Daily Report

US bombs Pakistan —again

Missiles fired from a presumed US drone hit a compound in Ghurlama village, near Wana, in the Birmal subdivision of Pakistan's South Waziristan district June 18, killing 11 suspected militants. The compound was said to be owned by a local Taliban commander called Malang. Hailing from Gangikhel tribe, Malang is said to be a close associate of Commander Maulvi Nazir. This was the second drone attack in South Waziristan over the past week. On June 14, a missile hit a car in Laddha subdivision inhabited mostly by the Mehsuds, killing three people. (Dawn, Pakistan, June 18)

Czech Republic: crackdown on neo-Nazis in wake of attacks

On June 14, police in Most, Czech Republic, arrested 15 participants in a neo-Nazi march protesting last week's police raid against members of the National Resistance far-right group. In the June 9 police operation, code-named "Power," 10 were arrested on felony charges of promoting a movement aimed at suppressing human rights and freedoms. They are suspected of organizing a series of Nazi-themed concerts. Petr Kotáb, vice-chair of the far-right Workers' Party, was among the arrested at the Most march. (Romea, Czech Republic, June 15)

Pogroms force Romanian immigrants from Ulster

More than 100 Romanians were moved to emergency accommodation in Belfast June 17 after a racist gang attacked homes in the university area of the city. Several of the immigrants were wounded, and one of the attackers was said to be brandishing a gun. Most of the displaced say they no longer feel safe in Belfast and intend to return to Romania. The intimidation culminated in an attack on a rally being held in support of the Eastern European migrants June 15, in which thugs threw bricks and bottles and made Nazi salutes, chanting slogans associated with Combat 18, a far-right faction. (London Times, June 18)

Iran: hundreds of dissidents arrested, disappeared

International rights organizations say hundreds of activists and opposition figures have been detained in Iran in response to protests over the country's disputed elections. Hadi Ghaemi, director of the New York-based International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, said he had spoken with family members and colleagues of people who have been arrested or disappeared—saying there have been at least 200 such cases across the country.

Chávez backs Ahmadinejad amid Iranian protests

Venezuela's Hugo Chávez is one of the few world leaders to stand by Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, even as hundreds of thousands take to the streets of Iran's cities to protest his re-election claim. A Venezuelan foreign ministry statement, "in the name of the people," hailed the "extraordinary democratic development" that resulted in Ahmadinejad's victory.

National Intelligence office sees Islamic extremism in Bolivia

Fox News warns in a June 16 headline, "Bolivia Becoming a Hotbed of Islamic Extremism, Report Concludes"—citing the findings of a recent study by the Open Source Center (OSC) of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. "There's a theory that they may believe—Latin America, particularly with its Leftist leanings in recent years, may be more receptive to the anti-American-type rhetoric that we've been accustomed to hearing from Iran," an anonymous "US intelligence official" told Fox.

Peru recalls ambassador from Bolivia over Amazon crisis

Peru recalled its ambassador to June 16 after President Evo Morales described the recent killings of indigenous protesters in the Peruvian Amazon as "genocide." Ambassador Fernando Rojas said Morales' comments were a "totally false assessment." Peruvian Foreign Minister José García Belaunde said the measure was "a redress manifestation for the continued intromissions of the Bolivian government on internal issues of the country." He added that he considered Morales an "enemy of Peru."

Peru clamps down on indigenous organizations

Senior figures in Peru are threatening a clamp-down on both Peruvian and foreign NGOs in the wake of the violent protests which have erupted in the country's Amazon region. The Congressional Foreign Relations Committee is examining a proposal to restrict the funding of Peruvian NGOs by outside agencies. Many indigenous organizations have for decades received financial support from Western funding agencies.

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