U.N. Commission Calls for Legalizing Prostitution Worldwide

By Amanda Swysgood

(CNSNews.com) - A report issued by the United Nations-backed Global Commission on HIV and the Law; recommends that nations around the world get rid of “punitive” laws against prostitution – or what it calls “consensual sex work” -- and decriminalize the voluntary use of illegal injection drugs in order to combat the HIV epidemic.

The commission, which is made up of 15 former heads of state, legal scholars and HIV/AIDS activists, was convened in 2010 by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and is jointly backed by the United Nations Development Programme and UNAIDS – the Joint U.N. Programme on AIDS/HIV.

The commission recommends repealing all laws that prohibit “adult consensual sex work,” as well as clearly distinguishing in law and practice between sexual trafficking and prostitution.

The report--“HIV and the Law: Risks, Rights & Health”--cites a recommendation by the International Labour Organization, which recommends that “sex work” should be recognized as an occupation in order to be regulated “in a way that protects workers and customers.”

Specifically, the commission wants to:

-- “Decriminalise private and consensual adult sexual behaviours, including same-sex sexual acts and voluntary sex work.”

-- “Reform approaches towards drug use. Rather than punishing people who use drugs but do no harm to others, governments must offer them access to elective HIV and health services, including harm reduction programmes and voluntary, evidence-based treatment for drug dependence.”

-- “Work with the guardians of customary and religious law to promote traditions and religious practice that promote rights and acceptance of diversity and that protect privacy.”

The commission calls laws against prostitution “bad laws,” and said criminalizing injecting drug use and prostitution stands in the way of “effective HIV responses.”

“Laws that criminalize and dehumanize populations at the highest risk of HIV--including men who have sex with men, sex workers, transgender people and injecting drug users--drive people underground, away from essential health services and heighten their risk of HIV,” the commission said in a July 9 press release announcing the report.

The commission says 116 countries and territories have punitive laws against sex work and 80 countries or territories have some legal protections for sex workers.

According to the report: “Some governments deploy anti-human trafficking laws so broadly that they conflate voluntary and consensual exchanges of sex for money with the exploitative, coerced, often violent trafficking of people (primarily women and girls) for the purposes of sex.”

The report quotes Secretary-General Ban, who stated his support in 2009 for removing all laws which criminalize “sex workers” – or prostitutes.

“I urge all countries to remove punitive laws, policies and practices that hamper the AIDS response,” Ban said. “Successful AIDS responses do not punish people: they protect them. We must ensure that AIDS responses are based on evidence, not ideology, and reach those most in need and most affected.”

Other recommendations include: abolishing national drug registries and mandatory HIV testing, and shutting down all compulsory drug detention centers and replacing them with voluntary services for treating drug abuse.

The commission specifically recommended that the United States should also repeal its federal ban on funding of needle and syringe exchange services that inhibit access to HIV services for people who inject drugs.

Dr. Janice Crouse, the director of the Beverly LaHaye Institute at Concerned Women for America in Washington, D.C., says the proposal to redefine and decriminalize prostitution worldwide is not new.

“(L)iberals have always used the term ‘sex work’ instead of prostitution,” Crouse told CNSNews.com.

“They like to legitimize the whole industry that way so that it can be regulated and so that it can be considered a ‘legitimate option’ for women and give it more respectability. But, the sad fact is in every instance where prostitution has been legalized, illegal prostitution has flourished,” she said.

“The pimps all want prostitution legalized; they like that. The sex traffickers want it legalized because they gain far more traction with their own illegal activities anytime that is the case – it’s happened in Germany, it happened in Amsterdam, it’s been shown over and over again.”

Linking the elimination of laws against “sex work” with AIDS is a cop out, according to Crouse, because it ignores the role of behavior change and personal responsibility.

“It’s fascinating to me the way they (the report’s authors) dance around to avoid addressing the issue of behavior and to avoid the issue of consequences of promiscuity,” Crouse said.

“This is an example; they don’t want anything that would suggest to anybody that they ought to curb their sexual behavior. They don’t want anything to curb anybody’s enjoyment of sexual activity without consequences and all of this is an attempt to mainstream behaviors and then deal with the consequences -- and that plan does not work.”

The U.N.-backed commission interviewed prostitutes, activists and public health advocates in 140 countries across the world to come to its conclusions.

The study received funding from the governments of Canada, Norway, Australia, the U.S. (through USAID) and from billionaire Geroge Soros through his Open Society Foundations.

IDF: Syrian chemical threat targets Israel. Obama warns Assad against “tragic mistake”

DEBKAfile Exclusive Report

Senior Israeli military officers, referring to the Syrian foreign ministry statement Monday, July 23, that Syria would only use chemical weapons against “external aggression,” found in it a direct threat by the Assad regime to turn those weapons against Israel. It was Syria’s rejoinder to Israel’s vow to use force against those chemical weapons to prevent them from reaching Hizballah’s hands in Lebanon.

Tensions between Syria and Israel, like its other neighbors - especially Jordan and Turkey – rose to a new pitch in the wake of the new Syrian statement.

Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said plainly Sunday that preventing Syria’s chemical weapons from “falling into the wrong hands” was a key to Israeli security, while Defense Minister Ehud Barak said he had ordered the Israeli military to prepare for a possible attack on Syria’s weapons arsenal, because “Israel cannot accept the transfer of advanced weapons from Syria to Lebanon.”

Monday, British Foreign Secretary William Hague, catching onto Syria’s veiled threat, called it unacceptable: “This is typical of the complete illusion of this regime that they are the victims of external aggression.”

A few hours later, the UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon said in New York that he was “very concerned” that “Syria may be tempted to use chemical weapons.”

He was followed by Pentagon press secretary George Little who told reporters: “They should not think one iota about using chemical weapons,” he said. “We have been very strong in our statements inside the US government on the prospective use of chemical weapons and it would be entirely unacceptable.”

Finally, US President Barack Obama said Monday that “Assad will be held accountable if he makes the tragic mistake of using chemical weapons.

An Israeli officer told debkafile that the Syrian foreign ministry’s statement was tantamount to a declaration that the Assad regime holds all the cards on when and against whom to use its chemical weapons. America, Israel, Jordan and Turkey have no say in the matter. Assad alone will decide if and when to wage chemical warfare against such enemies as Israel and Jordan, although he may be expected to follow Iran in refraining from going after American targets at this time.

He has, in other words, given himself carte blanche for resorting to chemical warfare at a time of his choosing by reiterating that his government is subject to external Arab and Western aggression.

Israeli sources point out that the Syrian statement omitted any mention – certainly no denial - of the possible transfer of those weapons to Hizballah in Lebanon. The Assad regime must therefore be understood to reserve to itself that option, too, thereby laying Israel wide open to a direct threat. Israel and its military were alone in expressly vowing to prevent this transfer.

“We understand the Syrian ruler to be preparing to expand the Syria war into Lebanon whence his troops can threaten northern and Mediterranean areas of Israel,” said a US military source.

Another development Monday portending the further exacerbation of the Syrian crisis was the announcement by Aeroflot that it was suspending flights to Damascus in two weeks “for economic reasons.”

It looks as though Moscow foresees a further downturn in the Syrian conflict and estimates that by early August intensified air force activity in Syrian skies will reach a dangerous level.

Sunday, July 22, debkafile’s exclusive military sources outlined the military dilemma facing Israel with regard to the Syrian chemical weapon threat.

Panels call for urgent legislation to prepare for huge quake

By YOSUKE AKAI/ Staff Writer

Saying Japan’s very survival is at stake, two advisory panels urged the government to take immediate action--including finding an alternative capital--to prepare for an earthquake that could devastate the Tokyo area.

The working groups are discussing measures to deal with massive quakes that could be triggered by movement along the Nankai Trough as well as one directly under the capital.

In an unusual move, the groups called on the government to pass legislation for the quake-preparedness measures even before estimating the number of fatalities and damage from such temblors.

"There is a need for the entire society to deal with the two quakes that are expected to cause extensive damage," according to interim reports released on July 19 by the two working groups, respectively.

Passage of special measures laws would allow a wide area covered by the studies to take effective measures to deal with the possibility of the huge earthquakes.

The Nankai Trough extends from Suruga Bay near Shizuoka Prefecture to off the coast of Kyushu in southern Japan.

Special measures laws were passed in 1978 to deal with a possible Tokai quake and in 2002 to prepare for Tonankai and Nankai quakes. But there is no law for a unified response to a Nankai Trough quake with an expected magnitude over 9.0.

One estimate for possible damage from a Nankai Trough quake was 400,000 fatalities.

The two working groups have yet to come up with their own damage estimates. But their recommendation for swift passage of legislation underscores their sense of urgency from not being able to pinpoint when such a destructive quake might hit.

In preparing for a crippling quake directly under Tokyo, the interim report proposes selecting beforehand alternative sites that could provide back-up for capital functions. Among the cities named as possible alternative capitals were Sapporo, Sendai, Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka.

The interim report also called for measures to deal with long-period seismic ground movements and the huge number of people who will likely be stranded in Tokyo after a major quake.

It urged the government to secure revenues for the necessary measures, but it did not specify a figure. In the current fiscal year, about 480 billion yen ($6.1 billion) has been set aside for such measures.

The working group looking at a possible Nankai Trough quake is expected to release its estimates for fatalities and injuries as well as structural damage in late August. However, the group dealing with the quake expected to hit directly under Tokyo has not reached the stage of presenting specific estimates.

The interim report, warning that a Nankai Trough quake could trigger a tsunami 20 to 30 meters high, called on areas with indented coastlines to construct levees and move schools and social welfare facilities to higher ground. It also suggested building those structures to greater heights.

In addition, the reports said construction of straight evacuation routes on flatter areas are needed, as well as measures to make evacuations using cars more efficient.

Expect Shortages Of Gold As Soon As Next Month

Today John Embry stunned King World News when he warned, “We are moving toward a fundamental shortage of gold, and I believe it may start as soon as next month.” Embry also cautioned, “The problem now is that the global economy is contracting at a time when the debt levels are catastrophically high.”

Embry, who is Chief Investment Strategist of the $10 billion strong Sprott Asset Management, also discussed Europe, but first, here is what Embry had to say about the drought and inflation: “I am very concerned about this drought that is happening, particularly in the United States. You look at a weather map in the Midwestern United States, the temperatures are just staggeringly hot and there’s no moisture.”

“Already the corn crop has been reduced dramatically. Aside from the fact that it will have a big impact down the road in the economy, because food prices will move up sharply, on a basic level this is the difference between starvation and survival for people in certain parts of the world.

There are already food shortages in some of those areas, and now we are going to see the prices rising on top of that....

“This is a potential catastrophe and I’m very worried about it.”

Embry had this warning regarding Europe: “If you look at the news coming out of Europe, it’s almost like can it get much worse? And it gets worse. The Spanish stock market has been down 12% in a few days. That’s the equivalent of 1,500 points in the Dow.

The Spanish market is now at levels last seen in 2003. Their interest rates just surged to news highs over 7.50% on the 10-Year. I also see six Spanish regions are asking for bailouts, and where’s the money going to come from? The Spanish government hasn’t got any money. The European nations are trying to recapitalize Spain, but they don’t really have any money. So in the end it’s going to have to be created out of thin air.

I really appreciated the fact that an insider came out from the IMF, that resigned, and wrote this scathing public letter about all of the failures of the IMF. It’s all true. I mean to me the IMF has been a massive failure and they are part of this troika that’s attempting to deal with the Greek situation, which to me looks hopeless.

I see the Greek Prime Minister just said they are in a massive depression. The idea that they can take much more austerity to meet the terms which allows them to access more funds is a non-starter. In the meantime we are now being told the world is prepared for a Greek departure. I don’t believe that’s true. I think it would be incredibly traumatic if that were to happen.

The problem now is that the global economy is contracting at a time when the debt levels are catastrophically high. The only thing propping up the system, at this point, is the fact that there is still this move into the bonds of the perceived ‘safe’ countries.

There have been a number of times in history where investors have gone nuts and participated in ridiculous manias like the South Sea Bubble, the Dutch Tulip Mania, and Japanese real estate in the 80s. I think when the bond bubble is looked at in the fullness of time, sovereign debt trading at the levels it is right now as its proliferating everywhere, will be seen as ones of those bubbles.”

Embry also added: “Right now you are very hard-pressed to put your finger on any place in the world where the economy is improving. China is really weakening. They are essentially decelerating. The only way they can ramp things up in China is to jam more paper loans into the system, but I think the problem is that will have a very inflationary impact.

There’s no easy out on this thing and what was seen as the engine of the world is now sputtering.”

When asked about gold, Embry responded, “We are moving toward a fundamental shortage of gold, and I believe it may start as soon as next month. I think the bottom is being put in right now. You see once again with the stock market trading lower, they just turn the algorithms on and grind the price down.

But this action is all just building a massive base in gold. I think the big issue going forward is this growing shortage of available physical gold. I strongly believe one of the reasons for the shortage is a lot of it is headed East. The last four or five months of the year gold should challenge and easily take out its all-time high.

For what it’s worth, there is an enormous amount of interference in the gold and silver share market. I think that will end as soon as gold and silver break their highs. When that happens, I think it’s going to unleash a rally in these stocks that is absolutely going to stun people. People will be shocked that don’t understand the full extent of the manipulation and how cheap these stocks have become as a result of it.”

Trip wires, Batman items found in theater shooting suspect's home

By Louis Sahagun and Alexandra Zavis

The apartment of the suspect in the Colorado theater rampage was decorated with Batman items and crisscrossed with waist-high trip wires attached to more than 30 improvised grenades strewn across the living room floor, a law enforcement official close to the case said Sunday. Nearby were 10 gallons of gasoline “to enhance the thermal effect.”

The suspect, James Holmes, 24, is accused of opening fire at a midnight showing of the latest Batman movie,"The Dark Knight Rises." Twelve people were killed in the attack; 58 were injured.

Investigators who served search warrants Saturday at Holmes' 850-square-foot, third-floor apartment in a rundown section of Aurora “found a Batman poster on a wall, a Batman mask and other Batman paraphernalia,” according to the official, who has not been identified because of the sensitivity of the case.

The design and placement of the improvised explosive devices “seemed to mirror a chaotic state of mind,” the official said. “There was a level of sophistication to it all. It will be interesting to see what a post-mortem forensic analysis determines regarding the chemicals, powders and devices rigged up in there, and whether the firing train would have actually functioned.”

The apartment was earlier described as a death trap, designed to kill police or other first-responders.

Investigators discovered one “trip wire about waist-high and just inside the door, so that if the door opened it would push on the booby trap,” the official said.

A second trip wire was found in another part of the apartment, he said, adding that it was connected to acids that would have been highly corrosive and explosive when combined.

The improvised grenades included 30 aerial shells that had been emptied and refilled with mixtures of explosive powders, jars containing explosive liquids and .223- and .40-caliber bullets. The devices were connected by wires to a “control box” in the kitchen, which on Saturday was neutralized and dismantled by authorities.

“Regarding the bullets in the jars — bullets don’t usually explode like that,” he said. “Overall, however, if the devices including the 10 gallons of gasoline had gone off, the fireball alone would have blown up and consumed the entire third floor of the apartment building.”

Items seized in the apartment on Saturday included chemical compounds, some of which had been purchased locally, and a desktop computer, the official said.

Police on Sunday concluded the processing and collecting of evidence from inside Holmes’ apartment, but chemical hazards remain, Det. Shannon Youngquist-Lucy, a spokeswoman for the Aurora Police Department, said in a statement.

Building residents who were evacuated after the shooting are being allowed to retrieve personal items from their apartments, but Youngquist-Lucy could not say when it would be safe enough for them to move back home.

As for the theater where the shootings occurred, police had expected to return it to the owners on Wednesday but now say it could take up to a week to release the premises.

“This is for evidentiary purposes for case preparation,” Youngquist-Lucy said.