World News for Sunday, June 3, 2007

Lebanese Government Struggles in Fight Against Militants

The Lebanese government appears to be struggling in its effort to subjugate militants within the Palestinian refugee camps. It would seem that the Lebanese military has embraced the dangerous fallacy -- doctrine? -- advocating the notion that terrorism can somehow be exterminated through brute force.

The army on Friday attacked Fatah al-Islam positions at the entrances of the [refugee] camp with the declared aim of wiping out the militants.

Perhaps, it might be possible to "wipe out" the militants, but bullets and bombs cannot kill ideas or ideology. Only better ideas can do that.

Nigerians Battle Big Oil Companies, Kidnap Russians

As world demand for oil and other natural resources increases, Africa has become the latest exploitation hotspot. Energy and mining corporations have rushed into African countries, often bribing government officials as they go, in search of oil and minerals and increased profit margins.

More often than not, African governments and associated cronies -- outside the corporations, of course -- are the only people to benefit from the sometimes generous income being generated by the invading multinationals. Unfortunately, Africa's poorest citizens appear to have been excluded from the process.

Excluding Africa's impoverished people from the benefits of their countries' resource exploitation, has led to increasingly desperate attempts at seizing a share in the wealth.

Nigerian gunmen kidnapped six Russians and shot dead a local driver in a dawn attack on a residential compound of the world's top aluminium producer, authorities said on Sunday.

The kidnapping of the Russian workers is only the latest in a long line of similar incidents in 2007. Scores of foreign workers, most associated with oil corporations, have been abducted in Nigeria.