Month: June 2003

Two weeks ago, reporting on the violent arrest of a retired Serbian army colonel on war crimes charges raised by the Hague Inquisition, Reuters and other news media referred to the 1991 conflict as the “Croatian war of independence.” That term, however, is false. Many defenders of Slobodan Milosevic see him as the Serbian Abraham … Continue reading “The Serbian Lincoln?”

India, which criticised the United States-led invasion of Iraq, is under intense pressure from Washington to despatch a division (about 17,000 troops) or more of its soldiers to that country to help the Anglo-American occupation forces and legitimise the occupation. India’s government is strongly inclined to pull the US’s chestnuts out of the fire in … Continue reading “India Must Resist US Pressure to Send Troops to Iraq”

The ongoing protests beginning with students and expanding (although it’s difficult for an outsider, even one who follows news reports, to know exactly how much) to other sectors of society have created a great deal of hope among those – surely most decent people around the world – who would like to see the repressive … Continue reading “Deterring Regime Change in Iran?”

It was not supposed to be like this. The Iraqis were supposed to dance in the streets, and to welcome the Americans with flowers. Democracy was supposed to emerge spontaneously, and Iraq was to become a pro-Western beacon in the heart of the Muslim world. Instead, Iraqis take to the streets almost daily to demonstrate … Continue reading “‘All Bush Gave Iraq Was Anarchy – Now He Wants the Same for Iran’”

It’s one of those "only in America" stories sure to moisten every patriotic eye. A babe found wrapped in tobacco leaves, Moses in the Tennessee bulrushes, a disadvantaged lad if ever there was one, transformed, through will and conviction, into one of history’s great leaders. A boy who took up arms for his country, fought … Continue reading “America Needs a Gore News Channel”

So Howard Dean and John Kerry are all a twitter over how George W. Bush and his advisors fibbed about "weapons of mass destruction" in Iraq. Welcome to reality, guys, but the really big lie is a lot worse than that. Remember how we were supposed to bringing "democracy," not to mention "freedom," to the … Continue reading “EMPIRE OF LIBERTY?”

"Rare Bosnia Success Story, Thanks to U.S. Viceroy," blares the New York Times headline on a story celebrating Empire that appeared this Tuesday. It has to be read to be believed, but suffice to say that the author unflinchingly uses terms such as "viceroy," "proconsul" and even "colony" while arguing that a bit of occupation … Continue reading “Paragons of Empire”

The "road map to peace" in the Middle East has turned into the highway to hell – and given rise to what, up until a few months ago, would have been unthinkable: the prospect of direct U.S. military intervention in Gaza and the West Bank. How did we get to this point? The "road map," … Continue reading “THE GAZA TRAP”

Commenting on the Aqaba Summit, in an atmosphere of peace and reconciliation, a senior member of Israel’s ruling junta said it all. Major General Amos Gilad – the Government Coordinator in the [Occupied] Territories – told Yedioth Achronoth (5.6.03): "In Mid-Eastern terms, we have not inflicted any suffering on the Palestinians". Yes: Merely 2.500 Palestinians … Continue reading “Mid-Eastern Terms”

When I was younger I used to imagine that the natural function of "public intellectuals" – not necessarily people who are smarter than the average Joe, but reasonably intelligent people with a bent for policy analysis and thinking large thoughts on matters of public consequence – was to speak truth to power, or, in the … Continue reading “Rise of the Apologists”