Month: March 2008

Updated at 9:20 p.m. EDT, Mar. 28, 2008At least 163 Iraqis were killed and 214 were wounded in the latest reports of violence. These figures included updated numbers from the Mahdi Army battles taking place since Tuesday. Fighting appears to be subsiding in Baghdad, but the Mahdi Army has expanded its control in Basra. One … Continue reading “Friday: 1 US Soldier, 163 Iraqis Killed; 214 Iraqis Wounded”

One of the Arab world’s most widely respected non-governmental organizations is charging that at least 14 Middle East and North African governments are systematically violating the civil liberties of their citizens – and most of them are close U.S. allies in the war on terror. In a report to the United Nations Human Rights Council, … Continue reading “Arab Govts Ever More Draconian, Group Says”

The recent increase in fighting around Basra, which is rapidly spreading to Baghdad, has the punditariat in a lather. Their sacred Surge has turned into a mere splurge – of resources, lives, and misplaced hope. Well, I could have told you that, and, indeed, I did. But never mind the chattering classes, their delusions of … Continue reading “The Mystery of American Foreign Policy”

The stories of the Uighurs in Guantánamo – Muslims from the oppressed Xinjiang province of China, formerly known as East Turkistan – have long demonstrated chronic injustice on the part of the U.S. authorities to those who know of them, although they have only sporadically registered on the media’s radar. Numbering 22 men in total, … Continue reading “A Chinese Muslim’s Desperate Plea From Gitmo”

No one was prepared for the storm when it hit. The levees meant to protect us had long since been breached, and key officials had already left town. The well-to-do were assured of rescue, but for everyone else trapped inside the Superdome in a fast-flooding region, there was no evacuation plan in sight. The Bush … Continue reading “Trust the Government to Do for the Economy What It Has Done for Iraq”

While the Iraqi government continued its large-scale military assault in Basra, the NPR reporter’s voice from Iraq was unequivocal on the morning of March 27: "There is no doubt that this operation needed to happen." Such flat-out statements, uttered with journalistic tones and without attribution, are routine for the U.S. media establishment. In the War … Continue reading “NPR News: National Pentagon Radio?”

The Kuomintang regained power in Taiwan’s presidential election last Saturday. A large majority backed the KMT’s Ma Ying-jeou in the hope that he will restore normalcy to the island’s economic performance at home and political relations abroad. Taiwan’s currency and stock market jumped, reflecting widespread hope for the future. But the biggest sighs of relief … Continue reading “Crisis Postponed?”

Updated at 12:21 a.m. EDT, Mar. 28, 2008Although the fighting continues in Basra, followers of Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in Baghdad instead took to the streets in mostly peaceful protests. The cleric himself has asked for peace talks, but the prime minister is refusing. At least 225 Iraqis were killed or found dead and 538 … Continue reading “Thursday: 225 Iraqis, 1 US Soldier, 3 US Contractors Killed; 538 Iraqis Wounded”

The escalation of fighting between Mahdi Army militiamen and their Shi’ite rivals, which could mark the end of Moqtada al-Sadr’s self-imposed cease-fire, also exposes Gen. David Petraeus’ strategy for controlling Sadr’s forces as a failure. Petraeus reacted immediately to Sunday’s rocket attacks on the Green Zone by blaming them on Iran. He told the BBC … Continue reading “Sadr Offensive Shows Failure of Petraeus Strategy”

On March 20, 2003, American forces began their invasion of Iraq. According to the Emperor himself, the purpose of the war was to "disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, to end Saddam Hussein’s support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people." Five years later, U.S. troops are still occupying Iraq. Four thousand of … Continue reading “Two Anniversaries”