Obama Imposes New Iran Sanctions as War Chorus Rises
Amid new calls for Washington to attack Iran's nuclear facilities if its diplomatic efforts at curbing Tehran's uranium-enrichment program fail, the United States Wednesday imposed unilateral sanctions against eight senior Iranian officials whom it accused of...
Obama Continues Bush’s Attacks on Activists
Wednesday: 2 Iraqis Killed, 23 Wounded
At least two Iraqis were killed and 23 more were wounded in various attacks. A suspected Iranian suicide bomber was also killed. Meanwhile, Paris-based media watchdog Reporters Without Borders is criticizing Iraqi security forces for perpetrating unreported attacks on journalists. Also, the United States is proposing to sell Iraq $4.2 billion in weapons and aircraft.
read moreIsrael’s Reasoning Against Peace
With the resumption of settlement construction in the West Bank Monday, Israel's powerful settler movement hopes that it has scuttled peace talks with the Palestinians. It would be misleading, however, to assume that the only major obstacle to the success of the...
The Taliban: Forced Into Negotiation While Winning?
Although David Petraeus, the top American commander in Afghanistan, recently peddled the notion that senior Taliban chieftains had made contact with senior Afghan government officials about the possibility of starting reconciliation talks, such talk of peace in our...
Are Obama’s Hands Tied?
A splendid and courageous new book, Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War, by Andrew J. Bacevich of Boston University (and for many years previously, the U.S. Army), describes with lucidity the degree to which the power of the American presidency over war...
Obama: ‘The Generals Made Me Do It!’
All Washington is atwitter: the grand old man of the Court Historians, Bob Woodward, has come out with yet another “book” – i.e. another long-winded press release on behalf of the Powers That Be – explaining, “reporting,” and...
Tuesday: 3 Iraqis Killed, 24 Wounded
At least three Iraqis were killed and 24 were wounded in mostly late evening attacks in and near Baghdad. Meanwhile, a U.S. servicemember is in custody for the deaths of two fellow soldiers last week. Also, Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari called on the United States to increase its role in helping Iraq form its new government.
read moreSorry, You’re Under Surveillance
Orwell, Kafka, They could see; That government Would soon watch me. For governments keen on muzzling and thwarting opposition, terrorism is a God-sent cover. A nation subject to terrorist attack can get away with deception, surveillance, secret arrests, harassment,...
