Special Coverage: World

Jodie Evans, AlterNet. December 4, 2009.
The president's announcement of a troop surge in Afghanistan this week prompted protests in over 80 communities across the country.

Thelma Mejia, IPS News. December 4, 2009.
The Honduran Congress voted this week not to reinstate ousted President Manuel Zelaya. "Mr. Zelaya is history," said Roberto Micheletti, who took power after the coup.

Progressive Leaders Pan Obama's Decision for More War in Afghanistan -- 10 Reactions

AlterNet. December 4, 2009.
Tom Hayden says he's taking the Obama bumpersticker off his car, Laura Flanders says the Bush Doctrine is still alive, and more.

Why Should We Get Out of Afghanistan? Because Imperialism Is a Fool's Game

Larry Beinhart, AlterNet. December 3, 2009.
Imperial occupations have become geometrically more difficult since the Second World War.

Obama's War Speech Offered Something for Everybody -- But Who's Buying It?

Rory O'Connor, MediaChannel.org. December 2, 2009.
Obama's promise: Let's come together and get along to end the war - by waging the war more intensely…but only for eighteen months, and then we all get to go home.

Hightower: What Is Obama Getting Us into in Afghanistan?

Jim Hightower, Creators Syndicate. December 2, 2009.
Cut the music, and let's all ponder what Barack Obama, Roberts Gates, Stanley McChrystal and Co. are getting us into ... and whether we really want to go there.

Obama's Afghan Surge Rationale Contradicts His Own Recent Position

Gareth Porter, IPS News. December 2, 2009.
Obama's rationale for escalation in Afghanistan is based on a notion that he recently rejected: the supposedly indissoluble link between the Taliban insurgency and al Qaeda.

A Humanitarian Disaster in the Making Along the Chad-Cameroon Oil Pipeline -- Who's Watching?

Brendan Schwartz, Valery Nodem, AlterNet. December 2, 2009.
The discovery of oil in Chad was supposed to allieviate poverty and human suffering, but it's only enriched Western Oil companies and the local dictators.

Obama's Misguided War Speech Shouldn't Be the Last Word on Afghanistan

John Nichols, The Nation. December 1, 2009.
Presidents are not supposed to begin and end the discussion about war. With both parties divided over Afghanistan, it's time for Congress to debate the Obama's war plan.

Will A Long-Awaited Israel/Palestine Prisoner Swap Finally Go Through?

Jerrold Kessel, Pierre Klochendler, IPS News. December 1, 2009.
Whether or not Marwan Barghouti will be among those released on the Palestinian side could have important implications for the peace process.

Michael Moore: An Open Letter to President Obama on Afghanistan

Michael Moore, MichaelMoore.com. December 1, 2009.
You still have the opportunity to save thousands of lives and live up to your campaign promises. Don't become the next war president, Mr. Obama.

Former Member of Afghan Parliament: Obama, We Don't Want a Troop Surge in Our Country

Malalai Joya, Comment Is Free. December 1, 2009.
If Barack Obama heralds an escalation of the war, he will betray his own message of hope and deepen my people's pain.

Amy Goodman Detained at Canadian Border; Guards Demand Notes For Speaking Event

Amy Goodman, Juan Gonzalez, Democracy Now!. November 30, 2009.
Border guards held Goodman and her colleagues for an hour and a half, searching their belongings and telling them they could only stay in the country for two days.

Politicians' Symbolic Opposition to Afghan Escalation is Pointless As Long As Congress Keeps Writing Checks

Norman Solomon, AlterNet. November 30, 2009.
It doesn't much matter whether people "support" the escalation. What matters is whether they openly oppose it -- and, if so, how vocally and emphatically.

Whatever Happened to the CIA Black Sites?

David Corn, Mother Jones. November 26, 2009.
The CIA ordered its secret prisons closed, but lawyers for terrorism suspects want them preserved as possible evidence -- and the CIA won't say what's going on.

The Battle of Durban II: New Film Brings Dose of Sanity to Debate Over Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Brian White, Gotcha Movies. November 26, 2009.
It's a great feat to bring an even view to international politics. The Battle of Durbin II does just that.

Citing "National Defense Needs," Obama Administration Says it Won't Sign Ban on Land Mines

Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!. November 26, 2009.
Stephen Goose, director of Human Rights Watch's arms division, called the decision to keep the Bush-era policy "an appalling decision."

Is Obama Following in the Footsteps of Bill Clinton?

Jeff Cohen, AlterNet. November 26, 2009.
Obama's shown a Clinton-like willingness to roll over progressives to enact corrupt legislation and compromise for the votes of Republicans.

Palestinian Children Face Daily Attacks While Going to School

Mel Frykberg, IPS News. November 25, 2009.
A safe walk to school is something many American children take for granted. Not so for many Palestinian youths who are facing attacks from Israeli settlers.

Murder at Guantanamo? The Mysterious, Unsolved Death of Mohammad Saleh al Hanashi

Jeffrey S. Kaye, TruthOut.org. November 25, 2009.
Mohammad Saleh al Hanashi was found dead inside a psych ward at Guantanamo. It was ruled a suicide. But disturbing evidence suggest the truth may be far uglier.

What Nidal Hasan, Timothy McVeigh, and the Beltway Sniper Have in Common: All Were Scarred by Pointless U.S. Wars

Nora Eisenberg, AlterNet. November 25, 2009.
Some of the most notorious massacres of the past 15 years have been committed by veterans whose brains have been severely damaged from trauma or exposure to toxic chemicals.

Obama Will Announce 34,000-Troop Escalation in Afghanistan 'Within Days'

Agence France Presse. November 24, 2009.
Obama faces a U.S. public sharply divided on the war and calls from some Democratic allies to set a flexible timetable for withdrawal.

Did American Commandos Slaughter Afghan Civilians in Bala Murghab? Residents Say Yes.

Mustafa Saber, Institute for War and Peace Reporting. November 24, 2009.
Residents of Takht-e-Bazaar say U.S. commandos landed in their area on November 6 and began shooting indiscriminately during a search for missing U.S. troops.

Blackwater's Secret War in Pakistan Revealed

Jeremy Scahill, The Nation. November 24, 2009.
An elite division of Blackwater plans targeted assassinations of suspected Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives in Pakistan. And everyone's denying it.

The Obama Speech America Is Dying to Hear: "This Administration Ended, Rather Than Extended, Two Wars"

Tom Engelhardt, Tomdispatch.com. November 23, 2009.
Any day now, Obama will make an announcement about the number of soldiers he wants in Afghanistan. Here's the speech he should give.

Are We Really 'Withdrawing' from Bush's Wars? Quietly, US Constructs Even More Bases in the Mideast

Nick Turse, Tomdispatch.com. November 23, 2009.
The news is focused on a future U.S. withdrawal from Iraq -- but the withdrawal isn't to send the military presence home -- it's into bases across the Persian Gulf.

Labor Against the War Shifting Sights to Afghanistan Occupation

Jane Slaughter, Labor Notes. November 23, 2009.
Because of domestic issues like health care reform, many unions have remained silent about Afghanistan. That's about to change.

The Story of 500 Years of Global Greed and Misery

Lucy Komisar, IPS News. November 23, 2009.
"The End of Poverty?", a documentary by Philippe Diaz, paints a lurid picture of globalization's role in the First World/Third World rift.

Will There Be Justice for the Victims of El Salvador's Jesuit Massacre?

Pamela Merchant, AlterNet. November 23, 2009.
El Salvador's President Funes has affirmed his commitment to seeking the full truth of the military's role in the massacre.

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