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Wednesday, April 23, 2003 From SMH.com (http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/04/16/1050172608832.html) US troops accused of carnage April 16 2003 United States troops opened fire on a crowd hostile to the new pro-American governor in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul yesterday, killing at least 10 people and injuring as many as 100, witnesses and doctors said. The shooting overshadowed the start of US-brokered talks aimed at sketching out a post-Saddam Iraq. At Mosul hospital Dr Ayad al-Ramadhani said the American soldiers had fired into a crowd that was becoming increasingly hostile towards governor Mashaan al-Juburi as he was making a pro-US speech in the city. But a US miltary spokesman said the troops had come under fire from at least two gunmen and fired back, but did not aim at the crowd. "There are perhaps 100 wounded and 10 to 12 dead," Dr al-Ramadhani said as angry relatives of the dead and wounded voiced hatred of Americans and Westerners. One witness, Marwan Mohammed, 50, said: "We were at the market place near the government building, where Juburi was making a speech. He said everything would be restored, water, electricity, and that democracy was the Americans. "As for the Americans, they were going through the crowd with their flag. They placed themselves between the civilians and the building. The people moved toward the government building, the children threw stones, the Americans started firing. Then they prevented the people from recovering the bodies." A doctor, Said Altah, said: "Juburi said the people must co-operate with the United States. The crowd called him a liar, and tempers rose as he continued to talk. They threw objects at him, overturned his car, which exploded. The wounded said Juburi asked the Americans to fire." Ayad Hassun said the trouble broke out after the crowd interrupted Mr Juburi's speech with cries of, "There is no God but God, and Muhammad is his prophet." "You are with Saddam's fedayeen," retorted Mr Juburi, to which the crowd chanted that, "The only democracy is to make the Americans leave." He said 20 US soldiers escorted Mr Juburi back into the building. "They climbed on top of the building and first fired at a building near the crowd, with the glass falling on the civilians. People started to throw stones, then the Americans fired at them." But the US spokesman said: "There were protesters outside, 100 to 150, there was fire, we returned fire. We didn't fire at the crowd, but at the top of the building. There were at least two gunmen. I don't know if they were killed. The firing was not intensive but sporadic, and lasted up to two minutes." At the US-sponsored talks near the southern city of Nasiriyah, crowds earlier denounced the US presence in Iraq. Thousands protested that they did not need US help now Saddam Hussein had gone. "No to America. No to Saddam," chanted Iraqis from the Shia Muslim majority oppressed by Saddam. Arabic television networks said up to 20,000 people marched. In Baghdad, meanwhile, hundreds of people chanting "our blood and our soul we give to Iraq" gathered outside the Palestine Hotel in protest against the US presence. The hotel now houses US military and reporters. Australia came in for criticism at the Nasiriyah conference when one delegate, Sheik Sayed Jamaluddin, hit out at the detention of Iraqi asylum seekers. After thanking the US and Britain for liberating Iraqis from Saddam, the Shiite cleric said: "I call on the representatives of the Australian Government to ask the Government to accept the human rights of those Iraqis who are held prisoner in some capacity in Iraq [viz] that they might be treated in a humane fashion." The talks ended on yesterday with an agreement to meet again in 10 days. Jay Garner, the former US general leading the effort to rebuild Iraq, opened the conference, saying: "A free and democratic Iraq will begin today." posted by Unknown at 5:57 PM From The Times Online (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,5944-647887,00.html) Allies face veto threat over UN sanctions From James Bone in New York THE first skirmishes have begun in the diplomatic battle over control of Iraq’s oil wealth after the ousting of Saddam Hussein. Although they have yet to present any formal proposals, Britain and the United States want the United Nations Security Council to lift the UN sanctions on Iraq’s oil revenues and to abolish the sanctions sub-committee that vets all expenditure of Iraqi oil money. The UN sanctions regime gives France, Russia and China great leverage over the country’s future oil sales, which the three powers are expected to exploit for their own economic advantage. Diplomats say that the three are likely to use their UN veto to extract a measure of control over oil sales as the price for agreeing to lift the embargo, a move that requires a positive vote by the Security Council. The UN imposed a total trade embargo on Iraq after its 1990 invasion of Kuwait, but allowed an increasing range of goods into the country under the “oil-for-food” scheme that began in 1996. Under the scheme Iraq could spend its oil money on almost any goods except military equipment and certain “dual-use” items. Private companies working for the UN checked all Iraqi oil exports and signed off on all goods entering the country. The scheme, which provided a monthly food basket to 60 per cent of the Iraqi population, was suspended at the start of the war when the 900 international UN staff, including the oil monitors, were withdrawn for their safety. But the distribution network of 3,400 local UN employees and 44,000 “food agents”, akin to corner-shop owners, still exists and Britain and America want to reactivate it before Iraqis start to run out of stockpiled food. Last month the Security Council approved unanimously emergency arrangements for a 45-day period, until May 12, that allows the UN to approve imports into Iraq despite the regime’s collapse. The challenge facing diplomats now is to agree the terms for lifting sanctions. Under existing UN resolutions, sanctions are to be lifted once UN arms inspectors verify that Iraq has rid itself of weapons of mass destruction. But America is resisting efforts to send the UN inspectors back to Iraq. The US could ask the Security Council to lift the sanctions and abolish the sub-committee, but they would have to get Russian, French and Chinese consent to do so. The first showdown will come on May 12, but diplomats say that the Security Council may extend the emergency period until the end of the designated “Oil-for-Food” phase on June 3. That would give Britain and America time to come up with proposals and to hold detailed talks with other veto-bearing Security Council members. posted by Unknown at 5:46 PM From the Times Online (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,5944-648360,00.html) ‘We survived the war, but the peace is killing us’ From Daniel McGrory in Basra BRUSHING away the flies that kept settling on the child’s face, Murtudhr Kadhum said: “In Basra we feared the war, but in fact it is the peace that is killing us.” The 11-month-old girl he was treating at Basra’s ageing Republic Hospital was grievously ill from drinking the filthy water that her mother had collected from a nearby river. Sitting on the edge of her daughter’s bed yesterday, Sabbiha Hadi rocked back and forth, telling the doctor over and over again that she had not meant to hurt her child, but she had been unable to find any other source of water. Last night four children in this city centre hospital died as a consequence of having no clean water. Dr Kadhum feared that Tuka Hadi would be the fifth and that many would follow her. “When people in Britain see pictures like this, they must think us uneducated savages who don’t know how to care for our people,” he said. “They should know we are good doctors — but without the help the British promised us with water, electricity and basic medicines, how can we save children like this?” International sympathy has focused, understandably, on those images of infants maimed by war, with airlifts being organised and funds raised abroad. Dr Kadhum believes, however, that there is a real danger that more Iraqi children will die of preventable diseases in the next few weeks and the outside world will not notice. “During the war we knew what we faced and took precautions,” he said, “but now there is peace, we are seeing more and more children being brought in here than during the bombardment. “We keep asking the British Army for water. Please, just give us some clean water, but still families have go to the rivers and drains. It isn’t right.” This hospital survived the war and the looters, but now it is struggling to stay open. The small generator that the staff have to keep the accident and emergency department functioning is desperately short of fuel. There is no oxygen left, hardly any anaesthetic, nor clean syringes. Five women lying side by side have had to share the same needle. Doctors were operating on a patient on Monday night when the power failed and the man died. Dr Kadhum said: “We know from listening to the radio that in Britain there are speeches from Tony Blair and others saying how much help is getting to the Iraqi people. It is not. I’m afraid that is just propaganda to make Washington and London feel good about what they are doing.” This was not some Saddam Hussein loyalist trying to score political points. He said that he despised politics, and where it has led his country. He described what he called “a shameful episode” when he first asked British commanders for an urgent delivery of water. “A tanker rolled up, followed by a lot of television cameras and several senior officers. We didn’t mind that, but that was the last lot of water we saw for days, so it was just showbusiness.” There were dark lines under his eyes from lack of sleep and, like the rest of the staff, he had not been paid for more than two months, even though his salary is only 60p a week. “We don’t care about that,” he said. “What hurts is not being able to do our jobs properly.” The hospital mortuary is full of those who died during the week-long bombardment. Dr Kadhum fears that they could be outnumbered soon by those “killed by the peace”. posted by Unknown at 5:44 PM From the BBC Online (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2946715.stm) US rejects Iraq DU clean-up By Alex Kirby BBC News Online environment correspondent The US says it has no plans to remove the debris left over from depleted uranium (DU) weapons it is using in Iraq. DU shells can go straight through the side of a tank US and British tanks use DU shells and armour It says no clean-up is needed, because research shows DU has no long-term effects. It says a 1990 study suggesting health risks to local people and veterans is out of date. A United Nations study found DU contaminating air and water seven years after it was used. DU, left over after natural uranium has been enriched, is 1.7 times denser than lead, and very effective for punching through armoured vehicles. When a weapon with a DU tip or core strikes a solid object, like the side of a tank, it goes straight through before erupting in a burning cloud of vapour. This settles as chemically poisonous and radioactive dust. Risk studies Both the US and the UK acknowledge the dust can be dangerous if inhaled, though they say the danger is short-lived, localised, and much more likely to lead to chemical poisoning than to irradiation. But a study prepared for the US Army in July 1990, a month before Iraq invaded Kuwait, says: "The health risks associated with internal and external DU exposure during combat conditions are certainly far less than other combat-related risks. "Following combat, however, the condition of the battlefield and the long-term health risks to natives and combat veterans may become issues in the acceptability of the continued use of DU." A Pentagon spokesman, Lieutenant-Colonel David Lapan, told BBC News Online: "Since then there've been a number of studies - by the UK's Royal Society and the World Health Organisation, for example - into the health risks of DU, or the lack of them. "It's fair to say the 1990 study has been overtaken by them. One thing we've found in these various studies is that there are no long-term effects from DU. "And given that, I don't believe we have any plans for a DU clean-up in Iraq." Part of the armoury The UN Environment Programme study, published in March 2003, found DU in air and groundwater in Bosnia-Herzegovina seven years after the weapons were fired. The UN says the existing data suggest it is "highly unlikely" DU could be linked to any of the health problems reported. But it recommends collecting DU fragments, covering contaminated points with asphalt or clean soil, and keeping records of contaminated sites. Reports from Baghdad speak of repeated attacks by US aircraft carrying DU weapons on high-rise buildings in the city centre. The UK says: "British forces on deployment to the Gulf have DU munitions available as part of their armoury, and will use them if necessary." It will not confirm they have used them. Many veterans from the Gulf and Kosovo wars believe DU has made them seriously ill. One UK Gulf veteran is Ray Bristow, a former marathon runner. In 1999 he told the BBC: "I gradually noticed that every time I went out for a run my distance got shorter and shorter, my recovery time longer and longer. "Now, on my good days, I get around quite adequately with a walking stick, so long as it's short distances. Any further, and I need to be pushed in a wheelchair." Ray Bristow was tested in Canada for DU. He is open-minded about its role in his condition. But he says: "I remained in Saudi Arabia throughout the war. I never once went into Iraq or Kuwait, where these munitions were used. "But the tests showed, in layman's terms, that I have been exposed to over 100 times an individual's safe annual exposure to depleted uranium." posted by Unknown at 5:36 PM From The National Post (http://www.nationalpost.com/world/story.html?id=ECE98D7D-B287-47A5-90FB-A76063AD1B4E) War crimes case planned against U.S Washington says groups' bid proves ICC a political tool Steven Edwards National Post UNITED NATIONS - A coalition of lawyers and human rights groups yesterday unveiled a bid to use the UN's new International Criminal Court as a tool to restrain American military power. In a move Washington said vindicated U.S. claims that the court would be used for political purposes, the rights activists are working to compile war crimes cases against the United States and its chief ally in Iraq, Britain. "There is a way that the United States can be accused ... of aiding and abetting war crimes," said Michael Ratner, president of the Center for Constitutional Rights. The U.S. last year renounced the ICC, predicting it would become a political tool for opponents of U.S. foreign policy to launch frivolous prosecutions against U.S. military and diplomatic personnel. "It appears they are trying to manufacture a case against the United States," said a senior official with the Bush administration. "So this clearly would be an example of the type of politicization that we're concerned with." As a non-member, the United States would normally be outside of ICC jurisdiction unless it was suspected of crimes in a country that is an ICC member, which Iraq is not. But the fact that Britain is a member has given the rights activists a springboard for a case that argues U.S. air raids that killed civilians were war crimes. "The U.S. used bombers that took off from England ... and from Diego Garcia, also U.K. territory," said Mr. Ratner, referring to a British Indian Ocean island possession. Britain, as an ICC member, could be prosecuted on a much wider array of activities that resulted in civilian deaths, the activists said. Both U.S. and British officials have repeatedly said their forces make maximum efforts to avoid civilian casualties and never target civilians, which would violate the 1949 Geneva Conventions. Rights activists joining Mr. Ratner yesterday were Phil Shiner of the British-based Public Interest Lawyers, and Roger Norman of the Committee on Economic and Social Rights. They said five eminent international lawyers will outline a case against the United States and Britain next month for submission first to an international "alternative" court called the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal in Rome, then the prosecutor's office of the ICC in The Hague. People who had volunteered as Saddam's "human shields" will be among those contributing testimony. "Any evidence we can get hold of, we will present," Mr. Shiner said. "The [ICC] prosecutor would have a duty to investigate if there was credible evidence." Mr. Shiner said the activists' case will probe the coalition's use, or suspected use, of cluster bombs, depleted uranium ammunition and fuel-air explosives. These weapons are unauthorized, he claimed, because they "can't distinguish between civilian or military" targets. A cluster bomb consists of a canister that breaks apart to release a large number of small bombs. Because it has no precision guidance, it can wander off target if dropped from medium to high altitudes. Some of the bomblets typically do not explode, presenting a long-term threat to civilians. While coalition forces say they do not use such bombs in civilian areas, U.S. forces launched an investigation into reports U.S. cluster bombs killed at least 11 civilians in Hilla, a city 100 kilometres south of Baghdad and the scene of heavy fighting. Depleted uranium ammunition can pierce armour. But as a by-product of uranium enrichment, depleted uranium is mildly radioactive. It is also a heavy metal, and therefore potentially poisonous. "We know it has been used," Mr. Shiner said. However, he admitted the use of fuel-air explosives, which create giant fire balls, is not certain. Mr. Shiner said the activists' case would also question coalition "methods," citing strikes on shopping markets and an attack that resulted in the deaths of two journalists at the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad. The United States and Britain have said at least one market strike may have been caused by Iraqi anti-aircraft fire. U.S. forces said U.S. troops were returning fire from suspected Iraqi forces in the Palestine Hotel. The Bush administration official said: "This is a baseless accusation and we'll treat it as such." The ICC opened its doors for evidence collection on July 1, 2002, and has jurisdiction over crimes committed after that date. Canada is a strong supporter of the court. Philippe Kirsch, a Canadian international law specialist, is president of 18 ICC judges, but a prosecutor has yet to be selected. In 2000, the prosecutor for the UN's special war crimes court for the former Yugoslavia threw out a bid by activist groups to prosecute NATO for war crimes over the 1999 bombing of Kosovo. That experience provided lessons, however. "We wouldn't be wasting our time if we didn't think this was credible," Mr. Shiner said. The rights activists also said yesterday the United States should rethink its rejection last week of an ad hoc UN court to deal with the past crimes of Saddam's regime and any crimes by Iraqis against coalition forces. The U.S.-proposed alternative was "victors' justice," according to Mr. Ratner. The United States is in the process of identifying Iraqi jurists who can help create new Iraqi courts that will try key members of Saddam's regime for past crimes. Washington also reserves the right to try Iraqis itself for war crimes committed during the current conflict. Among those alleged crimes are mistreatment of coalition prisoners and the deceptive use of the white surrender flag. Because Iraq is not a member of the ICC, Saddam Hussein cannot be brought before it. posted by Unknown at 5:30 PM After two months of hiatis, I have decided to resume this blog. I don't know for how long. A new thought: Iraq To no surprise anywhere, the United States has effectively destroyed the Iraqi regime. In the process, they have unseated a dictator. Likewise, they have killed thousands of innocents, and are in the process of killing even more. Since their first invasion of Iraq in 1990, the United States has killed more than 2,000,000 Iraqi civillians. They have comitted numerous war crimes. They liberated the Kurds; they promised them weapons to help fight Saddam, and then they gave Iraq permission to fly over the No-Fly Zone to gas them. No weapons or food made it to the Kurds. Only death. Since the start of the new war, the Kurds once again are facing death - this time from American allies like Jordan and Turkey. The Kurds represent a modern Native-American situation. They are an unwanted people sitting on a desired land. Everyone in the surrounding region wants that land. Therefore, the Kurds risk being wiped out. Perhaps their best sollution is to ask for aid from America under the condition that the United States gains full control of all oil reserves located on Kurdistan lands. All war in the middle east is an act of spoil. Every victory holds war spoils, and after the United States liberated Kuwait in the 90's there was a huge amount of money made. Likewise there is tremendous money to be made after this most recent war. Why else would America liberate the suffering Iraqis when El Salvadore sanctions death-squads to kill homeless children? America does nothing about that. Let's not forget one other thing - the weapons of mass destruction appear to have actually been weapons of mass myth. They do not exist. posted by Unknown at 5:27 PM Saturday, February 22, 2003 Personal Commentary When I created this web site, it was to post the news about the variety of atrocities that are caused by living in a capitalist society and world. I decided at the time to keep my own personal views out of it, as the subject is far to big and all I can provide are uneducated biases and opinions. However, since I am the creator of this site, I can also bend or break the rules if I want, and I feel like talking about these things today. The Internet In the eight years that I have been on the internet, I have visited a variety of forums and newsgroups, in which it has become evident that there are some times of people who enjoy insulting, degrading, being vulgar, and anything else to those who disagree with their stance. They can be liberal, they can be conservative. All they really are are pests. I frequent the blog of a celebrity who is very popular on the net. He also happens to strongly oppose the War in Iraq and the actions of George W. Bush. Because of these views, people who will not even attach an EMail address to their posts frequent his site, constantly attacking and insulting him. It has frustrated him so much that he has at times contemplated quitting his site and no longer posting. This is something that I run the risk of dealing with as well, assuming that this site ever receives any notice. It is one thing, I think, to post relevant articles, but it is another thing to post controversial opinions. I am sure already that were many people to read "atrocities caused by capitalism" I would get flamed repeatedly. Regardless of this, let's be realistic here. Capitalism has been horrible to this world. Because of the money driven capitalist companies and corporations, third world nations face sweatshops, slavery, dictatorships, and much worse. The face of capitalism is inhumane, even if the people within it are very human, very driven to improve their lives and become successful and comfortable. These companies encourage racism, slavery, inhumane treatment, the use of dangerous chemicals, the use of improper work conditions, and much more. That doesn't mean that capitalism should be destroyed, I think it should be changed. How? I don't know. It's too big for me to grasp. The Government The first problem to face is that the government is capitalist driven, not democracy driven. Democracy is an afterthought in our society, if even that. Both President Bush and Vice President Cheney were at one point the heads of Oil Companies. And believe me, the war in Iraq would definitely benefit Big Oil. This war will put lots of money in the pockets of some already very rich people, at our expense, and at the expense of millions of innocents who had the misfortune of being born in Iraq. The government we live in is not for the people. Well, it is for people, but only for a select few, most of whom we can familiarize ourselves with by reading Forbes Magazine. People like myself, and yourself, who work as wage slaves are abused and used. We have almost zero chance of ever progressing in life, and we are more likely to be struck by lightning repeatedly than we are to become a part of the billionaire elite. The People Our society is comprised of people who have been fed a lie their entire lives. Many of them believe this lie so wholly that to be confronted with anything that contradicts it, they become violent and angry. We want to accept the lie, to live in denial, because to believe that we are treated worse than slaves is something no one really wants to comprehend. The people who live in this society and world are exploited. That is simple, that is true. Those with power hold it over those without, and the idea of changing that is incomprehensible. However, we are people, human beings, and we deserve to know. That is the point of this blog. posted by Unknown at 1:45 PM From the Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com) Millions Worldwide Protest Iraq War Coordinated Effort Yields Huge Turnout in Europe By Glenn Frankel Washington Post Foreign Service Sunday, February 16, 2003; Page A01 LONDON, Feb.15 -- Several million demonstrators took to the streets of Europe and the rest of the world today in a vast wave of protest against the prospect of a U.S.-led war against Iraq. The largest rallies were in London, Rome, Berlin and Paris -- the heart of Western Europe -- where the generally peaceful demonstrations illustrated the breadth of popular opposition to U.S. policies among traditional allies. But there were also protests in dozens of other cities on five continents, from Canberra to Oslo and from Cape Town to Damascus, in an extraordinary display of global coordination. In London, a sea of protesters estimated by police at more than 750,000 flooded into Hyde Park and clogged streets for several miles on a crisp, clear day in what observers and organizers said was probably the largest political demonstration in British history. It was aimed not just at President Bush but also at Britain's prime minister, Tony Blair, who has been Bush's staunchest ally in the campaign against Iraq but who is besieged by opposition at home from virtually every part of the political spectrum. Blair, in a speech earlier in the day, insisted he would stand his ground. But he also said Britain would wait for the next interim report from U.N. inspectors on Feb. 28 before seeking a Security Council resolution authorizing military action. Nearly 1 million people turned out in Rome, where Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has also supported the U.S. position. Between 300,000 and 500,000 people demonstrated in Berlin, at the largest rally since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. About 100,000 demonstrators poured through the streets of Paris. Germany and France have emerged as the most vocal opponents of military action against Iraq. Demonstrators in London sang, chanted and shouted slogans while carrying flags, banners and posters with slogans ranging from "Bush and Blair Wanted for Murder" to "Make Tea, Not War." "Tony, Listen to the People," pleaded one poster, while another read, "I'm American and I Care -- Please Don't Think That We Are All Like Bush." Posters calling for "Free Palestine" were also widespread. The demonstrators seemed to represent a cross-section of modern British society. There were entire families -- fathers and mothers with small children in tow -- and elderly people moving slowly but deliberately. Some wore costumes and some were in jeans. There were veteran activists and people who said they had never been on a march before. "We explained to them what this was about and they wanted to come," said Julie Isherwood, whose 4-year-old twins, Jack and Robert, walked beside her with hand-lettered signs reading, "Boys Against War." Lisa Rosen, a lawyer from New York who has lived here for five years, said she felt a strong sense of anti-Americanism from many in the crowd. "Some of my American friends decided not to come, but I thought it was important to show that you can be pro-American and antiwar at the same time," she said. Radicals and moderates shared the speaker's platform. Ken Livingstone, the mayor of London and a longtime left-wing activist, called Bush "a stooge for oil interests" and said he was presiding over "the most corrupt and racist American administration in over 80 years." "This is a man who has sent his own soldiers to die [but] who got his daddy to get him out of national service," said Livingstone. "Where I come from we call that cowardice." Charles Kennedy, leader of the minority Liberal Democrats, the only mainstream British party to oppose the prospective war, said he was not anti-American but was "deeply worried" by the administration. "Given the evidence from Dr. Blix yesterday, there can be no just or moral case for war against Iraq," Kennedy added, referring to U.N chief weapons inspector Hans Blix. Jesse L. Jackson, who arrived here Friday from the United States, said it was not too late to prevent military action. "Turn up the heat," he told the crowd. "I say to Tony Blair, please take a step back from war: Hear the voices of Britain. This war may be your legacy, Mr. Blair. Surely this is not what you want." A beleaguered Blair, speaking earlier at a Labor Party conference in Glasgow, Scotland, warned that the international community still needed to be prepared to confront Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. "If we show weakness now, if we allow the plea for more time to become just an excuse for prevarication until the moment for action passes, then . . . the menace, and not just from Saddam, will grow," he said. "The authority of the U.N. will be lost, and the conflict when it comes will be more bloody." Blair said demonstrators were expressing an "entirely understandable hatred of war," but he added, "If there are 500,000 on that march, that is still less than the number of people whose deaths Saddam has been responsible for." In Rome, the protesters massed in the city center in an atmosphere that was half-demonstration, half-carnival, the Reuters news agency reported. Young and old marched arm in arm, some wrapped in rainbow peace flags, while marching bands played and whistles blew. In Brussels, tens of thousands of protesters braved freezing temperatures and fierce winds. Many residents placed white handkerchiefs in the windows of homes, stores and pubs as an expression of support. Patricia Tarabelsi, 23, an American student, said she couldn't help but feel uneasy as anti-American sentiment has intensified in Europe. "It makes you feel like your country's a target," she said, "and I don't really think Americans back home realize just how angry the world is at us right now." There were also demonstrations in Ukraine, Bosnia, Cyprus, Ireland, the Netherlands, Austria, Spain, Greece, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Japan, India, Bangladesh, Hungary, South Korea, Australia, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Thailand. Many of the rallies were organized by peace groups around the world, with the Internet playing a key role in the coordination. In Baghdad, according to the Associated Press, tens of thousands of Iraqis, some carrying Kalashnikov assault rifles, demonstrated in support of Hussein. "Our swords are out of their sheaths, ready for battle," read one of hundreds of banners carried by marchers along Palestine Street, a broad avenue in Baghdad. In Damascus, Syria, protesters chanted anti-U.S. and anti-Israel slogans as they marched to the People's Assembly building. About 2,000 antiwar protestors, both Jews and Palestinians, marched peacefully in central Tel Aviv for about 90 minutes early tonight. Many waved Israeli and Palestinian flags and carried pictures of gas masks and placards reading, "Drop Bush Not Bombs." "This is part of the war on Islam," said Ibrahim Housseni, 26, an unemployed Palestinian from East Jerusalem. "Why attack Saddam and not Khamenei, Assad or Sharon?" he said, referring to the leaders of Iran, Syria and Israel. "They all suppress their people. Bush should not hide his reasons -- this war is against Islam and for oil." "The U.N. report shows they [the Iraqis] are not hiding anything," said Yaron Levy, a Tel Aviv restaurant owner. "Bombing a country to get one man is not exactly conventional. This is nonconventional warfare." A small counter-demonstration of about 20 people from the ruling Likud Party's youth wing heckled the antiwar protesters, shouting, "Saddam is the next Hitler!" and handing out "No War" signs with the "No" ripped off. An antiwar protest outside the U.S. Embassy in Moscow drew an estimated 1,000 people, mostly middle-aged or elderly supporters of the Communist Party. Ludmilla Likhikh, 52, a factory worker, accused the United States of hypocrisy, saying it should focus on disarming itself. "America is looking for arms in Iraq while it has so many of its own," she said. "America is the number one terrorist nation." Correspondents John Ward Anderson in Jerusalem, Sharon LaFraniere in Moscow and Philip P. Pan in Beijing and special correspondent Steven Gray in Brussels contributed to this report. © 2003 The Washington Post Company posted by Unknown at 1:13 PM From The Detroit News Student gets sent home over his anti-Bush T-shirt Free speech debate in Dearborn By Karen Bouffard / The Detroit News DEARBORN -- A Dearborn High School junior was sent home from school this week for wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with an anti-war message. Bretton Barber, 16, said he wanted to express his opinion Monday when he wore a T-shirt he bought over the Internet that shows a picture of President Bush and reads, "International Terrorist." Concerned the shirt could spark tensions in a district where more than 50 percent of students are Arab-American, school officials told Barber to turn the shirt inside out, take it off or go home. Barber said he decided to go home rather than surrender his freedom of expression. He returned to school Tuesday without the shirt. "Bush has already killed over 1,000 people in Afghanistan -- that's terrorism in itself," said Barber, noting he wore the shirt for a presentation he made that morning in English class. The assignment was to write a "compare and contrast" essay -- and he chose to compare Bush with Saddam Hussein. Dearborn Public Schools spokesman Dave Mustonen said students have the right to freedom of speech and expression, but educators are sensitive to tensions caused by the conflict with Iraq. "It was felt that emotions are running very high," said Mustonen. "The shirt posed a potential disruption to the learning environment at the school. Our No. 1 obligation is to make sure we have a safe learning environment for all of the students." Mustonen said the incident had nothing to do with the many Arab-Americans in the 17,600-student district. Officials said they don't know how many Arab-American students are enrolled in the district, but in 2000, they estimated the figure at about 55 percent. Imad Hamad of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee thinks school officials took the right approach. He hopes they'll take it one step further and use the experience to educate students on how to exercise freedoms in positive ways. "I see no winner here," Hamad said. "The school did the right thing to diffuse any potential conflict among the student population. I assume they would do the same thing if another message was displayed that was offensive to a different culture. "Sometimes our very precious freedom of speech is used to justify spreading hatred or to display our bigotry. I see this as a good opportunity for the school to guide students through this issue or to help our youngsters to understand our tough circumstances and to encourage them in positive and constructive debate." Junior Lindsey Hoganson, 16, thinks students can handle discussions about today's political climate without passions rising. She disagrees with the school's decision not to allow the shirt. "I didn't hear anybody say anything about the shirt until we heard the administration was making him change it," she said. "A lot of people are worried about the war. We talk about it at school a lot. Talking about it isn't going to disturb the learning environment, because the topic's already been brought up in school. (Barber) was just giving people a different way of looking at it." Barber's parents support their son's decision to express his views at school. "It didn't cause any problems at the school, and I think he has a right to wear his T-shirt," said his mom, Tricia Barber. Barber said he isn't giving up on expressing his views. "I'm putting a group together at the high school, and working on putting a march together," he said. "It's hard to do it through the school because you need a teacher to support it, but I'm going to try." posted by Unknown at 1:10 PM More from the New York Times (www.nytimes.com) Protesters Say City Police Used Rough Tactics at Rally By SHAILA K. DEWAN fter every protest in New York City, it seems, there are protests. Yesterday was no exception. At a news conference, the organizers of Saturday's demonstration against war with Iraq showed a videotape of the police using pepper spray on penned-in people, backing horses into crowds, going after demonstrators with their nightsticks and forcing people back with metal barricades. "That makes you feel good, doesn't it?" one officer could be heard saying about the pepper spray. The police were quick to point out that the seven-minute video was edited. It was impossible to tell whether the officers had been provoked, although the tape did show people surging against barricades and in some cases trying to lift them out of the way. The tape, which was produced by the Independent Media Center, a loose international collective that says it provides "noncorporate coverage" and "passionate tellings of truth," was edited down from 40 hours of mostly amateur video that was turned over to the center. In one scene an officer catches up to a man who is walking, appears to hit him with a nightstick, and the man falls. When others move toward the fallen man, they are met with pepper spray in the face. "This is some of the most brutal stuff that we have," said Justin Lipson, who edited the tape. Leslie Cagan, the co-chairwoman of United for Peace and Justice, the umbrella group that coordinated the New York protest and dozens of others around the globe, called for the resignation of Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly. City Councilman Bill Perkins, the chairman of the Council's government operations committee, speaking at the news conference at the Midtown headquarters of United for Peace and Justice, said he would hold hearings on the handling of the rally. Ms. Cagan said she believed an order had come from "higher up" to make things difficult for the protesters, beginning with city's denial of a permit to march. The Police Department and the mayor cited the low number of injuries and arrests for an event this size. The police estimated the attendance at 100,000, but organizers said the rally drew half a million, including those who they said were prevented from reaching the rally site near the United Nations. The police, who spent $5 million on overtime that day, revised the number of arrests and summons downward to 274, from 292, counting 49 people arrested hours after the rally near 39th Street and Fifth Avenue. A member of the Police Department's Civilian Complaint Review Board said that roughly 30 complaints of police misconduct had been filed by yesterday afternoon, including allegations of protesters being "corralled," punched, pushed to the ground and trampled by police horses. "Not everybody was happy about the way the police controlled the crowds," Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said at a news conference in Brooklyn, before the protesters showed the video at their news conference. "But they kept this city safe, and people that wanted to protest certainly had the ability to do so. Maybe not as much as they'd like, but given that this is a dangerous world, I thought the Police Department did an excellent job at balancing the rights of people to say what they want to say with the needs of all of us, and of them, to provide security for everybody." Advertisements for the event said it would be at 49th Street and First Avenue, but the stage was actually at 51st Street, and the crowd extended for more than 20 blocks northward. As the blocks near the stage filled, the police barricaded side streets and told people on Second and Third Avenues to move north. Some reported that they were ultimately sent back south or directed to take routes that were blocked off or led away from the rally. Such confusion increased tensions on both sides and contributed to the notion that the police were purposefully keeping people from the rally, a charge the police denied. Michael P. O'Looney, the chief spokesman for the Police Department, issued a written statement. "Force was used by the police as a last resort," it read. "Some of the frustration over access to the protest area may have been avoided had the organizers done a better job of communicating that they moved the stage," he said. The video showed some clashes in Second and Third Avenues. "There were horses that were turned around and backed into crowds, there were horses that were taken onto the sidewalk," said Rebekah Wolf, with the People's Law Collective, who was one of the legal observers monitoring arrests. "There was not a single arrest that I saw that was not violent." posted by Unknown at 1:01 PM From the New York Times (www.nytimes.com) Deal Struck in Suits Over Rogue Police By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS AKLAND, Calif., Feb. 19 (AP) — City officials have agreed to pay $10.9 million and make changes to settle a series of civil rights lawsuits involving a band of police officers accused of beating suspects and planting drugs on innocent people. The 119 plaintiffs said the Police Department either encouraged or ignored the abuse by the officers during the summer of 2000. Some of the proposed changes include establishing a hot line to report police abuse and improving citizen access to internal affairs investigators. An outside monitor will be named in the next two months to a five-year term to ensure that the changes are put into effect. Three former officers — Clarence Mabanag, 37, Jude Siapno, 34, and Matthew Hornung, 31 — are on trial on charges of beating suspects and falsifying police reports. Another officer, the reputed ringleader, Frank Vazquez, fled to escape prosecution. posted by Unknown at 12:59 PM From the associated press Group: Anti-Gay Violence Rises By DONNA DE LA CRUZ Associated Press Writer NEW YORK (AP) -- As the media focused more attention on homosexuals last year, anti-gay violence and harassment also increased, a gay advocacy group said. The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs said Tuesday that the number of such incidents it counted around the country increased by 2 percent in 1997 over the previous year. The coalition attributed the rise to publicity surrounding events such as gay pride celebrations in June, the bombing of a gay nightclub in Atlanta and the episode of ``Ellen'' in which the TV character came out as a lesbian. ``Tragically, there appears to be a direct correlation between the community's heightened visibility and an upsurge in violence,'' said Christine Quinn, executive director of the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project. The coalition's figures are obtained from local gay groups that track crimes against homosexuals, bisexuals and people who cross gender lines in their dress or physical characteristics. The report is not based on police statistics and only includes 14 metropolitan areas. The coalition says it offers important information because, spokesman Michael Rosano said, ``People who are victims of bias-related violence will call us before they call the police.'' ``Yes, someone should use some caution when looking at this report and not feel it's a complete map of the violence that's happening to us -- but you can still draw some conclusions about the trends in violence,'' said Jennifer Rakowski of Community United Against Violence in San Francisco. According to the report, there were 2,445 documented cases of anti-gay violence and harassment last year in the 14 areas, which include New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The number of murders related to anti-gay violence dropped to 18 in 1997 from 27 in 1996, the report said. New York City had the most reports of anti-homosexual violence (658), followed by the San Francisco Bay area (402) and Los Angeles (350). More than a third of the cases involved harassment -- verbal or by mail or phone. About one-fifth involved assault, and close to a third intimidation. New York Police Department figures show the number of gay bias incidents in the city dropping to 59 in 1997 from 61 in 1996. Police Commissioner Howard Safir said the coalition's figures lacked any uniform system of reporting. Among the more brutal examples of harassment is that of a gay Chicago man who reported a year's worth of violent assaults by an elderly neighbor. One night, he said, she attacked him with garden shears, cut him 22 times and yelled ``die of AIDS...''. Police response was indifferent to hostile, the report said, with officers once threatening to arrest the victim if he kept complaining. Eventually the neighbor was charged with misdemeanor assault. posted by Unknown at 12:56 PM From http://www.amnestyusa.org 'A black teenager pedalling rapidly is fleeing crime. A white teenager pedalling at the same speed is feeling the freedom of youth' - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People commenting on the case of a black teenager shot by police after falling off his bicycle in Indianapolis, Indiana, March 1993 William J. Whitfield 3rd, an unarmed African American man, was shot dead in a New York supermarket on 25 December 1997 by police who said they mistook the keys he was carrying for a gun. Although the officer who shot him was cleared of wrongdoing, it was revealed that he had been involved in eight prior shootings. The New York Police Department (NYPD) Police Commissioner subsequently set up a monitoring system for officers involved in three or more shootings. Throughout the USA people are being injured and even killed by police using excessive force or deliberately brutal treatment. Police officers are punching, kicking, beating and shooting people who pose no threat, or are causing serious injuries, and sometimes death, by misusing restraints, chemical sprays or electro-shock weapons. Most reported incidents take place during arrest, searches, traffic stops or in street incidents. Every year there are thousands of reports of assault and ill-treatment by police officers. Inquiries into some of the largest urban police departments have uncovered systematic brutality. It is difficult to assess the true extent of police brutality because there is no reliable national data. Since 1994 the federal government has been legally required to collect national data on police excessive use of force, but Congress has failed to provide the necessary funding. More than 17,000 police agencies operate in the USA, each with its own code of practice and methods of recording and investigating abuses. Most US police departments have strict guidelines on the use of deadly force, and international standards state that force should be used only as a last resort, proportionate to the threat and designed to minimise injury. However, it is clear that these standards are frequently breached and that too often the authorities have turned a blind eye to abuses. Investigations into complaints of police brutality are often subject to delays and there are concerns about the quality and impartiality of internal investigations. Disciplinary action is rare. Sanctions, when they are imposed, are often lenient. Many police shootings raise serious doubts as to whether the victims posed an immediate threat. Amnesty International detailed more than 30 cases where NYPD officers had shot or injured suspects, including children, in disputed circumstances in its 1996 report. Nearly all the victims were black, Latino or from other minorities - a pattern seen across the country. Members of racial and ethnic minorities bear the brunt of police brutality in many areas. Black officers themselves have complained of the stereotyping of black men as criminal suspects. Caroline Sue Botticher, an unarmed African American woman, died after police from West Charlotte, North Carolina, fired 22 rounds at the car in which she was a passenger when it failed to stop at a police check-point in April 1997. There was no evidence to suggest that anyone in the car was armed. Some police departments have introduced guidelines to bar police from firing at moving vehicles unless they are directly threatened with deadly force, but many have not. There have been numerous deaths in custody after police used restraint procedures known to be dangerous. Hogtying - tying suspects' ankles to their wrists behind their backs - has been recognized as highly dangerous for at least the past decade. However, while many departments, including the NYPD, have banned the procedure, others continue to use it. Deaths in custody resulting from hogtying have been reported from various parts of the country, including Athens (Georgia), Jackson (Mississippi) and Memphis (Tennessee). posted by Unknown at 12:47 PM Racism On the entrance to the official web site of the Ku Klux Klan, it reads "Black may be beautiful, tan may be grand, but white is still the color of the big boss man." The following is from the site: What is Our Goal The time in which we live is very exciting and any like minded individual would be proud to be an associate or supporter of this grass-roots movement to take back America. The Knights of the Ku Klux Klan will in the years to come, become recognized by the American people as THE WHITE RIGHTS MOVEMENT! Where ever they live, whatever their personal religious denomination may be, no matter what present political or fraternal organization they may be with, everyone should support the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan as the political PARTY of the future and the the Last Hope for America. The Knights Party, realizing that to achieve true security for our people we must achieve political power in the United States, will: A. Become the leader of the White racialist movement Through a strong organized show of leadership Through the training and use of qualified media representatives Through a concerted effort of all Klansmen and Klanswomen to carefully follow instructions, suggestions, and guidelines as set by headquarters and to continually strive to be THE BEST B. Strive to become the representative and driving force behind the White Community Through large organized public rallies Through an aggressive use of television, radio, and print advertising Through huge nationwide literature drives in which millions of people are reached with our literature. To legally break through the liberal wall that surrounds America's colleges and universities - to reach and instruct students in the reclaiming of their schools. Through the effective use of project committees to assist in the re-education of law enforcement agencies and the educational establishment. These two very important groups must be given another side of the story instead of only receiving information from organizations such as the ADL, NAACP, and Klanwatch. C. Organize and direct white people to a level of activism necessary to bring about a political victory. Through the organizing and maintenance of strong local units. Through bold public relations campaigns focusing on two main ideas: The White Christian people have been betrayed by our nations political, economic, educational, and religious leaders The Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Party is the last hope for America. Through the aggressive and combined effort of Knights' units (The core of the grassroots movement) to work within their community in all aspects of a political campaign, including but not limited to: Getting literature into the hands of everyone in the community. Keeping the name "Knights of the Ku Klux Klan " in continual high profile. Sponsoring ads in local newspapers and on local radio and television networks. Working on petition drives to achieve ballot access for Klansmen or Klanswomen who run for either local, state, or federal offices; such as school board, mayor, state representative, congress, senate, etc. Conducting community goodwill projects. Organizing and working on "get to the polls" campaigns, to insure that everyone who will vote in our favor can have the opportunity to do so. Recruiting new associates and volunteers for The Knights Party ( Knights of the Ku Klux Klan) who will work toward the election of Klansmen and Klanswomen to public office. We must take back control of OUR U.S. government. We intend to put Klansmen and Klanswomen in office all the way from the local school board to the White House! WHAT IS OUR GOAL ? POLITICAL POWER posted by Unknown at 12:45 PM The Original Story The first report of the previous story, from Tolerence.org Jim Crow 'Bizarre' at OK State September 25, 2002 -- Alpha Gamma Rho, a national agricultural fraternity, says it's "not just for farm boys." And its chapter at Oklahoma State University Stillwater has pictures to prove it. Photographs from the fraternity's recent party, themed "Come as You are Bizarre," show some members sporting Ku Klux Klan robes and blackface. In one picture, a member in blackface wears a prisoner's costume. Smiling, he stands sandwiched between two frat brothers -- one dressed in a Klan costume and the other clad in overalls and a Confederate flag bandana -- as a mock noose dangles above his head. An anonymous e-mail from an OSU student Monday alerted the Southern Poverty Law Center to the pictures posted on the Web site of a local photography company. Ival Gregory, manager of the university's Greek Life office, says a student also directed him to the site containing the photos Monday. "I saw right away that the photos were clearly offensive and there was absolutely no question in my mind that this was inappropriate," said Gregory, who immediately made a call to the fraternity's chapter president and requested the offensive pictures be removed. Lee Bird, OSU's vice president of student affairs, says she was shocked when she learned of the photos early yesterday. "My tolerance for this is incredibly low and I have no sympathy for any excuse about why this happened," she said. "We are taking care of it immediately." Bird said the university had contacted the fraternity's adviser and called its national headquarters. University administration also planned to meet with fraternity leaders last night and present a letter condemning the photos. But Bird said the university would stop short of any further disciplinary action. "We don't want to make free speech martyrs out of stupid perpetrators," she said. "As offensive and insensitive as their actions were, they did not meet the muster of any university code of conduct violations." The university does plan to "bring the members up to speed" on bias and sensitivity issues through diversity education, she said. The fraternity could, however, face tough penalties from its national headquarters according to Phil Josephson, executive director of Alpha Gamma Rho. "I find it repulsive that any of our members would engage in this behavior," said Josephson. "It's a violation of our ritual and it's a violation of good common sense and decency, and we will take action and sanction those involved." Josephson said his office will conduct an investigation into whether the OSU incident was isolated or representative of widespread behavior within the chapter. "I believe at minimum, it's apparent that others present tolerated these actions. That represents an attitude. We need to include clear language in our behavior standards about this kind of activity so there will be no question in the future about its appropriateness." A Painful Reminder of the Past While university administration and Alpha Gamma Rho headquarters expressed shock about the offensive photographs, some students and faculty at OSU say they are not so surprised. "To be honest, I'm not surprised at all," said Bryant Clark, president of OSU's African American Student Association. "I know racism and stupidity still exist, but it's not like back in history when it was out in the streets. It's just behind closed doors now." Earl Mitchell, a 35-year member of the OSU faculty and associate vice president for multicultural affairs, remembers too well the "back in history" Clark speaks of. He served as the adviser for the African American student organization in 1970 when members of a white fraternity shot four black female students with pellet guns as they walked past a row of fraternity houses. "Black students were literally afraid and left the campus because they feared for their safety," Mitchell recalls. "So, I find this recent incident involving [Alpha Gamma Rho] very disturbing. We thought we were beyond this, but evidently we're not." Mitchell, who conducts diversity training on campus, said he plans to offer his assistance in the university's efforts to educate the fraternity members about bias and sensitivity issues. "There are still some groups on campus that just don't understand the gravity of this kind of activity and they need to be trained and realize why people get so upset about things like this," said Mitchell. Clark agrees. But he says he'd like to see stiffer penalties imposed. "Their chapter needs to be kicked off campus. They represent a national organization and their chapter represents this university. They should be held accountable." Clark plans to address his concerns at a meeting Thursday with members of the African American Student Association. "We had this meeting planned already -- it was supposed to be about plans for black awareness week in November. But, I guess we'll have a lot more to talk about," said Clark. According to Mitchell, the entire university has more to talk about. "Racism is as alive and well here as it is anywhere else -- it's a continued vigil that we all have to fight. And well, we've got more work to do." posted by Unknown at 12:33 PM From Tolerence.org THE PARTY'S OVER: OSU Frat's Racist Hangover By Dana Williams | Staff Writer, Tolerance.org Feb. 21, 2003 -- Members of Oklahoma State University's Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity say last September's Come As You Are Bizarre party has opened up a "world of learning." Since pictures of several AGR members dressed in Ku Klux Klan robes and blackface at last fall's theme party surfaced on the Internet, the chapter has embarked on a series of programs aimed at increasing acceptance and awareness of diversity. "We have really grown up in a hurry," said Brady Sidwell, newly elected president of AGR at OSU in Stillwater, Okla. "We've learned a lot from what happened last semester, and we are going to run in a new direction as a fraternity." Nearly six months after the controversial incident, Sidwell admits it has been — and still is — a difficult journey to move past what he calls a "stupid" mistake. "There has been a generalization put on all of us," he said. "People now associate us as a racist fraternity, and we aren't. But that's just one of the unfortunate things that happens when you make a mistake like that." Sidwell said he and other AGR members take winning back the respect of peers and university leaders seriously, and they believe some good has come out of the events of the last six months. Through Program Unite, a diversity project agreed upon by the university and fraternity, AGR members say they have attempted to turn a negative situation into a learning experience for themselves and the entire campus community. In addition to university-mandated sanctions already met by the fraternity, several Program Unite initiatives were conceived by AGR members themselves. Among them: AGR will require all new initiates to participate in a 72-hour diversity program at the beginning of their affiliation with the fraternity. The requirement is the first of its kind to be instituted by a fraternity at OSU. The AGR chapter at OSU will help organize a diversity seminar in Fall 2003 for all new members of the Greek system. The seminar will focus on the Greek community, but will also be open to the larger university and Stillwater community. OSU's AGR chapter will take the lead in diversity education training for the national fraternity by presenting seminars at national leadership conferences in addition to continuing its own training. The AGR chapter at OSU's diversity program, Program Unite, will serve as a model for use within all other chapters in the national fraternity. The group has also added a clause in its code of conduct condemning the use of racially offensive or discriminatory costumes at social functions. Sidwell says the group recently submitted a proposal to the Interfraternity Council requesting a similar "costume clause" for all Greek organization on campus. A core value for all of OSU Earl Mitchell, a 35-year member of the OSU faculty and associate vice president for multicultural affairs, says members of the AGR fraternity have been very open and receptive to learning from last fall's incident. "I have been involved in much of the diversity training for the group and it has been quite an eye-opener for some of these students who didn't know the history behind Jim Crow and some of this country's other racial issues," said Mitchell. "Some of the students have taken it upon themselves to do more reading on the issues than what has been assigned to them. That's the whole idea of education — to get students wanting to learn things and open their minds on their own." Mitchell knows from experience how badly racial rifts can damage a university. He served as the adviser for the African American student organization at OSU in 1970 when members of a white fraternity shot four black female students with pellet guns as they walked past a row of fraternity houses. Many black students at the time left the university because they feared for their safety. "People who remain silent perpetuate the problem," said Mitchell. "One of the main points we are trying to get across to these students is that it is all of our responsibility to speak out against racist and unacceptable behavior." According to Mitchell, the entire university is now recommitting itself to diversity and tolerance as core values. The university is close to finalizing a new official policy to address racial and ethnic harassment. Recently signed off on by the student government association, the new policy is intended to define racial and ethnic harassment and also put adjudication procedures in place to address such offenses. Additionally, Mitchell says the university's Interfraternity Council plans to set up diversity training for all incoming members of the Greek system. AGR members, he says, will help lead the training. Real change? Not all members of the OSU community are as optimistic as Sidwell and Mitchell about the progress made since last fall's incident. Some question how a series of seminars can change people's core values. "Just because you take a class doesn't mean your mind-set has changed," Charceana Williams, president of the African American student association told the O'Collegian campus newspaper. Mitchell agreed that there are still some who don't understand why the fraternity wasn't kicked off campus. "If we had done that, I really believe we wouldn't be doing all that we are now to address issues of tolerance and diversity on campus," said Mitchell. "We have to continue to raise the questions, raise the issues. And we have to be intentional in making sure that all the aspects of what we have started because of what happened last fall continue. That is what will make change happen." Sidwell says even though some continue to stereotype the chapter as racist, he is proud of how the group has handled the aftermath of last fall's incident. "We know that we are, in a way, still having to prove ourselves. But we aren't doing that because we have to, we are doing it because we want to," said Sidwell. "We have learned from what we did and now we have to be responsible in conducting ourselves in a way that reflects what we've learned." posted by Unknown at 12:31 PM Prison Rape From hrw.org I had no choice but to submit to being Inmate B's prison wife. Out of fear for my life, I submitted to sucking his dick, being fucked in my ass, and performing other duties as a woman, such as making his bed. In all reality, I was his slave, as the Officials of the Arkansas Department of Corrections under the ‘color of law' did absolutely nothing. — M.P, Arkansas, pro se federal civil rights complaint filed 8/2/96 Most of the prisoners who rape are spending from 5 to life. And are part of a gang. They pick a loner smaller weaker individual. And make that person into a homosexual then sell him to other inmates or gangs. Anywhere from a pack of cigarettes to 2 cartons . . . . No one cares about you or anyone else. If they show kindness or are trying to be helpful, it is only because they want something. And if there offering you protection you can guarantee that there going to seek sexual favors. . . . When an inmate comes in for the first time and doesnt know anyone. The clicks and gangs. Watch him like Wolves readying there attacks. They see if he spends time alone, who he eats with. Its like the Wild Kingdom. Then they start playing with him, checking the new guy out. (They call him fresh meat.) — J.G., Minnesota, 8/8/96 I've been sentenced for a D.U.I. offense. My 3rd one. When I first came to prison, I had no idea what to expect. Certainly none of this. I'm a tall white male, who unfortunately has a small amount of feminine characteristics. And very shy. These characteristics have got me raped so many times I have no more feelings physically. I have been raped by up to 5 black men and two white men at a time. I've had knifes at my head and throat. I had fought and been beat so hard that I didn't ever think I'd see straight again. One time when I refused to enter a cell, I was brutally attacked by staff and taken to segragation though I had only wanted to prevent the same and worse by not locking up with my cell mate. There is no supervision after lockdown. I was given a conduct report. I explained to the hearing officer what the issue was. He told me that off the record, He suggests I find a man I would/could willingly have sex with to prevent these things from happening. I've requested protective custody only to be denied. It is not available here. He also said there was no where to run to, and it would be best for me to accept things . . . . I probably have AIDS now. I have great difficulty raising food to my mouth from shaking after nightmares or thinking to hard on all this. . . . I've laid down without physical fight to be sodomized. To prevent so much damage in struggles, ripping and tearing. Though in not fighting, it caused my heart and spirit to be raped as well. Something I don't know if I'll ever forgive myself for. — A.H., Indiana, 8/30/96 If a person is timid or shy or as prison inmates term him "Weak," either mentally or physically, he stands to be a victim of physical and/or sexual assault. — R.B., Colorado, 9/1/96 posted by Unknown at 12:30 PM Personal note In looking for rape statistics on Yahoo, I went to two sites that had "rape statistics" in the description. They turned out to be porn sites. In a previous post I mentioned how many hits you get for typing "rape" into a search engine. It would now appear that even those that claim to be informational might in fact be pornographical. posted by Unknown at 12:26 PM From RAINN (http://www.rainn.org/statistics.html) In 2001, there were 249,000 victims of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault. [2000 National Crime Victimization Survey. Bureau of Justice Statistics.] Of these 249,000, 102,000 were victims of sexual assault, 63,000 were victims of attempted rape, and 84,000 were victims of completed rape. [2000 NCVS.] Because of the methodology of the National Crime Victimization Survey, these figures do not include victims 12 or younger. While there are no reliable annual surveys of sexual assaults on children, the Justice Department has estimated that one of six victims are under age 12. [Child Rape Victims, 1992] About 44% of rape victims are under age 18. Three out of every twenty victims (15%) are under age 12. [Sex Offenses and Offenders. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, 1997.] Seven percent of girls in grades five to eight and twelve percent of girls in grades nine through twelve and said they had been sexually abused. [Commonwealth Fund Survey of the Health of Adolescent Girls, 1998.] Three percent of boys in grades five through eight and five percent of boys in grades nine through twelve said they had been sexually abused. [Commonwealth Fund Survey of the Health of Adolescent Boys, 1998.] 93% of juvenile sexual assault victims knew their attacker; 34.2% were family members and 58.7% acquaintances. Only seven percent of the perpetrators were strangers to the victim. [Sexual Assault of Young Children as Reported to Law Enforcement. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, 2000] In 1995, local child protective service agencies identified 126,000 children who were victims of either substantiated or indicated sexual abuse; of these, 75% were girls. Nearly 30% of child victims were between the ages of 4 and 7. [US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Child Maltreatment, 1995.] posted by Unknown at 12:24 PM Sunday, February 09, 2003 According to the NCLR (http://www.nclrights.org/publications/lgltrnsltnpolice.htm) In 2000, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs reported that police and private security officers are the perpetrators in almost 50% of the hate violence claims submitted by transgender people in San Francisco (Anti-Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, and Bisexual Violence 2000). This percentage is especially alarming considering that the laws and policies of San Francisco explicitly forbid this kind of conduct. posted by Unknown at 9:24 AM Saturday, February 08, 2003 From the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (http://www.calib.com/nccanch/pubs/factsheets/canstats.cfm): VICTIMS OF MALTREATMENT Approximately 879,000 children were found to be victims of child maltreatment. Maltreatment categories typically include neglect, medical neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and psychological maltreatment. Almost two-thirds of child victims (63%) suffered neglect (including medical neglect); 19 percent were physically abused; 10 percent were sexually abused; and 8 percent were psychologically maltreated. The rate of child victims per 1,000 children in the population had been decreasing steadily from 15.3 victims per 1,000 children in the population in 1993 to 11.8 victims per 1,000 children in the population in 1999. The victimization rate increased slightly to 12.2 per 1,000 children in the year 2000. Whether or not this is a trend cannot be determined until additional data are collected. Victimization rates declined as age increased. The rate of victimization for children in the age group of birth to 3 years old was 15.7 victims per 1,000 children of the same age. The rate of victimization for children ages 16 and 17 was 5.7 victims per 1,000 children of the same age in the population. Victimization rates were similar for male and female victims (11.2 and 12.8 per 1,000 children respectively) except for victims of sexual abuse. The rate for sexual abuse was 1.7 victims per 1,000 female children compared to 0.4 victims per 1,000 male children. More than half of all victims were White (51%); a quarter (25%) were African American; 15 percent were Hispanic. American Indian/Alaska Natives accounted for 2 percent of victims, and Asian/Pacific Islanders accounted for 1 percent of victims. PERPETRATORS Most States define perpetrators of child abuse or neglect as parents and other caretakers, such as relatives, babysitters, and foster parents, who have maltreated a child. Sixty percent of perpetrators were females and 40 percent were males. The median age of female perpetrators was 31 years; the median age of male perpetrators was 34 years. More than 80 percent of victims (84%) were abused by a parent or parents. Mothers acting alone were responsible for 47 percent of neglect victims and 32 percent of physical abuse victims. Nonrelatives, fathers acting alone, and other relatives were responsible for 29 percent, 22 percent and 19 percent, respectively, of sexual abuse victims. FATALITIES Child fatalities are the most tragic consequence of maltreatment. Approximately 1,200 children died of abuse or neglect in the year 2000-a rate of 1.71 children per 100,000 children in the population. The increase in the rate of fatalities compared to earlier years is hypothesized to be largely attributable to improved reporting.2 Youngest children were the most vulnerable. Children younger than one year old accounted for 44 percent of child fatalities and 85 percent of child fatalities were younger than 6 years of age. posted by Unknown at 9:39 AM Wednesday, February 05, 2003 From Tolerence.org HATE IN THE NEWS: Spotlight on Portland By Ken Olsen | for Tolerance.org Feb. 3, 2003 -- Three Oregon men and a juvenile accused of a drive-by shooting spree through predominately black Portland neighborhoods on the eve of Martin Luther King Day face more than a dozen state criminal charges as well as the possibility of federal hate crimes prosecution. The case reopens the wounds of a high-profile hate crime that had already tarnished the Rose City's image. "Portland is a city still trying to get over the murder of Mulugeta Seraw," said racism expert and Portland State University assistant professor Randy Blazak. "It doesn't look good on your brochure." Seraw, a 27-year-old Ethiopian student at PSU, was beaten to death with steel baseball bats by three members of the East Side White Pride. The Southern Poverty Law Center later won a $12.5 million judgment against White Aryan Resistance leader Tom Metzger, who was linked to the skinheads. Racism "is always a part of the criminal landscape here," Blazak said. But Seraw's murder has prompted change. To the city's credit, it has a hate crimes detective. "I think Portland does better than most (places) in pursuing hate crimes," Blazak said. At the same time, justice often isn't swift, says Stephen Stroud, a former skinhead who runs Oregon Spotlight, a Neo-Nazi watchdog organization. Citing slow-moving prosecutions of cross-burning cases in recent years, Stroud added, "there's a lot of things that go unchecked here." The latest situation The four arrested in the drive-by shooting spree are Brian S. Heath, 21, of Greshman; Joshua D. Ridley, 19, of Milwaukie; Denis P. Fahey, 18, of Redmond; and Andrew T. Sherwood, 15, of Portland. The group took to the streets in a Chevrolet Camaro T-top in the early hours of Jan. 19 with a modified shotgun, according to the Portland Police Bureau. They allegedly were seeking revenge against an African American male whom Heath claims harassed him days earlier. They spent the next hour taking turns leaning out of the top of the car and shooting out the windows of cars and hitting at least one house. Several people called police, and the foursome were spotted by a Portland Police Bureau criminologist. The suspected shooters fled north into Washington state where they were arrested after law enforcement officers flattened the tires of their car. The shotgun, thrown from the car during the pursuit, also was recovered, police say. Each of the men faces five counts of intimidation, five counts of criminal mischief and five counts of unlawful use of a firearm in Multnomah County Circuit Court. The firearms charges alone carry a mandatory minimum five-year prison sentence in Oregon, Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Donald Rees said. The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office, meanwhile, are investigating possible charges under federal hate crimes statutes. Since the incident, the family of at least one of the accused men told reporters the attack couldn’t have been racially motivated, considering the suspect's mixed-race background. But PSU's Blazak says the two aren't mutually exclusive. "If you look at the typical hate criminal, they often aren't the pure Aryan soldier. They often come from multi-ethnic backgrounds," Blazak said. "It adds to the psychological issues they come from and inherit." The lack of affiliation with an organized hate group also does not change the intent of the defendants, he said. Most racist incidents "are relatively spontaneous, done by young white men who have been drinking," Blazak said. "They tend to be crimes of opportunity ... anybody who’s a convenient victim will do." Case in point: An Italian man was beaten up in downtown Portland’s Pioneer Square earlier in January because his attackers thought he was Middle Eastern, Blazak said. But for victims, "the result is the same whether the activity is spontaneous or organized." Alcohol may have been a factor in the latest Portland case. Another case nearby Drinking also appears to have contributed to the Jan. 18 beating of an African American teenager by five skinheads in nearby Vancouver, Wash., according to police reports. Four of the five skinheads were visiting from Idaho. Stroud, of Oregon Spotlight, blames this recent rise in area hate crimes on an overdose of post-9.11 patriotic paranoia. One key element is the backlash against Arab Americans, in part prompted by the government. "When it looks like it's OK to bash some people, then unfortunately it looks like it's OK to bash anybody," Stroud said. He blames a "buffet" of other reasons — from economic frustration to the culture these young men typically bring from home, enabled by society's reluctance to get involved. Stroud's solution? "We need to find a reason to make white families to bring (appropriate) teachings — to bring the value of human life — into the home." Veteran Pacific Northwest Journalist Ken Olsen is a 2003 Alicia Patterson Foundation Fellow. posted by Unknown at 11:17 AM Thursday, January 30, 2003 I was working today when a young woman walked into the store with her apparent boyfriend. She was 18, had a scar on her right eyebrow (which was shaved, as was her left) and she was black. She told me that she was brousing through the stores up and down the street. She mentioned to me the birth of her child, and told me that she had been put on probation for a year. She apparently had been in a fight with three other girls who were between the age of 15 and 16. These girls had ripped out her eyebrow ring, broken her ribs, and stolen her purse. In retaliation, she had broken a bottle over the head of one of them. The judge dismissed the charges against the girls, apparently citing that they were minors. The black girl was told that the charges would be dropped in a year were she to behave. There is no way to tell if she was truly guilty or any crime. She did not seem to have the angry superiority that many guilty people carry with them. Instead, she seemed confused, and she seemed small. Belittled. I forgot to ask if the three girls who assaulted her were white. posted by Unknown at 4:51 PM Wednesday, January 29, 2003 More from Tolerence.org CBS: Corporate Bigotry System Jan. 7 -- This spring, CBS hopes to unveil its latest reality show -- "The Real Beverly Hillbillies." The concept is simple: uproot a poor rural family, transplant its members into a Los Angeles mansion, let the camera roll -- and then laugh at them. Tolerance.org joins the Center for Rural Strategies in asking Americans from all walks of life to pressure CBS to abandon development of "The Real Beverly Hillbillies." Ridiculing rural Americans isn't funny; it's bigoted. posted by Unknown at 10:40 AM