Month: July 2007

The secret prison was set up on a secure U.S. naval base outside the U.S. and so beyond the slightest recourse to legal oversight. It was there that the CIA clandestinely brought its “suspects” to be interrogated, abused, and tortured. That description might indeed sound like Guantanamo 2002, but think again. According to New York … Continue reading “Agency of Rogues”

Last week, Umm Daoud ("the mother of Daoud") met me and three friends at a bridge that crosses into her neighborhood. It was just after sundown; the streets were darkening as she guided us toward the narrow path that leads to her home. She and her five children live in a humble two-room apartment in … Continue reading “Watching Tom and Jerry in Amman”

In the 1970s and ’80s – as a response to Irish Republican Army attacks – the British government installed an extensive network of closed-circuit television surveillance cameras (known as the "ring of steel") in central London. British authorities credit these cameras with being able to quickly identify the bombers in the July 2005 subway and … Continue reading “Surveillance Society”

Updated at 11:20 p.m. EDT, July 24, 2007Today’s most significant event was a suicide bombing that killed or injured almost 100 in Hilla. Altogether, 59 Iraqis were killed and 103 were injured in the latest attacks. The DOD reported that one American servicemember was killed yesterday in a non-hostile vehicle accident.A suicide car bomber killed … Continue reading “Tuesday: 1 GI, 59 Iraqis Killed; 103 Iraqis Wounded”

BAQUBA – Life in the violence-plagued capital city of Iraq’s Diyala province has become a struggle for day-to-day survival. Heavy U.S military operations, sectarian death squads, and al-Qaeda militants have combined to make normal life in Baquba, 30 mi. northeast of Baghdad, all but impossible. Movement from the city to another destination is extremely dangerous. … Continue reading “Baquba: Living in a Dead City”

NEW DELHI – After tortuous negotiations spread over four days in Washington, the United States and India have reported “substantial progress” on a bilateral agreement on civilian nuclear cooperation, but said they would now “refer the issue to our governments for final review.” However, the deal, also known as the “123 agreement” because it will … Continue reading “Nuke Deal: Breakthrough or Bad Bargain?”

In June the Future of Freedom Foundation hosted “Restoring the Republic: Foreign Policy and Civil Liberties,” a conference that brought together liberals, conservatives, and libertarians in favor of peace and liberty. Among the speakers was James Bovard, author of Attention Deficit Democracy, Terrorism and Tyranny: Trampling Freedom, Justice, and Peace to Rid the World of … Continue reading “Foreign Warring Subverts Freedom at Home”

Updated at 11:45 p.m. EDT, July 23, 2007A series of car bombings in Baghdad today left dozens dead and injured. Overall, 104 Iraqis were killed or found dead and 114 more were wounded in violence throughout Iraq. Three American servicemembers were killed in separate events as well.A Marine was killed while conducting combat operations in … Continue reading “Monday: 3 GIs, 104 Iraqis Killed; 114 Iraqis Wounded”

Congress is finally going to defund a repressive and increasingly unpopular U.S.-backed government that is currently engaged in a losing conflict with Islamic radicals and is endangered by rising anti-Americanism in the country. The current regime is not among the most liberal in the world and is weak, at best, enjoying more support in Washington … Continue reading “Will Bush Invade Pakistan?”

Start with the simplest, most basic fudge. Newspapers and the TV news constantly report on various plans for the “withdrawal of American troops” from Iraq, when what’s being proposed is the withdrawal of American “combat troops” or “combat brigades.” This isn’t a matter of splitting hairs; it’s the difference between a plan for full-scale withdrawal … Continue reading “Democratic Doublespeak
on Iraq”