Month: May 2005

The U.S. Senate’s foreign relations committee, in a surprise move driven by a key Republican, voted Thursday to send the embattled nomination of John Bolton as U.S. ambassador at the United Nations to the full Senate without a recommendation – a rebuff to President George W. Bush. Republican Senator George Voinovich agreed to allow Bolton’s … Continue reading “Senate Committee Rebuffs Bush’s Pick for UN Envoy”

Even as the Bush administration was hailing the heroism of the Iraqi Shi’ite majority for going to the polls last Jan. 30, it was secretly preventing the new Shi’ite government from having full control over its own intelligence services. The reason, it has now been revealed, is that the administration fears that the Shi’ites will … Continue reading “The Coming Shi’ite Showdown”

Last week I wrote about some of the reasons it is just possible that we won’t see another major imperial military adventure during the Bushlet’s second term. The reasons ranged from the second-term blues that afflicts most two-term presidencies, to the resources tied up (or tied down) in Iraq, to the fact that North Korea … Continue reading “Tired of Empire?”

There was panic in the streets of Washington, the Capitol emptied, and Congress scattered in fear – all because a small plane had entered the airspace over the Imperial City. “Run, run, run!” It was, of course, nothing to laugh or gloat about. All of us remember that day in September: the shadow of it … Continue reading “Iraq Falls Apart”

What role did John Bolton play in the Bush administration’s efforts to manufacture the intelligence needed to justify the invasion of Iraq? As it turns out, a hidden but important role. Remember the “yellowcake from Niger"? Briefly reported last week in Steve Clemons’ The Washington Note was that a Congressional subcommittee, citing a State Department … Continue reading “John Bolton’s Yellowcake”

Reported incidents of anti-Muslim bias including hate crimes, discrimination, and harassment rose sharply in the United States last year, according to a new report by a major Islamic group. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), in a report released Wednesday, said it received 141 reports of actual or planned violence against Muslims or mosques nationwide, … Continue reading “Report: Anti-Muslim Crimes on the Rise”

When people ask me what to read to find an historical parallel with America’s situation today, I usually recommend J.H. Elliott’s splendid history of Spain in the first half of the 17th century, The Count-Duke of Olivares: A Statesman in an Age of Decline. One of the features of the Spanish court in that period … Continue reading “The Reality Gap”

This article first appeared on WorldNetDaily in May 2002. Sad to say, scaring the pants off you soccer moms and mall rats has become a growth industry in this country, gainfully employing thousands of people, in and out of government. The scare-monger battle cry is that terrorists are planning to use various weapons of mass … Continue reading “Weapons of Mass Destruction – Not!”

Fifty current and former employees of U.S. national security agencies are demanding that Congress end government retaliation against those who expose national security blunders. Leaders of the new group, known as the National Security Whistleblowers Coalition (NSWBC), have stepped up their efforts to win protection since testifying late last month before congressional committees in the … Continue reading “Security Whistleblowers Demand End to Retaliation”

Thirty years after the last chopper left the Saigon embassy, Americans still don’t know why this country fought in Vietnam. According to the dominant explanation, U.S. policymakers believed unquestioningly in the “domino theory,” which held that noncommunist countries in Southeast Asia would topple one by one if South Vietnam was lost. According to the conventional … Continue reading “Dominoes or Dominance?”