BANGKOK, Thailand -- American officials hoping to extradite Viktor Bout on Wednesday (August 25) were unable to fly the suspected Russian weapons smuggler to New York, because the U.S. added fresh allegations against him which must be heard or dismissed in a Thai court.

A sleek, white, twin-engine jet from the U.S. reportedly waited in vain on the tarmac at Bangkok's Don Muang air force base on Wednesday (August 25), only to be told that he would not be handed over without going through some additional legal hoops.

"We are not sending Viktor Bout back today. There are still several legal steps to go through," Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Wednesday (August 25).

"Before Bout's extradition can take place, the second case needs to be dropped by the court," Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongpakdi said on Wednesday (August 25).

The unpredictable problem could be quickly sorted out by U.S. officials and a Bangkok judge, allowing Mr. Bout to then immediately be flown to New York, or could meander through Thailand's murky court system resulting in a delay or cancellation of his extradition, permitting him to walk free.

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam -- Cheap facsimiles of $100 bills waft in the tropical breeze, littering sidewalks with Benjamin Franklin's face.

Elsewhere, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon has become a gritty fashion icon, giving politicized street cred to "urban wear" clothes.

Thirty-five years ago, victorious Communist North Vietnam's troops fought their way into South Vietnam's southern port of Saigon and renamed it Ho Chi Minh City, to honor their dead, charismatic, wispy-bearded leader.

Ho's ubiquitous portrait, however, now competes with symbols of America, one of his worst enemies.

Today, on the chaotic streets of Ho Chi Minh City and the northern capital Hanoi, virtually anything linked to the U.S. is prized, including iPhones, Pepsi, and made-in-Vietnam Converse shoes.

The horrors meted out by Americans on this impoverished Southeast Asian nation from 1965 to 1975 are enshrined in museums, which display grim evidence, weaponry, and portraits of devastated Vietnamese from a time when U.S. soldiers called their burnt napalm victims "crispy critters."

As news stories are leading those still aware of the war on Iraq to believe it's over, it was encouraging to see Busboys and Poets restaurant in Washington, D.C., packed Sunday evening for a four-hour forum on actions needed to actually end that war, make reparations, and deter future wars of aggression. The event was advertised with the following description:

"Is the U.S. military really leaving Iraq or just rebranding? What is the toll of seven years of occupation on Iraqis, U.S. soldiers and our economies? What is the status of Iraqi refugees around the world? Is it still possible to hold accountable those who dragged us into the war or committed crimes such as torture? What role did Congress and the media play in facilitating the invasion/occupation? We'll also look at the role of the peace movement -- its strengths and weaknesses -- and draw key lessons to make our work for peace, including in Afghanistan, more effective."

Dear friends, On June 30th, HR4645, the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act, passed the Committee by a bi-partisan vote of 25-20.
HR4645 came through committee intact, and combines freedom for US citizens to travel to Cuba with some changes that make it easier for US farmers to trade with Cuba.

The vote on this bill is expected to take place in September, and we know that the forces who want to keep every bit of the US blockade and travel ban in place are working hard to make sure that it won’t pass.

Here is one more step that we can take to make sure that it is clear to the House of Representatives that people in the United States support HR4645. The Latin American Working Group has worked with www.change.org to create a petition that we are asking you to sign and pass on to everyone that you know. Just go to:
Petition
and fill out the form on the right hand side of the page; an e-mail is then automatically sent to your Representative.

Jennifer Bowman: So let's cut right to the chase. In some of your recent writings, you've indicated that you're dealing with some serious challenges in your life right now. What are they?

Jason Miller: Aside from the systemic backlash resulting from my vigorous activism, I'm dealing with a number of serious personal issues. Some of these were self-inflicted and some weren't. Either way, I need to deal with them.

I was so absorbed in my activism for about a year that I let certain aspects of my life get away from me, in a manner of speaking. As many of you may have already read, I'm a recovering alcoholic (since 1992—hence my straightedge beliefs). However, I got away from some of my spiritual and intellectual efforts to manage my passion and set aside working the Twelve Steps, which tends to land me into trouble. Fortunately, I'm back on the path I need to follow, which still includes veganism of course, and have turned to the painful task of cleaning up my messes.

JB: What do you mean by "systemic backlash resulting from your vigorous activism?"