http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Wed, 1 Sep 2004 08:25:57 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/ Phillip WinnSunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. 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Administration0@blogcritics.org Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/09/01/082557.php BosNewsLifeHAVANA, CUBA (BosNewsLife)-- A blind Cuban Christian dissident, who is under house arrest for opposing the Communist government of Fidel Castro, has condemned the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) for proposing an end to the embargo against Cuba as well as a relaxation of travel and other restrictions, BosNewsLife monitored Monday, August 30. Dissident Juan Carlos Gonzales Leiva, a 39-year old lawyer and president of the Cuban Foundation of Human Rights, said changing the U.S. policy toward Cuba will "not help to bring about solutions or improvements" for Cubans. "American business has not brought about any freedom in China. We cannot confuse freedom with the fish of the Israelite's during their slavery in Egypt," he wrote to Bishop John H. Ricard, Chair of the USCCB Internacional Policy Committee, in a letter, obtained by BosNewsLife. Last month, Bishop Ricard urged the U.S. Congress to reconsider recent restrictions on travel from America to Cuba which he said "will serve only to exacerbate the situation" on the island. "ENCOURAGING DEMOCRATIZATION""We believe the goals of improving the lot of the Cuban people and encouraging the democratization of the governance of Cuba are best accomplished through more rather than less contact between the Cuban and American peoples," he added. Several large Cuban denominations have also criticized the embargo, although some of them are believed to be close to the government. However Gonzales Leiva said "freedom and democracy for Cuba will not come to us from American citizens or by means of people to people contacts." He told the bishop that freedom can only come be achieved within the island. "Our own strengths and our own weaknesses must take each other on, and in the end, the former will prevail." Gonzales Leiva stressed he wrote his letter with wishes of "blessings of peace, love, and hope in the glorious name of our Lord, Jesus Christ," altough he disagreed with the bishop's approach to human rights violations.BISHOPS "MISTAKEN"Cuban leader Fidel Castro speaking to the media. His government objects to using the word "dissidents" to describe those detained for criticizing Castro"s policies. Source: Cruxnews.com "I appreciate your (efforts) in the name of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, although in my opinion, they are completely mistaken." He said 114 human rights activists have "not only expressed" their "total backing and support of the U.S. embargo against the Cuban government but also requested the stiffening and the hardening of the policy of the European Union and other countries of the international community toward Cuba." Gonzales Leiva was given a four-year jail sentence on charges of "disrespect", "public disorder", resistance", and "disobedience", dissident sources say. This year he was allowed to serve the rest of his term under house arrest in his home in the central city of Ciego de Avila, after more than two years in a Communist prison.NO LENIENCYHe told reporters in April that the move was not leniency, but because "it doesn't look good to have a blind person behind bars". The activist claimed the time he spent in detention had been "psychological torture", and human rights watchers say he had been beaten. Gonzalez Leiva was one of 10 members of the Cuban Foundation for Human Rights detained in 2002 while holding a peaceful protest at a city hospital in solidarity with an independent journalist who they said "had been brutally beaten by State Security agents."You are Welcome to visit News Agency bosNewsLife at: http://www.bosnewslife.com Culture19314@blogcritics.org Wed, 1 Sep 2004 08:25:57 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/09/01/082134.php BosNewsLifeJERUSALEM, ISRAEL (BosNewsLife)-- The Palestinian militant group Hamas has claimed responsibility for simultaneous suicide bomb attacks that killed at least 15 passengers on board two buses in the Israeli city of Beersheba and injured as many as 90 people, on Tuesday, August 31, more victims than previously estimated. Hamas made its claim in leaflets distributed in Hebron, the closest Palestinian city to Beersheba, saying the attack was "avenging Israel's assassinations" of two of its leaders earlier this year. Israel assassinated Sheik Ahmed Yassin, the spiritual leader of Hamas, and his successor, Abdel Aziz Rantisi. Hamas has repeatedly pledged to avenge their deaths, but had taken little action before Tuesday, August 31, the Associated Press (AP) news agency reported. "If you thought that the martyrdom of our leaders would weaken our missions and discourage us from Jihad, then you are dreaming," the Hamas leaflet said. GATHERING BODIESThe announcement came as Israeli police officers as well as rescue and recovery volunteers were seen gathering bodies in front of the destroyed buses. Eyewitnesses said the buses burst into flames about 100 yards apart near a bustling intersection in Beersheba, the largest city in southern Israel "People were screaming and yelling. Everybody was running," Witness Tzvika Schreter, a 50-year-old college lecturer told AP. Reporters expressed surprise about the location of the blasts, the first suicide attacks in nearly half a year. Beersheba, a town of some 150,000 people, is located in the Negev desert roughly 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of the Gaza Strip and had been far removed from the usual scenes of Palestinian militant violence. It is regarded as an important historic site by Israelis, as the Bible refers to it in conjunction with Abraham and Isaac, seen as arch fathers of Israel. FIGHTING TERRORThe last successful suicide bombings were on March 14 when two Palestinians blew themselves up in the Israeli port of Ashdod, killing 10 people. That attack led to an Israeli strike in the Gaza Strip that killed Sheik Ahmed Yassin, the spiritual leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, news reports said. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who met in an emergency session with top security officials, told Israel Radio that the Jewish state "will continue fighting terror with all its might." While he expressed shock about the latest attack, government officials stressed Israel's controversial security barrier being built in and around the West Bank had drastically cut down the number of "successful" terror attacks.EARLY DETECTIONThe Israeli military has said the wall combined with sophisticated equipment also helped them to detect potential suicide bombers easier. Early Tuesday morning, August 31, Israeli troops caught and disarmed a man wearing an explosive belt as he tried to pass through the Erez checkpoint from the northern Gaza Strip into Israel, BosNewsLife monitored. Palestinian leaders have condemned the suicide blasts and called for an immediate cease-fire and resumption of peace talks. The European Union also condemned the bombing and urged an end to bloodshed in the Middle East. "The Palestinian interest requires a stop to harming all civilians so as not give Israel pretext to continue its aggression against our people," Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said in a statement, AP reported. NO PEACE TALKSHowever Prime Minister Sharon has refused to negotiate with the Palestinians. Instead, Sharon urged his Likud Party Tuesday, August 31, to support his time table for a unilateral Israeli withdrawal next year from the Gaza Strip and four isolated West Bank settlements, a move, he says, will improve Israel's security. On September 26, Cabinet ministers will be given draft legislation for carrying out the withdrawal, and the bill will have to be approved by the government on October 24, Sharon reportedly said. By November 3, the legislation will be presented to parliament for a first of three votes. Sharon has already lost two Likud battles over his pullout plan - a nonbinding referendum by party members and a convention vote. At least half of the 40 Likud members of parliament oppose the pullout, AP reported.HUNGER STRIKESharon's government has also made clear it will not negotiate with Palestinian prisoners demanding better treatment. On Tuesday, August 31, about 750 security prisoners at the Gilboa prison broke their hunger strike and received food from Israel Prisons Service (IPS), The Jerusalem Post news paper said. The development brings the number of striking security prisoners to 1500, nearly half of the 3200 Palestinian prisoners who started a hunger strike on August 15 in an attempt to press for better imprisonment conditions, the paper claimed. There was no independent confirmation of that report. Meanwhile the High Court of Justice reportedly turned down a petition by Adalah, the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, demanding that the Israel Prisons Service be ordered to supply salt and fluids to hunger striking prisoners. The IPS has taken a series of measures against striking prisoners, which include the cessation of family visits, cigarettes and drinks supplies, The Jerusalem Post reported. Please visit News Agency at: http://www.bosnewslife.com Culture19313@blogcritics.org Wed, 1 Sep 2004 08:21:34 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/09/01/063659.php BosNewsLifeMOSCOW / BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife) -- At least ten people died and dozens were injured Tuesday, August 31, in a suicide bomb attack near Moscow's Rizhskaya metro station and the Krestovsky shopping mall, Russian officials said.Two cars caught fire after a female suicide bomber detonated an explosive device near the station, Bloomberg news agency quoted Federal Security Service Spokesman Sergei Ignatchenko as telling state-owned Rossiya television. "Eyewitnesses saw a woman walking toward the subway station," Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov said earlier on television, Bloomberg reported. "When the woman saw police checking documents near the station, she turned around and an explosion followed," Luzhkov reportedly said."It was a big load of explosive, equal to as much as a kilo of TNT," Luzhkov added. "The bomb was loaded with screws and other small metal objects." Russian officials said there were at least 33 people injured. There are three children among the injured, the Interfax news agency reported. BLAST AFTER CRASHESThe blast comes a week after two Russian passenger airplanes crashed simultaneously after explosions, killing all 89 aboard. Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly said the explosions were the work of terrorists linked to the al-Qaeda terrorist network. Some Russian officials have accused the network of maintaining close ties with rebels fighting for independence in Russia's troubled republic of Chechnya. The United States said it was "very concerned" about the bombings in Moscow, several media reported."We have seen the reports of bombings in Moscow just recently. Obviously we are very concerned about the situation," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher reportedly said at a news briefing. Russian government officials said a full scale investigation was now underway.AUTHOR: STEFAN J. BOS CONTRIBUTED TO THE REPORT You are Welcome to visit Intenet News Agency BosNewsLife at: http://www.bosnewslife.com Culture19307@blogcritics.org Wed, 1 Sep 2004 06:36:59 EDT