Category Archives: RagBlog

From Informed Comment Paris Hilton & Iraqi PrisonersSunday, June 10, 2007 American cable news has been fixated on the jailing of socialite Paris Hilton for the past week, on grounds that she twice violated the probation sentence she earlier received … Continue reading →

Deceptions and Insipid Sentiments: Troop SupportBy BRIAN CLOUGHLEY “American Special Operations forces conducted raids in the area on Friday and Sunday, and on both occasions they called in airstrikes when they encountered armed resistance, the military said. It said in … Continue reading →

Iraqi Reporter Latest Victim of Violence Against Women Journalists(07-Jun-07) A courageous Iraqi journalist, who covered sectarian violence in the north of the country, has been murdered in Mosul, the latest victim of attacks against Muslim women reporters. Sahar Hussein al-Haideri, … Continue reading →

Bush-Exasperation Syndrome Spreadsby Jaime O’Neill, Jun 8 2007 You might have missed it–a story buried in that slush pile of celebrity news, happy talk, and un-vetted press releases that now constitute so much of American journalism–but a report released by … Continue reading →

I started paying serious attention to Africa and writing about it in The Rag about 1970. If anything, it has become clearer over the years that colonialism is not responsible for all of Africa’s ills, or even most of them. … Continue reading →

In Iraq’s four-year looting frenzy, the allies have become the vandalsSimon JenkinsThe Guardian, Friday June 8, 2007 British and American collusion in the pillaging of Iraq’s heritage is a scandal that will outlive any passing conflict Fly into the American … Continue reading →

Marine says he erased photos of Haditha victimsBy Tony Perry, Times Staff WriterJune 8, 2007 The testimony is the first evidence suggesting that any officer may have engaged in a coverup in the 2005 deaths of 24 Iraqi civilians. CAMP … Continue reading →

Lies and outrages… would you believe it?By Robert Fisk It was Israel which attacked Egypt after Nasser closed the straits of Tiran 06/09/07 “The Independent” — — – When I was a schoolboy, I loved a column which regularly appeared … Continue reading →

Gitmo and the Bogus ‘Enemy Combatants’ Trials Should Be Ceased Immediatelyby Marjorie CohnJune 09, 2007, AlterNet In 2002, Donald Rumsfeld famously called the detainees at Guantánamo “the worst of the worst.” General Richard B. Myers, former chairman of the Joint … Continue reading →

What Luttwak didn’t sayby Charles GlassJune 09, 2007, Prospect Magazine Over the past few weeks, American planes have landed at Beirut airport with arms and ammunition for the Lebanese army. The army’s battle with a small Islamist militia in a … Continue reading →

It’s as though every single person either directly part of the federal administration or indirectly involved with it became instantly stupid on 20 January 2001. Critics Say U.S. Focus On Al-Qaida In Iraq Is OverblownBy CHARLES J. HANLEY The Associated … Continue reading →

Bush Says We’ll Be in Iraq for 50 Years, But Reporters Don’t Bother to Ask Iraqis to CommentBy Joshua Holland and Raed Jarrar, AlterNet. Posted June 8, 2007. When George Bush announced that he favored keeping troops in Iraq for … Continue reading →