Lawmen are warning that growing violence along the Mexican border poses a threat to national security. Chief Lynne Underdown, retiring Border Patrol chief for the Rio Grande Valley sector, told reporters at a press conference in Edinburg, TX, April 6, that attacks on border agents are fast escalating. She especially cited a December 2005 incident in which assailants on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande shot at agents on boat patrol, where they were at "maximum exposure." Ironically, she admitted the increased violence is a result of more agents with more equipment and firepower—making more drug seizures and raising the stakes for smugglers.

Hilmi al-Asmar writes for the Jordanian newspaper Al-Dustur, April 7:

Barzani accuses extremist Shi'i, Sunni forces of fuelling the conflict, welcomes hosting Palestinians residing in Kurdistan
Arbil, Iraqi Kurdistan — Mas'ud Barzani, head of the Iraqi Kurdistan region and leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, welcomed hosting the Palestinian refugees residing in Iraqi Kurdistan and offered them a safe haven in the region that is more than a self rule region and less than a state.

Since we officially closed our winter fund drive at the start of the month, we have made another $150. This brings our total to $1,555—just $445 short of our ambitious goal of $2,000. So even though the drive is "officially" closed, we still appeal to readers to support us.

From the New SPACE:

The New SPACE (The New School for Pluralistic Anti-Capitalist Education) Presents

The Case for DIS-unity in the Anti-War Movement: Why there must be a clear break between those who support Iraq's genuine civil resistance and those who support reactionary political Islam.

A Discussion with Bill Weinberg, Monday April 9 at 7:00 PM

Mexico's Environment and Natural Resources Secretariat (Semarnat) announced that six more setlements—some which have been established for 70 years—have been slated for relocation from the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve in the lowland rainforest of Chiapas, the Lacandon Selva. The named settlements are San Antonio Miramar, Rancho Corozal, Salvador Allende, Nuevo Salvador Allende, El Buen Samaritano and Nuevo San Gregorio. The communities are made up of some 60 families, covering around 5,000 hectares.

The US Supreme Court ruled 5-4 April 2 that global warming is real, and that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts lost valuable shoreline because of its effects. Writing for the majority in Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency, Justice John Paul Stevens found: "A well-documented rise in global temperatures has coincided with a significant increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere."

The Iraq Freedom Congress (IFC), the civil alliance opposed to both the US occupation and political Islam, announces that Sana TV, its new satellite station, will be braodcasting soon. With a studio and production team in London and funds raised by supporters in Japan, the new station should reach throughout the Middle East and the world. It can be received at the following coordinates:

A jazz bass player from the Bronx pleaded guilty this week to having the inclination to teach hand-to-hand combat skills to Islamic extremists. Tarik Shah, whose childhood influence was Cannonball Adderly, will be going to prison for 15 years for disclosing his secret desire to help terrorists to an FBI undercover agent after being set up by a prison stool pigeon. [NYT, April 5] Mr. Shah did not actually teach any martial arts skills to any jihadists, nor did he provide any material support for their cause, although he claims to have tried to attend a training camp in Afghanistan. He is simply a jazz musician with an attitude who got caught up in a witch hunt. Since when does anyone listen to what musicians have to say anyway? Is Tarik Shah going into the slammer to keep some US soldier from a potential karate chop or just because, failing to crack the real al-Qaida network, the US Government needs to find someone to investigate and imprison?