Month: August 2005

The unilateral Israeli withdrawal or “disengagement” from the Gaza Strip and the evacuation of about 9,000 Jewish settlers from that region have helped produce dramatic media images, including mass demonstrations being held by the evicted settlers and their political supporters in Israel. Dressed in orange outfits and waving orange banners, the members of the right-wing … Continue reading “When a Pullout is Just a Cease-fire”

"I have come to the conclusion that the Creator does not want us to fight wars or to leave our brothers to die in hunger or disease. We have been given the things we need to provide all men on the planet with what they need to get by in this world. Why should I … Continue reading “No Glory in Dying”

The surge of antiwar voices in U.S. media this month has coincided with new lows in public approval for what pollsters call President Bush’s "handling" of the Iraq war. After more than two years of a military occupation that was supposed to be a breeze after a cakewalk into Baghdad, the war has become a … Continue reading “Camp Casey vs. Camp Carnage”

Laboring to Please the Empire The blistering August heat has but little to do with the constantly rising temperature of the boiling cauldron that is Balkans politics. Ever since the court of Bush II announced a “new” Balkans policy in May, the region has seen furious jockeying for Empire’s favor in the run-up to the … Continue reading “Allies and Vassals”

All the usual suspects are lining up to slime Cindy Sheehan: Mr. Smarm, AKA James Taranto; the pretentious twits over at Powerline blog; and of course Matt Drudge, who ought to make his role as a sounding board for the Republican National Committee official. Yet none of these worthies were really up to the task. … Continue reading “In Defense of Cindy Sheehan”

When Iraq’s elected leaders approve their country’s new constitution next week, will it make any difference in the lives of the Iraqi people? I doubt it – the Bush administration rarely pays attention to what the Iraqi people want and has little respect for Iraq’s elected leadership. Take, for example, the Iraqi interim constitution’s bill … Continue reading “A Constitution Without Independence”

Civil libertarians and the Pentagon appear headed for yet another trainwreck in the ongoing dispute over the so-called second batch of photos from Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. In response to a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), and a number of medical and veterans groups demanding … Continue reading “New Abuse Photos Could Spark Riots, US General Warns”

JERUSALEM – "This plan is good for Israel in any future scenario," Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said of the Gaza pullout. And it may not be as good for Palestinians as it seems. Israel’s disengagement from Gaza is a historic twist in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. It may seem like a step forward in this … Continue reading “Disengagement May Be a Disappointment”

Aug. 15, 2005I went back out to Crawford this week to see for myself how things are going and what it’s like there now. I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was just absolutely amazing. I left in the wee hours of the morning Saturday in a caravan with members of Military Families Speak Out (MFSO) … Continue reading “Dispatch From Camp Casey”

According to Reuters’ Louis Charbonneau – a neo-crazy media sycophant if ever there was one – those despicable Iranians "broke UN seals at a uranium processing plant" last week. According to Charbonneau, the International Atomic Energy Agency "put on the seals after Tehran agreed with the European Union’s biggest powers to halt all nuclear fuel … Continue reading “More Media Lies About Iran”