Escalation by the Numbers

Someday, we will undoubtedly discover that, in the term “surge” – as in the president’s “surge” plan (or “new way forward”) announced to the nation in January – was the urge to avoid the language (and experience) of the Vietnam era. As there were to be no “body bags” (or cameras to film them as … Continue reading “Escalation by the Numbers”

The Benchmarks That Matter

Under the headline, “A War We Just Might Win,” the New York Times on Monday published an op-ed by Michael O’Hanlon of the Brookings Institution and Kenneth Pollack, both referred to as critics of the way the Bush administration has “handled” the war in Iraq. (Pollack had, in fact, been a major cheerleader for the … Continue reading “The Benchmarks That Matter”

The Withdrawal Follies

Withdrawal is now so mainstream. Last week, debate about it led to a sleep-in protest in the Senate and, this week, it’s hit the cover of TIME Magazine, of which there’s no mainer-stream around. The TIME cover couldn’t be more graphic. The word “IRAQ” is in giant type, the “I,” “R,” and “Q” all black, … Continue reading “The Withdrawal Follies”

Agency of Rogues

The secret prison was set up on a secure U.S. naval base outside the U.S. and so beyond the slightest recourse to legal oversight. It was there that the CIA clandestinely brought its “suspects” to be interrogated, abused, and tortured. That description might indeed sound like Guantanamo 2002, but think again. According to New York … Continue reading “Agency of Rogues”

Democratic Doublespeak
on Iraq

Start with the simplest, most basic fudge. Newspapers and the TV news constantly report on various plans for the “withdrawal of American troops” from Iraq, when what’s being proposed is the withdrawal of American “combat troops” or “combat brigades.” This isn’t a matter of splitting hairs; it’s the difference between a plan for full-scale withdrawal … Continue reading “Democratic Doublespeak
on Iraq”

Yes, Bush Is Naked, What of It?

President Bush’s announcement of a new Middle East summit is being dutifully reported as a move to “revive” the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, designed to culminate in a two-state solution. But the meeting, if it ever comes about, will be nothing of the sort. U.S. officials have already made clear that the gathering’s purpose will be … Continue reading “Yes, Bush Is Naked, What of It?”

Iraq on My Mind

What if you spoke regularly of “haji food,” “haji music” and “haji homes”? What if your speeding convoys ran over civilians often enough that no one thought to report the incidents? What if your platoon was told pointblank: “The Geneva Conventions don’t exist at all in Iraq, and that’s in writing if you want to … Continue reading “Iraq on My Mind”