News -- July 22, 2006

Israeli tanks, troops raid Lebanese town - "Israeli tanks and hundreds of troops moved in and out of Lebanon on Saturday, taking over a village, entering a U.N. observation post and engaging Hezbollah militants by land, sea and air as part of the country's limited ground campaign."

Bush's Burned Bridges - "Things fell apart so quickly. At the beginning of this millennium, the Cold War was over, the prosperous United States was the sole remaining superpower and global opinion was largely sympathetic to U.S. aims. In the wake of brutal ethnic wars in Central Europe and Africa, the international community had forged a new determination to prevent conflict and atrocities. The volatile Middle East was quiet, and the world seemed headed toward stability rather than chaos. Only six years later, things couldn't be more different. The Bush administration's tunnel-vision approach to foreign policy has pushed the U.S. and the world into a devastating tailspin of conflict without end."

Rice sees bombs as birth pangs - "Condoleezza Rice has described the plight of Lebanon as a part of the "birth pangs of a new Middle East" and said that Israel should ignore calls for a ceasefire."

The Shame of Being an American - "Gentle reader, do you know that Israel is engaged in ethnic cleansing in southern Lebanon? Israel has ordered all the villagers to clear out. Israel then destroys their homes and murders the fleeing villagers. That way there is no one to come back and nothing to which to return, making it easier for Israel to grab the territory, just as Israel has been stealing Palestine from the Palestinians. Do you know that one-third of the Lebanese civilians murdered by Israel's attacks on civilian residential districts are children? ... Of course, you don't know these things, because the US print and TV media do not report them. ... The truth is that Israel created the crisis by invading a country with a pro-American government. The truth is that the American people do not support Israel's war crimes, as the CNN quick poll results make clear and as was made clear by callers into C-Span. ... Now we arrive at the main point. When the US Senate and House of Representatives pass resolutions in support of Israeli war crimes and condemn those who resist Israeli aggression, the Senate and House confirm Osama bin Laden's propaganda that America stands with Israel against the Arab and Muslim world."

Soldiers say ordered to kill young men - "Four U.S. soldiers accused of murdering suspected insurgents during a raid in Iraq said they were under orders to "kill all military age males," according to sworn statements obtained by The Associated Press."

Overruling Democracy - "George W. Bush claims he wants to bring democracy to the Middle East. But the evidence indicates that Bush only likes democracy when the elections go his way. The Palestinians, subjected to a ruthless occupation by Israel for nearly four decades, held a democratic election in January. Much to Bush's dismay, they elected Hamas to lead their parliament. Likewise, voters in Lebanon democratically elected representatives of Hezbollah to parliament. Yet Bush and his minions are doing everything they can to undo those election results."

Afghanistan close to anarchy, warns general - "The most senior British military commander in Afghanistan today described the situation in the country as "close to anarchy" with feuding foreign agencies and unethical private security companies compounding problems caused by local corruption."

A New War Frenzy - "Inside the United States, many of the same politicians and pundits who stampeded the nation into Iraq are back again urging the application of even more violence. While George W. Bush and his neoconservative advisers may be leading the herd, influential Democrats – like Hillary Clinton and Alan Dershowitz – are running with this pack, too."

Last 9-11 detainee released from lockup - "An Algerian man believed to be the last domestic detainee still in custody from a national dragnet after Sept. 11 — and who was cleared of links to terrorism in November 2001 — was set free this week, his lawyer said Friday."

Teacher under fire for his Cheney-9/11 theory - "More than 60 state lawmakers are urging the University of Wisconsin-Madison to fire an instructor who has argued that the U.S. government orchestrated the September 11 terrorist attacks. A letter sent Thursday and signed by 52 Assembly representatives and nine state senators condemns a decision to let Kevin Barrett teach an introductory class on Islam this fall."

How different are Christian and Islamic fundamentalists? - "Well, like it or not, fundamentalists of all stripes believe -- to varying degrees -- in a literal interpretation of their respective holy texts. That's fine when it comes to Thou Shalt Not Steal, but is quite dangerous when it allows people to do harm to "nonbelievers" and think it's a righteous act. There are certainly examples of that kind of fundamentalism -- violent fundies -- in each of the "big three" religions. This opening also makes it perfectly clear that there's no possibility for common ground here. We're facing an unshakable Biblical worldview, and that's that."

Stewart Punches Hole In Bush's "Pro-Life" Universe, Offers Absurd Advice For Absurd Times - "Is there a link between the Iraq War and embryonic stem cell research? Jon Stewart and the folks at The Daily Show think so. And on last night's episode, Stewart made a pretty convincing argument:"

Russia Signs USD 1 Bln Contract on Supplies of Fighter Jets, Helicopters With Venezuela - "Russia has signed a contract on supplies of military planes and helicopters to Venezuela worth over $1 billion, the defense minister is quoted by RIA Novosti news agency as saying."

Gated communities are enemies of democracy - "Gated communities, by removing interactions among otherwise equal citizens, help to destroy the basis for democracy. They are a chokehold on the free association among citizens that de Tocqueville found so prevalent in 1830 America, and which up until very recent years has been the hallmark of our unique experiment in democracy. Gated communities are the antithesis of civilization, for they thrive on separateness and inequality. And, like a cancer, they metastasize."

Schwarzenegger gives $150M stem cell loan - "Schwarzenegger, a Republican who has been trying to put distance between himself and the unpopular president as he seeks re-election this year, said the state cannot afford to wait to fund the critical science associated with stem cells."

Gays accused of discrimination in resort town - "Provincetown, New England's summer gay capital, is facing a rise in harassment and discrimination. But this time it's straight people who say they are being ridiculed as "breeders" and "baby makers."