Apr 19, 2003

At an April 9 press conference in Havana, Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque presented a detailed discussion of the recent trials of Cubans charged with acting in the interest of a foreign state to harm Cuba’s independence or integrity, and spreading information in support of the blockade and the economic war against Cuba. The press conference also featured details of the U.S. Interests Section’s work to support the so-called dissident movements. The complete transcript of the press conference is available online, at www.granma.cu/ingles/abril03/sat12/ roque.html

While the White House claims the war in Iraq is for democracy and liberation, U.S. forces have been accused of intentionally attacking a major pillar of democracy – the press.

TEL AVIV – The U.S. war in Iraq is fueling even more brutality towards the Palestinians by the far-right Israeli government. On April 13, the Israeli army stepped up its attacks on Palestinians when F-16 fighter jets and helicopter gunships killed four children and two pregnant women.

May Day: Unions around the world demand ‘respect’ / China/Vietnam: Parties pledge new cooperation / Chile: Copper miners strike / Indonesia: Shangri-La Hotel dispute settled / Czech Republic: Educators may strike

When asked why students are protesting the war on Iraq, Jessica Marshall of the Young Communist League (YCL) and National Youth and Student Peace Coalition, said it’s because politicians are “not sending the sons and daughters of rich people over to Iraq. They’re sending that kid from down the street, the one who was trying to get an education.”

BOSTON – Little did University of Massachusetts (UMass) professor Tony Van Der Meer know that he would be arrested by the campus police as he attempted to defend a student’s right to free speech.

The burden of unpayable debt is rising rapidly worldwide. In the U.S., household debt leaped from 65 percent of income in 1975 to more than 100 percent in 2001. Bankruptcies, individual and corporate, are near records.

For seniors, Medicare reform means getting a comprehensive drug benefit under traditional Medicare that is affordable and stable in price. They like preventive benefits and favor reforms that maintain Medicare as a program in which everyone contributes and everyone gets the same guaranteed benefits.

TUSCON, Ariz. – Border residents are demanding that gun-toting vigilantes and immigrant-hunting parties operating on the Arizona-Mexico border be investigated and stopped. Violent actions by these hate groups have escalated in spite of Arizona’s anti-militia law, State Land Department Lease guidelines and countless reports of human rights abuses.

One of President Bush’s neighbors in Crawford, Texas, is longtime Dallas peace activist Johnny Wolf. Wolf bought a home “smack in the middle” of the tiny Central Texas town and is converting it into the Crawford Peace House. Its grand opening is scheduled for Easter Sunday, April 20.