Hamid Gul, retired Pakistan Army and former chief of Pakistani intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence. Photo courtesy: AlJazeeraEnglish
WikiLeaks: the Taliban, the ISI and U.S. strategy in Afghanistan

By Michael Moran
GlobalPost Columnist/TheUrbanFly
Published: July 27, 2010 06:46 ET in Worldview

NEW YORK — Back in November 2001, just a week after Kabul fell to the U.S.-led invasion forces in Afghanistan and just as the city of Kunduz began to capitulate, the air filled with the steady drone of C-130 transport aircraft landing at the dusty airstrip.

Photo courtesy: Russia Today
Shockwaves from Wikileaks bombshell hit Kabul

By Jean MacKenzie
GlobalPost/TheUrbanFly
Published: July 26, 2010 14:20 ET in Asia

The Wikileaks documents have hit Kabul like a small-scale nuclear explosion: from media analysts to shopkeepers, everyone is talking about the more than 90,000 classified reports on the Afghan war that have now been made public by the whistle blower website Wikileaks.org.

Photos courtesy: DCTV/Thinkstock. Photocomposition by Graphics440
Shirley Sherrod and the rush to judge.

By J. Letness
TheUrbanFly
July 22, 2010

MINNEAPOLIS – Welcome to the push-button simplicities of the on-demand and all-be-damned world of click-through politics. That our species is always behind the curve on the effect of its tools was again demonstrated this week with the supposed outing of Georgia state director of rural development, Shirley Sherrod as a racist.

Photos courtesy: Derek Thomas/WGNO. Clarence Thomas/arightside
Clarence Thomas outraged by mistreatment of nephew but condones the same
for others.

by Jean Casella and James Rideway 
Solitary Watch

Editors note: While last week one of the most distinguished jurist to ever wear a Supreme Court robe was disparaged by right wing legislators in an attempt to smear Justice nominee Eleanor Kagan, the only other black Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas was reportedly outraged at the treatment of his nephew. Oddly unlike Marshall who defended the poor and even the imprisoned,Thomas has consistently failed to acknowledge that prisoners have any rights under the law.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was reportedly “completely shocked and outraged” when he learned that his nephew, who suffers from epilepsy and was reportedly suicidal, was beaten and tased with a stun gun at a Louisiana hospital–apparently, for nothing more than some unruly behavior. “Outraged” we can understand: What happened to 24-year-old Derek Thomas does qualify as outrageous. According to an account onRaw Story: Derek Thomas was admitted to West Jefferson Hospital in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, Thursday, after a possible suicide attempt, reports ABC affiliate WGNO story When the Supreme Court justice’s nephew refused to put on a hospital gown and said he wanted to leave the hospital, doctors ordered security to restrain him. Security guards “punched him in his lip, pulled out more than a fistful of his dreadlocks and tasered him to restrain him,” a statement from Thomas’ family said. Shortly afterwards, family members say, Thomas suffered a “massive epileptic seizure.”

Photo courtesy: wwltv
The Danziger Bridge Shootings. Six More Indictments.

PRNewswire-USNewswire
July 13, 2010

WASHINGTON – Six officers with the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) were charged today [July 14, 2010] in connection with the federal investigation of a police-involved shooting on the Danziger Bridge in the days after Hurricane Katrina, the Justice Department announced today. The incident resulted in the death of two civilians and the wounding of four others.  

Photo courtesy: AssociatedPress

Uganda bombings, US Connection?

By Tristan McConnell
GlobalPost/TheUrbanFly
Published: July 14, 2010 06:53 ET in Africa

NAIROBI, Kenya — The failed bombing of a nightclub Monday in the Ugandan capital of Kampala, which came just one day after twin explosions killed more than 70 people there, highlights the growing sophistication of African Islamist groups and raises concerns about their ability to strike abroad, security officials and analysts said.

Photo courtesy: WorldNewsSlides

Uganda: training to fight Al Shabaab

By Paul Ames
GlobalPostTheUrbanFly
Published: July 13, 2010 08:01 ET in Africa

Editor's note: The bombings that killed more than 70 people in Kampala Sunday have drawn attention to Uganda's involvement with the African Union force fighting the Al Shabaab militia in Somalia. Al Shabaab, an ally of Al Qaeda, vowed to continue its terror strikes against Uganda and other African countries that support Somalia's transitional government.

Here is an inside account of how Uganda is hosting a camp where European Union advisers are training Somali soldiers in ways to combat Al Shabaab.

Photos courtesy: LB23KZ, FoxSportsNorth. Photo composite: Jon Letness

LeBron James and Joe Mauer: To Leave, or Not To Leave?

Clayton Feate
Sportz Correspondent/the UrbanFly
July 12, 2010

Minneapolis – Two hometown heroes. Two destinations.

LeBron James of Akron Ohio, will cease his employment with his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers and play for the Miami Heat in the 2010-11 season. The contract was reported to be for 5 years and is worth close to $99m.

Photo courtesy: © Juan Bernal  | Dreamstime.com

World Cup 2010: Spain's stylish play trumps rough Dutch

By Mark Starr
GlobalPost Columnist/TheUrbanFly
Published: July 12, 2010 06:45 ET in Sports

BOSTON — We should be grateful that South Africa 2010 turned out to be an alluring celebration of game and country.