Web / Press / Offsite Media Updates: May 30th - June 6th

by redjade Mon May 31, 2004 17:01

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Pentagon e-mail said Vice President Dick Cheney's office "coordinated" a multibillion-dollar Iraq reconstruction contract awarded to his former employer Halliburton, Time magazine reported on Sunday.

The e-mail, sent by an Army Corps of Engineers official on March 5, 2003, said Douglas Feith, a senior Pentagon official, provided arrangements for the RIO contract, or Restore Iraqi Oil, between Halliburton and the U.S. government, Time said.

The e-mail said Feith, who reports to Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, approved arrangements for the contract "contingent on informing WH (White House) tomorrow. We anticipate no issues since action has been coordinated w VP's (vice president's) office."

A spokesman for Cheney said his office had no role in the contract process.

"Vice President Cheney and his office have had no involvement whatsoever in government contracting matters since he left private business to run for vice president," said Kevin Kellems, a spokesman for Cheney.

by iosaf - doing mc dowell now rather than later. Mon May 31, 2004 17:29

A group of doctors who work with asylum seekers has called for a 'no' vote in the Government's citizenship referendum. The group has written a letter to every doctor in Ireland asking them to oppose the proposed constitutional amendment. Dr Austin O'Carroll, a spokesman for the group, said the Government was being disingenuous when it accused pregnant non-nationals and "citizenship tourists" of putting huge pressure on Irish maternity hospitals. "In 1981, there were 72,158 births," he said. "In 2003, including non-nationals, there were only 60,000 births, so the reason that maternity hospitals were facing difficulties was the Government has cut back on the amount of beds available."

by spectator Mon May 31, 2004 17:59

...some interesting legislation is passing on the Capitol, away from the media spotlight...

The Draft. It's slated for a return in June 2005 - after the elections.

More here... http://www.axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/article_8231.shtml

by RePost Tue Jun 01, 2004 05:43

In the last 48 hours, about half of the United States Navy's surface fleet has departed from both east and west coast bases. The flotilla deployed from San Diego is equipped for amphibious operations, and will be under Marine Corps command. What is going on?
Seven US Navy aircraft carrier groups have been sent to sea in a "routine" training exercise from Virginia:

http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=1902088


Meanwhile on the west coast, at the same time in San Diego:

SAN DIEGO – More than 5,000 sailors and Marines with the Belleau Wood Expeditionary Strike Group left San Diego today

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/military/20040527-0501-strikegroup.html

for a six-month deployment in the Western Pacific and the Persian Gulf. . . .[including] the amphibious assault ship Belleau Wood, the amphibious transport dock Denver and amphibious dock landing ship Comstock


About half of the US surface fleet has been deployed at the same time

the California squadron is under Marine Corps command, and gives every sign of being the basis of the potential delivery system for an amphibious invasion.

Now we know that Bush is going down the tubes in terms of all the polls, latest CBS poll has Bush's approval rating at minus 10% (ie. the negatives -- those who don't approve, are a whopping 10% above the positives

http://www.cpod.ubc.ca/polls/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewItem&itemID=2852

Good time for a war! Get those rednecks waving American flags again.

So what's really going on? Is this reinforcements for a summer offensive in Iraq? Is this an attack on Iran? Is this a threatening of Libya (which we were told yesterday imported nuclear components from Turkey covertly) .... or Cuba? North Korea?

Or is this the long war-gamed intervention into Saudi Arabia to deal with
http://www.guardian.co.uk/saudi/story/0,11599,1228004,00.html

by redjade Tue Jun 01, 2004 14:36

South Africa Style Sanctions Against Israel?

''I think there are many reasons why the South African analogy does not apply to this case....''
http://blog.zmag.org/ttt/archives/000492.html

- - -

Bush Lying?

''Did Bush lie on the reasons for 9-11 ("they hate our freedoms," etc.)? I think one has to be a bit cautious....''
http://blog.zmag.org/ttt/archives/000491.html

by ec Tue Jun 01, 2004 16:45

Excerpt:

"South Korea has fast, broadband connections in 70 percent of all households. A Western diplomat in Seoul said: "This is the most online country in the world. The younger generation get all their information from the web. Some don't even bother with TVs. They just download the programmes." (Jonathan Watts, 'World's first internet president logs on: Web already shaping policy of new South Korean leader', The Guardian, February 24, 2003)

As elections approached in South Korea in 2002, more and more people began to get their information and political analysis from internet news services instead of from the country's conservative newspapers. The most influential internet service, OhmyNews, registered 20 million page views per day around election time in December 2002. In March 2003, the service still averaged around 14 million visits daily, in a country of 40 million people. OhmyNews was started four years ago by Oh Yeon Ho, 39, who says:

"My goal was to say farewell to 20th-century Korean journalism, with the concept that every citizen is a reporter... The professional news culture has eroded our journalism, and I have always wanted to revitalize it. Since I had no money, I decided to use the Internet, which has made this guerrilla strategy possible."

Relying almost solely on ordinary readers, OhmyNews helped generate a huge national movement that resulted in the election of Roh Moo Hyun, a reformist lawyer, in December 2002. Before OhmyNews got involved, the new president had been a relative unknown. After his election, he granted OhmyNews the first interview he gave to any Korean news organization. "Netizens won," Oh says of the election. "Traditional media lost." (Mark L. Clifford and Moon Ihlwan, 'Korea: The Politics of Peril', Business Week, February 24, 2003)

This is a remarkable story of tremendous importance to anyone interested in challenging state-corporate control of society. The success of libertarian, internet-based sites in South Korea suggests that internet media relying mostly on contributions from ordinary readers represent a potent democratising force.

by gabriele zamparini Tue Jun 01, 2004 18:43

American Voices Against Bush
Award Winning Documentary on the Voices of Dissent in Bush's America
Dear friends,

We are two independent film-makers and activists and we have just produced "XXI CENTURY", a real independent documentary on the voices of dissent in Bush's America. You may find out more about it by visiting http://thecatsdream.com

Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Gore Vidal, Amy Goodman of Democracy Now, Katha Pollitt of The Nation, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Pete Seeger, Harry Belafonte, Jesse Jackson, Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu are just a few names in it.

The documentary was recently shown at the BRUSSELS TRIBUNAL (part of the World Tribunal on Iraq) in Brussels as the opening testimony. It opened at IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam) this past November and received the Audience Award at Documenta Madrid, the International Documentary Film Festival organized by the City of Madrid a few weeks ago.

This is a very independent production and we are now getting the word out about the film. Thank you for your help!

In solidarity,
Gabriele Zamparini
Lorenzo Meccoli

by redjade Tue Jun 01, 2004 19:39

When Saddam Hussein was rousted from his spider hole in Dawr, a town near Tikrit, by U.S. soldiers last December, Iraq's fallen dictator was clutching a pistol. He is now in detention at an undisclosed location, being questioned by American authorities and awaiting charges for war atrocities and crimes against humanity. But what ever happened to the pistol?

The sidearm has made its way to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Sources say that the military had the pistol mounted after the soldiers seized it from Saddam and that it was then presented to the President privately by some of the troops who played a key role in ferreting out the old tyrant. Though it was widely reported at the time that the pistol was loaded when they grabbed Saddam, Bush has told visitors that the gun was empty—and that it is still empty and safe to touch. "He really liked showing it off," says a recent visitor to the White House who has seen the gun. "He was really proud of it."

by redjade Tue Jun 01, 2004 19:56

(Reuters) - The United States and Britain asked U.N. members on Monday to endorse a hand-over of power to a new Iraqi interim government but proposed U.S. troops could "take all measures" to keep order.

But the draft U.N. Security Council resolution, which asks for backing of a U.S.-led multinational force, has no date for the withdrawal of foreign troops. It is also silent on the future of U.S. prisons, Iraqi control over its own forces and a transitional constitution adopted in March.

by redjade Tue Jun 01, 2004 20:05

The Great Escape
By CRAIG UNGER

Americans who think the 9/11 commission is going to answer all the crucial questions about the terrorist attacks are likely to be sorely disappointed — especially if they're interested in the secret evacuation of Saudis by plane that began just after Sept. 11.

We knew that 15 out of 19 hijackers were Saudis. We knew that Osama bin Laden, a Saudi, was behind 9/11. Yet we did not conduct a police-style investigation of the departing Saudis, of whom two dozen were members. of the bin Laden family. That is not to say that they were complicit in the attacks.

[....]

In addition, new evidence shows that the evacuation involved more than the departure of 142 Saudis on six charter flights that the commission is investigating. According to newly released documents, 160 Saudis left the United States on 55 flights immediately after 9/11 — making a total of about 300 people who left with the apparent approval of the Bush administration, far more than has been reported before. The records were released by the Department of Homeland Security in response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by Judicial Watch, a conservative, nonpartisan watchdog group in Washington.

The vast majority of the newly disclosed flights were commercial airline flights, not charters, often carrying just two or three Saudi passengers. They originated from more than 20 cities, including Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit and Houston. One Saudi Arabian Airlines flight left Kennedy Airport on Sept. 13 with 46 Saudis. The next day, another Saudi Arabian Airlines flight left with 13 Saudis.

The panel has indicated that it has yet to find any evidence that the F.B.I. checked the manifests of departing flights against its terror watch list.

by redjade Tue Jun 01, 2004 20:23

The names of more than 700 American service members killed in Iraq will appear in a ``Doonesbury'' comic strip during the Memorial Day weekend.

The comic will list chronologically the names of 702 soldiers killed through April 23, said Lee Salem, editor of the Kansas City-based Universal Press Syndicate, which distributes the strip.

The names were set in 6-point type to fit in the six panels for publication on Sunday, May 30.

http://www.ctnow.com/hc-doonesbury.artmay20,0,7929824.story

Here's last Sunday's cartoon....
http://www.doonesbury.com/strip/dailydose/index.html?uc_full_date=20040530

by 23 Wed Jun 02, 2004 14:24

The United States and Britain circulated a revised resolution on post-occupation Iraq (news - web sites) Tuesday that would give the new interim government control over the Iraqi army and police and end the mandate for the multinational force by January 2006 at the latest.

[....]

The new draft states that the interim government will be "fully sovereign" and reaffirms the right of the Iraqi people to determine their political future freely, control their natural resources and coordinate international assistance.

While the draft notes "that the presence of the multinational force in Iraq is at the request of the incoming interim government," it doesn't specifically give the new leaders the right to ask the force to leave.

Instead, it anticipates that the incoming government will make a formal request "to retain the presence of the multinational force" and leaves room for the date of that letter to be included in the resolution.

by 23 Wed Jun 02, 2004 15:00

British and American troops are to be granted immunity from prosecution in Iraq after the crucial 30 June handover, undermining claims that the new Iraqi government will have 'full sovereignty' over the state.

Despite widespread ill-feeling about the abuse of prisoners by American forces and allegations of mistreatment by British troops, coalition forces will be protected from any legal action.

They will only be subject to the domestic law of their home countries. Military sources have told The Observer that the question of immunity was central to obtaining military agreement on a new United Nations resolution on Iraq to be published by the middle of next month.

The new resolution will lift the arms embargo against Iraq, allowing the country to rearm its 80,000-strong army in readiness for taking over the nation's security once coalition forces finally leave.

by 23 Wed Jun 02, 2004 18:08

The U.S. Army has issued an order preventing thousands of soldiers designated for duty in Iraq or Afghanistan from leaving the military even when their volunteer service commitment expires, officials said on Wednesday.

The move to extend the service of some soldiers involuntarily was the latest sign of increasing stress on the Army as the Pentagon strives to maintain adequate troop levels in the two conflicts.

Lt. Gen. Franklin Hagenbeck, the Army's personnel chief, denied that the move was a sign of desperation for the Army, although he did acknowledge that the Army was "stretched."

by iosaf Wed Jun 02, 2004 21:34

to expand on JD's news, according to the French the Pistol which Bush is said to be utterly delighted with, is kept in a small room just off the Oval Office, where lucky guests are brought to see it.
This is indeed the same room where former Democrat Presidents JFK and JF Clinton did other things :-) "it's the little details".
http://www.liberation.fr/page.php?Article=210814&AG

by .:. qod .:. beth .:. lamed - (i'm actually being serious on this one) Wed Jun 02, 2004 23:22

A small rock "the size of a raisin" has recently been stolen from the National Museum of Natural History in Mdina, which is our EU partner Malta's pride and joy.
This rock is held to be a fragment of the Moon, which was brought back to Earth on board the Apollo XVII after the December 1972 mission.
The museum authorities rather innocently are suggesting there may be problems selling this little rock, and that the thieves will have problems doing anything sinister or untowards with it.
http://maltamedia.com/news/2004/ln/article_1877.shtml
There is a long list of sinister and untoward things you can do with a fragment of Moon Rock.
It is possible that the Chinese did this, as attentive readers will know the Chinese had thought to put a man or woman on the moon by 2013. I reported their astronauts were jupming up and down in cream cheese in anticipation of the gravitional challenges that would face the Peoples' Repubic of China.
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=64596
However several weeks later, the cost of importing cream cheese to a non-lactile nation, and the wise and timely intervention of Bertie Patrick Ahern TD, Taoiseach, President of the EU and Knight of the Order of Constantine and St George (you've me 2 thank for that bertie) the Chinese authorities announced they wouldn't be going through with the Lunar exploration project after all.

It is very likely they have stolen the moon rock.
I suggest Mc Dowell does a balthazar Garzón and issues a warrent of arraignment for all the Chinese (approx 1.2 billion people) before they empowered by the Occult possession of Lunar Rock take over our blesséd isle.

IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION
leading to the arrest of the thief phone
(in confidence)
00 356 21221111
The people of Malta are the only other nation in Europe to outlaw abortion, but being a hybrid mix of arab and italian they don't look quite right for the Progressive Democrat Liberal US middle class suburb vision of Ireland in the XXI century.

Do them now Mikey!

by JEANMARRY Thu Jun 03, 2004 10:22 jeanmarry at free dot fr

THE SITE PEACE GRANPA JEANMARRY New video J KERRY
THE SITE PEACE WORLD GRANPA France
The site Peace Granpa Jeanmarry NEW VIDEO!! NEW VIDEO!! JOHN KERRY

by cf Thu Jun 03, 2004 15:04

Pat Rabbitte at launch of new website: www.dontcountusin.com
There were two excuses given for the launching of a pre-emptive strike against Iraq. One was to remove and destroy weapons of mass destruction. We know now that there were no weapons of mass destruction. Fourteen months on there has not been a single weapon of mass destruction found and that there is little to suggest that Saddam Hussein had the capacity to either produce or to use such weapons and certainly not on the scale suggested. The only conclusion that can be drawn is that the military intelligence that was used to justify the war and to mislead the United Nations was deliberately falsified and designed to mislead.

Te second reason we were told that the war was necessary was to bring democracy to Iraq and the entire region. There is no doubt that that many Iraqis were only too happy to see the overthrow of a brutal dictator who had inflicted such barbaric suffering on his own people. But neither is there any doubt that the majority of Iraqi people now greatly resent the occupation of their country by the United States and its allies and there is little doubt that a major contributing factor in this has been the approach and tactics of the troops and the U.S. administration - demostrated to the world in the abuse and humiliation of prisoners.
Labour campaigned against the war in Iraq. We marched with the people of Ireland last year, and unlike others we have never changed our position. In common with the rest of the world, we welcomed the end of Saddam Hussein. The people of Iraq never deserved his tyranny, just as they have not deserved the unleashing of firepower from the greatest military force the world has ever seen.
But we wonder, as the rest of the world must wonder, what price has been paid. To what extent has the United Nations been irreparably damaged? When is the next pre-emptive strike? When is the next target going to emerge? What effect will internal American political considerations have on the restoration of stability to the people of Iraq?
It is clear already, though, that the war in Iraq, supported in the most supine fashion by our Government and our Taoiseach, has been a disaster. Later this month, the principal author of that disaster, President Bush, will visit Ireland, and will be welcomed and hosted by the Taoiseach and presumably other members of the Government. We cannot remain silent during that visit. We have a democratic right to protest, and I believe we have a moral obligation, in this instance, to say that we profoundly disagree with the policies of the Bush administration - as, indeed, a growing majority of the American people do.
The message that I believe most Irish people want to send the President of the United States is "Don't Count Us In". Don't count us in as supporters for a war that has done so much damage. Don't count us in as supporters for a new world order based on might is right, democracy by force, pre-emptive strikes and propaganda replacing the collective action of the United Nations. And don't count us in as supporters for a re-election campaign bolstered by TV pictures of a misty Irish landscape and grovelling Irish ministers.
That's why we are today launching the "Don't Count Us In" campaign. It will be aimed at giving every Irish citizen who wants it an opportunity to wear, or carry, or display the message "Don't Count Us In". The message will be clear and unmistakeable, dignified and direct. Our aim will be to ensure that both our own Government and the visiting President know how highly we value our friendship with the United States, and how profoundly we disagree with the actions of its Government.
We are encouraging people to log on to www.dontcountusin.com and use the website to send a protest, sign a petition, download a badge sticker or poster. We believe we can encourage people everywhere to protest peacefully and democratically for peace, and to send a powerful message from the people of Ireland to President Bush.

by iosaf Thu Jun 03, 2004 16:08

Burlusconi's house:-
dubbed by locals "the 007 pad" in Sardinia has prompted an outcry in the Italian press yesterday. The man who remember is subject to "democratic re-election rules" applied December 1 2003 to build a house on the coast. Work begin in April 2004.
The ponit of amazement, is that he has a "tunnel entrance" and hideable helicopter pad and complete nuke defence bunker.

The man is not so certain to be prime minister for many more years is he?
or maybe we're missing something.

http://www.sardegnaoggi.it/notizie.php?notizia=3209
*************************
handbook for Spanish speaking paperless immigrants, if any are in Ireland perhaps they should consider leaving.
http://www.cgt.es/descargas/bole-92.pdf

by Barry Finnegan Thu Jun 03, 2004 17:32 john.finnegan3 at mail dot dcu dot ie

"Tinkering with reforms ... won't cut it anymore; our media system needs a radical rethink."
Canadian based anti-corporate media-activist collective, Adbusters, work for a democratic media. As one of their many creative projects they have come up with a Media Carta and declare that the right to communicate is a fundamental human right.

Below are the links to the site and to the manifesto.
http://www.mediacarta.org

Sign up at:
http://www.mediacarta.org/signmanifesto.jhtml#sendit
==========================

by Dr. Faustus Fri Jun 04, 2004 07:53

http://www.zmag.org/content/print_article.cfm?itemID=5640§ionID=11

Bush Visits Ireland
by David Nally; June 03, 2004

The Booker Prize winning author and social activist Arundhati Roy once remarked that the only thing that should be globalized is dissent. The news that President Bush will visit Ireland at the end of June has been followed by a series of initiatives by the Irish government — with implicit US approval — that if effective are meant to stifle the basic right to protest and prove Ms. Roy to be needlessly insolent. Indeed, the events underway in Ireland seem to bear out Thucydides maxim that ‘large nations do what they wish, while small nations accept what they must.

by double think double think ++good - double double think plus good bad double think thought crime plus plus thought crime +ungood double Fri Jun 04, 2004 14:38

http://libe.com/page.php?Article=212096
Jean-Luc Allouche reports that Sharon has today fired two of his 23 member cabinet ahead of the vote.

The "sans papiers" are continuing on their march from Belgium to Paris where they will arrive June 12th. They have been seriously brutalised in the last days by the French Police Force who were singled out for condemnation by Amnesty International for their infringements of Human Civil and Political rights in the last year.
updates at
http://liege.indymedia.org
and indymedia global (in english)

Forum in the "centre left" Le Monde on the 60º anniversary of D Day.
http://forums.lemonde.fr/perl/postlist.pl?Cat=&Board=socio

Virus that hit british air traffic control yesterday
http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3214,36-367271,0.html

Italy:-
radio "autistici" are doing live stream on the protests.

http://radio.autistici.org/cache/tune1.pls ?id=14652&file=list.pls&Id=0f5d362ec5de396babb83b723e4712b8

by Lawrence Reichard and Anthony Kolenic, COHA Fri Jun 04, 2004 16:25

Thirty-five years ago the Nixon administration launched a secret campaign of intense aerial bombing in Cambodia and in doing so plunged that country into the flaring quagmire in neighboring Vietnam. Today, the U.S. may again be pushing another small, neutral and peaceful nation into a comparable entanglement. Ecuador is now in the early stages of being a combatant in the seemingly intractable conflict engulfing its much larger and bellicose neighbor to the north, Colombia, says the liberal Washington-based think tank COHA (The Council on Hemispheric Affairs).

by iosaf in the grubby casablanca cricketeer's hat :-) - double think double think double think plus plus good Fri Jun 04, 2004 19:45

"U-turn."
Scottish Prime Minister has attended the memorial service led by the veterans of D Day and the Presidents of France, the USA and Russia, accompanied by various heads of state Britain, Germany and others besides.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1231591,00.html

Pope has recieved the U.S. Medal of Freedom from President Bush, for consistently defending "life and all life",
in the waiting room of the Pontiff's private library. Secretary of State Colin Powell, and White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card, also attended.
The pope was attended by the officers in the photo and several other RC "worthies".
CNN has photos of everyone and the very beautiful roof of the waiting room

This memorial day of Operation Overlord, also brings news that a second CIA chief is to retire.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1231395,00.html

There was a strong turnout for protests against Bush's presence in Rome, and despite warnings issued to the American community in that city before hand, there has not been any incident which could properly be understood as "anti-American" but rather legitimate democratic activity. Exactly what makes us "free".
Details of the mood on the ground in Rome:-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3777281.stm
http://www.corriere.it/Primo_Piano/Cronache/2004/06_Giugno/04/bush2.shtml

details of the encounter will be published later on the Vatican's newsportal, which curiously is linked to the Seattle Times.
Lots of links are curious at times, depends on pronunciation and stuff, being a brave leader is about sticking to your line. This is why we on the loony left dont have brave leaders, or any leaders @ all :-)

the colours they are fine. and were worn in many places and many more ne'er worn. Bet you they don't get alien brain signals in those helmets. Oh yeah Kasa del Muntanya leonardo- autistic- Michelangelo-autistic Rapheal - autistic. You're a great man. Mayb

by redjade Sat Jun 05, 2004 06:43

NBC interviews Niaz Kahn, a Pakistani-born British citizen who claims to have tipped off the FBI to a hijacking plot more than a year before 9/11. He says that he was sent to the U.S. after being trained to hijack planes at an al-Qaeda compound in Lahore, but got cold feet and never met his contact, eventually turning himself in -- after blowing al-Qaeda's money in Atlantic City! -- out of fear that his terrorist trainers would track him down.

link found at http://cursor.org/

story at
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5131524/

by redjade Sat Jun 05, 2004 07:06

25/5/2004- A Europe-wide survey has found that the increasing popularity of right-wing and extremist parties is due to the perceived degradation of socio-economic changes and employment conditions among European workers. The SIREN project, funded under the European Commission's 'Improving Human Research Potential and the Socio-Economic Knowledge Base' sub-section of the Fifth Framework Programme (FP5) was presented during a workshop on xenophobia and racism that took place in Brussels on 24 May.

SIREN, which conducted interviews in eight European countries, found that over the past five years, European workers have been feeling increasingly frustrated over their working conditions. They complained about a decrease in job security, mounting stress levels and incessant competition, uncertain employment and low income.

Those factors have lead to people feeling more and more receptive to xenophobia, racism, populism and right wing parties. The study also found that those who have benefited from the changing conditions, the so called 'modernisation winners', were increasingly developing 'an aggressively competitive political stance' as well. Albeit for different reasons, the survey found that these people were just as sympathetic to the message of the extreme right. The report, therefore, urges European leaders to realise the Lisbon agenda in order to 'help address the roots of far-right extremism.'

Found at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/map_mirror/message/15885

SIREN website & report
http://www.siren.at/en

by iosaf - spooky expert :-) Sat Jun 05, 2004 13:44

The Director of the CNI, (which is Spain's equivalent of the CIA) has of yesterday been transferred to the Vatican where he is the new ambassador of the Spanish kingdom to the Holy See. Jorge Dezcállar de Mazarredo is an author of a book exploring the links between xenophobia and racism, and oversaw the creation of the CNI which between 2001 and 2004 amalgamated many other former intelligence services. As "C" of the CNI, Dezcállar will most probably be remembered for the afternoon and evening of March 11 2004, when he pointedly declined to agree with Aznar's minister of the Interior in attributing the Madrid attack to ETA.

by iosaf - "very impressed @ the cleric" "very spooked by the other lot". Sat Jun 05, 2004 13:52

This is the Pontiff's first official external visit in 8 months, and his 103rd since taking the job.
It is thought he will be relaxing, and calming down in Berne, and has no special engagements planned, but will be spending time with representatives of a Swiss Liberal Youth grouping who are in favour of a ecumenical pact between protestants and catholics, which would allow equal communion rights. The Pope is known to be opposed to such ideas. But I'm sure no-one will be hassling him, he's done a great job in the last 24 hours.
http://libe.com/page.php?Article=212282
http://vaticanpost.com/

by iosaf "holy joe section"having latterly eschewed the .:.nº - I am presently okupied in a odd sort of Anarcko-Pope mood. Sat Jun 05, 2004 15:38 ag imeacht le scód.

(How the American Press see the Papal/ Swiss Guard/ Opus Dei/ Curia/ HolySee/ Spookies of Rome encounter)

http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=TCMGNP2IZG3JACRBAEOCFEY?type=topNews&storyID=5351459
keep your cookies, here's the best of C/P-

PARIS (Reuters) - President Bush said on Saturday he sensed a "spirit of unity" in the international community to help Iraq's new government and expressed confidence a U.N. Security Council resolution would be approved soon......

Bush, who met Pope John Paul on Friday at the Vatican, said he shared the pontiff's outrage over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners. Bush said he was honored to have met the pope, who urged a swift return of sovereignty to the Iraqi people.

"He and I share concerns about treating people with human dignity," Bush said. "Like his Holiness, I was repulsed by the pictures I saw about the treatment by some of our troops toward Iraqi prisoners."

Thousands of protesters opposed to the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq marched in Rome on Friday. There were skirmishes but it was not the mayhem many feared. Berlusconi called it a "flop."

Berlusconi shrugged off a question about a diplomatic snub from Paris, which did not invite him to Normandy.

"I believe it is better to have the representative of the American people here all to ourselves, than to be part of a commemoration where 17 other prime ministers are taking part," Berlusconi said, raising a grin from Bush.

by iosaf the ipsiphi a very healthy respect for Latin Greek - Hebrew and Old Old Wisdom. Sat Jun 05, 2004 15:45

Coz they never tell anyone anyway.
Whilst the Pope and Bush were exchanging views, (?) [exchange views with the Pope??? eh hello?] Other people were assembling for the 50th meeting of the Bilderberg Group which interestingly chose Italy for this years gig.
The Guardian take you through the mystery group, included in this years guests is Mrs Bill Gates.

by Paddy Shamrock Sat Jun 05, 2004 19:58

Irish society going down the tubes.
Protest website concerning the high crime rate in Ireland

by Peig Mahone Sat Jun 05, 2004 22:54

Was reading your site trying to keep an open mind when I came across this piece on the 'Riot' at Farmleigh....

"Even now, no one rightly knows what the protests were about. It would appear that they use occasions like this to "amuse" themselves. "


I was there and had a pretty good time, a 'hoot' even, but a riot?
I take it you weren't there?

by Brendan Price - Irish Seal Sanctuary Thu Jun 10, 2004 13:39 Garristown, Co. Dublin

The European election takes place in the same week as World Oceans Day (8th June 2004), and is a timely reminder to us all as we vote, to vote for our children’s future.

The United Nations pointed out some stark facts this week:

· 90% of the world’s biomass lives in the oceans, covering 70% of the earth’s surface

· 3.5 billion people (which will double in 20 years) use the sea as their primary source of food and by 2010 80% of world population will live within 100km of the coast

· 70% of world fish stocks are fished up to and beyond their sustainable limit and excessively subsidised

· The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) in the new European draft constitution, is an area of exclusive competence (Article 12), negating the Treaty of Rome Proximity Principle. This latter made Ireland a net contributor to the growth of the European Union (EU) over the last 30 years and the current CFP and Regional Advisory Council (RAC) are but a token to Ireland’s coastal communities.

· Pollution and waste continue to destroy marine resources and leave death and disease in their wake and sea levels continue to rise.

Brendan Price of the Irish Seal Sanctuary, and founder of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Sanctuary, is very concerned at the direction EU policy is heading with regard to our oceans and the effect it will have on our maritime heritage. He calls on the Irish people to bear these issues in mind when casting their vote on polling day by choosing candidates who will work to safeguard our maritime heritage, for the sake of our children’s future.

For further information, see www.irishsealsanctuary.ie or contact Brendan Price at 01-8354487.

c/o ‘An Clochán’, Tobergregan, Garristown, Co. Dublin