Waning Prospects for Peace in 2003?

As 2002 draws to a close, the prospects for peace seem bleak in the world’s troubled Middle East region. Afghanistan remains in chaos, despite the ouster of the Taliban regime by American forces. Israel and the occupied West Bank territories suffer terrible incidents of violence almost daily, forcing the cancellation of Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem. … Continue reading “Waning Prospects for Peace in 2003?”

‘Nadav’s’ Putsch

The coming elections will be decided – and perhaps have already been decided – by an anonymous person, whose nom-de-guerre is "Nadav". "Nadav" calls himself an "expert" in the service of the General Security Service (known by its Hebrew acronym Shabak or Shin-Bet). According to him, his official title is "chief of the research department … Continue reading “‘Nadav’s’ Putsch”

Ethnic Cleansing: Past, Present and Future

There is a puzzling paradox about Holocaust denial: those who deny it are precisely the ones who would have supported it. I couldn’t help thinking of this paradox when I heard that American university professors have recently been accused of anti-Semitism (!) for signing a document warning against Israeli intentions to drive out masses of … Continue reading “Ethnic Cleansing: Past, Present and Future”

Forget Iraq: The Real Battle Is In Turkey

All eyes are on Iraq these days, but conventional wisdom holds it’s just the first step of the Bush administration’s larger push to gain hegemony over the international oil and gas industry. Two factors could stand in the way of the US grand plan though: Central Asia and Europe. A microcosm of this battle is … Continue reading “Forget Iraq: The Real Battle Is In Turkey”

Forget Iraq: The Real Battle Is In Turkey

All eyes are on Iraq these days, but conventional wisdom holds it’s just the first step of the Bush administration’s larger push to gain hegemony over the international oil and gas industry. Two factors could stand in the way of the US grand plan though: Central Asia and Europe. A microcosm of this battle is … Continue reading “Forget Iraq: The Real Battle Is In Turkey”