Month: July 2006

Alaa Hassan never lived to see publication of the last story he had filed. It got caught for a while, as stories sometimes are, in that no-man’s land between what a correspondent could reasonably get, and what an editor would really like. The two do not often converge immediately, or at least find minimal common … Continue reading “A Story Left Incomplete”

Polls have consistently shown that, being the macho folks we apparently are, Americans don’t care if the U.S. government listens in on our phone conversations, spies on our e-mails, and/or secretly black-bags our domiciles, frames some of us, and now, peeks over our shoulders at our bank accounts. Even if the government breaks its own … Continue reading “It’s Baaack!”

Finding itself in Republican sights and with no Democratic power center to offer protection, National Public Radio is turning into an upscale version of Fox "News." Nevertheless, information still gets out if the listener is sufficiently attentive. On July 5, NPR’s All Things Considered interviewed two warmongers for their views on the North Korean missile … Continue reading “Hegemonic Tyrant Courts Doom”

Evidence that the American republic long ago ceased to be a republic in anything but name is the reluctance of policymakers – any policymaker in any administration – to drop even one military alliance, international commitment, security guarantee, or troop deployment, no matter how antiquated, irrelevant, costly, or dangerous. What has ever been must ever … Continue reading “Can’t We Drop Even One Alliance?”

Although it may raise regional tensions in the short run, Wednesday’s test-firing by North Korea of at least seven missiles, including its multi-stage, inter-continental Taepodong-2 rocket, could speed resumption of long-stalled diplomatic efforts to curb Pyongyang’s nuclear-arms program, according to some experts here. Indeed, initial reactions from Washington and other capitals, while strongly negative, suggested … Continue reading “Will Missile Tests Lead to New Talks?”

The (for any rational human being) bizarre possibility of a U.S. nuclear strike against Iran first reached public consciousness in early April 2006, when investigative reporter Seymour Hersh wrote in the New Yorker magazine that it was one of six plans being considered by the administration. Now Hersh reports that the plan is off the … Continue reading “Nuking Iran Is Not Off the Table”

Inter Press Service (IPS) contributor Alaa Hassan was killed on his way to work last Wednesday. He was 35 years old. He is survived by his mother, four brothers, five sisters, and his wife, who is pregnant with their first child. Alaa was not killed for being a reporter. Indeed, he had only just begun … Continue reading “A Story I Never Wanted to Tell”

Israel has seldom been as quiet on Iran as in the last three months. Though Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has pursued a policy of reducing Israel’s visible involvement in the Western campaign to rein in Iran’s nuclear ambitions – "work hard and say less," as he put it in March – much indicates that the … Continue reading “Israel Fears High Price for US Strike on Iran”

When Hamas won the Palestinian elections, a highly successful Fourth Generation entity became a state. No doubt that was one of Hamas’ highest aspirations. But by becoming a state, it became far more vulnerable to other states than it was as a non-state entity. How Hamas deals with this problem may say a great deal … Continue reading “To Be or Not To Be a State?”

When forced to confront the mess she has made of our foreign policy, do you suppose Condi Rice views the interrelated messes individually or collectively? Take the U.S.-India-Iran-Pakistan-Russia mess. Last year, Condi whizzed down to New Delhi to prevent India from finalizing technical and commercial contracts for a pipeline that would provide Iranian natural gas … Continue reading “What a Mess”