Truthout roundup 5/29

Truthout's William Rivers Pitt sits down with Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul; Iraqis say some US troops are trying to convert them to Christianity; British to ban US cluster bombs; New York to honor same-sex unions from other states; John Ralston on McCain's issue; and more ... Browse our continually updating front page at http://www.truthout.org

William Rivers Pitt Interview With Congressman Ron Paul
http://www.truthout.org/article/interview-with-congressman-ron-paul William Rivers Pitt, of Truthout: "Despite what the mainstream news media choose to report, Senator John McCain of Arizona is not the last remaining Republican candidate for president today. Congressman Ron Paul of Texas never abandoned his run for the GOP nomination, and he fully intends to present himself before the Republican National Convention in September as a true conservative alternative to McCain's status-quo candidacy. In fact, according to a recent blog report published by The Los Angeles Times, Paul looks to do more than merely show up at the door."

Marines Attempting Christian Conversions, Iraqis Say
http://www.truthout.org/article/marines-attempting-christian-conversions-iraqis-say Jamal Naji and Leila Fadel, of McClatchy Newspapers: "At the western entrance to the Iraqi city of Fallujah Tuesday, Muamar Anad handed his residence badge to the US Marines guarding the city. They checked to be sure that he was a city resident, and when they were done, Anad said, a Marine slipped a coin out of his pocket and put it in his hand. Out of fear, he accepted it, Anad said. When he was inside the city, the college student said, he looked at one side of the coin. 'Where will you spend eternity?' it asked."

US Cluster Bombs to Be Banned From UK
http://www.truthout.org/article/us-cluster-bombs-be-banned-from-uk Richard Norton-Taylor, of The Guardian UK: "The US will no longer be able to stockpile cluster bombs at its military bases in Britain under government proposals for an international ban on the controversial weapons, it emerged last night. As diplomats from more than 100 states unanimously passed a treaty banning the use of cluster bombs around the world, it emerged that British ministers are prepared to go further."

New York to Back Same-Sex Unions From Elsewhere
http://www.truthout.org/article/new-york-back-same-sex-unions-from-elsewhere Jeremy W. Peters, of The New York Times: "Governor David A. Paterson has directed all state agencies to begin to revise their policies and regulations to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions, like Massachusetts, California and Canada. In a directive issued on May 14, the governor's legal counsel, David Nocenti, instructed the agencies that gay couples married elsewhere 'should be afforded the same recognition as any other legally performed union.'"

Jon Ralston McCain's About-Face on Yucca Mountain
http://www.truthout.org/article/mccains-about-face-yucca-mountain John Ralston, of The Las Vegas Sun: "If a man told you for years that he didn't love you, essentially had no regard for you at all, and then suddenly, when he needed you, told you he adored you, would you fall for it? As John McCain, alighting in Reno today, tries to woo Nevada voters, he is hoping for the kind of short-term memory loss Christopher Nolan wrote about and filmed in 'Memento.' If Nevadans keep forgetting what he has said and done before, McCain might actually be able to convince voters here that his love for the state has simply been well-hidden. Very well-hidden."