From the New York Times, Jan. 18:

BRASÍLIA — Far more Indian groups than previously thought are surviving in Brazil’s Amazon rain forest isolated from the outside world, but they risk destruction at the hands of encroaching loggers and miners, experts said Wednesday.

From the New York Times, Jan. 18:

BISBEE, Ariz. — A Mexican immigrant was shot and killed on Friday by a Border Patrol agent in Arizona, prompting an investigation by federal authorities and condemnation from President Felipe Calderón of Mexico.

The following statement from DeleteTheBorder.com, was presented to the Zapatista Encuentro held in Chiapas over the New Year weekend:

As long as the US/Mexico border has existed, people having been struggling against it. It is a highly militarized, violent boundary marking an internal space of strict migration controls while allowing for unrestricted movement of capital and wealth. This border exists in a global context of apartheid borders and restriction of movement. For years around the world people have been tearing down fences, freeing detainees and fighting for the rights of migrant people. A global movement against borders and migration controls is rising. One of many tactics in this movement is the no border camp - a space for direct action and building community. Join us for a transnational no border camp on the Mexico/US border.

Received via Chiapas95, Jan. 16:

Hello,
My name is Bina Darabzand. From Tehran, Iran. I run a Leftist Site Salam-Democrat.com, in persian language for the Iranian "Radical Left" Young Student movement in Iran. We only heard of Oaxaca Movement after Brad Will was killed. Since, I have tried to keep my readers up to date with the events &analysis by giving sum-ups of Narco News, Indymedia & Prensa Latina reports & few Translations of Speeches & Texts. I have joined your group with hopes of better serving my readers & possibility of taking some actions in support of the Oaxaca Movement & APPO. Ofcourse you know that in Iran we are limited in actions we can take.

Received via Zapagringo blog, Jan. 18:

Brad Will’s Family Seeks “a Vigorous Prosecution of the Guilty Parties”
Human Rights Attorney Miguel Angel de Los Santos Takes the Case to Mexican Court

by Craig Will
Brother of Brad Will (1970-2006)

The Will family is pleased to have the renowned Mexican human rights lawyer, Miguel Angel de Los Santos Cruz, join the cause for justice in the case of Bradley Roland Will’s death.

From Mexico's Centro de Medios Libres, Jan. 15:

Adherent to the Other Campaign seriously injured. Solidarity required.

After the Meeting of the Zapatista Peoples with the Peoples of the World was over, Ricardo, an adherent to the Other Campaign in Mexico City was brutally clubbed by several men on January 6 in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, where he had stayed on to participate iin follow-up activities. The attack was apparently a repressive action.

Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel, bishop of the Chiapas Highlands, called upon Mexico's federal government to urgently address the recent spike in tortilla prices, invoking the possibility of a new uprising in the restive state. "With all respect for the federal authorities, I exhort them to find a means to resolve this grave problem for the economy of the poor, if they truly care about the poor and they don't want to see new social movements as dramatic as that of 1994," he said. (Melel Xojobal News Synthesis, Chiapas, Jan 15 via Chiapas95)

Israeli historian Benny Morris, once seen as a post-Zionist dissident, produces a terrifying piece of war propaganda. Far be it from us to be optimistic, but this scenario strikes us as a long shot. Is Ahmedinejad likely to still be in power five years hence, even if the fear-mongers do not succeed in prompting military intervention against his regime? Even if he is, and even if he really is lusting to exterminate the Jews (rather than shrewdly playing a card to solidify his internal support), would he really be so sanguine about committting genocide against Muslims (even Sunnis)—and going down in history as the man who destroyed the al-Aksa Mosque? And even if the answer to all those questions is "yes," is he so fanatical as to risk massive US retaliation, which strikes us as a certainty? (The fact that Morris can describe the current hyper-interventionist posture of the US as "isolationist" indicates how far out of wack he is.) In fact, Israel would likely launch a pre-emptive strike as soon as Tel Aviv figured out what he was planning—and, despite his protestations that Israel would be paralyzed and the US apathetic, a pre-emptive srtike seems to be what Morris is really arguing for. Which brings us to the most salient point: Doesn't Morris realize that aggression by Israel would only make its own destruction that much more likely? Talk about creating what you fear... Originally published in German by Die Welt, Jan. 6 (translation received via e-mail):