Peace

The vast majority of the people of Israel, Palestine, the United States and the world want something done to bring peace with justice to Israel and Palestine, and feel there is a chance the recently concluded Annapolis conference can accomplish something toward that aim.

Waterboarding. The term has been getting a lot of attention lately as a result of the recent confirmation of President George Bush’s nominee, Michael Mukasey, as attorney general, replacing Alberto Gonzales. What captured the attention of many was Mukasey’s equivocation on the issue of whether waterboarding constitutes torture in his confirmation hearings. He was confirmed by the Senate in spite of this, although with some opposition.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — A recently released internal Canadian government document confirms that the government has known for some time that Afghanistan’s security forces, which it backs, are mistreating and torturing prisoners. The document has caused a furor across Canada.

It looks like President Bush’s apocalyptic push for World War III with Iran has been postponed. With the stunning release of the National Intelligence Estimate this week reporting that Iran ended its nuclear weapons program in 2003 (if it ever had one, which is up for debate), the “war option” is “off the table” for now, at least according to numerous government officials.

Several years ago, before the start of Bush’s (and Cheney’s) Iraq war, I wrote a column about the words the administration was using to boost its case for war. They were making liberal use of weasel words — “could,” “might,” “possibly” and so on.

An internal CIA memorandum has been obtained by Venezuelan counterintelligence from the U.S. Embassy in Caracas that reveals a very sinister — almost fantastical, were it not true — plan to destabilize Venezuela during the coming days.

Despite considerable skepticism about the Israeli-Palestinian conference convened by President Bush in Annapolis, Md., Nov. 27, Jewish and Palestinian American peace advocates say it offers an opportunity for peace, if peace supporters keep the pressure on.

The Palestinian People's Party Politburo held a meeting which discussed the current political developments and the American call to hold the international meeting in Annapolis.

WASHINGTON — On Nov. 14, President Bush vetoed a funding bill that would have increased spending for health, education and job training by $150.7 billion. Bush complained that it was “wasteful spending,” but he then signed a $471 billion Pentagon budget, a 9.5 percent increase, the largest military budget in U.S. history

BERWYN, Illinois — Después de ser suspendidos y amenazados con la expulsión por haber protestado en contra de la guerra en Irak un grupo de estudiantes ganó el derecho de regresar a las aulas el 13 de noviembre.