red pepper issue154 july 2007

contents

Cover by Tom Lynton & Dan Tierney

features

regulars

The ‘black ops’ of America 20The US military spends $30 billion annually on classified military programmes, ranging from spy satellites to ‘extraordinary rendition’. Trevor Paglen is an artist and experimental geographer working to create visual representations of these secret worlds. He spoke to Oscar Reyes

Behind the wire 22The women held at Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre have been fighting back against the denial of their rights. Rowenna Davis reports

A healthy choice 24Labour’s deputy leadership contest has at least revealed one thing – the extent of unease over Tony Blair’s market reforms of the NHS. Ministers have made statements that would once have got them sacked, but now get them votes. By Alex Nunns

Planning alert 26One of Gordon Brown’s priorities is likely to be to hand major planning decisions on infrastructure to an unelected quango. Planner Tim Marshall sounds the alarm on last month’s white paper on planning

A fair stop 27Home Office proposals for new ‘stop-and-question’ powers have been rebuffed for now, but with ID cards on the horizon the police are already gaining a significant new weapon in their ‘stop-and-search’ armoury, writes Ben Hayes

On the road again 28New Labour cancelled the Tories’ road-building programme in 1997, with John Prescott promising to cut traffic on Britain’s roads. Ten years on, £13 billion is being ploughed into new roads and traffic is still on the increase, writes Rebecca Lush

Democracy’s last resort 30The acquittal of two men who broke into the Fairford airbase to try to disable B52 bombers at the start of the Iraq war is a victory for democracy, writes Stuart Weir

COVER STORY

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04Letters Agony Subcomandauntie

06Activision Around the left in 30 days: UK Guerrilla guides: Linux – Pick up a penguin Natural born rebel: Right to return Know your enemy: Oliver Letwin Asylum watch: Able to fight Temperature gauge: Tents on the runway

12World Around the left in 30 days:World A day in the life:Treewheelin’ in Colombia Afghanistan: Opium jihad EU: Americanising Europe

review

Flat lining 32Should children’s books pander solely to escapism, or should they challenge today’s kids with the complexities of ‘political’ themes?

Children’s author Kerrie O’Connor makes the case for telling it like it is

34Book reviews Arts reviews

38Global movements: Kenya’s ‘people’s parliament’ The networks and organisations that make up the global justice movement: Ewa Jasiewicz profiles Bunge la Mwananchi, a social movement that organises in Kenya’s slums

39Rear view Refugee awareness advertising campaign

Coming soon New labour organising: local and global Strike waves in South Africa Internet repression: the great firewall of China 12 years of Red Pepper : Looking back, looking forward

On the web Blockading the G8: a balance sheet Chile: good democracy?

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