Month: June 2004

Supreme Court Deals Bush Major Defeat on Detainees

In a major defeat for President George W. Bush, the U.S. Supreme Court Monday ruled that detainees captured in Bush’s “war on terrorism” and detained at a U.S. base in Cuba or in U.S. territory have the right to challenge their detention in federal court. In an 8-1 decision, the justices found that U.S. citizens … Continue reading “Supreme Court Deals Bush Major Defeat on Detainees”

Regime Change in Iraq a Sham, Say Mideast Experts

UNITED NATIONS – Despite the positive responses Monday from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and members of the Security Council who praised the U.S. “transfer of sovereignty” to an interim government in Iraq, Middle East experts and political analysts dismiss the regime change in Baghdad as a “monumental fraud.” “The truth is that Iraqi sovereignty is … Continue reading “Regime Change in Iraq a Sham, Say Mideast Experts”

Handover, Yes, But to What?

BAGHDAD – Iraq’s new minister of the interior Falah al-Nakib and his staff were so taken by surprise by the unexpected handover of sovereignty by the U.S.-led occupation Monday that they failed to make it to the brief ceremony. They stayed in their office, an air-raid shelter meant for one of Saddam Hussein’s daughters, and … Continue reading “Handover, Yes, But to What?”

Web Weaves Reunion for Kashmiris

SRINAGAR – Technology bridged a decades old divide this week when separated families across the Indian and Pakistani sides of Kashmir interacted through a web cast, amid tears, laughter and hopes of peaceful tomorrows. The three-day event organized by the BBC in the Indian city of Srinagar and Pakistani town of Muzaffarabad brought a ray … Continue reading “Web Weaves Reunion for Kashmiris”

Role Reversal

Since 1932 Democrats have been so confident of the inherent virtue of government that they have been willing to trust any amount of power to it. The liberal agenda boiled down to the growth of government power. Republicans were the naysayers, forever quoting the Founding Fathers’ warnings that government power meant liberty’s demise. The administration … Continue reading “Role Reversal”

Mother of Slain Korean: ‘The Govt Killed My Son’

SEOUL – The failed attempt to rescue a South Korean hostage in Iraq, before he was beheaded, has prompted lawmakers in South Korea to launch an investigation into government agencies for their alleged inaction after first hearing news of the abduction. This investigation comes as the nation begins to mourn the death of 33-year-old Kim … Continue reading “Mother of Slain Korean: ‘The Govt Killed My Son’”

Why Didn’t They Speak Out Earlier?

The book has an apt title: Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror. And the author spells out “why.” We are losing because of the misguided war on Iraq and the upsurge in terrorism it has engendered. Sadly, that conclusion was validated last week by the widespread, coordinated attacks by the … Continue reading “Why Didn’t They Speak Out Earlier?”

US Hawks Owe More to the French Than They Realize

PARIS – The kind of torture inflicted upon Iraqi prisoners by the U.S. army followed methods France used during the Algerian war of independence in the late 1950s, several French historians and journalists say. Both the U.S. and the French armies had obviously studied Islamic traditions in order to devise torture methods aimed particularly at … Continue reading “US Hawks Owe More to the French Than They Realize”

Sovereignty Without Substance

Paul Bremer suddenly left Iraq on Monday, having “transferred sovereignty” to the caretaker Iraqi government two days early. It is hard to interpret this move as anything but a precipitous flight. It is just speculation on my part, but I suspect that the Americans must have developed intelligence that there might be a major strike … Continue reading “Sovereignty Without Substance”