February 28, 2011

SENS. JOHN McCAIN AND JOSEPH LIEBERMAN CALLED FOR A MORE FORCEFUL U.S. RESPONSE TO DICTATOR GADHAFI 

        WASHINGTON, D.C.--Sens. John McCain, an Arizona Republican, and Joseph Lieberman, a Connecticut independent, called for the United States and its allies to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya to prevent the military from again firing on civilian protesters from the air. "Libyan pilots aren't going to fly if there is a no-fly zone and we could get air assets there to ensure it," McCain said. But he added, "I'm not ready to use ground forces or further intervention than that." He said the U.S. should "recognize some provisional government that they are trying to set already up in the eastern part of Libya, help them with material assistance, make sure that every one of the mercenaries know that any acts they commit they will find themselves in front of a war crimes tribunal. Get tough."

     Lieberman spoke in similar terms, urging "tangible support, (a) no-fly zone, recognition of the revolutionary government, the citizens government and support for them with both humanitarian assistance and I would provide them with arms." He likened the situation in Libya to the events in the Balkans in the 1990s when he said the U.S. "intervened to stop a genocide against Bosnians. And the first we did was to provide them the arms to defend themselves. That's what I think we ought to do in Libya." McCain and Lieberman spoke on CNN's "State of the Union" from Egypt, where a largely peaceful popular uprising recently toppled President Hosni Mubarak from power after a reign of nearly three decades. It was one of numerous rebellions across Northern Africa and the Middle East in recent months, all of them far less violent than the events in Libya, where Gadhafi has used his military and foreign mercenaries to try and crush the revolt and has threatened to begin arming Libyans who support his rule.

     The rebellion began Feb. 15 in Benghazi, where a member of the city council said on Sunday that an ex-justice minister was appointed to lead a provisional government for cities under rebel control. McCain and Lieberman also said Obama was slow to react to Gadhafi's brutal response to the protests. The administration has said the president did not want to risk any attack on Americans who had been trying to leave the country, and waited until a ferry loaded with evacuees reached Malta after spending two days in the harbor at Tripoli, the capital, because of bad weather. "The British prime minister and the French president and others were not hesitant and they have citizens in that country," said McCain, who also appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press." Lieberman said he understood why the administration hesitated, but added, "I wish we had spoken out much more clearly and early against the Gadhafi regime."

SECRETARY CLINTON SAYS U.S. WILL PROVIDE 'ANY TYPE OF ASSISTANCE' TO REBELS IN LIBYA

     WASHINGTON, D.C.--The Obama administration stands ready to offer "any type of assistance" to Libyans seeking to oust Moammar Gadhafi, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Sunday, adding a warning to other African nations not to let mercenaries go to the aid of the long-time dictator. Clinton made no mention of any U.S. military assistance in her remarks to reporters before flying to Geneva for talks with diplomats from Russia, the European Union and other powers eager to present a united anti-Gadhafi front.

     Shortly before she left, two senators urged the administration to help arm a provisional government in Libya, where Gadhafi is in the midst of a desperate and increasingly violent bid to retain power. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the Obama administration is willing to provide "any type assistance" to rebels in Libya, but did not mention military aid, as others have done Clinton spoke to reporters one day after President Barack Obama branded Gadhafi an illegitimate ruler who must leave power immediately. The U.N. Security Council announced new penalties against the Gadhafi government, in power since 1969 in the oil-rich nation along Africa's Mediterranean Coast.

      "We've been reaching out to many different Libyans who are attempting to organize in the east," the secretary of state said of efforts to form a provisional government in the eastern part of the country where the rebellion began at midmonth. She added, "We are ready and prepared to offer any type of assistance." The U.S., she said, is threatening more measures against Gadhafi's government, but did not say what they were or when they might be announced.  Addressing the rulers of unnamed neighboring countries, she said, "You must stop mercenaries and those going to Libya to commit violence and other criminal acts." The African fighters that Gadhafi is allegedly using against protesters come from several nations.

IN SETBACK, IRAN TO UNLOAD FUEL FROM NUCLEAR PLANT

         TEHRAN, IRAN--In a major setback to Iran's nuclear program, technicians will have to unload fuel from the country's first atomic power plant because of an unspecified safety concern, a senior government official said. The vague explanation raised questions about whether the mysterious computer worm known as Stuxnet might have caused more damage at the Bushehr plant than previously acknowledged. Other explanations are possible for unloading the fuel rods from the reactor core of the newly completed plant, including routine technical difficulties. While the exact reason behind the fuel's removal is unclear, the admission is seen as a major embarrassment for Tehran because it has touted Bushehr - Iran's first atomic power plant - as its showcase nuclear facility and sees it as a source of national pride. When the Islamic Republic began loading the fuel just four months ago, Iranian officials celebrated the achievement.

     Iran's envoy to the U.N. nuclear monitoring agency in Vienna said that Russia, which provided the fuel and helped construct the Bushehr plant, had demanded the fuel be taken out. "Upon a demand from Russia, which is responsible for completing the Bushehr nuclear power plant, fuel assemblies from the core of the reactor will be unloaded for a period of time to carry out tests and take technical measurements," the semiofficial ISNA news agency quoted Ali Asghar Soltanieh as saying. "Iran always gives priority to the safety of the plant based on highest global standards," Soltanieh said. Calls to the Russian nuclear agency Rosatom for comment were not answered Saturday afternoon. The Bushehr plant is not among the aspects of Iran's nuclear program that are of top concern to the international community and is not directly subject to sanctions. It has international approval and is supervised by the U.N.'s nuclear monitoring agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency.

     The IAEA said in a report released Friday about Iran's nuclear program that Tehran informed the agency on Wednesday that it would have to unload the fuel rods. The agency said it and Tehran have agreed on the "necessary safeguards measures." A senior international official familiar with Iran's nuclear program said the IAEA had no further details. He said unloading and reloading fuel assemblies is not unusual before any reactor startup. The official asked for anonymity because his information was confidential. Soltanieh and other officials have not specified why the fuel had to be unloaded, but Iranian officials denied any link to the Stuxnet computer virus. "Stuxnet has had no effect on the control systems at the Bushehr nuclear power plant," Nasser Rastkhah, a senior official in charge of nuclear security, told the official IRNA news agency. Foreign intelligence reports have said the control systems at Bushehr were penetrated by the malware - malicious software designed to infiltrate computer systems - but Iran has all along maintained that Stuxnet was only found on several laptops belonging to plant employees and didn't affect the facility's control systems.  Some computer experts believe Stuxnet was the work of Israel or the United States, two nations convinced that Iran wants to turn nuclear fuel into weapons-grade uranium.

February 27, 2011

UN SECURITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY  VOTES 15-0 IN FAVOR OF SANCTIONS AGAINST DICTATOR GADHAFI

        UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK--The United nations Security Council  UNANIMOUSLY approved (15-0) a strong resolution against the Libyan regime to stop the violence in the country and Obama President froze  the assets of the dictator. In addition to these measures, the White House spokesman, Jay Carney, announced that the U.S. fully support the  initiatives discussed at the Security Council to extend UN sanctions on GadHafi. This decision is a little twist of the commitment shown so far by the U.S. administration in its dealings with the Libyan crisis. The measures announced and approved by the Security Council are at the same time, the recognition that there are no diplomatic tools to make Gadhafi to give up power. Carney confirmed that the U.S. has closed its embassy in Tripoli and evacuated all its diplomatic staff.

    Libya’s ambassador to the UN has also urged the Security Council to refer the actions of his country’s regime to the International Criminal Court (ICC), a move that could see Muammer Gadhafi and his family put on trial for crimes against humanity. A letter sent to the council on Saturday by ambassador Abdurrahman Shalgham, on behalf of the entire Libyan delegation to the UN, sought to break a deadlock in the 15-member Security Council over the role of the ICC in probing the Libyan violence.  He wrote that the mission, which has cut ties with Tripoli but insists it has not resigned, supported elements of a draft UN resolution “to hold account those responsible for the armed attacks against Libyan civilians, including through the International Criminal Court.”

     Diplomats said the council agreed on a package of measures that would include an asset freeze and travel ban on leaders of the regime, and an arms embargo. The US and its European allies have stepped up a sanctions drive on Libya since troops loyal to Muammer Gadhafi shot protesters in the streets of the capital Tripoli. The push gained momentum after Mr Shalgham, a former Gaddafi loyalist, pleaded with the Security Council to take action to “save Libya”. President  Obama signed an executive order on Friday evening freezing Libyan government, sovereign wealth fund and central bank assets in the US as well as the personal assets of Col Gaddafi, his family and those of senior officials and anyone found to be involved in human rights abuses.  “By any measure, Muammer Gadhafi’s government has violated international norms and common decency and must be held accountable,” the president said. “We will stand steadfastly with the Libyan people in their demand for universal rights and a government that is responsive to their aspirations.”

PRESIDENT OBAMA FREEZES DICTATOR GADHAFI'S ASSETS, CLOSE EMBASSY IN LIBYA

     WASHINGTON, D.C.--PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA froze assets of the Libyan government, dictator Muammar Gadhafi and four of his children Friday, just hours after it closed the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli and evacuated its remaining staff. U.S. officials said announcements of the steps were withheld until Americans wishing to leave the country had departed as they feared Gaddafi might retaliate amid worsening violence in the North African country. The measures announced Friday ended days of cautious U.S. condemnation of Gadhafi that had been driven by concerns for the safety of U.S. citizens in Libya. They struck directly at his family, which is believed to have amassed great wealth over his four decades in power. President Barack Obama accused the Gadhafi regime of violating "human rights, brutalization of its people and outrageous threats."

     In a statement issued by the White House, the president said "Gadhafi, his government and close associates have taken extreme measures against the people of Libya, including by using weapons of war, mercenaries and wanton violence against unarmed civilians." "I further find that there is a serious risk that Libyan state assets will be misappropriated by Gaddafi, members of his government, members of his family, or his close associates if those assets are not protected," Obama said. "By any measure, Muammar Gadhafi's government has violated international norms and common decency and must be held accountable," the statement said. He added that the instability in Libya constituted an "unusual and extraordinary threat" to U.S. national security and foreign policy.

     As Obama's statement was released, the Treasury Department identified the initial subjects of the sanctions: three of Gadhafi's sons – heir apparent Seif al-Islam, Khamis and Muatassim – and a daughter, Aisha. The presidential order also directs the secretaries of state and treasury to identify other individuals who are senior officials of the Libyan government, children of Gadhafi and others involved in the violence. Stuart Levey, undersecretary for terrorism at the Treasury Department, said officials believe "substantial sums of money" will be frozen under the order. He declined to give an estimate. The sharper U.S. tone and pledges of tough action came after American diplomatic personnel were evacuated from the capital of Tripoli aboard a chartered ferry and a chartered airplane, escorting them away from the violence to Malta and Turkey. As they left, fighting raged on in Tripoli and elsewhere in Libya as Gadhafi vowed to crush the rebellion that now controls large parts of the country. With U.S. diplomats and others out of harm's way, the administration moved swiftly. Shortly after the chartered plane left Libyan airspace, White House spokesman Jay Carney said the U.S. had been constrained in moving against Gaddafi and his loyalists due to concerns over the safety of Americans but was now ready to bring more pressure on the government to halt its attacks on opponents.

libyan opposition picks a PROVISIONAL leader

         benghazi, libya-- The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Saturday night to punish Moammar Gadhafi's government in Libya for violence against unarmed civilians, hours after the nation's budding opposition picked a former top official as its interim leader. City councils in areas no longer loyal to Gadhafi have chosen former Justice Minister Mustafa Abdul Jalil to head an interim government that would represent all of Libya and ultimately be based in Tripoli, according to Amal Bogagies, a member of the coalition of the February 17 Uprising, and a separate Libyan opposition source. Both are based in Benghazi. Jalil was in Gadhafi's government through February 21, when he quit to protest the "bloody situation" and "use of excessive force" against unarmed protesters, according to Libyan newspaper Quryna. Days later, he told a Swedish newspaper he had evidence that Gadhafi ordered the 1988 bombing of a jet over Lockerbie, Scotland, that killed 270 people.

     Ibrahim Dabbashi, Libya's deputy ambassador to the United Nations who earlier voiced opposition to Gadhafi's government along with a host of other diplomats, told the international media that "we support ... in principle" a caretaker government led by Jalil. Libya's foreign minister earlier Saturday said that talks are underway between Moammar Gadhafi's government and figures in the eastern part of the North African nation. Benghazi-based opposition spokesman Jalal Igallal, however, strongly knocked down reports of any discussions between anti-government figures and officials in Gadhafi's regime. He urged Foreign Minister Musa Kasa to say who is being talked to, if such negotiations are in fact ongoing. Protests began February 15 in the eastern city of Benghazi, Libya's second largest. It and many others are now thought to be under opposition control, according to eyewitnesses. There have been numerous reports of widespread violence, some of it perpetrated by foreign mercenaries and military and security forces loyal to Gadhafi.

     Kasa, the foreign minister, told the international media that the country was close to a civil war situation. Earlier Saturday, Saif al-Islam Gadhafi -- one of Moammar's sons and a top official in his government -- blamed foreigners and wayward youth for the bloodshed, while telling reporters that "life is normal" in Tripoli and that the unrest had ceased. "The Libyan people, they woke up and now they realize the danger around them," Saif Gadhafi told Channel 4 immediately after a media presentation Saturday. "We are more united, we are more optimistic, and we are much stronger." Tripoli itself was noticeably tense but largely quiet overnight Saturday, its streets largely barren except for police, armed men in civilian clothing and young people with sticks at some intersections. One man, who is not named for safety reasons, described an "eerie feeling" around the capital, even as fear of violence drove many people to hunker down in their homes. "You can feel the tension and the anticipation that something big is going to happen," he said. "Everyone is waiting for it."

February 26, 2011

DICTATORS HUGO CHAVEZ, FIDEL CASTRO AND DANIEL ORTEGA STRONGLY SUPPORT CRAZY DICTATOR GADDAFI

        CARACAS, VENEZUELA--In a message posted on Thursday evening on his Twitter account, Venezuela's DICTATOR Hugo Chávez voiced his support to Libya and said that Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi was facing a civil war. "Let's go, Foreign Minister Nicolás (Maduro), give another lesson to the far-right Yankee supporters! Long live Libya and its independence! Gaddafi is facing a civil war!" Chávez wrote at the end of a session at the National Assembly (AN), where some Venezuelan ministers gave an account of their 2010 management, DPA reported.

    As appears from this message, Chávez would join Cuba's former dictator Fidel Castro and Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega, the only leaders in the region in support of Gaddafi. The Libyan ruler faces a popular revolt where the death toll reaches hundreds of Libyans. In September 2009, on the occasion of the Africa-South America Summit held on Margarita Island, Chávez decorated Gaddafi and presented him with a replica of a sword used by Venezuelan independence hero Simón Bolívar. The opposition bloc called on the ministers and government officials to clearly state whether they back Gaddafi regime and demanded the return of Bolivar sword replica. Maduro said that the government regards Gaddafi as the liberator of Libya.  "The opposition should not be concerned because the sword of Bolivar now runs freely through the countries of Latin America," said Maduro. 

    "He (Gaddafi) helped consolidate vital organizations that were fighting for economic independence of the peoples of the south,  has been a vribrant force within the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, has played a key role in the consolidation of the Movement of Non-Aligned Nations that was instrumental in building the Arab League, "he said.  Furthermore, the chancellor said the opposition did not criticize the U.S. for the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan.  Maduro also said that Venezuela wants Libya to "maintain national unity and put an end to the civil war. We stand for the independence, peace and sovereignty of the Libyan people."

VENEZUELAN FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS THE  US IS FOMENTING LIBYA'S VIOLENCE TO JUSTIFY AN INVASION

     CARACAS, VENEZUELA--Venezuela's top diplomat on Thursday echoed FORMER CUBAN DICTATOR Fidel Castro's accusation that Washington and its allies are fomenting unrest in Libya to justify an invasion to seize North African nation's oil reserves. Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro claimed the United States and other powerful countries are trying to create a movement inside Libya aimed at toppling Moammar Gadhafi. Maduro did not condemn or defend the violent crackdown on Libyans participating in the popular uprising against Gadhafi's long rule.

     He called for a peaceful solution to the upheaval in Libya and questioned the veracity of media reports on the bloody uprising, which has crept closer to Gadhafi's stronghold in Tripoli. "They are creating conditions to justify an invasion of Libya," Maduro said. "Libya is going through difficult times, which should not be measured with information from imperial news agencies," Maduro added, referring to Western media. Gadhafi has been a close ally of Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez, and Chavez's political opponents have strongly criticized those close relations. In a Twitter message Thursday, Venezuela's leftist ruler said: "Viva Libya and its independence! Gadhafi is facing a civil war." It was the first time that Chavez has publicly referred to the violence in Libya.

     On Tuesday, former dictator fidel Castro, Chavez's mentor, said the unrest in Libya might be a pretext by the U.S. to push for a NATO invasion. Castro said in a column published by Cuban state media that it was too early to criticize Gadhafi. But he did urge protests against something that he claimed is planned: A U.S.-led invasion to take control of Libya's oil. Venezuela and Libya are both member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Chavez, who has forged close ties with Gadhafi since taking office in 1999, has repeatedly accused Washington of conspiring to topple his own government. The self-proclaimed socialist says the United States wants to control Venezuela's immense petroleum reserves. U.S. officials have scoffed at suggestions that Washington is plotting against Venezuela's government.

witnesses report violent clashes in tripoli

         tripoli, libya--Witnesses reported fierce clashes in the Libyan capital Friday between Moammar Gadhafi's security forces and anti-regime protesters while state television aired images of the embattled but defiant strongman urging supporters to defend the nation. More violence unfolded as the world's top human rights official warned Gadhafi's bloody crackdown on protesters is "escalating alarmingly" and "thousands may have been killed or injured." "Although reports are still patchy and hard to verify, one thing is painfully clear: in (a) brazen and continuing breach of international law, the crackdown in Libya of peaceful demonstrations is escalating alarmingly with reported mass killings, arbitrary arrests, detention and torture of protesters," said Navi Pillay, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights.

    Global leaders planned to discuss the Libyan crisis in emergency sessions Friday as all eyes fell on Tripoli, which Gadhafi fought to retain as his stronghold. Report: Libyan protesters fired upon Refugees endure 'hard' journey Why are people flocking to Malta? Gadhafi family excesses Witnesses said several people were injured amid reports of sniper and artillery fire in Tripoli, said Mohammed Ali Abdallah of the National Front for the Salvation of Libya, which opposes Gadhafi's regime. He based his account on reports that he said he received from witnesses in the city. Another witness told CNN that protesters in western Tripoli were met by plainclothes security forces who fired guns at them and later tear gas to disperse the crowds.

    Prior to the clashes on Friday morning, security forces had removed barricades, disposed of bodies and painted over graffiti in Tripoli, witnesses said. "We're all in our houses like we're sitting in jail," a Tripoli resident said Thursday. "We can't go outside or we get shot. We hear the bullets."  Gadhafi was shown on state television wearing a fur trooper's hat and addressing a crowd of supporters. "We can destroy any armed violence with the armed people," he said. "If the Libyans don't love me, I don't deserve to live." He vowed to defeat external forces attempting to take down his nation.  "I'm among the people," he said. "We will fight and we will defeat them.... Young men, be comfortable in the streets, in the squares. Dance, sing, live a life of dignity." Earlier, Gadhafi's son said his father has no intention of stepping down. Asked if Gadhafi has a "Plan B" to leave Libya, Saif al-Islam Gadhafi told CNN Turk: "We have Plan A, Plan B, Plan C. Plan A is to live and die in Libya. Plan B is to live and die in Libya. Plan C is to live and die in Libya."  He said he hoped Libya would come out of the crisis united.

February 25, 2011

DICTATOR RAUL CASTRO GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES CRACKDOWN ON CUBAN DISSIDENTS

        HAVANA, CUBA-- Cuban DICTATOR RAUL CASTRO government resorted to repression to thwart attempts to commemorate the first anniversary of prisoner of conscience Orlando Zapata Tamayo's death, dissident organizations said. About 100 Castro opponents were detained or placed under house arrest, the opposition Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation, or CCDHRN, said Wednesday, The Havana-based organization added that the recipient of the European Parliament's 2010 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, Guillermo Fariñas, who embarked on a lengthy hunger strike after Zapata's death to demand the release of political prisoners, was among those targeted in the crackdown.

    Fariñas spent the first part of Wednesday under house arrest after being detained by state security agents while heading for a commemoration ceremony; in the afternoon, he was arrested and taken to a police station after shouting anti-government and pro-Zapata slogans from the roof of his house in the central city of Santa Clara. In Havana, a vigil to mark Zapata's death was held at the home of the leader of the Ladies in White organization, which is made up of female relatives of political prisoners. The area surrounding the house was guarded by a visible security contingent beginning early Wednesday, while close to 100 Cuban government partisans spent several hours disrupting the vigil by shouting insults at the dissidents as well as slogans defending the revolution and Fidel Castro.

    In response, the Ladies in White held up images of Orlando Zapata and shouted back at the protesters. Outside Cuba, exile groups commemorated the first anniversary of Zapata's death on Wednesday with demonstrations and ceremonies in different parts of the United States.
 Zapata has become one of the symbols of the Cuban dissident movement, which sees his death as marking a turning point in terms of bringing international attention to political prisoners on the island. The island's Communist government, however, contends that Zapata was a common criminal and says dissidents are mercenaries working with the United States to undermine the revolution. In recent months, Havana has freed dozens of government opponents - many of whom, like Zapata, were adopted as prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International - following Spanish-supported talks between President Raul Castro and Cuba's Catholic hierarchy.  Most of them have gone into exile in Spain.

FORMER SERB POLICE CHIEF GUILTY OF KOSOVO CRIMES

     THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS-- The Yugoslav war crimes tribunal convicted a former Serbian police chief Wednesday of orchestrating the murder of hundreds of ethnic Albanians and the deportation of hundreds of thousands more from Kosovo in 1999 .  The U.N. court sentenced Vlastimir Djordjevic to 27 years in prison after pronouncing him guilty of murdering at least 724 Kosovo Albanians, as well as committing inhumane acts, persecution and deportations. The verdict marked the end of the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal's final trial dealing with atrocities in the Kosovo conflict. The five trials included some ethnic Albanians, but taken together were a stinging condemnation of Serbia's campaign of terror in Kosovo, which only ended after NATO airstrikes pounded Serb forces and strategic targets in the capital, Belgrade. 

     The court will, however, revisit the conflict when it conducts a partial retrial of former ethnic Albanian separatist fighter and ex-Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj for alleged crimes against Serbs. Djordjevic, 62, stood in silence and blinked several times as presiding Judge Kevin Parker passed sentence. Parker said Serbian forces, often police controlled by Djordjevic, expelled at least 200,000 Kosovo Albanians from Kosovo and murdered civilian women, children and the disabled. Prosecutors say about 800,000 Albanians were forcibly ejected from Kosovo during the conflict. In one massacre on March 26, 1999, Serb forces herded 114 men and boys into a barn, including a disabled man whose wheelchair was used to block one of the exits, according to the judgment. The Serbs then riddled the barn with bullets from automatic weapons before torching it and all those inside.

    In another mass murder, 45 members of the same family were killed, including 32 women and children who hid in a cafe. "Police threw hand grenades inside the cafe and then opened fire on them," Parker said. Parker also said Djordjevic played a "key role" in trying to cover up more than 800 killings by secretly having bodies removed from Kosovo, sometimes in refrigerated trucks, and buried in mass graves in Serbia. Djordjevic, who was arrested in 2007 in Montenegro, had pleaded not guilty, saying he had no control over the Serb forces. "I did not know, I did not have reason to know that my subordinates committed widespread crimes against the Albanian population," he told judges during his trial. But the tribunal rejected that defense, saying he had "effective control" of police and other Serbian forces. It said he was a crucial player in a plot led by former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to drive Albanians out of Kosovo, the province that has since declared independence from Serbia.

SAUDI CITIZEN IN TEXAS DETAINED FOR PLANNING TO BOMB THE HOME OF FORMER PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH

         LUBBOCK, TEXAS--Khalid Aldawsari, a 20-year-old college student near Lubbock, Texas, allegedly targeted the Dallas home of former President George W. Bush. A college student from Saudi Arabia studying chemical engineering in Texas has been arrested by the FBI for allegedly planning a terrorist attack on U.S. targets using explosive chemicals. Khalid Aldawsari, who is legally in the U.S. on a student visa, allegedly targeted the Dallas home of former President George W. Bush. He was arrested late Tuesday on a federal charge of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. “Yesterday’s arrest demonstrates the need for and the importance of vigilance and the willingness of private individuals and companies to ask questions and contact the authorities when confronted with suspicious activities,” said James T. Jacks, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. Aldawsari, 20, entered the U.S. in October 2008 from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to study at Texas Tech University, then transferred earlier this year to nearby South Plains College.

      Federal prosecutors say Aldawsari had been researching online how to construct an improvised explosive device using several chemicals as ingredients. Authorities say Aldawsari's diary indicated the young man had been plotting an attack for years and obtained a scholarship so he could come directly to the United State to carry out jihad. "It is war ... until the infidels leave defeated," Aldawsari wrote in online postings. In e-mails Aldawsari apparently sent himself, he listed the names of 12 reservoir dams in Colorado and California. He also wrote an e-mail that mentioned "Tyrant's House" with the address of President Bush's home. The FBI's affidavit said he considered using infant dolls to hide explosives and was possibly targeting a nightclub with a backpack filled with explosives.

     The White House said President Barack Obama was notified about the plot prior to Aldawsari's arrest Wednesday. "This arrest once again underscores the necessity of remaining vigilant against terrorism here and abroad," White House spokesman Nick Shapiro said in a statement Thursday.  “As alleged in the complaint, Aldawsari purchased ingredients to construct an explosive device and was actively researching potential targets in the United States. Thanks to the efforts of many agents, analysts and prosecutors, this plot was thwarted before it could advance further,” said Assistant Attorney General Kris. “This case serves as another reminder of the need for continued vigilance both at home and abroad.” Aldawsari is expected to appear in federal court in Lubbock on Friday morning. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.

February 24, 2011

president obama STRONGLY condemns violence in libya

        washington, d.c.--President barack Obama strongly condemned the Libyan government's violence against protesters Wednesday, calling the bloodshed in the North African nation "outrageous" and "unacceptable" and saying he has asked his administration to "prepare a full range of options" to respond to the crisis.  In a brief appearance at the White House with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton by his side, Obama delivered his strongest denunciation to date on the brutal crackdown unleashed by longtime Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi against an opposition movement seeking his ouster. But Obama never mentioned Gaddafi by name, and he did not specify any actions that the United States is prepared to take beyond condemnations.  "We strongly condemn the use of violence in Libya," Obama said.

    "The suffering and bloodshed is outrageous, and it is unacceptable. So are threats and orders to shoot peaceful protesters and further punish the people of Libya. . . . This violence must stop."  Obama added: "I've also asked my administration to prepare the full range of options that we have to respond to this crisis. This includes those actions we may take and those we will coordinate with our allies and partners, or those that we'll carry out through multilateral institutions."  Obama said Libyans' rights to assemble, speak freely and "determine their own destiny" are human rights that are "not negotiable." And he said the Libyan government must be held accountable for the violence it has unleashed.  "This is not simply a concern of the United States," he said. "The entire world is watching."  He said Clinton would travel to Geneva on Monday to attend a U.N. Human Rights Council meeting on Libya and coordinate with other countries.  

      Popular upheavals that have spread across the Middle East and North Africa, deposing long-entrenched autocratic leaders in Tunisia and Egypt, are "being driven by the people of the region," Obama said. "This change doesn't represent the work of the United States or any foreign power. It represents the aspirations of people who are seeking a better life."   Obama spoke after hundreds of U.S. citizens living in Libya boarded a ferry for an evacuation trip to the island of Malta. The ferry was chartered by the U.S. government and set to depart from a Tripoli port.  As of Tuesday, the State Department had been unable to get Libya's permission to fly American citizens out of the country, officials said, prompting the U.S. government to temper its response to the Libyan crackdown.  State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Libyan officials had promised over the weekend to support U.S. efforts to evacuate Americans but that the necessary permits for charter flights had not been granted.  "What we can't figure out is whether there's just chaos at the airport, which is entirely possible, or whether the Libyans are not cooperating," Crowley said in an interview.

US DENOUNCES CUBA'S INTIMIDATION AGAINST CUBAN DISSIDENTS 

     WASHINGTON, D.C.--  The United States on Wednesday denounced what it said is a campaign of intimidation against the mother of a Cuban political prisoner who died after a hunger strike, and called on the government of Raul Castro to release all dissidents still behind bars. Meanwhile, Cuban opposition leaders on the island planned low-key protests to mark the one-year anniversary of the death of Orlando Zapata Tamayo, who passed away on Feb. 23, 2010 after an 83-day hunger strike. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley joined a chorus of international criticism of Cuba for its treatment of Zapata's mother, Reina Luisa Tamayo, who was detained for about 12 hours last week in her hometown of Banes, in eastern Cuba.

    Amnesty International issued its own denunciation of Cuba's treatment of Zapata's mother on Tuesday. Reached by telephone in Banes, Reina Luisa Tamayo said she spent the day laying flowers and a Cuban flag on her son's grave and then went to get passport photos made for a visa to the United States, which has granted her political refuge. She said she plans to have her son cremated and bring the ashes when she departs Cuba for good - expected to be in the coming months, although Tamayo recently said she was still awaiting Cuban paperwork. Cuba had no comment on the anniversary. The government considers the dissidents to be mercenaries paid by Washington to destabilize the country, and says its doctors did everything they could to keep Zapata alive during his fast.

    Members of the Ladies in White, formed by the wives and mothers of the 2003 detainees, gathered at the Havana home of Laura Pollan, one of the opposition group's leaders, to mark the anniversary of Zapata's death.  Associated Press reporters saw a heavy police presence on the streets outside Pollan's home, perhaps in anticipation of a march. But another Ladies in White leader, Bertha Soler, said the women had no plans to emerge. "All we wanted was to get together and pay tribute to Zapata," she said. "We are praying, lighting candles and laying flowers. For the moment, we have no plans to march." Other Cuban opposition figures also marked the anniversary. Yoani Sanchez, a blogger who has gained international recognition for her searing commentary about life on the island, posted a computer-altered photograph of a famous image overlooking Havana's Plaza of the Revolution. In place of revolutionary icon Ernesto "Che" Guevara, it showed the face of Zapata.

VENEZUELAN CONGRESSMAN-ELECT, BIAGIO PILIERI, RELEASED AFTER STUDENT-LED HUNGER STRIKE

         CARACAS, VENEZUELA--A jailed member of the Venezuelan national parliament who has been called a political prisoner by critics of DICTATOR Hugo Chavez was granted a conditional release from house arrest Wednesday, according to local media.  The release of parliamentarian-elect Biagio Pilieri was among the demands of protesters who staged a three-week-long hunger strike to call attention to alleged human rights abuses by the Chavez administration. The hunger strike ended Tuesday.

     Pilieri told the Venezuelan television station Globovision that he credited the protest for his release and that he planned to take his seat in the national assembly. "My thanks go to all of them for making an example of dignity," he said. Pilieri cannot leave the country and must report to court every 30 days as conditions for his release, Pilieri's lawyer told the television station.  Pilieri, a former mayor, was elected to the legislature in September but has not assumed the seat because of charges that he misused funds in his previous elected post. Critics of the government say that Chavez uses the courts against his political opponents and has unjustly jailed Pilieri. Government officials have said that the justice system is not used to punish enemies of the president.

      It is not clear if he is now able to serve. Pilieri's attorney, Norma Delgado, told Union Radio he was granted "conditional liberty," meaning the charges against him remain active and he must appear in court periodically. Pilieri denied any wrongdoing: "We've shown that we are innocent." Pilieri's release came a day after dozens of student activists ended a hunger strike that began on Jan. 31 to demand the release of more than two dozen Chavez foes they consider political prisoners.  The protesters, who said they had been subsisting on only water and saline solution, were also demanding the Organization of American States investigate the prosecution of Chavez opponents on allegedly trumped-up, politically motivated charges.

February 23, 2011

VENEZUELAN STUDENTS LIFT HUNGER STRIKE

        CARACAS, VENEZUELA--A group of Venezuelan students lifted a hunger strike they have held for 23 days, after the government agreed to talk to them, said Lorent Saleh, a spokesman of the protest and coordinator of the NGO Active Youth, United Venezuela (JAVU).  Luis Lucena, 33, one of the hunger strikers stopped breathing on Monday for a few seconds. After staging a hunger strike for 22 days in front of the headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Caracas, his physical condition, as well as the health of three of the hunger strikers, has deteriorated.

     Lucena, who is the coordinator in the state of Lara of the NGO Active Youth, United Venezuela (JAVU) had apnea, after he fainted. This created some tension while he was assisted by medical staff who managed to revive him.  Germán Cortez is one of the hunger strikers in worst health condition, said a member of the medical staff who is treating the demonstrators. Cortez, 56, is secretary general of the union of oil workers in the state of Zulia and uses a pacemaker that did not work properly on Monday. Meanwhile, Isli Lugo -who is also from the state of Zulia, also had severe abdominal pain.

     Lorent Saleh, the JAVU coordinator, was the first hunger striker who fainted while a paramedic took a blood sample from him for a medical test. He recovered quickly.  Lucena, Cortez and Lugo were taken to an emergency medical center. Cortez resumed the hunger strike in the afternoon although he was warned of the risk.  Meanwhile, Costa Rica's Foreign Ministry said on Monday in a statement that it hopes that the internal affairs that caused the strike can be resolved through dialogue

AFRICAN MERCENARIES USED IN LIBYA CRACKDOWN 

     TRIPOLI, LIBYA--African mercenaries are being used by Libya to crush protests, prompting some army troops to switch sides to the opposition, Libya's ambassador to India, who resigned in the wake of the crackdown, said Tuesday.

    "They are from Africa, and speak French and other languages," Ali al-Essawi told Reuters in an interview, adding that he was receiving information from sources within the OPEC-member country. Essawi, who has left the embassy since he resigned on Monday to protest the violent crackdown and is now staying at a hotel in New Delhi, said he had been told there had been army defections. "They (troops) are Libyans and they cannot see foreigners killing Libyans so they moved beside the people," Essawi said, looking nervous and agitated.

    Diplomats have said the U.N. Security Council would hold a closed-door meeting Tuesday to discuss the crisis in Libya. "Libyans cannot do anything against the air fighters. We do not call for international troops, but we call on the international community to save the Libyans," Essawi said. Earlier Tuesday, Essawi told Reuters that he expected more diplomats at foreign missions to resign due to the ongoing violence in Libya. He said ambassadors in China, Poland, Tunisia, the Arab League, and the United States had also stepped down. "Fighter aircraft were bombing civilians on the streets of Tripoli, this is unprecedented violence," Essawi said.

FOUR AMERICANS killed BY somali pirates ON HIJACKED YACHT

         WASHINGTON, D.C.--Four hostages on board a yacht hijacked by pirates last week were killed by their captors, U.S. Central Command said in a statement Tuesday.  The vessel, named the Quest, was being shadowed by the military after being captured by pirates off the coast of Oman on Friday. Officials had said earlier Tuesday it was less than two days from the Somali coast.

     Americans Jean and Scott Adam -- the owners of the ship -- and Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle, had been traveling with yachts participating in the Blue Water Rally since their departure from Phuket, Thailand, rally organizers said Sunday in a statement on the event's website. The group, which organizes long-distance group cruises, said the Quest broke off on February 15 after leaving Mumbai, India, to take a different route. As negotiations were ongoing with the pirates for the hostages' release, gunfire was heard at about 1 a.m. ET Tuesday, U.S. Central Command said.  "As (U.S. forces) responded to the gunfire, reaching and boarding the Quest, the forces discovered all four hostages had been shot by their captors," the statement said. "Despite immediate steps to provide life-saving care, all four hostages ultimately died of their wounds."

     The pirates engaged the U.S. forces on board, officials said. Two pirates were killed in the skirmish and 13 were captured and detained. Two others were already in U.S. forces custody, the statement said, and the remains of two pirates were found on board. "In total, it is believed 19 pirates were involved in the hijacking" of the vessel, Central Command said. Forces had been monitoring the Quest for three days, officials said. Four U.S. Navy warships were involved in the response force -- an aircraft carrier, a guided-missile cruiser and two guided-missile destroyers, according to the statement. A senior military official said on Monday the military was trailing the yacht. U.S. officials have not identified the people on board the ship, but confirmed that four U.S. citizens were involved.

February 22, 2011

DEMONSTRATIONS AND STRIKES SPREAD THROUGHOUT BOLIVIA

        COCHABAMBA, BOLIVIA--Street demonstrations and strikes are spreading throughout Bolivia on the heels of rising food prices and increases in transport and fuel. President Evo MoralesEvo Morales has reduced the food subsidies for the disadvantaged as well as gas subsidies. The transport workers have been on the bricks for higher wages. The capital city of La Paz saw the majority of demonstrators and strikers. The demonstrations were peaceful, but marchers were thwarted in their approach to the parliament buildings by police barriers.

     The combination of strikers and demonstrations against government policy has served to shut down most of the cities of La Paz, Santa Cruz and Cochabamba with hospitals only accepting emergency cases. Steeply rising food prices seem to have been the spark touching off the unrest. Sugar in particular has risen steeply. Worldwide sugar prices have surged due to floods in Australia and Brazil which produce a large fraction of the world's sugar. Much of the sugar formerly produced in the US is now being diverted to the production of ethanol for fuel. Other food crops around the world have come in short of expectations due mainly to weather. Corn, wheat, soy, and rice crops have all fallen short. Also many of the food staples have been commodified and traded as normal stocks so prices are subject to speculation.

     Fuel prices have escalated sharply.
"Those comments came after the government announced a 73 percent increase in gas prices and an 83 percent increase for diesel fuel. Subsequent strikes by bus and taxi drivers to protest the new prices hobbled transit in many cities across the nation."  President Evo Morales is the first popularly elected president of Indio descent in Bolivia. He was very popular when first elected, but has lost some of that luster as he has undertaken difficult decisions. Bolivia is a poor country that depends heavily on mining for its funds.

VENEZUELA'S FRIENDS AND ALLIES TELL OAS CHIEF NOT TO MEDDLE 

     CARACAS, VENECUBA-- Latin American FRIENDS AND allies came to the defense of DICTATOR  Hugo Chavez's government on Saturday, telling the head of the Organization of American States not to meddle in Venezuela's domestic affairs.  Nations belonging to a left-leaning bloc led by Venezuela and Cuba accused OAS chief Jose Miguel Insulza of being a pawn of the U.S. government, which has urged Chavez's administration to allow an international investigation into alleged human rights abuses.

     Dozens of Venezuelan students participating in a hunger strike are demanding that Insulza look into their allegations that the government improperly uses judges and prosecutors to persecute Chavez's political adversaries.  "We demand that the secretary-general of the OAS stop his attacks against Venezuela's government," members of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Nations of Our America, or ALBA, said in a joint statement.  Insulza said Friday that he has repeatedly asked for permission to travel to Venezuela, and Washington has said Caracas should let Insulza visit.

ALBA members, including Bolivia, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, said Inzulsa's actions could bring about the possibility of "a dangerous return to the times when the OAS was an instrument of interventionism and colonialism" of the United States.  The hunger strikers have been protesting since Jan. 31 in front of the OAS offices and several embassies in Caracas, and in other cities. The hunger strike began with roughly a dozen students, but organizers say more than 60 people are now participating.  They say they are subsisting on only water and saline solution.  Chavez denies his government persecutes opponents.

VENEZUELA LOSES USD 1.5 BILLION PER YEAR ON FUEL SUBSIDY

         CARACAS, VENECUBA--Minister of Energy and Petroleum Rafael Ramírez said this month that the Venezuelan government will try to cut by at least 100,000 barrels per day (about 17 percent) its internal fuel consumption, in order to reverse the decline in exports of oil byproducts In Venezuela, the cost of gasoline is around USD 0.12 per gallon

    State-run oil company Petróleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa) loses about USD 1.5 billion a year in gasoline subsidies that make the Venezuelan fuel the cheapest in the world, said Rafael Ramírez, the Minister of Energy and Petroleum.  Pdvsa's revenues increased by 27 percent between January and September 2010 amid an increase in oil prices, but sales in the domestic market dropped to USD 965 million, less than 1.5 percent of total sales.

    "Compared to the cost of production, (the subsidy) is more than USD 1.5 billion," Ramírez told President Hugo Chávez when asked about the issue during Chávez's weekly TV show, broadcast on Sunday from the state of Vargas, near Caracas.  Most Venezuelans can fill their tank for under a dollar because the cost of gasoline is around USD 0.12 per gallonr, after 12 years of price freezing policies.  Ramírez said this month that the Venezuelan government will try to reduce by at least 100,000 barrels per day its domestic fuel consumption, in order to reverse the decline in exports of oil byproducts.

February 21, 2011

muammar al-gaddafi's son warns of civil war in libya

        tripoli, libya--The son of longtime leader Muammar al-Gaddafi warned in a nationally televised address that continued anti-government protests that have wracked Libya for six days might lead to a civil war that could send the country's oil wells up in flames. Appearing on Libyan state television after midnight Sunday, Seif al-Islam Gaddafi said the army still backed his father, who was leading the fight, although he added that some military bases, tanks and weapons had been seized.  "We are not Tunisia and Egypt," the younger Gaddafi said, referring to the successful uprisings that toppled longtime regimes in Libya's neighbors.

     He acknowledged that the army made mistakes during protests because it was not trained to deal with demonstrators but added that the number of dead had been exaggerated, giving a death toll of 84. Human Rights Watch put the number at 174 through Saturday, and doctors in the eastern city of Benghazi said more than 200 have died since the protests began. The younger Gaddafi offered to put forward reforms within days that he described as a "historic national initiative" and said the regime was willing to remove some restrictions and begin discussions for a constitution. He offered to change a number of laws, including those covering the media and the penal code.

     His main emphasis was to caution about what might happen if the uprising wasn't contained immediately. "This is a national treason," he said. "Each one of us wants to be a leader, each one of us wants to be a prince." While he mentioned that the unrest centered in Benghazi, the younger Gaddafi did not comment on reports from multiple eyewitnesses that Libya's second-largest city was in the hands of protesters and their military allies after several days of unrest.  Some of the military dropped allegiance to Saif's father, longtime Libyan leader Muammar Gadcafi, according to the report. Eyewitnesses also reported fires and clashes between scores of anti-government demonstrators and security forces in Tripoli, the capital of Gaddafi's government that until Sunday had not seen significant unrest.

BAHRAIN MILITARY ORDERED TO WITHDRAW FROM PEARL SQUARE, DEMONSTRATORS RETURNED

     MANAMA, BAHRAIN--"Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, has ordered the withdrawal of all military from the streets of Bahrain with immediate effect," a statement said on Saturday. "The Bahrain police force will continue to oversee law and order." More than 60 people were in hospital with wounds sustained on Friday when security forces fired on protesters as they headed to Pearl Square, then still in military hands. Also on Friday, Shi'ite mourners buried the four people killed in the raid on Pearl Square, which protesters had hoped to turn into a base like Cairo's Tahrir Square, the heart of a revolt that ousted Egypt's Hosni Mubarak.

    The European Union's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton voiced concern about reports on violence by the security forces. "I urge the Bahraini authorities to respect fundamental human rights including freedom of expression and the right to assemble freely," she said, appealing to all parties to use restraint. Young activists had also called for an open-ended strike from Sunday and the closure of all public and private schools on a Facebook page called the "February 14 revolution in Bahrain". They demanded that protesters be allowed back into Pearl Square, the release of all political prisoners and word on the fate of missing people, as well as the resignations of the defence and interior ministers and the security chief.

     A naval base near Manama that hosts the US Navy's Fifth Fleet helps the United States to project power across the Middle East and Central Asia, including Iraq and Afghanistan. A Fleet spokesperson said there was no significant impact on operations and Jennifer Stride, spokesperson for the US naval base, said no evacuation of families was planned. The United States is caught between the desire for stability in an ally seen as a bulwark against Iran and the need to uphold the people's right to express their grievances. The unrest in Bahrain, a minor non-Opec oil producer and regional banking hub, has shaken confidence in the economy. In 1999, King Hamad introduced a Constitution allowing elections for a Parliament with some powers, but royals still dominate a Cabinet led by the king's uncle for 40 years. - Reuters

at least four killed in two bloody clashes in yemen

         san'a, yemen--One protester died in a grenade attack in the central square of Taiz, one of Yemen's largest cities, and at least three more died in clashes in the southern city of Aden, while supporters and opponents of the government clashed in the capital, San'a, for an eighth day. Clashes in Yemen turn deadly and Algerian police push crowds out of May 1 Square. What started as a small celebration on the night of Friday, Feb. 11 after the resignation of Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak has spiraled into daily, bloody melees between protesters and supporters of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Security forces have also intervened.

    The protests in Taiz, about 120 miles south of San'a, appeared to be the largest so far of a recent spate of daily protests across Yemen. An estimated 30,000 people filled the city's Freedom Square, witnesses said.  About two dozen were injured and one died when government supporters, who had also massed in large numbers, threw a grenade into the crowd, said witnesses and government and hospital officials. Supporters of the Yemeni governement chant slogans during clashes with antigovernment demonstrators in San'a Thursday. Mr. Saleh has huddled with senior party and security officials in recent days. He canceled a trip to the U.S., slated for late February, citing the unrest. Washington has recently boosted funding to Mr. Saleh's government, a counterterrorism ally.

    Mr. Saleh this month agreed to sweeping political concessions, including a promise not to run in 2013. Opposition parties called off further protests, but groups of young activists began organizing smaller rallies.  Clashes between protesters and security forces in the southern port of Aden have claimed as many as 11 lives, hospital officials said. Aden is home to an active secessionist movement, which has used regional unrest to bring people into the streets. In recent days, crowds have burned cars and surrounded government buildings there. In San'a on Friday, pro-government demonstrators attacked protesters with batons and rocks, injuring more than 30. Police fired tear gas and shots into the air to disperse crowds. Other provinces that saw antigovernment protests include Baitha and Abyan.

February 20, 2011

JOSE MIGUEL INSULZA IS POSITIVE TO HAVE ASKED 'MULTIPLE TIMES' TO VISIT VENEZUELA

        WASHINGTON, D.C.--The OAS Secretary-General, José Miguel Insulza,  said that many times he has addressed the status of human rights in Venezuela, both with the Venezuelan ambassador and the Foreign Minister.  He refuted on Friday the statements of Venezuela's Minister of Foreign Affairs Nicolás Maduro.

     Earlier, Minister Maduro claimed that Insulza had not officially requested authorization to visit Venezuela.  "It is true that I usually do not send letters (…) but I have forwarded other communications to the (Venezuelan) government. and my willingness to do it," Insulza said on learning from the minister's remarks.   He said he expected the news to be a "misrepresentation" of the true Maduro's message.  "I could make a review (…) of the multiple times we have talked about this issue, both with the Venezuelan ambassador and the very Minister Maduro," a clearly annoyed Insulza said.

      The coordinator of student movement Juventud Activa Venezuela Unida (Active Youth, United Venezuela, JAVU), Julio César Rivas, reported on Thursday that following a court order on home arrest for Judge María Lourdes Afiuni, all of the 10 people on hunger strike in front of the Caracas chapter of the Organization of American States (OAS) held a meeting and resolved to keep on fighting.  "We decided that this protest should be kept and try to attain the largest possible amount of goals," Rivas said.  He added that a visit to Venezuela by Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary-General José Miguel Insulza is a priority, as well as freedom of deputies José Sánchez Mazuco and Biagio Pilieri, and Judge Afiuni. He recalled though, that there are 27 people behind bars in Venezuela for political reasons.

CONCERNS ABOUT HEALTH OF YOUNG HUNGER STRIKERS IN CARACAS

     CARACAS, VENECUBA--What started off as a small hunger strike of Venezuelan students, is now growing as dozens of people have joined the protest demanding that the government let the Organization of American States investigate alleged human rights abuses under dictator Hugo Chávez. The activists vow to press on with the protest until OAS Secretary-General José Miguel Insulza or the OAS's Inter-American Human Rights Commission are authorized to visit Venezuela. Protesters say Chávez uses judges and prosecutors to persecute his political adversaries. According to El Nacional, the students have specifically referenced and asked for the release of 27 people they say are political prisoners. 

    The United States has formally supported the students in Venezuela.  "We believe that independent civil society, including participation by young people, has a critical role to play in a democracy," the U.S. State Department said in a statement.  "We are concerned about the health and well-being of the students who are risking their lives for their belief in democratic governance and individual liberties," the statement said. "We urge the Venezuelan Government to agree to a visit by the OAS as a means to promote dialogue and understanding." The Venezuelan government reacted in a press conference Friday criticizing the United States of trying to meddle in their affairs. "It looks like they (U.S.) want to start a virtual Egypt," said the foreign minister, Nicolás Maduro, according to El Nacional. "That's exactly what we need, the United States government meddling in Venezuelan affairs, in things that only concern Venezuelans."

    Some of the students that started a hunger strike 17 days ago in front of the headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Caracas are in bad health, said Lorent Saleh, the spokeswoman of the young protesters. However, she added that they will continue their protest.  "Some students are weakened and many of them could not get up to have a medical check-up. We are concerned about their health. But we knew that this would happen, and we will keep on fighting. We remain firm in our commitment."  She added that in the next few hours the members of NGO Active Youth, United Venezuela (JAVU) will make important announcements. "This is growing and it is going to get very far," Saleh said. Lorent Saleh, the spokeswoman of the young protesters who have been staging a hunger strike outside the headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Caracas, said that the group will “keep on fighting and they remain firm in their commitment”

IRAN NAVAL SHIPS TO CROSS SUEZ CANAL ON MONDAY

         CAIRO, EGYPT--Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has described Iran's plan to send the ships through the canal en route to Syria as a "provocation" growing from day to day." Iran announced plans to deploy warships near Israel and dock at a Syrian port for a year, IsraelNationalNews.com reports. The official said the vessels would arrive at the southern mouth of the canal in the Red Sea's Gulf of Suez on Sunday. They would enter the canal in the northern convoy on Monday morning and complete the journey to the Mediterranean by evening.

     An Egyptian army source said on Friday that the military, which has been running Egypt since President Hosni Mubarak was toppled from power on February 11, had approved Iran's request to send the ships through the canal. The decision had posed an early diplomatic headache for Egypt's interim government. Cairo is an ally of the United States and has a peace treaty with Israel but its relations with Iran have been strained since the 1979 revolution. Egypt's Western allies are watching for hints of any shift in policy toward its Middle East neighbors. Intelligence officials believe that the Iranian warships might be involved in supplying radical Islamic groups in Yemen with weapons..

     Egyptian authorities saw "nothing wrong" with the passage of the two warships through the canal, Press TV said. "Iranian officials were in contact with officials in Cairo to secure the vessels passage," it quoted an unnamed Iranian navy official as saying.  The passage could be a potential policy headache for Egypt's new army rulers. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said after the first announcement that the move through the canal en route to Syria would be a "provocation." It would be the first time since Iran's 1979 revolution that Iranian warships had passed through the canal. The revolution poisoned ties with Egypt, which signed a peace treaty with Israel that year. The canal is a vital commercial and strategic waterway between Europe and the Middle East and Asia. It is also a major source of revenues for the Egyptian government.

February 19, 2011

UNITED NATIONS RAPPORTEUR URGES DICTATOR RAUL CASTRO TO HEED EVENTS IN EGYPT, TUNISIA

        GENEVA, BRUSSELS--The rapporteur of the UNITED NATIONS Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on Thursday asked dictator raul castro to learn from the example of recent events in the Arab world to carry out democratic reforms on the communist island. Pastor Elias Murillo Martinez said that what has occurred in countries like Egypt and Tunisia constitutes, “despite the historical and cultural differences, a call to all governments of the world to choose the road of democracy.” Murillo made his remarks during his speech at the session of the Committee to review the report in which Cuba displays its respect for the international convention on the elimination of racial discrimination.

     “For decades, the international community, at the same time that it has condemned the (U.S. economic) embargo against Cuba, has not ceased to anxiously hope that the country will democratize itself. Therefore, the entire world expects much of the large (Communist Party) Congress that the Cuban government has announced for April this year, where it is forecast that they will announce big reforms,” the rapporteur said. With regard to that, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Abelardo Moreno Fernandez declared that “in the last 50 years, Cuba has served as an example of what the promotion of democracy means.” “The crisis of the traditional parties stems from the fact that those parties have very strong links with the great centers of power and that is not democracy,” Moreno insisted.

     In the area of racial discrimination, Murillo said that even if institutional racism does not exist in Cuba, Afro-Cubans still suffer from marginalization. “The descendents of African slaves still suffer from structural discrimination that is reflected in the large socioeconomic gap that separates them from the average population,” he said. He also said that the Cuban population of African origin is underrepresented in decision-making bodies. In his first speech, on Wednesday, before the Committee, Deputy Minister Moreno emphasized Cuba’s advances in eliminating racial discrimination, but he acknowledged that “certain racial prejudices derived from historical and sociocultural factors still persist.” The Committee will release its conclusions on the Cuban report on March 11.

WASHINGTON URGES VENEZUELAN DICTATOR HUGO CHAVEZ TO ALLOW VISIT BY THE OAS

     WASHINGTON, D.C.--The US State Department voiced concern “about the health and well being of the students who are risking their lives for their belief in democratic governance and individual liberties.”   The United States urged Venezuela to okay a visit by the Organization of American States (OAS), as requested by a group of students who have been staging a hunger strike for 19 days, seeking release of two politicians who are in jail.  "We urge the Venezuelan government to agree to a visit by the OAS as a means to promote dialogue and understanding," said the US State Department in a press release published late on Thursday.

     Early in February, a group of 13 youngsters, most of them university students, started a hunger strike outside the headquarters of the Organization of American States in Caracas. They have asked for the release of two dissenting deputies, one of whom is imprisoned pending trial on corruption charges, and the second has been convicted on conspiracy charges in connection with a murder.  Dissenters believe that both politicians were prosecuted "for political reasons."  "We are concerned about the health and well being of the students who are risking their lives for their belief in democratic governance and individual liberties," said Washington in the press release.

     The demonstrators have urged the OAS to pay a visit to Venezuela, but OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza replied that the organization cannot send a mission with prior agreement of the government of President Hugo Chávez. Insulza asked the students to abandon the strike.  Meanwhile, Venezuelan authorities claim that the strikers are protesting for domestic affairs that do not pertain to the OAS.

US DIPLOMAT SAYS DICTATOR HUGO CHAVEZ'S INFLUENCE ON THE WANE

         WASHINGTON, D.C.--The secretary of state for Latin America, Arturo Valenzuela, said Thursday before the U.S. Senate that the influence of the government of Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez in the region is in “marked decline.'' During a subcommittee hearing of the Senate on Hemispheric Affairs, Valenzuela said Venezuela is one of the issues that concerned the Government of Washington. `` Despite the rhetoric of the Venezuelan government, claiming the triumph  of the socialism of the 21^st.  Century. . . Venezuela's influence in the region is declining sharply, and only 30 percent of the region has a positive view of Venezuela, less than half the rates of U.S. credibility,''said Valenzuela. Valenzuela told a Senate hearing that the government of Chavez, which has long been a thorn in the side of Washington, remained a source of concern. "While many countries in the Americas have strong and healthy democracies, we all still have more work to do," he told the panel.  

     On Tuesday, during a similar hearing on U.S. foreign policy in Latin America, but this time in the House of Representatives, Valenzuela reiterated Washington's criticism against the Venezuelan government. Valenzuela said the U.S. government considers whether Venezuela is violating international sanctions against Iran by maintaining an energy cooperation agreement with that country. The diplomat also said that Venezuela is supporting the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), but gave no details.

    Pressed by reporters Thursday about the matter, following the hearing, Valenzuela qualified his previous  statements. `` We see that there has been a decline in support and what I said was only my skepticism about whether or not there is a commitment to do so. But surely there is greater cooperation regarding the issue of the FARC and Colombia. . . I don’t assure anything, “I’m just expressing my skepticism'' he said. "Recent developments in Venezuela raise serious concerns in this context. Particularly worrisome, among other measures, is the delegation of the legislative authority to the executive that extended beyond the terms of office of the outgoing National Assembly, undermining the authority of the new assembly and thereby circumscribing popular will." US officials said this week they continued to monitor Venezuela's cooperation on energy matters with Iran for possible violations of sanctions on Tehran over its suspect nuclear program.Listen

February 18, 2011

ONE US IMMIGRATION AGENT KILLED BY UNKNOWN GUNMEN, 1 INJURED

        MEXICO CITY, MEXICO--A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent was killed and another wounded in the attack. (AP)  A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent was killed and another wounded while driving through northern Mexico Tuesday, in a rare attack on American officials in this country which is fighting powerful drug cartels. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said one agent was critically wounded in the attack and died from his injuries. The second agent was shot in the arm and leg and remains in stable condition.  ICE Director John Morton late Tuesday identified the slain agent as Jaime Zapata, who was on assignment from the office in Laredo, Texas, where he served on the Human Smuggling and Trafficking Unit as well as the Border Enforcement Security Task Force.

     The injured agent, who was not identified, remains in stable condition, Morton said.   "I'm deeply saddened by the news that earlier today, two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents assigned to the ICE Attache office in Mexico City were shot in the line of duty while driving between Mexico City and Monterrey by unknown assailants," Napolitano said. U.S. and Mexican officials said they were working closely together to investigate the shooting and find those responsible. They did not give a motive for the attack. "Let me be clear: any act of violence against our ICE personnel -- or any DHS personnel -- is an attack against all those who serve our nation and put their lives at risk for our safety," Napolitano said. "We remain committed in our broader support for Mexico's efforts to combat violence within its borders." 

    The two agents were driving in the northern state of San Luis Potosi when they were stopped at what may have appeared to be a military checkpoint, said one Mexican official, who could not be named because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the case.  After they stopped, someone opened fire on them, the official said. San Luis Potosi police said gunmen attacked two people a blue Suburban on Highway 57 between Mexico City and Monterrey, near the town of Santa Maria Del Rio, at about 2:30 p.m. Police said one person was killed and another was flown to a Mexico City hospital, though they couldn't confirm the victims were the ICE agents.  A U.S. law enforcement source who was not authorized to speak on the case said the agent who died was on loan from Laredo, Texas. Mexican Ambassador to the U.S. Arturo Sarukhan spoke with Morton to express Mexico's condolences, according to a spokesman. "Please keep Special Agent Zapata's family, friends, and colleagues close to your heart during this difficult time.

CUBAN DISSIDENTS URGE "REAL" ECONOMIC LIBERALIZATION

     HAVANA, CUBAZUELA--Cautious reforms undertaken by Cuban DICTATOR  Raul Castro are insufficient and a genuine economic liberalization represents the “only and definitive” solution to the crisis affecting the Communist-ruled island, dissidents said Tuesday. More than a dozen prominent members of the opposition held a press conference in Havana to put forward alternatives to the government’s plan to “modernize” the socialist model.

     The group included former political prisoners Marta Beatriz Roque and Arnaldo Ramos as well as Vladimiro Roca, son of the founder of Cuba’s Communist Party. “Without wholehearted economic freedom and, with it, the unlimited expansion of the private sector with businesses of all sizes, it will not be possible to resolve the current situation,” Ramos, an independent economist, told reporters. The government plan to expand the scope for self-employment and allow the creation of small enterprises in the hope of spurring productivity “lacks a real basis,” according to Ramos, because of excessive regulation and a lack of adequate financing.

     In the documents presented Tuesday, the dissidents urge the government to introduce social and political reforms alongside economic changes. Such an approach could mark a “start on the road to freedom and democracy,” the opposition leaders said. Among other steps, they advocate an end to the requirement that Cubans obtain official permission to travel abroad and an authorization for the open buying and selling of homes an vehicles.  Cuba also needs a new constitution, the dissidents say, as the existing charter “does not permit the social, economic and political development the country requires.”

CHINA WARNS US OVER SECRETARY CLINTON'S INTERNET FREEDOM CALL

         BEIJING, CHINA--China has warned the US not to use calls for internet freedom as an excuse to meddle in other countries' affairs. The foreign ministry comments came after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced an initiative to help dissidents around the world get past government internet controls. Since Mrs Clinton's speech, comments about it have been removed from China's popular Twitter-like microblog sites. The US ambassador to China said online embassy comments had also been deleted. "We are disappointed that some Chinese internet sites have decided to remove discussion of Secretary Clinton's Internet Freedom speech from their websites," Ambassador Jon Huntsman told The Wall Street Journal. 

    In her second major speech on internet technology, Mrs Clinton called for the world community to adopt common standards for internet use. Speaking at a Washington university on Tuesday, she criticised those countries that sought to suppress its citizens with web-based tactics. She said the recent internet-fuelled toppling of rulers in Egypt and Tunisia and protests in Iran, showed governments could no longer choose which freedoms to grant citizens. "We believe that governments who have erected barriers to internet freedom - whether they're technical filters or censorship regimes or attacks on those who exercise their rights to expression and assembly online - will eventually find themselves boxed in."

    Mrs Clinton said China faced a "dictator's dilemma" and risked being left behind as the rest of the world embraced new technologies. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said that internet users in China enjoy freedom of speech "in accordance with the law." Speaking at a regular news briefing on Thursday, he said China was willing to work with other countries on such issues but was "against any other countries using internet freedom as a pretext for interfering in others' internal affairs".   Last year, China accused Washington of "information imperialism", after a similar speech by Mrs Clinton.

February 17, 2011

US SENATORS MARCO RUBIO AND BOB MENENDEZ AMENDMENT WOULD BLOCK NEW CUBA FLIGHTS

     WASHINGTON, D.C.-- It took only a month for backers and critics of President Barack Obama's decision to ease restrictions on U.S. citizens' trips to Cuba to come out of their corners and start swinging. Cuban-American Senators Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Bob Menendez, D-N.J., announced this week they had submitted an amendment that would block any new flights from U.S. airports to Cuba that might be allowed by the Obama decision.

     And one of the largest U.S. tourism companies, AmericanTours International LLC (ATI), launched a Web page on Monday offering tours for those newly qualified to visit Cuba - under the headline, "Connect Understand Become Amigos!'' Obama set the stage for the fight over travel to Cuba last monthwhen the White House announced it would make it easier for U.S. educational, religious, cultural and humanitarian groups to visit the island. Part of the changes involved allowing virtually any U.S. airport with top-ranked security capabilities to host charter flights to and from Cuba. Currently, only Miami, Los Angeles and New York are allowed to host the flights.

    The Rubio-Menendez amendment, attached to a funding bill for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), would block any new U.S. flights to countries on the U.S. list of supporters of international terrorism. Currently, those countries are Cuba, Iran, Syria and Sudan. "Increasing direct commercial or charter aircraft flights with state sponsors of terrorism is totally irresponsible," Rubio, a first-term Florida Republican, said in announcing the amendment. Menendez co-sponsored it. "There is no reason for the United States to help enrich state sponsors of terrorism," Rubio added. Airports in Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Key West and Las Vegas were among those that had been pushing to be allowed to handle some of the U.S.-Cuba charter flights. More than 40 Cuba flights a week now leave from Miami International Airport.

OAS SECRETARY INSULZA READY TO VISIT VENEZUELA

         WASHINGTON, D.C.--José Miguel Insulza, Secretary General, Organization of American States (OAS), said that he cannot visit Venezuela, without the government prior consent, to corroborate alleged human rights abuses, as required by a group of students on hunger strike.

     "It would not be acceptable for the OAS Council or the council of any other international organization, that the Secretary General forces the will of a member country," Insulza told daily newspaper The New Herald in an interview.  "I am prepared to go, because I think that these things are settled by talking… but I cannot go to Venezuela if the Venezuelan government does not authorize it; neither I nor the Commission of Human Rights," he added.

      Insulza said that, in view of the youngsters' request, with whom he has spoken in several occasions on the phone, he asked the Venezuelan government again for authorization to visit Venezuela. However, he noted that in the past he did not succeed in similar attempts.

26 STUDENTS IN HUNGER STRIKE DEMANDING OAS SECRETARY TO VISIT VENEZUELA

        caracas, venecuba--Six students who are members of the NGO Active Youth, United Venezuela (JAVU), have joined a hunger strike that a group of 20 fellow members is staging outside the local chapter of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Caracas demanding that the OAS to seek recognition of the parliamentary immunity of deputies Biaggio Pilieri (Convergencia, state of Yaracuy) and José Sánchez (UNT, state of Zulia).

     The students submitted a draft Amnesty Law to Venezuelan deputies. Lorent Saleh, the spokeswoman of the young protesters, asked for the draft law to be discussed by the National Assembly  The legislation may pave the way for deputies who are facing trial to take office in the National Assembly as soon as possible (Photo: Enio Perdomo) Students who have been staging a hunger strike for several days outside the headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS) office in Caracas submitted to a group of Venezuelan deputies a draft Amnesty Law seeking the release of a number of people they termed political prisoners.

      Lorent Saleh, the spokeswoman of the young protesters, asked for the draft law to be discussed by the National Assembly. The legislation may pave the way for deputies who are facing trial to take office in the National Assembly as soon as possible.  "We support this bill and endorse the idea that the National Assembly should discuss a way to release people who have imprisoned unfairly -an amnesty similar to that granted to current president (Hugo Chávez,)" she said.

February 16, 2011

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA:  IRAN SHOULD ALLOW PEACEFUL PROTESTS

     WASHINGTON, D.C.--President Barack Obama says peaceful protests similar to those that brought down the government in Egypt should be allowed to take place on the streets of Iran. Instead, Obama says the Iranian regime has celebrated the undoing of Hosni Mubarak's (HOHS'-nee moo-BAH'-rahks) government in Egypt but at the same time has gunned down and beat Iranians who similarly were trying to express themselves peacefully. Tens of thousands of Iranians turned out for an opposition rally Monday in solidarity with Egypt's popular revolt. Clashes between opposition protesters and security forces left one person dead and dozens injured.

     Mindful of the Islamic republic's accusations that the United States and other powers were behind Monday's opposition protests in Tehran and other cities, Obama said Washington can "lend moral support to those who are seeking a better life for themselves."  "My hope is we're going to continue to see the people of Iran have the courage to be able to express their yearning for greater freedom and a more representative government, understanding that America cannot ultimately dictate what happens inside Iran anymore than it could inside of Egypt," he said.  A wave of protests have targeted Middle Eastern states since mid-January, when weeks of anti-government demonstrations forced Tunisian autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to flee to Saudi Arabia.

     On Friday, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepped down after ruling his nation for nearly 30 years, and other opposition movements have taken to the streets in Algeria, Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain and Sudan. Obama said his administration has told Middle Eastern leaders that "the world is changing," and "You can't be behind the curve." "I think that the thing that will actually achieve stability in that region is if young people, if ordinary folks, end up feeling that there are pathways for them to feed their families, get a decent job, get an education, aspire to a better life," he said. "And the more steps these governments are taking to provide these avenues for mobility and opportunity, the more stable these countries are. You can't maintain power through coercion."

SECRETARY HILLARY CLINTON EXPRESSES US SUPPORT FOR IRAN OPPOSITION

         WASHINGTON, D.C.--US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has expressed her firm support for the thousands of opposition supporters who protested in Iran's capital on Monday. "What we see happening in Iran today is a testament to the courage of the Iranian people, and an indictment of the hypocrisy of the Iranian regime - a regime which over the last three weeks has constantly hailed what went on in Egypt," she said.

    Mrs Clinton said the US had the same message for the Iranian authorities as it did for those in Egypt, where President Hosni Mubarak was forced to step down after 29 years in power by nationwide mass protests. "We are against violence and we would call to account the Iranian government that is once again using its security forces and resorting to violence to prevent the free expression of ideas from their own people," she said. Iranian protesters say that there is a certain symmetry to events in the Middle East. They believe the rallies they held after disputed presidential elections in 2009 helped to inspire the protests in the Arab World in 2011. "We think that there needs to be a commitment to open up the political system in Iran, to hear the voices of the opposition and civil society," she added.

     Earlier on Monday, police placed the opposition leader, Mir Hossein Mousavi, under house arrest and blocked access to his home. His website said they intended to prevent the former prime minister attending the Tehran rally. Fellow opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi, a former speaker of parliament and a senior cleric, is also reportedly being held under house arrest. Both men disputed the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June 2009, which triggered protests that drew the largest crowds in Iran since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. The authorities responded by launching a brutal crackdown. The opposition says more than 80 of its supporters were killed over the following six months, a figure the government disputes. Several have been sentenced to death, and dozens jailed. Although Iran's establishment supported the Egyptian and Tunisian protests, describing them as an "Islamic awakening" inspired by the Islamic Revolution, it said the opposition rallies were a "political move".

ALL 67 venezuelan opposition lawmakers boycottED congress session over GENERAL RANGEL SILVA PRESENCE

        caracas, venecuba--All 67 opposition Venezuelan CONGRESSMEN boycotted a special congressional session honoring 19th century independence hero Simon Bolivar on Tuesday, saying the guest speaker did not share their democratic values.

     The speaker, Gen. Henry Rangel, suggested during a newspaper interview last year that Venezuela's military would not accept an opposition victory in the country's 2012 presidential vote. Opposition lawmaker Juan Carlos Caldera said Rangel "told the country that if Venezuelans were to decide to change the government in 2012" the military would not accept it.  Chavez promoted the general after the comment, saying Rangel had been unfairly criticized by the opposition.

      Governing party lawmaker Aristobulo Isturiz chided the National Assembly's  opposition congressmen for boycotting the session, saying they "look down upon the armed forces." Rangel was singled out in 2008 by the U.S. Treasury Department, which accused him and two other members of Chavez's inner circle of helping leftist Colombian rebels by supplying arms and aiding drug trafficking operations. Chavez dismissed those accusations as politically motivated.

EL CABALLO DE TRALLA
 
 Your Job is to infiltrate and soften them, we'll take care of the rest.

February 15, 2011

VENEZUELAN DICTATOR HUGO CHAVEZ REJECTS COMPARISON WITH OUSTED EGYPTIAN DICTATOR HOSNI MUBARAK

     CARACAS, VENECUBA--Venezuela's DICTATOR Hugo Chávez rejected comments by the opposition  who have compared his Bolivarian dictatorship  to the dictatorship of Egyptian Hosni Mubarak, who last Friday stepped down and turned over the government to the Army after a strong popular rebellion.

     "I laugh when some 'clever' analysts from the Venezuelan opposition compare my government with that of ex president Mubarak in Egypt. They are crazy! You see? They are wrong. They are foolish!" Chavez said during his weekly radio and television show "Hello, President!", AFP reported.  "(In Egypt) there was a real dictatorship, and more than half of the population is living in poverty, in extreme poverty, that is the fundamental cause," Chavez said.

     Critics have accused the Venezuelan president of promoting a "Communist dictatorship" and seeking to "perpetuate in power." In Venezuela's next presidential election, to be held in 2012, Hugo Chávez will seek a third six-year term in office.  Chávez dismissed the role played by social networks in Hosni Mubarak's overthrow.  "Some of them (Chávez's critics) want to call it the Twitter revolution. No! If there are no real conditions, no revolution can be planned via mobile phone or Twitter. There must be adequate conditions. Revolutions are born by an accumulation of conditions," the Venezuelan president said.

china in talk with colombia over CONSTRUCTION OF A transcontinental railway

         beijing, china--The Chinese Government plans to cooperate with Colombia in building a 220km transcontinental railway which would link Colombia's Atlantic and Pacific coasts,according to a British newspaper.

     The Financial Times quoted Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos as saying on Monday. The project is treated as one of a series of Chinese proposals that would boost transport links with Asia and improve Colombia's infrastructure, the papersaid, citing documents it has obtained. "It's a real proposal ... and it is quite advanced," President Santos said.. "I don't want to create exaggerated expectations, but it does make a lot of sense," he said, adding that Asia is the "new motor" of the world economy.

     The estimated 7.6 billion U.S. dollar project will be operated by the China Railway Group. The Panama Canal is now the main shipping route which connects the Atlantic and Pacific commercial intercourse. It represents roughly five percent of world trade, with 13,000 to 14,000 ships passing through it every year.

SENIOR POLICE COMMANDER KILLED IN MONTERREY, MEXICO

        MONTERREY, MEXICO--A senior police commander of the northern state of Nuevo León was ambushed and killed in the industrial city of Monterrey, one of the most high-profile crimes occurred in the area affected by drug violence. The Nuevo Leon government said Monday in a statement that authorities located in a vehicle the body of Homer Trevino Guillermo Salcedo, head of central intelligence and state security.

     He said the body was found  with  five guns hot wounds inside a smoldering car aboandoned in downtown Monterrey, capital of Nuevo León and 900 kilometers north of Mexico City. Salcido was named director of the Center for Comprehensive Coordination, Control, Command, Communications and Computing (C5) of Nuevo León. He was fo state's intelligence and security center und Sunday night and his body was identified by a collaborator.  The state government did not report who might be behind the crime, saying only that in the next few hours they will release more information. Local media have reported images of a partially burned SUV in which supposedly was located Salcido.

     On the border with Texas, Nuevo Leon state has been hit by a wave of drug-fueled violence in recent years. The area has been traumatized by battles between the Gulf drug cartel and a gang of its former enforcers known as the Zetas. The number of killings attributed to organized crime in Nuevo Leon have been increased in the last year, from 112 in 2009 to 620 in 2010, according to federal government statistics.  Nationally, the violence linked to organized crime has left more than 34,600 murders since December 2006, when President Felipe Calderon took office and launched an offensive against drug cartels.

February 14, 2011

US DISPATCHES TOP MILITARY CHIEF TO REASSURE ISRAEL, JORDAN AFTER PRESIDENT MUBARAK'S OUSTER

     WASHINGTON, D.C.--The top United States military officer heads to Jordan and Israel for high-level talks meant to reassure key allies at a moment of heightened uncertainty after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's ouster.  Mubarak handed over power to the Egyptian army Friday after an 18-day popular uprising, with Washington now facing huge challenges in a potentially volatile power shift in Cairo that could have repercussions for U.S. policy across the Middle East. Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, will arrive in Jordan on Sunday for talks with his military counterpart and with Jordan's King Abdullah. It comes just days after Abdullah swore in a new government led by a former general who has promised to widen public freedoms in response to anti-government protests sweeping the region.

     Mullen will continue to Israel, where Egypt's turmoil has raised fears of potential Islamic radicalization that could threaten Cairo's peace agreement with Israel.  Mullen is due to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Shimon Peres and the outgoing head of the armed forces, Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi on Sunday and Monday, before returning to Washington. "At this very critical time in the Middle East [Mullen wants] to reassure our Israeli partners that our commitment to them, and to the military relationship that we have enjoyed with them, remains strong," Capt. John Kirby, an aide to Mullen, told Reuters.

     Israel has named Benny Gantz, a former defense attache in Washington and second-in-command of Israel's armed forces, to replace Ashkenazi. Mullen was also expected to meet Ganz, Kirby said, adding the two already knew each other "quite well."  U.S Defense Minister Ehud Barak met top U.S. officials in Washington this week. He told U.S. television that the world should encourage change in Egypt but give the country enough time to prevent it from falling into the hands of extremists.

EGYPT'S MILITARY RULERS DISSOLVE PARLIAMENT, SUSPEND CONSTITUTION

         CAIRO, EGYPT--Egypt's military leaders dissolved parliament and suspended the constitution Sunday, meeting two key demands of protesters who have been keeping up pressure for immediate steps to transition to democratic, civilian rule after forcing Hosni Mubarak out of power.  The military rulers that took over when Mubarak stepped down Friday and the caretaker government also set as a top priority the restoration of security, which collapsed during the 18 days of protests that toppled the regime. The protesters had been pressing the ruling military council, led by Defense Minister Hussein Tantawi, to immediately move forward with the transition process by appointing a presidential council, dissolving the parliament and releasing detainees.

     "They have definitely started to offer us what we wanted," said activist Sally Touma, reflecting a mix of caution and optimism among protesters who want to see even more change, including repeal of the repressive emergency law. Judge Hisham Bastawisi, a reformist judge, said the actions "should open the door for free formation of political parties and open the way for any Egyptian to run for presidential elections." Hossam Bahgat, director of the non-governmental Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, said the military's steps were positive but warned that Egypt was on uncharted legal ground. "In the absence of a constitution, we have entered a sort of 'twilight zone' in terms of rules, so we are concerned," he said. "We are clearly monitoring the situation and will attempt to influence the transitional phase so as to respect human rights."

     The military ruling council said it will run the country for six months, or until presidential and parliament elections can be held. It said it was forming a committee to amend the constitution and set the rules for a popular referendum to endorse the amendments. Both the lower and upper houses of parliament are being dissolved. The last parliamentary elections in November and December were heavily rigged by the ruling party, virtually shutting out opposition representation. The caretaker Cabinet, which was appointed by Mubarak shortly after the pro-democracy protests began on Jan. 25, will remain in place until a new Cabinet is formed -- a step that is not expected to happen until after elections. The ruling military council reiterated that it would abide by all of Egypt's international treaties agreed in the Mubarak era, most importantly the peace treaty with Israel. "Our concern now in the Cabinet is security, to bring security back to the Egyptian citizen," Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq told a news conference after the meeting.

CUBA CUTS SUGAR PRICE SUBSIDIES

        HAVANA, CUBAZUELA--Cuba's communist government says it is liberalising the sale of sugar, after decades of subsidising its price. It is the latest step in President Raul Castro's plan to reduce the state's role in the economy and encourage private enterprise.  Cubans will still be able to buy a limited amount of sugar at a subsidised rate with their ration books, but these too are due to be gradually phased out.  Cuba is a major sugar producer, and many Cubans have a very sweet tooth.

    The state newspaper Juventud Rebelde said sugar would "gradually" be freed from state control and sold in shops and supermarkets where prices are much higher, though it did not say how quickly this would happen.  It said the measure was particularly necessary in the light of economic changes launched by President Castro last September. Around a million public sector workers are being laid off and encouraged to find work in the private sector, where rules on setting up small businesses or becoming self-employed have been dramatically liberalised. Thousands of Cubans have since applied for licenses to set up their own businesses, particularly restaurants, which will consume large amounts of sugar.

     "The liberalised sale of sugar, both in its refined and raw variety, is an expected and necessary decision, above all for the successful development of the self-employed sector," Juventud Rebelde reported.  The government has also announced that the price of imported rice - another basic staple in Cuba - is to go up by more than 40%. The phasing out of food price subsidies will cut costs for the cash-strapped communist government, which decided to reduce the state's almost total control of the economy in response to a severe economic crisis. On Friday the US-Cuba Trade and Economic Council - based in New York - said US food sales to Cuba fell by 31% in 2010, partly because Cuba was short of foreign exchange to pay for the imports.

February 13, 2011

THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT RELEASED HECTOR MASEDA WHO HAS REFUSED FOR MONTHS TO ACCEPT EXILE IN SPAIN

     HAVANA, CUBAzuela-- A well-known Cuban dissident, HECTOR MASEDA, has returned home a day after saying he would not leave his jail cell until other opposition leaders were freed. Maseda's stepdaughter Laura Maria Labrada Pollan tells The Associated Press that he arrived at his house in the Cuban capital of Havana at midday Saturday. Labrada says Maseda "gave us a big hug" and looks "healthy and happy."  She said that she did not know why her stepfather changed his mind. The 67-year-old Maseda had pledged to stay in jail until others were freed. He also demanded that authorities exonerate or pardon him.

    With Maseda's release, only eight of the original 75 opposition figures arrested in a 2003 crackdown remain in Cuban jails.  Political prisoners who stay in Cuba after they are freed will be put under an uncertain parole, according to new media reports. Ladies in White and other dissidents vowed Monday to take to the streets if the government does not soon release the 13 opponents it had promised to free from jail.  At least five of the 12 political prisoners eligible for release from Cuban prisons -- but who refuse to leave the island -- say they'll accept freedom if it's offered because of their poor health and age, according to a founder of the Ladies in White group.

    Former Cuban political prisoners and relatives living in Spain will be allowed to come to the United States swiftly under a special parole program, a senior State Department official announced Monday. ``It's one more trick by the government, because they can return those men to prison at any time,'' said Bertha Soler, whose husband Angel Moya, serving a 20-year sentence, has vowed to stay in Cuba. The reports also reinforced complaints that Havana wants to exile the 52 jailed dissidents it has promised to free. Cuba so far has released 32, who agreed to go directly from prison to Madrid.

ISRAEL WATCHES EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK OUSTER WITH TREPIDATION

         JERUSALEM, ISRAEL--Israel watched Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's resignation with trepidation Friday, concerned the ouster of its staunchest Arab ally might endanger a peace treaty between the two countries and help boost Islamists already on the rise in the region. Israel's government declined comment on the announcement by Vice President Omar Suleiman that Mubarak decided to step down after three decades of iron-fisted rule. Former Israeli officials expressed concern that regime change in Egypt, as part of a wider transformation of the Arab world, could leave Israel even more isolated. Last year, regional powerhouse Turkey shifted away from its alliance with Israel. "We have a tough period ahead of us," Zvi Mazel, a former Israeli ambassador in Egypt, told Israel TV. "Iran and Turkey will consolidate positions against us. Forget about the former Egypt. Now it's a completely new reality, and it won't be easy."

    Some in Israel feared the unrest could spread to neighboring Jordan, the only other Arab country that has a peace deal with Israel, or to the Palestinian territories. Only last month, an uprising in Tunisia ended with the ouster of a longtime dictator there. Former Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer who was a long-time friend of Mubarak, said he was worried. "From this day on, I only have lots of questions about what will be, what will be the fate of the peace treaty between us and the Egyptians?" Ben-Eliezer told Israel TV's Channel 10. "There are many questions that we don't have answers for, how will this affect the entire region now?" Still, the peace treaty with Israel was not raised by protesters during the current uprising, and the Muslim Brotherhood has been vague on the issue.

    Dan Gillerman, a former Israeli envoy at the U.N., said that if radicals prevail in Egypt and elsewhere, it would be devastating for Israel and the region. "At the end of the day what we are seeing in the Middle East is a battle between the moderates and the extremists and I think it is in everybody's interests that the moderates prevail," he told Fox News. Israel military sources said they were worried that if a peace treaty isn't kept, the military would have to reassess its deployment. They were speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue. A strengthened Muslim Brotherhood could also affect the power struggle between the two Palestinian political camps - the Islamic militant Hamas in Gaza and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank.  Abbas is backed by the West, while Hamas draws its support from Iran, Syria and Hezbollah. Hamas is the Gaza branch of the Muslim brotherhood and could gain strength if their Egyptian brethren win a greater say.

SWITZERLAND PRESIDENT FREEZES ASSET OF FORMER EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK

        GENEVA, SWITZERLAND-- Switzerland President Micheline Calmy-Rey HAS announced that HER COUNTRY was freezing assets owned there by Hosni Mubarak, former president of Egypt, the media reported today.  The announcement, which gave no details as to what assets Mubarak or his family might have in Swiss banks, will send shock waves through the presidential palaces of other Middle Eastern countries, according to a report in The Daily Telegraph newspaper.

     "The government wants to avoid any risk of misappropriation of state-owned Egyptian assets," a statement by the foreign ministry of Switzerland stated.  Stories of Mubarak's personal wealth, ranging up to wild estimates of USD 70 billion (44 billion pounds), long suppressed by state media, have been circulating among the crowds of protesters, the report said.

     His family is said to own property around the world, including in London, Paris, Dubai, and the United States, and he is understood to have money in bank accounts in Britain, the US, and France as well as other Western countries.  82-year-old Mubarak, who ruled Egypt with an iron hand for over three decades, stepped down as President yesterday and handed over power to the army capitulating under mass protests sweeping the country's streets for the last 18 days.
 

February 12, 2011

WASHINGTON FORESEES NEW PROTESTS AGAINST DICTATOR HUGO CHAVEZ

     WASHINGTON, D.C.-- VENEZUELAN DICTATOR Hugo Chávez may have to deal with more popular protests in Venezuela in the coming year, amid a "poor economic performance" and an "energized opposition," predicted a report released by the director of National Intelligence (DNI).  

    "Facing an energized opposition in the coming year, Chávez may have to deal with more popular protests over his continued push to implement "21st Century Socialism," said the annual Worldwide Threat Assessment, a report released by the US intelligence community during a congressional hearing. "Chávez in the coming year will struggle to improve his country's poor economic performance. Venezuela currently suffers from nearly 30 percent inflation and negative growth," warned Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, as reported by AFP.  

     The Director of National Intelligence said that Chavez's "hold on power remains secure," despite his "mismanagement of the Venezuelan economy" and "spiraling crime rates," which in part explain the opposition progress in the National Assembly elections in September 2010.  The report issued by the office of the Director of National Intelligence highlights that "the legislation that gives more resources to (Chávez's) loyal community councils, allowing the Venezuelan president to claim that he is both bolstering participatory democracy and creating new means of funneling resources to supporters."

OAS SECRETARY GENERAL JOSE MIGUEL INSULZA CALLS ON VENEZUELAN YOUNG PROTESTERS TO ABANDON HUNGER STRIKE

         WASHINGTON, D.C.--Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) José Miguel Insulza on Thursday urged the young protesters who have been in a hunger strike for 10 days outside the headquarters of the OAS office in Caracas to put down the protest.  Insulza once again "called on the young people to abandon their hunger strike and employ other peaceful means of expressing dissent, without putting their integrity at risk," said a OAS press release, as reported by AFP.

     The OAS Secretary General expressed concern about the health of the nine young protesters, most of them Venezuelan university students who have been holding a hunger strike since early this month to demand the release of "political prisoners" in Venezuela and the visit of an international delegation. Insulza said that "I am, as always, willing to visit Venezuela whenever possible," but he recalled that his visit to the country requires prior government consent.

     Further, Insulza is to request the Venezuelan government to provide background information on people deprived of freedom, and "if applicable," that he would submit such data to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) for this OAS body to review the cases.  In December 2009, the Venezuelan government authorized the presence of an OAS delegation in Venezuela when another group of young people staged a hunger strike, Insulza recalled.

VENEZUELAN LEGISLATORS EXCHANGED PUNCHES DURING PARLIAMENT HEARINGS

        CARACAS, VENECUBA--Venezuelan legislators from the socialist party of DICTATOR Hugo Chavez and their rivals have exchanged punches in parliament. The fist-fight on Thursday began after Socialist party legislator Henry Ventura tried to remove an opposition member, Alfonso Marquina, from the speaker's podium.  The pair were soon joined by several other legislators and parliamentary employees who shoved and punched one another for several minutes. "We came to work in peace, like we always do, and we hope that we are not subject to aggression for the words we say, like we were just now," Nicolas Maduro, the foreign minister, said.

    The brawl was broadcast live on all Venezuela's television and radio stations via an obligatory link-up system used frequently by Chavez to air his long speeches to the nation. The broadcast was pulled abruptly from most networks after the violence started. Venezuelans are deeply divided by the leftist president's programme to build a socialist society in the South American country of 28 million people. Chavez's popularity will be put to the test in a 2012 presidential election when he will run again.

    The new National Assembly was formed in January after elections that returned a significant number of opposition legislators after a five-year absence. It is the first time the two sides have worked in such close confines since the opposition boycotted parliamentary elections in 2005, giving Chavez allies free rein to pass laws. Although the new parliament has given the opposition a platform for its views, it has been effectively neutered by Chavez, who was granted decree powers in December to fast-track laws without parliamentary approval for 18 months

¿ DOMINÓ O AGUANTE ?
 

February 11, 2011

CUBAN AUTHORITIES STOP BLOCKING LOCAL ACCESS TO YOANI SANCHEZ AND OTHER BLOGGERS

     HAVANA, CUBAZUELA--Popular Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez described it Wednesday as the end of “the long night of censorship” -- the government’s surprise unblocking of access to her and 40 more Internet sites critical of the government. The question is why, and for how long. Sanchez seemed giddy as she told in a post how she used a Havana hotel’s internet cafe to confirm that authorities had removed the filter blocking people on the island from visiting her Generación Y blog. “I have come to confirm if the long night of censorship no longer falls on Generation Y,” she wrote. “I click and I see a page I have not seen since 2008 ... I am so surprised I scream, and the security camera on the ceiling records my tooth fillings during incontrollable laughter.”

    In a Tweet sent during the round of hotel visits, Sanchez added a more serious message: “If they opened the door, it’s not the time to just stay on the threshold, but to tear up the door frame and take down the bars.” But Sanchez and her husband, fellow blogger Reinaldo Escobar, were cautious about the timing of the decision to lift the blocks on Voces Cubanas and Desde Cuba, two portals that house Sanchez, Escobar and 40 other independent and opposition Cuban bloggers. “We know that access to Voces was unblocked about one week ago. We confirmed it Friday,” Escobar said by telephone from Havana, adding that the second portal was confirmed open on Monday. “What we don’t know is why.”

    Most likely, Sanchez and Escobar agreed, it’s because Havana is hosting the Informatica 2011 fair Feb. 7-11, expected to bring in many foreign computer experts. Among the participants is the head of the United Nation’s telecommunications agency. The blocks easily could be put back in place once they leave Cuba, he added. Government officials may have decided, Sanchez wrote in her post, that it would be good to give the foreign visitors “an image of tolerance, of supposed openings on the issue of free expression.” Cuban security officials had blocked local access to the two portals for years, claiming that the Internet critics of the communist system are part of a U.S.-backed campaign to undermine the Fidel and Raúl Castro governments. Escobar said it’s also possible but not likely, that the Cuban government has decided to accept the argument that blocking access to the independent bloggers only gives them added international publicity.

FORMER MEXICAN PRESIDENT VICENTE FOX ACCUSES DICTATOR HUGO CHAVEZ OF "FACILITATING DRUG TRAFFICKING" 

         SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC--Former Mexican President Vicente Fox accused Venezuela's dictator Hugo Chávez of facilitating drug trafficking towards the northern area of the western hemisphere and indirectly contributing to high rates of crime in Mexico.

    "There seems to be a relationship between Hugo Chávez and the presence of cartels and illicit drugs. This is what happens when the compass does not point to democracy, and this is the case of Hugo Chávez, who has lost even his mind at this point," he said.

     Alfredo Murga Rivas, Venezuela's ambassador in the Dominican Republic, rejected Fox's assertion and contended that the former Mexican president has no grounds or specific data to substantiate his remarks. "That's what the professional opponents of the Venezuelan government often do. These statements against the Head of State are completely unfounded," he said.

u.s. congressman  connie mack (r-fla) criticizes ex-rep. joseph kennedy for backing citgo initiative 

        miami, florida--Rep. Connie Mack, R-Fla. sent a letter on February 7 to former Massachusetts US Rep. Joseph Kennedy, in which Mack questioned his support to a non-profit program carried out by Citgo, a Houston-based oil company owned by Pdvsa, to supply fuel to poor households.

    "At a time when the world is demonstrating unrest with dictators such as (Venezuela's President Hugo) Chávez, you are allowing your name and image to be used to cover over the anti-American interests," Mack said in the letter. According to Mack, the Venezuelan government is shipping gasoline to Iran, in violation of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions Accountability and Disinvestment Act of 2010 imposed on the Islamic nation by the international community. In this regard, Mack said that he would call a task force to investigate the activity engaged in by Venezuelan officials and Pdvsa's involvement in Iran's energy sector.

    Joseph Kennedy, who is the head of Citizens Energy Corp., a corporation through which the aid from Citgo is channeled, said later that the amount received to implement Venezuela's social program is just a tiny fraction of the oil that the United States pays annually for imported oil from Venezuela.

EL COMEJÉN EN LA CARPINTERÍA
 

February 10, 2011

EGYPT VP OMAR SULEIMAN WARNS OF A POSSIBLE COUP UNLESS DEMONSTRATORS AGREE TO ENTER NEGOTIATIONS COMMUNIST

     CAIRO, EGYPT--   Egypt's anti-government activists tried  to expand their demonstrations in defiance of the vice president's warning that protests calling for President Hosni Mubarak's ouster would not be tolerated for much longer. Vice President Omar Suleiman, who is managing the crisis, told Egyptian newspaper editors there could be a "coup" unless demonstrators agree to enter negotiations. The protesters insist they won't talk before Mubarak steps down, which the president is refusing to do. "He is threatening to impose martial law, which means everybody in the square will be smashed," said Abdul-Rahman Samir, a spokesman for a coalition of the five main youth groups behind protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square. "But what would he do with the rest of the 70 million Egyptians who will follow us afterward."

    Suleiman is creating "a disastrous scenario," one demonstrator  said. "We are striking and we will protest and we will not negotiate until Mubarak steps down. Whoever wants to threaten us, then let them do so," he added. For the first time, protesters were calling forcefully Wednesday for labor strikes after Suleiman warned that calls by some protesters for a campaign of civil disobedience are "very dangerous for society and we can't put up with this at all." The VP’s  warnings were the latest in a series of confused messages from the government to the protesters. Officials have made a series of pledges not to attack, harass or arrest the activists in recent days, followed by Suleiman's thinly veiled threat of a new crackdown. "We can't bear this for a long time," he said of the Tahrir protests. "There must be an end to this crisis as soon as possible."

     Suleiman said the regime wants to resolve the crisis through dialogue, warning: "We don't want to deal with Egyptian society with police tools." He also warned of chaos if the situation continued, speaking of "the dark bats of the night emerging to terrorize the people." If dialogue is not successful, he said, the alternative is "that a coup happens, which would mean uncalculated and hasty steps, including lots of irrationalities." Since it was not completely clear what the vice president intended in his "coup" comment, he  tried to explain his remark by saying: "I mean a coup of the regime against itself, or a military coup or an absence of the system. Some force, whether its the army or police or the intelligence agency or the (opposition Muslim) Brotherhood or the youth themselves could carry out 'creative chaos' to end the regime and take power," he said. Suleiman also reiterated his view that Egypt is not ready for democracy. "The culture of democracy is still far away," he told state and independent newspaper editors in the roundtable discussion Tuesday.

CASE OF venezuelan jugde maria de lourdes afiuni PRESENTED TO THE SPANISH SENATE

        caracas, venecuba--Based on a report prepared by Human Rights Watch (HRW), Ramón José Medina, coordinator of International Affairs of opposition Unified Democratic Panel, asked the Spanish Parliament to visit Venezuela and check the situation of Judge María Lourdes Afiuni. Ramón José Medina, the coordinator of International Affairs of opposition Unified Democratic Panel, made known a petition filed at the Committee of Ibero-American Affairs of the Spanish Senate. The action taken by the People's Parliamentary Group represented by spokesman Pio García-Márquez deals with the Venezuelan government grip on the judiciary and a feeble democracy in Venezuela.

     According to a press release, the application was based on the 2010 report submitted by Human Rights Watch on conditions and prevailing violence in Venezuelan jails. The paper particularly noted meddling of the Executive Office in the judiciary decisions and depicted the case of Judge María Lourdes Afiuni, in poor health condition.  The report also stressed that the judge's situation behind bars is against human rights and regulations.  It indicates that the Spanish Senate has repeatedly requested, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, information of Judge Afiuni case without result of these efforts.

      In addition, "it is agreed to request that the Venezuelan government provides  permission for a delegation of the Senate of Spain to visit Afiuni Judge Maria Lourdes in the place of imprisonment, to verify her health status and details of the  proceedings against her, taking into account that after repeated requests from all sectors of national and international life  she was placed on house arrest after her surgery. "

THE FIBER OPTIC SUBMARINE CABLE SENT BY VENEZUELAN DICTATOR HUGO CHAVEZ ARRIVED IN CUBA

        HAVANA, CUBA--The fiber optic submarine cable that will allow improved access to the Internet to Cuba arrived in the beach of Siboney in the eastern region of the island in a boat from Venezuela, officials said.  The ship ‘Ile de Batz, in charge of laying the cable, is now off the coast of the province of Santiago de Cuba, where there will tomorrow hold an official ceremony to receive the infrastructure, according to First Deputy Minister of Informatics and Communications, Ramon Linares, quoted by Cuban media.

     The installation of fiber optic submarine cable which provides Cuba an independent Internet access via satellite connection you have now, started last January 22 in Camuri, northern Venezuela. That infrastructure, gained in China and France with an estimated cost of $ 70 million, is a journey of a thousand 630 kilometers, and in a first stage will be linked to a branch to Cuba and Jamaica. A robot was placing the cable in the seabed and link has commissioned the French company Alcatel-Lucent.  The entry into operation of this project, scheduled for next July, would enable Havana multiplied by three thousand current speed transmission of data, images and voice, said specialists. But according to industry executives have explained, after connecting the cable to the island will need further investment to develop and deploy the infrastructure necessary to enable networks to extend and improve services such as internet or telephone.

     In that sense, Linares said that “the priority is to continue to create access collective centers, in addition to strengthening the connections in scientific research, education and health. At present only a certain number of professionals from the academic, scientific, cultural and journalistic access to the Internet from their homes in Cuba. A report by the National Statistics Office (NSO) of the island reported in 2010 indicated that only 2.9% of those surveyed between February and April of that year and about 38 thousand households, had direct access to Internet in the last year, although most did so from their places of work or study.

February 09, 2011

COMMUNIST CUBA COOPERATING IN U.S. CASE AGAINST ANTI-COMMUNIST MILITANT LUIS POSADA

     EL PASO, TEXAS--Three officials from Cuba are expected to testify in the U.S. trial of a former CIA operative and anti-communist militant accused of lying during immigration hearings in Texas - a rare example of cooperation between two governments paralyzed by more than a half century of frigid relations. Two police officers and a state medical examiner from Communist Cuba could begin testifying as early as Tuesday in the U.S. government's perjury case against Luis Posada Carriles. The 82-year-old native of Cuba spent a lifetime using violence to destabilize communist political systems throughout Latin America before seeking U.S citizenship in 2005.

    Posada is not on trial for his Cold War past, however. Instead, U.S. prosecutors allege that during immigration hearings in El Paso, Posada made false statements about how he reached American soil in March 2005 and failed to acknowledge planning a series of 1997 bombings in Havana that killed an Italian tourist. Posada faces 11 counts of perjury, obstruction and immigration fraud.  The three Cuba officials are expected to detail for the West Texas jury the death of Fabio di Celmo, the Italian tourist killed when a bomb tore through the lobby bar at the Copacabana Hotel in Havana's spiffy Miramar neighborhood. Posada admitted responsibility for the Havana hotel bombings in a 1998 interview with The New York Times, saying they were meant to hurt Cuban tourism but not kill anyone. He has since recanted.

    U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone ruled last month that defense attorney Arturo Hernandez would be allowed to raise some issue about the credibility of the Cuban government and its state-trained experts while cross-examining the officials from Cuba. However, Cardone said Hernandez cannot put Cuba and its political system on trial. Hernandez had argued that he should be allowed to cross-examine the experts about the communist government's domination of all facets of life in Cuba, showing how state officials can be pressured into stretching the truth to further their homeland's political objectives. Posada is public enemy No. 1 in the island nation and is even likened to Hitler on propaganda billboards. Cuba and Venezuela would like to try him for the 1997 hotel attacks as well as a 1976 airliner bombing that killed 73 people, but a U.S. immigration judge previously ruled Posada can't be sent to either country for fear he could be tortured.

venezuelan jugde maria de lourdes afiuni at home to serve an illegal and unjust sentence of house arrest

        caracas, venecuba--Judge María de Lourdes Afiuni was taken from Padre Machado Cancer Hospital to her place, inside an ambulance together with a contingent of 30 members of the National Guard, her attending physician and three nurses.  Neighbors awaited the judge and welcome her with cheers, balloons and placards with support messages. After arriving at the building, they waited for her to go up the balcony and lean out. At that time, they chanted the national anthem.  Her attorney, José Amalio Graterol, recalled that Judge Afiuni may not talk to the media. Such a measure, Graterol said, "is unconstitutional. This violates a citizen's right to freely express himself/herself, as set forth in article 57 of the Constitution."

   Through tears, her mother, Elina Afiuni Mora, thanked all her neighbors for the warm reception given to the judge. "My neighbors have always supported us but this is wonderful," she said. She assured the neighbors  that “The judge 31 of Control " is in peace and expects that  the half release would become “full freedom” soon.  Nelson Afiuni, the judge’s brother, said the delay in the transfer of the judge to her home was due again to lack of coordination between the Court and the security force that was responsible for the home custody.  About 35 National Guardsmen remain in the vicinity of the residence and only three are placed inside the apartment building.  The judge’s  lawyer, José Amalio Gratero, reported that the judge will be guarded around-the-clock by National Guard troops while at her residence. They should not enter the house while they are guarding it and should not prevent  friends and families visits.

   The lawyer reported that all Afiuni family may visit her at home, and their lawyers can be there  at any time to ensure  her rights to defense. As people outside the family, it was agreed that a maximum of 5 individuals can be at the same time at Afiuni home and in this case, the stay should last up to 1 hour. Once a visit is completed, another 5 people could come into the house. Afiuni must go on 16 February to Cancer for a postoperative checkup. Judge 26, Paredes Ali,  must allow the movement from home to the hospital under custody of armed troops. Graterol added that they have until Wednesday to appeal the measure banning  judge Afiuni for giving statements to national and international media because it is a violation of Article 57 of the National Constitution. Last Thursday was her uterus removed and on Monday, the judge was discharged.

three teens killed in ciudad juarez, mexico, 2 of them us citizens

        Ciudad juarez, mexico--Three teenage boys were shot to death in the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez, at least two of them U.S. citizens and high school students in Texas, authorities said Monday. The boys were killed at 4:22 p.m. Saturday while looking at cars in a dealership in the city across the border from El Paso, Texas, Chihuahua prosecutors' spokesman Arturo Sandoval said. One was found inside a white Jeep Cherokee and the other two in the courtyard. There were no leads on suspects or a motive, Sandoval said. Two managers were also in the dealership during the attack. One refused to give a statement, while the statement from the other manager was not released because of the pending investigation, Sandoval added. At least 60 bullet casings were found at the scene.

    One of the boys, Carlos Mario Gonzalez Bermudez, 16, was a sophomore at Cathedral High School in El Paso, said Nick Gonzalez, the Roman Catholic brother who is the principal. Another victim, Juan Carlos Echeverri, 15, had been a freshman at the private all-boys Catholic school last year but left to study in Ciudad Juarez, Gonzalez said. Both were U.S. citizens, he said. The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City said it could provide no immediate information on the case. The third teenager was identified as Cesar Yalin Miramontes Jimenez, 17.

    The school principal said Gonzalez Bermudez mainly lived in Ciudad Juarez and commuted each day across the border. He said 20 percent of the 485 students enrolled at Cathedral are from Ciudad Juarez. Gonzalez said the school's sophomore class had a prayer service Monday and officials planned a rosary service for the entire school later in the week. "It's a lot of pain, a lot of sorrow, a lot of tears, a lot of coming together as a community to try to hold each other up and to try and make sense today," Gonzalez said. "How do you make sense of this meaningless tragedy? Hopefully this can really empower us to make a positive change in the border community because their deaths will have no meaning otherwise." Many Ciudad Juarez residents travel across the border on a daily basis for work or study. Some Mexicans live in El Paso for safety reasons and commute to Ciudad Juarez.

February 08, 2011

U.S. ATTACKING CUBA THROUGH WI-FI 'HOT SPOTS'?

     MIAMI, FLORIDA--Cuban bloggers such as Yoani Sanchez and young exiles who reach out to their counterparts on the island are part of a covert U.S. campaign to undermine the Castro government, according to a lecturer shown in a secret Cuban video that was leaked to an Internet site. The video also alleges that Washington launched a secret effort in 2008 to create 10 Wi-Fi "hot spots" across Havana, using illegal satellite telephones to connect up to 250 computers to the Internet independent of Cuban government controls. President George W. Bush's administration did consider setting up the Wi-Fi spots but never did, according to a former administration official with direct knowledge of the United States' Cuba democracy programs.

    The video indicates that it is a recording of a June 2010 lecture held in private on the dangers of the Internet. It is delivered by an unidentified expert on the Web to an audience in military uniforms, most likely armed forces and Interior Ministry officers. The lecturer declared that in 2008, the U.S. government had launched a covert campaign to use Internet technologies to boost "subversion" against Havana. One of the strategies, he said, was the Wi-Fi idea involving 10 satellite phones smuggled into Cuba to allow independent Internet access for up to 25 computers each. The satellite phones are difficult to detect because they are as small as laptop computers and don't require rooftop antennas, the lecturer said.

    Trusted dissidents and bloggers were each to receive one satellite phone, one notebook laptop, one video camera and five Internet-capable cell phones, whose monthly bills would be paid abroad. They then would establish each of the 10 Wi-Fi points, according to the lecturer. The lecturer also spoke about an effort to support independent bloggers and Internet social networks to indirectly undermine the Cuban government. "The Internet is a field of battle," he said. He singled out Sanchez, alleging that U.S. government support "changed her from nothing to the most important journalist in the world." Also dangerous are social networks such as Facebook, said the lecturer. Sanchez, in a blog on Friday, wrote that the lecturer "apparently does not understand the affinities and ties that sites like Facebook and Twitter can create."  "He treats them as something fabricated and does not recognize that individuals get together and - horror! - jump over the ideological barriers on their own. In this infinite (cyber) space that bothers them so much, we are jumping over all the walls and limitations that they put on us in the real Cuba."

LADIES IN WHITE  CUBAN OPPOSITION GROUP URGES A COLLEAGUE TO END HER 10-DAY HUNGER STRIKE

        HAVANA, CUBAZUELA--A leader of Cuba's Ladies in White opposition group said Sunday that she will urge a colleague to end a 10-day old hunger strike she launched to demand freedom for her jailed husband, saying the protest could be counterproductive. Laura Pollan told The Associated Press she plans to travel to the home of Alejandrina Garcia, near the central city of Matanzas, to deliver the message personally. The Cuban government on Friday released one of 11 political prisoners still held following a 2003 crackdown on dissent that swept up 75 dissidents, and the Catholic church announced another release is imminent.

    Garcia has been on a hunger strike since January 28 to demand freedom for her husband, Diosdado Gonzalez, another of the remaining 2003 prisoners. Gonzalez and another political prisoner joined the protest from behind bars on Tuesday. "We will talk to her about putting aside the strike," Pollan said Sunday before a protest march by the Ladies in White, which is comprised of the wives and mothers of some of the jailed political prisoners. She added that if the government felt boxed into a corner, it would be less likely to make good on its promise to release the dissidents. Garcia's son, Reymar Gonzalez, said his mother was in good spirits 10 days into the strike, but that she is weak and suffering from abdominal pains. Some of the prisoners had been released for medical or other reasons and in July, Cuban dictator Raul Castro agreed in July to free all 52 who remained after a meeting with Cardinal Jaime Ortega.

    At the time, Ortega said the deal called for the men to be out within four months, or by November. Authorities quickly released 41 of the men, sending all but one of them into exile in Spain. But the process ground to a halt as those who remained behind bars refused to leave Cuba, a direct challenge to the government. A break in the impasse came Friday, when Cuba freed Guido Sigler and the church announced the imminent release of Angel Moya. While Sigler has indicated a desire to go to the United States, Moya had made clear he would remain in Cuba. Two days after the announcement, however, Moya is still in jail. His wife, Bertha Soler, says her husband is refusing to leave prison, insisting that other dissidents who are in poor health be freed first. The Cuban government has had no comment. It considers the dissidents to be common criminal, and accuses Washington of funding them in an effort to stir up trouble on the island.

185 CHOLERA CASES DETECTED IN VENEZUELA

        CARACAS, VENEZUELA-- The health minister of Venezuela claimed that 185 patients are undergoing treatment against cholera. At present not a single patients have been contaminated with cholera. According to the top health official, the people who are undergoing treatment were a part of the group consisting of 452 and had attended a party in Dominican Republic on January 22.  The ministry of environment said that it has increased sanitary controls on Venezuelan aqueducts. According to the Venezuelan health minister, the number of cholera cases has gone up to 185. According to the Dominican Authorities, the guests have eaten a lobster, which was brought from a town bordering Haiti. It is a place where more than 4000 people have died of cholera.

    The health minister also claimed that there has been Venezuelans who are infected apart from those who went to that party. Venezuela did not find any cholera cases since 2000. The people who attended the wedding were diagnosed properly. According to the U. S. researchers, tests indicate that the deadly cholera outbreak in Haiti likely came from South Asia and resembles a strain found in Bangladesh. The number of cases rose swiftly on Friday. Venezuelan authorities had said a day earlier that 111 people had the virus in the country and that 12 others were hospitalized in the Dominican Republic.

    Dominican officials said wedding guests became infected when they ate tainted lobster at a wedding Jan. 22. Health Minister Bautista Rojas said lobsters for the lavish celebration were bought in Pedernales, a town bordering Haiti, where more than 3,000 people have died from a cholera epidemic. Many of the 452 guests were Venezuelans, and health officials hope to provide treatment to all of them to keep the illness from spreading, Sader said. She has said several who returned to Madrid, Mexico and Boston also have cholera.

EL H.P. DE LAS MATEMÁTICAS
 

February 06, 2011

PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK RESIGNS FROM RULING PARTY, NOT THE PRESIDENCY

     CAIRO, EGYPT--President HOSNI Mubarak has resigned, but contrary to reports, it is from his position in the ruling party, not the presidency. He stated he is making the move to show the people of Egypt that he is serious about reform. The President's son, Gamal, also resigned from the party. The news is a breath of fresh air to many who have lived under his iron-fist rule for three decades. But there should not be cause for celebration just yet, as his resignation is only a symbolic one at best. He and members of the six-member Steering Committee of the General Secretariat, the highly detested party by Egyptian constituents, have stepped out of the main decision-making process.

    But make no mistake about it; President Mubarak is still in charge of the media, transportation, communication, the military, and the economic direction of the country. That has not changed. However, the people of Egypt want nothing less than his complete ouster as the country's supreme ruler. Even President Barack Obama echoed the sentiments of the Egyptian people that President Hosni Mubarak step down and formally resign.

    The United States president, in a surprise move, made suggestions that Murarak "listen to the Egyptian people". It is known that Obama and the embattled president spoke on several occasions via telephone. Perhaps, this was a pivotal point in the resignation today. Perhaps, the resignation today is in line with President Obama's suggestion that a transition of power take place sooner than later, as Mubarak stated this week he would not seek re-election. Obviously, the announcement that President Mubarak has resigned from the ruling party is comforting, and represents a first step towards reform. But is it enough for anti-government protesters who will take nothing less than his complete and unconditional resignation.

EGYPT'S MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD CALLS FOR WAR AGAINST ISRAEL

        CAIRO, EGYPT--Mohamed Ghanem, one of the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, calls Egypt to stop pumping gas to Israel and prepare the Egyptian army for a war with it’s eastern neighbor. Speaking with Iranian television station Al-Alam, Mohamed Ghanem blamed Israel for supporting Hosni Mubarak’s regime. Ghanem also said that the Egyptian police and army won’t be able to stop the Muslim Brotherhood movement. There are doubts about the loyalty of the Egyptian army to president Mubarak. If the brotherhood takes control over Egypt, it will be very messy for the whole region. Ghanem also said that if his organization could seize control of Egypt as it did in Iran, it immediately will shut the Suez Canal, which will greatly harm the world economy, since half the world's oil is transported through the channel.

     The Muslim Brotherhood's voice sounds clearer than ever during the last few "anger days" of protest in Egypt, after a period of 30 years. It is a new call that explicitly pushes for the toppling of Mubarak's regime. Not long ago the Brotherhood was attacking the regime for its failures and malfunctions outside and inside Egypt, but avoided calling for its collapse. Now they are emboldened and do it publicly. As a mass movement, which carries many decades of experience as Egypt's best known and organized opposition to Mubarak, the Brotherhood intends to take advantage of the present circumstances and achieve full political-electoral dividends.

    The Brotherhood didn't initiate the mass protesting demonstrations at the central cities. But since the mass protest have gained momentum, the Brotherhood has jumped on the revolutionary band wagon and has successfully integrated itself into it. Since last weekend its leaders have been taking the initiative. In so doing, they assist in leading the mass demonstrations and call the population to keep demonstrating until the regime's collapse.  Since the Brotherhood lost the last two election campaigns of 2010 and its hope to enlarge its dominance had been destroyed (it didn't even manage to get one representative elected), its attacks on the regime has grown in severity. In this regard, it mainly accuses the regime of fraud, corruption, and authoritarian tyranny. Within the last few months there has been an escalation in the Brotherhood's attacks on the regime even before the protests. This radical shift in approach is mostly characterized by personal accusation and attacks against Mubarak, as the one who holds responsibility for the "tyrannical and corruptive regime".

an explosion rockED  A gas terminal in egypt'S SINAI  CUTTING OFF THE FLOW OF GAS TO ISRAEL

        EL-ARISH, EGYPT-- An explosion rocked a gas terminal in Egypt's northern Sinai Peninsula on Saturday, setting off a massive fire that was contained by shutting off the flow of gas to neighboring Jordan and Israel, officials and witnesses said. Egypt's natural gas company said the fire was caused by a gas leak. However, a local security official said an explosive device was detonated inside the terminal, and the regional governor, Abdel Wahab Mabrouk, said he suspected sabotage. The blast and fire at the gas terminal in the Sinai town of El-Arish did not cause casualties. The explosion sent a pillar of flames leaping into the sky, but was a safe distance from the nearest homes, said Mabrouk.

    The blast came as a popular uprising engulfed Egypt, where anti-government protesters have been demanding the ouster of longtime President Hosni Mubarak for the past two weeks. The Sinai Peninsula, home to Bedouin tribesmen, has been the scene of clashes between residents and security forces. It borders both Israel and the Gaza Strip, ruled by the Islamic militant Hamas. The terminal is part of a pipeline system that transports gas from Egypt's Port Said on the Mediterranean Sea to Israel, Syria and Jordan. The head of Egypt's natural gas company, Magdy Toufik, said in a statement that the fire broke out in the terminal "as a result of a small amount of gas leaking." However, a senior security official said an explosive device was detonated in the terminal. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the issue with reporters.

    Mabrouk said the fire was brought under control by mid-morning, after valves controlling the flow of gas were closed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said that it's not clear whether damage was caused to the pipeline leading to Israel. "But as a security precaution, Israel temporarily stopped, by its own initiative, the transfer of gas as procedure dictates," the statement said. Israel has alternative energy sources and is not likely to experience power shortages, the statement said. The blast also halted the gas supply to Jordan, which depends on Egyptian gas to generate 80 percent of its electricity. Egyptian authorities expect gas to remain shut off for a week, until repairs are completed, Maabrah said. The Sinai gas pipelines have come under attack in the past. Bedouin tribesmen attempted to blow up the pipeline last July as tensions intensified between them and the Egyptian government, which they accuse of discrimination and of ignoring their plight.

SOLIDARIDAD DICTATORIAL
 

February 05, 2011

the president of canary islands says that venezuela's vice minister will not silence him

     madrid, spain--"Neither the Venezuelan Vice-Minister nor anybody else will silence me because I think that my role is to defend the interests of people from the Canary Islands," Paulino Rivero, the President of the Community of the Canary Islands, said. This was Rivero's reaction to the opinion expressed by the Venezuelan Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Temir Porras and aired on his Twitter account. Porras had promised that the visit of the President of the Community of the Canary Islands "was the last one."

     Rivero told The Radio Day picked up by Europa Press the views he expressed in Caracas' media which triggered Porras' remarks. "Emigrants from the Canary Islands have worked very hard in Venezuela … we must urge the Venezuelan government to protect their properties, which can not be attacked or plundered." He added that "due to a sovereign Venezuelan law, I deserve all respect, the lands  that are expropriated must be accompanied by the necessary compensation and I will always emphasize that.

     He also said his defense is "especially for canaries who have made much effort, so much work and sacrifice to be in this country and who have increased the value of the lands they were cultivating.  He said he is going to keep and maintain his views "in the Canaries, Madrid or wherever he has opportunities," because in his opinion "it is fair and necessary." Venezuelan sources have not clarified whether Porras' statements are the official position of the government.

construction of 80,000 housing units HALTER by the venezuelan government

      caracas, venecuba--César Rincones (Democratic Action, AD-Sucre state), a deputy to the National Assembly, urged the government of dictator Hugo Chávez to set up the National Council on Housing (Conavi) to meet increasing housing demand efficiently, as Venezuela faces a housing deficit of 2.2 million units. He also urged the Executive Office to convene the branches of government to implement corrective actions.

     At a press conference on Thursday, Rincones listed a number of housing developments throughout the country that are under construction by different State agencies, such as the National Housing Institute (Inavi), the Urban Development Fund (Fondur), the Institute for Prevention and Social Assistance to Employees of the Ministry of Education (Ipasme), etc. He claimed that construction of 167 buildings, total 80,000 unfinished housing units, has been halted.  Rincones, who is the Vice Chair of the National Assembly's Committee on Administration and Services, said that the members of the opposition Democratic Unified Panel (MUD) are estimating the total amount of consecutive budgetary allocations under Hugo Chávez's government. He added that if the money had been allocated to private developers, the housing units would have been cheaper than the unfinished housing solutions.

     He mentioned the case of Güire II, a stalled housing development in the state of Monagas. The government made an advance payment of VEB 3.17 billion (USD 737.9 million), 50 percent of the total cost of the project, but only 2 percent has been completed. He also recalled the "farce" of Petrocasas, a group of PVC houses built by a state-run developer, and construction plans with Belarus. He stressed that in the latter housing development project a group of foreign engineers have abused Venezuelan workers and have not met their part of the agreement.  The MUD deputy compared construction statistics in the last decades (as of 1959). He explained that the construction rate per capita during the 12 years of Hugo Chávez's administration has been the lowest in the last 50 years (1.56 percent) for a total of 385,000 housing units. This figure had never been so low, not even in the government of Rómulo Betancourt, the first democratic government, when the construction rate was 2.88 percent, Rincones said.

VENEZUELA's oil exports to the us rise to 1.38 million bpd

        CARACAS, VENECUBA--Venezuela's crude oil exports to the United States bounced back in the last week of January, up 34 percent compared to average exports in January 17-21.  Venezuelan oil exports to the US in the week between January 24 and 28 averaged 1.38 million barrels per day (bpd), according to figures provided by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the statistical arm of the US Department of Energy. The previous week, Venezuela's total crude oil exports amounted to 1.03 million bpd. 

     Preliminary figures showed that in January Venezuelan oil exports to the United States averaged 998,000 bpd.  This figure is higher than the preliminary average of December (798,000 bpd), according to statistics related to Venezuela's weekly sales of crude oil released by the US Department of Energy.

     Except for occasional increases in Venezuelan oil exports to the US in certain weeks of August, September, and January, during the past five months average oil exports to the US have ranged between 800,000 and 1,000,000 bpd.  Venezuela's oil exports amount to 2.27 million bpd, while Venezuela's output has reached nearly 3 million barrels per day, according to the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum.

February 04, 2011

VENEZUELAN DICTATOR HUGO CHAVEZ: "TWELVE YEARS LATER, I APOLOGIZE FOR MY FAILURES"

     CARACAS, VENECUBA--There were no mass rallies. Venezuela's DICTATOR Hugo Chávez decided to celebrate his 12th anniversary in power in four events related to areas that he considers as the pillars of his revolution: education, food, health and people's power. At 9 a.m., state-run network Venezolana de Televisión (VTV), showed the president visiting a public school where he formally appointed Maryann Hanson Flores as the new Minister of Education, replacing Jennifer Gil.  Chávez handed out Canaima portable computers to a group of second-graders and in a nationwide mandatory radio and TV broadcast, he defended his government. "Twelve years later, I ask for forgiveness for my mistakes, but I think, comrades, that beyond my faults and mistakes, we have assumed a responsibility in these 12 years to fulfill people's hopes," the Venezuelan head of State said.

    After answering questions from the  children, teachers and school staff, mostly on housing projects, the ruler addressed the audience of the institution  and  gave second grade  grade children computers Canaima.  He  then gave way to radio and television transmissions, in which he defended his management. "Twelve years later,  I apologize for my faults, but I think, beyond my faults and my mistakes, in these twelve years my colleagues and I in front, we have assumed a responsibility that has been at the height of a hope that Today I want to renew "the dictator said.

    "There is much to celebrate today, there is still much to do today (...) I want to renew the hope in a country that is getting better every day (...) renew our  fighting capacity to move forward" in building socialism, he added. He  then clarified that his tenure "is not the longest in Venezuelan history," and recalled that Juan Vicente Gomez who ruled Venezuela during  27 years and "that was by itself an actual dictatorship."  Around 2 pm, VTV showed Chávez at the facilities of the Producer and Distributor Venezuelan Food (Pdval). There he rejected  accusations from his political opponents that he intends to remain in power at all cost.  "We lost three years between disputes, backlash and the oil strike, and we had to recuperate the time lost.  Some people say that Chavez is 12 years in power and seeks to perpetuate  himself (...), the dictator said.  But there have been four presidential elections, he continued. "And the day they removed me from power,  I came back to win another election because the people wanted me back, that's a fifth election. And in 2012 we will win again," the dictator predicted.

another 4 cuban political prisoners to be freed, catholic church says

      havana, cubazuela--The Cuban Catholic Church announced Wednesday that dictator Raul Castro soon will release four additional political prisoners, none of them among the 11 “Group of 75” dissidents who remain behind bars because they reject going into exile. As on prior occasions, the Havana Archdiocese released a statement announcing the pending releases of Victor Jesus Hechavarria Cruz, Osmel Arevalos Nuñez, Alexis Borges Silva and Rodrigo Gelacio Santos Velazquez, all of whom have agreed to the condition that they must travel to Spain to be freed. From that group, the opposition Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation has only Alexis Borges registered as a political prisoner. He was sentenced in 1999 to 15 years behind bars for the crime of “piracy.”

     The archdiocese’s communique said that now 60 Cuban prisoners have agreed to leave the country for Spain in exchange for their release from jail. As a result of the dialogue begun in May 2010 with the Catholic Church and supported by Spain, the Cuban government announced the release of the 52 opposition figures from the Group of 75 who were still in prison, and of those 40 already have been freed on the condition that they travel to Madrid.

     There are still 11 prisoners from the Group of 75 behind bars, where they have languished since they were convicted in the repressive wave of March 2003, and they refuse to travel to Spain and are demanding to be released without conditions.  From that group, the only one who has been released and remained in Cuba is Arnaldo Ramos Lauzurique, who left prison last November on “humanitarian parole.” Regarding the 11 men still in prison, Cuba’s Catholic primate, Cardinal Jaime Ortega, spoke last month of his “moral certainty” that they will be freed within the next few months. “The clear and formal promise of the Cuban government exists that all those prisoners will be given their freedom,” Ortega said on New Year’s Day. EFE

VENEZUELAN COURT extends for one additional year THE DETENTION OF opposition PARLIAMENTARY biaggio pilieri

        CARACAS, VENECUBA--Opposition parliamentary Biaggio Pilieri will be detained for one additional year. Such was decided by José De Sousa. The Third Caracas Trial Judge partially granted a request from public prosecutors to extend for two additional years a remand in custody meted out to Pilieri.  The decision was made by the judge during a hearing on Thursday morning where the lawmaker did not show up. Pilieri continued chained to the balcony of his house in Yaracuy state to prevent authorities from taking him to Caracas to appear in court for corruption charges. 

      Attorney Norma Delgado rebutted the judgment and termed it another expression of the "string of violations of due process in this case." An ad-hoc committee entrusted by the National Assembly (AN) with the task of reviewing the cases of opposition deputies-elect Biaggio Pilieri, José Sánchez "Mazuco" and Hernán Alemán considers that the former two lack parliamentary immunity.  "While the aforementioned citizens were proclaimed, they were not sworn in as deputies; therefore, they do not have such a status."

     As regards Alemán, the AN commission recommended to continue with the legal action, but warned that his immunity "cannot be an excuse in this ongoing proceeding."  Pro-government deputies Carlos Escarrá and Iris Varela, members of the committee, said in the report addressed to AN Speaker Fernando Soto Rojas that they based their decision on a judgment from the Supreme Tribunal of Justice, dated November 9, 2010.

February 03, 2011

DICTATOR RAUL CASTRO DEMANDS GREATER EFFICIENCY FROM CUBA'S GOVERNMENT

     HAVANA, CUBAZUELA--CUBAN DICTATO Raul Castro called on the Cuban government to eliminate wastefulness, provide more efficient, higher quality services while keeping its “feet on the ground” and its “ear to the ground” to hear what people are saying. Castro made the request at an extended Jan. 28-29 meeting of the Cabinet, Communist Party daily Granma said Tuesday.

     The president said that the greatest contribution that can be made to the nation’s economy at this time is to eliminate waste, not by cutting services but by making them better and more efficient. He also asked national authorities to keep an “ear to the ground,” according to Granma, an allusion to their need to know what people think about decisions the government is taking, since they deal with “new things” and require “maximum attention.”

     The Raul Castro government has undertaken a plan of adjustments in order to “modernize the socialist economic model” as a way to overcome the island’s chronic state of crisis. The most important measures consist of expanding private employment, eliminating 500,000 state jobs this year, ending “unnecessary” subsidies, applying a new tax system and making the real estate market more flexible, among others. These economic reforms are to be ratified at the 6th Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba, which will be held in mid-April.

US-VENEZUELA RELATIONS "AT A STANDSTILL" 

      CARACAS, VENEZUELA--"A normal relationship would allow for more dialogue. We do not have that for now,” said John Caulfield, the Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy in Caracas since July 2010. Relations between Venezuela and the United States are currently "at a standstill" due to the absence of ambassadors in their diplomatic missions, lamented US Chargé d'Affaires in Caracas John Caulfield. "We are at a standstill," Caulfield said during a debate held in the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington that was also attended by US ambassadors to several South American countries, AFP reported.

    "A normal relationship would allow for more dialogue. We do not have that for now," said Caulfield, the Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy in Caracas since July 2010.  Tensions between Caracas and Washington reignited as Larry Palmer, the US ambassador-designate to Caracas, rejected by Venezuelan authorities.  Additionally, the US Chargé d'Affaires described as "an earthquake for US companies" in Venezuela the announcement of expropriation of Owens-Illinois' unit in October 2010 of a branch of the American producer of glass containers Owens Illinois, accused of causing environmental harm and exploit their workers. 

    "It was a company that had been embroiled in controversy" at the time, said Caulfield, and the decision of the Chavez government was "a wake-up call and had a serious impact on the business community."  "We're not sure how this will affect their investment decisions," said the Chargé d'Affaires.  In political terms, Caulfield estimated that there are "a real political game" after the parliamentary elections in September, when the opposition won 40% of the seats in Parliament.  Both sides have "an eye toward the 2012 presidential election," said Caulfield. We should observe whether "the playing field is level," said the diplomat, recalling that Washington has criticized, among other things, the situation of freedom of expression in Venezuela. 

VENEZUELAN COURT RULES HOME ARREST FOR JUDGE MARIA DE LOURDES AFIUNI 

        CARACAS, VENECUBA--Defense attorney José Amalio Graterol reported that  judge María de Lourdes Afiuni be  granted home arrests as soon as she  is discharged from hospital Afiuni was arrested after she released banker Eligio Cedeño, who was held in prison for more than two years pending trial.

     The 23rd Trial Court decreed home arrest for Judge María Lourdes Afiuni, taken to Padre Machado Cancer Hospital for testing ahead of surgery. Defense attorney José Amalio Graterol reported that the judge granted home arrests as soon as Afiuni is discharged from hospital.  In addition, "he set a precautionary measure on regular appearance at court every eight days and prohibition to talk to foreign and domestic media about her case."

     In Graterol's view, such prohibition restricts the right to freedom of expression ensured in article 57 of the Constitution.  "She will be taken today (Wednesday) to the Cancer Hospital for testing, to see whether tomorrow (Thursday) she can undergo surgery on her uterus, and once discharged from hospital, she may be at home, not only because of sick leave, but as long as the criminal proceeding against her continues," the lawyer said.

February 02, 2011

JORDAN'S KING ABDULLAH APPOINTS NEW PRIME MINISTER AFTER PROTESTS 

     AMMAN, JORDAN-- King Abdullah of Jordan, a close U.S. ally, Tuesday replaced his prime minister after protests over food prices and poor living conditions, naming a former premier with a military background to head the government.

    A Jordanian official said the monarch officially accepted the resignation of Samir Rifai, a wealthy politician and former court adviser, and asked Marouf Bakhit to form a new cabinet.  Demonstrators inspired by mass protests in Tunisia and Egypt had called for Rifai's dismissal. "(Bakhit) is a former general and briefly ambassador to Israel who has been prime minister before. He's someone who would be seen as a safe pair of hands," said Rosemary Hollis, professor of Middle East policy studies at London's City University. "I wouldn't see it as a sign of liberalization. With his previous premiership, he talked the talk of reform but little actually happened," she said.

    Under fire from an enraged public over high food prices, Rifai announced wage increases two weeks ago to civil servants and the military in an attempt to restore calm. Protests have spread across Jordan in the last few weeks, with demonstrators blaming corruption spawned by free-market reforms for the plight of the country's poor. Many Jordanians hold successive governments responsible for a prolonged recession and rising public debt that hit a record $15 billion this year in one of the Arab world's smallest economies, heavily dependent on foreign aid.

JANET NAPOLITANO WARNS MEXICAN CARTEL ON CROSS-BORDER VIOLENCE

      WASHINGTON, D.C.-- Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on Monday warned Mexico's drug cartels that any attempt to bring their violent tactics across the border would produce a powerful reaction. The Obama administration has been under intense pressure to beef up security along the southwest border to prevent spillover from raging drug cartel violence in Mexico as well as to stem an influx of illegal immigrants. "So today I say to the cartels: Don't even think about bringing your violence and tactics across this border," Napolitano told an audience at the University of Texas at El Paso.  "You will be met by an overwhelming response. And we're going to continue to work with our partners in Mexico to dismantle and defeat you," she said.

    Napolitano also argued that while there are deep concerns about the violence by the cartels, those who describe the U.S.-Mexico border as overrun with violence and out of control were off the mark. "This statement -- often made only to score cheap political points -- is just plain wrong," she said. More than 34,000 people in Mexico have been killed in drug-related violence since President Felipe Calderon deployed thousands of army troops and federal police to crush cartels warring for lucrative trafficking routes to the United States after he took office in late 2006.

    More than 15,000 people were killed in 2010 alone. El Paso recorded a handful of murders last year, while neighboring Ciudad Juarez in Mexico had 3,000. "Let's stick with the facts and numbers when we talk about where we are at the southwest border," she said. "And we've matched the decreases in apprehensions (of illegal immigrants) with increases in seizures of cash, drugs, and weapons.”    President Barack Obama ordered some 1,200 National Guard troops to the southwest border last year, and also signed a $600 million bill to fund 1,500 new Border Patrol agents, customs inspectors and law enforcement officials.  Napolitano said the administration had also strengthened its partnership with Mexico as well as state, local and tribal authorities on the nearly 2,000-mile-(3,200 km-) long border.

CUBAN TRIBUNAL HANDS OUT SENTENCES IN MENTAL HEALTH HOSPITAL DEATHS

        HAVANA, CUBA--More than a dozen employees and officials of Cuba's largest mental health hospital have been convicted of negligence and other charges in the deaths of 26 patients during a cold spell last year. They received prison sentences ranging from 5 to 15 years in prison - even more than prosecutors had requested - according to a communique read out on state-television Monday.

    Among those found guilty was hospital director Wilfredo Castillo Donate, who was sentenced to 15 years for abandoning disabled people and misappropriating their property. Castillo Donate's deputy and another senior official got 14 and 12 years, respectively. A total of 13 hospital employees were found guilty in the case, including the cook. Temperatures on the Caribbean island are normally mild, even in winter, but plunged to 38 degrees Fahrenheit (4 Celsius) in January 2010 in the area where Havana's Psychiatric Hospital is located.

     Many of the patients at the hospital, which has more than 2,500 beds, lacked adequate clothes and blankets. News of the deaths rippled through the population for days before they were reported by Havana's official media, a severe embarrassment for a country that prides itself on providing first-rate health care, despite its other economic problems. Those found guilty can appeal to the Supreme Court.

February 01, 2011

egypt's armed forces: "no violence against the people

     CAIRO, EGYPT--As anti-government demonstrations persist across Egypt and the country's military firmly puts its boots on the ground to establish order, the army said it won't deploy "violence" against the people. A military spokesman said on state TV Monday that "freedom of opinion in a peaceful manner is allowed for all" and the "armed forces are aware of the legitimate demands of the honest citizens."

    "The presence of the armed forces in the Egyptian streets is for your benefit to protect your safety and peace," said the spokesman for the army, which has been regarded favorably by many protesters who despise the police and see that institution as an ally. The armed forces "will not use violence against this great people which have always played a significant role in every moment of Egypt's great history. And we reassure the armed forces are a force of stability and security for this great nation. The protection of the people is one of its core values," the spokesman said.

    This statement comes as activists in Cairo, Alexandria and other restive Egyptian cities robustly took to the streets in peaceful rallies Monday and a major outpouring is planned for Tuesday.

U.S. EMBASSY IN VENEZUELA CONFIRMED THAT IT HAS RECEIVED "THREATS"

      CARACAS, VENECUBA--THE CONSULAR SERVICES OF THE UNITED STATES EMBASSY IN CARACAS WILL REMAIN CLOSED TODAY, Monday, January 31 due to threats against theheadquarters, confirmed the press secretary of the embassy, Tom Mittnacht.

    The U.S. official said that after the threats have been in contact with the Venezuelan authorities. "We have said they will take appropriate measures tothe situation, " he said without giving further details about the incident. The U.S. Embassy in Caracas reported through its Web site that for the purposes of consular services headquarters it would remain closed today, "due to unforeseen circumstances. "

    The official explained that all appointments for visas and other related issues that should be on this date will be rescheduled. In that sense, who have scheduled an appointment to apply for visa through the call center and has been scheduled for today January 31 should contact the call center again to reschedule your appointment for another date in February.

MARKETS VIEW VENEZUELA AS A HIGH-RISK COUNTRY DESPITE HIGH OIL PRICES

        CARACAS, VENECUBA-- Since oil prices are climbing, thus ensuring enough funds for Venezuela to meet its obligations, investors should view Venezuela as a low-risk country. However, the lack of confidence in the South American lingers.  Venezuela's country risk -an indicator of the spread between the yield an investor demands in order not to buy US Treasury bonds and purchase instead Venezuelan sovereign bonds- started the week at 11 percent. This figure exceeds by far Chile's 1.16 percent; Peru's 1.48 percent; Colombia's 1.49 percent; Mexico's 1.64 percent; Brazil's 1.75 percent; Argentina's 4.95 percent and Ecuador's 8.41 percent.  

     Low country-risk is important for developing countries to borrow money in international markets at a lower cost and attract foreign investments, a prerequisite for improving job creation and technology breakthroughs.  Debt traders claim that high risk perception in Venezuela is related to fears that the government fails to meet obligations for political reasons, fiscal vulnerability due to high oil dependence, concerns about state-run oil company Pdvsa's output capacity and uncertainty about new bond issues that may affect the price of instruments that are already traded in the market.

    Additionally, they have highlighted the lack of an effective communication strategy with investment funds that have Venezuela's and Pdvsa's sovereign bonds in their portfolios.  According to experts, if the Ministry of Finance and Pdvsa disclosed the actual amount in US dollars of the new bonds to be issued and if Pdvsa unveiled plans to subject to international laws the papers issued by Pdvsa, the country risk would drop several points.  Venezuela pays a high premium for the market's high risk perception. In 2009, the Ministry of Finance sold bonds maturing in 2015 with an 8.25 percent coupon, while in 2010 it sold bonds maturing in 2012 with a 12.75 percent coupon.  This situation has hit Pdvsa as well. In 2009, it issued bonds maturing in 2016 at an interest rate of 5.12 percent and in 2010 it issued bonds maturing in 2017 with an 8.5 percent premium.