Month: December 2008

Updated at 11:47 p.m. EST, Dec. 31, 2008At midnight Baghdad time, foreign troops came under the authority of Iraqi officials. The number of violent attacks on the last day of a U.N. mandate however points to the fragility of Iraqi peace. At least 14 Iraqis were killed and another 70 were wounded. Two U.S. soldiers … Continue reading “Wednesday: 2 US Soldiers, 14 Iraqis Killed; 70 Iraqis Wounded”

With a fresh outbreak of violence between Israel and Palestine, a battle of a different sort is being waged in Washington between various interests in Mideast policy circles. As Israeli air strikes continue to pummel the Gaza Strip for a fourth day and crude homemade rockets launched by Palestinian militants land in Israeli towns near … Continue reading “Jewish Organizations Call For End to Gaza Bombings”

UNITED NATIONS – International aid groups, including several United Nations agencies, are warning of a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza if Israel does not stop its military action there immediately. "The consequences of [further] military action by Israel would be disastrous," said Jeremy Hobbs, director of Oxfam International, a London-based aid organization that is providing food … Continue reading “‘Civilians Are Paying the Price in Gaza’”

As the Israelis continue to pound Gaza, killing Hamas cadre, traffic cops, and civilians alike, Americans shake their heads and wonder: why can’t they all just get along? Why must we be involved? The answer to both questions lies in understanding the peculiar nature of the Israeli state and its "special relationship" to the West, … Continue reading “Israel’s Constant Crisis”

RAMALLAH, West Bank – Israel’s devastating bombardment of Gaza, and the mounting death toll continue as Operation Cast Lead entered its fourth day Tuesday. Despite massive damage to Hamas’ infrastructure and the enormous loss of life inflicted on Gaza, the Islamic resistance organization continues to fire rockets at Israel, with three Israelis killed to date. … Continue reading “Gaza Becomes a Chessboard for Israeli Leaders”

Diplomatic relations between Iran and the United States were broken off by President Jimmy Carter in April 1980, after the American embassy in Tehran was overrun by Iranian students in November 1979 and 53 Americans were taken hostage. The Reagan administration tried to secretly establish working relations with Iran, but that led to the infamous … Continue reading “Who’s Afraid of US-Iran Détente?”

Of the three politicians who announced the military assault on Gaza to the world on Saturday, perhaps only outgoing prime minister Ehud Olmert has little to lose – or gain – from its outcome. Flanking the Israeli prime minister were two of the main contenders for his job: Tzipi Livni, the foreign minister and the … Continue reading “Electioneering With Bombs”

The Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG), which was never applicable to most Somalis, is close to losing the few blocks in Mogadishu that it still controls, and the radical Islamists who go by the name al-Shabaab are on the verge of taking control of the parts of Somalia that haven't already seceded. The civilian death … Continue reading “Somalia: The Forgotten Front of the War on Terror”

At the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Penn., President Bush triumphantly proclaimed, "There can be no debate about the results [of my decisions] in keeping America safe." According to the president, the fact that America has not been attacked again since Sept. 11, 2001, is "not a matter of luck" – rather, "it’s the … Continue reading “Why Lightning Hasn’t Struck Twice”

Updated at 7:05 p.m. EST, Dec. 30, 2008At least seven Iraqis were killed and seven more were wounded in a day of light violence. No Coalition deaths were reported, but Iraq signed security pacts with the United Kingdom and Australia today. Meanwhile, the trial of the journalist shoe-thrower was postponed pending a decision as to … Continue reading “Tuesday: 7 Iraqis Killed, 7 Wounded”