31 August: Al-Sadr reportedly calls for ceasefire across Iraq, asking all followers not to fire unless in self-defense... 2 French reporters kidnapped in Iraq plead with Chirac to repeal French ban on muslim headscarves in schools, to save their lives... Log Cabin Republicans criticize Bush for proposed ban on same-sex marriage, say radical right has hijacked their party... "Fish barrier" is installed to stem the advance of aggressive Asian carp species from Mississippi river system into Great Lakes ecosystem, food web... Pro-war Christian fundamentalists (signs showing bombs, fighter jets, guns, motto "Trust Jesus") spark thousands to rally against Bush at Union Square...
30 August: Florida voting system is questioned; more than half of Florida voters may be denied access to verifiable ballots... 500,000 protesters descend on NYC, decry Bush use of 9/11 as political bludgeon; RNC officials say convention will highlight 9/11 as grounds for re-electing Bush... CNN reports Federal officials tell Kelli Arena Pentagon may have been penetrated by Israeli espionage; suspect a low-level analyst with alleged links to Wolfowitz, Feith (Pentagon refutes links); CNN will not name suspect, because charges have not been filed... President Bush describes Iraq war as "catastrophic success", says war on terror is not winnable...
29 August: TSA has implemented program to fingerprint, eye-scan 7,000 travelers at 5 airports as a means of eliminating false obstruction of travel for terror name-matching... 970 US military personnel killed to date in Iraq war; 19,000 Iraqi civilians killed to date... McLaughlin reports George W. Bush teamed with Lee Atwater in 1988 in smear campaign against Dukakis, same tactics have been used in every Bush campaign since...
28 August: NYPD arrest 264 in bicycle protest, alleging "massive disruptions"; thousands of cyclists joined the anti-Bush protest that wound its way through Manhattan; demonstrators said arrests were excessive force, police deliberately pinned cyclists in intersection, causing backup as pretext for arrest...
27 August: US to withdraw forces from Najjaf in ceasefire agreement; Mehdi depart Ali shrine, leave area under control of Iraqi police, do not disarm or disband; thousands flock to holy site of Ali shrine... Pinochet officially stripped of immunity by Chile's Supreme Court, may face charges of human rights abuses associated with Operation Condor and his 17-year military rule... Protesters march in NYC; AIDS activists arrested for public nudity; a large group of working moms marched across Brooklyn Bridge to protest President... Members of SIBYL arrested for hanging huge banner on Plaza Hotel with 2 arrows ("truth" pointing to Central Park, "Bush" pointing opposite direction, to RNC site), quoted as saying "I think those people would have members of the Boston Tea Party arrested for pollution"... Tentative ceasefire announced as Al-Sistani said to have negotiated Mehdi army pullout from Ali shrine in Najjaf; pullout scheduled for this morning... US Census Bureau releases figures on poverty: 1.3M more Americans living in poverty in 2003, numbers up for 3rd straight year; 18% of all children under 18 living in poverty in US... Oil prices sinking, now around $43/ barrel; but new increases foreseen... SBVT launches ad decrying Kerry 1971 testimony; Toledo Blade confirmed Kerry testimony in Pulitzer Prize winning investigative series last fall; read Kerry's actual testimony...
26 August: Le Monde Diplomatique director general says Venezuelan recall vote shows Western media have failed to accurately report actual conditions of country's politics, nature of Chávez gov't... Al-Sistani's march arrives in Najjaf; mortars hit crowd of thousands at mosque in Al-Quf, killing 25; marchers hit by fire as they arrive in Najjaf... CNN: Son of Margaret Thatcher arrested in South Africa for allegedly plotting coup in Equatorial Guinea... Record severe drought strikes American west... Top Bush campaign legal adviser resigns after revealing he is top legal counsel to SBVT... Sen. Max Cleland tries to deliver letter to Pres. Bush asking he condemn SBVT; Bush will not accept letter, then offers to pass letter from Bush supporters to Cleland...
25 August: Time magazine journalist facing prison time for refusing to release source name in CIA-leak case; judge rules First Amendment does not apply... Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani calls on Iraq's Shiites to march in unity to Najjaf to "rescue" holy city from violence... Fire in Morocco threatens sparse existing forest cover, gov't calls for aid to fight blazes (BBC) ... Fmr. CIA Director Tenet says Sen. Roberts' proposal to break up CIA, unite agencies under one authority shows "dangerous misunderstanding" of intelligence work... (Lou Dobbs) American companies currently expanding shipping of confidential information overseas, with no protection to American citizens (Rep. Markee, Sen. Clinton have put forth legislation to require customer consent in all cases)... VP Cheney says he does not support federal same-sex marriage ban proposed by Bush... Bela Karolyi tells CNN Olympic judging was flawed, weak, praises Greek crowd for demanding fair treatment for Nemov...
24 August: NYT, WP report two independent studies find top US officials "at the highest levels of the Pentagon, Joint Chiefs of Staff and military command in Iraq" partly responsible for abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq... China now fears food crisis as imports have risen by 62.5% to $14.35B... Former soldier, mercenary on trial for torture of Afghan prisoners says he is being denied access to exculpatory evidence, that Pentagon approved his mission, alleges FBI took hundreds of documents after his arrest; Pentagon denies involvement... Bush admin. says new overtime regulations "clarify" complex laws, grant new rights; unions say at least 6 million workers will lose overtime pay, change will prompt lawsuit boom... Madison Square Garden staff attempt to shut down activist group's press conference announcing permit-sanctioned rally to protest Pres. Bush; group hurries to complete press event before police intervene...
23 August: UN leads global celebration of abolition of slave trade, warns of human trafficking today; NGO Free the Slaves says there are still 27M slaves, Mauritania still treats indentured human beings as "inheritable property" ... French-American journalist Micah Garen is freed by captors, thanks family, supporters, "Sheik Al-Sadr" for securing his release; Allawi gov't says it will negotiate end to Najjaf hostilities without attacking Ali shrine... After reaching a record $49.40, crude oil prices may mark change in fundamental economic trends... Chicago Tribune editor William Rood, a Kerry comrade in Vietnam who witnessed contested events, breaks silence, debunks SBVT attack ads, corroborates official reports of heroism... Pres. Bush promises "ownership society", counters economic criticisms saying he wants more people to own homes, get job training; critics worry about confusing rights of citizens with privileges of ownership... Sen. Roberts proposes major overhaul of intelligence system, breaking up CIA into 3 distinct agencies, giving almost total control over all intelligence agencies to National Intelligence Director... Greek crowd jeers Olympic gymnastic judges for 10 minutes, after Russian Aleksei Nemov thrills with daring performance, gets low scores...
22 August: US Tanks move to within 800 meters of sacred Imam Ali shrine in Najjaf; Sadr had offered to give control of mosque to shi'a clerical authorities... Munch's 'Scream' stolen from Oslo museum... Locust swarm ravages west African crops; FAO reports breeding at unprecedented rate, fears effects may spread as far as India... Ad/design company fires employee for criticizing president at rally (at 4th of July Bush rally in Charleston, 2 were arrested for wearing anti-Bush t-shirts)... NJ Legislature debates funding proposals for possible mandatory testing for Radon gas in schools... Protest rallies seen in 20 cities across Bangladesh after opposition party rally was bombed...
21 August: Sadr aide presses for release of reporter Micah Garen; Medhi militia sets fire to oil facility in Basra... CNN reports audit of Venezuelan recall vote found no evidence of election fraud... The Lancet reports doctors may have aided in cover-up of torture at Abu Ghraib; editorial argues West may no longer be committed to human rights... Bomb attack kills 19 at opposition party rally in Dhaka, Bangladesh... NYRB sees signs of ideological slow-going in Darfur crisis resolution...
18 August: HRW calls for UN commission to investgate atrocities in Darfur, notes member states must act if UN to be effective, says Khartoum gov't backs killing, acts with total impunity; International Crisis Group says US proposals for Darfur are ineffectual due to unwillingness of Arab states to hear US complaints against Arab gov'ts post WMD claims...
16 August: Hugo Chávez reportedly survives Venezuela's recall vote, announces "nueva etapa" (new stage) of his populist Bolivarian revolution; international observers report no proof of fraud... Iraqi legislative conference urges Sadr to lay down arms, offers negotiated immunity to his followers... Pres. Bush announces plans to "redeploy" 70,000 US military personnel, some to US, some to eastern Europe, starting 2006; says "flexible" force will bring "stability" to military families... McGreevey's lover denies being gay; 42% of NJ voters polled said McGreevey didn't need to resign...
15 August: Estimated 10,000 shi'a demostrators surround Imam Ali shrine, pledge to serve as human shields to protect holy site...
14 August: FL Gov. Jeb Bush estimates $15B in hurricane damage; Pres. Bush offers $50,000 in disaster assistance to Cuba... Congressional Budget Office finds Bush tax cuts have shifted tax burden to middle class... Summer Olympic games underway in Athens after bold opening ceremony...
13 August: McGreevey aide files sexual harassment suit; reports suggest NJ Gov reported aide's multimillion-dollar extortion threats to FBI... Sadr reported wounded in gunbattle, ambulances permitted to retrieve wounded, Sadr stays in holy Ali Shrine; gunbattles in several southern cities, Sadr followers say all chance for negotiations will cease if Sadr dies; southern supporter calls for shi'a provinces to declare independence... Brazil deciphers genome for coffee... Typhoon kills over 100 in southern China...
12 August: International Crisis Group raises concerns over Indonesian court's acquittal of military officer charged with massacre 20 yrs ago... NJ governor resigns, admitting extramarital affair with male associate, explaining "I am a gay American"; wife supports him... Indigenous population of islands in Lake Nicaragua endangered, disappearing as resort development pushes forward, some selling out, some forcibly removed... Georgian soldiers killed in South Ossetia, where population still broods over last war, seeks independence or tie to Russia... US seized control of central Najjaf, surrounding Sadr at sacred shi'a Imam Ali shrine, say no plan in place to storm holy site; shi'a protestors in Baghdad, Basra decry offensive, compare Allawi to Saddam Hussein; in Najjaf, 16 political leaders resign in protest... More than 70 killed in Qut; local population enraged at Medhi, US, Allawi, for violence... CA Supreme Court votes to nullify 4,000 same-sex marriages performed in SF, ruling they cannot be legal till Court resolves constitutional questions... Pres. Bush says federal sales tax "kind of interesting" as plan to scrap income tax; change would move tax burden to working class, small businesses...
11 August: US announces plans for "final" assault on Medhi in Najjaf; Najjaf governor orders evacuation of local residents; Iraqi VP urges all "multinational forces", Sadr supporters to pull out of Najjaf, seek political solution, let Iraqi police secure holy city... S. Korean Pres. plans to move capital from Seoul to Kongju, South Chungchong province, in rural southeast (build in 2007, move in 2012), in hopes of spreading wealth; opposition hopes to block the move... Los Alamos labs allege disappearance of classified info was actually an over-printing of bar codes for non-existent hard-drives... Undersec. Def. for Intel. Cambone tells House committee National Intel. Director needs budgetary authority, contradicting Bush position...
10 August: International observers will be brought in to monitor November election in US... Bush names Rep. Porter Goss (R-FL) for CIA director, says he is "reformer"; Democrats point out he's tried to stall reforms, 9/11 Commission, is "too political", too close to Agency; Goss says of civil liberties, it's a "choice between Big Brother and dead brother"... Bush administration refuses to allow US detainees to testify in re-trial of suspected 9/11 conspirator in Germany...
9 August: UN, Sudan agree to form "safe zones" in Darfur, cleared of militia, rebels, government military action... Basra pipeline under attack from saboteurs; Sadr supporters say they will bring fight to Basra, oil facilities... Washington court rules lack of marriage rights for same-sex couples serves no purpose, has no legal basis violates Constitution...
8 August: San Francisco activist stages hoax to test mass media malleability; video appearing to show beheading, published only through "shared" folder on personal computer, is picked up by AP, Al-Jazeera, sent around the world without verification... Eastern Cuba languishing under prolonged drought, drying lakes, killing crops, starving livestock... African Union says Khartoum government to hold talks with Darfur militia in Nigeria on 23 August... Allawi wants amnesty for some Iraqi insurgents to "bring them into civil society"; PM also closes Al-Jazeera Baghdad offices for 1 month, charging its coverage incites violence... Group of Australian diplomats publishes letter saying government misled public about Iraq...
7 August: NYT- US commanders say 300 Medhi militants killed in 2 days of combat in Najjaf; Iraq PM Allawi says Najjaf combatants are criminal gang, not linked to Sadr Medhi militia... DC officials complain of excess of federal checkpoints around capital (NYT), Secret Service taking over streets not connected to threat announced; Capitol building now less accessible than during war of 1812... 32,000 jobs "created" in July, fraction of economic predictions; numbers for May, June, restated at lower levels; new record oil prices among concerns...
6 August: Japan observes 59th anniversary of 1st nuclear bomb attack on Hiroshima; mayor criticizes US plans for new "mini-nukes"... Mehdi militia kill 15 US troops in 4 attacks on positions in Baghdad, after clashes in Najjaf... US, Denmark, Greenland agree to update technology at remote anti-missile listening site... Georgian Foreign Minister decries airspace "incursion" by Russian military aircraft... Roadmap for 30-day disarmament of Darfur militia...
5 August: Holy city of Najjaf torn by gunfights, US bombing, in clash with Mehdi; al-Sadr says US fired first... Abbot increases price of AIDS drug from under $2/day to $8/day; Bush admin. will not respond... IL Republicans ask Alan Keyes of MD to run against Obama, wants time to decide... Guantánamo detainees refusing to participate in military tribunals...
3 August: Report says traces of plutonium from Bikini Atoll nuclear tests in 1950s accumulating in Japan... Intel that spurred weekend warning said to be 4 years old, questions raised about abandoned thread to 9/11 plot... Spitzer, 7 other states sue major utilities to curb reckless carbon emissions...
2 August: Pres. Bush will create new non-cabinet Intelligence Director, at 9/11 Comm. suggestion... PRI claims victory in Oaxaca, Tijuana; Pres. Fox's governing party contests both tallies... US urges Israel honor "Roadmap" pledge to halt all settlement activity; Sharon government approves 600 new homes, Def. Min. says expanded settlement will one day be part of Israel... Supreme Court will review constitutionality of sentencing recommendation laws... Kerry urges Bush to call Congress back to work on intel reforms...
1 August: Mysterious inferno kills over 200 in Asunción, Paraguay... Bomb attack hits center of Prague... 4 churches in Baghdad, 1 in Mosul, hit by coordinated bombings... HSD warns of terrorist threat against NYC, NJ, DC; CNN asks if "police state" atmosphere will ensue... Roma from around the world commemorate 60th anniversary of Nazi killing of all Roma at Auschwitz-Birkenau "family camp"; estimated 1/4 to 1/2 of all European Roma killed in holocaust...
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