www.voanews.com VOA News 21 Feb 2003, 05:33 UTC

Former Peruvian spymaster Vladimiro Montesinos has again refused to testify on the second day of his public trial on corruption charges.

Montesinos remained silent Thursday as he was asked several questions relating to charges he helped the brother of a former girlfriend get out of prison. The charge carries a five-year prison sentence. The ex-girlfriend (Jacqueline Beltran) faces four years behind bars if convicted.

When opening arguments began Tuesday, Montesinos refused to testify, citing his right to remain silent. Montesinos' lawyer tells the Reuters news agency his client will not respond to questions because he is not guaranteed a fair trial.

The corruption trial is one of several facing the former intelligence chief, who was once Peru's most feared man.

Prosecutors say Montesinos built a criminal empire involving generals, legislators, the news media and judges while serving as President Alberto Fujimori's most trusted aide. Montesinos' fall from power began in September 200 with a videotape showing him bribing a congressman to switch to the government party.

Montesinos fled the country in the wake of the scandal, but was captured eight months later in Venezuela and extradited to Peru. He is currently serving a nine-year sentence for abuse of authority. Mr. Fujimori fled to Japan, his ancestral homeland.

www.heraldtribune.com The Associated Press

A Venezuelan diplomat accused in a $100 million lawsuit of helping direct money to Osama bin Laden after the terrorist attacks has asked the FBI to investigate the former presidential pilot who made the accusation, officials said. Walter Marquez, Venezuela's ambassador to India, met with an agent in Miami on Thursday to file a complaint, FBI spokeswoman Judy Orihuela said. Marquez is responding to allegations made last month by Juan Ramon Diaz, who accused him and President Hugo Chavez of transferring $1 million to the Taliban and al-Qaida shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. The money was disguised as humanitarian aid to the Taliban, and Marquez arranged to take the money to Afghanistan, according to the lawsuit filed by Judicial Watch. Diaz's wife allegedly died in the World Trade Center attacks, and the lawsuit asks for $100 million in damages. Marquez said Diaz is lying about the alleged donations to al-Qaida. Marquez displayed letters and bank receipts during a press conference at the Venezuelan Consulate in Miami in an attempt to prove the government made legitimate contributions of $1 million to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees to be used for Afghan aide. He said an additional $1 million was also given to the Indian government for an earthquake relief fund. Diaz fled Venezuela in January, saying he feared for his family's safety. He sought asylum in the United States, but his whereabouts could not be determined Thursday night. The lawsuit does not name the victim but said she was a 47-year-old U.S. national who was at a meeting in the center's South Tower when a hijacked United Airlines jet hit the building below her. The suit was filed on behalf of her husband, two teenage daughters and parents by Judicial Watch. Marquez also has filed a $1 million defamation lawsuit against Diaz.

Information from: South Florida Sun-Sentinel,

Last modified: February 21. 2003 12:58AM

www.lsj.com Published 2/21/2003 By Brad Foss Associated Press

The middle of winter feels more like the heart of summer at gas stations nationwide, as fuel prices surge past $2 a gallon in some places and motorists grumble about being gouged.

When a gallon of gas costs more than a cup of gourmet coffee around the July 4 holiday, drivers chalk it up to industry greed during the peak driving season. Now consumers are accusing oil companies of taking advantage of the prospect of war in Iraq - an allegation the industry brushes aside as a conspiracy theory.

Gas station owners tell a more complicated story, explaining that today's high pump prices are partly the result of avarice, but not their own.

The average retail price of regular unleaded has risen 22 cents since the beginning of the year to $1.66 a gallon. Meanwhile, wholesale prices paid by marketers have increased only 14 cents.

Corina Alba, 22, sees correlation between gas prices and the possibility of war in Iraq, but the Anaheim, Calif., resident doubts international affairs explain the situation. "I think it's just an excuse to raise prices," Alba said.

Earlier in the week, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., called on the Federal Trade Commission to launch an investigation. "It appears as if price gouging is taking place across the country," Schumer said in a letter to FTC chairman Timothy Muris.

The American Automobile Association supports Schumer's request. The travel company said it is also concerned about why prices have gone up so much in such a short period of time, though a spokesman stopped short of using the term gouging.

"We feel that most of the increase has been due to fear and speculation, rather than any change in the supply or demand for crude oil or gasoline," said Jeff Sunstrom, a spokesman for AAA. Sunstrom worries that today's high prices could be a harbinger of even costlier fuel by the end of April.

"Watch out between April 15 and May 31," said Tom Kloza, director of Oil Price Information Service, a Lakewood, N.J., publisher of industry data. Kloza said the imports lost after Venezuela's oil workers went on strike in December have not been adequately replaced and that could be a problem when the weather heats up and demand rises.

Gas prices typically rise during spring, when refiners shift from winter- to summer-grade fuel. The switch to cleaner-burning gas requires shutting down equipment, scrubbing it clean and starting it up all over again - a process that causes prices to move higher.

Gas station owners are frustrated by accusations of profiteering, but insist they're not the ones to blame. They say suppliers have been steadily upping their "rack" prices for weeks and that station owners are passing along the changes to customers without any benefit to their bottom lines.

"I realize that the price of a barrel of oil has gone up tremendously, but the way that rack prices have gone up for the last two weeks is just not right," said Richard Loeber, owner of a Hess station in Union Beach, N.J. About 40 percent of the retail cost of gasoline is attributed to the price of crude oil, which has risen 19 percent since the start of the year to $36.79 per barrel.

Loeber said Hess has raised the rack price by 16 cents a gallon in less than three weeks and he has maintained his 8-cent-per-gallon margin all along.

Loeber and other retailers attribute the increases to "zone pricing," in which suppliers value their product based upon the highest level a market will bear.

"People know they're getting gouged, but believe me, it's not from the dealers," Loeber said.

www.wsws.org 21 February 2003

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature by emailing informationto: editor@wsws.org

Europe

Autoworkers strike at UK Peugeot plants

On February 13, workers held strike action at the Peugeot’s main plant at Ryton, near Coventry in the UK. Staff at two smaller nearby plants also participated in the 24-hour strike. The industrial action was held by 3,500 workers, members of the Transport and General Workers Union, who struck in pursuit of an improved pay deal, halting production of 1,200 Peugeot 206 models. The stoppage followed a ballot by the workers last month in which 54 percent voted in favour of industrial action.

Peugeot said that it would not improve on its offer of a 7.3 percent pay rise over two years. A union spokesman said it wanted to avoid “a damaging dispute” and was “ready to talk at any time”.

Train guards in northern England vote to continue strike

Train guards employed by the Arriva Trains Northern in England have voted to hold further strikes in their long running dispute, after rejecting a revised pay offer from the company. In a ballot workers who have already held 20 days of strikes over the past year voted by two-to-one to reject Arriva Trains offer of a four percent rise plus a lump sum of £250. The industrial action, organised by the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union will be held on February 26 and 28, and March 3, 5, 7, 10 and 12.

The RMT is to hold a lobby of Parliament on March 12 regarding the dispute. RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said, “After a year of strike action they have again decisively rejected an insulting offer which is worth less with every passing day”.

Firefighters’ union in UK calls off strike for duration of talks

Britain’s Fire Brigades Union (FBU) decided this week that it would hold no further strike action for the next few weeks in order to continue talks with local authority employers and the conciliation service ACAS. The talks began on February 18 and are expected to last for at least four weeks.

The firefighters are campaigning for a fully qualified firefighters’ basic wage to be increased by 40 percent from £21,500 to £30,000. During the course of the dispute, the FBU has indicated it would be prepared to settle for a much lower pay deal.

The negotiations follow a government announcement on February 13 that fresh negotiations would be held, and that the armed forces that had been used for emergency cover during the dispute would now stand down. Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said, “At the end of the negotiating period, military personnel will be put back on standby to provide emergency fire cover if necessary”.

The decision was made in preparation for the armed forces’ role in the impending war against Iraq. Up to 19,000 troops had been mobilised by the government to serve as emergency cover during the dispute.

FBU leader Andy Gilchrist said at the beginning of the talks that he welcomed Prescott’s “useful and helpful intervention”, which would enable “constructive and substantive” negotiations to begin. He added, “The union and the public at large will welcome the return of common sense to this dispute.”

Banque de France staff strike over branch closure and job losses

On February 13 the SNA, CGT, FO, CFDT, CFTC and SIC trade unions held a 24-hour strike involving 16,000 employees at the Banque de France. The unions reported that more than 75 percent of the employees took part in the action.

Outside the capital 150 branches did not open. In four regions—Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Bretagne, Aquitaine and Midi-Pyrénées—all branches were closed. In Bretagne and Nord-Pas-de-Calais 95 percent took part at the strike. Following a general assembly of 600 employees at the Paris headquarters, workers staged a short blockade of the capital’s central streets.

On February 7, management had presented two alternative restructuring plans. The first proposes cutting the existing 211 branches to just 60 branches in the course of 10 years. The alternative proposal, projected for the next five years, would reduce the number of branches by half.

The plans would cause job losses of between 2,500 to 3,200. Since 1995 the Banque de France has shed 2,500 jobs.

Lawyers at Toulouse, France strike to demand improved working conditions

On February 18, most of the 840 lawyers at the Chamber of Toulouse began a strike to protest against working conditions at the courthouse. A spokesman for the lawyers said that the action may continue until March 3, when state secretary Pierre Bédier is due to meet with their representatives.

The lawyers had taken strike action in spring 2000, after which the then Jospin government promised to enlarge the court buildings. Bédier reneged on this promise last month, provoking the latest action.

Air France workers strike in campaign to oppose privatisation

Nine unions representing Air France ground staff called for a 55-minute strike on February 12 to protest against privatisation. The action was held the same day as the Senate began discussions regarding the legislation of the Air France privatisation.

Three other unions organised a four-day strike, beginning February 17, mainly for higher wages. Starting during the school holidays. The action caused 15 percent of flights at the Roissy and Orly airports to be cancelled.

A four-day pilots’ strike earlier this month for an increase in wages, based upon an agreement in 1998, has yet to achieve its demands. The 1998 agreement implied an exchange of wages for shares and to match pay to that of pilots on British Airway, Lufthansa and KLM. This adjustment has never been introduced. The unions are demanding an additional 8 percent increase for this year.

Air Lib workers protest against bankruptcy

On February 17, 40 employees of Air Lib blocked the access road to the building site of Aéroconstellation de Blagnac, near Toulouse, where the A380 Airbus is to be constructed. The workers stopped vehicles and distributed leaflets protesting against the bankruptcy of Air Lib, pronounced by the commercial court of Créteil (Val-de-Marne) earlier in the day.

On February 18 Air Lib employees began a demonstration at the Orly airport by crossing the airport building and chanting: “de Robien [minister of transport], murderer!” They demonstrated behind a banner with the slogan: “Bussereau—de Robien: liquidators! Let us live and work. Employees of Air Lib.”

The bankruptcy proceedings are generally regarded as a manoeuvre by the government in connection with the privatisation of Air France. The chief manager of Air Lib has said the government was pursuing the bankruptcy in order to make Air France more attractive for possible buyers.

The Raffarin government has promised to create jobs for the 3,200 persons made unemployed in other areas of the transport industry. However under the proceeding social plan of Air Lib in 2001 only 39 percent of the dismissed employees got new jobs and these were generally precarious.

Africa

Oil workers strike in Nigeria

Staff at the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Nigeria went on strike from Saturday February 15, in support of demands including higher pay and payment of allowances arrears, some dating back to 2000. The staff, members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (Pengassan) who monitor the quantity and quality of crude oil leaving the terminals, are also demanding greater autonomy for the DPR. Talks between Pengassan and the government broke down last week.

Blue-collar staff at the DPR, who are members of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (Nupeng), joined the strike on February 17. The strike is now threatening to hit Nigeria’s oil output of more than two million barrels a day, making up more than 80 percent of government revenue and more than 90 percent of foreign exchange earnings. Nigeria is the world’s fifth-largest oil exporter and a major supplier to the United States. The strike has added to the fears stemming from the crises in Venezuela and the Middle East.

“The operation of the DPR is grounded,” said Joseph Akinlaja, secretary general of Nupeng.

“Nothing is happening at the terminals and offices. The strike is proving its point. It’s been very effective.”

Shell, which takes about half of Nigerian oil production, claimed that shipments were “undisrupted”—with senior managers taking over posts from striking workers.

A spokesperson for DPR management, Mrs Belema Osibodu, said that DPR had called for a truce and invited union representatives for talks. The management of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) will be meeting with the National Executive Committee of Pengassan at the corporation’s headquarters in Abuja.

Long queues of cars have been reported at petrol stations in Lagos, the country’s commercial capital, as well as the capital Abuja, due to panic buying of petrol.

Workers demonstrate to raise minimum wage in Ghana

At least 2,000 workers demonstrated in the streets of Tema in Ghana and the capital Accra on February 12, in protest at the delay in negotiations on the new minimum wage taking place between the government, the Trades Union Congress and the Ghana Employers Association. After demonstrating in Tema, the workers drove in convoy to Accra.

The demonstration was called after fuel prices were increased by 94 percent last month. Since this affects all other prices, workers are demanding an increase in their wages by the same amount.

Strike hits Algerian ports

Around 15,000 Algerian port workers held a one-day strike at 10 commercial ports on February 16 in protest at plans for privatisation. The strike brought the country’s main ports to a halt, although oil exports were not affected.

An official from the main trade union, UGTA, said “Oil and gas export ports were not included in the strike.” The union officials said they expected government proposals to lead to layoffs and less job security.

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Printed on Friday, February 21, 2003 @ 01:07:07 EST   ( )

By Eric Walberg YellowTimes.org Guest Columnist (Uzbekistan)

(YellowTimes.org) – Marx built his powerful critique of capitalism on the contradictions resulting from the difference between appearance and reality. Often what looks one way is in fact quite the opposite. A capitalist tries to beat his competition, say, by lowering his selling price, but instead something quite unpredictable happens - perhaps his action induces a price war and he goes bankrupt, losing everything. Or perhaps his competition forms a cartel and conspires against him. It becomes a world of paradox.

I couldn't help but think of good old Karl as I sat to dinner with friends here in Tashkent a few days ago, celebrating the launching of our internet site dedicated to Uzbek musical culture, funded by one of the great speculators of the 20th century, George Soros. In the well-worn Soviet/ Russian tradition (though everyone apart from myself was Uzbek), we each were expected to make a toast. The Soros representative toasted his boss for providing the moolah. I impertinently added that though the purpose was noble, the money was rather dirty, and that the great man had recently been indicted in France for insider trading. This being a gathering of Soviet-educated intellectuals, my interjection was greeted with laughter. In turn, I decided to toast Germany. Formerly the aggressor against the Soviet Union, the cause of tens of millions of deaths, it had now been transformed into the cornerstone of world peace, defiantly standing up to the U.S. over its plans to attack Iraq. My toast was the hit of the evening. To musicians, paradox and inversion are the very essence of music.

As I watched the awesome demonstrations around the world on TV a few days later, I was struck by the wonderful silver lining glistening through the black war clouds, foolishly seeded by the Bush administration in the hopes of raining terror down on defenseless Iraqis. In attempting to enforce the rule of empire on the world, Bush is bringing about the exact opposite: he has (hopefully) destroyed NATO; the U.N. is lining up against the U.S.; the naive America-worship here in Uzbekistan (and throughout the CIS) which has infuriated me for years and which is vital to maintaining the U.S. empire, is withering on the vine. The scales are falling from the eyes of even the most apolitical as they begin to recognize the real "Evil Empire."

Then there is Venezuela. The impending reopening of McDonalds, which is still on "strike" against the Venezuelan government, will be hailed as a victory for President Chavez and the Bolivarian Revolution. The word "democracy" has come to mean the overthrow of the elected President, and the establishment of dictatorship. Bosses organize the strikes and corrupt union leaders complain about the government defending workers' legal rights. And the military invade the shantytowns not to kill and terrorize, but to build houses. The reckless blundering of the Bush junta over Iraq is a greater boost for Chavez than any left-wing propaganda.

As for Mr. Hussein, he and his regime have the prayers and blessing of the Pope himself, and with his latest decree banning WMDs, is burnishing his image as the great savior of the world. Too weak and humiliated to be a threat to anyone, he's thrown his lot in with the world's peaceniks, welcoming them to Bagdad with open arms, and releasing his political prisoners.

"There's no time to waste!" shouts Bush, as he rushes troops and the world's most sophisticated and deadly WMDs (surely a barrage of 400 cruise missiles full of depleted uranium must constitute the equivalent of a WMD) to the Gulf. His strident, ungrammatical rhetoric sends shock waves through every heart in the world (and shivers down every teacher's spine), much as (I hate to say it but it's true!) the rantings of Hitler did in the summer of '39. That's right, George, no time to waste. We're reaching the endgame. But who will be checkmated?

There may be no second resolution. And the German-French proposal calling for a large number of inspectors and a contingent of United Nations Peacekeepers to be sent with them will surely be vetoed by the U.S. and Britain. However, there is a loophole in the U.S. power to stop the French-German plan. Under the "United For Peace" provision of the U.N. laws, Security Council members may take their proposal to the General Assembly for a vote.

The French and the Germans are attempting to do whatever they can to prevent war. If the Bush administration and whomever they have bought and coerced on the Security Council object, France, Germany, Russia, China and their other co-sponsors may go the General Assembly for a vote; this will make it possible for U.N. Peacekeepers to depart for Iraq as soon as possible, hopefully within 24 to 48 hours. Once the peacekeepers are there, it will be almost impossible for the U.S. to bomb Iraq.

Let's checkmate George and disarm him peacefully. Write the Security Council members ASAP. Marx will crack a paradoxical smile as this crisis plays itself out.

France Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations france-presse@un.int

Germany Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations contact@germany-un.org

Russian Federation Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations rusun@un.int