Tens of Thousands Rally in Madrid Demanding End to Austerity.

The corrupt elite in Afghanistan don't want to defeat the Taliban even supposing they could. They want to keep the war going to get US military funds which they can divert to their pockets.

In addition, they know it is hard for the US to cut down their opium or heroin exports while the war continues.

This makes the situation resemble that in South Vietnam, where the commanders did not want to win too much against the Viet Cong lest President Diem suspect they wanted his job. They just wanted to continue doing their jobs and bringing in the bribe money.

Thailand's Military Junta Forces Cancellation of Press Freedom Conference.

Alan Morison has gone to Thailand to face vicious charges of "defaming the navy".

The idea of prosecuting people for this — regardless of what they may have done — is an injustice. That is the crucial point. The fact that Morison's "defamation" was a paragraph quoted from another publication is a distraction since the charges would be equally unjust if he had written it himself.

"Free" countries such as France that penalize "insults" give cover to Thailand, Egypt and other absolutely tyrannical states that do this.

US and UK cooperation with Gaddafi, in the form of kidnaping Libyan opposition activists in exile and delivering them to Gaddafi's torturers, had the perverse effect of strengthening al Qa'ida in Libya.

40 Afghans per month are killed by unexploded NATO bombs and shells.