When U.S. and Indonesian officials met in Jakarta in late April to discuss resumption of military cooperation, it should have caused alarm bells to ring all over Washington.
Washington Is Ignoring Human Rights Abuses: The Indonesia Case
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War & Peace
Nuclear-tipped Foolishness
On April 11, 2002, The Washington Post publicized the Defense Science Board’s study of integrating nuclear-tipped interceptors into America’s planned national missile defense (NMD). Initial Bush administration reviews of missile defense technology discounted the possibility of using such a system. However, the administration may be concerned that other missile defense proposals, employing “kinetic hit-to-kill vehicles” that strike a target head-on, cannot guarantee successful interception. Some analysts have suggested that this form of interception is as difficult as “hitting a baseball with a golf ball.” Beyond guaranteeing a successful interception, some NMD planners also hope that nuclear explosions in space would guarantee the destruction of biological or chemical agents in ballistic missile payloads.
U.S. Arms Transfers and Security Assistance to Israel
U.S. press coverage of Israeli attacks on the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian towns on the West Bank often treat the U.S. government as either an innocent bystander or an honest broker in the current conflict, often without giving a full sense of the importance of the U.S. role as a supplier of arms, aid, and military technology to Israel. In its role as Israel’s primary arms supplier, the United States could exert significant potential leverage over Israeli behavior in the conflict, if it would choose to do so.
Too Much is Never Enough: Bush’s Military Spending Spree
Forget that the Bush administration is sending U.S. troops to train local forces in Yemen, the Philippines, and Uzbekistan, and that since September 11th the U.S. has stepped up military aid to Turkey, Pakistan, India, Jordan, and a number of countries who are “with us” in the war on terror.
A U.S. Cabal Pulling America to War
Sometime this fall, probably before the mid-term elections, the U.S. will probably be at war with Iraq. But why are we headed to war in the Mideast? Not because Iraq is engaged in terrorism. According to the CIA, it isn’t. Not because Iraqi arms threaten our security. According to most arms inspectors, Iraq is essentially disarmed.
Why the U.S. Supports Israel
Israel’s State Terrorism
What is the difference between State terrorism and individual terrorist acts? If we understand this difference we’ll understand also the evilness of U.S. Middle East policies and the forthcoming disasters. When Yassir Arafat was put under siege in his offices and kept hostage by the Israeli occupation forces, he was constantly pressed into condemning terror and combating terrorism. Israel’s State terrorism is defined by U.S. officials as “self-defense,” while individual suicide bombers are called terrorists.
Defense Establishment’s Control of U.S. Policy Poses Threat to Afghan Reconstruction
Some officials within the Bush administration and the interim government in Kabul complain that the CIA’s and the U.S. military’s continuing control of U.S. policy is hampering Afghanistan’s reconstruction. The continuing military emphasis on policy is thwarting the development of political and economic tactics that strengthen the interim government and promote reconciliation.
War on Terror Expands at Expense of Human Rights, Future Stability
In a speech marking the 6-month anniversary of September 11th, President George Bush envisioned a “peaceful world beyond terror” where “disputes can be settled within the bounds of reason and good will and mutual security.”
One Path to Peace: Kofi Annan’s Multinational Force
As war rages in the Middle East despite Colon Powell’s mission, there is one hope for peace: The whole world, including the U.S., must support UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s proposal for an impartial international force. All other options look catastrophic for Americans, for Israel, and for the peace of the world.