Turkish troops chase Kurdish rebels
Turkish newspapers reported on May 1 that as many as 40,000 Turkish troops crossed 10 kilometres into northern Iraq in an effort to attack guerillas of the Kurdistan Workers Party. Turkey regularly stages major incursions in spring to take advantage of good weather in the mountainous area. Northern Iraq is supposedly a US-enforced "safe haven" for Kurds; however, Turkish troops attack Kurds living there with impunity.
Meanwhile, it was revealed on May 2 that the US Federal Bureau Investigation will train 14 police chiefs from 12 Turkish provinces in courses related to the "struggle against terrorism".
CIA aided massacre of revolutionaries
A US spy plane, operated by the Central Intelligence Agency, used its sophisticated electronic arsenal to track the movements of Tupac Amaru rebels in the Japanese Embassy in Lima prior to the assault by the Peruvian army that resulted in their execution, the US Aviation Week and Space Technology magazine reported on May 5.
ANC's anti-mercenary law criticised
The Pan Africanist Congress on May 4 criticised as too weak the ANC-led government's proposed legislation to control the activities of South African-based mercenary armies, such as the notorious Executive Outcomes. PAC deputy president Dr Motsoko Pheko called for a total ban on mercenary activity in South Africa.
The proposed Foreign Military Assistance Act will allow mercenaries to operate on condition that they register with the Defence Department and that their activities do not result in the "violation of human rights or endanger peace" by destabilising a country.
Fujimori's popularity drops
While world leaders and the capitalist media have celebrated Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori's slaughter of the Tupac Amaru rebels in the Japanese embassy in Lima, it seems many Peruvians are less enthusiastic. An opinion poll published on May 8 showed Fujimori's popularity dropped by 17% in the two weeks after the massacre.