US Lawmakers Say Iraqi Council Plan Would Cut Women’s Rights

Iraq’s governing council has quietly approved a plan to replace some existing legal rights of women with Islamic law or “Shariah,” according to 44 U.S. lawmakers, who warn Washington of a “brewing women’s right’s crisis” in the U.S.-occupied country. In a letter sent to President George W. Bush on Monday, the federal politicians, led by … Continue reading “US Lawmakers Say Iraqi Council Plan Would Cut Women’s Rights”

Britain: Tories, Civil Rights Groups Lead Strong Opposition to Secret Trials

A proposal for secret trials for suspected terrorists has run into a wall of opposition in Britain. Civil rights groups, lawyers, the opposition Conservative Party and even Labour leaders have strongly opposed new proposals outlined by Home Secretary David Blunkett towards the end of a six-day visit to India last week. Under these proposals British … Continue reading “Britain: Tories, Civil Rights Groups Lead Strong Opposition to Secret Trials”

East African Churches Slam US Pressure on Anti-Terror Bills

The Church in Africa is concerned about the U.S. pressure on African countries to introduce anti-terror legislation on pretext of fighting terrorism. The church is cautioning African governments against enacting such laws blindly, which it warns infringe on human rights. Uganda and Tanzania have already passed Anti-Terror Acts amid protests from human rights groups. Neighbor … Continue reading “East African Churches Slam US Pressure on Anti-Terror Bills”

What Are We Doing in Russia’s Neighborhood?

Napoleon III, Emperor of France, saw his opportunity. With the United States sundered and convulsed in civil war, he would seize Mexico, impose a Catholic monarchy and block further expansion of the American republic. In 1863, a French army marched into Mexico City. In 1864, Maximilian, the brother of Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph, was crowned … Continue reading “What Are We Doing in Russia’s Neighborhood?”

The Potemkin Commission

Bush’s decision to appoint a commission to examine why government officials averred with certainty that Iraq had “weapons of mass destruction” underscores the political side of globalization, and, as such, is not too surprising. After all, he had a model on the other side of the Atlantic, in British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s halfway successful … Continue reading “The Potemkin Commission”

The Slow Strangulation of Democracy in Slovakia

"Invitations to NATO are open to all countries that have democratic systems of government, market economy, civilian control over military, and where there is a sign that the democratic system is working." ~ U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright NATO and the European Union (EU) have invariably approached the subject of admitting new members by … Continue reading “The Slow Strangulation of Democracy in Slovakia”

Linking the Occupation of Iraq With the ‘War on Terrorism’

Reuters is one of the more independent wire services. So, a recent news story from Reuters – flatly describing American military activities in Iraq as part of "the broader U.S. war on terrorism" – is a barometer of how powerfully the pressure systems of rhetoric from top U.S. officials have swayed mainstream news coverage. Such … Continue reading “Linking the Occupation of Iraq With the ‘War on Terrorism’”

Kurd Bombing Adds New Uncertainty

The suicide bombing Sunday in the normally tranquil north of Iraq has brought new uncertainty five months before the United States is due to cede political power to Iraqis. The bombing at the offices of two Kurdish groups allied closely to the United States spread shock waves through Kurdish areas. In one attack a man … Continue reading “Kurd Bombing Adds New Uncertainty”

WMD-gate: Bush Wants to Scapegoat CIA

Badly wounded by the total collapse of its prewar contentions that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had large stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction, the administration of President George W. Bush has embarked on a strategy of diversion and delay. It hopes to divert attention from the role played by senior administration officials in influencing and … Continue reading “WMD-gate: Bush Wants to Scapegoat CIA”