Month: August 2009

Mullen’s Mulligans

In golf and other sports, a "mulligan" is a second chance to get something right, sometimes referred to as a "do-over." In most sports, one do-over is all you get, and sports are just games. In war, humanity’s deadliest undertaking, the folks in charge of the Pentagon keep asking for another mulligan, and the president, … Continue reading “Mullen’s Mulligans”

We Need a Special Prosecutor for Blackwater and Other CIA ‘Contractors’

Some parts of Blackwater’s clandestine work for the CIA have begun to leak out from behind the iron curtain of secrecy. The company’s role in the secret assassination program and its continued involvement in the CIA drone attacks that occur regularly in Afghanistan and Pakistan have become front-page material in the Washington Post and New … Continue reading “We Need a Special Prosecutor for Blackwater and Other CIA ‘Contractors’”

Kennedy Was a Lion,
but War Remains King

Nearly seven years ago this month a lion roared, attempting, however unavailingly, to compete with the Iraq war drums that had begun immediately after 9/11. Sen. Edward Kennedy said the following on Sept. 27, 2002, at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies: "Let me say it plainly: I not only concede, but … Continue reading “Kennedy Was a Lion,
but War Remains King”

Did World War II Have To Happen?

On Sept. 1, 1939, 70 years ago, the German Army crossed the Polish frontier. On Sept. 3, Britain declared war. Six years later, 50 million Christians and Jews had perished. Britain was broken and bankrupt, Germany a smoldering ruin. Europe had served as the site of the most murderous combat known to man, and civilians … Continue reading “Did World War II Have To Happen?”

East Jerusalem Shuts Out Thousands of Palestinians on Holy Day

QALANDIA, West Bank – The future of East Jerusalem and of Palestinian access to it has again been brought under the spotlight. Thousands of Palestinians were turned away at West Bank checkpoints leading into Jerusalem by Israeli security forces as they tried to attend Friday Ramadan prayers at al-Aqsa Mosque. IPS witnessed dozens of heavily … Continue reading “East Jerusalem Shuts Out Thousands of Palestinians on Holy Day”

Monday: 5 Iraqis Killed, 50 Wounded

Updated at 5:35 p.m. EDT, Aug. 31, 2009 At least five Iraqis were killed and 50 more were wounded as a Turkish diplomat moderated discussions between Syria and Iraq over the violence in Iraq. Meanwhile, a group of Iraqi MiG fighters were found in Serbia, and al-Hakim’s son formally took over leadership of the SIIC party.

Washington Post Weighs in on the Wonders of Torture

EXTRA! Read all about it in the Washington Post: Torture worked; Cheney and torture practitioners vindicated; morale at CIA harmed. It seems coverage of the Bush administration’s "war on terror" has been put back on track by the editors of the Washington Post and their "sources," who appear determined to highlight the supposed successes of … Continue reading “Washington Post Weighs in on the Wonders of Torture”

Against the Israel Boycott

How much did the boycott of South Africa actually contribute to the fall of the racist regime? This week I talked with Desmond Tutu about this question, which has been on my mind for a long time. No one is better qualified to answer this question than he. Tutu, the South African Anglican archbishop and … Continue reading “Against the Israel Boycott”

Is the Antiwar Movement Waking Up?

Like Rip van Winkle, it seems that the American antiwar movement is – finally – waking up, although, like the original Rip, it doesn’t seem to have changed its idle ways. "A restive antiwar movement," avers the New York Times, "largely dormant since the election of Barack Obama, is preparing a nationwide campaign this fall … Continue reading “Is the Antiwar Movement Waking Up?”