A minefield of contradictions —Sikander Amani The IEDs have become an important element in the mythologisation of the insurgency and the counter-insurgency, as in the creation of prototypical images of the enemy and of the hero on which all conflicts rely Among the unsavoury new words popularised by the recent wars, we may count the now ubiquitous acronym IED, standing for Improvised Explosive Device — basically, a roadside bomb, which explodes either by contact or through remote control. The IEDs have become the nightmare of the US and allied troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan: in Iraq, because although the … Continue reading IEDs – mythologisation of the insurgency

The Taliban are coming? —Dr Syed Mansoor Hussain Once the Taliban are in power, women will cease to exist by decree. No women, no women’s problems. Another major advantage of ignoring the existence of women is that it will sharply drive up maternal and infant mortality In Pakistan every day is Earth Day and every other hour is Earth Hour. I always knew deep inside that there was a method behind all this load shedding. It was obviously always about saving the environment and also about preparing the people for the eventual takeover by the Taliban; the two of course … Continue reading What Mullahs Paradise will for Pakistanis!

Soldier of Conscience Granted Clemency, Released by: Dahr Jamail, t r u t h o u t | Report Sgt. Travis Bishop. (Photo: via Travis Bishop) Last August, Travis Bishop refused to serve in Afghanistan. Having filed for Conscientious Objector (CO) status, Bishop, based at Fort Hood, Texas, in the US Army’s 57th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, was court-martialed and sentenced to 12 months in a military brig. He was released from the brig today. Bishop served his time in Northwest Joint Regional Correctional Facility at Fort Lewis, Washington. This military brig is notorious for being a particularly difficult jail to … Continue reading Sgt. Travis Bishop – Soldier of Conscience Granted Clemency, Released

Reform school attempts to offer child fighters chance at new life * All students come to school after being captured by army, brought by families * Taliban fighter says young boys ‘come to us willingly to present their lives’ Daily Times Monitor LAHORE: In mountains surrounding Swat, Pakistani authorities say terrorists are preparing their newest generation of spies, shooters and suicide bombers, the Washington Post reported on Sunday. In the same village, under razor wire and the watch of soldiers, Islamabad is trying to give some of the recruits back their childhoods. At a new school tucked near the fragile … Continue reading Reform school attempts to offer child fighters chance at new life

The Right Finds Virtue in Extremism Editor’s Note: As crazy as it might seem to any rational observer, many on the American Right have been persuaded that a reform law – setting limits on what health insurance companies can do to their customers and requiring some coverage for other Americans – is a secret totalitarian plot to deprive the nation of its liberties. Yet, in whipping up this frenzy, right-wing talkers and Republican leaders are risking a resurgence of violent extremism like the militia movement of the 1990s, which reached a crescendo with the Oklahoma City terror bombing in 1995, … Continue reading US Republican Party Finds Extremism

US-Israeli Relations at a Crossroads Editor’s Note: The long U.S.-Israeli alliance is at a crossroads, with the Obama administration urging renewed Middle East peace talks and Israel’s Likud government refusing to take some of the key U.S.-recommended steps to set those talks in motion. Though Israel retains much of its legendary clout in Washington – and with influential neoconservatives making its case on op-ed pages and talk shows – there are more voices now speaking out against the old conventional wisdom, as former CIA analyst Melvin A. Goodman notes in this guest essay: Former Israeli Foreign Minister Abba Eban once … Continue reading US-Israeli Relations maturing!

Welcoming a CIA Official at Fordham Editor’s Note: Though George W. Bush has been out of the White House for more than a year, the “war on terror” theme continues to have a strong appeal to many Americans who refuse to rethink its rationale and morality. That attitude was on display last week at Fordham University where CIA covert operation chief Michael Sulick was warmly received and former CIA analyst Ray McGovern, now a critic of CIA abuses, wasn’t, as Debra Sweet, national director of World Can’t Wait, describes in this guest report: I’m not sure what was worse; sitting … Continue reading CIA Official at Fordham University

A Surprise Tea-Party Confrontation Editor’s Note: Oklahoma-based journalist Richard Fricker was with his wife on a spring-break vacation to Washington when he came face to face with the Tea Party furor. In this first-person account, Fricker describes how a cell-phone comment apparently upset the protesters, who chased him and called him (cover your ears!) a “professor”: When I visited the Capitol grounds on March 21, the day the House of Representatives passed healthcare reform, I was aware that some protesters there had been directing violence, threats and insults against members of Congress, but I was surprised when I ended up … Continue reading Tea-Party Confrontation!

Spy Takes US/Israeli Secrets to Grave Last week’s death of Israeli spymaster David Kimche – and the omissions in his obituaries about his most sensitive operations, especially those regarding the United States – are a reminder of how much crucial history is being lost as key figures from this era take their secrets to the grave. Share this article ShareThis // Email Printer friendly The failure to debrief as many of these people as possible can be blamed significantly on U.S. mainstream journalists who in years past took the lead in collecting, vetting and presenting serious evidence of historical wrongdoing, … Continue reading David Kimche – Takes US/Israeli Secrets to Grave

Smokers’ Corner: Smug thugs By Nadeem F. Paracha dawn.com The truth is, if men (and some women) gladly sacrifice the concept of responsible (and sane) journalism just so they can pull off a sensational show that would win them fame and a bagful of corporate sponsors, if they are the ones claiming a ‘jihad against corruption’ and ‘patriotism,’ then God help us all. A friend of my brother’s, who is also the son of a pesh-imam, once told me an interesting incident. A bright young man doing an MBA, the imam’s son had decided to serve his father’s wish (nay … Continue reading TV Thugs in Pakistan