Monday, July 28, 2008




NEW POLL SHOWS INCREASE IN IRISH "NO"
VOTE ON LISBON TREATY:

A new RedC Poll released on Sunday, Iúil/July 27, makes more bad news for Biffo Cowen and his shambling government. The poll shows that 62% of the electorate would vote NO in any re-run of the Lisbon Treaty referendum and even more disastrous for the supporters of the failed Treaty, 71% of the electorate are against any second referendum.

This has put the caidp báis on any schemes being hatched in Brussels for such a rogue tactic and increases the pressure on Cowen and his ministers who have been chopping straws with their arses since the humiliating defeat of their government in last month’s referendum.

In a petulant response, Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin immediately attacked the poll as “interference” in Irish affairs because the poll had been commissioned by a London based group, “Open Europe”, opposed to the Lisbon Treaty. With more than a hint of FF green nationalism showing, Minister Martin attempted to discredit the poll because of its client rather than face up to the facts of its findings. With “Open Europe” directed by Mr Neil O’Brien, whose patronymic is somewhat higher up the ladder of Irishness than that of the Minister himself, he ought to put a zip on his mouth before trying to challenge the rights of others, in a free democracy, to comment on public affairs of any country in the EU whatever their nationality.

The results of the Government’s own survey on the referendum result have not been published, showing once again the political cowardice of this discredited government. Mr Martin and his colleagues have failed the Irish people in a disgraceful fashion and are more concerned with saving their own necks than behaving as a proper Government of Ireland. Their sole preoccupation now seems to be how to ingratiate themselves with the likes of Sarkynoze and the Brussels Bureaucrats than serving the interests of the people of Ireland. The results of this latest poll show that they are facing political meltdown if they try by trickery and dishonest manoeuvring, which is their current modus operandi, to undermine the people’s sovereign decision of June 16th last.

The political situation in the Republic is now unprecedented. A defeated Government and its collaborator "opposition" floundering in a no-mans-land of confusion and political bankruptcy entirely of their own making. Only Labour leader, Eamonn Gilmore, has read the situation correctly since the result of the referendum was announced and accepted the democratic decision of the people. Gilmore has also opposed any suggestion of a second referendum. If he sticks to these postions Labour can make significant gains in next years local and European elections.

FFML 27.07.08


KARADZIC ARREST REVIVES BALKAN TENSIONS:

The arrest and detention of fugitive former President of the Bosnian Serb Republic, Radovan Karadzic, has revived political tensions in Serbia and Bosnia and bitter memories of the brutal civil wars in those areas of former Federal Yugoslavia which were contested by competing groups motivated by ethnic nationalism following the collapse of law and order in the former socialist state.

The circumstances of his arrest last week, following the “discovery” that he was living in the part of the Serbian capital known as New Belgrade and carrying on a practice of alternative medicine and faith healing, strains credibility since he was “on-the-run” since 1997 in a country where identity cards are compulsory and the police have extensive records of all residents going back to the days of the Austrian Empire. So, it can be surmised that the “discovery” is directly linked to the recent change of government in Belgrade with the emergence of a pro-NATO coalition government prepared to accede to NATO/EU diktat on every occasion.

While it is right that Karadzic should answer for war crimes committed in his sphere of responsibility during the civil wars, it is doubtful that justice will be achieved with the current process of the International Criminal Court for Former Yugoslavia, established in1993, which is little more than a kangaroo court set up by NATO/EU and which legally excludes any indictments of any NATO or EU officials or military for acts done during the civil wars in Yugoslavia, notably the criminal bombing of civilian targets in Serbia and Montenegro organised by Clinton, Blair and Javier Solana (currently EU Foreign Policy Commissioner) in 1999.

This Court, not to be confused with the International Criminal Court established by the United Nations which has a world-wide remit, has not distinguished itself in either its procedures or its verdicts having acquitted several of the worst indicted criminals of the Croatian and Bosnian militias and suppressed evidence which did not suit its open prejudice against the people of Serbia. The treatment meted out to Slobodan Milosevic, former Serbian President was scandalously unfair and partisan and when Mr Milosevic, against whom nothing was proven, died while in custody at the Court, no proper inquest was carried out.

Karadzic, a country-bumpkin medico who was elevated to power on a wave of paranoid nationalism amongst Serbs resident in Bosnia has been demonised by the Western Media along with his military commander General Ratko Mladic, who was mainly responsible for the atrocity at Srebrenica in 1995, a muslim majority town surrounded by Serb occupied territory and supposedly under the protection of the UN Forces in Bosnia at that time. The situation in Bosnia was more complicated than elsewhere in former Yugoslavia. The population was mixed, religiously, culturally and politically with different allegiances to Serbia, Croatia and a newly created entity of “Bosnia” which seized control of the provincial capital, Sarajevo, with a poorly armed mainly muslim militia but, claiming an independent republic of Bosnia which disregarded with contempt the rights of the Serbian and Croatian populations. A bitter and bloody civil war ensued with gross violations of human rights and atrocities on all sides, not seen since the Nazi occupation of Yugoslavia during WW2.

US and EU governments and political elites along with their screech-owl media associates sided with the Croats and so-called Bosnian “muslims” contrary to the UN Charter and other international laws and treaties. Croatia was supplied with arms by Austria and Federal Germany and the Clinton regime in Washington contrived with Saudi Arabia to import more than 4000 armed “Mujahadeen” fighters to support the minority Junta in Sarajevo. The real cause of the civil wars was the illegal, arbitrary and provocative withdrawal and denial of their legitimate, internationally recognised Yugoslav citizenship from the Serb people overnight, without consultation or agreement, by nationalist power-seekers in Zagreb and Llubliyana.


The misguided and illegal intervention by the USA, Austria and the former West Germany, contrary to international law, the UN Charter, the Helsinki Treaty, EU common Foreign Policy and other international instruments, arming the rebellion against Federal Yugoslavia by Slovenes and Croats and later the so-called “Muslim” leadership Junta in Sarajevo (most of whom had never seen the inside of a Mosque since they were born) was completely destructive of the civil peace of Yugoslavia and only worsened the resulting vicious war which disfigured the country for years.

Since the judges who will pronounce on Karadzic are all selected from the NATO/EU elites it will be a case of one gang of war criminals “judging” another.


FFML 28.07.08

Thursday, July 24, 2008



SARKYNOZE: IRISH VISIT

A POLITICAL SHAMBLES


Garrulous French President, Nico Sarkynoze, arrived on his belated visit to Ireland this week, Luan/Monday, Iúil/July 21, 2008, three weeks after he cancelled his original date, with the rather lame excuse of “pressure of business” but, it could be, he had foreknowledge of another media event which occurred those weeks ago and is referred to below.

As the French took over the Presidency of the EU Council on Iúil/July 1, 2008, indications from Paris were that they intended to increase pressure on the Irish Government to circumvent the Irish people’s rejection of the Lisbon Treaty on 12 Meitheamh/June last Referendum vote. Never mind that such attempts are totally illegal and any consideration by the Irish Government of such disgraceful bullying would be a breach of their Constitutional duty to protect the interests of the Irish people. Paris should be told that NO means NO and that the Lisbon Treaty is a dead duck and there will not be a second referendum in Ireland on this discredited and defeated proposal.

Yet, An Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, continues to fail in his constitutional duty to uphold the result of the Irish people’s decision to reject the Lisbon Treaty and inform the other EU leaders that this is the position and that the Treaty cannot now be ratified. The only party leader in Dáil Éireann to do this was Éamonn Gilmore, leader of the Irish Labour Party, An Lucht Oibre, which position he repeated on Irish Radio on the morning that Sarkynoze arrived in Dublin.

There should be no more prevarication from Biffo Cowen, Fine Gael Leader, Enda Kenny or Green Party leaders John Gormley and Éamonn Ryan. The NO vote on Meitheamh/June 16th was a decision by the Irish people exercising their sovereignty and must be respected by action, not glib phrases and evasions or apologies to the Brussels Bureaucrats or the likes of Sarkynoze in an attempt to gain time for some stitch-up plan for legalising Lisbon by the back-door. If they do not categorically accept the decision of the people and cease trying to undermine it, they are not fit for office and should resign and face a General Election. Not a likely event, though, anytime soon, political cowards that they are. Biffo & Co, including his Green Party Partners, should be aware that it is open to any citizen to injunct the lot of them and compel them to carry out their responsibilities.


NON CES’T NON!

The Campaign against the EU Constitution (CAEUC), the leading Left force in the recent Referendum campaign, held a press conference on the Monday morning, Iúil/July 21, 2008, ahead of the French President’s arrival in Dublin where it was stated, quite clearly, that the Referendum result was a legal imperative, a decision by the Irish people in exercise of their sovereignty which our Government must abide by if it is to fulfil its constitutional duty. It was not a recommendation, feeling, suggestion or other indefinite expression which the Government can try to wiggle out of.
CAEUC press conference in Dublin, 21.07.2008.
At the conference, MEP’s, Francois Delapierre (Pour la Republique Social), Tobias Pfluger (Die Linke, Germany, Vice-President, Parliamentary Committee on Defence & Security) and Patricia McKenna (Green Party),Joe Higgins(Socialist Party) Brendan Ogle(Unite;Trade Union), Eddie Sheehan (Fishermen’s Representative) and representatives of ATTAC (Austria) Siegfried Bernhauser, (Europe) (see links column) conveyed greetings from other anti-Lisbon Groups in Europe and pointed to the widespread demand in other EU countries for the Treaty to be put to referendum there also.


PROTEST
Shortly afterwards, a public protest was organised outside Government Buildings in Merrion Square, which was attended by several hundred people in addition to the Fishermen who had travelled to Dublin to highlight the plight of their industry ruined by failed EU fishery policies.

The Fishermen gave out fresh fish on O’Connell Bridge, Dublin, prior to arriving at the demonstration. There were also large numbers of farmers present brought by IFA to show their dissatisfaction with the EU representative at the WTO Trade Talks, Peter Mandleson.


Manhandleson, former British Cabinet Minister, sacked three times by Tony Blairschmuck, has become the hate figure of the IFA for his indifference to the demands of beef producers in the negotiations, especially his weakness in the face of US pressure. The IFA hogged the media presence with their tractors and ballyhoo and RTÉ, true to form, ignored the main political issues of the day in favour of the Farmers circus.
BIG EARS HEARS NOTHING





After his meeting with Biffo Cowen at government buildings, the French President went to his own Embassy for a so-called “listening” session with a selected group of “NO” and “Yes” campaigners with the notable exclusion of Roger Cole of PANA and Joe Higgins of the Socialist Party both leading “NO” campaigners in last month’s referendum. Despite Sarkynoze advertising his big ears for listening, most of those who did participate acknowledge that it was a dialogue of the deaf, and a time-wasting farce.

The overall conclusion from most objective observers was that the whole thing was a chaotic, blundering media show with Sarkynoze at cross purposes with his hosts, the Irish Government, and whose faces and body language showed the teeth-grinding reluctant tolerating of the unwelcome arrival of the obstreperous distant relative bent on causing maximum embarrassment.


FearFeasa Mac Léinn
Áth Cliath/DUBLIN, 24 Iuil/July 2008.
COLOMBIA STAGES
FAKE "RESCUE"
OF FARC HOSTAGES:

Freed hostage, Mdme Ingrid Betancourt, "hugged" by Colombian
General Carlos Montoya Uribe in staged media event.

“Colombian Military Commanders beamed with pride as they recounted the details of the rescue of 15 hostages from the steaming jungles of southern Columbia on Wednesday(02 Iúil/July 2008) in a dramatic military rescue operation worthy of a Hollywood script”

So reported Mark Duffy in the “Irish Times”, Friday, Iúil/July 4, 2008. And that’s exactly what it was - a Hollywood script. The Colombian murder regime, massively subsidised by Washington, was desperate for some sort of positive PR stunt to justify the flow of US taxpayers’ money to its corrupt and wasteful political junta in Bogota. Colombia’s ratbag dictator, Alvaro Uribe, a sleazy right-wing politician whose links with the vicious and blood-soaked right-wing paramilitaries who operate with impunity under his regime in Bogota, are becoming ever more apparent and being subjected to intensified scrutiny by international media, especially by US newspapers, badly needed some positive media spin at this time.

McCain on standby:

The forthcoming US general election, with the exit of Buckfush a certainty, and a new, much less sympathetic government in Washington the likely outcome, loomed large over the future of the Uribe regime. There is a direct connection here also, with the presence in Bogota of John McCain, Republican candidate in the US election only days before the so-called “rescue” took place. Who benefits most from the media hype following such an event? First, Uribe, gets kudos for defeating the FARC “terrorists” and increases his stock with the Washington power elite. Next, McCain cashes in on the “success” of the Buckfush policy of supporting the “ant-terrorist” Uribe regime right on time for the final months of the election campaign when he knows who the Democrat nominee will be.

Then, in Paris, Sarkynoze is available(having cancelled his proposed Irish visit) to welcome the most high-profile former hostage, Ingrid Betancourt, who has strong links to France, in the full glare of media hype as his poll ratings are at their lowest since his election last year. The only way Sarkynoze could have been on standby for this event was if he had advance knowledge of this “rescue” and the only way the “success” could be guaranteed for the entire operation was that it was a pre-arranged ransomed release with no possibility of a shoot-out with the FARC units involved. Yet the mainstream media swallowed whole the propaganda line emanating from Bogota.
On Friday, Iúil/July 4 2008, Swiss State Radio (RSR), in a broadcast from Geneva, cast doubt on the whole story quoting its own “reliable sources” that one of the captured FARC guerrillas, “Comandante Cesar”, who had charge of Betancourt and other hostages including three American contractors, captured in 2003, also released, had been paid a $20 Million bribe to stage the “rescue” and allow himself to be “captured” to provide a triumph for the Colombian Armed Forces and Uribe. The Swiss Radio report also suggested that US Special Forces were in charge of the whole operation, not the Colombian Army which is one of the most corrupt and

incompetent in South America. The three American hostages were flown directly to a military base in San Antonio, Texas, and not allowed to speak to media.

Meanwhile, Mediaparte, the French news web site founded by the former chief editor of "Le Monde" and other journalists, also reported that the rescue was “not an achievement of the Colombian military, but due to the surrender of a group of the FARC members” following direct negotiations by the Colombian secret services with the guerrilla group that held Betancourt captive.” Citing Colombian sources, it reported that Alvaro Uribe had told a group last May that a surrender of those holding the hostages was being negotiated. Mediaparte added that the Sarkozy government agreed to offer the ex-guerrillas sanctuary in France after their surrender.
The Colombian government has access to large amounts of money supplied by Washington to make payoffs to guerrillas for changing sides. This was evident in the killing last March of FARC leader Ivan Rios, whose bodyguard killed him and then presented his severed right hand to the authorities to collect a $2.5 million US bounty.

CANARD

“The rescue is a success for the country’s hardline and popular President Alvaro Uribe, who has always preferred military to political solutions..” gushed the “Irish Times” editorial of Friday, Iúil/July 4 2008 while condemning the FARC “bloody, pseudo-Marxist war against the Colombian authorities” and repeating the Mi5 and CIA canard “assisted, it is widely accepted, by Provisional IRA technical know-how”. This tired old canard invented by MI5 and the CIA a few years ago, and repeated ad nauseum ever since, is mere propaganda and has no basis in fact.

It is just another ludicrous assumption that a group like FARC, which has been fighting a civil war in Colombia for more than thirty years has any need for foreigners to come and “train” them when all they have to do is join the Colombian Army and get all the training they want. If they needed any advice about improvised explosive devices, well, they didn’t have to go too far away for it as a full manual of instructions was kindly provided by none other than George Bush Senior as long ago as 1961. Bush Senior headed a team in the CIA at that time which produced such a manual which was dropped by air to its agents in Cuba in an effort to cause mayhem and disruption to the new Revolutionary Government of Fidel Castro in Cuba. This manual then became available to the Cubans and, of course, to every Tomas, Ricardo and Enrico of guerrilla movements throughout Latin America. Another glorious own-goal by the CIA.

MURDER INC.

One of the “beaming” military commanders was General Carlos Montoya Uribe, head of the Colombian Armed Forces. In a shameless exploitation of the traumatised hostage, Betancourt, Montoya staged an embrace with her in front of world media already gathered in advance.

Montoya received training in the US at the notorious “School of the Americas” where torture techniques were part of the curriculum and units from the rotten dictatorships of Pinochet and others in Latin America were also accommodated.

Recent research has put the spotlight on Montoya’s sinister record in the Colombian murder regime; a cable despatched in 1979 by the U.S. embassy in Bogotá, declassified at the request of the non-governmental National Security Archive (NSA), a U.S. research institute, "reveals that a Colombian army intelligence battalion linked to Montoya secretly created and staffed a clandestine terror unit in 1978-1979," researcher Michael Evans said in an article published in July 2007 in the Colombian weekly Semana. "Under the guise of the American Anti-communist Alliance (AAA or Triple-A), the group was responsible for a number of bombings, kidnappings and assassinations against leftist targets during that period," he wrote. Evans, the head of NSA's Colombia Documentation Project, also referred to a mass grave discovered in the department of Putumayo in March 2007 containing the remains of more than 100 victims "killed over the same two-year period that Montoya led the Joint Task Force South, the U.S.-funded unit charged with coordinating counternarcotics and counterguerrilla operations in that region from 1999-2001." "Declassified documents also detail State Department concern that one of the units under Montoya's command at the Task Force, the 24th Brigade, had ties with paramilitaries based in the town of La Hormiga, the location of the gravesite," he said.

This is the butcher which the “Irish Times” presents to its readers as the “beaming commander” of the grand rescue of the FARC hostages. Now, it is absolutely abhorrent and inhuman for any group to take people as hostages and abuse them but, welcome though their release is, when the alleged “rescuers” are as bad, or even worse than their declared enemies, there is no need to glorify them in the public press.


FearFeasa Mac Léinn
Áth Cliath/DUBLIN, 24 Iuil/July 2008.