Representatives of peasant organizations from across the globe have gathered in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas for the “Encuentro with the Peoples of the World,” hosted by the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN). Participating groups include Brazil’s Movement of… Read moreChiapas: Zapatista Encuentro meets on contested turf
A group of ex-guerillas from the now-dissolved Clandestine Revolutionary Worker’s Party-Union of the People (PROCUP), re-organized as the above-ground Democratic Popular Left (IDP), led by David Cabañas Barrientos and Italo Ricardo Díaz, charged in a statement that there are “clear… Read moreMexico: ex-guerillas warn of new “dirty war”
From the Arizona Star, July 25: Two ex-Army men receive 4+ years in drug sting A crack-addicted Army National Guard sergeant who corrupted his underlings and a Tucson Army recruiter who corrupted his soldier brother were sentenced to federal prison… Read moreFBI sting National Guardsmen in border coke busts
From Nancy Pelosi’s blog, The Gavel, July 24: House Votes to Ban Permanent Bases in Iraq “The Democratic Congress will go on record – every day if necessary – to register a judgment in opposition to the course of action… Read moreBush-Pelosi showdown over Iraq bases?
It’s a beautiful time to be alive—if you’re a Halliburton shareholder. From Reuters, July 23: Halliburton Co., the world’s second-largest oil services company, said on Monday second-quarter profit from continuing operations rose 19 percent, topping Wall Street views, helped by… Read moreHalliburton shares hit new high
A front-page New York Times story July 24 reveals details of a classified plan calling for achieving “localized security” in Baghdad by the summer of 2008—and “sustainable security” throughout Iraq by the summer of 2009. The document, known as the… Read morePetraeus: “sustainable security” in Iraq —in 2009
Afghanistan has announced three days of official mourning for the country’s former king, Mohammad Zahir Shah, 92. Announcing his passing, President Hamid Karzai, a relative, hailed Zahir Shah as the “father of the nation.” (RFE/RL) An editorial bidding him farewell… Read moreAfghan king, paradoxical voice for secularism, dead at 92
In the July 22 ballot, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan secured the largest share of votes in a Turkish election since 1965, in a contest which saw heated controversy about the country’s future as a secular republic. His Justice and… Read moreTurkish nationalism loses at polls—Kurdish nationalism wins?
Iranian intelligence operatives detained over a dozen squirrels found within the nation’s borders earlier this month, claiming they were serving as spies for Western powers determined to undermine the Islamic Republic. “In recent weeks, intelligence operatives have arrested 14 squirrels… Read moreImperialist rodents threaten Iran, Iraq
Boy, does it ever look like a case of “meet the new boss” in Ethiopia. A front-page story by Jeffrey Gettleman in the New York Times July 22 informs us that the government is blocking food aid to the restive… Read moreEthiopia blocks food aid to Ogaden
A three-judge panel of US Court of Appeals in Washington DC July 20 ordered the government to turn over virtually all its information on Guantanamo detainees who are challenging their detention, rejecting an effort by the Justice Department to limit… Read moreFederal court: US must disclose info on Gitmo detainees
A very amusing New York Times profile July 21 of Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed, the former firebrand cleric who is now exiled in Lebanon and barred from returning to his former home of Britain. The man who once praised the… Read moreKinder, gentler Omar Bakri disses “Sheikh Google”
