[LAAMN] O.A.S. to Pick Chile Socialist, Posada and Bush

[Ed Pearl]

This New York Times piece has been removed from the Times' website
and is no longer available as of May 1st.  The content and the removal
continue the theme I sent you about Lopez Obrador and the profound
changes rapidly developing in Latin America.  The 2nd piece should be
considered part of deep background of the previous relationship.  It's
speculative, but assasinations, merciless brutality and control have been
hallmarks for longer than a century.
Ed


sent by Walter Lippmann (cubanews)

The New York Times - April 30, 2005

O.A.S. to Pick Chile Socialist U.S. Opposed as Its Leader

by Larry Rohter

RIO DE JANEIRO, Apr. 29 - In a rebuff to the Bush administration's efforts
to press Latin America to take a tougher stance on Cuba and Venezuela,
a Chilean Socialist emerged Friday as the consensus choice to become
secretary general of the Organization of American States.

The O.A.S. is scheduled to convene in Washington on Monday to formally
elect the Chilean, Interior Minister José Miguel Insulza, 62. His opponent,
Luis Ernesto Derbez, the Mexican foreign minister and Washington's
favored candidate, withdrew Friday afternoon after negotiations in Santiago,
Chile, that involved Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and several of her
South and Central American counterparts.

It is the first time in the organization's history that a candidate
initially opposed by the United States will lead the 34-member regional
group. Until it became clear that the numbers were not in its favor, the
United States sought twice to block Mr. Insulza, by first supporting a
Salvadoran and then Mr. Derbez.

The selection process was dogged by contention and deadlock for months.
It finally came to balloting on April 11, but five rounds of voting all
ended
in a 17-to-17 tie between Mr. Insulza and Mr. Derbez, split largely along
North-South lines.

American officials traveling with Ms. Rice, who was in the Chilean capital,
described her as having brokered the deal that allowed Mr. Insulza to claim
victory.

But some South American diplomats suggested Friday that the shift in the
United States position was a calculated retreat in response to warnings to
Ms. Rice in Brazil and Colombia earlier in the week that Washington was
risking a potentially embarrassing loss.

"Secretary Rice has supported a consensus, and therefore the candidate of
the United States is now me," Mr. Insulza said at a news conference with
Ms. Rice and Mr. Derbez on Friday. "For that reason, nobody should feel
defeated."

Mr. Insulza also said the organization must broaden its mission and begin
to "hold governments that are not governed democratically accountable" for
their actions. Aides to Ms. Rice said she had insisted on such language,
which is clearly aimed at President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, the most
outspoken South American critic of the Bush administration.

The O.A.S. was founded in 1948, part of the same post-World War II
American effort to construct a multilateral foreign policy that also led to
the
creation of entities like NATO.

The United States contributes about 60 percent of the organization's $76
million annual budget and has traditionally played the dominant role in the
group, whose missions include monitoring elections and mediating political
disputes in member countries.

Washington's decision to back down and support Mr. Insulza ends a
dispute that had become "a real mess, a bitter fight," said Michael Shifter,
a senior policy analyst at Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington-based
research group. "It's going to require a lot of work, a lot of diplomacy, to
repair things, but this process has not exactly endeared U.S. officials to
the joys of multilateralism in the Western Hemisphere."

The standoff began to take shape in October, when the newly chosen,
Washington-backed secretary general, former President Miguel Ángel
Rodríguez of Costa Rica, resigned two weeks after taking office to face
accusations of corruption at home.

The United States transferred its support to another Central American,
former President Francisco Flores of El Salvador, but immediately
encountered wide resistance. Much of that came because Washington's
support for Mr. Flores was widely seen as a reward for El Salvador's role as
the only country in Latin America to send troops to Iraq.

It became clear that Mr. Flores had no chance of winning, and on April 8 he
withdrew. The election was then transformed into a proxy fight over Cuba,
which was expelled from the O.A.S. after Fidel Castro took power, and its
main Latin American ally, Venezuela.

The United States has repeatedly cited Chile as an example of economic
and political stability for the rest of the continent, and a free trade
agreement between the countries went into effect last year. But even though
he is considered a moderate, Mr. Insulza is nominally a Socialist, and he
not only favored steps to bring Cuba back into the organization but also had
the support of Mr. Chávez.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsf

[LAAMN] CALL FOR NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION FOR GI RESISTERS: TUESDAY MAY 10th ~ Support Pablo Paredes in San Diego and Kevin Benderman in Georgia

[Frank]

-Original Message-
From: pablo paredes [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, May 02, 2005 10:38 AM
Subject: CALL FOR NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION FOR GI RESISTERS: MAY 10
 
Please circulate widely: 
 
Call for a National Day of Action for GI Resisters on May 10, 2005 
 
May 1, 2005 
 
We urge you to join us in a "National Day of Action for GI Resisters" on
Tuesday May 10, 2005. This is the day before the US military is planning
to bring sailor Pablo Paredes and soldier Kevin Benderman before
military court martial tribunals for their opposition to the Iraq War.
They face forfeiture of pay and benefits, and military jail time. 
 
On December 6, 2004, Navy Petty Officer Pablo Paredes refused to board
his ship as it left the San Diego Naval Station in support of the Iraq
War and occupation. At the time of his refusal, Pablo said he hoped his
protest might inspire other GI's to refuse to take part in the war. 
 
On January 5, 2005, Kevin Benderman refused to deploy for a second tour
of duty in Iraq with the Army's Third Infantry Division. At the same
time seventeen other soldiers from his unit went AWOL, two tried to kill
themselves and one had a relative shoot him in the leg to avoid
deploying. 
 
Both men applied for discharge from the US military as conscientious
objectors. The military has wrongly rejected both claims. 
 
It's time for us to escalate public pressure and action in support of
Pablo, Kevin and the thousands of other courageous men and women who
have followed their conscience to uphold international law and to take a

principled stand against the unjust, illegal war and occupation of Iraq.
It's time we had their backs. 
 
Objection and resistance by military servicepersons is a healthy and
important assertion of Democracy in a country where the decisions to
invade Iraq, to maintain an occupation, and engage in widespread human
right violations and torture were made undemocratically in violation of
international law and based on continuing lies and disinformation. 
 
Please join us by organizing a public demonstration, vigil or rally of
support on May 10. Every action, no matter how large or small is
important. 
 
Also, 
 
* Send letters of support and donations to cover legal fees to Pablo and
Kevin via their websites listed below. 
 
* Come to San Diego, California (Pablo) or Fort Stewart, Georgia (Kevin)
to show your support during their trials. 
 
* Write letters to the editor, and help educate your organization,
church, union, school, co-workers and community. 
 
Resisting illegal occupation and war is not a crime! The right to
conscientious objection is being systematically violated by the
military. Those objectors who are publicly asserting their rights are
being singled out for punishment. We demand that military personnel
retain their right to follow their conscience, publicly dissent and that
their basic democratic rights be respected. 
 
A better world is possible. 
 
 
Initial signatures 
 
* Monica Benderman - spouse of Kevin Benderman 
* Victor Paredes - brother of Pablo Paredes 
* Aimee Allison - Gulf War CO; Oakland City Council Candidate 
* Medea Benjamin - CodePink, co-founder; Global Exchange, founding
Director 
* Leslie Cagan - United for Peace and Justice, Nat'l Steering Cmte 
* Stephen Funk - former Marine and first public Iraq War resister 
* Susan Galleymore - MotherSpeak; military mother; Courage to Resist 
* Lynn Gonzalez - San Diego Military Counseling Project 
* Jack Heyman - Int'l Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 10, Exec Board
member 
* George Johnson - Veterans for Peace, Nat'l Exec Board member 
* Ragina Johnson - College Not Combat 
* Naomi Klein - activist; writer 
* Sharon Lee Kufeldt - Veterans for Peace, Nat'l Exec Board VP 
* Barbara Lubin - Middle East Children's Alliance, Director; ANSWER,
Nat'l Steering Committee member 
* Efia Nwangaza - Afrikan Am Institute for Policy Studies 
* Siri Margerin - United for Peace and Justice, Nat'l Steering Cmte;
Iraq Peace Panel Project 
* Steve Morse - GI Rights Program Coor, Central Cmte for Conscientious
Objectors 
* Jeff Paterson - Not in Our Name; former Marine and 1991 Gulf War
resister 
* David Solnit - People Powered Strategy Project; Courage to Resist 
* Vida Shahamat and Brain Barry - South Bay Mobilization Against the War

* Aryeh Shell - Courage to Resist; Popular Education and Action
CollectivE 
* Samina Faheem Sundas - American Muslim Voice 
* Fernando Suarez del Solar - father of Marine Jesus Suarez killed in
Iraq 
* Fr. Louie Vitale, O.F.M., St Boniface Church; Korea War veteran 
* Bob Wing - War Times 
* Howard Zinn - historian; author 
* Frank Dorrel - Publisher of Addicted To War, member of Veterans For
Peace 
 
 
(Organizations listed for identification purposes only) 
 
 
More info about Pablo Paredes: http://www.SwiftSmartVeterans.com
   
 
More info about Kevin Benderman: http://www.BendermanDefense.org
   
 
For May 10 

[LAAMN] ActionLA Speacial Reports: May Day International Workers Day, 2005

[SIUHIN]

 
 
May Day  International Workers Day, 2005
Special  Reports From ActionLA
URL: _http://www.ActionLA.org_ (http://www.actionla.org/) 

(Independent Media Center) Precarity is the most widespread  condition of 
labour and life in Europe today. For the fifth time, the first of  may, the 
worker's day, unenployed people, temporary workers, work on call  people, chain 
workers, part timers, university researchers, which are part of  the growing 
net 
of precarious work and which signed the _Middelsex declaration_ 
(http://www.euromayday.org/2005/middle.php) , will  recall to everybody that 
precarious work 
is actually the keystone of the  production process. Street actions, and a 
big parade will be held in many _europan towns_ (http://euromayday.org/) : 
_Helsinki_ (http://helsinki.euromayday.org/) , _JyvÃskylÃ_ 
(http://jkl.euromayday.org/) , _Barcelona_ (http://www.moviments.net/mayday/) , 
_Hamburg_ 
(http://www.nadir.org/nadir/kampagnen/euromayday-hh/) , Liege,  _Ljubjana_ 
(http://liege.euromayday.org/) , _Sevilla_ (http://www.maydaysur.cjb.net/) , 
_Milano_ 
(http://milano.euromayday.org/) , _Roma_ 
(http://italy.indymedia.org/archives/display_by_id.php?feature_id=2315) ,  
_Copenhagen_ 
(http://copenhagen.euromayday.org/)  , Leon, Paris, _Amsterdam_ 
(http://www.flexmens.org/) , _L'Aquila_ 
(http://italy.indymedia.org/features/abruzzo/#top) , Marseille,  _Wien_ 
(http://www.euromayday.at/) , _London_ (http://www.precarity.info/) , 
Stockholm, Viterbo, 
_Napoli_ (http://italy.indymedia.org/news/2005/04/779300.php)  and _Palermo_ 
(http://www.euromayday.org/palermo/) . 
The _unbeateable_ (http://www.chainworkers.org/imbattibili/)  heroes of  
uncertainty are struggling for collective rights and social cooperation, 
because  
"atypical workers" are going to be very typical. [ _euromayday.org_ 
(http://www.euromayday.org/)  | _MayDay  Netparade_ 
(http://www.molleindustria.it/netparade/)  ] 
URL: _http://www.indymedia.org_ (http://www.indymedia.org/) 

May Day 2005 New York  City
NO WAR, NO NUKES! 
End the War in Iraq: Bring Our Troops Home  Now
Fund Essential Programs at Home, Not War Abroad
Abolish All Nuclear  Weapons Worldwide
 
March and Rally Against the Iraq War & for  Nuclear Disarmament
Organized by United For Peace And Justice
URL: _http://www.unitedforpeace.org_ (http://www.unitedforpeace.org/) 
 
_May Day 2005 New York Report Back_ 
(http://www.peacenowar.net/peace/News/mayday05.htm) 
 
 
May Day Los Angeles: Reclaiming May Day  âal Estilo Mexicanoâ
 
 
(Los Angeles Independent Center) Here  in LA, the large immigrant population 
made this Southern California event the  biggest of its kind in the Nation. 
Unlike in the USA, May Day is a major event  -- even a national holiday -- in 
many countries but especially south of the US  border in Mexico, Central 
America, South America, and also in Europe. In other  parts of the world, 
thousands 
of workers celebrate the world-changing 1886  strike that brought us to the 
eight hour day and better working conditions.  Photos: / _1_ 
(http://www.la.indymedia.org/news/2005/05/125808.php)  / by M,  / _2_ 
(http://www.la.indymedia.org/news/2005/05/125821.php)  / _3_ 
(http://www.la.indymedia.org/news/2005/05/125829.php)  / by A  

San Francisco: May  Day
 
 
 (http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/04/1734390.php) (San Francisco Independent 
Media Center) MayDay 2005 will  be celebrated in many ways in the San 
Francisco Bay Area. MayDay is the original  labor day in the United States- it 
started as International Workers' Day in the  late 1800's. It has also been 
observed 
in Celtic culture as "Beltane," a holiday  in observation of the coming of 
spring. San Francisco has also recently had a  tradition of Reclaim MayDay 
events, which included labor, pagan, and artistic  celebrations of MayDay. 

A Labor May Day Rally will take  place in San Francisco on May 1st at 12pm at 
Harry Bridges Plaza, across from  the Ferry Building. The event will demand 
jobs with a living wage, help to bring  back MayDay, and remember Albert R 
Parsons, who was executed by the US  government during the fight for the eight 
hour day. _Read  more_ 
(http://www.indybay.org/calendar/event_display_detail.php?event_id=6448&day=1&month=5&year=2005)
  

A May Day March and Rally in Solidarity with Local  Labor Struggles and 
Immigrant Workers will take place on Sunday May  1st. At 3pm there will be a 
march 
from Jefferson Square Park (Gough/Turk 10  minute walk from Civic Center BART) 
to a 5pm Rally at Dolores Park. There will  also be a Town Hall meeting, with 
food, music, film screening, all starting at  CellSpace at 7pm. At the 5:00 
rally, there will be speakers from recent and  ongoing local labor and 
immigrant workers struggles, including a report-back  from the recent 
delegation, 
which went to Arizona protesting the racist,  vigilante Minuteman Project. The 
Town Hall will be about organizing against the  proposed cuts and fare hike of 
San Franciscoâs public transportati

[LAAMN] SOLDIERS' STORIES - Saturday, May 21, 6:30 PM at the Valley Cities Jewish Community Center - 13614 Burbank Blvd, Sherman Oaks

[Frank]

Contact: Elke Heitmeyer 818.906.7757
  [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
SOLDIERS' STORIES
Iraq veterans and family members will talk about what it really means
to participate in the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
 
They have the courage to speak out.  Will you listen?
 
Time: Saturday, May 21, 2005
  Doors open 6:30 pm, 
 
Place: Valley Cities Jewish Community Center
13614 Burbank Blvd., Sherman Oaks (between Fulton & Coldwater)
 
Tickets at the door, suggested donation $5.00, students $2.50 
 - no one turned away for lack of funds.
 
Organizers:  Neighbors for Peace & Justice, San Fernando Valley
 
Come hear:
* ** Tim Goodrich and other vets from Iraq Veterans Against War speak
about their personal experiences in Iraq.  Why they volunteered or
joined the reserves, what they saw and did, and why they are now opposed
to an open-ended occupation of Iraq and want to bring their fellow
soldiers home.
*** Vicky Castro, with the Gold Star Families for Peace, an organization
made up of parents who have lost their children in this war.  Ms.
Castro's son died in Iraq after his official tour had ended, while on
extended duty. 
*** Peggy Fontenot and James Johnson, from America's Veterans, will
speak about the plight of all our veterans, regardless of war or
political stance, especially in obtaining adequate health services and
government support under the Bush administration.
*** Harvey Glenn is a Vietnam War veteran.  He will speak about his war
experience and how it affected his life, and his concern for what is in
store for a new generation sent off to battle under questionable motives
and ever-changing rationales.
 
Other speakers may be added.
 
Special efforts are being made to invite High School and College
Students to this event.
The musical preprogram will feature locally known peace activist
musicians. 
 
For over two years, Neighbors for Peace & Justice has been gathering
every Friday evening at the corner of Laurel Canyon and Ventura
boulevards to speak out for Peace. 
  
 
 


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]






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