Forget that the official White House photo of Bush's grand Iraq speech could aptly be captioned "Frightened Rabbit Caught in the Headlights."

My question is, what was Bush doing in that dinky White House library -- which served as a laundry until it was remodeled by Theodore Roosevelt in 1902?

Where it wasn't was in the Oval Office, where Bush has made so many past promises, the backdrop would have clashed with his credibility.

Where it also wasn't was in any other power spot in the White House -- which would have only emphasized how little authority Bush has left.   more »

Not seeming to care whether there have been civilian fatalities, Mr Ahmed spoke of his support of the American AC 130 bombing from his presidential palace in Mogadishu, claiming "America has the right to hunt down and air bombard wherever those who were responsible for bombing its embassies in East Africa are staying or hiding."

And of those who are dead? Have they been identified as an al-Qaida cell? Rest assured that this is a message, coming through loud and clear: do as we say, not as we do. Anyone guilty of not toeing the line will be dealt with precisely and without discrimination. And that is what the US has done.

The employment of air strikes by American forces that are employed to kill or maim hundreds has again signalled a complete lack of value for human life.

And above all, has anybody mentioned that another fantastic recruiting ground has just been created, courtesy of Washington? Unless matters cease, this will most certainly turn into another Iraq.   more »

Why does Bush defy public opinion by pursuing the unpopular war in Iraq?

The answer lies not in America's need to "combat Islamic terrorism" but in the economic necessity for the United States to control international markets and valuable natural resources, such as petroleum.

Bush's economic strategy is that of "neoliberalism" -- which advocates the dismantling of the welfare state, the abolition of redistributive social programs for the poor, and the elimination of governmental regulations on corporations , its reckless drive to jettison the social safety net, and its support of violence in law enforcement and national defense.   more »

The US political debate today has the feel of a Magritte painting or perhaps a Duchamp urinal; in other words, surreal.

Our president is so out of touch with reality he may possibly be mentally and emotionally disturbed.

He is undertaking to escalate a failed war that has destroyed a functioning (albeit unfree) society, killed hundreds of thousands, maimed even more, cost trillions, spawned hatred everywhere, strengthened the hands of the West's enemies and destablized an entire region.

And he is doing so against the opposition of most of the country, his own generals, the winning side in the last election, the Backer commission - meaning his own daddy - and all of America's allies.   more »

As a parallel, look at Chile’s Augusto Pinochet, a brutal monster of a dictator who overthrew a democratically elected government, with CIA help, and launched a reign of terror rivaled only by Argentina’s “official story” in the 1970s.

The U.S., under the Nixon administration, liked Pinochet so he was off the hook until a brave judge in Spain issued a warrant for Pinochet’s arrest.

The dictator was held in London awhile but eventually returned to Chile where he faced hundreds of charges. He died last year before justice could be served.

As with Pinochet, the U.S. made Saddam and gave him legitimacy until it called in its chits and made him a bogeyman.   more »

What if our fellow citizens were killed and wounded at the same rate as people in Iraq? Here's the math.

Last fall, the British medical journal Lancet published a study done by researchers from Johns Hopkins University estimating that the midrange number of Iraqis dead "as a consequence of the war" was about 2.5 percent of that country's population, or roughly 655,000 people. Over 90% of those died from violence.

Comparable casualties in our country would mean that every person in Atlanta, Denver, Boston, Seattle, Milwaukee, Fort Worth, Baltimore, San Francisco, Dallas and Philadelphia would be dead. Every. Single. Person. In total, 7.5 million Americans would die.   more »