Month: January 2008

Amid all the media-generated hype surrounding John McCain’s narrow victory in the South Carolina primary – which portrays him rising, phoenix-like, from the ashes of what many considered a failed last hurrah – one anomaly stands out: he did well among antiwar voters. This seems counterintuitive, at first, especially when one considers that McCain is … Continue reading “McCain and the Militarist Mentality”

A glimmer of hope exists in Iraq, but it has not been produced by the surge of extra U.S. forces. Although the surge, prior ethnic cleansing that has separated warring ethno-sectarian groups, and the U.S. military’s paying off Sunni insurgents have reduced violence, the lull is likely to be temporary. The underlying ethno-sectarian fissures in … Continue reading “Hope in Iraq”

How humiliating. The story begins with the shameful case of Maher Arar, a Syrian-born Canadian who was kidnapped by U.S. agents as he changed planes in New York in 2002 and rendered to Syria, where he was tortured for a year on behalf of the American authorities before being released. Arar – who was awarded … Continue reading “Canada’s Gitmo Torture Warning Shows Double Standards”

Updated at 10:45 p.m. EST, Jan. 20, 2008At least 43 Iraqis were killed and 41 more were wounded in the latest attacks. No Coalition deaths were reported, but two Czech soldiers were wounded during a rocket attack in Basra. Five people were killed and 20 wounded during an Ashuraa celebration in Balad yesterday. In Baghdad, … Continue reading “Sunday: 43 Iraqis Killed, 41 Wounded”

Updated at 6:25 p.m. EST, Jan. 19, 2008The 10-day Ashuraa religious holiday ended today, but violence towards pilgrims continued until the very end. At least 29 Iraqis were killed and 65 others were wounded across Iraq, but none in Karbala, where the main observances were held. No Coalition deaths were reported. Also, Shi’ite leader Muqtada … Continue reading “Saturday: 29 Iraqis Killed, 65 Wounded”

Even as the Soviet Union was collapsing in late 1991, Senators Nunn and Lugar rushed through Congress authorization for the President, Secretary of Defense and Secretary of Energy to (a) assist Russia and the other states of the former Soviet Union secure and safeguard the 30,000 or more Soviet nuclear weapons (b) assist them in … Continue reading “Nunn-Domenici; Mission Subverted”

BEIRUT – The young woman was walking with her husband along a Baghdad street when she was abducted, held captive and raped repeatedly by five militia men for several days. "Before, she was very proud of her body but now she is overweight – she eats to protect herself and not to attract people," says … Continue reading “For Iraqis, Treatment for Trauma is Luxury”

Updated at 12:20 p.m. EST, Jan. 20, 2008At least 171 Iraqis were killed and 213 more were wounded in the latest attacks. The worst violence took place in Nassiriya and Basra, where a Shi’ite sect staged attacks just ahead of the culmination of Ashuraa observances. Meanwhile, Turkey claimed to have destroyed 60 Kurdistan Workers Party … Continue reading “Friday: 1 US Soldier, 171 Iraqis Killed; 213 Iraqis Wounded”

As they travel the country searching for votes, each of the big three Democratic candidates for president has pledged to withdraw large numbers of troops from Iraq during their first year in office. They also all say they oppose the construction and maintenance of permanent bases in Iraq. Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama say … Continue reading “Parsing the Democrats’ Iraq Plans”

Following up on the alleged incident in the Strait of Hormuz with those five Iranian speedboats, remember that radioed threat supposedly coming from the Iranian side? Now they’re blaming it on – are you ready for this? – “the Filipino Monkey,” some crazy guy (or guys) whose obscene remarks have come crackling over ship radios … Continue reading “The Hormuz Hoax”