www.thebatt.com By Esther Robards-Forbes February 04, 2003

Shouts echoed across the Academic Plaza Monday afternoon as students gathered to protest the possible war in Iraq.

"Bush, Exxon, Mobil, Shell! Take your war and go to hell!" was the call taken up by the group of more than 30 students, faculty and staff. The group carried picket signs declaring, "Give peace a chance!" and "Disarm Bush!"

The anti-war protest was the first on Texas A&M's campus in a long time, but it will not be the last, the protesters said.

The protest was organized by residents Karen Glover, Marie Leonard and Christina Morales, who invited community groups such as the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and student groups such as the Aggie Democrats and the Green Party to participate.

Protesters obtained more than 150 signatures from students who supported the peace movement, according to Jonathan Steed, president of the Aggie Democrats.

"I see nothing to be gained by going to war," said Bob Presley, an oceanography professor who has taught at A&M for 32 years. "We don't want (Iraq) developing weapons, but with the inspectors there, that is unlikely to happen. Killing thousands of civilians is not the way to solve this problem."

The protest was organized mainly to raise awareness on campus about the issues surrounding President George W. Bush's plans for war, Leonard said.

Steed said he is worried the war with Iraq will be motivated by the wrong reasons.

"Bush's administration has been bought and paid for by the oil companies, and that is what this war is about. Russia and the U.S. have already started negotiations on splitting up Iraq's oil once the war is over," Steed said. "There's evidence right there. We haven't been attacked and by going in there we'll destabilize the whole region and open a huge can of worms."

Steed said he thinks the Bush administration is not considering the interests of all American citizens.

"One-third of our nation's homeless are veterans, and Bush wants to create more, even after cutting funding to the VA hospitals," he said. "Bush and Cheney have never been in combat. I'm going to listen to the people who have been in combat, and right now most of those people are against this war."

With current economic problems in Venezuela meaning less exported gasoline to the U.S., it is estimated that a war with Iraq will cause gasoline prices will skyrocket to as much as $3 a gallon in some parts of the country, Steed said.

"I really don't think that most students want to pay more at the gas pump," Steed said.

Other students felt that war with Iraq is unavoidable.

Paul Cozby, a freshman international business management major, said he supported the protesters after he stopped to sign the protesters' petition in the plaza.

"I support peace," said Cozby. "War is the last resort, but in some cases it can't be avoided. I don't want Saddam to sell a nuke to al-Qaida."

Steven Mitchell, a member of the Corps of Cadets and sophomore environmental design major, said war is sometimes a necessary evil.

"If not for war we would be speaking Japanese or German. (Iraq) is going to bring this war on everyone whether we like it or not," said Mitchell.

Halfway through the protest, Denita Noland, the interim minister for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, stepped up on one of the nearby benches and the protesters fell silent.

"The leaders of our great nation have forgotten the lessons of history and war," said Noland, as the shadow of a flag at half-staff fell across the crowd of protesters. "How many flags will fly at half-mast in Iraq if we invade? Every life is precious and every life should be mourned."

The protesters also held a vigil at 6 p.m. on the Academic Plaza, but at around 6:10 p.m. about 100 Corps members arrived at the Academic Plaza to demonstrate in support of war.

boston.com By Alexandra Olson, Associated Press, 2/4/2003 01:46

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) A two-month strike designed to force President Hugo Chavez's ouster crumbled as workers in all sectors except the oil industry returned to their jobs.

Stores, factories, schools and banks started opening their doors as the government raised oil production to 1.2 million barrels a day, up from 1.1 million a day over the weekend, according to dissident staff at the state oil company.

The gains brought production closer to pre-strike levels of 3.2 million barrels a day in a nation that is a major supplier of crude to the United States and the world's fifth-largest petroleum exporter.

Oil production was still only about one-third or normal production as the strike frayed Monday, but Venezuela is expected to add 200,000 more barrels per day in the coming weeks, staff at Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. said.

Fear of bankruptcy and shortages of gasoline and other essentials prompted leaders to end the strike, which began Dec. 2. Still, strike leaders called their work stoppage a success, claiming it unified the country's diverse opposition a mix of conservatives, leftists, business and civil groups and labor unions.

On Sunday, a nationwide petition drive collected signatures supporting a proposal to amend the constitution, cut Chavez's term to four years from six and pave the way for early elections.

Organizers said 4 million people signed the petitions, a claim that could not be verified. The petitions called for a binding referendum on Chavez's rule in August and an all-powerful constituent assembly to rewrite the constitution.

Government adversaries were unsure how and when the petition drive could bring results.

''We may have to wait until August, but then again it could be another year,'' said Leonardo Aparo, a 30-year-old store manager.

The Supreme Court ruled last month that the Chavez-dominated Congress must appoint a new National Elections Council. Without a council, no one can verify the signatures or organize a vote.

Julio Brazon, president of the Consecomercio business chamber, which represents about 450,000 businesses, said the strike was a ''resounding success'' because ''an electoral solution to the crisis is in march.''

Analysts disagreed.

The strike reflected ''the disorganization of the opposition,'' said Riordan Roett, director of Western Hemisphere studies at Johns Hopkins University. ''It was anti-Chavez but never pro-anything. What were they going to replace Chavez with?''

The United States and five other countries have joined the Organization of American States in mediating 3-month-old negotiations.

After meetings here last week, diplomats from the six nations said early elections were the best way to restore stability in the increasingly volatile South American nation.

Little progress has been made since the talks began under OAS chief Cesar Gaviria in November.

Chavez, who was elected in 1998 and re-elected in 2000, claims his ''revolutionary'' government would crush the opposition at the ballot box.

As the conflict between entrenched political rivals drags on, the specter of more economic problems made worse by the strike looms on the horizon.

According to the Fedeindustria business chamber, strike fallout and continuing recession will cost 200,000 jobs and close more than 20,000 small- and medium-sized businesses by August.

Lack of oil and tax income forced Chavez to cut 10 percent from Venezuela's $25 billion budget for 2003. Economists forecast the economy will shrink 25 percent this year after an 8 percent contraction in 2002.

www.brudirect.com By Ariffin Bakar

The Minister of Industry and Primary Resources, Pehin Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Rahman, has left Brunei Darussalam to attend the Third Ministerial Meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries’ Forum or GECF to be held at Doha, Qatar on February 4, 2003.

This unofficial forum will be attended by 12 major gas exporting countries, namely Brunei Darussalam, Republic of Iran, Algeria, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Bolivia, Venezuela, Sultanate of Oman, Qatar, Russia and Libya. Algeria, Iran and Qatar will be delivering talks on a new framework on gas marketing in the European Union, as well as framework on contracts for gas technology projects and costs, related on gas consumption.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

www.timesdispatch.com THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Feb 04, 2003

CARACAS, Venezuela - Workers in all sectors but the oil industry returned to their jobs yesterday. They abandoned a two-month general strike that devastated Venezuela's economy but failed to oust President Hugo Chavez.

As life began returning to normal in stores, factories and banks, the government made gains toward restoring oil production to pre-strike levels. The nation is a major supplier of crude to the United States and is the world's fifth-largest petroleum exporter.

The fear of bankruptcy and shortages of gasoline and other essentials prompted leaders to end the strike, which began Dec. 2, said Albis Munoz, vice president of the country's biggest business chamber, Fedecamaras.

Chavez, elected in 1998 and re-elected in 2000, vows to defeat his opponents in the streets and at the ballot box. He said Sunday that he will prosecute strike leaders for sabotaging the economy.

Venezuela's opposition still hopes to generate pressure for new elections.

The United States, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Spain and Portugal joined the Organization of American States in mediating 3-month-old talks. Over Chavez's objections, they endorsed an early election.

Seeking to capitalize on the strike's momentum, the opposition organized a signature drive Sunday for early elections, the strike's original goal. Organizers said 4 million people signed petitions; the claim could not be verified.

Strike leaders are a mix of conservatives, leftists, business associations, labor unions and civic groups. Their petitions reflected their various agendas.

One called for a constitutional amendment declaring Chavez's term over. Another would cut his term from six years to four, allowing early elections. A third would create a constituent assembly to rewrite the constitution.

Yet another option: a binding referendum halfway into Chavez's term, or in August, as permitted by the constitution. That idea was supported recently by former President Jimmy Carter.

Chavez says he prefers the August option - a referendum he could win because the opposition has yet to present an alternative to his populist "revolution" for the poor.

The strike reflected "disorganization of the opposition," said Riordan Roett, director of Western Hemisphere studies at Johns Hopkins University. "It was anti-Chavez but never pro-anything. What were they going to replace Chavez with?"

The Supreme Court ruled last month that the Chavez-dominated Congress must appoint a new board of directors for the National Elections Council. Without a council, no one can verify the signatures collected Sunday.

According to the Fedeindustria business chamber, the fallout from the strike and ongoing recession will cost 200,000 jobs and close more than 20,000 small and medium-size businesses by August.

www.nytimes.com By MARCI ALBOHER NUSBAUM

eing sent to Miami on business is usually a lot more like pleasure, especially when the rest of the country is enduring the big chill.

But brush up on your Spanish. Some frequent visitors say they have trouble even getting around the airport without a smattering of the language. And do not assume most Latinos in Miami are Cuban. While the Cuban population has the deepest roots and most political power, an influx of immigrants from Paraguay, Venezuela, Columbia and Mexico has brought the number of non-Cuban Hispanics almost equal to the number of those of Cuban ancestry.

AIRPORT

If your business has anything to do with Latin America, you can't avoid MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, which ranks third in the United States for international traffic. With only one terminal and an alphabet of concourses to navigate, make sure to leave ample time to get around, especially if you have a connecting flight. Built in 1959, when the traffic was 4.2 million passengers a year, compared with 31 million in 2002, the infrastructure has grown creaky. Advertisement

But there is hope. A $4.8 billion construction project is under way, and already two concourses have been transformed into sun-drenched, airy spaces with terrazzo floors embedded with shimmering brass inlays. And a new food court with a California Pizza Kitchen has won praise from business travelers grateful for a break from fried fare.

HOTELS

With refurbished Art Deco gems sprouting like mushrooms in South Beach, arguably the most chic stretch of beach in the country, deciding which one to book isn't easy. Monique Skruzny, senior vice president for investor relations at AOL Latin America, says the NATIONAL (800-550-0505, from $189) is a standout.

"While the SHORE CLUB or DELANO may win points for hipness, I prefer the home-away-from-home feel of the National, where I know I'm going to see the same faces at the front desk each time I visit," she said. Special touches abound, like free homemade strawberry-flavored lemonade at check-in, free Internet service in the lobby cafe and $9-to-$12 meals for the return flight home. Ms. Skruzny also recommends the wine club. "For $20 you can mingle with an international beach set of upscale professionals," she said.

One reason to venture away from the beach is the posh MANDARIN ORIENTAL on Brickell Key (305-913-8288, $250) in downtown Miami. The Mandarin's spa takes pampering seriously. Ask about booking one of the private spa suites with their whirlpool tubs, spa cuisine meals and indulgent treatments. AZUL (305-913-8254, $145 for dinner for two with tip and wine), the hotel's waterfront restaurant with its star chef, Michelle Bernstein, is a local favorite. If that is beyond your budget, the CAFE SAMBAL (305-913-8251, $80), the hotel's more moderate restaurant, lets you enjoy the Mandarin's ambience at a fraction of the price.

RESTAURANTS

When Joaquin F. Blaya, the chief executive of Radio Unica, the only Spanish-language radio network in the United States, entertains advertisers or bankers, he takes them to LA DORADA (305-446-2002, $100), known for its imported seafood. La Dorada's general manager, Beatrice Bajares, says the fish is hand-selected daily at the port in Malaga, Spain, and flown directly to Miami. "My guy calls me from the port each morning at 5:30 and I tell him what I want," she said.

For a more casual meal, try JERRY'S DELI (305-532-8030), a New York-style deli, open round the clock, with more than 500 menu choices ranging from standard deli fare to what Jerry's calls "high-energy California cuisine."

According to Tara Gilani, a local media personality known as "the trend tracker," Miami's elite — from politicians to fashion models — has made the PALM (305-868-7256, $150) in Coral Gables their haunt. "You know you've made it in Miami if your caricature is on the wall of the Palm," she said.

If you've just been promoted or are closing a big deal, Ms. Skruzy suggests NORMAN'S (305-446-6767, $150). For a more intimate setting, she likes ORTANIQUE (305-446-7710, $140) in Coral Cables with its "spectacular Caribbean food."

ON YOUR OWN

With 15 miles of sand, one pastime is obvious. But Miami has also developed a serious art scene. Two collections worth a visit are the BASS MUSEUM OF ART (305-673-7530) and the WOLFSONIAN-FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY gallery (305-531-1001), both in South Beach.

NIGHT LIFE

In a town where even Janet Reno has been spotted at trendy clubs, there is no excuse to turn in after dinner. For celebrity sightings, from Bill Clinton to Britney Spears, the place to be is LEVEL (305-532-1525, $20 cover charge), which Ms. Gilani calls a "banging disco palace, a huge cavernous place, but with enough nooks and crannies that good people can do bad things."

If exclusivity is the aim, then she would recommend MYNT (786-276-6132, $20 cover charge) "It's small and chic and hard to get into, like all good lounges should be," she said.