Antiwar.com Newsletter | May 25, 2013

IN THIS ISSUE

  • Antiwar.com vs. the FBI
  • Fund drive
  • Top News
  • Opinion and analysis

Up Against the FBI, by Justin Raimondo:
"As far as weknow, the FBI ‘investigation’ into Antiwar.com began in April of 2004. In a parody of what the general mentality was at that time, the FBI memo instructing regional offices to probe Antiwar.com raises the possibility that we are a ‘threat to National Security’ and quite possibly ‘agents of a foreign power.’ What is foreign here is the paranoia and Bizarro World craziness of this rationale for spying – foreign to America, that is, until September 11, 2001, when it became all too routine.
…"The FBI memo goes on to state:
‘There are several unanswered questions regarding www.antiwar.com. It describes itself as a nonprofit group that survives on generous contributions from its readers. Who are these contributors and what are the funds utilized for?’

"Funds raised by Antiwar.com go to pay the expenses of running a news organization – salaries, web design, cyber-protection, etcetera – just as funds raised by Fox News, the New York Times, and Good Housekeeping go to pay the expenses incurred by those media outlets. There is no mystery here."

We need your help in our fight for the protection of dissident speech. The survival of Antiwar.com is threatened both by the FBI and by our exceedingly tight budget. Please make a tax-deductible donation now so that we can continue to debunk the war propaganda and provide the best antiwar news and commentary to tens of thousands of readers every day.
Read more about the details of the lawsuit against the FBI and the ACLU’s involvement in this column by Kelley Vlahos. Also, listen to blogger Marcy Wheeler talk to Scott Horton about the Antiwar.com/ACLU lawsuit against the FBI.

This week’s top news:

Obama’s Dodges Hard Truths About War on Terror in Major Speech: Beyond his flowery rhetoric, Obama was dodged the truth on issues including drone strikes, Gitmo and indefinite detention, the AUMF, and how to prevent terrorism instead of residing in perpetual warfare.
Obama Admits US Killed 4 Americans in Drone War: The Obama administration has admitted for the first time what has been widely reported but never explicitly confirmed by officials that the U.S. has killed four American citizens in its drone war in Pakistan and Yemen.
Rand Paul: My Fellow Senators Voted to Arm Al-Qaeda: Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) railed against his colleagues in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday for voting to arm elements of the Syrian opposition, saying they chose to fund "the allies of al-Qaeda."
Poll Shows Overwhelming Opposition to US Attacking Syria: A new Fox News poll shows overwhelming opposition among American voters to the idea of getting involved. The poll showed only 23 percent of voters approve involvement, compared to 68 percent who did not.
Netanyahu: Diplomacy, Sanctions Unable to Stop Iran: After release of a new report finding Iran is continuing to develop its civilian nuclear program, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went on a tirade about how it proves diplomacy and sanctions will never work against Iran, and that Iran is attempting to "build a plutonium-based bomb."
Afghan Officials: Body of US Torture Video Victim Found Near Base: The complaints about Afghan-American torturer Zakaria Kandahari took an ugly turn for the worse, as Afghan officials announced that the victim in a torture video showing Kandahari was discovered just 200 yards outside of the US military base at which he was stationed.

Opinion and Analysis:

  • Justin Raimondo wrote about the Antiwar.com/ACLU lawsuit against FBI surveillance and gave two cheers for ‘isolationism.’
  • Kelley Vlahos meticulously detailed the background and particulars of the Antiwar.com/ACLU case against the FBI. She also blogged about ongoing impunity for Abu Ghraib torturers.
  • Ivan Eland analyzed efforts on Capitol Hill to "revise" the 2001 AUMF, which Eland says provides for perpetual war.
  • Philip Giraldi criticized the Obama administration’s corruption and abuse of power and lamented the impunity that comes along with it.
  • Jack A. Smith explained how the U.S. war in Afghanistan will last until 2024, and maybe longer.
  • Kathy Kelly chronicled stories of NATO atrocities in Afghanistan.
  • John Glaser criticized so-called humanitarian intervention, arguing it’s absurd to apply moral purpose to the warfare state.

Support Antiwar.com!

Antiwar.com recently added Bitcoin to the many ways you can help support our work. See here for the details!
If you are interested in buying advertising space at Antiwar.com, please contact Angela Keaton at +1-323-512-7095.
Apply for the Antiwar.com Visa Card and support us with every purchase you make.
Antiwar.com now earns between 6 and 15 percent of all Amazon.com purchases if you click on the Amazon button on any Antiwar.com page before you go shopping.
Shop at Antiwar.com!
Forward this newsletter to your friends and encourage them to subscribe. (We don’t spam!) Fill out an application for the Antiwar.com Capital One credit card. Have a clunker in the driveway? Give it to us and then write it off! Want to donate your car, trailer, boat, or other junk to Antiwar.com? Please call 1-800-240-0160 for free next-day pickup. Or just make a good old-fashioned donation. Questions? Call 323-512-7095 or email akeaton@antiwar.com.