Category Archives: Afghanistan

Killing Afghan Civilians Is Bad Because It Hurts Our PR Strategy

Or at least, that’s what the major US media seems to believe. From FAIR: Early reports of a massive U.S. attack on civilians in western Afghanistan last week (5/5/09) hewed to a familiar corporate media formula, stressing official U.S. denials … Continue reading

Posted in Afghanistan | 1 Comment

Hmmm…

The Bush Administration has led me to stock up on tinfoil hats over the past eight years, and I’m aware of that, so understand that I don’t want to suggest that this cross-border raid into Pakistan might have been timed … Continue reading

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Study: The Taliban Now Controls Most Of Afghanistan

From The Independent: More than half of Afghanistan is back under Taliban control and the Nato force in the country needs to be doubled in size to cope with the resurgent group, a report by the Senlis Council think-tank says. … Continue reading

Posted in Afghanistan | 5 Comments

Some Thoughts on Khaled Hosseini, reading from A Thousand Splending Suns

I went to a reading by Khaled Hosseini last night, at the bay area Book Group Expo. Khaled read from a section of his new book A Thousand Splendid Suns, which someone described as being the history of Afghanistan viewed … Continue reading

Posted in Afghanistan, International issues, Popular (and unpopular) culture | 10 Comments

Practical Steps to Support Malalai Joya

Heart at Woman’s Space: The Margins reports* a great list of ways for people to take concrete steps to help Malalai Joya, who has been suspended from the Afghan parliament for insulting warlords. Here are some of her suggestions, but … Continue reading

Posted in Afghanistan, Feminism, sexism, etc, International issues | 2 Comments

WIMN's Voices Reports Suspension of Afghan Woman from Parliament

From WIMN’s Voices: Malalai Joya is Suspended from Parliament. A few excerpts: Twenty eight year old intrepid Afghan MP, Malalai Joya, has just been suspended from Parliament for comparing warlords in power to donkeys. Joya is the youngest and most … Continue reading

Posted in Afghanistan, International issues | 2 Comments

The Tale of the Other Protest

Different people observe the changing seasons in different ways. For gardeners spring means planting things, for sports fans it means the beginning of the cricket season,* for students spring means avoiding studying for exams, and for Wellington activists spring is … Continue reading

Posted in Afghanistan, Economics and the like, International issues, Iraq, Palestine & Israel | 2 Comments

Michael Scheuer: 5 Years After 9/11, We're Less Safe

Michael Scheuer, a 22-year CIA vet who specialized in studying bin Laden, answers six questions for Harpers. The bit that will be quoted the most, I think, is this: “In the long run, we’re not safer because we’re still operating … Continue reading

Posted in Afghanistan, International issues, Iraq, Palestine & Israel | 4 Comments

Feminists care more about Augusta than the Taliban?

The Kitchen Cabinet’s Lily Malcolm links approvingly to an anti-feminist screed by Kay Hymowitz, “Why Feminism Is AWOL on Islam.” The article gives a broad overview of the horrifying conditions women live under in “Islamic fundamentalist” countries, and has a … Continue reading

Posted in Afghanistan, Anti-feminists and their pals | 10 Comments

Invasion Feminism

Via Barroom Philosophy comes this Guardian article by Katharine Viner. Just as he bombed Afghanistan to liberate the women from their burkas (or, as he would have it, to free the "women of cover"), and sent out his wife Laura … Continue reading

Posted in Afghanistan, International issues, Iraq | Comments Off on Invasion Feminism