Jim Lobe

The Pentagon’s refusal to allow human rights groups to monitor upcoming military trials of prisoners held at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was sharply criticized today by three leading human rights advocacy organizations. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch (HRW), and Human Rights First sent a joint letter to US Secretary of Defense … Continue reading “Pentagon Excludes Human Rights Observers from Guantanamo Trials”

On the eve of the World Court’s opening hearing on Israel’s construction of a barrier wall along the West Bank, two of the world’s oldest and most influential non-governmental organizations are calling for the dismantling of those sections that cross the pre-1967 “Green Line” into occupied territory. On Thursday, Amnesty International said the barrier, which … Continue reading “Israel’s West Bank Wall Assailed by Key Civil Society Groups”

For those still puzzling over the whys and wherefores of Washington’s invasion of Iraq 11 months ago, major new, but curiously unnoticed, clues were offered this week by two central players in the events leading up to the war. Both clues tend to confirm growing suspicions that the Bush administration’s drive to war in Iraq … Continue reading “Chalabi, Garner Provide New Clues to War”

The emergence of former paramilitary and military leaders accused of atrocities committed during Haiti’s last period of military rule at the head of spreading rebellion against President Jean-Bertrand Aristide has added urgency to international efforts to deal with the ongoing crisis in the Caribbean nation. The uprising, which has cut off hundreds of towns and … Continue reading “Rising Stakes In Haiti as Ex-Dictator’s Thugs Take Over Opposition”

With only four months to go before scheduled elections in Afghanistan, a growing number of observers are concerned that balloting might aggravate rising ethnic tensions between the northern and southern parts of the country. Some experts are calling for the elections to be put off until next year. A delay would enable both international donors … Continue reading “Afghan Elections Could Deepen Ethnic Divide”

Editor’s Note: Patrick Fitzgerald, the U.S. Attorney in Chicago, is heading a Justice Department probe into the administration leak exposing the identity of Valerie Plame as a CIA undercover operative. The information, which was revealed to syndicated columnist Robert Novak (and possibly as many as five other reporters), was designed to discredit her husband, Amb. … Continue reading “Dear Mr. Prosecutor”

After torturing her son to death, allegedly by boiling him in water, the government of Washington’s closest Central Asian ally, Uzbekistan, has sentenced his 62-year-old mother to six years of hard labor in prison, according to human rights groups, who are calling on the Bush administration to speak out against the continuing persecution of independent … Continue reading “US Ally Uzbekistan Sends Elderly Mother to Prison, Hard Labor”

A letter purportedly written to senior al-Qaeda leaders by a key associate, Abu Mus’ab al-Zarqawi, appears to undermine a major thesis of hard-core neo-conservatives who led the U.S. drive to war in Iraq. The letter, which is essentially an appeal for help in launching a “sectarian war” against Iraq’s Shi’a Muslim population, was circulated by … Continue reading “War Hawks Undermined by Zarqawi Letter”

Grassroots cyber-movement MoveOn.org, which claims more than two million U.S. members, has launched a major campaign demanding Congress formally censure President George W. Bush for lying to it about the threat posed by ousted Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. Joined by another group, Win Without War (WWW), MoveOn said it had already collected more than 450,000 … Continue reading “Cyber-Campaign Demands Congress Censure Bush”

Civil liberties groups Tuesday hailed the withdrawal of subpoenas issued last week to four peace activists by federal prosecutors in Des Moines, Iowa as a significant victory, but insisted that the government must explain why they were issued in the first place. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), in particular, wanted to know why the … Continue reading “Feds Back Off Case Targeting Antiwar Activists”