War and money: Leaders blamed for war failings; theage.com.au

Leaders blamed for war failings - World - theage.com.au:

"While Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has promised to take personal responsibility for the shortcomings of the military campaign, the public's attention also turned this week to the conduct of defence chief of staff Dan Halutz, after reports he told his stockbroker to sell tens of thousands of dollars worth of shares on the way to advise the Government to go to war."

So far Halutz has resisted to resign.

In an editorial headlined "First Halutz Must Go", the Israeli newspaper Haaretz yesterday called for his immediate resignation. "No failure can occur without someone taking responsibility, and no failure can be disguised as a victory with empty words," it said.

WHOLE STORY

PM should be standing shoulder to shoulder with Bill and Melinda Gates, former president Clinton; Toronto Star

Harper missing in the fight against AIDS (2)

For the life of me, I cannot understand how Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservative government fail to understand and appreciate the significance of the International AIDS Conference currently happening in Toronto. Canada has been given the international spotlight for a moment and, with it, the opportunity to boldly affirm its dedication to helping eradicate this disease that has taken 25 million lives, and is currently infecting 65 million more.

WHOLE STORY

Fox producers resign in protest of network's coverage; Democracy Now!

When slanted news reporting becomes too slanted:

Two weeks ago, two producers working for Fox News in Amman, Jordan resigned in protest of the network's coverage. In their resignation letter, Serene Sabbagh and Jomana Karadsheh wrote "We can no longer work with a news organization that claims to be fair and balanced when you are so far from that." We go to Amman to speak with producer Serene Sabbagh.

WHOLE STORY - VIDEO

Missing in the fight against AIDS: Stephen Harper

Activists decry Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper's refusal to attend the opening ceremonies of the Sixteenth International AIDS Conference during a rally in support of women's and children's rights as part of the global battle against HIV/AIDS in Toronto August 14, 2006.

[..]

Wainberg said he believes Harper was afraid of being booed over his opposition to same-sex marriage by the gay-friendly AIDS research and activist community.

"Mr. Harper, for better or for worse, is perceived as being a right-wing fellow who is not a mainstream politician," [Wainberg, head of the McGill University Centre for AIDS and the conference co-chair] said.

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Stephen Harper, ignorant or afraid?

Many are wondering why PM Stephen Harper will not appear at the International Aids Conference in Toronto. Some say he's afraid of being booed, others complain about Harper's ignorance when it comes to Aids (read the whole article: Harper chooses Arctic over AIDS).

"I think part of the problem is that he's ignorant about the issue," said Laurie Edmiston, executive director of the Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange. "I wanted him to have a presence here so he could listen and learn."

Lewis has been trying to find a better explanation for why Harper won't show, calling contacts on Parliament Hill. But the New Democrat, who was Canada's ambassador to the UN in the '80s, said he hasn't received a satisfactory explanation.

"I've asked time and again why he isn't coming, and the answer I keep getting is that he doesn't want to be booed," he said.

Unannounced pay increase far from transparent

So much for transparancy by Canada's Conservatives.

The Harper government has quietly pushed through pay increases for senior government officials, sparking criticisms that it is failing to live up to its pledge for disclosure and accountability.

Senior executives, which include deputy ministers, have been given a 2.5 per cent raise on their base salary, while heads of Crown corporations will receive increases of 3 per cent.

The government executives will also get a boost of 1.1 per cent to their bonus packages -- money known as "at-risk" pay that is due to them should they meet a series of goals and objectives.

WHOLE STORY

Rough reception for Harper's stand-in

Stephen Harper is in the news again. This time it's about his decision not to attend the event himself.

"But even the mayor couldn't help Public Works Minister Michael Fortier, Harper's Quebec lieutenant and stand-in for the event. Fortier's remarks were swallowed up in a rising tide of boos, which then grew more deafening as much of the crowd began slamming their folding seats up and down. Harper has promised to revisit the issue of same-sex marriage in Parliament.

'Shame! Shame! Shame!' spectators cried, wagging their upraised fingers in unison."

I wonder about the polls...

WHOLE STORY

Polls shows Harper is loosing ground.

Polls shows Harper is loosing ground.

"Despite a post-election surge in popularity for the Conservatives, a Decima poll of 1,009 people released Thursday showed Tory support has fallen to 36 per cent, compared to 30 per cent for the Liberals and 17 per cent for the New Democrats."

TheStar.com - Stakes high for Harper:

UNIFIL observers possibly killed by a so-called precision-guided missile

Phyllis Bennis, a fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, specializing in Middle East and United Nations issues, explains;

"The four UNIFIL observers were killed after somewhere between six and eight hours of consistent shelling, during which there were ten separate phone calls made by UN officials to the Israeli military, who agreed they knew it was underway and each time told them it would stop. It didn't stop. Instead, it culminated in a so-called precision-guided missile that led to the death of the four that you mentioned."

Democracy Now! | Ahead of New Confirmation Hearings, UN Ambassador Bolton Blocks Measure Condemning Lethal Israeli Attack on UN:

Australia, all talk but the wrong actions

Australia, all talk but the wrong actions;

CANBERRA, July 27 (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister John Howard said he would support a major multinational force for Lebanon to disarm Hizbollah, but his foreign minister said that without a ceasefire it would be a "suicide mission".

"If the world community is serious, it will put together a force of tens of thousands. That force will act as an effective buffer, and it will have the power and the will to disarm Hizbollah," Howard told Australian radio on Thursday.

So who is he blaming here, the world community? Last time I looked on the map Australia was still on it too.

Israel urged to shun cluster bomb; BBC News

"US-based Human Rights Watch says Israel has used cluster bombs in civilian areas during its assault on Lebanon."

See Wikipedia why cluster bombs are a threat to civilians
WHOLE STORY BBC:

UN envoy says Israel uses disproportionate force in Gaza; People's Daily Online

"UN emergency relief coordinator Jan Egeland said on Tuesday that Israel used 'disproportionate' force in its offensive in the Gaza Strip.

'This is very clear, a disproportionate use (of force),' Egeland told reporters while touring the Gaza power plant, which was destroyed in Israeli airstrikes last month."

WHOLE STORY

Israel-Lebanon: The mounting toll

* Number of Lebanese people killed in the two-week conflict: 422, of whom 375 were civilians.

* A further 27 Hizbollah guerrillas have been killed and 20 Lebanese soldiers.

* Number of Israeli dead since the conflict began: 42, of whom 18 were civilians and 24 soldiers.

* Number of Palestinians killed by Israel in the Gaza Strip since the capture of Cpl Gilad Shalit: 121.

* Number of Israeli air strikes on Lebanon yesterday: 100.

* Hizbollah rockets fired yesterday: 80.

* The Israel Defence Force claimed yesterday to have hit 10 Hizbollah buildings.

* That adds up to an estimated $1bn ($600m) in damage to infrastructure.

* Number of Lebanese bridges destroyed: 105

* The number of Israeli bridges destroyed: 0.

* Number of Lebanese ports bombed: 3.

* Estimate of the number of Lebanese people displaced in the fighting: 750,000.

* Lebanon has 2,000 UN troops who have been in the south since 1978.

* Israel's military spending: $9.45bn (in 1995); Lebanon: $540"

WHOLE STORY

Why is there not a murmur of protest from Washington?

Independent Online Edition > Middle East: "Why is there not a murmur of protest from Washington?'
By Kim Sengupta in Nicosia
Published: 21 July 2006

Outside the cavernous US government-run holding centre in Nicosia, Mohammed Shami shook his head. 'I feel embarrassed to be an American. They have given Israel the green light to destroy Lebanon. What they are doing is wrong; it is immoral.'

Mr Shami, who is of Lebanese-American descent, arrived here with 1,000 fellow Americans early yesterday, part of the exodus to Cyprus expected to reach more than 80,000 people fleeing the ferocity of the conflict in Lebanon.

WHOLE STORY

Annan condemns Israel's excessive use of force

BBC NEWS | Middle East | In quotes: Annan on Mid-East crisis: "Israel states that it has no quarrel with the government or people of Lebanon, and that it is taking extreme precautions to avoid harm to them. Yet a number of its actions have hurt and killed Lebanese civilians and military personnel and caused great damage to infrastructure. While Hezbollah's actions are deplorable, and as I've said, Israel has a right to defend itself, the excessive use of force is to be condemned."

WHOLE STORY

Canada rather deals with symptoms than cause of the problem

Canada wants Israel and Lebanon to guarantee they will not attack seven ships scheduled to pick up Canadians stranded in the strife-torn country, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay said Tuesday.
The first of seven chartered passenger ships are expected to arrive at the port of Beirut on Wednesday. They will be able to transport an estimated 2,000 Canadians a day.
"We want assurances that those ships will be protected and afforded the utmost safety," MacKay said on CBC Newsworld.

WHOLE STORY

The Blog | Russell Shaw: The REAL Reason Israel Is Going Full-Frontal on Hezbollah - NOW | The Huffington Post

Israel uses kidnapped soldiers as pretext:

The Blog | Russell Shaw: The REAL Reason Israel Is Going Full-Frontal on Hezbollah - NOW | The Huffington Post

Israel aircraft strike economic ministry in Gaza

GAZA (Reuters) - An Israeli air strike set the Palestinian Ministry of Economy building in the Gaza Strip ablaze early on Saturday, but there were no reports of casualties.

Witnesses said the building was badly damaged and still on fire after the strike.

The army confirmed the attack in Gaza City.

WHOLE STORY

EU: Israel Uses "Disproportionate Force" in Lebanon

The worsening situation in the Middle East has captured the world's attention, including the European Union's, which has accused Israel of "disproportionate use of force" in Lebanon. Violence continued into Friday.

Here's the situation; on June 24 Israel abducted two Gaza civilians, a doctor and his brother. They were taken to Israel, but knowbody knows where they are right now.
The next day militants in Gaza abducted an Israeli soldier (Gilad Shalit), which was followed by the response of Israel; attacks on Gaza. Hezbollah captures two (sic) Israeli soldiers. On Wednesday Israel began retaliating for the capture of two Israeli soldiers and sofar we are left with a death toll of 61.

WHOLE STORY

In Big Shift, U.S. to Follow Geneva Treaty for Detainees

In Big Shift, U.S. to Follow Geneva Treaty for Detainees - July 11, 2006

Neil A. Lewis, John O'Neil - The New York Times:

"In a sweeping change of policy, the Pentagon has decided that it will treat all detainees in compliance with the minimum standards spelled out in the Geneva conventions, a senior defense official said today.

The new policy comes on the heels of a Supreme Court ruling last month invalidating a system of military tribunals the Pentagon had created to try suspected terrorists, and just before Congress takes up the question of a replacement system in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing today.

As part of its decision, the court found that a key provision of the Geneva conventions, known as Common Article 3, did apply to terror suspects, contradicting the position taken by the Bush administration." WHOLE STORY

I wonder if this will actually change the practises so common at Guantanamo Bay