Updated at 7:05 p.m. EDT, Sept. 5, 2008It is the prayer day, so the number of reported casualties is lower than normal. At least seven Iraqis were killed, including a defense ministry advisor, and 17 more people were wounded. One American soldier died in a non-combat...
Going on an Imperial Bender
Here it is, as simply as I can put it: In the course of any year, there must be relatively few countries on this planet on which U.S. soldiers do not set foot, whether with guns blazing, humanitarian aid in hand, or just for a friendly visit. In startling numbers of...
Cherry-picking from Washington’s Tree
As Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman "crossed party lines" from War Party-D to War Party-R at the Republican National Convention Tuesday night, he exemplified the only kind of bipartisanship found in Congress since 2001: reaching across the aisle to hand a...
The Return of the Return of History
In the wake of Russia's invasion of Georgia last month, many commentators have been quick to proclaim that the war signals "the return of history." But attentive observers could be forgiven for responding to these pronouncements with a sense of...
Tortured in Egypt, Rendered to Guantánamo: Pakistani Heads Home After Six Years
News that three more prisoners have been released from Guantánamo is cause for celebration, as all three men should never have been held in the first place. In a report to follow, I'll look at the stories of the two Afghans released one a simple farmer, the...
US’ Somalia Policy Likely to Bring Blowback
US counterterrorism policies and support for the Ethiopian-backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG) in Somalia have helped create an increasingly desperate humanitarian and security situation in the East African nation, whose population has become increasingly...
Thursday: 2 US Soldiers, 8 Iraqis Killed; 13 Iraqis Wounded
Updated at 6:52 p.m. EDT, Sept. 4, 2008At least 8 Iraqis were killed and 13 more were wounded during light attacks today. Two U.S. soldiers were killed as well, during a bombing in Baghdad. Also, U.S. forces detained another Iraqi journalist. He is the second one this...
Bush Checkmated in Georgia
It's now hard to remember that, when the Bush administration arrived in office in 2000, its hardcore members were all old Cold Warriors who hadn't given up the ghost. If the Soviet Union no longer existed, they were still quite intent on rolling back what was left of...
Palestinian Village Faces Army Reign of Terror
The window through which Salam Amira, 16, filmed the moment when an Israeli soldier shot from close range a handcuffed and blindfolded Palestinian detainee has a large hole at its center with cracks running in every direction. "Since my video was shown, the...
September Surprise
While the rest of the pundits opine about the meaning and implications of Sarah Palin's ascension from small town mayor to prospective vice president and whether or not her daughter's private life is fair game for any media outlet other than the National...


