Politics

Castro urges Farc to free hostages

Posted by Shemuses from Al Jazeera

Fidel Castro has called on Columbia's Farc rebels to release its remaining hostages. The former Cuban president's comments follow the rescue of Ingrid Betancourt, the French-Colombian politician, and 14 others on Wednesday. In an internet article posted on Saturday, Castro said he was against kidnapping and holding prisoners in the jungle. But he also said the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) should not lay down their weapons, warning that as a rule, fighters who have done so over the past half-century "did not survive to see the peace".

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Ransom claim in Ingrid Betancourt release | World news | guardian.co.uk

Posted by okami from Guardian UK

Ingrid Betancourt arrived in France today after being held captive for six years in the Colombian jungle, amid claims that a ransom was paid to free her.

The Colombian government said that she was freed in an audacious operation after the military tricked Farc into handing the French-Colombian politician over without a shot being fired.

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Former N.C. Senator and conservative firebrand Jesse Helms dies on Independence Day. He was 86. :: W

Posted by Damianmann from WRAL

Jesse Helms, the firebrand United States senator whose outspoken, conservative views polarized North Carolina and U.S. voters for decades, died at 1:15 a.m. Friday in Raleigh, according to John Dodd, president of the Jesse Helms Center.

"I thought he died years ago".

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Racial Profiling: Now as American as Apple Pie

Posted by Shemuses

The AP () reported today that the Justice Department is "considering" (and by "considering" they mean "we're totally gonna do this") allowing the FBI to initiate terrorism investigations of Americans based on their "travel to regions of the world known for terrorist activity, access to weapons or military training" and of course, a person's race or ethnicity. In addition, the FBI will have the authority to ask "open-ended questions of Muslim- or Arab-Americans, or investigate them if their jobs and backgrounds" match "suspect" trends in an effort to "root out terrorists before they strike."

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McCain Backer's Firm Pleaded Guilty To Funding Terrorist Group In

Posted by theangryindian from Angryindian.blogspot

The co-host of a recent top-dollar fundraiser for Sen. John McCain oversaw the payment of roughly $1.7 million to a Colombian paramilitary group that is today designated a terrorist organization by the United States.

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Harper's apology to First Nations puts pressure on Bush

Posted by Shemuses from Globe and Mail

Canada's residential-schools apology has opened the possibility that U.S. President George W. Bush may do the same in his final months of office, says Republican Senator Sam Brownback. In an interview with The Globe and Mail, the senior senator from Kansas said Canada's apology has increased the pressure on Washington, and he expressed hope that Prime Minister Stephen Harper will raise the issue directly with the President. Mr. Brownback has already secured the support of his Senate colleagues for a historic, broadly worded apology to native Americans. The three-page apology was added as an amendment in February to legislation dealing with Indian health care. It now must be approved by the U.S. House of Representatives and then ultimately the President.

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Fear of a Black President

Posted by Shemuses from Huffington Post

I like being white. Generally speaking, it's the easiest color in America to be. It's so easy being white that when someone discriminates against me because I'm white, it's called "reverse" racism. My racism has its own special name -- that's how cool it is to be white. I can walk into any store without being followed; hail the cab of my choice; and there's not a country club that wouldn't welcome me, so long as I was clad in the requisite slacks and collared shirt.

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