By Robert Parry
January 22, 2009
When authoritarian forces seize control of a government, they typically move first against the public’s access to information, under the theory that a confused populace can be more easily manipulated. They take aim at the radio stations, TV and newspapers.
Read on.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Jimmy Carter's Wise Counsel
By Ivan Eland
January 21, 2009
At the request of President-elect Barack Obama, President George W. Bush convened an awkward meeting of all living former presidents at the White House to meet, and presumably give advice and encouragement to, the new guy.
Read on.
January 21, 2009
At the request of President-elect Barack Obama, President George W. Bush convened an awkward meeting of all living former presidents at the White House to meet, and presumably give advice and encouragement to, the new guy.
Read on.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Historical Mystery of Bush's Presidency
By Robert Parry
January 20, 2009
After little more than two years of the Watergate scandal, Richard Nixon resigned and his successor, Gerald Ford, famously declared, “our long national nightmare is over.” But the painful end game of Nixon’s presidency was nothing compared to the eight excruciating years of George W. Bush.
Read on.
January 20, 2009
After little more than two years of the Watergate scandal, Richard Nixon resigned and his successor, Gerald Ford, famously declared, “our long national nightmare is over.” But the painful end game of Nixon’s presidency was nothing compared to the eight excruciating years of George W. Bush.
Read on.
Dangerous Words: 'War on Terror'
By Christiane Brown
January 19, 2009
January 19, 2009
One phrase can divide an entire country, one phrase can circumvent 800 years of law, one phrase can justify the horrific, condone the illegal, and bankrupt a nation, both financially and morally. One phrase can kill.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Bush Sets New Standards for Failure
By Brent Budowsky
January 18, 2009
At least Richard Nixon negotiated with Russia, opened doors to China and created the Environmental Protection Agency. What did George Bush achieve?
Read on.
January 18, 2009
At least Richard Nixon negotiated with Russia, opened doors to China and created the Environmental Protection Agency. What did George Bush achieve?
Read on.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
George W. Bush's 'Swearing-Out'
By Michael Winship
January 17, 2009
As Barack Obama prepares to be sworn in, I recall an old National Lampoon record album – record albums, remember those? – from the final weeks of the Watergate scandal that comically suggested that President Richard Nixon be given a “swearing OUT” ceremony. There followed a series of blistering curses and calumnies directed at the soon-to-be departed and disgraced chief executive, delivered by someone impersonating the Reverend Billy Graham.
Read on.
January 17, 2009
As Barack Obama prepares to be sworn in, I recall an old National Lampoon record album – record albums, remember those? – from the final weeks of the Watergate scandal that comically suggested that President Richard Nixon be given a “swearing OUT” ceremony. There followed a series of blistering curses and calumnies directed at the soon-to-be departed and disgraced chief executive, delivered by someone impersonating the Reverend Billy Graham.
Read on.
Is Israel's Gaza War a New War Crime?
By Dennis Bernstein
January 17, 2009
The use of the internationally banned substance white phosphorus in highly densely populated areas of the Gaza Strip gives new meaning to the phrase "white power." White western supremacy enforced by latest advanced weaponry.
Read on.
January 17, 2009
The use of the internationally banned substance white phosphorus in highly densely populated areas of the Gaza Strip gives new meaning to the phrase "white power." White western supremacy enforced by latest advanced weaponry.
Read on.
Bush's Only Gift to America
By Robert Parry
January 17, 2009
George W. Bush’s gift to the American Republic may be that he has discredited a host of right-wing theories and practices – “trickle-down economics”; “self-regulating markets”; “tough-guy” foreign policy; the “imperial presidency”; and the notion that “government is the problem.”
Read on.
January 17, 2009
George W. Bush’s gift to the American Republic may be that he has discredited a host of right-wing theories and practices – “trickle-down economics”; “self-regulating markets”; “tough-guy” foreign policy; the “imperial presidency”; and the notion that “government is the problem.”
Read on.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
What's CIA Director Hayden Hidin'?
By Ray McGovern
January 15, 2009
Outgoing CIA Director Michael Hayden is going around town telling folks he has warned President-elect Barack Obama “personally and forcefully” that if Obama authorizes an investigation into controversial activities like waterboarding, “no one in Langley will ever take a risk again.”
Read on.
January 15, 2009
Outgoing CIA Director Michael Hayden is going around town telling folks he has warned President-elect Barack Obama “personally and forcefully” that if Obama authorizes an investigation into controversial activities like waterboarding, “no one in Langley will ever take a risk again.”
Read on.
Bush's Deficit May Doom America
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Bush/Cheney: 'Most Impeachable'
By Jason Leopold
January 14, 2009
House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers says President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney committed impeachment-worthy offenses which must be thoroughly investigated even after the two men leave office as a means of reaffirming U.S. constitutional principles.
Read on.
January 14, 2009
House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers says President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney committed impeachment-worthy offenses which must be thoroughly investigated even after the two men leave office as a means of reaffirming U.S. constitutional principles.
Read on.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
An Empire That America Can't Afford
By Ivan Eland
January 13, 2009
Somebody is going to have to whisper in President-elect Obama’s ear that the unipolar moment has passed and that the United States can no longer afford its informal worldwide empire.
Read on.
January 13, 2009
Somebody is going to have to whisper in President-elect Obama’s ear that the unipolar moment has passed and that the United States can no longer afford its informal worldwide empire.
Read on.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Gaza and the End of Days
By Morgan Strong
January 12, 2009
They have buried many children in Gaza the past two weeks. One, a little girl, was buried a week ago last Tuesday. She was only four. She was a beautiful child, long dark hair and a sweetly innocent face, far too early for such promise as she to die.
Read on.
January 12, 2009
They have buried many children in Gaza the past two weeks. One, a little girl, was buried a week ago last Tuesday. She was only four. She was a beautiful child, long dark hair and a sweetly innocent face, far too early for such promise as she to die.
Read on.
Obama Waffles on Torture Prosecution
By Jason Leopold
January 12, 2009
If you’re one of the thousands of Americans who have gone to Barack Obama’s change.gov Web site demanding that the President-elect hold Bush administration officials accountable for torture and other law violations, you’re likely to be disappointed.
Read on.
January 12, 2009
If you’re one of the thousands of Americans who have gone to Barack Obama’s change.gov Web site demanding that the President-elect hold Bush administration officials accountable for torture and other law violations, you’re likely to be disappointed.
Read on.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
WPost Again Flacks for Bush's Crimes
By Robert Parry
January 10, 2009
With only 10 days left before George W. Bush leaves office, the Washington Establishment – and its chief mouthpiece the Washington Post – are trying to stymie any meaningful accountability for the outgoing administration and thus cover up for their own complicity in Bush’s crimes and incompetence.
Read on.
January 10, 2009
With only 10 days left before George W. Bush leaves office, the Washington Establishment – and its chief mouthpiece the Washington Post – are trying to stymie any meaningful accountability for the outgoing administration and thus cover up for their own complicity in Bush’s crimes and incompetence.
Read on.
What Am I Bid for the American Wild?
By Michael Winship
January 10, 2009
We've all seen those sitcoms or movies in which someone stumbles into an art auction and, not knowing how it works, idly scratches his nose or pulls his ear and finds himself the owner of a Rembrandt.
Read on.
January 10, 2009
We've all seen those sitcoms or movies in which someone stumbles into an art auction and, not knowing how it works, idly scratches his nose or pulls his ear and finds himself the owner of a Rembrandt.
Read on.
Friday, January 09, 2009
How the CIA Handles the WPost
By Melvin A. Goodman
January 9, 2009
On Jan. 7, the Washington Post published a front-page lead article and an op-ed on the nomination of Leon Panetta as CIA director; both articles exaggerated the extent of opposition to the Panetta appointment and they demonstrated the weakness of mainstream media coverage of the intelligence community, particularly the Central Intelligence Agency.
Read on.
January 9, 2009
On Jan. 7, the Washington Post published a front-page lead article and an op-ed on the nomination of Leon Panetta as CIA director; both articles exaggerated the extent of opposition to the Panetta appointment and they demonstrated the weakness of mainstream media coverage of the intelligence community, particularly the Central Intelligence Agency.
Read on.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
WPost Finds Second Side to Gaza War
By Robert Parry
January 8, 2009
Twelve days into Israel’s punishing war on Gaza, the Washington Post editorial section finally has published an op-ed suggesting that there might be two sides to the dispute, an article by former President Jimmy Carter who presented both Israeli and Palestinian concerns and noted Israel’s failure to live up to the goals of last year’s truce agreement.
Read on.
January 8, 2009
Twelve days into Israel’s punishing war on Gaza, the Washington Post editorial section finally has published an op-ed suggesting that there might be two sides to the dispute, an article by former President Jimmy Carter who presented both Israeli and Palestinian concerns and noted Israel’s failure to live up to the goals of last year’s truce agreement.
Read on.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Conyers Seeks Probe of Bush Crimes
By Jason Leopold
January 7, 2009
In one of the first acts of the 111th Congress, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers proposed legislation to create a blue-ribbon panel of outside experts to probe the “broad range” of policies pursued by the Bush administration “under claims of unreviewable war powers,” including torture of detainees and warrantless wiretaps.
Read on.
January 7, 2009
In one of the first acts of the 111th Congress, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers proposed legislation to create a blue-ribbon panel of outside experts to probe the “broad range” of policies pursued by the Bush administration “under claims of unreviewable war powers,” including torture of detainees and warrantless wiretaps.
Read on.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Bush Spins Scandalous Neglect of Vets
By Jason Leopold
January 6, 2009
January 6, 2009
It’s not uncommon for Presidents to embellish their accomplishments upon leaving office, but George W. Bush, who will exit the White House leaving the country in the worst shape since Herbert Hoover, has gone a step further, moving past exaggeration into outright lying.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
WPost Columnist Excuses Torture
By David Swanson
January 4, 2009
According to Albert Camus, "It is the job of thinking people not to be on the side of the executioners." But Washington Post editorial writer Ruth Marcus has joined the side of the executioners and provided a clear example of how that is respectably done in our time and place.
Read on.
January 4, 2009
According to Albert Camus, "It is the job of thinking people not to be on the side of the executioners." But Washington Post editorial writer Ruth Marcus has joined the side of the executioners and provided a clear example of how that is respectably done in our time and place.
Read on.
Israel's Looming Catastrophe
By Robert Parry
January 4, 2009
January 4, 2009
For the past three decades, Israel has charted a course that invites its own destruction by relying on two risky propositions: first, that it could extend its security perimeter beyond the reach of a devastating missile attack, and second, that it could permanently control the political debate inside its crucial ally, the United States.
Read on.Friday, January 02, 2009
Making 'Duck Soup' Out of Today
By Bill Moyers and Michael Winship
January 2, 2009
As 2008 ends and this New Year begins, with all its fledgling promise despite turmoil and crisis, it’s also that time when the media offers its lists of ten best or worst this and that of the previous year, an exercise that simultaneously entertains and infuriates.
Read on.
January 2, 2009
As 2008 ends and this New Year begins, with all its fledgling promise despite turmoil and crisis, it’s also that time when the media offers its lists of ten best or worst this and that of the previous year, an exercise that simultaneously entertains and infuriates.
Read on.
Pity the Poor Neocons
By Robert Parry
January 2, 2009
As bloody and grotesque as Israel’s pounding of Gaza has been, it marks a bitterly disappointing end for seven-plus years of neoconservative dominion over U.S. foreign policy, a period that was supposed to conclude with the dismantling of Israel’s Muslim enemies in the region.
Read on.
January 2, 2009
As bloody and grotesque as Israel’s pounding of Gaza has been, it marks a bitterly disappointing end for seven-plus years of neoconservative dominion over U.S. foreign policy, a period that was supposed to conclude with the dismantling of Israel’s Muslim enemies in the region.
Read on.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Torture & the Crime of Aggressive War
By Peter Dyer
December 31, 2008
December 31, 2008
The U.S. government’s torture of detainees in the “war on terror” can be traced directly to a Feb. 7, 2002, memo signed by President George W. Bush.
GOP Judge Gives Bush a Gitmo Victory
By Robert Parry
December 31, 2008
Civil libertarians hailed last June’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling requiring habeas corpus hearings to justify indefinite detentions at Guantanamo Bay, but there remained the question of which federal judges would hear the evidence. It was clear that many would be right-wing Republican appointees.
Read on.
December 31, 2008
Civil libertarians hailed last June’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling requiring habeas corpus hearings to justify indefinite detentions at Guantanamo Bay, but there remained the question of which federal judges would hear the evidence. It was clear that many would be right-wing Republican appointees.
Read on.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
How Hypocrisy on 'Terrorism' Kills
By Robert Parry
December 30, 2008
Israel, a nation that was born out of Zionist terrorism, has launched massive airstrikes against targets in Gaza using high-tech weapons produced by the United States, a country that often has aided and abetted terrorism by its client military forces, such as Chile’s Operation Condor and the Nicaraguan contras, and even today harbors right-wing Cuban terrorists implicated in blowing up a civilian airliner.
Read on.
December 30, 2008
Israel, a nation that was born out of Zionist terrorism, has launched massive airstrikes against targets in Gaza using high-tech weapons produced by the United States, a country that often has aided and abetted terrorism by its client military forces, such as Chile’s Operation Condor and the Nicaraguan contras, and even today harbors right-wing Cuban terrorists implicated in blowing up a civilian airliner.
Read on.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Henry Kissinger: Eminence Noire
By Robert Parry
December 28, 2008
The recent release of 40-year-old tape recordings of President Lyndon Johnson complaining about “treason” by Richard Nixon’s campaign for sabotaging Vietnam peace talks in 1968 also reflects darkly on one of Washington’s enduring Wise Men, a person whose views are still sought and respected: former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
Read on.
December 28, 2008
The recent release of 40-year-old tape recordings of President Lyndon Johnson complaining about “treason” by Richard Nixon’s campaign for sabotaging Vietnam peace talks in 1968 also reflects darkly on one of Washington’s enduring Wise Men, a person whose views are still sought and respected: former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
Read on.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
The Dilemma That Is Gaza
By Morgan Strong
December 27, 2008 (Republished in view of new Israeli bombing raids)
Gaza was and is an anomaly, a piece of land left over from the calamity of history, created it seems in a moment of distraction.
Read on.
December 27, 2008 (Republished in view of new Israeli bombing raids)
Gaza was and is an anomaly, a piece of land left over from the calamity of history, created it seems in a moment of distraction.
Read on.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Two Dangerous Bush-Cheney Myths
By Robert Parry
December 26, 2008
As George W. Bush and Dick Cheney make their case for some positive legacy from the past eight years, two arguments are playing key roles: the notion that torturing terror suspects saved American lives and the belief that Bush’s Iraq troop “surge” transformed a disaster into something close to “victory.”
Read on.
December 26, 2008
As George W. Bush and Dick Cheney make their case for some positive legacy from the past eight years, two arguments are playing key roles: the notion that torturing terror suspects saved American lives and the belief that Bush’s Iraq troop “surge” transformed a disaster into something close to “victory.”
Read on.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Washington Needs a Makeover
By Robert Parry
December 24, 2008
In four weeks, the long national nightmare of George W. Bush’s presidency will come to an end, but the big question then will be whether much will change – even with a solid Democratic majority in Congress and the nation’s first African-American President in the White House.
Read on.
December 24, 2008
In four weeks, the long national nightmare of George W. Bush’s presidency will come to an end, but the big question then will be whether much will change – even with a solid Democratic majority in Congress and the nation’s first African-American President in the White House.
Read on.
'Gran Torino': Clint Eastwood in Winter
By Lisa Pease
December 24, 2008
Clint Eastwood stars in and directs this amazing film. Fresh and original, hilarious and heart-rending, this film will seize a hold of your heart and not let go. And if you enjoy snappy dialog, consider "Gran Torino" this year's "Juno."
Read on.
December 24, 2008
Clint Eastwood stars in and directs this amazing film. Fresh and original, hilarious and heart-rending, this film will seize a hold of your heart and not let go. And if you enjoy snappy dialog, consider "Gran Torino" this year's "Juno."
Read on.
'Australia' Makes Worthy Apology
By Lisa Pease
December 22, 2008
December 22, 2008
Baz Luhrmann, the creative force behind "Moulin Rouge" and "Strictly Ballroom," has written and directed an epic valentine to 1940s-style films with his latest effort, "Australia."
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Democrats Need Their Own Cheney
By Brent Budowsky
December 23, 2008
Dick Cheney is what Margaret Thatcher called a conviction politician. Yes, with some luck, that may become a play on words, since I believe torture and warrantless eavesdropping violate the law – and the Vice President has proudly announced his role in those decisions by the Bush administration.
Read on.
December 23, 2008
Dick Cheney is what Margaret Thatcher called a conviction politician. Yes, with some luck, that may become a play on words, since I believe torture and warrantless eavesdropping violate the law – and the Vice President has proudly announced his role in those decisions by the Bush administration.
Read on.
Cheney Defends Waterboarding Order
By Jason Leopold
December 23, 2008
Vice President Dick Cheney, in another stunning admission during his campaign to burnish the Bush administration’s legacy, said he personally authorized the “enhanced interrogations” of 33 suspected terrorist detainees and approved the waterboarding of three so-called “high-value” prisoners.
Read on.
December 23, 2008
Vice President Dick Cheney, in another stunning admission during his campaign to burnish the Bush administration’s legacy, said he personally authorized the “enhanced interrogations” of 33 suspected terrorist detainees and approved the waterboarding of three so-called “high-value” prisoners.
Read on.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Cheney's Contempt for the Republic
By Robert Parry
December 22, 2008
As Vice President Dick Cheney goes public in exit interviews about his vision of expansive executive powers, it's getting clearer how close the American Republic came to suffering major deformity – if not destruction – in the past eight years.
Read on.
December 22, 2008
As Vice President Dick Cheney goes public in exit interviews about his vision of expansive executive powers, it's getting clearer how close the American Republic came to suffering major deformity – if not destruction – in the past eight years.
Read on.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Obama Triangulates His 'Base'
By Brent Budowsky
December 20, 2008
Many of the cable-television Democrats are smirking, chortling and smiling as they say how clever it was for Barack Obama to name Rick Warren to give the Inaugural invocation.
Read on.
December 20, 2008
Many of the cable-television Democrats are smirking, chortling and smiling as they say how clever it was for Barack Obama to name Rick Warren to give the Inaugural invocation.
Read on.
Bush's Blind Eye to Afghan Corruption
By Michael Winship
December 20, 2008
Just when you’ve finally gotten your mind around the enormous $700 billion financial bailout – even if none of us are really sure where all that money’s going – there comes an even greater, breathtaking price tag.
Read on.
December 20, 2008
Just when you’ve finally gotten your mind around the enormous $700 billion financial bailout – even if none of us are really sure where all that money’s going – there comes an even greater, breathtaking price tag.
Read on.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Deterring Torture Through the Law
By Coleen Rowley and Ray McGovern
December 19, 2008
“First, let’s kill all the lawyers” may have made sense in that Shakespearian scene, but there is a far simpler solution to the legal ambiguities regarding what to do now about the torture approved by the administration of George W. Bush. Perhaps this variant: First, let’s have the lawyers review their notes from Criminal Justice 101.
Read on.
December 19, 2008
“First, let’s kill all the lawyers” may have made sense in that Shakespearian scene, but there is a far simpler solution to the legal ambiguities regarding what to do now about the torture approved by the administration of George W. Bush. Perhaps this variant: First, let’s have the lawyers review their notes from Criminal Justice 101.
Read on.
CIA Warned Condi on Niger Claim
By Jason Leopold
December 19, 2008
December 19, 2008
A high-ranking CIA official warned Condoleezza Rice in September 2002 that allegations about Iraq seeking yellowcake uranium from Niger were untrue and that she, as national security adviser, should stop President George W. Bush from citing the claim in making his case against Saddam Hussein’s regime, according to new evidence released by a House committee.
Read on.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Obama v. Washington Mythmaking
By Robert Parry
December 18, 2008
December 18, 2008
Over the years, Washington has evolved into a city of deceptions where semantics cloud reality and where a hazy mix of lies, half-truths and mythology can combine to unleash the devastating military might of the United States for no good reason.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Cheney Admits Detainee-Abuse Role
By Jason Leopold
December 16, 2008
Vice President Dick Cheney said for the first time Monday that he helped get the “process cleared” for the brutal interrogation program of suspected terrorists.
Read on.
December 16, 2008
Vice President Dick Cheney said for the first time Monday that he helped get the “process cleared” for the brutal interrogation program of suspected terrorists.
Read on.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Bush's Misguided Offensive Strategies
By Ivan Eland
December 16, 2008
General David Petraeus, the former military commander of U.S. forces in Iraq and author of the military’s most recent counterinsurgency manual, learned the lessons of the successful British counterinsurgency experience in Malaya in the 1950s.
Read on.
December 16, 2008
General David Petraeus, the former military commander of U.S. forces in Iraq and author of the military’s most recent counterinsurgency manual, learned the lessons of the successful British counterinsurgency experience in Malaya in the 1950s.
Read on.
The Dilemma That Is Gaza
By Morgan Strong
December 15, 2008
Gaza was and is an anomaly, a piece of land left over from the calamity of history, created it seems in a moment of distraction.
Read on.
December 15, 2008
Gaza was and is an anomaly, a piece of land left over from the calamity of history, created it seems in a moment of distraction.
Read on.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Obama and US-Russia Tensions
By Consortiumnews.com
December 14, 2008
With U.S.-Russian relations already at their lowest point since the end of the Cold War, President-elect Barack Obama has picked two key foreign policy officials who are likely to continue the Bush administration’s confrontational policies that have aggravated Russia and disrupted European security alignments and transatlantic relations.
Read on.
December 14, 2008
With U.S.-Russian relations already at their lowest point since the end of the Cold War, President-elect Barack Obama has picked two key foreign policy officials who are likely to continue the Bush administration’s confrontational policies that have aggravated Russia and disrupted European security alignments and transatlantic relations.
Read on.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
The Bigger Pay-to-Play Picture
By Brent Budowsky
December 13, 2008
Let’s ignore the righteous pundits who chortle sweet nothings about the scandal in Illinois and speak to a larger truth that they ignore.
Read on.
December 13, 2008
Let’s ignore the righteous pundits who chortle sweet nothings about the scandal in Illinois and speak to a larger truth that they ignore.
Read on.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Torture Trail Seen Starting with Bush
By Jason Leopold
December 12, 2008
A bipartisan congressional report traces the U.S. abuse of detainees at Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib to President George W. Bush’s Feb. 7, 2002, action memorandum that excluded “war on terror” suspects from Geneva Convention protections.
Read on.
December 12, 2008
A bipartisan congressional report traces the U.S. abuse of detainees at Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib to President George W. Bush’s Feb. 7, 2002, action memorandum that excluded “war on terror” suspects from Geneva Convention protections.
Read on.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
A Time Machine to Save America
By Robert Parry
December 11, 2008
Looking out over the bleak landscape of economic and national security disasters that George W. Bush is leaving behind, I sometimes think the best use of the trillion-dollar bailout funds might be to invent a time machine that could take the world back eight years to the fateful decision of the U.S. Supreme Court to give Bush the White House.
Read on.
December 11, 2008
Looking out over the bleak landscape of economic and national security disasters that George W. Bush is leaving behind, I sometimes think the best use of the trillion-dollar bailout funds might be to invent a time machine that could take the world back eight years to the fateful decision of the U.S. Supreme Court to give Bush the White House.
Read on.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Will Obama Buy Torture-Lite?
By Ray McGovern
December 11, 2008
You’ve got to hand it to them. Torture aficionados at the White House and CIA have conned key congressional leaders into insisting not only that torture-lite would be a swell idea, but advocating that the overseers of torture be kept on.
Read on.
December 11, 2008
You’ve got to hand it to them. Torture aficionados at the White House and CIA have conned key congressional leaders into insisting not only that torture-lite would be a swell idea, but advocating that the overseers of torture be kept on.
Read on.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
We All Failed Gary Webb
By Robert Parry
December 10, 2008
Since Gary Webb’s suicide four years ago, I have written annual retrospectives about the late journalist’s important contribution to the historical record -- he forced devastating admissions from the CIA about drug trafficking by the Nicaraguan contra rebels under the protection of the Reagan administration in the 1980s.
Read on.
December 10, 2008
Since Gary Webb’s suicide four years ago, I have written annual retrospectives about the late journalist’s important contribution to the historical record -- he forced devastating admissions from the CIA about drug trafficking by the Nicaraguan contra rebels under the protection of the Reagan administration in the 1980s.
Read on.
Condi's Advice to India on Terror
By Ivan Eland
December 9, 2008
As rage coursed through India after the Mumbai terrorist attacks, Condoleezza Rice, the Bush administration’s Secretary of State, flew to India and cautioned the Indian government on avoiding a knee-jerk and counterproductive response.
Read on.
December 9, 2008
As rage coursed through India after the Mumbai terrorist attacks, Condoleezza Rice, the Bush administration’s Secretary of State, flew to India and cautioned the Indian government on avoiding a knee-jerk and counterproductive response.
Read on.
Monday, December 08, 2008
The Significance of Nixon's 'Treason'
By Robert Parry
December 9, 2008
December 9, 2008
You might have thought that when audiotapes were released of President Lyndon Johnson accusing Richard Nixon’s 1968 campaign of “treason” for sabotaging Vietnam peace talks – as 500,000 U.S. troops sat in a war zone – the major U.S. news media would be all over it, providing insight and context.
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Mukasey's 'Nixon Defense' of Bush
By Jason Leopold
December 6, 2008
When it comes to protecting George W. Bush and his administration, Attorney General Michael Mukasey is stretching legal arguments as far as his predecessor Alberto Gonzales ever did – now even invoking the “Nixon Defense” for justifying presidential wrongdoing.
Read on.
December 6, 2008
When it comes to protecting George W. Bush and his administration, Attorney General Michael Mukasey is stretching legal arguments as far as his predecessor Alberto Gonzales ever did – now even invoking the “Nixon Defense” for justifying presidential wrongdoing.
Read on.
Friday, December 05, 2008
Everybody Needs 'Milk'
By Lisa Pease
December 5, 2008
Sean Penn is a standout in this story of assassinated gay-rights politician Harvey Milk, says Lisa Pease.
Read on.
December 5, 2008
Sean Penn is a standout in this story of assassinated gay-rights politician Harvey Milk, says Lisa Pease.
Read on.
Nixon's 'Treason' and Historical Gaps
By Robert Parry
December 5, 2008
In listening to newly released audiotapes of President Lyndon Johnson, the U.S. news media has stumbled upon one of those unmentionable chapters of recent American history, Richard Nixon’s sabotage of the Paris peace talks in 1968.
Read on.
December 5, 2008
In listening to newly released audiotapes of President Lyndon Johnson, the U.S. news media has stumbled upon one of those unmentionable chapters of recent American history, Richard Nixon’s sabotage of the Paris peace talks in 1968.
Read on.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Saving US Autos the American Way
By Brent Budowsky
December 4, 2008
Let's build a patriot car within five years that moves into the 21st century with leapfrogging technology, historic gains in fuel efficiency and new standards of automotive excellence.
Read on.
December 4, 2008
Let's build a patriot car within five years that moves into the 21st century with leapfrogging technology, historic gains in fuel efficiency and new standards of automotive excellence.
Read on.
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Obama v. King, on War and Peace
By Peter Dyer
December 3, 2008
Can we successfully fight for social and economic justice in the United States while simultaneously escalating a war in Asia? Barack Obama says we can. But 41 years ago, Dr Martin Luther King Jr. warned against doing exactly that.
Read on.
December 3, 2008
Can we successfully fight for social and economic justice in the United States while simultaneously escalating a war in Asia? Barack Obama says we can. But 41 years ago, Dr Martin Luther King Jr. warned against doing exactly that.
Read on.
Thinking Bigger on US Autos
By William John Cox
December 2, 2008
When the Big Three CEOs previously descended on Washington in their fancy corporate jets with inflated egos and high hopes for a juicy piece of the government's $8.6 trillion corporate welfare pie, they were sent home hungry to do their homework and to write an essay about how they plan to spend bailout funds.
Read on.
December 2, 2008
When the Big Three CEOs previously descended on Washington in their fancy corporate jets with inflated egos and high hopes for a juicy piece of the government's $8.6 trillion corporate welfare pie, they were sent home hungry to do their homework and to write an essay about how they plan to spend bailout funds.
Read on.
Holder Must Balance Security, Rights
By Jason Leopold
December 2, 2008
One of the top challenges facing Barack Obama’s Justice Department will be striking a balance between fighting terrorism and protecting individual civil liberties, says a recent memo from the department’s inspector general.
Read on.
December 2, 2008
One of the top challenges facing Barack Obama’s Justice Department will be striking a balance between fighting terrorism and protecting individual civil liberties, says a recent memo from the department’s inspector general.
Read on.
Monday, December 01, 2008
Bush Still Lies about Iraqi Inspections
By Robert Parry
December 2, 2008
December 2, 2008
In what’s been called George W. Bush’s first exit interview, the outgoing President continues a lie that he first unveiled several months after launching the Iraq War, justifying the invasion by claiming that Saddam Hussein didn’t let the U.N. inspectors in.
Obama's Fateful Choice of Gates
By Robert Parry
December 1, 2008
Barack Obama may have thought he was going out on a limb – at least with the Democratic “base” – by keeping Bush Family operative Robert Gates on as Defense Secretary, but it turns out that Gates sees himself as doing a favor for the President-elect.
Read on.
December 1, 2008
Barack Obama may have thought he was going out on a limb – at least with the Democratic “base” – by keeping Bush Family operative Robert Gates on as Defense Secretary, but it turns out that Gates sees himself as doing a favor for the President-elect.
Read on.
Obama's Risky 'Team of Rivals'
By Lisa Pease
December 1, 2008
It’s good to see President-elect Barack Obama studying history. How wonderful to have a President who actually reads book such as Doris Kearns Goodwin’s A Team of Rivals about Abraham Lincoln’s inclusion of political opponents in his war-time Cabinet.
Read on.
December 1, 2008
It’s good to see President-elect Barack Obama studying history. How wonderful to have a President who actually reads book such as Doris Kearns Goodwin’s A Team of Rivals about Abraham Lincoln’s inclusion of political opponents in his war-time Cabinet.
Read on.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
'Slumdog Millionaire' Tells a Tale
By Lisa Pease
November 29, 2008
“Slumdog Millionaire” may prove to be the surprise movie hit of the year.
Read on.
November 29, 2008
“Slumdog Millionaire” may prove to be the surprise movie hit of the year.
Read on.
The Establishment's Thanksgiving
By Robert Parry
November 29, 2008
November 29, 2008
Surprisingly this Thanksgiving, the Washington Establishment had a lot to give thanks for. And its chief mouthpiece – the Washington Post’s neoconservative editorial page – was glowing over its good fortune in the three-plus weeks since Barack Obama's election.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Thanksgiving Check on America's Food
By Michael Winship
November 27, 2008
The writer and activist Michael Pollan has no interest in becoming Barack Obama's Secretary of Agriculture, thank you very much, even though there are a lot of people who think he'd be perfect for the job.
Read on.
November 27, 2008
The writer and activist Michael Pollan has no interest in becoming Barack Obama's Secretary of Agriculture, thank you very much, even though there are a lot of people who think he'd be perfect for the job.
Read on.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Kafka and Uighurs at Guantanamo
By Ray McGovern
November 26, 2008
“There is no right to due process for an alien who is not here,” insisted the 44th Solicitor General of the United States, Gregory G. Garre, proudly representing the President of the United States, George W. Bush.
Read on.
November 26, 2008
“There is no right to due process for an alien who is not here,” insisted the 44th Solicitor General of the United States, Gregory G. Garre, proudly representing the President of the United States, George W. Bush.
Read on.
Washington Old Guard Wins on Gates
By Brent Budowsky
November 26, 2008
November 26, 2008
With Bob Gates as Secretary of Defense and Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, the incoming Obama administration is shaping up to be a reunion of strong supporters of the Iraq War.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Seeking Integrity at the CIA
By Ray McGovern
November 26, 2008
November 26, 2008
The Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) must be a person whose previous professional performance has been distinguished by unimpeachable integrity and independence. The director must have the courage of his or her own convictions.
Obama Can End Iraq War 'Responsibly'
By Peter Dyer
November 26, 2008
One of Barack Obama's most compelling and popular campaign promises was his pledge to end the war in Iraq “responsibly.” But what does “responsibly” mean in this context?
Read on.
November 26, 2008
One of Barack Obama's most compelling and popular campaign promises was his pledge to end the war in Iraq “responsibly.” But what does “responsibly” mean in this context?
Read on.
Obama, Ask the Kremlin about Gates
By Robert Parry
November 25, 2008
Nearly 16 years ago, during the last transition from a President Bush to a Democrat, Moscow made an extraordinary gesture to Washington: The Kremlin supplied a summary of its intelligence information about secret U.S.-Iranian contacts in the 1980s.
Read on.
November 25, 2008
Nearly 16 years ago, during the last transition from a President Bush to a Democrat, Moscow made an extraordinary gesture to Washington: The Kremlin supplied a summary of its intelligence information about secret U.S.-Iranian contacts in the 1980s.
Read on.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Iraq War Foes Get Short Shrift
By Robert Parry
November 24, 2008
Arguably, Barack Obama’s most promising promise of the presidential campaign was his vow to not just end the war in Iraq but “to end the mindset that got us into war.”
Read on.
November 24, 2008
Arguably, Barack Obama’s most promising promise of the presidential campaign was his vow to not just end the war in Iraq but “to end the mindset that got us into war.”
Read on.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Gates and the Urge to Surge
By Ray McGovern
November 23, 2008
It may become a biennial ritual. Every two years, if the commander-in-chief (or the commander-in-chief-elect) says he wants to throw more troops into an unwinnable war for no clear reason other than his political advantage, panderer-in-chief Robert Gates will shout “Outstanding!”
Read on.
November 23, 2008
It may become a biennial ritual. Every two years, if the commander-in-chief (or the commander-in-chief-elect) says he wants to throw more troops into an unwinnable war for no clear reason other than his political advantage, panderer-in-chief Robert Gates will shout “Outstanding!”
Read on.
Friday, November 21, 2008
The GOP Judge Who Bolted on Gitmo
By Robert Parry
November 22, 2008
To understand how thin the evidence must have been against five Algerians held at Guantanamo Bay for nearly seven years – and who were just ordered released by a U.S. District Court judge – you have to know the history of that judge, Richard J. Leon.
Read on.
November 22, 2008
To understand how thin the evidence must have been against five Algerians held at Guantanamo Bay for nearly seven years – and who were just ordered released by a U.S. District Court judge – you have to know the history of that judge, Richard J. Leon.
Read on.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Obama Team Tilts Toward Gates
By Jason Leopold
November 20, 2008
November 20, 2008
Barack Obama’s Pentagon transition team is sitting down with Defense Secretary Robert Gates in a move that some Beltway observers believe signals that the President-elect does plan to keep Gates on despite protests from Iraq War opponents.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
What Must Be Done Now!
By Robert Parry
November 20. 2008
Having spent more than three decades in Washington, I’ve seen enough mistakes made – and opportunities missed – for a lifetime. So, at this turning point in American history, I’m venturing beyond my normal role as reporter to offer a few ideas about what must be done now.
Read on.
November 20. 2008
Having spent more than three decades in Washington, I’ve seen enough mistakes made – and opportunities missed – for a lifetime. So, at this turning point in American history, I’m venturing beyond my normal role as reporter to offer a few ideas about what must be done now.
Read on.
Robert Gates: As Bad as Rumsfeld?
By Ray McGovern
November 19, 2008
"As Bad As Rumsfeld?" The title jars, doesn't it? The more so, since Defense Secretary Robert Gates found his predecessor, Donald Rumsfeld, such an easy act to follow.
Read on.
November 19, 2008
"As Bad As Rumsfeld?" The title jars, doesn't it? The more so, since Defense Secretary Robert Gates found his predecessor, Donald Rumsfeld, such an easy act to follow.
Read on.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
A View of Obama from Middle Earth
By Michael Winship
November 18, 2008
QUEENSTOWN, New Zealand – You might think it hard to think about politics when you’re in a place as extraordinary as this on New Zealand’s South Island.
Read on.
November 18, 2008
QUEENSTOWN, New Zealand – You might think it hard to think about politics when you’re in a place as extraordinary as this on New Zealand’s South Island.
Read on.
Detroit-Washington Shotgun Wedding
By Brian Barger
November 18, 2008
American automakers are sinking fast in a quagmire of their own making.
Read on.
November 18, 2008
American automakers are sinking fast in a quagmire of their own making.
Read on.
An FDR War Cabinet
By Brent Budowsky
November 18, 2008
President-elect Obama will take office with a mission similar to Franklin Roosevelt’s: establishing both a war Cabinet and an emergency economic Cabinet.
Read on.
November 18, 2008
President-elect Obama will take office with a mission similar to Franklin Roosevelt’s: establishing both a war Cabinet and an emergency economic Cabinet.
Read on.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Obama Risks Clinton-Era Mistakes
By Robert Parry
November 17, 2008
November 17, 2008
After a masterful campaign, Barack Obama seems headed toward some fateful mistakes as he assembles his administration by heeding the advice of Washington’s Democratic insider community, a collective group that represents little “change you can believe in.”
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Predictable Disaster of George W. Bush
By Robert Parry
November 16, 2008
In his trademark goofy way, George W. Bush explained why he supported a bailout of the U.S. financial markets, saying he was “a free-market person, until you're told that if you don't take decisive measures then it's conceivable that our country could go into a depression greater than the Great Depression.”
Read on.
November 16, 2008
In his trademark goofy way, George W. Bush explained why he supported a bailout of the U.S. financial markets, saying he was “a free-market person, until you're told that if you don't take decisive measures then it's conceivable that our country could go into a depression greater than the Great Depression.”
Read on.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Lieberman's Weak Record on Oversight
By Jason Leopold
November 13, 2008
November 13, 2008
Most of the attention on whether Joe Lieberman should be ousted from his Senate committee chairmanship has focused on his disloyalty to Democrats and his control of homeland security issues, but there’s also the question of how well he has handled his panel’s broad government oversight responsibilities.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
The Danger of Keeping Robert Gates
By Robert Parry
November 13, 2008
Press reports say Barack Obama may retain George W. Bush’s Defense Secretary Robert Gates as a gesture to war-time continuity, bipartisanship and respect for the Washington insider community, which has embraced Gates as something of a new Wise Man.
Read on.
November 13, 2008
Press reports say Barack Obama may retain George W. Bush’s Defense Secretary Robert Gates as a gesture to war-time continuity, bipartisanship and respect for the Washington insider community, which has embraced Gates as something of a new Wise Man.
Read on.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Obama: Beware the Lesson of '93
By Robert Parry
November 11, 2008
Barack Obama seeks a new era of bipartisanship, but he should take heed of what happened to the last Democrat in the White House – Bill Clinton – in 1993 when he sought to appease Republicans by shelving pending investigations into Reagan-Bush-I-era wrongdoing and hoped for some reciprocity.
Read on.
November 11, 2008
Barack Obama seeks a new era of bipartisanship, but he should take heed of what happened to the last Democrat in the White House – Bill Clinton – in 1993 when he sought to appease Republicans by shelving pending investigations into Reagan-Bush-I-era wrongdoing and hoped for some reciprocity.
Read on.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Can the Republicans Change?
By Robert Parry
November 9, 2008
Amid the global euphoria surrounding Barack Obama’s victory – and the hopeful talk about a new bipartisanship in Washington – the Democrats are forgetting a powerful truth: modern Republicans are tied inextricably to slash-and-burn politics.
Read on.
November 9, 2008
Amid the global euphoria surrounding Barack Obama’s victory – and the hopeful talk about a new bipartisanship in Washington – the Democrats are forgetting a powerful truth: modern Republicans are tied inextricably to slash-and-burn politics.
Read on.
Friday, November 07, 2008
Obama Shows the Future, the Past
By Michael Winship
November 7, 2008
Whether you’re Democrat, Republican or Mugwump, you look at Tuesday night’s remarkable election results and the nationwide reaction and can’t help but wonder at how far our young country has come – and, at the same time, how long it’s taken.
Read on.
November 7, 2008
Whether you’re Democrat, Republican or Mugwump, you look at Tuesday night’s remarkable election results and the nationwide reaction and can’t help but wonder at how far our young country has come – and, at the same time, how long it’s taken.
Read on.
President-elect's Queries for Briefers
By Ray McGovern
November 7, 2008
November 7, 2008
After a week lecturing at Kansas State University and then in Kansas City, Missouri, I could not shake the feeling that what Kansas and Missouri need most is the equivalent of Radio Free Europe, which was so effective in spreading truth around inside Eastern Europe during the Cold War.
Obama Demands Iraq War Changes
By Jason Leopold
November 7, 2008
November 7, 2008
President-elect Barack Obama, in one of the first policy statements of his transition, demanded that the Bush administration either submit the proposed U.S.-Iraq “status-of-forces agreement” to Congress or leave an opening for him to change it next year.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
At the White House, an Obama Party
By Robert Parry
November 5, 2008
November 5, 2008
Around midnight, when the election outcome was clear, thousands of young people walked and skipped and ran to the north gates of the White House, celebrating not just the election of Barack Obama but the repudiation of George W. Bush.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Palin Gets Positive 'Troopergate' Ruling
By Jason Leopold
November 4, 2008
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin got the favorable ruling she hoped for when she referred the “Troopergate” controversy to the state personnel board whose three members are gubernatorial appointees. Their investigator rejected the findings of an earlier legislative inquiry that Palin had abused her power.
Read on.
November 4, 2008
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin got the favorable ruling she hoped for when she referred the “Troopergate” controversy to the state personnel board whose three members are gubernatorial appointees. Their investigator rejected the findings of an earlier legislative inquiry that Palin had abused her power.
Read on.
Monday, November 03, 2008
Fear and Racism on the Campaign Trail
By Brian Barger
November 3, 2008
Visitors are greeted at the edge of Virginia’s Caroline County with a giant billboard proclaiming it “McCain Country.” It’s also become a call-to-canvassing priority for the Obama campaign, which sees this as a central battleground to win the swing state.
Read on.
November 3, 2008
Visitors are greeted at the edge of Virginia’s Caroline County with a giant billboard proclaiming it “McCain Country.” It’s also become a call-to-canvassing priority for the Obama campaign, which sees this as a central battleground to win the swing state.
Read on.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
McCain's 'Real-ly Stupid' America
By Robert Parry
November 2, 2008
Sarah Palin may be wrong about the existence of a “real” America where people are decent and patriotic – and a “fake” America where they’re not. But John McCain’s election chances now appear to hinge on the existence of a “real-ly stupid” America.
Read on.
November 2, 2008
Sarah Palin may be wrong about the existence of a “real” America where people are decent and patriotic – and a “fake” America where they’re not. But John McCain’s election chances now appear to hinge on the existence of a “real-ly stupid” America.
Read on.
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Sounds of Voting and Check-Writing
By Bill Moyers and Michael Winship
November 1, 2008
Our Manhattan offices are in a building that also houses the New York City Board of Elections. So this is the season when we hear above our heads the sounds of heavy objects rolling across the floor into freight elevators.
Read on.
November 1, 2008
Our Manhattan offices are in a building that also houses the New York City Board of Elections. So this is the season when we hear above our heads the sounds of heavy objects rolling across the floor into freight elevators.
Read on.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Justice Department Balks on Ohio Vote
By Jason Leopold
October 31, 2008
Despite pressure from Ohio Republicans and President George W. Bush, the Justice Department has declined to intervene in a voter dispute in Ohio that could have purged at least 200,000 voters from registration rolls.
Read on.
October 31, 2008
Despite pressure from Ohio Republicans and President George W. Bush, the Justice Department has declined to intervene in a voter dispute in Ohio that could have purged at least 200,000 voters from registration rolls.
Read on.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
More 'Troopergate' Problems for Palin
By Jason Leopold
October 31, 2008
Sarah Palin faces another likely setback in an investigation into whether she entangled her duties as Alaska governor in a family feud with her ex-brother-in-law, a state trooper, according to a senior state legislator. But the new finding is not expected before next Tuesday’s presidential election.
Read on.
October 31, 2008
Sarah Palin faces another likely setback in an investigation into whether she entangled her duties as Alaska governor in a family feud with her ex-brother-in-law, a state trooper, according to a senior state legislator. But the new finding is not expected before next Tuesday’s presidential election.
Read on.
The New Technology of Repression
By Robert Parry
October 30, 2008
In its final months, the Bush administration is pressing ahead with a new generation of spy technology designed to strengthen the U.S. military’s ability to detect and eliminate suspected insurgents in Iraq and elsewhere based on computer analyses of their movements and activities.
Read on.
October 30, 2008
In its final months, the Bush administration is pressing ahead with a new generation of spy technology designed to strengthen the U.S. military’s ability to detect and eliminate suspected insurgents in Iraq and elsewhere based on computer analyses of their movements and activities.
Read on.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Two Troubling Election Arguments
By Robert Parry
October 29, 2008
Eight years ago in the Bush-Gore race, there were two election arguments that I heard often that now have resurfaced in the Obama-McCain contest as reasons to vote for third-party candidates.
Read on.
October 29, 2008
Eight years ago in the Bush-Gore race, there were two election arguments that I heard often that now have resurfaced in the Obama-McCain contest as reasons to vote for third-party candidates.
Read on.
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