ugnet_: Fwd: Meet Canada The Global Arms Dealer
Note: forwarded message attached.Yahoo! Plus - For a better Internet experience---BeginMessage--- Meet Canada The Global Arms Dealer by Stephen James-Kerr; May 25, 2003 http://www.zmag.org/ZNET.htm "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children." Dwight D Eisenhower When Americans think of Canadians these days, it's usually as the laid back folks who sat out the war on Iraq. Our national myth is 'Canada the peacekeeper,' but it's a myth, not a fact. The facts are hard to mythologize. The Canadian government was the fourth largest contributor to the attack on Iraq after Australia, ahead of most members of Bush's 'coalition of the willing,' who offered only moral support. Canada topped Colin Powell's list of countries who didn't want their names mentioned while they helped Uncle Sam take over Iraq. While many Americans were cursing Canadian 'non-participation' three Canadian warships equipped with surface to air missiles and anti-submarine capability were escorting the US fleet that fired Tomahawk missiles at innocent Iraqis. Our government calls this mission Operation Apollo, insisting that these ships are deployed in the 'war on terrorism.' Not a shot has been fired at a Canadian ship. While some US peace activists were praising Canada's 'bold stance' ten Canadian soldiers were manning AWACS radar aircraft, directing those missiles to their targets. No reports of any terrorists killed in Iraq. While 6457 Iraqi civilians had been killed as of May 23rd according to www.iraqbodycount.net Canadian officers continued to sit in the air conditioned offices of CENTCOM in Doha Qatar, deep in the logistical details of escorting American ships, and planning for war. While Canadians slept, US troop transport planes carried the invading army silently over our heads thanks to the Canadian government's offer of over-flight privileges and refueling to the US Air Force at Gander airport. US military doctrine describes refueling as the "key" to us global airpower. This reporter's request for a full accounting of these over-flights was refused by the Canadian Department of National Defence. When US Marines left their posts in Afghanistan for the Iraqi front, 1000 Canadian soldiers spelled them off, taking up the 'war on terror' in military engagements which are kept secret from the Canadian public. Next year Canada will take over command of the Afghan occupation. While Canadians, who supported their government's decision to 'sit out the war' protested US imperialism in small towns like Cobourg Ontario and Moosejaw Saskatchewan, 30 odd Canadian soldiers were quietly serving 'on exchange' with US and UK invasion forces in Iraq. One young Canadian soldier died. The Canadian government has tried desperately to paint the blood red reality of Canadian imperialism in teal blue. In response to Bush's 48 hour deadline for Saddam Hussein and his sons to leave Baghdad or die, Canada's Foreign Minister, Bill Graham declared that "Clearly I very much welcomed his (Bush's) reference to the United Nations, and clearly the President has demonstrated a willingness to work within the international system to date." This is how Graham described Bush's threat to invade a UN member state based on forged documents, for the profit of the oil and construction companies that put Bush in office. Graham was only dipping from the Prime Ministerial whitewash bucket. "Mr. Speaker, We have always made clear that Canada will require the approval of the Security Council if we were to participate in (a) military campaign. Over the last few weeks the Security Council has been unable to agree on a new resolution authorizing military action. Canada worked very hard to find a compromise to bridge the gap in the Security Council. Unfortunately (emphasis mine) we were not successful. If military action proceeds without a new resolution of the Security Council, Canada will not participate." Such were the assurances of Graham's boss, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien to the House of Commons, on March 17. Graham reinforced the message with the press the next day. "We require a clear United Nations mandate if the use of force is to be used to resolve potential conflicts between states," said Graham with his trademark poker face. That 'requirement' is becoming harder to justify to Canada's growing arms industry, and to the politicians like Graham who are now openly beholden to it. Thus the desperate and contradictory Iraq policy of the Federal Liberal government, caught between the Canadian public, which overwhelmingly opposed the attack on Iraq, and the Canadian military industrial complex which profited from it. Canadian foreign policy publicly postures for peace while pimping for
Re: ugnet_: KATEGAYAIN LEGAL PRACTICE
I wonder: what would Mu7 do, if he were 'dropped' as president? I mean, is he trained to do anything meaningful or what is his profession, if any? --- Mulindwa Edward [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Kategaya In Legal Practice By Vision Reporter FORMER First deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs, Eriya Kategaya, has gone back to legal practice. Kategaya, who was dropped in the weekend cabinet reshuffle, revealed this yesterday at a low-key hand over ceremony to the new internal affairs minister Ruhakana Rugunda. Dropped state minister for internal affairs Sarah Namusoke Kiyingi also handed over to former minister for environment, Dr. Kezimbira Miyingo. Kategaya, without a single bodyguard, drove in a personal red Volvo to the ministry headquarters on Jinja Road, for the function. I am now in private practice. That is why I am dressed like this (in a jacket and necktie)the things I had for long abandoned, Kategaya said, provoking a bout of laughter. This morning (yesterday) I was being inaugurated to my chambers at EADB towers, fifth floor. Anytime you want to see me or in case you want legal services you, now know where to get me. Kategaya said he had no ill feelings over his removal. Since the reshuffle, I have been receiving calls as if it is tragedy. Some have been sending me emissaries and others saying sorry. For me if the boss thinks that you are not contributing, that is it, he said, causing more laughter. Ends Published on: Wednesday, 28th May, 2003 The Mulindwas Communication Group With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy Groupe de communication Mulindwas avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Calendar - Free online calendar with sync to Outlook(TM). http://calendar.yahoo.com
Re: ugnet_: KATEGAYAIN LEGAL PRACTICE
Mary, He is trained as a "Killer" or is it "Kirra"! He would most probably join kony or one of his many murderous outfits in the killings fields of Congo. Gook "You can't separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom."- Malcom X Original Message Follows From: Mary Nagadya <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: ugnet_: KATEGAYAIN LEGAL PRACTICE Date: Wed, 28 May 2003 09:45:55 -0700 (PDT) I wonder: what would Mu7 do, if he were 'dropped' as president? I mean, is he trained to do anything meaningful or what is his profession, if any? --- Mulindwa Edward <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: Kategaya In Legal Practice By Vision Reporter FORMER First deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs, Eriya Kategaya, has gone back to legal practice. Kategaya, who was dropped in the weekend cabinet reshuffle, revealed this yesterday at a low-key hand over ceremony to the new internal affairs minister Ruhakana Rugunda. Dropped state minister for internal affairs Sarah Namusoke Kiyingi also handed over to former minister for environment, Dr. Kezimbira Miyingo. Kategaya, without a single bodyguard, drove in a personal red Volvo to the ministry headquarters on Jinja Road, for the function. "I am now in private practice. That is why I am dressed like this (in a jacket and necktie)the things I had for long abandoned," Kategaya said, provoking a bout of laughter. "This morning (yesterday) I was being inaugurated to my chambers at EADB towers, fifth floor. Anytime you want to see me or in case you want legal services you, now know where to get me." Kategaya said he had no ill feelings over his removal. "Since the reshuffle, I have been receiving calls as if it is tragedy. Some have been sending me emissaries and others saying sorry. For me if the boss thinks that you are not contributing, that is it," he said, causing more laughter. & gt; Ends Published on: Wednesday, 28th May, 2003 The Mulindwas Communication Group "With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy" Groupe de communication Mulindwas "avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie" __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Calendar - Free online calendar with sync to Outlook(TM). http://calendar.yahoo.com Add photos to your e-mail with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*.
Re: ugnet_: Fwd: Meet Canada The Global Arms Dealer
The writer of the article below on Canada, is of the self-consious white supremest liberal/leftists' type that drove us out of this umbrella. The Canada that he is describing is bound to disappear. If you want a better perspective read Bro Opio-Oloya's column in the 28/5/2003 issue of New Vision. What kind of 'Scientists for Peace', for example, is he really talking of when that same bunch of white and Jewish Liberals have always kept silent about the use of depleted uranium ordinance both in the 1991 Iraq war and in Yugoslavia? Whereas the Canadian version of the Military-industrial-complex still holds sway, the demographic trend is bound to shift this focus. I ndeed as this author points out, regarding Iraq II, Prime Minister Jean Chretsein had to tread carefully to avoid a mutiny in the governing party. He should have pointed out that the mutinious Members of Parliament represent the predominantly new immigrant populations. We know that the Canadian Armed Forces connived in the murder of Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba ( i.e. they were the so-called peace-keepers there ). Settler colonist Canadians - in colusion with their Christian Churches - poisoned and wiped out the natives here. We know that power and money in upper Canada and Montreal is still in the dual of the Anglo-Saxon and Jewish cabal. But the writing is on the wall. Again, read todays Opio-Oloya. The author, Stephen James-Kerr, again talks about problems Canadian students have to face in their finanancing of education. Experiences like these have to set us thinking about how to solve simila problems for our own Ugandan students. The Kabaka's scholarship Fund seems a fantastic tool that we already at our disposal. Some may fear that money like that may be liable for abuse. That is no excuse. The challenge is to fix any loopholes that would lead to abuse. The Kabaka's scholarship Fund may be one of those brilliant institutions whose value we havent appreciated as yet. We owe it to ourselselves to give it more thought. Mitayo Potosi ~~ Meet Canada The Global Arms Dealer by Stephen James-Kerr; May 25, 2003 http://www.zmag.org/ZNET.htm Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. Dwight D Eisenhower When Americans think of Canadians these days, it's usually as the laid back folks who sat out the war on Iraq. Our national myth is 'Canada the peacekeeper,' but it's a myth, not a fact. The facts are hard to mythologize. The Canadian government was the fourth largest contributor to the attack on Iraq after Australia, ahead of most members of Bush's 'coalition of the willing,' who offered only moral support. Canada topped Colin Powell's list of countries who didn't want their names mentioned while they helped Uncle Sam take over Iraq. While many Americans were cursing Canadian 'non-participation' three Canadian warships equipped with surface to air missiles and anti-submarine capability were escorting the US fleet that fired Tomahawk missiles at innocent Iraqis. Our government calls this mission Operation Apollo, insisting that these ships are deployed in the 'war on terrorism.' Not a shot has been fired at a Canadian ship. While some US peace activists were praising Canada's 'bold stance' ten Canadian soldiers were manning AWACS radar aircraft, directing those missiles to their targets. No reports of any terrorists killed in Iraq. While 6457 Iraqi civilians had been killed as of May 23rd according to www.iraqbodycount.net Canadian officers continued to sit in the air conditioned offices of CENTCOM in Doha Qatar, deep in the logistical details of escorting American ships, and planning for war. While Canadians slept, US troop transport planes carried the invading army silently over our heads thanks to the Canadian government's offer of over-flight privileges and refueling to the US Air Force at Gander airport. US military doctrine describes refueling as the key to us global airpower. This reporter's request for a full accounting of these over-flights was refused by the Canadian Department of National Defence. When US Marines left their posts in Afghanistan for the Iraqi front, 1000 Canadian soldiers spelled them off, taking up the 'war on terror' in military engagements which are kept secret from the Canadian public. Next year Canada will take over command of the Afghan occupation. While Canadians, who supported their government's decision to 'sit out the war' protested US imperialism in small towns like Cobourg Ontario and Moosejaw Saskatchewan, 30 odd Canadian soldiers were quietly serving 'on exchange' with US and UK invasion
ugnet_: DEMOCRACY THE RWANDA STYLE
The new constitution serves to strengthen President Paul Kagame´s positionThe people of Rwanda have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a new constitution, paving the way for elections later this year and providing measures to prevent a repeat of the 1994 genocide, which killed an estimated 800 Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Analysts, however, question whether the new constitution will foster reconciliation and democracy. It was the first time since the 1994 genocide that Rwandans went to the polls. More than 90 percent of voters plumped in favour of a new constitution in Tuesday's referendum. But what exactly did they say "yes" to? The ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) of President Paul Kagama says the new basic law will strenghthen democracy in a country beset by ethnic animosity. It stresses that any future government will be made up of more than one party. Equal rights?But Francois Grignon of the International Crisis Group says he doubts whether there'll be a level playing field for all political parties in Rwanda. "Multiparty elections are going to take place indeed and political parties are going to be recognised but they are going to be allowed activities in a framework which is so tight, so controlled by the RPF that there is no fair ground between the parties. For instance the political parties are going to be allowed to be registered but will only be able to meet on national and district level." No local campaigningSeen as a source of ethnic hatred and animosity, political campaigning is no longer be permitted on a local level, says the RPF. But critics allege that the ruling party has ignored the rule itself. Moreover they argue that, by permitting an executive president to serve two seven-year terms, the new constitution has only served to strengthen President Kagame's hold on power. The International Crisis Group says there's no evidence to suggest an end to political repression in Rwanda. In recent years, prominent opposition leaders, including former Hutu prime minister Pasteur Bizumungu, have landed behind bars. Democracy firstThe government is also preparing to slap a ban on the country's main Hutu-dominated opposition party. There will be no reconciliation in Rwanda as long as there's no genuine democracy, says Mr Grignon. "I don't think this constitution is going to improve reconciliation inside Rwanda. You have got a situation now where political party activities are limited. There is some bitterness, both with Hutu's and Tutsi's, about the fact that the power is concentrated in the hands of the RPF and that there is no possibility to challenge that power in the name of national unity and reconciliation." With the new constitution adopted, Rwandan voters will go to the polls this summer to elect a new parliament and president. These elections will show whether Rwanda has truly taken the path of democracy and reconciliation.
ugnet_: Fw: [rwanda-l] Re: Rwandans showed maturity. Thank you the people.
From: hgahima To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2003 3:16 PM Subject: [rwanda-l] Re: Rwandans showed maturity. Thank you the people. Mr TK,You said : "RPF lead by President Kagame will prevail. This will happen not because of force as some of you seem to suggest but because of the vision RPF has for the country".I beg to disagree with you. FPR and president Kagame will prevail because of intimidation imposed on the opposition.The Constitution that people were forced to vote was presented by the pro-FPF people and it never been challenged.I don't think this constitution is going to improve reconciliation inside Rwanda. You have got a situation now where political party activities are limited. There is some bitterness,about the fact that the power is concentrated in the hands of the RPF and that there is no possibility to challenge that power in the name of national unity and reconciliation. There is no apparent diversity in ideas. RPF is acting like a "lion" in the jungle. Any body with opposing idea is viewed as "divisionist" and un the name of National Unity, that person or group of people, are to be punished.Another astonishing and striking announcement:Previously, presidential and parliamental elections were scheduled for November( acording to the national electoral commission (REC) . This meant that others political parties would have just five months to organise themselves, raise funds, and campaign for the election.Now president Kagame has declared that the elections will be held ealier that planned-August for the president and November for the parliament.Where is fairness in all this? Not only others polical parties will not have enough time to organize, but they will face an RPF and its candidates who are more prepared and did not stop political activities all along since the political activities were banned back in 1994.It this what you call "an RPF vision for the country"? What is the RPF vision?HG===--- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "thomas kabuye" [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Some Rwandans have real problems that require urgent attention. Voting went very smoothly and for anybody to suggest that people were forced or tricked into voting in favour of the constitution is grossly misleading people. Rwandans showed maturity and determination to solve thier problems. It makes some of us very proud that our people have made this much progress. And thanks to our leader who has helped to bring this level of positive transformation in all walks of our society. I would encourage nevative forces to swallow your pride and face the reality- RPF lead by President Kagame will prevail. This will happen not because of force as some of you seem to suggest but because of the vision RPF has for the country. I invite the professionals among you to come and give your contribution. But to think, if you are in opposition, that you can reverse what is currently going on better think again. I noted that the majority of Rwandans in exile who voted have also shown their support. Thank you the people for that strong show of support. I hope Nikozitambirwa will not call them ignorant or a case of forced voting. TK From: "Nikozitambirwa" [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] CC: "AKAGERA" [EMAIL PROTECTED],"Rwanda-l" [EMAIL PROTECTED],"Rwanda_revolution" [EMAIL PROTECTED],"great-lakes" [EMAIL PROTECTED],"UMUSOTO" [EMAIL PROTECTED],"IHURIRO" [EMAIL PROTECTED],"Democracy Human Rights" [EMAIL PROTECTED],[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [rwanda-l] Uko ITORA ryagenze Date: Wed, 28 May 2003 10:17:47 +0200 Uko ITORA RYAGENZE (1) Amatora ubu ararangiye. Mu cyaro ho abatazi gusoma no kwandika bagiye berekwa n'abayobora amatora aho batera igikumwe kuri yego, dore ko ba LDF n'imbunda ndetse hamwe na hamwe n'abapolisi babaga bahari babahagarikiye, bitwaje ngo bahagarikiye amatora. Ibyavuyemo biramenyekana mu kanya. Ijoro ryose abakozi ba Komisiyo baraye bakora ibarura nijoro, umuntu akibaza impamvu batabikoze ku manywa ngo n'abaturage bikurikirire uko ibarura rikorwa. _ (1) Subj: Uko ITORA RYAGENZE Date: 5/27/2003 4:38:37 AM Central Daylight Time From: To: Sent from the Internet (Details) Abatabizi bicwa no kutabimenya. Nikozitambirwa "L'homme, à mon avis, se perfectionne par la confiance. Par la confiance seulement. Jamais le contraire." (Mustafaj) _ STOP MORE SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ADVERTISEMENT To Post a message, send it to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]To
Re: ugnet_: KATEGAYA IN LEGAL PRACTICE
Mwaami Ssemakuula Museveni studied Political science and I think economics, that is where he got his degree from. But there is no record of Museveni working in any office as per profession. And yes many suggestions have been thrown into the bowl of what he can do if he leaves office, and all I can say for now is that any body who lives public office does what he likes the most, in most cases some of them do even what is not their profession, but as long as they enjoy it. The man enjoys Cattle herding and to kill. Take your pick. Em The Mulindwas Communication Group"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy" Groupe de communication Mulindwas "avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie" - Original Message - From: J Ssemakula To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2003 4:30 PM Subject: Re: ugnet_: KATEGAYAIN LEGAL PRACTICE If I may jump into the fray briefly ... my recollection is that the gentleman in question has some sort of degree, possibly from Dar, thoughI do not recall in what subject. Surely that ought count for something. What was his job or occupation before going to join his father, Obote, in Dar? Binaisa of QC fame was able find gainful employment in NY. I have no idea what Obote did for a living while in Dar after Obnote I. I've heard that he's retired these days. Original Message Follows From: "Daudi Kiribedda" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: ugnet_: KATEGAYAIN LEGAL PRACTICE Date: Wed, 28 May 2003 18:18:32 + Mary, Museveni's first love is cattle herding. His expertise is in cattle rustling as was were demonstrated in Teso. Lately M-7 is the single largest land owner in Uganda and the richest ugandan. He doesn't need to work anymore, he has other do it for him. But like everything in life, even good times come to an end, and so would museveni's. Like some people say, Kiribedda. From: Mary Nagadya <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: ugnet_: KATEGAYAIN LEGAL PRACTICE Date: Wed, 28 May 2003 09:45:55 -0700 (PDT) I wonder: what would Mu7 do, if he were 'dropped' as president? I mean, is he trained to do anything meaningful or what is his profession, if any? --- Mulindwa Edward <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: Kategaya In Legal Practice By Vision Reporter FORMER First deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs, Eriya Kategaya, has gone back to legal practice. Kategaya, who was dropped in the weekend cabinet reshuffle, revealed this yesterday at a low-key hand over ceremony to the new internal affairs minister Ruhakana Rugunda. Dropped state minister for internal affairs Sarah Namusoke Kiyingi also handed over to former minister for environment, Dr. Kezimbira Miyingo. Kategaya, without a single bodyguard, drove in a personal red Volvo to the ministry headquarters on Jinja Road, for the function. "I am now in private practice. That is why I am dressed like this (in a jacket and necktie)the things I had for long abandoned," Kategaya said, provoking a bout of laughter. "This morning (yesterday) I was being inaugurated to my chambers at EADB towers, fifth floor. Anytime you want to see me or in case you want legal services you, now know where to get me." Kategaya said he had no ill feelings over his removal. "Since the reshuffle, I have been receiving calls as if it is tragedy. Some have been sending me emissaries and others saying sorry. For me if the boss thinks that you are not contributing, that is it," he said, causing more laughter. Ends Published on: Wednesday, 28th May, 2003 The Mulindwas Communication Group "With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy" Groupe de communication Mulindwas "avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie" __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Calendar - Free online calendar with sync to Outlook(TM). http://calendar.yahoo.com _ Add photos to your messages with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail MSN 8 helps ELIMINATE E-MAIL VIRUSES. Get 2 months FREE*.
ugnet_: Fwd: NYTimes.com Article: Hummers Here, Hummers There
Hummers Here, Hummers There May 25, 2003 By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN We never talk straight to Saudi Arabia because we are addicted to its oil. Addicts never tell the truth to their pushers. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/25/opinion/25FRIE.html?ex=1055060908ei=1en=2175a0d3bd2ed3c4 MSN 8 helps ELIMINATE E-MAIL VIRUSES. Get 2 months FREE*.
ugnet_: Fwd: Alchemy with light shocks physicists
Alchemy with light shocks physicists http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns3750 Protect your PC - Click here for McAfee.com VirusScan Online
ugnet_: Fwd: Strong mums more likely to bear sons
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ugnet_: NO UNITED NATION NO FRENCH RWANDA INSISTS
Rwanda rejects French peacekeeping plan By Mark Turner at the United Nations and Judy Dempsey in Brussels Published: May 28 2003 5:00 | Last Updated: May 28 2003 5:00 Rwanda yesterday voiced its opposition to France leading a peacekeeping force in the north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, saying it had no moral authority to intervene. Paris is expected to present a resolution, possibly as soon as this week, asking United Nations authority for a robust intervention force of willing countries to prevent further ethnic bloodshed in Ituri, where militias are battling each other for control. But Augustin Muvinyi, of Rwanda's permanent mission to the UN, said: "We don't believe France is appropriate." He accused Paris of aiding the regime during Rwanda's 1994 state-sponsored genocide and of a possible "hidden agenda". "France never prevented the genocide," he said. "What are they going to do now? Our fear is France might go there and re-organise genocidal forces. It might do a deal with Uganda." France has said it wants the explicit agreement of countries involved in the region before leading an emergency force to Ituri, but a French diplomat said yesterday that Paris had still received no answer from Rwanda. Rwanda has been accused of using its invasion of the Congo to loot the country's resources. Mr Muvinyi also reiterated Kigali's deep distrust of the United Nations' capacity to meet Rwanda's security concerns. Continued fighting in north-eastern Congo has prompted criticism of the effectiveness of the UN force in the country. Yoweri Museveni, the Ugandan president, yesterday told Jean-Marie Guehenno, the UN undersecretary-general for peacekeeping, that the body needed to station a large and well-equipped military force to keep order in Ituri province. Uganda recently withdrew from north-eastern Congo, leaving a power vacuum that analysts say has fostered inter-ethnic rivalries. The Ugandan and Rwandan comments came as the European Union instructed its military staff to look at the implic-ations of joining a French-led multinational force for the Congo. Any EU peacekeeping mission to the Congo would prove a test for Europe to assemble a highly trained force and military capabilities to back it up. The EU has no strategic airlift that could transport troops, humanitarian aid and equipment. Last week Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy chief, suggested Europe should consider sending a force to Congo under the EU flag but under a mandate of the United Nations. See Editorial Comment The Mulindwas Communication Group"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy" Groupe de communication Mulindwas "avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie"
ugnet_: U.S. has gained little if Bush lied about reason for war
Who can forget General Colin Powell's Brilliant performance at the UN Security council...KUmbe( Abiet) .. they were lying to us !! Matek Posted on Sun, May. 25, 2003 The Point | U.S. has gained little if Bush lied about reason for war By Mark Bowden For The Inquirer It has been two months since the United States and Britain went to war against Saddam Hussein, and coalition forces have yet to discover convincing evidence of the weapons programs that President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair said were its primary cause. Some of those who supported the war beforehand did so solely on the basis of ending tyranny. The mass graves found throughout Iraq, and widespread stories of torture and atrocity, come as no surprise to those who had studied or endured the Baathist dictator's regime. Those who opposed the war for any reason ought to be doing some soul-searching about the kind of horrors they were prepared to leave in place. But it is true that Hussein represented only one of many thuggish regimes, and that the United States is not about to go to war against them all. I supported this war because I believed Bush and Blair when they said Iraq was manufacturing and stockpiling weapons of mass destruction. Such weapons in the hands of al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations that shared Hussein's hostile designs made such a threat a defense priority - or so the argument went. Early this month, the U.S. military announced that it had found three mobile laboratories that were most likely designed to manufacture chemical or biological weapons, the types of labs that Secretary of State Colin L. Powell referred to in making his argument for war before the U.N. Security Council. The discoveries were suggestive but hardly convincing evidence of the specific, tangible threat repeatedly outlined by the President. With the authors of Iraq's illicit-weapons program now in custody, we should expect to see soon, or to have seen already, the facilities and stockpiles we and most of the rest of the world believed Hussein possessed. They may yet be found, but it is beginning to look as though the skeptics in this case were right. If so, I was taken in by this administration, and America and Great Britain were led to war under false pretenses. Events have moved so swiftly, and Hussein's toppling has posed so many new pressing problems, that it would be easy to lose sight of this issue, but it is critically important. I can imagine no greater breach of public trust than to mislead a country into war. A strong case might have been made to go after Hussein just because he posed a potential threat to us and the region, because of his support for suicide bombers, and because of his ruthless oppression of his own people. But this is not the case our President chose to make. Truth in public life has always been a slippery commodity. We expect campaigning politicians or debating journalists to pitch and spin. Facts are marshaled to support arguments and causes; convenient ones are trumpeted and inconvenient ones played down or ignored. This is the political game. But when the President of the United States addresses the nation and the world, I expect the spinning to stop. He represents not just a party or a cause, but the American people. When President Bush argued that Hussein possessed stockpiles of illicit and deadly poisons, he was presumably doing so on the basis of intelligence briefings and evidence that the public could not see. He was asking us to trust him, to trust his office, to trust that he was acting legitimately in our self-defense. That's something very different from engaging in a bold policy of attempting to remake the Middle East, or undertaking a humanitarian mission to end oppression. Neither of these two justifications would have been likely to garner widespread public support. But national defense? That's an argument the President can always win. I trusted Bush, and unless something big develops on the weapons front in Iraq soon, it appears as though I was fooled by him. Perhaps he himself was taken in by his intelligence and military advisers. If so, he ought to be angry as hell, because ultimately he bears the responsibility. It suggests a strain of zealotry in this White House that regards the question of war as just another political debate. It isn't. More than 100 fine Americans were killed in this conflict, dozens of British soldiers, and many thousands of Iraqis. Nobody gets killed or maimed in Capitol Hill maneuvers over spending plans, or battles over federal court appointments. War is a special case. It is the most serious step a nation can take, and it deserves the highest measure of seriousness and integrity. When a president lies or exaggerates in making an argument for war, when he spins the facts to sell his case, he betrays his public trust, and he diminishes the credibility of his office and our country. We are at war. What we lost in this may yet end up being
ugnet_: Those Who Don't Count
Those Who Don't Count Mark Engler, a writer based in Brooklyn, has previously worked with the Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress in San José, Costa Rica, as well as the Public Intellectuals Program at Florida Atlantic University. Since the invasion of Iraq has ended, a tone of vindication and bravado has seeped into the national mood. Television newscasters and the Department of Defense agree: America is delighted. Soldiers are giving high-fives. Those of us who opposed the president and his generals should be ashamed in the face of a brilliantly successful war. There is one question, above others, that this prevailing self-satisfaction works to silence. Amidst the atmosphere of recrimination, few will risk asking, "What was the cost?" On televisions overseas, the Marine blitz and Air Force bombs extracted a human price. While Donald Rumsfeld's talking head became the singular icon of war in the United States, the rest of the world held up photos of Ali Ismaeel Abbas, the 12-year-old boy who lost his parents and eight other relatives, along with both of his arms, in the bombing of Baghdad. No doubt some have exploited such images for propagandistic purposes. No doubt the pursuit of carnage at times became tasteless sensationalism. But what was the impact for Americans of seeing so few, if any, of those who died? There are estimates available of the number of civilians killed in the war. A group of 19 volunteers in England, the creators of a Web site called "IraqBodyCount.net," estimate that there were a "minimum" of 2,050 deaths. This total reflects the lowest numbers provided in news reports of deadly incidents. A more complete tally would have to add the hundreds, maybe thousands, whose deaths were never reported by any source -- those buried quietly in the rubble, or those who were wounded and later died in one of Iraq's overflowing, and ultimately looted, hospitals. No country, "coalition" or otherwise, has undertaken this reckoning. "A Swiss government initiative launched in the middle of the war," says John Sloboda of IraqBodyCount, "was abandoned under political pressure." The dilemma this presents is an old one, and a dangerous one, too: What is the weight of a life? How many before it matters? Few can offer good answers. Those who look only at the bloodiest moments of war discount other lives. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi citizens died as a result of the decade-long sanctions, for which Saddam Hussein bears much culpability, but which the United States had the power to lift all along. Many more would have died if sanctions were prolonged. And we have no way to know how many will be killed in future invasions inspired by Iraq's conquest, or in resultant acts of retribution. Washington, of course, kept careful track of the 166 U.S. and British troops killed in action. It shunned, however, the idea of a civilian body count. Many journalists, particularly on television, took this official position as their marching orders. Even in the most responsible of our newspapers, one idea became a mantra: "a precise number [of civilians who were killed] is not and probably never will be available," said The New York Times. "The final toll may never be determined," said The Washington Post. Again and again, reporters noted the difficulty of making an exact tally. It was, on face, a statement of humility, an honest acknowledgement of the chaos inherent in military conflict. Yet, at some point, this tendency -- this refusal to count, or to even try -- grew into something else. It became a form of political denial. The rare dispatches that scratched through the surface of the government's stance on civilian deaths revealed a human side of war -- in which young soldiers feared for their lives and relied on quick, difficult decisions -- but also, at the same time, a startling desensitization to human life. In one oft-cited report by The New York Times, a Sergeant Schrumpf recalled an incident in which Marines fired on an Iraqi soldier standing among several civilians. One woman was killed. "I'm sorry," the sergeant said, "but the chick was in the way." Another Times reporter wrote of a situation in which Marines attacked a caravan of vehicles approaching them from the distance, not knowing if these might be filled with enemies or, as it actually turned out, with innocents: One by one, civilians were killed. Several hundred yards from the forward Marine positions, a blue minivan was fired on; three people were killed. An old man, walking with a cane on the side of the road, was shot and killed. It is unclear what he was doing there; perhaps he was confused and scared and just trying to get away from the city. Several other vehicles were fired on When the firing stopped, there were nearly a dozen corpses, all but two of which had no apparent military clothing or weapons. Two journalists who were ahead of me, farther up the road, said that a company commander
ugnet_: Wars On Earth
Wars On Earth Mark Engler, a writer based in Brooklyn, has previously worked with the Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress in San José, Costa Rica, as well as the Public Intellectuals Program at Florida Atlantic University. With Kyoto in shambles and environmental laws under assault, Earth Day 2003 hardly possesses the feel-good air that hovered over the celebrations of the 1990s. More than ever, honoring the natural world impels us to resist those in power. With festivities taking place in the shadow of war, this Earth Day must also be a call for peace. The environment has long been a silent casualty of war, suffering before, during, and after actual combat takes place. And, from assaults on ecosystems in the Persian Gulf to regulatory exemptions for U.S. military activities here at home, the current war provides fresh lessons about how militarism goes hand in hand with ecological destruction. Historically, the environmental impacts of military actions have drawn little attention. Self-proclaimed pragmatists like to shrug off the complaints of tree huggers as irrelevant next to grave matters of state. But while their reasoning may carry some weight in a case of obvious genocide, it is dishonest not to weigh often crushing environmental damage in the same balance with international interests and the human toll of war. Even as the shooting in Baghdad dies down, past and future wars continue to claim victims on the environmental front worldwide. For example, the military industry's development and testing of weaponry produces an endless stream of hazardous waste. Such activity has contaminated over 11,000 "hot spots" on 1,855 military facilities in the United States, according to the Defense Department's own documents. New data on the poisonous herbicides used to kill off Vietnam's jungles and crops paint a grim portrait of how war devastates ecosystems and poses persistent threats to human health. Just this month, a story broke indicating that Agent Orange was applied far more recklessly than originally estimated -- meaning citizens and soldiers alike suffered far graver exposures to dioxin. Even after active conflicts end, military waste wages a lingering cold war on the natural world. A 1993 State Department report identifies landmines and other unexploded ordnance as "the most toxic and widespread pollution facing mankind." Operation Desert Storm perpetuated this sad history. The Gulf War of 1991 resulted in some 65 million barrels of spilled oil, which killed tens of thousands of marine birds in the Persian Gulf and seeped through the desert into sensitive water sources. Meanwhile, in Iraq's cities, bombing devastated sewage and water treatment facilities. Most significantly, the 600 oil fires set by the Iraqi army burned for up to nine months, releasing millions of tons of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. This pollution caused dark, greasy rains to fall as far as 1,500 miles away. "The first Gulf War was the biggest environmental disaster in recent history," former Earth Island Journal editor Gar Smith recently told The Washington Post. Lacking the massive oil fires and extreme infrastructural damage that marked the first Gulf War, the current clash may not prove as environmentally disastrous as some feared. Nevertheless, with controversial depleted-uranium weaponry in use and with ecosystems still reeling from the last conflict, revelations of environmental damage may emerge, as they have with past wars, for years to come. Two years ago the World Health Organization began exploring whether the depleted uranium from munitions used in Desert Storm were causing spikes in cancer, kidney diseases and other congenital disorders among Iraqis. The Pentagon says the weapons are safe -- but just this month the Royal Society issued a scathing indictment of these claims and called for the United States and Britain to remove hundreds of tons of the substance to protect Iraqi citizens. If such suspicions prove correct, these civilians must be considered casualties of war and counted along with those who died in air strikes. This would mean, of course, that the true body count from the current war will take years to assess. Even relatively minor environmental disruptions in Iraq can have wide-ranging impacts, especially on biodiversity. The Persian Gulf harbors more than half of the marine turtle species in the world, all of which are listed as "endangered" or "threatened." Sixty species of waterfowl and nine different birds of prey spend their winters in Iraq's delicate wetlands. "From a biodiversity point of view," the noted ornithologist Phil Hockey told Grist Magazine, "this is the worst possible time of the year to have a war there." The U.S. occupation of Iraq could itself invite despoliation. Global oil companies are eager to develop virgin oil fields in Iraq, aiming to double the country's production to around six million barrels a day by
ugnet_: Democrats: Profiles In Spinelessness
Democrats: Profiles In Spinelessness Arianna Huffington is a syndicated columnist and author of Pigs at the Trough: How Corporate Greed and Political Corruption are Undermining America. "I a little bit disagree with Chairman Roberts on that." That was Sen. Jay Rockefeller, the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, kinda, sorta, uh, not really taking exception to Committee chairman Pat Roberts' assertion that we've turned the corner when it comes to keeping the peace in postwar Iraq. But it could just as easily serve as the motto for the whole Democratic Party: "Vote for us -- we kinda, sorta disagree." The Party leaders are so timid, spineless and lacking in confidence that to compare them to jellyfish would be an insult to invertebrates. Call them the pusillanimous opposition. These dithering poltroons are so paralyzed by the fear of doing or saying something that could be turned against them in GOP attack ads they've rendered themselves utterly impotent when it comes to mounting any kind of challenge to President Bush on the two most important issues of the day: tax cuts and Iraq. Exhibit A comes from Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle who, when asked on Meet the Press why the Democrats didn't offer a bold, full-throated alternative to the Bush tax cut plan, including the repeal of the 2001 cuts and a guaranteed balanced budget, timorously explained: "Well, we -- you got to take it one step at a time." You do -- why? Is this an AA meeting? Bush doesn't take it one step at a time. He's comfortable leading by leaps and bounds. And he's taking us along with him -- straight over a cliff. We're facing a trillion dollars of new debt, incurred by a president with the worst economic record since Herbert Hoover, and the best the leader of the opposition party can muster is a meaningless cliche? Quick, get that man a dose of political Viagra! At least get the blood flowing... somewhere. Daschle's trumpet issued an equally uncertain call when it came to the war on Iraq. First, he helped draft the Senate's resolution on the use of force. Then, after sticking his finger in the political wind and catching a zephyr of anti-war sentiment, he blasted the president for failing "so miserably at diplomacy that we're now forced to war." When that comment, made the day before the war started, unleashed a torrent of criticism from ever-vigilant Republican attack dogs, Daschle, instead of simply attacking back, hemmed, hawed and executed another political pirouette, claiming that he "probably would have avoided making the statement" if he'd known we were on the brink of war. But a quick check of the record reveals this to be an utterly disingenuous dodge: Word of the impending invasion was all over the media when Daschle opened fire on Bush. Maybe the Senator's TV -- and his staff -- was on the fritz that day. It is precisely this kind of craven vacillation that has made possible the triumph of the fanatics in the White House. Democrats are wringing their hands over the "tactical genius" of Karl Rove, and the "brilliant political stagecraft" of his TV experts who always present the president in the best light. Such is the Democrats' fragility that the mere smoke and mirrors of posing the president in profile at Mount Rushmore, or asking the people standing behind him during a recent speech on the economy to take off their ties so they would look more like average Joes have them quaking in their boots. But the DNC's Terry McAuliffe needs to stop worrying about the GOP using footage of Bush's Top Gun landing on the Abraham Lincoln in campaign ads and start worrying about finding a presidential candidate who isn't afraid to take audacious and decisive stands on the party's core issues. If they can't compete on style, they should at least give it a shot on substance. After all, the problem isn't that Democrats are on the wrong side of the issues. It's that they are afraid to make an issue of being on the right side -- not to mention smack dab in the middle of the American mainstream. For example, only one out of four Americans believe the latest round of tax cuts will significantly reduce their taxes, and just 29 percent think the cuts are the best way to help stimulate the economy. Yet Democrats seem congenitally incapable of challenging a president whose entire domestic agenda consists of more and more tax cuts for the wealthy. The numbers also favor the Democrats on the foreign policy front. According to the latest NBC News /The Wall Street Journal poll, 57 percent of Americans are opposed to investing the time and money needed to rebuild Iraq. But the Democrats sit idly by, their thumbs otherwise engaged, while the administration's Iraqi tar baby grows stickier by the day. And on and on it goes: On protecting the environment, safeguarding Social Security, greater access to affordable health care, gun control and abortion, the majority of the American people are with the
ugnet_: NO UNITED NATION NO FRENCH RWANDA INSISTS
Mwaami Kironde I am agreeing with you but I wish we can go a step further and wonder why Uganda and Rwanda are setting up conditions. I think irrespective of any history behind this massacre, Presidents Museveni and Kagame are occupiers of Congo, and if so they must be recognised by the International community as such. Now if they are, Museveni can not threaten that Uganda can go back to Congo (And that includes any other circumstance) Kagame must as well help us for he can not refuse UN or France or any International force into DRC for the genocide is in Ituri and not in Kigali, and the last time I checked those were two different and independent nations. The moment we can reach this understanding, then women and children will stop being buried alive in DRC and the International Community will take over. Em The Mulindwas Communication Group"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy" Groupe de communication Mulindwas "avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie" - Original Message - From: Ed Kironde To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2003 8:57 PM Subject: RE: [Ugandacom] NO UNITED NATION NO FRENCH RWANDA INSISTS I think the UN forces must exclude any nations which had strong ties with Rwanda. Uganda, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Angola, Chad, Libya etl, must realize that DRC is a sovereign state. This is the time the African Union forces should shine. The forces should not be drawn from any countries that border with DRC and in addition, Libya and Zimbabwe must be excluded. If we are going with the UN, lets have Japan, Pakistan, India, Jamaica, Tanzania, Senegal, Ghana, Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico to send soldiers whose mission should not only be limited to peacekeepers but cleanse the DRC of these African forces of occupation and their mission will be accomplished when there is no any other foreign troops within the borders of DRC -Original Message-From: Mulindwa Edward [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2003 5:32 PMTo: [EMAIL PROTECTED]Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Rwanda; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]Subject: [Ugandacom] NO UNITED NATION NO FRENCH RWANDA INSISTS Rwanda rejects French peacekeeping plan By Mark Turner at the United Nations and Judy Dempsey in Brussels Published: May 28 2003 5:00 | Last Updated: May 28 2003 5:00 Rwanda yesterday voiced its opposition to France leading a peacekeeping force in the north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, saying it had no moral authority to intervene. Paris is expected to present a resolution, possibly as soon as this week, asking United Nations authority for a robust intervention force of willing countries to prevent further ethnic bloodshed in Ituri, where militias are battling each other for control. But Augustin Muvinyi, of Rwanda's permanent mission to the UN, said: "We don't believe France is appropriate." He accused Paris of aiding the regime during Rwanda's 1994 state-sponsored genocide and of a possible "hidden agenda". "France never prevented the genocide," he said. "What are they going to do now? Our fear is France might go there and re-organise genocidal forces. It might do a deal with Uganda." France has said it wants the explicit agreement of countries involved in the region before leading an emergency force to Ituri, but a French diplomat said yesterday that Paris had still received no answer from Rwanda. Rwanda has been accused of using its invasion of the Congo to loot the country's resources. Mr Muvinyi also reiterated Kigali's deep distrust of the United Nations' capacity to meet Rwanda's security concerns. Continued fighting in north-eastern Congo has prompted criticism of the effectiveness of the UN force in the country. Yoweri Museveni, the Ugandan president, yesterday told Jean-Marie Guehenno, the UN undersecretary-general for peacekeeping, that the body needed to station a large and well-equipped military force to keep order in Ituri province. Uganda recently withdrew from north-eastern Congo, leaving a power vacuum that analysts say has fostered inter-ethnic rivalries. The Ugandan and Rwandan comments came as the European Union instructed its military staff to look at the implic-ations of joining a French-led multinational force for the Congo.
ugnet_: France Wants U.N. Troops Sent to Congo
Netters: WHY is it that, in all this Ituri Congo Crises, nobody is emphasizing the fact that DICTATOR YOWERI MUSEVENI HELPED INSTIGATE THE CONFLICT BETWEEN BETWEEN HEMA" AND LENDU? (Here then is were Members of the International Community often go wrong! ) Secondly, what, if anything, are members of the International Community going to do to reprimand Dictator Yoweri Museveni for promoting rather, further instigating Hutu/ Lendu Conflict? YOU refuse to condemn Dictator Yoweri Museveni for arming the Lendu and the Hema, then forget it!... You are going to deploy all the UN peace keeping troops you want in DRC... and guess what, you will not be able to stop the violence.! Matek France Wants U.N. Troops Sent to Congo By EDITH M. LEDERER .c The Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) - France asked for U.N. approval Wednesday to deploy an international force in northeastern Congo where an upsurge in ethnic violence and atrocities has killed nearly 400 people. France's U.N. ambassador, Jean-Marc de La Sabliere, expressed confidence the Security Council would approve the resolution on Friday and said he expects the first troops to arrive in Bunia next week. ``I think we have to show that the whole international community is ready to act when there is an emergency situation,'' he said. France will lead the battalion, which is expected to have about 1,000 troops from a number of countries in Europe as well as Pakistan, South Africa and Nigeria. The force would be deployed only until September, when 1,500 Bangladesh-led troops are expected to be deployed to Bunia and the surrounding Ituri region as part of a the U.N. peacekeeping force for Congo. The French-led troops will work with the 750 U.N. peacekeepers from Uruguay already in Bunia to bring stability and protect the airport, refugees, and the people in town ``if the situation requires it.'' The crisis began on May 7 when Uganda withdrew over 6,000 troops from in and around Bunia as part of a U.N.-brokered peace accord. Rival Lendu and Hema tribal groups fought for control of the town in street battles that killed nearly 400 people, U.N. spokesman Hamadoun Toure said in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa. Carolyn McAskie, the U.N. deputy emergency relief coordinator, who just returned from Bunia, said the situation ``is extremely volatile.'' She estimated that about 85 percent of the population has fled, leaving some 15,000 people sheltering in the U.N. military compound or in camps near the airport, and about 20,000 elsewhere in town. Bunia had about 250,000 people before the fighting. ``We have seen the most horrible things in Bunia - women who've lost their arms and legs, children amputees, men chopped to bits, women raped,'' McAskie told a news conference. Now, ethnic fighters holding Bunia have threatened to attack civilians sheltering with U.N. forces, Toure said Wednesday, denouncing what he called the ``inadmissible threat.'' U.S. deputy ambassador Richard Williamson warned rebel groups they ``would be ill-advised to take any advantage of the current situation.'' He expressed hope of a return to calm once the French-led force arrives. ``The real story,'' McAskie said, is nobody knows what's happening in the rest of Ituri, which is hard to access. The district has a population of between 3 million and 4 million. She said ``elements'' of the bloodshed in Bunia are ``reminiscent'' of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda though not comparable in scale. ``In addition to this volatile cocktail of different rebel groups fighting each other, you have a number of leaders who are inciting ethnic hatred,'' she said. ``The hate messages and the fact that the men, women and children are attacking each other brutally turns on the alarm bells and the comparisons in our minds.'' The United Nations was criticized for not doing enough to stop the slaughter of more than 500,000 Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus in Rwanda. Congo's civil war, which began in 1998, has killed 3.3 million people, most through famine and disease, according to aid groups. Foreign forces have withdrawn from Congo under a series of peace deals. Rebels and the government signed a power-sharing deal in December, but eastern Congo still remains a battle zone. Netters: It is simply beyond any rational expection, that in all this Ituri Congo Crises, nobdoy is emphasizing the fact that DICTATOR YOWERI MUSEVENI HELPED INSTIGATE THE CONFLICT BETWEEN BETWEEN HEMA" AND LENDU? Here then is were Members of the International Community often go wrong! Secondly, what, if anything, are members of the International Community going to do to reprimand Dictator Yoweri Museveni for promoting rather futher instigating Hutu/ Lendu Conflict? Matek 05/28/03 20:22 EDT
ugnet_: Water conflict
The Jordan Basin - by far, the most water-short region, with fierce competition for its water between Jordan, Syria, Palestine (Gaza and the West Bank), and Israel. The combined population for this water-short nation is projected to increase from 31 million to 51 million between 2000 and 2025. - Syria plans to build dams and withdraw more water from the Jordan River, decreasing the downstream water supply for Jordan and Israel. The later warns that it will consider destroying the largest dam that Israel plans to build. Egypt might consider the same for Sudan, Ethiopia or Uganda. - Turkey, located at the headwaters of Tigris and Euphrates rivers, controls how much water flows downstream to Syria and Iraq before emptying into the Persian Gulf. Turkey is building 24 dams along the upper Tigris and Euphrates rivers to generate huge quantities of electricity and irrigate a large area of land. This will reduce water flowing to Syria and Iraq by 35% in normal years and much more in a dry season. Syria is also planning to build a large dam along the Euphrates to divert water arriving from Turkey and this will leave little water going to Iraq and possibly lead to war between Syria and Iraq. Clearly, water distribution will be a key issue in any piece talks in this region. Acknowledgements: G. Tyler Miller Jr, author of Sustaining The Earth, 5th Edition. image001.gif
RE: ugnet_: Water conflict
Meant to say that Israel will consider destroying the largest dam Syria is planning to build -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Ed Kironde Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2003 11:01 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: ugnet_: Water conflict The Jordan Basin - by far, the most water-short region, with fierce competition for its water between Jordan, Syria, Palestine (Gaza and the West Bank), and Israel. The combined population for this water-short nation is projected to increase from 31 million to 51 million between 2000 and 2025. - Syria plans to build dams and withdraw more water from the Jordan River, decreasing the downstream water supply for Jordan and Israel. The later warns that it will consider destroying the largest dam that Israel plans to build. Egypt might consider the same for Sudan, Ethiopia or Uganda. - Turkey, located at the headwaters of Tigris and Euphrates rivers, controls how much water flows downstream to Syria and Iraq before emptying into the Persian Gulf. Turkey is building 24 dams along the upper Tigris and Euphrates rivers to generate huge quantities of electricity and irrigate a large area of land. This will reduce water flowing to Syria and Iraq by 35% in normal years and much more in a dry season. Syria is also planning to build a large dam along the Euphrates to divert water arriving from Turkey and this will leave little water going to Iraq and possibly lead to war between Syria and Iraq. Clearly, water distribution will be a key issue in any piece talks in this region. Acknowledgements: G. Tyler Miller Jr, author of Sustaining The Earth, 5th Edition. image001.gif
ugnet_: France Wants U.N. Troops Sent to Congo
Mwaami Matek Very Very simple. Museveni has survived for he is always very ahead of every single game. Today if Kagame is not careful he is going to get out of this one with very dirty hands. I would not even be surprised if the international community begs Museveni to officially go back to East Congo. You see Museveni can only be dealt with when you understand him if you do not you will be a victim like all people have been including Eriya Kategaya. A good example of those who did not bother to understand him are the Rwandese, You remember very well when the Rwandese called us confused people for Museveni is the best person ever to come up in Great Lakes? Actually there is a school of thoughts out there, that if it was not the Rwandese may be just may be we would not have got this monster in our midst, but they built him right from the Luwero bushes untill when he bite their own hand. And Matek for years and years, I have said "One must understand Museveni to know how deadly he can be. For facts still are Museveni pulled out of Congo, but the minor detail many people refuse to say is that he left all the guns in Congo and he is now watching from the sides. Go back from the peace talks in Nairobi, can you tell me today how many participants of those talks that are alive? But Museveni was a "good" man who wanted to have a peace talk. No but the minor details are Museveni wanted to collect all of them including the Nkwangas the Kayiiras and so on so that he can kill them all at once and he did. When he wanted to detain with out trial the members of Democratic party he chose the DP leader Paul Ssemogere to be a minister of Internal affairs, in the end Ssemogerere as a minister of internal affairs signed the detentation warrants of the members of his own party and many ended up in Luzira under Ssemogerere's own signature. After they were detained, he fired Ssemogerere. Matek look here, I want you to look very closely to all fighting factions in Rwanda DRC and Burundi, I want you to list the factions supported today by Rwanda, by the government of Congo, the Lendus the Hemas the Rwandese government, all of the fighting groups in all that area. In the end you will find that they all have been supported at a certain point by Museveni. Each one of them including Kagame him self, have worked with Museveni at a certain point. This is how shroud is this fella. Now tell me one member of the international community who understands Museveni to that stage!! Like I said we are in anarchy. Em The Mulindwas Communication Group"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy" Groupe de communication Mulindwas "avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie" - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2003 12:28 AM Subject: ugnet_: France Wants U.N. Troops Sent to Congo Netters:WHY is it that, in all this Ituri Congo Crises, nobody is emphasizing the fact that DICTATOR YOWERI MUSEVENI HELPED INSTIGATE THE CONFLICT BETWEEN BETWEEN HEMA" AND LENDU? (Here then is were Members of the International Community often go wrong! )Secondly, what, if anything, are members of the International Community going to do to reprimand Dictator Yoweri Museveni for promoting rather, further instigating Hutu/ Lendu Conflict?YOU refuse to condemn Dictator Yoweri Museveni for arming the Lendu and the Hema, then forget it!... You are going to deploy all the UN peace keeping troops you want in DRC... and guess what, you will not be able to stop the violence.!Matek France Wants U.N. Troops Sent to CongoBy EDITH M. LEDERER.c The Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) - France asked for U.N. approval Wednesday to deploy an international force in northeastern Congo where an upsurge in ethnic violence and atrocities has killed nearly 400 people.France's U.N. ambassador, Jean-Marc de La Sabliere, expressed confidence the Security Council would approve the resolution on Friday and said he expects the first troops to arrive in Bunia next week.``I think we have to show that the whole international community is ready to act when there is an emergency situation,'' he said.France will lead the battalion, which is expected to have about 1,000 troops from a number of countries in Europe as well as Pakistan, South Africa and Nigeria.The force would be deployed only until September, when 1,500 Bangladesh-led troops are expected to be deployed to Bunia and the surrounding Ituri region as part of a the U.N. peacekeeping force for Congo.The French-led troops will work with the 750 U.N. peacekeepers from Uruguay already in Bunia to bring stability and protect the airport, refugees, and the people in town ``if the situation requires it.''The crisis began on May 7 when Uganda withdrew over 6,000 troops from in and
ugnet_: what , where should we head?
Should there be rule of the LAW in Uganda or NOT Should CORRUPTION be LEGALISED or not Should democracy be pegged on MANUPLATION or equitable share of power through legal means (ballot)? Should those who have access to MILITARY resources have POWER have sole monoploy on state power or not?
ugnet_: Fw: [Mwananchi] WHAT IS A CONSTITUTIONAL REFRENDUM?
Mwaami Sadane As always thank you very much for the inside story. Em The Mulindwas Communication Group"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy" Groupe de communication Mulindwas "avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie" - Original Message - From: Sardane Jean To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ; A-Politics Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2003 9:12 AM Subject: Re: [Mwananchi] WHAT IS A CONSTITUTIONAL REFRENDUM? 1) What is a Constitutional referendum? It is nation-wide consultation, where the citizens have to answer by yes or no to a question. Generally, the question is about the approval of a change to the constitution, sometimes a slight one. In some cases, a brand new text is forwarded for approval, as it is the case in Rwanda. There are also referendums on non-constitutional issues. 2) Who has a right to call for a Constitutional Referendum? Normally, the Constitution (I mean the former one) has to foresee this process (and therefore decide on who has this authority and under which conditions). If it is not the case, the referendum is illegal. In exceptional cases, a constitutional conference can be called, declared sovereign (above the laws). This conference can draft a text and then decide to submit it to a referendum on its own authority. Normally, a sovereign conference has to be declared as such prior to its gathering. 3) How often is a Constitutional referendum called in a Democratic/non-Democratic country? The referendum is a controversial process because Napoleon, the French Emperor, was using it (it was called a plebiscite) to force laws through pre-cooked consultations. Some countries do not accept this form of consultation (UK is an example although they may change their mind about the adhesion to the Euro, as Blair committed himself to organise one). Other countries (France for example) are using it quite often (once in ten years on average). Switzerland even give authority to local government to organise such consultations and go the extra step to allow groups of citizen to directly propose laws to the approval of the electors. Numerous other countries use referendums. The criticism often made to referendums is that the voters do not really answer to the question but cast their vote on the more general issue of confidence towards the government. Thus a popular government may have a positive answer on a lousy question. On the other side, it gives the citizenry a direct say on important questions. 4) How binding are the results of a Constitutional referendum, for example Although the Government of Rwanda has done this exercise, it is still very soon going to call for an election, so if this election is called and the citizenry elects another government,are the results of this referendumstill binding or not? Normally a referendum is binding. It transforms the text into law, if the answer is positive or if not, bury the initiative. In some Constitutions, the referendum is only indicative, but it is very difficult then for the Parliament to contradict the people. In any case, what a law can do, a law can undo. Thus a future government can always initiate the process for cancelling of modifying a law adopted by a referendum. SardaneMulindwa Edward [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Netters I am going to post this one on a large forum for I need some inside story from as many scholars out there as possible. During my observation of the politics as it goes on in Africa we have got some very new political menus that some of us the old folks need a push up to understand what they mean. And my question is regarding themenu which has just taken place in Rwanda. Rwanda as a state has gone through a very expensive exercise to do some thing called " A Constitutional Referendum" And my questions are actually very few:- 1) What is a Constitutional referendum? 2) Who has a right to call for a Constitutional Referendum? 3) How often is a Constitutional referendum called in a Democratic/non-Democratic country? 4) How binding are the results of a Constitutional referendum, for example Although the Government of Rwanda has done this exercise, it is still very soon going to call for an election, so if this election is called and the citizenry elects another government,are the results of this referendumstill binding or not? I am going to leave it at that for now, I hope to learn very extensively from all your input. Edward Mulindwa Yahoo! Plus - For a better Internet experience Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ADVERTISEMENT The Mwananchi Group welcomes your opinion on diverse issues affecting us Africans.To join us click http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/mwananchi Visit Aids-Africa athttp://www.yahoogroups.com/group/aids-africaon hiv/aids related
ugnet_: THERE WAS NEVER A BUNKER
No Bunker where U.S. Bombs Targeted Saddam-CBS WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Baghdad bunker which the United States said it bombed on the opening night of the Iraq (news - web sites) war in a bid to kill Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) never existed, CBS Evening News reported Wednesday. The network quoted a U.S. Army colonel in charge of inspecting key sites in Baghdad as saying no trace of a bunker or of bodies had been found at the site on the southern outskirts of the Iraqi capital, known as Dora Farms. "When we came out here, the primary thing they were looking for was an underground facility, or bodies, forensics, and basically, what they saw was giant holes created. No underground facilities, no bodies," Col. Tim Madere said. CBS, saying it was the first news organization to visit the site, reported that the CIA (news - web sites) had searched it once and Col. Madere had searched it twice as part of efforts to find traces of DNA that could indicate if Saddam or his sons had been killed or wounded. The network said the main palace in the compound remained standing despite the surrounding destruction. It quoted Madere as saying anyone who had been in the building could have survived the raid. Shortly after the attack, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told reporters: "There's no question but that the strike on that leadership headquarters was successful. We have photographs of what took place. The question is, what was in there?" The United States effectively acknowledged that the March 20 raid failed to kill Saddam when it launched a second air attack aimed at the Iraqi president on April 7. The fate of Saddam and his sons Uday and Qusay is still unclear. Rumsfeld said earlier this month, "If you don't have evidence he's dead, you've probably got to assume he's alive." The Mulindwas Communication Group"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy" Groupe de communication Mulindwas "avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie"
ugnet_: A ZIMBABWEAN WOMAN SUES MDC FOR $5.5 M
Herald Reporter A WOMAN, whose car was petrol bombed and destroyed beyond repair in the violent MDC-organised stayaway in March, is suing the opposition party and others who supported the mass action for $5,5 million in damages. The woman, Ms Clarisa Muchengeti, yesterday applied to the High Court seeking damages of up to $5,5 million from the MDC, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions and the Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe, publishers of the Daily News. In papers filed by her lawyers Muzangaza, Mandaza and Tomana, Ms Muchengeti said the MDC organised the stayaway while the ZCTU and the Daily News encouraged and supported it. "On the 19th of March 2003 and in response to the call for the illegal demonstration plaintiffs (Ms Muchengeti) motor vehicle a Mazda B1800 valued at $5,5 million was petrol bombed and destroyed beyond salvage by a gang of youths who heeded the call for the illegal demonstration," the lawyers said in the application, the first of its kind. Legal experts said the case would open a flood of lawsuits by those prejudiced or inconvenienced by the illegal MDC mass action on March 18 and 19 and the ZCTU-organised job stayaway on April 22 and 23. They said some of the lawsuits would be filed not just against the organisations that called for the stayaways but those who encouraged and supported the demonstrations. There were also indications that black businesses and traders who lost hundreds of millions of dollars worth of property and those who sustained injuries were planning to sue the MDC. The MDC-organised March stayaway left a trail of destruction when its youths went on the rampage burning buses, stoning shops, detonating dynamites on bridges, attacking security forces, traumatising pre-school children by burning their bus while they watched and looted. It could not be ascertained whether the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company and indigenous bus companies whose buses were burnt would be suing the MDC for damages. Under the Public Order and Security Act, organisers of any demonstration not sanctioned by the police which results in damage to property, injury or death are liable to both criminal and civil legal action. The Labour Relations Amendment Act makes employers and employees who threaten, recommend, encourage, incite, organise or engage in an unlawful collective job action liable to legal action by those affected by their actions. The ZCTU organised an illegal mass job stayaway on April 22 and 23 saying it wanted the Government to reverse fuel price increases. Ms Muchengetis lawyers said as a result of the illegal MDC stayaway in March and subsequent petrol bombing of her car, their client suffered damages to the tune of $5,5 million. She wants the three defendants to jointly or severally pay her $5,5 million, interest at the prescribed rate from March 19 to the date of the final payment and costs of the suit. Sources in the legal fraternity yesterday said a number of classes of people including cross-border traders and farmers who were affected by the MDC and ZCTU organised stayaways planned to sue for damages. "I know of a colleague who is preparing a Class Action suit on behalf of people affected by the stayaways," said one Harare lawyer. Some farmers lost their produce which they had taken to Mbare Msika because vendors failed to get to the market to buy it for re-sale after commuter omnibuses withdrew their services, either after being paid by the MDC or fearing that their vehicles would be targeted in attacks by the opposition youths. There were also unconfirmed reports that some people were contemplating suing the Bankers Association of Zimbabwe and individual banks who denied them access to their money during the ZCTU job stayaway after they failed to open for business. Banks closed citing security reasons which authorities have however dismissed as baseless because none of the financial institutions sought protection from security forces. "The MDC, the ZCTU and those associated with them have said a lot about the rule of law and it is only fair that the victims of pro-rule of law activists seek recourse through the legal system. "The problem is that these people claim they want peace, democracy and the rule of law yet every time they call for a demonstration it turns violent. "People are now using the law to protect themselves," said the Harare lawyer. A political analyst said the "so-called demonstrations were a Harare affair" because Zimbabwe was bigger than Harare and the majority of people lived in rural areas. "The few who want to demonstrate are free to do so but must not impede on the majority who want to continue with their daily lives working for their families. "The demonstrations are intended for diplomats in Harare and the international media," the analyst said. The Mulindwas Communication Group"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy" Groupe de communication Mulindwas "avec
ugnet_: AFRICANS MUST UTILISE APPROPRIATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
By Dr Lucas M. Chideya Chihota With joyous hearts among the majority of Africans, our continent has just celebrated Africa Day, May 25, in this first year of the African Union, successor to the OAU. We realise that in promoting the conditions of development, we have to acquire the right mix of the three domains of learning and production. There is the cognitive domain, which seeks to promote objectives related to the recall of knowledge and development of intellectual abilities and skills. This is the domain of understanding. There is also the affective domain, which includes objectives concerning changes in interest, attitudes, values and appreciation. This is the domain of personal-social adjustment. Lastly, there is the psycho-motor domain, which promotes objectives related to the psycho-motor skills we must acquire for development. It is our actions and the content of what we do that govern the conditions and requirements of how we develop. For instance, it is the content of the various media of communication that differentiates degrees of understanding the truth of our messages. Concerning the cognitive domain, we must endeavour to get every African to acquire precise knowledge of the scientific nature of the universe so that we know the universal environment in which the great drama of life takes place. In brief, we must begin to acquire knowledge of the simplicity of Gods laws of the creation and how the physicists have proved that the universe follows rules that are fundamentally mathematical and which humans can figure out. These laws are the key to our understanding of the well-defined plan of God so that men and women know what to do in order to prosper and to lead meaningful and happy lives. The constants of nature unchanging numbers like strength of gravity, the charge of an electron and mass of a proton make atoms hold together, stars burn and life to possess the characteristics we know and can predict. Our knowledge has to be based on our proper understanding of the scientific explanation of the origins of the universe. This explanation postulates that there once existed one huge mass of matter which, because of extreme heat at its core, exploded, causing a big bang which saw this matter scatter into our known universe with galaxies, solar systems and stars. The big bang is theorised to have taken place 15 billion years ago. Life on our planet earth began to evolve over this period of time. The big bang is theorised to have created two types of waves, or ripples, from the centre of the universe outward. These are the electromagnetic waves, or light, and the gravitational waves as measured by the graviton, the elementary quantum mechanical particle. It is theorised that the differences in speeds between gravitational waves, the graviton, and electromagnetic waves, light, is zero if the graviton has zero rest mass. Light, electromagnetic waves, is represented in its elementary form by the seven colours of the rainbow, which are red, yellow, green, purple, orange, blue and indigo. These colours, together, make the beautiful rainbow that we see. Rainbows are also associated with water in the form of raindrops and bubbles. As we know, water is life. From this simple foundation is to be found the vast array of processes of transformation of matter, right up to the discipline of quantum mechanics from which industrial machines are designed and manufactured. From the exhaustive research and studies of Dr Anta Diop, on the origins of world civilisations, we learn that humankind first originated from the Mount Kilimanjaro area, and moved north, south, east and west within Africa and then swept into Europe and Asia by way of the Nile through Egypt. In time, three distinctive races emerged the blacks who remained in Africa, the whites or Caucasians in Europe and the yellow race in Asia their cultural outlooks based on response to climate. In time these different races began to mix due to travel, inter-marriage, conquests and migrations. Thus, when the blacks inter-married in Indo-Europe, the Semitic people came into being and were found in Mesopotamia, among other regions. Because the blacks were more oriented towards the development of their social, political and spiritual organisations, rather than to speculative scientific research, they apparently fell behind in the production of high quality technical tools, especially in the manufacture of arms of war. On the other hand, the white and yellow races, perhaps because of harsher climates, developed systems characterised by a propensity for war, supported by advanced weapons of war. Thus, in the evolution of world history, the Africans, who after having attained a desirable level of technological development, became progressively indifferent to material-scientific progress and fell behind in the ability to wage wars with those who had developed more deadly weapons.
ugnet_: Rebels kill 14 people in ambush in north Uganda
Rebels kill 14 people in ambush in north Uganda KAMPALA, May 29 (Reuters) - The rebel Lord's Resistance Army killed 14 people and injured 12 others in northern Uganda in an ambush on a bus and two other vehicles, an army spokesman said on Thursday. "The rebels attacked with assault rifles and rocket propelled grenades ... killed 14 people on the spot," Major Shaban Bantariza said. He said Ugandan soldiers rescued at least 50 other people from Wednesday's attack. Radio reports in Kampala said 60 people remained unaccounted for and were feared to have been abducted. Led by self-styled prophet Joseph Kony, the LRA is reviled for maiming villagers and abducting children to use as sex slaves and child soldiers. The ambush took place about 300 km (190 miles) north of the capital Kampala, just outside the Murchison Falls National Park which is visited by hundreds of tourists each year. The Ugandan government is engaged in a year-long offensive against the LRA, supported by at least 14,000 troops, tanks and artillery, but has so far failed to crush the rebels' 17-year insurgency. 05/29/03 05:47 ET
ugnet_: Congo Needs a Large Force, Says Museveni
EM:
This is the some Museveni engaged in "double mouth" talk. I do not think any force, no matter how large, will contain the situation in Ituri DRC Congo.
As long as Museveni continues to exert influence on Lendu/Hema rebels and supply these fighters with weapons( many of which is shipped at night into Itruri region) the fighting in Ituri will simply get out of hand.
I can fore see a situation in which the so called UN peace keeping troops sent to enforce peace in Ituri, involved in Guerilla fights with the numerous Hutu/Hema/Lendu rebels groups in the Jungles of Ituri.
If I were the French, I would think twice before permiting French troops to deploy in Ituri.
Matek
Congo Needs a Large Force, Says Museveni
New Vision (Kampala)
May 28, 2003
Posted to the web May 28, 2003
Vision Reporter
Kampala
DR Congo needs a large and well equipped peace-keeping force that can ensure the restoration of peace, President Yoweri Museveni has advised.
He said the force will also help the country put the transitional government in place, build a Congolese national army to contain the situation and enable the Congolese refugees to go back home.
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Museveni made the recommendations at a meeting with the United Nations Under-Secretary General responsible for peace-keeping operations, Mr. Jean Marie Guehenno, at the President's Kisozi farm in Mpigi district on Monday.
State House said in a statement that the President and the UN official reviewed the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), especially the crisis in the Ituri sub-region. They also discussed the peace process in Burundi.
The statement adds, "The President urged the UN to do all that is possible to ensure peace and stability prevail in the DRC, especially in Ituri sub-region where innocent people are being killed in ethnic fighting.
He said Congo is a big country with a large population and commands a big regional potential for economic development.
Museveni proposed in addition to peace-keeping, the UN should defend non-combatants caught up in conflicts, defend relief aid and discipline armed factions.
Guehenno told Museveni that he was optimistic that the situation in Ituri would be contained because a number of countries including Britain and France had shown interest in sending troops to join the UN peace-keeping force in Ituri sub-region.
Guehenno, who has already visited Kinshasa, Kisangani and Bunia agreed that the 800 peace-keeping force in Bunia was too small to control the situation.
