Parsing the propaganda -

Attorney General John Ashcroft has had quite a bit to say today in defense of the government's anti-terror policies. Below are some snippets, with a few editorial comments:

"Our efforts have been deliberate, they've been coordinated, they've been carefully crafted to not only protect America but to respect the Constitution and the rights enshrined therein." I was not aware that the DOJ held the esteemed position of interpreting the Constitution of the U.S. In any case, military tribunals, while possibly technically legal, violate the spirit of the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution.

"Still, there have been a few voices who have criticized. Some have sought to condemn us with faulty facts or without facts at all. Others have simply rushed to judgement, almost eagerly assuming the worst of their government before they've had a chance to understand it at its best." What's to understand? Bush's order is extraordinarily sweeping and vague in its definitions, leaving everything to the public's imagination as to what might happen or who might be ensnared.

"We are heartened by the support of the American people, not just a signal of public appreciation, but an expression of public trust that has attended your efforts and ours, and we are grateful." This is utterly disingenuous. That should read "...heartened by the ignorance of the American people," who have not been given an adequate explanation by the government or the media -- and who are too lazy, for the most part, to find out.

"We are removing suspected terrorists who violate the law from our streets." If they are suspects, than how is it known that they have violated the law? Guilty till proven innocent? Apparently so.  [Later: It occurs to me that what Ashcroft meant was any violations of law, like jaywalking, spitting on the sidewalk, or misrepresenting information on a credit application. Then you may be scooped up, held incommunicado indefinitely, perhaps without counsel, or, if with counsel, subject to eavesdropping. I feel so much better now...]

Anthony Lewis: Wake up, America -- "...President Bush's order creating military tribunals to try those suspected of links to terrorism has aroused little public uproar. Why? Because, I am convinced, people do not understand the order's dangerous breadth — and its defenders have done their best to conceal its true character." (NY Times, free registration required) The general public shrugs and says, "This can't affect me, so I support it."

George Harrison is dead at age 58.

Bill C. Davis: "It behooves every American citizen to interpret and critique every action and statement emanating from that video image being projected by the man behind the curtain, even as the image commands us to 'pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.' As he gives us marching orders we must pay attention — know what the image is saying but be very clear about what levers and buttons are being pushed that make the video image necessary."

Times of India: US 'hero' may have triggered Mazar revolt -- "...British journalists in Mazar-i-Sharif have begun reporting that Spann was less an innocent victim than the one who allegedly provoked the riot."

Robert Fisk: We are the war criminals now -- "It's quite clear what has happened. When people with yellow or black or brownish skin, with Communist or Islamic or Nationalist credentials, murder their prisoners or carpet bomb villages to kill their enemies or set up death squad courts, they must be condemned by the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and the 'civilised' world. . . . But when our people are murdered - when our glittering buildings are destroyed - then we tear up every piece of human rights legislation, send off the B-52s in the direction of the impoverished masses and set out to murder our enemies."

Eleanor Clift: Ashcroft is watching us but who's watching Ashcroft? -- "Frightened citizens are loath to question anybody in authority when the country is fighting a war, and the Bush administration has fed the fear of terrorism despite pleas to Americans to resume their normal lives."

Wired: DOJ already monitoring modems -- "The Department of Justice already is using its new anti-terrorism powers to monitor cable modem users without obtaining a judge's permission first.... Other USA Patriot Act sections mean that police can obtain an Internet Protocol address, which identifies a cable modem subscriber, as readily as they can learn someone's telephone number. Chertoff said the government also has used its new powers to obtain court orders for logs from Internet providers that are outside of the court's traditional jurisdiction."

Neil Lewis: Justice Dept. and Senate clash over Bush actions -- "How can you talk about full partnership when nobody let us know this executive order was coming down?" (NY Times, free registration required)

Global Free Press: The thought is not enough -- "It's not Bush's job to declare war because Congress refuses to. It is not Bush's job to administer military justice. It is not Rumsfeld's job to draft regulations for military tribunals. These jobs all belong to Congress." [Via dangerousmeta!]

Washington Post: Ashcroft undaunted as criticism grows -- A couple of interesting things emerge from this Post piece. "...Ashcroft's operation is more insular and controlled [than that of Janet Reno]. He relies heavily on a small group of trusted young political aides from his days in the Senate, rarely including outside opponents or career Justice staff members in his deliberations." This attitude has manifested itself as a general distrust of the collective wisdom of career people at DOJ. From a broader standpoint, "Bush has given Ashcroft's team relatively wide berth in setting policies, officials said, with one overarching imperative. 'Never let this happen again,' Bush told Ashcroft after Sept. 11." The mandate is understandable, given the magnitude of the tragedy. However, virtually every analyst I've read or listened to has agreed that we cannot absolutely guarantee that a terrorist attack will be prevented -- most importantly, especially if we are to hold on to any semblance of our free and open society. Roger Pilon, of the Cato Institute, noted, "I see in [Ashcroft] a person with a greater respect for authority than for liberty, and that's what disturbs me."

Reuters: U.S. anti-terror bid dangles carrot for foreigners -- This is a novel twist: Encourage foreigners in the U.S. to come forward with "information" about suspected terrorists, in return for improved visa status and other perks.

American gulag -

Reuters: Lawyers warn of crackdown in immigrant courts -- A 34-year-old Egyptian dentist "was arrested by the Immigration and Naturalization Service in southern California two days after the Sept. 11 hijack plane attacks and has been held virtually incommunicado in a Brooklyn jail ever since as part of what civil liberties lawyers are calling a nearly unprecedented crackdown against foreigners. He is held alone in a cell and allowed out for only one hour a day to exercise and is denied radio, television or newspapers, his lawyer says, adding: 'I am very concerned about him, about his mental health. I don't know how long he can last. His father is very distressed as well.'"

It took Mr. Fayad's lawyer nearly a month to find out where he was being held. I would like to know how the president's chief counsel and the Attorney General have the gall to reassure the American public that the "detainees" all have access to legal counsel and are well treated.

Washington Post: Most Americans back U.S. tactics -- "Most Americans broadly endorse steps taken by the Bush administration to investigate and prosecute suspected terrorists and express little concern that these measures may violate the rights of U.S. citizens or others caught up in the ongoing probes, according to a survey by The Washington Post and ABC News." This is totally pathetic. Are we only interested in keeping gas in our SUV's tank and watching Monday night football?

Domestic bioweapons research agenda alleged in anthrax attacks -

Reuters: Group says U.S. expert believed behind anthrax attacks -- Greenpeace Germany "said its article was based on information from a U.S. delegation source at the U.N. biological weapons conference in Geneva that began last week.... 'The U.S. delegation believe it is an inside job... Their members also have more information than has been made public,' Kirsten Brodde, a reporter for the magazine, told Reuters."

Washington Post: Ex-FBI officials criticize tactics on terrorism -- "...In a series of on-the-record interviews, eight former high-ranking FBI officials have offered the first substantive critique of the Ashcroft program, questioning whether the new approach will have the desired effect. The executives, including a former FBI director, said the Ashcroft plan will inevitably force the bureau to close terrorism investigations prematurely, before agents can identify all members of a terrorist cell. They said the Justice Department is resurrecting tactics the government rejected in the late 1970s because they did not prevent terrorism and led to abuses of civil liberties."

Richard Cohen: Liberties be damned: "Given the current situation, we may all have to breathe a bit more shallowly of the bracing air of freedom. But the new procedures would be less troubling if we had a president who had shown himself to be commendably suspicious of police power and who appreciated that civil liberties do not favor the guilty but protect the innocent."

Ross Baker: Nobody named Bush king yet -- "The U.S. Constitution proclaims that 'the executive power shall be vested in a president of the United States.' It does not say that exclusive power shall be vested in the president. Yet that seems to be the interpretation placed on its responses to terrorism in recent weeks by the Bush administration." [In case of link rot, Baker's column is also available here.]

New computer worm mimics FBI's proposed spyware -- Here is yet another exploit of Microsoft's pathetic Outlook mail program, using e-mail attachments to infect the recipient's system. "While Badtrans.B is not destructive, it does install a keylogger, a program that records what a person using the infected PC types and then sends the information to the virus writer's e-mail address." [CNET]

Reuters: Michigan 'invites' men from mideast to be interviewed -- "'You're asking people what are your political beliefs and what are the beliefs of your friends,' said Hussein Ibish, a spokesman for the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. 'That is a set of questions that has a dark history in our country.'"

Thomas L. Friedman: The real war -- "We're not fighting to eradicate 'terrorism.' Terrorism is just a tool. We're fighting to defeat an ideology: religious totalitarianism." (NY Times, free registration required)

Washington Post: Iraq's weapons could make it a target, Bush says

Guardian: House of Saud looks close to collapse [from Nov. 21]

Scenes from Kafka

NY Times: Swept up in a dragnet, hundreds sit in custody and ask, 'Why?' --Roughly 1200 people are being held incognito by the government. "...A senior law enforcement official said for the first time last week that just 10 to 15 of the detainees are suspected as Al Qaeda sympathizers, and that the government has yet to find evidence indicating that any of them had knowledge of the Sept. 11 attacks or acted as accomplices.

Accountability for John Ashcroft

Reuters: Ashcroft to face tough Senate grilling on tribunals -- "Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy [the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman], a Vermont Democrat, said lawmakers in both parties were upset with Ashcroft, who won sweeping new powers to fight terrorism in post-Sept. 11 legislation and has since announced other controversial measures...." Leahy promises the hearings will not be "perfunctory." One can hope.

Government computer surveillance

Washington Post: FBI develops eavesdropping tools -- "The Magic Lantern technology, part of a broad FBI project called 'Cyber Knight,' would allow investigators to secretly install over the Internet powerful eavesdropping software that records every keystroke on a person's computer, according to people familiar with the effort.... Magic Lantern could be installed over the Internet [onto your computer] by tricking a person into double-clicking an e-mail attachment or by exploiting some of the same weaknesses in popular commercial software that allow hackers to break into computers."

MSNBC has more on Magic Lantern.

For the technically inclined, Declan McCullagh lists some features that might be found on a "secure" PC. Note that the first item on the list is a better operating system. ;-)

John Robb notes that the government needs Microsoft's assistance to make this program work, particularly overseas, where US laws don't apply. And Dave Winer suspects that Microsoft may have given the government the keys to our computers in exchange for a summary settlement of the anti-trust suit.

Liberals say "Who cares?"

Maureen Dowd: Uncivil liberties -- "`I'm not in the mood for a big civil libertarian crisis.`" (NY Times, free registration required)

Short attention span?

As we here in the U.S. have been trying to enjoy the long Thanksgiving weekend, the Taliban is all but ousted from Kunduz, leaving Kandahar, in the south, as its remaining stronghold. In the meantime, President Bush reminds Americans to "brace for tough times," noting that the war is far from over. It will be interesting to see how public support plays out after Kandahar is "liberated," especially as we turn our attention to places like Iraq.

Consolidating power, and the ghost of Joe McCarthy

Slate: Ashcroft likes to listen -- The legal protection of the "exclusionary rule" has kept law enforcement in line for four decades. This means that if police trample individual civil liberties, the evidence is not admissible in court. The new wrinkle with the indefinite detentions of "suspected terrorists" is that the Justice Department has no interest in seeking a conviction, at least not in the court system. (Evidence that might normally be inadmissible will be welcomed in our new military tribunals.) Hence, the safety valve our system has enjoyed for years is rendered useless.

Nat Hentoff: Liberty is a fragile thing -- This column, from Sept. 19, is eerily prophetic. A great quote from William O. Douglas:

As nightfall does not come all at once, neither does oppression. In both instances, there is a twilight when everything remains seemingly unchanged. And it is in such twilight that we all must be most aware of change in the air -- however slight -- lest we become unwitting victims of darkness.

Washington Post: In war, it's power to the president -- "The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the war in Afghanistan have dramatically accelerated a push by the Bush administration to strengthen presidential powers, giving President Bush a dominance over American government exceeding that of other post-Watergate presidents and rivaling even Franklin D. Roosevelt's command." In the separation of powers, the line is being redrawn.

Bill Seitz posts a great group of links today on Ashcroft, civil liberties, secret tribunals, and the Constitution. Note to self: Catch up on reading...

SatireWire: Nation Pulls Together, Falls Over -- "Answering the call from government and civic leaders, Americans all pulled together yesterday in an unprecedented show of patriotism and unity that left 44,000 people dead and 3.3 million injured." [Thanks to Gordon Coale.]

This little guy is creeping up on one year old, and he is a handful! So, is there like a special gene that accounts for these dogs' retrieving instinct? Better the dish than dragging the dogs' bedding all over the place... ;-)

Deborah Branscum: Time to Panic -- "...All this talk in Newsweek and the Chicago Tribune and the New York Times . . . about the sudden acceptibility of discussing the possibility of torture on prisoners, say, or detainees, is making me nervous."

John Robb has some interesting comments on the government, Microsoft, and the proposed secure new Internet.

Reuters: Witchcraft fears keep kids from Harry Potter -- Note that it isn't the kids' fears they're talking about.

Ollie North has it all figured out why they hate us. Regardless of his religious beliefs, it would be nice if he'd get his facts straight. [Orange County Weekly]

Harley Sorensen: Only Antonin Scalia can save us now -- "It is a certainty that the draconian laws being instituted by our president, without consultation with Congress, will be appealed by lawyers. It is almost certain that these appeals will find their way to the Supreme Court."

Lynne Cheney's free speech blacklist -- Professors and university officials are labeled "the weak link in America's response to the attack." Interview with Hugh Gusterson, one of the professors named in the report. [TomPaine.com]

Politech: Update on national ID cards, biometrics, and secret military tribunals -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein thinks biometrics (retinal scans, smart cards, etc.) would have prevented the Sept. 11 attacks. Asst. FBI director Michael Kirkpatrick disagrees, noting that none of the 9/11 terrorists were in the FBI's database. Conyers, Leahy and Barr rant about Bush's "secret tribunals." Good stuff...

Helen Thomas, writing on the Houston Chronicle's op-ed page, says "The Bush administration is using the national trauma and state of emergency resulting from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to trample the Bill of Rights." She notes that Attorney General Ashcroft has had to back down ever so slightly, adding "safeguards" to the rule allowing eavesdropping on client-attorney conversations, for which we can thank a vigilant public. Ironically, this is not what Ashcroft and Ridge have intended with their constant urgings of public "vigilance." Gentlemen, we are watching you, and we see what you are doing. You cannot legislate public opinion out of existence.

Guardian: British troops 'in peril' as net closes on bin Laden -- "The Northern Alliance warlords, competing for supremacy as the country drifts into a political vacuum, said that the British forces had never been invited and that they would not allow a large force in to secure the key airstrip at Bagram on the outskirts of the capital.... The chaos also raises the spectre of the country once more being plunged into anarchy by tribal warlords, who now no longer need allied help to drive out the Taliban." How we, and/or the United Nations, help foster a stable government out of this mess will be challenging. (Don't forget the oil pipeline that we would love to see built from the Caspian Basin oil fields, down through Afghanistan...)

Washington Post: Secret CIA units playing a central combat role -- "The CIA is mounting a hidden war in Afghanistan with secret paramilitary units on the ground and Predator surveillance drones in the sky that last week provided key intelligence for concentrated U.S. airstrikes on al Qaeda leaders, according to well-placed sources." This is an interesting counterpoint to something I read recently which suggested that the CIA's paramilitary capabilities had "faded away," leaving mostly administrative personnel within the agency.

Here's a great photo of US special forces on horseback (this is the large version).

NY Times: Retracing a trail to Sept. 11 plot -- The German government "ruefully admitted" that they had the apartment used by Mohamed Atta and his colleagues under surveillance in 1998-1999.

Maureen Dowd: Cleopatra and Osama -- The Bush administration's "belated promotion of women as a moderating, modernizing force in the Islamic world sounds hollow." (NY Times, free registration required)

Doc Searls has a bunch of Leonid meteor shower links. It was clear here last night, but I didn't think to go out around 2:00 a.m. to look at the sky. I was sound asleep. Drat.

Yesterday, Dave Winer pointed to a NY Times piece about the government's interest in creating its own private and secure Internet. He speculated that if this occurred, the government might not care if the current Internet were disabled by terrorist cyber-attacks (ostensibly a convenient way to stifle electronic free speech). Looking at it from a different angle, e-commerce is projected to generate billions of dollars over the next few years. Given that our current "war" is not generating the same type of economic boom as was seen in World War II (think Rosie the Riveter), I can't see the government shrugging and letting the Internet go belly-up.

Times of India: UN turns down Taliban's plea to negotiate surrender

Permament links added for each date on the home page:
With a constantly changing home page, it has been awkward to bookmark anything or save a link to a specific date for later retrieval.

Now, if you right-click on the small icon next to the day's date on the home page (Mac users, hold down the mouse button), you can bookmark that date's link to refer to later, or copy the link to send to someone.

BBC: Taleban vow to defend Kandahar -- "The Taleban say they have no intention of abandoning their southern stronghold of Kandahar, dismissing reports [yesterday] that some of their fighters have been leaving the city." Bin Laden senior commander Mohammed Atef may have been killed earlier this week. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld says he is skeptical that bin Laden has fled to Pakistan.

Reuters: Ousted Afghan president says won't cling to power -- "Ousted Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani, who returned to Kabul on Saturday five years after the Taliban drove him out, said his Northern Alliance would not cling to power and would welcome a broad-based post-Taliban government." . . . But, from the Times of India, Rabani declares himself President -- "Former president Burhanuddin Rabbani returned to his former capital on Saturday, declaring himself the legitimate head of state despite promises to support formation of a new, broad-based government." I guess we'll find out eventually.

Also from The Economist, Al Gore discovers himself -- This gets better with each subsequent reading. ;-) Absolutely rich...

From the 15th, The Economist's election correction.

Stratfor: Omar: Desperate bluff or credible threat? -- "Both to ensure loyalty and to demonstrate to the U.S. government that the battle in Afghanistan has little bearing on the greater war, the Taliban and al Qaeda will use any means in their power to strike a high-profile blow against targets on American soil. Failing this, there is little they can do to remain legitimate in their global fight against the United States."

Times of India: Bin Laden, Omar reportedly flee to Pakistan -- An Iranian radio station reports that "the two men headed by road into the region southwest of Peshawar, effectively outside the control of the Pakistani government and dominated by tribal elements heavily sympathetic to Bin Laden and the fundamentalist Taliban...."

CNN: Reports suggest al Qaeda military chief killed -- "U.S. officials said Friday they have 'credible reports' suggesting that Mohammed Atef -- one of al Qaeda's top aides to Osama bin Laden -- was killed in an airstrike south of Kabul."

Reuters: U.S. to hold on to smallpox samples -- "The United States will hold on to its samples of smallpox virus just in case someone decides to use smallpox as a biological weapon, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said on Friday." This makes sense, regardless of the degree of risk of a bio-attack. I recall a college biology instructor suggesting it was folly for us to destroy the last remaining virus, in case there were ever a recurrence of the disease (intentional or otherwise).

Guardian: Taliban to leave Kandahar -- "The Taliban's supreme commander, Mullah Mohammad Omar, has today agreed to turn Kandahar over to two local Pashtun leaders, the Afghan Islamic Press reports." UPDATE: Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and the military are discounting this report on televised news this evening (PBS).

John Dean: The closed-door presidency -- "No president can govern in a fishbowl, particularly in time of war. But as president-watchers have noticed, we clearly have an incumbent who savors secrecy. Not since Richard Nixon went to work in the Oval Office has there been so concentrated an effort to keep the real work of a president hidden, revealing to the public only a scripted leader."

Bruce Shapiro: Bush's jihad against civil rights -- "...The tribunals have little to do with public security and everything to do with a power grab by the Bush administration in the weeks since Sept. 11 -- systematically undercutting powers normally held by courts and Congress, protecting the administration's actions from even routine scrutiny by the press. To understand the dangers posed by Bush's tribunal order it must be considered alongside the other powers granted the administration by Congress or seized by presidential fiat in recent weeks -- most often at the expense of courts or the press, the usual avenues for scrutiny."

Reuters: Bush's military tribunals draw bipartisan fire -- "Rep. John Conyers, a Michigan Democrat, and Rep. Bob Barr, a Georgia Republican, said such trials would undermine the Constitution by denying defendants basic rights -- such as being able to confront their accusers and even having the proceeding open to the public. Both urged U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, a Wisconsin Republican, to call a hearing to examine Bush's 'emergency' order in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States."

Two fascinating pieces from Pacific News Service on the big picture:

Franz Schurmann: Afghan war not over until U.S., Russia say so -- "The war in Afghanistan isn't over yet, and won't be until the new relationship between America and Russia becomes clearer. Judging from the failure of the Crawford ranch talks between President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin, chances are the war will continue for some time to come."

William O. Beeman: Russia may win, U.S. lose in Kabul takeover -- "As the Afghan Northern Alliance occupies Kabul, commentators in the United States liken the event to an American victory in the war against terrorism. It is no such thing. It is another move in the 150-year 'Great Game' pitting colonial powers against each other for control of Central Asia. The outcome could be unpleasant: genocide, civil war, or the partition of Afghanistan. Moreover, incredibly, the United States appears to be losing out as a player."

Inter Press: US policy towards Taliban influenced by oil -- "Under the influence of U.S. oil companies, the government of George W. Bush initially blocked U.S. secret service investigations on terrorism, while it bargained with the Taliban the delivery of Osama bin Laden in exchange for political recognition and economic aid, two French intelligence analysts claim."

Joseph Palermo: A new twist on editing history -- Ashcroft is hijacking the memory of Robert F. Kennedy. "...Kennedy, if he were alive today, would have far more in common ideologically with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party (or even Ralph Nader) than he would with the current crop [of] Republican leaders who have shifted the center of American politics far to the right in the recent years."

Robert Scheer: Real evildoer? The world's nuclear arsenal -- "Rest assured that Bin Laden soon will be reduced to a violent footnote. But the danger to our civilization presented by the Cold War residue of weapons of mass destruction, which we and other civilized nations continue to produce, will haunt us long after Bin Laden is a dim if bizarre memory."

Bush: I am not in charge -- "In a recent Rose Garden impromptu press conference, following a photo op with the president of Nigeria, Bush announced that he isn't running the war in Afghanistan - the military is.... 'As to the specific times and dates, we'll let the military speak to that. They're in charge of this operation. This is not a political campaign, this is a war. And I respect the chain of command, I honor the chain of command, and I will tell you, our military is doing a very good job.'" Strange unscripted comments from our Commander-in-Chief. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Jonathan Turley: Legal system in a burka -- "The decision to create a new tribunal is an overt effort to both guarantee conviction and to prevent Al Qaeda leaders from using a trial as a public forum. The problem is that the administration has chosen the course that will destroy our chances to prevail in this 'war.'"

Laura Flanders: When the U.S. berates and then bombs the media it may be a war crime -- "There can be no doubt that the offices of cable network Al-Jazeera were a civilian target — as was the house holding the BBC's poor rattled Mr. Reeve. Bombing civilian targets is barred under just about every international convention you care to mention."

Richard Cohen: Ashcroft on the line -- "Attorney General John Ashcroft does not read newspapers or watch TV news. Instead, he's briefed by aides. It's possible, then, that Ashcroft does not know that many people don't think of him anymore as the comforting head of the Justice Department but instead as the scariest man in government. I see him as the director of the Office of Homeland Insecurity."

William Safire: Seizing dictatorial power -- "Misadvised by a frustrated and panic-stricken attorney general, a president of the United States has just assumed what amounts to dictatorial power to jail or execute aliens. Intimidated by terrorists and inflamed by a passion for rough justice, we are letting George W. Bush get away with the replacement of the American rule of law with military kangaroo courts." (NY Times, free registration required)  It is heartening to also hear some rational voices from the right (Safire is a long-time Republican).

First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew....
-- Martin Niemoller

Thanks to Dave for the above.

NY Times: White House push on security steps bypasses Congress -- "...Some lawmakers say they are increasingly concerned about such a unilateral approach to issues fraught with constitutional implications.... Lawmakers are learning about major policy shifts in the newspapers." Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) expressed the concern that we are sending "a message to the world that it is acceptable to hold secret trials and summary executions without the possibility of judicial review, at least when the defendant is a foreign national." (Free registration required)

AP: Aid workers freed in Afghanistan -- Aid workers who had been imprisoned and on trial for "spreading Christianity" were snatched to safety by U.S. Special Forces.

The Times [London]: Bin Laden's nuclear secrets found -- "The Times discovered the partly burnt documents in a hastily abandoned safe house in the Karta Parwan quarter of the city [Kabul]. Written in Arabic, German, Urdu and English, the notes give detailed designs for missiles, bombs and nuclear weapons."

NY Times: Execution of POW's casts doubt on alliance -- "Near an abandoned Taliban bunker, Northern Alliance soldiers dragged a wounded Taliban soldier out of a ditch today. As the terrified man begged for his life, the alliance soldiers pulled him to his feet." These are not nice people, as is rarely pointed out. They are also (at the moment) our allies. We bear some responsibility for atrocities committed.

Man arrested for having to go to the bathroom on US Airways flight -- "Two sky marshals -- one with a gun drawn -- and a third man ordered Ortiz to get on the ground. He complied without a struggle, Cannon said. He 'kept saying: 'I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just wanted to go to the bathroom.'... After the sky marshals had Ortiz handcuffed on the ground, the marshals ordered the other 106 passengers to put their hands behind their heads and later on the seats in front of them for the rest of the trip." Welcome to the future of airline travel. [Washington Post]

Globalvision: Taliban on the run -- or just digging in? --

The overall picture to those who know not that beleaguered land and it's polyglot of tribes and peoples is "it's almost over -- we've got them on the run -- now we need a political solution." To which there can only be one response: "It's NOT over, don't delude yourselves that they're on the run and it's going to take years for a political solution to be reached, never mind to work!"

The administration's rhetoric is escalating:

Reuters: Hijackers, Others Committed War Crimes - Ashcroft -- "U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft said on Wednesday the hijackers and those who assisted them in the Sept. 11 attacks had committed war crimes and do not deserve the protection of the U.S. Constitution." See yesterday's piece by Jacob Hornberger, relating to some of the intricacies of "criminal" versus "military" prosecution of terrorists.

Cheney has emerged from his "secure location" to denounce the domestic "hand wringers," following the reported substantial opposition gains in Afghanistan, and to reassure us that the economy is still strong.

Los Angeles Times: Bush to Allow Terror Trials by Military -- Bush's order "goes on to define broadly the 'individuals subject to this order,' saying that they include people who have 'aided or abetted' terrorists or aimed 'to cause injury to the United States, its citizens, national security, foreign policy or economy.'" [Emphasis added]  An administration spokesperson stressed that the new order only applies to "noncitizens." This may still cause difficulties for Bush, since the Constititution applies to "persons," not just citizens. [Note: The above link is to a site other than the LA Times, since their articles disappear after a few days.]

From yesterday's New York Times, regarding military tribunals: "Under the order, the president himself is to determine who is an accused terrorist and therefore subject to trial by the tribunal." [Emphasis added]  Uh-oh.... "The order states that the president may 'determine from time to time in writing that there is reason to believe' that an individual is a member of Al Qaeda, has engaged in acts of international terrorism or has 'knowingly harbored' a terrorist."

Interview with Micah Sifry, founder of HowDareThey.org: "I think the important thing here is -- and a lot of us get the gist of it, you know -- we're standing here. We have our hands on our hearts, saluting the flag, mourning the people who are dead, and at the same time these special interests are trying to pick our pockets. And we can't let that happen." [TomPaine.com]

Globalvision: Taliban head for the hills leaving behind questions for the U.S.

Reuters: Allied envoy says Kandahar falls to opposition -- "The report could not be independently confirmed but one tribal leader said the Taliban had thrown a defensive circle around Kandahar and would fight off any attempt to capture the city."

Jane's: Caspian security under threat -- "The battle for control of the Caspian Basin's vast oil and gas riches could become deadly if the US-led war against global terrorism ignites trouble in Central Asia and the Caucasus." Putin is not likely visiting Crawford, Texas, to merely discuss nuclear arms reduction.

Robert Jensen: Saying goodbye to patriotism -- "Are we truly internationalist? Can we get beyond patriotism? Or, in the end, are we just Americans?"

Jacob Hornberger: Libertarian splits in the war on terrorism -- This piece raises some fascinating issues about military versus legal action, international law, extradition, and the impossibility of a free society once we embark on an endless "war on terrorism."

Reuters: US wants to talk to 5000 foreigners about attack -- "'It's a list that's been developed of people who might have information,' Tucker said, noting that the government was seeking clues to help find anybody who might have planned the Sept. 11 attacks and prevent future attacks. 'They are not suspects, they are simply people who we want to talk to because they may have helpful information,' she said, adding that the interviews would be 'consensual.'" Hopefully these individuals will fare better than the 1100-odd people currently being held virtually incognito, charged with no crime whatsoever.

AP: "President Bush signed an order Tuesday that would allow the government to try people accused of terrorism in front of a special military commission instead of in civilian court. ...A military commission could have several advantages over a civilian court. It is easier to protect the sources and methods of investigators in military proceedings, for example, and a military trial can be held overseas." Given the broad definition, or lack thereof, of "terrorist" in the "USA Patriot Act," I fail to find this reassuring.

Preliminary investigation shows no internal engine failure of the American Airlines Airbus which crashed in New York yesterday.

Late last night (USA time) the opposition seized control of Kabul. Unfortunately, Northern Alliance troops were unable to refrain from entering the city, as had been promised.

Michael Lind: Fundamental flaws -- "...The division between secular civilisation and fanatical religious fundamentalism does not run only between the United States and its radical Muslim enemies - it runs right through American culture.

Guardian: The ex-presidents' club -- "It should be a deep cause for concern that a closely held company like Carlyle can simultaneously have directors and advisers that are doing business and making money and also advising the president of the United States."

Stratfor: Flight 587 - Mechanical failure or terrorist attack? -- Hijacking appears to be ruled out, given how quickly the plane crashed after takeoff. Mechanical failure is plausible, but the Airbus is noted to be a reliable plane which has never crashed on takeoff. Other possibilities include "a bomb planted in the wing or engine, or a shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile."

Times of Central Asia: Taliban may evacuate Kabul in exchange for end to bombing of cities and towns -- "Taliban forces may withdraw from Kabul to make a de-weaponized and peaceful site for the set up of a broad-based government there."

CNN: American Airlines jet crashes in New York -- Flight 587, bound for Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, crashed in a residential neighborhood in Queens, NY, shortly after 9:00 a.m. EST. New York airports, bridges and tunnels have been closed. The United Nations, which is holding a General Assembly debate, is in partial lockdown. "Asked if terrorism was suspected, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Bill Schumann said, 'All options are open at this time. We have very limited information.'"

Washington Post: Recounts would have favored Bush -- The media-commissioned analysis of the November election shows that Bush would have beat Gore if there had been a limited recount. Interestingly, buried a bit further in the article is the statement that if state-wide recounts had been done, Gore would have won, albeit by a small margin.

Washington Post: Pakistan moves nuclear weapons -- "Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf ordered an emergency redeployment of the country's nuclear arsenal to at least six secret new locations and has reorganized military oversight of the nuclear forces...."

Guardian: Britain placed under state of emergency -- "Britain is to be placed under a state of 'public emergency' as part of an unprecedented government move to allow internment without trial of suspected terrorists." The order will allow the UK to "opt out of Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which bans detention without trial."

Dan Gillmor: Soliciting ideas to fight terrorism is right idea -- "There's growing recognition of the value in decentralizing people and data at a time when big, centralized operations may be targets. But we need to find ways to use technology in another way, to bring the nation's collective energy and brainpower to bear on the threat."

John Robb has some interesting ideas on using technology to fight terrorism.

Paul Krugman: Another useful crisis -- "Why does the administration's favored bill offer so little stimulus? Because that's not its purpose: it's really designed to lock in permanent tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy, using the Sept. 11 attacks as an excuse." (NY Times, free registration required)

NY Times Op-Ed: Disappearing in America -- "Two months into the war against terrorism, the nation is sliding toward the trap that we entered this conflict vowing to avoid. Civil liberties are eroding, and there is no evidence that the reason is anything more profound than fear and frustration." (Free registration required)

Lois Raimondo: Age-old ways in a modern war -- "The old man was young again. He turned his steed and rode him hard, galloping into the deep heart of the river."

Northern Alliance forces in Afghanistan claim to have taken Mazar-I-Sharif, although the Pentagon has not yet confirmed that report.

Saudi Arabia is reportedly concerned over massive unrest during Ramadan.

Islam Online: Pakistan closes down all nuclear plants -- "Fearing an external attack on its nuclear installations, Pakistan has indefinitely closed down all its nuclear plants as a precautionary measure."

Nancy Oden, the Green Party coordinator barred from flying out of Bangor, Maine, (see Nov. 3) apparently refused to cooperate with a routine security check before boarding her flight.

Washington Post: U.S. will monitor calls to lawyers -- "The Justice Department has decided to listen in on the conversations of lawyers with clients in federal custody, including people who have been detained but not charged with any crime, whenever that is deemed necessary to prevent violence or terrorism." Rescinding attorney-client confidentiality raises some disturbing Sixth Amendment issues. However, Attorney General Ashcroft speaks reassuringly of "procedural safeguards."

DSSi: Al-Qaida's Endgame? -- Here is an interesting scenario indeed. "Al-Qaida has successfully laid a trap for the United States, retains the initiative, and the U.S. is operating ‘inside the intentions and plans’ of Al-Qaida. The purpose of the terror attacks is a provocation to force the U.S. to engage and deploy forces to the Middle East, where such forces could be destroyed. Al-Qaida’s aims are to make the Middle East ‘ungovernable,’ gain control of the petroleum production system in the region in the attempt to force withdrawal of U.S. presence in the region, or destroy the regional petroleum production system."

Cognitive dissidence

Michael Moran: A thank-you note from Osama and the boys in the cave -- "And so, Mr. President, I wanted to thank you personally . . . for a long list of actions, missteps, statements, slights and opportunities missed in the past five weeks." This column is guaranteed to piss a lot of people off. However, I'm glad that we as a country are still legally permitted to have a lively discussion about our national course, hopefully before it's too late.

Geov Parrish: The world will not forgive us -- "Seven and a half million people at risk of dying in a matter of months.... Deaths whose sole cause is not the United States, but most of which can still be prevented -- except that the United States is refusing to allow them to be prevented." I suspect Parrish is right: Most Americans could care less about these people's impending starvation.

Iraq

Reuters: Iraq trained Muslims to attack U.S. according to the New York Times. (The full Times piece is here.)

BBC: Powell says Iraq may be next target -- "The statement seemed to mark a shift for Mr Powell, who said last month that the US had no immediate plans to attack Iraq, although it would 'deal with terrorism around the world.'"

Follow the Money

Martyrs versus money -- "Ultimately, however, the money question is a red herring ... No amount of money could possibly persuade someone to fly a passenger jet at high speed into a large building ... It is bin Laden's ability to attract recruits willing to martyr themselves that is the priceless commodity in his holy war." [Reuters]

Times of India: Bush took took FBI agents off Laden family trail -- The reference is to Bush the Elder and alleged financial motivations (unearthed by BBC) to "back off" of bin Laden.

The Home Front

CNN: Bush to speak on 'new responsibilities' for Americans -- I suspect 'vigilance' will somehow be a cornerstone.

Variety: Bush asks Hollywood studios for help in fighting terrorists -- We must really need help.

I've been looking at horses this week and avoiding the news. I'm not even going to get into the recent Microsoft anti-trust "settlement." It's a joke and a charade.

Counterpunch: Green Party USA coordinator detained at airport; prevented by armed military personnel from flying to political meeting in Chicago -- "Armed government agents grabbed Nancy Oden, Green Party USA coordinating committee member, Thursday at Bangor International Airport in Bangor Maine, as she attempted to board an American Airlines flight to Chicago. 'An official told me that my name had been flagged in the computer,' a shaken Oden said. "I was targeted because the Green Party USA opposes the bombing of innocent civilians in Afghanistan.'"

John Robb: "I wonder if this group's members were tagged due to a tie to Green Peace and environmental terrorism."

Washington Post: Prescribing Cipro is 'uncontrolled experiment' -- "We have never faced the mass use of an antibiotic for 60 days; there's no precedent for that in medicine...."

Washington Post: A veto over presidential papers -- "Historians said vast troves of documents offering insight into presidential decision-making could be lost. The act applies to the papers of Clinton, Reagan and Bush's father, George H.W. Bush."

Paul Krugman: The One-Eyed Man -- Who is really benefiting from the recently passed "stimulus bill?" (NY Times, free registration required)

Guardian: Blair gets a public lecture on the harsh realities of the Middle East