TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS
LEAD STORY:
96 Defence Force Personnel Deploy To Afghanistan
Iraq Explodes in Violence
NZ To Negotiate Free Trade Agreement With China
MORE NEW ZEALAND HEADLINES:
Amnesty Urges U.S. To End Guantanamo Scandal
INTERNATIONAL NEWS HEADLINES
STORY OF THE WEEK – IRAQ:
President Bush Holds A Very Rare Press Conference

SCOOP COLUMNS:
Hard News & Much More Is There!
Bush Ends Sectarian Conflict In Iraq
Republicans Hear No Evil About E-Voting
Patricia Johnson: Inside Challenger's Layoff Statistics
Marines Look To WWII For Iraq Combat Guidance
AIDs Treatment in South Africa – At Last
Genevieve Cora Fraser – Palestine Poems & Passion Comment
UQ Wire: The Presidential Daily Brief Takes Center Stage
UQ Wire: Bernard Weiner Applies The BS Test To Condi's Testimony

OTHER NEWS (Just Politics)
Air New Zealand Wins Right To Drug Test Pilots
Countering Terror In The Pacific
Carter's Cash For Conservation
Wellington Heart Surgery Contract Concerns
Franks: Give Juries A Real Job
Yet More Asian Gypsy Moths Found
Insolvency Bill A Major Milestone
Foreshore Policy Shuts Non-Maori Out Of Court
Hide Finds Jim's VIP Ducking A Disgrace

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...TODAY'S PHOTO STORY...

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0404/S00063.htm
Change Of Command Ceremony For Top Navy Brass

LEAD STORY:
96 Defence Force Personnel Deploy To Afghanistan

- Ninety six New Zealand Defence Force personnel depart Christchurch on Thursday for a six month tour of duty with the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Afghanistan. The flight is scheduled to depart Christchurch at 7.30 am, Thursday 15 April 2004. See... New Defence Personnel For Afghanistan [1] & Afghanistan Deployment FAQ [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0404/S00082.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0404/S00081.htm

Iraq Explodes in Violence

- Sunnis and Shiites Rise up to Oppose U.S. Occupation - Interview with Mel Goodman, former CIA analyst, conducted by Scott Harris See... Sunnis and Shiites Rise up to Oppose US Occupation [1] FOR MORE: Iraq Special Reports [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0404/S00092.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/index.html#iraq

NZ To Negotiate Free Trade Agreement With China

- Prime Minister Helen Clark and Trade Negotiations Minister Jim Sutton announced today that New Zealand and China have agreed on a formal Trade and Economic Cooperation Framework. See... New Zealand and China to work towards FTA [1] and NZ-China FTA: Questions And Answers For Media [2] MORE: - Wellington Chamber - Asia First - but not Asia First and Last [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0404/S00216.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0404/S00215.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0404/S00132.htm

MORE NEW ZEALAND HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0404/S00118.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0404/S00200.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0404/S00079.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0404/S00078.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/ED0404/S00039.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/CU0404/S00060.htm

Amnesty Urges U.S. To End Guantanamo Scandal

- "I'm in a cage like an animal No one asked me am I human or not" Former detainee at Guantanamo Bay See... End human rights scandal in Guantanamo [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0404/S00130.htm

INTERNATIONAL NEWS HEADLINES

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0404/S00132.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0404/S00131.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0404/S00129.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0404/S00128.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0404/S00127.htm

Bush Faces The Media On Iraq

STORY OF THE WEEK – IRAQ:
President Bush Holds A Very Rare Press Conference

- Q: "Mr. President, April is turning into the deadliest month in Iraq since the fall of Baghdad, and some people are comparing Iraq to Vietnam and talking about a quagmire. Polls show that support for your policy is declining and that fewer than half Americans now support it. What does that say to you and how do you answer the Vietnam comparison?" See…. President Bush Prime Time Press Conference Apr. 13 [1]
FOR MORE: Iraq Special Reports [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0404/S00135.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/index.html#iraq

SCOOP COLUMNS:
Hard News & Much More Is There!

- Gordon Campbell has a perceptive story on where Iraq is likely to head in the next year or two in this week's Listener, quoting Juan Cole and Riverbend. I suspect he's right to argue that doom-mongers like Tariq Ali, and optimists like George Bush, ... Public Address 14/04/04 - Unions And Idols [1] . For more Kiwi blogging see... Fighting Talk - Latest Talk [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0404/S00116.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0404/S00118.htm

Bush Ends Sectarian Conflict In Iraq

- United Iraq-- Within just a year of invading and occupying Iraq, President Bush has succeeded in a task most experts thought impossible, uniting the Sunni and Shia sects of Islam, bringing an end to 1,400 years of sectarian war. See... Satire: Bush A Uniter, Not A Divider.. .In Iraq [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0404/S00115.htm

Republicans Hear No Evil About E-Voting

- As the battle over voting machines rages across the country, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights met on Friday, April 9th, to examine the ''Integrity, Security and Accessibility in the Nation's Readiness to Vote''. But, before the panelists had a chance to share their views, three Republican commissioners and one (notably conservative) Independent commissioner walked out, ostensibly over a personnel dispute. But, others are not so sure. See... Repubs. Walk Out Of Hearing On Voting Machines [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0404/S00117.htm

Patricia Johnson: Inside Challenger's Layoff Statistics

- Each month various economic indicators are released and these figures have a major impact on this country, yet, in some cases very little information is published about the source of the data that is being released. See... Patricia Johnson: Challenging Challenger [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0404/S00113.htm

Marines Look To WWII For Iraq Combat Guidance

- The Wall Street Journal, the official cheerleader publication for the neo-conservative effort to rejuvenate the U.S. Empire’s interventionist agenda around the world, carried a page one article April 7, 2004, entitled ''For Guidance in Iraq, Marines Rediscover A 1940s Manual.'' The volume mentioned is the Marine Corps’ Small Wars Manual. See... The Marines’ ''How To'' Handbook for Empire [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0404/S00112.htm

AIDs Treatment in South Africa – At Last

- After Long Delay, South Africa Begins Offering Treatment to AIDS Patients - Interview with Dudu Dlamini, of South Africa's Treatment Action Campaign, conducted by Melinda Tuhus See... SA Begins Offering Treatment to AIDS Patients [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0404/S00109.htm

Genevieve Cora Fraser – Palestine Poems & Passion Comment

- As millions of people across the globe celebrate the Christian Easter and the Holy Week that follows many will mark observances with a trip to the box office to see Mel Gibson's much acclaimed and derided, The Passion of the Christ ... See... Anti-Christian Attitudes In The Holy Land [1] . See also... Poems: Occupation Sticker Albums - Warning Words [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0404/S00108.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0404/S00107.htm

UQ Wire: The Presidential Daily Brief Takes Center Stage

- Ivan Eland – The release of the classified intelligence briefing to President Bush entitled, ''Bin Laden Determined to Strike in the U.S,'' which was given to the president more than a month before September 11, illustrates the U.S. government’s failure at what should be its primary purpose: ensuring the security of its citizens. See... Ivan Eland: Laziness in the Face of Mortal Danger [1] - Thomas S. Blanton - President Bush on Saturday, 10 April 2004, became the first sitting president ever to release publicly even a portion of his Daily Brief from the CIA. See... UQ Wire: The President's Daily Brief [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0404/S00114.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0404/S00110.htm

UQ Wire: Bernard Weiner Applies The BS Test To Condi's Testimony

- The Silicon Valley scientist-friend who introduced me to "B.S. Away" several months ago* invited me to visit again for a second tryout of his new truth-spray invention. See... UQ Wire: Bernard Weiner - Up, Up and 'B.S. Away!' [1] MORE COMMENT ON CONDELEEZZA RICE'S TESTIMONY: - Catherine Austin Fitts - Real Deal: An Open Letter To Condoleezza Rice [2] - Kidd Millennium - Cartoon: Irrational Security [3] - William Rivers Pitt - UQ Wire: A Perfectly Good Train Wreck [4] - Gregor Holland - UQ Wire: The Silver Bullet [5] - The View from Benedict - UQ Wire: The Perfect Alibi [6] - Douglas O'Rourke - UQ Wire: Chicken Hawk w. Side of Condi Rice [7]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0404/S00111.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0404/S00097.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0404/S00090.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0404/S00088.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0404/S00104.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0404/S00103.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0404/S00093.htm

Air New Zealand Wins Right To Drug Test Pilots

- Today's Employment Court decision allowing Air New Zealand to randomly drug test some employees is a victory for common sense at a time when unions are looking to flex their muscles, says National's Labour and Industrial Relations spokesman. See... Common sense and safety win in Employment Court [1] MORE: - CTU - Govt Action Needed on Workplace Drug Testing [2] - EPMU - Spotlight is now on all drugs test schemes - union [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0404/S00211.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0404/S00079.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0404/S00127.htm

Countering Terror In The Pacific

- New Zealand will host a counter-terrorism meeting for Pacific Island Forum members next month, Prime Minister Helen Clark announced today. See... NZ to host Pacific counter-terrorism meeting [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0404/S00214.htm

Carter's Cash For Conservation

- A kiwi crèche is among 139 projects on private land to benefit from $2.6m of funding announced today by Conservation Minister Chris Carter and Environment Minister Marian Hobbs. See... Millions to restore nature on private land [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0404/S00213.htm

Wellington Heart Surgery Contract Concerns

- Lives are being put on the line while the Government is playing politics by canning private hospital contracts around the country, says National's Health spokeswoman, Dr Lynda Scott. See... Lives threatened while Govt plays politics [1] . See also... Hospital Move Too Little Too Late [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0404/S00212.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0404/S00210.htm

Franks: Give Juries A Real Job

- Labour's proposal to tinker with juries distracts attention from its refusal to undertake real criminal justice reform, ACT New Zealand Justice spokesman Stephen Franks said today. See... Give Juries A Real Job [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0404/S00209.htm

Yet More Asian Gypsy Moths Found

- The discovery of Asian Gypsy Moth egg masses on an imported vehicle proves, yet again, the need for 100 per cent offshore inspection and decontamination of used vehicles, tyres and machinery, Green MP Ian Ewen-Street said today. See... MAF borders on ridiculous with Gypsy Moths [1] . See also MAF…Devastating moth pest detained at border [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0404/S00208.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0404/S00078.htm

Insolvency Bill A Major Milestone

- Today's release of the draft Insolvency Law Reform Bill marks a major milestone in the Government’s review of insolvency law reform, says Commerce Minister Margaret Wilson. See... Insolvency Law Reform Bill released [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0404/S00207.htm

Foreshore Policy Shuts Non-Maori Out Of Court

- The Labour Government's double standards are alive and well in the seabed and foreshore policy unveiled last week, says National's Deputy Leader, Gerry Brownlee. See... Foreshore law shuts non-Maori out of the court [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0404/S00205.htm

Hide Finds Jim's VIP Ducking A Disgrace

- ACT New Zealand Finance Spokesman Rodney Hide today labelled Economic Development Minister Jim Anderton a disgrace for trying to duck Parliamentary scrutiny for his Visitor Investor Programme. See... Anderton's Job Machine Ducks Scrutiny [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0404/S00204.htm

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Alastair Thompson

Scoop Publisher

Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.

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