Month: November 2013

At least 56 Iraqis were killed and 117 more were wounded, mostly in northern Iraq. At least two separate bombings occurred in the Tikrit-Shirqat region.

If there was ever any doubt that the formerly "Great" Britain of today has devolved into a stinkhole of authoritarianism – a proposition I advanced in a recent column – it has been dispelled by the news that the British authorities justified the detainment of David Miranda by claiming that, in transporting materials released by … Continue reading “The Language of Tyrants”

October was Iraq’s deadliest month since April, 2008. In those five and a half years, not only has there been no improvement in Iraq’s security situation, but things have gotten much worse. More than 1,000 people were killed in Iraq last month, the vast majority of them civilians. Another 1,600 were wounded, as car bombs, … Continue reading “What Cannot Be Said About Iraq”

Originally posted at TomDispatch. If it’s Tuesday, this must be Belgium – the title of a 1969 romantic comedy – could now fit two intertwined phenomena: the madcap global travels of Secretary of State John Kerry and the nonstop journey of the latest revelations from National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden. In mid-August, there was … Continue reading “America’s Top Diplomat Is Lost in Space”

At least 17 Iraqis were killed and 46 more were wounded in today’s violence.

This article by Edward Snowden was published Sunday in Der Spiegel. In a very short time, the world has learned much about unaccountable secret agencies and about sometimes illegal surveillance programs. Sometimes the agencies even deliberately try to hide their surveillance of high officials or the public. While the NSA and GCHQ seem to be … Continue reading “A Manifesto for the Truth”

The drone attack that killed Tehreek Taliban Pakistan chief Hakimullah Mahsud this week seems also to have killed hopes that drone attacks will end. “After the recent debate in international media about U.S-led drone attacks, there was some hope these illegal strikes would end,” Muhammad Bashir a dental surgeon from North Waziristan Agency, tells IPS. … Continue reading “Drone Attack Kills More Than Taliban Chief”

At least 20 Iraqis were killed and 72 more were wounded in today’s violence.

The Iraqi government released its October casualty figures. Authorities reported 964 people were killed. That number included civilians and security personnel. Another 1,600 people were wounded. Antiwar.com, which compiles figures using various media sources, found that 1,370 people were killed and 2,361 were wounded during the month. These figures include militants, foreigners and executed convicts. In today’s attacks, at least 16 more were killed and 13 were wounded.