US Syria bill could lead to invasion: Senator Robert Byrd, an outspoken critic of US Middle East policy, said on Tuesday that he feared the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Act would be used to justify future military action against Damascus.

US-Brit war killed 55,000 Iraqi civilians: The invasion, war and occupation of Iraq has cost up to 55,000 civilian lives, according to a shocking new report published by a UK-based charity.

Report: Continuing Collateral Damage: The war on Iraq and its aftermath exacted a heavy toll on combatants and civilians. Between 21,700 and 55,000 people died between March 20 and October 20, 2003, while the health and environmental consequences of the conflict will be felt for many years to come.

What the Arabs watch vs. what Bush says : American policymakers and U.S.-appointed Iraqi officials, jittery about television coverage of daily events in Iraq under occupation, are blaming Arab satellite channels for inciting people against them.

7,500 US Casualties Evacuated from Iraq War Zone to US: We should all pause and reflect on the carnage wrought in the US - Iraq War. Nearly 400 US soldiers are dead, and more than 7,500 have been medically evacuated. This means the total number of US casualties is nearly 8,000 in less than eight months.

BBC Report: AIDS In China: This is how China deals with AIDS. Having infected these people the government is leaving them to die. While the officials responsible, do everything they can to stop the outside world from finding out.

Israeli Minister Won't Destroy Outposts: Israel's defense minister said Tuesday he has no immediate plans to dismantle Jewish settlement outposts and defended the proposed route of a massive security barrier that cuts deep into the West Bank.

American Workers can safely say, Bye, Bye to the Slice of the American Pie: I’m just going to blurt it out; tell it like it is. In the words of the venerable, Walter Cronkite, “that’s the way it is”. Here it is folks; outsourcing is tantamount to legalized slave labor. 

US defies WTO over tariffs ruling: Trade war fears loom after US rejects final ruling from WTO that its protectionist tariffs are illegal.

6 Afghans Die in U.S. Raid: Some tribal leaders who support the government objected to the operation. One said an attack by American forces on Oct. 30 had killed several of his family members.

Taliban Capture Two Cities In Afghanistan: The deputy Governor of Zabul province, Maulvi Muhammad Omar has said that former Taliban have captured two cities of his province. 

Afghanistan: Romanian Soldier Killed, Another Wounded In Ambush

Georgian Republic on the Brink of Armed Conflict: The former Soviet republic of Georgia is sliding towards chaos. The embattled President Eduard Shevardnadze has fled the capital, and opposition activists have threatened to seize power.

Spain Criticizes US Over Guantanamo: In a rare admonishment of the United States, Spain's foreign minister said Tuesday the indefinite detention of terrorism suspects at the U.S. Navy base in Guantanamo Bay was a "major error."

US blocks payout to Gulf war veterans: Bush administration blocks compensation for US soldiers captured and tortured during the first Gulf war, arguing that money is now needed for Iraq's reconstruction, say veterans' lawyers.

Dreamers and Idiots: Bush and Blair did everything necessary to prevent the outbreak of peace.

Survey: Half of Americans, say the war was not worth it

Frist Freezes Senate Probe of Prewar Iraq Data : The Republican leadership of the Senate yesterday took the unusual step of canceling all business of the committee investigating prewar intelligence on Iraq. 

Rockefeller memo: Here is the full text of the memo from the office of Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WVa.) on setting a strategy for pursuing an independent investigation of pre-war White House intelligence dealings on Iraq. 

Iraq: The Authoritarian Drift Of The Bremer Machine: The Coalition Authority wants to concentrate all powers. The CPA is a strange place that has no connection with Iraqi reality but where everything that happens in the country is decided. Once you're in the "green zone," you leave Iraq:

Iraqi bound and gagged for protest: "This man has been detained for making anti-coalition statements."

Iraq Governor Bremer Heads to U.S. at Short Notice

Bomb Damages U.N. Office in Afghanistan: In another attack on a foreign aid group in southern Afghanistan, a car bomb exploded outside a United Nations office here Tuesday, wounding at least one person.

Al-Qaida threatens more attacks: Warning the next targets will be in the Gulf, the US and Iraq. 

Soros's Deep Pockets vs. Bush : Financier Contributes $5 Million More in Effort to Oust President.

Families of Iraq war dead condemn Bush visit to UK: President Bush and his wife Laura will stay at Buckingham Palace and be guests of honour at a state banquet. Anti-war groups plan protests in London, which have contributed to a decision by Downing Street to cancel plans for the President to address both Houses of Parliament.

Paul Krugman: Support the Troops: Retired military officers, like Gen. Anthony Zinni — formerly President Bush's envoy to the Middle East — have started to offer harsh, indeed unprintable, assessments of administration policies. 

US goods set to double in price as Europe plans huge trade war: The WTO's decision comes at a sensitive time, with the US presidential campaign about to begin in earnest. In drawing up its list of sanctions, the EU has deliberately selected products from states which are crucial to President Bush's electoral hopes.

Arrested Russian Businessman Is Carlyle Group Adviser : Carlyle, known for the glittering roster of former statesmen among its partners and advisers, has ties to both Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev, the jailed Russian tycoons. See also: Exposed: The Carlyle Group A Must Watch Documentary

Author Al Franken spoke to a packed house this weekend at the National Conference on Media Reform about the Bush administration, the Fox News lawsuit and why Bill O’Reilly is “a pathological liar.” Audio

U.S. Drops 500-pound Bombs As Gen. Warns Iraqi's: America's top general in the Middle East has warned community leaders the U.S. military will use stern measures unless they curb attacks against coalition forces. "We have the capabilities and equipment." 

Robert Fisk: Frightening winds swirl around the House of Saud : The Saudi royal family - that part still desperate for US assistance - provided plenty of reasons during the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq for their Arab enemies to attack them. 

Saudis Fear More "al-Qaeda" Attacks: Anonymous postings on Arabic websites over the past three to four weeks have hinted at "a wave of violence coming on quite a big scale", Saudi dissident Saad al-Fagih said yesterday.

The evangelicals who like to giftwrap Islamophobia : The world's largest children's Christmas project has a toxic agenda. What is astonishing is that Christian fundamentalists have managed to persuade millions that their warped version of Christianity is the real thing.

Report: No Evidence Iran Was Making Nukes: The report, drawn up by the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, says Iran has been cooperating with the agency since September

Scotland Yard fury over Bush visit: “American officials want a virtual three-day shutdown of central London in a bid to foil disruption of the visit by anti-war protestors. They are demanding that police ban all marches and seal off the city centre.”

Troops Awaiting Deployment Hear of Mounting Casualties: "No one wants to go," said Suree Valenzuela, a 31-year-old headquarters company staff sergeant.

A SOLDIER TOO - The Selling of Veterans Day 2003: most residents of the brothel we still call the American fourth estate have decided to focus their short-span attention once again on the more lucrative news stories of this war. Among them, of course the story - real or imagined - of former Army Private Jessica Lynch.

For some veterans, every day is veterans' day: Veterans Day sales, speeches, salutes. The November 11 holiday carved out of World War I's Armistice Day has become a hollow cliche, a platform for politicians to wax patriotic far from any battlefield.

Police State : Is your State part of the MATRIX?: The Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, initiated funding for a pilot, proof-of-concept project titled the Multistate Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange (MATRIX). 

:High court to hear Guantanamo challenges:  The Supreme Court intervened for the first time in the war on terrorism, announcing today that it will review the legal status of the 660 suspected terrorists currently being held in near-total secrecy in a U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. 

New textbooks rewrite history in Iraq through omission: The Ministry of Education under the U.S.-led coalition government removed any content considered "controversial," including the 1991 Gulf War; the Iran-Iraq war; and all references to Israelis, Americans or Kurds. 

11/10 U.S. appointed Iraqi Council member killed: Iraqis staged a noisy protest march in Baghdad Monday after the disputed shooting of an Iraqi Council member by U.S. military guards, reports said.

US Military Policeman Is Killed in Iraq: :In Sadr City, a poor, mainly Shiite quarter of eastern Baghdad, witnesses Monday said that a U.S. soldier shot and killed the head of the district's U.S.-appointed municipal council in a weekend altercation.

Cowardly senators duck Iraq $s vote: The exclusive club called the U.S. Senate has 100 members. This week 94 of them ducked and ran before a pre-arranged voice vote gave President Bush the $87.5 billion war check he wanted. 

Case for war made up, say top names : An unprecedented array of United States intelligence professionals, diplomats and former Pentagon officials have gone on record to lambast the Bush Administration for its distortion of the case for war against Iraq. 

Richard Perle Says Iraq Peace Offer Was a Trap : The Bush administration has been accused by Democrats of being overeager to go to war with Iraq, ignoring possible diplomatic avenues to peace.

Rumsfeld Retreats, Disclaims Earlier Rhetoric: In the lead-up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Donald Rumsfeld said U.S. forces would be welcomed by the Iraqi citizenry and that Saddam Hussein had large stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons. Now Rumsfeld - is denying that he ever made such assertions.

Scott Ritter: Defining the resistance in Iraq - it's not foreign and it's well prepared

A President MIA from Public Grief Over Casualties: American soldiers are coming home each day, DOA at Dover, Del. More than 200 of them have been smuggled back into the country in this fashion since the mission in Iraq was declared accomplished. Stealth patriots.

Filling a suit isn't enough any more: Unlike Presidents Reagan, Bush I and Clinton, who all attended memorial ceremonies for troops killed in overseas terrorist attacks, Bush II declines to be present at services for soldiers who have died in Iraq. The pictures wouldn't be helpful.

Where are ‘ troop supporters’ now?: Many of us who protested the Bush Administration’s massive bombing in Afghanistan, and its all-out invasion of Iraq earlier this year, were criticized – and even physically threatened – by some in our community for not “supporting our troops.” 

Who really supported troops?: So just who truly supported the troops? Those who sent them to Iraq with no clear plan for bringing them home again or those who warned, don't go there.

Backyard terrorism: The US has been training terrorists at a camp in Georgia for years - and it's still at it 

'It would be laughable, were it not so pathetic': Mr Bush proclaimed a new 'forward strategy' for advancing freedom in the Middle East...

Ineffective Iraqi council angers its US backers: "We're unhappy with all of them. They're not acting as a legislative or governing body, and we need to get moving," one well-placed US official said. 

N. Korea fully nuclear, CIA says No doubts now it can detonate arms, Congress told 

Riyadh: a new front against US: America's fortunes in the Gulf were in free-fall yesterday after a suicide bombing in Riyadh late on Saturday that appeared to be aimed at undermining the Saudi monarchy, the United States' key ally in the region.

11/09 Saudi Says 11 Killed, 22 Injured: Eleven people were killed, including four children, and 122 injured when suspected al Qaeda suicide bombers blew up an explosive-laden car in a Riyadh housing compound on Sunday, the state news agency SPA said.

Saud v al-Qaida: Only one can Survive: Political dissidents say the Saudi government, an undemocratic monarchy that has long rejected calls for more transparent representative government, fuels support for al-Qaida by crushing all dissent.

US soldier killed in Iraq mine blast: A US soldier was killed in Baghdad when his vehicle ran over a mine, the US military command in Baghdad said Sunday.

Wounded Numbers: As of today, the official wounded count stands at 2230. As usual though, gov't numbers are untrustworthy. the military hospital in Landstuhl, which has treated more than 7,000 injured and ill service members from the Iraq war.

'No President has lied so baldly and so often': "The intelligence process is a bit like virginity," says Ray McGovern, who worked as a CIA analyst for 27 years. "Once you prostitute it, it's never the same. Your credibility never recovers.

Vietnam and Iraq: How public opinion shifts: Republican Sen. John McCain, "This is the first time I have seen a parallel to Vietnam in terms of information the administration is putting out versus the actual situation on the ground."

Mossad chief: invasion has created a holy war: A former chief of Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service, has accused the United States and Britain of lack of foresight over the Iraq invasion and warned of even greater violence unless the civic infrastructure is established quickly.

Case for war confected, say top US officials: "There was never a clear and present danger. There was never an imminent threat. Iraq - and we have very good intelligence on this - was never part of the picture of terrorism," says Mel Goodman, a veteran CIA analyst who now teaches at the National War College.

8 killed as Taliban attack Afghan district offices

Israeli troops kill 6 in Gaza and West Bank: Israeli soldiers on the lookout for Palestinian militants killed at least six people yesterday in the West Bank and Gaza Strip

2 U.S. Paratroopers Killed West Of Baghdad: Insurgents killed two U.S. paratroopers and wounded another west of Baghdad on Saturday as the U.S. military cracked down on residents of Saddam Hussein's hometown.

Robert Fisk: How we denied democracy to the Middle East: We created this place, drew its borders, weaned their grotesque dictators. And we expect the Arabs to trust Mr Bush's promise? 

In case you missed it: US supplied anthrax to Iraq: Hidden from view for nine years, these hitherto unreported Senate papers reveal a tale of intrigue and deception which goes right to the heart of the American system. More background on  CIA, Iraq & Saddam

What I Have to Say About George W. Bush, Blood-thirsty Christians, Homophobes & People Who Don't Use Their Blinkers. First, George W. Bush is an odd combination of ridiculous and dangerous. He's sort of an evil idiot savant. He also is the perfect poster boy for hypocrisy

America stirs hornet's nest of revenge: Angry Iraqi villagers are supporting resistance to the occupying powers.

Elite Death Squad Hunts bin Laden: The US military chief in Iraq has formed a secret commando force to hunt Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden, it emerged yesterday.

Ex Iraqi Oil Minister: Corruption Is Rife in Oil Industry: "In Iraq nowadays, signs of corruption, commission and bribery have resurfaced and might be even at a larger scale than whatever happened during (the) Saddam Hussein (era),"

Mahmud, 10, went looking for songbirds ... and died in hail of bullets

Red Cross Plans To Close 2 Offices In Iraq: 

Army orders mother of seven back to duty in Iraq: A soldier mother faces punishment for refusing to return to duty in Iraq to avoid losing custody of two children.

Critics condemn U.S. torture by proxy: the U.S., deportation of suspects to countries where torture is conducted by proxy - "rendition" as it is known in American intelligence circles — is part of a larger pattern that is causing alarm

FBI to Website Owner: 'We Are Watching You': One agent said that visits like these are increasingly common as the government seeks out information on threats to the U.S.

1100 killed as civil war flares : In the two months since the collapse of a ceasefire agreement, more than 1100 people, many of them civilians, have died in renewed fighting between Maoist rebels and US-backed Government forces struggling to maintain control of this picturesque mountain kingdom

County sells woman's farm over $572 tax bill: An 89-year-old woman could be evicted from her home of more than 50 years for missing one tax payment of $572 

U.S. Warns of Terrorism in Saudi Arabia: The United States will close its missions in Saudi Arabia on Saturday for an undetermined period because of "credible" information that terrorists are about to carry out attacks, the U.S. Embassy said Friday.

Contracts Go to Allies of Chalabi: Businessmen with close ties to a leading — and controversial — member of Iraq's Governing Council have won large contracts for the country's reconstruction, leading to charges by some council members and other Iraqis that the actions are fueling a cronyism that threatens to sabotage the nation-building effort.

Bremer Plans to Enlarge, Refocus Iraq Occupation Authority: The U.S. civilian administrator of Iraq said Thursday that he intends to increase the size of the American-led occupation authority, giving two new deputies key responsibilities for managing the influx of nearly $20 billion in new reconstruction funds

8 U.S. Soldiers Killed In Iraq: The latest confirmed U.S. military fatalities bring to at least 31 the number of American troops killed action in 7 days.

US Officers: Hostile Fire Downed Black Hawk, Killing 6

Saddam's desperate offers to stave off war : Washington dismissed Iraq's peace feelers, including elections and weapons pledge, put forward via diplomatic channels and US hawk Perle 

U.S. Rejects Iraqi Peace Offer? : A series of articles explores the evidence that the U.S. rejected Iraqi peace overtures prior to the invasion. 

It's Time to Wake Up, America: The truth about the war and occupation of Iraq is that it was planned long before 9/11. The tragic events of that day were used by the Bush Administration to push through a plan that had long been in the works to overthrow Saddam Hussein and take control of Iraq. 

Iraq Spins Out of Control: Where are the Democrats and the peace movement? This official sense of denial is the scariest part of the whole Iraqi debacle. At least Richard Nixon came into office recognizing that somehow or other, the U.S. had to figure a way out of Vietnam.

Neocon-Friendly Solutions for Manning Shortfalls in the War Against Terror: Wounded soldiers cause media problems when they mention they are required to pay for their hospital meals or don’t have air conditioning.

Canadian Man Deported by U.S. Details Torture in Syria: Anonymous officials told the Washington Post that the U.S. knowingly sends suspects abroad to be tortured. Democracy Now speaks with Maher Arar. 

Iraq: Cancel the contracts. Ditch the deals. Rip up the rules: Any movement serious about Iraqi self-determination must call not only for an end to Iraq's military occupation, but to its economic colonization as well. That means reversing the shock therapy reforms that US occupation chief Paul Bremer has fraudulently passed off as "reconstruction" 

Where Is The $87 That Bush Asked For Going?: 

Foreign central banks hold $1 trln of US debt-Fed: 

Read It and Weep: I visited a public school in Northwest Washington. Some friends were holding a benefit to raise money for a library that had no books, desks, chairs or computers.

Report: Pentagon Officials Fly in Style : Military and civilian defense officials improperly used government credit cards to buy 68,000 first-class or business-class airline seats when they were supposed to fly coach, congressional investigators concluded Thursday. 

Ricky Nelson Wasn't The Only "Poor Little Fool": Take our illustrious conservative movement for example. The only people who are paid any attention are the "big" people. Unless your wallet is fat enough, or you happen to stumble upon fame and fortune by some quirk of fate, there isn't a conservative leader out there who would give you the time of day.

'Making Iraq permanently dependent on the US for its defence': Reports from knowledgeable Iraqi sources suggest that U.S. bases are already being built in the western desert, in the north, center and south of Iraq

Jessica Lynch Criticizes US Accounts of Her Ordeal: In her first public statements since her rescue in Iraq, Jessica Lynch criticized the military for exaggerating accounts of her rescue and re-casting her ordeal as a patriotic fable.

Spotlight on war in the shadows : Perhaps the ultimate secret of the undercover war in Iraq is an organisation known to insiders as "The Activity" and to others by the codename "Grey Fox" - Its operations were originally hidden from even the scrutiny of the US Congress.

Woolsey Pushes Constitutional Monarchy for Iraq: Some observers saw the proposal as a backhanded strategy to advance two regional actors — former Jordanian Crown Prince Hassan and Iraqi National Congress leader Ahmed Chalabi 

War declared on resistance: The Los Angeles Times has ordered its journalists to stop describing anti-American forces in Iraq as resistance fighters

U.S. Foreign Military Sales By Country: The United States administration is required by Congress to prepare an annual report on military assistance, military exports, and military imports . This report provides the most detailed official accounting available of specific U.S. weapons systems exported or licensed for export to governments or private buyers around the world. 

Clark: Iraq war used to settle score : The attack against Iraq had nothing to do with terrorism, but was the work of military leaders in the Bush administration with a long score to settle, retired Gen. Wesley Clark charged Wednesday. 

11/06 Iraq: Polish officer and two American soldiers killed

Pentagon activates 100,000 more troops: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has approved the activation of more than 100,000 new troops for deployment in Iraq early next year.

43,000 Alerted for Duty in Iraq: Mr. Rumsfeld is ordering two brigades, or about 20,000 active-duty marines, from the First Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

A new underground railroad: Some soldiers would rather desert than return to Iraq. Granger said she could not say whether the Army would execute a deserter today as each case is judged on an individual basis. “Obviously it’s an option,” she said. 

Bush Casts Iraq Effort in Terms of Long Cold War Struggle: "America must be committed to promoting democracy in the Middle East "for decades to come."

Embedded reporters 'sanitised' Iraq war : Broadcasters were twice as likely to show Iraqi enthusiasm for the coalition forces as suspicion or hostility. 

The answers to Rumsfeld's queries: From: Colonel Daniel Smith, USA (Retired), senior fellow on military affairs Friends Committee on National Legislation. 

All Roads Lead to Feith: A protégé of Richard Perle, the former chairman of Rumsfeld's Defense Policy Board (DPB) who stands at the center of the neo-conservative foreign-policy network in Washington, Feith has long opposed territorial compromise by Israel. 

Perle warns Germany: stop backing France: In a heated exchange, former French chief of staff, Admiral Jacques Lanxade, accused Perle of trying to divide Paris and Berlin and blamed the Pentagon adviser for inciting public ill-feeling in Europe towards Washington.

Third judge killed in Iraq: Another judge has been killed in Iraq, the third in 48 hours.

Goodwill is fragile in new Iraq: A new market was built, then sacked this weekend by US troops. The two days of riots and destruction of Abu Ghraib's market - which left at least seven Iraqis dead - symbolize the fragile state of relations between Iraqis and the American authorities.

Baghdad George: I guess it was inevitable. Someone has compared President George Bush to "Baghdad Bob," the inadvertently comical Iraqi information minister who kept insisting Iraq was winning the war even as American tanks gathered outside his office.

Private Jessica Lynch says she was raped by Iraqis: Ms Lynch, who was captured after an ambush near Nasiriyah, says she cannot remember
anything about the incident, which was revealed by medical tests.

Iraq bill includes millions for Miami meeting: Buried in a bill that provides money for the war in Iraq is an $8.5 million federal boost for Miami to host the Free Trade Area of the Americas conference later this month.

Chrétien blames the U.S. for deporting Arar to Syria: Prime Minister Jean Chrétien blames the United States for deporting Canadian citizen Maher Arar to Syria, where he was jailed and tortured for 10 months as a suspected terrorist.

Proposal for private soldiers in conflicts gathers steam: Kofi Annan, the UN secretary-general, announced the creation of a 16-member review panel this week that is expected to include a new look at the possibility of hiring private security forces in UN-led peacekeeping missions.

In case you missed it: Private Military Firms - New Element in War : Today in Iraq, one of every 10 Americans works for a private military contractor. 

Israel: Wall more about control than security: The U.S. media must now let the truth from the Holy Land be heard loud and clear, even if it means receiving well-orchestrated campaigns of angry letters. Believe it or not, time is running out for the Jews and Palestinians living there.

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised: The documentary tells the tale of one of the shortest Presidential overthrows in Latin American history. On April 11, 2002, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was removed from power by a coalition of military officials and business leaders. 

N. Korea Will Block U.S. From Nuke Sites : North Korea on Thursday angrily reacted to a U.S.-led move to suspend construction of two nuclear power plants in the impoverished country, saying it will seize all equipment and technical data for the $4.6 billion project. 

Sri Lanka's President seizes emergency powers as people fear return to war 

U.S. frees Taliban leader to join Karzai : The United States, in a move at odds with its publicly declared policy, has released from custody in Afghanistan the former Taliban foreign minister as part of a strategy to recruit elements of the former regime into the U.S.-backed government of President Hamid Karzai.

Government extends its secrecy shield: The Bush administration has taken the desire to avoid critical commentary to an extreme. Federal agencies have been quietly censoring information that previously had been available on their Web sites and otherwise curbing public oversight.

Hiding the Bad News : When the Bushies say they want the bad news put in perspective, do they really mean they don't want it reported at all? 

Shocking Poll: Majority Of Americans Cannot Name A Single Department In The Presidents Cabinet

From Baghdad An Ordinary Iraqi Speaks Out: “The U.S. Has No Intention of Leaving Iraq”

Silly word games and weapons of mass destruction: “No member of the administration,” conservative commentator Andrew Sullivan recently wrote, “used the term ‘imminent threat’ to describe Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. Could this possibly be true? Could all our memories be so faulty? In a word, no. 

Israel Grants Russian Tycoon Citizenship: Israel has granted citizenship to a Russian tycoon who could be targeted in Russia's tax evasion and fraud investigation of oil giant Yukos, the Interior Ministry said Wednesday.

Israeli Pipeline to Move Russian Oil: Russian oil will begin flowing through an Israeli pipeline in late November, the pipeline's director said Wednesday, signaling a new chapter in rapidly improving relations with Moscow.

The ' anti-Semites' of Europe : Those anti-Semitic Europeans are at it again.

11/05 Welcome to America: 'What I went through is beyond human imagination' "They told me I had no right to a lawyer because I was not an American citizen," he said in Ottawa as he broke his silence four weeks after returning home. This is a must read for every American and Canadian citizen.

Maher Arar complete statement to media : This is a must read for every American and Canadian citizen.

Official: Copter Had Standard Defense: The Army National Guard helicopter that was shot down in Iraq by shoulder-fired missiles was equipped with a standard package of defensive systems, including a missile alert system and flares designed to decoy a missile, a U.S. officer said Wednesday.

Issue for Bush: How to Speak of Casualties?: When the Chinook helicopter was shot down on Sunday in Iraq, killing 15 Americans, President Bush let his defense secretary do the talking and stayed out of sight at his ranch.

US Regrets Civilian Deaths In Afghanistan: The US military is investigating an alleged airstrike in eastern Afghanistan that residents say killed at least eight civilians.

"Is Iraq Another Vietnam?": Despite some differences between the conflicts, in both wars avoiding defeat means winning “hearts and minds” -- of the American people.

Republican Rep. Leach Questions Iraq Policy?: Iowa Republican Rep. Jim Leach, once an aide to now-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, said on Tuesday White House policy-makers had made one of the most misguided assumptions ever in U.S. strategy by not planning for a decisive withdrawal from Iraq.

44% say they’ll vote against Bush: New poll finds only 38% support president’s re-election

Survey Shows Skepticism About Iraq: Most Americans Polled Don't Believe Conflict Is Key Fight in War on Terrorism

What The Yanks Are Doing In Iraq?: Americans are believing that their troops are now engaged in the job of restoring order in the war-ravaged country. It does not matter to them that it was they who devastated it in the first place.

How the White House deletes the truth: Bush's desire for us to become ostriches over the deaths and wounding of American soldiers in Iraq -- 379 dead and 2,155 hurt at last count -- is but one more pathological act in sticking all of America into the sand.

The Real Freedom of Free Speech:  In February 1919, Scott Nearing was put on trial under the Espionage Act of May 16, 1918 for having written a famous pamphlet, The Great Madness, in 1917. While the US government sent many pacifists and activists to prison under this act, not one actual agent of the enemy of the day (Germany) was ever convicted...

The American Empire: The Beginnings of World Dominion: A historic perspective. 

Don't Trust Government: What Rudyard Kipling popularized as the "great game" is afoot again. World demand for oil is rising, and the world supply of oil is static. It won't be many years before the situation will get sticky and hairy.

AL Qaeda Again Threatens New York, Washington, and Los Angeles: [Note: This information originated from the Israeli web site, http://www.debka.com Consider the source] Believers in the Bayan don't sound like "Blood-thirsty" Arab terrorists to me. The" Islamic Bayan Movement" signed the terrorist communique warning their Muslim brothers to flee New York, Washington, DC. and LA.

How Russian Oil Tycoon Courted Friends in U.S.: The Carlyle Group, an investment bank that retained the elder Mr. Bush as an adviser until a few weeks ago, has a close business relationship with Mr. Khodorkovsky.

Henry Kissinger to the rescue of Mikhail Khodorkovsky: Putin can afford himself the pleasure of observing how the legendary warmaker in Vietnam and peacemaker in the Middle East — maybe I’ve got the war and peace back-to-front — lays out the pitch for Khodorkovsky, Kissinger’s current paymaster.

Classified U.S. Report On Iraq Sought by U.N.: "If there are weapons, we would like to find [them]; if there are no weapons, we would like to conclude the issue," Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said in an interview. "They owe us the classified version."

Reported US Strike Disconcerts Karzai: As the Afghan leader's government tries to build support for a draft constitution, the homes of supporters are hit in an airstrike, killing six.

Afghan Allies Turn Enemies: Almost two years since the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai's writ barely runs in the country. - As for the situation in Kabul - where the government's authority supposedly holds sway - it is said to be worrying.

Israel Will Shoot Gazans Who Use Binoculars: Dan Yakir, sent a letter
of protest to the IDF Judge Advocate General. Yakir charged that the new order is blatantly illegal, since it permits "killing people even if they constitute no apparent risk."

Israel Destroys US-Built Wells:  The US has reportedly complained after the Israeli army destroyed wells built for civilians in Gaza by an American government aid agency. Huge areas have been demolished by the Israelis in the Gaza Strip in recent weeks, including more than 150 homes.

More US Troops Possible As Turkey Balks: About 15,000 Army National Guard troops have been mobilized for possible service in Iraq.

Judge is shot dead as Iraqis hatred of occupiers grows

Mow the whole place down: Political barbarism and Iraq

The Mourning Show: It's just unbelievable to me. You know, if you're going to send these people to war, then don't hide them. Have some news coverage where people are sitting and talking to these guys and seeing how they are and seeing their spirit. It's just—I think it's a crime.

11/04 Big explosions rock Iraqi capital: The Baghdad headquarters of the US-led coalition have come under attack for the second night running. 

US pays for intelligence blunders: Washington's intelligence gathering operations have once again been thrust under the microscope following the deaths of 16 United States soldiers on Sunday, and the Bush administration's "go solo" mentality has been found wanting.

Galbraith: War and Economy Don't Wear Well: On both jobs and Iraq, the good news President George W. Bush tells us is contradicted by the bad news that we feel in our bones.

U.S. Hard-liners Tamed by Iraq But Retain Clout : Neoconservative columnist William Kristol, for example, said last month he would rather be talking about the "next regime-change candidates" instead of Iraq -- a reference to potential targets such as Iran, Syria and North Korea. 

Neo-cons brace for Reagan series: So the word from the land that invented freedom of expression is that CBS's miniseries on Ronald Reagan, is a vicious pack of lies constructed by the left-wing media to denigrate the patron saint of tax cuts for the rich.

In case you missed it: Exposed: The Carlyle Group A Must Watch Documentary

Iraq Bombs Kill Two US Soldiers: Also last night, three mortars hit Baghdad, one landing at a camp of the 2nd Armoured Cavalry Regiment, but the military said no casualties were reported.

British Marine Killed In Iraq: A British soldier has been killed by hostile fire in Iraq.

Senators Urge Iraq Force: Two US senators have said more troops should be sent to Iraq after the worst day of US casualties in six months.

Sen. Hollings On War In Iraq: Unless we put in 100,000 or 150,000 more United States troops and get law and order in Iraq, in Baghdad, we are going to have ‘Operation Meat Grinder’ continue, and it is our meat.”

Oiling up the draft machine?: The Pentagon is quietly moving to fill draft board vacancies nationwide. While officials say there's no cause to worry, some experts aren't so sure.

Iraqi's Have Brought It On: Escalating violence in Iraq will only continue until the United States changes course and responds to the complexity of the Middle East and Asia with creative, targeted economic and diplomatic solutions.

In case you missed it: 'We Will, In Fact, Be Greeted As Liberators' - Cheney

A soldier dies in Iraq, a family mourns in Kent: Ben Colgan was a soldier and a beloved son of peace activists. He was a father of two small daughters for whom he left tape-recorded nursery rhymes before he went to war. A third child will be born next month, knowing a father only through the memories of others.

Robert Fisk: When Did "Arab" Become a Dirty Word? Smearing Said and Hanan Ashrawi

Putin reaffirms Russia's right to preemptive strikes: President Vladimir Putin has reaffirmed his position that Russia can resort to preemptive military strikes because the policy is also practiced by the United States

U.S. will seek $2.22 billion military aid for Israel: The statement, said the Bush administration was committed to enhancing Israel's security and "maintaining Israel's qualitative edge over any combination of adversaries". 

Paul Krugman: This Can't Go On: Such explosive growth in debt can't go on forever, and it won't. Yet our current leaders and their apologists insist that the problem will magically solve itself.

Full Report: European Union poll:  "Iraq and Peace in the World" European, think Israel poses greatest threat to world peace. PDF format. This file may take a moment to download.

As Rumsfeld Calls For Action Against "Schools That Teach Terrorism" We Take A Look At the School of the Americas, What Many Critics Call the "School of Assassins.

Terrorism and Tyranny: Trampling Freedom, Justice, and Peace to Rid the World of Evil: "Since 9/11, Bush often seems blinded by the glare of his own halo. The moral self-adulation at the heart of the war on terrorism is a danger to both America and the world." Video & Transcript.

The Kissinger - Khordokovsky Kombo: You can always tell when an American politician is well and truly washed up, a has-been.

Helicopter Down : The killing of 18 U.S. troops and the wounding of 21 others in Iraq on Nov. 2 brings to mind the successful attack by Viet Cong guerrillas on U.S. forces in Pleiku, Vietnam on February 7.

Three Killed in Blast in Iraqi Holy City : A blast near a holy Shiite Muslim shrine in the city of Karbala on Monday killed three people and injured 12, witnesses said. Meanwhile, in Baghdad, a string of mortar blasts struck near downtown after sunset. 

2 al-Qaida Suspects Die in Mecca Shootout: Police clashed with suspected al-Qaida sympathizers in the streets of the sacred city of Mecca on Monday, killing two militants and uncovering a cache of weapons.

Afghan Draft Aims to Unite Islamic State: Two years after the fall of the Taliban, the Afghan government unveiled a historic draft constitution Monday, aiming to cast aside a quarter-century of conflict with a unified Islamic state under a powerful presidency.

Bioterrorism case chills U.S. science community : Dr. Thomas Butler entered the courthouse in chains. That image of the white-haired, 62-year-old scientist has shaken American science to its roots. 

Anti-Saddam judge shot dead:  THE judge behind the creation of a judicial commission to probe former officials of Saddam Hussein's ousted regime was shot dead overnight, as insurgents stepped up their campaign against pro-US public figures.

Border crackdown has netted snarls, but not terrorists : A crackdown along the U.S.-Mexico border designed to prevent terrorists from entering the United States does not appear to have stopped even one known militant from slipping into America since Sept. 11.

11/03 Resistance is the First Step Towards Iraqi Independence : The US doesn't even trust the Iraqis to clean their barracks, and so south Asian and Filipino migrants are being used. This is colonialism in the epoch of neo-liberal capitalism, and so US and "friendly" companies are given precedence.

Iran journalists freed by US in Iraq accuse captors of torture: Two Iranian journalists working for state-run television, who were freed by US forces in Iraq after four months' detention, have claimed they were subjected to "severe torture" while in American custody. 

Invention Iraq: The Failure of Nation Building and a History Denied: For 12 years the British tried to transform Iraq into a model democracy, but failed. Now Americans have taken up the crusade to remake Iraq into our image. Did the Bush Administration study the failures of the British government? Of course not. 

We Buy Rocket Launchers At Arms Bazaar: We were offered five RPG launchers and seven rockets. We bought two Russian-made launchers, fired from the shoulder, for £140.

UN sends mission to support Karzai regime: The UN Security Council sent a high-ranking delegation to Afghanistan yesterday to bolster the country's leader, Hamid Karzai, amid signs that his authority is steadily slipping to powerful warlords.

Amputees returning to duty: Garth Stewart lost his foot in Iraq, in a mine blast that showered his blood and flesh on his buddy and left Stewart writhing and screaming on the road, smoke rising from his wound.

The wounded who never die: If we were to believe our government (and who does?), our military doctors are the best in the world. Nobody ever dies in their care.

The Political Airbrush: Our view is constantly shuttered and there are many things that we are not allowed to see. The propaganda machine is in full swing so as to corrupt the opinion of the American public into supporting our administration’s abuse of power.

In case you missed it: The Announcement America Had Been Waiting For

ISI and FBI fail to stop Al Qaeda: Terrorists regrouping and planning attacks in United States, Pakistan.

US soldiers kill four workers after bomb blast: The American fire destroyed the mini-van, which crashed into a lamppost, Mr Saleh said. Four people in the mini-van died and two were severely wounded, he said.

Iraqi Child Crushed by US Tank:: The incident was said to be reminiscent of scenes caused by the Israeli occupation of Palestine as the child was crushed underneath the tank's tracks.

Iraqi Police Now Targets of Choice: "Going to the police station now is like going to war," he said as he gazed at the cement blocks. "You never know if you'll return home alive or not."

Blair waged war illegally, say leading lawyers: Tony Blair is facing a formal complaint to the international war-crimes tribunal by a panel of senior international legal experts for unlawfully waging war in Iraq.

John Pilger: `Bring the criminals to justice’ : We must tell these war criminals that, regardless of the trappings of their power, they are criminals, and they must be brought to justice. 

In case you missed it: Despotism & Democracy: Measures how a society ranks on a spectrum stretching from democracy to despotism. Where does your community, state and nation stand on these scales?

In case you missed it: Gore Vidal Delivers Chilling Predictions of Despotism: "American politics is essentially a family affair, as are most oligarchies."

Glen Rangwala: On The Lies That Led To War

British MP: We Will Be in Iraq for 10 Years: Dr Andrew Murrison, a former surgeon commander in the Royal Navy who has returned from six weeks in southern Iraq, said that senior British officers believed that coalition forces would be in the country beyond 2014.

If the News Turns Bad, the Messenger Takes a Hit: "I have come to hate the media," a senior aide to L. Paul Bremer III, the head of the occupational authority in Iraq, wrote in a recent e-mail message to family and friends.

Florida schoolbus racism scandal: A school bus service in Florida has refused to carry Iraqi and Afghani refugee students for a second time in a week.

100,000 call for peace at Rabin memorial rally: Murdered prime minister was right, Shimon Peres tells huge Israeli demonstration urging an end to occupation.

Bush's strategy: Get out or risk being thrown out of Washington. The idea is to push many more Iraqi police and security officials into the front lines against the insurgency while at the same time declaring political victory on the ground.

Time to listen to Americans: The common folks who see no need to wrap themselves with stars and stripes yet who, by their deeds, have become more star-spangled than all the thugs of Washington could ever hope to be.

Public Confidence in Bush Continues to Fall as More American Soldiers Die in Iraq: For the first time, a majority of Americans, 51 per cent, according to a poll published yesterday, disapprove of Mr Bush's actions in Iraq.

America's growing poverty crisis: Long queue at drive-in soup kitchen : George Bush's America, the wealthiest nation in history, faces a growing poverty crisis.

11/02 US helicopter downed near Baghdad - 15 dead: + In Falluja, residents said a roadside bomb had hit a convoy of US soldiers in civilian vehicles, killing four troops. 

Iraqis gloat as 15 die in downed chopper: Some Iraqis were jubilant. "The Americans are pigs," said Saadoun Jaralla, a wheat farmer, near the crash site. "We will hold a celebration because this helicopter went down - a big celebration. The Americans are enemies of mankind."  

Insurgents' Attacks in Iraq Intensifying: At the site of the helicopter shoot down, American troops tried to confiscate news photographers' digital camera disks. No matter: The picture from Iraq, day by day, will grow sharp and clear.

Pentagon keeps dead out of sight: Bush team doesn't want people to see human cost of war Even body bags are now sanitized as `transfer tubes'

Eight Afghans killed in US bombing : - Eight civilians were killed when a U.S plane bombed a residential house in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nooristan, officials said on Sunday.

Rumsfeld Calls Attack 'Tragic Day' for U.S.: "In a long, hard war we are going to have tragic days as this is," Rumsfeld said. "But they are necessary."