Page 883 – Toward Freedom

Algeria: How Clean Can One Wipe The Slate?

Rene Wadlow October 4, 2005 Rene Wadlow

On September 29th, 97% of those voting in the Algerian referendum on Peace and Reconciliation voted yes for peace and reconciliation. Was this a necessary act of popular catharsis after some 13 years of violence? Or was it a government-staged show to reinforce its power? Both are real possibilities. It is important to analyze the results carefully as violence-torn countries need to find techniques to write "The End" to cycles of violence and counter-violence and to begin life again with a clean slate. But does such renewal mean that those who have killed and tortured should be free from possible trials? Much of the killing in Algeria - estimates are of over 200,000 - took place in rural towns and villages where people knew or thought they knew who was doing the killing. Is it possible to live an ordinary life now side by side with murderers?

Shock and Awe in the Homeland: The Whole World is Watching

Sandy Leon Vest October 3, 2005 Sandy Leon Vest

From the Gulf of Mexico to the Persian Gulf and beyond, a new wave of Shock and Awe is gripping the international community in the wakes of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. There is an increasingly glaring global inquisition taking place - and the spotlight is on American culture. Nationally, the focus of conservative and mainstream news coverage has suddenly shifted. Questions about American racism, classism, xenophobia and unmitigated consumerism and economic growth have hit the ground running. Even the untouchable topics of renewable energy, conservation and global warming, heretofore relegated to the margins of debate by those classes who have built their fortunes on fossil fuels and nuclear energy, are being uttered again as if they were newly discovered galaxies of hope.

Creating Momentum: Youth and the Anti-War Movement

Matt Dineen September 29, 2005 Matt Dineen

For the generation of activists politically shaped by the Vietnam War the similarities between then and now are striking; the nation is deeply divided and US soldiers fresh out of high school are dying by the hundreds each year. From heading national peace organizations to demonstrating weekly in their communities, these older activists are at the forefront of the movement. This was seen recently with Cindy Sheehan’s catalyzing actions outside of Bush’s ranch which evolved into a nation-wide tour with other military families. Sheehan has become the unofficial spokesperson for the peace movement. Given all of this, what role have youth in the United States played in the anti-war struggle? What challenges do they face within the movement and within the larger political culture? A closer look at some current student-led campaigns will show how, despite widespread youth apathy, young activists are creating the essential urgency needed to end the occupation of Iraq and move toward forging a sustainable peace. This will also help address a crucial dilemma for the wider anti-war movement: How can activists, young and old, inspire committed action? read more

Saudi minister sees Iraq disintegrating

Super User September 28, 2005 Super User

RIYADH – Saudi Arabia‘s foreign minister has issued a blistering assessment of the situation in Iraq, warning that the country is “gradually going toward disintegration.” Meeting with the international media on Sept. 22 – but directing urgent comments to the U.S. and British administrations – Prince Saud al-Faisal said, “There seems to be no dynamic now that is pulling the country together. All the dynamics there are pushing the people away from each other." read more

Army shopping for anthrax

Super User September 28, 2005 Super User

SALT LAKE CITY – The U.S. military is in the market for mass quantities of anthrax, according to contract requests discovered by the Sunshine Project, a U.S.-German organization that opposes the use of biological and chemical weapons. According to New Scientist, the controversial move is likely to raise questions over the U.S. commitment to treaties designed to limit the spread of biological weapons.

The contract requests relate to the U.S. Army’s Dugway Proving Ground in Utah, and ask companies to bid for the production of bulk quantities of a non-virulent strain of anthrax and equipment to produce significant volumes of other biological agents. read more

Test Ban Treaty stalled at 11-nation roadblock

Super User September 28, 2005 Super User

NEW YORK – A three-day UN meeting on bringing the nuclear test ban treaty into force ended with a plea for ratification of the pact by 11 key holdouts, including the United States, China, Israel and Iran. The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty has been ratified by 125 countries, but nine years after its initial adoption the prospects remain doubtful.

Ratification by 11 more countries is required before the treaty takes effect, and six of them boycotted the event – the United States, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Vietnam and Iran. read more