By Robert Parry
December 18, 2009
For the eight years of the Bush-II administration, a key behind-the-scenes architect of U.S. strategy in the Middle East was Elliott Abrams, a neoconservative whose devotion to Israel is hard to overstate – and who is now engaged in what looks like a PR campaign to bend Barack Obama’s Mideast policies in the direction favored by Israel’s hard-line Likud government.
Read on.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Time to End the Neocon Con Game
By Bruce P. Cameron
December 17, 2009
As Washington’s long debate on the Afghan war unfolded, one group had an unhealthy advantage though – based on its record – it should have had no influence at all. These are the neoconservatives, and they have captured The Washington Post’s editorial pages along with other outlets of elite opinion.
Read on.
December 17, 2009
As Washington’s long debate on the Afghan war unfolded, one group had an unhealthy advantage though – based on its record – it should have had no influence at all. These are the neoconservatives, and they have captured The Washington Post’s editorial pages along with other outlets of elite opinion.
Read on.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
'Invictus': Mandela's Message of Hope
By Lisa Pease
December 16, 2009
The film “Invictus” dramatizes the real-world events of 1995, when newly installed South African President Nelson Mandela urged his country to come together behind its rugby team, the Springboks, when South Africa hosted the once-every-four-years Rugby World Cup.
Read on.
December 16, 2009
The film “Invictus” dramatizes the real-world events of 1995, when newly installed South African President Nelson Mandela urged his country to come together behind its rugby team, the Springboks, when South Africa hosted the once-every-four-years Rugby World Cup.
Read on.
The Risky Supply Line to Afghanistan
By Melvin A. Goodman
December 16, 2009
Logistics will be the key to introducing 30,000 soldiers and Marines into Afghanistan in the next six to seven months and to confronting the Taliban over the next 18 months. This reflects an old saying in the military - amateurs study strategy and professionals study logistics.
Read on.
December 16, 2009
Logistics will be the key to introducing 30,000 soldiers and Marines into Afghanistan in the next six to seven months and to confronting the Taliban over the next 18 months. This reflects an old saying in the military - amateurs study strategy and professionals study logistics.
Read on.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Opportunity Lost: Obama in Oslo
By Daniel C. Maguire
December 16, 2009
Whether Obama deserved the Nobel Peace Prize is not the point. He didn’t. The fact is he got it, and was gifted with the chance of a lifetime to make a classic speech on the politics of peace-making, a speech that in the glare of Nobel could have attained instant biblical standing.
Read on.
December 16, 2009
Whether Obama deserved the Nobel Peace Prize is not the point. He didn’t. The fact is he got it, and was gifted with the chance of a lifetime to make a classic speech on the politics of peace-making, a speech that in the glare of Nobel could have attained instant biblical standing.
Read on.
How Banks Fleece the Unemployed
By Barbara Koeppel
December 16, 2009
Just when you thought the big banks had maxed out their chutzpah account, think again.
Read on.
December 16, 2009
Just when you thought the big banks had maxed out their chutzpah account, think again.
Read on.
Getting Realistic about Afghanistan
By Ivan Eland
December 15, 2009
One of the reasons why most counterinsurgency campaigns fail is that they’re run by foreign occupiers who don’t know the culture of the invaded country.
Read on.
December 15, 2009
One of the reasons why most counterinsurgency campaigns fail is that they’re run by foreign occupiers who don’t know the culture of the invaded country.
Read on.
Is Joe Lieberman Protecting Israel?
By Robert Parry
December 15, 2009
Sen. Joe Lieberman’s latest threat to scuttle health-care reform – vowing to join a Republican filibuster to block an over-55 buy-in to Medicare, a proposal that he has long championed – is raising questions about his motives. But no one is mentioning the unmentionable, the cause that has come to define Lieberman’s career: Israel.
Read on.
December 15, 2009
Sen. Joe Lieberman’s latest threat to scuttle health-care reform – vowing to join a Republican filibuster to block an over-55 buy-in to Medicare, a proposal that he has long championed – is raising questions about his motives. But no one is mentioning the unmentionable, the cause that has come to define Lieberman’s career: Israel.
Read on.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Vanunu and Israel's Undeclared Nukes
By Eileen Fleming
December 14, 2009
Mordechai Vanunu was released from Ashkelon prison to open air captivity in east Jerusalem on April 21, 2004, after 18 years, mostly all in solitary confinement.
Read on.
December 14, 2009
Mordechai Vanunu was released from Ashkelon prison to open air captivity in east Jerusalem on April 21, 2004, after 18 years, mostly all in solitary confinement.
Read on.
Prosecuting Bush's Poodle
By David Swanson
December 14, 2009
December 14, 2009
Compare Tony Blair's latest confession to mass murder with Bush's.
Can Obama Face the 'Unspeakable'?
By Lisa Pease
December 14, 2009
If there’s one book I wish President Obama would read over the holidays, it would be JFK and the Unspeakable.
Read on.
December 14, 2009
If there’s one book I wish President Obama would read over the holidays, it would be JFK and the Unspeakable.
Read on.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Obama's Dirty War
By Douglas Valentine
December 13, 2009
In his Nobel Peace Prize speech, President Barack Obama declared “we’re in Afghanistan to prevent a cancer from spreading throughout that country.” The phrasing signals that his war escalation will follow the dictates of what the CIA calls political and psychological warfare, the cornerstones of counterinsurgency.
Read on.
December 13, 2009
In his Nobel Peace Prize speech, President Barack Obama declared “we’re in Afghanistan to prevent a cancer from spreading throughout that country.” The phrasing signals that his war escalation will follow the dictates of what the CIA calls political and psychological warfare, the cornerstones of counterinsurgency.
Read on.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
ACLU Blasts Obama on Bush's Crimes
By Jason Leopold
December 12, 2009
December 12, 2009
Despite Barack Obama’s high-minded words about “just wars” and human rights – most recently in his Nobel Peace Prize speech – the U.S. President has shielded officials from George W. Bush’s administration from accountability for torture and other war crimes, prompting stern rebukes from leading advocates of civil liberties.
Read on.Friday, December 11, 2009
The Land Mines Obama Won't Touch
By Bill Moyers and Michael Winship
December 11, 2009
December 11, 2009
Many people are troubled that Barack Obama flew to Oslo to receive the Nobel Peace Prize so soon after escalating the war in Afghanistan. He is now more than doubling the number of troops there when George W. Bush left office.
'Whatever Mistakes We Have Made'
By Nicolas J S Davies
December 11, 2009
The history of war has long included that of politicians who justify war in the name of peace.
Read on.
December 11, 2009
The history of war has long included that of politicians who justify war in the name of peace.
Read on.
Jesus and Prometheus
By the Rev. Howard Bess
December 11, 2009
December 11, 2009
There is no story that has captured the imagination of western civilization quite like the story of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
The Propaganda Success of the 'Surge'
By William Blum
December 10, 2009
They don't always use the word "surge," but that's what they mean.
Read on.
December 10, 2009
They don't always use the word "surge," but that's what they mean.
Read on.
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Being Jay Bybee
By David Swanson
December 9, 2009
It's Oct. 23, 2002, and you're Jay Bybee, the man in charge of the Office of Legal Counsel in the United States Department of Justice. John Yoo and a bunch of other lawyers -- willing to claim that absolutely anything is legal -- work for you.
Read on.
December 9, 2009
It's Oct. 23, 2002, and you're Jay Bybee, the man in charge of the Office of Legal Counsel in the United States Department of Justice. John Yoo and a bunch of other lawyers -- willing to claim that absolutely anything is legal -- work for you.
Read on.
Pinochet's Mad Scientist
By Samuel Blixen
December 9, 2009 (Originally Posted January 13, 1999)
On Nov. 15, 1992, a terrified scientist -- trapped inside a white bungalow in the Uruguayan beach town of Parque del Plata -- broke a window to escape. Chubby, in his mid-40s, the man struggled through the opening.
Read on.
December 9, 2009 (Originally Posted January 13, 1999)
On Nov. 15, 1992, a terrified scientist -- trapped inside a white bungalow in the Uruguayan beach town of Parque del Plata -- broke a window to escape. Chubby, in his mid-40s, the man struggled through the opening.
Read on.
Why Journalist Gary Webb Died
By Robert Parry
December 9, 2009
December 9, 2009
Five years ago, a tragedy occurred in American journalism: Investigative reporter Gary Webb – who had been ostracized by his own colleagues for forcing a spotlight back onto an ugly government scandal they wanted to ignore – was driven to commit suicide. But the tragedy had a deeper meaning.
Read on.Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Gates Dissembles on Afghan History
By Robert Parry
December 8, 2009
Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who last week was hailed in the Washington Post as someone “incapable of dissembling,” dissembled to a gullible press corps about the history of U.S. dealings with Afghanistan while en route to that country on Monday.
Read on.
December 8, 2009
Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who last week was hailed in the Washington Post as someone “incapable of dissembling,” dissembled to a gullible press corps about the history of U.S. dealings with Afghanistan while en route to that country on Monday.
Read on.
Monday, December 07, 2009
Ray McGovern's Letter to Bob Parry
By Ray McGovern
December 7, 2009
At the end of a year that began with such hope, I am struck at how easy it would be to be discouraged.
Read on.
December 7, 2009
At the end of a year that began with such hope, I am struck at how easy it would be to be discouraged.
Read on.
Saturday, December 05, 2009
The Christian Myth of Jesus's Birth
By the Rev. Howard Bess
December 5, 2009
December 5, 2009
The Advent season is a fun time. For many Christians, it is the happiest season of the year. The joy comes from the anticipation: “Joy to the world, the Lord has come. Let earth receive her king.”
The Afghan Ambush
By Michael Winship
December 5, 2009
The decision has been made. The months of meetings and briefings are over. Tuesday night, the President made it official: 30,000 more American troops to Afghanistan.
Read on.
December 5, 2009
The decision has been made. The months of meetings and briefings are over. Tuesday night, the President made it official: 30,000 more American troops to Afghanistan.
Read on.
Friday, December 04, 2009
'Up in the Air' and Down to Earth
By Lisa Pease
December 4, 2009
If there’s one film I’d like President Obama to see this month, it’s the new film by Jason Reitman “Up in the Air.” Seeing all those people laid off in the course of the film made me want to run out and start a jobs program.
Read on.
December 4, 2009
If there’s one film I’d like President Obama to see this month, it’s the new film by Jason Reitman “Up in the Air.” Seeing all those people laid off in the course of the film made me want to run out and start a jobs program.
Read on.
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Israeli Scholar Disputes Founding Myth
By Morgan Strong
December 3, 2009 (Originally Posted April 12, 2009)
The founding narrative of the modern State of Israel was born from the words of Moses in the Old Testament, that God granted the land of Israel to the Jewish people and that it was to be theirs for all time.
Read on.
December 3, 2009 (Originally Posted April 12, 2009)
The founding narrative of the modern State of Israel was born from the words of Moses in the Old Testament, that God granted the land of Israel to the Jewish people and that it was to be theirs for all time.
Read on.
Obama Pleases the Neocons
By Robert Parry
December 3, 2009
December 3, 2009
President Barack Obama’s escalation of the Afghan War has upset many rank-and-file Democrats who had hoped for a more peaceful strategy, but Obama’s order to dispatch 30,000 more U.S. troops is being welcomed by neoconservatives, a group that has long favored U.S. military interventions in Muslim lands.
US 'No-Fly' List Keeps Growing
By Ivan Eland
December 3, 2009
With the holiday travel season upon us, the U.S. government’s terrorism watch list and no-fly list get ever more bizarre.
Read on.
December 3, 2009
With the holiday travel season upon us, the U.S. government’s terrorism watch list and no-fly list get ever more bizarre.
Read on.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Afghanistan: 'Roach Motel' for Empires
By Zoltan Grossman
December 2, 2009
In his West Point speech on Tuesday, President Obama denied that “Afghanistan is another Vietnam” - -and in some senses he is correct. Vietnam was a far more unified state -- ethnically and politically -- than Afghanistan ever has been.
Read on.
December 2, 2009
In his West Point speech on Tuesday, President Obama denied that “Afghanistan is another Vietnam” - -and in some senses he is correct. Vietnam was a far more unified state -- ethnically and politically -- than Afghanistan ever has been.
Read on.
Colin Powell's My Lai Connection
By Robert Parry and Norman Solomon
December 2, 2009
On March 16, 1968, a bloodied unit of the Americal Division stormed into a hamlet known as My Lai 4. With military helicopters circling overhead, revenge-seeking American soldiers rousted Vietnamese civilians -- mostly old men, women and children -- from their thatched huts and herded them into the village's irrigation ditches.
Read on.
December 2, 2009
On March 16, 1968, a bloodied unit of the Americal Division stormed into a hamlet known as My Lai 4. With military helicopters circling overhead, revenge-seeking American soldiers rousted Vietnamese civilians -- mostly old men, women and children -- from their thatched huts and herded them into the village's irrigation ditches.
Read on.
Obama with Blood on His Hands
By Nicolas J S Davies
December 2, 2009
December 2, 2009
President Barack Obama carefully avoided describing his decision to dispatch 30,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan as an "escalation," but that is what he announced.
Read on.Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Larry McGovern on Obama's Escalation
By Larry McGovern
December 1, 2009
In one brief year, President Barack Obama has left a trail of shattered dreams, culminating in his option for more war in Afghanistan.
Read on.
December 1, 2009
In one brief year, President Barack Obama has left a trail of shattered dreams, culminating in his option for more war in Afghanistan.
Read on.
Explaining the Drop in Iraqi War Dead
By Robert Parry
December 1, 2009
The Iraqi government has announced that the civilian death toll for November – 88 – was the lowest since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, marking a two-year decline in killings that has corresponded with a less aggressive American military strategy and a pullback of U.S. troops to bases on city outskirts.
Read on.
December 1, 2009
The Iraqi government has announced that the civilian death toll for November – 88 – was the lowest since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, marking a two-year decline in killings that has corresponded with a less aggressive American military strategy and a pullback of U.S. troops to bases on city outskirts.
Read on.
The President Acting as a Caesar
By David Swanson
December 1, 2009
During a televised football game on Sunday, an announcer welcomed the members of the U.S. military viewing the game in 177 nations around the world.
Read on.
December 1, 2009
During a televised football game on Sunday, an announcer welcomed the members of the U.S. military viewing the game in 177 nations around the world.
Read on.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Why an Expanded Afghan War?
By Lisa Pease
November 30, 2009
November 30, 2009
President Barack Obama appears set to approve a dramatic increase in troops in Afghanistan. The original goal of the U.S. effort there was to find and capture Osama bin Laden. Why is Washington not still seeking the man who allegedly masterminded the attack on American on Sept. 11, 2001?
Obama's Weak Report Card on the CIA
By Melvin A. Goodman
November 30, 2009
President Obama has had nearly a year to make necessary changes in the intelligence community and the Central Intelligence Agency.
Read on.
November 30, 2009
President Obama has had nearly a year to make necessary changes in the intelligence community and the Central Intelligence Agency.
Read on.
How War Hawks Caged Obama
By Robert Parry
November 30, 2009
Two of President Barack Obama’s most acclaimed Cabinet appointments – keeping Republican Defense Secretary Robert Gates and picking former Democratic rival Hillary Clinton to be Secretary of State – set the risky course that his administration is following toward a military escalation in Afghanistan.
Read on.
November 30, 2009
Two of President Barack Obama’s most acclaimed Cabinet appointments – keeping Republican Defense Secretary Robert Gates and picking former Democratic rival Hillary Clinton to be Secretary of State – set the risky course that his administration is following toward a military escalation in Afghanistan.
Read on.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Prepare for the Obama-GOP Alliance
By Jeff Cohen
November 25, 2009
With Obama pushing a huge troop escalation in Afghanistan, history may well repeat itself with a vengeance. And it’s not just the apt comparison to LBJ, who destroyed his presidency on the battlefields of Vietnam with an escalation that delivered power to Nixon and the GOP.
Read on.
November 25, 2009
With Obama pushing a huge troop escalation in Afghanistan, history may well repeat itself with a vengeance. And it’s not just the apt comparison to LBJ, who destroyed his presidency on the battlefields of Vietnam with an escalation that delivered power to Nixon and the GOP.
Read on.
How Bugliosi Met the Bush Censors
By David Swanson
November 25, 2009
One of the best features of a visit to Los Angeles is the opportunity to hang out with the guy who put Charles Manson in prison, the most successful criminal prosecutor we're ever likely to see, Vince Bugliosi (105 convictions in 106 felony jury trials, 21 convictions in 21 murder trials).
Read on.
November 25, 2009
One of the best features of a visit to Los Angeles is the opportunity to hang out with the guy who put Charles Manson in prison, the most successful criminal prosecutor we're ever likely to see, Vince Bugliosi (105 convictions in 106 felony jury trials, 21 convictions in 21 murder trials).
Read on.
A Jane Goodall Thanksgiving
By Michael Winship
November 25, 2009
Give thanks. Because this isn't one of those Thanksgiving lists of things for which we should be grateful -- although health, family, friends, laughter, etc., would certainly all be on mine.
Read on.
November 25, 2009
Give thanks. Because this isn't one of those Thanksgiving lists of things for which we should be grateful -- although health, family, friends, laughter, etc., would certainly all be on mine.
Read on.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Obama's Profile in Courage Moment
By Ray McGovern
November 24, 2009
November 24, 2009
“It took a lot of courage on Kennedy’s part to defy the Pentagon, defy the military — and do the right thing,” said Col. Larry Wilkerson, USA (ret.), according to Robert Dreyfuss in his recent Rolling Stone article “The Generals’ Revolt.”
Read on.KSM Trial Helps Restore US Principles
By Ivan Eland
November 24, 2009
The Obama administration’s decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-described mastermind behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and four alleged co-conspirators in civilian court is a laudable return to the rule of law from the Bush administration’s kangaroo military commissions, which convened offshore in Guantanamo to avoid giving defendants full legal rights under domestic or international law.
Read on.
November 24, 2009
The Obama administration’s decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-described mastermind behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and four alleged co-conspirators in civilian court is a laudable return to the rule of law from the Bush administration’s kangaroo military commissions, which convened offshore in Guantanamo to avoid giving defendants full legal rights under domestic or international law.
Read on.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Why Afghans Dig Empire Graveyards
By Nicolas J S Davies
November 23, 2009
Afghanistan is known as the "graveyard of empires." But just why do empires keep sending thousands of their young people to die in Afghanistan?
Read on.
November 23, 2009
Afghanistan is known as the "graveyard of empires." But just why do empires keep sending thousands of their young people to die in Afghanistan?
Read on.
California Tuition Hikes Spark Protests
By Peter Phillips
November 23, 2009
Police are arresting and attacking student protesters on University of California (UC) campuses again.
Read on.
November 23, 2009
Police are arresting and attacking student protesters on University of California (UC) campuses again.
Read on.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
The Madness Returns
By Robert Parry
November 22, 2009
The hoopla over former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s memoir is the latest sign that the madness, which has dominated American political life for most of the last three decades, has returned – and may be on its way to a political restoration in 2010 and beyond.
Read on.
November 22, 2009
The hoopla over former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s memoir is the latest sign that the madness, which has dominated American political life for most of the last three decades, has returned – and may be on its way to a political restoration in 2010 and beyond.
Read on.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
New Yorkers Resist 9/11 Scare Tactics
By Michael Winship
November 21, 2009
If you want to royally tick off New Yorkers, try telling us what to do.
Read on.
November 21, 2009
If you want to royally tick off New Yorkers, try telling us what to do.
Read on.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Should Obama Fire Gen. McChrystal?
By Ray McGovern
November 20, 2009
It is not too late for President Barack Obama to follow the example of Harry Truman, who fired the famous Gen. Douglas MacArthur in 1951 for insubordination. Then, as now, the stakes were high. Then it was Korea; now it is Afghanistan.
Read on.
November 20, 2009
It is not too late for President Barack Obama to follow the example of Harry Truman, who fired the famous Gen. Douglas MacArthur in 1951 for insubordination. Then, as now, the stakes were high. Then it was Korea; now it is Afghanistan.
Read on.
The Vision of 'The Blind Side'
By Lisa Pease
November 20, 2009
“The Blind Side” is an amazing true-life story of the rich, white, Republican Tuohy family in Tennessee that adopted a homeless African-American kid named Michael Oher and made him a beloved member of their a family. Oher went on to become a professional football player.
Read on.
November 20, 2009
“The Blind Side” is an amazing true-life story of the rich, white, Republican Tuohy family in Tennessee that adopted a homeless African-American kid named Michael Oher and made him a beloved member of their a family. Oher went on to become a professional football player.
Read on.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Learning All the Wrong Vietnam Lessons
By Douglas Valentine
November 19, 2009
Evan Thomas and John Barry begin their Newsweek article, “The Surprising Lessons of Vietnam,” in a promising way, recounting a recent anecdote in which Afghan War commander Stanley McChrystal gets on the phone with author Stanley Karnow, whose book Vietnam is described as “the standard popular account of the Vietnam War.”
November 19, 2009
Evan Thomas and John Barry begin their Newsweek article, “The Surprising Lessons of Vietnam,” in a promising way, recounting a recent anecdote in which Afghan War commander Stanley McChrystal gets on the phone with author Stanley Karnow, whose book Vietnam is described as “the standard popular account of the Vietnam War.”
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
A Three-Step Afghan Strategy
By Bruce P. Cameron
November 18, 2009
November 18, 2009
No Afghan policy based on securing enemy territory and developing state institutions and a non-narcotics-based economy can be successful in all of Afghanistan without at least 250,000 – and probably 500,000 – soldiers.
KSM and the MSM
By David Swanson
November 18, 209
Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and the corporate "mainstream" media make quite a pair.
Read on.
November 18, 209
Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and the corporate "mainstream" media make quite a pair.
Read on.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Afghan Lessons from the Iraq War
By Ray McGovern
November 17, 2009
You don’t have to go back 40 years to the Vietnam War to feel the sting of déjà vu. Returning to the Iraq War just three years ago will suffice.
Read on.
November 17, 2009
You don’t have to go back 40 years to the Vietnam War to feel the sting of déjà vu. Returning to the Iraq War just three years ago will suffice.
Read on.
War and Remembrance in London
By Michael Winship
November 17, 2009
In Great Britain, Remembrance Sunday falls on the second Sunday of November, the one closest to November 11th, the anniversary of the end of the First World War in 1918. Once, the world called November 11th Armistice Day. Now, in the United States at least, it is Veterans Day.
Read on.
November 17, 2009
In Great Britain, Remembrance Sunday falls on the second Sunday of November, the one closest to November 11th, the anniversary of the end of the First World War in 1918. Once, the world called November 11th Armistice Day. Now, in the United States at least, it is Veterans Day.
Read on.
The Ugly Truth about Jobs
By Robert Parry
November 17, 2009
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke has given Americans a glimpse of the ugly truth about their future job prospects. Simply put, companies have found that they can shed workers and rely on technological advances and overseas factories to operate with a lot fewer U.S. employees.
Read on.
November 17, 2009
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke has given Americans a glimpse of the ugly truth about their future job prospects. Simply put, companies have found that they can shed workers and rely on technological advances and overseas factories to operate with a lot fewer U.S. employees.
Read on.
History's Bitter Guerrilla War Lessons
By Ivan Eland
November 17, 2009
November 17, 2009
In recent history, very few counterinsurgency wars have ended in success.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Will the Gun Carnage Ever Stop?
By Sherwood Ross
November 16, 2009
Every time the young stick-up man tugged at my companion’s purse with his left hand, she would pull back, causing the muzzle of the pistol he held in his right hand to swing back and forth.
Read on.
November 16, 2009
Every time the young stick-up man tugged at my companion’s purse with his left hand, she would pull back, causing the muzzle of the pistol he held in his right hand to swing back and forth.
Read on.
Facts Behind 'Men Who Stare at Goats'
By Lisa Pease
November 16, 2009
Can people really influence the physical world with thought alone? And if so, dare we use that power for evil, instead of good? Or will the effort come back to haunt us?
Read on.
November 16, 2009
Can people really influence the physical world with thought alone? And if so, dare we use that power for evil, instead of good? Or will the effort come back to haunt us?
Read on.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Shining Light on Roots of Terrorism
By Ray McGovern
November 15, 2009
Media commentary on the upcoming 9/11 trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has raised concern that state secrets may be divulged, including details about how the Bush administration used torture to extract evidence about al-Qaeda.
Read on.
November 15, 2009
Media commentary on the upcoming 9/11 trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has raised concern that state secrets may be divulged, including details about how the Bush administration used torture to extract evidence about al-Qaeda.
Read on.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
On Bended Knee to Bob Gates
By Melvin A. Goodman
November 14, 2009
Michael Crowley of the New Republic is the latest journalist to give absolution to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates for his long record of politicizing intelligence and undercutting conciliatory policy initiatives.
Read on.
November 14, 2009
Michael Crowley of the New Republic is the latest journalist to give absolution to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates for his long record of politicizing intelligence and undercutting conciliatory policy initiatives.
Read on.
Leaving Afghanistan to US 'Experts'
By David Swanson
November 14, 2009
The last time I was on Laura Flanders's GRIT TV I argued that the American public opposed the occupation of Afghanistan, but another guest -- some Washington, D.C., "progressive" -- argued that this had no relevance, since the American public didn't know anything about Afghanistan.
Read on.
November 14, 2009
The last time I was on Laura Flanders's GRIT TV I argued that the American public opposed the occupation of Afghanistan, but another guest -- some Washington, D.C., "progressive" -- argued that this had no relevance, since the American public didn't know anything about Afghanistan.
Read on.
Friday, November 13, 2009
The October Surprise Crystal Balls
By Robert Parry
November 13, 2009
In fall 1980, as President Jimmy Carter struggled to free 52 American hostages in Iran and as American voters focused on a crossroads election, key supporters of Republican candidate Ronald Reagan were confident not only of Reagan’s victory but that the hostages wouldn’t be released until after Reagan was sworn in.
Read on.
November 13, 2009
In fall 1980, as President Jimmy Carter struggled to free 52 American hostages in Iran and as American voters focused on a crossroads election, key supporters of Republican candidate Ronald Reagan were confident not only of Reagan’s victory but that the hostages wouldn’t be released until after Reagan was sworn in.
Read on.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
The Real Thanksgiving Day
By William Loren Katz
November 12, 2009
Thanksgiving Day remains a most treasured holiday in the United States. Work comes to a halt, families gather, eat turkey, and count their blessings. A presidential proclamation blesses the day.
Read on.
November 12, 2009
Thanksgiving Day remains a most treasured holiday in the United States. Work comes to a halt, families gather, eat turkey, and count their blessings. A presidential proclamation blesses the day.
Read on.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Another Option for the Public Option
By Robert Parry
November 12, 2009
Since the Democrats have already agreed to water down the health-insurance public option and to set its implementation date as 2013, there might be nothing to lose – and possibly a Republican vote or two to gain – if Democrats agreed to a trigger giving insurance companies the next three years to prove they can hold down costs and meet consumer needs.
Read on.
November 12, 2009
Since the Democrats have already agreed to water down the health-insurance public option and to set its implementation date as 2013, there might be nothing to lose – and possibly a Republican vote or two to gain – if Democrats agreed to a trigger giving insurance companies the next three years to prove they can hold down costs and meet consumer needs.
Read on.
Why the Blase Attitude about Torture
By Ray McGovern
November 11, 2009
November 11, 2009
“We’re going to talk about the policy of torture,” the radio producer said when she called me five years ago. “And you’ll have ten minutes to defend your side.”
Read on.Rev. Moon's Troubled Generation Next
By Robert Parry
November 11, 2009
November 11, 2009
Editor’s Note: In a normal world, the question of who will succeed a crazed cult leader like the 90-year-old Rev. Sun Myung Moon would not be an issue of much public importance. But – incredibly – Moon’s money-laundering empire was allowed to become a major funding source for America’s powerful right-wing media and key Republicans.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
America's Debt to Italian Justice
By David Swanson
November 10, 2009
The United States of America owes much of the hope it has right now of remaining what John Adams called "a nation of laws, not men" to Italian law enforcement.
Read on.
November 10, 2009
The United States of America owes much of the hope it has right now of remaining what John Adams called "a nation of laws, not men" to Italian law enforcement.
Read on.
Why Lieberman Blocks a Public Option
By Robert Parry
November 10, 2009
With the health-reform bill’s “public option” truly reduced to the “sliver” that President Barack Obama once called it – and indeed having become a feature that mostly benefits the insurance industry – the next question must be: why is it still being opposed by industry defenders like Sen. Joe Lieberman?
Read on.
November 10, 2009
With the health-reform bill’s “public option” truly reduced to the “sliver” that President Barack Obama once called it – and indeed having become a feature that mostly benefits the insurance industry – the next question must be: why is it still being opposed by industry defenders like Sen. Joe Lieberman?
Read on.
Monday, November 09, 2009
US Punditry's Anti-Obama Lens
By Michael Winship
November 9, 2009
Last Sunday, we visited the ruins of ancient Delphi, two hours or so from the Greek capital of Athens, an extraordinary site at the base of Mount Parnassus overlooking the Pleistos Valley, almost half a mile below.
Read on.
November 9, 2009
Last Sunday, we visited the ruins of ancient Delphi, two hours or so from the Greek capital of Athens, an extraordinary site at the base of Mount Parnassus overlooking the Pleistos Valley, almost half a mile below.
Read on.
Blaming the 'Dithering' Obama
By Robert Parry
November 9, 2009
Despite House passage of the health-care overhaul bill on Saturday night, the word “dithering” is getting attached to President Barack Obama, much as “hubris” was tagged to George W. Bush and “undisciplined” applied to Bill Clinton.
Read on.
November 9, 2009
Despite House passage of the health-care overhaul bill on Saturday night, the word “dithering” is getting attached to President Barack Obama, much as “hubris” was tagged to George W. Bush and “undisciplined” applied to Bill Clinton.
Read on.
Sunday, November 08, 2009
Lost Commandment: Help Strangers
By the Rev. Howard Bess
November 8, 2009
I never cease to be amazed at the teachings of the Bible that are completely ignored. Typically preachers find preaching hobby-horses to ride and meticulously avoid some of the most important and difficult teachings of the Old and New Testaments.
Read on.
November 8, 2009
I never cease to be amazed at the teachings of the Bible that are completely ignored. Typically preachers find preaching hobby-horses to ride and meticulously avoid some of the most important and difficult teachings of the Old and New Testaments.
Read on.
Saturday, November 07, 2009
The American War on Pot Rolls On
By Sherwood Ross
November 7, 2009
Seven million Americans have been arrested since 1995 on marijuana charges and 41,000 of them are rotting in federal and state prisons. Thousands of other pot users and sellers are confined in local jails. But the public is starting to rebel against “the preposterous war on pot,” two political scientists say.
Read on.
November 7, 2009
Seven million Americans have been arrested since 1995 on marijuana charges and 41,000 of them are rotting in federal and state prisons. Thousands of other pot users and sellers are confined in local jails. But the public is starting to rebel against “the preposterous war on pot,” two political scientists say.
Read on.
Friday, November 06, 2009
The Crazy October Surprise Debunking
By Robert Parry
November 6, 2009
Patently absurd reasoning in someone’s argument can often tell you about the strength of the underlying facts. If an argument is deceptive on its face, you might suspect the supporting facts are pretty fragile, too.
Read on.
November 6, 2009
Patently absurd reasoning in someone’s argument can often tell you about the strength of the underlying facts. If an argument is deceptive on its face, you might suspect the supporting facts are pretty fragile, too.
Read on.
Obama Fails to Reset Foreign Policy
By Melvin A. Goodman
November 6, 2009
November 6, 2009
President Barack Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush, will go down in history as one of America's worst presidents, squandering diplomatic, international and economic assets that were bequeathed to him.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
A 'Middle Way' on Afghanistan
By Bruce P. Cameron
November 5, 2009
U.S. policymakers may be contemplating some middle way on Afghanistan, but I haven’t seen it yet, at least not from the words and signals coming from President Barack Obama’s administration.
Read on.
November 5, 2009
U.S. policymakers may be contemplating some middle way on Afghanistan, but I haven’t seen it yet, at least not from the words and signals coming from President Barack Obama’s administration.
Read on.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Finding Vietnam War Positives
By William Blum
November 4, 2009
Not the crazy, hateful right wing, not racist or disrupting public meetings, not demanding birth certificates ... but the respectable right, holding high positions in academia and in every administration, Republican or Democrat, members of the highly esteemed Council on Foreign Relations.
Read on.
November 4, 2009
Not the crazy, hateful right wing, not racist or disrupting public meetings, not demanding birth certificates ... but the respectable right, holding high positions in academia and in every administration, Republican or Democrat, members of the highly esteemed Council on Foreign Relations.
Read on.
How Two Elections Changed America
By Robert Parry
November 4, 2009
Two clandestine operations during hard-fought presidential elections of the past half century shaped the modern American political era, but they remain little known to the general public and mostly ignored by historians. One unfolded in the weeks before Election 1968 and the other over a full year before Election 1980.
Read on.
November 4, 2009
Two clandestine operations during hard-fought presidential elections of the past half century shaped the modern American political era, but they remain little known to the general public and mostly ignored by historians. One unfolded in the weeks before Election 1968 and the other over a full year before Election 1980.
Read on.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Will a 'Surge' Work in Afghanistan
By Ivan Eland
November 3, 2009
Although President Barack Obama has more empathy for the opinions of the Islamic world than his predecessor and seems to vaguely understand that those opinions do affect U.S. security, he doesn’t seem to understand specifically that U.S. meddling in and occupation of Muslim countries inflames Islamic radicals and is the main cause of blowback anti-U.S. Islamist terrorism.
Read on.
November 3, 2009
Although President Barack Obama has more empathy for the opinions of the Islamic world than his predecessor and seems to vaguely understand that those opinions do affect U.S. security, he doesn’t seem to understand specifically that U.S. meddling in and occupation of Muslim countries inflames Islamic radicals and is the main cause of blowback anti-U.S. Islamist terrorism.
Read on.
Heeding George Kennan's Sage Advice
By Ray McGovern
November 3, 2009
I can’t remember how many times I have said that the U.S. military adventure in Afghanistan is a fool’s errand.
Read on.
November 3, 2009
I can’t remember how many times I have said that the U.S. military adventure in Afghanistan is a fool’s errand.
Read on.
Monday, November 02, 2009
Chomsky Doubts Change from Obama
By Mamoon Alabbasi
November 3, 2009
November 3, 2009
As civilized people across the world breathed a sigh of relief to see the back of former U.S. President George W. Bush, top American intellectual Noam Chomsky warned against assuming or expecting significant changes in the basis of Washington's foreign policy under President Barack Obama.
Pentagon's Gates Plays Ugly American
By Melvin A. Goodman
November 2, 2009
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates played the "ugly American" in Tokyo, cast in a quasi-diplomatic role he should not be given. This performance speaks to the need for a demilitarized national security policy.
Read on.
November 2, 2009
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates played the "ugly American" in Tokyo, cast in a quasi-diplomatic role he should not be given. This performance speaks to the need for a demilitarized national security policy.
Read on.
The Incredible Shrinking Public Option
By Robert Parry
November 2, 2009
When the U.S. health care debate began last spring, the insurance industry and its congressional defenders fretted over the prospect that 119 million Americans might defect from private insurance to a public option, thus devastating the business model of wealthy insurance companies.
Read on.
November 2, 2009
When the U.S. health care debate began last spring, the insurance industry and its congressional defenders fretted over the prospect that 119 million Americans might defect from private insurance to a public option, thus devastating the business model of wealthy insurance companies.
Read on.
Don't Miss Michael Jackson's 'This is It'
By Lisa Pease
November 2, 2009
Go see “This is It” while you can, even if -- perhaps especially if -- you are not a Michael Jackson fan. Seeing him for yourself allows you to get to know the man, not the media image of him, which is pretty far from the more talented reality.
Read on.
November 2, 2009
Go see “This is It” while you can, even if -- perhaps especially if -- you are not a Michael Jackson fan. Seeing him for yourself allows you to get to know the man, not the media image of him, which is pretty far from the more talented reality.
Read on.
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Cheney and the Plame-gate Cover-up
By Robert Parry
November 2, 2009
If Dick Cheney is to be believed, he wasn’t very upset that former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson criticized the Bush administration for having “twisted” intelligence to support its false pre-war claim that Iraq’s Saddam Hussein was seeking uranium from Africa.
Read on.
November 2, 2009
If Dick Cheney is to be believed, he wasn’t very upset that former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson criticized the Bush administration for having “twisted” intelligence to support its false pre-war claim that Iraq’s Saddam Hussein was seeking uranium from Africa.
Read on.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Today's Lessons of Daniel Ellsberg
By David Swanson
October 30, 2009
October 30, 2009
On Thursday night, I had the privilege of viewing a premiere of a film together with its star. The theater was in the U.S. Capitol, and the film was "The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers."
Kipling Haunts Obama's Afghan War
By Ray McGovern
October 30, 2009
The White Man’s Burden, a phrase immortalized by English poet Rudyard Kipling as an excuse for European-American imperialism, was front and center Thursday morning at a RAND-sponsored discussion of Afghanistan in the Russell Senate Office Building.
Read on.
October 30, 2009
The White Man’s Burden, a phrase immortalized by English poet Rudyard Kipling as an excuse for European-American imperialism, was front and center Thursday morning at a RAND-sponsored discussion of Afghanistan in the Russell Senate Office Building.
Read on.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Al-Qaeda Outwitted Bush, Neocons
By Robert Parry
October 29, 2009
October 29, 2009
As security worsens in Afghanistan and Pakistan, it is clear that al-Qaeda and its Taliban allies outwitted President George W. Bush and his neoconservative advisers by tying down U.S. forces in Iraq for five years while the Islamic militants rebuilt their forces for the war on their “central front.”
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Letting States Opt-in for Single-Payer
By David Swanson
October 28, 2009
October 28, 2009
The absence of a civilized healthcare system in the United States, almost alone among wealthy nations, results in tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths every year.
Inside Bush's Motivational Speech
WPost Misleads on Afghan History
By Melvin A. Goodman
October 28, 2009
The Washington Post is creating its own facts in order to support its argument for U.S. nation-building in Afghanistan.
Read on.
October 28, 2009
The Washington Post is creating its own facts in order to support its argument for U.S. nation-building in Afghanistan.
Read on.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Afghanistan Tests Obama's 'Patriotism'
By Ivan Eland
October 27, 2009
A recent article in the New York Times reported that the military has become frustrated with President Barack Obama because he hasn’t quickly decided to risk more of their lives in an Afghan war that is likely to be unwinnable.
Read on.
October 27, 2009
A recent article in the New York Times reported that the military has become frustrated with President Barack Obama because he hasn’t quickly decided to risk more of their lives in an Afghan war that is likely to be unwinnable.
Read on.
On Public Option, MSM Got It Wrong
By Robert Parry
October 27, 2009
The American mainstream media is in another snit, having misjudged the prospects for the public option on health care almost as completely as big-time journalists bungled the reporting on the Iraq War and a host of other important stories during George W. Bush’s presidency.
Read on.
October 27, 2009
The American mainstream media is in another snit, having misjudged the prospects for the public option on health care almost as completely as big-time journalists bungled the reporting on the Iraq War and a host of other important stories during George W. Bush’s presidency.
Read on.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
How a Torture Protest Killed a Career
By Craig Murray
October 24, 2009
I was just having dinner in a restaurant that was only a block from the White House. It must have been a good dinner because it cost me $120. Actually it was a good dinner. …
Read on.
October 24, 2009
I was just having dinner in a restaurant that was only a block from the White House. It must have been a good dinner because it cost me $120. Actually it was a good dinner. …
Read on.
Texas, Eyes of Justice Are Upon You
By Bill Moyers and Michael Winship
October 24, 2009
On Oct. 13, we lost a resolute champion of the law, a man who left his impact on the lives of untold numbers of Americans.
Read on.
October 24, 2009
On Oct. 13, we lost a resolute champion of the law, a man who left his impact on the lives of untold numbers of Americans.
Read on.
Friday, October 23, 2009
The High Price of Abu Ghraib Truth
By Sam Provance
October 23, 2009
I wish I could share with you a “success” story as a result of my being a “whistle-blower,” but the reality of things simply do not presently allow it.
Read on.
October 23, 2009
I wish I could share with you a “success” story as a result of my being a “whistle-blower,” but the reality of things simply do not presently allow it.
Read on.
Obama v. Military-Industrial Complex
By Melvin A. Goodman
October 23, 2009
The national security policy inherited by President Barack Obama has been increasingly militarized over the past two decades despite the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the demise of the Warsaw Pact, the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the cold war.
Read on.
October 23, 2009
The national security policy inherited by President Barack Obama has been increasingly militarized over the past two decades despite the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the demise of the Warsaw Pact, the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the cold war.
Read on.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
US Health Insurers Up the Ante
By Robert Parry
October 21, 2009
The chutzpah shown by the U.S. health insurance industry in taking aim at the weakest reform bill in Congress – the one approved by the Senate Finance Committee – reflects the insurers’ sense that they have beaten back other proposals that might have represented significant threats.
Read on.
October 21, 2009
The chutzpah shown by the U.S. health insurance industry in taking aim at the weakest reform bill in Congress – the one approved by the Senate Finance Committee – reflects the insurers’ sense that they have beaten back other proposals that might have represented significant threats.
Read on.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Sorting Out the Facts of Afghanistan
By Ivan Eland
October 20, 2009
Washington’s corridors of power are abuzz with the complexities of the situation in Afghanistan. If only we send 40,000 more troops, say the military brass, the U.S. could have some hope of turning the situation around and preventing Afghanistan from becoming a haven for terrorists yet again.
Read on.
October 20, 2009
Washington’s corridors of power are abuzz with the complexities of the situation in Afghanistan. If only we send 40,000 more troops, say the military brass, the U.S. could have some hope of turning the situation around and preventing Afghanistan from becoming a haven for terrorists yet again.
Read on.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Wilkerson Get Intel Integrity Award
By Coleen Rowley
October 19, 2009
This year's award -- the 7th one given by the Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence -- could not be more timely with regard to the wars being waged in Afghanistan-Pakistan and will be presented to former Chief of Staff at the State Department, Col. Larry Wilkerson, USA (ret.) this Wednesday, Oct. 21, at American University in Washington DC.
Read on.
October 19, 2009
This year's award -- the 7th one given by the Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence -- could not be more timely with regard to the wars being waged in Afghanistan-Pakistan and will be presented to former Chief of Staff at the State Department, Col. Larry Wilkerson, USA (ret.) this Wednesday, Oct. 21, at American University in Washington DC.
Read on.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Riding Obama's Peace Prize on a Rail
By Michael Winship
October 17, 2009
Despite the graciousness of his speech at the White House, President Obama's acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize did have an air slightly reminiscent of Lincoln's story about the man who was tarred, feathered and ridden out of town on a rail -- if it wasn't for the honor of the thing he'd just as soon walk.
Read on.
October 17, 2009
Despite the graciousness of his speech at the White House, President Obama's acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize did have an air slightly reminiscent of Lincoln's story about the man who was tarred, feathered and ridden out of town on a rail -- if it wasn't for the honor of the thing he'd just as soon walk.
Read on.
Pakistan's Double Game
By Bruce P. Cameron
October 18, 2009
The core challenge to President Barack Obama’s Afghan War may not be the Taliban, nor even al-Qaeda, but rather Pakistan’s shadowy intelligence service, the ISI, with its dual loyalties when it comes to fighting Islamic extremists.
Read on.
October 18, 2009
The core challenge to President Barack Obama’s Afghan War may not be the Taliban, nor even al-Qaeda, but rather Pakistan’s shadowy intelligence service, the ISI, with its dual loyalties when it comes to fighting Islamic extremists.
Read on.
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