Israel’s actions on the ground proving difficult to spinElectronic Intifada - 16 Mar 2010rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rJERSUSALEM (IPS) – Israeli riot police and soldiers have, since Friday, sealed off the al-Aqsa mosque, Islam’s third holiest shrine, restricting entry to women and Palestinian men over 50. Outside the walled Old City, where the al-Aqsa mosque is situated, and in several West Bank villages, clashes were reported.
Charles Bowden on “The War Next Door”Democracy Now - 16 Mar 2010In the Mexican border city of Ciudad Jurez, a US consular employee and her husband were shot dead on Saturday while driving in their SUV. In a separate incident nearby, the husband of a Mexican employee at the US consulate was shot dead. The shootings are believed to be the first deadly attacks on US officials and their families by Mexico?s powerful drug organizations. We go to the US-Mexico border to speak with reporter Charles Bowden. “There is no serious War on Drugs,” Bowden writes. “Rather, there is violence, nourished by the money to be made from drugs. And there are U.S. industries whose primary lifeblood comes from fighting a war on drugs.” [includes rush transcript]
Federal Panel Finds NY Dept. of Education Discriminated Against Arabic School PrincipalDemocracy Now - 16 Mar 2010The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has ruled the New York City Department of Education discriminated against the founding principal of an Arabic-language school in Brooklyn by forcing her to resign in 2007. In a non-binding ruling, the commission said the city had discriminated against the principal, Debbie Almontaser, ?on account of her race, religion and national origin.? We speak with Almontaser and her attorney, Alan Levine.
Headlines for March 16, 2010Democracy Now - 16 Mar 2010US Raid Kills Two Pregnant Women and Teenage Girl in Afghanistan, Federal Auditors Block New Blackwater Contract, House Might Pass Healthcare Bill Without Direct Vote, Dodd Unveils Financial Reform Legislation, Mitchell Delays Trips to Israel over Settlement Dispute, Israel to Close Off Palestinian Village on Days of Wall Protests, UN Munitions Team Finds 84 Unexploded White Phosphorus Shells in Gaza, UN: More Money Needed for Haiti Humanitarian Aid Fund, Thai Protesters Plan to Splatter Blood on Thai Gov’t HQ, Ex-Sri Lankan Military Chief Faces Court-Martial, Six More Iranian Protesters to be Executed, German and Irish Churches Face Sexual Abuse Scandals, Study: Black and Latinos Face Longer Prison Sentences, Officials Urge Participation in 2010 Census, Hundreds of Students Protest Cuts in Atlanta, 23,000 California Teachers Receive Layoff Notices
Nottingham celebrates International Women’s DayIndymedia UK - 16 Mar 2010March 8 is International Women’s Day. Rooted in the history of struggles for female equality, it is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. While Britain does not recognise it as a public holiday, as do a number of countries, it remains an important date for feminist campaigners.On March 6, Million Women Rise organised a female-only march through central London to protest against male violence and in celebration of International Women’s Day. This was the third such demonstration. Transport was arranged from Nottingham and a number of local groups were among the supporters including the East Midlands Feminist Network, Nottingham Women’s Centre, Roshni (Nottingham Asian Women’s Aid) and Nottingham Community Housing Association.On March 13, Nottingham Women’s History Group celebrated by organised a women’s history walk around the city, exploring the role women have played in making Nottingham the city we know today.On the newswire: Nottingham Women’s History Walk | Million Women Rise London MarchLinks: East Midlands Feminist Network | Million Women Rise | Nottingham Women’s Centre | Wikipedia: International Women’s Day
Cartoon of the week: Iran and Israel – spot the differenceCampaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII) - 16 Mar 2010Summary: Israel—a country that has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty—has a secret stockpile of nuclear weapons, as revealed 23 years ago by Israeli nuclear technician Dr Modecai Vanunu, for which service to humanity he was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment. Since his release in 2004 he has been held by the Israeli government under severe restrictions which prevent him from leaving Israel or, without permission, his home town. He is forbidden any communication with foreigners. Israel is one of only three countries along with India and Pakistan, which is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty(NPT), and is widely believed to possess several hundred nuclear warheads, as well as the means to deliver them. When the International Atomic Energy Agency for the first time on 19 September 2009 called on Israel to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and open up its atomic sites to international inspection, the response was predictable: refusal to cooperate in any way. source: Stop Warread more
