Month: April 2005

In the 1950s and 1960s, the curious profession of Kremlinologist was developed among academics and the intelligence community. These worthies made it their business to try to figure out what the less-than-scrutable folks running the Kremlin were likely to do. It seemed clear to most observers then that insofar as Moscow adhered to ideology it … Continue reading “Is Iran Next?”

Over the years, as the actions of the Israeli government have become more extreme – and less concerned with international public opinion – very little of what Israel’s leaders say or do seems all that surprising. Invading the West Bank and Gaza, demolishing peoples’ homes, defying the U.S. on the settlements issue as they angle … Continue reading “Israel Goes Extremist”

As a Washington-based pundit with some foreign policy credentials, I frequently receive phone calls from secretaries under pressure of a deadline who book “experts” like me for radio and television news shows, asking me to “do Iraq” or chat about some other area of crisis around the world. I usually don’t get paid a lot … Continue reading “Kyrgyzstan’s Clan War”

“We have more than 250 trained and certified speakers who deliver our presentations. They are trained not to talk down to or lecture students; instead, they present the message as if they were a big brother or sister simply giving advice about their experiences and how to achieve success. The presentations are dynamic and engaging, … Continue reading “Beware Monster.com”

In a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the USA PATRIOT Act, the following exchange took place between former White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales, now attorney general, and Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.): "GONZALES: Mr. Chairman, let me, kind of, reassure the committee and the American people that the department has no interest in rummaging through the … Continue reading “Faking Civil Society”

Whenever the administration is challenged regarding the success of the Iraq war, or regarding the false information used to justify the war, the retort is: "Aren’t the people of Iraq better off?" The insinuation is that anyone who expresses any reservations about supporting the war is an apologist for Saddam Hussein and every ruthless act … Continue reading “Who’s Better Off?”

AMMAN – The Iraqi parliament that was elected some 10 weeks ago has finally picked the three-men presidium of the Republic, making Jalal Talabani the first Kurdish president of Iraq. The appointments follow a breakthrough last week when the National Assembly at last agreed on a Sunni Arab speaker. The presidency has two weeks to … Continue reading “Iraq’s Patchwork Presidency Finally Takes Shape”

One of the first orders of business for the new Iraqi government under Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani and Shi’ite Islamist Ibrahim Jaafari will be to strike a deal with the United States military over the terms and conditions of the 150,000-troop-strong U.S. military presence. A United Nations Security Council resolution authorizing the occupation ends in … Continue reading “New Iraqi Govt to Confront Future With US Military”

Bizarre Balkans Bulletin There is a good reason most contemporary Balkans literature tends to be surreal. It is hard to write realistic fiction when reality is far more bizarre than anything literary wizards are capable of conjuring. In a place that logic and reason seem to have abandoned a while ago, ironies and absurdities abound, … Continue reading “Reality Bites”

The dramatic climax of Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko’s visit to the United States will no doubt be his address to a joint session of Congress, where he is sure to receive a hero’s welcome. That conclave of self-serving phonies knows a kindred soul when it sees one. But the real high point (or low point, … Continue reading “Yushchenko’s Gambit”