contributions

It had been the worst of blind dates; the no-show. Eventually, just before 2am, Tommy Hook conceded defeat and slunk away from the gaudy strip bar. As he traipsed across the neon-bathed parking lot of Cheeks nightclub, he would have wondered what became of his non-committal partner.
Hours earlier Hook, 52, had received a call from a fellow employee at the Los Alamos National Laboratory imploring him to head to the Santa Fe nightspot and hover by the bar. An excited, hushed voice had (…)

WASHINGTON - A closed-door vote by the Senate Intelligence Committee to expand law enforcement powers under the USA Patriot Act is prompting sharp criticism from some conservative leaders who are otherwise among the most vocal allies of President Bush and the Republican leadership.
The conservative leaders, who have formed a coalition with critics on the left, including the American Civil Liberties Union, vowed to press their concerns in public statements, rallies and advertising.
While (…)

By William Fisher
When Amnesty International described U.S. anti-terrorist prisons as “the Gulag of our time”, it gave the Bush Administration the ideal gift for the politician who has nothing: An opportunity to change the subject.
Its over-the-top and historically dubious language allowed the president, the vice-president, the secretary of defense and many other Bushies to get everyone focused on syntax and away from the prisoner abuse issue.
This is the second goodie the (…)

A French journalist and her Iraqi driver were released after being held hostage for five months in Iraq, France’s foreign ministry said on Sunday.
"Florence Aubenas is on her way to France," a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry told Reuters, adding the reporter would arrive at Villacoublay airport outside Paris later in the day.
Her Iraqi driver Hussein Hanun al-Saadi was also released, she said. He would stay in Iraq with his family.
Aubenas, who works for French newspaper (…)

Twenty five U.S. troops have died this week in separate incidents in war-torn Iraq.
Five U.S. Marines, most in their early 20s, were killed in a roadside blast in western Iraq Thursday.
The attack came in the Anbar province where 17 Iraqis had been blindfolded and executed. Their bodies were found on Friday.
U.S. officials said the Marines killed were engaged in combat operations in Haqlaniya.
They were Lance Cpl. Dustin V. Birch, 22, of Saint Anthony, Idaho, Lance Cpl. Daniel (…)

Millions around the world are worried as ignorant, arrogant and selfish Americans equipped with most deadly weapons and stolen money are the biggest threat to world security and indeed whole humanity. It is an evil country and its government and people will destroy the world before their policies destroy them.

Now’s the chance to explain to some congresscritters how you feel about the need to bring the troops home, and the truth about what is happening in Iraq. Some congresscritters are evil, true...however some are good people who blindly trusted the president. They have been watching too much Corporate News and have no clue what is really happening. These are the people we need to reach...in a respectful manner. Many are probably incredibly embarrassed they have been lied to and have been (…)

When Will Americans Punish Bush For His Errors? M’Hamed Ben Youssef Tunis Hebdo - June 6-June 12 Issue The question on lips everywhere lately, since the number of daily deadly attacks is rising rapidly, is “where is Iraq going?” According to a secret Pentagon report that appeared in the Cairo paper “El Isboui,” more than 15,000 guerilla attacks against coalition units have been recorded in nine months (from July 2004 to March 2005). The capital of Baghdad alone has seen nearly 3,500 (…)

Marines "Beat US Workers" In Iraq Jamie Wilson in Washington Thursday June 9, 2005 A group of American security guards in Iraq have alleged they were beaten, stripped and threatened with a snarling dog by US marines when they were detained after an alleged shooting incident outside Falluja last month. "I never in my career have treated anybody so inhumane," one of the contractors, Rick Blanchard, a former Florida state trooper, wrote in an email quoted in the Los Angeles Times. "They (…)

Kaptur Alerts Colleagues Of Unfolding Scandal Brown Says Illegalities Put Presidential Election In Question Steve Eder, Blade Staff Writer June 09, 2005 WASHINGTON - As the word spread Tuesday night that the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation had lost $215 million in a high-risk investment, U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur alerted her colleagues to the mounting concerns in her home state.
Miss Kaptur, during a statement on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday night, said (…)