Politics
BANGKOK, Thailand -- A Thai businesswoman, who is banned by the U.S. Treasury Department from doing business with Americans because she allegedly facilitated financial transactions for Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's wife, has been appointed as the prime minister's office minister.
Nalinee "Joy" Taveesin was among 10 new people brought in to become ministers by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on January 18 as part of a cabinet shakeup.
They include the first Red Shirt protest leader to win a cabinet post, and a new defence minister.
The shuffle transferred six ministers within the cabinet.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who is a constitutional monarch, signed a royal command on January 18.
It was unclear if the prime minister was aware of the decision on November 25, 2008 by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) which designated Ms. Nalinee among several others for helping Mr. Mugabe's regime.
Nalinee "Joy" Taveesin was among 10 new people brought in to become ministers by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on January 18 as part of a cabinet shakeup.
They include the first Red Shirt protest leader to win a cabinet post, and a new defence minister.
The shuffle transferred six ministers within the cabinet.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who is a constitutional monarch, signed a royal command on January 18.
It was unclear if the prime minister was aware of the decision on November 25, 2008 by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) which designated Ms. Nalinee among several others for helping Mr. Mugabe's regime.
BANGKOK, Thailand -- An imprisoned Lebanese-Swedish terror suspect said he stockpiled medical "cool packs" which "contained ammonia" for commerical export, and is not a Hezbollah member, after being arrested for possessing 10 gallons (38 liters) of ammonium nitrate which can be used to build bombs.
"I am 100 percent not guilty in the terror crimes I am accused of," Hussein Atris, a dual Lebanese-Swedish citizen, told the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet.
"This is a conspiracy. I deal only with ordinary business operations," Mr. Atris, 47, said in Swedish, describing why he repeatedly came to Thailand during the past two years while exporting items to Lebanon, Liberia and other countries from a building he rented on the outskirts of Bangkok.
"We bought goods in Asia and exported them to other countries, including Lebanon. It was fans, photocopier paper and cool packs used to relieve pain. These bags contained ammonia," Mr. Atris said.
"I am 100 percent not guilty in the terror crimes I am accused of," Hussein Atris, a dual Lebanese-Swedish citizen, told the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet.
"This is a conspiracy. I deal only with ordinary business operations," Mr. Atris, 47, said in Swedish, describing why he repeatedly came to Thailand during the past two years while exporting items to Lebanon, Liberia and other countries from a building he rented on the outskirts of Bangkok.
"We bought goods in Asia and exported them to other countries, including Lebanon. It was fans, photocopier paper and cool packs used to relieve pain. These bags contained ammonia," Mr. Atris said.
BANGKOK, Thailand -- When the United States Embassy issued a travel advisory about "foreign terrorists" in Bangkok last weekend, the warning may have prevented a massive car bombing in an area popular with Western tourists.
But in a surprising diplomatic rebuke, Thailand complained about the impact of Washington's counter-terrorism strategy on its economically crucial tourism industry.
Hussein Atris, an alleged Lebanese-born Hezbollah member traveling on a Swedish passport, led police on Monday (January 16) to a rented building packed with potential bomb-making ingredients after he was arrested in Bangkok on Friday (January 13).
"The suspect told us the bomb-making materials were not for terrorist attacks in Thailand, but were intended to be smuggled out of the country," National Police Chief Priewpan Damapong on Monday (January 16).
Police charged Mr. Atris, 47, with illegal possession of restricted chemicals, but said he may face additional charges.
The building held 9,656 pounds (4,380 kilograms) of urea fertilizer and 10 gallons (37.8 liters) of liquid ammonium nitrate, police told reporters.
But in a surprising diplomatic rebuke, Thailand complained about the impact of Washington's counter-terrorism strategy on its economically crucial tourism industry.
Hussein Atris, an alleged Lebanese-born Hezbollah member traveling on a Swedish passport, led police on Monday (January 16) to a rented building packed with potential bomb-making ingredients after he was arrested in Bangkok on Friday (January 13).
"The suspect told us the bomb-making materials were not for terrorist attacks in Thailand, but were intended to be smuggled out of the country," National Police Chief Priewpan Damapong on Monday (January 16).
Police charged Mr. Atris, 47, with illegal possession of restricted chemicals, but said he may face additional charges.
The building held 9,656 pounds (4,380 kilograms) of urea fertilizer and 10 gallons (37.8 liters) of liquid ammonium nitrate, police told reporters.
“But no matter how futile, repulsive or dysfunctional war may be,” Barbara Ehrenreich wrote in her book Blood Rites, “it persists.”
A fascinating story in the New York Times just after Christmas showed this persistence unfolding before our very eyes.
The sale of arms to Iraq (remember Iraq?) — $11 billion worth of almost everything, fighter jets, battle tanks, cannons, armored personnel carriers, armor and helmets, even sport utility vehicles — is going to move forward even though it makes little sense from multiple points of view, including U.S. geopolitical interests. As far as I can tell, the sale is going to go through because “war persists” — or something persists, a force invisible to reporters and beyond the control of diplomats (at least those who speak on the record).
“The Obama administration is moving ahead with the sale . . .” the Times informs us, “despite concerns that Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki is seeking to consolidate authority, create a one-party Shiite-dominated state and abandon the American-backed power-sharing government.”
A fascinating story in the New York Times just after Christmas showed this persistence unfolding before our very eyes.
The sale of arms to Iraq (remember Iraq?) — $11 billion worth of almost everything, fighter jets, battle tanks, cannons, armored personnel carriers, armor and helmets, even sport utility vehicles — is going to move forward even though it makes little sense from multiple points of view, including U.S. geopolitical interests. As far as I can tell, the sale is going to go through because “war persists” — or something persists, a force invisible to reporters and beyond the control of diplomats (at least those who speak on the record).
“The Obama administration is moving ahead with the sale . . .” the Times informs us, “despite concerns that Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki is seeking to consolidate authority, create a one-party Shiite-dominated state and abandon the American-backed power-sharing government.”
BANGKOK, Thailand -- Thailand's war against minority Islamist guerrillas in the south, which killed more than 5,000 people during the past eight years, could escalate into an international security crisis similar to Yemen or Afghanistan, Britain's ambassador said.
"We know from other conflicts that these conflicts cannot always be contained," the British Ambassador to Thailand, Asif Ahmad, said.
"There may come a day when the troubles of the south will become the troubles of the region as a whole. And I dare say this, it might become a magnet for people to create havoc from elsewhere.
"We've seen it in Yemen. We've seen it in Afghanistan. You cannot be immune," Mr. Ahmad said.
"South Thailand has undergone a very tragic period over the last seven or eight years, with 5,000 people killed, maybe up to 10,000 people injured, and in recent times the situation has even deteriorated," the European Union Ambassador to Thailand, David Lipman, said.
"Almost two people per day are being killed on average at the moment in south Thailand, so this is obviously very, very worrying.
"We know from other conflicts that these conflicts cannot always be contained," the British Ambassador to Thailand, Asif Ahmad, said.
"There may come a day when the troubles of the south will become the troubles of the region as a whole. And I dare say this, it might become a magnet for people to create havoc from elsewhere.
"We've seen it in Yemen. We've seen it in Afghanistan. You cannot be immune," Mr. Ahmad said.
"South Thailand has undergone a very tragic period over the last seven or eight years, with 5,000 people killed, maybe up to 10,000 people injured, and in recent times the situation has even deteriorated," the European Union Ambassador to Thailand, David Lipman, said.
"Almost two people per day are being killed on average at the moment in south Thailand, so this is obviously very, very worrying.
While the prosecution of President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair for the crime of aggression, crimes against the peace, took two days to present because the docket was so full of important evidence, including their own books written after the Iraq War, the Defense (by way of Amicus Curiae) sought to conclude its proceedings by invoking the emotionalism of the tragedy that took place on 11 September 2001. (That's why we need an independent investigation of 9/11) Amid multiple rebukes by the Chief Justice of the Tribunal to avoid emotionalism, the Defense team could not help itself.
Lead Defense Counsel continued, "Had George W. Bush said 'we know who you are, we know what you did, and we forgive you,' the world could have been a much different place. But, instead, Afghanistan, Iraq, Guantanamo happened. We are fallible human beings. We make mistakes." And the Defense stated that the defense of Bush and Blair defense is that the accused "are human."
Lead Defense Counsel continued, "Had George W. Bush said 'we know who you are, we know what you did, and we forgive you,' the world could have been a much different place. But, instead, Afghanistan, Iraq, Guantanamo happened. We are fallible human beings. We make mistakes." And the Defense stated that the defense of Bush and Blair defense is that the accused "are human."
An important progressive movement, MOVE TO AMEND is gaining momentum.
It is a grass roots initiative to promote an amendment of the U. S. Constitution to negate the immoral ruling by the U. S. Supreme Court of January 21, 2010,
“Citizens United v The Election Commission of the U. S. Instead of making a ruling on a simple case, the Court by a 5 to 4 decision made a wide reaching law."
It declared that corporations and unions are people with First Amendment rights of free speech. That includes the right to contribute funds to help or deter candidates for public office and to influence the passage of referenda and state constitutional amendments. Money can be donated through PACs without transparency. The Citizen United ruling is destroying our democratic system of government. Corporations have unlimited funds and unions have much less money and political influence. This ruling is allowing corporations to weaken union even more.
“Citizens United v The Election Commission of the U. S. Instead of making a ruling on a simple case, the Court by a 5 to 4 decision made a wide reaching law."
It declared that corporations and unions are people with First Amendment rights of free speech. That includes the right to contribute funds to help or deter candidates for public office and to influence the passage of referenda and state constitutional amendments. Money can be donated through PACs without transparency. The Citizen United ruling is destroying our democratic system of government. Corporations have unlimited funds and unions have much less money and political influence. This ruling is allowing corporations to weaken union even more.
Our campaign for Congress has climbed into second place. The presumed frontrunner keeps socking away corporate cash -- he recently had a PAC fundraiser just a few blocks from the Capitol -- while I refuse to take a single dollar of corporate PAC money.
Our strength is at the grassroots. At the same time, we need more resources to get our message out: No to Wall Street power. Democracy not "corporatocracy." Healthcare not warfare. A sustainable future.
Can you pitch in?
I'd sure appreciate whatever you can do. To contribute, or for background info, please click here.
Thanks a lot --
Norman
P.S. -- Can I win? The latest polling results say YES. But I need your help!
Solomon for Congress
Our strength is at the grassroots. At the same time, we need more resources to get our message out: No to Wall Street power. Democracy not "corporatocracy." Healthcare not warfare. A sustainable future.
Can you pitch in?
I'd sure appreciate whatever you can do. To contribute, or for background info, please click here.
Thanks a lot --
Norman
P.S. -- Can I win? The latest polling results say YES. But I need your help!
Solomon for Congress
Chalk one up for everyday people. By defeating Issue 2, we beat back Governor Kasich’s Koch-funded massive attack on social and labor relations. It’s a major win, worthy of celebrating, but only for a couple days. Then, we MUST go back to organizing.
That’s because of three facts of political life. One is, power can not be bottled for later use: Use it, or lose it. Another is, Koch’s inherited billions can be saved for later use: That’s what banks and accountants are for. Finally, as the late US Senator, Everett Dirkson memorably observed: “A billion here and a billion there, and pretty soon you’ve got BIG MONEY.”
When people say, as Governor Kasich did when I asked him a question at a press conference last Spring, “corporations and unions… and unions”, they are listing very different entities. Unions don’t have billions to buy banks, accountants and elections with, but corporations do. So, it’s our shoe leather, tenacity and enthusiasm against their billions.
That’s because of three facts of political life. One is, power can not be bottled for later use: Use it, or lose it. Another is, Koch’s inherited billions can be saved for later use: That’s what banks and accountants are for. Finally, as the late US Senator, Everett Dirkson memorably observed: “A billion here and a billion there, and pretty soon you’ve got BIG MONEY.”
When people say, as Governor Kasich did when I asked him a question at a press conference last Spring, “corporations and unions… and unions”, they are listing very different entities. Unions don’t have billions to buy banks, accountants and elections with, but corporations do. So, it’s our shoe leather, tenacity and enthusiasm against their billions.
The Green, Libertarian, Socialist, Constitution and American Elect Parties are all designated as official parties on the ballot for the 2012 presidential election in Ohio. On October 18, 2011 the Federal District Court in Columbus ordered Secretary of State John Husted to recognize the Libertarian Party, As a result of that order, Husted issued Directive 2011-38 on November 1, 2011 which placed the four other minor parties on the Ohio ballot.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit found Ohio’s minor party election laws unconstitutional in September 2006. In the case Libertarian Party of Ohio v. Blackwell, the court held that both Ohio’s laws involving minor party formation as well as ballot access were unconstitutionally restrictive.
In 2008, in the Green Party of Ohio v. Brunner, then Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner entered into a consent decree with the Green Party that allowed both the Green and the Constitution Party on the ballot. The federal judge set as a standard that the minor parties had to show a “modicum” of support in Ohio to stay on the ballot. The judge set the standard at 1% of the statewide vote.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit found Ohio’s minor party election laws unconstitutional in September 2006. In the case Libertarian Party of Ohio v. Blackwell, the court held that both Ohio’s laws involving minor party formation as well as ballot access were unconstitutionally restrictive.
In 2008, in the Green Party of Ohio v. Brunner, then Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner entered into a consent decree with the Green Party that allowed both the Green and the Constitution Party on the ballot. The federal judge set as a standard that the minor parties had to show a “modicum” of support in Ohio to stay on the ballot. The judge set the standard at 1% of the statewide vote.