Tag: cia

UN Asked to Probe CIA Rendition

Human rights groups are asking United Nations officials to investigate the case of an Italian citizen and victim of the "extraordinary rendition" program of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency who is currently being held in a Moroccan prison based on a confession coerced from him through torture. The American Civil Liberties Union and the Geneva-based … Continue reading “UN Asked to Probe CIA Rendition”

Saudis Tried to Pin Khobar Bombing on Iran

On June 25, 1996, a massive truck bomb exploded at a building in the Khobar Towers complex in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, which housed U.S. Air Force personnel, killing 19 U.S. airmen and wounding 372. Immediately after the blast, more than 125 agents from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were ordered to the site … Continue reading “Saudis Tried to Pin Khobar Bombing on Iran”

Pioneers of Torture

When the Abu Ghraib photos were released in 2004, it seemed that most Americans were shocked by such novel and horrific images, but at least one was not. I’m talking about Alfred McCoy, who had been following the Central Intelligence Agency since the early 1970s, when it unsuccessfully tried to stop the publication of his … Continue reading “Pioneers of Torture”

Colin Powell: No Good Samaritan

Watching retired Gen. Colin Powell cite Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan during Sunday’s Memorial Day ceremonies on the Mall in Washington, it struck me that Powell was giving hypocrisy a bad name. Those familiar with the parable of the Good Samaritan and the underreported behavior of Gen. Powell, resurgent star of the Fawning Corporate … Continue reading “Colin Powell: No Good Samaritan”

Pelosi’s Torture Stance Is Pure Partisanship

Somebody call me when Nancy Pelosi gets her story straight. So far, the House speaker’s explanation of what and when she knew about the Bush administration’s policy of torturing suspected terrorists is crookeder than Dick Cheney’s smile. Indeed, it has evolved from a straightforward avowal that, with apologies to Sgt. Schultz from Hogan’s Heroes, she … Continue reading “Pelosi’s Torture Stance Is Pure Partisanship”