4-6-2002 - DREAM - I was driving a car on a newly constructed road which had been carved out from a high hill so that it was like in a canyon. All the buildings were removed so they wouldn't detract the drivers. The road was the new on-ramp to a freeway I-76. Other cars were coming from the left and joining our lanes and they were flying off the cliff from the far left and landing in our lane as it made a sweeping curve towards the right. It was pretty precarious driving as those cars coming in from the cliff on the left had to land between those on the on-ramp without crashing into each other. We all managed somehow to get safely onto I-76, when we were faced with a mass of about 200 small airplanes coming towards us from the other direction. I knew that these were the protestors. I don't know how cars can clash with airplanes, but thats what was going to happen if it kept up this way. The cars which were going my direction towards the right on I-76, even though we managed to get together, didn't get very far, because suddenly the road ended in a big quagmire. There was no way for anyone to go forward in this direction. A tall man, dressed in red and black clothing, got out of his car and so did I, and we stood there, gazing over the water and mud in dismay. There was no way to go forward.

After I woke up, I immediately thought of Kent State massacre, but I didn't know when it happened, or where it happened, though I certainly remembered it in the newspapers and TV at the time. I didn't know if there was a highway by this number either. To my surprise, when we looked on the computer, the massacre occurred on May 4th, 1970 in Kent, Ohio, which is just a few miles from I-76. Does this mean that we are heading for another Kent State type massacre in our own country?

Accompanied by Secretary of State Colin Powell, far left, Vice President Dick Cheney and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Hugh Shelton (far right), President George W. Bush talks with the press about the previous day's terrorist attacks during a cabinet meeting Sept. 12, 2001. White House photo by Tina Hager.

What does the Term Far left or Far right mean? From: http://home.freeuk.com/ethos/politics.htm (This is a British site) Political Wings If you have ever heard anything about politics, you have probably heard someone say "left wing" or "right wing". The most common method of categorising political theories is by use of a horizontal line from right to left (the far and moderate right, the right of centre, the centre and the left of centre, the moderate left, and the far left) gradually. What follows is an attempt to clarify this contentious issue of catagorisation. It is not a definitive analysis because it is too short and just skims over the surface. Also, these definitions are strictly theoretical. In practice they often work out differently. The ‘left wing’ The left is traditionally associated with the interests of the majority of the people, often the working classes and peasants, but in more modern times includes the ‘middle classes’ (which many on the left argue are still part of the working class). Those on the left are largely concerned with equality. Equality, to varying degrees, is something that unites persons on the left. The far left If one is to follow the traditional horizontal line, the far left is made up of communists, socialists and left anarchists. Communists believe that the wealth created by things that are produced should remain with those who are involved in the production process. To do this, they believe that a society should be created where no-one owns anything that is made by social production. If this happens, there will be no greed, no war and no poverty. Communists believe that to achieve their aims, the old society, government and economy should be destroyed and replaced by a series of communes, and that the state (the government and governing bodies) should be small or not at all. Anarchists believe the state should be completely destroyed to meet the same ends. The moderate left The moderate left is perhaps best (but not completely) explained by the split that was most important at the turn of the century. That is the split between revolutionaries (the far left) and reformists. The revolutionaries believe capitalism had to be overthrown in one, probably violent, instance otherwise it would resist change. The reformists believe that change can come about gradually. As democracy was extended, the workers would form the majority in society and vote for socialist change. This, they argue is the only legitimate basis of change. A prime example of the aims of the moderate left is in the welfare states of western Europe after the second world war. They pursued the goals of democratic control of the workplace, free and universal healthcare, full employment, fair wages for all, and public ownership of the means of production. Moderate leftists are often referred to as social democrats, democratic socialists, or labour parties. The Centre The political centre is in many ways best described as a moderate 'moderate left', or a moderate 'moderate right'. Those in the centre are more interested in limited political democracy than economic democracy. They are often advocates of proportional representation to ensure effective elections. Those in the centre may believe in some social democratic principles such as free healthcare, but they believe in private ownership of the means of production. Those in the centre are often referred to as liberals or liberal democrats. The 'Right wing' The right wing is traditionally based around the minority ruling groups in society. They are often made up of and represent the richest sections of society or those in a upper class. There are two types of right wing that sit rather uncomfortably with each other. One is the libertarian right and the other is the fascist/nationalist right. Most right wingers are nationalist. The moderate right The moderate right is best represented by the left of the British Conservative party. They are often pragmatic and are argued not to follow a set ideology - they pursue power. They believe that business (the means of production) should be in private hands, that the less well off are often deservedly so, that the state has some, but often only a minimal responsibility to look after citizens, and that the wealthy should keep as much of their own money as possible under such circumstances. The libertarian right This section of the right can be rather ideologically guided. They follow the teachings of theorists of thinkers such as Friedman or Hayek. They believe that the state should be very small indeed, with only a responsibility to provide national security, by way of an army or militia, and to provide the conditions under which business is safe, by way of a police force. Excessive wealth, if legally gotten, is acceptable and just. The fascist/nationalist right This section are quite different to the libertarian section as they believe in what the libertarians would find abhorrent: that is a powerful state. They are best represented by Hitler's Nazi party or Mussolini's fascist Italy. Like the rest of the right, they tend to support, and are supported by the wealthy sections of society, although they do have a small power base among disillusioned sections of the white working class. This section grew out of the nationalism of the nineteenth century and became popular in the first half of this century, partly as a means of stopping the socialists, and partly as a means of protecting the national economy from foreign competition. They believe that freedom (as the left views it) is dangerous for the nation and that other interests should be subject to the nation. They believe that the state should organise and control the people, but give some autonomy to the rich. Often they believe either that immigration should be stopped, or, the most extreme ones, believe that 'foreigners' should be repatriated, in order to protect jobs for 'nationals'. The problem with this is that as an immigrant community becomes older, it becomes more integrated: for example, would fourth generation Irish be repatriated from Britain? What about 20th generation Swedes? Indians have been part of the British Empire for over 100 years, surely this makes them British. Another Opnion from an American site: Left, Liberal and Conservative Values It is absurd that our confrontational politics insist on polarities It is absurd that our attacks on the faults of each -ism and social movement are not accompanied by also considering what could be taken from each and valued. Let us say that the Left stands for 'from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs'. This has Judeo-Christian fore-runners in calls for social justice, and using talents to serve others, and the fundamental equality and value of man (generic) as all children of God - but practices and prophets have also been strongly secular. Democracy has Greek and Roman origins, although for these ancient classics, male citizens were more equal than the hoi polloi. But the Left does tend to say, "We are a community" and to be pretty keen about responsibilities. The far Left abhors capitalism because it can let loose individual greed at the cost of the community, and attacks the State because it protects capitalism. Let us say that Liberal and Conservative values emphasise the rights of the individual, particularly the rights to achieve and to property. This emphasis on the individual also has Judeo-Christian roots - most other societies and religions have emphasised hierarchies and keeping one's place and submission to Fate, however that may be deified. But the quest for individual salvation and justification is straight from the New Testament Tawney's 'Religion and the Rise of Capitalism' and the Weber thesis shows how the Protestant Reformation with its emphasis on individual decision and action by conscience and its other individualist religious concepts developed into concepts of work and personal justification that gave Protestant Western Europe a tremendous push into the industrial age. On the Right, the constellation of Conservative values has been about keeping what is best of the old things - including preservation of property and the status quo. The constellation of Liberal values has been to emphasise Liberty - liberty of speech, liberty to do one's own thing, and 'who dare meddle wi' me'. Here again in both Liberalism and Conservatism there are roots in Christian teaching and in Roman law and in Greek democracy, and in the old Anglo-Saxon ways of running things as well. But the far Right emphasises the rights of the individual against the State, and the right of the individual to fight the State and anyone else with arms and anything else, in defence of those rights. The less government the better. As with the far Left, the modern State is the enemy. The liberal goal of the full human being was 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness', as a cultured, civilised, tolerant citizen of the world. The great liberal economic, political and social philosophers also emphasised reason, and toleration, and the classical Greek values of 'nothing too much'. The Greeks viewed excess as madness, and 'whom the gods destroy, they first make mad. Excess is a modern goal now, but it has not always been a goal of the philosophical right. Desire to amass money far beyond needs is not a value of the Left. Neither should it be regarded as Right. Today we have Liberal governments that are not liberal with freedom and Conservative governments that tear down more than they build and Labor governments that betray the workers. One More opinion - Right Wing, Left Wing - Politics Isn't a Bird In reality it is extremely difficult to create even a multi-dimensional representation of political ragbag parties because there is rarely any underlying ideology or theme to their beliefs. In Britain and America the 'right wing' tend to grant individuals more rights over spending their own money, but less rights over how they live. 'Left wingers' tend to want the state to determine more of how people spend their money, but let the individual have more freedom in social behaviour. If those parties were consistent in their ideology we would have a choice between communal and individual instead of right and left. The 'communals' would want the state to determine more of how people spend their money and how they live socially whilst the 'individuals' would believe more in free markets and free social behaviour.

Documents of the Far Right and Far Left Copyright (c) 1998 by Hugo S. Cunningham Far Right The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, supposedly revealing a conspiracy by Jews to take over the world, was actually forged by the Tsarist Russian secret police around 1900. They wished to make rebellious Russian peasants distrust revolutionary movements containing Jews. The peasants happily massacred Jews, as the Tsar intended, but then went on to massacre the Tsar and his government anyways. The John Birch Society's more recent conspiracy theory has some structural resemblances to the "Protocols," but has been carefully cleansed of antisemitism. Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf Even the Führer's most devoted admirers drew little inspiration from his written work, and certainly not from this lengthy, wordy, and poorly organized tome. (His genius was as a public speaker.) Nevertheless, after Hitler came to power (1933-45), he earned a comfortable private income from royalties on sales of this book to the politically prudent. Literary qualities aside, it can be mined for pertinent quotes, if you want to smear (or maybe just tease) your political opponents for sharing an idea with Hitler. Did Six Million Really Die? is one of the best known "Holocaust revisionist" works. Supposedly, little more than 100,000 Jews died in Nazi custody (largely due to the Allied blockade), and "resettlement" meant exactly that -- postwar relocation to Palestine or Madagascar. "Six Million" has some impressive-looking references (eg the International Committee of the Red Cross and the "Jewish historian" Gerald Reitlinger ["The Final Solution: The Attempt to Exterminate the Jews of Europe, 1939-1945" [1968?]). If you look up the references, however, you will find they have been taken out of context. 6M might be worth a look, to compare 6M's technique with that of some comparably bogus historical "revisionists" on the far Left. The Turner Diaries describes, apparently with approval, a fictional Nazi guerrilla/terrorist takeover of the USA. The FBI claims the "Diaries" inspired Timothy McVeigh's Oklahoma City bombing. "Diaries" author William L. Pierce has kept a lower profile since then. The book is not necessarily an alluring sales pitch for a Nazi utopia. The successful revolutionaries, for example, uprooted the urban population of Los Angeles and sent them out to wholesome agricultural labor [Chapter 22, "Jul 24" entry], much like the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia (hardly an attractive scenario to the average Orange County right-winger). A coordinated pre-dawn round-up and lynching of political opponents [Chapter 23, "August 1 1993" entry] was only possible because gun-prohibitionists had disarmed the civilian population several years earlier. http://www.furman.edu/~benson/docs/decl-sc.htm On 24 Dec 1860, 4 days after passing their Ordinance of Secession, South Carolina released a "Declaration of the Immediate Causes which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina from the Federal Union." Some revisionist cranks, including, regrettably, L. Neil Smith who had written sensibly on other subjects, claim the US Civil War (1861-1865) "had nothing to do with slavery," but instead was a power grab by greedy Northern business interests. The folks actually responsible for secession, however, beg to differ with their 21st Century whitewashers. The first half of the SC "declaration" lays out the legal basis for secession, but the second half gives the reason for it: slavery. Osama declares a war of genocide, the indiscriminate slaughter of all ages, sexes and conditions: http://www.emergency.com/bladen98.htm "The ruling to kill the Americans and their allies -- civilians and military -- is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it." Far Left The Cyber-USSR is "a realm where no kulak goes un-liquidated, no five-year-plan goes un-overfulfilled, and no Great Leader and Teacher goes un-venerated."

FAR-LEFT HATE - Part I By: Lewis Goldberg 'Hate' has become the buzzword of those seeking to appear compassionately in-tune with the downtrodden - their ear firmly to the ground for the latest in oppressionist discourse. Hate is almost exclusively identified with the so-called right wing of politics. When a Leftist wants to destroy his opposition, he simply inserts the 'N' word [Nazi] strategically into his defamation, and presto! He instantly delegitimizes his prey. No longer does the Leftist have to debate a peer with valid ideas, he is now looking down upon an idealistic toadie, worthy of ridicule and chastisement. The odd thing about it all is that the 'right' never was the origin of 'hate.' Credit for the ultimate hate group - the Nazis - goes to the Left. The forgotten 'right' in pre-Nazi Germany was represented by von Hindenburg, whom Hitler rode out of town on a rail. The word 'Nazi' isn't a word at all, but a mutilated acronym for the German phrase 'National Socialist Democratic Worker's Party.' [in German, NSDAP] How it got to be pronounced [and spelled] Nazi, I am not aware. It is immaterial, save that as long as we keep using the term 'Nazi,' the true nature of the party is hidden. FAR-LEFT HATE - PART II By: Lewis Goldberg In last week's segment, we identified a handful of 'hate watch' sites - run, ostensibly, by folks who understand better how people ought to interact than anyone else. One site in particular, The Public Eye, succinctly defined - in a neat, scrolling banner, streaming across their main page - the forces of 'evil' that the anti-hate crowd purport to oppose. A study of these terms will help us to understand just what it is that fires up these folks. Collectively, the terms are defined as "Threats to Democracy and Diversity." Was it Woodrow Wilson who first used the term democracy, as if our nation was one? Anyway, before the twentieth century, any schoolboy could have told you - this is a republic, not a democracy. We do elect our national officers in a democratic fashion, but all decisions are made by representatives of the people. Thank goodness we don't have national referenda! And diversity? - nations that truly have it have internal strife, nations that don't, generally don't. Racism Using a person's race to point out just about anything. We are only allowed to use 'race' in a sentence when we are describing how downtrodden and oppressed a racial group is. If we say that, for instance, as many as 25% of Black men ages 18 to 34 have a rap sheet, we are being racist. Never mind whether it's true. Suppression of truth defeats our ability to deal with reality, thus making the original problem larger than necessary. Sexism Same as above, only with gender as the operational term. If we cannot discuss real gender differences, truth dies. If we cannot deal with women as women and men as men, then we turn people into robots, which are much easier to subdue than flesh and blood. Homophobia What in the world is homophobia, anyway? Is there anyone who is really afraid of homosexuals? If the fear is actually directed at homosexuality itself, then why so maligned the fear that one's children may have to grow up in a world unintended by our Lord? If millions of people took up murder as an active interest, citing the 'naturalness' of it, should we who are against it be labeled 'murderphobes?' I know...the whole context of homosexuality is presented as an 'alternative normal state.' Any biology text will tell you that sexual activity in an organism is for reproduction of the species. Therefore, any off-label use of the sex organs has to be termed 'abnormal.' I can already hear them screaming: "But it just 'feels right' so it must be natural!" Any alcoholic will tell you that he feels better when tanked up, but it doesn't do him or anyone around him any good. Antisemitism Works just like 'racism' and 'sexism.' Say anything critical about someone who happens to be Jewish, and you are in trouble. This accusation is used by Jews or Jewish groups that have nothing intelligent to say in their defense. Oppression Defined as anyone or any institution acting out of good sense against anyone else making no sense. In today's world, idiots have a right to be taken seriously, and we are not to hold them down to the same rules to which productive society is subject. Supremacy A derogatory term tagged on anyone who happens to notice racial differences. We are supposed to be deaf, dumb, and blind to it all.

Ohio National Guard Troops on Kent State Campus May 4, 1970 There were 4 people shot and killed that day at Kent State Allison Krause Jeffrey Miller Sandra Scheuer William Schroeder Shortly after noon on May 4, 1970, on a grassy knoll beyond Taylor Hall and the Prentice Hall parking lot, a contingent of Ohio National Guardsmen opened fire for a period of thirteen seconds, striking thirteen Kent State University students, some of whom were nearby, others of whom were distant. Four students were killed, one was permanently paralyzed, and the others were wounded in varying degrees of severity. Kent State University was placed in an international spotlight after a tragic end to a student demonstration against the Vietnam War and the National Guard on May 4, 1970. Shortly after noon on that Monday, 13 seconds of rifle fire by a contingent of 28 Ohio National Guardsmen left four students dead, one permanently paralyzed, and eight others wounded. Not every student was a demonstration participant or an observer. Some students were walking to and from class. The closest student wounded was 30 yards away from the Guard, while the farthest was nearly 250 yards away. The divisive effect of the Vietnam War on American society was especially evident on campuses throughout the country. At Kent, the day after the announcement to send U.S. troops into Cambodia marked the start of a weekend of anti-war protests that began on campus and spilled into the city of Kent's downtown. Broken windows and other damage to a number of downtown businesses prompted fear, rumors, and eventually a call by the city's mayor to the governor for assistance. See: http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/2556/kent.html

Alan Canton - shot at Kent State: minutes before I was shot through my right wrist, I waved a black flag as a symbol of my anti-war anger & despair. From; http://www.vw.cc.va.us/vwhansd/HIS122/KentState.html - (Look at the photos) Alan Canton says: "Immediately as our peaceful anti-war rally began, approximately 75 members of the Ohio National Guard attacked.... As these guardsmen wearing helmets and gas masks marched and fired tear gas, we ran away from the KSU Commons up over "Blanket Hill" and down into the Prentice Hall dormitory's parking lot. The armed guardsmen followed us over the hill and then settled on a practice football field for perhaps ten minutes. During this time, a stand-off occurred as a few rocks were thrown back and forth by both students and guardsmen. Because we stood hundreds of feet apart the rocks were ineffective and both sides ceased that activity. As some of us walked closer to shout our anti-war and anti-National Guard anger, perhaps 250-feet away, about a dozen guardsmen kneeled and aimed toward us. I stood my ground and shouted towards the armed troops who had their fingers on their rifle triggers. Since there was no logical reason to aim or shoot, I assumed they would not fire and I was correct -- at that moment. Soon, however, the troops regrouped and began to march away back up the hill. We assumed they were marching in a retreat back over the hill to the KSU Commons. We were quite shocked when, at the hilltop, perhaps a dozen members of Troop G simultaneously stopped, turned and aimed their rifles. What followed was a 13 second barrage of gunfire, mostly from M-1 rifles, into our crowd of unarmed students. Some other guardsmen from Company A also fired non-lethal shots. A total of 67 bullets were fired by the guardsmen from the hilltop. Most of the bullets were fired over 300 feet into the distant Prentice Hall parking lot. Two of the students killed, Allison Krause and Jeff Miller, were protesters. Two others, Sandy Scheuer and Bill Schroeder were bystanders. Jeff was killed 275 feet away from his killer. Allison was 350 feet away. Sandy and Bill were approximately 390 feet away. Nine others, including myself, were wounded. Dean Kahler remains in a wheelchair after he was shot in the back." Mike and Kendra's web site

NEW ANTI-WAR PROTESTS COMING War protests return to campuses By Brandt Williams Minnesota Public Radio September 20, 2001 Members of Minnesota's anti-war activist community are gearing up for a heightened campaign of protests following last Tuesday's terrorist attacks and the U.S. government's call for military retaliation against terrorism. Thursday marked a day of anti-war demonstrations scheduled at nearly 150 college campuses across the country. At a demonstration at the University of Minnesota, some local veterans of the movement offered their encouragement and support to a younger generation of protesters. The crowd of about 150 gathered at the steps in front of Northrop Auditorium Thursday paled in comparison to the thousands of students who gathered there 30 years before to protest the Vietnam war. Veteran anti-war activist Marv Davidov was at the U back in those turbulent times. He says he remembers tear gas filling the air and protesters running from club-wielding police officers. While some of the younger demonstrators lamented their smaller numbers Thursday, Davidov told them the anti-war movement of the '60s started with similarly small gatherings. "Everything that I've been involved with over 48 years has begun very small," he said. "And then it grew. And you all remind me of the best of Students for a Democratic Society, which organized campuses perhaps 200 campuses across the nation." Unlike the war in Vietnam, America has sustained an attack on its homeland, leaving an estimated civilian death toll in the thousands. And, according to several nationwide polls, an overwhelming majority of Americans favor military action. But Rick Jacobs, another veteran activist, told the group that they have the power to change people's minds the way protesters changed his mind about Vietnam. "When we began to see the resolve, people getting their heads bashed in by the cops and continuing to fight, we had to stop and think a little bit," he said. Thursday's demonstration was peaceful. And while several campus police officers stood watch from a couple-hundred feet away, there was to be no head bashing on this afternoon. Jacobs praised the young protesters for their passion and reminded them to maintain the moral high ground when involved in disagreements with others. "I want to tell you, you can go ahead and struggle with these people on the right. Give 'em respect, don't attack 'em personally. You first have to educate yourself on the history of what's going on and with that you can rip their rear ends," he said. All the young protesters who presented their bullhorn-amplified views condemned the recent terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. And they demanded that the government examine the reasons why people would commit such atrocities against America before it retaliates. Many protesters blamed U.S. foreign policy, which they say perpetuates a cycle of violence and hatred, and ultimately a backlash against America. Minnesota Daily columnist Scott Laderman says the cycle will continue if the American military follows through with the president's plans for war. "People are supporting a war even though it's a war that cannot be won. Terrorism is not something that cannot be defeated militarily. You go to war, you embitter more people and those people respond with further terrorism," Laderman said. More anti-war protests are scheduled in the Twin Cities next week. A larger march and rally will be held in Washington D.C. on September 29. Peace activists report a surge of new support By Michael Rosenwald, Globe Staff, 3/19/2002 The Boston antiwar movement, largely silent through battles in Afghanistan, is drawing new converts and planning new protests spurred by President Bush's ''axis of evil'' remark and an expected escalation of the war on terrorism, organizers say. More than 20 grass-roots organizations, from Jamaica Plain and Roxbury to Somerville and Waltham and beyond, have mobilized recently, joining forces with longstanding antiwar movements in hotbeds of activism like Cambridge. On Saturday, nearly 150 people attended a series of daylong workshops organized by United for Justice with Peace, a coalition that formed shortly after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 organizers said. The numerous organizations, led by United for Justice with Peace and the American Friends Service Committee, are gearing up for peaceful protests on April 20 in Washington, D.C., and Boston. They're also planning lobbying efforts, continuing vigils, and distributing literature. The State of the Union address, in which Bush called Iran, Iraq, and North Korea an ''axis of evil'' that was threatening to the United States, seemed to awaken activists who had been in line with military strategy thus far, believing that attacks on the Taliban and Al Qaeda terror network were justified as retribution. ''The `axis of evil' thing galvanized a subgroup that felt that Bush was now going beyond a reasonable response to what happened on Sept. 11,'' said James Tracy, headmaster at the Boston University Academy and a longtime peace movement scholar. People coming forward as activists generally believe that the government is targeting countries it doesn't like and, at the same time, setting up an untenable military mission, Tracy said. Now, novices such as Vivion Vinson are ready to march. The Somerville resident, describing herself as ''politically middle of the road, middle-aged, upper-middle income,'' is typical of those signing up, organizers said. Vinson had never participated in antiwar efforts, but decided to when the president stepped up rhetoric against other countries. ''You're not talking about a big radical here,'' Vinson said. Like other converts, though, she became concerned after reading of the ''axis of evil'' speech. Vinson became more alarmed over recent reports of US planning documents that consider the use of nuclear weapons against North Korea, China, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Iran, and Russia. ''All of a sudden, it became clear that there were no specific limits of military activity,'' said Vinson, who is helping organize a Somerville-Medford antiwar group. ''Terrorism seems to be used as a blanket term for justifying stuff that would be a lot harder to justify for the public. ''I fear the war is expanding and that it could cause more terrorism. I think more bombing will create more terrorism, not less.'' Longtime organizers also acknowledge that there would be many fewer people getting involved in protests if Osama bin Laden was still the target. ''I think people felt, `OK, something very bad happened on Sept. 11 and the people who did this need to be punished,''' said Vicky Steinitz, a key member of United for Justice with Peace and a longtime activist. But now, she added, ''People are beginning to realize the incredible toll against innocent people and they are troubled by a nation that thinks it's OK to declare anybody the enemy without considering the costs.'' Asked to describe the converts, Steinitz, a professor at University of Massachusetts-Boston, said: ''I would say that many, many people who haven't been involved are joining. There's also a lot of older people who are coming back to activism, having thought they'd never have to do this again.'' She said she was referring to Vietnam War protesters. In recent weeks, activists have lobbied against military escalation with several Massachusetts congressmen, including Stephen D. Lynch and Martin Meehan. Steinitz said various groups have collected 2,000 signatures on a petition against escalation of the war. In addition to the weekly vigils that organizers described as widespread, a concert was held last weekend at which bands performed songs that a radio conglomerate had suggested not be played following the World Trade Center collapse. Steinitz said performances were designed to criticize limits on free expression. ''I think there's a strong concern about this war,'' said Cynthia Peters of the Jamaica Plain Action Network. ''You would never know it from reading the papers or the polls, but people have deep concerns and they are not sure how to express them.'' Peters's group had its first gathering 10 days after the attacks and began meeting regularly on Oct. 1, before bombing in Afghanistan started. In recent weeks, the meetings have ''really picked up steam,'' she said, and are attended by dozens of people. ''I think the momentum is coming about because people are realizing this is going to be a long, drawn-out war on terrorism, something equivalent to the Cold War, and the administration has basically created this vague demon of the world,'' Peters said. ''We know,'' she added, ''that we have to set up a long-term strategy for fighting this war.'' Michael Rosenwald can be reached at ( mrosenwald@globe.com ) This story ran on page B1 of the Boston Globe on 3/19/2002. © Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.

Monday April 01, 2002 Protestors Blast U.S. Policy In Middle East Hundreds of protestors marched through the streets of Dearborn Monday evening to voice their anger over the government's handling of violence in the Middle East, and to call for peace. The Arab community is accusing the United States government of siding with Israel in its battle with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat (news - web sites). Deadly weekend bombings led the local Arab American Community Forum to organize the protest. The government's open support of Israel has angered the Arab community, activists said. Demonstrators chanted "open your eyes to Israeli crime" and other Anti-Israeli slogans and destroyed an Israeli flag during Monday's gathering. Marchers huddled in the streets of heavily-Arab west Dearborn and walked along Warren Ave. to Schafer Highway and onto Michigan Avenue en route to City Hall, where the crowd staged a rally. "The U.S. has to make it clear that civilian death on either side is unacceptable," said George Awwad of the International Action Center. The metro Detroit area has about 300,000 Arab-Americans, the heaviest concentration outside of the Middle East, according to the Arab-American Institute. About 50,000 Arabs live in other parts of Michigan. Last week, Israel began a deeper invasion of Palestinian territory. Israeli bulldozers are building a dirt embankment around Arafat's compound in the West Bank town of Ramallah, as Israel refuses to let the Palestinian leader leave his office for a fourth day. A large explosion struck Jerusalem, near the Old City, on Monday, in what Israeli television is calling another suicide bombing, this time using a car bomb. The suicide bomber in the car was killed, and a policeman was hurt when he went to inspect the suspicious car, which was parked at a police checkpoint dividing east and west Jerusalem. The car exploded when the police officer reached the car. President George W. Bush (news - web sites) has called the bombings acts of terrorism. Arab protestors accused Israel of killing civilians in its response. Demonstrators called on the government to ask Israel to pull out of Palestinian territory.

Anti-war activists arrested at Nethercutt's office Friday, April 5, 2002 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SPOKANE -- Eight anti-war activists were detained and cited for refusing to leave the Spokane office of Rep. George Nethercutt after the Republican congressman refused to meet with them. Nethercutt had several meetings scheduled Thursday and didn't have time to meet with the activists, press secretary April Gentry said. Rusty Nelson, a spokesman for the Peace and Justice Action League, said the group wanted to discuss "issues of war and peace and U.S. foreign policy" with Nethercutt. The group contends its representatives have tried unsuccessfully for six years to meet with Nethercutt. Nethercutt "has met with them before and he has answered their letters. He's very aware of their issues and concerns," Gentry said. Dick Williams of the Federal Protective Service said about 16 people in the delegation were told to leave the Thomas S. Foley U.S. Courthouse at closing time. Those who did not voluntarily leave were arrested and issued federal petty offense citations for "failure to comply" before being released, Williams said. Information from: The Spokesman-Review

Friday April 05, 2002 N.O. Palestinians Rally Downtown The war in the Middle East hit the streets of New Orleans Friday as local Palestinians and those sympathetic to their views rallied downtown. The demonstration took place in front of the Federal Building Friday afternoon. The protestors were calling for an end to the Israeli siege and occupation of Palestinian-controlled areas.

Thousands Rally For Israel At U.N. As Powell Heads To Mideast APRIL 07TH, 2002 As U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell departs to try to broker a cease-fire between the Israelis and Palestinians, over 10,000 people gathered outside U.N. headquarters in Manhattan to protest the Bush administration’s demand for Israel to withdraw from the West Bank. As U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell departs to try to broker a cease-fire between the Israelis and the Palestinians, over 10,000 people demonstrated near the United Nations headquarters in Midtown in support of Israel Sunday. Rabbis and elected officials who spoke blasted President George Bush's demand that Israeli troops withdraw from the West Bank and called on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to ignore the president’s plea. Protestors at the passionate - though orderly - demonstration held up signs that called Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat a terrorist, as well is pictures of Israeli victims in the conflict. “Telling Israel it has a right to fight terror but must withdraw before destroying the terrorist infrastructure is like America declaring it has the right to fight to fight terror but will, without delay withdraw from Afghanistan,” said Rabbi Avi Weiss of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale. On Saturday, Bush called for Israeli forces to withdraw “without delay.” Delivering the message directly in a 20-minute phone call that aides described as tense, Bush told Sharon that the Israeli besiegement of West Banks towns must end for the American peace initiative to have a chance at success. Sharon promised to “expedite” the operation, but he offered no deadline for a withdrawal, nor did Bush go so far as to push for an exact timeline. Powell is leaving for the Middle East Sunday night as the administration seeks a greater role in ending the conflict. It is still unknown whether the secretary of state will meet with Arafat, but Powell says he hopes to. “I would try to see the chairman, as I have in the past, as well as try to see other Palestinian leaders,” Powell said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday morning. “I have to be able to talk to all sides, otherwise you will never move forward into a cease-fire and into a political solution.” A Palestinian cabinet secretary said Saturday that no Palestinian representatives will meet with Powell unless he visits Arafat at the compound in Ramallah where he has been surrounded by Israeli military forces for more than a week. That declaration came after President Bush criticized Arafat’s leadership in his remarks Saturday, suggesting that peace can be achieved without Arafat’s help. Sunday’s pro-Israel rally in Manhattan was just the latest in a series of demonstrations in support of both the Israelis and Palestinians in New York City in recent weeks, though the numbers have been growing. On Saturday, about 1,000 pro-Palestinian protestors rallied at Brooklyn Borough Hall and then marched across the Brooklyn Bridge to City Hall. Copyright © 2002 NY1 News. All rights reserved.

Protest Marches Are Peaceful in D.C. Mon Apr 22, 6:21 PM ET By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - After reciting a pledge against vandalism, violence and even running or swearing, hundreds of protesters marched peacefully to the Capitol on Monday to oppose U.S. funding for the Colombian military.   Four days of demonstrations in the nation's capital wrapped up Monday evening with dueling pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli picketing outside the annual convention of a powerful Jewish lobbying group. Though the weekend's protests were organized around the now-ended spring meetings of the World Bank (news - web sites) and the International Monetary Fund (news - web sites), a wide variety of causes was on display. Police steeled for trouble each day, especially during Monday's unauthorized demonstrations that organizers had said could produce disturbances. But all events were mostly peaceful. Police officials credited protest leaders for urging nonviolence. A large law enforcement turnout also appeared to dampen any enthusiasm for confrontation. Protesters gathered before dawn Monday near the Washington Monument to object to U.S. aid to the Colombian military in its anti-guerrilla war and to a U.S. Army school that trains Latin American soldiers, some of whom have gone on to commit human rights abuses. "Our money is going to kill people and that terrifies me," said Kristin Kumpf, 26, a St. Louis University student. Led by an organizer with a bullhorn, demonstrators recited a nonviolence pledge before setting off on the 1.5-mile hike to the Capitol. As they walked, they were flanked by solid lines of police on motorcycles and horseback and in full riot gear. Assistant Police Chief Terrance Gainer estimated there were about 1,000 protesters and about 700 police. Police Chief Charles Ramsey said a quick pace and the early start contributed to city streets that were hardly more snarled than usual. "People are being very peaceful and I appreciate it," he said. A few dozen activists kneeled, hands linked, to block two entrances to the Capitol grounds. Eventually, Capitol Police pulled out plastic handcuffs and arrested 37 people for obstructing traffic. Ramsey thanked some of those who were arrested for being peaceful. One minor scuffle occurred when police corralled a large group into a Capitol Hill park, producing some shoving and flared tensions. But there were no arrests there and the crowd soon proceeded to an approved celebratory rally in another park across the street. Later, other protests across town threatened the evening rush hour, as several hundred people opposed to U.S. military aid to Israel assembled in the street outside a meeting of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. A large number of police guarded separate cordoned-off areas for pro-Palestinian groups and a small counter-demonstration, and a mile-long portion of one of the city's major thoroughfares was closed to accommodate them. "As an American citizen and an American taxpayer, I have got to deal with the terrifying thought that it's our tax dollars here — it's my tax dollars — that's going to fund the brutal, illegal Israeli occupation" of Palestinian areas, Mahmud Ahmad of Chicago, from the Free Palestinian Alliance, told the crowd. Up the street, a handful of pro-Israel demonstrators carried American and Israeli flags. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher defended the administration's Latin American and Mideast policies that were the subject of the protests. "We'll continue to look carefully at the needs of the people of the world and do what we think we can to help their development," he said.

Protesters march in capital against U.S. military aid to Colombia, Palestinian protests planned Mon Apr 22, 6:28 PM ET By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - After reciting a pledge against vandalism, violence and even running or swearing, hundreds of protesters marched peacefully to the U.S. Capitol on Monday to oppose U.S. government aid to Colombia's military. Four days of demonstrations in the nation's capital were wrapping up Monday evening with dueling pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protests outside the annual convention of a powerful Jewish lobbying group. Although the weekend's protests were organized around the now-ended spring meetings of the World Bank (news - web sites) and the International Monetary Fund (news - web sites), a wide variety of causes was on display. Police steeled for trouble each day, especially during Monday's unauthorized demonstrations during the morning commute to work downtown. But events were mostly peaceful and traffic remained normal. Police officials credited protest leaders for urging nonviolence. A large law enforcement turnout also appeared to dampen any enthusiasm for confrontation. Protesters gathered before dawn Monday near the Washington Monument to object to U.S. aid to the Colombian military in its anti-guerrilla war. They also protested against a U.S. Army school that trains Latin American soldiers, some of whom have gone on to commit human rights abuses. "Our money is going to kill people and that terrifies me," said Kristin Kumpf, 26, a St. Louis University student. As they walked to the Capitol, the protesters were flanked by solid lines of police on motorcycles and horseback and in full riot gear. Assistant Police Chief Terrance Gainer estimated there were about 1,000 protesters and about 700 police. Police Chief Charles Ramsey said: "People are being very peaceful and I appreciate it." A few dozen activists kneeled, hands linked, to block two entrances to the Capitol grounds. Eventually, Capitol Police pulled out plastic handcuffs and arrested 37 people for obstructing traffic. One minor scuffle occurred when police corralled a large group into a Capitol Hill park, producing some shoving. But there were no arrests there. Later, other protests across town threatened the evening rush hour as several hundred people opposed to U.S. military aid to Israel assembled in the street outside a meeting of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. A large number of police guarded separate cordoned-off areas for pro-Palestinian groups and a small counter-demonstration, and a mile-long portion of one of the city's major thoroughfares was closed to accommodate them. "As an American citizen and an American taxpayer, I have got to deal with the terrifying thought that it's our tax dollars here — it's my tax dollars — that's going to fund the brutal, illegal Israeli occupation" of Palestinian areas, Mahmud Ahmad of Chicago, from the Free Palestinian Alliance, told the crowd. Up the street, a handful of pro-Israel demonstrators carried American and Israeli flags.

World Bank, IMF Policies Provoke Protests Worldwide Mon Apr 22,10:13 AM ET Jim Lobe,OneWorld US At least 23 countries in Asia, Africa, and the Americas experienced protests or civil unrest last year as a result of their governments' pursuit of policies backed by the International Monetary Fund (news - web sites) (IMF) and the World Bank (news - web sites), according to a report released this weekend.   Led by Argentina, where IMF-decreed austerity brought down an elected president last December, some 76 people were killed around the world in 77 episodes of unrest generated by IMF-backed policies, says the report from the London-based World Development Movement (WDM). At least 30 people were killed in Argentina as a result of anti-government protests which ousted President Fernando de la Rua last December and two of his successors in January. Despite the toll, the IMF continues to demand sharp cuts in the new government's budget as the price for fresh loans - a major subject of this week's annual Bank-IMF Spring meetings in Washington where the new report was released. "By undermining democracy and rolling back the state, developing country governments may be left powerless to act in the interests of their citizens," according to the report, 'States of Unrest II.' "Demonstrations, protests and strikes are a legitimate way for many people to let both their governments and the international community know that policies are not working - in some cases it is the only option left," the report states. The first edition of the WDM report, released at the World Bank-IMF annual meetings in Prague in September 2000, showed that the mostly young, largely Western demonstrators who protested there were part of a much larger global movement that is demanding that the two Bretton Woods agencies abandon their "Structural Adjustment Programs" (SAPS) which critics say have actually deepened poverty and widened the gap between rich and poor. It detailed 50 separate anti-IMF protests in 13 countries in the 10 months running up to the Prague meeting. A total of 10 people lost their lives and 300 more were injured in those demonstrations. SAPs, which were renamed Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP) in 1999, typically require borrowing governments to sharply cut government spending, privatize state-run industries, devalue the local currency, increase interest rates, and promote exports in order to better integrate the domestic economy into the international system and attract private foreign investment. These policies can wreak havoc on national economies, and hit the poorest members of the population particularly hard. Government budget cuts, for example, have frequently fallen most heavily on social-service programs, although civil servants have also taken a share of the impact. In addition, privatization can result in massive layoffs and higher prices for basic services and utilities. But poor governments are obliged to implement them anyway, because they are unlikely to be able to borrow money from private institutions unless the IMF and the Bank have given them a "Seal of Good Housekeeping." Of the 23 countries covered in the new report, nearly three-quarters are implementing IMF-backed privatization programs, and over half of these have experienced demonstrations against the moves. Roughly half of the 23 countries have experienced protests by civil service and other public-sector workers, including teachers, doctors, and police officers; while a third of the countries have seen demonstrations against the rising prices of basic goods and services resulting from the removal of public subsidies. A third of the countries underwent protests that were explicitly directed against the Bank and the IMF, which often work in tandem in poor countries. In addition to Argentina, the most serious protests--sometimes resulting in violent confrontations with police or the army--occurred in Ecuador, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, and Papua New Guinea. But the report also documents protests and strikes in a number of other countries, including Angola, Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador (news - web sites), Ghana, India, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa, South Korea (news - web sites), Turkey, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. "Millions of desperately poor people around the world have been brave enough to protest against IMF policies: doctors, farmers, priests, teachers, trade unionists, and indigenous people," said the report's author, Mark Ellis-Jones. "They have seen the IMF continue to undermine their national governments by forcing countries into a free market, one-size-fits-all blueprint of economic development," he added. "At a time when links are being made between poverty, disempowerment and terrorism this erosion of the democratic contract is downright dangerous."

RESPONSE FROM A READER Date: 4/7/2002 From: Sharon To: Dee777 Dee: Well, I'll be at Kent State with other friends for a peaceful protest on May 4th, so I'll keep the energies of the day in prayer (as I always do) for the highest and greatest good of all. Thanks for sharing your powerful dream and all the other info. If you wern't writing about your dreams, I'd really think you didn't have time to sleep! Peace and love, Sharon

Subj: NOT in Our Name! Washington D.C. Peace Rally Report, Weekend of April 20, 2002  Date: 4/24/2002  From: Wdestiny44

MILAN PLANE CRASH INTO GOVERNMENT BUILDING

The following story is very suspicious despite what Italian officials are saying.  What are the chances that a pilot can fly from Switzerland to Rome, and suddenly get engine trouble and crash into the tallest government building in Milan, Italy.  Wouldn't a pilot do everything possible to try to land in a street or park-like area.  Hitting the tallest building wouldn't be a good option.  As narrow as this building is, he certainly wasn't trying to land on top of it, and it would have been extremely easy to MISS it.

3 Die As Plane Hits Milan Skyscraper 

Thursday, April 18, 2002 

MILAN, Italy (AP) - A small plane with only the pilot and co-pilot on board crashed Thursday into a 30-story landmark skyscraper in downtown Milan that houses the regional government offices, authorities said. Three people were reported dead.

Smoke poured out of the building, but firefighters quickly put out the flames, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.

The weather was clear at the time of the crash, which occurred at 5:54 p.m. near the end of the work day.

``It sounded like a bomb. The pavement shook like an earthquake,'' said a woman identifying herself only as Lucia.

Police officer Celerissimo De Simone said the pilot of the Piper aircraft had sent out a distress call at 5:54 p.m. just before the crash near Milan's main train station. RAI state TV reported that the pilot said the
SOS was because of engine trouble.

Earlier, in Rome, the senate's president, Marcello Pera, said it ``very probably'' appeared to be a terrorist attack. But Pera's spokesman later said he had spoken with the Interior Minister and the crash didn't
appear to be any kind of an attack.

The plane had taken off from Locarno, Switzerland, and was heading to Milan's Linate airport, said De Simone, the police officer.

The Italian news agency ANSA said two were reported dead in the crash, which left holes on both sides of the slim skyscraper.

``It was shocking,'' said Luccheta Antonio, 52, a barber down the block. ``The windows shook and the mirrors.''

``It was a violent explosion,'' said Stefano Bottazzi, 35, works in a skyscraper 500 yards from building. ``The clock fell to the floor.''

An unspecified number of people were rescued from elevators blocked in the building, ANSA said.

The scene in Milan mirrored the first moments of the attack on the World Trade Center, with black smoke billowing into the blue sky from the building where the aircraft struck. On the streets, rescue workers in
orange uniforms helped the injured - including a man with a bloody shirt holding his head. Ambulances streamed into the area and pedestrians peered upward.

The crash put a hole in the 25th and 24th floors of the Pirelli building. Police cordoned off the area as people gawked at the skyscraper.

At 30 stories high, the Pirelli structure, located near the central train station, is Italy's first skyscraper and one of the world's tallest concrete buildings. It was built in 1958 and designed by architects Gio Ponti and
Pier Luigi Nervi. The building is one of the main symbols of Milan, along with the city's cathedral.

White House press secretary Ari Fleischer opened his lunchtime press briefing Thursday with this statement:

``The president just moments ago was informed about the incident in Milan. I have no additional information at all for you at this time. This is a breaking story and we don't have anything else beyond that - the president has been informed.''

National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and White House chief of staff Andrew Card broke the news to President Bush, Fleischer said.

``I think you can presume that we will be - if we are not already - in touch with Italian authorities and will ascertain precisely what the facts are,'' the spokesman said.

The FBI was trying to learn more about the incident. But one official, describing the matter on grounds of anonymity, said bureau personnel were assisting their Italian counterparts in the investigation.

It was the second time since the Sept. 11 terror attacks on New York and Washington that a plane has struck a high-rise building. On Jan. 5, a 15-year-old boy crashed a stolen plane into a building in Tampa, Fla. He was the only casualty.

On March 27, the State Department issued a warning for American citizens traveling in four Italian cities, including Milan, during Easter.

The warning said the possible threat was based on information about ``extremist groups.''

The announcement did not identify the groups or elaborate on the nature of the threats, but it warned that ``these groups do not distinguish between official and civilian targets.''

A U.S. official said the warning was based on very specific information that was ``developed in very close cooperation with Italian authorities.'' Italian anti-terrorism officials refused to comment.

 ** TOP_VIEW ** 
The Bigger Picture

4.18.02
MILAN ATTACK--WARNINGS RECEIVED; PRIOR KNOWLEDGE EVIDENT!!
= = = = = = = =
Date:  Thu, 18 Apr 2002 13:12:57 -0700 (PDT)
From:  "Joseph Watson" <onedeaddj@yahoo.com>
Subject:  PIPER MILAN CRASH - PRIOR KNOWLEDGE ALREADY EMERGES!

The BBC reported twice that Milan was going to be attacked. The first came in October last year when the U.S. Embassy in Rome stated "terrorists might be planning to attack symbols of American capitalism in Italy." The second warning came just three weeks ago. Associated Press quoted a U.S. official as stating the warning was based on "very specific information". Milan was identified as a likely target.

Full story here http://www.propagandamatrix.com/milan.html

PIPER AIRCRAFT CRASHES INTO PIRELLI BUILDING IN MILAN

BBC REPORTS THAT THE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT GAVE TWO SEPERATE WARNINGS
THAT MILAN WAS GOING TO BE ATTACKED.

The BBC reported twice that Milan was going to be attacked. The first came in October last year when the U.S. Embassy in Rome stated "terrorists might be planning to attack symbols of American capitalism in Italy." The second warning came just three weeks ago. Associated Press quoted a U.S. official as stating the warning was based on "very specific information". Milan was identified as a likely target.

Original link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_1575000/1575641.stm

US warns of Italy terror attack 

The United States says terrorists might be planning to attack "symbols of American capitalism" in Italy.

The US embassy in Rome said in a statement that the State Department had received information that unspecified targets might be attacked in the next month.

The statement urged all US citizens in Italy to be on their guard and "avoid contact with any suspicious, unfamiliar objects".

The warning did not mention any link to the 11 September attacks on New York and Washington.

The statement said: "The department has received information that 'symbols of American capitalism' in Italy might be targeted for attack in the next month.

"US citizens are urged to maintain a high level of vigilance and to increase their security awareness."

Security measures

Security at American interests in Italy has been stepped up as part of a worldwide heightened alert since the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon last month.

The Associated Press news agency says additional measures being considered include putting Italian license plates on US military vehicles at the Aviano air base in northern Italy.

The Italian Government has also tightened security at several American companies by increasing surveillance and providing a police presence.

Original link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/americas/newsid_1897000/1897467.stm

US fears Easter attacks in Italy

American citizens could be targeted by extremist groups in Italian cities over Easter, the US State Department has warned.

The US did not identify the groups or nature of the attacks, but said the cities at risk were Florence, Venice, Verona and MILAN.

A US official quoted by Associated Press said the warning was based on "very specific information".

"These groups do not distinguish between official and civilian targets," the State Department warned.

Places of worship, restaurants, schools and outdoor events, were among the possible targets mentioned by officials.

American citizens are being advised to "increase their security awareness and avoid large crowds".

It is not the first time Washington has issued a terror warning about Italy - last October the US said terrorists could be planning to attack "symbols of American capitalism" in Italy.

Last month, Italian investigators uncovered evidence which they said pointed to a bomb plot against the US embassy in Rome.

They found holes carved into an underground passageway next to the diplomatic mission, which they said could have been used to plant a bomb. Developing...

Subj: Milan 'Crash?' NOT! WARNINGS RECEIVED; PRIOR KNOWLEDGE EVIDENT!!
Date: 4/18/2002
From: top_viewer@yahoo.com

x ** TOP_VIEW ** x The Bigger Picture

4.18.02 MILAN ATTACK--WARNINGS RECEIVED; PRIOR KNOWLEDGE EVIDENT!!

-- 'Immediately after the incident, the president of the upper house of (Italy's) parliament said the building was "very probably" the target of a terror attack...' -- Reuters

= = = = = = = =
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2002 13:12:57 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Joseph Watson" <onedeaddj@yahoo.com>
Subject: PIPER MILAN CRASH - PRIOR KNOWLEDGE ALREADY EMERGES!

The BBC reported twice that Milan was going to be attacked. The first came in October last year when the U.S. Embassy in Rome stated "terrorists might be planning to attack symbols of American capitalism in Italy." The second warning came just three weeks ago. Associated Press quoted a U.S. official as stating the warning was based on "very specific information". Milan was identified as a likely target.

http://www.propagandamatrix.com/milan.html

PIPER AIRCRAFT CRASHES INTO PIRELLI BUILDING IN MILAN

BBC REPORTS THAT THE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT GAVE TWO SEPERATE WARNINGS THAT MILAN WAS GOING TO BE ATTACKED.

The BBC reported twice that Milan was going to be attacked. The first came in October last year when the U.S. Embassy in Rome stated "terrorists might be planning to attack symbols of American capitalism in Italy." The second warning came just three weeks ago. Associated Press quoted a U.S. official as stating the warning was based on "very specific information". Milan was identified as a likely target.

Original link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_1575000/1575641.stm

US warns of Italy terror attack

The United States says terrorists might be planning to attack "symbols of American capitalism" in Italy.

The US embassy in Rome said in a statement that the State Department had received information that unspecified targets might be attacked in the next month.

The statement urged all US citizens in Italy to be on their guard and "avoid contact with any suspicious, unfamiliar objects".

The warning did not mention any link to the 11 September attacks on New York and Washington.

The statement said: "The department has received information that 'symbols of American capitalism' in Italy might be targeted for attack in the next month.

"US citizens are urged to maintain a high level of vigilance and to increase their security awareness."

Security measures

Security at American interests in Italy has been stepped up as part of a worldwide heightened alert since the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon last month.

The Associated Press news agency says additional measures being considered include putting Italian licence plates on US military vehicles at the Aviano air base in northern Italy.

The Italian Government has also tightened security at several American companies by increasing surveillance and providing a police presence.

= = = =
http://www.rense.com/general24/sky.htm

Small Plane Hits Milan Skyscraper In 'Accident'
By William Schomberg

MILAN (Reuters) - A small tourist plane smashed into a skyscraper in central Milan Thursday setting ablaze the top floors of the 30-story building in an apparent accident, the Italian Interior Minister said.

Transport officials said the plane's pilot reported technical problems shortly before plowing into the office block, killing at least one person and injuring some 20 others.

"We heard the sound of propellers as if from a small aircraft and then there was a huge bang. Everything was flying through the air -- paper, furniture," said a female office worker who declined to give her name.

The Interior Ministry said it was probably an accident, scotching initial fears that the crash was a repeat of the September 11 suicide attacks on U.S. cities.

"The first information we have points to an accident," Interior Minister Claudio Scajola told reporters.

The skyscraper, which dominates the skyline of Italy's financial capital, was torn open across at least two stories. It houses local government offices, and towers above the city's central train station.

An official at the local air transport office said the pilot, who was believed to have taken off from the Swiss town of Locarno, had reported problems with his plane's undercarriage as he approached Milan in bright, late afternoon sunshine.

Air traffic controllers lost contact with the pilot as he was circling the city ahead of trying to land at around 5:45 p.m.

Immediately after the incident, the president of the upper house of parliament said the building was "very probably" the target of a terror attack, but soon afterwards his spokesman said it was probably just an accident. The skyscraper, which stands 400 feet tall, is known as the Pirelli skyscraper, but the Italian tire and cable company no longer operate from it.

"I heard a strange bang so I went to the windows and outside I saw the windows of the Pirelli building blown out and then I saw smoke coming from them," said Gianluca Liberto, an engineer who was working in the area.

Since the September 11 hijacked airliner attacks on New York's World Trade Center and in Washington, Italy has been at the forefront of the U.S.-led war on terrorism in Europe.

In October, U.S. officials said they believed Milan's Islamic Cultural Institute was al Qaeda's main European base. Muslim leaders in Italy have denied that charge.

Italy has arrested around 30 people on suspicion of links to extremist Islamic groups since September 11 and has frozen around $300 million of suspected assets.

Milan's stock exchange suspended share trading after the incident.

MIXED MESSAGES

Small plane slams into building in Italy
At least 5 dead in Milan; police see no link to terrorism
By Andrew Dampf
Associated Press Writer
Published April 18, 2002

MILAN, Italy -- A small plane, in flames and sending a distress signal, smashed into the tallest skyscraper in Italy's financial capital today, killing at least five people and injuring 60. The crash initially raised fears of a Sept. 11-type terror attack, but the Italian government said it was probably an accident.

The aircraft punched through the 25th floor of the slim Pirelli building, gutting two floors and starting a fire that sent smoke pouring out into the clear blue sky over downtown Milan. Emergency workers helped bloodied men in business suits while firefighters worked to put out the blaze.

"I heard something like the engine of a plane dying out, and then I heard a terrible explosion," said Raffaele Taccogna, who was tending bar at the nearby Atlantic Hotel. "I certainly thought of the September attacks in the United States," he said. "It really looked like the same thing."

The pilot -- who was on a 20-minute flight from Locarno, Switzerland, to Milan -- issued a distress signal and reported problems with the plane's landing gear moments before plowing into the 30-story building at 5:50 p.m., Milan police officer Celerissimo De Simone said.

One witness, Fabio Sunik, said the plane was on fire before it crashed. The plane did not try to change course, "but just went straight in," said Sunik, a sports journalist. "Then I saw rubble falling from the building."

Milan's main train station, about 200 yards away from the skyscraper, was evacuated for security reasons, and no trains were running from there. After-hours trading was suspended on the Milan stock market, which was already closed for the day.

President Bush was quickly notified of the collision, press secretary Ari Fleischer said. The FBI was assisting in the investigation.

In Washington, a senior Bush administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Italian officials had told the United States that a mechanical problem not related to terrorism caused the crash.

Interior Minister Claudio Scajola told reporters in Rome that "initial reports point to an accident."

"We believe it isn't a terrorist attack," said police Sgt. Vincenzo Curto, reached at Carabinieri headquarters.

Some 1,300 people work in the building, which houses local government offices, but it was not known how many where still there when the crash took place -- not long after working hours ended.

The five dead were the pilot, two workers in the building and two passers-by, said Carlo Leo, a civil defense official. Rescue workers found a survivor, three hours after the crash, on the 25th floor, where one of the dead was found.

The pilot, believed to be the only one in the plane, was identified by police as Luigi Fasulo, a resident of Pregassona, Switzerland who was thought to be in his 60s.

The plane was a Rockwell Commander, said Patrick Herr of the Swiss air traffic control office SKYGUIDE. Swiss television identified the model as a Commander 112TC, a twin-engine craft with a 35-foot wingspan not produced since 1979.

A woman who worked on the eighth floor said she saw 10 people who were bleeding. Emergency workers in bright orange uniforms helped a man walk from the scene, his shirt splattered with blood and his hand covering a gash on his head.

An unspecified number of people were rescued from elevators in the building, the Italian news service ANSA said. Some 20 people were taken to Fatebene Fratelli hospital, officials there said. Among them was a woman with serious burns.

The collision damaged a building seen as the symbol of Milan, the heart of Italy's financial and industrial world. Built in the 1950s, the 415-foot-high building once housed the headquarters of the tire giant Pirelli.

Smoke continued to pour out of the building for three hours after the crash, though firefighters quickly controlled the blaze. A large section of an entire floor lost its walls. Smoke and liquid poured from the gash in one side of the building.

Luccheta Antonio, 52, a barber down the block, said: "It was shocking. The windows shook and the mirrors fell to the floor."

Police cordoned off the area as people gawked at the skyscraper.

Senate President Marcello Pera said initially that it appeared the crash was "most probably" a terrorist attack. But later, Pera's spokesman said the Interior Minister had advised that apparently was not the case.

The State Department had warned of possible terrorist attacks in Milan and three other Italian cities over the Easter weekend. But U.S. authorities had no recent intelligence suggesting any kind of terrorist attack was imminent in Milan, said a U.S. official, also speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Copyright © 2002, The Associated Press

Subj: Kent State  Date: 5/4/2002 9:01:28 PM Pacific Daylight Time From: Wdestiny44 To: Dee777

Dee:

Just to let you know that we all got back from Kent State safe and
sound. Boy, am I tired. There were about 75 police with their tear
gas masks on and bags of mace strapped to their legs. It could
have turned ugly, but didn't. I'm hugely grateful. Some of us were
definitely there to hold the space for peace...some were not there
for peace. Very interesting day. Thanks for your prayers.

Peace and love,
Sharon 444

NEWS

Posted on Fri, Aug. 23, 2002

Police pepper spray Bush protesters
By WILLIAM McCALL
Associated Press

Protesters are doused with pepper spray as police clear the streets around an event President Bush was attending in downtown Portland, Ore. JOHN GRESS, AP

PORTLAND, Ore. - Riot police used pepper spray and struck some demonstrators with batons after ordering hundreds of people to leave a protest near a hotel where President Bush attended a fund-raiser.

Protesters hammered on the hoods of police cars as pepper spray wafted through the air. Protesting Bush's foreign policy, they chanted "Drop Bush, Not Bombs."

Bush supporters in formal attire were jostled and taunted by protesters as they arrived for a fund-raiser for the re-election campaign of U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith. After elbowing through the demonstrators, they were checked by Secret Service agents before they were allowed inside the hotel.

Brian Schmautz, spokesman for the Portland Police Bureau, said protesters threw things at the police.

Protesters at one point pushed down a barricade and a female police officer who was standing behind it, Groepper said. The officer sprained or broke her wrist falling down, and two patrol cars were damaged, Groepper said.

Police ordered about 500 protesters to move. Riot police wearing helmets then walked into the area, pushing activists with their batons. Some activists fell. Police then fired aerosol canisters of pepper spray at the protesters.

Police also used pepper spray after about 150 demonstrators blocked vehicle access to Morrison Bridge.

Five protesters were arrested through the afternoon, police spokesman Henry Groepper said.

Many of the protesters criticized a new forest initiative announced earlier in the day by Bush that would make it easier for timber companies to cut wood from fire-prone national forests.

"The new policy is classic doublespeak," said Kenneth Kreuschu, 24, of Cascadia Forest Alliance. "It has been shown time and again that more cutting leads to more fire. The new policy is a hoax."

Some of the activists were worried about a possible war with Iraq.

"I don't think any American boys' lives are worth a barrel of oil," said Rob Moitoza, 57, who carried a sign that said: "Vets Against Bush."

Moitoza said he served two years in the Navy aboard an aircraft carrier during the Vietnam War and fears a much worse conflict if U.S. troops are sent to Iraq.

"If he (Bush) starts a war against Iraq, it will be to get re-elected. All he cares about is wealth and power," Moitoza said.

Before flying to Portland from Medford, Bush was taken to a still-smoldering fire.

About a dozen protesters dotted Bush's motorcade route. Some waved signs saying, "No attack of Iraq. You can't fix Daddy's mistake" and "More forests, less Bush."

The demonstrators along the route were far outnumbered by people waiting at the ends of their driveways who held signs saying "We love you" and "We support you."

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