One of America’s finest journalists, Jeremy Scahill, has won this year’s Izzy Award, named after muckraking journalist I.F. Stone. He tells Alternet that independent reporting is more important than ever: I would define an independent journalist as someone that’s totally un-embedded when it comes to their relationship with the powerful. In other words, you don’t…
Showing all posts tagged Afghanistan
How many journalists challenge NATO lies in Afghanistan?
A reporter for the London Times, Jerome Starkey, is based in Afghanistan and documents the various ways in which the Western press uncritically accepts NATO lies in the country: “Tied up, gagged and killed” was how NATO described the “gruesome discovery” of three women’s bodies during a night raid in eastern Afghanistan in which several…
We should not tolerate fear-mongering over asylum seekers
Is it possible to have a rational, respectful and mature debate in Australia over refugees, considering the actual numbers of those arriving (by plane or boat) is so low? We are a country of asylum seekers and surely benefit from a well-managed program of immigration: [A] United Nations report revealed Australia received 6,170 asylum applications…
Republicans were always opposed to the Iraq war (say some Republicans)
Oh really: Two GOP congressmen say most Republicans on the Hill now believe the Iraq war was a mistake, and “more than half the Republican caucus” believes the way in which the US entered the Afghanistan war was also a mistake. Reps. Tom McClintock (R-CA) and Dana Rohrbacher (R-CA) made the comments at a discussion…
Christmas Island ”˜pressure cooker’ could explode after UN review
My following article appears in today’s edition of Crikey: Christmas Island is a “pressure cooker”, according to one recently-returned refugee advocate. And the situation will blow up completely if the federal government is allowed to deport asylum seekers back to strife-torn Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. As more boats arrive at the offshore immigration processing centre”‰—”‰and…
American handiwork in Afghanistan for all to see
A propaganda war short from the perspective of the US-backed Afghanistan Special Forces, Strike Force Lion, “who describe their own personal reasons why they continue to fight the war against terrorist threats within their country”. These films are undeniably interesting but they’re utterly without context. How much support do such forces have in the country?…
Our good friends in Pakistan like to torture
Robert Fisk reports from Pakistan on the 8000 “disappeared” citizens during the country’s US-backed “war on terror”: There is evidence that Pakistan’s “disappeared” are moved around, between barracks and interrogation centres and underground torture facilities in different towns and cities. There are also terrible rumours – fostered, some say, by the security authorities – that…
The danger of rampant Zionism catching on in middle America?
Leading Australian thinker and academic Scott Burchill comments on the recent revelations that American General David Petraeus is publicly linking the Middle East conflict and Washington’s failures in the Muslim world: Assuming that [Mark] Perry’s report is accurate – and it apparently is – it’s quite a significant development. If the Pentagon decides to flex…
Stop the presses: Petraeus links Israel/Palestine to US impotence
Praise the Lord. Finally, somebody realises that Israeli actions are directly affecting American interests and lives. Sure, this has been clear for decades but better late than never. The likely outcome from Washington? More “disappointment” with Israeli actions in Palestine and little else: On Jan. 16, two days after a killer earthquake hit Haiti, a…
Goldstone threatens the chances of killing civilians, anywhere
Surprise, surprise. So the real issue with the UN Goldstone report over Gaza isn’t really the innocents killed, it’s that the recommendations could be used against the West (via the Forward): In Congress, New York Democrat Gary Ackerman, chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, is one of those leading…