What’s New July 2004

This page lists changes to this site for July 2004.

See below for other updates and to get notified of changes to the site.

The permanent link for this update is:

http://www.globalissues.org/whatsnew/2004/july.

The quick handover of power to Iraqis has proven controversial. On the one hand, a U.N. resolution legitimizes the handover, while on the other hand, the U.S. retains much control in military and law-making issues, to the extent that many feel this is still occupation.

Various strategies of propaganda had to be used to try and convince the world to go to war with Iraq. Ahmed Chalabi, long time favorite of Washington D.C. until his recent fall out provides many insights into how he helped feed the global media with false articles, how perception management specialist firms were used out-source propaganda activities and more. (See towards end of this article for this section)

As evidence has mounted of U.S. funding of Venezuelan anti-Chavez organizations, Venezuela have been requesting the U.S. to stop such funding as it is undermining their own constitutional and democratic processes. Media reporting quality has continued to deteriorate, especially in mainstream outlets that portray Chavez negatively, but anti-Chavez groups favorably.

The report notes that the action of Shell companies and their staff creates, feeds into, or exacerbates conflict. In addition, Shell as well as other oil companies have caused environmental damage, contributed to corruption and used Nigerian security forces. Some 1000 people are killed in violence in the oil rich Niger Delta each year. These problems have been known and reported for many years, but still nothing seems to be done about it.

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A World Bank and multinational company project for the Cameroon-Chad oil pipeline reveals that despite the World Bank assuring people that local people's interests will not be sacrificed, the opposite indeed happened.

For many years, it has been agreed by almost all nations at the United Nations, that space will be used for peaceful purposes. However, the U.S. has openly sought to actively militarize the use of space for its own continued dominance. This article has been updated slightly.

The U.S. has long been hostile to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and pressured many countries to sign bilateral agreements not to turn over U.S. nationals to The Hague. In addition the U.S. has threatened to cut some forms of aid if countries do not. Numbers have been updated as to how many countries have signed, and how many have not. This section on the ICC on this site has also been split into a number of smaller pages.

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Small update added to the Haiti section regarding current conditions and march of thousands for Aristide's return.

Updated existing article to include a brief description of how industries such as the beef and sugar industries contribute to world hunger by diverting land use in the third world to non-productive uses.

Three quarters of that total came from high income countries (representing 16 percent of the world's people. The U.S. alone spent almost as much as everyone else.)

This web site now has an accessibility statement, which may be useful for those who have special needs (and even those without) and want to get the most out of this web site.

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