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April 14-8, 04 Archives

Exposing the Conservative Straw Man - "Productivity" April 14, 2004 By Thom Hartmann Conservatives don't want you to know this, and - even more frenetically - are working to prevent any discussion of "protectionist" tariffs on labor. Their main argument - a straw man - is that "productivity" is responsible for the loss of American jobs, not a fundamental realignment in the rules of the game of business starting in the Reagan era and climaxing with NAFTA and GATT/WTO. thepeoplesvoice.org

Fallujah Refugees Describe Horrors of U.S. Siege April 14, 2004 Aaron Glantz speaks with Fallujah residents fleeing the besieged town. Listen to: Segment / Watch 128k stream / Watch 256k stream A report from Baghdad with Free Speech Radio News'. They describe digging mass graves, snipers and bombers killing people inside their homes, attacks on ambulances and the increasing anger and resentment towards U.S. occupying forces. [includes rush transcript] democracynow.org

"Fear is Transmuting Into Anger" April14, 2004 Rahul Mahajan Reports on Resistance in Iraq. Listen to: Segment / Watch 128k stream / Watch 256k stream Author and antiwar activist Rahul Mahajan in Baghdad who was one of the only western reporters in Fallujah during the U.S. siege. He says: "The United States has completely lost control, and even the mildest of people are now absolutely enraged at what is being done in Fallujah, and want the United States out...anyone that didn't have a gun today could pick up a gun tomorrow." [includes rush transcript] democracynow.org

President Bush on Iraq: hardening hearts and minds April 14, 2004 Ali Abunimah By addressing the American people in a prime time news conference on 13 April, President Bush sought to calm growing American anxiety and opposition to his war in Iraq, after two weeks in which more than 80 American military personnel and hundreds of Iraqis have died in widespread chaos and fighting. It remains to be seen whether Bush succeeded in that goal, but many of his assertions are just as likely to further antagonize opinion in the Arab world and perhaps in Iraq itself. Bush's demeanor was arrogant and unrepentant. Asked on numerous occasions to name things he would have done differently or mistakes he felt he has made, he could not name one. Challenged with the fact that all of the premises for the Iraq invasion had fallen apart, particularly his administration's claim that Iraq not only possessed weapons of mass destruction, but that the US knew where they are, Bush asserted, that the weapons might still be found, or simply invented things. electroniciraq.net

Kill imam at your peril, Shiites warn US April 14, 2004 By Paul McGeough Chief Herald Correspondent in Baghdad As more foreigners become pawns in the hostage crisis, Iraq's tribal and religious leaders and the US are trying to defuse the next imminent threat: a backlash should the Americans press ahead with plans to "capture or kill" the radical Shiite imam Moqtada al-Sadr. smh.com

Taliban Kill “Dozens” Of Coalition Forces, More MIA’s Reported April 14, 2004 By Zafir Jamaal In different operations around Afghanistan, Taliban Mujahideen have reportedly killed dozens of American and ANA troops, while many others are missing in action (MIA). Numerous vehicles have also been destroyed as the conflict with the Afghanistan intensified last week. jihadunspun.net

Dozen female U.S. soldiers have died in Iraq combat April 14, 2004 By LISA HOFFMAN "It was loud, there was shouting, my team leader's seat was on fire ... Okay, the door. Open the door. Just my luck, a 400-pound door is stuck ... More shouting. Seems so far way, like a voice at the end of a tunnel. Got to get the door open or we're going to die." knoxstudio.com

Watchdog: Probe Needed Into U.S. Action in Falluja April 14, 2004 By Luke Baker BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A U.S. military offensive in Falluja last week in which 600 Iraqis may have died has raised concerns about excessive use of force and needs immediate investigation, a leading human rights group said Tuesday. reuters.com

A Republican’s Case Against George W. Bush April 14, 2004 By Paul Findley I watched the Korean War from afar. As a Member of Congress, I agonized through the Vietnam War from start to finish. During these challenges I never for a moment worried about America’s ultimate survival with its great principles and ideals still intact. Today, for the first time, I worry deeply about America’s future. We are in a deep hole. I believe President George W. Bush’s decision to initiate war on Iraq will be the greatest and most costly blunder in American history. He has set America on the wrong course. wrmea.com

World set back 10 years by Bush's new world order, says Blair aide April 14, 2004 By Paul Brown George Bush has had a "devastating impact" on global sustainable development and set the world back more than ten years, says Jonathon Porritt, the prime minister's senior adviser on the subject, today. Writing in Guardian Society Mr Porritt, who is the chairman of the Sustainable Development Commission, says it is hard to exaggerate the damage done to the planet by Mr Bush's drive for a "new world order". guardian.co.uk

Deaths of scores of mercenaries not reported April 14, 2004 By Robert Fisk and Patrick Cockburn Baghdad - At least 80 foreign mercenaries - security guards recruited from the United States, Europe and South Africa and working for American companies - have been killed in the past eight days in Iraq. iol.co.za

The Bridge April 14, 2004 By STAN GOFF The chain reaction is far broader and deeper than the battlefield fiasco in Iraq right now. Once brown people start to pick up guns, other brown people follow suit. The myth of invincibility of the United States military -- called into question even before the Bush Doctrine arrived at this particular Iraqi cul-de-sac -- is shattered. No one is shocked. No one is awed. Nothing left now but plain grimy brutality. Apache helicopters are buzz-sawing through neighborhoods with chain guns and rockets. Bombs are being released onto mosques. The hospitals and morgues are receiving a rich harvest. counterpunch.org

US Forces Re-Enter Al-Fallujah April 14, 2004 US forces have re-entered Fallujah in violation of the ceasefire agreement. There are currently engaging heavy resistance with Iraqi Mujahideen. Al-Arabiya are reporting that a US tank burning and heavy fighting is breaking out. jihadunspun.com

Italians taken hostage as nervous nations pull out April 14, 2004 Al-Jazeera Arab television has aired a tape of four men described as Italians being held by a hitherto unheard of Iraqi Islamist group which demanded that Italy withdraw its forces from Iraq. smh.com.au

ACLU, DOJ, FBI United Against New Spy Agency April 14, 2004 The ACLU joins with Justice Department officials and FBI directors from both the Clinton and Bush administrations in urging the White House to resist the creation of a domestic intelligence agency that would amount to a "secret police" on American soil. aclu.org

Republicans Walk Out Of Fed Hearing On Voting Machines April 14, 2004 By Lynn Landes While Some Civil Rights Groups Support 'Paperless' Elections. As the battle over voting machines rages across the country, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights met on Friday, April 9th, to examine the Integrity, Security and Accessibility in the Nation's Readiness to Vote". Two scientists and four representatives of civil rights organizations were invited to brief the Commission. But, before the panelists had a chance to share their views, three Republican commissioners and one (notably conservative) Independent commissioner walked out, ostensibly over a personnel dispute. But, others are not so sure. rense.com

Howard Stern unplugged April 14, 2004 By Eric Boehlert With the government escalating its war on radio free speech, the shock jock's days are numbered. "They're executing him," says Michael Harrison, publisher of the radio industry's Talkers magazine. "The government has unleashed a round of volleys that will drive him off the air." salon.com

Flight from the fight April 13, 2004 Anne McIlroy Two American soldiers have deserted, claiming asylum in Canada rather than serve in Iraq. They argue that the war is illegal under international law. guardian.co.uk

Mandatory Draft Coming-Soon April 13, 2004 Sophie Lapaire There is pending legislation in the House and Senate (twin bills: S 89 and HR 163) which will time the program's initiation so the draft can begin as early as Spring 2005 -- just after the 2004 presidential election. The Bush administration is quietly trying to get these bills passed now, while the public's attention is on the elections. educate-yourself.org

Bereaved father in plea to Pentagon April 13, 2004 By Suzanne Goldenberg America's grief laid bare as family who lost daughter in Baghdad ambush begs US army to send her two sisters home from war zone guardian.co.uk

Anti-U.S. Outrage Unites a Growing Iraqi Resistance April 13, 2004 By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN BAGHDAD, Iraq Moneer Munthir is ready to kill Americans. For months, he has been struggling to control an explosion of miserable feelings: humiliation, fear, anger, depression. "But in the last two weeks, these feelings blow up inside me," said Mr. Munthir, a 35-year-old laborer. "The Americans are attacking Shiite and Sunni at the same time. They have crossed a line. I had to get a gun." nytimes.com

India rules out sending troops to Iraq April 13, 2004 AP AHMADABAD, India - India will not deploy peacekeeping troops in Iraq without a mandate from the United Nations because the situation there is “not favorable,” a senior government minister said Monday. msnbc.msn.com

US 'to back Israeli land demands' April 13, 2004 By Toby Harnden Jerusalem The US is to support Israeli demands for parts of the occupied West Bank to be annexed by the Jewish state in any final peace settlement with the Palestinians, according to diplomatic sources in Israel. theage.com

toddlers lose their lives

Bushroom FUNGUS HUMONGOUS April 12, 2004 By Ted Lang Growing mushrooms has been likened to lying and/or deliberately misinforming: keep 'em in the dark and feed 'em [the "s" word].  But this methodology is normally directed by one or a small number towards the many to cultivate and reap ignorance amongst the masses. thepeoplesvoice.org

Massacre in Fallujah: Over 600 Dead, 1,000 Injured, 60,000 Refugees April 12, 2004 The U.S. siege of Fallujah continues and reports are emerging of a massacre of Iraqi civilians at the hands of U.S. troops. We go to Iraq to get a report from Free Speech Radio News' Aaron Glantz who interviews Iraqis fleeing Fallujah as well as a producer with Al-Jazeera television who says he and fellow journalists were targeted by U.S. snipers in the town. [Includes rush transcript] Listen to: Segment / Watch 128k stream / Watch 256k stream / democracynow.org

Mercenaries take revenge and shoot hundreds of Iraqis April 12, 2004 By Dire Wolf 5000 Iraqis marched on a fort in Najaf on Sunday to protest the closing of a newspaper and the US arrest warrant on a cleric. Suddenly soldiers opened up killing 30 and wounding hundreds of women and children. It turns out these were fucking mercs from Blackwater Security portland.indymedia.org

Iraqi battalion refuses to ‘fight Iraqis’ April 12, 2004 By Thomas E. Ricks BAGHDAD, Iraq - A battalion of the new Iraqi army refused to go to Fallujah earlier this week to support U.S. Marines battling for control of the city, senior U.S. Army officers here said, disclosing an incident that is casting new doubt on U.S. plans to transfer security matters to Iraqi forces. msnbc.msn.com

End 'Logic of Death' in Iraq, Mideast, Pope Says April 12, 2004 By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) Speaking to tens of thousands of people in St Peter's Square and tens of millions of television viewers and radio listeners, he railed against "a logic of death" pervasive in the world. wireservice.wired

The inevitable logic of US repression in Iraq April 12, 2004 By Richard Phillips The Bush administration’s response to the popular uprising against the US-led occupation of Iraq has been to unleash a wave of bloody reprisals. US helicopter gunships, jets, tanks and heavily armed soldiers have laid siege to Fallujah in the Sunni triangle, while military attacks have been launched on Sadr City in Baghdad and other areas under Shiite control. Hundreds of innocent Iraqi men, women and children have been killed and wounded, and the American military has destroyed homes, factories and mosques. wsws.org

Moqtada al-Sadr: the Latest Neocon Excuse to Kill Iranians April 12, 2004 by Kurt Nimmo Somebody needs to tell Richard Perle, Michael Ledeen, and Reuel Marc Gerecht to shut the hell up. In fact, they need to be arrested and tried as traitors for their part in the illegal and immoral invasion and occupation of Iraq. If there was any justice in the world, Bush would be impeached and Dick Cheney would be wearing an orange jumpsuit. dissidentvoice.org

Israel trains US assassination squads in Iraq December 12, 2003 Julian Borger Israeli advisers are helping train US special forces in the use of assassination squads. guardian.co.uk

Army ignored uranium poisoning complaints April 12, 2004 AP Six soldiers who have fallen ill since their return from Iraq said Friday that the Army ignored their complaints about uranium poisoning from U.S. weapons fired during combat. They also said they were denied testing for the radioactive substance. ``We were all healthy when we left home. Now, I suffer from headaches, fatigue, dizziness, blood in the urine, unexplained rashes, shortness of breath, migraines and nausea'' diario.com.mx

Hundreds of Corpses Fill Haiti Morgues April 12, 2004 democracynow.org We speak with an attorney with the National Lawyers Guild which recently sent a delegation to Haiti. He says he saw hundreds of corpses being dumped by morgues in Haiti and describes bodies coming in with plastic bags over their heads and hands tied behind their backs, piles of corpses burning in fields and pigs eating their flesh. Listen to: Segment / Watch 128k stream / Watch 256k stream / democracynow.org

Body Bags Filled with GI Joe and Jane, No Homecoming Trumpets for the fallen? April 11, 2004 By Vincent L Guarisco "Americans have been taught that their nation is civilized and humane. But, too often, U.S. actions have been uncivilized and inhumane." - Howard Zinn, historian and author Did Uncle Sam always have such a cold, black heart? Or did Sammy's heartstrings lose their chromatic charm and warmth when the Bush cartel dipped it into an oozing barrel of Texas Tea imported from the Middle East? I know many of you are still wrapped in the flag, but can you at least pull it down past your eyes and ears for minute? The mouth area on down can remain star-spangled and entwined. I appreciate your cooperation. I need your quiet, patriotic attention. thepeoplesvoice.org

Mujahideen Threaten To Cut Off Heads Of Captives Pending Fallujah Withdawl April 11, 2004 Albawaba.com An Arabic television channel on Saturday aired a tape from an Iraqi group which is threatening to kill 30 foreign hostages. In the tape, the group has threatened to cut off the heads of their prisoners unless US occupation forces lift a blockade on the town of Fallujah. "We are calling for the withdrawal of American and Coalition forces. "We have Japanese, Bulgarian, Israeli, American, Spanish and Korean hostages. "Their numbers are 30," said a masked man holding a Kalashnikov rifle. jihadunspun.com

Nine US Troops Killed Near Abu Ghurayb; Others Killed As Shias, Sunnis Unite April 11, 2004 By Muhammad Abu Nasr, The Free Arab Voice At least nine American aggressor troops were killed Friday and an unspecified number of others injured in a rocket attack on a US military fuel convoy near Abu Ghurayb, a western suburb of Baghdad where the US has a major base and concentration camp for Iraqi prisoners. Al-Jazeera TV’s correspondent reported that the attack destroyed three fuel tankers belonging to the US forces and crippled three Humvees. Later in the day, the US officially admitted to one of its soldiers being killed in the attack. jihadunspun.com

Taliban Kill “Dozens” Of Coalition Forces, More MIA’s Reported Apr 11, 2004 By Zafir Jamaal In different operations around Afghanistan, Taliban Mujahideen have reportedly killed dozens of American and ANA troops, while many others are missing in action (MIA). Numerous vehicles have also been destroyed as the conflict with the Afghanistan intensified last week. In Helmand, Coalition and ANA was busy in an anti Taliban operation in Sangin when they were ambushed by Taliban Mujahideen. The resulting firefight lasted for several hours with one American and 3 ANA soldiers reported killed. Six others were reported and two of those are said to also be American. jihadunspun.com

Thousands in Fallouja Flee; Council Totters A cease-fire in the city crumbles after less than two hours. Five more U.S. troops die in Iraq in the coalition's deadliest week since Hussein's ouster April 11, 2004 By Tony Perry and Nicholas Riccardi FALLOUJA, Iraq — A cease-fire between U.S. Marines and insurgents collapsed less than two hours after it took effect Friday as tens of thousands of women and children fled this besieged city and occupation officials scrambled to stave off a revolt from their handpicked Governing Council. On the anniversary of the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, authorities reported that five more U.S. troops had been killed in the last two days, bringing to 49 the number of American deaths since Sunday. latimes.com

Runaway Train April 10, 2004 By Kerry Tomasi It’s like watching a vintage old train roaring by at 90 mph; the locomotive fueled with bags of money from the national treasury, and each boxcar filled with some valuable part of our country. George “Casey Jones” Jr. is at the controls (well, sort of) and Karl Rove is stoking the boiler, feverishly trying to generate more steam. You watch in frustration, because up ahead, just around the bend, the bridge is out. Yes, the corporate despots who have seized control of our government are driving this country toward certain disaster. thepeoplesvoice.org

US Fails to take Fallujah - Declares Ceasefire April 10, 2004 The U.S. called on anti-occupation fighters in Fallujah on Saturday to join a bilateral cease-fire after failing all week in attempts to take the city. rense.com

URGENT MESSAGE FROM IRAQ! April 10, 2004 Iman Khamas "The Iraqi cities of Sadr, Adamiya, Kufa, Faluja, Shula and other have been closed and are being bombarded with missiles and tanks by the US occupation forces and their representatives. The civilian population is being assassinated. The highway to Faluja is closed and word from the interior of this city indicates that the streets are littered with many dead. There are no ambulances, nor water or electricity. Reporters are prohibited from entering and many camaras have been broken. All this indicates that this situation will continue in the coming days. Please, help us" fourwinds10.com

Corpses litter streets in Fallujah April 10, 2004 Ned Parker Corpses littered the streets of the Iraqi town of Fallujah on Thursday as US marines met ferocious resistance in the Sunni Muslim bastion which their commander compared to the Vietnam war. As the marines inched foward block-by-block taking sniper fire and hit-and-run attacks with mortars and rocket-propelled grenades, a US medic said the resistance was more intense than in last spring's invasion. iafrica.com

Scholars Condemn U.S. ‘Genocide’ In Iraq April 10, 2004 By Sobhy Mujahid & Essam Talima CAIRO,The U.S. occupation forces should halt their "brutal  genocide" against Iraqis and international community has to intervene for stopping this aggression that does not exempt even mosques or sanctities, 67 world Muslim scholars said in a statement. islamonline.org

"You Are a Liar" April 10, 2004 By Catherine Austin Fitts Former Assistant Secretary of Housing - Attorney General Ashcroft sits on the National Security Council. Warned by his FBI security detail, the head of law enforcement for the United States knew to avoid commercial airlines on September 11, 2001. It was your job as National Security Advisor to make sure that the people who flew on American Airlines Flight 11, United Airlines Flight 175, United Airlines Flight 93 and American Airlines Flight 77 had the benefit of the same warnings as those they paid to protect us. You knew. You kept silent. They died. fromthewilderness.com

Condoleezza Rice is a Lying Schill for Her Terrorist Masters April 10, 2004 Alex Jones Condoleezza Rice and the 911 Whitewash Commission are putting on a huge theatrical display. I have made two documentary films covering September 11th and have written a book on the subject. I have interviewed dozens of government officials and have been continually researching the CIA-Al-Qaeda connection even prior to 9/11. I can say unequivocally that Condoleezza Rice is a congenital liar. Remember, this is the woman who got up on national television and told the world that no one in the White House or in the intelligence complex had ever heard of terrorist plans to crash planes into buildings. infowars.com

Al Jazeera team 'targetted by US' April 10, 2004 The correspondent in Fallujah of Qatar-based Arabic satellite channel Al Jazeera charged on Saturday that he and his television crew had been targeted by US fire in the flashpoint Iraqi city. "Our team has become one of the objectives of the American Army. Yesterday after midday (local time), we were targetted by heavy American artillery fire and prior to that (US) snipers fired at us," Ahmed Mansur said in a live report from the city where American troops are battling insurgents. abc.net.au

'US is bigger threat than terror' April 10, 2004 BBC World asked 1,500 viewers of its news and international channel for the biggest problems in the world. 52% said the US and globalisation. pose a more serious threat to the world than war and terrorism. news.bbc

Will the 2004 Election Be Called Off? Why Three Out of Four Experts Predict a Terrorist Attack by November April 10, 2004 by Maureen Farrell "Recently, I co-chaired a meeting hosted by CNBC of more than 200 senior business and government executives, many of whom are specialists in security and terrorism related issues," he wrote. "Almost three-quarters of them said it was likely the United States would see a major terrorist strike before the end of 2004." "history suggests that striking during major elections is an effective tool for terrorist groups," Rothkopf explained. buzzflash.com

An Interesting Day: President Bush's Movements and Actions on 9/11 April 10, 2004 By Allan Wood and Paul Thompson "It was an interesting day." - President Bush, recalling 9/11- White House, 1/5/02 At approximately 8:48 a.m. on the morning of September 11, 2001, the first pictures of the burning World Trade Center were broadcast on live television. The news anchors, reporters, and viewers had little idea what had happened in lower Manhattan, but there were some people who did know. cooperativeresearch.net

US tried to plant WMDs, failed: whistleblower April 10, 2004 Daily Times Monitor According to a stunning report posted by a retired Navy Lt Commander and 28-year veteran of the Defense Department (DoD), the Bush administration’s assurance about finding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq was based on a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) plan to “plant” WMDs inside the country. dailytimes.com

A THUD OF A "BOOM" April 10, 2004 By Jim Hightower Despite George W's recent cheer leading effort to convince us that – sis-boom-bah, the economy is surging and The Boom Is Back! – most Americans are shaking their heads and saying, a boom for whom? With the mass offshoring of both blue-collar and white-collar jobs, and with the Wal-Maritization of wages and benefits here at home, it's no longer just the unskilled, down-and-out, abject poor who are left out by our "boom boom" economy, but also skilled, formerly-middle-class workers. jimhightower.com

North Korea says standoff with US at "brink of nuclear war" April 10, 2004 SEOUL (AFP) North Korea said Friday the standoff over its atomic ambitions was on the brink of nuclear war as US Vice President Dick Cheney headed to the region for talks with key Asian allies. The Stalinist state's official news agency accused Washington of "driving the military situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of a nuclear war" with plans for a pre-emptive strike on North Korea. spacewar.com

Claim vs. Fact: Condoleezza Rice's Opening Statement April 9, 2004 CLAIM: "We decided immediately to continue pursuing the Clinton Administration's covert action authorities and other efforts to fight the network." FACT: In the months before 9/11, the U.S. Justice Department curtailed a highly classified program to monitor al-Qaida suspects in the United States." CLAIM: "We bolstered the Treasury Department's activities to track and seize terrorist assets." FACT: The new Bush Treasury Department "disapproved of the Clinton Administration's approach to money laundering issues, which had been an important part of the drive to cut off the money flow to bin Laden." CLAIM: "We increased funding for counterterrorism activities across several agencies." FACT: Upon taking office, the 2002 Bush budget proposed to slash more than half a billion dollars out of funding for counterterrorism at the Justice Department, $58 million in F.B.I. requests, and $65 million for state and local counterterrorism grants." CLAIM: "While we were developing this new strategy to deal with al-Qaida, we also made decisions on a number of specific anti-al-Qaida initiatives that had been proposed by Dick Clarke." FACT: Rice's statement finally confirms what she previously – and inaccurately – denied. She falsely claimed on 3/22/04 that "No al-Qaida plan was turned over to the new administration." [Washington Post, 3/22/04] CLAIM: "When threat reporting increased during the Spring and Summer of 2001, we moved the U.S. Government at all levels to a high state of alert and activity." FACT: Documents indicate that before Sept. 11, 2001, the Bush Administration "did not give terrorism top billing in their strategic plans for the Justice Department had moved it "farther to the back burner" and Donald Rumsfeld and Paul Wolfowitz, "shut down" a plan to weaken the Taliban. CLAIM: "The threat reporting that we received in the Spring and Summer of 2001 was not specific as to...manner of attack." FACT: Bush Administration "officials acknowledged that U.S. intelligence officials informed President Bush weeks before the Sept. 11 attacks that bin Laden's terrorist network might try to hijack American planes." americanprogress.org

Rice testifies before 9/11 commission: more cover-up and lies April 9, 2004  By Barry Grey Against the backdrop of US war crimes in Fallujah and other Iraqi cities that have already taken thousands of civilian lives, and led to more deaths and injuries of American soldiers, Rice claimed: “Today, along with many allies, we are helping the people of Iraq and Afghanistan to build free societies...to spread the blessings of liberty and democracy..." to invade and occupy Iraq and seize its oil resources. wsws.org

Dual uprisings called widespread April 9, 2004 By James Risen U.S. forces are confronting a broad-based Shiite uprising that goes well beyond supporters of one militant Islamic cleric who has been the focus of U.S. counterinsurgency efforts, U.S. intelligence officials said Wednesday. That assertion contradicts repeated statements by the Bush administration and with U.S. officials in Iraq. contracostatimes.com

The Democrats and “Bush’s war” April 9, 2004 Editorial Board The eruption of a war of national resistance against the US occupation of Iraq has underscored the criminal character of the US invasion of that country and the culpability of the entire political establishment in dragging the American people into a shameful colonial enterprise. At least 40 US Marines and soldiers have lost their lives in the recent upheavals. The death toll among the Iraqis is not even being counted by occupation authorities, but reports from across the country indicate that it is well over 1,000, for the most part unarmed men, women and children. wsws.org

Belgian minister in genocide row April 9, 2004 Reuters The Belgian defence minister, Andre Flahaut, came under fire yesterday for approving an official document asserting that the biggest genocide of the past 500 years occurred in North America. The document put North America at the top of a list of genocides, saying an ongoing genocide of Native Americans had claimed 15 million lives since 1492, when Christopher Columbus sailed to the Americas. guardian.co.uk

U.S. Terrorism Policy Spawns Steady Staff Exodus April 9, 2004 By Caroline Drees Security Correspondent WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Since the Sept. 11 attacks, the Bush administration has faced a steady exodus of counterterrorism officials, many disappointed by a preoccupation with Iraq they said undermined the U.S. fight against terrorism. reuters.com

Offshoring jobs could drain public coffers, critics warn April 9, 2004 By Rachel Konrad (AP) As U.S. companies shift jobs to low-paid workers in developing nations, a growing number of economists and politicians worry that offshoring could erode already-strapped Social Security, Medicare, workers compensation and other payroll-deduction funds more quickly than anticipated. boston.com

Hostages put Tokyo in bind Three Japanese citizens have been captured April 9, 2004 "We are the sons of Muslim Iraqi people. We were friends and on good terms. Why did you betray us and support the US forces which have violated our soil, our sacred places and land and shed the blood of our children?" demanded the statement. "It is time to retaliate. Three of your nationals are now in our custody and you have either to withdraw, or we will burn them alive." english.aljazeera.net

Occupation codename: Democracy April 9, 2004 Don"t be fooled by Washington catch phrases like "Democracy", "War on Terror", "Liberation of Iraq" or "Peace". They"re only codenames for nothing more than a mass murder and a vicious assault on a sovereign country. What Washington calls "peace and stability" - that it boasts it has brought to the region - in reality means that the war is yet to begin.  Exactly what Washington has feared the most has happened: the Shi"ite majority has joined the resistance against the occupying forces.  The quickly spreading uprising has triggered the worst casualty crises and heaviest losses on both sides to date. When today Washington and their media labels the escalating disaster as "civil war", they, of course, mean a full-blown international war in which the occupied Iraq has risen against the American invaders. english.pravda.ru

Idle U.S. machinery exported April 9, 2004 By Jeffrey Sparshott America's sunset industries are rising in the East. Literally. Many steel and textiles mills that are no longer competitive in the United States are being packed up and shipped to China and other Asian nations, where lower costs of doing business give the machinery new life and foreign workers new jobs. "There's been a lot of movement of equipment to China," said Carrie Casey, president of Pittsburgh-based Casey Equipment Corp. washingtontimes.com

O'Reilly Clinches War Crimes Indictment! Calls for Destruction of Falluja! April 9, 2004 Bill O'Reilly confirmed his indictment in any future international war crimes tribunal by publicly calling for the destruction of Falluja. He has previously called for the murder of civilians in both Afghanistan and Iraq if they have the audacity to get in the way of US firepower in their own countries. "destroy Falluja"; "we'll put them in a refugee camp". O'Reilly's M.O. is always the same: Warn the citizenry to evacuate their homes or they will be wasted by US firepower. This is Washington's true message to the workers of the world. cosmosleft.com

Bush told of hijack warning weeks before 9/11 April 9, 2004 Julian Borger President Bush was given an intelligence briefing, entitled Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States just weeks before the September 11 attacks, it emerged yesterday. At the time he received it, Mr Bush was on a month-long "working holiday" at his Texas ranch and spent much of the following days fishing and clearing undergrowth on his land. He did not cut short his vacation or apparently take dramatic steps in response to the briefing. guardian.co.uk

The Misconceptions of the "No Vote" Movement: And the Importance of Voting in 2004! April 8, 2004 By Vincent L Guarisco " I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts. "~~Abraham Lincoln, American president, 1861-1865. The "No Vote" movement brewing in America is not the answer! thepeoplesvoice.org

Photos from Falluja April 8, 2004 Aljazeera news crew inside the town author: aljazeera The Aljazeera crew, including cameramen Layf Muftaq and Hasan Walid, sound engineer Sayf al-Din and correspondent Hamid Hadid, are the only media personnel inside the town.Hospital sources said at least 52 Iraqis were killed and 90 injured in attacks on the besieged town of Falluja on Wednesday, said Aljazeera correspondent in Falluja, Ahmad Mansur. "Iraqi medic Rafi al-Isawai said the number of casualities is expected to double," he added. Another 53 Iraqis died in attacks overnight in the besieged town which American forces sealed off on Sunday. "More than 200 Iraqis, including women children, were injured in the past 24 hours," said Mansur. portland.indymedia.org

A guided missile, a misguided war US 'kills 40' in mosque attack as Iraq conflict spirals out of control April 8, 2004 By Patrick Cockburn in Baghdad An American airborne assault on a mosque killed 'at least 40 worshippers' attending prayers in the city of Fallujah yesterday as US-led occupation forces lost control of large parts of Iraq. Witnesses said the attack came as worshippers gathered for afternoon prayers and that at least 40 worshippers had been killed. Improvised hospitals were set up in private homes to treat the wounded and prepare the dead for burial. independent.co.uk

Bloody 'power play' April 8, 2004 Troops due to leave Iraq shortly may have to stay The Washington Post U.S. forces have suffered their bloodiest week in Iraq since just before the fall of Baghdad a year ago, reporting 40 combat deaths in the seven days between March 31 and April 6. Unlike earlier spikes in casualty figures, notably ones in the fall that reflected a few helicopter crashes, the latest jump reflects a broad range of incidents, from fierce firefights to roadside bombs. U.S. military deaths in Iraq since the invasion now total 635 heraldnet.com

Rumsfeld denies Iraq situation spiralling out of control April 8, 2004 John Shovelan The US Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, denies the situation in Iraq is spiralling out of control. He says the attacks are the work of a relatively small number of people and not a popular uprising. abc.net.au

Thinking Unthinkable Thoughts April 8, 2004 by Nick Welsh Theologian Charges White House Complicity in 9/11 Attack There’s nothing the least bit wild-eyed or hysterical about David Ray Griffin. In person, he’s disarmingly calm, and speaks in the unflappably precise and deliberate style of a lifelong academic. Griffin is now raising questions that even President Bush’s harshest critics are afraid to think, let alone ask aloud. Griffin all but accuses the Bush administration of taking a dive on September 11 and giving Al Qaeda terrorists an unobstructed shot at the World Trade Center. According to Griffin, a case can be made that the Bush administration arranged the attack, or allowed it to happen. independent.com

August 6, 2001: Bush Administration Warned 'Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States' April 8, 2004 Two and a half years after 9/11, the American public learned today that President Bush received explicit warnings that Osama bin Laden was planning to attack the United States – including activities "consistent with preparations for hijacking." Yet, there was no domestic follow-up by the Bush administration. No high level meetings. No sense of urgency. No warnings to FBI agents across the country. We now know why the Bush administration has been hiding the Aug. 6, 2001, intelligence briefing for the president, called "Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States." americanprogress.org

Plea to lift siege as toll mounts April 8, 2004 Doctors in Falluja want the siege on the town lifted for shifting patients with serious injuries even as brutal street battles rage. Two hundred and eighty people have been killed since the start of the siege and 400 more injured, said Tahr al-Issawi, the director of Falluja's hospital on Thursday. "We also know of dead and wounded in various places buried under rubble, but we cannot reach them because of the fighting," he said. english.aljazeera.net

Warnings are everywhere ... Americans had best wake up and do something about it April 8, 2004 INTERNATIONAL FORECASTER financial newsletter out this weekend, editor Bob Chapman writes that it is finally becoming painfully obvious that oil producers are artificially increasing the price of oil to offset the cost of the depreciating dollar. "We are sure others that sell into the dollar market are doing the same thing. As we have said before, private investors have all but fled the dollar denominated Treasury market and other central banks have been buying over 80% of US issues." vheadline.com

Two Reporters Told to Erase Scalia Tapes April 8, 2004 (AP) HATTIESBURG, Miss. Two reporters were ordered Wednesday to erase their tape recordings of a speech by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia at a Mississippi high school. The reporter initially resisted, but later showed the deputy how to erase the digital recording after the officer took the device from her hands. The exchange occurred in the front row of the auditorium while Scalia delivered his speech about the Constitution. guardian.co.uk