Month: June 2009

Iran’s Do-It-Yourself Revolution

Facing an unprecedented popular uprising against his autocratic rule and his apparently fraudulent reelection, Iran’s right-wing president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has attempted to blame the United States. A surprising number of bloggers on the Left have rushed to the defense of the right-wing fundamentalist leader. Citing presidential directives under the Bush administration, they argue that the … Continue reading “Iran’s Do-It-Yourself Revolution”

Resist the Urge to Confront Kim Jong-Il

The more one learns about North Korea – its unconscionable human rights violations, its gulags and summary executions, the way it locks its citizens in and tortures or kills them when they try to escape over the Chinese border, the way every foreign visitor must follow a strict itinerary and be accompanied by a government … Continue reading “Resist the Urge to Confront Kim Jong-Il”

Playing the Hawk With North Korea

SEOUL – If the Obama administration needed a rogue nation to demonstrate its foreign policy resolve, central casting couldn’t have supplied a better candidate than North Korea. The government in Pyongyang routinely promises to unleash destruction of biblical proportions on its enemies. It has pulled out of international agreements, such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty … Continue reading “Playing the Hawk With North Korea”

Tuesday: 4 U.S. Soldiers, 36 Iraqis Killed; 97 Iraqis Wounded

Updated at 6:18 p.m. EDT, June 30, 2009 Today is the deadline for U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraqi cities. Across Iraq, at least 36 Iraqis were killed and 97 more were wounded. Four U.S. soldiers were killed in a combat incident shortly before pullout yesterday in Baghdad.

Obama Declares Honduras Coup ‘Not Legal’ Amid Uncertainty

Capping a day of mixed signals, U.S. President Barack Obama said late Monday that he considered Sunday’s ouster and exile of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya to be "not legal" and that Washington still considered him the legitimate president of the Central American country. Speaking at a very brief press appearance with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, … Continue reading “Obama Declares Honduras Coup ‘Not Legal’ Amid Uncertainty”