[Onthebarricades] On the Barricades - ASIA - part 1

Mon Apr 4 04:21:08 PDT 2005

KASHMIR:  Protests mark elections in Kashmir - protesters clash with police

A general shutdown is observed in many areas

In Srinagar, six people were injured and two arrested during clashes

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/subcontinent/2005/February/subcontinent_February108.xml&section=subcontinent

Mass protests mark anniversary of independence leader's slaying

Protesters staged a shutdown, set up blockades on the roads and fought security forces

Hundreds burnt tyres and threw stones during the protests

http://news.newkerala.com/india-news/?action=fullnews&id=70749

Massive protests in Pulwama against torture of locals

http://www.kashar.net/kashmir/compleat.asp?id=1208

Matribugh villagers protest against 72-hour search operation

Protesters resisted attempts to herd them into a stadium, and soldiers attacked with lathi and fired in the air

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1039497.cms

Teachers wear badges in contract protest

http://www.greaterkashmir.com/full_story.asp?ItemID=557&cat=6

More protests over deaths in custody in Kupwara; bandh also held

http://www.kashar.net/kashmir/compleat.asp?id=1359

Further protests in Pulwana also - protesters clash with police after extrajudicial execution

http://www.kashar.net/kashmir/compleat.asp?id=1326

Massive police brutality protest in remote village

http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily/news/features.php?action=fullnews&id=84541

http://www.kashar.net/kashmir/compleat.asp?id=1208

Protests in northern Kashmir over molestation of women

http://www.kashar.net/kashmir/compleat.asp?id=1191

Youth workers protest backdoor appointments

http://www.greaterkashmir.com/full_story.asp?ItemID=1797&cat=6

MANIPUR:  Students storm admin building and break windows in protest over exam timetable

http://www.kanglaonline.com/index.php?template=headline&newsid=22448&typeid=2

Mass meeting held to continue AFSPA agitation

http://www.e-pao.net/epRelatedNews.asp?heading=6&src=110205

Students protest over non-availability of textbooks

http://www.e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=5.15.100205.feb05

Civil servants stage indefinite strike over corruption crackdown

http://www.e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=14.14.090205.feb05

Women launch hunger strike to protest land grab
http://www.kanglaonline.com/index.php?template=headline&newsid=22622&typeid=2

Journalists strike, protest over Meitei-only call

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050313/asp/northeast/story_4485999.asp

12. Suicide bid by student leader foiled in Manipur
>From A Correspondent
IMPHAL, Jan 23 â?" A suicide bid by the president of the All Manipur Vocational Studentsâ?T Union, (AMVSU) was foiled by the security guards of the Chief Minister at his official gate here on Saturday. M Premier Singh, president, AMVSU set afire his trouser and tried to forcibly enter the gate of the Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh on Saturday afternoon. But the security guards of the Chief Minister came out and foiled the attempt. The student leader sustained burn injuries on his legs.  The Union which had started agitation since December 17 with several demands and called off the agitation following an agreement with the Government has resumed its agitation to protest the State Governmentâ?Ts failure to honour the earlier agreement. It may be mentioned that classes of vocational institutes remained closed since Thursday following indefinite cease work strike launched by the Vocational Education Employees' Association.  On January 6 last, the AMVSU had withdrawn its agitation after an agreement in a meeting with State Education Minister Francis Ngajokpa. During the meeting, Francis Ngajokpa agreed to take up immediate action for intensification of classes of vocational education for students in order to complete the syllabus, assessment of training raw materials requirements and immediate supply, assessment in evaluation of training equipments for vocational trades, rationalization of vocational teaching staff and placement of vocational teachers in schools where there are no teachers and review of class room requirements and furniture.  The Minister also agreed to refer the matter to the State Council of Vocational Education or any appropriate committee at the earliest to formulate line of action for vocational education.  The Union general secretary Kh Bedakumari said the vocational students are facing a lot of difficulties in their study due to lack of subject teachers and required infrastructure like laboratory equipment, etc.  Moreover, there is no scope for higher studies in the State once the students passed their class XII, he pointed out. As per the guidelines of National Education Policy, 1986, State Council of Educational Research and Training has started vocational courses in some schools of the State since the academic session 1996-1997 with Central sponsorship. But all these schools offering the courses do not have any of the basic required infrastructures, he said. The students' body also expressed strong reservation against the attitude of the Director of SCERT when the aggrieved students went to present their case to him.
http://assamtribune.com/

11. Manipur tribal students, teachers threaten stir from Jan 28
>From A Correspondent

IMPHAL, Jan 23 â?" Tribal students and teachers demanding various welfare measures for them have threatened to launch State-wide agitations from January 28. Strongly opposing appointment of non-locals as assistant teachers under Autonomous
District Council, Chandel, the tribal studentsâ?T bodies of Chandel district, in a joint memorandum to Tribal Development Minister on January 11 contended that appointment of non-locals is against the provisions given in the State Gazette and it would not be
tolerated by the student community.  The memorandum said that out of 144 assistant teachers to be appointed, ninety five candidates of the post are non-local.  Demanding that these non-local appointees should be replaced by the local candidates, the students' body warned of launching various forms of agitation if the matter is not resolved by
the Govt within January 29. The students' bodies included Mongsang Naga Students' Union, Moyon Naga Studentsâ?T Union, Lamkang Naga Students' Union and Anal Naga Students Union.  Meanwhile, All Manipur Autonomous District Council Adhoc Teachers' Association decried alleged discrimination and gross negligence on the part of the State Government towards the grievances of adhoc teachers working in various schools under Autonomous District Council.  In a memorandum to Chief Minister, the association rued that even after six months of appointment, the teachers have been left in the lurch and not given their salaries. Since the appointments have been made by the State Government, inspite of some flaw in the process, it is the duty of the Government to protect the rights of the teachers and regularized their services, the memorandum said, adding that the Government has no right to play games with the life of the teachers. The aggrieved adhoc teachers also warned of taking up agitation if Government do not act positively and take up remedial measures within January 28.
http://assamtribune.com/

PALESTINE/ISRAEL: Arab and leftist students disrupt demo in racism protest
http://www.enrager.net/newswire/stories.php?story=05/03/26/8326777

PALESTINE:  Political prisoners go on hunger strike to protest summit, demand release

http://www.keralanext.com/news/indexread.asp?id=110088

Journalists protest against attacks by gunmen on their colleagues

http://www.ipc.gov.ps/ipc_new/english/details.asp?name=2674

Demo in Bethlehem against occupation and border closures
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/03/307255.html

March for release of prisoners
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/03/306050.html

Protests against wall near Ariel

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1106623162490

Israeli soldiers attack Safaa village anti-wall demo

http://english.wafa.ps/body.asp?field=Enews&id=2243

Saffa demonstration against the wall
https://israel.indymedia.org/newswire/display/2716/index.php

Bethlehem demo

http://www.bethlehemghetto.blogspot.com/

Demonstration on Palm Sunday by Palestinian Christians

http://www.donnainpalestine.photosite.com/PalmSunday/

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4289454

http://www.palsolidarity.org/DesktopModules/Articles/ArticlesView.aspx?tabID=0&alias=Rainbow&lang=en-US&ItemID=838&mid=10618

http://www.palsolidarity.org/DesktopModules/Articles/ArticlesView.aspx?tabID=0&alias=Rainbow&lang=en-US&ItemID=840&mid=10618

Children of Bil'in and Israeli anarchists protest the wall

http://www.palsolidarity.org/DesktopModules/Articles/ArticlesView.aspx?tabID=0&alias=Rainbow&lang=en-US&ItemID=837&mid=10618

http://english.wafa.ps/body.asp?field=Enews&id=2258

Clashes in Bilin - Israeli officer caught on tape inciting stone-throwing

http://www.imemc.org/headlines/2005/mar/week4/032605/border-police.htm

Soldiers attack Bilin wall protests, torch Palestinian home

http://imemc2.thinkhost.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9666&Itemid=1

WALL TORN DOWN IN BUDRUS!!!

http://www.palsolidarity.org/DesktopModules/Articles/ArticlesView.aspx?tabID=0&alias=Rainbow&lang=en-US&ItemID=829&mid=10618
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=107&ItemID=7463

Pictures of wall being torn down

http://www.palsolidarity.org/DesktopModules/Pictures/PictureView.aspx?tabID=0&alias=Rainbow&lang=en-US&ItemID=365&mid=10439&wversion=Staging

http://www.palsolidarity.org/DesktopModules/Pictures/PictureView.aspx?tabID=0&alias=Rainbow&lang=en-US&ItemID=366&mid=10439&wversion=Staging

Wall targeted in Saffa, Deir Balut - villagers stop bulldozers

http://www.labournet.net/world/0503/ispa1.html

Anti-wall protests in Jayyous

http://www.newsandletters.org/Issues/2005/Jan-Feb/Palestine_Jan-Feb05.htm

Nazareth Chistians protest over alleged sale of Jerusalem land by Christian patriarch

http://www.imemc.org/headlines/2005/mar/week4/032605/nazareth-protest.htm

Soldiers shoot at wall protesters in Surif, near Hebron

http://imemc2.thinkhost.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9859&Itemid=1

Ramallah youths march to oppose the wall and "unilateral Israeli policies"

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/050317/2005031739.html

Baqa protests on both sides of the wall lead to clashes - villagers defy ghettoisation

http://stopthewall.org/latestnews/887.shtml

Sarif - soldiers fire on wall demo, three wounded

http://imemc2.thinkhost.net/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=9859&Itemid=2

Al-Aqsa Brigades demonstrate angrily after expulsion from office

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1514&ncid=1312&e=8&u=/afp/20050331/wl_mideast_afp/mideastpalestiniansaqsa_050331054929

Protest at checkpoint near Nablus, organised by students

http://imemc2.thinkhost.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9933&Itemid=1

Villagers blockade wall-building in Saffa near Ramallah - six injured as soldiers attack

http://www.womenspeacepalestine.org/en/articles/article.php?id=672

Student Prisoners in 'Administrative Detention' on Strike
18 January 2005
Over 800 Palestinian administrative detainees, held in Israeli military detention centers, are on strike against the illegality of prolonged detentions without charge or trial. The strike against the Israeli Occupation's military legal system began 1 month ago, on 19 December 2004. The striking prisoners are refusing to take part in any military court proceedings, until the Israeli military authorities meet their demand that prisoners should be either charged or released after the maximum 6 month period of 'administrative detention' has expired.  Even according to Israeli law, orders for administrative detention -imprisonment without charge or trial - cannot be for more than a maximum of 6 months. In reality, detention orders are repeatedly extended so that many prisoners, including student and child prisoners, have been held in administrative detention for years. Khader Raddad, a student of Civil Engineering at Birzeit University, has been imprisoned without charge, trial, or access to any information relating to his case for over two years. Khader is being held in Keseot (Naqab) military detention center, where 782 out of the total 869 Palestinian prisoners in administrative detention are currently held: 18 have been held in administrative detention for over two-and-a-half years 100 have been held in administrative detention for over one-and-a-half years 148 have had their administrative detention orders extended more than once 15 are child prisoners (under 18 years old) There are currently 76 Birzeit University student prisoners, 11 of them are being held without charge in administrative detention, and two-thirds of them have not been to trial. The Right to Education Campaign at Birzeit University condemns the use of administrative detention outright and demands the release of Khader Raddad and other prisoners who have been arrested and imprisoned in contravention of international law.

Budrus tears down the Wall! 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
11 March 2005

[Budrus, Ramallah] In response to an unprovoked military invasion in 
the West Bank village of Budrus, villagers, who have been struggling 
against the Wall for more than one year, tore down pieces of the 
Separation Fence which is built on their land. 

During a wedding celebration early Friday afternoon in Budrus, 
Israeli military and border police jeeps invaded the village and 
fired sound bombs, tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition 
inside the village. Israeli military and border police jeeps left 
the village after arresting 25 year old Hasan Mohammed Awad and 
wounding three Palestinians with rubber bullets. 

After the military left the village through the gate in the fence, 
villagers followed and forced the gate open. They then damaged 
several dozen meters of the structure while shouting "No to the 
fence! Yes to peace!"

Budrus has held over 50 demonstrations against the Wall in the past 
year and a half. If the Wall is completed in the Western Ramallah 
area, 25,000 Palestinians in eight villages will be completely 
surrounded with no access to hospitals, places of employment and 
higher education.  

International and Israeli activists are sleeping in the village in 
solidarity with the people of Budrus and as witnesses in the event 
of military retaliation for today's nonviolent action of tearing 
down the fence.

Palestinian Youth Arrested in Demonstration against the Wall
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday March 3, 2005

Today in the village of Beit Surik in northwest Jerusalem, Israeli
undercover agents beat and arrested five Palestinian youth during a
demonstration against the Wall. The youth were taken from Beit Surik
to Givat Zeev early Thursday afternoon. One of the five youth was
released. The other four are being held in Kfar Etzion juvenile jail
and have a trial scheduled for Sunday at Ofer military court.

Ahmad Suleiman Sheikh 14 years old
Muntaser Najib Al Jamal 12 years old
Mustafa Mohammed Khaled 13years old
Amjad Ghazi Ahmad Sheikh 14years old

This is the fourth consecutive day that Israeli `special forces'
disguised as Palestinians have infiltrated the demonstrations against
the Wall in Beit Surik. Yesterday two Palestinians were arrested and
later released. On Monday, Israeli undercover agents arrested six
Palestinians including the mayor of Beit Surik, Mohammed Kandil, while
he and other Palestinians from the village tried to prevent the
destruction of their lands. 

Mohammed Kandil has been held in Israeli police custody since his
arrest. He had a hearing in Ofer military court today to determine the
conditions for his release until his hearing which will begin on
Sunday. Mohammed has been accused of assaulting a police officer. The
judge agreed to release Kandil to house arrest on 12,000NIS cash bail
until his hearing. The prosecution has 24 hours to appeal the judge's
decision. Kandil's son Mustafa Mohammed Khaled is one of the youth
being held in Kfar Etzion.

PALESTINE:  BIL'IN
Friday, 11th March, another joint demo of palestinians and Israeli activists. The demo in Bil'in (near upper Modiin) - like the others of its kind, is against the Israeli state robbery of the villagers fields and orchards for expanding the Israeli settlement Mtityahu and against the apartheid fence which separate the villages from the fields and put them in getos. About 200 participated in the demo - Palestinians, Israelis and internationalists, who arrived at the building site in order to stop the works. Private security personal of the site threatened to shoot the demonstrators with live bullets. Military forces that arrived attacked the demonstrators with tear-gas and shock grenades. about 4 palestinians and one Israeli were injured. While escaping from the military assault, one Palestinian was injured and then was hit and kicked by female border guard soldiers and arrested by them.  During the dispersing the demonstration, the army entered as usually the village with the usual terror activities.

At the time of the demonstration, Israeli electronic media reported: "Demonstrations against the fence near Modiin. At the building site, members of the Anarchists Against The Fence are confronting the army, which responds with tear gas grenades"  The demonstration began at around 11, at the village of bil'in. this is the first women's protest the village has organised, altought it seemed to have been organised by the men in the village. about 40 women and school girls of the village of Bil'in, accompanied by 6 israelis and international women, and about 10 men from the village started making the way towards the buldozers, with the girls chanting: "no to the apartheid wall", aand "stop the occupation". the demonstrators were stopped about 100 meters from where the soldiers were, and stood there while the men from the village negotiated with the army. they were finally "allowed" to continue up the hill to a certain point whichover looked the buldozers. it was decided with threats from the Magav not to try and reach the buldozers. after a while the protests returned to the village. according to the border police, this is the last protest they will "allow", and next time they will put a curfew on the village. after the protests dispersed, the Shabab threw stones, and the Magav were trying to provoc more violence by advancing towards the village and shooting teargas and sound grenades.
Kerem

SAFFA
Yesterday Media reported 5 demonstrators injured among them one "Israeli". To day, 3 demonstrators lightly injured, in yet another demonstration against the apartheid wall in the village of Saffa. At around 9:30 around 40 palestinians, 3 iwps women, and 5 israelis who joined them, sat on the path which the buldozer had already worked on. After about
half and hour, the villagers walked up to where the buldozer was working, guarded by soldiers, border police and civilian police. The demonstrators did not listen to the army's order to stop and walked right up to them. after less than 5 minuted the soldiers began with a shower of concussion grenades and the demonstrators ran downhill. 2 elderly palestinians were injured, and one israeli who was hit by the soldiers.  The army continued throwing tear gas further back, one which was thrown into the ambulance.  The demonstrators then sat further down the hill, for a few more hours, the Palestinian men held their prayers on the land, and lunch was handed out. there is also a settlement being built on the hill near the village. Israelis left at around 1pm. but the palestinians stayed after.  Fifty high school seniors demonstrated Tuesday at the army's central induction center in support of two youths who intend to refuse to be drafted. The draft resisters, Alex Kohn and Eyal Barmai, were to be part of a group of new draftees in be inducted on Tuesday. They intend to tell the Israel Defense Forces that they will not participate in what they view as an oppressive occupation of the Palestinians. Along with Kohn and Barmai, the protestors signed a letter urging refusal to serve in the IDF, and supporting conscientious objectors already in military prison. "I will give the officers a letter I prepared, and let them know I have no intention of aiding the occupation," said Kohn. "I know that by the end of the day I will be in prison."  He does not care if he receives a non-combatant job in the military, he said. "Every job in the occupation army gives legitimacy to the army's actions in the territories," he said. "If they were to propose civil service in place of military service, I would be happy to give to society." He noted that his parents do not agree with his views, but respect his decision. Shomri Tzameret, 21, is a veteran draft resister. Along with five others, he spent nearly two years in prison for refusal to serve, and was released six months ago. He arrived on Tuesday to encourage the younger generation continuing his path.  "I admire their initiative," he said. "The hard thing is the morning. They will wake up each morning and remind themselves why they did this. Every morning they sit there they shorten the occupation and reduce the deaths on both sides."  About 250 teenagers signed the 12th-graders' letter, which they mailed a week ago to the prime minister, the defense minister, the chief of staff, and the minister of education. The letter calls for all teenagers called up for the draft, and all Israeli soldiers, "to consider afresh if you will risk your life and take part in a policy of subjugation and destruction."  "The current policy is not a result of security requirements, but rather of a nationalist, messianic worldview," the letter continues. "Israel is wasting its resources on conducting and occupation and oppression in the occupied territories, at a time when hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens live in shameful poverty. In recent years, citizens have seen a deterioriation in all public institutions: education, health care, infrastructure, pensions ... They are neglected for the sake of the settlements' continued existence." The teenagers asked for an alternative means to help society, one "which does not include hurting people."

SAFFA
Media: "Two border policeman were injured during the
demonstrations of the anarchist activists and leftist
activists near the village Safa not far from Modi'in
heights[settlement - Tr.]. It was reported that 20
demonstrators were hurt from inhaling smoke and other
three from rubber [coated metal] bullets. Three adults
who were injured were taken to hospital for medical
treatment. The demonstrators protest the separation
fence".
> Participant: "The pece reported in the media have
not arrived to the village Safa.
The first demonstration against the fence at the
village Safa - on its land was built
the settlement Kiryat Sefer. At the morning, we were
told that the demonstration
at Bil'in - where the last few days was the location
of demonstrations against
the fence, was canceled as the supreme court issued a
5 days stay on the fence building.

We continued to the near by village Safa arriving
there at 9:00. Safa have 4000 inhabitants, nice view
with green vegetation all around and plenty of olive
trees. The route of the fence at this region annex to
Israel 90% of the lands of the village. The
destruction is revealed... in front of our eyes the
bulldozers work in full speed and uprooting tens of
trees - while few tens villagers stand and see to
their distress the continuing destruction. A band of
soldiers of the border police advanced towards us with
an officer named Oren Tibi at their head who appeared
to be very aggressive. He yelled on the demonstrators
to go away but with out waiting for response started
to throw shock grenades. The demonstrators climbed on
a near by hill with view on the working bulldozers...
Youth from the village approached the site and as a
response the border police applied again the
"demonstration dispersing means" - teargas grenades,
shock grenades batons, and rubber coated bullets. The
efforts to remind the soldiers the talks between
Sharon and Abu Mazan, and the cease fire found deaf
ears.

The village elders tried to talk to the soldiers and
convince them to stop the works
as they have already apply to the supreme court - but
failed. The uprooting of the trees
continued and so the demonstration. The demonstration
continued some times quieter, some times a wave of
violence of the soldiers using the same means, with
out caring for the female demonstrators whom they push
violently. At that stage it was impossible to convince
the youngsters to refrain from stones throwing -
resulting with easy finger of the soldiers on the
trigger and the results: 26 injured, 6 of whom were
taken to the hospital in Ramala. At the evening, the
supreme court decided to expand the temporary stay to
include the works on the lands of Safa.  To the
villagers their trees were uprooted that day it was
too late.
Pictures and the Hebrew original at:
https://israel.indymedia.org/feature/display/2313/index.php

RAFAT & DIR BALUT
The fence continue to devour trees and fields. Inhabitants of the villages Rafat and Dir Balut did a quiet demonstration but encountered tear gas and shock grenades. On Friday, 25.2.05, about 200 of the inhabitants of Rafat and Dir Balut in the Rafat village. They were joined by few tens of Israeli and international activists. The fence robe in this region about 70% of the lands of the two villages. At about 10:00 started a march from the village towards the building site of the fence - a distance of about 2 kilometer, in a path
along the village olive trees orchards - towards the bulldozers. At about one kilometer from the building site, the marchers encountered army forces who shoot them gas canisters in an effort to block the advance of the demo.  The demonstrators insist in continuing the march forwards and the shock and gas grenades do not deter them.... but the repeated shooting succeed to block the march from arriving to Dir Balut. The demonstrators stood for a while on a hill from where they can see the bulldozers. There were carried speeches - including by Abu Firas the mayor of the Dir Balut municipality, who talked in Hebrew to the soldiers. He talked about the lands taken from them at 1948 - on which is built the Israeli town Rosh Ha'ain. He asked the soldiers why they want to rob the remaining lands. He ask them how there will be peace and what sense there is in all the talks if at the same time they continue in uprooting trees, to separate between the villagers and their fields and harming the demonstrators who protest that. When the speeches were ended, the villagers males organized in lines for prayers on their fields. At the end of the prayer, the demonstrators who were blocked from arriving to Dir Balut started to march back towards Rafat. The commander of the army power, marching at the head of his soldiers kept minimal distance from the retreating demonstrators trying to provoke a confrontation and stone throwing to show his mighty force.... When he failed, he lead his 10 cars in a wild driving into the village showing off with horn blowing and sirens. Shay
Pictures at
https://israel.indymedia.org/newswire/display/2344/index.php

ANARCHISTS AGAINST THE WALL
The Tel Aviv-based Anarchists Against the Wall had a busy week. The following account was provided by organizer Yonathan Polak. "At Bila'in the bulldozers are working quite close to the village houses, about four or five kilometers from the Green Line (pre-'67 border). Not that this is the decisive factor for us, we would protest even if the Wall was being built on the Green Line itself, since we oppose the whole idea of erecting walls to separate people from each other. Anyway, Bila'in and its neighbor Safa to the south are
suffering very much from settlement expansion. There is the big settlement-town of
Kiryat Sefer inhabited by ultra-Orthodox, and another settlement called "Menora" which is supposed to be an extension of a third settlement called "Mattityahu" - not that these names make much of a difference to the Palestinians whose land is taken.  What matters is that this settlement complex is fast expanding and swallowing more and more land. They build about 300 new housing units per year, and now the Wall is being built according to the settlement municipal boundary - that is, to enclose the territory which is earmarked for further expansion.  There were some media reports of "violent clashes" where we had been, especially at Bila'in. Actually it was not much more than what we are used to in such struggles. There were some three hundred villagers, joined by ourselves - about five Israelis and some internationals - marching from the village center. When we came close the soldiers formed a line to block us. When we went
on walking, they used tear gas and rubber bullets - no live ammunition on this occasion. We were not able to really block the bulldozers - the last time we succeeded in that was at Iskaka a few weeks ago, that was a great day. (Iskaka is much deeper in, near the giant settlement of Ariel, work there is now frozen by a court order but this week the army presented confiscation orders at Marda which is in the same region).  Altogether, we had this week two demonstrations at Bila'in and one in Safa. At one of those in Bila'in the army and police caught Einat Podhorni, she did not run fast enough when they started chasing us. She spent a night at the Russian Compound Detention Center in Jerusalem, some of the fellows in Jerusalem organized a late-night solidarity picket outside. On the morning she was set free on condition that she does not come back in 21 days. Then, on Tuesday the Bila'in villagers got a temporary injunction to stop the work until next week. I am not sure of the legal details. Yesterday (Friday, Feb 25.) we had a bigger Israeli presence at Raf'at which is further to the north (not far from Mes'ha where the big anti-Wall campaign started). At Raf'at there were some 15 of us and 15 of Ta'ayush, we joined up with the villagers and managed to walk quite far. Only when we were quite close to the bulldozers the army succeeded in stopping us, they had to bring up quite big forces to prevent us from getting nearer.
Contact: Yonathan Polak <cat-A-squat.net>

DEIR BALUT
About 300 people from the village Dir Ballet and other villages of the region, together with Israeli and "International" activists participated in a demo against the fence at Dir Balut. The villages Dir Balut, Rafa, and Z'awia are located at the base of a "finger" that will be annexed to Israel to connect Ariel settler city [And cut the Palestinian territories to fragments.] Inhabitants of the villages and the Israeli and foreign activists converged at the center of the village Dir Balut and around 11:00 the demonstration march started. "Three kilometer march bring us to the fence building site. Though since July 2004 stay of the works, the rote was changed a bit, still 70% of the villages fields will be on the other side of the fence when completed. The march include old folks and children as well. The going towards the bulldozers is not simple. There is no clear path and there is need to jump between rocks. The view is wonderful. The fence pass in a green ravine with Spring flowers of all colors all around. The ugliness created by the fence is just unbearable.  Because of the rough topography, the demonstrators scatter all around the hill that border on the ravine the works are done in. Part of the demonstrators call towards the soldiers, some are arranging a prayer, and part - mainly children and the youngsters throw stones in the direction of the Border Police located in the too far ravine.  The Border Police reply with shots of tear gas canisters.... but the wind (and justice) Cray it back towards them. Around 14:00 we start to return to the village as it is Friday and late regretfully we [the Israelis] have to sadly decline the invitation to a meal as we have to catch the last buss home.

Palestinians injured, Israeli and international activists detained
after nonviolent demonstration in Hebron

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 1, 2005

[Hebron, West Bank] In the West Bank village of Khallet Al-Dar in the
Qalqas area of Hebron, hundreds of Palestinians with the support of
international and Israeli activists prevented Israeli bulldozers from
continuing construction of an illegal bypass road. Today's protest was
an effort to plant trees in the location where over 300 trees were
uprooted on Sunday, January 30.

Two Palestinians were injured during the nonviolent demonstration, one
of whom was hospitalized after Israeli soldiers forcefully pushed him
to the ground. One Canadian activist with the International Solidarity
Movement (ISM) was hit by Israeli soldiers in the head with the butt
of a rifle and then punched in the face. Israeli soldiers launched
tear gas and sound bombs. A number of Palestinians were treated for
respiratory problems as a result. 

The Israeli military detained two ISM volunteers from Britain and
Canada and five Israelis from the Anarchists against the Wall. They
were brought to the Hebron central police station where they have been
held and interrogated since 2pm. The two ISM volunteers were released
at 8pm on the condition that they not return to the area for two
weeks. One Israeli minor has been charged with assaulting a police
officer and is still being detained. The remaining four Israelis were
offered to be released but have chosen to remain in police custody in
solidarity with the Israeli minor until his release. Today's assault
on peaceful protests continues the Israeli authorities' campaign
against nonviolent Palestinian, Israeli and international activists. 

In the Hebron district alone there are more than 120 kilometers of
bypass roads connecting the Israeli settlements with one other and
with Israel. All Israeli settlements are considered illegal under
international law. If built, the new road will connect the two illegal
Israeli settlements of Kiryat Arba and Hagai. In effect these roads
carve up the Palestinian areas into isolated ghettos.

PALESTINE

3 April, 2005
Israeli Hospitalized After West Bank Protest + Demonstration Tonight 

Israeli activist, Jonathan Pollack, was hospitalized today after being
hit in the head by a tear gas canister when Israeli soldiers fired at
an anti-Wall demonstration in the Ramallah region village of Bil'in.
Jonathan is currently in Tel Hashomer hospital in Tel Aviv.

In these demonstrations it is common practice for Israeli soldiers to
shoot tear gas canisters directly at demonstrators as opposed to
shooting the canister into the air.

Despite indications of reviving the Road Map, which requires a freeze
on Israeli settlement growth, the route of the Wall near Bil'in has
been specifically designed to incorporate the new construction of the
settlement of Menorah in addition to the existing settlement of Kiryat
Sefer.

This evening, April 3, 2005 at 7:30 there will be a demonstration in
front of the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv, protesting the tactics
the Israeli military uses in it's attempts to silence dissent against
the Wall.

February 20, 2005

Bil'in Residents Won't Stop Untill They Tear Down The Wall!

Tomorrow morning, Palestinians from the village of Bil'in, located
west of Ramallah, will continue in their attempts to halt the 
construction of Israel's Apartheid wall on their land.

This morning 150 Palestinian, Israeli and international participants 
marched peacefully to the construction site of the wall, and were 
confronted by armed Israeli soldiers .the demonstrators held thier 
ground and were attacked wth wooden clubs, sound bombs, and tear 
gas. Two Israeli activists were arrested.

Tomorrow they will return in much greater numbers.

The demonstration will begin at 9:00am at the mosque in Bil'in.

Villagers will march with activists from the International 
Solidarity Movement and Anarchists Against the Wall in an attempt to 
halt the wall's construction.

 The route of the wall in the Bil'in area is being determined by
blueprints for a new Israeli settlement, M'nura, which is being 
built as an extension of the Kiryat Sefer settlement. Both of which 
are illegal under international law.

TREES ARE BEING UPROOTED, RESIDENTS ATTEMPTING TO INTERVENE

A private Israeli company working near the village of Bil'in, in the 
western Ramallah area, is in the process of uprooting over 80 olive 
trees from the villagers' land now located on the western side of 
Israel's Separation Barrier.

The company, Dachporai Hadikaa, has already taken away by truck over 
40 trees that they uprooted. The truck carrying the uprooted trees 
was seen entering the Kiriyat Sefer settlement. Another 40 trees lay 
uprooted on the ground.

Through their lawyer, Nahla Atiye, residents of Bil'in contacted the 
local Israeli military District Coordination Office (DCO) and border 
police asking for intervention. In response the DCO ordered the 
border police to cordon off the area to the Palestinian land owners. 
On first attempts to pass this cordon, the Bil'in residents were 
turned back. After circumventing the cordon, residents are now at 
the site of the uprooted trees. 

The Bil'in residents are attempting to replant the uprooted trees 
that have not yet been taken away.

(from ISM list)

Budrus terrorized in retaliation for cutting separation fence

In retaliation to Budrus youth cutting the separation fence on 
Friday March 11th, the Israeli Occupation Force has carried out 
illegal collective punishment on the whole village. Last night ten 
year old Muhhamad Abdel Karim from Budrus was pulled out of his bed 
at gunpoint and forced to leave his home while Israeli soldiers 
photographed and threatened him and his older siblings. This 
scenario was then repeated in most of the homes in the village.  

Israeli troops invaded Budrus at 12-30 at night and announced a 24 
hour curfew.
Soldiers entered homes and ordered all males between the ages of ten 
and fifty outside.
They then proceeded to photograph them, while other soldiers 
conducted house to house searches in the homes, in which only 
terrified women, elderly people, and small children were left. The 
soldiers went through every room, removing everything from every 
drawer and closet.  

This continued until four in the morning when the army retreated, 
announcing curfew over their loud speakers as they drove away, and 
leaving the women and children traumatized and the men deeply 
humiliated.

One child and five young men from the same family were arrested:
AbdelAziz  Ghassan AbdelAziz Awad 17 
Baha Muhammad abddalah Awaad 18
Muayed Ahmad Abdel Rahman Awad 19
Muhhamad SHukri Ahmad Awad 20
Abdel Rahman omar Mustafa Awad 20
Hasan  Muhhamad Hasan Awad 22 years old

!7 year old Ramzi Yusef Halifa Awad wqas also arrested but has since 
been released.

Two other young men from The Awad family have been arrested by the 
Israeli military in the past week Rafik Yaser Rasslan Awad was 
arrested yesterday and Suhieb Mahhmud hasasn Awad 17 has been held 
since last Monday.

IRAQ:  US troops kill four POWs during uprising at Camp Bucca concentration camp

The guards opened fire on prisoners who were protesting and throwing stones

Protests spread through four of the ten units of the camp

Some had allegedly fashioned weapons from everyday objects

The prisoners were killed after protesting over desecration of Qur'ans

Abuse is pervasive at Camp Bucca and other US camps in Iraq

http://www.uruknet.info/?p=9538

http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=132178732&p=y3zy79438

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aIrLnrZudNRY&refer=us

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=7502905

http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2005-02/08/article02.shtml

http://uruknet.info/?s1=1&p=9367&s2=02

http://uruknet.info/?s1=1&p=9341&s2=01

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/story/278734p-238816c.html

http://uruknet.info/?s1=2&p=9538&s2=09

Oil pipelines hit in a string of insurgent attacks

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1515&ncid=1515&e=8&u=/afp/20050216/wl_mideast_afp/iraqunrestoil_050216181701

http://www.kuna.net.kw/Home/Story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=705604

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/B80D1839-50D2-4C70-BB21-CB450B9261F4.htm

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/afp/20050209/wl_mideast_afp/iraqunrestoil

http://resist.ca/story/2005/3/8/18500/14424

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-03/15/content_2701773.htm

http://iraqwar.mirror-world.ru/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=42716

Oil pipeline attacks - list

http://www.iags.org/iraqpipelinewatch.htm

Precise attacks his Baghdad fuel

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/21/international/middleeast/21sabotage.html?oref=login

Officer killed as insurgents hit oil pipeline

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-02-16T131158Z_01_DOB643248_RTRUKOC_0_ENERGY-IRAQ.xml

IRAQ

Assyrians in various countries protest against disenfranchisement in Iraq elections

Protests in Baghdad, Brussels, Stockholm, Sydney, London, Chicago and Detroit

http://www.aina.org/news/20050214161653.htm

http://www.aina.org/news/20050214192812.htm

http://www.aina.org/news/20050214100251.htm

Iraq voters - including Christians, Turkomen and Yezidi - protest poll lockout

http://www.aina.org/news/20050207101004.htm

Iraqis in Hawija protest "deliberate" lack of ballot papers

http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?ID=36817

Turkmen protesters demonstrate against election fraud

http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?ID=37284

http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?ID=37245

Villagers repel insurgent vengeance raid, kill five

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200502/s1295847.htm

Protests over voting irregularities in Mosul and Nineveh

http://www.juancole.com/2005/02/guerrillas-kill-11-as-mosul-ninevah.html

Clashes at Australian Iraq polling station force hour-long closure

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1106969219935

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4214357.stm

Basra workers demonstrate in support of students
http://www.iraqitradeunions.org/archives/000240.html

Workers at Palestine Hotel strike and win wage increase
http://www.iraqitradeunions.org/archives/000212.html

Student strike

http://www.uuiraq.org/english/150.htm

Strike against US soldiers in Basra port

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/050325/2005032513.html

Wool industry workers demonstrate at ministry

http://www.uuiraq.org/english/145.htm

Workers at Ur Cables protest

http://www.uuiraq.org/english/149.htm

Leather industry workers protest

http://www.uuiraq.org/english/133.htm

Protests over overcrowding in US prisons in Iraq
http://www.cageprisoners.com/articles.php?aid=5687
Protesters oppose evictions, demand homes
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/d09df3be0a8b10fa4ab3e6ce6268748e.htm

PIGS OPEN FIRE ON PROTESTERS - ONE KILLED
Security guards attacked a demonstration by workers demanding unpaid wages

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=617800

International Women's Day events planned

http://www.wpiraq.net/english/8march_wcpi_staement.htm

Turkmen rally in Kirkuk

http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=39346

Mahdi Army Beats 2 Students to Death in Basrah

Tuesday, March 22 2005 @ 01:49 PM PST
Contributed by: Anonymous
Views: 201 

Students of the Basrah and Shatt Al-Arab universities
in Basrah city have been on strike for the last three
days as a reaction to the attack last week by Sadrists
and Mahdi Army militiamen on tens of students
organising a field trip or a picnic at Al-Andalus
park, downtown Basrah. 

This is taken from the 'Healing Iraq' blog
(http://healingiraq.blogspot.com/), so all commentary
is his. 

Mahdi Army Beats 2 Students to Death in Basrah 

No one seems to have reported the latest events in
Basrah. Not any of the news services or the blogs. 

Students of the Basrah and Shatt Al-Arab universities
in Basrah city have been on strike for the last three
days as a reaction to the attack last week by Sadrists
and Mahdi Army militiamen on tens of students
organising a field trip or a picnic at Al-Andalus
park, downtown Basrah. 

Hooded men assaulted the students with rubber cables
and truncheons which resulted in the death of a
Christian girl, Zahra Ashour, and another student who
came to her rescue after militiamen had tore off her
clothes and were beating her to death. He was shot in
the head. 

Students say that their belongings, such as mobile
phones, cameras, stereo players and loudspeakers, were
stolen or smashed to pieces by the militiamen. Girl
students not wearing headscarves, most of them
Christian, were severely beaten and at least 20
students were kidnapped and taken to Sadr's office in
Al-Tuwaisa for 'interrogation' and were only released
late at night. 

Students also say the police and British soldiers were
nearby but did not intervene. 

A Sheikh As'ad Al-Basri, one of Sadr's aides in
Basrah, stated that the 'believers' of the Mahdi Army
did what they did in an act of 'divine intervention'
in order to punish the students for their 'immoral and
outrageous behaviour' during the 'holy month of
Muharram, while the blood of Imam Hussein is yet to
dry.' He added that he had sent the 'group of
believers' to observe and photograph the students, and
on witnessing them playing loud music, 'the kind they
play in bars and discos', and openly talking to female
students, the 'believers had to straighten things
out'. 

No reaction yet from the Governorate council, the
police, or the British forces in Basrah. Thousands of
students have been demonstrating in front of the
Basrah Governorate building in Asharr for the last
three days, shouting 'No to political Islam', 'No to
the new tyranny' and 'No to Sadr'. The police (which
is loyal to Da'wa in Basrah) reportedly attacked the
students in order to disperse the demonstrations. 

All this while some people are campaigning for Sistani
to receive the Nobel peace prize. One can't help but
wonder if these kinds of events are what the Islamists
have in store for us when they insist on 'respecting
the Islamic identity of Iraq'. 

They can blame Jordan, Syria, the Ba'ath, Salifis,
Wahhabis as much as they want, but they cannot utter a
single word about the old new medieval Inquisition we
have to deal with every day, under the sanctity of
Sistani and his ilk. The new Taliban. 

*** 

Update: The Governor of Basrah appeared on Fayhaa tv
yesterday claiming that the problem with Sadr's office
was resolved peacefully. How exactly was this
achieved? The esteemed Governor (who is a member of
Da'wa) met with representatives from Sadr's office
under the mediation of the Shia Islamic parties in
Basrah (Da'wa, SCIRI, Fadheela, Thar Allah) and it
appears that Sadr's aides had agreed to 'punish the
guilty parties under a special religious court that
would convene for this purpose' and to compensate the
students and to return all stolen items to the
students. The Governor then cheerfully met with the
family of another Christian girl who was badly
injured, 'generously' offering her free treatment in
any country she chooses. 

No mention of the rule of law here. No involvement of
Basrah's civil courts at all. The whole incident was
mopped up in an Iraqi-style tribal-religious meeting,
but this time on the Governorate level. The guilty
parties were sinisterly assigned the job of punishing
themselves. A great lesson in democracy. But then, no
one was punished for the executions and torture at
religious courts in Najaf the last time anyway. 

What is even worse, the official statement from Sadr's
office in Basrah. It asks for the names of the
students that were 'allegedly mistreated' in order to
compensate them. And listen to this; 'Sadr's office in
Basrah offers to provide the universities of Basrah
with groups to protect the students in their future
field trips.' This following Sheikh As'ad Al-Basri's
fiery statements that the students had 'disobeyed his
orders, and the stick was for those who disobeyed,'
alasa limen asa. He also alleged that the students had
shouted 'No to Islam' in their demonstrations this
week, insolently adding that the students should be
punished for their 'blasphemy'. 

The Governor literally appointed Sadr's office as
judge, witness and law-enforcer. We might even say
that the Sadrists were in fact rewarded for their vile
act. What would the Ministry of Higher Education say
about this? Or the Ministry of Interior? Or our
ludicrous Human Rights Ministry, which only seems
interested in what kind of cookies Saddam is having
with his tea, or in Ali Hassan Majid's nocturnal
toilet activities. 

The students of Basrah have made their demands clear;
bringing the Sadrist militiamen to a public trial in
the presence of representatives from Basrah's student
groups, banning Islamist armed groups from entering
campus or running Islamist student groups, and the
dissolution of the infamous 'Security Committee' which
operates in most of Basrah's colleges, and which is
reminiscient of the Ba'ath's 'University Security' but
taking a Shi'ite Islamic appearance instead of a
fascist nationalistic one. 

Student groups from Baghdad, Arbil and Suleimaniya
have sent statements of support to Basrah.
Incidentally, four students were injured in
Suleimaniya during demonstrations that have been
taking place for the second week in row against the
privatisation of educational institutions in the
Kurdish region. 

Still no condemnation from the the Hawza, when the
attack against the students was done in its name.

Translated and/or compiled by Muhammad Abu Nasr, member, editorial board, the Free Arab Voice. http://www.freearabvoice.org/

Saturday 26th March 2005

Al-Basrah Province.

Camp Bucca.

Great escape reported from US Prison Camp Bucca.

In a dispatch posted at 5:10pm Saturday afternoon Mecca time, Mafkarat al-Islam reported that a source in the Iraqi puppet army had reported that American forces discovered a tunnel leading out of US prison camp Bucca near the town of Umm Qasr in southern Iraq.  Camp Bucca is the second largest American prison camp in Iraq, after the notorious Abu Ghurayb camp west of Baghdad.

The correspondent reported a lieutenant colonel in the Iraqi puppet army as saying that the Americans on Saturday found a tunnel, hundreds of meters long and 1.25 meters in diameter, dug by prisoners in Camp Bucca.  The tunnel linked the inside of the prison with the outside world.  The source said that a large number of prisoners were able to escape through the tunnel to freedom. 

US and British forces are now conducting a general count of the prisoners to find out how many were able to get out of their clutches through the tunnel.

The source added that the Americans noticed the tunnel when they observed that the feet of some prisoners were covered in mud and earth, and when they observed that they obviously looked like they had spent the night hard at work doing something.  The Americans also noticed that the shower drains were filling up with clay every day from the feet of prisoners coming in to shower or make their ablutions for prayer.

The source said that US forces continued to observe the prisoners and their movements until they found the opening of the tunnel under a pile of rubble behind some solitary confinement cells in the prison.

The source said that the prisoners were digging during their rest periods, when the US troops would allow them to go out for free time in the open square of the prison camp.  The Americans discovered the tools used by the prisoners to dig the tunnel, such as tent poles and stakes, water pails, and empty containers.  These were used to put the soil aside.

The source said that it was not unlikely that a large number of prisoners had escaped from the facility, particularly after they discovered the tunnel ended some 100 meters outside the prison.

US forces officially acknowledged that they had discovered a tunnel in Camp Bucca, but claimed that they had found the project before any of the prisoners had used it to escape.  Lieutenant Colonel Guy Rudisill, spokesman for US-run prison camps in Iraq, told Reuters that the Americans had found the tunnel before any prisoner had been able to escape through it.  The Americans claimed that they found the tunnel after a military policeman during routine searches last week found an opening five feet long that was perhaps the opening of a third tunnel and reported it to officials.  Searches after that revealed two other tunnels, the American mouthpiece claimed.

Rudisill said that the first tunnel began under floor boards in a sitting room in the middle of a group of cells housing between 25 and 30 prisoners.  It had been concealed under rubbish and was invisible to the US guards who passed by.

Rudisill said that the Americans had no idea how long the prisoners had been at work on the tunnels, but said that the earth in the two tunnels was relatively soft, meaning that it was fairly easy for them to dig.  He said that the dirt from the tunnels was distributed around the dirt in the camp and thrown in the latrines.  He said that more inspections were under way to make sure that there were no more tunnels anywhere in the camp, which holds a reported two-thirds of all the prisoners in the custody of the US-led invader forces.  Rudisill said that so far the commanders in the camp had not decided what disciplinary actions to take against the prisoners who tried to escape.

ESCAPE TUNNEL PICTURES:

http://www.islammemo.cc/news/one_news.asp?IDNews=60728

Iraqi students rebell against Islamists

21 March 2005

Basra students strike for an end to harassment by Islamic 
fundamentalists

Support the student protests in Iraq!

Urgent appeal issued today by the Federation of Workers' Councils 
and Unions in Iraq in support of the student strike currently taking 
place in the southern Iraqi city of Basra.

The Education Not for Sale network of the National Union of Students 
in the UK is issuing an urgent appeal, calling on student unions, 
student societies, student movement activists and trade unionists to 
support the appeal issued today by the Federation of Workers 
Councils and Unions in Iraq in support of the student strike 
currently taking place in the southern Iraqi city of Basra.

Since March 15th, students at the University of Basra have been 
joined by hundreds of pupils at the city's secondary schools in an 
open-ended strike in protest at an attack carried by thugs from 
Moqtada al-Sadr's Army of the Mahdi and members of the Iranian 
security services, leaving a number of students injured and one 
dead. The attack was carried out because the students, from the 
university's engineering faculty, were enjoying an outing in one of 
Basra's parks, with students of both sexes and various different 
backgrounds and religions mixing freely.  The attackers deliberately 
targeted female students, singling out a young Christian, ripping 
her clothes and then shooting dead a young man who attempted to come 
to her aid.

The students are demanding freedom of speech, secularism and an end 
to harrassment by Islamist gangs.  As a result, the University of 
Basra has now been surrounded by police and members of al-Sadr¡¦s 
militia, with tribal elders from the environs of Basra threatening 
to bombard the university if the protests continue.

Daniel Randall of Education Not for Sale said: What is happening in 
Basra underlines the urgent need for solidarity with trade unions, 
student groups and other fighting for democracy and secularism in 
Iraq.  British students must raise a storm of protest against this 
criminal attack on Iraqi students and in solidarity with the 
demonstrators at Basra university.

"Democracy" Occupation Style:

Samarra Demonstration Blocked

05 March 2005 Aljazeera

Iraqi police in the city of Samarra, 120km north of Baghdad, imposed a curfew from 07.00am to 9.00pm as it sought to prevent an anti-American demonstration called for by the local chapter of Association of Muslim Scholars, according to resigning mayor Taha al-Handira.

The mayor had quit in protest against what he saw as restrictive and tough security measures imposed by US and Iraqi forces on the city.

Resistance Success Confirmed:

Foreign Oil Corporations "Scared Off"

The sabotage campaign has created an inhospitable investment climate in Iraq and scared away oil companies that were supposed to develop its oil and gas industry.

March 28, 2005 Energy Security, By Gal Luft

Pipelines are very easily sabotaged.  A simple explosive device can put a critical section of pipeline out of operation for weeks.  This is why pipeline sabotage has become the weapon of choice of the insurgents in Iraq.

Since President Bush declared the end of major hostilities in April 2003, there have been close to 200 pipeline attacks.  According to the Iraq Pipeline Watch at the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, most of the attacks took place in northern Iraq, primarily on the pipeline running from Kirkuk to the Turkish Mediterranean terminal of Ceyhan.

In addition, there have been dozens of attacks on oil and gas pipelines leading to the refineries around Baghdad, primarily near the Bayji refinery complex 125 miles north of Baghdad.

In March 2004, guerrillas began striking at oil installations in the south near Basra as well, where more than two-thirds of Iraq's oil is produced.  The attacks have exacted a heavy price from the new Iraqi government- it is estimated that pipeline sabotage costs the country more than $10 billion in oil revenues.

The sabotage campaign has created an inhospitable investment climate in Iraq and scared away oil companies that were supposed to develop its oil and gas industry.

Demonstration Against Occupation Killing & Arrests In Al-Saqlawiya

3.27.05 Aljazeera

Aljazeera has learned that hundreds of residents of al-Saqlawiya town, north of Falluja, took to the streets on Sunday to protest against the alleged detention of the mother of a wanted man who was subsequently killed during a raid by US forces on his house.

A delegation representing citizens of al-Saqlawiya headed towards a US military base to demand the release of the woman and others detained during the raid.

Occupation Terrorists Shoot Peaceful Demonstrators Demanding Their Wages;

Four Dead

March 27, 2005 By EDWARD HARRIS (AP) & (KUNA)

Bodyguards for Science and Technology Minister Rashad Mandan Omar fired on a crowd of protesters in front of the ministry's offices demanding their full wages, said Hamid Balasem, an engineer at the ministry.

About 50 were demonstrating, saying they had only been paid in part, Balasem said.

Four protestors died and many others were injured when the gunmen opened fire randomly against a peaceful demonstration organized by installations protection policemen and Technology ministry employees here on Sunday.

A protestor who witnessed the firing told KUNA that ministry of technology guards and the minister bodyguards have opened fire against the protestors who demanded pay raise.

Turkmen Hold Anti-US Rally In Kirkuk:

"No, No, America.  Death To American Spies"

3/25/2005 Anatolia.com Inc.

KIRKUK, Iraq - About 250 Turkmen chanting anti-American slogans demonstrated in the northern Iraqi oil city of Kirkuk on Friday, calling for the release of Turkmen detainees in US custody. 

"No, no, America. Death to American spies," demonstrators from the Turkmen Front of Iraq party chanted following Friday prayers.  "Down with federalism. Kirkuk is Iraqi." 

"There are dozens of Turkmen being held in US custody," said Nejmadin Kassab, a spokesman for the Turkmen Front.  "We want our voices to be heard on this issue, because the new Iraq is a democracy." 

At least 25 Turkmen have been arrested in raids in the last week, said Colonel Burhan Taib of the Kirkuk police force. 

In addition, Anatolia news agency reported that the Turkmen Front offices were raided by US troops in mid-February, though there was no immediate confirmation of the raids from US forces. 

Pipeline Repair Crane Blown Up

March 24, 2005 By David Axe, THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Militants exploded a bomb on one of only two cranes used by the state-run Northern Oil Company to seal breached large pipes.  The attack slowed the already weeklong process of repairing damaged pipelines.

Another Pipeline Blown

3.15.05 By RAWYA RAGEH, Associated Press Writer & Energy Security & (Xinhuanet) & Aljazzera

In northern Iraq, insurgents blew up an oil pipeline in Fatha connecting the Kirkuk fields with a refinery in Beiji, 155 miles north of Baghdad, an official in the Northern Oil Co. said.

The pipeline is used only for domestic deliveries, the official said on condition of anonymity.  He did not have details on the extent of the damage.

"A bomb was planted under an oil pipeline causing huge fire, on the east side of Tigris river in Fatha area near Baiji," an official in Baiji refinery told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. 

Black and thick smoke could be seen over the area, about 200 km north of the capital, as security forces and teams of firefighters raced to the scene to put out the fire, he said. 

Abd Allah, part of a 3000 strong oil protection force, said firemen hoped to control the blaze by Wednesday and put it out in three days. 

Demonstrators from the Ministry of Health hold a protest against salary cuts in Baghdad March 13, 2005.  Hundreds of employees, including security officers working at the ministry, protested after the Health Department cut their wages. (Thaier Al-Sudani/Reuters)

Oil Pipeline Mortared

March 13, 2005 (AP)

Two attacks on oil installations left pipelines ablaze in Iraq on Saturday.

One blaze occurred between Samara and Fallujah to the east of the Iraqi capital, while the other started after an attack close to the northern city of Kirkuk.

An oil installation security officer in Kirkuk said the pipeline was attacked by mortar fire.

Pipeline Blown Up South Of Baghdad

3/8/2005 AFP and Turkish Press

HILLA, Iraq - An oil pipeline feeding Al-Dura refinery south of Baghdad was blown up Tuesday near Jorf al-Sakhr, 60 kilometres south of the capital, an Iraqi oil official said. 

"Unknown assailants placed explosives on the 'strategic' pipeline," said Muayyed al-Shemmari, a local oil official. 

The blast occurred at 1 pm (1000 GMT) and firemen were called to the scene, Shemmari said. 

IRAQ WAR

Canadian state tries to sabotage army resister's asylum claim

http://www.uruknet.info/?p=9585

Pablo Paredes' brother speaks out

http://www.uruknet.info/?p=9600

Kevin Benderman report

http://www.bruderhof.com/articles/benderman-k.htm

Benderman charged with desertion

http://uruknet.info/?s1=2&p=9005&s2=21

Benderman and others resist reassignment

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1441289,00.html

Chas Davis - another conscientious objector

http://www.axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/article_15817.shtml

Growing crisis for US army in Iraq

http://www.revistaamanecer.com/english/ViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=145&CategoryID=2

Soldier kills himself rather than return to Iraq
http://milwaukee.indymedia.org/en/2005/02/202803.shtml

Another Iraq war survivor "brings the war home", ends up in a siege with police

http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/110803084943920.xml

Over 5500 US soldiers "desert"

http://www.uruknet.info/?s1=2&p=10374&s2=15

http://www.uruknet.info/?s1=1&p=10421&s2=16

http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2005/619/619p14.htm

http://uruknet.info/?s1=2&p=9214&s2=28

Marine arrested for alleged desertion

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/news/040105_ap_ns_marine_arrested.html

Interview with conscientious objector

http://www.uruknet.info/?s1=1&p=10791&s2=01

Purple Heart winner flees to Canada

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/10787254.htm

Army Reserve Company With Courage To Defy Stupid Orders Returns Home With No Regrets

[Thanks to Desmond who sent this in.]

February 25, 2005 WSOCTV

ROCK HILL, S.C. -- Members of the 343rd Quartermaster Company have reason to cheer.  After a year in Iraq they are back in the arms of loved ones -- not one man or woman missing.

The company drew national attention on October 13, 2004 when 18 members refused orders to deliver fuel.  They said the fuel was contaminated, and their trucks lacked armor to protect them from attack. 

Specialist Reeves Williams was one of those soldiers. 

"You hear everyday about trucks being blown up, and everything. We needed the protection," he said.

Several soldiers were reprimanded, but their trucks were quickly outfitted with armor. Williams said speaking out was a risk he had to take.

"We were all fully prepared to take those consequences to make sure the job got done and got done right," Reeves. 

The soldiers believe that decision saved lives and so do family members who stood by their sons and daughters during the fallout. 

"I'm just wondering if they hadn't said anything, would all these men and women be coming back today. You don't know," said parent Genia White.

The Army decided in December that members of the 343rd quartermaster company would not be court-martialed, but some members would face non-judicial punishment such as a reduction of rank. 

No specifics were released because of privacy. 

Since then, the Army did order a safety and maintenance review and has made changes to improve armor on its vehicles.

Soldier Shocked By Kids Letters Opposing The War

February 24, 2005 Gary Younge in New York, The Guardian

A teacher has apologised for letters sent by his sixth-grade students to an American soldier, accusing the US military of killing civilians and destroying Iraqi mosques in a futile war on terror.

Alex Kunhardt sent the letters to Private Rob Jacobs for a social studies assignment. Pte Jacobs, who is serving 10 miles from the North Korean border, said his excitement at getting the letters from the Brooklyn schoolchildren turned to shock as he read them.

One of the letters from the 11- to 12-year-old pupils, stamped with a smiley face, said the soldier might have been risking his life for his country, but then asked: "Have you seen how many civilians you or some other soldier killed?"

Another read: "I feel that you are being forced to kill innocent people.  Iraq never attacked us, if Bush cared so much about this country then we would be out there trying to find Osama bin Laden.  Bush calls this war the war on terrorism.  What terrorism? Name one terrorist from Iraq ... I know I can't."

Most letters did include support for the troops, but few were completely uncritical.  A Muslim boy wrote: "I know your [sic] trying to save our country and kill the terrorists but you are also destroying holy places like mosques."

Another stated: "Bush thinks he's brave ... in his safe little white house with as many guards as he thinks he needs."  He concluded with: "By the way, when you shoot someone, is it great or horrible?"

Pte Jacobs, 20, told the New York Post: "It's hard enough for soldiers to deal with being away from their families, they don't need to be getting letters like this.  If they don't have anything nice to say, they might as well not say anything at all." Pte Jacobs added that the letters were demoralising.  [Pte. Jacobs has a right to his opinion.  Anti-war soldiers will find them very encouraging indeed.  Soldiers in Vietnam cheered on the mass anti-war marches and demonstrations.  They were 100% right to do so.  And these kids are not stupid.  They know what the truth is about the war better than lots of asshole adults.]

(from GI SPECIAL)

GUANTANAMO BAY:  Inmates attempted mass suicide in 2003 to protest conditions

http://www.smh.com.au/news/Global-Terrorism/Guantanamo-detainees-in-suicide-protest/2005/01/25/1106415599072.html?oneclick=true

http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=5492567

AFGHANISTAN:  Traders threaten blockade over VAT rises

http://paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=99324

Protest in Kandahar over government corruption and "crime"

Protesters storm government buildings and fight cops

http://www.abc.net.au/ra/news/stories/s1318082.htm

http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/03/3ed85bdb-bfb0-4894-bd95-e438f35c15de.html

Afghanistan report: demonstrations against US /British occupation ( By a reporter for Sholeh Jawid, newspaper of the Communist Party (Maoist) of Afghanistan. )

US imperialism and its puppet regime have been trying to prettify the ugly face of the real life people of Afghanistan face every day. The peak of that was the election deception in last October mainly meant to boost the Bush election campaign. The big noise about democracy and the liberation of women was just empty talk. Apart from
the cheating by President Hamid Karzai, many of the people did not take part in that election, especially in the southern and eastern regions. Many who did have been disappointed. Sholeh Jawid reporters talked to voters in the central area of Afghanistan who have come to the conclusion that it was just a trick to elect Karzai and legitimise his rule. They said that voting was a mistake and that those who refused to take part
in the election did the right thing. Two recent events show how discontent with the US 
invaders and their puppet regime is rising and taking different forms of expression.

Demonstration at Kabul University
In November 2004, Kabul University was the scene of a student demonstration against the regime's security forces. It started after student Habibulah Heidari was stabbed to death by a gang at the university widely believed to be linked to Marshal Fahim, the former Defence Minster and an important warlord. This gang was making trouble for the students, and Habibulah Heidari did not yield to their threats. University security guards closed their eyes when the gang knifed Habibulah to death and let them ride away on their motorcycles. Many students believe that the police were involved in this killing.  The day after, students protested with the slogans "Death to the security forces" and "Heidari's killer should be prosecuted". They marched from the university towards the Interior Ministry.  Officials promised to follow the case but did nothing. The students demonstrated again. This time the security forces tried to suppress the demonstration. But the students counter-attacked, throwing stones, and eventually chased away the police force. At this point the police opened fired on the demonstrators. Several students were injured and many more were arrested.   Ironically, the puppet regime, whose existence depends on imperialist occupation forces, shamelessly accused the students of letting themselves be provoked by foreign elements. Students in Afghanistan who were unhappy with the invasion and occupation of their country and with the puppet regime were quick to raise  their opposition. This is not their first demonstration. In the last two years they have been demonstrating and raising their voices against the authorities but their protests have received little publicity. When security forces shot and killed several students protesting against the unbearably cold and miserable conditions in their dormitory at Kabul University during the last academic year, this was reported in the world media, but they were slandered as Taleban supporters.  The students have been seizing every opportunity to express their discontent with their situation at the university and with the puppet regime and the presence of the US and other imperialist invaders.

Demonstrations against the invaders in Nangerhar 
A mass demonstration against the US broke out in Nangerhar (south-east  province) on 27 November. American troops had begun searching people's  homes the night before in what they claimed was a hunt for  "terrorists". When they couldn't find anything after entering many houses, they arrested three men and a woman and took them away. Tens of thousands of people staged an angry protest. Demonstrators closed down the main  highway between Jalalabad and Torkham (the major artery connecting Kabul to  Peshawar in Pakistan, where many Afghanistan refugees still live). They  chanted slogans against the occupation troops and the puppet regime.  The protestors were particularly indignant about the invaders coming into  their homes and the arrest of the woman, who was taken away not because  she was suspected of being a Taleban - that group's reactionary ideology does not allow them to recruit women - but because, the Americans 
said, they wanted to find out more about her husband.  The regional security forces of the puppet regime attempted to prevent the demonstration and open the motorway. In the
subsequent clashes between demonstrators and security forces, a teenage girl was killed and several other demonstrators injured.  What was specific about this demonstration was that a considerable number of women took part. Many sat down on the Jalalabad-Torkham highway and blocked traffic to demand the release of those arrested. They kept the highway closed from early morning on the 27th until noon on the 28th. When the security forces failed to break up the demonstration, the protest spread through the whole region east of Jalalabad up to Torkham. Finally, fearing that the actions would spread even further, the occupiers and their puppets freed the arrested men and the woman and promised the demonstrators that US forces would no longer search the people's houses unless accompanied by Afghanistan government forces. But the demonstrators did not accept this and demanded an end to the brutal house-searching as a whole.  On 3 December 2004, puppet regime officials in Nangerhar province held a joint meeting with the so-called tribal leaders who depend on them. Later in a statement they announced that if the people of the region wanted an end to the searches and the operations of US forces there, they would have to prevent the "terrorists" from being active in their area. The majority of the people of the region cannot tolerate the presence of American and other foreign invader forces in Afghanistan, and they don't want to accept their conditions. How can puppet regime officials expect these people to help the invaders and prevent armed activities against them?

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