Insurgents Wage Precise Attacks on Baghdad Fuel
Insurgent attacks to disrupt Baghdad’s supplies of crude oil, gasoline, heating oil, water and electricity have reached a degree of coordination and sophistication not seen before, Iraqi and American officials say. The new pattern, they say, shows that the insurgents have a deep understanding of the complex network of pipelines, power cables and reservoirs feeding Baghdad, the Iraqi capital.
The shadowy insurgency is a fractured movement made up of distinct groups of Sunnis, Shiites, and foreign fighters, some of them aligned and some not. But the shift in the attack patterns strongly suggests that some branch of the insurgency is carrying out a systematic plan to cripple Baghdad’s ability to provide basic services for its six million citizens and to prevent the fledgling government from operating.
A new analysis by some of those officials shows that the choice of targets and the timing of sabotage attacks has evolved over the past several months, shifting from economic targets to become what amounts to a siege of the capital.
-Jane
www.nytimes.com
Tension Between Lebanon and Syria
Lebanon’s ex-Prime Minister, Rafiq Hariri, died in an explosion on Feb. 14 along with 18 others. At a mass rally held a week after the incident, on Feb. 22, Hariri supporters voiced suspicions of foul play, accusing the Lebanese and Syrian governments for having a hand in the the former prime minister’s death.
British Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, called for an independent investigation due to a “high level of suspicion” of Syria’s involvement. Syria has been interfering in Lebanese political affairs since civil warfare between the two countries ceased over 15 years ago. Moreover, there are currently 14,000 syrian troops occupying Lebanese territory.
Hariri’s recent death has increased criticism regarding neighboring Syria’s hand in Lebanon’s political affairs. The Lebanese government is facing intense scrutiny for allowing such tactics to continue and protestors are demanding that those in power should resign. In light of all the recent oppositional efforts, the Lebanese government has agreed to cooperate with the UN in its efforts to find Hariri’s killers.
-Emma
http://nineoclock.ebm.ro/worldnews_details.php
Avalanches in Kashmir
Avalanches and slides triggered by heavy weekend snowfall—the worse in two decades—in India's portion of Kashmir have killed at least 154 people and left over 200 missing. Soldiers and medical personnel continue to search for survivors in the worst-hit region—the series of villages in the Anantnag district south of state summer capital, Srinagar, which have seen 15 feet of snow since Friday (2/18).
Khursheed Ganai, a senior administrator in the Kashmir valley, said: “Because of heavy snow, we are unable to establish contact with most of
the remote areas. The number of dead could increase as reports start to trickle in.” The relentless snow lashing the Kashmir Valley has damaged over 1,000 houses.
Srinagar has been without power for a fortnight and its water supply has also been affected. Plus, thousands of travelers are stranded on the main highway that links the valley of Kashmir with the rest of India. The Indian Army has been working hard to bring relief, but the outlook at the moment remains grim, as officials warn of more avalanches to add to the chaos in the coming days.
-Christine
www.bbc.co.uk
Chechen Cease-Fire Expires on Anniversary
A short term cease-fire between Chechen rebels and Russia expired on Feb 23rd, which marked the 61st anniversary of when Chechens were exiled to the plains of then-Soviet Central Asia.
Chechen revolutionary leader Aslan Maskhadov claims he ordered his forces to stand down in observance of the centenary. Also, Maskhadov unsuccessfully tried to
renew talks with the Russian government which rejected talks because they felt that they were a mere publicity stunt while rebels kept up attacks. On Monday, nine servicemen were reported dead by the Russian military due to a rebel attack. Russian authorities consider Maskhadov a terrorist on an international scale and doubt his power to stop any violence caused by Chechen insurgents.
- Pavel
www.lasvegassun.com
Monster Continues Its Rampage
AIDS has been revealed as a leading killer of South Africans aged 15-49, increasing 57% in the five years ending in 2003 according to the South African government. Shockingly, these numbers were still less than the numbers cited by the United Nations which estimated that about 600 South Africans die every day from AIDS and AIDS related illnesses.
South African government officials cite ignorance and the stigma still associated with AIDS and HIV as the reason for the var
iation in numbers, as many mistake associate illnesses like influenza and pneumonia for the disease itself. Nevertheless, 5 million of South Africa’s 45 million people are infected with HIV, more than any other industrialized nation, according to the UN.
This news comes just as it was discovered that two men in New York City were infected with a mutated HIV strain that is drug-resistant and progresses to AIDS within months. These serve as harsh reminders of the need for education and awareness. Abstinence and the proper and consistent use of condoms remain the only ways to prevent HIV infection.
-Robert
story.news.yahoo.com
Royal Navy Recruiting Gays
Five years after Britain lifted its ban on gays in the military, the Royal Navy has begun actively encouraging them to enlist and has pledged to make life easier when they do.
The navy announced Monday that it had asked Stonewall, a group that lobbies for gay rights, to help it develop better strategies for recruiting and retaining gay men and lesbians. One strategy may be to advertise for recruits in gay magazines and newspapers.
Gays in Britain have benefited from a number of new laws, including one that makes it illegal for employers to discriminate on the basis of workers' sexuality.
Last year, Parliament passed the Civil Partnership Act, which gives marriage-style rights to British gays who have registered as couples. The entire military is subject to the legislation, and starting in the fall, gay couples in the military who have registered under the act will be allowed to apply for housing in quarters previously reserved for married couples.
-Kristin
www.nytimes.com
Monday, February 28, 2005
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Contest Deadline!!!
Last Chance for Contests! The Deadline for contests is this Tuesday, March 1st,
so get your poems, stories, plays and essays into the English office. Here is a list of the different contests:
1) The Beatrice Dubin Rose Poetry
2) The Bernard Grebanier Sonnet
3) The Dorothy B. Jervice Memorial (Essay on a Scientific Subject)
4) Bertha and Philip S. Goodman Short Story Contest
5) The Ottillie Grebanier Drama Contest
6) The Sam Castan Memorial Contest for graduating Seniors (Journalism)
7) Dean Myrtle Saxe Jacobson Writing (Expository Prose)
8) Louis b. Goodman Creative Writing Scholorship for 'Woman-Centered Work'
9) Academy of American Poets University & College Poetry Prize
If you still don't have a copy of the contest guidelines, you can obtain one at the English Department, which is located at 2308 Boylan Hall. Run, don't walk!!!
-Kristin
so get your poems, stories, plays and essays into the English office. Here is a list of the different contests:
1) The Beatrice Dubin Rose Poetry
2) The Bernard Grebanier Sonnet
3) The Dorothy B. Jervice Memorial (Essay on a Scientific Subject)
4) Bertha and Philip S. Goodman Short Story Contest
5) The Ottillie Grebanier Drama Contest
6) The Sam Castan Memorial Contest for graduating Seniors (Journalism)
7) Dean Myrtle Saxe Jacobson Writing (Expository Prose)
8) Louis b. Goodman Creative Writing Scholorship for 'Woman-Centered Work'
9) Academy of American Poets University & College Poetry Prize
If you still don't have a copy of the contest guidelines, you can obtain one at the English Department, which is located at 2308 Boylan Hall. Run, don't walk!!!
-Kristin
Monday, February 21, 2005
International Newsletter #11
Chronicle of a Death Foretold
Sister Dorothy Stang, a 73-year-old American nun who was known for her environmental work, was gunned down Saturday, February 13, 2005 at the Boa Esperanca settlement near Anapu, Brazil.
Stang, who had traveled to South America 20 years ago to help organize the poor families of that region in Brazil against the horrible deforestation and logging programs of the local outlaws, was murdered before the eyes of many witnesses who say that, when confronted by her murderers, she pulled out a bible and began reading passages to them. The killers reportedly listened for a few moments, stepped back and then opened fire on the defenseless nun.
Thousands of settlers and farmers gathered on Sunday to remember Sister Stang and her work, and to petition the government for a remedy of grievances, stating that Stang’s death was preventable and that the Brazilian government could have done more to protect her from her enemies who were boisterous about their desire to do her harm.
The Brazilian government has taken action by sending 2,000 soldiers, and three arrest warrants have been issued. Stang fought for the rights of the farmers for twenty years. Her efforts will not be forgotten; she has been named “woman of the year” by state authorities.
-Robert & Pavel
http://story.news.yahoo.com
http://news.bbc.co.uk
Thinking East
With President Bush vowing to spread democracy across the globe, it is ever more imperative that students are informed about the world that lies east of Long Island.
A pioneering project from the University of London, created by students for students strives to bring to light the struggle for freedom of choice and thought in countries in North Africa, the Near and Middle East, and Central Asia. Thinking-east.net is a nonprofit e-publishing platform where students who live in these areas – about which most of us know shamefully little – p
rovide a fresh and informative perspective on their lives.
In a special issue on elections, one can hear first-hand accounts of election concerns from students in Tajikstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Get out your world atlas before you log on.
The editors, Ben Paarman and Christopher Schwartz, both students at U of L, are always looking for contributing writers, so if any of you know of students who live in those areas and speak at least some English, they would be happy to hear from you.
-Kristin
www.thinking-east.net
U.S. Stem Cell Research In Iceland
An American biotech company is setting up a stem cell development-and-research lab in Iceland. The research is conducted by Xytos, a company that was recently registered on Nasdaq.
Mr. Paul Johnson, a lawyer from Chicago, is the man who decided to base the research in Iceland. He claims an Icelandic background, but says his heritage doesn’t have anything to do with his choice of the remote and
cold island.
According to Mr. Johnson, Iceland doesn’t have “extremist religious groups trying to block this type of research.”
The headquarters of Xytos remains in the United States.
-Emma
http://iclandreview.com/
Returning Gaza to Palestinian Control
The Prime Minister of Israel, Ariel Sharon, has begun negotiating with Palestinian leaders on Israel’s planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Working with Mahmoud Abbas, Yasir Arafat’s successor, he plans on returning Gaza to Palestinian control.
Despite criticism from the settlers and right-wing opponents of the withdrawal that Israel is getting nothing in return for the Gaza evacuation, Mr. Sharon contends that “Israel got many…important things.” The new Palestinian leadership “understands the dangers of terror” and is willing to coordinate with Israel on security issues as well as the disengagement.
For that reason, he said, he is more confident that the withdrawal will take place peacefully and quickly.
Meanwhile, the voilence has not completely ceased. On Tuesday night, two armed Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops near a Jewish settlement and, earlier, a Palestinian teenager was shot dead.
-Christine
www.nytimes.com
Dead Ends Await Tobacco Smokers Everywhere
This week, the world rocked as the nation most closely associated with cigars, Cuba,
imposed a public smoking ban. The ban, which went into effect on Monday, 2/7/05, prohibits smoking in restaurants and bars in a country where every citizen upon maturity is guaranteed 3 packs of cigarettes a month for life.
Similar measures taking place in the U.S., Canada, Austrlia, France, Ireland, Italy, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, U.K., India, Iran, and Tanzania will spell the severe curtailment of tobacco use worldwide.
According to Asia-Pacific news source Malaysiakini, several Muslim nations have imposed fatwas against tobacco products. The tiny Himalayan kingdom of
Bhutan (a relatively peaceful nation offering access to Everest-climbers) has banned the sale ofall tobacco products, the first nation to do so.
Bucking the trend, however, is the US state of South Dakota, where a measure to extend restrictions on smoking in the workplace met with defeat.
-Jane
http://news.bbc.co.uk
Sister Dorothy Stang, a 73-year-old American nun who was known for her environmental work, was gunned down Saturday, February 13, 2005 at the Boa Esperanca settlement near Anapu, Brazil.
Stang, who had traveled to South America 20 years ago to help organize the poor families of that region in Brazil against the horrible deforestation and logging programs of the local outlaws, was murdered before the eyes of many witnesses who say that, when confronted by her murderers, she pulled out a bible and began reading passages to them. The killers reportedly listened for a few moments, stepped back and then opened fire on the defenseless nun.
Thousands of settlers and farmers gathered on Sunday to remember Sister Stang and her work, and to petition the government for a remedy of grievances, stating that Stang’s death was preventable and that the Brazilian government could have done more to protect her from her enemies who were boisterous about their desire to do her harm.
The Brazilian government has taken action by sending 2,000 soldiers, and three arrest warrants have been issued. Stang fought for the rights of the farmers for twenty years. Her efforts will not be forgotten; she has been named “woman of the year” by state authorities.
-Robert & Pavel
http://story.news.yahoo.com
http://news.bbc.co.uk
Thinking East
With President Bush vowing to spread democracy across the globe, it is ever more imperative that students are informed about the world that lies east of Long Island.
A pioneering project from the University of London, created by students for students strives to bring to light the struggle for freedom of choice and thought in countries in North Africa, the Near and Middle East, and Central Asia. Thinking-east.net is a nonprofit e-publishing platform where students who live in these areas – about which most of us know shamefully little – p
rovide a fresh and informative perspective on their lives.
In a special issue on elections, one can hear first-hand accounts of election concerns from students in Tajikstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Get out your world atlas before you log on.
The editors, Ben Paarman and Christopher Schwartz, both students at U of L, are always looking for contributing writers, so if any of you know of students who live in those areas and speak at least some English, they would be happy to hear from you.
-Kristin
www.thinking-east.net
U.S. Stem Cell Research In Iceland
An American biotech company is setting up a stem cell development-and-research lab in Iceland. The research is conducted by Xytos, a company that was recently registered on Nasdaq.
Mr. Paul Johnson, a lawyer from Chicago, is the man who decided to base the research in Iceland. He claims an Icelandic background, but says his heritage doesn’t have anything to do with his choice of the remote and
cold island.
According to Mr. Johnson, Iceland doesn’t have “extremist religious groups trying to block this type of research.”
The headquarters of Xytos remains in the United States.
-Emma
http://iclandreview.com/
Returning Gaza to Palestinian Control
The Prime Minister of Israel, Ariel Sharon, has begun negotiating with Palestinian leaders on Israel’s planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Working with Mahmoud Abbas, Yasir Arafat’s successor, he plans on returning Gaza to Palestinian control.
Despite criticism from the settlers and right-wing opponents of the withdrawal that Israel is getting nothing in return for the Gaza evacuation, Mr. Sharon contends that “Israel got many…important things.” The new Palestinian leadership “understands the dangers of terror” and is willing to coordinate with Israel on security issues as well as the disengagement.
For that reason, he said, he is more confident that the withdrawal will take place peacefully and quickly.
Meanwhile, the voilence has not completely ceased. On Tuesday night, two armed Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops near a Jewish settlement and, earlier, a Palestinian teenager was shot dead.
-Christine
www.nytimes.com
Dead Ends Await Tobacco Smokers Everywhere
This week, the world rocked as the nation most closely associated with cigars, Cuba,
imposed a public smoking ban. The ban, which went into effect on Monday, 2/7/05, prohibits smoking in restaurants and bars in a country where every citizen upon maturity is guaranteed 3 packs of cigarettes a month for life.
Similar measures taking place in the U.S., Canada, Austrlia, France, Ireland, Italy, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, U.K., India, Iran, and Tanzania will spell the severe curtailment of tobacco use worldwide.
According to Asia-Pacific news source Malaysiakini, several Muslim nations have imposed fatwas against tobacco products. The tiny Himalayan kingdom of
Bhutan (a relatively peaceful nation offering access to Everest-climbers) has banned the sale ofall tobacco products, the first nation to do so.
Bucking the trend, however, is the US state of South Dakota, where a measure to extend restrictions on smoking in the workplace met with defeat.
-Jane
http://news.bbc.co.uk
Thursday, February 17, 2005
We've been noticed! / Student Poll
We were all very excited in the office to see that we were mentioned in
"This Week on Campus," and we'd like to welcome anyone who is visiting
our blog for the first time.
Who are we?
The interns in the English Majors' Office at Brooklyn College
What are we up to?
Each week the interns - Emma, Robert, Kristin, Jane, Pavel and
Christine - post international news that you wouldn't find in the
mainstream media, and we post important English Department
information as we learn about it.
We hope that this will become a communication tool for English,
Creative Writing, Journalism, and English Teacher Majors. All
are encouraged to comment on our postings. Just click on the
word "comments" at the bottom of a post and let us know what
you're thinking. Please let us know of any workshops, special
lectures, or other happenings that might be interesting to
English Majors by emailing our office at: boylanblog@yahoo.com.
Speaking of communicating, the English Department has created a student poll in order to learn your wishes and concerns for your classes and activities within the different programs. You can access the poll by clicking here.
You will be asked to provide a username and password. These are below. Please note that English is capitalized and the username and password are case-sensitive.
The username is: guest
The password is: English
Please take a few minutes to answer the poll. We want to tell the higher-ups what we think about our experience in the English Dept. at BC!
-Kristin
"This Week on Campus," and we'd like to welcome anyone who is visiting
our blog for the first time.
Who are we?
The interns in the English Majors' Office at Brooklyn College
What are we up to?
Each week the interns - Emma, Robert, Kristin, Jane, Pavel and
Christine - post international news that you wouldn't find in the
mainstream media, and we post important English Department
information as we learn about it.
We hope that this will become a communication tool for English,
Creative Writing, Journalism, and English Teacher Majors. All
are encouraged to comment on our postings. Just click on the
word "comments" at the bottom of a post and let us know what
you're thinking. Please let us know of any workshops, special
lectures, or other happenings that might be interesting to
English Majors by emailing our office at: boylanblog@yahoo.com.
Speaking of communicating, the English Department has created a student poll in order to learn your wishes and concerns for your classes and activities within the different programs. You can access the poll by clicking here.
You will be asked to provide a username and password. These are below. Please note that English is capitalized and the username and password are case-sensitive.
The username is: guest
The password is: English
Please take a few minutes to answer the poll. We want to tell the higher-ups what we think about our experience in the English Dept. at BC!
-Kristin
Monday, February 14, 2005
International Newsletter #10
Nepal Government Detains Hundreds of Activists
Last week, Nepal’s ruler, King Gyanendra, dismissed the provisional government and has declared a state of emergency in which he retained full control of government functions. King Gyanendra stated that the preceding government was unsuccessful in controlling the insurgency and also made inadequate preparations in setting up for parliamentary voting.
King Gyanendra’s government put a stop to civil liberties. Various political parties who wanted to organize protests were holding secret meetings. Numerous students and political activists have been detained “for their own safety,” in order to stop what could be possible disturbances.
The government proclaimed that some Maoist insurgents have been executed by the military and police have arrested 43. However, a member of the United Marxist Leninist Communist Party of Nepal claims that this number is conflict
ing and suggests that the police have put at least 250 people under arrest.
This conflict has been ongoing since 1996 when rebels first tried to overthrow the regime in order to set up a socialist government. This conflict has already resulted in 10,500 lives lost. Foreign leaders say that the recent events are a great step back for democracy.
-Pavel
http://www.canada.com
Guantanamo Bay Torture Allegations Continue
Nearly a dozen Kuwaiti detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp at the U.S. Navy base in eastern Cuba contend they were wrongly imprisoned after repeated abuse by U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Pakistan, including beatings with chains, electric shock and sodomy.
While government has denied such allegations, human rights groups and defense attorneys have long charged that some information being used as the basis for incarcerations at Guantanamo Bay resulted from abuse or torture.
According to one detainee, “The American soldiers kept saying, ‘Are you Taliban or are you al-Qaida?’ ‘Are you Taliban or al-Qaida!’ They kept hitting me, so eventually I said I was a member of the Taliban.”
Major Michael Shavers, a Pentagon spokesman, said all “credible” abuse allegations are investigated, but also suggested the Kuwaiti’s claims were consistent with al-Qaida tactics—as directed in training manuals—of falsely alleging mistreatment. Even if the allegations were fabricated, it is doubtful officials will be able to conduct an objective investigation while harboring such suspicions.
-Christine
http://www.nynewsday.com
West Africa May Face Severe Food Crisis
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has said that the countries and peoples in the West African sub-region may be heading towards a severe food security crisis by 2020 unless urgent steps are taken to put factors that predispose the regio
n to hunger under control.
ECOWAS explained that unless the trend of rural urban drift was reversed, the sub-region was headed towards severe food security problems.
Identifying other factors that threaten the food security in the sub region, the report pointed out that agricultural yields are extremely low in West Africa.
-Kristin
http://allafrica.com
Abuse in Afghanistan
According to the Afghan Daily, independent human rights experts at the UN report that the condition for prisoners in Afghanistan is unacceptable. Although Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai has released over 750 prisoners, it is not unusual for detainees to wait 30 months without any legal process.
Accused women have no choice but to bring their children to jail, with the result that there are more children than adults in the Kabul prisons. One of the experts, Cherif Bassiouni, commented on the prisons and said "conditions are below human standards by any means and they are in total violation of the UN Minimum Standards for the Treatment of Prisoners.”
Foreign troops, including the United States, have arrested people without legal processes, and at times mistreated and tortured them.
Afghanistan accounts for 87% of the world’s heroin output, and the effect of a drug-dominated economy leads to drug lords corrupting and threatening the government. The rise of organized crime threatens Afghan’s social, political and economic life.
- Emma
http://www.scoop.com
The Roots of Torture
As soon as the photos of torture at Abu Ghraib prison hit the media, they became iconic images: gruesome symbols of what went wrong with the war and postwar occupation of Iraq, and for many in the Muslim world, the very embodiment of their worst fears about American hegemony. They have become a potent propaganda tool for terrorists, and at the same time, they remain so repellant and perverse
that they have served to bolster the “few bad apples” argument, that the larger problem was confined, as the Bush administration has asserted, to a few soldiers acting on their own.
“The Torture Papers,” edited by Karen Greenberg and Joshua Dratel, the new compendium of government memos and reports chronicling the road to Abu Ghraib and its aftermath, definitively blows such arguments to pieces. In fact, the book provides a damning paper trail that reveals, in uninflected bureaucratic prose, the roots that those terrible images had in decisions made at the highest levels of the Bush administration, decisions that started the torture snowball rolling down the slippery slope of precedent by asserting that the U.S. need not abide by the Geneva Convention.
The minutely detailed chronological narrative embodied in this volume leaves the reader with a clear sense of the systematic decision to alter the use of methods of coercion and torture that lay outside of accepted and legal norms.
-Jane
http://www.nytimes.com
Bigotry Squared
The organizers of the recent Auschwitz Commemoration in Warsaw, Poland, a ceremony held to observe the sixtieth anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz Nazi death camp by the Red Army – an event attended by such world leaders as the Presidents of Israel, Russia, France, Germany, Poland, and U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney (clad in stylish parka) – failed to acknowledge the gay victims of the holocaust and neglected to invite those gay organizations that represent said victims and their surviving relatives.
It is estimated that the Nazis targeted over one million men for suspicion of homosexuality, and that as many as 15,000 gay men were murdered in the Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust. The event’s organizers have not commented on the omission.
-Robert
http://www.thegully.com
Last week, Nepal’s ruler, King Gyanendra, dismissed the provisional government and has declared a state of emergency in which he retained full control of government functions. King Gyanendra stated that the preceding government was unsuccessful in controlling the insurgency and also made inadequate preparations in setting up for parliamentary voting.
King Gyanendra’s government put a stop to civil liberties. Various political parties who wanted to organize protests were holding secret meetings. Numerous students and political activists have been detained “for their own safety,” in order to stop what could be possible disturbances.
The government proclaimed that some Maoist insurgents have been executed by the military and police have arrested 43. However, a member of the United Marxist Leninist Communist Party of Nepal claims that this number is conflict
ing and suggests that the police have put at least 250 people under arrest.
This conflict has been ongoing since 1996 when rebels first tried to overthrow the regime in order to set up a socialist government. This conflict has already resulted in 10,500 lives lost. Foreign leaders say that the recent events are a great step back for democracy.
-Pavel
http://www.canada.com
Guantanamo Bay Torture Allegations Continue
Nearly a dozen Kuwaiti detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp at the U.S. Navy base in eastern Cuba contend they were wrongly imprisoned after repeated abuse by U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Pakistan, including beatings with chains, electric shock and sodomy.
While government has denied such allegations, human rights groups and defense attorneys have long charged that some information being used as the basis for incarcerations at Guantanamo Bay resulted from abuse or torture.
According to one detainee, “The American soldiers kept saying, ‘Are you Taliban or are you al-Qaida?’ ‘Are you Taliban or al-Qaida!’ They kept hitting me, so eventually I said I was a member of the Taliban.”
Major Michael Shavers, a Pentagon spokesman, said all “credible” abuse allegations are investigated, but also suggested the Kuwaiti’s claims were consistent with al-Qaida tactics—as directed in training manuals—of falsely alleging mistreatment. Even if the allegations were fabricated, it is doubtful officials will be able to conduct an objective investigation while harboring such suspicions.
-Christine
http://www.nynewsday.com
West Africa May Face Severe Food Crisis
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has said that the countries and peoples in the West African sub-region may be heading towards a severe food security crisis by 2020 unless urgent steps are taken to put factors that predispose the regio
n to hunger under control.
ECOWAS explained that unless the trend of rural urban drift was reversed, the sub-region was headed towards severe food security problems.
Identifying other factors that threaten the food security in the sub region, the report pointed out that agricultural yields are extremely low in West Africa.
-Kristin
http://allafrica.com
Abuse in Afghanistan
According to the Afghan Daily, independent human rights experts at the UN report that the condition for prisoners in Afghanistan is unacceptable. Although Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai has released over 750 prisoners, it is not unusual for detainees to wait 30 months without any legal process.
Accused women have no choice but to bring their children to jail, with the result that there are more children than adults in the Kabul prisons. One of the experts, Cherif Bassiouni, commented on the prisons and said "conditions are below human standards by any means and they are in total violation of the UN Minimum Standards for the Treatment of Prisoners.”
Foreign troops, including the United States, have arrested people without legal processes, and at times mistreated and tortured them.
Afghanistan accounts for 87% of the world’s heroin output, and the effect of a drug-dominated economy leads to drug lords corrupting and threatening the government. The rise of organized crime threatens Afghan’s social, political and economic life.
- Emma
http://www.scoop.com
The Roots of Torture
As soon as the photos of torture at Abu Ghraib prison hit the media, they became iconic images: gruesome symbols of what went wrong with the war and postwar occupation of Iraq, and for many in the Muslim world, the very embodiment of their worst fears about American hegemony. They have become a potent propaganda tool for terrorists, and at the same time, they remain so repellant and perverse
that they have served to bolster the “few bad apples” argument, that the larger problem was confined, as the Bush administration has asserted, to a few soldiers acting on their own.
“The Torture Papers,” edited by Karen Greenberg and Joshua Dratel, the new compendium of government memos and reports chronicling the road to Abu Ghraib and its aftermath, definitively blows such arguments to pieces. In fact, the book provides a damning paper trail that reveals, in uninflected bureaucratic prose, the roots that those terrible images had in decisions made at the highest levels of the Bush administration, decisions that started the torture snowball rolling down the slippery slope of precedent by asserting that the U.S. need not abide by the Geneva Convention.
The minutely detailed chronological narrative embodied in this volume leaves the reader with a clear sense of the systematic decision to alter the use of methods of coercion and torture that lay outside of accepted and legal norms.
-Jane
http://www.nytimes.com
Bigotry Squared
The organizers of the recent Auschwitz Commemoration in Warsaw, Poland, a ceremony held to observe the sixtieth anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz Nazi death camp by the Red Army – an event attended by such world leaders as the Presidents of Israel, Russia, France, Germany, Poland, and U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney (clad in stylish parka) – failed to acknowledge the gay victims of the holocaust and neglected to invite those gay organizations that represent said victims and their surviving relatives.
It is estimated that the Nazis targeted over one million men for suspicion of homosexuality, and that as many as 15,000 gay men were murdered in the Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust. The event’s organizers have not commented on the omission.
-Robert
http://www.thegully.com
Monday, February 07, 2005
Internation Newsletter #9
Silent Holocaust
At the risk of life and limb, reporter Lisa Ling, sponsored by Oprah Winfrey, recently visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo to verify reports of the horrific crimes being perpetrated there. Once there, Ms. Ling documented the testimonies of the survivors of this unimaginable genocide, a murderous rampage that has already claimed four million lives and destroyed countless families. This tragedy is the result of three separate political groups headed by Laurent Kabila, Ernest Wamba dia Wamba, Emile Ilunga and backed by various interests, vying for control of the Congolese socio-political landscape. While this dreadful event is, for the most part, not being covered by any of the mainstream media outlets, you can find out more information about it or about how you can help by visiting the link below:
http://www.scaruffi.com/politics/congo.html
-Robert
Coup Bid in Guinea
On January 19 assassins attempted to take the life of President Lansana Conte in the West African nation of Guinea. Unidentified men fired on the presidential convoy taking Mr. Conte to work. The president escaped unscathed.
Conte - who seized power in a coup in 1984 - blamed people who he said wanted to ransack Guinea, and said all Africans were under threat from people who did not want the continent to develop. Guinea, a mineral-rich country positioned between Sierra Leone and Liberia, has been viewed as generally stable in an otherwise turbulent region.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4190725.stm
-Kristin
CHILDREN TRAFFICKING AFTER TSUNAMI DISASTER
According to the BBC News, the UN children's agency UNICEF has started to register orphans in the tsunami struck area of Banda Aceh in Indonesia, as an effort to prevent children from getting into the hands of human traffickers. The fear of children being abducted into illegal sex trading occurred when a Swedish boy was suddenly missing from a hospital in Phuket. This outraged the Swedish population and caused massive national media attention. UNICEF's spokesperson John Budd says that children are at high risk since so many lack adult supervision and protection after being orphaned. Two children have reportedly become smuggled out of Aceh in the recent days, but they were fortunately rescued and their abductors arrested. 35,000 children are estimated to have lost their parents, and are now banned from leaving the country as an effort to protect them.
www.bbc.co.uk
-Emma
China's Gender Imbalance
www.nytimes.com
Roughly 134 boys are born for every 100 girls in China. The imbalance has forced an unlikely reponse from the Chinese government. To persuade more families to have girls, it has decided in some cases to pay families that already have daughters. Today, China has one of the world's worst cases of "missing" girls, which the government has largely ignored or denied until recently. Government officials now have declared that selective sex abortions will become a criminal offense. Such absortions were already banned, but doctors have accepted bribes from parents who wanted to guarantee a boy. Studies show that the average ratio for the rest of the world is about 105 boys for every 100 girls. Demographers predict that in a few decades, China could have up to 40 million bachelors unable to find mates. Even so, attitudes will be hard to change in male-dominated China.
-Jane
Peace Talks
In the following week, an important summit will be held in Egypt in which peace talks between the Israeli and Palestinian government will commence. Prime Minister Al Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas will discuss plans of an agreement to end bloodshed.
Addressing Israel on the radio, Vice-Premier Shimon Peres remained hopeful that there would "be an official declaration of an armistice, on the cessation of all acts of violence." Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat was skeptical about the upcoming summit saying he thinks that rather than a move towards peace, Palestinians at the meeting will "declare 'a full cessation of violence against Israelis anywhere, and I expect the Israelis to reciprocate.'" With the help of Mr. Abbas and Mr. Sharon, violence has already decreased and Palestinian Militant groups have agreed to an "informal ceasefire."
The Israeli security cabinet will also be meeting next week and expects to talk about and take the action of releasing Palestinian prisoners and also a remove troops from a few towns in the West Bank. Israel officials are also considering in stopping their search for Palestinian militants in return for militants to lay down their weapons. If everything continues to go in this direction, Israel plans to remove thousands of Israeli troops and settlers from the Gaza Strip by the end of this year.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4232035.stm
- Pavel
At the risk of life and limb, reporter Lisa Ling, sponsored by Oprah Winfrey, recently visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo to verify reports of the horrific crimes being perpetrated there. Once there, Ms. Ling documented the testimonies of the survivors of this unimaginable genocide, a murderous rampage that has already claimed four million lives and destroyed countless families. This tragedy is the result of three separate political groups headed by Laurent Kabila, Ernest Wamba dia Wamba, Emile Ilunga and backed by various interests, vying for control of the Congolese socio-political landscape. While this dreadful event is, for the most part, not being covered by any of the mainstream media outlets, you can find out more information about it or about how you can help by visiting the link below:
http://www.scaruffi.com/politics/congo.html
-Robert
Coup Bid in Guinea
On January 19 assassins attempted to take the life of President Lansana Conte in the West African nation of Guinea. Unidentified men fired on the presidential convoy taking Mr. Conte to work. The president escaped unscathed.
Conte - who seized power in a coup in 1984 - blamed people who he said wanted to ransack Guinea, and said all Africans were under threat from people who did not want the continent to develop. Guinea, a mineral-rich country positioned between Sierra Leone and Liberia, has been viewed as generally stable in an otherwise turbulent region.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4190725.stm
-Kristin
CHILDREN TRAFFICKING AFTER TSUNAMI DISASTER
According to the BBC News, the UN children's agency UNICEF has started to register orphans in the tsunami struck area of Banda Aceh in Indonesia, as an effort to prevent children from getting into the hands of human traffickers. The fear of children being abducted into illegal sex trading occurred when a Swedish boy was suddenly missing from a hospital in Phuket. This outraged the Swedish population and caused massive national media attention. UNICEF's spokesperson John Budd says that children are at high risk since so many lack adult supervision and protection after being orphaned. Two children have reportedly become smuggled out of Aceh in the recent days, but they were fortunately rescued and their abductors arrested. 35,000 children are estimated to have lost their parents, and are now banned from leaving the country as an effort to protect them.
www.bbc.co.uk
-Emma
China's Gender Imbalance
www.nytimes.com
Roughly 134 boys are born for every 100 girls in China. The imbalance has forced an unlikely reponse from the Chinese government. To persuade more families to have girls, it has decided in some cases to pay families that already have daughters. Today, China has one of the world's worst cases of "missing" girls, which the government has largely ignored or denied until recently. Government officials now have declared that selective sex abortions will become a criminal offense. Such absortions were already banned, but doctors have accepted bribes from parents who wanted to guarantee a boy. Studies show that the average ratio for the rest of the world is about 105 boys for every 100 girls. Demographers predict that in a few decades, China could have up to 40 million bachelors unable to find mates. Even so, attitudes will be hard to change in male-dominated China.
-Jane
Peace Talks
In the following week, an important summit will be held in Egypt in which peace talks between the Israeli and Palestinian government will commence. Prime Minister Al Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas will discuss plans of an agreement to end bloodshed.
Addressing Israel on the radio, Vice-Premier Shimon Peres remained hopeful that there would "be an official declaration of an armistice, on the cessation of all acts of violence." Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat was skeptical about the upcoming summit saying he thinks that rather than a move towards peace, Palestinians at the meeting will "declare 'a full cessation of violence against Israelis anywhere, and I expect the Israelis to reciprocate.'" With the help of Mr. Abbas and Mr. Sharon, violence has already decreased and Palestinian Militant groups have agreed to an "informal ceasefire."
The Israeli security cabinet will also be meeting next week and expects to talk about and take the action of releasing Palestinian prisoners and also a remove troops from a few towns in the West Bank. Israel officials are also considering in stopping their search for Palestinian militants in return for militants to lay down their weapons. If everything continues to go in this direction, Israel plans to remove thousands of Israeli troops and settlers from the Gaza Strip by the end of this year.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4232035.stm
- Pavel
Friday, February 04, 2005
Contests and Competition deadlines
ATTENTION!!!
Shakespere Competition: To participate, sign up in The English Department (2308 Boylan) ASAP. Contest will be held on Wedsnday, February 9th from 6:30-8:30pm in room 132 New Ingersoll so HURRY!!!
There are other contests (March 1st DEADLINE):
1) The Beatrice Dubin Rose Poetry
2) The Bernard Grebanier Sonnet
3) The Dorothy B. Jervice Memorial (Essay on a Scientific Subject)
4) Bertha and Philip S. goodman Short Story Contest
5) The Ottillie Grebanier Drama Contest
6) The Sam Castan Memorial Contest for graduating Seniors (Journalism)
7) Dean Myrtle Saxe Jacobson Writing (Expository Prose)
8) Louis b. Goodman Creative Writing Scholorship for 'Woman-Centered Work'
9) Acedemy of American Poets University & College Poetry Prize
For more information on any of these contests, please go to the English Department (located at 2308 Boylan) and ask for a contest application and an English Department Awards and Scholorships packet which includes a brief description of each contest and elegibility information. GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!!
Open Mic - Tuesday, April 19th 2005 1:30 - 3:30 at the State Lounge in SUBO. For more info - Check out our flyer!!!
-Pavel
Shakespere Competition: To participate, sign up in The English Department (2308 Boylan) ASAP. Contest will be held on Wedsnday, February 9th from 6:30-8:30pm in room 132 New Ingersoll so HURRY!!!
There are other contests (March 1st DEADLINE):
1) The Beatrice Dubin Rose Poetry
2) The Bernard Grebanier Sonnet
3) The Dorothy B. Jervice Memorial (Essay on a Scientific Subject)
4) Bertha and Philip S. goodman Short Story Contest
5) The Ottillie Grebanier Drama Contest
6) The Sam Castan Memorial Contest for graduating Seniors (Journalism)
7) Dean Myrtle Saxe Jacobson Writing (Expository Prose)
8) Louis b. Goodman Creative Writing Scholorship for 'Woman-Centered Work'
9) Acedemy of American Poets University & College Poetry Prize
For more information on any of these contests, please go to the English Department (located at 2308 Boylan) and ask for a contest application and an English Department Awards and Scholorships packet which includes a brief description of each contest and elegibility information. GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!!
Open Mic - Tuesday, April 19th 2005 1:30 - 3:30 at the State Lounge in SUBO. For more info - Check out our flyer!!!
-Pavel
Spring '05 is here!
Welcome back for another semester! The interns in the English majors' office will endeavor to keep you up-to-date on departmental information as well as bring you international news bits from around the globe - and it's all right here on the blog.
The old guard - Emma, Jane and Kristin - welcome in the new interns Robert, Christine and Pavel. We're all looking forward to a great semester and publishing the Zine.
Come and see us in Prof. Roni Natov's office, 3416 Boylan Hall, if you need any help with your major requirements. Heck, just come by and say 'hi.' The hours are posted on the door.
If you are looking to get published in the 'Zine,' drop your story, poems or articles in the 'Zine Submissions' folder in the office. All submissions should be on disk, preferrably in Word format.
Bonne chance!
The old guard - Emma, Jane and Kristin - welcome in the new interns Robert, Christine and Pavel. We're all looking forward to a great semester and publishing the Zine.
Come and see us in Prof. Roni Natov's office, 3416 Boylan Hall, if you need any help with your major requirements. Heck, just come by and say 'hi.' The hours are posted on the door.
If you are looking to get published in the 'Zine,' drop your story, poems or articles in the 'Zine Submissions' folder in the office. All submissions should be on disk, preferrably in Word format.
Bonne chance!
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