Articles by Super User

WASHINGTON – Does the United States operate secret prisons where detainees suspected of involvement in terrorism are taken and tortured? U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice attempted to deflect this nagging question during a Dec. 5 press conference by defending “rendition” – the practice of transporting suspects to third countries for interrogation – while stating that, "the United States does not transport, and has not transported, detainees from one country to another for the purpose of interrogation using torture.” read more

STANFORD, CA - Although members of Congress from both major political parties have begun to call for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, anti-war demonstrations, which were common at Stanford University in 2003, have yet to be seen on campus this year, according to the Stanford Daily.

Senior Tanya Haj-Hassan, president of the Coalition for Justice in the Middle East, attributed the lack of demonstrations to a change in student mentality. "Three years ago, before the war started, people were very active and outspoken to prevent the war," she told the newspaper. "Once it started, many people began to change. Some people lost hope while others feared that taking an anti-war stance would be seen as an attack on, or lack of support for, the American troops fighting in Iraq.

"Many who had initially taken an anti-war stance and who are still against the war fear that withdrawing the troops at this point in time may increase the instability that the war created and only worsen the situation," she said.

At least 30 Stanford students were arrested during protests in March 2003. Less than 12 hours after President George W. Bush announced the first strikes against Iraq, Stanford students and faculty members joined a large, coordinated protest in San Francisco, blocking traffic at busy intersections by forming human chains.

Haj-Hassen argued that "people are still very interested in what is going on in the region," but are expressing their concern and discontent "through different means."

Junior Omar Shakir, president of the Muslim Student Awareness Network, agreed. "I think that student activism regarding Iraq has not really diminished but has assumed different forms over the last couple of years," he said. "I still think that Iraq is an issue of significant focus on campus, as seen by the huge turnout to events on this issue and the large e-mail lists of interested people and organizations that deal with the Middle East."

He drew a distinction between present student activity and past protests. "Our group usually does not organize rallies or protests because we have found that students on campus are generally not receptive to that kind of approach," he said. "Awareness and advocacy are critical and ultimately more effective at Stanford."

PALM BEACH, FL – Conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh took his personal war with liberals to a new level last week, telling a caller to his nationally syndicated show that “part of me likes” the fact that four Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) activists were kidnapped by an Iraqi insurgent group. “Here’s why I like it,” he explained, “I like any time a bunch of leftist feel-good hand-wringers are shown reality."

Addressing the kidnapped activists, Limbaugh said, "[Y]ou’ve met the bad guys, and you tried your technique on them, and now you’re blindfolded in a room with guns pointed at you and knives at your throat. I don’t like that," according to a transcript of the show. Then he added, "But any time a bunch of people that walk around with the head in the sand practicing a bunch of irresponsible, idiotic theory confront reality, I’m kind of happy about it, because I’m eager for people to see reality, change their minds, if necessary, and have things sized up." read more

RALEIGH, NC – Early on Dec. 2, Kenneth Lee Boyd was executed in Raleigh by lethal injection for the 1988 murder of his estranged wife and her father, becoming the 1,000th person put to death in the United States since the death penalty was restored almost 30 years ago.

Later the same day, Shawn Humphries became number 1,001, executed in South Carolina for murdering a store clerk during a robbery on New Year’s Day 1994.

Next is line is Stanley Tookie Williams, the former Crips gang founder who was convicted of killing four people but later renounced his violent past. Although he has never admitting he committed the crimes for which he faces death, he has counseled young people not to join gangs. read more

KABUL – Four years after the U.S. military invaded Afghanistan and ousted the Taliban regime, doubts are growing about the U.S. ability to defeat a growing insurgency. Reports by the BBC, Pakistan Tribune and China News Agency indicate that bombings and shootings continue almost daily in the south and east, along with a rise in suicide attacks, for which Afghan officials believe al-Qaeda is partly responsible,

Despite the election of Pres. Hamid Karzai last year and a new parliament due to convene in January 2006, attacks have claimed at least 1,400 lives in the past year, the highest toll since 2001. Since the spring, evidence has been mounting of a renewed drive by Osama bin Laden’s network, particularly in eastern Afghanistan. read more

WASHINGTON – The Bush administration is considering a plan to put U.S. airpower at the disposal of Iraqi commanders in order to reduce the number of troops on the ground, an option that is causing consternation among U.S. Air Force commanders, the UK Guardian reports. Military officials warn it could lead to increased civilian casualties and the use of bombing to settle old scores.

According to an article in the New Yorker magazine by Seymour Hersh, the possibility of using airpower as a substitute for troops on the ground causes unease in the military mainly because officials suspect that Iraqis will eventually be responsible for target selection. read more