President Obama has signed into law the notorious Monsanto Protection Act legislation hidden inside of the Continuing Resolution spending bill, which protects Monsanto and its genetically modified creations from federal courts.
Passing up the chance to veto the bill in favor of stopping Monsanto’s increasing monopoly on the food supply, Obama pushed the bill through into a law in a move that reminds us of his failed 2007 promise to ‘immediately’ label GMOs upon his election.
Contained in the rider (Farmer Assurance Provision, Sec. 735) of HR 933, Monsanto is now even protected (at least under this law) from the United States government.
As I pointed out in a previous article, the Monsanto Protection Act’s success actually proves how corporations have more power than even the United States federal government. Monsanto’s lobbyists managed to slip the rider into the major bill, which — despite the rider — has virtually nothing to do with the topic.
This is a typical and routinely practiced move by lobbyists to insert an incognito line of legislation into a bill generally viewed as favorable overall. One that has proven to be effective for Monsanto.
i know i covered this already last thursday, but to me, this is the like the congress and the white house just declared war on the american people - in total! not to mention the american farmer.
i am so damn sick of our government by and for the corporations.
at what point do we get a government that serves the people?
does any 1 remember them?
them is us.
and every day, our future is sold and hocked to make the corporations a little bit richer.
we have not 1 damn thing to show for it.
look at the spectrum that we freed up by switching to digital and how that was going to be so great and blah blah blah. all we did was give it away to corporations.
that was valuable real estate. the mobil carriers and others should be paying a small fortune. and not a 1 time fee.
but our government that refuses to serve us always remembers to serve the corporations.
we need to get all corporate money - especially bundling! - out of our elections.
let's close with c.i.'s 'Iraq snapshot:'
When multiple newspapers are attacked in one city, it's usually considered news. And journalistic organizations are usually up in arms. Unless it's Iraq apparently. At which point Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists forget to speak up.
This morning, Alsumaria, citing a police source, reported an attack on the headquarters of a Baghdad newspaper where four employees were stabbed with knives. [The number is now five.] The assailants demanded and recorded the names of all the paper's employees. In a later article, the outlet reveals that four daily papers were attacked by "paramilitary" members yesterday. Journalists are decrying the silence and indifference from the government over the attacks. The Associated Press' Diaa Hadid Tweets:
Diaa Hadid ضياء حديد
AFP lists the four newspapers as: "Al-Dustour (The Constitution), Al-Parliament, Al-Mustaqbal (The Future) and Al-Nas (The People)" and quotes the editor-in-chief of Al-Mustaqbal, Ali Darraji, stating, "About 30 men in civilian clothes entered our offices after forcibly removing the door. They set fire to my car, and they entered the office, broke all the computers and everything around. All of this happened in about 20 minutes -- when guards outside opened fire to scare them away, they escaped, but they escaped after doing what they wanted to do."
"Al-Dustour" is the paper we note here as Dar Addustour. On their front page -- go to cached copy if the first link doesn't work -- they note that their attackers claimed to be affiliated with Sarkhi Hassani and that they smashed furniture and attacked the staff. They note the attack took place in broad daylight and that a number of employees were wounded -- some left with serious fractures. Dar Addustour has many strong journalists and, in addition to reports, we often note their columnist As Sheik (such as January 25th: "Dar Addustour columnist As Sheik notes that the protesters and their demands have been repeatedly ignored and that it appears any pretext for aggravation has been seized upon by the security forces but that there must be no more Iraqi blood spilled at the hands of the military.") They do long form and contextual journalism and they pride themselves on being independent and not playing favorites. They are a strong example of what the press in any country should aim for. Another strongly independent paper is Al Mada. Mohammed Tawfeeq and Joe Sterling (CNN) report, "Employees of a fifth Baghdad daily newspaper, al-Mada, received threats on Tuesday, the paper's director general told CNN. Mada means 'range' in Arabic."
Many papers and channels have been shut down in the 'free' Iraq. Al Mada was repeatedly targeted last year by the government. At one point, the editor and publisher's home was encircled by military tanks on Nouri's orders. Out of 179 countries in the world, the World Press Freedom Index 2013 ranks Iraq at 150. Meaning there are 29 countries in which the press is in even more danger. And that there are 149 countries in which the press is safer. The report notes of Iraq, "The security situation for journalists continues to be very worrying with three killed in connection with their work in 2012 and seven killed in 2011. Journalists are constantly obstructed." Ahmed Rasheed, Patrick Markey and Mark Heinrich (Reuters) note, "Now Iraqis have a choice of 200 print outlets, 60 radio stations and 30 TV channels in Arabic and also in the Turkman, Syriac and Kurdish languages. But while press freedom has improved, many media outlets remain dominated by religious or political party patrons who use them for their own ends. The government has also occasionally threatened to close media outlets it regards as offensive." They also note 5 journalists killed in 2012.
This assault on the press takes place exactly one month before the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) kicks off World Press Freedom Day and the Safe to Speak campaign:
It is in this spirit that UNESCO has chosen to celebrate the event
with the global theme “Safe to Speak: Securing Freedom of Expression in
All Media”. The
main event will be jointly organized by UNESCO, the Government of Costa
Rica and the United Nations-mandated University for Peace in the city
of San José, Costa Rica from 2 to 4 May 2013.
The 2013 celebrations are within the context of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity,
which is co-led by UNESCO. The goal of the Plan is to join the work of
various UN agencies and external partners on creating a safer
environment for journalists to have a stronger impact on violence
against journalists.
The media landscape has evolved over the past two
decades, creating new opportunities for exchange and dialogue, and for
sharing knowledge and information through new platforms. However, it has
yet to be translated into stronger respect for fundamental freedoms –
particularly as regards the safety of those doing journalism. While
progress has been made over the last 20 years, many old challenges
remain strong, and new threats to freedom of expression are emerging in
the digital news environment.
The Iraq Times notes that Iraqiya MP Wissal Salim today declared it is the security forces duty to protect the press and that attacks send a negative message with the intent of killing off democracy. She noted in a press conference today that Iraq can enjoy a democratic era with a free press and freedoms for Iraqis but not if barbaric attacks are to take place on the instruments of democracy which can lead the country forward.
Reuters notes the assailants in Baghdad carried "pistols, knives and steel pipes" and that they were "beating employees and smashing computers." The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) issued the following statement:
Baghdad, 2 April 2013 -- The United Nations strongly condemns the attacks that targeted journalists and media facilities in Baghdad on 1 April. “Assaults against media organizations or journalists are unacceptable under any circumstances," the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq (SRSG) Mr. Kobler said, urging the government of Iraq to ensure that media professionals are protected against all forms of intimidation and violence because of their opinions or thoughts.
UNESCO Director in Iraq, Ms. Louise Haxthausen, expressed her deep concern about the dangerous impact of such incidents on press freedom and freedom of expression, and called for bringing to justice and prosecuting those involved in these attacks. "Freedom of expression is a crucial element for establishing true democracy and building sustainable peace in Iraq," Ms. Haxthausen stated.
Iraq's Journalistic Freedoms Observatory condemned the attacks in a statement today. They note that along with attacking the employees, the thugs also broke desks and burned cars. The attacks may or may not be linked to cleric Mahmud al-Hasani al-Sarkhi whose people had lodged complaints about press coverage shortly before the attacks began. As Khalid Waleed (IWPR) reported last year, al-Sarkhi's followers have violently clashed with those of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistanin in the past.
This morning, Qassim Abdul-Zahra (AP) could report on the story (and AP was the only Western outlet reporting this morning) and Al Jazeera and the Christian Science Monitor's Jane Arraf could Tweet on it:
-
#Iraq officials say 4 Baghdad#newspapers attacked by armed mob linked to Shia cleric al-Sarkhi, self-proclaimed confidante of hidden Mehdi.
jane arraf
But somehow, Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists never found the story. They could and did decry the treatment of a "satirist" in Egypt. But attacks on daily newspapers? Not one damn word. I'm sorry, help me out, it's now Satirists Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Satire? I didn't realize the two organizations had changed their names and their mission statements. My bad.
The two were as silent as the US State Dept. But on the State Dept a friend asks me to note that the State Dept YouTube channel will now carry closed captioned events -- such as press briefings. I'm told this is a move instituted by Secretary John Kerry in an attempt to be inclusive to all Americans. So we will applaud that and say thank you.
The United Nations News Centre notes that the "attacks against Iraqi journalists come on the heels of a growing trend of violence across the country, including a series of coordinated, sectarian attacks on several Husseiniyas -- which are places of religious significance for Shia Muslims -- in Baghdad and the northern city of Kirkuk that killed and injured dozens last week. During a trip to Kirkuk today, Mr. Kobler visited the city's Al-Rasul Al-A’tham Husseiniya and met with cleric Mushin Al-Battat, who was wounded in last-week’s attack." Martin Kolber is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Envoy to Iraq. Among the people he needs to speak up for are candidates in the upcoming April 20th elections. AFP's Prashant Rao Tweets:
Prashant Rao
12 Iraq election candidates have been killed; @AFP looks at one, and the impact of his death: http://bit.ly/16hEjvJ
The Washington Post's Liz Sly notes the AFP report in this Tweet:
Liz Sly
11 candidates in Iraq's provincial elections shot dead so far. The region's model democracy. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article
The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq (SRSG), Mr. Martin Kobler, today met with the IHEC Board of Commissioners to exchange views on the state of preparedness for the upcoming Governorate Council elections.
The Board of Commissioners assured the UN Envoy that IHEC is technically ready to conduct elections in all 14 governorates at the scheduled date of 20 April 2013.
Mr. Kobler reiterated the United Nations’ support to the country’s electoral body as an independent institution. “I encourage the IHEC to maintain its independence, transparency and credibility, in order to secure the trust of the voters.”
Though UNAMI
still appears to have faith in the Independent High Electoral
Commission, most Iraqis don't and you can gauge that by the fact that,
in the last months, the Iraqi press has stopped referring to it as
"Independent" or "High" and most times just bills it as the "Electoral
Commission." That's what happens when you let Nouri stack the
commission. And is this creating a lack of enthusiasm among voters?
Currently, it appears something is. In the latest report to note the
growing apathy, Laith Hammoudi (Institute for War and Peace Reporting) reports:
Although the small cross-section of interviewees means that their views are not necessarily representative, one recurring theme is a strong sense that the political process is going nowhere, and that politicians look after their own interests while Iraq smoulders, if not actively burning at the moment.
“I’ve learned that all that Iraqi politicians care about is their own parties, and their promises are just lies,” Naim said. “If there by some miracle Iraq was to rid itself of all the current political parties, it would become a great country within a few years. But that’s never going to happen as long as we have these people running the country.”
Iraq has had three parliamentary elections since 2003, each resulting in an uneasy modus vivendi between Shia and Sunni Arab parties, plus the autonomy-minded Kurds. The last polls were in 2010, and it took over a year to forge a coalition, once again with Shia politician Nuri al-Maliki as prime minister.
So who might be motivated to vote in the elections?
Alsumaria reports
that Salah al-Obeidi, spokesperson for the Sadr bloc, declared today
that pressure is being put upon police and military recruits to get
them to vote for Nouri's State of Law slate. Wael Grace (Al Mada) notes
that Baghdad is campaign postered to death with posters of Nouri,
posters of Ayad Allawi (leader of Iraqyia) and posted of Speaker of
Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi.
On the protests, Al Mada reports thousands turned out in Falluja yesterday to mark the 100th day of protests. The sit-ins continue and Sheikh Daham al-Dulaimi noted that a march was held to express the joy of the citizens. They are calling for a free Iraq with bias and they are recording the events to ensure that this movement is documented. Iraqi Spring MC adds that the people turned out despite the restrictions and the rain. National Iraqi News adds that FBS Lieutenant Walid al-Khshmani was arrested yesterday for participating in a sit-in in Tikrit. NINA also notes that Iraqiya MP Wissal Salim states the committees of activists representing the demonstrators are calling for the forces who killed protesters in Falluja and Mosul to be turned over to the judiciary.
Turning to some of today's violence, the National Iraqi News Agency notes that two homes were blown up in Kirkuk, 1 Peshmerga was shot dead in Kirkuk, a Samarra bombing left one police officer dead, a Samarra armed attack left one police officer injured, 1 person was shot dead on the streets of Mosul, a Mosul bombing left 1 police officer dead and four more injured, and a Kirkuk bomb has left four police officers injured. Alsumaria adds that an armed attack in Wasit province (to the south of Kut) killed 1 person and left three more injured.
April 20th, Iraq is set to hold provincial elections in 12 of its 18 provinces. There are three
provinces that make up the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional
Government: Dahuk, Erbil and Sulamaniyah. They hold their own
elections and last did so in July of 2009. It is anticipated that they
will hold elections in their provinces in July of this year.
(Parliamentary elections find the KRG voting at the same time as the
rest of Iraq, these are provincial elections taking place this year.) That brings us to 15 of Iraq's provinces. Kirkuk is an
oil-rich province and it is disputed with both the central government
out of Baghdad claiming it as well as the KRG claiming it. Article 140
details how that will be resolved -- Article 140 of the Constitution.
Nouri was made prime minister in 2006 and he was bound by the
Constitution -- which he took an oath to -- to implement Article 140 by
the end of 2007 but Nouri never keeps a promise or oath. Kirkuk brings
us to 16. The other two provinces not voting?
Nouri has decreed -- giving a different reason every other day -- that Anbar and Nineveh will not be voting in the elections. Al Mada reported
yesterday that Parliament is decrying the decision to postpone
elections in Anbar and Nineveh (Nouri's said for six months). That's
Parliament objecting, the United Nations objecting, US Secretary of
State John Kerry's objecting. NINA notes
Special Envoy Kobler held a press conference in Kirkuk today and
declared that Anbar and Nineveh should also be holding their elections
April 20th.
The outcry has yet to have any effect on Nouri who
pretends that this is about violence or fraud or whatever excuse he's
using on any given day. The reality is that the heart of the protests
taking place in Iraq currently are in Anbar and Nineveh Provinces.
While Nouri upsets Nineveh Province, National Iraqi News Agency notes
that Governor Atheel al-Nujaifi met recently with KRG President Massoud
Barzani and they addressed not only the problematic security situation
the country is experiencing but also the postponing of the elections.
As Dar Addustour noted yesterday, NINA
notes today that the Electoral Commission is stating that it will be
the one to determine whether or not elections will be held in Anbar and
Nineveh on April 20th. Barzani often communicates with the al-Nujaifi
family -- both the Governor and his brother Speaker of Parliament Osama
al-Nujaifi. The Nujaifis are members of Iraqiya, the political slate
that beat Nouri's State of Law in the March 2010 parliamentary
elections.
The KRG has two major political parties: the
Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP -- led by Massoud Barzani) and the
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK -- led by Iraqi President Jalal
Talabani). NINA notes
the two met today to discuss the elections as well as the security
issues. In the three last years, as numerous calls have come up for
Nouri al-Maliki
to resign as prime minister, the KDP and the PUK have pretty much stood
together. The wild card has been Goran or Change -- a Kurdish third
party -- which has repeatedly noted it doesn't stand with the PUK or the
KDP. Sunday, there was a major shift with All Iraq News reporting
that Goran has joined the call for Nouri al-Maliki to step down and
quotes Goran MP Mohamed Kiania stating, Maliki has to quit since he is
not able to address the deteriorated security and service situations in
the country." Goran has refused to choose sides throughout the various
political crises of the last years.
Repeating, they have insisted over and over that they are not involved
in that debate, that they will not choose sides with regards to that
topic. And yet now even Goran is choosing sides. And they're
choosing the side against Nouri.
On the protests, Al Mada reports thousands turned out in Falluja yesterday to mark the 100th day of protests. The sit-ins continue and Sheikh Daham al-Dulaimi noted that a march was held to express the joy of the citizens. They are calling for a free Iraq with bias and they are recording the events to ensure that this movement is documented. Iraqi Spring MC adds that the people turned out despite the restrictions and the rain. National Iraqi News adds that FBS Lieutenant Walid al-Khshmani was arrested yesterday for participating in a sit-in in Tikrit. NINA also notes that Iraqiya MP Wissal Salim states the committees of activists representing the demonstrators are calling for the forces who killed protesters in Falluja and Mosul to be turned over to the judiciary.
Turning to some of today's violence, the National Iraqi News Agency notes that two homes were blown up in Kirkuk, 1 Peshmerga was shot dead in Kirkuk, a Samarra bombing left one police officer dead, a Samarra armed attack left one police officer injured, 1 person was shot dead on the streets of Mosul, a Mosul bombing left 1 police officer dead and four more injured, and a Kirkuk bomb has left four police officers injured. Alsumaria adds that an armed attack in Wasit province (to the south of Kut) killed 1 person and left three more injured.
In the United States, an action is planned for tomorrow. Joan Wile is also the author of Grandmothers Against the War: Getting Off Our Fannies and Standing Up for Peace. She's is also one of the Raging Grannies and Barack's Drone War is about to be protested by them.
NYC GRANNIES TO KICK OFF "APRIL DAYS OF ACTION"
WITH ANTI-DRONE RALLY ON FIFTH AVE. APRIL 3;
Planning for "No Drone" Resolution To NYC Council To Be Announced
New York City peace grandmothers, along
with most of the City's other anti-war groups. will kick off April Days of
Action on Wednesday, April 3, with a rally at Rockefeller Plaza, from 5 to 6
p.m. on the west side of 5th Ave. between 49th and 50th Sts.
April Days of Action was created by a group of U.S. activists to launch
a series of protests in April to generate a public uprising across the country
against the government’s deadly drone policy.
Principal
speakers on April 3 include Col. Ann Wright, retired Army officer and diplomat
who resigned office on the day of the U.S. attack on Iraq; Nick Mottern, editor
of Know Drones, and Bill Gilson, President of Veterans for Peace, New York City
Chapter 34.
Among the granny groups planning to participate in the rally will be the Granny Peace Brigade, which will announce their plan to call on the New York City Council to pass a resolution controlling the use of both weaponized and surveillance drones in NYC. "The City Council of Charlottesville Virginia has passed such a resolution and the mayor of Seattle has ordered the city police department to scrap plans it had to roll out drones. It is time for New York City to declare itself drone-safe," state the grannies.
Among the granny groups planning to participate in the rally will be the Granny Peace Brigade, which will announce their plan to call on the New York City Council to pass a resolution controlling the use of both weaponized and surveillance drones in NYC. "The City Council of Charlottesville Virginia has passed such a resolution and the mayor of Seattle has ordered the city police department to scrap plans it had to roll out drones. It is time for New York City to declare itself drone-safe," state the grannies.
"We
must stop preying on other nations with these immoral lethal weapons," said Joan
Wile, of Grandmothers Against the War, which is coordinating the protest. "The
war against terrorism cannot be justification for using killer drones that often
miss their targets and result in the deaths of children and other innocents. It
is unthinkable that our nation, the so-called beacon of democracy, orders an
anonymous person sitting in front of a screen to press a button that launches
death and destruction to people thousands of miles away. We are acting as
accuser, prosecutor, judge, jury, and executioner. Where is due process?
""There is a tremendous amount
of skepticism with the public about drone attacks in other countries. There is
concern that innocent people are killed and enemies of the United
States are being made," said
Mottern.
There appears to be a ground swell of doubt developing among the public regarding these lethal missiles. It is hoped that the April 3 rally will encourage citizens to protest the largely secret drone operations.
There appears to be a ground swell of doubt developing among the public regarding these lethal missiles. It is hoped that the April 3 rally will encourage citizens to protest the largely secret drone operations.
DATE: April 3, 2013
TIME: 5 to 6 p.m.
LOCATION: west side of 5th Ave. between
49 and 50 Sts. (across from Saks)
Endorsers
include:
Military Families Speak Out; the Granny Peace
Brigade; War Resisters League; Pax Christi Metro New York; Grandmothers for
Peace International; Raging Grannies; Veterans for Peace Chapter 34 (NYC); Peace
Action Manhattan; World Can't Wait; Peace Action of Staten Island; Code Pink
NYC, Women for Peace; Peace Action New York State; Institute for Policy
Studies-New Internationalism Project; Brooklyn for Peace; Gray Panthers;
The LI Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives;
Western New York Peace Center.iraq
cnn
joe sterling
mohammed tawfeeq
the associated press
qassim abdul-zahra
the christian science monitor
al jazeera
jane arraf
the washington post
liz sly
laith hammoudi
grandmothers for peace international
joan wile
