The New York Times offered a distorted glimpse into the prison at Guantanamo Bay and the Bush administration's treatment of suspected terrorists in a series of reports published on Sunday and Monday. Scouring hundreds of leaked military documents, Times reporters used emotionally-charged phrases and cherry-picked anecdotes to paint an unflattering picture of the facility that has jailed hundreds of enemy combatants captured in the War on Terror. In a story headlined “Judging Detainees' Risk, Often With Flawed Evidence,” reporters Scott Shane and Benjamin Weiser accused the military of imprisoning “hundreds of men for years without a trial based on a difficult and strikingly subjective evaluation of who they were, what they had done in the past and what they might do in the future.” While it factually correct to note that some jihadists have been locked up for years without a trial, it is hardly the place of ostensibly objective reporters to employ terms like “strikingly subjective” to describe the process of conducting risk assessments. Shane and Weiser also opined that the U.S. detention camp is nothing more than a “lottery” where the “tiniest details” were “seized upon” by military analysts “as a potential litmus test for risk.” After revealing a number of cases in which the military “sometimes ignored serious flaws in the evidence,” the intrepid reporters engaged in blatant political activism, calling for an independent investigation: “Such frustrating case studies seem to beg for an independent evaluation of the evidence, some way of shedding light on the quality of the Guantanamo analysts’ work.” In another piece, Charlie Savage, William Glaberson, and Andrew Lehren portrayed enemy combatants as victims who “fought back” against the Bush administration's harsh interrogation techniques: Yet for all the limitations of the files, they still offer an extraordinary look inside a prison that has long been known for its secrecy and for a struggle between the military that runs it – using constant surveillance, forced removal from cells and other tools to exert control – and detainees who often fought back with the limited tools available to them: hunger strikes, threats of retribution and hoarded contraband ranging from a metal screw to leftover food. The Times was eager to discuss “America's most controversial prison,” but unwilling to refer to the group that leaked the classified files, WikiLeaks, as anything more than an “anti-secrecy organization,” even though critics accuse the organization of being overly secretive with its own finances. Ending their stories on a somber note, Shane and Weiser lamented the “haunting conclusion” of the leaked files, while Savage, Glaberson, and Lehren decried “an American limbo.” –Alex Fitzsimmons is a News Analysis intern at the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.
Continue reading …The ruling against California’s controversial Proposition 8 should be set aside, a group argued yesterday, not because the judge who ruled against it is gay—but because he’s in a long-term relationship with his partner. ProtectMarriage, which sponsored the 2008 ballot initiative prohibiting gay marriage, filed a motion asking a…
Continue reading …Lent is a time for Catholics to “give up something they love for 40 days,” so this year, Stephen Colbert gave up Catholicism. He thought he could make it til Easter, but on Good Friday he caught a whiff of his trigger: cathedral incense. “Long story short, I went on…
Continue reading …OPA!FEST.- Tribal Fusion Bellydance.- Pasen in Watervliet.m4v pokemon platin geist im not A Matter of Getting Lost – .commentary: Hawaii Five-O 1
Continue reading …ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF101: Hands-on Review, HD 1080P Asus Transformer Commercial|Asus Transformer Big Bang Asus Transformer Unboxing|Asus Transformer Cebit ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF101 Keyboard/Docking Station … ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF101 Keyboard/Docking Station (Electronics) By Asus. Click for more info. First tagged “battery” by Kevin “Wing” Customer tags: asus netbook, android, asus, asus eee, battery, android tablet, asus transformer , … Deal of the day: ASUS Transformer for £360 | Everything About Tablets Deal of the day: ASUS Transformer for £360. Apr26 2011 Leave a Comment. Not only does electrical retailer Comet currently report that it has stock of the rare ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, but it’s offering a 5% discount to online orders … Asus Transformer Tablet Sold Out in US There has been a long time since Asus launched in UK the Eee Pad Transformer tablet and was sold out shortly. The same thing happened in the U.S. when the. Video: Sony unveils two PS-ready tablets for fall release | VG247 @10, No the real question is ‘why should I buy this over the Motorola Xoom, Asus Transformer or the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v’ The iPad 2 will automatically crush all of them, but personally, I’d rather any of them over the iPad … Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101 demo | Tabletarium how did you get an Asus Transformer already???????? uktech Says: April 26th, 2011 at 9:41 am. @realparadyne The Tranformer is very tempting, especially with the expandable storage. I’m thinking about getting one too. winn750 Says: … WJS says: I just ordered the new ASUS Transformer Tablet! #Androidrocksmysocks #
Continue reading …We knew it was coming, and now it’s official: Casio’s macho G’zOne Commando is coming to Verizon on April 28th for a price of $200 on-contract. The Commando strays from a long line of durable dumbphones , and is the first ruggedized Android handset on Verizon’s network. In addition to meeting 810G military specifications for water, dust, shock, vibration, salt fog, solar radiation, and temperature extremes, it runs Android 2.2 (Froyo) and has a 3.6-inch (480 x 800) display, 5 megapixel autofocus camera, microSD slot, WiFi, stereo Bluetooth, and a hotspot feature allowing it to share its 3G connection with up to five devices. And, being built like a tank, it also bundles a handful of apps for outdoorsy types, including a compass, pedometer, star gazer, and thermometer. If you’ve never handled a rugged smartphone, you’ll get your chance Thursday when it hits Verizon retail stores. Until then, check out the PR after the break for more details. Continue reading Rugged Casio G’zOne Commando official, coming to Verizon on April 28th for $200 Rugged Casio G’zOne Commando official, coming to Verizon on April 28th for $200 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 12:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …It’s a counterintuitive idea, but depression could actually be a good thing. The Independent addresses the question by looking at studies and talking to experts and depression sufferers. Though not everyone agrees, a surprising number seem to think the answer is yes: Those who suffer depression and come out the…
Continue reading …Who likes the sound of a school bell? Sheldon Richman certainly doesn’t. “Schools, by their structure, are preparing kids for some sort of authoritarian lifestyle,” he says. Richman is critical of the school choice movement, saying that even in charter schools, money is still being provided by the state. He edits The Freeman and TheFreemanOnline.org, publications from the Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Big Government Discovery Date : 25/04/2011 15:50 Number of articles : 3
Continue reading …Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will begin holding news conferences four times a year to answer questions about the Federal Reserve’s policy decisions. (April 26)
Continue reading …