We hate to exploit this horrific double-tragedy for political propaganda. And maybe if Jocelyn Mercedes understands our point, she won't see it as exploitation—just providing the inevitable context. Ultimately, both of her loved ones were killed by the same thing. From Newsday, May 3:

A Bronx woman who lost her husband to the Iraq War suffered a second devastating loss Thursday when their baby was run over by her car, police said.

Celebrations were held May 5 at the Gereida displaced persons camp in Darfur, to mark the one-year anniversary of the signing of the "Darfur Peace Agreement" (DPA). Significantly, the camp is controlled by the Minni Menawi faction of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), the only rebel group to sign the DPA. The faction's leadership had much to celebrate. Menawi was made an adviser to Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir and moved into a plush Khartoum residence next door to the British Embassy. At the time of the signing last year, diplomats were also celebrating. The UK's international development secretary Hilary Benn heralded the deal as a "very significant agreement which means that the process of bringing peace to Darfur can now begin." But instead, the security situation across Darfur has worsened and the conflict has broadened.

The National Rifle Association is urging the Bush administration to withdraw its support of a bill that would prohibit people on terrorism watch lists from buying firearms. In a letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, NRA director Chris Cox said the bill "would allow arbitrary denial of Second Amendment rights based on mere 'suspicions' of a terrorist threat." Current law already denies sales to "illegal" immigrants—and the NRA has no problem with that. (AP, May 4) Meanwhile, the right-wing militia terror networks appear to be rearming—and planing attacks on immigrants. From AP May 1:

One year after the confrontations between inhabitants and Mexico state police at the village of San Salvador Atenco, 174 of the 204 originally detained still face charges, mostly of "attack on the means of communication" (road blocks), and 25 on charges of "kidnapping" (detaining police agents accused of rights violations). None have been sentenced. 28 remain behind bars at the top-security prisons of Altiplano, Santiaguito and Molino de Flores. Another three are fugitives, including América del Valle, daughter the director of the People's Front in Defense of the Land (FPDT), Ignacio del Valle. (El Universal, May 3) Amnesty International marked the anniversary by releasing a statement protesting the lack of progress in probes of rights abuses by the state and federal police, saying that impunity remained "rampant." (El Universal, May 3)

The May 3 attempted hijacking at the Havana airport by two conscripts who killed an officer they had taken hostage may have been a CIA-sponsored adventure, or merely evidence of desperation to get out of Cuba. (A month earlier, three men who tried to hijack a boat with passengers were condemned and summarily executed.) (DPA, BBC, May 4) But given that Luis Posada Carriles was a CIA asset when he carried out his terror campaigns against Cuba (and Nicaragua), its is pretty funny to hear these Capitol Hill anti-Fidelistas accuse Cuba of being a "state sponsor of terrorism." How do they keep a straight face? From UPI May 4:

We've noted speculation that the paramilitary scandal in Colombia will do in Bogotá's prospects for a free trade deal with Washington. When Uribe was in Washington yesterday to petition for the deal (and continued economic and military aid), he was dressed down by Democratic lawmakers. But note the implicit promise of capitulation in the final line of this May 3 Reuters report:

First-time author Margaret Ajemian Ahnert's May 1 appearance at a Barnes & Noble store on New York's Upper East Side to promote her new memoir on survivng the Armenian genocide, The Knock at the Door, was disrupted by hecklers who shouted and passed out leaflets denying the genocide occurred. One was arrested.

Tehran has expelled tens of thousands of Afghans from Iran since mid-April, with authorities saying they will repatriate 1 million unregistered Afghan refugees over the next years. The UNHCR says it is powerless to intervene as those being forcibly repatriated are not legally registered refugees. But several repatriated Afghans told RFE/RL that Iranian authorities had confiscated and destroyed their registration cards before expelling them from the country. But Afghans affected by the campaign claim that even legally registered refugees are being forced to leave. They say those who remain in Iran face pressure that makes it difficult for them to survive. Kabul's Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta said Iran should immediately stop repatriating large numbers of Afghans because Afghanistan does not have sufficient resources to help them resettle. (RFE/RL, May 3)