Category: Uncategorized

George W. Bush’s arrival at the Moscow commemoration of V-E Day was preceded and followed by open provocations. The stopover in Riga, Latvia’s capital, was a stinging reminder to the Russians that this former Soviet satellite state, conquered by Stalin as a result of our “victory” in World War II, is now ensconced in the … Continue reading “The Pipeline From Hell”

In 2001, I spent several weeks trekking through remote villages in the highlands and rainforests of Ecuador. It was the same summer that the Bush administration announced the Andean Regional Initiative (ARI), an expansion of policies started under the Clinton administration and the latest effort in the War on Drugs. (Remember that war?) The ARI … Continue reading “Poverty and the Seeds of Terrorism in Our Own Back Yard”

Few have more at stake in the expected Senate approval of John Bolton to be U.S. representative at the UN than the remnant of demoralized intelligence analysts trained and still willing to speak truth to power. What would be the point in continuing, they ask, when – like so many other policymakers – Bolton reserves … Continue reading “Bolton Confirmation Would Shatter Intelligence Analysts’ Morale”

Two weeks ago, a small, single-engine plane inadvertently strayed into the closed air space above Washington. The result was panic. Both the White House and the Capitol were evacuated, with police shouting "Run! Run!" at fleeing staffers and visitors. Senators and congressmen abandoned in haste the floors of their respective Houses. Various RIPs (Really Important … Continue reading “Of Cabbages and Kings”

SANTIAGO -The loss of more than 40 young soldiers in a snowstorm in southern Chile late last week has sparked a fierce debate on the country’s compulsory military service. Twenty-one bodies have been found so far, and the search for the remaining 19 continued Tuesday in the foothills of the Antuco volcano, where more than … Continue reading “Tragedy Fuels Calls for End to Chile’s Compulsory Military Service”

If the administration of President George W. Bush fails to conduct a truly independent investigation of U.S. abuses against detainees in Iraq and elsewhere, foreign governments should investigate and prosecute those senior officials who bear responsibility for them, the head of the U.S. chapter of Amnesty International said Wednesday. Speaking at the release of Amnesty’s … Continue reading “Give Rumsfeld the Pinochet Treatment, Says US Amnesty Chief”

The United States has accelerated arms sales to some of the world’s most repressive and undemocratic regimes since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on U.S. soil, according to a new report from leading arms trade researchers. The report, from the Arms Trade Resource Center at New York-based New School University’s World Policy Institute, says … Continue reading “US Ramps Up Arms Supplies to Repressive Regimes”

Civil rights groups are accusing the U.S. government of failing to admit the extent to which abuse of non-citizens in U.S. custody in Afghanistan, Iraq, and its base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, violates the international treaty against torture. At issue is a report submitted by the U.S. State Department, or foreign ministry, to the UN … Continue reading “Rights Groups Assail US Govt Torture Report”

LIMA – Former president Alberto Fujimori is back in the media spotlight in Peru, amid announcements that he is not only planning to return from exile in Japan, but also has his eye on running in the 2006 presidential elections – despite the fact that he is a fugitive from justice and legally prohibited from … Continue reading “Fujimori the Fugitive – Poised for a Comeback?”

The House of Representatives voted down a measure, by a 128 to 300 vote, that called on President Bush to devise a plan for a withdrawal from Iraq. It came in the form of an amendment to the $491 billion budget for the Pentagon that was passed on Wednesday night. But the withdrawal amendment marks … Continue reading “House Kills First Vote on Iraq Withdrawal”