Month: May 2006

Iranian leaders have been signaling to Washington since late 2005 that Iran wanted direct negotiations with the United States on Tehran’s nuclear program and other outstanding issues between the two countries. The campaign began with private talks between Iranian officials and foreign visitors in the country, and has included public suggestions by members of the … Continue reading “Iran Pushes for Talks With US on Nukes, Security”

However much President George W. Bush’s "freedom agenda" asserted itself into U.S. foreign policy in the wake of the Iraq invasion three years ago, traditional geo-politics – and the realpolitik that goes with it – is making a remarkably strong comeback. From the energy-rich Gulf of Guinea, across the Islamic Middle East to Central Asia, … Continue reading “Give Me That Old-Time Geo-Politics”

Hillary Clinton is pocketing enormous amounts of cash across the country for her reelection campaign, from Manhattan to Hollywood. Yet, Hillary is facing what seems to be fierce opposition from within her own party, as well as from third parties here in New York. The main reason candidates have signed up to challenge Hillary is … Continue reading “Challenging Hillary Clinton”

Unbelievably, a belligerent Bush administration is trying to rattle the saber again against Iran, because of its defiance of the United Nations Security Council’s resolution against Iran’s nuclear program. In the long term, such blustering by a superpower is only likely to speed the efforts of Iran and other countries with nuclear aspirations to get … Continue reading “The United States May Have to Live With a Nuclear Iran”

A recent Hudson Institute study [.pdf] found that, last year, American citizens voluntarily contributed three times more to help people overseas than did the United States government. This should not surprise us at all, as Americans are generous to those in need, whether here or abroad. There are so many moral, religious, and human reasons … Continue reading “True Foreign Aid”

Under a Safeguards Agreement concluded with the International Atomic Energy Agency – as required by the Treaty on Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons – Iran agreed to allow IAEA inspectors to “verify” that no “source or special nuclear materials” are being used in furtherance of a nuclear weapons program. During the past three years, every report … Continue reading “The Security Council
Deadline Myth”

Whenever I speak on campus, I always get the “But what about Darfur?” question. This usually comes in tandem with the inevitable Holocaust question, which goes something like this: “Yes, I agree with your opposition to the Iraq war, and your anti-interventionist sentiments in general, but what about our moral responsibility to prevent another Holocaust?” … Continue reading “What About Darfur?”

Military actions were once taken only after careful war-gaming, which sought to elucidate likely and even not-so-likely responses from the other side. Today, as the bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities looms, it seems the moral certainty that defines the administration has obviated that part of the foreign policy process. What’s right is right – regardless … Continue reading “‘Taking Out’ Iran’s Nuclear Facilities: Not So Fast”

It’s the perfect day for a march. Sunny, crisp, clear, spring-like. The sort of day that just gives you hope for no reason at all, though my own hopes are not high for New York’s latest antiwar demonstration. I haven’t received a single e-mail about it. Many people I know hadn’t realized it was happening. … Continue reading “‘I’m Already Against
the Next War’”

The recent run-up in gasoline prices has led to a number of proposals by Washington politicians. It has also caused many people to be angry toward oil companies. What we are seeing looks like a replay of discussions and policy proposals that started in 1973 and continued throughout the 1970s. In the late 1970s, I … Continue reading “Gasoline Prices and Energy Policy, True and False”