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COMMENTARY -- WAR -- (the news is directly below):
You have gone back in time and are standing in the midst of a lush ancient forest. You hear and see some large vegetarian dinosaurs feeding on the moist soft leaves of brush and trees. You also see skulking about like a cat after a mouse, other smaller dinosaurs with a lighter build about them trying to catch and eat even smaller dinosaurs. You also see small dinosaurs feeding on the vegetation. Suddenly you hear a loud screech which terrifies every creature in this setting and sends them running for fear. The screech is coming from a large version of the lighter built and fast moving dinosaur with teeth designed to rip and tear other animal flesh. It quickly moves up on the large vegetarian. It lacks the weight of the vegetarian it is pursuing but has more speed and agility. It's massive and powerful jaws are set into motion as it lunges upon the vegetarian and immediately draws blood as it rips and tears away at a vital spot. The vegetarian tries to defend itself by using its heavy tail to whack the aggressor but it was too slow this time in defending itself and it quickly weakened because of pain and loss of blood. Dizzy and in weakness it dropped to the ground and took its last breath. The aggressor ruthlessly tore away at the most tasty spots and then left the carcass for scavengers.
In the natural world this story describes the "food chain" and the "predatory" character of those creatures at the top of the food chain. The predatory behavior is driven by hunger and the instinct of the predator to feed and care for it's young. Although all animals have some kind of reasoning capability their instincts most often prevail and their reasoning is subordinate to these instincts to make them more effective at surviving.
How does this story relate to war? Is war wrong? Is war necessary? What is accomplished by war?
Mankind is to be above the animals, that is he should be exercising his reasoning capabilities over his instincts. But mankind often does not do that. Tribal behavior is something like wolf pack behavior. There is a kind of civilized order within the pack but anything outside the pack is considered fair game. There is usually a pack leader. In many ways, the societies and cultures and communities of mankind are like the pack where the reasoning capabilities of the individuals in the pack and the consensus of the pack is directed at serving the primitive instincts of survival.
Although man is more technically capable as he sits atop the food chain, many of the nations, societies, cultures, and communities of man are more predatory in character with leaders that know how to control the pack and maintain their control over the pack. If allowed, these predatory packs of mankind will act just like the predatory dinosaur. No amount of talk or reasoning will prevent the attack because the overall social behavior is predatory and reason is used to make the predatory behavior more successful. The only defense against such predators is to be both prepared and more capable if attacked. But often a defensive posture will fail as it did with the vegetarian dinosaur which was no threat to the other dinosaurs. Many animal packs that are vegetarian adopt defensive and preventative postures as a pack to minimize any predatory attack on members within the vegetarian pack. Buffalo, cattle, and many other animals do this.
But only mankind has two things the animals don't have. Man is smart enough to anticipate a predatory attack and respond in a defensive manoeuvre of defense to disable or kill the predatory enemy before the "screech" of death is heard. Man has the means and abilities to develop sophisticated weaponry. Compare this weaponry to the teeth of the attacking dinosaur and the tail of the vegetarian dinosaur.
But if a society or community of man is not aware of such dangers by other predatory type societies and communities then it peacefully and obliviously eats, drinks, sleeps, reproduces, plays, and in other ways occupies itself. When the "screech" of impending death is heard it may be too late. This is especially true if the predatory society has technological superiority and readiness to use that technology in an aggressive manner. This susceptibility scenario is also true if a society or community of man has been deceived into thinking that the predators are their friends or that arbitration, deals, and discourse will stop the aggression. Nothing will stop the predatory nation or community from its behavior other than its own destruction. A predatory human or human society is far more committed to violent aggression than is a predatory animal seeking a prey for a source of food. A predator is ruthless and uncaring whether it be a dinosaur, a wolf, or man. The "whimper" (or dialog to prevent aggression) that precedes death is understood by the predator as victory and the prey can be savaged. There are those that feel that a kind of social remedial exercise involving discourse, and various other forms of reward and penalty administered against the predatory society, by some powerful majority, will cause such predatory communities to change. This is foolishness as long as the pack leader remains leader. The leaders drive the communities. This is true even in western democratic nations. Sometimes leaders reflect the views of the community that elected them and perhaps leaders exploit the community that elected them.
When leaders have control of the key social institutions they can use these institutions to brain wash the community as a whole. If leaders don't have control of the key social institutions then new potential pack leaders can use these institutions to brain wash the community and thereafter supplant the pack leader. For example, often the educational institutions are infiltrated with authority figures that have a profound influence on those they teach. So it is not unusual in just about every society to see social discontent first voiced by universities and institutions of higher learning. The so called media in the form of newspapers, magazines, radio and TV industry, the publishing industry, and the movie industry are powerful means of brainwashing a society and re-engineering the "average" social mentality. A third category is the religious institutions, seminaries, and related organizations. Whoever controls the content of these institutions inevitably controls the pack mentality. Laws and government are derived from this mentality. As the mentality changes so also do the laws and inclinations of government.
As long as the average human being allows himself or herself to be herded along in a pack type social environment there will be predatory societies that feed on the other societies. They will skulk about and wait for their moment. They will form unholy and wicked alliances with each other only to eventually turn on one another. War in this context simply realigns those at the top of the food chain. War is for the purpose of establishing different leaders, it rarely occurs for the purpose of true peace and prosperity directed from a global perspective. Although the word peace is used a lot today its meaning varies depending upon who uses it. Peace as used by world leaders means the establishment of their objectives at the cost of their opponents. World leaders shake each others hands in such deceptive gestures of peace. It is a paradox. It is a horrible dilemma. If any society disarms, adopts arbitration and dialog to effect change then they will be perceived as manipulatable through that dialog. They will also be perceived by the potential aggressor as weak because they rely too heavily on a so called diplomatic solution to disputes. Meanwhile the predatory society or societies will take whatever gain they can through the dialog and when their moment comes, lunge, and with their mighty jaws and sharp teeth rip and tear away at the vulnerabilities of their prey.
Therefore, God must manipulate the devil who influences man towards predatory behavior. The devil incarnate is Anti-Christ. The Anti-Christ or Satan is any human being that uses their reasoning capabilities to serve their primitive instincts. By so doing they have opened up and turned over their mental "real estate" to the spiritual forces of darkness that bring only death. The spiritual force of evil is only able to influence the human mind through the mechanism of our primitive instincts for survival. If we lust and are preoccupied with the things and values of a world driven by such instincts then we have been deceived into a form of mental slavery that brings only hatred and death in its wake.
Jesus Christ is the answer. He is both an example of what we must be like as humans and he is the facilitator/mediator/interface whereby we can all know and experience the love/caring of God.
If you have any comments, questions, or concerns you can email this ministry at thilts@help-for-you.com
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Page 1
. . . Day by Day with VOA .. . . BBC -- Wednesday, 1 January, 2003, 13:54 GMT . 'Blood diamond'
scheme begins
.
Diamonds are easily
smuggled
The Kimberley Process aims at cracking down on the multi-billion dollar trade in the gemstones which have been mined in war zones.
But the lure of diamonds, for the unscrupulous, as an ideal repository of illicit wealth means the plan will undoubtedly encounter resistance. Small proportion Diamonds are a warlord's best friend. Although conflict gems represent only a small proportion - less than 5% - of all diamonds, it is no coincidence that wars have raged in diamond producing areas of Sierra Leone, Angola and Congo. Diamond mines themselves are fought over, but the gems also fuel conflict because they are a high-value, easily hidden commodity favoured by arms dealers, smugglers and criminals of all types.
The stones will be exported with a certificate saying they are conflict-free, issued by producing-country governments. The scheme is backed by development charities. Smuggling concerns Matthew Lockwood of Action Aid said: "The point to make about the scheme is that it will improve the situation for producing countries. "It's in the interests of producing countries to have a scheme which says that the diamond is modern, it's properly audited, and it's above board. "At the moment, not being able to say even how many diamonds are produced, let alone their sources, isn't in the interests of either the industry or the countries." But charities add that the scheme as currently envisaged is flawed because there will be no independent monitoring of the conflict-free certificates. They say that without tough independent monitoring to police the new laws, certificates could fall into the wrong hands, and smuggling will continue.
 . BBC -- Wednesday, 1 January, 2003, 19:15 GMT . Ivory Coast
rebels open new front
.
The front poses new
problems for the French troops
Their attack puts them behind the positions of French troops who have been stopping a rebel advance. The new front is 200 kilometres south of the existing areas of fighting. The new fighting takes the war into an area of Ivory Coast which had not been affected until now. Residents fleeing The rebels appear to have come across the Liberian border in the early hours of New Year's Day to attack a palm oil plantation, taking its vehicles and fuel. People are leaving the area.
The rebels are now just 200 kilometres by road from San Pedro, the second biggest port in Ivory Coast. In normal years, one-fifth of the world's cocoa, the raw material of chocolate, is shipped from there. Since newer rebel groups first appeared in the west of the country a month ago, they have been saying they are heading to San Pedro and then on to the main city Abidjan. That advance had been halted by French soldiers who set up positions to stop the western rebels moving deeper into government territory from where they originally appeared. 'Civilians dead' The older and larger rebel group in the north of the country says a village near to the city they call their headquarters has been attacked by a government helicopter gunship. The rebels say six civilians are dead and more are missing in a nearby lake. The French troops who are also monitoring the ceasefire between the original rebels and the government are investigating the claims. In a New Year's Eve speech to the nation, the president of Ivory Coast, Laurent Gbagbo, has again urged the rebels to lay down their arms. But he has given no more details of a 10 point peace plan he is proposing despite having said he would present it to his people. . BBC -- Wednesday, 1 January, 2003, 18:34 GMT . Brazil swears
in new president
.
Lula and Alencar waved
to crowds from their Rolls Royce Brazil's working class hero Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been sworn
in as president.
There were chaotic scenes as he arrived for the ceremony, with thousands of people breaking through roadside security barriers. Legislators greeted the new leader by shouting "Ole, ole, ole, ola Lula" and singing the national anthem, after he and his vice-president Jose Alencar took the oath of office. In his inauguration speech, Brazil's first left-wing president for 40 years promised a radical change of direction. "Society has decided it is time to go down new paths," he said.
Convoys of buses and cars from all over the country have been pouring into the city throughout the day for what Lula has described as a "party for the people". Organisers were expecting crowds of 150,000 for the inauguration. Lula was swept into power by 61% of the electorate in October, on a promise to "transform Brazil". The ceremony brought together eight presidents, three prime ministers and a total of 300 foreign dignitaries from 110 delegations. Fellow leftists Cuban President Fidel Castro and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, who is facing a political crisis at home, were the most prominent guests. Pandemonium Lula drove to the inauguration in an open-topped Rolls Royce, waving to cheering supporters and flanked by white-uniformed cavalrymen.
But there was pandemonium as thousands of people broke through barriers and rushed across the grassy bank outside the parliament, the National Congress, where the inauguration was taking place. Many watched the ceremony on large screens that had been put up around the city, despite increasingly heavy rain. Celebrations throughout the day resembled those usually associated with Brazil's World Cup soccer victories, with well-wishers driving down the city's wide avenues honking horns and dancing in a sea of colour. The green and yellow of the Brazilian flag mixed with the deep red of Lula's leftist Workers' Party. Hours before the main event, pop groups staged a huge open-air concert in a park set aside for the inauguration. Local musical superstar Gilberto Gil, who is to serve as Lula's culture minister, kicked off with chants of "Viva Lula!". Our correspondent says there is a general feeling of optimism that Lula can bring about social change in Brazil. "There has never been a popular outpouring like this for a president and that is because he is a worker," 45-year-old Ana Lucia Marques da Silva, from Lula's home state of Pernambuco, told Reuters news agency. But Lula's promise to end hunger and economic misery comes amid signs that times could get even tougher for many Brazilians. Difficult times ahead Shoppers have recently seen price increases for basic products such as food and fuel.
In a nationally televised address last week, he warned of difficult times ahead, and suggested he might not fulfil his campaign promises in his first four-year term. Lula's presidency will end eight years of government by Fernando Henrique Cardoso. An academic, President Cardoso has been popular for bringing a decade of unprecedented stability to a country which was a military dictatorship 20 years ago. But our correspondent says Lula is something quite different to previous presidents, all of whom were born into privilege. The bearded 57-year-old former metalworker grew up in poverty and made his name as a fiery union leader in the 1970s before helping to found the Workers' Party. But now he has toned down his radical image and appealed for consensus in building a new Brazil. . BBC -- Wednesday, 1 January, 2003, 14:24 GMT . Pakistan
police burn 'obscene' material
.
Police burnt
thousands of items in the city's main park
Police in Pakistan's North-west Frontier Province have burnt thousands of items considered to be pornographic as part of a drive against obscenity. A public bonfire was organised in Peshawar's Jinnah Park to destroy the material which included Indian and English films, posters, "sex tonics", or aphrodisiacs and medicines. Police officials said cassettes and other material were voluntarily handed over to them by video sellers. The provincial police chief, Saeed Ahmed Khan, said the video sellers have been given a 15 January deadline to hand in all such material. Those failing to meet the deadline have been warned of strict action. Ban Peshawar police had made special arrangements on New Year's eve not to allow revellers on the streets. No arrests were made as most of the people spent the night indoors. No music shows or parties were allowed.
Its members include supporters of Afghanistan's ousted Taleban regime. The MMA campaigned on promises to enforce Islamic Sharia law and efforts for the withdrawal of US forces in Pakistan in the campaign against international terrorism. Since coming to power, the province's Chief Minister, Akram Khan Durrani, has launched a drive against obscenity. The crackdown includes a campaign against gambling, pornographic and unlicensed cinemas, and reinforcement of an existing ban on alcohol. . BBC -- Wednesday, 1 January, 2003, 10:51 GMT . In
pictures: New Year celebrations
. The arrival of 2003 has been greeted by parties around the globe -
from the top of the world's tallest building in Kuala Lumpur to strife-torn
Ivory Coast.
Fireworks lit up the Athens sky over the Parthenon as the clock
struck midnight Revellers on the Champs Elysees in Paris celebrated the customary
way... ... while in India's Lucknow, women prepared a less traditional
greeting An Ivorian woman's hat declares "Curfew or not we're celebrating"
while food is on the mind of this Lebanese family But in South Korea, the new year brought reminders of families split
by the Korean War Skydivers leapt from the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur in 2002
- and landed in 2003 In New York, a blizzard of red, white and blue confetti greeted 2003
as Times Square hosted its 99th new year party A few hours earlier, Sydney Harbour Bridge erupted in a huge
fireworks display
. BBC -- Wednesday, 1 January, 2003, 15:02 GMT . Pope
calls for Middle East peace
.
The Pope
delivered a forceful message Pope John Paul II has used his New Year message to appeal for peace
in the Middle East.
"The tragic and long-lasting tension in which this Middle Eastern region finds itself, makes more urgent the search for a positive solution to the fratricidal and senseless conflict that has been bloodying it for too long," he said.
Thousands of people gathered in St Peter's Basilica, Rome, to hear the Pope deliver a homily marking the Roman Catholic Church's World Day of Peace. He presided over mass rather than celebrating it, which would have meant more standing and moving around. "How not to look at that holy place where Jesus was born with anxiety and sorrow? Bethlehem, the Holy Land," the Pope said. "How not to express once more the wish that, on the part of those who are in charge, everything is made for peaceful solutions to the several tensions under way to be found, particularly in the Middle East, so as to prevent further suffering to those people who have already gone through so much? May human solidarity and law prevail. "In the face of today's conflicts and the menacing tensions of the moment, yet again I invite prayer to pursue peaceful means for settlement. International law "Today, as in the past, despite serious and repeated attempts to upset the peace and harmony of peoples living together, peace is possible and necessary." The Vatican's position on the Iraq crisis is that a solution must be found based on international law and using the United Nations. The Pope later repeated his message during his weekly Angelus address before thousands of people packed into St Peter's Square. Correspondents say the pontiff seemed in good shape despite his battle with arthritis and Parkinson's disease. In a message released on 17 December in advance of the World Day of Peace, the Pope urged world leaders to defuse the situation in the Middle East and said they would be held accountable for their actions. . BBC -- Wednesday, 1 January, 2003, 09:56 GMT . Cocaine kills brain's 'pleasure' cells
.
Scientists
explain cocaine addicts' cravings Repeated cocaine use damages, or even kills, the very brain cells
that trigger the "high" users experience, scientists have
found.
The drug damages key cells in the brain's pleasure centre. The researchers say their findings could help explain the process of addiction and could even lead to the development of anti-addiction drugs. It could also improve understanding of other disorders which involve the same brain cells, such as depression. Pleasure Researchers from the University of Michigan Health System and the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System looked at post-mortem brain samples from 35 cocaine users and 35 non-drug users.
The researchers looked at dopamine levels and the amount of a protein called VMAT2 present. Levels of both were lower in cocaine users, and especially so in those who had been depressed. Craving Karley Little, who led the research, said: "This is the clearest evidence to date that the specific neurons cocaine interacts with don't like it and are disturbed by the drug's effects." Pleasurable feelings or sensations are triggered by the release of dopamine in the brain, helping drive people to eat, feel emotions and reproduce, as well as in drug highs. The dopamine system is involved in the urge to repeat pleasurable experiences, which scientists say could help explain addicts' cravings. The first time someone takes cocaine, it blocks the process which sends dopamine back to its home cells after it has triggered the pleasurable sensation. The chemical then builds up in the junction between the cells, sending the pleasure signals over and over again, creating the "high" cocaine users feel. The long-term effects of cocaine use could also explain users' decreased motivation, stunted emotions and difficulty weaning themselves off the drug, they said. Dopamine cells die off over a person's lifetime, and severe damage is a hallmark of Parkinson's disease causing a loss of control over movement. The research is published in the American Journal of Psychiatry. . BBC -- Wednesday, 1 January, 2003, 12:53 GMT . Bangladesh war secrets revealed
.
The 1971
war led to the creation of Bangladesh
The papers show that the US administration believed that India was about to dismember Pakistan. The papers include secret transcripts of a summit meeting between the US and British leaders in December that year. US President Richard Nixon and UK Prime Minister Edward Heath met in Bermuda as India and Pakistan fought their third war since gaining independence. The papers relating to that war which resulted in the creation of Bangladesh, were released on Wednesday at the Public Record Office in London. Cabinet pressures This was the war that saw the break up of Pakistan's two separate territories, the flight of hundreds of thousands of refugees into India and then the birth of the new state of Bangladesh.
Beyond South Asia, many people saw it as a freedom struggle in which India played a helpful role against an oppressive military hierarchy in West Pakistan, led by General Yahya Khan. But the transcripts of talks between the Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, and Mr Heath, and of the Heath-Nixon summit in Bermuda, show it was more than that. Mrs Gandhi, on a visit to Britain, told Mr Heath of the pressure in her cabinet for her to take Pakistani territory and not return it. India, she said, had seen Pakistan tying itself to China and now the United States also was establishing links with China. Nixon's friendly overtures to the Chinese, and their closeness to Pakistan, she said, had made it necessary for India to sign a treaty with the Soviet Union. Grim suspicions Meanwhile, Yahya Khan was also seeking British support.
He wrote to Mr Heath outlining the Indian military build-up near Pakistani territory, which included seven army divisions confronting West Pakistan and eight near East Pakistan. He also wrote about the deployment by India of comparable air force and naval threats. The offensive posture adopted by India pointed in the direction of conflict, he wrote, not of peace. The other papers, from the Bermuda summit, reinforce that position and highlight US fears. They show that President Nixon and his foreign affairs adviser, Henry Kissinger, suspected India of scheming not just the separation of East Pakistan, but the break-up of West Pakistan and even moves against the Pakistani side of Kashmir. Threatening posture Nixon told the British that Mrs Gandhi was being steered by the Soviets, in response to the building of ties between Pakistan and China.
And Mr Kissinger said Nixon had secretly contacted the Soviet leadership to seek an assurance it would restrain India from breaking up West Pakistan. But it was only after the American Seventh Fleet took up a threatening posture offshore that the promise was forthcoming. The outcome, as the world knows, was the creation of Bangladesh, ruled by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and the temporary eclipse of military government in West Pakistan. Mr Rahman was the civilian politician who had been jailed by General Yahya Khan. . BBC -- Wednesday, 1 January, 2003, 10:57 GMT . Mixed messages for mobiles
.
Now you
can get lots of gadgets for your mobile
This was supposed to be the year that third-generation (3G) mobile phone services were due to start. By now, many of us were supposed to have signed up for these futuristic services that turn your handset into something that does much more than let you talk while you walk. Instead, 2002 has been a year that had more disappointments than delights for phone makers and mobile network operators. Message waiting Ben Wood, senior analyst at research firm Gartner, said one of the big changes was that mobile phone firms have stopped selling 3G as something revolutionary. Instead, he said, they are pushing it as the next step for phone users sending multimedia messages and pictures.
Instead of competing for new customers by aggressive pricing and advertising campaigns, operators are now concentrating on getting more out of existing customers. The other explanation for this is that Britain's mobile phone market is saturated and any result any effort to make people change to a new phone is unlikely to be successful. Operators have quietly been updating existing networks to handle much more data. With this infrastructure in place, the operators have started trying to get people to update their phones to be able to handle these multimedia messages. Costly choice But there is no guarantee that customers will be any more likely to adopt new services on existing networks than they would 3G services. Currently handsets that can take pictures, such as the SonyEricsson T68i, Nokia 7650 and the Sharp GX10, are expensive. Often users buying them have to sign up other services to get the most out of them that can add quite a lot to monthly bills. Picture messaging is currently free on most UK networks as the operators attempt to persuade people to use it. Another limiting factor in their take-up is the fact that on most networks, customers who pay-as-they-go cannot use them. Mr Wood said that voice calls and text messaging will continue to provide most of the revenue for mobile phone operators for some time to come.
Even if multimedia messaging does start to be used it is likely that people will continue to send far more text messages than they will pictures or sounds. The success of multimedia handsets could also mean further delays to the launch of 3G services. This is because as the price of a handset goes up, the longer it is before customers are keen to swap it for another phone. Statistics suggest that anyone buying a new handset now for multimedia services will be unlikely to change it for 18-24 months. Profitable times What is clear is that phones that have diaries, notepads and cameras built-in are likely to triumph over handheld computers that have a phone added to them. This could well dent the ambitions of companies such as Microsoft which are struggling to break into the world mobile market. In November Sendo, Microsoft's key partner in the development of its smart phone, dropped development of the device and declared its support for Nokia. But the one company that cannot afford to wait much longer to launch its 3G service in the UK is Hutchison. Of the five firms that bought a 3G license, Hutchison is the only one with no pre-existing network and no UK customers. Originally it planned to launch its 3G service, imaginatively called 3, earlier this year. Now the start date has been pushed back to early 2003 even though the marketing campaign for 3 has already begun. For many operators 2002 has ended on a better note than it started. Last year some operators were reporting record losses and looked like they would struggle to meet debt commitments. But now companies such as Vodafone and Orange have reported healthy profits and handset makers say sales are holding up. 2003 is going to be an interesting year. . BBC -- Wednesday, 1 January, 2003, 16:42 GMT . Blair 'avoiding' tough issues at home
.
Blair
said terrorism and Europe were key challenges Tony Blair has been criticised for issuing a
gloomy New Year forecast about threats to Britain from international terrorism
and the troubled world economy.
The Conservatives have accused the UK Prime Minister of trying to divert attention from domestic problems.
But the deputy leader of the Conservative party, Michael Ancram, said voters were more interested in Labour's "failure to deliver" on the domestic front. These included "crises" in the health service, schools, law and order and pensions, he said. "I do get a faint feeling that he is trying to divert attention away on to the international side... from all the problems there are going to be domestically for him." Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy urged Mr Blair to ensure that UN inspectors had time to establish the truth about Iraq's weapons programmes, before taking any decision on military action. He also urged him to "pay more attention to what is happening here at home".
In his speech, Mr Blair said the government was determined to tackle its problems head-on. "I cannot recall a time when Britain was confronted, simultaneously, by such a range of difficult and, in some cases, dangerous problems," he said.
He cited his "twin concerns" as world security and the world economy, but said Britain was "well placed" to cope. Mr Blair said: "Whether we survive and prosper or decline in the face of this insecurity depends crucially on the political decisions Britain now takes." He said the UK's leading role in the war on terror did not mark it out as a particular target for al-Qaeda. "The only way to stop being a target is to stop the terrorists," he said. President Saddam Hussein must be disarmed because failure to do so "would make the world a very dangerous place in the future". "If he does not seize it he will have to be disarmed by force," said Mr Blair. Failures admitted On Europe, Mr Blair said Britain must continue to play a leading role, and joining the euro was Britain's most key decision for a generation.
At home, Mr Blair said public sector investment must continue. "Real progress" had been made in improving health and education. But he accepted there had been failures in transport, too little capacity in the NHS, too many failing secondary schools and poor conviction rates for criminals. The speech was written before he headed off for a Christmas break to Egypt. . UN Inspectors Continue Search for Banned Weapons . . . Without stopping for a New Year's Day break, United Nations inspectors on Wednesday continued their hunt for Iraq's suspected banned weapons. For its part, Iraq has called on fellow Arab countries to follow North Korea's defiance of the United States. U.N. inspectors visited at least three sites on Wednesday, including one that oversees development and production of weapons and ammunitions. In an effort to step up their activities, U.N. sources say the experts will soon take to the air, using helicopters to carry out inspections. On Saturday, they will set up a permanent base in the northern town of Mosul to facilitate their work in north Iraq. Meanwhile, Baghdad has launched the new year with a call to fellow Arabs to take North Korea's lead in defying the United States. Iraq's Babel newspaper, which is run by Saddam Hussein's eldest son, Uday, said Arabs need to follow the example of North Korea, which last month revived its nuclear program, and mobilize in order to stop an attack on Iraq. Despite the difference in forces between Pyongyang and Washington, the paper said, North 'Korea insists on its right to possess a technology used by the United States' during World War II. The paper accused the United States of using its own nuclear capability to bully the world. On Tuesday, President Bush expressed the hope that the crises with Iraq and North Korea could be resolved peacefully, but he warned Baghdad would face military strikes unless it cooperates fully with U.N. inspectors. Washington said Iraq has given the United Nations an "incomplete" declaration of its weapons programs and believes it is continuing to hide illegal weapons. U.N. sources say inspections in Iraq have gone smoothly so far since they restarted in late November, after a four year gap. But Iraqi officials have in recent days complained about the behavior of the inspectors. Baghdad has invited chief U.N. arms inspector Hans Blix to visit and review its cooperation before inspectors report to the Security Council at the end of the month.
. Blast Rips Through Crowd in Philippines . . . A blast ripped through a crowd in the southern Philippine city of Tacurong on New Year's Eve, killing nine and injuring at least thirty others. Police have not yet identified who is responsible for the attack, which comes amid heightened security for New Year celebrations. Authorities in the city of Tacurong on Mindanao island say a hand grenade was tossed into a crowd near stalls selling fireworks. The explosion Tuesday evening killed nine people. Alon Onting is a military spokesman in the southern Philippines. He says that investigators are trying to track down the perpetrator but he will not say if the military suspects Muslim separatists. Observers, however, say suspicion has fallen on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a group that many think is behind at least five attacks over the past two weeks. At least 30 people have died in those attacks. The group, also known as the MILF, has been fighting for decades to establish a separate Muslim state in the southern Philippines. Farouk Hussin, a Muslim leader in Mindanao, says that MILF splinter groups might be trying to derail scheduled negotiations between authorities and MILF leaders. "Even among the MILF there are elements, or renegade groups, trying to sabotage the peace process," he says. "So for all we know maybe these are the groups carrying out such criminal activities." Peace negotiations between the MILF and government were suspended in October 2001. They are set to resume in Malaysia later this month.
. Chechen Officials Criticize Acquittal of Russian Officer . . .
The deputy head of Chechnya's pro-Russian administration says the case of Colonel Yuri Budanov may only increase abuses against civilians in the war-torn region. Taus Dzhabrailov said Chechens will now lose faith that justice will be done in future cases involving military personnel in Chechnya. On Tuesday, a military court in the southern Russia city of Rostov-on-Don ruled that Colonel Yuri Budanov was insane at the time he strangled 18-year-old Elza Kungayeva. During the trial Mr. Budanov said he killed the young woman during a military interrogation. He claimed he was "in a fit of rage" because he believed she was a sniper who had killed some of his men. However the woman's family says she was actually dragged from her home at night, raped and then killed. The case is considered a litmus test for the Kremlin's attempts to show that abuses by Russian officers in Chechnya won't be tolerated. Human rights groups have long documented cases of rape, torture and murder by Russian troops in the breakaway republic, where a separatist war has been raging for most of the past 8 years. Psychiatrists originally determined that Mr. Budanov was sane at the time of the crime. However his lawyers ultimately managed to obtain more tests that found that he was insane, and the judge ruled he should be sent to a hospital for treatment rather than to prison. Russia's commissioner for human rights has also criticized the ruling, says it sends the wrong signal about how Russia deals with abuses committed by the military.
. Cyclone Zoe Devastates Polynesian Island . . .
Cyclone Zoe passed directly over the tiny island, part of the Solomon Islands, on Sunday. The storm had winds that topped 300 kilometers an hour. Two other nearby islands also were hit. The three South Pacific islands have a combined population of around 2,000 people. Contact with them has been cut off since Saturday. Solomon Islands authorities say they fear many of the residents may have died in the storm. Mr. Mackley, an independent filmmaker from New Zealand, flew over Tikopia early Wednesday. The island has no airstrip, so his plane could not land. He says he saw about 20 people wave as the plane flew by. The islands are about one thousand kilometers from the capital of the Solomon Islands, Honiara. Even in the best of times, contact is sporadic. The islands have no telephones, and usually residents communicate with the rest of the world by radio. A boat carrying relief supplies has not yet left Honiara, apparently because the Solomons' government is nearly bankrupt and there has not been enough money to start the voyage. An Australian military plane also was scheduled to fly over the islands, later Wednesday, to assess the damage.
. Da Silva Inaugurated as Brazil's President . . Brazil's newest president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has been sworn into office two months after being elected in a landslide victory. Tens of thousands of people cheered after the 57-year-old leftist politician and former labor leader was inaugurated Wednesday. Leaders and representatives from around the world, including Cuban President Fidel Castro and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, attended the ceremony in Brasilia. Inaugural festivities for the public are happening in the capital. The new Brazilian president is an elementary (primary) school dropout and worked shining shoes as a boy. He rose from poverty in Brazil to become a prominent labor leader who launched three unsuccessful bids for president before clinching victory in October. Mr. da Silva, of Brazil's Workers Party, won 61 percent of the vote in October's runoff election. His closest rival, government-backed candidate Jose Serra, received 39 percent support. President da Silva has promised to honor Brazil's financial commitments, keep inflation down and maintain fiscal stability. He says his administration will work with the International Monetary Fund to stabilize Brazil's finances. He has also pledged to create jobs and eliminate hunger. Mr. da Silva, known widely as "Lula," has warned that difficult times are ahead for the country, and suggested he may not be able to fulfill his campaign promises during a single four-year term. He succeeded Fernando Henrique Cardoso. Brazil is battling high inflation and struggling with foreign debt totaling some $260 billion. In September, the IMF extended a $30 billion loan to Brazil to stabilize the economy amid uncertainty surrounding the election.
. Israeli-Arab Politician Banned from Elections . . .
In a close vote in the early morning hours Wednesday, the election commission barred Knesset member Azmi Bishara and his Balad party from running in the January 28 legislative elections. The commission is made up of representatives of political parties, but dominated by conservatives. Some lawmakers accuse Mr. Bishara of supporting the armed Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation and of advocating the destruction of the state of Israel. Mr. Bishara says he has never condoned violence, but does support and has spoken out in favor of the right of people to resist occupation.
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It's in the interests
of producing countries to have a scheme which says that the diamond is... above
board 
