Seachange Bulletin #128March 24, 2004Seachange Bulletin ArchivesEmail the editorSeachange Bulletin #128: Regime Change I "Haiti was more than the New World's second oldest republic," anthropologist Ira Lowenthal observed, "more than even the first black republic of the modern world. Haiti was the first free nation of free men to arise within, and in resistance to, the emerging constellation of Western European empire." ... Insurrection in the Making Yifat Susskind, MADRE, February 2004 <http://www.madre.org/country_haiti_crisis.html> A political crisis that has been brewing in Haiti since 2000 exploded during the second week of February 2004. Members of an armed movement seeking to overthrow Haiti’s President, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, went on a rampage in a dozen Haitian towns, killing more than 60 people. The towns remain under siege by criminal gangs led by former paramilitary members. ... US House Members to Bush, Powell: Don’t Usurp Aristide’s Powers The Black Commentator, February 26, 2004 <http://www.blackcommentator.com/79/79_haiti_house.html> Representatives Maxine Waters (D-CA), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Barbara Lee (D-CA), and John Conyers (D-MI) held a press conference in Washington, February 25, to announce they had delivered a letter on Haiti policy to Secretary of State Colin Powell. Later, 18 members of the Congressional Black Caucus visited the White House to press President Bush to assist Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s besieged government. ... President Bush Finally Speaks the Truth about America's Unlawful Treatment of Haitian Refugees US Committee for Refugees, February 26, 2004 <http://www.refugees.org/news/press_releases/2004/022604.cfm> On Wednesday, making his first public comments on the crisis in Haiti, President Bush announced: "We will turn back any refugee that attempts to reach our shore, and that message needs to be very clear as well to the Haitian people.'' The President's statement constituted the first time in more than 50 years that the US has flagrantly rejected the legal and ethical obligation to protect refugees. ... Statement White House Press Secretary, February 28, 2004 <http://www.cpcml.ca/tmld/D34031.htm#1> We condemn the violence in Haiti. Many are engaged in it. All should end their senseless looting and killing. In the last few days, gangs armed and directed by President Aristide have looted and attacked people and property in Port-au-Prince. These attacks have targeted innocent civilians, humanitarian programs, and international organizations trying to help the Haitian people. ... Haiti: Dangerous Muddle Conn Hallinan, FPIF Policy Report, March 2004 <http://www.fpif.org/papers/2004haiti_body.html> In 1994, when President Bill Clinton sent 20,000 American troops into Haiti to restore Jean-Bertrand Aristide to the presidency, there was widespread support for a mission aimed at restoring democracy and relieving the misery of the Haitian people. It also seemed to herald a new day in the post-cold war world, when American invasions were not automatically synonymous with supporting some Latin American caudillo or South East Asian despot. ... Statement Caribbean Community (CARICOM), March 1, 2004 <http://www.cpcml.ca/tmld/D34031.htm#1> President Aristide has submitted his resignation as the President of Haiti and has left the country for an undisclosed destination. We are bound to question whether his resignation was truly voluntary, as it comes after the capture of sections of Haiti by armed insurgents and the failure of the international community to provide the requisite support, despite the appeals of CARICOM. ... Coup d'Etat in Haiti Jamaica Observer, March 1, 2004 <http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/html/20040301t000000-0500_56431_obs_ coup_d_etat_in_haiti.asp> The deed is done. Haiti has been raped. The act was sanctioned by the United States, Canada and France. For despite the fig leaf of constitutionality with which these Western powers, and supposed bastions of democracy, have sought to shroud the act, what happened in Haiti yesterday was nothing short of a coup d'etat. ... US-Sponsored Regime Change in Haiti Nirit Ben-Ari & Bill Weinberg, World War 3 Report, March 1, 2004 <http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=17995> In the wee hours of March 1, US Marines landed in Haiti hours after President Jean-Bertrand Aristide reportedly succumbed to demands from an armed opposition movement that he step down and go into exile – although persistent rumors on the ground maintain he was actually arrested by US forces. ... Don't fall for Washington's spin on Haiti Jeffrey Sachs, Financial Times, March 1, 2004 <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/portside/message/5566> The crisis in Haiti is another case of brazen US manipulation of a small, impoverished country with the truth unexplored by journalists. In the nearly universal media line on the Haitian revolt, President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was portrayed as an undemocratic leader who betrayed Haiti's democratic hopes and thereby lost the support of his erstwhile backers. ... Haiti as Target Practice Heather Williams, CounterPunch, March 1, 2004 <http://www.counterpunch.org/williams03012004.html> Now that bodies are littering the streets of Cap Haitien and Port-au-Prince, major print news outlets have seen well enough to send a handful of cameramen and correspondents to send back news of the crisis. Even so, the campaign of violence that has finally ousted Haitian President Aristide has been investigated and reported to the American public with appalling indolence. ... Obligations in Haiti Boston Globe, March 1, 2004 <http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2004/0 3/01/obligations_in_haiti> Make no mistake about it: Jean-Bertrand Aristide's resignation yesterday as Haiti's elected president was a defeat for democracy. It was a defeat that the United States, so eager to inject democracy into the Middle East, could have prevented as recently as last week, when Aristide asked for foreign security forces to protect Haitian democracy from the armed insurgents threatening to overthrow it. ... Bush administration assailed as withholding support Wayne Washington, Boston Globe, March 1, 2004 <http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/03/01/bush_administration_ass ailed_as_withholding_support> Washington - Many black political leaders blamed President Bush yesterday for failing to focus enough on the humanitarian problems boiling in Haiti, and said the administration's unwillingness to support the government of its now-exiled president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, set a dangerous precedent. ... Restore Aristide Presidency Committees of Correspondence for Socialism & Democracy, March 1, 2004 <http://www.cc-ds.org/restore_aristide_presidency_03_01_04.htm> The pretense of the Bush Administration's expressed concern for "democracy" and the "rule of law" was laid bare Sunday with the forcible overthrow of the government of Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide. Rhetoric will not cover up the reality that the people now running the White House, the Pentagon and the State Department have arrogated to themselves the right and authority to determine which governments are illegitimate and can be considered targets for military "regime change." ... Haiti Destabilization by the Book Matthew Rothschild, The Progressive, March 1, 2004 <http://www.progressive.org/webex04/wx030104.html> George W. Bush just got another scalp, this time that of Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the democratically elected leader of Haiti whom Bush helped topple over the weekend. Aristide was no angel, but this has all the earmarks of a successful US destabilization campaign. ... Why Haiti? Why Now? J. Damu, Portside, March 2, 2004 <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/portside/message/5572> Black people across America and throughout the world, in fact all people who love and honor democracy and social justice, have to be outraged at what was surely the cloaked in darkness gunpoint kidnapping of Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide by US militarists, this past Sunday, February 29. We must speak as one to denounce this latest "lebensraum" (living space) foreign policy of the Bush administration, which is beginning to resemble more and more that of the German nazi era. ... Rebels Enter Haiti Capital In Triumph Scott Wilson & Kevin Sullivan, Washington Post, March 2, 2004 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20983-2004Mar1.html> Port-au-Prince - Thousands of Haitians danced in the streets Monday as rebels made a triumphant entrance into this burned and looted city a day after President Jean-Bertrand Aristide flew into exile. But there were signs of political reprisals against Aristide supporters in the capital of a country with a history of political upheaval followed by bloody revenge. ... Regime Change in Haiti Mike Whitney, CounterPunch, March 2, 2004 <http://www.counterpunch.org/whitney03022004.html> "Will I resign? No, I will not resign, I will fulfill my term and I will not allow criminals and terrorists to take over." - Jean-Bertrand Aristide. "This long-simmering crisis is largely of Mr. Aristide's making. His failure to adhere to democratic principles has contributed to the deep polarization and violent unrest that we are witnessing in Haiti today." - Press Secretary Scott McClellan. The Bush Administration's response to the rebellion in Haiti is the most explicit example of contempt for democracy we've seen yet. ... Why they had to crush Aristide Peter Hallward, The Guardian, March 2, 2004 <http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1159809,00.html> Jean-Bertrand Aristide was re-elected president of Haiti in November 2000 with more than 90% of the vote. He was elected by people who approved his courageous dissolution, in 1995, of the armed forces that had long terrorised Haiti and had overthrown his first administration. He was elected by people who supported his tentative efforts, made with virtually no resources or revenue, to invest in education and health. ... Vital Voices LaNitra Walker, The American Prospect online, March 2, 2004 <http://www.prospect.org/webfeatures/2004/03/walker-l-03-02.html> Like many people these days, I have Haiti on my mind. Harrowing images of Haitians running through the streets of Cap-Haitien or Port-au-Prince are shown on the news. And now President Jean-Bertrand Aristide has resigned, and Haitians are faced with looting and violence. But there is more to Haiti than just the sharp sounds of gunfire on the evening news. ... Cuban Doctors Work in Haiti Despite Crisis Prensa Latina, March 3, 2004 <http://www.trabajadores.co.cu/2004/marzo/03_ingles/textos_y_fotos/cuban.htm> Havana - Despite the serious political crisis and social instability in Haiti, Cuban doctors have continued to provide health service to the people, the Cuban TV reported. Cuba has been cooperating with Haiti for over a period of five years and doctors are distributed throughout the country assisting 75 percent of the population. ... US Patrols Start in Haiti, but Residents Remain Wary Lydia Polgreen, The New York Times, March 4, 2004 <http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/04/international/americas/04HAIT.html?th> Port-au-Prince - United States marines took to the lawless streets of the capital on Wednesday, patrolling in light armored vehicles and Humvees late in the afternoon in their first direct attempt to quell the violence that has racked the city since the former president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, fled Sunday. ... Aristide Supporters March Through Haiti Mark Stevenson & Paisley Dodds, Associated Press, March 5, 2004 <http://www.comcast.net/News/INTERNATIONAL//XML/1102_AP_Online_Regional___Lati n_America_and_Caribbean/dce38143-bba7-4793-a281-62b0b0963dac.html> Port-au-Prince - Thousands of supporters of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide marched through the streets Friday, shouting their anger at his ouster. A seven-member council was chosen to find a new prime minister for a transitional government. "Long live Aristide!" and "Down with George Bush!" the protesters yelled as US Marines watched impassively from inside the gated National Palace. ... Haiti: Stop union-busting, respect workers' rights! Eric Lee, LabourStart, March 5, 2004 <http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=24> On Monday 1 March, 2004, thirty-four members of the Sendika Ouvriye Kodevi Wanament (SOKOWA, Ouanaminthe Codevi Workers' Union) were fired by the management of the Grupo M textile assembly factory in northeast Haiti. (This union had filed its official registration with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour in Port-au-Prince on 10 February, 2004.) The following day, as co-workers prepared to take action in support of the union, members of the so-called "rebel" forces, who in recent days staged a violent coup d'etat against the Haitian government, arrived at the factory and attacked the workers. ... To the Haitian People and the World Address by Haitian President-in-Exile Jean-Bertrand Aristide, March 5, 2004 <http://www.cpcml.ca/tmld/D34031.htm#1> "In overthrowing me, they have uprooted the trunk of the liberty. It will grow back because its roots are many and deep." - Toussaint L'Ouverture. In the shadow of Toussaint L'Ouverture, the genius of the race, I declare in overthrowing me they have uprooted the trunk of the tree of peace, but it will grow back because the roots are L'Ouverturian. Dear compatriots, it is with these first words that I am saluting our brothers and sisters from Africa, while I am standing on the soil of the Central African Republic. ... CARICOM Demands Independent Investigation into Aristide's Departure <http://www.cpcml.ca/tmld/D34031.htm#1> From March 2-3, the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) held an emergency meeting in Jamaica to discuss the situation in Haiti, following which it called for an independent investigation into the reportedly voluntary resignation of exiled Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Jamaica's Prime Minister and current Chairman of CARICOM PJ Patterson stated at a press conference following the meeting: "Despite what we have heard in public and besides what we have learnt in private, we simply say that the situation calls for an investigation of what transpired and we believe that this should be done under the auspices of some independent international body such as the United Nations, which would clarify the circumstances leading to the relinquishing of the presidency of Haiti by President Aristide." ... US Special Forces in Haiti Seeking Out Rebel Leaders Tim Weiner, The New York Times, March 6, 2004 <http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/06/international/americas/06CAPI.html?th> Port-au-Prince - Newly arrived United States Special Forces sought out rebel leaders on Friday, as marines at the presidential palace were jeered and cursed by demonstrators loyal to the deposed president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The American commandos are in the rebel strongholds of Cap Haitien and Gonaïves, an American commander said. ... Haitians Again Relying on US Military to Bring Order Tim Weiner & Lydia Polgreen, The New York Times, March 7, 2004 <http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/07/international/07HAIT.html?th> Port-au-Prince - Jean Rodrigue peered through the green gates of the palace wall, struggling to take in the sight of a dozen or more United States marines in armored vehicles on the lawn of the National Palace that President Jean-Bertrand Aristide had fled. A decade ago, Mr. Rodrigue had wept for joy when Mr. Aristide, Haiti's first democratically elected president, returned with the help of the American military. Now he is gone, and American troops are trying to mop up the mess he left behind. ... Restore the Democratically Elected President of Haiti Investigate the US Role in the Coup San Francisco Labor Council, March 8, 2004 We applaud and support the actions of Representatives Barbara Lee, Maxine Waters, and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus in calling for a Congressional investigation into the US role in the coup that forced Jean-Bertrand Aristide out of office. We call for an investigation into last year's shipping of 20,000 M-16 rifles to the Dominican Republic by the US military, and into how these weapons got into the hands of the thugs who overthrew Aristide. We call on the state AFL-CIO, labor councils, local and international unions to: a) demand an investigation into the Bush administration's role in the coup against Aristide; b) demand the immediate release of Aristide and his recognition and restoration as the democratically elected President of Haiti. Adopted by unanimous vote of the San Francisco Labor Council, AFL-CIO - March 8, 2004 An Interim President for Haiti Is Sworn In Lydia Polgreen & Tim Weiner, The New York Times, March 9, 2004 <http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/09/international/americas/09HAIT.html?th> Port-au-Prince - Interim President Boniface Alexandre was installed in the National Palace in a brief, awkward ceremony on Monday, as hundreds of supporters of Haiti's exiled president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, marched through the capital, chanting "Aristide or death!" ... Let Haiti Hear Us! Daphne Muse, Black Commentator, March 11, 2004 <http://www.blackcommentator.com/81/81_guest_haiti_muse.html> With my office, library and meditation room located on the second floor of our home, on any given day I move up and down the steps twelve to twenty times. At the top of the landing is an exquisitely framed, late 19th century, mint condition lithograph of Francois Dominique Toussaint L'Overture. ... French replace Marines in patrols of Haiti slum Peter Prengaman, Associated Press, March 15, 2004 <http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/075/nation/French_replace_Marines_in_patrol s_of_Haiti_slum+.shtml> Port-au-Prince - French troops took over patrols yesterday in a slum where US Marines - under fire - killed at least two people and angered residents demanding the return of ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Aristide, meanwhile, left the Central African Republic on a private jet bound for Jamaica despite the objections of US and Haitian officials. ... Haiti cuts ties with Jamaica over Aristide's arrival Peter Prengaman, Associated Press, March 16, 2004 <http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/076/nation/Haiti_cuts_ties_with_Jamaica_ove r_Aristide_s_arrival+.shtml> Port-au-Prince - Ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide arrived in Jamaica from exile in Africa yesterday, prompting Haiti's interim leader to withdraw his ambassador to Jamaica and suspend ties with the Caribbean economic bloc. Aristide's arrival in neighboring Jamaica raised tensions in Haiti, where his followers plan more protests to demand the return of the country's first democratically elected leader. ... Another word to Mr Latortue Jamaica Observer, March 22, 2004 <http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/html/20040322T000000-0500_57504_OBS_ ANOTHER_WORD_TO_MR_LATORTUE.asp> This newspaper, as we expect is the case with all well-thinking and democracy-minded persons, is saddened by the turn of events in Haiti. For the second time in a dozen years last month, an experiment in democracy in that country was cruelly aborted. But while we did not expect that the coup d'etat against Jean-Bertrand Aristide would be reversed, we had hoped that the newly-installed government of Mr Gerard Latortue would send early, and clear, signals of intent to take Haiti back on a track of democracy and reconciliation. ... Editorial Comment: A thorough recounting of unfolding events in Haiti has been captured by Democracy Now!, including transcripts and audio links from Pacifica Radio of interviews with leading participants and observers of this tragic chapter in world history. Is Washington Backing Another Coup in Haiti? - February 12, 2004 <http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/02/12/1552237> Rep. Maxine Waters Charges US Is Encouraging A Coup in Haiti - February 16, 2004 <http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/02/16/1746202> Rep Maxine Waters: Aristide Says 'I Was Kidnapped' - March 1, 2004 <http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/01/1921235> Randall Robinson: Aristide Says 'Tell the World It Is a Coup' - March 1, 2004 <http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/01/1929215> President Aristide Says 'I Was Kidnapped' - March 1, 2004 <http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/01/1521216> Ramsey Clark On Haiti - March 2, 2004 <http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/02/1616208> US Psy-Ops Exposed - March 2, 2004 <http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/02/1616214> Black Caucus Vows to Find Out if US Engineered Coup Against Aristide - March 2, 2004 <http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/02/1616219> Head of US Security Firm That Guarded Aristide Speaks Out - March 2, 2004 <http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/02/1616229> Haitian Consul General Says Aristide Still President - March 3, 2004 <http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/03/1631249> The Haitian Army Returns: Who Is Guy Philippe? - March 3, 2004 <http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/03/1631258> Caribbean Nations Call For UN Investigation on Ouster of Aristide In Haiti - March 5, 2004 <http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/05/1542244> Aristide Lawyers Demand US Prosecute "Kidnappers" ... - March 9, 2004 <http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/09/1518238> The Return of Aristide - March 12, 2004 <http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/13/1835255> Defying Washington: Haiti's Aristide Returns to the Caribbean - March 15, 2004 <http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/15/1615213> Aristide Talks With Democracy Now! About His Return to the Caribbean - March 16, 2004 <http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/16/1712208> Aristide Talks With Democracy Now! About the Leaders of the Coup ... - March 17, 2004 <http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/17/1545228> Jamaica, Venezuela Refuse to Recognize US-Backed Haitian Government - March 17, 2004 <http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/17/1545232> Haiti's History: Noam Chomsky Traces Underpinnings ... - March 17, 2004 <http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/17/1545244> Is the US Trying to Expel Aristide From the Hemisphere? - March 23, 2004 <http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/23/1546250> Petition to Congress on the Plight of Haiti in Light of Destabilization Foreign Policy in Focus, Ecumenical Program in Central America and the Caribbean (EPICA), TransAfrica Forum, and Global Justice, Inc. <http://www.fpif.org/form_haiti-petition.html> We, organizations and members of the international community, denounce the flagrant violation of international sovereignty laws by the United States government through its involvement in the overthrow of the democratically elected President of Haiti. The United States has entered Haiti without invitation of the Haitian government or its duly-elected president. The Bush administration has overstepped its constitutional and moral authority. By no law of the United States is there any sanction given for the overthrow of a duly-elected government. ... Spain: Fidel Castro Declares No Act of Terrorism Is Justified Prensa Latina, March 14, 2004 <http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID={E2632E65-F17C-49B4-842A-3683EE2AD750 }&language=EN> Havana - Cuban President Fidel Castro said "no act of terrorism is justified, no matter who does it," referring to last Thursday bomb attacks in Madrid that killed 200 people and wounded 1,468. In an interview granted Friday night to Chilevision and broadcast Saturday evening by Cuban television, Fidel Castro slammed at Jose Maria Aznar´s administration for lying to the Spanish people, manipulating the information on the attack and taking advantage of the confusion and pain for political gaining. ... Following Attacks, Spain's Governing Party Is Beaten Elaine Sciolino, The New York Times, March 15, 2004 <http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/15/international/europe/15SPAI.html?th> Madrid - Spain's opposition Socialists swept to an upset victory in general elections on Sunday, ousting the center-right party of Prime Minister José María Aznar in a groundswell of voter anger and grief over his handling of terrorist bombings in Madrid last week. ... Socialists Oust Pro-War Party In Spain In Surprise Vote Democracy Now!, March 15, 2004 <http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/15/1622224> One of the Bush administration's closest allies in Europe, Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar, suffered a major defeat this weekend when his party was defeated at the polls by the Socialist Party. The vote came three days after 200 people died in bombing attacks in Madrid. Aznar had been one of the most vocal backers of the US invasion of Iraq. ... Liars Lose - The Lessons of Regime Change in Spain Jeff Cohen, Common Dreams, March 15, 2004 <http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0315-13.htm> "Political shock in Spain!" blared ABC News on Sunday night, as regime change came to Madrid. Along with Tony Blair, Spain's conservative Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar had been the staunchest of Bush allies. One down, two to go. ... Letter from Madrid Howard Clark, March 15, 2004 <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/portside/message/5639> First, a thank you to those of you who have been thinking about us since last Thursday's terrorist attack in Madrid. It was indeed horrific, yet - occurring at a divisive time such as on the eve of a general election - it brought forth marvellous solidarity. From the fire brigades and hospital workers working overtime to ordinary people queuing to donate blood. In the schools, pupils made posters and banners - even our Ismael, not yet 4 years old, coloured what he called his "no a la guerra" flag (although actually it said "no al terrorismo"). However, the pro-war and pro-confrontation party of the government - Partido Popular - tried to cheat the people once too often. ... Spain Will Loosen Its Alliance With US, Premier-Elect Says Elaine Sciolino, The New York Times, March 16, 2004 <http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/16/international/europe/16SPAI.html?th> Madrid - Spain's newly elected Socialist prime minister pledged Monday to shift allegiance away from Washington to Paris and Berlin, a move that could lead to a reduction of American influence in Europe on a range of issues. Meanwhile, American intelligence officials said Monday that they were now increasingly convinced that Muslim militants, not the Basque separatist group ETA, were responsible for the train bombings in Madrid on Thursday that killed 200 people and wounded 1,500. ... Change in Spain The New York Times, March 16, 2004 <http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/16/opinion/16TUE1.html?th> The terrorist bombings in Madrid last week were undoubtedly the main factor in Sunday's upset of the incumbent Popular Party, which supported the American invasion and occupation of Iraq. The victorious Socialists, like most Spaniards, did not. If Al Qaeda organized the bombings, as now seems to be the case, the outcome may be seen by some as a win for the terrorists. We disagree. Certainly, the events in Madrid have been a major blow to the Bush administration's strategy of inducing democratic governments to endorse its military operations even in the teeth of overwhelming opposition from their own people. But the war on terror will go on, perhaps stronger than ever. ... Weak on Terror Paul Krugman, The New York Times, March 16, 2004 <http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/16/opinion/16KRUG.html?th> "My most immediate priority," Spain's new leader, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, declared yesterday, "will be to fight terrorism." But he and the voters who gave his party a stunning upset victory last Sunday don't believe the war in Iraq is part of that fight. And the Spanish public was also outraged by what it perceived as the Aznar government's attempt to spin last week's terrorist attack for political purposes. The Bush administration, which baffled the world when it used an attack by Islamic fundamentalists to justify the overthrow of a brutal but secular regime, and which has been utterly ruthless in its political exploitation of 9/11, must be very, very afraid. ... Spain is set to pull out of Iraq Charles M. Sennott, Boston Globe, March 16, 2004 <http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2004/03/16/spain_is_set_to_pull_out _of_iraq> Madrid - A day after Spanish voters threw out of office the government that led them into a hugely unpopular war in Iraq, the incoming prime minister yesterday vowed to bring Spanish troops home and harshly criticized the US led occupation as a "disaster." Following his party's dramatic upset victory against the bloody backdrop of Thursday's train bombings, Socialist Party leader Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said he would fulfill a campaign promise to pull back Spain's 1,300 troops by the end of June. "The war has been a disaster, the occupation continues to be a disaster. It has only caused violence," Zapatero said in his first interview after his triumph Sunday. ... Spain's vote against mendacity Thomas Oliphant, Boston Globe, March 16, 2004 <http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2004/03/16/s pains_vote_against_mendacity> Washington - In an atmosphere of horror and anger, Spanish voters managed to sort through their emotions over the weekend to deliver a surprisingly clear message to their government. Perhaps we should listen in the United States. Governments that lie and cover up on matters not only central to national security but also to the commitment of armed forces abroad are inviting rejection. Governments that seek to use events as unspeakable as mass murder for political purposes are doing the same. ... Venezuela: Chavez Accuses Opposition of Conspiracy and Fraud Democracy Now!, February 16, 2004 <http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/02/16/1746259> Several thousand demonstrators protested in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas this weekend, a day after the National Electoral Council promised a decision later this month on whether a referendum will be held on President Hugo Chavez' future. Opponents of President Hugo Chavez have claimed they gathered enough signatures to demand a presidential recall. The opposition says its petition to hold a referendum was signed by 3.4 million people. But government officials say there are widespread problems with the petition and that there may be cases of outright fraud. The recall effort marks the third time since April 2001 that opposition leaders tried to remove the populist leader Chavez from office. ... The Question Remains: What Is the AFL-CIO doing in Venezuela? Alberto Ruiz, ZNet, March 2, 2004 <http://www.zmag.org/content/print_article.cfm?itemID=5074§ionID=45> On April 25, 2002, shortly after the short-lived coup which ousted President Hugo Chavez, the New York Times ran an article entitled, "US Bankrolling Is Under Scrutiny for Ties to Chavez Ouster." In this article, which detailed numerous grants given by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) to various pro-coup groups in Venezuela prior to the coup, Times writer Christopher Marquis wrote: "[o]f particular concern is $154,377 given by the endowment to the American Center for International Labor Solidarity, the international arm of the AFL-CIO, to assist the main Venezuelan labor union in advancing labor rights." ... Out-of-control opposition radicals discovered by intelligence services in conspiracy plans to assassinate one or more of their own leaders Roy S. Carson, VHeadline.com, March 4, 2004 <http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=16220> Movimiento Quinta Republica (MVR) deputy, former National Assembly (AN) president Willian Lara says that out-of-control radicals in the loosely-formed Coordinadora Democratica (CD) coalition of opposition parties have been discovered in conspiracy plans to assassinate one or more of their own leaders." Intelligence reports delivered directly to President Hugo Chavez Frias show well-advanced plans by anti-government conspirators to assassinate several high-profile (though presumably politically dispensable) opposition personalities and then to put the blame on President Hugo Chavez Frias as the supposed author of the crime. ... Venezuela at the crossroads Bill Berkowitz, AlterNet.org, March 5, 2004 <http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=16547> While news about US participation in what many observers believe to be the forced removal of Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide continues to unfold, the situation in Venezuela is once again reaching a tipping point. Over at David Horowitz's right wing FrontPage Web site, columnist and radio talk show host Lowell Ponte, overjoyed by Aristide's removal, hysterically called Venezuela President Hugo Chavez the "third domino in the axis of red evil." ... Colombia: Colombia: Old Domino's New Clothes Conn Hallinan, Portside, March 3, 2004 <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/portside/message/5577> There are moments in American foreign policy that run a déjà vu chill down one's spine. Just such a moment was the recent talk to a group of Cali businessmen by William Wood, US Ambassador to Colombia. In his remarks, Wood endorsed efforts by the present government of President Alvaro Uribe to overturn that country's constitution to permit himself a second term. "The US Constitution permits presidential re-elections," Wood argued, "that's why we don't see this proposal as anti-democratic." Wood's remark harks back to the dark old days when the US routinely intervened in Latin America, overthrowing governments and constitutions from Guatemala to Brazil. ... Coke Workers on Hunger Strike in Colombia Ray Rogers, Campaign To Stop Killer Coke, March 15, 2004 <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/portside/message/5636> This morning, Monday March 15, Coca-Cola union workers in Colombia began a hunger strike in front of the Coke bottling plants in Barrancabermeja, Bogotá, Bucaramanga, Cali, Cartagena, Cúcuta, Medellín, and Valledupar. Juan Carlos Galvis, vice president of the local union in Barrancabermeja, has said, "If we lose the fight against Coca-Cola, we will first lose our union, next our jobs and then our lives." ... Middle East: Baghdad, February 2004 Tom Cornell, Catholic Worker <http://catholicworker.org/roundtable/essaytext.cfm?Number=196> "Will you come back to Baghdad?" Ahmed asked me. "No, probably not. But I won’t forget you," I told him. "I hope you find a good wife and have many beautiful children." He smiled broadly, shook my hand and embraced me in the Iraqi manner, kissing the left, then the right cheek. That was last year. I had no intention of returning. It is hard on the body as well as the spirit. Then I changed my mind. I made friends in Baghdad. I thought of them every day. There is an 8 by 10 photo of Hassan, the shoeshine boy, on my bureau, the little scamp. How is Mister Cameron, Mister Luay, the hotel staff, the tailor, Mrs. Amahl and her children? And Ahmed, my shoeshine boy? He waited for me every day at his stand before a yellow brick wall outside the Al Fanar Hotel. He threw his arms up ever time he saw me, knowing that I would want another shine and that I would overpay. Then came the bombing, the invasion, the Occupation, the rampages, the looting. ... Pitching in for health on the West Bank Alice Rothchild, MD, Boston Globe, March 6, 2004 <http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/066/oped/Pitching_in_for_health_on_the_West _Bank+.shtml> Jerusalem - Word spread quickly in Selet el Harthiya and a day later in Qufor, two Palestinian villages near Jenin. A lady doctor was coming to the clinics run by the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees, one of the largest NGOs providing care in the West Bank and Gaza. I stared at the earnest, often tearful, faces of patients, their squirming children in tow, and listened to concerns about pregnancy, infertility, IUDs, decreased libido, and breast mass. Underneath their long robes an assortment of bodies presented themselves, some in tight jeans, some in faded dresses hiding bulging bellies. Each interaction was followed by a complicated negotiation. This included a chaotic mix involving a lack of finances, a minimal assortment of free drugs, and complex strategic planning that encompassed access to testing, specialists, and treatment that all hinged on the multiple road blocks, checkpoints, and the separation wall that is massively disrupting daily life. ... Dr. Alice Rothchild is cochair of Visions of Peace with Justice in Israel/Palestine. Editorial Comment: Dr. Rothchild also chairs the Massachusetts Ad Hoc Committee to Defend Health Care. On International Women's Day, Iraqi Women Have Little to Celebrate Medea Benjamin, CommonDreams.org, March 8, 2004 <http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0308-01.htm> On March 8, 2003, international women's day, Iraqi women had little to celebrate. They were living under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, the weight of onerous UN sanctions and living in fear of impending war. This year, Saddam Hussein is gone and sanctions have been lifted. But Iraqi women face a brand new set of burdens. Iraqi women, like Iraqi men, wage a day-to-day struggle just to survive: they face a devastating 60 percent unemployment rate, constant shortages of electricity and clean drinking water, a crumbling transportation network, and a crumbling health care system. But Iraqi women also have to cope with an unanticipated consequence of Hussein's ouster: the breakdown of the rule of law that has led to an unprecedented spate of rapes and kidnappings. ... Defend Iraqi Workers' Rights A joint campaign of US Labor Against the War, Progressive Portal, Progressive Secretary, EPIC, and others. <http://www.progressiveportal.org/iraq-labor.html> Since the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, workers there have faced intolerable conditions: massive unemployment, grossly inadequate compensation in the few jobs that can be found, and harassment of organized labor by the occupying forces. The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) has arrested labor leaders repeatedly and ransacked union offices - and, unbelievably, is enforcing Saddam Hussein's anti-union laws. Members of Congress, led by Rep. Sam Farr (CA), are preparing a letter to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and CPA Administrator Paul Bremer calling on the CPA to provide jobs or income to Iraqi workers, pay a living wage, and allow Iraqi workers to exercise internationally recognized labor rights. Urge your Representative to sign onto the letter by sending the message below. ... Web Directory: AARN <http://www.aarn.org> Australian Nursing Federation <http://www.anf.org.au> California Nurses Association <http://www.calnurse.org> Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions <http://www.nursesunions.ca> CCDS <http://www.cc-ds.org> Committee for Health Care for Massachusetts <http://www.healthcareformass.org> Irish Nurses Organisation <http://www.ino.ie> Labor Party <http://www.thelaborparty.org> LabourStart <http://www.labourstart.org> Maine State Nurses Association <http://www.mainenurse.org> Massachusetts Ad Hoc Committee <http://www.MassDefendHealthCare.org> Massachusetts Green-Rainbow Party <http://www.green-rainbow.org> Massachusetts Nurses Association <http://www.massnurses.org> MASS-CARE <http://www.masscare.org> New York Professional Nurses Union <http://www.nypnu.org> New Zealand Nurses Organisation <http://www.nzno.org.nz> PASNAP <http://www.pennanurses.org> PNHP <http://www.pnhp.org> Québec Nurses’ Federation <http://www.fiiq.qc.ca> Revolution Magazine <http://www.revolutionmag.com> Saint Louis Area Nurses Coalition <http://www.slanc.org> Seachange Bulletin <http://www.seachangebulletin.org> Southern Arizona Nurses Coalition <http://SAZNC.homestead.com> Union Web Services <http://www.unionwebservices.com> Women’s Universal Health Initiative <http://www.WUHI.org> FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. 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