Citizens For Legitimate Government

April 2002 Archives

Apr 30, 2002

U.S. Sending More Troops to Afghan Border The United States is moving parts of more than two battalions of the 101st Airborne Division to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, providing the latest and strongest sign that a major battle is brewing in that region, a senior defense official said yesterday.
Invasion called best anti-Saddam option The CIA has told pResident Bu$h that the chances of overthrowing Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein soon through covert action or a coup are slim, leaving a large-scale U.S. invasion as the likeliest option to change the government, people familiar with agency planning say.
NRDC Issues Subpoena to Former Head of Energy Task Force
Rice Says Chavez Weakened Democracy Hugo Chavez, the populist Venezuelan president who survived a coup attempt this month, did as much to undermine democracy in that country as those who tried to oust him, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said Monday. [Since her employment is the direct result of the coup in November 2000, her defense of the Venezuelan coup is no surprise.]
Government Fails Fiscal-Fitness Test by Kelly Patricia O’Meara "If America learned anything from the Enron mess it is how easily the books can be cooked."
Bu$h Didn't Seek $150 Million Corps of Engineers Wanted for Security at Dams, Locks, Reservoirs The Bu$h mis-ministration has asked Congress for none of the $150 million the Army Corps of Engineers wanted to bolster security at up to 200 reservoirs, dams and locks across the country, according to corps figures obtained by The Associated Press. [Is Bu$h trolling for more terrorist acts against the United States -- to justify an even more onerous civil liberties clampdown???]
'Living in a police state' The state Legislature (MI) has given police power to search your home without telling you why -- Two new laws, which took effect Monday as part of anti-terror efforts, also shield from public scrutiny the reasons for police searches. Defense lawyer Walter Piszczatowski said: "This is nuts, this is beyond nuts. What happened to the Fourth Amendment? We're living in a police state."
The Enemy Within? The FBI's anthrax investigation turns on itself-- by Laura Rozen "...the FBI faces a difficult test. Suppose the attacks were an inside job -- by, say, one of the U.S. Army's own biowarfare scientists. What scientific authorities could the FBI turn to if it's effectively investigating the very labs that do its testing?"
In the No -- by Al Kamen "Guess who's talking now. This White House press release went out Wednesday to hundreds of reporters under standard 'background' guidelines that all the quotes could be used as coming from a 'Senior Administration Official' but the official could not be otherwise identified. The backgrounder came on Air Force One en route Sioux Falls, S.D."
American navy 'helped Venezuelan coup' The United States had been considering a coup to overthrow the elected Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, since last June, a former US intelligence officer claimed yesterday.
Musharraf: US Troops Are in Pakistan Pakistan's president confirmed that U.S. soldiers are operating with his troops in the hunt for al-Qaida fugitives in the rugged area on the Afghan border, but said in comments published Monday that the American force is small.
The War at Home: Federal Law Enforcement Officials Follow International Terrorism’s Money Trail from Northern Virginia to Saudi Arabia, but President Bush [sic] Says That’s Far Enough -- by David Lytel
Head of Congressional Probe Into Sept. 11 Quits The head of a joint congressional investigation into why U.S. intelligence agencies failed to detect the plot that led to the Sept. 11 attacks on America has resigned, U.S. government sources said on Monday.
Kissinger: Wanted for questioning -- by Christopher Hitchens "Of the original group that formed the core of the Nixon regime and took part in the many violations of the United States constitution, by means of illegal bugging and illegal covert action... only Henry Kissinger has so far avoided a full investigation of his abuses of power."
State (CA) GOP Sought Donations From Enron Republican legislative leaders solicited tens of thousands of dollars in campaign donations from Enron Corp. even as the state government was investigating the company and other producers suspected of price gouging and market manipulation during last year's energy crisis, according to internal Enron documents.
Senate Probe Shows Gas Price Hiking The concentration of oil companies and refineries among a few owners allows producers to manipulate gasoline supplies and force up prices to increase profits, a congressional report concluded Monday. [A congressional report was required to determine that outcome???]
See No Evil Either the feds are too inept, or they just don't want to know what roils beneath Uniontown-- by Martin Kuz "A chain-link fence seals off what used to be the main entrance. Brown grass covers the earth like a bad toupee."
At Fox News, the Colonel Who Wasn't
The President's [sic] Favorite Terrorists -- by Jim Carey "In January this year, a man instrumental in securing the release of one of the world's most prolific terrorists was appointed as America's new Asst. Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere."
Mass demonstrations against Le Pen throughout France Social democrats channel anti-fascist sentiment behind Chirac -- Tens of thousands took to the streets on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of last week to protest Jean-Marie Le Pen's candidacy in the presidential election.
Bu$h's Middle East ducking act -- by Jon Leyne "Those three weeks have been a period of deep frustration for US officials and embarrassment for the president[sic]."
Court Narrows Reach of ADA A divided Supreme Court ruled Monday that an employer in most cases does not have to override its seniority system to accommodate the needs of a disabled employee.
I'm not America's poodle, says Blair British Prime Minister Tony Blair said today he was not the United States' poodle in its war on terrorism or any strike on Iraq, insisting he would only agree to military action if he thought it was the right thing to do.
Britain faced military rule after Russian N-strike Secret papers warned cold war governments of 12 million deaths from Soviet attack -- Britain would have been placed under the control of local military commanders with powers to take "whatever steps, however drastic" were necessary in the aftermath of a Soviet nuclear attack during the cold war according to newly-released official war plans.
New York on nuclear alert after blast (4/26/02) New York was seized by fears of a “dirty bomb” terrorist attack yesterday after an apparently accidental explosion ripped through a commercial building, injuring dozens, at least six critically.
S.C. governor leads revolt Hodges rallies unlikely bedfellows in bid to turn back Rocky Flats plutonium -- "They will be turned back at South Carolina's border," Gov. Jim Hodges proclaimed Thursday.
Bu$h takes more hits from own party Even as fall elections near, Republicans splinter over issues from Mideast to trade.
As Elections for Governor Loom, G.O.P. Leaders Worry Republicans' eight-year domination of governorships could end this fall, party leaders say, and they fear such a turn would carry serious consequences for other Republicans in November and hinder pResident Bu$h's re-s-election drive in 2004.
Clinton offered 'mediating role' in N Korea North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has invited former U.S. President Bill Clinton to visit Pyongyang to play a mediating role and to cool rhetoric from Washington, a North Korean official said on Monday.
Nevada High Court Says Police Can Hide Monitoring Devices on Cars Without Warrant The Nevada Supreme Court ruled Thursday that police can hide electronic monitoring devices on peoples' cars without a warrant for as long as they want.
Bu$h Seeking to Squeeze School Loan Program The Bu$h mis-ministration is seeking to ease its budget shortfalls by squeezing $1.3 billion from a federal student loan program, administration and Congressional officials said today.
Bu$h must answer Sept. 11 questions
April 29, 2002
US companies lay off thousands as jobless claims climb The number of workers receiving unemployment insurance continues to rise, hitting a 19-year high, as businesses slash more jobs despite claims of an economic recovery
The EPA Calendar (cartoon)
U.S. Blueprint to Topple Hussein Envisions Big Invasion Next Year The Bu$h mis-ministration, in developing a potential approach for toppling President Saddam Hussein of Iraq, is concentrating its attention on a major air campaign and ground invasion, with initial estimates contemplating the use of 70,000 to 250,000 troops.
Pakistanis Say Americans Joined in Raid Pakistani officials said today that American forces had joined Pakistani troops in raids in that country's tribal areas to hunt down suspected Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters. The reports came one day after Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld said the United States military would not allow fugitive fighters to take cover across Afghanistan's borders. [Nixon/Cambodia... Redux???]
Bu$h struggles with 'foreign policy stuff' -- by Simon Tisdall On a range of international issues, the president's [sic] record is decidedly mixed -- Europeans and others can and do sneer at... Bush administration pronouncements... The only question about Mr Bush's foreign policy that ultimately matters is whether it actually works. And by this measure, Mr Bush's record so far is decidedly mixed."
U.S. and Britain to Play a Role in Release of Palestinian Leader Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Cabinet on Sunday approved a U.S. proposal aimed at ending the month-old Israeli siege at Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's compound in Ramallah, Israeli government sources said
Democratic rolls grow A southeastern Pennsylvania voter registration drive has added more than 66,000 Democrats in former Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell's back yard.
Bubba & Jacko Star In Dems' Apollo Hit Show -- by Joe Siegel "It was showtime at the Apollo last night, but Bill Clinton left his saxophone home...Rep. Charles Rangel (D-Harlem) drew cheers when he hailed Clinton as 'the last elected president of the U.S.'and said, 'It is our job to say we're not getting over Florida.'"
Yucca Mountain: Gambling with their lives -- by Carol Schiffler April 28, 2002
A Bird's Eye View of the Events in DC - by Priscilla April 27, 2002
Press Barred at White House Spokesman's Talk Although his job is to speak to the press as pResident Bu$h's spokesman, reporters were barred when White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer addressed the Middle East crisis and other issues in a talk at a Texas synagogue, participants said on Saturday.
Henderson Denies Working As Agent Cynthia Henderson, while running two state agencies under Gov. Jeb Bush, also was listed as the registered agent for a subsidiary of the largest building company in the state, Florida corporation records show.
Fla. County Settles Election Suit A federal judge has approved a settlement between Leon County and civil rights groups that sued over widespread voting problems in the 2000 presidential [s-]election in Florida.
PFAW -- Free Expression Network say USA-PATRIOT Act Grants Federal Government Sweeping Powers, Endangering Constitutional Rights
Senator Jon Corzine Delivers the Weekly Democratic Radio Address -- Social Security
US officer accused of involvement in Venezuelan coup A US officer has been accused of being involved with Venezuela's failed coup against President Hugo Chavez, a charismatic left-leaning populist.
First quarter of 2002 is "warmest for a millennium" In 2002, the planet Earth experienced its warmest first quarter since records began over 140 years ago, according to UK scientists.
Former RNC chairman, as lobbyist, urged policy change on plant emissions that Bu$h later took When pResident Bu$h reversed his campaign stance on regulating carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, he said the nation's energy problems — not pressure from energy industry lobbyists [?!?] — changed his mind.
E-Mail Suggests Energy Official Encouraged Lobbyist on Policy In an e-mail message sent last year while the Bu$h mis-ministration was formulating a national energy policy, a senior Energy Department official posed this question to a lobbyist for a major natural gas interest: "If you were king, or Il Duce, what would you include in a national energy policy, especially with respect to natural gas issues?"
Power Failure: As the energy bill nears passage, Senator Schumer denounces its flaws New York Democratic Senator Charles Schumer excoriated the controversial Senate energy bill today, calling the legislation an "evil stew" of industry tax breaks and environmental rollbacks.
Military block wind farms over radar fears The UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD) is blocking five of the country's 18 proposed offshore wind farms, claiming that they will interfere with military aviation radar.
Change in Rules Barred Many From Sept. 11 Disaster Relief Almost eight months after the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has doled out less than $65 million to help needy families in the disaster area pay their bills, avoid eviction and buy food — only a fraction of what the nation's frontline relief agency distributed in the months after other major catastrophes.
Illinois death penalty report reveals widespread abuse
US companies lay off thousands as jobless claims climb The number of workers receiving unemployment insurance continues to rise, hitting a 19-year high, as businesses slash more jobs despite claims of an economic recovery in the United States.
Fla. County Settles Election Suit A federal judge has approved a settlement between Leon County and civil rights groups that sued over widespread voting problems [coup] in the 2000 presidential election in Florida.
Miami expects pResidential visit pResident Bu$h is expected in Miami for a Republican fundraiser May 20 -- Cuba's 100th Independence Day -- and White House image-makers are considering pResidential stops ranging from a Little Havana rice-and-beans lunch to an anti-Castro rally. Officially, the White House is mum on the visit. [What are they worried about? Demonstrations against the Idiot Usurper???]
EPA Would Allow Mine Dumping in Waterways The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing rules that would let mining companies dump dirt and rock waste from mountaintop coal mining operations into rivers and streams.
EPA chief denies conflict-of-interest allegations Controversy over Superfund site continues -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's chief is vigorously denying conflict-of-interest allegations raised this week by the agency's resigning ombudsman regarding a controversial Superfund site. But she has not signed a form to recuse herself from the case.
Lone-Star Justice Conservatives thought Clinton-bashing Judge Royce Lamberth was on their team---until he went after the Bu$hies -- by Stephanie Mencimer "So far, the [Bu$h] administration has dodged the bullet, so to speak, with pending suits over Cheney's energy task force going to less bellicose jurists. But the honeymoon is not likely to last."
To End a Treaty Congress and courts must not let Bu$h kill missile pact -- by Peter Weiss (Legal Times) "The president's [sic] plan to terminate the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with Russia was always a bad idea. It has only gotten worse with recent revelations that the Pentagon has submitted to Congress a document calling for contingency plans for the use of nuclear weapons against Russia, China, and a number of other countries."
Blaming Al Gore - The Latest Crime of the Stolen Election -- by Nancy Kuhn "The latest crime of the stolen 2000 Presidential election is blaming the victim of the stolen election - Al Gore - for the numerous illegal acts committed by the Bush campaign and its surrogates in their broad daylight theft of the Presidency."
Senate Passes an Energy Bill Called Flawed by Both Sides Disappointments ranged from rejection of even modest steps to improve automobile fuel efficiency to -- in the final hours -- stripping the bill of a requirement that the Energy Department impose the more aggressive efficiency standards for air conditioners that had been proposed by the Clinton administration.
Alleged coup leaders land in South Florida In the aftermath of this month's failed coup in Venezuela, the United States faces potential further embarrassment after the discovery that several of the alleged coup leaders are now living in South Florida. How apropos that the coupsters approved by the Bush mis-ministration should end up at ground zero of the US coup, which was orchestrated by that state's Governor, the brother of the coup's beneficiary! One coup leads to another!
Pentagon to Investigate Its Role in Venezuela The Pentagon has ordered a review of its actions during the 48-hour ouster of President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela earlier this month to ensure that American military officials did not encourage a coup, a senior Defense Department official said today.
European Parliament Jeers Le Pen French presidential candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen was booed by colleagues in the European parliament Wednesday and called off a news conference as activists wearing ``Stop the Nazis'' stickers protested his far-right views.
Experts Say Profiling Only Way to Effectively Screen Air Passengers
Statement by Dennis Kucinich (D- OH) on Stopping Open-ended, Permanent War on Terrorism
Clearing the Air When Eric Schaeffer resigned as the Environmental Protection Agency's chief of enforcement in late February, he pushed the Bu$ mis-ministration's environmental record into the spotlight.
Earth Day Report Documents Sweeping Rollback of Environmental Protections by Federal Agencies
In The Northwest: With Bu$h as the steward, every day should be Earth Day -- by Joel Connelly "As an Earth Day appetizer, no connoisseur of crudeness could fail to savor ranting by Sens. Ted Stevens and Frank Murkowski, R-Alaska, last week as the Senate refused to throw open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling."
Rise in Workers' Wages Slows U.S. workers' wages and benefits rose in the first quarter at the slowest pace in three years as the spotty economic recovery translated into less generous compensation packages.
Hearings reveal Enron at center of California energy crisis
Arms Buildup Enriches Firm Staffed by Big Guns Defense: Ex-president [Bu$h I] and other elites are behind weapon-boosting Carlyle Group
A Ridge Too Far Security Czar Bets Both Ways -- Tom Ridge owns stock in a company that stands to benefit from selling anti-terrorism services to the feds...Today Ridge owns stocks in 19 different companies, some of them lobbying the Bu$h mis-ministration for defense contracts.
Rethuglican Candidate for Senate Is Hit by Raid Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service today raided the office of James W. Treffinger, the Essex County executive and the current front-runner for the Republican nomination for United States Senate this year.
As the President's [sic] popularity dips, Republicans get edgy about their prospects in November -- Democrats have taken a seven-percentage-point lead over Republicans in voter preferences for November's congressional elections.
[Oklahoma] Senate passes health crisis bill In an emergency, state and local officials would have the authority to use and appropriate property as necessary for the care, treatment, vaccination and housing of patients and to destroy contaminated facilities or materials
Students' personal data to go to state Akron school officials raise privacy, security fears over details sought -- Ohio wants to get to know its public school children in extraordinary detail, asking school districts under a little-known law to provide personal information on students such as their mother's maiden name for a new database.
Gore Vidal at War Author takes on Bu$h and the U.S. anti-terror campaign -- "Bush is going to end up the most unpopular president [sic] in history. Remember, I said that here first."
Weekly downtown protests are just a portion of anti-war activists' efforts Being a peace activist in San Diego, a city that boasts the largest concentration of active and retired military personnel in the nation, is not for the faint hearted.
Bu$h Raising Money for G.O.P.'s South Dakota Senate Candidate President Bu$h is engaging in some politicking on the home turf of Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle. The GOP is going after the state's junior senator, Tim Johnson, this November as part of its bid to regain control of the Senate.
Le Pen sends Europe reeling a little more to the right The veteran far-right candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen's stunning overthrow of France's left-right orthodoxy has sent populist fears about migrants, race and crime to the top of Europe's political agenda.
Bu$h Family's Whitewater Interest -- by Robert Parry Two senior aides to President George H.W. Bush gave accounts of their roles spurring on the federal Whitewater probe in 1992 at sharp variance with testimony of other Bush administration officials.
A Wintry Reminder on Earth Day Bu$h Photo Opportunity Turns Into Parade of Errors -- pResident Bu$h celebrated Earth Day today. Mother Earth declined to cooperate.
Ashcroft Blind To Death Row Innocent -- by Richard Cohen "Although ostensibly a conservative and therefore determined to limit Washington's reach, [John] Ashcroft has slowly been nationalizing the death penalty... Since Ashcroft supposedly does not read newspapers, I can say what I want about him without hurting his feelings.
Spy networks being rebuilt for terror war Head of military intelligence calls for 'more aggressive, offensive attitude.'
Environmentalists, ranchers unlikely allies against Bu$h's energy plan The Bu$h mis-ministration's new energy plan has helped trigger this unlikely alliance between environmentalists and ranchers who both oppose increased mineral production.
The New Nuclear Danger: George W. Bush's Military-Industrial Complex -- by Dr. Helen Caldicott [excerpt] Moments after the September 11 attacks, the U.S. Department of Defense was dangerously close to a nuclear launch.
Clinton Rallies CT Democrats At $300,000 Fund-Raiser, Ex-President Coaches Party On Defining Itself -- Former President Clinton implored Connecticut Democrats Monday to raise their voices as the loyal opposition more forcefully than ever, even while supporting the fight against terrorism.
Canada to ban extra-strong bug spray -- Brain damage feared -- Health Canada has quietly decided to ban insect repellents with more than 30 per cent of the active ingredient DEET, citing health risks and evidence that pumping up the content of the chemical does not do much more to keep the bugs at bay.
Top Bu$h Aide Resigning as White House Counselor White House counselor Karen Hughes said Tuesday she's resigning from White House to return to Texas, but will continue advising pResident Bu$h from afar.
Former ambassador says U.S. barking up wrong tree with Iraq The American public is savagely misinformed on the situation in Iraq, according to a former ambassador to Iraq.
On Earth Day, Bu$h V. Gore On the 32nd anniversary of Earth Day, pResident Bu$h said yesterday that his environmental initiatives would reduce power plant emissions more than those of any previous administration [?!?]. But he faced a barrage of criticism from environmental groups and from President Al Gore, who charged that Bu$h has broken his word and sold out to polluters and special interests.
On Soft Sea Breeze, Terror War Arrives U.S. Probes Arabs on Venezuelan Isle -- Since the Sept. 11 attacks, scores of shopkeepers have been brought in by Venezuela's Directorate of Intelligence and Prevention Services, the secret police, for questioning about recent Middle East vacations, money transfers and their neighbors.
I on the News With Digicam and Laptop, 'Independent' Journalism Rewrites the Rules -- The Washington Post discovers Indymedia
"Changing Course"; [Text of Al Gore's Earth Day speech] -- by President Al Gore "For thirty-two years now, Americans have come together on Earth Day to support cleaner air, water and land - and to strengthen our resolve to preserve the earth's God-given beauty and natural resources for generations to come."
Vote for National Front leader heightens political crisis in France Neo-fascist Le Pen to face Gaullist Chirac in runoff for president -- The result of the first round of the presidential elections in France amounts to a political earthquake.
Army tests have Keys in uproar -- by Jennifer Babson "...Word that the U.S. Army was conducting biological and chemical detection tests off Key West last week -- using a crop duster to spray what it says are benign substances over a small swath of the Gulf -- set alarm bells ringing for some on this island chain."
The New War on Freedom Give me liberty, or give me . . . what? Security? -- by Gore Vidal "Last week marked the anniversaries of three landmark events that paved the way for the further erosion of our personal freedoms we face today."
When Character was Really King -- Republicans, Media Whores, Idiots, and those who listen to them like to say that the Clinton Administration was the most corrupt in American History. In fact, it was one of the least corrupt – especially compared to the Reagan, Bu$h I, and Bu$h II Administrations. And here is irrefutable evidence.
A Year Later, Bill's Truly an Uptown Guy Ex-Prez has become a presence in Harlem -- by Joel Siegel "One year after taking his act uptown, Bill Clinton says he's trying hard not to be 'just another tenant taking up space' in Harlem."
Some taxpayers grow tired of paying for war Tax day has come and gone, but guess how much of your federal income taxes this year went to the Department of Defense? According to the U.S. budget for 2003, roughly 46 percent of an individual's income taxes are spent on the military.
World Arms Control Boss Defies U.S. Bid to Oust Him The head of a global body policing a chemical weapons ban defiantly refused on Sunday to cave in to a U.S. campaign to oust him over his attempts to woo Iraq into joining the organization and accept inspections.
Senate marks Earth Day with global warming debate The Democratic-led Senate, which soundly defeated a White House plan to drill in an Alaskan wildlife refuge, is set to mark Earth Day by pressing ahead with legislation to force U.S. companies to report global warming-linked emissions.
U.S. Urged to Expand Presence in Afghanistan To prevent Afghanistan from resuming its role as a training ground for terrorists [and, to get that oil pipeline built], pResident Bu$h repeatedly emphasizes the need to build strong political institutions and resuscitate the economy.
White House Hasn't Sought Money to Guard Atomic Plants, Energy Official Says The White House has not asked Congress for the money that the Energy Department needs to harden nuclear weapons plants against terrorist attack, a high-ranking Energy Department official complained in a letter to the Office of Management and Budget.
Extreme Rightist Eclipses Socialist to Qualify for Runoff in France In a major upset not predicted in weeks of opinion polling, the extreme rightist Jean-Marie Le Pen qualified today to face President Jacques Chirac, a conservative, in the runoff for the French presidency next month.
U.S. Weighing New Doctrine for Tribunals Uncertain about how they will be able to prosecute many of the nearly 300 prisoners detained at a naval base in Cuba, Bush administration officials are considering a new legal doctrine that would allow prisoners to be brought before military tribunals without specific evidence that they engaged in war crimes.
Don't believe everything you read in the papers about Venezuela -- by Greg Palast
Report: U.S. has completed 'basics' of plan to attack Iraq The U.S. military has completed the framework for a military campaign against Iraq, defense sources say.
Crises Strain Bu$h Policies Despite near universal acclaim for a strong foreign policy performance in the first six months after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, pResident Bu$h suddenly finds himself accused of indecisive leadership and of not having a coherent strategy to address a barrage of international crises.
Israeli Troops Leave Nablus, Parts of Ramallah Israeli armor withdrew from the large West Bank city of Nablus and left most of Ramallah early Sunday, in a significant scaling back of Israel's 3-week-old military offensive, but remained in the holy town of Bethlehem.
Many Thousands in Washington March in Support of Palestinians Tens of thousands of Arab-Americans blended with demonstrators against the military campaign in Afghanistan and those criticizing international financial institutions during protests today in Washington, with the cause of the Palestinians and criticism of Israel turning into the main message of the multifaceted crowd.
Demonstrators Rally to Palestinian Cause Tens of thousands converged on downtown Washington yesterday to demonstrate for a variety of causes, but it was the numbers and passion of busloads of Arab Americans and their supporters that dominated the streets.
Thousands protest peacefully in D.C. Globalization, Mideast policy, war on terror among issues -- As the world’s top economic powers met in Washington Saturday, thousands of demonstrators protesting globalization, the war on terrorism and other issues rallied under the watchful eye of police.
The Selling of an Energy Policy -- by President Al Gore "Under the presidency [sic] of George W. Bush, the environmental and energy policies of our government are completely dominated by a group of current and former oil and chemical company executives who are trying to dismantle America's ability to force them to reduce the extremely dangerous levels of pollution in the earth's atmosphere."
America Can Persuade Israel to Make a Just Peace -- by Jimmy Carter "In January 1996, with full support from Israel and responding to the invitation of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, the Carter Center helped to monitor a democratic election in the West Bank and Gaza, which was well organized, open and fair."
Bu$h Policies Have Been Good to Energy Industry The oil and gas industries — indeed, the entire energy industry — have won an abundance of appointments and regulatory decisions made by Mr. Bu$h and his 15-month-old mis-ministration.
April 22, 2002
Israel Winning Broad Support From U.S. Right Gary L. Bauer, the Christian conservative who grew up as a janitor's son in Kentucky, and William Kristol, the scion of New York Jewish intellectuals, long ago forged an unlikely but close friendship as warriors of the right.
Feds might use Microsoft product for online ID Forget about a national ID card. Instead, the federal government might use Microsoft's Passport technology to verify the online identity of America's citizens, federal employees and businesses, according to the White House technology czar.
Cellucci's megaphone diplomacy -- by John Gray "...George W. Bush's new ambassador in Canada, Paul Cellucci has been one of those rare diplomats who gets himself noticed ...It's a style best described as megaphone diplomacy. Canada should spend more money on its military. Canada should get on board the Bush energy plan and sell more oil and gas to the United States. Canada should join the United States under a vast security umbrella to keep out terrorists and drug smugglers. Canada do this, Canada do that."
A Coup Signed by Otto Reich -- by Jean-Guy Allard "The former top official in the Reagan regime, buddy of the most fanatical anti-Cuba terrorists and now--incredibly-- the number one man for Latin America in the U.S. administration, he has personally and clearly masterminded the subversive plans that have just failed in Caracas."
If you want a free vote, ask nicely -- by Terry Jones "...According to the 'Florida Rules', the narrower the margin of victory, the greater the legitimacy. In fact, if the victor actually has fewer people voting for him than the loser (almost half-a-million fewer in the case of George W. Bush) then that is democracy's way of awarding him carte blanche to do whatever he and his friends in the oil business want."
Geez, Those 18,000 Kids Were Here Just A Moment Ago -- by Daniel Ruth "This had to be something of a pickle for Gov. Jeb Bush! (Exclamation mark patent pending #4587930857.)"
Police threats against Washington anti-war protesters Federal and local authorities have mobilized a massive contingent of police, with National Guard troops on standby, in advance of demonstrations to be held in Washington DC today. Both the police and the press have linked the demonstration to possible terrorist attacks on the US capital.
D.C. Police Corral Bicycling Anti-War Protesters, Arrest 40 Rush-Hour Riders Claim Harassment -- The first day of a long weekend of Washington demonstrations ended yesterday in a scuffle between police and protesters and 40 arrests.
Soldiers back on Canadian soil A Hercules transport carrying the bodies of four Canadian soldiers accidentally killed in Afghanistan by a U.S. bombing raid landed at Canadian Forces Base Trenton Saturday morning.
What you told us (Toronto Globeandmail) Question: What's your reaction to the deaths of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan?
U.S.: No Lawyers for War Captives In its latest rebuff to demands for an independent body to decide the legal status of captives held here, the United States said detainees have no right to lawyers, and can be held as long as the U.S.-led war on terrorism lasts.
Terror Alert Issued for Banks Here, In Northeast The FBI, acting on information drawn from a top al Qaeda lieutenant captured in Pakistan, warned financial institutions in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic United States yesterday to be on alert for terrorist attacks.
Anthrax Contaminates Army Lab; Employee Tests Positive A worker at an Army biological warfare research center in Maryland has tested positive for anthrax exposure after spores were detected in a hallway and an administrative room near where anthrax testing was conducted, a Pentagon spokesman said tonight.
British May Watch Kids for Crime Signs British Government Says Young Children Should Be Monitored for Signs of Criminal Behavior -- Children as young as 3 should be monitored for early signs of criminal behavior, the government said Thursday.
U.S. envoy on Jenin: 'Terrible human tragedy' U.S. Assistant Secretary of State William Burns, accompanied by a United Nations team, visited the Palestinian refugee camp at Jenin, West Bank, on Saturday and called the results of Israel's military incursion there a "terrible human tragedy."
Bu$h defends Sharon as Jenin massacre provokes international condemnation
Standing Up (Remarks to the 2002 Florida State Democratic Party Conference) -- President Gore's speech in Lake Buena Vista, Florida April 13, 2002
UF Professor: Legislature May Not Have Solved State's Election Problems -- With an eye on this November’s elections, a University of Florida professor warns that despite changes made in the wake of the state’s 2000 presidential election foul-ups, Florida has not solved some of its key voting problems.
That's the way the coup crumbles -- by Rick Salutin "In the spirit of playoff profiles of hockey contenders, I'd like to assess the prospects of the United States as the world's sole superpower. A team in a league of its own. For the country CNN calls the mightiest force in history, it's been a bad week."
GOP plans ad blitz for Gov. Bush campaign His record under increasing fire from Democrats, Gov. Jeb Bush's campaign will blanket the state TV airwaves next week with the first advertisements of the 2002 political season.
State GOP launches pricey Bush ad blitz Worried that Democrats and squabbling Republicans are chipping away at his image, Gov. Jeb Bush's campaign is spending more than $2 million for a series of one-minute campaign ads that will begin airing statewide next week.
Arctic Drilling Plan Fails in Senate The Democratic-controlled Senate voted today to block drilling for oil and gas in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in a major defeat for pResident Bu$h and the centerpiece of his plan to increase domestic energy production.
Media accused in failed coup Venezuelan news executives defend themselves against allegations that they suppressed facts as the ousted president returned.
Congressman Says Military Misled Him The U.S. military prevented a congressional delegation from visiting a city in Afghanistan earlier this month by issuing false warnings of a security threat, the leader of the delegation said Thursday. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., said somebody in the chain of command "just made up the existence of supposed intelligence reports" to keep his nine-member House group from going to the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif.
From Senator "Lunkhead" to Energy Czar: A Year in the Life of Spencer Abraham -- by Jeffrey St. Clair "When Spencer Abraham toiled as the junior senator from Michigan, he wanted desperately to do away with the Department of Energy, a federal outpost that the Republicans have railed against since its creation under Jimmy Carter."
Statement by US Representative Charles B. Rangel, Ranking Democrat, Committee on Ways and Means -- Republican Tax Cut Extension
Gov. Jeb Bush Criticizes Colleagues Trying to counter criticism of his brother's White House, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush lashed out at the normally bipartisan National Governors Association for pushing state interests at the expense of the pResident's agenda.
Labor Dept. Questions Enron's Truthfulness The Labor Department is suggesting that Enron deceived the government by reaching an agreement it never intended to keep to turn over control of its employee pension plans to an independent firm whose fees it would pay.
How safe is safe? -- by Pete Spotts "How well will Nevada's Yucca Mountain perform as a long-term storage site for the nation's most radioactive waste?"
Helicopter pilot 'refused order to blast Palestinian house' An Israeli helicopter gunship pilot reportedly refused to fire a missile at a Palestinian house, the latest sign of growing unease among some Israeli troops over the conduct of the fighting in Palestinian cities of the West Bank.
Stuck in the Middle (East) With You -- So much for returning to the proverbial land of milk and honey. -- by Liz Spikol
Military to Defend Mainland In a first, a command will be charged with protecting the continental U.S. -- The Pentagon yesterday unveiled a new organizational structure that creates for the first time a command charged with defending the continental United States.
U.S. Friendly Fire Kills Four Canadian Soldiers -- U.S.: Friendly fire pilot reported being fired upon; Initial permission to drop bomb was denied, officials say -- U.S. officials said Thursday an F-16 pilot involved in a so-called friendly fire incident that killed four Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan dropped a laser-guided bomb after his commanders denied him permission to do so.
Four Canadians killed in 'friendly fire' Four Canadian soldiers died in Afghanistan last night after a US fighter jet mistakenly dropped one or two 500lb, laser-guided bombs on their unit.
Study Sees 6,000 Deaths From Power Plants A study prepared by a private contractor estimates that pollution from more than 80 power plants owned by eight electric utilities will cause nearly 6,000 premature deaths in the year 2007.
The Pentagon's people zapper New electromagnetic weapon for crowd control -- by Martin A. Lee "Good-bye nasty tear gas. So long risky rubber bullets. Welcome to the wonderful world of electromagnetic weaponry."
Grand Rapids spent $14,600 to protect Cheney Vice pResident Dick Cheney's visit to Grand Rapids cost city taxpayers $14,602.20 in police overtime, according to City Manager Kurt Kimball.
Striking Back at the Empire -- by Terra Lawson-Remer "Light saber drawn, young Skywalker, a.k.a. George Walker Bush, is leading the Free World into battle against the Evil Empire of global terrorism. His speechwriters cast and recast an interchangeable assortment of villains as Darth Vader..."
The Democrats: The Second Coming -- by Howard Fineman "After a year in exile, Gore opens fire in Florida. Let Campaign 2004 begin. (Yep, here we go again.)"
Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle: Briefing on ANWR
Nuclear Waste Move Spews Political Fallout in 2 States Less than a month from now, under extreme secrecy and high-tech security, a heavily armed convoy of trucks is to begin rolling from Colorado to a government fortress near here along the Savannah River. It will carry the first shipment of 34 tons of weapons-grade plutonium once aimed at the Soviet Union.
Private Groups Get 42 Schools in Philadelphia In what is believed to be the largest experiment in privatization mounted by an American school district, a state panel charged with improving the Philadelphia public school system voted tonight to transfer control of 42 failing city schools to seven outside managers, including Edison Schools Inc. and two universities.
Aid Groups Criticize Israel Over Rescue Effort in Jenin Aid workers, who were allowed to move back into the bomb- and rubble-strewn refugee camp at Jenin two days ago, said today that Israeli officials have failed to keep their promises to provide the specialized rescue teams and heavy excavation equipment needed to search for survivors, remove bodies and feed and reunite families.
Evidence of Israeli contempt for Geneva convention by Suzanne Goldenberg -- "The accusation from British and Palestinian politicians that Israel has been involved in war crimes raises questions about the extent to which its military incursion into the occupied territories may have broken the terms of the Geneva convention."
Eight-hour general strike in Italy Large parts of Italy came to a standstill yesterday, when 13 million workers followed a call by the three main union federations for an eight-hour general strike. The entire transport sector, most public services and large parts of the private sector were on strike.
How long can Guantanamo prisoners be held? The building of a permanent detention facility highlights an emerging US tactic: long-term holding of captives. ...Construction of the new camp highlights an emerging tactic in the Bu$h team's war on terrorism: the open-ended detention of large numbers of terror suspects.
Detainees Offer Glimpse of Life In N.Y. Facility 3 in Sept. 11 Probe Say They Were Abused in Top Security -- Inside the Special Housing Unit of the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, dozens of detainees held for months in connection with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have been confined to their cells nearly 24 hours a day.
National ID Bill Outlined Privacy Issues Raised on Hill -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) outlined legislation yesterday that would set national standards for state-issued driver's licenses, permitting rapid data-sharing among certain government agencies.
Democrats Say Bu$h Revisions Ruin Medical Privacy Rules Democratic senators harshly criticized pResident Bu$h today for proposing to roll back certain protections for the privacy of medical records, but a Bu$h mis-ministration official defended the White House plan, saying privacy was less important than access to high-quality care.
Kucinich Walks Out on Ridge Secret Meeting with House Committee Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), ranking member of the House Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, Veterans’ Affairs and International Relations today walked out of a Government Reform Committee briefing with Governor Tom Ridge, Director of the Homeland Security Office.
The case of Clifford Baxter: more questions raised over alleged suicide of Enron executive In the first major media inquiry into the alleged suicide of former Enron Vice Chairman J. Clifford Baxter, CBS News broadcast a segment April 10 which raised significant questions about the police handling of Baxter’s death.
Conyers Demands Enron Special Prosecutor -- Letter of John Conyers, Jr., Ranking Member House Committee on the Judiciary to Larry D. Thompson, Deputy Attorney General
Chemical coup d'etat -- by George Monbiot The US wants to depose the diplomat who could take away its pretext for war with Iraq -- "On Sunday, the US government will launch an international coup... It is seeking to overthrow 60 years of multilateralism in favour of a global regime built on force."
Couple buried alive by Israeli army bulldozer in Nablus As fighting raged in the streets of the West Bank city of Nablus, an Israeli army bulldozer moved in and demolished a building, sending it crashing down on an apartment next door where Abdallah and Shams Shobi lived with their extended family.
'Catastrophic Threat' From World's Mountain Lakes, Warns UN Scores of mountain lakes may burst their banks in the next 10 years because of global warming, sending millions of gallons of floodwaters swirling down valleys and endangering tens of thousands of lives, scientists warned Tuesday.
The GOP hypocrites are sent scurrying -- by Clay Robison "If there is anything more predictable than Republican politicians using the federal tax-filing deadline to criticize Democrats over taxes, it is political hypocrisy."
In the Name of Homeland Security, Telecom Firms Are Deluged With Subpoenas Operating under new powers to combat terrorism, law enforcement agencies are making unprecedented demands on the telecommunications industry to provide information on subscribers, company attorneys say.
Should History Record the Unvarnished Bu$h? "...A similar sanitizing occurred the day before, in Knoxville, Tenn., when Bu$h was interrupted by hecklers shouting about Enron and the counterterrorism campaign -- an unusual occurrence noted in news accounts of the speech. Federal News Service, a private organization, transcribed the boos, shouts and cheers, along with the president's struggle to deliver his lines... The official White House transcript made no mention of the hecklers or Bu$h's false starts.
Bu$h Officials Met With Venezuelans Who Ousted Leader Senior members of the Bu$h mis-ministration met several times in recent months with leaders of a coalition that ousted the Venezuelan president, Hugo Chávez, for two days last weekend, and agreed with them that he should be removed from office, mis-ministration officials said today.
Oil Prices Surge on Turmoil in Venezuela Oil prices jumped 4.7 percent yesterday as traders interpreted the weekend return to power of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez as a sign that the South American nation would continue to adhere to its recent policy of restricting production to prop up prices.
James Baker quietly lobbies India Secret visit to gain support for Iraq attack, partner for oil -- The visit was shrouded in secrecy. Only a few dozen people in India knew that James Baker – former U.S. secretary of state, Texan oil man and close confidant and key strategist for Presidents [sic] George Bush and George W. Bu$h – arrived in Delhi a fortnight ago.
Ransom Arranged to Rebel Group U.S. Involved in Arranging Payment to Abu Sayyaf to Free American Hostages
Industry's Resistance Stalls Bill to Protect Food Rushed through both houses of Congress last fall in response to the threat of bioterrorism, legislation to improve food safety has stalled on Capitol Hill because of resistance from the food industry.
Statement of US Representative Charles B. Rangel Ranking Democrat, Committee on Ways and Means -- Rep. Rangel warns that Republican leadership plan to extend tax cut beyond 2010 would endanger Social Security and Medicare
Anti-war activists withhold their tax returns
Greenpeace activists occupy Cabinet Office Greenpeace took one of its campaigns to the heart of government yesterday when 50 of its activists stormed the Cabinet Office to highlight illegal logging in the ancient forests of Africa.
Army Chief Probed for Enron Trading The Federal Bureau of Investigation is probing Army Secretary Thomas White for possible insider trading in the sale of Enron Corp. shares last year, the Wall Street Journal reported in its online edition on Monday.
Thousands Rally for Israel Crisis Generates Impassioned Support for Offensive
Welfare plan encouraging marriage has more than a single detractor
On the front lines of a war on dissent -- by William Walker Students prepare to protest anti-terrorism agenda as Bu$h and friends move to quash criticism of war
Democratic hopefuls criticize Bu$h Middle East terror policy, 2000 election top conversation -- The Bu$h mis-ministration has “muddied our moral clarity” by pressuring Israel not to protect itself against terrorists after the United States aggressively responded to the Sept. 11 attacks, Sen. Joe Lieberman said Sunday. Democrats also used the Florida conference to rally around better election controls after the 2000 election fiasco [coup].
Israel buries the bodies, but cannot hide the evidence -- by Justin Huggler in Jenin and Phil Reeves in Jerusalem "Israel was trying to bury the evidence in Jenin refugee camp yesterday, but it cannot bury the terrible crime it has committed: a slaughter in which Palestinian civilians were cut down alongside the armed defenders of the camp."
Israel Captures Leader in Arafat's Fatah Movement Israeli forces on Monday captured Marwan Barghouti, a close aide to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and a leader of the current uprising, Israeli and Palestinian officials said.
D.C. Police Prepare for Protesters "A protest in 2002 is a whole new world compared to a protest in 2000," D.C. Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey said last week, discussing his department's preparations for multi-themed protests this week that will culminate Saturday. "This time, we've got to do all the things we did in 2000 and also realize that the protesters may be targets for terrorists."
No Cease-Fire Until Withdrawal, Arafat Tells Powell Meeting with a top American official for the first time since Israel declared him irrelevant late last year, Yasir Arafat told Secretary of State Colin L. Powell today that no cease-fire was possible until Israel ended its military operation in the West Bank and withdrew from the cities and towns it had recently occupied.
Refugee Camp Is a Scene of Vast Devastation On the second floor of a house here, a few children played today on a striped swing set while Israeli snipers fired solitary blasts into the shattered camp outside.
Court: Israel Must Hand Over Bodies The Israeli army must hand over to the Palestinians bodies of Palestinians killed in fierce fighting in a northern West Bank refugee camp, according to a court ruling Sunday that stymies Israeli plans to bury the bodies of gunmen in unmarked graves.
In Jail Without Charge -- (Washington Post editorial) "The Bush administration has, so far, refused to explain the legal basis on which it is holding Yaser Esam Hamdi, the American-born detainee whom the Pentagon recently brought to American shores. It should do so immediately. Mr. Hamdi may be an enemy combatant. But the indefinite detention of American citizens with no charge and no public legal justification is unacceptable..."
Political Battle Looming Over Superfund Plan Drawing sharp battle lines with the White House, Democratic leaders of the Senate are moving to force a showdown vote on a measure that would provide billions of dollars to clean up toxic waste sites through the federal Superfund program.
Statement by Congressman Bob Filner Open Season for Polluters if Bu$h Budget Succeeds!
Abortive Venezuelan coup was made in the USA The abortive attempt to overthrow Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez has all the earmarks of a military coup made in the USA. Last November, the State Department, Pentagon and National Security Agency held a joint conference to discuss “the problem of Venezuela,” and shortly thereafter Washington announced that it would “put Venezuela in diplomatic isolation.”
Hugo Chavez: A Servant Not Knowing His Place -- by William Blum "How do we know that the CIA was behind the coup that overthrew Hugo Chavez? ...Consider Chavez's crimes: Branding the US attacks on Afghanistan as 'fighting terrorism with terrorism', he demanded an end to 'the slaughter of innocents'; holding up photographs of children killed in the American bombing attacks, he said their deaths had 'no justification, just as the attacks in New York did not, either.' In response, the Bush administration temporarily withdrew its ambassador."
Democrats Gather at Fla. Convention Gore Tells Cheering Crowd GOP Agenda is 'Wrong for America' -- President Al Gore plunged back into the political arena here today with a sharply worded attack on the domestic priorities of pResident Bu$h, asserting that on issues from the economy to the environment, the Republican agenda is "wrong for America."
Text of President Gore's Speech: Standing Up "My fellow Democrats, thank you for that warm welcome. It is truly a pleasure to be back in Florida..."
White House Ends Environmental Fellowship The Bu$h mis-ministration is eliminating a respected fellowship program for graduate research in the environmental sciences, mis-ministration officials said this week.
The Bu$h Doctrine, R.I.P. -- by Frank Rich "As a statement of principle set forth by an American chief executive, the now defunct Bush Doctrine may have had a shelf life even shorter than Kenny Boy's Enron code of ethics..."
D.C. Protest Organizers Join Arms Middle East Turmoil Becomes Uniting Force -- The escalating violence in the Middle East has given a new emotional urgency to social activism, uniting a diverse mix of demonstrators headed to downtown Washington this week.
Family-Value Senator Has Tough Race in Arkansas Senator Tim Hutchinson has a problem...
Judge: Put Gays in Mental Institutions Rights Groups File Ethics Complaint Over Judge’s Letter to Newspaper -- A Mississippi judge has come under fire from gay rights groups after he wrote a letter to a local newspaper saying that gays and lesbians "should be put in some type of mental institute" rather than be given the right to marry.
Ex-judge to investigate whether lawyers' calls to inmates were tape-recorded (AZ) A retired judge will investigate claims by defense lawyers that jailhouse phone calls with clients may have been illegally recorded, possibly for as long as 16 months.
Shell's new chairman takes 82% pay increase Shell, the self-styled socially responsible oil group, yesterday rekindled the row over boardroom pay by disclosing that its new executive chairman, Phil Watts, won an 82% pay rise to £1.59m last year.
'S**thead' scrawled on Lindh's blindfold U.S. Special Forces wrote "s---head" on the blindfold of prisoner John Walker Lindh and posed for pictures with their American Taliban trophy in Afghanistan, legal sources said yesterday.
Text of Yasir Arafat's Statement on Terrorism
Iran Sees U.S. Behind Chavez's Venezuela Ouster Iran, which had built up friendly ties with deposed Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, said Saturday the fiery populist's ouster by the military was in part hatched by the United States. Noting that Chavez's foreign policies "were contrary to American interests in Latin America," Iran's state television aired a statement said the flamboyant ex-paratrooper's fall "reminds one of the American-backed coup by General Augusto Pinochet in Chile in 1973."
U.S. welcomes change at top in Venezuela, likely return of oil flow The Bu$h mis-ministration signaled satisfaction yesterday with the ouster of leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in a military coup that was expected to help restore the flow of oil from the Caribbean nation that accounts for 14 percent of U.S. oil imports.
Bu$h backs [another -- besides his own] Venezuelan coup The Bu$h mis-ministration yesterday blamed former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez for the events that led to his forced resignation and arrest, calling his toppling by the nation's military a "change of government" rather than a coup.
Venezuela's Chief Forced to Resign; Civilian [U.S. Puppet] Installed A transitional government headed by a leading businessman replaced President Hugo Chávez today, hours after military officers forced him to resign. It was a sudden end to the turbulent three-year reign of a "mercurial strongman" elected on promises to distance his country from the United States while uprooting Venezuela's old social order.
U.S. Plans Announced After Arafat Condemned Terrorism Secretary of State Colin Powell will press Yasser Arafat at their meeting Sunday for "effective action" to end Palestinian attacks against Israel. Powell also is demanding restraint from Israeli forces on the West Bank.
U.S. Soldiers Posed With Bound Lindh -- Defense Argues Mistreatment -- U.S. Special Forces used a handcuffed John Walker Lindh as a prop for souvenir pictures of themselves after they took custody of the California man who was captured with Taliban fighters, sources familiar with the case said. The photographs reportedly show individual soldiers with Lindh, who is wearing a blindfold with an obscenity written across it.
US jobless claims hit highest level in 19 years
Attack in Jerusalem Leads Powell to Put Off Meeting With Arafat A suicide bomber blew herself up in Jerusalem on Friday, killing six people on the first day of Secretary of State Colin L. Powell's peace-making mission and leading to the postponement of Mr. Powell's meeting with Yasir Arafat.
Poll: Americans Support Cutting Aid to Israel Most Americans believe the United States should halt or reduce economic and military aid to Israel if Prime Minister Ariel Sharon does not immediately withdraw troops from Palestinian areas, according to a Time Magazine/CNN poll released on Friday.
The White Stuff -- by Paul Krugman "I don't know if anyone has done a calculation, but it's obvious that the Bush administration has appointed a record number of corporate executives to high-level positions, often regulating or doing business with their former employers..."
US administration pushes for military presence in Indonesia Under the banner of its “global war on terrorism,” the Bu$h mis-ministration is pushing the Indonesian government to reestablish close military relations with the US, including the possible stationing of American troops in the archipelago. [There's just no end to the Bu$h nightmare, is there?]
US war plans intensify political crisis in Turkey The US has pulled out all diplomatic stops to win over Turkey for a war against Iraq, but with little visible success.
Lawyer Helped in a Terror Plot, Indictment Says [Ashkkkroft is trolling to eliminate the attorney-client privilege...] Federal prosecutors charged yesterday that a New York lawyer helped one of her clients, an imprisoned Egyptian sheik who was convicted of plotting a wave of terror in New York City, continue to direct terrorist operations from his prison cell in Minnesota. [The REAL story:] The charges against Ms. Stewart, a silver-haired 62-year-old, stunned her colleagues in legal circles, where she has long been regarded as a fearless and outspoken champion of unpopular clients like David J. Gilbert, a Weather Underground member...
Energy Department Still Stonewalling Over Task Force Records A day after the Department of Energy released approximately 1,000 pages of additional information about Vice pResident Cheney's energy task force, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is preparing to take the agency back to federal court. "The Energy Department is still stonewalling, even though the court upheld the public's right to know what its government is doing," said NRDC senior attorney Sharon Buccino.
Congressional Rethuglicans Keep Fundraising Edge The Rethuglican Senate and House campaign fundraising committees continued to outpace their Democratic counterparts, particularly in the crucial area of "hard money," according to new reports from all four organizations.
Statement of Congressman John Conyers, Jr. on Passage of S. 565, Equal Protection Voting Rights Act of 2002
Cipro for Cheney and White House on Sept. 11 "On the night of the Sept. 11 attacks, the White House Medical Office dispensed Cipro to staff accompanying Vice President [sic] Dick Cheney as he was secreted off to the safety of Camp David, and told them it was 'a precaution,' according to one person directly involved. Either the White House doctors are psychic or they don't know anything about antibiotics..." Or, could it be there are some "oddities" associated with the Anthrax mailings ...as in, foreknowledge?!?
Military explores space planes The military is looking into building a spacecraft that could drop bombs from space, fix orbiting satellites and give better pictures of the battlefield, the top space officer said Tuesday.
US looks to create robo-soldier MIT has been selected by the US army to create the battlefield equivalent of Robocop. The $50m research centre will be known as the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies (ISN).
The US misjudges a court -- by Richard C. Hottelet "On Thursday morning at the UN headquarters in New York, the world community takes a most important step toward effective international justice. And the United States sits it out."
Signs Enron Bet on Price Increase Before California Power Shortage In the middle of 2000, on the eve of the California energy crisis, Enron was making increasingly large bets that electricity prices in the state would increase, according to Enron records cited by a California state senator leading an investigation into the state's power crisis.
The Mysterious Death Of An Enron Exec (CBS Evening News) It may be the biggest outstanding mystery in the Enron story: the death of Cliff Baxter, a former top Enron executive. He'd just agreed to testify to Congress in the Enron case. A congressional source tells CBS News that Baxter wasn't a target in the probe, he was to provide evidence against others. But on the morning of January 25th he was found in his car - shot dead.
Merrill hit by claim of duplicity A US attorney general has this week lifted the lid on the alleged duplicity practised on investors by some of Merrill Lynch's highest earning professionals.
Right-Wing Bullies Caught in Crossfire -- by Joe Conason "If there is anything that modern conservatives hate more than fair taxation, it’s a fair fight. The moment they encounter an equally aggressive opponent on a level field, the instinct of these bullying boys and girls is to run and hide and whine..."
Lawmakers Embracing 'Stealth PAC' Advantage Committees allow relatively unregulated fundraising -- At the 2000 Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, House Majority Leader Richard K. Armey (R-Tex.) spent $400,000 on a lavish party featuring country music stars Brooks & Dunn...
Democrats Assail Shift in Superfund Cleanup Senate Democrats yesterday accused the Bu$h mis-ministration of dramatically slowing the pace of toxic waste cleanups under the Superfund program partly to help relieve industry of much of the associated costs.
Poll: USA leans Democratic for Congress A USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll shows that if elections for the House of Representatives were held today, 50% of registered voters would cast ballots for the Democrat in their district; 43% would vote for the Republican.
In New Rebuff to U.S., Sharon Pushes Military Sweep A day ahead of Secretary of State Colin L. Powell's arrival in Israel in hopes of securing a truce, a Palestinian suicide bomber attacked an Israeli bus today and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon vowed to continue Israel's military sweep through the West Bank.
April 11, 2002
Thousands march in New York and New Jersey against Israeli aggression Thousands of workers, students and youth in New York and New Jersey marched over the weekend against Israeli aggression in the occupied territories.
Protests erupt at Jewish observance Some 300 Palestinian supporters exchanged angry shouts and chants Tuesday with pro-Israel crowds gathered for the annual remembrance of the Holocaust on Miami Beach...Two police sharpshooters -- one perched atop the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce building, the other on a building in the 1700 block of Meridian Avenue -- watched over Palestinian protesters and the crowd observing Yom Hashoah at the memorial.
Playground of war blessed by an angel -- by Janine di Giovanni in Bethlehem "The laughter of children playing at the Orphanage of the Holy Family is shattered by the rattle of machinegun fire..."
British Tell Blair Not to Be President's [sic] 'Poodle' Dismissing Blair's sympathy for the American president's [sic] military strategies as misguided, the mass-circulation Mirror newspaper has taken to referring to the prime minister as "the president's [sic] poodle."
US Intellectuals Call for European Criticism of US War on Terror A group of 128 US intellectuals opposed to the notion that the "war on terrorism" is a "just war" has sent a letter to European counterparts calling for "a sane and frank European criticism of the Bush administration's war policy."
Nevada Governor Vetoes Yucca Mountain Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn has vetoed the Bu$h mis-ministration's recommendation to build a permanent repository for radioactive wastes at Yucca Mountain. "Yucca Mountain is not safe, it is not suitable," Guinn declared, "and we will expose the Department of Energy's dirty little secrets about Yucca Mountain." [WTG, Kenny Guinn!]
Seas will rise, New Orleans may be doomed The generation of children born today may see the cities of Galveston, Texas, and New Orleans flooded beneath the ocean as global temperatures warm and sea level rises... Hamilton College geology Prof. Eugene Domack: "Bells should be ringing, in terms of global warming, in Washington, D.C."
Troubles that far outweigh "The Rumor" may be ahead for Jeb and Cynthia -- by Jack McCarthy "...Florida investigators have learned that there's a 'paper trail' in the disastrous purchase of Enron stock by the Florida pension fund which lost $325 million."
Ex-partner of Jeb Bush hid assets abroad, U.S. says Jeb Bush's former business partner, prominent Republican contributor J. David Eller, twice flew suitcases of cash to offshore tax havens to hide his assets, the U.S. Justice Department contends in a lawsuit.
Va. GOP Official Is Indicted, Quits GOP Director indicted on four felony charges for eavesdropping on Democratic conference calls last month
Ex-Ford Chief Received $23 Million in 2001 Jacques A. Nasser, the ousted chief executive of the Ford Motor Company, received a compensation package worth $23 million as part of his 2001 pay and retirement.
A Japanese Nuke: No Longer Unthinkable China's military push has at least one Tokyo leader speaking openly of entering an arms race, perhaps even developing nuclear capability
Getting the Dems Up to Web Speed Ex-VerticalNet CEO Mark Walsh has joined the DNC with a goal of moving the party forward via the Net (and catching the GOP)
Muslims defend Jewish woman fired for marrying Palestinian A prominent American Muslim group today called on a Jewish newspaper in Kansas to apologize to a Jewish employee who was allegedly fired for marrying a Palestinian Muslim.
13 Israeli Troops Killed in Ambush at Refugee Camp Thirteen Israeli soldiers were killed Tuesday when they walked into an ambush in the refugee camp in Jenin, and another died in an incident there this morning.
Massive April 20 D.C. Protest Planned The four-day campaign will feature a diversity of dissent, including anti-globalization activists protesting the spring meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, college students condemning the war in Afghanistan, Palestinian rights demonstrators rallying against U.S. aid to Israel, and others calling for an end to injustice in Colombia.
Breaking a cultural taboo, war widows join the anti-war protest For the first time in the history of anti-war protests in Israel, a group of war widows is calling for an end to the bloodshed. The group's first public move will the publication of an advertisement under the banner "No More."
Anthrax and the Agency: Thinking the Unthinkable -- by Wayne Madsen "Evidence is mounting that the source of the anthrax was a top secret U.S. Army laboratory in Maryland and that the perpetrators involve high-level officials in the U.S. military and intelligence infrastructure."
Falwell goes global The Reverend is launching a Mideast non-peace campaign and a cable station
Bookstore Cannot Be Forced to Divulge Buyers, Court Says A local bookstore does not have to turn over customer sales records to help police investigators determine who bought a book on how to make illegal drugs, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled today.
Imprisoned American Indian activist sues FBI for violating civil rights
Israeli forces fire missiles into Jenin camp Israeli forces have launched a missile strike on a Palestinian refugee camp in the northern West Bank town of Jenin, home to around 15,000 people.
With Washington’s tacit support, Sharon steps up West Bank assault With a wink and a nod from the US government, Israeli military forces are intensifying their pillaging of Palestinian cities on the West Bank, destroying utilities, buildings and other infrastructure, demolishing entire neighborhoods with tanks, artillery and air strikes, and killing hundreds.
Kingdom to organize telethon for Palestinians Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd yesterday reiterated Saudi Arabia’s unwavering support for the Palestinians and ordered a nationwide telethon to raise funds for them. He also donated SR10 million to the fund.
Friends of the CIA -- by Jim Hoagland "On a visit to Washington a year ago, Palestinian security chief Jibril Rajoub proudly showed off an armor-plated limousine that he said the Central Intelligence Agency 'always provides me when I am here...'"
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Arab News) by Khaled Al-Maeena, Editor in Chief [Bu$h stated that] "'...Arafat must condemn terrorism in Arabic.' Surely there must be someone in Washington or in the US who could tell the commander-in-chief [sic] of the American military that Arafat does not speak Chinese. If he speaks, chances are very good that he speaks in Arabic. Especially if he is addressing the Palestinian people who are — do the Americans know this? - Arabic speakers!" [Bu$h is the laughing stock all over the world! What a moron!]
Questions for Mr. Bush -- by George McGovern "...As I listen to the grim rhetoric of Messrs. Bush and Cheney, I wonder if they are leading us into another half-century of cold war, with terrorism replacing Communism as the second great hobgoblin of our age."
Guilty Plea Seen in the Shredding of Enron Records David B. Duncan, the Arthur Andersen accountant whose destruction of records related to Enron led to a criminal indictment of the firm, has agreed to plead guilty to obstruction of justice and serve as a government witness, people involved in the case said yesterday.
Democratic Leaders In Texas Pushing For 'Dream Ticket' Democratic leaders in Texas are hoping for a "dream ticket" in November, featuring a Hispanic gubernatorial nominee and an African American candidate for U.S. Senate, a team that strategists say could mobilize large numbers of black and Latino voters.
Pennsylvania Districting Plan Thrown Out by Federal Court The district court ruling marked a victory for Democrats, who had challenged the plan drafted by the GOP-controlled state legislature in hopes of increasing the number of Republicans in the state's U.S. House delegation.
Musharraf ready to use nuclear arms Pakistan's military ruler, General Pervez Musharraf, suddenly raised military tensions with India with a stark warning yesterday that he is prepared to use nuclear weapons in the event of war.
Readiness Report: Nuclear testing speculation rises -- The federal agency overseeing the Nevada Test Site plans to complete a report by late spring recommending a faster preparation time for possible resumption of underground nuclear tests.
Slash and burn may wipe out the world's forests in 20 years Urgent action is needed to prevent the world's forests being destroyed within 10 to 20 years by mining, roads and illicit logging, an extensive report claims.
Balky Players Are Defying the Bu$h Game Plan On Saturday, at a news conference outside his ranch, Bu$h responded brusquely when a reporter asked him what he would do if Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel failed to obey his call to withdraw "without delay," or if Yasir Arafat refused to denounce terrorism.
Columnist's Gridiron Dinner Behavior Irks Bu$h Officials New York Times columnist and Princeton University economist Paul Krugman reportedly "stuck out like a sore thumb," at the dinner by refusing to applaud pResident Bu$h, Vice pResident Cheney or any other Bu$h mis-ministration officials, according to people who attended the exclusive affair. [WTG Paul Krugman! Krugman knows Nazi coupmeisters when he sees them!]
Criminals R Us -- by Pamela White Quaker guerillas are coming to a protest near you -- "...The American Civil Liberties Union announced on March 11 that Denver police have been keeping 'spy files' on local activists and activist groups long before Sept. 11..."
School (Leesburg, FL) suspends 10-year-old for pointing Oak leaf
Huge anti-Israel march in Morocco A crowd estimated to at least one million people has gathered in the centre of the Moroccan capital, Rabat, chanting slogans and waving Palestinian flags and banners.
Thousands march in Australia against Israel’s aggression In a passionate display of support for the Palestinian people, more than 10,000 workers and youth marched on the Israeli consulate in Sydney on Saturday to demand the withdrawal of the Israeli military from the West Bank and Gaza.
US Navy resumes Vieques bombings The United States Navy resumed its bombardment of the small island of Vieques off the coast of Puerto Rico on April 1, following weekend protests by the island’s residents and supporters. Solidarity protests were also held in New York and in Hartford, Connecticut.
Bu$h: We will get rid of Saddam The prospects of a US-British war against Iraq remained on the horizon last night as Tony Blair arrived in Texas for talks with George Bu$h, about options for tackling Saddam Hussein. Bu$h signalled that even Iraqi compliance with UN demands on weapons inspections might not be enough to avoid war. [Of course not! The phony oil shortages have to commence soon, just in time for summer traveling, and Bu$h the moronic nutcase needs to justify his insane "Defense" budget.]
Boy Says a Security Order Made Him Sick A 14-year-old Pennsylvania boy said he became ill on Sunday after security officials at Aspen Airport made him drink water he had collected from a creek for his biology class. ["Homeland" Security is a threat to the safety and security of all United States citizens.]
Israel Attacks Areas in Lebanon Israeli forces struck targets in southern Lebanon with artillery and airstrikes on Saturday after an Israeli post in the Golan Heights was shelled, security officials said.
Foreign journalists flee as soldiers use stun grenades to block access Israeli soldiers fired stun grenades into a crowd of foreign television journalists who were trying to report on the meeting between the American envoy Anthony Zinni and the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, in Ramallah yesterday.
US Rejects Proposal, Report from UN's Robinson The United States rejected Tuesday the proposal from the United Nation's top human rights official to immediately send observers to the Palestinian territories to obtain information and make recommendations about the "severe deterioration" of the situation there.
Both sides deny killing Bethlehem's bell ringer shot outside Nativity
Rights Group Accuses Israel Of Torturing Palestinians The Israeli human rights group B'Tselem charged today that Israel has tortured Palestinians who have been detained for interrogation during the current military offensive.
Haggard Detainees Decry Treatment After a week's captivity in an Israeli military camp, where he was blindfolded and handcuffed, given little food and water, held outdoors for three days and then confined under a crowded, open-sided tent, Mohammed Ibrahim walked home today with 75 other haggard detainees through the deserted streets of Ramallah.
Hatred runs rampant in the land of the free One American’s stand for compassion in Ramallah sparks intolerance at home
Navy Uses Gas on Puerto Rico Protesters A nun and Episcopalian priest were detained for trespassing on restricted land on Saturday and crowd control gas was used by military police as about 50 people demonstrated against U.S. Navy bombing on the tiny Puerto Rican island of Vieques.
Army Chief Should Quit (LA Times) "Secretary of the Army Thomas E. White worked as an executive at Enron for 11 years but claims he knew nothing of the shady practices that led to its downfall. Maybe White really was clueless during his time at Enron, but he is not doing himself any favors by failing to properly explain his dealings with the failed energy giant after he left it..."
Leaky Logic A Canadian emigre living in Wynnewood is facing life behind bars for selling water-purification systems to Cuba.
USDA Plans Severe Gardening Restrictions "Clean list" - Everything not on government approved list banned. Penalties - $1000 for home gardeners, up to $250,000 for nurseries. Interstate movement of seeds - Prohibited without permit and inspection.
Plutonium in Erwin related to fallout from bomb tests? How did "trace" quantities of plutonium show up in offsite groundwater monitoring wells near Nuclear Fuel Services in Erwin [TN]?
EPA's PR chief runs into hornet's nest at hearing The chief spokesman for Christie Whitman was seeking to escape the aftermath of a Friday hearing that had enough volume, taunts and finger-pointing to qualify as a Jerry Springer show.
Bu$h Mulls "Unsigning" Treaty for International Criminal Court pResident and moron George W. Bu$h is actively considering "unsigning" the 1998 Rome Protocol establishing an International Criminal Court (ICC) before it takes effect next week ... An "unsigning"...would be designed to show strong U.S. opposition to the new court whose task it will be to prosecute and try cases involving war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and international terrorism. [That's because the U.S. government, under the Idiot Usurper's fascist dictatorship, is an ACTIVE PARTICIPANT in war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and international terrorism!]
Firm Launches Kids' Masks for Bio-Warfare Prompted by the September 11 attacks on the United States and the anthrax scare that followed, a Japanese company has launched a child-size hazard mask that protects against chemical and biological weapons.
Plan urges Coloradoans to assemble bioterror survival kits Evoking the era of Cold War bomb shelters, metro area health officials Monday urged residents to put together household emergency kits to survive if a bioterrorist attack were launched.
Bu$h Plan to Avert Work Injuries Seeks Voluntary Steps by Industry The Bu$h mis-ministration unveiled a new workplace safety policy today that calls for no mandatory steps by industry and instead relies on voluntary actions by companies to reduce injuries from repetitive motions on the job. [Barf Alert! We all know just how effective "voluntary" implementation works with corporations...]
Polluted Coastline Nearly half of all the waters off the coast of the United States are so damaged they cannot fully support aquatic life, an Environmental Protection Agency report released today said.
Group says fire prevention funds misspent A non-profit environmental group charged Thursday that federal funds earmarked for the removal of dry brush and dead trees that can fuel disastrous western wildfires instead were being spent by the Forest Service to plan sales of healthy trees to private logging companies.
Big banks said to be linked with Enron Further questions about Wall Street's relationship with failed energy-giant Enron have been raised amid speculation that as many as a half-dozen well-known investment banks may be added to a shareholder lawsuit.
Andersen will consider public admission Embattled accounting firm Arthur Andersen LLP is willing to consider a public admission of responsibility for its shredding of Enron Corp. documents but will not plead guilty in a courtroom, an Andersen attorney told CNN/Money Thursday.
Let's Roll!® Let us now praise famous widows -- by Steve Perry [Lisa Beamer] "is trying to copyright her husband's endlessly regurgitated parting salvo, 'Let's roll!' 'We believe we own 'Let's roll' because Todd said it and it was attributed to him,' says Beamer's attorney, Paul Kennedy. 'We're going to do all that's necessary to protect that.'"
Sen. Byrd Insists Ridge Testifies Sen. Robert Byrd on Thursday rejected Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge's offer to brief lawmakers, insisting on formal testimony before Byrd's spending committee.
The Masters of Mean -- by Molly Ivins Goodbye to Phil Gramm and Dick Armey, the last of a bitter breed of Texas
Re-Running Florida, 2000 Carol Roberts Uses Credentials — And Her 2000 Fame — to Challenge a GOP Incumbent
Right-Wing Assault on Madison Progressives Misfires -- by Mike Leon "Since the appalling attacks of September 11, much energy has been devoted to establishing the myth that virtually all Americans enthusiastically accede to the appalling 'war on terrorism..'"
Israel uses intimidation against media The Israeli army has taken harsh action in recent days against news media covering its campaign in the West Bank, employing intimidation and other drastic measures to keep journalists away from its largest offensive in a generation. Reporters have been strip searched, deported from the battle zone and threatened with permanent expulsion from Israel.
'We are losing them. There is no blood, no electricity' As Apache helicopter rockets and tank shells smashed into surrounding buildings yesterday, doctors were working at emergency medical stations in Nablus’s mosques while Israel intensified its bombardment of the town’s old city and refugee camps.
Fears grow of humanitarian crisis International aid agencies have expressed concern at what they describe as the unfolding humanitarian crisis as a result of Israel's military operations in the West Bank. They say tens of thousands of Palestinians have been confined to their homes for days and food and other vital supplies are quickly running out.
Peace activists abused on plane home from Israel Seven peace activists have been abused by fellow passengers as they flew back to Britain after being trapped by the Israeli incursion into Bethlehem.
A speech laced with obsessions and little else -- by Robert Fisk "Ariel Sharon could not have done better. The heaping of blame upon an occupied people, the obsessive use of the word terror – by my rough count there were 50 references in just 10 minutes – and the brief, frightened remarks about 'occupation' and (one mention only) to Jewish settlements and the need for Israeli 'compassion' at the end were proof enough that President Bush [sic] had totally failed to understand the tragedy he is supposedly trying to solve."
Mideast Truce Talk Effort Renewed; Israeli Tanks Enter Tubas A U.S. mediator met with Yasser Arafat at his besieged headquarters Friday to renew truce efforts ...Israeli tanks entered new Palestinian territory in the weeklong offensive -- Tubas, a town of 20,000 in the West Bank -- and attack helicopters battled hundreds of gunmen in Nablus and nearby refugee camps
New hot line links CEOs to White House A high-security communications network linking government leaders to some of technology's biggest names in the event of a national disaster will be unveiled early next month, officials say.
Law Guns For Zero Tolerance -- by David Wasson "...why is the Legislature poised to make it easier for students to lug loaded guns to school? ...A provision tucked deep inside the 1,800-page rewrite gives school boards the ability to relax 'zero tolerance' on firearms by letting students bring guns to school if they keep the weapons locked in their cars."
Oil giant bids to replace climate expert The Bu$h mis-ministration, at the urging of the world's biggest oil company, ExxonMobil, is trying to oust Robert Watson, the British scientist and chairman since 1996 of the panel that has advised the world about the dangers of global warming.
Bu$h mis-ministration moves to gut Clean Air standards In line with the interests of the energy industry, the Bu$h mis-ministration is seeking to eliminate or modify certain provisions of the Clean Air Act that regulate old electrical plants.
Panel faults restrictions imposed since Sept. 11 A panel that spanned a range of opinions from U.S. Rep. Bob Barr (R-Ga.) to ACLU President Nadine Strossen --- with authorities on law enforcement and the media in between --- Wednesday condemned legal restrictions adopted by the Bu$h mis-ministration and Congress after Sept. 11.
Gore's daughter hints she might seek office Karenna Gore Schiff, the eldest daughter of former vice president Al Gore, hinted Thursday that she might follow in her father's footsteps and seek political office.
Imprisoned American Indian activist sues FBI for violating civil rights FBI agents and Director Louis Freeh denied imprisoned American Indian activist Leonard Peltier a fair chance at clemency and parole when they publicly protested against him in 2000, a lawsuit filed Thursday alleged.
Blind children trapped as Israeli police clash with activists Israeli police have fired tear gas in clashes with more than 2,000 activists attempting to carry humanitarian supplies to the West Bank. The activists, both Israeli Jews and Arabs, carried banners and chanted for Sharon, to get out of Ramallah as they passed through a military checkpoint in north Jerusalem. The clashes happened on the doorstep of a school for the visually impaired, where 70 blind children aged from four to twelve were hurried into a basement by teachers.
Israeli Soldiers Shoot and Kill a US Citizen as She Holds Her 9-Month-Old Baby in Her Lap With the Morgue overflowing, the family is forced to bury the 21-Year-Old Palestinian-American in the Ramallah Hospital parking lot -- The US State Department does Nothing
U.S. Urged to Step Down in Mideast Declaring American mediation in the Middle East a failure, the EU executive urged the United States on Wednesday to stand down as primary peacemaker and let a broad alliance of nations mediate a cease-fire and a durable Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. [The entire world is cognizant that Bu$h, the sociopathic moron, is marching us toward Armageddon!]
Truce Plan Let Israel Continue Attacks Furious Palestinians leak 'one-sided' US envoy draft -- Israel would be allowed to continue attacks on Palestinian presidential buildings, security headquarters and prisons as part of a Middle East "ceasefire" plan proposed by US envoy General Anthony Zinni, it emerged yesterday.
Israel has lost moral superiority: Barak Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak warned in an interview released Wednesday that Israel has lost its "moral superiority" during the escalating conflict with the Palestinians.
Petition to Refuse to Serve in the Occupied Territories signed by 400 Israeli Military Personnel -- As of April 4, there are currently 21 conscientious objectors in jail for refusing to serve in the Occupied Territories.
Thousands of Israeli workers and youth demonstrate against Sharon’s war Under the slogan “march against the war”, thousands of Israeli Jewish workers, students, youth and intellectuals marched on April 3 in the occupied territories.
Washington Is Criticized for Growing Reluctance to Sign Treaties Disarmament and human rights experts say in a report to be published on Thursday that the United States' rejection or disregard of a range of treaties is undercutting efforts by many other countries to strengthen the international rule of law.
US accepts 'Big Brother' chip implant A company in the US has been given the go-ahead to implant a chip that would contain both personal and medical information. But it seems the permission has been given indirectly.
Bu$h moves retirement funds to avoid debt default The Bu$h mis-ministration will take steps this week to prevent an unprecedented default on the national debt by moving federal retirement funds into a non-interest-bearing account, freeing up room for more borrowing.
Whatever Happened to Carnivore? Its name may have changed from Carnivore to DCS-1000, but the controversial cybersnooping software used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation is still on the hunt for information, and likely is scouring vast amounts of Internet communication.
US executive pay soars again in 2001 Despite a recession, massive layoffs and declining stock prices in 2001, the compensation of US executives at the biggest corporations surged ahead last year, with CEOs raking in billions in salaries, bonuses and stock options.
Study by Governors Calls Bu$h Welfare Plan Unworkable Many of pResident Bu$h's welfare proposals are not realistic and would encourage states to place poor people in menial, unproductive jobs to meet stringent new work requirements, state officials say in a survey conducted by the National Governors' Association.
Judge Rejects Rule Closing Immigration Hearings A Justice Department policy to close immigration hearings deemed of "special interest" to the investigation into the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks is unconstitutional, a federal judge in Detroit ruled today.
Opinion Backs INS Role for Police U.S. Eyes State, Local Help in Enforcing Immigration Laws -- The inJustice Department has drafted a legal opinion that would give state and local police agencies the power to enforce immigration laws, potentially broadening an activity long handled by federal agents, department sources said yesterday.
Israel Bars Ambulances The military prevents rescue teams from recovering dead, wounded Palestinians in Bethlehem.
Bu$h's Mideast Bungle [from BuisnessWeek!] His initial detachment and then inconsistent policy statements have done nothing to ease the region's deadly tensions -- How badly has George W. Bu$h mismanaged Middle East policy? His bungling has not only helped bring the region to the brink of war but it has also jeopardized the White House's own top priority -- its battle against terrorism.
Bu$h Doctrine Begins to Blur Mideast Complicates Good-vs.-Evil Approach
Drop Peace Effort, Right Urges Bu$h As pResident Bu$h struggles to define a consistent course in the Middle East, a chorus of leading conservative voices has begun loudly discouraging the administration from inserting itself into peace negotiations--and instead is urging the president to give Israel a freer hand to respond militarily to Palestinian suicide bombings.
Worst-Case Scenario The potential [Middle East] disaster: how the crisis could push the region's armies into a conflict beyond their control
The problem with Sharon His policy works in the opposite direction -- The course of action Israel is pursuing in the West Bank has few real defenders, even in Israel itself.
Blair gags Short on Iraq Tony Blair has carpeted the international development secretary, Clare Short, for expressing reservations about the prospect of Britain joining the US in an attack on Iraq.
Medley's [FLA] touch-screen vote ends with mix-up What was supposed to be a user-friendly, chad-free way of voting created bedlam Tuesday in the tiny town of Medley -- prompting demands for a new election and distrust in new touch-screen technology adopted to avoid election controversy. [sounds like Jeb will be poised to steal another election in 2004...]
Trying times for Washington secret-busters In the 1980s, Gary Bass won accolades for helping get a right-to-know law passed, giving the public access to environmental information on government databases. Since Sept. 11, he's been getting hate mail from people who think he is aiding terrorists by trying to keep the information spigot open.
White House set me up OPRAH Winfrey fired back at the White House yesterday - saying she felt "extremely used" by the Bu$h mis-ministration for implying that she was too busy to tour Afghanistan schools on behalf of pResident Bu$h.
Evidence of victory falls short -- by Bernard E. Trainor "...We have seen no pictures of the carnage, no video of defeated soldiers, no schematics of what we intended to do and how successful we have been. All we have are assurances from the Pentagon that all goes swimmingly, and that victory is ours."
A Terrible Decision "If the right of a capital defendant to have a lawyer means anything at all, surely it means that an accused murderer cannot be unknowingly represented by his victim's lawyer. Alas, it turns out the Sixth Amendment right to counsel doesn't even mean that."
Wherdy Go? -- by Michael Gilson de Lemos [the definitive article on 9/11] "...Some serious high-up people privately wonder if 9-11 was in part a hoax, a demented scheme by rogue elements in 'government within the government.' I don’t lather over conspiracy theories. But this entire affair begins to resemble a Copperfield disappearance act. Mesmerized by vanishing White Rabbits we look up and the entire Statue of Liberty is gone. Official involvement in execution or at least cover-up?"
Boise to be test target for Marine snoops In a bid for a more realistic training experience, Marine Corps reconnaissance teams will attempt to evade nosey neighbors and noisy dogs as they prowl the streets of Boise in a mock infiltration exercise this spring.
Don't always trust what they tell you in the war on terror Downing Street said al-Qa'ida was using chemical weapons: it was wrong. The Pentagon said Saddam Hussein was to blame for the anthrax attacks on the US: it was wrong. Raymond Whitaker and James Palmer unravel the West's war of lies and propaganda
Pentagon rules for military tribunals violate constitutional rights Donald Rumsfeld issued an order March 21 specifying the procedures for the military tribunals that will try alleged terrorists captured in Afghanistan. The rules are clearly designed to guarantee convictions that are unreviewable by any judicial authority in or outside the United States.
New Inquiry Is Sought Into Enron The Overseas Private Investment Corporation has asked the inJustice Department to examine whether Enron misrepresented its financial condition in obtaining more than $1 billion in taxpayer-backed financing and insurance for international projects, a step that could lead the agency to pull its support for some foreign deals.
Bu$h Is Criticized for Mideast Role pResident Bu$h, under rising criticism for his handling of the growing violence in the Middle East, expressed frustration today that Yasir Arafat, the Palestinian leader, has failed to denounce what he called the "constant attacks" of suicide bombers.
Protests Greet Resumption of Navy Bombing on Vieques Passions flared today as Navy planes began their first day of a new round of exercises at a contested firing range on this Puerto Rican island.
Thousands rally in Michigan against Israeli attacks on Palestinians Some 2,000 workers, students, youth and housewives marched in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Michigan April 1 to protest the Israeli attacks on Palestinians in the occupied territories.
Foreign Peace Activists Injured Seven marchers hurt as Israeli troops fire at a Bethlehem demonstration -- The worsening Mideast conflict took a new turn today when Israeli troops opened fire on a crowd of international peace activists who were marching through the streets of Beit Jala, a suburb of Bethlehem. Seven people were injured, one critically.
Israel and Washington debate murder of Arafat, destruction of Palestinian Authority The Bu$h mis-ministration and the Israeli government are preparing for a dramatic escalation of the violence directed against the Palestinian people in the wake of the Israeli decision to invade the city of Ramallah and lay siege to the headquarters of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

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CLG News Archives



Citizens For Legitimate Government™ is a multi-partisan activist group established to expose and resist US imperialism, corpora-terrorism, and the New World Order.
	April 2002 Archives Apr 30, 2002 U.S. Sending More Troops to Afghan Border The United States is moving parts of more than two battalions of the 101st Airborne Division to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, providing the latest and strongest sign that a major battle is brewing in that region, a senior defense official said yesterday. Invasion called best anti-Saddam option The CIA has told pResident Bu$h that the chances of overthrowing Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein soon through covert action or a coup are slim, leaving a large-scale U.S. invasion as the likeliest option to change the government, people familiar with agency planning say. NRDC Issues Subpoena to Former Head of Energy Task Force Rice Says Chavez Weakened Democracy Hugo Chavez, the populist Venezuelan president who survived a coup attempt this month, did as much to undermine democracy in that country as those who tried to oust him, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said Monday. [Since her employment is the direct result of the coup in November 2000, her defense of the Venezuelan coup is no surprise.] Government Fails Fiscal-Fitness Test by Kelly Patricia O’Meara "If America learned anything from the Enron mess it is how easily the books can be cooked." Bu$h Didn't Seek $150 Million Corps of Engineers Wanted for Security at Dams, Locks, Reservoirs The Bu$h mis-ministration has asked Congress for none of the $150 million the Army Corps of Engineers wanted to bolster security at up to 200 reservoirs, dams and locks across the country, according to corps figures obtained by The Associated Press. [Is Bu$h trolling for more terrorist acts against the United States -- to justify an even more onerous civil liberties clampdown???] 'Living in a police state' The state Legislature (MI) has given police power to search your home without telling you why -- Two new laws, which took effect Monday as part of anti-terror efforts, also shield from public scrutiny the reasons for police searches. Defense lawyer Walter Piszczatowski said: "This is nuts, this is beyond nuts. What happened to the Fourth Amendment? We're living in a police state." The Enemy Within? The FBI's anthrax investigation turns on itself-- by Laura Rozen "...the FBI faces a difficult test. Suppose the attacks were an inside job -- by, say, one of the U.S. Army's own biowarfare scientists. What scientific authorities could the FBI turn to if it's effectively investigating the very labs that do its testing?" In the No -- by Al Kamen "Guess who's talking now. This White House press release went out Wednesday to hundreds of reporters under standard 'background' guidelines that all the quotes could be used as coming from a 'Senior Administration Official' but the official could not be otherwise identified. The backgrounder came on Air Force One en route Sioux Falls, S.D." American navy 'helped Venezuelan coup' The United States had been considering a coup to overthrow the elected Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, since last June, a former US intelligence officer claimed yesterday. Musharraf: US Troops Are in Pakistan Pakistan's president confirmed that U.S. soldiers are operating with his troops in the hunt for al-Qaida fugitives in the rugged area on the Afghan border, but said in comments published Monday that the American force is small. The War at Home: Federal Law Enforcement Officials Follow International Terrorism’s Money Trail from Northern Virginia to Saudi Arabia, but President Bush [sic] Says That’s Far Enough -- by David Lytel Head of Congressional Probe Into Sept. 11 Quits The head of a joint congressional investigation into why U.S. intelligence agencies failed to detect the plot that led to the Sept. 11 attacks on America has resigned, U.S. government sources said on Monday. Kissinger: Wanted for questioning -- by Christopher Hitchens "Of the original group that formed the core of the Nixon regime and took part in the many violations of the United States constitution, by means of illegal bugging and illegal covert action... only Henry Kissinger has so far avoided a full investigation of his abuses of power." State (CA) GOP Sought Donations From Enron Republican legislative leaders solicited tens of thousands of dollars in campaign donations from Enron Corp. even as the state government was investigating the company and other producers suspected of price gouging and market manipulation during last year's energy crisis, according to internal Enron documents. Senate Probe Shows Gas Price Hiking The concentration of oil companies and refineries among a few owners allows producers to manipulate gasoline supplies and force up prices to increase profits, a congressional report concluded Monday. [A congressional report was required to determine that outcome???] See No Evil Either the feds are too inept, or they just don't want to know what roils beneath Uniontown-- by Martin Kuz "A chain-link fence seals off what used to be the main entrance. Brown grass covers the earth like a bad toupee." At Fox News, the Colonel Who Wasn't The President's [sic] Favorite Terrorists -- by Jim Carey "In January this year, a man instrumental in securing the release of one of the world's most prolific terrorists was appointed as America's new Asst. Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere." Mass demonstrations against Le Pen throughout France Social democrats channel anti-fascist sentiment behind Chirac -- Tens of thousands took to the streets on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of last week to protest Jean-Marie Le Pen's candidacy in the presidential election. Bu$h's Middle East ducking act -- by Jon Leyne "Those three weeks have been a period of deep frustration for US officials and embarrassment for the president[sic]." Court Narrows Reach of ADA A divided Supreme Court ruled Monday that an employer in most cases does not have to override its seniority system to accommodate the needs of a disabled employee. I'm not America's poodle, says Blair British Prime Minister Tony Blair said today he was not the United States' poodle in its war on terrorism or any strike on Iraq, insisting he would only agree to military action if he thought it was the right thing to do. Britain faced military rule after Russian N-strike Secret papers warned cold war governments of 12 million deaths from Soviet attack -- Britain would have been placed under the control of local military commanders with powers to take "whatever steps, however drastic" were necessary in the aftermath of a Soviet nuclear attack during the cold war according to newly-released official war plans. New York on nuclear alert after blast (4/26/02) New York was seized by fears of a “dirty bomb” terrorist attack yesterday after an apparently accidental explosion ripped through a commercial building, injuring dozens, at least six critically. S.C. governor leads revolt Hodges rallies unlikely bedfellows in bid to turn back Rocky Flats plutonium -- "They will be turned back at South Carolina's border," Gov. Jim Hodges proclaimed Thursday. Bu$h takes more hits from own party Even as fall elections near, Republicans splinter over issues from Mideast to trade. As Elections for Governor Loom, G.O.P. Leaders Worry Republicans' eight-year domination of governorships could end this fall, party leaders say, and they fear such a turn would carry serious consequences for other Republicans in November and hinder pResident Bu$h's re-s-election drive in 2004. Clinton offered 'mediating role' in N Korea North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has invited former U.S. President Bill Clinton to visit Pyongyang to play a mediating role and to cool rhetoric from Washington, a North Korean official said on Monday. Nevada High Court Says Police Can Hide Monitoring Devices on Cars Without Warrant The Nevada Supreme Court ruled Thursday that police can hide electronic monitoring devices on peoples' cars without a warrant for as long as they want. Bu$h Seeking to Squeeze School Loan Program The Bu$h mis-ministration is seeking to ease its budget shortfalls by squeezing $1.3 billion from a federal student loan program, administration and Congressional officials said today. Bu$h must answer Sept. 11 questions April 29, 2002 US companies lay off thousands as jobless claims climb The number of workers receiving unemployment insurance continues to rise, hitting a 19-year high, as businesses slash more jobs despite claims of an economic recovery The EPA Calendar (cartoon) U.S. Blueprint to Topple Hussein Envisions Big Invasion Next Year The Bu$h mis-ministration, in developing a potential approach for toppling President Saddam Hussein of Iraq, is concentrating its attention on a major air campaign and ground invasion, with initial estimates contemplating the use of 70,000 to 250,000 troops. Pakistanis Say Americans Joined in Raid Pakistani officials said today that American forces had joined Pakistani troops in raids in that country's tribal areas to hunt down suspected Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters. The reports came one day after Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld said the United States military would not allow fugitive fighters to take cover across Afghanistan's borders. [Nixon/Cambodia... Redux???] Bu$h struggles with 'foreign policy stuff' -- by Simon Tisdall On a range of international issues, the president's [sic] record is decidedly mixed -- Europeans and others can and do sneer at... Bush administration pronouncements... The only question about Mr Bush's foreign policy that ultimately matters is whether it actually works. And by this measure, Mr Bush's record so far is decidedly mixed." U.S. and Britain to Play a Role in Release of Palestinian Leader Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Cabinet on Sunday approved a U.S. proposal aimed at ending the month-old Israeli siege at Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's compound in Ramallah, Israeli government sources said Democratic rolls grow A southeastern Pennsylvania voter registration drive has added more than 66,000 Democrats in former Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell's back yard. Bubba & Jacko Star In Dems' Apollo Hit Show -- by Joe Siegel "It was showtime at the Apollo last night, but Bill Clinton left his saxophone home...Rep. Charles Rangel (D-Harlem) drew cheers when he hailed Clinton as 'the last elected president of the U.S.'and said, 'It is our job to say we're not getting over Florida.'" Yucca Mountain: Gambling with their lives -- by Carol Schiffler April 28, 2002 A Bird's Eye View of the Events in DC - by Priscilla April 27, 2002 Press Barred at White House Spokesman's Talk Although his job is to speak to the press as pResident Bu$h's spokesman, reporters were barred when White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer addressed the Middle East crisis and other issues in a talk at a Texas synagogue, participants said on Saturday. Henderson Denies Working As Agent Cynthia Henderson, while running two state agencies under Gov. Jeb Bush, also was listed as the registered agent for a subsidiary of the largest building company in the state, Florida corporation records show. Fla. County Settles Election Suit A federal judge has approved a settlement between Leon County and civil rights groups that sued over widespread voting problems in the 2000 presidential [s-]election in Florida. PFAW -- Free Expression Network say USA-PATRIOT Act Grants Federal Government Sweeping Powers, Endangering Constitutional Rights Senator Jon Corzine Delivers the Weekly Democratic Radio Address -- Social Security US officer accused of involvement in Venezuelan coup A US officer has been accused of being involved with Venezuela's failed coup against President Hugo Chavez, a charismatic left-leaning populist. First quarter of 2002 is "warmest for a millennium" In 2002, the planet Earth experienced its warmest first quarter since records began over 140 years ago, according to UK scientists. Former RNC chairman, as lobbyist, urged policy change on plant emissions that Bu$h later took When pResident Bu$h reversed his campaign stance on regulating carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, he said the nation's energy problems — not pressure from energy industry lobbyists [?!?] — changed his mind. E-Mail Suggests Energy Official Encouraged Lobbyist on Policy In an e-mail message sent last year while the Bu$h mis-ministration was formulating a national energy policy, a senior Energy Department official posed this question to a lobbyist for a major natural gas interest: "If you were king, or Il Duce, what would you include in a national energy policy, especially with respect to natural gas issues?" Power Failure: As the energy bill nears passage, Senator Schumer denounces its flaws New York Democratic Senator Charles Schumer excoriated the controversial Senate energy bill today, calling the legislation an "evil stew" of industry tax breaks and environmental rollbacks. Military block wind farms over radar fears The UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD) is blocking five of the country's 18 proposed offshore wind farms, claiming that they will interfere with military aviation radar. Change in Rules Barred Many From Sept. 11 Disaster Relief Almost eight months after the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has doled out less than $65 million to help needy families in the disaster area pay their bills, avoid eviction and buy food — only a fraction of what the nation's frontline relief agency distributed in the months after other major catastrophes. Illinois death penalty report reveals widespread abuse US companies lay off thousands as jobless claims climb The number of workers receiving unemployment insurance continues to rise, hitting a 19-year high, as businesses slash more jobs despite claims of an economic recovery in the United States. Fla. County Settles Election Suit A federal judge has approved a settlement between Leon County and civil rights groups that sued over widespread voting problems [coup] in the 2000 presidential election in Florida. Miami expects pResidential visit pResident Bu$h is expected in Miami for a Republican fundraiser May 20 -- Cuba's 100th Independence Day -- and White House image-makers are considering pResidential stops ranging from a Little Havana rice-and-beans lunch to an anti-Castro rally. Officially, the White House is mum on the visit. [What are they worried about? Demonstrations against the Idiot Usurper???] EPA Would Allow Mine Dumping in Waterways The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing rules that would let mining companies dump dirt and rock waste from mountaintop coal mining operations into rivers and streams. EPA chief denies conflict-of-interest allegations Controversy over Superfund site continues -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's chief is vigorously denying conflict-of-interest allegations raised this week by the agency's resigning ombudsman regarding a controversial Superfund site. But she has not signed a form to recuse herself from the case. Lone-Star Justice Conservatives thought Clinton-bashing Judge Royce Lamberth was on their team---until he went after the Bu$hies -- by Stephanie Mencimer "So far, the [Bu$h] administration has dodged the bullet, so to speak, with pending suits over Cheney's energy task force going to less bellicose jurists. But the honeymoon is not likely to last." To End a Treaty Congress and courts must not let Bu$h kill missile pact -- by Peter Weiss (Legal Times) "The president's [sic] plan to terminate the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with Russia was always a bad idea. It has only gotten worse with recent revelations that the Pentagon has submitted to Congress a document calling for contingency plans for the use of nuclear weapons against Russia, China, and a number of other countries." Blaming Al Gore - The Latest Crime of the Stolen Election -- by Nancy Kuhn "The latest crime of the stolen 2000 Presidential election is blaming the victim of the stolen election - Al Gore - for the numerous illegal acts committed by the Bush campaign and its surrogates in their broad daylight theft of the Presidency." Senate Passes an Energy Bill Called Flawed by Both Sides Disappointments ranged from rejection of even modest steps to improve automobile fuel efficiency to -- in the final hours -- stripping the bill of a requirement that the Energy Department impose the more aggressive efficiency standards for air conditioners that had been proposed by the Clinton administration. Alleged coup leaders land in South Florida In the aftermath of this month's failed coup in Venezuela, the United States faces potential further embarrassment after the discovery that several of the alleged coup leaders are now living in South Florida. How apropos that the coupsters approved by the Bush mis-ministration should end up at ground zero of the US coup, which was orchestrated by that state's Governor, the brother of the coup's beneficiary! One coup leads to another! Pentagon to Investigate Its Role in Venezuela The Pentagon has ordered a review of its actions during the 48-hour ouster of President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela earlier this month to ensure that American military officials did not encourage a coup, a senior Defense Department official said today. European Parliament Jeers Le Pen French presidential candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen was booed by colleagues in the European parliament Wednesday and called off a news conference as activists wearing ``Stop the Nazis'' stickers protested his far-right views. Experts Say Profiling Only Way to Effectively Screen Air Passengers Statement by Dennis Kucinich (D- OH) on Stopping Open-ended, Permanent War on Terrorism Clearing the Air When Eric Schaeffer resigned as the Environmental Protection Agency's chief of enforcement in late February, he pushed the Bu$ mis-ministration's environmental record into the spotlight. Earth Day Report Documents Sweeping Rollback of Environmental Protections by Federal Agencies In The Northwest: With Bu$h as the steward, every day should be Earth Day -- by Joel Connelly "As an Earth Day appetizer, no connoisseur of crudeness could fail to savor ranting by Sens. Ted Stevens and Frank Murkowski, R-Alaska, last week as the Senate refused to throw open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling." Rise in Workers' Wages Slows U.S. workers' wages and benefits rose in the first quarter at the slowest pace in three years as the spotty economic recovery translated into less generous compensation packages. Hearings reveal Enron at center of California energy crisis Arms Buildup Enriches Firm Staffed by Big Guns Defense: Ex-president [Bu$h I] and other elites are behind weapon-boosting Carlyle Group A Ridge Too Far Security Czar Bets Both Ways -- Tom Ridge owns stock in a company that stands to benefit from selling anti-terrorism services to the feds...Today Ridge owns stocks in 19 different companies, some of them lobbying the Bu$h mis-ministration for defense contracts. Rethuglican Candidate for Senate Is Hit by Raid Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service today raided the office of James W. Treffinger, the Essex County executive and the current front-runner for the Republican nomination for United States Senate this year. As the President's [sic] popularity dips, Republicans get edgy about their prospects in November -- Democrats have taken a seven-percentage-point lead over Republicans in voter preferences for November's congressional elections. [Oklahoma] Senate passes health crisis bill In an emergency, state and local officials would have the authority to use and appropriate property as necessary for the care, treatment, vaccination and housing of patients and to destroy contaminated facilities or materials Students' personal data to go to state Akron school officials raise privacy, security fears over details sought -- Ohio wants to get to know its public school children in extraordinary detail, asking school districts under a little-known law to provide personal information on students such as their mother's maiden name for a new database. Gore Vidal at War Author takes on Bu$h and the U.S. anti-terror campaign -- "Bush is going to end up the most unpopular president [sic] in history. Remember, I said that here first." Weekly downtown protests are just a portion of anti-war activists' efforts Being a peace activist in San Diego, a city that boasts the largest concentration of active and retired military personnel in the nation, is not for the faint hearted. Bu$h Raising Money for G.O.P.'s South Dakota Senate Candidate President Bu$h is engaging in some politicking on the home turf of Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle. The GOP is going after the state's junior senator, Tim Johnson, this November as part of its bid to regain control of the Senate. Le Pen sends Europe reeling a little more to the right The veteran far-right candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen's stunning overthrow of France's left-right orthodoxy has sent populist fears about migrants, race and crime to the top of Europe's political agenda. Bu$h Family's Whitewater Interest -- by Robert Parry Two senior aides to President George H.W. Bush gave accounts of their roles spurring on the federal Whitewater probe in 1992 at sharp variance with testimony of other Bush administration officials. A Wintry Reminder on Earth Day Bu$h Photo Opportunity Turns Into Parade of Errors -- pResident Bu$h celebrated Earth Day today. Mother Earth declined to cooperate. Ashcroft Blind To Death Row Innocent -- by Richard Cohen "Although ostensibly a conservative and therefore determined to limit Washington's reach, [John] Ashcroft has slowly been nationalizing the death penalty... Since Ashcroft supposedly does not read newspapers, I can say what I want about him without hurting his feelings. Spy networks being rebuilt for terror war Head of military intelligence calls for 'more aggressive, offensive attitude.' Environmentalists, ranchers unlikely allies against Bu$h's energy plan The Bu$h mis-ministration's new energy plan has helped trigger this unlikely alliance between environmentalists and ranchers who both oppose increased mineral production. The New Nuclear Danger: George W. Bush's Military-Industrial Complex -- by Dr. Helen Caldicott [excerpt] Moments after the September 11 attacks, the U.S. Department of Defense was dangerously close to a nuclear launch. Clinton Rallies CT Democrats At $300,000 Fund-Raiser, Ex-President Coaches Party On Defining Itself -- Former President Clinton implored Connecticut Democrats Monday to raise their voices as the loyal opposition more forcefully than ever, even while supporting the fight against terrorism. Canada to ban extra-strong bug spray -- Brain damage feared -- Health Canada has quietly decided to ban insect repellents with more than 30 per cent of the active ingredient DEET, citing health risks and evidence that pumping up the content of the chemical does not do much more to keep the bugs at bay. Top Bu$h Aide Resigning as White House Counselor White House counselor Karen Hughes said Tuesday she's resigning from White House to return to Texas, but will continue advising pResident Bu$h from afar. Former ambassador says U.S. barking up wrong tree with Iraq The American public is savagely misinformed on the situation in Iraq, according to a former ambassador to Iraq. On Earth Day, Bu$h V. Gore On the 32nd anniversary of Earth Day, pResident Bu$h said yesterday that his environmental initiatives would reduce power plant emissions more than those of any previous administration [?!?]. But he faced a barrage of criticism from environmental groups and from President Al Gore, who charged that Bu$h has broken his word and sold out to polluters and special interests. On Soft Sea Breeze, Terror War Arrives U.S. Probes Arabs on Venezuelan Isle -- Since the Sept. 11 attacks, scores of shopkeepers have been brought in by Venezuela's Directorate of Intelligence and Prevention Services, the secret police, for questioning about recent Middle East vacations, money transfers and their neighbors. I on the News With Digicam and Laptop, 'Independent' Journalism Rewrites the Rules -- The Washington Post discovers Indymedia "Changing Course"; [Text of Al Gore's Earth Day speech] -- by President Al Gore "For thirty-two years now, Americans have come together on Earth Day to support cleaner air, water and land - and to strengthen our resolve to preserve the earth's God-given beauty and natural resources for generations to come." Vote for National Front leader heightens political crisis in France Neo-fascist Le Pen to face Gaullist Chirac in runoff for president -- The result of the first round of the presidential elections in France amounts to a political earthquake. Army tests have Keys in uproar -- by Jennifer Babson "...Word that the U.S. Army was conducting biological and chemical detection tests off Key West last week -- using a crop duster to spray what it says are benign substances over a small swath of the Gulf -- set alarm bells ringing for some on this island chain." The New War on Freedom Give me liberty, or give me . . . what? Security? -- by Gore Vidal "Last week marked the anniversaries of three landmark events that paved the way for the further erosion of our personal freedoms we face today." When Character was Really King -- Republicans, Media Whores, Idiots, and those who listen to them like to say that the Clinton Administration was the most corrupt in American History. In fact, it was one of the least corrupt – especially compared to the Reagan, Bu$h I, and Bu$h II Administrations. And here is irrefutable evidence. A Year Later, Bill's Truly an Uptown Guy Ex-Prez has become a presence in Harlem -- by Joel Siegel "One year after taking his act uptown, Bill Clinton says he's trying hard not to be 'just another tenant taking up space' in Harlem." Some taxpayers grow tired of paying for war Tax day has come and gone, but guess how much of your federal income taxes this year went to the Department of Defense? According to the U.S. budget for 2003, roughly 46 percent of an individual's income taxes are spent on the military. World Arms Control Boss Defies U.S. Bid to Oust Him The head of a global body policing a chemical weapons ban defiantly refused on Sunday to cave in to a U.S. campaign to oust him over his attempts to woo Iraq into joining the organization and accept inspections. Senate marks Earth Day with global warming debate The Democratic-led Senate, which soundly defeated a White House plan to drill in an Alaskan wildlife refuge, is set to mark Earth Day by pressing ahead with legislation to force U.S. companies to report global warming-linked emissions. U.S. Urged to Expand Presence in Afghanistan To prevent Afghanistan from resuming its role as a training ground for terrorists [and, to get that oil pipeline built], pResident Bu$h repeatedly emphasizes the need to build strong political institutions and resuscitate the economy. White House Hasn't Sought Money to Guard Atomic Plants, Energy Official Says The White House has not asked Congress for the money that the Energy Department needs to harden nuclear weapons plants against terrorist attack, a high-ranking Energy Department official complained in a letter to the Office of Management and Budget. Extreme Rightist Eclipses Socialist to Qualify for Runoff in France In a major upset not predicted in weeks of opinion polling, the extreme rightist Jean-Marie Le Pen qualified today to face President Jacques Chirac, a conservative, in the runoff for the French presidency next month. U.S. Weighing New Doctrine for Tribunals Uncertain about how they will be able to prosecute many of the nearly 300 prisoners detained at a naval base in Cuba, Bush administration officials are considering a new legal doctrine that would allow prisoners to be brought before military tribunals without specific evidence that they engaged in war crimes. Don't believe everything you read in the papers about Venezuela -- by Greg Palast Report: U.S. has completed 'basics' of plan to attack Iraq The U.S. military has completed the framework for a military campaign against Iraq, defense sources say. Crises Strain Bu$h Policies Despite near universal acclaim for a strong foreign policy performance in the first six months after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, pResident Bu$h suddenly finds himself accused of indecisive leadership and of not having a coherent strategy to address a barrage of international crises. Israeli Troops Leave Nablus, Parts of Ramallah Israeli armor withdrew from the large West Bank city of Nablus and left most of Ramallah early Sunday, in a significant scaling back of Israel's 3-week-old military offensive, but remained in the holy town of Bethlehem. Many Thousands in Washington March in Support of Palestinians Tens of thousands of Arab-Americans blended with demonstrators against the military campaign in Afghanistan and those criticizing international financial institutions during protests today in Washington, with the cause of the Palestinians and criticism of Israel turning into the main message of the multifaceted crowd. Demonstrators Rally to Palestinian Cause Tens of thousands converged on downtown Washington yesterday to demonstrate for a variety of causes, but it was the numbers and passion of busloads of Arab Americans and their supporters that dominated the streets. Thousands protest peacefully in D.C. Globalization, Mideast policy, war on terror among issues -- As the world’s top economic powers met in Washington Saturday, thousands of demonstrators protesting globalization, the war on terrorism and other issues rallied under the watchful eye of police. The Selling of an Energy Policy -- by President Al Gore "Under the presidency [sic] of George W. Bush, the environmental and energy policies of our government are completely dominated by a group of current and former oil and chemical company executives who are trying to dismantle America's ability to force them to reduce the extremely dangerous levels of pollution in the earth's atmosphere." America Can Persuade Israel to Make a Just Peace -- by Jimmy Carter "In January 1996, with full support from Israel and responding to the invitation of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, the Carter Center helped to monitor a democratic election in the West Bank and Gaza, which was well organized, open and fair." Bu$h Policies Have Been Good to Energy Industry The oil and gas industries — indeed, the entire energy industry — have won an abundance of appointments and regulatory decisions made by Mr. Bu$h and his 15-month-old mis-ministration. April 22, 2002 Israel Winning Broad Support From U.S. Right Gary L. Bauer, the Christian conservative who grew up as a janitor's son in Kentucky, and William Kristol, the scion of New York Jewish intellectuals, long ago forged an unlikely but close friendship as warriors of the right. Feds might use Microsoft product for online ID Forget about a national ID card. Instead, the federal government might use Microsoft's Passport technology to verify the online identity of America's citizens, federal employees and businesses, according to the White House technology czar. Cellucci's megaphone diplomacy -- by John Gray "...George W. Bush's new ambassador in Canada, Paul Cellucci has been one of those rare diplomats who gets himself noticed ...It's a style best described as megaphone diplomacy. Canada should spend more money on its military. Canada should get on board the Bush energy plan and sell more oil and gas to the United States. Canada should join the United States under a vast security umbrella to keep out terrorists and drug smugglers. Canada do this, Canada do that." A Coup Signed by Otto Reich -- by Jean-Guy Allard "The former top official in the Reagan regime, buddy of the most fanatical anti-Cuba terrorists and now--incredibly-- the number one man for Latin America in the U.S. administration, he has personally and clearly masterminded the subversive plans that have just failed in Caracas." If you want a free vote, ask nicely -- by Terry Jones "...According to the 'Florida Rules', the narrower the margin of victory, the greater the legitimacy. In fact, if the victor actually has fewer people voting for him than the loser (almost half-a-million fewer in the case of George W. Bush) then that is democracy's way of awarding him carte blanche to do whatever he and his friends in the oil business want." Geez, Those 18,000 Kids Were Here Just A Moment Ago -- by Daniel Ruth "This had to be something of a pickle for Gov. Jeb Bush! (Exclamation mark patent pending #4587930857.)" Police threats against Washington anti-war protesters Federal and local authorities have mobilized a massive contingent of police, with National Guard troops on standby, in advance of demonstrations to be held in Washington DC today. Both the police and the press have linked the demonstration to possible terrorist attacks on the US capital. D.C. Police Corral Bicycling Anti-War Protesters, Arrest 40 Rush-Hour Riders Claim Harassment -- The first day of a long weekend of Washington demonstrations ended yesterday in a scuffle between police and protesters and 40 arrests. Soldiers back on Canadian soil A Hercules transport carrying the bodies of four Canadian soldiers accidentally killed in Afghanistan by a U.S. bombing raid landed at Canadian Forces Base Trenton Saturday morning. What you told us (Toronto Globeandmail) Question: What's your reaction to the deaths of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan? U.S.: No Lawyers for War Captives In its latest rebuff to demands for an independent body to decide the legal status of captives held here, the United States said detainees have no right to lawyers, and can be held as long as the U.S.-led war on terrorism lasts. Terror Alert Issued for Banks Here, In Northeast The FBI, acting on information drawn from a top al Qaeda lieutenant captured in Pakistan, warned financial institutions in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic United States yesterday to be on alert for terrorist attacks. Anthrax Contaminates Army Lab; Employee Tests Positive A worker at an Army biological warfare research center in Maryland has tested positive for anthrax exposure after spores were detected in a hallway and an administrative room near where anthrax testing was conducted, a Pentagon spokesman said tonight. British May Watch Kids for Crime Signs British Government Says Young Children Should Be Monitored for Signs of Criminal Behavior -- Children as young as 3 should be monitored for early signs of criminal behavior, the government said Thursday. U.S. envoy on Jenin: 'Terrible human tragedy' U.S. Assistant Secretary of State William Burns, accompanied by a United Nations team, visited the Palestinian refugee camp at Jenin, West Bank, on Saturday and called the results of Israel's military incursion there a "terrible human tragedy." Bu$h defends Sharon as Jenin massacre provokes international condemnation Standing Up (Remarks to the 2002 Florida State Democratic Party Conference) -- President Gore's speech in Lake Buena Vista, Florida April 13, 2002 UF Professor: Legislature May Not Have Solved State's Election Problems -- With an eye on this November’s elections, a University of Florida professor warns that despite changes made in the wake of the state’s 2000 presidential election foul-ups, Florida has not solved some of its key voting problems. That's the way the coup crumbles -- by Rick Salutin "In the spirit of playoff profiles of hockey contenders, I'd like to assess the prospects of the United States as the world's sole superpower. A team in a league of its own. For the country CNN calls the mightiest force in history, it's been a bad week." GOP plans ad blitz for Gov. Bush campaign His record under increasing fire from Democrats, Gov. Jeb Bush's campaign will blanket the state TV airwaves next week with the first advertisements of the 2002 political season. State GOP launches pricey Bush ad blitz Worried that Democrats and squabbling Republicans are chipping away at his image, Gov. Jeb Bush's campaign is spending more than $2 million for a series of one-minute campaign ads that will begin airing statewide next week. Arctic Drilling Plan Fails in Senate The Democratic-controlled Senate voted today to block drilling for oil and gas in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in a major defeat for pResident Bu$h and the centerpiece of his plan to increase domestic energy production. Media accused in failed coup Venezuelan news executives defend themselves against allegations that they suppressed facts as the ousted president returned. Congressman Says Military Misled Him The U.S. military prevented a congressional delegation from visiting a city in Afghanistan earlier this month by issuing false warnings of a security threat, the leader of the delegation said Thursday. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., said somebody in the chain of command "just made up the existence of supposed intelligence reports" to keep his nine-member House group from going to the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif. From Senator "Lunkhead" to Energy Czar: A Year in the Life of Spencer Abraham -- by Jeffrey St. Clair "When Spencer Abraham toiled as the junior senator from Michigan, he wanted desperately to do away with the Department of Energy, a federal outpost that the Republicans have railed against since its creation under Jimmy Carter." Statement by US Representative Charles B. Rangel, Ranking Democrat, Committee on Ways and Means -- Republican Tax Cut Extension Gov. Jeb Bush Criticizes Colleagues Trying to counter criticism of his brother's White House, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush lashed out at the normally bipartisan National Governors Association for pushing state interests at the expense of the pResident's agenda. Labor Dept. Questions Enron's Truthfulness The Labor Department is suggesting that Enron deceived the government by reaching an agreement it never intended to keep to turn over control of its employee pension plans to an independent firm whose fees it would pay. How safe is safe? -- by Pete Spotts "How well will Nevada's Yucca Mountain perform as a long-term storage site for the nation's most radioactive waste?" Helicopter pilot 'refused order to blast Palestinian house' An Israeli helicopter gunship pilot reportedly refused to fire a missile at a Palestinian house, the latest sign of growing unease among some Israeli troops over the conduct of the fighting in Palestinian cities of the West Bank. Stuck in the Middle (East) With You -- So much for returning to the proverbial land of milk and honey. -- by Liz Spikol Military to Defend Mainland In a first, a command will be charged with protecting the continental U.S. -- The Pentagon yesterday unveiled a new organizational structure that creates for the first time a command charged with defending the continental United States. U.S. Friendly Fire Kills Four Canadian Soldiers -- U.S.: Friendly fire pilot reported being fired upon; Initial permission to drop bomb was denied, officials say -- U.S. officials said Thursday an F-16 pilot involved in a so-called friendly fire incident that killed four Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan dropped a laser-guided bomb after his commanders denied him permission to do so. Four Canadians killed in 'friendly fire' Four Canadian soldiers died in Afghanistan last night after a US fighter jet mistakenly dropped one or two 500lb, laser-guided bombs on their unit. Study Sees 6,000 Deaths From Power Plants A study prepared by a private contractor estimates that pollution from more than 80 power plants owned by eight electric utilities will cause nearly 6,000 premature deaths in the year 2007. The Pentagon's people zapper New electromagnetic weapon for crowd control -- by Martin A. Lee "Good-bye nasty tear gas. So long risky rubber bullets. Welcome to the wonderful world of electromagnetic weaponry." Grand Rapids spent $14,600 to protect Cheney Vice pResident Dick Cheney's visit to Grand Rapids cost city taxpayers $14,602.20 in police overtime, according to City Manager Kurt Kimball. Striking Back at the Empire -- by Terra Lawson-Remer "Light saber drawn, young Skywalker, a.k.a. George Walker Bush, is leading the Free World into battle against the Evil Empire of global terrorism. His speechwriters cast and recast an interchangeable assortment of villains as Darth Vader..." The Democrats: The Second Coming -- by Howard Fineman "After a year in exile, Gore opens fire in Florida. Let Campaign 2004 begin. (Yep, here we go again.)" Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle: Briefing on ANWR Nuclear Waste Move Spews Political Fallout in 2 States Less than a month from now, under extreme secrecy and high-tech security, a heavily armed convoy of trucks is to begin rolling from Colorado to a government fortress near here along the Savannah River. It will carry the first shipment of 34 tons of weapons-grade plutonium once aimed at the Soviet Union. Private Groups Get 42 Schools in Philadelphia In what is believed to be the largest experiment in privatization mounted by an American school district, a state panel charged with improving the Philadelphia public school system voted tonight to transfer control of 42 failing city schools to seven outside managers, including Edison Schools Inc. and two universities. Aid Groups Criticize Israel Over Rescue Effort in Jenin Aid workers, who were allowed to move back into the bomb- and rubble-strewn refugee camp at Jenin two days ago, said today that Israeli officials have failed to keep their promises to provide the specialized rescue teams and heavy excavation equipment needed to search for survivors, remove bodies and feed and reunite families. Evidence of Israeli contempt for Geneva convention by Suzanne Goldenberg -- "The accusation from British and Palestinian politicians that Israel has been involved in war crimes raises questions about the extent to which its military incursion into the occupied territories may have broken the terms of the Geneva convention." Eight-hour general strike in Italy Large parts of Italy came to a standstill yesterday, when 13 million workers followed a call by the three main union federations for an eight-hour general strike. The entire transport sector, most public services and large parts of the private sector were on strike. How long can Guantanamo prisoners be held? The building of a permanent detention facility highlights an emerging US tactic: long-term holding of captives. ...Construction of the new camp highlights an emerging tactic in the Bu$h team's war on terrorism: the open-ended detention of large numbers of terror suspects. Detainees Offer Glimpse of Life In N.Y. Facility 3 in Sept. 11 Probe Say They Were Abused in Top Security -- Inside the Special Housing Unit of the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, dozens of detainees held for months in connection with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have been confined to their cells nearly 24 hours a day. National ID Bill Outlined Privacy Issues Raised on Hill -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) outlined legislation yesterday that would set national standards for state-issued driver's licenses, permitting rapid data-sharing among certain government agencies. Democrats Say Bu$h Revisions Ruin Medical Privacy Rules Democratic senators harshly criticized pResident Bu$h today for proposing to roll back certain protections for the privacy of medical records, but a Bu$h mis-ministration official defended the White House plan, saying privacy was less important than access to high-quality care. Kucinich Walks Out on Ridge Secret Meeting with House Committee Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), ranking member of the House Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, Veterans’ Affairs and International Relations today walked out of a Government Reform Committee briefing with Governor Tom Ridge, Director of the Homeland Security Office. The case of Clifford Baxter: more questions raised over alleged suicide of Enron executive In the first major media inquiry into the alleged suicide of former Enron Vice Chairman J. Clifford Baxter, CBS News broadcast a segment April 10 which raised significant questions about the police handling of Baxter’s death. Conyers Demands Enron Special Prosecutor -- Letter of John Conyers, Jr., Ranking Member House Committee on the Judiciary to Larry D. Thompson, Deputy Attorney General Chemical coup d'etat -- by George Monbiot The US wants to depose the diplomat who could take away its pretext for war with Iraq -- "On Sunday, the US government will launch an international coup... It is seeking to overthrow 60 years of multilateralism in favour of a global regime built on force." Couple buried alive by Israeli army bulldozer in Nablus As fighting raged in the streets of the West Bank city of Nablus, an Israeli army bulldozer moved in and demolished a building, sending it crashing down on an apartment next door where Abdallah and Shams Shobi lived with their extended family. 'Catastrophic Threat' From World's Mountain Lakes, Warns UN Scores of mountain lakes may burst their banks in the next 10 years because of global warming, sending millions of gallons of floodwaters swirling down valleys and endangering tens of thousands of lives, scientists warned Tuesday. The GOP hypocrites are sent scurrying -- by Clay Robison "If there is anything more predictable than Republican politicians using the federal tax-filing deadline to criticize Democrats over taxes, it is political hypocrisy." In the Name of Homeland Security, Telecom Firms Are Deluged With Subpoenas Operating under new powers to combat terrorism, law enforcement agencies are making unprecedented demands on the telecommunications industry to provide information on subscribers, company attorneys say. Should History Record the Unvarnished Bu$h? "...A similar sanitizing occurred the day before, in Knoxville, Tenn., when Bu$h was interrupted by hecklers shouting about Enron and the counterterrorism campaign -- an unusual occurrence noted in news accounts of the speech. Federal News Service, a private organization, transcribed the boos, shouts and cheers, along with the president's struggle to deliver his lines... The official White House transcript made no mention of the hecklers or Bu$h's false starts. Bu$h Officials Met With Venezuelans Who Ousted Leader Senior members of the Bu$h mis-ministration met several times in recent months with leaders of a coalition that ousted the Venezuelan president, Hugo Chávez, for two days last weekend, and agreed with them that he should be removed from office, mis-ministration officials said today. Oil Prices Surge on Turmoil in Venezuela Oil prices jumped 4.7 percent yesterday as traders interpreted the weekend return to power of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez as a sign that the South American nation would continue to adhere to its recent policy of restricting production to prop up prices. James Baker quietly lobbies India Secret visit to gain support for Iraq attack, partner for oil -- The visit was shrouded in secrecy. Only a few dozen people in India knew that James Baker – former U.S. secretary of state, Texan oil man and close confidant and key strategist for Presidents [sic] George Bush and George W. Bu$h – arrived in Delhi a fortnight ago. Ransom Arranged to Rebel Group U.S. Involved in Arranging Payment to Abu Sayyaf to Free American Hostages Industry's Resistance Stalls Bill to Protect Food Rushed through both houses of Congress last fall in response to the threat of bioterrorism, legislation to improve food safety has stalled on Capitol Hill because of resistance from the food industry. Statement of US Representative Charles B. Rangel Ranking Democrat, Committee on Ways and Means -- Rep. Rangel warns that Republican leadership plan to extend tax cut beyond 2010 would endanger Social Security and Medicare Anti-war activists withhold their tax returns Greenpeace activists occupy Cabinet Office Greenpeace took one of its campaigns to the heart of government yesterday when 50 of its activists stormed the Cabinet Office to highlight illegal logging in the ancient forests of Africa. Army Chief Probed for Enron Trading The Federal Bureau of Investigation is probing Army Secretary Thomas White for possible insider trading in the sale of Enron Corp. shares last year, the Wall Street Journal reported in its online edition on Monday. Thousands Rally for Israel Crisis Generates Impassioned Support for Offensive Welfare plan encouraging marriage has more than a single detractor On the front lines of a war on dissent -- by William Walker Students prepare to protest anti-terrorism agenda as Bu$h and friends move to quash criticism of war Democratic hopefuls criticize Bu$h Middle East terror policy, 2000 election top conversation -- The Bu$h mis-ministration has “muddied our moral clarity” by pressuring Israel not to protect itself against terrorists after the United States aggressively responded to the Sept. 11 attacks, Sen. Joe Lieberman said Sunday. Democrats also used the Florida conference to rally around better election controls after the 2000 election fiasco [coup]. Israel buries the bodies, but cannot hide the evidence -- by Justin Huggler in Jenin and Phil Reeves in Jerusalem "Israel was trying to bury the evidence in Jenin refugee camp yesterday, but it cannot bury the terrible crime it has committed: a slaughter in which Palestinian civilians were cut down alongside the armed defenders of the camp." Israel Captures Leader in Arafat's Fatah Movement Israeli forces on Monday captured Marwan Barghouti, a close aide to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and a leader of the current uprising, Israeli and Palestinian officials said. D.C. Police Prepare for Protesters "A protest in 2002 is a whole new world compared to a protest in 2000," D.C. Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey said last week, discussing his department's preparations for multi-themed protests this week that will culminate Saturday. "This time, we've got to do all the things we did in 2000 and also realize that the protesters may be targets for terrorists." No Cease-Fire Until Withdrawal, Arafat Tells Powell Meeting with a top American official for the first time since Israel declared him irrelevant late last year, Yasir Arafat told Secretary of State Colin L. Powell today that no cease-fire was possible until Israel ended its military operation in the West Bank and withdrew from the cities and towns it had recently occupied. Refugee Camp Is a Scene of Vast Devastation On the second floor of a house here, a few children played today on a striped swing set while Israeli snipers fired solitary blasts into the shattered camp outside. Court: Israel Must Hand Over Bodies The Israeli army must hand over to the Palestinians bodies of Palestinians killed in fierce fighting in a northern West Bank refugee camp, according to a court ruling Sunday that stymies Israeli plans to bury the bodies of gunmen in unmarked graves. In Jail Without Charge -- (Washington Post editorial) "The Bush administration has, so far, refused to explain the legal basis on which it is holding Yaser Esam Hamdi, the American-born detainee whom the Pentagon recently brought to American shores. It should do so immediately. Mr. Hamdi may be an enemy combatant. But the indefinite detention of American citizens with no charge and no public legal justification is unacceptable..." Political Battle Looming Over Superfund Plan Drawing sharp battle lines with the White House, Democratic leaders of the Senate are moving to force a showdown vote on a measure that would provide billions of dollars to clean up toxic waste sites through the federal Superfund program. Statement by Congressman Bob Filner Open Season for Polluters if Bu$h Budget Succeeds! Abortive Venezuelan coup was made in the USA The abortive attempt to overthrow Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez has all the earmarks of a military coup made in the USA. Last November, the State Department, Pentagon and National Security Agency held a joint conference to discuss “the problem of Venezuela,” and shortly thereafter Washington announced that it would “put Venezuela in diplomatic isolation.” Hugo Chavez: A Servant Not Knowing His Place -- by William Blum "How do we know that the CIA was behind the coup that overthrew Hugo Chavez? ...Consider Chavez's crimes: Branding the US attacks on Afghanistan as 'fighting terrorism with terrorism', he demanded an end to 'the slaughter of innocents'; holding up photographs of children killed in the American bombing attacks, he said their deaths had 'no justification, just as the attacks in New York did not, either.' In response, the Bush administration temporarily withdrew its ambassador." Democrats Gather at Fla. Convention Gore Tells Cheering Crowd GOP Agenda is 'Wrong for America' -- President Al Gore plunged back into the political arena here today with a sharply worded attack on the domestic priorities of pResident Bu$h, asserting that on issues from the economy to the environment, the Republican agenda is "wrong for America." Text of President Gore's Speech: Standing Up "My fellow Democrats, thank you for that warm welcome. It is truly a pleasure to be back in Florida..." White House Ends Environmental Fellowship The Bu$h mis-ministration is eliminating a respected fellowship program for graduate research in the environmental sciences, mis-ministration officials said this week. The Bu$h Doctrine, R.I.P. -- by Frank Rich "As a statement of principle set forth by an American chief executive, the now defunct Bush Doctrine may have had a shelf life even shorter than Kenny Boy's Enron code of ethics..." D.C. Protest Organizers Join Arms Middle East Turmoil Becomes Uniting Force -- The escalating violence in the Middle East has given a new emotional urgency to social activism, uniting a diverse mix of demonstrators headed to downtown Washington this week. Family-Value Senator Has Tough Race in Arkansas Senator Tim Hutchinson has a problem... Judge: Put Gays in Mental Institutions Rights Groups File Ethics Complaint Over Judge’s Letter to Newspaper -- A Mississippi judge has come under fire from gay rights groups after he wrote a letter to a local newspaper saying that gays and lesbians "should be put in some type of mental institute" rather than be given the right to marry. Ex-judge to investigate whether lawyers' calls to inmates were tape-recorded (AZ) A retired judge will investigate claims by defense lawyers that jailhouse phone calls with clients may have been illegally recorded, possibly for as long as 16 months. Shell's new chairman takes 82% pay increase Shell, the self-styled socially responsible oil group, yesterday rekindled the row over boardroom pay by disclosing that its new executive chairman, Phil Watts, won an 82% pay rise to £1.59m last year. 'Sthead' scrawled on Lindh's blindfold U.S. Special Forces wrote "s---head" on the blindfold of prisoner John Walker Lindh and posed for pictures with their American Taliban trophy in Afghanistan, legal sources said yesterday. Text of Yasir Arafat's Statement on Terrorism Iran Sees U.S. Behind Chavez's Venezuela Ouster Iran, which had built up friendly ties with deposed Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, said Saturday the fiery populist's ouster by the military was in part hatched by the United States. Noting that Chavez's foreign policies "were contrary to American interests in Latin America," Iran's state television aired a statement said the flamboyant ex-paratrooper's fall "reminds one of the American-backed coup by General Augusto Pinochet in Chile in 1973." U.S. welcomes change at top in Venezuela, likely return of oil flow The Bu$h mis-ministration signaled satisfaction yesterday with the ouster of leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in a military coup that was expected to help restore the flow of oil from the Caribbean nation that accounts for 14 percent of U.S. oil imports. Bu$h backs [another -- besides his own] Venezuelan coup The Bu$h mis-ministration yesterday blamed former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez for the events that led to his forced resignation and arrest, calling his toppling by the nation's military a "change of government" rather than a coup. Venezuela's Chief Forced to Resign; Civilian [U.S. Puppet] Installed A transitional government headed by a leading businessman replaced President Hugo Chávez today, hours after military officers forced him to resign. It was a sudden end to the turbulent three-year reign of a "mercurial strongman" elected on promises to distance his country from the United States while uprooting Venezuela's old social order. U.S. Plans Announced After Arafat Condemned Terrorism Secretary of State Colin Powell will press Yasser Arafat at their meeting Sunday for "effective action" to end Palestinian attacks against Israel. Powell also is demanding restraint from Israeli forces on the West Bank. U.S. Soldiers Posed With Bound Lindh -- Defense Argues Mistreatment -- U.S. Special Forces used a handcuffed John Walker Lindh as a prop for souvenir pictures of themselves after they took custody of the California man who was captured with Taliban fighters, sources familiar with the case said. The photographs reportedly show individual soldiers with Lindh, who is wearing a blindfold with an obscenity written across it. US jobless claims hit highest level in 19 years Attack in Jerusalem Leads Powell to Put Off Meeting With Arafat A suicide bomber blew herself up in Jerusalem on Friday, killing six people on the first day of Secretary of State Colin L. Powell's peace-making mission and leading to the postponement of Mr. Powell's meeting with Yasir Arafat. Poll: Americans Support Cutting Aid to Israel Most Americans believe the United States should halt or reduce economic and military aid to Israel if Prime Minister Ariel Sharon does not immediately withdraw troops from Palestinian areas, according to a Time Magazine/CNN poll released on Friday. The White Stuff -- by Paul Krugman "I don't know if anyone has done a calculation, but it's obvious that the Bush administration has appointed a record number of corporate executives to high-level positions, often regulating or doing business with their former employers..." US administration pushes for military presence in Indonesia Under the banner of its “global war on terrorism,” the Bu$h mis-ministration is pushing the Indonesian government to reestablish close military relations with the US, including the possible stationing of American troops in the archipelago. [There's just no end to the Bu$h nightmare, is there?] US war plans intensify political crisis in Turkey The US has pulled out all diplomatic stops to win over Turkey for a war against Iraq, but with little visible success. Lawyer Helped in a Terror Plot, Indictment Says [Ashkkkroft is trolling to eliminate the attorney-client privilege...] Federal prosecutors charged yesterday that a New York lawyer helped one of her clients, an imprisoned Egyptian sheik who was convicted of plotting a wave of terror in New York City, continue to direct terrorist operations from his prison cell in Minnesota. [The REAL story:] The charges against Ms. Stewart, a silver-haired 62-year-old, stunned her colleagues in legal circles, where she has long been regarded as a fearless and outspoken champion of unpopular clients like David J. Gilbert, a Weather Underground member... Energy Department Still Stonewalling Over Task Force Records A day after the Department of Energy released approximately 1,000 pages of additional information about Vice pResident Cheney's energy task force, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is preparing to take the agency back to federal court. "The Energy Department is still stonewalling, even though the court upheld the public's right to know what its government is doing," said NRDC senior attorney Sharon Buccino. Congressional Rethuglicans Keep Fundraising Edge The Rethuglican Senate and House campaign fundraising committees continued to outpace their Democratic counterparts, particularly in the crucial area of "hard money," according to new reports from all four organizations. Statement of Congressman John Conyers, Jr. on Passage of S. 565, Equal Protection Voting Rights Act of 2002 Cipro for Cheney and White House on Sept. 11 "On the night of the Sept. 11 attacks, the White House Medical Office dispensed Cipro to staff accompanying Vice President [sic] Dick Cheney as he was secreted off to the safety of Camp David, and told them it was 'a precaution,' according to one person directly involved. Either the White House doctors are psychic or they don't know anything about antibiotics..." Or, could it be there are some "oddities" associated with the Anthrax mailings ...as in, foreknowledge?!? Military explores space planes The military is looking into building a spacecraft that could drop bombs from space, fix orbiting satellites and give better pictures of the battlefield, the top space officer said Tuesday. US looks to create robo-soldier MIT has been selected by the US army to create the battlefield equivalent of Robocop. The $50m research centre will be known as the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies (ISN). The US misjudges a court -- by Richard C. Hottelet "On Thursday morning at the UN headquarters in New York, the world community takes a most important step toward effective international justice. And the United States sits it out." Signs Enron Bet on Price Increase Before California Power Shortage In the middle of 2000, on the eve of the California energy crisis, Enron was making increasingly large bets that electricity prices in the state would increase, according to Enron records cited by a California state senator leading an investigation into the state's power crisis. The Mysterious Death Of An Enron Exec (CBS Evening News) It may be the biggest outstanding mystery in the Enron story: the death of Cliff Baxter, a former top Enron executive. He'd just agreed to testify to Congress in the Enron case. A congressional source tells CBS News that Baxter wasn't a target in the probe, he was to provide evidence against others. But on the morning of January 25th he was found in his car - shot dead. Merrill hit by claim of duplicity A US attorney general has this week lifted the lid on the alleged duplicity practised on investors by some of Merrill Lynch's highest earning professionals. Right-Wing Bullies Caught in Crossfire -- by Joe Conason "If there is anything that modern conservatives hate more than fair taxation, it’s a fair fight. The moment they encounter an equally aggressive opponent on a level field, the instinct of these bullying boys and girls is to run and hide and whine..." Lawmakers Embracing 'Stealth PAC' Advantage Committees allow relatively unregulated fundraising -- At the 2000 Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, House Majority Leader Richard K. Armey (R-Tex.) spent $400,000 on a lavish party featuring country music stars Brooks & Dunn... Democrats Assail Shift in Superfund Cleanup Senate Democrats yesterday accused the Bu$h mis-ministration of dramatically slowing the pace of toxic waste cleanups under the Superfund program partly to help relieve industry of much of the associated costs. Poll: USA leans Democratic for Congress A USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll shows that if elections for the House of Representatives were held today, 50% of registered voters would cast ballots for the Democrat in their district; 43% would vote for the Republican. In New Rebuff to U.S., Sharon Pushes Military Sweep A day ahead of Secretary of State Colin L. Powell's arrival in Israel in hopes of securing a truce, a Palestinian suicide bomber attacked an Israeli bus today and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon vowed to continue Israel's military sweep through the West Bank. April 11, 2002 Thousands march in New York and New Jersey against Israeli aggression Thousands of workers, students and youth in New York and New Jersey marched over the weekend against Israeli aggression in the occupied territories. Protests erupt at Jewish observance Some 300 Palestinian supporters exchanged angry shouts and chants Tuesday with pro-Israel crowds gathered for the annual remembrance of the Holocaust on Miami Beach...Two police sharpshooters -- one perched atop the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce building, the other on a building in the 1700 block of Meridian Avenue -- watched over Palestinian protesters and the crowd observing Yom Hashoah at the memorial. Playground of war blessed by an angel -- by Janine di Giovanni in Bethlehem "The laughter of children playing at the Orphanage of the Holy Family is shattered by the rattle of machinegun fire..." British Tell Blair Not to Be President's [sic] 'Poodle' Dismissing Blair's sympathy for the American president's [sic] military strategies as misguided, the mass-circulation Mirror newspaper has taken to referring to the prime minister as "the president's [sic] poodle." US Intellectuals Call for European Criticism of US War on Terror A group of 128 US intellectuals opposed to the notion that the "war on terrorism" is a "just war" has sent a letter to European counterparts calling for "a sane and frank European criticism of the Bush administration's war policy." Nevada Governor Vetoes Yucca Mountain Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn has vetoed the Bu$h mis-ministration's recommendation to build a permanent repository for radioactive wastes at Yucca Mountain. "Yucca Mountain is not safe, it is not suitable," Guinn declared, "and we will expose the Department of Energy's dirty little secrets about Yucca Mountain*." [WTG, Kenny Guinn!] Seas will rise, New Orleans may be doomed The generation of children born today may see the cities of Galveston, Texas, and New Orleans flooded beneath the ocean as global temperatures warm and sea level rises... Hamilton College geology Prof. Eugene Domack: "Bells should be ringing, in terms of global warming, in Washington, D.C." Troubles that far outweigh "The Rumor" may be ahead for Jeb and Cynthia -- by Jack McCarthy "...Florida investigators have learned that there's a 'paper trail' in the disastrous purchase of Enron stock by the Florida pension fund which lost $325 million." Ex-partner of Jeb Bush hid assets abroad, U.S. says Jeb Bush's former business partner, prominent Republican contributor J. David Eller, twice flew suitcases of cash to offshore tax havens to hide his assets, the U.S. Justice Department contends in a lawsuit. Va. GOP Official Is Indicted, Quits GOP Director indicted on four felony charges for eavesdropping on Democratic conference calls last month Ex-Ford Chief Received $23 Million in 2001 Jacques A. Nasser, the ousted chief executive of the Ford Motor Company, received a compensation package worth $23 million as part of his 2001 pay and retirement. A Japanese Nuke: No Longer Unthinkable China's military push has at least one Tokyo leader speaking openly of entering an arms race, perhaps even developing nuclear capability Getting the Dems Up to Web Speed Ex-VerticalNet CEO Mark Walsh has joined the DNC with a goal of moving the party forward via the Net (and catching the GOP) Muslims defend Jewish woman fired for marrying Palestinian A prominent American Muslim group today called on a Jewish newspaper in Kansas to apologize to a Jewish employee who was allegedly fired for marrying a Palestinian Muslim. 13 Israeli Troops Killed in Ambush at Refugee Camp Thirteen Israeli soldiers were killed Tuesday when they walked into an ambush in the refugee camp in Jenin, and another died in an incident there this morning. Massive April 20 D.C. Protest Planned The four-day campaign will feature a diversity of dissent, including anti-globalization activists protesting the spring meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, college students condemning the war in Afghanistan, Palestinian rights demonstrators rallying against U.S. aid to Israel, and others calling for an end to injustice in Colombia. Breaking a cultural taboo, war widows join the anti-war protest For the first time in the history of anti-war protests in Israel, a group of war widows is calling for an end to the bloodshed. The group's first public move will the publication of an advertisement under the banner "No More." Anthrax and the Agency: Thinking the Unthinkable -- by Wayne Madsen "Evidence is mounting that the source of the anthrax was a top secret U.S. Army laboratory in Maryland and that the perpetrators involve high-level officials in the U.S. military and intelligence infrastructure." Falwell goes global The Reverend is launching a Mideast non-peace campaign and a cable station Bookstore Cannot Be Forced to Divulge Buyers, Court Says A local bookstore does not have to turn over customer sales records to help police investigators determine who bought a book on how to make illegal drugs, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled today. Imprisoned American Indian activist sues FBI for violating civil rights Israeli forces fire missiles into Jenin camp Israeli forces have launched a missile strike on a Palestinian refugee camp in the northern West Bank town of Jenin, home to around 15,000 people. With Washington’s tacit support, Sharon steps up West Bank assault With a wink and a nod from the US government, Israeli military forces are intensifying their pillaging of Palestinian cities on the West Bank, destroying utilities, buildings and other infrastructure, demolishing entire neighborhoods with tanks, artillery and air strikes, and killing hundreds. Kingdom to organize telethon for Palestinians Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd yesterday reiterated Saudi Arabia’s unwavering support for the Palestinians and ordered a nationwide telethon to raise funds for them. He also donated SR10 million to the fund. Friends of the CIA -- by Jim Hoagland "On a visit to Washington a year ago, Palestinian security chief Jibril Rajoub proudly showed off an armor-plated limousine that he said the Central Intelligence Agency 'always provides me when I am here...'" Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Arab News) by Khaled Al-Maeena, Editor in Chief [Bu$h stated that] "'...Arafat must condemn terrorism in Arabic.' Surely there must be someone in Washington or in the US who could tell the commander-in-chief [sic] of the American military that Arafat does not speak Chinese. If he speaks, chances are very good that he speaks in Arabic. Especially if he is addressing the Palestinian people who are — do the Americans know this? - Arabic speakers!" [Bu$h is the laughing stock all over the world! What a moron!] Questions for Mr. Bush -- by George McGovern "...As I listen to the grim rhetoric of Messrs. Bush and Cheney, I wonder if they are leading us into another half-century of cold war, with terrorism replacing Communism as the second great hobgoblin of our age." Guilty Plea Seen in the Shredding of Enron Records David B. Duncan, the Arthur Andersen accountant whose destruction of records related to Enron led to a criminal indictment of the firm, has agreed to plead guilty to obstruction of justice and serve as a government witness, people involved in the case said yesterday. Democratic Leaders In Texas Pushing For 'Dream Ticket' Democratic leaders in Texas are hoping for a "dream ticket" in November, featuring a Hispanic gubernatorial nominee and an African American candidate for U.S. Senate, a team that strategists say could mobilize large numbers of black and Latino voters. Pennsylvania Districting Plan Thrown Out by Federal Court The district court ruling marked a victory for Democrats, who had challenged the plan drafted by the GOP-controlled state legislature in hopes of increasing the number of Republicans in the state's U.S. House delegation. Musharraf ready to use nuclear arms Pakistan's military ruler, General Pervez Musharraf, suddenly raised military tensions with India with a stark warning yesterday that he is prepared to use nuclear weapons in the event of war. Readiness Report: Nuclear testing speculation rises -- The federal agency overseeing the Nevada Test Site plans to complete a report by late spring recommending a faster preparation time for possible resumption of underground nuclear tests. Slash and burn may wipe out the world's forests in 20 years Urgent action is needed to prevent the world's forests being destroyed within 10 to 20 years by mining, roads and illicit logging, an extensive report claims. Balky Players Are Defying the Bu$h Game Plan On Saturday, at a news conference outside his ranch, Bu$h responded brusquely when a reporter asked him what he would do if Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel failed to obey his call to withdraw "without delay," or if Yasir Arafat refused to denounce terrorism. Columnist's Gridiron Dinner Behavior Irks Bu$h Officials New York Times* columnist and Princeton University economist Paul Krugman reportedly "stuck out like a sore thumb," at the dinner by refusing to applaud pResident Bu$h, Vice pResident Cheney or any other Bu$h mis-ministration officials, according to people who attended the exclusive affair. [WTG Paul Krugman! Krugman knows Nazi coupmeisters when he sees them!] Criminals R Us -- by Pamela White Quaker guerillas are coming to a protest near you -- "...The American Civil Liberties Union announced on March 11 that Denver police have been keeping 'spy files' on local activists and activist groups long before Sept. 11..." School (Leesburg, FL) suspends 10-year-old for pointing Oak leaf Huge anti-Israel march in Morocco A crowd estimated to at least one million people has gathered in the centre of the Moroccan capital, Rabat, chanting slogans and waving Palestinian flags and banners. Thousands march in Australia against Israel’s aggression In a passionate display of support for the Palestinian people, more than 10,000 workers and youth marched on the Israeli consulate in Sydney on Saturday to demand the withdrawal of the Israeli military from the West Bank and Gaza. US Navy resumes Vieques bombings The United States Navy resumed its bombardment of the small island of Vieques off the coast of Puerto Rico on April 1, following weekend protests by the island’s residents and supporters. Solidarity protests were also held in New York and in Hartford, Connecticut. Bu$h: We will get rid of Saddam The prospects of a US-British war against Iraq remained on the horizon last night as Tony Blair arrived in Texas for talks with George Bu$h, about options for tackling Saddam Hussein. Bu$h signalled that even Iraqi compliance with UN demands on weapons inspections might not be enough to avoid war. [Of course not! The phony oil shortages have to commence soon, just in time for summer traveling, and Bu$h the moronic nutcase needs to justify his insane "Defense" budget.] Boy Says a Security Order Made Him Sick A 14-year-old Pennsylvania boy said he became ill on Sunday after security officials at Aspen Airport made him drink water he had collected from a creek for his biology class. ["Homeland" Security is a threat to the safety and security of all United States citizens.] Israel Attacks Areas in Lebanon Israeli forces struck targets in southern Lebanon with artillery and airstrikes on Saturday after an Israeli post in the Golan Heights was shelled, security officials said. Foreign journalists flee as soldiers use stun grenades to block access Israeli soldiers fired stun grenades into a crowd of foreign television journalists who were trying to report on the meeting between the American envoy Anthony Zinni and the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, in Ramallah yesterday. US Rejects Proposal, Report from UN's Robinson The United States rejected Tuesday the proposal from the United Nation's top human rights official to immediately send observers to the Palestinian territories to obtain information and make recommendations about the "severe deterioration" of the situation there. Both sides deny killing Bethlehem's bell ringer shot outside Nativity Rights Group Accuses Israel Of Torturing Palestinians The Israeli human rights group B'Tselem charged today that Israel has tortured Palestinians who have been detained for interrogation during the current military offensive. Haggard Detainees Decry Treatment After a week's captivity in an Israeli military camp, where he was blindfolded and handcuffed, given little food and water, held outdoors for three days and then confined under a crowded, open-sided tent, Mohammed Ibrahim walked home today with 75 other haggard detainees through the deserted streets of Ramallah. Hatred runs rampant in the land of the free One American’s stand for compassion in Ramallah sparks intolerance at home Navy Uses Gas on Puerto Rico Protesters A nun and Episcopalian priest were detained for trespassing on restricted land on Saturday and crowd control gas was used by military police as about 50 people demonstrated against U.S. Navy bombing on the tiny Puerto Rican island of Vieques. Army Chief Should Quit (LA Times) "Secretary of the Army Thomas E. White worked as an executive at Enron for 11 years but claims he knew nothing of the shady practices that led to its downfall. Maybe White really was clueless during his time at Enron, but he is not doing himself any favors by failing to properly explain his dealings with the failed energy giant after he left it..." Leaky Logic A Canadian emigre living in Wynnewood is facing life behind bars for selling water-purification systems to Cuba. USDA Plans Severe Gardening Restrictions "Clean list" - Everything not on government approved list banned. Penalties - $1000 for home gardeners, up to $250,000 for nurseries. Interstate movement of seeds - Prohibited without permit and inspection. Plutonium in Erwin related to fallout from bomb tests? How did "trace" quantities of plutonium show up in offsite groundwater monitoring wells near Nuclear Fuel Services in Erwin [TN]? EPA's PR chief runs into hornet's nest at hearing The chief spokesman for Christie Whitman was seeking to escape the aftermath of a Friday hearing that had enough volume, taunts and finger-pointing to qualify as a Jerry Springer show. Bu$h Mulls "Unsigning" Treaty for International Criminal Court pResident and moron George W. Bu$h is actively considering "unsigning" the 1998 Rome Protocol establishing an International Criminal Court (ICC) before it takes effect next week ... An "unsigning"...would be designed to show strong U.S. opposition to the new court whose task it will be to prosecute and try cases involving war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and international terrorism. [That's because the U.S. government, under the Idiot Usurper's fascist dictatorship, is an ACTIVE PARTICIPANT in war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and international terrorism!] Firm Launches Kids' Masks for Bio-Warfare Prompted by the September 11 attacks on the United States and the anthrax scare that followed, a Japanese company has launched a child-size hazard mask that protects against chemical and biological weapons. Plan urges Coloradoans to assemble bioterror survival kits Evoking the era of Cold War bomb shelters, metro area health officials Monday urged residents to put together household emergency kits to survive if a bioterrorist attack were launched. Bu$h Plan to Avert Work Injuries Seeks Voluntary Steps by Industry The Bu$h mis-ministration unveiled a new workplace safety policy today that calls for no mandatory steps by industry and instead relies on voluntary actions by companies to reduce injuries from repetitive motions on the job. [Barf Alert! We all know just how effective "voluntary" implementation works with corporations...] Polluted Coastline Nearly half of all the waters off the coast of the United States are so damaged they cannot fully support aquatic life, an Environmental Protection Agency report released today said. Group says fire prevention funds misspent A non-profit environmental group charged Thursday that federal funds earmarked for the removal of dry brush and dead trees that can fuel disastrous western wildfires instead were being spent by the Forest Service to plan sales of healthy trees to private logging companies. Big banks said to be linked with Enron Further questions about Wall Street's relationship with failed energy-giant Enron have been raised amid speculation that as many as a half-dozen well-known investment banks may be added to a shareholder lawsuit. Andersen will consider public admission Embattled accounting firm Arthur Andersen LLP is willing to consider a public admission of responsibility for its shredding of Enron Corp. documents but will not plead guilty in a courtroom, an Andersen attorney told CNN/Money Thursday. Let's Roll!® Let us now praise famous widows -- by Steve Perry [Lisa Beamer] "is trying to copyright her husband's endlessly regurgitated parting salvo, 'Let's roll!' 'We believe we own 'Let's roll' because Todd said it and it was attributed to him,' says Beamer's attorney, Paul Kennedy. 'We're going to do all that's necessary to protect that.'" Sen. Byrd Insists Ridge Testifies Sen. Robert Byrd on Thursday rejected Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge's offer to brief lawmakers, insisting on formal testimony before Byrd's spending committee. The Masters of Mean -- by Molly Ivins Goodbye to Phil Gramm and Dick Armey, the last of a bitter breed of Texas Re-Running Florida, 2000 Carol Roberts Uses Credentials — And Her 2000 Fame — to Challenge a GOP Incumbent Right-Wing Assault on Madison Progressives Misfires -- by Mike Leon "Since the appalling attacks of September 11, much energy has been devoted to establishing the myth that virtually all Americans enthusiastically accede to the appalling 'war on terrorism..'" Israel uses intimidation against media The Israeli army has taken harsh action in recent days against news media covering its campaign in the West Bank, employing intimidation and other drastic measures to keep journalists away from its largest offensive in a generation. Reporters have been strip searched, deported from the battle zone and threatened with permanent expulsion from Israel. 'We are losing them. There is no blood, no electricity' As Apache helicopter rockets and tank shells smashed into surrounding buildings yesterday, doctors were working at emergency medical stations in Nablus’s mosques while Israel intensified its bombardment of the town’s old city and refugee camps. Fears grow of humanitarian crisis International aid agencies have expressed concern at what they describe as the unfolding humanitarian crisis as a result of Israel's military operations in the West Bank. They say tens of thousands of Palestinians have been confined to their homes for days and food and other vital supplies are quickly running out. Peace activists abused on plane home from Israel Seven peace activists have been abused by fellow passengers as they flew back to Britain after being trapped by the Israeli incursion into Bethlehem. A speech laced with obsessions and little else -- by Robert Fisk "Ariel Sharon could not have done better. The heaping of blame upon an occupied people, the obsessive use of the word terror – by my rough count there were 50 references in just 10 minutes – and the brief, frightened remarks about 'occupation' and (one mention only) to Jewish settlements and the need for Israeli 'compassion' at the end were proof enough that President Bush [sic] had totally failed to understand the tragedy he is supposedly trying to solve." Mideast Truce Talk Effort Renewed; Israeli Tanks Enter Tubas A U.S. mediator met with Yasser Arafat at his besieged headquarters Friday to renew truce efforts ...Israeli tanks entered new Palestinian territory in the weeklong offensive -- Tubas, a town of 20,000 in the West Bank -- and attack helicopters battled hundreds of gunmen in Nablus and nearby refugee camps New hot line links CEOs to White House A high-security communications network linking government leaders to some of technology's biggest names in the event of a national disaster will be unveiled early next month, officials say. Law Guns For Zero Tolerance -- by David Wasson "...why is the Legislature poised to make it easier for students to lug loaded guns to school? ...A provision tucked deep inside the 1,800-page rewrite gives school boards the ability to relax 'zero tolerance' on firearms by letting students bring guns to school if they keep the weapons locked in their cars." Oil giant bids to replace climate expert The Bu$h mis-ministration, at the urging of the world's biggest oil company, ExxonMobil, is trying to oust Robert Watson, the British scientist and chairman since 1996 of the panel that has advised the world about the dangers of global warming. Bu$h mis-ministration moves to gut Clean Air standards In line with the interests of the energy industry, the Bu$h mis-ministration is seeking to eliminate or modify certain provisions of the Clean Air Act that regulate old electrical plants. Panel faults restrictions imposed since Sept. 11 A panel that spanned a range of opinions from U.S. Rep. Bob Barr (R-Ga.) to ACLU President Nadine Strossen --- with authorities on law enforcement and the media in between --- Wednesday condemned legal restrictions adopted by the Bu$h mis-ministration and Congress after Sept. 11. Gore's daughter hints she might seek office Karenna Gore Schiff, the eldest daughter of former vice president Al Gore, hinted Thursday that she might follow in her father's footsteps and seek political office. Imprisoned American Indian activist sues FBI for violating civil rights FBI agents and Director Louis Freeh denied imprisoned American Indian activist Leonard Peltier a fair chance at clemency and parole when they publicly protested against him in 2000, a lawsuit filed Thursday alleged. Blind children trapped as Israeli police clash with activists Israeli police have fired tear gas in clashes with more than 2,000 activists attempting to carry humanitarian supplies to the West Bank. The activists, both Israeli Jews and Arabs, carried banners and chanted for Sharon, to get out of Ramallah as they passed through a military checkpoint in north Jerusalem. The clashes happened on the doorstep of a school for the visually impaired, where 70 blind children aged from four to twelve were hurried into a basement by teachers. Israeli Soldiers Shoot and Kill a US Citizen as She Holds Her 9-Month-Old Baby in Her Lap With the Morgue overflowing, the family is forced to bury the 21-Year-Old Palestinian-American in the Ramallah Hospital parking lot -- The US State Department does Nothing U.S. Urged to Step Down in Mideast Declaring American mediation in the Middle East a failure, the EU executive urged the United States on Wednesday to stand down as primary peacemaker and let a broad alliance of nations mediate a cease-fire and a durable Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. [The entire world is cognizant that Bu$h, the sociopathic moron, is marching us toward Armageddon!] Truce Plan Let Israel Continue Attacks Furious Palestinians leak 'one-sided' US envoy draft -- Israel would be allowed to continue attacks on Palestinian presidential buildings, security headquarters and prisons as part of a Middle East "ceasefire" plan proposed by US envoy General Anthony Zinni, it emerged yesterday. Israel has lost moral superiority: Barak Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak warned in an interview released Wednesday that Israel has lost its "moral superiority" during the escalating conflict with the Palestinians. Petition to Refuse to Serve in the Occupied Territories signed by 400 Israeli Military Personnel -- As of April 4, there are currently 21 conscientious objectors in jail for refusing to serve in the Occupied Territories. Thousands of Israeli workers and youth demonstrate against Sharon’s war Under the slogan “march against the war”, thousands of Israeli Jewish workers, students, youth and intellectuals marched on April 3 in the occupied territories. Washington Is Criticized for Growing Reluctance to Sign Treaties Disarmament and human rights experts say in a report to be published on Thursday that the United States' rejection or disregard of a range of treaties is undercutting efforts by many other countries to strengthen the international rule of law. US accepts 'Big Brother' chip implant A company in the US has been given the go-ahead to implant a chip that would contain both personal and medical information. But it seems the permission has been given indirectly. Bu$h moves retirement funds to avoid debt default The Bu$h mis-ministration will take steps this week to prevent an unprecedented default on the national debt by moving federal retirement funds into a non-interest-bearing account, freeing up room for more borrowing. Whatever Happened to Carnivore? Its name may have changed from Carnivore to DCS-1000, but the controversial cybersnooping software used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation is still on the hunt for information, and likely is scouring vast amounts of Internet communication. US executive pay soars again in 2001 Despite a recession, massive layoffs and declining stock prices in 2001, the compensation of US executives at the biggest corporations surged ahead last year, with CEOs raking in billions in salaries, bonuses and stock options. Study by Governors Calls Bu$h Welfare Plan Unworkable Many of pResident Bu$h's welfare proposals are not realistic and would encourage states to place poor people in menial, unproductive jobs to meet stringent new work requirements, state officials say in a survey conducted by the National Governors' Association. Judge Rejects Rule Closing Immigration Hearings A Justice Department policy to close immigration hearings deemed of "special interest" to the investigation into the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks is unconstitutional, a federal judge in Detroit ruled today. Opinion Backs INS Role for Police U.S. Eyes State, Local Help in Enforcing Immigration Laws -- The inJustice Department has drafted a legal opinion that would give state and local police agencies the power to enforce immigration laws, potentially broadening an activity long handled by federal agents, department sources said yesterday. Israel Bars Ambulances The military prevents rescue teams from recovering dead, wounded Palestinians in Bethlehem. Bu$h's Mideast Bungle [from BuisnessWeek!] His initial detachment and then inconsistent policy statements have done nothing to ease the region's deadly tensions -- How badly has George W. Bu$h mismanaged Middle East policy? His bungling has not only helped bring the region to the brink of war but it has also jeopardized the White House's own top priority -- its battle against terrorism. Bu$h Doctrine Begins to Blur Mideast Complicates Good-vs.-Evil Approach Drop Peace Effort, Right Urges Bu$h As pResident Bu$h struggles to define a consistent course in the Middle East, a chorus of leading conservative voices has begun loudly discouraging the administration from inserting itself into peace negotiations--and instead is urging the president to give Israel a freer hand to respond militarily to Palestinian suicide bombings. Worst-Case Scenario The potential [Middle East] disaster: how the crisis could push the region's armies into a conflict beyond their control The problem with Sharon His policy works in the opposite direction -- The course of action Israel is pursuing in the West Bank has few real defenders, even in Israel itself. Blair gags Short on Iraq Tony Blair has carpeted the international development secretary, Clare Short, for expressing reservations about the prospect of Britain joining the US in an attack on Iraq. Medley's [FLA] touch-screen vote ends with mix-up What was supposed to be a user-friendly, chad-free way of voting created bedlam Tuesday in the tiny town of Medley -- prompting demands for a new election and distrust in new touch-screen technology adopted to avoid election controversy. [sounds like Jeb will be poised to steal another election in 2004...] Trying times for Washington secret-busters In the 1980s, Gary Bass won accolades for helping get a right-to-know law passed, giving the public access to environmental information on government databases. Since Sept. 11, he's been getting hate mail from people who think he is aiding terrorists by trying to keep the information spigot open. White House set me up OPRAH Winfrey fired back at the White House yesterday - saying she felt "extremely used" by the Bu$h mis-ministration for implying that she was too busy to tour Afghanistan schools on behalf of pResident Bu$h. Evidence of victory falls short -- by Bernard E. Trainor "...We have seen no pictures of the carnage, no video of defeated soldiers, no schematics of what we intended to do and how successful we have been. All we have are assurances from the Pentagon that all goes swimmingly, and that victory is ours." A Terrible Decision "If the right of a capital defendant to have a lawyer means anything at all, surely it means that an accused murderer cannot be unknowingly represented by his victim's lawyer. Alas, it turns out the Sixth Amendment right to counsel doesn't even mean that." Wherdy Go? -- by Michael Gilson de Lemos [the definitive article on 9/11] "...Some serious high-up people privately wonder if 9-11 was in part a hoax, a demented scheme by rogue elements in 'government within the government.' I don’t lather over conspiracy theories. But this entire affair begins to resemble a Copperfield disappearance act. Mesmerized by vanishing White Rabbits we look up and the entire Statue of Liberty is gone. Official involvement in execution or at least cover-up?" Boise to be test target for Marine snoops In a bid for a more realistic training experience, Marine Corps reconnaissance teams will attempt to evade nosey neighbors and noisy dogs as they prowl the streets of Boise in a mock infiltration exercise this spring. Don't always trust what they tell you in the war on terror Downing Street said al-Qa'ida was using chemical weapons: it was wrong. The Pentagon said Saddam Hussein was to blame for the anthrax attacks on the US: it was wrong. Raymond Whitaker and James Palmer unravel the West's war of lies and propaganda Pentagon rules for military tribunals violate constitutional rights Donald Rumsfeld issued an order March 21 specifying the procedures for the military tribunals that will try alleged terrorists captured in Afghanistan. The rules are clearly designed to guarantee convictions that are unreviewable by any judicial authority in or outside the United States. New Inquiry Is Sought Into Enron The Overseas Private Investment Corporation has asked the inJustice Department to examine whether Enron misrepresented its financial condition in obtaining more than $1 billion in taxpayer-backed financing and insurance for international projects, a step that could lead the agency to pull its support for some foreign deals. Bu$h Is Criticized for Mideast Role pResident Bu$h, under rising criticism for his handling of the growing violence in the Middle East, expressed frustration today that Yasir Arafat, the Palestinian leader, has failed to denounce what he called the "constant attacks" of suicide bombers. Protests Greet Resumption of Navy Bombing on Vieques Passions flared today as Navy planes began their first day of a new round of exercises at a contested firing range on this Puerto Rican island. Thousands rally in Michigan against Israeli attacks on Palestinians Some 2,000 workers, students, youth and housewives marched in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Michigan April 1 to protest the Israeli attacks on Palestinians in the occupied territories. Foreign Peace Activists Injured Seven marchers hurt as Israeli troops fire at a Bethlehem demonstration -- The worsening Mideast conflict took a new turn today when Israeli troops opened fire on a crowd of international peace activists who were marching through the streets of Beit Jala, a suburb of Bethlehem. Seven people were injured, one critically. Israel and Washington debate murder of Arafat, destruction of Palestinian Authority The Bu$h mis-ministration and the Israeli government are preparing for a dramatic escalation of the violence directed against the Palestinian people in the wake of the Israeli decision to invade the city of Ramallah and lay siege to the headquarters of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. *** CLG News Archives**



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