War / Peace

The Manipulator

by Sheldon Rampton — May 31, 2004 - 11:00pm

In a detailed profile of Ahmed Chalabi and the Iraqi National Congress, Jane Mayer includes some fairly candid admissions by Francis Brooke, the INC's PR guru. Without Chalabi, he says, "This war would not have been fought. ...

Main Source: 
The New Yorker, June 7, 2004

Be All That You Can Afford To Be

by Diane Farsetta — May 26, 2004 - 11:00pm

In a May 11 memo obtained by the Associated Press, the head of the Army's Installation Management Activity command, Major General Anders Aadland, announced that the Army will "take additional risk in environmental programs; terminate environmental contracts and delay all non-statutory enforcement actions" until after October, the start of the 2005 fiscal year.

Main Source: 
Associated Press, May 27, 2004

Lend Me Your Ears

by Diane Farsetta — May 25, 2004 - 11:00pm

Eric Boehlert, citing Media Matters for America observations, writes: "Between March 15 and April 29 'Limbaugh used the term "femi-Nazis" eight times; he suggested that women want to be sexually harassed; he repeatedly equated Democrats with terrorists'...

Main Source: 
Salon.com, May 26, 2004

Crude Warnings

by Diane Farsetta — May 19, 2004 - 11:00pm

High gas prices are drawing politicians' attention. "Democratic proposals range from a temporary halt in shipments to it to releasing a portion of the crude" oil in the 660 million barrel U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, for some price relief, Reuters reports. But George Bush told reporters, "We're at war.

Main Source: 
Reuters, May 20, 2004

Not Your Parents' Video Games

by Diane Farsetta — May 14, 2004 - 11:00pm

"To promote America's Army: Overmatch, a free game created by the Army as a recruitment tool, a group of Army Special Forces personnel staged an urban tactical assault exercise outside the [Los Angeles] convention center" hosting the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3. The "helicopters, machine guns and face-painted soldiers leaping off tall buildings" startled and even "panicked" passersby. One retired Army major with the game project said: "This game is what we do in reality.

Main Source: 
Wired News, May 15, 2004

The Real Space Invaders

by Diane Farsetta — May 12, 2004 - 11:00pm

How should the U.S. handle torture allegations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Cuba? The Army may use video games. The America's Army game, which is currently used "to train and recruit soldiers... could also be modified to include lessons on prisoner treatment." Reuters reports: "The PC-based game...

Main Source: 
Reuters, May 13, 2004

Two Invasions = One War, No Politics

by Diane Farsetta — May 10, 2004 - 11:00pm

"As some troops have discovered," writes Richard Leiby, "... you can serve in both Afghanistan and Iraq and end up with a medal recognizing just one war. It's known in military-speak as the GWOT (rhymes with 'fought') medal, for the Global War on Terrorism." According to Pentagon spokesperson Jim Turner, "The GWOT medals tie today's global war to yesterday's global war, i.e. WWII.

Main Source: 
Washington Post, May 11, 2004

Torture, Brand America and the Bottom Line

by Diane Farsetta — May 9, 2004 - 11:00pm

In its damning report, the Red Cross states that "physical and psychological coercion were used by [U.S.] military intelligence in a systematic way to gain confessions and extract information and other forms of cooperation" from Iraqi detainees.

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Associated Press, May 10, 2004

Mayday for GI Janes!

by Diane Farsetta — April 30, 2004 - 11:00pm

A Freedom of Information Act request revealed that Selective Service System acting Director Lewis Brodsky, in a February 2003 proposal to Pentagon officials, recommended that the draft "be re-engineered toward maintaining a national inventory of American men and, for the first time, women, ages 18 through 34, with an added focus on identifying individuals with critical skills." The agency's public and congressional

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Seattle Post-Intelligencer, May 1, 2004

A Not-So-Volunteer Force

by Diane Farsetta — April 14, 2004 - 11:00pm

In an official notice signaling their intention to launch a new "recruiting and advertising program to bolster and retain ranks in the U.S. Army," the Pentagon, Defense Contracting Command and Department of the Army observe that "the market dynamics recruiters continue to face are as challenging as any faced in the history of the All-Volunteer Force," according to O'Dwyer's PR Daily.

Main Source: 
O'Dwyer's PR Daily, April 15, 2004
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