Nikkei ends at 20-year low on Iraq war jitters [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- LMNOP StockWatch: http://lmno4p.org/stockwatch.htm#men - from Japan Today Friday, March 7, 2003 http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=newsid=251485 Nikkei ends at 20-year low on Iraq war jitters by Mie Sakamoto TOKYO - Tokyo stocks tumbled Friday, driving the benchmark Nikkei index to a 20-year closing low on growing fears about a looming war in Iraq. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average slid 225.03 points, or 2.69%, to close at 8,144.12, its lowest finish since March 15, 1983, when the bellwether ended at 8,111.83. It was the fourth straight session of losses for the Nikkei. The index's most recent closing low since 1983 was 8,303.39 registered Nov 14 last year. The Tokyo Stock Price Index (TOPIX) of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) dropped 20.05 points, or 2.46%, to 796.17, its lowest level since its Aug 9, 1984 close of 795.44. The TOPIX's most recent closing low since 1984 was 815.74 marked Dec 18 last year. Stocks ended lower across the board as investor sentiment was dampened by speculation that a war in Iraq is imminent and concerns that it may cast a shadow over the global economy, brokers said. The Nikkei extended losses in the afternoon as investors digested a speech by U.S. President George Bush Thursday in Washington, believing the United States is almost set to start the war, brokers said. Bush said that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has not yet disarmed his country and the U.S. opposes the proposed continuation of U.N. inspections in search of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Investors unloaded shares to reduce their positions ahead of the possible outbreak of war in the Middle East, said Norihiro Fujito, a senior investment strategist at Mitsubishi Securities Co. Stocks, especially international blue chips, were also hit by slides in U.S. shares overnight, with Honda Motor, Advantest, Sony, Tokyo Electron and Fanuc leading the Nikkei's decline. Sony, the most heavily traded issue by value for the day, ended 80 yen lower at 4,250 yen. Adding to Iraq-related worries and a fall on Wall Street was a cautious outlook from Intel Corp, which also had a negative impact on technology issues, said Masatoshi Sato, senior strategist at Mizuho Investors Securities Co. Semiconductor-related issues such as Advantest and Tokyo Electron lost ground after Intel said Thursday it has narrowed its first-quarter revenue estimates on weaker-than-expected sales of flash-memory microchips. Securities were the worst performing sector on Friday after a news report that Nikko Cordial Corp unit Nikko Salomon Smith Barney Ltd. is under investigation by the Tokyo Stock Exchange and financial authorities for allegedly manipulating stock prices in setting up an exchange traded fund last year. Trading was relatively heavy, with volume on the TSE's main section down to 896.35 million shares from Thursday's 994.85 million. Declining issues overwhelmed gainers 1,378 to 101, with 39 issues finishing the day unchanged. (Kyodo News) __ http://www.japantoday.com/ = LMNOP http://lmno4p.org No War for Oil! __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more http://taxes.yahoo.com/ --- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^ This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bdn7KI.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html ==^
Unspoken Motives OF Bush's War [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- http://www.dailystar.com.lb/opinion/07_03_03_b.htm The Daily Star (Lebanon) March 7, 2003 The unspoken war motives of Bush supporters Muna Shuqair -The war against Afghanistan in October 2001 marked the real beginning of the projects execution. This region extends in an arc from Pakistan in the southeast up to Afghanistan, the southern republics of the Caspian basin, west to Turkey then down to the countries of the eastern Mediterranean and the western shore of the Red Sea. Within this arc lies the Arabian Peninsula, the biggest oil reservoir in the world, as well as the Caspian oil reserves. Until now, the United States has not been able to reap the true benefits of its status as the worlds only superpower. Since the end of the Cold War, it was expected that the US would dominate the world, either by peaceful means or through regional and local conflicts in which it would play a part. Yet the fact is that many enemies today target America. Any group of countries are now able to undermine Americas interests; any small nuclear country can challenge the US, while a whole range of public or secret organizations can deliver painful blows to the American mainland itself. Since early in the 20th century, the Middle East has been a source of many problems for colonial powers. Syria, Iraq and Egypt were hotbeds of Arab nationalism with its rabid hostility toward the old colonial powers of Britain and France - as well as the United States. The Middle East also witnessed several Arab-Israeli wars, which the Arabs always lost. Yet despite its victories, Israel failed to achieve its most cherished goal of being accepted as part of the Middle East both on the official and popular levels. When the West realized early in the 20th century that some Arab countries in the Middle East were rich in the oil it needed to keep its industries running, the region assumed a special significance. Despite the undying loyalty of Arab oil-producing countries to Washington, regional developments (such as the chronic Arab-Israeli conflict, the 1991 Gulf War, and the circumstances surrounding the Palestine question) led to the rise of Islamic fundamentalist movements that were extremely hostile to the US and its interests. This phenomenon was first seen in Egypt, but then widened to involve Gulf countries later. America came to the conclusion that Gulf oil could be threatened by the political and military ambitions of regional leaders such as Saddam Hussein. Despite the fact that the Gulf War succeeded in achieving its primary purpose (of liberating Kuwait), it failed to achieve its longer-term objective of guaranteeing the permanent free flow of oil to the West by getting rid of all possible sources of threat. That is why America now feels that it needs a geopolitical settlement through which it can reshape the region to better serve its interests. The Middle East contains 65 percent of the worlds proven oil reserves; it is a region in which ideologies hostile to the United States are born and thrive. Paradoxically, it is in those countries most friendly to America that such ideologies are the strongest and most extreme. According to Washington, some Arab states are ruled by political systems that support and nurture terrorism; others are intent on acquiring nuclear arms and other types of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Therefore, the American logic goes, the region must be changed in such a way as to eliminate all sources of threat. Israels security can be assured through the creation of a new geopolitical reality dominated by the Jewish state. Two events laid the groundwork for this grand American project: the Gulf War and the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. The war against Afghanistan in October 2001 marked the real beginning of the projects execution. This region extends in an arc from Pakistan in the southeast up to Afghanistan, the southern republics of the Caspian basin, west to Turkey then down to the countries of the eastern Mediterranean and the western shore of the Red Sea. Within this arc lies the Arabian Peninsula, the biggest oil reservoir in the world, as well as the Caspian oil reserves. Within its borders lie the major centers of Sunni Islam (Saudi Arabia), Shiite Islam (Iran), and non-Arab Islam (Pakistan). It is also the heartland of anti-colonial nationalism (Syria, Iraq) and Nasserism (Egypt). In its countries were established Islamic fundamentalist movements that are rabidly anti-American (Afghanistan, Pakistan), as well as the most important Islamic state (Iran). This arc also encloses a small country that waged a long war of liberation against a vicious occupying force (Lebanon), and a small population engaged in a daily struggle for survival against Israeli occupation (the Palestinians). That is why this region has always been a threat to American interests, as well as to other alien forces. And that is why it must be reshaped, starting
NATO Deploys In Turkey On Eve Of War [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- http://www.nato.int/docu/update/2003/03-march/e0306a.htm NATO International Online March 6, 2003 NATO support to Turkey -The deployment follows the NATO Defence Planning Committees authorisation...to assist Turkey. The batteries were transported by sea from The Netherlands to the port of Iskenderun and travelled overland to their current locations. The Netherlands Patriot units received additional enhanced missiles provided by the German Air Force. -The Commander Allied Air Forces Southern Europe, Lt.Gen. Glen W. Moorhead III, USAF, will exercise command and control over NATO air defence assets currently deployed in Turkey The Commander in Chief Allied Forces Southern Europe (CINCSOUTH) Admiral Gregory G Johnson, US Navy, has assumed control of the three Dutch batteries of Patriot ground-based, air defence missile systems, which have deployed to Diyarbakir and Batman, South Eastern Turkey. The deployment follows the NATO Defence Planning Committees authorisation to implement, as a matter of urgency, defensive measures to assist Turkey. The batteries were transported by sea from The Netherlands to the port of Iskenderun and travelled overland to their current locations. The Netherlands Patriot units received additional enhanced missiles provided by the German Air Force. The Patriot systems capability is to intercept and destroy Tactical Ballistic Missiles as well as hostile aircraft that are violating the integrity of the Turkish and Alliance airspace. The Commander Allied Air Forces Southern Europe, Lt.Gen. Glen W. Moorhead III, USAF, will exercise command and control over NATO air defence assets currently deployed in Turkey through the Commander of Combined Air Operation Center 6, LtGen. Faruk Comert, Turkish Air Force. CINCSOUTH is the Joint Force Commander for this deployment. Two NATO E3A AWACS aircraft deployed to their Forward Operating Base at Konya, Turkey last week, where they started routine peacetime surveillance flights on 26 February 2003. The Alliance presence is purely to contribute to the defence of one of its members, Turkey, in accordance with its obligations under the North Atlantic Treaty. __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more http://taxes.yahoo.com/ --- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^ This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bdn7KI.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html ==^
Anti-War Demo In Georgia, Georgia's Act Of War Toward Abkhazia [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- http://www.civil.ge/cgi-bin/newspro/fullnews.cgi?newsid1046955078,58503, Civil Georgia March 6, 2003 Anti-War Rally in Tbilisi -Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze supported the US campaign against Iraq saying that the United States is Georgias friend and partner. (Tbilisi. March 6, 2003. Civil Georgia) - Up to 50 people, Georgian civil rights activists, pop stars and actors among them, gathered today near the Parliament to express protest against the US possible war against Iraq. The organizers of the anti-war demonstration say that they fully support the statement of the Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church Ilia II, which condemned war in Iraq and called the nation to pray for peace. This is the rally against injustice, war and violence, the statement of the organizers of the anti-war demonstration reads. Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze supported the US campaign against Iraq saying that the United States is Georgias friend and partner. --- http://www.civil.ge/cgi-bin/newspro/fullnews.cgi?newsid1047029375,25201, Civil Georgia March 7, 2003 Georgia to Probe Vessels en Route to Abkhazia (Tbilisi. March 7, 2003. Civil Georgia) - Georgia will intercept and inspect ships bound for breakaway Abkhaz ports in order to prevent trafficking in weapons and drugs. The issue will be discussed at the meeting of the Georgian National Security Council in the nearest days. Georgian side controls the navigation in Abkhazia, but the control should be strengthened and improved, Eka Dondua, Spokesperson for the State Border Guard Department, told Civil Georgia on March 7. __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more http://taxes.yahoo.com/ --- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^ This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bdn7KI.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html ==^
Bulgaria: Local Residents Protest Iraq War Near US Attack Base [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- http://www.online.bg/ASP/wwwbgweb2.asp?mode=articleartdate=2003/3/7artno=55 Bulgaria Online March 7, 2003 Burgas Residents Protested against Government's Policy on Iraq Burgas residents organized a silent protest in front of the building of the Municipal Council in the seaside city. The organizers explained that they protested against the unclear policy of the Bulgarian government on the war against Iraq and the irresponsible attitude of Prime Minister Saxe-Coburg. The fence of the building was plastered with anti-war posters. The protestors imitated a box match between dolls of Saddam Hussein and George Bush. The protestors will send declaration to the parliament, president and the government, insisting clear guarantees for the security of the Burgas residents to be given in a period of one week. Many residents of Burgas have expressed fear for their safety after Bulgarian Parliament allowed the use of the air-base in the Burgas residential district of Sarafovo by the US in case of war against Iraq. Bulgaria, which holds a temporary seat in the 15-member U.N. Security Council, has so far sided with the approach of the United States and Britain on Iraq. --- http://www.online.bg/ASP/wwwbgweb2.asp?mode=articleartdate=2003/3/7artno=35 Bulgaria Online March 6, 2003 Bulgaria steps up security around facilities where US air force is stationed [Announcer] The leadership of the Burgas Regional Administration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs has decided to step up the protection of Burgas Airport and the Sarafovo military recreation facility, where the US Air Force contingent is being stationed. This measure has been adopted in connection with the statement by Iraqi Charge d'Affaires Yahia Mahdi on 5 March in Burgas that, if military actions begin against Iraq, all US facilities throughout the world will be threatened. Khristo Uzunov reports: [Uzunov] The units of the Burgas Regional Administration of the Ministry of Internal affairs will be regrouped with a view to stepping up the security and strengthening the protection of Burgas Airport and the Sarafovo military recreation facility. The number of permanent police patrols will be increased. The decision has been coordinated with the department chiefs of the police headquarters . The leaders of the regional police forces in Burgas have been informed about the decision, Gen Krasimir Petrov, director of the Regional Directorate, announced. He pointed out that talks were being conducted with the leaders of the Lukoma oil company guards, in order to step up the protection of the oil refinery with police employees. __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more http://taxes.yahoo.com/ --- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^ This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bdn7KI.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html ==^
US Orders More NATO Eastern Legions To Afghanistan [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- 1) Macedonia 2) Estonia http://www.makfax.com.mk/news1-a.asp?br=33353 MakFax (Macedonia) March 7, 2003 Macedonia: ARMs Squadron to join peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan A squadron of the Macedonian Army (ARM) will be heading to Afghanistan to take part in the multinational peacekeeping force ISAF-3. The Macedonian Army will take part with infantry squad set up within the 2nd Infantry Brigade. Macedonian peacekeepers will be deployed in Afghanistan over the next six months as a back up to German contingent of the ISAF-3. --- http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2003/03/6-SWA/swa-050303.asp Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty March 5, 2003 ESTONIA EXTENDS TERM OF MINE-CLEARANCE MISSION IN AFGHANISTAN The Estonian government on 4 March approved a three-month extension of the term of the Estonian mine-clearance team serving in Afghanistan, BNS reported. The extension, valid until 8 August, was requested by the U.S. Embassy in Tallinn, whose previous similar request in January was also granted. The first Estonian unit comprising expert humans and canines was sent to Afghanistan in August 2002 to enhance security around airfields used by U.S. armed forces. The government also approved the mission's budget of 1.45 million kroons ($100,000). SG __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more http://taxes.yahoo.com/ --- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^ This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bdn7KI.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html ==^
China: Iraq War Opposition Will Prevail [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/bm/Achina-un-iraq.Rgr0_DM7.html China: Iraq War Opposition Will Prevail TED ANTHONY, Associated Press Writer -The Chinese government, which usually needs to be prodded for comment on major international affairs, has been issuing daily reiterations of its position in recent days -- and has been more vocal since opposition in Europe to U.S. action began growing. BEIJING (AP) -- China's foreign minister, hurrying to the United Nations on Friday for a crucial Security Council meeting, said his government's position against military action in Iraq is unchanged -- and that the opposition to war is prevailing. Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan also called on Iraq not only to cooperate, but to do so more willingly. The majority of countries in the world stand for a political solution, and the opposition to war is prevailing, the official Xinhua News Agency quoted Tang as saying. It said Tang made the comments to Chinese reporters upon arrival in New York for a U.N. Security Council meeting Friday. It was Tang's third trip to New York in four weeks for Security Council meetings; last time, he spoke at length to the council, prescribing caution and saying inspections should go on. Tang also said the international community should urge Iraq for substantive cooperation in a more proactive manner. Tang also reiterated support for a statement issued this week by France, Russia and Germany to block passage of any U.N. resolution authorizing force against Baghdad. But, as in a news conference in Beijing on Thursday, Tang stopped short of saying that China itself would actively block that resolution. China is a permanent Security Council member and thus wields veto power, but Tang has refused to say whether China would use it. Tang's comments are nothing new, though they appear to reflect a heightened urgency as possible U.S. military action against Iraq nears. The Chinese government, which usually needs to be prodded for comment on major international affairs, has been issuing daily reiterations of its position in recent days -- and has been more vocal since opposition in Europe to U.S. action began growing. Tang, in his news conference on the sidelines of China's legislature Thursday, actually cited antiwar sentiment abroad as the best evidence that war wouldn't help the world. We have to continue the inspections until we get to the bottom of this, Tang said Thursday. His comments were amplified by Chinese President Jiang Zemin, who spoke on the phone Thursday night with French President Jacques Chirac. The door of peace should not be closed, Jiang told Chirac. Hours later, U.S. President George W. Bush said once again that time had run out for Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Of military action against Iraq, Bush said, We really don't need anybody's permission. __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more http://taxes.yahoo.com/ --- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^ This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bdn7KI.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html ==^
Israel seizes chunk of Gaza Strip [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- [Best indication that iraq war will start next week.] AP. 7 March 2003. Israeli Troops Seize Chunk of Gaza Strip. GAZA CITY -- Israeli troops seized a chunk of the northern Gaza Strip on Friday and set up key positions there in what an army commander said would be an open-ended stay to try to stop rocket attacks on nearby Israeli towns. About 100 tanks and other combat vehicles took control of four square miles, lined by two Palestinian towns and a refugee camp, carving out what Israeli media called a new security zone. It was the first sizable reoccupation of a Gaza residential area in 29 months of fighting. In the past, troops have staged quick incursions. This action is a little different than the actions we have carried out until now, said an army commander, Col. Yoel Strick. If we decide it is necessary, we will hold on to this area for the foreseeable future. When asked by an Israel Radio reporter if that meant the army was reoccupying part of Gaza, Strick said, Yes, indeed. Troops took up positions in a triangle formed by the towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia and the refugee camp of Jabalya in northern Gaza, said the Palestinian police chief in Gaza, Brig. Gen. Abdel Razak Majaida. Abdel Aziz Rantisi, a Hamas leader, led 3,000 supporters in a march through Jabalya on Friday and said Hamas would fight the Israeli troops. This war is going to end with the end of the occupation, he said. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ProletarianNews http://www.utopia2000.org --- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^ This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bdn7KI.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html ==^
Pentagon wants 'mini-nuke' ban lifted [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- Guardian. 7 March 2003. Pentagon wants mini-nuke ban to be lifted. WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon has asked the US Congress to lift a 10-year ban on developing small nuclear warheads, or mini-nukes, in one of the most overt steps President George Bush's administration has taken towards building a new atomic arsenal. Buried in the defence department's 2004 budget proposals, sent to congressional committees this week, was a single-line statement that marks a sharp change in US nuclear policy. It calls on the legislature to rescind the prohibition on research and development of low-yield nuclear weapons. If passed by Congress, the measure would represent an important victory for radicals in the administration, who believe the US arsenal needs to be made more usable. A Pentagon official said yesterday the research ban on smaller warheads has negatively affected US government efforts to support the national strategy to counter WMD, and undercuts efforts that could strengthen our ability to deter or respond to new or emerging threats. It's significant because this is the first time the administration -- and it comes from the department of defence -- has said it wants low-yield weapons, said Kathryn Cran dall, a nuclear weapons expert at the British American Security Information Council. She said the policy statement contradicted denials from administration officials that they had any ambitions to build new weapons. Congressional Republicans approved $15m last year for research on nuclear bunker busters, designed to penetrate reinforced underground targets before exploding. Here we have the administration in one of its more open steps so far, said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Washington-based arms control association. John Spratt, one of the ban's two authors, said: Some in the administration and in Congress seem to think that the US can move the world in one direction while Washington moves in another -- that we can continue to prevail on other countries not to develop nuclear weapons, while we develop new tactical applications for such weapons, and possibly resume nuclear testing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ProletarianNews http://www.utopia2000.org --- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^ This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bdn7KI.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html ==^
US Orders Macedonian Cannon Fodder To Iraq War [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2003/03/4-SEE/see-070303.asp Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty March 7, 2003 U.S. ASKS MACEDONIA FOR MILITARY SUPPORT The U.S. Embassy's military attache on 6 March handed a request for military support in a possible operation against Iraq to the Macedonian Defense Ministry, Utrinski vesnik reported. The daily did not provide any details about the request. Skopje has supported efforts to disarm Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's regime but refused to participate in a possible military operation. According to the daily, the Macedonian government agreed to contribute a medical corps to reconstruction efforts after any eventual conflict. Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski and President Boris Trajkovski were expected to discuss the issue on 7 March. UB __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more http://taxes.yahoo.com/ --- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^ This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bdn7KI.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html ==^
George Michael performs 'The Grave' on TOTP [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- [Can't say George Michael is the obvious candidate to pick up the baton, which almost makes me like him even more; classy choice in material - not too obvious, not too obscure.] Reuters. 7 March 2003. George Michael's Anti-War Song Raises Hackles. LONDON -- British pop star George Michael appears on the BBC's Top of the Pops program on Friday for the first time in 17 years, but the studio filming of his anti-war song did not go off without a hitch. A spokeswoman for the pop star said Michael recorded a cover of Don McLean's The Grave -- first released during the Vietnam War -- for Friday night's show. But it was Michael's four female background musicians who attracted most attention, the spokeswoman told Reuters. They all sported anti-war T-shirts with No War, Blair Out messages on them, the same as those showed by British designer Katharine Hamnett during last month's London Fashion Week. The producers asked them to take them off, which caused George to have a heated argument with the producer and the girls did wear the T-shirts in the end, the spokeswoman said. But this evening on the performance they will probably be bleached-out or blacked-out in some way. Michael chose McLean's 1971 song The Grave to express his feelings about a possible U.S.-led war on Iraq, something he has done before. Last year, he angered Americans with a single called Shoot the Dog, mocking President Bush and his War on Terror. Earlier this year, Michael allowed Brit award winner Ms Dynamite to rework his hit Faith to include an anti-war rap during her performance of the song at the Brits, the annual Oscar ceremony for the British music industry. McLean said: I am proud of George Michael for standing up for life and sanity. I am delighted that he chose a song of mine to express these feelings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ProletarianNews http://www.utopia2000.org --- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^ This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bdn7KI.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html ==^
US Military Ship Arrives At Romanian Black Sea Port For Iraq War [WWW.STOPNATO.O
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2003/03/4-SEE/see-070303.asp Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty March 6, 2003 U.S. MILITARY TRANSPORT VESSEL ARRIVES IN CONSTANTA A U.S. military ship carrying military equipment arrived on 6 March at the Black Sea port of Constanta, Mediafax reported. Meanwhile, U.S. European Forces commander General Burwell Bell, met on 6 March with General Eugen Badalan, head of the Romanian Ground Forces General Staff. Bell thanked Badalan for the offer to temporarily host U.S. troops on Romanian soil and said Romania has accepted the responsibility of fighting against terrorism, which is what any free country in the world should do, according to Mediafax. General Bell also met with Chief of Staff General Mihail Popescu to discuss the possibility of setting up mobile Romanian forces __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more http://taxes.yahoo.com/ --- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^ This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bdn7KI.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html ==^
Stars sign up for anti-war gig in London [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- from The Mirror Mar 7 2003 http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/page.cfm?objectid=12711297method=fullsiteid=50143 STARS SIGN UP FOR ANTI-WAR GIG By Kevin Lynch Paul Weller and Faithless will top the bill at a major anti-war concert, organisers revealed today. The stars will play special sets at the One Big No concert at The Shepherd's Bush Empire on Saturday March 15. Tickets for the 2,000-capacity venue go on sale 9am tomorrow for £20 and £30, with all proceeds going to the Stop The War Coalition and the CND. Lily Sobhani of organisers Bottle said: Due to the nature of this conflict, we've had to pull this concert together in an extremely short space of time. But it's going to be a unique night of collaborations and one-off appearances with some very special unannounced guests and acoustic sets. This is the only big live music event happening to make a noise about the need for a peaceful resolution to the impending war with Iraq. Other acts scheduled to appear include Ian McCulloch and Evan Dando. The concert will also feature video messages from Yoko Ono, David Gray and Badly Drawn Boy More artists are expected to be confirmed in the next few days. ___ http://www.mirror.co.uk = LMNOP http://lmno4p.org No War for Oil! __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more http://taxes.yahoo.com/ --- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^ This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bdn7KI.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html ==^
Reporters: Oakland Cops went overboard [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- from The San Francisco Examiner Fri, March 7, 2003 http://www.examiner.com/news/default.jsp?story=n.bayview.0307w Reporters: Cops went overboard BY J.K. DINEEN Of The Examiner Staff Bay View Newspaper staffers arrested during Wednesday's antiwar protest in Oakland say they were simply interviewing high school-aged protesters and helping to moderate the march when police came after them. Associate editor J.R. Valrey and managing editor/reporter Ra'shida Askey were charged with resisting arrest and assault on a police officer after a confrontation with police in Jack London Square. Askey, 22, said she was talking to students when she observed police officers on motorcycles running over kids' feet in the middle of Broadway. I was asking kids questions when I witnessed a kid get run over, she said. I saw the cops who did it and I was telling them, 'These are children, they could be your sisters or your nieces.' She said a female officer hit her in the face, put her in a chokehold and threw her to the ground. The journalists' version of the events was disputed by cops who said they accommodated the protesting high school students despite the fact that the group didn't have a permit to march. We escorted them from 14th and Broadway to Jack London Square and then they were all just standing around in the middle of the square with no plan, so we decided to disperse them onto the sidewalk, said police information officer Danielle Ashford. Ashford said the Bay View reporters -- in addition to one other woman -- were the only ones who did not obey orders to move into the sidewalk. Ashford said Askey refused to leave the street, verbally berated the officers, and then became physically combative. She hit the officer three times with her hands, said Ashford. Ashford said none of the students were arrested and they were even escorted back down Broadway after the arrests. But the two reporters say the police were out of line. It was some combat robocop stuff, Askey said. I was being strangled on the ground with a boot. My tongue actually touched the street. I was tasting concrete involuntarily. Valrey, who cops say kicked an officer, said he was coming to his colleague's aid. Me and Ra'shida, we were standing at the barricade trying to prevent the students from going to jail or getting killed, said Valrey. I look at it as an attack on black youth and an attack on black media. The Bay View Newspaper, with a circulation of 20,000, is San Francisco's largest African-American newspaper. E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] = LMNOP http://lmno4p.org No War for Oil! __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more http://taxes.yahoo.com/ --- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^ This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bdn7KI.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html ==^
Depleted uranium munitions pose untold dangers to eco system [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- Depleted uranium munitions pose untold dangers to eco system Dubai | By Jay B. Hilotin | 27/02/2003 http://www.gulfnews.com/Articles/print.asp?ArticleID=78776 Depleted uranium used as bunker or armour-piercing tips of super weapons of the 1990s poses untold danger to the environment and the human population. This was stressed by Dr Hassan Hassoon Al Delphi, a visiting Iraqi professor of environment and mathematics in the Department of General Education at Dubai University College (DUC). He was speaking at a monthly meeting organised by the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG). DU as used in armour-piercing munitions must be considered weapons of mass destruction. The radiation they cause threaten the environment and civilian population long after the war is over, he said. Dr Al Delphi, who has a PhD in environmental engineering from the UK's Bristol University, said: Depleted uranium is a deadly but invisible pollutant. Internationally, the issue of depleted uranium has gained prominence over the past few years drawing the interest of the World Health Organisation, and the establishment of bodies such as the Campaign Against Depleted Uranium in 1999. Dr Al Delphi, who worked at the B.O.C Linde Refrigeration Ltd., England, said that there are currently 15 countries using DU in their weapons system. Three of these countries are in the Middle East, though he did not name them. Normally, spent uranium from nuclear power plants is kept in safe containers and buried 200 metres underground. Using DU to produce super weapons is a trend pioneered by the U.S. in the 1950s, which involves the reprocessing of waste products of nuclear reactors for military applications. A DU-tipped bullet or rocket can produce up to 5,000 degrees Centigrade of heat on impact, enough to instantly melt any metal, and sending tiny, one-millionth of a metre in size radioactive and toxic glass-like dust particles in the air, water, ground and underground. The earth is a closed environmental system. DU is a pollutant that does not respect boundaries. Its presence is a threat to both the local environment where it has been used, and the areas surrounding it, said Dr Al Delphi, who has published 15 papers on the environment, energy, mathematical mo Contrary to the muddled press reports earlier, 13 per cent of U.S. troops known to have contracted the Gulf War syndrome after 1991 are most likely victims of exposure to DU, said Dr Al Delphi. Out of those exposed, 66 per cent are known to have children with various forms of deformities and de During the past three years, Dr Al Delphy has been directing his work to the contemporary environmental issues specifically focused on the Arabian Gulf region. He founded a charity to help Iraqi children suffering from various diseases. The lethal remnants of DU is also blamed by an expert UN team for the thousands of deformed Iraqi new-born children, said Dr Al Delphi. He has held a number of engineering and consultancy positions in various countries, including Iraq. During the meeting, Habiba Al Marashi, chairperson of the EEG, said: We are now standing at the threshold of war. When we mention war, our first thoughts go towards the direct effects of war; we see images of broken down buildings, of homes torn down, images of a great loss of human lives. However, war does not end there. The effects remain long after the bombs cease to fall, the environmental damage is irreversible. I do not mean to underestimate in any way the loss of human lives, but the loss of land, or agriculture, and of natural resources will forever affect the living. Hang According to Dr Al Delphi, a third of the rockets used in the first Gulf War were tipped with depleted uranium. Thousands of DU-tipped weapons used in the 1991 Gulf War left thousands of tonnes of radioactive metals scattered in the Iraqi desert today. The use of DU explains the gross deformities recorded by UN scientists among Iraqi and even Kuwaiti children, as well as the rise in cancer cases, he said. My sister was perfectly healthy until a rocket fell not far from her house during the Gulf War in 1991. She was not physically affected, but her cancer was first diagnosed in 1994. We spent a lot of money to help her. We have no history of cancer in the family. Two months ago, my sister died. Sh If scorched earth policy is banned in wars, then the 'dead earth' policy with the use of DU should be banned too. When it comes to this issue, silence is a sin. -- -- © Al Nisr Publishing LLC - Gulf News Online --- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^^=== This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bdn7KI.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOPICA - Start your own email discussion
News, 7.3.2003, 16:00 UTC [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK]
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --- Deutsche Welle English Service News 07.03.2003, 16:00 UTC -- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD: Fischer Remains Committed to Peaceful Solution German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer says he continues to see weapons inspections as the best way to disarm Iraq, despite President Bush latest push for a possible war. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/english/0,3367,1430_A_800699_1_A,00.html -- Security Council convenes for crucial briefing UN Security Council delegations, including 11 foreign ministers, are now listening to a briefing on Iraq by chief UN disarmament inspectors as the Bush administration seeks UN approval for war. Chief inspector Hans Blix said Iraq's disarmament was moving on and may yield results. The council is deeply split, with Russia, France, Germany, backed by China, wanting extended inspections while Britain, as a U.S. ally, seeks an amended resolution to set Iraq a deadline of up to seven days. Seven other council members appear undecided. German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said the British proposal would lead to military action and he was very sceptical about that. On Thursday night, U.S. President George W. Bush warned that the crisis was only days away from a final decision. Iraq's state newspaper Ath-Thawra urged the council to reject the latest British-U.S. draft resolution. An Iraqi oil ministry official vowed that Iraqi oil wells would not be set on fire in the event of war. Gaps cut in Kuwaiti border fence UN observers along the Kuwait-Iraq border say armed persons in civilian clothing have opened seven gaps in the 200-kilometre-long electified border fence, wide enough for tanks. The USA now has nearly 100,000 soldiers and marines based in Kuwait as part of its military build-up. Britain's army chief of staff General Mike Jackson said British forces were ready to move if an order came to invade Iraq. His troops would be fully equipped within a week, once ships arrived with supplies, he said. Speculation on bin Laden sons Conflicting reports from Pakistan suggest that two sons of the fugitive terror network leader Osama bin Laden might have been captured by U.S. soldiers inside Afghanistan. The claim was made by a provincial minister in Pakistan's southwest province of Baluchistan. But, in Washington a U.S. official said there was absolutely no information to substantiate that claim. Shares tumble further, Bundesbank alert Share markets in Asia and Europe fallen further, hit by a gloomy U.S. jobs data and mounting worries over a looming U.S.-Iraq war. Frankfurt's DAX tumbled to a seven-year low, under the 2,400 level, but later recovered slightly. Likewise, the Euro-Stoxx-50 index fell briefly to a six-year low. By late-afternoon it was down 2.2 percent at 2,035. Aside from war worries, traders said another factor was disappointment that Thursday's European Central Bank interest rate cut of a-quarter-of-a-percent was insufficient. Sounding alarm over Germany's economy, the German Bundesbank has sent a letter to Chancellor Schroeder's government and party heads in parliament, demanding urgent economic structural reforms. In its unusual move, the Bundesbank said public finances must also be consolidated. Blast in Kabul injures ISAF personnel An explosion near Kabul, thought to involve a landmine, has left injured a Dutch soldier and killed his Afghan interpreter working for the international force ISAF. According to initial reports, the incident happened in a street lined by shops and houses, about 15 kilometres from the city centre. An ISAF spokesman said the men had been on patrol. Havel's successor inaugurated The Czech Republic's new president has been inaugurated in Prague, filling a month-long vacancy. He is the former premier, Eurosceptic and free-marketeer Vaclav Klaus, who replaces his rival Vaclav Havel. Klaus becomes the second Czech head of state since communism's fall in 1989. His re-emergence since a government collapse in the late- 90s follows the failure of current Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla to muster a majority for his Social Democrat's presidential candidate. Havel stepped down last month after 13 years that included Czech accession to NATO. A referendum on EU membership is due in June. Castro elected president for five more years President Fidel Castro has been reelected to another five-year term by Cuba's National Assembly. 76-year-old Castro is the world's longest ruling leader, having been in power since leading a guerrilla
