Countercurrents
Archive
November 2004
20 November, 2004
US
Forces Raid A Mosque And Murder
By Dahr Jamail
U.S. soldiers raided the Al- Hanifa mosque in Baghdad
during Friday prayers, killing two worshippers and wounding nine others
The War Is
Over, But The Killings Go On
By Abbas Ahmed Ibrahim
This is a strange time in Fallujah. They say the
war is over, but there is no peace. Every day there is shooting, and
there are still killings going on. There is also a terrible smell. We
know what it is - it is the smell of dead bodies
A Return To
Barbarity
By Amira Howeidy
The standards of the ongoing offensive seem far
removed from the modern world's rules of war. The Iraqis are again faced
with mediaeval images emerging from Fallujah of decomposing bodies floating
in the river, children left to bleed to death in the wreckage of their
homes and wounded and helpless prisoners summarily executed
19 November, 2004
Melting
Glaciers Threaten
World Water Supply
By Ed Cropley
Mountain glaciers, which act as the world's water
towers, are shrinking at ever faster rates, threatening the livelihoods
of millions of people and the future of countless species
Media Repression
In 'Liberated' Land
By Dahr Jamail
Journalists are increasingly being detained and
threatened by the U.S.-installed interim government in Iraq. Media have
been stopped particularly from covering recent horrific events in Fallujah
The Streets Of Baghdad
By Dahr Jamail
Walking and driving on the streets Baghdad I find
myself in a sea of chaos. Traffic is mayhem for many reasons. The current
fuel crisis being the lead cause. Lines at petrol stations stretch for
miles at some of the stations
The Sanitation
Of War
By Frank Thomas
The language of technology, the action movie campaign
names like Shock and Awe, are used to set the terrain to
conceive warfare as a smooth business-like transaction, a routine project
with few casualties and little destruction.One of the big lies to have
gone down is this sanitation of war
US Profits From
Jihadist Terrorism
By Gideon Polya
The post-9/11 "extra" profits to the
US War Economy total some US$400 billion - the sum of extra US military
budget funding of $250 billion since 9/11 and additional funding for
the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars of about $150 billion
Religion, The Election,
And The Politics Of Fear
By Todd May
Those who argue about whether it is terrorism or
gay marriage that sunk the Kerry campaign miss the point. They are two
aspects of the same consciousness. And they are at the heart of the
Bush administration's politics of fear
America's Radioactive
War
By Brita May Rose
There has been virtually no mention of the use
of depleted uranium (DU) in this latest Gulf War, yet the US military
has scattered this radioactive substance all over the desert in even
larger quantities than it did in the Gulf War of 1991
What Constitutes
A Legitimate Target?
By Faisal Bodi
If, as the saying goes, truth is the first casualty
of war, the second victim - in modern warfare at least - must be the
distinction between combatants and civilians
The Opium Country
By Nick Meo
In Afganistan every farmer grows opium because
they would be 'fools' to grow anything else
The Politics And Economics
Of Astrology
By S. Anand
In India astrologers have emerged as a new priestly
class, raking up huge amount of money from the believers. They also
act as the perpetuaters of the caste system
Death In The
Womb
By Anna Dani
The desire for a male child at all costs in India
has now resulted in an alarming scenario. The child sex ratio for the
country stands at 927 in 2001, down from 945 in 1991
18 November, 2004
Over
15,000 Species Face Extinction
By Sonny Inbaraj
Over 15,000 animal and plant species face extinction,
reveals the World Conservation Union or IUCN in its '2004 Red List of
Threatened Species'
Who Killed Margaret
Hassan?
By Robert Fisk
If Margaret Hassan can be kidnapped and murdered,
how much further can we fall into the Iraqi pit? There are no barriers,
no frontiers of immorality left
Slash And Burn
By Dahr Jamail
The first thing they did is they bombed the
hospitals because that is where the wounded have to go. Now we see that
wounded people are in the street and the soldiers are rolling over them
with tanks"
Horrific Scenes
From The Ashes Of Fallujah
By James Cogan
Fallujah has been laid waste. It is a hell on earth
of shattered bodies, shattered buildings and the stench of death. The
city will enter history as the place where US imperialism carried out
a crime of immense proportions in November 2004
What
Palestinians Should Do Now
By Ali Abunimah
The first priority for Palestinian leaders now
must be to defend their people against Israel's relentless colonization
and violence and not to negotiate with Israeli guns to Palestinian heads
Africa's Children
Of War
By Meera Selva
More than 100,000 children have been abducted,
tortured and sexually abused before being recruited to fight in Africa's
long-running civil wars in the past three years
Kashmir's
Endless Autumn
By Rehana Hakim
In Kashmir, the battle lines are drawn: 'Either
you are with us - the militants or the security forces - or you are
against us. And whichever side you are on, prove it.' There is no sitting
on the fence, no such entity as neutral observer
17 November, 2004
Congratulations
American Heroes
By Baghdad Burning
They killed a wounded man. It's hard to believe.
They killed a man who was completely helpless- like he was some sort
of diseased animal. I had read the articles and heard the stories of
this happening before- but to see it happening on television is something
else
Margaret
Hassan 1944- 2004
By Jason Burke
The reported murder of the aid worker Margaret
Hassan is another one of those horror stories to have emerged from the
slaughter house of Iraq
800 Civilians
Feared Dead In Fallujah
By Dahr Jamail
According to estimates by a Red Cross official
at least 800 civilians are believed to have been killed during the U.S.
offensive in Fallujah
Mass Slaughter
In Fallujah
By Doug Lorimer
The deliberate destruction of Falljuah hospitals
was a clear indication that the US military wants to ensure that dead
or injured Fallujah residents are not brought to the city's hospitals
so as to conceal the scale of civilian casualties
Children Pay
A Price For Assault On Falluja
By Rory McCarthy and Osama Mansour
Evidence began to emerge of civilians, including
children, who were seriously injured in the US assault on the Iraqi
city of Falluja
Hebron:
The Street
By Am Johal
There won't be peace between the Israelis and the
Palestinians until there is peace in places like Hebron
The Power Of
Sustenance
By Goldy M. George
Stories giving hope that marginalized people can
lead the struggle for jusice
16 November, 2004
Aid
Convoy Turned Back From Fallujah
By Aljazeera
An aid convoy has been forced to turn back from
the beleaguered city of Fallujah as more evidence emerged of a mounting
humanitarian crisis on the eighth day of a US offensive to crush resistance
forces
Eye Witness Account
AP Photographer Flees Fallujah
By Katarina Kratovac
Bilal Hussein watched horrified as a family of
five was shot dead as they tried to cross the Euphrates. Then, he "helped
bury a man by the river bank, with my own hands."
Eye Witness Account
Doctor Is Haunted By Siege Of Fallujah
By Alissa J. Rubin
"I think if the Americans let us treat the
injured, even in the streets," Dr. Ahmed Ghanim said, "we
could have saved hundreds."
The Other Face
Of U.S. 'Success' In Fallujah
By Dahr Jamail
The real face of the 'success' of the U.S. military
assault in Fallujah is now beginning to present itself. Thousands of
families remain trapped inside Fallujah with no food, clean water or
medical assistance
Dogs Eating
Bodies In The Streets Of Fallujah
By Dahr Jamail
The media repression by the military around Fallujah
continues to run thick, as a journalist for the al-Arabia network who
attempted to get inside Fallujah was detained by the military
Sharon's
Gaza Pullout: Not Gonna Happen!
By Tanya Reinhart
For the first time in the history of the occupation,
we are seeing joint Israeli-Palestinian struggle. Along with Israel
of the army and the settlers, a new Israel-Palestine is forming
The Brahminist
Citadel Shaken
By Ra Ravishankar
"Am I Veerappan?", Kanchi Shankaracharya
Jayendra Saraswati asked after he was arrested this Thursday on charges
of instigating the murder of his bete noire Sankararaman. His character
is evident from those who have spoken out in his favor
15 November, 2004
Falluja
Is A Ghost Town
By Michael Georgy and Kim Sengupta
Another body lay stretched out on the next block,
its head blown off, perhaps in one of the countless explosions which
rent the city day and night for nearly a week. Some bodies were so mutilated
it was impossible to tell if they were civilians or militants, male
or female
Inside Fallujah:
One Familys Diary Of Terror
By Dahr Jamail
I cannot get the image out of my mind of
her foetus being blown out of her body. One family reveals the
horror of being caught in the conflict in Falluja
Eyewitness Account
Falluja Calls For Help
By Fadhil Badrani
When people in Falluja feel the world is not interested
in their fate, they start asking if the media is doing its job
Play
It Again Bush And Blair
By Sam Bahour and Michael Dahan
President Bush and Prime Minister Blair have basically
regurgitated the same empty statements as in the past, only this time
they choose to do so on the day President Arafat was laid to rest
After Arafat
By Uri Avnery
Ariel Sharon has absolutely no interest in sitting
opposite a democratically elected Palestinian leadership enjoying international
legitimacy and respect. He will do everything to prevent elections,
and, of course, blame the Palestinians
India's Top
Secrets
By Chandrabhan Prasad
Those who condemn Lord Macaulay for imposing the
'wrong' education on India, never tell us as what was the education
system which he fought, and eventually got replaced
Two Gods,
One Message
By Vidya Subrahmaniam
Narendra Modi returned to power in the Indian state
of Gujarat after the genocide in 2002 on the back of a majoritarian
campaign centred on Hindutva, terrorism, security and Muslim-bashing.
George Bush returned to the White House on the back of a majoritarian
campaign centred on religion, family values, terrorism, security and
gay-bashing
With
Love, From India
By Syed Said Mahmood
"The moment your "Indian" identity
is disclosed, you find oodles of people rushing up to you, wishing to
talk to you, offering local assistance and wanting to load you with
gifts" - Experiences of an Indian in Pakistan
13 November, 2004
Humanitarian
Disaster In Falluja
By James Cogan
The city, a Los Angeles Times reporter wrote, is
a tableau of destroyed buildings, burned-out cars, battered mosques
and piles of rubble. Embedded journalists have noted the stench
of decomposing bodies that hangs over the city
Murder In Falluja
By Baghdad Burning
People in Falloojeh are being murdered. The stories
coming back are horrifying. People being shot in cold blood in the streets
and being buried under tons of concrete and iron... where is the world?
Bury Arafat and hurry up and pay attention to what's happening in Iraq
Iraq Is Burning
With Wrath , Anger And Sadness
By Dahr Jamail
Certainly the US military can eventually
suppress Fallujah, but for how long? Iraq is burning with wrath, anger
and sadness
the people of Fallujah are dear to us. They are our
brothers and sisters and we are so saddened by what is happening in
that city.
Die, Then Vote.
This Is Falluja
By Naomi Klein
With all the millions spent on "democracy-building"
and "civil society" in Iraq, it has come to this: if you can
survive attack by the world's only superpower, you get to cast a ballot.
Fallujans are going to vote, goddammit, even if they all have to die
first
Do You "Support
The Troops"?
By Ghali Hassan
If you relax your vigilance to "support the
troops" and failed to bring them home soon, their sacrifice will
be in vain
Palestinians
Bid Farewell To Arafat
By Donald Macintyre
Palestinians bid an emotional farewell to their
president Yassar Arafat. "We vow to
respect your will and to place the Palestinian flag on every house in
Jerusalem, on its churches and on its mosques. We will continue the
march. We will make our blood like water for Jerusalem."
God Bless America
By John Chuckman
Some have characterized the Bush victory as marking
the beginning of a third Great Awakening. America's fundamentalists
want to escape the social consequences of such inevitable developments
as gay marriage, abortion, and scientific research that begins to peel
back the mysteries of Creation
12 November, 2004
New
Insurgency Confronts US Forces
By Rory McCarthy & Michael Howard
The violence suggests the four-day operation in
Falluja may have cleared out the most important insurgent stronghold
in Iraq, but has done little to curb the insurgency
Falluja Facing
Humanitarian Crisis
By Aljazeera
Fighting in Falluja has created a humanitarian
disaster. A pregnant woman and her child died in a refugee camp west
of the city after the mother unexpectedly aborted and no doctors were
on hand.In another case, a young boy died from a snake bite that would
normally have been easily treatable
Eye Witness Account From Falluja
Smoke And corpses
By Fadhil Badrani
It is hard to know how much people outside Falluja
are aware of what is going on here. I want them to know about conditions
inside this city - there are dead women and children lying on the streets.People
are getting weaker from hunger. Many are dying from their injuries because
there is no medical help left in the city whatsoever. Some families
have started burying their dead in their gardens
Prayers For
Vengeance, More Death
By Dahr Jamail
When I was a child, it was common to have
some family member who was killed in the war with Iran, he says,
But now, everyone is dying everyday.
Iraq: The Unthinkable
Becomes Normal
By John Pilger
Mainstream media speak as if Fallujah were populated
only by foreign "insurgents". In fact, women and children
are being slaughtered
Re Reporting
Iraq Civilian Deaths
By Gideon Polya
Using UN and UNICEF data it has been conservatively
calculated that total "excess mortality" (excess death, avoidable
mortality) in war-ravaged Iraq since 1991 has been about 1.5 million
(with under-5 infant mortality totalling 1.2 million) and that the "excess
mortality" has been about 1.2 million in post-invasion Afghanistan
(with the under-5 infant deaths totalling 0.9 million)
Who
Killed Yasser Arafat?
By Ghada Karmi
No one knows what killed Yasser Arafat. Rumours
are circulating that Israel poisoned him. The evidence is entirely circumstantial
and probably no more than fantasy though, when dealing with Israel,
nothing can ever be ruled out
Woes Of Warming
Arctic To Echo
Worldwide Via Birds
By Alister Doyle
The decline of migratory birds due to an accelerating
Arctic thaw may also disrupt the delicate ecosystems of their far-flung
winter homes from Africa to South America, experts said this week
Suspicions Stir
Belief That
US Presidential Election Was Hijacked
By Greg Guma
Could sophisticated CIA-style "cyber-warfare"
have helped George W. Bush change a three percent defeat, as measured
by exit polls, into a victory of about the same margin? Yes, at least
in theory
Kashmir- Thinking
Out Of The Box
By M B Naqvi
Joint control of Kashmir by both India and Pakistan
is one of the interesting suggestions that have been thrown up
11 November, 2004
Yasser
Arafat, 1929-2004
By The Electronic Intifada
Arafat's death will not change any of the essential
underpinnings of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. There are still 3.5
million Palestinians living under a brutal Israeli military dictatorship.
Millions of Palestinians still live in enforced exile.These stark facts
ensure that suffering will continue
Palestine Greater
Than Arafat
By Sam Bahour
The international media that has flooded the city
of Ramallah, Arafats last place of refuge, is poised to analyze
every minute aspect of his death and burial. What they will most likely
miss is the most important part of his legend, which lies in the fact
that the struggle for Palestinian freedom and independence, which Arafat
symbolized, will not be buried with him
Who Will Succeed
Arafat?
By Roshan Muhammed Salih
Death of Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat has thrown
open the question who will succeed him.It is uncertain if the Palestinians
- confronted by the reality of Israeli occupation - will get to choose
a new leader, or have one foisted upon them through a back-room deal
Fallujah In Ruins
And Unknown Numbers Dead
By James Cogan
Every minute, hundreds of bombs and shells
are exploding... The north of the city is in flames. I can see fire
and smoke. Fallujah has become like hell..."
Squeezing Jello
in Iraq
By Scott Ritter
Far from facing off in a decisive battle against
the resistance fighters, it seems the more Americans squeeze Falluja,
the more the violence explodes elsewhere. It is exercises in futility,
akin to squeezing jello. The more you try to get a grasp on the problem,
the more it slips through your fingers
Economy Hurting
More Than Violence
By Dahr Jamail
Violence is taking a heavy toll in Iraq, but everyday
economic difficulties could be hurting people more.Nearly 20 months
into the occupation, Iraqis find themselves in a desperate situation,
with countless struggling to survive
Confessions Of
An Economic Hit Man
By John Perkins & Amy Goodman
"This empire, unlike any other in the history
of the world, has been built primarily through economic manipulation,
through cheating, through fraud, through seducing people into our way
of life, through the economic hit men. I was very much a part of that"
A Blueprint
For Kashmir
By Kuldip Nayar
My suggestion is that both Kashmirs should be given
autonomy. The border between the two Kashmirs should be made soft so
that the citizens of the two sides travel freely, without any passport
or papers, in both parts
10 November, 2004
Carnage
In Falluja
By Aljazeera
Muhammad Abbud watched his nine-year-old son bleed
to death at their Falluja home, unable to take him to hospital as fighting
raged in the streets and bombs rained down on the Iraqi city
'I Got My Kills
... I Just Love My Job'
By Toby Harnden
"It's like a video game. We've taken small
arms fire here all day. It just sounds like popcorn going off."
Rule Of Assassins
By Baghdad Burning
Being a 'civilian' is a relative thing in a country
occupied by Americans. You're only a civilian if you're on their side.
If you translate for them, or serve them food in the Green Zone, or
wipe their floors- you're an innocent civilian. Everyone else is an
insurgent
The Siege Begins,
Outrage In Baghdad
By Dahr Jamail
The first priority is that who makes the
law should be legally authorized. Here in Baghdad, the martial law is
genocide against the resistance in Iraq who are against the invasion.
The theme of the law is to kill the resistance and to stop people even
from thinking. Do you think they can limit how Iraqis think?
The Fire Is
Spreading
By Dahr Jamail
The fighting in Falluja will not end when the Americans
take the city. The fighting will begin in other places like Baghdad,
Baquba, Latifiya, Ramadi, Samarra, Khaldiya, Kirkuk and elsewhere
Falluja's
Defiance Of A New Empire
By Sami Ramadani
The US generals will no doubt deliver Falluja to
Bush and Blair after bombarding its neighbourhoods with artillery and
rockets. But they are doomed to deliver neither the Fallujans nor the
people of Iraq. Perhaps they are unaware that Fallujans defied Saddam's
rule during his last years in power
Who Are The
"Barbarians"?
By Ghali Hassan
Destroying and occupying the city of Fallujah will
have no bearing on the Iraqi Resistance to US Occupation of Iraq. It
will generate unity among the people and fuel more resistance against
the Occupation
Religion Of The
Rich
By George Monbiot
There is a precedent for the Bush Project, but
its not fascism
Free Trade
A war against Dalits & Adivasis
By Goldy M. George
Dalits and Adivasis (Indigenous people) have never
been the part of the conventional trade systems in India. Today they
are faced with the horrible hostility of trade and market policies
Dalits In Jammu:
Demanding To Be Heard
By Yoginder Sikand
Dalits account for almost a tenth of the population
of Jammu and Kashmir or about a third of the population of Jammu province,
but in discussions about the Kashmir question the Dalit voice is almost
completely absent
09 November, 2004
Assault
On Falluja Under Way
By Aljazeera
Thousands of US and Iraqi troops backed by heavy
air support and armour have stormed into Falluja in an effort to recapture
the anti-US stronghold.Warplanes staged ferocious strikes on targets
after interim Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi gave US-led forces the
go-ahead for a full-scale attack on the city on Monday afternoon
Pray For Pain,
Peace
By Shaik Ubaid
An American muslim's anguished reflections on the
Ramadan battle of Falluja
Falluja - All
the Makings Of A War Crime
By Tony Kevin
Falluja, which has become a symbol of Sunni-Iraqi
political resistance to the occupiers, is to be made an example of,
to deter others. The message the siege of Falluja sends is brutally
simple: resist us and we will destroy you
Falluja's Looming
Gendercide
By Adam Jones
"U.S. troops sealed all roads to Falluja and
urged women, children and non-fighting age men to flee, but said they
would arrest any man under 45 trying to enter or leave the city."
Peak Oil -
A Seismic Shift
By Jeff Berg
WIth the advent of peak oil the world is about
to change radically. Most of us on the continent of North America are
set to become much poorer monetarily. What 'staying the course' will
mean for China and India I can only shudder to think
The
End Of The Arafat Era
By Am Johal
The Yasser Arafat that lies on his deathbed in
Paris today, the one who has Jews and Arabs leaving him flowers outside
his hospital, was not ever going to be the leader that brought home
the peace or signed the final deal. "It will be the Arafat legacy,
that he kept the fight alive; but his dream unfulfilled."
Things
Grow Better With Coke
By John Vidal
Indian farmers have come up with what they think
is the real thing to keep crops free of bugs. Instead of paying hefty
fees to international chemical companies for patented pesticides, they
are spraying their cotton and chilli fields with Coca-Cola
Fast Arctic Thaw
Threatens People, Polar Bears
By Alister Doyle
Global warming is heating the Arctic almost twice
as fast as the rest of the planet in a thaw that threatens millions
of livelihoods and could wipe out polar bears by 2100, an eight-nation
report said on Monday
08 November, 2004
US
Troops Surround Falluja
By Aljazeera
Fierce fighting has erupted east and south of Falluja,
as a full-scale attack on the city seems imminent. Large numbers of
US troops have taken up positions on the outskirts of the city as they
prepare for an attack on Falluja
Carnage And
Martial Law
By Dahr Jamail
My mom tells me to save money for the future,
and I keep telling her that Im a dead man. Im going to die
here, so whats the use? I try to get her ready for it
but
she cant get used to the thought.
Screams Will
Not Be Heard
By Madeleine Bunting
This is an information age, but it will be months
before we learn the truth about the assault on Falluja
Electronic Prophets
By Greg Guma
Religious Right broadcasters long ago learned an
important lesson: Repeat almost anything often enough and many people
will believe you -- even if it leads them to act against their own interests.
A 1996 article which is even more relevant now
A Divided Nation
By Shaik Ubaid
One of the things that has become clear with the
2004 elections is that today America is a country divided against itself.
President Bush and Senator Kerry both have vowed to work towards bridging
the divide. Chances are they will not succeed as healing takes both
time and efforts
Colombia:
Who Is Committing The Abuses?
By James J. Brittain
For more than four decades, Colombia has been in
the grip of a civil war between the people and the state. The state
sponsored paramilitary forces surreptitiously cooperate with the military
to attack oppositional social organisations created by the people
Religion,
Identiy And Democracy
By Asghar Ali Engineer
We should not allow religion to be politicised
at any cost and democracy should remain a source of people's participation
in decision making and for welfare of common masses. One must understand
the difference between religion as a faith and religion as a political
ideology
07 November, 2004
Global
Warming Will Redraw Map Of World
By Geoffrey Lean
Maps of the world will have to be redrawn, as global
warming melts the Greenland ice cap, inundating coasts and major cities
Dont Say We
Haven't Been Warned
By Mark Townsend
Rising temperatures, disappearing coastlines and
dire predictions that climate change poses a greater threat than global
terror ... Yet still we fly, drive, consume and pollute like never before.
Where will it all end?
The Psychopaths
And Fallujah Resistance
By Ghali Hassan
The world only superpower is posed
to flatten the city of 300,000 people in order to pacify (kill) its
citizens because of their opposition to US Occupation. This new massacre
is sold by the Bush Administration and mainstream Western media as a
necessary step to hold election in Iraq
How Bush Tapped
Into A Well Of Faith
By Paul Harris
There has been a new dawn in America's politics
and it is shining on a political landscape shaped - not by war or jobs
or healthcare - but by the role of faith in government and so-called
cultural values on abortion and gay marriage. It is this landscape that
will shape the United States in the next four years
A
Man And His People
By Uri Avnery
Wherever Arafat may be buried when he passes away,
the day will come when his remains will be reinterred by a free Palestinian
government in the holy shrines in Jerusalem
Misguided Generosity
By Beena Sarwar
But like 'terrorism' elsewhere, the Maoist insurgency
in Nepal is the symptom of a problem, rather than the problem itself.
Over the years, the government has consistently ignored the problems
of remote rural areas, leading to a deep power and political vacuum
Oh, That
Other Hindu Riot Of Passage
By Khushwant Singh
The assassins of Mrs Gandhi were hanged within
four years, while 20 years later, the killers of 10,000 Sikhs remain
unpunished
06 November, 2004
Putin
Signs:Kyoto Saved
By Oleg Shchedrov
President Vladimir Putin gave his seal of approval
for Russia's crucial backing of the Kyoto Protocol, clearing the way
for the U.N. environment pact aimed at curbing global warming to come
into force early next year
Spiraling Into
Occupied Iraq
By Dahr Jamail
Today Iraq is yet another country. As I type this
a gun battle of automatic weapons rattles down the street, Falluja has
been sealed prior to imminent attack and the mood in Baghdad is tense
with gloomy expectation. The feeling is that of a war zone, people are
downtrodden, tense and angry, chaos reigns and nobody is safe
anywhere
Fallujah And
The Reality Of War
By Rahul Mahajan
The assault on Fallujah has started. It is being
sold as liberation of the people of Fallujah; it is being sold as a
necessary step to implementing "democracy" in Iraq. These
are lies
Smallness Of
Vision
By T. Patrick Donovan
We must step back and recall the world as it looks
from outer space; what demands, actions, and demonstrations serve our
common human future? War, pollution, and injustice are non-negotiable
organizing touchstones in our new vision
Crime
and Reward: Immunity To The World Bank
By Anu Muhammad
The government of Bangladesh has submitted a bill
seeking legal immunity for multilateral lending agencies, especially
the World Bank on 31st October 2004 in the national parliament
The World Of International
Finance
By C.P Chandrasekhar
The global operations of financial firms have registered
a galloping growth, leading to a deluge of capital into developing countries
irrespective of their needs and, ultimately, limiting the policy space
of their governments
India's Transaction
Tax Disproves All Fears
By Kavaljit Singh
On October 1, 2004, the Securities Transaction
Tax (STT) came into implementation in the Indian financial markets.
The market players and analysts who had predicted that the introduction
of STT would bring Indian financial markets to a standstill have been
proved completely wrong
05 November, 2004
Uncertainty
In Palestine
By Charmaine Seitz
For Palestinians, the implications of Arafat's
absence are not so clear. Only an Islamist movement backer dismisses
fears of a power struggle in the president's prolonged absence
Hamas Prepares
For Post-Arafat Era
By Khalid Amayreh
Hamas has joined other Palestinian political factions
in wishing the ailing Yasir Arafat a speedy recovery, but it is also
readying for life after Arafat
Before Arafat's
Eternal Rest
By Jude Wanniski
If Arafat's passes away at this crucial moment
he will have handed his last gift to the Palestinian people. He can
no longer be an excuse in Tel Aviv or Washington or in the Arab League
to delay yet again the realisation of his lifelong dream of a Palestinian
state
Bush, America
And The Middle East
By Ali Abunimah
The next four years will be a transition point
for the Israel -Palestine conflict: We are likely to see the decisive
defeat of the two-state concept by the reality Israel is creating on
the ground, accompanied by sharp escalation
Massacre Looms
In Fallujah
By James Cogan
The reelection of the Bush administration is expected
to be followed in short order by a massive US military push into the
Iraqi city of Fallujah. The attack will be the spearhead of a broader
offensive to bring 22 rebellious Iraqi cities and towns under US control
by the end of the year
The
Great Divide
By Shazman Shariff
The issue of Indian-Pakistani couples facing difficulty
in getting visas or acquiring nationality after getting married tops
the list of problems faced by divided families
04 November, 2004
The
Nightmare Goes On
By Jonathan Freedland
Once it looked like an aberration. Now it is an
era. George W Bush's tenure seemed to be the accidental presidency,
one that would stand out in the history books as a freak event. Yesterday
that changed, changed utterly
Bad News For
Fallujah
By Paul McGeough
As Republicans prepare for a second term, the world
is braced for more violence
Sleep Tight America!
By Am Johal
It was a big, giant "fuck you all" to
the critics of America. It was an affirmation of the Bush White House
and his handling of the wars, the economy, his leadership and his cabal
of right wing ideologues
Who to Blame
This Time?
By Alexander Cockbun and Jeffrey St.Clair
If there was a visual premonition of why George
Bush would achieve a popular majority beyond challenge it was probably
the photographs of gay couples celebrating their marriages outside San
Francisco's city hall.The applause of the French in Cannes for Michael
Moore's 9/11 was the sound of the cement drying over the corpse of Kerry's
chances of carrying the Midwest. Soros's dollars were like flowers on
the grave
Peace And The New Corporate
Liberation Theology
By Arundhati Roy
The 2004 Sydney Peace Prize lecture delivered by
Arundhati Roy, at the Seymour Theatre Centre, University of Sydney
Fresh Hopes In
Babri Masjid Demolition Case
By Rizvi Syed Haider Abbas
CBI, now has taken some active steps into tightening
the noose against Babri Masjid demolition accused, an attitude found
missing during the last BJP led NDA government
India's Far
Right Drops Its Mask
By J. Sri Raman
India's far right Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),
drops its mask and and takes a more assertive and aggressive stance
03 November, 2004
Has
A Runaway Greenhouse Effect Begun?
By Norm Dixon
In recent weeks, scientists have released two separate
findings that indicate the consequences of global warming due to the
emission of greenhouse gases may be far greater than previously
estimated
Meet Some Terrorists
By Baghdad Burning Blogger
It makes me crazy to see Bush and Allawi talking
about the casualties in Falloojeh like every single person there is
a terrorist lurking not in a home, but in some sort of lair, making
plans to annihilate America
The
Importance Of Being Irrelevant
By Uri Avnery
Yasser Arafat who years ago was officially declared
by the Israeli government to be irrelevant, was headline
news all over the world this week. There are very few leaders around
whose state of health would command similar attention
Killing
Children
By Khalid Amayreh
Since the beginning of October, as many as 33 Palestinian
children and minors under 17 have been killed by the Israeli army. All
in all, nearly 158 Palestinians, the bulk of them civilians, were killed
in October
Verdict Maharashtra:
2004
By Ram Puniyani
We are witnessing the 'mini Pakistans' and 'borders'
right in our cities and small towns. Surely no society Can progress
under these circumstances. The need is that we try to build bridges
between our communities at social level
Roy, The Imperialist
By Chandrabhan Prasad
Was Raja Rammohun Roy an imperialist? Well, if
we read him the way Lord Macaulay is read and understood by mainstream
Indians, then we may well find Roy in the British camp
02 November, 2004
Global
Warming Has Arrived
By Jim Lobe
An eight-nation study on global warming co-sponsored
by the United States has concluded that the North Pole is melting. The
144-page report says the accelerated warming of the globe is transforming
the Arctic region dramatically
The World Is
Counting On The USA
By Norman Solomon
"Should Bush be punished for going to war
or not? If you say yes, then you have to punish him, and
the best way to punish him is to remove him from office.
My Vote - My
Gamble
By Andrea Dworkin
Given the choice between two dud candidates, Andrea
Dworkin doesn't usually bother to vote. But this time, with a heavy
heart, she's going for Kerry
Bin Laden's Vote
Is For Bush
By Robert Fisk & Amy Goodman
"I'm sure he realizes that further threats
are more likely to help Bush than Kerry and what Osama Bin Laden wants
now, of course, is a president to be elected who will further mire the
country into the Middle East swamp, and cause, of course more American
casualties, which Bush will surely do. So, I think that this is probably
Osama Bin Laden's vote for George W. Bush"
Courting Disaster
By Greg Guma
Four years ago, five justices of the United States
Supreme Court stopped the recount in Florida after a mere 36 days and
made George W. Bush president. This time, it won't be so easy
What Can The
UN Do For Iraqis?
By Ghali Hassan
If the UN is to return to its original purpose,
and not to be used as a tool of Western imperialism, the UN has important
duty to the Iraqi people. The UN should demand the US and Britain to
withdraw their forces from Iraq,and hand sovereignty to the Iraqi people
The New Black
Tokenism And American Empire
By Dennis Childs
If we do not want more re-runs of Vietnam, progressives
and radicals will have to work to dismantle structural white supremacy
even while struggling against corporate globalization, patriarchy, environmental
destruction, and homophobia
1984 In The
Life Of A Nation
By Indira Jaising
Gujarat happened because of the failure to punish
the killers of 1984 Sikh massacre
01 November, 2004
Queen
Makes Climate Plea
By Mark Townsend and Gaby Hinsliff
The Queen has made a rare intervention in world
politics to warn Tony Blair of her grave concerns over the White House's
stance on global warming
Environment Activists
Weary of Bush, Wary of Kerry
By Kari Lydersen
Environmental groups have soundly criticized Bush's
policies during the last four years, and many have endorsed his opponent.
Still, most say worries will not end if Kerry wins the White House
Horrendous Iraqi
Civilian Deaths -
The Cost Of Democratic Imperialism
By Gideon Polya
The ruler is responsible for the ruled, and thus
the US and its allies are clearly responsible for this horrendous 1.1
million post-invasion under-5 infant mortality in US-conquered Iraq
and Afghanistan
Osama's Endorsement
By John Chuckman
Osama and the boys chose a critical moment to endorse
Bush because they know four more years of his violent, incompetent arrogance
does more damage to western interests than any attack they could hope
to mount
Thinking
Beyond Arafat
By Ali Abunimah
Those who may be among the least affected by Arafat's
departure are millions of Palestinians in the Occupied Territories and
in exile for whom he has remained a powerful symbol, but for whom he
long since stopped providing effective leadership
Propping
Up Musharraf
By Ali Dayan Hasan
Musharraf has successfully convinced the United
States - and other countries - that he is Pakistan's indispensable man.
Claiming that only he can save what he destroyed - Pakistan's fragile
democracy
Shiv Sena On
The Threshold Of Disintegration
By Kumar Ketkar
Today the Sena has become a pathetic shadow of
its supremo. With no ideology or faith to hold on to, with no organised
set-up apart from the undependable network of frustrated and militant
lumpens; with no second line leadership or charismatic successor, the
Shiv Sena stands on the threshold of disintegration