Countercurrents Archive 15 June-30 June 2004

30 June, 2004

Iraqis Have Lived This Lie Before
By Haifa Zangana

What is happening in Iraq now, "liberation-mandate-nominal sovereignty" is a replay of what took place in the 1920s and afterwards

Alice In An Iraqi Wonderland
By Robert Fisk

What is supposed to be the most important date in Iraq's modern history was changed--like a birthday party--because it might rain on Wednesday

The Ethnic Cleansing Of The Palestinians Revisited
By Ghali Hassan

Ethnic cleansing is what Hitler used against innocent people because of their race, religion and ethnicity. We must resist any unjust action to prevent such crimes against the Palestinians from taking place again

How Hitler Became A Dictator
By Jacob G. Hornberger

The story of how Hitler became a dictator is set forth in The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, by William Shirer, on which this article is based

Re-thinking Kashmir
By Beena Sarwar

A review of the documentary 'Crossing The Lines: Kashmir, Pakistan, India' by Pervez Hoodbhoy and Zia Mian

29 June, 2004

Indian Farmer's Final Solution
By Devinder Sharma

Ever since Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S.Rajasekhar Reddy took charage on May 14, more than 300 farmers have committed suicides. This was the official death toll in the suicides register till June 25. Unofficially, the death toll is estimated to be much higher

US Supreme Court For Human Rights
By James Vicini

In one ruling the US Supreme Court court said the hundreds of foreign terror suspects at the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba could turn to American courts to challenge their confinement. In another ruling it said an American held in his nation is entitled to procedural protections to contest his detention

Leaving Iraq
By Dahr Jamail

How does one reconcile being able to leave here? We all know it’s going to get so much worse, and I get to leave, while my dear friend must stay and do his best to get by day after day

Why Israel Is Still Afraid Of Mordechai Vanunu
By Jonathan Cook

The current gagging orders are a desperate attempt to prevent Vanunu from talking to journalists and to keep an embarrassing spotlight off Israel's nuclear stockpile. And the restriction on Vanunu leaving the country is a cynical ploy to stop him inspiring a campaign in the West to disarm the only rogue nuclear state in the Middle East

Encounter or Murder?
By Sukla Sen

Given the seriousness of the allegations and counter-allegations made about the Ahmedabad encounter killings of three men and a nineteen year old girl, a full-scale judicial enquiry headed by a serving supreme court judge, assisted by a team of dedicated professional investigators, is very much the need of the hour

28 June, 2004

US Exits Backdoor
By Alistair Lyon and Lin Noueihed

The United States has handed over sovereignty to an interim Iraqi government, formally ending a 14-month occupation two days earlier than expected to try to forestall guerrilla attacks

'Fahrenheit 9/11' a No. 1 Hit Across America
By Dean Goodman

Bush-bashing became America's favorite spectator sport over the weekend as Michael Moore's red-hot documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" earned more in its first three days of release across North America than his previous record-breaking movie did in its entire run

The Cost Of Liberty
By Ariana Eunjung Cha

In a Chaotic New Iraq, A Young Widow Turns to Prostitution

Where Children Laugh At Bombs
By Dahr Jamail

Just before lunch, several loud bombs exploded nearby. My friend Christian Parenti and I looked at each other. “This is normal, even my children laugh at the bombs now,” said the Sheikh.In the next room the children were laughing excitedly.

26 June, 2004

Inside The Iraqi Resistance
By Ghaith Abdul-Ahad

Who exactly are the Iraqi resistance? In a remarkable essay, Ghaith Abdul-Ahad joins the front-line anti-American fighters in Kerbala, Falluja and Sadr City, and discovers that they are not always the well-trained, highly motivated fanatics we imagine

I Am A Terrorit: Come shoot Me
By Shabnam Hashmi

A powerful article written in the context of the Gujarat encounter killings in which four persons including a young girl lost their lives

25 June, 2004

Fighters Tactics Surprised The U.S.

Over 100 people were killed and 320 wounded in Thursday’s severe attacks that was targeting mainly Iraqi security personnel across the country, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's claimed responsibility. Reports said that most of the casualties were Iraqi civilians

Baqouba Sealed Off As U.S. Forces
Lose Control of City
By Dahr Jamail

Insurgents appeared to have taken control of the Al-Mufraq district in western Baqouba. Residents here said occupation forces had retreated from the area after being ambushed

Standing Against The Claws Of The Wall
By Tanya Reinhart

Along the route of the separation barrier in the West Bank, a new culture is springing up: on one side, soldiers and bulldozers; on the other, Israelis and Palestinians embracing the land and the trees, trying to save them both

24 June, 2004

Saudi Exodus Grows
By Ewen MacAskill

Western firms are offering substantial sums of "danger money" to expatriate staff in Saudi Arabia to stem a panic-driven exodus from the kingdom in the wake of al-Qaida attacks

Prisoner Abuse: US Backs Down
Over Immunity For Soldiers
By Rupert Cornwell

The US has bowed to international outrage over prisoner abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan by abandoning its bid to secure a United Nations exemption for its soldiers from prosecution by the new International Criminal Court

Seven Questions And Answers With Dahr Jamail
By Brian Dominick

Dahr Jamail answers readers queries

Deep-rooted Corruption In Palestine
By Hasan Abu Nimah & Ali Abunimah

The enquiry into the allegation that cement imported from Egypt through Palestinian companies and ready-made concrete manufactured in the Palestinian village of Abu Dis were being used to build Israeli settlements and the apartheid wall is nearing completion

Torture In Custody
By ACHR

The government of India legitimises torture by encouraging its use in the administration of justice and by providing impunity to the law enforcement personnel

23 June, 2004

Flurry Of Suicide Attempts At Guantanamo
By Associated Press

There was a flurry of Suicide Attempts at Guantanamo after Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller took over as commander in November 2002. Miller is now in charge of all military-run U.S. prisons in Iraq

US Tortured Afghanistan Detainees
By Duncan Campbell and Suzanne Goldenberg

Detainees held in Afghanistan by US troops have been routinely tortured and humiliated and five detainees have died in custody, three of them in suspicious circumstances, and survivors have told stories of beatings, strippings, hoodings and sleep deprivation

Exporting Violence
By Dahr Jamail

Ramadi and Baqubah both remain tense with recent fighting; the potential of them turning into the next Fallujah remains quite present

Struggling To Survive
By Dahr Jamail

This is a hospital that can spend only $200 per day to feed its 308 in-patients. This is a hospital that is regularly invaded by US troops who, according to several of the doctors, walk straight into wards looking for fighters without consulting the doctors first

“Irreversible Mental Damage”
By Uri Avnery

Ariel Sharon wants to annex at least 55% of the West Bank, hoping that the life of the Palestinians in the remaining 45% will become so impossible that they will leave the country of their own accord

How Kerala Behaves With Women
By Sreedevi Jacob

Six women reporters of Malayala Manorama travelled acrosskerala unescorted, to experience at first hand the safety and security that God’s Own Country was offering them

Interface With Anand Patwardhan
By S Prince & Anand Patwardhan

Documentary film maker Anand Patwardhan talks about his politics and his movies

22 June, 2004

This Is Just Like Afghanistan
By Dahr Jamail

“They’ve destroyed the foundations of Iraq. What do you think we can do with no foundations. Even if the Americans stay here 15 years, there will be no security.”

World Bank Rebuked For Fossil Fuel Strategy
By Paul Brown

The World Bank's drive to promote fossil fuel-generated power for 1.6 billion people lacking electricity will drive developing countries deeper into debt

A Crusade Of Torture
By Joel Wendland

The pattern of abuse at Abu Ghraib did not result from the acts of individual soldiers who broke the rules. It resulted from decisions made by the Bush administration to bend, ignore, or cast rules aside. Administration policies created the climate for Abu Ghraib

Reservation For Dalits In Private Sector
By Dr. Udit Raj

It shocks me that some corporate houses are heard opposing the private sector reservation saying that private businesses are the result of their hardwork and money. I want to know if Indian software industry which is flourishing could have done even one per cent of it had their been no IITs and IIMs around?

21 June, 2004

Water Theft In Palestine
By Fred Pearce

Israel has drawn up a secret plan for a giant desalination plant to supply drinking water to the Palestinian territory on the West Bank. This project will give Israel full control over the natural water sources in West Bank and also it will be able to cut off water pipelines any time Israel wishes

Some Mother's Son
By Beena Sarwar

There is strength and inspiration to be drawn from those who use their pain, not to cause further destruction, but to heal and move ahead. One such woman is Visaka Dharmadasa, whose young son Achinte went missing in September, 1998 when the LTTE attacked his unit of the Sri Lankan army

Detroying Human Rights, Desecrating Kashmir
By David Devadas

Torture is not a method employed by security forces in Iraq alone,it is happening everywhere, including Kashmir where even false reports to settle scores lead to the torture of innocents at the hand of security forces

Triple Divorce - Need For Change
By Asghar Ali Engineer

It is high time that Muslim women in democratic society like that of India struggle for reform within the Qur'anic frame-work and win their rights guaranteed by the scripture

Private Sector Arrogance Is 'Civilisational'
By Chandrabhan Prasad

In the grotesque eyes of Indian industrialists, the 250 million-plus Dalits must be born with some genetic problems which make them naturally "incompetent". The very existence of the shadow of a Dalit in a corporate office would make private industry lose its "competitive advantage" vis a vis the multinationals

20 June, 2004

Missile Strike Kills 22 Civilians In Iraq
By Patrick Cockburnand Raymond Whitaker

US air forces fired two missiles into a residential area of the troubled Iraqi city of Fallujah , killing 22 people

The Iraqi Who Sold His Life To The Americans
By Peter Beaumont

An intelligence battle is going on in the streets of Baghdad, huge sums being paid out to the informants, and informants being gunned down in the streets

Three-Month-Old Baby Ali Dies in Iraq
By Scheherezade Faramarzi

A three-month old Iraqi baby who prompted an outpouring of sympathy around the world after he was photographed lying emaciated in an undersupplied Iraqi hospital has died, doctors said Saturday

Passion Of The Christ In Abu Ghraib
By Walter A. Davis

The past year has witnessed two important Events. (1) a film, The Passion of the Christ by Mel Gibson; (2) a body of photographs from Abu Ghraib. The two events are united by the secret they share: that of their psychological identity and what that fact reveals about what has happened to the American Psyche since 9-11

Corporate Tax - A Tool For Affirmative Action
By S Sharath

For each 10% addition of backward castes to total recruitment for the year, provide a tax relief of 1%. For dalits, each 10% must attract 2% tax relief. The same may be extended to women and other weak sections

Debt Trap Or Suicide Trap?
By RM Vidyasagar and K Suman Chandra

About 3,000 Andhra Pradesh farmers committed suicide in the past five years owing to debt trap, drought and crop failure. After the government of Y S Rajashekhar Reddy announced free electricity for agriculture , waiver of electricity dues and a Rs.150,000 financial assistance for the relatives of the farmers who committed suicide , there is a spate of suicides, on an average 70 farmers a week

Speedily Implement The CMP
By Praful Bidwai

The UPA has a historic opportunity on its hands-to transform domestic politics and India's global role. It must not squander it through indecision or pusillanimity

19 June, 2004

Who Is Allawi?
By Ghali Hassan

After more than thirty years in exile (London and Washington) and a "bogus" medical degree, the Iraqi people expected "their" Prime Minister to speak their language, not broken English. Unfortunately, Dr. Allawi has failed the Iraqi people

Jerusalem, Al Quds, Yerushalaym
By Bisan Abou Gharbiyeh

After years of observing the media, one might conclude that the West Bank and Gaza Strip are Palestinian areas and the rest (including Jerusalem) is Israeli

Truth About Godhra: Case For A
Fresh Commission Of Inquiry
By Siddharth Varadarajan

Now that the UPA government is in power, it should speed up the investigations into the Godhra tragedy. It should also actively support the NHRC's demands, now pending before the Supreme Court, that the CBI be tasked with investigating Godhra and that the case be transferred out of Gujarat.

Options Before The BJP
By Valson Thampu

It would be a mistake if the BJP assumes that a return to militant Hindutva can revive its political fortunes

18 June, 2004

Atlantic In Bloom: Hope For Global Warming
By Steve Connor

Hurricanes sweeping across the North Atlantic ocean have triggered a spectacular "bloom" of phytoplankton which can soak up huge amounts of carbon dioxide from the air immediately over the sea surface and deposit it deep within the ocean

Let's Plant Ideas
By Fidel Castro

The dilemma into which humanity has been dragged by the system is such that there is no option now: either the present world situation changes or the species runs a real risk of extinction. But let's not lose heart, Let's plant ideas

Getting Used To Bombs In Baghdad
By Dahr Jamail

"I used to read about how the Lebanese got used to the bombs in Beirut. I never thought that could happen to me, yet here I am.”

Zionism, Anti-Semitism And The People Of Palestine
By Noel Ignatiev

A profound analysis which delves deep into the history of zionism, the state of Israel and it's moral contradictions

Agent Blue And The Business Of Killing Rice
By Gerard Greenfield

Companies that were involved in the US military's rice-killing operations are now telling us that they hold in their hands the future of rice. 'Rice is Life' -- that is why the US government dedicated so much money and military power to killing it in Vietnam. And that is why US corporations are targeting rice today, because taking over rice means taking over life

Ralph Nader, A Dreamer At The White House
By Bianca Cerri

An interview with Ralph Nader

Lashkar-e-Taiba, Who?
By The Hindu Correspondent

The Ahmedabad police gunned down four motorists including a 19 year old girl student on the way to Ahmedabad alleging them to be terrorists plotting the murder of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. But relatives and friends of the girl, Ishrat Jahan Shamim Raza vows her innocence, raising doubt over the encounter death

17 June, 2004

Shell Chief Worries Over Planet Earth
By David Adam

The head of one of the world's biggest oil companies has admitted that the threat of climate change makes him "really very worried for the planet"

9/11 Commission: No Link Between
Al-Qaida And Saddam
By Andrew Buncombe

The Bush administration's credibility was dealt a devastating blow when the commission investigating the attacks of 11 September said there was no credible evidence that Saddam Hussein's regime had assisted al-Qa'ida - something repeatedly suggested by the President and his senior officials and held up as a reason for the invasion of Iraq

Protest Halts Work On Israel's Security Wall
By Eric Silver

Israel suspended construction of a security fence near the village of Iskaka yesterday, east of the settler town of Ariel, after hundreds of Palestinian and Israeli demonstrators traded stones for tear gas with troops and paramilitary police. The bulldozers are expected to be digging again soon

Good Morning Bomb
By Dahr Jamail

“Morning, man,” I said. “Morning,” he replied as we both stare at the huge, brown mushroom cloud that rises above the buildings out our window. Our daily car bomb viciously welcomed another day of this wretched occupation of Iraq.

16 June, 2004

"Treate Prisoners Like Dogs"

Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski who was in charge of Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison said she was being made a scapegoat for the abuse of detainees and claimed her counterpart at Guantanamo Bay once told her that prisoners were ``like dogs.''

The Nightmare Comes True
By Uri Avnery

West Bank is turning into a crazy quilt of walled-in enclaves, "connected" by bridges, tunnels or special roads, which can be cut off at any moment at the whim of the Israeli government or of a local army officer . Every Palestinian town - Jenin, Nablus, Tulkarm, Kalkilia, Bethlehem, Hebron and others - will become the "capital" of a tiny enclave, cut off from all the others, from their "hinterland" and villages, except by tortuous roundabout routes

Climate Change Experts Despair Over US Attitude
By Maggie Fox

Climate change experts said on Tuesday they are frustrated the U.S. government and the public are not taking the risk of global warming seriously

Indian Elections-2004: Implications
For Democratic Polity
By Ram Puniyani

Social movements will be faulting in their commitment to social issues if the divisive politics is not combated at social level. And this government must feel duty bound to morally uphold these initiatives for harmony and the efforts in the directions, which strengthen the grass root bonding and amicable atmosphere

Hardline Hindutva Or Rudderless Drift -
The future of the BJP
By Praful Bidwai

The BJP can at best hope to operate as a pressure group, representing sectoral upper-caste interests. That's exactly what the Jana Sangh was

Alerting On The Film "Girl Friend"

After watching a film like this, it is impossible for anyone to think of 'women who love women' as normal human beings with two hands and two feet, who may be a friend, a sister, a mother, an aunt, a neighbour, a grand mother and least of all a caring lover