INTERNATIONAL A4-5
Gitmo, Other Centers Closed
The notorious Guantánamo Bay, Cubadetention camp will be closed, along witha network o secret C.I.A.-run acilitiesin Eastern Europe, Aghanistan and else-where.
PAGE A24
Iraqi Reugees WorldwideCelebrate Withdrawal
Two million Iraqi exiles, and three millioninternal reugees, celebrated the end ohostilities and began making plans toreturn to their homes.
PAGE A4
NATIONAL A6-9
Conict o Interest Law Will StopRevolving Door
The “Revolving Door” bill will prohibithigh-ranking corporate ocers romholding public oce or ten years uponleaving their companies, and publicocials rom accepting managementpositions at large corporations or thesame period. Coupled with the Ban onLobbying bill, the bill will reduce theinfuence o large corporations on publicpolicy.
PAGE B1
Health Insurance Act Clears House
While almost all are celebrating thepassage o the National Health Insur-ance Act, which nally brings the U.S.up to par with other developed nations,representatives o Kaiser, Cigna and otherhealth insurance companies are vowingto “ght tooth and nail” to protect theirinterests.
PAGE A7
Bush to Face Charges
Most observers weren’t surprised by thehigh treason indictment itsel, but ratherby the party that brought it. The casecould also provide an unexpected boostto the International Criminal Court, pav-ing the way or more indictments.
PAGE A5
BUSINESS A10-11
Corporate Personhood Gets Real
An initiative to abolish limited liabil-ity will make shareholders pay or thecrimes their corporations commit —even i they only own one or two sharesin a mutual und.
PAGE A11
NEW YORK A12
Bicycle Lanes Inaugurated
With the completion o the 9th Avenuebike lane and groundbreaking on otheravenues, New York is on the (bike) pathto becoming as livable as other worldcities.
PAGE A12
EDITORIAL A13
A Lobbyist Deends Lobbying
The Ban on Lobbying bill is not with-out victims.
PAGE A13
Thomas L. Friedman
The columnist resigns, and will putdown his pen to take up a screwdriver.
PAGE A13
A Baboon Troop’s Experience
A particularly peaceul baboon troopmay have lessons to teach us.
PAGE A13
More Inside The Times.
PAGE A2
➤
Popular Pressure UshersRecent Progressive Tilt
Std Cits Mvmts Mssiv Shit i DC
By SAMUEL FIELDEN
The spate o reorm initiativesundertaken by the Administrationand both houses o Congress canbe attributed directly to grass-roots advocacy, according to acomprehensive study due out thismonth.“In education and health care,most notably, but also in housing,banking, and the environment, wehave documented unprecedentedresponsiveness on the part opolitical leaders,” said Dr. JoyceWellmon, director o the Plains In-stitute or Policy Analysis, a NewYork-based think tank. “Our datashow a direct correlation betweenthe level o activity o particularcoalitions, on the one hand, andspecic legislative action, on theother. It’s popular pressure that isresponsible or the switness andscope o legislation emerging romthe White House and Congress.”The institute’s report showsa three-old increase in the inci-dence o letters, phone calls, ax-es, and email received by congres-sional oces, 88 percent o whichwere rom people who identiedthemselves as new members oparticular activist organizations.The report includes extensive in-terviews with House and Senatesta, who speak o “unimaginablechange,” a “dramatic policy shit,”and “a new era o accountability”since the elections.“Not since the Great Depressionhas the interaction between popu-lar movements and public leadersbeen so robust,” said Jorge La-zaro, head o the U.S. GovernmentAccountability Oce. Lazaro cit-ed, in particular, the Wagner Act,also known as the National LaborRelations Act o 1935, which rec-ognized the right o workers toorganize and bargain collectivelywith their employers.“Roosevelt showed no interestin the Wagner Act until it becameclear the unions were going toorce it through regardless,” Mr.Lazaro noted. “At that point hejumped on it and helped push itinto law.”Mr. Lazaro also pointed to theDepression-era organizing o theFarmers’ Holiday Association,when armers reused to sell or bidon crops, blockaded roads, andeven once used a torpedo to halt atrain carrying livestock into Iowa.Such direct actions helped pushcourts and legislatures to adoptmeasures that granted relie romdebt caused by low crop prices.“The similarities between thetwo periods are remarkable, andthe lesson that emerges is simple:i you want change, keep our eetto the re.”Dr. Wellmon agrees. “The onlyreason the current President andCongress have been able to imple-ment all these changes, was be-cause o pressure rom popularmovements that made them haveto.”The Plains report, due out nextmonth, cites the work o groupsassociated with United or Peaceand Justice, an umbrella or anti-war groups, or galvanizing publicsupport or ending the war, andor pushing the Administration toresist the oil lobby and other inter-est groups. It also cites the work
TreaSury announCeS“True CoST”Tax PLan
Mimm WgLw Sccds
Salary Caps Will HelpStabilize Economy
By MARCUS S. DRIGGS
The long-awaited “True Cost”plan, which requires product pric-es to refect their cost to society,has been signed into law.Beginning next month, throw-away items like plastic waterbottles and other items which arewasteul or damaging to the envi-ronment will be heavily taxed, as inmany developed countries. Steeptaxes will also apply to large carsand gasoline.The new plan calls or a 200 per-cent tax on gasoline, comparableto the one long in eect in most Eu-ropean countries. Companies andconsumers are already switchingin droves rom inecient gas vehi-cles to new electric cars. “We sud-denly have a waiting list 200 nameslong or the EV1,” said Jake Cluber,the owner o Cluber Chevrolet in
By J.K. MALONE
WASHINGTON — Ater long andoten bitter debate, Congress haspassed legislation, ercely oughtor by labor and progressivegroups, that will limit top salariesto teen times the minimum wage.Tying the bill to a plan o overallreorm o the U.S. economy, thebill echoes a similar eort enactedby President Franklin Roosevelt in1942, which was ollowed by thelongest period o growth or themiddle class in U.S. history.“When C.E.O. salaries remainstable thanks to high taxation ohigh salaries, there’s little incentiveto take big risks with shareholders’money, and the economy remainsin a steady growth mode,” said Sen-ator Barney Frank, one o the bill’sco-sponsors. “But when C.E.O. sala-ries can fy through the roo, there’sa very strong incentive or C.E.O.s
“All the NewsWe Hope to Print”
VOL. CLVIV . . No. 54,631NEW YORK, SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2009FREE
Today,
clouds part, moresunshine, recent gloom pass-es.
Tonight,
strong letwardwinds.
Tomorrow,
a new day.Weather map throughout.
Recruiters Train or New Lie
As a ban is imposed on recruitingminors, ex-recruiters nationwidelook or new work. The Times ol-lows one on his job-hunt odysseythrough Manhattan and surround-ing areas.
BY BARRY GLOAD, PAGE A12
Last to Die
Two proportional monuments —one to the Iraqi dead, 300 eethigh, and one to the Americandead, 15 eet high — are unveiledin Baghdad, and a ve-year-oldboy whose liespan coincidedwith that o the Iraq War isremembered.
BY J. FINISTERRA, PAGE A5
USA Patriot Act Repealed
Eight years later, a shameacedCongress quietly repeals themuch-maligned USA Patriot Act,unanimously… or almost.
BY SYBIL LUDINGTON, PAGE A8
Evangelicals Open Homes toReugees
Up to a million Iraqi exiles —nearly hal o the total — will ndsanctuary in Christian homesacross the U.S., vows the NationalAssociation o Evangelicals. Otherdenominations are expected toollow.
BY W. WILBERFORCE, PAGE A7
Public Relations IndustryStarts to Shut Down
The public relations industry hasbeen criticized or misleadingthe American people, corruptingpoliticians, and even helping tostart wars. Now, it’s beginningthe process o shutting down orgood.
BY LOUIS BECK, PAGE A10
By MARION K. HUBBERT
Congress has voted to placeExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco, andother major oil companies underpublic stewardship, with the bulko the companies’ prots put ina public trust administered bythe United Nations, and used oralternative energy research anddevelopment in order to solve theglobal climate crisis.While unusual, this is not therst time the government has cho-sen to take control o large corpo-rations. From 1942 to 1944, U.S. caractories were retooled in order toproduce tanks or the war eort.And Fannie Mae and Freddie Macwere both created as “governmentsponsored enterprises” with a sig-nicant amount o governmentoversight.“We can do what needs tobe done,” said Senator CharlesSchumer, Democrat o New York.“Our planet’s survival is at stake.Plus, public pressure hasn’t givenus much o a choice.”Not everyone elt the move wasa good idea. “The climate crisismay or may not be real,” declaredSenator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Re-publican o Texas. “I’m an agnosticand I’m staying that way. But sea
By FRANK LARIMORE
Ex-Secretary o State Condolee-za Rice reassured soldiers that theBush Administration had knownwell beore the invasion that Sadd-am Hussein lacked weapons omass destruction.“Now that all o you braveservicemen and women are re-turning, it’s important to us toreassure you, and the Americanpeople, that we were certain Hus-sein had no W.M.D.s and that hewould never launch a rst strikeagainst the U.S.,” Ms. Rice told agroup o wounded soldiers at aVeterans’ Administration hospitalyesterday.“I want you to know that i wehad had the slightest suspicionthat Saddam could use W.M.D.sagainst you, we never would havesent hundreds o thousands oyou to be sitting ducks on the Iraqiborder or several months.”Mr. Rice was reerring to the actthat by August 2002, eight monthsbeore the ground invasion, the UShad over 100,000 troops stationedin countries throughout the Gul, anumber that grew to over 300,000shortly beore the 2003 attack onBaghdad. Most o these were with-in range o the Scud missiles usedby Mr. Hussein in the 1991 GulWar, that could easily have beentted with chemical or biologicalweapons i they had existed.Rice noted that in the 1991 GulWar, Hussein had used missiles tolaunch attacks on Israel, whichmade him popular with Arab citi-zens throughout the Middle East.“Do you really think we wouldhave given Saddam a major pub-lic relations coup by allowing himto annihilate tens o thousands oyou right there on holy territory?”asked Ms. Rice.Former Secretary o State HenryA. Kissinger responded to Ms.Rice’s revelation without surprise.“O course this was the case.When Israel believed Iraq had nu-clear weapons in 1981, they didn’tattack on the ground — theybombed rom the air. That’s a pre-emptive attack. I you believe de-terrence will not prevent an attackand that your enemy has W.M.D.s,then the last thing you do is sta-tion your troops right next door.”ABC’s George StephanopoulosThe President has called orswit passage o the Saeguardsor a New Economy (S.A.N.E.) bill.The omnibus economic packageincludes a ederal maximum wage,mandatory “True Cost Account-ing,” a phased withdrawal romcomplex nancial instruments,and other measures intended toimprove lie or ordinary Ameri-cans. (See highlights box on PageA10.) He also repeated earlier callsor passage o the “Ban on Lobby-ing” bill currently making its waythrough Congress.Treasury Secretary Paul Krug-man stressed the importance othe bill. “Markets make great ser-vants, terrible leaders, and absurdreligions,” said Krugman, quotingPaul Hawken, an advocate o cor-porate responsibility and authoro “Blessed Unrest, How the Larg-est Movement in the World Cameinto Being and Why No One Saw ItComing.”“At this point, the market is ourleader and our religion. No won-der the median standard o livinghas been declining so much or solong.”Krugman said that the newTreasury bill seeks to ensure theprosperity o all citizens, ratherthan simply supporting large cor-porations and the wealthy. “Themarket is supposed to serve us.Unortunately, we have ended upserving the market. That’s verybad.”Much as Roosevelt, ater theGreat Depression, put the brakeson C.E.O. wages and irresponsiblebanking practices, administrationocials claim that today we needto rein in the industry that hascaused such chaos and misery.“The building blocks o post-World War II American middle-class prosperity have all beenswept away,” said House SpeakerNancy Pelosi, who initially op-
Troops to Return Immediately
By JUDE SHINBIN
WASHINGTON — OperationIraqi Freedom and Operation En-during Freedom were brought toan unceremonious close todaywith a quiet announcement by theDepartment o Deense that troopswould be home within weeks.“This is the best ace we can puton the most unortunate adven-ture in modern American history,”Deense spokesman Kevin Sitessaid at a special joint session oCongress. “Today, we can nallyenjoy peace — not the peace othe brave, perhaps, but at leastpeace.”As U.S. and coalition troopswithdraw rom Iraq and Aghani-stan, the United Nations will movein to perorm peacekeeping dutiesand aid in rebuilding. The U.N. willbe responsible or keeping the twocountries stable; coordinating therebuilding o hospitals, schools,highways, and other inrastruc-ture; and overseeing upcomingelections.The Department o the Treasuryconrmed that all U.N. dues owedby the U.S. were paid as o thismorning, and that moneys previ-ously earmarked or the war wouldbe sent directly to the U.N.’s IraqOversight Body.The president noted that theIraq War had resulted in the burn-ing o many bridges. “Yet our his-tory with our allies runs deep,” hesaid, “and we all know that riendsorgive riends or anything. Ornearly.” A spokesperson or theFrench Ministry o Deense con-rmed that France would assistthe U.S. withdrawal. “The U.S.helped the Soviet Union deeatHitler. We do recognize that.”In confict zones worldwide,leaders and rebels pledged peace.(See ”In Confict Zones Worldwide,Peace Moves,” on Page A4.)On Wall Street, reactions weremixed, with the Dow Jones Indus-trial Average up 84 points, to closeat 4,212. While KBR stock wasquickly downgraded to a “junk”rating o BBB-, deense contrac-tors such as Lockheed Martin andNorthrop Grummon started up.
Continued on Page A5 Continued on Page A5 Continued on Page A6Continued on Page A10Continued on Page A10Continued on Page A10Continued on Page A5
IRAQ WAR ENDS
Nation Sets Its Sights on Building Sane Economy
True Cost Tax, Salary Caps, Trust-Busting Top List
By T. VEBLEN
See nytimes-se.com or more
Nationalized Oil To Fund ClimateChange Efforts
Ex-Secetay Apologizes fo W.M.D. Scae
300,000 Troops Never FacedRisk of Instant Obliteration
Special Edition
KC IVEY/THE NEW YORK TIMES
Protests organized by Witness Against Torture helped pave the wayor the close o the Guantánamo acility.
COURTESY ARMY.MIL
U.S. Army helicopters begin moving troops and equipment rom Saddam Hussein’s ormer Baghdad palace.
HELP MAKE THE NEWS, TODAY
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