In a breathtaking victory for right-wing hawks, U.S. President George W. Bush has nominated Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security John Bolton to become his next ambassador to the United Nations. Bolton, widely considered the most unilateralist and least diplomatic of senior U.S. officials during Bush's first term, will have to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate where some Democrats, a few of whom were said to be stunned by the nomination, are expected to put up a fight.
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Last Wednesday, March 16, Congress approved a budget bill that included provisions to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) for oil drilling in a 51-49 vote. The long Rebublican-led battle to drill In past years has met with massive resistance from environmental groups, who ferverently battle to preserve the unique and delicate ecosystems in ANWR. Dick Cheney, who has close ties with the oil industry, made a rare appearance at Wednesday's vote "just in case his vote was needed".
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After two denials, the Bush administration has finally granted asylum to Alyona Morozova. Investigating events surrounding the 1999 "Chechen terrorist" attacks on Moscow, she concluded that it was Vladimir Putin and the FSB secret police, not Chechen rebels, who were responsible. Critics fear the US is using human rights rhetoric to further economic and political foreign policy goals. The US, previously apathetic to evidence linking Putin to the bombings and Morozova's plight, has shifted positions amidst recent Russian refusal to cooperate on several foreign policy issues unrelated to human rights.
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Related: Russian Attorney Mikhail Trepashkin Remains Imprisoned After Implicating Putin in Terrorist Attack
Related: Iran and Russia Sign Nuclear Deal

Updated information on the aftermath of Wednesday's military police operation to evict the land occupation in Goiânia, Brazil. IMC reporters are now hearing a great number of reports of police violence and authority abuse.
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Related: Violent Eviction of Brazil Occupation
Related: Massacre In Brazil, Dreams Made Real - Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3

Cleveland Indymedia Center interviews renowned Cleveland Attorney Terry Gilbert in response to the guilty verdict in the Lynne Stewart trial. The National Lawyers Guild condemns the message the government is sending to defense lawyers who choose to represent unpopular clients. After deliberating for 13 days, a jury convicted Lynne Stewart, veteran civil rights attorney.
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Related: Lynne Stewart's Fiery Speech (post-conviction)

Related: EU Demands Israel End Aggression Immediately
Related: Children Shot as Israel Continues Offensive

growing protest in germany - whole villages turned themselves into "resistance camps"- french activist killed by nuclear-waste train - Here’s a collation of all the English-language coverage (including pics) on German IndyMedia of this year’s protests against the haulage of 12 more Castor containers of nuclear waste to the Gorleben “interim” storage hall near the north German village of Gorleben. A 21-year-old French student died after the train ran over him in France when he tried to stop. This collation also contains some other anti-nuclear protest news that appeared here recently in English.

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Related: EU Demands Israel End Aggression Immediately
Related: Children Shot as Israel Continues Offensive

** BULLETIN! **

International Court of Justice Orders Wall Stopped,Torn Down!

Download Full Text of Decision

John Kerry Attacks ICJ Ruling

The Problem with Neutrality Between Palestinians and Israel, by Kathleen Christison

While the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague (NL) prepares to give its advisory opinion on the Apartheid Wall on July 9^th, the Wall in Palestine continues to destroy lives and lands at an ever-increasing pace. Despite the fact that four months of court deliberations have prompted nothing but international political immobility, Palestinian resistance is also growing, and remains steadfast in its determination to stop the Apartheid Wall and the devastating repression of the Israeli Occupation. In light of the upcoming opinion from the ICJ, Israeli Occupation Forces are trying to manipulate the truth and disguise the colonial foundation of its racist apartheid policy. The Occupation Forces have depicted a decision by their own High Court to move 30km of the Apartheid Wall as a Palestinian "victory", but Palestinians see how, on the contrary, this decision validates Israel’s claim to a "security argument" and states that the Wall can be built on Palestinian land.

It is up to the people of the world to resist Israeli propaganda and support the Palestinian struggle against the Occupation and Bantustanization of Palestine, land annexation, destruction and expulsion of Palestinian communities. The world has defeated apartheid in South Africa — it cannot tolerate it in Palestine.

As the Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign coordinates central mobilizations during the days of the release of the ICJ decision, it calls on all people to remain critical of the ICJ opinion, whatever the outcome. Take action to highlight its true political implications and hold Israel accountable for its crimes of Occupation and Apartheid. Help bring the Palestinian grassroots struggle against the Apartheid Wall to the forefront of global action and amplify the claims of those resisting on the ground:

A wave of arrests came after the 'Scummit' of Heads of State of the Latin American/Caribbean and European Union in Guadalajara, Mexico on May 26-29th.

Comprehensive global coverage is in Español thru Mexico Indymedia. Cleveland Indymedia has a Newswire story in English and there is an English translation of the most widespread Indymedia account on UK Indymedia.

There is a great photo gallery from movement sources and another good one from the BBC.

Urgent Update! (May 30/31): 30 to 40 remain in prison, 8 face deportation. Details

Further Update, June 3rd. New Arrests. Repression Worsens in Guadalajara

Stop Police Brutality: Concerned Wellington (Aotearoa/New Zealand) citizens met Mexican Ambassador

June 5th: Speech at Washington March (from Mexico Solidarity Committee), "From Abu Ghraib to Guadalajara"

UPDATE AND URGENT ACTION - JUNE 7, 2004: VIOLENCE AGAINST MEXICAN ACTIVISTS CONTINUES IN GUADALAJARA. ACTIVISTS INITATE HUNGER STRIKE IN JAIL - 25 STILL IMPRISONED FACING PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TORTURE - Torture Continues in Guadalajara

Corporate media and the Bush administration would have people believe that the recent revolt in Haiti was the work of oppressed citizens fighting for independence. Documentation of US "involvement" in Haiti, however, tells a different story.

Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the democratically elected president of Haiti since 1990, has faced US pressure to resign since the Clinton administration. Haiti, one of the world's poorest nations, currently suffers a US embargo of $500 million foreign aid. Previous US involvement also includes support for dictatorial regimes and efforts to prevent a higher minimum wage.

The opposition, described by the corporate media as "freedom fighters", are actually a US sponsored ruthless and brutal militia, many of whom were involved in the US-backed death squads of the 1991-1994 coup attempt. Louis Jodel Chamblain, a former leader in the FRAPH paramilitary death squad, Guy Philippe, former Haitian police chief, and others were trained in Ecuador by US Special Forces during the previous coup. Many people view Haiti as simply one more example of an illegal CIA orchestrated coup, as it has does so often before. Not surprisingly, these "rebel leaders" have established relationships with Colin Powell and George W. Bush throughout the years.

Unfortunately for the people of Haiti, these paramilitary coup attempts also have disasterous consequences on the nation's poor, and only promise future dictatorial regimes.

Washington has been working closely with corporate media sources to distort the coup, downplaying US involvement. Among these distortions include the claim Aristide recently "stepped down" from the presidency, while the reality is that he was forcibly kidnapped and is being detained by the US government.

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Read more articles detailing the truth about Haiti at:

[ IMC Global | SF IMC | Democracy Now! | ZNet | haitiaction.net ]

Audio (mp3:16min:7megs)

For the past several weeks, a protest that has grown into thousands has ensued throughout Bolivia in reaction to the former President Sanchez de Lozada's ("El Goni") decision to open the nation's natural gas resources to multinational corporations. In the face of protesters demanding his resignation, the president has recently stepped down. Although the most intense protests, consisting of strikes, barricades, and military resistance, were located in El Alto, the fighting has intensified in La Paz, where strikers have frozen the economy. The resistance, which has grown from miners to a national revolt, has faced a brutal military crackdown, resulting in the murder of over 50 protesters and civilians so far.

Pictures- [ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 ]

Hourly reports at imc uk

Other imc's reporting include: [imc Bolivia (spanish)] [imc Bolivia (english)] [imc argentina] [imc peru] [imc global]
[ Bolivia's Gas War and Public Insurrection | The IMF and the Bolivian Crisis | Bolivia Unrest Rooted in Ongoing Poverty]

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On March 1st Rachel helped compile a report on women's non-violent resistance to the Israeli Occupation. In the US Rachel worked with Olympia Movement for Peace and Justice. Starhawk, who is also in Palestine with the ISM, has writen a short call to action in response to Rachel's killing.

Statement from Rachel's Parents + one of her eMails, Story & Photos of Confrontation, Ha'aretz article, Citizens for Fair Legislation Alert, More Stories and Photos, EMAIL ACTION

Local Note: Chris Fox, a Kent State graduate and member of the Burning River Collective in Cleveland, visited Palestine in December and January with the International Solidarity Movement. To learn more about his experiences with ISM in Palestine you can read his updates which were posted to Cleveland IMC.

[ Update 1 | Update 2 | Update3 | Update 4 ]
[ Israel IMC | Seattle IMC feature | International Solidarity Movement]

[ Update 1 | Update 2 | Update3 | Update 4 ]

There was a showing of the film "Palestine is Still the Issue" Jan. 11th, click here for more info about the event, and here for a review of the film and discussion that followed it.

The Mexican State of Chihuahua is the most dangerous place to be a young woman in the Americas. In the last ten years, in the city of Juarez alone, some 268 women have been murdered and at least 250 more have disappeared. These women have perished in brutal circumstances that include sexual assault, torture, and mutilation. This phenomenon reached Chihuahua City in 1999. This horrifying wave of violence against women is unprecedented in Mexico and Latin America.

The actions of the Mexican authorities in response to these crimes have been ineffectual. Existing laws have not been upheld. Legislation dealing with sexual violence and disappearance is sorely needed. False evidence and false accusations of guilt flaw too many investigations. The murders and disappearances have been carried out by many different perpetrators, but a generalized atmosphere of impunity facilitates all of them. The right to life, to live in safety, to due process and to justice has all been violated time after time.

For several years, the families of the victims have led scores of protests against the violence and against the failures of the authorities to respond adequately and protect the citizenry. JUSTICE FOR OUR DAUGHTERS was formed in 2002 in Chihuahua City. It is a group made up of families of the victims and their legal advocates and supporters. They struggle for justice and human rights in Mexico. They call for attention to the needs of Mexico's growing population of young working women. They demand an end to stigmatizing of women who need to work outside their homes to support themselves and their families. They demand the creation of new laws to promote public safety, proper legal management of missing person cases, and scientifically accurate identification of human remains. They also rightfully demand that any representative of state authority who does not fulfill his or her duty to uphold the law and protect the Mexican citizenry should be held accountable and punished.

If the Mexican authorities fail to uphold internationally recognized standards of human rights, then the Mexican State is also responsible for the perpetuation of these crimes and should be subject to sanction from the international community. The fact that disappearance is not a crime in Mexico cannot serve as rationale for ignoring the escalating violence against women in Chihuahua.

Unfortunately, the families of the victims and their supporters have been subjected to repression carried out by agents of the Mexican State. For demanding justice, for exercising their right to freedom of expression and for seeking support from the international human rights community, they have been harassed, beaten, tortured, publicly defamed, falsely accused of crimes and arrested.

En espanol

Read newswire article. In Memory list of names.