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BOut! Don't let the Czar lay down
Subject: BOut! Don't let the Czar lay down on the job.
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A Genuine war upon drugs :
: Don't let the Czar General lay down on the job
86% of al the heroin on Australian streets comes via
the Burmese military junta.. If Burma is not banned
from the 2000 Oympiad in Sydney then the 1000s
of journalistas attending will have nothing of worth to
report.
If the citizens of the "attack" contact the office of
the US Drug Czar General Barry McCaffrey, then they
will be able to use this opportuity to make the General talk
"off track producers" to the IOC.. Such an overall "soft
approach" to Burma, as planned by what follows, will be
ineffective.
Please read the following and send his office a few faxes
in regards to the above as soon as possible.
ALSO
Write now to The Hon Michael White
Minister for the Olympics.
Knight@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE
U.S. DRUG CHIEF'S TOUGH STANCE ON OLYMPICS
TESTING CREATES RIFT
By Sarah Downey
Special to the Tribune
November 22, 1999
SYDNEY -- Barry McCaffrey, the U.S. "drug czar," ran into unexpected
opposition when he arrived to attend the International Drugs in Sport
Summit, an inaugural effort to reach a consensus on "anti-doping"
policies before the 2000 Olympic Games here.
McCaffrey, President Clinton's chief drug policy adviser, was rebuffed
by Australian Olympics Committee chairman John Coates.
Representatives from 25 nations attended the four-day summit last week.
But much of the attention was on McCaffrey, who was still on his plane
when Coates banned the U.S. delegation from touring Olympic sites
because of McCaffrey's unrelenting views on drug testing, which have put
him at odds with the International Olympic Committee.
"The scale and insidiousness of this problem is clear for all to see,"
McCaffrey said. "Right now, the presumption is if you won (an Olympic
event), you cheated."
While Coates' decision to ban McCaffrey was quickly overturned by
Australian Prime Minister John Howard, the Olympics boss maintained he
was "less than impressed with the efforts of America on the anti-doping
issue."
A number of news conferences and private meetings ensued, leading to an
apparent reconciliation by the time the conference wrapped up last
Wednesday. "We strongly support the bold leadership of Australia . . .
in pulling the community of nations together to create a level,
drug-free playing field for the world's athletes," McCaffrey said.
As use of performance-enhancing drugs becomes more widespread and harder
to detect, there is intense focus to ensure the Olympics are about "pure
performance." But McCaffrey called commitment to that goal into question
after the IOC last week formed its own World Anti-Doping Agency, or
WADA, to oversee drug testing at the Olympics.
Granting control of Olympic athlete drug testing to the IOC seemed like
a conflict of interest, McCaffrey said. He sent a letter with a list of
suggestions to IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch.
"Provide for the creation of a WADA that is not controlled by the
current IOC leadership . . . set out greater diversity of membership,
interests and views," McCaffrey wrote.
Samaranch's representatives said Tuesday that WADA had been cobbled
together because of time constraints. Due to pressure from a growing
number of nations at the drug summit, however, further dialogue would be
proposed.
"The IOC felt it was important to get a World Anti-Doping Agency up as
soon as possible," said IOC Vice President Kevan Gosper. "There was
never any intention to freeze anyone out of the process."
The idea for a global anti-doping agency was first raised at the IOC
Conference on Drugs in Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, in February. It
is hoped, Gosper said, that WADA will be operational within six weeks to
allow for proper research into which drug tests will be administered at
the Olympics.
There is a perception that the IOC has a softer approach to drug policy
than McCaffrey, who advocates constant "testing vulnerability" for
athletes and sanctions against coaches.
At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, swimmer Michelle Smith was suspected of
using performance-enhancing drugs. She won three gold medals. Although
no drugs were found in Smith's tests, questions about other top
competitors have ensured that the anti-doping issue will be at the
forefront of the 2000 Sydney Games.
McCaffrey, who is now allied with Canada and several other countries
left out of the initial creation of WADA, said he has confidence in the
IOC but will not budge from his position that WADA must remain
independent. He plans to meet with Samaranch at IOC headquarters next
month in Lausanne for further talks on the governance of WADA.
"It is clear that all governments today are committed to pure
performance," said Jackie Kelly, Australia's Minister for Sport and
Tourism. "We will be bitterly disappointed if we cannot deliver a clean
Olympic Games."
Follow the plea by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and the appreciations
of HH the Dalai Lama, the Shan Democratic Union, film maker John
Pilger, the Free Burma Coalition, author Alan Clements, Dennis
Skinner MP, Tony Benn MP, Ann Clwyd MP, Congress-woman
Maxine Waters, Socialist Workers' Party, Dr and Welsh rugby
star JPR Williams, Hendrix bassist Noel Redding, S African jazz
pianist Abdullah Ibrahim, All Burma Students Democratic
Organisation, All Burma Students Democratic Front, Tasmanian
Trades & Labour Council, SACP (South African Communist Party),
COSATU, Tim Gopsill, editor. The.Journalist@xxxxxxxxxx, and
numerous others.
Supporting a Genuine war upon drugs and human rights abuse.
Sydney 2000 : Burma Out!
http://www.mihra.org/2k/burma.htm
Music Industry Human Rights Association
http://www.mihra.org / policy.office@xxxxxxxxx
Rachel and James http//:www.mihra.org/2k/rachel.htm
Union Action http://www.mihra.org/2k/Union.htm
Founded during UN50. Mihra's roots are in music and anti-racism and
was first in line in calling for a sports boycott of Burma for the Sydney
2000 Olympic Games. Mihra also advances protection of creators rights
in an anti-cultural market, currently 93.8% monopolised by the recording
/ publishing Grand Cartel.
Major solo work "Piece of Mind". With orchestra, Holland 69. same
time as Beatles "Abbey Road". http://onlinetv.com/rogerbunn.html
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