Judge Rebukes Bush-Era Spying Program

The efforts of the Barack Obama administration to maintain the secrecy of the counterterrorism policies of its predecessor, the administration of former President George W. Bush, hit a major speed bump last week. On March 31, a federal judge ruled that the National...

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Rachel Maddow, McCarthyite

Every government lives in fear of its own citizens. The fear waxes and wanes, as the tides of public opinion and economic ups and downs crest and wash over the political landscape. In good times, the fear is somewhat subtle: discontent, albeit ever-present, is masked...

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Hold Me Back!

"Hold me back!" is a part of Israeli folklore. It reminds us of our childhood. When a boy has a scuffle with a bigger and stronger boy, he pretends that he is going to attack him any moment and shouts to the spectators: "Hold me back, or I am going to...

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Sunday: 55 Iraqis Killed, 320 Wounded

Updated at 5:59 p.m. EST, April, 4, 2010 The worst attack so far this year took place in Baghdad leaving hundreds dead or wounded. At least 55 Iraqis were killed and 320 more were wounded there and across the country. Some of the casualties from the Baghdad blasts may have been foreign personnel, but reports suggests otherwise. Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari was quick to tentatively blame al-Qaeda. Meanwhile, casualty figures climbed in March due to the national elections, but if attacks continue, April figures could be even higher.
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Saturday: 28 Iraqis Killed, 10 Wounded

Updated at 10:07 p.m. EST, April 3, 2010 A gruesome massacre that left at least two dozen Sunnis dead in an area just south of Baghdad has recharged concerns that a new period of sectarian bloodshed is at hand. Overall, at least 31 Iraqis were killed and 18 more were wounded across the country, mostly in what used to be called the Triangle of Death.
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Israel Gags News on Extrajudicial Killings

RAMALLAH - An Israeli journalist remains under house arrest and another lives abroad after they broke news on Israeli undercover units carrying out assassinations or "targeted killings" of non-combatant Palestinian political opponents. Anat Kam, 23, who used...

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Legality of Drone Strikes Still in Question

While welcoming an initial effort by the administration of President Barack Obama to offer a legal justification for drone strikes to kill suspected terrorists overseas, human rights groups say critical questions remain unanswered. In an address to an international...

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No Tea Parties for Bibi

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's arrival in Washington shortly after President Barack Obama's victory on health-care reform had both symbolic significance and practical implications for the Likud leader. Obama's win was interpreted as Netanyahu's loss,...

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Obama Expands Military Involvement in Africa

When President Barack Obama took office in January 2009, it was widely expected that he would dramatically change, or even reverse, the militarized and unilateral security policy that had been pursued by the George W. Bush administration toward Africa and other parts...

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