Submitted by Diane Farsetta on
"In dawn raids today, American troops surrounded Ahmed Chalabi's headquarters and home in Baghdad, put a gun to his head, arrested two of his aides, and seized documents," Andrew Cockburn writes. "Only five months ago, Chalabi was a guest of honor sitting right behind Laura Bush at the State of the Union.
Submitted by Diane Farsetta on
High gas prices are drawing politicians' attention. "Democratic proposals range from a temporary halt in shipments to it to releasing a portion of the crude" oil in the 660 million barrel U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, for some price relief, Reuters reports. But George Bush told reporters, "We're at war.
Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on
"The United States government has decided to halt monthly $335,000 payments to the Iraqi National Congress, the group headed by Ahmad Chalabi," reports Richard A. Oppel, Jr. The INC, which has received at least $27 million in U.S. financing during the past four years, played a crucial role in the Bush administration's campaign to sell the war in Iraq.
Submitted by Diane Farsetta on
"To promote America's Army: Overmatch, a free game created by the Army as a recruitment tool, a group of Army Special Forces personnel staged an urban tactical assault exercise outside the [Los Angeles] convention center" hosting the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3. The "helicopters, machine guns and face-painted soldiers leaping off tall buildings" startled and even "panicked" passersby. One retired Army major with the game project said: "This game is what we do in reality.
Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on
USA Today has become the first major U.S. newspaper to publish a call for U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, with USA Today's founder Al Neuharth editorializing that the war is "the biggest military mess miscreated in the Oval Office and miscarried by the Pentagon in my 80-year lifetime." In addition, Neuharth advises President Bush to take a cue from Lyndon B. Johnson and announce that he will not run for re-election.
Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on
Matthew Stannard reports that the "nightmare video of an American civilian captured in Iraq being decapitated by his captors was anything but a random act of terrorism, experts say -- it was a press release, carefully designed for a global audience." Its purpose was recruit new terrorists and to frighten Americans, especially nongovernmental groups and civilian contractors working in Iraq who provide a sizable armed "auxiliary" to the U.S. military and the Coalition Provisional Authority.
Submitted by Diane Farsetta on
"Few would debate that the U.S.-led coalition needs some potent PR in Iraq," writes Clayton Collins.
Submitted by Diane Farsetta on
How should the U.S. handle torture allegations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Cuba? The Army may use video games. The America's Army game, which is currently used "to train and recruit soldiers... could also be modified to include lessons on prisoner treatment." Reuters reports: "The PC-based game...
Submitted by Diane Farsetta on
"As some troops have discovered," writes Richard Leiby, "... you can serve in both Afghanistan and Iraq and end up with a medal recognizing just one war. It's known in military-speak as the GWOT (rhymes with 'fought') medal, for the Global War on Terrorism." According to Pentagon spokesperson Jim Turner, "The GWOT medals tie today's global war to yesterday's global war, i.e. WWII.
Submitted by Diane Farsetta on
U.S. prisoners of war during the first Gulf War "are criticizing the Bush administration for fighting their compensation claims while planning to compensate the Iraqi victims of abuse at Abu Ghraib prison," reports The Hill.
Center for Media and Democracy (CMD)
520 University Ave, Ste 305 • Madison, WI 53703 • (608) 260-9713
CMD is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit.
© 1993-2024