HRW Djibouti: Release Jailed Opposition Leader
BBSN 03-07-30 - "HRW: New York, July 30, 2003 - The Djibouti government should immediately release journalist and opposition leader Daher Ahmed Farah from prison, cancel the fine levied against him and allow him to resume publishing his newspaper, Human Rights Watch said today. "Farah's conviction violates international law protecting freedom of expression," said Peter Takirambudde, Human Rights Watch executive director for Africa. "It is disappointing that a country that so recently promised to uphold international standards has violated them so blatantly."

NASA Research Park Named Winner 2003 GSA Achievement Award
BBSN 03-07-30 - "A comprehensive plan to transform part of the former Naval Air Station Moffett Field, Calif., into the NASA Research Park has been named winner of the 2003 General Services Administration Achievement Award for Real Property Innovation. Moffett Field is also the site of NASA's Ames Research Center (ARC). An independent panel of four judges selected ARC's development plan from 49 entries submitted by 21 federal agencies and departments. Awards will be presented Oct. 9, during a ceremony at the American Institute of Architects in Washington."

NASA OBSERVATIONS CONFIRM EXPECTED OZONE LAYER RECOVERY
BBSN 03-07-29 - "From an analysis of ozone observations from NASA's first and second Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) and the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) satellite instruments, scientists have found less ozone depletion in the upper stratosphere (22-28 miles altitude) after 1997. The American Geophysical Union Journal of Geophysical Research has accepted a paper for publication on these results."

ISM: Apartheid Wall Breached by Palestinian, International and Israeli Activists
BBSN 03-07-28 - "ISM: July 28, 2003 by Polly ISM Jenin - Today activists from the International Solidarity Movement, working with local Palestinians and Israelis succeeded in opening a small but symbolic hole in the Wall of Apartheid in the village of Anin, west of the city of Jenin. Activists from the International Solidarity Movement, working with local Palestinians and Israelis succeeded in opening a small but symbolic hole in the Wall of Apartheid in the village of Anin, west of the city of Jenin. ISM July 28th, 2003."

HRW Mideast: "Bill Blatantly Discriminates Against Israelis of Palestinian Origin"
BBSN 03-07-28 - "HRW: New York, July 28, 2003 -- Israeli legislators should reject a discriminatory bill being rushed through the Knesset (parliament), Human Rights Watch said today. If passed, the bill would bar Palestinians married to Israelis from living with their spouses in Israel, affecting thousands of couples. The proposed "Nationality and Entry into Israel (temporary order)" law prohibits Palestinians from residing with their Israeli spouses in Israel. The law will prevent all newly-married couples from being able to live together where they choose. It will also affect couples who have been married for years, and whose requests for residence permits are still pending."

"9/11 Report: One Senator Says Censure One Says Not"
BBSN 03-07-25 - "July 24, 2003 - Mr. GRAHAM of Florida. Mr. President, earlier this afternoon a declassified version of the report of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees on the events of September 11, 2001, (was) released to the public. I will take a few minutes to recognize those who performed a great public service in producing this report and to commend it to my colleagues and those who are watching. The public version of this report is available at the Web site of the Government Printing Office, www.access.gpo.gov. This report fulfills the commitment that was made to the American people and particularly to the families of those who perished in this tragedy. The commitment was to conduct a thorough search for the truth about what our intelligence agencies knew or should have known about al-Qaida and its intentions prior to September 11. "

"Oklahoma Poisons Wild Marijuana With Unknown Red Dyed Herbicide"
BBSN 03-07-24 - "Parents have a new and imperative reason to warn children away from marijuana in the State of Oklahoma. The state is poisoning the crop in hopes of eradicating marijuana use. According to an AP story reported by channeloklahoma.com "The weed killer sprayed on the plants is harmful to people who smoke the marijuana, but studies have shown that a person would need to smoke about 47 herbicide-laced cigarettes before it would harm them." In the AP story, Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation spokesman Mark Woodward also said "The red dye is to warn the public the plants have been sprayed with weed killer." Apparently with a straight face and never having heard of Panama Red before. "

"President Bush, Donald Rumsfeld and Paul Bremer in the Rose Garden"
BBSN 03-07-23 - "THE PRESIDENT: It is my pleasure to welcome Ambassador Paul Bremer back to the White House. I'm also pleased to be joined by Secretary Rumsfeld and General Myers. Thank you all for coming. Ambassador Bremer is doing a fine job in an essential cause. The nations in our coalition are determined to help the Iraqi people recover from years of tyranny. And we are determined to help build a free, and sovereign, and democratic nation. The coalition provisional authority, led by Ambassador Bremer, has a comprehensive strategy to move Iraq toward a future that is secure and prosperous. We are carrying out that strategy for the good of Iraq, for the peace of the region, and for the security of the United States and our friends."

"Misinformation Still Clouds Issue of Medical Marijuana"
BBSN 03-07-22 - "When assessing the merits of medical marijuana, society and often medical professionals themselves overlook one of the most important points in the debate. Arrest and incarceration. In addition to the symptoms from the condition the patient was trying to alleviate in the first place. There are ongoing debates about many other herbs that are widely available. St. Johns Wort (Hypericum perforatum) is gaining wide acceptance as an antidepressive. A quick search on Medline revealed 578 results about this valuable herbal medicine. Where's the difference? Can you spot it? Yes, exactly. No one is being arrested and having their property seized because they grew and used St. Johns Wort. The list of other plant medicines that are arrest free is nearly endless from Ginseng to Willow bark (aspirin)."

"Rep. Ike Skelton Questions "The Foreseeable Future" in Iraq"
BBSN 03-07-21 - "By Representative Ike Skelton(D-Mo) in Baghdad, July 4, 2003 (AP) -- Iraqi officials today visited the U.S. Command at Camp Franks to commemorate America's Independence Day and thank the United States for its role in keeping Iraq peaceful for over half a century. Sound far-fetched? Turn the calendar to 2003, substitute the name Japan, South Korea or Germany for Iraq, and the story is real. America's postwar efforts to keep peace and help rebuild those countries turned into substantial permanent commitments with no defined end. If the United States' experience in cleaning up after its wars is any guide, American troops may well be in Iraq 50 years from now."

"IACM: Federal Government Wants to Punish Doctors Who Recommend Cannabis"
BBSN 03-07-20 - "The Bush administration has asked the Supreme Court to let federal authorities punish doctors who recommend marijuana to their patients. The government would like to revoke the federal prescription licenses of doctors who tell their patients cannabis would help them. On 7 July Justice Department lawyers asked the high court to take up the issue in its next term, which begins in October. The Bush administration, which has taken a hard stand against state medical marijuana laws, asked the high court to strike down a Californian appeals court ruling that said the proposed penalties would violate the freedom of speech of both doctors and patients. The its decision of October 2002 the U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco "effectively licensed physicians to treat patients with prohibited substances" and interfered with the government's authority "to enforce the law in an area vital to the public health and safety," Justice Department lawyers Mark Stern and Colette Matzzie wrote."

"HRW: Egyptian Engineer accused of downloading Internet News, Rights Information"
BBSN 03-07-18 - "BBSNews - 2003-07-18 -- HRW: New York, July 17, 2003 -- Egypt's decision to continue the imprisonment without trial of engineer and antiwar activist Ashraf Ibrahim shows the government's intent to punish and discourage peaceful dissent, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch said Ibrahim has been held for three months while a dubious investigation into his use of the Internet proceeds. Ibrahim turned himself over to State Security Investigations (SSI) on April 19, 2003, two days after SSI agents raided his home and confiscated his computer, video camera, scanner, and other electronic equipment, along with many of his books and papers. His jailing was renewed for another fifteen-day period by prosecutors on July 14."

"HRW Iraq: Justice Needs International Role"
BBSN 03-07-16 - "HRW: Baghdad, July 16, 2003 -- The Judicial Commission established by Iraq's Governing Council is a positive step, but international jurists need to play a prominent role in any courts to ensure their effectiveness and impartiality, Human Rights Watch said today. The court system is expected to try former members of the Iraqi government and others accused of crimes against humanity and genocide. The Iraqi judiciary, weakened and compromised by decades of Ba'ath party rule, lacks the capacity, experience, and independence to provide fair trials for the abuses of the past, Human Rights Watch said."

"HRW: Guatemala's Former Dictator "Unfit" Candidate for President"
BBSN 03-07-15 - "HRW: New York, July 15, 2003 The decision by Guatemala's highest court to authorize the presidential candidacy of former dictator Efraín Ríos Montt is a disturbing setback for human rights in the region, Human Rights Watch said today. "General Ríos Montt is implicated in some of the most egregious human rights violations committed in Latin America in the twentieth century," said José Miguel Vivanco, Executive Director of the Americas Division of Human Rights Watch. "He is clearly unfit to serve as president of Guatemala." General Ríos Montt was put in power by a military coup in 1982 and served until 1983. During his term as president, the Guatemalan military carried out a "scorched earth" campaign of hundreds of massacres, tens of thousands of extrajudicial executions, and -according to a U.N.-sponsored truth commission - "acts of genocide."

"Editorial: False Iraqi-Niger Nuclear Weapons Claim is Old News"
BBSN 03-07-13 - "BBSNews - 2003-07-13 -- We reported a US State Department release about the Iraq-Niger uranium forgery on March 14th, 2003 that related a press pool question about that topic asked during a regular State Department briefing and answered later in a statement released to the press: "Did we send anyone to Niger to explore this issue?" Answer: "We did not send State Department personnel to Niger for the specific purpose of discussing this matter. However, our Embassy in Niamey raised the issue with Nigerien officials on several occasions and we were satisfactorily assured that they did not sell uranium to Iraq." "

"Hubble Telescope Measures Farthest and Oldest Known Planet"
BBSN 03-07-10 - "Long before our Sun and Earth ever existed, a Jupiter- sized planet formed around a sun-like star. Now, almost 13 billion years later, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has precisely measured the mass of this farthest and oldest known planet. The ancient planet has had a remarkable history, because it has wound up in an unlikely, rough neighborhood. It orbits a peculiar pair of burned-out stars in the crowded core of a globular star cluster."

"HRW Indonesia: New Prisoners of Conscience in the Post-Suharto Era"
BBSN 03-07-10 - "HRW: Jakarta, July 10, 2003 - In separate reports released today, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch called for the release of all prisoners of conscience in Indonesia and for the repeal of legislation used to prosecute and imprison activists engaged in peaceful political expression. A series of amnesties following the forced resignation of President Suharto in May 1998 led to the release of all prisoners of conscience and pledges by the Indonesian authorities to end politically motivated prosecutions. However, since then at least 46 prisoners of conscience have been imprisoned--39 of them since Megawati Sukarnoputri became president in July 2001."

"Medical Marijuana: Health Canada Deals Herb Prohibited in US"
BBSN 03-07-09 - "The Honourable Anne McLellan, Minister of Health, today announced that in response to the decision of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Hitzig et al. v. Her Majesty the Queen, the Government of Canada is adopting an interim policy on the provision of marihuana for medical purposes. This will ensure that the Marihuana Medical Access Regulations (MMAR) remain in effect, pending clarification by the Courts of the Government of Canada's roles and responsibilities with respect to the provision of marihuana for medical purposes. "

"HRW Congo: War Is International, Not Local"
BBSN 03-07-08 - "New York, July 8, 2003 - The war in Congo has been misdescribed as a local ethnic rivalry when in fact it represents an ongoing struggle for power at the national and international levels, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today. The 57-page report, `Covered in Blood': Ethnically Targeted Violence in Northern DR Congo, provides evidence that combatants in the Ituri region of northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have slaughtered some five thousand civilians in the last year because of their ethnic affiliation. But the combatants are armed and often directed by the governments of the DRC, Rwanda and Uganda."

"HRW UN: Global Action Needed on Small Arms"
BBSN 03-07-07 - "HRW: New York, July 7, 2003 - The global spread and rampant misuse of small arms and light weapons requires a reinvigorated international response, Human Rights Watch said today. More than 100 governments will gather in New York July 7-11 to assess progress in stemming the trade in small arms since a U.N. Program of Action was agreed two years ago. "Governments have a long way to go to address the scourge of small arms," said Lisa Misol, arms trade researcher with Human Rights Watch. "They should start by cleaning up their own behavior.""

"IACM: Cannabis Does Not Cause Permanent Brain Damage"
BBSN 03-07-06 - "The use of cannabis does not cause permanent brain damage, researchers from the University of California at San Diego (UCSD), who reviewed the available data on the issue, said on 27 June. "The findings were kind of a surprise. One might have expected to see more impairment of higher mental function," said Dr. Igor Grant, a UCSD professor of psychiatry and the study's lead author. Other drugs, including alcohol, can cause brain damage."

"HAWAIIAN TELESCOPE TEAM MAKES DEBUT DISCOVERY"
BBSN 03-07-01 - "Astronomers have observed a young star ringed by a swirling disc that may spin off planets, marking the first published science observation using two linked 10-meter (33- foot) telescopes in Hawaii. The linked telescopes at the W.M. Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea, known as the Keck Interferometer, comprise the world's largest optical telescope system. The observation was made of DG Tau, a young star that has not yet begun to burn hydrogen in its core. Such stars are called T-Tauri objects. Observations of DG Tau were made on October 23, 2002, and February 13, 2003, and the findings will appear in an upcoming issue of the Astrophysical Journal Letters."

BBSNews US-Iraq War Coverage

BBSN 03-07-01 - "HRW: New York, July 1, 2003 - With the expiration of its July 1 deadline to cut off military aid to states supporting the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Bush administration should end its ill-conceived campaign to weaken the court, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. The American Servicemembers' Protection Act (ASPA) revokes military assistance to countries that have ratified the ICC unless they conclude a separate bilateral agreement with the United States by July 1, agreeing never to hand over U.S. personnel to the ICC."

"UCSD Researchers Find Minimal Long-Term Effects Of Marijuana Use In CNS"
BBSN 03-07-01 - "An analysis of research studies with long-term, recreational users of marijuana has failed to reveal a substantial, systematic effect on the neurocognitive functioning of users. According to researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine, the only deleterious side effect found was a minimal malfunction in the domains of learning and forgetting. The findings were particularly significant considering the movement by several states to make cannabis (marijuana) available as a medicinal drug, and questions regarding its potential toxicity over long-term usage."