Month: October 2004

BAGHDAD – As proponents of the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq constantly assert, not everything taking place in the "New Iraq" is bad news. Indeed, there are people trying to make the best of a nightmarish situation. Here are a few of their stories. Generations of Artists Kareema al-Husseini was standing in a spacious room surrounded … Continue reading “Iraq: Making the Most of a Bad Situation”

First, the CIA comes out and says it can’t find any convincing evidence that Saddam Hussein harbored Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Zarqawi’s presence at certain points in Iraq has long been argued as a proof of his links to terrorism and al-Qaeda (even though Zarqawi’s Monotheism and Jihad is a bitter rival of al-Qaeda rather than … Continue reading “WMD Myth Meant to Deter Iran”

Amid the back-and-forth between the Bushies and the Kerry camp, one campaign season fusillade has gone largely unnoticed. Fundie nut-job Pat Robertson exposed the real heart and soul of his movement of moonbats the other day at a news conference in Jerusalem, where he threatened to withdraw his support from the GOP: "’The President has … Continue reading “Larry Franklin’s October Surprise”

Civil liberties and immigrant rights advocates say House Republicans are using legislation based on the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations as cover to implement a series of troubling, unrelated reforms condoning torture, limiting immigration and increasing surveillance of both non-citizens and citizens. The House will vote on the 9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act this week. Opponents say the … Continue reading “House Set to Nullify More Civil Liberties”

UNITED NATIONS – Nationwide elections in Iraq, scheduled to take place before the end of January 2005, are now jeopardized by two powerful UN staff unions demanding that no UN employees be sent to the violence-ridden country. "Just one staff member is one staff member too many in Iraq," say the Federation of International Civil … Continue reading “UN Unions Want Workers Out of Iraq”

Glenn A. Fine, Inspector General U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Suite 4322 Washington, D.C. 20530-0001 Dear Mr. Fine: I have reviewed the recently released redacted and unclassified version of your department’s audit of the FBI’s Foreign Language Program. Your report helps to bring badly needed attention to serious problems within the FBI’s … Continue reading “FBI Audit Leaves Vital Questions Unanswered”

Is there anything at all left of the Bush administration’s case for going to war in Iraq or, for that matter, the way it has been fought? The answer seems increasingly doubtful given what appears to be an accelerating cascade of news, leaks and admissions by senior administration officials over the past several weeks. Consider … Continue reading “Bush’s Case for War Crumbles”

BUENOS AIRES – This Tuesday the Argentine government announced a substantial increase in the pensions paid to veterans of the 1982 Malvinas/Falkland Islands War. The decision is a first step towards recognizing the participants in a conflict that continues to cause suffering and death even 22 years later. The islands, located in the south Atlantic … Continue reading “Argentina Finally Recognizes Veterans of Falklands War”

"Elections are being advertised as a way of claiming responsibility for one’s future. In reality, they are nothing but a way to fool the people into believing that their opinions matter. And it is very obvious that for a very long time, that has definitely not been the case." (from "The Unbearable Futility of Voting") … Continue reading “Electing to Abstain”

Steadily growing military aid to Latin America and Caribbean nations encourages armed forces in those countries to "blur the lines" between the roles of the civilian and military, according to a report released this week. U.S. military aid to the region has risen sharply since 2000, according to the report, which noted that even during … Continue reading “US Military Aid to Latin America Grows”