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CONTENTS:

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:

1. World
2. Africa
3. Americas
4. Asia Pacific
5. Europe
6. Middle East
7. South Asia
8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare
9. Finance
10 Human Rights
11. Law and Legal Issues
12. Narco-terrorism
13. Transportation
14. Weapons of Mass Destruction
15. Recently Published

FEATURE ARTICLE:
Corsica

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

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1. World

North Korea claims to have reprocessed all of its nuclear fuel rods, producing plutonium, and has carried out tests on associated explosive devices. South Korea has said it is essential to address North Korea's security fears in order to achieve a resolution to the nuclear controversy. South Korea has had limited success in establishing multilateral talks.

Occupying forces in Iraq are increasingly drawn into classic urban combat situations. The fourth major military initiative since the end of major combat is underway, attempting to root out remnants of the former regime. Things took a nasty turn last week with attacks against Iraqis who were cooperating with US forces and two public, point-blank shootings. Now that a "governing council" of a cross-section of Iraqis has begun, this greater involvement of Iraqi people may help to ameliorate the opposition. These attacks as well as the difficult working conditions and extended service times have led to very low morale among US forces. US defense administrators see no force reductions for the foreseeable future and in fact have doubled the estimated cost, to $4 billion per month. Facing these challenges, the US will increase its efforts to attract greater international involvement.

The dominant news of Iraq, however, was in the growing controversy over the reasons for going to war. This has reached its height in the UK, where particular allegations have been investigated by parliament, but major questions remain and the controversy continues. Similar inquiries have begun in the US and Australia.

The UN convention against transnational organized crime has received its 40th ratification and will come into force in September.

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2. Africa

As US President Bush tours Africa, reports of increasing poverty in the continent haunt his travels. Professor Jeffrey Sachs of Colombia University has pointed out that the 400 richest Americans together earn more than the total incomes of all 166 million people living in Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda and Botswana. He also contrasts US public health spending at $2,000 per person with $10 per person in Africa. During the visit there have been uniform calls to deliver on prior promises and to deal with ruinous US trade practices, particularly agricultural subsidies. President Bush preferred to focus on the AIDS initiatives announced at the beginning of the year, despite the facts that the announced funding has not been forthcoming and that US AIDS-research dollars have been redirected to anthrax vaccine research.

Burundi rebels of the Forces for National Liberation (FNL) have launched fierce attacks on the capital, killing at least 170 and displacing 15,000 civilians. Fifteen rebels are reported dead. The weeklong shelling has not delivered the resignation of the government or additional talks. FNL, the smaller of two rebel groups, has not joined the ceasefire or peace talks begun last December.

In eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, French forces have put an end to heavy fighting between Mayi-Mayi militia and RCD-K/ML rebels, but the situation remains tense. The northeast area, particularly the town of Bunia, continues to experience ethnic violence between Hema and Lendu. Additional UN forces are due in DRC to help with other parts of the country.

Fighting in Liberia continues as the world waits for the US to decide on its role. A 32-member military assessment team from the US has been visiting to evaluate the situation. The team has been besieged by crowds of Liberians asking for their presence to bring peace. Meanwhile, talks between the government and rebels taking place in Ghana have focused on negotiations with President Charles Taylor to plan the shift to a transitional government. Rebels of Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) has said they will fight international peacekeepers if they arrived before Taylor leaves, fearing they would make it possible for him to stay in power.

Madagascar has been readmitted to the African Union after a one-year suspension.

Nigeria's general strike entered its second week with increasingly violent demonstrations and riots in which at least ten people were shot dead by police before the government agreed to reduce oil prices. Three hostages held in the Niger Delta since June have been freed, but the question has risen, "Niger Delta moving from agitation to rebellion?" http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=35244.

Somalia's peace agreement, praised last week, was denounced by some political groups the next day. Mediators are continuing to work with the groups. In the meantime, fighting in the Mudug region killed at least 43 and injured more than 90.

South Africa's proposed anti-terrorism bill is generating increasing opposition amid claims it is unconstitutional and would obstruct press freedom.

Sudan's peace process requires a clear commitment and close involvement of the US, according to a new International Crisis Group report, "Sudan Endgame" http://www.crisisweb.org/projects/showreport.cfm?reportid=1038

In the Western Sahara, the Polisario Front has decided to accept a UN peace plan that would grant limited autonomy. Morocco has not yet agreed to the plan.

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3. Americas

Colombia's fight against rebels and paramilitary groups earned it praise from the Bush administration and $27 million in military aid, despite concerns over its human rights record. $5 million was withheld because Colombia has not signed an International Criminal Court exemption for the US.

Peruvian authorities have captures the second-highest leader of the Shining Path guerilla group. Florentino Cerron Cardoze was arrested in connection with 122 murders and more than 180 attacks. Commander Artemio is the last of the original Shining Path leaders still at large. Despite this arrest, indications are that Shining Path may have regrouped. On Thursday, rebels attacked a military patrol, killing seven and wounding ten -- the worst such attack in four years.

Puerto Ricans are protesting the insistence of US prosecutors seeking the death penalty in a murder trial, although capital punishment has been banned in the Puerto Rican constitution since 1929.

In the US, the independent commission investigating the September 11 attacks has reported obstruction by US government agencies and a lack of support from the White House that may mean they will miss the May 2004 deadline. In a 3-page interim report they cite intimidation of witnesses and delays in providing interviews and documentation. Given the increasing attention paid to intelligence lapses leading up to the invasion of Iraq, this could become a significant political issue.

Following last week's announcement of military tribunals to try prisoners held at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, human rights groups and foreign governments, particularly Australia and Britain, expressed strong concerns that the trials would be fair and that their nationals would not be subjected to the death penalty.

Venezuela's legislature is in a stalemate over a possible national referendum. Supporters of President Chavez demonstrated at the funeral of a clerical opponent and were dispersed by police.

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4. Asia Pacific

Australia's notorious Woomera detention center that was closed in April, will become a nuclear waste dump.

The Burmese army has destroyed the headquarters of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) rebel group as part of their increased cooperation with India to counter terrorism. After this event, India closed the border area to prevent rebels from entering.

Hong Kong's government has agreed to delay the anti-subversion bill following massive public protests that continued throughout the week despite the government delay. The delay and the increasing demands of the protestors, including requests for elections, open a challenge to China and their policies towards Hong Kong.

Indonesian General Sutarto has said that the fight against the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels in Aceh would take longer than the six months originally estimated -- one or two or even ten years. Fighting has continued, with additional rebel and civilian deaths. 71 captured GAM rebels will be tried for subversion, facing a death sentence. On Java, police launched massive raids and claim that their capture of large caches of explosives, ammunition, weapons, and other components has thwarted a new terror initiative. In Papua province, one pro-independence supporter was killed and several injured when they attempted to fly an illegal separatist flag.

Laos has freed the two journalists and a pastor less than two weeks after sentencing them to 15 years in jail in connection with their work among the Hmong.

In the Philippines, a bomb went off in a marketplace, killing five and injuring twenty. Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels are suspected but have denied involvement.

Solomon Islands parliament has approved an Australian-led intervention force to restore order.

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5. Europe

Albania and Kosovo have signed a free trade agreement.

Armenian and Azerbaijan forces have clashed on the border with Nagorno Karabakh, killing seven.

Bosnia has commemorated the anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre of 1995, in which 8,000 Muslims were slaughtered by Bosnian Serb soldiers. The UN peacekeeping force in Bosnia Herzegovina has been extended for another year.

Poland and Ukraine commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Volyn massacre.

Russia has promised to root out and destroy Chechen separatists. There has been another security crackdown following the suicide attacks last week. The Council of Europe's committee for the Prevention of Torture issued their findings of torture in Chechnya and called for Russian authorities to put a stop to disappearances and torture that, they suggest, serve to fuel extremism. Another bomb outside a restaurant in Moscow went off while being defused, killing the bomb expert.

In Spain, two bank branches were bombed, one severely damaged and unable to open for several months. Spain has opened its first mosque in 500 years and hosted the "Islam in Europe" conference that called for opposition to capitalism.

Turkey is angry over the arrest of their troops in northern Iraq, but the soldiers have finally been returned to Turkey.

The Drumcree Orange Order Parade in Northern Ireland passed off peacefully and the security operation that cost some GPB500,000, has been scaled back. More than 60,000 Orangemen in 18 locations marched in the July 12 parades commemorating the 1690 Battle of the Boyne. There were only minor disturbances.

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6. Middle East

Influential cleric Grand Sheikh Mohammed Sayed Tantawi of Cairo's Al-Azhar mosque, considered the highest Sunni Muslim authority, has condemned suicide attacks.

Israel has moved to free some 300 of the up to 6,000 Palestinian prisoners, but none with "blood on their hands" excluding members of militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Disagreements over the prisoner release program has contributed to internal Palestinian disputes that led to Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas threatening to resign. He has also resigned from Fatah's central committee. The US now plans to provide direct aid to the Palestinians.

Iran has conducted the final test of a missile capable of reaching Israel. Iran met with the International Atomic Energy Agency and may agree to more intrusive inspections. A team of experts will visit to discuss the issues. Meanwhile, the fourth anniversary of a raid on a student dormitory that had led to several days of street riots passed off with general protests and occasional clashes, but no focused trouble. Islamic vigilantes clashed with students and had to be controlled by police. About 4,000 people have been arrested in connection with protests over the last month. President Mohammad Khatami says he will resign if the country wants him to go.

Syria is getting support from Egypt to help ease tensions with the US and to discuss the peace process on Syrian/Lebanese issues.

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7. South Asia

Rival militias in Afghanistan continue to do battle, particularly in the north. Afghan and Pakistan troops have exchanged gunfire and Pakistan's embassy in Kabul was attacked, ransacked.

India closed portions of the border with Burma after the Burmese army destroyed the headquarters of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) rebel group to prevent rebels from the state of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.

In the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, Brahmin priests of the Tirupati temple will be trained in martial arts to protect the temple form possible terror attacks. In Assam, the manager of a tea plantation was shot dead by members of the Dima Halong separatist rebel group.

An office building in Karachi, Pakistan has been bombed, killing two. Responsibility is unknown.

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8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare

A new PayPal scam uses a fake web site with a valid SSL certificate to dupe users they are accessing a secure site.

Microsoft issued a patch for another critical vulnerability in Windows machines with Internet Explorer.

Last week's hacking competition was not a big event, but the winner has been announced: the Perect.br team from Brazil.

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9. Finance

Assets of Radovan Karadzic and his family have been frozen by officials in Bosnia.
The Central African Republic has joined the Kimberley Process to clean up corruption in its diamond industry.

David Rose with The Observer reports on "The enforcer, the holiday isle scam and the money trail to terror gangs: A Lebanese mafioso linked to Kenneth Noye and John Palmer is suspected of channelling funds to Hizbollah" July 13, http://observer.guardian.co.uk/Print/0,3858,4711312,00.html

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10. Human Rights

Belgium is repealing its controversial war crimes law. Rather than universal jurisdiction, a new bill will permit only war crimes cases involving Belgian nationals or residents of Belgium.

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11. Law and Legal Issues

Florentino Cerron Cardoze (a/k/a "Marcelo", "Carlos", "Julio", "Raul"), head of the rebel Shining Path's Central Regional Committee, has been arrested in Peru in connection with 122 murders and more than 180 attacks.

Khaled Abdel-Latif Dumeisi, a newspaper editor, has been arrested in Chicago on charges of providing false credentials and other support to Iraqi intelligence operations in the US.

Riduan Isamuddin . "Hambali", has been arrested in the Philippines with seven other suspected members of Jemaah Islamiah (JI) in connection with bombings in Manila in 2000. Hambali is suspected of linking JI with al Qaeda.

Ali S Marri was arrested in January 2002 and was designated an enemy combatant on June 23. His attorneys have submitted a writ of habeas corpus and will appeal the designation. He had been awaiting trial on charges of credit card fraud.

Naveed Anwar Mohamed has been freed from detention in Kenya after having been accused of links with a militant Islamic group.

Defense lawyers for Zacarias Moussaoui ("20th hijacker") moved that the appeals court should not intervene in Moussaoui's right to question al Qaeda member Ramzi Binalshibh in his defense, opening the possibility of penalties against the government if the witness is not produced.

Jose Rainha Junior, a leader of Brazil's Landless Workers' Movement (MST) was arrested for a ranch occupation in 2000 that resulted in property damage and cattle theft.

David White has been charged in Belfast court with membership of the Real IRA, conspiracy to cause an explosion, making a bomb, and possessing explosives.

Saifullah Mukhlis Yunos has pleaded guilty to involvement in the bomb attacks in Manila, Philippines, in December 2000.

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12. Narco-terrorism

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13. Transportation

Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, the UK and the US are collaborating in setting up a joint military program to intercept North Korean ships and planes that may be transporting nuclear materials or missiles.

The Boeing 727 cargo plane that had disappeared from Angola briefly turned up in Guinea but is missing again.

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14. Weapons of Mass Destruction

The United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects was held to discuss curbing trafficking in these weapons, that kill 60 people every hour

A study by the Partnership for Public service finds a lack of biodefense experts in the US, putting the country at risk.

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15. Recently Published

Jason Burke, "Al Qaeda: Casting a shadow of terror" Tauris, (US distr. Palgrave, September). See excerpt at http://observer.guardian.co.uk/worldview/story/0,11581,996509,00.html

R. J. B. Bosworth "Mussolini" Arnold

Nicholas Farrell "Mussolini" Weidenfeld and Nicolson

Noah Feldman, "After Jihad: America and the Struggle for Islamic Democracy" Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Adam Freeman and Allen Jones, "Programming .NET Security" O'Reilly

Jonathan Schell "The Unconquerable World: Power, Nonviolence and the Will of the People" Metropolitan

Paul Shambroom, "Face to Face with the Bomb" Johns Hopkins

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FEATURE ARTICLE: Corsica

Corsica is a rugged, mountainous island in the Mediterranean Sea. Known as the scented isle because of the aromatic shrubs of the countryside, with its eucalyptus, mimosa, evergreen oak and other exotic vegetation, but these scents have all too often been overcome by the odor of explosives.

The long history of the island begins in neolithic times, but Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Goths, and Moors all attempted its control. Corsica was ruled by Italian Genoese from 1400 until a short-lived rebellion in 1755 gave Corsica independence. By 1769 the island was ceded to the French and brutally occupied by its troops. Separatist groups have fought back ever since.

Today, the island of some 260,000 people supports a range of separatist groups. They have in common the desire to maintain their unique language (Corsican, based on a medieval Tuscan dialect) and their culture. They are proud of their long heritage and their history of defeating occupying forces. Their political aims vary from greater autonomy from France (the more common) to full independence.

The most prominent separatist group is the Corsican National Liberation Front (Frontu di Liberazione Naziunalista Corsu [FLNC], a/k/a Front de Liberation Nationale de la Corse, A Cuncolta Naziunalista/FLNC-Canal Historique; Mouvement pour L'Autodetermination/FLNC-CANAL Habituel; Corsica VIVA/FLNC). It is also linked to the political party A Cuncolta Independentista and to a Breton independence group called the Armee Revolutionnaire Bretonne. FLNC was founded in 1976 in a merger of two older organizations. It is the largest of the separatist groups, with several hundred members, and is responsible for perhaps 20 percent of attacks attributed to Corsican terrorists. It is also the most violent of these groups.

FLNC was primarily financed through criminal activities, including bank robberies, extortion and other criminal activities. The Corsican Army (Armata Corsa) was founded in 1999 as an independence movement not tainted by organized crime. It probably has only a few dozen members.

Attacks by these and other separatist elements have taken place predominantly in Corsica. There have been occasional attacks on the southern coast of France. Attacks are primarily explosions, targeting empty buildings to produce maximum property damage but minimal civilian deaths. Primary targets are French government offices, including police stations, and foreign-owned properties.

The campaign of violence began in the 1970s, at the same time that similar campaigns were launched in Northern Ireland and the Basque regions of Spain. Corsican separatists were responsible for half of the total violent attacks in France, although it holds only 0.5 percent of the total population. This small population often saw several explosions and attempted attacks each week.

These attacks culminated in the February 1998 murder of Claude Erignac, who was shot three times in the back of the head while on his way to a concert. As prefect of the island, Erignac was the most senior representative of the French government. It was seen as a direct blow against the French government, although fingers were also pointed at the corruption and gangsterism on the island. After this killing, there was a full-scale military clampdown, and a number of people were questioned and arrested in connection with the killing. Eventually eight went to trial.

The current French government, particularly President Jacques Chirac, proposed a measure of greater autonomy. Instead of two administrative regions of France, the two regions would be merged into a single assembly that would give Corsica a single voice and would have greater local authority regarding taxes and public services. To bring this proposal forward, a referendum was held on July 6.

Just the day before the vote, Yvan Colonna was arrested. Colonna had been wanted as the mastermind of the murder of Erignac. Although it was suspected that he had fled to South America, he had been hiding on the island all along, given support by the separatist network.

It was thought that this dramatic arrest could tip the referendum to the side of the French autonomy plan, but it was not to be. By the narrowest of margins, the proposal was defeated 50.98 to 49.02 percent. Turnout was 60 percent.

Even as the vote was underway, four bombs were set off, destroying holiday villas owned by residents of the French mainland. This indication that the separatists may continue to push their campaign for full independence was met with an uncompromising promise from Paris that security forces would combat any separatist unrest.

The week ended with the sentencing of the eight men previously arrested in the Erignac murder. They were sentenced to terms ranging from 15 years to life in prison. The life sentences went to Alain Ferrandi and Pierre Alessandri.

The capture of Colonna will put an end to this chapter in the turbulent history of Corsica, but the story will continue.

Additional Resources:

Corsica Nazione http://www.corsica-nazione.com
The Corsican conundrum, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/crossing_continents/europe/375321.stm
Corsicans Chronology http://www.cidcm.umd.edu/inscr/mar/data/frcorsicchro.htm
CorseWeb http://www.corsica.net
John Henley "La Corse, of course" The Guardian, July 10 http://www.guardian.co.uk/Print/0.3858,470939,00.html

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