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THE SOVEREIGN SOCIETY OFFSHORE A-LETTER
Your Link to Freedom, Privacy & Prosperity in the Offshore World
Tuesday, July 22, 2003 - Vol. 5 No. 86
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In This Issue:
* COMMENT: Unpatriotic Acts
* OFFSHORE: Hong Kong Struggle. Cook Islands Agency. Russia Privatizes.
Free Market Israel. Irish Tax Veto. Caribbean Sovereignty Fears.
* WEALTH: Tax Lawyers Sued. Delaware the Corporate State. Hedge
Fund Controls. Argentine Tax Crack Down. Retirement. Deficits.
* PRIVACY & RIGHTS: Confidentiality Under Attack. Tech Threats.
Echelon Again. Who's Listening? ID Theft. Human Chip Implants.
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COMMENT: Unpatriotic Acts
Dear A-Letter Reader:
The New York Times stated on Monday: "A report by internal investigators at the US Justice Dept. has identified dozens of recent cases in which department employees have been accused of serious civil rights and civil liberties violations involving enforcement of the sweeping federal anti-terrorism law known as the USA Patriot Act." An earlier June 2 DOJ report found that hundreds of illegal immigrants were mistreated after they were detained, many in secret, following the 9/11 terror attacks.
Both of these reports come from the DOJ Inspector General whose duty it is to police internal actions of the agency. But they deal mostly with cases in which individuals have come forward and alleged they were harmed or mistreated.
A larger, unseen number of violations most probably relates to the enormous powers the PATRIOT Act gave the US government over the financial system and the private affairs of individual citizens. We have no way of knowing the extent of these violations, although it has been revealed that government lawyers have grabbed millions of dollars from foreign bank correspondent accounts on unproven charges that have nothing to do with "terrorism."
Meanwhile the PATRIOT Act and its application is treating all foreign students studying in America as terror suspects, requiring registration.The result has been a major drop in foreign students in the US. And US criminal defense lawyers are declining to participate in "military tribunals" trying accused terrorists for fear of lending respectability to what many see as unconstitutional proceedings.
About 165 American states and communities nationwide have passed resolutions condemning the PATRIOT Act. These new DOJ reports clearly demonstrate why patriotic Americans rightfully are concerned.
That's the way that it looks from here.
Bob Bauman, Editor
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COMMENT LINKS:
* Report on USA Patriot Act Alleges Civil Rights Violations.
LINK: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/21/politics/21JUST.html
* US states, communities shun Patriot Act.
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20030720-115938-3269r.htm
* Is MIT a Security Risk? Foreign students harassed. LINKS:
http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/atwood0703.asp
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2003/07/21/2003060324
* Tribunals Drawing Few Attorneys. LINK:
http://www.ctnow.com/news/custom/newsat3/hc-gtmosessions0721.artjul21,0,3216165.story
* US Begins to Seize Millions in Foreign Banks. NY Times.
LINK: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/30/national/30PATR.html
* PATRIOT Forfeitures Reach Beyond Terror Targets. News-Max.
LINK: http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/5/30/204945.shtml
* PATRIOT Act: adopted in the middle of the night. LINK:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20783-2003Jul20.html
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* OFFSHORE *
HONG KONG FREEDOM FIGHT CONTINUES
* China Leaders Support Hong Kong's Chief Executive. LINKS:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17238-2003Jul19.html
http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1057562569727
* China cracks down on tax evasion. LINK:
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200307/20/eng20030720_120621.shtml
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NEW COOK ISLANDS FINANCIAL AGENCY
RAROTONGA: FSC seeks compliance FATF dirty cash rules.
LINK: http://www.abc.net.au/ra/newstories/RANewsStories_906707.htm
* More about the Cook Islands. LINK:
http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/cw.html
* Forum on Pacific islands poverty, corruption. LINK:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3513704
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RUSSIA'S BOLD PRIVATIZATION AGENDA
MOSCOW: State assets for sale to pay debts.
LINK: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2003/07/18/041.html
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ISRAEL PUSHES FREE MARKET ECONOMICS
Benjamin Netanyahu races to revolutionize Israel's economy. LINK:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=68&ncid=68&e=4&u=/nyt/20030719/ts_nyt/israelseffortstoreverseaneconomicslidedrawpraiseandprotests
* A half million Israelis live in United States. LINK:
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030720/APN/307200627
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IRELAND FIGHTS E.U. PLAN TO KILL TAX VETO
Low tax Ireland wants to keep its taxing powers. LINK:
http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1057562568136
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CARIBBEAN NATIONS FEAR FOR SOVEREIGNTY
Former colonies under many harmful global pressures. LINK:
http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/NewViewNewsleft.cfm?Record=14320
* BAHAMAS restricts investment funds. LINK:
http://www.thenassauguardian.com/business/372763914224108.php
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* WEALTH *
WEALTHY U.S. FAMILY SUES TAX LAWYERS
IRS-attacked insurance tax shelter is at center of dispute.
LINK: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/19/business/19TAX.html
* Tax "experts" say IRS has improved service! Oh yeah? LINK:
http://www.tribnet.com/24hour/business/story/946738p-6616736c.html
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DELAWARE - THE CORPORATE STATE
State corners 70% of national legal research business. LINK:
http://www.delawareonline.com/newsjournal/business/2003/07/20delcornerslegal.html
* The average life expectancy of multinational corporations. LINK:
http://gessler.emeraldinsight.com/vl=2100630/cl=207/nw=1/rpsv/now/trends.htm
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U.S. CONSIDERS HEDGE FUND CONTROLS
WASHINGTON: US SEC considers hedge fund registration order. LINK:
http://www.forbes.com/work/careers/newswire/2003/07/17/rtr1029224.html
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ARGENTINA CRACKS DOWN ON TAX EVASION
BUENOS AIRES: A nation said to "feel cheated" by evasion.
LINK: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/6347880.htm
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* All about planning for your retirement. Business Week. LINK:
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/03_30/b3843020_mz025.htm
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* Why Deficits Matter. Washington Post editorial.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17296-2003Jul19.html
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* PRIVACY & RIGHTS *
LAWYER-CLIENT CONFIDENTIALITY UNDER ATTACK
Government agencies, IRS seek to destroy basic legal rights.
LINK: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/19/business/19LAW.html
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THE DEATH OF PRIVACY -- AGAIN
New technology can violate your privacy anywhere, any time. LINK:
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=12800008
* ECHELON: It can see us, but not as clearly as we thought.
LINK: http://silicon.com/news/500022/1/1024752.html
* Who is listening to our trans-Atlantic phone calls?
LINK: http://silicon.com/news/500015-500001/1/5196.html
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* Identity theft still growing problem.
LINK: http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t269-s2137915,00.html
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* Tracking chips inserted in human beings. LINK:
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030717/API/307170909
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THE SOVEREIGN SOCIETY OFFSHORE A-LETTER. *
Bob Bauman, Editor. * SUBSCRIBE FREE or send to a friend at
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