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US Weapons Make Colombia Murder Capital
BOGOTA – A RAND Institute report, “Arms Trafficking and Colombia,” concludes that US Plan Colombia is largely responsible for making the South American nation’s murder rate the highest in the world, at 77.5 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. The gun culture has created a cross-border refugee and drug crisis that is destabilizing the region, from Panama to Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador.

About 85 percent of Colombia’s murders are committed with small arms. The report, released April 23, says that most of them come from the US, either directly through Plan Colombia, or indirectly through old stockpiles of US weapons supplied to El Salvador, Honduras, and the Nicaraguan Contras during the 1980s and 90s. read more

Tribunal Fumbles Milosevic Case
THE HAGUE – Over two years ago, former Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic was charged with 66 counts of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. At the time, CNN called it “the most important trial since Nuremburg.” But during the proceedings, the prosecution couldn’t clearly establish Milosevic’s responsibility for atrocities, some witnesses were exposed as liars, and even the crimes’ scope has been questioned. read more

Left-leaning Latinos Fuel Resistance
CARACAS — Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez was scheduled to speak at the UN in late September. But he abruptly cancelled his US trip. The main reasons given were security concerns and a lack of enthusiasm for UN summits. "A dialogue of the deaf,” Chavez called them, arguing that the world body is fundamentally undemocratic and should be democratized.

Meanwhile, weeks of rising anger and police violence in Bolivia climaxed in a September 29 general strike by unionists, backed by peasants, students, and merchants. Two days later, miners joined, paralyzing production. As a result, President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada resigned and fled to Miami. The confrontation, inspired by Evo Morales, popular leader of Indian coca farmers, involved a deal that would have sold Bolivian natural gas to the US and Mexico, via a Chilean port. read more

Left-leaning Latinos Fuel Resistance
CARACAS — Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez was scheduled to speak at the UN in late September. But he abruptly cancelled his US trip. The main reasons given were security concerns and a lack of enthusiasm for UN summits. "A dialogue of the deaf,” Chavez called them, arguing that the world body is fundamentally undemocratic and should be democratized.

Meanwhile, weeks of rising anger and police violence in Bolivia climaxed in a September 29 general strike by unionists, backed by peasants, students, and merchants. Two days later, miners joined, paralyzing production. As a result, President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada resigned and fled to Miami. The confrontation, inspired by Evo Morales, popular leader of Indian coca farmers, involved a deal that would have sold Bolivian natural gas to the US and Mexico, via a Chilean port. read more

Foreign Leaders Fair Game for Murder
WASHINGTON, DC — In theory, the US has a long-standing policy banning political assassination. But it’s been overlooked at times, and now the Bush administration has basically declared the idea obsolete. After Odai and Qusai Hussein were killed this summer, for instance, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, commander of coalition troops in Iraq, crowed, "We remain focused on finding, fixing, killing or capturing all members of the high-value target list." read more

Expansion Brings Uncertain Future
ATHENS — April 16 may turn out to be a historic date for Europe, the day leaders of the European Union (EU) and 10 candidate countries signed documents in Athens sealing the biggest enlargement in EU history. But will it be celebrated or mourned? Will size turn out to matter? In short, will the newcomers — mostly Eastern European countries — help unite the continent or tear it apart?

The candidates include Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Malta, countries Washington has recently taken to calling the "new Europe." Letting them in could alter the political order. Many candidate countries, eager to protect national values, will inevitably defy Franco-German leadership. Poland is already expanding its influence. read more