tuluum's Diaryland Diary
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DISSEMINATE!!!
Steve has formed Disseminatrix.
It's wicked cool. Naughty and cutting edge.
You should join it.
If you don't you're an ignorant slut and I want nothing to do with you.
... and in other news...
Article: Watch it! - by Melissa Wickham
Datte: Thursday, April 03rd, 2003
Source: www.NationNews.com - Barbados
Link: http://www.nationnews.com/StoryView.cfm?
Record=36190&Section=LO&Current=2003%2D04%2D03%2000%3A00%3A00
CARICOM, which has opposed the United States-led war on Iraq, (which
does not have United Nations' approval), received a stern warning
yesterday from a top US official to watch- what it says on the
conflict.
Special Envoy to President George W. Bush for Western Hemispheric
Initiatives, Otto Reich, said the US was disappointed at CARICOM's
criticism of the war and urged regional leaders to study the
consequences of their words.
Speaking from the studios
of the state-run CBC TV8 on US foreign policy during a live link-up
with the region, Reich gave the assurance, however, that Caribbean
countries would not be "blacklisted" for their views.
He cautioned, nevertheless, that the American people and Congress
were listening, and it would be difficult, for example, to put a case
about regional banana exports considering CARICOM's position.
Reich believed CARICOM's stance did not necessarily reflect the
opinions of all the people of the region, some of whom were serving
in the United States and British armies, but of a few public
officials.
"Nobody's talked about blacklisting. These are friendly countries
[with whom] we have constant diplomatic relations. We've had a
difference of opinion on this issue and we do not understand why it
was necessary to take the gratuitous action of criticising the
coalition ? and I assume they must have criticised all 50 countries.
I hope they didn't just single out the United States.
"We are not going to take retaliatory action or punitive measures,
but the American people do listen and our Congress listens. It is not
just the executive branch.
"These kinds of resolutions and this kind of language doesn't help
lead to a better understanding between our countries," said Reich,
who is here to attend a conference on Competitiveness In The
Caribbean.
He explained that the United States expected a little support and
understanding ? not outright public criticism from CARICOM ? since it
considered the countries of the region as friends, where it was the
principal source of trade, migration, tourism, investment and capital
transfers.
Reich pointed out that the countries of the Caribbean need not worry
about being put in the same category as Iraq "by any stretch of the
imagination".
He said he had no plans to meet with Minister of Foreign Affairs and
Foreign Trade Billie Miller or Prime Minister Owen Arthur.[End]
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5:38 a.m. - Sunday, Apr. 06, 2003
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