UN: Bullies and Beggars

UNITED NATIONS, (IPS) – As the United Nations gears up to dispatch thousands of new troops into political trouble spots in sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean, its peacekeeping missions are being undermined by a shortage of funds, unpaid debts and charges of sexual abuse against women and children caught in the crossfire. The growing problems … Continue reading “UN: Bullies and Beggars”

Latest US Terror Warning Raises Questions

Two of the seven suspected terrorists linked by the Bush administration to an impending “hard” attack on the United States are probably not even in North America, said officials Wednesday. After naming the seven suspects – including two Canadians – at a prime-time news conference, top U.S. officials including FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III … Continue reading “Latest US Terror Warning Raises Questions”

Chalabi-gate: None Dare Call It Treason

The fallout from Chalabi-gate continues to rain down on the heads of the War Party, opening up the exciting prospect that some neocons might well wind up behind bars. The charge? Espionage, as Sidney Blumenthal informs us: “At a well-appointed conservative think tank in downtown Washington and across the Potomac River at the Pentagon, FBI … Continue reading “Chalabi-gate: None Dare Call It Treason”

Getting Kosovo Wrong

When tens of thousands of Albanians rampaged through Kosovo in mid-March, it was the most obvious sign so far that the entire five-year NATO/UN occupation was crumbling. The southern Serbian province was finally recognized as Empire’s failed Potemkin village – or so it seemed. But after a trickle of honesty prompted by the initial shock, … Continue reading “Getting Kosovo Wrong”

Amnesty: War on Terror Used to Justify Abuses

Leading human rights group Amnesty International Wednesday said efforts by several governments – including many in Asia – to fight terrorism through stringent domestic measures in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on the U.S. are curtailing human rights across the world. The group’s Report 2004 stresses that many countries in the Asia-Pacific used … Continue reading “Amnesty: War on Terror Used to Justify Abuses”

Amnesty: Abu Ghraib Cases Not Isolated

London, (IPS) – The abuses committed by U.S. agents in Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad are not isolated cases, Amnesty International says in its annual report published Wednesday. Amnesty had handed in a report documenting abuses by the U.S. government long before the photographs of abuse surfaced, prompting Amnesty Secretary-General Irene Khan to remark that … Continue reading “Amnesty: Abu Ghraib Cases Not Isolated”

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Reporter Crosses The NY Times‘ Line of ‘Strict Neutrality’

Now that The New York Times has issued a halfhearted apology for its coverage of WMD issues last year, we thought it might be interesting to look back at what one critic wrote at the time. The following examination of NYT reporter Judith Miller’s questionable ethics first ran on May 7, 2003. You know it’s … Continue reading “Pulitzer Prize-Winning Reporter Crosses The NY Times‘ Line of ‘Strict Neutrality’”

Patriotism: The New Third Rail

The dire consequences of the U.S. invasion of Iraq go beyond a failed occupation and attendant war crimes. By making excuses for torture in public hearings, the U.S. Senate has besmirched itself. In Senate hearings on May 19, Republican senators enabled three commanding generals of our Iraqi occupation force to explain away war crimes as procedures … Continue reading “Patriotism: The New Third Rail”

Washington Pushes Freedom – But Not for Al-Jazeera

When the U.S. state department shyly released a human rights report two weeks ago amidst an international outcry over U.S. soldiers’ abuse of Iraqi prisoners, it slipped in some tough talk on media freedom – against the practice, not for it as would be expected. Lorne Craner, deputy assistant secretary for democracy and human rights, … Continue reading “Washington Pushes Freedom – But Not for Al-Jazeera”

Why Ashcroft Must Go

The first time they allowed Brandon Mayfield any visitors, he reached out toward the heavy glass partition and spoke into the telephone, trying to reassure his wife and mother: “Even after the FBI had searched his house, carried away belongings and confiscated credit cards and checkbooks – without charging him with a crime – Mayfield … Continue reading “Why Ashcroft Must Go”