By John Lindsay-Poland

The Pentagon budget submitted to Congress on May 7 includes $46 million for development of a new U.S. military base in Palanquero, Colombia. The official justification states that the Defense Department seeks “an array of access arrangements for contingency operations, logistics, and training in Central/South America.”

This base would feed a failed drug policy, support an abusive army, and reinforce a tragic history of U.S. military intervention in the region. It’s wrong and wasteful, and Congress should scrap it.

John Lindsay-Poland co-directs the Fellowship of Reconciliation Task Force on Latin America and the Caribbean, in Oakland, California. He can be reached at johnlp(at)igc(dot)org.

See the article online at:
http://americas.irc-online.org/am/6148

More Articles from the Americas Program:

House and Senate Pass New Military Aid to Mexico
http://americas.irc-online.org/am/6122

Obama Pledges to Seek “Equal Partnership” At Americas Summit:
Matching Words with Deeds
http://americas.irc-online.org/am/6068

Colombia: Social Conflict Replaces Warfare
http://americas.irc-online.org/am/5725

Human Sciences Research Council
Media briefs 2009

The Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa (HSRC) has released a study indicating that Israel is practicing both colonialism and apartheid in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). The study is being posted for public debate on this website.

The interim report, which will form part of a discussion at an upcoming HSRC conference on the subject, titled Re-envisioning Israel/Palestine, on 13 and 14 June in Cape Town, serves as a document to be finalised later this year.

The HSRC commissioned an international team of scholars and practitioners of international public law from South Africa, the United Kingdom, Israel and the West Bank to conduct the study. The resulting 300-page draft, titled Occupation, Colonialism, Apartheid?: A re-assessment of Israel’s practices in the occupied Palestinian territories under international law, represents 15 months of research and constitutes an exhaustive review of Israel’s practices in the OPT according to definitions of colonialism and apartheid provided by international law. The project was suggested originally by the January 2007 report by eminent South African jurist John Dugard, in his capacity as Special Rapporteur to the United Nations Human Rights Council, when he indicated that Israel practices had assumed characteristics of colonialism and apartheid.

You can download the report here:
Occupation, Colonialism, Apartheid, Executive Summary [952 KB] or Full Study ¹

Read more / via Russell Tribunal on Palestine

by Sami Ben Gharbia, Global Voices Advocacy, 28 May 2009

On Thursday 14 May 2009, the 5th Criminal Chamber of the Court of First Instance in Tunis convicted the 22-year old ICT Student, Mariam Zouaghi, who was in custody, on separate terrorist-related charges, and sentenced her to six years in prison.

Mariam Zouaghi is the first Tunisian woman to be convicted under The Anti-Terrorism Act of 10 December 2003.

Mariam has been arrested on July 26th, 2008, for visiting banned websites, publishing online articles on alleged extremist forum boards and collecting money to support Gaza.

In a phone call with Global Voices Advocacy, defense lawyer, Samir Ben Amor, says Mariam maintained her innocence and denied accusations that she belonged to any terror groups. She also stressed that her case was related to her online activities and her support to the people of Gaza.

Report Link / H/T

28TH April, 2009

OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
FROM: MAIREAD MAGUIRE, NOBEL PEACE LAUREATE

DEAR PRESIDENT OBAMA,

I found your book ‘Dreams from my Father’ a moving and inspiring story of your own struggle to find your identity and purpose in life. You found it for sure, and today carry the hopes and dreams of so many people in our world. We pray for you and your family. We wish you all good health and happiness. You carry so much responsibility. We hope you will change the policies of USA (both domestic and Foreign) to people centred policies, based on the values and ethics which you try to live out in your life.

Reading your book I was inspired by your involvement (during Sophomore year at University) in the South African anti-apartheid Divestment campaign. Your own words – ‘I found myself drawn into a larger role – contacting representatives of the African National Congress to speak on campus, drafting strategy, I noticed that people had begun to listen to my opinions.’, encouraged me to share with you the following opinions, and experiences, of many of the people I met during my most recent visit to Palestine/Israel.

[Read the letter]

Related:
Nobel Peace laureate Mairead Maguire detained by USA homeland security

George Galloway for Viva Palestina! in Cleveland, OH on 25 May 2009.
H/T: VIVA PALESTINA! The Chicago Network to Send a U.S. Aid Convoy to Gaza

Part 1: [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-bVwSwBbXc ]
Part 2: [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgLaRBEDsic ]
Part 3: [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXXTmNEEiwA ]
Part 4: [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZzpy6e1n0g ]