Antiwar.com

International media watchdogs say Iraq’s U.S.-installed interim government is seriously undermining the prospects for press freedom in the war-torn country. Citing both the shutdown of al-Jazeera‘s Baghdad office last weekend and a series of recent policies enacted by Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, critics fear that Iraq’s media environment is in danger of becoming as stifling … Continue reading “Saddam-Era Censorship Back Again”

Last week’s announcement that the terrorist threat warning level has been raised in parts of New York, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C., has led to dramatic and unprecedented restrictions on the movements of citizens. Americans wishing to visit the U.S. Capitol must, for example, pass through several checkpoints and submit to police inspection of their … Continue reading “Police State USA”

The Bush administration could be forced to slow plans to resume relations with the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) after a Jakarta appeals court Saturday dismissed all pending cases against Indonesians indicted for crimes against humanity committed in East Timor five years ago. The judicial action is also likely to fuel demands by human rights groups … Continue reading “Indonesian Court Dismissals Threaten Tighter US Ties”

"Pre-election period … pre-election plot … pre-election threats": these rolled off National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice’s lips no less than seven times Sunday on CNN’s Late Edition as she discussed the likely timing of a terrorist attack. She stayed on message. Dr. Rice said the government had actually "picked up discussion" relating to "trying to … Continue reading “Not Scared Yet? Try Connecting These Dots”

Against the backdrop of ongoing death and destruction in Iraq as a result of the U.S. invasion and subsequent occupation, the Democratic Party formally adopted their 2004 platform on July 28 at their convention in Boston. The platform focused more on foreign policy than it had in recent years. It represented an opportunity to challenge … Continue reading “Democratic Party Platform Turns Toward the War Party”

As the President of the United States and his reelection campaign invoked the specter of another terrorist attack on American soil – implicitly warning against the dangers of switching horses in midstream– other members of his administration were undermining the war on terrorism by naming a double agent working inside Al Qaeda to the New … Continue reading “Who ‘Outed’ Mohammad Naeem Noor Khan?”

David Johnston of the New York Times tried to get further details of the Bush administration outing of Pakistani double agent Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan. But he was stonewalled when he called his Bush administration contacts: “American officials contacted on Saturday would not confirm that Mr. Khan was a mole or double agent and said … Continue reading “Bush Outing of Khan and the Faustian Bargain”

A year ago some un-named US Government official "reported" that North Korea was working on a new missile that could perhaps be a threat to the US mainland. "We’ve had hints of this for several years, but it’s only within the last year that we’ve been able to confirm that this [missile] did exist and … Continue reading “Nodong No Joke?”

Turns out, according to the Washington Post, the information on which the latest terrorist scare is based is two to three years old. It was sold to the American public initially as if it were a brand-new discovery. It seems that the Bush administration is unable to level with the American people about anything. So … Continue reading “And So It Goes”

DAMASCUS – George Lutfi’s voice trembled with emotion as thought back of Iraq and his family there. The 32-year-old deacon of the Chaldean Solaqa Church in Baghdad fled to Syria last week after the bombings at churches in Baghdad and Mosul that killed at least 11 people. "I can do nothing but cry and pray … Continue reading “Anguished Christians Flee to Syria”