Month: May 2013

Threatened with Censorship and Ouster by PEN’s Henchmen

In the vast and ever expanding firmament of Western Human Rights NGO’s, PEN, America Center, the writers’ organization, is far from the most luminous and ordinarily barely visible. But a dark side of PEN came clearly into view with the hiring of Suzanne Nossel as its executive director. And the same dark side is becoming … Continue reading “Threatened with Censorship and Ouster by PEN’s Henchmen”

Political Decentralization Might Help in Conflict-Ridden Countries

What do Libya, Somalia, Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan have in common? Although it’s true that the United States has conducted recent military interventions in all of them, the more fundamental answer is that they are all artificial countries. That is, they are each made up of feuding ethno-sectarian groups or tribes. And perhaps the instability … Continue reading “Political Decentralization Might Help in Conflict-Ridden Countries”

Seventeen Iraqis Killed in Widespread Attacks

In Mosul, a sticky bomb planed on a provincial councilor’s car killed her driver. A policeman was gunned down. A roadside bomb wounded two policemen. Security forces killed two gunmen. A roadside bomb killed a man and wounded a woman. Gunmen attacked a Tikrit checkpoint, where they killed four policemen and wounded a colonel. In … Continue reading “Seventeen Iraqis Killed in Widespread Attacks”

Who Are the War Criminals in Syria?

Last week, several polls came out assessing U.S. public opinion on intervention in Syria. According to the Huffington Post poll, Americans oppose U.S. air strikes on Syria by 3-to-1. They oppose sending arms to the rebels by 4-to-1. They oppose putting U.S. ground troops into Syria by 14-to-1. Democrats, Republicans and independents are all against … Continue reading “Who Are the War Criminals in Syria?”

Obama’s Duplicitous Iran Policy

One of President Obama’s greatest “accomplishments” has been creating fissures within the antiwar/progressive community in the United States by talking like a progressive politician, but acting in most cases as a conservative one. Consider, for example, his domestic policy. It has helped Wall Street far more than anything the President is willing to do for … Continue reading “Obama’s Duplicitous Iran Policy”

Regime Change in Syria

For well over a year, the US has pursued a policy of regime change in Syria. This policy is rooted in Washington’s broader regional interest: maintaining obedient client states and eliminating states that challenge US hegemony. More specifically, the US is interested in breaking the “Iranian sphere of influence” in which Syria is key. In … Continue reading “Regime Change in Syria”