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.
Monday, January 11, 2010
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.
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.
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