Monday, 31 March 2003
First public hearing of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States: Statement of Mindy Kleinberg to the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States The silent leader ALLIES INCH TOWARD BAGHDAD: As troops adjust to fits and starts of battle and try to win Iraqi civilians' confidence, U.S. war planners defend the campaign and overall direction charted by top brass Brendan O'Neill: Propaganda defensive The Clash of Two Fundamentalisms War on Iraq Diverts Attention from Colombia - Prize-winner War in the Locker Room - God, Iraq Split Americans 'What fault did my son have?' Politician Urges Bush War Crimes TrialJAKARTA, Indonesia - The United Nations must try President Bush and his allies as war criminals, a top Indonesian politician demanded Monday as protesters elsewhere denounced the war in Iraq as illegal and voiced concern for its victims.
Amien Rais delivered a letter to the U.N. building in Jakarta demanding that Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair (news - web sites) be tried in an international court "for their unjustified use of force against the people of Iraq."
Rais heads one of the country's largest Islamic political parties and is expected to run for president in 2004.
Budget deficit twice as big with alternate accounting method, report says 'Creeping retreat' from nuclear disarmament, increased proliferation risk among issues stressed, as disarmament commission opens session (31 March 2003) After Iraq, Bush to halt Iran nuke program Berating the Generals: The Siege of Washington The Greatest Story Never Told: Are American elections fixed? Don't ask the mainstream media. NBC News Fires Arnett Over Iraqi TV Interview Seymour M. Hersh: Offense and Defense: The Battle Between Donald Rumsfeld and the Pentagon 20 Civilians Killed When Raid Hit Farm Three Wounded Brits Critical of Yankee Pilot A Mood Last Seen When Confederate Spies Lurked Has Security Council Member Syria Officially Joined Axis? Conservatives 'fed up' with protesters Support our leader-- unless he's Clinton Pakistan purchases N. Korean missiles Mubarak: Long war to aid militants: Egyptian leader warns 'there will be 100 bin Ladens afterward' Powell warns Syria and Iran: US Secretary of State Colin Powell has issued a fresh warning to Iraq's neighbours, Syria and Iran, to stop supporting terrorism. Knives come out for Rumsfeld as the generals fight back: Interfering style blamed for army setbacks Iraq Peace Team diaries Calls grow for UN verification if Iraqi arms found Expert says politics of war 'lost' British backtrack over general Britain's Mirror Hires Fired Veteran Arnett 7 women and children killed by US Troops U.S. Prepared to Pay 'High Price' to Oust Saddam U.S. Tank Falls in Euphrates; Four Marines Dead Infrastructure Minister Paritzky dreams of Iraqi oil flowing to Haifa Belgium: US wants to take over Arab world Twenty civilians killed when raid hit farm Mubarak Says Iraq War Will Produce "100 bin Ladens" Watchdog Group Asks for Perle Investigation Democracy Now!: The prince of darkness resigns: a look at the controversial businesses dealings of Pentagon adviser Richard Perle; Three Dominican nuns face 50 years in prison for conducting citizens weapons inspections: trial begins today in Colorado; What will a U.S. occupation of Iraq look like?; Six journalists still missing in Iraq; Rumsfeld rejected advice from top Pentagon planners"One second of war in Iraq is twelve thousand dollars. So that's more than we spend each year per child on public education in the city of New York."
Generals dig in for long war Huge blast 'hits palace of Saddam's son': Day 12: British forces destroy 17 more tanks as battles continue for Basra, Najaf and Nasiriyah Arnett fired by NBC after Iraqi TV outburst Read the small print: the US wants to privatise Iraq's oil: No one here believes this is a humanitarian warMany Arabs already define this neo-colonial war as a historic turning point which might have as profound an effect on the Arab psyche as September 11 did on Americans. Arabs have long been accustomed to seeing Israeli tanks running rampant. Now the puppet-master, arrogant and unashamed, has sent his helicopter gunships and armoured vehicles to Arab soil.
The US has mounted numerous coups in the Middle East to topple regimes in Egypt, Iran and Iraq itself. It has used crises, like the last Gulf war, to gain temporary bases and make them permanent. In Lebanon it once shelled an Arab capital and landed several hundred marines. But never before has it sent a vast army to change an Arab government. Even in Latin America, in two centuries of US hegemony, Washington has never dared to mount a full-scale invasion to overthrow a ruler in a major country. Its interventions in the Caribbean and Central America from 1898 to 1990 were against weak opponents in small states. Three years into the new millennium, the enormity of the shift and the impact of the spectacle on Arab television viewers cannot be over-estimated. Is it an image of the past or future, they ask, a one-off throw-back to Vietnam or a taste of things to come?
War tactics split is denied by US: US chiefs deny split over war tactics Wounded British soldiers condemn US 'cowboy' pilot Robert Fisk: A quiet Baghdad night of occasional air raid sirens and mysterious explosions Growing resentment at British 'liberators' in BasraContrary to American and British expectations, many of the 1.5 million populationare directing their resentment at the invading forces, rather than the regime of Saddam Hussein. "They came here and they bombed innocent families," one man said.
Commandos seize Iraqi officers near Basra Iraq claims thousands of foreigners are joining 'jihad' Rumsfeld denies overruling military planners on strategy for war he inspired Unconvinced and unhappy: thousands take to the streets in anti-war protests British firm wins contract to help with post-war rebuilding of Iraq Yasmin Alibhai-Brown: War or no war, I refuse to be blackmailed George Bush: We have seen the cruel nature of a dying regime: From a radio speech by the United States President broadcast across America Under fire: the architects of war Robert Fisk: Suicidal act of war has struck fear into Allied hearts Cook breaks ranks to demand withdrawal of British troops Dozens killed as US special forces overrun 'terrorist' camps Day Eleven: Stalled on road to Baghdad Rupert Cornwell: Don't mention the V-word: Washington haunted by ghost of conflict that dare not speak its nameSunday, 30 March 2003
Dear Mr. Cellucci: Remember WWII? Swept away by a lobbyist's wave of influence The War's Dirty Secret: It's About Changing United States, Not Iraq US Marines turn fire on civilians at the bridge of death Activists Confirm Iraqi Hospital Bombed US Marines Turn Fire on Civilians at the Bridge of Death Uncensored Info on Iraq War from the Russian GRU Analysis: Shooting from the hip with Syria Inside my CIA diaries: Two axioms still play out as absurd stories are supplied by men with bad teeth and bloody hands War's Military, Political Goals Begin to Diverge Push Toward Baghdad Is Reaffirmed: Bush Backs Battle Plan Of Top Pentagon Officials Special Search Operations Yield No Banned WeaponsShortly before the first bombs fell on Baghdad earlier this month, special operations teams from the United States, Britain and Australia swept low over Iraq's western desert to seize four targets of highest priority to the U.S. Central Command. The teams set down at camouflaged structures believed to house chemical warheads, Scud missiles and eight-wheeled transporter-erector launchers, known as TELs.
After short firefights, the teams secured the sites, according to sources briefed on the after-action reports. But the mission turned up nothing. There were "no missiles, no TELs and no chemicals" where blueprints and scale-model terrain tables had directed the teams to look, one knowledgeable official said.
Blair seeks to defuse Arab anger Perle: Iraq War Could Be Shorter Than Gulf War Once more into the swamp: Saddam learned a lesson in 1991, the U.S. and Britain did not ... now their forces are tied down fighting a guerrilla war in Iraq The cost of war for one Iraqi family caught in the crossfire US forces' use of depleted uranium weapons is 'illegal'"Mr. Bush has lost us. We are gone. Enough. That's the end," said Diaa Rashwan, head of the comparative politics unit at the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo. "If America starts winning tomorrow, there will be suicide bombing that will start in America the next day. It is a whole new level now."
"Bush is an occupier and terrorist. He thought he was playing a video game," said George Elnaber, 36, a Arab Christian and the owner of a supermarket in Amman. "We hate Americans more than we hate Saddam now," he said, referring to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
"It is as if you are watching a horror movie," said Summer Said, a journalist for the Cairo Times, an English-language newsmagazine. "I thought, at first, okay, maybe it isn't a war for oil. Maybe America does want to help. Now, it's genocide to me. Is the American government trying to exterminate Arabs?"
Iraqi civilians feed hungry US marines Robert Fisk: In Baghdad, blood and bandages for the innocentIn the Al-Noor hospital yesterday morning, there were appalling scenes of pain and suffering. A two-year-old girl, Saida Jaffar, swaddled in bandages, a tube into her nose, another into her stomach. All I could see of her was her forehead, two small eyes and a chin. Beside her, blood and flies covered a heap of old bandages and swabs. Not far away, lying on a dirty bed, was three-year-old Mohamed Amaid, his face, stomach, hands and feet all tied tightly in bandages. A great black mass of congealed blood lay at the bottom of his bed.
This is a hospital without computers, with only the most primitive of X-ray machines. But the missile was guided by computers and that vital shard of fuselage was computer-coded. It can be easily verified and checked by the Americans -- if they choose to do so. It reads: 30003-704ASB 7492. The letter "B" is scratched and could be an "H". This is believed to be the serial number. It is followed by a further code which arms manufacturers usually refer to as the weapon's "Lot" number. It reads: MFR 96214 09.
The piece of metal bearing the codings was retrieved only minutes after the missile exploded on Friday evening, by an old man whose home is only 100 yards from the 6ft crater. Even the Iraqi authorities do not know that it exists. The missile sprayed hunks of metal through the crowds -- mainly women and children -- and through the cheap brick walls of local homes, amputating limbs and heads. Three brothers, the eldest 21 and the youngest 12, for example, were cut down inside the living room of their brick hut on the main road opposite the market. Two doors away, two sisters were killed in an identical manner. "We have never seen anything like these wounds before," Dr Ahmed, an anaesthetist at the Al-Noor hospital told me later. "These people have been punctured by dozens of bits of metal." He was right. One old man I visited in a hospital ward had 24 holes in the back of his legs and buttocks, some as big as pound coins. An X-ray photograph handed to me by one of his doctors clearly showed at least 35 slivers of metal still embedded in his body.
The tragedy of this unequal partnership: By opting to join the American hard Right, Tony Blair has made the gravest mistake of his political lifeThe rise and rise of American conservatism is neither well documented nor well understood in Britain - but it's one of the pillars on which I build my case for Europe in The World We're In*. Ever since the pivotal Supreme Court judgement in 1973 legalising abortion (the Roe v Wade case) which marked the high water mark of American liberalism, it's been downhill all the way. American conservatism, an eccentric creed even within the pantheon of the western conservative tradition, now rules supreme. Domestically it offers disproportionately aggressive tax cuts for the rich and for business, reforms that shrink America's already threadbare social contract and a carte blanche for the increasingly feral, unaccountable character of US capitalism.
Wolfowitz denies authorship of controversial Iraq memo US soldiers in Iraq asked to pray for Bush Oscar winner targets Bush and bin LadenThe choice of Moore's new subject - the relationship between the arms industry, the Bush administration and the war on terrorism - could hardly be better timed.
Last week administration adviser Richard Perle resigned from the influential Defence Policy Review Board amid allegations of a conflict of interest between his roles as an influential hawk and as a paid adviser to defence and communications firms.
Yesterday it was revealed that, in addition to acting as an adviser to communications company Global Crossing as it sought to overcome Defence Department opposition to its sale, Perle advised a major US satellite maker, Loral Space and Communications, as it faced government accusations that it improperly transferred rocket technology to China.
Two weeks ago the New Yorker detailed a lunch that Perle had taken with Saudi arms dealer Adnan Kashoggi, at which he allegedly implied he would temper his criticism of the House of Saud in exchange for investment in a new security and defence investment firm with which he is involved. Perle denies the accusation.
Hometown America watches in horror: The Pentagon told them war would be swift and painless. Now the truth is invading their living rooms and the grim images are of people they love Saddam: I'll hit UK with terror squads: Saddam's deputy warns that Britain and America are to be targeted by suicide bombers, as US prepares for final assault on Baghdad Report: Rumseld Ignored Pentagon Advice on Iraq Battle of Baghdad could turn into a nightmare if Saddam wins his bet America in the vice: Lives and careers are on the line in Iraq Takoma the dolphin is Awol The 'Palestinization' of Iraq The day of the deadSaturday, 29 March 2003
No 'Smoking Gun': Hit on Ansar al-Islam Camp Finds No Signs of Chemical Weapons The curious coalition: US allies list sparks global concern, confusion Antiwar Effort Emphasizes Civility Over Confrontation IRAQ: British MP Sees Catastrophe Ahead U.S. News Criticized for Sterility US soldiers die in suicide taxi bombing Failure of Rumsfeld's 'War Lite' Strategy Leads Allies to Bring in the Heavies U.S. Halts Tomahawks Over Saudi Arabia Explosion, Said to Be From Missile, Rocks Empty Mall in Kuwait Arrogance, not intelligence Uncensored Info on Iraq War from the Russian GRU Are we witnessing the madness of Tony Blair? Workplaces face wartime politics N.Korea Vows No Nuclear Concessions, Cites Iraq Military Families Unite in Protest Angry Arabs Say Baghdad Market Blast U.S. Massacre British Mideast expert : 'US, Britain, heading to disaster' Hawks led Bush to expect quick victory, sources say Journalist condemns war myth: After years of covering conflicts, reporter tells UT audience that war is addictive"We are going to pay for every single bomb we drop on Iraq," he said. "And frankly, we deserve it."
Turks shower U.S. soldiers with eggs, stones Audio: Former UN Assistant Secretary General and head of the UN Oil-For-Food program on the Iraq war: "It's a complete breach of the Geneva Conventions.""I'm only surprised that Rumsfeld hasn't resigned yet. [...] They [Iraqis] are fighting for their country. [...] This is a natural phenomenon. We saw this in the United States. After 911, Mr. Bush had extraordinary support, in the 90 percentile area I believe. Prior to 911, he was in the 40 percent. We have done exactly the same to the government in Baghdad by attacking this country, killing these people, attacking their towns, ruining their lives as though we haven't ruined them already in the twelve years of sanctions... so I think that Mr. Rumsfeld and Mr. Bush were very badly advised. Mr. Perle and his 'cakewalk' have proven to be absolute garbage."
Losing the Peace U.S. hawk defends his 'cakewalk' prediction on Iraq Molly Ivins: Government secrecy and other little steps toward fascism Explosion, Said to Be From Missile, Rocks Empty Mall in Kuwait British Man Changes His Name in Protest Did Errant U.S. Missile Hit Kuwait City? Missteps with Turkey prove costly White House: Bush frustrated with media coverage of war Mass destruction weapons need to be found-analyst Tell Halliburton to do the right thing and donate Iraq War profits to American and Iraqi victims Either Take a Shot or Take a Chance"We had a great day," Sergeant Schrumpf said. "We killed a lot of people."
[...]
But more than once, Sergeant Schrumpf said, he faced a different choice: one Iraqi soldier standing among two or three civilians. He recalled one such incident, in which he and other men in his unit opened fire. He recalled watching one of the women standing near the Iraqi soldier go down.
"I'm sorry," the sergeant said. "But the chick was in the way."
Apology attempt angers hero's family Radicals hide out in border I fear the human cost will be huge TV anchors choke back tears: I gag British Commanders Question War Strategy Blair's massive blunder We will cut force Aznar faces 91% opposition to war Bombing kills more than 50 in crowded market Robert Fisk: Bombing of phone system another little degradation Allied push on Baghdad 'on hold' Unofficial US Build Up In Turkey For New Front? Invaders Can Not Take Baghdad: German Military Experts Arab Press Predicting Bloodbath: Columnists Note Lack of Quick Victory Iraqi troops fire on families fleeing Basra Rumsfeld warns Syria to halt 'hostile' shipments of military aid Israelis trained US troops in Jenin-style urban warfare Anti-war demonstrators halt rush-hour traffic in Washington as Arab protests continue The uprising that wasn't, mythical chemical weapons and other items of 'breaking news' Baghdad will be no Stalingrad, says historian Beevor Revealed: How BNP is exploiting war for political gainFriday, 28 March 2003
A letter to AmericaYou're the 21st-century Romans. Your admiring friends used to know you well: land of the brave, home of the free. Now, as you obsess over the omens of war, we wonder if you know yourself, muses MARGARET ATWOOD
Baghdad will be near impossible to conquer Assad: Syria fears becoming next coalition target Perle Resigns as Pentagon Panel Chairman: Facing Conflict-of-Interest Questions, Adviser Says He Doesn't Want to Be a Distraction Key Rumsfeld Adviser Perle Resigns Post Rumsfeld pressures Franks to take Baghdad quickly, sources say War in Iraq and Israeli occupation: A devastating resonanceOur government's failure to secure authorization for this war from the United Nations Security Council, largely dismissed as an unfortunate but minor detail here at home, has had a profound impact throughout the world. Almost no one in the Arab world accepts the administration's stated concerns about either Iraqi weapons of mass destruction or the brutality of the Saddam Hussein dictatorship. The consensus is that long-term American domination of the oil-rich Persian Gulf region is the actual aim. As a result, while most Americans see ourselves as liberators, near-universal Arab perception is that ordinary Iraqis are fighting courageously against incredible odds to defend their homeland. The profound Arab sense of violation trumps particulars about who is in charge of Iraq, even the reviled Hussein.
Kucinich: This War is Wrong And Must End Priests, Monks Nabbed in Latest U.S. War Protest Hawks on War Against Hussein Stay the Course A Perle of high price: Calculating the costs of this war Conflict sapping forces' morale IRAQ: New Fear Dawns over Baghdad Questioned about how the war's going, Bush administration lashes out at press Rumsfeld, Myers Pentagon Briefing, March 28, 2003 News from Iraq causes Americans to think again Robert Fisk: Raw, devastating realities that expose the truth about Basra Outspoken Army General Upsets White House Air Raids Pound Baghdad, Arabic TV Says 50 Dead Anti-Hussein Officials Rebuke Unilateral U.S. Battle Strategy: Dissidents Say Failure to Incorporate Iraqis Constitutes 'War of Conquest' Moore Film To Claim Ties Between Bush, Bin Laden Clans Major dismisses war goal Blast, Plumes of Smoke in Kuwait City -CNN 'Die-ins' Target War and News Media Weight of the War Takes Toll on Bush: U.S. president shows irritation For Broadcast Media, Patriotism Pays: Consultants Tell Radio, TV Clients That Protest Coverage Drives Off Viewers UN Says: We Will Not Be US Subcontractors American Students Abroad Told to Pretend to be Canadians Senior War Lobbyist Richard Perle is Forced to Resign"Last week he reportedly took part in a Goldman Sachs conference call to advise clients on investment opportunities arising from the war, and its implications for confrontation with North Korea."
Support the Warrior Not the War: Give Them Their Benefits! Routledge: Dubya in a slapdown to our PM New Voting Systems Assailed: Computer Experts Cite Fraud Potential Bandits Hindering British Peace-Keeping Process Ritter Speaks on War in Iraq William Pfaff: Riding alone into the sunset Conservatives Tailor Tone to Fit Course of the War Our Luke was not executed British'Nowhere Near' Capturing Basra US Lacks Force for Baghdad Street Fight-UK Source How the Pentagon's promise of a quick war ran into the desert sand: Political oversights may have stalled offensive, but Rumsfeld is still urging a faster, riskier attack 'Die-ins' target war and news media Practice to Deceive: Chaos in the Middle East is not the Bush hawks' nightmare scenario--it's their plan. Fleeing civilians wounded by Iraqi forces- Civilians 'fired on' by Iraqi troops
- Bunker-busting bombs hit Baghdad
- Rumsfeld: US may lay siege to capital
Thursday, 27 March 2003
EI's Ali Abunimah debates head of "neocon" Project for a New American Century Diplomatic failures concern to retired U.S. commander Following the BombsThis morning I accompanied April to the Al Kindi Hospital where we interviewed an extended family of 25 that had been living in six houses together on one farm just outside of Baghdad. At 6:00 PM yesterday, B-52s dropped cluster bombs on their farm, destroying all six houses, killing four and severely injuring many others. Even the farm animals were killed. We were told that yellow cylinders landed in their yard, and when they and the animals crept closer to investigate, the bombs detonated.
Earth Policy Institute Update: Deserts Advancing, Civilization Retreating War in Iraq - requirement for more troops FAIR Media Advisory: U.S. Media Applaud Bombing of Iraqi TV David Rozelle: W's war senseless, bullying America meets the ghost of the Tet offensive Cutting through Iraq's 'fog of war' 15 Stories They've Already Bungled Afghan Farmers Growing More Opium A 'Turkey Shoot,' but With Marines as the Targets Army Depots in Iraqi Desert Have Names of Oil Giants Oh what a lovely war Sluggish Economy May Be Headed for New Recession War Threatens Economic Recovery, I.M.F. Says FBI Interviews Thousands of Iraqis in U.S.: Individual experiences have varied; most say agents have been mostly polite and even friendly. Still, that doesn't mean all their visits have been welcome. Massive Explosions Rock Central Baghdad Analysts Say Threat Warnings Toned Down: Guerrilla Tactics Were Predicted Wounded U.S. Soldiers Shocked at Iraqi Resistance US walks out of UN debate Former Pentagon official Richard Perle resigns as key Rumsfeld adviser As Eyes of the World Focus on Iraq, The Rest of the World's Hotspots Get Hotter White House Consulted Cellucci on Rebuke Families of Ft. Bliss Soldiers Begin Asking Hard Questions Jubilation Turns to Hate as Aid Arrives Media War: Obsessed with Tactics and Technology Ladies' Tea Boils Over as Saudis Rail at US Arab World: 'Now There's a New 'Butcher of Baghdad' Back at Home, Grieving -- and Some Questions: Lack of Details on Deaths Angers Kin Antiwar Demonstrations Jam Midtown Manhattan Energy Market Manipulated, Regulators Say Tom Dalyell: Blair, the war criminal Thousands protest Iraq war in Lebanon UPI News Update I refused to help Bush: PMPrime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Thursday told the media how George Bush thrice sought his help in the war on Iraq, and how he refused the American President.
US diplomat resigns over Iraq: A senior American diplomat in Mongolia has resigned, saying Washington's policies towards Iraq and North Korea are making the world more dangerous. Jim Lobe: All in the Neocon Family Uri Avnery: Where Did They Go Wrong? Boycott Delta: Delta Airlines Treats Americans Like Terrorists I'd Like to Thank the Vatican... Michael Moore fesses up to his Oscar day "mistake" -- going to Mass first. War Could Last Months, Officers Say Iraq Accuses U.S. of Targeting Civilians Robert Fisk: 'It was an outrage, an obscenity'It was an outrage, an obscenity. The severed hand on the metal door, the swamp of blood and mud across the road, the human brains inside a garage, the incinerated, skeletal remains of an Iraqi mother and her three small children in their still-smouldering car.
War in Iraq: Independent links in full New Debate on Iraq War in House: Democratic Caucus Embroiled McGovern: Bush Misleads America About Iraq Opinions Begin to Shift as Public Weighs War Costs Boycott of American Goods Over Iraq War Gains Group: Iraq TV Raid May Break Geneva Convention Iraqi civilian deaths stirring up anti-American sentiment Nobel Winners Arrested at White House War Protest At Least 14 Dead in Baghdad Neighborhood Cruise Missile Attack Blair says US military should control post-Saddam Iraq Civilians cheer as tiny trickle of humanitarian relief begins to flow Republican Guard column advances on US Marines Soldiers build secret camp to intern thousands of Iraqi captives Allied commanders open the battle for the airwaves with a failed attack on state television headquarters Chemical weapons 'not a serious obstacle' to well-trained forces Antiquities experts guarding treasures Commander-in-Chief beats familiar rallying drum to reassure a nation Deaths continue in relative calm of West Bank Stay out of Iraq, Nato warns Ankara Arsonists attack cars belonging to staff at US air base Lies, damn lies and military briefings in Doha: Nobody tells the truth in war. But the difference between democracies and dictatorships should be that the former tell more than the latter. The mounting list of casualties in this conflict is a salutary corrective to the modern view of warWednesday, 26 March 2003
Aerial Bombardment Partially Failed, General Says U.S. Troops Kill 1,000 In 72 hours Near Najaf: Commander International Court could try Iraq war crimes Amira Hass: Horror scenarios coming true City cites war protests in ban on Vance Monument gatherings Economy's woes may go deeper than Iraq Washington and Pandora's Box Graham: Public misled on resistance The Empire Falls Down: Eventually. The lessons of Rome in the deserts of Iraq. Will the war crush the U.S. dollar? Why are U.S. Troops Wearing Dark-Green Camouflage U.S. planning more invasions, McGovern says Advise and Dissent: How anti-war protest movements have made the U.S. stronger Believe your eyes, not opinion polls Freedom of speech threatened, Gore says Saddam once lauded as a 'good American': Given the keys to the city of Detroit U.N. to Seek Record $2 Billion in Humanitarian Aid for Iraq Russia Slams U.S. on Iraq, 'Liberation' Claim U.N. Official: Fake Iraq Nuke Papers Were Crude Differing TV images feed Arab, US views Halliburton subsidiary wins Iraqi oil firefighting contract Robert Fisk: In the long hours of darkness, Baghdad shakes to the constant rumble of B-52s Street fighting looms as biggest challenge of war Cronyism and Rebuilding Chief Inspector Blix Critical of U.S. 4m in Europe sign up for al-Jazeera U.S. Says Will Not Cede Control of Iraq to U.N. FAIR Action Alert: Using "Pro-Troops" to Mean "Pro-War" is Anti-Journalistic FAIR Action Alert: "Precise" and "Surgical": NBC's Bombing Claims Lack Verification US admits '8,000 Iraqis captured' claim was false South Korean anti-war activists protest on top of a McDonald's sign Mexico Party Leader Slams Iraqi War, Calls Bush `Despot' US general with Iraq role linked to hardline Israelis The next phase of war Anti-war school children battle police A Raucous Discussion In the Baucus House? Rumsfeld Under Fire In Howard we trust, but why? Soldier 'bloggers' report from war D.A. drops felonies against protesters: 'Ambiguity' cited -- S.F. supervisor, cops criticize Hallinan Bracing for Bush's War at Home Bush fiddles with economy while Baghdad burns: Could a faltering dollar and global rebellion against its values presage the decline, and eventual fall, of the American empire, asks Mark Tran U.S. military unprepared for militias Reporters witness battle for Basra U.S. ready to impose martial law: Coalition forces hope Iraqi judicial system does not fall apart Paul Reynolds: Basra: Why they are not cheering: They were supposed to be cheering in the streets as the American and British tanks rolled in, just as they did in France in 1944. Robert Fisk: Allies not telling truth - things are going wrong Top General Concedes Air Attacks Did Not Deliver Knockout Blow Royal Marines line up on Iranian border Kevin Lowe: George's little anticsThe footage was the most disturbing thing on television in some time. There was US President George W Bush, being prepped for his televised declaration of war. It was not the combing of his hair, the only aspect of the coverage reported by any American media outlet (the Washington Post in this case), which was cause for embarrassment; everyone expects that. Rather, it was the demeanour -- I would say antics -- of the president himself.
Bush, the so-called leader of the free world, was sitting behind his desk going over his speech, as we would expect. But then it got weird. I felt like I was looking behind the curtain, and it was uglier than I ever imagined.
Like some class clown trying to get attention from the back of the room, he started mugging for his handlers. His eyes darted back and forth impishly as he cracked faces at others around him. He pumped a fist and self-consciously muttered, "feel good," which was interestingly sanitised into the more mature and assertive, "I'm feeling good" by the same Washington Post.
He was goofing around, and there's only one way to interpret that kind of behaviour just seconds before announcing war on Iraq: the man is an idiot.
Clark: Quick victory 'not going to happen'Tuesday, 25 March 2003
Missile Strike Shatters a House, and a Family: Attack on Neighborhood Evokes Anger at U.S. Citizen's rights trampled by FBI Not The Full Story: Why Won't The Networks Ask The Obvious Questions? China readies for future U.S. fight Cheney Forecast for Quick War May Not Pan Out The Saddam Show: How to watch Iraqi TV on the Web. New Mexico prosecutor allegedly points out undercover officers at war protest U.S. Army Documents Warn of Occupation Hazards: The War After the War Kathy Kelly: Angry, Very Angry Halliburton Handed No-Bid Iraqi Oil Firefighting Contract Code Pink disrupts Perle Witnesses: Nigerian Troops Attack Villages in Oil Delta What the Experts Are Saying Live From Iraq, an Un-Embedded Journalist: Robert Fisk on Washington's "Quagmire" in Iraq, Civilian Deaths and the Fallacy of Bush's "War of Liberation" Great Expectations Questions raised about invasion force Survey: 2.5M U.S. jobs slashed since 9/11 Leader: Iraqis Will Resist U.S. Control What's the difference Mr Bush? U.S. Raps Canada on Iraq, Says Should Quiet Critics A Spurious 'Smoking Gun': Why has the news media ignored a Congressman's assertion that White House officials used evidence they knew to be false to build their case for war? Robert Fisk: The shocking truth about 'shock and awe' Europeans flock to al-Jazeera Pope Endorses Antiwar Movement Democrat Seeks Inquiry on Bankrupt Firm's Adviser [Richard Perle] Senate Votes to Slash Bush's Tax Cut Plan Belgium amends law to avoid war crimes lawsuit against Bush Civilian Deaths From Airstrikes on Baghdad Fuel Rising Anger Agencies Rush to Restore Water in Basra 10 Downing St. Web site hacked FAIR Action Alert: Lack of Skepticism Leads to Poor Reporting on Iraq Weapons Claims Cheney: No daughters as human shields Thomas Walkom: Is Saddam winning political war? Paul Krugman: Channels of Influence Nat Parry: As U.S. forces encounter stiffer-than-expected resistance in Iraq, the Bush administration and the U.S. news media are gaining a sudden reverence for international law. Invasion v liberation: flag rises and falls in clash of ideology U.S. Is Assembling a Civilian Team to Run Iraq By Flouting War Laws, U.S. Invites Tragedy Call for UN General Assembly to issue resolution on Iraq war Divided Arab countries issue anti-war resolution: Kuwait expresses reservations while Qatari minister walks out of meeting Cheney daughter - human shield in Baghdad??? Iraq troops fire on civilian uprising in Basra Iraq rebuilding contracts awarded: Halliburton, Stevedoring Services of America get government contracts for early relief work. Robert Fisk: Saddam starts to sound more like his hero, Uncle Joe More and more blasts as Baghdad digs in Dark days await gathering armies Red Cross warns of 'humanitarian disaster' in Basra US missile hits bus, killing five Syrian civilians Mood changes as America finds war is not a video game Leading article: President Bush's outrage rings hollow Islamic militants kill 24 Hindus in Kashmir massacre Shock tacticsOne man has been watching the fearsome bombardment of Baghdad more closely than most - Harlan Ullman, the former US navy pilot who convinced Washington to embrace his 'shock and awe' tactic. He tells Oliver Burkeman why the strategy is working.
George Monbiot: One rule for them: Five PoWs are mistreated in Iraq and the US cries foul. What about Guantanamo Bay?Article 13 of the third convention, concerning the treatment of prisoners, insists that they "must at all times be protected... against insults and public curiosity". This may number among the less heinous of the possible infringements of the laws of war, but the conventions, ratified by Iraq in 1956, are non-negotiable. If you break them, you should expect to be prosecuted for war crimes.
This being so, Rumsfeld had better watch his back. For this enthusiastic convert to the cause of legal warfare is, as head of the defence department, responsible for a series of crimes sufficient, were he ever to be tried, to put him away for the rest of his natural life.
His prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, in Cuba, where 641 men (nine of whom are British citizens) are held, breaches no fewer than 15 articles of the third convention. The US government broke the first of these (article 13) as soon as the prisoners arrived, by displaying them, just as the Iraqis have done, on television. In this case, however, they were not encouraged to address the cameras. They were kneeling on the ground, hands tied behind their backs, wearing blacked-out goggles and earphones. In breach of article 18, they had been stripped of their own clothes and deprived of their possessions. They were then interned in a penitentiary (against article 22), where they were denied proper mess facilities (26), canteens (28), religious premises (34), opportunities for physical exercise (38), access to the text of the convention (41), freedom to write to their families (70 and 71) and parcels of food and books (72).
Monday, 24 March 2003
Seymour Hersh: WHO LIED TO WHOM? Why did the Administration endorse a forgery about Iraq's nuclear program? (New Yorker, 31 March 2003) Iraqi Shi'ites might turn against U.S.-SCIRI Rumsfeld's strategy under fire as war risks become increasingly apparent Bookman: Remaking the world is a risky ambition Kathleen and Bill Christison: A new Sykes-Picot Agreement: Yasser Arafat discusses the future NYT editorial: A New War US says it has "credible evidence" of Russian arms sales to Iraq Courtland Milloy: Something Suspicious Is in the Air Arab League lines up behind Iraq: Arab countries have condemned the "aggression" against Iraq and called for the immediate withdrawal of US and British forces from the country. War Roils Arab League, and Highlights Divisions Audio: U.S. says Iraq's treatment of American POWs breaks Geneva Convention; legal experts call Bush administration hypocritical, citing U.S. treatment of Taliban prisoners and the invasion of IraqThe TV networks began broadcasting detailed reports on how the footage violated the Geneva Conventions.
But the networks didn't seem so interested in international law when US forces captured Iraqi fighters or Taliban soldiers. Nor did the networks give much attention to the fact that many legal experts believe the US invasion of Iraq is illegal.
The Nuremberg Tribunal was set up in 1946 by the US, Britain, France and Russia to try former Nazi leaders. The Tribunal rejected German arguments of the necessity for preemptive attacks against its neighbors and instead outlawed preventive war. The Tribunal ruled, "To initiate a war of aggression, therefore, is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole."
Fear and fury as images of war ruin a nation's big day Israel to extend security fence deep into West Bank Baghdad calling: There are dozens of journalists and TV cameras in the Iraqi capital. But the most vivid account of the build-up to war and the start of the bombing has appeared on the internet - on the weblog of an unknown Iraqi writing under the name Salam Pax. But who is he? Leo Hickman investigates Where is Raed?The images we saw on TV last night (not Iraqi, jazeera-BBC-Arabiya) were terrible. The whole city looked as if it were on fire. The only thing I could think of was "why does this have to happen to Baghdad". As one of the buildings I really love went up in a huge explosion I was close to tears.
Basra facing humanitarian crisis, says Annan Iran to be US next target: CIA Report Yasmin Alibhai-Brown: I am burning with fury because my country has been betrayed: If they elected a monkey as President of the United States, Tony Blair would ingratiate himself and do its biddingI object to the war today, not as a woman, not as (an imperfect) Muslim, not even as a human rights warrior, but as a protective Briton whose country has been betrayed by one of the most devious and unprincipled Prime Ministers we have ever had. No realpolitik, national self-interest or the demands of office can excuse or explain the surrender we are experiencing. Our independence is one of the first casualties of this new world disorder.
Canadian antiwar protests continue Bowling for Columbine wins Best Documentary Feature at Oscars
Sunday, 23 March 2003
Tariq Aziz Fingered Saddam Hussein for Death The World Pushes Back: Even if the US scores a quick victory in Iraq, the rest of the world won't fall in line behind America's new global agenda. Welcome to the era of ''soft balancing.'' Show of Awe: A Thrill Ride, but No BloodViewers saw many touching portraits of hard-working reporters and dedicated young military personnel. They saw and heard the relatives of killed servicemen, some expressing anger, others bereft but proud. They heard anchors urging their correspondents to stay safe, and correspondents wishing soldiers well.
What they generally did not see in the first phase of the invasion of Iraq were very many Iraqis.
"When I looked at the news on television, it did not look like anyone had been killed or was in danger of being killed," Amelie Hastie, a professor of film and digital media at the University of California at Santa Cruz. "It didn't look like anybody was even living in Iraq."
[...]
"If the alternative is still pictures with a correspondent's radio voice, then what technology and embedded journalists has given us is a window that is authentic and real," said Dorrance Smith, who has worked as a producer at ABC and as an adviser in both Bush administrations. "It serves the journalists and the military's interests."
Even as reports of American and British casualties grew, death has not been very evident on television in these early days. Lt. Col. Oliver L. North, a military contributor to Fox News, was in a marine helicopter flying near the Ch-46E Sea Knight helicopter that crashed near the Iraqi border, killing four American and eight British soldiers. Colonel North told viewers he gave a tape to the Pentagon crash investigators, and said he would not show what he called "a Fox exclusive" until United States and British military authorities had notified all the family members and given him the all-clear.
"Even with this degree of access, television cannot ever adequately convey the sheer brute force of war, the noise and utter violence," the NBC anchor Tom Brokaw said by telephone during a break in his newscast on Friday night. "It somehow gets filtered through the TV screen, and that's probably just as well."
Three European nations mull military alliance: France, Germany, Belgium to discuss closer links among armed forces to counter United States, Britain Tony and the pixies: Online commentary: Democracy in Iraq? Peace and reconstruction? Hasn't Tony been paying attention on his trips to Washington? The Jargon Of TV's WarThe slogans at the march yesterday reflected this. And many used the "Shock and Awe" phrase. To begin with, I wonder if anybody watching this shock and awe bombing has noted that Iraq doesn't have a plane.
And that their anti-aircraft fire has not damaged one plane this time, nor has it shot down one plane in 15 years of firing at American planes bombing their military sites.
Using the phrase "shock and awe" is a grubby effort to find a slogan. Why try? "Blitzkrieg" is part of the world language and can't be replaced.
Thousands join anti-war demosSaturday, 22 March 2003
Fears rise over damage war will inflict on wildlife The first of many wars The News No One Is Reporting: American Political Refugees Flee Abroad Case against U.S. pilots too weak, report says North Korea says it will be next target of US war (Boston Globe, 22 March 2003) Robert Fisk: Minute after minute the missiles came, with devastating shrieksSaddam's main presidential palace, a great rampart of a building 20 storeys high, simply exploded in front of me a cauldron of fire, a 100ft sheet of flame and a sound that had my ears singing for an hour after. The entire, massively buttressed edifice shuddered under the impact. Then four more cruise missiles came in.
Allied troops locked in battle for Basra 30 years of Saddam razed Tens of Thousands in US March Against Iraq War Tehran complains of airspace violations by coalition warplanes Bin Laden's victory: A political system that delivers this disastrous mistake needs reform Americans raise hackles by flying Stars and Stripes in Iraq Israeli loan deal claim irritates US Iraq Shows Civilians Caught in the U.S.-Led War Thousands March in Manhattan Against War Adviser quits Foreign Office over legality of war: A senior legal adviser to the foreign secretary, Jack Straw, has quit the Foreign Office because of a difference over the legal advice sanctioning the war against Iraq 50, Including Russian, Killed In Bombing Of Basra Baghdad blitz kills 250: Iraq 50 Dead in Basra, Shows Casualties -Jazeera Rockets Hit Iran, US, UK Jets Enter Airspace-IRNA Oslo anti-war demonstration was the largest of any kind ever held in NorwayFriday, 21 March 2003
A day of sirens, bombs, smoke and fires Protest of the Poor: Artists, squatter speak against war Mary A. Wright's resignation letter Richard Perle: It Pays To Be the Prince of Darkness 1,800 arrested in US, 4 die in Yemen protests -- Detail Story Law groups say U.S. Invasion Illegal Third U.S. Diplomat Resigns Over Iraq Policy At least 50 war protesters arrested Robert Fisk: By first light, the rumbling explosions were already mixed with calls to prayer Hundreds of Texans protest war: Peace vigil held in Houston; Austin thoroughfare blocked Kathy Kelly: Relative Calm Amid the Thunder of the Missiles: What Would Chicago Be Like Under This Kind of Attack? UT's role in FBI task force raises spying concerns Robert Fisk: Bubbles of fire tore into the sky above BaghdadSaddam Hussein, of course, has vowed to fight to the end but in Baghdad last night, there was a truly Valhalla quality about the violence.
Pentagon Adviser Is Also Advising Global Crossing U.S. Ready to Rescind Clinton Order on Government Secrets A new world disorder? Blair is right about one thing, writes Nick Clegg MEP: after this war, the world will never be the same At least 50 arrested in Congress Ave. protest Swiss Police Attack Anti-War Protesting Children Major Air War Has Begun Against Iraq-US Official Anti-War Activists Continue Protests: Anti-War Activists Roll Out Another Wave of Demonstrations; Hundreds Arrested Nationwide Russia's Putin Turns on U.S.Russian President Vladimir Putin, in fierce criticism of the U.S. attack on Baghdad, has demanded a quick end to hostilities and is challenging Washington's view that Iraq is a threat to world security.
Russia had been aligned with France, Germany and China in opposing any resort to military action and demanding more time for U.N. arms inspectors to continue their search for banned weapons in Iraq.
"This military action is unjustified...there has been no answer to the main question which is: are there weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and, if so, which ones," a grim-faced Putin told Russia's top ministers in the Kremlin on Thursday.
Two killed in anti-war protests: At least two people - including a policeman - have been killed in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, at an anti-war march as protests against the conflict in Iraq continue in many countries. Massive air raids rock Iraq: The Iraqi capital Baghdad has come under a massive bombardment after American officials declared that a planned major escalation of its attack on Iraq was under way. World Condemns Iraq War, Fears for Civilian Lives U.S. Battles Calls for Emergency UN Session on Iraq Iran Oil Depot Hit by Rocket, Iran Warns U.S., UK Wave of rocket attacks hits US forces in AfghanistanThursday, 20 March 2003
First Dixie Chicks, now Sandy Duncan: Fellow Texan says Bush not smart Talking dirty to the American people: An estimated 22 per cent of Americans get their daily news from Talk Radio - bizarre, bigoted and often startlingly misinformed diatribes from radio show hosts hired for their ability to shock first and foremost. TV journalist Sheila MacVicar visited a few and was appropriately shocked.We joked about their prior inability to make an international phone call, then talked about what people had told me of their fears of war, and American occupation and imposition. They asked, "So did you have to walk three paces back all covered up in black?"
[...]
There was the syndicated talk show host out of Washington; ranked by USA Today as one of the 25 most influential in the United States, who demanded "Don't they get it? Without us, they'll be riding camels again." Or the talk show host, skewing for the older listener, who wanted to know whether I was frightened talking to Arabs.
[...]
Much of this could have been amusing. But a recent Gallup poll, released in Jan. 2003, found that 22 per cent of those surveyed in the United States said that they got their news every day from Talk Radio, more than double the percentage who confessed the same thing just four years ago.
Instead of security, we have blacklist John Powers: The Big What If? The perils and possibilities of war Iraq dominates EU summit US Missiles target Saddam: US President George W Bush has launched war on Baghdad, vowing to "disarm Iraq and to free its people". In Baghdad, Sirens Wail as Missiles Strike Iraq to file U.N. complaint on attack Congressional reaction varies on Iraqi strike US launches major al-Qaeda hunt: American troops have launched a major military operation in southern Afghanistan, said to be one of the largest in over a year. Thousands Protest War at U.S. Embassies: Thousands of People March on U.S. Embassies in World Capitals to Protest War Against Iraq Thousands protest as conflict begins Heads in the SandThe biggest wartime secret fiercely kept by the White House seems to be the estimated dollar cost to the nation's taxpayers of invading, pacifying and rebuilding Iraq, from first shot to last.
A reckless path Activists start effort to impeach Bush War draws condemnation: The start of war against Iraq has drawn a barrage of criticism from leaders around the world and brought thousands of demonstrators onto the streets. Critics Say U.S. Lacks Legal Basis for Attack Jonathan Schell: American Tragedy China: Stop the war 'immediately': China has called for an immediate end to the U.S.-led war against Iraq, criticizing the United States for ignoring the desire for peace among the nations and peoples of the world. GOP to Hammer Democratic War Critics: Both Parties Willing to Try to Gain Political Advantage in Conflict With Iraq Halliburton Makes a Killing on Iraq War: Cheney's Former Company Profits from Supporting Troops Arab World Erupts in Fury Over Iraq Attack Third U.S. Diplomat Resigns Over Iraq Policy Unauthorized Entry: The Bush Doctrine: War without anyone's permission. War begins in Iraq with strikes aimed at `leadership targets'Minutes before the speech, an internal television monitor showed the president pumping his fist. "Feels good," he said.
Wednesday, 19 March 2003
Exiles voice fears as conflict looms: Iraqi exiles describe their feelings about the impending war against Saddam Hussein USA lied about Iraq's weapons: A US-based Norwegian weapons inspector accuses the USA and Secretary of State Colin Powell with providing the United Nations Security Council with incorrect and misleading information about Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), newspaper Dagbladet reports. MEDIA ADVISORY: Will the War Begin With a Big Lie?: Iraq will be invaded or occupied regardless of "ultimatum," report says Teodoro Bacani Jr., DD: Moral blindness"Consider the pretext for attacking Iraq -- that it has weapons of mass destruction. But the US itself has more than enough of these weapons to blow up the whole world!"
Poland Prepares to Send Troops to Iraq Mall Standoff Enters Third DayA North Carolina tobacco farmer angry with the government extended his siege at the Mall into a third day today, continuing to insist that he had explosives.
Dwight W. Watson, who kept scores of law enforcement agents at bay, said in a midday telephone interview yesterday that his goal was to deliver a message to the American public about the plight of farmers or "die trying."
In a second interview last evening, Watson said that he did not want to hurt anyone and that he told police negotiators he would surrender peacefully today if they "treat me with respect."
But in both conversations, Watson referred to other highly publicized confrontations with federal authorities that ended in death, including the incidents in Waco, Tex., and Ruby Ridge, Idaho. "If they jerk my chain, I'll fight back," he said.
Iraq War Protester Dies in Golden Gate Bridge Fall Demonstrators struggle with how to respond Antiwar Movement Divided by Thoughts on Civil Disobedience Senator Robert Byrd: Arrogance of Power: Today, I Weep for my Country...I believe in this beautiful country. I have studied its roots and gloried in the wisdom of its magnificent Constitution. I have marveled at the wisdom of its founders and framers. Generation after generation of Americans has understood the lofty ideals that underlie our great Republic. I have been inspired by the story of their sacrifice and their strength.
But, today I weep for my country. I have watched the events of recent months with a heavy, heavy heart. No more is the image of America one of strong, yet benevolent peacekeeper. The image of America has changed. Around the globe, our friends mistrust us, our word is disputed, our intentions are questioned.
Instead of reasoning with those with whom we disagree, we demand obedience or threaten recrimination. Instead of isolating Saddam Hussein, we seem to have isolated ourselves. We proclaim a new doctrine of preemption which is understood by few and feared by many. We say that the United States has the right to turn its firepower on any corner of the globe which might be suspect in the war on terrorism. We assert that right without the sanction of any international body. As a result, the world has become a much more dangerous place.
Supreme Court Justice Scalia Bans Media From 'Free Speech' EventCLEVELAND -- Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has banned broadcast media from an appearance Wednesday where he will receive an award for supporting free speech.
Rep. Stark blasts Bush on Iraq war Fremont Democrat says plan to bomb Baghdad is 'act of extreme terrorism' Hope fades as the citizens of Baghdad begin to foresee the appalling fate awaiting them Media Giant's Rally Sponsorship Raises QuestionsSome of the biggest rallies this month have endorsed President Bush's strategy against Saddam Hussein, and the common thread linking most of them is Clear Channel Worldwide Inc., the nation's largest owner of radio stations.
U.S. lawmakers support Bush on Iraq war Top White House anti-terror boss resigns Expecting Iraqi mothers rush to give birth before warTuesday, 18 March 2003
Timber Company Brings Down Tree Sitters Robin Cook: Big hitter who allowed the personal to overshadow the political A divided world stands on the brink of a war that could have been avoidedThe war that now seems inevitable constitutes a failure of potentially catastrophic proportions, whose malign effects will fall first of all on the long-suffering people of Iraq.
Bill Clinton blames the French for Anglo-American aggression in his piece "Trust Tony's Judgement" George Monbiot: Left behind to starve: A humanitarian disaster is engulfing Africa as cash is poured into war and its aftermath Sami Ramadani: Whose interests at heart? The invasion and occupation of Iraq cannot give my people their freedom. That's why MPs should vote against war Robert Fisk: In vain, I looked for signs of the storm to come. Baghdad is a city sleepwalking to war Cook quits with attack on Iraq policy: Commons ovation for Robin Cook as he quits cabinet and rounds on Blair and United States Consumer culture is no accident Paul Krugman: Things to Come Former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno speaks at Brown Peace protests stepped up across the world A Naked Bid to Redraw World Map: Sadly, Bush has made the U.S. the 21st century's first colonizer. Into the DarknessAn associate of mine, a former political appointee, recently spoke to a Republican friend of his who serves in a senior position in what has become the Office of Homeland Security. He reports that this official, along with many of his colleagues across the political spectrum within the apparatus of government, are absolutely terrified of George W. Bush. According to this official, the consensus is that Bush has completely lost touch with reality, and is bringing us to a place where politics will no longer matter.
[...]
Very soon now, perhaps within the next 72 hours, the Pentagon's 'Shock and Awe' battle plan will be put into effect. 3,000 munitions, including some 800 cruise missiles, will rain down on Baghdad, a city inhabited by some 5 million civilians. This will be done in the hope that the Iraqi army will surrender, thus avoiding the need to send U.S. troops in to fight a ruinous house-to-house battle.
The Arab news service Al Jazeera, operating out of Qatar, will capture images of thousands and thousands of Iraqi civilians sprawled and shattered and bloody in the Baghdad streets, in a manner quite like the bodies we saw in New York on September 11. The resulting explosion of rage within the moderate and extremist Muslim world will be immediate and ferocious.
[...]
Martial law will be declared, habeas corpus will be suspended, posse comitatus will be left aside, and the strictures outlined by both Patriot Acts will come to full bloom. 227 years of constitutional law in America will draw to a close.
[...]
The United States of America has concluded an incredible, perhaps unstoppable, race to the bottom since January of 2001. The disputed election brought to power a mob of men -- Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Perle, Bolton -- who have been planning this war since at least 1997. The attacks of September 11, allowed in no small part by purposeful blinders placed over the eyes of our intelligence services lest they offend petroleum principalities like Saudi Arabia with their prickly questions, gave these men the excuse they needed for war.
Jimmy Breslin: Don't Think Twice, It's All Right Attack on Iraq could turn Bush into criminal Robin Cook: Why I had to leave the cabinet: This will be a war without support at home or agreement abroadIn recent days France has been at the receiving end of the most vitriolic criticism. However, it is not France alone that wants more time for inspections. Germany is opposed to us. Russia is opposed to us. Indeed at no time have we signed up even the minimum majority to carry a second resolution. We delude ourselves about the degree of international hostility to military action if we imagine that it is all the fault of President Chirac.
Cynthia McKinney: Something is Terribly Wrong in America Nuclear inspectors reportedly angry: Checking false U.S. leads wasted time, source saysAs United Nations nuclear inspectors flee Iraq, some of them are angry at the Bush administration for cutting short their work, bad-mouthing their efforts and making false claims about evidence of weapons of mass destruction.
Some inspectors are ``scandalized'' at the way President Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell, among others, have ``politicized'' the inspection process, said a source close to the inspectors.
Activist Had Soft Spot for Underdogs: Peace advocate Rachel Corrie is remembered as having 'a heart too big to hold,' which makes her death in the Gaza Strip all the more cruel. Legality Of War Is A Matter Of Debate: Many Scholars Doubt Assertion by Bush In Iraq Crisis, Networks Are Megaphones for Official Views Activists Plan Protests at Start of War War Means Rights May Be Scaled Back International jurists group says Iraq war illegal University of Maryland student newspaper publishes cartoon portraying slain human rights activist Rachel Corrie as "stupid"Monday, 17 March 2003
Terror and torture Israeli troops kill girl, 4 Two billion still without clean water, UN warns Blaming The Messenger: Spain's heavy-handed attempt to fight Basque terrorism by closing a Basque newspaper is only spreading rage and fear Robert Fisk: America 'chasing phantoms' in Iraq says arms expert Vandenberg Air Force Base authorizes 'deadly force' against trespassing protesters US troops would face elite Iraqi soldiers defending Baghdad 'street by street' Saddam warns thousands of 'martyrs' are ready to fight America A watershed for the world Troops admit lack of public support 'nags' at them World is one day from war Hain spells out price for backing Blair Iraq: the final 24 hours Sorry, Mr Blair, but 1441 does not authorise force Ducking the First Amendment: Richard Perle's Planned Lawsuit against Seymour Hersh Get out or it's war, Bush tells Saddam: US, Britain and Spain 'reserve right to take own steps' Robin Cook resigns in protest UN inspectors pack their bags Saddam acknowledges Iraq had weapons of mass destruction Naomi Klein: The daily war: In Argentina, more than half of the people are living in poverty - and they are now starting to fight back War may provoke 'national strike' A Letter from Michael Moore to George W. Bush on the Eve of War Congress Questions Cost of War-Related Aid: Some Lawmakers Skeptical of 'Emergency' Requests for Assistance to Cooperating Nations'It appears to me that the U.S. is the cow -- the cash cow in this case,' Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) said in a recent Senate speech. 'We are the ones being milked. Where will this all end? How many nations will be promised American economic assistance just for their tacit support?'
U.S. Unilateralism Worries Trade Officials Attack on Iraq imminent Canada will not participate in war: PM Russia Says War in Iraq a Mistake and Illegal Sorry, Mr Blair, but 1441 does not authorise force: The attorney general has a tricky task in defending the legal basis for war Powell will take the rap for failed diplomacy "OPERATION ATLAS" Pushed into war by liars and cheats Daschle: Bush Diplomacy Fails 'Miserably': Daschle Says Bush Has Failed 'Miserably' in Diplomacy Over Iraq Crisis, Forcing America to WarSunday, 16 March 2003
Thom Hartmann: When Democracy Failed: The Warnings of History 'Moment of Truth' in the Azores Blair plans for war as UN is given 24 hours Word is made flesh as God reveals himself... as a fish Final play in Blair's diplomatic gamble: A desperate eleventh-hour effort to secure UN backing for war is under way and the PM is steeling himself to fight Iraq - and members of his party. War against Iraq: The Final Charade 200,000 protesters converge on White House Anti-war protests held around the world Why the U.S. Inspires Scorn: Other nations, and especially the Arab world, fear the start of an American empire. Maureen Dowd: Mashing Our Monster Iraq Links Germs for Weapons to U.S. and France State Demos cheer, jeer presidential hopefuls: Varied Iraq stances ignite convention Toppling Hussein a priority of Bush since early in term: Aides helped set policy months before 9/11 attacks Diplomacy ends ... now it's war 'I am appalled at the ridiculous rhetoric that's come out of the US in the last year. Whole sections of the world have been alienated by that stark cowboy language. It's insulting' Anger as CIA homes in on new target: library users U.S. Pair's Role in Bombing Shown: 1998 Colombian incident was directed at guerrillas but killed 18 civilians. Videotape reveals chaos, drama of the day. US Missteps Led to Failed Diplomacy Routine US Abuse Reported at Afghan Camp Intelligence? Dubious Claims Erode US Credibility Rumsfeld Urged Clinton to Attack Iraq Photo story: Israeli bulldozer driver murders American peace activistThe girl, Rachel Corey, 23 years old from the state of Washington, was killed while she was trying to prevent Israeli army bulldozers from destroying a Palestinian home. Other foreigners who were with her said the driver of the bulldozer was aware that Rachel was there, and continued to destroy the house. Initially he dropped sand and other heavy debris on her, then the bulldozer pushed her to the ground where it proceeded to drive over her, fracturing both of her arms, legs and skull. She was transferred to hospital, where she later died. Another foreigner was also injured in the attack and has been hospitalized - at this stage his nationality is unknown.
Saturday, 15 March 2003
UK dismisses Iraq's nerve gas move Military action more likely, says Straw Last envoys ready to leave Iraqi capital: Around half have departed already; for the rest it is a crucial matter of timing Chirac spells it out: no ultimatum Schröder takes a right turn to revive economy: Political swerve keeps party on board but economists say it may not go far enough One last push to avoid war: Blair and Bush head to the Azores for summit; Mid-East peace 'road-map' proposed Doubts grow over legality of war Peace protesters held on damage charges Anti-war slogans ring again in Washington Thousands rally in Austin to protest possible war North Coast residents fill the streets during anti-war march In the shadow of possible war, people mobilize worldwide against U.S. policy on Iraq Thousands Demonstrate in Washington Against WarSeveral Washington protesters wore buttons that read 'Impeach Bush.' The crowd roared when one speaker suggested they would take British Prime Minister Tony Blair if the British would take Bush.
War With Iraq Looming, Protestors Still Hope for PeaceBob Hall came to the gathering carrying a sign reading 'IMPEACH BUSH.' Hall says Bush's continued push for war is proof that he is out of touch with world sentiment toward America.
'Why am i carrying this sign?' Hall asked. 'Because he wasn't elected, and he doesn't listen to his people.'
Thousands of Californians protest possible war in Iraq'If peaceful protests by 30 percent of the population is not enough, we need to up the ante,' said Dan Ashby, 47, who was selling anti-war bumper stickers. 'Stage wildcat strikes. Bring the country to a halt. They cannot run a war without domestic support.'
Ashby said his best-selling bumper sticker was a red, white and blue number reading, 'International Law, Not U.S. bombs.' Another popular model was one he didn't have.
'A few have been asking if we have `Impeach Bush' stickers,' he said. 'I wish we did.'
GENEVA -- In a break from years of unwavering public faith in the United States, top officials at the World Trade Organization are worried that the Bush administration's go-it-alone policy is threatening international trade.
Paris, Moscow and Berlin Issue Declaration Against Iraq War, Call for Ministers' Gathering Dozens of Former Lawmakers Urge Holding Off on War Diplomatic shambles augurs badly for summit of last resort Harvey Wasserman: The emerging superpower of peace On Terror and Spying, Ashcroft Expands Reach In Iraq, UN continues supervising destruction of missilesFriday, 14 March 2003
Fake Iraq documents 'embarrassing' for U.S. (CNN.com, 14 March 2003)"It was the information that we had. We provided it. If that information is inaccurate, fine," Powell said on NBC's "Meet the Press" last Sunday.
Leaders to hold emergency summit on Iraq Robert Fisk: The forgotten power of the General Assembly US preparing to abandon UN and launch war within a week Cook hints at resignation over conflict Will the Pentagon target journalists in Iraq? An interview with veteran BBC war correspondent Kate AdieA BBC war correspondent says the Pentagon told her the military will target satellite communications of journalists in the upcoming war on Iraq.
In an interview on Irish Radio last Sunday, veteran BBC war correspondent Kate Adie said a senior Pentagon official told her that US planes will target any electronic communications on the ground, even if they are operated by journalists.
Adie also said that when she questioned the Pentagon official about the consequences of targeting journalists, the senior Pentagon officer replied QUOTE: 'Who cares? . . . They've been warned.'
A Tyrant 40 Years in the Making Police Break Up Anti-Nuclear Protest North Koreans to join Berkeley nuclear meetings: Unofficial talks aim to jump-start communications Devastation feared if Iraq ignites wells Paul Krugman: George W. Queeg It's your mess, say French with disdain Dozens of Former Lawmakers Urge Holding Off On War Ex-CIA Analysts Accuse Bush of Manipulating Iraq Evidence Democracy Domino Theory 'Not Credible': A State Department report disputes Bush's claim that ousting Hussein will spur reforms in the Mideast, intelligence officials sayMore than 70 protesters, including Warren Langley, former president of the Pacific Stock Exchange, were arrested Friday in nonviolent civil disobedience actions that knotted up morning rush-hour traffic in the Financial District.
Dressed in a dark gray suit, blue shirt and patterned red silk tie, the former exchange president admitted to being a little nervous as he locked arms with his fellow protesters in front of the Exchange offices.
'People ask me who I'm representing,' Langley said. 'I'm representing the establishment.'
Senator Asks FBI to Investigate Fake Iraq Document Whole World Feels Effect of US Intent, Activist Says: The chief threat to the world today is not Iraq, but the United States, Argentine activist says U.S., Britain and Spain Will Meet to Plan Their Next Move Ex-CIA Officers Questioning Iraq Data FAIR Action Alert: Do Media Know That War Kills? Chicago Tribune editor Bruce Dold censors and fires columnist Salim Muwakkil for comparing U.S. foreign policy under Bush to that of Nazi Germany under Hitler William S. Lind: Commentary: Waging War - Playing at War There Is a Third Way Impeach Bush: audio interview with Francis BoyleThursday, 13 March 2003
US says N. Korea 'months away' from nuclear weapons potential Pentagon seeks freedom to pollute land, air and sea 'Alternative Parliament' calls for outbreak of civil disobedience Peers demand that Goldsmith explain the legal basis for war US in disarray as council support crumbles FBI Probes Fake Evidence of Iraqi Nuclear Plans Ex-U.N. inspector warns of war consequences Bob Herbert: Bombs and Blood Peace Activists Lock Down Boeing Headquarters for War ProfiteeringPeace activists shackled themselves together, blocked escalators and chanted anti-war pleas at the downtown Chicago headquarters of Boeing Corporation this morning to protest the aviation giant's role in the upcoming war on Iraq. Chicago police initially barred reporters from documenting the arrests.
The Black Commentator: Why Blacks are under-represented at peace rallies She has bones to pick with FranceWASHINGTON -- First it was french fries and french toast. Now the bones of U.S. servicemen are being dragged into the conflict between France and the United States over war in Iraq.
Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville, plans to introduce a bill today proposing that the families of the thousands of soldiers, sailors and airmen buried in France and Belgium be allowed to dig up their remains and have them shipped home.
Al Qaeda In Disarray? U.S. Raises Prospect of Abandoning Effort for U.N. Vote UN expert warns over Cuban base'The war on terrorism cannot possibly be won by denial of legal rights, including fundamental principles of due process of those merely suspected of terrorism,' Mr Cumaraswamy said.
Iraq: Prepare for Humanitarian Crisis'If central services are disrupted in Iraq, the effects on civilians will be very swift and very severe,' said Alison Parker, a refugee protection expert at Human Rights Watch.
U.N. and humanitarian groups estimate that there are between 700,000 and one million internally displaced persons in Iraq and between one and two million refugees outside the country. U.N. agencies predicted in December that war in Iraq could displace an additional 1.1 million people inside Iraq and 900,000 would become refugees outside the country.
If the United States and its allies go to war and establish military control and authority over Iraqi territory, they will have responsibilities under international law to meet the humanitarian needs of the inhabitants, including the displaced. An occupying power must also provide security or allow civilians to move out of harm's way, either inside or outside Iraq.
U.N. civility degenerates to displays of anger Statement of Senator Mark Dayton: On The Senate Giving Up Its Constitutional Responsibility to Declare War World Creating Food Bubble Economy Based on Unsustainable Use of WaterAs world water demand has tripled over the last half-century, it has exceeded the sustainable yield of aquifers in scores of countries, leading to falling water tables. In effect, governments are satisfying the growing demand for food by overpumping groundwater, a measure that virtually assures a drop in food production when the aquifer is depleted. Knowingly or not, governments are creating a 'food bubble' economy.
Time To Impeach? Conyers Joins Meeting To Mull Ousting BushHouse Judiciary ranking member John Conyers (D-Mich.) assembled more than two-dozen prominent liberal attorneys and legal scholars on Tuesday to mull over articles of impeachment drafted against President Bush by activists seeking to block military action against Saddam Hussein.
George Soros: The bubble of American supremacy Working Assets Anti-War Billboard campaign Britain furious at 'extraordinary' French statement Defiant Blair still on course for war: PM sets six tests for Saddam; Doubts over new UN vote; Shares slump to seven-year lowWednesday, 12 March 2003
Goldsmith Award Winner Criticizes Bush AdministrationJournalist Seymour Hersh denounced the Bush administration's approach to Iraq last night after accepting the Goldsmith Career Award for Excellence in Journalism at the Kennedy School of Government's ARCO Forum.
About 250 people attended the event, at which eight journalists from the Boston Globe won the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting for their work on the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church.
Hersh began his acceptance speech by portraying the difficulties that today's reporters face, especially in Washington.
'I have never seen my peers as frightened as they are now,' Hersh said.
Hersh spoke of his own frustration with the Bush administrations both as a reporter and as a citizen.
'There is no real standard of integrity because the White House doesn't have any,' he said.
Hersh attacked President Bush for his aggressive style.
'It's scary. I wish I could say something optimistic. I think this guy will do what he wants to do,' Hersh said.
Hersh reserved his most intense attacks for Attorney General John Ashcroft.
'Ashcroft seems to be confusing his personal definition of God with the Constitution,' Hersh said. 'He's the least knowledgeable and most dangerous attorney general we've had.'
Hersh then turned his attention to the impending war with Iraq.
Hersh said skepticism about a potential war is shared by many Washington insiders.
'I have never seen such dissent even with three and four star generals. The war is particularly not popular with the marines,' Hersh said.
Hersh also criticized Congress for inaction.
'Congress has gotten so much dumber it's embarrassing,' he said. 'There has been a collapse of Congress. It's an incredible failure. A staggering failure.'
Hersh rose to prominence in journalism after his 1969 reporting on the My Lai massacre, for which he won the Pulitzer Prize.
AUSTRALIA - Gov't Rocked by Resignation of Anti-War OfficialThe Australian government has been stunned by the resignation of one of its senior intelligence analysts who argue that, based on U.S. and other intelligence information he has seen, there is currently no justification for a war on Iraq.
Sources: Egyptian Gets $27 Million for Mohammed's Arrest Tip European Union in New Warning on Bush Go-It-Alone War Paul Coelho: Thank you, George Bush, the Great Leader. Thousands Of U.S. fatalities expected in Iraq: Experts say likelihood of urban combat and exposure to WMD will result in "many thousands" of U.S. military dead. World oil supplies tight as Iraq war looms Russ Baker: Dubya's Profound Double Standard: An Open Letter To The President Author Gore Vidal speaks out against a war and what he calls the erosion of the American dream New York Times Distorts International Law ExpertsWhen Secretary General Kofi Annan warned that the United States would be acting illegally if it waged war against Iraq without the approval of the U.N. Security Council, The New York Times quickly found a few international law experts to side with the Bush Administration.
Obtaining authority for war from the Security Council is not merely a legal nicety; it is a legal requirement. If the U.S. engages in a war against Iraq without such approval, it is an international crime, a crime against peace--the waging of a war of aggression. The Nazis were tried for this very crime at Nuremberg. The Bush Administration, led by a clique of officials including Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and Powell, are bent on solving problems with war and not peaceful means. By ignoring international organizations and international law, they put the world in jeopardy. Congress, by providing them with such authority to attack, and failing to condition that authorization on support from the Security Council, will be complicit in an international crime if war ensues without UN authority.
Francis Boyle: Is Bush's War Illegal? Let Us Count the WaysFor example, on Iraq. Right now they cannot use that War Powers Resolution to justify a war against Iraq. There is no evidence that Iraq was involved in the events on September 11. So they are fishing around for some other justification to go to war with Iraq. They have come up now with this doctrine of preemptive attack. Quite interesting that argument, doctrine was rejected by the Nuremberg Tribunal when the lawyers for the Nazi defendants made it at Nuremberg. They rejected any doctrine of preemptive attack.
Richard Falk and David Krieger: War on Iraq: It's Not the President's DecisionFrom these perspectives, under present conditions, it is clear that if the United States goes ahead and wages war against Iraq it will be guilty of what international lawyers call aggressive war, which was one of the principal charges leveled against surviving Axis leaders at the Nuremberg and Tokyo war crimes tribunals after World War II.
Francis Boyle: Impeachment Resolution Against George W. Bush Annan Says U.S. Will Violate Charter if It Acts Without Approval War on Iraq is legal rules UK Attorney GeneralThe Bush administration's relentless unilateral march towards war is profoundly disturbing for many reasons, but so far as American citizens are concerned the whole grotesque show is a tremendous failure in democracy. An immensely wealthy and powerful republic has been hijacked by a small cabal of individuals, all of them unelected and therefore unresponsive to public pressure, and simply turned on its head. It is no exaggeration to say that this war is the most unpopular in modern history. Before the war has begun there have been more people protesting it in this country alone than was the case at the height of the anti- Vietnam war demonstrations during the 60s and 70s. Note also that those rallies took place after the war had been going on for several years: this one has yet to begin, even though a large number of overtly aggressive and belligerent steps have already been taken by the US and its loyal puppy, the UK government of the increasingly ridiculous Tony Blair.
Howard Fineman: Waiting for War -- In White House It's Official: NYC Council Opposes War Serbian PM shot dead Cheney is still paid by Pentagon contractor: Bush deputy gets up to $1m from firm with Iraq oil deal "Throughout the globe, the United States is becoming associated with the unjustified use of force": diplomat John Brown explains why he resigned from the state department to protest U.S. war plans in IraqThe President has failed to explain clearly why our brave men and women in uniform should be ready to sacrifice their lives in a war on Iraq at this time;
The President has failed to lay out the full ramifications of this war, including the extent of innocent civilian casualties;
The President has failed to specify the economic costs of the war for ordinary Americans;
The President has failed to clarify how the war would help rid the world of terror;
The President has failed to take international public opinion against the war into serious consideration.
U.S. resolution on Iraq may not go to UN vote UN pulls more than 30 inspectors out of Iraq Iraq Shows Drone Powell Called Dangerous Cleaning the Pool: The White House Press Corps politely grabs its ankles. Senior Australian Security adviser attacks war plan 40 Labour MPs call for Blair to resign Appeals Court Weighs Bush's War Powers: Act of Congress Needed for Iraq Invasion, Suit Says Blair won't be forgiven, even if Iraqis dance in the streets: War leaders must sound adamant, but he didn't listen from the start Rumsfeld: US may have to launch war without BritainTuesday, 11 March 2003
The Empire Needs New ClothesIt's easy to vilify George W. Bush as a cynical warmonger, anxious to attack Iraq to repay the oil companies that funded his election campaigns. But to do so is to make a dangerous and fundamental error, and such a myopic view of the Bush administration's policies puts America's future at risk.
The reality is that the current administration has a clear and specific vision for the future of America and the world, and they believe it's a positive vision. In order to put forward an alternative vision, it's essential to first understand the vision of America held by the New Right.
US soldiers storm campArmed Us troops stormed the peace camp at RAF Fairford and ripped protesters' banners off the fence.
Dressed in boiler suits and armed with serrated combat knives, the men stripped the 10ft steel fence at Gate 10. By 2pm yesterday they were putting up a barbed wire fence to keep the demonstrators at bay.
Gloucestershire police intervened after airforce personnel and 12 protesters began to wrestle with the peace banners.
Sarj, a healthcare worker and a student, said: 'The American airforce personnel were very aggressive.
'One soldier hacked at my banner with a combat knife as I was trying to tug it away from the fence.
'They told us that if we were in their country then we would be thrown in jail for what we were doing.
'If the local police hadn't been there the situation could have escalated into something much worse.
'This is just another case of Americans trying to push people about and have their own way and we're not standing for it.
'We are here protesting by rights and in a peaceful manner. We've camped here in temperatures below freezing so something like this isn't going to stop us now.'
How Kofi Annan Can Stop the War Experts fear a war with Iraq will not be short Blair won't be forgiven, even if Iraqis dance in the streets: War leaders must sound adamant, but he didn't listen from the start Oscars blacklist stars in bid to prevent peace protest speeches William Pfaff: The UN may check U.S. power Peace activists seek new idiom: Taking a page from the right, they're wrapping protests in patriotism. US firms set for postwar contracts Press Isn't Asking Right Questions About Iraq Report: 30,000 U.S. troops now in northern Saudi Arabia Mobilizing Online Against War Republican Senator Questions Tax Cut Ahead of a War Bush Calls For Ban on Judicial Filibusters Pentagon Papers Leaker Seeks Leaks on Iraq US Often Uses Security Council Veto for Israel How to Deal With North Korea Airlines: Iraq War Could Cost 70,000 Jobs U.S. a No-Show for Start of 1st Global War Crimes Court [New Mexico] House Takes Stand Against Patriot Act Bush and Blair face diplomatic disaster Tehran hits back after US barrage of nuclear claims North Korea tests cruise missile in campaign of brinkmanship with Washington AP: U.S. Tests Massive Bomb in Florida When Bombs Fall, U.S. Will Join Ranks of War Criminals War crimes judges sworn in: The world's first permanent war crimes tribunal has been inaugurated in The Hague with the swearing-in of its judges. Pakistan Indicates It Won't Support U.S. on Iraq Resolution Annan Says U.S. Will Violate Charter if It Acts Without Approval FAIR Action Alert: New York Times, Networks Shun U.N. Spying Story The Memory Hole: Media Misquote and Excise Bush Comment About "Scripted" Press Conference Veterans differ on antiwar protest: Groups arguing on St. Pat paradeMonday, 10 March 2003
Pentagon threatens to kill independent reporters in Iraq Seymour M. Hersh: Lunch with the chairman: Why was Richard Perle meeting with Adnan Khashoggi? (The New Yorker, 17 March 2003) Protesters lobby for fired mall security guard Boots & Coots fights its own fire: The publicly traded company may get a piece of the lucrative business in a post-war Iraq. But a group of oilmen are trying to take over the company on the cheap. Deterrence: Articles of Impeachment Polar sea ice could be gone by the end of the centuryMuch of the Earth's frozen north will have defrosted by the end of the century, according to the latest study of the effect of global warming on the Arctic.
War opponents grill Gephardt on his Iraq vote Bush Sr warning over unilateral action Peace Correspondent: 'Democracy Now!' Host Amy Goodman Is Making Her Voice Heard on Iraq A supreme international crime: Any member of a government backing an aggressive war will be open to prosecutionWhat would be the consequences of such illegality? Most obvious would be the human, economic and environmental costs, including any further violence that a war against Iraq might trigger. An illustration of how unpredictable and incalculable such costs might be is furnished by a recollection of the events of 1914. When the Hapsburg empire attacked the Serbs, the campaign was expected to be short because of the immense military superiority of Austria/Hungary over the Kingdom of Serbia. Four years later, the Hapsburg empire, together with those of Germany and Russia, lay in ruins. A residue of bitterness and hatred was left that bred an even worse war 20 years later in which there were more than 50 million fatalities. Who can say with certainty where today's threatened war might lead?
A second consequence would be of immense world significance, for it would mean the end of the United Nations and with it the final collapse of the efforts of the past century to create effective international institutions that would replace perpetual war with perpetual peace.
Short vows to resign if Blair snubs UN on Iraq Blair Occupation at Ridge VisitArea students got the word that Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Tom Ridge was coming to Montgomery Blair High School on 3/7 and mobilized a response, with over 300 students walking out of class.
Area students got the word that Tom Ridge was coming to Montgomery Blair High School on 3/7 and wasted no time mobilizing--within hours an 'IMPEACH BUSH' banner hung on the overpass directly next to the school and a 'RIDGE=NO RIGHTS' banner flew from the Blair flagpole while duck tape covered the entrance to the school. Blair was blocked off from the public eye and traffic driving by the school on University blvd., by about 15 empty school buses forming a barrier in front of the school. Behind the buses were a bomb squad vehicle, fire trucks, lots of police cars, secret service, and the like. All sorts of police and security. Protesters started gathering outside of the school around 10:00. About 30-40 non-Blair students from UMD and various Montgomery County high school kids, parents of Blair kids and individuals were all on the University Blvd. sidewalk with signs and chants. Getting the attention of traffic and receiving lots of support through cars honking, and picketing.
Veterans for Common Sense letter to President Bush Librarians try to alter Patriot Act Santa Cruz warns readers that FBI may spy on them Soaring Gas Prices Changing Lifestyles U.S. diplomat resigns over Iraq war plansSunday, 9 March 2003
Hamas threatens Israeli leaders after killing of founder Not in our name, Mr BlairYou do not have the evidence. You do not have UN approval. You do not have your country's support. You do not have your party's support. You do not have the legal right. You do not have the moral right. You must not drag Britain into Bush's unjust and unnecessary war.
First Stop, IraqHow did the U.S. end up taking on Saddam? The inside story of how Iraq jumped to the top of Bush's agenda?and why the outcome there may foreshadow a different world order
Use of CS gas in Gulf is illegal, says Red Cross GCHQ arrest over Observer spying report Maureen Dowd: The Xanax Cowboy Why I am going to the Gulf with a heavy heart McConnell ally stuns Labour by backing SNPSaturday, 8 March 2003
Whatever Happened to Bin Laden? While US Storms Baghdad, Saudi Ties to Al Qaeda Are Unprobed Singer Youssou N'Dour cancels U.S. tour over Iraq Army chief says British troops ready for battle France rejects British deadline for disarmament Blair under pressure as Labour MPs consider second rebellion On the brink of war: UK gives Saddam 10-day deadline to avoid conflict UK nuclear evidence a fake: British intelligence claims that Saddam Hussein has been trying to import uranium for a nuclear bomb are unfounded, according to UN nuclear inspectors (Guardian, 8 March 2003)The Pentagon also is about to take the first public step toward obtaining a high-yield, earth-penetrating nuclear weapon that could be aimed at North Korea's underground nuclear and missile production facilities, according to senior Bush administration officials.
UN Inspectors Say US Relied on Forged Reports of Iraq Nuclear Efforts Concerns About The Undecided Six to be Seduced Bush: Clap me or no EU speechGEORGE Bush pulled out of a speech to the European Parliament when MEPs wouldn't guarantee a standing ovation.
Senior White House officials said the President would only go to Strasbourg to talk about Iraq if he had a stage-managed welcome.
A source close to negotiations said last night: 'President Bush agreed to a speech but insisted he get a standing ovation like at the State of the Union address.
'His people also insisted there were no protests, or heckling.
'I believe it would be a crucial speech for Mr Bush to make in light of the opposition here to war. But unless he only gets adulation and praise, then it will never happen.'
Mr Bush's every appearance in the US is stage-managed, with audiences full of supporters.
Robert Fisk: US war plans are not helped by Blix Beyond Iraq, U.N. Is IssueFriday, 7 March 2003
Neglect of the Palestinian plight is risky and wrong: What price a new American-Israeli primacy in the Middle East? President Readies U.S. for Prospect of Imminent War Iraq attack very close, says Bush: No case for military action, lawyers tell BlairThursday, 6 March 2003
Children's Health is Declining, Says American Chemical Society Iraq: Telling the Left From the Right: American leftists woefully ignore their Iraqi counterparts New Poll Shows Bush Would Lose to Democrat in Election Man with war plan at Bush's right hand Free verse: The pen challenges the sword as some of America's finest poets take an anti-war message to Washington. American Media Dodging U.N. Surveillance StoryWednesday, 5 March 2003
Legislative Democrats: Hold off on warfare Ellis Henican: His War's In Court'Only Congress can declare war,' John Bonifaz was saying at mid-afternoon, as he rode in a cab to midtown from LaGuardia Airport. He's been saying that a lot these past few weeks. And this too: 'Congress cannot cede that constitutional duty to anyone, not even to the president of the United States.'
Bonifaz is anxiously awaiting a ruling. Even more anxiously, his clients wait. 'This is a very personal situation for us,' said Charley Richardson, whose son Joe, 25, is a Marine stationed 'somewhere in the Persian Gulf - we're not exactly sure where. And he is not the only one in harm's way.'
'Joe's fate shouldn't hang in one man's hand, his father said. Not even the president's. Not in America. 'War is the most important decision a democracy can possibly make,' Charley Richardson said, as the appellate judges deliberate. 'This particular war will have ramification for the world for decades to come. This shouldn't be done without real discussion and deliberation. That's not what's supposed to happen in a democracy.'
What Can the World Do if the US Attacks Iraq?If the US attacks Iraq without support of the UN Security Council, will the world be powerless to stop it? The answer is no. Under a procedure called 'Uniting for Peace,' the UN General Assembly can demand an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal. The global peace movement should consider demanding such an action.
A Recent Oregon Ruling Allowing Secret Warrants in Domestic Terrorism Cases May Set A Troublesome Precedent Pope to Bush: Go into Iraq and You Go Without God Why Does the WTO Want My Water? Hungry in Gaza: In Palestine, the failure of the peace process, and Israel's destruction of the economy have had the effect of a terrible natural disaster Blix: Iraq is carrying out disarmament on missiles and in other areas France, Russia Vow No Iraq War Approval Top General Sees Plan to Shock Iraq Into Surrendering[...] military officials have said the plan calls for unleashing 3,000 precision-guided bombs and missiles in the first 48 hours of a short air campaign, to be followed quickly by ground operations.
Marchers Protest Arrest of Man for Wearing Peace T-shirt Bush Isolated by Failure to Learn Father's Lesson Peace Takes A Bullet -- In which the Bush Doctrine means never having to say, sorry about all the warheads and deathThese are the final days of peace in America. Please remember to turn off the lights and lock up when you leave.
These are the last days of relative calm before we start bombing and massacring hundreds of thousands of people and in so doing enter into what many believe will a very long, drawn-out, insanely expensive, volatile, destabilizing, completely unwinnable war against a cheap thug of an opponent who has negligible military might and zero capacity to actually harm the U.S. in any substantive way. U-S-A! U-S-A!
This will not be Desert Storm. This will not be quick and painless. This will be 3,000 guided missiles launched on the first day of the war, 10 times that of Desert Storm, turning Iraq into an instant wasteland. This is already a minimum of $200 billion, with an additional $50 billion to try and bribe Turkey alone, just to begin with. This is total unabashed war gluttony.
Protestors gather at Crossgates Mall: Upset over arrest of man with peace T-shirt A world divided: Russia's Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov warned that his government would not flinch from using its veto to avert war with Iraq America works to shift Council waverers off the fence Philippines bomb attack kills 19 Bush sends B-52s to Guam after North Korean jets buzz plane Stalin's reputation as a ruthless master of deception remains intact: Fifty years after Stalin's death, one of the first western historians to document the violence perpetrated by the brutal leader describes how his demise saved citizens of the Soviet Union from greater sufferingTuesday, 4 March 2003
Powell to Bush: "You will lose, Mr. President."'You will lose, Mr. President,' Powell told Bush. 'You will lose badly and the United States will be humiliated on the world stage.'
US refuses to comment on report of 'dirty tricks' to win UN vote on Iraq Actors Guild Warns Against Blacklisting A war policy in collapse Russia refuses to rule out UN veto Anti-war forces get new recruit Pacific Exchange's ex-chief to protest Memo exposes Bush's new green strategy Bush's Muslim propaganda chief quits'The gap between who we are and how we wish to be seen, and how we are in fact seen, is frighteningly wide,' Beers told a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.
William Rivers Pitt: Arrest MeWhen you harass innocent people for their past and present views, you spread fear within an already terrified nation. This is not about some fool of a Secret Service agent jumping the gun on an innocuous online comment, or an airline security officer with a penchant for bullyragging 55 year old women. This is a failure from the top down, an empowerment - by the man charged with defending our constitution - of lesser jackasses with large badges who do not understand nor care for the importance of their positions. This is about failed leadership, and the despoiling of everything that makes this place precious and unique and sacred.
US hits roadblock in push to war Korean jets intercept US spy plane Pregnant woman crushed to death in Israeli raid American among 18 killed in Philippines blastMonday, 3 March 2003
French vow to veto 'war by timetable' Robert Fisk: Gilbert and Sullivan in the war on terror Israeli troops kill eight people in Gaza incursion Iraq destroys second batch of missiles US rethinks tactics after Turkish MPs block troops Robert Fisk: A breakthrough in the war on terror? I'll believe it when we see some evidence The World Casts a Critical Eye at Bush's Style of Diplomacy US Wants UN Vote on Iraq Next Week; Others Not Sure Turkey Delays U.S. Troop Issue Indefinitely Ali Abunimah, Michael Brown & Nigel Parry: US media ignore Sharon's embrace of ethnic cleansers in new Israeli cabinet Scientists question electronic voting Jacques Chirac Triumphs in Algiers and Calls for a New Understanding Turkey Delays U.S. Troop Issue Indefinitely: After Parliament's Vote Against Deployment, Leaders Weigh Options; Decision Could Follow Elections Measuring Betrayal: Jane Mayer on John Walker LindhSunday, 2 March 2003
Turkish Deputies Refuse to Accept American Troops Revealed: US dirty tricks to win vote on Iraq war: Secret document details American plan to bug phones and emails of key Security Council members US prepares to use toxic gases in Iraq War Means High Risk for Bush Iraq issues missiles warning: Iraq has warned it might halt the destruction of its al-Samoud II missiles if the United States continues to threaten military action without backing from the United NationsSunday, 1 March 2003
Close-Up: The Mind of George W. BushThe 2003 Missile Crisis: They carry a payload of 200kg and have a range of 183 kilometres. What Saddam does with his al-Samoud missiles today will make the difference between the possibility of peace and the certainty of warBush's faith makes "his sense of history very hard for secular intellectuals to understand," according to Gingrich. Given the care with which his associates discuss his beliefs, there must be a lot of secular intellectuals in the Bush Administration. "The great mystery in his decision-making," Frum says, "is the role of religion. When Bush says, 'I'll pray on this,' it's not a figure of speech." [...]
Practically, Bush's faith means that he does not tolerate, or even recognize, ambiguity: there is an all-knowing God who decrees certain behaviors, and leaders must obey. Such beliefs, however much they may alienate him from opinion-makers, are part of his bond with one other leader---the devout Anglican Tony Blair.