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1. U.S. Builds Case For Iraq War on Thin Proof 
Top U.S. military advisers, international leaders, economists, and former United Nations weapons inspectors have criticized the Bush administration’s plan to topple Saddam Hussein’s regime by sending upwards of 250,000 troops into Iraq. 

Without widespread support, Bush has been desperately seeking a connection between Iraq and Al Queda or Sept. 11. A full-scale war could then be waged without Congressional or United Nations approval. And the U.S. would never have to prove that Iraq has biological, chemical or nuclear weapons. 

“The U.S. Department of Defense and the CIA know perfectly well that today’s Iraq poses no threat to anyone in the region, let alone in the United States. To argue otherwise is dishonest” says Hans von Sponeck, former UN humanitarian aid coordinator for Iraq. 


The Washington Post reported recently that the U.S. has not identified a “single factory or lab known to be actively producing [weapons of mass destruction].” 

But former CIA Director James Woolsey warned CBS News that Saddam Hussein “poses the same kind of threat to the United States that Hitler posed in Germany in the mid-1930s.” 

Economists are also concerned. The New York Times estimates that a rerun of the Gulf War would cost the U.S. $80 billion, roughly six times the $13 billion the U.S. spent on the Gulf War when Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Japan picked up most of the $60 billion tab. And if Hussein is overthrown, the Pentagon estimates 25,000 to 50,000 troops may be needed for a decade or more to maintain stability. 

Sharon, Bush, U.S Companies Sued for Atrocities in Israel Using U.S. Aid 
Solidarity International for Human Rights, a Palestinian-American organization, has filed a lawsuit against Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, President George Bush, Secretary of State Colin Powell and United States defense contractors. 

The suit, invoking the Arms Export Control Act of 1976, demands that the President and Secretary of State “cease providing military assistance to Israel until they have reported to Congress the misuse of American military assistance by Israel.” 

Attorney Stanley Cohen who filed the brief on behalf of 21 Palestenian-Americans, said the plaintiffs claims arise out of torture, killing, and destruction of property by and with the support of the Israeli and United States governments. 



2. “Duh, It’s Hot:” GLOBAL TEMPERATURES SET RECORD HIGHS 


The first six months of the year were the second-warmest ever and average global temperatures in 2002 could be the highest recorded in 150 years, according to the British Meteorological Office. 

Global temperatures were 1.03 Fahrenheit higher than the long-term average of about 59 Fahrenheit in the period from January to June. In the nearly 150 years since recording began, only in 1998 has the difference been higher, 1.08 Fahrenheit, and that was caused by the influence of the El Nino weather phenomenon. 
The figures also showed that the northern hemisphere had its warmest-ever half year, with temperatures 1.31 Fahrenheit above the long-term average. 



3. 35 Years of Human Rights Abuses? U.S. says OK 


The US is moving to reinstate ties with Indonesia’s armed forces, drawing sharp condemnation from human rights groups who challenge that the armed forces are still committing atrocities. Existing U.S. law cuts aid to the Indonesia military for its role in the devastation of East Timor, following its vote for independence in 1999. 

Visiting Indonesia on August 2, Secretary of State Colin Powell announced that the administration would seek $50 million from Congress to “strengthen Indonesia’s capacity to deal with terrorism.” This follows on the heels of a July vote by the Senate appropriations committee to remove the ban on military training. 

“This is a very dangerous move,” said Munir, the founder of Kontras, Indonesia’s most prominent human rights organization. Munir points to the army’s support for the brutal 32-year dictatorship of former President Suharto and the 1999 abuses in East Timor as evidence. Activists also denounce the security forces for resuming a bloody crackdown against separatists in Aceh province this year that has left hundreds of civilians dead. 

John Miller, spokesman for the New York-based East Timor Action Network says the move to restore military aid to Indonesia “effectively gives U.S. backing to continued gross violations of human rights.” 



4. Nigerian Women Rock Chevron Texaco 


Hundreds of unarmed Nigerian women lifted a siege of four key oil flow stations July 26 when ChevronTexaco agreed to provide more jobs, business loans, schools and hospitals for their communities. It marked the second time in less than two weeks that the world’s fourth largest oil company had bowed to the demands of local activists in the Niger Delta. 

The peaceful, all-woman protests were a departure for the oil-rich Niger Delta, where armed men frequently use kidnapping and sabotage against oil multinational companies. 

“History has been made,” Esther Tolar told the Associated Press. "Our culture is a patriarchal society. For women to come out like this and achieve what we have is out of the ordinary.” 



5. Berenson Trial Goes To International Court 


The Peruvian government has decided that an Organization of American States' court will decide the case of New Yorker Lori Berenson, according to Reuters. Berenson was arrested in 1995 under ousted President Alberto Fujimori's anti-terrorism laws and jailed in 1996 for her alleged association with the Marxist rebel group, the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement. 

The court, whose decision would be legally binding on member state Peru, could order her freed or retried in Peru. The government, however, says it has appointed lawyers "to defend the Peruvian state with the aim of ... obtaining a resolution favorable to the interests of Peru." 

"For this government to spend money to defend the illegal Fujimori laws is preposterous...Lori should be released immediately," said Berenson's mother, Rhoda.



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<P>International Briefs on 1. Iraq; 2. Global Warming; 3. US-Indonesia Relations; 4. Nigerian Protests; 5. Lori Berenson</P>
<P>From August 2002 Indypendent</P>
<P>1. U.S. Builds Case For Iraq War on Thin Proof <BR>Top U.S. military advisers, international leaders, economists, and former United Nations weapons inspectors have criticized the Bush administration’s plan to topple Saddam Hussein’s regime by sending upwards of 250,000 troops into Iraq. <BR><BR>Without widespread support, Bush has been desperately seeking a connection between Iraq and Al Queda or Sept. 11. A full-scale war could then be waged without Congressional or United Nations approval. And the U.S. would never have to prove that Iraq has biological, chemical or nuclear weapons. <BR><BR>“The U.S. Department of Defense and the CIA know perfectly well that today’s Iraq poses no threat to anyone in the region, let alone in the United States. To argue otherwise is dishonest” says Hans von Sponeck, former UN humanitarian aid coordinator for Iraq. <BR></P>
<P>The Washington Post reported recently that the U.S. has not identified a “single factory or lab known to be actively producing [weapons of mass destruction].” <BR><BR>But former CIA Director James Woolsey warned CBS News that Saddam Hussein “poses the same kind of threat to the United States that Hitler posed in Germany in the mid-1930s.” <BR><BR>Economists are also concerned. The New York Times estimates that a rerun of the Gulf War would cost the U.S. $80 billion, roughly six times the $13 billion the U.S. spent on the Gulf War when Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Japan picked up most of the $60 billion tab. And if Hussein is overthrown, the Pentagon estimates 25,000 to 50,000 troops may be needed for a decade or more to maintain stability. <BR><BR>Sharon, Bush, U.S Companies Sued for Atrocities in Israel Using U.S. Aid <BR>Solidarity International for Human Rights, a Palestinian-American organization, has filed a lawsuit against Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, President George Bush, Secretary of State Colin Powell and United States defense contractors. <BR><BR>The suit, invoking the Arms Export Control Act of 1976, demands that the President and Secretary of State “cease providing military assistance to Israel until they have reported to Congress the misuse of American military assistance by Israel.” <BR><BR>Attorney Stanley Cohen who filed the brief on behalf of 21 Palestenian-Americans, said the plaintiffs claims arise out of torture, killing, and destruction of property by and with the support of the Israeli and United States governments. <BR><BR></P>
<P>2. “Duh, It’s Hot:” GLOBAL TEMPERATURES SET RECORD HIGHS <BR></P>
<P>The first six months of the year were the second-warmest ever and average global temperatures in 2002 could be the highest recorded in 150 years, according to the British Meteorological Office. <BR><BR>Global temperatures were 1.03 Fahrenheit higher than the long-term average of about 59 Fahrenheit in the period from January to June. In the nearly 150 years since recording began, only in 1998 has the difference been higher, 1.08 Fahrenheit, and that was caused by the influence of the El Nino weather phenomenon. <BR>The figures also showed that the northern hemisphere had its warmest-ever half year, with temperatures 1.31 Fahrenheit above the long-term average. <BR><BR></P>
<P>3. 35 Years of Human Rights Abuses? U.S. says OK <BR></P>
<P>The US is moving to reinstate ties with Indonesia’s armed forces, drawing sharp condemnation from human rights groups who challenge that the armed forces are still committing atrocities. Existing U.S. law cuts aid to the Indonesia military for its role in the devastation of East Timor, following its vote for independence in 1999. <BR><BR>Visiting Indonesia on August 2, Secretary of State Colin Powell announced that the administration would seek $50 million from Congress to “strengthen Indonesia’s capacity to deal with terrorism.” This follows on the heels of a July vote by the Senate appropriations committee to remove the ban on military training. <BR><BR>“This is a very dangerous move,” said Munir, the founder of Kontras, Indonesia’s most prominent human rights organization. Munir points to the army’s support for the brutal 32-year dictatorship of former President Suharto and the 1999 abuses in East Timor as evidence. Activists also denounce the security forces for resuming a bloody crackdown against separatists in Aceh province this year that has left hundreds of civilians dead. <BR><BR>John Miller, spokesman for the New York-based East Timor Action Network says the move to restore military aid to Indonesia “effectively gives U.S. backing to continued gross violations of human rights.” <BR><BR></P>
<P>4. Nigerian Women Rock Chevron Texaco <BR></P>
<P>Hundreds of unarmed Nigerian women lifted a siege of four key oil flow stations July 26 when ChevronTexaco agreed to provide more jobs, business loans, schools and hospitals for their communities. It marked the second time in less than two weeks that the world’s fourth largest oil company had bowed to the demands of local activists in the Niger Delta. <BR><BR>The peaceful, all-woman protests were a departure for the oil-rich Niger Delta, where armed men frequently use kidnapping and sabotage against oil multinational companies. <BR><BR>“History has been made,” Esther Tolar told the Associated Press. "Our culture is a patriarchal society. For women to come out like this and achieve what we have is out of the ordinary.” <BR><BR></P>
<P>5. Berenson Trial Goes To International Court <BR></P>
<P>The Peruvian government has decided that an Organization of American States' court will decide the case of New Yorker Lori Berenson, according to Reuters. Berenson was arrested in 1995 under ousted President Alberto Fujimori's anti-terrorism laws and jailed in 1996 for her alleged association with the Marxist rebel group, the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement. <BR><BR>The court, whose decision would be legally binding on member state Peru, could order her freed or retried in Peru. The government, however, says it has appointed lawyers "to defend the Peruvian state with the aim of ... obtaining a resolution favorable to the interests of Peru." <BR><BR>"For this government to spend money to defend the illegal Fujimori laws is preposterous...Lori should be released immediately," said Berenson's mother, Rhoda.</P><p><br><hr size=1><b>Do You Yahoo!?</b><br>
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