WW4 Report

Neo-Nazis infiltrate US military

Just in case you missed this one. From the New York Times, July 7 (links and emphasis added):

Hate Groups Are Infiltrating the Military, Group Asserts
A decade after the Pentagon declared a zero-tolerance policy for racist hate groups, recruiting shortfalls caused by the war in Iraq have allowed "large numbers of neo-Nazis and skinhead extremists" to infiltrate the military, according to a watchdog organization.

Colombia: UN sees crisis for indigenous peoples

Jennifer Pagonis, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees offered the following comments on the situation in Colombia Aug. 8 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. From the UNHCR website:

To mark World Indigenous Day tomorrow, UNHCR in Colombia will call on all armed groups in the country to keep the country's indigenous population out of the armed conflict and respect the distinction between combatants and non-combatants. UNHCR has repeatedly warned that indigenous groups in Colombia are increasingly at risk of violence and even disappearance as a result of the ongoing conflict. Indigenous groups are increasingly forced to flee their ancestral lands into neighbouring countries to find safety.

Haiti: Lavalas activists freed; Constant convicted

Citing "lack of evidence," on Aug. 14 a Haitian criminal tribunal in Port-au-Prince headed by Judge Fritznel Fils-Aime ordered the immediate release of Annette Auguste ("So Ann"), Georges Honore, Yvon Antoine ("Zap-Zap") and Paul Raymond, prominent supporters of former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide and his left-populist Lavalas Family (FL) party. The four were arrested at various times between March 2004 and July 2005; they were held without formal charges until April 2006, when they were charged in connection with a violent attack by Aristide supporters against opposition students at the State University of Haiti (UEH) on Dec. 5, 2003, in which several students were injured and UEH rector Pierre-Marie Paquiot's legs were broken.

Brazil: land barons set up arrests of indigenous leaders

According to the Indianist Missionary Council (CIMI), a Catholic church-based group which works in solidarity with Brazil's indigenous communities, 15 Tupinikim and Guarani indigenous people and seven non-indigenous people have been jailed since Aug. 9 in the city of Aracruz, in Espirito Santo state. The Tupinikim and Guarani communities have been challenging the multinational corporation Aracruz Celulose over ownership of 11,000 hectares of land in the area. The government's National Indigenous Foundation (FUNAI) has recognized the land as indigenous territory, but Aracruz Celulose has appealed. Brazil's justice minister has until Sept. 20 to make a decision in the case; in the meantime, both sides are barred from entering the disputed area.

Colombia: paramilitary leaders arrested

Colombian authorities detained 14 top paramilitary leaders Aug. 16, saying they were not complying with the amnesty law. The leaders, who include two former commanders wanted in the United States on drug-trafficking charges, were taken into custody in various parts of Colombia, with some of them voluntarily surrendering to police.

Mexican Jews march for Middle East peace

From Xinhua, Aug. 22:

Mexico's Jews march for Middle East peace

More than 1,500 people, mostly Jews, staged a peaceful protest on Monday, calling for peace in the Middle East and an end to the armed conflict between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrilla.

NYC: Jews stage Penn Station "Die-in"

From an Aug. 22 NYC Die-In Press Release:

New York Jews Stage PENN STATION “DIE-IN”
Say to Israel and U.S.: The War Didn’t Work, Honor the Cease-Fire!
Destroying Lebanese and Palestinian societies is a crime, not a security policy

New York City - A group of more than 20 Jewish protestors staged a “Die-In” during rush hour this morning outside Penn Station, unfurling large banners and lying down on the ground to demand a cessation of continuing Israeli military aggression in Lebanon and Palestine. In a peaceful demonstration, silent protestors created a harrowing scene reflecting the large civilian death toll in Lebanon and the aftermath of war.

Baghdad: Shi'ite pilgrims massacred —again

From the Washington Post, Aug. 21:.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Sunni Arab insurgents armed with rifles and mortar shells killed 20 pilgrims and wounded 300 others who thronged the capital Sunday for one of Shiite Islam's most important holidays, authorities said.

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