Housing Crisis
UKWatch.net - 30 Sep 2008
Why has this Labour Government found it so difficult to come up with a comprehensive housing strategy since it came to power in 1997? Is it because ministers regard the issue as an embarrassment? Shortly after taking up residence in Number 10 Downing Street, Tony Blair visited to the Holly Street Estate in Hackney. He was there to launch his Government?s New Deal for Communities Initiative. The wall in front of which he was photographed was demolished just hours later by the same builders with whom he posed. As former Tory housing minister David Curry subsequently pointed out, the regeneration of the Holly Street Estate had actually begun under John Major?s Government. Again, soon after he became Prime Minister, Blair went to the Aylesbury Estate in Peckham to tell its residents they had not been forgotten. The truth is that, during the ?97 election campaign, his strategists told him to forget about London?s council estates and concentrate on wooing middle-class voters in the south of England if he wanted to take power. Voters in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire were more important than Aylesbury, Peckham. That?s a view to which some in the Labour leadership still cling, even as their hopes of securing a fourth term in office evaporate. Just before the 2005 general election, housing magazine Roof reviewed the Government?s housing record after seven years. The 2002 Homeless Act and the reduction in the numbers of people sleeping rough was welcomed. But there were also notable failures. The number of households in temporary accommodation had doubled, the amount of new social housing being built had fallen to its lowest level since the Second World War and a property price boom had wrecked the hopes of many young people in search of their first home. The Government asked architect Lord Rogers to set up a taskforce to come up with a strategy for the renaissance of Britain?s cities. Lord Rogers? report was published in July 1999 and contained 100 recommendations. By November the following year, Lord Rogers was accusing ministers of being ?disappointingly negative? about its key proposals. They were, he believed, not prepared to come up with the money necessary to put his proposals into practice. It was worse than that. In February 2003, the central government housing grant to local authorities was withdrawn. This meant councils no longer had a key role as the provider of new homes. At the same time, the Government was encouraging local authorities to dispose of their existing housing stock. However, in July 2003, the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee concluded that stock transfers constituted a more expensive way of bringing council housing up to the decent homes standard than allowing the work to be done by the local authorities themselves. The withdrawal of local government grants and the inability of housing associations to fill the gap had a dramatic effect on the housing market. The Greater London Authority?s economics unit commissioned a report on the situation. Market Failure and the Housing Market was published in May 2003. The most significant sentence in it was: ?Those in need of housing are much less likely to have a strong voice in the political process compared to those who are already housed.? After Tony Blair stepped down as Prime Minister, Shelter commented that his legacy would be a deepening of the housing crisis. Blair presided over a widening gap between housing supply and demand, meaning some enjoyed a great boost to their personal wealth as property prices spiralled, while many others have been left behind with no hope of a decent home of their own. The charity added that, unless Gordon Brown tackled the housing crisis by funding more social housing, his legacy could be just as lamentable. Sadly, Brown?s ?rescue package? for the housing market, announced earlier this month, was described by one commentator as sending a canoe to aid the Titanic. In addition, Brown?s proposal to spend 200 million to buy unsold homes, unveiled in May this year, was criticised as no more than a political gesture, since it would only help around 1,000 families. Brown has a habit of trying to pass off half-hearted responses to pressing social and economic problems as dramatic policy shifts. So the perception people have of him is that he has failed to grasp the opportunities and meet the challenges that being Prime Minister presents, even though he was desperate to get the job. However, because of the housing crisis, he still has a chance to act in such a way that could end doubts about his future while going a long way to address the housing situation in a positive, practical and fair way. After months of dithering, the Government finally decided to take Northern Rock it into public ownership. At least 50 billion of public money guaranteed its survival. In the United States, George Bush?s administration nationalised mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to save them from collapse. It is going to take proper public investment and not a hotchpotch of half-measures to build the homes we need in Britain. John Ruskin, the Victorian socialist, once declared that it was ?the first duty of the state to see that every child born therein shall be well housed?. The current Prime Minister and his predecessor in Number 10 Downing Street have failed in that duty. It will be ironic if the sub-prime housing crisis in America and the drive to own your home encouraged by successive Tory and Labour governments over the past 30 years has initiated the train of events that brings the house down on Gordon Brown?s Government. Terry McGrenera is editor of The Green Paper ? politics for the planet and its peopleWHY has this Labour Government found it so difficult to come up with a comprehensive housing strategy since it came to power in 1997? Is it because ministers regard the issue as an embarrassment? Shortly after taking up residence in Number 10 Downing Street, Tony Blair visited to the Holly Street Estate in Hackney. He was there to launch his Government?s New Deal for Communities Initiative. The wall in front of which he was photographed was demolished just hours later by the same builders with whom he posed. As former Tory housing minister David Curry subsequently pointed out, the regeneration of the Holly Street Estate had actually begun under John Major?s Government. Again, soon after he became Prime Minister, Blair went to the Aylesbury Estate in Peckham to tell its residents they had not been forgotten. The truth is that, during the ?97 election campaign, his strategists told him to forget about London?s council estates and concentrate on wooing middle-class voters in the south of England if he wanted to take power. Voters in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire were more important than Aylesbury, Peckham. That?s a view to which some in the Labour leadership still cling, even as their hopes of securing a fourth term in office evaporate. Just before the 2005 general election, housing magazine Roof reviewed the Government?s housing record after seven years. The 2002 Homeless Act and the reduction in the numbers of people sleeping rough was welcomed. But there were also notable failures. The number of households in temporary accommodation had doubled, the amount of new social housing being built had fallen to its lowest level since the Second World War and a property price boom had wrecked the hopes of many young people in search of their first home. The Government asked architect Lord Rogers to set up a taskforce to come up with a strategy for the renaissance of Britain?s cities. Lord Rogers? report was published in July 1999 and contained 100 recommendations. By November the following year, Lord Rogers was accusing ministers of being ?disappointingly negative? about its key proposals. They were, he believed, not prepared to come up with the money necessary to put his proposals into practice. It was worse than that. In February 2003, the central government housing grant to local authorities was withdrawn. This meant councils no longer had a key role as the provider of new homes. At the same time, the Government was encouraging local authorities to dispose of their existing housing stock. However, in July 2003, the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee concluded that stock transfers constituted a more expensive way of bringing council housing up to the decent homes standard than allowing the work to be done by the local authorities themselves. The withdrawal of local government grants and the inability of housing associations to fill the gap had a dramatic effect on the housing market. The Greater London Authority?s economics unit commissioned a report on the situation. Market Failure and the Housing Market was published in May 2003. The most significant sentence in it was: ?Those in need of housing are much less likely to have a strong voice in the political process compared to those who are already housed.? After Tony Blair stepped down as Prime Minister, Shelter commented that his legacy would be a deepening of the housing crisis. Blair presided over a widening gap between housing supply and demand, meaning some enjoyed a great boost to their personal wealth as property prices spiralled, while many others have been left behind with no hope of a decent home of their own. The charity added that, unless Gordon Brown tackled the housing crisis by funding more social housing, his legacy could be just as lamentable. Sadly, Brown?s ?rescue package? for the housing market, announced earlier this month, was described by one commentator as sending a canoe to aid the Titanic. In addition, Brown?s proposal to spend 200 million to buy unsold homes, unveiled in May this year, was criticised as no more than a political gesture, since it would only help around 1,000 families. Brown has a habit of trying to pass off half-hearted responses to pressing social and economic problems as dramatic policy shifts. So the perception people have of him is that he has failed to grasp the opportunities and meet the challenges that being Prime Minister presents, even though he was desperate to get the job. However, because of the housing crisis, he still has a chance to act in such a way that could end doubts about his future while going a long way to address the housing situation in a positive, practical and fair way. After months of dithering, the Government finally decided to take Northern Rock it into public ownership. At least 50 billion of public money guaranteed its survival. In the United States, George Bush?s administration nationalised mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to save them from collapse. It is going to take proper public investment and not a hotchpotch of half-measures to build the homes we need in Britain. John Ruskin, the Victorian socialist, once declared that it was ?the first duty of the state to see that every child born therein shall be well housed?. The current Prime Minister and his predecessor in Number 10 Downing Street have failed in that duty. It will be ironic if the sub-prime housing crisis in America and the drive to own your home encouraged by successive Tory and Labour governments over the past 30 years has initiated the train of events that brings the house down on Gordon Brown?s Government. Terry McGrenera is editor of The Green Paper ? politics for the planet and its people

The Middle East Quartet: A Progress Report
UKWatch.net - 30 Sep 2008
Editor’s note: Below is the Executive Summary of the report, which was published on September 25. The full report is available here (.pdf). Executive Summary The humanitarian crisis in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) continues (see ?The Gaza Strip: A Humanitarian Implosion?).1 Its population of 3.7 million people, 52 per cent of whom are children, struggle for their basic needs.2 Palestinian women, children, and men are increasingly dependent on aid as their livelihoods are destroyed. The only sustainable solution to the crisis is a comprehensive peace settlement between Israelis and Palestinians based on international law. As humanitarian and development and human rights organisations, we believe that immediate steps can and must be taken to relieve suffering, as well as to ensure that a peace agreement is eventually reached. As this report demonstrates, the lack of progress on key goals calls the Quartet?s current approach into question. In its Berlin statement, the Quartet [comprising the U.S., EU, UN and Russia] expressed the, ?urgent need for more visible progress on the ground in order to build confidence and support progress in the negotiations launched in Annapolis?. This ?visible progress? has not materialised. Analysis of the reality on the ground demonstrates that in five of the ten areas in which the Quartet has laid down clear recommendations, there has been either no progress or an actual deterioration in the situation. Clearly, a new approach is warranted. Moreover, the Quartet?s capacity to encourage positive developments has been weakest in the three areas where progress is now most urgent: settlements, lifting obstacles to movement and access, and bringing an end to the blockade of Gaza. The Middle East Quartet, comprising Russia, USA, EU, and UN, identified 2008 as a crucial year for the Middle East Peace Process (MEPP) and the period in which to realise agreements made at the Annapolis Conference on 22 November 2007.3 Quartet members committed to assisting parties to meet their specific obligations and to promoting a just, comprehensive, and lasting settlement of the conflict in the Middle East.4 The deadline for an agreement by the end of 2008 is now looming and seems unlikely to be met. Indeed, the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, stated: ?so far there has been no achievement in the negotiations? I cannot say that there has been an agreement on a single issue. The gap between the sides is very large.?5 The Quartet?s meeting in New York [this took place on Sept. 26] comes at a critical moment for the Quartet to demonstrate that it can play an effective role in bringing peace to the Middle East. This report outlines the Quartet?s own recommendations across six areas that it considered to be of vital importance for the broader peace process. It assesses the impact that limited progress has had on the daily lives of Palestinians and Israelis. The Quartet?s Berlin statement provides a clear picture of the progress needed and, as the most recent declaration of the Quartet, will be used as a basis for this report.6 The statement, like this report, focuses on settlements, access and movement, Gaza, Palestinian security sector reform, donor pledges, and the revival of private sector activity in the oPt. The Quartet has rightly emphasised that progress in key areas is the only way to prevent further deterioration in the everyday lives of Palestinians and Israelis and in the overall political process itself. The Quartet?s meeting in New York provides an opportunity to re-group, recommit, and decide on additional steps that can be taken to ensure that parties comply with their obligations under the roadmap and international law. This report provides recommendations to Quartet members on how best to respond to ensure urgently needed progress. Unless there is a swift and dramatic improvement, it will be necessary to question what the future is for the Middle East Quartet. Settlements: Despite efforts by Quartet members to signal strong opposition to continued settlement expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, there has been a marked acceleration in construction, and no serious attempts by the Israeli authorities to dismantle outposts. Settlements, outposts, and the infrastructure that serves them, illegal in international law, devastate the Palestinian economy and the daily lives of ordinary Palestinians. While the Quartet can be commended for raising the issue of settlements and outposts, there has been a marked failure to hold the Israeli authorities to their obligations under the roadmap and international law. This highlights the urgent need to go beyond rhetoric and adopt concrete measures to ensure that Israeli authorities comply with their obligations under international law. Access and Movement: The Quartet has failed in its efforts to secure the removal of checkpoints and other obstacles to access and movement for people and goods that would enable Palestinians to see a tangible improvement in their daily lives. There is no ?new reality? in the West Bank; the economy continues to stagnate, and the blockade of Gaza continues. The failure of the Quartet in this area will lead to further impoverishment and economic decline. It may also constitute a fatal threat to the broader peace process. Gaza: Despite violations on both sides, the agreement on cessation of violence endures and there have been marked improvements in security for Israelis and Gazans alike.7 However, normal civilian life in Gaza has not resumed. The Quartet has been unable to end Gaza?s isolation and facilitate adequate flows of humanitarian and commercial goods (consistent with the Agreement on Movement and Access (AMA)). There have been increased supplies of fuel to Gaza, but these supplies are not yet steady or sufficient. Despite their efforts, the Quartet has failed to prompt the immediate resumption of stalled UN and other donor projects. Overall, progress in Gaza falls far short of the Quartet?s own stated recommendations. Despite its recognition of the urgency of the situation, the actions taken by the Quartet have been insufficient to kick-start meaningful changes on the ground. Comprehensive Palestinian Security Sector Reform: The introduction of an EU-trained Palestinian police force across the West Bank is reported to be beginning to deliver tangible and much-needed improvements in the stability of life across the West Bank. Nonetheless, concerns among Palestinian civilians about their personal security are said to remain. The focus on the rule of law for Palestinians, while welcome, has paid inadequate attention to human rights in the reform process. Donor Pledges: The Quartet Representative has been successful in securing substantial funding pledges. This impressive aptitude for fundraising has not yet led to the prompt delivery of projects, nor improved the lives of Palestinian women, children, and men for the better. The Quartet has not ensured that all donors make good on their pledges, in large part because the absence of demonstrable progress and real change in key areas ? particularly settlements, access and movement, and Palestinian reconciliation ? has made greater financial assistance ineffective. By adopting a twin-track approach, the Quartet has committed itself to achieving success in both promoting removal of obstacles to Palestinian economic development and increasing investment in Palestinian growth. Failure on one track, particularly the first,seriously undermines prospects for the other. Private Sector Progress: The Quartet Representative has had isolated successes in implementing a small number of the agreed projects aimed at boosting the private sector. Most notable are his efforts to enable the allocation of frequencies to the second Palestinian mobile telephone operator in the oPt. However, a holistic approach to private sector development is required. There has been almost no progress in alleviating obstacles to access and movement needed to stimulate private sector activity and invigorate the Palestinian economy. Without this, the Quartet Representative will continue to be frustrated in his efforts to improve the daily lives of Palestinians while de-development of the Palestinian economy will continue to increase. Read the full report here (.pdf). List of signatories: CAFOD, CARE Deutschland-Luxemburg; CARE France; CARE Nederland; CARE Norge; CARE ?sterreich; CARE International UK, Christian Aid, DanChurchAid, diakonia, Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN), medico international, Medicos del Mundo; Oxfam International, Save the Children UK; Save the Children Sweden, United Civilians for Peace (a coalition of Dutch organizations: Oxfam Novib, Cordaid, ICCO and IKV Pax Christi), World Vision Jerusalem. 1. Available at www.oxfam.org.uk/resources/downloads/oxfam_gaza_lowres.pdf. 2. See www.unicef.org/infobycountry/oPt_statistics.html. 3. See Quartet Statements of 24 June 2008, 2 May 2008, and 17 December 2007 at www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2008/jun/106215.htm, www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2008/may/104319.htm, and www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2007/dec/97671.htm. 4. See Quartet Statement at Annapolis Conference on 27 November 2008 at www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2007/nov/95667.htm and President Bush, ?Joint Understanding read by President Bush at the Annapolis Conference? 27 November 2007 and speech at www.state.gov/p/nea/rls/rm/2007/95695.htm. 5. Mahmoud Abbas quoted in Haaretz, Sunday 14 September 2008 at www.haaretz.com. 6. See Quartet Statements of 24 June 2008, 2 May 2008, and 17 December 2007 at www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2008/jun/106215.htm, www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2008/may/104319.htm, and www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2007/dec/97671.htm. 7. The terminology ?cessation of violence? is used in this report as the generally accepted wording of the agreement by the UN.

Tensions Rising Between Kurds and Iraqi Government
AlterNet: War on Iraq - 30 Sep 2008
A dispute over territory is raising fears that of ethnic clashes between Kurds and Arabs.

Despair, trauma, discontent among Nahr al-Bared’s impoverished Palestinians
Electronic Intifada - 30 Sep 2008
rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rNAHR AL-BARED (IRIN) – They look like cargo crates: long lines of prefabricated steel units, stacked two high, set on the edge of the ruined Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon. Inside each airless 18 square meter unit there is a toilet, gas burner and tatty mattresses on the bare wooden floor.

“Bridge Loan to Nowhere”: Public Outcry Forces House to Reject $700 Billion Bailout of Financial Industry; Dow Falls Record 777 Points
Democracy Now - 30 Sep 2008
On Monday, the House voted 228-to-205 against authorizing the largest government intervention in the financial market in US history. The measure would have granted the Treasury unprecedented authority and up to $700 billion to relieve faltering banks and other firms of bad assets backed by home mortgages, which are falling into foreclosure at record rates. As the economic crisis worsens and spreads across the globe, we speak with Robert Johnson, former chief economist of the Senate Banking Committee, and Bruce Marks, the founder and CEO of NACA, the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America. [includes rush transcript – partial]

Headlines for September 30, 2008
Democracy Now - 30 Sep 2008
House Rejects $700 Billion Bailout, Dow Falls Record 778 Points; Stocks Lose $1.2 Trillion, Finance Sector Gave 51 Percent More to House Bailout Backers, Unions Protest Against Wall Street Bailout, Banking Consolidation Continues as Citigroup Buys Wachovia, Prosecutors Subpoena Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, Mukasey Appoints Special Prosecutor for US Attorneys Scandal, Ex-CIA Executive Director Pleads Guilty, Immigration Agents Arrest 1,100 in California, GOP Concern Growing Over Selection of Palin, Olmert: Israel Should Withdraw from Most of West Bank & Golan Heights, US Suspends Trade Benefits to Bolivia, Police: Gassing of Mosque in Ohio Was Not a Biased Crime, Denver Police T-Shirt: ?We Get Up Early, to Beat the Crowds?

Canadian media attempt to silence on Israel
Electronic Intifada - 30 Sep 2008
rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rWhen the bottom line is threatened, corporations typically show little concern for holding the line on political principles such as freedom of expression. In capitalism, freedom is too often just another word for maximizing profits. Robert Jensen comments.