Contrary to US plans, Moktada Al Sadr continues to be recognized as a leader by the Iraqi people. Today he is at the forefront of protests in the capitol that have continued peacefully for over a week. "The government has given nothing to the Iraqi people, and all the political parties say yes to the Americans. The elections are useless. They will do nothing for us," said Nizar Khanjar, 27.... "Only the Sadr office is defending the rights of the people."

With the fall of the Saddam regime, Iraqis have seen harder times than they had even under sanctions, and the interim government of CIA fledgling Allawi has been largely powerless to help them. Since 1964, the CIA has acted as if a deity in the selection of Iraqi leadership, but they appear to have underestimated the power the Sadr clan, widely repected in both Iraq and Iran.

Donald Rumsfeld has cancelled plans to attend the Munich Security Conference in February. The prosecutor's office in Karlsruhe is examining a complaint naming Rumsfeld and others in allegations of crimes against humanity and genocide.

Center For Constitutional Rights Seeks Criminal Investigation in Germany into Culpability of U.S. Officials in Abu Ghraib Torture

German Prosecutor Asked to Meet Obligations under Law Requiring Investigation into Torture and War Crimes. Doctrine of Universal Jurisdiction Permits Prosecution of Suspected War Criminals Wherever They May Be Found

The event with Ralph Nader was a smashing success

A mysterious mystic from the East, and esteemed Wise man visits the City Council meeting, but can't find a quorum to hear him.

This is a women's declaration of independence from male domination for every woman on Earth


Women's Declaration of Independence
By Antiga

We, the women of the world, in order to claim our lives for ourselves, note that the standard for what is human has been male and adult. We abhor the pattern and policies of using and abusing, raping and murdering, beating and burning women for the crime of being born female; then lying about what has been done.

We declare that it is for us to define who we are as human beings; to define what constitutes abuse and oppression of women and children, to create words that don't yet exist or by other means (including art, music and various media), to be able to describe what patriarchal abuse has done to our lives; to listen to women tell, as best they can, how patriarchal oppression has devastated their lives, and to believe what they say; to create a world in which women are honored, respected and trusted.

We declare that it is right to defend ourselves and other women from abuse whether physical, emotional, verbal, educational, psychological, financial or spiritual by any means necessary.

We declare that men who have been so damaged that hurting women and children distracts men from feeling their own pain need to be educated if possible, incarcerated it not (kindly, as envisioned in Frank L. Baum's The Patchwork Girl of OZ: Chapter 15) so that the world will be safe for women to move around in freely. In order to create our complete freedom, we declare ourselves independent of the nations.

We will do our best to reach out to women of other patriarchal nations, unite with them and withdraw our support for oppressive societies that harm women, children, and men who do not fit the patriarchal pattern.

We declare that we will no longer be bound by laws designed to destroy us or customs that oppress us. Instead we will weave a web of women's connectedness, remembering to be respectful and peaceful with each another, and recreating the indigenous women's culture that prevailed before men's wars commenced, and shall prevail again.


Permission is granted to translate this into other languages.