> >from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >subject: Colombia -the Drug War. Janet Reno.Pastors for Peace >To: "IRL32-ACTION list" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >From: "Walter Lippmann" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Date: Tue, 23 May 2000 Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: [Cuba SI] Colombia and the drug war > >The following letters to the editor appear in the Los Angeles Times >May 23, 2000 responding to its editorial advocating arms and money to >support Colombia's war against the domestic revolutionary movement in >that country. > >Tuesday, May 23, 2000 | Print this story > > Violence in Colombia > >* "If the United States wants peace in Colombia," said your May 18 >editorial, "it will have to send arms and other equipment." Does the >irony of this prescription fail to register at The Times? > >Your editorial observed that the Colombian revolutionaries (FARC) are >perhaps the only self-sustaining insurgency in the world. That >is, FARC makes "more than $1 million a day from its criminal >enterprises." You can bet that at least 90% of that money is drug- >related. > >If the U.S sends guns, the affluent FARC will buy counter-guns. This >pattern has played itself out all over the world with terrible >consequences. > >Sending more arms to Colombia will not work. End the insane war on >drugs--that will work. The long-range answer to crime is >economic, not military. > >CHARLIE K. MITCHELL Venice > > * * * I strongly disagree with your editorial. Your silence about >abuses committed by the rightist para-military and extreme >governmental corruption provides an eerie reminder of Vietnam. No aid >to the Colombian government. Let Colombia sort out its problems >without meddling from Washington's unclean hands. > >WALTER LIPPMANN Los Angeles > >* * * Looking at the picture of Elvia Cortes with that bomb around >her neck (May 17) and the accompanying one of her shell-shocked son, >I wonder if the human race is God's Frankenstein, a noble experiment >that somehow got away from him. > >BARBARA SCHRATWIESER Studio City > >* * * I hope the horrifying photograph of a victim about to have her >head blown off gives pause to those who are wont to say taking drugs >is a victimless crime. There will come a day of reckoning when we >will be made to pay for the indescribable horror we have visited upon >countries like Colombia in our voracious, insatiable appetite for >drugs. > >CATHERINE COVENEY Los Osos > > ********* >seander: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Delivered-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >From: "Compa�ero" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Date: Wed, 24 May 2000 Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: [Cuba SI] Action Alert, Miami-Dade Plans for Ruling, Elian >May Move, Reno Visit... > >Wed, May 24 > >TODAY AND TOMORROW ARE KEY DAYS in the struggle in the House > of Representatives to lift food and medicine sanctions against >all nations, including Cuba. Here's a summary of where things stand: > >The Agriculture Appropriations bill is supposed to be discusssed >and voted on the House floor on Thursday afternoon 5/25. The >Rules Committee will probably meet some time today, 5/24, to discuss >the rules it will place on the Ag bill. 92 members of the House >wrote to the Rules Committee last week to urge that the Nethercutt >amendment, which would virtually lift all food and medicine >sanctions, should be protected in the bill -- that it not be cut out, >and that no individual nation should be carved out of the final bill. >Right now it appears likely that the Rules Committee will NOT support >protecting the Nethercutt sanctions language in the Ag bill. But the >full House needs to vote on Thursday about whether or not to accept >the rule proposed by the Rules Committee, BEFORE it discusses the >Ag Appropriations bill. > >So: Rep. Nethercutt (R-WA) and our friends in Congress are going >to be fighting hard in the next 36 hours 1) to get the Rules >Committee to protect the sanctions language in its meeting today; 2) >to get the House to vote against the Ag Rule tomorrow if it doesn't >include the language to lift sanctions. > >That's why HOUSE MEMBERS NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU TODAY AND >TOMORROW (5/24-5)-- from constituents, from humanitarian >organizations, and from business and commodity groups -- urging >opposition to the rule. > >Once again, we need to flood Congress with calls and faxes. Tell >them TO VOTE AGAINST THE AG APPROPRIATIONS RULE UNLESS IT INCLUDES >LANGUAGE PROTECTING THE LIFTING OF SANCTIONS ON FOOD AND MEDICINE >AGAINST ALL NATIONS. Tell them it's time to lift these archaic >sanctions, against our neighbor Cuba and every nation -- and that >they should oppose any House rule that would allow sanctions to be >stricken from the Ag bill. Let your members hear from church and >community organizations, business interests, and concerned >individuals in their districts who are concerned about this issue of >food and medicine sanctions. Remind them that the American Farm >Bureau, the US Rice Producers Association, the US Catholic Conference >are all urging members of Congress to oppose any rule that would >allow sanctions to be stricken. Add your own community's name to >that list! > >Everyone on the Hill is talking about trade with China: let's >get them talking too about the most basic humanitarian trade -- sales >of food and medicine -- to our near neighbor Cuba. > >Congressional switchboard: 202/225-3121. > >Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO) > Pastors for Peace 402 W 145th St, NYC 10031 >212.926-5757; 212.926-5842 <http://www.ifconews.org> > >============================================ >Published Wednesday, May 24, 2000, in the Miami Herald >Dade plans for Elian ruling BY GAIL EPSTEIN NIEVES > >>From police to pastors to protesters, planning for the upcoming >Elian Gonzalez appeals-court ruling is uniting disparate players >around a common goal: avoiding violent street demonstrations should >the news from Atlanta prove disappointing to the boy's Miami >supporters. Anxious to be prepared, a coalition of local police >chiefs has asked the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for 12 hours >advance notice of the ruling. The U.S. marshal in Miami, James >Tassone, said he will get a heads-up at least several hours before >the decision is made public and will notify Miami Police immediately. >``To expect more than two or three hours from a Circuit Court is >probably unrealistic,'' Tassone said. Police and others monitoring >the public pulse say they do not expect a repeat of the angry street >protests that erupted in April after federal agents removed 6-year- >old Elian from his Miami relatives' home. Still, a cross-section of >community players are putting plans in place to lessen the chance of >violence if the court decides that Elian is not entitled to an asylum >hearing and should return with his father to Cuba. > > Black, Hispanic and white non-Hispanic business leaders got together >and enlisted >commitments from Miami-area clergy to keep their churches and >synagogues open from 6 p.m. until midnight the day of the ruling. The >idea is to provide easily accessible gathering spots where people can >pray and vent. Miami Archbishop John C. Favalora, leader of the >Catholic Archdiocese; Rabbi Solomon Schiff, executive vice president >of the Rabbinical Association of Greater Miami, a Jewish group; and >the Rev. Richard Bennett, executive director of the African-American >Council of Christian Clergy, all have asked their houses of worship >to participate. Cubans are predominantly Catholic, but sponsors said >there is symbolic value in having all denominations participate in >the open house, even if fewer congregants show up. ``Quite honestly, >we felt the fact that non-Catholic denominations and synagogues would >do this would be a sign of more cohesion in our community,'' said car >dealer Ed Williamson, co-chair of the civic leadership circle called >the Non-Group, which helped develop the plan. > >Said Rabbi Schiff: >``We're showing our Cuban friends that we share in their anguish.'' >The possibility of street demonstrations still looms. Ramon Saul >Sanchez, leader of the Democracia Movement and a frequent coordinator >of protests, said an ``adverse'' ruling could result in >demonstrations at several traditional gathering spots: Eighth Street >in Little Havana, Biscayne Boulevard near the Port of Miami, >Southwest 87th Avenue and Bird Road. Sanchez said that while civil >disobedience is possible -- such as lying in the street or forming >human chains -- he is not calling for such behavior. ``Our goal right >now is to try to limit any kind of confrontation and try to heal >wounds,'' he said. ``I think the best we can do at this point is >channel our energies toward Cuba and against Fidel Castro, and not >against each other here.'' > >Sanchez also said he has asked ``both >sides'' -- police and protesters -- to be tolerant and respectful of >each other. Miami and Miami-Dade Police arrested 362 demonstrators >after the Elian raid on a variety of misdemeanor and felony charges, >including setting fires, throwing bottles and disorderly conduct. >Some Miami officers were criticized for using excessive force and >making unnecessary arrests. The state has said many of the >misdemeanor charges will be dropped, largely because of technical >problems with arrest forms created by the ensuing chaos. Miami Police >Chief Raul Martinez said his officers will ``facilitate, like we have >done in the past,'' any demonstrations that occur. > >The police are >under no special instructions to avoid arrests, he said. ``Our job is >to maintain law and order and allow people to get their message out >as long as they don't infringe on others,'' he said. ``They can wave >whatever flag they want to. When people start throwing rocks and >bottle or looting and setting cans on fire, then that's not fine.'' >In unincorporated Miami-Dade, the county has dusted off its ``Change >in Cuban Government Plan,'' which sets out the county's response to >celebrations, demonstrations and mass migration in the wake of >Castro's fall. If Elian's case sparks large demonstrations, >Miami-Dade Police would try to steer scattered protesters toward a >nearby county facility -- such as Tropical Park or the Dade County >Youth Fairgrounds & Exposition Center -- with inducements including >portable toilets, public address systems and lights. ``That would be >beneficial not only for protesters, because there are sound systems, >but also would make for less disruption to traffic and public >safety,'' said Bill Johnson, division manager in the county's Office >of Emergency Management. Hialeah and Miami authorities said they also >considered using the Orange Bowl and Hialeah Park in the same way, >but nothing is scheduled now for either site. > >================================================= >Published Wednesday, May 24, 2000, in the Miami Herald >Elian, family may leave estate >Cuban diplomats frustrated, adults isolated, sources claim > BY FRANCES ROBLES > >WASHINGTON -- Elian Gonzalez, his parents and entourage of guests >may leave the secluded Maryland estate where they've lived for a >month in order to move to a site closer to the nation's capital, >federal government sources said Tuesday. The Gonzalez family and the >adults visiting them are feeling increasingly stranded at the Wye >Plantation, a 1,100-acre compound 70 miles outside Washington -- far >enough that Cuban diplomats must register with the State Department >every time they visit. People close to Juan Miguel Gonzalez have >begun searching for other sites that could accommodate Elian, his >father, stepmother, half brother, four friends, their parents and >teacher. > > Among the agencies considering hosting them: Youth For >Understanding, an international exchange program with a housing >facility in the city's northwest district that is big enough for at >least 15 people. ``I have heard them looking around,'' the Rev. Joan >Brown Campbell, former general secretary of the National Council of >Churches, confirmed. ``The main reason: They've been there a long >time, they're isolated.'' Campbell said the adults visiting Wye have >little to do there and rarely leave the premises. ``They just hang >out,'' she said. ``They watch the kids. At least in Cuba, they know >the language, they go to the store and know where they are going. In >Cuba, of course, they work.'' Government sources speculated that one >reason behind the move would be to skirt a rule that forces Cuban >diplomats to report to the State Department every time they travel >anywhere 25 miles outside of Washington. Since Juan Miguel and >Elian's move to Wye last month, diplomats have logged dozens of trips >to Wye -- each one reported to unfriendly Republican lawmakers. > >``It's very frustrating for them,'' Campbell said. ``They have to ask __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
