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Spies-R-Us
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| 6/7/06 |
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Home page: www.statewatch.org 1. G8 Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial, Moscow, June 2006 1. G8 Ministers of Justice and Interior: Press Conference on the Results of the G8 Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial, Moscow, 16 June 2006: It was agreed that: the proposals adopted should be implemented “not only in G8 countries themselves but far beyond their borders”; DNA evidence should be shared “when it comes to investigating acts of terrorism and other criminal acts” (emphasis added); and that: “Illegal migration.. is a source of hiring mercenaries, extremists, a channel for selling weapons, drugs and human trafficking” 2. Europol-USA agreement: Was it really needed? Analysis and full-text of evaluation report: The report shows that there is no record of data transfers recorded by USA. 2005 evaluation report still secret 3. EU: Italy: Extraordinary renditions: Military intelligence officials arrested for collusion in Abu Omar kidnapping: The no 2 of the SISMI (the IT military intelligence service), Mauro Mancini, Director of the foreign “clandestine operations” section, has been arrested in connection with the CIA kidnapping of Abu Omar in Milan in 2003 – Abu Omar was flown by the CIA to Germany and then to Egypt where he was tortured. For full background see: Statewatch’s Observatory on CIA rendition and flights: includes under Documents the court documents (nos 136-143): 4. EU: European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties report on their response on proposed plan to replace the EU-USA passenger name record (PNR) agreement on access to personal data: Draft report: PNR hearing: 5. EU: European Commission proposal Adapting Title VI (TEC) relating to the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice (COM, 346, 2006, pdf): 6. EU: Research study: Analysis of the external dimension of the EU’s asylum and immigration policies’ ? summary and recommendations for the European Parliament for the European Parliament by Claire Rodier: 7. EU: Finnish Presidency agenda in Justice and Home Affairs (JHA): the outlook from the point of view of the work of the Article 36 Committee: plus Provisional agendas for JHA Councils on 24 July, 5-6 October and 4-5 December 2006: 8. UK: Foreign Affairs Select Committee report on: Foreign Policy Aspects of the War against Terrorism: It includes: “We conclude that the dispersal and fragmentation of al Qaeda into more autonomous local cells mainly linked together by a common ideology will make it more difficult to tackle the threat of international terrorism. We further conclude that the situation in Iraq has provided both a powerful source of propaganda for Islamist extremists and also a crucial training ground for international terrorists associated with al Qaeda.” 9. European Court of Justice judgment, 28 June 2006: Right to family reunification of minor children of third country nationals: Press release: The judgment of the Court of Justice on the validity of three provisions of the family reunion directive (Case C-540/03 European Parliament v Council). The Court does not address the ‘severability’ argument but rules against the European Parliament on the merits of the human rights arguments. Although technically a defeat for the EP in some respects the judgment constitutes a victory due to the important principles established (many of them relevant to other EC immigration and asylum legislation). 10. UK: Home Affairs Select Committee on: Terrorism Detention Powers (Vol I, Report): Vol 2: Evidence and minutes: 11. UK: Racism, liberty and the war on terror: A conference organised by the Institute of Race Relations, Saturday 16 September 2006, Conway Hall, central London. How should we respond to the attacks on our civil rights, refugee rights and our multicultural society – carried out in the name of national security? Join leading campaigners, lawyers and thinkers in debating how we can defend our liberties and our communities. With plenary speakers Moazzam Begg, Jeremy Corbyn, Gareth Peirce, Colin Prescod, A. Sivanandan and Salma Yaqoob. Programme and booking form: 12. Spain: 59 held after demonstration against detention centres: 13. Privacy International files complaints in 33 countries against the transfer of financial transactional data to the US by banking giant SWIFT: PI filed the complaints with privacy commissioners around the world following revelations in the New York Times that the US government is running an international financial surveillance programme in conjunction with SWIFT (The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication), a Belgian-based industry-owned co-operative that supplies a messaging infrastructure to the global banking community: See also PI analysis: Pulling a Swift one? 14. UK: “Control orders” ruled unlawful: judge who described the system as an “affront to justice” quashes six orders. The High Court ruling is the second by the same judge against the control orders legislation. The government will try to overturn the decision at the Court of Appeal on Monday 3 July. It has again blamed the Human Rights Act although the legislation is widely viewed as incompatible with basic principles of British justice. At least 14 control orders have been issued so far on the basis of secret evidence from the intelligence services. The recipients have not been charged with any related offences and can only challenge the orders through “special advocates” who may not disclose the allegations against them. See: “A stampede against justice” by Gareth Peirce: Prevention of Terrorism Act – full-text (pdf) introducing the “control orders”: See also Explanatory Notes (link): Bookmark: What’s New: Statewatch News Online: Observatory on immigration and asylum in the EU: Observatory on “Rendition” and CIA flights: “Terrorist” lists: monitoring proscription, designation and asset-freezing: ASBOwatch: Secret Europe: access to EU documents: BOOKMARK News online – full contents: ________________________________________________ |
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