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Middle East

Scott Ritter: Calling Out Idiot America

Scott Ritter / Truthdig Mar 24, 2007 The former weapons inspector and military intelligence officer plumbs the depths of American ignorance and offers this history of Iraq, the Mideast and Islam. When so few of our politicians, and even fewer of the citizens who elect them, understand the forces at work in Baghdad and beyond, is it any wonder the occupation has been a disaster?The former weapons inspector and military intelligence officer plumbs the depths of American ignorance and offers this history of Iraq, the Mideast and Islam. When so few of our politicians, and even fewer of the citizens who elect them, understand the forces at work in Baghdad and beyond, is it any wonder the occupation has been a disaster? Dig deeper ( 12 Min. Read )
TD Original

Afghan Autopsy

Christian Parenti / Truthdig Nov 29, 2006 America began its so-called war on terror with the intention of driving the Taliban from power in Afghanistan Five years later, the Taliban is back, Osama bin Laden is still alive, and insurgent fighters cite the US presence in the country as their main wellspring of rage How did it come to this? Truthdig contributor Christian Parenti, just back from Afghanistan, reportsThe Taliban is back in Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden is still alive, and insurgent fighters cite U How did it come to this? . Dig deeper ( 19 Min. Read )
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Politics

Israel’s Barrier to Peace

Chris Hedges / Truthdig Jul 26, 2006 Chris Hedges, the former Middle East bureau chief for The New York Times, argues that there can be no hope for peace in the Middle East as long as America continues to aid Israel in its dehumanizing practices.The former Middle East bureau chief for The New York Times and author of the bestseller "War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning" examines the way Israel's security wall has ripped a mortal gash in the lives of Palestinians residing in its shadow, and argues that there can be no hope for peace in the Middle East as long as America continues to aid Israel in its dehumanizing practices. Dig deeper ( 34 Min. Read )

Open Mike Catches Bush Blaming Syria for Hezbollah Escalation

Staff / Truthdig Jul 17, 2006 At the G8 summit for world leaders, President Bush was caught on a live microphone telling Tony Blair that he held Syria accountable for Hezbollah's actions against Israel "What they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit and it's over," Bush told Blair while chewing on a buttered roll Important: This is not a hypocrisy alert Bush's unguarded statements were for the most part consistent with his public ones But it's still a fascinating glimpse into his manner of interaction with America's closest ally Article Best video/audio/transcript combo: CNNcom (The video link "The sh_t hear 'round the world" in the center of the page--not linkable)Blogger reaction: The Carpetbagger Report: "The president often comes across as an unsophisticated simpleton in publicbut incidents like thissuggest Bush is even less impressive in private Juan Cole: Bush's comments "astonishingly simple-minded" . Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Middle East

The Many Faces of Abu Musab al Zarqawi

Nir Rosen / Truthdig Jun 10, 2006 He led Al Qaeda in Iraq, but who was he? What drove Zarqawi to his murderous ends? And what can we learn from his death? Nir Rosen, one of the only Western journalists to have reported extensively from inside the Iraqi insurgency, lays out some answers. Acclaimed Iraq journalist Nir Rosen explores the life, death and intellectual underpinnings of the terrorist who led Al Qaeda in Iraq. Dig deeper ( 18 Min. Read )
TD Original

The Forgotten Wounded of Iraq

Ron Kovic / Truthdig Jan 18, 2006 Ron Kovic, veteran of the Vietnam War and author of the reissued classic "Born on the Fourth of July," writes a compelling and empathetic piece on his personal experiences and concerns for a new generation of veterans returning from war. Ron Kovic provides a personal account of his wounding in war, a plea for peace, and expresses his concerns for a new generation of veterans returning from Iraq. Dig deeper ( 9 Min. Read )
TD Original

The Big Blowup Over Venezuela

Marc Cooper / Truthdig Dec 14, 2005 Update: Hugo Chavez and the Latin American left picked up an important new ally when, a few weeks ago, peasant leader Evo Morales (shown at right here) was elected as president of Bolivia. What's all the fuss over Hugo Chavez? Marc Cooper examines the mercurial leader and his contentious relations with the Bush administration. Dig deeper ( 16 Min. Read )

In Response to…

Orville Schell / Truthdig Dec 3, 2005 I would agree that things in China have gone far better than anyone predicted during the dark post-1989 days But, what explains that success? Good visionary planning? Strong leadership? A national psyche exhausted by any kind of turmoil? Good luck? The danger is that even the best economy tends to be cyclical, and it is far from clear that China has the political legitimacy, deeply enough rooted political institutions, or shared set of values to help it survive a downturn As to Wintermute and whether Taiwan is worth fighting for I personally do not believe that any functioning democracy is worth throwing over the side to keep some other sort of the peace - commercial or otherwise We Americans forget. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
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