A special team has been given a week to go through files on more than 2,500 people killed this year and report back

By Nirmal Ghosh

BANGKOK - The Royal Thai Police said yesterday that it had launched an investigation into the more than 2,500 killings that took place in the early stages of the government's controversial 10-month 'war on drugs'.

-- AFP The probe was triggered by King Bhumibol Adulyadej's annual birthday speech broadcast live over radio, it added.

The monarch had wanted an explanation for the deaths that had taken place.

Police Major General Pongsapat Pongcharoen said that a special police team had been set up to investigate all the killings that took place in the country from Feb 1 to April 30 this year.

The team has seven days to report back with the findings.

All police agencies have been instructed to give it their fullest cooperation.

He said officers plan to reopen the files on all of the cases and investigate.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra launched his crackdown on the illicit drug trade in February after the King called for the nation's drug problems to be addressed during his birthday speech last year.

It was estimated then that about 5 per cent of Thais were regular users of methamphetamines or 'yaba' - the main focus of the crackdown.

As the campaign continued, the gung-ho tactics of the police against drug criminals left a bloody trail of bodies - among them those of innocent bystanders.

Questions were raised at home and abroad about violation of human rights in the campaign.

Police claimed that most of the dead were traffickers killed by drug dealers who were afraid that they would expose them and their modus operandi.

Others were killed by police acting in self-defence, they added.

Mr Thaksin has consistently rejected allegations of extra-judicial executions by the police.

At a ceremony on Thursday during which he declared the war on drugs had been successful, he said he was not sorry to see 'enemies of the nation' dead or jailed.

But in an address on Thursday night, on the eve of his 76th birthday, the King urged the Thai Prime Minister to publish the results of the investigations.

'If the matter is not clarified, many people will blame the Prime Minister,' he said.

'The findings should be made available to the public and to the international community.'

'It is a good thing to suppress drugs,' the King said in his 90-minute televised speech, delivered to a select audience of Cabinet members, top government officials and diplomats at the Chitralada Palace.

'Most of the dead were people who had killed one another, people who did the trafficking...'

But he added: 'The government must take responsibility by clarifying the causes of the deaths.'

In his speech, King Bhumibol praised the Prime Minister but at the same time advised that he exercise moderation, openness and more tolerance towards criticism.

He said: 'When I was 40-50 years old, my mother told me sometimes that I was great but she always added that I must not forget myself.

'She said I must not float and Bhumibol means that I had to keep my feet on the ground.'

'She said when I did something good, it's all right to know what I did but I should not be too proud.'

He also said that Mr Thaksin should 'read newspapers - and let them write'.

There has been growing unease in media and intellectual circles about what is perceived as the government's intolerance of criticism.

The Thaksin administration is riding on a wave of popularity and has won praise for lifting Thailand out of economic gloom.

But ruling party members have periodically lashed out at academics and non-government organisations critical of government policies.

... Link

Rise of almost 40% stokes fears of big bills

By BRENT JANG Friday, December 5, 2003 - Page B1

Natural gas prices have skyrocketed nearly 40 per cent over the past two weeks, raising fears of soaring heating costs as frigid weather socks large parts of North America.

With cold blasts descending from the Arctic and elsewhere, benchmark gas prices on the New York Mercantile Exchange climbed 58 cents (U.S.) to $6.34 per million British thermal units yesterday, marking the eighth consecutive trading day of gains -- the longest rally since a nine-day streak in August, 2000.

Yesterday's 10-per-cent surge was also the biggest one-day increase in nine months, as weather forecasters peer into their crystal balls and see a weekend snowstorm brewing in parts of Central and Atlantic Canada, the U.S. Midwest and New England.

For producers, it's a grand time because robust gas prices fatten their bottom line.

But for homeowners and renters with gas furnaces, the red-hot fuel prices could translate into painful bill increases in the new year unless there's a prolonged warm spell to dampen demand.

There's a patchwork of billing systems across Canada involving regulated utilities and gas marketers, so prices won't rise in unison.

Instead, any natural gas price increases could emerge at varying times. Assuming prices stay lofty, some consumers may start seeing higher rates for natural gas as early as January, or as late as April. Distribution companies pass on the cost of the fuel through either monthly adjustments or seasonal reviews every three months or so, subject to provincial regulatory approvals.

Some local distributors, including Terasen Inc. in British Columbia and Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc. in Ontario, are already seeking slight decreases to their rates for January through March, so a rate hike wouldn't show up on bills until April, even if gas markets stay on fire.

In Alberta, however, Atco Ltd.'s Atco Gas reviews its rates monthly, so a January hike could be in the cards.

Benchmark Canadian natural gas prices have staged an impressive rally on par with U.S. markets. The supply crunch in Canada has been aggravated by breaks this week in two corroded Alberta pipelines run by TransCanada Corp., which also operates a main gas line from the West to Central Canada.

In the United States, gas storage levels have fallen faster than anticipated, creating worries about tightening reserves.

"We look forward and try to predict where the market is going to go," said Terasen spokesman Dean Pelkey. Vancouver-based Terasen has hedged some of its gas supplies by locking in future deliveries of gas at lower prices, but some distributors do virtually no hedging.

Mr. Pelkey said Terasen would seek to raise rates in April if prices turn out be to higher than expected between now and the end of March.

Enbridge Gas spokeswoman Lisa McCarney said her firm filed papers this week with the Ontario Energy Board to reduce rates slightly for the first three months of 2004 for customers in markets such as Toronto and Ottawa.

Ms. McCarney noted that as a distributor, Enbridge Gas doesn't profit from jumps in gas prices but makes money from delivery charges.

Natural gas producers and energy income trusts, however, are poised to reap windfall profits should the fuel price maintain its strength. Crude oil prices are also buoyant, rising 16 cents to $31.26 a barrel yesterday, as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries committed to keeping a lid on its crude production.

On the Toronto Stock Exchange yesterday, the S&P/TSX energy trust index and the S&P/TSX energy index -- which includes oil and gas producers, integrated oil companies and oil field services firms -- hit record high closes of 118.02 points and 146.92 points, respectively.

Manitoba Hydro's natural gas division has already set gas rates for the three months ending Jan. 31, so it's too early to say what new rates will kick in on Feb. 1, said Winnipeg-based spokeswoman Marjorie Patterson.

... Link

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Saturday, December 6, 2003

Bush Thanksgiving

Blood kin: why aren't more of the major media paying attention to Neil Bush's hijinks?,Floyd

Bush's turkey photo op raises questions, Analysis; BBC

The Plastic Turkey Presidency, Bivens

How Many Wars Has Bush Jive Turkey Been Through? , wp ed

Soldier Thinks Bush's Thanksgiving visit was PR Ploy, Bennington

Advisers Try to Dismiss Turkey Talk , Allen WP

Thanksgiving With The Bush Family (updated) , bw

New York Times

Weak Dollar, Reckless Bush Spending Equals Foreigners No Longer Willing To Pull Us Out Of Our Debt Economy , ed

Dems Push "Values" Offensive To Offset Bush Evangelical Vote , nyt

It's In Best Interest Of U.S. To Help Make UN Stronger. Here's How. , khanna

Human-Sized Politics Dead As Robots Police The Political Landscape , ed

Washington Post

Conservatives Criticize Bush Deficit Spending, One Predicts Action During A Bush Second Term , wp

U.S. Troop Readiness Lowest Since End Of Dad's War , wp

Largest Response: 59% Of Europeans Polled Said Israel Was A Threat To World Peace , levine

Sharon Approval Below 40% As Israeli Majority Say He's Not Serious About Peace. Bush Lacks Involvement. , ed

Readings

Inside the Pentagon: Intrv. w/ Franklin 'Chuck' Spinney, moyers

Current U.S. Congress more like Bart Simpson than Averell Harriman,Ivins

Bushies lied about reasons for Iraq war; now they're lying about U.S. occupation of Iraq,Reese

Why is State Dept silencing Wesley Clark? ,Conason

The GOP Budget Mess, Maxspeak

Limbaugh Accused of 'Doctor Shopping' , Barton, AP

Dean Watch

McGovern was defeated In A landslide. As Howard Dean will probably be." , kristof

Dean's Unseemly Secrecy , BG

Conservative Group's Ad Assails Dean , Schweitzer

Simon Endorses Dean , McCormick

Commercials Attack Dean on Taxes in NH, ap

Other Democrats Tap Dean Backers , BG

Campaign Snapshot: Howard Dean, pbs

Flirting with danger? Dean takes on corporate media , solomon

Guardian

Bush's gesture politics suggest a man seriously worried about his career , lawson

Georgia's 'democratic revolution' a US-engineered coup?, keatley

Bush's big idea: put a man on the moon , borger

Disappointing US jobs figures drive dollar to new low , teather

Latinos call for strike over Ahnold's drive ban, campbell

Kissinger approved Argentinian 'dirty war', campbell

Independent

A bloody victory or dangerous fantasy? The true story of the battle of Samarra, reeves

Israel accused over phony intelligence Bush used for war, huggler

Moon project could be Bush's big idea, cornwell

BBC

Putin says bombers will not win, BBC

Baghdad convoy attack kills four, BBC

UN debates Iraqi oil funds, BBC

No deal on Schwarzenegger budget, BBC

Europe praises Bush steel repeal resulting from WTO threat, BBC

Peace plan duo 'pleased' by talks with Powell, BBC

European leaders call on North African nations to stem flow of illegal immigrants, BBC

Haaretz

US to open line of communication with Geneva brokers , guttman

IDF cautiously optimistic about Cairo talks despite Arafat resurgence , harel

Newsday

Put the Blame on Cheney for U.S. Mess in Iraq, klurfeld
Century In, Century Out - It's Crusade Time, pinkerton
The Photos We'll Never See, vitello

Boston Globe

Under WTO Pressure Bush Reverses Himself on Steel Import Tariffs , Washington

2d Convicted Member of Terror Cell Sentenced , BG

Kerry Campaign Aims to Tap Donors of Some of His Rivals , Healy

Guantanamo Ruling Seen Triggering Shift in Policy on Detainees , Savage

A Push for Earnest Talks , Lloyd

Daschle Testifies for Defense in GOP Legislator's Trial , Walker, AP

TV Documentary Seen as Trigger in Case Against Jackson , Deutsch, AP

Fossil is Called Earliest Recorded Male , Recer, AP

EPA Proposes Troubling New Clean Air Requirements , . Josef Hebert, AP

Politically, Bush's Tariff Move Makes Sense , Kornblut

U.S. Said to Speed Aid in Bid to Foil Taliban , BG

Both Sides Fault Geneva Peace Plan , Radin

U.S. Raids Target Insurgency's Funding , Krane, AP

Attack on Iraq Police Station Wounds 6 , Krane, AP

In Search of Fiscal Discipline , Lehigh

Spin Clouds Truth in Polls of Iraqis , Jackson

America's Eager Executioners , .D.S. Greenway

<font size=3face="arial">Chicago Sun Times

Iraq to Create War Crimes Tribunal , Price

<font size=3face="arial">Chicago Tribune

Ex-Clinton Aides Target GOP , Singer

Bush Misled America on Iraq, Clark Asserts , Zuckman

Israel Inflated Iraq Threat , Moore

Madison Capital Times

As Reserves call, the rest of man's life goes on hold, mct
Bishop tells lawmakers how to vote., mct

San Francisco Chronicle

Arnold can't stop stumping , Ryan

A glimpse of peace , ed

Bloomberg News

Bush Can't Say 'Mission Accomplished' On The Economy, Sperling

Florida Sun-Sentinel

Limbaugh's Doctor-Shopping for Drugs, Burstein

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Electronic votes touch off doubts: Electronic plot?, shepard

Army Times

Arsenal busy making armor for Humvees in Iraq, ap
Military violates own rules in chaplain’s case, jelinek/ap

CBC News

The man who leads "the war on terror" has an MBA, murray

The Globe And Mail

Axe falls in nuclear 'mess' , mackie

RBC implicated over Enron , howlett/waldie

Unions target Quebecor's U.S. workers , mc kenna

Threat drives combative lawyer to walk away from terrorism cases , freeze

Price for natural gas soars over past 2 weeks , jang

Energy trust consolidation on backburner , yedlin

Chrétien chides African elite , freeman

Canadian is Hamas assassin, Israel says , sallot

Reports of Kyoto's death are premature , suzukis

Powell appeals for help in Kabul , leblanc

Sound the steel retreat , ed

U.S. pulling back on terrorism laws , koring

Futures sluggish on jobs, Intel , luciw

Europe, North Africa tackle terrorism at summit , ap

Someone to watch over the federal government , ed

Pravda

Georgia revolution: a made-in-America coup, grey/volkov

Dawn

Taliban cross into Pakistan as DPs, says UN body, raza
US calls for Russian pullout from Georgia, afp
US short of body armour, borger/gns
Dead soldier's father advises Latinos not to join US Army, cevallos/ipns
Washington exporting torture tools, says Amnesty, lobe/ipns
US has not ended special registration programme: lawyers, dawn
Decision on Pakistan's re-entry put off: C'wealth summit, reuters

Asia Times

How Tehran Outmanuevered Washington, Marquardt

Bush Bent, Not Broken, Over Steel, Mekay

South Korea in Freefall, Miyazaki

The US and Economic Stability in Asia, Smith

Oil Sabotage Costs Iraq Dearly, Recknagel

Sydney Morning Herald

Putin Sits Pretty Steering Russia Through Polls, Womack

Geneva Plan Offers Quick, Clean Break, O'Loughlin

Hicks May Have Struck Deal With US, Father Fears, Debelle

American CEO's Find The Job No LongerA Dream, Hall

New Net Will Bypass Recreational Users, Toner

Moscow Times

Neil Bush's Sordid Saga, Floyd

Village Voice

Rumsfeld Aims To Privatize Military, Ridgeway

J. Edgar Hoover Back At The 'New' FBI, Hentoff

Salon

Wish upon a star, Cave

Slate

Why Low Interest Rates Aren't Good News, Gross

Revolving-Door Bingo, Noah

The Nation

Bush's Religious Language, Stam

A Present for Murdoch, Chester

Letter From South Carolina, Watcher

Joe McCarthy's (and Ashcroft's) nemesis, Nichols

Bush as Financial Underdog?, Ed

TomPaine

2004 Elections - A Matter Of Timing, Kuttner

PR For Palestinians, Rozen

The Progressive

Rigging Iraq's Elections, Rothschild

Anti-War Vets Booted From Vets' Day Parade,Rothschild

Pacifist Pastor Confronted By National Guard, Rothschild

The Daily Mislead

Bush Backtracking On Cleaner Air, MoveOn

Center For American Progress

Faster Income Growth Needed ToEscape Debt Trap, Weller

Economy Is Not Out Of The Woods, Sirota+Harvey+Legum

Bush To Make Speech At Home Depot, Sirota et al.

Porking Fiscal Discipline, Sirota et al.

National Security: The Glow Of Burnt Bridges, Sirota et al.

Grist Magazine

Bush Administration Attempts To Sabotage Kyoto Treaty Conference, Griscom

New York Review of Books

Sharon's Phony War, Siegman

Delusions in Baghdad, Danner

Financial Times

Richard Perle Lobbied for Boeing's Tanker Bid, Chaffin

Counterpunch

Bremer of the Tigris, scahill

Amistad revisited at Guantanamo?, brecher

Afghanistan: The road back, mukherjee

Now with Bill Moyers

Photojournalist Lori Grinker: Aboard the USS Comfort, now

Rolling Stone

Moby hosts anti-war screening, dansby

In These Times

Got Drugs?, moberg
Take Bush Home, Country Roads, aaron
Manufacturing Discontent, moberg
Goons Over Miami, moothart

Democracy Now

Military Fires 37 Arabic Translators For Being Gay, frank/goodman
New Study Faults Electronic Voting Machines in Ohio, rubin/goodman
U.S. Uncovers Weapons of Mass Destruction, Not in Iraq But in Texas, dn
Geneva Peace : Debate Between Lerner, AIPAC & Palestinian professor, dn

<font size=3face="arial">World Socialist Web

Alarming Rise in Suicides Among U.S. Troops in Iraq , Riley

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