September 11 and the War on Terror page

"...Our hearts go out to those who suffered during the dramatic events in the United States and to those who suffer from injustice globally."
VN Womens Forum.

Email: vnwomensforum@yahoo.com

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Boycott Viewing Academy Awards Call from Gerald Stone - March 2003

Anti-war protesters should boycott the Oscars telecast next week, says former 60 Minutes chief, Gerald Stone. "The easiest way for ordinary people around the world to vote against a US-led attack against Iraq would be to refuse to tune into next week's Academy Awards," . While people still debate whether Iraq has anything to do with terrorism, the threat of the US going to war by the next few weeks to many seems inevitable.

As a US War on Iraq Looms Closer - February 2003

Stop War in Iraq: Massive Fax Campaign ­ a massive campaign to let U.S. representatives know about the overwhelming pro-peace sentiment across the United States. (http://www.care2.com/go/z/nowar)

Their goal is for every Congressional representative¹s phone to be ringing 24 hours a day with new appeals for peace. When individuals signed Patriots for Peace, their signature was faxed to your representative.

The group encourages others to sign this petition and join this massive peace effort. http://www.care2.com/go/z/nowar

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Iraqi parliament adjourns over UN resolution November 12, 2002 Source smh

US President George W Bush's national security adviser today dismissed an Iraqi parliamentary commitee's recommendation that Saddam Hussein reject a tough new UN disarmament resolution. Meanwhile US President George W Bush has authorised a variety of people in his administration to launch attacks like the missile strike that killed six suspected al-Qaeda operatives in Yemen last week. Newsweek magazine says several other al-Qaeda operatives are being tracked and targeted for strikes in Islamic countries in the Middle East and Asia. Human rights group Amnesty International has called on the US to state clearly that it doesn't sanction such executions.

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL FORUM: AMERICA AT WAR? A Conversation with Helen Thomas “Dean” of the White House Press Corps Monday, 4 November 2002 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Bartos Theater, MIT Media Lab

As both reporters of and participants in public debates about democracy, civil liberties, and foreign policy, the media becomes increasingly important in times of national crisis and potential international conflict. In this special Forum, veteran newspaper reporter Helen Thomas, a member of the White House press corps for more than six decades, explores the media's role during times of intense national debate. Questions to be discussed include what responsibility and accountability do the media have to the citizens it serves? And what is their responsibility to the individuals, organizations and institutions it covers? Charles Stewart, Professor of Political Science and SHASS Associate Dean, and Henry Jenkins, Director of Comparative Media Studies, will respond.

Organized by the MIT Communications Forum and MIT Comparative Media Studies

free and open to the public

see http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum

Tourists told by US to avoid SE Asian travel due to possible terrorism strikes - October 22

Following the terrorist attack of tourists in Bali the US government has revealed intelligence that warns of possible terrorist attacks in Thailand, Indonesia the Philippines and Singapore. The US Embassy has been under high alert since the September 11 anniversary. Al Queda is suspected to be behind several bomb explosions occuring in SE Asia over the past month. Vietnam has not been listed as one of the countries under threat in the region but foreign affairs departments still advise caution when travelling in SE Asia, particularly in areas directed at foreign tourists.

Terrorism strike at a popular Bali international tourist area - October 14 Source SMH

In the United States: President George Bush condemned the bomb attacks on Bali that left more than 180 people dead as a "heinous" act of terrorism.US officials believe three US nationals were among the wounded. The majority of tourists at the Sari Bar were Australian tourists. A US State Department official said."I offer our sympathy to our friends, the people of Indonesia, for this terrible tragedy," Mr Bush said. "Our prayers are also with our friends and allies the people of Australia who are suffering a grevious personal and national loss." So far it has been reported that 92 Australians were killed and many more still missing or injured making them the worst hit.

The blast has prompted many countries foreign office's to advise their nationals against all travel to Bali and against all non-essential travel to Indonesia. However, the significance of this attack, although small scale compared to other violent terrorist protests in recent years, is that it plays into the fears that 'no where is now safe' post September 11. Tourists have been the target for terrorists in the past, however the 187 - 200 dead in Bali is the largest number of tourists to be killed in a terrorist bomb in SE Asia.

"Asian American Congressmen, Senators Say No to Iraq War Resolution" By RPG Newswire, PoliticalCircus.com >Oct. 11, 2002

http://www.politicalcircus.com/archive/article_980.shtml

WASHINGTON (RPG Newswire) - Although the Congress ultimately approved the use of the nation’s military forces against Iraq yesterday, all six voting Asian Pacific Americans Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate voted against the resolution.

Senators Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and Daniel Akaka (D-HI) and Rep. Michael Honda (D-CA), Rep. Robert T. Matsui (D-CA), Rep. Robert "Bobby" Scott (D-VA), and Rep. David Wu (D-OR) all voted against the resolution.

Interview with Minh A. Luong, Vietnamese-American terrorism expert - October 2002

http://www.imdiversity.com/article_detail.asp?Article_ID=12757

Luong teaches in the Ethics, Politics, and Economics Program and is the Assistant Director of International Security Studies at Yale University. He has served as International Affairs Council Fellow at the Yale Center for International and Area Studies and has taught graduate and senior seminars on international relations, national security, privacy, counter-terrorism, and espionage and economic intelligence. In the past year alone, Professor Luong conducted a nationwide lecture series on weapons of mass destruction, lectured on espionage and economic intelligence at the Diplomatic Academy in London at the University of Westminster, and presented a study on financial flow tracking as a counter-terrorism methodology at the Geneva Security Policy Center in Switzerland.

Wars confused?

Depite support for the war against terror, various countries around the world are debating whether they should support the US if they engage in a war against Iraq. Saddam Hussain is accused of hiding weapons of mass destruction and President Bush has indicated the need for a regime change. Although Iraq has no ties to Al Queda, the timing of such a war seems inseparable to many of the citizens of Middle Eastern countries and is seen as another aggressive act from an imperial nation. The UN has announced it will send in weapons inspectors to Iraq by October 15.

Security Alert at Airport, 29 September 2002

An international visitor on a temporary US visa has been arrested in Atlanta for trying to bring scissors and a box cutter onto a one-way ticketed domestic American flight. It has not been released yet whether he has links to Al Queda.

Memorial Services Sept 11. 2002

Memorial services took place around the world to pay respects to the victims of the September 11 attacks. The victims of the September 11 attacks combined came from 83 different countries.

VIET NAM'S EXPERIENCES BENEFICIAL TO AFGHAN RECONSTRUCTION - (VNA)

Viet Nam's experiences in its post-war reconstruction would be beneficial to Afghanistan, said Ambassador to India Pham Si Tam, who led Viet Nam's delegation to a conference of South-South cooperation and reconstruction of Afghanistan held in New Delhi recently.

The conference, co-sponsored by India and the UNDP, brought together 30 developing countries, 16 developed economies, 16 international organizations and 10 non-governmental organizations.

The participants defined areas and sectors in which south-south cooperation could be promoted to help Afghanistan to build its administration at all levels, boost industrial, agricultural and rural development, alleviate poverty, and develop human resources.

They also agreed to establish mechanisms for south-south cooperation and reconstruction of Afghanistan in Kabul as well as in developing and developed countries involved in the funding for this war-devastated country. India stated that it would provide a USD 10 million grant to Afghanistan for its national reconstruction.

The Third Wave Foundation Announces Post September 11th Project Funding and Guidelines - Deadline last Monday of each month

Third Wave Foundation, through generous funding from the Kellogg Foundation, is pleased to announce the September 11th Fund. This fund, available through 2002, financially supports young women working towards social justice in the political and social aftermath of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. In this challenging era of terrorism, war, and economic globalization, Third Wave is re-focusing its emergency funding efforts to support activist work that broadens the range of responses to the 9/11 tragedy.

As exemplified by our grantmaking over the last five years, social justice has always been at the forefront of our funding and an inherent part of our organizational values. Given how the political landscape post-September 11th has manufactured an environment of national consent, Third Wave feels it is necessary to help foster a more complex dialogue of free expression, challenge, and critique. Towards this end, Third Wave has created a separate fund for young women and young women-led groups who are organizing in response to the events following 9/11. We rarely support projects with a budget over $500,000. Our grants range in amount of $1,000 to $10,000. We do not give grants to the same project or program for more than two consecutive years and do not give more than three grants to the same program all together.

If you have any questions in the process of completing this application please fee free to contact the Third Wave Foundation at 212-388-1898 or via email at info@thirdwavefoundation.org. Our deadline is the last Monday of each month. Board decisions will take approximately one month.