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  • An Analysis of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1441

    as Adopted on November 8, 2002 The Security Council, Recalling all its previous relevantresolutions, in particular its resolutions 661 (1990) of 6 August 1990, 678(1990) of 29 November 1990, 686 (1991) of 2 March 1991, 687 (1991) of 3 April1991, 688 (1991) of 5 April 1991, 707 (1991) of 15 August 1991, 715 (1991) of…

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  • Detailed Analysis of October 7, 2002 Speech by Bush on Iraq

    Thank you for that very gracious and warm Cincinnati welcome. I’m honored to be here tonight. I appreciate you all coming. Tonight I want to take a few minutes to discuss a grave threat to peace and America’s determination to lead the world in confronting that threat. The threat comes from Iraq. It arises directly…

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  • A Detailed Analysis of the Draft UN Security Council Resolution Proposed by the U.S. Government

    (Latest publicly available version, October 23, 2002) PP1 Recalling all its previous relevant resolutions, in particular its resolutions 661 (1990) of 6 August 1990, 686 (1991) of 2 March 1991, 678 (1990) of 29 November 1990, 687 (1991) of 3 April 1991, 688 (1991) of 5 April 1991, 986 (1995) of 14 April 1995, and…

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  • UN Security Council Resolutions Being Violated by U.S. Allies

    The following are some of the UN Security Council resolutions being violated by U.S. allies: Resolution 252 (1968) Israel: Urgently calls upon Israel to rescind measures that change the legal status of Jerusalem, including the expropriation of land and properties thereon. http://domino.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/bdd57d15a29f428d85256c3800701fc4/46f2803d78a0488e852560c3006023a8!OpenDocument 262 (1968) Israel: Calls upon Israel to pay compensation to Lebanon for destruction…

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  • Is God “Neutral”?

    WASHINGTON — Ever since Sept. 11, some American religious leaders have been outspoken in calling for a peaceful response and respect for civil liberties. Their perspectives contrast sharply with President Bush’s bellicose invocations of religious rhetoric, as in his Sept. 20 address to Congress when he declared that “God is not neutral.” “Christians have a…

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  • As Bombs Fall, Critics Question U.S. Approach

    WASHINGTON – As the United States continued with air attacks on targets in Afghanistan, dubbed “strategic military locations” by Pentagon officials, peace advocates found their struggle pushed to the forefront. The U.S. strikes, comprised of cruise missiles launched from remote locations and bomber raids, were initial steps of what President Bush described as a “sustained,…

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  • Critics Blast Bush’s Call for “Lengthy Campaign”

    WASHINGTON – When President Bush took the national pulpit on September 20 to address a joint session of Congress, he faced perhaps his greatest challenge since his inauguration. Mainstream media pundits spoke at length of his need to rise to the occasion — to solidify the nation’s commitment to fighting terrorism. With the chamber’s applause…

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  • Rethinking Welfare Reform

    WASHINGTON — With re-authorization of key “welfare reform” legislation due in the coming year, activists are mobilizing to place the rights of minorities and women foremost on the agenda. Many indict the current system — established by the 1996 passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act — as a racist and gender-biased…

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  • Uncontrolled Burn: How congress is adding fuel to the western wildfires

    As wildfires rage through woodland in the West, critics are questioning the federal government’s role in protecting the National Forests. Recently, President Bush proposed a $175 million increase in commercial timber sales on public lands — a move that, along with a planned repeal of the “roadless rule” established by former President Clinton, has many…

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  • Are Americans “Vacation Starved”?

    WASHINGTON — When President Bush clocked out to start on a 30-day vacation at his Texas ranch, a collective lament was in the air from much of the population: “When do we get a break?” The vacation brings to 52 days the president’s total vacation time since his swearing-in last January, a number that dwarfs…

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  • Does Gen. Hayden Know What the Fourth Amendment Says?

    As part of the Bush administration’s response to the revelations of warrantless domestic spying by the National Security Agency, a former head of the NSA, Gen. Michael Hayden, now the nation’s second-ranking intelligence official, spoke Monday at the National Press Club. Gen. Hayden disputed a questioner’s statement that the Fourth Amendment requires a showing of…

  • The Medicare Mess

    VALDA FORD Ford is director of community and multicultural affairs at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She said today: “We have a responsibility for our most vulnerable citizens. Why are our senior citizens being put through this arcane program? Imagine people who are frail, disabled, who have English as a second language or who…

  • Roots of Medicare Drug Problems

    DEAN BAKER Co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, Baker wrote the just-released report “The Savings from an Efficient Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit.” Baker said today: “The Medicare Modernization Act costs the government and beneficiaries considerably more than is necessary. If Medicare could negotiate directly with drug companies it could save the federal…

  • Bin Laden Tape

    The Arabic-language satellite network Al-Jazeera today aired portions of an audio tape purporting to be by Osama bin Laden. Al-Jazeera’s English-language webpage features a story titled “Bin Laden Offers Americans Truce.” The following analysts are available for interviews: BEAU GROSSCUP Author of the book The Newest Explosions of Terrorism, Grosscup said today: “Assuming the validity…

  • Congress-Public Disconnect? Zogby Finds Support for Impeachment Inquiry

    JOHN ZOGBY Pollster John Zogby, president and CEO of Zogby International, said today: “We’ve found that a slight majority of respondents — 51.7 percent — agreed with the following: ‘If President Bush wiretapped American citizens without the approval of a judge, do you agree or disagree that Congress should consider holding him accountable through impeachment?’…

  • Breaking Story: NSA Tracked “Threat” of Local Peace Group

    The Baltimore Sun reports today: “The National Security Agency used law enforcement agencies, including the Baltimore Police Department, to track members of a city anti-war group as they prepared for protests outside the sprawling Fort Meade facility, internal NSA documents show. “The target of the clandestine surveillance was the Baltimore Pledge of Resistance, a group…

  • Questions Not Asked: · Torturing People’s Children · War Powers · Geneva Conventions

    DOUG CASSEL Cassel is director of Notre Dame Law School’s Center for Civil and Human Rights. He said today: “At a time when the commander in chief asserts that his war powers give him carte blanche, it is critical that the Supreme Court be composed of individuals committed to the rule of law. Justices must…

  • What is the “Unitary Executive”?

    Judge Samuel Alito has stated in the course of the hearings that he subscribes to the concept of the unitary executive. While in the Reagan administration, he helped expand the practice of presidential statements upon signing of legislation. Presidential signing statements may express how a president interprets the law he is signing. The Washington Post…

  • Presidential Powers

    FRANCIS BOYLE Boyle is professor of law at the University of Illinois. Today Sen. Patrick Leahy asked Judge Samuel Alito: “If the Congress passed a law prohibiting torture,” could the president “immunize people from prosecution if they violated our laws on torture?” Said Boyle: “Instead of just saying ‘no’ to Leahy’s question, Alito is prepared…

  • Alito Nomination: · Imperial Presidency Fears · Environmental Groups’ First Opposition Since Bork

    [Imperial Presidency Fears:] MICHAEL AVERY HEIDI BOGHOSIAN Avery is president of the National Lawyers Guild and professor of constitutional law at Suffolk University. He said today: “We are particularly concerned that Samuel Alito will not impose necessary limits on presidential power and insist upon the checks and balances required by the Constitution. His long membership…

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