A: When it leaves behind 50,000 combat troops and an uncertain number of “advisers.” From the Guardian UK: WASHINGTON – Democratic Congressional leaders have expressed dismay that President Barack Obama is planning to leave as many as 50,000 US troops in Iraq even after the long-awaited withdrawal of combat troops next year. Obama, on a [...]
Archive for February, 2009
Q: When is a Withdrawal Not a Withdrawal?
Posted: February 27, 2009 in UncategorizedTags: Iraq, military, Obama, peace and justice, status of forces agreement
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Penitence?
Posted: February 26, 2009 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, Bagram, Christianity, Guantanamo, Lent, Obama, state secrets
From the (Episcopal) Book of Common Prayer: Litany of Penitence The Celebrant and People together, all kneeling Most holy and merciful Father: We confess to you and to one another, and to the whole communion of saints in heaven and on earth, that we have sinned by our own fault in thought, word, and deed; [...]
A few days ago I wrote about a recent Harris/BBC America poll that showed barely a third of Americans supported a troop increase in Afghanistan. That’s no longer the case: according to a USA Today/Gallup poll published on Monday: President Obama’s decision to send an additional 17,000 troops to Afghanistan is supported by 65% of [...]
Faith
Posted: February 18, 2009 in UncategorizedTags: Cheney, Christian, Christianity, faith, Jesus, nonviolence, Obama, Sermon on the Mount
38 ‘You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” 39But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; 40and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your [...]
Obama: Can’t Spare Change for Torture Victims
Posted: February 11, 2009 in UncategorizedTags: activism, Boeing, CIA, extraordinary rendition, Greenwald, Jesus, nonviolence, Obama, peace and justice, torture
Obama’s Justice Department just reaffirmed one of the most egregious, unconstitutional and criminal practices of previous administrations: using an expansive version of the state secrets privilege to block suits brought against a Boeing subsidiary for helping the CIA kidnap and outsource torture of people not yet convicted of a crime (and no, I’m not making [...]
No. This will not help, and will make things worse.
Greenwald nails it: Using the prevailing media-logic applied to Bush’s counter-terrorism policies such as torture and Guantanamo (i.e., if a country is attacked by Terrorists, its Government then does X, and there are no Terrorist attacks for some period of time thereafter, then that is “proof” that “X stops Terrorism”), I believe these events in Spain constitute proof [...]
A Response to Brandon Friedman’s “Five Myths About the Afghanistan Escalation”
Posted: February 2, 2009 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, Afghanistan escalation, escalation, VoteVets
Brandon Friedman wrote a piece for VoteVets.org to about his support for the Afghanistan escalation. I commend him for engaging in this discussion. Our responsibility as citizens demands we have this discussion before sending more men and women into danger, and that’s why a broad coalition of writers, bloggers, and other activists have come together [...]
