Month: July 2010

Bradley Manning’s Gift

They said the huge cache of classified documents – including 250,000 diplomatic messages passed from US embassies around the world to Washington – was a fantasy, “boasting” by Pfc. Bradley Manning, the intelligence analyst who gave Wikileaks that video of US soldiers laughing and shouting “good shot!” as they mowed down Iraqi civilians. The “hi … Continue reading “Bradley Manning’s Gift”

Life in the USSA

Last week, the Washington Post ran an excellent three-part series on the growing national security state. The series, written by Dana Priest and William M. Arkin, was titled “Top Secret America,” and the articles were titled “A Hidden World, Growing Beyond Control,” “National Security, Inc.,” and “The Secrets Next Door.” This series, said the Post‘s … Continue reading “Life in the USSA”

Sunday: 15 Iraqis Killed, 36 Wounded

Updated at 10:53 p.m. EDT, July 25, 2010 Security has been tightened ahead of Shi’ite religious holiday, but at least 15 Iraqis were killed and 36 more were wounded in unrelated violence. Meanwhile, a State of Law M.P. complained that the delay in forming the government has shaken the international community’s trust in Iraq. Despite that fear, Iraq’s political blocs postponed the parliamentary session by one day to pick a speaker, among other issues plaguing the new parliament. The government, however, was able to make a decision on changing Iraq’s state logo and stamp. Mirroring parliament, the Iraqi Football Association has postponed board elections until further notice.

The Great Myth: Counterinsurgency

There are moments that define a war. Just such a one occurred on June 21, when Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke and U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry helicoptered into Marjah for a photo op with the locals. It was to be a capstone event, the fruit of a four-month counterinsurgency offensive by Marines, North Atlantic … Continue reading “The Great Myth: Counterinsurgency”

Israel Gets Brutal With Media

NABI SALAH, West Bank – Palestinian activists are being jailed, Israeli activists are under surveillance, and the Israeli military is increasingly targeting journalists who cover West Bank protests. The Foreign Press Association (FPA) in Israel issued a statement recently condemning what it sees as a change in Israel Defense Forces (IDF) policy in their treatment … Continue reading “Israel Gets Brutal With Media”

Terror’s Self-Licking Ice Cream Cone

A recent exposé in the Washington Post shows that if you have a security clearance and are comfortable being part of a lucrative "self-licking ice cream cone" — a process that offers few if any benefits while perpetuating its own existence — then the "war on terror" is definitely for you! The conclusion that the Long War … Continue reading “Terror’s Self-Licking Ice Cream Cone”

Friday: 1 Iraqi Killed, 33 Wounded

Updated at 5:32 p.m. EDT, July 23, 2010 Only one Iraqi death was reported today, but 33 Iraqis were wounded in new attacks. Three U.S. soldiers who were wounded at their base in Nasariya as well. Meanwhile, Iraq trudged on another day without a new government, but the United States continued pressure on the leading contenders for prime minister.

Haters Go After the ‘Ground Zero Mosque’

Nothing illustrates the utter craziness of our society in the post-9/11 era than the controversy over the "Ground Zero mosque." To begin with, the proposed Islamic center – not a mosque, but the Muslim equivalent of the YMCA – a nonprofit foundation wants to build in New York City isn’t at "ground zero," it is four blocks from the site of … Continue reading “Haters Go After the ‘Ground Zero Mosque’”