Divisions in Our World are Not the Result of Religion: Interview With Karen Armstrong

The American Muslim (TAM)
by Andrea Bistirch
Posted Feb 25, 2008

KAREN ARMSTRONG: "The divisions in our world are not the result of religion or of culture, but are politically based. There is an imbalance of power in the world, and the powerless are beginning to challenge the hegemony of the Great Powers, declaring their independence of them-often using religious language to do so. A lot of what we call “fundamentalism” can often be seen as a religious form of nationalism, an assertion of identity. The old 19th-century European nationalist ideal has become tarnished and has always been foreign to the Middle East. In the Muslim world people are redefining themselves according to their religion in an attempt to return to their roots after the great colonialist disruption."

Armstrong's solutions:

"A revised foreign policy. A solution in Israel/Palestine that gives security to the Israelis and justice and autonomy to the Palestinians. No more support of corrupt, dictatorial regimes. A just solution to the unfolding horror in Iraq, which has been a “wonderful” help to groups like Al-Qaeda, playing right into their hands. No more situations like Abu Ghraib or Guantanamo Bay. Money poured into Afghanistan and Palestine. A solution to Kashmir. No more short-term solutions for cheap oil. In Iraq and in Lebanon last summer we saw that our big armies are no longer viable against guerrilla and terror attacks. Diplomacy is essential. But suspicion of the West is now so entrenched that it may be too late." Read full article ...

* Not Religion, Just Bad Politics

Anthony M. Stevens-Arroyo

Director, Research Center for
Religion in Society and Culture

Religious Utopias Gone Amuck

“No” the problems of 2007 in the Middle East are not based on religion; rather, these are the results of bad politics. Doubters will howl in protest at my answer, but then some people still believe that the Protestant Reformation was mainly a religious event and not a wrenching sociological change in 15th century Europe.

Read more ...

* 2000 Marks the Beginning of the Post-American Era ~ The Bush Administration

Letter from France
August 27, 2007

The Human Bomb

LETTER FROM FRANCE about French president Nicolas Sarkozy. To understand Nicolas Sarkozy, who has been President of France for three months, it helps to know the story of the human bomb. In 1993, when Sarkozy was mayor of Neuilly, he went into a nursery school where a man strapped in…

by Adam Gopnik

Excerpt:

"He [Sarkozy] continued, “With America, he wants the normal relations we’ve always had. But he is capable of candor there, too. When Sarkozy met Condoleezza Rice, she said, ‘What can I do for you?’ And he said, bluntly, ‘Improve your image in the world. It’s difficult when the country that is the most powerful, the most successful—that is, of necessity, the leader of our side—is one of the most unpopular countries in the world. It presents overwhelming problems for you and overwhelming problems for your allies. So do everything you can to improve the way you’re perceived—that’s what you can do for me.’ I think it’s entirely possible; the reservoir of good will has been drained somewhat, but it is far from dry. Look how much the image of France has changed in the United States in eight weeks.”

"Sarkozy’s decision to spend his summer vacation in New Hampshire and have lunch with George W. Bush in Maine was widely regarded in France not as obsequiousness but as pure human-bombism: walk right up to the man considered dangerous and disarm him by talking calmly over a hot dog. The effect aimed for was not so much audacity as anomie: Sarkozy is trying to remove the drama from Franco-American relations by making them “normal.” I’m in the neighborhood—let’s have lunch. The larger, implicit point is that the threatening thing is not really that threatening.

"The catastrophe in Iraq has had an unlooked-for effect: not to stoke anti-Americanism in a new generation but to make America seem almost marginal. For almost two hundred years, Americanization in Europe has been synonymous with modernization—that’s why the Statue of Liberty stands in New York Harbor, as a gift of the Third French Republic, the fraught state that appeared after Louis-Napoleon’s Second Empire failed. It was a gift not from a complacent old world to a nascent new one but from a newborn republic to one that, after its civil war, was firm and coherent. The point wasn’t that Europe would not abandon us; it was that we would not abandon old Europe to the despots.

"Now, for the first time, it’s possible to imagine modernization as something independent of Americanization: when people in Paris talk about ambitious kids going to study abroad, they talk about London. (Americans have little idea of the damage done by the ordeal that a routine run through immigration at J.F.K. has become for Europeans, or by the suspicion and hostility that greet the most anodyne foreigners who come to study or teach at our scientific and educational institutions.) When people in Paris talk about manufacturing might, they talk about China; when they talk about tall buildings, they talk about Dubai; when they talk about troubling foreign takeovers, they talk about Gazprom. The Sarkozy-Gordon Brown-Merkel generation is not unsympathetic to America, but America is not so much the primary issue for them, as it was for Blair and Chirac, in the nineties, when America was powerful beyond words. To a new leadership class, it sometimes seems that America is no longer the human bomb you have to defuse but the nut you walk away from.

"What Brown, Merkel, and Sarkozy all have in common is that they do not want to be defined by their response to America—either unduly faithful, as with Blair, or unduly hostile, as Chirac became. Instead, as Levitte says, they all want to normalize relations with a great power that is no longer the only power. Its military weakness has been exposed in Iraq, its economic weakness by the rise of the euro, and its once great cultural magnetism has been diminished by post-9/11 paranoia and insularity. America has recovered from worse before, and may do so again. But it is also possible that the election of Nicolas Sarkozy may be seen not as the start of a new pro-American moment in Europe but as a marker of the beginning of the post-American era."

* "God's Warriors" ~ Here & Now

God's Jewish Warriors, God's Muslim Warriors, God's Christian Warriors

Exclusive global CNN documentary 'God's Warriors' examines religion, power and politics.

CNN Presents: God’s Warriors

A Synopsis

"Protestors who kill for their religious beliefs. “Patriot Pastors” who seek to change American culture through the ballot box. Zealots who target prime ministers and presidents with assassination for “subverting God’s will.” Parents who reject science education in conflict with their religious principles. Suicide martyrs who are revered as iconic heroes. These are “God’s Warriors” of Christianity, Islam and Judaism. They see contemporary society as corrupt and view themselves as the front line of defense in a battle for cultural supremacy and political power. They are changing the world." International Air Times

"For this documentary, Amanpour reports that during the last 30 years, each faith has exploded into a powerful political force, comprised of followers – “God’s warriors” – who share a deep dissatisfaction with modern society, and a fierce determination to place God and religion back into daily life and to the seats of power. Their political and cultural struggles to save the world from what they view as secular materialism, greed and sexual corruption have caused anger, division and fear." Press Release

'God's Warriors' ~ CNN Podcast.
Three Nights. Six hours.
Reported by Christiane Amanpour.
August 21, 22, 23 at 9 p.m. in
the USA. Check your local listings.

Based on the information provided, this is not old stuff ... this is "here and now" ... should be interesting.

* Dick Cheney's Quagmire in Iraq

It’s clear from this video that the administration knew all
along that the war would be a disaster and didn't care.

FUNDAMENTALISM, FATHER AND SON, AND VERTICAL DESIRE

By Ruth Stein

INTRODUCTION

In this paper I describe a certain state of mind which, conjoined with cultural and group processes, leads to fundamentalism, and with further developments, to coercive and violent fundamentalism. Hallmarks of this state are a sense of utter certainty, a feeling of being in the right, hermetic consistency, and highly rhetorical reiterations of Truths. I describe how the simplification of complexities into binary oppositions (basically of good and bad) not only creates order out of chaos and vagueness, but also constitutes a "vertical" homoerotic quest for God's love. These processes of ordering and desire are supported by the need to sacrifice, by masochism and coercion, and are enacted by increasingly severe purification processes. It is usually assumed that the religious quest is a search for meaning, but, as will hopefully become clear, this quest is at the same time a series of transformations of fear. In this latter sense, the fundamentalist state of mind originates from what may be likened to an extreme and long-extended form of what we experience at those moments and hours when anxiety and fear, or shame, overwhelm us and reduce us to helplessness, a painful sense of smallness, and the feeling of being at the mercy of greater powers than ourselves. Full paper ...

* Proof for the Existence of God is Found in Prayer! ~ Loving God, Please Confuse Me ...

How can it be that for thousands of years every nation has prayed to their particular brand of god for global peace, an end to world hunger, and everything else under the sun to no avail. And when, e.g., war and disasters strike, the 'faithful' thank their god for 'his' mercy that they were spared his wrath intimating that their god created the chaos and that they are somehow special having escaped what others suffered in their deaths, rapes, and maimings. "God's ways are higher than our ways," they say, "Glory be to God," and, "Who can know the mind of God?" Yet, in their nonsense, they do.

And then there is the prayer that god change the evil ways of people while asking for forgiveness, relinquishing the god of responsibility, after all.

PRAYER TO END THE WAR AGAINST IRAQ
by Art Laffin

Loving God,

We beg your forgiveness for the war that the U.S. is waging against the Iraqi people,for destroying Iraq's infrastructure by massive bombings, for using highly toxic weapons that contaminate Iraqi land and water, and are causing major increases in cancers among children.

Forgive us for imposing economic sanctions that have killed over one million Iraqis, mostly children.

Forgive us for placing oil interests above human welfare.

Heal us of our moral blindness and fill our hearts with love.

Help us to renounce all killing, to stop demonizing our adversaries, to value all life as sacred, and to see the Iraqi people as our brothers and sisters.

Empower us to engage in nonviolent action to end this slaughter of the innocents.

O God, make us channels of your peace and reconciliation. Amen

We know that God exists when our prayer for confusion is answered.

* US Army Soldier Killed in Iraq Declared by Christian Reverend to be "Worm Dirt"

Patrick Daniel Tillman, Jr. (November 6, 1976 – April 22, 2004) was an American football player who left his professional sports career and enlisted in the United States Army in May 2002, along with his brother Kevin Tillman.

He served in Iraq and later in Afghanistan, as a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment, where he was killed. His decision, and subsequent death, were the subject of much media attention. More controversy ensued when, on May 28, 2004, the Pentagon notified the Tillman family that he had died as a result of a friendly fire incident; the family and other critics alleged that the Department of Defense delayed the disclosure for weeks after Tillman's memorial service out of a desire to protect the image of the U.S. armed forces. Specifically, Patrick Tillman, Pat Tillman's father, told the Washington Post, "..all the people in positions of authority went out of their way to script this. They purposely interfered with the investigation, they covered it up."

Corporal Pat Tillman was, according to his mother, not religious.

"Regimental Executive Officer Kauzlarich [in Afghanistan], in a stunning display of Christian empathy, blamed the family for continuing to ask questions about the circumstances of Pat’s death, and suggested that the reason they’d found no closure was that infidels such as themselves (the Tillmans did not belong to a church), when they die, are only “worm dirt.” ...

“When you die,” the Reverend Kauzlarich explained to ESPN’s Fish, “I mean, there is supposedly a better life, right? Well, if you are an atheist and you don’t believe in anything, if you die, what is there to go to? Nothing. You are worm dirt."

The investigation is complete and the report on the death and awards for Corporal Tillman is in. Even though he was shot three times in the head it has been claimed that he was a victim of friendly fire and that there was no malicious intent. Corporal Tillman's chain of command, however, will be held accountable for regulatory violations and errors in judgement, i.e., something like a slap on the hand, perhaps.

* PBS' Bill Moyers Didn't Disappoint on His Airing of Iraq War Lies, "Buying the War"

Following up on the METAXY announcement of last night's airing, Bill Moyers' Blog continues the
discussion of the broadcast which will be repeated. Check
PBS Scheduling for future 90 minute airings.

* US Military Attacked by Evangelicals ~ Danger! Christian Taliban at Work

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation is dedicated to ensuring that all members of the United States Armed Forces fully receive the Constitutional guarantees of religious freedom to which they and all Americans are entitled by virtue of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

Press Release

Historic First-Ever Debate on Separation of Church and State in the Military April 24, 5pm at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA). This event is three years in the making!

Investigation

Mikey Weinstein writes: Today the man with his finger on the button, those who will receive the order to strike; many of those who will then be expected to put their lives on the line to carry out American policy have been molded by the influences of these elements. A power conversion has taken place that has nothing to do with freedom or religion. Many thinkers and writers saw the potential for such a threat over the last several generations. But it is our generation and those who follow who now have no choice but to take action.

Corporate interests and the patient and long range plan of Christian Reconstructionists have made this possible with the cooperation and coordination provided by the NeoCons If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I would think it was bad science fiction. But when I wake up the nightmare continues. The threats to my family, the rising tide of violence aimed at me and those I love, and those whose courage has drawn them to stand with me affirm the truth of what we confront.

Continue, history of movement, It began in the early 70s with...

*Weinstein is author of With God on Our Side: One Man's War Against an Evangelical Coup in America's Military

* Bush Troop Surge Not Working ~ Why are We not Surprised? ~ What Can We Do?

Not only are there 3,301 US military deaths resulting from the Iraq war as of today, there are perhaps half a million Iraqi civilian deaths The Lancet.

Follow current news, Iraq Today

Red Cross Warns "Disastrous," “Immense” Iraqi Humanitarian Crisis "Ever-Worsening"

Democracy Now!
April 12, 2007

"The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is warning that the conflict in Iraq is inflicting immense suffering on the entire population and is steadily getting worse. The Red Cross says “civilians are bearing the brunt of the relentless violence and the extremely poor security conditions that are disrupting the lives and livelihoods of millions.”

What can we do?

Stay Educated, e.g., Peace Action

Sign Petitions

Donate, if Possible

Prepare for Voting

Speak Up


Get Involved

Other suggestions will be welcomed ...

* Problems with Sam Harris' "The End of Faith" ~ by Neil Godfrey

Sam Harris, author of The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason has and is raising consciousness to the dangers of religion. That said, Neil Godfrey's critique of his book provides thoughtful rebuttal to some of Harris' assertions.

This is a disturbing book principally for its ignorant tirade against Moslems. As an atheist myself I had hoped for something more rational and informative given the enormous popularity of this book in the U.S. but find Harris here is too often little more than a mega-mouthpiece for Western (read American?) ignorance of Moslems and the Moslem world outside the U.S. borders. I expected to read along with a like-mind since I also see religion and religious faith as a net negative left-over from our evolutionary past that needs to be eradicated just as acceptance of rape as a natural means for reproduction has been eradicated. But I found points of agreement only at a superficial level. It is bad enough that he blames religion as the principle or fundamental root cause of suicide terrorism: he says it was religious belief, belief in a blissful life after death, that enabled the 9/11 hijackers to commit their atrocity. What rot. A slight amount of reflection and simple logic would inform him that if religious belief were the root enabler of suicide terrorism then we would surely have had suicide terrorism for as long as we have had such beliefs in any religion. Pape’s “Dying to Win” is a scholarly research work that amply demonstrates that suicide terrorism is a function of national identity humiliation brought about by foreign occupation and that perpetrators of this form of terrorism since the 1980’s have included both the religious and non-religious and secular, Christian and Buddhist as well as Moslem. Pape’s research pulverizes Harris’s ignorant diatribe.

Harris also makes the tired old moral comparison between “collatoral damage” and “wilful terrorist acts” meant to sanitize western belligerent responses to 9/11, and in so doing becomes a supporter of the very actions that are dooming us to more war and increasing terror. Again deeper reflection would enlighten one to a more accurate comparison that brought the two much closer together than Harris wants to admit: imagine a police officer opting to open massive firepower into a house where murderers are suspected of hiding knowing that that firepower would also inevitably wipe out several other houses sheltering innocent families that (unfortunately!) happened to be in the general path of fire! The balance is thus not that the terrorist wants to kill civilians while “we” regrettably unavoidably kill civilians; it is, rather, that the terrorist wants to kill civilians while “we” don’t care if we kill civilians. (Disagree? Then why do “we” say “we don’t do body counts” if we really do care and truly regret?)

But the book is more disturbing than this because it would appear to me to be fanning ignorant prejudice and inhumane policies against Moslem peoples that can only guarantee a deepening of the problem he thinks will be solved by the eradication of religious belief, especially Moslem belief. He writes point-blank on page 133 that if Moslem societies prospered they would more than likely threaten and harm “us” even more and therefore the best thing for “us” is that those societies stay undeveloped! He writes that millions of Moslems (suggesting the majority) want to set up a Taliban-like society over “us”. He equates Hammas with a terrorist outfit pure and simple. The only hope in the book to balance such ignorance is his pleading for a rationality that is open to new evidence (p.235). One can only hope that Harris is open-minded enough to seek out and embrace evidence that will surely to be new to him — evidence about the truth of the majority of Moslems and Hammas that is freely available in western societies like his to any who care to seriously inform themselves.

First 10 pages of The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason

Cross-reference METAXY for Neil Godfrey

* Today's Annual White House Easter Egg Hunt Complete with Activist Groups Hunting Bombs

ABC News
by NATASHA T. METZER

WASHINGTON Apr 9, 2007 (AP)— Thousands of kids dressed for winter weather scrambled for eggs Easter eggs, that is at a White House ceremony dating back to the 19th century

The annual White House Easter Egg Roll, started by President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1878, typically has been a rite of spring in Washington. But on Monday, it was afflicted by winter's parting bite cold air and even colder grounds. Undaunted by any of this, the young guests sprang into action under the watchful eyes of their families, hostess Laura Bush and several Bush administration Cabinet secretaries.

"In Washington, we know spring has arrived when the White House lawn is filled with children for the Easter Egg Roll, one of the happiest traditions here at the White House," the first lady said. . ."

"Across from the White House, meanwhile, a handful of activists at Lafayette Park hunted for brightly colored tennis balls in an alternative "Easter cluster bomb hunt," intended to dramatize the fact that many areas of the globe, such as South Lebanon, are not safe for children because of persistent fighting and unexploded munitions.

"What we're really trying to get across is that all children should be able to have fun like this and not be worried about getting blown up," said Brian Hennessey, from the Vineeta Foundation, one of the organizers."

Bomb hunt at Lafayette Park, across from the White House, sponsored by the Vineeta Foundation, Code Pink, DAWN, Voters for Peace, Fellowship of Reconciliation, Coalition for Justice and Accountability, Democracy Rising, US Campaign to End the Occupation, Backbone Campaign, After Downing St, Iran Coalition and Jewish Voices For Peace

* US to Launch a Missile Attack on Iran Today, "Operation Bite." Is this an April Fools Joke?

'US ready to strike Iran on Good Friday'

by JERUSALEM POST STAFF AND AP
April 1, 2007

"The United States will be ready to launch a missile attack on Iran's nuclear facilities as soon as early this month, perhaps "from 4 a.m. until 4 p.m. on April 6," according to reports in the Russian media on Saturday.

"According to Russian intelligence sources, the reports said, the US has devised a plan to attack several targets in Iran, and an assault could be carried out by launching missiles from fighter jets and warships stationed in the Persian Gulf."

This story has been making the rounds on the blog scene, e.g., AfterDowningStreet, April 4, 2007. The reported reason for an attack would be that Iran was holding 15 British soldiers who have now been released. See Wikinews

Gulf allies say they won't allow the strike.

Why has this story not been reported by major US new sources, e.g., CNN and MSNBC? It originated from the Associated Press.

*Some of George W. Bush's actions lately, including his recess appointment of Sam Fox as Ambassador to Belgium, create the impression that he is asking for impeachment, something many Americans want.

* Does the USA have a Unique Relationship with God? Mighty Madeleine and the Almighty

The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on America, God, and World Affairs, with an Introduction by President William J. Clinton, is a 2006 memoir written by former United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

“A particularly candid first draft of history. . . . The result is a book that makes an important contribution to the question of how our foreign policy should adjust to the rise of religion worldwide.”
—The Washington Post Book World

“In this meditation on how faith shapes world events, Albright explores Islam’s roots, predicts that the U.S. invasion of Iraq may rank ‘among the worst foreign policy disasters’ in our history and urges America to tread lightly. . . . An engrossing, important read.”
—People (4 stars)

“An absorbing, well-written, informative and thoughtful look at U.S. foreign policy and the role religion plays within it. . . . Albright offers a thought-provoking and original approach to incorporating religion into international relations.”
—Associated Press

Dr. Albright addresses some of the most controversial political and social questions of our time. Does America have a unique relationship with God? Has the United States, as George W. Bush has proclaimed, been divinely ordained to bring liberty and democracy to the world? What role does the Christian right have in influencing U.S. foreign policy? What strategy should America adopt in shaping its relations with the Muslim world? Is peace still possible in the Middle East?

ABC News: Read Chapter One

Albright lectures on foreign policy

Yale Herald
by Kristen Von Hoffmann
April 2, 2004

"Madeleine Albright, U.S. secretary of state under President Bill Clinton, LAW '73, and the highest ranking woman in the history of the U.S. government, spoke to a packed audience at the Yale Divinity School on Tuesday. The speech, entitled 'The Mighty and the Almighty: United States Foreign Policy and God,' examined how religion affects foreign policy and specifically how the United States has undertaken certain political actions using religious justification in the war against terrorism.

"Albright said that the United States will never unite the world with the idea that America has a unique position with God. She went on to say that the problem with Bush's approach is that it comes very close to justifying America's fight against terrorism using Christianity, which "plays right into terrorists' hands," she said.

"'I believe that we can unite the world in opposition to the murder of innocent people,' she said. 'But we will never unite the world in support of the idea that Americans have a unique relationship with God.'

"She prompted the audience to consider how to establish certain universal moral standards without religious guidelines. She admitted that there would inevitably be disputes between cultures who were asked to agree on moral norms without a religious motive but stated that certain moral standards, 'should not be in question.' The killing of innocent people is not acceptable, she said. 'We must stop turning humans into robots and people into bombs. We must ask ourselves how best to do this.'

"She emphasized that one of America's founding principles was the separation between church and state and that this should be upheld in future politics.

"However, she said that religion can play an important role in moderating differences between cultures. "The borderless nature of religious faith often makes it easier for leaders to talk to one another, easier for nations to agree on common values," she said.

"During her tenure, Albright successfully expanded and modernized NATO, promoted peace in the Balkans, and expanded democracy in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America."

Los Angeles Times
Good versus evil isn't a strategy: Bush's worldview fails to see that in the Middle East, power politics is the key

by Madeleine Albright
March 24, 2006

PBS Interview, May 2006

* Iraq War, 4th Anniversary Today ~ Nothing to Celebrate ~ Depressing Day

March 19, 2003 ~ Fires rage in Baghdad as U.S.-led
coalition forces attack the city.

The people of the United States and our friends and allies will not live at the mercy of an outlaw regime that threatens the peace with weapons of mass murder. We will meet that threat now, with our Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard and Marines, so that we do not have to meet it later with armies of fire fighters and police and doctors on the streets of our cities.

~ President Bush addressing the nation soon after the bombing of Baghdad began on March 19, 2003.

time.com A Brief History of the War ~ Month By Month, Quote By Quote, 2003 - 2007

* Entering 5th Year of Iraq War ~ Proud of Our Soldiers; Many Ashamed of President.

Thousands of War Protesters March to Pentagon
Demonstrators Heckled by Veterans, War Supporters

by Michael Alison Chandler, Brigid Schulte and Steve Vogel
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, March 17, 2007

The Washington Post: "Thousands of protesters gathered at the Lincoln Memorial today and marched to the Pentagon to mark Monday's anniversary of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, but they were heckled along the route by smaller groups of veterans and war supporters..."
Thousands Protest As War Enters 5th Year

by The Associated Press
March 17, 2007

New York Times: "Speakers at the Pentagon rally criticized the Bush administration at every turn but blamed congressional Democrats, too, for refusing to cut off money for the war."

And where is President Bush today? Safely tucked away at the Presidential Retreat at Camp David, Maryland.

PBS Reports: "The strikes began at about 5:35 a.m. local time Wednesday, March 19, 2003 (9:25 p.m. Eastern time), some 90 minutes after President Bush's deadline for Saddam Hussein and his sons to leave Iraq expired."

Iraqi Civilian Deaths =>

CNN Reports: , Wednesday, March 19, 2003 "If [the Iraqi] people have more money they have been trying to leave the country. Many of the rich try to send families to Syria to sit out the war.

"However, the vast majority of Baghdad's five million have people remained in the city."

"Shock and Awe", March 21,3003
"Shock and Awe", March 22, 2003

Cross-reference METAXY ~ US and Iraqi War Casualties

* Breaking News ~ Some Dots Connected Today

"The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa."

~ George W. Bush, State of the Union, January 28, 2003 speech

Libby found guilty in CIA leak case

March 6, 2007 - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The former top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney was found guilty on Tuesday of lying and obstructing a probe related to the Bush administration's handling of the Iraq war and could face years in prison ...

Iraq War Began March 17, 2003
Casualties of the War to Date

Someone's fantasies.

* March on the Pentagon ~ March 17, 2007

A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
(Two Minute Video)

"On March 17, to mark the 5th year of this immoral and unjust war and occupation of Iraq, JOIN FORCES and march on The Pentagon. Tell the Bush Regime to End the War NOW! No attack on Iran!"

* Governmental Violations of Free Speech Rights Couldn't Happen in the US? You Decide

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL ~ Backtrack to Egypt

Egypt: Karim Amer sentence makes bloggers new target of the authorities

Press Release
February 22, 2007

"Amnesty International condemns the four-year sentence handed down by an Egyptian court today against blogger Karim Amer, and calls for his immediate and unconditional release."

"Karim Amer is the first Egyptian blogger to be tried for writing blogs criticizing Egypt's al-Azhar religious authorities, President Husni Mubarak and Islam. Charges against him included 'spreading information disruptive of public order and damaging to the country’s reputation,' 'incitement to hate Islam' and 'defaming the President of the Republic.'"

See also The Herald, Scotland

A less extreme curtailment of free speech may be occuring here in the USA. The Department of Defense, supposedly worried about national security issues, has shut down blogs written by soldiers about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A lawsuit against the Department of Defense is pending.

Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF): Defending Freedom in the Digital World

Surveillance of Soldiers' Blogs Sparks EFF Lawsuit: Defense Department Withholds Records About Army Blog Monitoring Program
January 31, 2007

Washington, D.C. - "The FLAG Project at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed suit against the Department of Defense today, demanding expedited information on how the Army monitors soldiers' blogs.

"According to news reports, an Army unit called the Army Web Risk Assessment Cell (AWRAC) reviews hundreds of thousands of websites every month, notifying webmasters and bloggers when it sees information it finds inappropriate. Some bloggers have told reporters that they have cut back on their posts or shut down their sites altogether because of the activities of the AWRAC. EFF filed its suit after the Department of Defense and Army failed to respond to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests about the blog monitoring program.

"Soldiers should be free to blog their thoughts at this critical point in the national debate on the war in Iraq," said EFF Staff Attorney Marcia Hofmann. "If the Army is coloring or curtailing soldiers' published opinions, Americans need to know about that interference."

The book, The Blog of War by Matthew Currier Burden, former Major US Army is the work of over 50 American military bloggers "who tell their stories about the experiences around the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan."


The Washington Post wrote of the book, The Blog of War, "...nonpartisan patriotism is the common thread tying together these reflections, love letters and stories of combat. They make for riveting reading."

Vanity Fair suggested, "Grab it before the Pentagon orders it burned..."

The Blog of War blog mentions the DoD's blog "shut down" and "after the Jump" by the military.