Month: March 2005

Bolton Nomination Another Affront to Sanity

As I was driving back to the office at midday today, I heard a news report that President Bush had nominated John Bolton to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. My heart skipped a beat, and I could feel my blood pressure climb through the roof. John Bolton. Ugh. This is the bottom … Continue reading “Bolton Nomination Another Affront to Sanity”

Don’t Stop With Syria’s Occupation

Fareed Zakaria argues that Bush got one thing right. Zakaria writes: “Bush never accepted the view that Islamic terrorism had its roots in religion or culture or the Arab-Israeli conflict. Instead, he veered toward the analysis that the region was breeding terror because it had developed deep dysfunctions caused by decades of repression and an … Continue reading “Don’t Stop With Syria’s Occupation”

Unhappy With One Quagmire, Bush Looks for Another

How much longer can American prestige survive the embarrassments inflicted by President Bush? Bush’s demand that Syria immediately withdraw its troops from Lebanon is a ricochet demand. If Lebanon cannot have free elections while under foreign military occupation, how, asks the rest of the world, does Iraq have free elections when it is under U.S. … Continue reading “Unhappy With One Quagmire, Bush Looks for Another”

The End of the Right to Counsel?

Listen to Scott’s interview with Elaine Cassel stream download mp3   What if the government arrested you on terrorism charges? What if your lawyer was afraid to zealously defend you (as required by the Model Rules)? What if your lawyer was so afraid, he wouldn’t even tell you that he wasn’t able to zealously defend … Continue reading “The End of the Right to Counsel?”

The Unfortunate Incident Protocol

“A little girl running in fear from armed men is killed in cold blood. … The authorities are trying their best to come up with a reason why this schoolgirl was shot so many times after she was dead – because that’s the unusual part. But in no way will the Israeli government, nor the … Continue reading “The Unfortunate Incident Protocol”

Who Killed Rafik Hariri?

The recent hate campaign against Syria is ratcheting up to a fever pitch, as exemplified by Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Texas), who told a convocation of veterans at the Suncreek United Methodist Church in Allen, Texas, of a conversation he had with our sainted chief executive in which he, Johnson, explained to the prez that those … Continue reading “Who Killed Rafik Hariri?”

Going to War With the Army You Have

“‘If you look back over the last year, we estimate we have killed or captured about 15,000 people as part of this counter-insurgency,’ [Gen. George] Casey, the only four-star American general in Iraq, told reporters.” (Jan. 26, 2005) “[Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Richard] Myers said getting an accurate count of insurgents is difficult. ‘I’d say … Continue reading “Going to War With the Army You Have”

What Noncompliance?

Addressing the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna last week, Jackie Sanders, the U.S. representative, warned the panel that it "cannot ignore forever its statutory obligation to report this matter to the United Nations Security Council." What matter? Well, it seems that IAEA Deputy Director General Pierre Goldschmidt had just … Continue reading “What Noncompliance?”

Negroponte: Policy Hack or Intelligence Reformer?

The CIA has long been caught in the crossfire from the left and the right. Human rights critics and left-center internationalists have charged that the CIA has engineered coups and trained paramilitary units. On its right flank, the agency has been accused by militarists, old guard conservatives, and neoconservatives of dangerously underestimating threats to U.S. … Continue reading “Negroponte: Policy Hack or Intelligence Reformer?”