The Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas Human Rights Center (Frayba) in Chiapas reports that it has received a document prepared by the Mexican government for the Inter-American Human Rights Commission (CIDH) concerning the November 13, 2006 slaying of four peasants at the jungle community of Viejo Velasco Suárez. The document acknowledges that some 300 Chiapas state police were mobilized to Viejo Velasco on the day of the massacre. While the document fails to make clear whether the troops were dispatched before or after the attack, Frayba says this corroborates the claims of witnesses that the killers—a band of 40 masked men in civilian clothes—were backed up by hundreds of uniformed men with high-caliber rifles, some also wearing masks, who followed close behind. (Frayba, June 5)

The government of Mexican President Felipe Calderón has issued a formal request to the US Congress for a huge increase in military aid to combat narco-gangs. The request came in a recent US-Mexico Inter-Parliamentary Meeting held in Austin, TX, and was revealed to the Mexican daily La Jornada by Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-TX), leader of the House Intelligence Committee. La Jornada called the request a "Plan Colombia" for Mexico, although without an actual US military troop presence. (La Jornada, June 8)

The trial began June 8 of 26 Americans and six Italians who stand accused in absentia in Italy of kidnapping an Egyptian terror suspect [Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr AKA Abu Omar], and dispatching him to Egypt, where he is said to have been tortured. Most of the Americans in the "extraordinary rendition" proceedings are thought to be CIA agents. Italy has not said whether it will seek the suspects' extradition to the Milan trial, yet Washington has already refused to do so. [BBC, June 8]

International arms dealer Monzer al-Kassar was arrested by Spanish police June 7 after a federal indictment was issued against him in New York for conspiring to support terrorists and kill US soldiers. US officials said undercover agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had convinced al-Kassar that they represented the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a guerilla army classified by the US State Department as a terrorist group.

Arnaldo Otegi, the leader of banned Basque separatist party Batasuna, has been arrested in northern Spain, charged with glorifying terrorism; he is to serve a 15-month sentence. Batasuna is closely linked with Basque separatists ETA, who ended a 15-month cease-fire on June 6. [The Supreme Court had rejected Otegi's appeal of a conviction and 15-month sentence handed down last year.] [EITB24, June 8]

From Long Island Press, June 8:

Teen Drives Into Sunrise Mall
On June 7, an Amityville teen was arrested for reportedly driving a car into the main entrance of Sunrise Mall at around 7 p.m.

The headquarters of the Iraq Freedom Congress, a civil anti-occupation coalition, were raided by US troops June 7. The premises were damaged when the soldiers forced down the door, and five of the office's guards were arrested and their weapons confiscated. Documents were also seized in the raid.

Protesters dodged the massive police presence at the G8 summit in Heiligendamm again June 7, blockading a road leading to the summit site. Thousands of demonstrators had spent the night in the no-demonstration zone within a kilometer of the security fence. The words "Evil Empire!!!!" were taped to a road sign that pointed the way to Heiligendamm. Meanwhile, sea-borne Greenpeace activists leading officers on a boat chase in the Baltic. One boatload of protesters spilled into the Baltic after colliding with their pursuers. (AP, June 7) In nearby Rostock, a "clown bloc" marched, mocking police and official paranoia about anarchist "black blocs." (Infoshop, June 5) Polish activists staged an occupation of a train after being refused entry into Germany. After anti-terrorist squads were brought in, police gave the activists half an hour to leave, and the occupation ended. (A-Infos, June 6)