by MIGRANTEOverseas Filipino Workers blast Filipino posts abroad for inaction over SARS-related discriminationOverseas Filipino workers charge that in the midst of the SARS-crisis, Philippine posts abroad are not doing anything to stem the tide of racism and discrimination cloaked under SARS."Due to SARS, job loss and intensified discrimination are things Filipino workers now face. But in response, Philippine consulates and embassies are abroad are doing very little, if anything, to ensure our workers rights are protected," says Maita Santiago, Migrante International Secretary-General at a press conference this morning at Kapihan sa Cypress in Quezon City. Also at the prescon were Cecilia Diocson of the Filipino Nurses Support Group in Canada and Chat Dimaano of Kasamma-Ko, an alliance of … [read more]

by Roberto Massari (President of the foundation "Ernesto Che Guevara")To the economic embargo the USA have been imposing on Cuba for more than forty years, we have to add in this very last days the one decided by the left. How could we otherwise call the decision taken by a great number of regional administrators, mayors and other representatives of local authorities to suspend all their economic agreements and cooperation plans with Cuba? The reason they claim is the same as the one claimed by the United States: as these administrators do not agree with the last decisions taken by the Cuban government (they are critical of its politics) they suspend all the on going initiatives of economic collaboration and are ready to approve similar actions by the EU. All this, of course, without … [read more]

Resolution of the Anti-imperialist CampOverstretchedAfter the aggression: on the Iraqi resistance and the American world order1The popular formula ""no blood for oil" is much too simple to explain the intentions of the Anglo-American aggression against Iraq. The "permanent, preventive and global war" launched by the US after September 11, 2001 has to be understood as their answer to the failure of the "New World Order" announced after the Gulf War of 1991.The Pax Americana offered integration of the former enemies after their surrender. It promised global dà©tente. In the form of Clintonianism it deeply penetrated the European intelligentsia transforming the historic left into left liberalism supplying the leadership of imperialism.However, only one decade later the inner contradictions … [read more]

In two statements dated April 9 and 25 the Iraqi Patriotic Opposition, which previously had sided with Iraq against the US aggression, calls upon the Iraqi people to boycott institutions built or supported by the occupants. The resistance against the occupation must be mounted by all means possible. The statement especially denounce the use of weapons of mass destruction by the US as well as the deliberate bombardment of international press offices in order to "suffocate the truth". But facts show the cynic character of the aggressors. The wide-spread looting and destruction is being condemned as a "massacre against history" with the aim to "wipe away the achievements of Iraqi civilisation. This shows the real face of American "liberation" and "democratisation". The victory of the enemy … [read more]

by KMU International Dept., 23 April 2003At around 7 a.m. on April 22, 2003, the lifeless bodies of human rights advocate Eden Marcellana and peasant leader Eddie Gumanoy were found in Bansud, after they and three others were abducted by suspected members of a vigilante group in Naujan, Mindoro Oriental the night before. Marcellana`s body bore gunshot wounds in the head while Gumanoy`s bore gunshot wounds in the head and chest. Marcellana, 31 years old, was the outspoken secretary-general of Karapatan-Southern Tagalog (Alliance for the Advancement of People`s Rights - ST). Gumanoy was chair of the Katipunan ng Samahang Magsasaka sa Timog Katagalugan (Kasama-TK; Confederation of Peasant Groups in Southern Tagalog) and a National Council member of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas … [read more]

Italie : le manifeste anti-amà©ricainEnviron 500 intellectuels italiens, militants politiques, artistes ont jusqu`à  prà©sent signà© ce manifeste :"Le clash entre nous et les peuples musulmans n`est pas militaire. Il est culturel, religieux. La và©rità© n`est pas au centre mais uniquement d`un cà´tà©"Oriana Fallaci"L`Occident doit àªtre conscient de la supà©riorità© de sa civilisation. Une civilisation qui a apportà© aux peuples des bienfaits largement rà©pandus et le respect des droits humains et religieux, respect qui manque dans les pays islamiques"Silvio Berlusconi"L`anti-amà©ricanisme, qu`il soit de gauche ou de droite, catholique ou sà©culier, se nourrit lui-màªme d`exemples particulià¨rement blà¢mables, seulement afin de pouvoir dà©montrer une … [read more]

base21The following story is a "nice" example for how the U.S. capital is using the war against Iraq to make "some" extra profit and how the cooperation between U.S. government and U.S. capital is working.The Pentagon contract given without competition to a subsidiary of Halliburton Co. to fight oil well fires in Iraq is worth as much as $7 billion over two years, according to a letter from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.The contract also allows the subsidiary, Kellogg Brown & Root, receive as much as 7 percent profit. That could amount to $490 million.The Army Corps of Engineers release these details in a letter last Thursday to Representative H. Waxman, one of two senior lawmakers who had asked the General Accounting Office to investigate how the Bush administration was awarding … [read more]

Italy: Anti-American ManifestoThe clash between us and the Islamic peoples is not a military clash. It is a cultural one, a religious one. Truth stays not in the middle, but only on one side.Oriana FallaciThe West has to be aware of the superiority of its civilization. A civilization which granted to peoples widespread wellness and respect of human and religious rights, respect lacking in Islamic countries.Silvio BerlusconiAnti-Americanism, if left-wing or right-wing, catholic or secular, feeds itself of particularly blameworthy cases, just to show a more general aversion towards all that which characterizes a liberal-democratic society: individualism versus collectivism, capitalism versus state-controlled economy, economic development versus pauperism, technological primacy versus … [read more]

by base21Last Friday the 2nd Students Action Day was held in Seoul. In Ehwa Woman´s University a very active anti-war group ( http://run.to/nowar ) celebrated "Daisy Day" with great music, movies and other actions against the war.In the afternoon several thousand students gathered in Jongmyo Park for a while and turned out to create like the week before a fantastic traffic chaos on one of the busiest areas downtown Seoul.Like in other countries in the world in the South Korean capital Seoul on Saturday thousands of people protested against the US-led aggression in Iraq.In the early afternoon a rally, organized by the youth organization Da-hamkke (All Together) took place. In one of Seoul´s busiest quarters Myeong-dong hundreds of mainly young people gathered listening to a short but … [read more]

by Serguei NovikovThe reaction on the war in Iraq could be describe as "silent protest". I am sure, that the number of those, who are against the war and want US defeat, is more, than in any other European or North American country -- about 90 per cent, while there are no demonstrations at all. Last Sunday in a very pro American TV program, supervised by Evgeny Kiseleov with rather pro US audience, people were asked: "do you think whether the US defeat in Iraq is in the Russian National interests". About 65 per cent of them responded, that it is. Then Kiseleov demonstrated President Putins speech in the city of Tambov, in which he argued the opposite and repeated the question, and the response was very much the same -- about 63 per cent. So anti American feelings are very high even among … [read more]

by base21Students Action Day against the war in Iraq and other anti-war activities in SeoulAfter the grim struggle last week against the bill to send South Korean troops into the war zone, last friday the first Stundents Action Day was held in Seoul. Students from several universities boycotted the classes.In the afternoon a large and powerful rally took place in Jongmyo Park downtown Seoul. Some thousand students participated. In strong speeches they condemned the South Korean gov`t as potential war criminals, demanded the immediatelly stop of the aggression against Iraq. They also demanded the condemnation of the U.S. and British governments as war criminals.A demonstration following the rally was not permitted by the police. Large units of riot cops blocked the ways. After some clashes … [read more]

by base21What the Parliamentarian Democracy is Teaching UsOn April 2, after massive pressure from the government the majority of the National Assembly, the South Korean Parliament, voted with 179 voices for the bill. But 68 voices voted against the bill.Its not so long time ago that president Roh Moo-hyun of South Korea denounced the - in this time - planned war as an complete unjust war.On the day the aggression against Iraq started he changed his mind. Now he called the invasion just and necessary action to "disarm" Iraq and the South Korean support is in the "national interest".The public outrage about this remarcwas enormous. Members of all parts of the society demanded from Roh to take back his decision and to stop even the verbal support of the U.S.-led aggression.The protests, … [read more]

Report by: Dr. Hisham Bustani, Amman, Friday April 4, 2003After the recent release of many activists the government has arrested in the past few weeks on the grounds of their positions in support of Iraq against the Imperialist US aggression, and against the presence of US military in Jordan, and/or their participation in popular activities against the US aggression on Iraq, Jordanian security agents have arrested Engineer Shadi Madanat, one of the most prominent activists in Kerak (a city south of the capital Amman), in front of his house. Security agents also searched his house and confiscated a personal computer.Ms. Fadia Baqa`een, Shadi`s mother, has sent the following complaint to the Arab Organization for Human Rights in Jordan:"This is to let you know that on Tuesday, April 1 2003, … [read more]

Support for the Iraqi armed self-defense against the invasionDuring a two days Congress against the War of Aggression against Iraq at the Technical University Vienna, Austria, around 150 participants, among them representatives of progressive parties, solidarity organization, intellectuals, artists and delegates of the Palestinian, Turkish, Iranian and Iraqi communities in Austria held intensive discussions how to confront the war of aggression against Iraq and support the resistance of Iraq against the invasion.The Congress was organized by a broad initiative of University Teachers and Students and the Anti-imperialist Camp, an organization for the support of the anti-imperialist resistance of the oppressed peoples against the US dominated western empire. In a press declaration the … [read more]

by Nebojsa Malic, March 27, 2003Two weeks ago, Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic was shot and killed by a sniper bullet. His successors immediately declared a "state of emergency" - in effect, martial law - of undetermined duration, and launched a massive police operation to crack down on alleged crime syndicates suspected of Djindjic`s murder. Djindjic was given a full state funeral and numerous eulogies in the Western press, before news of His Most Democratic Majesty`s invasion of Iraq pushed Serbia out of the limelight.As Imperial forces, confident after terror-bombing Serbia into submission in 1999, fought against unexpectedly stiff Iraqi resistance, Djindjic`s successors reaffirmed Serbia`s vassal status by expelling Iraqi diplomats. Meanwhile, at home, they reveled in power over … [read more]

Statement by Sloboda (Freedom Association)Yesterday and today, several members of SLOBODA, SPS and YUL have been arrested. For some of them, home apartments and offices have been searched by the police. At least three of them have been kept in detention. After SLOBODA reacted today with the statement bellow and with a press conference, and some electronic media started quoting our position, the regime ordered all such reports to be stopped. Than, this evening, the police appeared with its statements, announcing that "Mira Markovic is in Russia" and informing that some comrades have been kept in detention. They gave no real explanation. In the case of Bogoljub Bjelica, chairman of SLOBODA they said "Continuing the investigation of the hardest crimes and collecting the evidence in order to … [read more]

By WaWa, 29 March 2003, Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaOn 29 March 2003, the wave of mass resistance against US & their allies imperialist war on Iraq again happened in Malaysia.Two big anti war protest and rallies happened in capital Kuala Lumpur, one led by the Anti War Coalition- comprised of the NGOs, Student Groups and Opposition Parties at KLCC-tallest twin towers at downtown. Another one led by the ruling party led Coalition of party & NGOs. (call AMAN- Peace) at national square-Dataran Merdeka.The Aman- Peace was fully supported by all the state mechanism, even their rally was protected and allowed to be gathered & happened by police. Only 1,500 people gathered. By yet got all the media coverage!However, the Anti War Coalition led by the opposition was not given permission by polices to … [read more]

By Harsh ThakorThe agrarian Struggles taking place in Punjab have great political significance. Through the Punjab Agricultural Labourers Union, the Poor peasants and agricultural workers have been organized, while through the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta) the landed and small sections of the rich peasantry have been organized. The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Unity) has a long history of leading secular anti-Imperialist peasant struggles. It has been a major base to launch an agrarian revolutionary movement. In Punjab in the green revolution period it was propagated that agriculture was revolutionized as new machinery was imported and loans were awarded to farmers. However only rich farmers benefited from the mechanization and loans. In Punjab today there is an economic crisis as a … [read more]

Mr Hasan Hamdar, a Lebanese citizen who has lived in Germany for many years and who is married to a German was arrested at the Airport in Amman, Jordan, on Thursday 13 of March. Today it is his sixth day of detention. He was part of a Berlin delegation of Human Shields on their way to Bagdad.The delegation was kept at the airport as long as ten hours and was forced to stay there. When they left they tried to contact Mr Hamdar but were unable to get any information about whether he was still retained at the airport or possibly moved to the omnipotent Jordan secret service.The Lebanese Consul in Amman has confirmed that Mr Hamdar is being retained at the airport. She said he would soon be released but she could not say whether he would be able to move freely in Amman or whether he would be … [read more]

Interview with a leader of the Bolivarian Movement, Rome, 10 January 2003What is the situation in Venezuela after 42 days of general strike by the Opposition Coordination?These 42 days have deeply affected the Venezuelan economy which is mainly based on oil. Nevertheless, the PADVSA, the national oil company, did not succeed in its plan to overthrow president Chavez and stop the Bolivarian process.Just in these days the government is removing from the PDVSA those officials belonging to the merit-reward system based oligarchy; it is an important change within the PDVSA structure.Actually, the subversive plan was conceived by Luis Giusti, former PDVSA president, who announced in an American newspaper, the Miami Herald, how it was possible to destabilize and overthrow the Venezuelan … [read more]