Mills Leads Gangster Government
Wednesday, 29 April 2009 19:20
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President John Atta Mills is presiding over a country in which state-sponsored gangsterism, criminality, lawlessness and politically motivated ethnocentrism is on the rise; and where “every member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has a licence to kill”, says the New Patriotic Party (NPP).The NPP and its leadership in Parliament yesterday noted at a joint news conference that the President and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have maintained a loud silence and watched with glee as some leading members of the ruling party run riot and incite one ethnic group against another, with other members breaking the law with impunity.A statement issued by the party yesterday mentioned the many instances in which various groups of NDC members have openly hijacked public places of convenience with commercial interests, beaten up and sacked their political rivals from various settlements and taken over lorry stations in Rambo style.It also mentioned the various instances where NDC leaders at the constituency levels had ordered the police to forcefully seize private vehicles of those perceived to be NPP members while big-wigs at the Seat of Government instruct ‘macho’ men to go hunt and snatch cars from leading members of the NPP.

Reading the statement on behalf of the party, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Minority Leader, said “insecurity and lawlessness is gradually becoming the order of the day” and that a coup mentality has seized the thinking of members of the ruling party. He said the lawlessness among the NDC thugs has been extended to even the party itself and already, some of them are burning their own party offices, assaulting their leaders and holding demonstrations without police permit. “State-sponsored gangsterism which has manifested itself in the reckless seizure of vehicles seems to be on the increase...criminality has been introduced on the part of the state under the guise of national security...it appears to be in line with anarchy or gangsters rule rather than the Democracy which we are all striving to achieve and excel in,” the statement noted, expressing disappointment that the President has not condemned the rising incidents of violence.

The NPP told journalists that security experts have warned that Ghana is on the threshold of getting into the state of ethnicity which landed the country into chaos and called on the President to disassociate himself from the emerging ethnic based groups. It said while the Ga-Dangme Youth Association called for the expulsion of ex-President John Kufuor from his Ridge Office on the grounds that he was wrongfully taking over Ga lands, the NDC-led government openly supported the group. The statement noted: “This was followed by the Osu Traditional Council adding its voice to the eviction notice by very robust statement to the effect that ex-President Kufuor’s use of the office facility could spark off clashes between NDC and NPP youth in the area. “These provoked the Asante United Front, a group based in Kumasi, to call on the Ga-Dangme Youth Association to retract their threats for the sake of national unity and cohesion.
The front threatened to organise a demonstration to bring pressure on government to return acquired lands by the State in other regions to lawful owners. “Another group calling itself Patriots for the Protection of Western Region’s Heritage joined the fray by calling for the protection of alleged indigenous reserves for the indigenous people, including petroleum resources for Western region; then the Coalition of Akyem Youths gave three months eviction notice to settler farmers on Akyem lands.

Law enforcement agencies in Lebowakgomo will not tolerate the emergence of local high schools-based gangsters who threaten the lives of learners and could become harmful to the education of learners.
This was stated in no uncertain terms by Lebowakgomo police spokesperson, Insp Manong Tshehla, during an interview recently.
Some of the gangs already identified by the police and school authorities go by names such as Izo Izo, Black Shit, 50 Niggers, Iraq and Masenyapha.
The principals of S J van Merwe Technical High School and Derek Kobe High School say they have been experiencing certain behavioural problems with some learners at their schools but after being identified by their schoolmates were immediately rebuked for their unbecoming behaviour.
Tshehla says the modus operandi is that often learners (aged 15 to 19) who are involved in gangster activities will throw parties in homes where the owners are not present.
“These learners will save their transport fares by hitching lifts to and from their schools and after accumulating enough money, they pool it together to buy braai meat and beers for a weekend party.”
After a braai and drinking binge, many learners will then share rooms, and apparently sleeping partners, too.
These learners often group themselves in gangs based on their common residential areas such as zones A, B or F.
Any gang that feels itself more powerful than another will go and raid the party of that gang in order to seize beers and braai meat.
Tshehla says only one serious incident took place last month when a member of a Lebowakgomo Zone A- based gang was admitted to the local hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) after being stabbed with a sharp instrument by a Lebowakgomo Zone F rival in a revenge mission.
The S J van der Merwe Technical High School principal, Mr S Phatudi said: “We don’t condone such criminal behaviour by our learners, and if we find out who they are, we invite their parents to the school in order to discuss such problems with them.
We have also realised that some of these groups are merely engaged in recreational activities such as dancing and not crime.” Phatudi advises learners to focus on their education in order to have a bright future. “Study instead of engaging yourselves in drunken parties, or even sleeping around.”
Derek Kobe High School principal, Mr B J Bopape said: “We have identified certain learners who were involved in gang-related activities.
Their parents were invited to the police station together with their children in order to discuss their problems and now it seems the situation is better.” - John Phadu

CNSNews.comIsraelis Wary About Obama As Netanyahu Calls for ‘Realistic’ Approach to Peace TalksTuesday, May 05, 2009By Patrick Goodenough, International Editor
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu addresses the AIPAC conference in Washington by video link from Jerusalem on Monday, May 4, 2009. (Photo: AIPAC)
(CNSNews.com) – Israelis like President Obama but are wary of his Mideast policies and believe his desire to improve relations with the Islamic world will come at Israel’s expense, according to a new opinion poll. Three months into the new administration in Washington, the future of U.S.-Israel ties, one of the world’s most closely-examined bilateral relationships over the past half-century, is back in the spotlight. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Monday night addressed the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) policy conference by satellite link, two weeks before he is due to meet with Obama at the White House. Speculation is rife in both countries that the new prime minister and new president are headed for an inevitable clash. Netanyahu wants to prioritize the threat posed by Iran, and has been stressing the importance of building up the Palestinian economy and institutions rather than focusing exclusively on negotiations aimed at reaching a political settlement. Obama is looking to engage Iran after 30 years of frozen ties, while pushing ahead with his predecessor’s so-called “two-state” policy – the establishment of an independent, viable Palestinian state alongside Israel. The two administrations also differ over how to achieve a peace agreement between Israel and Syria; Netanyahu while campaigning rejected the notion of surrendering the disputed Golan Heights in exchange for a peace deal with Damascus. In his brief address to AIPAC, Netanyahu focused on what he is calling a “triple track” approach to dealing with the Palestinian issue, focusing on security, economy and political negotiations. Security would be advanced through continued cooperation with the Palestinian Authority (P.A.) and the Jordanians, he said, in reference to efforts led by U.S. Gen. Keith Dayton to train P.A. forces. “Peace will not come without security, so I want to be very clear – we shall never compromise on Israel’s security.” “The economic track means that we are prepared to move forward to remove as many obstacles as possible to the advancement of the Palestinian economy … not as a substitute for political negotiations, but as a booster. I want to see Palestinian youngsters know that they have a future. I don’t want them to be a hostages of cult of death, despair and hate. I want them to have jobs.” And on political talks, he said, “we are prepared to resume peace negotiations without any delay and without any preconditions – the sooner the better.” Netanyahu called the three-way approach “a realistic path to peace,” and said that, with the cooperation of Obama and P.A. President Mahmoud Abbas, “we can defy the skeptics, we can surprise the world.” On Iran, Netanyahu said that, for the first time, Israel and the Arab world saw a common danger: “'Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.” He told the conference that he respected Obama and looked forward to their meeting. “We plan to continue our common quest for prosperity and for peace.” In the new poll of Jewish Israelis across the political spectrum, 60 percent of respondents said they viewed Obama favorably – but their opinions of his policy towards Israel reflected a significant level of uncertainty. While 32 percent approved of his policy and 21 percent disapproved, 47 percent of respondents did not commit themselves one way or the other. Sixty-three percent believed that Obama’s attempts to improve the reputation of the U.S. in the Arab-Islamic worlds would come at Israel’s expense, against only 16 percent who said it would not. The poll, released Monday, was conducted for the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies (BESA Center) at Tel Aviv’s Bar Ilan University and the Anti-Defamation League. Thirty-eight percent of respondents said they viewed Obama’s attitude towards Israel as “friendly,” 33 percent as “neutral” and eight percent as “unfriendly.” By comparison, in a similar BESA-ADL poll in May 2007, 73 percent of respondents viewed President Bush as friendly towards Israel. On the subject of dealing with Iran, 51 percent of poll respondents said the U.S. should not negotiate with Tehran; 32 percent supported direct talks without preconditions. The AIPAC conference, which opened Sunday and runs through Tuesday, has seen concerns about Iran, the Palestinian issue, and U.S.-Israeli relations played out. In a rousing speech on Sunday, former U.S. House speaker Newt Gingrich slammed the notion of negotiating with Tehran, saying “we need to recognize that there are some regimes we will never be able to cut a deal with, because they are in fact evil.” The Georgia Republican also caused a stir with remarks on the conference sidelines, when he told The Jerusalem Post the idea of engaging Iran was a “fantasy” and called Obama’s Mideast policies “very dangerous for Israel.” The paper quoted Gingrich as saying that there was “almost an eagerness [within the administration] to take on the Israeli government to make a point with the Arab world.” The left-wing Jewish organization J Street in an action alert responding to Gingrich’s comments described them as “recycled Bush-Cheney views” and urged its supporters to “stand up for President Obama’s Middle East agenda.” ‘Days of capitulation and concessions are over’ Netanyahu advisor Ron Dermer told an AIPAC panel discussion that while half of Israel thought Netanyahu was “the obstacle to peace” when he was elected as prime minister in an earlier term, in 1996, the situation had changed significantly since then. “Today, Israelis do not believe that the problem is a lack of willingness to make concessions on their part,” he said. “What they see on the Palestinian side is that half the Palestinian body politic has been taken over by Hamas. The other half has little capacity to enforce anything … we still don’t see that they’re actively fighting against terrorism.” Dermer said the election result had indicated a “huge [rightward] shift in Israeli public opinion.” Netanyahu had been elected “to lead Israel down a different path. The days of continuing down the same path of weakness and capitulation and concessions, hoping that somehow the Palestinians would respond in kind, are over.” Dermer contrasted the new three-track approach to that of the previous government, which he said had focused at the 2007 Annapolis peace talks almost exclusively on the political negotiation track. Through security cooperation and economic development, a context could be created where political progress was possible, he said. “What’s happened up to now has been basically trying to build a pyramid from the top down.” Israel’s ceremonial president, Shimon Peres, is due to meet with Obama on Tuesday. The dovish former prime minister earlier told the AIPAC meeting that Netanyahu “wants to make history – and in our tradition, making history is making peace. I am sure that peace is his real and profound priority.”

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Was the Alarm over Swine Flu Justified?
Officials Say Flu Cannot Be Contained As Global Cases Rise
In the Developing World, Swine Flu Elicits Shrugs, Not Panic
But even in Mexico City, the epicenter of the global H1N1 outbreak — as of May 4, the WHO had confirmed more than 1,000 cases in 21 countries — the disease seems to be slowing down. The government announced on Monday that restaurants in the capital city would reopen by May 6, with churches and museums following soon afterward. In the U.S., where the CDC has confirmed 286 cases of H1N1 in nearly every state, health officials noted that the illness remained mild. Still, officials point out the need to maintain strict surveillance for new cases, in the U.S. and especially in countries in the Southern Hemisphere, where the flu season is about to begin.
"While we're not out of the woods, we are seeing some encouraging signs," said CDC acting director Richard Besser.
As the global panic subsides, scientists will focus on figuring out how to ward off the next emerging disease before it lands on our doorstep. "Now is the time to take the actions needed to prevent this," says Nathan Wolfe, the director of the Global Viral Forecasting Initiative, which looks for new pathogens emerging from wildlife. One way to start would be to trace how, when and where the H1N1 virus emerged from pigs into people (or vice versa — over the weekend, Canada confirmed reports that a swine worker in Alberta passed the H1N1 virus to pigs). The new H1N1 virus contains human, avian and swine flu genes, and genetic analysis indicates that it reassorted years ago, meaning it could have been in pig populations for some time before the virus gained the ability to transmit easily from person to person. If we had had tight surveillance of flu infections among swine, we might have noticed that something bad was brewing.
But we don't — unlike diseases like foot and mouth, swine flu is not an infection that is automatically reported to national health authorities. Flu is common among pigs but not much more deadly than it usually is among people. (The H5N1 bird-flu virus, by comparison, destroys poultry populations.) That means that flu infections in swine herds can easily fall under the radar, as seems to have been the case with the new H1N1. Though there were sporadic reports of flu infections passing from pigs to people over the past few years, "we hadn't seen anything that tipped us off that this was something different," says Tom Burkgren, the executive director of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians.
A team of scientists from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Organization for Animal Health and the Mexican government is now beginning an investigation in Mexico, taking blood samples and swabbing the inside of pigs' nostrils, looking for H1N1 infection. The hope is to find out how prevalent the virus is among Mexican pigs — if at all — and begin to trace back the virus.
It won't be easy. It took years to find the original animal sources of SARS and HIV, among other new diseases. What makes tracking emerging viruses inside wildlife populations all the more difficult is that animals — even more than people — move around a lot, across borders. The U.S. imports live pigs from Europe, while Mexico takes in some 600,000 pigs a year from the U.S., so it's entirely possible that the virus began in Europe (the H1N1 virus has Eurasian genes), then moved to America and Mexico with pigs before infecting the first human. "It's going to take several weeks and maybe months to get a clearer picture," says Juan Lubroth, a senior officer at the FAO. "There's just a lot that we don't know."
Although it is too late to put the new H1N1 virus back in the bottle, there are lessons to be learned for containing future pandemics. One is the need to improve monitoring of the trade in live animals, which can spread new diseases across borders and even oceans. Peter Daszak, the president of the Wildlife Trust, notes in a newly published paper in Science that the U.S. alone has imported more than 1.5 billion live animals since 2000, the majority of which undergo no testing for pathogens before or after shipment. At the height of the H1N1 scare last week, many Americans wanted stronger surveillance at the borders to prevent the spread of new diseases by foreign travelers — but there has been comparatively little attention paid to the live-wildlife trade. "There's a backdoor open just waiting for new pathogens to walk in," says Daszak.
In the U.S. and around the world, veterinary health care is the poor cousin to human health, chronically underfunded. But if we are serious about heading off new infections, we need to increase available resources and make sure that veterinarians are looking out for new diseases in livestock and wildlife in the same way that the WHO's global flu network is constantly monitoring the world's human population for new influenza strains. As we've seen with H1N1, once a new flu has emerged and begun spreading among people, it's likely too late to contain. "What we need to do is upstream surveillance in animals and wildlife," says William Karesh, vice president of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Global Health Program. "We've begun to do that with avian flu, but the funding isn't available for other species."
In case we had any doubts, the rapid spread of the new H1N1 virus should convince us that biologically we live in one world, sharing microbes between species and across borders. When it comes to crafting a global early-warning system equal to the challenges posed by new pathogens, we're only as strong as our weakest link, whether that's the lack of animal-disease surveillance in the U.S. or less than ideal laboratory capacity in Mexico. "We have to break down the barriers between organizations and agencies," says Lubroth. "It's one world, one health."
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