By Sara Flounders Co-Director, International Action Center, NYC March 16, 2006--In the summer of 2004 I met with former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic in Scheveningen prison when I was approved as a defense witness. Before I could get in, I had to pass four totally separate check points, unable to take in anything but papers. Each level of security was more rigid than the one before. No one who has met with President Milosevic over the past four years would believe he would risk killing himself rather than finishing his trial. And no one who visited Scheveningen in The Hague would believe the outlandish claims that somehow he was able to smuggle in un-prescribed medications on a regular basis. … [read more]

James Petras and Robin Eastman-AbayaIntroduction Since President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo joined the US global "War on Terrorism", the Philippines has become the site of an on-going undeclared war against peasant and union activists, progressive political dissidents and lawmakers, human rights lawyers and activists, women leaders and a wide range of print and broadcast journalists. Because of the links between the Army, the regime and the death squads, political assassinations take place in an atmosphere of absolute impunity. The vast majority of the attacks occur in the countryside and provincial towns. The reign of terror in the Philippines is of similar scope and depth as in Colombia. Unlike Colombia, the rampaging state terrorism has not drawn sufficient attention from … [read more]

Remembering Shaheed Bhagat Singh Bhagat Singh's 75th Martyrdom Day Celebration22, 23 March 2006Ambedkar Bhawan, Rani Jhansi RoadNew Delhi - 110055"They think by destroying my body they will be safe in the country. This is their misunderstanding. They can kill me, but they cannot kill my ideas. They can smash my body, but they cannot suppress my aspirations. My ideas will haunt the British, like a crush, till they are forced to run away from here."This was the firm conviction of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, one of the legendry figures of the Indian freedom struggle.Bhagat Singh, along with Rajguru and Sukhdev, were hanged by the British imperialists on 23rd March, 1931. The brutal killing of these revolutionaries created immense anger among the people of the country in general, and the … [read more]

While the Danish government is defending a fake freedom of speech, it is violating and restricting the real oneby Sven Tarp, International Secretary, Communist Party of Denmark ML On February 24th, the Danish Police Intelligence Service (PET) contacted the internet supplier of the daily newspaper Arbejderen (the Worker), which is published by the Communist Party of Denmark ML in both a printed and a electronic version. The internet supplier was forced to remove an Appeal, issued by the Danish cross-party association Rebellion, from the newspaper's website, under the threat that otherwise he would be prosecuted according to the "anti-terror" legislation.Violation of Danish lawThis action of the police is a flagrant violation of existing Danish law. The same day as the action taken against … [read more]

Athens 4-7 may 2006At the dawn of the 21st century, and as the crisis of the capitalist system intensifies, the whole of the conquests and rights, the life itself of the working class and the peoples are targeted by the barefaced onslaught of imperialism and the capital. The demagoguery for a better management of the symptoms of the crisis and the promises for a "globalization with human face" become even more insolvent, and even if they are not identified with the designs of the multinationals, they disorient the toiling masses and facilitate the antipopular onslaught. At the same time the resistance of the working class and the peoples gain a new impetus. Signs of this new age are the world antiwar movement against the invasion of Iraq, the Latin American movements and uprisings, the … [read more]

Belgium: up to 6 years of prison for politically supporting liberation struggle in Turkey[Bahar Kimyongür (l) at Assisi's Anti-imperialist Camp 2003]On February 28, 2006, 7 political militants were convicted to heavy sentences ranging from 4 to 6 years of imprisonment. The reason: no crime committed or ordered by these individuals but the membership in and political support activity for the Turkish "Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front" (DHKP-C) which is mentioned in the EU' notorious Black List as a terrorist organisation. This appalling anti-democratic sentence has been made possible by the draconian "anti-terrorist" laws passed in the course of the US pre-emptive terror war.In the political show trial in Brugge, Belgium, 11 persons were tried out of which 4 were absolved and … [read more]

Protest the illegal arrest and detention of KMU Chairman Emeritus and Anakpawis Party-list Representative Crispin Beltran!On Saturday (25 Feb 2006), KMU Chairman Emeritus and Anakpawis Party-list Representative Crispin Beltran was abducted and arrested in a subdivision in Bulacan, north of Manila, where he resides. Elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detention Group (CIDG) under the Philippine National Police (PNP) led by a certain Major Rene Corpuz blocked Beltran's vehicle as it was about to go out of the subdivision for a press conference of the House Minority in Sulu Hotel in Quezon City. Beltran was with his wife Rosario and four other companions when they were accosted by the military and 'escorted' to Camp Crame.Beltran, more popularly known as Ka Bel, 73 years old, is a … [read more]

FilmkritikEin Film von Hany Abu-Assad; Niederlande/Israel/Deutschland/Frankreich 2005; Spielfilm, 90 Minuten, gedreht in Nablus und Nazareth Zwei junge Palästinenser, Khaled und Said, arbeiten gemeinsam in einer Autoreparaturwerkstätte in Nablus. Nach Arbeitsschluss treffen sie sich und träumen von einer anderen, besseren Zukunft. Eines Tages scheint ihre eigene Zukunft nur mehr eine Nacht lang zu sein - ihr Freund Jamal teilt ihnen mit, dass es für sie soweit ist. Sie erfahren von ihrer Mission als Märtyrer in Tel Aviv und verbringen ihre letzte Nacht mit der Familie. Ein richtiger Abschied ist nicht möglich. Am nächsten Morgen erklären sie für die Nachwelt, warum sie in den Tod gehen werden und werden an die Grenze gebracht, aber vorerst läuft die Operation … [read more]

by Musa Shihadeh Ever since Hamas won the democratic election in occupied Palestine for the legislative Council, nations of the world started a campaign to pressure Hamas to recognize Israel as a pre-condition to be allowed to negotiate with Israel. The world community was startled and enormously disappointed to find out that the democratic elections which they have asked for has resulted in the landslide success of Hamas in the Palestinian elections. Confronted with such unexpected "disaster", the Western world could not flagrantly negate these results and had to scurry in all directions to limit the damage that has evolved as a result of the elections. They could not reject the outcome since it was carried out democratically under international inspections and could not go back … [read more]

by Fatma Salih Uthman, IraqToday Baghdad is witnessing her darkest days since the invasion of the allied troops three years ago. With the attack on the holy shrine of the 12th Imam in Samara last Wednesday the situation in Iraq is getting worse day by day. While life was nearly normal in Baghdad during the first two days of the official mourning now it has been stopped completely. The whole city is under a curfew. The streets are empty, shops and market places are closed, and even the mobile phone lines are cut. Till now more than one hundred Sunni mosques have been hit; concrete numbers of the casualties are not available as the operations are yet continuing, but some hundred dead are estimated. The crash of bombs and the sound of fire arms are doped by the noise of the helicopters that … [read more]

by Muhamad T. Al-DerajiThe American troops have been detaining 35 Iraqi women for three days in a house in Al-Halabsa region. Citizens of Falluja became used to this kind of acts as this has been a common phenomenon during the last three months which resulted in holding the meetings of Falluja governor with the Americans, and the late sheikh Kamal Nazzal Al-Takreeti had submitted a complaint to the United Nations delegation who visited Falluja a month ago. Moreover, the Higher Council of Falluja suspended its meetings with its American counter. The staff of our network met a small sample whom were subject to American violations during the last days whom one of them was Khaled Mohammad Al-Halbousi (50 years) who works as ambulance driver for a hospital in Falluja. He confirmed that the … [read more]

"The anti-war movement has failed"Tel-Aviv and Washington are linked in the Middle East. That's a fact. But the importance of this link in Washington's colonial politics is being debated in the anti-imperialist movment. For the US Jewish, anti-Zionist journalist Jeffrey Blankfort, Israeli influence is central to US policy and the anti-war movement has failed because of their inability to understand the importance of this lobby. Having developed a radical approach to this question, going so far as to deny the energy factor in the war in Iraq, Mr. Blankfort nonetheless opens interesting paths on Zionist influence in the United States. We reproduce an interview he gave to journalist Silvia Cattori.Jeffrey Blankfort is a US journalist and producer of radio programs on KPOO in San Francisco … [read more]

Jan Myrdal, born in 1927, is one of the most renowned intellectuals and writers in Sweden in the last 40 years and is also an important voice in Leftist circles in Western Europe. Jan Myrdal has earned himself a name as a writer engaged in questions concerning the Third World, National Liberation struggles, anti-imperialism, as a vehement critic of the US so called "War against Terrorism", and also as a writer engaged on issues of freedom of speech and intellectual freedom. Jan Myrdal has written 80 books and countless of articles on this and other subjects and has on several occasions been confronted by the repressive forces of the Zionist thought police.Jan Myrdal stems from a family who has made huge imprints in modern Swedish society: his father Gunnar Myrdal was a professor … [read more]

On learning of the trial - to be held at the Court of Bruges, Belgium - being brought against 11 activists of the Turkish Left, we are deeply concerned about this judicial move and pledge our solidarity to those involved. They include some members of the TAYAD - the Association of Solidarity on the part of the families of Political Prisoners in Turkey- who could face harsh sentences on being accused of belonging to a subversive organization and of terrorist activities against the Turkish State (the plaintiff).Some of these militants in the Turkish Left are known to us personally through meetings and conferences, including the International Symposium on Solitary Confinement held in Florence 19 - 21 December 2003. These same activists, now facing trial, are those who have made us aware … [read more]

Up to 10 years of prison for having supported PFLP and FARCDanish authorities on February 20th arrested 4 members of the Danish Left Socialists Party (Venstresocialisterne, VS), among them several of the party's leaders, and presented arrest orders against 3 more members. All 7 seven are accused of violation of …§114a in the Danish criminal code prohibiting support for foreign terrorist organizations. This section has a maximum penalty range of 10 years prison. VS was presented in parliament with 4-6 members during 1967-87, and has since been an integral part of the Danish left-green alliance (Enhedslisten), that is presently represented in the Danish parliament with 6 members. Since its creation in 1967 VS has been working in support of national … [read more]

London picket on Feb 24 at the U.S. embassyNo to US sponsored Occupation The Uhuru Movement is calling on all supporters of democracy and self-determination to attend a demonstration at the U.S Embassy, demanding that the U.S, French, and other Colonialist governments stop interfering in the affairs of the people of Haiti!On February 28th 2004, in the Bicentennial of Haiti's heroic independence, and in violation of international laws, U.S and French troops kidnapped the democratically elected president Jean Betrand Aristide and implemented their own repressive regime, reminiscent of the days of Papa and Baby Doc.The people of Haiti have not recognised this illegitamite government and have stood behind their own independent leadership. Their leaders have been subjected to … [read more]

Black List of the EU in application On learning of the trial - to be held at the Court of Bruges, Belgium - being brought against 11 activists of the Turkish Left, we are deeply concerned about this judicial move and pledge our solidarity to those involved. They include some members of the TAYAD - the Association of Solidarity on the part of the families of Political Prisoners in Turkey- who could face harsh sentences on being accused of belonging to a subversive organization and of terrorist activities against the Turkish State (the plaintiff).Some of these militants in the Turkish Left are known to us personally through meetings and conferences, including the International Symposium on Solitary Confinement held in Florence 19 - 21 December 2003. These same activists, now facing trial, … [read more]

James Petras and Robin Eastman-AbayaFebruary 19, 2006 The center piece of the current explosive confrontation between Islamic and Arab protestors, political leaders and governments and the US and Western European regimes and publishers is rooted in Israeli efforts to polarize the world in its favor and to promote isolation, economic sanctions and/or a military attack on Iran. There are several key questions, which almost all commentators and analysts have failed to address. These include: Why did the "cartoons" get published in Denmark? What is the political background of "Flemming Rose" the cultural editor of Jyllands-Posten, who solicited, selected and published the cartoons? What larger issues coincide with the timing of the cartoons publication and reproduction? Who "benefits" … [read more]

Statement by an authorized spokesman of the Patriotic, National, and Islamic Front concerning the crimes committed by the treacherous pro-Iranian gangs in Iraq and its environsSince the beginning of the current month of February criminal pro-Iranian militias under the puppet "Interior Ministry," backed by the US occupation forces and with the participation of battalions of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Brigades of the heathen army that the US occupation forces have formed, trained, and equipped . . . these armed puppet gangs have carried out widespread raids in numerous neighborhoods of Baghdad and its environs, arresting and killing hundreds of our citizens in a desperate attempt to terrorize our people and to curb the escalating heroic operations of the Iraqi patriotic Resistance… These … [read more]

On the double standard of the West of the caricatures against the Islamic prophetIt is long ago that Europe was worrying so much about freedom of press. Apparently this freedom is only valid for the worriers in the war against the Arab-Islamic world.Let us recall what few will know: when thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Munich, Germany, on February 4 for against the NATO conference the police hunted every person carrying a poster which called Bush a war criminal. Eventually several dozens were arrested for having insisted on their freedom of expression. But the regime media did not join into the chorus of defence of basic liberties. These facts were not even worth a column.This is not a single case. In the course of the terror war democratic rights are being … [read more]