Einstein once defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and waiting for different results. Therefore, perhaps it was madness to hope that Tony Blair, appearing for the second time at the Iraq Inquiry would tell us anything new.
The appearance of IndoLeaks, Indonesia’s very own version of WikiLeaks, has led to speculation that documents may emerge to throw light some of the darkest periods of Indonesia’s history.
Like the old philosophical conundrum about the noise made by a tree falling in a deserted forest, so the recent election in Burma raised the question: if a country goes to the polls and no international observers are there to see it, how does the outside world know elections have taken place at all?
“I have just lived through one of the most terrifying experiences of my life” renowned Spanish actor Willy Toledo, tells me over the phone in the early hours of September 28. He, together with six other international observers had just accompanied 28 Saharawi human rights defenders on their trip back from an international conference in Algeria to their home in Layoune, Western Sahara, the mineral-rich former Spanish colony controlled by Morocco.
“As we came out of the airport we were surrounded by about 150 policemen” said Toledo. “They eventually let us pass but when we got into town we were confronted by even more police blocking us from getting to the house where a reception had been organized for the activist’s return.” There was a tense stand-off as hundreds of Saharawi supporters gathered to protect the activists, helping to forge a path to the house. “The police were pushing and shoving us, shouting abuse and spitting on the women” says Toledo breathlessly. “Once we were inside the house they tried to force their way in, beating on the door with batons.”
It is important that the threat of extremism in Yemen is not used as an excuse to act unlawfully or to breach human rights.
For most Britons July 7, 2005 will be remembered as the day that al Qaeda terrorists attacked London. But five years on, no link has been established between the 7/7 bombers and al Qaeda. While it’s possible that two of the bombers, Shehzad Tanweer and Mohammad Sidique Khan, may have visited training camps in Pakistan and met with al Qaeda operatives there is no evidence of this.
Copyright Toward Freedom 2019