In an escalation of the land conflict at Lomas de Poleo community on the outskirts of Ciudad Juárez, on Dec. 4 demolition equipment was brought in—backed up by trucks full of henchmen with clubs, chains and rifles—to destroy the home of resident María Alvidres, who was away across the border in the US caring for an ill son. Resident Silvia Carrillo, who was looking after the house for Alvidres, returned from shopping to find the demolition underway. Residents say the gang was directed by Catarino Del Río, overseer for the brothers Pedro and Jorge Zaragoza Fuentes, local barons who claim the community's lands. Residents called the police, but none ever arrived; when they protested to Del Rio, they were threatened at rifle-point. The residents report they have formally complained to Juárez municipal, Chihuahua state and Mexican federal authorities, but believe the Zaragoza brothers have "total impunity." (Lomas de Poleo statement via Enlace Zapatista, Dec. 5)

Thirteen men were found Dec. 4 shot to death in northern Mexico's Sinaloa state. The bodies—lined up, face down, their hands bound, and mostly with execution-style coup de grace shots to the head—were discovered by local police some 600 meters from Highway 15 between the town of Coyotitlan and the coastal resort Mazatlán, in the pueblo of San Miguel, San Ignacio municipality. Some 80 spent shells were found nearby—and an abandoned truck with license plates indicating "Federal Public Service." The victims were all between 25 and 30, and all had military-type haircuts. Police say they have identified the men; they are from Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, and were transfered to Sinaloa in the truck.

The US government released the first $197 million of the $400 million "Plan Mexico" aid package Dec. 3. At a signing ceremony in Mexico City, US Ambassador Tony Garza called the package "the most significant effort ever undertaken" by the US and Mexico to fight drugs. "The governments of the United States and Mexico will continue fighting against the scourge of drugs and drug trafficking, but to be successful we will need support from people on both sides of the border," Garza told reporters. Carlos Rico, Mexico's undersecretary for North American affairs, expressed his confidence that the Barack Obama administration will remain committed to the program, and that any human rights concerns can be resolved.

Right-wing settlers furious at the Israeli army's eviction of the so-called House of Contention in Hebron invaded the northern West Bank city of Nablus Nov. 4, and set fire to fields and vehicles. Dozens were injured in Hebron as IDF troops evicted 13 families that were illegally occupying a house that belongs to a Palestinian family, enforcing an order from Israel's supreme court. The settlers also set fire to Palestinian homes in Hebron, and several were arrested by Israeli soldiers, who used tear gas to quell the riot. (Ma'an News Agency, Dec. 4)

For the first time since the 1973 Arab-Israeli war (at least), no Palestinians from the Gaza Strip are making the sacred annual pilgrimage to Mecca this year. Saudi Arabia, seeking to bolster the (Fatah) administration on the West Bank, asked it to compose a list of Palestinian pilgrims—4,000 from the West Bank and 2,200 from Gaza. Egypt opened its border with Gaza to allow the pilgrims out, and the West Bank residents left two weeks ago. But the Hamas administration in Gaza insisted on submitting its own list. When the Saudis said they would not grant visas to those on the Hamas list, Hamas set up checkpoints along the Egyptian border and barred passage to those on the other list.

In the wake of mass protests in Mumbai where many called for military action against Pakistan, marchers in Islamabad had their turn to chant slogans against India and the US Dec. 4, when thousands filled the streets to protest US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's visit to New Delhi. At the protest, led by the Islami Jamiat-e-Tulaba and Jammat-e-Islami, a favorite banner slogan was, "We are ready to sacrifice ourselves by launching Jihad against the enemies of our country." Many protesters claimed India itself planned the Mumbai attacks as a means of waging a war against Pakistan. (Press TV, Dec. 4)

Suicide bombings in Baghdad and Mosul took the lives of at least 32 Iraqis Nov. 1. The following day, three separate attacks in Mosul—two car bombs, including one at a crowded market, and an armed assault on Sunni Arab political leaders—left at least 11 dead and 41 injured. The attacks come amid a power struggle between Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki and the Kurdish regional government over al-Maliki's proposal to create new tribal councils that would answer to his government. Kurds are trying to expand their autonomous zone in the north, and Kurdish leaders fear the new councils could become local militias that the government could use against them in the north. (NYT, Dec. 3; DPA, Dec. 2; NYT, Dec. 1)

Thousands of people took to the streets of Mumbai Dec. 3 to demand India's leaders do more to protect them from terrorism in the wake of last week's attacks. A BBC reporter on the scene says many of the protesters called for military action against Pakistan. (AFP, BBC World Service, Dec. 4) Meanwhile, Muslims from Mumbai and several other Indian cities are preparing Dec. 8 demonstrations to oppose all those who spread terror in the name of Islam. In Mumbai, a silent vigil will be held at the scene of the attacks. The theme of the mobilization is "Killers of innocents are enemies of Islam." (Times of India, Dec. 4)