LOS ANGELES, Oct. 27 -- Chevron Corp. is at the center of a legal case before federal court in San Francisco that will ask jurors to decide whether the firm sanctioned human rights abuses that resulted in the deaths and injuries of protesters at its Nigerian facilities, or whether the company was simply protecting its employees from belligerent kidnappers.
The lawsuit—identified as Bowoto vs. Chevron, No. C99-2506SI (N.D. Calif.)—alleges that Chevron, in conjunction with the Nigerian military, engaged in torture, assaults, and the killing of two protesters over Chevron's environmental record and its failure to hire locals in the delta region near its oil drilling operations.
Both sides in the current case recognize that the impending courtroom battle, described by one observer as "epic," has legal implications that reach far beyond a single incident by one corporation operating in Nigeria.
"This case could have serious ramifications for workers in developing parts of the world," said Charles A. James, Chevron vice-president and general counsel.
"If plaintiffs had their way, a company could not report hostage-taking to law enforcement authorities without facing the threat of a lawsuit in the US," James said.
Dan Stormer of Hadsell, Stormer, Keeny, Richardson & Renick in Pasadena, Calif., is representing the plaintiffs, a group of Nigerians who were injured during protests on a Chevron offshore oil platform in 1998.
Stormer said his firm is trying to hold a corporation liable for their bad actions in another country, even if it is committed by their surrogates, a wholly owned subsidiary, or by the Nigerian government.
According to Chevron, the hostage-taking incident occurred 10 years ago on oil facilities operated off the Nigerian coast by Chevron Corp. subsidiary Chevron Nigeria Ltd. (CNL). More than 100 CNL workers and contractors were held for ransom and threatened with acts of violence.
Chevron said the incident began when plaintiff Larry Bowoto and other members of the Concerned Ilaje Citizens, an unsanctioned Nigerian community group, threatened CNL with violence and sea piracy if the company did not pay them money and give them jobs.
Weeks later, according to Chevron, they followed through on their threats by seizing the oil platform, an adjacent barge, and a tug boat on May 25, 1998, holding CNL employees and contractors hostage and demanding money and other considerations. CNL attempted to negotiate a resolution without success...MORE
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Bowoto v. Chevron - Chevron Did Not Violate Human Rights According To Article
This article below gives a balanced view of what happened in Nigeria between Larry Bowoto and Chevron and why the case is important.
Through OBAMA's MIRROR we see our better selves
An excerpt of Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak’s contribution to a compilation of reactions by Susan Albright. The full article with comments by U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, Peter Bell (R-MN and chair of the Metro Council,) and others is available, of course, but as the first big city mayor to endorse Obama's run for the Democratic nomination, Rybak's unique perspective encompasses a broad arc of challenges getting Obama's message out in Minnesota and surrounding states."When we faced one of the toughest moments in our generation, a remarkable man and a remarkable campaign turned a mirror onto the American people and we saw our better selves."Minneapolis Mayor Raymond Thomas "RT" Rybak
Rep Rahm Emanuel May Be Obama Chief of Staff But "Thinking About It"
In the assembly of the Obama cabinet, one name was mentioned first: Illinois Congressman Rahm Emanuel. "Rahmy", as he's called, is a charismatic political figure who's known for his quick wit and fast decision-making. I met Emanuel at the DNC Convention and had the pleasure of attending his party, "Chicago Night In Denver" at Fado's.
Then, at Pepsi Center the Wednesday night of the convention, I literally ran into Rahmy three times in 27 minutes (we calculated this). I was trying to get an interview with him the first time, but the last two times were totally by accident, and so random that Emanuel said "If this keeps up, our wives will talk" which reminded me of how much I would prefer marriage at ths point, but...
That aside, my read of Rahmy is that he's very confident, and if you can't match his level of confidence, he could eat you alive. He's not a soft touch and indeed, he's very much like me in his temperment. (Which is why I like him so much.)
As to his failure to just plain take the job right off, it's a smart move. He was right to put the breaks on the annoucement publicly rather than say he's going to take the job, then all of a sudden not do it.
I totally disagree with Joe Scarbourough in total. Rahm's name was just kind of thrown out there, but Barack Obama's said nothing to confirm it. This is pretty much media driven, and the Obama campaign may have to step in and put out the fire.
Then, at Pepsi Center the Wednesday night of the convention, I literally ran into Rahmy three times in 27 minutes (we calculated this). I was trying to get an interview with him the first time, but the last two times were totally by accident, and so random that Emanuel said "If this keeps up, our wives will talk" which reminded me of how much I would prefer marriage at ths point, but...
That aside, my read of Rahmy is that he's very confident, and if you can't match his level of confidence, he could eat you alive. He's not a soft touch and indeed, he's very much like me in his temperment. (Which is why I like him so much.)
As to his failure to just plain take the job right off, it's a smart move. He was right to put the breaks on the annoucement publicly rather than say he's going to take the job, then all of a sudden not do it.
I totally disagree with Joe Scarbourough in total. Rahm's name was just kind of thrown out there, but Barack Obama's said nothing to confirm it. This is pretty much media driven, and the Obama campaign may have to step in and put out the fire.
YouTube and iReport - Online Video's Impact On The Election
President Barack Obama's success can be attributed to many factors, but online video is one of the major ones. YouTube, which didn't exist in the last election cycle, 2004, had a profound impact on the communication of Obama's brand, and changed politics forever. Now, authenticity is prized over what are now called "flip-flopping messages" to different groups to get votes.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Inauguration Tickets For Barack Obama Already On Sale In Secondary Market
I took a look at my traffic as I do several times a day, and noticed an uptick in searches for "presidential inaugural tickets" which means I've got a page devoted to that but only on the matter of Ticketmaster. But I'd thought I'd make it easier to find, so if you are looking for "Presidential Inaugural Tickets" tickets click there on the link that is the term.
They're going for between $800 and $2,000 at present. But don't pay for them; they're suppose to be free. I got this note just a moment ago:
They're going for between $800 and $2,000 at present. But don't pay for them; they're suppose to be free. I got this note just a moment ago:
Tickets are obtained through the office of your Senator or Congressman/woman. They are FREE... and very difficult to get.
As posted the following site (and many other sites):
http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/ obama-inauguration-t-3224/
“Any website or ticket broker claiming that they have inaugural tickets is simply not telling the truth,” Howard Gantman, staff director for the (inaugural) committee, said in a release. “Tickets for the swearing-in of President-elect are all provided through members of Congress, and the President-elect and Vice President-elect through the Presidential Inaugural Committee. We urge the public to view any offers of tickets for sale with great skepticism.”
This goes for parade tickets also.
Rice pledges smooth transition
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says she's proud of the election of Barack Obama.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Giants Handle Cowboys-almost have clear shot at division title
Giants Handle Cowboys-almost have clear shot at division title
By Dr. Bill Chachkes-Managing Partner Football Reporters Online
The New York Giants could have had the collapse of the decade. They could have fell apart. They could have played down to their competition as they did against the Browns, Bengals, and countless other teams over the years. Instead they came out and played “their game” against Dallas yesterday in the meadowlands. They established the run early, and although they had a few turnovers, and a few penalties more then normal, but in the end they finished the game up on the Cowboys by 21 points. They also moved to a 7-1 record, a half game ahead of all other challengers thus far in the NFC.
The Giants formula for success thus far has been a continuation of what they did late last season. Play solid defense, and establish the running game to open up the passing lanes. It doesn’t hurt that the kicking game has been so good over the last few years, with Jeff Feagles as the Punter and first Lawrence Tynes, and now John Carney placekicking. The Offense hasn’t been this good since the 60’s when Y.A. Tittle had Gifford, Shofner, Rote, and Morrison to throw to. While there are plenty of Current Giants to throw to, it’s the Earth (Brandon Jacobs) Wind ,(Derrick Ward), and Fire (Amahd Bradshaw) to run the ball that is the difference in this team since late last season.
But who is this 2008 Giants team really? Do they have what it takes to win the division, conference, and get back to the Super Bowl let alone win it for the second year in a row? Lots of obstacles stand in their way. First, there is the Eagles, who just refuse to die at 5-3, even though they are 0-2 in the division. Then, trailing close behind the Giants is Washington, who is 6-2, the only difference is the opening night loss to the Giants. Even Dallas, who just lost to NY yesterday, is still only 5-4 and coming up on their bye week. Carolina & Tampa in the South (6-2 & 6-3 respectively), Chicago in the North (at 5-3), and Arizona in the west,(also 5-3) are all competitive as well. Even Atlanta is 5-3, but like Dallas is 0-2 in their division.
If the Giants fall into a late season slump like they did in 2005’s playoffs or in the second half of the 2006 regular season, then you will hear the cry for Couglin’s head again. People are starting to claim that the Giants are the team to beat. I say I’m glad they aren’t letting the press clippings get to them. They almost blew it big time against The Bengals, and had a meltdown against the Browns. Now comes the big Sunday night match up with the Eagles. They will have to prove that they are the team to beat again.
By Dr. Bill Chachkes-Managing Partner Football Reporters Online
The New York Giants could have had the collapse of the decade. They could have fell apart. They could have played down to their competition as they did against the Browns, Bengals, and countless other teams over the years. Instead they came out and played “their game” against Dallas yesterday in the meadowlands. They established the run early, and although they had a few turnovers, and a few penalties more then normal, but in the end they finished the game up on the Cowboys by 21 points. They also moved to a 7-1 record, a half game ahead of all other challengers thus far in the NFC.
The Giants formula for success thus far has been a continuation of what they did late last season. Play solid defense, and establish the running game to open up the passing lanes. It doesn’t hurt that the kicking game has been so good over the last few years, with Jeff Feagles as the Punter and first Lawrence Tynes, and now John Carney placekicking. The Offense hasn’t been this good since the 60’s when Y.A. Tittle had Gifford, Shofner, Rote, and Morrison to throw to. While there are plenty of Current Giants to throw to, it’s the Earth (Brandon Jacobs) Wind ,(Derrick Ward), and Fire (Amahd Bradshaw) to run the ball that is the difference in this team since late last season.
But who is this 2008 Giants team really? Do they have what it takes to win the division, conference, and get back to the Super Bowl let alone win it for the second year in a row? Lots of obstacles stand in their way. First, there is the Eagles, who just refuse to die at 5-3, even though they are 0-2 in the division. Then, trailing close behind the Giants is Washington, who is 6-2, the only difference is the opening night loss to the Giants. Even Dallas, who just lost to NY yesterday, is still only 5-4 and coming up on their bye week. Carolina & Tampa in the South (6-2 & 6-3 respectively), Chicago in the North (at 5-3), and Arizona in the west,(also 5-3) are all competitive as well. Even Atlanta is 5-3, but like Dallas is 0-2 in their division.
If the Giants fall into a late season slump like they did in 2005’s playoffs or in the second half of the 2006 regular season, then you will hear the cry for Couglin’s head again. People are starting to claim that the Giants are the team to beat. I say I’m glad they aren’t letting the press clippings get to them. They almost blew it big time against The Bengals, and had a meltdown against the Browns. Now comes the big Sunday night match up with the Eagles. They will have to prove that they are the team to beat again.
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