Thousands of Afghan people were killed in the American assault on the country – all being just as innocent as the people in New York – the difference being that five years later Afghans continue being killed.

This week President Bush finally admitted that the secret prisons existed, only because he wanted to use the information for political gain. He had to admit to the existence of these prisons in order to move some of the prisoners to Guantanamo and publicize the fact that the US has these "terrorists" in custody and have gleaned valuable information from them (all a secret of course). This was, of course, all designed for painting himself and the Republicans as strong on terra, and the Democrats soft on terra. There's an election on the horizon, ya know!

Britain's Communists are calling for a massive turn-out on September 23 in Manchester, on the eve of the Labour Party conference, to demonstrate against military involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq and against any attack on Iran.

The Party's press statement comes as British Prime Minister Tony Blair faces increasing opposition to his policies, and his close ties to President Bush from within the Labour Party.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez accused US Southern Command General John Bantz Craddock of trying to destabilise Venezuela, earlier this week, after Craddock said that Arab terrorists were training in the country.

At least you assume that there's honor among thieves.

Not, apparently, in the Bush administration, where political expediency has trumped the basic courtesies of notifying your allies and fellow conspirators when you're doing something you all need to hide from your supposedly democratic "subjects."

One year after the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, the commercial media will allow Bush his photo opportunities; they will do a few feel good human interest stories about rebuilding New Orleans for a day or two, leaving the impression that the people are being taken care of; but they will not tell you the story that most needs to be told. They never do.

The Jamaican economy has suffered numerous challenges and setbacks in the increasingly competitive global environment. Ultimately, if Jamaica cannot solve its problems by conventional means, it may be persuaded to take the Argentine road of debt renunciation.

On 30th August 2006, hundreds of Sudanese police and security forces violently broke up a peaceful demonstration in “green tomb square” (previously “UN square”) in Khartoum organised by political opposition parties and civil society groups protesting at rising petroleum and sugar prices.

Having launched the "war on terrorism" Western governments must continue to beat the "terrorism" drum to keep their populations in a continual state of fear and tension. By staging home invasions, arrests and jailings, backed by a steady stream of lurid media propaganda, they are more responsible than any for creating a situation where people fear others because of their religious beliefs or appearance.

As we approach the fifth anniversary of the tragic attacks on September 11, 2001, the ultra-right will be taking the opportunity once again to manipulate our emotions in the hopes of furthering their agenda less than two months before the mid-term elections. But the ultra-right has no lock on the lessons of 9/11, and it is time for progressives to reclaim the legacy of that terrible day.

Once again the guardians of reaction and fundamentalism have created tragedy in their torture chambers, and the life of a freedom seeking student was sacrificed to protect the interests of the ruling reaction and despotism.

Progressives have fallen into a trap. Emboldened by President Bush’s plummeting approval ratings, progressives increasingly point to Bush’s “failures” and label him and his administration as incompetent.

"This one stinks like a beached whale." That’s how Philadelphia Daily News sports columnist Bill Conlin described the police shooting of San Diego Chargers star linebacker Steve Foley.

Two Fox News journalists, Steve Cantani and Olas Wing were released by their Palestinian kidnappers in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, August 27.

The Young Communist League (YCL) of Britain concluded its 43rd Congress this past weekend. The outgoing general secretary of the Young Communist League, Gawain Little, told delegates at weekend that the organisation had come on "in great leaps and bounds."

It is outrageous for any of the neocons in the Bush administration to call anybody a fascist without looking in the mirror first!

In another year, New Orleans will still be a shadow of its former self -if it survives at all. More effort has been spent making excuses than has been done to restore one of America's great cities. There will be more empty words and in yet another year nothing will have changed. In the meantime, there is Southern Lebanon -already rebounding with help from an organization that Bush deems "terrorist".

Republicans have labeled unions "terrorist organizations," "a clear and present danger to the United States," and "enemies of democracy." David Sirota, co-chair of the Progressive Legislative Action Network, sheds light on why the GOP describes unions in terms usually reserved for military targets.

Several days before the Labor Day weekend, Radio Shack fires some 400 employees....by email.

Reviews of Bob Dylan's latest CD and Spike Lee's Inside Man, now on DVD.