Story Archives - Page 593 of 662

The IMF and Usury: Crime Without Punishment

Elizabeth Levy Sad / Translation by David Epstein August 9, 2005 Elizabeth Levy Sad / Translation by David Epstein

"Blaming the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the difficulties faced by a country in times of crisis is like blaming the doctor for the patient's disease". This statement and others like "the IMF does not represent the interests of the G8" are part of an outrageous manual that teaches the organization's officers how to reply to the uncomfortable questions asked by the press. Perhaps, the text became effective after a reporter asked Anne Krueger - First Deputy Managing Director of the IMF - if her organization was responsible for the increasing poverty in Argentina, while he attempted to place before her eyes the photograph of a malnourished child, Krueger escaped like someone trying to avoid leprosy.

Fear and the Nuclear Option

Greg Guma August 8, 2005 Greg Guma

Twenty years ago, when people concerned about nuclear weapons warned about a "war without winners," they were accused of spreading fear and negativity. The counter-argument was that the U.S. nuclear arsenal was a shield protecting the west from a Soviet Union bent on world domination.

60 Years Later: A Look at Hiroshima

Bob Feldman August 4, 2005 Bob Feldman

August 6, 2005 marks the 60^th anniversary of Democratic President Truman's use of the atomic bomb against the people of Hiroshima, at a time when the Japanese government was apparently seeking a negotiated end to World War II. Yoshihiro Kimura was a third-grade student in Hiroshima on the morning the U.S. government dropped its A-bomb on the city. In Children Of The A-Bomb, Kimura recalled how it felt:

Israel-Palestine: Solutions in the Midst of Crisis

Mneesha Gellman August 3, 2005 Mneesha Gellman

International media has failed itself in covering the conflict in Israel and Palestine. Following the standard tenet, "if it bleeds, it leads," newspapers, radio, and the internet have continued to showcase the gore and ignore the solution-oriented work that many people in the region have dedicated themselves to. During a recent trip to Palestine, I stayed in the home of Fatima Khaldi in Qarawa Bani Hassan, a town in the West Bank continually threatened with the construction of the separation wall. Fatima founded and directs the organization Women for Life in the village of Biddya. Her group has a range of purposes, which revolve around empowering Palestinian women to take charge of their lives and become involved in politics. [Photo: Doors recovered from bombed homes, painted by children's art therapy group, Nablus, West Bank]

Global Notebook 8-02-05

Super User August 2, 2005 Super User

GLOBAL

Memos suggest Gitmo trials are rigged

SYDNEY – Leaked e-mails from two former U.S. prosecutors, obtained by the Australian Broadcast System, claim that the military commissions set up to try detainees at Guantanamo Bay have been rigged, fraudulent and thin on evidence against the accused. In March 2004, the e-mails were sent to supervisors in the Pentagon’s Office of Military Commissions, echoing previous charges made by international lawyers, U.S. military officers, the American Bar Association, the Australian Law Society, Amnesty International and Britain‘s Attorney General. read more

What is the U.S. Military Doing in Paraguay?

Benjamin Dangl August 2, 2005 Benjamin Dangl

The U.S. military is conducting secretive operations in Paraguay and reportedly building a new base there. Human rights groups and military analysts in the region believe trouble is brewing.However, the U.S. embassy in Paraguay denies the base exists and describes the military activity as routine. According to an article in the Bolivian newspaper, El Deber, a U.S. base is being developed in Mariscal Estigarribia, Paraguay, 200 kilometers from the border with Bolivia. The base will permit the landing of large aircraft and is capable of housing up to 16,000 troops. A contingent of 500 U.S. troops arrived in Paraguay on July 1^stwith planes, weapons, equipment and ammunition. (1)

With Bolivia's recent uprisings, their enormous gas reserves, and a presidential election on the way, this questionable activity could pave the way for a U.S. intervention.Rumors of Al Qaeda training grounds near Paraguay may also work to the Bush administration's advantage as it makes a case for military operations in the region.