The News Review:

- The hand of history. Tony Blair sees himself as a leader of nations….
- Croatian military observers to join UN missions in Sierra Leone,…
- GCi – National Sections
- Author to speak on ways to build the habit of giving

The hand of history. Tony Blair sees himself as a leader of nations….
New Statesman – Sep 29, 2003
99ISBN 0743248295

John Kampfner examines what Tony Blair’s wars in Sierra Leone, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq tell us about the Prime Minister. He bases his account on interviews with a wide range of actors, including authoritative sources at the Foreign Office, No 10, France and the United Nations. As I read the book, I thought I could detect a self-promoting gloss from some of the interviewees. But the large variety of sources prevents this from distorting the fundamental accuracy of the account. Kampfner’s revelations – that Blair committed the UK to support George Bush in military action in Iraq as early as April 2002 and that Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, sent a personal memo just before the war suggesting that the UK could avoid military action – have already made headlines… I also found the displaced Kosovars proud, dignified and reluctant to talk about their suffering. But the soundbites up until now have served Blair well – hand of history on shoulder, smile on face of Iraqi children and so on. The chapter on Sierra Leone and Africa is very limited. The reality is that we slipped into Sierra Leone in order to evacuate our nationals. Then Blair agreed that it would be shameful to withdraw and allow the legitimate government to be displaced, so some UK troops remained. The major action in rebuilding Sierra Leone came from the UN, the Department for International Development, and a small group of UK troops who worked to give backbone to the UN peacekeepers and to train the new Sierra Leonean army.

Croatian military observers to join UN missions in Sierra Leone,…
Free with registration – Asia Africa Intelligence Wire – AccessMyLibrary.com – Sep 29, 2003
Croatian military observers to join UN missions in Sierra Leone, Liberia. (29-SEP-03) Asia Africa Intelligence Wire.

GCi – National Sections
Mathaba.Net – Sep 29, 2003
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE SIERRA LEONE PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC LEAGUE
(PDL). Historical Background:
It was a sunny day, on April 3, 1986 at Wellington, in Freetown, when
a group of concerned Sierra Leoneans who shared common views, ideas and
values on how Sierra Leone could move forward, met to discuss the appalling
state of affairs in the country. The gathering by these sons and daughters
of the soil was in response to the wish of the Sierra Leonean people who
were desperate looking for a saviour to liberate and lead them to the
path of freedom and happiness. We put heads together in search of the appropriate antidote to Sierra
Leone’s political, economic and social malaise, and after days of discussions
and wide consultations, it was discovered that the only panacea to heal
the country’s endemic culture of backward mentality, political instability,
economic despair, social vices and general decadence is a change of the
system or status quo which is so corrupt, so vicious, so wicked and anti-people;
and ensure that Sierra Leone no longer returns to its current state of
sorrows and bitter tastes… Based on this finding, the Sierra Leone People’s Democratic League (PDL)
was given birth to, and inaugurated on April 7, 1986 as a political organ,
with a manifested mandate to lead the Sierra Leonean people to rid themselves
of an oppressive system that has brought unimaginable sufferings and indignities
on the land. Thus, therefore, the PDL is a culmination of struggles by
Sierra Leoneans, for real freedom and prosperity. The emergence of the PDL in the body polity of Sierra Leone came at
a time when the country was still led by a corrupt, reactionary and decadent
leadership; and at a time when all attempts to speak out the truth, and
introduced progressive ideals in the system were met with brutalities
from the government, which earned notoriety in committing horrible human
rights violations and other heinous crimes against the Sierra Leonean
nation. The government was ruthless in all its ramifications. The politically – motivated assassination of our founding father, Dr. Claude Nelson Williams at his residence in Freetown, in 1989 did not stop
the PDL activities.

Author to speak on ways to build the habit of giving
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – Pittsburgh Post Gazette – Sep 29, 2003
In the lower grades, the philanthropy includes collecting used books to donate to a nearby family health clinic, planning a Valentine Party with the Ronald McDonald House and collecting winter clothing for a local shelter. But volunteering doesn’t have to be tied to school. Stephanie Pusateri, of Bethel Park, was 9 years old when she decided she wanted to help the young children in Sierra Leone, West Africa, who were being maimed in the country’s decadelong civil war. Her family regularly makes contributions to nations in crisis and Stephanie, now 11, learned to do her part. For two years, she held a birthday party and asked her guests to bring donations to aid the children of Sierra Leone. Each year, she raised about $200. In addition to serving with the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, Valinsky is helping to coordinate a diversity conference at her school.