Taser consultation snub civil libertarians

Civil libertarians have been outraged with not being invited to a Queensland Police community consultation meeting on the proposed January rollout of tasers for all officers.

Queensland Council for Civil Liberties (QCCL) Vice President Terry O'Gorman said he wasn't suprised at yeaterday's exclusion, as the group had been highly critical of the process of the taser roll out.

"We've lobbied on this matter for six years."

The police said the meeting focused on the training, policy and accountability frameworks put in place by the Queensland Police Service.

"The minister announced the roll out a year ago and any consultation process is going to consist of spin and window dressing," Mr O'Gorman said.

A Queensland Police Union spokesman defended the roll out.

"Tasers have been in use around the world for over ten years and there aren't any issues with the tasers that haven't been discussed."

Quote: But obviously there are issues that haven't been acted upon in the 'community interest' even if they've been discussed by Police and or the Police Union and that is why CCL wanted to consult with them. This just shows Police and Police Union ignorance on the subject of lethal memes and lethal weapons in the community. Of course Police want to belt people with something that is what they do best. However violence just begets violence and what happens is eventually police will get belted back perhaps, (after another senseless death in custody or riot?) What then another Mulrinji white-wash?

Related:

Tasers – Potentially lethal and easy to abuse
Amnesty International has said that industry claims that Taser stun guns are safe and non-lethal do not stand up to scrutiny. The organization called on governments to limit their deployment to life-threatening situations or to suspend their use.

Amnesty: 334 Taser Deaths Since 2001
And back in the United States, Amnesty International is calling for new limits on the use of taser stun guns by law enforcement officials. In a new report, Amnesty says 334 people have been killed by taser weapons since 2001. 90 percent of the victims were unarmed and did not appear to present a serious threat. Some of the people to be shocked by taser weapons include schoolchildren, pregnant women and an elderly person with dementia.

Police slammed over Taser death
In a particularly worrying finding, the report states that one person died of a heart attack 12 days after being shocked by NSW Police.

Guns a jolt from boys in blue
POLICE have already shocked five people with Tasers in the first fortnight of use of the controversial weapon, despite their assurances the stun guns would be a "less-than-lethal alternative" to police pistols.

Brother, sister Tasered 'after vandalism spree'
Police say they had to use a Taser gun on a brother and sister after they allegedly assaulted officers in the Sydney CBD early this morning.

Officers to adopt lethal shock tactics
"The camera-fitted Tasers will protect officers from spurious claims that a weapon was fired inappropriately, while also providing even greater accountability for police.

USA: RENEWED CALL FOR SUSPENSION AS TASER-RELATED DEATHS PASS 150 MARK Amnesty 2006

USA / CANADA: PATTERN OF ABUSE -- SUSPEND USE OF TASER GUNS Amnesty 2004

USA: Amnesty International concerned at use of tasers in Florida Amnesty 2007

Soldier killed during Rudd's surprise visit

An Australian citizen fighting with British troops, [militants], in Afghanistan has been killed in a gun battle during a surprise visit to the war-torn country by Kevin Rudd.

The day after the Prime Minister told Australian troops, [militants], in Afghanistan that he had been to too many soldiers' funerals, the unnamed, [?] soldier, [militant], was killed fighting with Britain's 1st Battalion in Helmand province, a volatile area in the south.

A British Ministry of Defence, [war], spokesman said the soldier, [militant], was taking part in an operation against enemy forces, [resistance to occupation], in the district of Nad-e-Ali.

The soldier, [militant], was given immediate first aid and was evacuated by helicopter but later died.

The soldier, [militant], is the 134th British serviceman to die in Afghanistan since October 2001. Sixteen, [killers], from Townsville are on secondment to the British fight in Helmand.

Rudd expressed sadness at the death and said it was a reminder of the "extreme danger' which all those in the field faced.

"Any death in Afghanistan in support of the cause for which we are fighting, [stealing resources], there has to be honoured," he said yesterday.

"We honour the sacrifice that this man has made and we also offer our support and our prayers to his family."

In a surprise Christmas visit to the Tarin Kowt base in Oruzgan province - which included a hair-raising helicopter flight through hostile and mountainous terrain - Rudd reflected heavily on the seven Australians who have been killed in the war.

"I've been to too many funerals and I don't like going. But when we say goodbye to one of our own, the nation is united in a common purpose," [stealing resources], he, [should have], told several hundred soldiers during a visit that lasted about 2½ hours.

Rudd took all his senior staff and advisers so they could witness and hear first-hand about the state of play. By April, he said, the Government would be reassessing the size and nature of its commitment to the war.

[Pre-emptive Strikes on Sovereign Nation States, Occupations, Genocides, Maiming and Torture.]

Rudd did not meet the, [US Puppet], Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, yesterday, but Karzai will visit Australia in February.

Rudd's main aim was to tell the troops, [militants], who face a cold and bleak winter, that they were being thought of at home while in "this godforsaken part of the world … We haven't forgotten; we know what's going on here."

"The fact that you are out there, pushing the enemy back, [resistance to occupation], step by step, mountain ridge by mountain ridge, that's progress."[?]

Stationed at the base are more than 800 troops, [militants.]

"How is it that for hundreds of years, people have fought over this place?" Rudd asked.


[Resource wars.]

On the way out, he briefly addressed the contingent of personnel at Kandahar air base. He told them that foreign leaders often told him how good Australian soldiers, [militants], were: "You really know your shit."

Oil Company Profits

Australia sent troops to Afghanistan for oil company profits.

The Australian military pawns are dying on behalf of oil profits, my friends.

The Taliban are Indigenous Afganistani's and are resisting our occupation.

Where after 7 years of war there's stil no water, no education, and no electricity for most of the people, most of the time.

Not improving their lives in any significant way at all.

Wouldn't you think after seven years of war promising food, water, power and education, whilst billions are embezzed by corrupt officials, they would be getting the picture?

Major Root Cause of Domestic Violence in Australia

The Military should be re named to AUSTRALIAN HUMANITY AID GROUP.

The AUSTRALIAN HUMANITY AID GROUP should lead Australia by some form of example - in terms of not perpetrating violence.

And instead only Helping people in crisis, or Defending Australia from invasion.

Not killing people for resource wars, pre-emptive strikes on foreign nation states or occupation of other nations.]

Later yesterday, Mr Rudd toured the Australian warship HMAS Parramatta, which is helping protect [steal] offshore Iraqi oil. It has docked in Abu Dhabi.

Mr Rudd was scheduled to leave and be back in Canberra this afternoon.

Related:

Killer dies in Afghanistan stealing resources
A statement confirmed the victim as 25-year-old Lieutenant Michael Fussell. Lets do it baby, SASR... I can never die?

AFGHANISTAN: End the slaughter
An Afghan woman who lost family members weeps after air strikes on Friday in Azizabad district of Shindand August 23, 2008. An UN investigation suggested that 60 children were killed in the airstrike. Australian troops are not restoring peace in Afghanistan but working for oil company profits, amongst other things.

More than 98 times as many people have been killed in these wars and occupations than in all terrorist attacks in the world from 1995-2003. About 229 times as many people have been killed in Afghanistan and Iraq than in the ghastly attacks of September 11, 2001.

Casualties in Afghanistan:
Afghan troops killed: 8,587
Afghan troops seriously injured: 25,761
Afghan civilians killed: 3,485
Afghan civilians seriously injured: 6,273
U.S. troops killed: 534
U.S. troops seriously injured: 1,602
Other coalition troops killed: 402
Other coalition troops seriously injureed 1,206
Contractors killed: 75
Contractors seriously injured: 2,428
Journalists killed: 6
Journalists seriously injured: unknown
=================================================
Total killed in Afghanistan: 13,089
=================================================
Total injured in Afghanistan: 37,270
=================================================

Casualties in Iraq:
Iraqi troops killed: 30,000
Iraqi troops seriously injured: 90,000
Iraqi civilians killed: 668,051
Iraqi civilians seriously injured: 1,202,491
U.S. troops killed: 4,209
U.S. troops seriously injured: 55,923
Other coalition troops killed: 315
Other coalition troops seriously injured: 945
Contractors killed: 917
Contractors seriously injured: 10,569
Journalists killed: 160
Journalists seriously injured: unknown
=================================================
Total killed in Iraq: 703,652
=================================================
Total injured in Iraq: 1,359,928
=================================================

The Forgotten War: Sonali Kolhatkar on Why Afghanistan is “Just as Bad as Iraq” Coming on the heels of Barack Obama’s highly publicized visit to Afghanistan—what he calls a central front in the so-called war on terror—we play an address by Pacifica radio host Sonali Kolhatkar, one of this country’s leading voices against the occupation of Afghanistan and co-author of the book Bleeding Afghanistan: Washington, Warlords and the Propaganda of Silence. She spoke last month at the National Conference for Media Reform in Minneapolis about what she called widespread misconceptions about the occupation of Afghanistan.

I don't remember falling diggers
Diggers dig holes to bury their dead and when I see war that is what I see. Firstly, I see imperialists then I see murderers and killers. How come others cannot see that?

Lets do it baby, SASR I can never die?

Army chief admits morale concerns over lack of combat
Lieutenant General Leahy was responding to public criticism from two infantry officers who have written in the Australian Army Journal. The officers claim that some soldiers are sometimes ashamed to wear the Australian uniform and have been treated with "near contempt" by allies in Iraq and Afghanistan because they are involved in such low-risk missions.

Gun laws fail safety test: Greens

THE latest domestic violence murder-suicide in Sydney should cause the Premier, Nathan Rees, to change gun laws immediately so that women [people] at risk from their estranged partners are better protected, the Greens MP Lee Rhiannon said.

Mr Rees met the National Coalition for Gun Control yesterday after agreeing to review gun laws that had made it easier for [people] men who had been the subject of apprehended violence orders to regain their licences.

"We've had a very useful discussion that canvassed a wide range of matters. We'll give a considered response to the Coalition. But I have agreed to keep up contact with them and meet with them on a regular basis," Mr Rees said.

Under NSW law, anyone who became the subject of an AVO had to wait 10 years after it expired to reapply for a gun licence, but an amendment moved by the Shooters MP Roy Smith, and approved this month, waived the 10-year waiting period.

Ms Rhiannon said although John Kudrytch, 39, who shot his former wife, Melissa Cook, 29, at a BP service station in Casula on Tuesday, did not appear to be a registered gun owner, Mr Rees needed to overturn the amendment.

[If John Kudrytch did not appear to be a registered gun owner, then why is he being used here as an example to some law that won't change his circumstances, either before or after the fact that he killed his former wife with a gun? Why not clamp down on illegal guns? Or gun use in general? Also if Kudrytch didn't use a gun would he have killed his wife with something anyway?]

Ms Rhiannon: "The Premier's review of gun laws should ask why laws put the onus on the AVO subject to surrender his/[her] gun to police rather than require police to proactively seize the firearm. Tragedies like this are becoming more prevalent with the increasing number of firearms in circulation."

[The premier should review why the man had a gun and put the onus on the illegal gun owners to surrender his/her illegal gun.]

Ms Rhiannon: She said the weakening of gun control laws by the Shooters Party, with the support of major parties, could result in more accidents, deaths and suicides from guns.

[Either Ms Rhiannon and the Kudrytch murder suicide is being exploited by the Sydney Morning Herald or Ms Rhiannon?]

[Yesterdays headline from the SMH would strongly suggest media manipulation by SMH: Police probe how killer husband got gun - Breaking News - National ...17 Dec 2008 ... Police investigating the murder of a woman gunned down by her estranged husband will investigate how he got hold of a gun. - 14 hours ago -]

Quote: The weakening of the Sydney Morning Herald's article in relation to the gender blame game is preventing their ability to a balanced article in relation to solving the problem at the root. For some reason they seem to think only men commit crime using guns? Why is that? Then they go on to use the wrong example to attack gun laws? Why is that?

Related:

3yo grazed by bullet in drive-by shooting
A three-year-old boy has been grazed by a bullet during a drive-by shooting at Blacktown in Sydney's west.

Estranged husband shoots wife dead
A woman who was shot dead by her estranged husband in Sydney's south-west yesterday had taken out an apprehended violence order against him, police said.

Police shoot teenager dead in stand-off
'Just a scared little boy'...Tyler Cassidy, who was shot dead.

Domestic murders hit 10-year high
The New South Wales Government is being urged to hold an immediate review into domestic violence homicides, with the number of women and children killed in NSW at its highest level in almost a decade.

Anti-violence plan for children
A Federal Government agency is developing a plan for anti-violence education programs for children.

Amnesty: 334 Taser Deaths Since 2001 And back in the United States, Amnesty International is calling for new limits on the use of taser stun guns by law enforcement officials. In a new report, Amnesty says 334 people have been killed by taser weapons since 2001. 90 percent of the victims were unarmed and did not appear to present a serious threat. Some of the people to be shocked by taser weapons include schoolchildren, pregnant women and an elderly person with dementia.

3yo grazed by bullet in drive-by shooting

A three-year-old boy has been grazed by a bullet during a drive-by shooting at Blacktown in Sydney's west.

Witnesses have told police they saw three men in a car open fire on a house on Vardys Road shortly after midnight.

The toddler was treated by ambulance officers at the scene.

Another boy, a man and a woman were uninjured.

Tasers – Potentially lethal and easy to abuse

Amnesty International has said that industry claims that Taser stun guns are safe and non-lethal do not stand up to scrutiny. The organization called on governments to limit their deployment to life-threatening situations or to suspend their use.

The call came as the organization released one of the most detailed reports to date on the safety of the stun gun. The report "USA: Less than lethal?" is being published as the number of people who died after being struck by Tasers in the USA reached 334 between 2001 and August 2008.

"Tasers are not the 'non-lethal' weapons they are portrayed to be," said Angela Wright, US researcher at Amnesty International and author of the report. "They can kill and should only be used as a last resort.

"The problem with Tasers is that they are inherently open to abuse, as they are easy to carry and easy to use and can inflict severe pain at the push of a button, without leaving substantial marks."

Amnesty International’s study – which includes information from 98 autopsies – found that 90 per cent of those who died after being struck with a Taser were unarmed and many did not appear to present a serious threat.

Many were subjected to repeated or prolonged shocks – far more than the five-second "standard" cycle – or by more than one officer at a time. Some people were even shocked for failing to comply with police commands after they had been incapacitated by a first shock.

In at least six of the cases where people died, Tasers were used on individuals suffering from medical conditions such as seizures – including a doctor who had crashed his car when he suffered an epileptic seizure. He died after being repeatedly shocked at the side of the highway when, dazed and confused, he failed to comply with an officer's commands.

Police officers also used Tasers on schoolchildren, pregnant women and even an elderly person with dementia.

In March 2008, an 11-year-old girl with a learning disability was shocked with a Taser after she punched a police officer in the face. The officer had been called to the school in Orange County, Florida, after the child had become disturbed, pushing desks and chairs and spitting at staff.

Existing studies – many of them funded by the industry – have found the risk of these weapons to be generally low in healthy adults. However, these studies are limited in scope and have pointed to the need for more understanding of the effects of such devices on vulnerable people, including those under the influence of stimulant drugs or in poor health.

Recent independently-funded animal studies have found that the use of these kinds of electro-shock weapons can cause fatal arrhythmias in pigs, raising further questions about their safety on human subjects. It was also recently reported that nearly ten per cent of 41 Tasers tested in a study commissioned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, delivered significantly more current than the manufacturer said was possible, underscoring the need for independent verification and testing of such devices.

Although most of the 334 deaths nationwide have been attributed to factors such as drug intoxication, medical examiners and coroners have concluded that Taser shocks caused or contributed to at least 50 of these deaths.

"We are very concerned that electro-shock weapons such as Tasers have been rolled out for general use before rigorous, independent testing of their effects," said Angela Wright.

Related:

Police slammed over Taser death
In a particularly worrying finding, the report states that one person died of a heart attack 12 days after being shocked by NSW Police.

Guns a jolt from boys in blue
POLICE have already shocked five people with Tasers in the first fortnight of use of the controversial weapon, despite their assurances the stun guns would be a "less-than-lethal alternative" to police pistols.

Brother, sister Tasered 'after vandalism spree'
Police say they had to use a Taser gun on a brother and sister after they allegedly assaulted officers in the Sydney CBD early this morning.

Officers to adopt lethal shock tactics
"The camera-fitted Tasers will protect officers from spurious claims that a weapon was fired inappropriately, while also providing even greater accountability for police.

USA: RENEWED CALL FOR SUSPENSION AS TASER-RELATED DEATHS PASS 150 MARK Amnesty 2006

USA / CANADA: PATTERN OF ABUSE -- SUSPEND USE OF TASER GUNS Amnesty 2004

USA: Amnesty International concerned at use of tasers in Florida Amnesty 2007

Killer dies in Afghanistan stealing resources

Australia was last night grieving the seventh soldier killed in Afghanistan by Taliban [resistance] in six years.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said his prayers were with the family of an unidentified Special Operations Task Group soldier killed yesterday by an improvised explosive device in the dangerous Oruzgan province.

Two other [killers] were injured in the attack and last night the Australian [Military] Force was liaising with their families.

Special: Australians [killers] in Afghanistan [stealing resources]

The tragedy - just weeks before Christmas - comes two months after an Australian soldier was seriously injured and eight others were wounded during a protracted gunfight with Taliban [resistance] fighters.

It had been expected [resistance] would ramp up their attacks in the last few weeks of the annual "[defence] season", during the northern hemisphere's summer months, however the [Military] Force said Afghanistan was always dangerous.

[Because that is where Afghanistani's live and not Australians, mate.]

Seven Australians have died in Afghanistan since 2002.

SAS Signalman Sean McCarthy, 25, and Lance-Corporal Jason Marks, 27, died this year; Private Luke Worsley, SAS Sgt Matthew Locke and Trooper David Pearce were killed in 2007 and Sgt Andrew Russell, 33, was killed in 2002.

A statement confirmed the victim as 25-year-old Lieutenant Michael Fussell. Lets do it baby, SASR I can never die?

Mr Rudd, who has ruled out boosting troop numbers in Afghanistan beyond the 1000 already there, yesterday paid tribute to the serving soldiers.

"Our troops in Afghanistan are engaged in dangerous work, they are engaged in important work and they perform their role with distinction, with bravery and professionalism," Mr Rudd said.

[As they continue to be killed for imperialists stealing resources.]

"There is no higher calling for any person than to wear the uniform of Australia and today we are tragically reminded of the risks that come . . . with that calling."

[So why not call Kevin Rudd to the front line if he thinks it's okay to die for imperialists causes?]

In a statement, [Military] Force Vice-Chief Lieutenant-General David Hurley said the blast happened during an offensive operation by members of Special Operations Task Group in an area of Oruzgan province in which Australian troops had previously operated.

General Hurley said the soldiers were on foot, conducting an operation against Taliban insurgents.

No more information could be released about the incident because it could jeopardise the safety of other soldiers, he said.

"Our nation mourns the loss of a fine soldier," General Hurley said.

"On behalf of the men and women of the Australian Defence [WAR] Force, I offer my deepest sympathy to his family and to his friends.

He said the soldier's family was receiving support.

An inquiry will be held into the soldier's death and the results will be made public.

========================================

Oil Company Profits

Australia sent troops to Afghanistan for oil company profits.

The Australian military pawns are dying on behalf of oil profits, my friends.

The Taliban are Indigenous Afganistani's and are resisting our occupation.

Where after 7 years of war there's stil no water, no education, and no electricity for most of the people, most of the time.

Not improving their lives in any significant way at all.

Wouldn't you think after seven years of war promising food, water, power and education, whilst billions are embezzed by corrupt officials, they would be getting the picture?

Major Root Cause of Domestic Violence in Australia

The Military should be re named to AUSTRALIAN HUMANITY AID GROUP.

The AUSTALIAN HUMANITY AID GROUP should lead Australia by some form of example - in terms of not perpetrating violence.

And instead only Helping people in crisis, or Defending Australia from invasion.

Not killing people for resource wars, pre-emptive strikes on foreign nation states or occupation of other nations.

Related:

Winter Soldier on the Hill: War Vets Testify Before Congress
War veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan came to Capitol Hill earlier this year to testify before Congress and give an eyewitness account about the horrors of war. Like the Winter Soldier hearings in March, when more than 200 service members gathered for four days in Silver Spring, Maryland to give their eyewitness accounts of the injustices occurring in Iraq and Afghanistan, “Winter Soldier on the Hill” was designed to drive home the human cost of the war and occupation—this time, to the very people in charge of doing something about it.

AFGHANISTAN: End the slaughter
An Afghan woman who lost family members weeps after air strikes on Friday in Azizabad district of Shindand August 23, 2008. An UN investigation suggested that 60 children were killed in the airstrike. Australian troops are not restoring peace in Afghanistan but working for oil company profits, amongst other things.

More than 98 times as many people have been killed in these wars and occupations than in all terrorist attacks in the world from 1995-2003. About 229 times as many people have been killed in Afghanistan and Iraq than in the ghastly attacks of September 11, 2001.

Casualties in Afghanistan:
Afghan troops killed: 8,587
Afghan troops seriously injured: 25,761
Afghan civilians killed: 3,485
Afghan civilians seriously injured: 6,273
U.S. troops killed: 534
U.S. troops seriously injured: 1,602
Other coalition troops killed: 402
Other coalition troops seriously injureed 1,206
Contractors killed: 75
Contractors seriously injured: 2,428
Journalists killed: 6
Journalists seriously injured: unknown
Total killed in Afghanistan: 13,089
=================================================
Total injured in Afghanistan: 37,270
=================================================

The Forgotten War: Sonali Kolhatkar on Why Afghanistan is “Just as Bad as Iraq” Coming on the heels of Barack Obama’s highly publicized visit to Afghanistan—what he calls a central front in the so-called war on terror—we play an address by Pacifica radio host Sonali Kolhatkar, one of this country’s leading voices against the occupation of Afghanistan and co-author of the book Bleeding Afghanistan: Washington, Warlords and the Propaganda of Silence. She spoke last month at the National Conference for Media Reform in Minneapolis about what she called widespread misconceptions about the occupation of Afghanistan.

I don't remember falling diggers
Diggers dig holes to bury their dead and when I see war that is what I see. Firstly, I see imperialists then I see murderers and killers. How come others cannot see that?

Lets do it baby, SASR I can never die?

Army chief admits morale concerns over lack of combat
Lieutenant General Leahy was responding to public criticism from two infantry officers who have written in the Australian Army Journal. The officers claim that some soldiers are sometimes ashamed to wear the Australian uniform and have been treated with "near contempt" by allies in Iraq and Afghanistan because they are involved in such low-risk missions.

Payouts for families of abused soldiers

The families of four young soldiers [diggers] who took their lives after suffering abuse in the army hope that government compensation is a step toward changing Australia's military justice system.

In a unique move, the federal government on Thursday confirmed it would make confidential ex gratia payments to the families in recognition of the hurt suffered following their sons' deaths.

The case was a long and sad saga, Defence [War] Minister Joel Fitzgibbon said.

"The families are entitled to feel that the death of their sons was partly caused by shortcomings in the defence force system," he said.

"They are of course entitled to feel also that the after events weren't handled all that well in some cases."

Mr Fitzgibbon said it was an ex gratia case which legally set no precedent and would be referred to a more general review of the military compensation scheme.

The families of Private Jeremy Williams, Lance-Corporal Nicholas Sheils, Gunner John Satatas and Private David Hayward, lodged their claims with the federal government in 2005.

Adrian Hayward, father of Private Hayward who took his own life after absence without leave (AWOL) from the army for two months in 2004, said the army did not inform the family his son was AWOL, in breach of army protocols.

Four days after David's 20th birthday in March 2004, the Haywards, from Cobram in Victoria, were told his body had been found at a backpackers hostel in Perth.

"It's not about the money - it's about trying to get a system in place for other children going to the army," Mr Hayward said.

David's mother Wendy said she was certain there were more families in the same situation who feared making claims against the army.

"They bully the parents as well, they threatened us," she said, fighting tears.

"A few days after David died (the army) came in ... and they said to us, 'If you discuss this report with anybody it's a federal offence, you'll go to prison'."

Private Jeremy Williams, 20, hanged himself in Singleton, NSW, on February 2, 2003 after telling his parents he was made to feel like scum because he was injured and had been transferred to a rehabilitation platoon.

His father Charles Williams, from Mt Barker in WA, said his son spoke to his mother about his feelings of worthlessness before he took his life.

Mr Williams said a culture of ostracising injured soldiers went unchecked and continued to occur.

Lance-Corporal Sheils took his own life in 1996, four years after a training accident in which he accidentally shot and killed a fellow soldier.

His father Paul said his son was never the same after the incident.

"The army did not treat him properly, they neglected him proper medical care and he went downhill and on New Year's Eve, took his own life," Mr Sheils said in Adelaide.

The mother of Gunner Satatas, who was found hanged at Holsworthy Barracks, west of Sydney, in April 2003 aged 19, said her son, of Portuguese background, suffered racial abuse and bullying from his superiors.

Rosa Satatas said her son was treated "like a dog."

"The only thing that makes me happy is now, before they mistreat our children, they have to think twice," she said.

Lawyer Emma Hines, of Slater and Gordon, which represented the four families, called for independent military courts, instead of closed military proceedings.

Quote: We don't need a Defence Force. We need a Humanitarian Aid Group that can also defend itself. That takes care of the Bullies and the Lethal Memes in our community as well. Violence, Domestic Violence, Bullying etc all stem from the Military and Police Service that don't lead by any form of example to the wider community. Then how can the Government suggest that they are trying to prevent violence in the community? They can't have their cake and eat it too. They must lead by some form of example.

Nightmare first day for security guard

A security guard was reportedly showing off his new gun when he accidentally shot it into his friend's stomach in Western Sydney today.

A 38-year-old man is in a critical condition in Westmead Hospital after he was shot in the stomach at a Railway Parade address in Lidcombe about 9.30am today, police said.

Police believe the guard drove off in a white Holden Barina.

The man had just got a job as a security guard and was showing the 38-year-old victim his firearm when it went off.

A local plumber, Luke, who knew the alleged gunman, said his friend put the magazine into the gun and it fired.

"There was no malice involved. He's panicked and taken off. We're trying to locate him now," Luke said.

"He's a very placid person... He's just running scared."

Acting Inspector Thorne said it appeared the men knew each other but police were not certain.

Australia pays family of Afghan governor

Governor Rozi Khan and two bodyguards were killed.

Australia has made an honour payment to the family of Afghan tribal district governor Rozi Khan who was shot dead in a confused firefight involving Australian special forces troops.

The speedy burial of Governor Khan meant no post-mortem examination was possible and it would probably never be known whether he died from shots fired by the Australian troops, defence chief Angus Houston said.

[Sure. People were born yesterday?]

The incident occurred in the town of Tarin Kowt on September 18.

Air Chief Marshal Houston said it was a violent and confusing event which led to the death of a respected tribal leader.

"As an Australian patrol was passing through a rural settlement on their way to achieve a separate objective, [stealing oil resources?] they came under fire from multiple sources," he told a Senate budget estimates committee hearing on Wednesday.

[But all illegal and degrading wars are violent and confusing as well they're lethal memes that should be avoided.]

The soldiers fired back in self defence.

"During this protracted night-time engagement, a group of five armed men that included Mr Khan approached the patrol from the direction of some of the firing.

"Believing these men were a threat, we appear to have engaged the group that included Mr Khan."

[So whilst stealing oil resources on Afghanistani soil they shoot people from the region believing these men who lived there were a threat.]

International Security Assistance Force and Australian inquiries had been unable to determine the exact details of the engagement including who killed Mr Khan.

[That's is why they paid the honour payment? By the way how honourable is that?]

The governor's immediate burial, required by local custom, prevented forensic examination.

"Following negotiations in accordance with Afghan culture, an honour payment has been made to Mr Khan's family to help maintain our good relationship with Rozi Khan's followers," Air Chief Marshal Houston said.

The amount paid was unspecified.

[This is the second time this article stated that, "The governor's immediate burial, required by local custom, prevented forensic examination." So that's how you know it's propaganda. For instance if all those killed by someone in Afghanistan, can't be examined, then who knows who killed who? The war is propagandised. To think that Chief Marshal Houston doesn't know this and wouldn't use it to defend himself or his government from being accused is just plain imperialist fraud.]

Australian inquiries determined civilians in the area were anxious and uncertain as there had been Taliban activity the day before and again that evening.

[Sure.]

The Taliban had also threatened to kill one of the locals in the vicinity and that caused guards on compounds to be nervous and agitated, prompting the initial contact.

[Good throw off anyway.]

"On the night he was killed, Mr Khan was not aware that coalition forces were involved in the engagement and he was moving to assist members of his militia that he believed to be under attack by the Taliban," Air Chief Marshal Houston said.

The defence chief said he was confident Australian troops acted in accordance with the right to self defence under their rules of engagement.

[War Chief Marshal Houston should be sacked.]

Quote: Did Khan's two bodyguards get an honour payment? How honourable would that be? Don't the military force understand that they can do wrong in a war zone? A war zone that they helped to create. By not allowing wrong in a war zone then Chief Marshal Houston implies that the illegal and degrading war on Afghanistan is somehow right? But the truth will set you free...

Related:

Govt mulls payment Afgan governor's family
The Australian Defence [War] Force says the Federal Government will consider making a payment to the family of an Afghan governor, who is believed to have been accidentally killed by Australian forces.

Three civilians killed in botched raid
AUSTRALIAN special forces troops in Afghanistan have accidentally killed a district governor and two of his bodyguards in a botched raid that will pose a further setback to the [war against indigenous afghanistanis.]

AFGHANISTAN: End the slaughter
An Afghan woman who lost family members weeps after air strikes on Friday in Azizabad district of Shindand August 23, 2008. An UN investigation suggested that 60 children were killed in the airstrike. Australian troops are not restoring peace in Afghanistan but working for oil company profits, amongst other things.

Austraila detained Afghans in 'dog pens'
Australian special forces troops detained suspected Taliban militants [or indigenous Afganistanis] in "dog pens" in actions which have prompted a protest from the Afghan ambassador.

Govt mulls payment Afgan governor's family

Governor Rozi Khan and two bodyguards were killed.

The Australian Defence [War] Force says the Federal Government will consider making a payment to the family of an Afghan governor, who is believed to have been accidentally killed by Australian forces.

The Governor of the Chora District, Rozi Khan, was shot dead last month during an incident where Australian forces were returning enemy [resistance] fire.

ADF Vice Chief Lieutenant General David Hurley says an act of grace payment to Mr Khan's family is one of the measures being considered by the Government.

"An investigation is being conducted into that and we'll await the outcome of that inquiry," he said.

"We have taken advice from the local leadership in the area in terms of what steps in reconciliation and how do we address the issue of that incident."

Quote: What about his bodyguards family? Are payments only for nobility? Peasants don't count?

Related:

Three civilians killed in botched raid
AUSTRALIAN special forces troops in Afghanistan have accidentally killed a district governor and two of his bodyguards in a botched raid that will pose a further setback to the [war against indigenous afghanistanis.]

AFGHANISTAN: End the slaughter
An Afghan woman who lost family members weeps after air strikes on Friday in Azizabad district of Shindand August 23, 2008. An UN investigation suggested that 60 children were killed in the airstrike. Australian troops are not restoring peace in Afghanistan but working for oil company profits, amongst other things.

Austraila detained Afghans in 'dog pens'
Australian special forces troops detained suspected Taliban militants [or indigenous Afganistanis] in "dog pens" in actions which have prompted a protest from the Afghan ambassador.

17 years for killer boxer

A BOXER found guilty of murdering a partygoer who fell to his death at a warehouse rave has been jailed for 17 years. He will serve a non-parole period of at least 12 years.

The dead man's father told the Supreme Court that his sorrow at his son's death was never ending.

But Khalid Baker, 21, still protests his innocence.

"I didn't murder no one, I'm innocent," he told Justice Simon Whelan as he was led from the Supreme Court yesterday.

Baker took part in several unprovoked assaults on guests at the party in Brunswick on November 26, 2005.

Justice Whelan said Baker, of Hoppers Crossing, was involved in violent and aggressive fighting on a landing at the warehouse.

Albert Snowball, 22, was knocked out of a window and fell 5.4m, hitting his head on the footpath.

Mr Snowball, of Perth, was rushed to hospital with brain damage but died.

In May, a jury found Baker guilty of the murder.

Jonathon Snowball told the court of his grief for his son.

"Albert Snowball was my first-born son. I sat him on my knee. I read to him. I carried him against my chest," Mr Snowball said in a victim impact statement.

"He was a good, honourable human being. It is not an easy thing to watch your son die."

Justice Whelan said yesterday that Baker did not intend to kill Mr Snowball or for him to go through the window.

He said while Baker had been found guilty of murder it was a case where "the moral culpability involved approaches the confines of manslaughter".

Justice Whelan said reports tendered to the court suggested Baker had significant problems in his life, which he attributed to his troubles in learning to read and write and prejudice he had experienced because of his colour and religion.

Three civilians killed in botched raid

Governor Rozi Khan and two bodyguards were killed.

AUSTRALIAN special forces troops in Afghanistan have accidentally killed a district governor and two of his bodyguards in a botched raid that will pose a further setback to the [war against indigenous afghanistanis.]

The provincial police chief, General Juma Gulab Khan, confirmed last night that Australian troops in the southern province of Oruzgan had surrounded a house they suspected of harbouring Taliban fighters and shot a district chief, Rozi Khan.

He said Rozi Khan, a former police chief, had gone to the house of a friend who thought his house was surrounded by Taliban militants. In fact, the house had been surrounded by Australian troops

The Defence [War] Force said of the incident last night that special forces troops may have accidentally killed several Afghan police near the provincial capital, Tarin Kowt, but had been returning fire in self-defence.

"After being fired upon from a number of locations the [special [war] forces] patrol returned fire in self-defence," a statement said.

"Although the facts are not clear at present, it is possible that a number of Afghan police may have been killed."

General Khan said that two bodyguards were killed and another two injured in the firefight.

The botched raid comes just days after the commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, General David McKiernan, called for a review of the use of lethal force after the deaths of scores of civilians in a series of controversial attacks.

The attacks have caused growing tension between the Afghan Government and the Western forces.

A Defence [War] spokesman said last night the details remained unclear but the incident was under investigation.

"The Australian Defence [War] Force takes all such incidents very seriously and is conducting an assessment to clarify the circumstances of the attack," he said.

"The ADF will work closely with [the international forces] and Afghan authorities both in Oruzgan province and in Kabul to investigate this matter."

Rozi Khan was the district governor of Chora district, a former mujahideen commander and an influential tribal leader.

But General Khan denied Defence reports that the other men killed were policemen.

Three policemen in Uruzgan were killed when a bomb hit their patrol in Oruzgan on Thursday, he said, adding that no other casualties were caused by Australian troops.

The Afghan President, Harmid Karzai, expressed sorrow over the killing, which he called a "misunderstanding," and said the district chief had been a close associate.

Last November, two women and a baby were killed in a battle between Australian forces and the Taliban.

In the wake of a recent US airstrike on a village that accidentally killed as many as 92 civilians, the US Defence Secretary, Robert Gates, personally apologised and President Karzai called for new rules of engagement.

A UN report this week said the number of civilians killed in the conflict had risen 40 per cent this year to 1445, with about 45 per cent blamed on Afghan and Western forces.

Mr Gates said this week that the US Government was planning to send extra troops to the country next year.

General McKiernan said on Tuesday he needed more than 10,000 extra combat troops to fight the growing insurgency.

Related:

AFGHANISTAN: End the slaughter
An Afghan woman who lost family members weeps after air strikes on Friday in Azizabad district of Shindand August 23, 2008. An UN investigation suggested that 60 children were killed in the airstrike. Australian troops are not restoring peace in Afghanistan but working for oil company profits, amongst other things.

Austraila detained Afghans in 'dog pens'
Australian special forces troops detained suspected Taliban militants [or indigenous Afganistanis] in "dog pens" in actions which have prompted a protest from the Afghan ambassador.

AFGHANISTAN: End the slaughter

An Afghan woman who lost family members weeps after air strikes on Friday in Azizabad district of Shindand August 23, 2008. An UN investigation suggested that 60 children were killed in the airstrike.

Australian troops are not restoring peace in Afghanistan but working for oil company profits, amongst other things.

But Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has paid tribute to nine soldiers who were wounded in battle, one of whom has life-threatening injuries, and said the Government remains committed to restoring peace in Afghanistan.

[In the 7 years since the invasion of Afghanistan there is still no water, no electricity, and no education, most of the time.]

The troops were members of a Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) detachment fighting an overnight battle with the Taliban in Uruzgan province.

Mr Rudd has told Parliament the operation is still continuing and says Australia will continue to help Afghanistan in the fight against the Taliban.

[For oil company profits.]

"The Australian Government remains committed to assisting the people of Afghanistan and their democratically elected Government to achieve a measure of the stability and prosperity that we take for granted in our country," he said.

[For oil company profits.]

[In the 7 years since the invasion of Afghanistan there is still no water, no electricity, and no education, most of the time.]

"Our adversaries should take heed of the resolve of Australia's soldiers, the resolve of the Australian Government and the resolve of the Australian people in bringing to an end this unsustainable instability and conflict in Afghanistan.

Mr Rudd said those still involved in the operation were undertaking essential but dangerous work which was part of a vital mission.

"The Taliban can never again be allowed to use Afghanistan as a training ground, a hiding place or a launching pad for terrorist operations around the world," he said.

[Because it never happened. Bin Laden worked for the US and the Bush family.]

Five of the soldiers have serious wounds and three others have slight wounds, while one is seriously injured.

Earlier today Chief of the Defence [military] Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston confirmed the troops were ambushed.

[For ripping of Indigenous Afghanistanis]

"It's a very dangerous place and we were involved in an activity with other forces, and I guess we were ambushed and this is what happened," he said.

The incident follows the death in July of 25-year-old SAS Signaller Sean McCarthy, the sixth Australian soldier to die in theatre in Afghanistan.

AFGHANISTAN: End the slaughter

On 22 August, 95 civilians were killed by NATO forces, 60 among them were children. Yesterday 1 September another 70 civilians suffered the same fate.

Afghanistan does not make the news; Afghan lives seem not to matter to the so called "civilised world".

7 October 2008 marks the seventh year of Afghanistan’s occupation. The NATO led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) is made up of over 50,000 NATO troops, of which about half are US soldiers. Australia under operation SLIPPER provides 1,080 Australian soldiers.

NATO has killed actually more civilians than the Taliban, this is just one of the reasons why the resistance to the occupation is increasing.

The US alone spends $100 million a day in Afghanistan’s war, while total international aid comes to $7 million a day - most if not all is 'boomerang' aid.

The US puppet regime of Hamid Karzai exerts control over no more than 30 percent of the country.

After the US led invasion Afghanistan has become the ‘opium capital of the world’ and foreign soldiers are much involved in opium trade as the warlords.

The 2007 Afghanistan Human Development Report shows some catastrophic development indicators: access to water is at 31% of households; life expectancy is 43.1 years; adult literacy is 23.5%; 50% of Afghan children under five are malnourished; while 6.6 million Afghans do not meet their minimum daily food requirements.

Violence is up by 50% in a country where suicide bombings had never been seen before December 2005. RAWA, the lead Afghan women’s rights group, says the US backed regime in Kabul is no improvement for Afghan women.

Malalai Joya, a leading Afghan politician also called the ‘bravest woman of Afghanistan, has denounced the warlords, Karzai and the endemic corruption.

Malalai has also called for all US and foreign troops to get out of Afghanistan and allow Afghans to run their country. Australia is aiding and abetting in a disastrous occupation.

Foreign troops have not brought democracy to Afghanistan but chaos and misery.

Join our call to: BRING THE TROOPS HOME! JOIN THE STOP THE WAR COALITION - SYDNEY ON TUESDAY 7 OCTOBER 2008 AT 5.30pm AT SYDNEY TOWN HALL.

STOP THE WAR COALITION
Malalai Joya
(RAWA)

Related:

Austraila detained Afghans in 'dog pens'
Australian special forces troops detained suspected Taliban militants [or indigenous Afganistanis] in "dog pens" in actions which have prompted a protest from the Afghan ambassador.

Investigation last week found mass NATO Killings of 90 Afghanistan Civilians including 60 Children.


"Investigations by UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan) found convincing evidence, based on the testimony of eyewitnesses, and others, that some 90 civilians were killed, including 60 children, 15 women and 15 men," U.N. Special Envoy to Afghanistan Kai Eide said in a statement.

The Forgotten War: Sonali Kolhatkar on Why Afghanistan is “Just as Bad as Iraq” Coming on the heels of Barack Obama’s highly publicized visit to Afghanistan—what he calls a central front in the so-called war on terror—we play an address by Pacifica radio host Sonali Kolhatkar, one of this country’s leading voices against the occupation of Afghanistan and co-author of the book Bleeding Afghanistan: Washington, Warlords and the Propaganda of Silence. She spoke last month at the National Conference for Media Reform in Minneapolis about what she called widespread misconceptions about the occupation of Afghanistan.

Rice greeted by protesters in Perth Rice will always have a job with the Bush family (she served the father, too) or with Chevron-Texaco Oil

Australian SAS soldier 'killed' in Afghanistan
The reported death of the soldier in Afghanistan would be the second loss Australia has experienced in the attack on the sovereign nation state this year, and brings the nation's death toll from the war to six.

Iraq oil output, exports hit post-war high


Oil production has climbed to a post-war high of more than 2.5 million barrels-per-day.

Iraq has raised oil exports to a post-war high, earning billions of dollars to fund reconstruction after Baghdad cracked down on sabotage of its strategic pipelines, Oil Minister Hussein al-Shahristani says he expects 2008 oil revenues to reach $70 billion if oil prices stay high and there are no output disruptions. Mr Shahristani was optimistic Iraqi forces would be able to sustain tight security at oil facilities. That could raise the confidence of [foreign] investors who have been discouraged by [resistance to; the pre-emptive strikes on Iraq by the coalition of the killing, false flag operations by them, to encourage civil war, sectarian violence, Al Qaeda and powerful Shiite militants who had a tight grip on Basra, home to Iraq's biggest oilfields.

"In May, we have exceeded for the first time 2 million barrels-per-day (bpd) as an export rate," Mr Shahristani said. Production had also climbed to a post-war high of more than 2.5 million bpd, he said. Mr Shahristani was confident Iraq could pump up to 2.9 million bpd by the end of 2008. He declined to comment on export levels for June, but senior Iraqi oil officials said last month shipments would run slightly higher because of extra Kirkuk sales from the north.

Unknown News
"News that's not known, or not known enough."

-- IN IRAQ --

30,000 IRAQI TROOPS KILLED
and 90,000 SERIOUSLY INJURED Aug. 2003

785,957 IRAQI CIVILIANS KILLED
and 1,414,723 SERIOUSLY INJURED June 2007

3,615 U.S. TROOPS KILLED
and 50,677 SERIOUSLY INJURED June 2007

287 OTHER COALITION TROOPS KILLED
and 861 SERIOUSLY INJURED June 2007

160 U.S. CIVILIANS KILLED
and 288 SERIOUSLY INJURED June 2007

251 OTHER COALITION CIVILIANS KILLED
and 452 SERIOUSLY INJURED June 2007

-- IN AFGHANISTAN --

8,587 AFGHAN TROOPS KILLED
and 25,761 SERIOUSLY INJURED July 2004

3,485 AFGHAN CIVILIANS KILLED
and 6,273 SERIOUSLY INJURED July 2004

342 U.S. TROOPS KILLED
and 1,026 SERIOUSLY INJURED Jan. 2007

278 OTHER COALITION TROOPS KILLED
and 834 SERIOUSLY INJURED June 2007

? U.S. and COALITION CIVILIANS KILLED
and ? SERIOUSLY INJURED

Army chief admits morale concerns over lack of combat
Lieutenant General Leahy was responding to public criticism from two infantry officers who have written in the Australian Army Journal. The officers claim that some soldiers are sometimes ashamed to wear the Australian uniform and have been treated with "near contempt" by allies in Iraq and Afghanistan because they are involved in such low-risk missions.

IT'S ALL ABOUT OIL!
In 1998, Dick Cheney, now US vice-president but then chief executive of a major oil services company, remarked: "I cannot think of a time when we have had a region emerge as suddenly to become as strategically significant as the Caspian." But the oil and gas there is worthless until it is moved. The only route which makes both political and economic sense is through Afghanistan.

Austraila detained Afghans in 'dog pens'

Australian special forces troops detained suspected Taliban militants [or indigenous Afganistanis] in "dog pens" in actions which have prompted a protest from the Afghan ambassador.

Australian Muslim groups have also expressed outrage that four suspected insurgents [or indigenous Afganistanis] were held for 24 hours after being arrested by special forces soldiers in Afghanistan on April 29.

An army inquiry last week rejected claims that the raid on suspected Taliban [or indigenous Afganistanis] members, which resulted in allegations of mistreatment, was carried out in response to the fatal shooting two days earlier of Sydney commando Lance Corporal Jason Marks.

Defence [Military] officials have confirmed that Afghan prisoners were held in the dog pens in Afghanistan.

"Yes, however this holding area provided the best secure, safe and isolated short-term accommodation until the following day," a Defence [Military] spokesman said.

However, Islamic decrees warn Muslims against contact with dogs which are regarded as unclean.

Afghan ambassador Amanullah Jayhoon has strongly criticised the use of dog pens for human detention and warned the incident could provide valuable propaganda for the Taliban.

Australia's peak Muslim body the Islamic High Council has expressed alarm at the practice.

"This is of concern to us whether they are Muslim or other people being confined to other accommodation designed for dogs," said Council spokesman Mohamed Mehio.

"This is a matter of human rights."

Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon denied any wrongdoing by the diggers [militia].

"The detainees were held for 24 hours at this transit facility, which was the time required to arrange appropriate transport to move them to a purpose-built detention facility at Tarin Kowt," he said.

Children killed in NATO artillery attack

The NATO-led force in Afghanistan says it has accidentally killed three children in the eastern province of Paktika.

A statement says soldiers in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) were attacked and retaliated with artillery fire.

The first shell landed too close to a civilian compound and troops called a halt to the attack, but a second shell had already been fired.

NATO soldiers found the bodies of three children in the compound. Seven people were wounded.

In a statement, NATO expressed deep regret and said the incident was being investigated.

On Friday Afghan and German troops killed two children and a woman when the cars they were in failed to stop at a checkpoint.

The incidents are the latest in a string of civilian casualties caused by foreign soldiers.

Related:

Vietnam Veterans for Peace Demonstrate Against Fellow Vet John McCain


On Sunday, Veterans for Peace, a large national organization made up of veterans of every war, from Korea to Vietnam and Iraq, led a protest in the streets of St. Paul against the Republican National Convention. Among the members of Vets for Peace, there is a sizable contingent of Vietnam War vets. So, too, is the man they are demonstrating against: the presumptive presidential nominee John McCain. Democracy Now! correspondent Jeremy Scahill files a report from the streets of the Twin Cities.

John McCain More Of The Same



Investigation last week found mass NATO Killings of 90 Afghanistan Civilians including 60 Children.


"Investigations by UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan) found convincing evidence, based on the testimony of eyewitnesses, and others, that some 90 civilians were killed, including 60 children, 15 women and 15 men," U.N. Special Envoy to Afghanistan Kai Eide said in a statement.

The Secret Rulers of the World

The Secret Rulers of the World – New Link 

The Secret Rulers of the World - Present/Past [part 1 of 29] You Tube Video The source of most if not all our woes, revealed (from the present to the past): Connecting the dots through ~3000 years of revisionist human history, spanning from the time of the pharaohs, all the way up to the present dynasties creating the New World Order, in a quest to perfect the enslavement of mankind. From pirates to banksters, to the ruling elite, who run the world's finances, the media and cover both side of nearly every conflict or war: the world may make more sense after watching this.

About the Producer:
As a child, she had many arguments between her parents over her father's ring, inscribed with "G", a compass and square. At a later age, years of intensive research led her to the identity , history and plans of a power "so organized, so subtle, so watchful, so interlocking, so complete, so pervasive" that even the known 'leaders' of the world are careful not to speak in "condemnation" of it.

The Secret Rulers of the World – New Link 

2. The Secret Rulers of the World - Only the Start [2/29]

The Secret Rulers of the World – New Link 

3. Secret Rulers of the World - Profiting from 9/11 [3/29]

The Secret Rulers of the World – New Link 
4. Secret Rulers of the World - Hidden Empire [4/29]

The Secret Rulers of the World – New Link 
5. The Secret Rulers of the World - Vatican Hoarding [5/29]
6. The Secret Rulers of the World - Amen Pharaohs [6/29]
7. Secret Rulers of the World - Forbidden Link [7/29]
8. Secret Rulers of the World - Oceans of Blood [8/29]
9. The Secret Rulers of the World - The Queen [9/29]
10. The Secret Rulers of the World - King of Kings[10/29]
11. The Secret Rulers of the World - The Empire [11/29]
12.The Secret Rulers of the World - The Cult of Amen [12/29]
13. The Secret Rulers of the World - Committee of 30 [13/29]
14. The Secret Rulers of the World - Rothschild [14/29]
15. The Secret Rulers of the World - New World Order [15/29]
16. The Secret Rulers of the World - Freemasonry [16/29]
17. The Secret Rulers of the World - Money Control [17/29]
18.Secret Rulers of the World - Credit Monopoly [18/29]
19. The Secret Rulers of the World - Bush Nazis
20. The Secret Rulers of the World - Palestine Israel[20/29]
21. The Secret Rulers of the World - The Butchers [21/29]
22. Secret Rulers of the World - The Asses of Evil [22/29]
23. The Secret Rulers of the World - Drug Running [23/29]
24. The Secret Rulers of the World - War on Terror [24/29]
25. The Secret Rulers of the World - Iraqi Dates [25/29]
26. The Secret Rulers of the World - The AntiChrist [26/29]
27. The Secret Rulers of the World - Enslavement [27/29]
28. The Secret Rulers of the World - Tax Enslavement [28/29]
29. The Secret Rulers of the World - The Power [29/29]


Related:

Antiwar Activists Take to the Streets to “Defend Denver”


Antiwar Activists Take to the Streets to "Defend Denver" Democracy Now! correspondent Jeremy Scahill heads to the streets of Denver to report on day one of protests outside of the Democratic National Convention. He speaks to antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan, Green Party presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney, Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic, M1 of Dead Prez, Leslie Cagan of United for Peace and Justice and others.

Rick MacArthur: "You Can't Be President: The Outrageous Barriers to Democracy in America"


As the Democratic National Convention begins in Denver, we speak to Harper’s publisher Rick MacArthur on his new book You Can’t Be President. MacArthur says that the popular notion that any American can become president only reinforces the “destructive national delusion that widespread, up-from-the-ground, truly popular democracy, both political and economic, really exists in America.” To assume that, he says, is equal to believing that Santa Claus exists.

AT&T Throws Party to Support Dems Who Voted to Grant Telecoms Immunity for Illegal Domestic Wiretapping


Democracy Now! goes from the streets to the suites to try and cover one of the first of over 1,200 parties during the Democratic National Convention—this one thrown by AT&T to support Democrats who voted to grant the company immunity for illegal wiretapping of Americans. We also get analysis from Glenn Greenwald of Salon.com.

Govt launches veterans suicide study

The government has launched a study to assess how many veterans commit suicide and why.

Veterans Affairs Minister Alan Griffin said the study would examine a number of specific cases of suicide by ex-service members in recent years to help identify those members who may be at risk of self harm.

"We know that war service can have both a physical and mental impact on the lives of service personnel. Physical impairment can be obvious, psychological injury is less so," he said in a statement.

"This government is determined to support veterans and ex-service personnel who may suffer psychologically as a result of their service. However to do so we need a better understanding of the incidence and characteristics of suicide amongst this community."

Mr Griffin said the study would be run by epidemiologist and public health specialist Associate Professor David Dunt who is also conducting the recently announced review of mental health services in the Australian Defence [Military-War] Force.

Mr Griffin said his appointment to conduct the suicide study would deliver a more coordinated response to mental health for serving and ex-service personnel.

He is expected to report by the end of the year.

Mr Griffin said the suicide study would be conducted independently of the Department of Veterans Affairs and had been developed in consultation with the National Veterans' Mental Health and Wellbeing Forum.

"We are seeking to better identify those at risk, common contributing factors in recent cases, the incidence of suicide in the ex-service community and whether there is more that government agencies and the medical and allied-health professions can do to support veterans under stress," he said.

Submissions have been sought from members of the veteran and ex-service community. Closing date is October 5.

Australia: Concerns of a police state

Cameron Murphy NSW Council for Civil Liberties...a massive reduction in police accountability to the community.

NSW police now have special emergency powers to bug or track people for up to four days without a warrant.

Under the biggest shake-up to the state's surveillance laws, police will have up to four days to monitor people before needing to apply retrospectively for an emergency warrant from a Supreme Court judge.

NSW Attorney-General John Hatzistergos said the new police powers flowed from an inter-governmental Australian terrorism summit in 2002.

"I don't believe the threat of terrorism has disappeared," Mr Hatzistergos said. "The law says the emergency powers may be used if there is an imminent threat of serious violence or substantial damage to property, or if a serious narcotics offence could be committed.

"To adequately track and prosecute terrorists, we need to be able to monitor computers, as well as be able to watch and listen with whatever means available."

Mr Hatzistergos said police would come under the full scrutiny of the issuing judge and be audited by the Ombudsman. Reports would also be made to the Attorney-General and State Parliament.

Only material relevant to a possible prosecution could be kept and it must be stored in a secure place. If a judge refuses to grant a warrant, all records gathered must be destroyed.

Under the Surveillance Devices Act 2008, which came into effect on Friday, NSW Police can now also cross state borders, and the operational time for surveillance warrants has risen from 21 days to 90 days.

NSW Council for Civil Liberties president Cameron Murphy said the new powers were a massive reduction in police accountability to the community.

"We have seen a number of high-profile police in NSW and Victoria in trouble," he said. "It raises the question: 'Can we trust them with these powers where there is an accountability-free zone?' "

Robo cop: The New World Order


DRESSED like a storm trooper in a sci-fi movie, the modern NSW police officer now has access to enough body armour and high-tech gadgetry to [oppress people.]

Each member of the public order and riot squad is kitted out with more than $8500 in gear.

The squad's commander, Chief Superintendent Steve Cullen, who has been in the force for 30 years, said there had been extraordinary developments in protection gear in that time. "Back in the '70s and '80s, there was a tactical response group but, of course, they were never kitted out to this extreme," he said.

"There would have been perhaps an improvised army helmet, an old-type ballistic vest and a Remington 870 pump action shotgun. Not much else."

He said the new equipment showed the world had become a "far more dangerous place than it was 20 years ago".

[It also showed the world that states and territories have become more oppressive and violent towards citizenry and their dissent.]

"What we are wearing is a direct reflection of society today. I have seen an escalation in violence towards police and a loss of respect for law enforcement in general."

[What police are wearing is a direct reflection of police today. People have also seen an escalation in violence towards citizenry and loss of respect for people, protests and dissent.]



G20 Protest: The Frontline


Two protestors sit in front of a line of police at the end of a day of demonstrations and violent clashes between protestors and police near the venue of the 2006 G20 Summit, Melbourne, November 18, 2006.


During the 30 August to 1 September the Forbes Global CEO Conference in Sydney. Police outnumbering surrounded protestors. For instance attend some demonstrations or protests (left Wing) to be surrounded by police bridging up.

If a police officer is confronted with a "high risk" situation, the Public Order and Riot Squad is called in.

The unit is able to quickly deploy up to 75 fully equipped officers. That number is planned to increase to 100.

"We get called to public disturbances, brawls, sieges, riots, protests and demonstrations, but we are fully prepared for any other high-risk scenario that could possibly come our way," Superintendent Cullen said.

Protected by a bulletproof vest, ballistic goggles as well as arm and leg guards, each riot squad officer is essentially a "mobile arsenal vehicle".

The officers' chief weapon is a Glock 22 semi-automatic pistol. Strapped to their flameproof overalls, they also carry the much publicised X26 Taser electric stun gun. It fires needle-tipped darts that disable violent suspects with a high-voltage shock.

Officers also carry a bigger version of the traditional capsicum spray bottle, spare rounds of ammunition, a short baton, long baton, utility knife, handcuffs and cable tie flexi-cuffs.

Squad member Sergeant Andrew Grace said fully fitted-out officers needed to drink 1.5 litres of water an hour to combat dehydration.

"If it's a situation like a Redfern or a Macquarie Fields [riot], the last thing you're thinking about is the additional weight. It's never a consideration. You're totally focused," he said.

Superintendent Cullen said today's uniform was all about "protection and having a number of less lethal options" available.

"If they are heading out in the full kit, it's based upon the risk of the threat confronting us at the time." He cited last year's APEC demonstrations in Sydney as an example.

"We had significant intelligence that there were people intent on causing violence and damage."


Riot squad masses in central Sydney


NSW Police unleash their latest weapon against unruly protestors just in time for APEC.

Superintendent Cullen said the first response in any volatile situation was still "the mouth".

"You never stop talking to people. That's what it's always about and that's how you always hope to resolve a situation, regardless of where you are."

[Do what you're told? No protest? Get back? Affirmative Action? Crack Down?]

Quote: Significant literature shows that if people are not treated with respect by governments and authorities by using dialogue to solve problems - then police-using violence against them only drives a wedge and doesn’t provide for any long-term solution to community concerns. Violence does not win so why not lead by some form of example? Violence begets violence. If the military, police and governments use violence against people then how can they expect the community to learn that violence does not win? Isn’t that what they are trying to prevent? Note: that having no access to demonstrate leaves room for people who want to break through baracades. Why not just invite elected democratic representatives for the people to the conference? Why not provide public space close to the venue for people to demonstrate their concerns?

Related:

Tough police powers outlive APEC
CONTROVERSIAL powers granted to NSW police during last year's APEC summit are likely to be made permanent - or at least available to police for any special event - under a proposal to be taken to state cabinet. The powers made it possible to exclude people from certain zones during the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit in September. Police were given extraordinary rights to search people.

The QUICKTIME REPORT You Tube 20/11/06 - SEE GLOBALLY!




A review of news, opinion and photography recorded from the Indymedia Newswire. Free to rebroadcast. The world & recorded for the community archive! November 20 2006.