This year, it is ten years since the investigative reporter Gary Webb died. After he reported about links between CIA and cocaine smuggling, he was discredited by media (including the newspaper where he worked) and his reputation was ruined.

In many ways, this resembles attempts to undermine criticism against banana companies, which has been documented in the film Big Boys Gone Bananas! In the case of filmmaker Fredrik Gertten, it was obvious that the Dole Food Company launched the smear campaign. The film also highlights how media can be corrupted or intimidated.

Who launched the campaign against Gary Webb?

The South Korean Yonhap News Agency reports that all relatives of the executed Jang Song-Thaek, including children, have been put to death at the North Korean leader’s instruction. The most bizarre part of this story is probably the execution of children, which if true would be a violation of international law. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child, which has been signed and ratified by North Korea, forbids capital punishment for juveniles.

During the last years in Iran, a number of murders have taken place, where western governments are believed to be involved. Mainly Iranian nuclear scientists have been targeted and their families have sued Israel, US and Britain. Instead of anyone from these countries being convicted, it is more likely that someone, somewhere is receiving a medal for these murders. It has happened before in the military and the so called intelligence community.

Remember that after the USS Vincennes shot down the civilian Iran Air Flight 655 in 1988, killing all 290 on board, medals were awarded.

Over the world, many people oppose that governments carry out murders by death squads, drones and other means. One way to challenge this is by legal action, which is now done in the UK:
First UK legal challenge to CIA drones
Afghans launch legal action over British drone strike

More countries may be complicit in this, than it first appears. For example, it is believed that satellite data downloaded in Norway and/or Sweden is used in warfare. The Norwegian author Bård Wormdal claims that the SvalSat ground station on Svalbard is involved in this and thus violating the Svalbard Treaty.

Once again, the birth of a child in Bethlehem about 2000 years ago has been celebrated in much of the world. It is often said that Christmas is above all the children’s festival. Therefore, we must remember the children of Fallujah and hold the responsible accountable for the atrocities there and elsewhere in Iraq. Iraq War Trials are necessary to prevent recurrence. The polluter pays principle is important to enforce for cleanup (if possible), for compensation and for care of the victims. We owe this to the children.

For further information, see for example what Democracy Now and Iraq Veterans Against the War have written about White Phosphorus and Depleted Uranium (DU). One of the most horrifying aspects is the potential long-term effects. DU has a radioactive half life of 4.5 billion years.

As the former South African president Nelson Mandela is mourned and praised around the world, one can’t help thinking: What would have happened if he had been young today (or what can happen to someone like him, who is young today)? Remember that Mandela was for many years, even until 2008, classified by some as a terrorist. If Mandela had been young today, perhaps he had, like many other suspected terrorists, been killed by a government without a fair trial.

Please see the petition by Writers Against Mass Surveillance.

Transparency International (TI) has recently published the Corruption Perceptions Index 2013. As they write, corruption continues to have a devastating impact on societies and individuals around the world. The work of TI is important, but throughout their activities they unfortunately seem to have closed their eyes on governments as a source of corruption. This year, when it has been widely reported how some governments have bribed foreign government officials, one could have expected TI and many others to notice this and take action.

Last week, Swedish television showed a documentary about the artist Mark Lombardi. It can be viewed until the 22 December on their web page. Among other things, Lombardi’s work showed the connection between the intelligence community and organized crime through the bank BCCI.

Reports about Russia’s recent ignorance of the International Tribunal on the Law for the Sea come from many sources, such as RIA Novosti. Although there have been many protests against Russia around the world since the seizure of the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise, the political leaders of some countries have been very quiet about this. In that way, it reminds of the tragic sinking of the Rainbow Warrior.