Month: July 2016

Authorities reported finding a mass grave in Fallujah.

In early 2009 I was walking away from a compound a platoon from the Second Ranger Battalion had just assaulted when a staff sergeant I knew held up something in the dark.  I couldn’t tell exactly what it was.  It was small and he was bragging about it.  I tried to make it out but … Continue reading “The Ghosts of Direct Action”

Originally posted at TomDispatch. As is often the case, I opened the Monday newspaper curious to find out how the weekend had gone at the movies. The headline read, “‘Ghostbusters’ Is No. 2 Behind ‘Secret Life of Pets.’” That meant Universal Studios’ animated film had again been the big winner, taking in an estimated $50.6 … Continue reading “How to Arm a ‘Volatile’ Planet”

A family of five that included four girls was killed trying to escape Daesh territory.

Shortly after the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 1996 (their rise to power itself a result of the 1979 Soviet intervention in Afghanistan), we began to hear endless stories of the horrors of this student movement turned governing power. They ruled by Sharia law, they treated women badly, they even blew up ancient statues! … Continue reading “Intervention Fail: ISIS Makes Bloody Gains in Post ‘Liberation’ Afghanistan”

Lately, the tactics of local police departments have been in the news because of mass shootings at Orlando and Fort Myers nightclubs, questionable police killings of civilians in suburban St. Paul and Baton Rouge, and retaliatory slayings of police in Baton Rouge and Dallas. Some commentators have argued convincingly that the militarization of police departments … Continue reading “Trading Places: Swapping the Roles of Police and Military Is Bad for the Republic”

The Chilcot Inquiry, set up to look into the British role in the war in Iraq, reported on July 6, and although it was overshadowed by the political fallout from the Brexit vote to leave the European Union, received a largely favorable reception from the media and commentators. It is unclear why those commentators judged … Continue reading “The Secret US-UK Airwar Against Iraq”

A bomber struck in Khalis. Militants beheaded dozens of victims.

Justin Raimondo has some business to take care of today, so we’re running his last column. But never fear – he’ll be back on Friday!Julian Assange has done it again: exposed the inner workings – and crimes – of our political class, that is. This time his target is Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National … Continue reading “The Hunt for Red Trump-tober”

I recently dug my mother’s childhood photo album out of the depths of my bedroom closet. When I opened it, I found that the glue she had used as a girl to paste her life in place had given way, and on many pages the photos were now in a jumble. My mother was born … Continue reading “Crimes Against the Future”