Techniques that Peruvian military officers learned at the Georgia-based US Army School of the Americas were used in massacres carried out by the Colina Group paramilitary commando in the early 1990s, several former Colina members have confirmed at the trial of ex-president Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000). Fujimori is accused of ordering or approving a number of human rights violations during his administration, including the deaths of 25 people at Barrios Altos in 1991 and at La Cantuta University in 1992 in operations by the Colina Group. The techniques said to come from SOA manuals and classes included the use of clandestine graves and lime to bury the victims. According to the newspaper La Primera, the military officers who organized Peru's commandos and the counterinsurgent "dirty war" were trained at SOA, now known as the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC). (Prensa Latina, Feb. 8)

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad met with Tajikistan's President Emomali Rakhmon in the Tajik capital Dushanbe Feb. 13, where the leaders of the two Persian-speaking countries issued a joint statement saying they stand for a world without nuclear arms and support creation of nuclear-free zones. They also said they regard peaceful use of nuclear power as the legal right of every country. Tajikistan has been part of a Central Asian Nuclear-Free Zone since 2006.

From Human Rights Watch, Feb. 17:

The human devastation inflicted on Lebanon by Israel's illegal use of cluster munitions highlights the urgent need for an international treaty banning the weapon, Human Rights Watch said in releasing a report today. At a conference this week, more than 100 states will discuss a treaty to ban cluster munitions, a process prompted in part by Israel's cluster attacks on Lebanon in 2006.

From Human Rights Watch, Feb. 14:

King Abdullah should halt the execution of Fawza Falih and void her conviction for "witchcraft," Human Rights Watch said in a letter to the Saudi king.

Kosova's Parliament approved a declaration of independence Feb. 17. All 120 MPs were called for the extraordinary session, but only 109 were present—all the Serb MPs boycotting. Those present—all Albanian—voted unanimously for the declaration. The session was also attended by representatives of the US and EU. When the declaration was read by Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi, Kosova's capital Pristina erupted with fireworks and celebratory gunfire. Celebrations centered around a new monument to independence unveiled earlier in the day. Ethnic Albanians also staged loud celebrations in the Macedonian capital, Skopje, and at the EU and NATO headquarters in Brussels. But in the Serb-majority Kosovar town of Mitrovica, two hand grenades were thrown at a UN building and the new EU mission (the latter failing to explode).

Former IRA fugitive Pól Brennan will remain in the Homeland Security Department's Port Isabel Processing Center near Los Fresnos, TX, until at least March 11, after he was forced to ask a US immigration judge to postpone a hastily scheduled hearing so that his San Francisco-based lawyer could fly down to represent him. Brennan said he was only notified about the hearing scheduled for 9 AM Feb. 6 the previous night. Upon requesting the postponement, he was told he would have to wait over a month for another opportunity to request release on bail. (Irish Echo, Feb. 13)

Now why is it? When the question is posed (as it always is) in terms of supporting the war, it is absolutely mandatory that we all "support the troops." If Congress doesn't endlessly fund the military adventure, it is accused of betraying the troops. Those of us who want to bring the troops home, out of Iraq's killing fields and back to their loved ones, are by some twisted logic accused of "betraying the troops." Military websites like AmericaSupportsYou.mil urge citizens to do sacrifice-free things like send e-messages of encouragement to the troops—which then allows us to feel good about supporting a policy that keeps the troops in a situation where they are getting shot at and blown up by IEDs. But the people who are actually in a position of responsibility for getting the troops what they need to beat the odds of getting killed or maimed are allowed to totally screw over the troops. From AP, Feb. 17:

On Feb. 13, Mexico's El Economista reported that the Mexican Senate's Energy Commission, led by Juan Bueno Torio of President Felipe Calderón's conservative National Action Party (PAN), has called for a "special program of private investment" for Pemex, the state oil monopoly. While Bueno Torio emphasized "Pemex will not be privatized," he said new investments were needed to meet Mexico's growing energy demands.