Burma Leads the Field in Forced Labor A new study puts Burma, one of the “6 outposts of tyranny” , ahead of the pack in the global forced labor standings:Burma’s military government is at the head of the pack of Asian regimes perpetuating the use of forced labour, a new global report reveals.
A music contest this summer in Kiev will be the site of a tent city for the youth of Belarus and foreign nationals:A private company is inviting the guests of the Eurovision-2005 song contest, to be held in Kiev this summer, to sleep in the same military tents that were used by supporters of the Ukrainian opposition during the days of the so-called Orange Revolution.
In this interview with Baroness Cox you get a feel for the absolute hell the people of Burma must endure under the force of the “State Peace and Development Council” the name the military junta took on during it’s take over of the country from the National League for Democracy fifteen years ago:Genocide is a word I have felt obliged to use in the House of Lords after seeing village after village bombed and the systematic violation of human rights during the dozen visits I have made.
Police in Sri Lanka today opened fire on a group of protesters at a checkpoint crossing as reported in Asian News:Sri Lankan Police opened fire Monday when Tamil activists attending a rally demanded the removal of a new Army checkpoint in Batticoloa.“One demonstrator was killed and another 15 were wounded,”said our l reporter.Five women were among those wounded when soldiers and police fired for over 10 minutes at Chanthiveli, Batticaloa.Scandinavian ceasefire monitors and reporters it was reported, as witnessed the incident.Over 2,000 people, including children from the schools were protesting on both sides of the checkpoint and demanded that a security checkpoint there be removed.
From the Battlefield of one of the “Six Outposts of Tyranny” …Two Burmese Children Soldiers who defected to Karenni Opposition Forces in Burma have been describing chemical weapons used by the Myanmar forces:The released statement identified that Myo Min, 15, had been in the Burma Army for one month and Soe Thu, 16, had been in the Burma Army for two months and they were the two soldiers who have defected to the Karenni forces According to the statement of the Christian organization, When asked about ‘chemical or poison’ weapons, Myo Min told CSW’s International President, Dr Martin Panter, that he had to carry boxes of chemical weapons to the front line almost from the day he arrived.
4,402 Americans are buried at the Florence American Cemetery and Memorial World War II Veterans from St.
Signs of a Syrian presence at a Palestinian camp in Lebanon:Palestinian guerrillas left behind after Syria’s military evacuation of Lebanon fired in the air Wednesday to prevent U.N.
For the last 24 hours “news” that “war strains the US military” has made major internet headlines.
Currently, there is not unity between the numerous ethnic groups in Burma.
**Another of the “Six Outposts of Tyranny” may be Unraveling**The military regime of Burma (Myanmar) is not impressed with the democratic developments they are witnessing in the post 9-11 world.
Kurdish peshmerga women training for combat.
Representatives from the Muslim Faith in London staged a protest today against the heavy pressure by authorities:Up to 2000 people from more than 50 Islamic organisations in Britain have demonstrated in London to condemn what they called heavy-handed procedures in the fight against global terrorism.”The basic message is that the Muslim community wants to voice its opposition to what it views as the oppression of the war on terror,” said Imran Wahid of Hizb ut-Tahrir, one of the groups behind the protest march.He said Muslims were angered by so-called “control orders” imposed by the British authorities on terrorism suspects, and by the US detention of terrorism suspects without trial at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.For those of you who are not familiar with Hizb ut-Tahrir Party:Its aim is to resume the Islamic way of life and to convey the Islamic da’wah to the world.
An Israeli military expert has predicted tough times ahead for Syria’s Assad:Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could be ousted from power as his regime fractures under immense political pressure, the head of Israel’s military intelligence said in an interview published Friday.
* 100+ deaths reported by Opposition* 7,000 refugees flee the violence* German Cultural Center torched* Opposition official’s home surroundedThe Opposition Party has told news sources that over 100 people have died in the aftermath of Sunday’s flawed elections.
Son of Slain President Clubbed at Protest Army troops and riot police made repeated baton charges to stop irate families and relatives of Lebanese prisoners in Syria from storming into the Lebanese parliament as it opened a vote of confidence debate in Lebanon’s new government Tuesday.Screaming protestors were clubbed down to the ground at downtown Beirut’s Star Square of the parliament building as the clash flared into a fist fight and troops used rifle butts to subdue the demonstrators.Waving national flags and banners of Samir Geagea’s Lebanese Forces and Gen.
Eleven deaths have now been officially reported in clashes between the ruling party and opposition forces in Togo in the aftermath of the disputed Sunday election.
Earlier, I had written about the communist writing Italian hostage here and here.Today the US was cleared of the friendly fire incident that killed the driver of her getaway car:A preliminary report from a joint U.S.-Italian investigation has cleared the American soldiers of any wrongdoing and provides new details into the shooting.Intelligence agent Calipari had just negotiated Sgrena’s release from Iraqi kidnappers on March 4 when the two and a driver headed for the Baghdad airport in a compact rental car.It was dark when the Italians turned onto a ramp leading to the airport road where the U.S.
Christian Minister Hamid Pourmand with his family.
Women Queue in Lome, Togo.
Iran held a grand peace parade in the troubled city of Ahwaz in southern Iran on Friday.
Flight Deck of the USS Harry S.
**Please give yourself the pleasure to read about ex-president “El Loco” further down in this post**Protesters Clashed with Police on Tuesday Police and protesters clashed on Tuesday in Quito the capital of Ecuador:Ecuadorean police fired tear gas at tens of thousands of protesters marching on the presidential palace in Quito, the capital, to demand the resignation of President Lucio Gutierrez.
China made a small step towards reconciliation with Japan on Tuesday:China has offered to repair Japan’s Beijing Embassy damaged in protests, but kept the heat on in a diplomatic row on Tuesday, saying it wanted UN protection for a Japanese World War Two-era germ warfare site.
Cardinal Ratzinger becomes Pope Benedict XVI Well, I am sure that I butchered that German…
The Washington University student protesters end their hunger strike but continue their sit in.** The students celebrated the end of their hunger strike with a take-out pasta dinner and fruit from a nearby restaurant.
State of Emergency in Ecuador Ecuador’s President Gutierrez has called off the state of emergency in hopes that things will quiet down in the country:Ecuador’s president called off a state of emergency in the capital on Saturday — less than 24 hours after imposing it — as thousands of Ecuadoreans defied his ban on demonstrations and demanded his resignation.Speaking on national television, President Lucio Gutierrez said he was annulling the decree he had imposed Friday night suspending civil liberties.
Another Successful Landing on the Truman Naval Security reviewed it’s procedures after a South African man was found walking around the deck of the USS Harry S.
Student Rally in Moscow An estimated 3500 students took to the streets of Moscow today to protest changes in education policy:About 3,500 students are holding a rally in the center of Moscow with the number continuing to swell.They are protesting against education reforms including the cancellation of military draft exemptions.The deputy head of the Russian Education Agency, Yevgeny Butko, quoted by Itar-Tass news agency, said the students are demanding transport benefits, an increase in their stipend and an allocation of funds for the summer recess.Wanting Increase in Stipend Chanting political slogans:Around 600 policemen, including 100 riot police, are ensuring security in the area where the picket continues.
Last December I wrote about this incident in Iraq where terrorists executed an innocent Iraqi election worker while a western journalist filmed the whole bloody scene…
Bushitler in Baghdad A huge rally staged by infamous anti-American Muslim Cleric Moktada al-Sadr (remember him?) took place in the streets of Baghdad today on the second anniversary of the fall of Saddam.
Pakistani Islamic Political Party Leader Qazi Hussain Ahmad continues his struggle against President Musharraf: Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (The MMA Political Party and the largest Islamic Political Group in Pakistan) President Qazi Hussain Ahmad said on Monday that if President General Pervez Musharraf refused to step down, the religious alliance would lead a “long march” towards Islamabad to throw him out of power.He said that General Musharraf’s anti-Islamic and pro-American policies had pushed the country towards chaos.
Just this month China passed legislation to allow possible military action to “reaquire” it’s “lost colony” of Taiwan.
*** President Akayev May Have Fled the Country ***Updated BelowProtesters Storm the Ministry of Defense Building in the Capital:Protesters stormed the presidential compound in Kyrgyzstan on Thursday, seizing control of the symbol of power after clashing with riot police who had surrounded it during a large opposition rally.
Today we hear about the real Kentucky Wildcats.
Welcome Extraterrestrials!
The Lebanese Foundation for Peace continues to report on “high tension in the Military” and that “things could break out at any moment” in Syria.
The media is very tight in Syria but there are reports coming out that a Coup d’Etat may have happened in the capital of Damascus last night.
This is unbelievable…The parents of a 23-year-old activist killed while trying to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home is suing Caterpillar Inc., the company that made the bulldozer that ran over her.Rachel Corrie, a student at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, was standing in front of a home in a refugee camp in Rafah, near the Egyptian border, in March of 2003 when a bulldozer plowed over her.
Abdullah Mehsud Dies of Gunshot Wounds The Daily Times of Pakistan is reporting:A spokesman for wanted tribal militant Abdullah Mehsud claimed on Sunday that the kidnapper of two Chinese engineers “died of his wounds” after a bullet pierced his chest in an Army commandos-led operation in North Waziristan Agency on March 5.The spokesman for the one-legged militant, former Guantanamo Bay inmate, said the 28-year-old Abdullah was hit by bullets in his chest during the March 5 operation in which army claimed to have killed two foreigners and arrested 11 others.“Abdullah’s comrades managed to take out the wounded commander and treated” at a place in Shawal area where the military launched another search operation in the same area on Sunday arresting 10 local tribal people, the spokesman claimed.Abdullah Mehsud is one of at least 10 former Guantanamo Bay detainees who have been released only to return home to fight again with the Taleban and al Qaeda.
After months of pentup anxiety and tension the Left this week by way of the military recruitment process formally declared their war against the US Military.
Thank you New York Times for once again leading the way in giving our enemies something they can really hate us for.
Today the AP has an article about the great many veterans who are among the homeless in this country:Like many of the estimated 500,000 veterans who will become homeless at some point this year, Marsh had the “Army of one” mentality that the armed forces demand…
There is a story from Kurdish blogger Kurdo about US soldiers shopping in Kurdistan.
A Tribute to Our Military This was a comment posted by Dale, a devoted reader, and was so moving that I wanted to post it and share it with all of you…When I served our country, we had a draft.
Sometimes the St.
A Friend to Europe Elites Too bad that CNN can not count all of the blog articles on their embattled chief in their ratings.
John F.
As the rest of the world celebrates, CNN has first a segment with an “expert” who calls the Iraqi campaign a disaster…
Marching to Show Support Members of Chapter 2222 of the Military Order of the Purple Heart said they will be in the parade to show their unconditional support for America’s soldiers.
CBS Releases Rathergate Findings Another crappy AP article about the biggest blog discovery ever: Four CBS News staffers were fired Monday following the release of an independent investigation that said a “myopic zeal” led to a “60 Minutes Wednesday” story about President Bush’s military service that relied on allegedly (???) forged documents.
This is a truly wonderful story about our military from the AP: Zulfahmi was about to be airlifted to a hospital for treatment of a leg that was gashed to the bone as he was swept up in the Dec.
Tsunami Survivors from the Jarawa Tribe The extent of the Christmas tsunami destruction may never be certain due to a number of reasons.
Where’s the Outrage!
Hiding the Dead?
Military Government Covers Up Losses You can see from the path of the tsunami that Burma (Myanmar) was more of a direct hit than Thailand yet the government is reporting very low casualties (59).
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue or Bust!
Here’s a new leftist group that I had never heard of until today.
Support for the war in Iraq remains very high among the active-duty military, according to a Military Times Poll.
Expect CNN to further their deficit to FOX News in the year ahead.
