Month: February 2006

Backtalk, February 24, 2006

Hating ArabsDear Mr. Raimondo: I find this really disconcerting, but I actually like the way Bush has so far handled the controversy over the Dubai Ports World purchase of six U.S. ports. [Editor’s note: The ports are not privately owned. Dubai Ports World purchased the company that operates those ports.] In the face of an … Continue reading “Backtalk, February 24, 2006”

The Brutal Christ of the Armageddonites

Most Americans don’t comprehend how our nation’s foreign policy is affected by a small minority of religious fundamentalists. This Vanity Fair piece on the best-selling “Left Behind” novels provides a glimpse into their worldview: “Far from being a Prince of Peace, the Christ depicted in the ‘Left Behind’ series is a vengeful Messiah – so … Continue reading “The Brutal Christ of the Armageddonites”

‘Leninists!’ Cries Neocon Nabob, Suing for Divorce

The Washington foreign policy elite finds itself on pins and needles this week awaiting a response from the neoconservative heavyweights at the Weekly Standard magazine to a scorching denunciation by one of their most venerable fellow travelers, Francis Fukuyama, in Sunday’s New York Times Magazine. Fukuyama, best known for his post-Cold War essay proclaiming the … Continue reading “‘Leninists!’ Cries Neocon Nabob, Suing for Divorce”

How Neocons Sabotaged Iran’s Help on al-Qaeda

The United States and Iran were on a course to work closely together on the war against al-Qaeda and its Taliban sponsors in Afghanistan in late 2001 and early 2002 – until Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld stepped in to scuttle that cooperation, according to officials who were involved at the time. After the Sept. 11 … Continue reading “How Neocons Sabotaged Iran’s Help on al-Qaeda”

Redeployment: Another Election-Year Stunt

The Democrats are getting ready for the upcoming election season. Having done so poorly for the past, well, decade or so, they may finally be seeing an opportunity to capitalize on one of the Bush administration’s many misfortunes. Whether it’s Jack Abramoff’s lobbying sleaze, Cheney’s happy trigger finger, or Scooter Libby’s indictment, they sure have … Continue reading “Redeployment: Another Election-Year Stunt”

Hating Arabs

In a repeat of the calculated insults to the Arab world coming fast and furious these days, Democratic politicians, including putative presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, are raising a ruckus over a deal in which Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation, a U.K. company that manages the ports of New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami, … Continue reading “Hating Arabs”

A Quailhawk’s Cakewalk

Over a week ago, Vice President Cheney managed to put a couple of hundred pellets of birdshot into his 78-year-old friend and Texas Republican Party builder, Harry Whittington. As the event turned into a national joke, edged with anger, and a late night spectacle, it was natural that the subject of Iraq would arise. After … Continue reading “A Quailhawk’s Cakewalk”

Reports Find Tenuous Terror Ties at Guantanamo

Last June, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told reporters, "If you think of the people down there [at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba], these are people, all of whom were captured on a battlefield. They’re terrorists, trainers, bomb-makers, recruiters, financiers, [Osama bin Laden’s] bodyguards, would-be suicide bombers, probably the 20th 9/11 hijacker." Yet two recent reports, based … Continue reading “Reports Find Tenuous Terror Ties at Guantanamo”

At Spy Agencies, No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Find illegal activity in the U.S. national security agency you work for. Report it to your superiors. Get rewarded by being demoted or having your security clearance revoked – tantamount to losing your career – while those whose conduct you’ve reported get promoted. This was the picture painted to a House of Representatives committee last … Continue reading “At Spy Agencies, No Good Deed Goes Unpunished”