North America

US Anti-war protester burns himself alive.

With former Chilean dictator Pinochet recently dead of old age and sheer good luck, the world was robbed of a chance of longed-for justice for the victims of his murderous regime. Former Iraqi dictator Hussein has been put through a pantomime court case at the behest of U.S. Forces who have no wish to have his case heard on an international stage where details of the bloody links between successive U.S. governments and Hussein's long cruel reign could be heard straight from the horse's mouth. The Iraqi court proceedings involved, again, not a whiff of justice, merely grim farce. Who then, has hope that the planners, co-conspirators, initiators and participants in the illegal, immoral and indefensible invasion of Iraq will ever be brought to trial?

It’s deja-vu all over again. In Somalia, in a unilateral move destined to further destabilise the lawless nation, a hi-tech U.S. gunship has slaughtered “terror suspects” and civilians alike as ousted members of the Somalia Islamic Courts Union – whose six months of strict Islamist rule had largely stopped the preceding 15 years of violence and chaos common under feuding warlords – flee invading Ethiopian forces.

With U.S. sanction, the Ethiopian putsch was ostensibly done to stave off the collapse of the weak but internationally recognised Somali “Government” bunkered in its lone stronghold in the west of that unhappy country. At least one child – a four-year-old boy - was killed in the U.S gunship strike.

An aircraft carrier has joined three other US warships off the Somali coast. Last year, the United States covertly supported warlords – the same thugs responsible for the Blackhawk Down debacle - fighting the Islamist movement. Prepare for overt support, in typical, hypocritical U.S. fashion. And meanwhile back in Iraq, Pandora’s Box continues to disgorge its Bushevik-fed horror…

Mistaken? Delusional? Insane?

Bush adds fuel to the fire he started. Expect more casualties, he says, as if the ground under his feet isn't soaked in blood, as if the gore isn't dripping from his fingertips. He doesn't seem to realise that the USA is losing the war their ignorant, arrogant President launched almost four years ago.