Gary Secondino: World

China Admission Raises Number of SARS Cases

Thu, 03 Apr 2003 11:40:30 GMT

The number of reported cases of SARS, a mysterious respiratory illness, jumped on Wednesday as China admitted that it had more of them than it had said before. By Donald G. Mcneil Jr. and Lawrence K. Altman. [New York Times: Business]

Philippines Judge Orders Arrest of Muslim Rebels

Tue, 18 Mar 2003 21:59:48 GMT

A Philippine judge issued arrest warrants on Friday for scores of Muslim rebels wanted by police in connection with a bombing that killed 21 people last week in the southern city of Davao.
MILF: No peace talks if arrests continue ABS CBN News
Philippine troops, Muslim rebels each claim upper hand in renewed fighting San Jose Mercury News

Environment harm remains from Alaska drilling

Sat, 08 Mar 2003 11:34:00 GMT

The oil industry and regulatory agencies have reduced many of the harmful environmental effects of drilling in northern Alaska, but problems remain, according to a congressionally mandated scientific report.
Blue Planet: No rest for the ANWRy United Press International
Report looks at oil's effects Anchorage Daily News

Economic View: How to grow old gracefully

Sun, 02 Mar 2003 17:21:25 GMT

We are all getting older, but some of us are getting older faster than others. Three news items last week highlighted the impact of changing demography on the world economy: the latest United Nations estimates of population change; some testimony from Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, to the US Senate on the implications of aging.
Psssst, Greenspan Is Not God, Pass It On Forbes
US is graying, Greenspan warns Taipei Times
Toronto Star - Boston.com

Mr. Greenspan is not a god, right. But I think he is a man with a pragmatic view of the world and the platform to express his view. If you follow his public statements you'll see he speaks his mind with consideration to the politics of the then current administration. Lately though his public comments appear to be increasingly at odds with the Bush administration. His remarks seem to be warning signals to the US about current domestic fiscal problems, a bleak economic future if changes are not made, and what those changes should be. I think Mr. Greenspan is in his endgame and will not be back for another term and this is his way of giving us a path to return to financial growth and fiscal responsibility.

Or perhaps Mr. Greenspan has recognized this administrations "politics is war and winning is everything" motto combined with their discompassionate approach to managing the assets of the United States for now and into the future and he disagrees and has spoken up. I believe Mr. Greenspan when he says "large deficits matter". The right answer, as everyone knows, is to not have deficit spending at all! Paying back every deficit dollar spent includes interest which is real money that's taken out of our economy. When that happens It hurts everyone except the rich. The poor and the retired on fixed income are hurt the most and that simply is not the action of a compassionate or responsible government.

It's Not About Oil. Righhht

Wed, 12 Feb 2003 18:35:00 GMT

by Jacob Levich Here's the prewar zeitgeist in a nutshell: In a widely reported January 16 speech, Tony Blair proclaimed that the impending invasion of Iraq "has nothing to do with oil, or any of the other conspiracy theories put forward." One week later, Sen. Richard Lugar, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, quietly passed word to Russia and France that their countries will be frozen out of staggeringly lucrative postwar oil contracts unless they roll over and endorse the US attack. Behind the Invasion of Iraq, the startling new book-length report authored by the Research Unit for Political Economy (RUPE), synthesizes the seemingly disparate threads of the US war drive in what amounts to a blistering indictment of American foreign policy. The report (available on the Web at www.rupe-india.org) is lavishly documented and jargon-free; the effect, especially for readers with limited understanding of global commerce and finance, is of puzzle pieces clicking decisively into place. The RUPE report wholly confirms the widely-held view of the coming war as a massive oil grab, "on a scale not witnessed since the days of colonialism." Further, the current debate about arms inspections and alleged links to al-Qaeda is revealed as pure political theater, since the decision to invade Iraq was made months ago. Links to the report

Why this Special Issue: India as a Pillar of US Hegemony

Behind the Invasion of Iraq (a summary)

Western Imperialism and Iraq:
From Colony to Semi-Colony
Towards Nationalisation
The Iran-Iraq War: Serving American Interests
The Torment of Iraq
Return of Imperialist Occupation

The Real Reasons for the Invasion of Iraq—and Beyond: The Current Strategic Agenda of the United States
Home Front in Shambles
Military Solution to an Economic Crisis
Rehabilitating Colonialism

Appendices:
US Declares India a Strategic Pillar
The Pages Ripped out by the US from the Weapons Report

Cardinal Law Resigns

Fri, 13 Dec 2002 12:09:01 GMT

The Pope has accepted Cardinal Bernard Law's resignation as the Archbishop of the Boston Archdiocese. The public outrage from the information gathered by the release of the churches records last Wednesday and a letter signed by 58 Boston priests finally motivated Cardinal Law to do the right thing. Cardinal Law remains in the church as a priest and a Cardinal. He also still faces ongoing investigations and testimony in front of the Grand Jury in Massachusetts next Tuesday.

Carter Accepts Nobel and Gives Message on Iraq

Wed, 11 Dec 2002 11:19:00 GMT

New York Times - OSLO, Dec. 10 [~] With an ear-to-ear smile and an air of sublime satisfaction, former President Jimmy Carter accepted the Nobel Peace Prize today, then used the vaunted platform to try to steer events away from an armed conflict in Iraq. Mr.
Peace Prize winner Carter honoured by Oslo torchlight parade Norway Post
Carter accepts Nobel prize Boston Globe
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N.Korean Ship with Scuds Stopped in Arabian Sea

Wed, 11 Dec 2002 11:10:20 GMT

Reuters - Spanish warships have intercepted a North Korean ship carrying hidden Scud missiles, but the United States said on Wednesday that the discovery was unlikely to affect its policy on the reclusive communist state.
N. Korean scud discovery rocks Tokyo Mainichi Shimbun
North Korean Scud shipment seized in Arabian Sea Middle East Online
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US warns Iraq against using mass destruction weapons

Wed, 11 Dec 2002 11:07:35 GMT

Times of India - WASHINGTON: The United States warned Iraq and other potential foes Tuesday not to use any weapons of mass destruction (WMD) against US troops in the event of war, vowing to retaliate with ...
US Warns It Would Use N-Arms Salt Lake Tribune
US will use Nuclear Weapons in response to attack from WMD Hindustan Times
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Personnel records show drug use, sex abuse by priests

Wed, 04 Dec 2002 20:45:11 GMT

Thousands of newly released personnel files show the Archdiocese of Boston went to great lengths to hide priests accused of abuse, including clergy who allegedly snorted cocaine and had sex with girls aspiring to be nuns.
The life of a violent South Shore priest is detailed Boston Globe
New Revelations In Boston Sex Scandal CBS News
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The perversion and cover up is much greater than everyone imagined. Did Bernard Law break the LAW? Seems so to me. These latest revelations dragged from the Diocese by court order will, in my opinion, guarantee that the Boston Diocese will declare bankruptcy to limit the losses and protect assets. Which if that happens will further diminish the RC church. When are they gonna get it? Just come clean, get rid of the perpetrators and the administrators who covered it up, and make celibacy a personal choice between a priest and GOD. Why not do these things?

COLOMBIAN REPORTER TELLS ALL - TO U.S. PRESS

Wed, 04 Dec 2002 19:19:55 GMT

by Lucy Komisar American Reporter Correspondent Colombian journalist Ignacio Gomez told a roomful of America's most influential journalists Tuesday how Washington-supported Colombian president Alvaro Uribe is connected to drug traffickers and how U.S. military trainers helped organize a massacre in his country. Among the 1,000 guests at the Committee to Protect Journalists' annual dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria grand ballroom were NBC's Tom Brokaw, CBS's Dan Rather, Time-Warner's Walter Isaacson, Reuters CEO Thomas Glocer and executives and reporters from the nation's major TV networks, newspapers and newsmagazines. Gomez, 40, has twice gone into exile after death threats. The media "stars" applauded him for his courage. But did they put his revelations into print or on air? If you didn't see the stories he recounted in the American press, don't be surprised. As they do every year at the CPJ event, "leading" U.S. journalists lauded the courage of people chancing death for telling the truth, but continue to pull punches in their own news organizations for fear of endangering their multi-million-dollar salaries. Here's more of what Gomez unveiled for colleagues. After he investigated a 1997 massacre in Mapiripan, in which 67 people were decapitated, Gomez reported in 2000 that the Colombian military officer accused of masterminding the crime had been accompanied "at all times" by a dozen U.S. military trainers. He also linked the massacre to paramilitary leader Carlos Castano. Gomez has written frequently about the role of Colombian military and paramilitary in massacres though Washington downplays their connection. Several months after the report was published in the Bogota daily El Espectator, Gomez was almost kidnapped while entering a taxi. He was forced into exile. Last year, as director of investigations for a public affairs television show "Noticias Uno," he reported that U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had discovered an airplane belonging to then-presidential candidate Alvaro Uribe and his brother at a drug lab belonging to the Medellin cartel. Uribe, eschewing peace talks in favor of a military response to Colombian rebels - something the Bush administration wants - suffered no Washington displeasure. But Gomez and the station news director got death threats, and Uribe declared ominously that "a free press is one thing, and a press at the service of ... shady deals is something else." As he accepted the CPJ award, Gomez told the audience that "Colombian journalists first exposed the corruption of the war on drugs, but because of an information monopoly tied to the current government, truth is dying in Colombia. We are no longer allowed to be heard." He said that one of the two national papers and 23 TV news shows had been shut down. "The picture of war," Gomez said, "is getting blurry - and Americans, whose taxes and whose drug consumption fuel this war, should be concerned." He said that seeing the audience, he felt Colombians were not alone, that they could "still prevail against the powerful forces who want to keepus mute." Brokaw, Rather, Isaacson and other media chiefs readily showed up, in black tie, to support the CPJ fundraiser, and their conscience money is needed. But their commitment might be taken more seriously if they stopped being "mute" in print and on air about stories - by Gomez and others - that challenge U.S. policy and actions in Colombia.

Colombia press appeals to Powell

Wed, 04 Dec 2002 19:01:51 GMT

BBC - As US Secretary of State Colin Powell holds talks with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe on tackling illegal drugs and terrorism, one of the country's leading dailies complains the country is not getting the help it deserves.
Powell Discusses Narco-Terrorist Crackdown in Colombia Voice of America
Powell supports crackdown on lawlessness, opposes rights abuses Ha'aretz
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If you have read the previous two stories you may be wondering like me "where is the truth?". If you find it please let me know where. Thanks.

Refuting 'Big Brother' Charge

Thu, 21 Nov 2002 14:30:40 GMT

Newsday - Washington - Seeking to allay concerns of government spying on citizens, a Pentagon official yesterday said technology being developed to identify terrorists by mining millions of private and public records will be subject to ...
Massive database dragnet explored San Jose Mercury News
US defends plan for search of data Boston Globe
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I don't mind sharing my personal information for a cause or reason that I support. I'm a patriotic citizen, the security of America and the safety of it's people is a cause I support. But I object to the way this administration is dissolving my control over personal information without consent. This administration operates behind a wall of secrecy and now they plan to grab all of my personal information and do what with it, and give who access to it? The simple fact is I don't believe the words, but I do trust the actions. Unless whom ever must ask me with a reason each time they want to view my personal information and I have absolute veto power over the request I think this is wrong and a very bad law.

Bush's Homeland Security Team Tries to Reassure, Rally the Troops

Thu, 21 Nov 2002 14:02:10 GMT

Washington Post - Shortly after 7 am yesterday, Customs Commissioner Robert C. Bonner sent the agency's 22000 employees a message that tried to embrace the past and look to the future. Customs, a proud agency for 213 years, will develop ...
Agency Could Be Tough To Tame Hartford Courant
For openers, Cabinet-level agency faces simple tasks Boston Globe
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Do You Know Where Your Privacy Is?

Tue, 19 Nov 2002 17:38:17 GMT

San Francisco Chronicle - A federal review court has dramatically expanded the government's power to use wiretaps and searches to prosecute suspected terrorists and spies.
More Leeway On US Spying Hartford Courant
Ruling expands surveillance powers of Justice Department Kansas City Star
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A Rare Glimpse Inside Bush's Cabinet

Tue, 19 Nov 2002 16:29:49 GMT

In a 60 Minutes interview with Mike Wallace, Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward discloses previously unknown information from his new book about how the president and his cabinet prosecuted the war on terror in the weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks. Woodward interviewed Mr. Bush in August at the president's ranch in Crawford, Texas. "He said, 'One of the things I learned is, the vision thing matters,'" Woodward tells 60 Minutes about what Mr. Bush told him. And his vision includes getting rid of the evil from what he calls the axis of evil: Iraq, Iran, North Korea. Talking with Woodward, Mr. Bush dropped all pretense of diplomatic language as he tore into North Korea's leader Kim Jong II. And the President permitted Woodward to tape record his interview. John Robb says this interview has changed his view of the future.

Your Government in Action

Thu, 14 Nov 2002 14:11:29 GMT

iSay - It's after the election and so the remaking of America starts with a convicted felon, John Poindexter from the Iran-Contra days, unleashing an Orwellian plan to surveil and compile data on all Americans day to day activities in a grand unified database system known as Total Information Awareness. The Homeland Security Act if passed as it stands will allow this snooping and huge loss of personal privacy. Once this bureaucracy is created and funded there is no chance of going back.

Every purchase you make with a credit card, every magazine subscription you buy and medical prescription you fill, every Web site you visit and e-mail you send or receive, every academic grade you receive, every bank deposit you make, every trip you book and every event you attend [~] all these transactions and communications will go into what the Defense Department describes as "a virtual, centralized grand database." To this computerized dossier on your private life from commercial sources, add every piece of information that government has about you [~] passport application, driver's license and bridge toll records, judicial and divorce records, complaints from nosy neighbors to the F.B.I., your lifetime paper trail plus the latest hidden camera surveillance [~] and you have the supersnoop's dream: a "Total Information Awareness" about every U.S. citizen.

Chief Takes Over New Agency to Thwart Attacks on U.S.

By John Markoff
Feb. 13, 2002

John M. Poindexter, the retired Navy admiral who was President Ronald Reagan's national security adviser, has returned to the Pentagon to direct a new agency that is developing technologies to give federal officials instant access to vast new surveillance and information- analysis systems.

Air Security Focusing on Flier Screening

By Robert O'Harrow Jr.
Sep. 4, 2002

From the moment the Transportation Security Administration was formed, agency officials have been consumed by the idea of a vast network of supercomputers that would instantly probe every passenger's background

Pentagon Plans a Computer System That Would Peek at Personal Data of Americans

By John Markoff
Nov. 9, 2002

The Pentagon is constructing a computer system that could create a vast electronic dragnet, searching for personal information as part of the hunt for terrorists around the globe [~] including the United States. As the director of the effort, Vice Adm. John M. Poindexter, has described the system in Pentagon documents and in speeches, it will provide intelligence analysts and law enforcement officials with instant access to information from Internet mail and calling records to credit card and banking transactions and travel documents, without a search warrant

U.S. Hopes to Check Computers Globally

By Robert O'Harrow Jr.
Nov. 9, 2002

"We can develop the best technology in the world and unless there is public acceptance and understanding of the necessity, it will never be implemented," Poindexter said. "We're just as concerned as the next person with protecting privacy." Getting the Defense Department job is something of a comeback for Poindexter. The Reagan administration national security adviser was convicted in 1990 of five felony counts of lying to Congress, destroying official documents and obstructing congressional inquiries into the Iran-contra affair, which involved the secret sale of arms to Iran in the mid-1980s and diversion of profits to help the contra rebels in Nicaragua.

You Are a Suspect

By William Safire
Nov. 14, 2002

Political awareness can overcome "Total Information Awareness," the combined force of commercial and government snooping. In a similar overreach, Attorney General Ashcroft tried his Terrorism Information and Prevention System (TIPS), but public outrage at the use of gossips and postal workers as snoops caused the House to shoot it down. The Senate should now do the same to this other exploitation of fear. The Latin motto over Poindexter"s new Pentagon office reads "Scientia Est Potentia" [~] "knowledge is power." Exactly: the government's infinite knowledge about you is its power over you. "We're just as concerned as the next person with protecting privacy," this brilliant mind blandly assured The Post. A jury found he spoke falsely before.

Diana Butler Trial Collapses After Queen Speaks Up

Fri, 01 Nov 2002 13:18:30 GMT

Reuters - The trial of Princess Diana's butler Paul Burrell on charges of theft collapsed on Friday after the dramatic intervention of Queen Elizabeth.
Charges dropped in trial of Princess Di's butler Toronto Star
Royals 'misled by police over trial' Ananova
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US identifies deadly Moscow siege gas

Tue, 29 Oct 2002 08:27:31 GMT

BBC - The US embassy in Moscow says it has identified the gas used by Russian security forces as they stormed the theatre on Saturday where 800 hostages were held by armed Chechens.
Putin asserts authority as Russia mourns Guardian
Russia prepares to bury siege dead CNN
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Hostage Tells Story of Moscow Crisis

Tue, 29 Oct 2002 08:25:44 GMT

ABC News - MOSCOW The actors were just ending a tap dance when an armed, camouflaged man rushed the stage in the Moscow theater. "I thought it was a joke, though a strange joke," says one actor. But with a volley of gunfire, a night out at a popular ...
The Boy on a Date and Other Sad Stories New York Times
'People are dead but without the special forces, all would be dead' The Scotsman
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Columbus Day

Mon, 14 Oct 2002 18:11:06 GMT

Happy Columbus Day!

America's great misleader

Fri, 11 Oct 2002 13:20:33 GMT

Bush's arguments strain the limits of plausibility to justify war on Iraq, and this, says Simon Tisdall, means regime change is imperative - in Washington

iSay - I always find it useful reading non-US news and weblogs to get the international P.O.V. But why is the internet only partly enabled? We could and should be having conversations on these P.O.V.'s. But what technology to use? Newsgroups = Flames, high noise. IM = high noise, try to follow a conversation when all are 'talking'. email = time shifted, private and not threaded, try to follow who said what in an email. Message boards = When moderated, a good solution. Weblogs = another good solution some implementations better, more akin to moderated message boards.

Jimmy Carter Wins Nobel Peace Prize

Fri, 11 Oct 2002 12:53:35 GMT

Yahoo Headlines - Former US President Jimmy Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday "for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human ...
Nobel Peace Prize Goes to Jimmy Carter Voice of America
Jimmy Carter: president, peacemaker, peanut farmer CNN
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Sun, 27 Jan 2002 14:07:37 GMT

Row overshadows new trade talks. 06:19 ET - BBC [NewsBlip.com]

Sun, 27 Jan 2002 13:55:10 GMT

Blast rocks central Jerusalem. At least two people are killed and dozens injured after a suicide bombing in Jerusalem, which Israel blames on Yasser Arafat. [BBC News: world] iSay - It's clear Arafat is no longer in control of the PLA. Maybe he never was.