a Somali Islamic group, al-Itihaad al-Islaami, headed by Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, the current head of the SCIC. The current Somali president, Abdullahi Yusuf, helped Ethiopia defeat Aweys' group. Full Article : guardian.co.uk The Dubious Ethiopian Invasion of Somalia Indian leader likens caste system to apartheid regime Posted: Thursday, December 28, 2006 Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh became the first leader of his country yesterday to compare the condition of low-caste Hindus with that of black South Africans under apartheid. Mr Singh drew the parallel at a conference in New Delhi on social and caste injustices saying it was modern India's failure that millions of Dalits (meaning "oppressed") were still fighting prejudice. "Even after 60 years of constitutional and legal protection and support, there is still social discrimination against Dalits in many parts of our country," Mr Singh said. Full Article : guardian.co.uk James Brown, 1933-2006 Posted: Thursday, December 28, 2006 "Internationally known as the hardest working man in show business . . . . Mr. Dynamite, the amazing Mr. Please Please himself . . . the star of the show, Jaaaames BROWN!" That was the unforgettable opening of "The James Brown Show Live at the Apollo," an LP released in 1963, which spent 66 weeks on the Billboard album charts – something no R&B album had ever done. The hardest working man in show business died Christmas day at a hospital in Atlanta. He was 73. Full Article : commondreams.org Saddam Ready for 'Sacrifice' as Baathists Vow Revenge Posted: Wednesday, December 27, 2006 Saddam Hussein has vowed to go the gallows as a "martyr" ready and willing to sacrifice himself, after Iraq's highest court rejected an appeal against his death sentence. In a defiant letter released today but said to be written from his prison cell in November when he was first sentenced to death, the ex-dictator addresses Iraq’s citizens directly, urging them to unite against "the enemies". "I sacrifice myself. If God wills it, he will place me among the true men and martyrs," he wrote. "O faithful people, I bid you farewell as my soul goes to God the compassionate…Long live Iraq. Long Live Iraq. Long live Palestine. Long live jihad and the Mujahidin. God is great." The message came as Saddam’s Baath Party - disbanded after his ousting in 2003 - threatened retaliation if the execution went ahead, warning in an internet posting that it would target US interests anywhere. Full Article : commondreams.org December 27, News 2006 Posted: Wednesday, December 27, 2006 ¤ Former US president Gerald Ford dies at 93 ¤ Hundreds burned alive in Lagos pipeline fire ¤ What has long been a catastrophic tragedy is also now a horrific farce ¤ Slavery in the UK ¤ Islamic threats follow Ethiopian troop advancement in Somalia ¤ No more troops for Afghanistan, says Belgian minister ¤ Iraqis By the Numbers ¤ Hugo Chavez's Political Imperative ¤ Journey to Vietnam ¤ Israel approves W Bank settlement ¤ James Brown, 1933-2006 ¤ James Brown: Please Don't Go ¤ Announcing the P.U.-litzer Prizes for 2006 ¤ Rumsfeld and the American Way of War ¤ Where Will You Be When the Boat Capsizes? ¤ The Power of Propaganda ¤ Cowboys Differ on Iran Attack ¤ Iran backed dangerously into a corner ¤ Why doesn't the US condemn Ethiopian invasion and occupation of Somalia ? ¤ Iran: U.N. Ignoring Israeli Nuke Program ¤ Okla. bombing probe flayed ¤ Reservist Due for Iraq Is Killed in Standoff With Police ¤ Journalistic Malpractice: Iraq, 9/11 and US support of Israel ¤ Gambling to save face on Iraq ¤ Syncronized dancing robots ¤ Will Bush Explain Why War Continues? ¤ Rumsfeld denies making claims Iraq had WMDs ¤ Secretary Rumsfeld Remarks on ABC "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" ¤ 2,700 Palestinians have been detained without trial this year ¤ "It didn't happen under Saddam" ¤ Haditha: The Mai Lai of Iraq ¤ Big quake cuts communications in Taiwan ¤ African Union orders Ethiopia out ¤ Yes, oil from Venezuela ¤ World's `Worst' Visa System Scares Business Away From the U.S. ¤ Noam Chomsky Comments on the Iraq Study Group Report ¤ Seething Cuba slams Costa Rica's Arias as pawn of US Ethiopian troops told to leave Somalia Posted: Wednesday, December 27, 2006 The African Union has told Ethiopia to pull out thousands of its troops from Somalia, where they are fighting alongside pro-government forces. "We are calling for the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops without delay," Alpha Omar Konare, the AU Commission chairman, said. "We appeal to all parties to cease hostilities without delay and resume dialogue that started in Khartoum under the aegis of the Arab League, the AU and IGAD,"Mr Konare said at the end of an AU and Arab League meeting in Ethiopia. Full Article : telegraph.co.uk Probes of Bush Policies in Works Posted: Wednesday, December 27, 2006 WASHINGTON -- Massachusetts lawmakers are set to launch a blizzard of investigations in the new Congress, probing issues such as wartime contracting, post-Katrina housing assistance, and the Bush administration's relationship with Cuba and other countries in Latin America. In what could be closely watched proceedings, two members of the Massachusetts delegation -- representatives William D. Delahunt of Quincy and Martin T. Meehan of Lowell -- are planning joint committee hearings to examine the administration's Iraq war policies, particularly the reasons for the military's lagging efforts to train Iraqi troops. Delahunt is in line to become chairman of the House International Relations Committee's subcommittee on oversight and investigations, and Meehan will take over the same subcommittee on the House Armed Services Committee. Full Article : commondreams.org Ethiopian troops move on Somalia's capital Posted: Wednesday, December 27, 2006 Government troops move on Mogadishu Ethiopian troops supporting the forces of Somalia's transitional government are advancing towards the capital, Mogadishu, as the United Nations Security Council calls an emergency meeting on the conflict. Full Article : aljazeera.net The Horn of Africa teeters on the cusp of all-out war Neighbours arethreatening to turn Somalia into a battleground for their old scores "Analysts agreed it would not be an easy fight against Ethiopia's powerful army, and the UIC's [The Union of Islamic Courts] reported allies – Eritrea and Yemen – may be tempted to join the southern militia. Already, they have covertly supplied arms and training to the UIC, according to a UN report obtained by Associated Press. Eritrea and the predominantly Christian Ethiopia fought a three-decade war of independence and since Eritrea became a country in 1993, the two have skirmished regularly across their border. Many have warned that Somalia – which hasn't had a centralized government during the 15 years since President Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991 – could become the battleground for neighbours looking to settle old scores." Full Article : thestar.com Analysis: U.S. may feed conflict in Somalia, experts say America is seen as backing Ethiopian intervention, leading to calls for 'jihad.' NAIROBI, Kenya -- As fighting has intensified between Somali Islamists and an Ethiopian intervention force, Western diplomats and experts warned that U.S. policy in the Horn of Africa -- intended to curb Islamic radicalism -- may not only be fueling this newest conflict, but also may be making it easier for al-Qaida to gain a foothold in the strategic region. Full Article : sacbee.com Somalia: All-Out War "Catastrophic" for Southern Region - Famine Watchdog The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) has warned of potentially "catastrophic" effects of all-out war in Somalia. In an emergency alert issued on Friday as the conflict began to escalate, the analysis service highlighted the food security threat to southern Somalia, where 1.1 million people are already facing a humanitarian crisis while half a million are seriously affected by floods. Full Article : allafrica.com Analysis: Somalia's powerbrokers Somalia has been without a recognised central government since the collapse of Mohamed Siad Barre's regime in January 1991. Recent attempts to establish a new authority, based in the capital Mogadishu, have had mixed results. And much power still lies with armed factions and warlords who are notorious for switching allegiance. Full Article : news.bbc.co.uk Ethiopia-Eritrea Proxy War in Somalia Risks Broader Regional Conflict, Warns New Council Report December 14, 2006 Council on Foreign Relations Conflict in the Horn of Africa is escalating rapidly as power struggles within Somalia are exacerbated by military support that both Ethiopia and Eritrea give to the opposing parties there. Ethiopia backs the weak interim government; Eritrea sponsors the Islamic militants fighting to overthrow it. Because the United States has accused Somalia of harboring al-Qaeda suspects, "the Ethiopian-Eritrean proxy conflict increases the opportunities for terrorist infiltration of the Horn and East Africa and for ignition of a larger regional conflict," warns a new Council Special Report. Full Article : cfr.org Saddam Hussein Execution Expected Within Month Posted: Wednesday, December 27, 2006 (CNSNews.com) - Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi dictator who the United States deposed in its 2003 invasion of Iraq, could be hanged at any time during the next 30 days, following the rejection of his appeal on a conviction of crimes against humanity. Full Article : cnsnews.com Saddam to hang within 30 days Saddam Hussein could be hanged within days after the rejection of his appeal by Iraq's highest court yesterday. The former Iraqi dictator was sentenced to death in November over the killing of 148 Shia Muslims from the town of Dujail in 1982. He is facing another trial accused of genocide against the Kurds - but that may now never be completed. The death sentence from the first trial must be implemented within 30 days, the chief judge, Aref Shahin, said yesterday, hinting that it could come even sooner: "From tomorrow, any day could be the day of implementation." Iraq's prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, a member of the Shia majority persecuted under Saddam's Sunni-minority rule, has already said he wants the execution to take place before the end of the year. Full Article : guardian.co.uk The Proposed Iranian Oil Bourse Posted: Tuesday, December 26, 2006 For the first time in history, in the twentieth century, America was able to tax the world indirectly, through inflation. It did not enforce the direct payment of taxes like all of its predecessor empires did, but distributed instead its own fiat currency, the U.S. Dollar, to other nations in exchange for goods with the intended consequence of inflating and devaluing those dollars and paying back later each dollar with less economic goods—the difference capturing the U.S. imperial tax. Here is how this happened. Full Article : energybulletin.net Israel approves new West Bank settlement Posted: Tuesday, December 26, 2006 Israel has approved a new settlement in the West Bank to house former Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip, officials said Tuesday, breaking a promise to the U.S. to halt home construction in the Palestinian territories. Full Article : yahoo.com King Abdullah: Israel not as strong as we though Posted: Tuesday, December 26, 2006 Jordanian king tells Japanese newspaper 'The perception in the Middle East is that Israel lost Lebanon war'; adds: More and more countries in the region will now believe that the only way to get Israel to listen is through force and not negotiations Full Article : ynetnews.com December 26, News 2006 Posted: Tuesday, December 26, 2006 ¤ 24 die in Philippines store fire ¤ Poor record-keeping plagues Bush AIDS effort ¤ 'There Are No Holidays In Iraq' ¤ Ethiopian fighter jets bomb Mogadishu airport ¤ Katrina fraud likely to balloon past $1B ¤ Probes of Bush Policies in Works ¤ Should Stupid Thoughts Be Crimes? ¤ Wrong Answer to the Wrong Question ¤ 'Godfather of Soul' James Brown Dies ¤ U.S. deaths in Iraq exceed 9-11 count ¤ Media Follies 2006! ¤ The Decider Hath Decided... ¤ Was Libya framed by US and Britain for Lockerbie to make Libya toe the line ? ¤ The Power of Nightmares 1 of 3 ¤ The Physics of Santa and His Reindeer ¤ The Warmonger's Brigade ¤ Ethiopia pushes deeper into Somalia ¤ Shock and Awe: The Politics of Redaction ¤ Iran Oil Revenue Quickly Drying Up, Analysis Says ¤ Iraq's Palestinians threatened once more ¤ Will Iraq's Oil Blessing Become a Curse? ¤ Iraq and Iran protest US arrest of Iranian officials ¤ Metaphorical bulldozer ¤ PANAMA'S EARLY CHRISTMAS GREETINGS Legendary Singer James Brown Dies at 73 Posted: Monday, December 25, 2006 ATLANTA (AP) - James Brown, the undeniable "Godfather of Soul," told friends from his hospital bed that he was looking forward to performing on New Year's Eve, even though he was ill with pneumonia. His heart gave out a few hours later, on Christmas morning. Full Article : myway.com Flaws Are Detected in Microsoft’s Vista Posted: Monday, December 25, 2006 Microsoft is facing an early crisis of confidence in the quality of its Windows Vista operating system as computer security researchers and hackers have begun to find potentially serious flaws in the system that was released to corporate customers late last month. On Dec. 15, a Russian programmer posted a description of a flaw that makes it possible to increase a user's privileges on all of the company's recent operating systems, including Vista. And over the weekend a Silicon Valley computer security firm said it had notified Microsoft that it had also found that flaw, as well as five other vulnerabilities, including one serious error in the software code underlying the company's new Internet Explorer 7 browser. The browser flaw is particularly troubling because it potentially means that Web users could become infected with malicious software simply by visiting a booby-trapped site. That would make it possible for an attacker to inject rogue software into the Vista-based computer, according to executives at Determina, a company based in Redwood City, Calif., that sells software intended to protect against operating system and other vulnerabilities. Full Article : nytimes.com Singer James Brown Dies at 73 Posted: Monday, December 25, 2006 James Brown, the dynamic, pompadoured "Godfather of Soul," whose rasping vocals and revolutionary rhythms made him a founder of rap, funk and disco as well, died early Monday, his agent said. He was 73. Brown was hospitalized with pneumonia at Emory Crawford Long Hospital on Sunday and died around 1:45 a.m. Monday, said his agent, Frank Copsidas of Intrigue Music. Longtime friend Charles Bobbit was by his side, he said. Full Article : breitbart.com December 24, News 2006 Posted: Sunday, December 24, 2006 ¤ Banality and barefaced lies ¤ Impending Police State in America ¤ The "War on Terrorism" is a Fabrication ¤ Mass Infanticide Then and Now ¤ Residents blame U.S. for deadly attack in Baquba ¤ U.S. trapped in Arabian sands ¤ Residents blame U.S. for deadly attack in Baquba ¤ Pick a horror: Iraq toll or Dubya's lost goal ¤ Don't Count on the Democrats to End the Iraq War ¤ Time to Drop the Face-Saving Fictions ¤ From the Raid on "Fort Negro" to Iraq ¤ Black 'Saints' Cannot Deliver Whites From Racial Inertia ¤ Es-Ka-LAY-Shun ¤ Eight US Marines charged in 21 Iraqi murders, cover-up ¤ Ex-Abu Ghraib detainee recounts atrocities committed by US forces ¤ Militiamen abduct, rape and kill students ¤ Ten years later the price is still worth it ¤ Are Bush and Cheney Planning an Early Attack on Iran? ¤ U.S. says U.N. Iran resolution not enough ¤ UN sanctions hit Iran after call by Bush ¤ UN resolution just a "scrap of paper", says Ahmadinejad ¤ Could Bush Start Another War? ¤ Blair was dangerously off target in his condemnation of Iran ¤ Iran calls U.N. resolution 'invalid' and 'illegal ¤ Will the US Become a Banana Republic? ¤ Sorry, Wrong Continent Spy Cameras See Britons' Every Move Posted: Sunday, December 24, 2006 George Orwell Was Right: Spy Cameras See Britons' Every Move Almost 70 years after George Orwell created the all-seeing dictator Big Brother in the novel "1984," Britons are being watched as never before. About 4.2 million spy cameras film each citizen 300 times a day, and police have built the world's largest DNA database. Prime Minister Tony Blair said all Britons should carry biometric identification cards to help fight the war on terror. Full Article : bloomberg.com Iran: What about Zionists' nukes? Posted: Sunday, December 24, 2006 Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini says sanctions imposed by UN on Islamic Republic 'cannot affect or limit Iran's peaceful nuclear activities but will discredit the decisions of the Security Council, whose power is deteriorating'; adds: Council doing nothing in response to Olmert's comments on Zionists' nuclear capabilities Full Article : ynetnews.com US Congresswoman Calls for Castro's Assassination Posted: Sunday, December 24, 2006 Watch The Clip Of Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Calling For Castro's Assassination... Video : youtube.com www.638waystokillcastro.com Fla. Lawmaker Acknowledges Castro Remark A Florida congresswoman acknowledged Saturday calling for Fidel Castro's assassination after earlier claiming a video clip of her making the comments was fake. A Congo Lesson for Bush Posted: Sunday, December 24, 2006 An author points out similarities between King Leopold's disastrous invasion of Congo and the war in Iraq. DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: Your interview in the Washington Post made headlines across the country Wednesday because you continued to talk about "victory" in Iraq — a hint that you may increase the number of American troops there. But it caught my eye for a different reason. In it (after expressing some "befuddlement" at the suggestion that you do not read books), you explained that the most recent book you read was "King Leopold's Ghost," about the plundering of Congo a century ago. This pleased me because I wrote that book. Full Article : commondreams.org UN sanctions hit Iran after call by Bush Posted: Sunday, December 24, 2006 The UN Security Council unanimously approved a tough resolution yesterday evening authorising sanctions against Iran for refusing to suspend its uranium enrichment programme, bringing to an end two months of often fractious negotiations aimed at pressuring Tehran to clarify its nuclear ambitions. The resolution orders all countries to ban the supply of specified materials and technology that could contribute to Iran's nuclear and missile programmes. It also imposes an asset freeze on key companies and individuals involved in the programmes named on a UN list. Full Article : guardian.co.uk Blair was dangerously off target in his condemnation of Iran Posted: Sunday, December 24, 2006 Two things occurred last week, apparently unconnected. In the first, Tony Blair, at the end of his tour of the Middle East and the Gulf, issued a thunderous denunciation in Dubai of the 'threat' posed by Iran. He painted a scary picture. (Doesn't he always?) Iran, he said, was 'at war' with the 'moderate' Arab world and Western forces trying to bring peace and stability to the region. If it was not for evil Iran, Blair implied, Iraq and Afghanistan could become holiday hotspots for tourists, following the example set by Dubai, which has had more than a million British visitors this year. Iran at war with the Arab world? The last statesman who framed it in that ugly context was ... Saddam Hussein. Full Article : guardian.co.uk Israel's Nuclear Weapons Must Be On The Table Posted: Saturday, December 23, 2006 Ever since Mordechai Vanunu, the Israeli nuclear technician, confirmed the existence of Israel's nuclear weapons program with his photographs of the secret underground bomb facility published in the London Sunday Times in 1986, the world has known Israel has been making nuclear bombs but has pretended they do not exist. Vanunu was released from prison in April 2004 but was prohibited from leaving Israel. The Israeli government continues to keep him in Israel against his will. Criminal action is pending against him for speaking to journalists and foreigners. Full Article : american-reporter.com Holocaust Jew accused of war crimes Posted: Saturday, December 23, 2006 An old Jewish man who took his own cold-blooded revenge against Germans for the Holocaust will not be extradited back to Poland from Israel to answer charges of genocide. The case of Solomon Morel, 86, is the only one in Holocaust history where a Jew stands accused of war crimes against Germans. It has perplexed legal minds in both countries. Poland says genocide is genocide whether a Jew or a Nazi committed it, while many Israelis see rough justice in the 1500 German deaths for which Mr Morel is alleged to be responsible. Full Article : theage.com.au Mainstream journalist defends western bias Posted: Saturday, December 23, 2006 Reuters' UN correspondent Evelyn Leopold defended her and other mainstream journalists' western bias by saying she and her colleagues are from the west. She also criticized some journalists that she said had different biases and an agenda. At a recent UN Security Council briefing on the investigation into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, Ms. Leopold reportedly yelled out "Next question, next question" after a Muslim Weekly correspondent asked if the UN investigation was considering outside claims of Israeli involvement. Ms. Leopold denied yelling out anything, but said that nobody at the UN should be asked that question (quoted below), including UN Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz who presided over the briefing. Full Article : cnnexposed.com December 22, News 2006 Posted: Saturday, December 23, 2006 ¤ The vocabulary word for today: Zugswang Zugswang (noun, from German): a position in chess where every possible move you can make results in a worse position. ¤ Moscow wins Georgia gas battle ¤ Gates pledges 'enduring' US presence in Gulf ¤ Marines charged in Iraqi civilian deaths ¤ US confirms backing Assad opposition ¤ Failure in Iraq? We've Already Failed ¤ Is The Country More Secure Because of President Bush's Policies? ¤ "I'm Jealous of Cuba" ¤ Breaking the News ¤ Afghanistan's Drug Catastrophe ¤ The United States is Insolvent ¤ Military Draft System To Be Tested ¤ Beware the Fake Media Watchdog ¤ The Nightmare before Christmas ¤ The Bush Administration's 9/11 Story is a Conspiracy Theory ¤ The Great Game on a razor's edge ¤ 'Everything depends' on bringing Christianity to Iraq ¤ Lieberman Officially Endores Escalation in Iraq ¤ North Korea Talks Stall Over U.S. Financial Sanctions ¤ 'NY Times' Finally Publishes Op-Ed 'Redacted' by C.I.A. ¤ Israel, Syria and Bush's Veto ¤ Europeans bail out of Iran sanctions ¤ The $2 Trillion Dollar War ¤ Marines' Haditha Massacre: Murderers, and Casualties, of War ¤ Bush Is A One Word Oxymoron ¤ All I Want for Christmas is...the Truth ¤ Put on the Spot, Our Punk President Lies Yet Again ¤ Unnecessary Killers in an Unnecessary War ¤ Once Again Bush Gets It Wrong. Who'd o' Thunk? ¤ A Very Dangerous New Year ¤ US encourages the Talibanisation of Afghanistan ¤ After Charges, Looking Back on Haditha ¤ Abandoned and terrified, refugees are targets of the death squad ¤ "I never made so many coffins a day" ¤ Iraq will be nothing else but the Arab and the liberation fort! ¤ Cannon fodder in Christmas times ¤ A Christmas Present ... ¤ All Tears Are Not Enough ¤ George Galloway - Israel : A History Of Violence NACC and NWAC's Queen and Kings Prize-Giving Ceremony Posted: Saturday, December 23, 2006 NACC and NWAC presented their 22nd Annual Calypso Queen and Young Kings Calypso Monarch Competition Prize-Giving Ceremony 2006 at the SWWTU on Thursday 21st December, 2006. The event was long in coming and the gathering consisted of Calypsonians and their supporters who had anxiously awaited their prizes. The MC for the night was Sister Dela Obika, Servant President of the NWAC (National Women's Action Committee) and Calypsonians were backed by the powerful sounds of the Earl Knight and the Services Brass Band. Full Article : trinisoca.com The Eve of the Hindu Wedding Posted: Friday, December 22, 2006 On Saturday 16th December, 2006, at around 4pm, Triniview.com journeyed back to the home of the dulahin (bride to be) and was once again warmly welcomed by all. Saturday being the eve of the wedding, was all about preparing for the big day ahead. The house, just as it was the day before, was filled with friends and family who arrived early to assist Geeta, the dulahin, in the final preparations for the actual wedding ceremony. Full Article : triniview.com Blair losing battle to prove his influence Posted: Thursday, December 21, 2006 Tony Blair's "shoulder to shoulder" support for George Bush has been called into question again by claims that he was "brainwashed" by President Bush over plans to pull troops out of Iraq. The Prime Minister returned yesterday from his seven-nation visit to the Middle East, apparently without achieving any significant breakthrough in the peace process. But British officials said that he had found a desire to make progress among Israeli and Palestinian leaders, and insisted that he had never expected to find a magic solution. They said his tour should be judged over the longer term rather than immediately. Full Article : independent.co.uk December 21, News 2006 Posted: Thursday, December 21, 2006 ¤ New Report Says Iraq Attacks Hit Record High ¤ This is where George Bush gets dangerous ¤ U.S. Cancels Order for 75 Million Doses of Anthrax Vaccine ¤ US soldiers' suicide rate in Iraq doubles in 2005 ¤ The US and Latin America Overview for 2006, Perspectives for 2007 ¤ The world according to Blair, by 'Mr Tony' ¤ CIA Official Reveals Bush, Cheney, Rice Were Personally Told Iraq Had No WMD in Fall 2002 ¤ There's the Big Lie, and then there's the Really Big Lie ¤ U.S. warns time is running out for North Korea ¤ McVeigh Video Destroys OKC Bombing Official Story ¤ A 'Surge' in Wasted Sacrifice ¤ The Last Latin Dinosaur ¤ The proxy war in Palestine ¤ Victory Requires an Immediate Pull-Out of US Troops ¤ Suicide bomber kills at least 10 in Baghdad ¤ Defiant , I stand. ¤ The Urge to Surge ¤ Civil Wars? ¤ Pentagon mulling show of force to Iran ¤ Good Evening, Vietnam ¤ A Judicial Victory for the Leader ¤ Architect of Defeat ¤ Sell-Out Democrats Walk Into a Bush Trap on Iraq ¤ Bush "Developing Illegal Bioterror Weapons" for Offensive Use ¤ Assault on Red Crescent an Escalation in Iraq ¤ Bush plans bigger army amid fear of new Iraq deployment ¤ 132 Iraqis Killed ¤ Pentagon report paints grim picture for US in Iraq ¤ If The Americans Really Intend To Negotiate With The Resistance... ¤ HRW ¤ "IraqSlogger" warmly endorsing crude propaganda ¤ Iraqi soldiers eat frogs, rabbit at handover ceremony ¤ Bush Can’t Kick the Habit ¤ Hold Those Responsible for Iraq Accountable ¤ The Worst "Way Forward" in Iraq ¤ Disbelief at israeli snub of Syrian offer ¤ Bush backs away from 'absolutely winning' statement ¤ WHEN WILL THEY EVER LEARN? ¤ Muslim Holocaust & Holocaust Denial by Bush US Alliance ¤ Iraq Is Vietnam - And You'd Better Believe It ¤ Report: Iraq on brink of collapse ¤ How Syria dodged a neo-con bullet ¤ Iraqi Women's Bodies Are Battlefields for War Vendettas ¤ US soldiers' suicide rate in Iraq doubles in 2005 Latin America's secret slave trade Posted: Wednesday, December 20, 2006 Oliver Balch reports from the triple frontier of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina, where humans have become the most sought-after contraband. The human-trafficking business is estimated to be worth over £10bn a year, making it the world's third most profitable criminal activity after drug-smuggling and gun-running. Many of those trafficked through the triple frontier are destined for the illegal labour market in Brazil or Argentina. The trade in babies for adoption is also widely reported. But a large proportion end up as sex workers. Many end up in brothels across the region, although a high number are destined for the triple frontier's own thriving sex industry. Full Article : guardian.co.uk US considers naval build-up as warning to Iran Posted: Wednesday, December 20, 2006 The Bush administration is weighing options for a naval build-up in the Gulf as a show of force and a warning to Iran on its nuclear programme and its support for Shia militias in Iraq, it emerged yesterday. Under the proposed build-up, first reported by CBS television, the Pentagon would send an aircraft carrier to join one already in the region. The proposed deployment was described as a message to Tehran not to take provocative steps, and was not preparation for an attack. Full Article : guardian.co.uk The world according to Blair, by 'Mr Tony' Posted: Wednesday, December 20, 2006 The Prime Minister has unveiled the world according to 'Mr Tony' as he launched into a bizarre lecture on life, the universe and everything. Tony Blair left an audience of Arab female university students lost for words as he called for a 'global culture' based on common values of openness, tolerance, equality and fairness. And he revealed the 'theory of Mr Tony' - you cannot please everyone so just press ahead even if others think you are wrong. The oddly-worded remarks came during a tour of a women-only university in the United Arab Emirates. Full Article : thisislondon.co.uk Maticoor Night: The Dulahin's Feminine Zone Posted: Wednesday, December 20, 2006 On Friday 15th December, 2006, the first night of preparation for the wedding between Geeta Maharaj of Welcome Road South, Enterprise Chaguanas and Kishan Seegobin also of Chaguanas, Triniview.com was able to share in this celebration. It was beautiful synchronicity to be driving up to Geeta's home where family and friends gathered to join in the festivities, and simultaneously be welcomed by the sounds of the village Raghu Boys Tassa group raising a rousing welcome to all guests, and signaling to the village that the wedding celebrations was about to begin. This is a key element of the traditional format of the night; the entire close-knit village is involved and welcomed as a wedding is an occasion for all to share and celebrate. The energetic and pulsing rhythms of the Tassa drums started off the mood of celebration. This was not to be a solemn ceremony but one that embraced life and energy and the joy of female sensuality. This celebratory tone was to continue for the rest of the evening, interspersed with rituals, all performed with joyous festivity. Full Article : triniview.com Paramin Parang Festival Draws Thousands Posted: Wednesday, December 20, 2006 Parang lovers by the thousands came together for the Paramin Parang Festival 2006 which took place on Monday 18th December, 2006, on the hills of Paramin. This year was the 29th anniversary of this celebration and the turn out was fantastic as usual. The journey to Paramin alone was an experience. Driving up the steep, undulating hills in the large jeeps proved to be daunting yet quite exciting. Although the Paramin area is not that far into the country, the sharp bends and turns as well as the height of the terrain made the journey seem quite long. Full Article : triniview.com Iran: sanctions will not stop nuclear plans Posted: Tuesday, December 19, 2006 The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, today said UN sanctions would not stop Iran from enriching uranium. The show of defiance came as the UN security council moved closer to adopting a resolution after months of wrangling. Russia said today a new draft met most of its concerns. "The new draft resolution, which has been drawn up by the European troika (Britain, France and Germany) and is now being debated within the UN security council, takes most of our approaches into consideration," the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, told the news service Interfax. Full Article : guardian.co.uk Libya sentences foreign health workers to death Posted: Tuesday, December 19, 2006 A Libyan court today sentenced five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor to death after finding them guilty of deliberately infecting 400 children with the HIV virus. The presiding judge, Mahmoud Hawissa, read out the verdict in a seven-minute hearing at a Tripoli court, which came at the end of the defendants' second trial. The six - who had detained for nearly seven years - had previously been convicted and sentenced to death, but Libyan judges granted them a retrial after international protests over the fairness of the proceedings. Full Article : guardian.co.uk December 18, News 2006 Posted: Monday, December 18, 2006 ¤ Venezuela, Oil Producers Buy Euro as Dollar, Oil Fall ¤ All-time high for homegrown as pot becomes top cash crop in US ¤ Washington Refuses to End the War ¤ More Troops, More Body Bags ¤ Despair and Disappointment in Afghanistan ¤ Iran's Elections ¤ Santa Claus is Chinese or, Why China is Rising and the US is Declining ¤ US robberies, murders on the rise ¤ Iran to replace dollar with euro in foreign deals ¤ Tehran's Holocaust Conference ¤ The United States of Punishment ¤ The Sober Racism of Mel Gibson's Apocalypto ¤ Red Crescent suspends Baghdad work ¤ But How Will America Then Keep Control of Oil Fields? ¤ The terrorist you've never heard of ¤ It's Either Occupation or Education ¤ My heart is tired, heavy with the wounds of Iraq ¤ Lame Duck Visits Dead Duck Walking Venezuela, Oil Producers Buy Euro as Dollar, Oil Fall Posted: Monday, December 18, 2006 Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez is directing a growing share of the country's oil profits into euros as the dollar and crude prices fall. The dollar, down 9.5 percent against the euro this year, may face more pressure in 2007 because Venezuela and oil producers from the United Arab Emirates to Indonesia plan to funnel more money into the single European currency. "The U.S. dollar has suffered a long process of deterioration," Domingo Maza Zavala, one of seven board members at the central bank of Venezuela, said in a Dec. 14 interview. "The diversification strategy started this year." Full Article : bloomberg.com Pot is called biggest cash crop Posted: Monday, December 18, 2006 The $35-billion market value of U.S.-grown cannabis tops that of such heartland staples as corn and hay, a marijuana activist says. For years, activists in the marijuana legalization movement have claimed that cannabis is America's biggest cash crop. Now they're citing government statistics to prove it. A report released today by a marijuana public policy analyst contends that the market value of pot produced in the U.S. exceeds $35 billion -- far more than the crop value of such heartland staples as corn, soybeans and hay, which are the top three legal cash crops. Full Article : latimes.com Ex-Soldiers Break 'Silence' on Israeli Excesses Posted: Monday, December 18, 2006 'Something rotten' is going on in Gaza and the West Bank by Haroon Siddiqui A young Israeli was in Canada last week raising ethical questions about the conduct of Israeli soldiers in the Occupied Territories. Yehuda Shaul was born in Jerusalem to an American mother and Canadian father (from Toronto). Shaul went to school in a West Bank settlement and served in the army from 2001 to 2004. He did a 14-month stint in Hebron, guarding about 650 settlers living among approximately 150,000 Palestinians. He is one of the founders of Break the Silence, a group of ex-soldiers speaking out about what they saw and did during their tour of duty in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Full Article : commondreams.org China's goddess of the river is driven to extinction Posted: Monday, December 18, 2006 After surviving 20 million years, China's goddess of the river is driven to extinction For 20 million years, the white-fin dolphin, or baiji, swam China's longest river, the Yangtze. But a few years of breakneck development, overfishing and a massive increase in shipping have reduced sightings of this shy, graceful creature to zero. A recent expedition failed to spot a single Lipotes vexillifer, and now conservationists fear the almost-blind, long-beaked animal is gone for good, the first big aquatic mammal to become extinct due to human activity. "We have to accept the fact that the baiji is extinct. It is a tragedy, a loss not only for China, but for the entire world," said the joint leader of the expedition, August Pfluger, an economist who runs the Swiss-based baiji.org, an environmental group dedicated to saving the dolphins. Full Article : independent.co.uk Tax Leads Americans Abroad to Renounce U.S. Posted: Monday, December 18, 2006 By Doreen Carvajal PARIS, Dec. 17 — She is a former marine, a native Californian and, now, an ex-American who prefers to remain discreet about abandoning her citizenship. After 10 years of warily considering options, she turned in her United States passport last month without ceremony, becoming an alien in the view of her homeland. “It’s a really hard thing to do,” said the woman, a 16-year resident of Geneva who had tired of the cost and time of filing yearly United States tax returns on top of her Swiss taxes. “I just kept putting this off. But it’s my kids and the estate tax. I don’t care if I die with only one Swiss franc to my name, but the U.S. shouldn’t get money I earned here when I die.” Historically, small numbers of Americans have turned in their passports every year for political and economic reasons, with the numbers reaching a high of about 2,000 during the Vietnam War in the early 1970s. But after Congress sharply raised taxes this year for many Americans living abroad, some international tax lawyers say they detect rising demand from citizens to renounce ties with the United States, the only developed country that taxes it citizens while they live overseas. Americans abroad are also taxed in the countries where they live. Full Article : nytimes.com December 17, News 2006 Posted: Sunday, December 17, 2006 ¤ Saddam seen as no threat ¤ Take This War and Shove It ¤ Put No Faith in the United Nations ¤ The Bloodbath We Created ¤ Yeah, We're the Ones Who Got It Wrong ¤ Bush rejects most dramatic Iraq options ¤ Ex-Soldiers Break `Silence' on Israeli Excesses ¤ The Disappearance of George P. Bush ¤ Iraq is Not the Only Thing That's Broken ¤ Blackmailed by Dictators ¤ Blair vows to stay course in Iraq ¤ Bush May Back Sending More Troops to Iraq ¤ Blair snubbed by Bush move to send more troops to Iraq ¤ France to withdraw 200 special forces from Afghanistan ¤ No. 10 secret memo: We are seen as a shambles ¤ Time magazine's "Person of the Year" is You ¤ New U.S. military manual critiques own Iraq tactics ¤ Lights, Cameras, Little Action at Talks ¤ Act III in a Tragedy of Many Parts ¤ The Puppet and the Puppeteer ¤ Cops Shoot Another Rich White Man ¤ Why Does It Take 50 Bullets? ¤ 69 Iraqis, Killed ¤ Three Possible Outcomes for the Rest of Bush's Presidency ¤ U.S. still stuck on stupid in Iraq ¤ It's Not Just Bush: We're Accountable Too ¤ The trap of recognising Israel Academic to be Tried for Attending Holocaust Conference Posted: Saturday, December 16, 2006 Robert Faurisson, a French academic who attended an Iranian conference questioning the Jewish Holocaust, could face legal punishment. Robert Faurisson might be brought to court as a result of the comments he made at the "unacceptable" Tehran gathering, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said. The foreign minister said the French |