HunterThinks.com

Morales: Government will take over for DEA in Bolivia

noreply@blogger.com (Hunter Hogan) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 03:23:00 +0000

"Bolivian President Evo Morales said Saturday that he was suspending the work of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Bolivia and that the government will take control of its activities in the war on drugs."

Judge orders review of wiretap memos

noreply@blogger.com (Hunter Hogan) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 03:21:00 +0000

"A federal judge has ordered the Justice Department to produce White House memos that provide the legal basis for the Bush administration's post-Sept. 11 warrantless wiretapping program."

Experts say FDA findings on compound misleading

noreply@blogger.com (Hunter Hogan) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 03:19:00 +0000

"A panel of experts accused the Food and Drug Administration of creating 'a false sense of security' with its assessment that a compound used to make food and beverage containers poses no immediate health risks."

UN says Colombian military executing civilians

noreply@blogger.com (Hunter Hogan) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 03:18:00 +0000

"Colombia's U.S.-backed security forces are engaging in 'systematic and widespread' extrajudicial executions of innocent civilians as part of their counterinsurgency campaign, a top United Nations diplomat said Saturday."

Is war in the Congo fueled by mining?

noreply@blogger.com (Hunter Hogan) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 02:47:00 +0000

This analysis suggests that war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is due to fighting over gold, diamonds, and minerals. The analysis does not offer any solutions nor talk about alternative explanations for the conflict.

Context of the story:

Why is this important? The DRC is the third largest country in Africa, resource rich but economically poor, and home to violence and warlords.

Who is involved? The president of the DRC is Joseph Kabila. Laurent Nkunda is a former general who has taken control of large parts of eastern DRC--near Rwanda. Many people believe that Hutu militants from the Rwandan genocide are also operating in DRC, but not for Nkunda who is sympathetic to the Tutsis. The United Nations has a mission in DRC.

Where is this happening? DRC is in central Africa. The civil war is happening mostly in eastern DRC, especially near Rwanda.

What can you do? Learn about and use non-violent ways to resolve conflict in your life. Write to your political leaders and ask them to get involved in the problems of central Africa. Support cultural exchanges--understanding of other cultures can reduce violence.

Somali rape victim, 13, stoned to death

noreply@blogger.com (Hunter Hogan) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 02:43:00 +0000

A 13-year-old girl complained that she was raped by three men, but the local leaders accused her of adultery and stoned her to death in a stadium with 1,000 spectators.

Context of the story:

Why is this important? Violence against women is especially common in the lawless lands of Somalia.

Who is involved? Somali leaders in Kismayo and the victim was Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow.

Where is this happening? Kismayo, or Chisimaio, is in Southern Somalia, which is on the Horn of Africa in eastern Africa.

What can you do? Support your local rape crisis intervention programs. Learn about and apply non-violent conflict resolution in your life. Finally, support programs that help establish fair and stable governments in foreign countries. Education programs, cultural exchanges, and rule of law initiatives may help lead to a functioning government in Somalia.

US kills al-Qaeda propaganda chief in Pakistan

noreply@blogger.com (Hunter Hogan) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 02:41:00 +0000

One of the recent US missile strikes in Pakistan killed an important Qaeda leader. The US still refuses to confirm or deny attacking in Pakistan.

Context of the story:

Why is this important? Incidents such as this make it clear that there are benefits to attacking targets in Pakistan, but no one in the US is actually talking about the costs and benefits and the best way to proceed.

Who is involved? The US military is part of a NATO-led force in Afghanistan. Al Qaeda is a terrorist network with many people in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan. Pakistan is a US ally in the war on terror.

Where is this happening? North Waziristan is a tribal area in Northern Pakistan and near Afghanistan.

What can you do? Write to your political leaders and demand that the costs and benefits of attacking more countries be discussed in public.

US border agents detain Mexican troops

noreply@blogger.com (Hunter Hogan) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 02:38:00 +0000

US border patrol detained seven Mexican troops and their Hummer with a machine-gun turret on Friday. They were sent back to Mexico with their vehicle.

Context of the story:

Why is this important? Some people think that the Mexican army helps drug smugglers by providing reconnaissance or by distracting US agents. According to the US, Mexican troops crossed the border 42 times between Oct. 2007 and Aug. 2008.

Who is involved? US Border Patrol and troops from the 23rd Regiment Motorized Cavalry of the Mexican Army.

Where is this happening? Between the Colorado river and the newly built border wall near Yuma, Arizona. The Colorado River forms parts of the borders between California, Arizona, and Mexico.

What can you do? Learn more about the failed war on drugs and the widespread corruption in Northern Mexico. Promote rule of law initiatives, educational exchanges, and cultural exchanges with Mexico.

British commander in Afghanistan resigns in disgust

noreply@blogger.com (Hunter Hogan) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 02:28:00 +0000

The leader of British special forces in Afghanistan resigned. The official reason was "personal", but he said in his letter that "chronic underinvestment" in military equipment led to the deaths of four British soldiers in Afghanistan.

Context of the story:

Why is this important? British forces have a large role in Afghanistan, and if their leader is unhappy with their equipment, then it may signal serious problems ahead.

Who is involved? Major Sebastian Morley, head of Britain's SAS forces in Afghanistan. "Whitehall" is the center of the British government--somewhat equivalent to refer to "The Beltway" in the US.

Where is this happening? Major Morley was head of SAS in Afghanistan, which is between Pakistan and Iran. Britain is one of the NATO countries fighting in Afghanistan.

What can you do? Citizens from the US, the UK, France, and other NATO countries can write to their political leaders and ask them why troops are not properly equipped in Afghanistan. Ending the war in Afghanistan would also make this a moot issue: support efforts to bring peace to Afghanistan and the region.

US: 19 militants killed in Afghan operations

noreply@blogger.com (Hunter Hogan) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 02:25:00 +0000

The US military reported that operations in Afghanistan have killed 19 militants. But, the US is "not commenting" on operations in Syria or Pakistan.

Context of the story:

Why is this important? The most important aspect of this report is that the US military usually makes a report when it attacks militants, but it is not making reports about its operations in Pakistan or Syria. Killing militants in those countries may be a good thing, but there is no public dialogue about the issue because the US government refuses to talk about it.

Who is involved? The US military, the US government, Afghan police, and militants fighting against the US-backed Afghan government.

Where is this happening? In eastern Afghanistan--very near the border with Pakistan.

What can you do? Write to your political leaders and ask them why there is no dialogue about the the attacks in Pakistan and Syria.

Almost 20% of mortgages are underwater

noreply@blogger.com (Hunter Hogan) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 22:17:00 +0000

"At least 7.5 million Americans owe more on their mortgages than their homes are currently worth, according to a real estate research firm's report released Friday."

Pakistan police break up kids' marriage

noreply@blogger.com (Hunter Hogan) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 02:11:00 +0000

Pakistani police prevented a marriage between a 4-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy. Islamic law and local traditions sometimes conflict with the official law of Pakistan. The official law won this time.

Assassin of Israel's Rabin was inspired by right-wing leaders

noreply@blogger.com (Hunter Hogan) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 02:08:00 +0000

Yigal Amir assassinated Yitzhak Rabin in 1995 because other Israeli leaders gave dire warnings about Rabin's peace plans. The heated rhetoric encouraged him to kill the country's leader to prevent peace. In the US, right-wing leaders are now accusing Sen. Obama of dangerous policies.

US strikes kill 27 in Pakistan

noreply@blogger.com (Hunter Hogan) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 01:53:00 +0000

The US attacks Pakistan again, still no policy discussions in the US about the benefits and costs of invading Pakistan.

Bailout banks rip off the government

noreply@blogger.com (Hunter Hogan) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:34:00 +0000

"The 33 banks signed up so far plan to pay shareholders about $7 billion [in dividends] this quarter. Companies generally try to pay consistent dividends and, at the present pace, those dividends will consume 52 percent of the Treasury's investment over the initial three-year term."

Venezuela's first satellite launched from China

noreply@blogger.com (Hunter Hogan) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:28:00 +0000

Venezuela now has a satellite. Which global superpower power and space pioneer launched it? China. Meanwhile in the US, science funding is down.

Turkish ship hijacked off Somalia

noreply@blogger.com (Hunter Hogan) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:25:00 +0000

"Pirates hijacked a Turkish ship with 20 crew off the coast of Somalia but at least six other ships have fended off pirate attacks in the past two days."

Israel demolishes dozens of West Bank shacks

noreply@blogger.com (Hunter Hogan) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:24:00 +0000

Israel destroyed 25 homes in the West Bank today. A court order was due in two days to determine if the homes could stay. The 350 Bedouins had been living in the area for 50 years.

In Syria, a dangerous new escalation of the war on terror

noreply@blogger.com (Hunter Hogan) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:19:00 +0000

Some straight talk about the costs and benefits of invading Syrian and Pakistan: not much benefit and a lot of costs.

Ex-Liberian president's son convicted of torture

noreply@blogger.com (Hunter Hogan) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:14:00 +0000

A US Federal Court in Miami convicted Charles "Chuckie" Taylor Jr. of torturing people while he lived in Liberia.

185 national governments oppose the US blockade of Cuba

noreply@blogger.com (Hunter Hogan) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:44:00 +0000

The UN General Assembly voted 185-to-3, with 2 abstentions, to call on the US to end the embargo of Cuba. The American ineffective 47-year embargo only hurts US credibility; it has not ended communism in Cuba.

Somali civil war targets UN

noreply@blogger.com (Hunter Hogan) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:38:00 +0000

The decades long civil war in Somalia took a gruesome turn today with suicide bombers targeting UN offices. At least 22 are dead.

Pakistan demands halt to US missiles

noreply@blogger.com (Hunter Hogan) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:35:00 +0000

Pakistan today demanded that the US stop missile strikes in its country. Pakistan says that it undermines popular support for the US. In the US, instead of discussing the benefits and costs of invading Pakistan, we are now talking about the definition of "socialist."

Private citizens extending a peace offering to FARC

noreply@blogger.com (Hunter Hogan) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:32:00 +0000

Private citizens in Columbia are urging FARC, leftist rebels hiding in the mountains, to discuss a prisoner swap deal. FARC has agreed to have a dialogue.

Former political prisoner elected Maldives president

noreply@blogger.com (Hunter Hogan) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 02:16:00 +0000

Maldives is an island nation in the Indian Ocean of 300,000 people--mostly Sunni Muslim. In this nation's first democratic election, Mohamed "Anni" Nasheed defeated longtime ruler Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.