World

Bloated in Baghdad

BLANK Apr 29, 2008 Truthdig foreign correspondent Sarah Stillman reports from Iraq, where she finds parallels between America's fast food fortresses and the general engorgement of the war. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

The High Price of Diplomacy With China

The Center for Investigative Reporting Apr 24, 2008 Two investigative reports uncover the Bush administration's efforts to suppress legal proceedings against high-ranking Chinese officials -- former Trade Minister Bo Xilai and Beijing's Olympic Organizing Committee President Liu Qi -- accused of torturing religious group members. Dig deeper ( 12 Min. Read )

Palestinians’ Hard Choice: An Interview With Sari Nusseibeh

Jon Wiener / Truthdig May 3, 2007 Palestinian intellectual, political figure and former PLO official Sari Nusseibeh (above) talks with Jon Wiener, historian and contributor to The Nation, about Nusseibeh's new memoir, future prospects for peace between Israelis and Palestinians, and the 2006 July War in Lebanon -- a war, he says, that "both sides lost." Dig deeper ( 8 Min. Read )

Mr. Bush, Tear Down That Wall

Eugene Robinson / Truthdig Apr 24, 2007 Walls don't unite, they divide. Contrary to Bush's rosy estimation of the "surge," the news that the U.S. is ghettoizing Baghdad is a sign of how chaotic the situation has become. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

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 )

Under the Shroud: Women and the Taliban

Staff / Truthdig Nov 29, 2006 The Feminist Majority's Lorraine Sheinberg created the 1999 documentary that first focused attention on the Taliban's brutal oppression of women in Afghanistan. It's worth another look now. Dig deeper ( 1 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 )

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 Occupation of Iraqi Hearts and Minds

Nir Rosen / Truthdig Jun 28, 2006 Truthdig contributor Nir Rosen, an American reporter who has lived for the last three years in Iraq and who can pass as Middle Eastern, describes what it's like to live under the boot of a culturally callous -- and sometimes criminal -- occupying force in Iraq. Dig deeper ( 21 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 )