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1291 Sudan's ten minutes at UN SC -- rank: 1000

This evening, London time, it was reported by the BBC that the Security Council had discussed Sudan's appeal for condemnation and compensation for the raid on the Shifa pharameuctical factory for ten minutes only, but it had been agreed that any one who wanted to bring the matter up again could do so. Kind. Also today the 21 countries of the Arab League condemned the US attacks, but that was reported hardly anywhere. Nor was there any attempt to seek a European Union view or a Commonwealth view. ...

Document Size:	10662
Author:	Chris Burford
Date:	Mon Aug 24 15:42:27 PDT 1998

1292 Hong Kong relevance? -- rank: 1000

Mark reprinted a depressing story from the Sunday Times Business News. That Hong Kong is facing a severe depression is not news. That the Times will be cynical is not news. That they may want to find someone to quote alleging that the new administration has just swept up the dregs of advisers that the British colonial adminstration is not surprising. I doubt it is as authoritative as the International Herald Tribune article quoting named Asian experts of major international investment houses, ba ...

Document Size:	8391
Author:	Chris Burford
Date:	Sun Aug 23 15:57:23 PDT 1998

1293 Sudan appeals to UN tomorrow -- rank: 1000

Further developments. The British engineer, Tom Carnaffin, is not only angry enough to give the story to the Observer (UK) (see Guardian group web site, or marxism at lists.panix.com where it was copied) but has just appeared on Sky TV. While he cannot rule out that some harmless pre-cursor to VX gas could have been made, he emphasised the very basic nature of the plant and how toxic materials could not have been handled there, and how vital the factory was for the lives of many of the populati ...

Document Size:	8330
Author:	Chris Burford
Date:	Sun Aug 23 10:58:10 PDT 1998

1294 Khartoum - Arab League meets Monday -- rank: 1000

There may be no new human interest angle to this story, but the Arab League meets Monday to decide whether to support Sudan's complaint. A British engineer has just been reported as saying that he was working at the pharmaceutical factory two years ago and there were no signs that he saw of military production. This would be at the time when Bin Laden was also in the Sudan. The Sudanese are not touching the rubble, to allow a full investigation. We are no longer in the immediate post colonial er ...

Document Size:	6190
Author:	Chris Burford
Date:	Sun Aug 23 03:59:43 PDT 1998

1295 Khartoum sweet factory hit. -- rank: 1000

At 05:52 PM 8/22/98 -0400, WDK wrote: > >That "justice system" is interested in Bill Clinton's semen only for its >publicity value in partisan campaign politics, in a country where >political ideas are trivialized down to the Jerry Springer level. >"Honesty" and "truthfulness" have nothing at all to do with the Kenneth >Stare sex inquisition, all that's important is appearances - it's got to >make Jean Baudrillard too happy to see his theory dis ...

Document Size:	7540
Author:	Chris Burford
Date:	Sun Aug 23 00:34:08 PDT 1998

1296 Khartoum sweet factory hit. -- rank: 1000

The US government appears still to have published no reasons for declaring the pharmaceutical factory that they hit, a site for manufacturing VX (sp?) agent. Meanwhile CNN is carrying pictures not only of the remains of this establishment that was supplying 50% of all Sudan's medical needs, but the remains of a sweet factory a significant distance away. Large quantities of baking powder have been scattered. The Sudan regime, despite all its sins in the south, appears to be keeping very clear hea ...

Document Size:	5814
Author:	Chris Burford
Date:	Sat Aug 22 11:18:35 PDT 1998

1297 turning point? -- rank: 1000

At 10:50 AM 8/22/98 -0400, you wrote: >Dennis R Redmond wrote: > >>They did? Whoa -- the East Asian currency unit may yet be born in front of >>our very eyes. Anyone have more detailed info on these interventions? I >>heard that HK spanked speculators via stock repurchases, and I'm sure >>Singapore is backing Malaysia to the hilt, but what's the deal with >>Taiwan? > >This week's Economist has an article on this ><http://www.economist.com/editorial ...

Document Size:	6451
Author:	Chris Burford
Date:	Sat Aug 22 11:26:12 PDT 1998

1298 Reform of IMF or The Terrorist War -- rank: 1000

At 11:37 AM 8/21/98 -0400, Doug wrote: >Chris Burford wrote: > >>BTW if the US government really wants global peace and stability, it might >>do better to look at the economic system than to thrash around spending >>billions on raids against terrorists, which will provide the conditions for >>even greater dangers. > >The U.S. wants peace and stability on its terms, which means that the other >OECD countries are its junior partners and people in the so-calle ...

Document Size:	13742
Author:	Chris Burford
Date:	Sat Aug 22 00:31:56 PDT 1998

1299 Reform of IMF -- rank: 1000

At 02:56 PM 8/20/98 Carrol wrote: >(3) What would be the preconditions for the working classes (national or >international) to force such a reform? I suggest that the process which >would build such preconditions would be more or less synonymous with the >process by which capitalism could be smashed. This is the paragraph of Carrol's post with which I agree. Let's work on structural reforms never forgetting the class positions of the allies who are assembled for each tactical step w ...

Document Size:	6580
Author:	Chris Burford
Date:	Fri Aug 21 00:38:46 PDT 1998

1300 Reform of IMF -- rank: 1000

At 01:10 PM 8/20/98 -0400, you wrote: >Brad De Long wrote: > >>Treasuries and Central Banks fear that even talking about a Tobin tax is >>instant death for their international finance industries--that all >>transactions will move to Bermuda or the Caymans if they even start >>discussions... >> >>Yet another example of the race to the bottom produced by divided >>sovereignty and jurisdiction... > >They say that, but is it really true? If the G ...

Document Size:	5946
Author:	Chris Burford
Date:	Fri Aug 21 00:38:39 PDT 1998

1301 World Bank on .. corruption -- rank: 1000

At 08:48 AM 8/20/98 +0100, you wrote: >If what I say during my time in Russia is any guide, it's POLICY to let the >elites rip off the aid budgets. How else can you bind a resource-rich country >like Russia into the system? > >Mark Sure, Of course the way they think, they need to win over the trust and friendship of those members of the society who have power and influence. Some of that may be corrupt, but what is really hypocritical about these denunciations by the IMF, are the d ...

Document Size:	5206
Author:	Chris Burford
Date:	Fri Aug 21 00:38:58 PDT 1998

1302 Reform of IMF -- rank: 1000

At 09:26 AM 8/20/98 -0400, you wrote: >Re Chris Burford's: "Allies? That is important. In the short term it is >difficult. Especially if the >left either concentrates on domestic reformism or looks with >revolutionary >disdain at structural reforms on a global level. But in the UK the aid >agencies are the most progressive and far sighted, and have built up a >degree of campaigning skills." > >This is most encouraging! The time is clearly ripe for coalition ...

Document Size:	5303
Author:	Chris Burford
Date:	Fri Aug 21 00:38:25 PDT 1998

1303 Reform of IMF -- rank: 1000

At 10:39 AM 8/20/98 -0400, you wrote: >> >>So the Tobin tax which could raise 200 billion dollars a year within three >>years, is out of the frame. The incremental steps to change are too steep. >>It cannot be introduced in specific countries alone, because that would >>immediately disadvantage them for short term finance. >> . . . > >This could change after the bubble bursts, >when ensuing tribulations could encite >substantial resentment at finan ...

Document Size:	5298
Author:	Chris Burford
Date:	Fri Aug 21 00:38:32 PDT 1998

1304 Hong Kong passed test -- rank: 1000

Monday was a holiday for the Stock Exchange in Hong Kong. No doubt this was part of the plan of the government authorities, who, exceptionally had intervened last week to punish hedge fund speculators who has been using an ingenious scheme about the interrelation of the exchange rate, interest rate, and certain types of stock (I do not fully understand the details of the latter). The test was Tuesday. Did anyone hear any bad news? I heard none. Yesterday the Exchange went up 5%, this morning it ...

Document Size:	5266
Author:	Chris Burford
Date:	Wed Aug 19 23:32:24 PDT 1998

1305 World Bank on aid losses through corruption -- rank: 1000

At 07:26 PM 8/19/98 -0400, you wrote: >Chris Burford wrote: > >> At 09:02 AM 8/19/98 -0400, you wrote: >> >Today, Aug 19, the WSJournal reports the World Bank estimating 20% of Bank >> >project money in Indonesia was siphoned off by officials. For development >> >funds generally they estimate 20 to 30%. I've seen other, higher, figures >> >on this list, maybe up to 50%. Anyone care to comment? >> > >> >Randy Earnest > >Ma ...

Document Size:	6338
Author:	Chris Burford
Date:	Wed Aug 19 23:20:25 PDT 1998