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HEADLINES Deserter a lonely icon for anti-war movement: If his request for asylum is denied and he's returned to the United States, Hughey could face court-martial, jail and, according to military law, execution for desertion in time of war. Billionaire condemns 'war on terror': Philanthropist George Soros has criticised US President George Bush's 'war on terror', claiming it has taken more innocent lives than the 9/11 attacks. Satire: U.S. To Leave Iraq June 30, Return July 1: In his weekly radio address, President George W. Bush announced that if the new Iraqi government asks the United States to leave Iraq on June 30 it will do so, but added that it will return to Iraq on July 1, one day later. At least 15 Palestinians killed in major IDF operation in Rafah : Three children, including a 13-year-old boy and his 16-year-old sister, were reportedly among the dead. Israeli Army kills 27 Palestinians in Gaza during the last 36 hours: At least twenty-seven Palestinians were killed, more than 200 injured, including 35 children. Palestinian Authority sources say all casualties were civilians. News blackout in Gaza: Israeli security forces have prevented distribution of the three main Palestinian newspapers in the Gaza Strip for the last six days, sources within the papers and officials said on Monday. Demolishing more than just homes : In return for his wholehearted and unstinting support for Ariel Sharon, President Bush has asked the Israeli prime minister not to expand the West Bank settlements, not to engage in targeted killings of Palestinians and not to demolish Palestinian homes. The Israeli leader has largely ignored all three. Forgotten Christians: Not all displaced Palestinians are Muslims: The Palestinian Christians see themselves, and are seen by their Muslim compatriots, as an integral part of the Palestinian people, and they have long been a vital part of the Palestinian struggle. U.S. report: Israel's record in territories remains poor : An annual U.S. State Department report released Monday in Washington leveled criticism at Israel's security forces. The State Department accuses Israel of excessive use of force, leading to "numerous deaths." Amnesty charges Israel guilty of war crimes : The human rights group Amnesty International has charged that Israel is guilty of war crimes and grave breaches of the Geneva Convention in its destruction of large numbers of Palestinian homes in the West Bank and Gaza Strip Bush addresses American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC): His support for Israeli claims in the West Bank and his rejection of any Palestinian "right of return" has endeared him to many AIPAC members. At AIPAC parley, pro-Israel policy of Bush trumps domestic agenda: When Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas), the Republican leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, called Bush “the greatest friend of Israel the world has ever had,” he got a standing ovation. Police shot as temple blasts rock Thailand: Bomb blasts rocked three Buddhist temples in Thailand's troubled Muslim south and injured at least one person. Grab your wallets: U.S. gasoline now averaging over $2: The U.S. average price for retail gasoline burst above the $2 a gallon threshold for the first time ever, jumping 7.6 cents over the last week to a record high $2.017 a gallon today, the government said. Export of U.S. Jobs Seen Up - Report: The loss of U.S. software programing, customer call-center and even legal paperwork positions should rise to 830,000 jobs by 2005, up 40 percent over this year, the report said. The Bushes and the Bin Ladens: passionate anti-war film is a tale of two families: Peter Bradshaw on Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 Did Allies kill GIs in D-Day training horror? : Scores of US soldiers died in a mock invasion of a Devon beach and their corpses were secretly buried U.S. was given a heads-upon Holocaust, scholars say: U.S. intelligence officials learned in the opening months of World War II that Nazi Germany planned mass killings to eliminate Jews, scholars reviewing newly declassified reports said In case you missed it?: Convoy of Death: In Afghanistan, filmmaker Jamie Doran has uncovered evidence of a massacre: Taliban prisoners of war suffocated in containers, shot in the desert under the watch of American troops. 05/17/04 : U.S.-led forces say kill 51 insurgents in Iraq: U.S.-led forces in Iraq have killed 51 guerrillas, including 20 in an air strike on insurgents loading and unloading weapons from vehicles in southeastern Iraq. Fifteen killed, dozens wounded in Iraq battles: Overnight fighting has claimed 15 coalition and Iraqi lives and left dozens wounded in several Iraq cities, according to military and hospital sources. Suicide Car Bomb Kills Iraq Governing Council Head: A suicide car bomb killed the head of the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council and at least eight other people Monday at a checkpoint outside the main Baghdad headquarters of the U.S.-led administration. Italian killed in Iraq fighting: An Italian soldier has been killed in escalating clashes with Shia militia in the Iraqi town of Nasiriya. 'Sarin bomb attack' on US troops : A roadside bomb containing a small amount of the nerve agent sarin has exploded near a US military convoy in Iraq, the US military announced today. Rumsfeld says it wasn't necessarily sarin : Don't jump to any conclusions just yet. That warning comes from Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, after the U-S military in Iraq announced that a roadside bomb containing sarin nerve gas had exploded near a U-S military convoy. 'Sarin bomb' reopens Iraq WMD debate: The weapon was a binary shell, which contains two chemicals that only mix to form the nerve agent once the warhead is in flight after being fired. Sarin Find 'Does Not Point to Huge Wmd Programme' : The presence of sarin in a roadside bomb in Iraq should not be taken as meaning Saddam Hussein had a massive programme of weapons of mass destruction, an expert on chemical warfare said today. Powell Admits False WMD Claim: Appearing on Meet the Press, Powell acknowledged--finally!--that he and the Bush administration misled the nation about the WMD threat posed by Iraq before the war. Colin Powell's Intreview On Meet The Press 05/6/04 : Transcript Powell says some pre-war intelligence on Iraq's weapons wrong : US Secretary of State Colin Powell has said that intelligence provided by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) about mobile biological weapons labs in Iraq before the war was wrong. S.Korea Says U.S. Plans to Shift Some Troops to Iraq: The United States plans to shift a brigade of about 4,000 troops stationed in South Korea to deter North Korean aggression and redeploy them in Iraq, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said Monday. US admits Shia unrest is 'uprising': Fighting continued in Shia cities across Iraq yesterday in what United States occupation forces now admit is a "minor uprising" by forces loyal to the radical Shia cleric Muqtada Sadr. Italians forced to flee base : Fighters loyal to radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr drove Italian forces from a base in the southern city of Nasiriyah and attacked coalition headquarters there with grenade and mortar fire as tensions in the Shi'ite region escalated. Coalition Evacuates HQ in Nasiriyah : Most of the civilian staff of the U.S.-led coalition was evacuated from their headquarters in the southern city of Nasiriyah because of growing threats from Muqtada al-Sadr's militiamen, a coalition official said Sunday. Allies accused of breaking Geneva Conventions on civilian losses: 11,005, Iraqi civilians killed.This does not include about 800 reportedly killed recently in Fallujah and 235 in Baghdad, or about 20 reported to have died in the British-controlled Basra region 100 Iraqis Held Outside Control of Top General: The conditions have been described by the Red Cross as a violation of the Geneva Conventions, the international treaty that the Bush administration has said it regards as "fully applicable" to all prisoners held by the United States in Iraq. U.S. holds huge network of secret terror prisons: Suspects hidden from public, courts Prison abuse resulted from a memo signed by Bush: Newsweek: While there is no telling where the scandal will bottom out, it said US soldiers and CIA operatives could be accused of war crimes and of charges which could include homicide involving deaths during interrogations. The Roots of Torture: The road to Abu Ghraib began after 9/11, when Washington wrote new rules to fight a new kind of war. A NEWSWEEK investigation Implausible Denial: Despite his status as the Pentagon's über-intelligence authority, in the initial days of the breaking Abu Ghraib scandal Cambone was virtually invisible. Powell says Bush was 'informed' of Red Cross concerns: Officials advised president 'in general terms' about reports of abuse, he says Army Times, Editorial: A failure of leadership at the highest levels: While responsibility begins with the six soldiers facing criminal charges, it extends all the way up the chain of command to the highest reaches of the military hierarchy and its civilian leadership. Abu Ghraib: the rule, not the exception: Americans are no novices to inflicting pain and humiliation, says torture expert MILES SCHUMAN. U.S.-sanctioned torment has a long and diverse pedigree In case you missed it: Geneva Convention Applies to Taliban, not Al Qaeda: Feb. 7, 2002 -- President Bush said the United States would regard the Geneva Conventions as applying to Taliban detainees under U.S. control -- but not Al Qaeda detainees. U.S. ignorance: Regarding the torture of Iraqi prisoners, sadly this news is not news for most of the world. The shadow of Aden: Torture, rebellion, repression - the story of the British army in the Middle East. Only this was 40 years ago Iraq Latest: Soldiers Swap Sick DVDs of Iraqi Killings: US troops copy the video footage onto DVDs and pass them to Coalition troops, including the British. Pointless apology: The US system has nurtured a chain of command capable of such crimes, keeping it carefully hidden from view, unaccountable, untouchable. This chain of command has refused to submit to the Geneva Conventions and any other legal instruments concerning the treatment of prisoners. Prison Abuse Investigators Question Hiring of Former Utah Prison Boss: U.S. Justice Department officials have come under fire for hiring a former Utah prison boss with a history of human rights complaints to oversee prisons in Iraq. Galloway to prosecute Blair for war crimes: Controversial MP George Galloway has spoken of his plans to prosecute Tony Blair and two other Government figures for war crimes. Bair wants out of Iraq when possible: As pressure builds on Prime Minister Tony Blair to show he has an Iraq exit strategy, the government says it plans to step up training of Iraqi forces to allow its own military to leave as soon as feasible. Soldier critical of military : Army Spc. Christopher Heldt, a Portage native based at Baghdad International Airport, said in an e-mail that poor planning from Day 1 may have cost American lives and limbs. Far From Ready for More War: A third of the Army is 'unfit to fight' but preparing to return. Berg Met With Shady Iraqi: There's another strange new twist to the saga of Nick Berg and his final days of Iraq before his savage videotaped beheading. US Gov't Disavows E-Mails About Berg's Detention: The State Department says an e-mail from a consular officer in Iraq that said beheaded American Nicholas Berg had been in US custody was based on erroneous information. Nick Berg's father calls on Rumsfeld to resign: The father of an American beheaded in Iraq said in an interview broadcast Monday that he holds U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld responsible for his son's death and called for his resignation. Two Russian hostages freed in Iraq: Two Russians abducted by guerrillas in Iraq earlier this month have been freed in the southern outskirts of Baghdad, a Reuters witness says. Four more Palestinians were killed as Rafah awaits mass demolitions : Israeli forces poured into Rafah Monday at the start of a major new operation in the flashpoint southern Gaza Strip town, as four more Palestinians were killed by soldiers in the occupied territories. Palestinians Flee Refugee Camp in Gaza : Palestinians fled homes in this refugee camp Monday, as Israeli tanks cut off the area from the rest of the Gaza Strip in preparation for what is expected to be a major Israeli military offensive. Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Justice: Unbeknownst to the world, and in particular to the Christian West, this war in the Holy Land has become the last battle for the soul of humanity. It has become the contest between the forces of good and evil, manifesting itself in the struggle between the qualities that raise our natures to that of humans or reduce them to that of beasts. Rabbi Yisroel D. Weiss : Declaration On Zionism And The State Of Israel : Torah true Jews mourn the fifty six years of the illegitimate State of Israel in Palestine and express their solidarity and deep sympathy with the Palestinian People in their suffering and struggle against the Zionist oppression. Gas Price Surge Under Bush Follows Unchecked Refinery Mergers : President George W. Bush allowed an increase in oil refinery mergers to go unchecked since he took office and may have contributed to the highest gasoline prices in 20 years as the November election approaches. From the White House, a nightmare scenario: White House officials say they've got a "working premise" about terrorism and the presidential election: It's going to happen. "We assume," says a top administration official, "an attack will happen leading up to the election." And, he added, "it will happen here." US: Where have all the terrorists gone?: Two years and eight months after September 11, 2001, no one knows for certain why al-Qaeda hasn't succeeded in carrying out another attack on the US homeland. Now, with a presidential election approaching in November, fears that the next wave is imminent have peaked. Vote Bush 2004: He wont lie to us anymore. Flash Presentation. Charley Reese: Better To Be Children: We would do better if, instead of being sheep and complacently accepting the words of politicians as edicts from God, we were like children who always ask that innocent question, "Why?" Comparing Bush and bin Laden : Pop quiz time. Who is the bigger war criminal? Taliban in Texas: Big Oil hankers for old pals: Between the Taliban taking over Kabul in September 1996 and the Group of Eight (G-8) summit in the summer of 2001, neither the administration of president Bill Clinton nor that of his successor, President George W Bush, ever designated Afghanistan as a terrorist or even a rogue state: the Taliban were wined and dined as long as they played the Pipelineistan game in Central Asia. Fahrenheit 9/11 could light fire under Bush : Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 is without doubt the most flaming-hot ticket at the Cannes film festival. And with good reason: Moore hopes that it will bring down the US government Director Moore Launches Anti-Bush Tirade at Cannes: American film-maker Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11," a savage critique of President Bush's handling of Iraq and the war on terror, was warmly applauded by critics at its first press showing on Monday. Beijing threatens Taipei with destruction: In an official statement, the mainland government warned Taiwan leaders to make choices about the future carefully or the "Chinese people will crush their schemes firmly and thoroughly at any cost." Colin Powell's Intreview On Meet The Press : Transcript India's stock market suffers biggest crash in years 05/16/07: 59 killed in Iraq mayhem: Five US soldiers and 54 Iraqis were killed on Saturday including militia members belonging to Moqtada Sadr’s Mehdi Army and Iraqi policemen. Two Iraqi Women Killed in Bus Attack: Gunmen fired on a minibus Sunday, killing two Iraqi women who worked for the U.S.-led coalition, and assailants in a southern city killed a coalition translator and critically injured another, police and witnesses said. American soldier killed: One American soldier was killed and another injured when a roadside bomb went off alongside their vehicle in Baghdad, the US Army reported Sunday. U.S. soldier killed in Afghan ambush, two wounded: One American soldier was killed in Afghanistan and two were slightly wounded after their convoy was attacked near Girishk, in the southern province of Helmand, the U.S. military said on Sunday. Russian hostages shown on tape - report: Al-Jazeera aired a tape on Sunday showing what it said were two Russian hostages seized in Iraq last week and being held by an Iraqi Islamic group. Behind the Scenes, U.S. Tightens Grip On Iraq's Future: Hand-Picked Proxies, Advisers Will Be Given Key Roles In Interim Government Seymour Hersh: The Grey Zone: How a secret Pentagon program came to Abu Ghraib: The roots of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal lie not in the criminal inclinations of a few Army reservists but in a decision, approved last year by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, to expand a highly secret operation, which had been focussed on the hunt for Al Qaeda, to the interrogation of prisoners in Iraq. Rumsfeld’s decision embittered the American intelligence community, damaged the effectiveness of élite combat units, and hurt America’s prospects in the war on terror. Secret operation approved by Rumsfeld leads to abuse : US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld approved a secret operation last year that expanded interrogation methods used in Afghanistan to the Abu Ghraib prisonin Baghdad U.S. Denies Rumsfeld Approved Iraq Interrogations Methods : The denial was made in response to an article on the New Yorker magazine Web site, which said Rumsfeld had approved expanding an interrogation program, which had been used in Afghanistan to hunt for al-Qaeda. Ex-head of TDCJ set up Iraq jail: A civilian charged with preparing Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison for U.S. military use headed the Texas prison system during one of its most controversial periods and later resigned as director of Utah prisons after an inmate died while shackled naked to a chair. US guards 'filmed beatings' at Guantanamo: Dozens of videotapes of American guards allegedly engaged in brutal attacks on Guantanamo Bay detainees have been stored and catalogued at the camp, an investigation by The Observer has revealed 'They tied me up like a beast and began kicking me' : As America struggles to come to terms with military abuse in Iraq, similar stories are emerging from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Tarek Dergoul, a Briton released from the camp in March, talks here for the first time about his two-year ordeal. First criminal prosecutions against UK troops: Soldiers from the Queen's Lancashire Regiment will be charged this week in relation to the death of Baha Mousa, an Iraqi hotel receptionist severely beaten while in British military custody. Photos Don't Tell Lies: George W. Bush is now facing: the truth from Iraq. Karl Rove and Donald Rumsfeld know the power of imagery and, despite their best efforts, control of the imagery of the war has slipped away from them. In an ever-more rapid slide, iconic images have gone from the crash of Saddam's statue and the turkey dinner in Baghdad, to burning humvees and collapsed buildings, to flag-draped coffins coming into Dover Air Force Base, to today's horrific images from Abu Ghraib. US Pushes World Court Immunity Amid Iraq Scandal: U.S. law prohibits military aid to countries that do not sign immunity accords and Washington has used this lever to exert "enormous pressure" on countries to sign, he said. When morality vanishes from the battlefield, the war is lost: If the dead are given the truth at the time of redemption, though, our fallen soldiers now know they lost their lives for considerably different reasons than those provided by their leaders. The war in Iraq began with a lie and it has spiralled into an even greater immorality, which is where all lies eventually lead. In case you missed it: "The victor is not asked if he tells the truth" Video
Pilger film wins top award: London-based, Australian journalist John Pilger's latest documentary film, Breaking the Silence: Truth and Lies in the War on Terror, has won the gold award in the political category at the prestigious 2004 WorldMedia Festival. In case you missed it?: : Breaking The Silence: A hard hitting special report into the "war on terror" Award winning journalist John Pilger: Watch it on-line UK: Army plans to double troops in Iraq: If the deployment goes ahead, defence chiefs have warned the Government that it could only be sustained for a matter of months. The deadline would be the Iraqi national elections due next year which will be ordered by the new interim government due to take power on 30 June. As many as 22,000 Iraq, Afghan war veterans already seek care from VA system : Nearly 18,000 soldiers who have returned from Iraq have sought care at VA health facilities, officials reported at the end of March. A separate report in mid-April said 4,000 troops from the war in Afghanistan sought care, although there is some overlap from those who served in both conflicts. Bush and Blair: The 'special relationship': The President will save himself first: The two leaders are bound to each other - and both their careers are on the line Out Now : Not after a transitional period, not after sending even more troops to die (as presidential candidate and Democratic Party front-runner John Kerry has advocated), and not after waiting to install a puppet regime with United Nations approval. Tell us what this war is about: Can someone in the Bush administration please tell us what this is all about? Are we at war because Saddam tortured his own? Because Saddam possessed WMD and posed an immediate threat to the United States? Because Saddam had something to do with 9/11, even though the Bush administration has already said otherwise? In case you missed it: Bush Planned Iraq 'Regime Change' Before Becoming President : A SECRET blueprint for US global domination reveals that President Bush and his cabinet were planning a premeditated attack on Iraq to secure 'regime change' even before he took power in January 2001. In case you missed it:: Dick Cheney’s Song of America: The Plan is for the United States to rule the world. The overt theme is unilateralism, but it is ultimately a story of domination. It calls for the United States to maintain its overwhelming military superiority and prevent new rivals from rising up to challenge it on the world stage. It calls for dominion over friends and enemies alike. It says not that the United States must be more powerful, or most powerful, but that it must be absolutely powerful. Cease Fire Now, Mr. "War President": It doesn`t get much worse than this folks, especially if you are a soldier in our "war president's" army. What is the plan, George? We ALL want to know ASAP! In case you missed it?: We Don't Want Your War!: Flash Presentation. Oils ain't just oils, they're to die for: It is its citizens' need for oil that drives the US's crusade in the Middle East William Pfaff : A new American dream: Now the most powerful nation, the US feels destiny has chosen it to remake the world. The war in Iraq was supposed to give the US the triumph it was denied in Vietnam. Instead, it has doubled the defeat. The consequences of this, abroad as well as at home, are unforeseeable. Enraging Sunni Muslims : "They say they are searching for a killer in the mosque," said Hassam Aziz Abdul, while glaring at soldiers who walked dogs into the mosque. "But they want to destroy every holy place in my country." Iran leader condemns US 'stupidity': He said the abuse of prisoners in Iraq showed that the US had merely taken the place of Saddam Hussein, and that it was time for them to leave the "bog of their own making". Powell says Arab response to Berg insufficient : WASHINGTON Secretary of State Colin Powell scolded Arab governments Sunday for not expressing more outrage over the videotaped beheading of an American civilian in Iraq. Michael Berg: Interview: Terrorist is another word like communist or witch, and this is a witch hunt: The interviewer asked, "Do you really blame Donald Rumsfeld for your son's death? And will you do anything in addition to that lawsuit you had filed?" Michael Berg responded, "It goes further than Donald Rumsfeld. It's the whole Patriot Act, it's the whole feeling of this country that rights don't matter anymore because there are terrorists about. Riverbend: Iraqi Girl Blog: The assumption that Al Zarqawi himself was doing the beheading seems a little far-fetched. So now the heads of terrorism in the world seem to be Ossama Bin Ladin, Aimen Al Dhawahiri and Abu Mussa'ab Al Zarqawi. Here's some food for thought- Ossama is from Saudi Arabia, Al Dhawahiri is Egyptian and Al Zarqawi is Jordanian. Which countries in the region are America's best allies? Let's see now… When the ess hits the fan: If there's any moral distinction to be made at all in the war between militant Islam and the West, it's that we in the West - yes, we in the west - draw the line at the murder of innocents. But - do we? Retribution or Reflection: Reflection requires us to look within ourselves, to ground our thoughts in an awareness of the potential for rage and violence that lurks within each of us. If the human race learned anything in the 20th century, it was that violence and “evil” are not characteristics only of those among us who perform loathsome acts, but that most, if not all, of us are capable, given the right circumstances, of committing acts of which we would be ashamed. In case you missed it: I sometimes feel like an alien Creature: Flash Presentation "Sorry's" hollow ring: The best damage control is impeachment: : A picture may turn out to be worth, oh, $87 billion. Pick your favorite. A naked Iraqi in a dog collar, a hooded guy on a box wired to electrodes, naked men in a heap, and then they get worse. Eric Margolis: Vietnam all over again: In Iraq, the U.S. is repeating the errors of 50 years ago. Unfortunately, says Eric Margolis, the lessons of the past have been forgotten Where Are You Heading, America?: Taking a Closer Look at the Patriot Act: The parallels with 1930s Germany are ominous Hired guns: Australian mercenaries in Iraq: AUSTRALIAN mercenaries are risking their lives to make a fortune in Iraq. About 100 Australians – including about 40 former SAS troops – are working as hired guns in private security forces. Israel approves more home demolitions: Israel's Supreme Court has rejected a petition calling for the army to stop demolishing Palestinian homes along the Gaza-Egypt border Israel threatens to destroy hundreds of homes: The United Nations says Israel has made more than 12,000 people homeless in Rafah since the start of a Palestinian uprising when peace talks failed in September 2000, and further demolitions would be in "grave breach" of international law. In Pictures: Death and destruction in the Gaza Strip 'I have lost everything': Israeli troops have destroyed dozens of home in Rafah, in the Gaza Strip. The house off Salahudeen Street was home to S'ham Abu Libdeh. She lived in it for nearly 40 years, and she raised her seven children there. I spoke to her as she picked her way through the rubble that is now all that is left of her house. In pictures: Israel peace rally: Tens of thousands of Israelis packed into Rabin Square in Tel Aviv in one of the biggest demonstrations in recent years. Venezuela evicts US military: Gen Garcia asked the US military personnel to leave Fuerte Tiuna days before Venezuela's security forces announced they captured a large force of Colombian paramilitaries. Living hell of the deadly cocktail from the heavens: As Vietnamese continue to be born with Agent Orange defects stemming from the Vietnam War, their families are seeking justice in the US courts. 05/15/04: U.S. military said Saturday it killed 18: The U.S. military also announced the deaths of five soldiers, including three killed by rebel attacks. Four Iraqis dead in Mosul mortar blast: Four Iraqis were killed and 17 others wounded in an attack on a recruiting centre for the new Iraqi army in the northern city of Mosul, police have said. 3 Said To Be Buried In Israeli Home Demolitions: U.S. Remains Silent: Palestinian sources said that three people had been buried under the rubble, including a man whose body was found under the ruins of his house as the troops withdrew Saturday. Two killed in Karbala clashes: At least two fighters loyal to Iraqi leader Muqtada al-Sadr have been killed in clashes with US occupation forces in the southern Iraqi city of Karbala More occupation troops die in Iraq: Two US occupation soldiers have been killed in separate attacks south of Baghdad. U.S. soldier wounded in southeastern Afghanistan : An explosive planted on a road in southeastern Afghanistan severely wounded a U.S. soldier, the military said Saturday. U.S. will leave Iraq if asked: Powell: U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has laid out the clearest assurance yet that U.S. and allied troops will leave Iraq if asked to by an interim Iraqi government formed June 30. New Iraqi Gov't Can't Expel U.S. Troops: The new Iraqi government won't have the authority to evict American forces from Iraq, a top State Department official said Thursday - quickly reversing a statement made minutes earlier before a House panel. US Troops to Stay in Iraq After June 30, Bush Says: President Bush says U.S. troops will stay in Iraq after the handover of power, until the country's new security forces can defend against what he called external aggression and internal subversion. Israel commits 'war crimes' in Rafah: The army said it would demolish "hundreds" of additional homes in the next few days, apparently as a retaliation and collective punishment for the death of seven Israeli soldiers over the weekend in battle with Palestinian resistance fighters in the area. UN: Israel must stop orgy of destruction: UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has strongly condemned Israel's continued destruction of Palestinian homes in the Gaza Strip. Gaza pullout rally draws 100,000: Mounting the Israeli peace camp's biggest protest in years, more than 100,000 people have rallied demanding a Gaza pullout. Uri Avnery : Busharon: The Countdown : For the first time, the Israeli public saw the real picture of Gaza: not "terror", not "terrorists", but a classic guerilla war, with the whole population taking part in the struggle against the occupation forces. Today's Gaza, tomorrow's West Bank. In such a struggle, we cannot win. Israel Ignores Founding Principles: Can the Jewish people, whose history is a record of continued suffering and relentless persecution, allow themselves to be indifferent to the rights and suffering of a neighboring people? War will benefit Israel, Cheney tells Jews in Boca: Vice President Dick Cheney steered clear of criticizing Democrats during a speech before a Palm Beach County Jewish group. Cheney defends terrorism policies before Boca Jewish group: Vice President Dick Cheney vowed unflagging friendship for Israel -- and an unflinching fight against "America's enemies" in the Middle East and elsewhere -- Friday at the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County. Bush, Cheney disclose vast fortunes: Vice-president saved $88,000 through tax cuts he championed
Bush Says Zarqawi Killed Berg, Cites Saddam 'Ties': President Bush on Friday blamed al Qaeda supporter Abu Musab al-Zarqawi for beheading American Nicholas Berg and cited him as an example of Saddam Hussein's "terrorist ties" before the U.S.-led war in Iraq Our moral Waterloo : President Bush claimed last week: "People seeing those pictures didn't understand the true nature and heart of America." On the contrary, they are an integral part of its "true nature and heart": Pointing Fingers: “You’re It!” : In the video the people who perpetrated this crime say that it is Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi who slayed Berg. If it really was him, I wish I could ask Abu Musab one question: Who gave him the authority to act and speak on behalf of Islam and more than one billion Muslims? Family of Afghan killed in US jail demands answers: The 22-year-old taxi driver died in U.S. custody at the secretive detention centre at Bagram air base just north of Kabul, where he was held along with hundreds of others . U.S.: Systemic Abuse of Afghan Prisoners: Open Files on Detainee Deaths Wave of Mental Problems Follows GIs Home : Soldiers at Fort Carson report a wave of serious mental problems among troops back from the "war on terrorism," according to interviews with soldiers, their families and a therapist working with them. Only a few soldiers will return from Iraq as true heroes: This is my second voluntary tour since 9/11 but I have yet to perform any acts worthy of the designation "hero." I fear that the new trend of considering all members of military, police or firefighting units as heroes diminishes the honor due real heroes In case you missed it: U.S. Troops Admit Shooting Iraqi Civilians: American troops today admitted they routinely gun down Iraqi civilians - some of whom are entirely innocent. Bush Approval Falls to a Record Low in Newsweek Poll: President George W. Bush faces the disapproval of a majority of Americans for the first time in his presidency, with only 42 percent saying they approve of the job he's doing, the lowest number yet in a Newsweek magazine poll. Gwynne Dyer : The Oil Price: The Saudis promised President Bush to raise oil production in order to keep oil prices down in the run-up to the November election. On 10 May, Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi declared that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries should raise its production quotas by at least 1.5 million barrels a day, and the price promptly fell by a dollar from its recent high of $40 per barrel. Maybe help is on the way. Kerry supports $25 billion in emergency funding: UK troops kill 16 after ambush: British troops have fought off three ambushes in southern Iraq, leaving 16 insurgents dead, the UK military says Israel kills 12 more: Twelve Palestinians were killed yesterday in the Gaza Strip, as the Israeli Army retaliated for a second deadly attack on its forces in as many days and growing debate over the future of the flashpoint territory. Israel Razes Homes to Widen Gaza-Egypt Border Buffer: Panic-stricken residents grabbed whatever belongings they could carry and fled, some waving white flags at approaching Israeli forces, witnesses said. Joseph Wilson: Inside the Lies that Led to War and Betrayed My Wife's CIA Identity: Former Ambassador Joseph Wilson on the outting of his wife, CIA operative Valerie Plame; the Bush administration's lies on Iraq; character assassination; and his time as the acting ambassador to Iraq before the Gulf War when he met with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. U.S. avoiding 'torture' to describe soldiers' actions : The U.S. military has been careful to make sure none of the seven soldiers charged in the prisoner abuse scandal has been officially accused of torture. Haitians Seized, Abused by U.S. Marines: The troops covered the heads of 11 Haitians with black hoods and then forced them to lay face down on the ground while binding their wrists with plastic manacles behind their backs. The victims of this terrifying U.S. military invasion included five-year-old Chamyr Samedi, 10-year-old Kerlande Philippe, 12-year-old Loubahida Augustine, 14-year-old Luckman Augustine, and seven adults. Abuse travels very well: The history of the US is nothing if not contradictory. Those who promote America depict the country as the apex of civilized development and the beacon of freedom and democracy. The Strange Case of Nicholas Berg: How is it Nicholas Berg ended up a captive of -- so were are told -- psychopathic fundamentalist Muslims? Did he simply walk into a den of vipers or is there something else behind his abduction and murder? Army might be calling back recently demobilized GIs : In a rare move, the U.S. Army is asking to escalate call-ups of recently released soldiers to bolster the ranks of Army Reserve units needing replacement troops for Iraq and Afghanistan. Guard Deployments Worry States : With so many National Guard troops in Iraq, officials in some states are worried they could be caught short-handed if an emergency flares up at home. More Guard members are deployed now than have been since the Korean War, about a quarter of the 460,000 nationwide. Photos fake, Daily Mirror concedes: Tabloid's editor resigns: Paper victim of a 'calculated and malicious hoax,' it says Three S. Florida mosques vandalized as Iraq events fuel backlash on Muslims: Three South Florida Islamic institutions have reported vandalism and threats in recent days as Muslims nationwide are experiencing a backlash to recent events in Iraq. 05/14/04: 10 Iraqi militiamen killed in Najaf: Sadr spokesman: "The Mehdi Army has 10 martyrs," Sheikh Ahmed Shibani said, adding that the worst fighting took place in the vast cemetery area north-west of the shrine of Imam Ali, the most sacred site in Shiite Islam. Two Israeli occupation soldiers killed in Gaza blast: Palestinian militants have blown up two Israeli soldiers in an armoured vehicle in southern Gaza, witnesses say, in the third deadly ambush this week against the Middle East's mightiest army. Two more Marines killed west of Baghdad : A roadside bomb yesterday killed a U.S. Marine in the Fallujah area, U.S. officials said. Another Marine died of wounds suffered in a clash west of Baghdad, the U.S. command said. Bremer hints at US pullout from Iraq: The US overseer for Iraq, Paul Bremer, has aired the possibility of an American pullout from the country, saying the United States did not stay where it was "not welcome". Berg Died for Bush, Rumsfeld 'Sins' - Father: The father of Nick Berg, the Pennsylvania contractor beheaded in Iraq, on Thursday directly blamed President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for his son's death. There is a 9/11 connection to the American who was beheaded by terrorists in Iraq. : It turns out that the F-B-I questioned Nick Berg two years ago after finding his e-mail address was used by an acquaintance of Nine-Eleven suspect Zacarias Moussaoui Diplomat's E-Mails Show Berg in Custody: A U.S. diplomatic official in Iraq told the family of slain American Nicholas Berg in early April that he was being detained by the U.S. military, according to e-mails provided by the family Thursday. State has no records of Berg's firm : Prometheus Methods Tower Services Inc., the business that cost Nick Berg his life in Iraq, has no records with the Pennsylvania Department of State. Could N. Berg's execution be fake? : There appear to be a few problems with it, casting doubt on its authenticity. If these questions aren"t answered, one should be wary of the entire matter and be advised not to give in to the patriotic blindness brought on by the emotional charge this video packs. Another twist to the spiral of violence' : The Middle East press reacts to Nick Berg's death Jail tactics broke rules: Wolfowitz: Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz has admitted that US interrogation techniques approved for use in Iraq could violate the Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners. Medics witnessed UK Iraqi abuse: A PAIR of Danish army medics working in a British field hospital saw two Iraqis who were beaten during an interrogation admitted to the clinic, including one who allegedly died, the Danish defence ministry said today 'They abused me and stole my dignity': An Iraqi prisoner who was held for four months at the notorious United States-run Abu Ghraib jail near Baghdad described on Wednesday how he spent 18 days naked alone in a cell, often with his hands and feet bound together, and was frequently beaten, urinated on and occasionally photographed hooded and naked by American troops. Reports: Sivits Describes Laughing Abusers: Sivits, the first soldier scheduled to be court-martialed in the abuse scandal, was expected to plead guilty Wednesday in Baghdad. He has cooperated with prosecutors and faces lesser charges than his colleagues. Photo may show intelligence officers in charge: Abusive treatment under the supervision of military intelligence officers may have been intentionally used as part of the interrogation of Iraqi captives at the Abu Ghraib prison, according to a previously unpublished photograph of U.S. soldiers and other personnel US forces were taught torture techniques: Soldiers' accounts reveal widespread use of sleep deprivation and mock executions A systematic process learned from Cold War: "The idea of it being 'a few bad apples' won't wash. It looks increasingly like a systematic process. And there have clearly been conscious attempts by psychologists to make the techniques culturally relative to a Muslim population," Prisoner Abuse: Patterns from the Past: Cheney Warned in 1992: CIA interrogation manuals written in the 1960s and 1980s described "coercive techniques" such as those used to mistreat detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, according to the declassified documents CIA Training Manuals from 60s, 80s, and Investigative memos on earlier controversy on human rights abuses The Wrong Direction: Each passing day has made it more clear that the routine treatment of prisoners in military prisons violates international law, the Geneva Conventions and American values of due process and humane behavior Leaking self-doubt: Tracing how the photos became such hot public property reveals something striking, not only about the torture scandal, but about the coalition itself. The photos appear to have come from within US military or political circles; they were effectively volunteered for public consumption by elements within the military or higher up in the Pentagon Prison Abuse: An MI Officer Sounds Off: The abuse and humiliation actually took place at 3 prisons in the Baghdad area. This was not done by accident, it was a planned, systematic way to break down the prisoners will to resist any interrogation, degrade them and then blackmail them into working for US Intelligence. The Iraqi Prisoner Abuse Scandal: It Shows Why the Court Must Decide In Favor of Judicial Review in the Guantanamo Cases Helen Thomas: Rumsfeld is the designated fall guy: While there is plenty of blame to go around for the horrific handling of the Iraqi prisoners in the notorious Abu Ghraib prison, President Bush bears the ultimate responsibility for what happened on his watch. Blair: 'I will remain shoulder to shoulder with George Bush': A defiant Tony Blair said yesterday that he would not change course over Iraq and rejected the growing demands by Labour MPs for him to distance himself from President George Bush. Blair’s willingness to follow Bush into any torture chamber shames Britain Blair faces mutiny over Iraq abuse scandal: Tony Blair has dismissed talk of his resignation as "froth" but some in his party say the revelations of prisoner abuse in Iraq could be the final straw for the damaged prime minister. Robin Cook: The Prime Minister is in denial about the gravity of the situation in Iraq: Those who've met Blair recently, friends or critics, have left in alarm at how little he grasps the gravity of our position Pope expected to tell Bush he is wrong : Pope John Paul II is expected to warn President George W. Bush when the two men meet on June 4 that his policy in Iraq is wrong and the actions of US troops are damaging efforts to bring religions closer together, a senior Vatican official said Thursday. Holiest Shi'ite Shrine Seen Damaged After Battle: Aides to militant Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr blamed U.S. tank fire on Friday for three small holes that appeared in the vast gilded dome of Shi'ite Islam's holiest shrine, the Imam Ali mosque in Najaf. Balkans Soldiers Find Fortune in Baghdad : Fighting gets into your veins, said men who fought in former Yugoslavia. And so now that peace has come to their homeland, many have moved to Iraq. Paper duped into running porn photos: The Boston Globe was reeling yesterday after graphic photos of alleged sexual abuse of Iraqi women by U.S. soldiers turned out to be staged shots from a hardcore porn Web site. 82percent of Iraqis oppose U.S. occupation : In the poll, 80 percent of Iraqis surveyed reported a lack of confidence in the Coalition Provisional Authority, and 82 percent said they disapprove of the United States and allied militaries in Iraq. Parents of U.S. Soldier Killed In Iraq: "My Son Was Betrayed By the Bush Administration": Last week, Sherwood Baker's family buried the Pennsylvania Army National Guard soldier in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. He leaves behind a wife and a 9 year old son. Bill Moyers: "Our Democracy is in Danger of Being Paralyzed": Bill Moyers, "Alarming words, I know. But the realities we face should trigger alarms. Free and responsible government by popular consent just can’t exist without an informed public." The Wolf in Reporter's Clothing: The Rise of Pseudo-Journalism in America: All across America, there are offices that resemble newsrooms, and in those offices there are people who resemble journalists, but they are not engaged in journalism. To the contrary, it regards its audience with a cold cynicism. In this realm of pseudo-journalism, the audience is something to be manipulated. And when the audience is misled, no one in the pseudo-newsroom ever offers a peep of protest. America's military coup : Donald Rumsfeld has a new war on his hands - the US officer corps has turned on the government The Origins of the American Military Coup of 2012: The letter that follows takes us on a darkly imagined excursion into the future. A military coup has taken place in the United States--the year is 2012--and General Thomas E. T. Brutus, Commander-in-Chief of the Unified Armed Forces of the United States, now occupies the White House as permanent Military Plenipotentiary Control In America : War is not only an acceptable form of political expression, it is also, of course, an expression of collective anger on the part of one people against another. And it can be blind collective anger. FBI and CIA Protected Nazis After World War II, Wash. Post Says : The FBI and Central Intelligence Agency offered former Nazi leaders protection and aid after World War II, the Washington Post reported, citing a new book written from declassified government documents. Six Factional Fighters Killed in Afghan North: Six loyalists of an Afghan faction were killed in an ambush in the northern province of Balkh, a spokesman for the faction said on Friday. Israel’s Abu Ghraib Prisons: Before they began interrogation, they asked me if I was ready to confess. They then hanged me by my wrists, naked, outside in the cold, and gave me hot and cold showers alternatively. A hood covered in manure was put over my head". -15 years old Palestinian boy IDF razing homes in Gaza refugee camp : Heavy fighting was reported Friday between IDF troops on the Philadelphi Route in the southern Gaza Strip, and Palestinian militants in the adjacent Rafah refugee camp. Prison budget up, despite no raise : California's prison guards would be denied a raise, and inmates would be denied one hot meal a day on weekends, under a prison budget announced Thursday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that touts savings but actually increases spending. US Oil Prices Hit an All-Time Record High: U.S. oil prices hit an all-time record high on Thursday amid concerns over thin gasoline supplies ahead of peak demand driving season and tight global crude stocks. John Pilger: A Tribute To One 0f A Generation That Asked No Material Gain 05/14/04: Abuse began at another jail in Iraq : Some of the U.S. soldiers who were photographed sexually humiliating prisoners at deposed dictator Saddam Hussein's most notorious prison were also at Camp Bucca last year, when the facility was rocked by allegations that detainees were beaten. Former prisoner calls U.S. center a ‘torture camp’ : Widespread mistreatment by soldiers in Camp Bucca detention center in southern Iraq was as inhumane as that depicted in recent photos from Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. A GI's Iraq Prison Video Diary: A U.S. soldier's home video from Camp Bucca in Southern Iraq, where American soldiers have been accused of abusing Iraqi prisoners. "We've already had two prisoners die...but who cares? That's two less for me to worry about." videotaped comments of one U.S. soldier. Pro-Pain Pundits: Torture advocates defy U.S., international law PPfc. Lynndie England Talks about Iraqi Prison Scandal: As for who gave England and the others the orders, she said, "persons in my chain of command." Another Bush Cover-up: extensive facts and information abound via the real press, specifically the foreign press and the Internet, which assert that these "interrogation" procedures were ordered via the highest levels within the Pentagon - again, period and end of discussion Abuse included rape : The abuse of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. troops went beyond the photos seen by most Americans, shaken lawmakers said Wednesday after viewing fresh pictures and video that they said depicted forced sex, brutality and dogs snarling at cowed prisoners. Excuse us Mr. Bush You owe us more than that reluctant apology! : We want an apology for the agony and pains you caused to the Iraqis who were living in exile and were watching their country burned by your troops and were unable to do anything. Trophies of Inhumanity: Washington has been delivered from its shame by ignorant, malevolent hands, acting with as little principle or morality as the Americans who took the prison photos. Beheaded Man's Firm Was On Right-Wing 'Enemies' List: The family firm of beheaded American Nick Berg, was named by a conservative website in a list of 'enemies' of the Iraq occupation. That could explain his arrest by Iraqi police Cold Turkey : Many years ago, I was so innocent I still considered it possible that we could become the humane and reasonable America so many members of my generation used to dream of. Army Defends Soldiers Escorting Civilians : Gov. Bob Holden , alleged at a Capitol news conference Wednesday that American soldiers are being asked ``to perform a function that they are not trained to perform for a private company and private interest that is not their responsibility.'' :-: Religious riot rages in Nigeria: Muslim and Christian militants are fighting bloody street battles in Nigeria's northern city of Kano for a second day, killing at least 15 people, witnesses say. Filipinos killed in US camp attack: Four Filipino workers have been killed in Iraq in a mortar attack on a US military camp amid continuing clashes across the country. Report: Blast KillsAnother 6 Israeli Soldiers : It was the second such bombing in two days. On Tuesday, six Israeli soldiers were killed when their armored personnel carrier was shredded by a roadside bomb in Gaza City, prompting a massive Israeli incursion into a densely populated neighborhood. Israeli Missile Kills Three Palestinians: An Israeli helicopter on Wednesday fired a missile in Gaza's Zeitoun neighborhood, killing at least three Palestinians, Palestinian officials said. Israeli troops kill another Palestinian in Gaza Strip: Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian in Gaza City, Palestinian medical sources said, bringing to four the number killed here during an army operation in the Zeitun district. Palestinians hold Israelis' remains to ransom for release of prisoners: In a macabre development, armed factions, whose members displayed some of the body parts for photographers, said that they were willing to negotiate their handover, apparently in return for the release of Palestinian prisoners. Israeli Soldiers Launch Gaza Incursion: Israeli troops launched a massive incursion into a Gaza neighborhood on Wednesday, firing missiles, demolishing buildings. Taliban Kill Two Afghan Soldiers: Taliban guerrillas killed two Afghan soldiers on a U.S.-funded highway in a troubled southeastern province where American troops continue to arrest suspected militants, a senior Afghan commander said. U.S. attacks mosque in holy city: The U.S. military attacked a mosque in this holy city late Tuesday in its largest assault against the forces of the young rebel Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr Sadr tells Mehdi Army to fight on: Radical Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr has vowed to continue his fight against US forces in Iraq but says he will disband his militia if asked by Shia leaders. Nick Berg's Parents Say US Abandoned Him: As West Chester mourns the brutal death of native son Nick Berg at the hands of Iraqi terrorists, his parents want to know why he was detained by the US military there and why he wasn't escorted out of Iraq after he was released. U.S. spokesman says decapitated American was never held by U.S. forces : Dan Senor said that Berg, was never under U.S. custody despite claims from his family Beheaded hostage 'had been warned to leave Iraq' : A US civilian hostage who was beheaded in Iraq had been warned to leave the country but refused to, US officials said today. In case you missed it: West Chester contractor missing in Iraq : Nick Berg was on his way out of Iraq. He had been released from the prison where he had been held for 13 days by Iraqi police for reasons he said he did not know. He had made his way from Mosul to his Baghdad hotel. He was finished with being an independent civilian contractor and was coming home to West Chester. Iraqis Shocked by Beheading, Despair Over Violence: Most Baghdad residents on Wednesday condemned al Qaeda's beheading of a U.S. civilian in Iraq, but many said his death was just the latest atrocity in a cycle of violence that is driving them to despair. Arab media condemns beheading : Arab media reacted cautiously to the beheading of an American civilian on a video issued by an associate of Osama bin Laden, with some newspapers conspicuously playing it down or even ignoring it. $10m for hostage killer : THE US is offering a $10 million bounty for the capture of the al-Qaeda fanatic who beheaded American hostage Nick Berg. Friends Worry About Missing Contractor : Bradley, of Chesterfield, and another truck driver, Timothy Bell of Mobile, Ala., have been missing since April 9 when their fuel convoy was attacked outside Baghdad. Both work for the Halliburton subsidiary KBR. A military man taking part in the convoy, Pfc. Keith M. Maupin of Batavia, Ohio, also remains missing. Awful images change perception of the war : The video of a U.S. civilian being beheaded by Iraqi extremists represents a profound and disturbing shift in the Iraq conflict: Graphic images are humanizing the toll of the war, heightening emotions on both sides, say experts. The slaughter of Nick Berg: In the U.S., rallying cry for hawks and doves: A reason to get out -- or to dig in? A Double Ordeal for Female Prisoners: One woman told her attorney she was forced to disrobe in front of male prison guards. After much coaxing, another woman described how she was raped by U.S. soldiers. Then she fainted. Focus shifts to jail abuse of women : According to Prof Shaker, several women held in Abu Ghraib jail were sexually abused, including one who was raped by an American military policeman and became pregnant. She has now disappeared. UNICEF 'disturbed' over child abuse claims: The United Nations children’s agency said today it was “profoundly disturbed” by reports that children may have been abused in prisons in Iraq. Ex-Iraq Official Says U.S. Forces Covered Up Abuses: Iraq's Governing Council long suspected abuses at the U.S.-run Abu Ghraib prison but American soldiers covered them up each time Iraqi officials went to investigate, the former interior minister said Wednesday. Soldier's video diary of abuse to be broadcast: A US soldier's video diary showing her disdain for Iraqi detainees who died in her charge is to be broadcast by a US network tomorrow in a further escalation of the prisoner abuse scandal that has shaken the Bush administration and provoked world outrage. The Doctrine of Atrocity: U.S. against "them"—a tradition of institutionalized brutality. "Kill one man, terrorize a thousand," reads a sign on the wall of the U.S. Marines' sniper school at Camp Pendleton in California. Rumsfeld approved 'harsh' interrogation: Including stripping detainees naked, making them hold "stress" positions and depriving them of sleep, a Pentagon official has confirmed. US Senator: 'Outraged by the Outrage' Over Iraqi Prisoner Abuse: "These prisoners, they are murderers, terrorists, they are insurgents, many of them probably have blood on their hands. And here we are so concerned about the treatment of those individuals." Republican Senator says Iraqis deserved it : Uber-Conservative Republican Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) just said on CNN that the Iraqi prisoners basically deserved what they got: William Pfaff: Who ordered 'shock and awe'? : To what extent have the policies of the Bush administration - and the values and attitudes that have characterized the conduct of the so-called war against terror - contributed to a state of mind and morale in the American military that opened the way to the torture, abuse and, in some cases, apparent murder of prisoners in Iraq: Genital Torture For Dummies : Hey, it's a war -- what did you expect? And, really, what Bush-votin' flag-wavin' God-numbed patriot wants to hear that the U.S. is a world-class hypocrite, committing many of the same crimes and tortures, rapes and humiliations that Saddam himself did, in the very same prison Trailer trash... but no less American: : How is it that the American public, which is so clearly - some would say, naïvely - idealistic in its view of itself as pure of motive and high of principle, can let its leaders off so relatively lightly? Why is it so ready to dismiss grotesque abuses of power by its own armed forces as of little political significance? A Sorry Bunch: No Apology Necessary--Off to the Hague!: Sick products of a sick system, those who do the dirty work for empire will be sent to bursting jails to be overseen by some of their former colleagues. Meanwhile, the architects of the terror may (though probably not) lose some of their government pensions. General Who Made Anti-Islam Remark Tied to POW Case: The U.S. Army general under investigation for anti-Islamic remarks has been linked by U.S. officials to the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal, which experts warned could touch off new outrage overseas. Indian defence minister condemns US treatment of Iraqi prisoners: "Not only does it indicate a breakdown of ethical standards in the chain of command of the US army, but it indicates scant regard for international laws and basic humanitarian conduct," Fernandes said in a statement. Iraq Prisoners Torture Condemns West : The alleged torture and abuse of Iraqi prisoners by British and America troops condemns the whole of the West in the eyes of the Arab world, the former archbishop of Canterbury said Wednesday. Prison Abuse Said Bigger to U.S. Than 9/11 : The scandal of prisoner abuses by U.S. soldiers in Iraq has dealt a bigger blow to the United States than the Sept. 11 attacks, the Vatican foreign minister told an Italian newspaper. Some suggest post-Sept. 11 quest for vengeance created atmosphere conducive to abuse of Iraqis: ``Let's Roll'' was a common battle cry, evoking the defiant passengers aboard one of the planes hijacked in those attacks. Soldiers displayed flags from Ground Zero and images of the World Center's twin towers. Ex-official in Afghanistan says he also was abused: A former Afghan police colonel gave a graphic account this week of being subjected to beating, kicking, sleep deprivation, taunts and sexual abuse during about 40 days he spent in U.S. custody last summer. He also said he was repeatedly photographed, often while naked. US Forces in Afghanistan Investigate New Prisoner Abuse Allegations: U.S. military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Tucker Mansager says the probe is based on charges of human rights abuse at the main U.S.-run prison camp at Baghram air base. Blair's perversity does him harm and Iraq no good : Iraq is near meltdown. The White House and Downing Street seem transfixed in a state of denial, incapable even of damage limitation. The UN - the last best chance - is on the brink of walking away from Iraq, leaving Bush and Blair to reap the whirlwind they have sown. Patrick J. Buchanan : A time for truth: The neoconservative hour is over. All the blather about "empire," our "unipolar moment," "Pax Americana" and "benevolent global hegemony" will be quietly put on a shelf and forgotten as infantile prattle. The retreat of American empire, begun at Fallujah, is underway. Ex-National Security Agency Head Calls For U.S. Troop Withdrawal From Iraq: Lt. Gen. William Odom has become the highest ranking retired general calling for U.S. troops to completely withdraw. He served as director of the National Security Agency under President Reagan. Netherlands to Review Iraq Participation : The Netherlands is reviewing participation in the U.S.-led stabilization force in Iraq after a Dutch soldier was killed in a grenade attack, the prime minister said Tuesday. Italian opposition demands Iraq troops recall: The Italian opposition has called for the immediate return of the country's troops serving in Iraq to protest the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by occupation forces. Bush Imposes Export Ban Against Syria: President Bush on Tuesday banned all U.S. exports to Syria except for food and medicine, ordering sanctions after long-standing complaints that the Middle Eastern nation was supporting terrorism and undermining U.S. efforts in Iraq. Rabbis express unprecedented criticism of American evangelical support for Israel: Prominent Israeli rabbis are for the first time speaking out against Israel's profitable alliance with evangelical Christians in the United States who have funneled tens of millions of dollars to the Jewish state. Christian groups say ties with Israel 'worst' ever : Christian organizations in the Holy Land say ties with the Israeli government are the worst ever and have accused the Jewish state of denying visas to some clergy - making them unwelcome in the place of Jesus' birth. More Arrests in Venezuela Over Alleged Plot to Topple Government: Venezuelan authorities say they have arrested at least three more people in connection with an alleged plot to overthrow President Hugo Chavez. Cuba, on war footing : Cuba's communist government called a mass protest against the United States, and increasingly is putting the population on a war footing amid new US moves aimed at speeding the end of President Fidel Castro's rule. Top Officials Hold Fake Degrees: They are safety engineers at nuclear power plants and biological weapons experts. They work at NATO headquarters, at the Pentagon and at nearly every other federal agency.They're employees with degrees from phony schools. |
