Annoying facts well documented
Wayne Johnson
cadaobh2@brgnet.com
Tue, 13 Nov 2001 10:41:05 -0500
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Feingold is actually of mixed Tasmanian and Lithuanian background. The
original names was Phynngheldishesisvm. His parents emigrated to this
country shortly before WWII avoiding the dreaded dread-lock tax in Tasmania.
Narrowly escaping via a sheepboat from New Zealand, the Phynn...whatever
family disembarked in San Francisco where they immediately fell under the
spell of Harry Bridges, the noted Communist Longshoreman...or under the
bridge of Hairy Spellman, I forget which. After years of working in a
Chinese laundry under the intersection of Grant and Green, they hitchhiked
to an Amish commune in Western Pennsylvania, again blending in with their
environment, this time as several rows of corn.
The rest, as they say, is History.
For these and other lives, send $4.50 in cash to:
Novella In Extremis
PO Box 699
Devils Tooth, North Dakota
-----Original Message-----
From: austin-ghetto-list-admin@pairlist.net
[mailto:austin-ghetto-list-admin@pairlist.net]On Behalf Of Roger Baker
Sent: Monday, November 12, 2001 9:19 PM
To: austin-ghetto-list@pairlist.net
Subject: Annoying facts well documented
From: Roger Baker <rcbaker@eden.infohwy.com>
Date: Mon Nov 12, 2001 06:09:09 PM US/Pacific
To: rcbaker@mail.com
Subject: Annoying facts well documented
In Austin Tx, we now have anti-war rallies (Rally for America)
manufactured by the
right wing of Texas politics. Like in Austin on Wed., we have a rally
almost exclusively
generated by Texas Republicans and even the corporate TV media. (Exhibit
A)
Meanwhile, the national Democrats are in hiding; Al Gore's sentiments on
the key
issues of our times are as rare as Elvis sightings as he nerviously awaits
his coronation
in the next election. Only Ralph Nader dares tells the truth, about
corporate looting using
patriotism as the justification -- with little resistance from Congress --
since Congress is
already in the hip pocket of the corporate empire, with a few brave and
notable exceptions.
(These principled braveries never involving Rep. Joe Lieberman. BTW, Is
Sen. Feingold
the only Jewish progressive in Congress?; I assume he is Jewish, by his
name). (Exhibit B)
In Italy, where the corporate empire has less control than here in the
USA, demos against the
government and the war, the government recently mustered less half the
numbers as
grassroots protestors who marched to object to war/corporate economic
control. (Exhibit C).
We, as a nation, are now in the difficult position of trying to define
terrorism in such a way
as to not to include and tarnish our own conduct in Afghanistan. (Exhibit
D).
The bombing is creating support for the Taliban and making it harder for
the genuine peace
movement to be noticed. (Exhibit E).
When a populist spokesmen -- the only link for civilized feedback of for
millions of oppressed
poor is murdered, undoubtedly by a corrupt elite, it is not terrorism.
Even though it ties down
the safety valve of democracy and leads to a massive revolutionary
upheaval and untold
suffering later. (Exhibit F).
The United States believes in democracy but only when it is warranted. An
example of where it is
warranted is in Saudi Arabia where corruption by the Saudi monarchy
threatens their control
over their own monarchy -- and thus through their negligence, our own
supply of oil. (If Saudi oil
were to be cut off, oil would immediately skyrocket in price worldwide.)
So US democracy is good
and respectable in this case, since it would help continue our addiction
short-term. (Exhibit G).
Peace, Roger
************************************
Exhibit A, (by Stefan Wray):
"After looking into the Rally For America's Web site for a few hours, here
are some observations.
According to The Rally For America's Steering Committee consists of the
Texas Attorney General, a Texas Land Commissioner, a Texas Railroad
Commissioner, two State Senators, seven State Representatives and the
chairman of the Texas State Board of Education, and the chairman of the
Travis County Republican Party. (http://www.rally4america.com/steer.html)
Of note is Texas Land Commissioner David Dewhurst. Dewhurst, from Houston,
is a Republican candidate for Lt. Governor. Dewhurst is also ex CIA and
worked for the State Department in the 1970s.
(http://www.dewhurst.org/about)
More important is that Dewhurst is also the head of the new Texas' Task
Force on Homeland Security. Gov. Rick Perry appointed him to be the chair
of
this taskforce on Oct. 1. Perry appointed former FBI director William
Sessions of San Antonio to be the vice chair.
(http://www.governor.state.tx.us/homelandsecurity/index.htm)
But there’s more. State Rep. Bob Turner is on the Rally For America's
Steering Committee and is also part of the Task Force on Homeland
Security.
Turner is a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and a
graduate of every civil military operations, terrorism, and guerilla
warfare
school at Fort Bragg.
(http://www.governor.state.tx.us/homelandsecurity/members.htm#turner)
One of the two State Senators on The Rally For America's Steering
Committee
is Sen. Jeff Wentworth. He spent three years active duty as a United
States
Army counterintelligence officer. A few weeks ago announced that when the
Legislature convenes in January, 2003, he will file a bill that would
direct
school districts to set aside a minute of silence each day for prayer or
meditation.
(http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist25/dist25.htm)
Another member of The Rally For American’s Steering Commitee is Rep. Leo
Berman. According to the Young Conservatives of Texas, Berman is among the
most conservative Texas legislators. He shares that distinction with the
other Senator on the committee, Sen. Jane Nelson
*********************************************
Exhibit B http://www.commondreams.org/views01/1110-07.htm
Corporate Patriotism
by Ralph Nader
U. S. corporations aren't even subtle about it. Waving a flag and carrying
a big shovel,
corporate interests are scooping up government benefits and taxpayer money
in an
unprecedented fashion while the public is preoccupied with the September
11 attacks
and the war in Afghanistan...]
***************************************************
Exhibit C
From: sbehrens <englishstudio@hyper.it>
Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2001 21:59:20 +0200
To: imc-editorial@lists.indymedia.org
Subject: [IMC-Editorial] Rome march(es)
Subject: 100,000-150,000 anti-war/anti-WTO march in Rome on N10 defies
Berlusconi government who had organised a pro-war march on the same day
100,000 (state media) - 150,000 (organisers) marchers demonstrated in
Rome on a broad series of topics from anti-WTO to anti-war in
Afghanistan. On the same day 30,000 (leftish media) - 50,000
(organisers) attended a government sponsored pro-war rally. The state
controlled media gave the state march 90% of the coverage. No change
there then. There was no trouble on either march and the cops were well
behaved and stayed hidden most of the day. One or two instances of black
block activities being started up were immediately defused by other
protestors, who explained that now was not the time or the place. The
explanations were listened to and accepted. The most damage the banks
along the route got was graffiti with "death to those who profit from
war". The fact that this was the ONLY damage meant that the media
******************************************
Exhibit D
Hypocrisy, hatred and the war on terror 'If the US attacks were an
assault on "civilisation", why shouldn't Muslims regard the Afganistan
attack as a war on Islam?'
Robert Fisk
08 November 2001
"Air campaign"? "Coalition forces"? "War on terror"? How much longer
must we go on enduring these lies? There is no "campaign" ? merely an
air bombardment of the poorest and most broken country in the world by
the world's richest and most sophisticated nation. No MiGs have taken to
the skies to do battle with the American B-52s or F-18s. The only
ammunition soaring into the air over Kabul comes from Russian
anti-aircraft guns manufactured around 1943.
Coalition? Hands up who's seen the Luftwaffe in the skies over Kandahar,
or the Italian air force or the French air force over Herat. Or even the
Pakistani air force. The Americans are bombing Afghanistan with a few
British missiles thrown in. "Coalition" indeed.
Then there's the "war on terror". When are we moving on to bomb the
Jaffna peninsula? Or Chechnya ? which we have already left in Vladimir
Putin's bloody hands? I even seem to recall a massive terrorist car bomb
that exploded in Beirut in 1985 ? targeting Sayed Hassan Nasrallah, the
spiritual inspiration to the Hezbollah, who now appears to be back on
Washington's hit list ? and which missed Nasrallah but slaughtered 85
innocent Lebanese civilians. Years later, Carl Bernstein revealed in his
book, Veil, that the CIA was behind the bomb after the Saudis agreed to
fund the operation. So will the US President George Bush be hunting down
the CIA murderers involved? The hell he will.
So why on earth are all my chums on CNN and Sky and the BBC rabbiting on
about the "air campaign", "coalition forces" and the "war on terror"? Do
they think their viewers believe this twaddle? Certainly Muslims don't.
In fact, you don't have to spend long in Pakistan to realise that the
Pakistani press gives an infinitely more truthful and balanced account
of the "war" -- publishing work by local intellectuals, historians and
opposition writers along with Taliban comments and pro-government
statements as well as syndicated Western analyses -- than The New York
Times; and all this, remember, in a military dictatorship.
You only have to spend a few weeks in the Middle East and the
subcontinent to realise why Tony Blair's interviews on al-Jazeera and
Larry King Live don't amount to a hill of beans. The Beirut daily
As-Safir ran a widely praised editorial asking why an Arab who wanted to
express the anger and humiliation of millions of other Arabs was forced
to do so from a cave in a non-Arab country. The implication, of course,
was that this -- rather than the crimes against humanity on 11 September
-- was the reason for America's determination to liquidate Osama bin
Laden.
Far more persuasive has been a series of articles in the Pakistani press
on the outrageous treatment of Muslims arrested in the United States in
the aftermath of the September atrocities. One such article should
suffice. Headlined "Hate crime victim's diary", in The News of Lahore,
it outlined the suffering of Hasnain Javed, who was arrested in Alabama
on 19 September with an expired visa. In prison in Mississippi, he was
beaten up by a prisoner who also broke his tooth. Then, long after he
had sounded the warden's alarm bell, more men beat him against a wall
with the words: "Hey bin Laden, this is the first round. There are going
to be 10 rounds like this." There are dozens of other such stories in
the Pakistani press and most of them appear to be true.
Again, Muslims have been outraged by the hypocrisy of the West's supposed
"respect" for Islam. We are not, so we have informed the world, going to
suspend military operations in Afghanistan during the holy fasting month
of Ramadan. After all, the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq conflict continued during
Ramadan. So have Arab-Israeli conflicts. True enough. But why, then, did
we make such a show of suspending bombing on the first Friday of the
bombardment last month out of our "respect" for Islam? Because we were
more respectful then than now? Or because -- the Taliban remaining
unbroken -- we've decided to forget about all that "respect"? "I can see
why you want to separate bin Laden from our religion," a Peshawar
journalist said to me a few days ago. "Of course you want to tell us that
this isn't a religious war, but Mr Robert, please, please stop telling us
how much you respect Islam." There is another disturbing argument I hear
in Pakistan. If, as Mr Bush claims, the attacks on New York and Washington
were an assault on "civilisation", why shouldn't Muslims regard an attack
on Afghanistan as a war on Islam?
The Pakistanis swiftly spotted the hypocrisy of the Australians. While
itching to get into the fight against Mr bin Laden, the Australians have
sent armed troops to force destitute Afghan refugees out of their
territorial waters. The Aussies want to bomb Afghanistan -- but they
don't want to save the Afghans. Pakistan, it should be added, hosts 2.5
million Afghan refugees. Needless to say, this discrepancy doesn't get
much of an airing on our satellite channels. Indeed, I have never heard
so much fury directed at journalists as I have in Pakistan these past
few weeks. Nor am I surprised.
What, after all, are we supposed to make of the so-called "liberal"
American television journalist Geraldo Rivera who is just moving to Fox
TV, a Murdoch channel? "I'm feeling more patriotic than at any time in
my life, itching for justice, or maybe just revenge," he announced this
week. "And this catharsis I've gone through has caused me to reassess
what I do for a living." This is truly chilling stuff. Here is an
American journalist actually revealing that he's possibly "itching for
revenge".
Infinitely more shameful -- and unethical -- were the disgraceful words of
Walter Isaacson, the chairman of CNN, to his staff. Showing the misery
of Afghanistan ran the risk of promoting enemy propaganda, he said. "It
seems perverse to focus too much on the casualties or hardship in
Afghanistan ... we must talk about how the Taliban are using civilian
shields and how the Taliban have harboured the terrorists responsible
for killing close up to 5,000 innocent people." Mr Isaacson was an
unimaginative boss of Time magazine but these latest words will do more
to damage the supposed impartiality of CNN than anything on the air in
recent years. Perverse? Why perverse? Why are Afghan casualties so far
down Mr Isaacson's compassion? Or is Mr Isaacson just following the lead
set down for him a few days earlier by the White House spokesman Ari
Fleischer, who portentously announced to the Washington press corps that
in times like these "people have to watch what they say and watch what
they do".
Needless to say, CNN has caved in to the US government's demand not to
broadcast Mr bin Laden's words in toto lest they contain "coded
messages". But the coded messages go out on television every hour. They
are "air campaign", "coalition forces" and "war on terror".
NOTE: CNN is now owned by Disney, the entertainment company that sees
the world from the eyes of an entertainer. They have created a make
believe world of their own and believe that the world is made up of only
idiots. They want to brain wash the human race into believing that
everything CNN presents is unabashed truth. Obviously, the policy
dictators at the top of CNN have succeeded in their effort. This is
obvious to any unbiased CNN news watcher that the present CNN staff on
any of the CNN channels has been the most successful candidates of this
makeover.
*******************************************************
Exhibit E
"...There is a peace movement in Pakistan to which we
belong. It is currently organised on a country-wide basis under the name
of
Pakistan Peace Coalition, and consists of roughly autonomous city-based
peace groups. The Islamabad city group is called Citizens' Peace
Committee.
There are other peace groups in Pakistan also, but somehow we are not
impressed with their credentials.
The peace groups affiliated with the Pakistan Peace Coalition have
condemned
terrorism in all its forms, have sympathised with the American people for
the loss of innocent lives in the 11 Sept attacks, opposed the American
attack on Afghanistan and have called for alleviating the suffering of the
Afghan people. They have held indoor meetings as well as outdoor protest
demonstrations and marches in almost all the cities of the country.
But the predominant scenario in Pakistan is such that these expressions of
the peace movement have had little noticibility. Religious
fundamentalists,
cultivated over the years by the government of both Pakistan and the US,
know that the action against terrorists puts their survival at risk. They
are therefore agitating most vociferously, exactly the way you saw on
television. They also want action against the Taliban to stop. The slogans
they chant are also very strongly anti-American, stronger than we can
raise.
They can easily mobilize tens of, if not hundreds of, thousands of people.
They desire to raise the agitation to higher levels so as to make it
difficult for the Pakistan government to participate in a crackdown on
terrorism, and hence on them. The position of our peace movement is that
while we are strongly opposed to a unilateral US action against the
Taliban,
we would like those among the religious fundamentalists who practice
terrorism to be disarmed and disbanded. We would like the government of
Pakistan to stop harbouring terrorists for the sake of achieving its
security objectives in Afghanistan and in Kashmir. We would like the
government of Pakistan to join hands with other nations of the world in
combating terrorism. But we would like to see this happen in a
multilateral
way, if possible under the United Nations.
The outside world needs to understand that owing to state patronage over
some decades, the religious fanatics had gained so much organisational and
military strength (but thankfully no electoral support) that we had been
constantly living under an acute danger of 'talibanization' of Pakistan.
With a glimpse of what their rule could amount to, as in Afghanistan, to
see their illegitimately held political power being snatched back has
become
a primary objective of the democratic people. With our position thus
stated,
please see for yourself where you can make a meaningful contribution to
the
objectives of peace, justice and democracy in Pakistan.
I am sorry for the delay in replying to your mail. I wrote it on the 22nd.
That day, the mail server was not functioning properly. Then I had to
unexpectedly leave early (on the 23rd) for Hong Kong for a meeting from
where I returned early this morning (28th).
A. H. Nayyar
*********************************
Exhibit F
The Wall Street Journal
November 12, 2001
Riots Erupt in Indonesian Province
After Independence Leader Is Killed
By TIMOTHY MAPES and RIN HINDRYATI
Staff Reporters of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
JAKARTA, Indonesia -- In a major blow to Indonesia's hopes of easing
separatist tensions, protests broke out in the remote, resource-rich
province
of Irian Jaya on Sunday after the leader of the territory's independence
movement was murdered hours after he had dinner with local military
officers.
Police said the body of Theys Eluay, the 64-year-old chairman of the
Papuan
Presidium Council, was discovered early Sunday in a car at the bottom of a
ravine 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) east of the provincial capital,
Jayapura.
The discovery followed a frantic call from Mr. Eluay's driver to the wife
of
the independence leader on Saturday night saying that unknown assailants
had
stopped their car on a lonely stretch of road and abducted Mr. Eluay as he
was going home after a dinner with a military commander.
Police immediately opened a murder investigation, saying it appeared that
Mr.
Eluay had been strangled before the car was pushed over the cliff. They
said
they had no immediate suspects, however. Mr. Eluay's wife, Yaneke, told
the
Associated Press that she believed the military was responsible, but top
military officials declined to comment on the accusation.
Mr. Eluay's death is likely to reignite separatist sentiment and undermine
recent efforts by President Megawati Sukarnoputri's government to regain
the
support of the Papuan people, who have long bristled over interference by
Jakarta in their affairs. Although the province is among Indonesia's
wealthiest thanks to its vast deposits of minerals, oil and natural gas,
living standards for the Papuan people are the lowest in Indonesia. Dozens
of
people have been killed in the past year in clashes between armed rebel
groups and security forces in the region.
After coming to power in July, Ms. Megawati announced that her top
priority
would be holding this vast archipelago together, and her government has
pursued an aggressive campaign to crack down against those who espouse
outright independence from Jakarta, while meeting some requests for more
local control over resources and decision making. Last month, for example,
Parliament passed a "special autonomy" law that will rename Irian Jaya as
West Papua -- the name used by the local people -- and let the province
keep
70% to 80% of the tax revenue generated by local resource projects, up
from
about 10% currently.
Mr. Eluay and his Presidium have strongly opposed the autonomy package,
however, arguing that nothing short of full independence from Jakarta will
satisfy the local people.
"One thing is sure: We will fight to our deaths for independence," Mr.
Eluay
said in an interview earlier this year. He said rule from Jakarta isn't
suitable for the Papuan people, who are culturally distinct from
Indonesia's
dominant ethnic groups. "Our hair is different, our skin is different; we
are
not Indonesian people," he said.
At the time of his death, Mr. Eluay was free on bail while awaiting trial
on
charges of plotting to undermine the Indonesian government by working to
set
up an independent state. But he also had foes within his own movement who
questioned his tactics and were angered by his attempts to maintain a
dialogue and build friendships with some Indonesian generals and
officials.
Some observers have said the Presidium's political clout has fallen in
recent
months because of those criticisms.
As news of Mr. Eluay's death spread, about 400 to 500 independence
supporters
took to the streets near Jayapura's airport at Sentani, not far from Mr.
Eluay's home, said Jayapura Police Chief Lt. Col. Daud Sihombing. At least
six shops were burned. Police dispersed the crowd as darkness fell,
however,
and there were no immediate reports of injuries.
While Papuan leaders appealed for calm, they also warned that further
trouble
could lie ahead.
"Our struggle will continue. But we do not want an armed struggle; we
simply
ask to open a peaceful dialogue with the government," said Tom Beanal, the
Presidium's deputy chairman and Mr. Eluay's likely successor.
"We ask the Indonesian government to have a dialogue with us, but instead
they only create suffering for the people in Papua. They have killed many
people here," he said in an interview Sunday.
***********************************************
Exhibit G
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8805-2001Nov10.html
Reconsidering Saudi Arabia
Sunday, November 11, 2001; Page B06
THE CONTRADICTIONS that lie at the heart of relations between the United
States and Saudi Arabia are encapsulated by two simple facts: On the one
hand, the Saudi government is allowing the United States to direct the war
in Afghanistan from a state-of-the-art command center outside Riyadh; on the
other, it is afraid to tell the Saudi people that it is providing this
material support. Such political jujitsu has become so familiar to both
Saudis and Americans over the years that it is usually taken for granted.
The Saudi princes know that overt dependence on a Western power incites the
rage of Islamic militants at home, but feel they must preserve a military
alliance with the United States in order to ensure their own security. The
United States, in turn, knows that its backing of the corrupt and
authoritarian Saudi regime damages its image throughout the Middle East and
makes it a target of terrorism, but sees that as the necessary price for
stable oil supplies and secure Middle Eastern bases. That logic, and the
alliance that goes with it, have so far survived Sept. 11 and the first
weeks of war in Central Asia. But the Bush administration needs to carefully
consider how to manage the relationship through a broader war against
terrorism that, to succeed, must change much about the Middle East.
The starting point for change must be a recognition that Saudi Arabia's
domestic political order is a vital U.S. interest, not a matter that can be
subordinated to military or energy-supply priorities. That 15 of the Sept.
11 hijackers were Saudi nationals, and that Osama bin Laden's most cherished
aim is the overthrow of the Saudi monarchy, only make more obvious what
should have been faced in Washington long ago: Saudi Arabia's autocratic
system, while convenient for negotiating arms and oil deals, is itself one
of the root causes of Islamic extremism. That doesn't mean that the United
States should adopt Osama bin Laden's goal of destroying the House of Saud.
Nor is it sensible to expect a country whose identity is so bound to Islam
to abandon its strict adherence to religious custom, or adopt Western-style
democracy overnight.
Yet accepting the view -- pressed hardest by the Saudi princes
themselves -- that political change is unnecessary or excessively risky is
also no longer reasonable. Though none are full-fledged democracies, most of
Saudi Arabia's monarchial Gulf neighbors have already recognized that
expanding personal and political liberty is necessary for stability in
rapidly modernizing societies, and is the best way to head off Islamic
extremism. Bahrain, which faced a serious internal challenge from religious
militants, has opened its political system to them; Qatar has removed
controls on the media, allowing the television network al Jazeera to
broadcast interviews with both Osama bin Laden and senior aides to President
Bush. Kuwait and Yemen have had democratic elections to parliamentary
bodies, and Kuwait is now debating whether to give women the vote. Contrary
to what the defenders of the Saudi system might suggest, these countries
have become more rather than less stable through their reforms, and more
rather than less friendly to the United States.
The Bush administration has said all along that the war on terrorism must
be conducted on a number of fronts simultaneously. Rather than catering to
short-term Saudi anxieties about Afghanistan, or caving in to Crown Prince
Abdullah's attempts to change the subject to Israel, it should begin now to
prepare an initiative to promote greater political freedom in Saudi Arabia,
Egypt and the rest of the Arab world. One possible model is the Helsinki
process of the 1970s and '80s, in which the West negotiated and then pressed
a "basket" of human rights standards on Soviet-bloc countries that, at the
time, also appeared impervious to democracy. By championing those values the
United States achieved a triumph of public diplomacy, winning over millions
of average people in the East bloc while preserving ties to their
governments, and inspiring domestic reform movements that, over the course
of 15 years, laid the groundwork for a democratic transformation. While the
United States cannot abruptly abandon its alliances in the Middle East,
defeating terrorism will require a similarly bold and creative commitment to
long-term political change.
© 2001 The Washington Post Company
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<BODY>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D800313515-13112001><FONT face=3D"MS Sans Serif" =
color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D2>Feingold is actually of mixed Tasmanian and Lithuanian =
background. =20
The original names was Phynngheldishesisvm. His parents emigrated =
to this=20
country shortly before WWII avoiding the dreaded dread-lock tax in=20
Tasmania. Narrowly escaping via a sheepboat from New Zealand, the=20
Phynn...whatever family disembarked in San Francisco where they =
immediately fell=20
under the spell of Harry Bridges, the noted Communist Longshoreman...or =
under=20
the bridge of Hairy Spellman, I forget which. After years of =
working in a=20
Chinese laundry under the intersection of Grant and Green, they =
hitchhiked to an=20
Amish commune in Western Pennsylvania, again blending in with their =
environment,=20
this time as several rows of corn. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D800313515-13112001><FONT face=3D"MS Sans Serif" =
color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D800313515-13112001><FONT face=3D"MS Sans Serif" =
color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D2>The rest, as they say, is History.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D800313515-13112001><FONT face=3D"MS Sans Serif" =
color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D800313515-13112001><FONT face=3D"MS Sans Serif" =
color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D2>For these and other lives, send $4.50 in cash =
to:</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D800313515-13112001><FONT face=3D"MS Sans Serif" =
color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D800313515-13112001><FONT face=3D"MS Sans Serif" =
color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D2>Novella In Extremis</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D800313515-13112001><FONT face=3D"MS Sans Serif" =
color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D2>PO Box 699</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D800313515-13112001><FONT face=3D"MS Sans Serif" =
color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D2>Devils Tooth, North Dakota</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><FONT =
face=3DTahoma=20
size=3D2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>=20
austin-ghetto-list-admin@pairlist.net=20
[mailto:austin-ghetto-list-admin@pairlist.net]<B>On Behalf Of =
</B>Roger=20
Baker<BR><B>Sent:</B> Monday, November 12, 2001 9:19 PM<BR><B>To:</B>=20
austin-ghetto-list@pairlist.net<BR><B>Subject:</B> Annoying facts well =
documented<BR><BR></FONT></DIV><B>From: </B>Roger Baker=20
<rcbaker@eden.infohwy.com><BR><B>Date: </B>Mon Nov 12, 2001 =
06:09:09 PM=20
US/Pacific<BR><B>To: </B>rcbaker@mail.com<BR><B>Subject: </B>Annoying =
facts=20
well documented<BR><BR><?fontfamily><?param Geneva>In Austin Tx, we =
now have=20
anti-war rallies (Rally for America) manufactured by the <BR>right =
wing of=20
Texas politics. Like in Austin on Wed., we have a rally almost =
exclusively=20
<BR>generated by Texas Republicans and even the corporate TV media. =
(Exhibit=20
A)<BR><BR>Meanwhile, the national Democrats are in hiding; Al Gore's=20
sentiments on the key <BR>issues of our times are as rare as Elvis =
sightings=20
as he nerviously awaits his coronation <BR>in the next election. Only =
Ralph=20
Nader dares tells the truth, about corporate looting using =
<BR>patriotism as=20
the justification -- with little resistance from Congress -- since =
Congress is=20
<BR>already in the hip pocket of the corporate empire, with a few =
brave and=20
notable exceptions. <BR>(These principled braveries never involving =
Rep. Joe=20
Lieberman. BTW, Is Sen. Feingold <BR>the only Jewish progressive in =
Congress?;=20
I assume he is Jewish, by his name). (Exhibit B)<BR><BR>In Italy, =
where the=20
corporate empire has less control than here in the USA, demos against =
the=20
<BR>government and the war, the government recently mustered less half =
the=20
numbers as <BR>grassroots protestors who marched to object to =
war/corporate=20
economic control. (Exhibit C).<BR><BR>We, as a nation, are now in the=20
difficult position of trying to define terrorism in such a way <BR>as =
to not=20
to include and tarnish our own conduct in Afghanistan. (Exhibit =
D).<BR><BR>The=20
bombing is creating support for the Taliban and making it harder for =
the=20
genuine peace <BR>movement to be noticed. (Exhibit E).<BR><BR>When a =
populist=20
spokesmen -- the only link for civilized feedback of for millions of =
oppressed=20
<BR>poor is murdered, undoubtedly by a corrupt elite, it is not =
terrorism.=20
Even though it ties down<BR>the safety valve of democracy and leads to =
a=20
massive revolutionary upheaval and untold <BR>suffering later. =
(Exhibit=20
F).<BR><BR>The United States believes in democracy but only when it is =
warranted. An example of where it is <BR>warranted is in Saudi Arabia =
where=20
corruption by the Saudi monarchy threatens their control <BR>over =
their own=20
monarchy -- and thus through their negligence, our own supply of oil. =
(If=20
Saudi oil<BR>were to be cut off, oil would immediately skyrocket in =
price=20
worldwide.) So US democracy is good<BR>and respectable in this case, =
since it=20
would help continue our addiction short-term. (Exhibit =
G).<BR><BR>Peace,=20
Roger<BR><BR><BR>************************************<BR><BR>Exhibit =
A, (by=20
Stefan Wray):<BR><BR>"After looking into the Rally For America's Web =
site for=20
a few hours, here<BR>are some observations.<BR><BR>According to The =
Rally For=20
America's Steering Committee consists of the<BR>Texas Attorney =
General, a=20
Texas Land Commissioner, a Texas Railroad<BR>Commissioner, two State =
Senators,=20
seven State Representatives and the<BR>chairman of the Texas State =
Board of=20
Education, and the chairman of the<BR>Travis County Republican Party. =
(<U><?color><?param =
1A1A,1A1A,FFFF>http://www.rally4america.com/steer.html<?/color></U>)<BR><=
BR>Of=20
note is Texas Land Commissioner David Dewhurst. Dewhurst, from =
Houston,<BR>is=20
a Republican candidate for Lt. Governor. Dewhurst is also ex CIA =
and<BR>worked=20
for the State Department in the=20
1970s.<BR>(<U><?color><?param =
1A1A,1A1A,FFFF>http://www.dewhurst.org/about<?/color></U>)<BR><BR>More=20
important is that Dewhurst is also the head of the new Texas' =
Task<BR>Force on=20
Homeland Security. Gov. Rick Perry appointed him to be the chair =
of<BR>this=20
taskforce on Oct. 1. Perry appointed former FBI director =
William<BR>Sessions=20
of San Antonio to be the vice=20
chair.<BR>(<U><?color><?param =
1A1A,1A1A,FFFF>http://www.governor.state.tx.us/homelandsecurity/index.htm=
<?/color></U>)<BR><BR>But=20
there=92s more. State Rep. Bob Turner is on the Rally For =
America's<BR>Steering=20
Committee and is also part of the Task Force on Homeland =
Security.<BR>Turner=20
is a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and =
a<BR>graduate of=20
every civil military operations, terrorism, and guerilla =
warfare<BR>school at=20
Fort=20
Bragg.<BR>(<U><?color><?param =
1A1A,1A1A,FFFF>http://www.governor.state.tx.us/homelandsecurity/members.h=
tm#turner<?/color></U>)<BR><BR>One=20
of the two State Senators on The Rally For America's Steering =
Committee<BR>is=20
Sen. Jeff Wentworth. He spent three years active duty as a United=20
States<BR>Army counterintelligence officer. A few weeks ago announced =
that=20
when the<BR>Legislature convenes in January, 2003, he will file a bill =
that=20
would direct<BR>school districts to set aside a minute of silence each =
day for=20
prayer=20
or<BR>meditation.<BR>(<U><?color><?param =
1A1A,1A1A,FFFF>http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist25/di=
st25.htm<?/color></U>)<BR><BR>Another=20
member of The Rally For American=92s Steering Commitee is Rep. =
Leo<BR>Berman.=20
According to the Young Conservatives of Texas, Berman is among =
the<BR>most=20
conservative Texas legislators. He shares that distinction with =
the<BR>other=20
Senator on the committee, Sen. Jane=20
=
Nelson<BR><BR>*********************************************<BR><BR>Exhibi=
t B=20
<U><?color><?param =
1A1A,1A1A,FFFF>http://www.commondreams.org/views01/1110-07.htm<?/color></=
U><BR>Corporate=20
Patriotism <BR>by Ralph Nader<BR>U. S. corporations aren't even subtle =
about=20
it. Waving a flag and carrying a big shovel, <BR>corporate interests =
are=20
scooping up government benefits and taxpayer money in an =
<BR>unprecedented=20
fashion while the public is preoccupied with the September 11 attacks =
<BR>and=20
the war in=20
=
Afghanistan...]<BR><BR>**************************************************=
*<BR><BR><BR>Exhibit=20
C<BR><BR>From: sbehrens <englishstudio@hyper.it><BR>Date: Mon, =
12 Nov=20
2001 21:59:20 +0200<BR>To: =
imc-editorial@lists.indymedia.org<BR>Subject:=20
[IMC-Editorial] Rome march(es)<BR><BR>Subject: 100,000-150,000=20
anti-war/anti-WTO march in Rome on N10 defies<BR>Berlusconi government =
who had=20
organised a pro-war march on the same day<BR><BR><BR>100,000 (state =
media) -=20
150,000 (organisers) marchers demonstrated in<BR>Rome on a broad =
series of=20
topics from anti-WTO to anti-war in<BR>Afghanistan. On the same day =
30,000=20
(leftish media) - 50,000<BR>(organisers) attended a government =
sponsored=20
pro-war rally. The state<BR>controlled media gave the state march 90% =
of the=20
coverage. No change<BR>there then. There was no trouble on either =
march and=20
the cops were well<BR>behaved and stayed hidden most of the day. One =
or two=20
instances of black<BR>block activities being started up were =
immediately=20
defused by other<BR>protestors, who explained that now was not the =
time or the=20
place. The<BR>explanations were listened to and accepted. The most =
damage the=20
banks<BR>along the route got was graffiti with "death to those who =
profit=20
from<BR>war". The fact that this was the ONLY damage meant that the=20
=
media<BR><BR><BR><BR>******************************************<BR><BR>Ex=
hibit=20
D<BR><BR>Hypocrisy, hatred and the war on terror 'If the US attacks =
were=20
an<BR>assault on "civilisation", why shouldn't Muslims regard the=20
Afganistan<BR>attack as a war on Islam?'<BR><BR>Robert Fisk<BR><BR>08 =
November=20
2001<BR><BR>"Air campaign"? "Coalition forces"? "War on terror"? How =
much=20
longer<BR>must we go on enduring these lies? There is no "campaign" ? =
merely=20
an<BR>air bombardment of the poorest and most broken country in the =
world=20
by<BR>the world's richest and most sophisticated nation. No MiGs have =
taken=20
to<BR>the skies to do battle with the American B-52s or F-18s. The=20
only<BR>ammunition soaring into the air over Kabul comes from=20
Russian<BR>anti-aircraft guns manufactured around =
1943.<BR><BR>Coalition?=20
Hands up who's seen the Luftwaffe in the skies over Kandahar,<BR>or =
the=20
Italian air force or the French air force over Herat. Or even =
the<BR>Pakistani=20
air force. The Americans are bombing Afghanistan with a few<BR>British =
missiles thrown in. "Coalition" indeed.<BR><BR>Then there's the "war =
on=20
terror". When are we moving on to bomb the<BR>Jaffna peninsula? Or =
Chechnya ?=20
which we have already left in Vladimir<BR>Putin's bloody hands? I even =
seem to=20
recall a massive terrorist car bomb<BR>that exploded in Beirut in 1985 =
?=20
targeting Sayed Hassan Nasrallah, the<BR>spiritual inspiration to the=20
Hezbollah, who now appears to be back on<BR>Washington's hit list ? =
and which=20
missed Nasrallah but slaughtered 85<BR>innocent Lebanese civilians. =
Years=20
later, Carl Bernstein revealed in his<BR>book, Veil, that the CIA was =
behind=20
the bomb after the Saudis agreed to<BR>fund the operation. So will the =
US=20
President George Bush be hunting down<BR>the CIA murderers involved? =
The hell=20
he will.<BR><BR>So why on earth are all my chums on CNN and Sky and =
the BBC=20
rabbiting on<BR>about the "air campaign", "coalition forces" and the =
"war on=20
terror"? Do<BR>they think their viewers believe this twaddle? =
Certainly=20
Muslims don't.<BR>In fact, you don't have to spend long in Pakistan to =
realise=20
that the<BR>Pakistani press gives an infinitely more truthful and =
balanced=20
account<BR>of the "war" -- publishing work by local intellectuals, =
historians=20
and<BR>opposition writers along with Taliban comments and=20
pro-government<BR>statements as well as syndicated Western analyses -- =
than=20
The New York<BR>Times; and all this, remember, in a military=20
dictatorship.<BR><BR>You only have to spend a few weeks in the Middle =
East and=20
the<BR>subcontinent to realise why Tony Blair's interviews on =
al-Jazeera=20
and<BR>Larry King Live don't amount to a hill of beans. The Beirut=20
daily<BR>As-Safir ran a widely praised editorial asking why an Arab =
who wanted=20
to<BR>express the anger and humiliation of millions of other Arabs was =
forced<BR>to do so from a cave in a non-Arab country. The implication, =
of=20
course,<BR>was that this -- rather than the crimes against humanity on =
11=20
September<BR>-- was the reason for America's determination to =
liquidate Osama=20
bin<BR>Laden.<BR><BR>Far more persuasive has been a series of articles =
in the=20
Pakistani press<BR>on the outrageous treatment of Muslims arrested in =
the=20
United States in<BR>the aftermath of the September atrocities. One =
such=20
article should<BR>suffice. Headlined "Hate crime victim's diary", in =
The News=20
of Lahore,<BR>it outlined the suffering of Hasnain Javed, who was =
arrested in=20
Alabama<BR>on 19 September with an expired visa. In prison in =
Mississippi, he=20
was<BR>beaten up by a prisoner who also broke his tooth. Then, long =
after=20
he<BR>had sounded the warden's alarm bell, more men beat him against a =
wall<BR>with the words: "Hey bin Laden, this is the first round. There =
are=20
going<BR>to be 10 rounds like this." There are dozens of other such =
stories=20
in<BR>the Pakistani press and most of them appear to be =
true.<BR><BR>Again,=20
Muslims have been outraged by the hypocrisy of the West's=20
supposed<BR>"respect" for Islam. We are not, so we have informed the =
world,=20
going to<BR>suspend military operations in Afghanistan during the holy =
fasting=20
month<BR>of Ramadan. After all, the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq conflict =
continued=20
during<BR>Ramadan. So have Arab-Israeli conflicts. True enough. But =
why, then,=20
did<BR>we make such a show of suspending bombing on the first Friday =
of=20
the<BR>bombardment last month out of our "respect" for Islam? Because =
we=20
were<BR>more respectful then than now? Or because -- the Taliban=20
remaining<BR>unbroken -- we've decided to forget about all that =
"respect"? "I=20
can see<BR>why you want to separate bin Laden from our religion," a=20
Peshawar<BR>journalist said to me a few days ago. "Of course you want =
to tell=20
us that<BR>this isn't a religious war, but Mr Robert, please, please =
stop=20
telling us<BR>how much you respect Islam." There is another disturbing =
argument I hear<BR>in Pakistan. If, as Mr Bush claims, the attacks on =
New York=20
and Washington<BR>were an assault on "civilisation", why shouldn't =
Muslims=20
regard an attack<BR>on Afghanistan as a war on Islam?<BR><BR>The =
Pakistanis=20
swiftly spotted the hypocrisy of the Australians. While<BR>itching to =
get into=20
the fight against Mr bin Laden, the Australians have<BR>sent armed =
troops to=20
force destitute Afghan refugees out of their<BR>territorial waters. =
The=20
Aussies want to bomb Afghanistan -- but they<BR>don't want to save the =
Afghans. Pakistan, it should be added, hosts 2.5<BR>million Afghan =
refugees.=20
Needless to say, this discrepancy doesn't get<BR>much of an airing on =
our=20
satellite channels. Indeed, I have never heard<BR>so much fury =
directed at=20
journalists as I have in Pakistan these past<BR>few weeks. Nor am I=20
surprised.<BR><BR>What, after all, are we supposed to make of the =
so-called=20
"liberal"<BR>American television journalist Geraldo Rivera who is just =
moving=20
to Fox<BR>TV, a Murdoch channel? "I'm feeling more patriotic than at =
any time=20
in<BR>my life, itching for justice, or maybe just revenge," he =
announced=20
this<BR>week. "And this catharsis I've gone through has caused me to=20
reassess<BR>what I do for a living." This is truly chilling stuff. =
Here is=20
an<BR>American journalist actually revealing that he's possibly =
"itching=20
for<BR>revenge".<BR><BR>Infinitely more shameful -- and unethical -- =
were the=20
disgraceful words of<BR>Walter Isaacson, the chairman of CNN, to his =
staff.=20
Showing the misery<BR>of Afghanistan ran the risk of promoting enemy=20
propaganda, he said. "It<BR>seems perverse to focus too much on the =
casualties=20
or hardship in<BR>Afghanistan ... we must talk about how the Taliban =
are using=20
civilian<BR>shields and how the Taliban have harboured the terrorists=20
responsible<BR>for killing close up to 5,000 innocent people." Mr =
Isaacson was=20
an<BR>unimaginative boss of Time magazine but these latest words will =
do=20
more<BR>to damage the supposed impartiality of CNN than anything on =
the air=20
in<BR>recent years. Perverse? Why perverse? Why are Afghan casualties =
so=20
far<BR>down Mr Isaacson's compassion? Or is Mr Isaacson just following =
the=20
lead<BR>set down for him a few days earlier by the White House =
spokesman=20
Ari<BR>Fleischer, who portentously announced to the Washington press =
corps=20
that<BR>in times like these "people have to watch what they say and =
watch=20
what<BR>they do".<BR><BR>Needless to say, CNN has caved in to the US=20
government's demand not to<BR>broadcast Mr bin Laden's words in toto =
lest they=20
contain "coded<BR>messages". But the coded messages go out on =
television every=20
hour. They<BR>are "air campaign", "coalition forces" and "war on=20
terror".<BR><BR>NOTE: CNN is now owned by Disney, the entertainment =
company=20
that sees<BR>the world from the eyes of an entertainer. They have =
created a=20
make<BR>believe world of their own and believe that the world is made =
up of=20
only<BR>idiots. They want to brain wash the human race into believing=20
that<BR>everything CNN presents is unabashed truth. Obviously, the=20
policy<BR>dictators at the top of CNN have succeeded in their effort. =
This=20
is<BR>obvious to any unbiased CNN news watcher that the present CNN =
staff=20
on<BR>any of the CNN channels has been the most successful candidates =
of=20
=
this<BR>makeover.<BR><BR><BR><BR>****************************************=
***************<BR><BR>Exhibit=20
E <BR><BR>"...There is a peace movement in Pakistan to which =
we<BR>belong. It=20
is currently organised on a country-wide basis under the name =
of<BR>Pakistan=20
Peace Coalition, and consists of roughly autonomous =
city-based<BR>peace=20
groups. The Islamabad city group is called Citizens' Peace =
Committee.<BR>There=20
are other peace groups in Pakistan also, but somehow we are =
not<BR>impressed=20
with their credentials.<BR><BR>The peace groups affiliated with the =
Pakistan=20
Peace Coalition have condemned<BR>terrorism in all its forms, have =
sympathised=20
with the American people for<BR>the loss of innocent lives in the 11 =
Sept=20
attacks, opposed the American<BR>attack on Afghanistan and have called =
for=20
alleviating the suffering of the<BR>Afghan people. They have held =
indoor=20
meetings as well as outdoor protest<BR>demonstrations and marches in =
almost=20
all the cities of the country.<BR><BR>But the predominant scenario in =
Pakistan=20
is such that these expressions of<BR>the peace movement have had =
little=20
noticibility. Religious fundamentalists,<BR>cultivated over the years =
by the=20
government of both Pakistan and the US,<BR>know that the action =
against=20
terrorists puts their survival at risk. They<BR>are therefore =
agitating most=20
vociferously, exactly the way you saw on<BR>television. They also want =
action=20
against the Taliban to stop. The slogans<BR>they chant are also very =
strongly=20
anti-American, stronger than we can raise.<BR><BR>They can easily =
mobilize=20
tens of, if not hundreds of, thousands of people.<BR>They desire to =
raise the=20
agitation to higher levels so as to make it<BR>difficult for the =
Pakistan=20
government to participate in a crackdown on<BR>terrorism, and hence on =
them.=20
The position of our peace movement is that<BR>while we are strongly =
opposed to=20
a unilateral US action against the Taliban,<BR>we would like those =
among the=20
religious fundamentalists who practice<BR>terrorism to be disarmed and =
disbanded. We would like the government of<BR>Pakistan to stop =
harbouring=20
terrorists for the sake of achieving its<BR>security objectives in =
Afghanistan=20
and in Kashmir. We would like the<BR>government of Pakistan to join =
hands with=20
other nations of the world in<BR>combating terrorism. But we would =
like to see=20
this happen in a multilateral<BR>way, if possible under the United=20
Nations.<BR><BR>The outside world needs to understand that owing to =
state=20
patronage over<BR>some decades, the religious fanatics had gained so =
much=20
organisational and<BR>military strength (but thankfully no electoral =
support)=20
that we had been<BR>constantly living under an acute danger of=20
'talibanization' of Pakistan.<BR><BR>With a glimpse of what their rule =
could=20
amount to, as in Afghanistan, to<BR>see their illegitimately held =
political=20
power being snatched back has become<BR>a primary objective of the =
democratic=20
people. With our position thus stated,<BR>please see for yourself =
where you=20
can make a meaningful contribution to the<BR>objectives of peace, =
justice and=20
democracy in Pakistan.<BR><BR>I am sorry for the delay in replying to =
your=20
mail. I wrote it on the 22nd.<BR>That day, the mail server was not =
functioning=20
properly. Then I had to<BR>unexpectedly leave early (on the 23rd) for =
Hong=20
Kong for a meeting from<BR>where I returned early this morning=20
(28th).<BR><BR>A. H.=20
Nayyar<BR><BR>*********************************<BR><BR>Exhibit=20
F<BR><BR><BR>The Wall Street Journal<BR>November 12, 2001<BR><BR>Riots =
Erupt=20
in Indonesian Province<BR>After Independence Leader Is =
Killed<BR><BR>By=20
TIMOTHY MAPES and RIN HINDRYATI<BR><BR>Staff Reporters of THE WALL =
STREET=20
JOURNAL<BR><BR>JAKARTA, Indonesia -- In a major blow to Indonesia's =
hopes of=20
easing<BR>separatist tensions, protests broke out in the remote, =
resource-rich=20
province<BR>of Irian Jaya on Sunday after the leader of the =
territory's=20
independence<BR>movement was murdered hours after he had dinner with =
local=20
military officers.<BR><BR>Police said the body of Theys Eluay, the =
64-year-old=20
chairman of the Papuan<BR>Presidium Council, was discovered early =
Sunday in a=20
car at the bottom of a<BR>ravine 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) east of =
the=20
provincial capital, Jayapura.<BR>The discovery followed a frantic call =
from=20
Mr. Eluay's driver to the wife of<BR>the independence leader on =
Saturday night=20
saying that unknown assailants had<BR>stopped their car on a lonely =
stretch of=20
road and abducted Mr. Eluay as he<BR>was going home after a dinner =
with a=20
military commander.<BR><BR>Police immediately opened a murder =
investigation,=20
saying it appeared that Mr.<BR>Eluay had been strangled before the car =
was=20
pushed over the cliff. They said<BR>they had no immediate suspects, =
however.=20
Mr. Eluay's wife, Yaneke, told the<BR>Associated Press that she =
believed the=20
military was responsible, but top<BR>military officials declined to =
comment on=20
the accusation.<BR><BR>Mr. Eluay's death is likely to reignite =
separatist=20
sentiment and undermine<BR>recent efforts by President Megawati =
Sukarnoputri's=20
government to regain the<BR>support of the Papuan people, who have =
long=20
bristled over interference by<BR>Jakarta in their affairs. Although =
the=20
province is among Indonesia's<BR>wealthiest thanks to its vast =
deposits of=20
minerals, oil and natural gas,<BR>living standards for the Papuan =
people are=20
the lowest in Indonesia. Dozens of<BR>people have been killed in the =
past year=20
in clashes between armed rebel<BR>groups and security forces in the=20
region.<BR><BR>After coming to power in July, Ms. Megawati announced =
that her=20
top priority<BR>would be holding this vast archipelago together, and =
her=20
government has<BR>pursued an aggressive campaign to crack down against =
those=20
who espouse<BR>outright independence from Jakarta, while meeting some =
requests=20
for more<BR>local control over resources and decision making. Last =
month, for=20
example,<BR>Parliament passed a "special autonomy" law that will =
rename Irian=20
Jaya as<BR>West Papua -- the name used by the local people -- and let =
the=20
province keep<BR>70% to 80% of the tax revenue generated by local =
resource=20
projects, up from<BR>about 10% currently.<BR><BR>Mr. Eluay and his =
Presidium=20
have strongly opposed the autonomy package,<BR>however, arguing that =
nothing=20
short of full independence from Jakarta will<BR>satisfy the local=20
people.<BR><BR>"One thing is sure: We will fight to our deaths for=20
independence," Mr. Eluay<BR>said in an interview earlier this year. He =
said=20
rule from Jakarta isn't<BR>suitable for the Papuan people, who are =
culturally=20
distinct from Indonesia's<BR>dominant ethnic groups. "Our hair is =
different,=20
our skin is different; we are<BR><BR>not Indonesian people," he=20
said.<BR><BR>At the time of his death, Mr. Eluay was free on bail =
while=20
awaiting trial on<BR>charges of plotting to undermine the Indonesian=20
government by working to set<BR>up an independent state. But he also =
had foes=20
within his own movement who<BR>questioned his tactics and were angered =
by his=20
attempts to maintain a<BR>dialogue and build friendships with some =
Indonesian=20
generals and officials.<BR>Some observers have said the Presidium's =
political=20
clout has fallen in recent<BR>months because of those =
criticisms.<BR><BR>As=20
news of Mr. Eluay's death spread, about 400 to 500 independence=20
supporters<BR>took to the streets near Jayapura's airport at Sentani, =
not far=20
from Mr.<BR>Eluay's home, said Jayapura Police Chief Lt. Col. Daud =
Sihombing.=20
At least<BR>six shops were burned. Police dispersed the crowd as =
darkness=20
fell, however,<BR>and there were no immediate reports of=20
injuries.<BR><BR>While Papuan leaders appealed for calm, they also =
warned that=20
further trouble<BR>could lie ahead.<BR><BR>"Our struggle will =
continue. But we=20
do not want an armed struggle; we simply<BR>ask to open a peaceful =
dialogue=20
with the government," said Tom Beanal, the<BR>Presidium's deputy =
chairman and=20
Mr. Eluay's likely successor.<BR><BR>"We ask the Indonesian government =
to have=20
a dialogue with us, but instead<BR>they only create suffering for the =
people=20
in Papua. They have killed many<BR>people here," he said in an =
interview=20
=
Sunday.<BR><BR>***********************************************<BR><BR>Exh=
ibit=20
G<BR><BR><U><?color><?param =
1A1A,1A1A,FFFF>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8805-2001No=
v10.html<?/color></U><BR><BR>Reconsidering=20
Saudi Arabia <BR><BR>Sunday, November 11, 2001; Page B06 <BR><BR>THE=20
CONTRADICTIONS that lie at the heart of relations between the United =
States=20
and Saudi Arabia are encapsulated by two simple facts: On the one =
hand, the=20
Saudi government is allowing the United States to direct the war in=20
Afghanistan from a state-of-the-art command center outside Riyadh; on =
the=20
other, it is afraid to tell the Saudi people that it is providing this =
material support. Such political jujitsu has become so familiar to =
both Saudis=20
and Americans over the years that it is usually taken for granted. The =
Saudi=20
princes know that overt dependence on a Western power incites the rage =
of=20
Islamic militants at home, but feel they must preserve a military =
alliance=20
with the United States in order to ensure their own security. The =
United=20
States, in turn, knows that its backing of the corrupt and =
authoritarian Saudi=20
regime damages its image throughout the Middle East and makes it a =
target of=20
terrorism, but sees that as the necessary price for stable oil =
supplies and=20
secure Middle Eastern bases. That logic, and the alliance that goes =
with it,=20
have so far survived Sept. 11 and the first weeks of war in Central =
Asia. But=20
the Bush administration needs to carefully consider how to manage the=20
relationship through a broader war against terrorism that, to succeed, =
must=20
change much about the Middle East.<BR><BR>The starting point for =
change must=20
be a recognition that Saudi Arabia's domestic political order is a =
vital U.S.=20
interest, not a matter that can be subordinated to military or =
energy-supply=20
priorities. That 15 of the Sept. 11 hijackers were Saudi nationals, =
and that=20
Osama bin Laden's most cherished aim is the overthrow of the Saudi =
monarchy,=20
only make more obvious what should have been faced in Washington long =
ago:=20
Saudi Arabia's autocratic system, while convenient for negotiating =
arms and=20
oil deals, is itself one of the root causes of Islamic extremism. That =
doesn't=20
mean that the United States should adopt Osama bin Laden's goal of =
destroying=20
the House of Saud. Nor is it sensible to expect a country whose =
identity is so=20
bound to Islam to abandon its strict adherence to religious custom, or =
adopt=20
Western-style democracy overnight.<BR><BR>Yet accepting the view -- =
pressed=20
hardest by the Saudi princes themselves -- that political change is=20
unnecessary or excessively risky is also no longer reasonable. Though =
none are=20
full-fledged democracies, most of Saudi Arabia's monarchial Gulf =
neighbors=20
have already recognized that expanding personal and political liberty =
is=20
necessary for stability in rapidly modernizing societies, and is the =
best way=20
to head off Islamic extremism. Bahrain, which faced a serious internal =
challenge from religious militants, has opened its political system to =
them;=20
Qatar has removed controls on the media, allowing the television =
network al=20
Jazeera to broadcast interviews with both Osama bin Laden and senior =
aides to=20
President Bush. Kuwait and Yemen have had democratic elections to=20
parliamentary bodies, and Kuwait is now debating whether to give women =
the=20
vote. Contrary to what the defenders of the Saudi system might =
suggest, these=20
countries have become more rather than less stable through their =
reforms, and=20
more rather than less friendly to the United States.<BR><BR>The Bush=20
administration has said all along that the war on terrorism must be =
conducted=20
on a number of fronts simultaneously. Rather than catering to =
short-term Saudi=20
anxieties about Afghanistan, or caving in to Crown Prince Abdullah's =
attempts=20
to change the subject to Israel, it should begin now to prepare an =
initiative=20
to promote greater political freedom in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the =
rest of=20
the Arab world. One possible model is the Helsinki process of the =
1970s and=20
'80s, in which the West negotiated and then pressed a "basket" of =
human rights=20
standards on Soviet-bloc countries that, at the time, also appeared =
impervious=20
to democracy. By championing those values the United States achieved a =
triumph=20
of public diplomacy, winning over millions of average people in the =
East bloc=20
while preserving ties to their governments, and inspiring domestic =
reform=20
movements that, over the course of 15 years, laid the groundwork for a =
democratic transformation. While the United States cannot abruptly =
abandon its=20
alliances in the Middle East, defeating terrorism will require a =
similarly=20
bold and creative commitment to long-term political change.<BR><BR>=A9 =
2001 The=20
Washington Post =
Company<BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE><?/fontfamily></BODY></HTML>
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