CIA kept detainees alive to torture them moreA human rights lawyer claims that under the Bush administration, the CIA tortured some terror suspects so badly during interrogation sessions, it had to keep them alive so they could continue being tortured.
War on terror
Anti-war movement struggles without Bush
For many on the Left, opposing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was really about opposing George W. Bush, says Byron York. Even though the US still has hundreds of thousands of troops fighting in the Middle East, without Dubbya, anti-war campaigners are now struggling to find support.
‘Global War on Terror’ over
US President Obama’s assistant for counterterrorism and homeland security, John Brennan, has declared the idea of a “global war on terror” over, promising a significant ideological shift in the US’s approach to combating extremism, and its root causes, around the world.
Afghanistan: a mess wrapped in a blood-soaked riddle
Pro-war pundits contrast the theocratic rule of the Taliban circa 2000 with an Afghan future that exists only in their imagination, neatly ignoring the real Afghanistan that the war has brought into being, writes Jeff Sparrow.
New dirty words: war on terror
Nearly eight years on from the 9/11 attacks, the Federal Government is launching a review of the official language used to discuss terrorism, and terms like ‘jihadist’ are within their sights.
Getting to know Saddam Hussein: the FBI conversations
FBI reports of interviews it conducted in 2004 with former Iraq leader Saddam Hussein have been published them today. Crikey intern Sophie Tarr picks out the best bits.
Osama bin Laden: Eight years and counting…
It’s been eight years since Osama bin Laden fled to the hills. Are we any closer to finding the guy?
Why Bush invaded Iraq: the war on Gog and Magog
The Rumsfeld memos are extraordinary, but there is another, perhaps more alarming, story about Bush’s Christian fundamentalism and the Iraq War that has yet to come to light.
Forget terrorists: here’s what you should actually fear
A statistical look at what’s really worth worrying about. Eg. you’re much more likely to drown than succumb to a suicide bomber’s attack. And put down that cigarette.
Guantanamo: be the evil you want to see defeated
Mahatma Gandhi once said: “Be the change you want to see”. But in George W Bush’s so-called “war on terror”, the extreme opposite applied, writes Irfan Yusuf.
When will Tom Switzer condemn the war on terror?
Can the man who brought Janet Albrechtsen to the national stage now honestly claim he was never a neo-Con after all? Asks Irfan Yusuf.
Anti-terror repercussions of the Benbrika trial
The Benbrika sentence deals a crippling blow to these sort of prosecutions and is a major set back to the perception and reality of Howard’s anti-terrorist laws, writes Peter Faris.
Farewell to Dubya, worst president ever
Our laughter at the idiot who was cunning enough to steal the US presidency died in our throats as he set about inflicting profound damage on the rest of the world, writes Bernard Keane.
Charlie Wilson’s Afghan f*ck-up:
Our military campaign in Afghanistan involves allying ourselves with thugs who may be tomorrow’s bin-Ladins, writes Irfan Yusuf.
Rundle: Dubya’s last days
Dubya is almost jaunty these days, as the sand runs out of the hourglass on his disastrous reign, writes Guy Rundle.
Acquittal of Thomas another blow for the war on terror
The acquittal by a Melbourne jury yesterday of Jack Thomas, who was alleged to have had a plant ticket paid for with funds from Al-Qaeda, is another blow to the multi billion dollar ‘war on terror, writes Greg Barns.
Downer laughs at water-boarding and other “pretty fascinating” stuff
Well, it’s great to see Alexander Downer having a good laugh in his retirement, writes Irfan Yusuf.
A Mexican plane crash, the CIA, and 3.3 tons of cocaine
What’s the link between a plane crash landing in Mexico, the CIA and 3.3 tons of cocaine?, asks Jeff Sparrow.
Karadzic v Guantanamo Bay detainees: two very different trials
Karadzic is being tried by a UN War Crimes Tribunal. There have been no suggestions of torture at this tribunal. Guantanamo Bay detainees aren’t so lucky, argues Irfan Yusuf.
Rudd government keeps Howard’s war on terror alive
Julia Gillard this morning approved proposed new laws that would give employers powers to snoop on workers’ emails. It’s all about counter-terrorism apparently, writes Katherine Wilson.
Stephen Keim: Fair trials get a boost in the “war on terror”
In the light of the way prison authorities appear to have taken upon themselves a frontline role in the “war on terror”, a Maundy Thursday ruling is a very welcome step, writes Brisbane barrister Stephen Keim.
