FREE FIKRET ABDIC!

The utter hypocrisy and outright evil of the “war crimes” trials being conducted in the Balkans these days is epitomized by the Croatian court trying Fikret Abdic for alleged “crimes against humanity.” It is a story in which everything is inverted: in which the West, as embodied by the International Criminal Tribunal for War Crimes … Continue reading “FREE FIKRET ABDIC!”

IS SELF-DEFENSE A ‘WAR CRIME’?

The saga of the Bytyqi brothers, covered in my last column, is an object lesson in how the War Party exploits every opportunity, no matter how dubious, to make propaganda for their cause. It also epitomizes how the media cooperate, allowing themselves to be used as a transmission belt for lies masquerading as “news” – … Continue reading “IS SELF-DEFENSE A ‘WAR CRIME’?”

Further into the Colombian Morass

The House of Representatives on Thursday will give as much consideration as it is likely to give this year to the ongoing US involvement in Colombia’s civil war and cocaine manufacturing and trafficking crisis. At issue will be the government’s foreign operations budget, which contains some $676 million for Colombian operations (another $80 million or … Continue reading “Further into the Colombian Morass”

BALKAN SET-UP

In digging up evidence that Slobodan Milosevic isn’t exactly Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, the International Criminal Tribunal for War Crimes in the Former Yugoslavia (ICTFY) may be uncovering more than it bargained for – evidence of American covert operations that play a central role in the ongoing destabilization of the Balkans. This was brought home … Continue reading “BALKAN SET-UP”

CANONIZING ST. SLOBO

With the arrest and coming show trial of Slobodan Milosevic, we have several years of the most unpleasant prospects ahead of us. First of all, don’t think it’s going to end with Slobo: already the Bosnian Serbs are being pressured to give up Radovan Karadzic and General Ratko Mladic, accused of “war crimes” in Bosnia, … Continue reading “CANONIZING ST. SLOBO”

THE RAPE OF JAPAN

Are Americans barbarians? The Japanese have every right to think so. It wasn’t until Japanese Prime Minister Junichero Koizumi and his government made a concerted effort to pressure Washington that the US military turned over one US Airforce Staff Sergeant Timothy Woodland to Japanese authorities. Woodland is accused of raping a Japanese woman on the … Continue reading “THE RAPE OF JAPAN”

Taiwan Changes More Important Than US Policy?

You can make a case that while Taiwan is mentioned often as a key player in US-China relations, relatively little current reporting is done about the island itself. That’s the impression I got from talking with Ambassador John R. Malott, a retired career diplomat who is currently President of the World Affairs Council of Orange … Continue reading “Taiwan Changes More Important Than US Policy?”

Culture of Pollution

Next week the site of the 2008 Olympics will be decided upon. It is very possible that Beijing will be successful in its bid and China will be rewarded with its first Games, unprecedented international spotlight and an influx of foreigners not seen here since the Qing Dynasty. If successful, it will be largely due … Continue reading “Culture of Pollution”

LANI GUINIER IN MACEDONIA

I read today [July 7] that the NATO powers have delivered a “draft” document to the government of Macedonia setting out the parameters for a proposed revision of the Macedonian Constitution. This, we are told, is the key to peace in the region, the necessary framework for a negotiated settlement of the Albanian-Macedonian conflict. The … Continue reading “LANI GUINIER IN MACEDONIA”