contributions

by Lenora Foerstel
Most citizens of the world assume that when their country declares war, the country’s army and weapons industry will be called upon to fight the battle. But what we find today is that a group of CEOs heading privatized military firms are sharing the power once vested exclusively in the President and Congress. Private military contractors are the new corporate face of war. They have sent their own mercenaries to Croatia, Macedonia, Columbia, Afghanistan and Iraq. These (…)

CBS News has learned that the FBI has a full-fledged espionage investigation under way and is about to — in FBI terminology — "roll up" someone agents believe has been spying not for an enemy, but for Israel from within the office of the Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon.
60 Minutes Correspondent Lesley Stahl reports the FBI believes it has "solid" evidence that the suspected mole supplied Israel with classified materials that include secret White House policy deliberations on Iran. (…)

By PAUL KRUGMAN
Working Americans have two great concerns: the growing difficulty of getting health insurance, and the continuing difficulty they have in finding jobs. These concerns may have a common cause: soaring insurance premiums.
In most advanced countries, the government provides everyone with health insurance. In America, however, the government offers insurance only if you’re elderly (Medicare) or poor (Medicaid). Otherwise, you’re expected to get private health insurance, (…)

Credibility taking hits
The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth campaign is taking on water. Hole after hole has been blown in the group’s credibility. We hope the damage is sufficient to finally sink 30-year-old anguish over the Vietnam War as a campaign issue.
The campaign to smear Sen. John Kerry took three more direct hits this week.
Despite repeated assertions that the Bush campaign had no connection to the anti-Kerry group, the campaign’s counsel, Benjamin Ginsberg, resigned, conceding (…)

By Andrea Hopkins
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. economy grew more slowly in the second quarter than first thought amid shrinking corporate profits and higher imports, the government said on Friday in a report that confirmed momentum faltered in the spring.
U.S. gross domestic product — which measures total output within the nation’s borders — expanded at a 2.8 percent annual rate in the second quarter, down from the 3.0 percent pace estimated in the Commerce Department’s first snapshot (…)

More people poor, uninsured Nearly 40 million Americans lived below poverty line last year, up by 1.3 million in a a year, numbers show
BY LAUREN TERRAZZANO
The ranks of poor Americans increased by 1.3 million last year nationwide, while the numbers of those lacking health insurance climbed even more, according to new figures released yesterday by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Real median household income remained unchanged between 2002 and 2003, at $43,318, but the number of people in (…)

Sunday, August 29 Gather at 10 am at 7th Ave. & 14th St., with a march past the site of the RNC
A.N.S.W.E.R. Dispatch Area 13th St. and 7th Ave. from 8 am - 12 noon Details
Buses from DC area Transportation Form Logisitcs page more
The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition is announcing today plans to distribute tens of thousands of leaflets at New York City subway stops today and tomorrow morning informing people of their basic rights regarding the use of the Great Lawn and Central Park. The (…)

Witness set to hand key documents to South African investigators
By Kim Sengupta and Jonathan Brown
A computer expert in possession of a list which reveals the identities of the rich and influential figures who allegedly backed the Equatorial Guinea coup plot has become an important witness for the prosecution.
The Independent has learnt that James Kershaw is preparing to give evidence in South Africa in any future trial of Sir Mark Thatcher, who is accused of involvement in an alleged (…)

by FRED BRIDGLAND IN JOHANNESBURG AND KAREN MCVEIGH
MARK Thatcher was arrested by a crack South African police unit in connection with an African coup attempt because he was planning to quit his luxury Cape Town home and relocate to the United States next week, a senior detective said yesterday.
Thatcher, who is today under house arrest in his luxury home on the slopes of Table Mountain, had already sold his four vehicles, including two top-of-the range off-road vehicles, said Inspector (…)

by Uri Avnery
"For all I care, they can starve to death!" announced Tzahi Hanegbi, after Palestinian prisoners declared an open-ended hunger strike against prison conditions. Thus the Minister for Internal Security added another memorable phrase to the lexicon of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanegbi became famous (or infamous) for the first time when, as a student activist, he was caught on camera with his friends hunting Arab students with bicycle chains. At the time I published a (…)