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Latest Wikileaks prize for sale to the highest bidder
The secret-spilling site Wikileaks announced this week that it's acquired thousands of e-mails belonging to a top aide to Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. But don't look for them online. In a departure from its full-disclosure past, Wikileaks is auctioning off the cache to the highest bidder.
Wikileaks began soliciting bids from media organizations on Tuesday, for what it describes as thousands of e-mails and attachments from 2005 to 2008 that provide insight into Chavez's management, CIA activities in Venezuela and the Bolivarian revolution.
The auction contrasts sharply with Wikileaks' original goal of recruiting legions of netizens to publicly analyze formerly secret corporate and government documents. The site says the money it earns in the auction will going to its source defense fund.
University of Minnesota media ethics professor Jane Kirtly laughed when told of the scheme.
"Ethically speaking, why don't they just publish it?" Kirtly asked. "They pride themselves on being a new breed of news delivery."
Launched nearly two years ago, Wikileaks made its mark publishing sensitive Guantanamo Bay documents and fending off a lawsuit from Swiss banking company Julius Baer that attempted to wipe the site off the net, but only ended up rallying support for the site.
But Wikileaks' most public figure -- Julian Assange, a former hacker and journalist -- told Wired.com earlier this year that the wiki model had failed and that the site would be experimenting with new economic models, though he did not mention plans to ask media organizations to bid on leaked documents.
The auction is just an experiment, and carries too much overhead to be employed for every leak, Assange said by e-mail Tuesday.
When asked whether he expects news organizations such as The Washington Post to bid on documents, Assange argued that media outlets already pay for news.
"Media organizations pay hundreds of thousands to millions for photos and video footage," he said. "People magazine notoriously paid over $10 [million] for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's baby photos."
Stephen Aftergood, who runs a complementary and competing site called Secrecy News that focuses on U.S. government documents, called the e-mail trove a "coup" for Wikileaks. But Aftergood also doubts the auction model will attract quality media outlets.
"It looks like Wikileaks is still looking for the optimal method to distribute its materials," Aftergood said. "I think it will automatically rule out publications like The New York Times and others that might devote significant attention to an in-depth look at such internal e-mails but would not pay for them."
Outside of the tabloid press, U.S. media generally refuses to pay sources as a matter of professional ethics. The fear is that such payment would provide an economic incentive for sources to fabricate documents and stories.
Kirtly, who led the Reporters' Committee for the Freedom of the Press for 14 years, shares Aftergood's practical objections, noting that many outlets have strict policies against paying sources.
"Whether [U.S. media outlets] are cheap or have ethics, I don't know," Kirtly said."From an entrepreneurial standpoint, I think Wikileaks will be disappointed."
Assange, though, argues that any news worth reading is worth paying for.
"The degree to which news organizations refuse to pay for 'the' news is proportional to the degree to which they are able to bilk the public with unworthy alternatives," he writes.
"Indeed for anyone who has been in the news business for a while knows, manufacture of news is so arbitrary the result must be described primarily as mere entertainment."
For his part, Aftergood is skeptical of the auction, but he's not opposed to it.
"But maybe I'm wrong," he said. "It's worth a try." The secret-spilling site Wikileaks announced this week that it's acquired thousands of e-mails belonging to a top aide to Venezue... more -
Python kills Venezuelan zookeeper
"A three-metre (10-foot) python has killed a student zookeeper who let the snake out of its enclosure in Venezuela while working a night shift at the zoo.
Horrified employees at the Caracas zoo discovered the Burmese Python as it tried to swallow its victim's head, local media reported.
The co-workers beat the snake to force it to release Erick Arrieta's body.
Marks on the biology student's left wrist suggested the snake had bitten him before crushing him to death.
Arrieta, who was 29, had been supervising the reptile section alone on Saturday night when he broke zoo rules by opening the snake's cage, Venezuela's El Universal newspaper quoted zoo officials as saying.
The snake was donated to the Caracas zoo two months ago and was not on public display, said the zoo's management in a statement.
"The young man underestimated the animal's instinct," said Javier Hernandez, director general of the Parque del Este zoo. " "A three-metre (10-foot) python has killed a student zookeeper who let the snake out of its enclosure in Venezuela while working ... more -
WAR ON DEMOCRACY
John Pilger's 2007 documentary explores the historic and current relationship of Washington with countries such as Venezuela, Bolivia and Chile. Pilger claims that the film "...tells a universal story... analyzing and revealing, through vivid testimony, the story of great power behind its venerable myths. It allows us to understand the true nature of the so-called "war on terror". According to Pilger, the film’s message is that the greed and power of empire is not invincible and that people power is always the "seed beneath the snow".
Pilger interviews several ex-CIA agents who purportedly took part in secret campaigns against democratic countries and who he claims are profiting from the war in Iraq. He investigates the School of the Americas in the U.S. state of Georgia, where General Pinochet’s torture squads were reportedly trained along with tyrants and death-squad leaders in Haiti, El Salvador, Brazil and Argentina.
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This is a film that should be shown in History classrooms throughout the states and the world. Pilger aptly displays the American government’s involvement in manipulating Latin America’s leadership over the past 60 years or so.
The focus on Venezuela for the first 40 minutes of the film is an interesting change from what we see in mainstream media. An unabashed socialist, Chavez has thrown out American control in Venezuela, and has gone a long way in convincing his neighbors to do the same. However, the beauty of this film is much more than its discussion of Venezuela. Pilger goes through the history of several countries other Latin American countries weaving them into the bigger picture, thoroughly explaining many of the important details. Its rare to find such a comprehensive history of US involvement in Latin America. Pilger tries establish how the system has evolved from physical control to financial control in today's era. Pilger has mastered obtaining great interviews. For example, in this film he the interviews the head former head of CIA involvement in Latin America as well as interviews an American nun who was tortured in Guatemala in 1989.
Add to the list Georgia and Ukraine. When will "we the people" wake up?
INITIATE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS, CO-WORKERS AND FAMILY MEMBERS. PARTICIPATE IN EDUCATING THOSE THAT COME IN CONTACT WITH YOU. John Pilger's 2007 documentary explores the historic and current relationship of Washington with countries such as Venezuela, Bol... more -
Evidence may suggest US government involved in terror activities
"A US appeals court has ruled that an anti-Castro Cuban exile and former CIA operative accused in Cuba of a 1976 plane bombing that killed 73 people should stand trial for an immigration violation, court records showed on Friday.
(Please read my 'take' at the end of this piece).
Posada Carriles, 80, who lives in Miami, has been sought for trial in Cuba and Venezuela for masterminding the bombing of a Cubana Airlines jet.
He has denied involvement in the incident but Cuba and Venezuela, which are close allies, have accused the Bush administration of hypocrisy in its "war on terrorism" for not prosecuting Posada Carriles.
Posada was arrested by US authorities in May 2005 after entering the country illegally. He sought asylum, which has not been granted.
In January 2007, he was indicted on seven immigration fraud charges arising from a naturalization application and an immigration hearing.
Granma, the newspaper of the ruling Communist Party in Cuba, said on Friday that the latest court decision was "a new episode of delay tactics" by the Bush administration in what Cuba views as White House efforts to protect Posada.
Along with the plane bombing, Posada, who worked for the CIA during the Cold War, is accused in Cuba of plotting 1997 hotel bombings in Havana that killed an Italian tourist.
He was jailed in Panama for plotting to kill Castro during an Ibero-American summit in 2000 but was pardoned by outgoing President Mireya Moscoso in 2004.
The pardon was canceled last month by the Panama Supreme Court, opening the door for a possible extradition request from that country."
I'm torn between what is true and not. The Communist governments says this man did the plane bombing as well as plotting to kill a president and bombing a hotel. That's a tall indictment. In America, he is treated as a freedom fighter for the exiled Cubans. Maybe so, but if these crimes are true, is it OK for America to use terrorists' tactics while they fight terrorism?
Or ...
Is the word "terrorism" simply another word for people or governments that have no massive weapons arsenal, and have to resort to using anything as a weapon, including throwing rocks, in order to defend their property and their view of freedom.
Declassified intelligence document and outline here:
http://www.rhc.cu/ingles/posada/posada10junio.htm "A US appeals court has ruled that an anti-Castro Cuban exile and former CIA operative accused in Cuba of a 1976 plane bombing th... more -
Venezuela lifts basic food prices
Prices of foodstuffs from bread to beef have risen by up to 50% in Venezuela after the country's government raised the regulated prices of basic items.
It also removed price controls on other food products including oatmeal, salt and certain cuts of pork. It is hoped that higher prices will encourage production of staple items to prevent further shortages. Some food producers welcomed the move, but it could add to Venezuela's already high rate of inflation. In July, prices in the metropolitan area of Caracas, which are used as a benchmark, were 33.7% higher than 12 months earlier.
The Venezuelan Pork Federation welcomed the "very important" price adjustments. However, the Bread Industry Federation said bread production was still not profitable, even at the latest high prices. The measures, which included a 50% rise in the price of beef and a 49% increase in bread prices, were introduced on Tuesday. Beef has risen to $8 (£4.30) per kilo and bread has increased to $2.06 per kilo. Prices of foodstuffs from bread to beef have risen by up to 50% in Venezuela after the country's government raised the regulated ... more -
'Vampires' kill 38 people in Venezuela
38 people died after being bitten by 'vampire' bats. It is believed the bats may have had rabies.
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A New Cold War in the Caribbean?
Ever since the Monroe Doctrine, the United States has seen the Caribbean in the way that the Romans viewed the Mediterranean — Mare Nostrum, Our Sea. From the Spanish-American War through the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Central American dirty wars of the Reagan era, Washington was always quick to flex its muscle over the rum-soaked waters that stretch from Florida to Venezuela. The bad news: It ain't our sea anymore, gringos.
"The U.S. let its guard down in the Caribbean after the Berlin Wall fell," says Johanna Mendelson-Forman, a senior associate for the Americas at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "As a result we've gone from unipolarity in that region to multipolarity, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but we're in a real learning phase as to how to deal with it."
Chavez's visit to Moscow this week, not only to buy more than $1 billion worth of anti-aircraft missiles and submarines, but also to commune with growing anti-American resentment in Russia, resurrected old ghosts for some conservative yanqui lawmakers. Florida Congressman Connie Mack declared the Caracas-Moscow partnership "a stark reminder of the Cold War partnership between the Soviet Union and Cuba." Ever since the Monroe Doctrine, the United States has seen the Caribbean in the way that the Romans viewed the Mediterranean — Mare No... more -
Chavez left unanswered questions about Russian military base in Venezuela
Chavez, a close ally of the regime in Havana, said he had passed on greetings to Medvedev from the former Cuban leader, Fidel Castro. During the Soviet era, Cuba was a close ally of Moscow and in 1962 the site of a major Cold War confrontation over the placement of Soviet missiles.
During a press conference, Chavez left unanswered questions on whether Russian military aircraft and naval vessels could be based in Venezuela in the future.
The mass-circulation tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda said there was speculation Chavez may allow Russia to establish a training facility or military base in the country
Medvedev, while not endorsing Chavez’ remarks about the U.S., said he was ready to work with the Venezuelan president in the “common task to achieve a more democratic, just and secure world.”
Venezuela is already Russia’s largest weapons customer in Latin America, having raised eyebrows in recent years with the signing of contracts to buy military helicopters and 100,000 Kalashnikov automatic rifles.
Bilateral trade reached $1 billion in 2007, mainly due to the arms trade, according to the Russian government statistics. Chavez, a close ally of the regime in Havana, said he had passed on greetings to Medvedev from the former Cuban leader, Fidel Castro. ... more -
Chavez calls for Russia alliance
Hugo Chavez has called for a strategic alliance with Russia to protect Venezuela from the US.
The Venezuelan president's call came as Moscow and Caracas agreed to extend bilateral co-operation on energy.
Speaking during a two-day visit to Russia, Mr Chavez said oil and military cooperation were vital to guarantee Venezuela's sovereignty.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said three Russian energy companies are to be allowed to operate in Venezuela.
He gave no details of an anticipated arms deal between the two countries. But Mr Chavez seemed upbeat about the prospect of military co-operation.
"If Russia's armed forces want to be present in Venezuela, they will be given a warm welcome," he told a news conference after the meeting.
He said Venezuela would pursue new Russian arms deals "because the North American empire... has plans to invade Venezuela, to disarm Venezuela". Hugo Chavez has called for a strategic alliance with Russia to protect Venezuela from the US. ... more -
Chavez set to spend big on Russian weapons
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez arrived in Moscow Tuesday to discuss a deal to spend billions on Russia weapons.
Chavez will meet with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Russia's new President Dmitry Medvedev, Russian news agency, Interfax, said
The two countries hope to sign an agreement for Venezuela to buy Russian military equipment, said Vyacheslav Davidenko, a spokesman for Rosoboronexport, Russia's government agency in charge of arms exports.
The agreement will allow "quick deliveries of arms and military hardware in the interests of Venezuela's security with the observance of international obligations and the laws of both countries," Davidenko told CNN.
Davidenko wouldn't elaborate on the types of weapons that Venezuela wanted to purchase -- or the cost. Previous military-technical contracts had been worth $4 billion, he said.
Interfax quoted an "informed military expert" as saying Venezuela planned to purchase up to 10 air defense systems, three diesel electric submarines, six more non-nuclear powered submarines and several surface vessels.
Venezuela also planned to discuss the possibility of buying certain aircraft, including combat helicopters, the expert said.
The Associated Press reported the deal could be worth $2 billion.
Venezuela is expected to spend over $30 billion under a program to rearm its armed forces up to 2012, the Interfax source said. According to Russian media reports, Russia could provide a loan of about $800 million to Venezuela to finance the arms deals. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez arrived in Moscow Tuesday to discuss a deal to spend billions on Russia weapons. ... more -
Chavez may hug king, won't shut up
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez said on Sunday he would like to give the king of Spain a hug when he visits Europe next week, but the outspoken leader, referring to a diplomatic spat last year, said he will not shut up.
King Juan Carlos sparked a furor in November by shouting "Why don't you shut up?" at Chavez when he tried to interrupt a speech by Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero at the Ibero-American summit in Chile.
Ties have improved since then and the Spanish government said last week that Chavez will meet the king on a visit to Spain next week.
"I'd like to give the king a hug, but you know, Juan Carlos, that I am not going to shut up," a smiling Chavez said on his weekly television show before setting of to Russia for the first leg of his tour.
"We will keep talking for ourselves, for a just and equal world," the left-wing president said.
The king's November outburst made headlines around the world, spawning songs, jokes and even a ringtone for mobile phones.
Chavez threatened to review diplomatic and business ties with Venezuela's former colonial power, a major investor in the region. Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez said on Sunday he would like to give the king of Spain a hug when he visits Europe next week, b... more -
Venezuela neglecting battered women
Venezuela is dragging its feet in establishing a support system for battered women, Amnesty International said in a report issued Wednesday.
President Hugo Chavez's government passed new domestic violence legislation in March 2007 requiring that, among other things, Venezuela's 23 states and more than 300 municipalities construct women's shelters.
But more than a year later, no new facilities have been built, London-based Amnesty said.
ust two such shelters exist across this nation of 27 million people — and both were up and running two years before the law was passed, according to the National Women's Institute. But the government-run institute reported that at least three more are under revision or have been approved by local authorities. Venezuela is dragging its feet in establishing a support system for battered women, Amnesty International said in a report issued Wedn... more -
CITGO hands out energy efficient light bulbs in US
Venezuela's CITGO Petroleum Corp. is handing out energy efficient light bulbs across the U.S., despite political tensions between the two nations.
Houston-based CITGO is teaming with nonprofit Citizen's Energy Corp. of Boston to hold workshops on energy conservation.
They plan to distribute nearly 500,000 small fluorescent bulbs in 11 cities.
The program kicks off in Houston Thursday, two days after it began in Washington.
The companies joined in 2005 to bring Venezuelan heating oil to low-income U.S. households. Critics alleged that President Hugo Chavez was attempting to spread his leftist ideals.
Chavez often threatens to cut off oil shipments to the U.S. But Venezuela remains its fifth biggest supplier. Venezuela's CITGO Petroleum Corp. is handing out energy efficient light bulbs across the U.S., despite political tensions between... more -
Chavez party seeks changes for 3rd term
Venezuela's ruling party pledged Thursday to seek to reform the nation's constitution to let President Hugo Chavez seek indefinite re-election.
Proposed changes to end the two-term limit for presidents will be presented to Congress or the National Electoral Council and ultimately to voters after state and municipal elections now scheduled for November, said Freddy Bernal, a leader of Chavez's United Socialist Party.
"The purpose of this amendment is to ask the country if they want or don't want the re-election of President Hugo Chavez," Bernal said in a televised interview. "If we want peace, tranquility and development in the country, Hugo Chavez must continue being president."
Chavez, who was first elected in 1998, is barred from running again when his term expires in 2013. Venezuela's ruling party pledged Thursday to seek to reform the nation's constitution to let President Hugo Chavez seek inde... more -
Houston Where the World Comes to Buy a Home
By Dave Fehling / 11 News
HOUSTON -- In a new subdivision near Sugar Land, house-hunters are finding homes with a European flair.
In the Galleria, realtors are finding buyers for expensive high-rise condos.
And in Chinatown, one broker said his clients are coming to Houston for their golden years.
But none of those homebuyers are from Texas – they’re not even from the United States.
All over the area, foreigners are snatching up Houston property. For some, Houston homes represent a great bargain. For others, Houston seems like a safe haven in a chaotic world.
One example of that is what’s happening in Venezuela.
The government took over oil projects there, some of which belonged to Houston-based companies.
Now top engineers and executives are fleeing the country, and some of them are heading to the Bayou City.
“They’re coming here for the oil industry,” Remax Realtor Karen Arbelaez said.
Arbelaez said she just sold a home in Sugar Land to one of those foreigners for over $500,000.
So now, builders are constructing homes with more authentic Mediterranean looks to appeal to folks from outside the States.
Wealthy Mexicans also see Houston as a great escape.
Realtors said many of them are buying expensive and secure high-rise condos as second homes – condos like the ones near the Galleria.
“They will not buy something where someone can just come kick in the door,” Uptown Real Estate’s Mariana Saldana said.
The condos are safe, secure and often a steal when compared to prices in other big cities.
What’s more, foreigners from many countries can now buy more because their currency is worth more than the dollar.
It all adds up to an undeniable fact: Houston is becoming an international bargain.
Margaret Jamieson just moved to Houston from Vancouver, Canada. Her husband is an oral surgeon in training.
“I’ve never seen anything like the Medical Center,” she said. “Back home, we came from an 800-square-foot condo.”
But in Houston, they can afford a home triple that size – a key reason they chose the Bayou City over others.
Houston is also getting a growing number of Chinese retirees.
Yao Ming put Houston on the map for many people in China, and Realtors are saying they’ve noticed the beginning of a trend. They believe more Chinese are buying property in Houston, sometimes for retirement, other times for investments.
Century 21 broker Kenneth Li said they’re buying everything from apartments to strip malls to ranches.
“Chinese like to own real estate,” he said.
So while Americans struggle to buy homes all over the country, in Houston, an influx of international cash is helping foreigners do just that. By Dave Fehling / 11 News HOUSTON -- In a new subdivision near Sugar Land, house-hunters are finding homes with a European flair. ... more -
Miss Venezuela Crowned Miss Universe 2008
Miss Venezuela was crowned Miss Universe 2008 on Monday in a contest marked by the spectacle of Miss USA falling down during the evening gown competition for the second year in a row. Miss Venezuela was crowned Miss Universe 2008 on Monday in a contest marked by the spectacle of Miss USA falling down during the eveni... more
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Venezuela, Colombia hold talks to repair ties
Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Colombia's Alvaro Uribe took a stab at mending relations Friday after months of sniping that threatened billions of dollars in trade and unleashed a diplomatic crisis between Latin America's top U.S. opponent and closest U.S. ally.
Chavez, who just months ago called reconciliation impossible, said the talks were aimed at a "relaunch of cooperation, peace and integration of Latin America."
Analysts said the two are setting aside their on-and-off feud because each benefits politically from normalized relations. The countries are key commercial partners, with $6 billion in trade last year, and the leaders were expected to sign accords to link the Andean neighbors with two new railways. Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Colombia's Alvaro Uribe took a stab at mending relations Friday after months of sniping that thr... more -
Le democratiche punizioni della polizia Venezuelana.
Questo video è stato girato in Venezuela, all’interno di un commissariato. Un gruppo di poliziotti riserva un trattamento speciale ad un arrestato (per furto). Con un bastone gli agenti, a turno, lo colpiscono sulle natiche, ma anche sulle gambe e sulla schiena. L’arrestato è nudo. A ogni colpo lui urla, mentre gli altri ridono. Purtroppo non ho trovato altre informazioni. Questo video è stato girato in Venezuela, all’interno di un commissariato. Un gruppo di poliziotti riserva un trattamento speciale ad ... more
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Chavez Says He Wants Peace, Dialogue With New U.S. President
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has reached out to the U.S., saying he wants peace with the nation and to begin a dialogue with the next president.
Chavez spoke briefly yesterday with U.S. Ambassador Patrick Duddy after a military parade marking Venezuela's Independence Day, according to an e-mailed statement from the Information Ministry today.
``It doesn't matter who wins as long as we can sit down to talk,'' Chavez said.
Chavez has accused the U.S. of trying to undermine his government, calling the U.S. Navy's decision to re-establish its Fourth Fleet in the Caribbean an attempt to intimidate Venezuela and Latin America.
``We have to go back to that situation,'' Chavez said, recalling breakfast meetings with the first U.S. ambassador during his rule, ``to struggle against drug trafficking and international crime.''
Venezuela is the fourth-biggest supplier of oil to the U.S. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has reached out to the U.S., saying he wants peace with the nation and to begin a dialogue with the n... more -
"Doh!" Venezuela TV Station Punished for 'Simpsons' Airing
The Televen channel yanked the animated hit from its lineup in April after regulators said its 11 a.m. showing violated broadcast rules intended to protect young viewers. "The Simpsons" returned to the air at night, and was replaced in the morning with "Baywatch Hawaii."
Isn't that a much better choice for children to be watching... The Televen channel yanked the animated hit from its lineup in April after regulators said its 11 a.m. showing violated broadcast rule... more
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