Why Was Schiavo's Bulimia Ignored? - Schiavo Case Attracting Extremists - The Lakeshore Mystery - Suspending The Constitution To Protect The Constitution - Bush's Contempt For Open Government - The Sharansky Scandal

NO QUALIFICATIONS WHATSOEVER FOR POWERFUL JOB WHY WOLFOWITZ FOR WORLD BANK?

PAUL WOLFOWITZ Critics say that the Wolfowitz nomination, coming on the heels of the nomination of another hawk, John Bolton, as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, reveals the contempt this administration has for the international community. Wolfowitz's 35-year public and academic career, notably lacking in direct experience either with banking or development, let alone the Bank's supposed core mission of poverty reduction, has also steered a wide berth around both Africa and Latin America, two regions of enormous importance to the Bank. Even the response from Britain, the only significant ally the Bush administration found in Iraq was far from welcoming. Prime Minister Tony Blair said Britain would "wait and see if there are any other candidates" his spokeswoman told media. Long-time Bank watchers are asking whether the Bush administration intends to convert the Bank into a grant-making institution, running down its resources and prestige. The Bank holds sway over many developing nations; it lent $20 billion last year alone for hundreds of projects

Wolfowitz Promises "Multinational" Team Bush Pick Of Wolfowitz For World Bank Stirs Questions, Anger Advocacy Groups Insulted By Wolfowitz Nomination Even UK Unhappy With Wolfowitz At World Bank Post Opposition To Wolfowitz Quickly Gathers Steam

Congress To Probe Lost Money At World Bank
Accounting errors worth tens of millions of dollars

World Bank Gets $34 Billion For Controversial Loan Program
Loan requirements force poor nations to open borders to foreign exploitation

Staff Accuses World Bank Of 'Cooking The Books'
Whistleblowers say proof was delivered to the highest levels of management

World Bank May Fund Israel Wall Checkpoints To "Help" Palestinians
Loan requirements force poor nations to open borders to foreign exploitation

China Passes Law Authorizing Possible War With Taiwan
Beijing's anti-secession law described as a "license for war"

Rice Surprises China With Tough Talk
Bluntly tells Europe not to meddle with the balance of power in Asia

"Hell No," I Won't Resign, Says UN Chief
Report faults Kojo Annan and 3 senior UN officials for acting improperly

Christian Zionists Vow Gaza Showdown
To stop Israel's evacuation of colonies scheduled to begin in July

Papal Legacy: A Regressive Church Where Dissent Is Crushed
Probably no pontiff before him repressed dissent so systematically

Native Press Grapples With Red Lake Shootings
"It goes deeper than just being poor. Poverty is a symptom of our whole existence"

Outside Media Won't Understand Red Lake Story
Mythology and misunderstanding obscures the truth

JOHN BOLTON

Shock As Bush Appoints Right-Wing Extremist To UN
"There's no one who has a greater track record of offending other countries"

Bolton Faces Fight For UN Post
Best known as perhaps the most bellicose figure within the administration

John Bolton The Extremist's Extremist
There is no one in U.S. public life today more ill-suited for the UN post

Neo-Cons See Democratization, Others See Disintegration
Hardliners call on Bush to seize the moment and press for Syria, Iran "regime change"

Neo-cons Seek To Create Pro-U.S. "Anti-Islamist Institute"
Among goals: lifting ban on sending pork to U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq

Major Oil Companies Wary Of Drilling in ANWR
Won't consider even if Bush gives away leases for free

Pentagon Report Reveals Bush Plans U.S. To Be Globocop
NATO, United Nations, and UN Security Council unmentioned in key document

Growing Concerns Over Mercenary Role For Intelligence
"Their job is to make money and so they will tell you whatever you want to hear"

James Bond's Real-Life "M" Says Terror War Muddled
"People will always resort to terrorism because it is so effective in drawing the world's attention"

KAREN HUGHES

Karen Hughes' Post Gives Rice Leverage Over Rove, Cheney
"Cheney always got the last word (with Bush) on foreign policy if he wanted it"

U.S. Court Throws Out Suit By Vietnam's Agent Orange Victims
11.5 million Vietnamese behind lawsuit filed in New York federal court

Madrid's Train Bombing Still Unsolved A Year Later
Police have still not discovered if 72 individuals charged belong to any group or organization, nor who gave the orders

Military Recruiters Finding Fewer Kids Signing Up
Army missing quotas even in low-income minority communities
Military Recruiters Face Resistance From Young Anti-War Activists
New York City counter-recruitment group educates youth about alternatives

Latin Immigrants Race For U.S. Border Fearing Crackdown
Worries that "Read ID Act" will seal Mexico - U.S. border
Hundreds of Whistleblower Cases Thrown Out
As Bush-appointed Special Counsel boasts of clearing backlogged cases

U.S. On The Wrong Side As Tobacco Treaty Takes Effect
Would have required crackdown on Big Tobacco ads

Americans Grab Most Lucrative UN Jobs
"Only the crumbs from the table go to developing nation"

THE WITCH HUNT OF WARD CHURCHILL

At the end of January, Fox News personality Bill O'Reilly brought Ward Churchill to national attention with a call for viewers to protest his upcoming appearance on a panel discussing "limits of dissent." Since then, the University of Colorado/ Boulder professor has faced attacks on two fronts. First there's the debate over the ideas in his now-famous essay written right after 9/11, comparing "technocrats of empire" working in the World Trade Center with "little Eichmanns." But as Jack Random writes below: Ward Churchill did not cry "fire" in a crowded theater. He did not defend terrorism, violence or the enemies of the nation. He did not call for armed rebellion. He simply engaged in the most fundamental practice of any civil society and, like any good teacher, he provoked thought. Much more disturbing are calls for Churchill to be silenced. In attacks that mirror McCarthyite witch hunts of the 1950s, Churchill is accused of treason as demands are made for his firing from the university and an investigation into his past. "It's amazing that the more we look at Ward Churchill, the more outrageous, treasonous statements we hear from Churchill," Colorado Governor Bill Owens said. "Churchill has clearly called for violence against the state, and no country is required to subsidize its own destruction. That's what we're doing with Ward Churchill."

Ward Churchill And The Threshold Of Influence Cockburn: Left And Right, Sane And Mad Debate Over "Indianness" A Flashback To COINTELPRO Ward Churchill Has Rights, And He's Right Ward Churchill's Defense

Taliban's Star Again Rising In Afghanistan
Same tactics that were used to overthrow Soviets
Possibility Of Legal Opium Farms In Afghanistan Studied
As country on the verge of becoming a narco-state

State Dept. Awards U.S. A Gold Star In Annual Human Rights Report
Political foes like Venezuela denounced, yet Saudi Arabia conditions called promising

BUSH PLANS TRIPLE-PLAY: SYRIA, IRAN, AND LEBANON
The neo-cons know that when Syria, Hizbollah and Iran say no to their accelerating schedule of unreasonable demands, they'll maintain their case for attacks. But this time they'll have Europe (notably a wheeling and dealing imperialist France, which is doing business with the U.S. regarding its former Syrian and Lebanese colonies, to say nothing of Haiti), on their side as they pursue their five-year regime change plan

Israel's Euphoria Over Lebanon Wearing Off
Most scenarios include Hezbollah force on Israel's border

Shiite - Sunni Conflict Spreads To Lebanon In Hariri's Assassination
Worry that chaos from religious schism may spread quickly throughout the Middle East

Lebanon's Massive Debt Leaves Nation Unstable
Bill comes due from massive spending under PM Hariri

Will Democracy Follow Fall Of Lebanon's Government?
A roar of thousands of raised voices as Syria-backed government folds

Lebanon's Christian Factions Behind "Spontaneous" Demonstration
The revolution's foot soldiers have an agenda of their own

China Crackdown On Abortions Of Girls
Preference to have sons now criminal offence

BUSH TRIES TO MAKE IRAN A NUCLEAR BOGEYMAN
Iran has called for the establishment of a nuclear-free zone for the entire Middle East, where all nations of the region would be required to give up their nuclear weapons and weapons programs and open up to strict international inspections. They have been joined in that effort by Syria as well as by U.S. allies Jordan and Egypt. The Bush administration has rejected such a call, however, insisting that the United States has the right to decide which countries get to have such weapons and which ones do not, effectively demanding a kind of nuclear apartheid

Being A Human Shield In Haiti
Roaming death squads claiming to be police

Bush Renewed Military Ties With Indonesia Worries Rights Activists
Wolfowitz visit in January paved way for controversial deal

U.S. Warned Venezuela's Chavez About Assassination Plans
Former ambassador twice warned Chavez of plots against him

JOHN NEGROPONTE

JOHN NEGROPONTE, CHIEF OF ALL SPIES
As the first Director of National Intelligence, Negroponte's appointment signaled the end of the CIA's dominant position among the government's 15 spy agencies. He has the opportunity to fundamentally reshape America's entire intelligence structure, but Negroponte has also earned a reputation as a ruthless and determined political operative who always gets the job done -- however "dirty" or undiplomatic

UN Genocide Advisor Says Darfur Getting Worse
"If we fail to curb the spread of violence, another catastrophe in Darfur could occur...with unpredictable consequences"

Tsunami Nations To Europe: Don't Dump Old Fishing Boats On Us
Defense Crew-based European boats not suitable for local fishing industry in the Indian Ocean

Fears Of Renewed Sri Lanka War As Tsunami Truce Fades
"Politics has taken over and suspicions have returned"

Panama's Cocaine / Money Laundering Probe Reopened
"Operation Malocchio" began in mid-1990s and exposed massive international money laundering

U.S. Muslims Waiting To See If Gonzales Better Than Ashcroft
5,000 in preventive detention under Ashcroft

Saudi Arabia Turns To Russia For Arms Sales
All Gulf nations increasingly switching from U.S. systems to Russian
Iran Considering National Dress Code
Way to tighten enforcement of existing Islamic dress codes for women

Native Mexicans Face Harassment, Ridicule In Cities
Schoolchildren at high risk of discrimination for speaking Native languages

Despite Ban, Indonesian Domestic Workers Still Head For Persian Gulf
Blockade because of widespread reports of abuse, employers failing to pay

Whistleblowers Sue U.S. Over Firings
After Bush Special Counsel throws out 100s of case and boasts of clearing backlog

Quite literally every liberated Iraqi I've gotten to know from my earliest days in the country has either had a family member or a friend killed by U.S. soldiers or from the effects of the war/occupation. These include such everyday facts of life as not having enough money for food or fuel due to massive unemployment and soaring energy prices, or any of the countless other horrors caused by the aforementioned. The broken promises, broken infrastructure, and broken cities of Iraq were plainly visible in those early months of 2004 -- and the sad thing is that the devastation I saw then has only grown worse since. The life Iraqis were living a year ago, horrendous as it was, was but a prelude to what was to come under the U.S. occupation. The warning signs were clear from a shattered infrastructure, to all the torturing, to a burgeoning, violent resistance

Misleading AP Report: "Iraq Coverage Wasn't Biased"
Omits findings in study that coverage failed to inform public

Shooting Of Italians Rattles U.S. Coalition
Italian outrage over killing of negotiator by U.S. soldier

Iraq Becomes Kidnapping, Inc.
With unemployment high and law enforcement weak, ransom is easy money
Press Orgs Want Full Probe Into Sgrena Shooting
Hope that Italian pressure will prevent Bush from ignoring attack on reporter

Anger and Grief Mark Second Anniversary of Iraq War
Democratic party leaders stay away from demonstrations

U.S. Charges Halliburton Ex-Worker In Multi-Million $$ Iraq Scam
Example of poor oversight for largest reconstruction program in history

Pentagon Still Won't Hold Top Brass Responsible For Abuses
Rights groups, some Senators, call for independent probe

Kurdistan Takes Shape As A Nation Within Iraq
Will be able to decide which Iraqi laws apply in Kurdish region

Italy Bows Out Of Bush's Coalition
Prime Minister Berlusconi's only chance of political survival
Bush Insists 'Coalition Of The Willing' Not Crumbling
Also says he doesn't worry about "vindication"

Declining Conditions For Iraq Women - Amnesty International
Lack of security and a lack of specific measures to protect women

Rise Of Iraq's Da'wa Party Bad News For U.S. Interests
Increased likelihood of rule under Islamic law

Jobs Bill Will Allow Faith Groups To Discriminate In Favor Of Religous
Effect amplified because legislation also consolidates training programs
Indecency Is In The Air As Congress Aims At Cable TV
Senator Ted Stevens, with a host of supporters, wants to redefine "airwaves"

Less Porn, More Patriot Act, Top Gonzales' To-Do List
And let's quickly deport the illegals, too

McCain Pushes For Non-Paid TV Coverage Of Candidates
Only hope for candidates who can't afford ads "may be to have a freak accident"
Negroponte Has Much In Common With Mullah Omar
Bush's pick for director of national intelligence once oversaw an Afghan-style sanctuary for terrorists every bit as nasty as Osama and al Qaeda

Now almost two months since King Gyanendra assumed absolute powers on Feb. 1, declaring a state of emergency and closing the nation to the outside world, Nepal's political parties, at a closed door meeting in the Thai capital, have vowed an all-out fight against the monarchy after agreeing to the main demand of Maoist rebels to redraft the Himalayan nation's constitution. "This will be our last fight with the king. There will be no compromise anymore. That's what we have decided. -- no more compromise," Sujata Koirala of the Nepali Congress party said. While tough action against Nepal has been proposed by the United Nations, the Nepali government seems to be making matters worse by encouraging attacks by villagers against Maoist rebels resulting in new levels of violence. Thousands of villagers fearing for their lives have fled across the border to India. Reporters and editors have been arrested for disobeying directives about what they can broadcast or publish. Though the early flames have waned in recent days amid heavy security presence and local leaders appealing for amity, tensions still run high. "It's everybody against everybody," says journalist Narayan Prasad Poudel. MORE coverage of Nepal's royal coup

Journalists Under Attack In Nepal Nepal's Political Parties Join Maoists For All-Out Fight Against King Nepal Farmer Co-ops Thrive In Maoist Countryside Nepal Encouraging Vigilante Killings India Doesn't Believe Nepal King's Promises

Asian Bird Flu Traced To 2001 Vietnam Origin

Researchers Worried Over Thailand's Bird Flu Experiments On Humans
Unethical testing on healthy volunteers, although vaccine likely years away
Feds Faked Data Showing Yucca Mtn. Nuclear Dump Safe
"It should be obvious to everyone now that Yucca Mountain isn't going anywhere" -- Sen. Harry Reid

As the Kyoto Protocol comes into force, a carbon rush is gaining steam in the financial industry. Investors predict that the carbon trade could become one of the largest markets in the world with a trading volume of $60 - $250 billion by 2008 and some unlikely actors are gearing up to profit from this new, invisible market. Foremost among them is the World Bank

Most World Ecosystems Overtaxed, Study Warns
15 of 24 "ecosystem services" that support life on Earth at risk

A New Gulf Of Tonkin Incident Between Vietnam - China
January killing of 9 Vitenam fishermen by Chinese Navy just latest incident

Ex-Nazi Cult Leader Finally Caught In Argentina
Convicted child molester ran commune in Chile where Nazi rituals held
Toxic Chemicals Found in Household Dust Across USA
All recognized as toxic or harmful to the immune and reproductive systems
Pirate Loggers Turning 3rd Largest Rainforest Into Hardwood Floors
Illegal multi-billion dollar industry sending processed wood to U.S. and other Western countries

For Sale: Serbia's Slightly Used Military Might
5 subs, 200 tanks, among items available at fire-sale prices
Racist "Elders Of Zion" Much Older Than Thought
Scholar uncovers book was plagarized from mid-19th century fiction

40,000 Children Believed Captive In Latin America Sex Rings
"If you turn up dead someday, no one will wonder why"

Antiques The Latest Craze For China's New Rich
Concerns for investment bubble after prices skyrocket in middle class interest
$1.6 Trillion Needed To Patch America's Crumbling Infrastructure
Civil engineers give our infrastructure an overall grade of D

Canada's Coal Power Plants May Pit Kyoto Vs. NAFTA
"I'm surprised that U.S. coal companies haven't already filed claims against Canada"

Global Warming Causes More Severe Forest Fires
As larger firest throw more CO2 into atmosphere
Science Panel Links Fried Potatoes With Cancer
Committee voices concern after reviewing animal tests on foods like french fries, potato chips

Conditions In Central Asia Cotton Farming Called "Medieval"
Intense use of child labor key to industry financed by Western banks

In Land Of Poverty, Swaziland King Buys $500k Car
Country has world's highest HIV prevalence rate

Nicholas Kristof's Kool-Aid
NY Times columnist rebuttal to "The Death of Environmentalism" rehashes industry PR

Remember Johnnie Cochran For Much More Than O.J.
Cochran stamped his biggest imprint on the volatile issue of police abuse

We Can't Forget Rachel Corrie
Supporters determined to seek justice for activist killed by 2003 Israeli bulldozer

Workers Choke On Schwarzenegger's Lunch Break Deal
Many food-service workers get no breaks at all

My Other Me
Sharing a social security number with an undocumented worker

MOLLY     IVINS Bush Stands Firm For More Mercury Poisoning How Dare Repubs Talk About Morality In Schiavo Case? Tom DeLay Sets A New Definition For Sleaze Propaganda Creeps In On Little Cat Feet Bush Gives The UN A Single-Digit Salute Bush Renominates The Same Bad Apples Repubs Push Through Loathsome Bankruptcy Bill Karl Sics The Dogs On AARP