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March 2004US chose to ignore Rwandan genocidePosted: Wednesday, March 31, 2004 Classified papers show Clinton was aware of 'final solution' to eliminate Tutsis by Rory Carroll in Johannesburg, The Guardian President Bill Clinton's administration knew Rwanda was being engulfed by genocide in April 1994 but buried the information to justify its inaction, according to classified documents made available for the first time. Senior officials privately used the word genocide within 16 days of the start of the killings, but chose not to do so publicly because the president had already decided not to intervene. Intelligence reports obtained using the US Freedom of Information Act show the cabinet and almost certainly the president had been told of a planned "final solution to eliminate all Tutsis" before the slaughter reached its peak. Full Article Carlos Ortega Posted: Wednesday, March 31, 2004 Costa Rica throws out Chavez foe Costa Rica's government says it has cancelled the asylum given to a leading Venezuelan opposition figure, after he gave a controversial speech in the US. Union leader Carlos Ortega requested asylum last year, saying he faced persecution in Venezuela. Last week he reportedly told a meeting in Miami, Florida, that he would return to Venezuela to work clandestinely to remove the government of Hugo Chavez. Full Article Latest News Posted: Wednesday, March 31, 2004 ¤ Nine killed in Falluja attacks ¤ Joke's on them ¤ 4 Killed in Iraq Worked for Security Firm ¤ Iraqis Drag U.S. Corpses Through Streets ¤ 9 Americans, including 4 civilians, killed in Iraq ¤ Misspeaking, Lying and Complicit Reporting ¤ Put Bush and Cheney Under Oath ¤ The Illegal Coup in Haiti ¤ Three dead in Parliament suicide bombing ¤ The Failure to Keep America Safe ¤ The Troubling Arc of Media Concentration ¤ Pakistan Policy Sends Dangerous Signal ¤ Violence Flaring In Normally Peaceful South ¤ Washington cuts off aid to Serbia ¤ Iraq Wmd Hunt Still Drawing Blanks ¤ Court Convicts Egyptian Man of Espionage ¤ Fox News and the Iraq War: Fact vs. Fox-tion ¤ Gasoline Rises to 18-Year High After Fire at Texas BP Refinery ¤ USA must leave Iraq - now! Flashback ¤ US warns companies over Israel boycott ¤ Vast majority of Portuguese want troops in Iraq withdrawn ¤ The Ultimate Betrayal ¤ Elephants in the Barracks: The Complete Failure of the 9/11 Commission ¤ 'To the moon, George, to the moon' ¤ Continuing search finds no WMDs ¤ Now searching for Saddam's WMD 'intent' ¤ 'The comedic styling of George W. Bush' ¤ No facts, only motives, in Bush World ¤ Washington Pinocchios and the Lifting of the Veil ¤ Afghanistan: Return of the jihadis ¤ Iraqis Drag 4 U.S. Bodies Through Streets ¤ Court Tells U.S. to Review Mexican Death Row Cases ¤ Annan Completes Cyprus Reunification Deal ¤ OPEC Tightens Screw on Oil Restrictions ¤ Staged Capture of Bin Laden Coming Soon ¤ Who Bombed Turkey and Why? ¤ Endless Fake Terror Alerts: Fear Based Mind Control ¤ Is Fix in at 9/11 Commission? ¤ Rice: No end to controversy ¤ White House caves-in on Condoleezza ¤ Rice told to testify before 9/11 hearing as Bush caves in ¤ Main course: cooked Rice ¤ Bomb Kills Five U.S. Soldiers in Iraq ¤ Many occupation soldiers killed in Iraq ¤ US chose to ignore Rwandan genocide ¤ Hungry Angola bans GM food aid ¤ The people must decide ¤ A widow's battle for compensation ¤ Bremer offers grim assessment of security challenges in Iraq ¤ Iraqi Council Bars UN from Overseeing Elections ¤ Hearts, Minds and Padlocks ¤ Mr. President: Hands Off Clarke ¤ US newspaper ban plays into cleric's hands ¤ Who counts the civilian casualties? ¤ New U.S. tactic in Afghanistan has old ring ¤ 'Troops out' row in Australia ¤ Cost of Iraq war leaves Forces facing cuts ¤ Rice to testify in public as White House backs down ¤ Never mind the torture and political prisoners, he's Bush's man ¤ Costa Rica throws out Chavez foe ¤ The Children Soldiers ¤ UN forced to halt food distribution in Gaza ¤ The First Bush War ¤ Suicide bombings in Uzbekistan may have saved its US aid package ¤ Powell Offers U.S. Help to Uzbekistan After Terrorist Attacks ¤ Terrorism's eastward expansion: Uzbekistan ¤ Arab summit blow-up appears bad for Bush ¤ The democracy lesson backfires ¤ Iraq Contracts Give Halliburton Headaches ¤ Voters Aren't Energy Dummies ¤ Bin Laden Hunt Hurt by U.S. Disrespect of Afghans ¤ Generals: Israeli Wall Will Harm Security ¤ Court Bars Release of Vince Foster Death Photos ¤ US arms hunter explains strategy ¤ CIA accused of lying about WMDs ¤ No WMD in Iraq before war, says Kay ¤ US to broaden hunt for WMD in Iraq Flashback ¤ Cheney: Iraq seeks mass destruction weapons ¤ Iraqi suicide bomber dies outside police chief’s house ¤ Deception is the game in Bush's US ¤ US cuts $400m in world food funding ¤ Iraq was invaded 'to protect Israel' - US official ¤ Eight held as UK police raids find half-tonne 'bomb' ¤ Bomb Kills Five U.S. Soldiers in Iraq ¤ Iraq war heats up Australia's elections ¤ Jewish settlement removal a 'big lie' What's Brewing in Venezuela Posted: Wednesday, March 31, 2004 What's Brewing in Venezuela What Kind of Democracy to Expect If the Opposition Takes Control Many are wondering why there is no unified opposition party in Venezuela ... this is perplexing, especially since there is a large section of society which actively seeks the replacement of the elected government. I began my recent discussions, over a period of the last several months, with opposition supporters ... people interested in the Venezuelan political situation and with supporters of Chavez and the "Bolivarian Revolution." I put forward the idea of the need for true democracy to flourish in the country ... for a "loyal opposition" along the lines of that which has historically been present in the classic "democracies" of Europe and North America. Full Article Latest News Posted: Tuesday, March 30, 2004 ¤ Bush Attacks Painfully Predictable ¤ 'How E-voting threatens democracy' ¤ Gangsters in the White House ¤ War Rationale: Version 10.0 ¤ Hate Mail Over an Assassination ¤ What's Brewing in Venezuela ¤ Confirmation of Israeli Secret Service Shadowing 9-11 Hijackers ¤ Fox's Brit Hume Tells Families Of Dead Soldiers To "Just Get Over It" ¤ Prozac Nation, UK ¤ The British threat ¤ Israel, Suicide Nation ¤ Condoleezza's nonsense about Democracy ¤ Letter Sent to Sept 11. Commission ¤ The US and Pakistan in Afghanistan ¤ How E-Voting Threatens Democracy ¤ Condoleezza Rice to testify on 9/11 ¤ Second Draft ¤ The Ultimate Betrayal ¤ Spike in Iraq Violence Results in Two More Deaths ¤ CIA Finds New Data but No Weapons in Iraq ¤ Indian airforce chief's "goodwill" France visit to buy warplanes ¤ UK plays roulette with Iraqi refugees ¤ Weapons hunt shifts to 'intent' in Iraq ¤ White House Agrees to Let Rice Answer Questions Publicly ¤ U.S. soldier killed in bomb explosion in Iraq ¤ Uzbek Police Storm Militant Hideout; Up to 23 Dead ¤ 'This isn't America' ¤ Chirac in crisis talks after crushing defeat ¤ Voting against reform ¤ Back to the barricades in Paris ¤ Sewerage and fertilisers 'are killing the seas' ¤ Explosions reported as Uzbekistan violence continues ¤ White House moves to defuse Rice row ¤ One Dead, Seven Hurt in Iraq Car Bombing ¤ British soldiers hurt in clash with Islamists ¤ 'Dead zones' in world's oceans are growing, say alarmed UN scientists ¤ Shiites Organize to Block U.S. Plan ¤ Republicans and Democrats call for Rice to testify over 11 September ¤ Musharraf left counting the cost ¤ Pakistan: The Battle That Wasn't ¤ Pakistan: No al-Qaida leader killed ¤ Al-Qaeda intelligence chief may have been killed ¤ The Secret of Their Success ¤ Anti-US cleric's newspaper banned ¤ Thousands voice anger after US gags Shiite paper ¤ Arabs glued to TV news - but not to US-sponsored Al Hurra ¤ Occupational Hazards: Iraq One Year Later ¤ Empire State ¤ One Year Later: Warning Signs in Iraq ¤ 9/11 Commission Director: Iraq War Launched to Protect Israel ¤ Mexico expels British cavers ¤ U.S. Worried as Caribbean Nations Defer on Haiti Leaders ¤ Gun tragedy soldier 'had no training' ¤ US steps into democracy row in Hong Kong ¤ Blast outside Hilla police chief house ¤ US democracy-related law no longer applicable to Pakistan ¤ The Question We Should Be Asking ¤ Origins of Wolfowitz's Overconfidence ¤ Defence or murder? ¤ Britain to send more troops to Afghanistan ¤ Secret tapes put heat on Sharon ¤ Saddam not talking, US officials say ¤ Killings mar end of vote campaign ¤ At Least 10 Killed in Uzbekistan Clashes ¤ 15 men arrested in suspected coup attempt ¤ China, India agree to boost military ties ¤ Iraq holds sovereignty talks with UN advisers ¤ War-time realism ¤ Who is the enemy? ¤ A few pressing realities and questions ¤ Does policy structure need update? AFL-CIO in Venezuela: Deja Vu All Over Again Posted: Monday, March 29, 2004 AFL-CIO in Venezuela: Deja Vu All Over Again By Kim Scipes Massive mobilizations, strikes, street conflict, hysterical mass media, social and economic disruption: Chile in 1972-73 Venezuela in 2002-04. The AFL-CIO is once again on the scene, this time in Venezuela, just as it was in Chile in 1973. Once again, its operations in that country are being funded by the U.S. government. This time, the money is being laundered through the quasi-governmental National Endowment for Democracy, hidden from AFL-CIO members and the American public. Once again, it is being used to support the efforts of reactionary labor and business leaders, helping to destabilize a democratically-elected government that has made major efforts to alleviate poverty, carried out significant land reform in both urban and rural areas, and striven to change political institutions that have long worked to marginalize those at the lowest rungs in society. And also like Allende's Chile, Venezuela's government under president Hugo Chavez has opposed a number of actions by the U.S. Government, this time by the Bush Administration. Full Article Deja Vu All Over Again Posted: Monday, March 29, 2004 AFL-CIO in Venezuela: Deja Vu All Over Again By Kim Scipes Massive mobilizations, strikes, street conflict, hysterical mass media, social and economic disruption: Chile in 1972-73 Venezuela in 2002-04. The AFL-CIO is once again on the scene, this time in Venezuela, just as it was in Chile in 1973. Once again, its operations in that country are being funded by the U.S. government. This time, the money is being laundered through the quasi-governmental National Endowment for Democracy, hidden from AFL-CIO members and the American public. Once again, it is being used to support the efforts of reactionary labor and business leaders, helping to destabilize a democratically-elected government that has made major efforts to alleviate poverty, carried out significant land reform in both urban and rural areas, and striven to change political institutions that have long worked to marginalize those at the lowest rungs in society. And also like Allende's Chile, Venezuela's government under president Hugo Chavez has opposed a number of actions by the U.S. Government, this time by the Bush Administration. Full Article Latest News Posted: Monday, March 29, 2004 ¤ All together now ¤ Suicide bombings rock Uzbeckistan ¤ U.S. Soldier Killed in Bomb Attack in Iraq ¤ Stop your whining and start voting ¤ Africa: Oil, al-Qaeda and the US military ¤ 40 U.S. senators supported Israel’s assassination of Hamas’ leader ¤ Two Afghans killed, 10 missing, in Taliban raid ¤ Shiites Organize to Block U.S. Plan ¤ Annan: UN force in Iraq possible ¤ Musharraf not involved in N-leaks, says Rumsfeld ¤ Rice urged to ‘rise above principles’ ¤ Hamas, Israel's disciplined opponent ¤ Gangsters in the White House ¤ Must Americans show their 'papers please'? ¤ Rice Would Like To Testify In Public, But 'Can't' ¤ America's Most Powerful Hate Group ¤ White House Whitewash ¤ Israeli Assassinations Not Part of Battle Against Terrorism ¤ Bush & the L-Word ¤ Main course: cooked Rice ¤ The New Tone in Washington ¤ Deception through silence ¤ Iraqi detentions fuel anti-US sentiment ¤ A Fading American Conscience? ¤ Bush Knew; and Now We Know He Knew ¤ US admits to killing al-Arabiya journalists ¤ Crisis in the Caribbean ¤ Haiti's Troika of Terror ¤ AFL-CIO in Venezuela: Deja Vu All Over Again ¤ The Casualties of Iraq Include GI Suicides ¤ Rice defends White House refusal to let her testify despite pressure ¤ President Asked Aide to Explore Iraq Link to 9/11 Attacks ¤ US now looking to install a PM in Iraq ¤ G.I.'s Padlock Baghdad Paper Accused of Lies ¤ 911 Incongruities ¤ New World Disorder ¤ Indictment urged for Sharon in bribery case ¤ Sharon Recommended to Step Down ¤ Sharon expected to be charged over bribes ¤ Who knew what before Sept. 11? ¤ U.S. Soldiers Kill 4 Insurgents in Iraq ¤ U.S. Gas Prices Hit New Record High ¤ Afghanistan elections delayed till Sept ¤ Guards killed as Iraq minister escapes attack ¤ Israeli troops kill Palestinian ¤ Wana operation and the opposition ¤ Bush's muddled vision ¤ Israel's Isolation – and America's ¤ Iraqi defector behind America's WMD claims exposed as 'out-and-out fabricator' ¤ Israel was entitled to kill Yassin ¥ How some Jews view an Assassination ¤ Getting out of Iraq should be only a start ¤ Clashes erupt in Basra ¤ Two Iraqis killed over foreigners' deaths ¤ Drugs trade thriving in Iraq ¤ When the fog of war lifts, the truth hurts Latest News Posted: Sunday, March 28, 2004 ¤ Israeli Report Faults Intelligence on Iraq ¤ Half a Million Taiwanese Protest Election ¤ 21 Killed in Two Days of Attacks in Iraq ¤ Briton, Canadian killed in northern Iraq ¤ White House Trying to Explain Rice Policy ¤ PIN THE TALE ON THE DONKEY ¤ The phantom 'Trucks of Death' ¤ Faux journalism is the White House's new ally ¤ The 'war president' waged a war of lies ¤ Radiation in Iraq Equals 250,000 Nagasaki Bombs ¤ South Africans March Against Yassin’s Assassination ¤ New Hamas Leader Calls Bush 'Enemy of God, Enemy of Islam' ¤ U.S.-Led Coalition Shuts Down Iraq Paper ¤ Afghanistan elections postponed till autumn ¤ Bush Snubs Blair’s Plea For Monitors In Palestine ¤ Kerry is a Sheep in Wolves' Clothing ¤ Israel and Its Self-Defeating Actions ¤ Killings of Iraqi police at 350 -- with more expected ¤ Two foreign security guards a Briton and a Canadian killed in Iraq ¤ Israeli Troops Raid West Bank City ¤ Israeli troops raid Nablus ¤ Closure of Al-Sadr daily evokes protests ¤ In a war without heroes, this boy was no martyr ¤ Tensions rise over cave trip farce ¤ Gunmen Kill 2 in Iraq Drive-By Shooting ¤ Slave descendants sue Lloyd's for billions ¤ Iraqi cleric may deem new government void ¤ 9/11 Panel Provokes a Discussion the White House Hoped to Avoid ¤ Nick Turse on Iraq as a weapons lab ¤ Too much U.S. foreign policy is unsupported by intelligence ¤ From the US, the truth about the war in Iraq seeps out. Flashback ¤ Liberating America From Israel ¤ Israel 'fabricated' child-bomber story ¤ Blonde? You've got the job ¤ Sharon Coming to Washington to Meet Bush ¤ Occupiers spend millions on private army of security men ¤ Iraqi women find no end to their suffering ¤ North Korea Rejects U.S. Demand to Scrap Its Nuclear Programs ¤ All eyes on Rice ¤ Official Is Said to Recommend Sharon Charge ¤ Jordanian King Abdullah: Israelis don't want peace ¤ Iraqi police blame US gunfire for toddler death ¤ The war on a terrorism adviser ¤ US criticised for blocking accord ¤ Scandal bubbles to surface ¤ The President's nemesis ¤ Iraq faces $310bn debt crisis ¤ Sharon’s Fight to the Death ¤ UN inspectors arrive in Iran to inspect N-sites ¤ More US Marines deployed in Afghanistan ¤ Kofi Annan ‘s regret on Rwanda genocide ¤ The US veto ¤ 14 killed in Iraq clashes ¤ Hamas leader says Bush is the 'enemy' of God and Islam ¤ Palestinians protest American veto of UN resolution ¤ A very Blairite coup in a tyrant's tent ¤ Israel 'exaggerated' Iraq threat ¤ Israeli troops shoot Palestinian dead ¤ Iraq reels under fresh wave of attacks ¤ US Complicity in Israel's Misdeeds ¤ Clarke fends off White House dirty tricks ¤ 'Visa error' may put British cavers in jail ¤ Britain's secret army in Iraq ¤ 'Rwanda's genocide could have been prevented. ¤ Terror backlash hits Bush's votes U.S. Regulations for Iraq's Media Posted: Saturday, March 27, 2004 U.S. Regulations for Iraq's Media By Roshan Muhammed Salih in Baghdad If the media's job is to tell the truth, then Iraq's newspapers and broadcasters fall a long way short. The burgeoning industry has been heralded by US-led occupation forces as one of their major successes in building the new Iraq. They say the freedom of speech that has followed the fall of Saddam Hussein is an essential building block for a future democracy. This week, US occupation administrator Paul Bremer announced the creation of two commissions which will regulate publicly-owned media to ensure its quality and that it is free from political control. Full Article Israel goes on West Bank rampage Posted: Saturday, March 27, 2004 Israel goes on West Bank rampage aljazeera.net Israel has been destroying roads and vandalising vital infrastructure across the occupied West Bank in an apparent attempt to weaken the Palestinians further before a possible withdrawal. Residents in several Palestinian towns in the northern, central and southern parts of the West Bank said on Saturday that Israeli occupation army bulldozers were sealing off Palestinian towns and villages with huge walls of rock and dirt. Full Article Sharon faces bribery indictment Israeli state prosecutors are preparing to indict Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in a long-running corruption scandal that could drive him out of office. Israel’s Channel 2 television on Saturday reported that state attorney Edna Arbel is planning to submit the charge sheet within days to Attorney General Menachem Mazuz, who will then make the final decision on whether to put Sharon on trial. Full Article Poll: Israelis want Sharon to quit Battered by multiple scandals, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered another blow when an opinion poll in Israel's biggest newspaper showed that for the first time a majority of Israelis want him to quit. Friday's poll in the Yedioth Ahronoth daily found that 53% of those surveyed believe Sharon should resign as a result of the scandals, while 43% wanted him to stay on. Full Article Disturbing Signals: Kerry and Latin America Posted: Saturday, March 27, 2004 By LARRY BIRNS and JESSICA LEIGHT In a series of foreign policy formulations in recent days, the presumptive Democratic party presidential nominee, Senator John Kerry, has issued a number of statements on Latin American-related subjects which, if anything, appear to outflank on the right the Bush administration's extremist regional policymakers, as he shamelessly panders to the anti-Castro paranoia of a group of aging but wealthy Cuban-American ideologues in South Florida, and rich Venezuelan expatriates in Coral Gables. His two primary targets have been President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Cuba's Fidel Castro. While commendably finding fault with Bush policy regarding Secretary of State Powell's failure to protect the Aristide government in Haiti, Kerry's rhetoric regarding Cuba and Venezuela is reminiscent of barren Cold War strictures which, for all purposes, places him in the same extremist ideological bracket as the administration's two chief Latin American policy makers; the State Department's Roger Noriega and the Bush White House's Otto Reich. Strong on Haiti Regarding Haiti, Kerry has said, "This administration has been engaged in very manipulative and wrongful ways. They have a theological and an ideological hatred for Aristide. They always have. They approached this so the [anti-Aristide] insurgents were empowered by this administration." He also has observed in reference to Haiti, "People will know I'm tough and I'm prepared to do what is necessary to defend the United States of America, and that includes the unilateral deployment of troops if necessary." Such declarations have raised hopes that a Kerry administration will take a more forceful stand in favor of Haitian democracy and commit the resources needed to stabilize the country's battered institutions and uphold its constitution, which has been all but ignored by Powell. Kerry's Cuba and Venezuela Policies Duplicate those of Noriega and Reich Regarding Castro, Kerry called for the continuation and intensification of Washington's near-universally acknowledged failed embargo policy towards Havana. ''I'm pretty tough on Castro, because I think he's running one of the last vestiges of a Stalinist secret police government in the world,'' Kerry remarked in recent days. When asked whether he endorsed lifting the embargo, he answered, "Not unilaterally, not now, no." In truth, any action would have to be unilateral, since the embargo is not honored by any other country in the world. As for sending back Elian to his father in Cuba several years ago, Kerry observed, "I don't agree with that. I didn't like the way they did it." Regarding the virulently anti-Castro Helms-Burton measure, Kerry said, "I voted for the Helms-Burton legislation to be tough on companies that deal with him [Castro]." Having endeavored throughout the Democratic primaries to establish his credentials as an advocate of a more principled and professional method of international engagement, in contrast to the interventionist and unilateralist blunderings of the current administration when it came to the Iraq war, the senator is now in danger of tarnishing that reputation through his reckless endorsement of the White House's long discredited Latin America policies that are now even opposed by conservative farm state Republican legislators and businessmen. The positions staked out by Kerry are so far to the right that they even challenge Noriega and Reich for their extremism and irrationality. By so flagrantly tacking to the prevailing political winds in South Florida, Kerry risks alienating voters from elsewhere in the country who want not a reprise of Bush and Powell's tainted foreign policy, but a bold and visionary alternative. Kerry's statements could also potentially deal a heavy blow against Democratic efforts to mobilize some of the more disaffected members of its party base in a year where the drop out of even a handful of previously committed Democratic dissidents could prove deadly to his electoral prospects. Kerry Panders to the Ideologues Kerry's regrettable baiting of Bush on being soft on Castro and Chavez borders on the irresponsible and could have dangerous implications for peace in the region. In 1989, when the first President Bush was confronting deteriorating relations between the U.S. and Manuel Noriega's Panama, the president admirably attempted to contain the situation without having to resort to military force against the Panamanian dictatorship. At the same time, Bush was being mercilessly attacked by Senate liberals, including Leahy, Dodd and Kennedy, for being too soft on Manual Noriega. Since there appeared to be no defined constituency supporting a peaceful settlement of the conflict with Panama, and since there was no formidable bloc that opposed turning to a military resolution of the dispute - quite to the contrary - it can be argued that it was the U.S. Senate liberals who helped to bring on the conflict, because there were few political costs to initiating a conflict, while there were many not to. The same could be said of Kerry's provocative attacks against Cuba and Venezuela at a time when Roger Noriega has been warning Castro that "he's playing with fire," and both he and Reich, without producing any evidence whatsoever, are publicly denouncing Chavez and Castro for working to destabilize the rest of Latin America. Kerry's tilt to the right when it comes to Latin American policy may be attributable to confusion, given the clarity of his charges against the Bush administration's controversial Haiti policy. While this may account for his resorting to aimless babble concerning Venezuela, and pandering for donations and Florida's votes when it comes to Castro, it doesn't entirely explain the inevitably heavy domestic political costs he seems prepared to risk, given the fund raising harangues he is apparently prepared to make to Cuban-American audiences and his eagerness to submit to South Florida's political calculus. Superficial Posturing If his recent statements are any guide, it is obvious that the Kerry campaign has not given any serious consideration to the issues at stake in Washington's relations with Cuba or Venezuela. In fact, prior to the beginning of his presidential campaign, Kerry generally had called for a more moderate and principled Latin America policy from his seat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a stance that he now appears ready to sacrifice for short-term political objectives. Having stated in a newspaper interview in 2000 that the embargo was a product only of the "politics of Florida" and should be reconsidered, Kerry recently reversed himself and declared in favor of a tough line against Castro after meeting with prominent Cuban-American exile leaders in Miami six months ago. This reversal only helps to confirm the Bush campaign's damaging accusations that Kerry is a political dandy who is deft at flip-flopping when such an action is to his benefit. Apparently, the politics of Florida are not as distasteful for the senator as they once were. Over the past week, he has sweetened his stance toward Cuban community leaders, perhaps driven by the desire not to repeat Gore's Palm Beach County election debacle, as well as buoyed by polls stating that only 60% of Cuban-Americans in Miami-Dade and Broward counties_historically a solid Republican constituency_ plan to vote for Bush this November, reflecting the growing conviction among older Cubans that while Bush regularly bashes Castro, he does little to bring him down. In Kerry's estimation, the road to capturing the disaffected 40% lies in emulating candidate Clinton's first presidential race against Bush I, when the latter galloped around his adversary's rightwing flank by accusing Bush of being soft of Havana, and making denunciations of the Castro regime, and by extension, any government that has cordial relations with it. Kerry Strikes out when it Comes to Evidence Embattled President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, who, ironically enough, recently declared himself a strong supporter of Kerry, stands accused by the senator of undermining democracy in Venezuela and supporting "narco-terrorists" in neighboring Colombia. Unless Kerry has information that is not being shared with Colombian specialists, no evidence exists to buttress this charge and his attack against the Venezuelan leader is totally specious and without merit. It is quite clear, however, that the real issue here is not the state of democracy in Venezuela, a subject in which Kerry previously has not taken any sustained interest. On the contrary, the most devastating accusation that the Kerry camp seeks to level against Chavez is that his "close relationship with Fidel Castro has raised serious questions about his commitment to leading a truly democratic government." This formulation is pure rubbish. Presumably, Kerry would not extend his theory by questioning the bona fides of President Lula de Silva of Brazil or Argentina's Nestor Kirchner, both of whom have referred to both Castro and Chavez as their friend. Chavez's complex populist nationalism doesn't permit this kind of trivialized analysis, which is both simplistic and represents a vulgarized comprehension of the present balance of forces existing in today's Venezuela. Nor does the spirit of Kerry's rhetoric take into account the practical basis of Chavez's relationship with Castro, with the latter providing subsidized oil deliveries to Cuba and the former providing thousands of badly needed doctors and technicians to Caracas. Kerry's attacks on Chavez are a transparent attempt to win the backing of the most conservative factions of Miami's Cuban-American community as well as its large population of wealthy Venezuelan expatriates who own condos or other second homes in the area, by promising to crack down harder than even Bush has managed to do on the two pesky Latin American leaders. If this is a preview of the Kerry administration's hemispheric policy, there appears to be little reason for optimism that the choice of the Democratic contender over Bush will represent a significant change in direction in present U.S. policy, at least when it comes to Latin America. The Nader Factor Kerry's self-serving hemispheric strategy could have very grave implications for his political fate. When it comes to Latin American issues, there exists a very substantive, vocal and highly sophisticated political constituency in this county - in the hundred of thousands - regarding the region. This bloc repeatedly has denounced Bush, Secretary of State Powell, Noriega and Reich for the extremist policies being directed against Cuba, Venezuela and other left-of-center governments and movements in the region. The prospect of Ralph Nader attracting what normally would have been Kerry's votes, particularly in a year when many Democrats had pledged to close their ears to Nader's electoral blandishments, makes it clear that the cause for Democratic officials' concern could be very real. At this point, Nader's gravitational pull had been faltering as normally Democratic voters, unlike four years ago, seem to be rallying to the presumed Democratic candidate's ranks, motivated by the fear that a pro-Nader tide could mean four more years of Bush rule. The Nader Threat Could Be Formidable Kerry could be making a mortal mistake by assuming that hundreds of thousands of former Nader voters, who at the present time are not in the mood to again "waste" their votes on the latter, will stick with the former at whatever price. On the contrary, Senator Kerry's calculation that embracing a reactionary policy towards Latin America will bring about a win-win situation for him politically could be dangerously misguided. Ever since the Central American wars of the 1980s, there has been an increasingly vocal constituency within the Democratic Party_ including labor, students, farm interests, multinational businesses and minorities_that has been calling for more enlightened policies towards the region. This coalition has advocated the adoption of a Latin America policy that is less belligerent, more balanced, and reflective of greater sensitivity to the region's yearning for authentic democratization as well as its other political and economic aspirations, including the addressing issues of social justice throughout the region. If Kerry persists on his current move to the political right on hemispheric issues, he risks alienating this exceedingly important sector of his Democratic base, imperiling party cohesion and prospects for a high turnout that are essential if the Democrats are to hold any hope of defeating Bush and his huge campaign war chest in the upcoming election. Time for Kerry to Look Within There is still time for Kerry to review his simplistic and unimaginative formulations on regional issues and abandon his mimicking of Roger Noriega and Otto Reich's positions by beginning to articulate a clear alternative to the Bush administration's disastrous Latin America policy. This approach would be far more enlightening than his present one in which Kerry accused Bush of "sending mixed signals by supporting undemocratic processes in our own hemisphere." Kerry should also be denouncing the administration's involvement in a coup attempt in Venezuela, its stubbornness in maintaining a Cuba policy that has not been reviewed since its inception almost five decades ago, and its persistent ignorance of social justice concerns. Kerry also should be condemning the White House's bankrupt trade policy, its attempt to arm-twist its hemispheric counterparts into supporting its Middle East misadventures, and the general direction of Bush's high-handed regional policy, including its fundamental intolerance for differing points of view. Until his campaign begins to trumpet these criticisms and offer a clear agenda for change, Kerry's Latin American policy will appear as nothing more than an echo of Bush's_a position that could disaffect hundreds of thousands of Democratic voters living north of Miami-Dade County, as well as encourage the migration of tens of thousands of liberal Democrats back to Nader, at great cost to Kerry's presidential prospects. Larry Birns is director of the Washington-based Council on Hemispheric Affairs,and Jessica Leight is a COHA Research Fellow. Disturbing Signals: Kerry and Latin America Posted: Saturday, March 27, 2004 By LARRY BIRNS and JESSICA LEIGHT In a series of foreign policy formulations in recent days, the presumptive Democratic party presidential nominee, Senator John Kerry, has issued a number of statements on Latin American-related subjects which, if anything, appear to outflank on the right the Bush administration's extremist regional policymakers, as he shamelessly panders to the anti-Castro paranoia of a group of aging but wealthy Cuban-American ideologues in South Florida, and rich Venezuelan expatriates in Coral Gables. His two primary targets have been President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Cuba's Fidel Castro. While commendably finding fault with Bush policy regarding Secretary of State Powell's failure to protect the Aristide government in Haiti, Kerry's rhetoric regarding Cuba and Venezuela is reminiscent of barren Cold War strictures which, for all purposes, places him in the same extremist ideological bracket as the administration's two chief Latin American policy makers; the State Department's Roger Noriega and the Bush White House's Otto Reich. Strong on Haiti Regarding Haiti, Kerry has said, "This administration has been engaged in very manipulative and wrongful ways. They have a theological and an ideological hatred for Aristide. They always have. They approached this so the [anti-Aristide] insurgents were empowered by this administration." He also has observed in reference to Haiti, "People will know I'm tough and I'm prepared to do what is necessary to defend the United States of America, and that includes the unilateral deployment of troops if necessary." Such declarations have raised hopes that a Kerry administration will take a more forceful stand in favor of Haitian democracy and commit the resources needed to stabilize the country's battered institutions and uphold its constitution, which has been all but ignored by Powell. Kerry's Cuba and Venezuela Policies Duplicate those of Noriega and Reich Regarding Castro, Kerry called for the continuation and intensification of Washington's near-universally acknowledged failed embargo policy towards Havana. ''I'm pretty tough on Castro, because I think he's running one of the last vestiges of a Stalinist secret police government in the world,'' Kerry remarked in recent days. When asked whether he endorsed lifting the embargo, he answered, "Not unilaterally, not now, no." In truth, any action would have to be unilateral, since the embargo is not honored by any other country in the world. As for sending back Elian to his father in Cuba several years ago, Kerry observed, "I don't agree with that. I didn't like the way they did it." Regarding the virulently anti-Castro Helms-Burton measure, Kerry said, "I voted for the Helms-Burton legislation to be tough on companies that deal with him [Castro]." Having endeavored throughout the Democratic primaries to establish his credentials as an advocate of a more principled and professional method of international engagement, in contrast to the interventionist and unilateralist blunderings of the current administration when it came to the Iraq war, the senator is now in danger of tarnishing that reputation through his reckless endorsement of the White House's long discredited Latin America policies that are now even opposed by conservative farm state Republican legislators and businessmen. The positions staked out by Kerry are so far to the right that they even challenge Noriega and Reich for their extremism and irrationality. By so flagrantly tacking to the prevailing political winds in South Florida, Kerry risks alienating voters from elsewhere in the country who want not a reprise of Bush and Powell's tainted foreign policy, but a bold and visionary alternative. Kerry's statements could also potentially deal a heavy blow against Democratic efforts to mobilize some of the more disaffected members of its party base in a year where the drop out of even a handful of previously committed Democratic dissidents could prove deadly to his electoral prospects. Kerry Panders to the Ideologues Kerry's regrettable baiting of Bush on being soft on Castro and Chavez borders on the irresponsible and could have dangerous implications for peace in the region. In 1989, when the first President Bush was confronting deteriorating relations between the U.S. and Manuel Noriega's Panama, the president admirably attempted to contain the situation without having to resort to military force against the Panamanian dictatorship. At the same time, Bush was being mercilessly attacked by Senate liberals, including Leahy, Dodd and Kennedy, for being too soft on Manual Noriega. Since there appeared to be no defined constituency supporting a peaceful settlement of the conflict with Panama, and since there was no formidable bloc that opposed turning to a military resolution of the dispute - quite to the contrary - it can be argued that it was the U.S. Senate liberals who helped to bring on the conflict, because there were few political costs to initiating a conflict, while there were many not to. The same could be said of Kerry's provocative attacks against Cuba and Venezuela at a time when Roger Noriega has been warning Castro that "he's playing with fire," and both he and Reich, without producing any evidence whatsoever, are publicly denouncing Chavez and Castro for working to destabilize the rest of Latin America. Kerry's tilt to the right when it comes to Latin American policy may be attributable to confusion, given the clarity of his charges against the Bush administration's controversial Haiti policy. While this may account for his resorting to aimless babble concerning Venezuela, and pandering for donations and Florida's votes when it comes to Castro, it doesn't entirely explain the inevitably heavy domestic political costs he seems prepared to risk, given the fund raising harangues he is apparently prepared to make to Cuban-American audiences and his eagerness to submit to South Florida's political calculus. Superficial Posturing If his recent statements are any guide, it is obvious that the Kerry campaign has not given any serious consideration to the issues at stake in Washington's relations with Cuba or Venezuela. In fact, prior to the beginning of his presidential campaign, Kerry generally had called for a more moderate and principled Latin America policy from his seat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a stance that he now appears ready to sacrifice for short-term political objectives. Having stated in a newspaper interview in 2000 that the embargo was a product only of the "politics of Florida" and should be reconsidered, Kerry recently reversed himself and declared in favor of a tough line against Castro after meeting with prominent Cuban-American exile leaders in Miami six months ago. This reversal only helps to confirm the Bush campaign's damaging accusations that Kerry is a political dandy who is deft at flip-flopping when such an action is to his benefit. Apparently, the politics of Florida are not as distasteful for the senator as they once were. Over the past week, he has sweetened his stance toward Cuban community leaders, perhaps driven by the desire not to repeat Gore's Palm Beach County election debacle, as well as buoyed by polls stating that only 60% of Cuban-Americans in Miami-Dade and Broward counties_historically a solid Republican constituency_ plan to vote for Bush this November, reflecting the growing conviction among older Cubans that while Bush regularly bashes Castro, he does little to bring him down. In Kerry's estimation, the road to capturing the disaffected 40% lies in emulating candidate Clinton's first presidential race against Bush I, when the latter galloped around his adversary's rightwing flank by accusing Bush of being soft of Havana, and making denunciations of the Castro regime, and by extension, any government that has cordial relations with it. Kerry Strikes out when it Comes to Evidence Embattled President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, who, ironically enough, recently declared himself a strong supporter of Kerry, stands accused by the senator of undermining democracy in Venezuela and supporting "narco-terrorists" in neighboring Colombia. Unless Kerry has information that is not being shared with Colombian specialists, no evidence exists to buttress this charge and his attack against the Venezuelan leader is totally specious and without merit. It is quite clear, however, that the real issue here is not the state of democracy in Venezuela, a subject in which Kerry previously has not taken any sustained interest. On the contrary, the most devastating accusation that the Kerry camp seeks to level against Chavez is that his "close relationship with Fidel Castro has raised serious questions about his commitment to leading a truly democratic government." This formulation is pure rubbish. Presumably, Kerry would not extend his theory by questioning the bona fides of President Lula de Silva of Brazil or Argentina's Nestor Kirchner, both of whom have referred to both Castro and Chavez as their friend. Chavez's complex populist nationalism doesn't permit this kind of trivialized analysis, which is both simplistic and represents a vulgarized comprehension of the present balance of forces existing in today's Venezuela. Nor does the spirit of Kerry's rhetoric take into account the practical basis of Chavez's relationship with Castro, with the latter providing subsidized oil deliveries to Cuba and the former providing thousands of badly needed doctors and technicians to Caracas. Kerry's attacks on Chavez are a transparent attempt to win the backing of the most conservative factions of Miami's Cuban-American community as well as its large population of wealthy Venezuelan expatriates who own condos or other second homes in the area, by promising to crack down harder than even Bush has managed to do on the two pesky Latin American leaders. If this is a preview of the Kerry administration's hemispheric policy, there appears to be little reason for optimism that the choice of the Democratic contender over Bush will represent a significant change in direction in present U.S. policy, at least when it comes to Latin America. The Nader Factor Kerry's self-serving hemispheric strategy could have very grave implications for his political fate. When it comes to Latin American issues, there exists a very substantive, vocal and highly sophisticated political constituency in this county - in the hundred of thousands - regarding the region. This bloc repeatedly has denounced Bush, Secretary of State Powell, Noriega and Reich for the extremist policies being directed against Cuba, Venezuela and other left-of-center governments and movements in the region. The prospect of Ralph Nader attracting what normally would have been Kerry's votes, particularly in a year when many Democrats had pledged to close their ears to Nader's electoral blandishments, makes it clear that the cause for Democratic officials' concern could be very real. At this point, Nader's gravitational pull had been faltering as normally Democratic voters, unlike four years ago, seem to be rallying to the presumed Democratic candidate's ranks, motivated by the fear that a pro-Nader tide could mean four more years of Bush rule. The Nader Threat Could Be Formidable Kerry could be making a mortal mistake by assuming that hundreds of thousands of former Nader voters, who at the present time are not in the mood to again "waste" their votes on the latter, will stick with the former at whatever price. On the contrary, Senator Kerry's calculation that embracing a reactionary policy towards Latin America will bring about a win-win situation for him politically could be dangerously misguided. Ever since the Central American wars of the 1980s, there has been an increasingly vocal constituency within the Democratic Party_ including labor, students, farm interests, multinational businesses and minorities_that has been calling for more enlightened policies towards the region. This coalition has advocated the adoption of a Latin America policy that is less belligerent, more balanced, and reflective of greater sensitivity to the region's yearning for authentic democratization as well as its other political and economic aspirations, including the addressing issues of social justice throughout the region. If Kerry persists on his current move to the political right on hemispheric issues, he risks alienating this exceedingly important sector of his Democratic base, imperiling party cohesion and prospects for a high turnout that are essential if the Democrats are to hold any hope of defeating Bush and his huge campaign war chest in the upcoming election. Time for Kerry to Look Within There is still time for Kerry to review his simplistic and unimaginative formulations on regional issues and abandon his mimicking of Roger Noriega and Otto Reich's positions by beginning to articulate a clear alternative to the Bush administration's disastrous Latin America policy. This approach would be far more enlightening than his present one in which Kerry accused Bush of "sending mixed signals by supporting undemocratic processes in our own hemisphere." Kerry should also be denouncing the administration's involvement in a coup attempt in Venezuela, its stubbornness in maintaining a Cuba policy that has not been reviewed since its inception almost five decades ago, and its persistent ignorance of social justice concerns. Kerry also should be condemning the White House's bankrupt trade policy, its attempt to arm-twist its hemispheric counterparts into supporting its Middle East misadventures, and the general direction of Bush's high-handed regional policy, including its fundamental intolerance for differing points of view. Until his campaign begins to trumpet these criticisms and offer a clear agenda for change, Kerry's Latin American policy will appear as nothing more than an echo of Bush's_a position that could disaffect hundreds of thousands of Democratic voters living north of Miami-Dade County, as well as encourage the migration of tens of thousands of liberal Democrats back to Nader, at great cost to Kerry's presidential prospects. Larry Birns is director of the Washington-based Council on Hemispheric Affairs,and Jessica Leight is a COHA Research Fellow. Latest News Posted: Saturday, March 27, 2004 ¤ Rice Takes to Airwaves in Counterattack on Clarke ¤ U.S. Regulations for Iraq's Media ¤ Israel goes on West Bank rampage ¤ Sharon faces bribery indictment ¤ ... and the truth the victors refuse to see ¤ US will tell Iraqi council to pick a PM ¤ Taiwanese Protest Election Results ¤ Pentagon warns British firms ¤ Remembering Vietnam ¤ COMPASSIONATE CONSERVATISM ¤ Richard Clarke Testifies Before 9/11 Commission ¤ Ethical breaches are giving the press headaches ¤ A fatal distraction ¤ Powell dogged by diplomatic missteps ¤ Picky, Picky ¤ A Journey to Rafah ¤ Prelude to an Attack on Syria? The Yassin Assassination ¤ A Monstrous Insanity Blessed by the US ¤ Disturbing Signals: Kerry and Latin America ¤ Bush Tells the World to Drop Dead ¤ Appeasement and Purveyors of Violence ¤ Spinelessness of US Journalism ¤ Scary, Scary John Kerry ¤ Iraq occupation 'unjustified' - Prodi ¤ Four dead in Iraqi rocket attack ¤ W. Virginia Senator on Iraq: 'My Vote Was Wrong ' ¤ Coalition Sets Up Iraqi Media Commission ¤ Doubts grow over Afghan elections ¤ Sweetheart deal for Iraq contract ¤ Taiwan rocked by fresh protests ¤ Seven Iraqi bodyguards for US experts wounded in Baghdad blast ¤ Israel blocking aid, food to Gaza: UN ¤ Violence across Iraq leaves 18 dead ¤ Caribbean group withholds recognition for Haiti ¤ Caribbean Leaders Withhold Haiti Backing ¤ Caricom Leaders Withhold Haiti Backing ¤ New light on the life and death of John O'Neill ¤ Road map to hell ¤ US vetoes UNSC resolution against Israel ¤ Spain today: exemplar or exception ¤ U.S. Troop Deaths in Iraq Again Rising ¤ Coalition 'misanalysed' Iraq mood ¤ Ivory Coast death toll 120, opposition party claims ¤ September 11 attacks: What did Bush know? ¤ Palestinian Boy Killed in Firefight ¤ Clashes continue in heart of Iraqi capital ¤ Palestinians: Israel gets licence to kill Latest News Posted: Friday, March 26, 2004 ¤ Running scared ¤ Two Iraqis Working in U.S. Media Killed ¤ 13 Killed in Iraq, Including U.S. Marine ¤ U.S. Marine, ABC News Cameraman Killed in Fallujah Fighting ¤ The Ordeal of Mordechai Vanunu ¤ Lessons on Apartheid The Sharon Solution ¤ Somalia and Iraq Looking Back and Ahead ¤ Down and Out in Guantanamo ¤ The Truth at Last Cheney's Close Shave ¤ A Comic Bomb ¤ Why John Kerry Must Retract his Position on Venezuela ¤ A Rebuttal to Senator Kerry’s Statement on Venezuela ¤ George Bush, Lying, & the Dogs of War ¤ At least we know what is not a hate crime ¤ How to spot an antisemitic hate crime hoax ¤ In rush to defend White House, Rice trips over own words ¤ Bush's Iraq WMDs joke backfires ¤ Three Bush protesters taken away by police ¤ Insiders offer unflattering accounts of Bush's decision-making style ¤ Deep Cover ¤ Venezuela troops 'used torture' ¤ Palestinians protest U.S. "licence to kill" ¤ The Prez's Iraq humor bombs ¤ Caribbean Said Not to Accept Haiti Gov't ¤ 13 Killed in Iraq, Including U.S. Marine ¤ Rice the off-stage prima donna in 9/11 hearings ¤ Bush jokes about search for WMD, but it's no laughing matter for critics ¤ Aristide to settle in South Africa ¤ The golden handshake: Brave step or a cynical ploy? ¤ U.S. Officials Fashion Legal Basis to Keep Force in Iraq ¤ U.S. Humvee Destroyed After Attack ¤ The Condoleezza Tales ¤ Four US soldiers among 11 killed in Iraq ¤ US may veto UN measure on Yassin’s death ¤ White House 'exaggerated extent of WMD breakthrough' ¤ White House follows long tradition in attacking Clarke ¤ US soldiers face charges of prisoner abuse ¤ Powell dogged by diplomatic missteps ¤ Bremer to appoint Iraqi national security adviser ¤ Spain's PM rejects plea on Iraq troops ¤ Two US soldiers killed in Iraq ¤ 'Wartime President' MIA ¤ Numerous missteps led to Sept. 11 ¤ How Bush's doctrine of pre-emption was ambushed by reality ¤ 'Against All Enemies' ¤ Clarke Smeared by Neocon Slime Machine ¤ Tony Blair and George Bush have made Osama bin Laden’s task a lot easier ¤ Democracy By Force ¤ Intelligence Failures Now and Then ¤ Speaking to America ¤ Another dodgy dossier ¤ The dilemma the left must confront ¤ Big tent politics: Blair signs new recruit to war on terror Is Venezuela Next? Posted: Thursday, March 25, 2004 Misreporting Venezuela Hugo Chavez as Processed by The Independent Many people read the London based Independent newspaper because among its reporters is the outstanding Robert Fisk. The anti-war stance of the newspaper on Iraq and its stance on genetically manipulated foods and other environmental issues may give the impression that the Independent is a responsible newspaper across the board. But a look at its coverage of Venezuela reveals the same old story of distortion, omission and deceit on US intervention in Latin America that one finds everywhere else in the corporate media. Hysteria Mounts: Is Venezuela Next? Democracy in Latin America might also prove nice if the United States would allow it to occur. Traditionally, when Latin Americans elect governments that show even vague intentions of redistributing the lopsided national wealth toward the poor, US officials get their knickers in a twist and force new elections: the pro-US candidate then emerges. But Washington's rhetorically concealed fusion between popular elections and imperial appointments hardly assures Latin American stability. 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Begins Debate Over Killing of Hamas Founder President Bush yesterday defended Israel's "right to defend herself from terror," one day after a spokesman said the administration was "deeply troubled" by the assassination of Sheik Ahmed Yassin and concerned it could derail efforts to jump-start the peace process. Full Article Assassinated Hamas leader 'offered Israel a truce' Yassin's killing was a grave miscalculation We'll wipe out entire Hamas leadership, says Israel Hamas adjusts sights and brings Americans in range of its fury Kerry's Foreign Policies no different to Bush's Kerry: "The Cause of Israel is the Cause of America" Kerry rebuffs Venezuela's Chavez Kerry Statement on Venezuela Latest News Posted: Wednesday, March 24, 2004 ¤ Oil firms secretly finance crooked regimes ¤ Record £331m fine for Microsoft ¤ Hamas Says It Will Attack Israel, Not U.S. ¤ General Musharraf's IOU ¤ Four Soldiers From New Afghan Army Killed ¤ Is Anyone Better Off? ¤ No Lie Left Behind ¤ You Are Wrong on Venezuela, Senator Kerry ¤ Kerry Statement on Venezuela ¤ The diplomacy of imperialism: Iraq and US foreign policy ¤ Israel's Assassinations Will Only Fuel Suicide Bombings ¤ Iraq Under the U.S. Thumb ¤ Assassinations 'r Us: Israeli Action Reflects, and Indicts, US Policy ¤ The Forgotten Victims of the War in Iraq ¤ Dissent from Within on Iraq War ¤ Enough is enough ¤ In Protests Across Middle East, Throngs Rail Against Israel, US ¤ Yemeni president: ''Sharon is world's no. 1 terrorist'' ¤ United Nations report: Israeli forces have inflicted a “reign of terror” ¤ 9/11: Blood on Bush's hands? ¤ The Poisoned Well ¤ Blowing the whistle on Mr. Bush ¤ US to increase African military presence ¤ Britain orders asset freeze against Hamas leaders ¤ UN Vehicle Attacked in Kosovo; Two People Killed, AFP Reports ¤ Army worries Iraq strain will lead GIs to quit ¤ Damage keeps Iraqi oil flow low ¤ Sharon is prime target, no plans to attack US interests ¤ Iraqi oil pipeline catches fire ¤ Terror Threat Against German President in Africa ¤ Gunmen kill local Iraqi police chief ¤ Former Official Clarke Warned of 'Hundreds Dead' ¤ Gas Price Hits Record High Again -AAA ¤ Unfamiliar foe in Iraq: Rumor mill ¤ US threatens Syria with stiff sanctions ¤ Croatia Backs Off Iraq Troops, International Court ¤ Bush Concerned About High Gas Prices ¤ Hamas: US threat claim is cynical diversion ¤ British banks ordered to freeze Hamas assets ¤ Israel invades Gaza refugee camp ¤ Bush Backs Israel on Self-Defense ¥ Does Bush also defend Palestine's right to 'self-defense'? ¤ Assassinated Hamas leader 'offered Israel a truce' ¤ Yassin's killing was a grave miscalculation ¥ Israel has once again proven that it does not want 'peace'. ¤ We'll wipe out entire Hamas leadership, says Israel ¤ Hamas adjusts sights and brings Americans in range of its fury ¥ Is Israel creating grounds for the next U.S. 9/11? 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Albright to the National Commission on 9/11 ¤ Bush rejects criticism of September 11 action ¤ Insurgents Attack U.S. Convoy, Three Dead ¤ Enemies of the truth ¤ The perfect storm that's about to hit ¤ The al-Zawahiri fiasco ¤ Taiwan: Recounts, fights, shredded democracy ¤ Israel invades Gaza refugee camp ¤ Four Palestinians killed in Israeli action ¤ Pakistani toll heavy in offensive ¤ Lost on Planet Rummy ¤ Justifying invasion a full-time job ¤ Why A No-Show? In Yassin slaying, Arabs see US hand Posted: Tuesday, March 23, 2004 csmonitor.com WASHINGTON – The "wink" the United States has given Israel in the wake of its assassination of the spiritual leader of Hamas, or the Islamic Resistance Movement, exemplifies once again how successful Israel has been at aligning its fight against militant Palestinians with the US war on terror. At the same time, the apparent tacit US approval - which contrasts with the swift condemnation of the killing by other countries - suggests why the road ahead in the Middle East remains so arduous for the US. What looks to Arabs in the region like a US "green light" to Israel also raises the prospect that the US, or at least American interests in the region, will become a target of militant Palestinian reprisal. 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