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sydney alternative media - non-profit community independent trustworthy
Thursday, 25 January 2007
YouTube white supremacist hate videos are the other side of the coin
Mood:  don't ask
Topic: election nsw 2007

As posted yesterday SAM didn't find a reverse racist hate video promoting ethnic takeover of traditionally white euro dominated Australia (which till the 1960's actually had an official White Australia policy). The provocative intent was obvious on free to air tv news all stations last night: 7, 9, 2, SBS28, presumably 10. 

It appears to have been taken down from YT. But the spin and cynical politicking was clear once revealed the video had been there on YT since November 25 2006 (as reported by community media website Melbourne Indymedia). Why the big controversy just before Australia Day Jan 26th 2007?.

Why indeed. As repellant as the hate video featured on tv was, amply rejected by elders of the Australian Lebanese community here, will there be similar outrage at glorification of white supremacist racist hate videos still on YouTube seen yesterday and found there again this morning?

Here is one only example:

The battle for Cronulla 03:47 The battle for Cronulla. www.stormfront.org Tags:WPWWAdded: 8 months ago   in Category: News & BlogsFrom: Maka56 Views: 3,047

 

There are plenty of others and we took to posting a link to Gandhi's 10 principles of nonviolence in the comment section of these hate videos as well as the ethnic posted ones:

 

Gandhi nonviolence

 

Selectivity of racist video intolerance and ethnic versus white supremacism is not helpful and feeds a view of systemic social bias. Big Media can rise to the challenge by equally exposing posts by such as 'Stormfront', or '88AngryAryan88' as here:

 

Cronulla Riots aftermath 02:10 Tension after the Cronulla Riots Tags: Cronulla   Riots Added: 1 week ago   in Category: People From: 88AngryAryan88 Views: 2,406

 

Sure the video on free to air tv last night taken down off YT had the extra news value of possible involvement of public school symbols under government control, ultra violent symbols like machine guns and knives, and a criminal rapist, making it serious and sensationalist news created by stupid teenagers. No doubt. But the point is: There is a racist dynamic of spiralling intolerance and who really doubts just as aggressive intent in both directions? That indeed is the infectious disease of racism.

 

White supremacist evil on YouTube is the other side of the coin. Politicians engaging with this nastiness as they feel they must like rats trapped in a maze, only makes it worse in many ways.

 

Until PM Howard vigorously denounces White Supremacism, as per YouTube, which he refused to do with Pauline Hanson's One Nation ( which grew out of his own Minister Abbott's Manly electorate office via staffer, later independent MP David Oldfield), the overall circumstances bespeak Howard is a covert supporter of the junked White Australia policy:

 

cronulla uprising 01:58 This is my firsts video people im sorry it mite be a little dodgy but enjoy Tags:cronulla   riots   uprising   10   000   fists   disturbed Added: 1 month ago   in Category: News & Blogs From: Devilsreject06 Views: 1,017

 

It may be these videos will be taken down by YouTube in due course. That would be a good thing too. As this story was being assembled this message came up: Searching for videos is temporarily unavailable

 

A few minutes later: Video results for 'cronulla'  No Videos found for 'cronulla'

 

Amen to that. 

.............................................................

 

Postscript #1

Regretably it's a feint hope. The Cronulla hateful videos are all up there on YouTube at 7.28 am 25th Jan 07 AEST, seemingly jammed for higher usage as I posted this story.


Posted by editor at 6:42 AM EADT
Updated: Thursday, 25 January 2007 10:39 AM EADT
Sisters publish glossy on tragedy of SE Forests 'And They're Still Falling'
Mood:  lyrical
Topic: ecology
 [SAM's editor has not seen the book in question below but it looks quite possibly inspired, certainly a source of bitter sweet fatalism, given the Eden chipmill bragged in December 2006 they have woodchipped a record 1 million tonnes of natural forest in the past year, more than at the height of protests in say 1990 or so, when 4000 people camped out in protest down there led by Karenne Jurd of The Wilderness Society Ex Premier Bob Carr promised to end this scourge 'by year 2000'.]

 

Hi Tom

 

I am hoping you will be willing to circulate this info about our book, proceeds from which (when we meet our publishing costs), will of course go towards saving some more forests.

 

Regards Anabel Macdonald

 

Have you heard about 'And They're Still Falling'?

 

 Recently published by Ginninderra Press it is a collection of twenty three women's accounts of their involvement in the campaign from the 1970's through to the RFA in 1999.  Compiled by Olwyn Broder, Moira Collins, Anabel Macdonald and Venie Holmgren with a foreword by Bob Brown, it contains of a variety of anecdotal accounts from women of the Far South Coast and as well includes authoritative contributions from former Independent Senator Irena Dunn, Economist Judy Clarke and Botanist Heather Meek.

 

Some of the writers relate the effect the campaign had on their personal lives, others write of the beauty of the forests. Many tell of their arrests, two of the writers were gaoled for refusal to pay fines for trespassing in a forest.  The book is indexed and has twelve pages of colour photos and documents.

 

Olwyn, Moira, Anabel and Venie, whose average age is now 78 years, hope their book will encourage younger women to continue to fight for our precious forests because, as we all know, they are still falling.

 

Copies of And They're Still Falling can be ordered from: Moira Collins 84 Peak Hill Road Bega  NSW 2550

 

$27.50 Packing & postage included

Cheques payable to: O.Broder & A.Macdonald

 

For  orders of five or more contact the publisher:

Stephen Matthews

Ginninderra Press

xxxxx xxxxx

 

ph. (02)6258 9060

PO Box 6753 Charnwood ACT 2615 Australia

 

Postscript #1

 

Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2007 8:50 AM
Subject: Re: [chipstop] Re: Women's stories of NSWSE Forests Campaign

This is a good read, I'd highly reccomend it, gives good background and many inspiring stories of  those pre rfa days. Inspiring for men and women alike! love Rob [Toombs]
........................... 
Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2007 6:47 PM
Subject: RE: [chipstop] Re: Women's stories of NSWSE Forests Campaign
 
Hi Tom,  
Book was even raised as a positive at the FSC RAC meeting - by the forces of darkness.....Fiona McCrossin.

Posted by editor at 6:15 AM EADT
Updated: Saturday, 27 January 2007 7:41 AM EADT
Wednesday, 24 January 2007
Expert (?) political online news from the USA
Mood:  chatty
Topic: big media

A multi media including website has launched for 2007, with some grand boosting, to cover the Congress v Bush Presidency stoush, Democrat preselection process for their election in 2008, and reportage of the the insiders and lobbyists.

All in all it looks like a real time version of West Wing tv series where you are left gobsmacked wondering "is that what really happens there in Modern Rome?"

Judge for yourself here at http://www.politico.com/


Posted by editor at 9:05 PM EADT
Gotcha: Tom Switzer at The Australian fails to disclose family connection to Howard Minister
Mood:  accident prone
Topic: big media

Crikey.com.au have exposed this cracking hypocrisy in respect of the recent Howard government reshuffle, from their ezine today 24th Jan 2007:

"Of all the newspapers that championed Malcolm Turnbull's promotion today, none was as supportive as The Australian. Not just favourable front-page coverage, Paul Kelly's comment and Mike Steketee's feature, but also the sympathetic editorial as well as the over-the-top endorsement by Janet Albrechtsen "Turnbull for PM -- he is now one step closer". It's worth pointing out for the record that Tom Switzer, The Australian's editorial and opinion page editor and resident culture warrior, is married to Malcolm Turnbull's spin doctor Sarah Stock. But no diclosure. In normal situations, this would hardly matter -- except that this special treatment of Turnbull occurs within a couple of days of Switzer's opinion piece "Instinctive bias not among ABC's virtues" where he slammed ABC journalists such as Maxine McKew for not declaring that they were Labor hacks. "


Posted by editor at 8:37 PM EADT
Senior retired appeal judge rejects legal abuse of David Hicks
Mood:  on fire
Topic: human rights

"About Stephen Charles

"Stephen Charles as a barrister practised in the areas of commercial and corporate law, constitutional law, banking and finance law. He became a Queen’s Counsel in 1975. He was chairman of the Victorian Bar Council from 1983 to 1985 and president of the Australian Bar Association from 1985 to 1986. He was a director of Macquarie Bank from 1985 to 1995, a member of the Victorian Corporate Affairs Advisory Board from 1987 to 1991 and the Commonwealth Administrative Review Council from 1989 to 1992. He was appointed a judge of the Victorian Court of Appeal in 1995, retiring in 2006."

His full article is here:

David Hicks: the government needs a verdict of Guilty

The website that carries the article is controlled by inter alia former Liberal Party Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser (compare current 'Liberal" PM John Howard on this), and a bunch of other eminent Australians here:

http://www.australiansall.com.au/the-group/ 

One quote: "total desertion of David Hicks was very much the business of every thinking Australian, certainly of every Australian lawyer".

SAM's editor is one such lawyer.


Posted by editor at 7:47 PM EADT
Howard and Watkins cynical selectivity re diverse YouTube hate videos?
Mood:  incredulous
Topic: peace

The SAM editor spent ten minutes this morning posting this comment on about 20 hate YouTube videos glorifying the white supremacist Cronulla race riots

Gandhi's 10 principles of nonviolence

http://cpppcltrust.tripod.com/ecologyactionsydney/id14.html

Yet whitebread politicians at Federal and NSW level respectively are running a cynically selective condemnation of a hate video glorifying an ethnic rapist on ABC midday radio news. No doubt the video is obnoxious and repellant. It appears to be down now.

Good thing too, almost certainly hate speech. Alot of it found on YouTube this morning was mostly white supremacist "glorification" of the Cronulla riot which was "caused" by drunken slobs and Alan Jones hate barracking on 2GB.

Keep in mind Alan Jones' mantra - 'not multicultural, multiracial with one culture'. Yep its a diet of fatty meat pies and vegemite for multiracial Australia. Which of course is very unhealthy 3 times a day. In fact it's a diet that kills social wellbeing probably.

People will say it was an assault of some life savers that caused the Cronulla riot, like Opposition Hartcher on abc radio earlier today. That could have been addressed proportionately.  No, it was racist politics that created a 5,000 strong rampage endorsed by community 'elders' like Alan Jones talking to other white bread elders, who then turned a blind eye to drunken Shire youth well off track.

I've met Hartcher and I am sure he knows it. In fact I was asked whether he should be ditched from Cabinet in 1993 by Andrew Harper in the Premier's office of John Fahey. More fool me for speaking positively about him.

Shameful stuff.

This selectivity about what is on YouTube is a subtle twist on systemic white supremacism being played out all through society at this time. All hate messages should be equally condemned and actively rebutted, and I found a good 20 of them easily enough this morning mostly white supremacist.

Similarly I posted this at http://melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2007/01/137548.php

You Tube gardening for harmony
by ecology action Wednesday January 24, 2007 at 10:40 AM
Sydney

Sydney news is running today with another symptom of the NSW election White Supremacism dry run for the Howard re election agenda: You Tube hate video's of varying degree. Here is a nice peace loving response there, which sort of befuddles the hate and anger mongering.

Here is a report of the hateomongering via new media:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/gang-thug-video-sickening/2007/01/24/1169518746379.html

At every YouTube string I suggest add an entry like this (YT seem to be accepting of this approach with about 20 added this morning):

"Gandhi's 10 principles of nonviolence

http://cpppcltrust.tripod.com/ecologyactionsydney/id14.html
"

A similar summary of the Gandhi non violence philosophy would be just as appropriate.

For those already into this kind of nonviolence in some fashion they might forget (like riding a bike) how powerful the prescription is for those infected with violence who have never heard it before.

Only a saint can live up to the full observance but it has great resonance and value as a cultural message, creating a common sense framework to address underlying disagreements from there.

A good antitode I've seen work in many situations. Like a vibes watcher at a fraught meeting.


Posted by editor at 12:08 PM EADT
Updated: Wednesday, 24 January 2007 12:45 PM EADT
Iemma spinning portal toxic emissions from M5 to fit election timetable: RAPS
Mood:  rushed
Topic: ecology

[received 23rd January 2007]

JANUARY 2007 NEWS RAPS #1

HAPPY NEW YEAR! HERE WE ARE AGAIN!
 
IEMMA DELAYS PLAN FOR M5E PORTAL EMISSIONS
In an obvious politically-motivated move with the March elections fast approaching, the Premier has delayed plans to pump toxic fumes from the Bexley and Arncliffe portals until the installation of the proposed $50 million pilot filtration plant later this year.

RAPS has argued that the filtration plant will not be adequate enough to significantly dilute pollution pumped out of the portals, and local residents are naturally worried about being exposed to a lethal cocktail of particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and other toxins, if permission is given

The RTA plan, which is currently being assessed by Planning, is receiving criticism from NSW Health and CSIRO experts over possible health risks.

Congratulations to Minister Roozendaal on recent changes to P-driver regulations because of evidence presented to him - let's hope he does the same re the filtration trial!
 
RTA M5 EAST AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN
On 16th June 2006, the Roads Minister Eric Roozendaal announced the NSW Government's air quality improvement plan for the M5 East tunnel. These improvements include :

+ Video identification of pollution causing heavy vehicles and the Clean Fleet Program.
This part of the project has been in operation for some time however. As of early November 2006, there have been 567 detections by the camera (including multiple detections of the same vehicles.) Although useful, it is clear that the detection effort will have little effect on the real problems of the tunnel. Even well tuned diesel engines emit harmful particles in their exhausts. The RTA plan only detects grossly bad polluters.

+ increased ventilations flows with an extra 12 fans.

The "increased ventilation flows" are an attempt to fix a long standing problem with the ventilation system in the east bound tunnel where trucks push the air more quickly than intended. The jet fans are used to overcome this.


+ a trial of filtration technology. This is what requires planning approval as hidden in the innocuous sounding "trial" is the proposal to use unfiltered portals emissions as a routine ventilation strategy to limit pollution in the tunnel by pumping it out of the portals. This allows more fresh air to be sucked in , diluting the pollution.
 
+ RTA FACT SHEET STILL MISLEADING
The fact sheet entitled "Modifications to the M5 East Motorway - Air quality improvement plan" with addendum, is actually the third attempt to produce a brochure which did not mislead the public by making inappropriate and misleading claims about the likely impact of the emissions. The RTA was forced to change what it had on its website originally. However, the current version, containing the addendum which is supposed to correct it, is still grossly misleading and compares life time risks with daily risks, without making that situation clear. See:
http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/constructionmaintenance/completedprojects/m5east/index.html

RAPS has made strong protests about this along with its recent submission to Planning. However no time frame for a decision has yet been given, nor have we been able to interview the Planning appointed expert assessing the project.
 
+ WHO CHALLENGES GOVERNMENTS WORLD-WIDE TO REDUCE AIR POLLUTION
Approximately 2 million premature deaths a year world-wide are caused by air pollution, according to the World Health Organization. WHO is challenging international governments to reduce air pollution in their cities to improve public health substantially by reducing the incidence of respiratory and heart disorders and lung cancer, (for example by lowering particulate goals to 20mg per cubic metre). The NEMS for particulates in Australia is at present 50mg per cubic metre. There is no safe level for particulates.  See :
http://www.centralchronicle.com/20061229/2912304.htm


+UNFILTERED LANE COVE TUNNEL SET TO OPEN
According to the RTA, the opening of the unfiltered Lane Cove Tunnel will cause traffic jams and confusion as motorists try to sort out the changes in the road system. There will be traffic jams on the harbour approaches in the morning and westbound section in the evening until motorists become used to  See:
http://www.smh.com.au/text/articles/2007/01/11/1168105115846.html  and
http://www.smh.com.au/text/article/2007/01/19/1169095977215.html

The M2 extension, approved post haste and with consultation a 'fait accompli', will now be minus a 5 kilometre stretch of cycleway between Lane Cove and Beecroft Roads. This change, approved by the government, will create an extra west-bound traffic lane.

See:
http://www.smh.com.au/text/articles/2007/01/16/1168709754672.html
 
+ CAR INDUSTRY COMPARED TO TOBACCO INDUSTRY
A senior Toyota executive is reported as stating that the car industry was in danger of becoming "the new tobacco industry" and a recent parliamentary report names car exhaust fumes as the major contributor to up to 1400 death a year. See : "Go the green route", Sydney Morning Herald, 20-21 January, 2007

+ I DID IT MY WAY SAYS SCULLY
Last week Carl Scully announced he was quitting NSW parliament while congratulating himself for his work, especially in the road and tunnel building area. "I did it my way" he told the media during several interviews. But on ABC radio, a prominent spin doctor summed up what a lot of people have thought for a long time - Scully's assessment of himself is very much at variance with what others think of him.

The people affected by the toxins from the M5 East are not happy with the way he did it when he built a 4m tunnel complete with the world's worst practice ventilation system, neither are the people who will be affected by the toxins from the unfiltered Lane Cove Tunnel when it opens in a few weeks' time.

In RAPS' dealings with Carl Scully, we found him to be arrogant – a politician who inevitably dismissed community concerns as trivial in his determination to be known as the great road builder - and it was this arrogance which led him to believe his own spin even to the extent of lying to parliament once too many times that bought about his downfall.
Certainly, nothing to be proud of. when he looks back on his political career! See also Joe Hildebrand's views "Carl departs in a dense cloud of fertiliser" 15.01.07
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph

 RAPS is an incorporated community group representing residents and workers affected by the M5 East tunnel, ventilation stack and portals. We meet on one Tuesday night of the month at Earlwood Bowling Club, Doris Ave Earlwood NSW, Australia. RAPS Inc is funded entirely by $10 membership fees and community donations and volunteer time.

We currently have significant costs, and need to build up funds for ongoing outlays such as public liability insurance well and professional advice and help. Please help us to keep going by sending a donation to:

PO Box 270 Earlwood NSW 2206 Australia Telephone: 061 02 9558 8863, 061 02 9573 0052, 061 02 9559 1278

www.nostack.8m.com

RAPS Inc is a member of GASP, Groups Against Stack Pollution, a coalition of community groups with similar aims and objectives affected by similar stacks from around Sydney's Cross City and Lane Cove tunnels.

http://www.lctag.com

Our email list is maintained in confidence [refer website above]


Posted by editor at 10:19 AM EADT
Updated: Wednesday, 24 January 2007 11:50 AM EADT
Howard reshuffle of Cabinet shows white supremacist tendencies, climate fear: Green MPs
Mood:  down
Topic: election Oz 2007

As predicted in another entry ex leader Beazley is not news, but the impending Howard reshuffle is. And so it has happened mid yesterday.

SAM editor's view is that the NSW election with contender Peter Debnam is a road test for Union Jack led white supremacism by the Howard led Coalition federally (which is why the much bigger Sydney Indymedia website, currently AWOL, amongst many other forums is an important counter balance and is needed asap).

Media release of Senator Kerry Nettle below amply evidences this stark reality. On the other hand Sydney's broad community is likely ready and equal to this evil agenda, and long may it be so:

23.01.07


Howard signals divisive election tactics with dropping of multiculturalism


Greens Multicultural Affairs Spokesperson Senator Kerry Nettle today  called on incoming Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews to publicly commit the government to supporting multiculturalism in Australia in the wake of multiculturalism being dropped from the title of his department.

"Multiculturalism has been a massively successful policy in Australia and Mr Andrews should acknowledge this and commit to supporting its objectives of respect, celebration of diversity and non-discrimination.

"The Greens also call on Mr Andrews to start his new job by ending the cruel practice on mandatory detention of asylum seekers and begin by bringing the 7 Burmese asylum seekers now on Nauru to Australia.

"As far as Senator Vanstone is concerned then, if the rumour of an overseas posting is true, perhaps a posting to Kabul, Afghanistan would be the most appropriate job the Prime Minister could offer her."

Contact - Jon Edwards 0428 xxx xxx

Senator Rachel Siewert Australian Greens Senator for WA

 Tuesday, 23 January 2007

Howard reshuffle prepares for Climate Election
 
The Prime Minister's portfolio reshuffle is a clear acknowledgement of the Government's faltering performance on the key election issues of climate change and water, industrial relations and immigration.

"It is clear that these areas are the major battlegrounds of the coming Federal election, and the Government knows it has been performing very poorly," said Australian Greens spokesperson Senator Rachel Siewert
today.

"Prime Minister Howard has missed a golden opportunity to establish a ministry of climate change to reflect the over-arching nature of the greatest threat to the nation. Dumping Ian Campbell is a sensible move and we hope that Malcolm Turnbull's promotion reflects a new appreciation for the importance of climate change.

"The Government's values are on open display this morning - 'multiculturalism' has been replaced with 'citizenship', reflecting an increasing emphasis on intolerance, exclusion and what is 'unAustralian'."

 "The most important Australian value is the right to a fair go, which went out the window with the introduction of Work Choices. Howard has had to appoint Joe Hockey to spin his disastrous IR agenda since Kevin Andrews' approach has clearly broken down."

"I wish the new Ministers well and hope this reshuffle reflects a change in the spirit of the Government, and not just an attempt to paper over the serious mistakes of the last few years."


Posted by editor at 7:26 AM EADT
Updated: Wednesday, 24 January 2007 11:38 AM EADT
Tuesday, 23 January 2007
China says no space arms race (because it's about Iranian oil!)
Mood:  hug me
Topic: peace

SAM posted on the very scary demo of space military capacity by China by referring to the 'coincidence' of escalation of US military in the Persian Gulf with carrier USS Stenner mid January widely seen as a menacing of Iran, and China's oil dependence on Iran, here:

Saturday, 20 January 2007
China space missile warning to USA to protect their Iranian oil supply Mood:  blue Topic: peace
There is reportage from China Daily, Reuters, AP and The Australian referenced there.
What is strange with coverage of the latter up until yesterday at least is plenty of discussion of 'a space arms race' and importance of 'US military satellites'. But no mention of USS Stenner's recent menacing of Iran and China's need to defend its investment in Iranian oil in the US$ tens of billions.
This writer has no doubt that coincidences like that don't just happen. This story last Sunday ran in the Fairfax Sydney SunHerald p42 sourced to one Chris Buckley in Beijing
"China plays down fears/Missile test wasn't meant to spark arms race in space: Beijing"
referencing a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman who neither confirmed or denied the test itself but reitereated the principle of peace in space, and this:
"David Wright, of the Union of Concerned Scientists in Massachusetts, said the satellite pulverised by China could have broken into nearly 40,000 fragments from one to 10 centimetres wide - about half of which would stay in orbit for more than a decade."
SAM's editor says anyone who thinks this is all coincidence is is being duped by the Murdoch press: China are warning the USA off damaging their interests in Iran, and the newswires are carrying ongoing frictions between the USA and Iran eg
- the latter getting selective over who can obtain access from the IAEA nuke inspectors in the UN, and
- the US detaining Iranian diplomats in Iraq,
and on and on the power wrestle goes:
via google to Reuters here and New York Times
Rice warns firms Iran may face further sanctions - Reuters.uk - 21 Jan 2007
Iran complains to UN over diplomats' arrest -TV - Reuters - 20 Jan 2007
Debate Grows in Iran Over Nuclear Program - New York Times - 2 hours ago
..............................................
Postscript #1
A local earth sister reader with an experienced world view of the peace movement writes in response to this topic string:
"Wow! Tom!!!!!!!
Maybe this is how 
[China] willstop the US from attacking Iran - to annex it to their bases on either side. Have you seen the maps of many US bases in both Iraq and Afghanistan? - none in Iran! psychic hugs - to help you over come the "blue" mood."

Postscript #2

This power struggle for political and military ascendancy in the Middle East between Iran and the USA is also revealed here within the hawks and doves of the USA administration, via this BBC story of then Secretary of State Powell trying unsuccessfully to promote diplomacy between the 2 countries in 2003:

 Washington 'snubbed Iran offer' 18th Jan 2007 at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6274147.stm

[worth quoting in full given the disaster in Iraq now:]

"Iran offered the US a package of concessions in 2003, but it was rejected, a senior former US official has told the BBC's Newsnight programme.

Tehran proposed ending support for Lebanese and Palestinian militant groups and helping to stabilise Iraq following the US-led invasion.

Offers, including making its nuclear programme more transparent, were conditional on the US ending hostility.

But Vice-President Dick Cheney's office rejected the plan, the official said.

The offers came in a letter, seen by Newsnight, which was unsigned but which the US state department apparently believed to have been approved by the highest authorities.

In return for its concessions, Tehran asked Washington to end its hostility, to end sanctions, and to disband the Iranian rebel group the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq and repatriate its members.

But as soon as it got to the White House, the old mantra of 'We don't talk to evil'... reasserted itself
Lawrence Wilkerson
Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had allowed the rebel group to base itself in Iraq, putting it under US power after the invasion.

One of the then Secretary of State Colin Powell's top aides told the BBC the state department was keen on the plan - but was over-ruled.

"We thought it was a very propitious moment to do that," Lawrence Wilkerson told Newsnight.

"But as soon as it got to the White House, and as soon as it got to the Vice-President's office, the old mantra of 'We don't talk to evil'... reasserted itself."

Observers say the Iranian offer as outlined nearly four years ago corresponds pretty closely to what Washington is demanding from Tehran now.

Since that time, Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah inflicted significant military losses on the major US ally in the region, Israel, in the 2006 conflict and is now claiming increased political power in Lebanon.

Palestinian militant group Hamas won power in parliamentary elections a year ago, opening a new chapter of conflict in Gaza and the West Bank.

The UN Security Council has imposed sanctions on Iran following its refusal to suspend its uranium enrichment programme.

Iran denies US accusations that its nuclear programme is designed to produce weapons. "


Posted by editor at 1:02 PM EADT
Updated: Wednesday, 24 January 2007 11:25 AM EADT
Jarrah trips out to Seoul, DMZ, and Busan
Mood:  happy
Topic: world

Our correspondent Jarrah is doing an English teaching job in South Korea. He was a walks leader for Tassie Tigers before that. Here is his latest report arrived last Sunday:

hiya tom!
 
i've just spent 5 days travelling - went to Seoul and Busan...here's the guts of the journey...
 
my journey was wonderful  - I spent many, many hours walking around some absolutely amazing markets -  and I think I found (in Busan) the best market that I've ever been to! truly remarkable. You name the object and it was there and on sale! everything from food to cheap clothes to designer label (very expensive) stuff to movie theatres...literally anything and everything!

Seoul was incredible. One of the very few times in my life i've been to a truly HUGE city and been able to wander round. Seoul has a population of - this still spins me out - 22 million people! More than the whole continent of aus! Busan's not too far behind - i believe it's around 14 million....
I did a day trip to the DMZ (DeMilitarized Zone - the border between the North and the South) too. what a trippy place. fences EVERYWHERE (including for a great chunk of the Han River - both sides, triple layer 3m. high topped with razor wire and occupied guard posts every 200m. The river that runs out of the North flows into it and they've had a lot of NK agents trying it on....). The highlight was a walk down to the Infiltration Tunnel No. 3 - the crazy NK mob have built 4 of these things - that we're told about, anyway - all discovered between 1973 and 1991! trippy to say the least. It is 1.7km long and we got to walk to the place where it's blocked off by a 4" thick steel wall - almost 300m. into it. it's 75m. down and the 3rd deepest - No. 4 is 180m under the ground....weird. to say the least. didn't take many pics becaus it's so restricted. we were told where and when we could take them, and in what direction. the other trippy thing was that we weren't allowed off the roads - any of them - because there are 700 000 landmines which are unaccounted for....that is the closest i've ever been to a landmine, and quite strange because the night before i saw a pretty ordinary film with Angelina Jolie called "Beyond Borders". dunno if you've seen it - if you haven't i wouldn't worry - maybe have a look at IMDb for details - but the relevant thing is that there were stacks of landmines in that flick. hmmmm
the place that I stayed on my first night in Busan is called a Yudong or "love hotel" - usual clients are couples looking for somewhere very discrete! I moved up to the beach suburb of Haeundae the following day, to an international hostel. that night's place was fine and cheap as chips, but it was a bit small and there is absolutely NO view...felt pretty strange, too... 
the trip from Seoul to Busan was as good as I was hoping. I caught the Bullet train,  first class mind! and it was amazing! It got up to a maximum speed of 320k/hr at a couple of points - the video screen showed our pace all the time. Very much like an airplane really - even down to the headphone socket in the side of the seat!
the photos:
 
the first two are of a community garden in the coastal town of Busan. when i saw it i immediately thought of you and the remarkable conversation you had with the old chap about Simpson and his donkey! these gardens are all over the place, but this one particularly struck me as a great example with the high rise apartment buildings in the background. Most of the gardeners are older folk - it's not uncommon to see a 90-yr-old man, bent over double, ploughing his little plot and growing chillis, cabbages, carrots, shallots or something similar...
 
the third is the Han River. It's fenced because the river that flows out of the North empties into the Han which flows right through the centre of Seoul. Until 1991, they were constantly finding North Korean secret service agents swimming down the river to spy on Seoul, so the fenced 23 km. on either side. it's lit up like a christmas tree at night and there are occupied (by armed soldiers) sentry posts every 200 metres for the entire 23km.
 
the fourth is the KTX, or Bullet train.
 
the fifth is the Markets in Nompodong in Busan.  
 
hope you enjoy this!!!! love, light, peace and happiness, 
 
jarrah

Postscript # 1:

hi! thanks!!! ...coming back at ya - I've managed to work out how to link your RSS to my blog...here's the URL for my place...
 
http://au.360.yahoo.com/my_profile-8CDb0ZE7erTSa7Y6svYXYOxf2dxubnA-;_ylt=Ak7u7huzQprXQWwAIx92rJDcdeJ3?cq=1
 
check it out...i've posted all my pics (well, the ones worth looking at anyway) there.....love, light, peace and happiness, jarrah


Posted by editor at 12:36 PM EADT
Updated: Wednesday, 24 January 2007 6:43 AM EADT

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