Good riddance, carr quits?

Australia's most draconian state dictator, bob carr, announced his surprise resignation as New South Wales premier and his departure from state politics.

carr, 58, said his resignation as state premier, after 10 years in the job, and as the state member for the Sydney beachside seat of Maroubra, after 22 years in parliament, would take effect from next Wednesday.

He told reporters that he and his wife Helena decided only last weekend that it was time for him to quit. But he said he had no plans for retirement. He also declined to nominate a successor and said he had no plans to move to federal politics.

carr, a well-known PR specialist, said he resigned because he wanted to spend more time with his wife enjoying the beauty of Sydney and "more recreation".

But carr is the state's longest-serving 'dictator' who has not boasted about his record prison population, broken down hospitals and public transport failures.

carr even attends the hillsong cult with Prime Loser john hoWARd, despite coming from the other side of the political fence, but now the family that plays together prays together in the same evil church.

He won three elections during his more than 10 years in power, each one with a bigger majority than the last.

federal labor, which has lost the past four national elections and whose incumbent leader kim beazley, a well paid loser, is lagging in the opinion polls again, has repeatedly and unsuccessfully lobbied carr to transfer to the federal arena.

As recently as March this year, carr said he would lead labor to the next state election, due in March 2007.

When asked on Wednesday if he could categorically rule out a move to Canberra, carr replied: "Yes I can."

He refused to speculate on who might replace him.

"I am not going to baptise a successor," he said. "I leave that to my parliamentary colleagues."

A former journalist, carr was elected as member for Maroubra in 1983, and became leader of the state labor Party in 1988, following the defeat of Barrie Unsworth's government.

labor's federal industrial relations spokesman Stephen Smith said Mr carr would be welcome if he decided to move into federal politics.

"If bob carr wanted to come to Canberra he'd be very welcome but I suspect in his first day of retirement he doesn't have that on his mind," he said.

NSW's second-longest serving premier Neville Wran, whose record carr overtook in May, said Mr carr's greatest achievement was to keep winning elections, particularly as his original ambitions lay in Canberra.

"I think bob had his eye on a federal seat and it was largely the defeat of the labor government in 1988 that left the labor Party without a leader and bob was literally drafted into the job as leader of the opposition - a job which I'm certain he didn't relish," wran said.

"People say 'What's his greatest achievement?' I will tell you now, his greatest achievement was to keep on winning elections."

But some of his greatest achievements were the Terrorism (Police Powers) Act, building more prisons, increasing the prison population to a record 9,000 prisoners, playing God and cementing people into prison (for the term of their natural lives), keeping people in prison regardless of their innocence (standing down the Innocence Panel) and the High Risk Management Unit at Goulburn otherwise known as the HARM-U keeping people in isolation indefinitely.

For Bob Carr, sorry seems to be the hardest word

Told to say sorry ... Bob Carr.

NSW Premier Bob Carr today issued a virtual apology to whistleblower nurses in a last ditch effort to avoid being charged with contempt and a possible appearance before the Supreme Court.

But Mr Carr also defended himself over his alleged "insults" to nurse Nola Fraser, saying she had criticised him first. The premier - via his legal representatives - was today hauled before the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) to face the contempt allegations.

But confusion abounds as to whether the commission even has the power to find someone in contempt, with the relevant legislation described as an "oddity" by Commissioner John Clarke and "absurd" by two of the three presenting barristers.

SMH 10 September 2004

My tip is that carr is moving into federal politics.

By Injustice 27 July 05

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A family destroyed

Two brothers die suddenly, in separate incidents, in the care of the state. What does such an appalling double tragedy do to those left behind? Laura Smith meets a bereaved sister looking for answers

UK: Patricia Manning's brother Osman Cameron died in the Queen Elizabeth psychiatric hospital in Birmingham two weeks ago, and she has been tormented by what-ifs ever since. What if she had gone to visit him earlier that morning when she found out her college lecture had been cancelled? What if she hadn't stopped to pick up some snacks on the way to the hospital? What if he were still alive?

Osman, who was 45 and didn't work, was found dead in his hospital room on January 24. He had been arrested on January 4 after getting into an argument with a postman outside his home, and taken to the Belgravia police station in Birmingham, where he spent two nights. According to West Midlands police, he was assessed by doctors and social workers and a decision was made to section him under the Mental Health Act. He was transferred to the hospital on January 6. He died 18 days later, three days before he was due to be released.

It is too early to say with any certainty how Osman died, but the preliminary results of a postmortem appear to suggest asphyxia, possibly as a result of an epileptic fit. The inquest, opened at Birmingham coroners' court last month, is due to resume later this month.

It's a terrible tragedy for the family, who argue that Osman was a vulnerable man who suffered from autism and epilepsy and who should never have been in a psychiatric hospital. But for Patricia and her sister Elizabeth Melbourne, Osman's death is a doubly cruel blow.

Just over nine years ago, on December 8 1995, their other brother, Alton Manning, also died in the care of the state, this time in Blakehurst prison in Worcestershire. (Despite their surnames, the two were full brothers.)

The circumstances of Alton's death were rather different. On remand for an alleged violent offence, he was selected by prison guards for a strip search, to which he succumbed without protest. When they ordered him to squat for an anal and genital examination, however, he refused, and a struggle ensued. The inquest into his death heard that Alton was thrown to the floor and held face down while officers held his head and legs. He was taken out of the cell and carried face down along the corridor. Prisoners told the hearing that they saw him being held in a neck hold, a procedure known to be extremely dangerous.

He was then placed face down on the floor (other prisoners stated that they saw officers knock him to the ground). One said that what he saw "frightened the daylights out of him". Officers noticed a pool of blood near Alton's mouth and at this point his body went limp. The officers called for medical help, but continued to restrain him. By the time the nurse arrived, he was dead. He was 33.

A postmortem found that Alton died of asphyxia related to the way he was restrained. He had bruising to the neck and back, blood spots in the eyes, face and neck, blood from the ear and mouth, eight separate injuries to the face, and abrasions to the arms and legs. None of the officers sustained any significant injury, despite claiming he had resisted violently.

In the years that followed Alton Manning's death, his family campaigned tirelessly to bring the prison officers they believed responsible for his death to justice. Buoyed by an unlawful killing verdict at an inquest into his death in 1998, they hoped and believed that a prosecution would follow. None did. The Crown Prosecution Service argued there was "insufficient evidence" to proceed. When court proceedings brought by the family forced the CPS to reconsider in 2002, they again refused. After seven years, the family were forced to concede defeat.

Alton's death affected the Manning family in unimaginable ways. Patricia's father Cleveland, a carpenter, who was in remission from cancer, fell ill on the day of his son's death. Six weeks later he was dead. Her mother Albertha slipped into depression and died in Jamaica in 1998, two weeks into a holiday it had taken the sisters six months to persuade her to take.

"Anyone who knew Alton would say he was a proper gentleman," says Patricia. "Not a hair out of place. You know, like one of those army people? Shiny shoes and everything. My parents died of heartbreak. We were a close family. When my brother died, the shock immobilised the use of my father's legs and he was taken to hospital that day. As far as I'm concerned, the cancer began growing on the same day. My sister and I alternated looking after my mother, trying to encourage her to come on. But there was nothing we could do. She'd lost her husband and her son." She is buried in Jamaica, in the garden of the house where she was born.

She says it was only anger at the way her brother died that kept her going. "It was a traumatic time, to say the least. I think for me and my sister, the adrenaline because of the anger that you felt and because of the physical marks that he had, somehow gave you the strength to cope, even though my family were dropping like flies. We seemed to be able to deal with it."

To lose a second brother, however, one for whom she felt an almost parental responsibility, has proved much harder. Patricia was told that the police were called after Osman got into an argument with a postman outside his flat in Sparkbrook, Birmingham, apparently over the fact that a letter he was expecting had not arrived. She was not told that he had been arrested until two days later, when Osman's social worker got in touch to let them know that he was to be sectioned. She visited him in the hospital as often as she could, and called him when she couldn't.

Patricia talks about her brother, affectionately known as Ossie, with enormous tenderness and pride. In the way a mother would recount the achievements of her child, she lists his triumphs. How he nearly played table tennis for the junior England team. How musical he was, playing the recorder, the guitar and the organ. How intelligent he was, managing to stay on at mainstream school despite his autism. How he tidied friends' gardens to keep himself occupied.

But she knows this wasn't always the way strangers saw him. Intensely shy, Osman found it difficult to make conversation and Patricia admits he could come across as strange. "He was a bit of a loner," she says. "He always carried a big shopper bag with all his things in, his recorder, his books. To some people he probably appeared stupid, slow, thick. He was an easy target and people used to pick on him. People would judge him just on his appearance."

As a result, he was often getting into trouble. Patricia lost count of the number of times he was brought home or taken into custody by police after an argument on a bus or on the street. Whether as a result of his experiences or as a consequence of his condition, he didn't like going into new situations or into areas where people didn't know him.

According to Alan Bicknell of the National Autistic Society, this kind of behaviour is common amongst autists, who tend to have problems relating to and empathising with other people. "Everyone is different, but autism can result in extreme shyness," he says. "There can be problems with communication, with diction and the volume of the voice, which means people can come across as being loud and odd. There can also be problems with flexible thinking - new people and places - and accepting that other people think differently from them. They can find it virtually impossible to read body language."

It is not unusual, he says, for autists to attract the attention of the police. "We see that situation only too often," he says. "The police want a person who has been stopped to show them respect. But someone with autism will avoid eye contact and appear unconcerned. There is no obvious physical disability, so it won't necessarily be obvious to an officer that anything is wrong."

But Patricia believes there was another dimension to the attention Osman attracted, which began after he left school. "It was the 70s, he was black," she says. "He had a lot of problems with the police. Sometimes they'd arrest him, sometimes they put him in a psychiatric hospital, sometimes they wouldn't even arrest him, they'd just bring him home. I'm not saying all of them were bad. There was one that used to come to the house and speak to my mum because he was really concerned about Ossie." It was not until three years ago, after her parents had died and his care fell to her and her sister, that Ossie was diagnosed as autistic.

"When he was diagnosed, everything clicked into place," she says. "It made sense, the routine, the fact that he sometimes didn't understand your reasoning, the fact that he hated change." But his diagnosis didn't always help with the police. "I hate having to bring colour into it," she says. "But I can't help wonder, would the circumstances have been the same if the police had picked up a young, white autistic male who was having an altercation with somebody in the street? Rather than treat him as a criminal, maybe they would have seen him as someone with a problem who needed help."

She is deeply hurt by the release of a statement by West Midlands police immediately after Osman's death which claimed he had been arrested for robbery. The force has since changed the statement, but the inaccuracy was picked up and repeated unquestioningly by local and national media. "I don't know where that came from, because the hospital, the social worker and I were all told it was an altercation," she says.

Osman's death is now the subject of an investigation by West Midlands police, who will produce a report for the Birmingham coroner. The force voluntarily referred the case to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, but it was sent back to them after the IPCC concluded that there were "no identifiable issues of concern" relating to his death.

Of six children born to their parents, only Patricia and her sister Elizabeth, who also lives in Birmingham, survive. Their brother Barrington died aged four of asphyxia related to an asthma attack; another sister was stillborn.

She struggles to explain how it feels to lose two brothers in custody. "People say lightning doesn't strike twice, but look at what has happened to my family. This time was definitely the worst. I couldn't even leave the house. And then having to explain it to the children. I suppose it brought back my feelings about Alton. To lose another family member in those circumstances, it's even harder. It tears families apart. I just want people to discard the stereotypes and know that he is a person. He had nieces and nephews, he loved life, he had a right to life. Ossie was a very loving man who will be missed. Who will be missed terribly."

By Laura Smith posted 10 February 05

· To find out about the National Autistic Society's campaign to raise awareness of the condition among criminal justice professionals, visit The National Autistic Society .

Diagram: Symptoms Chart

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Australia

Review of the Mental Health Act 1990

1. We contend that the wording of the objects unnecessarily contrasts civil and other rights with effectiveness of treatment. It does not have to be a matter of balance, and in fact we suggest that real care is consistent with rights, dignity etc. The use of the word "control" (in this Section and throughout the whole Chapter) repeatedly with neither qualification nor mitigation leads to a strong impression that all people with psychiatric disabilities are always in need of 'policing' and restriction. We disagree totally and consider this to give rise to prejudicial attitudes and actions by the public and professionals related to perceptions and assumptions of dangerousness and lack of capacity.

Isolation, psychiatric treatment and prisoner' control
The 2003 NSW Corrections Health Service (now Justice Health) Report on Mental Illness Among NSW Prisoners states that the 12 month prevalence of any psychiatric disorder in prison is 74%, compared to 22% in the general community, and while this includes substance disorder the high rate cannot be attributed to that alone.

Children in crisis: the real diagnosis

Children's clinics at hospitals nationwide are clogged with youngsters whose real problem is their inability to read rather than a medical ailment. This is according to the chairman of the Federal Government's inquiry into reading.

Dr Ken Rowe, the newly appointed head of the national inquiry into the teaching of literacy, said psychology clinics at hospitals were straining to cope with the deluge of children seeking medical attention for problems caused by their failure to learn to read at school.

"Hospitals are complaining that their clinics are being filled with kids who are being referred for things like Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)," said Dr Rowe, who was last week appointed by the federal Education Minister to run the inquiry. "But once the pediatricians sort out the children's literacy problems, the behaviour problems disappear. What is essentially an education issue has become a health issue."

The Royal Children's Hospital is overhauling its clinical services after an internal audit revealed that one-quarter of all children who attended the emergency department and other outpatient services for medical help, were diagnosed as having non-medical conditions, such as learning difficulties and behaviour problems.

Professor Vicki Anderson, director of the hospital's department of psychology, said she and her colleagues were stunned by the audit's findings. About 500 Victorian children over the past year were treated at the hospital's Learning Difficulties Centre and demand for its services has almost doubled each year for the past five years.

Professor Anderson said many children, sent to the clinic because teachers, families and GPs believed they had ADHD, did not have the condition. Instead the child's inattention or poor behaviour in class was secondary to their primary problem of failing to learn to read.

"ADHD is clearly overdiagnosed," Professor Anderson said. "The appeal of a pill for ADHD is much easier than arranging twice-a-week remedial reading sessions."

Professor Anderson said specialists in charge of child psychology clinics at large hospitals in other states had similar concerns about the growing number of struggling readers attending their clinics. She said families often sought help at the Royal Children's Hospital's learning difficulties clinic because of long waiting periods at schools to have a child's learning problems assessed by Education Department psychologists.

A spokesman for Victoria's Education Department said Professor Anderson's concerns related to up to 250 students at the hospital's clinic whose main problem seemed to be reading failure, out of a statewide population of more than 540,000 students at government schools. He said the department was unaware of lengthy waiting lists for students who needed assessment of learning problems.

SLOW LEARNER:

[Lack of concentration can cause at risk children not to learn, read, or keep up with the class. There are numerous health conditions or even problems at home that tend to defer concentration in children until later on.

So forcing children to concentrate while they're at risk is not the answer either. Children can grow out of learning difficulties but those difficulties must be assessed to find out why there is a problem? So we should not completely dismiss all learning difficulties due to "youngsters whose real problem is their inability to read".

Hives and allergy for instance amongst other things can cause lack of concentration. Once the health or social problem is solved this can change the rate at which a child can concentrate - so that they can learn. Concentration has a lot to do with reading, have you noticed?]

Professor Anderson: "Instead the child's inattention or poor behaviour in class was secondary to their primary problem of failing to learn to read."

[But what is the cause of the primary problem 'failing to read'? This question must be assessed so early intervention can solve the problem, down the track. Those assessed 'at risk children' could do other activities 'now' besides reading that would not need lots of demanding concentration. For instance social skills, life skills, the arts or sport.

The ability to learn to read means more than having brain cells. It also means the child's ability to concentrate which takes into account their status, health, stress, conditions, environment, or even whether their parents can read themselves and help pass it on.]

Professor Anderson said, "Families often sought help at the Royal Children's Hospital's learning difficulties clinic because of 'long waiting periods at schools to have a child's learning problems "assessed" by Education Department psychologists'.

[But why leave it up to the schools to have a child's learning problems assessed by 'Education Department psychologists'?

In my day that was done by parents, outreach clinics, doctors and hospitals. In short it's the communities responsibility to have children assessed for learning difficulties - and not necessarily Education Department psychologists. DO I GET AN "F"?]

By Caroline Milburn and just Us posted 7 December 04

Comment:

Peta: Not ill, not 'insane', not naughty - can't read. Schools should be for children, not for the system's convenience and a tool of oppression.

Related:

Child and Family Psychology Clinic
The Child and Family Psychology Clinic (CFC) is a state-wide fee for service/bulk billing clinic that provides specialist clinical psychology assessment and treatment to children, adolescents and their families for a range of issues; encompassing behavioural, social, emotional and learning problems in infants, children, adolescents and their families.

Isolation, psychiatric treatment and prisoner' control

The 2003 NSW Corrections Health Service (now Justice Health) Report on Mental Illness Among NSW Prisoners states that the 12 month prevalence of any psychiatric disorder in prison is 74%, compared to 22% in the general community, and while this includes substance disorder the high rate cannot be attributed to that alone.

Incidentally "Justice Health" may seem more 'just' that's why they changed their name "common government ploy" because they were not "correct" and even worse than hospitals outside the prison- about 10 times worse.

So they weren't correct and they're certainly not just. The twelve-month prevalence of psychosis in NSW inmates was thirty times higher than in the Australian community. The most common disorder was an anxiety disorder with the most common anxiety disorder being Post Traumatic (which can be very severe and disabling and indicates the horrors that many prisoners have experienced prior to and in jail).

One in twenty prisoners had attempted suicide in the twelve months prior to interview. This study only touches the surface of evaluation and statistics of the nitty-gritty of what's going on - it excluded many people, including those "too unwell" to be interviewed. It also reflects the attitude of the professional, but considering that we regard 'labelling' to be covered by the term 'psychiatric disability' we consider the report of great use.

This outrageously disproportionate situation arises from both prison conditions and the discriminatory nature of the "criminal justice system".

Injectable antipsychotics in prisons

This response was received from Justice Health Re: Anti-psychotic medication.

I write in response to your request for information dated 16th November 2004 regarding long acting depot anti-psychotics prison preparations.

There are certain clinical circumstances where certain anti-psychotics are required in the care of forensic patients. Their use is governed by the Mental Health Act and overseen by the Mental Health Review Tribunal.

In the case of patients discharged to the community under community treatment orders, the Mental Health Review Tribunal plays a similar role.

Justice Health aims to use the lowest possible dose and to minimise side effects on patients in all circumstances. There are quite a few preparations on the market and the dosage range ofthese preparations is outlined in MIMS.

It would be 'uncommon' for Justice Health psychiatrists to exceed recommended dosage ranges without careful clinical consideration and peer review.

Many of our patients are now being placed on newer atypical anti-psychotic depot preparations like Risperdoi, Consta and hopefully use of this medication and the new generation of depot anti-psychotics will in the future minimise even further side effects and discomfort for patients.

It is very uncommon for force to be required to administer these medications. In an acute phase of illness where patients are very unwell and not able to cooperate injectable medications might be utilised but these tend to be short acting agents rather than depot preparations.

Generally depot preparations are only used in the maintenance phase of illness by which time the majority of patients are accepting of the requirement to take this medication. I hope this information is helpful to you.

Yours sincerely
Dr Richard Matthews
Chief Executive Officer
26 November 2004

Justice Action has received many complaints about the use of injectable anti-psychotics used in the NSW prisons and mental health facilities.

We express concern that "Corrections Health" now "Justice Health" psychiatrists can prescribe over the recommended dose, without clinical &/or peer review?

[Regarding forensic prisoners, we have received written confirmation from Justice Health that not just short acting but also depot anti-psychotics can be and are administered using force, and that recommended dosages can be and are exceeded (which may occur without careful clinical consideration and peer review).

This is a great concern, regardless of the frequency of such events, as we have been informed prior of a Death in Custody case, where a prisoner suffered Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome, and according to staff died in a terrible manner following large doses of anti-psychotics.]

So prisoners can, and have died as a result of injectable anti-psychotics, and that this is a worry regarding Deaths in Custody, as well as being an extremely harrowing experience to undergo if it doesn't kill you.

'A'typical anti-psychotics have their own problems, and over medication does not disappear just because an older drug is not used.

An example is the increased risk of diabetes, or effects on heart function, and many prisoners are already at risk of such diseases, due to conditions inside and also to conditions outside relating to discrimination and deprivation (eg Indigenous people).

What is being done about these effects on prisoners'? Are prisoners' given information about these effects? What danger signals should they watch out for? Can they report to Justice Health staff if they experience it?

Prisoners' have complained to Justice Action many times that injectable anti-psychotics are used as a non-medical tool, eg as punishment for disagreeing with a Correctional Officer, or as a convenience, and that these uses are in breach of International Rights Instruments.

How does the process of Correctional reporting to Health staff work? And what do they think they can do to improve the situation?

What are the procedural details on how Corrections information fits into a decision of forensic status? Why are prisoners' complaints showing us they are not receiving adequate information about the process and what medications are being administered to them?

Prisoners have a right to know these things and ask what is going wrong. Prisoners should be offered copies of their medical records and provided with them if they want them.

We question the "very uncommon" statement regarding use of force - and need statistics from Justice Health. Justice Action receives a fair number of incident complaints, and the difference doesn't make sense.

Why are short acting anti-psychotics used with force anyway? Why can't the use of force for depots be banned? We argue prisoner's consent should be sought and the prisoner should be worked with rather than against.

Prisoners should be allowed to work out plans for what actions to take in case of loss of capacity and to communicate and discuss this with Health staff.

A Correctional environment should not prevent that, nor should it obstruct the carrying out of such a plan. This is a right and it is reasonable.

These provisions should allow prisoners to access a psychiatrist in an emergency, eg to express concern that they are deteriorating and to give input into their treatment so as to prevent the use of force or high doses.

Prisoners housed at the HRMU High Risk Management Unit or in other segregation units at all jails end up with mental illness.

The transfer of Juveniles to the Department of Corrective Services from Kariong and the use of isolation were reported to be one way of preventing hostility at the centre? But prisoners who are isolated for prolonged periods end up with mental illness. They can self-harm or even commit suicide.

Furthermore, it can easily be predicted that those placed in isolation will suffer mental illness. These are not necessarily forensic patients but they end up being mentally ill and treated like they're forensic patients - after prolonged periods of isolation?

So you take those prisoners you don't like that cause all the trouble and give them a mental illness as a way to change their offending behaviour. Brilliant?

After a prolonged period of isolation you take them to the long bay prison hospital and they're forced onto medication for the rest of their life, as a way of control. Under the heading prisoners programs this must rate as a complete failure in terms of solving problems, like lack of education, social skills or life skills.

By Gregory Kable and Just Us 7 December 04

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Death in custody: In memory of Scott Simpson
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US/Iraqi militants storm Fallujah hospital

US/Iraqi militants seized main hospital in Fallujah.

US/Iraq militants have seized the main hospital in the Iraqi city of Fallujah without a fight, according to a pool reporter travelling [in-bed] with the militants. Those in hospital beds did not resist they were too sick and the doctor kept on operating regardless.

The offences come ahead of an expected all-out attack on Fallujah by US/Iraqi militants. The idea must be tactical. [?]

[So if anyone resisting gets hurt including the innocent victims they won't get any medial treatment from the hospital that'll help the US led occupation get the job done?]

US/Iraqi militants entered the hospital without firing a shot, blindfolding some of the nurses and sick people and kicking down some doors, according to a reporter.

The US/Iraqi militants were transported to the hospital in US marine trucks, escorted by marines in armoured vehicles.

Witnesses in Fallujah say US planes have again been pounding resistance positions in the city and US terrorists are engaged in heavy battles with the resistance on the outskirts.

Explosions are reportedly lighting up the night sky above Fallujah as helicopter gunships have been firing on targets in the centre of the city.

The US military says a 1000-pound (454-kilogram) bomb has been dropped on the former Iraqi National Guard headquarters.

The headquarters is "thought to have been a major explosives and ammunitions dump for the guerilla fighters." [?]

There doesn't have to be confirmation of damage on the ground but anti-aircraft missiles have been fired from resistance positions in the city.

By End The Occupation 8 November 04

Related:

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John Howard's war crimes blameworthy
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Human Rights Watch slams Iraq war attacks
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US liars warn against 'fortress Australia'
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George Bush never looked into Nick's eyes
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After a war waged by the U.S. military against Vietnam which took the lives of more than 3 million Vietnamese people and more than 58,000 GIs, the U.S. finally withdrew in 1975. It had suffered its first official major military defeat by a united people struggle led by the Vietnamese, along with a mass U.S. anti-war movement.

Police surround protesters outside US Embassy
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David Burchell: Paradox of anti-Americanism
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Pilger said White House knew Saddam was no threat
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Thousands march for peace! But does that mean no war?
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US disturbed over 'biased' reporting in Arab media! But the US lies to the world! How could anyone describe pre-emptive strikes on a sovereign nation, occupation, genocide, torture, and human rights abuse by the Coalition of the Killing in a positive light?

Coalition force 'surprised' by stiff resistance for food aid
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Explosions rock Baghdad, jets overhead Iraq
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Bin Laden calls? CIA blind man's bluff!
A [US propaganda, fear-mongering] taped message purportedly from Osama bin Laden has warned Arab nations against supporting a war against Iraq but has branded Saddam Hussein an infidel.

U.S. AMBASSADOR WARNED TO STOP MEDDLING:
The Australian Federal Opposition and Labor Party Leader, Simon Crean, has again warned the U.S. ambassador to stop meddling in Australian politics.

War: Part one The human cost
On the road to Basra, ITV was filming wild dogs as they tore at the corpses of the Iraqi dead. Every few seconds a ravenous beast would rip off a decaying arm and make off with it over the desert in front of us, dead fingers trailing through the sand, the remains of the burned military sleeve flapping in the wind. "Just for the record,'' the cameraman said to me. Of course. Because ITV would never show such footage.

Mandela speaks out against Bush, Blair
Former South African leader Nelson Mandela has lashed out at US President George W Bush's stance on Iraq, saying the US leader has no foresight, and cannot think properly.

All the way with (LPK) Love Peace and Kindness: Dalai Lama
Communication is a two way street. Threats and punishment solve nothing and serve none. In fact it is against the law in most countries to threaten or punish a person.

Pleas for peace ring the globe
Anti-war demonstrators turned out in their hundreds of thousands around the world on Saturday to protest against United States military preparations for an invasion of Iraq.

Not too late for Iraq peace, Blix says
But we all know that's rubbish now. The Coalition of the Killing were not seeking WMD in Iraq, they were there for their resource wars. So who gave the 'UN' and Blix the wrong information back then? War criminals!

George Bush's other poodle
John Howard, Australia's PM, is the mouse that roars for America, whipping his country into war fever and paranoia about terrorism within.