Month: November 2004

Get Real: The Case for Restraint With Iran

There are few areas of the world with a more troubling mix of geopolitical problems than the Middle East. The irony is that the war in Iraq, which has consumed so much of our country’s political and economic capital, may hold less far-reaching consequences than challenges posed in neighboring Middle Eastern countries. To the west, … Continue reading “Get Real: The Case for Restraint With Iran”

Nuclear Deception Enters Its 60th Year

Top officials in Washington are now promoting jitters about Iran’s nuclear activities, while media outlets amplify the message. A confrontation with Tehran is on the second-term Bush agenda. So, we’re encouraged to obliquely think about the unthinkable. But no one can get very far trying to comprehend the enormity of nuclear weapons. They’ve shadowed human … Continue reading “Nuclear Deception Enters Its 60th Year”

Bullies at the Airport

If you traveled by air last week for the Thanksgiving holiday, you undoubtedly witnessed Transportation Security Administration agents conducting aggressive searches of some passengers. A new TSA policy begun in September calls for invasive and humiliating searches of random passengers; in some instances crude pat-downs have taken place in full public view. Some female travelers … Continue reading “Bullies at the Airport”

US Pushes War-Crimes Immunity in Foreign-Aid Bill

The Bush administration is facing an early test of its interest in easing tensions with traditional U.S. allies in the 2005 foreign-aid bill, which bans some $2.5 billion in economic assistance for friendly governments that have not ratified a bilateral immunity agreement (BIA) with Washington to shield U.S. nationals from the jurisdiction of the International … Continue reading “US Pushes War-Crimes Immunity in Foreign-Aid Bill”

Clamor for Investigation Into Death of Elderly Haitian in US Custody

Human rights and humanitarian groups are calling for a full-scale investigation regarding the Nov. 3 death in a South Florida detention facility of an 81-year-old Haitian pastor four days after he had flown to the United States and asked for political asylum. Church World Service (CWS), the relief arm of 36 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican … Continue reading “Clamor for Investigation Into Death of Elderly Haitian in US Custody”

‘We Are Living a Disaster’

The cold winter winds sweep over Baghdad and the refugee camps strewn about the city. Date palms sway as dust blows down the clogged streets where people huddle in their cars while waiting in petrol lines several miles long. The cost of fuel now in the black market is 10 times what it normally is, … Continue reading “‘We Are Living a Disaster’”

Activists Crawl Through Web to Untangle US Secrecy

NEW YORK – To combat the Bush administration’s penchant for secrecy, U.S. citizens have been forced to unearth new sources for information they once read in their daily newspapers. But thanks to a few dedicated individuals and not-for-profit groups – and the Internet – such material is easier to come by than ever before. "The … Continue reading “Activists Crawl Through Web to Untangle US Secrecy”

Which War Is This Anyway?

“Every country and every people has a stake in the … resistance, for the freedom fighters … are defending principles of independence that form the basis of global security and stability.” “The war … was in itself criminal, a criminal adventure. This crime cost the lives of about a million [people], a war of destruction … Continue reading “Which War Is This Anyway?”

Dead Wrong on the Iraqi Elections

At least 12 persons died violently in the guerrilla war on Saturday in Iraq. There was a major battle over control of police stations in Khalis, and Marines found more bodies in Mosul. The U.S. military said that guerrillas had launched a major campaign of intimidation aimed at frightening Sunni Arabs into boycotting the forthcoming … Continue reading “Dead Wrong on the Iraqi Elections”