Katherine Stapp

Free speech advocates say the six-day shutdown of nearly two dozen Web sites belonging to Indymedia is a severe blow to democratic principles and, perhaps, an ominous sign of things to come. An international collective of journalists born out of the combative World Trade Organization (WTO) meetings in Seattle five years ago, Indymedia has evolved … Continue reading “Indymedia Seizure Signals Clampdown on Dissent”

UNITED NATIONS – In his first address to world leaders gathered at UN headquarters, Iraq’s Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi urged the wealthiest countries to forgive Iraq’s debts and described his nation’s future as a battle between the forces of democracy and extremism. "Our struggle is your struggle, our victory will be your victory. And … Continue reading “After Giving Boost to Bush, Allawi Heads to UN”

As George W. Bush prepares to formally accept the presidential nomination from his Republican Party in New York City while protesters gather outside a midtown arena, it seems that the polarization of politics in the United States is hitting its zenith. The protests, which have continued all this week, swelled to hundreds of thousands last … Continue reading “Kerry Hobbled by Iraq Record”

NEW YORK – Secret detention centers in Iraq and Afghanistan must be included in U.S. military monitoring of prisoner mistreatment, according to an article in the Lancet medical journal that details collusion between medical staff and abusive interrogators. While much evidence in the ongoing military investigations has been made public, the article also notes that … Continue reading “Hippocratic Oath AWOL at Military Prisons”

NEW YORK – Despite scandals over human rights abuses and war profiteering, private military contractors are expanding their presence overseas, and may even be involved in helping to draft the next U.S. defense budget. Currently more than 20,000 privately contracted employees are at work in Iraq, feeding U.S. troops, providing security, and rebuilding the occupied … Continue reading “Business Booming for Soldiers of Fortune”

Growing international demands to suspend the use of cluster munitions, which scatter hundreds of small “bomblets” over a wide area and are blamed for thousands of civilian deaths around the world, appear to be falling on deaf ears among the governments that stockpile them. “The war in Iraq has sharpened the call for action on … Continue reading “Clusters of Death”

The U.S. government says Staff Sgt. Camilo Mejia is nothing more than a deserter who disobeyed direct orders to return to his army unit in Iraq. Mejia does not deny that he refused to go back. He says he witnessed abuse and mistreatment of prisoners at a detention camp outside the Baghdad airport, including mock … Continue reading “Green Card Recruits Get a Raw Deal”

Although spying charges have been dropped against a Muslim army chaplain ministering to the 600 prisoners at Washington’s Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba, the fate of two others facing similar accusations remains in doubt. The chaplain, Capt. James Yee, was exonerated and returned to his post last week after spending 76 days in solitary … Continue reading “Chaplain’s Release Deflates Guantanamo ‘Spy Ring’ Theory”