Month: February 2005

The U.S. Department of Justice may make legal history in seeking to dismiss a lawsuit on behalf of a U.S. citizen being held in Saudi Arabia without publicly disclosing its reasons, citing an "extraordinarily high" government interest in protecting national security issues in the case. Other instances in which courts based their decisions on "secret … Continue reading “Jordanian-American’s ‘Rendition’ Case Takes a New Twist”

BEIJING – North Korea’s bold statement that it has nuclear weapons – in order to thwart a possible U.S. strike – puts Beijing in an uncomfortable position. This is because it exposes China’s ambiguous position on the primacy of the United Nations when it comes to dealing with the Stalinist country. As North Korea’s oldest … Continue reading “Two Nations in a Bind Over Nukes”

NEW DELHI – India’s External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh arrives in Islamabad on Tuesday with a firm agenda to restore ties with an estranged Pakistan. This will be the first visit by an Indian foreign minister to the neighboring country in 15 years. In an exclusive interview with IPS, Singh indicated that his visit would … Continue reading “India Ready for Closer Ties With Pakistan”

ARBIL, Iraq – The main victors in the Iraq elections appear to be a slate of Shia politicians inspired by Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani and led by Sayyed Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, head of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq. That makes Hakim a key man, whatever shape the government takes. The former head … Continue reading “Iranian Shadow Falls Over Baghdad”

On Meet the Press Sunday morning, Natan Sharansky had his head handed to him by Pat Buchanan, a sight both instructive and inspiring to behold. Sharansky’s recent book, The Case for Democracy, has been identified by none other than our president as a primary source of his new and improved Bush Doctrine, which calls for … Continue reading “The Sharansky Fallacy”

Last November, the governments of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom – supported by the European Union – and the Islamic Republic of Iran forwarded to the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency an agreement they requested he circulate to all IAEA member states. The agreement began with the Europeans (E3/EU) recognizing “Iran’s … Continue reading “Sandbagging the EU”

I am sending this to someone who’s stationed in one of the most dangerous regions of Iraq. If a special soldier needs your love, this can be your greeting, too. Send it today, or any time you sense that your loved one – unknown to the men who started this war, but so very important … Continue reading “A Valentine for Your Unknown Soldier”

Americans Die for Sharia in Iraq I am a Muslim-American who has always been a fan of Justin Raimondo and Antiwar.com for exposing the neocons’ plans to wage war in the Middle East for the sake of Israel and empire. But I was shocked at this ignorant and uninformed comment: “The right of women to … Continue reading “Backtalk, February 14, 2005”

Suppose you are the party responsible for invading a country under totally false pretenses. Suppose you had totally unrealistic expectations about the consequences of your gratuitous aggression. What do you do when, instead of being greeted with flowers, you find your army is tied down by insurgents and you have no face-saving way to get … Continue reading “We Have Nothing to Fear But Bush Himself”

JERUSALEM – Having bathed in the dreamy tranquility of Sharm El-Sheikh and imbibed the heady atmosphere of their ceasefire summit at the Egyptian Red Sea resort, both Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas returned to considerably less attractive political landscapes at home. Abbas was greeted less than 48 hours after his … Continue reading “Cracks Appear in Truce Already”