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international / eu Wednesday January 07, 2004 21:52 by Anthony
As reported in The Guardian, a number of of letter bombs were sent in the last week of December to prominent EU officials including Romano Prodi (President of the European Commission) and Jean-Claude Trichet (Governor of the European Central Bank). All the letters were mailed from Bologna where a previously unknown group calling itself the Informal Anarchic Federation (FAI) claimed responsibility for two small explosions near Prodi's home earlier in December. No injury was caused by any of the devices. Despite the fact that one of them went off in Mr. Prodi's hands, the only damage done was some carpet burn.
Meanwhile, editorials in European newspapers have been declaring that we are witnessing a resurgence in "anarchist terrorism" (ABC - Spain) and that it's only been a matter of luck that no-one has been injured (Mitteldeutsche Zeitung). Britain’s Independent argued that the money used for the war on Iraq would have been better spent on surveillance of potential terrorists.As Ireland took over the presidency of the EU, the head of the European Parliament, Pat Cox (PD) came out with the startling observation that the incidents were a "criminal conspiracy against democracy". Naturally, security measures have been stepped up within EU state institutions and on Monday, Italy's Interior Ministry announced the creation of a European task force to combat "anarchist insurrection". The truth is that the vast majority of anarchists and leftists both in Italy and worldwide are opposed to such acts. The Italian Anarchist Federation (FAI), co-incidentally sharing the same initials as this strange new group and having suffered state repression under similar circumstances as recently as 1997, have denounced the indiscriminate violence of such devices. This was further put into perspective by a recent statement from the Federazione dei Comunisti Anarchici (FdCA) emphasising anarchists' commitment to "horizontal, anti-authoritarian, mass organisation" struggle. Many are of the opinion that the recent events are merely the latest incident in the Italian state's "Strategy of Tension" - a clandestine campaign to discredit popular left movements from the 60s onwards which reached its climax in 1980 when officials of the Italian state conspired with the fascist group "Ordine Nuovo" to set off a bomb in a Bologna railway station killing 80 people. Similar attempts to isolate more militant groups from larger social movements were seen in the run-up to the 2001 G8 summit in Genoa. Further Indymedia links: Feature on indymedia.org - More on the Strategy of Tension
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 55 comments (last - tuesday july 12, 2005 15:23)
international / anti-war / imperialism Sunday January 04, 2004 21:31 by Imc editorial
 From the Newswire: "The old city in Nablus and Balata Refugee Camp have been under almost relentless siege since Dec.25th. There's a very compelling call to action posted on www.electronicintifada.net by a Nablus resident. With house to house searches and demolitions, a large number of people wounded and over ten killed, the use of collective punishments (a suffocating curfew, the blocking of medical relief crews and of humanitarian aid) and what amounts to weapons of mass destruction when unleashed on a captive, mainly civilian, population - tanks, a.p.c.s, apaches, high-velocity bullets, racism, impunity - the situation is desperate. Palestinian blood has been cheapened to the point that this siege is not being covered by the mainstream media. Instead the potential of dialogue (between a corrupt, incapable, complicit P.A. and the Israeli Govt. -that uses their own particularly well-planned form of state-sponsored terrorism as a negotiating tool - the brutalisation and humiliation of Palestinians until they capitulate seems to be Sharon's bottom line) is making the headlines. This is only a distraction that serves to normalise an occupation that is illegal and blatantly unjust." . . . continues Related Stories: Nablus: Media Blackout ISM 4th January Press Release Palestinian Prime Minister slams International Silence Recent Wave of Resistance to Apartheid Wall 117 Palestinians killed during media's "relative calm"
international / anti-capitalism Saturday January 03, 2004 21:34 by Ramor Ryan
 "A young Zapatista read out the end of year message in Oventic. It did not address the quite momentous achievements of the previous 10 years of Zapatista resistance but instead concentrated on the concrete gains of the past year- the consolidation of the autonomous municipalities, the creation of the 5 Caracoles and the new Juntas of Good Government. “We have been able to advance in our struggle, in our different tasks. During 2003 we made important gains…” the masked Zapatista read. “We ask that the companeros and companeras in each region and each municipality, simply, continue working….” No rhapsodic communiqués of love and rage, no poetic convocations to global revolt, none of the signature tunes of Sub Marcos, just the nuts and bolts of local resistance, of building radical communities and autonomy in action."
Zapatista Related Resources:
international / crime and justice Tuesday December 23, 2003 16:56 by Kev
It appears that Weapons of Mass Destruction ™ are only of interest to the Bush administration if they are in the hands of Arabs, Muslims or "rogue" states. Likewise the big news corporations in the US were ignoring this particular story of genuine weapons capable of mass destruction found in the hands of a white supremacist group in the Bush home state of Texas. This story was originally published on the Newswire on December 8th. Since then, the only big US newpaper to cover the story has been the New York Times.
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17 comments (last - monday january 05, 2004 04:42)
national / arts and media Sunday December 14, 2003 00:05 by Chris Donoghue
 FROM THE NEWSWIRE: At that Cabinet meeting will be An Taioseach, who was displeased with coverage of his daughter Georgina’s wedding. Beside him will be Mary Harney who has twice sued for libel. Also there will be Ministers Noel Dempsey, John O'Donoghue and Seamus Brennan, who have all sued or threatened to sue a newspaper. Not forgetting Charlie McCreevy who in 2002 took Ireland from the international vanguard of open government into the dark ages of secrecy when he butchered our freedom of information laws. A society that has been rocked by revelations of corruption took a step back into secrecy. I would offer that the Cabinet is prejudiced and may use the opportunity to get us meddling journalists."
Other newswire articles:
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6 comments (last - tuesday december 16, 2003 01:16)
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Sun 12 Jan, 23:22
Soldiers Shoot Two Palestinians, Abduct One, Near Hebron Sun Jan 12, 2025 08:07 | Ali Salam Army Shoots and Abducts a Palestinian, Special Forces Kidnap Others, in Nablus Sun Jan 12, 2025 05:28 | Ali Salam Three Palestinians Shot During Settler Attacks Near Nablus and Ramallah Sun Jan 12, 2025 03:10 | Ali Salam Human rights group: Israel must be added to UN?s sexual violence blacklist Sun Jan 12, 2025 01:14 | If Americans Knew As Gaza?s children freeze, Israel blocks delivery of coats and blankets Sun Jan 12, 2025 01:09 | If Americans Knew |
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