LET THEM EAT LEAD “There Are Over 6,000 Political and Religious Handy As They Manouvre to Gain Control of Prisoners in Uzbekistan

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Friday 20th May 2005 Free/Donation Issue 498 LET THEM EAT LEAD “There are over 6,000 political and religious handy as they manouvre to gain control of prisoners in Uzbekistan. Every year, some the oil resources, as well as keeping the lo- CRAP ARREST OF THE WEEK of them are tortured to death. Sometimes cals in line so a consortium of US compa- For hanging a banner... the policemen or intelligence agents simply nies can build a new oil pipeline through The Danish branch of Greenpeace was charged break their fingers, their ribs and then their Afghanistan to the Arabian Sea. last week under a law on financing acts of skulls with hammers, or stab them with Nevermind all that, the current spin is that terrorism! What did they do - blow up a build- screwdrivers, or rip off bits of skin and flesh actually the Uzbek government - with $500mil- ing? Er, no. In October 2003 some Greenpeace with pliers, or drive needles under their fin- lion in ‘aid’from the Pentagon - is fighting a members got on the roof of the Agricultural gernails, or leave them standing for a fort- courageous battle against Islamic terrorists. Council headquarters and hung a banner in night up to their knees in freezing water. The truth is more likely that people are turning opposition to GM food. Now the whole or- Sometimes they are a little more inventive. to anyone offering a better life than the cur- ganisation has been charged under terrorism The body of one prisoner was delivered to rent dictatorial regime. As Ex-British Ambas- laws adopted after September 11th. his relatives last year, with a curious red sador (see below) Craig Murray reports, “The tidemark around the middle of his torso. He two main strains of opposition are the Erk and jets used to transfer prisoners around the had been boiled to death.” Birlik parties – They are both moderate par- world. The logs show at least seven flights - George Monbiot, activist and writer ties with a long history and would, I think, from 2002 to late 2003, originating from desti- adopt a more Islamic stance than the current nations in the Middle East and Europe. Given that George Bush has been busy bring- Craig Murray has been on about this for ing ‘democracy’ to the Middle East and former government – but neither is extreme nor bears any resemblance to the Taliban. They’re not ages, but his first bollocking came in March Soviet Union states, you’d think the White 2003 when he was reprimanded for writing, House would be condemning the dictatorial trying to impose that kind of society.” Ironically, the danger is that continuing “When it comes to the Karimov regime, sys- Uzbek government, who this week have been tematic torture and rape appear to be treated busy murdering hundreds of their own peo- such oppression and the pursuit of economic policies which lead to poverty and hardship by the Bush administration as an indulgence, ple. A spokesman simply murmured that the which should not affect our relationship and regime should “exercise caution and restraint”, for so many will actually radicalise the opposition, driving them into more extreme forms should be downplayed in the international nothing more. It’s only a week since Bush vis- forum”. Later that year some of his embassy ited Georgia, a country which he referred to as of Islamic Doctrines as they see any form of attempted democratic resistance crushed. staff were sacked and he was called back to “a beacon of liberty for this region and the London to face 18 disciplinary charges, in- world”. Congratulating the people for over- UZBEKISTAND OFF cluding “hiring dolly birds for above the usual throwing ex-Soviet apparatchik Edvard So, apart from the usual diverting of wealth rate” in the visa department (even though it Shevardnadze in the ‘Rose Revolution’, Bush into the hands of the chosen powerful few, had an all-male staff) and granting UK visas must have had a sense of déjà vu. Only last why should anyone want to protest? If we Christmas the White House lavished similar in exchange for sex. If he told anyone about take a look at the State Department website, the charges he would be in violation of the praise on the Ukrainians’ ‘Orange Revolution’, it accuses the Uzbek government of “tor- providing material, financial and political sup- Official Secrets Act and sent to prison... just ture as a routine investigation technique”. standard British gagging procedure then. port. When crowds demonstrated in Lebanon, Guess that sounds just like the US really - it Kyrgizstan, Ukraine and Georgia, the Ameri- Meanwhile a procession of top Bush ad- certainly doesn’t trouble them; Colin ministration officials trekked to Tashkent to cans welcomed it as “people power” and Powell’s men bunged the same law enforce- pledged to support “freedom-loving peoples” thank the dictator for his services. Donald ment services $79 million of aid in 2002. The Rumsfeld, not content with that 1983 photo of the world in their struggles to overthrow State Department says officers who receive “brutal dictatorships”. So why go so quiet of himself shaking hands with Saddam training are vetted to ensure they have not when the Uzbek people rise up against their Hussein, praised Karimov for his “wonder- own Soviet-era dictator? tortured anyone. Yeah right… to repeat, ful cooperation”, while former Treasury sec- sounds just like the US military. retary, Paul O’Neill, admired the autocrat’s TO HELL AND UZBEK Craig Murray, the British ambassador to “very keen intellect and deep passion” for Well, Uzbekistan, as Saddam Hussein’s Iraq Uzbekistan who was given the boot last year improving the lives of ordinary Uzbeks. once was, is seen by the US government as a for drawing attention to human rights abuses As journalist Jonathan Freedland put it key asset. John Pike, head of the military in the country, says the CIA brought many “Think of it as the Sonofabitch School of analysis website GlobalSecurity.org, said prisoners to the Central Asian nation for inter- foreign policy. Legend has it that when close ties with Uzbekistan also serve longer- rogation, knowing full well that the Uzbeks Franklin D. Roosevelt was confronted with term goals: “It’s one more piece of the (former) would use torture during those interrogations. the multiple cruelties of his ally, the Nicara- Soviet Union that’s in our power rather than Uzbekistan is believed to be a destination coun- guan dictator Anastasio Somoza, he replied: Moscow’s. It’s also one more piece of the try for the highly secretive ‘renditions pro- ‘He may be a sonofabitch, but he’s our encirclement of Iran. Right now, it’s a base gramme’, where the CIA ships terrorist sus- sonofabitch.’ More than 60 years on, that for operations in Afghanistan. What it might pects to third-party countries where it can serves as a pretty good expression of Ameri- become 10 years from now is anyone’s guess. freely use torture to extract the necessary con- can, and therefore British, attitudes to It’s part of the ‘great game’.” fessions. The program began under an execu- Karimov, the tyrant of Tashkent who has ruled Then there’s the small matter of tive order signed by President Pappa Bush in the central Asian republic of Uzbekistan since Uzbekistan’s 600 million+ barrels of proven December 1992. Although the CIA has never the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991.” oil reserves - which is probably the reason officially commented on the programme, flight * Demonstrate against the Uzbek massacres this why George Bush has even heard of the logs obtained by the New York Times showed Saturday 21st 12 noon, 41 Holland Park Road, country. After 9-11 the US established army that CIA-linked planes that landed in the capi- London W11 3RP. (Holland Park Tube) bases there which will no doubt come in tal, Tashkent, had the same serial numbers as * For more see www.craigmurray.co.uk @nti-copyright - information for action - published in Brighton since 1994 Inside SchNEWS Positive SchNEWS SchNEWS in brief Five anarchists have been nicked by the po- This week is “Be Nice to Nettles Week”, and Moulsecoomb Forest Garden open day this lice in Italy for the “subversion of democratic it’s time we all showed a bit more respect to Sunday (22nd) 12 - 5pm at the allotments di- order”. In an operation coordinated by the cen- this wonder plant. Nettles are stuffed full of rectly behind Moulsecoomb Train Station tral anti-terrorism police department, 150 po- Vitamin A, B and C, iron and even serotonin, www.seedybusiness.org ** More events at lice units carried out another 20 searches at the (the drug which makes us happy, and which Brighton’s Cowley Club during the festival. On homes of anarchists. The group have been ac- doctors reckon is depleted after you’ve stuffed Monday (23rd) film – ‘The 43 Group’, about a cused of inciting revolt by refugees, damaging your face full of ecstasy pills). They can be group of Jewish ex-servicemen who beat fascists the commercial activities of multinational clothing cooked like spinach and made into tea or cor- off the streets after the Second World War. 6.30pm. company Benetton and smashing petrol pumps dial. It’s nearly too late to pick them, as the On Wednesday (25th) Film ‘Operation Sol- of oil war company ESSO. www.infoshop.org devil is meant to piss on them after May, which stice’ and talk by author Andy Worthington about * Two women arrested for chaining themselves means that when they start to flower they taste the legacy of the Battle of the Beanfield 6.30pm to a digger in protest at the start of work on the bitter. Then it’s time to cut them down, stick ** Anarchist Communism and the politics of controversial Linslade bypass have been acquit- them in a bucket of water and in a couple of the Anarchist Federation - short Intro and Q & ted. Incompetent prosecutors failed to show that weeks you’ve got a free plant pick-me-up. In A session, next Thursday (26th) Freedom Book- the garden, they provide the natural habitat for an offence had been committed. However their shop 84b Whitechapel High Street, London E1 40 different insects including the Peacock but- 7QX 7pm www.enrager.net/hosted/freedom ** victory was tarnished as they were refused the terfly. They can be made into clothing and were The French Palestinian Solidarity Campaign chance to stand up in court and expose how Bucks widely used in WW1 to help make military uni- are organising a peace caravan, leaving Strasburg County Council road rough shod over wildlife forms, as well as rope and shampoo. at the beginning of July, through Italy, Greece laws www.linsladeprotest.org.uk. According to tradition, Caesar’s troops intro- and Turkey down to Jerusalem. More people * This week the court ruled that British ter- duced the Roman nettle into Britain because they needed from the UK: http:// ror suspect Babar Ahmad can now be extra- thought that they would need to flail themselves caravane.palestine.free.fr/ ** From bribery, fraud, dited to the United States. Babar was originally with the plant to keep warm, and until recently and corruption in Iraq, to the undermining of US arrested on anti terrorism laws and was released ‘urtication’, or beating with nettles, was a stand- government regulations that protect drinking six days later without charge (see SchNEWS ard folk remedy for arthritis and rheumatism. water at home, Corporate Watch spills the beans 474), before the US decided that he was, in fact, So while people continually carp on about on Vice President Dick Cheney’s pals at a terrorist. His case has now been sent to the the many uses of cannabis and how it can save Halliburton, in an alternative annual report for Home Secretary for final approval. the world, the poor old nettle is left on the road- the company, published this week: www.freebabarahmad.com side and forgotten. So we at SchNEWS Towers www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12259 ** * Six students are up on Aggravated Tres- reckons its time to forget about marching for Also check out the special report by the Inter- pass charges at Lancaster University in a move cannabis (more like shuffling), and instead get national Federation of Journalists and being closely watched by other Campus’s out on the streets and start demanding more Statewatch on “politics of fear” and disappear- around the country .They have been charged rights and respects for our nettles. What’s more, ing civil liberties. www.statewatch.org/news/2005/ five months after walking into a conference on unlike cannabis, nettles won’t give you the may/03ifj-statewatch.htm** UK Water Firm campus to talk to industry reps about the per- munchies. (It should be pointed out that the net- BIwater have been kicked out of Tanzania, just ils of privatising intellectual property. The six tle is a relative of the cannabis plant – Garden- two years into a ten year contract. Buywater are looking for support, particularly from other ing Ed.) Find out more on the internettle (or is now expect the UK taxpayer to pick up their universities. See www.lancasterukonline.net/ it the World Weed Web?) www.nettles.org.uk bill, via Export Credit Guarantee. For more on news/news_archive/2005/archive04_05_ii.html this utter fucking madness see www.wdm.org.uk * The Ministry of Defence has failed in its bid SHE WILL ROCK YOU ** Hundreds of mothers and children from It’s all go at this weeks Queens Speech. Tony’s Dale Farm caravan park, Crays Hill which is to get an Anti Social Behaviour Order put on been listening (to Daily Hate Mail readers). peace campaigner Lindis Percy, to stop her dem- facing eviction, will march into Basildon on this There’s the Counter Terrorism Bill for starters. Saturday (21st) to make a last minute appeal to onstrating outside the US spy base Menwith Hill. That includes “scope for new offences which The judge said “I am firmly of the view courts the district council which has paid our favourite would assist in bringing suspected terrorists be- “Gypsy eviction specialists” Constant & Co, ought not to allow anti-social behaviour orders to fore the courts.” SchNEWS’ fave the Identity be used as a club to beat down the expression of £20,000 to draw up the eviction plans ** The Cards Bill is back and promising biometric ID black propaganda new Respect MP George legitimate comment and the dissemination of views cards by 2008. No more skiving off work for Galloway is currently getting is exactly the same of matters of public concern.” doley scum: the new Incapacity Benefit Bill about sort of state shit-stirring that was dished out to Mind you Lindis still got a six week tag-cur- to forcing the disabled and injured into work. Miners leader Arthur Scargill during the 1984/5 few for obstructing the highway which is on They’ll be more electronic tagging with the Man- Miners’ Strike. Check out the excellent ‘The En- hold while she appeals. agement of Offenders and Sentencing Bill and no emy Within’ by Seamus Milne (Verso) Got a crap ASBO of the week, send them doubt more ASBOS in sight as the Violent Crime ** The HAVE I GOT SchNEWS FOR YOU into the SchNEWS office. Bill promises to bring in measures to reduce binge show, along with the TRAPESE Roadshow is GIVE ‘EM WHAT 4x4 drinking and tackle yob behaviour in town cen- touring the country in the build-up to the G8 tres. Are you thinking what we are thinking? That summit in Scotland this July. They have added a 35 Greenpeace activists locked on to a Land all politicians are control freaks. new date this Sat (21st) in Nottingham at 7:30pm Rover production line in Solihull on Monday in (venue TBA - contact Sumac Centre 0845 458 protest at the climate-wrecking emissions of the CHILEAN CLARET 9595). (The tour crew give special thanks to Pe- companies Sports Utility Vehicles. The Range General Carreras, ex-head of Pinochet’s Chilean ter Burt in Reading for help last week). Rover is the UK’s least fuel-efficient 4x4 doing secret police force has finally fessed up and given a criminal 12 miles to the gallon in urban areas. the Chilean Supreme court a detailed list of the ...and finally... “Making cars like this for urban use is crazy whereabouts of 580 of the thousands of people when 150,000 people are dying every year from who “disappeared” during the dictator’s regime Following on from finding out last week that climate change,” said Greenpeace’s Ben Stewart. in the 1970s. So what’ll Norman Lamont and companies are bidding to have newly discov- The new Range Rover Sport, which “has been rusty old iron Lady Thatcher, chief apologists ered animal species named after them, SchNEWS tuned primarily for on road performance,” does for the old bastard, have to say for themselves may be changing its mind - it could still be pref- fewer miles to the gallon than the Model T Ford now? Probably much the same as before - of erable to the alternative: Neo-Cons! A paper built 80 years ago. FYI: 4x4s aren’t just for Pinochet, Thatcher said, “…on his fate depends published recently announced 3 new species of parents in the city. Land Rover also have a tidy much else besides. Henceforth, all former heads slime-mold beetles named after Bush and his market in Afghanistan, Kosovo and Baghdad, of government are potentially at risk. Those still cronies (insert your own slime related joke here). selling bullet proof cars with service options to in government will be inhibited from taking the No, unbelievably, it wasn’t a wry political com- right action in a crisis, because they may later ment from a disgruntled scientist but done “in invading business folk. appear before a foreign court to answer for it…” Greenpeace has been served with an injunc- honour” of the great ones. Bush even phoned hmm, SchNEWS reckons that if she’s done noth- creepy crawly Prof. Wheeler to say thanks! The tion and a damages bill of £12m - £1m for every ing wrong she’ll have nothing to worry about… poor beetles in question will forever be known hour of halted production. SchNEWS wonders as Agathidium bushi Miller and Wheeler, A. if we can all serve a bill (or an ASBO) on Land BRIGHTON ANARCHIST BOOKFAIR cheneyi Miller and Wheeler and A. rumsfeldi Rover for fucking up our climate. Get yer dodgy literature plus t-shirts, badges Miller and Wheeler. It’s a bug’s life alright. www.iraqsupplier.com/docs/profiles/lfpv/ etc. With books from Cowley Club book- home.htm shop, Active Distro and other stalls... Disclaimer Saturday 21st May 11am -4pm SchNEWS warns all readers not to be fooled by Cowley Club, 12 London Rd (Free entry) Bush and Blair’s double Uzbekistandards... Honest! Keep SchNEWS FREE! Send 1st Class stamps (e.g. 10 for next 9 issues) or donations (payable to Justice?) Ask for “Originals” if you can make copies. Post free to all prisoners. SchNEWS, c/o on-the-fiddle, P.O. Box 2600, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 0EF. Tel +44 (0)1273 685913 Email [email protected] Download a PDF of this issue or subscribe at www.schnews.org.uk