Month: September 2004

Poll Finds a Nation Chastened by War

Three years of the Bush administration’s "war on terrorism" appears to have reduced the appetite of the U.S. public and its leaders for unilateral military engagements, according to a major survey released Tuesday by the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations (CCFR). Indeed, the survey, the latest in a quadrennial series going back to 1974, found … Continue reading “Poll Finds a Nation Chastened by War”

Man Arrested for Videotaping Buildings May Stand Trial

Police arrested Kamran Akhtar, a Pakistani national accused of living in the U.S. illegally, on July 20 while videotaping skyscrapers in Charlotte, N.C. Today, Akhtar remains in Mecklenburg County Jail in Charlotte waiting to see if he will be convicted of violating immigration laws and imprisoned or deported. Meanwhile, the case has raised concerns among … Continue reading “Man Arrested for Videotaping Buildings May Stand Trial”

Fact-Checking Bush’s UN Address

Commentators in the mainstream media seem genuinely perplexed over the polite but notably unenthusiastic reception given to President George W. Bush’s Sept. 21 address before the United Nations General Assembly. Why wasn’t a speech that emphasized such high ideals as democracy, the rule of law, and the threat of terrorism better received? The answer may … Continue reading “Fact-Checking Bush’s UN Address”

The President’s Comedy Routine

President George Bush’s denial of the reality of Iraq is beginning to sound like a stand-up comedy routine. “Mr. President, the insurgency has spread to the whole country.” “We’re making great progress.” “But Mr. President, the attacks against coalition forces have escalated dramatically.” “We’re making great progress.” “But Mr. President, all but two percent of … Continue reading “The President’s Comedy Routine”

Human Shields Denied Hearing on Iraq Sanctions Charges

Faced with tens of thousands of dollars in fines and the prospect of future criminal charges for traveling to Iraq, one antiwar activist is speaking out, challenging the federal government’s right to punish her for a 2003 visit to the Middle-Eastern nation. Judith Karpova, a longtime activist, interfaith minister, and freelance writer, said she hopes … Continue reading “Human Shields Denied Hearing on Iraq Sanctions Charges”

Rising Protest Against Colombian Anti-Drug Spraying

MONTEVIDEO – Campesinos and indigenous people who live along the northern border of Ecuador are demanding that the government and the courts take effective action to stop the anti-drug crop spraying carried out under Plan Colombia right across the border, complaining about damaging effects to their health and their food crops. More than 100 people … Continue reading “Rising Protest Against Colombian Anti-Drug Spraying”

Al-Jazeera in the Thick of a New Controversy

HELSINKI – The name of al-Jazeera appeared out of the blue, and before anyone knew it Arab media had gone global. Many in the Arab world call it the CNN of their world. If the CNN won the media war the first time in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, an unexpected al-Jazeera was … Continue reading “Al-Jazeera in the Thick of a New Controversy”

A Choice Without an Alternative

Will you be offered a choice without an alternative in November? By now you must know that the Republican Party has been taken over by the neo-crazies, hell-bent on establishing American Hegemony in the Middle East on behalf of our "allies." But maybe you didn’t realize that the Democratic Party was taken over by the … Continue reading “A Choice Without an Alternative”

Whose Fault Is It?

Out of almost 1,400 words, it was the following short sentence that attracted almost all the readers’ reactions to my previous column: “The Arab states and the Palestinians have in fact acknowledged Israel’s right to exist in peace, if it withdraws from the occupied Palestinian territories taken in 1967; whereas Israel wants to keep these … Continue reading “Whose Fault Is It?”