The Tyrant of Bosnia

At the summit in Istanbul last week, NATO refused to invite Bosnia-Herzegovina to join its satellite program “Partnership for Peace.” Even though NATO previously conditioned the invitation on the establishment of a joint military, defense ministry and intelligence service, all of which have been accomplished, the refusal was explained by Bosnia’s supposed “failure to meet … Continue reading “The Tyrant of Bosnia”

China Uses ‘War on Terror’ to Justify Rights Violations

MONTREAL – Another government has seized the opportunity presented by Washington’s “war on terrorism” to justify violating the human rights of its citizens, says a report released Wednesday by Amnesty International (AI). China has detained tens of thousands of people in the northwest Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR) since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists attacks … Continue reading “China Uses ‘War on Terror’ to Justify Rights Violations”

More to Iraq’s Future Than Saddam’s Fate

KARACHI – Although the trial of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad is gripping theatre, attention should not shift from matters of fundamental importance. Basic questions remain about the longer-term prospects for post-Saddam Iraq, and these ought not to remain out of focus. Insofar as the United States could transfer power in and over Iraq, it did … Continue reading “More to Iraq’s Future Than Saddam’s Fate”

African Oil Giant Foils Alleged Coup

The government of Equatorial Guinea, the rags-to-riches West African petro-state where major U.S. oil companies have invested billions of dollars in recent years, has violently put down the latest coup plot against it, summarily executing at least a dozen alleged rebels and rounding up and torturing relatives and associates of an opposition party accused of … Continue reading “African Oil Giant Foils Alleged Coup”

Report: US-Backed Tunisia Holding Political Prisoners

The North African nation of Tunisia is holding in isolation as many as 40 leaders of a moderate Islamist movement, who are among 500 political prisoners in the country chosen by U.S. President George W. Bush as the base for his plan to democratize the Middle East, says a new report by Human Rights Watch … Continue reading “Report: US-Backed Tunisia Holding Political Prisoners”

America Alone: The Neo-Conservatives and the Global Order

This book is the definitive study of how a small group of dedicated imperialists took over America’s foreign policy. Loaded with footnotes and bibliography, it follows those who made the current disaster in America’s relations with most of the world. Chickenhawk academic intellectuals in Washington think tanks, with visions of military glory, knowing little of … Continue readingAmerica Alone: The Neo-Conservatives and the Global Order”

Kerry and the ‘Antiwar’ Left

As Michael Moore‘s Fahrenheit 9/11 cleans up in movie theaters nationwide, and with antiwar documentaries all the rage these days, I went to see another, less heralded account of how and why we were lied into war: Hijacking Catastrophe: 9/11, Fear, & the Selling of American Empire, and it is (almost) everything I hoped Moore’s … Continue reading “Kerry and the ‘Antiwar’ Left”

Porter Goss: Cheney Cat’s Paw

There is, thankfully, a remnant of CIA professionals who still put objective analysis above political correctness and career advancement. Just when they thought there were no indignities left for them to suffer, they are shuddering again at press reports that Rep. Porter Goss (R-Fla.) may soon be their new boss. That possibility conjures up a … Continue reading “Porter Goss: Cheney Cat’s Paw”

Broken Promises for Broken Hospitals

BAGHDAD – Despite promises of over $1 billion in U.S. funding, hospital patients in Iraq continue to suffer ongoing hardship. Problems plaguing Iraqi hospitals fifteen months into what has been a brutal, bloody occupation range from ongoing medicine and equipment shortages to an overall lack of proper medical infrastructure. “We are getting less medical supplies … Continue reading “Broken Promises for Broken Hospitals”

US Ignores Iraqi Courts

Hours after U.S. officials declared Iraq a “sovereign” state, the case of a single Iraqi prisoner stood as a reminder that the question of which government now has jurisdiction over Iraqi detainees – the United States or the Interim Government of Iraq – is far from settled. In addition to potentially affecting the fates of … Continue reading “US Ignores Iraqi Courts”