Month: November 2004

Memo To: David Broder, Washington Post Re: Those Mass Graves Remember, David, back on Sept. 27, I posted a memo on the margin that I wrote to you, complimenting you on your column about how the news media had been "losing their way"? It had to do with your observation that the major news media … Continue reading “Fallujah and Those Mass Graves”

On Nov. 2, Americans blew their only chance to redeem themselves in the eyes of the world. The entire world is stunned by the Bush administration’s abandonment of a half century of U.S. diplomacy in favor of misguided, unilateralist, "preemptive" naked aggression on totally false pretenses against Iraq. America’s allies are amazed at the ignorance … Continue reading “The American Century Is Over”

The International Atomic Energy Agency – under Director General Mohamed ElBaradei – has been the bane of the neo-crazies, having given the lie to neo-crazy charges that Iraq had nukes. To obviate a similar embarrassment over Iran, the neo-crazies charge that the IAEA is improperly engaged in "investigating and enforcing nuclear non-proliferation accords," activities that … Continue reading “Dissing the IAEA”

UN agencies and humanitarian groups are warning that the security situation in the conflict-ridden Darfur region of Sudan is deteriorating amid reports that government forces may be forcing displaced people (DP) to return to their homes. The new alarm was triggered by the government’s closure to relief groups Tuesday of several camps in western and … Continue reading “Security in Darfur Deteriorating”

The flight from Jordan feels all too normal … until we arrive over Baghdad International Airport. The nose of the plane dips, the left wing drops, and the downward spiral begins – dropping us 4,000 feet per minute into the inferno that is occupied Iraq. Rather than an in-flight magazine, a lonely card is available … Continue reading “Spiraling Into Occupied Iraq”

The planned reduction of U.S. troops in South Korea is an opportunity for Washington-Seoul ties to mature or decline, depending on whether ties can go beyond the narrow security issues that have driven the relationship for decades. This transition, experts say, is the main challenge for the five-decades-long alliance between the United States and South … Continue reading “With Troop Cuts, US-South Korea Relations Uncertain”

NEW DELHI – The top leadership of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could stand trial for the December 1992 demolition of the medieval Babri Masjid mosque, which propelled the right-wing, pro-Hindu party to national power but deeply polarized the country’s two main religious communities – the Hindus and Muslims. A bench of the Allahabad … Continue reading “Top Hindu Hawks May Face Trial for Demolition of Mosque”

CANBERRA – While Australian Prime Minister John Howard has proclaimed the reelection of U.S. President George W. Bush as "a victory for the anti-terrorism cause," foreign policy analysts believe he will have to distance himself from the image as a U.S. "deputy sheriff" if he wants to improve relations with regional countries. Scott Burchill, a … Continue reading “Bush Win Poses Regional Dilemma for Australians”

BEIJING – The 2004 vote for the U.S. president would have gone down in history as one of the most painless polls for China since Washington recognized its communist government in 1979, had it not been for a political gaffe committed by Beijing on the eve of the elections. Although Beijing tried to distance itself … Continue reading “China: Damage Control After Criticizing Bush”

Plenty of people who opposed the war in Iraq and question the advisability of an imperial role for the United States are in something resembling despair following Tuesday’s election results – probably more so than would have been the case had not those pesky early exit polls offered a few hours of belief that John … Continue reading “Opportunities Ahead”