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In the most important test of his presidential aspirations to date, Democratic candidate John Kerry clearly bested the incumbent, President George W. Bush, in Thursday night’s debate on foreign policy, according to pundits and public-opinion polls taken after the two men walked off the stage at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla. But … Continue reading “Even Neocons Agree: Kerry Won Debate”

Fortunately for my own peace of mind, I didn’t expect much in the way of positive developments from last night’s debate, although I have cheered and continue to cheer John Kerry’s decision to make George Bush’s incredible mismanagement of the war on Iraq and fumbling of the misnamed and misbegotten "war on terrorism" a central … Continue reading “Good News Where You Can Find It”

George W. Bush took a terrible pummeling in Thursday night’s debate, as John Kerry took off the gloves and let him have it on the issue of the war. But was it a knockout punch? Kerry only fumbled around for a few minutes as he got his bearings after Jim Lehrer’s uninspiring initial question: "Do … Continue reading “Kerry Cleans the President’s Clock”

Several high-profile FBI investigations, in which substantial progress has been made, may well have been put on hold by the Bush administration for political reasons. That is, it has been alleged to me that the White House may have leaned on the FBI – not to drop the investigations but to postpone some key arrests … Continue reading “Justice Delayed by Politics?”

ROME – "Shukran, shukran gesilan, ma salama (Thank you, many thanks, see you later)," Italian aid workers Simona Pari and Simona Torretta said after being freed this week in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. The women, who work for the Italian non-governmental organization (NGO) "A Bridge to . . ." were kidnapped by militants on Sept. … Continue reading “A Ray of Hope in Iraq’s Hostage Crisis”

“I was at a rap concert the other night,” said a 17-year-old neighbor last night. “And they were saying all kinds of crazy things, like ‘Bush is a baby-killer.’” He rolled his eyes and laughed. I asked him, “Well the truth is that children and infants have been killed this very week – did you … Continue reading “As I Lay Crying”

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), one of the most powerful architects of the world economy and controlled by the planet’s wealthiest nations, marked its return to U.S.-occupied Iraq with a new loan worth $436 million. The IMF Executive Board approved the loan late Wednesday as Emergency Post-Conflict Assistance (EPCA), to the loud praise of the … Continue reading “IMF Delivers Iraq Loan; US Motives Questioned”

Insufficient security forces and a lack of election observers, combined with regional warlords backed by the United States, continue to threaten the upcoming presidential election in Afghanistan, says a new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW). Local citizens feel the warlords pose a greater threat to their safety than forces of the former ruling Taliban, … Continue reading “US-Backed Warlords Threaten Afghan Elections”

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Australia’s John Howard may have a reputation in their respective countries for being the lapdogs of the American president – in Blair’s case, two of them so far. But no national leader in the world has demonstrated such sycophancy to the Emperor as the recently elected Boris Tadic, the … Continue reading “‘Most Humbly Yours…’”

It’s not an "if." It’s a "when." Pentagon officials have indicated that they plan to send as many as 15,000 additional troops during the first four months of 2005, and the President George W. Bush continues to insist "we will stay the course" until Iraq is stabilized. (I do wish his advisers would provide a … Continue reading “High Time for Bush to Tell the Truth”