Tag: barack obama

Bagram: Gitmo All Over Again

Back in September 2005, when I first began researching Guantánamo for my book The Guantánamo Files, the prison was still shrouded in mystery, even though attorneys had been visiting prisoners for nearly a year, following the Supreme Court’s ruling, in June 2004, that they had habeas corpus rights. Researchers at the Washington Post and at … Continue reading “Bagram: Gitmo All Over Again”

The Ever Present Military Option

Last week, retired Air Force Gen. Chuck Wald published an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal declaring "There Is a Military Option on Iran." It’s probably not a coincidence that Wald’s piece was hot on the heels of John Bolton’s "While Diplomats Dither, Iran Builds Nukes." It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the general … Continue reading “The Ever Present Military Option”

Political Solution in Afghanistan Possible,
but Not by Going Down Current Path

It would be a great service to the American nation if Barack Obama would tell us what he himself thinks the wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan are about. To capture Osama bin Laden? There have been eight years in which to capture bin Laden and it’s not been done yet, and there seems no reason … Continue reading “Political Solution in Afghanistan Possible,
but Not by Going Down Current Path”

Obama Seeks to Block Release of Abuse Photos

The United States Supreme Court will hear the U.S. government’s appeal on a lower-court ruling requiring the release of photos showing the abuse of prisoners held in overseas facilities. The government is appealing a 2008 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit which ruled that the government must release the photos … Continue reading “Obama Seeks to Block Release of Abuse Photos”

No Color-Coded Revolution for Afghanistan

The March 14, 2005, cover of Newsweek was nothing short of a gift to the Bush administration: an attractive, youthful girl ripped straight from a Noxzema commercial astride the shoulders of a dashing young man, arms thrown open in a joyous invocation of freedom. The two star children could have been at a college football … Continue reading “No Color-Coded Revolution for Afghanistan”

The Silence of the Sheep

In early July, U.S. Army Col. Timothy Reese committed truth. According to a story by Michael Gordon in the New York Times (reprinted in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, where I saw it), Col. Reese wrote "an unusually blunt memo [concluding] that Iraqi forces suffer from entrenched deficiencies but are now able to protect the Iraqi … Continue reading “The Silence of the Sheep”

Guantánamo: You Can Check Out Any Time You Like, but You Can Never Leave

Imagine if you were imprisoned for seven years without charge or trial, and then a judge ruled that the government’s case against you consisted solely of unreliable allegations made by other prisoners (who were tortured, coerced, bribed, or suffering from mental health issues) and a "mosaic" of intelligence, purporting to rise to the level of … Continue reading “Guantánamo: You Can Check Out Any Time You Like, but You Can Never Leave”

‘Culturally Sensitive’ Imperialism

In Britain, they’re getting antsy about Obama’s war – the "Af-Pak" [.pdf] war, that is. Without the poodle Tony Blair to cover for us, Britain’s ruling Labor Party – decisively smacked down in the recent elections to the European parliament – is grumbling about being stampeded by the United States into fighting another unpopular war. … Continue reading “‘Culturally Sensitive’ Imperialism”