By the Rev. Howard Bess
February 15, 2010
Just as I cannot allow my soul to be without worship, neither can I allow the inquiries of my mind to be denied. I have concluded that my spiritual health needs large doses of midrash just as I need regular worship.
Read on.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
NYT Sees UN-Syria Conspiracy Theory
By Robert Parry
February 15, 2010
The New York Times simply refuses to deal with “enemy” Muslim states with any sense of objectivity or fairness, reaffirming its deep-seated bias again on Sunday with the publication of a one-sided article about the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on its fifth anniversary.
Read on.
February 15, 2010
The New York Times simply refuses to deal with “enemy” Muslim states with any sense of objectivity or fairness, reaffirming its deep-seated bias again on Sunday with the publication of a one-sided article about the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on its fifth anniversary.
Read on.
Cheney Exposes Torture Conspiracy
By Robert Parry
February 14, 2010
If the United States had a functioning criminal justice system for the powerful – not just for run-of-the-mill offenders – former Vice President Dick Cheney would have convicted himself and some of his Bush administration colleagues with his comments on ABC’s “This Week.”
Read on.
February 14, 2010
If the United States had a functioning criminal justice system for the powerful – not just for run-of-the-mill offenders – former Vice President Dick Cheney would have convicted himself and some of his Bush administration colleagues with his comments on ABC’s “This Week.”
Read on.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Joking About Climate Change
By Michael Winship
February 12, 2010
There's a vintage “Bob and Ray” radio sketch in which Bob plays "Mr. Science," a parody of TV's "Mr. Wizard." He's trying to explain to his young protégé Sandy "the miracle of gas refrigeration."
Read on.
February 12, 2010
There's a vintage “Bob and Ray” radio sketch in which Bob plays "Mr. Science," a parody of TV's "Mr. Wizard." He's trying to explain to his young protégé Sandy "the miracle of gas refrigeration."
Read on.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Terror 'Death Lists' Target Americans
By Sherwood Ross
February 11, 2010
Raising troubling comparisons to tactics employed by Josef Stalin and right-wing Latin American dictatorships, the U.S. government has created a “hit list” of Americans abroad marked for murder.
Read on.
February 11, 2010
Raising troubling comparisons to tactics employed by Josef Stalin and right-wing Latin American dictatorships, the U.S. government has created a “hit list” of Americans abroad marked for murder.
Read on.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Why Afghanistan Really Fell Apart
By Bruce P. Cameron
February 10, 2010 (Originally published September 30, 2009)
Much of the U.S. conventional wisdom about how the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989 led to the rise of the Taliban and the creation of al-Qaeda safe havens before Sept. 11, 2001, comes from the popular movie, “Charlie Wilson’s War.” But that represents a dangerous misperception.
Read on.
February 10, 2010 (Originally published September 30, 2009)
Much of the U.S. conventional wisdom about how the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989 led to the rise of the Taliban and the creation of al-Qaeda safe havens before Sept. 11, 2001, comes from the popular movie, “Charlie Wilson’s War.” But that represents a dangerous misperception.
Read on.
Reagan's Bargain/Charlie Wilson's War
By Peter W. Dickson
February 10, 2010 (Originally published January 6, 2008)
What’s left out of a movie about history often interests only a few experts in the field. However, the release of one that chronicles the successful sub rosa American effort to bleed the Soviet Army in Afghanistan in the 1980s may prove to be an exception.
Read on.
February 10, 2010 (Originally published January 6, 2008)
What’s left out of a movie about history often interests only a few experts in the field. However, the release of one that chronicles the successful sub rosa American effort to bleed the Soviet Army in Afghanistan in the 1980s may prove to be an exception.
Read on.
US Ignores UK's Iraq War Evidence
By David Swanson
February 10, 2010
February 10, 2010
Peter Dyer sums up well the sort of conclusions we can draw from the ongoing Chilcot Inquiry into Britain's role as sidekick launcher of aggressive war on Iraq:
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Brits, Dutch Confront Illegal Iraq War
By Peter Dyer
February 9, 2010
On March 18, 2003, on the eve of the invasion of Iraq, Elizabeth Wilmshurst resigned as Deputy Legal Adviser to the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the British equivalent of the U.S. State Department.
Read on.
February 9, 2010
On March 18, 2003, on the eve of the invasion of Iraq, Elizabeth Wilmshurst resigned as Deputy Legal Adviser to the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the British equivalent of the U.S. State Department.
Read on.
Palin, Psy-Ops & 'Condescending" Libs
By Robert Parry
February 8, 2010
In the 1980s, while a reporter for the Associated Press, I had the opportunity to chat over the phone with legendary CIA psy-war specialist Edward Lansdale. A mutual friend had set up the contact, which I hoped might lead to a more formal interview.
Read on.
February 8, 2010
In the 1980s, while a reporter for the Associated Press, I had the opportunity to chat over the phone with legendary CIA psy-war specialist Edward Lansdale. A mutual friend had set up the contact, which I hoped might lead to a more formal interview.
Read on.
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Shunning Howard Zinn's History
By William Blum
February 7, 2010
Progressive activists and writers continually bemoan the fact that the news they generate and the opinions they express are consistently ignored by the mainstream media, and thus kept from the masses of the American people.
Read on.
February 7, 2010
Progressive activists and writers continually bemoan the fact that the news they generate and the opinions they express are consistently ignored by the mainstream media, and thus kept from the masses of the American people.
Read on.
Friday, February 05, 2010
Lobbyists Ply GOP, Dem 'Retreats'
By Michael Winship
February 5, 2010
George Washington's birthday is approaching and with it will come the attendant mythology, hatchet and cherry tree, wooden teeth, throwing a silver dollar across the Potomac River - or the Rappahannock.
Read on.
February 5, 2010
George Washington's birthday is approaching and with it will come the attendant mythology, hatchet and cherry tree, wooden teeth, throwing a silver dollar across the Potomac River - or the Rappahannock.
Read on.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
An Edgy 'Edge of Darkness'
By Lisa Pease
February 4, 2010
While it’s certainly not going to win any awards, I recommend seeing “Edge of Darkness,” starring Mel Gibson, in his first onscreen role in many years.
Read on.
February 4, 2010
While it’s certainly not going to win any awards, I recommend seeing “Edge of Darkness,” starring Mel Gibson, in his first onscreen role in many years.
Read on.
Why Obama Dodges CIA Reform
By Melvin A. Goodman
February 4, 2010
New presidents (and President Barack Obama is no exception) fall in love with three Washington institutions: the Pentagon, the Central Intelligence Agency and Camp David.
Read on.
February 4, 2010
New presidents (and President Barack Obama is no exception) fall in love with three Washington institutions: the Pentagon, the Central Intelligence Agency and Camp David.
Read on.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
The Right Gets Itself 'Wired'
By Robert Parry
February 3, 2010
In past years when I talked to American progressives about the growing media imbalance – as the Right gained dominance in books, magazines, newspapers, talk radio and cable TV – a typical response was, “well, the Left is stronger on the Internet.” But now even that advantage is disappearing, as should have been expected.
Read on.
February 3, 2010
In past years when I talked to American progressives about the growing media imbalance – as the Right gained dominance in books, magazines, newspapers, talk radio and cable TV – a typical response was, “well, the Left is stronger on the Internet.” But now even that advantage is disappearing, as should have been expected.
Read on.
Obama's Budget Ducks Pentagon Cuts
By Ivan Eland
February 2, 2010
February 2, 2010
The results of the special election for the Massachusetts Senate seat once held by Ted Kennedy reverberated like a “shot heard ’round the world” — or at least one heard ’round Washington.
Monday, February 01, 2010
Answering Obama on Health Care
By Kevin Zeese
February 1, 2010
Last Friday – when President Barack Obama vanquished the entire Republican Caucus in question time in Baltimore – he said:
Read on.
February 1, 2010
Last Friday – when President Barack Obama vanquished the entire Republican Caucus in question time in Baltimore – he said:
Read on.
Vietnam Replay on Afghan 'Defectors'
By Douglas Valentine
February 1, 2010
After waging an eight-year “dirty war” against the Taliban, the U.S. government is acknowledging that the “insurgent” enemy is part of the “fabric” of Afghan society and is encouraging low- and mid-level Taliban defectors to switch sides.
Read on.
February 1, 2010
After waging an eight-year “dirty war” against the Taliban, the U.S. government is acknowledging that the “insurgent” enemy is part of the “fabric” of Afghan society and is encouraging low- and mid-level Taliban defectors to switch sides.
Read on.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
America's Sad History with Haiti, Part 2
By Lisa Pease
February 1, 2010
The Haitians have a saying in their native créole language: Piti, piti, wazo fe nich li. “Little by little, the bird builds its nest.”
Read on.
February 1, 2010
The Haitians have a saying in their native créole language: Piti, piti, wazo fe nich li. “Little by little, the bird builds its nest.”
Read on.
Accountability Again Put on Hold
By David Swanson
January 31, 2010
No one disputes that Jay Bybee's name is at the bottom of memos that were, and to some extent still are, treated as laws which legalized aggressive war at the pleasure of a President and a variety of acts of torture.
Read on.
January 31, 2010
No one disputes that Jay Bybee's name is at the bottom of memos that were, and to some extent still are, treated as laws which legalized aggressive war at the pleasure of a President and a variety of acts of torture.
Read on.
Yoo, Bybee Get Pass on Torture Memo
By Jason Leopold
January 31, 2010
January 31, 2010
A long-awaited Justice Department watchdog report has backed off an earlier recommendation that two former senior officials – John Yoo and Jay Bybee – face disciplinary action for providing George W. Bush’s White House with legal advice that opened the door to torturing “war on terror” detainees, according to published reports.
Howard Zinn and Other Heroes
By William Loren Katz
January 31, 2010
In less than a year the battle for truth has lost three of its most innovative and stalwart voices, historians John Hope Franklin, Ivan Van Sertima and Howard Zinn.
Read on.
January 31, 2010
In less than a year the battle for truth has lost three of its most innovative and stalwart voices, historians John Hope Franklin, Ivan Van Sertima and Howard Zinn.
Read on.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
America's Sorry History with Haiti
By Lisa Pease
January 30, 2010
With all the talk of America taking charge of Haiti for a while, it would be prudent for us to take a step back and review the history of our various interventions in Haiti, and the outcomes of those efforts.
Read on.
January 30, 2010
With all the talk of America taking charge of Haiti for a while, it would be prudent for us to take a step back and review the history of our various interventions in Haiti, and the outcomes of those efforts.
Read on.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Remembering Howard Zinn
By Daniel Ellsberg
January 29, 2010
On Wednesday morning, before I learned that my friend Howard Zinn had died, I was being interviewed by the Boston Phoenix, in connection with the February release of a documentary in which he is featured prominently.
Read on.
January 29, 2010
On Wednesday morning, before I learned that my friend Howard Zinn had died, I was being interviewed by the Boston Phoenix, in connection with the February release of a documentary in which he is featured prominently.
Read on.
Howard Zinn's 'War on Terror' Critique
By Sherwood Ross
January 29, 2010
The “largest lie,” wrote historian Howard Zinn who died Wednesday at age 87, is that “everything the United States does is to be pardoned because we are engaged in a ‘war on terrorism.’”
Read on.
January 29, 2010
The “largest lie,” wrote historian Howard Zinn who died Wednesday at age 87, is that “everything the United States does is to be pardoned because we are engaged in a ‘war on terrorism.’”
Read on.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
What's Wrong with US Intell Agencies
By Melvin A. Goodman
January 28, 2010
It is time for serious soul-searching regarding the role of the CIA and the intelligence community. Last month's operational and intelligence failures led to the deaths of seven CIA officers in Afghanistan and might have resulted in nearly 300 deaths on a Northwest Airlines plane headed for Detroit.
Read on.
January 28, 2010
It is time for serious soul-searching regarding the role of the CIA and the intelligence community. Last month's operational and intelligence failures led to the deaths of seven CIA officers in Afghanistan and might have resulted in nearly 300 deaths on a Northwest Airlines plane headed for Detroit.
Read on.
Obama Ignores Key Afghan Warning
By Ray McGovern
January 27, 2010
Nothing highlights President Barack Obama’s abject surrender to Gen. David Petraeus on the “way forward” in Afghanistan more than two cables U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry sent to Washington on Nov. 6 and 9, 2009, the texts of which were released by the New York Times.
Read on.
January 27, 2010
Nothing highlights President Barack Obama’s abject surrender to Gen. David Petraeus on the “way forward” in Afghanistan more than two cables U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry sent to Washington on Nov. 6 and 9, 2009, the texts of which were released by the New York Times.
Read on.
A Hockey Mom for Truth
By Lynne Gillooly
January 27, 2010
As a concerned citizen, mother of four, small-business owner and a hockey mom (with no lipstick), I have studied politics and specifically talk radio for 12 years. It started when the Right impeached President Clinton.
Read on.
January 27, 2010
As a concerned citizen, mother of four, small-business owner and a hockey mom (with no lipstick), I have studied politics and specifically talk radio for 12 years. It started when the Right impeached President Clinton.
Read on.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
The Supreme Court's Partisanship
By Robert Parry
January 27, 2010
The U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling that lets corporations spend all they want to punish political enemies and reward political friends is a reminder that the panel’s Republican majority has become one more potent weapon in the Right’s already intimidating arsenal.
Read on.
January 27, 2010
The U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling that lets corporations spend all they want to punish political enemies and reward political friends is a reminder that the panel’s Republican majority has become one more potent weapon in the Right’s already intimidating arsenal.
Read on.
Bush Silences a Dangerous Witness
By Robert Parry
January 26, 2010 (Originally published December 30, 2006)
The hanging of Saddam Hussein was supposed to be – as the New York Times observed – the “triumphal bookend” to George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq. If all had gone as planned, Bush might have staged another celebration as he did after the end of “major combat,” posing under the “Mission Accomplished” banner on May 1, 2003.
Read on.
January 26, 2010 (Originally published December 30, 2006)
The hanging of Saddam Hussein was supposed to be – as the New York Times observed – the “triumphal bookend” to George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq. If all had gone as planned, Bush might have staged another celebration as he did after the end of “major combat,” posing under the “Mission Accomplished” banner on May 1, 2003.
Read on.
Shiite Power Play Threatens Iraq Quiet
By Ivan Eland
January 26, 2010
Since taking office, Barack Obama has had to deal with an economy in free-fall, a political crisis over health-care “reform,” and a rising Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan. So far, Iraq has been quiet enough that many in the media and public have redirected their attention to the wars du jour of Afghanistan, Yemen, and Somalia.
Read on.
January 26, 2010
Since taking office, Barack Obama has had to deal with an economy in free-fall, a political crisis over health-care “reform,” and a rising Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan. So far, Iraq has been quiet enough that many in the media and public have redirected their attention to the wars du jour of Afghanistan, Yemen, and Somalia.
Read on.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
First, Fire All the Financial Failures
By Mark Ames
January 24, 2010
If President Obama wants to really understand why he got his ass handed to him in the Massachusetts Senate race — a defeat as shocking and strange as if Joe Lieberman was elected president of Iran — he might want to read one of the thousands of economic horror stories happening around the country every day, stories that have put most Americans in a very foul, desperate mood.
Read on.
January 24, 2010
If President Obama wants to really understand why he got his ass handed to him in the Massachusetts Senate race — a defeat as shocking and strange as if Joe Lieberman was elected president of Iran — he might want to read one of the thousands of economic horror stories happening around the country every day, stories that have put most Americans in a very foul, desperate mood.
Read on.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
US Democracy's End of the Road
By Robert Parry
January 23, 2010
This past week had the feel of “game, set, match,” the end to a long string of miscalculations by the American Left and a crowning victory for the cynical American Right – a triple whammy of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling to unleash corporate campaign spending, Air America’s dissolution, and the Massachusetts Senate election.
Read on.
January 23, 2010
This past week had the feel of “game, set, match,” the end to a long string of miscalculations by the American Left and a crowning victory for the cynical American Right – a triple whammy of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling to unleash corporate campaign spending, Air America’s dissolution, and the Massachusetts Senate election.
Read on.
Friday, January 22, 2010
What Should Progressives Do Now?
By Michael Winship
January 22, 2010
Tragic events continuing out of Haiti make all the bad news for progressives this week wither in comparison. Nonetheless, over these last few days, for liberals in particular, there has been no joy in Mudville - aka American politics.
Read on.
January 22, 2010
Tragic events continuing out of Haiti make all the bad news for progressives this week wither in comparison. Nonetheless, over these last few days, for liberals in particular, there has been no joy in Mudville - aka American politics.
Read on.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Massachusetts' Message of Stupid
By Robert Parry
January 21, 2010
Having grown up in Massachusetts, I never bought into the idea that the state was that much more liberal than most others. The dominant media there is not the center-left Boston Globe but the right and far-right talk radio shows that pervade the Bay State as they do the rest of the country.
Read on.
January 21, 2010
Having grown up in Massachusetts, I never bought into the idea that the state was that much more liberal than most others. The dominant media there is not the center-left Boston Globe but the right and far-right talk radio shows that pervade the Bay State as they do the rest of the country.
Read on.
Hiding War Horrors from Americans
By Sherwood Associates
January 21, 2010
U.S. television networks have given the public a sanitized, largely bloodless view of the war in Iraq, an academic authority on communications writes.
Read on.
January 21, 2010
U.S. television networks have given the public a sanitized, largely bloodless view of the war in Iraq, an academic authority on communications writes.
Read on.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
George W. Bush's Sci-Fi Disaster
By Robert Parry
January 20, 2010 (Originally published January 24, 2009)
In retrospect, George W. Bush’s presidency could be viewed as a science-fiction disaster movie in which an alien force seizes illegitimate control of a nation, saps its wealth, wreaks devastation, but is finally dislodged and forced to depart amid human hope for a rebirth.
Read on.
January 20, 2010 (Originally published January 24, 2009)
In retrospect, George W. Bush’s presidency could be viewed as a science-fiction disaster movie in which an alien force seizes illegitimate control of a nation, saps its wealth, wreaks devastation, but is finally dislodged and forced to depart amid human hope for a rebirth.
Read on.
How Obama Lost His Way
By Robert Parry
January 20, 2010
President Barack Obama spent his first year in office trying to reassure the Washington/New York establishments that he was not going to upset their apple carts too much, that they shouldn’t panic, that he would – despite all the speeches – be more about continuity than change.
Read on.
January 20, 2010
President Barack Obama spent his first year in office trying to reassure the Washington/New York establishments that he was not going to upset their apple carts too much, that they shouldn’t panic, that he would – despite all the speeches – be more about continuity than change.
Read on.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Obama Knows Better on Afghan War
By Ivan Eland
January 19, 2010
President Barack Obama recently expressed a reluctance to send U.S. forces to Yemen and Somalia, two “failed states” where al-Qaeda is active. Obama seemed to realize that such a U.S. military presence might make the terrorism problem worse.
Read on.
January 19, 2010
President Barack Obama recently expressed a reluctance to send U.S. forces to Yemen and Somalia, two “failed states” where al-Qaeda is active. Obama seemed to realize that such a U.S. military presence might make the terrorism problem worse.
Read on.
'Hardball' & Dumbed-Down US Politics
By Robert Parry
January 19, 2010
This past week, grappling with the twin top stories of Haiti’s earthquake tragedy and the Massachusetts Senate race, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews personified the strange mix of puffed-up self-importance and total lack of self-awareness that has come to define America’s media punditocracy.
Read on.
January 19, 2010
This past week, grappling with the twin top stories of Haiti’s earthquake tragedy and the Massachusetts Senate race, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews personified the strange mix of puffed-up self-importance and total lack of self-awareness that has come to define America’s media punditocracy.
Read on.
Monday, January 18, 2010
What Bush Did to Haiti
By David Swanson
January 18, 2010
January 18, 2010
If a group of dedicated scholars, attorneys, journalists, and activists had tried to generate a comprehensive list of impeachable offenses committed by George W. Bush as President, one of them might have read something like this:
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Global Cooling? The Jellyfish Answer
By Michael Winship
January 16, 2010
There are certain newspaper headlines that catch your eye and stop you in your tracks.
Read on.
January 16, 2010
There are certain newspaper headlines that catch your eye and stop you in your tracks.
Read on.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Lessons from America's Lost Decade
By Robert Parry
January 15, 2010
As the United States takes the measure of Barack Obama’s first year in the White House and looks beyond to what could be a difficult new decade, it might be useful to first stop and extract some lessons from the 2000s, which proved to be a lost economic decade for many Americans.
Read on.
January 15, 2010
As the United States takes the measure of Barack Obama’s first year in the White House and looks beyond to what could be a difficult new decade, it might be useful to first stop and extract some lessons from the 2000s, which proved to be a lost economic decade for many Americans.
Read on.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
How Not to Counter Terrorism
By Coleen Rowley and Other Intelligence Veterans
January 14, 2010 (Originally Published June 18, 2007)
Given the effort that many of us have put into suggestions for reform, how satisfying it would be, were we able to report that appropriate correctives have been introduced to make us safer.
Read on.
January 14, 2010 (Originally Published June 18, 2007)
Given the effort that many of us have put into suggestions for reform, how satisfying it would be, were we able to report that appropriate correctives have been introduced to make us safer.
Read on.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Haiti and America's Historic Debt
By Robert Parry
January 13, 2010
Announcing emergency help for Haiti after a devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake, President Barack Obama noted America’s historic ties to the impoverished Caribbean nation, but few Americans understand how important Haiti’s contribution to U.S. history was.
Read on.
January 13, 2010
Announcing emergency help for Haiti after a devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake, President Barack Obama noted America’s historic ties to the impoverished Caribbean nation, but few Americans understand how important Haiti’s contribution to U.S. history was.
Read on.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Cheney's Attack Shields Failures
By Ivan Eland
January 12, 2010
Former Vice President Dick Cheney has been railing against President Barack Obama for being weak-kneed on terrorism and failing to interdict the BVD bomber’s recent attempt to blow up a plane.
Read on.
January 12, 2010
Former Vice President Dick Cheney has been railing against President Barack Obama for being weak-kneed on terrorism and failing to interdict the BVD bomber’s recent attempt to blow up a plane.
Read on.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Asking Europe for America's Answers
By David Swanson
January 12, 2010
Whenever I write about U.S. politics, people ask me "Don't you have any good news?" ... But I do have good news, boatloads of good news, if Americans want to hear it.
Read on.
January 12, 2010
Whenever I write about U.S. politics, people ask me "Don't you have any good news?" ... But I do have good news, boatloads of good news, if Americans want to hear it.
Read on.
Do Republicans Deserve a Reward?
By Robert Parry
January 11, 2010
These days, I rarely open an e-mailed article from someone on the Left that doesn’t denounce President Barack Obama as a sell-out, a corporate tool, a coward or worse – with similar assessments applied to the Democratic leadership in Congress.
Read on.
January 11, 2010
These days, I rarely open an e-mailed article from someone on the Left that doesn’t denounce President Barack Obama as a sell-out, a corporate tool, a coward or worse – with similar assessments applied to the Democratic leadership in Congress.
Read on.
Obama Picks CIA Insider for Inquiry
By Melvin A. Goodman
January 11, 2010
The Obama administration quietly announced Friday the appointment of John McLaughlin, former deputy CIA director, to head the internal investigation of the intelligence failures that led to the Christmas Day attempted bombing of a Delta airliner headed for Detroit as well as the events leading to the shootings at Fort Hood in November.
Read on.
January 11, 2010
The Obama administration quietly announced Friday the appointment of John McLaughlin, former deputy CIA director, to head the internal investigation of the intelligence failures that led to the Christmas Day attempted bombing of a Delta airliner headed for Detroit as well as the events leading to the shootings at Fort Hood in November.
Read on.
Saturday, January 09, 2010
Hard Lessons from Decades Past
By Robert Parry
January 9, 2010
Decades, more than years or even election cycles, mark a nation’s course, just as 10-year spans become personal milestones, the big-3-0 or, in my case, the big 6-0.
Read on.
January 9, 2010
Decades, more than years or even election cycles, mark a nation’s course, just as 10-year spans become personal milestones, the big-3-0 or, in my case, the big 6-0.
Read on.
Friday, January 08, 2010
Answering Helen Thomas on Why
By Ray McGovern
January 8, 2009
Thank God for Helen Thomas, the only person to show any courage at the White House press briefing after President Barack Obama gave a flaccid account of the intelligence screw-up that almost downed an airliner on Christmas Day.
Read on.
January 8, 2009
Thank God for Helen Thomas, the only person to show any courage at the White House press briefing after President Barack Obama gave a flaccid account of the intelligence screw-up that almost downed an airliner on Christmas Day.
Read on.
California's Dysfunctional Future Shock
By Michael Winship
January 8, 2010
January 8, 2010
A number of years ago, when I would travel to California on business with my friend the late journalist and comedy writer Eliot Wald, we always carved out time to visit a couple of those massive Los Angeles grocery chains, like Ralph's or Vons.
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Endless Double Standards on Cuba
By William Blum
January 7, 2010
More than 50 years now it is. The propaganda and hypocrisy of the American mainstream media seems endless and unwavering. They cannot accept the fact that Cuban leaders are humane or rational.
Read on.
January 7, 2010
More than 50 years now it is. The propaganda and hypocrisy of the American mainstream media seems endless and unwavering. They cannot accept the fact that Cuban leaders are humane or rational.
Read on.
The Botched 9/11 Intel 'Reforms'
By Melvin A. Goodman
January 7, 2010
One week after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice told the press corps, "This isn't Pearl Harbor." No, it was worse.
January 7, 2010
One week after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice told the press corps, "This isn't Pearl Harbor." No, it was worse.
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Why Counter-Terrorism Is in Shambles
By Ray McGovern and Coleen Rowley
January 5, 2009
January 5, 2009
Question #1 – What lapses in the American counter terrorism apparatus made the Christmas Day bombing plot possible? Is it inevitable that certain plots will succeed?
The short answer to the second sentence is: Yes, it is inevitable that “certain plots will succeed.”
The Myth of the Three Wise Men
By the Rev. Howard Bess
January 5, 2010
Since January 6 marks Epiphany, the first day of an extended season in the Christian Church calendar that takes traditional Christian believers all the way to the Lenten season. It is the season that celebrates the Christian gospel as light to a dark world.
Read on.
January 5, 2010
Since January 6 marks Epiphany, the first day of an extended season in the Christian Church calendar that takes traditional Christian believers all the way to the Lenten season. It is the season that celebrates the Christian gospel as light to a dark world.
Read on.
How Government Worsens Terror Risk
By Ivan Eland
January 5, 2010
The botched attempt by a Nigerian, apparently trained in Yemen by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, to conduct a suicide bombing on a plane as it neared Detroit has highlighted the U.S. government’s overzealous, ineffective and even counterproductive efforts to overcome terrorism.
Read on.
January 5, 2010
The botched attempt by a Nigerian, apparently trained in Yemen by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, to conduct a suicide bombing on a plane as it neared Detroit has highlighted the U.S. government’s overzealous, ineffective and even counterproductive efforts to overcome terrorism.
Read on.
Monday, January 04, 2010
Afghan 'Dirty War' Escalates
By Douglas Valentine
January 4, 2010
On Dec. 31, I listened in dismay as an NPR “terrorism” expert condemned the suicide bombing that killed seven CIA employees in Afghanistan as especially hideous because the CIA victims were spreading economic development and democracy in the area as members of a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT).
Read on.
January 4, 2010
On Dec. 31, I listened in dismay as an NPR “terrorism” expert condemned the suicide bombing that killed seven CIA employees in Afghanistan as especially hideous because the CIA victims were spreading economic development and democracy in the area as members of a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT).
Read on.
Ellsberg on Vanunu's Re-Arrest
By Daniel Ellsberg
January 4, 2010
Mordechai Vanunu -- my friend, my hero, my brother -- has again been arrested in Israel on "suspicion" of the "crime" of "meeting with foreigners."
Read on.
January 4, 2010
Mordechai Vanunu -- my friend, my hero, my brother -- has again been arrested in Israel on "suspicion" of the "crime" of "meeting with foreigners."
Read on.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
A Glimmer of Hope from the Past
By Lisa Pease
December 31, 2009
Former Vice President Dick Cheney has decried President Barack Obama for not taking a more belligerent tone against terrorism, accusing him of making Americans less safe when he “pretends we aren’t at war with terrorists.” But Obama is not Dick Cheney, and thank goodness.
Read on.
December 31, 2009
Former Vice President Dick Cheney has decried President Barack Obama for not taking a more belligerent tone against terrorism, accusing him of making Americans less safe when he “pretends we aren’t at war with terrorists.” But Obama is not Dick Cheney, and thank goodness.
Read on.
The Danger of Defeatism
By David Swanson
December 31, 2009
December 31, 2009
In 2004 I began speaking at rallies and forums around the country on issues of peace and justice, something I've done off-and-on ever since.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Are Presidents Scared of the CIA?
By Ray McGovern
December 29, 2009
In the past, I have alluded to Panetta and the Seven Dwarfs. The reference is to CIA Director Leon Panetta and seven of his moral-dwarf predecessors — the ones who sent President Barack Obama a letter on Sept. 18 asking him to “reverse Attorney General Holder’s Aug. 24 decision to re-open the criminal investigation of CIA interrogations.”
Read on.
December 29, 2009
In the past, I have alluded to Panetta and the Seven Dwarfs. The reference is to CIA Director Leon Panetta and seven of his moral-dwarf predecessors — the ones who sent President Barack Obama a letter on Sept. 18 asking him to “reverse Attorney General Holder’s Aug. 24 decision to re-open the criminal investigation of CIA interrogations.”
Read on.
Obama's Unheralded Nuke Progress
By Ivan Eland
December 29, 2009
Attempting to make good on his pledge to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in the U.S. and other nations’ defense postures, and eventually eliminate them, President Barack Obama seems on the verge of reaching a new strategic arms reduction agreement with Russia.
Read on.
December 29, 2009
Attempting to make good on his pledge to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in the U.S. and other nations’ defense postures, and eventually eliminate them, President Barack Obama seems on the verge of reaching a new strategic arms reduction agreement with Russia.
Read on.
Monday, December 28, 2009
The Jesus Genealogy Myths
By the Rev. Howard Bess
December 28, 2009
The Matthew gospel does not start the story of Jesus with his birth. Rather Matthew starts the story with a genealogy.
Read on.
December 28, 2009
The Matthew gospel does not start the story of Jesus with his birth. Rather Matthew starts the story with a genealogy.
Read on.
'Avatar': a Metaphor for the 'Long War'
By David Swanson
December 28, 2009
Let's face it, if James Cameron had made a movie with the Iraqi resistance as the heroes and the U.S. military as the enemies, and had set it in Iraq or anywhere else on planet earth, the packed theaters viewing "Avatar" would have been replaced by a screening in a living room for eight people and a dog.
Read on.
December 28, 2009
Let's face it, if James Cameron had made a movie with the Iraqi resistance as the heroes and the U.S. military as the enemies, and had set it in Iraq or anywhere else on planet earth, the packed theaters viewing "Avatar" would have been replaced by a screening in a living room for eight people and a dog.
Read on.
What the New Year Demands
By Robert Parry
December 28, 2009
The U.S. political battle lines for 2010 are already clear. Despite having caused many of the severe problems the country faces, the Republicans and the Right are again in the ascendancy, having shifted the blame for most of the troubles onto President Barack Obama and the Democrats.
Read on.
December 28, 2009
The U.S. political battle lines for 2010 are already clear. Despite having caused many of the severe problems the country faces, the Republicans and the Right are again in the ascendancy, having shifted the blame for most of the troubles onto President Barack Obama and the Democrats.
Read on.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Reader: A Christmas Story for Truth
By Judith C. Berry
December 24, 2009
The Christmas story was indeed a wonderful story to me for many years. However, when I found out it was just a made-up story, like “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” or “Pinocchio,” I was crushed. AND, that is what it is - a made-up story.
Read on.
December 24, 2009
The Christmas story was indeed a wonderful story to me for many years. However, when I found out it was just a made-up story, like “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” or “Pinocchio,” I was crushed. AND, that is what it is - a made-up story.
Read on.
Legal Challenges to US Health Reform
By David Swanson
December 24, 2009
Does the United States Constitution allow Congress to force people to purchase a product (health insurance) from a private corporation, and fine them or tax them if they refuse?
Read on.
December 24, 2009
Does the United States Constitution allow Congress to force people to purchase a product (health insurance) from a private corporation, and fine them or tax them if they refuse?
Read on.
A Christmas Eve Battle for Freedom
By William Loren Katz
December 24, 2009
This Christmas Eve marks the 172nd anniversary of a battle for liberty in 1837 on the banks of Lake Okeechobee, Florida, that helped shape the United States of America.
Read on.
December 24, 2009
This Christmas Eve marks the 172nd anniversary of a battle for liberty in 1837 on the banks of Lake Okeechobee, Florida, that helped shape the United States of America.
Read on.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
The Snows of Christmases Past
By Michael Winship
December 22, 2009
We had our first snowstorm of the winter in Manhattan this past weekend and it served to remind me that I have not actually shoveled snow in decades - the result of living in a city where other people are hired to do it for you.
Read on.
December 22, 2009
We had our first snowstorm of the winter in Manhattan this past weekend and it served to remind me that I have not actually shoveled snow in decades - the result of living in a city where other people are hired to do it for you.
Read on.
Woodstock's Link to the War Machine
By Laurie Kirby
December 22, 2009
I’m proud of my small town’s worldwide association with peace. Many times during the 24 years that I’ve lived here, I’ve stood in peace vigils on the Village Green – and provided a bit of local color for visitors’ snapshots.
Read on.
December 22, 2009
I’m proud of my small town’s worldwide association with peace. Many times during the 24 years that I’ve lived here, I’ve stood in peace vigils on the Village Green – and provided a bit of local color for visitors’ snapshots.
Read on.
'Gott Mit Uns': Christians Excusing War
By Gary G. Kohls MD
December 22, 2009
When Gulf War I ended (during George Bush the Elder’s presidency), General Norman Schwartzkopf, the field commander, triumphantly proclaimed, “God must have been on our side!”
Read on.
December 22, 2009
When Gulf War I ended (during George Bush the Elder’s presidency), General Norman Schwartzkopf, the field commander, triumphantly proclaimed, “God must have been on our side!”
Read on.
Break the CIA in Two
By Ray McGovern
December 22, 2009
After the CIA-led fiasco at the Bay of Pigs in April 1961, President John Kennedy was quoted as saying he wanted to “splinter the CIA into a thousand pieces and scatter it into the winds.” I can understand his anger, but a thousand is probably too many.
Read on.
December 22, 2009
After the CIA-led fiasco at the Bay of Pigs in April 1961, President John Kennedy was quoted as saying he wanted to “splinter the CIA into a thousand pieces and scatter it into the winds.” I can understand his anger, but a thousand is probably too many.
Read on.
Monday, December 21, 2009
How Myths Can Kill
By Robert Parry
December 21, 2009
Myths can be innocuous enough, providing pleasure and comfort to believers, for instance, the Jesus birth stories that are celebrated at Christmas or the legends of Abraham and Moses conveying God’s promised land to the Israelites.
Read on.
December 21, 2009
Myths can be innocuous enough, providing pleasure and comfort to believers, for instance, the Jesus birth stories that are celebrated at Christmas or the legends of Abraham and Moses conveying God’s promised land to the Israelites.
Read on.
Winning Wars -- and Losing
By Lawrence S. Wittner
December 21, 2009
Thus far, most of the supporters and opponents of escalating the U.S. war in Afghanistan have focused on whether or not it is possible to secure a military victory in that conflict. But they neglect considering the fact that, in war, even a winner can be a loser.
Read on.
December 21, 2009
Thus far, most of the supporters and opponents of escalating the U.S. war in Afghanistan have focused on whether or not it is possible to secure a military victory in that conflict. But they neglect considering the fact that, in war, even a winner can be a loser.
Read on.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Why Obama Is Failing
By Robert Parry
December 19, 2009
A year ago, as Barack Obama was assembling his administration, he was at a crossroads with two paths going off in very different directions: one would have led to a populist challenge to the Washington/New York political-economic establishments; the other called for collaboration and cajoling.
Read on.
December 19, 2009
A year ago, as Barack Obama was assembling his administration, he was at a crossroads with two paths going off in very different directions: one would have led to a populist challenge to the Washington/New York political-economic establishments; the other called for collaboration and cajoling.
Read on.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Merry Christmas from America's Banks
By Michael Winship
December 19, 2009
Never mind Barack Obama's Audacity of Hope. It's the audacity of the banks that takes your breath away.
Read on.
December 19, 2009
Never mind Barack Obama's Audacity of Hope. It's the audacity of the banks that takes your breath away.
Read on.
Sorting Through the Jesus Myths
By the Rev. Howard Bess
December 18, 2009
Jesus from Nazareth was still a young man when he was killed in Jerusalem. The best estimate is that he was in his early 30s.
Read on.
December 18, 2009
Jesus from Nazareth was still a young man when he was killed in Jerusalem. The best estimate is that he was in his early 30s.
Read on.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Elliott Abrams and 'Neocon-ing' Obama
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.
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.
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.
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