Hello Kitty, Your Car Is Waiting

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/

By EZRA DYER

NORMALLY, I try to tune out the marketing mumbo-jumbo dished out to the press at new-car introductions. That’s typically quite easy, since hearing about “prioritized messaging points” and “bi-modal buyer distribution” is boring whether the subject is an economy car or a Ferrari 430 Scuderia. But in the case of the new 2009 Cube, I think Nissan’s marketing strategy for its boxy creation says a lot about the car’s mission.

In explaining the Cube gestalt, Nissan uses the tagline “mobile device,” and the company clearly hopes that this car will gain the social cachet of an Apple product (a point driven home in a Cube PowerPoint presentation showing photos of an iPod, an iPhone and the iTunes logo).

The problem with this comparison is that Apple products tend to be sexy and expensive relative to their competition — they’re status symbols — whereas the Cube is defiantly offbeat and affordable. If you’re looking for the automotive iPhone, it’s not the Cube. It’s the BMW 335i.
The Cube is more like a Nintendo Wii: accessible, fun and deeply strange in an authentically Japanese way. Originally introduced in Japan in 1998, this is now the third iteration of the Cube and the first one to find its way to the United States.

My view on bringing wacky Japanese-market cars here is that companies should strive to keep the product as un-Americanized as possible. Offer a shrimp-scented air freshener and a holographic hood ornament and a GPS system that includes maps of other planets: the whole appeal lies in cultural authenticity. This kind of car should be so Japanese that it makes me want to wear a Hello Kitty backpack, watch incomprehensible game shows and eat whales. I mean, research whales.

The Cube is undiluted Tokyo chic, from its asymmetrical rear window to its shag-carpet dashboard pad to the bungee cords on the doors, which Nissan says are useful for holding “stuffed driving mascots.”

Speaking of stuffed driving mascots, Nissan is prepared for a couple of those to occupy the front seats, as one of the Cube’s available accessories is an eight-inch seat belt extender. I suspect that this option isn’t popular in Japan.

The interior is rife with interesting touches. The headliner is imprinted with a ripple texture that spreads in concentric circles from the dome light. Available LED ambient lighting bathes the footwells and console in the hue of your choice. To the left of the steering wheel, there’s a small cup holder that seems so narrow as to be useless. I wondered what would fit in there and then it dawned on me: a slim can of Red Bull.

No more trying to keep your Red Bull in a standard cup holder only to have it tip over and spill on your extreme downhill freestyle unicycle equipment.

The fact that Nissan sees the Cube as a design statement first, and a car second, comes through in the driving experience. Unlike a Scion xB, which maintains some pretense of performance (plus-size rims and a supercharger are available, for instance), the Cube’s hardware is resolutely mellow. You get 15- or 16-inch wheels, a 1.8-liter 122-horsepower 4-cylinder engine and either a continuously variable automatic transmission or a 6-speed manual.

There are four Cube trim levels, beginning with the $14,710 Cube 1.8 and culminating with the $20,090 1.8 Krom. The largest standalone option, available on the midlevel models, is the $2,550 “Ginormous package,” which includes an exterior aero kit and interior accessories like illuminated door-sill kick plates.

If you don’t see the point of tacking aerodynamic gear on something named the Cube, then maybe your appetite for accessories is neither gigantic nor enormous enough for the Ginormous package.
The 1.8 S model, at $15,410, is the lowest-price Cube available with the automatic transmission. Normally, I’d counsel a manual transmission over the variable automatic, but the C.V.T. seems well-suited to the Cube’s persona. If you’re driving in a relaxed manner, the C.V.T. matches the mood by keeping the engine speed low and constant, imparting the feeling that the car is propelled by some kind of distant unseen force, rather than by an engine borrowed from the Versa subcompact. The C.V.T.’s ability to make the most of the 1.8-liter motor is reflected in its impressive city fuel economy rating of 28 miles a gallon (30 m.p.g. on the highway). The manual Cube manages 24/29.

And the C.V.T.’s consistent disdain for high r.p.m.’s helps to disguise the 4-cylinder’s unpleasant, overexerted buzz at high speeds.

But then, the Cube isn’t about speed. It’s about delivering raw Japanese funkiness to people who don’t particularly care about cars — or don’t have a full say in the matter, anyway, since their parents are footing the bill.

On one hand, you might want your high-school or college-age progeny driving around in a Cube because it’s slow, has six air bags and a stability-control system. On the other hand, it also features a “Jacuzzi lounge” interior layout. I’m not sure what a Jacuzzi lounge is, but I don’t think I approve.

The Cube is cheerfully bizarre, and I appreciate that. It’s not a riot to drive, but in this case, the driving experience is really beside the point. The kids don’t care about that noise, pops. They want connectivity. They want a car that’s a rolling Tweet about a new iPhone app from the Jonas Brothers.

I, however, want a car that doesn’t look like a myopic washing machine, but I’m a lame old guy of 31 who remembers listening to CDs and saying things like, “My modem is taking forever to load this Kozmo.com order.”

Among the subset of weird little boxy Asian runabouts (including the Scion xB, Honda Element and Kia Soul), the Cube is the most outrageous. It’s easy to poke fun at some of the Cube’s egregious silliness, but I admire a car that takes chances the way the Cube does.

As with an avant-garde piece of architecture, some people are going to get it and some people aren’t. Either way, it forces you to have an opinion, because the Cube is brimming with an attribute not usually abundant in a $15,000 car: personality.

Air Strikes, Civilian Deaths and the U.S. War OF Terror

Obama is sending 21,000 additional troops to Afghanistan to join the already existing U.S. force of 38,000. What does this growing U.S. occupation mean for the masses of people in Afghanistan?

May 4, 2009 provided a stark example when a U.S. air strike killed over 140 people in the western province of Farah.

According to the New York Times: “The bombs were so powerful that people were ripped to shreds. Survivors said they collected only pieces of bodies. Several villagers said that they could not distinguish all of the dead and that they never found some of their relatives.” (“Afghan Villagers Describe Chaos of U.S. Strikes,” New York Times, May 14, 2009)

U.S. officials claim the air strike was targeting Taliban fighters. But villagers said fighting between the U.S. and the Taliban had already stopped and that the Taliban had left before the air attack began. Families were sitting down to dinner when the bombs fell.

Villagers later told Afghani officials they had tried to get people to safety after the fighting started. The children, women and elderly men gathered in walled compounds in the village of Gerani, three miles from the fighting. When U.S. planes bombed these buildings most of the people inside were killed.

There have been mass protests in Afghanistan against the bombing. And even Hamid Karzai, the U.S. puppet president of Afghanistan, was forced to call for a halt to such U.S. air strikes. In response, Obama’s National Security Adviser, General James Jones, made it clear that the U.S. would not hamper its forces in Afghanistan by banning air strikes, saying, “We can’t fight with one hand tied behind our back.”

This is the largest single massacre of civilians since the U.S. invaded and occupied the country in 2001. But this is not the first time U.S. air strikes in Afghanistan have committed mass murder of innocent civilians from above.

In fact these kinds of air strikes against civilians have been a major feature of the U.S. war in Afghanistan.

Just last August, the village of Azizabad in Herat province was hit by a U.S. air strike. And the U.S. immediately tried to cover up and justify this war crime.
In October, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) published “The Callan Report”—a summary of a report of an official investigation into the bombing of Azizabad.

The United Nations, the government of Afghanistan, and the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission had all investigated the incident and concluded that 78 to 92 civilians had been killed at Azizabad and that the majority of them had been women and children. But the U.S. rejected all three investigations, claiming that no more than five to seven civilians had been killed, along with 30-35 Taliban fighters. The Callan Report reported that only 33 civilians had been killed in the bombing.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) conducted additional research into the bombing and harshly criticized the Callan Report. HRW said the report exonerated the U.S. forces who carried out the attack of any wrongdoing, even though it did not provide any basis for this conclusion. And HRW was also critical of the fact that the report suggested, again without any evidence, that Taliban forces had deliberately used civilians as “shields.” (see “US Investigation of Airstrike Deaths ‘Deeply Flawed,’” Human Rights Watch, January 15, 2009)

In January 2009, Brad Adams, Asia director at HRW, said, “Unless the new Obama administration urgently addresses the US military’s airstrike practices in Afghanistan, more unnecessary civilian deaths and injuries will result.”

Now, one week after Obama’s “first 100 days” as commander in chief of U.S. imperialism, we have the biggest U.S. massacre of civilians in Afghanistan.
“Proportional” Mass Murder

The Callan Report argued that the U.S. attack in Azizabad was “necessary” and “proportional”—in other words, that such “collateral damage” of civilian deaths is unavoidable in the pursuit of the Taliban.

Look at an example of what the U.S. argues is a necessary and acceptable proportion of civilian deaths:

In July 2008, a bridal party was on its way to the groom’s village in an area in the eastern province of Nangarhar. Suddenly a U.S. plane flew down low over the ravine. The British mainstream newspaper, the Guardian, described what happened next:
“The first bomb hit a large group of children who had run on ahead of the main procession. It killed most of them instantly. A few minutes later, the plane returned and dropped another bomb, right in the centre of the group. This time the victims were almost all women. Somehow the bride and two girls survived but as they scrambled down the hillside, desperately trying to get away from the plane, a third bomb caught them. Hajj Khan was one of four elderly men escorting the bride’s party that day. ‘We were walking, I was holding my grandson’s hand, then there was a loud noise and everything went white. When I opened my eyes, everybody was screaming. I was lying metres from where I had been, I was still holding my grandson’s hand but the rest of him was gone. I looked around and saw pieces of bodies everywhere. I couldn’t make out which part was which.’” (see “Afghanistan: impact of civilians killed by US/UK,” The

Guardian, December 17, 2008)
Like with the May 4, 2009 massacre, relatives said it was impossible to identify the remains of their loved ones because their bodies had been blown to pieces. Forty-seven victims were buried in 28 graves. This was the third wedding party in Afghanistan to be hit by a U.S. air strike in 2008. Only a month before, 27 people were killed when a wedding party was bombed near Kandahar.


An article by A World to Win News Service (AWTWNS) about the July 2008 U.S. massacre pointed out that in fact, American aerial attacks on wedding parties have been a hallmark of the U.S. occupation, since the U.S. imperialists consider any large gathering of Afghans inherently hostile. AWTWNS also speaks to how the Taliban and its allies, who are completely reactionary, “have also killed many civilians, not hesitating to use murder themselves from early on and lately killing large numbers of civilians as they have increasingly adopted suicide-bombing tactics, their own version of America’s terrorist and indiscriminate ‘death from above.’” (see “Afghanistan: Protests against U.S. airstrikes and home evictions,” AWTWNS, July 14, 2008)

Mass Murder Logic of “Proportionality”
So what is the “necessary proportionality” of civilian deaths for U.S. imperialism?
The Afghan Victims Memorial Project reported in May that since President Barack Obama took office on January 21, about 160 civilians have been killed by the U.S.-led occupation forces in Afghanistan. Of these civilian deaths, 56 were children and 15 were women, over 40 were men and another 40 or so victims, ages and genders unknown.

Human Rights Watch issued a 2008 report titled, “Troops in Contact” – Airstrikes and Civilian Deaths in Afghanistan which said: “Individuals who commit serious violations of international humanitarian law with criminal intent can be prosecuted for war crimes before national or international courts.”

The report then goes on to say that attacks that violate the principle of proportionality are also prohibited “because they are expected to cause incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians, or damage to civilian objects that would be excessive compared to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated from the attack.” (Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and Relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts ((Protocol 1)) of June 1977, 1125, U.N.T.S. 3, entered into force December 7, 1978)
In other words, international law has established that in attacking a military target, it is a war crime to cause excessive death and injury to civilians.

The British newspaper, the Independent (“‘120 die’ as US bombs village,” May 7, 2009), reported that:
• 552 civilians in Afghanistan were killed in air strikes in 2008.
• 701 people were killed in drone (unmanned plane) attacks in three years.
• Only 14 of those killed were al-Qaeda leaders.

This kind of murderous “proportionality” of civilian deaths is also evident across the border in Pakistan, which the Obama regime is treating as part of a broader regional theater of war.
There have been 60 missile attacks by Predator (pilotless) drones since 2006. Authorities in Pakistan report that in the course of these, 701 people have been killed, 687 of them civilians. At least 152 people have died in such attacks in the first 99 days of 2009 and only two of these deaths are linked to al-Qaeda.

According to David Kilcullen, who was a counterinsurgency adviser to U.S. General David Petraeus from 2006 to 2009, “Press reports suggest that over the last three years drone strikes have killed about 14 terrorist leaders. But, according to Pakistani sources, they have also killed some 700 civilians. This is 50 civilians for every militant killed, a hit rate of 2 percent—hardly ‘precision.’”
*****
What does all this say about the nature of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Afghanistan? What will this mean for the masses of people in Afghanistan when even more U.S. troops are deployed
to Afghanistan?

The U.S. invasion and occupation of Afghanistan has NEVER been about “liberating Afghanistan.” And it has never been about simply capturing Osama bin Laden in response to the attacks of September 11, 2001. Its focus was replacing the Taliban regime with one more suitable to U.S. interests, which included defeating Islamic fundamentalism and gaining strategic control in this highly important geo-strategic country and region. The U.S. troops in Afghanistan are a brutal occupying army that relies on terror in order to defend and expand the interests of U.S. imperialism. And the mass murders from the sky repeatedly being carried out by the U.S. in Afghanistan are horrific crimes against humanity.

Sri Lanka hunting media’s Tamil sources - RSF

Apart from threatening to prosecute journalists who attempt to visit the northern areas captured from the Liberation Tigers, Sri Lanka’s military is trying to identify Tamil civilians who provided information to the foreign press by infiltrating paramilitaries into their military-run refugee camps, RSF (Reporters Without Borders) said Friday.

While the Army general appointed in charge of resettling refugees says “all foreign journalists are working against his homeland,” the country’s police chief claims that several journalists, “mostly Sinhalese”, were on the payroll of the LTTE and were involved in the insurgency.

RSF said Friday it is “extremely worried” by statements by Sri Lankan officials, including Army commander Gen. Sarath Fonseka, that journalists who visited areas formerly controlled by the Tamil Tigers will be prosecuted.“At the same time, access to refugee camps and Tamil areas in general is still severely regulated, preventing the press from obtaining information about the fate of the Tamil population,” RSF noted.

“Journalists and witnesses who dared to speak out have been intimidated and arrested.“The army is trying to identify Tamils who provided information to the foreign press. … Members of Tamil paramilitary groups have been infiltrated into some camps with the aim of identifying those who are trying to get their stories to the media,” RSF said.“The army recently blocked the arrival of several dozen nuns who had obtained health ministry permission to visit camps to help refugees, especially those who have been psychologically traumatised.”RSF protested that access for humanitarian agencies to the militarized camps in which 300,000 shell-shocked Tamil people are detained is being restricted.

The resolution adopted by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 27 May praising the Sri Lankan government was an insult to the Tamil victims, RSF added.RSF condemned the military’s treatment of Vavuniya-based journalist Mahamuni Subramaniam, a stringer for various news media including Reuters.Subramaniam was arrested on 14 May while covering the Sri Lankan justice minister’s visit to the Ramanathan refugee camp.Claiming that only journalists with the ITN and (official) Rupavahini TV stations were allowed to film or take pictures of the minister’s meeting with a general, the police confiscated Subramaniam’s expensive camera. He has petitioned the High Court for its return.“During these inquiries once Major General Chandrasiri came out and verbally abused me saying I am a LTTE suspect and ordered the military to check me thoroughly.” Subramaniam said in a letter.“When I claimed that I am a reporter for Reuters, he vehemently said all foreign journalists are working against his homeland.”Maj. Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri was two weeks ago appointed by President Mahinda Rajapakse to be the competent authority to supervise the relief programme for the hundreds of thousands of Tamils interned in the camps.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s Inspector General of Police (IGP) Jayantha Wickramaratne claims to have identified journalists, “mostly Sinhalese” reportedly on the LTTE payroll. He did not provide names.“"Although the Police know more details of this treason I do not like to reveal all of them since it might obstruct further investigations,” the Police chief said.“They betrayed the noble profession and not only distorted and misreported against Sri Lanka but also worked for cash and other fringe benefits like fully funded foreign trips."The Daily Mirror quoted him as saying many of these journalists were connected with international organizations and had been always clamouring for media freedom and democratic and human rights of the people.

These journalists had fled Sri Lanka, alleging threat against their life but actually they had fled the country as they were involved in a crime, the Police Chief said."They simply could not face the law," he said explaining the reason for their departure from the country as the LTTE was losing the war.The IGP said some of these journalists were misreporting, at the behest of the LTTE, that the Sri Lanka Army was shelling civilians. They were simply trying to concoct evidence to help friends of the LTTE to prosecute Sri Lanka leaders on war crimes, the IGP alleged.

UN concealed carnage to keep Sri Lanka goodwill

Source: Tamilnet

The United Nations deliberately hid the number of Tamil civilians being killed during the Sri Lankan government offensive against the LTTE, according to a report in the French daily Le Monde. The report, translated by FRANCE 24, quotes several UN sources alleging that high-ranking UN officials, including Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, chose to keep silent about the high civilian death toll so as to avoid offending the Sri Lankan government and maintain UN operations in the country.

A low figure was even leaked by the UN in mid-May, when it was known that the real toll was approaching 20,000 dead. Speaking to FRANCE 24 from Sri Lanka, Philippe Bolopion, who wrote the piece in Le Monde, said he did not believe the downplayed figures were due to institutional incompetence.“I would say their moral compass might have gone wrong,” said Bolopion, referring to senior UN officials.“The most important thing for them was to stay in the country.”

According to Le Monde, a group of experts was put together by the UN to compile casualty figures for Sri Lanka, but only a partial total was leaked to the press.This leak put the estimated death toll at 7,700 by mid-May, days before the Sri Lankan government declared victory in their offensive against the lTTE.The 7,700 figure was then widely accepted and used by the international press right up until the end of the conflict despite the daily rises in civilian death tolls, according to the report.But UN staff working on the ground informed Vijay Nambiar, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s chief of staff, that the final figures “would without doubt exceed 20,000 dead,” the report said.“We knew carnage was brewing,” the paper quoted an unnamed UN official as saying.“We rang the alarm bells for some months but no-one ever took the Sri Lankan government to task publicly.”“Everyone is scared of having their agency removed from the country,” another anonymous source told the paper.According to Le Monde, Nambiar even told UN representatives in Sri Lanka that the UN should “keep a low profile” and play a “sustaining role" that was "compatible with the government”.In recent weeks, Nambiar’s role as the UN’s special envoy in Colombo has come into question, FRANCE 24 said. His brother, Satish, a former Indian general, has been a paid consultant to the Sri Lankan army since 2002.Shortly after the Sri Lankan army’s official victory declaration, the local head of the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), Amin Awad, told the Arabic TV station Al Jazeera there were virtually no civilians left in the conflict zone, the article notes.But the very next day, some 20,000 refugees came out of the conflict zone, having suffered a sustained bombardment.

“It gave the government a blank cheque to carpet bomb the whole area,” a UN worker told the Le Monde.The UN has defended its reticence to give specific casualty figures as the conflict was raging.“We absolutely reject the allegation that the UN deliberately downplayed civilian casualties,” UN spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs told FRANCE 24.

“The UN has publicly and repeatedly said that the number of people killed in recent months has been unacceptably high. What we have are well-informed estimates and not precise verifiable numbers. But the UN has not been shy about the scale of human suffering and civilian casualties.”But speaking to FRANCE 24, Bolopion said his sources informed him that the UN was not releasing the findings of its staffers on the ground “even though they were much more solid than those the UN has used in other conflict zones”.

At Least 23 Die in Huge Bombing in Pakistan

Source: International Herald Tribune

By SALMAN MASOOD
Published: May 27, 2009

LAHORE, Pakistan — Suicide attackers spraying gunfire rammed a carload of explosives into a building housing an ambulance service here on Wednesday, killing at least 23 people in what officials said was a failed attempt to strike at the nearby provincial headquarters of Pakistan’s powerful intelligence agency.

Almost 300 people were wounded in the attack, which took place in broad daylight in one of the busiest districts of Lahore. The assault underscored that militants in Pakistan now feel emboldened to strike far from their traditional strongholds in the lawless regions bordering Afghanistan.
Officials said that at least two of the attackers appeared to have died in the blast and that three suspects were detained. Some witnesses reported sustained gunfire after the explosion, indicating that at least one gunman might have escaped.

Several army and intelligence officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters, said they believed that the attack was aimed at the local command center of the Directorate of Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI, Pakistan’s premier spy agency.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the attack may have been in reprisal for the Pakistani Army’s campaign against Taliban militants in the northwestern Swat Valley.
“I believe that anti-Pakistan elements, who want to destabilize our country and see defeat in Swat, have now turned to our cities,” Mr. Malik told reporters.

The bomb left a crater 8 feet deep and 20 feet wide, and the blast was heard for miles around. Dozens of vehicles were crumpled like paper, and broken glass filled the street. The red brick building of the Rescue 15 ambulance service collapsed after taking the brunt of the blast, and emergency workers struggled for hours to pull the dead and wounded from the debris.

Fahim Jahanzaib, a rescue services official, placed the death toll at 23, with more than 294 wounded.
The dead included 14 policemen and a colonel belonging to the intelligence agency, according to an intelligence official speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the news media.

“It is quite apparent that the ISI was the target,” the official said, calling the attack a “brazen and well thought-out plan.”
It was the third attack in three months in or near Lahore, which is the capital and cultural hub of Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous and affluent province. Earlier attacks provoked official fears that Taliban insurgents had teamed up with local militants, including Lashkar-e-Taiba, suspected of conducting the attacks in Mumbai, India, in November that killed at least 163 people.

In the attack on Wednesday, a white car containing three or four attackers drove toward the rear entrance of the ISI building about 10:15 a.m., according to officials and witnesses. One man jumped out and began to spray gunfire at the police and security personnel guarding the area, said a witness, Ikram Rabbani, who works in a nearby store.
Unable to get through the building’s security barrier, the driver changed course and rammed into the neighboring building, which housed the police-run ambulance service. The building, made of brick, collapsed, shrouding the neighborhood in dust.
Mr. Rabbani said he heard a small explosion followed by a second powerful blast.

“They couldn’t get through,” the intelligence official said. “So, the second-best option was to hit the building right next to the sector headquarters.”
Immediately after the explosion, army troops poured out of the heavily fortified office of the intelligence agency. Security forces took up position on nearby rooftops, and a helicopter hovered above. The office of Lahore’s police chief is in the same neighborhood.
No group immediately took responsibility for the attack, but the suspicion of many Pakistani officials fell on Taliban militants seeking vengeance for the army’s current push into the Swat Valley.
“There is a possibility that this is a retaliatory blast,” said Farahnaz Ispahani, a presidential spokeswoman. “Unfortunately, the public will have to stand very strong and united because we are fighting a very powerful and ideologically driven enemy.
“Very possibly, it is an attempt to subvert the army’s brave and courageous operation and the government’s resolve to defeat terrorists,” she added.
The United States has been pressing Pakistan to move against the militants to undermine their support for the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan. Gen. David H. Petraeus, head of the Central Command, was in the capital, Islamabad, to meet Pakistani leaders when the attack happened, Reuters reported.
The ISI is a powerful body that has long been mistrusted by American officials, who accuse some of its members of harboring sympathies for the Taliban and Al Qaeda. But it has been the repeated target of militants, some of whom suspect ISI agents of helping the Central Intelligence Agency pinpoint the coordinates for drone attacks on insurgents close to the Afghan border.
Maryam Kazmi, 25, who lives in the neighborhood, said she was watching television when the blast shook her neighborhood. “The ground shook, and all the windows of my room flew open,” she said. “The air-conditioner’s frame fell on my bed. “It was so loud that I had to cover my ears.”
The explosion was one of a series of recent attacks in Lahore.
In March, eight people were killed in the city in a commando-style attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team.
Later in March, militants hit several hundred police cadets during a morning drill at their academy in a village near Lahore. The attackers went on a rampage, killing at least eight recruits and instructors.
Waqar Gillani contributed reporting from Lahore, Pakistan; Sharon Otterman from New York; and Alan Cowell from Paris.

China, Italy launch regular parliamentary exchange mechanism

source: People's Daily

Wu Bangguo (L), chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, shakes hands with Renato Schifani, the Senate speaker of Italy, in Rome, capital of Italy, May 20, 2009. (Xinhua/Li Tao)China and Italy on Wednesday signed an agreement to launch a regular parliamentary exchange mechanism in a bid to enhance bilateral cooperation. The agreement, first of its kind between the two countries, was signed by visiting Chairman of the Standing Committee of China's top legislature National People's Congress (NPC) Wu Bangguo and Italian Senate President Renato Schifani. The regular exchange mechanism could serve as an important platform that facilitates in-depth dialogue between the two countries, Wu said. Through the platform, the NPC and Italian Senate would enhance mutual understanding and build strategic mutual trust by carrying out high level parliamentary exchanges, said Wu.

Wu also spoke highly of China-Italy relations, saying bilateral ties have maintained a sound momentum of rapid development, especially since 2004, when the two countries forged the all-round strategic partnership. China is willing to work with Italy to expand bilateral cooperation in various fields and jointly fight against the global financial crisis, said Wu. For his part, Schifani said Italian Senate is ready to strengthen friendly exchanges at all levels and in various fields with the NPC to promote their political mutual trust and mutually beneficial cooperation.

Wu Bangguo (L, front), chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, shakes hands with Renato Schifani (R, front), the Senate speaker of Italy, after signing an agreement on bilateral exchange mechanism, in Rome, capital of Italy, May 20, 2009. (Xinhua/Li Tao)Schifani said China's fast economic development is not only conducive to world's peace and prosperity, but also brings great opportunities to the economic growth of countries around the world. Italy would be glad to see China plays an even greater role on the international arena, he added. During their meeting, Wu and Schifani also exchanged views on global economic crisis and issues of common concern. Wu is on an official goodwill visit to Italy.

Stenso wins

source: Reuters

Sweden’s Henrik Stenson kept his cool in sweltering heat to win the Players Championship by four shots, as a frustrated Tiger Woods crashed out of contention at the TPC Sawgrass course yesterday.

The unflappable Swede carded the only bogey-free round on the final day, a six under-par 66 for 12-under overall, to pick up his first strokeplay win on the PGA Tour.
Britain’s Ian Poulter shot a two-under 70 to finish second, four strokes behind Stenson and post his best result in the US.
“It is a great feeling to have won this championship on a golf course I really enjoy playing,” said Stenson. “I just handled myself very well throughout these four days, putted well and gave myself plenty of chances and stayed very level-headed.”

The Swede said his birdie on the par three 13th, snared with a tricky 11-foot putt from the fringe, was the key moment.

“After that birdie I felt that I was in the driving seat from then on in,” he said.
Joint second overnight, world number one Tiger Woods had another frustrating day, slumping to eighth after carding a one-over par round marred by four bogeys, as a number of players struggled with the hard and fast greens.

Woods hit only six of 14 fairways, mostly using a three wood, and said he had a problem with his driving. “I just kept hitting those spinners up to the right and it was frustrating because if I am down the right side, I’d spit to the right, aim down the left side, spin it to the right.
“I tried to put the release in early enough but it still wasn’t right.”

Overnight leader Alex Cejka of Germany began with a five-stroke lead, the largest final day margin ever at the tournament, but surrendered it within four holes.
The German was out of contention by the half-way stage as he shot a disappointing seven-over for the day.

Poulter, wearing pink trousers, produced some sharp golf but was unable to make enough birdie chances to catch Stenson and capture his first win in the US.

Ultimately, the Englishman paid the price for his three-over-par round of 75 on Saturday.
Stenson’s previous win in the US came in the 2007 WGC Accenture Match Play championship.
The Swede’s victory on Sunday marks the second straight year a European has won what is considered the ‘fifth major’. Spain’s Sergio Garcia won last year.

California budget crisis could bring lasting economic harm

The short-term pain of budget cuts could pale next to a long-term loss of companies and academic talent.

By Martin Zimmerman, Marc Lifsher and Andrea Chang May 23, 2009

As bad as California's budget crisis is for the state's $1.8-trillion economy, just wait. It could get worse.The spectacle that played out in the national media this week of a state unable to get its fiscal act together is reinforcing the notion that the Golden State is a rotten place to do business, experts say.

Corporate leaders and Wall Street investors, watching the daily festival of seeming incompetence, political partisanship and governmental dysfunction, could be persuaded to limit or eliminate their investments here.

We lose competitive advantage by being the state that can't solve its problems," economist Stephen Levy said. "Regardless of what we think the solution is, the fact is we can't find a solution."The budget crisis threatens to further weaken the state's job market, which lost 63,700 more jobs last month, according to figures released Friday. The state's overall unemployment rate actually fell slightly, to 11% from 11.2%. But new job losses could prolong the vicious cycle in which the California economy is now trapped, with rising joblessness reducing consumer spending and delaying a housing rebound, thus leading to more layoffs.

The long-term effects of Sacramento's financial woes, meanwhile, could far outweigh the near-term effects. In particular, the expected deep cuts in education spending could thin the state's human capital, potentially forcing California companies to look elsewhere for skilled workers as well as new plants or even headquarters.It's the equivalent of "eating the seed corn," said Levy, chief economist at the Center for the Continuing Study of the California Economy in Palo Alto.

Of course, there would still be plenty of short-term pain to go around. How much won't be known for a while. But eliminating as much as $24 billion from the proposed $95.5-billion general-fund portion of the 2009-10 state budget would further corrode an economy already creaking under the weight of a national recession.

Distressed car dealers could see sales to state agencies shrink, printing shops may lose business as courts and other government operations shorten their workweek, and office-equipment suppliers would lose sales as cash-strapped agencies make do with aging copiers.And cutting as many as 5,000 state jobs, and perhaps thousands more as budget reductions cascade down to schools and local governments, would hit especially hard in a state that already has the fifth-highest unemployment rate in the nation.Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed slashing state spending on education by $3 billion to help close the budget gap, and the state would pay dearly for canceling classes, firing instructors, cutting class days and shortening the school year, experts said.Promising students would go to other states, taking their future skills, earnings and, possibly, Nobel Prizes elsewhere. California companies would then find it harder to attract high-value employees who might be dubious about moving to a state with sub-par schools.

The implications hit home to Ross DeVol this week while he attended a national biotechnology conference in Atlanta.Governors of Maryland, Massachusetts and Texas were stalking biotech firms in hopes of luring them to their states with promises of job-training funds, improved educational systems and other inducements, said DeVol, head of regional economics at the Milken Institute in Santa Monica.California's shortcomings, both real and perceived, "make it difficult not just to recruit new business but to keep what we have," he said.John Sedgwick, co-founder of Santa Clara solar-energy company Solaicx, agreed."When you think about the genesis of Silicon Valley, it really started from its superior educational base" at Stanford and UC Berkeley, said Sedgwick, whose company makes the building blocks for photovoltaic cells. "That indicates that you don't want to kill the goose that's laying the golden eggs."The failure of the budget measures at the ballot box this week has some Californians calling for a constitutional convention that could, among other things, rewrite the state's tax system.

Businesses have long complained about big-spending government in California. But with state and local spending accounting for about one-fifth of the state's gross domestic product, California is in line with some other heavily populated, expensive-to-manage states, such as New York and Florida.Still, companies such as Solaicx have found the burden heavy enough to look elsewhere to invest.

World Capitalism Plunges

Source: http://www.internationalist.org

month after month. With the financial crisis that exploded in September 2008, the international credit system effectively froze. In the past five months, there has been a sharp drop in industrial production, investments, exports, consumer spending, construction and just about every other major indicator of economic activity in virtually every country of the capitalist world.

In the U.S, this is already be the longest recession since World War II, and it’s not ending any time soon. In short, the recession is rapidly becoming a depression, although the capitalist rulers don’t want to say so because they fear that would set off an even worse panic. The underlying issue behind both the waves of financial speculation and now the sharp drop in the real economy is the overproduction of capital, and the associated falling rate of profit.

Under capitalism, the only way the rate of profit can be restored is through the destruction of capital, by massive bankruptcies producing millions of unemployed, or by imperialist war laying waste to productive capacity. Or, as happened in the 1930s and ’40s, by both. The present global capitalist economic crisis is not cyclical or even structural but systemic. Neither monetarists nor Keynesians can solve it. But as Lenin and Trotsky insisted, capitalism will not collapse of its own accord. A series of transitional demands should be raised pointing to the need bring down the bourgeoisie and institute workers rule.

The Truth They Don’t Want YOU to Know

Source:Revolutionary Communist Party of USA

Wednesday, May 13, Barack Obama reversed his previously announced position, and said that he would move to block the release of some 2000 photos documenting U.S. military personnel torturing prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the New York Times, the blocked photos are of U.S. prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan, and include depictions of “Abu Ghraib-style” torture, along with photos taken by military criminal investigators—in some cases supposedly documenting allegations of abuse, as well as autopsy photos of prisoners who were killed while in custody.

Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the ACLU—the group that sued to make the photos public—said the volume of photos shows that “It is no longer tenable to blame abuse on a few bad apples. These were policies set at the highest levels.”

Obama said he would not release the photos because “the most direct consequence of releasing them, I believe, would be to further inflame anti-American opinion and to put our troops in greater danger.”

What does it mean to cover up evidence of horrific war crimes because knowledge of those crimes would “inflame anti-American opinion?” And what is the responsibility of people living in the United States, right now, when great crimes, committed in their name, are being covered up?
Obama’s Complicity in Covering Up War Crimes

Recently released torture memos from White House lawyers documented how torture was officially endorsed by the White House (see "The Torture Memos …And the Need for Justice", by Alan Goodman, Revolution, May 17, 2009). Now, the scale and breadth of U.S. torture revealed by the existence of over 2000 photos threatens to expose even more deeply how profoundly embedded torture has been in the U.S. so-called “war on terror.”

The existence of over 2000 such photos gives further lie to the claim that torture was used only in extreme circumstances—in so-called “ticking time bomb” scenarios. That rationale, that torture was used only to extract information that would save American lives, even if it were true, would still be immoral.

Where does this so-called “ticking time bomb” logic lead? The logic of that logic is that there is nothing too horrific, too sadistic, too inhuman, when it comes to “saving American lives.” One of the authors of the White House torture memos, John Yoo, in fact, is on record saying that it might be acceptable for the president to authorize applying electrical shocks to the testicles of an innocent child of someone being “interrogated.” (See "The Torture Memos…And the Need for Justice," Revolution #164, May 17, 2009.)

As we wrote last week in Revolution, “Let’s make it plain: torture is, literally and in essence, a crime against humanity. Like rape, it is a systematic attempt to violently degrade people and rob them of their very humanity. Any government which not only tolerates such things but which, from its highest offices, justifies and insists on them as “instruments of policy”…any government which does not, once this has been exposed, prosecute the perpetrators but instead provides them in advance with immunity...reveals itself as a system that requires such crimes, and such criminals, for its functioning. Any people that does not resist such crimes, and demand prosecution of the torturers and, even more so, those who formulated the policy at the highest levels, reveals themselves to be complicit in those crimes. And in passively allowing the humanity of others to be degraded and attacked, they lose their own.” ("The Torture Memos …And the Need for Justice," Revolution #164, May 17, 2009.)

The torture being covered up by the suppression of these 2000 plus photos has been refined and perfected over decades by the U.S., including through testing techniques on U.S. troops. A careful reading of the recently released torture memos points to a U.S. torture doctrine that emphasizes psychological torture, combined with nazi-like systematically administered physical brutality. Many (but not all) of the victims of U.S. torture live, but are left traumatized and devastated, as a message to the world that those who rule this country will not hesitate to apply sadistic, depraved brutality against anyone who gets in their way, or even to apply such torture at random as a way of instilling generalized terror.

In understanding the adoption of systemic torture as a central element of U.S. military doctrine, it is important to emphasize that the development and refinement of horrific torture has been a product of the U.S. government, including through the “SERE” program which was ostensibly a program to prepare U.S. troops for torture, but in fact served as a testing ground for torture techniques. These torture techniques were not—as has been falsely claimed—copied from Communist China’s treatment of prisoners in the Korean War. (For a carefully documented refutation of this charge, and a revealing examination of how the Chinese communists did deal with captured U.S. POWs in Korea, see "The Truth About How Chinese Communists Treated Korean War POWs," by Li Onesto at revcom.us).

Adopting…and Even Enhancing Bush’s Doctrines
Under the Bush regime, the ACLU filed a lawsuit to force the release of these 2000 plus photos from Abu Ghraib and a half-dozen other U.S. prisons. The Bush “Justice” Department opposed releasing the photos in court, arguing that they posed a danger to the safety of U.S. troops (the same argument Obama has now adopted).

Courts have ruled in favor of the ACLU’s lawsuit, and earlier this month the Obama administration announced it would not appeal a standing court order to release the photos on May 28. Now, however, reportedly on “advice from the generals,” Obama announced that the U.S. Department of “Justice” would appeal the court order to release the photos, using the very same arguments.

Over the past couple of weeks Obama has been embracing Bush’s positions on very central civil liberties and torture legal cases at a dizzying pace. Early in his presidency, Obama’s Justice Department moved to block a lawsuit by five men who were kidnapped by the U.S., and “renditioned”—flown to prisons in other countries for the express purpose of torturing them (the lawsuit is Mohamed et al. v. Jeppesen—Jeppesen being the Boeing Airlines subsidiary that transported the prisoners to be tortured). On May 11, the Washington Times reported that the Obama administration was renewing threats to curtail intelligence cooperation with the UK if British courts allowed evidence of U.S. torture against a British citizen—a former detainee at Guantanamo (“Obama threatens to limit U.S. intel with Brits,” by Eli Lake, May 12, 2009). And Obama recently announced he was reviving the use of the infamous “Military Commissions” to try detainees. On the campaign trail, Obama had promised to “reject the Military Commissions Act, which allowed the U.S. to circumvent Geneva Conventions in the handling of detainees.” But on May 15, just a few months into his presidency, Obama reversed that position, saying that “Military commissions… are appropriate for trying enemies who violate the laws of war, provided that they are properly structured and administered.” In each of these critical cases, Obama has adopted the entire logic and arguments of the Bush regime.
Imperialist Morality vs. the Interests of Humanity

How will people around the world react to new revelations of an even greater scope of U.S. torture than has already been documented? Or, for that matter, how will people around the world react to new cover-ups of such torture?

That actually depends, to a great degree, on you.
If you voted for Obama because you thought he was going to end torture, and you have been increasingly disturbed by his actions, you have to ask yourself at what point do you say … ENOUGH! If you got behind Barack Obama because you were horrified and furious at the direction this society has taken over the past eight years of Bush… If you put your deep felt desires for change in the hope that Obama will take society in a different direction… If you thought the election of Obama would make you “feel good about America…” You have to ask yourself: at what point are you going to take a look around and confront what is really going on? At what point do you re-anchor yourself in a basic moral stand that the lives of Americans are not more precious than the lives of people around the world.

All too many people are making excuses for Obama. Some point to the extraordinary post-election rampage by Dick Cheney, who has been making outrageous open defenses of torture and very thinly veiled threats against Obama. Let’s be clear: this is a battle taking place between different factions of the imperialist ruling class. Cheney is the point man for the neo-conservative faction, which essentially brought forward the “war on terror” as a vehicle through which to very aggressively pursue U.S. imperialist interests in a world that is going through an uncertain transition with potential for great upheaval. These policies have in the main been adopted by Obama, even as he has modified some of them in certain respects.

Cheney is making clear to Obama that if there is even a hint of a move to prosecute anyone in the Bush administration, the army or the CIA for war crimes, the neo-conservatives will fight back very hard and bring their still quite considerable power to bear to oppose it. At the same time, he is, to a certain extent, providing an excuse for Obama to claim to those who originally voted for him as the “anti-Bush” that “he’s got to do this” (that is, maintain Bush’s policies) “to keep the dogs quiet”—and in so doing seduce these people into approving things that they correctly saw as being criminal under Bush. And Cheney is also positioning the forces he represents to be able to take advantage of any possible attack on the U.S. in the future, to make a comeback. But how can any of THIS justify maintaining and, almost worse, giving legitimacy to the very horrors that Cheney so unabashedly defends?

In this situation, what people in the U.S. do now matters a great deal. . It is time for people to break out of, and start thinking beyond the framework being set by the Cheneys and Obamas, and start thinking, and acting, from the interests of humanity. If people around the world see complacency, passivity, and acquiescence in the U.S., that will fuel the synergy between U.S. imperialism and reactionary Islamic fundamentalist forces, where the actions of the U.S. create conditions that drive people of the Middle East and countries with large Muslim populations into the arms of Jihad.

Hundreds of thousands of people are truly horrified by what is revealed in the torture memos, and being covered up in these 2000 plus censored photos.

If people around the world see that large numbers of people in this country are outraged, and not just feeling angst but getting out into the streets to protest, a different dynamic can emerge.

All Out on May 28!

On May 28, the day the photos were to have been released, World Can’t Wait has called for nationwide protests and political actions to demand “Torture is a War Crime! PROSECUTE!” Those protests were called before Obama reversed his position and moved to block the release of the photos. The fact that the imperialist system’s president has reversed his position adds even more urgency and significance to these protests.
Truth and justice demand that these photos be released, all of them, now! And that the torturers, all the way to the top of the chain of command, be brought to justice.

We strongly encourage all our readers to visit worldcantwait.org, and join in with, and organize protests on May 28.

As we wrote last week in response to the release of memos from White House lawyers authorizing torture: “If those who set up, legitimized, and endorsed open torture simply walk away, if those who concocted the legal ‘golden shield’ for the torture go free, and if those who ‘almost choreographed’ the torture go free, that is nothing other than a statement that torturers need not look over their shoulders in the future. Regardless of the honeyed promises of the representative of the imperialist system, Obama, it would leave intact the ‘right’ of the U.S. imperialists to order torture.

“And on the other hand, if people DO resist, if they DO demand that the criminals be prosecuted and wage a serious political struggle to make that happen, it can be the beginning of a struggle that can, among other things, lead to the beginnings and possibility of real justice—and not some phony, feel-good, ‘let’s-forget-about-the-past-and-move-on’ so-called redemption and/or ‘reconciliation’ that only ultimately enables still more, and still worse, crimes by the bloody criminal enterprise known as America.”

And such an outpouring would give heart to, and inspire, people around the world who long to see another way emerge, in opposition to both U.S. imperialism, and Islamic fundamentalism.

Spy Terrorists on Facebook

by Arsalan Khan

The Israeli government has issued notifications that terrorist groups are recruiting Israeli citizens as spies. Israel's security agency, Shin Bet, released a warning notification to the Israelis about the possible dangers in trading any confidential information for money.

"The Shin Bet has gotten many reports about cases where terrorist elements are using the Internet to get in touch with Israelis with proposals to enlist in terror activity or to pass classified information in exchange for payment," the statement said.

The leakage of information could damage the Israeli security and may be a cause of concern for citizens traveling to other countries to gather money for the spy jobs they perform. This "may" eventually end them up being kidnapped by enemy organizations, said Shin Ben in the report.
The government hasn't described any cases of Israelis becoming Facebook spies but they did report one attempt.
"Lately, an Israeli citizen contacted the Shin Bet and complained about a request in Facebook from a person that presented himself as a Lebanese merchant, who asked him to give him classified information for money," the statement said.
According to Shin Ben this was one of the many incidents that have been taking place in Israel.

The government says social networks initiate contacts that are concrete and directly related to Israeli citizens. They say that Israelis for money may pass out classified information through the social network.
Shin Bet claims "terror groups" are using Facebook to locate and capture useful information that enables them to contact Israeli citizens at home and abroad.

Sri Lankans celebrating special holiday today

Sri Lankans are observing 20 May as a holiday after the government's declaration of the 25-year civil war.

In his Address to the Nation from the National Parliament, President said Finding a solution to the North East Conflict could be reach with the Assistance of All Political Parties in Sri Lanka and International Help not needed for this Process.He brushed away the Ethnic Differnces by saying that there are no Minorities in the Country except the two National Identities namely Patriots and Non Patriots.

"Military Solution is not the Final Solution for the Problem.Tamil People never believed or favored taking up Arms" President further stressed.

President Addressed the Nation after Inaugurating 4th Session of the 06th Parliment.

Anti-Israel protest in Argentina

The government of Argentina is reported to have arrested five persons accused of their involvement in violent anti-Israel protests.

according to agencies, the confrontation occurred outside the Israeli embassy of Argentina. The embassy was holding celebrations for the 61st anniversary of the state of Israel's founding when some participants were confronted by a gang of youths holding clubs, one knife and a pistol according to the Israel’s Ambassador to Argentina Daniel Gazit.

Five people were arrested and four injured, including a policeman during the clash.

The Israeli government is demanding that the incident to be investigated and that those responsible be severely punished.

http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2009/05/14/what-will-u-s-look-like-in-50-years/

source: http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/

May 14, 2009
What will U.S. look like in 50 years?
Posted: 06:00 PM ET
FROM CNN’s Jack Cafferty:
The face of this country is changing dramatically. Consider these pretty staggering statistics: 47 percent of children in the U.S. under five-years-old are minorities; as are 43 percent of youngsters under 20 — that’s according to new census data.

And there’s more… as USA today reports, the United States is developing a significant generation gap between aging, white Baby Boomers and this younger, growing minority population.

Minorities now account for just over one-third of the total population; and although immigration is slowing, higher birth rates among Hispanics make them the fastest growing group. The Hispanic population is also younger — on average about 28 years old — than non-Hispanic whites, whose average age is about 41.
Among other things, these numbers mean that many Baby Boomers will be relying on this younger generation to take care of them in a lot of ways. In another generation, this will be the workforce supporting Social Security.
Already, about 10 percent of the nation’s counties have a minority population above 50 percent. One of the counties that just became a “majority-minority” last year is Orange County, Florida — home to Disney World. The mayor says it’s not a surprise to him, and that the county has always been “a snapshot of what America looks like.”
Here’s my question to you: What will the U.S. look like 50 years from now?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Stephen from Pennsylvania writes:I was born and Raised in Roseville, California. My 2nd grade class looked like the United Nations: Latinos, Italians, Chinese, Japanese, and a lot more. We used to celebrate each others’ holidays. Cinco d’ Mayo, Obon, Chinese New Year, 4th of July, Veterans Day, Lions Club picnics. What has happened that we can’t do this anymore? Have we become so separate that we can not be together? I hope we can go back to the past to become the future.
Ron from San Antonio, Texas writes:Jack, I am very much afraid it will look a lot more like the town I live in: San Antonio, Texas. Have you heard the old commercials? “Texas, it’s like a whole other country.” So, they are right.
Janelle from Missouri writes:Jack, 50 years from now the U.S. will look like an impoverished 3rd world country. It will have absolutely nothing to do with anyone’s ethnicity, but will be the result of our government bankrupting itself and every business in the country. The government won’t be able to support the population when there’s no one left to tax to pay for it.
Matthew from Orange, California writes:The gene pool of the U.S. is really a minor factor in the face of issues like education, health care, employment, national security, immigration and self-responsibility. These factors will determine whether the future majority will live in a comfortable community or a slum.
Dee from Florida writes:If we can learn to live with one another in peace and harmony, without any one ethnic, racial, or social group being ostracized or depressed, I think the U.S. will be a nice blend of the people of the world. And it’s about time.
Andy writes:Chances are that the U.S. will be the diverse melting pot it always has been, just maybe without all the old white guys running it. Chances are that the U.S. will be the diverse melting pot it always has been, just maybe without all the old white guys running it.

What US journalist writes on Nepal's Maoists

source: http://democracyandclasstruggle.blogspot.com

Ben Petersen writes here is something I wrote for the Daily Newspaper- JanaDisha. It was translated into Nepali- so i'm not sure how it read for them, but here it is.As a foreigner, a journalist and especially as someone who is concerned about the people of Nepal I am deeply worried about the recent moves by the President Ram Baran Yadav and the political opposition to go against the government and stage what has to be seen as an anti-democratic coup.It has shown to me, and i think the whole world, that even though the Nepali people have removed their king and fought so hard for democracy, the rich and powerful in Nepal have no interest in respecting the democratic will of the people.

The Martyrs of Janandolan 1, Janandolan 2, the peoples war, and all the movements did not sacrifice their lives, so that the ceremonial President could over rule the executive government to save a General who threatens the very idea of democracy. It is an insult to every Nepali to see your political "leaders" in the UML and the Congress putting their own interests (and the interests of India) above the interests and the desire of the Nepali people they claim to represent.I do not understand how these people can look themselves in the mirror.

How can they justify their actions? This General Katawal has not only played a key role in suppressing the people in the past, not only has he supported anti-democratic coups by the ex-King Gyanendra, but now, then he is generously given the opportunity by the Nepali people to play a progressive role in the New Nepal, he refuses to follow the direction of the government, that legitimately has the support of a majority of people. How can the UML and the Congress defend their actions to defend this man. This man who has no respect for the people and democracy. how can they be the saviors of democracy- when they protect those who would strangle the Nepali Republic while it is still a baby in the crib?But while in parliament I see bureaucrats and corrupt politicians acting for themselves, on the streets and in the eyes of the people the real democracy is still strong.

The real democracy in Nepal was not created by the bureaucrat, and it was not dreamt in the minds of the powerful people in Delhi and Washington. The birth of Nepali democracy has been the reward for the hard work and sacrifice of all the people of Nepal. Democracy was born in every village, every town and every city. Democracy shines in the eyes of every average Nepali i have met- and now this shine is a fire- as the Nepali people are rightfully disgusted that their democratically elected government has been overthrown by the same elites who have run this country for all time. To add insult to injury, they do this in the name of "Democracy".The one thing I have learnt the Nepali people more than anything is that Democracy is not in an assembly and democracy is not limited to just a vote.

Democracy means that power must come from the people. Nepal has proven this- and the waves of real democracy- democracy from the streets has already smashed the monarchy and opened the door to a better- and a socialist- future for Nepal.Many governments around the world will support the opposition. The great "democracies" on India and America has already played a key role in attacking the Revolution of the Nepali people. But while the "international community" may be against you- the worlds progressive people will always be on your side. Everywhere working people and oppressed people have been impressed by your struggle for democracy and national sovereignty. Your struggle gives an example to the whole world, that even in a small and impoverished country, you can fight for your rights- and you can win!For me I see an interesting time ahead for the people in Nepal. There are both great ricks, and great opportunities. But the one thing is certain, that justice does not lay on the side of the President in his coup.

Justice will never be on the side of those who sit in Delhi and Washington and try to interfere with the sovereignty of proud nations. Justice in Nepal will always be on the side of the people, and no matter what the so called "democrats" say or do. When the people of Nepal cry out against injustice and autocracy then their voices will always carry with it the power of democracy and revolution

Visit Ben Petersen's Blog
http://www.maobadiwatch.blogspot.com/

Lloyds' rough ride

Lloyds Banking Group released an unscheduled and fairly dour interim management statement last Thursday reiterating its February announcement that it expects to report a loss before tax in 2009.

We think Lloyds is in for a rough ride as economic conditions deteriorate in the UK and Ireland and we're leaving the bank unrated for now.
In its brief trading statement, Lloyds indicated that net interest margins are being compressed by the bank's decision to move towards longer-duration, more expensive wholesale funding and that credit quality has deteriorated sharply. The bank said that it expects impairments on corporate lending to increase 50% in 2009 as compared with 2008.

Much of this increase will come from HBOS' legacy portfolio, making it increasingly clear that whatever due diligence Lloyds performed on HBOS' asset book before agreeing to buy it was woefully inadequate.

Lloyds said that most of the deteriorating commercial real estate assets in question have been included in the asset protection scheme, but we note that Lloyds must bear the first 10% of losses alone, plus 10% of any remaining losses. We think that losses are likely to be heavy, and can't help but wonder if the UK government will impose even harsher terms on the asset protection scheme as the details are finalized over the coming months.

Afghans do not want foreign troops

Afghan lawmakers demanded legal restrictions on foreign forces fighting in their country, to prevent further civilian deaths, then closed for half a day to protest the latest casualties from U.S. air strikes.

The attacks on homes packed with civilians, during a protracted battle last week, have damaged ties with Washington and stoked popular anger about the presence of western troops, over rising non-combatant deaths.
Debate about innocent casualties dominated the morning's session and the delegates said they had given the government one week to come up with a way of regulating foreign fighters.

Afghan girl killed in rocket attack

A young Afghan girl was killed and her sister was critically injured when a rocket fired from unknown direction was landed in their home on Tuesday.

According to police sources a rocket had hit residence of Afghan refugee Jamil located in Ghamkole refugee camp Kohat, his daughter Aisha was killed at the spot and his other daughter Naushad Bibi was critically injured, she was rushed to Divisional Hospital in KDA Kohat, where she is under treatment now.

Arab leader arrested on charges of torture

According to a US state department official, a member of the royal family in Abu Dhabi has been arrested after he was exposed on video performing bizarre acts of torture on an Afghan grain dealer. The official has confirmed that the government of the United Arab Emirates have emphasized a house arrest on Sheikh Issa Bin Zayed Nahyan, while an investigation is still pending.

On the tape Sheikh Issa seems agitated and enraged, complaining the Afghan grain dealer cheated him over a business matter. The torture was an attempt to extract a confession from the Afghan grain dealer.

With the assistance of a private security officer, Sheikh Issa is captured on tape, stuffing sand in the Afghan's mouth. As the grain leader pleads and shrieks, he is beaten with a nailed board, burned in the genitals with a lighter, shocked with a cattle prod and is told that he will be shot. Salt is poured on his wounds, literally. Eventually, an SUV is driven over him.

The tape appears to be shot in a desert in the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, and is recorded by the direction of the Sheikh quite himself.

The tape of the horrific torture showdown has apparently delayed the development of a civil nuclear deal among the United Arab Emirates and the United States of America, the senior US officials familiar with the case stated. The reason for halting the deal temporarily has been a cause of the possible "sensitivities" that may occur.

The tape arrived last month in a federal civil lawsuit, at Houston, Texas, by Bassam Nabulsi.

Sarah Leah Whitson, director of the Middle East Human rights watch has said: "The videotape of this episode shocked the world. The report of the arrest was reassuring, but now the government needs to make the details public. Secretive prosecutions will not deter further abuses and torture."

The torture lasts for approximately 45 minutes, while the tape is three hours long.

The government of the United Arab Emirates have demanded a "comprehensive review" of the tape and plan on to investigate the case in full motion.Sheikh Issa Bin Zayed, is the half brother of UAE's ruler but he holds no position in the government

The grain dealer although, managed to survive the torture, and according the UAE government, the issue had been resolved privately by the Sheikh and the grain dealer later on, it is not known where the Afghan dealer is present right now.

Parents in Maldives seek police help saying magician made their kids ill

A Police report has been filed against a man in Laamu atoll Maamendhoo said to be responsible for the mysterious illness plaguing the Grade 10 students of Maamendhoo School. Students of the school have been falling sick or fainting in class for no apparent reason since school began this year and now their parents, with the help of a fandithaveriyaa (black magician), have discovered that another black magician in the island was responsible for the illness.
Parents of students said last Thursday that they had hired the services of another black magician three weeks ago to get to the bottom of the mysterious illness. After three weeks of hard work, the man had found that a person from another island who is married to a resident of Maamendhoo, and was living in the island, was responsible. They had even found the hexes responsible for the illness and handed it over to the Police, the parents said.
Officials from the Police Station in the island confirmed that they were investigating the possibility that a black magician was involved but added that they had not made any arrests yet.
Three students, who were too sick to attend school, were expelled from the school due to absenteeism. A school official said that they had expelled the three students on the written request of the parents.
Parents of one of the expelled students said that they had been forced to make the decision because the school hadn’t been very supportive in helping students, who had been unable to attend classes due to the illness, recover their missed lessons.
“This is their O’ Level year and if they can’t go to school then its wasted money to enroll in the exams,” the parents, who wished to remain anonymous, said. “It’s been four months since they were unable to attend school.”
The parents also said that their children were recovering now under the administration of the black magician they had hired.

Contradictions in 'democracy'

On September 1996, a United Nations (U.N.) Report tried to offer explanations and solutions to the ongoing economic-political contradictions in the world today. It claimed that the root of the problem was the polarization of the world into exploiters and exploited. This was directly alarming the nations by saying that according to their statistical studies, this contradiction was deepening even more.

More than 60 years ago, a teacher of Communism launched onto the world the thesis on capitalist accumulation, explaining accurately and in detail, how this system inevitably advances to the polarization between the oppressors and the oppressed.

Considering the time lapse between them, the two documents predict that this principal contradiction will develop into three secondary contradictions:
First will be the contradiction between the imperialist countries. The same ones of the Second World War and the so-called Cold War are not that far in the past. A prime example is the current European Union, at present just economical, but with perspectives of becoming a political and military union. Another example of this type of union is that made by the U.S. and Canada [TNF: NAFTA. Mexico, an oppressed country, is also part of this treaty but only as a market or a brown field used for competition between imperialist countries] Such alliances are not the result of comrade relations or friendship among nations, but rather, are a response to economic friction among them.

Facing this situation there are many possibilities, and these contradictions are ultimately resolved by way of a world conflagration. The precedents for this are already mounting. For example, the U.S. pressuring Asian countries to slow down their production, especially selective production, under the guise of such things as intellectual property rights. [TNF: Here we may add other examples such as the NATO expansion.]

Second, will be the contradiction between backward countries, and imperialist countries. The imperialist countries in their endeavor to win markets and exploit cheap labor and raw materials, support their entrepreneurial consortiums to penetrate the backward countries . Thus, they ransack the natural resources and enslave the population as they seek profits. This penetration in the backward countries generates an unfair and relentless struggle against the national bourgeoisie, which eventually collapses. As a result, nationalism emerges in these countries, in which the social classes unite in the so-called "wars of national liberation."
Third, the contradictions between the exploiters and the exploited of each nation. In the backward countries the polarization is also shown between the exploiters and the exploited of each nation. First, they clash in the economic arena. It is a hard struggle for living wages and other rightful demands. Then, they confront each other in a military struggle for political power, which is the People's War.

Although the U.N.'s report does not show any solutions to these contradictions however, pointing them out in its idealistic approach tells us that the solution is "greater cooperation among nations" and "general solidarity." That is why in the light of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism, Gonzalo Thought, we realize that there are no more solutions left than that of resolving the above-mentioned contradictions through the People's War, by which we will ultimately reach our cherished goal: a true Communist society.

Mugabe, political violence and aftermath

Huge congratulations go to the team that staged the Harare Festival of the Arts (HIFA) 2009. There’s been such a buzz in downtown Harare over the last few days lifting many people’s spirits. The opening show was evocative. Much of the feedback I’ve heard is that it was a bit on the depressing side and that the producer should have balanced the dark with more light. The HIFA producers once again didn’t shrink from telling it like it is and at one point the thousands gathered in the Harare Gardens watched a giant screen scroll the names of Zimbabweans who have died in political violence during the last year.

The state-controlled Herald newspaper published a photograph of the fireworks that lit up the night sky but avoided any mention of the political content of the production.Political statement was found just about everywhere. Ben Voss the star of Beauty and the B.E.E. had the jam packed Reps Theatre rolling in the aisles with a cutting satire on South African politicians. He also set his sights on Robert Mugabe who he situated in a horse race with the likes of Zuma and Zille. Mugabe was riding Genocide and Zuma was on Corruption. He ended his time on stage with a very pointed eulogy to Mugabe. The basic message was just get out of here already. It was curious to sense the discomfort in the audience as Ben moved from generally criticising South African politicians to specifically gunning for Mugabe. Have we ever experienced such direct public criticism of Mugabe, where we Zimbabweans have been encouraged to laugh at the small dictator? Bare our teeth at him in public? It showed me how far we all have to go to shrug off the effects of decades of oppression. I reckoned that Ben might be deported before his next show. I lost the bet. And I’m pleased I did.

Meanwhile an old blind woman begging on Julius Nyerere Street outside the main HIFA entrance clanked her two US coins in her small metal bowl. Most people walked around her. On Seventh Street, home to one of Mugabe’s mansion like houses, a tramp trawling the sidewalk picked up an old Coke can, gave it a shake, tilted his head back and sipped what was left.

My enjoyment of both Victoria, a Canadian production on aging, and a double bill dance show was lessened by the weirdness of some of the Zimbabwean audience. They laughed in all the wrong places. Whilst the interpretation of performance is a very personal experience there’s just too much conservatism in some folk here. The stunning Spanish dancer was ridiculed from start to finish by the people sitting behind me simply because he started his performance in a dress.

Malaria vaccine trial to begin in Ghana soon

Some 1,500 children aged between five to 17 months and six to 12 weeks are to be chosen from the Kintampo area in the Brong Ahafo as study participants in malaria vaccine the trial, which is to be conducted by the Kintampo Health Research Centre (KHRC), in the Brong Ahafo Region.

They include 16,000 children to be selected across Africa under the phase three trial of the candidate malaria vaccine.The study would take place in 11 countries under the auspices of Malaria Clinical Trials Alliance, a body providing technical assistance to research centres in Ghana, Tanzania, Gabon and other countries on the continent.

Dr. Kwaku Asante Poku, a researcher at the KHRC, speaking in Accra, said an earlier phase two trial, had been concluded and tested for the safety of the RTSS vaccine.He, however, said that the phase three trial was to test for effectiveness of the vaccine and the possibility of incorporating it into the Expanded Programme on Immunization as a routine vaccine for the prevention of malaria among children.

Dr. Asante Poku was delivering a paper on malaria vaccine trial at a day's workshop to mark this year's World Malaria Day, which was on the theme, "Counting Malaria Out".The programme was organized by the African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN), with support from the INDEPTH Network, a research organization, which runs demographic surveillance sites.

Dr Daniel Ansong of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), who spoke on some aspects of severe malaria, said delays in treatment, inappropriate treatment and failure to recognize and manage complications could lead to severe malaria attacks, especially on children and bring about convulsion, anaemia and cerebral malaria, a form of attack on the brain.

Dr Alex Dodoo, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, said there was the need to make malaria drugs accessible and affordable in order to ensure effective case management of the disease.Mr. James Frimpong of the Malaria Control Programme, said the global target was to reduce the malaria burden by 75 per cent by the year, 2015.Mrs Charity Binka, Executive Secretary of AMMREN, urged the media to tell the malaria story by putting out information that the disease could be prevented, treated and controlled. GNA

Murdered five years ago, arrested now

Former police officer Drew Peterson has finally been arrested in the bizarre case of his third wife's death on March 1, 2004.

Kathleen Savio Kathleen Savio was found in a dry bathtub and her death was initially ruled an accident. But after Peterson's fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, disappeared in 2007, Savio's body was exhumed and reexamined in November of that year. An autopsy ruled that the death was a homicide staged to look like an accident, and ever since, police have been working to gather enough evidence to charge Drew Peterson with murder.In the year and a half since Stacy disappeared, it seems like Peterson has flaunted his freedom. He's appeared on television for interviews, mugged for the press and was recently considering a job at Nevada's infamous Bunny Ranch, where he would be featured on the HBO show Cathouse.

Peterson even found himself a new girlfriend and announced his (short-lived and possibly PR-motivated) engagement to Christina Raines in January.Peterson's Thursday arrest was preceded by a wrongful death lawsuit brought against him by Savio's family in April.

ADatabiz Inc. and Nefartiti agree

The agreement signing ceremony has been held on April 30, at Nefertiti’s showroom at Moly Capial Center in Gulshan. Mamunur Rashid, Marketing Manager of Databiz and Tarun Shethi, Managing Director of Nefertiti has signed over the agreement on behalf on their organization.

According to this agreement from now on Nefertiti will use popular business management software ‘Highlights’, invented by Databiz Inc. for their business management activities.

This Databiz software will be able to handle business information and could be used in many operations with purchase, payment, stock inventory, sales and collection, journal, laser and for preparing financial statement.

Nepal's peace process in danger again

The Comprehensive Peace Agreement was followed by Nepal's Maoist rebels' surprise victory in the Constitutional Assembly elections, the abolition of the monarchy and eventually its formation of a government in August 2008. (The party adopted its present name earlier this year when the CPN (M) merged with the Unity Centre [Masal] from which it had originally split. Masal had opposed the concept of Maoism and the people's war.) Despite the fact that it had won more votes than the other two main parties combined, in return for the UCPN (M) being allowed to lead that new government, those parties forced it to accept the creation of the post of a president who would be head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. At the time, the presidency was shrugged off as mainly ceremonial. But the president’s power turns out to be very great when used to legitimise the Nepal Army.

General Katawal is a man who has been entrusted with putting down revolution all his life. He won honours in his training by the U.S. Special Forces (Green Berets) and counter-insurgency Rangers, and command teaching in the UK, as well as in Indian and Pakistani military schools. As head of the Royal Nepal Army's Western Division in 2003-04 and then RNA Chief of General Staff, he oversaw some of the most hard-fought battles during the people's war in which his army was severely battered by the revolutionary forces. He also played a major role in the army's murder, rape, torture and wanton destruction of homes and villages. He became overall head of the Royal Nepal Army a few months after the April 2006 ceasefire and before the Comprehensive Peace Agreements that brought a formal end to the war in November 2006. Adopted by the Nepali royal family as a child, he grew up in the palace. While undeniably a product of the monarchy, he showed even greater loyalty to higher interests when a consensus emerged among the Nepali ruling classes, political parties and foreign powers that Nepal could preserve social stability only by becoming a republic. In this way, he became a symbol of the political and social continuity of the armed forces.

While not opposing the abolition of the monarchy, what he has opposed is any attempt to touch what is now called simply the Nepal Army but is little changed. According to the 2006 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the People's Liberation Army should be "integrated into the security forces". This would mean that the revolutionary army would go out of existence; the contention has been over how that would happen. For the time being, some 19,000 PLA members have been living in UN-supervised camps, with their main weapons under UN-supervised lock and key.

Katawal has opposed allowing PLA commanders to retain their officer rank and PLA units to join the Nepal Army in bulk. In fact, he flatly stated that he would not allow the "politicized" PLA members into the Nepal Army, as if his army were any less politicized. As a result, there hasn't been the slightest "integration" of the two armies.

Instead of allowing PLA members into its ranks, the Nepal Army has been recruiting on its own. There have been at least three recruiting campaigns, all widely advertised in the media and carried out with public rallies, most recently in late 2008 and early 2009. In reaction, the UN envoy in charge of the peace process, Ian Martin, declared that any recruitment by either side was in violation of "the spirit and the letter" of Comprehensive Peace Agreements. (23 December 2008 press statement, cited by the International Crisis Group, "Nepal's Faltering Peace Process", 19 February 2009) Yet none of the foreign powers that have taken it on themselves to oversee the process have found this reason to complain. Instead, the general has held meetings with foreign ambassadors, or perhaps better said, foreign ambassadors have met with him, as if he were the real head of state.

Meanwhile, Prachanda's government hasn't been allowed any say about the army command. The current crisis began to come to a head earlier this year when the government refused to extend the terms of eight generals who had reached mandatory automatic retirement age. (The king had often extended terms, in a gesture that made them even more beholden to him.) Katawal ignored the Defence Minister and reinstated the generals anyway. In March the Supreme Court suspended the Defence Minister's decision.

In mid-April, the government formally asked Katawal for "clarification" as to why he violated its orders on three issues: the recruitment drives, the eight retired generals, and, in a gesture whose only purpose was to provoke, the Army's withdrawal from the National Games between various branches of the military and police, because it refused to play in an athletic competition against teams made up of its former enemies, members of the People's Liberation Army. The general was given 24 hours to reply; two weeks later, Prachanda's cabinet voted to sack him.
The general and the "international community"The general's defiance is not simply a particular character trait or the residue of his lifetime of royalist training. Whatever his personal desires may be, he has been told to stand firm by greater powers.

The Nepal Army's "strongest international ally, India," as the well-informed International Crisis Group wrote in its February 19 report, "shares most of its concerns over integration and can be relied upon to resist any steps that appear to threaten its existing structure and culture." The Brussels-based ICG is a consulting organization run by former Western heads of state, their advisers and other people they've trusted. When they say, "rely on India", they mean exactly that: the interests of Indian expansionism are what the imperialist powers are relying on.
But the major imperialist states and other powers have done more than that. They've intervened directly on the political level.

During the period of political crisis when the UCPN(M) was proposing that the general be fired and its coalition partners were wavering, "envoys from eight countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, India, China and Japan reached the PM's residency to discuss the issue collectively. The meeting is undergoing where Finance Minister Baburam Bhattarai is also present. The international community has expressed dissatisfaction on the government move to sack the army chief, saying it would hamper the peace process." (Nepalnews.com, 12 April). How does asserting civilian control over the army "hamper the peace process"? Isn't this really a reminder that the "international community", like Nepal's domestic reactionaries, intends for the monopoly of the means of armed violence to lie in the hands of people they can trust to serve their interests? In fact, isn't this an implicit threat of violence against the UCPN(M) if it doesn't behave as wished?

Following that "collective discussion" held in the most unconcealed gangster style, the Indian ambassador returned to New Delhi for consultations, and "warned that the current Maoist-led coalition would be overturned within days if the government ousted the army chief. Reports also say, the Indian foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee also telephoned UML chairman Jhala Nath Khanal and told him not to support the Maoists's plan to oust the CoAS [chief of army staff Katawal]." (Nepalnews.com, 25 April) Later a UML leader was to announce that while the civilian government had "a right to ask for explanation from its army chief for defying its order, 'it did so with wrong intentions.'" (Nepalnews.com, 1 May)

The U.S. sent its own unmistakable signal: on 30 April, as the political crisis in Nepal reached a crescendo, the U.S. State Department released a statement declaring that the UCPN (M) would remain on its official list of terrorist organisations (Terrorist Exclusion List), despite the end of the people's war and the Maoist electoral victory.

The pretext was alleged violent acts by the party's Young Communist League. Of course, the U.S. is now waging two wars of occupation, with the Iraq war being illegal according to "international community" UN rules, and the Afghanistan war merely criminal in human, moral terms. So it is hardly in a position to condemn anyone else for alleged petty violence. Further, when did it protest the massive crimes of General Katawal's army? But it should at least be noted that similar charges have been levelled against the UML's youth organisation without that provoking international condemnation. The point was that the "boss of all bosses", the gangster-in-chief of the "international community", the Obama government, had spoken.