Month: August 2007

DoJ Inspector General Glenn Fine adds allegations political favoritism in hiring practices and the NSA wiretapping to several “ongoing investigations” including “the National Security Agency’s Terrorist Surveillance Program, the FBI’s use of national security letters, and Gonzales’s characterizations of his conversation with an aide before a House hearing”: Justice Dept. Probing Whether Gonzales Lied (Washington…

If the Bush’s administration’s success for detaining and convicting actual terrorists could be compared to a baseball hitter, it “could not qualify even for a tryout for the minor leagues. The federal government has had far more strikeouts than people realize when it comes to terrorist suspects.”–James Bovard, author of “Attention Deficit Democracy” The “Terrorist”…

The third time is a charm: After two other run-off votes, the AK Party finally gets Gul into the Presidency and is ready to approve a pro-EU reform cabinet, but lingering concerns from secular parties and the military remain: Gül Era at Çankaya Palace Begins (Today’s Zaman) Turkey’s New President to Approve Reform Cabinet (Reuters/New…

Driven by faith and neighborhood troubles, Muslim Americans organize faith-based crime patrol and show almost immediate results: Muslim Patrol Quiets Crime in Shaw (Washington Post) Army General issues fresh veiled threat toward AK party day before expected victory by Abdullah Gul: Turkish Army Issues New Warning (BBC News) Although the NSA still has its Big…

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, a long-time supported Big Brother NSA wiretapping and marred by allegations of political favoritism over respect for the rule of law, resigns: Embattled Attorney General Resigns (New York Times) Columnist Jackson Diehl notes that the expected election of Abdullah Gul in Turkey “looks like a victory for democracy as well as…

One Million Signature Campaign for women’s rights in Iran is another example of where American interventionism works against the efforts of local civil society activists: A Quiet Battle for Rights in Iran (Washington Post) Events in Sudan are taking a dramatic turn as political saber rattling over Darfur leads to the expulsion of Canadian and…

Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell admits telecom cooperation in NSA warrentless wiretaps, boosting cases against the program’s legality: Telecom Firms Helped With Government’s Warrantless Wiretaps (Washington Post) Muslims flex their political muscles at civic event and local politicians respond: Reston Event Shows Clout of N.Va. Muslim Voters (Washington Post) As reports emerge that the…

Libya’s heir-apparant seeks decentralization and growth civil society as part of plan for  political reform tht suggests democracy a a market economy, but he dare not cross some “red lines” as long as his father remains “The Leader:” Gaddafi Son Seeks Reforms (The Age) Big Brother seeks to probe charity groups working abroad, while shrouding…

After months of detention and interrogations, the Iranian government finally releases Haleh Esfandiari on bail from the Evin Prison: Iran Releases Jailed Iranian-American (Associated Press/Washington Post) Survey of 100 top foreign policy and security experts paints a bleak picture of that state of American power and national security–84% say the U.S. is “losing the war”…

Civil society activist Saad Eddin Ibrahim marks the fourth anniversary of the disappearance of a prominent Egyptian journalist by describing the rising levels of State repression and Mubarak’s use of Islamophobia to ensure Western support for his tyranny: Egypt’s Unchecked Repression (Washington Post) British mosques begin teaching course that mixes citizenship with faith: British Civics…