Iraq’s Civil Resistance: The Secular Left Opposition Stands Up
Iraq Freedom Congress Convention
Month: January 2008
July 4, 2007 saw the Fred Hampton-style execution of the leader of a popular citizen's self-defense force in Baghdad. According to the Iraq Freedom Congress, the group Abdelhussein Saddam was associated with, a unit of US Special Forces troops and Iraqi National Guards raided his home in Baghdad's Alattiba neighborhood at 3:00 AM, throwing grenades in before them-and opening fire without warning at him and his young daughter. The attackers took Saddam, leaving the girl bleeding on the floor. Two days later, his body was found in the morgue at Yarmouk Hospital.
New Hampshire: A Report from the Streets and Campaign Offices on Primary Day
On January 8, primary election day in Claremont, New Hampshire, hundreds of campaign signs flapped in the wind, toppling over in snow banks as the sun grew warmer. Competing canvassers zigzagged through neighborhoods while volunteers made countless phone calls from campaign offices. Early polls before primary day pointed to a landslide victory for Barack Obama, but Hillary Clinton ended up winning. What led to the surprise results among Democratic candidates in the New Hampshire primary? A few experiences and sentiments in the streets of Claremont point to some answers.
Kenya’s Violence: Britain’s Legacy
It's hard to fathom how a rigged election could produce such violence as burning women and children alive in a church. But that's what happened in the Kenya Assemblies of God Church in Kiambaa, just outside the town of Eldoret in western Kenya. Unfortunately, it didn't come as a surprise to me or others living in the region. Some brief historical background may help explain why Kenya has seemed to suddenly erupt into ethnic violence after President Mwai Kibaki was sworn into office following disputed elections.
Roots of Resistance: An Interview with Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
In this interview, writer and social activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz talks about her new book, Roots of Resistance: A History of Land Tenure in New Mexico, indigenous land revolts in the US, international solidarity and the importance of learning about the history and current issues of Native Americans.Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Death in Pakistan Politics
The continued mastery of death in Pakistan politics was evident in the assassination of Benazir Bhutto on December 27, 2007 after her electoral campaign speech at Liaquat Square. The square is named after the first Prime Minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan, who was assassinated in 1953. Liaquat Square is close to the Rawalpindi jail where Benazir's father, former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was hanged in 1979. The jailhouse has now been torn down least it become a pilgrimage goal for devoted members of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) which Zulfikar Bhutto headed. Benazir Bhutto
Fear and Loathing in Bolivia: New Constitution, Polarization
"Let's go unblock the road, compañeros!" a man in an old baseball cap yells as he joins a group of people hauling rocks and tires from a central intersection in Cochabamba. This group of students and union activists are mobilizing against a civic strike led by middle class foot soldiers of the Bolivian right. These actions in the street are part of a political roller coaster which is dramatically changing Pro-Government March in La Paz