Antiwar.com

When President Bush declared War on Terrorism, he pledged to prevent regimes – such as North Korea, Iran and Iraq – from providing chemical, biological or nuclear weapons to terrorists. Of course, Iran and Iraq had both developed chem-bio weapons and had used them against each other in the Iran-Iraq War. And, in the aftermath … Continue reading “C’est la Guerre”

America may be heading home from Iraq sooner than many of us realize. For the implied message of the president’s address at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pa., is that America wants out of Iraq. Rereading that speech, one finds in it little of Churchill’s “We-shall-fight-them-on-the-beaches” defiance. Rather, the president laid out a five-step … Continue reading “Has Bush Become a Realist?”

Sometimes I forget that burnout applies to me too. After nearly two months straight of chasing stories, it was obviously time for a break. Unlike home though, one can’t go take in a movie, take a jog or even a casual stroll. Walking around anywhere in Baghdad, being a Westerner, is never casual. So I’ve … Continue reading “A Long, Hot Summer Begins”

Suppose your doctor misdiagnoses your condition – he tells you that six months hence you’ll be stone-cold dead, pushing up the daisies. As it turns out, however, you did not have leukemia after all, but were only suffering from Lyme disease. Would you not consider switching practitioners? Say your stockbroker’s picks leave you with a … Continue reading “Pundits, Heal Thyselves!”

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) yesterday released more information about the heavily censored legal challenge it is bringing against the government’s use of a controversial provision of the USA PATRIOT Act that allows the FBI to obtain from businesses sensitive personal information about their clients. Among the documents unsealed today is a declaration by … Continue reading “ISP Fights PATRIOT Act”

I used to marvel at James Carville and Paul Begala. Despite the parade of scandals during the Clinton administration – eight years of lies, deceit and power abuses – they never got tired of defending the indefensible. Now I stand in amazement at Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, fast on their way to becoming the … Continue reading “Republicans Can’t Handle the Truth”

I confess – I’m not sure if President Bush lied or is just confused when he said in his recent speech that “full sovereignty” was to be handed over to an Iraqi government on June 30. Full sovereignty would mean that the Iraqi government could tell us to get out of the country, and we … Continue reading “Lying or Confused?”

Bush administration policies in the war on terrorism mutated the global threat, mobilizing anti-U.S. sentiment. The crisis in Iraq, coupled with radical shifts in U.S. policy in the Middle East and elsewhere, gave extremists a new focus, allowing radical groups to widen their appeal among Muslims and others. A terrorism alarm sounds everyday somewhere in … Continue reading “Bush Doctrine Breeds Terror and Tyranny”

For many years, health-conscious Americans avidly consumed margarine as a wholesome substitute for artery-clogging butter. Only later did research shed light on grim effects of the partially hydrogenated oil in margarine, with results such as higher incidences of heart disease. Putting our trust in bogus alternatives can be dangerous for our bodies. And for the … Continue reading “Major ‘Liberal’ Outlets Clog Media Diets”

UNITED NATIONS, (IPS) – Presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for September in Afghanistan could be jeopardized by rising violence, poor voter registration, a shortfall in funding and a deteriorating security situation in the country, a senior U.N. official warned Thursday. Assuming voting goes ahead as planned, the legitimacy of the next Afghan government could be … Continue reading “Security, Low Voter Registration Threaten Afghan Polls”