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NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR * WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2010

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Caribbean News

HAITI STILL AWAITS PROMISED US AID

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2010

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JAM $35 | US $0.50 | NYLIBERTYSTAR.COM | VOL. 10 ISSUE 213

NO DECISION FROM JURY LEAVES BUJU BEHIND BARS

More than a million Haitians still live on the streets between piles of rubble.

Page 18

Ask Lisa Anne

HOW DO I HANDLE A RACIST TEACHER?

My child’s teacher appears to be very prejudice and often picks on the African-American children.

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Reggae superstar Buju Banton (Mark Myrie) said thank you to his supporters as he left court Monday, after U.S. District Judge James Moody declared his drug case a mistrial when jurors, after days of deliberation, declared they could not see eye to eye.

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Local News False Imprisonment Sparks 9-11 Lawsuit

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2010 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS NOW! CALL US TODAY 718-785-9722

Hundreds of people who believe they were falsely detained and imprisoned by the Department of Justice in the wake of the Sep. 11, 2001 attacks are now seeking redress through the U.S. courts.

The exact number of detainees is unclear, as no lists were ever released publicly. But according to a report by the Office of the Inspector General in 2002, 475 9/11 detainees were arrested and detained in New York and New Jersey. Hundreds more were arrested across the country.

Some of these men are plaintiffs in a federal class action lawsuit against former Attorney General John Ashcroft and other top officials in the administration of President George W. Bush (2001-2009) who were responsible for their illegal roundup, abuse and detention.

The suit charges that the detainees were kept in solitary confinement with the lights on 24 hours a day; placed under a communications blackout so that they could not seek the assistance of their attorneys, families and friends; subjected to physical and verbal abuse; forced to endure inhumane conditions of confinement; and obstructed in their efforts to practice their religion.

Some of the abuse included beatings, repeated strip searches and sleep deprivation. The allegations of inhumane and degrading treatment have been substantiated by two reports of the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General, and several defen-

dants in the case have been convicted on federal charges of cover-ups and beatings of other prisoners around the same time period.

On Sep. 13, six new plaintiffs joined the lawsuit, which is still a proposed class action; there has not yet been a ruling on class certification.

These plaintiffs include two Pakistani men, Ahmer Iqbal Abbasi and Anser Mehmood; two men from Egypt, Ahmed Khalifa and Saeed Hammouda; Benamar Benatta; an Algerian man who has sought and received refugee status in Canada; and Purna Raj Bajracharya, a Nepalese Buddhist whose prolonged detention after 9/11 prompted outrage not only by civil libertarians, but even by the FBI agent who originally investigated him.

Bajracharya was videotaping the sights of New York City for his family back in Nepal when he inadvertently included an FBI office. He was taken into custody, where officials found he had overstayed his tourist visa, a violation punishable by deportation.

Instead, Bajracharya wound up in solitary confinement in a federal detention centre for three months, weeping constantly, in a six-by-ninefoot cell where the lights were never turned off. Bajracharya, who speaks little English, might have been in there much longer if James Wynne, the FBI agent who investigated him, had not summoned Legal Aid. Despite the fact that the government never charged any of them with a terrorism-related offence, immigration authorities kept the men in detention for up to eight months, long past the resolution of their immigration cases, according to attorneys at the Center for Constitutional Rights,

“Nine years later, my clients which brought the class action on beare still determined to hold the mashalf of the plaintiffs.

“I was deprived of my liberty and terminds of these sweeps accountI was abused at the hands of the U.S. able, and we will continue this fight government simply because of my re- until former Attorney General John ligion and ethnicity. Now, nine years Ashcroft, and his cronies, are forced later, I seek to vindicate my rights and to answer for their policy of profiling hold the people who mistreated me and abuse,” she said. accountable,” said Benamar Benatta.

“My hope is that this never happens to anyone again.”

Benatta succeeded in having a criminal charge for possession of false immigration documents thrown out of court when the federal judge in his case ruled that his immigration detention was a “subterfuge” and “sham” created to hide the reality that, because Benatta was an “Algerian citizen and a member of the Algerian Air Force, [he] was spirited off to the MDC (Metropolitan Detention Center) in Brooklyn held in the [Administrative Maximum Special Housing Unit] as ‘high security’ for the purposes of providing an expeditious means of having [him] interrogated by special agents of the FBI.” “After 9/11 hundreds of men were swept up and detained in deplorable conditions based only on their religion and ethnicity,” CCR Attorney Rachel Meeropol told IPS. Former US Attorney General John Ashcroft

Governor Paterson Directs Flags To Be Flown At Half-Staff Governor David A. Paterson has directed that flags on State government buildings be flown at half-staff on Wednesday, September 29, in honor of a Fort Drum soldier who died in Kabul, Afghanistan on September 24, 2010.

Army Private First Class Clinton Springer died in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, based at Fort Drum, NY. “On behalf of all New Yorkers I wish to extend our sympathy to the friends, family, and fellow soldiers of Private First Class Springer,” Governor Paterson said. “Though not a native New Yorker, we consider all those who serve at Fort Drum to be part of our New York family. While we mourn his death we will honor his service and his sacrifice to our country.”

Governor Paterson has directed the flags on all State buildings to be lowered to half-staff in honor and tribute to our State’s service members who are killed in action or die in a combat zone.

“New York Liberty Star hopes to develop a platform wherein the contributions the Caribbean immigrant and the African American can be showcased in its most positive light.”

Publisher: Ivrol D. Hines

LENECIA HINES Publisher / Editor-In-Chief IVROL HINES Publisher / Managing Editor KHADINE BRYAN Editor VANESSA BARNES Staff Writer MARJORIE FLASH Photojournalist LEONARDO HARRISON Webmaster DAVID LESTER NEAL JOHN COLIN WILSON JOAN GOBOURNE Accounts Managers Telephone: (718) 785-9722 Fax: (215) 294-5903 nylibertystar@yahoo.com www.nylibertystar.com NEW YORK CITY CORPORATE OFFICE 397 Rockaway Ave Brooklyn, NY 11212 Send all Mail to: New York Liberty Star 1930 Rockaway Pkwy.

Brooklyn, NY 11236 New York Liberty Star welcomes letters from readers and press releases. We reserve the right to edit all materials, in keeping with publication standards. To submit an article, send email to: nylibertystar@yahoo.com.

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The New York Liberty Star is not responsible for typographical errors in ads beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error.

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NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

Haiti Still Waiting For Pledged U.S. Aid

Port-Au-Prince, Haiti -- Nearly nine months after the earthquake, more than a million Haitians still live on the streets between piles of rubble. One reason: Not a cent of the $1.15 billion the U.S. promised for rebuilding has arrived.

The money was pledged by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in March for use this year in rebuilding. The U.S. has already spent more than $1.1 billion on post-quake relief, but without long-term funds, the reconstruction of the wrecked capital cannot begin.

With just a week to go before fiscal 2010 ends, the money is still tied up in Washington. At fault: bureaucracy, disorganization and a lack of urgency, the Associated Press learned in interviews with officials in the State Department, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the White House and the U.N. Office of the Special Envoy. One senator has held up a key authorization bill because of a $5 million provision he says will be wasteful.

Meanwhile, deaths in Port-auPrince are mounting, as quake survivors scramble to live without shelter or food.

“There are truly lives at stake, and the idea that folks are spending more time finger-pointing than getting this solved is almost unbelievable,” said John Simon, a former U.S. ambassador to the African Union who is now with the Center for Global Development, a Washington think tank.

Nor is Haiti getting much from other donors. Some 50 other nations and organizations pledged a total of $8.75 billion for reconstruction, but

just $686 million of that has reached Haiti so far -- less than 15 percent of the total promised for 2010-11.

The lack of funds has all but halted reconstruction work by CHF International, the primary U.S.-funded group assigned to remove rubble and build temporary shelters. Just 2 percent of rubble has been cleared and 13,000 temporary shelters have been built -- less than 10 percent of the number planned.

The Maryland-based agency is asking the U.S. government for $16.5 million to remove more than 21 million cubic feet of additional rubble and build 4,000 more temporary houses out of wood and metal.

“It’s just a matter of one phone call and the trucks are out again. We have contractors ready to continue removing rubble. ... We have local suppliers and international suppliers ready to ship the amount of wood and construction materials we need,” said CHF country director Alberto Wilde.

“It’s just a matter of money.”

Last week the inaction bore tragic results. On Friday an isolated storm destroyed an estimated 8,000 tarps, tents and shacks in the capital and killed at least six people, including two children. And the threat of violence looms as landowners threaten entire camps with forced eviction.

In Washington there is confusion about the money. At a July hear-

ing, Ravij Shah, director of the U.S. Agency for International Development, thanked members of Congress for approving the funds, saying, “The resources are flowing and are being spent in country.”

It wasn’t true then, and still hasn’t happened. When the earthquake hit, U.S. agencies sent troops, rescuers, aid workers and supplies to the devastated capital, Port-au-Prince. On March 24, President Barack Obama asked Congress for $2.8 billion in emergency aid to Haiti -- about half to pay back money already spent by USAID, the Defense Department and others. An additional $212 million was to write off debt.

The heart of the request was $1.15 billion in new reconstruction funds.

A week later, Clinton touted that figure in front of representatives of 50 nations at the U.N. secretariat, the president of Haiti at her side.

“If the effort to rebuild is slow or insufficient, if it is marked by conflict, lack of coordination or lack of transparency, then the challenges that have plagued Haiti for years could erupt with regional and global consequences,” Clinton said.

That was nearly six months ago. It took until May for the Senate to pass a supplemental request for the Haiti funds and until July for the House to do the same. The votes

made $917 million available but did not dictate how or when to spend it.

Without that final step, the money remains in the U.S. Treasury.

Then came summer recess, emergencies in Pakistan and elsewhere, and the distractions of election politics. Now the authorization bill that would direct how the aid is delivered remains sidelined by a senator who anonymously pulled it for further study. Through calls to dozens of senators’ offices, the AP learned it was Sen. Tom Coburn, a Republican from Oklahoma.

“He is holding the bill because it includes an unnecessary senior Haiti coordinator when we already have one” in U.S. Ambassador Kenneth Merten, Coburn spokeswoman Becky Bernhardt said.

The bill proposes a new coordinator in Washington who would not oversee U.S. aid but would work with the USAID administrator in Washington to develop a rebuilding strategy. The position would cost $1 million a year for five years, including salaries and expenses for a staff of up to seven people.

With the bill on hold, the State Department is trying to move the money along by avoiding Congress as much as possible. It sent lawmakers a “spending plan” on Sept. 20 and gave legislators 15 days to review it. If they fail to act on the plan, the money could be released as soon as specific projects get the OK. “We need to make sure that the needs of the Haitian people are not sacrificed to procedural and bureau-

cratic impediments,” Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman John Kerry told the AP by e-mail.”As we approach nine months since the earthquake, further delays on any side are unacceptable.”

Asked when the money will actually come, State Department spokesman Charles Luoma-Overstreet said the department expects to start spending in the coming weeks and months. He added that $275 million in “bridge” funds were released in March and have gone toward agriculture, work, health and shelter programs -- not long-term reconstruction.

Haitian advocates say that is not enough. Jean-Claude Bajeux of the Ecumenical Center for Human Rights in Port-au-Prince said this phase was supposed to be about building semipermanent houses.

“Where are they? We haven’t seen them,” he said. “There is not much money that is being used.

There is not much work that has actually been done.”

Of course there is no guarantee that the money would lead to the successful rebuilding of Haiti. Many past U.S. aid efforts have fallen short.

“I don’t think (the money) will make any difference,” said Haitian human rights advocate Pierre Esperance. “Haitian people are not really involved in this process.”

But officials agree the funds could pay for new approaches to make Haiti more sustainable, and rebuilding projects could improve millions of lives.

PM Gonsalves Pleads For Woman Vincie Students Sentenced To Death By Stoning Receive Laptops St. Vincent & The Grenadines Prime Minister, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, says he has made a personal plea to the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to spare the life of a woman who is facing death by stoning over an alleged adulterous affair.

Gonsalves, who said he is the only Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leader to have made such a plea to the Iranian head of state, said that he had been told that the case against Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani, 43, had not yet been completed.

“I wrote a letter to him on August 8. I am not questioning their jurisprudence, I have my private view of that. What I am asking for is mercy. Because every religious system, every judicial system has mercy in it,” he told a news conference here on Monday.

“He says to me the case has not yet run its course through the judicial system so it is premature to speak about mercy,” Gonsalves said.

“I registered my concerns directly… I spoke with President Ahmadinejad directly about it. He offers his own explanation, the trial has not yet concluded and that she is not only on trial for adultery, she is also on trial for conspiracy to murder her husband”.

Gonsalves said that he is not sure of the conspiracy case against the woman, noting “I read various accounts, but I will tell you I can’t sit and see a woman being stoned to death and don’t raise my voice of concern.

“I know him (Ahmadinejad), I met, I took a message from the Pope to him. His government has given us money for the international airport but it doesn’t mean because you have done that I should keep quiet and do comment on something that I feel…

“I picture that woman where she is in her cell not knowing what is going to happen to her. They have their judicial system, as I said I am not commenting adversely on their judicial system, it is not in my place so to do, but I am addressing the issue of mercy and anybody who knows me would know that the fact that I have a working relationship with

you, or even a friendship doesn’t mean that I am not going to talk to you about something which may be unpleasant for you to hear but which is important to my conscience.”

Gonsalves said that he had also adopted a position regarding the right of Israel to exist and that it was in conformity with the position adopted by the United Nations.

“Similarly the Palestinians must have their independent state, their independent homeland. Not that I want to be drawn into the mire of Palestinian-Israel politics because it will be a minefield so all we do simply is adopt the formal position which has been elaborated at the United Nations,” Gonsalves said.

Dr. Ralph Gonsalves

From Portugal

Portugal is to provide at least 15,000 lap tops to St. Vincent and the Grenadines for primary school students, Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has said.

Speaking at a news conference here on Monday, Gonsalves said he had been given the assurance personally by the Prime Minister of Portugal Jose Socrates during talks in the United States where both men had been attending the United Nations General Assembly debate.

Gonsalves said that Socrates had also hinted at the possibility of his country providing lap tops for 13,000 students attending secondary schools.

He said that Socrates had indicated that Venezuela, which is also looking into providing computers to school students, will also be used to assembly the specially designed computers and as a result Portugal could look at the possibility of proving the equipment from Caracas to Kingstown.

‘So we will get this for the primary school students…but I intend to make sure we deliver to the students of this country a lap top,” Gonsalves said, adding that the “next stage of the education revolution (have started) we have laid the base”.

Gonsalves said that discussions had also been held with India on scholarships for Vincentian students on environmental studies and that St. Vincent and the Grenadines is looking at the possibility of providing scholarships to Tanzanian students to study nursing here, while local students would attend the world renowned university in that African country.

“We are building relations with Africa…we are not so poor that we can’t offer our African brothers and sisters assistance,’ Gonsalves told reporters, saying that talks on educational opportunities had also been held with Morocco.

NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR * WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2010

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Prime Minister Says Age-Old Problems Threaten Global Progress Caribbean Consulates In New York City Antigua & Barbuda 305 East 47th Street New York, N.Y. 10017 212-541-4119 Bahamas 231 East 46th Street New York, NY 10017 (212) 421-6420 Barbados 820 Second Avenue, 2nd Fl. New York, N.Y. 10017 212-551-4300 Belize 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400G New York, N.Y. 10017 212-421-6934 Cayman Islands (Dept. of Tourism) 641 Lexington Ave, Suite 1435 New York, NY 10170 (877) 874-5104 Dominican Republic 1501 Broadway, Suite 410 New York, N.Y. 10036 212-768-2480 Grenada 820 Second Avenue, Suite 900D New York, N.Y. 10017 212-599-0301 Guyana 370 7th Avenue New York, N.Y. 10017 212-947-5110 Haiti 271 Madison Avenue, 5th Floor New York, N.Y. 10016 212-697-9767 Honduras 80 Wall Street, Suite 415, 4th Flr New York, N.Y. 10005 212-269-3611 Jamaica 767 Third Avenue New York, N.Y. 10017-2993 212-935-9000 Martinique 444 Madison Avenue, 16th Floor New York, N.Y. 10022 212-838-6887 Montserrat 845 Third Avenue New York, N.Y. 10022 212-745-0200 Panama 1212 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor New York, N.Y. 10036 212-840-2450 Puerto Rico 666 Fifth Avenue, 15th Floor New York, N.Y. 10103 800-223-6530 St. Kitts & Nevis 414 East 75th Street, 5th Floor New York, N.Y. 10021 212-535-1234 St. Lucia 800 Second Avenue, 9th Floor New York, N.Y. 10007 212-697-9360 St. Maarten 675 Third Avenue, Ste. 1807 New York, N.Y. 10017 800-786-2278 St. Vincent & The Grenadines 801 Second Avenue, 21st Floor New York, N.Y. 10017 212-687-4981 Trinidad & Tobago 125 Maiden Lane, #4 New York, N.Y. 212-742-8021

Jamaica’s Prime Minister Bruce Golding said on Monday that age-old problems in addition to new challenges are undermining efforts to improve social and economic conditions worldwide.

“We refuse to accept that after 65 years of our existence, one and a half billion people should have to live in poverty and more than one billion suffer the pangs of hunger,” Golding said as he addressed the 65th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) debate.

“The playing field of the world is still not level because the equality of our sovereignty has not been matched by the equality of opportunity.”

He said global warming, terrorism and transnational organized crime pose new threats to the peace, security and progress of the world and that the heavy agenda, set for this UNGA debate, reflects the scope and complexity of the issues that confront the world.

Golding said while each leader approaches that agenda with a different set of priorities, there were still some issues “that are so broad in their implications that they demand from all of us special and urgent attention”.

Golding said that 20 per cent of the world’s population enjoys 75 per cent of the world’s income and that 15 per cent of the world’s population lives on less than one per cent of the world’s income.

“We come here as equals, but, when we go back home, some are vastly more equal than others,” the Jamaican leader said, blaming this on the injustices of the distant past, the neo-colonialism of the more recent past or the Washington consensus

Prime Minister of Jamica, Bruce Golding of the present is only part of the story.

“We must recognize that there is a lot that we can and must do for ourselves. Each of us must adopt and pursue with fixity of purpose the appropriate economic and social policies and good governance practices.

“We must be prepared to take the tough decisions that are so often necessary to secure the advancement of our people, and we must never

T&T Public Servants Demanding Wages From PM Kamla

Scores of public workers Monday marched through the streets of the capital under overcast conditions in support of their union which has been calling on the Trinidad and Tobago government to implement a new wages structure.

President of the Public Service Association, Winston Duke, said the union has declared “war on the new government” and accused the Kamla Persad Bissesar administration of failing to submit counter proposals to what is being demanded on behalf of the workers.

The union is demanding that the basic salaries for public workers should be TT$6,000 (US$1,000) monthly and has accused the Minister of Finance Winston Dookeran of not wanting to discuss the issue.

“We have been suffering for years…we are not taking anything less than 6,000 dollars. In order to get a pension of 3,000 dollars you Kamla Persad Bissesar, Prime need to move to a minimum of 6,000 dollars,” he said.

Minister, Trinidad & Tobago He dismissed suggestions that the four-month old government should not be blamed for the stalemate in the negotiations with the Public Sector Negotiating Committee.

“The laws concerning public workers are quite clear. The Civil Service Act states that the Minister of Finance before making a recommendation for remuneration must consider salaries, terms and conditions that exist elsewhere and then inform the Chief Personal Officer,” he said, adding the latest information indicates that no such proposal has come from the Minister of Finance.

“I am saying the Minister of Finance does not care, we have suffered long enough,” Duke said, telling reporters that “this is a battle that must result in the liberation of the small man”.

The workers marched to the Office of the Prime Minister to present a letter asking that she compels the Finance Minister to begin the negotiations.

Prime Minister Persad Bissessar is out of the country attending the United Nations General Assembly debate in New York.

squander the sacrifices we call on them to make,” Golding said, agreeing with US President Barack Obama that global leaders must assume leadership of “their own transformation even while requiring the support of the international community”.

But Golding warned that the existing international financial system and multilateral trading arrangements would not enable the imbalances to be redressed.

“They have not done so up to now, and they are unlikely to do so in the future,” he said, noting that while market forces and competitiveness are “indispensible for economic development,” the new millennium cannot be defined by “the survival of the fittest”.

He pleaded for assistance to weak countries “in order to not just survive but [to] prosper.”

Golding said, for almost a decade, the world has been trying to conclude the Doha Round of trade negotiations in order to put in place a regime that facilitates the expansion of trade “so vital to increasing global prosperity.”

He said redressing the “lopsidedness” in international trade is necessary in order to restore and sustain global economic growth.

“It is common sense that if one part of the world is not able to export more to the rest of the world, it won’t be able to import more from that other part of the world.

“It may do so for a time by borrowing from that other part of the world to pay for its imports, but that is a bubble that will eventually burst,” he added

Thompson Back In Barbados PM Resting At Home After NYC Trip Ailing Barbados Prime Minister David Thompson returned home on Friday night from New York where he had gone for medical treatment.

The Nation newspaper reported that the prime minister was resting at his St Phillips home and it is not known whether or not he will return to work this week.

Last week, Thompson told the Nation in a brief telephone interview from the Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan that he was feeling better and, “I intend to return to Barbados even if it means I have to return to New York.”

The prime minister, who has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, has been travelling for medical treatment to New York for

the past three months.

Meanwhile, his brother Paul, who lives in the United Kingdom, travelled to Barbados to see him.

His father, Charles Thompson, told the Nation that he does not like to talk about his son’s illness and said that the last time he met him was in May when they lunched together at the Kensington Oval during the final of the Women’s World Cup twentyover competition.

He said that he cried when he saw his son become prime minister and is now grieved over his illness.

St. Maarten To Gain Independence St. Maarten will have a female prime minister when the Dutch Caribbean island becomes an independent country from the Kingdom of the Netherlands on October 10.

Sarah Wescott-Williams will be the second female prime minister in the Caribbean -- joining Trinidad and Tobago prime minister, Kamla Persad Bissessar, who was elected four months ago as head of government.

Notwithstanding her Democratic Party (DP) being able to win just two of the 15 seats in Parliament in the September 17 elections, veteran politician Wescott-Williams will take the oath as prime minister, replacing Commissioner William Marlin, whose ruling National Alliance party (NA) was not able to win a majority of seats at the polls.

St Maarten’s first parliament will

be sworn in on October 10.

A CMC report stated that the NA won seven seats and Marlin described as “unfair to the voters who had given a resounding victory” the circumstances that led to Wescott-Williams attaining the leadership of the government.

The relatively new United People party (UP) led by Theo Heyliger won six seats and joined ranks with the DP to form the new government.

“UP is willing to work with any party so that we can have a good governing according and whatever is going to suit the people of St Maarten. Now it is time to start the healing process and see how we can form the government,” Heyliger told supporters after the preliminary results were made public over the weekend.

But Marlin claimed that the two parties had been in talks about a coalition even before the polls had closed.

“They were intent on forming a coalition to shut out the National Alliance,” he said.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2010 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

In order to ensure that you get the Quality Products you deserve and are accustomed to, be aware of bogus, “look-a-like” Sundial brand products that are being sold in Korean Markets in our communities. We would like to advise you that authentic Sundial brand products are available at your local health food store or to call us for an authorized retailer near you. We also urge you to report any store selling these fraudulent products.

Again, thank you for the 30 years of loyalty and together lets make it another 30.

Soul Legends Concert Series A PRE – THANKSGIVING SHOWCASE FEATURING THE O’JAYS Soul Rican, Jammins and Tavon Entertainment presents a pre – thanksgiving Soul Legends Concert showcase featuring the legendary R&B Soul group The O’Jays. The O’jays will be coming to the Tri-state area to perform for at two landmark venues - Newark Symphony Hall on Friday, November 19th and Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) on Saturday, November 20th, 2010.

With millions of albums sold worldwide, and countless hit singles the O’jays are one the top best selling R&B groups of all time. There captivating voices helped them to breakthrough the Billboard Top 100 pop singles chart with hits like “love train”,” For the Love of Money”, “Stairway to Heaven, “Forever Mine” and “Use ta be My Girl.” The O’Jays is timeless and their

music will continue to last for generations to come.

Partial proceeds from this event will be donated to the American Foundation of the University of the West Indies Scholarship Fund.

Tickets for the Newark Symphony Hall show can be purchase at NSH Box Office 973.643.8010 / www.newarksymphonyhall.org or Ticketmaster at 800.745.3000 or www.ticketmaster.com. Doors open at 8pm and Showtime is 9pm.

Tickets for the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) can be purchased at BAM Box Office 718.636.4100 or online at www.ticketmaster. com. Doors open at 7pm with Showtime 8pm.

For further information contact 718.282.8041 or www.TIX4ME.com .

Entertainment Etana Represents Not An Easy Road The Caribbean on NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR * WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2010

NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

Buju Remains In Jail After Mistrial AIDS Awareness

TAMPA, Fla. — A Florida judge on Monday declared a mistrial for Jamaican reggae star Buju Banton, who was accused of conspiring to buy cocaine from an undercover police officer last year.

U.S. District Judge James Moody made the decision after the 12-person jury sent him a second note saying they couldn’t reach a verdict.

In an earlier note, jurors said they were having trouble reaching an agreement shortly after returning from a weekend recess. Moody then sent them back to keep trying. Deliberations had begun Thursday after a four-day trial.

The jurors declined to tell reporters about their deliberations.

Banton’s attorney has asked Moody to release Banton on bond. He has been held without bond since his Dec. 10 arrest.

The attorneys and Moody discussed scheduling a new trial in December.

Banton, a four-time Grammy nominee, had been charged with conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine and aiding two others in possessing a firearm during the course of cocaine distribution. He faced up to life in prison.

Banton’s attorney, David Markus, had argued that the singer was entrapped by a U.S. government informant.

“We were hoping to get a good verdict today. That said, 12 jurors did not believe Buju did it,” said Banton’s attorney, David Markus. “The government tried to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt,

and they did not do it.”

Before being led away in leg shackles, Banton reached out his arms to about two dozen family, friends and fans seated in the federal courtroom in Tampa.

“Thank you all. Love you, too,” he said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney James Preston declined to comment after court adjourned.

The 37-year-old singer, whose real name is Mark Myrie, testified that he talked a lot about cocaine with the informant, Alexander Johnson, but he was only trying to impress the man, who claimed to have music industry connections, and not secure a drug deal.

Johnson testified that Banton admitted involvement in drug trafficking, and he wanted to give Johnson money so he could buy and sell cocaine.

Excerpts from their recorded conversations from July 2009 through December were played for the jury.

Banton said he never wanted nor expected Johnson to set up a cocaine deal, despite what he said in the recordings.

The singer had told Johnson that he financed drug deals, wanted to sell drugs in Europe, buy drugs from the Caribbean and South America and use Johnson’s boat to transport drugs.

Johnson testified that he surprised Banton with cocaine at an undercover police warehouse in Sarasota on Dec. 8.

Surveillance video shows Banton peering over co-defendant Ian Thomas’ shoulder

Etana has been selected by the Caribbean Broadcast Media Partnership (CBMP) to raise awareness on their regional HIV/AIDS campaign.

Buju Banton at the cocaine, and the singer tasting the drugs with a finger.

On Dec. 10, Thomas and another codefendant, James Mack, were arrested at the warehouse after trying to buy the drugs. Banton was not present and was arrested at his Miami-area home.

Thomas and Mack pleaded guilty, and each faces up to life in prison. Neither testified in the trial that began Monday in Tampa federal court.

Banton’s new album, “Before the Dawn,” will be released Tuesday. The album’s 10 songs, including one titled “Innocent,” were recorded in Kingston, Jamaica, last year before Banton’s arrest.

“It speaks volumes about what’s going on now in Buju’s life,” said his manager, Tracii McGregor. “Buju has said his body is locked away, but Buju is with us,

This initiative is developed by a partnership of more than 92 leading TV and radio broadcasters in over 24 nations. The campaign seeks to inspire Caribbean youths to help stop the spread of the disease and reduce discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS. The involvement of the international reggae act takes the form of a series of public service announcements which will feature the singer speaking openly to motivate all to get tested and staying protected.

The campaign utilises the input of several influential entertainers across the

Caribbean, who portrays a positive and respected image, to help with the fight against AIDS. Etana feels proud in playing an integral role in getting this message across to the millions of viewers and listeners.

The reggae singer recently travelled to meet with the organisers in Barbados, where her message to the public was recorded. The scenes will feature Etana sharing her perspective on the issue of HIV/AIDS by providing some insight on the topic. She shares her personal view and outlines the importance of getting tested.

Etana

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2010 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

Health

FDA Restricts Use Of Controversial Diabetes Pill Research Shows Avandia Raises Risk Of Heart Attacks

European health regulators have banned sales of the once-blockbuster diabetes drug Avandia because of evidence it raises the risk of heart attack, but doctors in the U.S. will be able to continue prescribing it with some significant restrictions.

In simultaneous news briefings, the European Medicines Agency and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced their decisions on the controversial drug. The European regulator said it would stop authorizing marketing of Avandia and said it would be removed from the market within the next few months.

Earlier this month, Britain’s drug regulator said an independent panel of experts concluded Avandia raised the risk of heart attacks and recom-

mended it be pulled from the market.

In an FDA announced that new patients will be able to get a prescription for Avandia only if they can’t control their blood sugar with other medications. Doctors will have to document that their patients are eligible to receive the drug and have been briefed on its risks. FDA expects the restriction plan “will limit use of Avandia significantly.”

The FDA’s decision marks the second time in three years that the

Animal Studies Offer Insights Into MS Direct interaction between immune cells and nerve cells (neurons) appears to play a major role in neuronal damage associated with multiple sclerosis, says a new European study.

This interaction may offer a new target for treatment of MS, said the German researchers.

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that damages the protective myelin sheath covering the nerves of the central nervous system, often resulting in numbness, vision problems and severe muscle weakness.

In this study, the scientists used imaging technology to examine the role of immune cells in causing neuronal damage in mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), which is an animal model of MS. The findings are published online Sept.

23 in the journal Immunity.

The researchers observed direct interaction between immune cells and neurons that resulted in increased calcium levels that were “toxic” and damaged neurons.

Watching the disease in action with an imaging device showed the nerve dysfunction associated with the disease to be “early and potentially reversible,” wrote Professor Frauke Zipp, of Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, and colleagues in a news release from the publisher.

This, he said, “suggests that [immunerelated] disturbances of the neurons themselves contribute to multiple sclerosis, in addition to interruptions in nerve cell transmission as a result of changes to the myelin sheath.”

“Furthermore, immune-mediated reversible calcium increases in neurons are a viable target for future therapeutics,” he concluded.

The FDA first approved the drug in 1999 and it became the top-selling diabetes pill in the world. agency has decided to leave Avandia on the market, despite mounting pressure to recall the drug from outside medical experts, politicians and some of its own scientists.

The FDA first approved the drug in 1999 and it became the top-selling diabetes pill in the world. But use has plummeted since a 2007 analysis linked the drug to heart attack risks.

FDA’s critics have framed the Avandia decision as a key test of the agency’s Obama-appointed leader-

ship, who vowed to bolster the agency’s regulatory stance after a series of drug safety problems under the previous administration.

“The FDA is taking this action today to protect patients, after a careful effort to weigh benefits and risks,” said FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, “We are seeking to strike the right balance to support clinical care.”

The FDA’s latest decision on Avandia is likely to draw ire from

safety advocates and lawmakers on Capitol Hill, though it essentially concurs with the opinion outside experts reached earlier this year.

In July, a 33-member panel of medical experts voted 20-12 to keep Avandia available in the U.S. Of the 20 who voted to keep it on the market, 10 said it should only be available on a limited basis. The FDA is not required to follow the group’s advice, though it often does.

Birth Control Risks Greater For Women With Heart Defects, Studies Show Women with congenital heart disease need to be cautious about pregnancy and birth control choices because some options can increase heart risks, but many are unaware of the concerns, a new study suggests.

The research involving 536 German women born with heart defects found that nearly half had not been counseled about their risks related to contraception and pregnancy. What’s more, of the women with contraindications to using birth control pills, 20 percent were currently taking them.

The findings point to a need for greater awareness among both women and their doctors of the risks certain contraceptives present for women whose hearts are already compromised, researchers report in the American Journal of Cardiology.

Many women with heart conditions can safely become pregnant or use contraceptives to prevent pregnancy. But certain severe congenital heart conditions raise the risks both of pregnancy complications and adverse effects from various birth control options.

In the German study group, roughly one third of the women had contraindications to using birth control pills containing estrogen and progesterone, which can cause blood clots and raise blood pressure in some users.

That included women with conditions considered “absolute” contraindications to using the Pill, such as severe heart failure; cyanotic heart defects, which limit the circulation of oxygen throughout the body; a history of blood clots; and a rare heart defect called Eisenmenger’s syndrome that is marked by high blood pressure in the lungs (known as pulmonary hypertension).

The group also included women with “relative” contraindications to oral contraceptive use, including smoking and arterial high blood pressure.

Of these at-risk women, 34 -- or nearly 20 percent -- were nonetheless currently using the Pill.

In addition, 43 percent of the women overall said they had never been counseled about birth control.

An even larger proportion of the group was unaware that pregnancy would also present special risks for them - 48 percent said their doctors had never talked with them about pregnancy or any pregnancy-related risks associated with their condition.

During pregnancy, a woman’s blood volume and heart rate increase, putting an increased strain on the organ. Women with certain heart conditions -- including severe heart failure, cyanotic heart defects and Eisenmenger’s -- are considered to be at high risk of complications.

Sixty women in the current study fell into this high-risk group, 39 of whom were of reproductive age and sexually active. Of these, 28 percent were not using any birth control at all.

It is not surprising that so many women in the study lacked any

Besides birth control pills, certain other contraceptives may carry risks for some women. counseling on pregnancy and contraception, according to senior researcher Dr. Harald Kaemmerer, of the German Heart Center Munich.

The area of “adult congenital heart disease” -- that is, caring for adults who have survived inborn heart defects -- is new even within the field of cardiology, he told Reuters Health in an e-mail. Many doctors, including gynecologists, may not be aware of the specific pregnancyrelated issues related to the various types of congenital heart defects, Kaemmerer explained.

Besides birth control pills, certain other contraceptives may carry risks for some women. It is not clear, for example, whether intrauterine devices (IUDs) might pose a risk of endocarditis -- an infection of the lining of the heart -- in vulnerable women, such as those who have had a heart transplant.

Options such as condoms and diaphragms would bypass the risk of drug-related side effects, but they tend to have high failure rates among teenagers and women who are not in stable relationships, Kaemmerer and his colleagues note.

According to Kaemmerer, decisions on birth control need to be made on an individual basis, based on a woman’s particular heart problem.

He advised women to bring up these questions with their cardiologist if they have not yet been addressed. He and his colleagues also call for a “stronger collaboration between cardiologic and family planning experts” to increase awareness of these issues among doctors, and by extension women with congenital heart disease. The findings are based on 536 young women who were seen over one year at the outpatient clinic of two German medical centers specializing in treating adults with heart disease. The women completed questionnaires on their sexual history, contraceptive use and any discussions they’d had with their doctors on pregnancy and birth control. Since medical practices vary from country to country, it is not clear whether similar findings would be seen outside Germany, Kaemmerer said. He and his colleagues are now conducting

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2010 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

Travel

Fun In The Sun

More Tourists Visit Turks & Caicos During Recession

Despite the global recession, tourist arrivals in the Turks and Caicos Islands increased by 25 percent for the first half of this year when compared with the same period last year.

Ralph Higgs, Acting Director of Tourism for Turks and Caicos Tourist Board, said, “We are thrilled to see our arrival numbers for 2010 (first half) up 25 percent and we are optimistic that these numbers will continue to climb through the remainder of the year, except for the traditional slow months of September and October when many of our hotel partners close for repairs and refurbishment.”

Tourism arrivals for the first half of 2010 show the Turks and Caicos welcomed 489,069 long stay and cruise visitors. This number represents 167,057 long stay visitors for the first six months of this year, compared to 131,352 for the same period last year.

Between January and June this year, 322,012 visitors arrived by cruise ship, as against 258, 495 for the corresponding period last year.

During the first half of 2010, the TCI welcomed a total of 125 cruise ships, a 25 percent increase over the same period 2009, when the destination recorded 113 cruise ship arrivals.

The USA, Canada, Europe and the Caribbean remain the TCI’s major source markets. These markets have grown by 21 percent, 97 percent, 5 percent and 27 percent respectively.

Higgs said, “We are impressed by these increases and we feel this speaks to the strength of our tourism industries; airlift, accommodation, attractions both natural and man-made; and the hospitable nature of our people working directly and indirectly in our tourism industry.”

Additionally, officials in the Turks and Caicos Ministry of Finance confirm that increased tourist arrivals correspond with revenue collected from the accommodation tax for the same period in 2009.

The Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association (TCHTA) also confirms that unaudited occupancy figures amongst its members also show average increases of 11 percent for the first half of 2010, but admit that room rates have been discounted as a means to attract more guests.

Moving forward, the Tourist Board said it will continue to increase its presence within the market place, embarking on a series of travel and trade shows, sponsor and promotional events in the US, Canada and Europe and continue working with wholesalers and hotel partners to sell the destination.

The Tourist Board said it is also working to make the TCI more accessible from major gateways worldwide.

Between January And June This Year, 322,012 Visitors Arrived By Cruise Ship

Cayman Airways To Shuttle More Visitors To The Island This Fall The Cayman Islands is seeking to increase visitor numbers to the Islands ahead of, and during the 2010/2011 winter tourist season through the planned re-introduction of two Cayman Airways flights out of the United States.

Cayman Airways provide services for New Yorkers via JFK airport.

Cayman Airways will operate a twice-weekly service from Washington DC’s Dulles International Airport to Grand Cayman, as of 18 December 2010 and this service will run until 30 April 2010.

In addition, Cayman Airways will also resume its twiceweekly service to Chicago’s O’Hare airport, effective 18 November.

The two flights have been re-launched as part of a strategic partnership between Cayman Airways, the Department of Tourism and the Tourism Advisory Council to ensure optimum airlift to improve the performance of the local tourism sector.

Mr. Shomari Scott, Acting Director of Tourism, said, “Both Washington, DC and the Chicago area are proven, key gateways for thousands of visitors to our Islands. In the case of Washington, DC, our visitors from the northeastern region of the US are well served by Cayman Airways on this route, along with the airline’s service from New York City’s JFK airport. The Chicago flight opens the options and possibilities for visitors from the Midwest. Together with CAL’s other US routes, we expect that

this additional airlift will substantially boost tourism numbers in the months ahead.”

Mr. Scott also noted that the Department of Tourism will be launching a sustained marketing and sales promotion effort over the next few months to drive customer interest in for the service. This is to include online and television advertising, direct marketing by electronic means, social media marketing and a full scale public relations effort.

The marketing campaign will be implemented in the Virginia, Maryland, Washington, DC and West Virginia areas.

Hon. McKeeva Bush, Premier of the Cayman Islands lauded the partnership between the two entities. “I am pleased to see that both CAL and DoT have been working proactively to bring incremental visitors to the Cayman Islands. We have to use all our resources to grow the number of visitors between now and the start of the high season and to bring new customers to our local tourism businesses.”

The Premier said, “This demonstrates the value of Cayman Airways to our tourism strategy. Without a national airline we could not decide to reopen these strategic gateways

and provide non-stop service to the Cayman Islands from major population centres in the US. Non-stop service from Chicago and Washington, DC makes travel to the Cayman Islands much more attractive to travelers from the northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions of the US.” “With the marketing of DoT and by scheduling the CAL flights at the best possible times and days, I expect these routes to make a significant contribution to our visitor arrivals,” the Premier added. “An increase in air arrivals is vital to the economy of the Cayman Islands and this is an important step toward that goal.”

Cayman Airways’ service from Dulles International Airport to Grand Cayman will be on Wednesdays and Saturdays, using a Boeing 737-300. The service from Chicago’s O’Hare airport will be on Wednesdays and Sundays. These flights bring to 100 weekly non-stop flights into Grand Cayman for the upcoming winter season.

Cayman Airways also operates service to Miami and Tampa, Florida and introduced a direct flight between Miami and Cayman Brac in April of this year.

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NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR * WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2010

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Commentary

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2010 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

How Do I Handle A Racist Teacher?

My Child’s Teacher Appears To Be Very Prejudice And Often Picks On The African-american Children While Allowing The White Children To Engage In The Same Behaviors

Q. I want some advice on a situation we are having in our son’s classroom. He is attending a private school where the student body is predominantly white with about 30% minority students. One of the teachers appears to be very prejudice and often picks on the African-American children while allowing the White children to engage in the same behaviors.

She will also blame the minority children for behaviors that all of the children engaged in, however, only the minority children receive detention.

We are very angry about this.

How should we handle this situation?

A. You have every right to be angry. Racism hurts and no one wants their child to be hurt.

Racism in the classroom is not a new phenomenon. Many of us attended schools where the

student body may have been mixed, however, the teachers were mostly white and favored the white students or the light-skinned black students. For years educators and civil rights activists have tackled the issues of racist comments to students, too many minority students being referred to special education, and a total lack of belief that minority children can achieve. In England in the 1940’s and 50’s, many Caribbean black students were being openly discriminated against and received poorer grades than their white counterparts. Activist there fought for years until that problem was corrected. There are a number of studies that report how black boys were being ignored and berated in the classroom. Other studies report how girls were being stirred away from having an interest in science and math. An article by Diana Candia (2000), a columnist who writes for the Argonaut newspaper in Idaho, describes how Hispanic children were treated so badly in school that many of them dropped out.

Children are not ignorant when it comes to racism. If you are never called upon when you raise your hand, are penalized for being late to class or talking, are not allowed to go to the bathroom, are not provided extra help when you need it, are treated in a condescending manner when you don’t understand something, and your white peers are given all of these privileges, you know you are being discriminated against.

I am assuming that you have not observed this behavior yourself. Before you go to school angry and yell at the teacher, ask yourself if you may have made any prejudice remarks about

‘white teachers’ in general that your son may have overheard. Sometimes children will assume that a teacher must be prejudice because their parents talk about ‘the white teachers’ all the time when discussing the school. That aside, it is imperative that you request a meeting with the teacher and the principal immediately. If you know other parents who are experiencing the same problems, ask them to accompany you. You must state your concerns firmly and let the administration know that you will not tolerate this behavior one day longer. Remind them also that you do not expect to hear of any retaliation against your son for telling you what he has observed at school. The minority parents must also make a point of joining the PTA of their children’s school. Remember that not all white people are prejudice and the parents in the PTA may not even realize that this is going on.

They can be a tremendous force in eliminating the racism. You can also ask the principal to provide sensitivity and multicultural training on one of their staff development days. You should also make a few surprise visits to the school.

This lets the teacher know that you are a concerned parent and that you plan to monitor this situation. If after speaking to the principal and the teacher, the racist behavior continues, you may have to go to the school board of directors.

Make every effort to allow the school to correct the problem, however, if they don’t, feel free to sue them for discrimination.

Lisa-Anne Ray-Byers is a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist who has

worked in education for over two decades. She holds graduate degrees in speech-language pathology and multicultural education. She also holds certification in educational administration. She is the author of the book, They Say I Have ADHD, I Say Life Sucks! Thoughts From Nicholas. She is currently employed in the Hempstead School District. You may contact her at speechlrb@yahoo.com or by visiting her website at www.AskLisaAnne.com

Haiti Needs A Democratic Revolution Not An Election!

The Present Regime Can Be Compared To A Piece Of Wood Filled With Termites In A Piece Of Furniture

By Jean H Charles

“After Rwanda and Yugoslavia, Haiti seems to be the next theater of a major mischief by some international institutions.”

I must state at the outset that I am not advocating nor promoting neither a violent nor an armed revolution. I am talking about a democratic revolution in the minds and the spirit of the people, a revamping of the institutions and a new covenant of the government to usher in a true process of democracy. Once this revolution is on the way, Haiti can then proceed with a free and fair election.

The country needs a hiatus of three to five years of reconstruction, free of politicking, to heal the nation and set the country on the road of reconciliation and nation building. The present regime can be compared to a piece of wood filled with termites in a piece of furniture. To repair the furniture one needs to cut and throw away the damaged wood before affixing a new piece. Otherwise the damage part will eventually infect the entire furniture, including the new piece.

It was Alexis de Tocqueville who coined the concept of democratic revolution, while speaking of the birth of the United States. Akin to South Africa before Mandela, Haiti must transform itself from a de facto apartheid country to a state where the sense of appurtenance is the rule. It

needs now a democratic revolution not an election.

I have this week visited a rural community named Mazere on the road from Grand River to Bahon. I have in mind these pictures that depict the extent of the misery, the magnitude of the squalid conditions as well as the inequality that 85% of the population of Haiti is forced to live under.

The public school, the only state presence of the area is located across the river. There is no bridge for easy access. I asked the kids how they get to school, one of the mothers interjected to let me know they carry the younger ones across the river, which sometimes destroys everything in its way, including an irrigation dam recently built.

Inquiring further with the adults, I asked them what their most pressing

needs are. They told me that the government used to protect the land with rock formation on the hills to prevent avalanches during the rainy season.

This operation has not been done for the past decades. We have now huge amount of water sitting for months in the fields destroying our produce.

It has been decades that the Haitian government has been a predatory entity preying on its people instead of providing services and support to help its citizens to enjoy the pursuit of happiness.

As such the people of Haiti educated or otherwise are waiting for the Blanc (the white man) to bring about deliverance. On the political scene, the question is not what is the agenda of the candidates, it is rather who has the blessing of Barack Obama for the presidency of Haiti? The sense of civics patriotism and leadership has

The rebuilding effort in Haiti continues to move slowly.

been dimished by the last sixty years of corrupt governance.

The entire population is a crowd in transit. The rural world with no services from the government is in transit towards the small cities. The small towns have become ghost entities with the citizens in transit towards the larger cities, their citizens are in transit towards the capital and there the dream is to find an American visa or take a leaky boat towards Florida or the Bahamas.

Building up the sense of nation has not been a governmental priority or a United Nations foreign intervention initiative. MINUSTHA (the UN force) is substituting itself as the Haitian army without assuming the defense of the country. Inequality and injustice is queen, extorting the notion of appurtenance from and for each other. The sense of noblesse oblige of the past that kept the poor ones afloat has been substituted by the doctrine of “rock in the water against rock in the sun” or class warfare by Aristide.

The Preval regime has introduced the concept of “swim to the shores at your own risk” leaving everyone to fend for themselves... It has left no lifeline of security for the majority of the population which is going into a free fall abyss.

In an article this week in the Miami Herald, Jacqueline Charles depicted the fetid situation where the Haitian refugees are living under in the Corail camp. “What was supposed to be the model for a new Haiti looks like the old one, a menacing slum.”

Jean Christophe Adrian the United Nations Human Settlements Program

added “the international community has a tremendous responsibility for creating this monster.”

Haiti, after Rwanda and Yugoslavia, could be the scene of a major catastrophe orchestrated by a non sensitive government with the connivance of major international institutions. I was in Washington last June at the OAS mansion at a conference on Haiti organized by CARICOM. In a conversation with Mr Colin Granderson, the Haiti resident, I shared my intention of running in the next election. His answer: how much money do you have, instead of what is your vision for Haiti? Sounds like “how many regiments do you have at your disposal?”

The gang of three -- the UN, the OAS and CARICOM -- in its dealing with Haiti is using according to Emil Vlajky in the wretched of the modernity, the absolute rationality which is anti-human. The human rationality with its sense of ethics is not in favor.

The poor, the wretched, the refugees of the catastrophe will continue to live with unkept promises. While the entire country is decrying the upcoming election as a masquerade with the president holding all the marbles, the General Secretary of OAS characterize the process as “credible”. The Haiti of the Duvalier’s, the Aristide’s and the Preval’s culture is a gangrene that must be extirpated to create a modern nation sensitive to the needs of its people.

Any policy short of this radical intervention is unfriendly to the gallant people of Haiti that deserve a break from a life of abject misery.

NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR * WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2010

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2010 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

Sports Win Or Walk!

NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR * WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2010

NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

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Sports Minister Warns Latapy To Produce Results Sports Minister Anil Roberts has warned Trinidad and Tobago Soca Warriors’ head coach Russell Latapy to start producing results or face the axe.

Coach Theodore Whitmore

MLS Duo Gets First-Time Invite To Boyz Training Jamaica’s national football coach, Theodore Whitmore, has convened a 27-man squad to commence preparation for the October 10 international friendly against Trinidad and Tobago at the National Stadium.

The Major League Soccer (MLS) duo - Columbus Crew defender Shaun Francis and Toronto FC striker Obrian White - have received first-time call-ups.

A former Ocho Rios High daCosta Cup representative, White played for Jamaica at every youth level - Under-15, Under-17 and Under-20 - and was a member of the 2006 Central America and Caribbean (CAC) Games team which qualified Jamaica for the Pan Am Games in 2007.

Also included are in-form midfielder San Jose Earthquakes’ Khari Stephenson, who last played for Jamaica against Ecuador in 2009, and seasoned Stoke City forward Ricardo Fuller.

Ricardo Morris, a young midfielder from St James High who trained with the senior squad between August 2009 and March 2010 before undergoing a major surgery, has also earned a recall.

Last year’s Manning Cup standout, Marvin Morgan, gets another invite. The former St George’s College player, who currently represents Boys’ Town in the Digicel Premier League, is looking forward to training sessions, which will begin on Tuesday, October 5.

“It is just another test and another experience with the senior team and I am looking forward to it,” said Morgan. “Physically, it prepares me and mentally also because while with them, you are learning how to cope in the professional environment and how to deal with certain situations.”

Jamaica, which is currently ranked 76th in the world, defeated the 97th-ranked Trinidad and Tobago 3-1 in their August 11 encounter in Trinidad.

Both teams are preparing for finals of the Digicel Caribbean Championships that will be held in November.

Whitmore has constantly emphasised that these international friendly games allow the technical staff to look at different combinations of players ahead of the Gold Cup, and World Cup qualifiers next year. The technical staff further intends to use these games to continue the process of evaluating the players, while seeking to maintain and develop in them and the team a winning mentality.

The outspoken Roberts said T&T’s recent form had been unacceptable and stressed that if they did not win the Digicel Caribbean Cup starting next month, Latapy’s position would have to be reviewed.

“We must win the Digicel Cup or be in the final and qualify for the Gold Cup or else the Federation will have some hard decisions to make,” said Roberts, a former swimming coach.

“I can’t say Latapy should be fired because I’m not in charge. But if you’re saying I should recommend or be of the opinion that he should be removed if the team

does not perform well and that his contract should be terminated, yes it should.”

He added: “Government is going to partner with the T&TFF and if the team does not reach the final, I think his job should be in jeopardy.

“This is the Caribbean and if we cannot dominate our region, we cannot say that 2014 Brazil (World Cup) is realistic.”

T&T, the number two ranked side in CONCACAF, have endured a bad run of form of recent which has raised questions over Latapy’s leadership and the side’s quality.

Russell Latapy

Bravo Downs WICB Offer Trinidad & Tobago selector Rangy Nanan has suggested that allrounders Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard turned down their national contracts because they believe they could earn more money from playing in different leagues, but thinks there won’t be too many others following in their footsteps.

“If you are under contract by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) they could prevent you from playing in other tournaments because they are paying your salary,” Nanan told Newsday. “If you do not have a contract you will not be paid if you are not selected, and would make [the] player available to play in other leagues.”

The WICB had offered contracts to 25 players on August 31. While 23 of those players expressed their willingness to sign the one-year retainers, Bravo and Pollard were reported to have turned them down. The WICB offers players three different grades of contracts - Grade A, B and C - and according to Nanan, only two players were given Grade A contracts.

“From what I heard only Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul were given Grade A contracts. I am not sure how true that is, but if that is the case maybe they [Bravo and Pol-

lard] believed they could earn more money playing in different leagues. “ Pollard and Bravo most recently turned out for the Mumbai Indians in the Champions League Twenty20. Pollard also played for South Australia and Somerset, while Bravo played for Victoria and Essex. All these teams reached at least the semi-finals of their respective Twenty20 tournaments, in part due to the performances of the two players.

The pair has been named in Trinidad & Tobago’s squad for the upcoming domestic limitedovers tournament and Nanan believes Bravo, who has played 37 Tests for the West Indies, would opt to play Test cricket if he were selected. The 23-year-old Pollard, on the other hand, has yet to make his Test debut, and turned down a place on the one-day leg of the West Indies A-team tour to England in June in favour of his deal with Somerset for the Friends Provident t20.

Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard

Gayle Refuses West Indies Retainer Contract West Indies cricket captain and all rounder, Chris Gayle, has declined a retainer contract from the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). Gayle joined two other star players, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard, who also turned down the contract.

Chris Gayle

One of the terms of the contract is that the retainer contract is not a guarantee for selection to the West Indies.

The Jamaica Observer reported over the

weekend that the WICB was reverting to a position of a few years ago that required players to make themselves available for regional competitions in order to be eligible for selection to the West Indies team.

Gayle, who scored 6,007 runs in 88 tests, missed the regional first class tournament earlier this year because of a professional contract in Australia.

The WICB reportedly did not take it too kindly when Bravo and Pollard refused to sign the contract and has requested them to give reasons. It is likely they will also ask Gayle for an explanation.

Guyana’s batting star Ramnaresh Sarwan was not offered a retainer contract and he told reporters that he was not surprised that the WICB did not offer him one.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2010 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

Dominican Boxers Chided For Poor Fitness

Fighters To Train Harder For Games

The country’s boxing chief, John Charles has chided local boxers for not capitalising on the quality training provided and has urged them to take a more serious approach to their craft.

St. Lucian Striker

He was speaking following a series of friendly bouts between Dominica and Antigua here last weekend, in preparation for the country’s outing at next month’s Commonwealth Games in India.

Charles said the display by the local boxers was very disappointing since plenty resources have been expended to adequately prepare them.

“We have sent boxers to Milan and most recently, we sent one to Havana to train. I expected the guys to be boxing much better and to be fitter,” the Dominica Amateur Boxing Association president lamented.

“I was very disappointed because we spent a lot of money to train them and I expected them to be a lot more committed than that and not to falter on their training, especially as we are getting ready to send a team to the Commonwealth Games.

“To perform at that level, the guys have to be more serious. I was really disappointed I what I saw.”

Charles said training was essential in the sport and because of the poor display he had witnessed, he would be putting the boxers through a rigorous fitness test before any team was selected for the Commonwealth Games.

“I will be calling a meeting with the boxers and I am going to stress the fact that we will be having an endurance test and anyone who fails the test cannot travel. We will do like what the Cubans do. You undergo a fitness test one week before you travel and if you fail, then you cannot travel,” Charles pointed out.

“The boxers must train so as to compete in international competitions. You have to devote yourself to your training. It is as simply as that. To my mind, gone are the days when you have people going to these competitions and represent the country and they cannot perform at their best.”

NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR * WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2010

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SHARPE 24

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2010 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

WELLINGTON

SHARPE

SHARPE WELLINGTON SHARPE

Thanks For Your Support Dear friends, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to each of you for your love and support and all the prayers on my behalf.

While the election has come to an end, our campaign to restore prosperity and safety for all residents in our community continues. We will continue to hold our leaders accountable as we strive to create more jobs, work with our community and the police department to create safer neighborhoods, and develop avenues to better prepare our kids for a brighter future.

To all those who campaigned, volunteered, and voted, I assure you ... your labor was not in vain. Our voices were heard, and change will come.

“Behold, he that keepeth thee, neither slumber nor sleeps.”

Wellington Sharpe PAID FOR BY WELLINGTON SHARPE