NO, NOT THE OIL! #197 (4/4)
R Kym Horsell
Op/Ed (openDemocracy). American leaders invaded Iraq high on nat'l
vainglory and moral absolutism, says Marcus Raskin of the Institute
for Policy Studies. US forces there will never gain legitimacy. They
should leave as soon as possible and allow Iraqis to find what America
itself needs: a new relationship with the world.
There is no easy way to leave a bad relationship with honour.
But the longer you stay in it, the more dishonour and bad faith
grows. Even lovers become colonisers and occupiers. The US had had a
long affair with Saddam Hussein. Now, we must end it by leaving Iraq
to the Iraqis.
George Bush 1 didn't see it that way. After the 1991 war Saddam stayed
in power because, as then defence secretary Dick Cheney said,
conquering and having to administer Iraq and specifically Baghdad was
a fool's errand. Even in defeat however, Saddam sought to keep a
semblance of sovereignty for Iraq and his own power as a bloody tyrant.
Then Bush 1 lost his presidency to Bill Clinton, whose secretary of
state Madeleine Albright pressed an embargo already in place against
the Iraqi people. Opponents to this "nuanced" strategy whined that it
cost the lives of 100s of 1000s of innocent Iraqis including 1000s of
children. No matter. She said that the embargo was worth it as a means
of punishing Saddam and keeping him "in his cage" -- an infelicitous
metaphor signalling high policy thinking was taking place in Washington.
Inside the cage, however, Saddam did not show the proper respect. He
kept the nation unified by killing 1000s of his citizens with the
silent assent of the US and other nations. "Regime change" was called
for in intention or consequence. It did not escape the Bush 2 Admin
that securing bases in the former Soviet Union and its allies was a
means of controlling fuel to the W and Japan. It would not have to
fear unstable oil prices or that competing nations might become too
powerful economically, for they could always be brought to their knees
on an energy leash pulled by the US.
The least worst solution So, the question is what should be done now
as so much pain and suffering continues as a result of this war "of
election" in Iraq?
It is important to grasp that if Bush 2 and his advisors decide to
leave Iraq they will do so for internal political reasons. They will
change the story-line and images on television -- in much the way
Reagan successfully did when he withdrew from the Lebanon and then
declared war on Grenada.
American leaders in desperate circumstances have no compunctions about
abandoning their ideals and local allies alike.
Bush and Cheney may have cried crocodile tears for the suffering of
the Iraqi people under Hussein but leaders and bureaucracies are
seldom moved by humanitarian reasons in internat'l politics. For them
human rights constitute a political value only to the extent that they
further or mask other purposes including defeat. This is especially
true where a domestic political miscalculation has been made.
There is concern that if the US leaves Iraq democracy will fail. The
Middle E and perhaps the world will revert to the Middle Ages, even
the Dark Ages. There will be a "bloodbath", civil war; the Shi'a will
win and they are theocratic; Turkey will grab off Kurdistan for
itself, the bases the US is building in the former Soviet Union will
be lost and therefore oil supplies will become problematic for the US
and the west.
Thus, Iraq must be occupied for at least a generation.
There are different forms of democracy, but none includes domination
by an outside power. What the US and Brit are attempting has nothing
to do with self-rule and inclusivity, the basis of democracy. As we
are reminded every day in the US, self-rule and inclusivity are not
easy conceptions to put into practice. They take continuous struggle.
What is also clear is that neo-colonialism, and imperialism are not
the same as democracy.
Furthermore, if the US and its allies stay in Iraq there is every
reason to expect that the traditionalists who believe in sexual
domination by men and a revolt against modernism especially in its
scientific and educational form will spread.
For there will be no room for civil society to grow or political
groups to find the means of composing their differences through
non-imposed compromise if the US stays and all parts of the society
are committed to getting rid of the occupier.
As for the bloodbath argument, they are hardly new. To stop them, the
UN was created after the 2nd world war. Perhaps, it was thought there
was a role for reason and a shared morality, hen The question of a
separate state for the Kurds remains. The US used the Kurds, 1st
encouraging independence and then double-crossing them in a complex
set of relations between the US, Iraq and the Soviet Union authored by
the winner of the Nobel prize for peace, Henry Kissinger. The Kurds
who have struggled among themselves between the Barzani and Talabani
groups have now found basic agreement, each accepting and willing to
fight for relative independence inside an Iraqi state. At this stage
the Kurds have a clear view of their limits and they would be so
informed by the US and Russia just as Turkey would be so informed.
No one can win Bush 2's war, least of all the US.
The best strategy for the US is to get out now before its military
forces become utterly demoralised, and before insane discussions occur
calling for WMD such as "bunker-busters" and mini-nukes to be used as
serious ways to obtain "victory".
The Americans are not in Iraq in good faith, can't alter this, will
never gain legitimacy in Iraqi eyes and should leave as soon as
possible. Dire warnings about what will happen express fears about
America's loss, not Iraqi realities -- there, the people can and must
sort their country for themselves.
Najaff, Karbala fighting continues
Karbala (Al-Jazeera). 9 civilians were killed and 16 others wounded
overnight in the central Iraqi city of Karbala, as clashes between US
occupying forces and Shia fighters continue.
Witnesses said the clashes went on for a couple of hours overnight on Wed.
"During the night, 9 dead civilians and 16 wounded, among them women
and children, were brought in," said Ali Aradawi, who heads the
emergency room at the main hospital in Karbala, where US forces and
Shia fighters have been engaged in several wk of fierce clashes.
A guard at one of the main Shia shrines said "fighter planes fired
rockets between the Hussain and Abbas mausoleums against members of
Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army, killing and wounding a number of people."
* Late-night fighting
"The clashes lasted from midnight to 2 am [20.00 GMT to 22.00 GMT on
Wed]," said Rassim Hussain Massawi, a guard at the Imam Hussain mausoleum.
A medic said the militiamen loyal to the Shia leader refused to be
treated at the hospital in the Shia holy city for fear it may be
searched by the US-led occupying forces.
A military rep in Baghdad said he had not received any report of the
overnight clashes, but US forces said Camp Kilo in Karbala was
attacked by mortar fire.
"No coalition soldiers were injured, no damages reported," the
multinat'l division said in a statement.
Karbala, 110 km S of Baghdad, was seized by al-Sadr's Mahdi Army at
the start of last m in an uprising that swept across central and S
Iraq against the US-led occupation.
Fraction of Iraqis helping to rebuild
Washington (AP). Fewer than 25,000 Iraqis are working on projects in
the US reconstruction effort, tempering expectations that more than
$18 bn in American spending would jump-start Iraq's economy and
trigger a surge in goodwill toward the US.
US officials blame bureaucratic delays in contracting and the recent
increase in violence for the low employment numbers, which represent
less than 1% of Iraq's workforce of more than 7 mn.
The Bush Admin is aiming to more than double the number of Iraqi
workers to 50,000 in less than 2 m -- when Washington expects to hand
over limited authority to a caretaker Iraqi govt.
Iraqis are thinking twice about working for the Americans because of
the latest violence, which has targeted not only US troops but also
Iraqis working with them.
Violence earlier this spring "had an impact on the numbers of workers
showing up," said Navy Capt. Bruce Cole, rep for the Pentagon's Iraq
Program Management Office. "Some were probably afraid to be seen
working with us on those projects. Our numbers are starting to come
back up, though."
Conversely, military cmdrs have cited frustration over the continuing
lack of jobs as one reason for the spike in violence, which left at
least 136 Americans dead in Apr.
The violence puts the US in a tough spot: More reconstruction is
difficult without better security, while employing more Iraqis is one
surefire way to increase security by calming the population.
The latest fighting not only prevented work on current projects but
hampered future efforts by delaying the arrival of coalition equipment
and manpower.
Members of Congress from both parties have criticised the Bush Admin for
the slow pace of reconstruction. So far, only about $1.9 bn in construction
projects are underway from the $18.4 bn Congress approved in Nov.
US troops raid Chalabi's home
Baghdad. US troops and Iraqi police have raided the office of
Governing Council member Ahmed Chalabi. Police seized computers and
documents. Soldiers and police entered the HQ of the Iraqi Nat'l
Congress (INC) Party. The INC is led by member of the US-appointed
Governing Council Mr Chalabi. A nearby house also used by Mr Chalabi
was raided by US troops and Iraqi police. The troops removed
computers, files and other equipment. No one was arrested and Mr
Chalabi was absent. Soldiers have sealed off the compound in S
Baghdad. The Pentagon announced earlier this wk that it had stopped
funding Mr Chalabi's party. US officials have expressed concern about
the accuracy of intel info provided by the INC.
How the Middle E is really being remade
Baghdad (Asia Times). A few wk prior to Operation Iraqi Freedom, the
US Council of Foreign Relations held a dinner attended mostly by
thirty-something PhDs to discuss the intended consequences of the
war. The participants were exuberant about the opportunity liberating
Iraq presented to remake the Middle East. The "transformation of Iraqi
society" would be a model and guide for the subsequent transformation
of Arab society en masse, they enthused. Ecstatically, they spoke of
how 1st the Iraqis, then other Arabs, would learn of civil society,
and how it could lift them out of the morass in which they found themselves.
The criticism of Iraqi and Arab society was based on pity and academic
disdain, rather than vitriol and hostility. The Persian Gulf and the
Arabian Peninsula were pointed to as special examples of a blighted
society in desperate need of uplifting. These "artificial societies"
were regarded as the worst example of what dark turns Arab culture
could take. The diners eagerly convinced each other that Arab culture
and society needed a sharp and devastating blow that would "shock and
awe" them, so that the English-speaking West could get its
attention. They also assumed that after its liberation, a supine Iraqi
population, unshackled from its old political masters, would lie
quietly while American academics worked their magic and miraculously
presented them with a new society.
Their reasons were not the ones proffered to the US public. Deputy
Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz confessed to Vanity Fair magazine
that the weapons of mass destruction claims were a useful
"bureaucratic argument", and "the one issue everyone could agree on".
As has been revealed in recent books by former White House
anti-terrorism coordinator Richard Clarke and insider journalist Bob
Woodward, the war against Iraq had been on the minds of Admin planners
probably long before Sep 11, 2001. The attacks on that day only
provided a fillip, allowing the execution of their plans to remake the
Middle East. Since the US public could not be sold on a scheme of
grand social revision, the marketing strategy relied on fear, and the
various imminent threats that Saddam Hussein allegedly posed.
A y after this bold new strategy was embarked upon, it is worth
examining how the neighbourhood has been changed by the events of the
past 12 m. Recall that the goal was the transformation of Middle
Eastern society, and not mere regime change in one state. When the US
invaded Iraq, it had the unequivocal support of just 2 Arab states --
Kuwait and Qatar.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) provided
surreptitious support in the form of clandestine facilities or
discreet overflight, but no commitment of troops or open use of
facilities. Kuwait and Qatar were the indispensable launching pads for
the ground and air war that was quickly concluded.
No one in the US asked the Gulf states what their expectations were
about this military adventure. They went along individually with great
reluctance because their fear of the US overcame their fear of the
adverse reaction of their publics (Kuwait always being the
exception). They were also not united in their views of the US
intention to invade Iraq.
Saudi Arabia's attitude was the most complex. On the one hand, Saudi
nerves had still not recovered from the fact that 15 of the 19
perpetrators on Sep 11 were Saudi. Acts of terrorist violence in Saudi
Arabia were limited in scope and directed mostly at the US presence,
but fear that violence could expand (as it later did) remained a
constant worry. The al-Saud royal family had to straddle a
contradiction. Supporting the Americans was an essential element of
recovering from the damage of Sep 11 and the wave of attacks from
prominent US commentators, especially the neo-conservatives who
dominated the Admin of Pres George W Bush.
On the other hand, the al-Saud were equally conscious of the fact that
Osama bin Laden and his sympathisers had used that very same close
relationship with the United States to undermine the credibility of
the ruling family. The tortured and twisted manifestation of support
for the US action was the only possible way out of the dilemma.
Kuwait's attitudes were more straightforward. Iraq had threatened the
existence of the Kuwaiti state in one form or another since before it
became fully independent. Only a decade before, Iraq had invaded and
pillaged Kuwait. Kuwaitis of almost every political persuasion still
saw Iraq as a permanent threat and could be counted on to allow their
govt openly to support the US action. Bahrain had its own reasons for
supporting the Americans, not least because the US already enjoyed the
committed support of Bahrain's arch-rival, Qatar. The Bahraini
majority underclass was solidly Shi'ite and hated Saddam for what he
done to the Shi'ites of Iraq. Combined with the feeling that the US
military presence was essential to the survival of the al-Khalifah
family, this Shi'ite attitude propelled Bahrain to support the
Americans, albeit with some superficial reservations.
The UAE saw supporting the Americans as unpopular, but at a level
easily containable. Abu Dhabi did its utmost to mask the full extent
of support for the Americans.
Qatar supported the US as forthrightly as the Kuwaitis, but with a
special twist. Qatar views a US presence as a necessary component of a
nat'l-security strategy. The Americans can deter any foreign
enemy. The Qatari state also believes that it has managed to ensure
domestic tranquility and popular support by encouraging modernisation
through political and social freedoms, combined with a clever
diplomatic position that stakes out independence from the US. Qatar
made its air, land and seas facilities fully available to the
Americans, even to the point of hosting the US military's HQ for the
attack. At the same time, Qatari spokesmen took pains to offer public
advice to the Americans on how misguided many of Washington's policies
were. To its population, the govt explained that Qatar's internat'l
obligations, especially to the UN, made its impossible for the state
to do anything but support the Americans.
* Transformation, what transformation?
What is wrong with this picture? The Americans saw the invasion of
Iraq as a transcendental moment of transformation that would bring the
region to democracy and free trade. The Gulf states saw the US action
in what can be described as purely realpolitik terms. It is worth
asking, however, where does the transformation of the Middle E stand
today? The stated intent was simply to transform and reinvent Iraqi
society so that it would serve as a shining beacon to the rest of the
region and stand as a strong ally to a broader US plan to solve the
problems of the entire region.
The planners expected that the Iraqi people would rally to the US and
deliver themselves into the caring US arms to await the transformation.
They thought their anointed exile leader would quickly seize control
and maintain order. Instead, the place fell apart so rapidly that the
planners could not change their plans to accommodate the disaster.
Mobs looted the entire nat'l infrastructure while US troops stood by
haplessly, hobbled by the fact that their leadership had made no
provision for a course of action that would change its troops from
liberators to order-imposing occupiers. Having failed to catch the
first clue that things were not as they had hoped them to be, they
proceeded with their original plan to decapitate the military,
political and economic structure of the country at the ankles.
Now they stand more or less in control of a country seething with
resentment and on the verge of open insurrection, and still without a
plan in sight. No wonder Pres Bush launched the Greater Middle E peace
initiative as a separate action; achieving his long-term goals of
democratising the region would not happen from within Iraq.
The Gulf states are themselves in a state of shock at the way in which
the operation in Iraq has gone bad.
They did not necessarily believe in the high-minded and long-winded US
plans to transform Iraqi society. They did expect that the US would
apply enough of its military, economic and diplomatic hyper-power to
ensure that Iraq would stay quiescent. They were astounded at the
series of mistakes the Americans made.
New fissures are appearing in the US relationship with the Gulf. US
leaders across the political spectrum continue to lambaste the Saudi
regime as a breeder of terrorism. Bush cannot even impose his awesome
political discipline on his own Admin in this regard.
Qatar, which has openly offered to turn itself into the Americans' principal
bastion in the region, finds itself on the receiving end of a vitriolic
US attack on the basic institution of democracy: uncensored media.
Despite the fact that Qatar today hosts enormous US military forces
and has committed to financial and political support for US activities
in Iraq, it has been given the diplomatic equivalent of the back of
the American hand over Al-Jazeera satellite television.
Exciting news, presented with the slant that satisfies the lowest
common denominator in its audience and with a very loose hold on
accuracy, has made Al-Jazeera the most popular Arabic medium on the
globe. In the midst of a US campaign to foster democracy in the Middle
East, it conveys to the world a message that Middle Eastern democracy
need not include a free press.
The disenchantment with US policies is affecting its business
relationships as well. Before Sep 11, the Saudis had decided to open
their natural-gas fields to foreign development. US companies were at
the front of a list of companies invited to participate. After the
Iraqi invasion, work that had been suspended was reopened. Contracts
were awarded to 3 companies, none of them American. Saudis have been
boycotting US companies and their students have stopped registering in
US universities. An important cultural bridge has been destroyed. Gulf
businessmen are also afraid of visiting the US, fearing the intrusive
interrogations and resenting the humiliations to which they are
exposed on entry. Instead of promoting a dialogue of civilisations,
they have finally concretised the clash of civilisations. Wars started
to end terror have, according to US intel officials, increased
al-Qaeda recruitment tenfold.
Within Iraq, a population that was initially inclined to be patient
and observe US intentions for it is increasingly joining a popular
resistance. Sunnis and Shi'ites, once on the verge of civil war, are
now united in their opp'n to the occupation, and their militias
cooperate with each other, sending supplies and words of
encouragement. Fallujah became a rallying cry for Iraqis, the 1st
victory against the occupation, the 1st liberated city. Posters on
Iraqi walls announce that "Fallujah is the beginning of the end of the
occupation". From a hotel room in Baghdad, waiting to hear the next
explosion, one cannot help but wonder whether Iraq is the beginning of
the end of the American empire.
Israeli court convicts Fatah leader
An Israeli court has found Palestinian snr leader Marwan Barghouti
guilty of the murder of 5 Israelis.
Tel Aviv (Reuters). The court acquitted Barghouti of masterminding
attacks that led to the deaths of more than 20 other Israelis.
Handing down the verdict, the court said Barghouti did not have direct
contact with the people who carried out the attacks, but he provided
money and arms via associates.
The verdict came at a time of high tension coinciding with Israel's
bloodiest raid in Gaza in years.
Barghouti's conviction was likely to result in a life sentence for the
44-yo W Bank legislator, widely seen as a potential successor to Pres
Yasser Arafat.
Seized by Israel in 2002, Barghouti denied orchestrating attacks
against Israelis.
He has expressed pride in resistance to Israeli occupation while
declaring his opp'n to what he called "the killing of innocents".
Supporters said if Barghouti was found guilty, it would bolster him
even more among the Palestinian public, where he is 2nd only in
popularity to Mr Arafat.
Israel charged that Barghouti "managed and financed ... much terrorist
action".
He got a rare trial in open criminal court rather than in a closed
military tribunal.
Once in favour of pragmatic relations with Israel, Barghouti became
known for his fiery rhetoric after the Palestinian revolt erupted in 2000.
Barghouti's sentence will be handed down in early Jun.
The prosecution has recommended Barghouti be sentenced to 5 life terms.
The former Fatah leader refused a lawyer throughout his trial.
Israeli Govt welcomes Barghouti verdict
Jerusalem (AFP). The Israeli Govt says it is satisfied with the
outcome of the trial of Marwan Barghouti, insisting that it had every
right to place the Palestinian MP on trial for a series of murders.
Barghouti, 44, was charged with 26 counts of murder and of heading the
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed offshoot of Palestinian leader
Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement.
He was found guilty of the murder of 5 Israelis in 4 separate attacks
-- the court acquitted him of masterminding attacks that led the
deaths of more than 20 other Israelis.
FM rep Daniel Taub says Barghouti's refusal to recognise the court's
authority is no defence.
"I think for the families of the 26 people who were killed in acts of
terrorism he was found to be responsible in, the 100s who were
injured, I think it is satisfying to hear the court declare there is
categorical evidence that he stood at the head of these organisations,
he encouraged them, he funded them, he supported them," he said.
"In 4 specific cases the court mentioned he was directly involved in
the perpetration of those terrorist acts."
Boy dies in continuing Rafah unrest
Rafah (ABC, Jane Hutcheon and wires). Doctors in Rafah, the
Palestinian town currently the focus of a massive Israeli operation,
say a 3-yo boy has died of a condition related to severe trauma.
The infant was brought to Rafah's only hospital shortly after a
missile attack nr his family's home.
Doctors say 3-yo Samah Elijah was brought to the hospital after an
Israeli strike in the Jenina district of Rafah.
Shortly afterwards, he died of neurogenic shock, which medics say can
be brought on by extreme fear or horror.
A rep for the Gaza Community Mental Health Program, Hussam al-Nunu,
believes it is the 1st time such a case has come to light.
However, he said research had shown that fear can lead to death.
At least 6 Palestinians have been killed on the 3rd day of Operation
Rainbow, including the local head of the armed wing of the radical
Hamas movement.
Khalid Abu Anza, a local Hamas leader, was killed during an air strike
and his body recovered later according to medical sources.
Israeli soldiers pushed into the neighbourhoods of Brazil and
As-Salam, on the border with Egypt, where the army says tunnels used
to smuggle weapons are located.
Israeli bulldozers razed several houses in As-Salam and destroyed a
building in the refugee camp belonging to an Islamic Jihad leader.
The raids came after a UN Sec Council resolution was passed, condemning
Israel for killing Palestinian civilians and demolishing their houses.
Military sources say they have arrested 60 Palestinians in Rafah, many
of whom were armed activists.
Incoming Indian PM promises stability
New Delhi. India's incoming PM has committed his Govt to
progressing peace talks with Pakistan and pledged to provide more
opportunities for India's poor.
As a Sikh, Dr Manmohan Singh, 71, is the 1st member of a minority in
80% Hindu India to become PM.
71 y ago, well before partition, Dr Singh was born in what is now
Pakistan.
Yesterday, he said "we should look to the future with hope, that is
not impossible".
"Who could have imagined some 15 y ago that the Berlin Wall would
melt?" he said.
The Oxford University educated economist said that his Govt would be
stable, despite its reliance on communist support.
India's incoming PM denounced judicial delays in dealing with communal
violence in India.
Distancing himself from his BJP Hindu-nat'list predecessor, he said
India was the most tolerant civilisation and could not divide people
by religion and race.
AUS to reopen Libya embassy
Canberra (AFP). Aussie FM Alexander Downer says AUS will reopen its
embassy in Libya. According to the official Libyan news agency, JANA,
he made the announcement during a brief visit to the capital, Tripoli.
While there, Mr Downer had talks with the PM and the For Min. JANA
said they discussed ways to promote bilateral relations, notably in
political, cultural and scientific areas. AUS closed its embassy in
Tripoli 17 y ago in protest at the policies pursued by Libyan leader
Col Moamar Khaddafi.
Call to oust Zimbabwe law-maker
Harare (AFP). Supporters of Zimbabwe's ruling party have staged a
protest outside Parliament, demanding that a white opp'n law-maker be
thrown out of the country for attacking the Justice Min. Harare's
newly appointed Governor, Witness Mangwende, told some 3,000
protesters that Roy Bennett, one of 3 white law-makers in the
150-member Parliament, was not welcome in the capital anymore. Mr
Bennett, a member of the opp'n Movement for Democratic Change, shoved
Justice Min Patrick Chinamasa to the ground, angered by what he later
described as racist attacks during a heated debate in the house. A
disciplinary hearing has been postponed.
Internat'l diamond thieves busted in Shanghai
Shanghai (AFP). Shanghai police said on Thu they have cracked a major
diamond theft case and seized more than 20 suspects, mostly from
Central and South America. On the afternoon of May 13, a jewellery
company attending the Fourth Shanghai Internat'l Jewellery Fair
reported that a bag of diamonds worth $US690,000 had been stolen. In
the ensuing days, more than 20 foreigners were arrested and all the
gems recovered. The suspects are from Columbia, Mexico, Venezuela,
Costa Rica, Chile and Peru, the Xinhua news agency cited police as saying.
Picasso painting goes missing from Paris museum
Paris (AFP). A painting by Pablo Picasso valued at 2.5 mn euros has
apparently been stolen from a workshop belonging to the Pompidou
Centre in Paris, French police said. The nature morte a la charlotte,
a small Cubist work completed in 1924, was last seen in the workshop
where it was being restored on Jan 12. Its disappearance was noticed
on Fri, police said. "They have searched high and low and now the
Pompidou Centre thinks it must have been stolen. That is certainly
the theory we are working under," said a police officer. According to
Jean-Pierre Biron, communications director at the Pompidou Centre, the
painting is un-sellable because it is so well known. The work -- a
still life in shades of brown and blue centred round a tart on a plate
-- was being restored before going on loan to a museum in the N French
town of Roubaix.
Pair charged over Blair flour bomb attack
London (AFP). 2 fathers' rights activists have been charged after the
flour attack on the Brit PM in Parliament this wk. Ron Davis, 48, and
Guy Harrison, 36, were charged for throwing condoms packed with purple
flour at Tony Blair while he spoke in the House of Commons. Both men
are members of Fathers 4 Justice, a lobby group for separated and
divorced dads that is well-known for using high-profile stunts to draw
attention to their cause. Officials say a thorough review of security
at Parliament is now under way.
Fed Govt predicts Mitsubishi job losses
D-day for Mitsubishi workers.
Canberra. The Fed Govt says job losses at Mitsubishi Motors' Adel
operations are probable.
It says it has already been informed of what will happen to the Aussie
operations, ahead of the parent company's restructure announcement.
Industry Min Ian Macfarlane says the Commonwealth is ready to help
workers affected by the restructure.
"Our focus after today's announcement will be assisting the workers to
find new work," he said.
"To create new opportunities in SA for businesses to establish enough
[to] provide new jobs."
"We'll be focusing more on the workers, in terms of making sure that
the transition is as smooth as possible.
Mitsubishi's parent company in Japan will announce details of its
long-awaited restructure, and it is widely anticipated the Lonsdale
engine plant and its 700 jobs may go in order to save 2,500 jobs at
the Tonsley Park assembly plant.
The fate of Mitsubishi's 2 Adel plants should be known just after 3.00
pm ACST today.
An announcement is expected to be posted on the company's website,
after which local chief executive Tom Phillips will make a public
statement, and is also expected to address the company's workers.
Union shop steward John Monahan fears that staff are being softened up
to take some bad news "Forewarned you accept it a lot more but there's
still people out there that have got mortgages and big home loans and
everything like that and you think that it's not going to be you," he said.
The Aussie Manufacturing Workers Union represents most of the workers
at the plants.
Vehicle division secretary Tom Taylor says he is hoping for a better
outcome than 700 job losses.
"I'm pretty sure in my own personal opinion that Mitsubishi will carry
on in some... shape or form, perhaps not as it is today," he said.
"But the bottom line is that it will be there for jobs for our members
and their children when they come through, and we'll all be sitting
there with our fingers crossed and hope there's a big future for us."
4 hospitalised after gas explosion
Perth. 4 men are in intensive care in Royal Perth Hospital with
serious burns after a gas explosion at a Port Hedland iron ore plant.
The workers were flown to Perth in the single biggest Royal Flying
Doctor Service evacuation in several years.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service used 4 aircraft to airlift the men to
Perth over several hours.
The men are being treated by burns unit staff, with 3 of the four
listed in a critical condition.
One of the victims has burns to 90% of his body, while 2 others have
burns to about half of their bodies.
A 4th man with serious burns to his face has already been moved to a
burns ward.
He is said to be unwell but stable.
The explosion at BHP-Billiton's iron ore plant in Port Hedland
happened around 12.00 am AWST on Thu, as the maintenance crew worked
on inactive equipment.
The Dept of Industry and Resources is investigating the cause of the explosion.
Unions demand answers after gas blast
Perth. Unions are calling for a wide-ranging review of BHP-Billiton's
iron ore operations, after a gas explosion at its Port Hedland
operation in WA yesterday left 4 workers critically injured.
Of the men injured in yesterday's explosion, 3 remain in a critical
condition in the Royal Perth Hospital and one is described as in a
stable condition.
The Aussie Workers Union says it fears profit is being placed ahead of
the safety of workers and an independent audit of the company's
operations should be conducted immediately.
State secretary Jock Ferguson is calling for the Boodarie Iron site to
be shut down, pending the results of investigations into yesterday's
accident, and a death at another BHP-Billiton site earlier this m.
"When it comes to situations such as people's health and safety,
economic considerations are secondary," he said.
"From our perspective you can't put a price on people's occupational
health and safety."
The Min for State Development, Clive Brown, says dept inspectors are
investigating the explosion.
"If they arrive at a conclusion that the safety of people on the site
could be jeopardised by its continual operation I'm sure they would
make that recommendation, but essentially I'll be looking to those
qualified inspectors to provide advice on the safety of the site," he said.
BHP-Billiton blast to halt production
Perth. BHP-Billiton will temporarily suspend production at its Port
Hedland iron ore plant in W AUS after an explosion yesterday caused
extensive burns to 4 workers. 3 of the 4 injured men remain in a
critical condition in Perth Royal Hospital, a 4th man is now in a
stable condition. BHP-Billiton says it will conduct site-wide safety
briefings and fully inform workers and their families about
yesterday's accident, as the plant is shut down. Rep John Crowley
says it will take several days to wind down production. "We wouldn't
expect that the plant would be shut down until probably Sun," he said.
"The 1st of the remaining 3 trains will probably be brought down in
the next hour or so and over the next few days we'll bring the other 2
trains down to a non-productive stage."
Liberals celebrate PM's career
Sydney. John Howard talked about the upcoming election during an
event held to celebrate his 30 y in Parliament.
More than 1,000 supporters of the Liberal Party have turned out to
help PM John Howard celebrate 30 y in Parliament.
Mr Howard used the occasion to rally support for the upcoming election.
The PM used his speech to cap his Govt's achievements over the
past 8 y -- including taxation reform, overhauling industrial relations
law, helping E Timor gain independence and presiding over a strong economy.
But Mr Howard warned the 1,200 guests that there was no room for complacency.
"Elections get harder, not easier to win as time goes by," he said.
Mr Howard says it is now time to continue the work of Peter Costello's
most recent budget, in finding ways to balance the modern challenge of
work and family.
* Iraq
The PM also said AUS's involvement in Iraq is one of the most difficult
decisions his Govt has made, but has listed it as one of his major achievements.
I think of the difficult, very difficult, but crucial decision we took
to join the US, UK and other countries in military action in Iraq.
Surveillance plane makes maiden flight
Canberra. The new surveillance plane being built for the Aussie Air
Force, the Wedgetail, has made its 1st flight. The Wedgetail Airborne
Early Warning and Control Aircraft has made its first flight from
Boeing Field in Seattle in the US. Based on Boeing's 737, the
Wedgetail is to be the eyes and ears of the Aussie Defence Force,
using phased array radar to conduct air and maritime surveillance.
Defence Min Robert Hill says the $3.4 bn project is on budget and
ahead of time. The Govt last wk announced that it will buy an extra 2
of the planes to create a fleet of 6 aircraft. The 1st 2 Wedgetails
are to be delivered in 2006, to be based at Williamtown in NSW.
No charges over alleged Storm sex case: police
Vic Police will not proceed with sexual assault charges against 2 MEL
Storm rugby league players.
Melbourne. Vic police have confirmed 2 MEL Storm Nat'l Rugby League
(NRL) players at the centre of sexual assault allegations will not be charged.
Police have interviewed 2 players over allegations they sexually
assaulted a woman in a S Yarra flat in Feb.
On Wed night, police revealed that there is insufficient evidence to
gain a successful prosecution and unless any new info is revealed the
matter is being considered as closed.
The club and players have been notified of the outcome.
The NRL's chief executive, David Gallop says it is satisfied with the result.
"I'm satisfied that the police have conducted an investigation and
important that we get on the front foot about these issues and put
programs in place that ensure that our players don't face these types
of situations," he said.
He says the NRL will not be pursuing the matter further.
Appeal delays evidence in Falconio case
Peter Falconio went missing in 2001.
Darwin. The full bench of the N Territory Supreme Court will next Mon
hear a Channel 9 appeal to have the suppression of sections of the
Crown's opening address lifted in the case of the man accused of
murdering Brit backpacker Peter Falconio. The appeal could delay the
continuation of the evidence of the key witness Joanne Lees.
Magistrate Alasdair McGregor on Wed upheld a suppression order on
sections of Rex Wild QC's opening address. Bradley John Murdoch has
been charged with Mr Falconio's murder and the deprivation of liberty
and unlawful assault of Ms Lees. The opening address outlined 4
bodies of evidence that allegedly link Murdoch with the killing, but
the details of these have been suppressed in the N Territory. The
appeal in the higher court means it is unlikely Ms Lees will take the
witness stand in the Darwin Magistrates Court until Tue. Even then
her evidence might be given in a closed court.
Evidence to be delayed in Falconio case
Darwin. The key witness in the case of the man accused of murdering
Brit backpacker Peter Falconio will not resume giving her evidence
until Tue.
The committal hearing has been adjourned so Channel 9 can appeal on
Mon for parts of the suppression of the Crown's opening address to be lifted.
Earlier this wk, magistrate Alasdair McGregor upheld the suppression order.
The appeal by Channel 9 has set back the committal proceedings until Tue.
This means the key witness Joanne Lees will not be able to take the
witness stand until at least that day.
The proceedings have been filled with legal debate and adjournments.
Yesterday in court, the defendant Bradley John Murdoch, 45, spoke out
for the 1st time from the dock.
He said it was difficult to speak to his lawyers in court and because
the Magistrates Court was sitting in the Supreme Court building his
paperwork was not getting through.
Murdoch has been charged with the murder of Mr Falconio and the
unlawful assault of Ms Lees.
Lees media deal reaches stalemate
Darwin. A deal to photograph the key witness in the case of the man
accused of murdering Brit backpacker Peter Falconio has come to a
standstill. Joanne Lees has refused the latest deal offered by
journalists. Earlier this week, Ms Lees told a source close to the
case she is concerned someone might get hurt when the car she travels
in screeches to and from court in Darwin every day. Ms Lees said she
would agree to be filmed at a location of her preference if a fee was
paid to the charity of her choice. But negotiations have faltered,
with some media organisations refusing to pay any money. In turn, Ms
Lees has rejected the media's latest offer of pooling the vision and
only some media organisations paying. The Director of Public
Prosecutions says there is unlikely to be further negotiations.
Several media organisations say they will continue pursuing Ms Lees.
Bradley John Murdoch, 45, has been charged with Mr Falconio's murder
and the unlawful assault of Ms Lees.
Bullet threat won't stop corruption probe, police say
Melbourne. The Vic police force says threats against internal
investigators will not stop it from weeding out corrupt police and
bringing them to justice.
The State Opp'n says bullets have been used in the latest threat to
police corruption investigators.
Opp'n police rep Kim Wells says an investigator has found 2 0.38
police issue bullets in the mail box at his home.
His name and his wife's were etched onto the bullets.
The investigator is a member of the Ceja task force investigating
corrupt police and Mr Wells says the bullet threat is not an isolated case.
"Another investigator on the Ceja case had been followed, we've also
been told that his wife and child were followed to kindergarten," he said.
"They have been offered home security, alarm systems and fences, but
when it comes to personal security for these police officers, [it] has
been nothing short but pathetic."
Police rep Kevin Loomes has confirmed there has been a threat to a
task force member, but says security for investigators and their
families is a top priority and threats are taken seriously.
Vic police corruption "worst ever", former judge says
Melbourne. A former Fed Court judge last night described corruption
in the Vic police force as the worst ever. Sir Edward Woodward told a
Criminal Bar Association function, a royal commission would be
expensive and would be hindered by the backlog of police corruption
cases. Sir Edward instead recommended a standing integrity commission
or setting up a nat'l anti-corruption body to assist existing ethical
standards depts. The chairman of the Criminal Bar Association, Lex
Lasry QC, says the association favours an integrity commission. "Well
our preference would be a standing Vic police integrity commission,
similar to the NSW and Qld models... we think that is justified and we
think with the future in mind that would be the most effective way to
deal with it," he said.
Police corruption linked to underworld slayings
Melbourne. Deputy Commissioner Peter Nancarrow says there are links
between police corruption and a spate of underworld killings.
The chairman of Vic's Ceja police internal corruption task force has
admitted there is a link between police corruption and MEL's gangland killings.
Deputy Commissioner Peter Nancarrow says he suspects there are links
between people being looked at by the Ceja corruption and Purana
gangland task forces.
Deputy Commissioner Nancarrow has today admitted there had been 3
incidents in which Ceja investigators were threatened.
He says in the latest threat, about a m ago, 2 police issue bullets
with the names of an investigator and his wife on them were left in
their letterbox.
The Deputy Commissioner says he has every confidence in the security
arrangements for members of his task force, adding both task forces
regularly exchange info.
"I think as both investigations progress it has become evident to me
in my chair at the Ceja task force that some of the members we are
looking at may have links to some of the parts of the organised crime
investigation," he said.
Poaching threatens white rhino
N Sudan (Reuters). Conservationists say the N white rhino, one of the
world's most endangered animals, could be extinct in the wild within m
unless poaching by Sudanese rebels stops. The world's 25 or so
remaining wild white rhinos all live in the Garamba Nat'l Park, a UN's
World Heritage site, on the northern border of the Democratic Republic
of Congo with Sudan. Poaching has decimated the white rhino
population from almost 500 in the late 1970s.
Memory specs developed in Germany
Berlin (Reuters). Spectacles with a built-in memory could help
forgetful humans, a German researcher said. The researcher has built
a prototype of the "memory spectacles", said Christian Bauckhage, the
project's technical coordinator. The prototype, a helmet mounted with
2 cameras, records images of objects to build up a "memory" of what
the user sees, Mr Bauckhage said. The device, which is being
developed by Bielefeld University researchers, learns to recognise
objects and could help people find lost keys or remember route
directions. "We are trying to recreate human abilities, such as
seeing or hearing, so that we can build them into a complete intel
system," Mr Bauckhage said.
{{
6 am
US mouthpiece Dan Senor has distanced the US from raids on Ahmed
Chalabi's home and offices. He said it was an Iraqi police matter
conducted on Iraqi warrants. Chalabi elsewhere told reporters it was
political. He'd opened up the oil-for-food can of worms, he said, and
the US didn't like it. Once groomed by the US as a future leader of
Iraq, a recent opinion poll has found Chalabi is less trusted in Iraq
than Saddam Hussein. Chalabi told reporters he was cutting his ties
with the Bush Admin. He blamed America for allowing Saddam to rise to power.
On Wall St the markets ended almost even. But in London the FTSE
closed down 43 pts. Gold is trading around $US379/oz. Oil is
slightly higher, at $US40.92/oz.
AUS will open a Libyan embassy after 17 y.
Aussies paid a record $8.7 bn in bank fees in 2003. A big slice of
the increasing fee burden was related to a 37% hike in credit card fees.
Fmr Fed Court judge Edward Woodward has told a criminal Bar Assoc
dinner last night that corruption in the Vic Police was worse than at
any time in living memory.
10 am
A former detainee at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba says American guards
tortured Aussie man, Mamdouh Habib.
A decision is yet to be made on whether the court will be closed for
the rest of Joanne Lee's evidence in the case of the man charged with
the murder of Brit backpacker Peter Falconio.
A former Fed Court judge last night described corruption in the Vic
police force as the worst ever.
Israeli newspapers have criticised the Israeli military after the
deaths of 10 Palestinians in S Gaza, killed as the Army used tanks and
helicopters to disperse a demo.
John Howard has given his strongest signal yet he will stay on as PM
for some time, saying he feels very keen to continue leading the country.
Mitsubishi Motor's truck-making affiliate is recalling tens of 1000s
of trucks and buses.
More than 40 people were killed in a US air strike on a suspected safe
house used by foreign fighters nr the Iraqi-Syrian border on Wed,
coalition officials said.
Opinion poll results to be released next wk show nearly 9 out of 10
Iraqis see US forces as occupiers rather than liberators or
peacekeepers, the Brit newspaper The Financial Times has reported.
PM John Howard will seek further assurances from the US about the
treatment of Aussie detainee David Hicks.
The Aussie consul-general in Washington has visited Guantanamo Bay
detainees David Hicks and Mamdouh Habib, and says neither have
reported any mistreatment.
The Fed Opp'n has challenged the Govt to talk with the
Pentagon-appointed lawyer for David Hicks, who has raised concerns
about his client's treatment at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
FM Alexander Downer says lawyers for David Hicks should produce
evidence of claims that he has been mistreated while in detention at
Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
The Internat'l Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has condemned an
"excessive" use of force by the US military, after reports accused
troops of killing dozens of Iraqis at a wedding party.
The Israeli Govt says it is satisfied with the outcome of the trial of
Marwan Barghouti, insisting that it had every right to place the
Palestinian MP on trial for a series of murders.
The UN Security Council has rebuked Israel for demolishing Palestinian
homes after widespread bulldozing in the Gaza Strip, with the US
abstaining on the resolution.
The Vic police force says threats against internal investigators will
not stop it from weeding out corrupt police and bringing them to justice.
The deaths of about 40 people in Iraq today have fuelled more
anti-American sentiment.
The former girlfriend of Brit backpacker Peter Falconio says she will
allow the media to take one photograph of her.
The head of coalition prisons in Iraq, General Geoffrey Miller,
insisted on Thu there is no abuse going on in coalition detention
centres there now.
The man accused of murdering Brit backpacker Peter Falconio has spoken
from the dock in Darwin Magistrates Court.
US troops and Iraqi police have raided the office of Governing Council
member Ahmed Chalabi.
Midday.
It's been revealed 4 prison directors who left the US prison system
amid claims of maltreatment and prisoner deaths have been operating
the US-run Iraqi prison system. Film of US prisoners beating
stripped, beaten, and restrained for many hrs have emerged. The 4
directors have been linked with at least 4 US prisoner deaths. Human
rights groups say some of the group are known to be "sadistic", have
encouraged a culture of abuse in their Connecticut and Utah prisons,
and are intimate with escaping responsibility for it.
5.30 pm
After an unprecedented internat'l outcry, Israel has begun to pull its
Army out of Rafah.
In Adel, Mitsubishi AUS is just announcing the closure of the Lonsdale
motor engine plant. 700 workers will lost their jobs. But the
company says it still plans to build a new model in 4Q05. PM Howard
blamed the closure on globalisation. It had nothing to do with the AUS
govt or workforce, he told reporters, but the economic mis-management
of the parent company. Mitsubishi owes $12 bn world-wide, with
Mitsubishi Japan saying they've lost another $3 bn this y. Just
recently, the company apologised for delaying several ys before
announcing a recall of its buses and trucks due to a manufacturing defect.
The US continues to deny it has bombed civilians nr the Syrian border.
But TV reports show injured from the attack, and they include women
and children. In Baghdad today, mourners displayed the pictures of
musicians they say were killed in the attack. And relatives have
shown the graves of children killed in the raid. Gen Kimmitt says the
US only killed insurgents, saying weapons found at the scene prove the
dead were insurgents. He denied any women or children were killed.
The US Admin says it knows about the colourful past of several US
prison officials working in Iraq's prisons. The Admin says they were
among the few who volunteered to go to Iraq to administer the US-run
prison system. Reps deny the officials were involved in the Abu
Ghraib POW abuse scandal. Human rights lawyers say the 4 officials
have become "intimate" with escaping responsibility for the abuses
and deaths at the prisons they ran in the US.
7 pm
For the first time in 2 wks the AUD has closed above 70 US c. It's
all about US int rates. If they rise -- as expected -- next m, the
Aussie could go into reverse. The All Ords closed 15 pts higher.
Lamb prices rose 7% this wk to 370 c/kg.
9.30 pm
More allegations of abuse have emerged in Iraq as 100s of POW's were
released from Abu Ghraib. 13 buses filled with POW's filed past
relatives and friends. 472 prisoners in all were released. 100s who
flock to the jail each day, cheered and called out for info on other
internees. Meanwhile, Civil rights advocates are seeing parallels
between the US prison system and Abu Ghraib. The US Justice Dept
says it knew of the background of several jail bosses background before
they were hired to run Iraqi jails.
Just back from Washington, Italian PM Berlusconi told parliament that
Italy's 3,000 troops would remain in Iraq. There were protests inside
and outside parliament. The Greens walked out. The rest of the Opp'n
remained silent. 60% of Italians want the troops out.
Israel is re-positioning troops in the Gaza Strip. Before pulling
out of the Rafah refugee camp, they went further in and blew up more
homes. They've also rounded up more suspected militants. Another 8
Palestinians were killed before the Rafah poll-out began, incl 1 Hamas
leader. Locals say everyone is frightened because anyone's seems to
be a target.
10 pm
A $100 mn contract for a QLD catering company has collapsed. The
group were sub-contracted to Halliburton. But they were dumped after 6
wks of operating in Iraq. They are now in legal dispute with
Halliburton and the US govt.
}}
========================================
(*) Who is responcible for W.A.R.S? A small group of dedicated
sandgrubbers, bannana-lickers and 5th columnists on the run from
support payments and sundry legalese in their home countries. Mention
us at any Uncle Harry's Suburban Bunker and get a 10% discount on cop-killers!
All speling macroizated for correctitood by Mcrosotf Speelchek.
*** Please stand by for further orders from The Leader ***
=== end 4/4 ===