Another Shocking KBR Scandal | Why Gates is a Terrible Pick | Right-Wing Praise for Obama Cabinet

War on Iraq Newsletter December 5th, 2008 More from War on Iraq »

Former U.S. Interrogator: Torture Policy Has Led to More Deaths than 9/11 Attacks By Amy Goodman, Democracy Now! "How anyone can say that torture keeps Americans safe is beyond me," says the author of How to Break a Terrorist. Read more »   Last week, John Brennan pulled his name out of the running to be Director of National Intelligence under Barack Obama. Brennan, a defender of extraordinary rendition who was recently described by Glenn Greenwald of Salon.com as "an ardent supporter of torture," represented an alarming pick for many people -- particularly members of the legal and human rights community whose support for Obama was based on his vocal opposition to torture and the Military Commissions Act of 2006. Seeing his name removed from the slate was a relief. But even without Brennan, Obama's cabinet picks so far, particularly his national security team, make up a troubling group. Dominated by Clinton-era officials, many of whom supported the invasion of Iraq, it is not exactly the "change" so many expected Obama to usher in. Although many argue that critics should reserve judgment for now and wait to see what Obama does, in fact now is the time to call for a new direction in foreign policy -- especially in Iraq and Afghanistan. Visit AlterNet's War on Iraq Section for more on this debate. Thanks for reading, Liliana Segura Editor, War on Iraq Special Coverage     KBR Kept Foreign Contractors in Squalid Warehouses for Months By Adam Ashton, McClatchy Newspapers Some 1,000 Asian workers have spent up to three months in windowless warehouses in Baghdad, without money or a place to work. Read more »   The Dilemma of Foreign Prisoners in Iraq By Ma'ad Fayad, Asharq Al-Awsat U.S. troops routinely confiscate the passports of non-Iraqis they arrest, making it impossible to prove they are in the country legally. Read more »   Why Robert Gates is a Terrible Pick By Katrina vanden Heuvel, The Nation The appointment of Robert Gates -- a vocal critic of Obama's Iraq withdrawal plan who will undoubtedly shape policy-- is alarming. Read more »   Would You "Shoot an Iraqi" in Cyberspace? By Gabriel Thompson, The Brooklyn Rail For a month Wafaa Bilal lived in a cell with a paintball gun pointed at him, controlled by an internet audience who could shoot at him 24 hours a day. Read more »   Does the Status of Forces Agreement Spell Doom for Kurds? By Mohammed A. Salih, IPS News Is the SOFA takes effect, Kurds could find themselves not only on the opposite side of the trench against the Iraqi army, but U.S. troops as well. Read more »   Right-Wingers and Neocons Love Obama's Cabinet Appointments By Jeremy Scahill, AlterNet A collection of praise for Obama's White House team from Karl Rove, David Brooks, Henry Kissinger and more. Read more »   PEEK and Video: The hottest buzz and videos on the web     KBR Sued for Giving Soldiers Ice with 'Traces of Body Fluids and Putrefied Remains' By ZP Heller, Brave New Films The scandals for this war profiteer just keep coming. Read more »   Rove: We Wouldn't Have Invaded Iraq if We Knew the Truth About WMDs By Sam Stein, Huffington Post A remarkable admission that contradicts the past statements of his onetime boss. Read more »   Mass Grave Found in Diala Village in Iraq Voices of Iraq Two mass graves have been found in the village in the past few months. Read more »   U.S. to Hand Over Iraqi Prisoners By Latif Ali, Azzaman U.S. troops say they plan to set 50 detainees free every day, 1,500 every month. Read more »

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