Speaking to a meeting of 76 ambassadors in Copenhagen on Friday 3 March, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen deplored the publication of twelve cartoons of Muhammad in a Danish newspaper last September and asserted that Danish freedom of expression is tempered with tolerance and respect for different religions.

Up to very recently, referring to freedom of expression as “the very foundation of Danish society”, Danish prime minister and minister for the press Anders Fogh Rasmussen had refused to meet with a group of Muslim ambassadors to discuss what they perceive as an “ongoing smear campaign” against Islam.

The ambassadors quote four instances where Danish politicians and media have expressed hatred for Muslims:
Speaking two months before the publication of the controversial Muhammad cartoons, radio host Kaj Vilhelmsen suggested that Islamic terrorism could only be combated by expelling or killing Muslims.
Writing on her website two weeks before the cartoons were published, member of parliament for the Danish People’s Party Louise Frevert compared “the Muslim menace” with “a tumour which we know will kill us, if we don’t find and annihilate it ...”
In a speech at the Conservative Party’s national conference six days before the Muhammad cartoons were published, Minister for Culture Brian Mikkelsen accused Muslims of developing a “parallel society” within Denmark, “where minorities practise their medieval norms and undemocratic ways of thinking.”
And, of course, there are the infamous cartoons themselves, published in Jyllands-Posten on 30 September last. The text of the accompanying article states explicitly that the cartoons were commissioned specifically to offend against the Islamic taboo on depicting the Prophet – and not, for example, to tackle the issue of terrorism.

Please read the excerpts from the website of the Danish national broadcasting station, DR, and from the centre-left daily, Politiken, in translation: read full story / add a comment

According to the Irish Times two protesters who sued the State and Garda Commissioner for assault following the reclaim the streets protest three years ago have settled out of court. No details were disclosed. read full story / add a comment

From WCR 11. We don't usually print articles from WCR so soon after publication but in light of requests made in the wake of the rioting in Dublin sparked by an attempted Love Ulster rally we are making this article available online at this time.
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discuss links between women from different background living in Dublin Inner City read full story / add a comment

A response to a Martin Mansergh article in the irish Times read full story / add a comment

Two Respect Councillors resign read full story / add a comment

The 7pm Radio 1, news bulletin announced that a major security operation is being mounted this evening/night in advance of the expected arrival of Air Force One and Bush "in the early hours of tomorrow morning".

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Yes folks its true -

The wonderful people at Lismullen Institute (Opus Dei school) in the middle of the sacred valley of the Royal City of Tara are to give a lecture entitled - “The Gabhra Valley through the centuries to 2000AD. read full story / add a comment

One of the biggest lies to emerge over the year was the lie that nuclear power is the solution to the problems of climate change. read full story / add a comment

over 1000 irish people have blogs read full story / add a comment

held at the Helen Roe Theatre, 63 Merrion Square, Dublin 2
on Thursday March 9th 2006.
Dr's Edel Breathnach Joe Fenwick, Conor Newman and Mary Deevy
from the NRA will speak.
Full programme and info: http:// www.hilloftara.info
RSAI: 01-6761749 read full story / add a comment

Bush is not very good at anything, with that fact the world is fully acquainted, however, even the lowliest morons are usually good liars but recent video evidence has proven that Bush is not even skilled in the lowly art of lying. All doubts regarding Bush’s prior knowledge of the magnitude and destructive impact expected of Katrina have been dispelled by the release of video evidence clearly portraying Bush in full knowledge of the then pending emergency. We leave the pathological problem of Bush and the lying neo-cons in the incapable hands of the American people; the Bush regime is internationally known as the most deceitful and tawdry in American history. Good luck doodles, China and Russia could not hope for better! read full story / add a comment

Two Labour Party councillors in Stoke -on-Trent have resigned and joined the Socialist Party in response to threatened disciplinary action over their refusal to support budget cuts. read full story / add a comment

The annual Seán Keenan Commemoration will be held on Sunday, March 5 at the monument in Fahan Street (opposite Free Derry Wall) at 3p.m.

Speaker: Mary Ward
Chairperson: Michael McGonagle read full story / add a comment

The next meeting of Depression Dialogues will take place on Thursday 6 April 2006 read full story / add a comment

Assemble at the Cat and Cage, Drumcondra at 10 am , Sat. 4th March and join families and supporters marching to Aherns Office. All Welcome. Support greatly needed read full story / add a comment

Tree Walk in Dublin
6-10 March
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Early February 2006 - Some 800 US troops have disembarked at the Dominican port of Barahona as part of the “New Horizons” military exercise that is to extend for several months.

The U.S. troops will build medical clinics and conduct medical training, an official said.

Some 100 troops were near the southern city of Barahona, close to the Haitian border, to work with the Dominican military on the projects, said Army spokesman Robert Appin.

About 3,500 soldiers would join the effort, part of “New Horizons” — a Latin American aid program the U.S. military has run since 1998, Appin said. The work runs through May 22.

Later, hundreds of demonstrators marched on the US Embassy in Santo Domingo as well as on the US military camp in Barahona, approximately 120 miles southwest of the capital. Demonstrators representing leftist, union and student groups presented a statement to a US Embassy official demanding the immediate withdrawal of the US troops.
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Last December following a nonviolent break in at the NSA/CIA Pine Gap Sattelite Station (Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia), Sean O'Reilly was arrested during a follow solidarity vigil at the gates of Pine Gap. Sean was charged with "obstructing a federal police officer" merely for questioning the officers right to search his car. Sean went to court in Alice Springs on Monday, the pre-trial hearing of the remaining Pine Gap folks is set fo April with a jury trial later in the year. Pine Gap is used for electronic information gathering and targetting for the U.S. war machine.

SEAN'S REPORT ON MONDAYS HEARING.......
On Monday morning my hearing commenced. Charged with Obstructing a Commonwealth official.The prosecition led off with Officer Parker who provided a much exagerated account of the episode leading to my arrest. It made me wonder if we were talking about the same event. He had me jumping around in front of him, 6-8 inches from his face and blocking read full story / add a comment

Time: Sat 11th March, 5:30pm

Place: The George

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