VOICES IN THE WILDERNESS ACTIVISTS FORCIBLY EJECTED FROM A GENERAL SANCHEZ PRESS CONFERENCE FOLLOWING PROTEST OVER KILLING OF IRAQI CIVILIANS.

A recent protest by Voices in the Wilderness activists has highlighted the ongoing killings of civilians in occupied Iraq. The protest drew attention to the lack of any investigation following the killing of 6 Iraqis in North Baghdad recently... Recent Links: 'Democracy' in Baghdad | Iraqi Solidarity Action Roundup

This Critical Mass was definitely one of the biggest and best of the summer - and also a high tension ride.

As a regular Critical Masser I thought this was great - because it was a change from the normal route, but also because we were going into a residential area around Cumberland Street, Cathal Brugha Street, and Middle/Lower Gardiner Street.

Old people and kids were looking out from their windows and waving and smiling at us . . .

The "liberation" of Iraq has ironically unleashed a reign of terror on Iraqi women. The lack of security has given fundamentalist Islamic groups free reign to terrorise local women into compliance with strict Islamic Shariah code. Refusal has meant the daily murder of Iraqi women. Read an interview with Nadia Mahmood, an Iraqi Women's Rights acivist... Indymedia Links: Update on Iraq | Caoimhe in Baghdad Other Resources: What's Happening to Iraqi Women | Iraqi Women's Rights Coalition | Iraqi Women's League - Open Letter | Official US Policy on Iraqi Women | Organisation of Women's Freedom in Iraq | Women's International Coalition for Economic Justice

The outspoken american film-maker and author Michael Moore appeared at the Feile an Phobail marquee on the Falls Road in West Belfast on Saturday 9th of August to give a public talk as part of the programme of political speakers at that forum, with particular reference to "The sad and sorry state of affairs in the United States of America."

Tickets to the 1200-seater event were free and had all been ravenously snapped up the previous Sunday morning within 2 hours of the office having opened.

A newswire request for more information on the situation in Liberia resulted in a series of 3 illuminating posts from an Indymedia.ie contributor who had spent some time in the area:

This most recent upsurge in suffering in Liberia is an example of the US sorting the place out rather than an example of why they should sort the place out.

The US _is_ involved in Liberia and they are by far the most powerful actor there - their policy decisions are the most important factors in shaping what happens in Liberia. The humanitarian crisis (and the TV cameras) are a tool for the US to replace the government with somebody more obedient without getting into an armed battle with Taylor which they want to avoid at the moment for obvious reasons. It now seems (again based on scanty evidence) that Taylor is proving to be a tough cookie to crack. The LURD probably don't have enough heavy arms to take the Monrovia bridges and, knowing this, Taylor is haggling over leaving - he presumably wants immunity from prosecution, a safe haven, and a US guarantee not to freeze his bank accounts. The yanks will have to choose between this potentially embarrassing deal and going in with a few bits of big hardware to finish him off.