According to the Supreme Court, the federal government violated Omar Khadr’s constitutional rights and that Khadr’s rights continue to be violated. Nevertheless, the court refuses to order the government to do the right thing — seek Khadr’s repatriation from the Guantanamo hell-hole that he has lived in for the past 7 years. Shame! Photos of Omar Khadr as a teenager, left, and as an adult, right. Khadr has been jailed for the last seven years in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Photos: National Post. Here is what the court had to say about Canadian officials who interrogated Omar …
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Thousands of gun-toting troops will not help the Haitian people. The Canada Haiti Action Network has launched a petition campaign to change the “relief” effort in Haiti from military to humanitarian. You can sign the petition here. Pass it on! …
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I cringe when I hear folks like Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon use the word “solidarity” in the same breath as “Haiti.” I’m all for solidarity with the Haitian people, but when it is expressed by the likes of Cannon, I gag. The Haitian disaster relief program is a thinly disguised military operation to secure the country for corporate interests. Sure, some people are getting food and medical attention, but not nearly enough, given the resources and capabilities of the United States and Canada. Cynthia McKinney, the U.S. Green Party’s 2008 …
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It’s Martin Luther King Day in the United States. It’s a big deal in the land of toxic derivatives; even the stock markets are closed in his memory. Once harassed and stalked by the the FBI, King’s memory is now regularly and hypocritically invoked by those who stand on his shoulders. Were King alive he would have just celebrated his 81st birthday. Had he survived the assassin’s bullet he would still be followed by spooks and menaced by that which he famously described as “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today” — the U.S. …
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Opponents of profiling are missing the point. Profiling makes a lot of sense. The main problem  is that we are profiling the wrong kinds of people. Instead of watching out for people who actually have a track record for mass destruction and terrorism, we are directing our efforts against folks who might be pissed off at us because we have bombed them, strip-mined their economies and plundered their futures. (The fact that almost all people detained at our borders, coincidentally, are brown or black, leads some to conclude our government is racist because it is engaged in “racial …
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Under the pretext of fighting al-Qaida, Obama is planning to transform Yemen into another Afghanistan. U.S. Special forces are reportedly in the country, as are British commandos. Expect the “war on terrorism” rhetoric to escalate as America moves more resources into the country to “stabilize” it. A planned international meeting on Yemen hosted by Britain has received the blessing of the UN, offering a political fig leaf that was unavailable to the imperialists until after they had occupied Afghanistan. There’s no question that Yemen suffers from a lack of stability. But the …
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I don’t normally recommend a book before I have finished reading it, but I will this time. Sandy Tolan’s award winning book, The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew and the Heart of the Middle East, is a delight. It is the true story of the intimate relationship that developed between two families — one Palestinian and one Israeli — and the house that both lived in, one before and the other after the 1948 expulsion of the Palestinians and founding of the state of Israel. The Lemon Tree, which grew out of a radio documentary Tolan produced in 1998, succeeds on many levels in …
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Malalai Joya visited Winnipeg on November 16 and 17 as part of her 2009 cross-country tour to convince Canadians to press for the withdrawal of their troops from Afghanistan. This feisty woman packed the house at the University of Winnipeg and spoke with passion about the oppression of her people under the combined weight of the Taliban, Hamid Karzai’s warlord drugocracy, and the NATO occupation. Her message was one not heard in this country. Loosely paraphrased, it is: “Go home! You are making our lives harder!” It is a lesson we must all take to heart. Malalai Joya was …
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November 17, 2009: Afghan MP Malalai Joya is in Winnipeg as a part of her Canadian tour to convince Canadians they must withdraw their troops from Afghanistan. Afghans, says Joya, must decide what happens in Afghanistan. Foreign intervention must end. She has a message for the families of Canadian soldiers. She understands their suffering and extends her condolences. Like them, she knows what it is like to lose loved ones in war. But condolences are not enough. She calls upon Canadians to force the Canadian government to end it’s military intervention. For more information about Malalai …
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Malalai Joya has been called the bravest woman in Afghanistan. (I suspect that may be an understatement.) She has repeatedly risked her life to speak out about the violence and poverty brought on by years of occupation and corruption. In November, she will speak to audiences across Canada about why we must end the war and let the Afghan people decide their own future. This is a message that all Canadians need to hear, especially those who have bought the lie that we’re there for humanitarian purposes. The Canadian Peace Alliance is co-ordinating the national tour, with local peace groups …
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Because we vote every few years in elections we say we live in a democratic country. Yet every day, the economically active among us walk into work and check their democratic rights at the door. To some extent, the lack of decision-making power in the workplace is ameliorated by union membership and labour legislation. But the fundamental decisions remain with managers, shareholders and owners. HR department-led “respectful workplace” training programs may foster more harmonious human relationships and raise productivity but they do not alter the fundamentally unequal distribution …
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Families of Canadian soldiers fighting in Afghanistan can now take comfort in knowing that even if their sons or daughters commit suicide they will receive the very same medal awarded to those killed by enemy fire. If nothing else, the federal government is proactive. For months now, they have been laying the foundation for Canadian troops to remain in Afghanistan after 2011. The decision to give the “sacrifice medal” to victims of suicide may be a recognition that fighting  a war to prop up corrupt war lords and drug runners is bound to increase suicidal thinking among the …
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Barack Obama joins a short list of Nobel Peace Prize recipients whose awards for resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict were, to put it in the kindest way, premature. These include: 1994: Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the PLO, President of the Palestinian National Authority; Shimon Peres, Foreign Minister of Israel; Yitzhak Rabin, Prime Minister of Israel. 1950: Ralph Bunche, Professor Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, Director of the UN Division of Trusteeship, Acting Mediator in Palestine 1948. He also keeps company with mass murderer Henry Kissinger, who in …
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Dale Cummings’ cartoon (above) in today’s Winnipeg Free Press illustrates the fear-mongering hypocrisy surrounding Iran’s nuclear enrichment program that is being propagated by news media and governments world-wide. If all you saw was this cartoon, you would conclude that Iran has nuclear weapons and we should all be very afraid of them. Well, folks, Iran is not a nuclear power and the world leaders yelling loudest about Iran’s attempts to enrich uranium are more interested in taking down a country that refuses to bow to western imperialism. (And, oh, Iran has oil, lots …
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Joshua Key is an American war resister who fought in Iraq and who sought refuge in Canada because of his war experiences. Author of “The Deserter’s Tale,” Joshua told the story of his recruitment into the U.S. Army, the carnage he witnessed in Iraq and his subsequent flight to Canada to an audience in Winnipeg, the first stop on a 13-city tour of western Canada. Like so many young people, Joshua joined the army to escape a life of poverty and support his family. The Army promised he would remain in the US and learn to build bridges, but the ink on his contract was barely dry …
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American war resister Joshua Key begins a 13-city tour on September 16, 2009 to seek support for the cause of U.S. war resisters in western Canada. Joshua is co-author of “The Deserter’s Tale: The Story of an Ordinary Soldier who Walked Away from the War in Iraq.”. Itinerary (updated Sept. 20, 2009): Winnipeg Sept 14-17 Mon, Sept 14, 7:00 pm, Canadian Mennonite University, Laudamus Auditorium, North campus, 500 Shaftsbury Wed, Sept 16, 12:30 pm, University of Manitoba, Room 224 University Centre Wed, Sept 16, 7:00 pm – Millennium Library (Graham & Donald), 2nd floor Thur, …
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Our Prime Minister continues to promote the fiction that the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington justified the illegal invasion of Afghanistan and that Canada’s participation in the occupation is about preventing terrorists from harming Canadians. Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean says she is saddened that there is any debate at all over whether Canada should be helping the country’s less fortunate. (Memo to MJ:  Canada is still a democracy, eh. We do debate these things – war and such – from time to time!) And Bruce Cockburn, arguably one of Canada’s most …
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According to the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, high flying economies such as Canada’s should be permitted more latitude in their obligations to reduce greenhouse emissions than more depressed areas of the globe. It’s not our fault that we didn’t meet our Kyoto targets – our superior economic performance made us act like the energy swilling fools we’ve become. If one accepts Frontier’s logic, we should be proud! Writing in yesterday’s Winnipeg Free Press, Frontier’s Ben Eisen argues Canada’s inability to meet its Kyoto commitment is not a …
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Rather that acknowledge that growing numbers of Mexican refugee claimants might be fleeing to Canada for legitimate reasons, Stephen Harper has announced that the Mounties will train Mexican federal police to strengthen their efforts in the “war on drugs.” According to the Winnipeg Free Press: “The Mounties will offer tips on interviewing techniques for entry-level police; mid-level officers will learn about money-laundering, undercover tactics, and child exploitation; and senior officers will hear about crisis management, public relations and dealing with civilian …
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Every August 6, citizens in thousands of communities around the world commemorate the nuclear attack on Hiroshima and rededicate themselves to the cause of peace and disarmament. In Winnipeg, a Lanterns for Peace Ceremony is conducted annually by Peace Alliance Winnipeg, Project Peacemakers and the Manitoba Japanese Canadians Association. Here’s my video of this year’s ceremony. …
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Veteran peace and social justice activist Nick Ternette is in hospital in Winnipeg. As his wife, Emily, explained in a recent email: “Nick recently developed pain in his right thigh, and on Friday night the pain became unbearable for him. After going to Urgent Care and then on to the Grace Hospital, followed by numerous tests and an emergency ambulance ride to the Health Sciences Centre, it was determined that he had a virulent infection in the muscles of his right thigh which was spreading fast. Because his immune system was so low due to his ongoing “maintenance” cancer treatments, …
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Alanna Makinson is VP External, University of Manitoba Students Union. Following the June 13, 2009 Winnipeg Walk for Peace, she spoke on the negative impact of the war in Afghanistan and increased military spending on post-secondary education in Canada. Makinson says that Canada is the fifth most expensive country in which to obtain a post secondary education. Inadequate public funding, rising tuition and increasing living costs are deterring working class, poor and aboriginal people from pursuing post-secondary education. The cumulative education debt currently born by students and graduates …
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Yves Engler is the author of The Black Book of Canadian Foreign Policy. He spoke in Winnipeg, June 13, 2009, at the conclusion of the 28th annual Walk for Peace, on the need to reorient Canadian foreign policy. Engler’s proposals include: Abolition of Canada’s secretive Joint Task Force 2 commando unit Pulling out of NATO Reducing Canada’s burgeoning military expenditures by 10 per cent annually for up to 10 years Pulling out of Afghanistan immediately Reorienting Canadian foreign policy to serve the needs of the majority of Canadians rather than the interests of …
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The spam that usually greets me with my morning coffee was enriched by a message from folks calling themselves Republicans for Ignatieff. The National Enquirer style, screaming ALL CAPS subject line REPUBLICANS FOR IGNATIEFF PRAISES MICHAEL IGNATIEFF FOR DEFENDING GEORGE W. BUSH IN RECENTLY-DISCOVERED AUDIO CLIP had me chuckling even before I opened the email. The site creators deserve top marks for zeroing in on issues that would make a lot of Canadians nervous about supporting the Liberals in the next federal election, specifically Iggy’s (unconvincingly recanted) support for the U.S. …
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Four global union organisations representing over 170 million workers have called a worldwide action day on June 26 to demand justice for Iranian workers. Demonstrations will take place outside Iranian embassies and consulates to protest the ongoing denial of rights and arrests of trade unionists within the country. The ITUC (International Trade Union Confederation), EI (Education International), ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation), IUF (International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations) are forming a coalition …
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Canadians are a death-denying lot. Perhaps because we are hardwired to avoid death for as long as possible, we spare no expense to make sure our corpses appear ready to leap out of the casket and we have no shortage of euphemisms to avoid saying someone is dead. So what are we to make of Bill C-384 – “An Act to amend the Criminal Code (right to die with dignity)”? In one short page, it sets out amendments to the Criminal Code of Canada that will allow doctors to assist in the suicides of terminally ill patients who request it. With minimal safeguards against abuse, and no …
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Pepsi versus Coke meets Republican versus Democrat by Anthony J. Hall, Professor of Globalization Studies, University of Lethbridge Just as fresh revelations keep oozing out about the broad extent of the international criminality perpetrated by the regime of the former US president, Canada is becoming the main site of a corporate-driven effort to re-brand George W. Bush as a legitimate political pundit. On May 29 Mr. Bush joins Bill Clinton on the stage of the Metropolitan Toronto Convention Centre in an event hosted by the TD Financial Group and several other sponsors. The hosts include the …
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In response to the reported slaughter of 25,000 Tamil civilians last week, members of Winnipeg’s Tamil community held a candle light vigil at the Manitoba Legislative Building in Winnipeg on May 17, 2009. At the vigil, they prayed for peace and called upon the Canadian government to do more to prevent further bloodshed in Sri Lanka. Here are some highlights from video I shot. …
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Question: What do you call a government that 1. refuses to defend the constitutional rights of a Canadian, imprisoned as a child and tortured by the Americans in Guantanamo Bay and refuses to repatriate another Canadian trapped in a kafkaesque nightmare in Sudan 2. refuses to allow war resisters to remain in Canada, despite two resolutions passed by the House of Commons to that effect 3. plans to bring back draconian national security laws including preventive detentions of people alleged on the basis of secret charges to be planning terrorist activity 4. continues to detain immigrants on the …
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Last month, I posted an Al Jazeera video shot in the aftermath of the March 22nd dawn raid on the town of Kunduz, Afghanistan, by troops believed to be U.S. Special Forces that left five Afghan men dead. The townspeople claimed the men were unconnected to the insurgency and that some were killed as they slept. The Americans claimed they were killed in a firefight after they responded to a demand for surrender with gunfire. Kunduz is no stranger to murder or to U.S. Special Forces. Following the Siege of Kunduz in November 2001, three thousand captured Taliban fighters were packed into sealed …
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On the weekend the Winnipeg Free Press was defending the use of information obtained through torture. Today it is formenting fear of immigrants as a major source of communicable diseases. The editorial is designed to inspire fear and loathing of immigrants. The first half focuses on the case of Johnson Aziga, an HIV-positive immigrant from Uganda who was convicted on Saturday in Ontario of aggravated assault and first degree murder because he had unprotected sex with a large number women who he did not warn of his disease. That part, at least, is factual. The Free Press then makes astonishing …
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According to the RCMP: “Crime against humanity”- means murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation, persecution or any other inhumane act that is committed against any civilian population or any identifiable group of persons that constitutes a contravention of customary or conventional international law or is criminal according to the general principles of law. As long as war crimes and crimes against humanity are being committed, Canada will be vigilant to prevent those responsible from entering Canada and becoming or remaining citizens. We will be ready to commence criminal …
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By condoning the use of information obtained through torture, the editorial board of the Winnipeg Free Press is digging its own grave. In “Tortured Information” an editorial writer for the Winnipeg Free Press declares: “. . . as long as one does not promote or condone torture, it would be grossly irresponsible for any security service, any government, including Canada’s, to refuse to use it to defend the safety of its citizens.” Unfortunately, Canada is not the merely the innocent recipient of torture-tainted information. Inquiries into the detention and torture …
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