CINA

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"Inside North Korea", a short documentary video by J. Watts, has been published last week (9.11) in The Guardian (UK).

You can watch it here:

☞ Inside North Korea

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According to international news reports, Israel on September 6 bombed alleged nuclear facilities in Syria, close to the Euphrates River in a border region between Syria and Turkey. The bombing occurred three days after a North Korean ship entered a Syrian port. The North Korean ship was registered as carrying cement, but Israeli intelligence authorities reportedly believed it was carrying nuclear equipment (last Thursday I wrote the first time about it..).

Last weekend especially the media in Israel, the US and UK published articles about it as a top issue (But we should realize that only very few parts of these reports are based on real facts!! For example until today the Israeli gov't/military establishment is complete silent about the IAF attack..).

Here's a kind of "collection" of some of these articles:

☞ Israel targeted N. Korean nuclear equipment (Yedioth Ahronoth/IL)

☞ Secret raid on (North) Korean shipment (Sunday Times/UK)

☞ IAF attacked N. Korean nuclear shipment to Syria (J'Post/IL)

☞ Syria had planned 'devastating surprise' for Israel (Haaretz/IL)

☞ Suspected nuclear shipment prompted IAF raid over Syria (Y. Ahronoth)

☞ ..The IAF attack was 'rehearsal' for attack on Iran (Ynet/IL)

☞ Was Israeli raid practice for Iran war? (The Observer/UK)

Updated 9.18:

☞ N. Korea dismisses suspicions over nuclear link to Syria (Yonhap/SK)

☞ North Korean bust-up over Syrian 'links' (Asia Times/HK)

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Well, as announced two days ago the struggle of the E.Land/Homever "irregular" workers is (of course!!!) continuing!!
But in the night from yesterday to today (once again) the trade union activists were attacked by large units of the riot cops and at least 56 workers were arrested..

A more detailed article you can read here:

☞ More on the E-Land Struggle (TwoKoreasBlog)

Please watch following documentary video about last night's struggle:

☞ 이랜드 일반노조 비정규 노동자 56명 강제연행 (made by comrade "Hong Gil-dong")

Some more pics you can see here:

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Related:

☞ 뉴코아노동조합 파업 84일차 소식지

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Last week, four Israeli warplanes invaded Syrian airspace after midnight on September 6, breaking the sound barrier, and reaching as far as the village of Tal Abyad in the vicinity of Deir al-Zour, about 160 kilometers north of the city of Raqqa.

9.06, IAF attack against Syria

After the "incident",  in the beginning, the int'l media mentioned it - if at all - just in short notices. But now, since the beginning of the week at least the US, Israeli and surprisingly the North Korean (*) media is reporting repeatedly about the subject.

Well, finally the "incident" in fact was an IAF attack against possibly very sensitive targets in Syria, connecting likely Israel, Syria, Iran and the DPRK - if we want to believe the int'l bourgeois media (!!??).

One of the latest articles about the entire issue was published in today's online edition of the Israeli daily Haaretz:

U.S. warned N. Korea not to help Syria with nukes

On Thursday, a U.S. official was quoted as saying Damascus may be building a nuclear facility with North Korean assistance, a week after Syria claimed Israeli aircraft violated its airspace and dropped munitions within its territory..

Israel has refused to comment on Syria's allegations, but a former Israeli official had said he had heard the attack had been carried out against a facilitiy capable of producing unconventional weapons.

On Wednesday, Reuters reported that U.S. officials had confirmed that the Israel Air Force launched air strikes against Syria last week, but would not discuss the intended targets.

"The strike I can confirm. The target, I can't," said one U.S. official, adding that there had been more than one strike. Another official called reports on the likely targets "confused."

While Israel remained silent, media reports began surfacing Tuesday of U.S. officials confirming the Israel Air Force had indeed carried out an air strike last Thursday..

Israeli officials have repeatedly declined to comment on the claims, however the CNN television network reported Tuesday that the Israeli government is "very happy with the successful operation."

Senior CNN correspondent Christiane Amanpour, citing Middle Eastern and Washington sources, said aircraft and possibly even ground forces, who may have directed the planes to their target, took part in the operation.

The attack left "a big hole in the desert," the report said. CNN quoted U.S. government and military sources as saying they were "happy to have Israel convey to both Syria and Iran the message that they can get in and out and strike when necessary." ..

Well, please read the entire article here:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/903398.html

* Israel Condemned for Intrusion into Syria's Territorial Air (KCNA, 9.11)

A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry gave the following answer to a question put by KCNA Tuesday in connection with the fact that Israeli warplanes invaded Syria's territorial air space: Early in the morning of Sept. 6 Israel's warplanes illegally intruded into the territorial air above Syria and dropped bombs in the desert in its northeastern area before fleeing.

This is a very dangerous provocation little short of wantonly violating the sovereignty of Syria and seriously harassing the regional peace and security.

The DPRK strongly denounces the above-said intrusion and extends full support and solidarity to the Syrian people in their just cause to defend the national security and the regional peace. (**)

http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2007/200709/news09/12.htm#1

Related articles:

☞ ANALYSIS: The air strike in Syria is a secret that cannot be kept

☞ 'IAF targeted Iranian weapons in Syria'

☞ Israel spots nuclear installations in Syria

☞ NY Times: IAF recently photographed nuclear facilities in Syria

☞ Syria, N. Korea building nuclear site together

☞ N. Korea, Syria May Be at Work on Nuclear Facility

☞ Syria and Israel flirt with war

** 외무성대변인 이스라엘의 수리아령공침범 규탄 (조선중앙통신, 9.11)
 
 
조선민주주의인민공화국 외무성 대변인은 최근 이스라엘군용기들이 수리아령공을 침범한것과 관련하여 11일 조선중앙통신사 기자가 제기한 질문에 다음과 같이 대답하였다.

지난 6일 새벽 이스라엘군용기들이 수리아령공을 불법침범하여 동북부 사막지역에 폭탄을 던지고 도주하는 사건이 발생하였다.

이것은 수리아의 자주권을 란폭히 침해하고 지역의 평화와 안전을 엄중히 파괴하는 극히 위험천만한 도발행위로 된다.

우리는 이스라엘의 수리아령공침범행위를 강력히 규탄하며 나라의 안전과 지역의 평화를 수호하기 위한 수리아인민의 정의의 위업에 전적인 지지와 련대성을 표시한다.

☞ "北,시리아에 핵물질 판매"...美'현실성 적다'  (Vop)

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Well, here just two pics from y'day's MTU (small and short) protest against the ongoing crackdown against un-documented migrant workers in general and the wave of arrests of MTU activists/members especially (like last week's Tuesday the rally was held in front of Seoul's Immigration Center in Mok-dong):

The next MTU protest will be on coming

Tuesday (9.18), 11AM at the same place!!

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9/11 (2001) NYC

9/11 (2007) Nahr el-Bared
Six years later and thousands of Miles east of NYC - in Lebanon

The  nearly four-month struggle of approximately 200 Fatah al-Islam "resistance fighters" (Campo Antiimperialista) against "Imperialism, the Zionist world conspiracy" and the "Empire" itself ("The Near and Middle East - War, Occupation and Resistance", Pahl-Rugenstein 2007) led to the complete termination of the northern Lebanese town Nahr el-Bared - before home for more than 30,000 Palestinian refugees - by the Lebanese Army (backed by the USA/CIA, France, Germany..). But of course today, just few days after the final battle, nobody is talking about it anymore!!

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Well, last Friday (9.07) the world's most informative news agency - DPRK's KCNA - was forced to report about following incredible story:

Spirit of Defending Leader with Very Life Displayed in Flood-hit Areas

The recent unprecedented heavy rains triggered off flood and landslide in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, causing heavy human and material losses.

But the flood-victims directed attention to protecting the portraits of President Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il than their families.

The torrential rains on August 9 submerged the township area of Hoeyang County. Over a thousand families there were evacuated to safety places. They came there, carrying not their properties but the portraits of the President and the leader.

Students of Koksan County School for Agricultural Skilled Workers and people in the county defended the picture of smiling President from the downpour.

Ri Chun Hwa, a worker of the Changdo County Clothing Factory, brought over 1,500 books carrying the images of the great men of Mt. Paektu, from the County Publication Circulation Office to a safe place through torrents of water at the risk of her life.

Many people including People's Security officer Choe Myong Gil in Ichon County and teacher of Ichon Middle School No. 1 Hwang Myong Ok rushed in public buildings and dwelling houses without hesitation to save portraits, realizing that they would soon crumble.

Among such people are peasant of the Jongdong Co-op Farm in Phyonggang County Cha Hyang Mi who handed over portraits to rescuers and went to the bottom of the torrent water, peasant of the same farm Pak Jong Ryol who lost his wife and child by landslide but saved the portraits and worker of the Ichon Foodstuff Factory Kang Hyong Gwon who firmly took portraits in his hands in flood though his five-year-old daughter slipped down from his back.

After the flood, corpses were dug out of the silt. Found out in their bosom were portraits wrapped with vinyl sheets to prevent them from being spoiled by water.

It is the just outlook on life of the Korean people to enjoy their existence, dignity and happiness in the effort for defending the leader at the cost of their lives.

http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2007/200709/news09/08.htm#13

*****

큰물피해지역에서 높이 발휘된 수령결사옹위정신

(조선중앙통신, 주체96년 9.07)
 
최근 조선에 례년에 보기 드문 무더기비가 내렸다.

큰물과 산사태로 많은 인적, 물질적피해가 발생하였다.

그러나 피해지역 인민들은 가정보다도 자기 수령, 자기 령도자를 옹위하는 길에 남먼저 뛰여들었다.

지난 8월 9일 무더기비가 내려 회양군 읍지구가 갑자기 물에 잠기였다. 읍지구에서 안전한 지대로 소개된 1,000여세대의 주민들은 자기 집재산은 한점도 건지지 못하면서도 가정들에 모시였던 위대한 수령 김일성동지와 위대한 령도자 김정일동지의 초상화만은 자기들의 품에 안고 있었다.

곡산군농업기능공학교 학생들과 인민들은 세차게 쏟아지는 폭우속에서도 긴장한 전투를 벌려 김일성동지의 태양상을 보위하였다.

창도군 옷공장 로동자 리춘화는 생명의 위험은 아랑곳하지 않고 사품치는 물속을 헤치며 군출판물보급소에서 1,500여부에 달하는 백두산위인들의 영상도서들을 안전하게 모셔내왔다.

이천군 인민보안원 최명길, 이천제1중학교 교원 황명옥을 비롯하여 한순간이 지나면 공공건물과 살림집이 무너져내린다는것을 알면서도 서슴없이 위험속으로 뛰여들어가 초상화를 모셔내온 사람들은 수없이 많다.

사람들이 내민 구원의 손길에 초상화를 부탁하고 휘말려 드는 물결속에서 더는 솟구치지 못한 평강군 정동협동농장 농장원 차향미, 안해와 자식을 산사태에 잃으면서도 초상화부터 모셔내온 같은 농장 농장원 박종렬, 물속에서 5살난 딸애가 등에서 미끄러져내리는 순간에도 초상화만은 손에서 놓지 않은 이천기초식품공장 로동자 강형권을 비롯하여 수령결사옹위에 생명과 가정을 바친 사람들도 있다.

이번에 피해지역에서 물이 찐 다음 흙과 모래에 묻힌 사람들이 발견되였다. 그런데 그들의 품속에서 나온것은 하나같이 물 한점 스며들지 않게 비닐로 싼 초상화였다.

이것이 바로 오늘 자기의 존재도, 값높은 존엄과 행복도 수령결사옹위의 길에서 찾는 조선인민의 인생관이다.

http://www.kcna.co.jp/calendar/2007/09/09-08/2007-0907-011.html

Finally, I think there's no further comment necessary!! Or what??

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Originally the State of Israel was created in 1948 to protect the Jews against a new holocaust(Shoa)/against anti-Semitism, fascism and neo-Nazism. But now - surprise, surprise - today's Yedioth Ahronoth had to report that

"Israeli neo-Nazis arrested"

the and "Police have seized 5 kilograms of explosives, a pistol, and an M-16 assault rifle belonging to the group of neo-Nazis", Haaretz reported today.

Israeli neo-Nazi gang celebrating f.. bullshit

Israeli Neo-Nazi Ring Busted (AP, 9.09)

In a case that would seem unthinkable in the Jewish state, police said Sunday they have cracked a cell of young Israeli neo-Nazis accused in a string of attacks on foreign workers, religious Jews, drug addicts and gays.

Eight immigrants from the former Soviet Union have been arrested in recent days in connection with at least 15 attacks, and a ninth fled the country, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said, in the first such known cell to be discovered in Israel.

All the suspects are in their late teens or early 20s and have Israeli citizenship, Rosenfeld said.

``The level of violence was outrageous,'' Maj. Revital Almog, who investigated the case, told Israel's Army Radio.

A court decided Sunday to keep the young men in custody. They covered their faces with their shirts during the hearing, revealing their tattooed arms, and did not comment.

News of the arrests came as a shock in Israel, which was founded nearly 60 years ago as a refuge for Jews in the wake of the Nazi Holocaust and remains a most sensitive subject. Any forms of anti-Semitism around the world outrage Israelis, and the discovery of such violence in the country's midst made the front pages of newspapers and dominated talk on morning radio shows.

The gang documented its activities on film and in photographs. Israeli TV stations showed grainy footage of people lying helpless on floors while several people kicked them, and of a man getting hit from behind on the head with an empty bottle.

Police found knives, spiked balls, explosives and other weapons in the suspects' possession, Rosenfeld said. One photo that was seized showed one suspect holding an M16 rifle in one hand and in the other, a sign reading ``Heil Hitler,'' he added.

"Nazi-Eli"

Police discovered the skinhead ring after investigating the desecration of two synagogues that were sprayed with swastikas in the central Israeli city of Petah Tikva more than a year ago, Rosenfeld said.

Police computer experts have determined they maintained contacts with neo-Nazi groups abroad, and materials seized include a German-language video about neo-Nazis in the U.S.

The group planned its attacks, and its targets were foreign workers from Asia, drug addicts, homosexuals, punks and Jews who wore skullcaps. In one case they discussed planning a murder, Rosenfeld said, without providing details.

Some of the victims filed official complaints with police, and other victims were identified after police viewed the films and photos.

In the past, there have been only isolated cases of neo-Nazi activity in Israel. ``This is the first time that we've ... arrested such a large number of individuals who are part of an organized neo-Nazi group,'' Rosenfeld said.

Under Israeli law, a person can claim citizenship if a parent or grandparent has Jewish roots. Authorities say that formulation allowed many Soviets with questionable ties to Judaism to immigrate here after the Soviet Union disintegrated. About 1 million Soviets moved here in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Rosenfeld said all the suspects had ``parents or grandparents who were Jewish in one way or another.''

Israel doesn't specifically have a hate crimes law, and suspects in past cases have been tried as Holocaust deniers, he said.

The Anti-Defamation League, a U.S.-based group that fights anti-Semitism, condemned the neo-Nazi cell, but urged Israelis not to stigmatize the entire Russian immigrant community based on the acts of what appeared to be a marginal group.

``The suspicion that immigrants to Israel could have been acting in praise of Nazis and Hitler is an anathema to the Jewish state and is to be repelled,'' the statement read. ``The tragic irony in this is that they would have been chosen for annihilation by the Nazis they strive to emulate.''

Amos Herman, an official with the semiofficial Jewish Agency, which works on behalf of the government to encourage immigration to Israel, said the phenomenon was not representative of the Russian immigration.

He called the gang a group of frustrated, disgruntled youths trying to strike at the nation's most sensitive core.

``We thought that it would never happen here, but it has and we have to deal with it,'' he said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6908180,00.html

For more please read/check out:

☞ Israeli neo-Nazis arrested (Yedioth Ahronoth, 9.09, incl. video)

☞ ..neo-Nazi arrests (Haaretz, 9.09)

☞ Israeli Police Arrest Skinhead Gang (Der Spiegel, 9.10)

☞ Anti-Semitism in Israel ("Pogrom" homepage)

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Today MTU published the latest English Crackdown Report (Sept. 3/5):

The Ministry of Justice’s Crackdown is Going on Everyday

***Immigration Crackdown occurring at Dongdaemun Subway Stn. (Seoul)
Crackdowns are being carried out in factories, residential areas an on the street in this area. On the afternoon of September 5, 3 MTU members were caught in an immigration crackdown. In the course of crackdowns is common for immigration or police officers to present documents with nothing written on them or demand migrant workers sign detention orders (warrants) without sufficiently explaining them. These are cases of illegal crackdown.

*** Crackdown occurring in Mapo, Gonduk (Seoul)
The Ministry of Justice is now pursuing crackdowns not only in factories but also against Chinese female migrant workers who work in restaurants. For these migrant workers who work at a backbreaking rate just to make a small amount of money, the Immigration Control Office usually charges an outrageously high security fee 10 million won for release. This crackdown is being carried out in the subway and in the areas around restaurants.

-----

September 3 Crackdown Report:

 
Suwon/Hwaseong
12:00- Suwon Immigration Control: roughly 30 people arrested in the factories and neighborhoods in Hwaseong. Comrade Kamal, an active and hard-working member of MTU, was caught at this time. He was working on the second floor of a factory when crackdown officers entered without showing a warrant or identification and arrested and handcuffed migrant workers. A total of 12 migrant workers (6 Chinese, 2 Thai, 2 Indonesian and 2 Bangladeshi) were arrested at that factory.

Seongsu (Seoul)
2:30 7-8 Seoul Immigration Control crackdown officers rushed into a factory near the Seongsu Station Exit number 2. At this time MTU member Comrade Mintu as well as other migrant workers were arrested. Comrade Mintu attempted to escape the crackdown officers by going up onto the roof but was followed and caught. Comrade Mintu was slightly injured in this process. As soon as the crackdown officers caught him they took Comrade Mintu’s identification without presenting their own and arrested him. Comrade Mintu was put into a van where there were already five migrant workers who had been caught.
The van moved to Ttukseom Station Exit 8 near the High-noon Hotel were another migrant worker was caught. Then the immigration officers arrested four more people in the factories and streets around the High-noon Hotel. The van moved to Ttukseom Street were one more person was arrested.  
The crackdown in Seongsu and Ttukseom can be seen as specifically directed against MTU members.

Ansan City
A crackdown took place in Shihwa Industrial Complex. We have confirmed that 4 or 5 people were arrested. At this time MTU member Hari Bista was arrested.

http://migrant.nodong.net/bbs/view.php?id=news_notice&no=248

Somehow related - a short documentary (video) about 8.19 Migrant Workers' rally:

☞ 고용허가제 3년 규탄집회 (이주노동자방송국, 9.06)