Four Years Into Afghan Campaign, Perils Abound

On the eve of the fourth anniversary of the launch of U.S. military operations against the Taliban regime, Afghanistan presents a mixed picture, according to experts here. The relative stability of the government of President Hamid Karzai and last month’s successful voting for national and regional legislatures offer grounds for some satisfaction on the part … Continue reading “Four Years Into Afghan Campaign, Perils Abound”

From DaNang to Tal Afar, Bring ‘Em Home

A review of David Cortright’s Soldiers in Revolt (Haymarket 2005) Of all the antiwar buttons I could wear, the only one I choose to pin on my coat or backpack is one that reads “I Support the Iraq Veterans Against the War.” Not only does this express my opposition to the war, it also serves … Continue reading “From DaNang to Tal Afar, Bring ‘Em Home”

Our Kurdish Problem

It didn’t take long for the “liberated” Iraqis to turn on each other. While no one expected the Sunni Arabs of central Iraq to take the de-Ba’athification of the country lying down, the Iraqi “constitution” had barely been printed up and distributed before large cracks began to appear in the edifice of the nascent Iraqi … Continue reading “Our Kurdish Problem”

White House Losing Ground on Prisoner Treatment

Despite strong opposition from the Pentagon and the White House, the Republican leadership in the U.S. Senate is coming under growing pressure to set specific standards for the “humane” treatment of detainees taken in Iraq and elsewhere in the George W. Bush administration’s “war on terror.” That pressure is being focused on proposed amendments, first … Continue reading “White House Losing Ground on Prisoner Treatment”

Empowering the UN, Destroying US Sovereignty

Last month at its "World Summit" in New York, the United Nations took another big step toward destroying national sovereignty – a step that could threaten the United States in the future. The UN passed a resolution at this summit that, among other things, establishes a "Peacebuilding Commission," creates a worldwide UN "democracy fund," and … Continue reading “Empowering the UN, Destroying US Sovereignty”

Pleading Incompetence

No one – including the Iranians at their (nonexistent) equivalent of our Los Alamos Laboratory – can make a nuclear weapon until they have managed to acquire multi-kilogram quantities of almost pure uranium-235, uranium-233, or plutonium-239. For that reason, the Treaty on Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons required all signatories not already having nuclear weapons to … Continue reading “Pleading Incompetence”

The Greatest Strategic Disaster in US History

Capitol Hill Blue, the Washington, D.C., publication that cultivates relationships with White House staffers, reports one White House aide saying, “It’s like working in an insane asylum. People walk around like they’re in a trance. We’re the dance band on the Titanic, playing out our last songs to people who know the ship is sinking … Continue reading “The Greatest Strategic Disaster in US History”

Last One to Leave, Please Turn on the Lights

Recently, our top commander in Iraq, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., was brought back to the United States, officially to consult with George Bush on what the president still calls “our strategy for victory.” Along with retiring Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Richard Myers, Centcom Commander Gen. John Abizaid, and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Casey … Continue reading “Last One to Leave, Please Turn on the Lights”

You Can’t Fight ‘Ists’ and ‘Isms’

Cindy Sheehan is the mother of Spc. Casey Austin Sheehan, KIA 04/04/04. She is co-founder of Gold Star Families for Peace. Sheehan was recently interviewed by Joshua Frank, author of Left Out! How Liberals Helped Reelect George W. Bush, published by Common Courage Press. Joshua Frank: Cindy, why did you decide to hook up with … Continue reading “You Can’t Fight ‘Ists’ and ‘Isms’”