When doctors started reporting that some of the victims of the US bombing of several villages in Farah Province last week – an attack that left between 117 and 147 civilians dead, most of them women and children – were turning up with deep, sharp burns on their body that “looked like” they’d been caused by white phosphorus, the US military was quick to deny responsibility. FULL ARTICLE

Around 4,000 Taliban militants are battling 15,000 Pakistani troops, just 60 miles from the Pakistani capital Islamabad. The Pakistani army is claiming success, with 1,000 militants killed within the last 48 hours. Neutral observers suspect this figure includes a disproportionate number of civilian casualties. If true, this will fuel the insurgency further. FULL ARTICLE

Now the war is flaring up in Pakistan. Hundreds of thousands of Pakistani families have fled the area, and the main town of Migora has been virtually emptied of its inhabitants. Reuters reported that, “Pakistani forces attacked Taliban fighters in the Swat Valley with artillery and helicopters after the United States called on the government to show its commitment to fighting militancy.” One has to wonder who is giving the orders in this foolish war, anyway? Moreover, does Obama genuinely think that the Pakistani “Taliban” can be defeated using the exact approach that failed against the Taliban of Afghanistan? FULL ARTICLE

Featured Post for 05-/15-05/22: Obama at this point, by covering up for official torture, and by signing on to and expanding the war in Afghanistan, is dooming his presidency, further staining the reputation of the United States, and ultimately furthering the decline of the country that was set in motion by his predecessors.

The illogic of Obama’s position on these photos is stunning. Since we know the photos exist, the refusal to make them public can only feed a sense that they must be worse than the horrific photos of torture at Abu Ghraib Prison which were already released. Nobody is going to assume that the photos in the White House’s possession are less offensive than what has already been discovered and made public–for why would the administration be worried about that?

The truth is always better than a cover-up, and what we now have the president advocating is a cover-up of American torture.  FULL STORY

President Obama seems to be serious about a major effort to conquer Afghanistan even if it requires military operations in Pakistan without the permission of that ally. Continue reading →

It is difficult, even impossible, to accept President Obama’s “New strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan” as described by him in a formal speech on March 27. It fails by imperial and non-imperial standards. Continue reading →

Iraqis are still dying while under the oppression of 150,000 American soldiers, but there is some HOPE, even though there have been no withdrawals. Barack Obama promised in February that “By August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end.”

Up to 50,000 troops would remain under the agreement the Bush administration had to be left with no other option except to sign to leave by January, 2012, which nicely coincides with the start of Obama’s possible second term. Continue reading →

As the six year anniversary of the war in Iraq, this is the day to protest!  Talk to your local news media about why humanity is in mourning over the US occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, and why they must end.  And, talk to them about this news:

• The Obama administration is considering spreading the “war on terror” deeper into Pakistan, beyond the tribal areas, and into the city of Quetta. The New York Times says the chances of civilian casualties are very high should the US risk igniting mass protest against this violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty. However, the risks for the Obama administration of not expanding the war is great, from the standpoint of perpetuating the American mission to control the Middle East.
• The growing use of unmanned drones, piloted from trailers in the US, to attack homes of “insurgents” in Afghanistan and Pakistan, could also lead to spreading opposition in those countries, as the civilian death toll grows.  But adding more US troops to Afghanistan, as we have already been warned by Secretary of Defense Gates, will bring more US casualties.

Take a look at the Afghanistan fact sheet for help in talking to people about why Afghanistan is not “the good war.”

From United for Peace and Justice

President Obama announced his decision to send 17,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan, on the grounds that ‘the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan demands urgent attention’.

We strongly oppose this decision. We urge you to immediately call on President Obama to choose diplomacy, not escalation. We must let him know that a military solution is not the answer in Afghanistan. Call 202-456-1111 today! Continue reading →

Barack Obama said last Tuesday night to Congress, ” I will not allow terrorists to plot against the American people from safe havens halfway around the world. We will not allow it.”

I wonder how people in the Middle East felt hearing that, having been bombed as if they are terrorists for most of this decade, either directly by US planes, or with US made weapons, as in Gaza?  An Iraqi in Sikrit, said, “In fact, the US forces achieved one thing: That is destroying Iraq … We hope that the US soldiers will leave our country sooner rather than later in order to put an end to the bloodiest pages in Iraq’s history.” Continue reading →