Month: May 2004

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) yesterday released more information about the heavily censored legal challenge it is bringing against the government’s use of a controversial provision of the USA PATRIOT Act that allows the FBI to obtain from businesses sensitive personal information about their clients. Among the documents unsealed today is a declaration by … Continue reading “ISP Fights PATRIOT Act”

I used to marvel at James Carville and Paul Begala. Despite the parade of scandals during the Clinton administration – eight years of lies, deceit and power abuses – they never got tired of defending the indefensible. Now I stand in amazement at Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, fast on their way to becoming the … Continue reading “Republicans Can’t Handle the Truth”

I confess – I’m not sure if President Bush lied or is just confused when he said in his recent speech that “full sovereignty” was to be handed over to an Iraqi government on June 30. Full sovereignty would mean that the Iraqi government could tell us to get out of the country, and we … Continue reading “Lying or Confused?”

Bush administration policies in the war on terrorism mutated the global threat, mobilizing anti-U.S. sentiment. The crisis in Iraq, coupled with radical shifts in U.S. policy in the Middle East and elsewhere, gave extremists a new focus, allowing radical groups to widen their appeal among Muslims and others. A terrorism alarm sounds everyday somewhere in … Continue reading “Bush Doctrine Breeds Terror and Tyranny”

For many years, health-conscious Americans avidly consumed margarine as a wholesome substitute for artery-clogging butter. Only later did research shed light on grim effects of the partially hydrogenated oil in margarine, with results such as higher incidences of heart disease. Putting our trust in bogus alternatives can be dangerous for our bodies. And for the … Continue reading “Major ‘Liberal’ Outlets Clog Media Diets”

UNITED NATIONS, (IPS) – Presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for September in Afghanistan could be jeopardized by rising violence, poor voter registration, a shortfall in funding and a deteriorating security situation in the country, a senior U.N. official warned Thursday. Assuming voting goes ahead as planned, the legitimacy of the next Afghan government could be … Continue reading “Security, Low Voter Registration Threaten Afghan Polls”

Against All Enemies: Inside America’s War on Terror, by Richard A. Clarke, Free Press, 304 pp. 27.00 The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House, and the Education of Paul O’Neill, by Ron Suskind, Simon & Schuster, 348 pp., 26.00 When political books come out in an election year it is usually prudent … Continue reading “Scoping Out the Bushies”

The fallout from Chalabi-gate continues to rain down on the heads of the War Party, opening up the exciting prospect that some neocons might well wind up behind bars. The charge? Espionage, as Sidney Blumenthal informs us: “At a well-appointed conservative think tank in downtown Washington and across the Potomac River at the Pentagon, FBI … Continue reading “Chalabi-gate: None Dare Call It Treason”

Two of the seven suspected terrorists linked by the Bush administration to an impending “hard” attack on the United States are probably not even in North America, said officials Wednesday. After naming the seven suspects – including two Canadians – at a prime-time news conference, top U.S. officials including FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III … Continue reading “Latest US Terror Warning Raises Questions”

UNITED NATIONS, (IPS) – As the United Nations gears up to dispatch thousands of new troops into political trouble spots in sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean, its peacekeeping missions are being undermined by a shortage of funds, unpaid debts and charges of sexual abuse against women and children caught in the crossfire. The growing problems … Continue reading “UN: Bullies and Beggars”