Terrorism

USAID Involvement in Palestinian Elections Backfires

A U.S. Agency for International Development program in the Palestinian territories put $2 million towards a series of "small, popular projects and events," such as computer donations, a soccer tournament, and free food and water at border crossings, prior to the January 25 elections. The program "bears no evidence of U.S.

Those Pills'll Kill You

Following up on a story that first surfaced in the gossip pages of the New York Daily News, Michael Hiltzik examines the details of a bizarre scheme aimed at scaring U.S. citizens away from importing cheap drugs from Canada.

Good vs. Evil Redux

The New York Times' David E. Sanger notes a change in how George W. Bush discusses future U.S. military activities. Bush "has begun warning that the insurgency is already metastasizing into a far broader struggle to 'establish a radical Islamic empire that spans from Spain to Indonesia,'" Sanger writes.

Stepping Up the Attack on Green Activists

"A remorseless rapist in Hamilton County, Ohio is sentenced to 15 years in prison for beating and raping a 57-year-old woman," writes Kelly Hearn. "An environmental activist in California is sentenced to 22 years and 8 months for burning three SUVs at a car dealership after taking precautions to harm no lives.

Propaganda, Iraq Style

Iraqis "find themselves under a propaganda bombardment from all sides," reports the Associated Press.

Terrorist or Activist?

"Under the draconian conditions of the USA Patriot Act," reports the Guardian, "the FBI can use covert surveillance of 'terrorists' without the necessity of getting a judicial warrant." Last year, the FBI identified "animal rights extremists and eco-terrorism" as "a domestic terrorism investigative priority," concerning even mainstream environmental groups.

Terrorist PR

"Since Sept. 11, 2001, members of Al Qaeda have released an audio- or videotape about once every six weeks," notes Faye Bowers. In addition, terrorists are using the internet with increasing frequency and skill to influence public opinion and recruit followers.

Propaganda, Homeland Style

A leaked draft public relations plan for the Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection bureau suggested "repeating the message, in the weeks leading up to the presidential election, that America is safer," reports the Washington Post.

Opening the Doors to Open Source Intelligence

The official report of the 9/11 Commission includes a pitch for a new "open-source intelligence agency," which would focus on developing government intelligence information from unrestricted, non-secret sources.

The Rotten Taste of Success

"Food industry lobbyists met privately with Bush administration officials 10 times while the government was crafting rules to protect the food supply from bioterrorism." The Center for Science in the Public Interest stated, "The result is regulations that the industry likes, but that don't fully protect the public interest." The Grocery Manufacturers of America, Altria Group and others lobbied to weaken proposed

Syndicate content