Survey: Benevolent Hegemony Not Appreciated

As George W. Bush prepares to be sworn in for his second term as U.S. president, a strong majority of the world's people are concerned his tenure is likely to produce more setbacks to the cause of world peace and security, according to a major international poll...

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For UK Troops, Abuse Only Happens if Photographed

LONDON - The court martial of three British soldiers for abuse of Iraqi prisoners has established that a soldier is only as bad as the photographs of the abuse that get taken. Three British soldiers face court martial over abuse of Iraqi prisoners. Which means only...

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Bush: Unfazed … or Unhinged?

"Mr. Bush said there was no need to hold any of his officials accountable for mistakes or misjudgments in prewar planning or managing the aftermath…The [Washington Post] asked Mr. Bush why no one had been held responsible for wrong information about weapons of...

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Welcome to Kurdistan

ARBIL - My journey back to Iraq began, as most trips to the north of the country do, at the airport in Diyarbakkir, the largest Kurdish majority city in Turkey. From there it's a four-hour taxi ride to the border, provided you don't get stopped by the Turkish army,...

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Dying for Sycophants

In her confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, "Condi" Rice personified the Bush administration's delusion-based "war against terror." Whenever a senator's question penetrated to the harsh reality, Condi waffled and...

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Addressing the Persuadable Middle

When a U.S. Marine company used downtown Toledo for "urban warfare" training Jan. 7-8, it provided an opportunity for activists to think and act beyond normal limits. With barely a week's notice, an article in the local paper announced that a weapons company...

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Another Car Bomb … This Must Be Democracy

The thundering blast rocks me awake at 7:05 a.m. The first thing my eyes see are the curtains of my room flowing in, as if a strong wind is blowing into my room. "Holy sh*t, they hit the embassy," I think to myself, the blast was so close. I leave my windows...

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What Is Wrong With Torture

Recently, I wrote once again about the spread of torture as a way of life in the Bush administration's offshore imperium. I offered my version of a national "self-portrait" for the New Year ("American Gothic") and considered the latest torture news, now practically...

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Iraq Election Worries Neighbors

CAIRO - Iraq's neighbors have begun to worry seriously about its national election scheduled for Jan. 30. Almost every day, a regional leader speaks out in favor of the vote because the alternative could be worse. High-ranking officials from Egypt, Jordan, and the...

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The Threat of Peace

After Arafat As Oscar Wilde once said, there are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it. Israel is now facing the latter tragedy. For years on end, we knew what we wanted: we wanted Arafat dead. Not that we just sat...

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