The world through my eyes

Not to be missed !

2009-05-07T10:21:00.002+02:00

http://meluseena.etsy.com

defo an artist to follow !!

Bye bye Guantanamo

2009-02-12T10:19:00.001+01:00

I have already written on Guantanamo on this blog. This is a continuation, since developments have occurred since then. Obama is to be applauded for putting the closure of Guantanamo detention center as a main priority in his initial term as president What I cannot and will never agree to is that Europe has to clean up after the USA. "We're the new Guantanamo Bay if they move to Indiana and what does that mean for us?" said Republican state Senator Marlin Stutzman, who wants detainees kept away from the prison in Terre Haute, site of the federal execution chamber.

While I agree totally for their release if they have not committed any crime, the ones who have, should be put to trial and the others repatriated or released. The problem is that most of them cannot go back to their countries of origin as they will not be accepted. Which brings us to the problem at hand, where shall they go? The United States does not want them, their respective countries don't either. Where does that leave European countries? The initiative of European countries to take detainees in sounds totally inane. Most EU countries have been against the Guantanamo Bay detention centre for years, especially when citizens of said countries where detained at Guantanamo. Now that the US has finally decided to dismantle Guantanamo, Europe is left to pick up the pieces. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but in reality, can anyone believe that the US will ever 'let go' of the suspects they detained? Can anyone honestly believe that they will not have full surveillance and God knows what else? The war on terrorism has not ended and will not with the closure of Guantanamo. Does a country like Malta, who professes to be neutral, want 'targets' such as ex detainees here? Why has the Labour Party agree to accept Guantanamo detainees? We have as yet not be given any reason what so ever. "Even those cleared of charges and deemed to be no risk at all still in my opinion do pose a risk," said the EPP's Urszula Gacek of a statement by the Pentagon last month that 61 former Guantanamo detainees appeared to have returned to terrorism.

USA solve your own mess !

Plagiarism

2009-02-10T18:19:00.002+01:00

apparently some lazy sods are using my blog contents to copy and paste in their assignment... no reference, no acknowledgment or anything ! To make things worse, they are submitting them to the same university I studied at !! How stupid and lazy can people be? You must be really underestimating the professionals who lecture you !

I have shared my work here for knowledge and interest purposes, not for people to copy and paste it. You are wasting the education you are being offered !!! Read a book !!

January Links

2009-01-23T20:19:00.002+01:00

Check out my January 2009 link pick:

I- Pod vs Obama :
http://shmuel.ahdut.com/2009/01/dude-fiddles-with-iphone-despite-having.html

I'm still alive :
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090123/local/im-still-alive-murderer-tells-victims-family

און ווורלד, און וורלד

2009-01-12T20:37:00.000+01:00

As of late it seems as though it has become fashionable to be anti Jewish and pro Palestinian. But I won’t get into the merits of the never ending war ….
On a brighter note I would like to mention some influential Jews.

Musically we have had Bob Dylan, Leonard Bernstein, Barbra Steisand, Lou Reed, Beastie Boys, Leonard Cohen, Neil Diamond, KD Lang, Paul Simon, Lenny Kravitz,, Beck Hansen, Kenny G, Art Garfunkel, Irving Berlin, Billy Joel, Blackie Lawless, Adam Levine, Courtney Love, Linda McCartney, Richard Marx, Bette Midler, Pink, Joey Ramone, David Lee Roth, Neil Sedaka, Phil Spector and many more

On the movie scene you will find; David Arquette, Lauren Bacall, Yasmine Bleeth, Matthew Broderick, Mel Brooks, George Burns , Billy Crystal, Tony Curtis , Daniel Day-Lewis, Kirk Douglas, Michael Douglas, Robert Downey, Jr., Richard Dreyfuss
David Duchovny, Douglas Fairbanks, Peter Falk, Harrison Ford , Cary Grant, Seth Green , Laurence Harvey, Goldie Hawn, Dustin Hoffman , Judy Holliday, Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley, Michael Landon, Piper Laurie, Debra Messing , Bette Midler, Paul Newman , Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Natalie Portman , Wynona Ryder, Rob Schneider, Peter Sellers , Jane Seymour, William Shatner, Alicia Silverstone, Ben Stiller, Debra Winger.. just to name a few…

On a slightly more serious note :
• Isaas Asimov
• Naomi Wolf
• Emile Durkheim
• Albert Einstein
• Sigmund Freud
• Albert Bernstein
• Levi Strauss
• Jesus Christ
• Calvin Klein
• Ralph Lauren
• Noam Chomsky

And the list continues…..
Don’t let history repeat itself…

Trying Tiring Tyres

2008-12-19T08:11:00.004+01:00

58 euro for a new tyre. Since the day a total nut crashed into my parked car at university in broad daylight, I seem to be visiting mechanics one too many times. What's increasingly infuriating about this is that all this is no fault of mine. In the first case its the reckless driving of a spoilt brat who at 10 am on campus, in a double parked ring road with various sleeping police positioned every few metres, managed to crash into 3 cars including mine. In the 2nd case, a purely force of nature induced accident. My passenger door got dislodged when opened in a strong wind that has been sweeping over us lately. The 3rd case is due to two factors: nature and Maltese roads. You see, if you are not familiar with Maltese roads, whenever it rains in Malta, huge holes start appearing in the roads. You try to avoid one and end up in a bigger one. It's practically impossible not to encounter a couple of holes every time you drive. You may be forgiven to think that you are in Beirut in mid war ! Trying to drive at this moment is like driving in an obstacle full road. So, it was no surprise when my front tyre started to play up. I checked to see if I had a flat tyre, but it seemed to be fine. Luckily , a kind soul pointed out that I had some sort of bubble in my front tyre. Great, I said and off again to the mechanic. Verdict- change it or it might burst anytime. Now that is surely not a pleasant scenario so I headed towards the tyre shop to buy and have fixed a new tyre. According to the serene tyre man, the cause is simple : I must have driven through a hole. This made my blood boil, it's not my fault is it? C'mon a hole ! He laughed it off and said that he blessed the government for not fixing the roads properly as this kept him in business- a very profitable one. Winter must be real good for him especially when it rains.. So, thank you whoever is in charge of fixing our roads, you are keeping the economy strong - steady work for mechanics and tyre vendors. Who suffers? Us, as usual. Before you think that suing is a good idea, think again, this is Malta not the US. And anyways, how am I supposed to know which hole in which street and locality did the damage? Maybe we should mark holes lile landmines and number them. That might provide new dinner conversation material " Oh yes, hole no. 4640 is terrible but at least you miss 4639 and 4638 if you are fast and swerve slightly to the left and pull a 90 degrees to the right..." Well, next time I buy a car, I might just get myself a Hummer !

The Invicible Age

2008-12-18T20:22:00.002+01:00

You're young and free, full of ideas and dreams, ready to complete Herculean tasks with a spring lamb's vitality. The world is yours, nothing seems out of reach with some effort. You multi task the day away and flutter through the night. Sleep is not a major preoccupation; you'll get some when needed ! Even if you're cash strapped, you will get through the weekend somehow or another. Your energy boost levels are bursting through the seams. So much to do, so little time. Then you finally slump into a glorious well deserved sleep fully knowing you will wake up to a gorgeous morning, awaiting you.

Then you suddenly start feeling weak and dizzy. You pep up on the vitamins and solid meals in an attempt to ward off the inevitable- the winter flu. You try and fight it off, but at the end it wins, always. You try and keep up the pace but the tissues are drowning you and the you've consumed the last of the flu pills. You give up and prop yourself in bed. Sickness blues start to emerge and suddenly yesterday's optimism and 'go for it' attitude vanish. You slump in bed further and moan, A simple flu and you're out of the game for a while...

ah, I'm off to have some chicken soup and clear the accumulating tissues...

A Christmas Prayer

2008-12-18T11:28:00.005+01:00

Every year we receive cards and wishes. Every year for the past couple of years I like to send this to my friends and family. I made a copy of this and stick it on the kitchen wall too.

A Christmas Prayer

by Robert Louis Stevenson

Loving Father,
Help us remember the birth of Jesus,
that we may share in the song of the angels,
the gladness of the shepherds,
and worship of the wise men.

Close the door of hate
and open the door of love all over the world.
Let kindness come with every gift
and good desires with every greeting.
Deliver us from evil by the blessing
which Christ brings,
and teach us to be merry with clear hearts.

May the Christmas morning
make us happy to be thy children,
and Christmas evening bring us to our beds
with grateful thoughts,
forgiving and forgiven,
for Jesus' sake.

Amen.

To sofa or not to sofa

2008-12-17T17:54:00.003+01:00

Sleeping on it, watching tv, studying, battling fevers year after year. Crumbs and spills, lost remote controls and tiny toys and keys, Christmases and birthdays - all in the life of our beloved sofa. But alas there comes a time when even the sofa you grow up on must move on and out... So after years of juggling the thought of a new sofa we started sofa hunting... we knew we needed something comfortable but sturdy, definitely hard wearing since we are going to use it and not look at it.

Scene 1.
Choosing the Maltese product. Since we joined the EU, the market has been flooded with choice in furniture and household goods. Most Maltese furniture makers have suffered a great deal in trying to keep up with the competition. I have always made it a point and prided myself in buying Maltese products as far as possible. Buying a sofa was one of them. Me and mum headed to a small workshop in Qormi, guaranteed by good sources to produce high quality and made to measure sofas. The idea delighted us. We were welcomed into the little workshop shown some specimen and booked a new sofa. The next day, the owner and manufacturer dutifully turned up home to measure the place for the sofa and pocketing a hefty deposit sped away to supposedly start the sofa set, promising us it wouldn't take more than 3 weeks. We had ourselves a deal- what better customer care than the manufacturer and owner doing all this?

Scene 2.

Three weeks passed. We phoned the guy up and accepted the fact that he was sick and had not finished it. After all, this was not a factory but depended on him and his workman ( family). He again promised us it would be ready in a week...
Three weeks after the deadline...We phone again - He has not started working on the sofa set yet ! Give me another 2 weeks he says. Another week passes by - The guy phones up telling us he is not going to manage to do the sofa and that he will give us back our deposit. ( in the meantime, we had an empty living room since we had already given our old and trusted sofa to a local charity, thinking our sofa was about to arrive).

Scene 3.
Disappointed we scour the stores for a sofa set. The selection is incredible, sizes, styles, colours, fabrics and most of all prices. We finally decide on a comfortable leather 3 seater and armchair which open inspection was designed in Italy, manufactured somewhere in Asia, re shipped to Europe and finally reached its destination. Waiting time? 2 weeks.

Final Scene

We're sitting on our new sofa and i cannot but help imagine where this sofa has been. I guess the sofa though 'new' is a seasoned traveller. Welcome international sofa, may you share as many memories as our last ( made in Malta) sofa did with us.

The 50th anniversary visit of Pope John XXIII to the prison of Regina Coeli, Rome

2008-12-17T17:24:00.004+01:00

On the 26th December, Mid Dlam ghad- Dawl (MDD) will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Pope John XXIII visit to the prison of Regina Coeli in Rome. This visit opened up new horizons for the Catholic prison ministries and gave a new dimension to what Pope John later called the ‘prisoners’ gospel’.

A High Mass will be celebrated by His Grace Archbishop Paul Cremona O.P at St. John’s Co- Cathedral, Valletta at 18:30. The mass will be under the auspices of His Excellency The President Dr. Edward Fenech Adami. For this occasion the general public is invited to attend, especially those who work or are involved in the criminal justice. In particular, family and friends of prisoners are invited to attend this celebration.

Just two months into his pontificate, Pope John made an historic and unprecedented decision: he stepped out of the Vatican! The unification of Italy in 1870 meant that the pope lost all his temporal power, including the Vatican itself. Consequently, Pope Pius IX declared himself the "prisoner of the Vatican" and never stepped out of "his" territory any more. So did all his successors ... that is, until 1958, when Pope John - with his charm, simplicity and unfussiness - broke this 88-year self-imposed imprisonment. He did so not for any political reason, but simply to do the work that Jesus himself did: to bring humankind to the bosom of the Father.

That hallowed visit to the inmates of Rome's major prisons 50 years ago opened the door to many more visits to prisoners by Pope John successors: Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI. It blessed and sanctioned the work that many Christians around the world do with prisoners, their families and ex-prisoners.
In Malta, Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl is the major organisation that does this work. In a global context it is just one of the many. The commemoration of Pope John's historical visit to the prisons in 1958 is a way of renewing our 13-year commitment towards prisoners, their families and ex-prisoners, but also a way of being spiritually united in fraternal solidarity with all those around the world - Christian and non-Christian - who stand by prisoners, their families and ex-prisoners.

Today, 50 years after this historical visit, we look back at that moment as one of change that started a fresh attitude in Catholics towards prisoners and their families. Prisoners started to be seen as people with all the dignity God’s children are endowed with. Prison work did not start with Pope John in the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church has a long tradition of service to prisoners and their families. What Pope John did was give it a new perspective- a more humane and definitely one closer to our Lord Jesus Christ. His visit was worth more than anything he could have written to show what one is taught in Catechism ‘visit prisoners’.

On the 26th December we are celebrating the long history of working with prisoners in Malta. The highest authorities will be present to celebrate this historical event and the work done with prisoners and their families.

The Lidl Adventure

2008-12-15T13:48:00.003+01:00

Turn once you see the monument erect at Luqa and you find yourself in a discount dream. Boxes and boxes of food and drinks, all at exorbitantly discounted prices. My eyes started dropping at the site of all the goodies at such cheap prices and whats best everything seems to be in maga packs, fit to feed a family of 10. I couldn't resist stopping to see what price a packet of potato wedges costs compared to a packet of oven chips. Then there was the fake coke. Would not touch that. My coca cola love is pure and true, no matter what I will resist turning to cheaper competition. My mind raced calculating the budget of a restaurant, the prices I pay to eat out and the profit they make. It dawned on me that maybe feeding a family of 6 would be cheaper than feeding just two people. For the simple reason that buying in bulk is so much cheaper and if your'e alot of people you'll eat through a kilo of potatoes quicker than lets say 2 people. 2 people cannot buy big packs, as they will either eat the same shit for ages or else it will expire or you will need vast freezer storage space.

The alcohol is cheap too, plenty of booze for about an aisle. I wanted to buy some red bull since it was selling for a miserly 1 euro and some cents, but there was only the diet kind. I bought myself some real coke, the canned type for 69c and insisted on filling mum's trolley with what i thought was a REAL deal and we needed desperately.

A surprise awaited us at the counter.There where no free plastic bags, so we decided to put everything back in the trolley.... I still have to find place where to put the king size potato chips and other goodies I couldnt keep my hands off. Or well its a bargain you can't resist... but I wonder how three people are going to eat all the stuff we bought ....

Still, I can't wait to go back to Lidl.. they might have some real good bargain

Republic Day award

2008-12-13T09:20:00.003+01:00

13th December is Republic Day in Malta and this year the usual celebrations took place and tha 'awards' given.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20081214/local/igor-judge-ira-losco-among-republic-day-award-recipients/
I'm pretty happy about some people who got the award, especially someone my age :), you know who you are !! But obviously I have my own idea about who should be given this award !

If I had to choose who would get the award for 'having contributed to the benefit of the country; it would go to these people: Rachel of Tista Tkun int for having vanished from our national tv. Keep it up Rachel !! Stay away from producing more programmes of the tear jerking, emotional robbery type. The next award would go to a woman I have admired since I could read my dad's newspaper. While most people have mixed opinions and sometimes strong reactions, one must admit she's got bull's balls. To you Daphne, I would give the award, though you'd probably tell me to exactly where to put it. But then again,that's why you deserve it. The other award would go to Caqnu, definitely THE MAN. I don't think I have to add more...

On a more serious note I would give the award to Nicholas Sammut who at age 27 ( 1981 rules !)is a research engineer at CERN. What bigger honour for us Maltese? We love you nerds ! You make us proud.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20081214/local/young-scientist-is-mcst-executive-chairman/

The award ' Midalja għall-Qlubija' for an act of exceptional behaviour was not awarded this year. Why...? This award would go to my mum and all mums in Malta. Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika is a tricky one. Any suggestions?

Happy Holiday!

Small Fish

2008-12-11T19:44:00.003+01:00

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20081211/local/vigilant-observer-leads-to-drug-suspects-arrest

Thursday, 11th December 2008
Vigilant observer leads to drug suspect's arrest

The police are holding a 25-year-old man from Birkirkara who was allegedly found in possession of cannabis resin weighing one kilogram at his hometown yesterday morning.

Police officers from the Drugs Squad went to Bwieraq Street to investigate after an anonymous caller informed the police that a young man, who arrived in that street in a Peugeot car, was observed placing a basket in the boot of the car.

The police said this made the caller suspicious and asked the police to check.

Drug Squad officers, who arrived on the spot moments later, kept the car under surveillance and apprehended the man as he approached the Peugeot later.

The basket, which the police allege contained cannabis resin, was allegedly found in the car boot during a search.

The man was taken to police headquarters in Floriana.

Magistrate Audrey Demicoli launched an inquiry with the help of court experts.

Police investigations continue.

Cannabis... what a fuss !! Where are the heroin police hauls? Now that the Christmas season is approaching and the drug abuse will be rampant ? And here we boast cause the police have found some cannabis pifff. Please, when you do something concrete, then do tell us about it. In the meantime .....

I'd rather not see

2008-12-10T19:59:00.002+01:00

Oh No ! Not you too !!

2008-12-10T19:58:00.003+01:00

When you wish...

2008-12-08T20:07:00.004+01:00

Wishing a Merry Christmas to all and sundry isn't such a good idea anymore. I started to think this when I was at the YMCA shelter last week. Seeing the Christmas decorations in their living area I got lost in thought... how will they spend their Christmas? What is Christmas to them ?
What is Christmas to those who have lost a loved on in this season?
What is Christmas to a family who have no where to stay ?
What is Christmas to a child who cannot be with his family?
What is Christmas for those who have not yet been born as their fate has already been decided by the doctor's knife?
What is Christmas to the prisoner who will be far and away from his loved one?
What is Christmas to the sick and terminally ill?
What is Christmas to the old woman who knows it might be the last one?
What is Christmas to the mother who waits by the phone for a phone call for someone to remember her?
What is Christmas to the parents who are awaiting their son or daughter to come home from a night out?
What is Christmas to a junkie but another day wasted away?
What is Christmas to the lover who cries knowing he/she is with their family?
What is Christmas to those kids who wait alone at home waiting for their carers to show up?
What is Christmas to a patient in a mental institution?
What is Christmas to those who have lost all hope?

Christmas can mean suffering and pain, it can mean a period of time many people dread and fear. So, if you are one of the lucky ones to enjoy your Christmas.. thank your lucky stars.. and remember even if for a few seconds those whose Christmas will be dark and bleak.

Celebrations Galore !!!

2008-12-04T17:15:00.003+01:00

Back from Graduation Party... Feet sore, aching and wet. High heels aren't my best of friends. 30 Euro for 2 glasses of red wine, 2 sprites, 1 vodka coke and approximately 7 pieces of finger food. The air was tense as though everyone expected something but didn't know what. I guess wearing evening dresses and shirt and ties makes one feel more demure. In fact, no incidents noted and everyone was off to bed by 12:30. Pretty weird considering our past party exploits that always turned out to be a bit on the wild side and right into the early hours of the next day. Graduate maturity or have we all just matured so much? I still think its due to the serious atmosphere at 222 and all the money spent on hair, make up and just the right dress for the occasion.. Off to catch some sleep before buscade begins... praying and hoping weather wont be so nasty and hard on our final celebrations. Good Night !

BA (Hons) Criminology Graduation 2008 University of Malta

2008-12-03T17:06:00.004+01:00

3 years of hard work, cramped stomachs, tonnes and tonnes of paper and ink, subscriptions to a myriad journals, newspapers and articles, a room full of crime related paper and gore. 3 years striving to reach the ultimate goal - graduate. Here we are now certificate in hand, lights blinding me like an oscar winning diva in my penguin suit and irritating hat. You wait, and wait and then its over so quickly. You look at the pile of photos with some pride and some melancholy... closing a chapter. Closing three years with great class mates.

To the next level now... Off to Graduation party!

Oh, Criminology, really, mmm what is it?

2008-12-01T19:41:00.002+01:00

The streets are never ending, signs seem to have disappeared, office numbers, business signs obscured. Round and round again, up some stairs down some others, with luck a lift. Then filling in forms and questionnaires and after a few minutes, you know its coming, you're expecting it and you half grin when it is asked or sigh.. 'so, criminology' and you nod and say yes. silence. then some silent nods, they look down at their papers or nails and you wait for the next question - 'so what exactly is criminology' and you start to answer. Sometimes I feel like I might be talking about some strange alien form living on our planet at other times I know that when they hear the word crime, they're going to tell me about how avidly they watch CSI and I jokingly say that we don't work with dead people. Again, Strange looks ! And today, another interview and I was asked why did I study criminology not psychology or something else, more useful...

Useful. I'm pondering on the word useful. What exactly would be useful? Clearer directions would have been useful to me today, a cold drink after I walked up and down a street for the nth time would have be useful if not damn right nice... ok not im going off track. The answer to this is simple - criminology is useful, its just too new for our little island to ever realise itself properly, oh well at least in the next 20, 25 years. Till then I expect the responses and questions to be the same when people discover I have studied criminology. I'm thinking I might tell them I have a degree in Asian Horticultural or in Astronomy.... but I'll guess it won't help one bit in my career search.

UK braces for 'crisis' Christmas

2008-11-29T10:27:00.003+01:00

UK braces for 'crisis' Christmas: title on The Times of Malta article today 29th November... What crisis? Christmas? or all year round crisis? Ok maybe our Christmas trees this year will not be so lavishly laden with gifts. Maybe opening the shining paper we won't find the latest gadget or the most expensive and latest models. Sure, no problem. But isn't it about time people stop spending so much money on Christmas gifts, putting pressure on the already strained household budget, raising their kids expectations? Businesses are bound to suffer this Christmas whereas they usually make big bucks in this blessed season. But lets be reasonable, Christmas is a family things, its about being together. Its not about presents !! That doesn't mean we should stop giving presents, but with a little pre thinking we can give less expensive gifts from the heart. Times are going to be hard, families are going to go through very difficult financial situations, so please stop putting so much pressure on buying, purchasing expensive stuff to make oneself happy. Lets try and find happiness in simple things and give gifts from the heart and not scavenge our bank accounts dry !! Christmas will pass and we will be left with bills to pay, credit cards and loans to pay... think about it? No need for a Christmas crisis ! We have enough of those awaiting !

It's the end of the world as we know it ?

2008-11-28T19:38:00.004+01:00

What’s happening ? switch on the news, an avalanche of bad news and more- terrorism, recession, poverty, sickness, crime – all on the increase. We are inundated with bad omens and negativity from all spheres of media. The New Year is soon with us. What are the bright prospects for the year 2009? Not much, I feel. Actually, it just seems that the world is slowly self destructing itself. How long will it be for economies and governments to collapse under the pressure ? How long will it be till we have a real war, were people will fight for the bare essentials? Am I worrying too much ? Am I making a fuss? I guess I’ll just switch off the tv and radio and stop reading newspapers. After all, I can’t do anything can I ? Can anyone of you?

Today -
Commandos storm Mumbai centre
Measles epidemic risk
Burundi albinos in fear of killers
One dead, six missing in Airbus crash
'Eurozone recession next year very likely'
Elderly attacked by hooded men
Sharp downturn in tourism
WHO estimates 13,000 Maltese infected with sexual diseases every year
need I say more?

St. Leonard

2008-11-10T18:35:00.001+01:00

SAINT LEONARD
Hermit, Patron of prisoners
(† Second half of the Sixth Century)

Saint Leonard was born towards the end of the fifth century of illustrious parents, residing in the part of the province of Gaul which was then beginning to be called France. Several historians believe that with his brother Saint Lifard, his origins can be traced to the castle of Vendome in the region of Orleans. He belonged to the nation of the Franks, and at the court of Clovis his relatives were dignitaries, baptized at the same time as the king by Saint Remi. That monarch himself stood as sponsor in Baptism for this child of predilection.

As Leonard grew he was so moved by the holy examples of the bishop of Rheims that he renounced the world in order to lead a more perfect life. When Saint Remi had trained Leonard in virtue and conferred on him the tonsure, he began to exercise his charity on behalf of prisoners. Clovis, in response to a prayer of Saint Remi, had already issued an edict that prisoners in Rheims might be freed whenever his royal highness would pass through that city. Leonard asked the kind monarch to grant him personally the right to liberate prisoners whom he would find worthy of it, any time at all.

The reputation of Saint Leonard's goodness and sanctity soon spread, and the sick came to him for healing and alms. He did not fail to teach them also the value of Christian patience and to console them by the divine doctrine. The king desired to attach him permanently to his court, but Saint Leonard, in a discourse brilliant by its humility, replied that he preferred to live in the obscurity Christ had chosen for Himself for so many years, and he retired to a monastery. Saint Maximin, its abbot, saw to it that he was ordained a deacon, which office he accepted out of obedience, but he did not aspire to any additional ecclesiastical dignities. He recognized that his role was not to remain always in the monastery, and departed to preach to the pagans of the province of Limoges. He found on a nearby mountain a forested solitude where he decided to remain, and there he built a cell of branches and considered himself rich in the possession of God, joyous in his freedom to devote himself to meditation, prayer and mortification.

He continued to obtain miracles when solicited by the suffering members of Jesus Christ. The spouse of a king living nearby had a successful delivery of a child by his prayers, when her very life was despaired of; and the king in gratitude gave him a part of the forest to dispose of as he wished. He then built an oratory to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Two disciples joined him in this sanctuary, continuing to pray without interruption when their master went on pilgrimage to the tombs of the Saints.

Soon the sick came to Saint Leonard here also, and prisoners who invoked him from their cells saw their chains break before their eyes. Many came to him afterwards, bringing their heavy chains and irons to offer them in homage. A considerable number wished to remain with him, and he often gave them part of his vast forest to clear and make ready for the labors of the fields, that they might have the means to live an honest life. He continued to be their guardian and father and preached the religion of our Saviour to them; and those who had once been malefactors were transformed by prayer and labor.

Seven families of persons who were his relatives in the north heard of his reputation and decided to come to him and remain with him. He was surprised but encouraged their good resolutions, saying: "A fare of dry bread, eaten in the joy of a pure conscience, is of more worth than a house abundantly furnished, where quarrels and divisions prevail." After increasing in holiness until his last days, he died on the 6^th of November in the oratory he had dedicated to Our Lady, after having himself transported there, sometime during the second half of the sixth century. Miracles on behalf of prisoners and the sick followed, as they had preceded, his death. The cult of Saint Leonard has remained extremely popular in France ever since; and throughout all of Europe churches and monasteries have been placed under his invocation.

Itsy Bitsy Spider

2008-10-31T19:45:00.001+01:00

Lawyers & "Law"

2008-10-30T18:42:00.004+01:00

"Never forget everything Hilter did was legal" Martin Luther King

"Make crime pay. Become a lawyer" Will Rogers

"Laws are like spiders webs: If some poor week creature comes up against them it is caught, nut the bigger ones can break through and get away' Unknown

" A lawyer with a briefcase can steal more than a thousand men with guns" Mario Puzo

"The first thing we do , lets kill all the lawyers" William Shakespeare

A dog's life

2008-10-05T19:28:00.001+02:00

lazy Sundays

2008-10-05T19:21:00.002+02:00

Prison reform

2008-09-19T00:23:00.001+02:00

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20080915/local/justice-ministry-promises-white-paper-in-october/

Prison reform

Justice Ministry promises White Paper in October

A White Paper proposing a series of prison reforms, including the introduction of parole and the concept of restorative justice, will be published in October, the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs has promised.

The pledge comes in the wake of negative media reports and pressure from NGOs for the prison system to become a correctional facility rather than a place of punishment. Although Corradino is officially touted as a correctional facility, a study released this year by Mid-Dlam għad-Dawl, a voluntary organisation that works to promote the well-being of inmates and their families, showed that out of every two Maltese prisoners released from jail, one is likely to return behind bars.

Reforming the prisons is no simple task and even those at the heart of the campaign to introduce such reforms are sceptical, arguing that many areas of the criminal system still leave much to be desired.

"Community service is already part of the law but it is rarely used. Probation is given very often but there aren't enough probation officers. It's impossible to cope with the kind of caseload these officers have. I'm afraid that the same will happen with parole," Sue Micallef, a criminologist, said.

Parole enables prisoners to reintegrate slowly into society by being conditionally released after serving part of their sentence while still being supervised accordingly. This gives prisoners the chance to start working and interact with their families and the rest of society instead of becoming institutionalised and idle. It also gives prisoners something to look forward to, providing an incentive to study or learn a trade while in prison.

Restorative justice is an umbrella term for different methods of criminal justice that include rehabilitation, community service, reconciliation with victims and counselling.

The idea behind restorative justice is that crime is committed against persons and communities who, in turn, deserve compensation. It is also based on the concept of reform: If prisoners are given the right counselling and made to understand the consequences of their crimes they might change their ways.

Community service can be especially effective if used more frequently in cases of fines because, rather than costing the government money to house such people in prisons, they will be able to give something back to the country in terms of work. This work could include cleaning, maintenance, whitewashing, trades and so on.

"There will always be those that find it difficult to reform. But the vast majority want to and will be able to change if they are given the tools," argued Ms Micallef, one of the most prominent parole activists.

She explained that restorative justice may even include criminals being given a chance to meet their victims in order to put a face to the crimes they have committed and understand the consequences through the emotions of their victims. However, all of this needs to be seen within the context of the types of crimes committed, the willingness of the victims and what the White Paper will propose.

The Mid-Dlam għad-Dawl survey had also found that very few prisoners are given appropriate skills training or any form of education and that 45 per cent of them do absolutely nothing during their stay.

"Since the vast majority of prisoners are drug addicts who find their way to prison by committing crimes to fund their addictions, most of them want to change and with the right treatment they can," Ms Micallef said.

She believes that this comes down to political will and that it is the ministry that needs to provide enough investment and training to ensure a better criminal system.

"Correctional officers have only one week of training. It's a joke... There aren't enough social workers, doctors, psychologists and psychiatrists. The prison needs to adapt itself and become a learning and rehabilitation centre and not just a cage for the 'bad guys'," she argued.

Ms Micallef said that former prison director Sandro Gatt, who stepped down a few weeks ago following media reports about his leadership, was unjustly harangued by the media.

"He was a good guy, with true human values and the prison will suffer without him. His resignation will not bring change," Ms Micallef said.

She thinks that change will happen if the new prison director is someone who is qualified in correctional management rather than a policeman who has been trained to bring people to justice and punish wrongdoers.

Although the Home Affairs Ministry has been promising the White Paper for months, Ms Micallef fears it will be "one big disappointment".

"Without enough investment and political will, the proposals will remain on paper or will be introduced poorly. How can we introduce parole and restorative justice before we sort out the problems we are having with probation and community service and before the people running and working at the prison are properly trained and qualified in correction?"

heat wave ?

2008-09-15T19:08:00.001+02:00

Hot or mild ? Jean leaving us for Oz

2008-09-10T19:31:00.001+02:00

Grazzi Supt. Sandro

2008-08-27T19:51:00.006+02:00

I am truly appalled at the way the media vultures are attacking Supt. Gatt, the CCF director. This man has been at the helm of Malta's prison for the past 5 years- and this is no easy feat with an approximate population of 400 prisoners, it takes heart and guts to take it on. Whilst doing my research for my thesis, I had the opportunity to meet him personally in prison. A man of great stature, he gave me the impression of a huge, friendly teddy bear. His manners were precise and calm, and it could be seen that he put a lot in his work. He practically lived in prison. Prisoners sent him letters, came in to speak to him and he welcomed everyone with a smile. He went through the prison divisions alone, without guards. Though his background is rooted in the Police Culture, the director got on... on very good terms with most of the prisoners. The new prison building was built while he was director and so many facilities and other things that made life better for the prisoners were his idea. He created a better prison, putting emphasis on helping and not forgetting the families of those imprisoned.

Yes, it is true that there are many faults, many things that could be arranged and meliorated in prison. What department, entity couldn't do with change! Prison is a hot subject, and the public is easily cajoled by the media. One day, people want to get the death sentence back, the next day they are crying out loud for some alleged abuse. But one must remember that as a member of the Police Force the Director's hands are tied and bound.

The Minister responsible at the end of the day runs the show, the finances and the regulations.

Change? Yes, please ! We need someone who is trained and has studied correctional services. We need correctional officers who are trained!!!! We need more psychologists, social workers, doctors and psychiatrists FULL TIME !! The prison needs to adapt itself and become a learning and rehabilitation centre and not just a cage for the 'bad guys'. REHABILITATION, REINTEGRATION, LEARNING, MODIFYING BEHAVIOUR, SKILLS !

I sincerely hope that the unjust crucifixion of Supt. Sandro Gatt, will not be a martyrdom that will bear no fruit, will see no change. Dear Minister, do something: it's time to take stock of the situation and do something !

Thank you Supt. Gatt, for your dedication and work. May God bless you and help you through these hard times.

Homely Food

2008-08-19T19:03:00.001+02:00

Best killer factor

2008-08-08T18:58:00.001+02:00

Bite Mark Forensic Evidence

2008-07-04T18:51:00.000+02:00

BITE MARK EVIDENCE

BITEMARK HISTORY

In struggles between assailants and victims, there is a tendency for teeth to be used as a weapon. Sometimes it is the only defensive tactic for a victim to inflict serious injury on the assailant. It is a well known fact, that in sexual attacks including sexual homicide, rape and child sexual abuse, the assailants more often than not bite their victims. This can be viewed as an expression of dominance, rage and animalistic behaviour. Not many people have the view that teeth can be such violent weapons (Sweet & Pretty, 2001).

Early recognition of bite marks is seen in old English Law where ‘member proper for defence; included arms, legs and anterior teeth’. The first bite mark case in the United States was the famous Salem Witch Trials, in 1692. Rev. Burroughs who was convicted and hanged used to bite his victims. During the trial his bite marks and of other people were compared to the victim’s marks. The judges readily accepted the bite marks as evidence. In 1870, A.I Robinson was suspected of murdering his mistress. Five bite marks were found on her arm. The bite mark evidence did not hold and Robinson was acquitted. Despite the negative outcome of the Robinson case, by 1890 bite mark evidence started to be recognized in scientific circles (Vale as cited Dorion, 2004).

Prior to 1950, the number of cases where bite marks were used as evidence was small when compared to today. A large proportion was reported in Europe and Japan, but most cases originated in the USA. In 2002, over 400 forensic odontologists were listed in the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) (Dorion, 2004).

A major development in bite mark investigations in the USA began in 1962 when courses in forensic odontolgy began at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) in Washington D.C. The development of forensic odontology was furthered by the publication of a book in 1966 by Gustafson, called ‘Forensic Odontology’. This book had a substantial chapter devoted to bite marks and was the first major work to be published on this subject. Then in 1970, forensic odontology became a department in the AAFS, and became recognized as a specialty in forensic science. In 1976, the American Board of Forensic Odontology (ABFO) was organized. This was a step towards professionalism in the sector of forensic odontology. The ABFO started to provide a programme of certification in forensic odontology. This furthered the science of forensic odontology and made it more reliable (Dorion, 2004).

FORENSIC ODONTOLOGISTS

A forensic dentist is not an ordinary dentist; s/he is a board- certified specialist who deals primarily with bite mark evidence. Although, one does not have to be a specialist to become an expert witness, it helps to strengthen the validity of the scientific evidence in court (O’Conner, 2006).

Forensic odontolgy is a branch of forensic medicine that in the interest of justice deals with dental evidence presented in the courts of law. The work of a forensic odontologist is to identify human remains through dental records, estimate age of both living and deceased persons, analysis of bite marks on victims and other substances such as foodstuffs and presentation of bite mark evidence in court as an expert witness (Sellar, 2002).

HUMAN BITE MARKS

Of all the components of the human body teeth outlast all other parts after death. Their durability makes it perfect for identification. Sometimes, they are the only means of identification left. A clear example is Adolf Hitler’s dental records, which identified his corpse. It is claimed that no two people have identical teeth. Unlike fingerprints which remain unchanged, teeth become unique with wear and tear. For successful identification both ante and post mortem data should be available, even one tooth can be useful for identification (Evans, 2004).

There are about two hundred different tooth charting methods in the world, which provide an almost 100 % reliable means of identification. The American approach, which is known as the Universal system, gives a number to each of the thirty two adult teeth. Information is then recorded on each tooth according to the five visible surface of the tooth. With this information, the odontologists can complete a dental grid, unique to that person (Evans, 2004).

Human bite marks are found when teeth are used as weapons. They can be used as weapons of anger; weapons of excitement; weapons of control or weapons of destruction (Lotter, 2008). Bite marks are usually found on the skin of the victim. Females are usually bitten on the breasts and legs during sexual attacks, while men are usually bitten on the arms or shoulders and when in defensive postures bites can be found on the hands and arms (Sweet & Pretty, 2001).

The marks left by the teeth in a person may be used to identify an individual. Nowadays forensic odontologists have become reasonably skilled at identifying bite marks and relating it back to the person who has inflicted the mark (Horswell, 2004). A human bite mark is usually described as an elliptical or circular injury and the differences in size and shape of teeth can sometimes be easily noticed especially when teeth are missing or prominent (Lotter, 2008). However, a bite mark is not an overall accurate representation of the teeth; it also depends on the jaw movement and use of the tongue. The lower jaw is moveable and is the one that gives the most biting force, while the upper jaw is usually stationery and holds and stretches the skin (Evans, 2004). The most common type of bite marks are contusions. Incisions offer the best three dimensional images of the teeth. If avulsions and artefacts are combined, one can produce a three dimensional image too. There are seven types of bite marks; haemorrhage which is a small bleeding spot, abrasion which is an undamaging mark on skin, contusion which is a ruptured blood vessel bruise, laceration which is punctured or torn skin, avulsion were there is removal of the skin and artefact were a piece of the body is bitten off. These are then further divided into four degrees of impression, which when analysed can help to note what kind of violence was exerted and may be used as aggravating circumstances.

1. significant pressure

2. first degree pressure

3. violent pressure

4. skin violently torn from body

(O’Conner, 2006).

BITE MARK ANALYSIS

In odontology, for a physical comparison of a bite mark to be successful, the questioned evidence (Q) photograph of the bite mark must be accurately produced. It must then be recreated in a life size dimension, and is then called the Known (K) evidence. After this is done, the plaster cast of the defendant’s teeth are used to identify any similarities in shape, positioning and so on and forth (Bowers & Johansen, 2004). The methods typically used include the older ones for example hand tracing the teeth perimeters on clear acetate, then Xeroxing the dental casts and then tracing them on acetate too. The dental cast teeth are then pushed into wax and filled thereafter with metallic powder. After this is done an x-ray film is used to capture the teeth impression. The direct superimposition of Q and K photographs are used when dentists testify in court, to show that there is sufficient identification value to reach a result. These are all meticulously made to scale to be able to provide rigorous and accurate comparison results (Bowers & Johansen, 2004).

Recently, digital imaging software and image capture devices have created a more advanced and accurate way to avoid any discrepancies and allows the examiner to use the computer functions into a microscope for comparison. The computerized system of analyzing bite marks has the benefits of creating accurate means of measuring physical parameters of crime scene evidence, corrects common photographic distortion and size discrepancies, helps to eliminate any examiner subjectivity, betters the control of image visualization, standardizes comparison procedures, helps to create reproducibility of results between separate examiners and is ideal for electronic transmission and archiving (Bowers & Johansen, 2004). The better the bite mark, the better an expert can make a reliable comparison (O’ Connor, 2006).

The American Board of Forensic Odontology (ABFO) follows bite mark standards and guidelines. The ABFO provides a list of generally accepted methods that meet the criteria of the scientific model. This is to help forensic odontology to achieve the objective of universally acceptable methodology. The ABFO provides guidance on how to preserve bite mark evidence, which are saliva swabs of bite site, photographic documentation of the bite site which includes lighting and scale, obtaining impressions of bite site including victim’s dental impressions, tissue specimens. Guidelines are also formulated on the evidence collection of suspected dentition and these include the photographic documentation of the dentition, clinical examination with extraoral and intraoral considerations and dental impressions. In 1994 the ABFO indicated that the most widely used methods of comparing bite mark evidence were; the generation of overlays (acetate), test bite media such as wax exemplars, Styrofoam and so on and comparison techniques mostly using acetate.

All ABFO diplomats are expected to use the most analytical standards and methods suggested. Certain vital information must always be recorded and noted. These are done both in the case of a living victim as a deceased individual. Demographics include details such as name of victim, case number and date of examination, person to contact, age of victim, sex and name of examiner. The location of bite mark, which includes the anatomical location, description of surface contour and whether it is flat, curved or irregular and a description of the tissue characteristics with details on the underlying bone, cartilage, muscle and fat structure and if the skin is fixed or mobile. The shape of the bite mark must be described for example if it is round, ovoid, crescent, irregular etc. The colour of the bite mark is also important to note, e.g. red, purple.

The size is also to be noted, whether it is vertical or horizontal and preferably noted in the metric system. The injury can be a petechial hemorrhage, contusion, abrasion, laceration, incision, avulsion or artifact. Other information that is to be gathered if possible is whether the skin surface of indented or smooth (Bowers & Johansen, 2004). Since the skin is elastic, and depending on the victim some bite marks may last for hours while others may last for days. All bite marks alter themselves as time elapses, therefore it is important to photograph the bite marks as consistent intervals over a period of hours and days as recommended by the ABFO (O’Connor, 2006).

BITE MARKS AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

The criminal justice system has long endorsed odontology as a major source of valuable aid. Apart from identifying perpetrators of crime, odontology has also helped in the identification of unidentified persons (FBI Laboratory, 1989 as cited in Brennan, Gray- Ray, & Hensley, 1997).

Differences in teeth are as different as those marks found by other tools and fingerprints. Though a person’s teeth may look the same, they are different in size, shape, arrangement, wear, damage, age, quality and quantity and habits of the individual (Levine, 1972 ac cited in Brennan, Gray- Ray, & Hensley, 1997). The FBI Laboratory in 1989 has concluded that dental uniqueness is beyond any reasonable doubt.

Bite mark analysis and evidence has been judicially accepted in the United States since 1954 (Doyle vs. State). It was only in 1975, that bite mark evidence gave us the Marx standard of admissibility (People vs. Marx, 1975). The identification of a biter has been useful and instrumental in criminal investigations especially in cases of homicide; sexual abuse and child abuse cases (Pretty & Sweet, 2000 as cited in Bowers & Johansen, 2001). The USA has quite a developed system of dental records based on the Universal system and this helps considerably especially in identifying ‘John/ Jane Doe’ victims (O’Connor, 2006).

The forensic weight and value of the bite mark is based on the characteristics of the bite marks that are similar to the defendant’s. Most dentists’ though, rely on a ‘rule in’ or ‘rule out’ fashion and therefore provide a weak linkage. So at this stage, the forensic weight of this evidence can be argued (Bowers & Johansen, 2004).

Forensic odontology is still new to criminal justice officials and its success in the criminal justice field has never been researched as yet. In the meantime two leading experts in the field, Dr. Haynes and Dr. West have been doing well by using ultra violet lighting to detect human bite marks on rape victims. With this method they have helped to capture and convict ten rapists. Bite marks in the investigation and prosecution of rapists is vital, since many rapists bite their victims. Bite mark evidence can be as conclusive as both DNA and fingerprint evidence in the case of rape. Valuable information can be obtained from the analysis of the bite mark. Odontology has proved to be exceptionally accurate in violent rape cases, since bite marks are mostly present in violent rape cases (Haynes and West, 1992 as cited in Brennan, Gray- Ray, & Hensley, 1997).

It must be kept in mind that bite marks are not limited to skin. Teeth leave impressions on a number of things and if these are found at the crime scene they can help in the investigation, for e.g. a piece of chewing gum or food like cheese or chocolate (Geberth, 2006). As far back as 1906 in the UK, two burglars were convicted after one of them bit a piece of cheese which was found on the crime scene. The prosecutors then showed that imprint matched exactly his front teeth (Evans, 2004).

The quality of the physical evidence, the variable nature of skin bruising and the inability of dentists to accurately and scientifically prove that teeth are unique, create problems in the determination of positive identification to be used in court (Bowers, 2004). Legal challenges for bite mark evidence are usually two: reliability of analysis and whether it violates constitutional rights (Stimson & Mertz, 1997).

Though there are strong arguments that sustain that each human has a unique dental profile and is discernable in bite marks this has not been proven valid by any experiments and thus causes serious problems when presenting bite mark evidence in the courts of justice. The amount and degree of detail of the bite mark may vary from case to case and if it is assumed that human dentition is unique it is enough to use as forensic evidence. In the case where it is not known whether this individuality is specific, the most a bite mark can do is to exclude or include a person, as bite mark evidence is not sufficient to get a conviction (Bowers, 2004). More research is needed to prove beyond doubt that each human dentition is unique (Sweet & Pretty, 2001).

Other problems that are encountered with expert witnesses in court are that it is high unlikely that their qualifications will ever be challenged on stand and most of the time odontologists work only on a part time basis with a law enforcement agency. Another issue is the problem if a standard protocol. In this particular field, specialists tend to use their own methods. There is also the digital divide, while others use the older methods (acetate). When comparing results this causes difficulties since the methods used are not the same and therefore blind reviews reflect poorly on the professionalism of odontologists (O’Connor, 2006).

FAMOUS BITEMARK EVIDENCE CASES

The most famous case where bite mark evidence led to a conviction is definitely the case of the serial killer Ted Bundy. Nowadays when referring to bite mark evidence, people still talk about the Bundy case. Bundy was never caught until the expert testimony of Dr. Sauviron secured a conviction and subsequent execution. In the trial, photographic evidence of the bite marks and Bundy’s teeth were shown. The acetate of the bite mark was then placed over the photo of Bundy’s teeth leaving no doubt whose teeth had left the impression.

Nobody is certain how many people Bundy killed between 1973 and 1978, but he was finally convicted for the murder of Lisa Levy of Florida. This was done because of the bites that were found on her body. Forensic bite mark analysis showed beyond doubt that the impressions were left by Bundy’s irregular teeth (Lotter, 2008).

There were other cases were men were unfortunately convicted because of erroneous bite mark identification evidence. Ray Krone was jailed for ten years for a crime he had not committed. A waitress, in Phoenix was murdered in 1991 and Krone was sentenced for her murder. After DNA testing was done, Krone was free and the true perpetrator was identified. Forensic DNA was not available at the time of the prosecution and only a bite mark found on the victim’s breast connected Krone to the murder. Even though the evidence was very weak, he was convicted because of the bite mark a forensic odontologist had said matched the dentition of Krone. After an appeal, the tank top the victim was wearing was re examined and salvia was found that did not belong to Krone (Unknown Author, 2008). In 1992, Roy Brown was convicted of stabbing, beating, biting and strangling a social worker in New York. The case rested on one piece of evidence, a bite mark. A local dentist testified that they matched Brown’s teeth. He has been released in January 2007. DNA testing has proved that the saliva left in the bite mark did not match Brown’s. Other inconsistencies were that Brown has two missing front teeth, but the expert testified that these could have been filled by twisting the skin (Santos, 2007).

Unfortunately there were cases were the prosecution used bite mark evidence to secure convictions, even if the person was innocent. With DNA and other evidence becoming more widely available, most cases have been overturned where justice had not been served. Bite mark evidence must be used carefully and the over zealousness of prosecutors in acquiring a conviction must not interfere with evidence. In fact, in 1995 forensic odontologists have started to avoid using the term ‘match’ to eliminate errors, since other evidence should be produced together with bite marks (Santos, 2007). CSI effects on the general public has exaggerated the accurateness of bite mark evidence. Bite mark evidence can determine whether a subject can be excluded or whether the suspect could be the one who inflicted the bite. More research is needed since bite mark evidence on its own does not always produce conclusive results.

Demography Changes and Crime: Rising Elderly Population

2008-07-01T18:26:00.001+02:00

Introduction

Demography is essentially the study of populations, divided into different sectors mainly; natural change which include births and deaths, net migration, age component and finally marriage, separation/divorce and headship rates. Demographic studies are important when planning future policies and investment decisions regarding schools, hospitals, roads, recreational facilities and power and water supplies. Research on changing population trends are of utmost importance in planning investment.

Planning Authority Topic Paper on Demography Report

Malta is a densely populated country with very limited land resources. Population projections enable the authorities to plan size and structure of future households and other policy making such as on education, health and social services. These projections serve also for traffic management, communications, leisure, recreational needs and urban and environmental planning. Our recent entry into the EU is also to be taken into account in terms of possible migration.

While certain events such as birth, mortality and migration can be somewhat predictable, other choices such as contraception are not as easy to predict. All in all, population predictions are not an easy task and are non linear and pretty volatile and need detailed analysis of quantitative data. The 2001 Topic Paper on demography is the third of its kind pepared by the Planning Authority to enable future and effective planning.

The projections in this paper cover the period from 1995 to 2020. Since it covers a period of twenty five years, one cannot expect a high degree of accuracy. The projections are based on the 1995 census of Population and Housing data. The Regional Projections are then based on the seven local plans defined by the Planning Authority, which are Central Malta, Gozo and Comino, Grand Harbour, Marsaxlokk Bay, North Harbours, North West and South Malta.

The cohort component method, used in most developed countries, was used for national projection in the Maltese island. This method is based on five year age cohorts and has the advantage of letting population change to be inserted and adjusted. An individual analysis is therefore of benefit as it influences the demographic components that effect the projection results. Age and gender are always included when formulating population projections.

Population projections usually assume that future events will be somewhat similar to past events. The hypothesis of the topic paper is based on mortality, reproductive behaviour and migration to understand the Maltese demographic situation.

Trends in the Maltese Islands

Low birth and mortality rates have been experienced in Malta for quite some time now, demographically we call this late transitional. This means that the population will be moving towards a post- transitional period and increase will be very low or none at all. Further rises in life expectancy, especially for females are to be expected but migration is still a volatile component to be considered. According to the 2001 report Malta is one of the highest in Europe when it comes to life expectancy with an average of 77.5 for both males and females. Postponement of death is mainly due to betterment in health services and a decrease in degenerative diseases. Other factors that increase life expectancy are the improvements in living standards.

Women tend to live more than men. According to the 2001 Planning Authority Demography Topic Paper, women tend to ‘engage less in life threatening lifestyles, such as alcoholism… less exposed to hazardous work environments.’ (Miljanic Brinkworth, Vassallo, Pace Asciak, Formosa, Brigulio and Bhowmick, 2001). Until 2000 the gender gap will continue to widen and after 2005 it is expected to narrow. At 2020 life expectancy will be 78 for males and 83 for females (Miljanic Brinkworth et al., 2001)

During the 1990’s life expectancy increased, with a fluctuation for males. In 2020, females’ life expectancy is expected to stabilize while male life expectancy will continue to rise to about 76.5 (Miljanic Brinkworth et al., 2001). Since the age of the population is going to increase, planners must start to think about the changes in housing, community care, old people’s homes, pension sustainability, schools and hospitals and so on.

Since 1985 fertility rates have been on the decrease. This is due to a number of reasons; more women are working, studying and therefore postponing marriage and having children to a later stage in their life. Fewer children are also being born due to these factors. Fertility rates have fallen below the replacement level of 2.1 according to the census, 35% of mothers have two children while 18% have 1 child (Miljanic Brinkworth et al., 2001). Since the number of children born are less than ever, this will have repercussions that planners must take into consideration e.g. education, employment, housing etc. Is it worth building more schools when there won’t be enough children to use them? Will there be enough people working to sustain the pensions of the larger ageing population in the coming years? Will there be more migration because of better jobs abroad and how will this effect Malta? With the increase of migrants in Malta, how will this affect the population trends?

Migration is a problem for calculating population change since it is very volatile. The post war period in Malta was dominated by three net migration peaks, with a decade apart. 1954 was the year most people left Malta, with a total of 11,447, followed respectively by the years 1950, 1964 and 1965 with over 8000 migrants in each year. From 1976 to 1997 there were a number of migrants that returned to Malta, mainly dominated by males (Miljanic Brinkworth et al., 2001). These movements of people obviously had repercussions on the population structure. Since we have now joined the EU, migration is once again on the agenda. Will there be a migration of men alone or will whole families migrate? One must also note that people will migrate to Malta as a result of our joining the EU. In recent years we have seen an increase of illegal immigrants and refugees on our shores coming from the African continent. Some of these will proceed to other European countries or USA, while others will set up family here. This is an issue planners must keep in mind as this will have a bearing on projections.

The 2001 Planning Authority study based the regional population projections on the seven local plans mentioned before. This was done to chart the internal migration in Malta, with the census data as the authoritative source. Economic prospects, ideal environment, housing availability and so on are linked to internal migration. Child bearing has no relevance in this sector since fertility rates do not vary among local plans. The same can be said on mortality rates. Size and structure though have an effect on internal migration. In the Grand Harbour Local Plan, with the current conditions, by the year 2020 the population will have decreased to 6700 from 30700. The urban and social fabric will automatically have severe consequences. Internal migration is estimated at 3% of the total population, and is usually in their own locality of vicinity. An increase in population is expected in all localities except for the Grand Harbour local plan (Miljanic Brinkworth et al., 2001).

For structure plan review purposes household projections are required in order to plan for housing provisions, urban services, transport, education and recreation. The projections are based on an analysis of households by age and gender. An increase of households can be expected since female independence has increased and there are a greater number of separations, and single mothers. Co- habitation is also on the increase though not as much as in Europe. This could be because co-habitation is not yet so accepted in Malta and accommodation is not cheap. Renting is not an option for many people. Many do not leave their parents’ home until they are married and this is prolonged more for those who continue their tertiary education. Males marry later than females and therefore stay longer in their parental homes (Decannini, 1999 as cited in Miljanic Brinkworth et al., 2001).

An increase in household can be also attributed to the government’s help in keeping the elderly in the community. 80% of Maltese elderly prefer to continue living at home (Delia, 1993 as cited in Miljanic Brinkworth et al., 2001). By 2020, 60 year olds will be more active and therefore will continue to live at home, while those in a home will be of an older age.

The report forecasts that in comparison to 1995 in 2020 there will be; a larger population estimated at 434,260, a higher proportion of males, a higher proportion of people over 60 years of age, a lower birth rate, a higher death rate, a higher fertility rate, higher life expectancy for both males and females, an average international migration of 775, smaller households, more households, more persons in institutions, more people residing in the central Malta local plan, less people residing in Gozo and Comino Local Plan area, lower population in the Grand Harbour area and approximately the same for the other Local Plan areas (Miljanic Brinkworth et al., 2001).

Increasing Elderly Population

In Malta the projected percentage distribution by age and sex for the years 2006, 2015 and 2035 show an increase in the aging population that reaches a 13.8% for females and an 11.5% for males in the 75 and over range in the year 2035. This contrasts greatly with the low 3.7% and 3.8% of those born in this same period. The trend shows an increase in the elderly population and a steady decrease in the birth rate (National Statistics Office, 2006).

In November 2005, the average age of the population stood at 38.5 years, compared to 35.7 years in 1995 and 33.8 in 1985 ( National Statistics Office, 2005). This resulted from a declining fertility rate, 16.1 % less than in 1995 while an increase was noted in the 50 to 64 age group and 65 and over range group, with an increase of 42.5% and 28.6% respectively National Statistics Office, 2006). The dependency ratio[1] in 2005 decreased to 44.7% compared to 50.4% in 1995. This is due to the low fertility rate that in 10 years decreased by 0.4 per mother.

With the increase of the elderly in our societies, crimes against the elderly are bound to rise. ‘… the rejection of the value of the elderly … they become dehumanised… opens the doors to crime…’ (Montague, 2006). The likelihood of being a victim of crime is strongly related to one’s age (Fattah, 1991 as cited in Carrington, 2001). A study in 2003 in the state of Idaho concluded that the poorer the elderly, the more likely they are to become victims. This can be attributed to the unsustainability of the pension schemes present that put elderly in sticky situations. Their choice of housing depends on their income, and therefore might have to live in crimogenic areas (Montague, 2006).

In Australia, the population is ageing steadily and like other older people in other countries they are at risk mainly from four main sources. The first and most common is being a victim of family members, friends or acquaintances they trust. These may assault them, abuse them or steal from them. There is also the risk that strangers will victimise the elders and commercial organisations (white collar criminals) who would defraud them (Graycar, 1999). The high level of victimisation can be due to the fact that the elderly have accumulated savings over the years. Inflation can make them feel that they will not cope economically, and so they are prone to fraudulent activities who promise them money for investing their hard earned cash (Miyazawa, 1990).

Losses are occurring in a broad sociological context, since we are experiencing an ever increasing aging society (Rathbone- McCuan, 1986). The increase has given rise to a greater demand for state and private provisions especially since family and kinship models are changing. Even though in Malta, cultural values are still strong, the family is undergoing major changes. The elderly have become a burden on society and institutions are now filling the gap (Agius, 1989). Elderly who are in institutions or receive care at home are at risk of being abused or neglected by their carers (Graycar, 1999). Fraud and abuse in institution settings for elderly are of the financial kind were personal funds are stolen or misused, rights abuse such as privacy and right to information, neglect and physical and psychological abuse (Halamandaris, 1983 & Stathopoulos, 1983 as cited in Rathbone- McCuan, 1986).Victimizing will become even greater in the years to come when the current population will reach very advanced stages of ageing (Rathbone- McCuan, 1986). Therefore the fear of crime in the elderly is not unfounded. Among the aged the risk of crime is of a predatory, economic type and can also result from abuse from those who care for them (Graycar, 1999).

Community and home based care should be provided to help families with elderly in need of care thus avoiding the need to be institutionalized. In 2007, elderly over 80 in Germany were over four million. They are living longer and healthier lives which means that there is a need for a ‘societal infrastructure that accommodates the needs of an ageing population’ (Unknown Author, 2007). Suitable housing is to be provided as well as urging public institutions to provide ramps for wheelchairs, companies and shops to provide services such as carrying bags for the elderly and so on. Germany is not prepared to cope with the growing number of health problems that affect the elderly and is still relying on the family to provide care. Most elderly prefer to live at home and one should look to alternatives such as multi family housing where several generations of a family live in different apartments but under the same roof (Lenz as cited in Unknown author, 2007). In the United States a concept is growing rapidly called ‘independent living’. This is where elderly who are still relatively healthy live in a community. Meals are provided for them and shops, banks, transport and medical services are accessible. This could be an excellent approach that could be adopted and customised according to local needs. In Malta, we already some services that help the elderly in their home such as Telecare[2], meals on wheels[3] and handy man services. Reliance on the welfare state and government homes for the elderly is unfortunately considerable in Malta, with a large waiting list for St. Vincent De Paule Home for the Elderly (Dunn, 2001).

Migration of elderly people to coastal is being experienced in many countries. People move to other countries such as Spain and Malta that offer mild weather and better living conditions then for example in Britain. In the USA, the elderly populate places like Florida and Long Island, as these areas provide them with an ideal life. Elder people tend to migrate to places which offer ‘the slower more relaxed pace and the natural beauty’ (Spencer, 2000). Others migrate because of the availability of cheaper and better health services. These movements create a number of age related problems such as transport and mobility problems, high demand for health services, less people working and so on. Innovative ways to improve transport and delivery of services should be devised. Communications and information technology can offer solutions to some of these problems. For example, shopping from one’s home will reduce travelling for the elderly as goods are delivered directly to their homes. The same can be said of financial transactions. In 20 years time technology will be more effective and more useful in aiding the elderly in becoming independent (Spencer, 2000).

In Japan, by the beginning of the 21^st century 25% of its population will be elderly. It is interesting to note that Miyazawa, 1990 included crime committed by the elderly in his study. 3.9% of the total individuals apprehended by the police were elderly. The offences committed by the elderly were mostly property offences followed closely by embezzlement and fraud. Why do the elderly turn to criminal behaviour? According to Miyazawa, 1990 the reasons are various. He tries to explain them by saying that the elderly are forced to retreat from social life creating a certain amount of resentment resulting from economic and psychological deprivation and this may ultimately lead to deviant behaviour. The loss of work due to retirement can cause the energy and capabilities of the elderly to be diverted to deviant behaviour. Since the elderly population is increasing all over the world, crime by the elderly must be considered too and solutions be found and plans drawn up (Miyazawa, 1990).

Fresco, 2003 wrote an article in the Chicago Tribune about how elderly drivers were involved in most car accidents. In Long island, drivers over 75 had the second highest fatality rate in 2000. Though older drivers aim for the easiest traffic, and drive fewer miles, avoiding rush hours, in bad weather and at nights they still are a risk on the road. This is because many older drivers have slower reflexes, poorer hearing and vision. These issues are likely to multiply as the ageing population increases. Lack of suitable public transportation, suburban housing with spread out patterns will create problems. The administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in Washington D.C. admitted that this was going to be a huge problem, and people will still have to ‘get around… to the store…to the doctor, the church’ (Fresco, 2003). If the elderly are made to give up their licence, they will face a lot of difficulties in leading an independent life.

The demographic changes of the population will continue and so will the overall crime rate as a result. If an age group, such as the youngsters’ will decline and is replaced by age groups characterized by lower offending rates, the crime rate will automatically decline (Carrington, 2001). Companies and businesses, the community and government must find solutions to the problems that will be encountered by the inevitable increasing ageing population.

[1] Dependency ratio is the sum of people aged less than 15 and over 65 years.

[2] The Telecare Service enables the subscriber to call for assistance when required. It aims to provide peace of mind to older adults, disabled persons and those with special needs, thus encouraging them to continue living in their own home. Telecare is also a source of reassurance for the subscriber’s carers and relatives. (www.sahha.gov.mt)

[3] The scope of the Meals on Wheels is to support elderly persons and others who are still living in their own home but who are unable to prepare a decent meal. The Maltese Cross Corps (a non-governmental organization) in collaboration with the Department for the Elderly and Community Care provide these individuals with a cooked meal. (www.sahha.gov.mt)

Quo Vadis Pensions?

2008-06-20T08:43:00.001+02:00

The development of Social Security from the 1920’s.

In 1927, the Widows and Orphans Pensions Act was introduced. This was the very first provision to be made, and it granted pensions to the widows and children of deceased Public officers. It was a contributory scheme, and thus the concept of Social security was introduced in our island. The Old Age Pensions Act, of 1948, provided for the payment of pensions to persons over the age of sixty years. This was not based on contributions, but on a financial means test of the person claiming such a pension. Then in 1956, ‘The National Assistance act was brought into being. This provided to heads of household who were unemployed, giving them social and medical assistance. Simultaneously, The National Insurance Act, was introduced. This Act provided a comprehensive scheme of social insurance financed through contributions paid by the employee, his employer and the State. It covered a wide range of benefits, allowances and pensions. This scheme was compulsory. In 1965, self-employed persons and non-employed were also included in the National Insurance Act, making this scheme applicable to all of the Maltese population. Further on in 1979, a new contributory system was introduced within the National Insurance Act, for the payment of wage/income related retirement pension and pension

scheme for widows calculated on their deceased husband’s wage/income. Further more , a National Minimum Pension was introduced. Any person claiming a contributory pension would not fall below a certain rate of pension provided he had a full contribution to his credit.

TYPES OF PENSIONS.

There are different types of pensions. Prior to 1979, there was the National Minimum Pension, the Retirement pension and the Increased Retirement Pension. Similarly under the widows, and invalidity schemes one finds the counter parts of the retirement pension categories. Commonly these pension rates are normally referred to as flat rate pensions. To be eligible for a Pension a person paid flat rate Contributions and was awarded a Flat rate of pension according to average of Contributions paid during the insured person’s life.

After 1979, with the introduction of the two-thirds pension scheme an insured person is liable to pay 1/12 of his wage or salary per week as a Social Security Contribution and is entitled to two-thirds of his Pensionable income. The main difference between the Retirement pension and the two-thirds pension , was basically that whilst the former is based mainly on the payment of Flat rates contributions to obtain a flat rate pension, the latter scheme provides for the payment of an income related contribution to obtain incomes related pension.

Retirement, according to the Social Security act means the attainment of pension age, which in the case of men means the age of 61 and in the case of women, the age of 60. this definition remains valid as long as the person concerned has retired from gainful activity. The law considers that retirement from gainful activity between the ages of 61 and 65 in the case of males, and 60 and 65 in the case of females occurs when the person is not earning more than the national Minimum wage.

The two-thirds pension is an Income related pension. Therefore a person’s yearly income together with the relevant contributions paid or credited are a deciding factor to determine the applicable pension rate. In the case of an employed person the pensionable income is calculated by taking the average of the best three consecutive calendar years during the last ten years prior to retirement. In the case of a self-employed person, the average of his net income of the last ten calendar years prior to his retirement are considered to establish his Pensionable Income.

CONTRIBUTORY SCHEMES VS NON-CONTRIBUTORY SCHEMES.

One scheme is the Contributory Scheme, and the other is the Non-Contributory Scheme. In the Contributory Scheme, the basic requirement for entitlement is that specific contribution conditions are satisfied. In the Non-Contributory Scheme, the basic requirement is that the conditions of the means test are satisfied.

The Non-Contributory Act Scheme which was originally meant to cater for those below the ‘poverty line’, has now succeeded in the provision of additional assistance to certain specific categories such as, in the case of people with a disability and in the case of single parents.

The Contributory Scheme may be said to cater for the other side of the coin. It is universal as this scheme practically covers all strata of society. The Contributory Scheme in Malta is a system where an employee, self-occupied or self-employed person pays a weekly contribution as laid down by the Social Security act. A ‘pay as you go’ system. This means that you contribute during the period that you are gainfully active in order to provide for yourself when a sickness, unemployment or retirement occurs.

CONTRIBUTORY SCHEMES.

The first Legislative measure about Contributory Schemes came into effect with the introduction of The Workmen’s Compensation Act of 1929. this Act provided only for workers in cases of injury on duty that rendered the worker incapable for a permanent job and was awarded 60cents per week, and 50cents were awarded to a widow whose husband died while performing his duty. The milestone in the field of Contributory Pensions started with the enactment of the National Insurance Act of 1956. this law was based on the lines of the U.K Social Security . all employed persons over the age of eighteen were liable to pay contributions according to the law. For this scheme, the employer, the employee and the State equally share towards the fund. Those who paid contributions were eligible to the following benefits:

Retirement Pension

Widow’s pension

Disablement pension (injury on duty 20%)

Widow’s pension for a fatal accident on place of work

Guardian’s Pension.

Both single and Married persons were eligible for these benefits provided that they were employed and paid Contributions under the

National Insurance Act. A widow was eligible for Widow’s pension etc. if her husband paid contribution accordingly. The second phase of this scheme came into effect in 1965. the self employed joined in the National Insurance Scheme as from 1965. they paid the full contribution themselves. Also, the Invalidity Pension was introduced in 1965.

From this stage onwards it should be noted that Pensions were now being awarded to both employed and self-employed persons as long as they satisfied the relevant Contribution conditions. By 1979, we saw the introduction of the national two-thirds pension. This pension is an earnings related pension. These new schemes were aimed primarily at ensuring a reasonable income both for the elderly as well as for those unfortunate widows whose spouses die prior to attaining retirement pension age.

NON - CONTRIBUTORY BENEFITS.

Unlike the contributory schemes , these non-contributory benefits are not based on contributions, but on a financial means test of the person claiming such pension/benefit or allowance. They are mainly aimed at providing social and medical assistance (both in cash and

in kind). They are entitled to claim age pension, which is payable to citizens of Malta over sixty years of age. It is subject to a Capital Resource test and a Means test. Capital Resources must not exceed Lm7000 in the case of a married couple or Lm4000 in other cases.

CONCLUSION

There has been a growing debate on the sustainability of the Maltese Social Security System. In particular attention has been focused on the impact of the ageing population projected by demographic experts, on future expenditure. These experts predict that by the year 2025 the ratio of the gainfully employed to pensioners will decrease from the current 4.35:1 to an alarming 2.50:1. this is alarming because the current welfare gap is already barely supportable given the rate of national Insurance contributions and the range of benefits these contributions are supposed to support. A revision of the current Pension schemes is needed quickly.

Beauty is the wonder of all wonders

2008-06-20T08:32:00.000+02:00

14^th May 1996

Beauty is the wonder of all wonders.

Perceiving more than the naked eye can, he raised his head slightly over his ice cold beer. Observing the mirror intensely through his sheltered sunglasses, Errol smiled inwardly as he blissfully noted the looks. He knew, oh yes he did know what effect he had. He was handsome, not plainly handsome but a stunning beauty. His long blond hair was brushed haphazardly with strands falling purposely at the sides giving him an amazing air of vitality. His eyes were exquisitely set, round ands grey, gleaming their radiance and youth in contrast to his perfectly tanned skin, projecting an appearance of zest and zeal. Above and below his small, full lips, sensuous and cherry red he kept the beggar look with a three day brush. With or without it, he still portrayed the cute baby face, even at the age of seventeen. His medium height, and sturdy well built body sat straight, broad shoulders accentuated by his toned down James dean style of clothing.

He had lived his early teens with this valuable knowledge, using it and only productively like a commander at battle in the manoeuvre room. He had a away of walking and doing things that distinguished him form his fellow mates. Beauty was what made him great and what made him stand out in a crowd, which made him, himself- Erroll.

He has long conceived the idea that he did not need anything else in life. The gods had blessed him with a supreme gift and he was to make use of it. He often came to think of all those unfortunate inferior beings who could never know what it meant to be so, to know the ecstatic feeling. How awful it must feel to wake up one fine morning and whilst looking at Joe mirror, see the horrid image reflected in man’s best friend, thought Erroll.

10 years later…

As he looked out of the window he could trace the figures of two people, barely twenty metres away, their voices audible, but he choose rather not to listen as he sat back down, behind his easel as he painted. His hands seemed to jump, not move as he poured his anguish with thick bold oils. The room was purposely dim, squinting his tired eyes under a heavy French beret, as tears rolled down in frustration; he suddenly focused on the ongoing conversation below. What was she telling him? If only he could stop them, if only he could tell her something. But he did not dare. She would not think twice about leaving him and then what would he do? Walking out , the suns rays hit the mirror and he suddenly peered springing into a fit of hysteria, flinging his freshly painted easel at his revolting image, it suddenly crashed into thousands of tiny fragments.

‘Beauty is the wonder of all wonders; he heard her say to the sombre but young individual standing. Anger started to burn in him. If only he had not driven that damn car, if only he could do something, tell her …. Oh !! How he wished he could, as he felt his creepy skin. She was right! She was always right ! The gods can take the gift away at any time. Erroll was not invincible.

False Confessions

2008-06-20T08:18:00.003+02:00

A confession is a detailed written or sometimes oral statement in which a person admits to having committed a criminal offence. Confessions are very powerful evidential tools in criminal law when it comes to trials and sure convictions. They are an irrefutable admission of guilt. Police officers see the interrogation process as a means to obtain a confession or further evidence which will prove the person’s guilt (Ainsworth, 2000). Serious factors that elicit false confessions are those that are the consequence of police interrogation methods which are designed to encourage confession by the guilty but may encourage confession by the innocent (Howitt, 2006). Not all false confessions are solicited by police. The consequence of falsely confessing can be as serious as those who give a true confession. They are at a high risk of being convicted even though they might retract their confession later on, which will probably not be accepted. “From a psychological perspective, a false confession is any detailed admission to a criminal act that the confessor did not commit” (Kassin and Gudjosson, 2004).There are various reasons why people might confess to a crime they have never committed.

Kassin (1997) classifies false confessions into three types, voluntary false confession, coerced-compliant false confession and coerced-internalized false confession: Voluntary false confessions are self incriminating statements that are offered without external pressure. There are several reasons why a person might be inclined to do this. One may do it to protect a relative or friend, especially when it has to do with juvenile offenders. Another reason is the pathological need for fame, acceptance, recognition or self punishment an example of this is the kidnapping of the baby of the famous aviator Charles Lindbergh, when more than 200 people confessed to the crime (Kassin, 1997).

In Coerced – Complaint false confessions suspects confess after intense interrogation pressures. This happens when the suspect confesses in order to escape of avoid more interrogation or to gain what the police have offered in return of a confession. The confession in this case is merely an act of compliance and the suspect knows that he/she is innocent but believe that by confessing they will be left alone etc. They are only aware of the short term effects of confessing and never bear in mind that this will lead to persecution and possibly incarceration. They often plead guilty as the police make them believe they will be granted penalty reductions (Kassin, 1997). An example of this is when 5 teenage boys, aged 14 to 17 after intense interrogations that lasted between 14 to 30 hours, confessed to being involved in the violent attack of a 28 year-old woman. The teenagers later said that they had simply told police officers what they wanted to hear, so they would be able to go home (Meissner and Russano, 2003).

One of the most interesting types of false confessions is the Coerced- internalized confessions. An innocent person confesses after being subjected to methods of interrogation that cause major anxiety and confusion. The suspect ends up actually thinking they might have committed the crime. This is very dangerous as a suspect’s memory of his/her actions can be altered and the suspect no longer can identify the truth. This type of confession may happen mostly is the suspect is vulnerable, for example is naïve, young, lacks intelligence coupled with false evidence that makes he/she believe that they have really committed the act (Kassin, 1997). When suspects are confronted with false evidence of their guilt, for example being told that they failed a polygraph exam or that their DNA was found at the scene of the crime, they begin questioning their memory on what really happened and about their involvement in the crime (Meissner and Russano, 2003). The most famous case involving coerced- internalized false confessions is the one involving Paul Ingram, a deputy sheriff accused of the satanic ritual abuse of his daughter (Meissner and Russano, 2003). Ingram initially denied the charges, but after 5 months of repeat interrogation, hypnotism and encouragement to remember the abuse he succumbed and confessed. He was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, without any physical evidence to support the confession. Ingram’s memory vulnerability came from being repeatedly told by investigators and psychologists “that it would be natural for him to repress memories of his crimes, and that his memory could be recovered by praying to God for answers”. (He was a deeply religious man) (Meissner and Russano, 2003).

In 1974, members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) planted bombs in two pubs in Guildford, England. Five persons were killed and 57 injured. A month later, a bomb exploded in The King's Arms in Woolrich, South London, killing 2 and injuring 27. The explosions caused public outrage, and some 150 detectives went to work on the case. Four of the suspects who were rounded up confessed to the crimes. They were convicted and imprisoned. Gudjonnson, joined by others looked into the case and eventually made it clear that the four had confessed to crimes they did not commit. After 15 years in prison they were acquitted and released. The above case serves as excellent examples of investigator bias. The police had to be outraged by these senseless bombings. Their rage may have made them “will to believe” was really guilty or innocent. Gudjonnson pinpointed this cloudy dilemma: “Interrogation bias may result in police officers being particularly vigilant and receptive to information that is consistent with their prior assumptions and beliefs, whilst ignoring, minimizing or distorting information that contradicts their assumptions. Information that does not support the interviewer's hypotheses may be erroneously interpreted as lies, misunderstanding, evasiveness or defensiveness” According to Gusjonsson, the stronger the interviewer's prior assumptions and beliefs, the greater the interrogator's bias.

Police officers who manage to elicit a confession are rewarded with a lot of respect. Their methods of interviewing suspects are seen as a way of showing their ‘professional prowess’ (Ainsworth, 2000). Police officers are highly motivated to solve crimes and sometimes do all they can to get a confession from their suspects. Stress, pressure and threat are applied to the interrogation as they increase fear, anxiety, guilt or anger. This, according to the police will test their ‘guilty knowledge’ (Ainsworth, 2000). Gudjonsoon is critical of police deceitful techniques. He feels that “police trickery and deception deprives suspects of the opportunity of making informed and rational decisions about their right not to incriminate themselves”

Gudjosson and Clark suggested the concept of ‘interrogative suggestibility’ to explain how individuals respond differently to police questioning. ‘Interrogative suggestibility’ according to Gudjosson is how people in a closed social area accept messages during questioning and how their behaviour and response is affected by this (Conti, 1999). Gudjosson described five elements that he saw make part of the ‘interrogative suggestibility’: Closed interaction between the suspect and interrogator, questioning procedure with two or more participants, suggestive stimulus (hints, ideas), acceptance of the suggested stimulus and behavioural response to the suggestions (accepted or not). In such a situation the interrogator can manipulate trust, uncertainty and expectation to be able to alter the person’s susceptibility to suggestions (Conti, 1999).

Characteristics of the person affect the way this method works out. People with low intelligence, poor memory, low self esteem, anxiety are more prone to be suggestible and more likely to give false statements and confess to crimes they did not commit. Introverts are more capable to be conditioned easily than extroverts, and since many criminals are extroverts and designed for the typical criminal, may have an adverse effect on innocent introverts. (Conti, 1999) Stress is another important factor that interrogators use to elicit confessions. A certain amount of stress applied to a normal person might get the truth of him/her, but if it is applied to someone who is psychologically weak, it may result in a false confession (Conti, 1999).

In order to reduce the incidence of false confessions police investigators should receive special training in appropriate interviewing skills. During training, special attention should also be given to dealing with individuals with special needs such as the mentally impaired and juveniles during interrogation. Effective communication practices by investigators will lead to accuracy and accountability in the criminal justice system and hopefully reduce the number of erroneous convictions (Cassell, 1998). The judicial system needs to be more aware of the inapt approaches of eliciting confessions from suspects in custody. Interrogations should be centered on eliciting the truth rather than trying to get a confession. When questioning a potential suspect, the investigator should take on a disinterested role rather than an adversarial one (Conti, 1999). The length of interviews, are also detrimental and can account for false confessions. Long interrogations cause anxiety and stress. Limiting the amount of time interrogations can last, the time they are held, for example not when the suspect is supposed to be sleeping will reduce the phenomenon of false confessions (Conti, 1999). In order to eliminate foregone conclusions and to guarantee the accuracy and authenticity of confessions, it is vital that statements issued be substantiated by evidence. With DNA tests exonerating scores of persons wrongly accused and convicted of crimes, claims of false confessions have been vindicated.

Another idea is to videotape or audiotape all interrogations. Mandatory videotaping requirement would serve a dual purpose of protecting police agencies from claims of misconduct and safeguarding the rights of suspects (Moushey and Perry, 2006). Meissner and Russano presented the ‘best practice’ recommendations for interrogating suspects. The first is Transparency of the Interrogation process, which advocates the video taping of interrogations to be able to reduce the practice of investigators changing their use of coercive techniques to pre interrogation techniques, and that the angle of the video taping shows both the investigator and the suspect to reduce biases of third parties when deciding on the voluntariness of the confession. The second recommendation is The Identification of Suspect Vulnerabilities. Certain individuals are more susceptible than others, especially if they are children/juveniles or mentally challenged. In these cases, assistance should be provided to these individuals. The psychological and physical state of the suspects should be taken in consideration at the time of interrogation. Factors such as recent use of drugs or alcohol, lack of sleep or pain must be also considered. In this case, the interrogation should cease until the individual is in a ‘normal’ state. The third recommendation by Meissner and Russano is The Avoidance of Techniques that Increase the Likelihood of False Confessions. Certain factors are known to influence individuals to falsely confess, so interrogators are advised not to use negative influence such as suggesting memory failure theories and presenting false evidence. Interrogators according to Meissner and Russano should also try not to lengthen interrogations and not offer leniency or bargains in exchange of a confession. The final recommendation by Meissner and Russano is the Post-Interrogation Analysis of Confession Reliability suggested by Leo and Oshe (1998). An evaluation of all the fact pre interrogation and post interrogation is recommended to check that all the facts are consistent.

Heroin : Use and Abuse

2008-06-19T19:16:00.003+02:00

Use and abuse of heroin

Heroin is an illegal, highly addictive drug and the most rapidly acting of the opiates. Heroin is processed from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seed pod of certain varieties of poppy plants.

Heroin is typically sold as a white or brownish powder or as the black sticky substance known on the streets as ‘black tar heroin’. Most street heroin is cut with other drugs or substances such as sugar, starch, powdered milk etc. Typically, in Malta heroin or as it is better know ‘smack’ is sold in paper packets, not more than a finger nail in size, at Lm10 each. Heroin abusers never know the actual strength of the drug and so are always at risk of overdose or death. Other problems stemming out of heroin use is the transmission of HIV and other diseases that occur from sharing needles

How is heroin used?

Heroin is usually injected, sniffed or smoked. A heroin addict may typically inject up to four times a day. Intravenous injections provide the greatest intensity and most rapid onset of euphoria, (7 to 8 seconds) while intramuscular injection provides a relatively slow onset of euphoria (5 to 8 minutes) Heroin that is sniffed or smoked does not produce a rush and its peak effects are usually felt within 10 to 15 minutes

(Adapted from the National Institute of Drug Abuse)

According to NIDA researchers all three forms of heroin administration are addictive. The short term and immediate effects of heroin use are the rush, depressed respiration, clouded mental functioning, nausea and vomiting and suppression of pain. (Parker, 2002a:15) After the injection or inhalation, heroin crosses the blood barrier and is converted to morphine in the brain. That is when abusers report a rush. “Take the best orgasm you've ever had. Multiply it by a thousand and you're still nowhere near.” This quote taken from the book and film ‘Trainspotting’ by Irvine Welsh best describes the heroin induced bliss addicts feel. Heroin is particularly addictive as it enters the brain so rapidly. ‘The rush is then accompanied by a warm flushing of the skin, dry mouth and a heavy feeling in the extremities which may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting and severe itching. ‘(Parker, 2002b:15) The long term effects are addiction, infectious diseases for example, HIV and hepatitis B and C , collapsed veins, bacterial infections, abscesses, infection of heart lining and valves , arthritis and other rheumatologic problems. (Parker, 2002c: 16)

Addiction is the most detrimental long term effects of heroin. Addiction is chronic, relapsing disease, characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use and by neuro chemical and molecular changes in the brain. Like abusers of all other drugs, heroin users gradually spend more and more time and energy obtaining and using the drug. The heroin abusers’ primary purpose in life becomes seeking and using the drug.

‘Junk is not like alcohol or weed, a means to increased enjoyment of life. Junk is not a kick. It is a way of life.’ (Burroughs, 1953a)

Physical dependence develops with higher doses of the drug. Withdrawal symptoms occur if use is reduced or stopped abruptly. Symptoms of withdrawal include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhoea, vomiting, cold flashes (where the term cold turkey comes from) and leg movements. Physical dependence and the emergence of withdrawal symptoms were once thought to be the key features of heroin addiction. But cravings and relapse can occur weeks and months after withdrawal symptoms are long gone. This may be because the patient in pain is simply seeking relief and not the rush sought by the addict.

The Socio- Psychological explanation of its use.

There is no characteristic personality style that can be called ‘the addictive personality’. However, there are common personality traits, symptoms, and psychodynamic factors that occur in clusters of addicted persons. Many psychologists have come up with theories to try to explain addiction.

Stanton et al.’s (1982) findings about symptom function in families of drug addicts, (heroin):

1. The regressive heroin euphoria, which is characterized by infantile fusion with the mother, permits the addict a symbolic reunification with the mother and family of childhood. The drug’s blunting effects permit the addict to feel distant from overwhelming fears of incorporation while maintaining an illusory intimacy. This is true of other depressant drugs.

2. Heroin produces a sense of power and omnipotence that may unleash aggression towards family members, especially parents. This rage enables the addict to feel temporarily autonomous and freed from family bonds. The addicts chosen life is also a defiant ‘quantum leap’ from that of the family.

3. The regressive, sexually equivalent heroin high, and the resultant ‘ripping and running’ lifestyle, prevent the male addict from developing lasting and intimate relationships particularly with women. In the latter stages of addiction, drug use eradicates the sex drive.

4. As a result of the first three factors as well as underlying narcissistic personality, addicts form only pseudo families of procreation.”(Kaufman, 1994a:10)

Milkman and Frosch (1973) found a difference between heroin addicts and amphetamine abusers who had abused both drugs and experienced a preference for one of the two. For those whose choice of drug was heroin suffer from depression and despair, and relived anxiety by withdrawal from others and repression of conflict through satiation by the drug. In a later work, Milkman and Frosch (1980) emphasized the heroin addicts’ need to relive sporadic rage with opiates. Khantazian (1979) noted the specific muting and stabilizing effects of narcotics on rage and aggression. In a study of 200 heroin addicts, he also found developmental deficiencies that led to outbursts of rage, poor impulse control and dysphoria. Heroin then moderated the threat their violent feelings posed to themselves and others. On opiates, they experienced a sensation of total physical relief, which they described as mellow and calm. (Kaufman, 1994b:26)

Heroin users usually belong to a sub culture. Both heavy heroin users and controlled heroin users are bound together in small isolated groups that develop idiosyncratic, rigid rituals and social sanctions. These groups are always very fragile and drug centered. Compulsive users and controlled users rituals are usually the same. In both groups, people squabble over who gets off first, belts are used as ties and so on. The addict’s ritual is an expression of wistful identification and the outlaw’s bold stance is attractive to them.

Media, films, music and stars have in the past few decades put the spotlight on heroin use and have in some way added to its glamour. In the mid 1990’s a waif looking, emaciated, drug addicted look was popular in the fashion world. Pale skin, dark circles underneath the eyes and jutting bones were seen on the runaway models showcasing the ‘heroin chic’ look. Calvin Klein ads featured these looks in 1997. Fashion designers, model Kate Moss and movies such as ‘Trainspotting’ and ‘Pulp Fiction’ were blamed for glamorizing the heroin chic look and life style. The heroin chic fashion provided much controversy. In 1997, Bill Clinton felt he had to voice his opinion on this. President Clinton decried ‘heroin chic’ fashion photography, for sending a message that using the once feared drug is ‘glamorous’ or ‘sexy’. Clinton speaking about US drug policy took note of recent admissions by magazine editors that the ‘wasted addict’ look in some fashion layouts had glamorized heroin use. He continued to say that the glorification of heroin was not creative but destructive. It was not about art. Clinton continued to say that while cocaine use had declined, heroin use had gone up and he said that part of the reason was ‘the images that are finding their way to young people’. David Sorrenti, a fashion photographer, who used these images, died aged 20 of a heroin overdose when Clinton made these remarks to the press.

Long before this 1997 incident, heroin has been the main protagonist of lyrics, books and deaths. The first book to be written on heroin was by Thomas De Quincy – Confessions of an Opium Eater in the 18^th century. The Beat Generation, mostly William Burroughs, wrote very important books on the subject. The most famous is ‘Junky’, which is autobiographical. Through out the years, we have witnessed many fatal overdoses in the show business, both in the movie world like River Phoenix, a promising young actor and numerous other deaths in music bands.

If we analyze the lyrics of Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground in the song with the self explanatory title, “Heroin”, we notice that like many authors writing on heroin, it is the centre and all of addict’s life.; ‘it’s my wife and it’s my life’, ‘ because when the smack begins to flow, I really don’t care anymore’ The calming effect and the pain relief that heroin produces to its users is crystal clear in these lyrics, from the way it effects the brain and blood and the immense effect on the person’s thoughts and sense of being. Many post- Woodstock artists have penned songs on heroin. Some songs written about heroin :Neil Young : The Needle and the Damage Done ,Rolling Stones : Dead Flowers ,Red Hot Chilli Peppers : Under The Bridge ,Velvet Underground : Heroin, Guns N' Roses : Mr Brownstone, The La's: There She Goes ,Dandy Warhols : Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth , Wolfsheim : Heroin, Velvet Underground : Waiting for the Man ,The Ramones : Chinese Rock, Lou Reed : Perfect Day,Pink Floyd : Comfortably Numb, U2 : Heroin and The Stranglers : Golden Brown :

“Golden brown texture like sun
lays me down WITH my mind she runs
throughout the night

No need to fight
never a frown with golden brown”

The Social Correlates and Consequences

In Malta not only trafficking but also possession of illicit drugs is a criminal offence. All drug users, because of possession run the risk of criminal charges. In 2003 the drug squad made 597 arrests of 528 persons. 74% of these were only for possession whilst 22% where for possession and trafficking. These were mostly for heroin and cannabis. (The National Focal Point for Drugs and Drug Addiction)

30% of Malta’s prison population is charged or sentenced for drug law offences. All inmates are tested for drugs on admission. 50% tested positive for drugs. The main drug of use was heroin, with a staggering 81%. (2004 National Report: Malta Drug Situation)

Many heroin users suffer from dual diagnosis, where a person has both a drug problem as well as an emotional/psychiatric problem. To recover fully, the person needs treatment for both problems. The most common problems are depressive disorders, anxiety disorders and in some cases even the onset of schizophrenia and personality disorders. What develops first? Most times it is the psychiatric problem that develops first, in other episodes drug dependency is the main condition and then may develop into psychiatric conditions.

In 2003, there were approximately 1,200 persons with heroin problems, in treatment- 1,000 of these are problem users based on the criterion of daily heroin use. About 700, from this client population are in substitution treatment, taking methadone for a period of three months or longer. (2004 National Report: Malta Drug Situation)

The National Focal Point for Drugs and Drug Addiction believe that there are around 350 unknown injecting drug users. About 80% of heroin users inject. Syringe data indicates that approximately 220,000 syringes were distributed in 2003. The mean age of treatment clients with a heroin or cocaine problem is usually around five years older than those with a cannabis problem. Data from heroin clients treated for the first time in 2003 showed that they started taking heroin at around 19. The mean age in 2003 was 28 years. 86% were male clients. (2004 National Report: Malta Drug Situation)

Heroin clients are the most problematic. 71% are daily users, with 63% injecting. The majority of clients who use detox are heroin users, making up 85%.

Legal Aspect and punishment

The Dangerous Drugs Ordinance controls possession and dealing in narcotics, including equipment or material used for drug production. Part II of the law forbids importation and exportation of opium. It covers offences for manufacturing, selling or dealing or usage. The law also specifies dealing as including cultivation. Penalties for trafficking are severe especially if it occurs within 100 metres of a school, youth centre of if it supplied to a minor, pregnant woman or to a person undergoing rehabilitation. (Chapter 101 Dangerous Drugs Ordinance)

Punishment is set out in the said ordinance. The court of Magistrates is competent to try out all offences against the Ordinance. The Attorney General has a right to appeal to the Court of Criminal Appeal from any judgment given by the Court of Magistrates in respect of criminal proceedings arising out of the provisions of this Ordinance. The Criminal Court hands out from twelve months to ten years plus a fine not exceeding Lm10000 for possession. For selling and dealing, the Criminal Court may give a life sentence, the only exception being when the verdict is not unanimous and when the age of the offender, previous conducts, quantity and nature of drug or social circumstances ask for this measure. In this case court may give a sentence ranging from four to thirty years plus a fine between lm1000 and lm50000. When the case is tried in the Magistrates court, punishment is less severe. For possession one may get three to twelve month’s imprisonment or/plus a fine of not more than Lm1000. For selling and dealing one can be sentenced from six months to ten years plus a fine between Lm200 and Lm5000. For the crime of trafficking there is life imprisonment plus forfeiture of property. In the case of cultivation the court may confiscate property used for cultivation.

The punishment increases if the trafficking/selling occurred near a school or involved minors or pregnant women. Probation and suspended sentences are only rewarded in the case of possession. In the case of possession of drugs by foreigners, they are not persecuted if they surrender drugs to customs officials and it is obvious from quantity it was for their own use only.

Heroin addicts that are sentenced to Corradino Correctioal Facility can benefit from the rehabilitation programme offered by SATU (Substance Abuse Therapeutic Unit) which is at Mtahleb or Caritas which also has a prison inmate programme based at Bahar ic – Caghaq. In both cases, prisoners can avail themselves of these services in the last two years of their sentences

Treatment

No specific treatment is valid for all drugs addicts. It is important that treatment is matched to each individual’s particular problems and moods. Treatment has to meet the individual’s needs. To be effective it has to address the addict’s drug use which may be linked to medical, social, vocational or other problems.

(Adapted from NIDA concerning drug abuse treatment entitled ‘Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A research- based Guide)

Counselling (individual or group) and other behavioral therapies are critical components of effective treatment for addiction. In therapy, patients address issues of motivation, build skills to resist drug use, replace drug using activities with constructive and rewarding non drug using activities and improve problem solving abilities.

Medications are also an important element of treatment for many patients, especially when combined with counselling and other behavioral therapies. Methadone and levo-alpha-acetylmethdaol (LAAM) are very effective in helping individuals addicted to heroin to stabilize their lives and reduce their illicit drug use. (Parker, 2002d:168) In Malta, the majority of heroin abusing clients are seen at the Detox centre, while 29% in community services and 20% in rehabilitation programmes. (National Report-Malta Drug Situation 2004)

Medical detoxification is only the first stage of addiction treatment and by itself does little to change long term drug use. There are many types of treatments available. There are out patient drug free treatments, long term residential treatments, short term residential treatment and medical detoxification. When treating criminal drug abusers and addicts there are two effective ways, prison based treatment and community based treatment. Research shows that combining criminal justice sanctions with drug treatment can be effective in decreasing drug use and related crime.

In Malta Caritas and Sedqa offer nearly identical services for heroin addicts. There is also Oasi in Gozo offering a residential rehabilitation service. Caritas and Sedqa both offer outreach and rehabilitation programmes. They also offer information for parents and children and counselling for all the family.

Police Ethics

2008-06-18T18:29:00.003+02:00

Policing, Ethics and Human Rights

Ethics are the branch of philosophy that deals with moral issues and is concerned with evaluating human action. Ethics is considered to be by many what is right or wrong, usually based on reasoning, from morals and society.

Frequently asked questions in ethics include:

What is right (or wrong) to do?
Do the intentions behind an action determine its goodness or does the actual outcome of the action matter more?
Are there any universal ethical rules?

How can professional police officers best adapt to a world in which their own efforts are only a part of the overall policing of a modern society?...There is no perfect model for us, no example of a country that, to quote on European police officer, ‘has yet finalized the total transformation from force to service’. (Extract from the Patten report)

Every criminal justice profession has codes of ethics. Some of these ethics are directed to God, others to superiors and others to society as a whole. Some are regulatory, others are inspirational but they all make promises that people commit to keeping as a standard of performance.

Dilemmas

The ethically ideal police system would be one with integrity and one where there would be neither corruption nor misconduct. Recruitment, selection, and training mechanisms would be flawless, with promotion on the basis of merit. There would be “open door” policies to the public, academics, and the media.The Patten Commission arrived at these dilemmas. They are the dilemmas of a transition which itself is driven by external change and internal turmoil, manifest in:

Increasing globalization
New world order or disorder
Rapid technological and social change
Pressure for ‘security’
Questioning the traditional model of public policing
Questioning the effectiveness of public policing

A renewed debate about the purposes, limits and ethics of public policing that has intertwined with a debate about human rights.

‘It is a central proposition of this report that the fundamental purpose of policing should be... the protection and vindication of the human rights of all… policing means protecting human rights.’(Patten, 1999:18)

Understanding ‘ethical policing’, with human rights at its core, is vital for police leaders, police officers and those concerned with the success of public policing.

A brief History of Police Ethics

W.K. Muir 1977 and Herman Goldstein 1977 said to ensure that officers were trained in the proper exercise of discretion. Though observation of police officers on the street, saw morality more as a product of police officers views of human nature. Individual officers had free will to exercise choice about their style of policing.

Elliston and Feldberg 1985 and Gary Marx 1988 said that a series of high profile scandals had raised questions about the policing of privacy and the use of deceptive policing methods. He also said that police ethics required ‘joined up thinking’. Marx brought such thinking to bear on covert policing and the emerging surveillance culture in society, which he felt was having a damaging impact on privacy, trust and freedom of expression.

Joycelyn Pollock 1998 and John Kleinig 1996 said that police brutality ( See Rodney King beating) , problem with covert policing methods and renewed corruption scandals in major US police forces, sought a solution in a broader definition of policing as ‘ public servants’ rather than ‘ crime fighters’ ( Pollock) or ‘ social peace keeping’ ( Kleining), or a process of building trust and reconciliation in communities. The issues arising from the O.J Simpson trial brought the resultant crisis of public confidence in policing was typified by adverse jury votes and national calls for investigations into policing. (Tom Barker, 1996)

All the above authors have been American. This is not coincidental. The American constitutional tradition had viewed police, as agents of the executive, with some suspicion.

‘The police are among the most powerful agents of the state.’

According to Alliston and Feldberg (1985), while Cohen and Feldberg have this to say,

‘ Further more, compared to their counterparts in many other nations, American police officers are more civilianized and heavily restrained by law, constitutional limitations, community expectations and traditions in their exercise of authority and power.’

In the UK, police ethics have rarely been treated as a subject for discussion on their own. Lord Scarman (1982) plays great emphasis on the importance of ‘consent and balance’. He argued that the community relied on the police to have the skills and common sense to exercise discretion and to do so in a way which balanced maintaining order and upholding the law. Waddington 1999 says that strong citizen rights restrain policing and force it be more respectable.

Alongside the US and UK literature, there are also some important Commonwealth contributions from Canada, Australia and India. They share the common theme of transition, crisis and search for renewal. For Ericson and Haggerthy, policing has become a process of risk communication, blurring neat law enforcement boundaries and challenging concepts of policing as a public good. For Brodeur, like Marx (1988) the risk results from technology and policing creating ‘a new surveillance’, out of reach of effective democratic control.

Vicious Cycle

Policing has been round a series of ‘vicious cycles’ over the past decades. These cycles seem to consist of 4 broad phases. An example of such a cycle can be seen in the events surrounding the Brixton disorders (Scarman, 1982): A heavy emphasis on fighting street robberies; a major community disorder and substantial national concern about police actions and relationships with the ethnic minority community; changes to the legal framework of policing, which produced new consultative arrangements, revisions to the police complaints system and the lay visitors; a gradual return to crime fighting.

Transition of Crisis

There is substantial evidence for a crisis in the series of scandals and ‘running sores’ that have beset policing over the last few years. American public has lost confidence in the police as a result of high profile cases such as the OJ Simpson trial. The effect of this in Barker’s eyes was to create an expectation that police would manufacture evidence and lie on oath-

‘Testilying’

Crime- fighting, where the police are focused on a ‘war’ on crime and criminals;
Corruption and scandal;
Societal and institutional reaction, often through rule tightening and reorganization;
Commitment to new forms, followed by a drift back to crime-fighting.

Perhaps the most notable corruption scandal was the one in Holland which led to the parliamentary Van Traa Commision. (1996) A high profile covert operation against drug dealing in North Holland ended in a disaster as ‘ controlled delivery’ methods produced a major increase in drug dealing, a corrupt conspiracy between informants and their police handlers and a complete failure of the managerial and political accountability systems. Marc Dutroux and his pedophile activities in Belgium dealt in a similar seismic shock to a national criminal justice system. Allegations of police incompetence and collusion led to mass demonstrations, the fall of the minister of justice and a loss of confidence in the institutions of government.

Corruption is a type of immorality, and all corrupt actions are a subtype of immoral action. However, not all immorality is corruption, and not all immoral acts are corrupt acts.

For example, minor lawbreaking by a police officer might count as immoral without being an act of corruption. Also, negligent acts are sometimes immoral, but not necessarily corrupt.

Corrupt acts have a number of properties that other immoral actions do not possess. These are the following:

corruption involves manifestation of a regular disposition or habit on the part of the officer
corruption exists when the law is seen as hopelessly inadequate and irredeemable, such as when guilty offenders go unpunished
corruption is driven by narrow, personal or collective self-interest, such as the financial gain of a group of employees or the career advancement of employee(s).

There are different types of misconduct which are usually classified as:

Malfeasance -- intentional commission of a prohibited act or intentional unjust performance of some act of which the party had no right (e.g., gratuity, perjury, use of police resources for personal use)
Misfeasance -- performance of a duty or act that one is obligated or permitted to do in a manner which is improper, sloppy, or negligent (e.g., report writing, unsafe operation of motor vehicle, aggressively "reprimanding" a citizen, improper searching of arrestees)
Nonfeasance -- failure to perform an act which one is obligated to do either by law or directive due to omission or failure to recognize the obligation (e.g., failure to file report, improper stop & frisk, security breach)

Defining corruption is a problem, but with the help of examples one should be able to understand what corruption is all about.

Goldstein (1977), for example, defines corruption as "misuse of authority for personal gain." Both elements must be present for this definition to apply. In other words, there must be some misuse of authority (malfeasance) and some personal gain.

Alternatively, McMullan (1961) defines corruption as "accepting money or money's worth for doing something under a duty not to do or to do anyway." This definition seems to get at misfeasance and nonfeasance, and is generally regarded as relating to police "productivity" problems, or what is also called the "selective nonenforcement" issue.

A third definition comes from Lundman (1980) where corruption is defined as "violations of conduct norms that are rarely enforced." This definition seems ideal for analyzing situations where a police subculture is a culture within a culture, and probably fits most any kind of malfeasance, misfeasance, and nonfeasance. It has the advantage of focusing on "conduct" or actual behavior.

Certain causes of corruption include the belief that society is to blame, since there are some laws (usually vice laws) that nobody seems to want enforced. Unenforceable laws usually lead to corruption.

Another cause is lax management. Corruption seems to breed when there is bad management. Also, mass hiring, a phenomenon which occurs when departments are extremely short-handed, sometimes leads to corruption.

Pay raises and meaningful career paths would go a long way at preventing corruption. So would civilianization and the upgrading of educational qualifications. Job rotation is also a technique managers might want to consider, as it moves employees around so that they don't spend time in any one place.

Policing Minority Communities

Allegations of police mistreatment of minority communities are virtually universal and seem to have a set of stock characteristics:

Harassment; failure to take action against hate crimes; deaths in custody.

The French police treatment of their North African community has become a current theme at the European Court. But one could equally easily also as an example cite German police and Turkish community, Czechs and Slovakians.

Global, Transnational yet local

Crimes such as drug dealing, money laundering, trafficking in human beings, sex tourism and cyber crime do not respect national boundaries: a single market in trade is increasingly a single market in crime. National governments and police agencies are confronting these problems with criminal justice and policing systems designed to police the citizen in a national context. (Weddington, 1999) This resulted in the creation of multi national agreements. Each in these various ways extends policing outside the existing national framework of democratic control and accountability. Policing cannot be seen in isolation from developments in society and government.

Risk and Reassurance

Connected with these developments and the global state of uncertainty and change is the ‘Commodification of security’. Security, anxiety and its antidote, reassurance have become part of a market into which the ‘quiet revolution’ of private security growth has gradually impacted. (Shearing & Stenning, 1997) No longer can public policing lay claim to a monopoly on the use of force and no longer does it control the surveillance of public space.

Technology, Social Change and Trust

First and foremost, technology has changed the nature and potential of surveillance. As Marx (1988) has commented, the scope of the ‘new surveillance’ gives fresh meaning to the popular song, ‘Every move you make, every breath you take, I’ll be watching you.’ The implications for privacy are immense, the problems of trust and accountability substantial. (Shipley & Leal, 1998)

Evidence based Policing

Two decades of significant research into policing and crime prevention are beginning to produce a new body of knowledge that could be called ‘evidence based policing’. (Ekblom, 1999 & Home Office 1998) Policing is not alone in this respect, for all major areas of social policy is now debating evidence – based practice. The logic of evidence based policing is ineluctable and highly relevant for ethical policing. For if ‘what works?’ is the right way to undertake policing – and the yardstick against which the funding of public policing will be judged nationally- then logically, by implication, that which doesn’t ‘work’, or perhaps, more significantly, cannot be proved to work is not justified (and possibly not funded). Justification by fate alone – particularly relevant to patrol- is no longer attainable argument: research or be damned.

The Police Code of Ethics

The police code (illustrated below) is designed to be like an oath of office, and the effectiveness of making someone say, “I will…” over and over again is debatable. The Canon of Police Ethics is more interesting, but again, consists mostly of valued statements that an officer is supposed to subscribe to.

As a law enforcement officer, my fundamental duty is to serve mankind; to safeguard lives and property; to protect the innocent against deception; the weak against oppression or intimidation; and the peaceful against violence or disorder; and to respect the Constitutional rights of all men to liberty, equality, and justice.

I will keep my private life unsullied as an example to all; maintain courageous calm in the face of danger, scorn, or ridicule; develop self-restraint; and be constantly mindful of the welfare of others. Honest in my thought and deed in both personal and official life, I will be exemplary in obeying the laws of the land and the regulations of my department. Whatever I see or hear of a confidential nature or that is confided to me in my official capacity will be kept ever secret unless revelation is necessary in the performance of my duties.

I will never act officiously or permit personal feelings, prejudices, animosities, or friendships to influence my decisions. With no compromise for crime and with relentless prosecution of criminals, I will enforce the law courteously and appropriately without fear or favor, malice or ill-will, never employing unnecessary force or violence, and never accepting gratuities.

I recognize the badge of my office as a symbol of public faith, and I accept it as a public trust to be held so long as I am true to the ethics of police service. I will constantly strive to achieve these objectives and ideals, dedicating myself before God to my chosen profession -- law enforcement.

HAMAS (Islamic Resistance Movement)

2008-06-18T17:58:00.004+02:00

HAMAS (Islamic Resistance Movement)

Origins

In 1978 Hamas was registered with Israeli authorities as a non profit religious organization under the name of “al Mujama’. This was under the leadership of Sheikh Ahmad Yassin. In reality Hamas had its beginning in 1967 as a wing of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in 1928 as an Islamic revivalist movement. The idea of the founder, Hasan al- Bana was that Islam was not only to be a religious observance but also a way of life. "Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. Qur'an is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope." At the beginning Hamas which in Arab is an acronym for Harakat Al- Muqawama Al-Islamia[1], as a budding organization and outgrowth of the Muslim Brotherhood, was devoted to promoting Islamic views and winning support for itself in mosques, universities and other institutions.

Hamas as we know it today was actually organized and founded in December 1987 aptly to coincide with the intifada[2] that had started in the occupied territories of Palestine. It has become one of the most radical and violent fundamentalist Islamic organization.

Since Hamas has retained its reputation as a charitable organization ‘dawa’, it has a large sum of religious donations from devout Muslims in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States. It receives considerable funding from Palestinians living abroad. There are also reports (in the USA) that Hamas is receiving support from Iran and is cooperating and collaborating with the Lebanese Hezbollah. Hamas militants have also been reportedly been given refuge in southern Lebanon and trained with Hezbollah guerillas. Syria also offers a base for Hamas.

Aims and Ideology

Hamas are led by a charter that is totally anti-Semitic and adamant in its aspiration of eradicating Jews from Palestine. The Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) was written on the 18^th of August 1988. The principles of Hamas are all in the charter. Jihad[3] is seen as the solution to the Palestinian problem and all other options are a ‘waste of time’.

Hamas’ ideology is based on combination of pan- Arab Islamic religious ideals and Palestinian nationalism. Hamas as is seen in its charter is resolute on establishing an Islamic state in Palestine heavily based on Islamic ideology and the Quranic verses. Hamas is an organisation whose violent anti- Semitism is widespread in its actions.

Hamas’ ideology is based on hatred. Hamas believes Israel belongs to Muslims by divine right and must be ruled by Muslims. No negotiations or democratic processes can change this. Every part of Israel is “occupied territory. Its charter states, “The Islamic Resistance Movement believes that the land of Palestine has been an Islamic Waqf (endowment) throughout the generations and until the Day of Resurrection, no one can renounce it or part of it, or abandon it or part of it.” Hamas leaders believe that terrorism works and will continue to work. Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar commented in July 2005 that “…..history has proven that the rockets have been in the interests of the Palestinians. The rockets have forced Israel to withdraw from the Gaza Strip, and they will end the occupation in the future. It's the resistance, and not the negotiations, that brought about the end of the occupation.” (Snow, 2006)

Leadership and Structure

The founder and first leader of Hamas was the late Sheik Ahmed Yassin. He was reportedly born in 1936 in Ashkelon[4]. After 1948 he was a refugee in Gaza where he worked as a teacher, preacher and community worker. Since the age of 12, due to a sport accident Yassin was paralysed and confined to a wheelchair. Yassin was married and lived in a 3 room apartment in a slum area with his 11 children.

It was while he was studying in Cairo at the University of Al- Azhar that he joined the Muslim Brotherhood. Hence he adopted the belief that the rule of Islam should be imposed everywhere. On his return to Gaza, Yassin began his involvement in politics and in 1979 he founded the Islamic organisation. Ironically, Israeli intelligence thought that it would reduce Arafat and Fatah’s power. At the time Yassin dealt with his people’s welfare, but it was at this time that he continued to fuel his belief that Israelis were occupying Muslim land. The sheik gradually shifted from social and religious activity to clandestine activities against Israeli rule in the West Bank and Gaza. He was the leading opponent to peace processes with Israel.

In 1984 he was arrested and sentence to 13 years for illegal possession of arms, founding a military organisation and calling for the annihilation of Israel. He remained in prison till May 1985 when he was exchanged in a prisoner deal between Israel and the terrorist group of Ahmed Jibril[5]. N 1987 during the first intifada, Yassin changed his organisation to what is now known as Hamas. In 1989 Yassin was once again arrested and sentenced to two life sentences for the establishment of a military element in Hamas, the drafting of terrorists and the ordering of terrorist attacks. He was held until 1997, when he was once again exchanged, this time for two Mossad agents. In September 2003, the Israeli air force dropped a bomb where Hamas leaders where gathered. Yassin escaped nearly unharmed but was finally assassinated by an Israeli missile helicopter strike on his car while he was leaving a mosque on March 22^nd 2004.

After his assassination on 22^nd March 2004, Abdel Aziz Rantisi took over the leadership but was killed shortly after in April 2004. He was born in Jaffa, Israel in 1947 and a year after his family moved to the Gaza Strip. He graduated as a medical doctor from the Alexandra University in Egypt in 1972 when he returned to Gaza and two years later obtained his master in paediatrics. He studied in Egypt for nine years where he was influence greatly by the Muslim brotherhood. When he returned again to Gaza in 1976, he joined the Muslim brotherhood. He worked as a doctor and also held posts in the administration of the Islam Complex, the Arab Medical Society in Gaza and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.

He was arrested numerous times, once for not paying taxes to Israel and in 1988 for his participation in the intifada. He was released in 1990 but arrested again and put under detention. In 1992 together with other Hamas and Jihad operatives he was expelled to Lebanon. He was also detained many times by the Palestinian authorities for criticising them and Arafat but was always released after a short period.

In 1997, he joined Yassin in the Gaza strip to reorganise Hamas and its operations. He became Yassin’s right hand and was directly responsible for terrorist attacks against Israel.

HAMAS KNOWN LEADERS

Name	Age/DOB	History	Hamas Operative	Country of Operation
Khaled Mishal	1956	Born in West Bank. Physics @ Kuwait University where he led the Islamic Palestinian student movement	Leader	Damascus, Syria
Musa Abu- Marzuq	1951	Born in Gaza. Doctorate in industrial engineering in USA. USA indicted for coordinating and financing Hamas.	Head of Hamas' Political Bureau and Deputy political leader	Based in Syria but spent many years in the USA and Jordan
Mahmoud al-Zahar	1945	Born in Gaza and studied medicine in Cairo. He is a founding member of Hamas. ’hardliner’ Personal physician of Yassin	Elected to parliament and Hamas Leader in Gaza and spokesman. Serves as foreign minister.	Ramallah, Occupied Territories, Israel
Aziz Dwiek	1948	Doctorate from University of Pennsylvania. Deported to Lebanon in 1992.	Served as spokesman of deportees. Speaker of Parliament	Lebanon Detained recently
Sheik Hassan Yousef	In his 50’s	Unknown	Head of Hamas in the West Bank since 2001	In Israeli prison till 2004 and elected to parliament
Sheik Muhammed Abu Tayr	1951	Born in Jerusalem Spent 25 years in prison as a former Fatah member. Was arrested again after elections.	Low profile as leader. 2^nd most votes on Hamas	Unknown
Mohammed Deif	1960	Born in Gaza	Gaza Commander of the Military wing of Hamas since 2002	Unknown

Since Israel has previously imprisoned and killed Hamas leaders, Hamas has not given a specific leader since 2004 to avoid giving Israel targets. Israeli minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, the national infrastructure minister according to The Guardian Unlimited of May 21^st 2007, issued death threats on all Hamas leaders (Tran, 2007). The leadership and structure of Hamas is not clearly defined but what is certain is that it is divided into political and military wings, though it is not clear the distinction between these two wings. There are various leaders in Hamas but they have been largely forced underground.

A Study in the Political Ideology of the Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS) 1987-1996Amman, Jordan in 1997 details the early structure from 1988 to 1989 as being divided into three sectors, the political wing, the security wing and the military wing. At that time the political wing was responsible for the issuing and distribution of leaflets, statements and so on. The security wing served as intelligence gathering on Israeli forces and its agents. The military wing on the other hand was the most active and renowned as it undertook the strikes and agitated mobs of people into violence. After 1992, more militant Palestinians joined Hamas and this sector evolved into the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Battalion (Aboul-Enein, 2005) published by the Middle East Studies Centre in

Hamas tries to preserve a clear division between the underground (secret/illegal) activity of its sections and its open (legal) activity, which functions above all to expand the movement. The main reason for this is Hamas' aspiration to enlarge its secrecy, by not identifying itself directly with its public activity much like the IRA and Shin Fein in Northern Ireland. Da'wah is one of Hamas’ public sections which operate as a charity and fundraiser. As a result, Hamas is an organization composed of numerous mutually supporting levels. The popular-social base is maintained substantially by the charity committees and ideologically through instruction, propaganda and encouragement delivered in the mosques and other institutions and through leaflets. This base is the source for the recruitment of members into the units, which engage in riots and popular violence.

Strategy and typical tactics and targets

Hamas usually carry out suicide attacks with suicide bombers but have also used mortars, short range and small arms fire. The group’s aim has been to drive Israeli forces from the occupied territories. Hamas though have attacked Israeli troops and settlers in the Palestinian territories and also civilians in Israel.

Qassam is the name of a rocket named after the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. They were first used against Israeli civilians in 2001. The total number of Qassam rockets launched exceeded 1000 by June 9, 2006. These rockets are fired mostly at civilians causing havoc and terror.

Hamas has mostly operated in the Gaza and West Bank area as well as in Israel. It has always operated as an opposition group to Israel and now most of the population of Gaza and the West Bank is officially ruled by the Palestinian Authority government. This has forced Hamas to re think its aims and operational tactics. Instead of the usual violent tactics some Hamas leaders have embarked on several diplomatic visits through out the region. This has not however stopped Hamas from using violence to achieve its goals. Hamas to date still continue in their kidnapping and rocket firing and also continue fighting with Fatah as they are rivals in their creation of an Islamic state.

Main attacks carried out

1993

Name	Date	Location	Death Toll	Notes
Mehola Junction bombing	April 16, 1993	Mehola	2

1994

Name	Date	Location	Death Toll	Notes
Afula Bus massacre	April 6, 1994	Afula	9	Hamas claimed responsibility
Hadera central station massacre	April 13, 1994	Hadera	6	Hamas claimed responsibility
Tel Aviv bus 5 massacre	October 19, 1994	Tel Aviv	21	Attributed to Hamas
Netzarim Junction	November 11, 1994	Netzarim	3	Hamas claimed responsibility

1995

Name	Date	Location	Death Toll	Notes
Egged bus 36 bombing	April 9, 1995	Vicinity of Kfar Darom	9
Ramat Gan bus 20 bombing	July 24, 1995	Ramat Gan	6
Jerusalem bus 26 bombing	August 21, 1995	Jerusalem	4	Police Chief Noam Eisenman was killed

1996

Name	Date	Location	Death Toll	Notes
Ashqelon bus station bombing	February 25, 1996	Ashqelon	1
First Jerusalem bus 18 massacre	February 25, 1996	Jerusalem Central Bus station	27
Second Jerusalem bus 18 massacre	March 3, 1996	Jaffa street, Jerusalem	18
Dizengoff Center massacre	March 4, 1996	Tel Aviv	13	Attributed to Hamas

1997

Name	Date	Location	Death Toll	Notes
Cafe Appropo Bombing	March 21, 1997	Tel aviv	3
Mahane Yehuda Market Massacre	July 30, 1997	Jerusalem main market	16
Ben Yehuda Street Bombing	September 4, 1997	Jerusalem Ben Yehuda Street	5

1999

Name	Date	Location	Death Toll	Notes
Egged Bus 960 bombing	September 5, 1999	Tveria	None
Haifa Central Bus Station bombing	September 5, 1999	Haifa	None

2000

Name	Date	Location	Death Toll	Notes
Mechula bombing	December 22, 2000	Mechula Junction	None

2001

Name	Date	Location	Death Toll	Notes
Netanya centre bombing	January 1, 2001	Netanya	None
Netanyah bombing	March 4, 2001	Netanya	3
Mifgash Shalom attack	March 28, 2001	Mifgash Shalom gas station, Kfar Saba	2
Kfar Saba bombing	April 22, 2001	Kfar Saba	1
Kenyon HaSharon bombing	May 18, 2001	HaSharon shopping mall, Netanya	5
Hadera Mall bombing	May 25, 2001	Hadera	None
Dolphinarium massacre	June 1, 2001	Tel Aviv	21
Binyamina train station bombing	July 16, 2001	Binyamina	2	Palestinian Islamic Jihad
Sbarro massacre	August 9, 2001	Downtown Jerusalem	15	Carried out together with Palestinian Islamic Jihad
Nahariya train station bombing	September 9, 2001	Nahariya train station	3	Suicide bomber was an Arab Israeli citizen
Erez Passage bombing	October 7, 2001	Erez Passage near Gaza	None
Ben Yehuda St. massacre	December 1, 2001	Downtown Jerusalem	11
Haifa Bus 16 massacre	December 2, 2001	Haifa	15
Neve Dkalim bombing	December 12, 2001	Neve Dkalim	None

2002

Name	Date	Location	Death Toll	Notes
Jaffa Street bombing	January 27, 2002	Jerusalem	1	First Female suicide bomber in Al-Aqsa Intifada
Taibe bombing	January 31, 2002	Taibe	None
Macabim bombing	February 27, 2002	Macabim	None
Moment cafe massacre	March 9, 2002	Rehavia, Jerusalem	1
Egged bus 22 bombing	March 17, 2002	Jerusalem	None
Passover massacre	March 27, 2002	Park Hotel, Netanya	30
Matza restaurant massacre	March 31, 2002	Haifa	15
Efrat Medical Center	March 31, 2002	Efrat	None
Rishon Lezion massacre	May 7, 2002	Rishon Lezion	16
Netanya Market bombing	May 19, 2002	Netanya	3	Carried out together with Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
Afula road bombing	May 20, 2002	Afula	None
Rothschild Street bombing	May 22, 2002	Rishon Lezion	2
Shawarmat Jamil Sokolov Street bombing	June 11, 2002	Herzliyyāh	1
Patt junction massacre	June 18, 2002	Jerusalem	19
Emmanuel bus massacre	July 16, 2002	Emmanuel-Bnei Brak bus 189	9
Neve Shanan Street bombing	July 17, 2002	Southern Tel Aviv	5
Neviim Street bombing	July 30, 2002	Jerusalem	None
'Frank Sinatra' bombing	July 31, 2002	Hebrew University,Jeruaslem	9	Included American and Frech casualties. Bomber was from East Jerusalem
Meron Junction Bus 361 massacre	August 4, 2002	Meron Junction	9	Bomber with Israeli citzenships
Tel Aviv synagogue massacre	September 19, 2002	bus 4, bear the Great Synagogue, Tel Aviv	6
Geha road bombing	October 10, 2002	Bar-Ilan interchange, Geha road	1
Jerusalem bus 20 massacre	November 21, 2002	Kiryat Menahem, Jerusalem	11

2003

Name	Date	Location	Death Toll	Notes
Haifa bus 37 massacre	March 5, 2003	Carmeliya neighborhood, Haifa	17
Mike's Place bombing	April 30, 2003	Mike's Place pub, Tel Aviv	3	Carried out by British citizens of Pakistani descent
Gross square attack	May 17, 2003	Gross square, Hebron	2
Jerusalem bus 6 bombing	May 18, 2003	Jerusalem	7
Kenyon Afula bombing	May 19, 2003	Afula shopping center	3
Jerusalem bus 14A massacre	June 11, 2003	Downtown Jerusalem	17
Bus station Ariel bombing	August 12, 2003	Ariel	2
Jerusalem bus 2 massacre	August 19, 2003	Shmuel Hanavi, Jerusalem	23
Tzrifin attack	September 9, 2003	Bus stop near Tzrifin army base	8
Hillel Cafe bombing	September 9, 2003	Hillel Cafe, Jerusalem	7

2004

Name	Date	Location	Death Toll	Notes
Ashdod Port massacre	March 14, 2004	Port of Ashdod	10	Carried out together with Fatah Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades
First Erez border crossing attack	April 14, 2004	Erez Crossing, Gaza Strip	4	Carried out together with Fatah
Second Erez border crossing attack	April 17, 2004	Erez Crossing, Gaza Strip	1	Carried out together with Fatah Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades
Beersheba massacre	August 31, 2004	Downtown Beersheba in buses 7 and 12	16

2005

In 2005, Israeli security forces foiled and arrested 29 Hamas suicide-bombers.

Name	Date	Location	Death Toll	Notes
Karni border crossing attack	January 13, 2005	Karni crossing, Gaza Strip	6	Carried out together with Fatah Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and the Popular Resistance Committees
Gush Katif checkpoint attack	January 18, 2005	Gush Katif, Gaza Strip	4

Analysis

The recent elections were an essential exercise in democracy to bring the Palestinians closer to peace talks with Israel and to an independent state. Questions are arising whether that exercise went horribly wrong, as Palestinian voters opted for radical change by electing an Islamic fundamentalist group (Hamas) that opposes peace talks and Israel's very existence. Dealing with Israel, is not the utmost priority for Hamas right now, nor will it be for some time to come. Their main concern at the moment is to rid the Palestinian Authority of corruption, and establishing law and order on the chaotic streets of the West Bank and Gaza. that means that a Hamas government, despite its opposition to previous peace efforts by the U.S. and Israel, “may nevertheless end up carrying out precisely the reforms in the PA long demanded by the U.S. and Israel and ensuring accountability and transparency in government, and reining in the militias” ( Hamad, 2006).

On the 11^th November 2007, marking the third anniversary of Arafat’s death, thousands of Fatah demonstrators took to the streets. This ended up in a bloody affair, with clashes with Hamas police that resulted in 6 people dead and hundreds injured when the police started firing in the crowd. The tensions between Fatah and Hamas are ever increasing.

A take-over of the Gaza Strip by Hamas certainly cannot be ruled out. Could Gaza become another al-Qaeda haven in the future? In the past, al-Qaeda sought to establish itself wherever there was a security vacuum: in isolated mountain areas or in economically weak, failed states. Would a security vacuum in a post-withdrawal Gaza facilitate al-Qaeda's entry there? Both al-Qaeda and Hamas legitimize the use of suicide bombing based on the same religious authorities.

[1] Hamas in Arabic means courage and bravery

[2] Intifada is an Arabic word derived from the root nafada, meaning "to shake". The word was first coined in 1987, to describe the first Palestinian uprising against Israeli military rule.

[3] Jihad means doing one’s utmost to reach a goal, it includes every striving in God’s cause.

[4] Ashkelon is a city in the western Negev, in the South District of Israel.

[5] Ahmed Jibril's Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command belongs to a bygone era of Palestinian struggle against Israel.

A whole new tear

2008-06-18T17:54:00.001+02:00

A whole new tear

Cut like a blunt knife
Pierce through once more
Adjust the lights to glare
Shrill and burn down
My feverish slutness
Squeeze till no more drops
Till no more can come
Till no more can cry
Cry out for more
Cry out for you to stop

It's tearing me apart
Drifting snot as sneezes
Seize completely shuddering
As a whole new tear
Drops down thunderously

I disconnect the act

2008-06-18T17:52:00.000+02:00

I disconnect the act

Darkness suspends above my head
Ready to catapult
Forever halting its ultimatum yet suspended
Cushioned falls callous the taste that remains
The despair that cannot descend the train
As it passes station after station
There it remains steadfastly fixed in a plushy seat
Seething at the blood red raw steak lying cold
Or the majolica plate
And the cream cake trolley rolls past
And I wait to disconnect the act
And once its over, lie in a syrupy cloak of coca-cola
Together with a pile of burnt out lighters

Is - Salvatur ta' Malta

2008-06-18T16:32:00.005+02:00

I was born in 1981, in Malta so i cannot say i lived much under Mintoff's 'reign'. My experience of Mintoff is through stories from people, books and newspapers. Whether they are true to the core, fiction or part fiction I really cant say. I've tried to hear both sides of the story. Neither sides seem to have lived in the same place it seems, since they differ so much. What i can say is that the 80's were quite turbulent times for Malta and still emotional for a lot of people till today. Love him or hate him, Dom Mintoff will remain one of Malta's most famous men, if not the most( at least of this century).
Mintoff has always fascinated me. Like a little kid, who is read bed time stories at night, i craved to know more and more about this person. I have never seen him in person and i secretly would love to meet him, would love to talk to him, would love to 'touch' a part of 'history'. That doesn't mean I am a fan of his, agree with what he did and so on. I do admire him on certain things though. We are indebted to him for our social services, and if there ever was a socialist party or government in Malta- it was Mintoff's. Thereafter, the Maltese Labour Party never did live up to the Socialist name, and never was there a leader like him. His charisma, his leadership skills, his strength are to be admired. He was a fearless fighter, and though he did terrible mistakes, history as always, will absolve him and the 'is -salvatur ta' Malta' ( Malta's Saviour) will remain. Mintoff is like an urban legend to those who have not lived in his time and (some in his time). My peers, ( who have not really lived those times either) will joke on the 'bokkla ta Mintoff' ( his huge belt buckle), and sometimes when apathy starts to spread like wildfire in this little country of ours, were internal political feuds and petty gossip seem to rule the day in the political field, we might dream of a time when more serious issues were being dealt with by our leaders.

Mintoff will be with us for a long time... just like Napolean and La Vallette. One day our kids, will study all about him. They will see his statue in playing fields, plaques in buildings and so on.. And how will our history books portray him? I will let you ponder that... or wait a few decades or so.
Love him or hate him...