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March 2002World NewsPosted: Sunday, March 31, 2002 • Israeli Push Sees Oil Rise On Regional Peace Fears • Bush: Suicide Bombings Are Terror ¥ And what does this idiot call the Israeli attack on Palestinians? • U.S. says Iran, Iraq and Syria fomenting terror against Israel • Turkish Hunger Strike Claims 50th • For Sharon, Meaning of 'Victory' Grows Unclear • Israeli troops shoot dead Palestinian police as they try to surrender • Foreign Marchers Hurt as Israeli Troops Open Fire • Islamic states warn of 'all-out war' • Wave of anti-Jewish attacks hits France • Israeli Troops Kick CBS Out • Car Bomb Rocks Jerusalem • Jordan Makes Intensive Efforts to End Israeli Aggression: PM • U.S. arranges for Arafat's exile in Morocco ¥ This reads like an April fool joke. • Israeli Tanks Surround Bethlehem • Israel Calls Up 20,000 Reserves • Anti-Israeli Protests in Egypt... • Israel Under Fire as Islamic Nations Define Terror • Excerpts of Arafat's interviews with leading Arab television channels • Palestinian gunmen kill 'collaborators' • Jordan and Egypt may expel Israeli envoys... • Foreigners Who Visited Arafat Arrested by Israeli Military • Israel suicide bomb kills 16, Sharon says nation at war • Watching from on high as Israeli guns keep firing • Israel vows to avenge new suicide bombings • US ignores international mood and lays blame on Palestinians • Siege of Mr Arafat shows Mr Sharon's weakness • New military action quickly followed Sharon's speech • Sharon says Arafat is "enemy of the free world" • British students act as shields for Arafat • More Suicide Bombs as Israel Closes in on Arafat • Pak hands over Arabs suspected of Al-Qaeda links to US • Israel Defense Forces to expand operation • I have not met one Briton of colour who supports attack on Iraq • Islamic conference on terrorism opens in shadow of West Asia violence • Arafat calls from deploying UN forces to protect the Palestinians • Baz: if Israel seeks regional war it would be the loser • Iraqi leadership signs rapprochement agreement with Kuwait World News Posted: Saturday, March 30, 2002  ¥ In this season of the resurrected 'saviour' > Sharon has given new life to Arafat. • Israel warns Syria over Lebanon with air strikes • Killings Raise Questions About Israeli Tactics • UN resolution on the Middle East • Bush Defends Israel's Military Moves • China Warns of Disaster if Arafat Harmed - Xinhua • Israeli Army Arrests Foreigners In Ramallah • Old dreams of empire dance in Blair's head • Sharon: Israel 'At War' With Terror ¥ Israel 'at War with Terror' or at War with itself? • Forces Trade Fire Near Arafat Office • Sharon is driving the Middle East toward the precipice • At least 15 killed in suicide bombing in Haifa restaurant • Suicide bomber injures 4 in West Bank settlement of Efrat • Report: Israelis Enter Arafat's Office • Jordan threatens unspecified measures in ties with Israel • Troops prepare to raid Arafat's office • As two weak men act tough, the extremists impose their will • Defiant Israel ignores UN's demands to pull back forces • While US turns on Arafat, Europe and Arabs criticise Israel • Israel Had Access to almost all communication from Arafat's Headquarters • The myth of the good general Mushharaf • Palestinians: Arafat given ultimatum to hand over wanted men • Without mercy: Israelis execute Arafat's elite guards • Israeli Arabs to protest against siege • Top official among hundreds captured by Israel • Over 30 wounded in suicide bombing in downtown Tel Aviv • Britain to press for caution over Iraq • Tony Blair executed a last-minute U-turn on Saddam Hussein • Army chief puts commanders on alert to attack Iraq • Don't always trust what they tell you in the war on terror • An unmanned American spy plane crashes in southern Philippines • 'Send X-Ray Prisoners Home' Says Camp Boss • Afghan Warlords steal food meant for victims of quake • I saw the bodies, killed by a shot to the head Young, female 'Martyrs' an emerging trend Posted: Saturday, March 30, 2002  The latest bomber, Ayat Mohammed al-Akhras, was an 18-year-old girl who lived in the Dheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem. She had barely entered adulthood when she blew herself up in a supermarket yesterday in Jerusalem's Kiryat Yovel district, a working-class Jewish neighbourhood. MORE Terror bred by the very effort to destroy it Posted: Saturday, March 30, 2002 The first problem for the Israelis is a definition; what does the "infrastructure of terror" mean? For 19 months now, there have been bloody incidents and confrontations in both the Palestinian territories and within the state of Israel. The Israeli government of national unity, headed by Ariel Sharon, elected by a solid majority little more than a year ago, has resorted to almost every military means to force a peace. Using the most sophisticated aircraft and missiles in the world, the Israelis have repeatedly bombarded Palestinian Authority bases in an attempt to pressure Mr Arafat and his lieutenants into halting the terrorists operating out of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. MORE Sharon's 40-tank bluster won't win security Posted: Saturday, March 30, 2002 Ariel Sharon says he wants security for his citizens, and he has dressed up his very personal war against Yasser Arafat in the language of George Bush's "war on terrorism" - Natanya is his ground zero and the Palestinian leader is his Osama bin Laden. But as appalling as the constant terrorist attacks in Israel are, this is bad news diplomatically, politically and militarily. The events of this week in the Middle East might have pointed the participants to the negotiating table, for all its shortcomings, but Sharon has marched straight for the shooting gallery. MORE 'Terrorism' Posted: Saturday, March 30, 2002 When Israel kills, the American administration can "understand" it as the exercise of Israel’s right to react to the death of its people. Since Palestinians do not have that right, the administration can "recognize" it as terrorism. And the responsibility to end the cycle of violence is that of Yasser Arafat. While Powell asked him to end it, the chairman was sitting in his office, with a gun on his table, expecting Israeli soldiers to come in any moment to "isolate" him, possibly, with a bullet. MORE World News Posted: Saturday, March 30, 2002 • Troops Keep Arafat Confined; U.N. Urges Israeli Withdrawal • Arafat Tells TV He Will 'Never Surrender' • U.S. upgrading military presence in Persian Gulf • European Gov'ts React to Crisis > European nations demanded on Saturday that Israel > immediately comply with a U.N. Security Council resolution > and end its siege of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's compound. • Suicide bombing claims 1, injures 24 in Tel Aviv cafe • One Israeli, 2 Palestinians die in thwarted suicide attack • Angola signs peace accord with UNITA rebels • Arab fury at 'foolish, illegal aggression' • Sharon agreed on a compromise to "isolate" Arafat as an "enemy" • Bush Calls 5 Leaders About Mideast • Defiant Arafat Asks World to Halt Israel Assault • Israeli Troops Only a Door Away From Arafat Office • Ten killed in rebel attack in Indian Kashmir • US backs UN call for Israel to withdraw from Palestinian cities • Israeli outrages get US backing ¥ Israeli Terrorism always had US backing... > Guess who supplies most of their weapons. • PM Sharon locks up Arafat, but what is his endgame? • Sharon's stark message to man he wants dead • Israel turns its fire on Arafat • Israel's assault on Arafat • Robert Fisk: The lies leaders tell when they want to go to war • There were two images of Ariel Sharon on Friday > One was the battle-scarred and angry war veteran. > The other was the prime minister who made repeated calls to the > Bush administration to assure it that he would not kill Arafat. • Arafat in the crossfire as Israel goes for kill • India: Mobs are still out on the streets, death toll keeps rising • India: Militants attack Raghunath temple in Jammu, 7 dead If assassinated, Yasser Arafat really would be an 'enemy' to be reckoned with Posted: Friday, March 29, 2002 by David Hirst in Beirut Ever since he was confined to his Ramallah headquarters, Yasser Arafat - the world's most exalted political prisoner - has been making it clear that he is prepared to die for his cause. Several weeks ago he reportedly ordered his guards to resist Israeli assault "up to and including the death of the president". And now, from the windowless basement where he has taken refuge from Israeli troops already within his compound, a pistol on his desk and a mobile phone to his ear, he proclaims to the world that "the Palestinians will never kneel" and that the only form in which his historic adversary, General Ariel Sharon, will ever lay hands on him is "as the corpse of a martyr". MORE Israeli Soldiers Urinate On Arafat's Wall Posted: Friday, March 29, 2002  Larger photo featured on Drudge Report Drudge removed the photo and headline within an hour. Cry for War Drowns Out Common Sense Posted: Friday, March 29, 2002 By Hubert G. Locke The problem with incessantly beating the drums of war, as this national administration is currently doing, is that the noise begins to drown out reason, common sense and, eventually, sanity. Reason was the first to be sacrificed when Bush proclaimed his "axis of evil" and put Iran, Iraq and North Korea -- and possibly Russia and China -- on a list of suspect-nations with which the United States would prepare to do battle in the name of demolishing weapons of mass destruction. MORE US role in Salvador's brutal war Posted: Friday, March 29, 2002 There is a tremendous irony that President George W Bush has chosen to visit El Salvador on the anniversary of the murder of the country's Archbishop, Oscar Arnulfo Romero, 22 years ago. A campaigner against the Salvadorean army's death squad war, Monsignor Romero was shot through the heart while saying Mass, shortly after appealing to the US not to send military aid to El Salvador. MORE Britons think Blair should step down Posted: Friday, March 29, 2002 www.freerepublic.com TONY BLAIR has been a disappointing prime minister and most people think he should step down before the next election, an opinion poll for The Sunday Times reveals. The poll, carried out on Thursday and Friday by YouGov, the online polling specialist, shows widespread disenchantment with Blair’s leadership. Coming at a time when Labour MPs have begun talking openly about a challenge to him, it shows that he faces serious problems. Asked about how they rated Blair's prime ministership, 54% of the 2,277 respondents said he had been a disappointment. Only 21% believed he had performed better than they had expected. Disappointment was greatest among male voters and Tory and Liberal Democrat supporters — but a third of Labour voters said Blair had been a letdown. Asked how long Blair should carry on as prime minister, 20% said he should step down now and 43% thought he should go at the next election. MORE Arafat broadcast blocked Posted: Thursday, March 28, 2002 With 13 out of 22 Arab heads of state absent, including Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah, the two-day Arab summit conference in Beirut got off to a discouraging start yesterday. The situation went from bad to worse, though as Al-Ahram Weekly went to print there was some muted optimism that it just might get better before the summit ends its deliberations later today with the issuing of the Beirut Declaration and a number of resolutions on key Arab issues. The major crisis occurred during the first working session of the summit when Lebanon's president and summit chairman, Emile Lahoud, prevented Palestinian President Yasser Arafat from addressing the summit via satellite link from his Israeli-besieged headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah. In anger, the Palestinian delegation walked out. "We walked out of this conference after President Lahoud ignored the repeated request of the Palestinian delegation to get the speech of President Arafat on air [at the summit]," senior Palestinian delegate, Nabil Shaath, told Al-Ahram Weekly. MORE 'Rage doesn't obey orders' Posted: Thursday, March 28, 2002 With most observers expecting US envoy Anthony Zinni's attempts to forge an Israeli-Palestinian cease- fire to fail, Israeli military officials have confirmed a Washington Post report that the army has contingency plans to reoccupy Palestinian towns and other PA administrative areas. MORE World News: Israeli Offensive Posted: Thursday, March 28, 2002 • In the land of Castro, professors run B&Bs • Arafat says seven dead in his HQ, accuses US of giving nod to Israel • Mubarak and Arafat confer by phone on dangerous Mideast situation • U.N. Chief Calls on Israel to Stop Assault • The Power of Restraint • Powell Calls on Arafat to End Violence ¥ Yeah Right! While Israel bombs his office, cut lights and confine him. • Israeli Gunfire in Arafat Compound • Israeli forces seize Arafat's office • Israeli Offensive Prompts Wide Arab,Intl Reaction > Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher called the offensive > "foolish, illegal and a message of war and aggression > to the Arabs as a response to their message of peace." • Two Suicidal Attacks Kill Four in Israel • Teen Girl Is Latest Suicide Bomber • Palestinians Say Sharon Has Declared War on Them > "The Israeli government, which practices state terrorism, > has declared a comprehensive war and Sharon is intent on destroying > the Palestinian Authority and the peace process" • Text of Israeli Cabinet Decision • Arafat's Offices on Fire From Israeli Shells • Israelis, Palestinians Battle at Arafat HQ • Taleban's chiefs keep in trim for comeback • Oprah Winfrey declines Bush invite to Afghan trip • Pak Police arrested 52 Al-Qaida and Taliban members > Five killed in Police encounter... • Loner who killed eight politicians jump from window > French open investigation into how he managed to jump • IBM 'dealt directly with Holocaust organisers' • A tiny glimmer of hope in the gloom that engulfs the Middle East • Sudan rebels claim to kill 300 soldiers recapturing army post • UN urged the Angolan rebel movement UNITA to join peace talks • Arafat offers ceasefire as summit backs peace deal • The fight should and will go on, Arabs say • Arafat seeks truce as Israel positions tanks for assault • Wary welcome from Israel as Sharon prepares to strike back • Daily Telegraph correspondent in danger of jail term in Zimbabwe • 18 Rebels Killed, 72 Arrested in Chechnya • India risks backlash in Nepal venture • Hard decisions inevitable, India finance minister Sinha • India - BJP rethink on Hindutva politics? • Ministers resign after Ghana's tribal infighting > 36 people dead STOP THE WAR : March on Washington, D.C. April 20th, 2002 Posted: Thursday, March 28, 2002 The White House promises a war without end*. Under the pretext of strengthening security, our democratic rights are being further eroded, hundreds of people have been "disappeared" into jails and prisons, and corporate interests are shamelessly trying to use this crisis to their advantage. It is clear: unless we, the people of this country, rise up and come together now, the future for us and for people around the world is very bleak. But united, as we have done in the past, WE CAN MAKE CHANGE! There is an alternative! MORE World News Posted: Thursday, March 28, 2002 • Israel forces enter Arafat's headquarters • Hamas rejects Arab peace overture to Israel > Hamas vows to continue attacks... • Occupation and terrorism > Israeli-Palestinian politics from the barrel of a gun • Israel's treatment of Palestinian child detainees was inhuman... > and could amount to torture... • America's vanquished Tibetan allies... > Anti-Maoist Kampas recall betrayal by Nixon • White House anger at CNN 'Military Not Ready' report • U.S. armed forces surrounding Iraq under veil of secrecy • Arafat: "I am assuring our readiness to work on a cease-fire" • US Official Defends Anti-Terror Tactics • Bush Finds His Vietnam in Colombia • Afghan Aid Workers Slowed by Mines • Purported Bin Laden E-Mail Attacks Saudi Plan for Mideast • Afghan aid efforts are threatened by violent aftershocks • France soldiers offer to train Georgian troops • Macedonia: Albanian Factions Clash • Fighting Flares Near Liberia's Capital • Human Version of 'Mad Cow' on Rise > Increase reflects delay of symptoms, not new cases, says British expert. • Bush 'n' Blair are a two-man band • Paris gunman jumps to his death • Israeli glee over collapse of Arab summit • Saudi peace appeal is offset by bickering • 20 killed as bomb ends peace hopes • Israel threatened "a far-reaching response" • Tremors continue as death toll rises in Afghanistan • America replaces depleted missiles • We won't give Omar Sheikh, Pak tells US • Argentina was a model IMF student, and it's still suffering • Russia creates new anti-terror body to cooperate with NATO • Saddam and bin Laden help fanatics, say Kurds • Afghan combat a lab for honing military technology • US secrecy over terror prisoners is against law • Indian troops called out after fresh violence in Gujarat • China, India Open Direct Air Links • BJP Vice-President Sahib Sigh Verma Quits After Delhi Poll Debacle • "Who's Tony Blair?" Asks Britney Spears • A Beautiful Mind" distorts the truth Gas up, stock market down Posted: Wednesday, March 27, 2002 By Martha Smilgis DRIVE INTO THE gas station and pull out your wallet. You think a gallon of gasoline is already skyrocketing? You're right. We're experiencing the fastest mark up in petrol in 50 years. And California drivers ain't seen nothin' yet! Once again OPEC stubbornly refuses to increase production to meet the oil needs of a slowly improving world economy. Although people are flying less, we are driving more -- and longer distances, balancing the exchange. Consumption is picking up. What's more, the summer driving season is just three months away. "In 1977, the United States imported 28 percent of its oil from the Persian Gulf. Last year, it was down to 23 percent. Although U.S. oil consumption is up 17 percent in the last 10 years to 20 million barrels a day, we now get most of our oil from Mexico, Canada, Venezuela, Russia, Malaysia and Brazil. "o wonder investors are fretting over the energy situation. If we go to war with Iraq, oil may be embargoed and the stock market will plummet. Fortunately, we have other sources of oil ready to right the situation. Full Article World News Posted: Tuesday, March 26, 2002 • The Milosevic trial: Damning admissions > by former British Liberal Party leader Lord Ashdown • Update Mar 28, Is Yaa Naa Andani alive or dead? • The King of the Dagombas in northern Ghana has been beheaded > Dagombas - the largest ethnic groups in northern Ghana...history > 25 of his supporters burnt to death... • At the start of Jewish passover in Israel, SUICIDE BLAST KILLS 16 † Hamas claims responsibility... More than 100 wounded... • Arab Summit in Disarray as Palestinians Walk Out • Russia planing to counter US missile shield: defence minister • EarthLink co-founder admits bilking millions from investors • Serbia adopts decree on war crimes, ahead of US aid deadline • U.S. navy to stay in Gulf for long time • Pakistan Says Bin Laden Not in the Country • US officials admit bin Laden's trail has gone cold • U.S. seeks $5 million for Iraqi opposition meeting -CNN • NRA filed suit challenging new Campaign Bill -U.S. • Ugandans are told of Irish concerns over executions • Fewer may have died in Afghan quake than first feared • Corruption in India, the world's eighth most graft-ridden country... • China - US should stop interfering in Taiwan issue • Arab summit lies in ruins as Arafat is fenced in • Afghan quake leaves 2,000 dead and 30,000 homeless • 30 captive Afghans turn out to be U.S. allies • Bush warned Italy of threat to Afghan king • U.S. attack base to be moved into Qatar to bypass Saudi objections • India's new terror law raises fears for Muslim civil rights • Russia, West spies to team up against terrorism • Disaster just adds to woe of drought and minefields • Companies sued over link to slave trade • Risk to journalists 'increased by war on terrorism' • U.S. cash conceal the cracks in Afghan government • Nuclear-test pact looks shaky after withdrawals • Afghan army will march on nation's empty stomach • Sharon plays cat and mouse with Arafat • Prozac link to cancer growth • Hundreds of current and former Enron employees contacted Playboy Role model behaviour Posted: Tuesday, March 26, 2002 by Gary Younge http://guardian.co.uk/ One hot, childhood summer, I remember sitting under a tree talking with friends about the jobs we wanted to do when we grew up. Among us there were potential mechanics, models, footballers and hairdressers whose pre-teen dreams were greeted with interest. It was only my plans that provoked howls of derision. I said I wanted to go to university and be a doctor. They laughed, in part because it was an unglamorous, square ambition for someone with a world of wine, women and song to choose from. But also because it was so completely alien to any of our experiences. None of us knew anyone who had been to university - apart from teachers, who, at that age, were an alien species anyway. I might as well have said I wanted to be governor of the Bank of England, live under water or become a centaur, since we didn't know anyone who had done those things either. And into that vacuum of probability stepped ridicule. Role models matter. The desire for more of them is one of the few things that unites otherwise polar opposites - both in parliament and outside it. School standards minister, Stephen Timms, wants more male role models in the classroom. So does hard-left MP, Diane Abbott. "Experienced black teachers describe how the most unruly and obnoxious black schoolboy can melt given firm but loving handling. It is important to stress that there are models of success." Lee Jasper, adviser on race issues to London mayor Ken Livingstone, has slated So Solid Crew for glorifying thug culture. David Lammy, a rising New Labour star, tells children in Tottenham, the constituency he now represents and the area where he grew up: "All you have to do is listen, take it in and you are off." Employed subtly and judiciously, role models present us with route maps by which we can begin to contemplate not only possible destinations in life but also, more importantly, how we might actually get from where we are to where we would like to be. By exposing us to our potential, they can be empowering. Used irresponsibly, however, they are worse than useless. If they concentrate on the professional rather than the personal, and individual achievement rather than collective advancement, they exceptionalise success and distort any positive message that might assist rounded development. The demand for a greater number of role models may be laudable, but the qualities we might look for from these models deserves more scrutiny. One of the key qualities seems to be melanin content. Collecting his Oscar on Sunday night, Denzel Washington thanked Sidney Poitier (who received one himself for lifetime achievement) for his example: "I'll always be following in your footsteps." And hailing her Oscar win as an opportunity "for every nameless, faceless woman of colour", Halle Berry thanked Oprah Winfrey "for being the best role model any girl can have". In recent debate here, however, a consensus has developed that it is young black men, in particular, who need role models more than most. On one level, that makes sense. Given the high incidence of mixed-race relationships, divorce and separation in Britain's Caribbean communities, only a quarter of children of Caribbean heritage live with two black parents, according to a report released by the institute for social and economic research at the University of Essex. The vast majority are raised by lone mothers, black or white, and with few male teachers (and only a tiny number of them black), it is true that young black men have few authority figures in their lives who look like them and can relate to their specific condition. That, of course, puts an immense weight on the shoulders of the few black males who do make it through the system. Not only do most of them have to work twice as hard to get where they are, and not only are they likely to be paid less than their white counterparts, but they have to be more responsible, too. There is no presumption that white professionals should set an example to young, white, working-class youth. If they fail, their failure is never understood in terms of racial disappointment. As long as racism limits the opportunities available, then what James Baldwin once termed "the burden of representation" will remain a price of black success. But when you hear parents slam So Solid Crew's Asher D, following his conviction for carrying a gun, as a bad example to their children, you have to wonder why they would be ceding such an important task as imparting values to a rap star they have never met. Black people are not alone in needing role models. My companions under the tree all those years ago were all white. Their stunted sense of their own potential stems from the dead weight of our class-obsessed society - a culture that discourages ambition beyond prescribed limits. Attitudes may be inherited but, unlike race, they are not genetic. In fact, it was probably thanks to my migrant heritage that I had not imbibed their more stifling qualities. In a nation with the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in Europe, you could argue that much more attention should be paid to mentoring young women, of all races, since it is almost invariably they who end up holding the baby. The truth is, we all need role models. And while identities based on gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and so on are factors, the real test is whether such models are meaningful, accessible, honest and rounded. Sadly, that is where the concept most often falls down. A few years ago, while travelling through Virginia, I found myself being driven to a school by a woman I had only just met, so that she could introduce me to her son. "I want you to be his role model," she said. All she knew about me was that I was "a black writer". Apart from that, I might have been a philanderer, cokehead or gaybasher. But the fact that I fitted the profile of an ABC1 black male sufficed. I couldn't fault her motives, but the method and reasoning that underpinned it were deeply flawed. What meaningful interaction could I, then a 28-year-old British journalist, in town for two days, truly have with an eight-year-old boy of recently-divorced parents in southern Virginia? The emphasis on work suggests to young people that "professional status" is the most important thing they should strive for. When people look for role models, they seek out barristers, politicians, bank managers and - would you believe it? - journalists. Rarely, if ever, do they present postal workers, bus drivers and shopkeepers - people whose achievement is to keep it together on modest incomes. They seek mentors who have themselves fled in search of greener pastures, never those who stay and till the soil. In the Caribbean community at present, a man who has constant, loving contact with his kids is worth 50 City traders who do not. Similarly, on most working-class housing estates a young single mother going back to college for qualifications could touch parts that few CEOs could reach. Professional achievement is important, but is usually stressed at the expense of other qualities. As a painter and decorator, and devoted father, Neville Lawrence is a brilliant role model. It is a shame that his son Stephen had to be murdered before someone like him was invited into schools to talk to young people. All too often, role-modelling takes an individual who has done well, parades them in front of a group that is not doing so well, and says: "If you try hard enough, you too can do this." Left there, youngsters have witnessed living proof that it is possible to get on. What they have not been told is that the odds are heavily stacked against them and that, from a class of 30, maybe only one will make it. It suggests that if people do not succeed in those narrowly defined material terms, it is because they did not try hard enough. It kids them that there are infinite possibilities when known limitations exist. Role models work when they help us imagine bridges to a better future. But without the resources to build those bridges, they tell us more about the priorities of a successful few, than about the experiences and interests of the many they are supposed to help. More proof of Israeli spies Posted: Tuesday, March 26, 2002 Federal Justice Department flaks have denounced reports of a massive Israeli spy ring as an "urban myth" -- despite solid reporting by Fox News, a French online service -- and by CL. Along with our Tampa sister paper, Weekly Planet, CL was the first American newspaper to obtain, substantially quote from and publish a confidential 60-page Drug Enforcement Administration document detailing the apparent spying by Israeli "art students" who tried to gain access to sensitive federal buildings, military bases and intelligence officials' homes. MORE Venezuela PDVSA wants more from Citgo oil contracts Posted: Tuesday, March 26, 2002 CARACAS, Venezuela, March 26 (Reuters) - Venezuelan state oil firm Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) is seeking to renegotiate crude supply contracts with its U.S. refining arm Citgo Petroleum Corp. as part of government efforts to increase oil revenues. "We are trying to change the structure of the supply agreements to maximize returns from the crude sales," a spokesman for the Ministry of Energy and Mines told Reuters Tuesday. Under the new supply terms, Citgo would pay market prices for heavy sour oil purchased from PDVSA, rather than the discounted prices the subsidiary currently enjoys. The new contracts would make it easier for the government to access oil money and increase profits to Venezuela, the world's No. 4 oil exporter, from the U.S. downstream operation, the spokesman added. Citgo officials said the company had not been contacted by PDVSA to renegotiate supply deals. MORE Video earmarked for the white 'revolution' Posted: Tuesday, March 26, 2002 "The most politically incorrect video game ever made. Run through the ghetto blasting away various blacks and spics in an attempt to gain entrance to the subway system...where the jews have hidden to avoid the carnage. Then if your [sic] lucky you can blow away jews as they scream 'Oy Vey', on your way to their command center." -- Advertisement for "Ethnic Cleansing: The Game" MORE No Safe Haven Posted: Monday, March 25, 2002 by William Pittz A million Afghans joined the ranks of one of the world’s largest and most desperate refugee populations as a result of U.S. retaliation against their country. Despite the urgency of this humanitarian crisis and the U.S. role in it, President Bush responded by decreasing, not increasing, the number of refugees that will be permitted to enter the U.S. this year. Together with the intensification of security screenings, this will mean that only 30,000 to 50,000 refugees worldwide will receive American sanctuary. A deeper look into U.S. refugee aid since the Cold War reveals that this closing of the door on refugees is much less about security than it is about racial discrimination. MORE World News Posted: Monday, March 25, 2002 • Man Crashes Truck Into Fla. Mosque > Motivated by hatred of Muslims and drove truck into mosque.. • Race attack victim wins right to sue police - UK • Suit seeks billions in slave reparations - CNN • Egypt's president won't attend Arab summit • Arafat Decided Not Attend Arab Summit in Beirut • Gunman Kills at Least 8, Wounds 18 in Paris Suburb • In Need? Call the Warlord Ismail Khan • Empty American Promises Embitter an Afghan Village • EU faults U.S. steel for failing to adapt • Israel Maintains Arafat Travel Ban • CANADA: Child porn challenger wins artistic argument • Afghan Quake Kills at Least 1,800 • Ebola outbreak kills 32 in Congo • Local Afghan commander says bin Laden has been spotted • Live Video of Afghan Fighting Had Questionable Effect • General's caution dismays Rumsfeld • Using U.S. military to eradicate Afghan poppy fields... • Empty American Promises Embitter an Afghan Village • Japan plans to extend support to U.S. • China Bars U.S. Ship From Hong Kong • Marines adopt new route to Kabul in face of Pakistan's opposition • U.S. examines 2 Saudis for possible Qaeda link • British hint at peaceful solution to Iraq crisis • Refuseniks, pro-peace generals fail to reach deal • Bush tells Arabs to 'seize the moment' and accept Saudi plan • Blair's life as a leader in the real world is just beginning • Hatchet journalists wanted me dead, claims Rushdie • JERUSALEM: Two International Observers Killed • 'Race' for the Oscars • Halle-Lujah For Oscar Winner Berry ¥ Nauseating!! Terms of abuse Posted: Sunday, March 24, 2002 If the left wants to win over the pro-Israeli lobby, it will have to start taking anti-semitism seriously by Gary Younge About every three months I am accused of being an anti-semite. It is not difficult to predict when it will happen. A single, critical mention of Israel's treatment of Palestinians will do it, as will an article that does not portray Louis Farrakhan as Satan's representative on earth. Of the many and varied responses I get to my work - that it is anti-white (insane), anti-American (inane) and anti-Welsh (intriguing) - anti-semitism is one charge that I take more seriously than most. This is not because I believe I consciously espouse anti-semitic views, but because I do not consider myself immune to them. There is no reason why I should not be prone to a centuries-old virus that is deeply rooted in western society. That does not mean that I accept the charges uncritically. I judge them on their merits and so far have found them wanting. But I do not summarily dismiss them either; to become desensitised to the accusation would be to become insensitive to the issue. It is a common view on the left that political will alone can insulate you from prejudice. It stems, among some, from a mixture of optimism and arrogance which aspires to elevate oneself above the society one is trying to transform. Last month's New Statesman front page of a shimmering golden Star of David impaling a union flag, with the words "A kosher conspiracy?" was a case in point. Some put it down to an editorial lapse of judgment. But many Jews saw it not as an aberration but part of a trend - one more broadside in an attack on Jews, not from the hard right but the liberal left. The New Statesman's editor apologised, but the response of some progressives has been defensive and confused, because they fail to that the more they accommodate, excuse or ignore anti-semitism, the less they are qualified to preach about Israel. Anti-semitism existed long before Israel did and played the decisive role in winning over the vast majority of Jews to the Zionist cause. But Judaism is not Israel. And while it is difficult, in the current climate, to understand the Jewish community's concerns without reference to Israel, it is vital not to confuse the two. To do so opens the door for both anti-semites and apologists for Israeli aggression in the Middle East. "Signs of leftist and Islamist anti-semitism are rife in Britain these days and Jews are worried," claimed an article in Israel's most leftwing mainstream newspaper, Ha'aretz, a few weeks ago. Sadly, the facts which might verify these claims were, for the most part, lacking. Research conducted by the Community Security Trust, an organisation which aims to provide advice and security for British Jews, showed a "sharp increase" in anti-semitic attacks over the past four years. But the groups which are by far the most vulnerable to racist attack remain Pakistanis and Bangladeshis, who are overwhelmingly Muslim. Since there is no suggestion that the left is responsible for these anti-semitic attacks, the evidence of an anti-semitic revival among its numbers remains anecdotal. The British left has a strong record of fighting anti-semitism, but there can be little doubt that today anti-semitism does find a specific expression among the left. Believing that wealth disqualifies Jews from being among the oppressed, leftwingers fail to take anti-semitism as seriously as other forms of discrimination. Based on the stereotype of "the wealthy Jew", such a view is not just insulting but ignores the nature and history of anti-semitism and the considerable pockets of poverty within the Jewish community. Moreover, Jews on the left complain of feeling themselves under suspicion for their private attachment to Israel, and their presumed support for all that it does. Such presumptions and prejudices are morally wrong. And because they are wrong in principle they remain a liability in politics. In the same way that the racism and historical amnesia of the right weaken its arguments against Robert Mugabe and Zimbabwe, every example of anti-semitism devalues whatever opinions are given about Israel's role in the Middle East. It does not invalidate the arguments - Mugabe is a despot and Israel's occupation an outrage - but the question mark hanging over the motivation of the proponent inevitably taints the pronouncement. The conflation of Judaism and Israel - as though they are interchangeable - prompts a spiral of mutual recrimination. Israeli hawks and Zionist hardliners brand any criticism of Israel anti- semitic, regardless of its merits. Their accusations become so frequent that the term becomes devalued. Then Israel's detractors dismiss every allegation of anti-semitism, regardless of its merits, as a cynical attempt to stifle legitimate dissent. And so it goes on, until what should be a complex debate descends into polarised positions - "Zionism is racism" on the one hand, "anti-Zionism is anti-semitism" on the other. Zionism is a political position, not a genetic given. It did not always command majority support among Jews. The minority of Jews who are anti-Zionist today might be accused of being psychologically unstable "self-haters", but the Board of Deputies of British Jews did not have a Zionist majority until 1939. Nor has Zionism ever held a monopoly on Jewish thought here. According to a poll by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research, about 20% of British Jews surveyed in 1995 said they had negative feelings towards Israel (3%) or none at all (16%). But Israel nonetheless commands the affection of the vast majority of Jews in Britain. That doesn't mean that gentiles have to support Zionism or Israel just because most Jews do. But it does mean that they cannot simply dismiss Zionism if they are at all interested in entering into any meaningful dialogue with the Jewish community. And it means that they have to be sensitive to why Jews support Israel in order to influence their views. To deny this is to maintain that it is irrelevant what Jews think. It is to move to a political place where Jews do not matter - a direction which they will understandably not follow, because they were herded there before and almost extinguished as a people. To declare "Zionism is racism" offers little in terms of understanding racism, anti-semitism or the Middle East. It is not a route map to debate, liberation or resistance but a cul-de-sac. The same can be said for its opposite: "Anti-Zionism is anti-semitism". Anti-Zionism, up to and including opposition to the existence of the state of Israel, is a legitimate political position, with roots in the Jewish and non-Jewish communities. That does not mean that Jews have to support it. But to equate it with bigotry is unsustainable. "It is easy to forget that Zionism and the possibility of a sovereign Jewish state were once deeply divisive issues in Jewish life in this country," according to a 1997 Institute of Jewish Policy Research document on the attachment of British Jews to Israel. Such engagement will not be easy, for the semantic differences reflect fundamental disagreements. But if it cannot be achieved in Britain, what hope is there for the Middle East? World News Posted: Sunday, March 24, 2002 • Ukraine Slams US for Election Interference • Bush makes pledge to push for free trade in Latin America • Israelis kill gunmen crossing from Jordan • Syrians vent anger at Sharon in massive rally • US firms face slave-reparations lawsuit • Britain Suspends $14m Aid to Tanzania • IMF Watching Kenya's 'Poll Economics' • 3 Palestinians shot dead by Israeli army • Israeli jets overfly Lebanon 3 days before Arab summit • Internet is quickly becoming new cash cow for politicians • Iraqi exiles ruled out of any attack on Saddam • Iraq breaks ground at summit, recognises Kuwaiti rights • CNN: Top Kashmiri separatist arrested • US-linked Afghan soldiers arrested for attack • Eyewitness: Bite of the Palestinian blockade • Yemenis wary, rulers ready to aid U.S. war • U.S. military is opposing Bush plans to spray poppies in Afghan • U.S. Prods Israel to Allow Arafat to Go to Arab Summit • Israel plans big assault if talks fail • Philippine Clashes May Point to Attempt to Rescue Hostages • Tribal Leaders in Pakistan Warn the U.S. to Keep Out • Afghan Governor Demands US Hand Over Attack Suspects • NATO's Kosovo action left lethal legacy -- report • Britain accused on terror lab claim • Britain can attack Iraq without a UN mandate: Hoon • Israelis deliberately targeted UN agency • Iraq ready for US probe into pilot's fate • Israeli killed in shooting attack near West Bank town of Hebron • Ceasefire talks to resume as Saudi plan takes shape • Cheney "very serious" about Iraq; rules out Arafat meeting • Sharon Won't Withdraw to Pre-1967 Borders • Angry young refugees camps pose problem for Arafat • Soldiers died because of new battery • UK Marines Remain Stranded Off Pakistan • Russian mobsters tighten their grip on LA • The people of Gibraltar must be told what's good for them • Unexploded ammunition now poses the biggest a threat • Berry, Denzel Win Lead-Acting Oscars CHOMSKY’S DÝYARBAKIR SPEECH Posted: Sunday, March 24, 2002 If I can open with just a personal remark of my own, it is a very moving experience for me to be here. I have followed as best I can the noble and tragic history of the Kurds in Turkey in past years from everything I can find, particularly in last ten years. But it is quite different to see the actual faces of the people who are resisting and who continue to struggle for freedom and justice. I have been asked repeatedly to express my opinion about the rights of people to use their mother tongue. As a linguist I have no opinion about the matter. As a human being there is nothing to discuss. It is too obvious. The right to use one’s mother tongue freely in every way that one wants -- in literature, in public meetings, in any other form -- that is a primary essential human right. There is nothing further to say about it. MORE When silence is golden Posted: Sunday, March 24, 2002 No one should shed tears for Margaret Thatcher, for few politicians have introduced such division and inequality to our country How much better a place Britain would have been had Baroness Thatcher never existed. Its politics would be less disfigured, its society less unequal, its public services less run down and its Conservative media less rabid. It would be more at peace with Europe and with itself. She was the high priestess of prejudice, breaking the back of her own political party and the principles of the Labour Party alike. MORE Aetna, CSX, FleetBoston face slave reparations suit Posted: Saturday, March 23, 2002 Three corporations are accused of profiting from slavery in the first of an anticipated barrage of lawsuits by African-Americans seeking compensation for abuses suffered by their ancestors. The lawsuit, a draft of which was obtained by USA TODAY, names insurer Aetna, railroad CSX and financial services firm FleetBoston as defendants. The complaint, to be filed Tuesday in federal District Court in New York, asks for unspecified damages, restitution for unpaid slave labor and a share of corporate profits derived from slavery. The case comes amid growing interest in the issue of slavery reparations among lawyers, historians, activists and state and local governments. MORE World News Posted: Saturday, March 23, 2002 • The outrages of secret evidence by US government continue • What's driving the US economy? • Israelis use peace process to seize Arab land > Israel manipulated U.S. policy... • Firms face slave reparations lawsuits ¥ Aetna, CSX, FleetBoston accused of profiting from slavery • UK elite commandos lack the right altitude to take on Al-Qaeda • Karen fighters attacked a Burmese army camp, 20 killed • Thousands of Milosevic supporters in anti-Nato rally • Mystery MiG jet flies into Kabul • Two youths shot by Israeli troops at Palestinian funeral • Syrians rally in support of Palestinians • Church accuses Blair of 'cruel thirst for vengeance' • Fund Raising: How Bush Plays the Game • Anti-American Taliban forces who vow to keep fighting • Confessions of a Priest who violated boys • Money Raids on U.S. Islamic groups • Mom charged with raping her son, 7 • Sharon: We'll let Arafat leave Ramallah when he acts against terror • Britain accused of false terror lab claim • Bulgaria denies report of al-Qaeda plot to hit US in Bosnia • Montenegro Monastery raid failed to find Karadzic • Iraq and the Bush doctrine • Pakistan warns India against aggressive moves • When silence is golden • Critics decry ads linking drugs, terror • North, South Koreas Will Reopen Dialogue • Britain to extend its leadership in Afghanistan • Bio-warfare lab found in Afghanistan, U.S. says World News Posted: Friday, March 22, 2002 • Senate Subpoenas Enron on W House Contact • Thatcher bows out of public life • 'Horrified' Father Vandalizes London Corpse Show • Aftermaths of war in Afghanistan • Most senior judge compares UK human rights to 'apartheid' • Holocaust Was Aided By Swiss, Study Says ¥ Jews seek more billions to maintain the monopoly on sympathy ¥ Jews are yet to answer for their role in Slavery... • Ailing Thatcher retires after one last blast at Europe ¥ Can doctors really keep that racist quiet? • U.S. lays blame for trade dispute 'squarely on Canada' • Bush asks for $27bn to fight terror • China 'cracks down on Muslims' • After 20 years, Arafat will return to Beirut in political chains • Grenades wound dozens in Kashmir • UK Army must cut Kosovo force to save money • Israeli weapons bear an embarrassing label: made in USA • US could hold prisoners for years • War captives could be held if acquitted • US orders staff out of Pakistan • Afghan War-bound UK Marines must make detour • Bush accepts link between poverty and terrorism • Saddam parades families of exiled critics on TV • Brussels threatens U.S. with retaliatory tariffs over steel • Bush Sets Rules for 'Fast' Foreign Aid • EU Gets Ready for Macedonia Deployment • Afghans Says They Were Kicked and Abused by US Troops • Al-Qa'ida biological weapons laboratory is 'found in cave' • Hardcore of UK Labour MPs pressing for challenge to Tony Blair • Lady Thatcher silenced on doctor's orders • UK Islamist charged with journalist's murder faces swift execution Latest News Posted: Friday, March 22, 2002 ¤ 'Dead bodies are everywhere' ... ¤ Four killed in anti-war protests across Middle East ¤ 'Pakistan regrets US-led attack on Iraq' ¤ US call for Iraqi diplomats' expulsions rejected ¤ The good and gentle past ¤ Clash of civilisations! ¤ Shame upon these pygmies and their lies ¤ Wrong war for wrong reasons ¤ Ink dry on war script a year ago ¤ Any excuse to build an empire ¤ He who gets the most camera time ¤ Bombs not aimed at civilians: US ¤ Stray bomb hits building in Iran Venezuela: Rebel attack not launched here Posted: Friday, March 22, 2002 CARACAS, Venezuela -- Venezuela on Friday angrily rejected a Colombian army report that leftist rebels had launched an attack from its territory, but it increased border patrols and said any Colombian guerrillas found would be driven out. Colombia's armed forces said on Thursday 21 rebels and 17 troops were killed in heavy clashes this week near the northern border village of Tibu, after a rebel column crossed over the frontier from neighboring Venezuela, "That's completely false," Venezuelan Defense Minister Jose Vicente Rangel told reporters in Caracas. Rangel and a senior army commander, Gen. Wilfrido Cruz Weffer, said Venezuelan troops had launched an intense air and land sweep of the area on its western frontier around Tibu but had found no trace of Colombian guerrillas. "As far as I'm concerned, the situation on the frontier is quiet. ... Up to now, we haven't found any kind of guerrillas or insurgents," Cruz Weffer told Venezuelan television. The government publicly denied the report. But farmers and ranchers along the frontier say they are often the victims of robberies, kidnappings and extortion carried out by Colombian rebels or by local criminals posing as guerrillas. Venezuela's National Guard said on Thursday it had captured a Colombian national suspected of extortion and collaborating with left-wing guerrillas in the neighboring Andean country. Chavez has also admitted his government has held "humanitarian" talks with the Colombian guerrillas to obtain the release of Venezuelan and foreign kidnap victims. MORE CNN False sense of satisfaction Posted: Friday, March 22, 2002 By Salama Ahmed Salama AHRAM.ORG - In a clearly coordinated and deliberately timed move, both the US and Europe have acted to push Sharon and his extreme right-wing government to restrain its brutal operations and abandon its military adventures to re-occupy Palestinian territories. The US and Europe only took action when Israeli cruelty had reached a peak without achieving the desired result of breaking the will of the Palestinian resistance. The West realised that Sharon's "brilliant" plan -- given the green light by Washington -- to marginalise Arafat, humiliate the Palestinian Authority and degrade the Palestinians was beginning to have the opposite effect alongside an unprecedented surge in the number of Israeli casualties. MORE World News Posted: Friday, March 22, 2002 • British muslim charged with journalist's murder • Attacks in Peru and Italy indicate post-9/11 boldness • Lawyers: American Taliban Lindh, Spoke to Avoid Prison • 4 Pakistanis Missing After INS Wrongly Let Them Enter U.S. • U.S. dependents and workers to leave Embassy in Pakistan • Ailing Margaret Thatcher told to quit public speaking now • Thatcher wrong on Europe say Tories • Police halt Finn trying to sneak bomb on plane • China test short-range missile again • Friendly basketball between U.S. and Afghan turned violent ¥ American player kicked in the head and an Afghan shot • U.S. Might Pursue Qaeda and Taliban in Pakistan • Report indicates major U.S.-Saudi rift • Taliban bargaining on 18 US soldiers • Surveillance Planned for Washington Monuments • General warns of unwinnable guerrilla war • Pope breaks silence on paedophile priests • The Pope's First Statement ¥ His declaration on the abuse scandal was not sufficient. • The question of Iraq is also the question of Palestine ¥ The US is prepared to help the Arab cause - for a price • Arafat says attacks on Israel must be halted • U.S. blames co-pilot for EgyptAir crash in '99 • United States believes that al-Qaeda fighters in Indonesia • Instant fines to tackle street crime crisis ¥ Radical - and ridiculed - scheme first floated by Blair • Spot fines of £80 and £40 are to be given to aggressive drunks • Two convicted of all counts in dog mauling case • UN summit calls for anti-poverty campaign, cash needed • Thatcher wrong on Europe say Tories Latest News Posted: Thursday, March 21, 2002 ¤ War is Theft ¤ Myths and facts about the war ¤ Embarrassed to be an American ¤ World denounces US strike on Iraq ¤ US wants Security Council to help pick up the pieces ¤ Defiant Saddam broadcasts poetic vow to crush the enemy ¤ Iraq Will Ask U.N. to Respond to Invasion ¤ Rising anger grips the Middle East ¤ Bush plan to exploit Alaskan oil thwarted ¤ Now Bush's doctrine of war will be put to the test ¤ Pakistan for swift end to attack ¤ Saddam pledges victory over US 'devil' ¤ Bugging equipment in EU headquarters ¤ War and aftermath ¤ An opportunistic war ¤ Whims threaten world peace ¤ What next? ¤ Global protests gather pace ¤ US asks governments to close Iraqi embassies ¤ It's time to turn off, tune out and drop President Bush a message ¤ Australian Senate condemns war, PM asks for unity ¤ Why Bush and his team need an attitude lobotomy ¤ A new war beyond the war ¤ China goes down with UN defeat ¤ Costs of war by far outweigh benefits ¤ Casualties of War - First Truth, Then Conscience ¤ We almost stopped the war CIA planned to assassinate President Hugo Chavez Posted: Thursday, March 21, 2002 vheadline.com US Central Intelligence (CIA) killers planned to assassinate President Hugo Chavez Frias but the plan was aborted after it became public and because US President George W. Bush had been unaware (?) that a CIA faction had organized the plot. MORE Disaster in Antarctica? Posted: Thursday, March 21, 2002 Interactive guide: An iceberg the size of Norfolk has broken away from the Antarctic ice shelf. Should we be worried? Find out with our click-through graphic. MORE Clashes erupt on Venezuela streets Posted: Thursday, March 21, 2002 CARACAS, Venezuela -- Supporters and opponents of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez clashed Wednesday, fighting running street battles in a western city and skirmishing with fists, sticks and stones outside the presidential palace in Caracas. Several people were hurt in the disturbances, which reflect growing political tensions in the world's fourth largest oil exporter, where left-wing populist Chavez is facing growing opposition to his three-year-old rule. MORE World News Posted: Thursday, March 21, 2002 • Bomber kills 2 in Jerusalem, truce talks scrapped • Arafat vows to stop attacks on Israeli civilians • Cheney-Sharon talks focused on Iraq missile threat to Israel • Suicide bomber kills three in Jerusalem • Bomb rips through Jerusalem shopping centre • UK: Blunkett orders early release of thousands of prisoners • Pope breaks silence, says clergy succumbed to 'grievous' evil • Pope Calls Priestly Pedophilia 'Grievous Evil' • US Troops Kill Ten in Afghanistan • US Frees 42 Afghans Mistaken for Iranian Agents • 2,665 U.S. Troops Due to Philippines in April • US Soldier Shot in Afghan Raid • Red Brigades militants killed senior Italian Government aide? • Indian Parliament Votes Against Anti-Terrorism Law • Somali 'Government' Recruits 2100 Men For Armed Forces • Bush: Terrorists in Peru Won't Stop Trip • Nigeria condemns Sharia punishments • Car Bomb Kills Seven Near U.S. Embassy in Lima • US intelligence officer admits spying for Cuba • Iran Hindering Terrorism War, CIA Chief Says • China Says Icy Wind Blowing Over Sino-US Relations • Taliban Fighters Changing Tactics • British forces caught in attack by Taliban • British troops are off to fight in another Afghan civil war • DEC, 2001 - Fox News Series on Israeli Spying in the US • Saudi police jail poet for criticizing government • Tajikistan initiates wide scale demolition of Mosques • Intifada has cost Israel $2.4 billion, mainly in lost tourism • Under fire, NBC says to halt liquor ads Peru car bomb kills four Posted: Thursday, March 21, 2002 BBC - A car bomb near the United States embassy in the Peruvian capital, Lima, has killed at least four people and wounded many others, according to police and local media. There has been no immediate information on who planted the device. The US State Department in Washington was not immediately able to confirm the reports. The blast comes just three days before President George W Bush arrives in Lima as part of a South American tour. More details to follow. BBC A report detailing alleged Israeli spy activity in the United States Posted: Wednesday, March 20, 2002 A major international espionage saga is unfolding across the United States, with some of its roots right here in the Atlanta area. It's been pretty hush-hush so far, largely because the implications could be a major embarrassment for the government. MORE A compliant press is preparing the ground for an all-out attack on Iraq. Posted: Wednesday, March 20, 2002 by John Pilger The promised attack on Iraq will test free journalism as never before. The prevailing media orthodoxy is that the attack is only a matter of time. "The arguments may already be over," says the Observer, "Bush and Blair have made it clear . . ." The beating of war drums is so familiar that the echo of the last round of media tom-toms is still heard, together with its self-serving "vindication" for having done the dirty work of great power, yet again. MORE Venezuela won't attend South American Games Posted: Wednesday, March 20, 2002 CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuela will not attend the South American Games in Colombia in May because it fears for the safety of its athletes, a top sports official said. The Olympic-style event is held every four years. It was originally set for April 6-16 in Bogota, but security issues prompted some countries to pull out and others to threaten withdrawal. Colombia postponed the games until May 3-12 in hopes of luring those countries back. MORE World News Posted: Tuesday, March 19, 2002 • Top Military Officials Say US Forces Spread Too Thin • Military Strapped in Pacific, Europe • UK warns Saddam of nuclear retaliation • Bin Laden is alive, says brother • Iraq says Cheney's tour a bitter blow for U.S. • UK MPs upset over troop deployment driven by U.S. priorities • Police Raid Bosnian Charity Over Terrorist Links • Serbian deputy PM resigns over claims of spying for the US • Georgia: US opens new front in war on terror • US and South Korea to Stage Biggest Anti-North Drills • Captured Prisoners Not Al-Qaida • UK 'prepared to use nuclear weapons' • Adviser for Italian Labor Reform Is Killed • Assassination highlights Italy's divisions • U.S. spurns renewed calls for world tax ¥ World tax is a poor idea; Deal with reparations first.... • Large Ice Shelf in Antarctica Disintegrates at Great Speed • Aerial survey shows 34 new settlements built under Sharon • Suicide bomber kills seven on rush-hour bus ¥ After America allowed Israel to kill so many Palestinians, what do they expect? • 1,800 jobs axed after Mariah's flop • More Than 100 Investigated in Alleged Trade Center Aid Scams • Large Ice Shelf in Antarctica Disintegrates at Great Speed • Suicide Bombing Kills Eight on Israeli Bus • US coalition forces attacked in firefight • China issues stern warning over US actions on Taiwan • UK Parliament in emergency debate over marines' deployment • Secret Govt' Report: Israeli Spy Ring Exposed • UK: Scandal of second million-pound raid at Heathrow • Sharon tells Arafat he can go but may not come back • Lying to the public is all right, says Washington's chief lawyer • Cheney snubs Arafat, Sharon humiliates him • UK: Gibraltar warned to support deal with Madrid • British commandos sucked into open-ended war • CIA Reversal: Iraq has had contacts with al-Qaeda • Antarctica sends 500 million billion tonne warning • Texas to execute 13 people over the next three months • FAA chief not at ease with new scanners The campaign from Afghanistan to Iraq increasingly lacks credibility Posted: Tuesday, March 19, 2002 By Peter Preston We're talking about King Lear and President George W - about the thin grey line between tragedy and comedy, between pathos and bathos. And we are walking the line. MORE World News Posted: Monday, March 18, 2002 • Creationism in schools 'leads to more bigotry' • Saudis Accused of Using US Tanks Against Civilians • Israel Built 34 New Settlements in Past Year • Israel: UN Showed Undiplomatic Conduct ¥ Israel's diplomatic conduct is bombing Palestine? • Paris Warns U.S. Against Moussaoui Death Penalty • Officers charged over Kabila murder • Thieves flee Heathrow with $3m • Heathrow hit by second multi-million heist • Spain: 19 corpses discovered in home • China Laments U.S. 'Erroneous Acts' • Cheney said he would meet with Arafat after truce holds • Al Qaeda Militant Arrested in Sudan • Musharraf Removes Police Bosses Over Church Attack • US Army struggling to boost recruitment of Arab Americans • US urges Arabs to halt anti-Jewish incitement in media ¥ First, the U.S. and Israel must stop terrorizing people • British marines to hunt Mullah Omar... • UK |