Month: September 2005

Traveling from New York City in late September 2001, on a pre-scheduled book tour, author Joan Didion spoke with audiences in several cities on the West Coast. In the wake of 9/11, she later wrote, "these people to whom I was listening – in San Francisco and Los Angeles and Portland and Seattle – were … Continue reading “9/11 and the Manipulation of America”

NEW ORLEANS – Heavily armed paramilitary mercenaries from the Blackwater private security firm, infamous for their work in Iraq, are openly patrolling the streets of New Orleans. Some of the mercenaries say they have been “deputized” by the Louisiana governor; indeed some are wearing gold Louisiana state law enforcement badges on their chests and Blackwater … Continue reading “Overkill: Feared Blackwater Mercenaries Deploy in New Orleans”

Many lessons can be drawn from the observation of Israeli dominion over the Palestinians in the past fifty-five years, most notably the audacious mandate of institutionalized violence. Even more alarming than the crimes themselves is the fact that even after blatantly violating international law, Israel manages to remain in the safety of the fold of … Continue reading “Israel’s Successful Use of the Art of Realpolitik”

During 2004, the George W. Bush administration issued more secret court orders, spent 148 dollars creating new classified documents for every dollar spent releasing old ones, invoked the "state secrets" privilege in court cases more frequently than ever before, and received 25 percent more requests for documents under the Freedom of Information Act. These are … Continue reading “Govt Secrecy Carries a Hefty Price”

In a Note Verbale of August 1, 2005, Iran informed the International Atomic Energy Agency that Iran had decided to resume uranium-conversion activities – voluntarily suspended by Iran almost two years before – at the Uranium Conversion Facility at Esfahan. In October 2003, Iran had entered into negotiations with France, Germany and the United Kingdom … Continue reading “Nothing to Refer”

  Watch Ron Paul’s speech on video.     Many reasons have been given for why we fight and our youth must die in Iraq. The reasons now given for why we must continue this war bear no resemblance to the reasons given to gain the support of the American people and the United States … Continue reading “Why We Fight, and Why We Shouldn’t”

What has been obvious to many of us for some time should be obvious to almost everybody in the wake of the botch government – city, state, and local, there’s plenty of incompetence to go around – has made of Hurricane Katrina. The empire has no clothes. After 9/11, the government spent countless billions reshuffling … Continue reading “Katrina and 9/11: Criminal Incompetence”

If U.S. President George W. Bush was counting on Sunday’s “Freedom Walk” and country music festival at the Pentagon to revive the patriotic spirit (and rally his sagging approval ratings) that followed the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on their fourth anniversary, he is likely to be very disappointed. And it won’t be just because … Continue reading “Four Years After 9/11, Anti-Terror Strategy in Doubt”

There is a time to talk the talk, and a time to walk the walk – a time for analysis, and a time for action – and now is the time for the latter. We need immediate action to stop the war – before it spreads beyond Iraq, before it bankrupts our country, before all … Continue reading “A Time for Action”

On Sept. 6-7, 2005, the New America Foundation hosted “Terrorism, Security & America’s Purpose,” a policy forum featuring scholars, elected officials, intelligence experts, and journalists. A full list of speakers is available here. Anatol Lieven is the author of The Baltic Revolution: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and the Path to Independence, Ukraine & Russia: A Fraternal … Continue reading “The Dangers of Democratic Imperialism”