CC Archive October 2004

29 October, 2004

100,000 Iraqi Civilians Dead
By Sarah Boseley

About 100,000 Iraqi civilians - half of them women and children - have died in Iraq since the invasion, mostly as a result of airstrikes by coalition forces

Will There Be A War Against The World?
By John Pilger

What will happen if the nightmare in Iraq goes on? Perhaps those millions of worried Americans, who are currently paralysed by wanting to get rid of Bush at any price, will shake off their ambivalence, regardless of who wins on 2 November

Beware The Coming Shortages
By David R. Francis

Dennis Meadows warned 32 years ago that the world would run short of resources within a century, putting the planet at risk of expanding hunger as well as economic and social disaster. Today, that danger is more imminent

Confronting Honour Killings
ACHR Report

The Pakistan government bulldozed the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2004 against “honour killings” in the National Assembly and adopted it on 26 October 2004 without any debate amidst opposition walkout

Darfur Crisis
By Mahmood Mamdani

How can we name the Darfur crisis? The US Congress, and now Secretary of State Colin Powell, claim that genocide has occurred in Darfur. The European Union says it is not genocide. And so does the African Union

28 October, 2004

Falluja's April Civilian Toll Is 600
By Iraq Body Count

The Iraq Body Count came out with a shocking revelation of the civilian dealth toll in the April 2004 siege of Falluja. The analysis published on its website leads to the conclusion that betweeen 572 and 616 of the approximately 800 reported deaths were of civilians, with over 300 of these being women and children

Americans Prepare For The 'Final Assault' On Falluja
By Kim Sengupta

For the American military, Falluja is "the last battle", an overwhelming assault that will destroy the epicentre of the rebellion sweeping through the country, the beginning of the end of major American military action in Iraq. The question now is not if but when there will be an attack on Falluja

Bush Hides Global Warming Evidence
By Chuck Schoffner

The Bush administration is trying to stifle scientific evidence of the dangers of global warming in an effort to keep the public uninformed

Settler's Bust
By Michael Dahan

The withdrawal from the Gaza Strip will not lead to civil war, nor will it lead to a rift, irreparable or otherwise, in Israel proper. All the polls and figures point to the fact that the disengagement plan is supported by at least 70% of the Israeli public

Eminem Mosh Against Bush
By Sam Graham-Felsen

Eminem's new video 'Mosh' is a scathing indictment of President Bush and the War in Iraq. Mosh could be one of the most overtly political pop music videos ever produced

27 October, 2004

State Terrorism In Thailand:
78 Suffocated To Death
By Aljazeera

At least 78 people have died in southern Thailand, many of them crushed and suffocated after they were arrested and packed tightly into trucks

Thailand's Troubled South
By Shaheen Chughtai

Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist nation of around 60 million people, but up to 10% of the population are Muslims, living mostly in the five southern provinces bordering Malaysia. Many southern inhabitants are also ethnic Malays who often speak a different language from their more northern Thai neighbours

Sharon Wins Historic Gaza Vote
By Chris McGreal

Israel's parliament last night voted for the first time in 37 years of occupation to remove Jewish settlements from the Palestinian territories in a historic move that Ariel Sharon said paved the way to the end of the conflict

Adventure Capitalism
By Greg Palast

Why were Iraqi elections delayed? Why was Jay Garner fired? Why are the troops still there? Investigative reporter Palast uncovers new documents that answer these questions and more about the Bush administration’s grand designs on Iraq

American Elections 2004...
By Baghdad Burning Blogger

So is Kerry going to be much better? I don’t know. I don’t know if he’s going to fix things or if he’s going to pull out the troops, or bring more in. I have my doubts about how he will handle the current catastrophe in Iraq. I do know this: nothing can be worse than Bush

Three Weddings And Lots Of Funerals
By Brian Clougley

"Three Weddings and Lots of Funerals" is different. The story line in what I write here is strong enough, but there are no laughs whatever. It concerns the willful massacre of over a hundred innocent people by US aircraft at two wedding gatherings in Iraq and one in Afghanistan in the past 15 months

Reinventing Lord Macaulay
By Chandrabhan Prasad

The greatest celestial spirit for India, code named Thomas Babington Macaulay, was born on October 25, 1800. We must be enlightened enough to take his anti-Hindu, anti-Caste views, in correct spirit. Let us celebrate the birth anniversary of one of the greatest philosophers this planet has produced, not for the Lord, but for the India shinning

26 October, 2004

Israeli Raids On Gaza Kill 17
By Aljazeera

Up to 17 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military raids and missile strikes in the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunus. An eight-year-old child, who was hit by a bullet in the neck, is among the casualties

350 Tons Of Explosives Go Missing In Iraq
By Rupert Cornwell

In a massive pre-election embarrassment for the Bush administration, nearly 350 tons of lethal explosives - which could be used to trigger nuclear weapons - have vanished from a military facility in Iraq supposed to have been guarded by US troops

Our War On Terrorism
By Howard Zinn

I am calling it "our" war on terrorism because I want to distinguish it from Bush's war on terrorism, and from Sharon's, and from Putin's

Chaos, Murder And Mayhem
By Haifa Zangana

Kidnapping and killing is a daily reality in Iraq, but in the west the atrocities go unrecorded and the dead are unnamed

Attention Pro-Life Voters
By Gary Krane and James Armstrong

Economic policies and abortion are not separate issues. They form one moral imperative, Without jobs, health care, a living wage, health insurance and child care, all of this pious talk about family values and abortion rings hollow

The Terrorism Of War And Occupation
By Ghali Hassan

If the USA is concerned about peace, democracy, and freedom in the world, US government should free the Iraqi people by withdrawing its troops and stop killing innocent Iraqi civilians

Turkish Entry Into EU: Some Ethical Questions
By Nikhil Shah

As the Kurdish issue has become synonymous with human rights, allowing Turkey to become a member of the EU would cause a great amount of disillusionment among the population in Europe. This move would lead to a speculation of whether the EU is only about markets rather than a community of political and social rights as well

25 October, 2004

Dire Warnings From Global Warming Report
By Owen Bowcott

Daffodils, cod, Christmas trees and the Highlands' ski resorts could have become victims of global warming by 2050 according to an energy-efficiency report

Global Warming Effects Faster Than Feared
By Maggie Fox

Recent storms, droughts and heat waves are probably being caused by global warming, which means the effects of climate change are coming faster than anyone had feared

Massacre At Baquba
By Kim Sengupta

The Massacre of 49 Iraqi army recruits at Baquba is a significant step in the growing confidence and propensity to violence of the militants. Although hundreds have died in bombings and mortar attacks, this is the first time they had carried out a planned operation with such a high number of casualties

On The Road To Civil War
By Uri Avnery

Everybody in Israel is talking about the Next War. The most popular TV channel is running a whole series about it.Not another war with the Arabs. Not the nuclear threat from Iran. Not the ongoing bloody confrontation with the Palestinians.The talk is about the coming civil war

American Muslims Give "Qualified Endorsement "
For John Kerry
By Shaik Ubaid

Election endorsement process of American Muslims reflects rapid political evolution

24 October, 2004

US Rejects Kyoto Pact
By AFP

The United States, flying in the face of snowballing world opinion, said it would not follow Russia's lead and ratify the Kyoto protocol on global warming

Should There Be Environmental Refugees?
By Tanveer Ahmed

Climate change is a reality. Increasing numbers of people fleeing natural disaster is a reality. However, this is not mirrored under international law and the impoverished nations which are most affected will continue to suffer

The Government You Deserve
By John Chuckman

There is no national debate in America on almost anything of genuine importance. The most narrow self-interest continues relentlessly under all the superficial noise and cheap tricks that pass for politics, and, so long as that remains the case, America will continue to kill and maim and overthrow

To Margaret Hassan, It Matters
By Beena Sarwar

A high-ranking US national security official made this statement "I don't think it matters. It's about keeping the country safe, and I don't think that matters." For Margaret Hassan and the dozens of others suffering at the hands of their kidnappers, and for their families, it matters

Indian Army And The Legacy Of Rape In Manipur
By Shivali Tukdeo

Masculine military privilege and its visible aggression in Manipur can only be understood in terms of an ancient war tactic which uses rape as a tool to control and dehumanize the ‘enemy’. As Manipuri women take their struggle to streets, they have become an inspiration to everyone suffering and fighting patriarchy. In struggle, together!

Sharing Power In Maharashtra
With Fairness And Justice
By Satinath Choudhary

What puzzles me is that when a party like BJP can reach agreement with other parties even if they have diagonally opposite ideologies and rule, why can't saner parties learn the art of sharing power from their enemy? Here is a suggestion for trying something new by the Congress-NCP in Maharashtra

23 October, 2004

Who Are The Terrorists In Falluja
By Nermeen Al-Mufti

Who are the terrorists in Falluja and how are they terrorising the civilian population?

“Days Of Penitence” Or Days Of Genocide?
By Ghali Hassan

Killing Palestinian children is becoming a competitive sport for the Israeli soldiers. ”Mohammed Aaraj was eating a sandwich in front of his house, when a soldier shot him to death at fairly close range. He was six at the time of his death

Depleted Uranium And International Law
By Nikhil Shah

An analysis of the legality of Depleted Uranium weapons in accordance with the principles of international humanitarian law and international environmental law

Russia Takes One More Step Towards
Kyoto Ratification
By Andrew Osborn

Russian MPs voted in favour of Kyoto protocol ratification by 334 to 73, taking their lead from Mr Putin, whose cabinet approved the pact last month

Bjorn Lomborg's Work On Climate Change -
Just Nonsense
By Tom Burke

The messy world we live in is one in which an unstable climate will guarantee poverty for untold millions. But it is equally one in which, if we fail to solve the problem of poverty much more quickly and cleverly than we are doing at present, we will continue to destabilise the climate. The Lomborg argument that we can delay one until we have solved the other is a cruelly false prospect

22 October, 2004

Global-Scale Problems
By Bill Henderson

Amuch better functioning and strengthened version of the emerging global multilateral framework for cooperation - the international rule of law, a global governance capacity, open networked global science, etc. - is a precondition for innovation to solve global-scale problems such as severe resource depletion (peak oil), global warming and species extinction

Plundering The World's Resources
By Jonathan Fowler

People are plundering the world's resources at a pace that outstrips the planet's capacity to sustain life

An Open Letter To American Friends
By M Hasan Jowher

Gandhi, Mandela and Dalai Lama have a message for you: truth, understanding and reconciliation. You have an opportunity this November of asserting Americanism. Peace on earth also happens to hinge on your decision

Palestine Takes Centre Stage
At The European Social Forum
By Victor Kattan

"End the oppression, end the occupation" was the rallying cry at the European Social Forum in London last weekend

Guava In Jabalia: First Bite, Last Breath
By Sami Abu Salem

The seeds of guava were still between 13-year-old Saber Assaliya's lips when an Israeli tank shot him in the waist

21 October, 2004

Climate Change Threatens World Aid Effort
By Michael McCarthy

Britain's development and aid agencies joined together to recognise formally that climate change is the most serious problem facing the poor of the world

A Bullet Fired For Every Palestinian Child
By Yitzhak Laor

1.3 million bullets in the West Bank and Gaza. It was a bullet for every Palestinian child or at least this is what the Israeli daily Maariv revealed two years ago, when the horrible figures were first leaked

The Zombie State
By Am Johal

Will this be the age of Bush, Saddam, Enron, Martha Stewart, Halliburton, Bin Laden, Hamid Karzai and Aaron Brown on CNN with the towers in the background?

Kidnapped - The Heroine Who Offered Hope For Iraq
By Robert Fisk

Is there no end to the kidnappers' targets? Margaret Hassan was abducted on her way to work running Care International's Iraq operation.She who said to me that soon, very soon, "there will be more than one lost generation" in Iraq?

20 October, 2004

Climate Change: The Absent Issue
By Mark Hertsgaard

Climate change is to the twenty-first century what the nuclear arms race was to the twentieth: the overriding threat to humanity's continued existence on this planet. But it is resolutely kept out of the political debates

Killing Children Is No Big Deal
By Gideon Levy

Who would have believed that Israeli soldiers would kill hundreds of children and that the majority of Israelis would remain silent? Even the Palestinian children have become part of the dehumanization campaign: killing hundreds of them is no longer a big deal

The Iraqi Chimurenga
By Kenneth Bell

There is no national leadership behind the Iraqi insurrection. Those who are waiting for a Ho Chi Minh or Fidel Castro Ruz to emerge and lead the people to independence are probably going to be disappointed

Drafting A Law To Prevent Communal Violence
By Asghar Ali Engineer

The Congress led UPA Government had promised to draft a law to prevent communal violence in its Common Minimum Programme but it is hardly its priority. It is no more talking about it nor is it preparing any draft for discussion

19 October, 2004

Gaza Sinks In A Sea Of Blood
By Mohammed Omer

It smells unbelievably bad here. The stench of rotting blood mixes with the more acrid odor of flesh burnt to black char by the rockets fired by the Israeli Army's American-made Apache helicopters

Anatomy Of A War Story
By Greg Guma

Greg Guma analyse how The Wall Street Journal staff member Farnaz Fassihi's email message became a "global chain letter"

Seize The Moral Highground
By T. Patrick Donovan

Gandhi and King paved the way. Let us celebrate and creatively apply their legacies. Rather than "Vote No" on Election Day, our rallying cry must by "No Vote On Election Day!" Our morality, our humanity, and our planet is at stake.

18 October, 2004

Destroying Your Home With Love And Wisdom
By Chris McGreal

While Sharon agonises over how to draw 7,500 Jewish settlers out of Israel's Gaza colonies - offering hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation to each family - the army has already bulldozed close to 9,000 Palestinians from their homes in the Gaza strip this year alone

Thank You, Dubby
By Uri Avnery

By now, everybody has had a go at analyzing the interview with Dov (“Dubby”) Weisglass, Ariel Sharon’s most intimate confidant. But there is precious little to analyze. His statement is crystal clear: the “redeployment plan” was designed to “freeze” the peace process for decades, to put an end to the possibility of a Palestinian state, once and for all

Requiem For A Dreamer
By Kurt Vonnegut

Aconversation between Kurt Vonnegut and out-of-print science fiction writer Kilgore Trout. It was to be their last. Trout committed suicide by drinking Drano at midnight on October 15 in Cohoes, New York, after a female psychic using tarot cards predicted that the environmental calamity George W. Bush would once again be elected

Your Old Mobile Is Destroying The Planet
By Geoffrey Lean

Governments from around the world will meet next week to tackle the latest toxic waste crisis - mobile phones

Indymedia Website Seizures Remain
Shrouded in Questions
By Brendan Coyne

Confiscated website hardware has been returned to the international Indymedia network, but activists still don't know why the equipment was seized, and officials representing other entities are passing the buck

Visiting Jammu & Kashmir
By Imtiaz Alam

The real issue is that both Islamabad and New Delhi stop treating the Kashmir issue as a territorial dispute and, instead, address together the aspirations of the people of the valley in some appropriate form that is to the satisfaction of the two big brothers. The solution lies in the process, not in any pre-determined formula

17 October, 2004

Russia Retreats Into Repression
By Ignacio Ramonet

Post Beslan, Russia’s government is talking about the need for a strong state. This means sweeping and largely anti-democratic changes to Russia’s political system

Bush or Kerry: The Atrocity Will Continue
By Ghali Hassan

Watching Bush-Kerry debates, I came to the conclusion that the two sides of American politics are actually, one. Bush and Kerry are out-competing on who took part in the atrocities of Vietnam, and on who will kill more Iraqis if elected

China's Secret Dam
By Jasper Becker and Daniel Howden

China begins huge project in World Heritage Site, displacing up to 100,000 people and devastating unique tribal societies

Eggs In One Basket
By Uri Avnery

What would happen if Americans started to wonder about the roots of the terrorism of Islamic fanatics? Won't there be some who would argue that America got into the Clash of Civilizations with the Muslim world only because of Israel?

Three Hours At Kalandia Checkpoint
By Neta Golan

Nablus, like most of the major West Bank cities, has been under intense siege for the last four years. Recently, people over thirty five from Nablus are allowed out sometimes and occasionally students are allowed in and out -- once each way each week. Otherwise, if you are from Nablus, you can not leave or enter

Mumbai's Other Half
By Kalpana Sharma

"Disenfranchise them." This is the new cry of some middle class people in Mumbai. The poor living in slums are "illegal" in that they are squatting on land not meant for that purpose. So deny them the vote

15 October, 2004

One-Third Of Amphibians Face Extinction
By Steve Connor

A global study revealed that almost a third of amphibians face extinction - and pollution is cited as the biggest cause

The Making Of The Terror Myth
By Andy Beckett

A new BBC documentary claims that the wests paranoia of terrorist attack is a politically driven fantasy - and al-Qaida a dark illusion

Liberating Iraq! What About Iraqi Women?
By Bhaskar Dasgupta

Iraq's current lack of basic rights for women and the threat of a rise of political Islam are the result of a tyrannical rule, twelve years of economic sanctions, three devastating wars and an occupation

Political Roots Of American Insecurity
By Mohamed El-Moctar El-Shinqiti

"Understanding and resolving differences between Americans and Muslims" is one of the challenging issues facing the US policymakers today

The Genius Of Wangari Maathai
By Anna Lappé and Frances Moore Lappé

Several prominent Norwegians have questioned the Nobel Committee for awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Wangari Maathai. Why honor environmental activism in an era when war, terrorism and nuclear proliferation are even more urgent problems? What they miss is Dr. Maathai's special genius

Muslim Women And Gender Justice
By Yoginder Sikand

A recently concluded two-day conference in New Delhi brought together a number of Muslim women activists from different parts of India, as well as some members of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board to discuss a range of issues relating to Muslim women

14 October, 2004

Double Standards That Kill
By Hasan Abu Nimah

Israel routinely kills 10 to 12 Palestinians per day, the daily equivalent of a Palestinian suicide bombing or two. Israel is engaged in the mass destruction of the Gaza Strip. Yet, other than pro forma criticism, there is great tolerance for the ongoing massacre

Where Are The Leaders
By Am Johal

where are the leaders in Israel and Palestine that will take the region to peace? Who will have the vision, the moral clout, the pragmatic leadership, the support of their people, the distast for conflict and the "Iron Will" to implement it?

Taming The Internet
By Bobbie Johnson

Last week's seizure of Indy-Media servers could have serious consequences for citizen publishers

Hearing New Voices In Kashmir
By Mariana Baabar

Mariana Baabar, diplomatic editor of the Islamabad-based newspaper, The News, who was on a visit to the Indian part of Kashmir writes about her experience

13 October, 2004

Deadly Diseases Rampage Iraq
By Jeremy Laurance

Soaring rates of disease and a crippled health system are posing a new crisis for the people of Iraq, threatening to kill more than have died in the aftermath of the war

Of Valium, Drugs And Iraq
By Baghdad Burning

Iraq is being faced with a growing drug problem. But it hasn't gotten that much attention with the media because, while it's going to wreak havoc in the long run, drugs don't suddenly blow off an arm or a leg, and they don't explode inside of your car and they don’t come falling out of a plane to burn homes and families

US Voters Hold The Key
By AFP

According Wangari Maatha,Kenyan ecologist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, American voters hold the key to ending the war in Iraq and can help revive a UN treaty on global warming which was rejected by President George W. Bush

Gaza Under Attack- Eye Witness Account
By Kim Bullimore, West Bank

The current offensive is merely a continuation of military operations that have taken place since Sharon first announced plans for “disengagement”. For the past six months, the IDF has been systematically demolishing houses and olive groves

Australia Endorses Racism And War Crimes
By Gideon Polya

After a cowardly, dishonest and lack-lustre campaign by Australian Labor - which strenuously avoided the issue of Iraq in craven deference to the US administration the conservative Coalition Government won a decisive victory thanks to bigotry, ignorance, fear and small-minded selfishness

12 October, 2004

Oil Rides On All Time Highs
By Jonathan Leff

Oil prices held near historic highs over $53 a barrel on Tuesday, with global supplies hounded by outages that were thwarting efforts to build U.S. heating oil inventories ahead of the winter

Producers Cash In On Record-high Oil Prices
By Adam Porter

According to US Energy Information Administration gas and oil heating prices are set to rise by anywhere from 11.2% to 28.8%. If they are right, it is boom time for the oil barons and banks, but bad times ahead for the consumer

Mehdi Army Start Surrendering Weapons
By Kim Sengupta

The Mehdi Army had begun to give up some weapons, in a trickle rather than a flood in exchange for concessions and incentives

Army Chief 'Emptied His Magazine'At Girl In Gaza
By Donald Macintyre

Soldiers have come forward to explain that 13 year old girl Iman al-Hams body was riddled with 20 bullets because their immediate commander "confirmed the killing" by shooting two bullets at her already prone body before withdrawing a short distance and then firing a burst of automatic gunfire at the corpse

The Legacy Of Iraq
By Robert Fisk

Future generations will struggle to escape the legacy of the disaster in Iraq

Reinventing Democracy
By José Saramago

Elections are due soon in the United States, Afghanistan, Iraq and Indonesia. Democracy, the creation of the Greeks, remains the least bad political system. But it has to work properly: it must remain accountable to ordinary people and not suborn power

Communalising Kerala
By R Krishnakumar

A criminal assault on nuns of the Missionaries of Charity in Kerala, the first such incident involving the organisation in the country, raises concerns about the spread of communalism in the State

11 October, 2004

Surprise CO2 Rise To Speed Up Global Warming
By Michael McCarthy

The rate at which global warming gases are accumulating in the atmosphere has taken a sharp leap upwards, leading to fears that the devastating effects of climate change may hit the world even sooner than has been predicted

Paradise Cleansed
By John Pilger

To understand the catastrophe of Iraq, and all the other Iraqs along imperial history's trail of blood and tears, one need look no further than Diego Garcia

If You Had Seen What I Have Seen
By Scott Ritter

The inspection process was rigged to create uncertainty over WMD to bolster the US and UK's case for war

Globalization And The Agenda For A Free
And Democratic South Asia
By Anu Muhammad

The increasing collaboration of ruling classes in the form of unity and conflict demands much more increasing collaboration in the form of unity in thoughts and in struggles from the democratic and revolutionary forces

Blood Thirsty Honour
By Githa Hariharan

In India, adults may vote, but they cannot marry who they choose

Mriacles, Wars And Politics
By Pervez Hoodbhoy

Zealots of all persuasions - Muslim, Hindu, Christian, and Jewish - welcome attacks on science and reason. Improvement of the human condition demands a return to critical reasoning and scientific analysis

Erasing The Past For Present Political Agenda
By Ram Puniyani

In order to polarise votes in the forthcoming election in the Indian state of Maharashtra the far right BJP-Shiv Sena alliance tried to destroy a tomb sacred to Muslims

10 October, 2004

FBI Seizes Indymedia Servers In UK
By Press Release

At the request of the FBI, Rackspace which provides hosting services for more that 20 Indymedia sites at its London facility, complied by turning over two Indymedia servers to federal authorities, effectively removing those sites from the internet

Gaza Families Live In The Shadow Of Death
By Laila El-Haddad

Meet a few victims of Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's bloody offensive through the northern Gaza Strip, which has claimed more than 85 Palestinian lives, nearly 30 of them children

Don’t Believe A Word
By Uri Avnery

When Ariel Sharon announced his plan for “unilateral disengagement”, the media reported that the Peace Now movement was preparing a big public campaign in support. Now Dov Weisglass has confirmed that the sole aim of the plan was to “freeze” the peace process

09 October, 2004

Sad, Bloody End To Bigley Saga
By Rory McCarthy

Ken Bigley, the Briton whose caged and shackled image was broadcast around the world pleading for his life has been murdered by his kidnappers

Speak Now Or ......?
By Jeff Berg

"If we all do not start bailing with all of our collective might right now civilization’s ship will surely capsize and we all will remember back upon this and many other 'I told you so's' with despair when we look into the questioning eyes of your children and grandchildren"

Iraq: 'Liberation' or War Crimes?
By Ghali Hassan

The Duelfer report also Confirm earlier reports, including the UNSCOM's, that Iraq had no WMD and that the war was unnecessary and illegal. This alone should be enough ground to indict George Bush, Tony Blair and their "coalition" with war crimes committed since 1991 against the Iraqi people

Oil Wars
By Michael T. Klare

American military has taken up the responsibility of protecting the flow of petroleum around the world

Elections May Obstruct Afghan Peace
By Jonathan Steele

The bullet-ridden ballots may obstruct, rather than promote, peace

Hindutwa's Demographic Worries
By Dr T T Sreekumar

A reply to an article appeared in the RSS mouth piece, Organizer, claiming that Hindus in Kerala are fast becoming a “minority”. In this rebuttal Dr. Sreekumar points out that the said article is replete with so many inaccuracies, half truths, lies and bland statements

08 October, 2004

Oil Near Highs, Nigeria Threat Eases
By Reuters

"Demand growth is outstripping supply growth and there's very little prospect for that to change. Prospects of maintaining supply growth at current levels are extremely limited "

Messy Business In Iraq
By Rory McCarthy

Iraq's state-run industries are crumbling and as yet little has been done to revitalise them

Greenhouse Denial: Australia’s Kyoto Treaty Shame
By Norm Dixon

The clock is ticking. If global industry’s greenhouse gas emissions do not begin to be significantly and rapidly reduced within decades, humanity faces potentially catastrophic consequences

Beheading The UN
By Satya Sagar

For all the slavish behavior displayed all this while by the body he presides over Kofi Annan had shown them that, once in a while, he could also be ‘No More Mr Nice Guy’ if he wants to

Quota Means Business
By Chandrabhan Prasad

In the ongoing debate on private sector quota for Dalits, new unknown faces with no knowledge about the rights of Dalits and reservation have shown up. And it's the Indian media

06 October, 2004

Oil's Devastating Run Continues
By Richard Mably

Oil prices extended record-setting highs above $51 for U.S. crude on Wednesday raising serious questions about the oil industry's claims on supply and demand

Death And Destruction In Gaza
By OCHA

Heavy fighting has taken place in the last six days. The Palestinian Ministry of Health has recorded 82 Palestinian deaths of which 24 were children. Three hundred and sixteen Palestinians have been injured of which over 110 were children

Judging The Intifada
By Hasan Abu Nimah & Ali Abunimah

As Israel gets further into its corner, the chances increase dramatically that it will seek to resolve its existential problem not just at the expense of the Palestinians, but by spreading the conflict to its neighbors

The Bush Doctrine Is Israel's Doctrine
By Ghali Hassan

The only peaceful solution for the current tragedy and violence in Palestine is for American allies and civilised citizens to reject the Bush-Israel doctrine and convince the US and Israel to end their occupations of Iraq and Palestine and live like civilised nations

Indian Censors Hold Up 'Fahrenheit 9/11'
By Indo-Asian News Service

Indian censors are holding up release of the award-winning documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11". Several reasons are being offered on why the censors are worried about the film. One of them is to avoid offending the American authorities

Why Putin Is Backing Kyoto Again
By Gwynne Dyer

Why did Russian President Vladimir Putin decide to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change last week, only six months after his top adviser, Andrei Illarionov, called it a "death treaty?" The most important reason is that Russians aren't stupid

Speaking From Gujarat
By Dr. Juzar Bandukwala & Yoginder Sikand

Dr. Juzar Bandukwala is well-known and widely-respected social activist and journalist, he has been in the forefront of the struggle for justice to the victims of the recent state-sponsored violence directed against the Muslims of Gujarat. In this interview he speaks to Yoginder Sikand about his work and about the situation in Gujarat today

05 October, 2004

50,000 Trapped By Israeli Assault On Gaza
By Chris McGreal

Israeli forces have demolished the homes of hundreds of Palestinians, bulldozed swaths of agricultural land and destroyed infrastructure in their bloodiest assault on the Gaza Strip in years

Two Peoples, One State
By Michael Tarazi

New York Times published an article by PLO legal adviser Michael Tarazi where he lays out the case for solving the deadlocked Palestinian-Israeli conflict through "a one-state solution in which citizens of all faiths and ethnicities live together as equals." That the New York Times printed this article represents a major breakthrough of this idea into the mainstream

Civilians Bear Brunt As Samarra 'Pacified'
By Kim Sengupta

Local people in Samarra claimed that many of the 1,000 insurgents the Americans were targeting had escaped before the attack, and civilians had borne the brunt of the casualties. Of 70 bodies brought into Samarra General Hospital, 23 were children and 18 women

Dear Mike, Iraq Sucks

After the release of Fahrenheit 9/11, Michael Moore received a flood of letters and emails from disillusioned and angry American soldiers serving in Iraq. Here, in an exclusive extract from his new book

04 October, 2004

Cancer Cases In Iraq Are Increasing
IRIN Report

The number of breast cancer cases appears to be rising rapidly in Iraq. It's unclear why this is, although it could be because of radiation left over from the 1991 Gulf War

Samarra Burning...
By Baghdad Burning

Watching the military attacks on Samarra and hearing the stories from displaced families or people from around the area is like reliving the frustration and anger of the war. It's like a nightmare within a nightmare

You Can't Bomb Beliefs
By Naomi Klein

Sadr's calls for fair elections and an end to occupation demand our unequivocal support--not because we are blind to the threat he would pose if he were actually elected but because believing in self-determination means admitting that the outcome of democracy is not ours to control

Strange Victory
By John Chuckman

Nothing tells us more about the odd political state of America than the recent presidential debate and reactions to it. The debates leave the impression of old Soviet apparatchiks offering spontaneous views on Stalin's latest speech

03 October, 2004

Peak Oil 15 Months Away?
By Adam Porter

Iranian oil and energy analyst and expert Ali Bakhtiari predicts that peak oil will arrive around 2006, 2007." At that point, no one can say what is going to happen. Except the price is going to go up. And no one will be able to stop it."

Emergency Declared In Gaza
By Mustafa el-Sawwaf

The new fatalities take to at least 54 the number of Palestinian victims of the new Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip, unleashed on Tuesday

A Nation? What Nation?
By Uri Avnery

It sounds like a joke, but it is quite serious.The government of Israel does not recognize the Israeli nation. It says that there is no such thing!

Tunnel Vision
By Chandrabhan Prasad

A satirical report of a hypothetical editor's guild meeting on Dalit reservation

01 October, 2004

A Letter From Baghdad
By Farnaz Fassihi

Iraq is already lost beyond salvation. For those of us on the ground it's hard to imagine what if any thing could salvage it from its violent downward spiral

A Casualty Of Bush's War
By Mark Clinton and Tony Udell

Jeffrey Lucey, a Marine veteran of the Iraq war and a student at the Holyoke Community College (HCC) in Western Massachusetts, committed suicide on June 22. He was 23. Horrific memories of Iraq being the possible reason for his suicide

Liar, Liar...
By Baghdad Burning

I prepared myself for several minutes of nausea as Bush began speaking. I sit there talking back to him- calling him a liar, calling him an idiot, wondering how exactly he got so far and how they're allowing him to run for re-election

When You Have Breast Cancer In Gaza
By Gideon Levy

For 10 days now, F., a 28-year-old resident of Gaza, has been trying to get to Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer for urgent chemotherapy in the oncology department. The story of what has happened to her during these 10 awful days sounds unbelievable, even to someone who has already heard horrible stories

Addiction Behind The Burka
By Nick Meo

How Afghan women use drugs to cope with legacy of war

Reservation In Private Sector For Dalits
A Political Stunt
By Dr.Vivek Kumar

Though there is a need for the policy of affirmative action in the private sector, Dalits are not convinced that the policy will see the light of day in the near future

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