Month: January 2004

If I had a choice of catching 1,000 feral cats or bringing democracy to Iraq, I’d take the cat job in a New York second. The Shiites want immediate elections; the Sunnis have just organized themselves and oppose immediate elections. The Kurds want autonomy, but the Turks have warned that they’ll cause big trouble if … Continue reading “Iraqi Democracy: Not Quite the Cakewalk”

A recent study by a Chinese Academy of Social Sciences claims the emerging Chinese middle class is a myth. All those interviewed who believe they are middle class, are actually deluding themselves or lying. Or are being lied to. A concurrent stream of research by the Henry Luce Foundation in cooperation with the Baker Institute … Continue reading “Can China Keep Up the Pace?”

At Antiwar.com – we get results. When Richard Perle, high-visibility neocon and co-author of a recent book that faults the Bush administration for being soft on terrorism, spoke at a rally associated with the Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MEK), an Iranian terrorist group once allied with Saddam Hussein, the “mainstream” media was nowhere to be seen. The music-oriented … Continue reading “Perle Must Resign”

If U.S. President George W. Bush believed that aligning US policies more closely to those of the right-wing Likud government headed by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon would win him more votes from Jewish Americans, he should think again. That is the message of a new survey of 500 Jewish Americans polled by Zogby International … Continue reading “Jewish, Arab Americans Disapprove of Bush Mideast Policy”

Suicide bombings that killed two peacekeepers from Britain and Canada in 48 hours have abruptly reminded Washington and its NATO allies they face major challenges in ensuring sufficient security in Afghanistan to hold credible elections scheduled for June. Already, some officials are suggesting the vote might have to be rescheduled as a result of both … Continue reading “Concerns Grow Over Taliban Resurgence, Opium”

The Canadian government has ordered a public inquiry into the role of intelligence agents in the arrest and deportation of a man who was seized by U.S. authorities while he changed planes in New York City and sent to a Syrian prison. Maher Arar, a native Syrian with Canadian citizenship, was arrested in September 2002 … Continue reading “Canada to Probe Intel Agencies’ Role in Arar Deportation”

One of the deadliest illusions persistent among the American public is the belief that Empire’s foreign policy is partisan by nature. Thus much of the opposition to American legions enforcing “liberty” in Iraq is aimed at Bush the Republican, just as feeble opposition to Kosovo and Bosnia targeted Clinton the Democrat. A closer look, however, … Continue reading “A Bipartisan Empire”

Yesterday in Columbus, Georgia, Kathy Kelly, co-founder of Voices in the Wilderness and three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, was sentenced to three months in federal prison for enacting her habit of bearing witness against US military violence, this time by crossing onto the property of Ft. Benning military base in November of 2003, as a … Continue reading “Iraq Activist Kathy Kelly Sentenced to Federal Prison”

He is the author of a book that criticizes the U.S. government for being too soft on terrorism. He was an advocate of invading Iraq – and most of the other Arab countries in the Middle East – long before 9/11. He wants us to give up a lot of our civil liberties, including submitting … Continue reading “Richard Perle Supports Terrorism”

While Democratic rivals battle for the presidential nomination in a succession of grueling primary elections, Vice President Dick Cheney appears to be fighting to secure his spot on the Republican ticket behind President George W. Bush. The vice president, whose moderation and 35-year Washington experience reassured voters worried about the callowness and inexperience of Bush … Continue reading “Will Dubya Dump Dick?”