03-06-08 The Direct Action Task Force Against Torture! asks you to sign this petition from Human Rights First. Bring the issue of torture into the election discussions. Just copy the address below and paste into address line of Internet Explorer or go to the Human Rights First website. Thanks, Janet http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/us_law/etn/elect08/index.aspx?source=hp Urgent request to help stop CIA torture program We who oppose torture have an opportunity in February to end the CIA "enhanced interrogation techniques" program. A vote in the Senate, which we expect to take place in mid-February, will decide the fate of very important anti-torture legislation (Section 327 of H.R. 2082 - the Intelligence Authorization bill). That bill would require the CIA to comply with the restrictions in the Army Field Manual on interrogation of detainees. The U.S. Army Field Manual prohibits torture, as well as cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Several senators have threatened to raise procedural roadblocks to Section 327 (the anti-torture provision), so we will need 60 votes in the Senate to keep Section 327 in the bill. It would be very helpful if you would take a few minutes to contact your Senators to urge them to support the Army Field Manual provision in the Intelligence Authorization Conference Report. You can contact your Senators by calling the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Alternatively, you can look up your Senators' direct lines and email addresses at http://capwiz.com/c-span by entering your zip code and then clicking on the names of your Members. Few moments occur when a clear legislative victory is within our reach. This is one of those moments, and we are asking you to do everything you can to help make it happen.  Please take time this week to contact your Senators to let them know how important it is for them to support the Army Field Manual provision in the Intelligence Authorization Conference Report. Fact Sheet on Section 327 of H.R. 2082 (the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008) 1.) Section 327 prohibits all agencies of the U.S. intelligence community, and their contractors, from subjecting detainees to any treatment or technique of interrogation that is not authorized by the Army Field Manual on Human Intelligence Collector Operations. In effect this would extend the McCain torture ban (which currently covers only the military) to all U.S. intelligence agencies. The text of Section 327 can be found at the bottom of this document. 2.)H.R. 2082 (which includes Section 327) is a conference report - that is, it is the final product of a compromise between House and Senate conferees on two versions of the same bill. This conference report passed the House in December on a 222-199 vote. It is now before the Senate for its approval. The text of the conference report can be found at: http://intelligence.senate.gov/conference2008.pdf 3.)Senate Republicans have placed a hold on H.R. 2082 pending the outcome of a parliamentary objection to Section 327. Since Section 327 was not part of either the original House or Senate versions of H.R. 2082, Republicans will probably be able to raise a point of order against Section 327 in order to 4.) Senate Republicans have also threatened to filibuster H.R. 2082. To defeat a filibuster also requires 60 votes. 5.) There are a number of Republican Senators who have voted against torture in the past, so even though we need 60 votes to pass this bill, it is possible. -- Senators who might vote either way on Section 327 include:  OR – Smith, NH – Sununu, FL – Martinez, KS – Brownback, TN – Alexander, ME – Collins, PA – Specter, MN – Coleman, IN – Lugar. OH – Voinovich, AZ – McCain, VA – Warner, NE - Ben Nelson, CT – Lieberman, IN - Bayh WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE… Mayors and other Monterey Peninsula notables have had their knickers in a twist ever since the news broke two weeks ago that the State Water Resources Control Board is considering actually enforcing their Order 95-10. What’s the big deal? Well, Order 95-10 decrees that our friendly water company, Cal-Am, has the right to pump only 3,376 acre feet per year of water from Carmel Valley – the source of most of the Monterey Peninsula’s water. Last year Cal-Am kept water in Peninsula taps by pumping 11,285 acre feet. Complying with Order 95-10 would thus mean a 70% cutback in Carmel Valley pumping and, obviously, require some pretty hefty cutbacks in water use by Monterey Peninsula residents and businesses. So where did this Order 95-10 come from, how come it’s never been enforced, and why has the SWRCB suddenly gotten interested in enforcing it now? Although the SWRCB had been studying the problem of Carmel River water rights for decades, Order 95-10 was issued in 1995 just months before voters went to the polls to decide whether to build a new dam on the Carmel River. Coincidence? We don’t think so. In fact, the Order didn’t just put this extremely tough limit on Cal-Am pumping, it also promised to lift the limit if the dam was built. In other words, the SWRCB’s message to the Monterey Peninsula was “build a dam or we’ll cut off your water.” This certainly looked, smelled and tasted like an attempt to twist voters’ arms and extort a yes vote on the dam and, predictably, there was a good deal of unhappiness over this state agency’s heavy handed interference in local politics. Especially since the dam was clearly a bad idea for a list of reasons far too long to get into here. In any event, the voters called the SWRCB’s bluff by rejecting the dam and, sure enough, for 13 long years the SWRCB has pretty much acted like Order 95-10 doesn’t exist. So why was the SWRCB so keen to see us build a dam on the Carmel River? Why would they have wanted to push a yes vote on an environmentally destructive dam that, at enormous expense to the ratepayers, would have provided water for a wave of new development while leaving current residents worse off than before in the event of a prolonged drought? Who knows? But the fact that Marc Del Piero (a former member of the Monterey County Board of Supervisors and a good buddy of many of the dam’s promoters) happened to be serving on the SWRCB in 1995 might be a clue. Which brings us to the most interesting question of all. Why, after 13 years, is the SWRCB suddenly expressing interest in enforcing Order 95-10? Well it could be they’re starting to feel a bit embarrassed about the whole thing. Scaring the pants off people by issuing draconian orders is all good fun, but people start to lose respect for you after a while if you never follow through. Maybe they think their fearsome reputation is starting to slip … but probably not. Maybe they’re just frustrated at the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District and Cal-Am’s slow pace toward developing new water supplies and reducing reliance on Carmel Valley pumping. It’s true that small projects that could have replaced the water pumped from Carmel Valley and could have been brought on line relatively quickly have been abandoned. They were opposed and defeated by development and real estate interests bitterly opposed to any project that doesn’t include plenty of water for new growth (for fear that once the immediate water problems are solved, the public won’t support a project that’s main purpose is to accelerate development). On the other hand, Cal-Am’s big regional desalination plant (with plenty of capacity to provide water for growth) is moving forward about as well as any project of that magnitude can be expected to (i.e. slowly, but there’s nothing anyone can do about that). So it’s hard to see exactly what the SWRCB might hope to achieve by holding people’s feet to the fire at this point (if they’d wanted to reduce Carmel Valley pumping more quickly, they should have threatened to enforce Order 95-10 back when the water district was caving in to pressure to abandon its plan for a smaller, Sand City-based desal plant). So although this explanation seems to be more or less the official line, we have to conclude that it really doesn’t make much sense either. Has the SWRCB suddenly developed a new and heartfelt concern for the steelhead, red-legged frogs and other public trust resources of the Carmel River being harmed by Cal-Am’s relentless pumping? Well, in a way, maybe they have. Just one month before the SWRCB’s announced their new intention to enforce Order 95-10, the Carmel River Steelhead Association issued a formal notice of intent to sue the National Marine Fisheries Service for violating the Endangered Species Act by failing to protect the Carmel River steelhead. Is the SWRCB afraid this litigation could result in a federal agency invading their turf and regulating pumping in Carmel Valley? Are they afraid of finding themselves in the politically embarrassing position of having invited a federal takeover by failing to enforce their own order?   Ah … now we may be on to something. There’s nothing like a turf battle between state and federal agencies to stimulate real action on the ground! And, by the way, the mayors can probably relax. Protecting the steelhead will require some cutbacks, but nothing like the 70% called for by Order 95-10.     This entry was posted on January 31, 2008 and is filed under Water It is posted on:  http://xasauantoday.wordpress.com Check out the site for additional local commentaries. We need people from this area to go to the Middle East and witness what's going on there, then come back and talk to others about it. KH Do you want to be a "citizen diplomat" with Council for the National Interest Foundation to the Middle East this spring?  Applications are being accepted for its Spring 2008 "political pilgrimage," a 16-day tour of Israel and her neighbors. for those interested in learning more about American foreign policy in the Middle East. The trip is limited to 10 people per pilgrimage; therefore, we urge you to apply as soon as possible. The deadline is February 25, 2007. Now is your chance to be a "citizen diplomat" to the Middle East and conduct interviews with the political leaders of the area. Shannon O'Hara, Program Director,  CNI Foundation 1250 4th St. SW, Suite WG-1 Washington, DC 20024 http://cnifoundation.org/ 202-863-2951 x301     fax (202) 863-2952 THREE ORGANIZING / MOBILIZING / PLANNING MEETINGS TO STOP THE BOMBPLEX, NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND WAR We’ve found the Weapons of Mass Destruction! Five years ago, the U.S. attacked Iraq based on flimsy allegations of non-existent WMDs. Now, the Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration has released new plans to modernize and revitalize the U.S. nuclear weapons research and production complex at 8 locations across the country, including the Bay Area’s Livermore Lab. The DOE calls the plan, Complex Transformation. We call it Bombplex. Western States Legal Foundation, Tri-Valley CAREs, Peace Action West, United for Peace and Justice and allied organizations are calling on all anti-nuclear, anti-war, environmental, and peace and justice activists to turn the Bombplex public hearings into a national public referendum on the future of nuclear weapons. Here is where you come in. We are holding three organizing / mobilizing / planning meetings in different parts of the Bay Area and calling on key activists and organizations to participate. Our goal is to take action together to MOBILIZE a large and powerful turnout at upcoming public hearings in Tracy (March 18) and Livermore (March 19 - the 5th anniversary of the Iraq war). Planning Meeting Number 1: Sunday, February 17, 4 PM to 6 PM, at Peace Action West, 2800 Adeline Street, Berkeley, CA. To RSVP or obtain details, call Rebecca at (800) 949-9020, extension 113. Planning Meeting Number 2: Thursday, February 21, 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM (before the TVC monthly meeting), at Tri-Valley CAREs, 2582 Old First Street, Livermore, CA. To RSVP or obtain details, call Marylia at (925) 443-7148. Planning Meeting Number 3: Tuesday, February 26, 7 PM to 9 PM, at Western States Legal Foundation, 655 13th Street, Suite 201, Oakland, CA. To RSVP or obtain details, call Jackie at (510) 839-5877. Come to the planning meeting that fits your schedule. Come prepared to make a difference! Elements for each organizing meeting will include: What is Bombplex? A primer on nuclear weapons programs andpolicies embedded in this nukes forever plan, followed by a discussion on what YOU want to emphasize at the hearing. How do we stop it? Ideas to make the public hearings successful, powerful and effective. Who can we mobilize? A structured outreach brainstorm to accomplish our goals. What?s next? A broader discussion on nuclear disarmament action beyond the hearings. www.wslfweb.org ? www.trivalleycares.org Don't be silent at this critical juncture. Your voice is needed now. Make the hearings a public referendum on nuclear weapons. At the hearings, you can speak on the changes you want to see at Livermore Lab, or on U.S. nuclear weapons policy writ large. You can speak out to stop polluting nuclear weapons activities at the Livermore Lab main site and its Site 300 in Tracy. You can tell the government to stop new nuclear weapons, like the Reliable Replacement Warhead, which the DOE is still pushing for with $40 million in its fiscal year 2009 budget request. Or, you can speak about the need for a new U.S. national security policy and the necessity of achieving global nuclear disarmament. You may also wish to point to the U.S. hypocrisy in planning to produce new weapons of nuclear mass destruction on the 5th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.   Come and speak your truth to power. Choose the peace issues that are most meaningful to you. There will also be a 90-day period for written public comments. In California, the public hearings are:  Tuesday March 18, 2008. Tracy, California, Holiday Inn Express, 3751 N. Tracy Blvd. One session only: 6 p.m.?10 p.m. Wednesday March 19, 2008 - 5th anniversary of the U.S. attack on Iraq!, Livermore, California. Robert Livermore Community Center, 4444 East Avenue 2 sessions: 11 a.m.?3 p.m. and 6 p.m. ?10 p.m. Comments may be submitted by mail to: Mr. Theodore Wyka, Complex Transformation SPEIS Document Manager, Office of Transformation, NA-10.1, U.S. Department of Energy/NNSA 1000 Independence Avenue, SW. Washington, D.C. 20585 Or by fax: (703) 931-9222 (request confirmation of receipt) Or by e-mail: ComplexTransformation@nnsa.doe.gov (request confirmation of receipt) NO NUKES! NO WARS! SPEAK OUT! Impeachment News: (Feb. 8) Attorney General Would Refuse to Enforce Contempt. Our Constitution is under threat and the most basic principle of checks and balances is being undermined. Not since Watergate has a president so openly disregarded the will of Congress. During hearings in the Judiciary Committee yesterday, I told Attorney General Michael Mukasey that I called for impeachment hearings because of the stonewalling and blatant abuses of the Bush Administration. He responded by stating that he will NOT enforce a contempt of Congress citation against Harriet Miers and White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten for refusing to testify before Congress. The video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7M9sjRLCtQ Alberto Gonzales may be long gone, but the Bush Administration continues its executive overreach with the new Attorney General. We can debate the need for Impeachment hearings. We can argue its effects on the election or our agenda. But one thing is abundantly clear: If Congress' right to require testimony is undermined, then our country's leaders - Democrat, Republican, or Independent - will be immune from accountability. The power of the subpoena - to call officials before us - is one of the most fundamental safeguards in our system of government. To have it effectively discarded - by virtue of the President instructing Administration officials to ignore a congressional subpoenas and not even appear before Congress - is unprecedented. The idea that the Attorney General would willingly defend this position - despite Congress' constitutional right to call such witnesses, is outrageous. Impeachment hearings could render this moot: The President, Vice President, and all officials under them would no longer invoke executive privilege. There would be no more smokescreens. In one week, I will be delivering my letter calling for impeachment hearings to Chairman John Conyers. Already, 16 Members of Congress have joined my call, including 3 Judiciary Committee members. I am hopeful for more in the coming days, but it is important for you to reach out to your representative in Congress to express how you feel. You can view the current list of signers, here: http://www.wexlerforcongress.com/news.asp?ItemID=230 I do not know how Congress will react, but I do know this: I will pursue this course aggressively. I will not compromise away the constitutional role of Congress. Your support is invaluable. Please know that I am working everyday to ensure that the Bush Administration is held accountable. Please continue to support this movement at www.wexlerwantshearings.com. Yours truly, Congressman Robert Wexler U.S. OUT OF PAKISTAN CAMPAIGN No Aid to Musharraf's Dictatorship in Pakistan! IS THE U.S. BRINGING IRAQ TO PAKISTAN? No Arming and Training of Tribal Militias! We need funds for working families at home, not for reckless intervention.   Let President George W. Bush, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, Senator Joseph Biden Jr. (Chairman, US Senate Foreign Relations Committee), US Representative Gary Ackerman (Chairman, US House Committee on Foreign Affairs), Congressional leaders, Ban Ki-Moon (Secretary-General, United Nations), UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, and Pakistani and U.S. media representatives know you want NO aid to Musharraf's brutal dictatorship, NO arming of tribal militias, and U.S. Out of Pakistan! Sign on to the petition below, drafted by the Campaign to Restore Democracy in Pakistan. <http://www.crdpnow.org> ) is an international campaign devoted to sponsoring domestic and international informational and educational programs designed to support the restoration of an independent judiciary and the rule of law in Pakistan as the foundation for the general restoration of representative democracy in Pakistan. For more information, see crdpnow.org Read and sign the petition <http://www.iacenter.org/pakistanpetition> International Action Center DOUBLE BUBBLE Are you all aware of this debacle? Los Angeles County was warned about the impending trouble with the double bubble. Now, the Sacramento Bee editorial board is calling it a major voting disaster. And there is speculation that the outcome could change how many delegates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama receive in California. 94,500. That's roughly how many people in Los Angeles County voted for Obama and Clinton on Super Tuesday, only to see their votes rejected by the now infamous -- and fatally flawed -- double bubble ballot. Here's the bad news: Despite a record-breaking turnout of 189,000 voters registered as Decline-to-State (DTS), Dean Logan, L.A.'s Registrar of Voters, is still refusing to physically hand-count these ballots, effectively disenfranchising 94,500 -- at least HALF -- of DTS voters because they didn't fill in an extra, redundant bubble before voting for President. Time is running out to change Dean Logan's mind.  Please sign the petition now and forward it to your friends immediately, so the Courage Campaign can deliver as many signatures as possible directly to Dean Logan: http://www.couragecampaign.org/CountEveryVote Calling it a major voting disaster and a raw deal for Decline-to-State voters, the Sacramento Bee's editorial board puts 94,500 in perspective: The scale of disenfranchisement is huge - 94,500 of 189,000 decline-to-state votes. That's half of the nonpartisan ballots. By comparison, in the infamous Florida "butterfly ballot" debacle in the 2000 presidential election, 19,120 Palm Beach County ballots went uncounted because of the bad ballot design." That's right. Five times as many voters are now being disenfranchised than in Palm Beach County's "hanging chad" catastrophe of 2000. The only difference is that Dean Logan, the L.A. County registrar, knew this would happen ahead of time -- because a lawyer for the Courage Campaign warned him in a detailed letter prior to the primary. Excited by the race between Hillary Clintonand Barack Obama, an unprecedented number of Decline-to-State voters rushed to the polls last Tuesday to vote in the Democratic Party primary. But at least HALF of these voters in Los Angeles County -- 20% of the electorate in the largest election jurisdiction in America -- are now finding out that their vote was rejected because they failed to fill out a meaningless bubble on a confusing ballot. We don't know if -- as the Los Angeles Daily News speculated -- the double bubble debacle could affect the number of delegates each candidate gets -- potentially determining the Democratic nominee for president."We do know that, no matter the speculation, we can't take one vote for granted. Senate OKs Immunity for Telecoms http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/021208A.shtml The Associated Press reports, The Senate voted Tuesday to shield from lawsuits telecommunications companies that helped the government eavesdrop on their customers without court permission after the September 11 terrorist attacks. 02-13-08 African American History is essential to American History and needs to be merged in the telling of the story. Until that time, we need to use this important focal celebration of Black History Month to inform and expand our society's knowledge of African American history. Civil Rights activist, Daisy Bates <http://www.nexternal.com/nwhp/Product4813> , gave the nine students (two boys and seven girls) the information, encouragement, and support they needed to enroll in Central High School.  When the governor resorted to closing the schools in Little Rock to prevent integration, it was the women of the "Women's Emergency Committee to Open Our Schools" who with daring courage organized the effort to open the schools and in so doing changed themselves and the community. One of last year's Honorees, Minnijean Brown Trickey <http://www.nwhp.org/whm/trickey_bio.php> , was only sixteen years old when she became involved in the integration of Little Rock's Central High School. Along with eight other black teenagers who defied death threats, hostile white demonstrators, and even the Arkansas National Guard to attend the all-white Central High School in 1957.  Rising above the adversity, they took a courageous step that not only changed their lives and education but the lives and educations of African Americans around the country.    African American history is essential to American History and needs to be merged in the telling of the story. Until that time, we need to use this important focal celebration of Black History Month to inform and expand our society's knowledge of African American history.   Warriors Don't Cry <http://www.nexternal.com/nwhp/Product4814> : Drawn from her diary, the author writes a riveting account of her experience integrating Central High School. The Long Shadow of Little Rock <http://www.nexternal.com/nwhp/Product4813> : A Memoir by Daisy Bates Daisy Bates guided and advised the nine students, known as the Little Rock Nine, when they attempted to enroll at Little Rock Central High School in 1957.   The Giants Wore White Gloves DVD <http://www.nexternal.com/nwhp/Product4815> When racism closed the schools in Little Rock, a group of respectable, middle-class white women were faced with the prospect of no schools as well as the further loss of their city's good name.  They turned militant and changed themselves and he community in the process. Celebrating Black History Month Resources <http://www.nexternal.com/nwhp/Category214> . Celebrating 50 Years of Integration: The Memory Project Central High students today are collecting the personal stories of family and neighbors who lived through historic and current civil rights struggles, not only at Central but across Arkansas, America, and the world. Students are creating this website, The Little Rock Central High Civil Rights Memory Project, to serve as a permanent online resource for students, teachers, historians and the families of those who share their stories. It is the hope of Central's students that this website-and these personal narratives-can open a door into history and encourage students today to continue the process of change in race relations and civil rights in their own lives and communities. The Memory Project http://www.lrch.org/. Voices from the Days of Slavery The Library of Congress's American Folklife Center online collection: Voices from the Days of Slavery: Former Slaves Tell Their Stories, available at Library's American Memory. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/voices/ Memory Project:  Standing on My Sisters' Shoulders - An award-winning documentary about courageous women in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. Check out www.sisters-shoulders.org for additional information. National Women's History Project  3440 Airway Dr Ste F Santa Rosa, CA 95403 http://www.nwhp.org (707) 636-2888 nwhp@aol.com    ....all this information was compiled and sent by Jean Richards.  Thank you, Jean. 02-10-08 Greetings from sunny Cuba and chilly Canada. Cuba Education Tours Special note to our US friends: If you are a full time professional in a field that corresponds to one of our Cuba tour themes we can help you go to Cuba legally. Please consider sharing this great news with your friends. All of our new tours are detailed at http://www.cubafriends.ca * Teachers Familiarization Tour from March 15 to 22 is a rare occasion for mentors to witness the island's renowned education system at all levels and experience Cuban history and culture at the same time. Many educators treat this trip as a professional development opportunity. * Legal Professionals Cuba Tour from April 26 to May 4. Learn all about island jurisprudence via discourse with Cuban legal professionals and intellectuals. You'll visit urban and rural landmarks, imbibe in island culture, and participate in Havana's May Day celebrations. * Health Care Professionals Cuba Tour from April 26 to May 3. Examine the island's famed system of free universal health care first hand through on site exchanges with Cuban medical experts. This program offers an in depth look at what Michael Moore presented in his documentary "SiCKO."  You'll have time to enjoy music and culture too, and join in Havana's May Day festivities. * Cuba in the World: Then and Now from May 17 to June 7 is Malaspina University-College's new field school. It's a chance to explore Cuba for three weeks on the most thorough academic short-term study abroad program ever. This program is ideal for faculty planning Cuba programs or conducting research, as well as island aficionados. * Learn Cuban Dance Tour from June 28 to July 6. If you groove on Salsa, Son, Rumba, Cha Cha Cha and Afrocuban rhythms, then let the island's dance best instructors to turn you into a pro. Return home and share your newfound skills with your friends. * Rainbow Cuba Tour for LGBTs (and their friends!) from June 28 to July 5. Witness profound changes that are rocketing the island into a human rights leader. Revel in this Caribbean paradise's culture and encounter a kind outgoing people. * ESL Cuba Volunteer from November 8 to 29 is a three-week odyssey for the impassioned language coach to help eager Cuban youth learn English. This program is geared to retired and working ESL teachers. Next month we'll be announcing programs for late 2008 and early 2009. Get a sneak preview at http://www.cubafriends.ca Our Cuban and Canadian staff is here to help you see the real Cuba and interact with its people. We invite you to come to Cuba and meet us. Marcel Hatch, Education Coordinator Cuba Education Tours, Vancouver British Columbia Canada 877-687-3817   Toll Free    604-677-2944   Tel Days     info@cubafriends.ca Email  * B.C. Travelers Assurance Fund Registration No. 34338  * Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA) No. 11338  * IATA Travel Industry Designator Service (TIDS) No. 96520852 Editor’s Note: This announcement came in my email.  I know nothing more about them than what they present in their email. Thomas D. Williams | US Herbicides Exact High Toll http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/020208Y.shtml For Truthout, Thomas D. Williams writes: "Despite years of ongoing, critical public health controversies in Colombia and Ecuador over the US-assisted aerial herbicide spraying of coca and poppy crops while trying to reduce illegal cocaine and heroin production, US State Department officials are pursuing that very same spraying strategy today." 01-29-08 Worldwide Anger Over Gaza Plight (three posts) * Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza, Jan. 26 International Day of Action (United for Peace and Justice) * Worldwide Anger Over Gaza Plight (Al Jazeera) * Gazans Fear Crisis After Four Days of Blockade Israel Agrees to Single Shipment Of Fuel, Other Aid   (Washington Post) ========== Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza, Jan. 26 International Day of Action Dear Friend of United for Peace and Justice, In response to the unfolding humanitarian crisis faced by the 1.5 million residents of Gaza, United for Peace and Justice is joining peace groups in Israel and around the world in a call for an international day of action on Saturday, January 26. Many of the solidarity actions will be done as part of  the US and World Social Forum Day of Action already scheduled for that day. http://www.wsf2008.net We urge that you share this email with others and urge them to take action. For more in-depth analysis and to join a protest in your area, click here: http://endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=1493 Yours, in peace and justice, Judith Le Blanc, UFPJ Organizing Coordinator End the Siege on the People of Gaza, International Day of Action, Jan. 26 Call for a Comprehensive Ceasefire, End US Military Aid to Israel Israel is continuing to escalate its attacks on Gaza, killing more than 40 Palestinians just this past week and wounding scores more, and has placed the already besieged territory under complete lockdown. That is eliminating what little access the population had to food, fuel, clean water and ever-more-urgent medical services. By Sunday Gaza's only power generator was shut down because of a lack of fuel; hospitals are starting to be affected and Palestinian medical officials have reported that five gravely ill patients have died. Israel's announcement, under international pressure, that it would allow one day's worth of fuel to restart Gaza's only power generating plant does not mean an end to the crisis; Gaza will remain desperate as Israel continues to use access to vitally needed fuel and other goods as a weapon of occupation to impose collective punishment on the entire population of Gaza. The conditions in Gaza have become desperate, and international solidarity organizations in London, Rome and elsewhere around the world are mobilizing to demand an end to the siege of Gaza in protests on January 26. That same day Israeli peace groups are organizing an emergency convoy to try to break the siege. Israel's increasing attacks on Gaza -- the economic blockade and military assaults -- are not in response to the rocket attacks from Gaza. The Israeli attacks, and Israel's continuing occupation-through-siege of Gaza, are the reason for the rocket fire in the first place. But even if the Israeli attacks were in response to Gaza rockets, such a response would still be illegal (collective punishment is always illegal),disproportionate, and ultimately futile. U.S. military support bolsters Israel's occupation and enables the current escalating punishment. The U.S. must stop all military aid to Israel, and demand that Israel end its collective punishment and indiscriminate bombing of the civilian population of Gaza. Further, the U.S. must push for a comprehensive ceasefire that covers all the occupied Palestinian territories. Otherwise, the U.S. will continue to be vilified for its support of collective punishment and attacks on civilians, U.S. citizens will be seen by the rest of the world as complicit in major human rights violations, and any future talks about "peace" will be viewed as providing continuing support for an Israeli-imposed military settlement. TAKE ACTION: Call the White House at 202-456-1111 and the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs at 202-647-7209. Demand: An immediate end to the assault on Gaza, and the opening of its border crossings to people and goods. A comprehensive ceasefire that covers all territories and all parties to the conflict. An end to U.S. military aid to Israel. Oppose the new $30 billion military aid package to Israel – go to:  http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/us Call your national as well as your local media: Demand coverage of what's going on in the Occupied-Palestinian territories. This is particularly important since the Israeli lock-down of Gaza has resulted in very little news emerging of the most recent attacks. Write a letter to the editor in response to an article in your paper using the talking points in this action alert. For media contact information, go to: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/media/ If your group has consultative status at the United Nations, call the office of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon: Demand that the UN hold Israel, as a member state, accountable for its human rights violations. Protest the Secretary-General's statement of January 17, 2008, repeated on January 18, in which he demanded an "immediate halt" to Palestinian rocket and sniper fire from Gaza, but only urged "maximum restraint" from the Israeli occupation forces assaulting Gaza. In both statements he "reminds all parties of their obligation to comply with international humanitarian law and not to endanger civilians," without acknowledging the different obligations between an occupied population and an occupying power already violating numerous UN resolutions that demand an end to the occupation itself. Contact: Office of the Secretary General, Chief of Staff Vijay Nambiar at nambiar@un.org or 1-212-963-8922. Find out about the January 26 convoy that will try to break the siege of Gaza with food and medicine: http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en/events/1200266785 ========== 01-29-08 Worldwide Anger Over Gaza Plight Al Jazeera - January 21, 2008 http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/3404C3F3-AA80-4A40-ABA9-29DA50E801B2.htm The Arab League and European Union have led worldwide calls for Israel to end its four-day blockade of the Gaza Strip that has caused untold suffering to more than a million people. After an emergency meeting in Cairo on Monday, delegates from the 22 Arab states called on the UN "to carry out an international inquiry into Israeli crimes".  In a statement, the Arab League described the Gaza Strip as "a disaster area" and appealed to the international community to provide the Palestinian people with necessary assistance. Amr Moussa, the Arab League secretary-general, told Al Jazeera that what was happening in Gaza was a "war crime".  He also urged the international quartet - made up of the United Nations, European Union, Russia and the United States - to put pressure on Israel.  "The real problem is the Israeli military occupation.And, Israel as an occupying nation has a responsibility to protect the rights of the people of the occupied land." The 57-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference supported the calls for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. 'Collective punishment' The criticism of Benita Ferrero Waldner, EU external relations commissioner, was also strong as she accused Israel of carrying out "collective punishment" of Gaza's 1.5 million people.  The EU commissioner warned that neither the closure of Gaza's border nor the deadly air raids and incursions of the past week would bring Israel security from rockets fired by Palestinian armed groups. "Only a credible political agreement this year ... can turn Palestinians away from violence," she said. Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, phoned Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, on Monday to stress "the need to stop the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people". He also warned "of the deteriorating humanitarian situation resulting from the blockade imposed on the [Gaza] Strip by Israel." The Hamas movement, which took full control of Gaza last June, has called on other nations to put pressure on Egypt to open its Rafah crossing with the territory to let in desperately needed supplies. "We have one demand and that is the opening of the Rafah crossing and the breaking of the siege," Ismail Haniya, Hamas leader, said. Peace talks 'a mockery' Syria said Israel's actions made a mockery of the relaunched peace talks with the Palestinian government led by Mahmoud Abbas, the president. "Talk of a peace process between Israel and the Palestinians flies in the face of the green light being given to the attacks and blockade," a foreign ministry statement said. Protesters took to the streets in many cities [AFP] Neighbouring Lebanon called on Western powers to end their silence over Israel's military action against Gaza which has killed at least 37 people in the past week. "Israel is profiting from the international silence ... to  unleash its rage against the inhabitants of Gaza," Fuad Siniora, the Lebanese prime minister, said. People gathered across the occupied Palestinian territories as well as in Amman, the Jordanian capital, and Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, to protest against the blockade.  "Oh Arabs, where is your compassion? They are slaughtering our people in Gaza," chanted hundreds of demonstrators in the Ein al-Helweh camp. In Amman, about 2,500 people marched from the headquarters of Jordan's main opposition party, the Islamic Action Front (IAF), to the parliament building in the city centre. "Bush [US president], Olmert, you are despicable. Our blood is not cheap," chanted the protesters. Thousands of university students also protested in Algiers, Algeria's capital. ==========   01-29-08 Gazans Fear Crisis After Four Days of Blockade Israel Agrees to Single Shipment Of Fuel, Other Aid By Ellen Knickmeyer Washington Post Foreign Service Tuesday, January 22, 2008; A12 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/21/AR2008012100596_pf.html GAZA CITY, Jan. 21 -- Four days into an Israeli blockade that has cut off food and fuel to the Gaza Strip, residents of the strip contemplated Monday how long it would be until disaster hit. One family of 13, shivering in the cold, counted its eight remaining candles. A bakery that normally feeds thousands had three days' worth of flour. Hospital generators with enough fuel for three days and no spare parts powered incubators in which twin boys born 2 1/2 months prematurely were being kept alive, their thin chests heaving convulsively. Israel agreed Monday to allow in a one-time shipment of fuel, food and medicine on Tuesday, after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak telephoned Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak to appeal on behalf of Gaza's 1.5 million people. But Israel gave no indication when it planned to fully lift the blockade, imposed Friday in response to escalating rocket attacks from the Palestinian territory. In the neonatal intensive care unit of Gaza City's main hospital Monday, physician Radwan Hassouna tapped the plastic incubator of Karam al-Namy, one of the 1 1/2 -pound twins, and ticked off the electrical equipment keeping the baby alive. "He has a ventilator. He has an oxygenator. He has photo therapy," or light to keep him from developing jaundice, Hassouna said. An intravenous pump, he added. And monitors. If the generators broke down, Karam and his twin brother, Kareem, would die in an instant, Hassouna said. Leaving the hospital after seeing his young sons, Ashraf al-Namy said he feared he would never see them alive again. "I'm afraid when the electricity goes off," he said. "They only live on artificial respiration. What is going to happen to them?" Israel closed the border crossings into Gaza on Friday to enforce its demand that the armed Hamas movement that controls Gaza bring a halt to rocket attacks into Israeli territory.  From Tuesday to Friday last week, more than 150 rockets were fired from Gaza. None caused any fatalities, although Palestinian gunmen killed an Ecuadoran farmhand working in a field near Gaza on Tuesday, the day Israeli forces unleashed large-scale ground and air assaults against targets in the northern part of the strip. Israeli military operations from Tuesday to Sunday killed more than 30 people in Gaza, most of them gunmen, Palestinian officials said. "As far as I'm concerned, Gaza residents will walk, without gas for their cars, because they have a murderous, terrorist regime that doesn't let people in southern Israel live in peace," Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told lawmakers from his Kadima party earlier Monday. Rocket attacks into Israel have declined from more than 30 a day last week to five on Sunday. By late Monday, at least eight rockets and mortar shells had landed. Israel has limited the flow of supplies to Gaza since Hamas seized power here in June, routing Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement,  Hamas's partner in a short-lived unity government.  Stores of medicine, fuel and other staples had dwindled even before the blockade, Palestinian doctors and engineers here said. Shlomo Dror, spokesman for Israel's Coordinator of Activities in the Territories, has said repeatedly since Friday that Israel would not allow a humanitarian crisis to occur in Gaza. By Monday, however, the people of Gaza had had more than a glimpse of what such a crisis would look like. Gas stations had closed, having exhausted their fuel supplies. Some bakeries had run out of flour. The U.N. Relief and Works Agency, which distributes food rations to 860,000 Palestinian refugees in Gaza, said Monday that without fuel it would have to suspend operations by Friday. The World Food Program, whose rations help feed another 270,000 Gaza residents, said it would have to stop distributions by Thursday unless it gets more fuel. The Gaza Strip's power plant, which supplies electricity to about 500,000 people in Gaza City and elsewhere, ran out of fuel Sunday night and was shut down, Palestinians in charge of the electrical system said. The power plant provided about 25 percent of Gaza's total electricity. Five power lines from Israel supply another 70 percent,Palestinian and Israeli officials said. Except for onepower line damaged before this week, the Israeli power supply to Gaza has not been affected, Israeli and Palestinian authorities said. However, there is little connection between the grids that carry the electricity from the power plant and the grids that carry Israeli power, said Rafiq Maliha, the project manager of the power plant.  Additionally, the Gaza City network is operated manually, requiring a worker to throw a breaker to connect each area, Maliha said. That makes it difficult to feed electricity from other networks to the one that had been supplied by the power plant. Power at the main Gaza City hospital came on without notice Monday afternoon, for the first time in about 18 hours. Gaza City moved in and out of blackout through Monday night. "Gaza is dying slowly," said Ahmed Bahar, a Hamas official, with "an international silence, an Arab silence." On Monday, Hamas officials urged neighboring Egypt to open its Rafah crossing into the Gaza Strip to allow supplies to enter. Egypt has kept the crossing closed since June, in solidarity with Abbas's government in the West Bank. There were signs Monday that the blockade was eroding popular support for Hamas. The movement organized a march by children and medical workers Monday to protest the blockade. The march consisted almost entirely of young boys waving Palestinian flags as they streamed through Gaza City alongside a few Hamas officials and other adults. Few people along the route joined the march or even appeared to look up as they went about on foot, bicycles and donkey carts, or in the relatively few automobiles still on the road, to search for food. Wooden stands with cauliflower, tomatoes and other goods grown in Gaza still appeared on street corners. Boys with donkey carts offered fruit brought in earlier from Israel. Meat was twice the price it was 10 days ago. With some bakeries closed, the normal five-minute wait for bread grew to an hour at one of the bakeries open Monday. "People say this all started after George Bush visited," observed Hisham al-Ashrami, 31, speaking over his shoulder as he scooped freshly baked loaves off a conveyor belt and into his customers' plastic sacks. The line of people waiting for bread snaked out the door. "They say he gave Israel the green light," Ashrami said. Other Gaza residents echoed his comments, suspecting a link between Bush's visit to the Middle East this month and the Israeli crackdown on Gaza. "Why do you think that is?" Ashrami said. "These are all civilians here," he said, gesturing at the bundled-up men, women and children crowded before his bread trays.  He estimated the bakery had enough flour left for three days. Haya al-Serraj, 25, left the shop with a sack stretched to bursting by loaves of bread for her extended family of 13. The family still has enough food but only two boxes of candles -- eight in all, Serraj said. "Enough for two days, I hope," Serraj said cheerfully, then shook her head. "I don't think so." Serraj plays games with her brother and sister, ages 2 and 3, to distract them during nights without heat, lights or TV, she said. Last week, when Israeli airstrikes were heaviest, she tried to soothe the children, she said. "But you can tell, as much as you sing them songs and play with them, they must still be starting to figure out what's going on," she said. "They already know. They know this isn't normal." c 2008 The Washington Post Company 01-29-08   FISA Debate Comes Down to Reid and the Constitution More than two years ago, the nation learned that the National Security Agency was spying on Americans without warrants or a court order. And since that time, we’ve been waiting for Congress to stand up to the Bush administration abuses and bring NSA spying in line with the Constitution. The Senate returns this week and the temporary fix to the NSA problem expires soon. Now, Senator Reid has a choice to make. He can finally bring to the floor of the Senate FISA legislation that protects our right to privacy and due process. Or, he can once again fail to stand up to the Bush administration’s demands for unnecessary and dangerous broad powers and bring up for a vote a shameful, unconstitutional bill. The ACLU is engaging thousands of its members and asking them to call their senators. We’re running radio ads targeting key senators around the country. We’re holding dozens of meetings with senators and their staff in their home-state offices. And, we’re working with a broad coalition of organizations to make sure any spying legislation Congress passes protects our privacy and the rule of law. >> Make the voice of freedom heard: Sign the ACLU petition to Senator Reid now.   www.aclu.org   01-29-08 Cheney Impeachment: Wexler Delivers Names to Congress From a letter to a local concerned citizen: Last night, I took to the floor of the House of Representatives and outlined our case as to why this Congress must hold immediate hearings on Rep. Kucinich’s Articles of Impeachment. I didn’t do it alone: I was armed with nearly 200,000 signatures of support from you and so many others.  Please watch the video of this speech and forward it to as many people as possible.  I've posted it on the front page of www.WexlerWantsHearings.com This morning, I delivered letters to all of my colleagues in the House of Representatives, urging them to support Cheney Impeachment Hearings. You can read a copy of both the letter to my colleagues as well as the letter to Chairman Conyers I am asking them to sign at: http://www.wexlerforcongress.com/ Additionally, I have delivered to my colleagues in the Judiciary Committee a list of names who have signed up at www.WexlerWantsHearings.com. We now have almost 200,000 patriotic Americans dedicated to this cause. We are beginning to make some progress. I have urged the Democratic Leadership to enforce the subpoenas being ignored by Harriet Miers and White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten by holding them in contempt of Congress. This fight is not over. You must continue the pressure on your representatives and the media, or Congress will take no notice. That would be a historic mistake – one we must prevent Congress from making. We stand at a critical juncture in our efforts. Forget all of those arguments that it is too late or that we have run out of time. You can’t run the clock out on our Constitution. Those of us dedicated to this fight – Rep. Dennis Kucinich, the online community, and millions of patriotic Americans – will keep the pressure on. I will be furiously lobbying my fellow members of Congress to get behind these efforts and sign onto my letter to Chairman Conyers. Please continue to spread the word and help deliver accountability to the corrupt Bush-Cheney administration.  With great respect, Congressman Robert Wexler   09-27-07 OPPOSITION TO AERIAL SPRAYING OF PHEROMONES A group of about 30 concerned citizens met on Sunday at Morgan’s Ol’ Factory Café in Sand City and formed Stop Overhead Spraying, a citizens’ action coalition in which you are all welcome to participate.  They are planning to ask each city to pass a strong resolution that says NO to aerial spraying of their citizens.  (Monterey has taken the lead in this, but the group wants an even stronger resolution from them.)  Later they may reach out to cities in Santa Cruz and other affected  counties to do the same.  Some are planning to pass out educational leaflets to the public. They recognize that an injunction is the only sure way of stopping the spraying.  Both the Monterey City Council and David Dilworth’s HOPE are exploring that possibility but they need a physician or other health authority to testify to a judge that the spraying presents a danger to human health. Do you knpw anyone who could do that? It is difficult because chemically synthesized pheromones have never been sprayed from airplanes before, never have been tested on humans, cannot be tested on humans because the formulation is classed as a pesticide and it is against the law to test such products on humans.  That means that the spraying over us is the de facto test.  It would seem to be incumbent on the CDFA to monitor the health effects of this spraying so as to confirm their view that it is as safe as water, and they could then present the results of this spraying to other communities who object to this benign way of getting rid of moths. However there is no such organized plan from the state.  The only way that any health effect you may have experienced will be officially noted is if you go to a doctor who documents your condition and, if he agrees that it may be caused by the spray, he is required to report his findings to the County Health Department who, in turn, report to the State. In the meantime, many people are reporting to each other respiratory and other symptoms following the spraying and also some unfortunate effects upon animals.  How many of these events are truly due to the spraying, how many would have occurred without the spraying is impossible to tell without setting up some kind of a controlled scientific study.  Alas, that is not contemplated.  Some concerned citizens are collecting the anecdotal evidence in the hope that it may be persuasive. To report adverse reactions to the spraying to your fellow citizens who are collecting information, contact: ReactionToSpraying@yahoo.com To join your friends and neighbors in the fight against aerial spraying: go to yahoogroups.com and join the group StopOverheadSpraying@yahoogroups.com (S.O.S. is a coalition of concerned citizens working to keep our community a safe and pleasant place to live). Without some unexpectedly strong action to deter the state,, we will be sprayed again in thirty days and then at intervals up to 2010. I understand that the contract with the pesticide/airplane company allows spraying as often as every thirty days until 2010. REPORT ANYTHING UNUSUAL RE: Manner in which spraying is being conducted (flight patterns, etc): vatuminello@yahoo.com For further information and updates: <http://www.1hope.org/> The hotline number where you can ask questions or  register complaints about aerial spraying is 800 – 491-1899 . If you prefer to go directly to John Connell, the chief scientific proponent of the spraying and the representative of CDFA who appeared at the Monterey hearing on August 30, his number is 916-654-0317.  Secretary of CDFA A.G. Kawamura’s number is 916-654-0433.  A narrow range of information on the light brown apple moth and the quarantine is available at the California Department of Food and Agriculture's Web site: cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/pdep/LBAM_main.htm.  Try Google or Yahoo to find much more! If you have an opinion about the spraying, you may want to convey that to your elected representatives.  You are most effective when you contact your own elected representatives. – call the Council from your own city, speak to your own Supervisor or Assemblyman. How to reach your government officials   (Suggestion:  Highlight this list, copy it, paste it into another document and print it for future reference!) Last Updated: 09/04/2007 10:05:23 AM PDT Monterey County Board of Supervisors · Web site: www.co.monterey.ca.us · Regular meetings: Board of Supervisors meets Tuesdays at Board of Supervisors Chambers, Monterey County Courthouse, 168 W. Alisal St., First Floor, Salinas, CA 93901 Fernando Armenta District 1, most of Salinas Office: 168 West Alisal St. 2nd floor, Salinas, CA 93901 Phone: 755-5011 E-mail: district1@co.monterey.ca.us Louis R. Calcagno District 2, North County/North Salinas Office: 10681 McDougall St., Castroville, CA 95012 Phone: 755-5022 E-mail: district2@co.monterey.ca.us Simon Salinas District 3, South County/East Salinas Office: 168 West Alisal St. 1st floor, Salinas, CA 93901 2nd office: 552 N. 2nd. St., P.O. Box 946, King City 93930 Phone: 385-8333 or 755-5033, Fax: 385-8327 Email: district3@co.monterey.ca.us Jerry Smith District 4, Southwest Salinas/Seaside/Marina/Del Rey Oaks/Sand City Office: 2616 1st Ave., Marina, CA 93933 Phone: 883-7570 E-mail: district4@co.monterey.ca.us Dave Potter District 5, Monterey/Pacific Grove/Carmel/Carmel Valley/Pebble Beach/Big Sur/Highway 68 Office: 1200 Aguajito Road, Suite 1, Monterey, CA 93940 Phone: 647-7755 or 755-5055 E-mail: district5@co.monterey.ca.us Carmel City Council · Web site: www.carmelcalifornia.com · Regular meetings: The council meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 4:30 p.m. at City Hall on the east side of Monte Verde Street between Ocean and Seventh Avenues. Sue McCloud, mayor Mailing address: PO Box M-1, Carmel, CA 93921 E-mail: smccloud@ci.carmel.ca.us Telephone: 620-2000 FAX: 620-2004 Ken Talmage Mailing address: P.O. Box 1526, Carmel, CA 93921 E-mail: KKTalm@aol.com FAX: 624-2452 Telephone: 624-2462 Paula Hazdovac Mailing address: P.O. Box 3164, Carmel, CA 93921 E-mail: pjhaz@hotmail.com FAX: 620-2004 Telephone: 620-2000 (Office) 625-2480 (Home) Gerard A. Rose Mailing address: P.O. Box 6516, Carmel, CA 93921 E-mail: gfitzrose@aol.com