Month: July 2005

BEIRUT – This is a city marked by a civil war and molded by divisions that still run deep within the country and through the fabric of society. With typical Lebanese gusto, much has been done over the past 15 years to repair the physical damage, but much more has been done to gloss over … Continue reading “Beirut: It Takes a Long Time to Undo Destruction”

Perhaps President Bush had decided even before taking office to replace the existing nuke-proliferation-prevention regime – largely our creation – because the regime no longer automatically did our bidding. In particular, when the Security Council discovered in the immediate aftermath of the Gulf War that Iraq had been attempting to enrich uranium for use in … Continue reading “Emasculating Nonproliferation”

A recent poll shows six in ten Americans think a new world war is coming: the same poll says about 50 percent approve of the dropping of the atomic bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II. Somewhat inexplicably, about two-thirds say nuking those two cities was … Continue reading “Cheney’s Plan: Nuke Iran”

Is U.S. President George W. Bush at last ready to deal with the third charter member of his “Axis of Evil,” thus giving up his dreams of “regime change” in North Korea? And is North Korean leader Kim Jong-il really prepared to dismantle his nuclear weapons program, and even give up as many as eight … Continue reading “Much at Stake on Eve of Six-Party Talks”

The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday voted unanimously in favor of legislation offered by Congressman Ron Paul that will help preserve the right of American citizens to participate in political activity without fear of government surveillance. Paul’s amendment to a bill reauthorizing the PATRIOT Act makes it clear that the Act should not serve to … Continue reading “Congress Unanimously Supports Paul Amendment to Protect Civil Liberties”

NABLUS, West Bank – "Before the 2000 Al-Aqsa Intifadah I was very optimistic. I was ambitious and strong, but now I do not feel strong any more. We are all frustrated in our small prison," says Sawsan Aishe, a 24-year-old graduate from An Najah National University in Nablus in the West Bank. The West Bank … Continue reading “Where Homeland Means Humiliation”

First it was Walter Jones (R-NC) who began to speak out in favor of an exit strategy for Iraq. Now there are nine. This is still a trickle – but it is a growing one. And as the support for the war decreases, evidence of the failure of the occupation and the increased risk the … Continue reading “Republican Opposition to Iraq War Growing”

Well, that tears it. Or, rather, tears it up. President Bush effectively tore up the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons by announcing this week that "as a responsible state with advanced nuclear technology, India should acquire the same benefits and advantages as other such states." Translation? Even though India refused to be a Party … Continue reading “Tearing Up the NPT”

The underlying theme of most Western politicians can be summed up in the phrase “It’s not my fault.” This is the motto of the Age of Irresponsibility. Have you ever wondered how, if all the problems we face are nobody’s fault, they became problems in the first place? It’s been my personal experience that when … Continue reading “Nobody’s Fault”

The USA PATRIOT Act and Terrorism Prevention Act (HR 3199) in no way brings the PATRIOT Act into compliance with the Constitution or allays concerns that the powers granted to the government in the act will be used to abuse the rights of the people. Much of the discussion surrounding this bill has revolved around … Continue reading “PATRIOT Act is a Threat to Liberty”