Top Stories
High Radiation Levels Found Close to North Korea, South Says
Unusually high levels of radiation were detected close to the North Korean border in May not long after Pyongyang declared that it had successfully created a nuclear fusion reaction, the South Korean Science Ministry announced today (see GSN, June 17). ...Full Story
Iran Bans Two IAEA Inspectors, Citing False Reports
Iran has banned two International Atomic Energy Agency officials from its territory for allegedly providing false information to the U.N. nuclear watchdog on Tehran's nuclear activities, Reuters reported today (see GSN, June 18). ...Full Story
India to Resist China-Pakistan Reactor Plan, Officials Assert
High-level Indian officials said their country would seek to halt China's bid to construct two new nuclear power reactors in Pakistan, the Times of India reported yesterday (see GSN, June 17). ...Full Story
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TERRORISM
Pakistani-U.S. Assaults Draining al-Qaeda, Envoy Says...Full Story
WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
South Korea Looks to Boost Role in Anti-WMD Campaign...Full Story
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Myanmar Denies Nuclear Program to IAEA...Full Story
BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS
University Biodefense Lab Opens in Virginia...Full Story
CHEMICAL WEAPONS
Anniston Chemical Weapons Disposal Approaches Completion...Full Story
MISSILE PROLIFERATION
Iran Lashes U.S. Over Missile Remark...Full Story
http://co111w.col111.mail.live.com/default.aspx?rru=inbox&wa=wsignin1.0
Showing posts with label Economic Costs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Economic Costs. Show all posts
12:56 PM
4:54 AM
Transparency International news
International: E.U. agrees to publish results of stress tests on biggest banks
International Herald Tribune
International: Task force to take on Afghan corruption
Wall Street Journal
International: UK aid for foreign schools 'gets disappointing results'
BBC
Malaysia: More transparency, governance and integrity needed in government contracting, says TI-M
Bernama (TI mention)
Serbia: Serbia: Roundtables on fight against corruption
Balkan Insight (TI mention)
USA: Authorities reveal mortgage fraud crackdown, 485 arrests
Reuters
-- News from the TI movement
Climate change matters now: leading experts will meet in Berlin this week to discuss climate governance risks
Asset recovery in the dock: TI France President Daniel Lebègue explains the organisation's work in promoting the recovery of stolen assets
International Herald Tribune
International: Task force to take on Afghan corruption
Wall Street Journal
International: UK aid for foreign schools 'gets disappointing results'
BBC
Malaysia: More transparency, governance and integrity needed in government contracting, says TI-M
Bernama (TI mention)
Serbia: Serbia: Roundtables on fight against corruption
Balkan Insight (TI mention)
USA: Authorities reveal mortgage fraud crackdown, 485 arrests
Reuters
-- News from the TI movement
Climate change matters now: leading experts will meet in Berlin this week to discuss climate governance risks
Asset recovery in the dock: TI France President Daniel Lebègue explains the organisation's work in promoting the recovery of stolen assets
4:51 AM
Global security news
Friday, June 18, 2010
Global Security Newswire is now available: http://www.nti.org
Print All Articles
RSS
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Top Stories
U.S. Cabinet Officials Deny Report of Secret Deal to Limit Missile Defenses
By Martin Matishak
Global Secuirty Newswire
WASHINGTON -- Senior Obama administration officials yesterday strongly denied a news report that the United States is brokering a clandestine agreement with Russia to limit missile defense deployments in the wake of negotiating the replacement to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (see GSN, June 17). ...Full Story
Iran Threatens Proliferation "Wave," Medvedev Warns
The emergence of a nuclear-armed Iran would prompt "a wave" of neighboring countries to scramble for their own atomic arsenals, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told the Wall Street Journal in remarks published today (see GSN, June 17). ...Full Story
Suspect Indicted Over Times Square Bomb Plot
A federal grand jury in New York yesterday indicted on 10 counts the man accused of attempting to bomb the city's Times Square on May 1, Reuters reported (see GSN, May 19). ...Full Story
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WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
Firm Wins $9.1M in Contracts for WMD Detector Work...Full Story
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Pakistan a Responsible Nuclear Power, Official Asserts...Full Story
Saudi Arabia Could Enrich Uranium, Adviser Says...Full Story
Japan, U.S. Reaffirm Invalidity of Okinawa Nukes Accord...Full Story
CHEMICAL WEAPONS
Army Shutters Empty Indiana Chemical Weapons Depot...Full Story
MISSILE PROLIFERATION
India Conducts Successful Missile Test...Full Story
MISSILE DEFENSE
Romania, U.S. Begin Missile Defense Dialogue...Full Story
Lockheed Takes Second Shot at Missile Defense Contract...Full Story
Global Security Newswire is now available: http://www.nti.org
Print All Articles
RSS
>> Please take a GSN subscriber survey
Top Stories
U.S. Cabinet Officials Deny Report of Secret Deal to Limit Missile Defenses
By Martin Matishak
Global Secuirty Newswire
WASHINGTON -- Senior Obama administration officials yesterday strongly denied a news report that the United States is brokering a clandestine agreement with Russia to limit missile defense deployments in the wake of negotiating the replacement to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (see GSN, June 17). ...Full Story
Iran Threatens Proliferation "Wave," Medvedev Warns
The emergence of a nuclear-armed Iran would prompt "a wave" of neighboring countries to scramble for their own atomic arsenals, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told the Wall Street Journal in remarks published today (see GSN, June 17). ...Full Story
Suspect Indicted Over Times Square Bomb Plot
A federal grand jury in New York yesterday indicted on 10 counts the man accused of attempting to bomb the city's Times Square on May 1, Reuters reported (see GSN, May 19). ...Full Story
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
Firm Wins $9.1M in Contracts for WMD Detector Work...Full Story
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Pakistan a Responsible Nuclear Power, Official Asserts...Full Story
Saudi Arabia Could Enrich Uranium, Adviser Says...Full Story
Japan, U.S. Reaffirm Invalidity of Okinawa Nukes Accord...Full Story
CHEMICAL WEAPONS
Army Shutters Empty Indiana Chemical Weapons Depot...Full Story
MISSILE PROLIFERATION
India Conducts Successful Missile Test...Full Story
MISSILE DEFENSE
Romania, U.S. Begin Missile Defense Dialogue...Full Story
Lockheed Takes Second Shot at Missile Defense Contract...Full Story
4:43 AM
Naxal problem and Defence usage
Naxal problem not an armed conflict: India to UNSCUnited Nations: India has strongly protested the inclusion of Naxal issue under the realm of an "armed conflict" in a UN report, saying the violence being perpetrated by these groups does not make it a zone of armed conflict as defined by international law. Referring to the recent UN report that deals with 'Ch ....Read more
CommentsPost comment1 Comments |Naxals and United Nations Security Council
By: B Rajaram | Friday , 18 Jun '10 21:43:17 PM Reply | Forward
After the Kashmir case, now moves are afoot to make the entire North South corridor in to a case of armed conflict and may be international peace forces headed by Chinese army will descend to bring in peace. After all Government wanted to bring in army to control and so it qualifies for a civil war, I guess. We have enough friends both within and outside to help internationalise the issue, to give the finishing touch to breaking of India. China will get support from both USA and Russia now.Pakistan any way is their staunch ally. A disturbed region helps arms trade. Hope India wakes up from their stupor and sees the country beyond the SENSEX.
http://www.indianexpress.com/comments/naxal-problem-not-an-armed-conflict-india-to-unsc/635581/
CommentsPost comment1 Comments |Naxals and United Nations Security Council
By: B Rajaram | Friday , 18 Jun '10 21:43:17 PM Reply | Forward
After the Kashmir case, now moves are afoot to make the entire North South corridor in to a case of armed conflict and may be international peace forces headed by Chinese army will descend to bring in peace. After all Government wanted to bring in army to control and so it qualifies for a civil war, I guess. We have enough friends both within and outside to help internationalise the issue, to give the finishing touch to breaking of India. China will get support from both USA and Russia now.Pakistan any way is their staunch ally. A disturbed region helps arms trade. Hope India wakes up from their stupor and sees the country beyond the SENSEX.
http://www.indianexpress.com/comments/naxal-problem-not-an-armed-conflict-india-to-unsc/635581/
4:19 AM
Interview on Afghanisthan and Pakistan
Two recent interviews with the great Kathy Kelly on escalating US killing of people in afghanistan and pakistan, and growing calls from the UN and the locally affected for the US to pull back and/or withdraw.
June 10: http://www.democracynow.org/2010/6/10/peace_activist_kathy_kelly_on_the
(transcript below)
June 14: http://www.flashpoints.net/?p=1103 (first guest tonight on Flashpoints)
Peace Activist Kathy Kelly on the Secret US War in Pakistan
Kathy-kelly (from Democracy Now, 6/10/2010)
In Pakistan, where the undeclared US war continues to expand, armed fighters attacked a convoy carrying military vehicles for NATO forces in Afghanistan, torching fifty trucks, killing seven, and injuring another seven. Last week, a senior United Nations official formally asked the Obama administration to halt or scale back CIA drone strikes on alleged militant suspects in Pakistan. For a perspective on what US policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan looks like on the ground, were joined here in New York by longtime activist Kathy Kelly. She just returned from a trip to Pakistan and Afghanistan, where she met with those she describes as "the impoverished and war-weary." [includes rush transcript]
Guest:
Kathy Kelly, coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence. She just returned from a trip to Pakistan and Afghanistan.
JUAN GONZALEZ: The US-led war in Afghanistan is now in its 104th month. Its become the longest war in US history.
At least forty people were killed and seventy-seven injured by a suicide bomb attack on a wedding party in southern Afghanistan on Thursday. On Wednesday, insurgents shot down a NATO helicopter in Helmand province and killed four US soldiers. Meanwhile, in neighboring Pakistan, where the undeclared US war continues to expand, armed fighters attacked a convoy carrying military vehicles for NATO forces in Afghanistan, torching fifty trucks, killing seven, and injuring another seven.
Last week, a senior United Nations official formally asked the Obama administration to halt or scale back CIA drone attacks on alleged militant suspects in Pakistan. In a report to the UN Human Rights Council, Philip Alston, the United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said US secrecy around the drone program is undermining international law.
PHILIP ALSTON: Because this program remains shrouded in official secrecy, the international community does not know when and where the CIA is authorized to kill, the criteria for individuals who may be killed, how it ensures killings are legal, and what follow-up there is when civilians are illegally killed. In a situation in which there is no disclosure of who has been killed, for what reason, and whether innocent civilians have died, the legal principle of international accountability is, by definition, comprehensively violated.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, for a perspective on what US policy towards Afghanistan and Pakistan looks like on the ground, were joined here in New York by longtime activist Kathy Kelly. She just returned from a trip to Pakistan and Afghanistan, where she met with those she describes as "the impoverished and the war-weary." Kathy Kelly is coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence.
Welcome to Democracy Now!, Kathy. Its good to have you back. Talk about what you found.
KATHY KELLY: Thank you, Amy and Juan.
In Pakistan, there were people who were holding out hope that a budget that was going to be passed, which has been passed since I returned to the United States a few days ago, might make some possibility for them to feed their families. And in fact the money went to increase salaries for the police, for the military. But there will be millions of people very, very disappointed and among the newly destitute in Pakistan.
So when the United States had earlier said, "Do more," you know, it seems as though weve turned the country into a poorly paid mercenary used again and again as a proxy for fighting for United States national interests. But what about the interests of people that are beaten down by terrible poverty? This was one reality that was certainly evident when we went last year at about this time, and there were 3.5 million new refugees who had been displaced from their homes by military offensives. And now, no journalist is allowed to go into the areas around North and South Waziristan. Theres not really much knowledge about the conditions amongst people who have been displaced.
And also, you just get maybe twelve words about every drone attack and the presumption on the part of the United States that anybody who lived in any proximity to somebody the United States thinks might be a militant deserved to die. Well, why would a child deserve to be mutilated or killed, just because he or she is living with the mother and the father and the grandparents and the rest of the family?
JUAN GONZALEZ: And what did youwhat were you able to notice in terms of a change since your last visit to Pakistan, in terms of the conditions of the people that you were able to talk to?
KATHY KELLY: Well, I mean, one thing that was obvious to me was that the last year when I was there, people were very, very cautious, saying, "Oh, you cant possibly go anywhere near that area. No, you cant go there." And while its true that no one can go in the areas closest to North and South Waziristan, I think people have been so traumatized, so accustomed to the random impact of bombings in their cities, that they just said, "Oh, yeah, take the public bus." There wasnt that kind of anxiety or caution.
I also felt that the "load shedding"is the word thats used to refer to the electrical outagesits worse this year than it was last year. And this has taken its toll on people. Just, for instance, the textile industry cant function if their factories are closed down with eight hours loss of electricity every day. And so the numbers of people that are jobless, homeless, and out on the streets and willing to demonstrate, which is very risky to do in a country with so much military control. But we spent a long time sitting with the Pakistani Clerks Association, who were out demonstrating. They were in their third month. Students were in their tenth day of demonstrating, saying that they had all been summarily dismissed from their jobs, and what would they do? So this, by no means, is coalescing into something youd call a revolution, but the pressure is on from in every city. In many different quarters, people are saying that they cant continue like this.
JUAN GONZALEZ: And the big IMF aid package that Pakistan got, talk about that and the strings attached to it.
KATHY KELLY: Well, the main string is the value added tax. People are already paying 15 to 17 percent sales taxes, and now, on top of that, a new tax. Its less evident, but in fact people are quite aware of what the consequences are going to be, and so there are many, many protests against that. And repeatedly, people said, "Just tell the IMF to go, tell the World Bank to go." But, of course, they dont have much of a democratic representation. And the military in Pakistan controls the sugar industry, the textiles industry, pharmaceuticals industry. Theyre huge land owners, and so its very difficult to negotiate for something that the military doesnt want, and of course the military is in conversation with the United States.
AMY GOODMAN: We only have a minute left, but how do Pakistanis and people in Afghanistan view President Obama versus President Bush?
KATHY KELLY: Tremendous disappointment. I think that in Afghanistan people dont want their invaders to be dictating their future in collusion with the warlord agents that are people that they havent been able to control. But I think there was some hope that President Obama would initiate a readiness to negotiate, to look for peaceful settlements, and not to continue to send more and more armed soldiers into their midst.
AMY GOODMAN: Final thoughts that you want to leave people with, as youve just returned, that you didnt get from the media in the United States before you left?
KATHY KELLY: Well, the United States is at war against a people who have meant us no harm, and they are the ones who are bearing the brunt every single day of a war for which we are responsible, for which we are paying. So it must become part of the discussion within the United States. And as Juan mentioned, were now looking toward the ninth year of warfare against Afghanistan. People deserve negotiation and peace.
AMY GOODMAN: Kathy Kelly, thanks so much for being with us, coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence.
June 10: http://www.democracynow.org/2010/6/10/peace_activist_kathy_kelly_on_the
(transcript below)
June 14: http://www.flashpoints.net/?p=1103 (first guest tonight on Flashpoints)
Peace Activist Kathy Kelly on the Secret US War in Pakistan
Kathy-kelly (from Democracy Now, 6/10/2010)
In Pakistan, where the undeclared US war continues to expand, armed fighters attacked a convoy carrying military vehicles for NATO forces in Afghanistan, torching fifty trucks, killing seven, and injuring another seven. Last week, a senior United Nations official formally asked the Obama administration to halt or scale back CIA drone strikes on alleged militant suspects in Pakistan. For a perspective on what US policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan looks like on the ground, were joined here in New York by longtime activist Kathy Kelly. She just returned from a trip to Pakistan and Afghanistan, where she met with those she describes as "the impoverished and war-weary." [includes rush transcript]
Guest:
Kathy Kelly, coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence. She just returned from a trip to Pakistan and Afghanistan.
JUAN GONZALEZ: The US-led war in Afghanistan is now in its 104th month. Its become the longest war in US history.
At least forty people were killed and seventy-seven injured by a suicide bomb attack on a wedding party in southern Afghanistan on Thursday. On Wednesday, insurgents shot down a NATO helicopter in Helmand province and killed four US soldiers. Meanwhile, in neighboring Pakistan, where the undeclared US war continues to expand, armed fighters attacked a convoy carrying military vehicles for NATO forces in Afghanistan, torching fifty trucks, killing seven, and injuring another seven.
Last week, a senior United Nations official formally asked the Obama administration to halt or scale back CIA drone attacks on alleged militant suspects in Pakistan. In a report to the UN Human Rights Council, Philip Alston, the United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said US secrecy around the drone program is undermining international law.
PHILIP ALSTON: Because this program remains shrouded in official secrecy, the international community does not know when and where the CIA is authorized to kill, the criteria for individuals who may be killed, how it ensures killings are legal, and what follow-up there is when civilians are illegally killed. In a situation in which there is no disclosure of who has been killed, for what reason, and whether innocent civilians have died, the legal principle of international accountability is, by definition, comprehensively violated.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, for a perspective on what US policy towards Afghanistan and Pakistan looks like on the ground, were joined here in New York by longtime activist Kathy Kelly. She just returned from a trip to Pakistan and Afghanistan, where she met with those she describes as "the impoverished and the war-weary." Kathy Kelly is coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence.
Welcome to Democracy Now!, Kathy. Its good to have you back. Talk about what you found.
KATHY KELLY: Thank you, Amy and Juan.
In Pakistan, there were people who were holding out hope that a budget that was going to be passed, which has been passed since I returned to the United States a few days ago, might make some possibility for them to feed their families. And in fact the money went to increase salaries for the police, for the military. But there will be millions of people very, very disappointed and among the newly destitute in Pakistan.
So when the United States had earlier said, "Do more," you know, it seems as though weve turned the country into a poorly paid mercenary used again and again as a proxy for fighting for United States national interests. But what about the interests of people that are beaten down by terrible poverty? This was one reality that was certainly evident when we went last year at about this time, and there were 3.5 million new refugees who had been displaced from their homes by military offensives. And now, no journalist is allowed to go into the areas around North and South Waziristan. Theres not really much knowledge about the conditions amongst people who have been displaced.
And also, you just get maybe twelve words about every drone attack and the presumption on the part of the United States that anybody who lived in any proximity to somebody the United States thinks might be a militant deserved to die. Well, why would a child deserve to be mutilated or killed, just because he or she is living with the mother and the father and the grandparents and the rest of the family?
JUAN GONZALEZ: And what did youwhat were you able to notice in terms of a change since your last visit to Pakistan, in terms of the conditions of the people that you were able to talk to?
KATHY KELLY: Well, I mean, one thing that was obvious to me was that the last year when I was there, people were very, very cautious, saying, "Oh, you cant possibly go anywhere near that area. No, you cant go there." And while its true that no one can go in the areas closest to North and South Waziristan, I think people have been so traumatized, so accustomed to the random impact of bombings in their cities, that they just said, "Oh, yeah, take the public bus." There wasnt that kind of anxiety or caution.
I also felt that the "load shedding"is the word thats used to refer to the electrical outagesits worse this year than it was last year. And this has taken its toll on people. Just, for instance, the textile industry cant function if their factories are closed down with eight hours loss of electricity every day. And so the numbers of people that are jobless, homeless, and out on the streets and willing to demonstrate, which is very risky to do in a country with so much military control. But we spent a long time sitting with the Pakistani Clerks Association, who were out demonstrating. They were in their third month. Students were in their tenth day of demonstrating, saying that they had all been summarily dismissed from their jobs, and what would they do? So this, by no means, is coalescing into something youd call a revolution, but the pressure is on from in every city. In many different quarters, people are saying that they cant continue like this.
JUAN GONZALEZ: And the big IMF aid package that Pakistan got, talk about that and the strings attached to it.
KATHY KELLY: Well, the main string is the value added tax. People are already paying 15 to 17 percent sales taxes, and now, on top of that, a new tax. Its less evident, but in fact people are quite aware of what the consequences are going to be, and so there are many, many protests against that. And repeatedly, people said, "Just tell the IMF to go, tell the World Bank to go." But, of course, they dont have much of a democratic representation. And the military in Pakistan controls the sugar industry, the textiles industry, pharmaceuticals industry. Theyre huge land owners, and so its very difficult to negotiate for something that the military doesnt want, and of course the military is in conversation with the United States.
AMY GOODMAN: We only have a minute left, but how do Pakistanis and people in Afghanistan view President Obama versus President Bush?
KATHY KELLY: Tremendous disappointment. I think that in Afghanistan people dont want their invaders to be dictating their future in collusion with the warlord agents that are people that they havent been able to control. But I think there was some hope that President Obama would initiate a readiness to negotiate, to look for peaceful settlements, and not to continue to send more and more armed soldiers into their midst.
AMY GOODMAN: Final thoughts that you want to leave people with, as youve just returned, that you didnt get from the media in the United States before you left?
KATHY KELLY: Well, the United States is at war against a people who have meant us no harm, and they are the ones who are bearing the brunt every single day of a war for which we are responsible, for which we are paying. So it must become part of the discussion within the United States. And as Juan mentioned, were now looking toward the ninth year of warfare against Afghanistan. People deserve negotiation and peace.
AMY GOODMAN: Kathy Kelly, thanks so much for being with us, coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence.
4:14 AM
PPJC events and contributions
Peter Beinart - Senior Fellow, New America Foundation
The Icarus Syndrome: A History of American Hubris
Thursday, June 23, 7:30 PM
Unitarian Universalist Church, 505 E. Charleston Road, Palo Alto
$5 ~ $15 suggested donation Advance tickets available online
Click here for complete details
Free Monthly Forum / TV Show
Giants in Turmoil: India & China Confront Social Turmoil
Tuesday, July 6, 7:00 PM
Community Media Center, 900 San Antonio Road, Palo Alto
Free and open to all
Click here for complete details
Cuba Caravan Sendoff - Fiesta & Potluck
End the blockade of Cuba!
Friday, July 9, 6:00 PM
Unitarian Unviersalist Fellowship
2124 Brewster, Redwood City
Free and open to all - Make a contribution to support the caravan
Click here for complete details
Robert Scheer - Legendary journalist, author
The Great American Stickup: Greedy Bankers & the Politicans who Love Them
Saturday, September 11, 7:30 PM
Unitarian Universalist Church, 505 E. Charleston Road, Palo Alto
$7 ~ $15 suggested donation
Click here for complete details
Robert Fisk - Renowned British foreign correspondent
Lies, Misreporting, and Catastrophes in the Middle East
Saturday, September 25, 7:30 PM
First Presbyterian Church, 1140 Cowper Street, Palo Alto
$12 ~ $25 suggested donation
The Icarus Syndrome: A History of American Hubris
Thursday, June 23, 7:30 PM
Unitarian Universalist Church, 505 E. Charleston Road, Palo Alto
$5 ~ $15 suggested donation Advance tickets available online
Click here for complete details
Free Monthly Forum / TV Show
Giants in Turmoil: India & China Confront Social Turmoil
Tuesday, July 6, 7:00 PM
Community Media Center, 900 San Antonio Road, Palo Alto
Free and open to all
Click here for complete details
Cuba Caravan Sendoff - Fiesta & Potluck
End the blockade of Cuba!
Friday, July 9, 6:00 PM
Unitarian Unviersalist Fellowship
2124 Brewster, Redwood City
Free and open to all - Make a contribution to support the caravan
Click here for complete details
Robert Scheer - Legendary journalist, author
The Great American Stickup: Greedy Bankers & the Politicans who Love Them
Saturday, September 11, 7:30 PM
Unitarian Universalist Church, 505 E. Charleston Road, Palo Alto
$7 ~ $15 suggested donation
Click here for complete details
Robert Fisk - Renowned British foreign correspondent
Lies, Misreporting, and Catastrophes in the Middle East
Saturday, September 25, 7:30 PM
First Presbyterian Church, 1140 Cowper Street, Palo Alto
$12 ~ $25 suggested donation
4:12 AM
Peninsula Peace Justice Center
Upcoming programs from PPJC
Peter Beinart - Senior Fellow, New America Foundation
The Icarus Syndrome: A History of American Hubris
Thursday, June 23, 7:30 PM
Unitarian Universalist Church, 505 E. Charleston Road, Palo Alto
$5 ~ $15 suggested donation Advance tickets available online
Click here for complete details
Free Monthly Forum / TV Show
Giants in Turmoil: India & China Confront Social Turmoil
Tuesday, July 6, 7:00 PM
Community Media Center, 900 San Antonio Road, Palo Alto
Free and open to all
Click here for complete details
Cuba Caravan Sendoff - Fiesta & Potluck
End the blockade of Cuba!
Friday, July 9, 6:00 PM
Unitarian Unviersalist Fellowship
2124 Brewster, Redwood City
Free and open to all - Make a contribution to support the caravan
Click here for complete details
Robert Scheer - Legendary journalist, author
The Great American Stickup: Greedy Bankers & the Politicans who Love Them
Saturday, September 11, 7:30 PM
Unitarian Universalist Church, 505 E. Charleston Road, Palo Alto
$7 ~ $15 suggested donation
Click here for complete details
Robert Fisk - Renowned British foreign correspondent
Lies, Misreporting, and Catastrophes in the Middle East
Saturday, September 25, 7:30 PM
First Presbyterian Church, 1140 Cowper Street, Palo Alto
$12 ~ $25 suggested donation
Peter Beinart - Senior Fellow, New America Foundation
The Icarus Syndrome: A History of American Hubris
Thursday, June 23, 7:30 PM
Unitarian Universalist Church, 505 E. Charleston Road, Palo Alto
$5 ~ $15 suggested donation Advance tickets available online
Click here for complete details
Free Monthly Forum / TV Show
Giants in Turmoil: India & China Confront Social Turmoil
Tuesday, July 6, 7:00 PM
Community Media Center, 900 San Antonio Road, Palo Alto
Free and open to all
Click here for complete details
Cuba Caravan Sendoff - Fiesta & Potluck
End the blockade of Cuba!
Friday, July 9, 6:00 PM
Unitarian Unviersalist Fellowship
2124 Brewster, Redwood City
Free and open to all - Make a contribution to support the caravan
Click here for complete details
Robert Scheer - Legendary journalist, author
The Great American Stickup: Greedy Bankers & the Politicans who Love Them
Saturday, September 11, 7:30 PM
Unitarian Universalist Church, 505 E. Charleston Road, Palo Alto
$7 ~ $15 suggested donation
Click here for complete details
Robert Fisk - Renowned British foreign correspondent
Lies, Misreporting, and Catastrophes in the Middle East
Saturday, September 25, 7:30 PM
First Presbyterian Church, 1140 Cowper Street, Palo Alto
$12 ~ $25 suggested donation
4:09 AM
The Peace and Justice Community Calendar
Table of Contents (details follow):
PPJC-Sponsored Events
Wednesday 23-Jun - The Icarus Syndrome: A History of American Hubris
Tuesday 06-Jul - Free Forum: Global Giants India and China in Turmoil
Friday 09-Jul - Cuba Caravan 2010 - Fiesta & Potluck
Other Groups' Events
Saturday 19-Jun - Peace Picnic for Aung San Suu Kyi's Birthday
Saturday 19-Jun - Fundraiser for California People of Faith Working Against the Death Penalty
Sunday 20-Jun - Labor Community Picket of an Israeli Zim Line ship
Wednesday 23-Jun - International Day in Support of Victims of Torture - Film Screening of The Response
Wednesday 23-Jun - A Palestinian Epic, Mornings in Jenin
Thursday 24-Jun - Marylia Kelley on Achieving Nuclear Disarmament in the Age of Obama
Thursday 24-Jun - A Palestinian Epic, Mornings in Jenin
Sunday 27-Jun - Olympia Brown: Remarkable Suffragist
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PPJC Event Details
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter Beinart - The Icarus Syndrome: A History of American Hubris
Wednesday, June 23 2010 @ 07:30 PM
Unitarian Universalist Church
505 E. Charleston Road, Palo Alto
An author event with
PETER BEINART
Senior Political Writer for The Daily Beast // Associate Professor of Journalism and Political Science, City Univ. of New York // Senior Fellow, New America Foundation
$5 ~ $15 Sliding Scale / Wheelchair Accessible
Copies of "The Icarus Syndrome: A History of American Hubris" will be available for purchase and signing by the author.
hu·bris (hyu'bris) n. Overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance
In The Icarus Syndrome, Peter Beinart tells a tale as old as the Greeks -- a story about the seductions of success. Beinart describes Washington on the eve of three wars -- World War One, Vietnam, and Iraq -- three moments when American leaders decided they could remake the world in their image. Each time, leading intellectuals declared that history was over, and the spread of democracy was inevitable. Each time, a president held the nation in the palm of his hand. And each time, a war conceived in arrogance brought untold tragedy.
In dazzling color, Beinart portrays three extraordinary generations: the progressives who took America into World War I, led by Woodrow Wilson, the lonely preacher's son who became the closest thing to a political messiah the world had ever seen. The Camelot intellectuals who took America into Vietnam, led by Lyndon Johnson, who lay awake at night after night shaking with fear that his countrymen considered him weak. And George W. Bush and the post-cold war neoconservatives, the romantic bullies who believed they could bludgeon the Middle East and liberate it at the same time. Like Icarus, each of these generations crafted "wings" -- a theory about America's relationship to the world. They flapped carefully at first, but gradually lost their inhibitions until, giddy with success, they flew into the sun.
But every era also brought new leaders and thinkers who found wisdom in pain. They reconciled American optimism -- our belief that anything is possible -- with the realities of a world that will never fully bend to our will. In their struggles lie the seeds of American renewal today. Based on years of research, The Icarus Syndrome is a provocative and strikingly original account of hubris in the American century -- and how we learn from the tragedies that result.
Peter Beinart is associate professor of journalism and political science at the City University of New York and a senior fellow at the New America Foundation. He is the senior political writer for The Daily Beast and a contributor to Time. Beinart is a former fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and is the author of The Good Fight. He lives with his family in Washington, D.C.
Presented by
Peninsula Peace and Justice www.PeaceandJustice.org
and
The Commonwealth Club www.commonwealthclub.org
Event URL: http://peaceandjustice.org/article.php?story=Icarus_Syndrome_June_23
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Free Forum: Global Giants India and China in Turmoil
Tuesday, July 06 2010 @ 07:00 PM
Community Media Center
900 San Antonio Road, Palo Alto
Global Giants in Turmoil: China and India confront growing popular upsurges amid growing government repression
A conversation with Robert Weil and Dave Pugh
Political Analysts, Activists
The broiling social situation in China is much in the news these days. This month's forum will examine both China's internal conditions and its relations with the U.S. and globally. Despite its ability to get through the current economic crisis relatively better than most, new weaknesses have been exposed, and its ability to maintain a "harmonious society" are under growing challenge. Though its relationship to the U.S. waxes and wanes, there are also deepening contradictions there.
The situation in India is even more explosive, with a full blown revolutionary struggle -- which calls itself "Maoist" --taking place in the heart of the country. There has been little attention paid to this in the U.S. -- despite its growing ties with the Indian establishment, in part to counter the Chinese. Also little reported is India's "Green Hunt" campaign, which is devastating the civilian population as the Army attempts to shut down the rebel insurgency.
------------------------------------------
Arundhati Roy: Walking with the Comrades
The antagonists in the forest are disparate and unequal in almost every way. On one side is a massive paramilitary force armed with the money, the firepower, the media, and the hubris of an emerging Superpower.
On the other, ordinary villagers armed with traditional weapons, backed by a superbly organized, hugely motivated Maoist guerilla fighting force with an extraordinary and violent history of armed rebellion. The Maoists and the paramilitary are old adversaries and have fought older avatars of each other several times before...
------------------------------------------
Our guests are both longtime political activists and analsysts who have spent substantial time recently in India and previously in China. Weil is the author of "Red Cat, White Cat: China and the Contradictions of 'Market Socialism'".
Free and open to all. Wheelchair accessible.
Simultaneous live TV broadcast on cable channel 27, Mid-Peninsula area.
Simultaneous live Internet webcast at the Community Media Center's website:
http://www.midpenmedia.org/watch/stream/ (select channel 27)
Event URL: http://peaceandjustice.org/article.php?story=OtherVoices_July_6_2010
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cuba Caravan 2010 - Fiesta & Potluck
Friday, July 09 2010 @ 06:00 PM
Social Hall, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
2124 Brewster, Redwood City
Bring a potluck dish to share! Live music! Speakers!
Cuba Caravan 2010 - End the blockade of Cuba!
Here's how you can help this year's "Friendshipment" to Cuba...
1. Make a donation to help with the costs of the caravan.
You can make a secure donation through our online store using your credit card or PayPal. http://bit.ly/bKNraX
2. Donate material aid to go on the caravan to Cuba. (Follow the URL in this listing for info on donating material aid.)
Bring a potluck dish to share! Live music! Speakers!
Sponsored by Peninsula Peace and Justice Center & the Social Action Committee of UU Fellowship Redwood City
Many of us hoped that President Obama's election would bring about some changes in many aspects of US policy -- including the ending of the illegal, immoral, and internationally condemned US economic blockade against Cuba. By now, a year has passed: but the fundamental mechanisms of the blockade remain in full force, with just a few small exceptions. Cuban-Americans are now allowed to more freely visit their families, several cultural exchanges have been allowed, and some bilateral talks have resumed.
But Cuba is still deemed an 'enemy' under the Trading with the Enemies Act. Sales of US products to Cuba are still severely restricted, and sales of Cuban products to the US are absolutely forbidden. Banks and businesses in other countries are still harassed for doing business with Cuba. The travel ban on US citizens visiting Cuba remains.
This cruel and immoral blockade has been in place almost 50 years, and has outlasted 10 US presidents.
Make a donation to help with the costs of the caravan. You can make a secure donation through our online store using your credit card or PayPal. Click here: http://bit.ly/bKNraX
WE HAVE TO STEP UP THE PRESSURE to guarantee that it finally will end under the current president.
Cuba is still, outrageously, on the list of nations that supposedly sponsor terrorism. Meanwhile, bills in Congress to ease restrictions on travel to Cuba have stalled. NOW is the time to completely end the blockade, the travel ban, and all the measures aimed at starving the Cuban people into submission and overthrowing their government. Our US/Cuba Friendshipment Caravan is one of our ways of demonstrating that we will no longer tolerate this cruel blockade!
In July 2010 the Pastors for Peace caravan will travel in school buses, trucks and cars along 13 different routes, visiting 130 US and Canadian cities. At every stop we will educate people about the blockade while collecting construction supplies and tools, medical supplies and equipment, educational and cultural supplies, to be donated to our sisters and brothers in Cuba.
Make a donation to help with the costs of the caravan. You can make a secure donation through our online store using your credit card or PayPal. http://bit.ly/bKNraX
Event URL: http://peaceandjustice.org/article.php/Cuba_Caravan2010
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other Groups' Event Details
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peace Picnic for Aung San Suu Kyi's Birthday
Saturday, June 19 2010 @ 11:00 AM
Mitchell Park - Pine Grove Area
600 E Meadow, Palo Alto
65th birthday celebration of only imprisoned Nobel Peace (1991) Laureate, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
We would be honored to have your organization representatives, your friends and families join us on this special occasion and be a part of our BAWA family. American Muslim Voice is co-sponsoring this event.
This year, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is spending her 65th birthday under house arrest again. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the imprisoned Nobel Peace Laureate and 2008 Congressional Gold Medal recipient is one of the world's most renowned freedom fighters and advocates of nonviolence.
She is the symbol of peace & democracy and beacon of hope for people all over the world who are suffering under oppression and injustice.
We will celebrate and honor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all the brave women of Burma on Burma's Women's Day. We will also build friendships with people of all faiths/ background to promote peace, justice and understanding.
The Celebration Will Feature:
> A Multi-Faith Prayer Vigil in Various Religious Traditions
> Award Ceremony for Community Service & Human Rights Hero
> Traditional Cultural Performance
> Presentations, Essays/ Poetry readings about Peace by Youths
> Delicious Burmese food. But if you like bring some side dish to share.
This event is sponsored by Burmese American Women's Alliance / American Muslim Voice
Event URL: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=111306885579447
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fundraiser for California People of Faith Working Against the Death Penalty
Saturday, June 19 2010 @ 06:30 PM
Queen of Apostles Church Fr. Jim Misfud Community Center
4811 Moorpark Ave., San Jose
Please join CPF for an informative evening and special fundraiser to support the joint project, the 1000 Congregations Campaign. With Special Guests:
Sally Lieber - Former Speaker Pro Tem of the California Assembly
Darryl Stallworth - Former Alameda County Prosecutor
Refreshments: Wine and Cheese
RSVP to Terry McCaffrey, President, California People of Faith Working Against the Death Penalty at Tel: 650-324-7517, Mobile: 408-515-0341, or Email: terrymc@igc.org
Event URL: http://www.californiapeopleoffaith.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Labor Community Picket of an Israeli Zim Line ship
Sunday, June 20 2010 @ 05:30 AM
Port of Oakland, Berth 57
Middle Harbor Road, Oakland
Join the Labor and Community Picket of an Israeli Zim Line Ship-Oakland
Protest Israel's Attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla! Boycott Israeli Ships and Goods! Lift the Blockade NOW - Let Gaza Live! Bring Down Israel's Apartheid Wall!
Unions, labor federations and other organizations around the world have condemned Israel's deadly attack against the Gaza Freedom Flotilla on May 31. Nine people were killed and dozens seriously injured in the Israeli commando attack in international waters on ships attempting to bring humanitarian cargo to the suffering and blockaded people of Gaza. Six people aboard the ships are still missing and presumed dead.
The Israeli attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla was a blatant act of piracy on the high seas. No Israeli ship should now be allowed to carry on trading activity any where in the world without facing picket lines, protests and embargo. Dock workers in several countries including South Africa, Norway, Sweden and Malaysia have declared that they will refuse to handle Israeli cargo in the coming weeks.
Everyone who stands for justice and against occupation and apartheid should join the June 20 picket at the Port of Oakland. This is a moment of great opportunity. In San Francisco in 1984, a picket line and refusal to unload cargo of a ship carrying South African cargo was a key event in mobilizing the anti-apartheid movement worldwide.
Sponsored by: Labor / Community Committee in Solidarity with the People of Palestine: Arab American Union Members Council, ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), Palestine Youth Network, US Palestine Community Network, Al Awda- Right to Return Coalition, Arab Youth Organization, MECA-Middle East Children's Alliance, Students for Justice in Palestine, Arab Resource and Organizing Center, International Solidarity Movement, San Jose Peace and Justice Center, International Socialist Organization, Peace and Freedom Party - SF, Transport Workers Solidarity Committee and many labor activists in the Bay Area (list in formation)
Event URL: http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/06/14/18650718.php
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Day in Support of Victims of Torture - Film Screening of The Response
Wednesday, June 23 2010 @ 06:00 PM
Amnesty International, SF Office
350 Sansome St, #210, San Francisco
The International Day in Support of Victims of Torture (June 26), enacted by the United Nations, is a day to observe what is being done and what still needs to be done to help survivors rebuild their lives and to end torture. Join Survivors International (http://www.survivorsintl.org/), Amnesty International (http://www.amnesty.org/) & Health Professionals Against Torture (http://www.hpatcoalition.org/) on June 23rd for a film screening!
The Response is a courtroom drama based on the actual transcripts of the Guantanamo Bay military tribunals. Read more about the film here: http://www.theresponsemovie.com/
We are also pleased to welcome Dr. Jess Ghannam as our speaker. Dr. Jess Ghannam is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Global Health Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco and is also Adjunct Professor of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University. Additionally, he has been working with the UC Berkeley Human Rights Center on a project evaluating the post-release health effects of detention in Guantanamo.
Refreshments will be provided!
This event is sponsored by Survivors International, Amnesty International & Health Professionals Against Torture
Event URL: http://www.survivorsintl.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Palestinian Epic, Mornings in Jenin
Wednesday, June 23 2010 @ 07:30 PM
Books Inc, Mt. View
301 Castro Street, Mt. View
Susan Abulhawa reads from her much acclaimed Palestinian epic, Mornings in Jenin. Meet Susan, get your own signed copy of her book.
This event is sponsored by Culture and Conflict Forum
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marylia Kelley on Achieving Nuclear Disarmament in the Age of Obama
Thursday, June 24 2010 @ 07:00 PM
Unitarian Universalists of San Mateo
300 E. Santa Inez, San Mateo
In April 2009, President Obama declared in Prague, "America's commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons." But he also said that the goal of nuclear disarmament "will not be reached quickly - perhaps not in my lifetime," and, "as long as these weapons exist the United States will maintain a safe, secure and effective arsenal..."
In April 2010, the central contradiction in Obama's Prague speech played out in his Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), which on one hand walks back the Bush NPR (partly) on when and against whom the U.S. would use nuclear bombs, and on the other hand fully embraces the Bush plan to "modernize" the nuclear weapons complex and arsenal.
Further, Senate Republicans have threatened to hold ratification of the new START treaty hostage to increased funding for "replacement" H-bombs and new weapons plants to produce them. And Obama's budget request for nuclear weapons activities exceeds the Bush budget - and the average U.S. spending on nuclear weapons during the Cold War, adjusted for inflation.
Will enhancing nuclear weapons research and production lead to nuclear abolition? What can we do to move a genuine disarmament agenda forward in the Obama Administration?
On Thursday, June 24, PASMC will present Marylia Kelley, Executive Director at Tri-Valley CAREs (Communities Against a Radioactive Environment), who will address the growing paradox of achieving nuclear abolition in the age of Obama. Marylia is well respected as a nuclear weapons and policy analyst and as a passionate advocate for disarmament, and she has recently returned from the NPT conference at the UN. She will share insights into national and international nuclear issues and stimulate our thinking on strategies needed to win concrete victories over the coming months.
The talk will take place in Beck Hall of the Unitarian Universalists of San Mateo. Admission is free and refreshments will be on hand. Beck Hall is wheelchair accessible.
MORE INFO: Email: smpa@sanmateopeaceaction.org Phone: 650-342-8244
This event is sponsored by Peace Action of San Mateo County
Event URL: http://www.sanmateopeaceaction.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Palestinian Epic, Mornings in Jenin
Thursday, June 24 2010 @ 07:00 PM
Arab Cultural and Community Center (ACCC)
2 Plaze Street, San Francisco
Susan Abulhawa reads from her much acclaimed Palestinian epic, Mornings in Jenin. Susan will discuss the Palestinian history and rights from a literary and personal perspective. Meet Susan, get your own signed copy of her book.
This event is sponsored by culture and conflict forum, arab community and culture center
Event URL: http://arabculturalcenter.org/events.html#mornings
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Olympia Brown: Remarkable Suffragist
Sunday, June 27 2010 @ 11:00 AM
Palo Alto High School - Student Center
50 Embarcadero Rd., Palo Alto
Meg Bowman, retired sociology professor from San Jose State University and author of many books on women's history, will lead a group of Humanist Community members in a dramatization of an interview with Olympia Brown (1835-1926), the only feminist leader of the 19th Century who survived to vote - when she was 85! Brown had a lifetime commitment to women's rights and was the first woman ordained as a Universalist minister, where she thundered in the pulpit!
This event is sponsored by Humanist Community in Silicon Valley
Event URL: http://www.humanists.org
The Peace and Justice Community Calendar
PPJC-Sponsored Events
Wednesday 23-Jun - The Icarus Syndrome: A History of American Hubris
Tuesday 06-Jul - Free Forum: Global Giants India and China in Turmoil
Friday 09-Jul - Cuba Caravan 2010 - Fiesta & Potluck
Other Groups' Events
Saturday 19-Jun - Peace Picnic for Aung San Suu Kyi's Birthday
Saturday 19-Jun - Fundraiser for California People of Faith Working Against the Death Penalty
Sunday 20-Jun - Labor Community Picket of an Israeli Zim Line ship
Wednesday 23-Jun - International Day in Support of Victims of Torture - Film Screening of The Response
Wednesday 23-Jun - A Palestinian Epic, Mornings in Jenin
Thursday 24-Jun - Marylia Kelley on Achieving Nuclear Disarmament in the Age of Obama
Thursday 24-Jun - A Palestinian Epic, Mornings in Jenin
Sunday 27-Jun - Olympia Brown: Remarkable Suffragist
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PPJC Event Details
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter Beinart - The Icarus Syndrome: A History of American Hubris
Wednesday, June 23 2010 @ 07:30 PM
Unitarian Universalist Church
505 E. Charleston Road, Palo Alto
An author event with
PETER BEINART
Senior Political Writer for The Daily Beast // Associate Professor of Journalism and Political Science, City Univ. of New York // Senior Fellow, New America Foundation
$5 ~ $15 Sliding Scale / Wheelchair Accessible
Copies of "The Icarus Syndrome: A History of American Hubris" will be available for purchase and signing by the author.
hu·bris (hyu'bris) n. Overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance
In The Icarus Syndrome, Peter Beinart tells a tale as old as the Greeks -- a story about the seductions of success. Beinart describes Washington on the eve of three wars -- World War One, Vietnam, and Iraq -- three moments when American leaders decided they could remake the world in their image. Each time, leading intellectuals declared that history was over, and the spread of democracy was inevitable. Each time, a president held the nation in the palm of his hand. And each time, a war conceived in arrogance brought untold tragedy.
In dazzling color, Beinart portrays three extraordinary generations: the progressives who took America into World War I, led by Woodrow Wilson, the lonely preacher's son who became the closest thing to a political messiah the world had ever seen. The Camelot intellectuals who took America into Vietnam, led by Lyndon Johnson, who lay awake at night after night shaking with fear that his countrymen considered him weak. And George W. Bush and the post-cold war neoconservatives, the romantic bullies who believed they could bludgeon the Middle East and liberate it at the same time. Like Icarus, each of these generations crafted "wings" -- a theory about America's relationship to the world. They flapped carefully at first, but gradually lost their inhibitions until, giddy with success, they flew into the sun.
But every era also brought new leaders and thinkers who found wisdom in pain. They reconciled American optimism -- our belief that anything is possible -- with the realities of a world that will never fully bend to our will. In their struggles lie the seeds of American renewal today. Based on years of research, The Icarus Syndrome is a provocative and strikingly original account of hubris in the American century -- and how we learn from the tragedies that result.
Peter Beinart is associate professor of journalism and political science at the City University of New York and a senior fellow at the New America Foundation. He is the senior political writer for The Daily Beast and a contributor to Time. Beinart is a former fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and is the author of The Good Fight. He lives with his family in Washington, D.C.
Presented by
Peninsula Peace and Justice www.PeaceandJustice.org
and
The Commonwealth Club www.commonwealthclub.org
Event URL: http://peaceandjustice.org/article.php?story=Icarus_Syndrome_June_23
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Free Forum: Global Giants India and China in Turmoil
Tuesday, July 06 2010 @ 07:00 PM
Community Media Center
900 San Antonio Road, Palo Alto
Global Giants in Turmoil: China and India confront growing popular upsurges amid growing government repression
A conversation with Robert Weil and Dave Pugh
Political Analysts, Activists
The broiling social situation in China is much in the news these days. This month's forum will examine both China's internal conditions and its relations with the U.S. and globally. Despite its ability to get through the current economic crisis relatively better than most, new weaknesses have been exposed, and its ability to maintain a "harmonious society" are under growing challenge. Though its relationship to the U.S. waxes and wanes, there are also deepening contradictions there.
The situation in India is even more explosive, with a full blown revolutionary struggle -- which calls itself "Maoist" --taking place in the heart of the country. There has been little attention paid to this in the U.S. -- despite its growing ties with the Indian establishment, in part to counter the Chinese. Also little reported is India's "Green Hunt" campaign, which is devastating the civilian population as the Army attempts to shut down the rebel insurgency.
------------------------------------------
Arundhati Roy: Walking with the Comrades
The antagonists in the forest are disparate and unequal in almost every way. On one side is a massive paramilitary force armed with the money, the firepower, the media, and the hubris of an emerging Superpower.
On the other, ordinary villagers armed with traditional weapons, backed by a superbly organized, hugely motivated Maoist guerilla fighting force with an extraordinary and violent history of armed rebellion. The Maoists and the paramilitary are old adversaries and have fought older avatars of each other several times before...
------------------------------------------
Our guests are both longtime political activists and analsysts who have spent substantial time recently in India and previously in China. Weil is the author of "Red Cat, White Cat: China and the Contradictions of 'Market Socialism'".
Free and open to all. Wheelchair accessible.
Simultaneous live TV broadcast on cable channel 27, Mid-Peninsula area.
Simultaneous live Internet webcast at the Community Media Center's website:
http://www.midpenmedia.org/watch/stream/ (select channel 27)
Event URL: http://peaceandjustice.org/article.php?story=OtherVoices_July_6_2010
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cuba Caravan 2010 - Fiesta & Potluck
Friday, July 09 2010 @ 06:00 PM
Social Hall, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
2124 Brewster, Redwood City
Bring a potluck dish to share! Live music! Speakers!
Cuba Caravan 2010 - End the blockade of Cuba!
Here's how you can help this year's "Friendshipment" to Cuba...
1. Make a donation to help with the costs of the caravan.
You can make a secure donation through our online store using your credit card or PayPal. http://bit.ly/bKNraX
2. Donate material aid to go on the caravan to Cuba. (Follow the URL in this listing for info on donating material aid.)
Bring a potluck dish to share! Live music! Speakers!
Sponsored by Peninsula Peace and Justice Center & the Social Action Committee of UU Fellowship Redwood City
Many of us hoped that President Obama's election would bring about some changes in many aspects of US policy -- including the ending of the illegal, immoral, and internationally condemned US economic blockade against Cuba. By now, a year has passed: but the fundamental mechanisms of the blockade remain in full force, with just a few small exceptions. Cuban-Americans are now allowed to more freely visit their families, several cultural exchanges have been allowed, and some bilateral talks have resumed.
But Cuba is still deemed an 'enemy' under the Trading with the Enemies Act. Sales of US products to Cuba are still severely restricted, and sales of Cuban products to the US are absolutely forbidden. Banks and businesses in other countries are still harassed for doing business with Cuba. The travel ban on US citizens visiting Cuba remains.
This cruel and immoral blockade has been in place almost 50 years, and has outlasted 10 US presidents.
Make a donation to help with the costs of the caravan. You can make a secure donation through our online store using your credit card or PayPal. Click here: http://bit.ly/bKNraX
WE HAVE TO STEP UP THE PRESSURE to guarantee that it finally will end under the current president.
Cuba is still, outrageously, on the list of nations that supposedly sponsor terrorism. Meanwhile, bills in Congress to ease restrictions on travel to Cuba have stalled. NOW is the time to completely end the blockade, the travel ban, and all the measures aimed at starving the Cuban people into submission and overthrowing their government. Our US/Cuba Friendshipment Caravan is one of our ways of demonstrating that we will no longer tolerate this cruel blockade!
In July 2010 the Pastors for Peace caravan will travel in school buses, trucks and cars along 13 different routes, visiting 130 US and Canadian cities. At every stop we will educate people about the blockade while collecting construction supplies and tools, medical supplies and equipment, educational and cultural supplies, to be donated to our sisters and brothers in Cuba.
Make a donation to help with the costs of the caravan. You can make a secure donation through our online store using your credit card or PayPal. http://bit.ly/bKNraX
Event URL: http://peaceandjustice.org/article.php/Cuba_Caravan2010
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other Groups' Event Details
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peace Picnic for Aung San Suu Kyi's Birthday
Saturday, June 19 2010 @ 11:00 AM
Mitchell Park - Pine Grove Area
600 E Meadow, Palo Alto
65th birthday celebration of only imprisoned Nobel Peace (1991) Laureate, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
We would be honored to have your organization representatives, your friends and families join us on this special occasion and be a part of our BAWA family. American Muslim Voice is co-sponsoring this event.
This year, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is spending her 65th birthday under house arrest again. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the imprisoned Nobel Peace Laureate and 2008 Congressional Gold Medal recipient is one of the world's most renowned freedom fighters and advocates of nonviolence.
She is the symbol of peace & democracy and beacon of hope for people all over the world who are suffering under oppression and injustice.
We will celebrate and honor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all the brave women of Burma on Burma's Women's Day. We will also build friendships with people of all faiths/ background to promote peace, justice and understanding.
The Celebration Will Feature:
> A Multi-Faith Prayer Vigil in Various Religious Traditions
> Award Ceremony for Community Service & Human Rights Hero
> Traditional Cultural Performance
> Presentations, Essays/ Poetry readings about Peace by Youths
> Delicious Burmese food. But if you like bring some side dish to share.
This event is sponsored by Burmese American Women's Alliance / American Muslim Voice
Event URL: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=111306885579447
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fundraiser for California People of Faith Working Against the Death Penalty
Saturday, June 19 2010 @ 06:30 PM
Queen of Apostles Church Fr. Jim Misfud Community Center
4811 Moorpark Ave., San Jose
Please join CPF for an informative evening and special fundraiser to support the joint project, the 1000 Congregations Campaign. With Special Guests:
Sally Lieber - Former Speaker Pro Tem of the California Assembly
Darryl Stallworth - Former Alameda County Prosecutor
Refreshments: Wine and Cheese
RSVP to Terry McCaffrey, President, California People of Faith Working Against the Death Penalty at Tel: 650-324-7517, Mobile: 408-515-0341, or Email: terrymc@igc.org
Event URL: http://www.californiapeopleoffaith.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Labor Community Picket of an Israeli Zim Line ship
Sunday, June 20 2010 @ 05:30 AM
Port of Oakland, Berth 57
Middle Harbor Road, Oakland
Join the Labor and Community Picket of an Israeli Zim Line Ship-Oakland
Protest Israel's Attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla! Boycott Israeli Ships and Goods! Lift the Blockade NOW - Let Gaza Live! Bring Down Israel's Apartheid Wall!
Unions, labor federations and other organizations around the world have condemned Israel's deadly attack against the Gaza Freedom Flotilla on May 31. Nine people were killed and dozens seriously injured in the Israeli commando attack in international waters on ships attempting to bring humanitarian cargo to the suffering and blockaded people of Gaza. Six people aboard the ships are still missing and presumed dead.
The Israeli attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla was a blatant act of piracy on the high seas. No Israeli ship should now be allowed to carry on trading activity any where in the world without facing picket lines, protests and embargo. Dock workers in several countries including South Africa, Norway, Sweden and Malaysia have declared that they will refuse to handle Israeli cargo in the coming weeks.
Everyone who stands for justice and against occupation and apartheid should join the June 20 picket at the Port of Oakland. This is a moment of great opportunity. In San Francisco in 1984, a picket line and refusal to unload cargo of a ship carrying South African cargo was a key event in mobilizing the anti-apartheid movement worldwide.
Sponsored by: Labor / Community Committee in Solidarity with the People of Palestine: Arab American Union Members Council, ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), Palestine Youth Network, US Palestine Community Network, Al Awda- Right to Return Coalition, Arab Youth Organization, MECA-Middle East Children's Alliance, Students for Justice in Palestine, Arab Resource and Organizing Center, International Solidarity Movement, San Jose Peace and Justice Center, International Socialist Organization, Peace and Freedom Party - SF, Transport Workers Solidarity Committee and many labor activists in the Bay Area (list in formation)
Event URL: http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/06/14/18650718.php
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Day in Support of Victims of Torture - Film Screening of The Response
Wednesday, June 23 2010 @ 06:00 PM
Amnesty International, SF Office
350 Sansome St, #210, San Francisco
The International Day in Support of Victims of Torture (June 26), enacted by the United Nations, is a day to observe what is being done and what still needs to be done to help survivors rebuild their lives and to end torture. Join Survivors International (http://www.survivorsintl.org/), Amnesty International (http://www.amnesty.org/) & Health Professionals Against Torture (http://www.hpatcoalition.org/) on June 23rd for a film screening!
The Response is a courtroom drama based on the actual transcripts of the Guantanamo Bay military tribunals. Read more about the film here: http://www.theresponsemovie.com/
We are also pleased to welcome Dr. Jess Ghannam as our speaker. Dr. Jess Ghannam is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Global Health Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco and is also Adjunct Professor of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University. Additionally, he has been working with the UC Berkeley Human Rights Center on a project evaluating the post-release health effects of detention in Guantanamo.
Refreshments will be provided!
This event is sponsored by Survivors International, Amnesty International & Health Professionals Against Torture
Event URL: http://www.survivorsintl.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Palestinian Epic, Mornings in Jenin
Wednesday, June 23 2010 @ 07:30 PM
Books Inc, Mt. View
301 Castro Street, Mt. View
Susan Abulhawa reads from her much acclaimed Palestinian epic, Mornings in Jenin. Meet Susan, get your own signed copy of her book.
This event is sponsored by Culture and Conflict Forum
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marylia Kelley on Achieving Nuclear Disarmament in the Age of Obama
Thursday, June 24 2010 @ 07:00 PM
Unitarian Universalists of San Mateo
300 E. Santa Inez, San Mateo
In April 2009, President Obama declared in Prague, "America's commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons." But he also said that the goal of nuclear disarmament "will not be reached quickly - perhaps not in my lifetime," and, "as long as these weapons exist the United States will maintain a safe, secure and effective arsenal..."
In April 2010, the central contradiction in Obama's Prague speech played out in his Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), which on one hand walks back the Bush NPR (partly) on when and against whom the U.S. would use nuclear bombs, and on the other hand fully embraces the Bush plan to "modernize" the nuclear weapons complex and arsenal.
Further, Senate Republicans have threatened to hold ratification of the new START treaty hostage to increased funding for "replacement" H-bombs and new weapons plants to produce them. And Obama's budget request for nuclear weapons activities exceeds the Bush budget - and the average U.S. spending on nuclear weapons during the Cold War, adjusted for inflation.
Will enhancing nuclear weapons research and production lead to nuclear abolition? What can we do to move a genuine disarmament agenda forward in the Obama Administration?
On Thursday, June 24, PASMC will present Marylia Kelley, Executive Director at Tri-Valley CAREs (Communities Against a Radioactive Environment), who will address the growing paradox of achieving nuclear abolition in the age of Obama. Marylia is well respected as a nuclear weapons and policy analyst and as a passionate advocate for disarmament, and she has recently returned from the NPT conference at the UN. She will share insights into national and international nuclear issues and stimulate our thinking on strategies needed to win concrete victories over the coming months.
The talk will take place in Beck Hall of the Unitarian Universalists of San Mateo. Admission is free and refreshments will be on hand. Beck Hall is wheelchair accessible.
MORE INFO: Email: smpa@sanmateopeaceaction.org Phone: 650-342-8244
This event is sponsored by Peace Action of San Mateo County
Event URL: http://www.sanmateopeaceaction.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Palestinian Epic, Mornings in Jenin
Thursday, June 24 2010 @ 07:00 PM
Arab Cultural and Community Center (ACCC)
2 Plaze Street, San Francisco
Susan Abulhawa reads from her much acclaimed Palestinian epic, Mornings in Jenin. Susan will discuss the Palestinian history and rights from a literary and personal perspective. Meet Susan, get your own signed copy of her book.
This event is sponsored by culture and conflict forum, arab community and culture center
Event URL: http://arabculturalcenter.org/events.html#mornings
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Olympia Brown: Remarkable Suffragist
Sunday, June 27 2010 @ 11:00 AM
Palo Alto High School - Student Center
50 Embarcadero Rd., Palo Alto
Meg Bowman, retired sociology professor from San Jose State University and author of many books on women's history, will lead a group of Humanist Community members in a dramatization of an interview with Olympia Brown (1835-1926), the only feminist leader of the 19th Century who survived to vote - when she was 85! Brown had a lifetime commitment to women's rights and was the first woman ordained as a Universalist minister, where she thundered in the pulpit!
This event is sponsored by Humanist Community in Silicon Valley
Event URL: http://www.humanists.org
The Peace and Justice Community Calendar
11:47 AM
DAILY MAIL ON DEFENCE BUDGET CUTS
Could this be the end of the RAF? Military chief refuses to rule out merger with Navy as cuts loom
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1248171/Green-paper-reveals-defence-budget-cuts-new-alliance-France.html
The future of the RAF and Royal Navy were thrown into doubt last night after the head of the Armed Forces said their merger should be 'debated'.
Sir Jock Stirrup caused consternation when he failed to rule out the amalgamation of two of the three cash-strapped military services.
The Chief of the Defence Staff said it was only 'plausible' that they would all exist separately in ten years' time.
The drastic cuts needed and the growing cooperation between forces in Afghanistan raised the controversial possibility that the air and sea service could unite.
Sir Jock made his comments at the unveiling of the Government's Green Paper on military reform, which lays the groundwork for a full-scale strategic defence review after the General Election.
The document, published by Defence Secretary-Bob Ainsworth, revealed no spending figures nor any indication of how the Armed Forces would look after the long-awaited shake-up. But it was revealed that:
Defence chiefs will be forced to compromise on purchasing costly state-of-the-art equipment as ministers battle to reduce the nation's £178billion deficit;
Britain can expect higher casualty rates as we are dragged into guerilla wars with increasingly sophisticated enemies;
Despite the nation's battered finances, ministers will press ahead with the £20billion update of the Trident nuclear deterrent;
The Armed Forces will have to work more closely with the French and other allies as spending cuts bite.
Mr Ainsworth also announced that the war in Afghanistan - which has claimed the lives of 253 UK service personnel - remained the top defence priority. Funding for troops and equipment will rise from £3.5billion to £5billion next year.
Enlarge Enlarge
And despite the urgent need for the MoD to cut costs in the face of a £ 36billion shortfall, he said that two new aircraft carriers costing £5billion each would 'most likely' go ahead.
Close All polls Click to view yesterday's poll results The Green Paper warned: 'We cannot proceed with all the activities and programmes we currently aspire to, while simultaneously supporting our current operations and investing in the new capabilities that we n
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1248171/Green-paper-reveals-defence-budget-cuts-new-alliance-France.html#ixzz0qTfKCDgM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1248171/Green-paper-reveals-defence-budget-cuts-new-alliance-France.html
The future of the RAF and Royal Navy were thrown into doubt last night after the head of the Armed Forces said their merger should be 'debated'.
Sir Jock Stirrup caused consternation when he failed to rule out the amalgamation of two of the three cash-strapped military services.
The Chief of the Defence Staff said it was only 'plausible' that they would all exist separately in ten years' time.
The drastic cuts needed and the growing cooperation between forces in Afghanistan raised the controversial possibility that the air and sea service could unite.
Sir Jock made his comments at the unveiling of the Government's Green Paper on military reform, which lays the groundwork for a full-scale strategic defence review after the General Election.
The document, published by Defence Secretary-Bob Ainsworth, revealed no spending figures nor any indication of how the Armed Forces would look after the long-awaited shake-up. But it was revealed that:
Defence chiefs will be forced to compromise on purchasing costly state-of-the-art equipment as ministers battle to reduce the nation's £178billion deficit;
Britain can expect higher casualty rates as we are dragged into guerilla wars with increasingly sophisticated enemies;
Despite the nation's battered finances, ministers will press ahead with the £20billion update of the Trident nuclear deterrent;
The Armed Forces will have to work more closely with the French and other allies as spending cuts bite.
Mr Ainsworth also announced that the war in Afghanistan - which has claimed the lives of 253 UK service personnel - remained the top defence priority. Funding for troops and equipment will rise from £3.5billion to £5billion next year.
Enlarge Enlarge
And despite the urgent need for the MoD to cut costs in the face of a £ 36billion shortfall, he said that two new aircraft carriers costing £5billion each would 'most likely' go ahead.
Close All polls Click to view yesterday's poll results The Green Paper warned: 'We cannot proceed with all the activities and programmes we currently aspire to, while simultaneously supporting our current operations and investing in the new capabilities that we n
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1248171/Green-paper-reveals-defence-budget-cuts-new-alliance-France.html#ixzz0qTfKCDgM
6:21 AM
Rainbow Foundation South Asia
Please join this group to promote peace in the region. http://www.facebook.com/?sk=messages#!/group.php?gid=107466222627951&ref=ts
Rainbow Foundation South Asia (Pakistan chapter)Awaiting membership confirmation
Info
.Create an Ad
He wants your mouseHe wants to create his own profile, update his status, post pictures/videos and leave his comments. Sign your pet up to Fairy Tails!
Like. Your Friends are FarmersAnd they would like you nearby! 83 million people play FarmVille every month. Join the movement - play now!
Like. Expecting a Baby?Your baby's stem cells can treat over 80 diseases. Know more at the Health & Lifestyle Fair (Kolkata) from CordLife. Click here today.
Like.More AdsBasic Info
.Name:Rainbow Foundation South Asia (Pakistan chapter)Category:Organizations - Non-Profit OrganizationsDescription:This is a Sub Group of " RAINBOW FOUNDATION SOUTH ASIA "
Started By The CEO of the organisation , Sh.Bimal Ghose is working day and night in reaching to the public and mass base to make it a huge affair.
OUR MISSION:
"Rainbow Foundation South Asia is dedicated to the task of forging people to people connections and alliances between the citizens of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal thereby expanding the constituency for peace by isolating the state and non-state actors that foment terror and extremism in the region. We will work with government, semi-government, non-government and citizens' groups to further this cause of amity, cooperation, liberalism and democracy in South Asia."
One of our objectives will be to uproot corruption at all levels
Our Motto:
"Pledge me thy passion and we promise you the South asia of our dreams. We aim to incite passion of patriotism in the bosom of every south asian maverick provoking him/her to decipher the south asia of their dreams"
Our Initiative:
We want to build a strong association of people of all faith who are ready to work for secular ideas, fight fundamentalism of all sorts, fight terrorism and work for India-Pakistan amity that will solve all our majorproblems. Kindly help us to organize.
We need your co-operation and help to bring in peace and harmony between our neighboring countries.
Kindly join our movement by becoming member on facebook and by registering yourself on the below mentioned website.
(read less)
This is a Sub Group of " RAINBOW FOUNDATION SOUTH ASIA "
Started By The CEO of the organisation , Sh.Bimal Ghose is working day and night in reaching to the public and mass base to make it a huge affair.
OUR MISSION:
"Rainbow Foundation South Asia is dedicated to the task of forging people to people connections and alliances between the citizens of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal thereby expanding the constituency for peace by isolating the state and non-state actors that foment terror... (read more)Privacy Type:Closed: Limited public content. Members can see all content..Contact Info
.Email:chair_rainbowfoundation_pakistan@yahoo.com
Rainbow Foundation South Asia (Pakistan chapter)Awaiting membership confirmation
Info
.Create an Ad
He wants your mouseHe wants to create his own profile, update his status, post pictures/videos and leave his comments. Sign your pet up to Fairy Tails!
Like. Your Friends are FarmersAnd they would like you nearby! 83 million people play FarmVille every month. Join the movement - play now!
Like. Expecting a Baby?Your baby's stem cells can treat over 80 diseases. Know more at the Health & Lifestyle Fair (Kolkata) from CordLife. Click here today.
Like.More AdsBasic Info
.Name:Rainbow Foundation South Asia (Pakistan chapter)Category:Organizations - Non-Profit OrganizationsDescription:This is a Sub Group of " RAINBOW FOUNDATION SOUTH ASIA "
Started By The CEO of the organisation , Sh.Bimal Ghose is working day and night in reaching to the public and mass base to make it a huge affair.
OUR MISSION:
"Rainbow Foundation South Asia is dedicated to the task of forging people to people connections and alliances between the citizens of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal thereby expanding the constituency for peace by isolating the state and non-state actors that foment terror and extremism in the region. We will work with government, semi-government, non-government and citizens' groups to further this cause of amity, cooperation, liberalism and democracy in South Asia."
One of our objectives will be to uproot corruption at all levels
Our Motto:
"Pledge me thy passion and we promise you the South asia of our dreams. We aim to incite passion of patriotism in the bosom of every south asian maverick provoking him/her to decipher the south asia of their dreams"
Our Initiative:
We want to build a strong association of people of all faith who are ready to work for secular ideas, fight fundamentalism of all sorts, fight terrorism and work for India-Pakistan amity that will solve all our majorproblems. Kindly help us to organize.
We need your co-operation and help to bring in peace and harmony between our neighboring countries.
Kindly join our movement by becoming member on facebook and by registering yourself on the below mentioned website.
(read less)
This is a Sub Group of " RAINBOW FOUNDATION SOUTH ASIA "
Started By The CEO of the organisation , Sh.Bimal Ghose is working day and night in reaching to the public and mass base to make it a huge affair.
OUR MISSION:
"Rainbow Foundation South Asia is dedicated to the task of forging people to people connections and alliances between the citizens of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal thereby expanding the constituency for peace by isolating the state and non-state actors that foment terror... (read more)Privacy Type:Closed: Limited public content. Members can see all content..Contact Info
.Email:chair_rainbowfoundation_pakistan@yahoo.com
11:14 PM
Warning from America to Pak regarding usage of military aid against India
Do not use military aid against India: US warns Pak
Washington: Addressing one of India's major concerns, Obama Administration's point man for South Asia has said that US is taking appropriate steps to ensure that the military aid given to Pakistan is not used against India.
http://news.in.msn.com/internalsecurity/news/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3992092
Washington: Addressing one of India's major concerns, Obama Administration's point man for South Asia has said that US is taking appropriate steps to ensure that the military aid given to Pakistan is not used against India.
http://news.in.msn.com/internalsecurity/news/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3992092
8:30 PM
Transparency International news update
Tuesday 8 June 2010
International: LA judge in banana workers case cites threats
Associated Press
International: Nigeria launches $15 mln Daimler bribery probe
Reuters
International: Russia confirms arrests over Polish crash fraud
Agence France-Presse
International: Swiss Lawmakers Reject UBS Tax Deal
International Herald Tribune
International: UN leader tasked with Guatemala crime woes resigns
Associated Press
Canada: Canada should oppose UN's use of 'blood money': MP
Canwest News Service (TI mention)
Kosovo: Governance: EU’s justice mission pursues corruption at the highest level
Financial Times
Philippines: Aquino wins Philippine presidential election
Agence France-Presse
USA: @GovernorRod to tweet his corruption trial
Politics Daily
-- News from the TI movement
TI seeks anti-corruption heroes: submit your nomination for the 2009-2010 Integrity Awards
Transparency in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Montenegro: Anti-corruption organisations call for reform of access to information laws
http://www.transparency.org/news_room/corruption_news
International: LA judge in banana workers case cites threats
Associated Press
International: Nigeria launches $15 mln Daimler bribery probe
Reuters
International: Russia confirms arrests over Polish crash fraud
Agence France-Presse
International: Swiss Lawmakers Reject UBS Tax Deal
International Herald Tribune
International: UN leader tasked with Guatemala crime woes resigns
Associated Press
Canada: Canada should oppose UN's use of 'blood money': MP
Canwest News Service (TI mention)
Kosovo: Governance: EU’s justice mission pursues corruption at the highest level
Financial Times
Philippines: Aquino wins Philippine presidential election
Agence France-Presse
USA: @GovernorRod to tweet his corruption trial
Politics Daily
-- News from the TI movement
TI seeks anti-corruption heroes: submit your nomination for the 2009-2010 Integrity Awards
Transparency in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Montenegro: Anti-corruption organisations call for reform of access to information laws
http://www.transparency.org/news_room/corruption_news
9:19 AM
US Defence budget reduction idea within US govt
Defense Budget Reduction
kdtroxel Flag
Looks Promising!
-37
I'm Not So Sure...12. Defense budget reduction: Defense spending in 2008 is projected to exceed $600 billion dollars. I have to ask the question that no one is asking, why/what/where are we spending this money on, and what value does it bring, if any. We are far less secure now that America is a warring country. Along with the immediate withdrawal of all troops abroad, I call on a dramatic decrease in defense spending. We the people of America demand and require a peace time economy, not known in the prior sixty years of our history. I suggest that defense spending should be capped at no more than $30 billion a year; during years of nonaggression.
•
Nearly every president in the past thirty years has propped up a villain or villain society to justify increasing defense spending. The Bush proclamation during his first year of office, pronounces Iraq, Iran and North Korea as the new “Axis of Evil,” the preverbal short list of dangerous United States hating countries, bent upon the destruction of America and our ideals. This is a device invented by a string of presidents and congressmen who are financed by aspects of private and governmental agencies to promote the domestic spending on weapons and weapons systems. Congressmen bring to their represented state, funds for defense component contracts; this is publicly viewed as a return of wealth. This system is acceptable as an instrument of job growth provided by government, but federal funds spent on tangible public benefits, such as bridges, roads, education, health, safety, energy, resources, and enforcement of the laws already on the books, would be a higher purpose of public/private funds. Defense spending does not provide wealth. Defense spending is a black hole of vague accountability. Defense recruitment does artificially reduce unemployment, but often the horrors of modern warfare returns broken or mind shattered individuals. The armed force does train people with certain skills or provides continuing education opportunities as incentives of membership.
•
The media blackout of the real day-to-day operations in Iraq helps prolong this conflict. If the American media would cover and interpret the opinions of the Iraqi people regarding the occupation of their country, I think this conflict would fast resolve. Since, no media is allowed to freely report the military action taking place; this deflects from the horror that is taking place. (depending upon point of view) Bush is terrified of repeating the mistakes of Vietnam, in that the media had more rights to report the news or the media was more interested or less controlled in reporting the news; not sure which. It doesn’t help that scenes such as the toppling of Sadam Husain’s statue was staged events, this hurts the credibility of news out of this region of the world.
•
I believe that the best way for America to interject world confidence in the dollar is to end all occupations/wars. These petty conflicts are draining world perception that America is the land of just laws, personal freedom, and responsible government. As it stands now, the world perceives America as a resource conquering nation, imperialist America, or misguided/irresponsible neighbors. Since Nixon took the US dollar off of the gold standard, perception is the sole value of the dollar.
http://opengov.ideascale.com/a/dtd/4147-4049
kdtroxel Flag
Looks Promising!
-37
I'm Not So Sure...12. Defense budget reduction: Defense spending in 2008 is projected to exceed $600 billion dollars. I have to ask the question that no one is asking, why/what/where are we spending this money on, and what value does it bring, if any. We are far less secure now that America is a warring country. Along with the immediate withdrawal of all troops abroad, I call on a dramatic decrease in defense spending. We the people of America demand and require a peace time economy, not known in the prior sixty years of our history. I suggest that defense spending should be capped at no more than $30 billion a year; during years of nonaggression.
•
Nearly every president in the past thirty years has propped up a villain or villain society to justify increasing defense spending. The Bush proclamation during his first year of office, pronounces Iraq, Iran and North Korea as the new “Axis of Evil,” the preverbal short list of dangerous United States hating countries, bent upon the destruction of America and our ideals. This is a device invented by a string of presidents and congressmen who are financed by aspects of private and governmental agencies to promote the domestic spending on weapons and weapons systems. Congressmen bring to their represented state, funds for defense component contracts; this is publicly viewed as a return of wealth. This system is acceptable as an instrument of job growth provided by government, but federal funds spent on tangible public benefits, such as bridges, roads, education, health, safety, energy, resources, and enforcement of the laws already on the books, would be a higher purpose of public/private funds. Defense spending does not provide wealth. Defense spending is a black hole of vague accountability. Defense recruitment does artificially reduce unemployment, but often the horrors of modern warfare returns broken or mind shattered individuals. The armed force does train people with certain skills or provides continuing education opportunities as incentives of membership.
•
The media blackout of the real day-to-day operations in Iraq helps prolong this conflict. If the American media would cover and interpret the opinions of the Iraqi people regarding the occupation of their country, I think this conflict would fast resolve. Since, no media is allowed to freely report the military action taking place; this deflects from the horror that is taking place. (depending upon point of view) Bush is terrified of repeating the mistakes of Vietnam, in that the media had more rights to report the news or the media was more interested or less controlled in reporting the news; not sure which. It doesn’t help that scenes such as the toppling of Sadam Husain’s statue was staged events, this hurts the credibility of news out of this region of the world.
•
I believe that the best way for America to interject world confidence in the dollar is to end all occupations/wars. These petty conflicts are draining world perception that America is the land of just laws, personal freedom, and responsible government. As it stands now, the world perceives America as a resource conquering nation, imperialist America, or misguided/irresponsible neighbors. Since Nixon took the US dollar off of the gold standard, perception is the sole value of the dollar.
http://opengov.ideascale.com/a/dtd/4147-4049
9:12 AM
US Defence Budget cuts
Gates proposes more cuts to defense budget
May 9,
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates testifying before a Senate panel.
Photo credit: DoDIf you like this ...
Obama defense team should expect 'strategic shocks'
Obama's missile defense plan slammed by Congressmen
U.S. homeland vulnerable to Iranian threat
Security: Obama, Gates gamble with American lives
Obama's military plan and budget for 2010
View all » When the Bush Administration's Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld proposed creation of a leaner, meaner U.S. military, the Democrats opposed him at every turn. They -- and their news media supporters -- accused him and Bush of not sending enough troops into Iraq. Now that the Democrats control both Houses of Congress and the White House, they are proposing the largest cuts in defense spending since the Clinton Administration.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates used the occasion of the 65th Anniversary of the Victory in Europe to declare war on duplicative overhead, bloat and needless spending in the Defense Department, according to a report from American Forces Press Service's Jim Garamone.
In a speech at the Eisenhower Library in Abilene, Kansas on Saturday, Gates called for a reduction in overhead for the department, and said he wants the department to take a hard, realistic look at what defense capabilities America really needs in the 21st Century, according to Garamone's report obtained by the Terrorism Committee of the 14,000-member National Association of Chiefs of Police.
The Defense Department must take a hard look at every aspect of how it is organized, staffed and operated, Gates said in his speech.
"In each instance we must ask: First, is this respectful of the American taxpayer at a time of economic and fiscal duress?" he said. "And second, is this activity or arrangement the best use of limited dollars, given the pressing needs to take care of our people, win the wars we are in, and invest in the capabilities necessary to deal with the most likely and lethal future threats?"
The secretary called for a two to three percent reduction in overhead costs in the fiscal 2012 budget request. The money saved can be dedicated to force structure -- the formations that fight our nation's wars.
Gates noted that Dwight D. Eisenhower, who served as president from 1953 to 1961, led the Allied armies to victory over Nazi Germany in 1945 and confronted the Soviet Union in some of the coldest days of the Cold War. Given his prestige as a five-star general, Gates said, Eisenhower was able to make the tough choices needed for the U.S. military to be balanced and ready.
Since the terror attacks of 9-11, the Defense base budget -- not including money for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan -- has nearly doubled, Gates said. The gusher of money has ended, and given America's difficult economic circumstances, military spending on things large and small can and should expect closer, harsher scrutiny, he said.
The secretary is not advocating wholesale cuts. He said the nation is still at war and some for of growth must be maintained to fight the battles. Maintaining the brigades, regiments, wings and ships will require real growth in the defense budget ranging from two and three percent above inflation, according to Garamone.
"In this year's budget request, the Defense Department asked for, and I hope will receive, just under two percent – roughly that level of growth," Gates said. But without change, this isn't realistic for the long run.Any change will have to overcome opposition inside the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill.
Gates pointed to the alternative engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the C-17 airlifter programs as examples. The department does not want or need these programs, and they were not included in President Obama's defense budget request. Yet Congress may put both programs back in the budget at a potential cost of billions.
"I have strongly recommended a presidential veto if either program is included in next year's defense budget legislation," Gates said.
Regular military health care is another budget breaker. Defense Department health care costs have risen from $19 billion in 2000 to about $50 billion today. During that time, the premiums for TRICARE, the military health insurance program, have not risen.
"Many working age military retirees – who are earning full-time salaries on top of their full military pensions -- are opting for TRICARE even though they could get health coverage through their employer, with the taxpayer picking up most of the tab as the result," the secretary said.
Both Gates and former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld tried to implement modest increases in premiums and co-pays to help bring costs under control. Congress and veterans groups opposed these increases and "the proposals routinely die an ignominious death on Capitol Hill," Gates said.
The secretary said he understands these political and fiscal realities, but says there has to be real reform in the way DoD does business.
Reforming budgeting practices and contracting is a first step, and the department has begun this process, he said. The department is hiring more contracting professionals, according to Garamone's report.
"Another category ripe for scrutiny should be overhead -- all the activity and bureaucracy that supports the military mission," Gates said. Overhead makes up roughly 40 percent of the defense budget.
"During the 1990s, the military saw deep cuts in overall force structure -- the Army by nearly 40 percent," Gates said. "But the reduction in flag officers -- generals and admirals -- was about half that. The department's management layers -- civilian and military -- and numbers of senior executives outside the services grew during that same period."
While private sector businesses have flattened and streamlined the middle and upper echelons, the Defense Department continues to maintain a top-heavy hierarchy that more reflects 20th Century headquarters superstructure than 21st Century realities.
"Two decades after the end of the Cold War led to steep cuts in U.S. forces in Europe, our military still has more than 40 generals, admirals or civilian equivalents based on the continent, Gates said. "Yet we scold our allies over the bloat in NATO headquarters."
Gates said he has a few questions: How many of these jobs, headquarters or secretariats are actually doing a needed mission and how many are supervising other headquarters and secretariats? How many of the general and flag officer positions or those in the civilian senior executive service could be converted to a lower grade?
How many commands or organizations are conducting repetitive or overlapping functions -- whether in logistics, intelligence, policy, or anything else -- and could be combined or eliminated altogether?
Finally, these changes have to be done with a realistic look at the threats. "Before making claims of requirements not being met or alleged 'gaps' – in ships, tactical fighters, personnel or anything else – we need to evaluate the criteria upon which requirements are based and the wider real world context," he said.
"For example, should we really be up in arms over a temporary projected shortfall of about 100 Navy and Marine strike fighters relative to the number of carrier wings, when America's military possesses more than 3,200 tactical combat aircraft of all kinds?" he asked.
"Does the number of warships we have and are building really put America at risk when the U.S. battle fleet is larger than the next 13 navies combined, 11 of which belong to allies and partners? Is it a dire threat that by 2020 the United States will have only 20 times more advanced stealth fighters than China?"
"Simply taking a few percent off the top of everything on a one-time basis will not do," Gates said. "These savings must stem from root-and-branch changes that can be sustained and added to over time."
Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police and he's a columnist for The Examiner (examiner.com) and New Media Alliance (thenma.org). In addition, he's a blogger for the Cheyenne, Wyoming Fox News Radio affiliate KGAB (www.kgab.com). Kouri also serves as political advisor for Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor Michael Moriarty.
He's former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City" by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at a New Jersey university and director of security for several major organizations. He's also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country. Kouri writes for many police and security magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer and others. He's a news writer and columnist for AmericanDaily.Com, MensNewsDaily.Com, MichNews.Com, and he's syndicated by AXcessNews.Com. Kouri appears regularly as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Fox News Channel, Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, etc.
http://www.examiner.com/x-2684-Law-Enforcement-Examiner~y2010m5d9-Gates-proposes-more-cuts-to-defense-budget
May 9,
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates testifying before a Senate panel.
Photo credit: DoDIf you like this ...
Obama defense team should expect 'strategic shocks'
Obama's missile defense plan slammed by Congressmen
U.S. homeland vulnerable to Iranian threat
Security: Obama, Gates gamble with American lives
Obama's military plan and budget for 2010
View all » When the Bush Administration's Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld proposed creation of a leaner, meaner U.S. military, the Democrats opposed him at every turn. They -- and their news media supporters -- accused him and Bush of not sending enough troops into Iraq. Now that the Democrats control both Houses of Congress and the White House, they are proposing the largest cuts in defense spending since the Clinton Administration.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates used the occasion of the 65th Anniversary of the Victory in Europe to declare war on duplicative overhead, bloat and needless spending in the Defense Department, according to a report from American Forces Press Service's Jim Garamone.
In a speech at the Eisenhower Library in Abilene, Kansas on Saturday, Gates called for a reduction in overhead for the department, and said he wants the department to take a hard, realistic look at what defense capabilities America really needs in the 21st Century, according to Garamone's report obtained by the Terrorism Committee of the 14,000-member National Association of Chiefs of Police.
The Defense Department must take a hard look at every aspect of how it is organized, staffed and operated, Gates said in his speech.
"In each instance we must ask: First, is this respectful of the American taxpayer at a time of economic and fiscal duress?" he said. "And second, is this activity or arrangement the best use of limited dollars, given the pressing needs to take care of our people, win the wars we are in, and invest in the capabilities necessary to deal with the most likely and lethal future threats?"
The secretary called for a two to three percent reduction in overhead costs in the fiscal 2012 budget request. The money saved can be dedicated to force structure -- the formations that fight our nation's wars.
Gates noted that Dwight D. Eisenhower, who served as president from 1953 to 1961, led the Allied armies to victory over Nazi Germany in 1945 and confronted the Soviet Union in some of the coldest days of the Cold War. Given his prestige as a five-star general, Gates said, Eisenhower was able to make the tough choices needed for the U.S. military to be balanced and ready.
Since the terror attacks of 9-11, the Defense base budget -- not including money for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan -- has nearly doubled, Gates said. The gusher of money has ended, and given America's difficult economic circumstances, military spending on things large and small can and should expect closer, harsher scrutiny, he said.
The secretary is not advocating wholesale cuts. He said the nation is still at war and some for of growth must be maintained to fight the battles. Maintaining the brigades, regiments, wings and ships will require real growth in the defense budget ranging from two and three percent above inflation, according to Garamone.
"In this year's budget request, the Defense Department asked for, and I hope will receive, just under two percent – roughly that level of growth," Gates said. But without change, this isn't realistic for the long run.Any change will have to overcome opposition inside the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill.
Gates pointed to the alternative engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the C-17 airlifter programs as examples. The department does not want or need these programs, and they were not included in President Obama's defense budget request. Yet Congress may put both programs back in the budget at a potential cost of billions.
"I have strongly recommended a presidential veto if either program is included in next year's defense budget legislation," Gates said.
Regular military health care is another budget breaker. Defense Department health care costs have risen from $19 billion in 2000 to about $50 billion today. During that time, the premiums for TRICARE, the military health insurance program, have not risen.
"Many working age military retirees – who are earning full-time salaries on top of their full military pensions -- are opting for TRICARE even though they could get health coverage through their employer, with the taxpayer picking up most of the tab as the result," the secretary said.
Both Gates and former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld tried to implement modest increases in premiums and co-pays to help bring costs under control. Congress and veterans groups opposed these increases and "the proposals routinely die an ignominious death on Capitol Hill," Gates said.
The secretary said he understands these political and fiscal realities, but says there has to be real reform in the way DoD does business.
Reforming budgeting practices and contracting is a first step, and the department has begun this process, he said. The department is hiring more contracting professionals, according to Garamone's report.
"Another category ripe for scrutiny should be overhead -- all the activity and bureaucracy that supports the military mission," Gates said. Overhead makes up roughly 40 percent of the defense budget.
"During the 1990s, the military saw deep cuts in overall force structure -- the Army by nearly 40 percent," Gates said. "But the reduction in flag officers -- generals and admirals -- was about half that. The department's management layers -- civilian and military -- and numbers of senior executives outside the services grew during that same period."
While private sector businesses have flattened and streamlined the middle and upper echelons, the Defense Department continues to maintain a top-heavy hierarchy that more reflects 20th Century headquarters superstructure than 21st Century realities.
"Two decades after the end of the Cold War led to steep cuts in U.S. forces in Europe, our military still has more than 40 generals, admirals or civilian equivalents based on the continent, Gates said. "Yet we scold our allies over the bloat in NATO headquarters."
Gates said he has a few questions: How many of these jobs, headquarters or secretariats are actually doing a needed mission and how many are supervising other headquarters and secretariats? How many of the general and flag officer positions or those in the civilian senior executive service could be converted to a lower grade?
How many commands or organizations are conducting repetitive or overlapping functions -- whether in logistics, intelligence, policy, or anything else -- and could be combined or eliminated altogether?
Finally, these changes have to be done with a realistic look at the threats. "Before making claims of requirements not being met or alleged 'gaps' – in ships, tactical fighters, personnel or anything else – we need to evaluate the criteria upon which requirements are based and the wider real world context," he said.
"For example, should we really be up in arms over a temporary projected shortfall of about 100 Navy and Marine strike fighters relative to the number of carrier wings, when America's military possesses more than 3,200 tactical combat aircraft of all kinds?" he asked.
"Does the number of warships we have and are building really put America at risk when the U.S. battle fleet is larger than the next 13 navies combined, 11 of which belong to allies and partners? Is it a dire threat that by 2020 the United States will have only 20 times more advanced stealth fighters than China?"
"Simply taking a few percent off the top of everything on a one-time basis will not do," Gates said. "These savings must stem from root-and-branch changes that can be sustained and added to over time."
Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police and he's a columnist for The Examiner (examiner.com) and New Media Alliance (thenma.org). In addition, he's a blogger for the Cheyenne, Wyoming Fox News Radio affiliate KGAB (www.kgab.com). Kouri also serves as political advisor for Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor Michael Moriarty.
He's former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City" by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at a New Jersey university and director of security for several major organizations. He's also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country. Kouri writes for many police and security magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer and others. He's a news writer and columnist for AmericanDaily.Com, MensNewsDaily.Com, MichNews.Com, and he's syndicated by AXcessNews.Com. Kouri appears regularly as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Fox News Channel, Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, etc.
http://www.examiner.com/x-2684-Law-Enforcement-Examiner~y2010m5d9-Gates-proposes-more-cuts-to-defense-budget
11:58 PM
World's top defence spenders
World's top 10 military spenders
UNITED STATES - $ 661 billion (30,98100 crore rupees) : According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the world's biggest defense spender has increased its outlay by 75.8 percent since 2000.
Image: A US Marine Corps Harrier jet lands on the deck of the USS Iwo Jima
Photographs: Lucas Jackson/Reuters
http://news.rediff.com/slide-show/2010/jun/08/slide-show-1-worlds-top-military-spenders.htm
UNITED STATES - $ 661 billion (30,98100 crore rupees) : According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the world's biggest defense spender has increased its outlay by 75.8 percent since 2000.
Image: A US Marine Corps Harrier jet lands on the deck of the USS Iwo Jima
Photographs: Lucas Jackson/Reuters
http://news.rediff.com/slide-show/2010/jun/08/slide-show-1-worlds-top-military-spenders.htm
9:02 PM
US attack on Yemen
Images of missile and cluster munitions point to US role in fatal attack in Yemen
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/yemen-images-missile-and-cluster-munitions-point-us-role-fatal-attack-2010-06-04
7 June 2010
Amnesty International has released images of a US-manufactured cruise missile that carried cluster munitions, apparently taken following an attack on an alleged al-Qa’ida training camp in Yemen that killed 41 local residents, including 14 women and 21 children.
The 17 December 2009 attack on the community of al-Ma'jalah in the Abyan area in the south of Yemen killed 55 people including 14 alleged members of al-Qa’ida.
“A military strike of this kind against alleged militants without an attempt to detain them is at the very least unlawful. The fact that so many of the victims were actually women and children indicates that the attack was in fact grossly irresponsible, particularly given the likely use of cluster munitions,” said Philip Luther, Deputy Director of Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Programme.
The Yemeni government has said its forces alone carried out the attack on al-Ma'jalah, the site of an alleged al-Qa'ida training camp in al-Mahfad district, Abyan Governorate.
Shortly after the attack some US media reported alleged statements by unnamed US government sources who said that US cruise missiles launched on presidential orders had been fired at two alleged al-Qa'ida sites in Yemen.
“Based on the evidence provided by these photographs, the US government must disclose what role it played in the al-Ma'jalah attack, and all governments involved must show what steps they took to prevent unnecessary deaths and injuries,” said Philip Luther.
The photographs enable the positive identification of damaged missile parts, which appear to be from the payload, mid-body, aft-body and propulsion sections of a BGM-109D Tomahawk land-attack cruise missile.
This type of missile, launched from a warship or submarine, is designed to carry a payload of 166 cluster submunitions (bomblets) which each explode into over 200 sharp steel fragments that can cause injuries up to 150m away. An incendiary material inside the bomblet also spreads fragments of burning zirconium designed to set fire to nearby flammable objects.
A further photograph, apparently taken within half an hour of the others, shows an unexploded BLU 97 A/B submunition itself, the type carried by BGM-109D missiles. These missiles are known to be held only by US forces and Yemeni armed forces are unlikely to be capable of using such a missile.
Amnesty International has requested information from the Pentagon about the involvement of US forces in the al-Ma'jalah attack, and what precautions may have been taken to minimize deaths and injuries, but has yet to receive a response.
“Amnesty International is gravely concerned by evidence that cluster munitions appear to have been used in Yemen, when most states around the world have committed to comprehensively ban these weapons,” said Mike Lewis, Amnesty International's arms control researcher.
“Cluster munitions have indiscriminate effects and unexploded bomblets threaten lives and livelihoods for years afterwards. All governments responsible for using them must urgently provide assistance to clear unexploded munitions.”
Neither the USA nor Yemen has yet signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions, a treaty designed to comprehensively ban such weapons which is due to enter into force on 1 August 2010.
A Yemeni parliamentary committee that investigated the 17 December 2009 attack reported in February that 41 people it described as civilians had been killed. In its report the committee said that on arrival at the scene of the attack in al-Ma’jalah it “found that all the homes and their contents were burnt and all that was left were traces of furniture.”
It said the committee “found traces of blood of the victims and a number of holes in the ground left by the bombing… as well as a number of unexploded bombs”, and that one survivor told the committee that his family, who were killed although they had committed no crime, were sleeping when the missiles struck on the morning of 17 December 2009.
In its report, the Yemeni parliamentary committee said the Yemeni government should open a judicial investigation into the attack and bring to justice those responsible for the killings of civilians, but no such investigation is known to have been held as yet.
The committee reported statements by the Abyan Governorate authorities that 14 alleged members of al-Qa’ida were also killed in the attack, but said it had been unable to obtain information confirming this and was able to obtain the name of only one of the 14 from the Abyan authorities.
Image 1, additional details: The Tomahawk BGM-109D cruise missile would have carried 166 BLU 97 cluster bomblets, which are designed to scatter over a wide area, acting indiscriminately when used in civilian areas. Many also fail to explode on impact, as in the photograph above, but may explode if disturbed, making land dangerous for communities to use for months or years after attacks.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/yemen-images-missile-and-cluster-munitions-point-us-role-fatal-attack-2010-06-04
7 June 2010
Amnesty International has released images of a US-manufactured cruise missile that carried cluster munitions, apparently taken following an attack on an alleged al-Qa’ida training camp in Yemen that killed 41 local residents, including 14 women and 21 children.
The 17 December 2009 attack on the community of al-Ma'jalah in the Abyan area in the south of Yemen killed 55 people including 14 alleged members of al-Qa’ida.
“A military strike of this kind against alleged militants without an attempt to detain them is at the very least unlawful. The fact that so many of the victims were actually women and children indicates that the attack was in fact grossly irresponsible, particularly given the likely use of cluster munitions,” said Philip Luther, Deputy Director of Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Programme.
The Yemeni government has said its forces alone carried out the attack on al-Ma'jalah, the site of an alleged al-Qa'ida training camp in al-Mahfad district, Abyan Governorate.
Shortly after the attack some US media reported alleged statements by unnamed US government sources who said that US cruise missiles launched on presidential orders had been fired at two alleged al-Qa'ida sites in Yemen.
“Based on the evidence provided by these photographs, the US government must disclose what role it played in the al-Ma'jalah attack, and all governments involved must show what steps they took to prevent unnecessary deaths and injuries,” said Philip Luther.
The photographs enable the positive identification of damaged missile parts, which appear to be from the payload, mid-body, aft-body and propulsion sections of a BGM-109D Tomahawk land-attack cruise missile.
This type of missile, launched from a warship or submarine, is designed to carry a payload of 166 cluster submunitions (bomblets) which each explode into over 200 sharp steel fragments that can cause injuries up to 150m away. An incendiary material inside the bomblet also spreads fragments of burning zirconium designed to set fire to nearby flammable objects.
A further photograph, apparently taken within half an hour of the others, shows an unexploded BLU 97 A/B submunition itself, the type carried by BGM-109D missiles. These missiles are known to be held only by US forces and Yemeni armed forces are unlikely to be capable of using such a missile.
Amnesty International has requested information from the Pentagon about the involvement of US forces in the al-Ma'jalah attack, and what precautions may have been taken to minimize deaths and injuries, but has yet to receive a response.
“Amnesty International is gravely concerned by evidence that cluster munitions appear to have been used in Yemen, when most states around the world have committed to comprehensively ban these weapons,” said Mike Lewis, Amnesty International's arms control researcher.
“Cluster munitions have indiscriminate effects and unexploded bomblets threaten lives and livelihoods for years afterwards. All governments responsible for using them must urgently provide assistance to clear unexploded munitions.”
Neither the USA nor Yemen has yet signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions, a treaty designed to comprehensively ban such weapons which is due to enter into force on 1 August 2010.
A Yemeni parliamentary committee that investigated the 17 December 2009 attack reported in February that 41 people it described as civilians had been killed. In its report the committee said that on arrival at the scene of the attack in al-Ma’jalah it “found that all the homes and their contents were burnt and all that was left were traces of furniture.”
It said the committee “found traces of blood of the victims and a number of holes in the ground left by the bombing… as well as a number of unexploded bombs”, and that one survivor told the committee that his family, who were killed although they had committed no crime, were sleeping when the missiles struck on the morning of 17 December 2009.
In its report, the Yemeni parliamentary committee said the Yemeni government should open a judicial investigation into the attack and bring to justice those responsible for the killings of civilians, but no such investigation is known to have been held as yet.
The committee reported statements by the Abyan Governorate authorities that 14 alleged members of al-Qa’ida were also killed in the attack, but said it had been unable to obtain information confirming this and was able to obtain the name of only one of the 14 from the Abyan authorities.
Image 1, additional details: The Tomahawk BGM-109D cruise missile would have carried 166 BLU 97 cluster bomblets, which are designed to scatter over a wide area, acting indiscriminately when used in civilian areas. Many also fail to explode on impact, as in the photograph above, but may explode if disturbed, making land dangerous for communities to use for months or years after attacks.
12:58 AM
Reduction in UK Defence budget
Warning of 10-15% reduction in defence budget
By James Blitz, Defence and Diplomatic Editor
Published: July 2 2009 03:00 | Last updated: July 2 2009 03:00
Britain's defence budget will be slashed by between 10 and 15 per cent in real terms between 2010 and 2016 as a result of fiscal pressures and the political need to maintain spending on health and education, a leading think-tank will argue today.
In a detailed examination of the constraints facing defence expenditure, the Royal United Services Institute says cuts on this scale - equivalent to a £4bn reduction in the annual budget - are its "best estimate" of the outlook for the Ministry of Defence budget.
As the UK prepares for a Strategic Defence Review, which is likely to begin immediately after the next general election, the RUSI paper "Preparing for the Lean Years" is one of the first to put a hard figure on the scale of the cut the armed forces will face.
Andrew Lansley, the Conservative health spokesman, recently suggested that a Tory commitment to increase resources for the National Health Service would mean other departments could face a 10 per cent reduction in expenditure limits. The RUSI has arrived at a similar figure for the defence budget after examining factors affecting armed forces spending.
The RUSI argues that the government has already determined that a large part of its planned spending cuts in future years will come in the capital budget. This will hit the MoD hard, the institute says, because of all the big departments, defence is one of the most investment-intensive, accounting for 16 per cent of total capital expenditure in 2009-10.
Second, the RUSI argues that history shows that the MoD is unlikely to obtain an overall budgetary settlement comparable to that of most other departments. "This is something which [the MoD] has not been able to achieve since the early 1980s, the high point of concern over renewed Soviet expansionism," writes Professor Malcolm Chalmers, the paper's author.
The RUSI looks at areas where the MoD could find necessary savings.
One idea is to scale down the UK military presence in Afghanistan, where operating costs amounted to £2.6bn in 2008-09. "The conditions for this clearly do not exist at present . . . yet it is a possible source of savings over the years to 2016," the paper says.
Another potentially promising area is pay. In recent years the Armed Forces Pay Review Body has recommended rises significantly above the levels for which the MoD has planned. "Persuading the AFPRB to accept a reversal of this trend could yield significant savings," says the RUSI.
www.ft.com/govspending
.Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. You may share using our article tools. Please don't cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web.
By James Blitz, Defence and Diplomatic Editor
Published: July 2 2009 03:00 | Last updated: July 2 2009 03:00
Britain's defence budget will be slashed by between 10 and 15 per cent in real terms between 2010 and 2016 as a result of fiscal pressures and the political need to maintain spending on health and education, a leading think-tank will argue today.
In a detailed examination of the constraints facing defence expenditure, the Royal United Services Institute says cuts on this scale - equivalent to a £4bn reduction in the annual budget - are its "best estimate" of the outlook for the Ministry of Defence budget.
As the UK prepares for a Strategic Defence Review, which is likely to begin immediately after the next general election, the RUSI paper "Preparing for the Lean Years" is one of the first to put a hard figure on the scale of the cut the armed forces will face.
Andrew Lansley, the Conservative health spokesman, recently suggested that a Tory commitment to increase resources for the National Health Service would mean other departments could face a 10 per cent reduction in expenditure limits. The RUSI has arrived at a similar figure for the defence budget after examining factors affecting armed forces spending.
The RUSI argues that the government has already determined that a large part of its planned spending cuts in future years will come in the capital budget. This will hit the MoD hard, the institute says, because of all the big departments, defence is one of the most investment-intensive, accounting for 16 per cent of total capital expenditure in 2009-10.
Second, the RUSI argues that history shows that the MoD is unlikely to obtain an overall budgetary settlement comparable to that of most other departments. "This is something which [the MoD] has not been able to achieve since the early 1980s, the high point of concern over renewed Soviet expansionism," writes Professor Malcolm Chalmers, the paper's author.
The RUSI looks at areas where the MoD could find necessary savings.
One idea is to scale down the UK military presence in Afghanistan, where operating costs amounted to £2.6bn in 2008-09. "The conditions for this clearly do not exist at present . . . yet it is a possible source of savings over the years to 2016," the paper says.
Another potentially promising area is pay. In recent years the Armed Forces Pay Review Body has recommended rises significantly above the levels for which the MoD has planned. "Persuading the AFPRB to accept a reversal of this trend could yield significant savings," says the RUSI.
www.ft.com/govspending
.Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. You may share using our article tools. Please don't cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web.
10:19 PM
Longest war in Us History
The Longest War in U.S. History
Posted on Jun 6, 2010
U.S. Navy / Petty Officer 2nd Class Ace Rheaume
The U.S. has now been fighting in Afghanistan longer than any war in American history, including that other quagmire in Vietnam. Our friends at Brave New Films send this mini-documentary, featuring Daniel Ellsberg, Tom Hayden and others.
Visit RethinkAfghanistan for more information
http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/the_longest_war_in_us_history_20100606/
Posted on Jun 6, 2010
U.S. Navy / Petty Officer 2nd Class Ace Rheaume
The U.S. has now been fighting in Afghanistan longer than any war in American history, including that other quagmire in Vietnam. Our friends at Brave New Films send this mini-documentary, featuring Daniel Ellsberg, Tom Hayden and others.
Visit RethinkAfghanistan for more information
http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/the_longest_war_in_us_history_20100606/
9:06 PM
Defence news about UK
On the BBC Radio 4 Today programme Secretary of State for International Development, Andrew Mitchell, talked about the reasons for Britain being involved in operations in Afghanistan, saying we were in Afghanistan for reasons of national security, adding that we must work in conjunction with aid agencies and our allies to sustain a long period of development which would ensure we make long term gains in security. The Financial Times reports that a study by the Royal United Services Institute into future reductions in the Defence Budget says that the UK may have to cut its Armed Forces by at least 25 per cent in less than a decade. The Daily Telegraph reports that the UK is in talks with France to share the cost of aircraft refuelling tankers as part of plans to cut defence spending. The Independent reports that business schools in Britain and the rest of Europe have seen a rise in students from the Armed Forces taking MBA courses to better prepare for life in the corporate world.
http://www.blogs.mod.uk/defence_news/
http://www.blogs.mod.uk/defence_news/
5:22 AM
Pakistan hikes defence budget
Pakistan hikes defence spending by 17% to $5 billion
REUTERS, Jun 5, 2010, 06.33pm IST
Tags:Islamabad|State Bank of PakistanISLAMABAD: Pakistan raised its spending on defence by 17 per cent to 442.2 billion rupees ($5.18 billion) for the 2010/11 fiscal year (July-June), according to an official budget document.
The government raised its total tax revenue target to 1.78 trillion rupees, compared with 1.48 trillion rupees in the year ending June 30.
Inflation for fiscal year 2010/11 is targeted at 9.5 per cent, compared with the State Bank of Pakistan's forecast of average inflation of between 11.5 per cent and 12.5 per cent for the year ending June 30.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistan-hikes-defence-spending-by-17-to-5-billion/articleshow/6015337.cms
REUTERS, Jun 5, 2010, 06.33pm IST
Tags:Islamabad|State Bank of PakistanISLAMABAD: Pakistan raised its spending on defence by 17 per cent to 442.2 billion rupees ($5.18 billion) for the 2010/11 fiscal year (July-June), according to an official budget document.
The government raised its total tax revenue target to 1.78 trillion rupees, compared with 1.48 trillion rupees in the year ending June 30.
Inflation for fiscal year 2010/11 is targeted at 9.5 per cent, compared with the State Bank of Pakistan's forecast of average inflation of between 11.5 per cent and 12.5 per cent for the year ending June 30.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistan-hikes-defence-spending-by-17-to-5-billion/articleshow/6015337.cms
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