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Memories of Another day

Memories of Another day
While my Parents Pulin babu and Basanti devi were living

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Re: PEOPLE'S WATCH ANDHRA PRADESH Digest Number 664


 
palashcbiswas,
 gostokanan, sodepur, kolkata-700110 phone:033-25659551



From: "PWAP@yahoogroups.com" <PWAP@yahoogroups.com>
To: PWAP@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, 9 May, 2009 17:02:52
Subject: PEOPLE'S WATCH ANDHRA PRADESH Digest Number 664

Messages In This Digest (25 Messages)

1.
WILL THERE BE AN GLOBAL ECONOMIC COLLAPSE OR RECOVERY? From: Alex James
2.
Yuva Samvad Bhopal newsletter " DASTAK "– April- May 2009 issue From: YUVA SAMVAD
3.
Citizen Charter From: Nutan Thakur
4.
UNITED RESISTANCE Wanted as They KILL Us for SPORT! From: palashc biswas
5.
They KNOW we are vulnerable/other news From: marc samberg
6.
IMMIGRATION: TIRED AND WEARY, MIGRANTS ARRIVE IN TRIPOLI From: marco.pertoni@libero.it
7a.
A friend has shared their Allvoices news report From: allvoices
7b.
A friend has shared their Allvoices news report From: allvoices
8.
Lebanon: Elections a key opportunity for human rights From: HREA noreply@hrea.org
9.
Spanish Judiciary confirms jurisdiction to investigate alleged 2002 From: HREA noreply@hrea.org
10.
Cambodia: Forced evictions contravene human rights standards From: HREA noreply@hrea.org
11.
HR News: MAY 8,, 2009 From: Human Rights News hrnews@isidelhi.org.in
12.
US: End Life Sentences for Youth Offenders From: Sunila Singh suni_manas@hotmail.com
13.
Italy/Malta: Lives of migrants and asylum seekers put at risk From: HREA noreply@hrea.org
14.
[hr-education] HRE curriculum guide for schools in South Africa now From: Granville Whittle hr-education@lists.hrea
15.
Advani's Frankenstein From: Ravinder Singh
16.
Bhrasht Janta Party â€" L. K. Advani Havala Recipient From: Ravinder Singh
17.
Ashok Gulati Joins Liar’s Club of Modi From: Ravinder Singh
18.
AMC chief town planner caught taking bribe From: Ravinder Singh
19.
Ashok Gulati Joins Liar’s Club of Modi From: Ravinder Singh
20.
INDIA Hindu nationalists: if we win the elections, we will dialogue From: marco.pertoni@libero.it
21.
Criminal wastage in green Gandhinagar - Exclusive From: Ravinder Singh
22.
HONG KONG - CHINA Card Zen's last pastoral letter to the Church of H From: marco.pertoni@libero.it
23.
INTEGRATION IN DENMARK Minority Youths Fear Honor Crime From: marco.pertoni@libero.it
24.
NEPAL Kathmandu proclaims 8,000 Maoist martyrs From: marco.pertoni@libero.it

Messages

1.

WILL THERE BE AN GLOBAL ECONOMIC COLLAPSE OR RECOVERY?

Posted by: "Alex James" alexjamesnews2@gmail.com

Fri May 8, 2009 3:52 am (PDT)





From:
Subject: *_WILL THERE BE AN GLOBAL ECONOMIC COLLAPSE OR RECOVERY?_*

From: bruceport@xtra. co.nz

*_WILL THERE BE AN GLOBAL ECONOMIC COLLAPSE OR RECOVERY?_*

Will there be a global economic collapse, or can the world’s economy be
saved from a total melt-down? Will the current stimulus packages work?
Will there be an economic recovery?

These questions are now being asked by many business leaders,
politicians and economists around the world. There appears to be little
agreement on what will happen as the unprecedented economic crisis
continues, in spite of optimistic forecasts from some world leaders.
This article will explain the causes of the current economic crisis, and
what the outcome will be, in simple, layman’s terms.

Firstly, let’s look at the causes of the current crisis. For over 30
years the Anglo-Saxon nations (USA, Canada, Australia, UK, New Zealand)
and a few other countries have been spending considerably more money
than they earned from exporting goods and services, accumulating large
current account deficits internally, and massive external debts
internationally. To finance these external debts they have borrowed
money from creditor nations, in particular Japan and China. This has
allowed the Anglo-Saxon nation’s financial institutions to have the
capital to continue growing their economies, enabling them to finance
costly wars and still import consumer goods to satisfy their
self-indulgent life-styles. They have continued to expand their currency
supply in order to maintain economic growth, but that caused an
escalation of property prices, and growth in borrowings to finance
domestic consumption. Up to now they have been fortunate to avoid being
affected by the high inflation that normally follows an increase in the
money supply, without a corresponding increase in productivity. This
was, in part, made possible by switching to the purchase of imported
goods and services produced by low-wage countries and paid for with the
ever increasing supply of US dollars.

The problem arises when Federal Reserve Notes (U.S. dollars) accumulate
in foreign hands. A Federal Reserve Note is an I.O.U. and rather
unstable as it floats against the arbitrage basket of international
currencies. The only alternative for these nations to avoid being
overexposed to unbaked dollars which might tank at any moment, is to
purchase United States Treasury Certificates which are (so far)
considered safer as they are rated (so far)“triple A.� Either way, other
nations are trusting that these I.O.U.’s will one day be useful for the
purchase of goods, services or other more stable currencies. The
purchase of these Treasuries (loan certificates) by foreign nations
repatriates the dollars which are then spent domestically or overseas
again…a vicious circle.

This inflow of money borrowed by the Anglo-Saxon nations has allowed
them to maintain generous state-funded welfare programs that have
directly contributed towards undermining the role of the family as the
foundation of a successful society. This has encouraged people to look
to the State for their needs, rather than the extended family accepting
responsibility for other family members, sapping the drive and
willingness of their people to compete in a competitive world. Socialism
by stealth in Western nations has done so much to destroy the family
structure, the foundation from which all successful societies are built.
An increasing amount of Western Government revenues are drained into
providing expensive welfare programs such as health care, pensions,
benefits for the unemployed and inadvertently encouraging single parent
families, but leaving little money for investment into infrastructure
and provide capital to develop their economies. Asians culture
encourages the extended family to accept responsibility of caring for
other family members in times of misfortune, paying for their education
and health care, rather than the State. Most Asians accept the premise
that unless you work, you go hungry â€" sadly in the West it is expected
by many that the State will provide, regardless if one works or not.

One of the results of the current economic crisis is that the
Anglo-Saxon Governments no longer have revenue to support their
expensive welfare programs; just at the time when there are the greatest
financial demands being placed on them. An aging population, escalating
health-care costs, growing unemployment is blowing out government
budgets, causing unsustainable deficits. Meanwhile the Asian countries,
not burdened with such extravagant welfare programs, have been able to
use taxation revenue to invest into developing their domestic economies.
As a result the Anglo-Saxon nations have become less competitive in the
global market-place than the Asian economies. Added to this, the lack of
domestic savings by the Anglo-Saxon nations has made them dependent on
borrowing from those countries that have large current account
surpluses, causing them to slip further behind in maintaining the
standard of living that their people still expect to enjoy.

The end result has been a gradual break-down of the social fabric of
western society till today they are crime-ridden, diseased,
over-indulgent, debt-ridden and self-destructive. The Anglo-Saxon
nations are now so heavily indebted to their overseas creditors, that
even an increased amount of export revenues would not enable them to
service their external debts. However with falling exports and large
current deficits, it is only a matter of time before they slide into
bankruptcy, unless they are able to operate with a current account to
service and repay their international debts. The flow of US dollars into
Asia has enabled their economies to obtain the capital to finance their
domestic growth and accumulate overseas reserves. In turn, lending their
surplus capital back to the Anglo-Saxon nations has allowed these
countries to obtain the financing to purchase more imports from Asia.
This arrangement has worked well up to now for all concerned, but is not
sustainable. However, it is proving very difficult for the Anglo nations
to expand exports to the rest of the world during a global economic
recession which is causing a lack of overseas export markets for their
goods and services.

Up to now the USA has been in the fortunate position of having the US
dollar as the world’s reserve currency, and being able to print dollars
to finance its deficits, avoiding the need to borrow in other
currencies. As long as the global demand for dollars to finance world
trade remains, it has been in everyone’s interest to continue with this
arrangement and retain the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency.
Over the last decade surplus dollars have been recycled back to the
American banking system, creating surplus liquidity in the Anglo-Saxon
nations, and encouraging their banks to adopt loose lending practices to
generate paper profits from loans to domestic customers.

The current economic crisis was triggered when American and UK banks
accumulated bad debts from reckless lending, as their customers began
defaulting on their loans. This quickly led to a chain-reaction of banks
defaulting and the need for government intervention to bail them out.
This has lead to the current global economic crisis we now have.

In an attempt to avoid a total economic collapse, the governments of UK
and USA have created trillions of dollars of credit to inject into their
banking system to save their banks from collapsing, as well as
guaranteeing deposits. This was intended to allow the banks to continue
lending to prevent their economies from going into free-fall, and
government revenues collapsing. It appears this may be working, although
the banks have still not written off trillions of credit card debts and
real estate loans. The real question is, where has all the money gone
that was lent though the bank's bad debts which _have _been written off?
This money is still in circulation, but much of it is not recoverable
from those who have defaulted on their loans. What has happened to this
money? It has not just vaporised. Much of this money remains in
circulation outside the USA and is now controlled by foreigners.

Another difficulty faced by the Anglo-Saxon nations is that trillions of
dollars have been written off of their equity and property markets,
wiping out much of the collateral from their banking system. Still not
accounted for are the trillions (possibly quadrillions) of dollars
involved in the *derivatives* markets â€" *a sleeping time bomb* ready to
explode at any moment. In effect this has resulted in much of the wealth
of Anglo-Saxon nations disappearing, lowering the standard of living,
slashing government revenues, and will inevitably result in widespread
poverty.

The Federal Reserve policy of creating new currency to replace toxic
bank loans is like putting fuel on the fire. In the short-term it may
prevent the US economy from unravelling, but in the long term it will be
disastrous. It will result in run-away inflation as money looses value.
Admittedly the US does not have much choice â€" if they had not propped up
their financial institutions, the economy would have unravelled already,
collapsing government revenues, and *dragging the world into a
depression*. They would not have had the revenue to service their
national debt. Either way, the economy collapses. The option of printing
currency to inflate the money supply in an effort to stimulate consumer
demand and maintain economic activity is a very risky one, and will
eventually lead to erosion of the fiat value of the currency and
uncontrollable inflation. Governments flooding markets with currency to
revive economic growth without increasing goods and services will only
result in the collapse of the currency.

So what happens next? The flood of money that has been injected into
global markets may lead to temporally restoring consumer confidence and
spending for a short period. Sadly, the imbalances that have led to the
current crisis have not been addressed. Nothing has been done to correct
the imbalance of global trade between the Anglo-Saxon nations and Asia.
The Asian nations continue to accumulate more and more US dollars from
exports and income from their investments. The flow of capital from the
West into Asia to finance imports continues. The outcome can only result
in one thing â€" a total collapse in the value of the currencies of the
Anglo-Saxon nations.

The coming collapse of the US dollar will result in significant
readjustment of global economic and military power. It will result in
the end of the Anglo-Saxon nations’ dominance of the global economy.
They will be replaced by two significant economic power blocks (Asia and
the EU) filling the vacuum created by their collapse. It will also be a
time of further economic turmoil, followed by political upheaval. It
will lead to the end of many of the democratic freedoms which we have
today, replaced by authoritarian regimes regulating the global economy.
Not only will there be a denial of political, economic and social
freedom, but also religious freedom. These institutions will be replaced
by authoritarian institutions regulating how people live their lives,
denying much of the individual freedom that we have come to accept today.

There is general agreement amongst many world leaders that the
free-market unregulated economic model advocated by the USA can no
longer continue. In its place they are advocating what UK Prime Minister
Gordon Brown calls a *“new world economic* *order�.* What is planned is
to have much greater controls on the movement of money, where and how
capital is used â€" controls on speculation in futures, derivatives,
commodity trading, etc. Technology available today will enable a single
world currency supported by one global central bank, to control both the
supply and movement of money around the world. This is being advocated
by Germany and France under the pretence of controlling tax avoidance
and regulating markets, in reality it will go much further than this â€"
controlling the movement of money and all commercial transactions, with
a cashless society where governments can monitor all commercial and
*_personal _*transactions.

The Euro is the only currency large and strong enough to replace the US
dollar as a world reserve currency, or a new world currency. Germany is
the one country which has sufficient currency reserves to underpin the
confidence in the Euro allowing it to become the new global reserve
currency, having been for years the world’s largest exporter.
Increasingly German dominance is now dictating the direction of Europe â€"
all that is lacking is the leadership.

The EU lacks a leader who can unite the various competing political and
nationalistic factions to enable decisions to be reached to bring about
a cohesive economic policy and revive the European economies. As the
economic crisis spreads throughout Europe, unemployment continues to
grow, and political unrest becomes more severe, the need for the
appearance of a strong leader will create a power vacuum into which
someone will surely step. Europe now desperately needs a modern-day
Napoleon, Hitler or a revived Holy Roman Emperor who can save the
continent from economic and political disintegration - a strong and
commanding personality who can unite the EU and lead it to economic
recovery. Yet unity cannot happen unless the present disparate political
structures that currently exist are reformed, and the proposed new
constitution adopted. The materialization of a single leader that can
unite the various European nations into a unified United States of
Europe, who has the ability to revive their economies, and provide the
decisive leadership required to lead them out of this crisis is the
obvious necessity.

The fate of the Anglo-Saxon nations now looks extremely bleak. The
collapse of their currencies will be followed by total economic
collapse. They will be unable to repay their international debts. They
will slide into bankruptcy. There will be wide-spread poverty,
starvation, great suffering of their people as their nations slide into
insolvency. Disease will become wide-spread. Many drug-dependant people
will perish. Crime will spiral out of control, as a total break-down in
law and order develops. Most jobs will disappear. Governments will have
no revenue to continue functioning or pay for public servants or
services. They will no longer have the income to maintain their defence
forces.

Throughout history empires rise, declined and collapse. The coming
collapse of the Anglo-Saxon Empire will happen quickly â€" this group of
nations will disintegrate, which will result in the reshaping of the
political and economic landscape of the world. Without the stabilising
influence these nations have had on the world, many of the freedoms we
take for granted today will disappear. The Anglo-Saxon nations
originally had a value system based on the Bible, but as they have
rejected the teachings of the Bible and the Law of God, so has their
influence in the world declined. Now these nations are facing total
economic collapse, not economic recovery as many hope. They are now
being cursed for rejecting the teachings of the Bible and the Law of God.

Bruce Porteous

Bruceporteous50@ yahoo.co. nz <mailto:Bruceporteous50@ yahoo.co. nz>

1 May, 2009

_____

*** exposing the hidden truth for further educational research only *** CAVEAT LECTOR *** In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. NOTE: Some links may require cut and paste into your Internet Browser. Please check <http://tinyurl. com/33c9yr> http://tinyurl. com/33c9yr for more real news posts and support the truth! (sorry but don't have time to email all posts) free book download: <http://www.lulu. com/content/ 165077> http://www.lulu. com/content/ 165077 *** Revealing the hidden Truth For Educational & Further Research Purposes only. *** NOTICE: Due to Presidential Executive Orders, the National Security Agency (NSA) may have read emails without warning, warrant, or notice. They may do this without any judicial or legislative oversight. You have no recourse, nor protection.. ........ IF anyone other than the addressee of this e-mail is reading it, you are in violation of the 1st & 4th Amendments to the Constitution of the United States. Patriot Act 5 & H.R. 1955 Disclaimer Notice: This post & all my past & future posts represent parody & satire & are all intended for entertainment and amusement only. To be removed from the weekly list, please reply with the subject line "REMOVE"

2.

Yuva Samvad Bhopal newsletter " DASTAK "– April- May 2009 issue

Posted by: "YUVA SAMVAD" yuvasamvadbhopal@gmail.com

Fri May 8, 2009 4:05 am (PDT)



*Dear Friends, *

* *

*Greetings from Yuva Samvad Bhopal *

* *

*Please find enclosed Yuva Samvad Bhopal newsletter " **DASTAK** "– April-
May 2009 issue.*

*Comments, suggestions and feed-backs are most welcome for this issue

*

*Please circulate "** DASTAK** "** in your wider network. *

* *

*Best Regards*

*Yuva Samvad*

*DASTAK Team*

*Bhopal*

*
*

* 09754762958*

*09424401459*

*Yuva Samvad is an informal group of youth in Madhya Pradesh who got
together because they share a common set of values, vision and zeal to work.
The group does not work in any structured manner. The informal group
welcomes anybody who shares a similar thought and vision on social issues.
The group universally stands against communal ism and believes in promoting
human rights. We are working on the issues like Communal ism, Displacement,
and other concerned issues like caste, Gender Etc. *

* *

* *

* *

**

--
"We will have to face the risk of Expression
and have to demolish the monastery and fort".

YUVA SAMVAD
BHOPAL
MADHYA PRADESH
http://naidakhal. blogspot. com/
http://yuvasamvaad. webs.com/
3.

Citizen Charter

Posted by: "Nutan Thakur" drnutanthakur@yahoo.com   drnutanthakur

Sat May 9, 2009 4:18 am (PDT)



Vinod Dua of NDTV yesterday came up with a citizen charter. It included things like-
1. To have self dignity
2. Not stooping to lower one's esteem before these politicians
3. Not to treat them like demi-gods
4. to understand their own worth
5. to know that these politicians are public servants and are no Lords
How much do u agree with this?

Dr Nutan Thakur
IRDS,
Lucknow

4.

UNITED RESISTANCE Wanted as They KILL Us for SPORT!

Posted by: "palashc biswas" palashcbiswas@yahoo.co.uk   palashcbiswas

Sat May 9, 2009 4:21 am (PDT)



UNITED RESISTANCE Wanted as They KILL Us for SPORT!
 
Troubled Galaxy Destroyed Dreams: Chapter 224
 
Palash Biswas

As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods.
They kill us for their sport.

Chapter 18, Page 254 King Lear (IV, i)

Govt to review security arrangements in Nalco
8 May 2009, 2039 hrs IST, Rakhi Mazumdar
The Union ministry of mines has convened a top level meeting in Delhi on Friday to review security arrangements in National Aluminium Co Ltd (Nalco) following last month’s Maoist attack on its prized bauxite mines at Damanjodi.
UCO Bank posts Rs.558 crore net profit 
8 May 2009, 2024 hrs IST
City-based public sector bank UCO Bank posted a net profit of Rs.558 crore for the fiscal 2008-09 compared to Rs.412 crore last fiscal, a growth of 35.44 per cent, a top bank official said Friday.
 
News By Industry
* Ashok Leyland April sales down by 69.33 pc
* Hyundai mulls shift from India on labour woes
* Hoteliers bank on Mother's Day packages to increae walk-ins
More >>
Economy
* Obama tax move won't impact Indian firms: NR Narayana Murthy
* India can comfortably grow 7-8%: Former RBI head Reddy
* RBI should come out with norms for verifying bank a/cs: SFIO
More >>
International Business
* US banks seek $75 billion
* Morgan Stanley offers $3.5 billion in stock
* Fannie Mae seeks $19 bn in US aid after Q1 loss
More >>
Politics/Nation
* Karat meets Naveen to explore non-Congress, non-BJP govt at Centre
* NSA against Varun invalid: UP advisory board
* BJP no longer has tag of north Indian party: Advani
More >>
 http://economictime s.indiatimes. com/News/ articlelist/ 1715249553. cms

Advani in Bengal to canvass support for party candidates
08 May, 2009 [06:31 PM]
BJP's prime ministerial candidate L K Advani arrived in West Bengal to canvass support for party candidates in the last phase of Lok Sabha polls at three regions including Shradhananda Bazzar in Bara Bazaar and Dumdum central jail. Advani seemed confident of winning the elections this time. While talking to the press he said that with just one round of election left to decide the fate of the parties the BJP was quite confident of making it to the Top post.
Read More
 
Hunt intensifies for post poll alliances
08 May, 2009 [12:04 PM]
The two major rivalries for India's throne - the Congress and the BJP - have now intensified their hunt for allies as the possibility of a....Read More
  http://www.taratv. com/

Toddler killed
A two-year-old girl, Shania Khatoun, died of bullet wounds in Nandigram in an attack blamed on CPM activists out to punish Trinamul supporters who defied a diktat not to vote. Her mother was shot in the stomach and is in hospital.
At least seven other people died in Bengal in poll-related incid-ents.
 http://www.telegrap hindia.com/ 1090508/jsp/ frontpage/ story_10934229. jsp
 

Lying in wait
Lying in wait
Election is a time of illusions, both for the rulers and the ruled
Like birds of prey descending on a pile of far gone carrion, economists pounce on primary data with even marginal relevance to the phenomenon known as Indian poverty. They squabble over the definition of poverty and over methods to measure it. Learne...  | Read.. 
 
http://www.telegrap hindia.com/ section/opinion/ index.jsp
 
NSA against Varun invalid: UP advisory board
Times of India - ‎1 hour ago‎
NEW DELHI: The UP advisory board said on Friday that the use of the National Security Act against BJP leader Varun Gandhi, invoked for his alleged communal remark, was not valid.
NSA revoked against Varun Gandhi IBNLive.com
Court recommends revocation of NSA against Varun Gandhi Hindu
Zee News - SamayLive - BreakingNewsOnline.  - myPOPKORN
all 25 news articles »हिंदी में

Fresh News
BJP no longer has tag of north Indian party: Advani
Economic Times - ‎1 hour ago‎
During this one day visit to Tamil Nadu on Thursday, NDA's Prime Ministerial candidate and BJP's senior leader, LK Advani conveyed a strong message to the electorate in Tamil Nadu that it no longer has the tag of a north Indian party.
Rahul's foot in the mouth Express Buzz
BJP way ahead of Congress, will form government: Advani Hindustan Times
Hindu - MSN India - Indopia - Times of India
all 155 news articles »हिंदी में

MSN India
Amar's statement laced with threats against me: Azam
Hindu - ‎3 hours ago‎
Lucknow (PTI) Azam Khan, the Muslim face of the Samajwadi Party, on Friday took strong exception to his estranged party colleague Amar Singh's reference about him during an election rally here, saying that it was laced with threats against him.
Azam says Amar is threat to his life Hindustan Times
Azam Khan's tirade against Amar, Kalyan unfair: Mulayam Singh Press Trust of India
Indopia - Merinews - MSN India - Expressindia. com
all 63 news articles »हिंदी में

KalingaTimes
BJD crucial to forming Third Front government: Karat
Times of India - ‎2 hours ago‎
BHUBANESWAR: Orissa chief minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) head Naveen Patnaik will play a "key role" in forming a "non-Congress, secular government", Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) general secretary Prakash Karat said after meeting him here ...
We are going to form stable govt in Orissa: Naveen Business Standard
Third Front well poised to defeat Cong, BJP: Karat Press Trust of India
Zee News - KalingaTimes  - Indopia - BreakingNewsOnline.
all 50 news articles »हिंदी में

Thaindian.com
Sonia Gandhi to campaign in Chennai
Hindu - ‎1 hour ago‎
Chennai (IANS): Congress president Sonia Gandhi will address an election rally here Sunday along with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, Congress party members said Friday.
Tamil Nadu Congress feels the poll heat, thanks to Rahul Gandhi Livemint
DMK, a paler version in this campaign Daily News & Analysis
Times of India - Express Buzz - Hindu - Hindu
all 145 news articles »हिंदी में

Fresh News
Obama tax move won't impact Indian firms, Murthy to president
Hindustan Times - ‎46 minutes ago‎
Indian IT firms would not be impacted by the tax reform proposal of US President Barak Obama, Infosys Technologies chairman and chief mentor NR Narayana Murthy told President Pratibha Devisinh Patil on Friday.
President Patil visits Infosys Economic Times
President in city for IISc fete Express Buzz
CIOL - Sakaal Times - SINDH TODAY - Thaindian.com
all 39 news articles »

AFP
Poll protesters hurt in Kashmir teargas firing
Reuters India - ‎58 minutes ago‎
SRINAGAR (Reuters) - At least 30 people were injured when police in Srinagar fired teargas shells on Friday to disperse thousands of Muslims protesting the general election, police said.
Video:  Low turnout in Indian Kashmir's elections - 7 May 09 Al Jazeera
Mirwaiz says no pressure on poll boycott issue Indopia
BBC News - Tehelka - Hindu - AFP
all 304 news articles »

BBC News
Congress sure of President inviting party to form govt.
Hindu - ‎1 hour ago‎
New Delhi (PTI): With the outcome of the Lok Sabha polls scheduled to be out next weekend, Congress on Friday expressed confidence that the President would invite the single largest party or single largest "clear alliance" to form the new government.
57% voter turnout in phase 4 Times of India
Amidst poll violence West Bengal records 75 pc turnout IBNLive.com
BBC News - Times of India - Times of India - Times of India
all 407 news articles »हिंदी में

SINDH TODAY
Taliban's Terror-Jizya on Sikhs
Tehelka - ‎2 hours ago‎
Pakistan is going through dangerous turmoil. The Taliban's capturing of Swat valley (April 2009) and other parts of Pakistan are accompanied by the news of their atrocities in the region, which not only include the brutal killing of innocent's citizens ...
Bandh hits normal life in Jammu Press Trust of India
Jammu bandh today to protest Taliban atrocities against Pak Sikhs Times of India
IBNLive.com - BreakingNewsOnline.  - Reuters India - myPOPKORN
all 64 news articles »हिंदी में

AFP
Malaysia to free 3 Indian activists from prison
Times of India - ‎8 hours ago‎
8 May 2009, 1128 hrs IST, AP PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia's government announced on Friday that it will release 13 people imprisoned without trial under a tough security law, including three ethnic Indian activists accused of inciting racial hatred.
Malaysia orders release of three Hindraf leaders Press Trust of India
Malaysia to release ethnic Indian activists AFP
Sify - Bernama - The Malaysian Insider - New Straits Times
all 61 news articles »

GlobalVisas
US introduces stricter screening for H1B; Indians may be hit
Daily News & Analysis - ‎1 hour ago‎
PTI Washington: Indian professionals aspiring to go to the US to work may now find it more difficult to get H-1B visas with Washington deciding on stricter screening following complaints of misuse of the facility.
US adopts "fraud" prevention in H-1B visa programmes Times of India
US adopts rules to 'prevent H-1B visa fraud by Indian IT' IBNLive.com
CIOL - Press Trust of India - GlobalVisas - Times of India
all 16 news articles »

SINDH TODAY
Achuthanandan asked to go? Politburo says it is rumour
Hindustan Times - ‎6 minutes ago‎
The rift between Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan and CPI-M state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan took an ugly turn on Friday with the party's state secretariat reportedly asking Achuthanandan to step down.
CPM Kerala unit tells Achuthanandan to step down IBNLive.com
Achuthanandan asked to go? Politburo says it is rumour SamayLive
Indopia - Kerala Online - The Statesman - Express Buzz
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Fresh News
Father of ragging victim welcomes SC order
Business Standard - ‎6 hours ago‎
PTI / New Delhi May 8, 2009, 13:44 IST Welcoming Supreme Court's directives to initiate steps to curb ragging, Rajendra Kachroo, who lost his son Amann in a ragging incident, today said there has to be "independent monitoring mechanism" to ensure ...
Aman's death: SC says it's more than ragging Zee News
SC passes directions to eradicate ragging menace Press Trust of India
SINDH TODAY - Merinews - Little About
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Fresh News
Karnataka brings acts of terror under KCOCA
Hindu - ‎5 hours ago‎
Bangalore (PTI): Acts of terrorism will now be categorised as organised crime and brought under the ambit of Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act (KCOCA) as per amendments to be brought through by an ordinance.
Government plans amendments to KCOCA Express Buzz
Karnataka to introduce tough anti-terror provisions Indopia
MyNews.in - Times of India
all 10 news articles »

BBC News
Witness identifies Mumbai suspect
BBC News - ‎1 hour ago‎
The first witness in the Mumbai attacks trial has identified the lone surviving gunman, Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab, in court, the prosecution has said.
26/11 trial: Kasab fired on ASI Omble, says witness Times of India
Kasab fired at cop Omble: Witness MyNews.in
Thaindian.com  - Earthtimes (press release) - Bombay News
all 36 news articles »हिंदी में

Straits Times
Encounter ace's sack quashed
Times of India - ‎15 hours ago‎
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT) on Thursday quashed the dismissal order of 'encounter specialist' inspector Pradeep Sharma for his alleged links with global terrorists and organised crime syndicates and ordered his reinstatement ...
Encounter specialist Sharma reinstated Hindu
Encounter cop gets back job & wages Calcutta Telegraph
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Hindu
Mystery fire consumes records
Express Buzz - ‎7 hours ago‎
Employees climb down the ladder from the third floor in the D block of the Secretariat. HYDERABAD: A mysterious fire that broke out in the Secretariat, seat of the State administration, this afternoon, consumed servers, computers and files in several ...
Major fire in D block of Secretariat Hindu
13 injured in AP secretariat fire Times of India
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SamayLive
91.92 pass percentage in 10th standard exam
Times of India - ‎7 hours ago‎
8 May 2009, 1211 hrs IST, PTI THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A total pass percentage of 91.92 has been recorded in Kerala's Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination for the 10th standard held in March this year.
Education Dept having a 'rethink' on pass percentage Express Buzz
SSLC results for Kerala declared, pass percentage 91.92 Khaleej Times
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PakTribune.com
AfPak deal: Pak needs to 'exploit' geographical importance
Daily News & Analysis - ‎1 hour ago‎
PTI Islamabad: While finalising a new transit trade agreement with Kabul, Pakistan will have to "exploit" its geographical importance and ensure that the US addresses its concerns about the Indian presence in Afghanistan, the Pakistani media commented ...
Pak, Afghanistan transit trade pact could help India Times of India
Premature to talk of transit trade: Pakistan Hindu
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Mid-Day
Bangalore Varsity to offer BBM, BCA in Distance Education Mode
Daijiworld.com  - ‎3 hours ago‎
Bangalore, May 8: Bangalore University will introduce bachelor of business management (BBM) and bachelor of computer applications (BCA) courses under the distance education stream from this academic year.
BU offers distance education courses Daily News & Analysis
New correspondence courses planned by BU Express Buzz
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Like birds of prey descending on a pile of far gone carrion, economists pounce on primary data with even marginal relevance to the phenomenon known as Indian poverty. They squabble over the definition of poverty and over methods to measure it. Learne...  | Read.. 
 
Poll protesters hurt in Kashmir teargas firing
Reuters India - ‎57 minutes ago‎
SRINAGAR (Reuters) - At least 30 people were injured when police in Srinagar fired teargas shells on Friday to disperse thousands of Muslims protesting the general election, police said.
Video:  Low turnout in Indian Kashmir's elections - 7 May 09 Al Jazeera
Mirwaiz says no pressure on poll boycott issue Indopia
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United Press International
Pakistan army says 143 militants killed in Swat
Reuters India - ‎9 minutes ago‎
By Junaid Khan MINGORA, Pakistan, May 8 (Reuters) - Pakistan's military said on Friday it had killed 143 militants over the previous 24 hours in fighting in the Islamist bastion of Swat.
Video:  Swat fighting threatens Pakistan army unity - 8 May 09 Al Jazeera
Hundreds of thousands flee Pakistan fighting The Associated Press
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BBC News
Jordan queen all a-Twitter over papal visit
AFP - ‎22 minutes ago‎
AMMAN (AFP) - Jordan's Queen Rania "twittered" on the social online network about Pope Benedict XVI's first ever visit to an Arab country on Friday, as the pontiff kicked off his Holy Land tour.
Video:  Raw Video: Pope Arrives in Jordan The Associated Press
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UPA government will stand by Sri Lankan Tamils: Rahul
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Calcutta Telegraph
Pro-poll pressure on Lalgarh leaders
Calcutta Telegraph - ‎Apr 15, 2009‎
In Calcutta, Sujato Bhadra, secretary of the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights, said he had advised the committee to agree to the poll panel's ...
Tribal tremor in heart of city
Times of India - ‎Apr 24, 2009‎
At 7.30 pm, with more streets getting gridlocked, Chakraborti personally called Chaudhuri and APDR's Sujato Bhadra and assured them that the matter would be ...

Q&A: 'Many of us may still be pro-Left but anti-Left Front'
Times of India - ‎May 5, 2009‎
Theatre personality and writer Shaoli Mitra was among the galaxy of intellectuals who have backed the Left Front government in West Bengal for three decades ...
Is Left doing it right in Bengal? Intellectuals debate
Daily News & Analysis - ‎Apr 27, 2009‎
Echoing Mahashweta Devi, Shaoli Mitra said the fact that intellectuals in Bengal wants change is not a clandestine affair and they have expressed their

Nhatky.in
Troublespot Nandigram turns out in force
Times of India - ‎16 hours ago‎
Interestingly, Nandigram recorded a huge turnout of 86%. The tension in the cadre was palpable as clashes broke out and several places virtually turned into ...
Clashes continue in Nandigram Sify
Minor violence in Nandigram, Singur sees large turnout Business Standard
Singur, Nandigram gear up for key roles in Act II Economic Times
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Two-year-old girl a victim of post-poll violence in Nandigram
Hindu - ‎57 minutes ago‎
Tamluk (WB) (PTI) A two-year-old girl was one of the two victims of post-poll violence in Nandigram. Sania was shot dead when her mother Alia Bibi stepped ...

Calcutta Telegraph
In Red bastion, four dead as oppn gives as good as it gets
Times of India - ‎16 hours ago‎
But the Opposition matched the Red brigade's power in parts of the Tamluk Lok Sabha constituency, including Nandigram, resulting in widespread violence ...
Unfamiliar feeling of voting against CPM Calcutta Telegraph
Tension and mercury soar in Bengal's phase II, 5 left dead Kolkata Newsline
Violence leaves 5 dead in state Times of India
Calcutta Telegraph
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Voice of America
57% voter turnout in phase 4
Times of India - ‎8 hours ago‎
The violence in West Bengal grabbed attention as CPM cadres in parts of Nandigram were at the receiving end for a change with the party's polling agents ...
4 killed in Indian polls violence The Daily Star
3 die in Bengal, 1 in Rajasthan Asian Age
Three killed, over 70 percent vote in West Bengal (Third Lead) Thaindian.com
The Statesman - Merinews
all 404 news articles »हिंदी में

Zee News
Stringent security for Nandigram
Hindu - ‎May 6, 2009‎
Nandigram (WB) (PTI): Five and a half companies of central forces, micro observers and video cameras in polling booths were part of the stringent security ...
Firing in Nandigram as police move out Times of India
and more »
Poll peaceful, says EC
The Statesman - ‎17 hours ago‎
He, added that three people were arrested for poll related violence in Nandigram, while two others were arrested for ransacking a booth in Asansol. ...

Indian Express
Horns locked over Nandigram turf
Times of India - ‎May 3, 2009‎
And never before in their three decades of rule, has the Left Front faced a stiffer resistance till Nandigram erupted two years ago. ...
Will Nandigram see red again? Express Buzz
Left banks on Khejuri The Statesman
Nandigram: One held for TMC leader's murder Kolkata Newsline
Merinews - Times of India
and more »

guardian.co. uk
PM tears into Left at rally in Kolkata
Hindustan Times - ‎May 1, 2009‎
He in turn attacked the Left Front government for the violence that accompanied its land acquisition efforts at Singur and Nandigram. ...
Mamata Banerjee | One enemy, many suitors Livemint
PM takes a dig at Left, says it is still way behind times Times of India
Manmohan calls for 'change' in Left-ruled Bengal Press Trust of India
Express Buzz
and more »

stv.tv
One dead in violence in West Bengal
Sify - ‎May 7, 2009‎
Kolkata: Trouble-torn Nandigram in West Bengal erupted on Thursday as gunfire and bombings marred the polling that began on a peaceful note. ...
Congress battles left as India votes in 4th round Reuters
all 75 news articles »

SINDH TODAY
Small phase but high stakes in Round IV
Economic Times - ‎May 6, 2009‎
The region includes the violence-scarred Nandigram and Singur. While Nandigram falls in the Tamluk constituency, represented in the 14th Lok Sabha by CPM ...
SAD-BJP, CPM may face A tough time Economic Times
all 220 news articles »
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Himal Southasian
State of the Maoist state
Himal Southasian - ‎May 2, 2009‎
When it comes to statecraft, the Maoist failure is evident in not being able to reach out to the political parties, civil society, the professional classes ...

Eminent Human Right activist, SUJATO BHADRA, based in Kolkata quotes the Great Poet SHAKESPEAR!
 
They Kill us for Sport!
 
Mr Bhadra calls for UNITED RESISTANCE against the Marxist Hegemony ruling Bengal for THREE DECADES! Well, his Face is pasted on the Parivartan chai HOARDING all over the city.
 
He has made the SOS call in his first Page write up in Dainik STATESMAN published today.
 
Mr Bhadra also quotes Rabindra Nath Tagore to invoke MUTINY Unprecedented!
 
We all know Mr Bhdra and his Pro activism!
 
But the hardcore REALITIES in Bengal, where all Productive as well as social Forces are marginalised and every SPACE for any SOCIAL MOBILISATION is DELETED with OVERWHELMING Brahaminical Marxist Fascist Imperialist BANGLA nationality, and the GENOCIDE culture, the REGIMENTED GESTAPO may not change despite the HOARDINGS of THIRTY ODD Intelligentsia and Civil society faces crying hard FREEDOM and CHANGE!
 
 The Gas CHAMBER would NEVER VANISH nor the DEATH CHAMBER!
 
My dear friends, my WIFE SABITA is also AGITATED while I criticise the SACRED MOST Bangla Nationality Sentiment and INHERENT BRAHAMINICAL BENGALI Mindset and its unquestioned COLONIALISM.
 
 She suggests my attempt for Social Mobilisation is nothing but HATE SPEECH.
 
 My favourite Poet and writer, NABARUN BHATTACHARYA, always engaged in SUBALTERN writing and dealing the UNDER CLASSES, NEVER accepts his status as SUB ALTERN! He still believes in CLASS STRUGGLE and DESPISES AMBEDKAR IDEOLOGY as well as CASTEOLOGY!
 
Sabita herself hates MAYAWATI and feels herself above CASTE LINE!
 
I do not BLAME anyone but this is the General Mindset of Bengalies including Indigenous aboriginal and Minority Communities, SC, ST and OBC!
 
I understand that many of you may be TIRED of my CARPET BOMBING against the Manusmriti ZIONIST APARTHEID GLOBAL corporate hegemony of ILLUMINATI!
 
I have always been writing about the MOST LETHAL TRIO RULING India, the TRI IBLIS SATANIC AXIS of ADWANI BUDDHA and PRANAB!
 
The CPIM TV Channel telecasted ADWANI CAMPAIGN in Kolakta and around LIVE !
 
Why!
 
It is not just all about ELECTION Equation or VOTE BANK READJUSTMENT STRATEGIC management.
 
 It is some Thing more! We have to try to UNDERSTAND!
 
DAINIK statesman also published an EDIT page article written by the GROUP Theatre ICON, Shaoli Mitra! 
 
 Shaoli Mitra! DI has rightly highlighted the CULTURE of TERROR and INTOLERANCE.

  Shaoli Mitra! used the History of NAXAL REPRESSION in seventies and quoted incidents from BARANAGAR GENOCIDE in 1972!
 
GIRAFFE is a VEGETARIAN ANIMAL NON VIOLENT!
 
Why the Ruling Hegemony is afraid of the THIRTY ODD Giraffes while the MAJORITY SUPPORT is INTACT!
 
Bangla statesman also published an INTERVIEW of the NEPAL PRESIDENT, Dr. RAMBARAN Yadav!

Prominent Bangladeshi writer and human Right Activist HUMAYUN Kabir interviewed the PRESIDENT who JUSTIFIES his action to dismiss the PRACHAND action against the ARMY CHIEF!

We NEVER know the stance of the Bengali Intelligentsia and CIVIL SOCIETY on the events and developments in SOUTH ASIA and beyond.

My dear friends, for me , the CHANGE is not so LOCAL.

The RESISTANCE is not limited within nandigram, Singur or Lalgarh!

After all, what kind of CHANGE do we WANT?

Is this the CHANGE WANTED?

Kabir Suman hits the chord to make a dent in red fort
 
Abhisek Roychowdhury

KOLKATA, May 7: With the mercury level soaring, election campaign is gaining momentum at Jadavpur parliamentary constituency, which is traditionally considered a Left fortress. The sitting CPI-M MP, Mr Sujan Chakrabarty, seems quite confident as he locks horns with a political novice, but popular singer ~ Kabir Suman ~ who has set a new trend in Bengali songs.
Sociable and suave, Mr Chakrabarty has always been at the call of the electorate cutting across political affiliation. Be it a television debate or grievances of the students at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institution, Mr Chakrabarty has always been there to help sort out problems. He has been sitting with local people in some places and interacting with them. The scorching heat does not deter him from undertaking long walks to win the hearts of voters.
Last time, Mr Chakrabarty came out with flying colours by a margin of 78,193 votes. He has been emphasising on the emergence of a Third Front and industrialisation policy of the Left Front government in his campaign. Delimitation has brought about certain realignments with some new Assembly segments being included in the Jadavpur constituency.
Sonarpur, once a reserved constituency, has been bifurcated into Sonarpur north and Sonarpur south. Similarly, Baruipur, a general constituency, has been divided into Baruipur East (SC) and Baruipur West. Two Assembly constituencies Tollygunge and Bhangore have been new additions post delimitation.
Political observers feel that the Left candidate would get maximum votes from Baruipur and Sonarpur areas. As a Trinamul candidate was elected from the Bhangore Assembly seat, Kabir Suman may get a lead from here.
Suman, a new entrant in politics, is known for his Jiban Mukhi Gaan, a new variety of Bengali songs. Playing the guitar, Suman sings his popular numbers one after the other at election rallies in the sweltering heat.
He has been encouraged by the indomitable spirit of Miss Mamata Banerjee since the days of the uprising at Singur and Nandigram. He views Miss Banerjee as a symbol of resistance to oppression and injustice perpetrated by the ruling combine. He is undertaking road shows to make his point to voters.
http://www.thestate sman.net/ page.news. php?clid= 22&theme= &usrsess= 1&id=253611
 
Or we are INTERESTED in a CHANGE advocated by Desi ILLUMINATI in shaping to make India a FODDER for the KILLER Money Machine?
 India chana futures lower on stocks
Fri May 8, 2009 2:29pm IST

 
Email | Print |
Share| Single Page
[-] Text [+]
MUMBAI, May 8 (Reuters) - India chana futures were trading lower on Friday afternoon on higher output estimates and rising exchange warehouse stocks, analysts said.
Stocks at the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange warehouses have risen by 51 percent to 60,647 tonnes in the past two weeks, as per latest exchange data.
Traders are moving stocks into exchange warehouses before prices fall further on arrivals from a bumper crop.
According to the federal farm ministry estimates chana output may rise by 13.7 percent to 6.54 million tonnes in 2008/09 from 5.75 million tonnes a year ago.
"The medium term trend appears bearish," a Kotak Commodity Services Ltd analyst said.
At 2:16 p.m, June futures contract NCHM9 was down 0.98 percent at 2,319 rupees per 100 kg.
GUAR:
India guar futures were lower in afternoon trade on profit-taking after hitting strong technical resistance, analysts said.
Two analysts said June contract couldn't breach strong technical resistance at 1,855 rupees per 100 kg.  Continued...
View article on single pagePrevious Page 1 | 2 Next Page
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Maoist leaflets found in West Bengal secretariat
2009-05-08 [17:25:40 hrs]
There was a stir in the West Bengal state secretariat Friday following the discovery of Maoist leaflets demanding unconditional release of 12 of their leaders.
 
The leaflets were found scattered in the press corner - located in the highest security zone close to the chief minister’s office on the first floor of the Writers’ Building - the state government secretariat.

The leaflets, in the name of the Maoists’ spokesman Gour Chakraborty, carried photographs of the 12 leaders lodged in various jails of the country and demanded they be given status of political prisoners immediately.

Following the discovery, Chief Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty called an emergency meeting and set up a committee to probe how the leaflets made it to the high-security zone.
 
5 killed in post poll violence in Bengal
08 May, 2009 [04:22 PM]
Five persons were killed in post poll violence in West Bengal which saw the highest voters turnout at 75%. ....Read More
 
Atleast 500 elope due to post poll violence in Nandigram
08 May, 2009 [01:02 PM]
Atleast 500 families have fled home and taken refuge in relief camps as a result of post poll violence in Nandigram. ....Read More

Blood stains Bengal as 75% vote
Uday Basu & Anjan Chakraborty 
KOLKATA, May 7: The battle for the 17 Lok Sabha seats in the heartland of south Bengal which will finally decide whether the Red regime is on its way out or whether it's still invincible even after the Nandigram-Singur turmoil, was a bloody one. Widespread intimidation, violence, killing and booth-capturing marked the second phase of the state's polling spread over seven districts. The trail of violence left five political activists dead ~ four murdered, including a Trinamul man whose throat was slit in the Marxist stronghold of Burdwan ~ and another due to a cardiac arrest as he tried to escape the violence in Tamluk. A one-and-a-half- year-old child was also killed and her mother critically wounded in a late night attack by CPI-M cadres on Trinamul supporters at Satengabari, also in Tamluk. Two more voters were confirmed as having died during the poll process, one of heatstroke and the second of a suspected heart attack whilst he was in a polling booth.
Over 75 per cent votes, on an average, were cast in each district.
The most sensational feature of the fierce fight for capturing new political space and retaining old terrain was that the Trinamul-led Opposition took the battle into Burdwan ~ the traditional Red bastion that has weathered many storms unscathed and proved to be the Marxists’ mainstay. Indiscriminate bombing and booth capturing marred the polls in the five districts of Burdwan, Murshidabad, Midnapore (East), Howrah and Birbhum, while stray incidents were reported from the remaining two ~ Nadia and Hooghly. Unnerved by the turn of events, the CPI-M alleged ~ a first, this ~ that there was “large-scale rigging� by the Trinamul in 58 booths in Nandigram and lodged a formal complaint with the Election Commission. Even if that was a disingenous allegation, it is a fact that the violence wasn't one-sided, as both Trinamul and the CPI-M activists had a free run flexing their muscles and firepower in areas they had an edge over their rival. This explained
why the two main contenders traded allegations of attacks and booth-capturing against each other. Significantly, Mr Pranab Mukherjee said if the Congress failed to muster the numbers “it would be sensible� to take support from the Left “in the interest of secularism�. The most gruesome killing took place at Kanyapur in Asansol around 12.30 p.m, when a bomb injured a Trinamul supporter, Akshay Bauri (37) when he was waiting for his turn to vote in a queue outside a booth (No. 281/7). The assailants, alleged to be CPI-M activists, pounced on him as he lay on the ground and slit his throat.
Two policemen, Mr Dilip Ganguly and Mr Kalachand Mallik, also sustained splinter injuries during the attack. A polling officer of the booth, Mr Anath Bandhu Mondal, went missing in the melee. There was a free-for-all in Burdwan as the Congress candidate, Ms Nargis Begum, was allegedly assaulted at Bhatar. 
At Khargram in Jangipur, from where external affairs minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, is seeking reelection, Kashinath Mondal (40), whom CPI-M claimed to be their activist, was killed in a bomb attack allegedly by Congress supporters. Clashes between CPI-M and Congress supporters were reported in Naodapara and Domkal in Murshidabad where at least thirteen persons were injured.
In Birbhum too, at least four Congress supporters were injured in a clash with CPI-M activists in Dubrajpur Rossa when CPI-M activists allegedly hurled bombs in Thupsara panchayat to capture booths. Only recently, the Trinamul had wrested this CPI-M stronghold. In Hooghly,(Continued from page 1)
CPI-M agents were not allowed to enter six booths in Jangipara ~ a Red citadel which holds the key to the Serampore Lok Sabha seat. The CPI-M demanded re-poll in two of these six booths ~ Kamdebpur and Bahana. 
As poll drew to a close, a 20-year-old CPI-M activist, Manoar Zamadar, was shot dead from point blank range allegedly by Trinamul-backed goons outside his house at Chadrapur in Uluberia. He was returning home after casting his vote. Mir Yasin (46), brutally beaten up by CPI-M cadres when they attacked Trinamul supporters at Satengabari this afternoon, died at Tamluk district hospital tonight. Another Trinamul worker Bapan Das who was shot at by the CPI-M workers during the attack still missing, alleged Trinamul leaders. Armed CPI-M cadres attacked Satengabari for a second time late tonight, fatally wounding a one-and-half- year old girl, Shamia Khatun. Her mother Aleya Khatun also received bullet injuries and is in critical condition. At least seven people, including two women and a child, were critically injured during clashes between CPI-M and Trinamul supporters at different places in Howrah and Uluberia constituencies. Polling in Nadia was peaceful
except for a few voting machines giving trouble. A polling officer was allegedly trying to influence voters to press the button for the CPI-M candidate, Mrs Jyotirmoyee Sikdar. 
Mr Debashis Sen, state chief electoral officer said polling was by and large peaceful barring a few stray incidents. Three people were arrested for poll-related violence in Nandigram and two others were nabbed for ransacking a booth in Asansol, he said. State home secretary, Mr Ardhendu Sen, said it was alleged that a political party couldn’t engage polling agents in many booths of Nandigram in the morning. Later in the day, some polling agents did reach some of these booths. LF chairman Mr Biman Bose said the Trinamul chief’s exhortation to voters to go to booths armed with cooking implements succeeded as the Trinamul rigged the elections. Miss Mamata Banerjee levelled the same charge against the CPI-M.  
http://www.thestate sman.net/ page.news. php?clid= 1&theme=& usrsess=1& id=253534
 
NANDISINGUR
The Telegraph tracked the polling day on either side of the great divide that symbolises this election: Nandigram and Singur. the stories of Sayra Bibi of Nandigram and Raj Kumar Jyoti of Singur

Age: 33
Village: Bainchabari, 3km from Nandigram town
Occupation: Tea seller
Loss: Husband Rejaul Sheikh, shot dead by CPM cadres during the “recapture� of Nandigram in
November 2007
Sayra Bibi
How her day started
Sayra Bibi wakes up at 4am, offers namaaz. On election day, she prays for her husband’s departed soul. Does household chores
Was she looking forward to this day?
Yes. “Because I want to avenge my husband’s death by defeating the CPM. My husband lost his life because of the land war. I hope the CPM loses, then at least I’ll get some peace�
Another day but different too
Around 6.30am, Sayra Bibi has muri and tea with her four children. She then opens the tea shop she runs next to her house. Makes tea for the polling personnel of her booth, 200 yards from her house
Stepping out
Before leaving for the booth at 7.10am, she tells her children: “Pray that I can vote peacefully so that the CPM can be defeated. At least then, your father’s soul can rest in peace�
On her way
“I consider myself lucky to be alive and around to cast my vote,� she says. “I consider it providence that my children are all alive despite the attacks of the CPM goons�
Fellow voters
Sayra Bibi meets a few other women from the same village on their way to the booth. They embrace each other
The vote and after
“A mission accomplished,� she declares after voting at 7.20am. “I am so relieved that I have been able to vote for my candidate. I am happy that there has been no violence in this booth and I have been able to cast my vote in peace�
Will her vote make a difference?
“It will make a huge difference as the person I have voted for will definitely win,� Sayra Bibi says. “This will be a fitting reply to the CPM�
What if her candidate loses
“I am confident that my candidate will win,� she says. “There is no doubt. If for any reason he does not, I will only curse my fate�
What now?
“This evening, I’ll pray for my candidate, hope that he wins,� Sayra Bibi says. “But tomorrow will be a normal day for me. I’ll wait for the results now.�

Age: 23
Village: Gopalnagar, Singur
Occupation: Trainee technician at Tata Motors plant in Pantnagar
Loss: Used to work at the Nano plant in Singur. The Rs 1,700 he got a month sustained him in Singur, but tough to make ends meet in Pantnagar
Raj Kumar Jyoti
How his day started
Jyoti wakes up at 6.30am, has tea, walks to nearby Sahanapara and buys a newspaper. Flipping through it, he chats with some friends. Returns home, changes and leaves again for Sahanapara, where his friends are waiting
Was he looking forward to this day?
Yes. “The dreams that I had been building crashed around me. This is why I have taken leave and come to Singur to vote for the CPM. I think we have been cheated by the Trinamul people. I was getting two free meals besides my salary. I was quite happy�
Stepping out
Jyoti catches up with friends on the situation in Singur. He asks them whether they had visited the Tata plant administrative office that is still functioning. They say there is no positive news of the Nano returning. Jyoti snacks on muri and ghugni before setting out to vote around 2pm. He walks to his booth, located in Gopalnagar
On his way
“The thought uppermost in my mind today is that there should be some hope that industry will come up in Singur. I see only desolation here. But I want to come back to Bengal, to my home in Singur,� says Jyoti
Fellow voters
Jyoti runs into his uncle, Asit, on way to the booth, and Somnath Das, his batchmate at the Tata plant. “My uncle told me to vote for the CPM,� Jyoti says. “I assured him that there was no need to tell me that. This time the vote is for industry in Singur�
The vote and after
“After I voted, my thoughts went back to the four months that I had spent in the Nano plant in Singur,� Jyoti says. “There was food at home and hardly a worry�
Will his vote make a difference?
“I do hope that my vote will make a difference. My vote could ensure a return to the days of hope in Singur. Drops of water make a sea�
What if his candidate loses
“My candidate will never lose,� Jyoti says. “But what I’m not certain about is if the Singur Assembly segment can give him a big lead�
What now?
“I’ll discuss the polls with my friends in the evening.�
REPORTING:IMRAN AHMED SIDDIQUI IN NANDIGRAM AND KINSUK BASU IN SINGUR.
PICTURES: PRADIP SANYAL AND AMIT DATTA http://www.telegrap hindia.com/ 1090508/jsp/ frontpage/ story_10934226. jsp

Unfamiliar feeling of voting against CPM
IMRAN AHMED SIDDIQUI IN NANDIGRAM
For three decades, land had bonded the likes of Subhasini Mali, Sudhir Pradhan and Arup Samanta to the CPM, a party that had taught them to “hold our heads high�.
Today, the issue of land prompted them all to vote against the party, for the first time in a Lok Sabha election in 32 years.
“I voted for the Trinamul Congress not because I have developed a fondness for the party but because I have developed a hatred for the CPM, which once used to be pro-land,� said Samanta, 55, a farmer from Sonachura.
Subhasini, 60, confessed to a “strange feeling�, having just cast her vote for Trinamul. She had not voted in the last rural polls, which Trinamul had swept in Nandigram.
“Today is the first time in so many years that I have not voted for the CPM. But I have no regrets. Nobody should take loyalty for granted,� she said standing before her hut in Sonachura.
Subhasini said that before the Left Front came to power in 1977, uncertainty ruled the lives of bargadars (sharecroppers) , who were at the mercy of rich farmers and landlords.
All that changed with Operation Barga, launched in the initial years of Left Front rule. Sharecroppers’ right to work and their share of the produce became enshrined in law. Some, like Subhasini’s family, rose to become land owners themselves.
“We are land owners now, but in those days many in Nandigram were sharecroppers. The communist government taught us to hold our heads high,� she said. “But the same party and the same government have now become land grabbers. How can we forgive this, though they may have once come to the aid of many of us here?�
Subhasini said she had been among the protesters who blocked the entry of police on March 14, 2007, which led to firing and the death of 14 people. “I was lucky not to take a bullet hit,� she said. “But I fell down in the melee and broke my arm. That was the first time I was exposed to the brutality of this government.�
Her story is repeated by many in Nandigram, an Assembly segment that had given the CPM a lead of nearly 6,000 votes in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. The CPM had polled 68,122 votes then, compared with Trinamul’s 62,439.
“It will be a different story this time,� said farmer Sudhir Pradhan, 65, a resident of Gangra village. “This is because many people like me who have been die-hard CPM supporters today voted Trinamul.�
Pradhan does not have anything against industrialisation but says a “balance� has to be struck between agriculture and industry.
“The question that needs to be asked today is why people who have traditionally voted for the CPM have suddenly, and so vehemently, turned against the party,� Pradhan said, his voice rising in anger. “The CPM should have developed a consensus instead of bulldozing its way and turning land grabber.�
The other word that has become a favourite to describe the ruling party in Nandigram is “arrogant�. It’s this that turned Samanta, 55, from a staunch CPM supporter to a Trinamul voter.
“The March 14 firing showed the cruelty and arrogance of the party and the government. I voted Trinamul because I want change,� Samanta said.
Ashok Guria, the CPM’s East Midnapore district secretary, admitted that many traditional party supporters had voted for the Opposition today.
“Yes, it’s true,� Guria said. “But this is because of a misinformation campaign against the party. We are definitely not land-grabbers. It’s because of our land reforms that many sharecroppers are land owners today.�
http://www.telegrap hindia.com/ 1090508/jsp/ frontpage/ story_10934085. jsp

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EB drop Chetri, Paul Calcutta Telegraph
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Road construction using plastic waste begins in West Bengal
Economic Times - ‎22 hours ago‎
The West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) has been also been roped in as an associate. For starters, a 1 km road within the Kalyani municipality area ...

Goal.com
No Sunil, Surkumar And Subrata For East Bengal - Subhash Bhowmick
Goal.com - ‎May 6, 2009‎
As expected East Bengal have decided not to renew the contracts of Sunil Chhetri, Surkumar Singh and Subrata Paul as they seek to lessen the number of ...
East Bengal exclude Chhetri & Paul The Statesman
and more »
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CPI(M) will lose despite indulging in violence: Mamata
Hindu - ‎May 7, 2009‎
Kolkata (PTI) Accusing the CPI(M) of unleashing terror during the second phase of polling in West Bengal on Thursday, the Trinamool Congress said the Left ...
Trinamool threatening voters in Nandigram, claims CPI-M Hindustan Times
Mamata alleges CPI-M sponsored violence in West Bengal SamayLive
Parties clash as Birbhum votes, 4 Congress supporters injured The Statesman
Business Standard - Thaindian.com
all 199 news articles »

SINDH TODAY
Achuthanandan asked to go? Politburo says it is rumour
Bombay News - ‎5 minutes ago‎
Thiruvananthapuram/ The rift between Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan and CPI-M state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan took an ugly turn Friday with the ...
Strike over SNC Lavalin case The Statesman
all 18 news articles »
TSE:SNC
CPI-M supporter shot dead in Howrah
Press Trust of India - ‎May 7, 2009‎
Howrah (WB), May 7 (PTI) A person claimed to be CPI(M) supporter was shot dead in suspected poll related violence at Amta in Howrah district today, ...
1 killed, several hurt, EVMs damaged The Statesman
all 4 news articles »

guardian.co. uk
Bengal CPI(M) declines to comment on Rahul's statement
Hindu - ‎May 5, 2009‎
Kolkata (PTI) With Rahul Gandhi giving clear signals of working with the Left parties in the post-poll scenario, Bengal CPI(M) on Tuesday declined to ...
Rahul wooing Left upsets TC Zee News
Mamata declines comment on Rahul's overture to the left Press Trust of India
Left rebuffs Rahul, says no support to Congress Hindu
Hindu - Hindu
and more »
Dum Dum readies for triangular contest
The Statesman - ‎17 hours ago‎
Although the Dum Dum constituency is commonly known as a red bastion, the defeat of the CPI-M candidate in two previous parliamentary elections has ...
Voter turnout pegged at over 70 per cent
The Statesman - ‎18 hours ago‎
The most significant event of the elections in Hooghly is that CPI-M agents were not allowed to enter six booths in Jangipara ~ a red citadel which holds ...
Burdwan polls far from peaceful The Statesman
Trinamul man killed in Asansol poll violence The Statesman
all 5 news articles »

SINDH TODAY
Lavalin: CPI(M) denies asking cabinet to accept AG decision
Hindu - ‎May 4, 2009‎
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI) The CPI(M) in Kerala on Monday rebutted reports that it had directed the LDF cabinet to accept the legal opinion given by the ...
Fate of Lavalin case almost sealed Express Buzz
Opposition calls for Kerala shutdown for Vijayan's prosecution Thaindian.com
Lavalin case: Kerala AG defends legal advice to govt Hindu
Express Buzz - Hindu
all 117 news articles »
Congress alleges booth capturing by CPI(M)
Indopia - ‎May 7, 2009‎
... Sagardighi and Domkal in Murshidabad, the EC had done nothing. In Howrah too, the EC did nothing to prevent rigging by the CPI(M), he alleged. Source: PTI.

Thaindian.com
CPI-M again attacks Manmohan on foreign policy
Thaindian.com  - ‎6 hours ago‎
New Delhi, May 8 (IANS) The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has once again attacked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for what it calls his ...
Fears on Indo-US nuclear deal vindicated: Yechury Hindu
JD(U), NCP will look Left after the polls, says Yechury Daily News & Analysis
Yechury happy with Third Front presence in Delhi Business Standard
all 13 news articles »
Violence mars poll in Murshidabad
The Statesman - ‎17 hours ago‎
Both the CPI-M and the Congress complained of electoral malpractices. CPI-M candidates for Jangipur and Murshidabad constituencies alleged that ...
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NSA against Varun invalid: UP advisory board
Times of India - ‎1 hour ago‎
NEW DELHI: The UP advisory board said on Friday that the use of the National Security Act against BJP leader Varun Gandhi, invoked for his alleged communal remark, was not valid.
NSA revoked against Varun Gandhi IBNLive.com
Court recommends revocation of NSA against Varun Gandhi Hindu
Zee News - SamayLive - BreakingNewsOnline.  - myPOPKORN
all 26 news articles »हिंदी में

Thaindian.com
Sonia Gandhi to campaign in Chennai
Hindu - ‎1 hour ago‎
Chennai (IANS): Congress president Sonia Gandhi will address an election rally here Sunday along with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, Congress party members said Friday.
DMK is poll partner: Rahul Gandhi Daily News & Analysis
Tamil Nadu Congress feels the poll heat, thanks to Rahul Gandhi Livemint
Times of India - Express Buzz - Hindu - Hindu
all 145 news articles »हिंदी में

Fresh News
BJP no longer has tag of north Indian party: Advani
Economic Times - ‎1 hour ago‎
During this one day visit to Tamil Nadu on Thursday, NDA's Prime Ministerial candidate and BJP's senior leader, LK Advani conveyed a strong message to the electorate in Tamil Nadu that it no longer has the tag of a north Indian party.
Rahul's foot in the mouth Express Buzz
BJP way ahead of Congress, will form government: Advani Hindustan Times
Hindu - MSN India - Indopia - Times of India
all 155 news articles »हिंदी में

MSN India
Amar's statement laced with threats against me: Azam
Hindu - ‎3 hours ago‎
Lucknow (PTI) Azam Khan, the Muslim face of the Samajwadi Party, on Friday took strong exception to his estranged party colleague Amar Singh's reference about him during an election rally here, saying that it was laced with threats against him.
Azam Khan's tirade against Amar, Kalyan unfair: Mulayam Singh Press Trust of India
SP leader Abu Azmi's cavalcade attacked Indopia
Merinews - MSN India - Expressindia. com - MyNews.in
all 63 news articles »हिंदी में

KalingaTimes
Karat meets Naveen to explore non-Congress, non-BJP govt at Centre
Economic Times - ‎5 minutes ago‎
BHUBANESWAR: CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat on Friday met Orissa chief minister and the BJD president Naveen Patnaik here and held talks about formation of a non-Congress and non-BJP secular government at the Centre.
BJD crucial to forming Third Front government: Karat Times of India
Third Front well poised to defeat Cong, BJP: Karat Press Trust of India
Zee News - KalingaTimes  - Indopia - BreakingNewsOnline.
all 50 news articles »हिंदी में

AFP
Poll protesters hurt in Kashmir teargas firing
Reuters India - ‎1 hour ago‎
SRINAGAR (Reuters) - At least 30 people were injured when police in Srinagar fired teargas shells on Friday to disperse thousands of Muslims protesting the general election, police said.
Video:  Low turnout in Indian Kashmir's elections - 7 May 09 Al Jazeera
Mirwaiz says no pressure on poll boycott issue Indopia
BBC News - Tehelka - Hindu - AFP
all 304 news articles »

Fresh News
Obama tax move won't impact Indian firms, Murthy to president
Hindustan Times - ‎49 minutes ago‎
Indian IT firms would not be impacted by the tax reform proposal of US President Barak Obama, Infosys Technologies chairman and chief mentor NR Narayana Murthy told President Pratibha Devisinh Patil on Friday.
President Patil visits Infosys Economic Times
President in city for IISc fete Express Buzz
Sakaal Times - SINDH TODAY - Thaindian.com  - Hindu
all 39 news articles »

BBC News
Congress sure of President inviting party to form govt.
Hindu - ‎1 hour ago‎
New Delhi (PTI): With the outcome of the Lok Sabha polls scheduled to be out next weekend, Congress on Friday expressed confidence that the President would invite the single largest party or single largest "clear alliance" to form the new government.
57% voter turnout in phase 4 Times of India
Amidst poll violence West Bengal records 75 pc turnout IBNLive.com
BBC News - Times of India - Times of India - Times of India
all 407 news articles »हिंदी में

SINDH TODAY
Achuthanandan asked to go? Politburo says it is rumour
Hindustan Times - ‎8 minutes ago‎
The rift between Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan and CPI-M state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan took an ugly turn on Friday with the party's state secretariat reportedly asking Achuthanandan to step down.
CPM Kerala unit tells Achuthanandan to step down IBNLive.com
CPI(M) rules out asking Kerala CM to quit over Lavalin case Indopia
Kerala Online - The Statesman - Express Buzz - The Week
all 18 news articles »

Fresh News
Karnataka brings acts of terror under KCOCA
Hindu - ‎5 hours ago‎
Bangalore (PTI): Acts of terrorism will now be categorised as organised crime and brought under the ambit of Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act (KCOCA) as per amendments to be brought through by an ordinance.
Government plans amendments to KCOCA Express Buzz
Karnataka to introduce tough anti-terror provisions Indopia
MyNews.in - Times of India
all 10 news articles »

Nhatky.in
Clashes continue in Nandigram
Sify - ‎2 hours ago‎
Kolkata: Clashes between Communist Party of India –Marxist (CPI-M) and rival Trinamool on Friday continued in the trouble-torn Nandigram in West Bengal`s East Midnapore district.
CPM seeks repoll in 58 Nandigram booths Times of India
CPM defeated in Nandigram Economic Times
The Statesman - Calcutta Telegraph - Daily News & Analysis - Business Standard
all 199 news articles »

SINDH TODAY
Medium to heavy turnout in Punjab
Hindu - ‎15 hours ago‎
CHANDIGARH: At least 65 per cent of the 52.7 lakh voters turned out to exercise their right to franchise for four of the 13 Lok Sabha seats from Punjab on Thursday.
Fate of Badal bahu sealed Times of India
Punjab & Haryana exercise franchise The Statesman
PunjabNewsline. com - Ludhiana Newsline - Chandigarh Newsline - Chandigarh Tribune
all 123 news articles »हिंदी में

Rediff
Poll violence in Rajasthan
Hindu - ‎15 hours ago‎
A proud moment: Woman voters proudly showing their voter I-cards after casting their votes in Naraina village under the Jaipur parliamentary constituency in Rajasthan on Thursday.
Muslim absence worries Congress Times of India
Street caste battle shifts to booths Calcutta Telegraph
The Statesman - Hindustan Times - Times of India - Times of India
all 72 news articles »हिंदी में

SINDH TODAY
SAD-BJP, CPM may face A tough time
Economic Times - ‎16 hours ago‎
NEW DELHI: The high voter turnout in Punjab (65%) and West Bengal (75%) during the fourth phase of polls on Thursday does not augur well for the NDA and the Left Front, the ruling alliances in these states.
Congress hopes to win 180 seats Daily News & Analysis
'Confident' BJP scouts for new partners The Statesman
Hindustan Times - Hindu - Times of India - Patna Daily
all 230 news articles »
Cong-NCP finalising modalities to form govt in Meghalaya
Hindu - ‎5 hours ago‎
New Delhi (PTI): The possibility of installation of a Congress-NCP ministry in Meghalaya, which is currently under President's rule following dismissal of the MPA government, brightened today with both parties finalising modalities to provide a stable ...
NCP-Cong may form govt in Meghalaya Economic Times
Talks between Congress-NCP on to form coalition in Meghalaya Press Trust of India
Calcutta Telegraph - Express Buzz - Times of India - Business Standard
all 21 news articles »हिंदी में

Patna Daily
Show ink mark and get discount on purchase
Daily News & Analysis - ‎2 hours ago‎
PTI Patna: Businessmen of Patna have come out with a novel idea to create awareness about the voting rights of the people by offering gifts and discounts on purchases made by those who have cast their votes in the fourth and final phase of Lok Sabha ...
Lalu loses cool, people brave scorching heat for Shotgun Times of India
Poll day turns into holiday in Patna Calcutta Telegraph
Economic Times - IBNLive.com - Patna Daily - Times of India
all 137 news articles »हिंदी में
EC to send 6 teams to look into Bihar poll complaints
Press Trust of India - ‎1 hour ago‎
New Delhi, May 8 (PTI) In view of several complaints about poll irregularities, the Election Commission has decided to send today six teams to Bihar to look into those complaints received during the Lok Sabha elections.
Poll panel sends teams to Bihar to probe complaints SamayLive
Repoll in 70 Bihar booths tomorrow Business Standard
all 16 news articles »

Rediff
Buffalo's gain, Bangalore's loss
Express Buzz - ‎6 hours ago‎
US President Barack Obama's announcement on Monday that he intended fulfilling one of his pre-election promises by increasing taxes on the profits of those companies that create jobs outside America - in Bangalore not in Buffalo - is not yet law.
Nasscom changes stance on US visa issue Business Standard
Obama's Buffalo remark creates ripples in India IT circles Moneycontrol. com
Economic Times - MSN India - Hindu - NDTV.com
all 93 news articles »

SINDH TODAY
'Cong alaways ignored Dalits' interest'
Times of India - ‎17 hours ago‎
LUCKNOW: Launching a scathing attack on Congress at election meetings in Shahjahanpur and Lakhimpur Kheri, BSP national president chief minister Mayawati said that the Congress always ignored the interests of the Dalits.
Oust BSP from Uttar Pradesh: Rahul Hindu
'SP to support any alliance that dismisses Mayawati govt' Lucknow Newsline
Economic Times - Hindustan Times - IBNLive.com - Hindu
all 97 news articles »हिंदी में

Calcutta Telegraph
A little-known life behind the barrel
Calcutta Telegraph - ‎17 hours ago‎
Somewhere along the Manipur-Myanmar border, May 7: To any outsider it would appear like a regular army camp - complete with barracks, mess, parade ground, firing range, watchtowers and armed guards.
RPF Congress pledges to take revolution forward KanglaOnline
RPF announces general policies and programmes adopted at 2nd party ... E-Pao.net

Banks unveil cash-raising plans
BBC News - ‎40 minutes ago‎
US bank Wells Fargo has said it plans to raise $7.5bn (£4.9bn) from selling new shares, a day after the US Treasury said 10 banks needed to boost reserves.
Video:  Stress tests: key to turnaround sought RT
TAKE-A-LOOK- US banks seek $75 bln; Europe peers' bad debts soar Reuters
Bloomberg - Wall Street Journal - Business Standard
all 3,889 news articles »हिंदी में
MS â€" WFC

Sify
Mkts surge 4.2% this week, BSE Metal Index up 14.5%
Moneycontrol. com - ‎2 hours ago‎
The benchmark indices closed the week on a strong note; the Sensex and Nifty gained 4.2% each. The broader indices - Nifty Junior gained 4.2%.
Sensex ends 241 points lower after a good start Press Trust of India
Sensex loses 241 pts on profit taking Sify
India Infoline.com  - NDTV.com - BreakingUpdate  - Wall Street Journal
all 600 news articles »

RTT News
GE Shipping Jan-March net falls, outlook weak
Reuters India - ‎22 minutes ago‎
By Swati Pandey MUMBAI, May 8 (Reuters) - Great Eastern Shipping Co Ltd (GESC.BO: Quote, Profile, Research) posted a 16 percent drop in quarterly net profit on lower earnings from ships and loss on sale of assets and has predicted bleak quarters ahead.
GE Shipping ends flat despite drop in Q4 net Business Standard
GE Shipping declares results; stk down 4.5% Moneycontrol. com
Equity Bulls - RTT News - Hindu Business Line - RTT News
all 12 news articles »

RTT News
AB net profit for Q4 up by 61.94 per cent
Economic Times - ‎2 hours ago‎
8 May 2009, 1743 hrs IST, PTI HYDERABAD: The Andhra Bank registered a profit of Rs 201.21 crore for Q4 which is up by 61.94 per cent comparing to the same period last year.
Andhra Bank Jan-Mar net up 62 pct, beats forecast Reuters India
UCO Bank Q4 net profit up at Rs 102 cr Moneycontrol. com
Business Standard - BreakingUpdate  - Hindu Business Line
all 64 news articles »
BOM:532418 â€" NSE:ANDHRABANK â€" NSE:ANDHRABANK. RL

RTT News
Sell Bharati Shipyard, target of Rs 79: Emkay
Moneycontrol. com - ‎18 minutes ago‎
Emkay Global Financial Services has maintained its sell rating on Bharati Shipyard with a target price of Rs 79 in its May 08, 2009 research report.
No plans to take over Great Offshore's mgmt control: Bharati Economic Times
Bharati soars 13%, Great Offshore slips 3% Business Standard
India Infoline.com  - Reuters India - Moneycontrol. com
all 41 news articles »
NSE:BHARTISHIP. IL â€" NSE:BHARTISHIP. BT â€" NSE:BHARTISHIP. BE
Rupee softens two paise to end at 49.28/29 vs dollar
Economic Times - ‎2 hours ago‎
8 May 2009, 1758 hrs IST, PTI MUMBAI: The rupee on Friday softened by just two paise to close at 49.28/29 against the dollar due to weak local equity markets, despite heavy capital inflows.
India Bonds Fall On Auction Results, Higher Inflation; Rupee Flat Wall Street Journal
Rupee down by 11 paise to 49.38 a dollar Times of India
Bloomberg - Myiris.com - Business Standard - TopNews
all 24 news articles »

Fresh News
Inflation up to 0.70 per cent on rising food prices
Press Trust of India - ‎4 hours ago‎
New Delhi, May 8 (PTI) Continued rise in food prices pushed up inflation to 0.70 per cent, the increase being for the third week in a row, even as economists did not rule out the possibility of it turning negative soon.
Inflation rises to 0.70 per cent Hindu Business Line
India's Inflation Rate Holds Near a Three-Decade Low Bloomberg
Sify - Times of India - domain-B - Wall Street Journal
all 62 news articles »

Thaindian.com
SBI may review interest rates on deposits by May end
Business Standard - ‎3 hours ago‎
State Bank of India, the country's largest bank, may review interest rates on deposits by May-end. "We we will review interest rates at the end of May .
SBI may review rates by May-end Hindu
SBI Plans to Raise Capital Wall Street Journal
Bombay News
all 20 news articles »
NSE:SBIN.BL â€" BOM:500112 â€" NSE:SBIN.RL

Fresh News
Hyundai to shift i20 production from Chennai to Europe
Business Standard - ‎1 hour ago‎
Hyundai Motors India Ltd-the second largest car manufacturer in the country- is planning to shift the production of its premium hatchback i20 model for the export market from Chennai to Europe.
Hyundai decides to shift production of i20 to Europe Sify
Hyundai workers end strike Economic Times
Times of India - Calcutta Telegraph - Express Buzz
all 121 news articles »
PINK:HYMLF

Hindu Business Line
DLF may face Rs 400-crore tax blow
Economic Times - ‎4 hours ago‎
NEW DELHI: India's largest real estate company DLF will have to pay additional tax of Rs 300-400 crore to the government for the financial year 2005-06, after the Income-Tax (IT) department in a special investigation found that the realty company's ...
DLF ends in red, down 2% Business Standard
DLF stands to get re-rated if promoters sell stake Moneycontrol. com
Hindu Business Line - Livemint - TopNews
all 25 news articles »
BOM:532868

BreakingUpdate
Plan panel sees GDP growth at 7%-7.5%
NDTV.com - ‎3 hours ago‎
PTI Exuding confidence that India would continue its high-growth trajectory, Planning Commission member Kirit Parikh today said the country will clock at least 7-7.5 per cent GDP growth in the current fiscal.
Indian economy to grow at 7-7.5 per cent: Kirith Parikh domain-B
Indian Economy To Grow 7-7.5%, Says Kirit Parikh BreakingUpdate
India Infoline.com
all 16 news articles »

The Sun
Tata Motors shed 4%
Business Standard - ‎4 hours ago‎
Tata Motors touched a new low of Rs 262 and ended at Rs 268, down 4%. Around 715094 shares were traded throughout the day on the BSE.
Talks on Jaguar Land Rover bailout set up to fail, says Tata guardian.co. uk
Tatas press ahead with JLR loan guarantee, recast talks Economic Times
domain-B - NDTV.com - Livemint
all 168 news articles »हिंदी में
BOM:500570 â€" NSE:TATAMOTORS. BL â€" NSE:TATAMOTORS

RTE.ie
Talks with Diageo are very much on: Vijaya Mallya
Economic Times - ‎3 hours ago‎
8 May 2009, 1703 hrs IST, PTI NEW DELHI: Liquor major Vijaya Mallya on Friday reaffirmed that talks with the world's largest liquor manufacturer Diageo for selling stake in his group company United Spirits Ltd (USL) are on track.
Anti-trust issues delaying United Spirit-Diageo deal:Mallya Moneycontrol. com
United Spirits, Diageo Still In Talks On Stake Sale Wall Street Journal
domain-B - Reuters - BBC News
all 90 news articles »
LON:DGE â€" NSE:MCDOWELL- N.BL â€" BOM:532432
Indian banks can tackle asset bubble burst: Former RBI Guv
Moneycontrol. com - ‎2 hours ago‎
Former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) YV Reddy said he was pleased with India 's response to global financial crisis.
HIGHLIGHTS - Former RBI governor interview Reuters India
Regulator should understand the implication of the financial product mydigitalfc. com
Commodity Online
all 10 news articles »
Ratnagiri Gas board okays gas deal with RIL
Business Standard - ‎33 minutes ago‎
Ratnagiri Gas and Power Pvt. Ltd. (RGPPL) board approved the proposal to buy gas from Reliance Industry Ltd.'s (RIL) KG basin at $ 4.2 per Million British Thermal Unit (MBTU).
RGPPL to sign deal with RIL if provisions are diluted Economic Times
City gas distribution pact with RIL for KG basin gas soon Moneycontrol. com
United Press International  - domain-B - Livemint - Economic Times
all 14 news articles »
Notice served on DLF's Bangalore project
Economic Times - ‎16 hours ago‎
The Bangalore city corporation, Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), has issued a public notice against investing in DLF's proposed complex named Westend Heights on Bannerghatta Road.
BBMP to the rescue of property buyers Times of India
DLF's mega housing plan runs into trouble in Bangalore Business Standard
Express Buzz - Moneycontrol. com - Livemint
all 14 news articles »
BOM:532868

Siliconindia. com
Premji expresses concern over US' protectionist steps
Economic Times - ‎12 hours ago‎
BANGALORE: The protectionist measures of the US government is a matter of concern, said Azim Premji, chairman, Wipro, India's third-largest software services exporter.
Wipro's testing facility Hindu
Wipro sees recovery in H2 of FY10 Business Standard
EE Herald - Hindustan Times - Siliconindia. com
all 47 news articles »
BOM:507685
Sugar futures up marginally
Hindu Business Line - ‎4 hours ago‎
NEW DELHI: Sugar futures inched up by 0.66 per cent in early trade on the National Commodity Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) on pick-up in demand in the spot markets in view of the summer season.
NCDEX takes step to curb excessive speculation in sugar Hindu
Barley futures slips on lack of buying support Indopia
Myiris.com - Economic Times - Moneycontrol. com - Indopia
all 81 news articles »
No big slowdown in healthcare demand in India: GE Healthcare
Business Standard - ‎4 hours ago‎
PTI / Bangalore May 8, 2009, 16:15 IST Despite some pressures on the global healthcare market as a result of the economic downturn, there has not been much pressure on the Indian market, a top GE healthcare official said.
GE India says not focusing on 2010 sales target Reuters
Obama's statement not to effect GE's India investment: CEO MSN India
Wall Street Journal - MyNews.in
all 18 news articles »
GE
AAI awaits Govt nod to float infra bonds to raise Rs 5000 cr
Business Standard - ‎34 minutes ago‎
PTI / New Delhi May 08, 2009, 19:48 IST The government is considering a proposal of the state-owned Airports Authority of India to issue infrastructure bonds to raise Rs 5000 crore from the market to fill the gap in meeting expenditure on modernisation ...
Airports Authority to raise 20 bln rupees in FY10 - source Reuters India
India Airport Operator Plans To Raise INR20 Billion Debt - Board ... EasyBourse.com
all 6 news articles »

Election 2009
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India can comfortably grow 7-8 pct - former RBI head 6:37pm IST 
MUMBAI (Reuters) - India should emerge from its downturn ahead of developed economies, with recovery depending on an export revival as falling external demand was the main reason for slowing growth, the former head of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said. Full Article  
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http://in.reuters. com/
Global financial wealth sees $28 trillion erosion amid slump

NEW DELHI: Ever since the credit crunch surfaced in late 2007, there has been a dramatic fall in the prices of financial assets amounting to a

Financial crisis
Competitive economies
Ghosts of 1929
US mortgage crisis
Five facts on stock falls total wealth erosion of $28 trillion across the world, economic forecasting consultancy Oxford Economics has said.

Oxford Economics estimates that the "total financial wealth has fallen some $28 trillion, or 14 per cent, from its peak. In absolute terms, this has taken wealth back to the level prevailing in third quarter of 2006."

However, the losses this time were rapid and much larger than seen when the dotcom bubble burst in 2000-02, it added.

In the US, financial wealth losses were huge at $8.1 trillion, thanks to the six consecutive quarters of declining financial wealth.

Substantial losses also occurred in the Eurozone and in emerging markets. "Wealth losses in both these areas have totalled around $11 trillion, equivalent to closer to 20 per cent of total financial wealth," the Oxford Economics report said.

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 â†' IOC loses $34 million due to global economic crisis
 â†' EU doubles crisis fund to euro50 billion

Though the losses in the Eurozone and emerging markets got exaggerated as the US dollar has gained grounds against the euro and many emerging market currencies. But even in local currency terms the losses have been substantial indeed.

Wealth losses were concentrated mainly in the household sector as the US household financial wealth losses have reached $11.4 trillion, Oxford Economics said.
8 May 2009, 1731 hrs IST, PTI
http://economictime s.indiatimes. com/28-trillion- wealth-erased- due-to-crisis/ articleshow/ 4499874.cms

Sensex ends below 12000 as election result nears

8 May 2009, 1752 hrs IST, Mohammed Sabir, ET Bureau
 
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MUMBAI: Going against its overseas peers, the Indian stock market ended with losses Friday after profit booking emerged ahead of the election results. Traders ignored other global markets which were in the green after the US banks stress test came out with no major surprises.

The indices opened on a flat note mirroring the global markets and were range bound. Recovery in Asian stocks and positive European markets later was overlooked as investors were determined to book profits in an over-bought market. All the sectoral indices ended in the red with banks, metals and IT being the worst hit.

“Bearish sentiments ahead of election results could have led long traders to book profits after the Nifty hit immediate resistance of 3700. A lot of traders were waiting for a correction as the risk-reward ratio at current levels was not suitable,� said Shrikant Chouhan of Kotak Securities.

Indian markets have witnessed a sharp rally in the recent weeks after revival in sectors like auto, cement and steel triggered hopes of an economic recovery.

The BSE Sensex closed at 11,876.43, lower by 240.51 points or 1.98 per cent from the previous close. The 30-share index moved between high of 12180.07 and low of 11765.06 intraday.

The Nifty ended at 3620.70, down 63.20 points or 1.72 per cent from Thursday's close. The NSE benchmark saw a high of 3711.25 and low of 3582.85 during the day.

“In case the market (Nifty) comes to 3500, which looks likely next week, one can initiate long positions and keep a target of 3800. At higher levels, they can again go short. A market friendly government at the centre will lead to another leg of bull-run rally. Looking at international markets, we may see correction in these markets next week,� Chouhan added.

Fate of all political parties will be decided on May 16 when the people will give the verdict of who they prefer to form the central government.

Meanwhile, the wholesale price index based inflation rose for fourth consecutive week to 0.7 per cent for week ended April 25 against 0.57 per cent previous week.
Other stories in this section
* State Bank plans to raise Rs 20,000 crore
* Long unwinding at 3800 may seize Nifty upside
* Intense selling drags Sensex below 12000
* Nifty plunges below 3600; Sterlite, Wipro down
* Sensex falls below 12000; Sterlite, Hindalco down
More >>
Other News
* BofA, Citi, Wells need cap under stress tests
* LN Mittal spent $470,000 lobbying with US on China
* UK still talking to Jaguar Land Rover on financing
* Obama's Bangalore remark misinterpreted: Nasscom

http://economictime s.indiatimes. com/Sensex- ends-below- 12000-as- election- result-nears/ articleshow/ 4499946.cms

Lalgarh Movement â€" Mass uprising of tribal people in West Bengal
Pictures »
May 3: 5000 villagers raze govt building in Salboni to keep cops out
April 25: A Brief Report on the Adivasi Rally on April 24 at the heart of Kolkata - Koustav De
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For older articles, click below.
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Jobless? What jobless! A brief tour through the Economics Wonderland
By Debarshi Das, Sanhati
What we mostly find in India is not open unemployment but underemployment. This is principally because going without jobs is a luxury in a country having non-existent unemployment benefits. Employed kith and kin cannot be of much help either if one is jobless because the wage levels are barely enough to sustain one. However a person doing a job which neither she nor others consider gainful employment should not be counted as employed . Her right to labour and dignity is yet to be realised. As pressure of global capital tightens and the organised sector shrinks, workers are made to take up more and more of such unpaying and hazardous jobs, whose remuneration stagnates as the rest of the economy surges past. All this is perhaps not much surprising. What is amusing is the eagerness with which dominant economic tradition of the day ties itself in knots.
Read this article »
Report of the All-India Fact-Finding Team on Lalgarh
Fact-finding team: Amit Bhaduri, economist, Professor emeritus, JNU; Madhu Bhaduri, womens’ rights activist, IFS, former ambassador to Vietnam; Vidya Das, adivasi rights activist, Agragamee, Kashipur, Orissa; Gautam Navlakha, PUDR, consulting editor, EPW; Colin Gonsalves, supreme court lawyer, Human rights law network; Aseem Srivastava, economist, writer, activist; Kaustav Banerjee, economist, CSD, Delhi; Budhaditya Das, student, DU; Manika Bora, student, JNU; Sudipta, human rights activist, Adhikar, Asansol, West Bengal
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A photo essay on the de-industrializatio n of Bengal: Real estate SEZs over the ruins of factories
The real story behind the much-hyped industrialization of West Bengal is one of continuous de-industrializatio n, land grab and conversion to real estate. This essay captures the emerging Shriram Hitec city in Hind Motors. Included is an article on industries in the Barackpur-Kanchrapa ra belt.
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The Morichjhanpi massacre: When tigers became citizens, refugees “tiger-food�
The massacre in Marichjhapi, which took place under CPIM rule in Bengal between January 26 and May 16, 1979, has few parallels in the history of independent India. It holds fair comparison with the Jalianwala Bag massacre perpetrated by the British. The level of police brutality was horrific. The entire island of refugees was put under economic blockade from January, after the Left had come to power the previous year promising to champion the cause of the refugees. The blockade first starved out the population, and then the killings began.
West Bengal Policy Reversal and the Marichjhapi Massacre by Ross Mallick
When tigers became citizens, refugees “tiger-food� by Annu Jalais
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Capitalism Beyond the Crisis - Amartya Sen’s article, and a critique
Capitalism Beyond the Crisis - Amartya Sen, Feb 15 2009
The Use and Abuse of Trust - comments on Sen’s Capitalism Beyond the Crisis
Read this article »
World Bank report: stop NREGA, promote migration and clustered growth
1. World Bank roots for urbanisation, migration - March 13, 2009
2. Migration to urban areas is good, says World Bank - March 13, 2009
3. Encourage clustered economic growth, World Bank tells India - March 13, 2009
4. NREGA is a barrier to economic development: World Bank - March 15, 2009
5. World Bank to clear $2.6 bn loan for India soon - March 15, 2009
Various schemes of the Indian government like NREGA, watershed programmes and schemes for development of small and medium towns are acting as “policy barriers to internal mobility�, the bank said in its ‘World Development Report’ 2009.
Read this article »
Gorkhaland and Lalgarh: dialogues, parallels, and a challenge to mainstream parties
By Koustav De, Sanhati
(1) The Gorkhaland movement: A short background (2) Gorkhaland leadership extends hand of solidarity for Lalgarh movement (3) Exchanging views: A challenge to vote equations (4) The State’s divisive tactics (5) Looking forward
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Working Paper: Current crisis regime and impact on class struggle in India
This paper has been produced by Gurgaon Workers News, February 2009.
1. The character of the Shining India after the crash 1991
2. Landmarks of the current crisis in India. a) The Crisis Blow b) The state’s reaction
3. Margins of the crisis regime in India a) The Social Unrest of the Rural World b) The Energy Crunch c) The Industrial Impasse d) The political consequences for the crisis regime
4. New frame-work and potentials for proletarian unrest
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Comprehensive documentary from Canvas on monopolistic aggression in retail, Bengal
Canvas Documentary on Big capital monopoly in retail, Bengal [Google Video, 47 mins, Bengali]
This documentary covers the continuous conversion of industrial land into real estate, and the monopolistic assault on retail in Bengal that threatens to render countless workers jobless. Contents: (1) Interviews with small traders, analysts, and activists (2) South City Mall (3) Barrackpore Nonachandanpukur Bazaar (4) Save Park Circus Market Committee (5) Panihati retailers (6) Gariahat hawkers (7) Bolpur retailers samiti (8) Voices against Metro Cash and Carry
Factory closures and plight of workers: A comprehensive summary of Bengal’s industrial condition
Contents:
Section 1: Abstract
Section 2: Voices from below
Section 3: Sickness Profiles: National Tannery, Kolay Biscuit, Eastern Paper Mill and 14 others.
Section 4: Regional Roundup of Industrial Belts: Eastern fringes, B.T. Road, Dum-Dum Lake Town, Jadavpur-Tollygunj, Taratala, Beleghata
Section 5: Factsheets: Industrial policy summary, Efforts to combat sickness, Survey of 500 sick industries, Rajarhat township, “Excess� industrial land.
Section 6: Summary
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Death of small businesses in Bengal and India: a comprehensive study of retail monopoly
By Siddhartha Mitra and Debarshi Das, Sanhati. Translated from a FAMA study
Contents: 1. Introduction: the old versus the new market: the politics of change 2. The attempt to control small businesses 3. How the attack on small businesses has already impacted the rest of the world 4. What is the current situation of small scale retail in India 5. How this is all going to change 6. The death of small businesses and the false promise of new employment 7. Farmer suicides 8. Procuring the crops â€" the farmers are left out 9. Impact on the environment 10. That is why there is Nandigram, Khammam, Posco 11. Let us walk together
Click here for Bengali documentary on this material, produced by Canvas
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Urban beautification: 5000 Dalits to be evicted from century-old community in Belgachhia, Howrah
They informed us that their predecessors have been staying in that area for more than 100 years.
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A collection of essays on the Mumbai terror attacks, 2008
Click here to read collection [PDF, English, 62 KB] »
(1) Introduction - Shabnam Hashmi and Ram Puniyani (2) Terror: the aftermath - Anand Patwardhan (3) As the fires die: the terror of the aftermath - Biju Mathew (4) Hotel Taj: Icon of whose India? - Gnani Sankaran (5) Why the United States got it wrong - P. Sainath (6) The Monster in the Mirror - Arundhati Roy (7) Counter: Terrorism must not kill democracy - Praful Bidwai (8) Handling queries: democratic responses. Antuley remarks and the aftermath - Ram Puniyani (9) Need for a thorough investigation - Raveena Hansa (10) Terrorism, rule of law, and humna rights - K.G.Balakrishnan (11) Acts of terror and Terrorising Act: Unfolding Indian tragedy - Sukla Sen (12) Our politicians are still not listening - Colin Gonsalves (13) India’s new anti-terror laws are draconian, say activists - Praful Bidwai (14) Terrorism: are stronger laws the answer? - Prashant Bhushan
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Forest Rights Act: general issues of implementation and performance of various states
Constant updates on the Forest Rights Act are available onforestrightsact. com
In December 2006, Parliament passed the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act. This historic legislation marks the first time in India’s history that a law has been passed recognising the rights of forest communities. Implementation of the Act is an unfolding political struggle.
1. General issues in implementation across states
2. Detailed updates from various states as of December 2008
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30 years of destitution: India’s largest energy hub and the people of Singrauli, U.P.
“Singrauli will turn into Singapore,� - Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, 2008

Across the nation, up to 60,000,000 people are estimated to have been displaced by power, irrigation, mining and other development projects since independence.
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Return of the terror law: Implications for peoples movements and a petition
Sign petition to demand repeal of draconian laws
Implications for peoples movements
Press Release from Kolkata activists: deep anguish over laws - Dec 24, 2008
Acts of Terror and Terrorising Act â€" Unfolding Indian Tragedy - Dec 19, 2008
Double-barrel strike on terror - Dec 16, 2008
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Airport cities: The new paradigm
One of the aspects of neoliberal accumulation in India and Bengal has been the steady creation of real estate enclaves, hubs, and gated cities. A new chapter in this process is the impending concept of airport cities, with the usual promises of job creation, downstream employment, and development. An idea imported from highly developed nations, the aerotropolis, as it is called, will demand the creation of attendent SEZs and the provision of infrastructure like water and electricity by local taxpayers. A land acquisition notice for an airport city in Andal (Burdwan, West Bengal) was served in December 2008.
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Notes from a ghost town: a day in the Naihati industrial region, Bengal
By Parimal Bhattacharya, Dec 2008
Every night, at 11 pm, Moumita Pan waits in the dark with her schoolbooks for the electric light to come on. A student of Class XI, she has to race through her studies before the light goes out again at two in the morning. Moumita is the only girl in the workers’ quarters of the Jenson and Nicholson plant at Naihati, closed since 2004, who has cleared the Madhyamik and has not dropped out yet.
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16,632 farmer suicides in India in 2007
Suicides by farmers of Maharashtra crossed the 4,000-mark in 2007, for the third time in four years, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). As many as 4,238 farmers of the State took their lives that year, the latest for which data are available, accounting for a fourth of 16,632 farmer suicides in the country.
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Ominous developments in Orissa: Sangh Parivar critic arrested for writing book
Writing against Sangh Parivar and Brahmanism is ‘inflamatory’ or ‘War agaisnt State’ - The Orissa police proves it by arresting a Bhubaneswar based critic of Brahmanism and RSS. Mr.Lenin Kumar, editor, Nishan was arrested day before yesterdey for writing the book ‘�Dharma Naanre Kandhamalare Rakta Nadi�.
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Anti-mining and anti-SEZ struggles in Salem, Tamil Nadu: A summary
Salem, in Tamil Nadu, South India, is the scene of mining operations and an impending SEZ site. Various players, from SAIL to the Jindals to the infamous Vedanta corporation, are vying for mining rights in the area. An IT SEZ is on the cards. Local struggle is developing.
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The Global Economic Crisis: a five-part study
By Dipankar Basu, Sanhati. This series will also appear parallely on Radicalnotes
The global economic crisis currently underway is, by all accounts, the deepest economic crisis of world capitalism since the Great Depression. It is necessary for the international working class to understand various aspects of this crisis: how it developed, who were the players involved, what were the instruments used during the build-up and what are it’s consequences for the working people of the world. This understanding is necessary to formulate a socialist, i.e., working class, response to these earth shaking events. In a series of posts here on Radical Notes, I will share my understanding of the on-going crisis as part of the larger collective attempt to come to grips with the current conjuncture from a socialist perspective, to understand both the problems and the possibilities that it opens up.
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Dispossession of weavers in Varanasi and the need for an artisans movement
Varanasi in North India, which employed 700,000 people in handloom a decade back, now employs only 250,000, with 47 reported cases of suicide. In the face of liberalization, silk cloth imports, indiscriminate mechanization, loose control over cheap imitations, rising price of silk, etc. weavers, like other artisans, are being dispossessed. This article discusses the inefficacy of existing government schemes, and suggests ways forward, stressing the need for an artisans’ movement in the country.
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Political Economy of Contemporary India: Some Comments on Partha Chatterjee’s theoretical framework
Dipankar Basu and Debarshi Das, Sanhati. Open for comments.
Sifting through the divergent viewpoints thrown up by attempts to make sense of the recent political history of West Bengal, one is led to the conclusion that the tumultuous events have taken many, if not most, by surprise. With the benefit of hindsight one can probably say this: a combination of an insensitive state power, an arrogant ruling party, lapping-it-up corporate interests, and cheerleaders- of-corporate- sector-doubling- up-as-media orchestrated a veritable assault â€" a perfect storm. Yet the peasantry, initially without the guiding hand of a political party â€" indeed at times against the writ of the party â€" fought on. Through this episode Indian political economy seems to have stumbled upon the peasantry while it was looking for a short-cut to economic growth through SEZs.
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Probing the politics of the annual destitution of 4 million in Damodar valley flooding
By Santanu Sengupta, Sanhati. Translated fromShramikShakti Newsletter: August 2008. Open for comments.
The lower Damodar river valley in West Bengal is the home of the Damodar Valley Corporation or DVC, the first multipurpose river valley project of independent India, whose stated aims are flood control, irrigation and generation and distribution of electricity. It is also the site of horrendous annual flooding that has brought ruin to over 4 million people for over a generation. This article probes the disparity between the stated objectives of the project and its performance, and the dangerous politics of big dams that has wreaked havoc on the lives of millions in Bengal.
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Statement on Singur from Sanhati
October 12, 2008
Months of unflinching resistance by the people of Singur, especially landless labourers and marginal farmers, against the unjust and violent farm land acquisition by the West Bengal government has finally forced Tata Motors to withdraw its small car project from that area.
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A list of exploitative companies in North India, and what they do
This is a small but typical list of companies in the Gurgaon area of North India, which commit flagrant violations of existing labor laws and get away with impunity. Their practices are listed below, in the form of first-person reports from workers, gleaned from Gurgaon Workers News. In most cases the minimum wage for industrial helpers of Rs. 3510 is not paid. If it is paid, then the working-times are way beyond the fixed 8-hours day and 6-days week. In most cases the over-time exceeds the legal restriction â€" maximum 50 hours in three months - and is paid at single rate, though according to the labour law it should be paid double. Hardly any workers receive the Provident Fund (PF), nor do they get ESI, medical insurance, which they are entitled to by law.
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Farewell to the Tatas: Costs and benefits of the Tata-Singur Project, a detailed dissection of the deal
By Dipankar Basu, Sanhati. Open for comments
Costs: the total cost of the Tata-Singur project incurred by the exchequer, and hence ultimately the tax payers, will be approximately be Rs. 3000 crores on a net present value basis when we add up the costs pertaining to the land subsidy, the tax holidays, the soft loan, the real estate gift and the subsidized electricity using an interest rate of 11%. This is about 58% of the total realized industrial investment in the state of West Bengal in 2007.
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Responsible corporates? The crimes of the Tatas enumerated
Introduction 1. Helping Killer Carbide - the Dow Chemicals nexus 2. Bypassing Democracy (a) Dictating Indian Policy (b) Holding on to Corporatocracy (c) Business with Military Junta 3. Desecrating Tribal Lands (a) Parched Earth Tactics (b) Chrome Poisoning (c) Luxury Resort in Tiger Country 4. Violence and Massacres (a) Gua Massacre (b) Kalinganagar Massacre (c) Singur Oppression 5. Toxic Dumping (a) Saline waste (b) Hell on Earth (c) Mountains of Waste, Jugsalai (d) Joda Mines (e) Coal Slurry Dumping 6. Hazardous Incidents (a) Founder’s Day Fire 7. Strong Anti-Labour Policies (a) Worker Suicides (b) Sub-contracting and Fostering Insecurity (c) Lay-offs (d) Union busting (e) Killings 8. A Historical Record as Collaborators of British Imperialism (a) Drug Running (b) Empress Mills (c) Fueling British Expansionism (9) Tatas opposed by the people
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The US financial crisis: locating the real locus of the debate with Rick Wolff
By Rick Wolff
In US capitalism’s greatest financial crisis since the 1930s Depression, status-quo ideology swirls. The goal is to keep this crisis under control, to prevent it from challenging capitalism itself. One method is to keep public debate from raising the issue of whether and how class changes â€" basic economic system changes â€" might be the best “solution.â€� Right, center, and even most left commentators exert that ideological control, some consciously and some not. Hence the debates where those demanding “more or better government regulationâ€� of financial markets shout down those who still “have more confidence in private enterprise and free markets.â€� Both sides limit the public discussion to more vs less state intervention to “save the economy.â€� Then too we have quarrels over details of state intervention: politicians “want to help foreclosure victims tooâ€� or “want to limit financiers’ pay packagesâ€� or want to “weed out bad
apples in the finance industry� while spokespersons of various financial enterprises struggle to shape the details to their particular interests.
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Who committed the real violence at Graziano Transmissioni?
Who committed the real violence at Graziano Transmissioni? - Kavita Krishnan
Graziano Workers Solidarity Forum formed
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Hidden Costs of the Tata-Singur Agreement
By Dipankar Basu, Sanhati. Open for comments.
The Tata Group of Companies is one of the largest business conglomerates in India today with about 100 large companies in its fold. With the might of the Indian State firmly behind it, monopoly capital in India has started a move to aggressively acquire foreign assets. This short note examines the true character of agreements like the one `struck’ between the TML and the West Bengal government. It is important to understand how such `agreements’ look like under a neo-liberal regime.
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The dislocation of 15 million fishworkers and environmental degradation: an introduction to ongoing changes in Coastal Zone Regulations
By Suvarup Saha, Sanhati. Open for comments.
Coastal Zone Regulations in India are currently being changed and manipulated. It is necessary to examine these changes closely and understand the political and economic currents that motivate them. The 8200 km long coastline of India provides livelihood to 15 million people and is one of the richest environments in the world - changes and amendments in protective regulations thus have widespread effects, effects which are being swept under the carpet by political parties, from the right to the parliamentary Left. This is an introduction to the issue.
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Perspectives on the U.S. financial crisis
The U.S. financial crisis: some views from Monthly Review
The Greed Fallacy: By Arthur MacEwan, Dollars and Sense
Hard Truths About the Bailout
Free market ideology is far from finished: By Naomi Klein
Crisis of Capitalism and the Left: By Emir Sader
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Understanding the demand for Gorkhaland : An introductory note
Open for comments
Voices for a separate state of Gorkhaland are once again echoing in the hills of Darjeeling and the surrounding areas. These developments are certainly disturbing for the uninformed Bengalis â€" they fail to understand why such a picturesque and otherwise “peacefulâ€� place would like to secede from their province. They also feel sad at the thought of losing something so beautiful, something to be proud of. Sometimes, there is the knee-jerk reaction among some of them â€" a refusal to part with the region. With the state government and the mainstream media purposely continuing to feed on this ignorance and pride, it becomes important to put together a historical account of the developments in Darjeeling and thereby address questions regarding the right to self-determination of the people staying in this region. The hope is that such an introductory account of the evolving situation in Darjeeling would help the democratic-minded people to come to a
rational decision.
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Tales from the Gorkha region: crimes, oppression, and the fading memory of Baburam Dewan
By Siddhartha Mitra, Sanhati. Translated from ShramikShakti, June 2008

“Son, do not feel ashamed about my death; instead, feel proud of it, because this self-sacrifice of mine is for the greater good of the 6000 workers of the Chongtong tea-estate. We are still able to provide ourselves with two meals a day; but the thought of the frightening situation of the others in the tea-garden is making me unbearably anxious
â€" these were the words the Baburam Dewan wrote to his son in a letter just before he took his own life.
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The ongoing Singur siege: populist, social democratic, and horizontal responses to neo-liberalism
By Kuver Sinha, Sanhati. Open for comments
There is an ongoing siege in Singur, West Bengal, the site of the Tata Nano project. The Trinamul Congress, led by Mamata Banerjee, has demanded that of all the land acquired by the State Government using the colonial Land Acquisition Act of 1894, 400 acres be returned to farmers who had been unwilling to sell. The Krishi Jomi Jibon Raksha Committee or KJJRC (Save Farmland Committee) is the broad umbrella organization carrying out the struggle. Various civil society groups have rallied behind this call, as have landed farmers, landless labourers, and sharecroppers of the area.
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Public health privatisation in Bengal
By Indira Chakravarthy, Guest Contributor.
As a complement to Dipankar Basu’s piece on the “achievements� of the CPM government in West Bengal on the economic and social fronts (http://sanhati. com/front- page/857/), I would like to share a few facts/concerns about the health status of common people in W Bengal. Using publicly available data, Dipankar had demonstrated that West Bengal’s growth story was rather unspectacular when compared to other Indian states. Now, I would like to raise a related but different question: has even this below-average “economic growth� translated into improvements in the social sector for the common people?
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A history of the brutal Rajarhat land acquisition, Bengal’s new IT hub
By Santanu Sengupta, Sanhati. Translated from Rajarhaat - Uponogorir Ontorale Arto Manuher Kanna
Rajarhaat, near Kolkata, is Bengal’s new IT hub and a hotspot for real estate investment. Within no time Rajarhat has become the hotbed of real estate investments with companies like DLF, Keppel Land, Unitech group, Singapore-based Ascendas, Vedic Realty, etc. coming in. Land prices have soared. The first phase of DLF’s Rs 280 crore (Rs 2.80 billion) IT project has been operational since 2005 and a second IT park is on the cards. Wipro, Infosys, IBM - all the major IT houses are in operation here, on subsidized lands. A wireless hub is in the offing. Contrasting with Singur-Nandigram, official state versions have given the picture that Rajarhat’s land acquisition from the mid 1990’s onwards has been peaceful. This is an acount of the immense bloodshed that lay behind this acquisition, in a decade when the civil society and media wasn’t interested.
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‘Testing’ Time for a ‘Civil’ Nuclear Deal: Reflections ahead of the NSG meet
By P.K. Sundaram, Guest Contributor. August 20, 2008. Open for comments.
India’s desperate diplomacy prior to the NSG meet on August 21-22, 2008 reveals the not-so-hidden truth about the deal â€" at a time when there is a need for renewed focus on disarmament, India rehabilitates nuclear energy corporates in order to circumvent nonproliferation regime and secure its right to conduct nuclear tests. And it finds supports from the Bush nuclear strategy bent on reducing nonproliferation into counterproliferatio n.
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We have no value - sharecroppers and labourers in the ongoing Singur crisis
Reporting from Singur â€" Shamik Sarkar, Sanhati. 19th August, 2008. Comments enabled.
It has been over a year and a half that 997 acres have been sealed off by Tata’s fences here. But many landowning farmers have not accepted compensation. In the last week of July, 2008, the Krishi Jomi Jibon Jibika Raksha Committee (Committee for saving farmland, life, and livelihood) gave the call to “outsiders working in Tata’s plant� to leave Singur, “to protect the rights of unwilling farmers, Bargadars, and agricultural workers�. After that, Trinamul leader Mamata Banerjee declared that there would be a continuous blockade of the project from August 24th. The pressure of the movement forced workers who had been coming to the site from outside to stop.
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What is the state of workers in the new industrial zones of Tamil Nadu?
This conversation with a worker from Tamil Nadu, appeared in Shramik Istahar, May 2008. It has been translated by Koel Das, Sanhati.
I was conversing with Sudhakarda. Sudhakar Raut, originally from Orissa, used to work in a reputed private engineering factory in West Bengal. He lost his job after being victimized in a lock-out while fighting against the injustice of the factory owner. I met him a couple of days back when he talked about his experiences over the last one year.
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Flashpoint Chengara - landless Dalits, the Left Democratic Front, and terror
A historic land struggle has been unfolding at Chengara in Pathanamthitta district, Kerala, involving about 7500 families, which includes all sections of landless people, the majority of them being Dalits and Adivasis. Landless people have claimed land in the Chengara estate, a rubber plantation, which had been leased to the Harrison Malayalam Plantation by the government of Kerala. At present, the lease is invalid and the property has lapsed back to the government. The landless people who have flocked there from all parts of Kerala demand that this government land be redistributed to them. These marginalised people have thereby demanded a say in what must be done with government land in Kerala: given the present political and economic climate, the likelihood is that this land will be taken over by the state only to be assigned unconditionally, or with minimum conditions, to the multi-nationals.
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Dynamics of rural proletariat: labour shortage in agriculture, NREGA, aspirations, and the nouveau riche
Introduction: rural proletariat in Haryana and Punjab
Aspirations within misery: labour shortage in agriculture
The NREGA and the control of rural proletariat
The teenage guns of the nouveau riche
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Is tenant eviction at the heart of the Bengal government’s new agrarian thinking?
By Shubhendu Dasgupta. Translated by Debarshi Das, Sanhati
One of the many aspects of the land reform programme was security for tenants. Those land owners who would not cultivate the land themselves, would lease out the same to the tenants. This is called tenancy cultivation â€" or “bargaâ€� cultivation in Bengal. Those who would lease in the land on barga cultivation would be called “bargadarsâ€�.
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Aspects of Nuclear Power
1. Nuclear Reactor Hazards : Ongoing dangers of operating nuclear technology in the 21st century
2. Nuclear Power: no solution to climate change
3. Pros and cons of nuclear power
4. The nuclear ’solution’ to climate change
5. The Nuclear crisis in France
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Nuclear Deal, ‘National Interest’ and the Indian Left
By P.K. Sundaram, Guest Contributor. Open for comments.
It is the Indian Left’s concurrence, rather than its disagreement, with the idea of a nuclear future (including nuclear weapons) that has made its case weak and inaudible to the larger masses.
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Fighting Neoliberalism: Does West Bengal Show the Way?
By Dipankar Basu, Sanhati. Open for comments.
Mindless economic growth through unfettered operations of the “free� market, that is often portrayed in the mainstream media as a panacea for all of India’s economic problems, has now been shown to be seriously flawed as a sensible strategy for economic development. Active, pro-people state intervention through sound policies is essential for making any meaningful dent on the problems facing our country today; and this includes, if historical experience is anything to go by, even the achievement of sustainable, broad-based economic growth. In every known case of successful industrialization and economic development, be it England or Continental Europe or USA or Japan or the East Asian tigers, the State has played a pro-active role in directing investments, mobilizing resources to finance that investment, protecting fledgling industries from undue competition from abroad, and so on; it is, therefore, inconceivable that any state, or the country for
that matter, can make that transition without State intervention through effective policies for agriculture and industry. State governments subscribing to this viewpoint would claim to have put this political philosophy into practice, especially the one in West Bengal.
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Behind the IAEA Safeguards Agreement: What the Nuclear Deal Entails
By M.V. Ramana, Guest Contributor.
With the submission of the safeguards agreement to the IAEA and the challenge to the government from the left parties, there is now renewed widespread debate about the nuclear agreement with United States. Much of the debate on the deal has been between what can be broadly called the nuclear hawks and the nuclear nationalists. The nuclear hawks believe India’s nuclear programme is a great success and more than able to take care of itself. They see the deal as imposing unnecessary constraints on the programme and making more difficult the creation of the large nuclear arsenal, including thermonuclear weapons (hydrogen bombs), that they believe is essential for India to be a ‘great power.’
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The Indo-US Nuclear Pact and the Hoax of Nuclear Power
The Indo-US Nuclear Pact and the Hoax of Nuclear Power - By Dipanjan Rai Chaudhuri
India’s Nuclear History: A Brief Outline
Choosing the Wrong Future: The U.S.-India Nuclear Deal - By Andrew Lichterman and M.V. Ramana
Wrong Ends, Means, and Needs: Behind the U.S. Nuclear Deal With India - By Zia Mian and M. V. Ramana
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Class Struggle and Resistance in Zimbabwe
1. Revolutionaries, resistance and crisis in Zimbabwe â€" Munyaradzi Gwisai
2. His Excellency Comrade Robert: How Mugabe’s ZANU clique rose to power â€" Stephen O’Brien
3. No to a government of national unity! Only united mass action will defeat Mugabe! â€" International Socialist Organisation of Zimbabwe
Click here to read Class Struggle & Resistance in Zimbabwe [PDF, 400 KB] »
Liberalism Betrayed? The Maoist Electoral Victory in Nepal
By Saroj Giri, Sanhati. Open for comments.
The workers chanted “Allende, the people are defending you: hit the reactionaries hard.� The mood of the masses was militant. They were waiting for a lead that never came. - Tariq Ali, Allende’s Chile
Is the Maoist victory in the Constituent Assembly elections in Nepal a challenge to the liberal consensus and hegemony or is it its expansion, or worse, its intensification, co-opting the Maoists in the process? It could be either, mostly depending on which way events unfold in the coming days. The ‘meaning’ of the Maoist victory calls for a critical examination even as it promises an interesting and politically salient expose of the intricacies and dangers of trying to beat liberal democracy in its own game. Liberals, both left-wing and right-wing ones, have welcomed the Maoist victory though with caution and sometimes clenching their teeth, as a victory of the ballot over the bullet and a step forward for democracy and peace in Nepal. Those on the revolutionary left have however hardly allowed their pleasant surprise at the results to underestimate the enormous risks of ‘right-wing deviation’ and capitulation that the present path entails for
the Maoists.
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The May 2008 Pogroms: xenophobia, evictions, liberalism, and democratic grassroots militancy in South Africa
By Richard Pithouse, Guest Contributor. Durban, 16 June 2008.
This essay examines the issues of xenophobia in present-day South Africa, in the light of the riots of May 2008. It starts by looking at eviction in the Harry Gwala settlement and the role of various poor people’s movements like Abahlali baseMjondolo, Anti-Eviction Campaign, and the Landless People’s Movement. It then looks at the riots, making the point that most areas under the control of militant organisations of the poor that have been in serious conflict with the state had no violence. The essay evaluates the ideas of Michael Neocosmos in theorizing xenophobia, coming to the conclusion that “For Neocosmos xenophobia and authoritarianism are a continuation of apartheid oppression that are, in the end, a product of liberalism. He proposes, against the state centric politics of liberalism, a recovery of popular emancipatory politics…[it] is the practical politics that was able to defend and shelter people targeted in the May pogroms, and has
previously, although covertly, offered the same protection from the state…�
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A man-made famine - India and the world in the Great Hunger of 2008
1. India’s Emerging Food Security Crisis: The Consequences of the Neoliberal Assault on the Public Distribution System - Analytical Monthly Review
2. A man-made famine - Raj Patel, The Guardian
3. The World Food Crisis: Sources and Solutions - Fred Magdoff, Monthly Review
4. Manufacturing a Food Crisis - Walden Bellow, The Nation
5. Global food crisis: ‘The greatest demonstration of the historical failure of the capitalist model’ - Ian Angus, Socialist Voice
6. Soaring prices are causing hunger around the world - Washington Post Editorial
7. The World’s Growing Food-Price Crisis - Time magazine
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Corporate encroachment and the Panchayat elections: A rural montage
By Shamik Sarkar, Sanhati. Open for comments.
I. Beliya village, Haruda, and promises of development
II. Singur, its sharecroppers and laborers, and the Opposition
III. Corporate hands in rural Bengal
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Human Rights Organization Masum under attack for coordinating People’s Tribunal on Torture
June 12, 2008
Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) had organised a People’s Tribunal on Torture (PTT) on 9-10 June. The police have started a case against MASUM claiming the tribunal to be illegal. On June 12 a huge police force raided MASUM’s office (26 Guitendal Lane, Howrah 711101). To protest against this, a meeting has been planned at MASUM’s office, today, on 13 June at 4pm. Please come and send this news to all.
Detailed report on incident from The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders.
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A brief overview of the Indian poverty debate
By Alita Nandi, Sanhati. Open for comments.
Click here to read the technical version of this article [PDF, English, 120KB] »
In the early 1990s various liberalisation policies had been introduced in India and India had started to experience higher growth rates (compared to pre-liberalisation period). The official poverty estimates published by the Planning Commission showed a decline in absolute poverty levels from 36% in 1993-94 to 26% in 1999-00. The question that became important at this juncture was, “Did the advantages of this high economic growth reach all echelons of society, in particular the ‘poor’?� And so the official reports at this time showing a reduction in absolute poverty levels created a stir. Some old issues about poverty measurement and some new ones were brought into the foreground and heavily debated and discussed. Here I attempt to trace out the key issues of this debate.
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Disadvantaged Social Classes in the Panchayat system: Social Democratic Half-truths
By Dipankar Basu, Sanhati. Open for Comments.
In a recent article in Macroscan, Jayati Ghosh (JG hereafter) has argued that West Bengal is a “pioneering state� with regard to panchayati raj institutions and other measures aimed at decentralization of state power in India. The author shows that when one uses the correct index in the analysis, these conclusions vanish into thin air - of the states studied, Maharashtra, for example, outperforms West Bengal in participation of disadvantaged classes in Panchayats, even though it has never had the benefit of a progressive, left-wing government. The author suggests that this may be due to a vibrant culture of grassroots social and political activism, nurtured and led in no small measure by the radical left.
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Talk To Naxals; Focus On Development, Land Reform
By Suhit Sen, The Statesman
A team of experts constituted by the Planning Commission has cottoned on to something the Prime Minister doesn’t seem to comprehend. It has pointed out that Left-wing extremism is not just - we could go further and say not at all - a law-and-order problem. It is a phenomenon that arises from a complete lack of development, desperate poverty and the dehumanisation that arises from it, and injustice and inequality. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh does not agree, of course - not long ago he had characterised extremism as the most virulent disease that afflicted India’s body politic and Naxals as the Public Enemy Number 1. He should take time off his admittedly onerous duties to pore over the report.
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On the Naxalite Movement: A Report with a Difference
An EPW commentary by Sumanta Banerjee on the recent Planning Commission Report, “which while meticulously arranging the latest facts and figures, rigorously examines the causes of the continuing economic exploitation and social discrimination in the adivasi and dalit-inhabited areas even after 60 years of independence. It is significant that this particular expert group was set up by the government in May 2006, in the background of increasing Naxalite activities in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Orissa.�
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Tumi Maharaj Sadhu hole Aaj! - Real estate land-acquisition in HindMotors
Leaflet from Gana Udyog
B.L.R.O. Srirampore: I won’t commit this to paper. However, there is one set of rules for common people, another for the Birlas. I can’t do much from my chair. We are servants who obey government directives. Decisions come from much higher up.
(1) Land-acquisition in HindMotors for real-estate: A Timeline
(2) Background
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Panchayat Election 2008 results and the future of the CPIM
By Pinaki Mitra, Sanhati. Open for comments.
This article analyses the reactions of the CPIM leadership to the recent election reversals, gleaning from the reactions certain classic maladies of the Party itself. It then looks back at the CPIM’s history of compromises, ending with the dilemmas it now confronts.
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People strike back at CPIM’s neoliberal policies: Tremor after tremor at the Panchayat Elections
Panchayat Elections 2008 Final Tally:
Panchayat Samiti: Total - 329. LF - 189, Opposition - 131, No Result - 9.
Gram Panchayat: Total - 3220. LF - 1585, Opposition - 1498, No Result - 137.
Brutalized Singur and Nandigram vote out CPIM’s anti-people policies
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Enemies of the State - Women and men who choose the margins
Enemies of the State: Women and men who choose the margins - By Ashok Mitra
Mumbai’s Rebels: Those Who Couldn’t Remain Unmoved. Profiles of Anuradha Ghandy, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Shridhar Shrinivasan - By Bernard D’Mello
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Nandigram from May 5-11, 2008 - APDR report
Factsheet on incidents regarding Nandigram from May 5 to 11, 2008 - APDR report
Government vs. CRPF: Lakshman Seth and his arm-twisting - May 12, 2008
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Nandigram on the eve of the Panchayet Elections - A MASUM report
May 10, 2008. Click here for a cartoon of today’s Nandigram!
On getting information of the continuing disturbances and police inaction in Nandigram, our fact finding team reached violence-torn Nandigram today and has gathered shocking information from the villagers. Since last night musclemen and goons alleged to be supporters of the largest ruling party CPI(M) flaunting red flags resorted to bloody violence in the area. These miscreants snatched away voter identity cards of many villagers and beat them mercilessly even on the mere suspicion of not being supporters of the ruling party.
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They insist your show must be cancelled! - cultural coercion in a post-Nandigram Bengal
By Tapas Sinha. Translated by Suvarup Saha, Sanhati
The phonecall came on the 10th of April. One of the organizers of the Champdanga Theatre Festival was on the line. On the receiving end was thespian Koushik Sen, who has been active in the civil society movement of Nandigram.
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Mahamichhil for Nandigram and reflections on the people’s movement
Kolkata witnessed another Mahamichhil on May 9, 2008. To (a) protest against the reign of terror unleashed by the CPI(M) on the eve of the panchayat elections, aimed at cowing down voters all over the state, and (b) especially to condemn the atrocities being perpetrated by CPI(M) workers in collusion with the state police in Nandigram.
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Who is Ajay TG? Political arrests and the tightening noose
Update May 12, 2008: PUDR condemnation statement, Petition of solidarity

The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) strongly condemns the arrest of Ajay TG, widely recognized film maker, journalist and human rights activist by the Chhattisgarh police in Raipur on 4 May 2008 and calls for his immediate release.
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Bondimukti Committee members arrested for protesting political arrests
Bondimukti Committee members protesting against political arrests were attacked by police and have been fasting at College Square, Kolkata, from May 6 2008 in protest.
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No choice for forgotten Santhals in Bengal
By Shyam Sundar Roy
About 500 voters, belonging to over 160 Santhal families living under Shiromoni gram panchayat in Midnapore Sadar block, do not know which party to vote for in the ensuing panchayat elections, as they say none of them are ready to help them.
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From Chhattisgargh to Manipur: The many faces of Salwa Judum
Manipur will arm its civilians to fight militants: A Salwa Judum in the making? - May 3, 2008
Chhattisgargh’s purification hunt - By Shubhranshu Choudhary
4 farmers commit suicide everyday in Chhattisgarh - the highest in the country - By Shubhranshu Choudhary
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The Panchayat elections and self-empowerment of the rural poor
This is a translated version of a leaflet from the Krishak Committee (KC), written and distributed at the advent of Panchayat elections in West Bengal. The Sharamik Sangram Committee (SSC), a small fraternal organisation of the Krishak Commitee, leads the union at Hindustan Lever.
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My Name is Radharani Ari and This is How My Consciousness Was Raised.
Honourable Chief Minister, I am the same Radharani Ari of Nandigram. How many more times will your cadres rape me?
Yes, I am the same person. The same Radharani Ari, resident of Nandigram Block, village â€" Gokulpur. Whether or not you remember me, I am not too sure, although by now the entire state of West Bengalhas heard about me. I did not catch the limelight due to some creditable act of mine but on account of my misfortunes. I am a housewife of, by now infamous, Nandigram.
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Looking back at Khejuri: Our men, their men â€" the straw men
This eyewitness account appeared in November 2007, and presents an alternative first-hand view of the highly publicised Khejuri camps. It has been translated by Atreyi Dasgupta, Sanhati.
…One of the little ones, when asked his name, immediately parroted, “We need industry, or else how can we have development�. He was ten years old. His sister was just beside him, and she said, “We don’t know how long we have to stay in this condition. If we ask these people, they say, everything will go back to normal in a few days. But where is that happening? You know didi, our friends in Nandigram told us that they have resumed their studies. What will we do?�
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Will the “Great Indian Middle Class� show up, please?
By Partho Sarathi Ray, Sanhati. Comments enabled
Where is the “Great Indian Middle Class�? Where are those conspicuously- consuming, frequently-flying, gizmo-toting, big car-driving, globalized offsprings of our jet-setting “new economy�? Don’t we see them all around us: living in highrises with blue-tiled swimming pools, with people living a few miles away getting water once in three days, shopping in glittering malls built on the land of evicted slums, driving around in Toyotas and Chevrolets on roads choked with traffic? From all accounts, and appearances, we have reached the heady days when the Indian middle class has finally arrived. They are the ones who supposedly constitute one of the biggest markets in the world, for whom multinational corporations are falling over one another to invest in India, for whom our governments’ policies are directed, for whom roads and airports are built, for they ARE the “people� of India. This great middle class is our hope, the engine of growth for
our economy. So - where is it?
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Does Land Still Matter?
By D. Bandyopadhyay
The national economy is growing at double digit rates but neither industry nor non-agricultural activities in rural India provide livelihood for millions of rural workers. The annual growth of agricultural output decelerated from 3.08 per cent pa during 1980-81 to 1991-92 to 2.38 per cent pa during 1992-93 to 2003-04. It is this failure that underlies the spurt in rural violence that has highlighted once again the issue of the poors’ access to land, water, and forests. It is gradually being recognised that further deterioration of economic, social, and political conditions of the rural poor can neither be arrested nor reversed without a significant policy shift towards a comprehensive land reform program.
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Predatory Growth
By Amit Bhaduri
Over the last two decades or so, the two most populous, large countries in the world, China and India, have been growing at rates considerably higher than the world average. In recent years the growth rate of national product of China has been about three times, and that of India approximately two times that of the world average. This has led to a clever defence of globalisation by a former chief economist of IMF (Fisher, 2003). Although China and India feature as only two among some 150 countries for which data are available, he reminded us that together they account for the majority of the poor in the world. This means that, even if the rich and the poor countries of the world are not converging in terms of per capita income, the well above the average world rate of growth rate of these two large countries implies that the current phase of globalisation is reducing global inequality and poverty at a rate as never before.
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Sibpur BESU - Coercion to join the SFI - Terror and the administration- police-criminal nexus
The political landscape in colleges across West Bengal is barren - the SFI wins mainly uncontested almost everywhere, through an intricate mechanism of nepotism, selection and campus terror.
The students of Sibpur BESU are facing an assault of the college administration- local goons-police. The Vice-chancellor Nikhil Ranjan Banerjea is orchestrating the assault, the aim of which is to terrorize students into joining or supporting the students’ wing of the major ruling party. It is not an accident that all those who are being arrested by the police are distinguished by their non-allegiance to this students’ organisation.
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Stages of Revolution in the International Working Class Movement
By Dipankar Basu, Sanhati (Open for comments)
This article attempts to throw some light on the following two questions: (1) How does the classical Marxist tradition conceptualize the relationship between the two stages of revolution: democratic and the socialist? (2) Does the democratic revolution lead to deepening and widening capitalism? Is capitalism necessary to develop the productive capacity of a society? The answer to the first question emerges from the idea of the “revolution of permanence� proposed by Marx in 1850, accepted, extended and enriched by Lenin as “uninterrupted revolution� and simultaneously developed by Trotsky as “permanent revolution�. This theoretical development was brilliantly put into practice by Lenin between the February and October revolutions in Russia in 1917. The answer to the second question emerges clearly from the debates on the national and colonial question in the Second Congress of the Third International in 1920. From this debate what emerges is
the idea of the democratic revolution led by the proletariat as the start of the process of non-capitalist path of the development of the productive capacity of society, moving towards the future socialist revolution. Rather than deepening and widening capitalism, the democratic revolution under the proletariat leads society in the opposite direction, in a socialist, i.e., proletarian direction. Promoting capitalism is not necessary for the development of the productive capacity of a country.
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Civil Liberties under Attack: The “Maoist� Scare and Mithu Ghosh
Today we are witnessing the sharpest assault on democratic rights since Emergency. And as before, the reason is an upsurge from below, in the current case in resistance to the imposition of neoliberal policies. A most ominous event is the recent arrest, by the police of CPI(M)-led left front government, of Mithu Ghosh, an activist of Sharamik Sangram Committee (SSC) and Krishak Committee (KC), along with a senior leader of Nandigram movement and his son on 12th February, 2008 from Sonachuda, Nandigram West Bengal. An allegation of Maoist link under section 120B, 121, 121A and 153 of IPC was charged.
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You see, we do back calculations here - Rural employment and Panchayet realities in Bengal
By Swati Bhattacharya. Translated by Debarshi Das, Sanhati
We want work, work, work, work and work. - Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Chief Minister, West Bengal
Anukul Das was from Sonaga village, Gosaba Gram Panchayat (South 24 Parganas District, the Sunderban region). He demanded the right to work for minimum hundred days from Panchayat. Presently he is in the Andamans seeking work. His wife Shikha Das says, he got only nine days of work in two years. So, he went to submit the application for unemployment dole with some other villagers. Panchayat did not want to accept to application, hence they forcibly submitted it. A few days later, works started in the area, and they did not find any. They were allotted works in Rangabelia, about four kilometres away. Cost of travelling to and fro is twenty two rupees per day. One hour by boat, one more on foot. It was absurd to accept such a proposal. Panchayat members had told them openly: you complained about us, we will provide no work to you.
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On the CPIM’s draft political resolution
Capitalistic socialism: New Oxymoron - By Sankar Ray
Irony of recent history - A critique of the CPIM’s draft political resolution - By Sankar Ray
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Citizens’ Report on Nandigram with specific stress on gender violence
As a result of an initiative by women’s groups, organizations and individuals, an 11-member team of citizens from Kolkata comprising teachers, social activists, researchers and students visited Nandigram on November 24, 2007. Concerned about the repeated disruption of peace in the region, the team decided to go to the affected areas and talk to the local people with the objectives of expressing solidarity with the survivors of violence, documenting people’s needs in the current circumstances, and drawing up recommendations. One of the chief aims was also to investigate the nature and range of sexual violence and its use as a political weapon, towards pre-empting further such occurrences of violence against women.
Click here to read Independent Citizens’ Report on Nandigram [.doc, English 330KB] »
Nude mentally challenged patients - Bengal’s public healthcare at a time of private bonanza
It has been argued that big capital investment in West Bengal “creates a wonderful opportunity to make much larger investments in public education, healthcare, public transport, environmental protection, and other public goods.� (Amartya Sen). On the other hand, the argument has been made that a government with a neo-liberal mindset does not care about people who, because of their purchasing power, are outside the market. If the government has money, it will make malls and flyovers, at the cost of public health. The problem is not one of intention but definition.
The situation in a state mental hospital, a mere 6 km from the seat of government at Writers Building in Kolkata, displays the typically dysfunctional nature of public healthcare, amidst all the rhetoric of development.
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Singur brutalizer gets medal, cadres get Nandigram land, cash incentives for officials: Laissez-faire in action
Friedmanite neo-liberalism advocates minimization of the involvement of the state. In reality, neo-liberal policies are imposed and facilitated by the state - from nepotism and incentives to disappearances and massacres.
1. Singur: IPS officer accused of torture awarded Seva medal by Chief Minister - March 3, 2008
2. Bengal govt to distribute vested Nandigram land to party supporters - February 27, 2008
3. Cash Incentives for Officials Who Take Initiative for Land Acquisition - February 2, 2008
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Economic Growth: A Meaningless Obsession?
By Amit Bhaduri, B.N. Ganguly Memorial Lecture; CSDS, Delhi, November 2006.

We are living in India at a time when the media is continuously transmitting confusing, even conflicting, economic signals. If we restrict ourselves to the English language print as well as electronic media, our comfort level is likely to be high. The economy is growing at a high rate, the stock market is booming, our foreign reserve is at a comfortably high level, and freer trade is bringing to our doors a variety of goods and services simply unimaginable even a couple of decades ago as a mark of the benefits of globalization. What is more, we are daily reminded that India is poised economically and politically as an emergent world power.
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Dankuni - Resistance to Massive Land Acquisition for Real Estate
The “development� process in West Bengal is taking place in a two stage mechanism - conversion of agricultural land into industrial land, and conversion of industrial land into real estate. Land acquisition in Dankuni clearly demonstrates how the aim of the “development� process is really the extraction of maximum profits by private enities from resources, in this case, land. Real estate provides the maximum profit, therefore functioning factories in Dankuni are being shut down to acquire land for a housing project by the powerful DLF group.
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Agro-Science Fair in Bolagarh, West Bengal
The ‘Agricultural Science Fair 2008’ was organized by Bolagarh Gana-Bijnan Samiti on 25-26 January, 2008 at the Jeerat Colony High School in the Hooghly district of West Bengal, India. Extensive discussions and programs were carried out on the role of multinationals like Monsanto in promoting genetically modified seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers. Alternative bio-friendly methods of agriculture were discussed.
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Anti-POSCO rally and program in Kolkata
February 13, 2008. Kolkata: A rally from College Square to Utkal Bhavan (an office of the Orissa govornment) took place and was followed by a mass-deputation in Utkal Bhavan against the proposed POSCO project in Jagatsingpur district, Orissa. The program was organised by 18 organizations. After a demonstration in front of Utkal Bhavan the protesters conveyed their solidarity to the POSCO movement in the form of a memorandum to the government of Orissa. The authorities at Utkal Bhavan received the memorandum on behalf of the government of Orissa. Afterwards, anti-POSCO activists including Biswajit Roy shared their experiences with political organisations and human rights activists at the Indian Radical Humanist Associations Hall in a discussion called Posco Ebong Tar Protirodh. Activists involved in the protest movement against illegal and extensive stone quarrying in Asansol and Birbhum were also present to express their solidarity to the people of
Orissa and speak about the conditions in the regions where they work.
The 18 organisations which organised the program were: APDR, Chhatra-Chhatri Sanhati Mancha, Little Magazine Samannay Mancha, Lok Seba Sangh, Nandigram Ganahatya Birodhi Prochar Udyog, Sahanagarikder Jukta Mancha, Hawker Sangram Committee, TASAM, USDF, NAPM, Sanhati Udyog, PaschimBanga Khetmazoor Samiti, Ganamukti Parishad, Janasangharsha Samiti, West Bengal Gandhi Peace Foundation, Bondi Mukti Committee, West Bengal Government Employees Union, and National Fishworkers Federation.
Read this article »
Malnutrition death in Singur and the Nano-flyover syndrome
1. February 10, 2008 : Kalipada Majhi, a sharecropper rendered jobless in Singur after land acquisition, died from malnutrition.
2. In an article called The Nano-flyover Syndrome, Sunita Narain examines what subsidises the cheap Nano, and who actually pays.
Read this article »
Tall Claims: Employment generated by Haldia Petrochemicals
By Dipanjan Rai Chaudhuri and Purnendu Chakraborty
These articles calculate the actual employment figure in downstream units of HPL for 2005 to be less than 19,301. We are being asked to believe that, in 2 years, the figure has increased from less than 19,301 to 50,000+89,900, an increase of more than 7-fold. The figure of 89,900 is also suspiciously close to 89,895, which is the employment figure for ALL new projects implemented in the state between 1991-2002 (Source: Frontline). It seems that either 89,000 is a favourite number, or that all employment in the state has come from HPL.
Read this article »
Burma’s Freedom Fighters: From Port Blair to a Kolkata Jail
February 4th, 2008, marks the tenth anniversary of the illegal detention of 34 Burmese freedom fighters in Bengal. The Solidarity Committee for Burma’s Freedom Fighters, whose members include Ashok Mitra, Lakshmi Sehgal, and others, carried out a Dharna in protest.
Personal accounts of prisoners and press release of the protest are included.
Read this article »
Neoliberalism, the U.S. economic crisis, and the phases of capitalism
Neoliberal Globalization Is Not the Problem - By Rick Wolff
2008: The Demise of Neoliberal Globalization - By Immanuel Wallerstein
Putting the U.S. Economic Crisis in Perspective - By Leo Panitch
Read this article »
Some critiques of CPI(M)’s 19th Congress and stance on capitalism
On Jyoti Basu’s Embrace of Capitalism as the Only Road to Industrialisation - By P.J. James
CPI(M)’s 19th Congress: The Social Democrats Stand Further Exposed - By K.N. Ramachandran
Read this article »
Study on Closed and Re-opened Tea Gardens in North Bengal
By Anuradha Talwar, Debashish Chakraborty, Sarmishtha Biswas
This study, dated September 2005, was conducted in the wake of the crisis in the tea industry in the Doars between 2002-2004.
Contents: (1) Conditions in re-opened gardens - wages, ration, hours of work, occupational health and safety, drinking water, electricity, housing, transport for school-children, medical facilities, creches, maternity benefits, fringe benefits, latrines and urinals (2) Conditions in closed and abandoned gardens (3) Workers’ dues - tabled by tea estates, categorized under provident fund, gratuity, salary, and total dues (4) Opening agreements (5) Likely non-viability of plantations (6) Role of unions - CITU, UTUC, INTUC, WBTGEA (7) Role of government (8) Plantations Labour Act, 1951
Click here to read study on closed and re-opened ta gardens in North Bengal [PDF, English, 400 KB] »
ShramikShakti Newsletter - January-February 2008
Contents: (1) SEZs stopped in Goa (2) CPI(M) exults over the Nano (3) BJP in power in Gujrat and Himachal - effects on state and national politics (4) Dankuni - huge land acquisition plans (5) Civil society, Karl Marx, and the CPI(M) (6) Economic development and employment generation - a debate (part 2) (7) Vote-based front or unity of struggle? (8) Pollution of drinking water - in search of the source (9) Singur and the High Court verdict (10) Ganashakti’s hypocrisy (11) GM crops - agricultural science meet in Bolagarh (12) Bolagarh - lessons from the polls (13) Movement in Kandi - protests against corruption in public distribution system and cal for permanent flood resistance measures (14) Benazir’s death and contemporary Pakistan (15) HindMotors and the recent elections
Click here to read ShramikShakti January-February 2008 [PDF, Bengali, 612 KB] »
Buddha Weeps in Jadugoda
Click here to watch documentary: Buddha weeps in Jadugoda [Youtube video, six parts]
Click here for photos of affected children
Ragi Kana Ko Bonga Buru (Buddha weeps in Jadugoda) documents the devastating effects of uranium mining by Uranium Corporation of India Limited at Jadugoda, in Jharkhand. For the last thirty years, radioactive waste has been dumped into the rice fields of Adivasis. The complete disregard of the authorities to radioactive waste management rules wreaks havoc on the daily lives of villagers and children, with genetic deformities becoming quite common.
About director Shriprakash Prakash: Shriprakash has directed and produced many documentary films during the last 15 years. He is also the chief co-ordinator of Kritika, a group working in the Jharkhand region since 1990 in the areas of culture and communication. With his films he has attempted to capture the struggles and aspirations of indigenous local communities in Bihar and Jharkhand, and to give them a voice.« Previous Entries
Regular Columnists
* D. Rai Chaudhuri [Apr 15]
* Sankar Ray [Apr 25]
* S. Mukhopadhyay [Jan 21]
Digital Archives
* Liberation (complete) [Mar 3]
* Porichoy Patrika [Mar 21]
* Now Weekly
* Frontier Weekly
Recent Journal Entries
* Adivasi rally of April 24th, 2009
* Lalgarh Movement â€" Mass uprising of tribal people in West Bengal
* Jobless? What jobless! A brief tour through the Economics Wonderland
* Lalgarh movement: building infrastructure in the face of governement apathy and terror
* Jindal SEZ at Salboni: A First-hand Report
* On agriculture, opposition to land acquisition and the parliamentary elections
* Gorkhaland and Lalgarh: dialogues, parallels, and a challenge to mainstream parties
* A report of the Save Naihati Industrial Area Forum
* 77 days in jail: political notes from an imprisoned worker under Left Front ruled Bengal
* Factory closures and plight of workers: A comprehensive summary of Bengal's industrial condition
Ongoing Struggles in Bengal and India
* Collected
http://sanhati. com/
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Palash Biswas

 
Pl Read my blogs:

 
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5.

They KNOW we are vulnerable/other news

Posted by: "marc samberg" mechelsamberg@gmail.com   mechelsamberg

Sat May 9, 2009 4:23 am (PDT)



Contents:
They KNOW we are vulnerable
For the Muslim fetus who seeks Jihad
Daily Alert <http://list- dailyalert. org/mail- jcenter/forms/ optOutForm. asp>
Israel News

They KNOW We Are Vulnerable
Combating the EMP Threat, Part Three*
*
by Brigitte Gabriel

Dear Marc,

"In 1962, deep in a cold war with the Soviet Union, the United States
conducted 'Starfish Prime,' a nuclear weapon test over a remote region of
the Pacific Ocean. The test was successful, with one unexpected result:
Fifteen hundred kilometers away in Hawaii streetlights burned out, TV sets
and radios failed and power lines fused." (EMPACT
publication<http://tool. donation- net.net/Images/ Email/1097/ Global_Single_ Point_Failure_ -_The_EMP_ threat.pdf>,
"Global Single Point Failure: The EMP Threat).

*The fact that we are vulnerable to a nuclear-triggered EMP threat is not
some fabricated scare tactic or sci-fi fantasy. And countries including Iran,
North Korea, Russia, and China know it.*

In 1999 a Russian official warned a delegation from the U.S. House Armed
Services Committee that if his country really wanted to hurt the U.S., it
would "detonate a single nuclear warhead at high-altitude over the United
States. The resulting electromagnetic pulse would massively disrupt U.S.
communications and computer systems, shutting down everything." (EMPACT
publication, p. 2).

According to Senate testimony in 2005, an Iranian military journal discussed
the impact of an EMP attack and stated, "If the world's industrial countries
fail to devise effective ways to defend themselves against dangerous
electronic assaults then they will disintegrate within a few years." (EMPACT
publication, p. 3).

The Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from
Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack has warned us. Iran has warned us. Russia
has warned us.

*Now America must act. We have time to prepare and defend against such an
attack, but the window to prepare is closing.* North Korea is testing launch
missiles that could reach Alaska. Iran is working with North Korea on
its nuclear
weapons program. If 70% or more of our electrical power grid were wiped out
by an EMP attack, as the Commission concludes, millions and millions of
Americans would die.

There is no organization in America that has more members that are informed
on issues like these than ACT! for America. While most Americans are unaware
of the various threats of radical Islam — you are. While most Americans are
unaware of the EMP threat — you are.

*That makes you and me 21st century "Paul Revere's." If we don't warn and
awaken America, who will? For the sake of our families, our friends, our
children and our grandchildren, we must act now.*

This is why I'm appealing to you today to help us launch our 2009 plan to
combat the EMP threat. As you will see in a moment, some of the pieces of
this plan we can implement with the staff and resources we have. But other
pieces require funds we simply don't have in the budget.

If you agree with me that preventing radical Islamists or a country like
North Korea from deploying an EMP threat against us is an action we must
take – and take now – then I'm asking you to do the following.

- If you're not already a monthly contributing Patriot Partner, *click
here<https://www. egsnetwork. com/gift/ gift.php? giftid=EDBF02B5- E4CF-4D2F- 9BA3-331AA8F4400 0>
* to sign up. For monthly gifts of $10 to $100 we have special benefits
for you. You simply select the level of monthly gift you can make, and
we'll send you the benefit(s) for that Patriot Partner gift level. Our
online donation form is easy to use, safe and secure.

*OR*

- *Click here<https://www. egsnetwork. com/gift/ gift.php? giftid=3F06D2D8- 01DF-4F7E- 801E-C242263F730 6>
* to make a one-time gift through our "Contributing Member"
program.Select the gift amount you are able to make and we'll send you
the
benefit(s) for that level of gift. If you prefer to mail a check rather than
use our online donation form, you can *click
here<http://tool. donation- net.net/Images/ Email/1097/ Contributing_ Member_reply_ form_5_7_ 09__final. pdf>
* to print out a form to fill out and mail in with your contribution.

Your financial support today will help us quickly move ahead on our plan to
combat the EMP threat. Here's what we plan to do.

- *A paid advertising campaign in the top publications in Washington,
D.C.* These influential publications are read by members of Congress,
staff, the administration, and other opinion leaders throughout
Washington.

- *A national petition to Congress.* Unlike other petitions we have
launched, we want to advertise on high-traffic internet outlets
such as Pajamas
Media and World Net Daily. This advertising, coupled with my highlighting
the petition on radio and TV interviews I conduct, will ensure that hundreds
of thousands of people see it and have the opportunity to sign it.

- *Lobby for a restoration of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the
United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack and implementation of
the Commission's recommendations. *

- *Push for the funding necessary to increase the deployment of missile
defense technology later this year during the appropriations process in
Congress.*

- *Participate in the national EMP threat conference scheduled for
September
9 and 10 in Niagara, New York.*

- *After the national EMP threat conference, work with congressional
allies to draft and push for legislation that will provide protection and
replacement of critical electrical transformers nationwide as a second line
of defense.*

I was told recently that a member of Congress, who is chairman of a House
subcommittee that would have jurisdiction over an issue like the EMP threat,
wasn't even aware of it. With Iran likely to have nuclear weapons within two
years, we must begin educating people about this threat NOW!

Can I count on you to join me as a 21st century "Paul Revere"?

When you sign up to become a *Patriot
Partner<https://www. egsnetwork. com/gift/ gift.php? giftid=EDBF02B5- E4CF-4D2F- 9BA3-331AA8F4400 0>
* or make a one-time gift as a *Contributing
Member<https://www. egsnetwork. com/gift/ gift.php? giftid=3F06D2D8- 01DF-4F7E- 801E-C242263F730 6>
*, you will see different levels of support. For each level of support we
will send you a gift or gifts as our way of saying "thank you." (If you
prefer to become a Contributing Member by mailing in your contribution,
please *click here<http://tool. donation- net.net/Images/ Email/1097/ Contributing_ Member_reply_ form_5_7_ 09__final. pdf>
* to print out a reply form).

Depending on the level of gift you choose, you could receive an autographed
copy of my best-selling book *They Must Be Stopped*, or a copy of the
chilling documentary film "Homegrown Jihad: The Terrorist Camps Around
U.S.," or a DVD copy of my message "The Threat of Militant Islam." There are
other gifts as well.

As you help us launch our plan to combat the EMP threat, we will provide you
with a gift or gifts that include valuable resources for you to become more
informed and to educate your family and friends. This is how we will
continue to work together to push back against the threat of radical Islam.

*I've heard people say that an EMP attack might never happen. I've heard
some say Iran will attack Israel, but not us. They may be right. But what if
they're wrong and we haven't prepared? There are too many experts, who have
studied this and concluded it's a very real threat, for us to ignore.*

So please ACT today! Sign up to become a *Patriot
Partner<https://www. egsnetwork. com/gift/ gift.php? giftid=EDBF02B5- E4CF-4D2F- 9BA3-331AA8F4400 0>
* or make a *one-time
contribution<https://www. egsnetwork. com/gift/ gift.php? giftid=3F06D2D8- 01DF-4F7E- 801E-C242263F730 6>
*, and we'll get your gifts out to you within two to three weeks. (If you
prefer to become a Contributing Member by mailing in your contribution,
please *click here<http://tool. donation- net.net/Images/ Email/1097/ Contributing_ Member_reply_ form_5_7_ 09__final. pdf>
* to print out a reply form).

The first step in ultimately preventing an EMP attack is for each of us to
take action today — to fulfill our role as 21st century Paul Revere's. Thank
you for everything you do on behalf of the America we love. I am grateful
beyond words. And even though many of your friends and family don't know it
yet, there will come a time when they will be grateful to you as well.

Always devoted,

Brigitte Gabriel
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -

*ACT for America*
P.O. Box 12765
Pensacola, FL 32591
www.actforamerica. org
************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* *******
For the Muslim fetus who seeks
Jihad<http://simplyjews. blogspot. com/2009/ 05/for-muslim- fetus-who- seeks-jihad. html>
http://simplyjews. blogspot. com/2009/ 05/for-muslim- fetus-who- seeks-jihad. html

The Hamas mullah in this clip
<http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=pDBn8lUOKOM>eloquently
explains that "the mosque is a prime factory educating men to fear and
please Allah; [it is] the prime factory educating Jihad fighters..." Nothing
new here, and we have seen recently some creative uses of the Gaza mosques.

Then our mullah adds a more creative element to his speech:

The Palestinian fetus in its mother's womb, the Muslim fetus throughout the
world in its mother's womb, call [on Muslims] to unite through fear of
Allah, through pleasing Him, and through choosing Jihad and Resistance.

We have a strong feeling that the intrauterine stage of the young Muslim
development have been hitherto neglected. To facilitate the intrauterine
search for Jihad, the Elders' labs have developed a new pill, tentatively
named Belt-o-caine. Daily intake of three pills for a week will modify the
genetic code of the fetus, causing it to grow an explosive belt from week 4,
getting out at the prescribed time ready for immediate
martyrdom.<http://2.bp. blogspot. com/__1OzjxCtHZI /SgHplQkF6II/ AAAAAAAADnQ/ sSIXG50V2nk/ s1600-h/Fetus4. jpg>
Batteries not included.

Hat tip: PMW <http://www.pmw. org.il/>.

Copyright 2009 by SnoopyTheGoon. * Distributed by ZNN - ( To subscribe - send
email to znn-subscribe@ yahoogroups. com
<http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/ZNN/ post?postID= bC6en4-AbL6ystms yjJs6az5zdaGEueS Nw9Kv4y8hUZQlOR4 03OieQV7wAdVmxcs TIYtXEDiSNujf_ dJgZrHi8zX_ SSZ6Jk>
). Please forward this message with this notice to help support Israel and
Zionism.*
Posted at
http://simplyjews. blogspot. com/2009/ 05/for-muslim- fetus-who- seeks-jihad. html,
where your comments are welcome.
************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* *
Prepared for the
Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish
Organizations<http://www.conferen ceofpresidents. org/>
by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs <http://www.jcpa. org/>
View this page at www.dailyalert. org

<http://list- dailyalert. org/daily- sub.html>
DAILY ALERT Friday,
May 8, 2009
------------ --------- ---------
Daily Alert Needs Your
Support<https://secured4. catom.com/ JCPA/Templates/ showpage. asp?DBID= &LNGID=&TMID= 937&FID=578& PID=0>
------------ --------- ---------

In-Depth Issues:

CIA Report: Iran Dramatically Increased Uranium
Enrichment<http://washingtonti mes.com/news/ 2009/may/ 07/inside- the-ring- 98368565/>-
Bill Gertz (Washington
Times)
According to a little-noticed report covering 2008 released by the
Office of the Director of National Intelligence on March 12, Iran has
dramatically increased the amount of low-enriched uranium produced by its
growing number of centrifuges that are part of its nuclear fuel production
system.
"During the reporting period, Iran continued to expand its nuclear
infrastructure and continued uranium enrichment and activities related to
its heavy water research reactor, despite multiple United Nations Security
Council Resolutions since late 2006 calling for the suspension of those
activities."
Iran produced 75 kg. of low-enriched uranium (LEU) in 2007 and about 555
kg. last year, described by the CIA as a "significant" increase.
Iran also continued development of Shahab-3 medium-range missiles with
assistance from China, North Korea and Russia, the report said.

------------ --------- ---------

Germany Pressures Firms to Limit Iran
Trade<http://www.guardian .co.uk/business/ feedarticle/ 8494238>(Reuters/
Guardian-UK)
The German government is increasing pressure on companies to curb
business with Iran, Handelsblatt daily said on Thursday.
Last week, the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel urged the German
Near and Middle East Association to cancel two conferences on Iran.
Recent figures show Berlin has significantly cut the value of new credit
guarantees it offers firms that do business with Iran, but German exports to
the country still rose last year. Germany has been one of the biggest
exporters to Iran.

------------ --------- ---------

Brazil Dodges a
Demagogue<http://www.boston. com/bostonglobe/ editorial_ opinion/editoria ls/articles/ 2009/05/08/ brazil_dodges_ a_demagogue/>-
Editorial (Boston
Globe)
If Brazil's president, Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva, did not breathe a deep
sigh of relief Monday when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad canceled a
planned trip to the region, he should have. Ahmadinejad' s reactionary regime
is in opposition to much of what Lula stands for.
Brazil has abolished the death penalty; Ahmadinejad' s Iran executes even
minors. In Brazil, 55,000 adherents of the Baha'i faith practice freely; in
Iran, Baha'is are persecuted mercilessly. Holocaust survivors found a home
in Brazil; Ahmadinejad recycles the lies of Holocaust deniers.
So, thousands of Brazilians took to the streets of Sao Paulo and Rio de
Janeiro Sunday to protest Ahmadinejad' s impending arrival.

------------ --------- ---------

Foundation President Indicted in Iran
Probe<http://www.abcnews. go.com/Blotter/ story?id= 7519179&page= 1>-
Maddy Sauer and Richard Esposito (ABC
News)
Farshid Jahedi, president of the Alavi Foundation which the U.S.
government has long suspected of being a front for Iranian espionage and
anti-American activities, has been indicted on charges that he allegedly
destroyed documents just one day after receiving a grand jury subpoena
instructing him not to do so.
The foundation has been described by a former CIA official as "totally
controlled by the government of Iran."
According to court documents, "The foundation funds a variety of
anti-American causes, including the four Islamic education centers it owns
in New York, Maryland, Texas, and California.. .. Mosques funded by Alavi
have organizations which support Hizbullah and Hamas."

------------ --------- ---------

Israel, Vatican Deny Reports about Control of Holy
Sites<http://www.catholic news.com/ data/stories/ cns/0902075. htm>-
Judith Sudilovsky (Catholic
News Service)
Israeli and Vatican officials denied reports that Israeli President
Shimon Peres had asked the government to relinquish sovereignty over several
holy places as a gesture of good will for Pope Benedict XVI.
A spokeswoman for the president's office said Israel already has pledged
to the Vatican that it will not confiscate land around six Christian sites
for any sort of national development purpose such as the widening of roads.
She said Peres had asked the Tourism and Interior ministries, as a
gesture of good will before the pope's May 8-15 trip to the Holy Land, to
confirm the pledge.

------------ --------- ---------

Video: Mother of
Martyrs<http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=gsZtBu5yiHY& feature=channel_ page>-
Lisa Ling (National
Geographic)
A Palestinian woman raises her children to prepare them for suicide
attacks in the conflict with Israel.

------------ --------- ---------

Follow the Jerusalem Center on:
Twitter <http://www.twitter. com/jerusalemcen ter>
YouTube <http://www.youtube. com/user/ TheJerusalemCent er>

------------ --------- ---------

Arab Christians in Israel and the Palestinian
Areas<http://www.monsters andcritics. com/news/ middleeast/ news/article_ 1474776.php/ BACKGROUND_ Arab_Christians_ in_Israel_ and_the_Palestin ian_areas_>(
DPA)
More than 170,000 Arab-Christians live in Israel and the Palestinian
territories, divided into 13 denominations.
Over 120,000 live in Israel, around 50,000 in the West Bank, and another
1,000 in Gaza.
In the West Bank and especially Gaza, Arab Christians have to "walk a
tightrope" with the local Muslim fundamentalists, notably Hamas, says Daniel
Rossing, Director of the Jerusalem Center for Jewish-Christian Relations.
"Protesting Hamas actions toward them can be suicidal. Protesting
against Israel can be far more effective, but it creates a skewed picture,'
Rossing notes.

------------ --------- ---------

Israel Opens Jesus Trail in the
Galilee<http://abcnews. go.com/Internati onal/story? id=7480208& page=1>-
Simon McGregor-Wood (ABC
News)
The recently completed Jesus Trail is 40 miles long. Starting in
Nazareth, its route winds through the towns and villages of the Galilee
region in northern Israel, through a landscape steeped in the history of the
New Testament.
The free trail is the brainchild of local Israeli tour operators who
hope for a spike in Christian tourism after the arrival of the pope in May.

------------ --------- ---------

Patch of Israel Desert Is Oldest Place on
Earth<http://www.foxnews. com/story/ 0,2933,519003, 00.html>- Robert Roy
Britt (FOX
News)
A new study of ancient "desert pavement" in Israel's Negev Desert finds
a region about 1.8 million years old, according to Ari Matmon and colleagues
at Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
This is the oldest known expanse of surface area, more than four times
older than the next oldest desert pavement, in Nevada, according to an
article at the web site of the American Association for the Advancement of
Science.

------------ --------- ---------

News Resources - North America, Europe, and Asia:

- Washington Committed to Seeking Syria-Israel
Deal<http://uk.reuters. com/article/ UKNews1/idUKTRE5 463EW20090507>-
Khaled Yacoub Oweis
The U.S. told the Syrian government on Thursday it was committed to
seeking a peace deal between Syria and Israel. "We conveyed... President
Obama's sincere commitment to pursue Arab-Israeli peace on all tracks,
including on the Syrian-Israeli track," senior State Department official
Jeffrey Feltman said after meeting Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem
in Damascus. (Reuters)
- Israel Calls for Time-Limit on Iran
Talks<http://www.upi. com/Top_News/ 2009/05/07/ Israel-calls- for-time- limit-on- Iran-talks/ UPI-113312416955 92/>
Israel's foreign minister says talks with Iran should come with a
time-limit to prevent the Iranians from stalling to advance their nuclear
program. Avigdor Lieberman said during his first official trip to Europe
that any future discussions with the Islamic Republic should be ended after
three months if it is clear there is no concrete progress being made. (
UPI)
- UN: Hizbullah Threatens Lebanon and
Beyond<http://www.un. org/apps/ news/story. asp?NewsID= 30728&Cr= leban&Cr1=>
UN official Terje Roed-Larsen told a meeting of the Security Council
Thursday: "The most significant remaining Lebanese militia is the armed
component of Hizbullah... .[Its] arsenal is a direct challenge to the
sovereignty of the Lebanese state and a threat to regional stability." In
addition, he reported that over the last few weeks there has been a growing
concern that Hizbullah has engaged in clandestine and illegal militant
activities beyond Lebanese territory. (UN News Center)
See also U.S.: No Distinction Between Hizbullah's "So-Called
Political and Military
Wings"<http://www.khaleejt imes.com/ darticlen. asp?xfile= data/middleeast/ 2009/May/ middleeast_ May123.xml& section=middleea st&col=>
U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice told the Security Council after Roed-Larsen' s
statement, "Let me be clear: we see no distinction between these groups'
so-called political and military wings. Nor will we engage with them until
they completely disarm," according to a transcript of her remarks released
by the U.S. Mission to the UN. (AP)
- Islamists Say Pope's Mideast Visit
Provocative<http://www.washingt onpost.com/ wp-dyn/content/ article/2009/ 05/07/AR20090507 01793.html>-
Suleiman al-Khalidi
Jordanian Islamist leaders on Thursday condemned Pope Benedict's visit to
the Middle East, saying it was provocative because he has not apologized for
offending comments implying Islam was violent and irrational in a 2006
speech in Regensburg. The pope arrives in Jordan on Friday on the first leg
of a tour including Israel and the Palestinian territories. The outlawed
Hizb ut-Tahrir Party issued a statement urging Jordanian authorities to
withdraw their invitation. "All Muslims should raise their voices high to
say that anyone who insults our Prophet is not welcome on this land in any
way," said the radical party, which seeks to unite Muslims into a
pan-Islamic state. (Reuters/Washington Post)
See also Palestinians Seek Papal Pressure on
Israel<http://www.nytimes. com/aponline/ 2009/05/08/ world/AP- ML-Holy-Land- Pope.html>(AP/New
York Times)

News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:

- Syria: No Need to Amend Arab Peace
Initiative<http://archive. gulfnews. com/region/ Middle_East/ 10311700. html>
After Arab diplomats reported that the U.S. has asked Arab nations to
amend a 2002 land-for-peace proposal, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid
al-Moualem said Wednesday: "It is not possible to amend the Arab peace
initiative.. ..I don't see any justification for amending this initiative."
Arab diplomats said this week the Americans are asking the Arab nations to
drop the Palestinians' right of return and agree to either resettle the
refugees in the host countries or in the Palestinian territories. Arab
League Secretary General Amr Mousa has rejected that suggestion. (AP/Gulf
News-UAE)
- Netanyahu to Visit Egypt on First Trip
Abroad<http://www.jpost. com/servlet/ Satellite? cid=123971088597 6&pagename= JPArticle/ ShowFull>-
Herb Keinon
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Egypt on Monday for his
first trip abroad since taking office, a symbolic move government officials
say is designed to signal the importance he places on relations with Cairo
and moderates in the Arab world. Israel would like to see Egypt, Jordan and
Saudi Arabia play a greater role in the peace process, as well as in pushing
back against Iranian efforts to make further inroads in the region, a
government official said. Iran does not just threaten Israel, it is also a
direct threat to the region, the official said. As such, the Iranian threat
has created the possibility of enhanced cooperation and dialogue between
Israel and its neighbors. (Jerusalem Post)
See also Egyptian Officials: Ties to Israel Will Remain Steady in
Netanyahu Era<http://www.jpost. com/servlet/ Satellite? cid=124171949693 9&pagename= JPost/JPArticle/ ShowFull>-
Brenda Gazzar (Jerusalem
Post)
- Israeli Women Having More Children than Arab Women as Muslim Birthrates
Fall <http://www.haaretz. com/hasen/ spages/1084014. html> - Paul Morl
In the early days of the State of Israel, the Arab minority underwent a
"demographic transition," something that often occurs when traditional
societies confront modernity. Health care and living standards improved
rapidly, life expectancy rose and infant mortality fell, but, initially,
family size remained large. However, the second stage inevitably comes in
which birthrates fall. The average Israeli Arab woman is now having fewer
than half the children she had in the 1960s, while the Jewish birthrate has
recently stabilized and even risen. This accords with recent trends in the
Islamic world. Today Israeli women have more children (2.77) than women in
Iran (1.71), Egypt (2.72), Jordan (2.47) or Lebanon (1.87). (Ha'aretz)

Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis (Best of U.S., UK, and Israel):

- Existential Threats from
Iran<http://www.commenta rymagazine. com/viewarticle. cfm/seven- existential- threats-15124>-
Michael B. Oren
Rarely in modern history have nations faced genuine existential threats.
Wars are waged to change regimes, alter borders, acquire resources, and
impose ideologies, but almost never to eliminate another state and its
people. Yet the State of Israel copes with numerous existential threats on a
daily basis. The most manifest existential threat from a nuclear-armed Iran
emanates from its routinely declared desire to "wipe Israel off the map,"
and from the fact that cold war calculi of nuclear deterrence through
mutually assured destruction may not apply to Islamist radicals eager for
martyrdom.
Beyond the perils of an Iranian first-strike attack against Israel,
the possibility exists that Iran will transfer its nuclear capabilities to
terrorist groups, which will then unleash them on Israel via the country's
porous ports and border crossings. A nuclear Iran will also deny Israel the
ability to respond to terrorist attacks: in response to an Israeli
retaliation against Hizbullah, for example, Iran would go on nuclear alert.
Finally, and most menacing, many Middle Eastern states have declared their
intention to develop nuclear capabilities of their own once Iran acquires
the bomb.
Israel cannot allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. Israel should
work in close tandem with the U.S., supporting the current administration' s
diplomatic efforts to dissuade the Iranians from going nuclear. But Israel
must not allow its hands to be tied - it must remain free to initiate other,
covert measures to impede Iran's nuclear program, while continuing to
develop the plans and intelligence necessary for a military operation. The
writer is the new Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. (Commentary)
- Shimon Peres on Iran: Overreaction Is Better than
Underreaction<http://jeffreygoldb erg.theatlantic. com/archives/ 2009/05/peres. php>-
Interview with Jeffrey Goldberg
President Shimon Peres: The greatest asset for Israel, both moral and
strategic, is our relationship with the United States. We should not permit
any rift, any rupture. This remains our top consideration. And since Iran is
a world problem, we should participate in facing its dangers, but without
trying to monopolize it.
Q: Is there a chance that Israel is over-reacting to the language that
comes out of Tehran?
Peres: If we have to make a mistake of overreaction or underreaction, I
think I prefer the overreaction to underreaction. ...If there is a threat, if
there is a danger, and we ignore it, we lose.
Q: There's a growing feeling in some quarters that Israel is not a
strategic asset to America.
Peres: Israel is the only country that has destroyed two generations of
Russian weapons. Completely. I know that to produce weapons is an advantage,
but to destroy competitive arms is also an advantage. We did it. Even today,
strategically, I don't say that Israel is part of the American defense, but
as an ally, politically and militarily, I don't think that we are passive or
unimportant concerning information, intelligence, understanding the region.
Imagine the Middle East without Israel. (Atlantic Monthly)
- The Hamas "Peace"
Gambit<http://www.washingt onpost.com/ wp-dyn/content/ article/2009/ 05/07/AR20090507 03054.html? hpid=opinionsbox 1>-
Charles Krauthammer
The New York Times conducted a five-hour interview with Hamas leader
Khaled Meshal at his Damascus headquarters. Hamas is offering a peace plan
with a two-state solution. Except the offer is not a peace but a truce that
expires after 10 years. Meaning that after Israel has fatally weakened
itself by settling millions of hostile Arab refugees in its midst, and after
a decade of Hamas arming itself within a Palestinian state that narrows
Israel to eight miles wide - Hamas restarts the war against a country it
remains pledged to eradicate.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is reluctant to agree to a
Palestinian state before he knows what kind of state it will be. That
elementary prudence should be shared by anyone who's been sentient the last
three years. The Palestinians already have a state, an independent territory
with not an Israeli settler or soldier living on it. It's called Gaza - a
terror base, Islamist in nature, Iranian-allied, militant and aggressive,
that has fired more than 10,000 rockets and mortar rounds at Israeli
civilians. If this is what a West Bank state is going to be, it would be
madness for Israel or America to accept such a two-state solution. Which is
why Netanyahu insists that the PA first build institutions - social,
economic and military - to anchor a state that could actually carry out its
responsibilities to keep the peace. (Washington Post)
See also Hamas' Latest
Gambit<http://www.thejewis hweek.com/ viewArticle/ c40_a15710/ News/Israel. html>-
Stewart Ain
Hamas' offer Monday of a 10-year truce with Israel provided it retreat to
its pre-1967 borders and grant the right of return to Palestinian refugees
was seen in Israel as nothing more than an attempt to grab headlines. "They
don't want to be frozen out," said Asher Susser, a senior research fellow at
the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv
University. He pointed out that Hamas' top political leader, Khalid Meshal,
made the offer in an interview with the New York Times. Susser said Hamas
had made the offer many times before. It is "being repeated now because it
is the eve of the Netanyahu visit to the United States" on May 18.
Avraham Sela, an expert on Hamas and a professor in Hebrew
University's department of international relations, said President Obama's
promotion of a two-state solution has put undue pressure on Israel "without
much talk of what is expected or demanded from the other side." At the same
time, he said the Palestinian Authority "is hardly surviving," being
artificially resuscitated by the Israeli Army deployed in the West Bank. "It
would take just a few months for Hamas to take over [if the army left],"
Sela said.
Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of
Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, pointed out that Meshal's
claim that there would be a 10-year truce if Israel agreed to its demands
"does not mean it would end all acts of resistance and that there would not
continue to be a build-up of arms. We should learn not to be fooled by
declarations designed for Western consumption and to pressure Israel." (New
York Jewish Week)
- Good News for Israel in the Diplomatic
World<http://www.haaretz. com/hasen/ spages/1083699. html>- Ari Shavit
There is good news in the diplomatic world surrounding Israel. The
strategic alliance between Egypt and Israel has never been as strong. The
Egyptians see the Middle Eastern jungle as it is and understand that, in
this jungle, Israel is a sister. If Israel is harmed, Egypt will be hit. If
Israel is hit, President Hosni Mubarak's Egypt will be lost. That's why
Israel and Egypt worked in coordination during the Gaza operation. In
Jordan, Saudi Arabia and most of the Gulf emirates, many royal families know
they are living on the slopes of a volcano. If the right rope bridge is
tossed at them, they will be happy to cross the river.
Another piece of good news is Quartet envoy Tony Blair who
understands that the way to deal with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is
from the bottom up. Not to force a Geneva-style piece of paper on both
sides, but to build a down-to-earth process that will shape a different
economic, diplomatic and security reality. (Ha'aretz)
- Leaning on Israel Won't Bring Middle East
Peace<http://newsok. com/leaning- on-israel- wont-bring- middle-east- peace/article/ 3367508>-
Editorial
The London Times reports that U.S. National Security Adviser James Jones
told a European foreign minister the White House is ready to lean on Israel.
The trouble with this position is it assumes Israel has a willing partner
for peace. It ignores the fact the Palestinians - their government largely
controlled by the terror group Hamas - won't commit to the existence of a
Jewish state. That's a non-starter for any Israeli prime minister. The
administration shouldn't pressure Israel to gain a flawed peace. There is a
problem in the Middle East, but it's not America and it's not Israel. (The
Oklahoman)
- U.S. Must Work to Prevent Muslim
Radicalization<http://www.indystar .com/article/ 20090503/ OPINION12/ 905030335/ 1002/OPINIO>-
Tim Roemer and Lorne Craner
To break the cycle of Islamic radicalization, the U.S. and its allies
must engage in a competition of ideas. With the right conceptual approach
and concerted action, the Obama administration can set the U.S. on a course
to undercutting al-Qaeda's narrative and appeal. This means empowering
mainstream Muslims to provide hopeful, practical alternatives to
jihadistideology. It also will require substantial investment in
rejuvenating
efforts to encourage prosperity, reform and democracy in Arab countries.
Persistent corruption is the No. 1 frustration among Arab publics, a
factor radical extremists exploit to challenge governmental legitimacy.
Encouraging increased transparency would help the U.S. build bridges to a
suspicious public. Roemer, a former member of the 9/11 commission, and
Craner, a former assistant secretary of state, were members of the
Washington Institute for Near East Policy's Presidential Task Force on
Confronting the Ideology of Radical Extremism. (Indianapolis Star)

Weekend Features
- Arab World Needs to Stop Banning Books and Movies about
Jews<http://www.globalpo st.com/dispatch/ worldview/ 090504/the- sadness-arab- censorship>-
H.D.S. Greenway
Thirty years ago I was crossing the Allenby Bridge from Israel to Jordon
to interview King Hussein, the father of the present monarch. In those days,
foreign correspondents stationed in Israel routinely had two passports: one
for Israel only and another for the rest of the world. My last posting had
been Southeast Asia, and I still had a Laotian visa in my rest-of-the- world
passport. "Ah Hah!" said the Jordanian immigration official. "An Israeli
stamp!" I tried to explain that the stamp was from Laos and that the writing
was Sanskrit, not Hebrew. He was having none of it. In frustration, I pulled
out my Israel-only passport and showed him what Hebrew writing really looked
like. His face expressed horror as he urged me to put it away, then quickly
waved me through.
When Lee Griggs, a reporter for Time Magazine, took up his post in
Beirut more than 40 years ago, his household goods were held up at customs
because of a Yale glee club record album. The seal of Yale University
features Hebrew writing which, in the 18th and 19th centuries, was
considered a language of learning, like Latin and Greek. Griggs had to come
down to the customs office and convince the authorities that the record was
not composed entirely of Zionist music.
To ban the work of Jewish writers or books about Jews is a societal
self-mutilation which the Arab world should put behind it. Like it or not,
the Jews are as much a part of the Middle East as the Arabs and all the
banning in the world will not refute that. (GlobalPost)
- The Centrality of NGOs in Promoting Anti-Israel Boycotts and
Sanctions<http://www.jcpa. org/JCPA/ Templates/ ShowPage. asp?DRIT= 3&DBID=1& LNGID=1&TMID= 111&FID=625& PID=2959& IID=2957& TTL=The_Centrali ty_of_NGOs_ In_Promoting_ Anti-Israel_ Boycotts_ And_Sanctions>-
Gerald Steinberg
NGOs (non-governmental organizations) focusing on human rights are
powerful actors in international politics in general, and in the
Arab-Israeli conflict in particular. The NGO community has advanced
anti-Israel agendas in the UN, including in the 2001 Durban conference,
which adopted the strategy of boycotts, divestment, and sanctions. NGO
reports, press releases, and political lobbying campaigns have a powerful
influence in the UN, the media, and academia. This NGO-led political war
against Israel uses the weapons derived from the rhetoric of human rights
and international law.
Examples include promoting the Jenin "massacre" and "war crimes"
claims, the campaign against the separation barrier ("apartheid wall"),
academic boycott efforts, church-based divestment activities, and efforts to
falsely label Israel's response to rocket attacks from Gaza as "collective
punishment." Funding for many of these NGOs is provided by the European
Commission and many member governments, as well as Norway, Switzerland, and
private organizations. The writer is head of the Political Studies
Department at Bar-Ilan University and Executive Director of NGO Monitor.
(Jewish Political Studies Review)
- Remembering the "Dutch Auschwitz" - The Story of
Sobibor<http://www.spiegel. de/international /europe/0, 1518,622364, 00.html>-
Stephane Alonso
During World War II, deep in the forests of Poland's eastern border area,
the German extermination camp Sobibor was where 170,000 Jews, more than
34,000 of them Dutch, were systematically murdered. The Netherlands, Poland,
Slovakia and Israel recently agreed on a major "renovation" aimed at opening
up the former camp to the outside world. Unlike at Auschwitz, there is
nothing to see at Sobibor. The Germans dismantled the camp in 1943 after an
uprising in which 12 SS officers were killed and several hundred Jews
managed to escape. Fifty of them survived the war. (Der Spiegel-Germany)

Observations:

The Inadequacy of International
Law<http://www.boston. com/bostonglobe/ editorial_ opinion/oped/ articles/ 2009/05/07/ the_inadequacy_ of_international _law/>-
Daniel Taub (Boston
Globe)

- I recently asked a group of eminent jurists on a fact-finding mission:
"Considering the rocket attacks launched against Israel by terrorist groups
in Gaza, what in your view would have constituted a lawful response?" The
answer was total silence. The troubling notion that international law has no
practical advice for a state facing terrorist attacks other than to grin and
bear it is increasingly pervasive.
- According to the understanding of international law of the UN Special
Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Palestinian territories, Richard Falk,
Israel has no right whatsoever to defend itself. Yet, contrary to the
impression created by such experts, international law is not a suicide pact.
It offers practical guidance to a state seeking to respond responsibly and
effectively to threats to the lives of its civilians.
- International law does not require, for example, that a state refrain
from attacking a lawful military target - a missile launcher or a weapons
stockpile, say - solely because it has been placed in the heart of a
civilian area. To require this would simply encourage terrorist
organizations to operate from within kindergartens and hospitals.
- There may indeed be attractions to maintaining a pristine ideal of
international law. But in practice, it offers a simplistic and unworkable
legal model that absurdly posits that the more irresponsible, illegal, and
morally reprehensible the actions of terrorists, the less a state is
permitted to do in response.

The writer is a senior legal adviser in Israel's Ministry of Foreign
Affairs.
-

************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ****
AIPAC takes middle road between Bibi,
Obama<http://zionism- israel.com/ israel_news/ 2009/05/aipac- takes-middle- road-between- bibi.html>
* AIPAC has done about the only thing it could do - position itself between
the US administration and the Israeli government, in an attempt to have the
best possible opportunity to influence US policy favorably.

Sitting between Bibi and Obama, AIPAC criticized by left and
right<http://jta.org/ news/article/ 2009/05/07/ 1004999/navigati ng-obama- and-netanyahu- difference- aipac-gets- it-from-both- sides>
By Ron Kampeas · May 7, 2009

WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Days after AIPAC's apparent success navigating the
churning waters between the Obama and Netanyahu administrations, the
pro-Israel lobby is being criticized by Jewish groups on both sides of the
political spectrum.

Pro-Israel groups on the right and left have assailed the American Israel
Public Affairs Committee because of elements of its agenda that emerged from
its annual policy conference this week.

The Zionist Organization of America registered a protest about AIPAC's
backing for Palestinian statehood. Meanwhile, three groups that backed the
U.S.-sponsored peace process -- Americans for Peace Now, J Street and Brit
Tzedek v'Shalom -- rallied supporters to help roll back Tuesday afternoon's
Capitol Hill blitz by 7,000 AIPAC delegates, suggesting the organization had
failed to fully endorse Obama's peace moves.

The AIPAC conference suggested a middle road that could reconcile
differences between the two young governments over a key issue -- whether to
press toward Palestinian statehood.

The AIPAC delegates' wish list included endorsements for two congressional
letters that unequivocally support a "viable Palestinian state," albeit with
the usual preconditions about an "absolute" end to Palestinian violence.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tried to maintain ambiguity
over his views on a Palestinian state, but such an endorsement for the
concept by AIPAC is unlikely to have come without some sort of nod from
Jerusalem: Netanyahu addressed the conference via satellite and sent some of
his top advisers.

The endorsement of a Palestinian state by the pro-Israel lobby now may spare
Netanyahu from having to explicitly endorse the concept himself -- and
elicit the opprobrium of his coalition's pro-settler flank -- when he meets
with President Obama in two weeks.

Good save, Israel-side, but it upset the ZOA -- the most prominent American
pro-settler group -- stateside.

In a statement, the ZOA said it "opposes this move by AIPAC because
supporting or promoting a Palestinian Arab state under prevailing conditions
is seriously mistaken and because AIPAC is thereby supporting a major policy
affecting Israel's vital interests despite the fact that the Israeli
government has not supported such a policy."

The three groups from the left taking shots across AIPAC's bow have never
had a problem differing with Israeli policy. What was unclear was where they
substantively disagreed with AIPAC, at least on the Palestinian front.

Americans for Peace Now encouraged activists to call lawmakers and make the
following four points: "I am pro-Israel, and I want you to support the Obama
administration' s peace efforts in the Middle East"; "I am pro-Israel, and I
want you to support the president's request for supplemental assistance for
the Palestinians" ; "I am pro Israel, and I want you to support the
president's effort to open the window for responsible engagement with a
Palestinian unity government"; and "I am pro-Israel, and I want you to
reject efforts to promote new Iran sanctions legislation, or efforts to
impose any artificial deadlines for ending diplomacy with Iran."

The e-mail blast also stated that AIPAC's "agenda is often not the same as
ours." Action alerts from Brit Tzedek v'Shalom and J Street to their
followers did not explicitly target AIPAC but similarly urged backing for
Obama's peace principles the very week that AIPAC delegates were making
their case in Washington.

Yet the congressional letters backed by AIPAC back the first two principles
in the Peace Now alert -- Obama's initiative and supplemental assistance.

On the third issue, JTA has learned that AIPAC has signed off quietly on a
policy that would involve the United States engaging with a Palestinian
national unity government that included individuals approved by Hamas, as
long as those individuals explicitly committed to the three principles Hamas
abjures: an end to terrorism, recognition of Israel and an agreement to
abide by earlier peace agreements. That more or less aligns with the
policies outlined in recent week by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham
Clinton.

On the fourth issue, Iran sanctions, it is true that AIPAC strongly backs
the tough sanctions legislation opposed by the three left-wing groups.

An official for one of the three groups acknowledged -- and welcomed --
AIPAC's endorsement of the Obama administration' s Israeli-Palestinian peace
initiatives. The official said he now saw the difference as more one of
emphasis, arguing that the three groups' endorsement of support for the
Palestinian Authority was much more aggressive.

Another pro-Israel official, close to AIPAC, said attacks from the right and
the left affirmed the group's place in the mainstream.

It's not the first time AIPAC has taken hits from its right and left,
although the coincidence of the attacks is unusual. In 2007, Sheldon
Adelson, the casino magnate and a major AIPAC donor, threatened to cut off
the group for backing a letter to the Bush administration urging it to
increase funding for the Palestinian Authority. Dovish groups targeted AIPAC
the year before for backing the tough restrictions on aid written into the
Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act

*=========
*

IPeace initiative - Good for Israel?
Israel and the peace
initiative<http://www.zionism- israel.com/ log/archives/ 00000688. html>

07.05. 2009
http://www.zionism- israel.com/ log/archives/ 00000688. html
Original content copyright by the author
Zionism & Israel Center <http://www.zionism- israel.com/>
http://zionism- israel.com

*The American sponsored peace initiative seems to have little rational
thinking behind it and little chance of success. But while the President of
the United States may not be right, he is certainly the President of the
United States. Israel cannot afford to forget that. Nonetheless, Israel's
first responsibility must be to ensure that it has a viable defense. *

A great peace initiative is being undertaken by the United States. The
general idea seems to bundle a remodeled Arab Peace
Initiative<http://www.mideastw eb.org/saudipeac e.htm>for regional
peace, Palestinian- Israeli peace based on a two state solution
and a solution to the problem of Iranian nuclear weapons development.
Lately, a fourth element was apparently added - general nuclear disarmament
and arms control, including
hints<http://www.jpost. com%20/servlet/ Satellite? cid=123971087468 7&pagename= JPArticle% 2FShowFull>that
the U.S. expects Israel to become a signatory of the Nuclear
Non-proliferation treaty. All this will somehow, so the theory goes, make it
easier for the United States to secure its withdrawal from Iraq, and prevent
a disaster in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Continued here: Israel and the peace
initiative <http://www.zionism- israel.com/ log/archives/ 00000688. html>

==========

Netanyahu appoints committee to improve Palestinian economy and quality of
life
Following his meeting last night (Wednesday), 6.5.09, with Quartet envoy
Tony Blair, Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu<http://www.zionism- israel.com/ bio/Benjamin_ Nethanyahu. htm>
decided
to appoint a ministerial committee on developing the Palestinian economy and
improving the Palestinians' quality of life. The committee's members will
be: Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz and
Minister Silvan Shalom. Due to the importance that he ascribes to the
issue, Prime Minister Netanyahu will chair the committee himself. He will
ask Minister Shalom to begin advancing several economic projects soon in
Jenin, Jericho and the Qasr al-Yehud baptismal site. The move is consistent
with Benjamin Netanyahu<http://www.zionism- israel.com/ bio/Benjamin_ Nethanyahu. htm>'s
pre-election campaign pledge to advance peace by improving economic
conditions for the Palestinians in preparation for a final peace settlement
============

From Alfred Dreyfus to Steve Rosen?
Rosen is probably right that there are
Anti-Semitic<http://www.zionism- israel.com/ dic/Anti- Semitism. htm>American
officials. After all, On the other hand, the Dreyfus
affair <http://www.zionism- israel.com/ dic/Dreyfus_ Affair.htm> was about an
officer in the French army who was accused of giving secrets to Germany, not
about a Jew <http://zionism- israel.com/ jew.htm> giving information to
Israel<http://zionism- israel.com/ Israel.htm>
.

Rosen likens AIPAC spy case to Dreyfus Affair
<http://www.jpost. com/servlet/ Satellite? cid=123971088326 7&pagename= JPArticle% 2FShowFull>May.
6, 2009
Jerusalem Post Staff , THE JERUSALEM POST

Steve Rosen, the former foreign policy chief for AIPAC who was charged with
illegally disclosing classified information, said ulterior motives against
"Jews, Israel and AIPAC" were behind the case against him.

In his first interview since the case was closed on May 1, Rosen compared
himself to Alfred Dreyfus, who was unjustly tried for treason by France.

"Poor Dreyfus - he had no defense, he had no ability to fight. It was a
secret trial. Our judge didn't agree to a secret trial. They tried, they
tried to make it a Dreyfus trial, but he said, 'No. I'm not having a secret
trial, we're going to have an open trial,'" Rosen described in an interview
filmed only hours after the dismissal of the case and aired on Channel 10
Wednesday.

"It's been nearly five years since they came to my door, out of the blue,
and turned my life upside-down, " he continued. "It's been a horrible
experience. It's over, but it will take awhile to rebuild."

Rosen allegedly received classified information concerning Iran and its
backing for terrorism.

The case came to light following an FBI raid on AIPAC's offices in August
2004. Seven months later, in March 2005, he was fired by the lobby group,
and in August of that year, he was indicted by the United States.

But Rosen maintained that his actions were not illegal.

"I was a person, you see, who worked with government officials every day for
23 years. That week, every week, I would meet with people in the State
Department, the National Security Council, the Defense Department, other
agencies in the government. They were my friends, they knew very well that I
spoke to the embassy of Israel. It wasn't a surprise to them; they also
spoke to the embassy," he said.

"But these people we're talking about viewed it as if we were a nest of
spies, as if we were doing something against America," Rosen continued.

While he expressed relief that the saga was over, Rosen noted that "we
didn't really have a trial, and in some ways it's too bad we didn't, because
all the facts would've come out, and what it would've shown is that I did
nothing wrong. Those that did something wrong were the people that brought
this case; not just that they were incorrect, but that the attitude they had
about Jews, Israel, AIPAC was completely false."

Unfortunately, he said, "a lot of that nonsense is still out there. You can
go on the Internet and see hundreds of stories. They talk about spies, and
they see the Mossad <http://www.zionism- israel.com/ dic/Mossad. htm> under
every desk."

Rosen also expressed his belief that then-president George W. Bush was not
at all responsible for the case, but that it was "a faction in the
bureaucracy who had this belief."

"They have materials against other people at AIPAC," he continued. "They
have material about people at other Jewish organizations. These guys are
still there in the bureaucracy. They still believe that Jews are more loyal
to Israel than to America. They still believe that there are Jewish spies
under every bed. And they may find another opportunity to bring another case
against someone, and that's the problem."

==========

Kibbutzniks try to halt Netanyahu government appeasement of Hamas
Last update - 11:25 07/05/2009
Kibbutzniks block Gaza crossing to prevent transfer of
cash<http://www.haaretz. com/hasen/ spages/1083791. html>
By Jack Khoury and Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondents
Kibbutz Movement activists on Thursday blocked the entrance to the Erez
border crossing to prevent the transfer of cash to the Gaza Strip.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday instructed defense officials
to transfer NIS 50 million to banks in the Hamas-ruled territory to help pay
Palestinian Authority salaries.

Yoel Marshak, of the Kibbutz Movement's operations department, said Thursday
that the activists would block the entry paths with bulldozers and prevent
the transfer.

"We demand equal conditions for the abducted soldier Gilad Shalit," he said,
referring to the Israeli soldier who was kidnapped by Gaza militants in a
2006 cross-border raid.

Negotiations to secure his release broke down during the last days of former
prime minister Ehud Olmert's tenure.

Netanyahu approved the transfer after meeting on Wednesday with Quartet
envoy Tony Blair, despite having waged criticism against Olmert for similar
actions.

Blair relayed to Netanyahu the frustration expressed by Palestinian Prime
Minister Salam Fayyad, who complained that Israel is preventing funds from
being transferred to the Strip.

Defense officials told Netanyahu that NIS 50 million would cover PA salaries
and would be enough to save the Gaza banking system from collapse. The sum
is less than what was originally requested by the Palestinian Authority.

Netanyahu aides said the funds to be transferred are not Israeli funds, but
rather the Palestinian Authority's money that will go toward paying the
salaries of its employees. "We are talking about a minimal amount that is
intended to maintain Gaza's economy," said one source.

Some right-wing groups in Israel have opposed similar cash transfers,
asserting that Gaza's Hamas Islamist rulers could benefit.

Palestinian officials in the West Bank have said that assertion is
unfounded, citing the use of safeguards such as direct deposit to prevent
the money from going into unauthorized accounts.

======
IDF soldier shot dead during pre-dawn raid near Ramallah

IDF soldier shot dead during pre-dawn raid near
Ramallah<http://www.jpost. com/servlet/ Satellite? cid=123971088831 6&pagename= JPArticle% 2FShowFull>
May. 7, 2009
Yaakov Katz , THE JERUSALEM POST

St-Sgt. Noam Adin Richter Levy, 20, from Mitzpe Netufa near Jerusalem, a
soldier from the Dhihifat battalion, was killed pre-dawn Thursday in IDF
raid on the town of Berzit north of Ramallah.

IDF sources said that Levy was killed during a routine operation that
included a night-time patrol around the town, which is home to one of the
leading Palestinian universities.

Sources said that the IDF was investigating the incident, as well as the
possibility that the soldier was killed by friendly fire.

During the patrol through the town a part of the Dhihifat force was
separated, and "many questions surrounded what happened next," according to
the sources. The IDF said it was also possible that the force encountered
resistance while on patrol, and that the soldier was shot by a Palestinian
gunman.

The IDF was waiting for autopsy results to determine the cause of death.

Levy was the first soldier to be killed in the West Bank in over a year.
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************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* *******
Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center
at the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center

(IICC)
For annotated illustrated version

www.terrorism- info.org. il/malam_ multimedia/ English/eng_ n/html/hezbollah _e011.htm
April 28, 2009

Exposure of a Hezbollah network in Egypt: state of affairs,
implications, and reactions in Egypt and in the Arab and Muslim world 1

Overview

1. In late 2008, Egyptian security services exposed a Hezbollah
network which operated on Egyptian soil. Immediately following the exposure,

the affair was hushed up and received no media coverage. In early April
2009, the Egyptian government decided to make public the exposure, the
network members' interrogations, and the implications of Hezbollah's
activity on Egyptian soil.

2. That network is perceived and portrayed by the Egyptian
government as an Iranian "plot" to destabilize Egypt and further Iran 's
strategic objectives, being part of its drive for Middle Eastern hegemony.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who is viewed by the Egyptians as an
instrument used by the Iranian regime to further its objectives, received
special treatment from the Egyptian media, which referred to him, inter
alia, as the "monkey sheikh", "Iranian agent", and "militia leader in the
Iranian party of Lebanon". Accusations were also made against the Muslim
Brotherhood in Egypt , which was allegedly involved with and supported the
network. 2

3. Against this backdrop, Egyptian media (as well as Arab media
benefiting from Egyptian leaks) have been recently publishing a great deal
of highly detailed information on the Hezbollah network's activities in
Egypt . According to that information, the network was involved in smuggling

weapons and terrorist operatives into the Gaza Strip (mostly for Hamas, in
our assessment). It is also our assessment that those operatives had
undergone training in Iran , Syria , and Lebanon , and had been brought back

to the Gaza Strip with the assistance of Hezbollah. According to the
Egyptian media, the smuggling route passed through Sudan , Egypt , and the
Gaza Strip, via the Rafah tunnels. It appears that in some point (possibly
following Imad Mughniyah's death) the Hezbollah network was instructed to
carry out terrorist attacks on Egyptian soil, mostly against tourist sites
on the Red Sea coast where Israelis often stay.

4. The Hezbollah network was serving the strategic interests of
Iran, which strives to help build up the Hamas administration in the Gaza
Strip, even though Hamas, unlike Hezbollah, does not fully comply with the
Iranian dictates. Iran considers the establishment of the radical Islamic
entity in the Gaza Strip to be an important leverage for waging an armed
struggle against Israel along its southern border by providing Palestinian
terrorist organizations with rocket capabilities (as Iran did with Hezbollah

in Lebanon). The Gaza Strip is also seen as a convenient staging ground from

which terrorists can be dispatched to Israel , either directly or through
the breached Egyptian-Israeli border. What is more, the Iranians consider
the Hamas-controlled Islamist Gaza Strip to be a regional power which they
can use to increase their influence in the Arab and Muslim world, pose a
considerable challenge to Abu Mazen, and export radical Islam to such
pro-Western Arab countries as Egypt , using that country's geographical
proximity to the Gaza Strip. 3

5. The exposure of the Hezbollah network, which not only
provided Gaza Strip terrorist organizations with logistical assistance but
was also planning to perpetrate terrorist attacks on Egyptian soil, was a
warning sign the Egyptians could not ignore. Its activities meticulously
covered by Egypt 's media, the network was considered by the Egyptians as a
blatant Iranian interference in Egyptian internal affairs and as
compromising their national security. Sincerely concerned about the
potential implications of Iranian subversive activities on its territory,
Egypt launched a massive media campaign against Iran , led by President
Mubarak, Egypt 's Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and the Egyptian
government-controll ed media. Joined by the media of Saudi Arabia and other
like-minded countries, the media campaign put Iran and its allies ( Syria ,
Hezbollah, and to a lesser extent Hamas) on the defensive.

6. With the parliamentary elections drawing near, Hezbollah
leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was put in an uncomfortable position by the
Egyptians' activity, admitted soon after the affair was exposed that the
leader of the network (known as Sami Shihab) and some of his operatives,
did, indeed, belong to Hezbollah. The media strategy adopted by Hassan
Nasrallah (and later also by his deputy, Sheikh Na'im Qassem) was to confirm

that the Hezbollah network was involved in smuggling weapons and "fighters"
(i.e., terrorist operatives) into the Gaza Strip, portraying that activity
as being perfectly legitimate seeing as, according to Hezbollah, supporting
the Palestinians was imperative. At the same time, Hezbollah denied the
Egyptian allegations that the network's activity was not limited to
logistics but also included terrorist attacks and subversion, claiming that
such accusations were groundless and that their sole purpose was to
compromise the "reputation" built by the organization in the Arab world,
including Egypt , since the second Lebanon war.

7. The Iranian and Syrian propaganda rushed to Hezbollah's aid,
all the while keeping a low profile in order to mitigate the Egyptian
attack. The Hamas movement, which was put in an uncomfortable position,
denied having anything to do with the affair, stressing, however, that
smuggling weapons into the Gaza Strip was perfectly legitimate.

The Hezbollah network in Egypt - summary based on Egyptian and
Arab media reports

8. The Egyptian and Arab media have published a great deal of
detailed information about the activity of the Hezbollah network exposed in
Egypt . Some of that information is said to have originated in
interrogations of those detained in the affair, with several interrogation
protocols published in the Egyptian media. The picture that emerges from
those reports is that the network included 49 operatives and that it was
headed by a Hezbollah operative codenamed Sami Shihab (see below). Its
members were Egyptians, Lebanese, Palestinians, Sudanese, Israeli Arabs, and

Syrians (Al-Hayat, April 13), 21 of whom were arrested (Al-Masri al-Youm,
April 29). The network started operating in Egypt in 2005 and was probably
exposed in late 2008. Most of its operatives were arrested by the Egyptian
security services, although it was reported that the search for additional
(Lebanese and Palestinian) operatives who sought shelter in the central
Sinai Peninsula was still underway.

9. On April 13, Al-Masri al-Youm published the interrogation
protocols of Muhammad Yussuf Ahmed Mansour, a Shi'ite Lebanese from the
southern suburb of Beirut , who entered Egypt using a fake passport. The
detainee admitted that he was a Hezbollah operative codenamed Sami Hani
Shihab, which was confirmed by Hassan Nasrallah's speech. 4 Following are
the main points related by the detainee in his interrogation by the Egyptian

security services:

a. He was sent to Cairo in 2005 to establish there a Hezbollah

network called " Egypt Branch". Its goal was said to be "supporting the
Palestinian cause". His direct commander in Lebanon was a Hezbollah
operative named Mohammad Qabalan, who was chosen for the mission because he
had visited Egypt in 2007 and 2008 and had considerable knowledge about the
southern Sinai Peninsula , where he spent some time using a fake Egyptian
passport on the name of Hassan al-Ghul. 5

b. Egypt Branch operatives surveyed tourist sites on the Red
Sea coast in order to collect information on Israeli tourists staying there
(Arab and Egyptian media reported that the network was planning to
perpetrate several showcase terrorist attacks at the tourist spots using car

bombs and explosive belts) . One of the network's operatives was a resident
of Port Said named Hassan al-Manakhili, who was instructed to gather
information in the region of Nuweiba and conduct reconnaissance missions in
the Ras al-Shaitan area (on April 23, the Al-Akhbar newspaper reported that
Hassan al-Manakhili and five other detainees from Port Said were instructed
by Sami Shihab to purchase a boat and rent a fish store in Port Said in
order to collect information on vessels going through the Suez Canal).

c. Mohammad Qabalan was involved in smuggling operatives and
weapons into the Gaza Strip for terrorist attacks against Israel . For that
purpose, the network acquired C- 4, a very high quality plastic explosive, 6

and stored it in the house of one of the network's operatives in El-Arish.
The explosives were then used to make explosive belts and explosive
suitcases. The network members also purchased some supplies for preparing
explosive devices, such as electric wires and iron pellets. Egyptian sources

close to the interrogation told an Al-Sharq al-Awsat reporter in Cairo
(April 18) that the explosives were meant to be transported to Israel by
Israeli Arabs for perpetrating terrorist attacks.

d. As part of the preparations for smuggling weapons, Mohammad

Qabalan went to Sudan "in order to attend to logistical matters". The
purpose of his visit in Sudan was "to meet with African and Sudanese
smugglers to smuggle fighters to Gaza ". The agreement was that the
smugglers would receive 2,000 dollars for each person smuggled into the Gaza

Strip and 16,000 dollars for a passenger car. The network was able to
smuggle "fighters" (i.e., terrorist operatives) into the Gaza Strip, but
their number was small, the detainee related.

e. Sami Shihab admitted that, as part of his activity in
Hezbollah, he was enlisted to that organization' s general recruitment
division. He underwent military training but suffered an injury to his
spinal cord. After his recovery, he joined Unit 1800, which deals with the
Palestinian issue through the "ring states" (that is, the countries which
surround Israel ). The detainee had undergone extensive intelligence
training, qualifying him for the assignments he was charged with.

10. Another detainee named Muhammad Ramadan admitted to
infiltrating Egypt (from the Gaza Strip) through the Rafah tunnels along
with another operative. Their purpose was to recruit operatives who could be

smuggled into Israel for perpetrating suicide bombing attacks there.
7Muhammad Ramadan met with Sami Shihab, the network's leader, who told him
that he was able to help him and provide him with the necessary means to
perpetrate terrorist attacks. According to Egyptian media reports, the
attacks were not carried out because several Israeli Arabs involved in the
affair were apprehended by the Israeli intelligence services.

The involvement of Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV in the affair

11. The Egyptian newspaper Al-Akhbar reported that the Hezbollah

network operatives in Egypt were assisted by a person working for
Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV channel. They took advantage of his knowledge of the

Hebrew language and charged him with contacting elements inside Israel
through the Internet in order to collect information on Israeli tourists
visiting Egypt (Al-Akhbar, April 13).

12. Following the exposure of the affair, an Egyptian attorney
filed a plea calling for the termination of Al-Manar's broadcasts through
the Egyptian-controlled Nilesat satellite. According to the plea, Al-Manar
TV was broadcasting false information and violating legal ethics
(Al-Gomhuria, April 17). Al-Manar TV does broadcast through Arabsat (an
inter-Arab TV satellite dominated by the Saudis) and Nilesat (an Egyptian TV

satellite), while many countries in the world, mainly France , have taken
practical measures against the channel since 2004. 8 Hezbollah's reliance on

those Arab satellites allows Al-Manar TV to disseminate its inciting
broadcasts to the Middle East, North Africa, and countries in southern
Europe , where it enjoys great popularity.

Reactions in the Arab world

Egypt

13. The Egyptian official and non-official media, as well as
Egyptian leaders, including President Hosni Mubarak, took the opportunity of

the Hezbollah network's exposure to vehemently lash out against Iran ,
accusing it of being responsible for the anti-Egyptian "plot" and of using
the Palestinian issue to further its interests in the Middle East . At the
same time, the Egyptian government is also attempting to make a profit on
the internal scene by accusing the Muslim Brotherhood of being associated
with the Hezbollah network (an accusation which has yet to be proven). This
media attack may herald a new phase in the confrontation between Egypt (and
other pro-Western Arab countries) and the Iranian-Syrian axis, which directs

such terrorist organizations as Hezbollah and Hamas.

14. President Mubarak addressed the affair and Iran 's role in
it during his speech in Ismailia on the 27th anniversary of the liberation
of Sinai (April 23). 9 "We are aware of the connection between the national
security of Egypt and the security and stability of the Middle East, the
Gulf, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean, Sudan , the Nile basin countries, and
Africa ," said Mubarak. "We affirm our Arab identity and will not allow the
interference of regional elements that are opposed to peace and are pushing
the region to the edge of an abyss [i.e., Iran ]. Those elements seek to
impose their influence and agenda on our Arab world, incite disagreements on

the Arab and Palestinian scene, and send their agents [i.e., Hezbollah] to
the region in order to threaten Egypt 's national security, harm its
borders, and compromise its stability." President Mubarak then reiterated
his threatening message to Iran : "I'm telling them: we are totally aware of

your plots. We will expose your plots and react accordingly. Stop
interfering in the Palestinian issue; beware the wrath of Egypt and its
people" (Middle East News Agency, April 23, 2009).
15. Following are more examples of the still ongoing Egyptian
media attack on Iran :

a. A weekly editorial by the editor-in-chief of Al-Ahram
accused Iran and Hezbollah of taking advantage of the Palestinian problem to

promote Iranian interests and disseminate Iranian revolutionary ideas. The
article argues that Egypt 's non-compromising stance against "the crimes of
Hezbollah" was ben eficial to the entire Arab world, and that eventually
Hamas will also understand that there is an Iranian conspiracy against it.
The article accuses Hezbollah of encouraging suicide bombing attacks which
resulted in the failure of the second intifada, unlike the success of the
first intifada, in which Hezbollah did not interfere.
b. In an article dated April 18, Ahmed Moussa, the deputy
editor-in-chief of Al-Ahram, claims that the Hezbollah network was not just
planning to perpetrate terrorist attacks but also "conspired" to stage a
coup in Egypt . According to Moussa, that "conspiracy" included three
countries: Iran , Syria , and Qatar . It allegedly also included three
organizations: Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Muslim Brotherhood. In addition,
the article accuses the Al-Jazeera channel of manipulating Egyptian public
opinion, referring to it as "Al-Qatar channel which belongs to the country
of Al-Jazeera". The article goes into detail about Hezbollah's close
relations with Syria , arguing that the organization had received three
quarters of the Syrian army's weapons before its withdrawal from Lebanon .
Iran , on its part, "picked up the tab" for Syria and, in addition, exported

Grad rockets to Hamas. The author of the article also lashes out against
Hamas for causing a rift within the Palestinian entity, rebelling against
the legitimate government, objecting the continuation of the lull in the
fighting, and, "on the day the lull in the fighting ceased, firing its
useless rockets in order to prompt Israel to launch a military operation,
without giving any thought to the defenseless people of the Gaza Strip.".

c.The Al-Gomhuria newspaper published an article by its
editor-in-chief (April 16), claiming that the confrontation between Egypt
and " Iran and its proxies" originated in two distinct worldviews about
handling the conflict with Israel , leveling accusations against Iran 's
supporters in Egypt . He says that Egypt espouses the peace treaty model and

the democratic solution, while Iran espouses "liberation" through armed
resistance. The roots of that conflict are well known from the past;
however, a new phenomenon has been exposed in the present affair: "Up until
now, we haven't been aware of the existence of an intellectual 'elite' in
Cairo which is currently defending Iran's interests and Hezbollah, even
though they violated Egypt's territorial sovereignty. .." According to the
author, Hassan Nasrallah and the Iranian clerics who handle him strive to
turn the Arab world into a scene of terrorism using Hezbollah's sleeper
cells in the various countries.

d. In an interview to the Arab newspaper Al-Sharq al-Awsat
(April 14), Egypt 's Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit claimed that Iran
was holding several "inter-Arab cards" in order to "trade them" when it
decides to begin negotiating with the West. He further adds that Hezbollah's

gaining a foothold on the western Mediterranean coast, by Iran 's
initiative, is a clear message to the West, to Israel , to Egypt , and to
all Arabs: "We are here and we will influence your interests". Iran also
used Hezbollah to gain a foothold in Egypt "so that it can tell Egypt 'we
are here'". The Egyptian Foreign Minister also said that Iran considered
itself a revolutionary country striving to increase its influence on the
Arab and Muslim world, including the Gulf region and Afghanistan, and
possibly also the Islamic republics of Central Asia.

e. In the same interview, the Egyptian Foreign Minister was
also asked about the bombing of the arms convoy in Sudan ....

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Contents:
They KNOW we are vulnerable
For the Muslim fetus who seeks Jihad
Daily Alert <http://list- dailyalert. org/mail- jcenter/forms/ optOutForm. asp>
Israel News

They KNOW We Are Vulnerable
Combating the EMP Threat, Part Three*
*
by Brigitte Gabriel

Dear Marc,

"In 1962, deep in a cold war with the Soviet Union, the United States
conducted 'Starfish Prime,' a nuclear weapon test over a remote region of
the Pacific Ocean. The test was successful, with one unexpected result:
Fifteen hundred kilometers away in Hawaii streetlights burned out, TV sets
and radios failed and power lines fused." (EMPACT
publication<http://tool. donation- net.net/Images/ Email/1097/ Global_Single_ Point_Failure_ -_The_EMP_ threat.pdf>,
"Global Single Point Failure: The EMP Threat).

*The fact that we are vulnerable to a nuclear-triggered EMP threat is not
some fabricated scare tactic or sci-fi fantasy. And countries including Iran,
North Korea, Russia, and China know it.*

In 1999 a Russian official warned a delegation from the U.S. House Armed
Services Committee that if his country really wanted to hurt the U.S., it
would "detonate a single nuclear warhead at high-altitude over the United
States. The resulting electromagnetic pulse would massively disrupt U.S.
communications and computer systems, shutting down everything." (EMPACT
publication, p. 2).

According to Senate testimony in 2005, an Iranian military journal discussed
the impact of an EMP attack and stated, "If the world's industrial countries
fail to devise effective ways to defend themselves against dangerous
electronic assaults then they will disintegrate within a few years." (EMPACT
publication, p. 3).

The Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from
Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack has warned us. Iran has warned us. Russia
has warned us.

*Now America must act. We have time to prepare and defend against such an
attack, but the window to prepare is closing.* North Korea is testing launch
missiles that could reach Alaska. Iran is working with North Korea on
its nuclear
weapons program. If 70% or more of our electrical power grid were wiped out
by an EMP attack, as the Commission concludes, millions and millions of
Americans would die.

There is no organization in America that has more members that are informed
on issues like these than ACT! for America. While most Americans are unaware
of the various threats of radical Islam — you are. While most Americans are
unaware of the EMP threat — you are.

*That makes you and me 21st century "Paul Revere's." If we don't warn and
awaken America, who will? For the sake of our families, our friends, our
children and our grandchildren, we must act now.*

This is why I'm appealing to you today to help us launch our 2009 plan to
combat the EMP threat. As you will see in a moment, some of the pieces of
this plan we can implement with the staff and resources we have. But other
pieces require funds we simply don't have in the budget.

If you agree with me that preventing radical Islamists or a country like
North Korea from deploying an EMP threat against us is an action we must
take – and take now – then I'm asking you to do the following.

- If you're not already a monthly contributing Patriot Partner, *click
here<https://www. egsnetwork. com/gift/ gift.php? giftid=EDBF02B5- E4CF-4D2F- 9BA3-331AA8F4400 0>
* to sign up. For monthly gifts of $10 to $100 we have special benefits
for you. You simply select the level of monthly gift you can make, and
we'll send you the benefit(s) for that Patriot Partner gift level. Our
online donation form is easy to use, safe and secure.

*OR*

- *Click here<https://www. egsnetwork. com/gift/ gift.php? giftid=3F06D2D8- 01DF-4F7E- 801E-C242263F730 6>
* to make a one-time gift through our "Contributing Member"
program.Select the gift amount you are able to make and we'll send you
the
benefit(s) for that level of gift. If you prefer to mail a check rather than
use our online donation form, you can *click
here<http://tool. donation- net.net/Images/ Email/1097/ Contributing_ Member_reply_ form_5_7_ 09__final. pdf>
* to print out a form to fill out and mail in with your contribution.

Your financial support today will help us quickly move ahead on our plan to
combat the EMP threat. Here's what we plan to do.

- *A paid advertising campaign in the top publications in Washington,
D.C.* These influential publications are read by members of Congress,
staff, the administration, and other opinion leaders throughout
Washington.

- *A national petition to Congress.* Unlike other petitions we have
launched, we want to advertise on high-traffic internet outlets
such as Pajamas
Media and World Net Daily. This advertising, coupled with my highlighting
the petition on radio and TV interviews I conduct, will ensure that hundreds
of thousands of people see it and have the opportunity to sign it.

- *Lobby for a restoration of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the
United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack and implementation of
the Commission's recommendations. *

- *Push for the funding necessary to increase the deployment of missile
defense technology later this year during the appropriations process in
Congress.*

- *Participate in the national EMP threat conference scheduled for
September
9 and 10 in Niagara, New York.*

- *After the national EMP threat conference, work with congressional
allies to draft and push for legislation that will provide protection and
replacement of critical electrical transformers nationwide as a second line
of defense.*

I was told recently that a member of Congress, who is chairman of a House
subcommittee that would have jurisdiction over an issue like the EMP threat,
wasn't even aware of it. With Iran likely to have nuclear weapons within two
years, we must begin educating people about this threat NOW!

Can I count on you to join me as a 21st century "Paul Revere"?

When you sign up to become a *Patriot
Partner<https://www. egsnetwork. com/gift/ gift.php? giftid=EDBF02B5- E4CF-4D2F- 9BA3-331AA8F4400 0>
* or make a one-time gift as a *Contributing
Member<https://www. egsnetwork. com/gift/ gift.php? giftid=3F06D2D8- 01DF-4F7E- 801E-C242263F730 6>
*, you will see different levels of support. For each level of support we
will send you a gift or gifts as our way of saying "thank you." (If you
prefer to become a Contributing Member by mailing in your contribution,
please *click here<http://tool. donation- net.net/Images/ Email/1097/ Contributing_ Member_reply_ form_5_7_ 09__final. pdf>
* to print out a reply form).

Depending on the level of gift you choose, you could receive an autographed
copy of my best-selling book *They Must Be Stopped*, or a copy of the
chilling documentary film "Homegrown Jihad: The Terrorist Camps Around
U.S.," or a DVD copy of my message "The Threat of Militant Islam." There are
other gifts as well.

As you help us launch our plan to combat the EMP threat, we will provide you
with a gift or gifts that include valuable resources for you to become more
informed and to educate your family and friends. This is how we will
continue to work together to push back against the threat of radical Islam.

*I've heard people say that an EMP attack might never happen. I've heard
some say Iran will attack Israel, but not us. They may be right. But what if
they're wrong and we haven't prepared? There are too many experts, who have
studied this and concluded it's a very real threat, for us to ignore.*

So please ACT today! Sign up to become a *Patriot
Partner<https://www. egsnetwork. com/gift/ gift.php? giftid=EDBF02B5- E4CF-4D2F- 9BA3-331AA8F4400 0>
* or make a *one-time
contribution<https://www. egsnetwork. com/gift/ gift.php? giftid=3F06D2D8- 01DF-4F7E- 801E-C242263F730 6>
*, and we'll get your gifts out to you within two to three weeks. (If you
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please *click here<http://tool. donation- net.net/Images/ Email/1097/ Contributing_ Member_reply_ form_5_7_ 09__final. pdf>
* to print out a reply form).

The first step in ultimately preventing an EMP attack is for each of us to
take action today — to fulfill our role as 21st century Paul Revere's. Thank
you for everything you do on behalf of the America we love. I am grateful
beyond words. And even though many of your friends and family don't know it
yet, there will come a time when they will be grateful to you as well.

Always devoted,

Brigitte Gabriel
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -

*ACT for America*
P.O. Box 12765
Pensacola, FL 32591
www.actforamerica. org
************ ********* *********
- Show quoted text -
************ ********* ********* ****
For the Muslim fetus who seeks
Jihad<http://simplyjews. blogspot. com/2009/ 05/for-muslim- fetus-who- seeks-jihad. html>
http://simplyjews. blogspot. com/2009/ 05/for-muslim- fetus-who- seeks-jihad. html

The Hamas mullah in this clip
<http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=pDBn8lUOKOM>eloquently
explains that "the mosque is a prime factory educating men to fear and
please Allah; [it is] the prime factory educating Jihad fighters..." Nothing
new here, and we have seen recently some creative uses of the Gaza mosques.

Then our mullah adds a more creative element to his speech:

The Palestinian fetus in its mother's womb, the Muslim fetus throughout the
world in its mother's womb, call [on Muslims] to unite through fear of
Allah, through pleasing Him, and through choosing Jihad and Resistance.

We have a strong feeling that the intrauterine stage of the young Muslim
development have been hitherto neglected. To facilitate the intrauterine
search for Jihad, the Elders' labs have developed a new pill, tentatively
named Belt-o-caine. Daily intake of three pills for a week will modify the
genetic code of the fetus, causing it to grow an explosive belt from week 4,
getting out at the prescribed time ready for immediate
martyrdom.<http://2.bp. blogspot. com/__1OzjxCtHZI /SgHplQkF6II/ AAAAAAAADnQ/ sSIXG50V2nk/ s1600-h/Fetus4. jpg>
Batteries not included.

Hat tip: PMW <http://www.pmw. org.il/>.

Copyright 2009 by SnoopyTheGoon. * Distributed by ZNN - ( To subscribe - send
email to znn-subscribe@ yahoogroups. com
<http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/ZNN/ post?postID= bC6en4-AbL6ystms yjJs6az5zdaGEueS Nw9Kv4y8hUZQlOR4 03OieQV7wAdVmxcs TIYtXEDiSNujf_ dJgZrHi8zX_ SSZ6Jk>
). Please forward this message with this notice to help support Israel and
Zionism.*
Posted at
http://simplyjews. blogspot. com/2009/ 05/for-muslim- fetus-who- seeks-jihad. html,
where your comments are welcome.
************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* *
Prepared for the
Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish
Organizations<http://www.conferen ceofpresidents. org/>
by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs <http://www.jcpa. org/>
View this page at www.dailyalert. org

<http://list- dailyalert. org/daily- sub.html>
DAILY ALERT Friday,
May 8, 2009
------------ --------- ---------
Daily Alert Needs Your
Support<https://secured4. catom.com/ JCPA/Templates/ showpage. asp?DBID= &LNGID=&TMID= 937&FID=578& PID=0>
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In-Depth Issues:

CIA Report: Iran Dramatically Increased Uranium
Enrichment<http://washingtonti mes.com/news/ 2009/may/ 07/inside- the-ring- 98368565/>-
Bill Gertz (Washington
Times)
According to a little-noticed report covering 2008 released by the
Office of the Director of National Intelligence on March 12, Iran has
dramatically increased the amount of low-enriched uranium produced by its
growing number of centrifuges that are part of its nuclear fuel production
system.
"During the reporting period, Iran continued to expand its nuclear
infrastructure and continued uranium enrichment and activities related to
its heavy water research reactor, despite multiple United Nations Security
Council Resolutions since late 2006 calling for the suspension of those
activities."
Iran produced 75 kg. of low-enriched uranium (LEU) in 2007 and about 555
kg. last year, described by the CIA as a "significant" increase.
Iran also continued development of Shahab-3 medium-range missiles with
assistance from China, North Korea and Russia, the report said.

------------ --------- ---------

Germany Pressures Firms to Limit Iran
Trade<http://www.guardian .co.uk/business/ feedarticle/ 8494238>(Reuters/
Guardian-UK)
The German government is increasing pressure on companies to curb
business with Iran, Handelsblatt daily said on Thursday.
Last week, the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel urged the German
Near and Middle East Association to cancel two conferences on Iran.
Recent figures show Berlin has significantly cut the value of new credit
guarantees it offers firms that do business with Iran, but German exports to
the country still rose last year. Germany has been one of the biggest
exporters to Iran.

------------ --------- ---------

Brazil Dodges a
Demagogue<http://www.boston. com/bostonglobe/ editorial_ opinion/editoria ls/articles/ 2009/05/08/ brazil_dodges_ a_demagogue/>-
Editorial (Boston
Globe)
If Brazil's president, Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva, did not breathe a deep
sigh of relief Monday when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad canceled a
planned trip to the region, he should have. Ahmadinejad' s reactionary regime
is in opposition to much of what Lula stands for.
Brazil has abolished the death penalty; Ahmadinejad' s Iran executes even
minors. In Brazil, 55,000 adherents of the Baha'i faith practice freely; in
Iran, Baha'is are persecuted mercilessly. Holocaust survivors found a home
in Brazil; Ahmadinejad recycles the lies of Holocaust deniers.
So, thousands of Brazilians took to the streets of Sao Paulo and Rio de
Janeiro Sunday to protest Ahmadinejad' s impending arrival.

------------ --------- ---------

Foundation President Indicted in Iran
Probe<http://www.abcnews. go.com/Blotter/ story?id= 7519179&page= 1>-
Maddy Sauer and Richard Esposito (ABC
News)
Farshid Jahedi, president of the Alavi Foundation which the U.S.
government has long suspected of being a front for Iranian espionage and
anti-American activities, has been indicted on charges that he allegedly
destroyed documents just one day after receiving a grand jury subpoena
instructing him not to do so.
The foundation has been described by a former CIA official as "totally
controlled by the government of Iran."
According to court documents, "The foundation funds a variety of
anti-American causes, including the four Islamic education centers it owns
in New York, Maryland, Texas, and California.. .. Mosques funded by Alavi
have organizations which support Hizbullah and Hamas."

------------ --------- ---------

Israel, Vatican Deny Reports about Control of Holy
Sites<http://www.catholic news.com/ data/stories/ cns/0902075. htm>-
Judith Sudilovsky (Catholic
News Service)
Israeli and Vatican officials denied reports that Israeli President
Shimon Peres had asked the government to relinquish sovereignty over several
holy places as a gesture of good will for Pope Benedict XVI.
A spokeswoman for the president's office said Israel already has pledged
to the Vatican that it will not confiscate land around six Christian sites
for any sort of national development purpose such as the widening of roads.
She said Peres had asked the Tourism and Interior ministries, as a
gesture of good will before the pope's May 8-15 trip to the Holy Land, to
confirm the pledge.

------------ --------- ---------

Video: Mother of
Martyrs<http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=gsZtBu5yiHY& feature=channel_ page>-
Lisa Ling (National
Geographic)
A Palestinian woman raises her children to prepare them for suicide
attacks in the conflict with Israel.

------------ --------- ---------

Follow the Jerusalem Center on:
Twitter <http://www.twitter. com/jerusalemcen ter>
YouTube <http://www.youtube. com/user/ TheJerusalemCent er>

------------ --------- ---------

Arab Christians in Israel and the Palestinian
Areas<http://www.monsters andcritics. com/news/ middleeast/ news/article_ 1474776.php/ BACKGROUND_ Arab_Christians_ in_Israel_ and_the_Palestin ian_areas_>(
DPA)
More than 170,000 Arab-Christians live in Israel and the Palestinian
territories, divided into 13 denominations.
Over 120,000 live in Israel, around 50,000 in the West Bank, and another
1,000 in Gaza.
In the West Bank and especially Gaza, Arab Christians have to "walk a
tightrope" with the local Muslim fundamentalists, notably Hamas, says Daniel
Rossing, Director of the Jerusalem Center for Jewish-Christian Relations.
"Protesting Hamas actions toward them can be suicidal. Protesting
against Israel can be far more effective, but it creates a skewed picture,'
Rossing notes.

------------ --------- ---------

Israel Opens Jesus Trail in the
Galilee<http://abcnews. go.com/Internati onal/story? id=7480208& page=1>-
Simon McGregor-Wood (ABC
News)
The recently completed Jesus Trail is 40 miles long. Starting in
Nazareth, its route winds through the towns and villages of the Galilee
region in northern Israel, through a landscape steeped in the history of the
New Testament.
The free trail is the brainchild of local Israeli tour operators who
hope for a spike in Christian tourism after the arrival of the pope in May.

------------ --------- ---------

Patch of Israel Desert Is Oldest Place on
Earth<http://www.foxnews. com/story/ 0,2933,519003, 00.html>- Robert Roy
Britt (FOX
News)
A new study of ancient "desert pavement" in Israel's Negev Desert finds
a region about 1.8 million years old, according to Ari Matmon and colleagues
at Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
This is the oldest known expanse of surface area, more than four times
older than the next oldest desert pavement, in Nevada, according to an
article at the web site of the American Association for the Advancement of
Science.

------------ --------- ---------

News Resources - North America, Europe, and Asia:

- Washington Committed to Seeking Syria-Israel
Deal<http://uk.reuters. com/article/ UKNews1/idUKTRE5 463EW20090507>-
Khaled Yacoub Oweis
The U.S. told the Syrian government on Thursday it was committed to
seeking a peace deal between Syria and Israel. "We conveyed... President
Obama's sincere commitment to pursue Arab-Israeli peace on all tracks,
including on the Syrian-Israeli track," senior State Department official
Jeffrey Feltman said after meeting Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem
in Damascus. (Reuters)
- Israel Calls for Time-Limit on Iran
Talks<http://www.upi. com/Top_News/ 2009/05/07/ Israel-calls- for-time- limit-on- Iran-talks/ UPI-113312416955 92/>
Israel's foreign minister says talks with Iran should come with a
time-limit to prevent the Iranians from stalling to advance their nuclear
program. Avigdor Lieberman said during his first official trip to Europe
that any future discussions with the Islamic Republic should be ended after
three months if it is clear there is no concrete progress being made. (
UPI)
- UN: Hizbullah Threatens Lebanon and
Beyond<http://www.un. org/apps/ news/story. asp?NewsID= 30728&Cr= leban&Cr1=>
UN official Terje Roed-Larsen told a meeting of the Security Council
Thursday: "The most significant remaining Lebanese militia is the armed
component of Hizbullah... .[Its] arsenal is a direct challenge to the
sovereignty of the Lebanese state and a threat to regional stability." In
addition, he reported that over the last few weeks there has been a growing
concern that Hizbullah has engaged in clandestine and illegal militant
activities beyond Lebanese territory. (UN News Center)
See also U.S.: No Distinction Between Hizbullah's "So-Called
Political and Military
Wings"<http://www.khaleejt imes.com/ darticlen. asp?xfile= data/middleeast/ 2009/May/ middleeast_ May123.xml& section=middleea st&col=>
U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice told the Security Council after Roed-Larsen' s
statement, "Let me be clear: we see no distinction between these groups'
so-called political and military wings. Nor will we engage with them until
they completely disarm," according to a transcript of her remarks released
by the U.S. Mission to the UN. (AP)
- Islamists Say Pope's Mideast Visit
Provocative<http://www.washingt onpost.com/ wp-dyn/content/ article/2009/ 05/07/AR20090507 01793.html>-
Suleiman al-Khalidi
Jordanian Islamist leaders on Thursday condemned Pope Benedict's visit to
the Middle East, saying it was provocative because he has not apologized for
offending comments implying Islam was violent and irrational in a 2006
speech in Regensburg. The pope arrives in Jordan on Friday on the first leg
of a tour including Israel and the Palestinian territories. The outlawed
Hizb ut-Tahrir Party issued a statement urging Jordanian authorities to
withdraw their invitation. "All Muslims should raise their voices high to
say that anyone who insults our Prophet is not welcome on this land in any
way," said the radical party, which seeks to unite Muslims into a
pan-Islamic state. (Reuters/Washington Post)
See also Palestinians Seek Papal Pressure on
Israel<http://www.nytimes. com/aponline/ 2009/05/08/ world/AP- ML-Holy-Land- Pope.html>(AP/New
York Times)

News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:

- Syria: No Need to Amend Arab Peace
Initiative<http://archive. gulfnews. com/region/ Middle_East/ 10311700. html>
After Arab diplomats reported that the U.S. has asked Arab nations to
amend a 2002 land-for-peace proposal, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid
al-Moualem said Wednesday: "It is not possible to amend the Arab peace
initiative.. ..I don't see any justification for amending this initiative."
Arab diplomats said this week the Americans are asking the Arab nations to
drop the Palestinians' right of return and agree to either resettle the
refugees in the host countries or in the Palestinian territories. Arab
League Secretary General Amr Mousa has rejected that suggestion. (AP/Gulf
News-UAE)
- Netanyahu to Visit Egypt on First Trip
Abroad<http://www.jpost. com/servlet/ Satellite? cid=123971088597 6&pagename= JPArticle/ ShowFull>-
Herb Keinon
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Egypt on Monday for his
first trip abroad since taking office, a symbolic move government officials
say is designed to signal the importance he places on relations with Cairo
and moderates in the Arab world. Israel would like to see Egypt, Jordan and
Saudi Arabia play a greater role in the peace process, as well as in pushing
back against Iranian efforts to make further inroads in the region, a
government official said. Iran does not just threaten Israel, it is also a
direct threat to the region, the official said. As such, the Iranian threat
has created the possibility of enhanced cooperation and dialogue between
Israel and its neighbors. (Jerusalem Post)
See also Egyptian Officials: Ties to Israel Will Remain Steady in
Netanyahu Era<http://www.jpost. com/servlet/ Satellite? cid=124171949693 9&pagename= JPost/JPArticle/ ShowFull>-
Brenda Gazzar (Jerusalem
Post)
- Israeli Women Having More Children than Arab Women as Muslim Birthrates
Fall <http://www.haaretz. com/hasen/ spages/1084014. html> - Paul Morl
In the early days of the State of Israel, the Arab minority underwent a
"demographic transition," something that often occurs when traditional
societies confront modernity. Health care and living standards improved
rapidly, life expectancy rose and infant mortality fell, but, initially,
family size remained large. However, the second stage inevitably comes in
which birthrates fall. The average Israeli Arab woman is now having fewer
than half the children she had in the 1960s, while the Jewish birthrate has
recently stabilized and even risen. This accords with recent trends in the
Islamic world. Today Israeli women have more children (2.77) than women in
Iran (1.71), Egypt (2.72), Jordan (2.47) or Lebanon (1.87). (Ha'aretz)

Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis (Best of U.S., UK, and Israel):

- Existential Threats from
Iran<http://www.commenta rymagazine. com/viewarticle. cfm/seven- existential- threats-15124>-
Michael B. Oren
Rarely in modern history have nations faced genuine existential threats.
Wars are waged to change regimes, alter borders, acquire resources, and
impose ideologies, but almost never to eliminate another state and its
people. Yet the State of Israel copes with numerous existential threats on a
daily basis. The most manifest existential threat from a nuclear-armed Iran
emanates from its routinely declared desire to "wipe Israel off the map,"
and from the fact that cold war calculi of nuclear deterrence through
mutually assured destruction may not apply to Islamist radicals eager for
martyrdom.
Beyond the perils of an Iranian first-strike attack against Israel,
the possibility exists that Iran will transfer its nuclear capabilities to
terrorist groups, which will then unleash them on Israel via the country's
porous ports and border crossings. A nuclear Iran will also deny Israel the
ability to respond to terrorist attacks: in response to an Israeli
retaliation against Hizbullah, for example, Iran would go on nuclear alert.
Finally, and most menacing, many Middle Eastern states have declared their
intention to develop nuclear capabilities of their own once Iran acquires
the bomb.
Israel cannot allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. Israel should
work in close tandem with the U.S., supporting the current administration' s
diplomatic efforts to dissuade the Iranians from going nuclear. But Israel
must not allow its hands to be tied - it must remain free to initiate other,
covert measures to impede Iran's nuclear program, while continuing to
develop the plans and intelligence necessary for a military operation. The
writer is the new Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. (Commentary)
- Shimon Peres on Iran: Overreaction Is Better than
Underreaction<http://jeffreygoldb erg.theatlantic. com/archives/ 2009/05/peres. php>-
Interview with Jeffrey Goldberg
President Shimon Peres: The greatest asset for Israel, both moral and
strategic, is our relationship with the United States. We should not permit
any rift, any rupture. This remains our top consideration. And since Iran is
a world problem, we should participate in facing its dangers, but without
trying to monopolize it.
Q: Is there a chance that Israel is over-reacting to the language that
comes out of Tehran?
Peres: If we have to make a mistake of overreaction or underreaction, I
think I prefer the overreaction to underreaction. ...If there is a threat, if
there is a danger, and we ignore it, we lose.
Q: There's a growing feeling in some quarters that Israel is not a
strategic asset to America.
Peres: Israel is the only country that has destroyed two generations of
Russian weapons. Completely. I know that to produce weapons is an advantage,
but to destroy competitive arms is also an advantage. We did it. Even today,
strategically, I don't say that Israel is part of the American defense, but
as an ally, politically and militarily, I don't think that we are passive or
unimportant concerning information, intelligence, understanding the region.
Imagine the Middle East without Israel. (Atlantic Monthly)
- The Hamas "Peace"
Gambit<http://www.washingt onpost.com/ wp-dyn/content/ article/2009/ 05/07/AR20090507 03054.html? hpid=opinionsbox 1>-
Charles Krauthammer
The New York Times conducted a five-hour interview with Hamas leader
Khaled Meshal at his Damascus headquarters. Hamas is offering a peace plan
with a two-state solution. Except the offer is not a peace but a truce that
expires after 10 years. Meaning that after Israel has fatally weakened
itself by settling millions of hostile Arab refugees in its midst, and after
a decade of Hamas arming itself within a Palestinian state that narrows
Israel to eight miles wide - Hamas restarts the war against a country it
remains pledged to eradicate.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is reluctant to agree to a
Palestinian state before he knows what kind of state it will be. That
elementary prudence should be shared by anyone who's been sentient the last
three years. The Palestinians already have a state, an independent territory
with not an Israeli settler or soldier living on it. It's called Gaza - a
terror base, Islamist in nature, Iranian-allied, militant and aggressive,
that has fired more than 10,000 rockets and mortar rounds at Israeli
civilians. If this is what a West Bank state is going to be, it would be
madness for Israel or America to accept such a two-state solution. Which is
why Netanyahu insists that the PA first build institutions - social,
economic and military - to anchor a state that could actually carry out its
responsibilities to keep the peace. (Washington Post)
See also Hamas' Latest
Gambit<http://www.thejewis hweek.com/ viewArticle/ c40_a15710/ News/Israel. html>-
Stewart Ain
Hamas' offer Monday of a 10-year truce with Israel provided it retreat to
its pre-1967 borders and grant the right of return to Palestinian refugees
was seen in Israel as nothing more than an attempt to grab headlines. "They
don't want to be frozen out," said Asher Susser, a senior research fellow at
the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv
University. He pointed out that Hamas' top political leader, Khalid Meshal,
made the offer in an interview with the New York Times. Susser said Hamas
had made the offer many times before. It is "being repeated now because it
is the eve of the Netanyahu visit to the United States" on May 18.
Avraham Sela, an expert on Hamas and a professor in Hebrew
University's department of international relations, said President Obama's
promotion of a two-state solution has put undue pressure on Israel "without
much talk of what is expected or demanded from the other side." At the same
time, he said the Palestinian Authority "is hardly surviving," being
artificially resuscitated by the Israeli Army deployed in the West Bank. "It
would take just a few months for Hamas to take over [if the army left],"
Sela said.
Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of
Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, pointed out that Meshal's
claim that there would be a 10-year truce if Israel agreed to its demands
"does not mean it would end all acts of resistance and that there would not
continue to be a build-up of arms. We should learn not to be fooled by
declarations designed for Western consumption and to pressure Israel." (New
York Jewish Week)
- Good News for Israel in the Diplomatic
World<http://www.haaretz. com/hasen/ spages/1083699. html>- Ari Shavit
There is good news in the diplomatic world surrounding Israel. The
strategic alliance between Egypt and Israel has never been as strong. The
Egyptians see the Middle Eastern jungle as it is and understand that, in
this jungle, Israel is a sister. If Israel is harmed, Egypt will be hit. If
Israel is hit, President Hosni Mubarak's Egypt will be lost. That's why
Israel and Egypt worked in coordination during the Gaza operation. In
Jordan, Saudi Arabia and most of the Gulf emirates, many royal families know
they are living on the slopes of a volcano. If the right rope bridge is
tossed at them, they will be happy to cross the river.
Another piece of good news is Quartet envoy Tony Blair who
understands that the way to deal with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is
from the bottom up. Not to force a Geneva-style piece of paper on both
sides, but to build a down-to-earth process that will shape a different
economic, diplomatic and security reality. (Ha'aretz)
- Leaning on Israel Won't Bring Middle East
Peace<http://newsok. com/leaning- on-israel- wont-bring- middle-east- peace/article/ 3367508>-
Editorial
The London Times reports that U.S. National Security Adviser James Jones
told a European foreign minister the White House is ready to lean on Israel.
The trouble with this position is it assumes Israel has a willing partner
for peace. It ignores the fact the Palestinians - their government largely
controlled by the terror group Hamas - won't commit to the existence of a
Jewish state. That's a non-starter for any Israeli prime minister. The
administration shouldn't pressure Israel to gain a flawed peace. There is a
problem in the Middle East, but it's not America and it's not Israel. (The
Oklahoman)
- U.S. Must Work to Prevent Muslim
Radicalization<http://www.indystar .com/article/ 20090503/ OPINION12/ 905030335/ 1002/OPINIO>-
Tim Roemer and Lorne Craner
To break the cycle of Islamic radicalization, the U.S. and its allies
must engage in a competition of ideas. With the right conceptual approach
and concerted action, the Obama administration can set the U.S. on a course
to undercutting al-Qaeda's narrative and appeal. This means empowering
mainstream Muslims to provide hopeful, practical alternatives to
jihadistideology. It also will require substantial investment in
rejuvenating
efforts to encourage prosperity, reform and democracy in Arab countries.
Persistent corruption is the No. 1 frustration among Arab publics, a
factor radical extremists exploit to challenge governmental legitimacy.
Encouraging increased transparency would help the U.S. build bridges to a
suspicious public. Roemer, a former member of the 9/11 commission, and
Craner, a former assistant secretary of state, were members of the
Washington Institute for Near East Policy's Presidential Task Force on
Confronting the Ideology of Radical Extremism. (Indianapolis Star)

Weekend Features
- Arab World Needs to Stop Banning Books and Movies about
Jews<http://www.globalpo st.com/dispatch/ worldview/ 090504/the- sadness-arab- censorship>-
H.D.S. Greenway
Thirty years ago I was crossing the Allenby Bridge from Israel to Jordon
to interview King Hussein, the father of the present monarch. In those days,
foreign correspondents stationed in Israel routinely had two passports: one
for Israel only and another for the rest of the world. My last posting had
been Southeast Asia, and I still had a Laotian visa in my rest-of-the- world
passport. "Ah Hah!" said the Jordanian immigration official. "An Israeli
stamp!" I tried to explain that the stamp was from Laos and that the writing
was Sanskrit, not Hebrew. He was having none of it. In frustration, I pulled
out my Israel-only passport and showed him what Hebrew writing really looked
like. His face expressed horror as he urged me to put it away, then quickly
waved me through.
When Lee Griggs, a reporter for Time Magazine, took up his post in
Beirut more than 40 years ago, his household goods were held up at customs
because of a Yale glee club record album. The seal of Yale University
features Hebrew writing which, in the 18th and 19th centuries, was
considered a language of learning, like Latin and Greek. Griggs had to come
down to the customs office and convince the authorities that the record was
not composed entirely of Zionist music.
To ban the work of Jewish writers or books about Jews is a societal
self-mutilation which the Arab world should put behind it. Like it or not,
the Jews are as much a part of the Middle East as the Arabs and all the
banning in the world will not refute that. (GlobalPost)
- The Centrality of NGOs in Promoting Anti-Israel Boycotts and
Sanctions<http://www.jcpa. org/JCPA/ Templates/ ShowPage. asp?DRIT= 3&DBID=1& LNGID=1&TMID= 111&FID=625& PID=2959& IID=2957& TTL=The_Centrali ty_of_NGOs_ In_Promoting_ Anti-Israel_ Boycotts_ And_Sanctions>-
Gerald Steinberg
NGOs (non-governmental organizations) focusing on human rights are
powerful actors in international politics in general, and in the
Arab-Israeli conflict in particular. The NGO community has advanced
anti-Israel agendas in the UN, including in the 2001 Durban conference,
which adopted the strategy of boycotts, divestment, and sanctions. NGO
reports, press releases, and political lobbying campaigns have a powerful
influence in the UN, the media, and academia. This NGO-led political war
against Israel uses the weapons derived from the rhetoric of human rights
and international law.
Examples include promoting the Jenin "massacre" and "war crimes"
claims, the campaign against the separation barrier ("apartheid wall"),
academic boycott efforts, church-based divestment activities, and efforts to
falsely label Israel's response to rocket attacks from Gaza as "collective
punishment." Funding for many of these NGOs is provided by the European
Commission and many member governments, as well as Norway, Switzerland, and
private organizations. The writer is head of the Political Studies
Department at Bar-Ilan University and Executive Director of NGO Monitor.
(Jewish Political Studies Review)
- Remembering the "Dutch Auschwitz" - The Story of
Sobibor<http://www.spiegel. de/international /europe/0, 1518,622364, 00.html>-
Stephane Alonso
During World War II, deep in the forests of Poland's eastern border area,
the German extermination camp Sobibor was where 170,000 Jews, more than
34,000 of them Dutch, were systematically murdered. The Netherlands, Poland,
Slovakia and Israel recently agreed on a major "renovation" aimed at opening
up the former camp to the outside world. Unlike at Auschwitz, there is
nothing to see at Sobibor. The Germans dismantled the camp in 1943 after an
uprising in which 12 SS officers were killed and several hundred Jews
managed to escape. Fifty of them survived the war. (Der Spiegel-Germany)

Observations:

The Inadequacy of International
Law<http://www.boston. com/bostonglobe/ editorial_ opinion/oped/ articles/ 2009/05/07/ the_inadequacy_ of_international _law/>-
Daniel Taub (Boston
Globe)

- I recently asked a group of eminent jurists on a fact-finding mission:
"Considering the rocket attacks launched against Israel by terrorist groups
in Gaza, what in your view would have constituted a lawful response?" The
answer was total silence. The troubling notion that international law has no
practical advice for a state facing terrorist attacks other than to grin and
bear it is increasingly pervasive.
- According to the understanding of international law of the UN Special
Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Palestinian territories, Richard Falk,
Israel has no right whatsoever to defend itself. Yet, contrary to the
impression created by such experts, international law is not a suicide pact.
It offers practical guidance to a state seeking to respond responsibly and
effectively to threats to the lives of its civilians.
- International law does not require, for example, that a state refrain
from attacking a lawful military target - a missile launcher or a weapons
stockpile, say - solely because it has been placed in the heart of a
civilian area. To require this would simply encourage terrorist
organizations to operate from within kindergartens and hospitals.
- There may indeed be attractions to maintaining a pristine ideal of
international law. But in practice, it offers a simplistic and unworkable
legal model that absurdly posits that the more irresponsible, illegal, and
morally reprehensible the actions of terrorists, the less a state is
permitted to do in response.

The writer is a senior legal adviser in Israel's Ministry of Foreign
Affairs.
-

************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ****
AIPAC takes middle road between Bibi,
Obama<http://zionism- israel.com/ israel_news/ 2009/05/aipac- takes-middle- road-between- bibi.html>
* AIPAC has done about the only thing it could do - position itself between
the US administration and the Israeli government, in an attempt to have the
best possible opportunity to influence US policy favorably.

Sitting between Bibi and Obama, AIPAC criticized by left and
right<http://jta.org/ news/article/ 2009/05/07/ 1004999/navigati ng-obama- and-netanyahu- difference- aipac-gets- it-from-both- sides>
By Ron Kampeas · May 7, 2009

WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Days after AIPAC's apparent success navigating the
churning waters between the Obama and Netanyahu administrations, the
pro-Israel lobby is being criticized by Jewish groups on both sides of the
political spectrum.

Pro-Israel groups on the right and left have assailed the American Israel
Public Affairs Committee because of elements of its agenda that emerged from
its annual policy conference this week.

The Zionist Organization of America registered a protest about AIPAC's
backing for Palestinian statehood. Meanwhile, three groups that backed the
U.S.-sponsored peace process -- Americans for Peace Now, J Street and Brit
Tzedek v'Shalom -- rallied supporters to help roll back Tuesday afternoon's
Capitol Hill blitz by 7,000 AIPAC delegates, suggesting the organization had
failed to fully endorse Obama's peace moves.

The AIPAC conference suggested a middle road that could reconcile
differences between the two young governments over a key issue -- whether to
press toward Palestinian statehood.

The AIPAC delegates' wish list included endorsements for two congressional
letters that unequivocally support a "viable Palestinian state," albeit with
the usual preconditions about an "absolute" end to Palestinian violence.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tried to maintain ambiguity
over his views on a Palestinian state, but such an endorsement for the
concept by AIPAC is unlikely to have come without some sort of nod from
Jerusalem: Netanyahu addressed the conference via satellite and sent some of
his top advisers.

The endorsement of a Palestinian state by the pro-Israel lobby now may spare
Netanyahu from having to explicitly endorse the concept himself -- and
elicit the opprobrium of his coalition's pro-settler flank -- when he meets
with President Obama in two weeks.

Good save, Israel-side, but it upset the ZOA -- the most prominent American
pro-settler group -- stateside.

In a statement, the ZOA said it "opposes this move by AIPAC because
supporting or promoting a Palestinian Arab state under prevailing conditions
is seriously mistaken and because AIPAC is thereby supporting a major policy
affecting Israel's vital interests despite the fact that the Israeli
government has not supported such a policy."

The three groups from the left taking shots across AIPAC's bow have never
had a problem differing with Israeli policy. What was unclear was where they
substantively disagreed with AIPAC, at least on the Palestinian front.

Americans for Peace Now encouraged activists to call lawmakers and make the
following four points: "I am pro-Israel, and I want you to support the Obama
administration' s peace efforts in the Middle East"; "I am pro-Israel, and I
want you to support the president's request for supplemental assistance for
the Palestinians" ; "I am pro Israel, and I want you to support the
president's effort to open the window for responsible engagement with a
Palestinian unity government"; and "I am pro-Israel, and I want you to
reject efforts to promote new Iran sanctions legislation, or efforts to
impose any artificial deadlines for ending diplomacy with Iran."

The e-mail blast also stated that AIPAC's "agenda is often not the same as
ours." Action alerts from Brit Tzedek v'Shalom and J Street to their
followers did not explicitly target AIPAC but similarly urged backing for
Obama's peace principles the very week that AIPAC delegates were making
their case in Washington.

Yet the congressional letters backed by AIPAC back the first two principles
in the Peace Now alert -- Obama's initiative and supplemental assistance.

On the third issue, JTA has learned that AIPAC has signed off quietly on a
policy that would involve the United States engaging with a Palestinian
national unity government that included individuals approved by Hamas, as
long as those individuals explicitly committed to the three principles Hamas
abjures: an end to terrorism, recognition of Israel and an agreement to
abide by earlier peace agreements. That more or less aligns with the
policies outlined in recent week by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham
Clinton.

On the fourth issue, Iran sanctions, it is true that AIPAC strongly backs
the tough sanctions legislation opposed by the three left-wing groups.

An official for one of the three groups acknowledged -- and welcomed --
AIPAC's endorsement of the Obama administration' s Israeli-Palestinian peace
initiatives. The official said he now saw the difference as more one of
emphasis, arguing that the three groups' endorsement of support for the
Palestinian Authority was much more aggressive.

Another pro-Israel official, close to AIPAC, said attacks from the right and
the left affirmed the group's place in the mainstream.

It's not the first time AIPAC has taken hits from its right and left,
although the coincidence of the attacks is unusual. In 2007, Sheldon
Adelson, the casino magnate and a major AIPAC donor, threatened to cut off
the group for backing a letter to the Bush administration urging it to
increase funding for the Palestinian Authority. Dovish groups targeted AIPAC
the year before for backing the tough restrictions on aid written into the
Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act

*=========
*

IPeace initiative - Good for Israel?
Israel and the peace
initiative<http://www.zionism- israel.com/ log/archives/ 00000688. html>

07.05. 2009
http://www.zionism- israel.com/ log/archives/ 00000688. html
Original content copyright by the author
Zionism & Israel Center <http://www.zionism- israel.com/>
http://zionism- israel.com

*The American sponsored peace initiative seems to have little rational
thinking behind it and little chance of success. But while the President of
the United States may not be right, he is certainly the President of the
United States. Israel cannot afford to forget that. Nonetheless, Israel's
first responsibility must be to ensure that it has a viable defense. *

A great peace initiative is being undertaken by the United States. The
general idea seems to bundle a remodeled Arab Peace
Initiative<http://www.mideastw eb.org/saudipeac e.htm>for regional
peace, Palestinian- Israeli peace based on a two state solution
and a solution to the problem of Iranian nuclear weapons development.
Lately, a fourth element was apparently added - general nuclear disarmament
and arms control, including
hints<http://www.jpost. com%20/servlet/ Satellite? cid=123971087468 7&pagename= JPArticle% 2FShowFull>that
the U.S. expects Israel to become a signatory of the Nuclear
Non-proliferation treaty. All this will somehow, so the theory goes, make it
easier for the United States to secure its withdrawal from Iraq, and prevent
a disaster in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Continued here: Israel and the peace
initiative <http://www.zionism- israel.com/ log/archives/ 00000688. html>

==========

Netanyahu appoints committee to improve Palestinian economy and quality of
life
Following his meeting last night (Wednesday), 6.5.09, with Quartet envoy
Tony Blair, Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu<http://www.zionism- israel.com/ bio/Benjamin_ Nethanyahu. htm>
decided
to appoint a ministerial committee on developing the Palestinian economy and
improving the Palestinians' quality of life. The committee's members will
be: Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz and
Minister Silvan Shalom. Due to the importance that he ascribes to the
issue, Prime Minister Netanyahu will chair the committee himself. He will
ask Minister Shalom to begin advancing several economic projects soon in
Jenin, Jericho and the Qasr al-Yehud baptismal site. The move is consistent
with Benjamin Netanyahu<http://www.zionism- israel.com/ bio/Benjamin_ Nethanyahu. htm>'s
pre-election campaign pledge to advance peace by improving economic
conditions for the Palestinians in preparation for a final peace settlement
============

From Alfred Dreyfus to Steve Rosen?
Rosen is probably right that there are
Anti-Semitic<http://www.zionism- israel.com/ dic/Anti- Semitism. htm>American
officials. After all, On the other hand, the Dreyfus
affair <http://www.zionism- israel.com/ dic/Dreyfus_ Affair.htm> was about an
officer in the French army who was accused of giving secrets to Germany, not
about a Jew <http://zionism- israel.com/ jew.htm> giving information to
Israel<http://zionism- israel.com/ Israel.htm>
.

Rosen likens AIPAC spy case to Dreyfus Affair
<http://www.jpost. com/servlet/ Satellite? cid=123971088326 7&pagename= JPArticle% 2FShowFull>May.
6, 2009
Jerusalem Post Staff , THE JERUSALEM POST

Steve Rosen, the former foreign policy chief for AIPAC who was charged with
illegally disclosing classified information, said ulterior motives against
"Jews, Israel and AIPAC" were behind the case against him.

In his first interview since the case was closed on May 1, Rosen compared
himself to Alfred Dreyfus, who was unjustly tried for treason by France.

"Poor Dreyfus - he had no defense, he had no ability to fight. It was a
secret trial. Our judge didn't agree to a secret trial. They tried, they
tried to make it a Dreyfus trial, but he said, 'No. I'm not having a secret
trial, we're going to have an open trial,'" Rosen described in an interview
filmed only hours after the dismissal of the case and aired on Channel 10
Wednesday.

"It's been nearly five years since they came to my door, out of the blue,
and turned my life upside-down, " he continued. "It's been a horrible
experience. It's over, but it will take awhile to rebuild."

Rosen allegedly received classified information concerning Iran and its
backing for terrorism.

The case came to light following an FBI raid on AIPAC's offices in August
2004. Seven months later, in March 2005, he was fired by the lobby group,
and in August of that year, he was indicted by the United States.

But Rosen maintained that his actions were not illegal.

"I was a person, you see, who worked with government officials every day for
23 years. That week, every week, I would meet with people in the State
Department, the National Security Council, the Defense Department, other
agencies in the government. They were my friends, they knew very well that I
spoke to the embassy of Israel. It wasn't a surprise to them; they also
spoke to the embassy," he said.

"But these people we're talking about viewed it as if we were a nest of
spies, as if we were doing something against America," Rosen continued.

While he expressed relief that the saga was over, Rosen noted that "we
didn't really have a trial, and in some ways it's too bad we didn't, because
all the facts would've come out, and what it would've shown is that I did
nothing wrong. Those that did something wrong were the people that brought
this case; not just that they were incorrect, but that the attitude they had
about Jews, Israel, AIPAC was completely false."

Unfortunately, he said, "a lot of that nonsense is still out there. You can
go on the Internet and see hundreds of stories. They talk about spies, and
they see the Mossad <http://www.zionism- israel.com/ dic/Mossad. htm> under
every desk."

Rosen also expressed his belief that then-president George W. Bush was not
at all responsible for the case, but that it was "a faction in the
bureaucracy who had this belief."

"They have materials against other people at AIPAC," he continued. "They
have material about people at other Jewish organizations. These guys are
still there in the bureaucracy. They still believe that Jews are more loyal
to Israel than to America. They still believe that there are Jewish spies
under every bed. And they may find another opportunity to bring another case
against someone, and that's the problem."

==========

Kibbutzniks try to halt Netanyahu government appeasement of Hamas
Last update - 11:25 07/05/2009
Kibbutzniks block Gaza crossing to prevent transfer of
cash<http://www.haaretz. com/hasen/ spages/1083791. html>
By Jack Khoury and Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondents
Kibbutz Movement activists on Thursday blocked the entrance to the Erez
border crossing to prevent the transfer of cash to the Gaza Strip.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday instructed defense officials
to transfer NIS 50 million to banks in the Hamas-ruled territory to help pay
Palestinian Authority salaries.

Yoel Marshak, of the Kibbutz Movement's operations department, said Thursday
that the activists would block the entry paths with bulldozers and prevent
the transfer.

"We demand equal conditions for the abducted soldier Gilad Shalit," he said,
referring to the Israeli soldier who was kidnapped by Gaza militants in a
2006 cross-border raid.

Negotiations to secure his release broke down during the last days of former
prime minister Ehud Olmert's tenure.

Netanyahu approved the transfer after meeting on Wednesday with Quartet
envoy Tony Blair, despite having waged criticism against Olmert for similar
actions.

Blair relayed to Netanyahu the frustration expressed by Palestinian Prime
Minister Salam Fayyad, who complained that Israel is preventing funds from
being transferred to the Strip.

Defense officials told Netanyahu that NIS 50 million would cover PA salaries
and would be enough to save the Gaza banking system from collapse. The sum
is less than what was originally requested by the Palestinian Authority.

Netanyahu aides said the funds to be transferred are not Israeli funds, but
rather the Palestinian Authority's money that will go toward paying the
salaries of its employees. "We are talking about a minimal amount that is
intended to maintain Gaza's economy," said one source.

Some right-wing groups in Israel have opposed similar cash transfers,
asserting that Gaza's Hamas Islamist rulers could benefit.

Palestinian officials in the West Bank have said that assertion is
unfounded, citing the use of safeguards such as direct deposit to prevent
the money from going into unauthorized accounts.

======
IDF soldier shot dead during pre-dawn raid near Ramallah

IDF soldier shot dead during pre-dawn raid near
Ramallah<http://www.jpost. com/servlet/ Satellite? cid=123971088831 6&pagename= JPArticle% 2FShowFull>
May. 7, 2009
Yaakov Katz , THE JERUSALEM POST

St-Sgt. Noam Adin Richter Levy, 20, from Mitzpe Netufa near Jerusalem, a
soldier from the Dhihifat battalion, was killed pre-dawn Thursday in IDF
raid on the town of Berzit north of Ramallah.

IDF sources said that Levy was killed during a routine operation that
included a night-time patrol around the town, which is home to one of the
leading Palestinian universities.

Sources said that the IDF was investigating the incident, as well as the
possibility that the soldier was killed by friendly fire.

During the patrol through the town a part of the Dhihifat force was
separated, and "many questions surrounded what happened next," according to
the sources. The IDF said it was also possible that the force encountered
resistance while on patrol, and that the soldier was shot by a Palestinian
gunman.

The IDF was waiting for autopsy results to determine the cause of death.

Levy was the first soldier to be killed in the West Bank in over a year.
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- ************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* *
- Excerpts: Arab League/ Syria say 'No' to any changes in Arab Peace
Initiative.Obama reaches out to Syria.EP request Obama eliminate Iranian
group from "terror list".Hamas: " ten years --then blood" May 08, 2009

+++ARAB NEWS (Soudi 8 May '09:"Arab peace offer is not negotiable",
Agencies
SUBJECT: Arab League/Syria oppose any changes in "Arab Peace Initiative"
DAMASCUS: The Arab League and Syria have shot down a US suggestion that
the
Arab peace initiative be changed to make it more palatable to Israel.
The 2002 peace initiative offers Israel Arab recognition, peace and
normal
relations in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal from territory it
occupied
in the 1967 Middle East War, the establishment of a Palestinian state
with
east Jerusalem as its capital and a just solution to the issue of
Palestinian refugees.
Several Arab diplomats said this week that the Americans are asking Arab
states to drop demands for a right of return for Palestinian refugees and
agree to either resettle them in the host countries or in the Palestinian
territories.
Arab foreign ministers meeting at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo
yesterday rejected the request, said Jordan's foreign minister. "The
ministers renewed their commitment to the initiative as it is without
change," Nasser Judeh said.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al-Muallem also rejected the idea of
changing
the Arab peace offer, saying: "I don't see any justification for amending
this initiative."
At a joint news conference with the foreign ministers of Finland and
Estonia, Al-Muallem said: "Is it logical that with every new Israeli
government the Arabs would concede and put forth a new plan and new
concessions under the slogan of a comprehensive plan?"
The minister was commenting on Jordanian King Abdallah's remark that a
new
"combined approach" currently under discussion with the US would have
Israel, Syria, Lebanon and other nations sitting down together to try to
resolve the Middle East conflict.
The talk of the new US-backed approach coincided with a visit to Damascus
by
Jeffrey Feltman, the State Department's top Middle East envoy.
"We came here today as part of President Obama's commitment to use
diplomacy, to use dialogue in order to try to see where we can move
forward,
where our interests overlap, and to see where we can try to work together
to
bridge the differences that remain in some of our policies," Feltman
said.
He was accompanied by White House official Daniel Shapiro, both visiting
Damascus for the second time since March.

+++JORDAN TIMES 8 May '09:"Obama envoy on new 'constructive' visit to
Syria",Agence France Presse

QUOTE:"US rep.: 'We noted in our disxussions improvement in our ability
to
work bi-laterally with the Syrians"

EXCERPTS:DAMASCUS (AFP) - Senior US envoy Jeffrey Feltman said he held
"constructive" talks on Thursday with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid
Mouallem, on his second visit in two months to try to improve ties with
Damascus.
"We noted in our discussions improvement in our ability to work
bilaterally
with the Syrians since our last visit here two months ago," said Feltman,
acting secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs.
"I would describe our meeting today as constructive, " he told reporters
after talks with Mouallem, and vowed to pursue dialogue.
Feltman is on his second visit to Damascus since US President Barack
Obama
took office in January pledging to engage with all Middle Eastern
countries,
including Washington's foes such as Syria and Iran.
"To be sure, Syria and United States share some mutual interests. Syria
and
United States also have some differences in our points of view on certain
important issues," Feltman said.
"We came here today as part of President Obama commitment's to use
diplomacy
and to use dialogue in order to try to see where we can move forward,
where
our interests overlap, and to see where we can try and work together to
bridge the differences that remain in some of our policies." . . ."We
also
conveyed, on behalf of the US administration. .. President Obama's sincere
commitment to pursue Arab-Israeli peace on all tracks," he said.

+++JORDAN TIMES 8 '09:"Obama urged to lift ban on Iran group", Associated

Press
SUBJECT: About one-eighth of European Parliament members ask Obama to
take
Iranian group off the US "terror list"
FULL TEXT:BRUSSELS (AP) - More than 100 members of the European
Parliament
are urging President Barack Obama to remove an Iranian opposition group
from
the US list of foreign terrorist organisations. The lawmakers say in a
letter that the People's Mujahedeen Organisation of Iran "has clearly
demonstrated" it is a friend of the West and an enemy of religious
fundamentalism. The Mujahedeen was placed on US' banned organisations
list
in 1997 in an apparent effort by Washington to appease Tehran's
theocratic
government. The European Union also banned the group, but removed it from

the terrorist list in January after a string of court decisions in the
group's
favour. The European Parliament, elected by the EU's 375 million eligible

voters, has 785 members

+++WASHINGTON POST 8 May '09:"The Hamas 'Peace' Gambit",By Charles
Krauthammer
QUOTE:"Arafat waited seven years to tear up his phoney peace. Hamas
leader
Khaled Meshal's innovation? Ten -- then blood."

FULL TEXT:"Apart from the time restriction (a truce that lapses after 10
years) and the refusal to accept Israel's existence, Mr. Meshal's terms
approximate the Arab League peace plan . . ."
-- Hamas peace plan, as explained by the New York Times ...
The Times conducted a five-hour interview with Hamas leader Khaled Meshal
at
his Damascus headquarters. Mirabile dictu, they're offering a peace plan
with a two-state solution. Except. The offer is not a peace but a truce
that
expires after 10 years. Meaning that after Israel has fatally weakened
itself by settling millions of hostile Arab refugees in its midst, and
after
a decade of Hamas arming itself within a Palestinian state that narrows
Israel to eight miles wide -- Hamas restarts the war against a country it
remains pledged to eradicate.
There is a phrase for such a peace: the peace of the grave.
Westerners may be stupid, but Hamas is not. It sees the new American
administration making overtures to Iran and Syria. It sees Europe, led by
Britain, beginning to accept Hezbollah. It sees itself as next in line.
And
it knows what to do. Yasser Arafat wrote the playbook.
With the 1993 Oslo accords, he showed what can be achieved with a fake
peace
treaty with Israel -- universal diplomatic recognition, billions of
dollars
of aid, and control of Gaza and the West Bank, which Arafat turned into
an
armed camp. In return for a signature, he created in the Palestinian
territories the capacity to carry on the war against Israel that the Arab
states had begun in 1948 but had given up after the bloody hell of the
1973
Yom Kippur War.
Meshal sees the opportunity. Not only is the Obama administration
reaching
out to its erstwhile enemies in the region, but it begins its term by
wagging an angry finger at Israel over the Netanyahu government's
ostensible
refusal to accept a two-state solution.
Of all the phony fights to pick with Israel. No Israeli government would
turn down a two-state solution in which the Palestinians accepted
territorial compromise and genuine peace with a Jewish state. (And any
government that did would be voted out in a day.) Netanyahu's own defense
minister, Ehud Barak, offered precisely such a deal in 2000. He even
offered
to divide Jerusalem and expel every Jew from every settlement remaining
in
the new Palestine.
The Palestinian response (for those who have forgotten) was: No. And no
counteroffer. Instead, nine weeks later, Arafat unleashed a savage terror
war that killed 1,000 Israelis.
Netanyahu is reluctant to agree to a Palestinian state before he knows
what
kind of state it will be. That elementary prudence should be shared by
anyone who's been sentient the last three years. The Palestinians already
have a state, an independent territory with not an Israeli settler or
soldier living on it. It's called Gaza. And what is it? A terror base,
Islamist in nature, Iranian-allied, militant and aggressive, that has
fired
more than 10,000 rockets and mortar rounds at Israeli civilians.
If this is what a West Bank state is going to be, it would be madness for
Israel or America or Jordan or Egypt or any other moderate Arab country
to
accept such a two-state solution. Which is why Netanyahu insists that the
Palestinian Authority first build institutions -- social, economic and
military -- to anchor a state that could actually carry out its
responsibilities to keep the peace.
Apart from being reasonable, Netanyahu's two-state skepticism is beside
the
point. His predecessor, Ehud Olmert, worshiped at the shrine of a
two-state
solution. He made endless offers of a two-state peace to the Palestinian
Authority -- and got nowhere.
Why? Because the Palestinians -- going back to the U.N. partition
resolution
of 1947 -- have never accepted the idea of living side by side with a
Jewish
state. Those like Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who might want to
entertain such a solution, have no authority to do it. And those like
Hamas's Meshal, who have authority, have no intention of ever doing it.
Meshal's gambit to dress up perpetual war as a two-state peace is yet
another iteration of the Palestinian rejectionist tragedy. In its
previous
incarnation, Arafat lulled Israel and the Clinton administration with
talk
of peace while he methodically prepared his people for war.
Arafat waited seven years to tear up his phony peace. Meshal's
innovation?
Ten -- then blood.
letters.
============ ========= ========= ========= =

--
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy
enough people to make it worth the effort.
~Herm Albright~

http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/ProJewishP roZionistGroup/ ?yguid=368134690

http://launch. groups.yahoo. com/group/ stillnotjustmusi canymore/ ?yguid=368134690

http://groups. yahoo.com/ adultconf? dest=%2Fgroup% 2Fwhateverreturn s%2F%3Fyguid% 3D368134690

http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/shieldofda vid/?yguid= 373549731
6.

IMMIGRATION: TIRED AND WEARY, MIGRANTS ARRIVE IN TRIPOLI

Posted by: "marco.pertoni@libero.it" marco.pertoni@libero.it   sitrep_comalp

Sat May 9, 2009 4:23 am (PDT)





IMMIGRATION: TIRED AND WEARY, MIGRANTS ARRIVE IN TRIPOLI

(ANSAmed) - PALERMO, MAY 7 - There is a more than weary look about the 227 migrants, who include 40 women, on their arrival back in Tripoli this morning aboard three motor launches of the Italian coast guard after being rescued in the Channel of Sicily and immediately repatriated. The return from Italy's shores came as a result of an agreement made between Italy and Libya amid loud protests from NGOs and other humanitarian organisations. The migrants spoke of having been at sea for between four and six days, some of them with symptoms of dehydration. According to initial quayside reports, the refugees originate for the most part from Sub-Saharan Africa: Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia, Cote d'Ivoire, Somalia and Mali. Once back on land, officers from Libyàs Interior Ministry took charge of the migrants, and began an investigation to find out the port of departure of the three vessels on which they had made the crossing. Soon after the 227 migrants had disembarked, the Italian launches, two belonging to the Italian Coast Guard and one to the country's financial police, turned round and made their way back to Lampedusa.(ANSAmed) .
2009-05-07 19:16

http://www.ansamed. info/en/news/ ME03.@AM67490. html
7a.

A friend has shared their Allvoices news report

Posted by: "allvoices" noreply@allvoices.com

Sat May 9, 2009 4:24 am (PDT)



chnarendra (expressnarendra@ gmail.com) has posted an interesting
news report on www.allvoices. com <http://www.allvoice s.com> and
has shared it with you.

The news report Lives of migrants and asylum seekers put at risk
can be found at
http://www.allvoice s.com/contribute d-news/3169181- lives-of- migran\
ts-and-asylum- seekers-put- at-risk

<http://www.allvoice s.com/contribute d-news/3169181- lives-of- migra\
nts-and-asylum- seekers-put- at-risk
> .

We look forward to seeing you on allvoices!

Thanks,
The Allvoices Team
7b.

A friend has shared their Allvoices news report

Posted by: "allvoices" noreply@allvoices.com

Sat May 9, 2009 4:29 am (PDT)



chnarendra (expressnarendra@ gmail.com) has posted an interesting
news report on www.allvoices. com <http://www.allvoice s.com> and
has shared it with you.

The news report 16.1 candidates contesting in UP are with
criminal record can be found at
http://www.allvoice s.com/contribute d-news/3169410- 161-candidates- \
contesting-in- up-are-with- criminal- record

<http://www.allvoice s.com/contribute d-news/3169410- 161-candidates\
-contesting- in-up-are- with-criminal- record
> .

We look forward to seeing you on allvoices!

Thanks,
The Allvoices Team
8.

Lebanon: Elections a key opportunity for human rights

Posted by: "HREA noreply@hrea.org" HREA noreply@hrea.org   msgiri_bebl

Sat May 9, 2009 4:25 am (PDT)



POSTED BY: HREA noreply@hrea. org

Subject: Lebanon: Elections a key opportunity for human rights

Amnesty International Press release
7 May 2009

Lebanon's upcoming national elections, due on 7 June, present a unique
opportunity for the country's political leaders to commit themselves and
their parties to introducing long-needed human rights reforms, Amnesty
International said today as it published a five-point human rights agenda
for Lebanon.

"These elections come at a critical juncture for Lebanon. They provide a key
opportunity for the country's political leaders to put human rights at the
centre of their parties' agendas and to turn the page on the abuses of the
past and the systematic impunity that surrounded and fostered them," said
Malcolm Smart, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme. "We
are appealing to all Lebanon's political leaders to seize the moment and not
to let this pivotal opportunity pass."

The eight-page report identifies five key areas for reform by the new
government that will take office after the elections. "The justice system
needs a thorough overhaul as it lacks independence, is not impartial and
still allows military courts to try civilians in breach of international
standards," said Malcolm Smart. "With the establishment of the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon, those responsible for the killing of former Prime
Minister Rafic Hariri may now be brought to justice, but the creation of the
Tribunal also underscores the need for reform of the justice system and for
complementary mechanisms to be established to ensure that perpetrators of
other grave human rights crimes are also held fully to account - or else the
Special Tribunal may be seen as little more than 'selective justice'."

Last week, four Lebanese military and security heads who had been arrested
following the killing of Rafic Hariri in 2005 were released after 44 months
in detention without charge or trial. "Unfortunately, their experiences were
not at all unique," said Malcolm Smart. "For far too long, Lebanon's
security forces have arrested suspects and subjected them to detention
without charge or trial, and sometimes to torture or other ill-treatment,
and they have been permitted to do so with impunity. These practices must be
stopped and the security forces must be required to obey and uphold the
law."

In the report, Amnesty International also calls for government action to
address the legacy of past human rights abuses and to end discrimination and
violence against women, including foreign domestic workers, and members of
other marginalized groups, such as the thousands of Palestinian refugees who
continue to live in Lebanon but who face legal and other obstacles in
accessing basic human rights. It calls too for the abolition of the death
penalty, noting that no executions have been carried out in Lebanon for
several years.

"The past year has seen a number of positive human rights developments and
the drafting by parliament of a Human Rights Action Plan that, if
implemented, could provide a much-needed framework for future reform," said
Malcolm Smart. "Lebanon's leaders should embrace these developments and use
the opportunity of the elections to commit to the implementation of a clear
and comprehensive agenda for human rights reform if elected to office in the
new parliament or government."
9.

Spanish Judiciary confirms jurisdiction to investigate alleged 2002

Posted by: "HREA noreply@hrea.org" HREA noreply@hrea.org   msgiri_bebl

Sat May 9, 2009 4:25 am (PDT)



POSTED BY: HREA noreply@hrea. org

Subject: Spanish Judiciary confirms jurisdiction to investigate alleged 2002
war crimes in Gaza

FIDH Press release
Thursday 7 May 2009

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) welcome the decision
taken on 4 May 2009 by Judge Andreu of the Audiencia Nacional (Spanish
National Court) to continue investigating serious international crimes
allegedly committed in Gaza in 2002, on the basis of the universal
jurisdiction of the Spanish Courts.

The investigation is specifically aimed at looking into the 'al- Daraj'
bombing of July 2002, which caused the deaths of 16 Palestinians, including
9 children and five other civilians.

"This decision confirmed the jurisdiction of the Spanish Courts to try the
most heinous crimes. We welcome the strict application of international law,
despite all the attempts made by the government of Israel to stop the
investigation in Spain At last, victims of crimes allegedly committed by the
Isreali army in the Gaza strip may finally hope to see justice be done",
declared Souhayr Belhassen, FIDH President .
This decision reversed the opinion submitted by the Prosecutor to suspend
the investigation on the basis that Israel was investigating the attack.

On the contrary, Judge Andreu stated that "In Israel, there not been, nor
there now under way, any legal proceedings aimed at investigating" the Gaza
bombing. Therefore the Spanish Courts have clearly jurisdiction, on the
basis of the universal jurisdiction principle and in accordance with the
Geneva Conventions, to investigate such crimes, qualified as war crimes.
Spanish provisions on universal jurisdiction holds that grave crimes such as
genocide, terrorism, war crimes or torture can be prosecuted in Spain even
if committed elsewhere. The judge argued that any investigation into those
facts should be undertaken in respect of the independence of the judiciary
and the strict separation of the executive and judicial powers, and
therefore could not be satisfied with an administrative investigation or an
internal investigation by the security forces.

The judge finally concluded that because no criminal investigation had been
opened by the Israeli judicial authorities to establish the alleged criminal
responsibility, victims "have been obliged to turn to the Spanish Courts in
order that a judicial investigation be opened".

Israelian authorities denounced the decision of Judge Andreu to continue the
investigation. Defense Minister Ehud Barak plans to ask the Spanish prime
minister, the defence minister and foreign minister to 'intervene and stop
the investigation' . « It is of utmost importance that the Spanish executive
does not interfere with the independence of the judiciary », said Souhayr
Belhassen. « Only an impartial investigation into the events of July 2002
will bring to light what truly happened and this decision is a great step
forward in the struggle against impunity and for accountability ». Spain is
one of several countries where victims whose cases were not heard by the
Israeli judiciary have turned to in the hope for justice. Similar complaints
were filed by victims and human rights advocates in the United States, the
United Kingdom, in Norway and the Netherlands.

*Background*

On 29 January 2009, Judge Andreu, Central Investigative Judge N°4 of the
Spanish National Court asserted the jurisdiction of the Spanidh Courts,
after he received a complaint filed by Palestinian relatives of the victims
and human rights advocates, including the Palestinian Centre for Human
Rights (PCHR), concerning crimes committed in Gaza in 2002. The complaint
alleges that the 'al- Daraj' bombing of July 2002 by the Israeli Air Force,
constituted a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and could also
be classified as a crime against humanity, given that it consituted part of
a wide spread or systematic commission of crimes. The investigation targets
seven Israeli officials, including Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, former Defense
Minister and currently Infrastructure Minister, Dan Halutz, Commander of the
Israeli Air Force when the crimes were committed,Doron Almog, former
Commander of the Israeli Defence Forces in Gaza, Giora Eiland, President of
the Israeli National Security Council, Michael Herzog, military secretary at
the Ministry of Defence, Moshe Yaalon, Commander-in- chief of the armed
forces and Abraham Dichter, former Director of the Shin Beth.
10.

Cambodia: Forced evictions contravene human rights standards

Posted by: "HREA noreply@hrea.org" HREA noreply@hrea.org   msgiri_bebl

Sat May 9, 2009 4:25 am (PDT)



POSTED BY: HREA noreply@hrea. org

Subject: Cambodia: Forced evictions contravene human rights standards

6 May 2009 – An independent United Nations human rights expert today
expressed her extreme concern about the threatened eviction of nearly 100
families in Phnom Penh, and called on the Cambodian authorities to halt this
practice pending a review of current policies.

Raquel Rolnik, the UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, said she has
observed "an increase in forced evictions through Cambodia accompanied by a
systematic lack of due process" since she took up her post one year ago.

In a statement issued today, she said she has reminded the Cambodian
authorities that "the pattern of evictions, affecting many of the poor, in
the country – and the apparent lack of due process in that regard – suggests
they may be tolerating, or even perpetrating, the forced evictions
prohibited by international human rights standards."

"Forced evictions constitute a grave breach of human rights. Large-scale
evictions can only be carried out in exceptional circumstances and with full
respect for the due process requirements set by international human rights
standards," she stated.

Ms. Rolnik expressed alarm in particular about the possible imminent
eviction of the "Group 78" residents – between 66 to 86 families residing in
Tonle Basak commune, in Phnom Penh's Chamkar Mon district, who have been
involved in a legal battle since 2004 over ownership of their land.

They "seem to have a strong case in claiming authorities should recognize
their possession rights to the land being disputed and demanding just and
fair compensation for the possible loss of their land," said the Special
Rapporteur.

She urged the competent authorities not to implement the "administrative
measures" (which in the past have lead to forced evictions) threatened in
the last notice transmitted to Group 78 residents, stressing that they are
entitled to have full legal review of their ownership claims in accordance
with Cambodian legislation.

"It is only on the basis of this review that negotiations must take place
with the affected community, to ensure fair compensation and adequate
alternatives if their relocation is necessary," she stated.

Ms. Rolnik reiterated her call for a moratorium on all group evictions in
Cambodia, especially when residents have pursued claims before
administrative or judicial bodies, until the policies and actions of the
authorities can be brought fully into line with international human rights
obligations.

Like all UN Special Rapporteurs, Ms. Rolnik reports to the Geneva-based
Human Rights Council in an independent and unpaid capacity.

UN News Centre
11.

HR News: MAY 8,, 2009

Posted by: "Human Rights News hrnews@isidelhi.org.in" Human Rights News hrnews@isidelhi.org.in   msgiri_bebl

Sat May 9, 2009 4:27 am (PDT)



POSTED BY: Human Rights News hrnews@isidelhi. org.in

Subject: HR News: MAY 8,, 2009

[image: graphic]
*Volume 11 *
*MAY 8, 2009*
*No. 32*
*HUMAN RIGHTS & LAW UNIT* *INDIAN SOCIAL INSTITUTE *
*Centre for Research, Training and Action for Socio- Economic Development
and Human Rights*
*NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of
the United Nations*
*Lodi Road, New Delhi-110 003, India *
*Email: hrnews@isidelhi. org.in Phone: 24622379/24625015 *
* HR News is an electronic News Bulletin on Human Rights Violations and
related subjects freely transmitted by the Human Rights and Law Unit (HRLU)
of the Indian Social Institute. It is a collection of previously published
news and views from the print as well as the electronic media. HRLU neither
claims to the veracity of the facts in the news nor subscribes to the views
expressed. If you want to UNSUBSCRIBE, please, contact: **
hrnews@isidelhi. org.in* <hrnews@isidelhi. org.in>**
*Compiled, Edited & Disseminated by
K SAMU,
Human Rights & Law Unit
Indian Social Institute,
New Delhi, India*
* *
*HR NEWS: MAY 8, 2009* *To View Full Text of this Bulletin, Click on the
link below*
*www.isidelhi. org.in/hrnews/ may/0805. htm*
<http://www.isidelhi .org.in/hrnews/ may/0805. htm>
*
*
*
*
*HIV/AIDS*
*1. Review of HIV awareness programmes held (3)*
*2. Nearly 20,000 infected with HIV in Iran report (3)*
*3. Jail status report (3)*
*4. Some home truth for elders living with HIV (3)*
*
*
*LAND ACQUISITION*
*5. Villagers seek return of ancestral land from Lafarge (4)*
*6. Power plant: villagers seek compensation (4)*
*
*
*CORRUPTION*
*7. Complaints against corrupt cops fall on deaf ears (5)*
*8. Lots of money, but none for anti-corruption measures (5)*
*9. VS should reject AG's report: Mani (5)*
*
*
*TRIBALS*
*10. 'Harassed' tribal girl commits suicide (6)*
*11. 'Give ST status to protect the identity of Badagas' (6)*
*12. 2 tribal women stripped of dignity in MP (6)*
*13. Left focuses on tribal grievances (6)*
*
*
*MINORITIES: MUSLIMS*
*14. Poor public education in Pak forcing families to turn to madrasas (7)*
*15. BJP's Capitulation to Moditva: A Disgrace to Democracy (7)*
*
*
*MINORITIES: CHRISTIANS*
*16. Pastor, girl injured in attack (7)*
*17. Christians urged to vote and be counted (7)*
*18. Five held for disrupting pastors' meet (7)*
*
*
*COMMUNAL RIOTS*
*19. Gujarat riot cases: verdict on vacating stay on trial today (7)*
*20. SIT to start probe into role of Modi, 62 others in 2002 riots (7)*
*
*
*WOMEN*
*21. Prosecution over dowry inescapable, says SC (19)*
*22. Unable to face harassment, girl commits suicide (8)*
*23. Wife files FIR against Adnan Sami, in-laws for harassment (8)*
*24. SC: Man can be prosecuted for demanding dowry in 2nd marriage (8)*
*
*
*EDUCATION*
*25. Admission: fewer cases of norms violation this year (11)*
*26. Make education affordable, government urged (11)*
*
*
*CHILDREN*
*27. Young ones put forth their demands to candidates (14)*
*28. Child labour continues to be a cause of concern (14)*
*29. Glare on child labour (14)*
*30. Street children of Bangalore get some help (14)*
*31. Students work to free kids from labour (14)*
*
*
*JUDICIARY/LAW*
*32. SC: Man can be prosecuted for demanding dowry in 2nd marriage (8)*
*
*
*POVERTY*
*33. Poverty more dangerous than GM side-effects: SC (21)*
*34. NREGS benefits not reaching every BPL family? (21)*
*35. Poor public education in Pak forcing families to turn to madrasas (21)*
*36. 'Food insecurity on the rise' (21)*
*37. 17% of US children under 5 may face hunger (21)*
*
*
*RESERVATION*
*38. 'Gujjars should get quota' (25)*
*
*
*HINDUTVA/CULTURAL NATIONALISM*
*39. VHP calls Jammu bandh against Sikhs' plight in Pak (26)*
*40. BJP's Capitulation to Moditva: A Disgrace to Democracy (26)*
*41. 10 get lifers for killing two VHP activists (26)*

----------

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12.

US: End Life Sentences for Youth Offenders

Posted by: "Sunila Singh suni_manas@hotmail.com" Sunila Singh suni_manas@hotmail.com   msgiri_bebl

Sat May 9, 2009 4:27 am (PDT)



POSTED BY: Sunila Singh suni_manas@hotmail. com

US: End Life Sentences for Youth Offenders New Figures Show More Youth
Sentenced to Die in Prison
WASHINGTON - May 7 - The US Congress should pass a proposed law to end the
sentencing of youth offenders to life in prison without the possibility of
parole, Human Rights Watch said today in a
letter<http://www.hrw. org/node/ 82986>to members of the House Judiciary
Committee. At least 2,574 individuals in
the United States are serving these sentences for crimes they committed
before they were 18 years old. The United States is the only country that
uses such sentences for crimes committed by juveniles. On May 6, 2009,
Representatives Robert "Bobby" Scott and John Conyers introduced H.R. 2289,
the Juvenile Justice Accountability and Improvement Act of 2009, in the US
House of Representatives. The bill would require states and the federal
government to offer youth offenders meaningful opportunities for parole
after serving 15 years of a life sentence.
"Sentencing juveniles to die in prison is cruel, costly, and unnecessary, "
said David Fathi, US Program director at Human Rights Watch. "Even youths
who commit terrible crimes can grow and be rehabilitated. "
The introduction of the bill coincided with Human Rights Watch's release of new
figures<http://www.hrw. org/sites/ default/files/ related_material /JLWOP_Table_ May_7_2009. pdf>showing
that there are currently at least 2,574 persons in US prisons who
were sentenced to life without parole for crimes committed before the age of
18, an increase of 90 from May 2008.
The higher number is due primarily to improvements in data reporting rather
than significant increases in the number of youth sentenced to life without
parole. Increases were most dramatic in California (250 total, an increase
of 23), Michigan (346 total, an increase of 30), and the federal Bureau of
Prisons (37 total, an increase of 35). Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio,
and Texas also saw increases in juvenile life without parole. The states
with the largest numbers of prisoners serving this sentence are Pennsylvania
(444), Michigan (346), Louisiana (335), Florida (266), and California (250).

Research<http://www.hrw. org/en/reports/ 2008/05/01/ executive- summary-rest- their-lives>by
Human Rights Watch found that nationwide, 59 percent of youth serving
life without parole sentences received the sentence for their first criminal
conviction, and 16 percent were 15 or younger at the time of their offense.
An estimated 26 percent were convicted on the basis of accomplice liability
or felony murder. These are crimes in which a teenager who commits a
non-homicide felony such as a robbery is held responsible for a
codefendant' s act of murder during the course of the crime. State laws often
do not require the person convicted on this charge to know that a murder was
planned or even that the codefendant was armed.
"Subjecting juvenile offenders to the harshest sentence possible fails to
recognize that they are simply different from adults," Fathi said. "The
evidence we have is that they are less culpable for their actions, and more
amenable to rehabilitation. "
Recent studies of adolescent brain development have found that teens do not
have the abilities of adults to make sound decisions, control their
impulses, resist group pressures, or weigh the long-term consequences of
their actions.
Human Rights Watch has also found substantial racial disparities in life
without parole sentences given to juveniles. On average across the country,
black youth are serving life without parole at a per capita rate that is 10
times that of white youth. In Pennsylvania, which has the largest number of
juvenile offenders serving life without parole, black youth are 21 times as
likely to be serving the sentence as white youth.
Last year, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination urged the United States to discontinue the use of the
sentence, finding that the persistent racial disparities in sentencing were
incompatible with US treaty obligations. US sentencing of youth to life
without parole is also a violation of, or raises concerns under, other
international treaties to which the United States is party, including the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention
against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment.
The Juvenile Justice Accountability and Improvement Act of 2009 would
require states to provide juvenile offenders serving life sentences with
meaningful opportunities for parole at least once during their first 15
years of incarceration, and at least every three years thereafter. States
that do not comply would lose a portion of their federal funding for law
enforcement. The bill would also require parole hearings for juveniles given
life sentences under federal law.
"Giving these juvenile offenders an opportunity for a parole hearing is not
a guarantee of release," said Fathi. "But it offers them incentives for
rehabilitation and brings the United States into line with internationally
recognized standards of justice."
On May 4, the US Supreme Court agreed to decide whether life without parole
for juveniles who have committed only non-homicide crimes violates the US
Constitution' s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishments. The case will
be heard in the court's next term, which begins in October.
###
Human Rights Watch is one of the world's leading independent organizations
dedicated to defending and protecting human rights. By focusing
international attention where human rights are violated, we give voice to
the oppressed and hold oppressors accountable for their crimes. Our
rigorous, objective investigations and strategic, targeted advocacy build
intense pressure for action and raise the cost of human rights abuse. For 30
years, Human Rights Watch has worked tenaciously to lay the legal and moral
groundwork for deep-rooted change and has fought to bring greater justice
and security to people around the world.

------------ --------- ---------
Windows Live™: Keep your life in sync. Check it
out.<http://windowslive. com/explore? ocid=TXT_ TAGLM_BR_ life_in_synch_ 052009>
13.

Italy/Malta: Lives of migrants and asylum seekers put at risk

Posted by: "HREA noreply@hrea.org" HREA noreply@hrea.org   msgiri_bebl

Sat May 9, 2009 4:27 am (PDT)



POSTED BY: HREA noreply@hrea. org

Subject: Italy/Malta: Lives of migrants and asylum seekers put at risk

Amnesty International Press release
7 May 2009

By failing to protect the rights of migrants and asylum-seekers rescued at
sea, the Italian and Maltese governments have breached their international
obligations, Amnesty International said today.

"The lives and safety of migrants and asylum-seekers have been placed at
risk first by a squabble between the Italian and Maltese authorities over
their obligations to respond to maritime distress calls, and then by the
Italian government's unprecedented decision to send them to the Libyan
capital Tripoli, without assessing their protection needs," said Nicola
Duckworth, Europe and Central Asia Programme Director.

On the morning of 6 May 2009 three vessels with an estimated 227 people on
board sent out a distress call while passing about 50 miles south of the
Italian island of Lampedusa.
A dispute between the Maltese and Italian government over who had
responsibility may have delayed rescue operations eventually undertaken by
two Italian coastguard vessels. They took the migrants to Tripoli, without
stopping in an Italian port.

The Italian Minister of the Interior Roberto Maroni was reported to have
said that this is "an historical achievement after one year of bilateral
negotiations with Libya". Libya and Italy have signed a Friendship Treaty
and related agreements that include provisions on combating irregular
migration, including through joint patrolling of seas.

"Disputes over jurisdiction or responsibility should neither prevent nor
delay the rescue and assistance of people who are at risk of drowning.
States must ensure that any international cooperation or assistance efforts,
including border controls or immigration policies, do not result in human
rights abuses," Nicola Duckworth said.

Amnesty International calls on Italy and Malta to respect the fundamental
rights of asylum-seekers, migrants and refugees. It also calls on the Libyan
authorities to introduce procedures to allow asylum seekers to apply for
refugee status and give all those potentially in need of international
protection access to the UNHCR in Libya.

The organization urges all governments to cooperate closely in order to
ensure that those rescued at sea are immediately brought to a place of
safety, while fully respecting the principle of non-refoulement – not
sending them to countries where they may be at risk of torture or other
ill-treatment or where access to a fair and satisfactory asylum procedure is
limited. Furthermore all states must uphold their obligations under
international refugee and human rights law, as well as maritime law.
14.

[hr-education] HRE curriculum guide for schools in South Africa now

Posted by: "Granville Whittle hr-education@lists.hrea" Granville Whittle hr-education@lists.hrea.org   msgiri_bebl

Sat May 9, 2009 4:28 am (PDT)



POSTED BY: Granville Whittle hr-education@ lists.hrea. org

Subject: HRE curriculum guide for schools in South Africa now available

Dear colleagues,

"Values and Human Rights in the Curriculum: A Guide" was published in 2005
by the South African Department of Education and is now available on-line
for download.

The guide seeks to provide guidelines for teaching and learning with regard
to values and human rights for educators. It provides advice, indicators of
good practice, hints and examples, in order to illustrate and elaborate on
the principles presented. It is a support for the National Curriculum
Statement, providing more insight and guidance in relation to the contested
and at times difficult area of values and human rights. It considers some of
the pedagogic issues often faced by classroom practitioners, as well as some
of the dilemmas posed by values education.

This guide provides learning area-specific guidance, references,
illustrative examples and resources to support teachers in the classroom. It
aims to assist teachers to integrate values and human rights into the
curriculum and their practice in a meaningful way. This guide was developed
for primary and secondary teachers and youth workers to incorporate human
rights in the curriculum across all learning areas. It explains principles
for including human rights in education curriculum and methodology for
practicing these principles as a holistic learning experience that builds
head knowledge, heart knowledge and skills knowledge on human rights. The
guide also includes lesson plans and values in different learning programmes
(e.g. literacy and numeracy, history, geography, social sciences, technology
and environment, etc).

The curriculum is developed in four phases: Foundation Phase for ages 5-8,
Intermediate Phase for ages 9-11, Senior Phase for ages 12-14, and Further
Education and Training Phase for adolescents.

The guide is now available on-line in HREA's HRE Library. You can download
it at:

http://www.hrea. org/index. php?base_ id=104&language_ id=1&erc_ doc_id=4920& category_ id=18&category_ type=3

I hope that curriculum developers and teachers alike can find use in the
guide.

Warm regards,

Granville Whittle
Department of Education
Republic of South Africa
15.

Advani's Frankenstein

Posted by: "Ravinder Singh" progressindia008@yahoo.com   progressindia008

Sat May 9, 2009 4:28 am (PDT)



Advani's Frankenstein
by Rajinder Puri
 
According to growing evidence sections of the Sangh Parivar are implicated in terrorism. Some reports say that BJP leaders will be questioned. There is evidence of hawala funds coming to pro-Hindutva elements organizing terrorist acts. Given previous police records, it is entirely possible that all this will end as a damp squib. Indeed, to go by the perversity of India's electoral politics, it is entirely possible that the BJP will eventually gain from such allegations! But public perception about the BJP's link to terrorism will stick. Despite no convictions in various mega scams, public perception about corrupt leaders remains intact. Links to terrorism, if proved, will dent the core agenda of the BJP. Indeed, if proved, they could disastrously damage the BJP. One doubts if these allegations coming on the threshold of a general election will bring cheer to LK Advani, who looks to becoming the next prime minister. But Advani needs to reflect. Does he or
does he not deserve this fate? Did he not thoughtlessly create the BJP link to terrorism? Recall recent history.

In 1991 during a general election campaign the police stumbled on the Jain Hawala diaries that contained the names of over 40 national leaders cutting across parties. The names of Advani, Madhav Rao Scindia and VC Shukla were prominent in the list. It transpired that the same hawala conduits used the same hawala funds to pay terrorists in Kashmir. It became a TADA case. It was transferred to the CBI.

Apparently, because big politicians were involved, the CBI arrested two small fry who received the funds for terrorists, and buried the terrorist angle of the case. One of the relatively unknown separatists at that time in Kashmir who benefited from the burial of the case was Salahuddin. Today he is based in Pakistan and heads the Hizbul Mujahideen. The CBI charged the politicians with committing corruption and with violating foreign exchange laws. Four political leaders admitted to newspapers and to TV that they had received the funds, which authenticated the Jain diaries. Later, though, some of these politicians contradicted their own telecast confessions when questioned by the police to state that they had not received the funds. The newspapers, committed to one political leader or the other, seized upon falsehoods to protect their respective favorites. The most widespread falsehood was that Prime Minister Narasimha Rao was pursuing this probe to
target political adversaries. In fact Rao did not lift a finger to advance the police probe. Instead he used his influence to bury the probe.

Rao buried the probe because he was falsely implicated in the case. He was not mentioned in the Jain diaries. After he became PM the Jains paid him a sum of money. Jain confessed this to the police, much after the probe began.. This merited a separate corruption case. One police officer probing the case, friendly to BJP leader Madan Lal Khurana, who was a strong Advani loyalist at that time, was persuaded to rush to the Supreme Court and enter the Jain confession about payment to Rao as evidence. He did this without permission of his seniors who were handling the case. Ironically for BJP leaders, that police officer, now retired, has obtained a Congress ticket from Delhi to oppose the BJP! The inclusion of Rao's name in the Jain Hawala case altered the government's attitude.

Displaying shocking ineptitude the Supreme Court buried the case for lack of sufficient evidence. Thanks to the PIL, of which this writer was one of the four signatories, the SC closely monitored the entire probe. The CBI deposed before it in camera on the progress of the investigation before launching prosecution. And yet, the prosecution failed due to insufficient evidence! Did not SC condemn itself by this ruling? In its final ruling on the case the SC sought a change in the procedure of appointing the Central Vigilance Commissioner. It expanded his power. How could the SC alter the prevalent system by invoking the Jain Hawala Case, which, according to its own ruling, lacked sufficient evidence? Much later Chief Justice JS Verma, who headed the Bench hearing the Jain Hawala Case, said in a seminar that the case had been mis-handled and deserved to be reopened. Who mis-handled it? He and his fellow Judges monitored the entire investigation!

Now connect the Jain Hawala case with Advani's failure to check terrorism. Jain's money transactions were made before a general election. Apart from a few black sheep who received huge hawala funds that clearly belonged to them, either through corruption or through transfer of their own foreign funds, the rest received campaign donations unaware that money was linked to terror. Through a press conference I urged Advani to reveal the truth for sake of fighting terrorism. I reminded the media that Advani had championed electoral reform by seeking poll donations only through cheques. This case vindicated him. It exposed the dangers of cash donations. Yet, Advani remained silent.

The case has a further link to terrorism. A year after the police probe began the Babri Masjid was demolished. It was a terrorist act. Contrary to what certain Indian and foreign commentators continue to repeat, immediately following the demolition there was a score of Muslim residents of Ayodhya who were killed by pro-BJP mobs. The police rounded up 35 suspects for the killing. There was insufficient evidence. They were all released. The case was buried. The killings were forgotten.

A year later the retaliatory bomb blasts occurred in Bombay. Among those convicted for involvement in the terror blasts was Moolchand Shah who acted as the conduit for funds to the Bombay terrorists. Who is this Moolchand Shah? Why, the very same gentleman who was the main conduit for the hawala funds to the Jains and through them to the cream among India's politicians, including the late Rajiv Gandhi and Advani. Do not Hindu terrorists benefit India’s foreign foes as much as do Islamist terrorists? Both divide the nation. So should Advani be surprised if it is found that hawala funds and terrorism have penetrated his party? Consider Salahuddin, Moolchand Shah, the Jain Hawala Case, the Bombay bomb blasts and the Malegaon blasts. Are not current developments a logical outcome of previous lapses?
 
Long back there was a fictitious scientist, Dr Frankenstein, who created a robotic monster. The monster is popularly named Frankenstein. The monster went out of control, spread terror, and destroyed the scientist. Has Advani, through his failure to nip terrorism when he could, created his own Frankenstein? It remains to be seen whether Advani destroys his Frankenstein, or whether his Frankenstein destroys him.        
 
November 13, 2008
 
http://www.boloji. com/myword/ mw134.htm
 
 

16.

Bhrasht Janta Party â€" L. K. Advani Havala Recipient

Posted by: "Ravinder Singh" progressindia008@yahoo.com   progressindia008

Sat May 9, 2009 4:29 am (PDT)



Bhrasht Janta Party â€" L. K. Advani Havala Recipient
 
Looking at the party wise list of Lok Sabha members I realized over 20-30 members are short in Bharsht Janta Party of India.
 
http://164.100. 47.134/newls/ partywiselist. aspx
http://www.boloji. com/myword/ mw134.htm
 
It all began with Jain Havala case when Advani and Khurana admitted to taking Rs.7 lakh each as political bribes.
 
A politically and morally corrupt Bhrashta Janta Party has projected Havala Recipient as PM hopeful.
 
Bharasht Janata Party was involved in mega Bharasht Cases.
 
It let corporate raise promoter equity from 10% to 12% to around 50% and than to around 90% in many cases.
 
Wealth of Corporate shot up 10 fold but support price of Farmer Produce was kept low resulting in declining incomes.
 
SK Dubey charged MEGA LOOT in NHAI projects.
 
Gorshkov Deal has no parallel in the world.
 
Bharasht Janata Party repealed FERA.
 
Sabotaged Delhi Rent Act.
 
Opposed Bank Nationalization.
 
Ravinder Singh
May09, 2009

17.

Ashok Gulati Joins Liar’s Club of Modi

Posted by: "Ravinder Singh" progressindia008@yahoo.com   progressindia008

Sat May 9, 2009 4:29 am (PDT)



Ashok Gulati Joins Liar’s Club of Modi
 
Friends, I have always maintained Modi can go to any extent of lies to FABRICATE data to show high performance. In the case of Agriculture he takes 2000 as base year that was Worst Drought Year.  In next message you can see the US Satellite Pictures of drought.
 
So even if agricultural production doubles than 2000 there is actually no production increase over normal year.
 
http://www.ndmindia .nic.in/document s/contplan_ drot2000. html
 
3.1       GUJARAT:
 
3.1.1   As reported by the State Government, 9449 villages in 155 taluks of 17 out of 25 districts with a population of 250 lakhs were affected.  The failure of fodder crop affected livestock population of 71.33 lakhs.  Banaskantha, Jamnagar, Kutch and Patan districts were severely affected.  Foodgrain production is estimated to be lower by 29.45% compared to that of last year.  Oilseeds production is estimated to be lower by 49.23%  as compared to that of last year. The crop area under foodgrains, oilseeds and cotton has gone down by 4.27 lakh ha during the last kharif and Rabi seasons.
 
4.2 Rainfall pattern
 
South â€"West Monsoon 1999
 
4.2.1   At the end of the south-west monsoon season 1999, 7 out of 35 meteorological sub-divisions, namely Saurashtra, Kutch & Diu (-58%), Tamil Nadu & Pondicherry (-36%), Andaman & Nicobar Islands (-29%), Kerala (-25%), Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi (-25%),Gujarat Region    (-24%) and West Rajasthan (-24%) had  rainfall deficiency as mentioned in the brackets.
 
4.6       South-West Monsoon Rainfall  2000:-
 
4.6.1               As per  reports of  IMD,  for the week ending 20th September, 2000, from 1st June, 2000 to 20th September, 2000,  following Meteorological Sub Divisions  received deficient rainfall as stated below:- 
 
(a)       Saurashtra, Kutch & Diu                               -           (-43%)
(b)       West Madhya Pradesh                                 -           (-35%)
(c)        Andaman & Nicobar Islands                        -           (-33%)
(d)       Gujarat Region                                  -          (-29%)
 
Ravinder Singh
May09, 2009
 
Emulate Gujarat’s agricultural success
ASHOK GULATI & GANGA SHREEDHAR 
ET May07, 2009

MANY PEOPLE KNOW THAT GUJARAT IS ONE OF the star performers when it comes to overall economic growth. But how many know that Gujarat is an outstanding performer in agriculture, growing at 9.6% per annum since 2000-01? Though there is high volatility in agriculture growth rates for almost all states, the performance of Gujarat’s agriculture is more than thrice the all-India figure, and certainly way above that of UP and West Bengal, two large agricultural states. Surprisingly, even Bihar is doing much better (at more than 4% per annum) than all-India performance (see figure). This makes one curious to know what are the drivers of agricultural growth in Gujarat; and if Gujarat has managed to excel in agriculture, why not others? 

    IFPRI (International Food Policy Research Institute) research points to three main sources of growth in Gujarat’s agriculture: (1) cotton output soared from 3.05 million bales (of 170 kg each) in 2002/03 to 11.2 million bales in 2007/08, primarily driven by Bt cotton since 2002; (2) the rapid growth of the high value segment, ie, livestock, fruits & vegetables. While Gujarat’s dairy success is well known, which is growing at 6-7% per annum on sustainable basis, the recent phenomenon of high growth comes from fruits and vegetables (dominated by banana, mango, potato and onions) that has grown at almost 12.8% during 2000/01 to 2007/08; (3) the third main source of growth comes from wheatâ€"after a low of 0.6 million tonnes in 2000/01, production jumped to 3.8 million tonnes in 2007/08- an average annual growth rate of 28%! 

    Technology development and diffusion is a key driver of agricultural growth, fuelling cotton production, raising both the production frontier as well as farmers’ incomes substantially. While the public sector has played a role in production and distribution of high yielding variety (HYV) seeds like wheat, the private seed sector has taken a lead in developing and promoting the use of Bt Cotton seeds. In Gujarat alone, 26 private seed companies have registered 113 varieties of BT Cotton. Not only has the yield more than doubled in just five to six years, at present more than 50% of the total cotton area in Gujarat has come under Bt cotton. 

    The second key driver is increased access to water. Gujarat is a drought-prone state, with an irrigation cover of just 36% of gross cropped area. Increased water supply from Sardar Sarovar project, higher investments in check-dams and watersheds (as of June 2007, a total of 2, 97,527 check dams, boribunds and Khet Talavadi (farm ponds) had been constructed by the state in cooperation with NGOs and the private sector), and of course, good rainfall for the past few years has helped propel growth. Concerted efforts to recharge water table, regulate electricity for agricultural use (by separating feeder lines for irrigation and other uses under the Jyotigram scheme) as well as providing high subsidy to farmers with modern water saving technologies like drip irrigation is a key development. Investment in water management and supply for agriculture has led to increased irrigated area under wheat, cotton and fruits & vegetables that have boosted
production. Continuing investment in roads since the nineties have paid off, as there are good quality roads even in most rural areas (98.74% of villages are connected by pucca roads). 

    The last driver is the rejuvenation of the agricultural research systems and introduction of innovative extension services that make research and know-how available to the farmers. The ‘Krushi Mahotsav’ program is the latest innovation in extension services. Under this program, approximately 1 lakh government officials, from the chief minister to Taluka level staff from 15 Departments, along with about 1582 agricultural scientists, and several other stakeholders like civil society organisations, elected representatives, farmers and women spend a month during April/May in rural areas demonstrating the best of technologies to farmers. Such initiatives indicate a strong political will to ensure development reaches the rural sector. Krushi Mahotsav 2008 toured all 18,600 villages of the state, providing information and counselling on soil health, organic farming, technology and inputs, irrigation, etc., besides infusing a new spirit of change and
mass mobilisation. 

    The turnaround witnessed by Gujarat agriculture perhaps sets a precedent in Indian landscape that agriculture can also be a major driver of change. Can this be a divadandi (lighthouse) for other states to follow? Given the diversity of states in India, each state will have to innovate in its own way and devise strategies to accelerate growth in the sector. But a key lesson from Gujarat’s experience is the impact of public investments in infrastructure and institutions have on agricultural growth. The state has also created an enabling environment for both MNCs and domestic private seed companies to compete and flourish. But accelerated agricultural growth in Gujarat is more than a story of just state planning and private sector participation. Strong political commitment to promote rural development, a long term vision, and the capacity to implement this are perhaps the key ingredients of Gujarat’s success story. 

    (Ashok Gulati is director in Asia at IFPRI and 
    Ganga Shreedhar is a research analyst)
 

18.

AMC chief town planner caught taking bribe

Posted by: "Ravinder Singh" progressindia008@yahoo.com   progressindia008

Sat May 9, 2009 4:30 am (PDT)



AMC chief town planner caught taking bribe
 
When Chief Town Planner of Modi hold back files for extorting corruption of just $8000 you can well imagine how widespread and institutionalized is corruption in Gujarat.
 
Ravinder Singh
May09, 2009
 
AMC chief town planner caught taking bribe
TIMES NEWS NETWORK May09, 2009

Ahmedabad: Chief town planner of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Navnit Balewa, was nabbed by Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) sleuths on Thursday for taking a bribe from two brothers who are builders.

    The trap was set after a complaint was filed with the ACB by Rajesh Lalwani and Prakash Lalwani. The duo had recently built Krushnakunj Society in Sardarnagar. “They had approached AMC officials to find out about betterment charges, mandatory for builders to provide civic amenities in the housing society,� said an ACB official.

    On March 17 the Lalwanis filed an application for paying the charges. Their file was with the chief town planner, Balewa, who said that the charge would be Rs 12 lakh. The builders were taken aback as they were expecting a smaller amount. Balewa said he could reduce it to Rs 8 lakh. “But the condition was that they pay Rs 4 lakh betterment charges and the remaining Rs 4 lakh be given in cash,� added an ACB official. The builders contacted another officer and realised their betterment charge was Rs 3.97 lakh.
 

19.

Ashok Gulati Joins Liar’s Club of Modi

Posted by: "Ravinder Singh" progressindia008@yahoo.com   progressindia008

Sat May 9, 2009 4:30 am (PDT)



Exclusive - Satellite Pictures of Worst Drought in Gujarat 2000
 
Friends,
You will be horrified how Modi, BJP and Banias have so completely Corrupted Every Institution in India.
 
http://www.fas. usda.gov/ remote/india/ drought_000511/ index.html
 
You will be horrified to see that pictures of March2000 Drought Areas showed as if Gujarat was completely burnt down by hundreds of Nuclear Bombs.
 
Vegetation pictures of March1998 show green area all over Gujarat, in March1999, vegetation green patches are gone but in March2000 area is red as if there is no vegetation.
 
Modi, BJP and their Lie machinery take 2000 as base year to claim agricultural production has double since 2000.
 
Obviously 1996-1998 was best period in Gujarat Agriculture.
 
Ravinder Singh
May09, 2009

20.

INDIA Hindu nationalists: if we win the elections, we will dialogue

Posted by: "marco.pertoni@libero.it" marco.pertoni@libero.it   sitrep_comalp

Sat May 9, 2009 4:30 am (PDT)





04/07/2009 12:57
INDIA
Hindu nationalists: if we win the elections, we will dialogue with the Christians
by Nirmala Carvalho
The Bharatiya Janata Party pledges that it wants to institute "a permanent inter-faith consultative mechanism" for discussions with Christians, including "the issue of religious conversions. " The secretary of the Indian bishops' conference: "I pray they mean what they say."

Mumbai (AsiaNews) - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is promising to set up a permanent discussion group with Christians if it wins the upcoming national elections. The BJP is the party of reference for the fundamentalist groups responsible for all of the anti-Christian violence in Orissa.

The BJP has inserted within its political platform a promise to institute "a permanent inter-faith consultative mechanism to promote harmony among and trust between communities. This mechanism." says the BJP manifesto, "will also be used for a sustained and sincere inter-faith dialogue between leaders of the Hindu and Christian communities on all aspects of life, including the issue of religious conversions. The dialogue should be held in the spirit of the unanimous report of inter-faith dialogue on conversions, which was organised at the Vatican in May 2006 by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the World Council of Churches in Geneva."

Commenting on the news for AsiaNews, Percival Fernandez, the auxiliary bishop of Mumbai and the former secretary general of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India, says that "the proposal of the BJP is welcome." To those who question the good intentions of the Hindu party and recall that various political figures have called the BJP a 'jingoistic party', the bishop says: "I pray they mean what they say, and not disguise their real agenda by rhetoric that looks and sounds good but is in fact hollow!"

"The communal tendencies of some of the political parties, evident in their performance where groups of misguided people take law in their own hands and create terror and fear among people, and are supported by such parties, is a blot on the beauty of secular India which can be a beautiful example of true democracy to the whole world!"

http://www.asianews .it/index. php?l=en& art=14931& size=A
21.

Criminal wastage in green Gandhinagar - Exclusive

Posted by: "Ravinder Singh" progressindia008@yahoo.com   progressindia008

Sat May 9, 2009 4:31 am (PDT)



Criminal wastage in green Gandhinagar - Exclusive
 
These three stories explode the FALSE propaganda of Best Governed State.
 
Any one can draw water from Narmada. There are no traffic cops to even switch on or of traffic lights â€" local street vendors do it in capital of Gujarat.
 
But most Shameful is the shortage and irregular service of buses for Gujarat Public Servants by State owned bus service.
 
Even more shameful is â€" population of Gandhinagar is just 2,00,000 and good percentage live in Gandhinagar itself.
 
Obviously public servants don’t attend office in time.
 
People use Chhakra a four wheeler built from scrap to commute to Ahemdabad.
 
Ravinder Singh
May09, 2009
 
Criminal wastage in green Gandhinagar
No Watch On Illegal Drawing Of Narmada Water Through Pumps
Rajiv Shah | TNN

Gandhinagar: Come summer, and officialdom here begins to grapple with water shortage all over Gujarat. But Gandhinagar’s tag as the greenest capital of a water-starved state comes at a price.

    Huge quantities of water are used to keep numerous gardens green. The average per capita consumption of water in Gandhinagar, a town with 200,000 population, is a whopping 250 litres per day (LPD). Officials say this would go up to about 300 LPD as the summer peaks.

    This is almost double the water supplied to other Gujarat cities â€" the average in urban areas being 140 LPD. Rural areas fare worse at 70 LPD. And guess what, the babus don’t even know how much water they are consuming. There are no water meters in any government building, including residential quarters, in the capital. Last year, by May-end, tankers were pressed into service to supply water to the ministerial enclave. The shortage forces babus living in 14,000-odd government quarters to directly draw water from pipeline with the help of electric motors!

    It is illegal, but then the law enforcers themselves are the guilty. They have their own backyard gardens to keep green. Nearly 25% water goes to the upkeep of gardens. Government quarters get free water. The recovery, from private houses, is just one-tenth of Rs 11 crore spent each year on water supply to them.

    Currently, both government and private houses use Narmada waters supplied by Gujarat Water Infrastructure Ltd (GWIL). “Water taps are often kept open for 24 hours. It is a criminal wastage of a precious resource. But Gandhinagar babus are quite spoilt when it comes to conservation of Narmada water, which Gujarat fought so hard to get,� said an official handling water supplies here.
 
Chakka jam on Ashram road
 
Daily Commuters Hold Up Traffic For Over 45 Minutes Demanding More Buses To Gandhinagar
TIMES NEWS NETWORK May09, 2009

Ahmedabad: Government employees and daily commuters held part of Ashram road to ransom for 45 minutes staging a 'chakka jam' on Thursday evening. All pass-holders of state transport buses, they were protesting on the grounds that they were denied frequent buses to their workplaces in Gandhinagar.

    Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) buses were halted, blocking this arterial road of the city. The roads were cleared by force by the traffic and Navrangpura police station officials.

    'Babus' and other daily commuters were irritated by the approach of bus depot managers at Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad, sources said. According to passengers, the managers hired out buses for marriage functions and other lucrative ventures, neglecting the Gandhinagar route.

    This alleged apathy left around 600 passholders from Gandhinagar in a limbo and angry Gandhinagar- bound passengers halted nine buses near crossroads near Mount Carmel school on Ashram Road on Thursday evening.

    According to Haresh Upadhyay, a government employee, who boards the bus from the circle itself, since last month, the frequency of buses have gone down to about 20 after 4.30 pm from 45 buses on the Gandhinagar- Ahmedabad- Gandhinagar route earlier.

    "We were waiting for a bus to Gandhinagar since 5 pm. The first bus came at 7.15 pm. When we questioned the delay, the driver asked us to talk to higher officials about routes and timings. We then stopped that bus and asked passengers to cooperate. They understood our plea and supported us,� said Dhiren Mehta, a passenger and passholder supporting the blockade.

    Daily commuters complained that the frequency of buses have been reduced drastically. They also added that they have paid in advance but yet face step-motherly treatment.

    However, their ‘bus-roko andolan' did not last long as traffic police officials, who arrived on the scene, cleared the road by force with the help from Navrangpura police station officials. “We will, however, take the issue to higher authorities. We want the higher frequency as we do not want to pay private vehicle operators, who are more than willing to take us at a higher price,� said Upadhyay.
 
When cops go missing, ‘invisible hand’ operates city’s traffic signals
Not Officials, But Your Neighbourhood Paan Shop Owner Is Entrusted With This Duty
 
Prashant Dayal | TNN

Ahmedabad: It is like magic. Every morning at 8 am, sometimes even before the traffic cops can reach their posts at busy crossroads, traffic signals start operating. Like clockwork the signal switches off at 10 pm sharp.

    No, kudos do not go to the Ahmedabad traffic police.. The invisible hand that gets traffic signals working every morning has nothing to do with the men in khaki. Instead, our road safety is heavily dependent on some very unlikely people - pani puri seller, a paan shop owner and a cobbler. They are the city's 'invisible' traffic signal managers.

    This is a unique public-police partnership. These managers are pros with six-to-10 years of experience at this voluntary job. So, if you see the traffic signal start flashing yellow a little earlier than usual in the afternoon, you know who to thank.

    Take the Bata crossroads on Ashram Road. There is an innocuous paan shop below a shady neem tree. Its display board doubles up as the switch board for traffic signals at this busy junction. "The signal manager, in this case the paan shop owner, has six years of experience. The paan shop owner goes home at 11 pm, long after the signal is switched off and gets back at 8 am every day to switch it on," said a traffic police official.

    If the traffic cops get delayed due to some reason, they are assured that the trusted signal manager will switch on the signal at 8 am. These days, with an underpass being constructed, the traffic signal at the busy Parimal crossing is not working. When the signal gets operational again, the manager will be the same paani puri seller who does brisk business at the crossing. In this case, though, he is only a part-time manager, as he sets up shop only in the evening. The morning duty rests with the traffic cops.

THE OTHER TRAFFIC SIGNAL MANAGERS

    While passing by the district education office behind Gujarat college, you might have noticed the roadside watch repair shop. What you don't know is that the shop owner is the traffic signal operator.

    At Swastik crossroads, a humble cobbler who is an expert at traffic signal management. He is an expert at deciding when the traffic flow is right to switch on the signal. Never has traffic been disrupted under his regime.

    The Lal Bungalow crossroad on CG Road is quite different. The signal here is open! The signal's switch board and its electric metre can be operated by anyone. That is to say, if anybody wishes to help the city traffic police, this is the signal to be at.
 
 

22.

HONG KONG - CHINA Card Zen's last pastoral letter to the Church of H

Posted by: "marco.pertoni@libero.it" marco.pertoni@libero.it   sitrep_comalp

Sat May 9, 2009 4:31 am (PDT)





04/10/2009 14:36
HONG KONG - CHINA
Card Zen's last pastoral letter to the Church of Hong Kong and China
by James Wang
The cardinal sends a touching message to Hong Kong Catholics in support of the persecuted Church of China. He thanks priests, nuns and the faithful, with a special greeting to new Christians who will be baptised on Easter night.

Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - Card Joseph Zen bids his diocese farewell in a pastoral letter issued on the occasion of Easter, one which he describes more as a "family letter" in which he remembers the 12 years he spent at the helm of the Hong Kong Bishopric and talks about his dedication to the persecuted Church of China.
The letter begins with a brief account of the activities of a committee, of which he is a member, set up by the Holy See concerning the Church in China whose focus is "the heavy cross being carried by our brothers and sisters in the mainland over the past 50 years."

"The Church in China, the Church to which we belong, has had no freedom for over 50 years and has been persecuted. News came to us during our meeting that Bishop Jia Zhiguo, of Zhengding (Shijiazhuang) , was arrested," he wrote.

In retiring the prelate said that he will be able to devote more of his time to the Chinese Church which "needs our concern and care. The fact that the pope made me a cardinal also indicates that he wants me to help him in this area."

"God is leading us in wonderful ways, his hand holds our hand, a hand that bears the mark of the nail, now no longer causing pain, but shining in glory forever."

After thanking priests, nuns, men and women religious, seminarians and all of his faithful, he added: "God is not far away nor high above. He is in our midst. He is by our side. He is in our hearts. With him, we have the strength to carry our crosses in sickness, poverty, loneliness or persecution. With him, we are able to help those on the journey by our side to carry their crosses. With him, we are able to help our brothers and sisters in the mainland walk the way of the cross until the end."

"Dear brothers and sisters; do not be afraid. We believe in the saviour, who is risen. The last word is not death, but life, the true life, the fullness of life, the eternal life. Peace be with you!"

"All you new Christians, who will be celebrating their baptism during the Easter Vigil, welcome to our big family. During the Scrutinies [of the catechumens] I had the opportunity to get a foretaste of your joy. Always keep the joy of baptism. You have joined a community of human beings, a community of sinners. Bear with one another. But this community is the Mystical Body of Christ. The grace of God is always in our midst. He loves you."

"May the Holy Mother Mary keep you that you may persevere until the end."

The official announcement of Cardinal Zen's retirement should be made after Easter.

His successor is Mgr John Tong Hon.

http://www.asianews .it/index. php?l=en& art=14962& size=A
23.

INTEGRATION IN DENMARK Minority Youths Fear Honor Crime

Posted by: "marco.pertoni@libero.it" marco.pertoni@libero.it   sitrep_comalp

Sat May 9, 2009 4:32 am (PDT)



04/08/2009
INTEGRATION IN DENMARK
Minority Youths Fear Honor Crime
A report to be published in Denmark indicates that the number of minority youths who seek help because of family threats has almost quadrupled since 2005.

A still-unpublished report from Denmark's National Organization of Shelters for Battered Women and Their Children (LOKK) indicates that an increasing number of young people from minority ethnic groups are seeking help as a result of family threats or violence, according to the Copenhagen daily Kristeligt Dagblad.

Since 2005, LOKK has offered advice to young people from ethnic minorities who experience serious conflicts with their families. In 2005, the organization advised 101 people who were either involved themselves in so-called honor-related issues or who knew someone who was. In 2008, that figure grew to 397.

"This is probably because more people have become aware that they can approach us for help," says LOKK's Lene Johannesson. "But the figures show that the problem continues. Despite the fact that there have been efforts to foster integration for several years, young girls in particular are still the targets of honor-related abuse."

Most of the people who approach the LOKK are young women from ethnic minorities who have found an ethnic Danish boyfriend contrary to the will of their parents.

"But their approaches can also be because they want to be able to act like normal Danish young people and to be out in the evenings and make their own choices about education and other things like that," Johannesson adds.

"Most of the girls who approach us have already had a verbal conflict with their parents during which threats have been made," Johannesson continues. "These can be threats that they will be confined to the house or sent back to their country of origin. Or it can be a threat of violence."

LOKK tries to help these girls find out what they can do. For example, the organization offers mediation between the young people and their parents. The organization can also provide practical information, such as where to get help in moving away from home, should that become necessary.

"If the situation is serious, we often help the girls on to a crisis center. That happens with quite a few of them," Johannesson says.

The Dannerhuset, which claims to be Denmark's "oldest and largest crisis center and shelter for women and children who have been subjected to domestic violence," also takes in several young minority women each year who have been the target of family violence.

"Often this is about them refusing to enter into forced marriages," says Henriette Højberg, Dannerhuset' s senior counselor. "These women do not necessarily want to reject their cultural origins, but they want to be able to choose who they have a relationship with. They want to decide about their own lives themselves."

Since 2006, the National Police Investigation Center has registered 400 so-called honor crimes in Denmark. These range from threats, compulsion, violence and confinement to forced marriages and forced repatriation to the family's country of origin.

http://www.spiegel. de/international /europe/0, 1518,618216, 00.html
24.

NEPAL Kathmandu proclaims 8,000 Maoist martyrs

Posted by: "marco.pertoni@libero.it" marco.pertoni@libero.it   sitrep_comalp

Sat May 9, 2009 4:32 am (PDT)





04/02/2009 16:11
NEPAL
Kathmandu proclaims 8,000 Maoist martyrs
by Kalpit Parajuli
Maoist fighters who died during the civil war constitute most of the martyrs. Opposition parties as well as the ruling party's junior coalition partners are against the move because it belittles those who "sacrificed their lives for the nation". But the issue is also about money.

Kathmandu (AsiaNews) - Nepal's government has proclaimed 8,000 people martyrs. They died during the Maoist-led anti-royalist struggle which culminated in the Democracy Movement (also known as the second 'People's Movement' or Jana Andolan-II in Nepali) that led to the 2006 overthrow of the monarchy. Members of the Madhesh movement who died for Madhesh rights are also included.
The list of martyrs is made up of names submitted by Maoist committees in each of the country's 75 districts; among them 25 people who died during the second People's Movement and 21 Madhesh activists. However the list also includes people only known by their nom de guerre or by nothing more than their ethnic background, Mongolian (most Maoist fighters are Mongolian in origin) or Madheshi.

This has not gone down well other parties. The main opposition party, the Nepali Congress (NC), and the ruling party's main coalition partner, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML), have criticised the government of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal for the decision.

For NC leader Ram Sharan Mahat, such a high number of martyrs sounds like a joke and belittles real martyrs "who sacrificed their lives for the nation."

For his part CPN-UML Secretary Shankar Pokharel called on the prime minister to lay down the rules by which martyrs can be identified.

Under the existing policy martyrdom means that the state has to compensate martyrs' families to the tune of one million Nepali rupees (about US$ 13,000). Under the government's plan, each family would get only 100,000 rupees

But this debate is much more than about fallen fighters; it is about the ongoing row between the ruling former Maoist rebels and the rest of the country.

The Maoist People's Liberation Army (PLA) fought a ten-year war against Nepal's regular army (1996-2006), which ended in the abolition of the monarchy and the first democratic elections in Nepal's history.

Now the rebels are a cumbersome presence in Nepali society and the Maoist government seems at a loss to find a solution.

According to United Nations, the PLA still has 19,000 fighters. Their re-integration in Nepali society is going slowly and plans to bring them into the fold of the regular army is being opposed by opposition parties but also by junior members of the ruling coalition.

What is more, in early March the PLA began a new recruitment drive to bring its troop level up to 25,000.

http://www.asianews .it/index. php?l=en& art=14894& size=A
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