Click here to view this media This video, shot in real time as the tsunami rolled into Sendai, is amazing. There’s not much to add to it other than amazement that anyone had the presence of mind to keep the video on while running from a wall of water. If you don’t get chills when they’re in the stairwell, well…I don’t believe you. I think you did get chills.
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US president expected to visit shantytown that inspired film as part of bridge-building tour of Latin America When the world’s most powerful man touches down in Rio this weekend he will receive a handwritten letter from a man called José. “To his excellency, the president of the republic of the United States of America,” it will read. “Felicitations for the happy idea of coming to see our great nation and above all the City of God. Signed, José Neves.” Neves is an 80-year-old community leader from the City of God, a shantytown in western Rio de Janeiro which gave its name to Fernando Meirelles’s 2002 blockbuster movie. And on Sunday he is expecting a visit from Barack Obama, who is tipped to visit the favela as part of a five-day bridge-building tour of Latin America intended to bolster the US’s shrinking regional influence against an economic and diplomatic offensive from China. After visiting the favela, Obama is scheduled to make a speech in central Rio, before continuing on to Chile and El Salvador. Obama will call for a rapprochement between Brasilia and Washington, a partnership that soured because of ties between Brazil’s former president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. With Lula in power, western diplomats in Brasilia described an Obama visit as virtually inconceivable. Brazil’s new president, Dilma Rousseff, who took power in January, appears open to reconciliation. In a rare post-election interview with the Washington Post she vowed to “try to forge closer ties with the US” and spoke out against human rights abuses in Iran. Neves, a retired policeman and proud Afro-Brazilian, will need little convincing. In his ground-floor office in Bible Square, rumoured to be on Obama’s itinerary, he keeps a giant US flag. “I followed [Obama's] election on TV – for the first time a black man took a step up,” he beamed. “We’ll be glad to receive him. He is president of a great nation that is our friend.” The US is no longer the only great nation in town. Recent years have seen the Chinese make big strides into Latin America – China overtook the US as Brazil’s top trade partner in 2009 and is pouring billions into oil, mining, infrastructure and agriculture to secure access to its natural resources. In Washington, alarm bells are ringing. US officials deny the visit is directly intended to counter the Chinese advance but White House adviser Ben Rhodes admitted it was “imperative that the United States [did] not disengage from these regions”. “There’s a cost to disengagement,” he said. Daniel Restrepo, Obama’s leading adviser on Latin America, said the trip would highlight “the importance of the region” and “the restoration of American influence and appeal in the Americas”. For Rio’s governors the visit represents a marketing coup as they battle to revive the city’s international reputation as a safe, business-friendly metropolis. The City of God is one of more than 20 favelas that have been “pacified” in a security initiative aimed at driving heavily armed drug traffickers from the slums before the 2016 Rio Olympics. “It was terrible before,” Neves recalled. “The kids would come out of school and they would all be stood there with shotguns and revolvers. Obama wouldn’t have even considered coming to the City of God back then.” Even now, he is taking no chances. Obama will reportedly travel to the favela in a missile and gas-proof Cadillac, flanked by special forces operatives. A no-fly zone will be imposed by the Brazilian air force. Neves said he had even spotted “the FBI” inspecting his favela. “They are big,” he whispered. “And very strong.” Barack Obama Brazil US foreign policy Tom Phillips guardian.co.uk
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Older females portrayed as sexless while homosexuals and ethnic minorities also suffer, says extensive survey of opinion Films are perpetuating harmful and out-of-date sexual, racial and gender stereotypes, according to the biggest-ever study of its kind into cinema audiences’ opinions. Of 4,315 adults across the UK who were surveyed, a clear majority believe cinema too often falls back on discredited stereotypes, including sexless older women, drug dealing, oversexualised black people and gay people whose lives are dominated by their sexuality. Almost two-thirds of those questioned believe older women are “significantly underrepresented” in films. They are rarely portrayed as sexual beings and are, generally, only given marginal roles, according to the findings, published exclusively in the Guardian today. Respondents said film-makers needed to try harder to create films which authentically reflected their lives. “The film industry is made up of small companies who work in an isolated fashion. They don’t have the money to carry out the research into who their audiences are and what those audiences want: that’s what this survey is for,” said Mary FitzPatrick, head of diversity at the UK Film Council, which commissioned the research. The survey results pointed to Meryl Streep in Mamma Mia! as a positive example of an older woman shown embracing life. Characters such as Dame Judi Dench in Notes on a Scandal, however, were criticised for being too negative. “Contrary to what one would expect, older women are increasingly comfortable with the ‘cougar’ image: they feel it signifies renewed interest and admiration for this age group,” said Steve Evans, research director of Harris Interactive and author of the report, pointing to Melissa Leo, who won the supporting-actress Academy Award for her role as a domineering matriarch in The Fighter. But Ariel Levy, author of Female Chauvinist Pigs, said the structure of films made it “almost impossible” to show nuanced, accurate portrayals of women. “Films are very formulaic and straitjacketed,” she said. “Films are fairytales that, unless they have an unusually politically astute and creatively imaginative director, need to fall back on often insulting gender and racial archetypes to generate the energy necessary in the short amount of time they have.” Shirley Conran, author of Superwoman, said she had long given up expecting films to portray older women in anything other than a “grotesque” way. She agreed with Levy that the problem was inherent in the film industry. “They always say there are no good parts for women but there are lots of stories with great female characters. I have written some of them myself, and had them optioned by film companies,” she said. “The problem is that the money men won’t let those films get made because they underestimate audiences.” The study, Portrayal vs Betrayal?, also found half the population believe black characters are too often portrayed as drug dealers in films. Two in five say black characters don’t get enough “good guy” roles, while one in three say black people are too often portrayed as being overly sexual. This view is felt even more intensely by the black community itself: four out of five members of the black audience say black characters are too often portrayed as drug dealers. Three out of four say they are not portrayed positively enough. Two out of three say they are too often shown as overly sexual. This is England attracted particular criticism as “irresponsible film-making that suggests racism is OK”. “There is a general consensus that black people are underrepresented in UK cinema and where they are featured it tends to be in a negative light,” said Evans. “The overwhelming view is that black people are generally portrayed as drug dealers, wearing hoodies, actively involved in gangs and living in sink estates. They rarely have regular, professional jobs.” Heavy criticism is made of TV programmes, including EastEnders, Coronation Street and Shameless. Films including Adulthood and Kidulthood were singled out as painting the most stereotypical pictures of multicultural youth and black people in particular. “There is nothing inspiring about these films and they do nothing to suggest to people that they can get out of the situation they are in,” said Evans. Two in five of respondents agree that characters from ethnic minorities are often cast in films as a token gesture. Half of those aged 16 to 24 agree with this. One in three say roles for minority groups too often have little depth and are poorly written. Just under half believe that Asian characters are too often portrayed as having family conflicts. More than half of the younger age group agree with both these statements. Stories focusing on the working classes were too often depressing, according to over half the general population, with one in three believing the portrayal of the middle class is too “sweet”. Eastern Europeans are shown as being ill-educated and at the bottom of the economic ladder – a new potential stereotype. Two in three of respondents agree that gay characters are too often portrayed with sexual orientation as their main trait. Three in five say they are too often shown as being “camp”. Among the gay, lesbian and bisexual population, those views are held by four out of five people. “Film is often two large strides behind TV in terms of advancing positive depictions of lesbian and gay people,” said Ruth Hunt, Stonewall’s Director of Public Affairs. “Films rarely incorporate positive lesbian and gay characters and storylines.” Evans said the research pointed to “societal disconnect” with the gay audience. “While UK society claims not to be homophobic, in reality gay men feel society is not comfortable with seeing open homosexual relations on screen,” he said. Gender Women Gay rights Race issues Amelia Hill guardian.co.uk
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Ashley Mitchell broke into Zynga’s mainframe, transferred chips from employees to himself and sold them through Facebook A British computer hacker who stole 400bn virtual gaming chips from an international gaming company has been jailed for two years. Ashley Mitchell, 29, broke into the Zynga mainframe, stole the identity of two employees and transferred chips said to be worth more than £7m to himself. Mitchell, of Paignton, Devon, sold the chips through Facebook to other gaming enthusiasts and used the money to fund his online gambling addiction. More than 50 million people a day play Zynga games , including Mafia Wars, in which players run a virtual mob business, and FarmVille, which allows users to create their dream farm. Players have to buy chips for their virtual worlds. A black market in cut-price chips has grown up on the internet. Mitchell, a former council accounts clerk, made £53,612 in two months after selling about a third of the chips. But James Taghdissian, prosecuting, told Exeter crown court that Zynga put its loss at $12m (£7m). “That is what they estimate they would have lost if all the chips were successfully sold on,” he said. He said the company became aware in August 2009 that large amounts of chips were vanishing and suspected the two employees whose identities Mitchell had adopted. However, investigators then realised the system had been hacked and narrowed the search to Paignton. Mitchell’s neighbours had their computers seized because he was “piggy-backing” on their unsecured Wi-Fi connections. Mitchell was eventually identified because he used his own Facebook profile during one of his attempts to hack into the system. Taghdissian said: “It was clear there had been a systematic approach adopted in probing and accessing Zynga. Checks on [Mitchell's] bank account showed at this time he bought items including a Rolex watch and was also spending money on online gambling.” “He made determined and repeated efforts to attack Zynga’s systems. He succeeded and transferred 400bn chips and sold them to realise a substantial profit.” Ben Darby, defending, said the loss to Zynga was impossible to quantify because the chips were virtual and the company could create as many as it wants. He said Mitchell had enjoyed little benefit and spent most of the proceeds on online gambling on other sites that use real money. He said: “Gambling had complete control of his life.” He said his client was now an internet entrepreneur with his own Facebook poker site called Gambino, which could earn him more than £100,000 a year. Mitchell admitted computer misuse and four counts of money laundering and asked for 41 similar cases to be considered. He was also sentenced to 30 weeks for breaching a 40-week suspended sentence imposed in 2008 for hacking into the computer system of Torbay council, where he once worked. Judge Philip Wassall told him: “The dishonesty in this case was substantial and protracted. Online security is a priority for everyone these days. “You deprived Zynga of income. It is quite clear you used a considerable degree of expertise and persistence to hack into the system. “It is a considerable aggravating feature that someone hacks into systems in this way when so much business and personal finance is done using electronic means. “From internet banking to major international transactions, people rely on the security of systems and anyone who comes before the courts who has gone through these security systems from their own ends can expect custody. “The sentence has to reflect the impact on public confidence in security systems and online business when someone breaches security in this way.” Hacking Games Facebook Crime Gambling Steven Morris guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Obama tells Gaddafi to withdraw from rebel strongholds or face air strikes
March 18, 2011 No Comment
• Libyan leader declares ceasefire after UN resolution • PM vows ‘this is not Iraq’ but does not rule out ground troops • Rebels jubilant in Benghazi but fear for a divided nation Muammar Gaddafi has been handed a “non-negotiable ultimatum” by Barack Obama to accept an immediate ceasefire, pull back from Libyan rebel strongholds and permit humanitarian assistance – or face the full onslaught of UN-endorsed air strikes. In an attempt to reassure Middle East opinion and his own domestic audience, Obama said the US would help to co-ordinate a no-fly-zone, but not lead an operation that will include French, British and Arab jets. The US president issued his warning after Gaddafi’s foreign minister, Moussa Koussa, claimed he would accept a ceasefire in the wake of the UN security council resolution passed late on Thursday night authorising “all necessary measures short of an occupation force” to protect civilians. In a stark message, Obama said: “Muammar Gaddafi has a choice. The resolution that was passed lays out very clear conditions that must be met. The United States, the United Kingdom, France and Arab states agree that a ceasefire must be implemented immediately.” He said this meant: • All attacks against civilians must stop. • Gaddafi must stop his troops from advancing on the rebel stronghold Benghazi, and pull them back from Ajdabiya, Misrata and Zawiya. • Gaddafi must establish water, electricity and gas supplies to all areas. • Humanitarian assistance must be allowed to reach the people of Libya. “Let me be clear: these terms are not negotiable. These terms are not subject to negotiation. If Gaddafi does not comply with the resolution the international community will impose consequences and the resolution will be enforced through military action.” David Cameron warned: “We will judge him [Gaddafi] by his actions and not by his words. What is absolutely clear is the UN security council resolution said he must stop what he is doing – brutalising his people. If not, all necessary measures can follow to make him stop.” The next stage of the international response will be co-ordinated at an emergency conference in Paris, including Cameron, Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, and the leading Arab states that have formed an ad hoc coalition to reverse the Gaddafi advance. It is likely French and British fighter jets will be flying over Libya by Saturday night unless Gaddafi produces more convincing evidence that he has pulled back. Some as yet unidentified Arab states will join the air enforcement. Cameron said he had already ordered British Tornado and Typhoon fighter jets to be deployed to bases in the region, along with air-refuelling equipment. The prime minister said: “This is not another Iraq. There will be no foreign occupation of Libya.” He maintained that military action would be in the national interest. “If Gaddafi’s attacks on his own people succeed, Libya will become once again a pariah state, festering on Europe’s border, a source of instability, exporting strife beyond her borders. A state from which literally hundreds of thousands of citizens could seek to escape, putting huge pressure on us in Europe. “We cannot stand back and let a dictator whose people have rejected him kill his people indiscriminately. To do so would send a chilling signal to others.” Cameron revealed that he had given his cabinet time to read legal advice from the attorney general, Dominic Grieve, setting out why a no-fly zone and other actions will be lawful. The cabinet was also addressed by the chief of the defence staff, Sir David Richards. A summary of the legal advice will be handed to MPs on Monday when they will be asked to vote on a substantive motion to support military action. Cameron won wide praise in the Commons, including support from the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, for his role in securing diplomatic support for a no-fly zone after it looked as if Britain and France were going to be left isolated. But the prime minister has been ambiguous about the extent to which his aim is to remove Gaddafi from power, and still faces questions on how long British pilots will have to police a no-fly zone if a political impasse emerges on the ground. He said: “It is almost impossible to envisage a future for Libya that includes him [Gaddafi]. It is not in our national interest for this man to lead a pariah state on the southern banks of Europe with all the problems that that could entail.” But he also accepted that the UN resolution did not endorse regime change. “The UN resolution is not about choosing the government of Libya. That is an issue for the Libyan people.” Obama stressed that the US would not dominate this UN-backed coalition. He said: “I also want to be clear about what we will not be doing. The United States is not going to deploy ground troops into Libya. We are not going to use force to go beyond a well defined goal: specifically the protection of civilians in Libya.” The Pentagon, in a statement, said Libya has about 30 missile sites, mainly spread along the coast, and that they posed a “significant threat to US and Nato aircraft”. The French foreign minister, Alain Juppé, said everything was ready to launch military strikes, and that a ceasefire would need to cover the whole country. The announcement of a ceasefire was dismissed by a rebel commander in the anti-Gaddafi stronghold of Benghazi, who accused the Libyan leader of bluffing. Khalifa Heftir told reporters: “Gaddafi does not speak any truth … All the world knows that Muammar Gaddafi is a liar. He and his sons, and his family, and all those with him are liars.” Tripoli said it had asked Malta and Turkey to help monitor the ceasefire. Reports continued of fighting in Misrata, a key port between the capital and Benghazi. Officials in Tripoli were tight-lipped about the details of the ceasefire. The decision seemed based on hopes that it would sow division inside the UN. There was little evidence of any wish to engage in real dialogue with the Benghazi rebels. Libyan state media all but ignored the ceasefire, continuing its stream of patriotic programmes and announcements, playing clip after clip of pro-Gaddafi demonstrators declaring their support for the leader. Tripoli seemed calm but tense throughout the day, with police patrol cars visible in unusual numbers in the centre of the city as officers checked identity cards. Several explosions to the west added to an already jumpy mood. Libya Middle East Barack Obama Muammar Gaddafi United States US foreign policy United Nations Ewen MacAskill Patrick Wintour Ian Black Nicholas Watt guardian.co.uk
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Death toll rises as government forces start to use live rounds in increasingly violent crackdown on nationwide protests Yasir Saeed was the first casualty dragged into the mosque. Blood was still trickling from the gaping bullet wound in the back of the 32-year-old English teacher’s head as doctors lowered his mangled body on to a blanket, muttering a short prayer before closing the lids of his eyes. Gradually, his corpse was joined by others lined up in a row alongside him. One by one, miniature Qur’ans were placed on their chests as their blood soaked through the carpet beneath them. The scene was desperate and chaotic. It followed the worst day of violence in Yemen since protests against president Ali Abdullah Saleh began in earnest over a month ago. At least 45 people were killed and hundreds of others wounded as security forces and plainclothes government loyalists opened fire on protesters trying to march through the capital, Sana’a. Parliamentary opposition spokesman Mohammed al-Sabri accused the regime of a massacre and said: “These killings will not help keep Ali Abdullah Saleh in power.” Saleh responded by calling for a state of emergency, saying this meant that ordinary citizens would not be able to carry weapons. But it was not immediately clear if Saleh has the military power to impose such an order, with the Arabian peninsula nation deeply divided and wracked by weeks of civil disturbance that have left well over 70 people dead. “What happened today was very regrettable, the death of our children,” the president said. Last week he had ordered his security forces to ensure the safety of protesters. Saleh went on to describe the victims as “martyrs of democracy” and accused those responsible of trying to undermine a peace initiative backed by Saudi Arabia. Friday’s protests had started peacefully. More than 100,000 Yemenis filled a mile-long stretch of road by Sana’a University for a midday prayer ceremony mourning the loss of seven protesters killed in clashes with riot police last weekend. As the prayers came to an end, however, the sight of billowing black smoke from a burning car caught the attention of protesters who began surging en masse towards it. Witnesses say security forces fired six shots into the air before turning their weapons on those charging towards them. As violence flared, plainclothes men appeared on the roofs of nearby houses and began firing down on the demonstrators with Kalashnikovs. Sana’a University, the scene of the bloodshed, is next door to the mosque where many of the dead and dying were taken, the deafening sound of the muezzin’s call to prayer intermixed with the noise of gunfire echoing off the walls. Medics scrambled to reach the wounded as the wheels of decrepit ambulances, trying to escort them to a proper hospital, spun hopelessly in the mud. Inside the mosque a throng of veiled women wailed with grief and tried to force their way past a line of students who had linked arms to ensure only medics and those in need of their help made it over the threshold. Meanwhile injured men, most in their early 20s, writhed in agony on shabby mattresses on the ground. “The most common injuries were bullet wounds to the chest and the head, although some are suffering from exposure to teargas,” said one doctor who did not wish to be named. “They shot people in the back of the head as they were running away,” said Mohammed al-Jamil, an Indian doctor treating the wounded with specks of blood on his hands and face. “Whoever did this wanted these people to die,” he added, tearing open a box of syringes. Witnesses said children were among the dozens wounded by gunfire. “My brother is 12 years old, they shot him twice, once in the arm and once in the leg,” shouted a young man through a crackling microphone to a roaring crowd of thousands outside the mosque. “Saleh would rather shoot us all before stepping down.” Until now government forces have largely been using water cannon, rubber bullets and teargas to disperse anti-regime rallies, but live rounds were fired on Friday in what appeared be the beginning of an increasingly violent crackdown on nationwide protests. Yemen, the youngest and poorest country in the Arab world neighbouring Saudi Arabia, has been hit by weeks of protests set in motion by uprisings in north Africa that toppled long-serving leaders in Tunisia and Egypt and spread to the Gulf states of Bahrain and Oman, as well as Saudi Arabia itself. Saleh has maintained a firm grip on power for over three decades and has rejected calls to step down, saying he will only do so when his current term of office expires in 2013. “We condemn these crimes against humanity,” said Mohammed al-Qadhi, a prominent member of Yemen’s ruling party who resigned last week and has since survived two assassination attempts. “Even if it’s plainclothes men firing on the protesters it is still the government’s responsibility to protect them.” The intensification of force used against demonstrators has led to concern that protesters will retaliate, threatening the possibility of a broad war that could engulf the country. “In Yemen, violence is almost always met with more violence. If the regime does not stop these crackdowns immediately then we will soon find ourselves in the throngs of a bloody civil war,” said Mohammed al-Faqih, professor of politics at Sana’a University. Yemen Middle East Arab and Middle East protests Protest guardian.co.uk
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Italian Vogue editor Franca Sozzani launches petition calling for law against sites promote eating disorder The Italian edition of Vogue has launched a campaign to stamp out pro-anorexia websites. “There are thousands of these sites and blogs which don’t just support this evil, but push young people into competition over their physical shape,” said Franca Sozzani, Vogue Italia’s editor-in-chief. In her blog, in which she announced a petition calling for legislation to close down such sites, she said they “provide a kind of open confessional, supporting those who are unable to carry on by themselves along a road that can only lead to death”. The tragic consequences of anorexia nervosa were highlighted last November when a French model, Isabelle Caro, died at the age of 28. Caro posed for an anti-anorexia poster, in a shock photograph taken by the Italian photographer Oliviero Toscani. The campaign is not Vogue’s first initiative in the area of eating disorders. In 2009, it emerged that the editor of the British version of Vogue, Alexandra Shulman, had written to designers accusing them of sending fashion magazines ever smaller garments for photo-shoots, thus forcing them to hire models “with jutting bones and no breasts or hips”. Her intervention prompted some commentators to criticise the publication, arguing the images it promoted were among the reasons for the spread of anorexia, bulimia and similar disorders. “I am sure they will say the same about me, but you can’t let yourself be influenced by a handful of people into not doing something about what’s going on”, Sozzani said. So-called pro-ana sites abound on the web. Many deny they promote eating disorders, maintaining that their aim is to offer support to anorexics and bulimics. “Anorexia may be a harmful activity. We do not encourage this activity”, said one. But it includes a page of do’s and don’ts, of which the first is: “You will be FAT if you eat today. Just put it off one more day.” The lexicon of the pro-ana sub-culture has frequently been criticised for personalising eating disorders, and thereby encouraging young people to think of their condition as a friend. Anorexia is “Ana” and bulimia is “Mia”. The influence exerted by the world of fashion is evident. The site quoted earlier, Ana’s Thinspiration, advises readers to “tape/tack up pictures of your favourite models and always carry one around with you. When you’re hungry, pull out the picture.” Sozzani said fashion devotees failed to understand that “models in most cases are naturally slender because they are still very young and not yet fully developed”. On the practical issue of how sites could be removed, she said: “Italy could also black out foreign sites. But what we want if for this to act as a springboard for a much wider campaign.” Magazines Italy Europe Anorexia Health Newspapers & magazines Health & wellbeing Models Fashion John Hooper guardian.co.uk
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Police must pass documents seized from Glenn Mulcaire to lawyers representing growing number of people suing paper The growing number of public figures suing the News of the World won a major high court victory when a judge said Scotland Yard must hand over a mass of phone-hacking evidence that has never before been disclosed. The ruling by Justice Geoffrey Vos, who was appointed this week to handle the 14 phone-hacking cases currently going through the courts, means the Metropolitan police will be forced to pass reams of documents seized from Glenn Mulcaire, the private investigator who worked for the News of the World, to lawyers acting for the politicians, celebrities and football figures who are suing the paper. They include Sienna Miller, Paul Gascoigne, Steve Coogan and the former culture secretary Tessa Jowell. Vos ruled on Friday that the Met must give unredacted documents – including Mulcaire’s emails, address and contacts books, and phone bills – to another hacking victim, the football agent Sky Andrew. The decision sets a precedent for the other hacking cases and has far-reaching implications for the NoW, police and other litigants. It will lead to a flood of hacking documents being released to other claimants, all of whom are seeking copies of papers seized by police in a 2006 raid on Mulcaire’s home. That could lead to more NoW journalists being named in connection with phone hacking. So far six reporters and executives have been publicly linked to the practice. One, former royal editor Clive Goodman, was convicted and jailed. A second, assistant editor (news) Ian Edmondson, has been sacked by the paper. Scotland Yard has been slow to hand over the paperwork, arguing in court that to do so would undermine a fresh investigation into hacking it began at the start of the year. It also claimed a potential suspect would be tipped off if unredacted evidence were made public. Vos rejected that argument, giving the Met 28 days to comply with his order and 21 days to appeal. Phone hacking Glenn Mulcaire News of the World Newspapers & magazines National newspapers Newspapers Police James Robinson guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Another ‘isolated incident’: California man charged with firebombing Planned Parenthood center, vandalizing mosque
March 18, 2011 No Comment
Click here to view this media [Video from CBS 47 ] We’ve been getting lots of confirmation lately that, contrary to the claims undergirding Rep. Peter King’s Islamophobic witch-hunt hearing, the greatest domestic-terrorism threat to average Americans is not from homegrown Islamic radicals, but from the same singular source of domestic terrorism we’ve had to deal with for more than a generation: the radical right. David Holthouse at Media Matters directs us to the most recent ‘isolated incident’: Compared to the political theater of the King hearings, these busts of accused right-wing domestic terrorists received scant media attention. Even less publicized was the arrest, also on March 9, of another accused right-wing extremist who allegedly firebombed a Planned Parenthood clinic and vandalized an Islamic center in Madera, California. The case of Donny Eugene Mower further illustrates the narrow-mindedness of Rep. King and his conservative media cheerleaders for focusing on Muslim domestic terrorists to the exclusion of all other violent extremists, including white supremacists, militia members and anti-abortion radicals. According to the federal criminal complaint against Mower, he admitted to throwing a Molotov cocktail through the window of the Planned Parenthood clinic in the middle of the night last September 2. No one was injured, but the damage was extensive. Mower left a note at the scene: “Murder our children? We have a ‘choice’ too. Let’s see if you can burn as well as your victims.” The note was signed “ANB,” short for American Nationalist Brotherhood. The same entity had claimed responsibility for menacing letters posted outside the Madera Islamic Center. The first of those messages appeared last August 18: “No temple for the God of terrorism at Ground Zero. ANB.” At the time Fox News and others were feverishly manufacturing outrage at the supposed “Ground Zero mosque” in New York City. Two days later, according to investigators, Mower threw a brick at the Islamic center, causing minor damage, and then returned his focus to the Planned Parenthood clinic, posting another threat: “Murdering children? That is your choice? Reap your reward. ANB.” On August 24, another message appeared at the Islamic center: “Wake up America. The enemy is here. ANB.” The ANB, like a number of hate groups, really is just an army of one — Mower himself. He wrote a manifesto outlining his ideology: ANB is AMERICAN nationalist, not white nationalist, black nationalist, or any other racist motivated group. The signs posted, the things to come, and yes even the brick, are not hate motivated, but rather messages. The (sic) are the voices of us who refuse to allow America to continue to be torn down brick by brick. Notice also, that the mosque was not the only target of choice. We are here to revive American pride, which has been dampened by a lot of things: The rise of Islam in America, despite 9/11; the sickening number of murdered children since 1973, hidden behind the guise of “abortion” or “choice”; the abomination of homosexuality being rewarded, while those who chose (sic) natural relationships are bigots. These and so many more are (sic) the hate crimes, they hit America with a sucker punch… isn’t it time that someone hit back? As Digby sez : Sadly, the lack of attention to this problem — or our blase acceptance of it — has even led people like Bill Maher to speciously contend that homegrown Islamic terrorism presents a much greater threat than any other kind of homegrown terrorism. I honestly don’t know why he thinks that. These are really the same kind of people except for the fact that they are being radicalized for similar purposes by Americans instead of foreigners. There are reasons why these things crop up at times of great social transition and stress. And that’s worth looking into and attempting to deal with. But those who are pretending that it’s a”foreign problem” are coming to the point of being culpable. After all, when the department of Homeland Security merely noted the potential of a problem in their annual report, the right wing didn’t distance itself from these radicals, it sprung into gear and basically shut the report down. Cui bono? Here’s our interactive map and listing of domestic-terrorism incidents involving right-wing extremists since July 2008. We’re up to 24 now — and still counting:
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Anti-devolutionist Lord Forsyth claims the measures in the Scotland bill are a ‘time bomb at the heart of the union’ Senior Tories are openly rebelling against David Cameron’s plans to give the Scottish parliament greater tax-raising powers, days before the party goes into the Scottish election campaign. Lord Forsyth, the party’s former Scotland secretary, claimed new measures to give Holyrood control over income tax rates could lead to the break-up of the UK, a view backed privately by senior party figures in Scotland. Forsyth, a noted anti-devolutionist, said the tax powers in the Scotland bill, which is going through the UK parliament with the support of the Tories, Labour and Lib Dems, were “a timebomb at the heart of the union”. At a packed fringe meeting at the Scottish Tory conference in Perth, he urged the party to hold a referendum on the new powers. He said the bill, which is set to become law later this year, “may yet be the midwife which delivers independence”. The rebellious mood poses a challenge to the Scottish party’s leader, Annabel Goldie, who is about to begin a Holyrood election campaign with the Tories faring very poorly in recent opinion polls. Scottish voters are stubbornly refusing to increase their support for the Tories, despite their recent surge in popularity elsewhere in the UK under Cameron’s leadership. The psephologist John Curtice said the party’s support was “flatlining” in Scotland. The latest ICM opinion poll, commissioned by the Scottish National party, puts the Conservatives at 13% only six weeks before the Scottish parliamentary election on 5 May, down from the 16.7% it received at the UK general election last year, when only one Tory MP was returned in Scotland. Scottish politics Conservatives David Cameron Scotland Severin Carrell guardian.co.uk
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