Category: Uncategorized

Written by Amanda Kistler, The Dominion

Carías’ widow marches with a poster that reads, “Israel, they took your life too quickly, but your campaign continues.” Photo: Nathalie Mercier

ZACAPA, GUATEMALA—June 22, 2009, was an historic day for the family of Israel Carías Ortiz, and for the people of Guatemala. The Sentencing Tribunal in Zacapa, Guatemala found two men guilty of the 2007 murder of Ortiz and his two sons Ledwin Anilson (age 9) and Ronald Aroldo (age 11).

The precedent-setting sentence recognizes Carías was killed because of his leadership in the struggle to reassert legal rights to community land, and mandates an investigation into the planning or ‘intellectual authorship’ of the murder: the finqueros (large land-owners) presumably responsible for contracting the assassins to protect their interests.

In Guatemala, this sentence is referred to as ‘dejar abierto,’ meaning that though there was a verdict, the judges do not consider the crime resolved. However, due to many obstacles impeding justice in Guatemala, action to persecute intellectual authors remains extremely difficult.

The ruling has implications in establishing guilt for human rights crimes of the past, especially those committed during the 36-year internal armed conflict, over 99 per cent of which, according to the Human Rights Office of the Archdiocese of Guatemala (ODHAG), remain in impunity. For the first time, a Guatemalan court established that guilt in attacks against human rights defenders goes beyond the actual perpetrators. Those responsible for orchestrating the attacks must be identified and held accountable for conceiving and financing the crime.

Carías, president of the regional peasant farmers’ association (ACUS) was shot at point-blank range while walking from his community, Los Achiotes, to the city of Zacapa with his sons in February 2007.
Backed by more than 80 families, Carías had led the campaign to recuperate community lands—legally recognized as such in 1951—from finqueros illegally usurping the territory.

In an audio-recording submitted as evidence during the trial, Carías described the campaign to residents of Los Achiotes: “We don’t want to touch lands that already have papers. We are fighting for national lands. I am only the spokesman for the needs of the community. I am not a judge; I do not decide. You have a right to the land according to the law.”

UDW

MUMBAI: Zeb and Haniya, Pakistan’s first all-women rock band, are as far removed from the rock musician stereotype as sunlight from strobes.

Haniya(right) and Zeb are from North West Frontier Province.(TOI Photo)

The Lahore-based duo, originally from the Taliban-infested North West Frontier Province, missed the opportunity to perform at an event in Chennai just after the 26/11 terror attacks. ‘‘Our visas expire in November,’’ says Haniya, who plays the acoustic guitar. ‘‘So despite being down with flu, we decided to come to India. I’ve been to Mumbai in the past but it is Zeb’s first visit.’’

The band is in India to perform and do a spot of networking. The duo, whose first album is called ‘Chup’, will also meet Louis Banks in Mumbai.

‘‘If things work out, we will come back to India, and if people like our music, we will keep coming back,’’ says Haniya.

The last time India heard a female pop singer from across the border was, perhaps, the late Nazia Hasan who rocked the nation in the 1970s with ‘Baat Ban Jaaye’. But things have changed since then, especially in the last few years. Many regulars like Atif Aslam and Shafqat Ammanat Ali have cut down on their visits to India after the terror attacks, while there has been resistance in certain quarters of the music industry to Pakistani artistes living and working in India.

Zeb and Haniya, however, are unfazed.

TOI
Submitted by Pritam Rohila

The developed countries are engaging in rough play against Africa on the issue of climate change, but there is no referee to blow the whistle. As a result, Africans are increasingly crying foul.

At the ongoing World Climate Conference roundtable discussion, our own assistant director of environment in the Vice-President’s Office, Mr Richard Muyungi, felt compelled to urge the wealthy nations to fulfill their promises on climate change.

It’s the prosperous North that is squarely to blame for the bulk of the carbon dioxide emissions, especially from its industries into the atmosphere that have destroyed the ozone layer, fuelling global warming. Africa, ravaged by poverty, deserves a clean environment, free from pollution.

But whereas the developed countries can somewhat cope with the impact of climate change due to their advanced technology, our continent cannot and, therefore, pays a heavy price. For instance, climate change leads to prolonged droughts that create hunger, while Europe is well known for its food mountains and heavy subsidies for farmers, ruining the market for African commodities.

The countries must realise that they have an obligation to other nations, which are sharing the burden of their polluting development process.

Eight years ago, Africa was promised support to enable the continent to meet its immediate and urgent adaptation needs, but this remains largely unfulfilled.

The impact of climate change in Africa and other developing countries is threatening the sustainability of ecosystems and human survival.

A rise in the sea level, scientists have warned, will have far-reaching consequences in Zanzibar and Tanzania’s 800km coastline, which, it’s feared, could be submerged in 100 years’ time.

Already, extreme weather such as the current drought in Ngorongoro and Serengeti is threatening both humans and the ecosystem.

These are some of the effects of global warming, in which the main culprits include the United States and Europe, and increasingly, the emerging economic powers led by China.

Though all of humanity must play a role in reversing the grave global threat, the developed countries must be help responsible for their actions and made to meet most of the cost of the cleanup required.

The Citizen

At the Subway, workers from India and Bangladesh make sandwiches for American soldiers looking for a taste of home.

By MARC SANTORA, New York Times

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq — It takes the masseuse, Mila from Kyrgyzstan, an hour to commute to work by bus on this sprawling American base. Her massage parlor is one of three on the base’s 6,300 acres and sits next to a Subway sandwich shop in a trailer, surrounded by blast walls, sand and rock.

At the Subway, workers from India and Bangladesh make sandwiches for American soldiers looking for a taste of home. When the sandwich makers’ shifts end, the journey home takes them past a power plant, an ice-making plant, a sewage treatment center, a hospital and dozens of other facilities one would expect to find in a small city.

And in more than six years, that is what Americans have created here: cities in the sand.

With American troops moved out of Iraq’s cities and more than 100 bases across the country continuing to close or to be turned over to Iraq, the 130,000 American troops here will increasingly fall back to these larger bases.

While some are technically called camps or bases, they are commonly referred to as forward operating bases, or F.O.B.’s. The F.O.B. is so ingrained in the language of this war that soldiers who stayed mainly on base were once derisively called Fobbits by those outside the wire. But increasingly, the encampments are the way many Americans experience the war.

To be sure, thousands of Americans are with Iraqis at small bases, where they play an advisory role, and thousands more are on the roads and highways providing the protection needed to carry out the withdrawal.

But the F.O.B. has become an iconic part of the war, both for those fighting it and for the Iraqis, who have been largely kept out of them during the war.

They are in some ways a world apart from Iraq, with working lights, proper sanitation, clean streets and strictly observed rules and codes of conduct. Some bases have populations of more than 20,000, with thousands of contractors and third-country citizens to keep them running.

NYT
(Submitted by reader)

By B. R. Gowani

“Moderate” is the preferred word of the media and ruling class in the United States; and so, the dominant country’s dominant newspaper assembled eight people: Elizabeth Rubin, a reporter, Ali Ahmad Jalali, former interior minister of Afghanistan, Fotini Christia, a political science professor, Michael Semple, an Afghanistan specialist, Carne Ross, a former British diplomat, Nile Gardiner, of the Heritage Foundation, Gareth Price, of the Chatham House, and Greg Mills, a former security adviser in Afghanistan, to express their views on how to handle the war in Afghanistan and deal with the Taliban.

Some pointed out this is a complex situation with many facets: local grievances and enmity within various factions, in addition to the Taliban insurgency and its fight against its country’s occupation. But none of them outlined the formula for a US (and NATO) exit; instead their recommendation was that the US forces should continue their occupation of Afghanistan by operating in the background and manipulating the puppets installed through the façade of democracy.

Their suggestions that US and NATO forces should work with the “moderate” Taliban who can be, to quote one of the writers, “rented” is pure fantasy.

There is no doubt that every US government firmly believes in “moderation” at home and internationally. It never happens that when the US encounters any country that refuses to take its orders, that the country is just attacked and destroyed and then the US leaves them alone to rebuild. No! That is not in the US Operating Manual. Instead, it does things in “moderation”; that is, it occupies the place, through an overt and/or covert presence, for an extended period and destroys that country gradually, little by little. This forewarns any country thinking of placing their country’s interest over the US orders of the consequences their actions could have by disobeying the US order.

A recent example-in-process is the Latin American country of Ecuador. When the US was refused permission to renew the lease of its base in Manta, Ecuador by President Rafael Correa, the US approached Columbia, “a long-time US ally and one of the biggest recipients of US military aid in the world.” The agreement gives the US a ten year access to seven military bases. This will also allow the US to station 1400 staff, including (mercenary) private contractors. In Iraq and Afghanistan, these have achieved new heights of official terrorism and strength in numbers (As of March 2009, there were 68,197 DOD contractors in Afghanistan, compared to 52,300 uniformed personnel. Contractors made up 57% of DOD’s workforce in Afghanistan.) Ecuador and sympathetic countries (like Venezuela) in the region should consider themselves threatened.

Coming back to the subject of moderation, one should note that there is no such thing as the moderate Taliban — and it would be an equally foolish task to look for moderation in US policy. The United States ruling class is full of extremists and so are the Taliban.

The moderates, lead by Afghan President Hamid Karzai (once associated with the US CIA) whom the US put in power did not just commit simple fraud in the recent Afghan election in order to hold onto his power, but his party cheated in such immoderation that Karzai’s sponsors in the US are feeling embarrassed at the blatant rigging in the elections.

The Economist has put it as follows:

“So the unhappy options for the West are to try to reset the election, or reset Mr Karzai. In even a half-perfect world the natural response to a cheated election would be to hold another one—indeed, America at first urged Mr Karzai to re-rig the ballot so that he would win less than 50% and could thus at least hold a fairer second round.”

(The reader should be reminded that The Economist is not a leftist magazine; when it comes to US imperialism and the market economy, it wholeheartedly supports both.)

In this entire election drama nobody is asking as to what the majority of the people including the Afghan women want? The Afghan people are now fed up of the US occupation and bombing, the Taliban atrocities, the tribal jirgas “eye for an eye” law, and Karzai government’s corrupt rule (his own brother is involved in the drug business) to name a few problems, besides the economic and other hardships they face that are inherent to any developing country.

However, the common Afghan citizen who is downtrodden and a victim of circumstances, as elsewhere in the world, is yet again a speech- and power-deprived pawn in his own country.

B. R. Gowani can be reached at brgowani@hotmail.com

(Submitted by reader)

Ukrainian sand artist proves that reality TV’s got talent

Kseniya Simonova, the winner of Ukraine’s Got Talent, has become a YouTube phenomenon by telling stories through sand animation. Who needs Susan Boyle?

Ukraine’s Got Talent? This much we already knew. There’s Mikhail Bulgakov, Olga Kurylenko and the Klitschko brothers. We can now add Kseniya Simonova to that list who has won the Ukrainian version of Britain’s Got Talent with sand animation. Yes, you heard right. She tells stories through sand.

Here, she recounts Germany conquering Ukraine in the second world war. She brings calm, then conflict. A couple on a bench become a woman’s face; a peaceful walkway becomes a conflagration; a weeping widow morphs into an obelisk for an unknown soldier. Simonova looks like some vengeful Old Testament deity as she destroys then recreates her scenes – with deft strokes, sprinkles and sweeps she keeps the narrative going. She moves the judges to tears as she subtitles the final scene “you are always near”.

Simonova is a real piece of work. Watching her in action calls to mind Rolf Harris (“can you tell what it is yet?”) and his passion for popularising art. Yet you wonder how she would fare in the UK’s version of the show. Piers? “Tony Hart’s dead, love – move on.” Simon? “It was all a bit cabaret, sweetheart.” Amanda? “I’m loving the dress! You go, girlfriend!” Ant and Dec would think her canny, at least.

Guardian

Sharing here an email from Shabnam Hashmi in New Delhi. Please write to Financial Times and the British High Commission in Delhi to protest the FT award to the ‘butcher of Gujarat’, and ask your friends to also do this. Thank you.

From: shabnam hashmi
Date: Sun, Aug 30, 2009 at 11:17 PM

Subject: stop the award
The Financial Times group in London has decided to confer the ‘FDI Asian Personality of the Year 2009’ on Narendra Modi.

It is well known and documented by over 30 human rights fact finding reports that he was complicit in and personally responsible for the communal carnage that occurred in Gujarat in 2002, seen as India’s worst instance of violence against minorities.

Even today over 5000 families of Internally Displaced Muslims, the victims of 2002 communal carnage live in rehabilitation colonies built by NGOs as they have not been allowed to return to the villages which bear the sign of the Hindu Rashtra.

It will be a matter of great shame if this award is given to him.
The FT Group, is part of Pearson PLC, a London headquartered media conglomerate. The current CEO is Marjorie Scardino, she serves on the board of MacArthur Foundation, which ironically gives out peace grants.

The award in question has been instituted by the FDI Magazine [glossy, 15,000 circulation], which is part of the FT Group. It is a fortnightly and focuses on the business of globalisation.

The panel which chose Modi includes the editor at FDI Mag — Courtney Fingar, [E-mail: courtney.fingar@ft.com/ Tel: +44 (0) 20 7775 6365].

I am sending a letter of protest to the British High Commissioner tomorrow. Please write to the British High Commissioner (Email: web.newdelhi@fco.gov.uk) and send copies to courtney.fingar@ft.com or write to her directly.

shabnam hashmi

Here’s the email I just sent:

Subject: Re: ‘FDI Asian Personality of the Year 2009’ for Narendra Modi.
To: Courtney Fingar
Cc: “British High Commission New Delhi”

Dear Courtney Fingar,

Please pardon this intrusion into your mailbox, which I felt necessary since you were on the panel which decided to confer the ‘FDI Asian Personality of the Year 2009’ on Narendra Modi, an award instituted by the FDI Magazine that you edit.

I would like to bring to your attention the over 30 human rights fact-finding reports that found Mr Modi complicit in and personally responsible for the communal carnage that occurred in Gujarat in 2002, India’s worst instance of violence against minorities. Even today over 5,000 families of Internally Displaced Muslims, the victims of 2002 communal carnage live in rehabilitation colonies built by NGOs as they have not been allowed to return to the villages which bear the sign of the Hindu Rashtra that Mr Modi is part of.

It will be a matter of great shame if the FDI award is given to a person who has such a huge scourge on him.

Sincerely

beena sarwar
Beena

By Tariq Malik, Managing Editor

WASHINGTON – For rookie astronauts flying aboard the International Space Station, the food is good, the rocket thrusters are loud and there’s an odd tang in the air – apparently from outer space.

“It’s a very, very different environment than I expected,” Discovery shuttle pilot Kevin Ford, a first-time spaceflyer, said from orbit late Friday.

One of things Ford wasn’t ready for is the weird smell.

“From the [spacewalks] there really is a distinct smell of space when they come back in,” Ford said from the station in a Friday night news conference. “It’s like…something I haven’t ever smelled before, but I’ll never forget it. You know how those things stick with you.”

In the past, astronauts have described the smell of space as something akin to gunpowder or ozone.

The sounds of spaceflight have also been surprising, especially when Discovery fires up its large maneuvering thrusters, Ford said.

“It definitely gives the shuttle a kick and you just feel a little twang throughout the whole orbiter when they’re firing to keep you in position,” he added.

Of the 13 astronauts aboard the International Space Station and docked shuttle, nearly half are taking their first trip to space. For some, it’s a short trip aboard the shuttle, which blasted off last week with three rookies aboard.

Other first-time spaceflyers are on the station for the long haul. Some have already been there for months, so the term “rookie” barely applies.

“The food is wonderful,” said rookie astronaut Nicole Stott, who arrived at the station Sunday on Discovery to begin a three-month stay. “Of course we have a mix from all the partners now.”

The result, she said, is a sort of orbital smorgasbord that includes food from the United States, Russia, Canada, Japan and Europe.
“I think you can find something for everyone,” Stott said.

Discovery’s seven-astronaut crew is in the middle of a 13-day mission to deliver fresh supplies and new science gear to the space station. The astronauts ferried Stott to the outpost to replace another NASA astronaut who will come home on the shuttle.

They also delivered a $5 million treadmill named after comedian Stephen Colbert.

Even some of Discovery’s grizzled veterans were surprised by the life aboard the station, which is the $100 billion product of 16 different countries.

“It’s really awesome to see all the work that’s been achieved up here since our last flight,” said Discovery commander Rick Sturckow, who is making his fourth flight to the station. “They’ve added a new solar array and some new modules. The station is something that all the international partners can be very proud of for their contributions.”

SPACE.com is providing complete coverage of Discovery’s STS-128 mission to the International Space Station with Managing Editor Tariq Malik and Staff Writer Clara Moskowitz in New York. Click here for shuttle mission updates and a link to NASA TV.

Space
(Submitted by reader)

Two Bangladeshi newspapers have apologised after publishing an article taken from a satirical US website which claimed the Moon landings were faked.

The Daily Manab Zamin said US astronaut Neil Armstrong had shocked a news conference by saying he now knew it had been an “elaborate hoax”.

Neither they nor the New Nation, which later picked up the story, realised the Onion was not a genuine news site.
Both have now apologised to their readers for not checking the story.

“We thought it was true so we printed it without checking,” associate editor Hasanuzzuman Khan told the AFP news agency.
“We didn’t know the Onion was not a real news site.”

The article said Mr Armstrong had told a news conference he had been “forced to reconsider every single detail of the monumental journey after watching a few persuasive YouTube videos and reading several blog posts” by a conspiracy theorist.

“ The truth is that Neil Armstrong never gave such an interview. It was made up ” Daily Manab Zamin

“It took only a few hastily written paragraphs published by this passionate denier of mankind’s so-called ‘greatest technological achievement’ for me to realise I had been living a lie,” the fake article “quoted” Mr Armstrong as saying.

The made-up quote went on to say that although the journey had felt real, in fact “the entire thing was filmed on a sound stage, most likely in New Mexico”.

“I suppose it really was one small step for man, one giant lie for mankind.”

Numerous hits

The story was published on the Onion’s website on Monday and on Wednesday, the Daily Manab Zamin translated it into Bengali, attributing it to the Onion News Network in Lebanon, Ohio. It then ran in New Nation on Thursday.

Daily Manab Zamin, the only tabloid newspaper in Bangladesh, published an apology to its readers on Thursday, saying the report had “drawn a lot of attention”.

“We’ve since learned that the fun site runs false and juicy reports based on a historic incident,” it said.

“The Moon landing one was such a story, which received numerous hits on the internet.

“The truth is that Neil Armstrong never gave such an interview. It was made up. We are sorry for publishing the report without checking the information.”
BBC
(Submitted by reader)