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From Iraq to the G8: The Polite Crushing of Dissent and Truth

John Pilger July 7, 2005 John Pilger

Over the past two weeks, the contrast between two related "global" events has been salutary. The first was the World Tribunal on Iraq held in Istanbul; the second the G8 meeting in Scotland and the Make Poverty History campaign. Reading the papers and watching television in Britain, you would know nothing about the Istanbul meetings, which produced the most searing evidence to date of the greatest political scandal of modern times: the attack on a defenceless Iraq by America and Britain.

An Interview with Anne Elizabeth Moore

Matt Dineen July 4, 2005 Matt Dineen

{mosmedia} Is it possible to follow your passions, to do what you truly love to do, without compromising you r values? What about meeting basic human needs? Can it be done? Some people struggle most of their lives to obtain this dream. Some eventually submit to a job that goes against their beliefs or end up starving to death in the street. Yet others have proven that it is possible to live a life that is consistent with your values, pursue the things you love, and still afford food and rent. Anne Elizabeth Moore is one of those rare people. read more

Arming Private Security in Kenya

Dr. Kennedy Mkutu June 30, 2005 Dr. Kennedy Mkutu

Members of parliament in Kenya are proposing that private security guards be armed. Mirugi Kariuki an MP in the office of the president said, "The government is working on the Private Security Provision Bill, which will look into the possibility of arming private security firms." David Mwenje the MP for Embakasi stated, "The country is under siege as thugs continue to take charge". While Budalang' MP Raphael Wanjala, believes that "police must be allowed to shoot-to-kill criminals." He also called for the arming of security firms.

Nuclear Proliferation: A Neo-Con Goal?

David Sugar June 30, 2005 David Sugar

John Bolton offered a harsh and uncompromising view on North Korea even as the Bush administration claimed in public to support a diplomatic solution to the question of the country's nukes. Mr. Bolton's actions as undersecretary for arms control often interfered with and undermined others who were engaged in trying to finding just such a diplomatic solution.

Meeting the Afflicted

Matt Higgins June 30, 2005 Matt Higgins

Gray clouds sweep over the mountains around Blantyre, Malawi, bringing raindrops that tap at the windows of the men’s ward in Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Inside, a young man sheepishly removes his shirt as a doctor and two medical students arrive at his bed. A brief exam reveals thrush, shingles, and wasting, and the med students diagnose a classic case of HIV. The doctor, Claire Scarborough, nods in agreement. Later, she estimates that 80 percent of the patients are HIV-positive. Many of them look young. read more

Draft Chatter

Tod Ensign June 30, 2005 Tod Ensign

George W. Bush’s decision to unilaterally invade Iraq in March 2003 has placed a severe strain on the US military. The Army currently has almost half of its 32 combat brigades deployed there, with two more assigned to Afghanistan. This means that three-quarters of its forces are either committed to combat zones or recuperating from recent combat.

About 60,000 of the 140,000 troops in Iraq are activated reservists from National Guard or Reserve units. These “weekend warriors” have been involuntarily kept in the war zone an extra three to five months, despite promises that their tours would be limited to one year. Meanwhile, the Pentagon has used “stop loss” orders to keep about 50,000 GIs on active duty past their discharge or separation dates. read more