1322 days have passed since President Bush declared "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq. Nearly 2800 U.S. troops have been killed in Iraq since.
No War with Iran: Petition More than 26,600 people have signed the Peace Action/Just Foreign Policy petition. Please sign/circulate if you have yet to do so: http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/involved/iranpetition.html
Kucinich-Paul Hearing on Iraqi Casualties: Transcript: http://www.juancole.com/2006/12/kucinich-paul-congressional-hearing-on.html Video: rtsp://video.c-span.org/project/iraq/iraq121106_kucinich.rm
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised on the Web: The Irish documentary about the Bush Administration-backed coup that briefly overthrew the democratically elected Venezuelan government in 2002 and the popular uprising that reversed the coup is now viewable on the web. It is, arguably, the most compelling documentary about democracy ever made. (Unlike "Z," the good guys win.) http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5832390545689805144
Just Foreign Policy News daily podcast: http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/podcasts/podcast_howto.html
Summary: U.S./Top News Writing on Huffington Post, Robert Naiman takes the New York Times to task for its "coverage" of Rep. Kucinich's announcement that he would run for President on a platform of cutting off funding for the war and bringing the troops home.
In 2004, Dennis Kucinich was saying things nobody else was saying, writes columnist Dick Feagler in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. And now we know that the things he was saying have all come true. Iraq has become a quagmire. Too many people in his own party didn't have a clue. When I endorsed his candidacy, I said I was glad his voice was there. E-mail flew in from everywhere. Most of them were from people who hated the war. They were glad to see this fellow speak out.
John Schmitt of CEPR has an economist's solution for the war in Iraq - a $200 billion peace prize, writes Dean Baker on Common Dreams. The prize would be given to the people of Iraq - in individual checks - if targets are met for reducing violence. This could mean serious money for Iraq, since the individual check would rival per capita GDP. There's no guarantee a large reward would end the violence. But no one has a better idea. The peace prize would allow the US to withdraw its troops as quickly as logistical arrangements can be made. The money that would otherwise go to support the occupation would instead be available to the Iraqis.
The White House said Tuesday President Bush would delay presenting any new strategy for Iraq until early next year, as officials suggested Bush's advisers were locked in internal debates about how to proceed, the New York Times reports. Senator Chuck Hagel called the delay "unpardonable." A New York Times editorial says Bush has no more time to waste, and must clear the way for a withdrawal of American troops.
Support has coalesced in the Pentagon behind a plan to "double down" in Iraq with a substantial buildup in American troops and a major combat offensive against Muqtada Sadr, the Los Angeles Times reports. But only 12% of Americans support a troop increase, while 52% want a fixed timetable for withdrawal, says the paper.
Most Americans think the US is losing in Iraq and support the Iraq Study Group's proposals to change course, the Washington Post reports. But the ISG report has become a political orphan in Washington. Sizeable majorities agree with the goal of pulling out nearly all U.S. combat forces by early 2008, engaging in direct talks with Iran and Syria and reducing U.S. financial support if Iraq fails to make enough progress.
Saudi Arabia has told the Bush administration that it might provide financial backing to Iraqi Sunnis in any war against Iraq's Shiites if the US pulls its troops out of Iraq, the New York Times reports.
James Baker looked realism in the eye and blinked, writes Richard Cohen in the Washington Post. The ISG recommended many things, but shied from the most realistic one of all: Get the hell out as soon as possible.
Some Christians say a computer game in which players convert or kill Muslims is the wrong gift this holiday season and Wal-Mart should stop selling it, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The civil liberties group Jews on First has also asked for the recall of the game.
Iran The head of the Russian company building a nuclear plant in Iran urged Tehran to keep up payments to complete construction as scheduled, AP reports. Gazeta.ru commented that Iran could be dragging its feet on paying because of irritation over Russia's support for demands that Iran freeze its uranium enrichment program.
Security Council talks on Iran's nuclear program were called off Tuesday because of Russian anger at the US for raising a hunger strike by a politician in Belarus, Reuters reports. Diplomats expected the talks to be rescheduled in hopes of reaching agreement by Christmas.
Israel/Palestine The Saudi peace initiative, which calls for a two-state solution along the 1967 borders, must be used as a basis for negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz said Sunday. Israel has avoided official consideration of the 2002 initiative which calls on Israel to withdraw to the 1967 borders in return for a comprehensive peace agreement with the Palestinians and other Arab states. The proposal also calls for an "agreed and just solution" to the Palestinian refugee issue.
The Israeli Supreme Court ruled Tuesday Palestinians who suffer harm from the army in noncombat operations may seek compensation from the government, throwing out part of a law barring such compensation. The law, passed by Parliament in 2005, sought to make the army, the security services and the state immune retroactively from being sued for damages caused since the second intifada began. Chief Justice Aharon Barak wrote that Israel's continuous military presence in the territories "left many harmed who were not involved in any hostile activity."
Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai warned Tuesday failure to bring peace to Afghanistan would destroy the region and laid the blame on Pakistan, the New York Times reports.
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- Robert Naiman Just Foreign Policy www.justforeignpolicy.org
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