Month: November 2008

Barack Obama is nothing if not an accomplished politician. Despite a background as a community activist, conventional liberal stance in the Illinois state senate, extraordinarily liberal voting record in the US Senate, and celebrated anti-Iraq war position, as president-elect he has raced to the center. In doing so he has reassured Americans worried that he … Continue reading “A Return to Liberal Warmongering? Peace Advocates Must Continue the Battle”

"There is no right to due process for an alien who is not here," insisted the 44th Solicitor General of the United States, Gregory G. Garre, proudly representing the President of the United States, George W. Bush. Garre is a teacher of the law, you see, and was attempting to show a three-judge panel of … Continue reading “Kafka and Uighurs at Guantánamo”

Of course there’s nothing all that unusual about a spy going to work for a Washington thinktank. Ex-CIA employees do it all the time: so do all sorts of other spooks, who would otherwise be haunting the world’s darkest corners. No big deal. But what I’ve never seen, and don’t recall ever hearing about, is … Continue reading “Now I’ve Seen Everything”

A fair amount of ink has been devoted to the likelihood that, even if it withdraws substantially from Iraq, an Obama administration will send a considerable number of troops (though probably not enough to make much of a difference anytime soon) to Afghanistan. Even though it is widely acknowledged that the “surge” tactics the U.S. … Continue reading “Out of Africa”

Updated at 6:55 p.m. EST, Nov. 27, 2008Parliament today approved a contentious U.S.-Iraqi security agreement that will allow U.S. troops to stay in the country for three more years. Meanwhile, at least eight Iraqis were killed and 43 more were wounded in the latest violence. Also, the European Union has promised to take-in 10,000 Iraqis. … Continue reading “Thursday: 8 Iraqis Killed; 43 Wounded”

HONG KONG – The right-wing US advocacy group Freedom’s Watch is reportedly shutting down as its main funder, Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, becomes one of the high-profile casualties of the global economic downturn. Freedom’s Watch, which according to the Las Vegas Review Journal, has scheduled huge staff layoffs for the end of December, was one … Continue reading “Neocon Lobby Group Loses Its Angel”

The repatriation from Guantánamo of Salim Hamdan, a former driver for Osama bin Laden, to serve out the last month of his sentence for providing material support for terrorism in Yemen, will surely hasten the demise of the prison, as promised by President-elect Barack Obama, even though the circumstances of Hamdan’s departure were as furtive … Continue reading “The End of Guantánamo”

Rumors in early November that Hillary Clinton would be Barack Obama’s Secretary of State have by now been substantiated; the official announcement is thought to be only days away. Other Clinton-era officials, such as Bill Richardson, have been tapped for cabinet positions as well. As one Washington journalist observed, "There is hardly a soul on … Continue reading “An Idea Whose Time Has Gone”

Editor’s Note: An underlying factor in the national security crises confronting the United States has been the corruption of the US. intelligence process, with analyses tailored to fit the desires of the policymakers and with laws bent to permit torture and other abuses. In this guest essay, former CIA analyst Ray McGovern reflects on what … Continue reading “Seeking Integrity at the CIA”

Updated at 11:51 p.m. EST, Nov. 26, 2008At least 35 Iraqis were killed and 24 more were wounded in the latest attacks. No Coalition deaths were reported. Meanwhile, Parliament delayed voting on a proposed U.S.-Iraqi security agreement until tomorrow, and Kurdish officials announced their first solo oil exports. Also, Russia lodged a complaint after a … Continue reading “Wednesday: 35 Iraqis Killed, 24 Wounded”