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AFGHANISTAN: Enduring American 'freedom'

BY SONALI KOLHATKAR The US military campaign in Afghanistan was called Operation Enduring Freedom. In January, US President George Bush said in his State of the Union address, "The last time we met in this chamber, the mothers and daughters of

Pine Gap: spy base aids US war on Iraq

BY BIANCA BILLIK In the central Australian desert, just 19 kilometre south-west of Alice Springs, is the Pine Gap Joint Military Defence Facility. In simple terms, Pine Gap is a US military spy base. Pine Gap will play an important role in any

Proposed ACT 'anti-terror' laws may threaten civil liberties

BY JAMES CAULFIELD CANBERRA — People in the ACT could soon be faced with attacks on their civil liberties in the form of new "anti-terror" laws being put to the ACT Legislative Assembly. On December 10, a new bill will be debated by the

350 march against war on Iraq

BY TOM FLANAGAN LISMORE — Around 350 people attended a lively and colourful "No War on Iraq" rally at Spinks Park on November 30. Speakers included Mavis Davies, a Bundjalung elder, Lismore councillor and former mayor Ros Irwin, Sister Margaret

Socialist Alternative proposes unity to ISO

BY PETER BOYLE As the possibilities for deeper left unity is being debated within the Socialist Alliance, the Socialist Alternative (SAlt) group has written to the International Socialist Organisation (ISO) to suggest unity talks between the two

ECUADOR: Is Gutierrez another Chavez?

BY JORGE JORQUERA On November 24, former army colonel Lucio Gutierrez comfortably won the Ecuadorean presidential elections as the candidate of the Patriotic Society January 21 (SP21) alliance and Pachakutik, the main national Indigenous people's

Baxter refugee prison: another 'hell-hole'

BY JODY BETZIEN The Baxter refugee detention centre near Port Augusta in South Australia is the latest addition to the federal government's anti-refugee arsenal. The purpose-built facility was supposed to demonstrate the government's commitment to

Civil liberties will be key election issue

BY LISA MACDONALD SYDNEY — A December 14 conference of the nine NSW branches of Socialist Alliance will preselect at least eight more candidates to complete its Legislative Council (upper house) ticket for the March 22 state election. The

Brunswick Socialist Alliance campaign launched

BY GRAHAM MATTHEWS MELBOURNE — Around 30 people attended the campaign launch for Judy McVey, the Socialist Alliance candidate for Brunswick district, on November 27 at Cafe Mingo. Speaking with the candidate were Construction, Forestry, Mining

Thousands march in Melbourne

BY ANNE O'CASEY MELBOURNE — A crowd of around 10,000-15,000 turned out to oppose war on December 1, the day after the Victorian election. The rally was chaired by Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia state secretary Michele O'Neil

HONG KONG: Protest organisers convicted

BY DOUG LORIMER HONG KONG — On November 25, a Kowloon City magistrate found three political activists — Leung Kwok-hung of the April 5 Action Group and Hong Kong Federation of Students members Christopher Fung and Chris Lo — guilty of

Indonesia's 'elite politik' plots to control elections

BY MAX LANE JAKARTA — Any analysis of Indonesian politics during the last year three years, especially since the downfall of President Abdurrahman Wahid, has to take account of the steady rise in the masses’ alienation from the