From the London Times, March 27:

US TROOPS were accused of killing up to 22 Iraqis yesterday after becoming embroiled in a fierce battle with a powerful Shia militia at a Baghdad mosque, The reported clash, the circumstances of which were disputed by US Forces, raised fears in Washington that America was being drawn into the growing sectarian violence.

On March 21 Dominican vice president Rafael Albuquerque, US ambassador Hans Hertell and a number of Dominican and US officers officially launched the "New Horizons 2006" Dominican-US joint military operation in the southwestern Dominican city of Barahona. The operation's stated goal is to build four rural health clinics and three wells in the area. According to US military spokesperson Robert Appin, a total of about 3,500 US troops will be taking part in "New Horizons" but no more than 450 will be in the Dominican Republic at any one time. The soldiers began to arrive in February and will leave at the end of May, Appin said.

Some 15,000 people marched along Mexico City's Reforma avenue on March 16 to protest water privatization plans as the representatives of 140 countries met nearby for the opening of the 4th World Water Forum. "Water isn't for sale and won't be sold," the marchers chanted, denouncing all three major Mexican political parties for water policies that "degrade and profit from the suffering of the people." In 1993 the then-ruling centrist Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) awarded a 30-year water concession in Cancun, Quintana Roo, to the French multinational now known as SUEZ, while the Federal District, governed by the center-left Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), recently signed a contract with the Mexican water bottler Bonafont, owned by the French multinational Groupe Danone. Mexican president Vicente Fox Quesada, of the center- right National Action Party (PAN), is the former head of Coca- Cola Mexico, which sells Agua Ciel brand bottled water. (Adital, March 17; Minga Informativa de Movimientos Sociales, March 22)

On March 17, the Heartland Alliance's Midwest Immigrant & Human Rights Center (MIHRC) filed a federal lawsuit against the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to obtain public information about detained immigrants and asylum seekers. MIHRC sued DHS after the government repeatedly failed to respond to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for information on compliance with detention standards, medical policies, and the names and locations of detention facilities contracted by DHS.

Between March 20 and 25, tens of thousands of immigrants demonstrated in cities and towns across the US to protest anti-immigrant legislation being considered by the Senate and to demand legalization for out-of-status immigrants. On March 20, some 1,200 immigrants and supporters rallied outside the statehouse in Trenton, NJ, to protest a proposal being considered by the US Congress which would apply tougher enforcement measures against out-of-status immigrants. Southern New Jersey coordinator Ramon Hernandez said more than 25 local businesses and farmers helped pay for buses to take people to the rally. (Home News Tribune Online, East Brunswick, March 21; Press of Atlantic City, March 21) On March 22, more than 200 immigrants and supporters marched in Providence, RI, to the office of Sen. Lincoln Chafee, asking him to support comprehensive immigration reform. (Eyewitnessnewstv.com, East Providence, March 22)

The Zapatista "Other Campaign" continues to advance through central Mexico. On March 20 in the Jalisco city of El Salto, Subcommander Marcos convened the first National Worker Encuentro, attended by dissidents from Mexico's official labor unions and what they called "neocharrismo"—including leaders of a recent strike at the local Euzkadi tire plant. (Charro is popular slang for Mexico's corrupt labor bosses.) Marcos called for a new labor opposition to Mexico's government, and to whichever party is elected in July's presidential race. (APRO, March 20)

Six meters is almost 20 feet. From The Guardian, March 25:

Half of Greenland and vast areas of Antarctica are destined to melt if global warming continues at the same pace until the end of the century, scientists warned on Thursday.

Tim Giago of the Native American Journalists Foundation writes for Native American Times March 20, online at Indianz.com:

When Governor Mike Rounds signed HB 1215 into law it effectively banned all abortions in the state with the exception that it did allow saving the mother's life. There were, however, no exceptions for victims of rape or incest. His actions, and the comments of State Senators like Bill Napoli of Rapid City, SD, set of a maelstrom of protests within the state.