Turn the page? Let history be the voice of your dead

President Barack Obama has announced that the U.S. combat mission in Iraq is over. He went on to preach, "Now, it is time to turn the page."

People of Iraq - Obama has spoken.

Forget about your destroyed cities, stop weeping for the loved ones you will see no more, cut down by bombs, bullets, white phosphorous and depleted uranium shells. Brush aside the poisoned city of Fallujah, the political and civil anarchy in a country that has seen its sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, lie bleeding and lifeless amidst the burning rubble - silent statistics of an illegal and immoral war that misled and deceived under a blood red banner of Freedom and Democracy.

Obama has spoken. Time to turn the page.

Brush yourself off, dust yourself down and start all over again - just like a Hollywood movie. Be a sport Iraq - celebrate your new freedom as you bury your victims of yet another suicide bombing. Sixty dead here, fifty dead there - it hardly makes the front page anymore so just turn the page and forget about it. Your Liberators Successor, molded to his predecessors image, has spoken.

Turn the page.

As the pages of history turn, new sentences will be added, then new paragraphs eventually followed by new chapters. The pages you will see in years to come, will be different to the page written by spin doctors, the decievers, the masters of war.

Your fallen deserve the truth.The dead can not speak for themselves, so let the pages of history be their voice.

Let history tell the world that this grotesque act of war, was not about freedom, nor weapons of mass destruction. it was about politics and power. The people of Iraq were no more than pawns in a game masterminded by a draft dodger and his young, willing, power seeking puppet hoping to relive the glory days of colonialism, repression and the shedding of blood of innocent people in far away lands.

Seven and a half years of human misery wrought upon a country that presented no threat to The West, dismissed with an eight word out-of-the-box sermon, from a man whose history is likely to be shorter than the reign of ongoing terror the people of Iraq will have to endure long after the last flag-waving, hip-hip-hooray departure of those who changed forever, a land where they did not belong.

My supper's on the stove, the war is on the screen
Pass the bread and butter while I watch the Marine
The shot him in the chest--Pass the chicken breast!
The general is saying that he's still unimpressed.
"We had to burn the city 'cause they wouldn't agree
That things go better with democracy!"
(Don McLean)

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Come Take a Walk With Me

Wherever you may be - be safe

Copyright Mike Hitchen Online, Lane Cove, NSW, Australia. All rights reserved

Western Sahara: "Western Sahara is like a huge prison, where the people live under a climate of continued repression"

The 14 Spanish activists attacked in El Aaiun arrived at the port of La Luz, where they were awaited by a group of 50 supporters with banners and posters for the Saharawi cause. The boat with 14 activists who were arrested and beaten by Moroccan police last Saturday arrived at the Port of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The boat belongs to "Pro-Saharawi Sahara Acciones."

In the port waiting was a group of supporters who waved placards calling for the creation of a free and democratic referendum in what was the last colony of Spain in Africa and that has been occupied for more than 35 years by Morocco.

The testimonies of activists are more than demolishing: "We did not expect such horrible measures," Sara Mesa said at the time of the landing. "Western Sahara is like a huge prison, where the people live under a climate of continued repression."

According to the testimony of Anselm Fariña "They attacked us without warning, individually administering straight punches to the kidneys and the face. They insulted us and spit on us without stopping. Some colleagues estimate that there were more than a hundred plainclothes police officers. Several of them followed us from our entry into the territory and even on the journey back."

"Nobody cared about what was happening in the occupied territories. Reports reached us that many Saharawi women and children were beaten and the result was many injuries and many faces bloodied. We wanted to denounce the repression suffered by the Saharawi people and we ended up surviving it in our own bodies," adds Anselmo Fariña, a professor from the island of Tenerife.

Members of the group announced their intention to denounce the brutal treatment by the Moroccan police in these incidents. The group of fifty militants who received them and the returning 14 activists shouted loudly: "Guilty Morocco, responsible Spain" and "Sahara Libre (free Sahara)."　

Information published by the Association of Portugal - Western Sahara Friendship based on information from Spanish press 08/30/2010

Translated from the Portuguese version by:
Lisa KARPOVA
PRAVDA.Ru

Wildlife Conservation: Saving the orangutans may also help fight global warming

Indonesia and Malaysia have stepped up efforts to protect Asia's great ape, the orangutan. Saving the endangered "man of the forest" may also help fight global warming.

Under a canopy of green in Malaysia's Sabah state, tourists watch as orangutans are fed.

Tourist attraction

The Sepilok rehabilitation center allows tourists to observe the orangutans – "the man of the forest" – from a viewing platform in the jungle.

"It is wonderful to see a wild animal so near. It is a big emotion," said Loula Patmora, who is from Italy. "It is very, very incredible to watch them. It's a big project, the rehabilitation center, because it is a very important thing to preserve this wild animal."

Center spokeswoman Jennifer Pitt says tourism spreads the word about efforts to protect these apes.

"The main message is just generally creating awareness for the plight of the orangutan," Pitt said. "They are incredibly endangered species and it's an issue which we all need to look at."

Veterinarian Jason Parker says most of the 200 young apes here were abandoned and rescued from palm oil plantations.

"The usual scenario is that a young orangutan – one to two years old – is separated from its mother for whatever reason – in floods, where the mother had been shot or sometimes the baby is literally found wandering around on its own," said Parker.

Forest conservation

The center helps the apes learn to live in the forest. When they are older, they are relocated to more isolated reserves, where they monitored to ensure they adjust to their new surroundings.

Orangutans are native to Borneo, which is divided among Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei, and on Indonesia's Sumatra island. The apes can weigh over 100 kilograms, and they live in the jungles, climbing from tree to tree to find food.

Conservationists estimate about 62,000 orangutans live in the wild. But the numbers have been falling for more than a century. First because of hunting by indigenous tribes and European colonialists, and now because jungles are being cut down for timber and to grow palm oil – used in foods, cosmetics and some fuels.

Amy de Boer, an Australian volunteer at the center, says deforestation in Sabah is a chief concern in saving the orangutans.

"Basically the palm oil and also logging, the illegal logging of the rain forest is a major thing," said de Boer. "We were looking at a map of Sabah and just the areas of protected rain forest and it's really small. All the animals in that forest at the moment are competing for space and fruit and food, so it's a really big issue."

Conservationists say for years, laws to limit forest clearing were weak and poorly enforced.

But new efforts are being made to protect the jungle, and the orangutans, who may benefit from the effort to limit global warming.

Cutting jungles releases greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere. Climate experts say those gases add to global warming, so leaving forests intact reduces emissions.

Among other efforts to reduce emissions, Indonesia has imposed a two-year moratorium on new projects to turn forests and peat lands into plantations. In Malaysia, the orangutan center staff says recent laws to protect the forests are being enforced and appear to be helping. And there is a new United Nations plan to pay countries to preserve their forests, which can help communities build their economies without cutting trees.

Protecting the endangered

But Damayanti Buchori, a conservation director with The Nature Conservancy in Indonesia, says concerns remain. She says Indonesia's moratorium on plantations, which begins in January, is a stop-gap measure.

"We are still concerned that between now and the end of the year – there can still be loss of habitat at quite an alarming rate because people are trying to finish with whatever time they have left," Buchori said. "And also what happens after two years after the moratorium is finished?"

The effort to save the orangutan has become central to debates about economic development and climate change.

Here at the Sepilok rehabilitation center, those working to save young apes say Indonesian and Malaysian officials are taking action to reduce global carbon emissions, and to save one Asia's most endangered species, the orangutan.

Ron Corben
Photo: Ron Corben
Published with the permission of Voice of America

Defense: Interest and concern over Chinese naval visit to Myanmar

By B.RAMAN
See also: www.southasiaanalysis.org

At a time when there is already concern over the increasing assertiveness of the Chinese Navy in the South and East China Seas, the first port call by two ships of the Chinese Navy in Myanmar while on their way back from anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf has aroused considerable interest and some concern in the neighbouring countries.

2.China has a long history of army-army cooperation with Myanmar, including a militaery supply relationship. It has also been helping Myanmar in building an oil/gas terminal at Kyaukpu off the Arakan coast. The new port, when completed, will place three modern ports at the disposal of China----the other two being Gwadar on the Mekran coast of Pakistan and Hambantota in Sri Lanka. The Bangladesh Government is interested in securing Chinese assistance for the modernisation of the Chittagong port.

3.Till now, the Chinese authorities and the Governments of Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Bangladesh have projected these ports as purely commercial ventures with no naval significance. Only Pakistan makes no secret of the significance of Gwadar for the navies of Pakistan and China. It hopes that a modern naval base at Gwadar will give the Pakistan Navy a strategic depth by reducing its dependence on the Karachi port, which is vulnerable to attacks by the Indian Navy. It is prepared to offer the proposed naval base at Gwadar to the Chinese Navy for use by its naval ships visiting the Indian Ocean and the Gulf.

4.Some retired Chinese naval officers are of the view that a viable Indian Ocean fleet for their navy would require forward bases in this area. How to acquire such bases without adding to the alarm of the US, which is already talking of the Chinese assertiveness in the Indian Ocean area as Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman, US Joint Chiefs of Staff, did during his recent visit to New Delhi? The Chinese have not yet openly reacted to his comments though they reacted quickly and vehemently to the comments of Mrs.Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, on the Chinese naval assertiveness in the South China Sea at the recent Asean Regional Forum meeting at Hanoi.

5.The US view of the Chinese intentions in the Indian Ocean are still confused despite the lucid remarks of Admiral Mullen. While he was clear and forthcoming, Ms.Michele Flournoy, the US Under-Secretary of Defence, was not that forthcoming during her visit to Delhi in the third week of August to prepare for the forthcoming visit of Shri A.K.Antony, our Defence Minister, to the US. She avoided any reference to the Chinese activities in the Indian Ocean area.

6.Her remarks could be interpreted as discouraging any Indian expectation of major Indo-US naval co-operation against Chinese forays into the Indian Ocean as one of the possible results of the forthcoming visit of President Barack Obama to New Delhi coming November. She reportedly told the Indian media on August 10: " There has been tremendous progress in the number of joint exercises, but the need is to make them meaningful so that they are reflective of the real world situation....The exercises must prepare both sides to jointly undertake counter-piracy operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. We also have to respond to maritime security and freedom of navigation against those contesting the accepted rules of the world. We will have to work to prevent that. We have to be prepared in terms of capability."

7.The visit of the two Chinese naval ships to the Yangon port in Myanmar must have been under preparation for some time and could not have been the Chinese way of reacting to the pronouncements of US officials while visiting New Delhi. At the same time, the port call in Myanmar proclaims openly the beginning of Chinese activism, if not assertiveness, in the Indian Ocean region.

8.The Chinese have taken note of the speculation in India and elsewhere as to what the port visit portends. Is it an innocent halt while returning home from the Gulf or does it have a strategic significance? Is it meant to convey a message to the US and the Indian Navies that China has core interests in the Indian Ocean too as it has in the South and East China Seas? This subject should figure in the agenda of the forthcoming talks with Mr.Obama when he visits New Delhi.

9.To calm any frenzied speculation over the Chinese intention, the Party-owned "Global Times", in an editoriial on September 1, has proposed a naval trust-building exercise among the Asian navies.

10.This may pleae be read in continuation of my article dated July 24,2010, titled MONITORING CHINA'S NAVAL ASSERTIVENESS at
http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/%5Cpapers40%5Cpaper3944.html and article dated August 10,2010, titled "CHINA: A Wake-Up Call for Vietnam & India" at http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/%5Cpapers40%5Cpaper3974.html (1-9-10)

The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Associate of the Chennai Centre For China Studies.

Iraq war: US 'victory' translated into tragedy for Iraq

Live from Baghdad. On the day of American pullout from Iraq RT talks to Nir Rosen who is from New York University's Center on Law and Security and author of the book 'Aftermath: Following the Bloodshed of America's Wars in the Muslim World'.



Related article
Mike Hitchen Unleashed 1 September 2010, Turn the page? Let history be the voice of your dead

Equatorial Guinea: President famous for hasty executions and rights abuses, responds to criticism over UNESCO prize

Source: Republic of Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea's President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo expressed his disappointment at the recent criticism from some agencies about the creation of the UNESCO-Obiang prize during the opening ceremony of the 60th Session of the World Health Organization Regional Committee for Africa in Malabo. President Obiang stated that the prize would precisely enable UNESCO to invest more in research.

President Obiang has stated in the past that the award was created with the goal of preserving human life. The significant funding allocated for this prize is in order for scientists to conduct studies and so they have the resources they need to find cures—for the health and well-being of people everywhere, including in Equatorial Guinea. Further, he said Equatorial Guinea is working both to improve itself and contribute to the international community—the UNESCO Prize is a part of this effort.

During the opening ceremony of the WHO event, President Obiang also announced the donation of USD$1.5 million from the Government and people of Equatorial Guinea to the WHO, as well as the delivery of a headquarters facility for the organization to expand its work in the country. President Obiang explained that funding is to be directed for research undertaken by the organization for health of peoples worldwide.

He also reminded participants at the event of the recently signed agreement with the African Union for the creation and installation of the first Headquarters of the African Center for Science, Technology and Innovation in Equatorial Guinea.

The 60th Meeting of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa is taking place in Malabo and brings together health ministers from the 46 member states. The five-day meeting is attended by hundreds of participants, including senior WHO officials, representatives of United Nations Agencies, Funds, Programs as well as a number of bilateral, multilateral, inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations. The purpose of the meeting is to set policy and approve the budget and programs for the WHO in the region.

About the UNESCO-Obiang Nguema Mbasogo International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences: The UNESCO Executive Board has approved and will soon award the UNESCO-Obiang Nguema Mbasogo International Price for Research in the Life Sciences, an award sponsored by the President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea (Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial), Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, and supported by the international community, particularly African nations.

The award aims to reward projects and activities by a person, group, scientific institution, or other entity or organization that has contributed, through research, to the improvement of the quality of human life. The award, which will be worth $300,000, will be awarded once a year for an initial period of five years. The initiative arose as a personal proposal of the President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea (Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial) during his speech at the General Conference of UNESCO in October 2007. It is a part of the efforts the Government of Equatorial Guinea is making to contribute to the global community and advance the welfare of the citizens of its country.

Discrimination: Call for Hate Crime charges after shots allegedly fired outside mosque

Teens allegedly honked horns, shouted obscenities, fired shots during prayer services

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has called for appropriate hate crime charges to be brought against five teenagers who allegedly harassed Muslim worshippers at a western New York mosque.

CAIR said the teenagers were charged with disrupting religious services at a Town of Carlton mosque after they allegedly honked their car horns and yelled obscenities during one prayer service, and fired a weapon outside of another. A member of the mosque was reportedly injured when he was allegedly struck by one of the vehicles. One teenager was charged with criminal possession of a weapon. Two younger teenagers may also face charges.

SEE: Holley Teens Charged with Targeting Mosque

"New York Muslims must be free to practice their faith without fear of harassment or intimidation," said Faiza N. Ali, community affairs director of CAIR's New York chapter.

"The increasing number of hate crimes targeting mosques nationwide needs to be urgently addressed by state and national officials," said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. "Anti-Muslim bigots must learn that they will face hate crime enhancements to their charges if they perpetrate such unconscionable criminal acts."

CAIR Video: Number of Hate Crimes Against Muslims Rising in U.S.

Hooper noted that CAIR will hold a news conference tomorrow at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to launch a national public service announcement campaign designed to challenge the growing anti-Muslim bigotry sparked by opposition to the planned Park51 project in Manhattan.

SEE: Islamic Group Issues PSAs to Combat Bigotry

Source: Council on American-Islamic Relations

Somalia: Young women die on deadly college run

Source: Government of Somalia - It is believed that 3 of the victims of today's roadside bomb were young female students returning home from college to break fast during the holy month of Ramadan.

The girls, aged between19 to 22, attended SIMAD College in the city and it is understood that they were studying Business Administration.

All three died in today's attack condemned today by the Government of Somalia.

Minister of information, Abdirahman Omar Osman (Eng. Yarisow) said:

"This attack against innocent civilians is simply unacceptable. Whoever did this is a traitor to Somalia and a ruthless, callus murderer.

"We are heartbroken that once again it is our young students who die at the hands of extremists' intent on destroying our country.

"The relatives of those killed today have our deepest sympathy but Somalia will unite against the evil murderers in our midst."

Kenya: ICC Registrar to visit Kenya

Source: International Criminal Court (ICC)

The Registrar of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Silvana Arbia, will pay a visit to the Republic of Kenya between 1 and 4 September. In Nairobi, the ICC Registrar will meet the relevant national authorities to discuss the operational and legal framework needed to conduct Registry activities in Kenya, following the Pre-Trial Chamber II decision authorising the Prosecutor to open an investigation in the context of this situation.

Ms Arbia will also visit other localities in the country to discuss with the local authorities the necessary measures needed to facilitate the ICC Registry's work in Kenya.

Furthermore, the Registrar will hold meetings with representatives of international organisations and embassies in order to discuss mechanisms of support to the Court's operations.

During her mission, two hundred thousand samples of the publication Understanding the International Criminal Court will be distributed to Kenyans via the Daily Nation newspaper on Friday 3 September, 2010. This booklet aims at presenting basic facts about the Court's work and mandate, its structure and mode of function. It provides answers to frequent questions asked by audiences that have participated during informative sessions.

Yemen: Horrifying impact of conflict on children

Source: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

AL-MAZRAQ, Yemen, 31 August 2010 – UNICEF UK Ambassador for Humanitarian Emergencies Martin Bell witnessed the horrifying impact of conflict on children when he visited northern Yemen recently. Fighting between government and rebel forces has raged in the region for several years, displacing thousands of families.

VIDEO: UNICEF UK Ambassador for Humanitarian Emergencies Martin Bell reports for ITV on his visit to Yemen, where thousands of children are affected by conflict. Filmed by Daniel Demoustier.

The former BBC journalist and parliamentarian – who has travelled to some of the world's most difficult and dangerous places championing child rights – had access to many areas in Yemen, including camps for people displaced by the conflict.

On his six-day visit, Mr. Bell travelled almost 2,000 km to five governorates in order to see how UNICEF is supporting efforts by the government to improve children's lives.

Raising awareness

"The humanitarian crisis in Yemen is acute, even by the standards of other countries that I have visited in conflict or post-conflict situations," he said. "I have been impressed by the work being done by UNICEF and its partner agencies, as well as by the Yemeni people themselves. But much more has to be done, especially to meet the needs of the children who are the country's future."

Mr. Bell pledged to raise awareness about the crisis facing these children when he returned to the United Kingdom. His reporting on Yemen for the ITV network was broadcast on 27 August, and a personal account of his trip was published in the Daily Mail's 'Live' magazine this past Sunday.

Mr. Bell's visit was "a critical opportunity to demonstrate the efforts being made by the government and development partners in addressing the basic needs of the children," noted UNICEF Representative in Yemen Geert Cappelaere.

'Time for a concerted effort'

"My trip to Yemen has shown me that aid agencies like UNICEF are in the best position to assist children in emergencies," said Mr. Bell, "because they don't just fly in when the crisis strikes or media arrive. They work across the world, year in year out, supporting children in countries before, during and after humanitarian crises happen."

Referring to the ongoing conflict in Yemen and the massive flood crisis now occurring in Pakistan, he concluded: "It is time for a concerted effort to help children in Yemen as well as in Pakistan. Both have suffered too much already."

Landmines: Call for absolute ban on land mines in Europe

By Richard Johnson
Republished courtesy IDN-InDepth NewsAnalysis

GENEVA (IDN) - The Council of Europe's Human Rights Commissioner Thomas Hammarberg has urged all European states to ratify the Mine Ban Treaty and the new treaty banning cluster munitions.

The six of the 46 Council of Europe member states that have still not ratified the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty in spite of its paramount importance for Europe are: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Finland, Poland and Russia.

The significance of the treaty lies in the fact that there have been more than 3,000 casualties caused by landmines in Europe in the last ten years. Anti-personnel landmines continue to kill or maim indiscriminately long after wars have finished. They are therefore banned under international law. However, this prohibition has not been effectively implemented, writes Hammarberg in his blog.

Today the victims of these remnants of military conflicts are innocent civilians, often children. In certain areas migrants in search of asylum have stepped on mines. They do not see the warning signs when they are trying to cross these contaminated areas during the night.

Hammarberg recalls that in September 2008 four Georgian migrants lost their lives. They were trying to enter northern Greece when they walked into the mined area in Evros, on the border with Turkey.

In Cyprus, in December 2008 an Iraqi family with one child suffered injuries from an anti-personnel mine while trying to cross the buffer zone to seek asylum.

Other European states faced with armed conflicts, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Russia and Turkey, have significant mine casualties every year. From 1999 to 2008 in Russia alone there were a reported 2, 795 casualties caused by mines, the Council of Europe's Human Rights Commissioner adds.

In 2009 the European Human Rights Court in Strasbourg, France, dealt with the case of Alkin concerning an 11-year old Turkish girl whose leg was amputated from the knee after she stepped on a landmine in the area of her village.

The Court considered that the laying of landmines amounts "to intentional use of lethal force", and underlined that breaches of the right to life cannot be remedied only through an award of compensation. It should be accompanied by criminal procedures to identify and punish those responsible.

Hammarberg points out that cluster munitions are another type of vicious weapon whose remnants kill or maim civilians. He hopes the new treaty, adopted in 2008, which entered into force on August 1, 2010, will have wide-ranging effects.

"The groundbreaking Mine Ban Treaty, signed in Ottawa in 1997, is a good example of this," he adds. Following a forceful civil society movement led by the Nobel Peace Prize winner International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), this treaty expressly proscribes anti-personnel mines, that is, mines designed to explode through the presence, proximity or contact of a person.

States are now bound to destroy all their stockpiled anti-personnel mines and to clean all contaminated areas under their control -- a difficult and costly process. They are also obliged to provide social and economic assistance for the care and rehabilitation of mine victims. Mine awareness programmes are another vital part of the treaty.

International cooperation and assistance, for example in the field of mine clearance, is another important provision. In 2007 six European states -- Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the UK -- were among the top ten contributors to international funding, with the European Commission topping the list.

"The presence of landmines and cluster munitions affects the entire fabric of society. They obstruct countries' development after a conflict. They inhibit the return of displaced persons and hinder the reconstruction of affected areas," writes Hammarberg.

He has highlighted these serious issues in two recent reports dealing, among other things, with the human rights of displaced persons in Turkey and in Croatia.

He adds. "It is regrettable that such inhumane weapons are still used. It is high time that all European states ratify the Mine Ban Treaty and respect its provisions. The same goes for a prompt ratification of the new treaty banning cluster munitions."

As the Convention on Cluster Munitions came into force, thus becoming binding under international law, Nobel Laureate Jody William said on July 29: "The Convention on Cluster Munitions is a strong international instrument and I am confident that with faithful, thorough implementation by states, it will alleviate the suffering caused by those abhorrent weapons."

This is what had become obvious with the treaty banning antipersonnel mines, a weapon that is just as indiscriminate as cluster munitions. The experience in over a decade of Mine Ban Treaty implementation shows that the hard work must start right now if states are to overcome the major humanitarian challenge posed by cluster munitions, said Joy Williams.

"All states should join the convention and forswear use of these weapons forever. We want to see clearance programs effectively resourced and running efficiently. We want to see these cluster munition stockpiles destroyed diligently. We want victim assistance programs based on the needs expressed by survivors themselves," she added.

Since it was opened for signature in Oslo in December 2008, a total of 108 countries have signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions and 38 have ratified -- among them are former users, producers and stockpilers of cluster munitions, as well as countries affected by the weapon.

The First Meeting of the States Parties to the convention will take place in Vientiane, Lao PDR, from November 9 to12, 2010.

There are 37 countries or not internationally recognized areas where cluster munitions have been used during armed conflict in post-World War II years: Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Chad, Chechnya, Croatia, DR Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands/Malvinas, Georgia, Grenada, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Kosovo, Kuwait, Lao PDR, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Montenegro, Nagorno-Karabakh, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Uganda, Vietnam, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia.

Seventeen states have used cluster munitions since 1945, end of World War II, during armed conflict: Eritrea, Ethiopia, France, Georgia, Iraq, Israel, Libya, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sudan, United Kingdom, United States, (former Socialist Republic of) Yugoslavia.

Thirty-four countries have produced or are still producing cluster munitions. Eighty-seven have stockpiled cluster munitions, according to ICBL, 1997 Nobel Peace Laureate, which is a global network in over 90 countries, working for a world free of landmines and cluster munitions. The ICBL is a member of the Steering Committee of the Cluster Munition Coalition, the international civil society campaign that has been instrumental in bringing about the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Slavery: Denouncing ‘slavery in the modern age’

UN - The United Nations today launched a global action plan to combat human trafficking, with senior UN officials urging that governments worldwide take coordinated and consistent measures to try to defeat the scourge.

The plan, launched at a high-level meeting of the General Assembly at UN Headquarters in New York, calls for integrating the fight against human trafficking into the UN’s broader programmes to boost development and strengthen security around the world.

It also calls for the setting up of a UN voluntary trust fund for victims of trafficking, especially women and children.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told today’s meeting that the action plan should serve as “a clarion call” to UN Member States, international organizations and civil society groups of the need to take immediate steps “to stop this terrible crime against human dignity, which shames us all.”

The UN has estimated that more than 2.4 million people are currently being exploited as victims of human trafficking.

“It is slavery in the modern age,” Mr. Ban said. “Every year thousands of people, mainly women and children, are exploited by criminals who use them for forced labour or the sex trade. No country is immune. Almost all play a part, either as a source of trafficked people, transit point or destination.”

The Secretary-General urged countries, philanthropists and others to contribute generously to the new trust fund for trafficking victims.

“The fund aims to help governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) provide these vulnerable people with protection and support for their physical, psychological and social recovery. After they have been exploited and abused, they should not be punished, too.”

The action plan – which focuses on preventing trafficking, prosecuting offenders and protecting victims – also stresses the importance of obtaining more research, data and analysis about the problem.

“We must improve our knowledge and understanding of this crime if we are to make good policy decisions and targeted interventions,” Mr. Ban said.

He added that the only way to succeed is to strengthen partnerships between States, organizations and programmes, such as the UN Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking, known as UN.GIFT since its creation in early 2007.

In his address to today’s meeting, General Assembly President Ali Treki emphasized the human rights aspects of the fight against trafficking.

“Abduction, coercion, trafficking across national and international borders, forcing women and children into sexual exploitation and servitude – this must not be accepted in today’s world,” he said.

“As this heinous crime flourishes, thousands of men, women and children are robbed of their safety, their freedom and their dignity. Human trafficking devastates families and tears communities apart. When the history of this horror calls, we cannot let this period be remembered as one in which the global community knew but did not act.”

Human Trafficking: International sex trafficking fugitive arrives in U.S. to face charges

PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; JAMES T. HAYES, JR., the Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Office of Homeland Security Investigations ("HSI") in New York; and JANICE K. FEDARCYK, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"), announced that UN SUN BROWN arrived late yesterday in the Southern District of New York to face a charge of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, forced labor, and alien smuggling. BROWN was originally charged in 2006 and has remained a fugitive since then. On August 1, 2010, BROWN surrendered to HSI agents in Washington, D.C. BROWN is expected to be presented in Manhattan federal court later today.

The original series of cases, which were prosecuted in 2006 and 2007, resulted in the convictions of 25 individuals. These included five defendants who were tried and convicted in November 2007 in the case United States v. Kyo Hwa Adler, et al., 06 Cr. 717 (AKH).

Manhattan U.S. Attorney PREET BHARARA said: "After four years on the lam, Un Sun Brown has finally surrendered to HSI authorities to face federal sex trafficking charges. Brown and her co-conspirators allegedly made hundreds of thousands of dollars prostituting women, forcing them to reside five-at-a-time in single rooms and requiring them to have sex with customers for no wages and at risk to their personal safety."

HSI Special Agent-in-Charge JAMES T. HAYES, JR., said: "Sex traffickers prey on the vulnerabilities of their victims to force them into lives of servitude and rob them of their human dignity. We will continue to work tirelessly with our partners to bring down these ruthless operations and bring to justice those who profit from them."

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge JANICE K. FEDARCYK stated: "UN SUN BROWN allegedly committed sex trafficking, forced labor, and alien smuggling, preying on young women. Her arrest will keep other women safe from her criminal activity. Running from the law doesn't work and now Brown will face trial for these serious crimes."

According to the Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court and other documents filed in the case:

BROWN participated in an international criminal operation that smuggled women from South Korea into the United States, and placed those women at various prostitution businesses located throughout the Northeastern United States. BROWN owned a prostitution business known as "14K Spa," which was located in downtown Washington, D.C.

BROWN and her co-conspirators utilized a network of drivers to deliver Korean women to work at the conspirators’ businesses as prostitutes, and to transport women within the network to meet customer demand. BROWN generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual income at her business, by charging customers "house fees" to have sex with the women, while paying them no wages or salaries. The women were also required to pay BROWN up to $500 per week from the money they received directly from customers for sex.

BROWN typically employed five women at a time, all of whom were required to sleep on mattresses on the floor in a single room inside BROWN’s business. The women also were required to follow "house rules" that barred the women from going outside or refusing customers. At least one of the women who worked at BROWN’s business was the victim of a sexual assault that occurred inside BROWN’s business. She was then instructed by the business’s manager not to contact the police, to refund the customer who had assaulted her, and to return to work.

BROWN, 60, is charged with is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, forced labor, and alien smuggling. If convicted, BROWN faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, as well as a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the pecuniary gain from the offense.

Mr. BHARARA praised the investigative work of HSI and the FBI.

Assistant U.S. Attorney ELIE HONIG is in charge of the prosecution, which is being handled by the Office's Organized Crime Unit.

The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.