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Backpedaling on Iraqi Weapons

by Sheldon Richman May 3, 2003

The campaign of deception continues, but the handwriting is on the wall. President Bush himself now says that so-called weapons of mass destruction may never be found in Iraq. But hes not yet willing to concede that perhaps Saddam Hussein was telling the truth when he said he had none. ... [click for more]

Joining the Ranks of Aggressor Nations

by Jacob G. Hornberger May 2, 2003

It really doesn’t matter whether U.S. military forces now find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq or not. From a moral standpoint, it’s too late for that. As everyone knows, in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, President Bush provided several justifications for the invasion, and people were ... [click for more]

An American Empire! If You Want It instead of Freedom, Part 2

by Richard M. Ebeling May 1, 2003

Part 1 | Part 2 Also making a case for an imperial role for the United States is Deepak Lal, professor of international development studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. Lal has long been a leading opponent of central planning and regulation in developing countries and a strong advocate of free markets and competition. On October 30, ... [click for more]

Bush at War

by James Bovard May 1, 2003

This article was posted March 5, 2003. Bob Woodward, the famed Watergate investigator and now a senior editor at the Washington Post, was granted unprecedented access to George W. Bush and to some of the top players in his administration in the wake of September 11. The result is a new book — ... [click for more]

Building Democracy in Iraq

by Sheldon Richman May 1, 2003

So the Bush administration is going to bring democracy to Iraq. Leaving aside the dubious connection between democracy and freedom (it wasnt Operation Iraqi Democracy), theres a rather large potential problem in realizing that ambition: what if the Iraqis want to do something contrary to the administrations wishes? Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has already declared that the U.S. government ... [click for more]

What’s Wrong with Looting? It’s the American Way!

by Jacob G. Hornberger April 30, 2003

Responding to the massive looting committed by Iraqis as part of their newly found “freedom,” Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld observed, “Stuff happens. It’s untidy. And freedom’s untidy. And free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things.” The reason for his indifference is simple: ... [click for more]

U.S. Torture and Mistreatment of POWs and Criminal Suspects

by Jacob G. Hornberger April 28, 2003

Iraqi POW Death Under Scrutiny" CBS News. Rules of War Apply to Us Too, by Robyn E. Blumner St. Petersburg Times. Guantanamo example may hurt POWs, by Ivan Roman Orlando Sentinel. Hypocrisy In U.S. Demands That Call For Respect Of Geneva Conventions Dar Al-Hayat. [click for more]

A Stupid War

by Scott McPherson April 25, 2003

President Bush and his allies claimed emphatically during the months leading up to the invasion of Iraq that Saddam Hussein was an evil madman in possession of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), requiring an immediate preemptive invasion to topple his dictatorial regime and avert a nuclear, biological, or chemical ... [click for more]

If This Is Freedom, What Exactly Is Dictatorship?

by Jacob G. Hornberger April 21, 2003

Let me see if I have this right. In the United States of America: 1. The president now has the unrestricted power to declare war against a country that has not attacked the United States, wreaking death and destruction on both sides of the conflict. 2. The president now has ... [click for more]

Drunk with Power

by Scott McPherson April 18, 2003

Following the inevitable victory of allied military power over Iraq’s decrepit army, White House officials were hesitant to express too much jubilation, lest their reaction be thought to lack seemly restraint. As buildings burned and children died, apparently they saw wisdom in a muted celebration. “Administration officials ... [click for more]

We Want to Free You . . . but Just Dont Come Here

by Jacob G. Hornberger April 18, 2003

Amidst all the U.S. government outrage over Fidel Castro's tyrannical treatment of Cuban citizens, U.S. officials unfortunately remain steadfastly committed to working with Castro to forcibly repatriate Cuban refugees back into Castro's communist tyranny. For that matter, how many U.S. officials who are now claiming to have had a longtime, heartfelt urge to free the ... [click for more]

The Moral Cost of Liberating Iraq

by Jacob G. Hornberger April 16, 2003

During the three weeks of the war on Iraq, Americans seemed to have been discomforted by accounts of Iraqis killed or injured, including both enemy soldiers and civilians. Perhaps that’s why the U.S. television networks, which provided around-the-clock coverage, scrupulously avoided exposing viewers to those gruesome scenes. ... [click for more]