ustxtxb_obs_2003_05_23_50_00002-00000_000.pdf

DEPARTMENTS DIALOGUE EDITORIAL Postcard from Ardmore DATELINE TEXAS War, Peace, and Texas photographs by Caroling Lee text by Jessica Chapman POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE BAD BILLS MOLLY IVINS Contiguous Cojones JIM HIGHTOWER This is NOT America 2 3 8 12 13 14 15 LAS AMERICAS 17 Big Brother’s Crossover Schemes by John Ross BOOKS & THE CULTURE DIALOGUE Texas Observer WAR CRIMES Although I agree that the leaders of the former Iraqi regime should have to face trial for war crimes, as a matter of justice British and American warcrimes must be punished also. The United States and Great Britain used cluster bombs during the war.These are expressly forbidden by the Treaty of Ottawa because of the enormous risk of injury and death to civilian populations. In addition, there were several instances of American troops shooting at Iraqi civilians at checkpoints. Of course American troops had the right to take security measures, but not at the expense of the Iraqi civilians for whose safety they are responsibleas the occupying militaryaccording to the terms of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Astrid Essed Amsterdam, The Netherlands RAY REDUX Although I never intended to publicly be connected with the tawdry Ray Caballero again, this letter is in regards to Debbie Nathan’s recent article in El Bridge and The Texas Observer. At best her article is disgusting, but in reality, it has reached the level of obscene. Ms. Nathan’s journalistic integrity is non-existent. She fails to disclose who paid for her to come from NewYork to El Paso to do the article and what her connection is to the mayor. This woman felt free to write about me, yet in truth, I have never spoken to her, heard from her, nor has she ever attempted to contact me. The fact that Ray Caballero is a pathological liar is not news to me. He is to be pitied. But, Ms. Nathan has taken it upon herself to perpetuate Ray Caballero’s lies and this has reached the level of libel. As I told John Laird of the El Paso Times on March 13, 2001, I did not care “what lie” Ray Caballero said, but I did care if Mr. Laird repeated it in his newspaper. Mr. Laird said he “understood.” It was obvious to Mr. Laird at that point that just because Ray Caballero said it, that did not make it true. How self-aggrandizing of Ray Caballero to fail to tell Ms. Nathan that it was my testimony in the case of United States v. Gordy that overturned Gordy’s conviction. The truth is, Ray Caballero spent the hearing looking at his feet, because he was in fact, in fear of Judge Wood. I also believe the record will show that in a later case where Judge Wood held Ray Caballero in contempt, we did pay the $500 fine imposed by the Judge. Obviously, Ms. Nathan can’t let the truth get in the way. Ray Caballero’s philosophy, to tell a lie often enough and it becomes the truth, is cancerous. Any self-proclaimed father, who “loves and honors his children” and then with malice aforethought implanted such a shameful attack on them is pathetic. Ray Caballero did not pay to educate, or insure the health or well being of his children. As to the abuse, there is a record and the result is, none of his five adult children will deal with him. Ray Caballero is without shame and continues to be an embarrassment to his family. Dorothy McGill El Paso Editors respond: Debbie Nathan is a longtime TO contributing writer who lived in El Paso for many years and remains one of the sharpest analysts of life on the border. That’s why we asked her to write about Ray Caballero and the 2003 El Paso mayoral elections. \(“El Mayor vs. Los Good Old Boys” TO April 11, own the rights to reprint their articles, and a slightly longer version of the article was later reprinted in the El Paso publication, El Bridge. The story of Ray Caballero and Judge Wood was _first recounted in Gary Cartwright’s Dirty Dealing, published by Atheneum Press in 1984 and reprinted in El Paso by Cinco Puntos Press in 1998. Neither McGill nor any of her children have ever contacted Cartwright to challenge that account. UP IN SMOKE While you were watching the war, the Lege has been. busy dismantling much ofTiwas’ remaining environmental regulation. by Amber Novak CONSULTING AGREEMENT A copy of a consulting agreement between Kissinger Associates, Inc. and Enron .for energy projects in China. 4 16 POETRY by Shawn. Mire FRONTIER MODERNISM by Cameron Scott THREE EASY PIECES by James AlcWilliams AFTERWORD Between the Ears: Rollerblades, Vladimir Nabokov, and a Theory of Geography by Peter LaSalle THE BACK PAGE Get The Picture by Alan Pogue Cover collage by Terri Lord 2 THE TEXAS OBSERVER 5/23/03 21 22 24 29 32