Month: August 2008

Updated at 9:45 p.m. EDT, Aug. 1, 2008At least 11 Iraqis were killed or found dead and six more were wounded in the latest attacks. No Coalition deaths were reported, but an American civilian died at a Polish base in Diwaniyah. July was the least deadly month for Coalition troops since the war began. Iraqi … Continue reading “Friday: 1 American, 11 Iraqis Killed; 6 Iraqis Wounded”

US defense strategy should be focused primarily in the short to medium term on unconventional threats, particularly “violent extremist movements such as al Qaeda and its associates,” while it “hedge(s)” against the growing military power of “rogue states such as Iran and North Korea” and potential rivals, notably China and Russia, according to major policy … Continue reading “Gates Strategy Stresses Unconventional Warfare”

FALLUJAH, Jul 31 (IPS) – A tense security situation in this volatile city has worsened after some policemen found bombs planted on the roofs of their houses. Astonishing attacks have been launched against police leaders during the past weeks in Fallujah, 69 km west of Baghdad, after reports of the US and Iraqi government’s plans … Continue reading “Police Bombings Raise New Fears”

John McCain’s attempt to sell his presidential candidacy on the basis that he backed the troop surge initiated last year is comical – or pathetic. He supported an unnecessary and disastrous war. He backed the administration’s misguided occupation policies for years. And he wants to keep troops in Iraq for 100 years or more. Yes, … Continue reading “Staying Out of Iraq Was the Truest Test for Any Prez Wannabe”

It’s been just about a month since Joe Klein’s column accusing "Jewish neoconservatives" of having "divided loyalties" appeared in Time magazine, and already the controversy surrounding it is taking on the grand scale of an opera – perhaps a stage adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s "The Lottery." His original sin was writing this: "The notion that … Continue reading “Joe Klein Speaks Truth to Power”

Send me a postcard, drop me a line, Stating point of view. Indicate precisely what you mean to say Yours sincerely, Wasting Away. – the Beatles, “When I’m 64” I set foot, so to speak, on this planet on July 20, 1944, not perhaps the best day of the century. It was, in fact, the … Continue reading “Living Through the Age of Denial in America”

On Monday July 28, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that it had transferred three prisoners – a Qatari, an Afghan and a prisoner from the United Arab Emirates – to their home countries from the prison at Guantánamo Bay. Adding that they "were determined to be eligible for transfer following a comprehensive series of … Continue reading “Brother of US ‘Enemy Combatant’ Released from Guantánamo”