Month: March 2007

Updated at 1:25 a.m. EST, Mar. 10, 2007At least three million Iraqis are in Karbala to observe Arbain ,which ends the forty-day period of mourning that began with the Ashura holiday; no deadly incidents were reported. Overall, at least 33 Iraqis were killed and five wounded in separate incidents elsewhere. Also, a Marine was killed … Continue reading “Friday: 1 Marine, 33 Iraqis Killed; 5 Iraqis Injured”

The Democrats have a plan – finally! – to get us out of Iraq, and it involves – as usual with the Dems – a complicated process of measuring "benchmarks" that, if not met, will supposedly trigger a U.S. withdrawal (in 180 days). Two dates are given – July 1 and Oct. 1, 2007 – … Continue reading “The Other War”

The United States has maintained troops in South Korea for more than a half century. Since 1950, Washington has defended the Republic of Korea (ROK) with blood and treasure. During that time the ROK has gone from an impoverished, authoritarian state to a prosperous democracy. Yet America’s commitment remains essentially unchanged. Why? It’s certainly not … Continue reading “Why are We Still in Korea?”

Once upon a time, our offshore prison at Guantánamo was the sort of place where even an American National Guardsman, only pretending to be a recalcitrant prisoner “extracted” from a cell for training purposes, could be beaten almost senseless. This actually happened to 35 year-old “model soldier” Sean Baker, who had been in Gulf War … Continue reading “Guantánamo Is Not a Prison”

Watch Ron Paul’s speech on video. The scandal at Walter Reed is not an isolated incident. It is directly related to our foreign policy of interventionism. There is a pressing need to reassess our now widely accepted role as the world’s lone superpower. If we don’t, we are destined to reduce our nation to something … Continue reading “The Scandal at Walter Reed”

Updated at 2:35 a.m. EST, March 9, 2007 At least 67 Iraqis were reported killed or found dead today and another 58 were wounded in violent acts. Most of the attacks were outside the capital where it is believed that many gunmen have fled to in the wake of increased security in Baghdad. Also, the … Continue reading “Thursday: 67 Iraqis, 1 GI Killed; 58 Iraqis Wounded”

Testimony at the Libby trial showed a vice president obsessed with retaliating against former ambassador Joseph Wilson for writing, in the New York Times op-ed section on July 6, 2003, that intelligence had been "twisted" to justify attacking Iraq. How to explain why the normally stoic, phlegmatic Cheney went off the deep end? Vice President … Continue reading “Why Cheney Lost It When Joe Wilson Spoke Out”

A U.S. plan to develop a new hydrogen bomb could spark production of new nuclear weapons by other countries, including several foes of the Bush administration, warn some of the nation’s leading arms control and disarmament advocacy groups. Last Friday, the Department of Energy announced it was seeking to develop a new hydrogen bomb that … Continue reading “New US Bomb Could Jumpstart Nuclear Arms Race”

It’s springtime for Congress, and the Washington Dodgers are batting 1,000 in the exhibition season. No, I’m not talking about baseball. I have just enough interest in sports to know that the Dodgers play in Los Angeles and Washington’s baseball team is the Nationals. The Dodgers I’m talking about are the Democratic majorities in the … Continue reading “The Washington Dodgers”

Last week, Houzan Mahmoud, the international representative of the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (a partner organization of MADRE), opened her e-mail and found a message from Ansar al-Islam, a notoriously brutal Sunni jihadist group. The message read simply, "we will kill you by the middle of March." Houzan is an outspoken Iraqi feminist. … Continue reading “Iraq’s Other War: Violence Against Women Under US Occupation”