Ah, yes. “National security.” That magical incantation by which all standards of transparency and humanitarian law can be summarily dismissed. This time applied in the case of Maher Arar, a Canadian citizen who was “renditioned” by US authorities to Syria… Read more“Rendition” victim: case dismissed
Now, obviously the reality of Abu Ghraib and the Iraq horrorshow generally is an essential backdrop to the anti-cartoon protests. But isn’t there something pretty sick about the paucity of coverage the release of the new torture photos has received… Read moreIraq torture images in the news …barely
What, us worry? From the AP, Feb. 10: WASHINGTON — The government concluded its “Cyber Storm” wargame Friday, its biggest-ever exercise to test how it would respond to devastating attacks over the Internet from anti-globalization activists, underground hackers and bloggers…. Read moreHomeland Security holds “Cyber Storm” war game
Harsh new methods have been used in a successful bid to break the inmate hunger strike at the Pentagon’s Guantanamo prison camp in Cuba. The methods reportedly included strapping detainees into “restraint chairs” for force-feeding, apparently to prevent the practice… Read moreForce-feeding breaks Gitmo hunger strike
This one really takes the cake. William Blum’s anti-imperialist tome Rogue State: A Guide to the World’s Only Superpower has shot up from 205,763 to 26 on Amazon.com‘s index of the most-ordered books since it was given a favorable review… Read moreOsama has poor reading comprehension
From BBC, Jan. 19: France ‘would use nuclear arms’ French President Jacques Chirac has said France would be ready to use nuclear weapons against any state which launched a terrorist attack against it. Speaking at a nuclear submarine base in… Read moreFrance threatens nuclear strikes
Following a ruling this week by the Supreme Court, José Padilla has finally appeared before a civilian judge—which means that the high court will likely not have to weigh in any time soon on whether he was held legally as… Read morePadilla appears in court
A group of 25 US Catholic peace protesters held a three-day fast starting on Dec. 12 near the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to protest the situation of 500 male Muslim detainees held there for three years as… Read moreUS protesters fast at Gitmo
From the front page of the New York Times, Dec. 28, via Bellaciao: Defense lawyers in some of the country’s biggest terrorism cases say they plan to bring legal challenges to determine whether the National Security Agency used illegal wiretaps… Read moreNSA spying scandal raises challenge in terror cases
We recently noted how Ethiopia and Eritrea, as they mutually demonize each other, are both engaging in a crackdown on their own media. Now the Committee to Protect Journalists, in their year-end report on imprisoned journalists worldwide, finds the two… Read moreReport: US sixth among nations jailing journalists
From Amnesty International, Dec. 7: Rendition and ‘disappearances’ in the ‘war on terror’ 800 secret CIA flights into and out of Europe Amnesty International has revealed that six planes used by the CIA for renditions have made some 800 flights… Read moreAmnesty International documents CIA “rendition” flights
Here’s the exact quote, as reported in the New York Times Dec. 7: “I am Saddam Hussein!” the former ruler said repeatedly, shaking his fist. “Like the path of Mussolini, to resist occupation to the end, that is Saddam Hussein,”… Read moreIts official: Ramsey Clark supports fascism
