Former weapons inspector says U.S. ‘lied’ about Iraqi weapons
Iraq arms hunt comes up empty -Orlando Sentinel/Wash. PostUN weapons inspector Hans Blix: 'U.S. planned Iraq war in advance' Where are the Weapons of Mass Destruction -Wanniski.comStaged "Liberation" media event? -IndyMedia WASHINGTON (FinalCall.com)–The victory celebrations by the general public in this country overthe toppling of the bronze statue of deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein inBaghdad April 9 will amount to...
Latin America wary of U.S. military expansion
WASHINGTON (IPS)–While much of the world’s attention has been focused on Iraq, Afghanistan and Israel-Palestine, Washington has quietly boosted its military presence in Colombia, supposedly to search for contractors kidnapped by leftist insurgents. But observers call the stepped-up militarization part of a strategy to tighten U.S. control of the country, and the region. Published figures show that...
Israel major benefactor of Iraq war
DUBAI (IPS)–The biggest beneficiary of the second Gulf War–without firing a bullet–will be Israel, say two Middle East experts. Umaimmah al-Jalahmmah, professor of Islamic studies at King Faisal University in Saudi Arabia, says, "The Jews were the driving force behind the war, with powerful pro-Israel lobbies in Washington seeking the destruction of one of the main threats to...
U.S., UN to square off over lifting of Iraqi restrictions
Direction of Iraq's future gov't worries U.S. UNITED NATIONS (FinalCall.com)–The United Nations Security Council said they were engaged in serious dialogue over resolutions on Iraq, so on April 17 they moved their meeting out of UN headquarters to the embassy of a Council member. "This dialogue is very intense and is taking place right now and it will be...
War crimes probe focuses on U.S.
War leaders may face war crimes charges (Al Jazeera)The Crimes of War Project Online UNITED NATIONS (IPS)–A multinational coalition of jurists and civil society groups is launching an investigation of alleged war crimes in Iraq for potential prosecution by the young International Criminal Court (ICC). The move is motivated in part by Washington’s plans to set up...
Latin American rally hails Chavez
Venezuelan president stands tall for the Black and Brown Poor stand with Venezuela's president, despite country's hardships Latin America, Looking Backward (BlackElectorate.com)'Proof of US involvement in Venezuela Coup Attempt' BBC News CARACAS, Venezuela (IPS)–Who said that raised fists at a political rally were out of style? Representatives from the whole spectrum of the Latin American left gathered in Venezuela recently...
Democracy or Theocracy?
Direction of Iraq's future gov't worries U.S. (FinalCall.com) - As both Shi’a and Sunni Muslim groups continue their protests, at times jointly, against U.S.-led occupation in Iraq, U.S. concerns are rising over the possibility of the formation of a theocracy–political Islamic rule–in post-war Iraq instead of the U.S. preferred democracy. Some observers have said the demands of competing Iraqi Shi’a Muslim...
Japan walks tightrope with U.S./UN after Saddam
TOKYO (IPS)–Japan is walking a political tightrope, balancing its traditional support for the United Nations against the strategic value it puts on Washington’s backing as tension grows on the Korean peninsula. Tokyo found itself in a bind before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, caught between its ties with the United States and widespread pacifist demonstrations at home. Now, in...
Is America headed to Damascus?
UN weapons inspector Hans Blix: 'U.S. planned Iraq war in advance' The Bush administration begins rattling saber at Iraq's neighbors NEW YORK (FinalCall.com)–The Syrian government of President Bashar Assad faced renewed warnings from American officials not to provide safe haven for senior figures in Saddam Hussein’s regime. At Final Call press time, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell raised the possibility...
Caribbean seeks strength in face of aggressive U.S.
(FinalCall.com) - Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur recently went on the offensive, defending his nation’s right to speak out on international issues, a right that was challenged by an envoy of U.S. President George W. Bush during a recent television interview with members of the regional press. "The Barbadian government will fearlessly and freely state its opinion on international matters,"...