Yesterday, after literally millennia of its use as a ‘war tactic’, the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to finally classify rape as a ‘weapon of war’. In this day and age rape is primarily employed as a terror tactic, and has, as such, been in direct contravention of the UN Declaration Of Human Rights since its inception. Of course, those that employ rape as a tactic don’t commonly adhere to the tenets of the UNDHR, so it’s somewhat of a moot point. Women and boys ...More »

If you can actually believe it, there are those that still cling to the belief that the regime of Saddam Hussein had ties to al-Qaeda and was complicit in the attacks of September 11th. That should come as no surprise given how forcefully the Bush administration, with the help of much of the American media, promoted that falsehood. And even though a Pentagon sponsored study that reviewed more than 600,000 documents captured after the 2003 invasion has found absolutely no link, not a single realistic ...More »

KBR gang rape victim Jamie Leigh Jones has testified before a House Judiciary Committee about her ordeal. There is also evidence that others have endured the same thing. A statement by Chairman Conyers... A statement by Sheila Jackson Lee... A statement by Anthony Weiner... Representative Bobby Scott's questions at the hearing... More »

Sometimes there are things that you grow accustomed to when wandering the world of information each day, such as Gareth Porter’s recent piece White House Fought NIE Over an Old Charge. There is Darfur, the humanitarian crisis in Somalia, the never ending rivers of blood flowing from Iraq and Afghanistan, and everything besides that conjoin to make the unbelievable less shocking on a daily basis. But every once in a while I come across a story that leaves me utterly speechless. This week, it is ...More »

When the occupation of Iraq occurred, there was the promise, as there was a promise in Afghanistan, that women would be liberated. In occupied Iraq, women are worse off today then they were under Saddam Hussein. In the name of occupation, with lawlessness and the rise of fundamentalism, roughly seventy women a month are being abducted, stolen and raped. Looking deeper to the root of 'occupation', the word means: 1. To invade or enter a country by force or as an army 2. Conquest, conquer ...More »

A friend sent me a link to this story this afternoon and it utterly enraged me. No matter the religious or cultural beliefs of any group or individual, the assurance of fundamental human rights is paramount. No individual has the right to deny another their rights, nor do they possess the power to indiscriminately take life based on completely arcane and uncivilized traditions. To quote the article… “Hamda Abu Ghanem feared for her life, but there was no one to protect her. Shortly after returning home from ...More »