Manning Prosecution: I Don't Think the Government's Report Says What It Claims It Does
Kevin Gosztola reports that the government plans to use a document Bradley Manning is alleged to have accessed as part of its proof that he knew he'd be leaking any further information to al Qaeda and other enemies by leaking it to WikiLeaks.
Morrow…
Afghan Situation So Bad Propagandists Only Speak Of "Something That Could Still Resemble Victory"
Back in April, I ridiculed the Senate Armed Services Committee and especially ISAF Commander Joseph Dunford for continuing to hold on to the delusion that the US can still "win" in Afghanistan. As the situation in Afghanistan continues to get…
Navy v. Egan, not Just Branzburg v. Hayes, Needs Fixed
Today, 340 new journalists will join the 10 or so who have been covering the Bradley Manning prosecution closely for the last several years; his trial starts today at Fort Meade.
Expect to see a bunch of essays on secrecy to mark the beginning…
BREAKING: Globalization Is Dangerous
Globalization is dangerous.
But not, as it turns out, because it has gutted the middle class. Not even because a globalized supply chain has made it easier for our rivals to sabotage our defense programs, or that a globalized supply chain…
Commissary Cheap
Most of the veterans I follow on Twitter are pointing to this WaPo story on DOD's failure to eliminate commissaries on bases as an example of the worst of DOD bureaucracy.
Three summers ago, Richard V. Spencer, a retired investment banker who…
Why Would the UndieBomber Make a Martyrdom Video in Arabic?
In his drone letter to Congress 11 days ago, Eric Holder quoted a recording Anwar al-Awlaki made -- it was prominently reported across the US media in March 2010, not long after he was added to the drone kill list -- calling on Americans to…
Classification Games Hiding the Afghan Defeat
Amidst all the discussion of the Administration's crack-down on leaks, two details have made it clear the Administration is using its own abuse of classification to hide reports of our impending defeat in Afghanistan.
Administration leaks…
APB: At Least Two Missing "Law Enforcement Personnel," Last Seen at Ibragim Todashev Homicide Scene
When the FBI first admitted that it had killed Ibragim Todashev, it indicated there were at least 5 people at the scene: Two Massachusetts State cops, the FBI Agent being blamed for shooting Todashev, and "law enforcement personnel" -- plural…
Press Freedom: It Depends on What the Meaning of the Word "Is" Is
As we get further away from last week's what's-new-is-old counterterrorism speech, I'm increasingly convinced all that happened was the Administration yoked the word "continuing" onto the word "imminent" and declared an entirely new standard…
As H7N9 Infections Wane, MERS-CoV Claims Thirtieth Victim
With the winter flu season now over in the Northern Hemisphere, we can safely say that the feared global pandemic from the newly emerged H7N9 flu virus did not occur. As the weather in China warms up, cases are dwindling in the manner usually…
Scary Iran Plotter Gets 25 Years
The prosecutors in Manssor Arbabsiar's case succeeded in convincing Judge John Keenan that his was a real plot that must meet a harsh sentence to deter others from being entrapped in a US scheme involving fake drug cartel members. He got the…
American Drone War: Murder and Democracy
In his post on the drone killing of Waliur Rehman Mehsud earlier this week, Jim noted that CIA has sworn revenge for the 2009 Pakistani Taliban supported suicide attack on CIA's base in Khost.
Sure enough, one of the things Press Secretary…
Steven Seagal Helps Rohrabacher in Failed Quest to Visit "Chechnyans"
Proving once again that he has the reasoning skills of a termite-infested and rotting fence post, Dana Rohrabacher had the bright idea that he and fellow geniuses Michele Bachmann and Steve King should go to Russia to get to the bottom of…
CAIR-FL Calls for Investigation into Ibragim Todashev's Killing
Last Thursday afternoon, the President of the United States said this:
For the record, I do not believe it would be constitutional for the government to target and kill any U.S. citizen -- with a drone, or with a shotgun -- without due process,…
When NYT Accused Jim Comey of Approving Torture
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As you've likely heard already, NPR and others have reported that President Obama will nominate Jim Comey to lead the FBI.
I think Comey is a decent choice.
Much of the attention since this news broke…
Accused Panjwai Killer, Robert Bales, to Plead Guilty
This AP reports that the US soldier accused of killing 16 Afghans last year, Robert Bales, will plead guilty to avoid a possible death sentence.
The subtext of the article is more interesting. The AP quotes family members of those killed…
FBI's Todashev Story Gets Stupider
There are two things that amaze me about this story.
First, that the FBI wants you to believe the latest version of their story about how Ibragim Todashev presented a threat, after the story has changed 2 times already.
FBI sources say Ibragim…
Today's Pakistan Drone Strike Targeted Khost Blast Key Figure in CIA Revenge Killing
The latest CIA drone strike in North Waziristan is described by Reuters as having killed the number two figure in the Pakistan Taliban group known as the TTP. This strike was a first on many fronts. It was the first since the election of…
Neoliberalism: A Failsafe Bulwark against Terrorism
When I heard this line from Obama's counterterrorism speech last week,
We are actively working to promote peace between Israelis and Palestinians -- because it is right and because such a peace could help reshape attitudes in the region. …
Compare DOD's Autonomy to Engage in Cyber-War with Obama's Close Control over DOD Drone Targeting
It will likely be some time, if ever, before one of our enemies succeeds at doing more than launching limited, opportunistic drone strikes at the US. By contrast, every day brings new revelations of how our enemies and rivals are finding new…