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The ‘Lion of Africa’ DIE HARD III Herman Tiu Laurel 10/24/2011

Monday, October 24, 2011

The ‘Lion of Africa’

DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
10/24/2011
The man was never in any official position in the Libyan government, yet the West and its propaganda machine often describe him as a “dictator” and “tyrant.” Moammar Kadhafi, “Brotherly Leader of the Revolution (Al Fateh),” began as a young officer with the “Free Officers Corps” and built a movement around an ideology of “direct democracy” (as expressed in The Green Book and his “Third International Theory”) that became the building block of the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.

In the 43 years of Kadhafi’s stewardship, the Libyan people achieved the highest per capita income of $12,000, along with the highest standard of living in all of Africa. Their government was able to build the $25-billion Great Manmade Water Project that tapped the Sahara aquifers to supply 6.6 million cubic meters of water daily to the Libyan people, and eventually allow the greening of the Sahara desert. Libya was also able to keep intact 144 tons of gold reserves and $50 billion in assets deposited in Western banks.

Kadhafi was the visionary who had prepared for years to introduce the gold dinar, using his country’s 144 tons of gold reserves to become the African currency — beginning with its use in the trading of oil in Africa, to eventually become the basis upon which an African Central Bank is to be organized. These would have pushed through if not for the Nato attacks on his regime.

Under Kadhafi, Libya had no debt; now, the Nato-led NTC (National Transition or Traitors’ Council) has borrowed heavily from Western countries against the very Libyan assets deposited with them during Kadhafi’s era, with payment to be made from future oil contracts. These countries, in turn, are readying contracts on behalf of their companies for the reconstruction of Libya; the cost of which will be drawn from the Libyan assets they seized (a situation that obviously the new puppet Libyan government can do nothing about). Also, these Western powers are now said to be looting Libya’s gold reserves — this, as French, Italian and US companies are carving up the Libyan oil industry for themselves.

Indeed, Kadhafi had shared Libya’s oil revenues with many in Africa in the pursuit of his pan-African vision, along with other revolutionary movements in the world. In fact, one of the first visits made by the iconic Nelson Mandela outside of his native South Africa, right after his release from 27 years in prison, was to Libya’s Colonel Kadhafi to thank him for his support of the African National Congress’ long and arduous struggle.

It must be remembered that the African Union (AU) continued to call for negotiations and elections to resolve the Libyan crisis while protesting the many gross violations by the US and Nato of the parameters of the UN “No fly zone.” I even recall South African President Jacob Zuma condemning the attacks before hinting that armed support was somehow discussed among African member-nations to come to the aid of a northern neighbor battered by an eight-month assault. The AU must now be hurting terribly from all that has happened.

Still, there is a constant debate as to what the US-Nato motive in the attack on Kadhafi really is. Divergent views say that it is either about oil, the gold dinar, or the African Central Bank; but I see it as all of the above and more. I subscribe to several seasoned observers whose views run along the lines of Asia Times correspondent Pepe Escobar’s. In his article, “The US power grab in Africa,” he writes, “The big picture remains the Pentagon’s Africom (US military command) spreading its militarized tentacles against the lure of Chinese soft power in Africa, which goes something like this: in exchange for oil and minerals, we build anything you want, and we don’t try to sell you ‘democracy for dummies.’”

Moreover, such views hew even closer to Centre for Research on Globalization contributor John Pilger’s “Obama, The Son of Africa, Claims a Continent’s Crown Jewels” treatise, which says, “Africa is China’s success story. Where the Americans bring drones and destabilization, the Chinese bring roads, bridges and dams… Libya under Moammar Kadhafi was one of China’s most important sources of fuel,” further revealing that, according to French newspaper Libération, “the west’s ‘humanitarian intervention’ was explained… in a proposal to the French government by the ‘rebel’ National Transitional Council... (whereby) France was offered 35 percent of Libya’s gross national oil production ‘in exchange’ (the term used) for ‘total and permanent’… American plans for Africa (which) are part of a global design in which 60,000 special forces, including death squads, already (operating) in 75 countries (are to be used)... As Dick Cheney pointed out in his 1990s ‘defense strategy’ plan, America simply wishes to rule the world. That this is now the gift of Barack Obama, the ‘Son of Africa’… what matters is not so much the color of your skin as the power you serve and the millions you betray.”

Kadhafi, who was the visionary for a new, independent, and progressive Africa, stood in the way of the Western powers’ re-conquest of the continent — and the world — through control of expanding territories and minerals, including oil, in a campaign of constriction against the only real, strategic threat to the reestablishment of their uni-polar world. China, with its population and economic/technological potential, is set to become the world’s No. 1 soon — a prospect that they must surely dread.

Finally, let us close with this message from Gerald A. Perreira of the International Revolutionaries Movement, part of an international battalion defending the Al Fateh revolution: “The Lion of Africa is dead… he has left millions of cubs in the bushes and in the desert. They can kill the man but they can never kill his profound ideas. His legacy is only made stronger by his martyrdom.”

And that legacy lives on.

(Tune in to Sulo ng Pilipino/Radyo OpinYon, Monday to Friday, 5 to 6 p.m. on 1098AM; Talk News TV with HTL, Saturday, 8:15 to 9 p.m., with replay at 11 p.m., on GNN, Destiny Cable Channel 8; visit http://newkatipunero.blogspot.com for our articles plus TV and radio archives)

(Reprinted with permission from Mr. Herman Tiu-Laurel)

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20111024com4.html

Patently Aquino EDITORIAL 10/24/2011

Patently Aquino

EDITORIAL
Click to enlarge
10/24/2011
All that jazz about transparency and the straight path fell apart during crunch time for Noynoy, based on his crucial reaction to what is becoming clear to be a premeditated ambush by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) of the army’s special forces that left dead 19 of the country’s best soldiers.

The actions Noy had taken thus far have been to remove two army officials from their posts, the spokesman and the head of the special forces that added to the low morale to the troops.

After the heavy losses in the battlefield, their Commander in Chief succeeded in inflicting more casualties, this time in the military chain.

The reason for the relief of Col. Antonio Parlade Jr. from his post as Army spokesman was that he had aired a personal opinion during an interview on the ceasefire agreement, saying that the truce is hampering efforts to run after the butchers in the MILF rank..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20111024com1.html

Dumb and dumber FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 10/24/2011

Dumb and dumber

FRONTLINE
Ninez Cacho-Olivares
10/24/2011
If Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) 1 is billed as the world’s worst airport, it is perhaps mainly because a lot of money — some $58 million — that should have been used for the upkeep and maintenance of the terminal was diverted to pay the legal fees abroad by government on all those arbitration cases handled by government-appointed lawyers, an American law firm, as well as the locals — such as former high court Associate Justice Feliciano and current Supreme Court (SC) Associate Ma. Lourdes Justice Sereno, who it is said have not even bothered to liquidate the amount spent for such services.

And yet, there go Noynoy and his DoTC secretary, Mar Roxas, who continue to cancel approved contracts that definitely will again be up for arbitration, if they haven’t been lodged yet. How much more, by way of humongous legal fees charged by both local and foreign law firms will the people be shouldering for such fees?.... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20111024com2.html

The murder of Gaddafi, and the war crimes of Western powers

The murder of Gaddafi, and the war crimes of Western powers


 The jubilant reaction of Western powers and the foes of Muammar Gaddafi to his barbaric murder on October 20, 2011 raises some serious questions about war crimes committed by the Western-backed National Transitional Council (NTC) fighters and NATO forces.


There are two serious violations of international law here, namely, (1) in relation to the Third Geneva Convention in 1929 and (2) in relation to the UN Security Council Resolution #1973 in 2011. Let me explain first (1) the Geneva Convention and then (2) the UN Resolution hereafter.

(1) The first violation of international law concerns the Third Geneva Convention in 1929, which offers rights to prisoners of war (POWs), such that POWs have certain rights to be protected. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov rightly said on October 21, 2011 that, "in compliance with international law, the moment that a party to an armed conflict is captured, special procedures should be applied to him or her, including assistance, as well as a ban on killing such a person." .... MORE

Source: Pravda.ru

URL: http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/24-10-2011/119418-gaddafi_murder-0/

High stakes vote for Tunisian women focus 10/24/2011

High stakes vote for Tunisian women

focus

10/24/2011
TUNIS — Tunisian street vendor Ahlem Memi, 23, says not voting in elections Sunday would be shameful in a country mulling the future role of its women after decades as the vanguard of gender parity in the Muslim world.

The quintessential image of the modern, young Tunisian woman, Memi has a pair of fashionably large sunglasses perched cheekily on top of her head and sprints around energetically in jeans and a chic top while chatting to customers.

“Of course I will vote! It is a duty ... for a better life for all Tunisians, especially women,” she told AFP on a Tunis main street where veiled women are a rarity.

Between peddling tourist trinkets from a stall, Memi says she is weighing up three parties, “there are too many,” but knows one thing for sure: “Ennahda, never” — referring to the Islamist party polled to win the biggest bloc of votes..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20111024com5.html

Peasants all over the country march for land, rights, social justice

Peasants all over the country march for land, rights, social justice

After decades of what they described as “agrarian reform programs designed to fail,” Filipino peasants continue to suffer from landlessness and worsening poverty.
By MARYA SALAMAT
Bulatlat.com
Sidebar: Lakbayan in Northern Mindanao Region a success – peasants’ groups
 
MANILA – “It is us farmers who produce food for our country but we are forced to live in poverty and bear the brunt of the killing rampages by the military,” said Antonio Kasipas in Filipino, spokesman of UMALPAS Ka-Bikol, at the concluding program of the week-long, nationwide commemoration of peasant month last Friday at the Mendiola Bridge (now Chino Roces Bridge). His message was echoed in different speeches at other protest rallies in the Philippines where similar tales of peasant struggles, a major cause of unrest and armed struggle in the Philippines, were aired last week.

From Oct 19 to 21, farmers groups from different towns across the country converged and later camped out in front of regional offices of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and other government agencies. They marched, drove caravans and camped out together for “land, rights and social justice.”


Antonio Kasipas from Bicol asks why this country’s food producers remain poor and targets of military abuses.(Photo by Angelica de Lara / bulatlat.com)
In Metro Manila, they dubbed their days-long protest as “Occupy Mendiola,” taking inspiration from the global “occupy” protest phenomenon. Farmers from Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog, later joined by farmers from the Bicol region, Cagayan Valley, Ilocos Sur and Cordillera, camped for three days at Mendiola Bridge (now Chino Roces). On the same bridge 24 years ago, they recalled how other fellow farmers demanding land reform were mowed down by government troops.

Before “occupying” Mendiola in this year’s commemoration of peasant month, the protesting farmers spent a day and a night in front of the Supreme Court in Manila, in protest of the high court’s decision last August that “favors the Cojuangco-Aquino families’ tightening of its control on the disputed Hacienda Luisita,” as the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) said in a statement. The peasant organization decried the Supreme Court decision as a “signal for big landlords everywhere to further take advantage of farmers all over the country.”

After decades of what they described as “agrarian reform programs designed to fail,” Filipino peasants have continued to suffer from landlessness and worsening poverty.

CARPEr has not resolved the problem of millions of peasants of not owning the lands they till, driving many toward cities and urban centers in search of alternative sources of livelihood, and jobs,” said Gloria Arellano, secretary-general of Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay), in a statement.

She added that “In fact, 60-percent of all agricultural lands or almost nine million hectares are privately owned by just 13-percent of landlords in the Philippines. More than a fifth of agricultural lands comprising three million hectares are owned by just 9,500 individuals,” illustrating “the gravity of the problem” of landlessness.

This, in turn, underscores the widespread poverty in the countryside, and the income divide, considering that “Three in every four Filipinos are either peasants or farm workers, while the biggest landlords such as the Cojuangcos and the Aquinos do not even make up one percent of the population,” said Joel Maglunsod, vice president of Anakpawis Partylist. He added that while “these hacienderos enjoy all the spoils of our peasants’ hard work, the peasants remain the most oppressed and impoverished among Filipinos.”

Thirst for social justice

Based on various statements released by KMP chapters, Filipino farmers still struggle to hold on to the lands they or their ancestors have cleared and made productive, opposing, in the process, various cases and schemes of alleged landgrabbing instigated by expansion of plantations, land-use conversions into projects not covered by agrarian reform, and intense mining.

From these land issues all over the country arise the increasing number of human rights abuses.

Documentations by peasant and human rights groups revealed that widespread landgrabbing especially when the ultimate beneficiary includes a huge multinational corporation or its joint venture with local big landlords, almost always goes hand in hand with military operations..... MORE

SourceBulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/10/24/peasants-all-over-the-country-march-for-land-rights-social-justice/

MILF continues ambushes; 3 troops, 5 workers slain By Mario J. Mallari 10/24/2011

DEATHS FROM REBEL ATTACKS GROW TO 35

MILF continues ambushes; 3 troops, 5 workers slain

By Mario J. Mallari 10/24/2011

Muslim rebels believed belonging to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) shot dead three more soldiers and five rubber plantation workers yesterday in the latest bout of violence that brought the number of deaths blamed on the MILF to 35 since last week in what is the deadliest eruption of violence involving the separatist group in recent years.

The week’s killings have put extreme pressure on President Aquino to review the faltering peace process with the MILF, with some leading lawmakers calling for an all-out war.

The latest MILF attack involved two ambushes in Basilan and Lanao del Norte provinces, resulting in the killing of at least eight soldiers and civilians.

Army chief Lt. Gen. Arturo Ortiz said that elements of the Army’s 5th Infantry Battalion (IB), led by Lt. Col. Bagnus Gaerlan, were traversing Tukuran-Paranga Road in Barangay Payong in Sultan Naga Dimaporo in.... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20111024hed1.html

‘Do an Erap’ to stop atrocities, ally tells Noy By Angie M. Rosales 10/24/2011

‘Do an Erap’ to stop atrocities, ally tells Noy

By Angie M. Rosales 10/24/2011

An indignant ally of President Aquino yesterday pressed an all-out war against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) after a fresh wave of violence blamed on the secessionist group yesterday that killed three soldiers and five civilians while a former presidential rival urged Malacanang to carefully review the situation before making final its decision to continue pursuing peace negotiations with the secessionist group.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson called on President Aquino to “do an Erap” in dealing with the situation in Mindanao.
“It has become a vicious cycle: the ‘rogues’ conduct atrocities, kidnap civilians, or attack and ambush our troops then seek refuge within the confines of the MILF encampments or ‘territories,’” he said.

“Our peace negotiators should now wake up to that reality. Review history and you will easily see the pattern and timing of escalation of the MILF ‘rogues’ atrocities,” Lacson, a political ally of Malacañang, added..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20111024hed5.html

Akbar’s family saddened by DoJ’s decision 10/24/2011

Akbar’s family saddened by DoJ’s decision

10/24/2011
ZAMBOANGA CITY — The family of the late Basilan Congressman Wahab Akbar is asking the Department of Justice (DoJ) to re-study and reconsider its decision clearing some of the accused in killing the lawmaker in 2007.

Tahira Ismael, former mayor of Lantawan town and niece of Akbar, said yesterday that they were saddened “by the sudden” change of pronouncement made by DoJ Secretary Leila de Lima about former Anak Mindanao Rep. Mujiv Hataman.

Ismael, who serves as the family spokesman, noted De Lima announced last Wednesday of last week that there was an existing criminal complaint filed against Hataman at the DoJ and on the next day the justice department cleared the former congressman.... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20111024nat2.html

Binay seeks help from historians for overlooking Malvar as 2nd RP president 10/24/2011

Binay seeks help from historians for overlooking Malvar as 2nd RP president

10/24/2011
Vice President Jejomar Binay has sought the help of historians in rectifying what could be an oversight in proclaiming revolutionary General Miguel Malvar as the rightful second President of the Philippines.

In his letter to National Historical Commission chairman Maria Serena Diokno and heads of history departments of various universities and colleges, Binay said he received information that Malvar was Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo’s right-hand during the war against the United States and took over command when the latter (Aguinaldo) was captured by American forces in Palanan, Isabela.

Since he took over from Aguinaldo who was then the first Philippine president, Binay said some quarters are of the opinion that Malvar was the rightful second Philippine president. A bill bestowing such recognition to Malvar has been filed in the House of Representatives..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20111024nat3.html

Aquino advised not to ignore reports on brewing coup plot By Gerry Baldo 10/24/2011

Aquino advised not to ignore reports on brewing coup plot

By Gerry Baldo 10/24/2011

President Aquino should not ignore reports of a brewing coup plot against his government in the face of massive demoralization in the military establishment following the death of 19 soldiers in recent attacks by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Basilan.

“The speculations about coup plot should not be set aside. The President must address the seeming demoralization in the military because other forces may use the incident to launch destabilization plot,” San Juan Rep. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito yesterday said.

The demoralization at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) was alleged to have been triggered by the statement of President Aquino blaming the military for the devastating ambush. Aquino was alleged to have said that he had wanted to investigate the incident and know why the incident had happened..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20111024met1.html

Be careful in buying meat products in market — NMIS doctor 10/24/2011

Be careful in buying meat products in market — NMIS doctor

10/24/2011
Attention meat lovers: Make sure you take extra caution when buying meat products in the market!

In a recent Talking Points radio program, Dr. Eduardo Oblena of the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS)-National Capital Region (NCR) said meat lovers and market shoppers need to develop intelligent choices, especially for safe and healthy meat foods.

Dr. Oblen shares the following tips on how to discern meat products and take home safe, quality foods:

Look for the NMIS certification — Basically, our consumers (even those who are not really market shoppers) should observe and look for the certificate of meat inspection issued daily upon delivery of meat products at markets, and the mark of inspection on the surface of the meat skin..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20111024met5.html

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