Month: July 2006

German Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung’s suggestion that Iran should be allowed to carry out a limited enrichment program under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has exposed a fundamental crack in the façade of unity among the six countries that have given Iran a proposal aimed at halting all its enrichment … Continue reading “German Official Urges Compromise on Iran Enrichment”

With Omar Abdullah BAGHDAD – More than three years after the invasion, Iraqis seem increasingly to want to leave the country. Reports come pouring in about Iraqi refugees overwhelming Syria, Jordan, and other nations in the region. Last month, the United Nations released a report that more than 150,000 Iraqis have been displaced since February. … Continue reading “Iraqis Struggle to Leave, Somehow”

Americans who get their propaganda from Fox "News" or are told what to think by right-wing talk radio hosts are outraged at news reports that U.S. troops planned and carried out the rape and murder of a young Iraqi woman. They are not outraged that the troops committed the deed; they are outraged that the … Continue reading “The Reality Beneath the Flag-Waving”

After years of U.S. and Israeli attempts to refer Iran’s nuclear program to the UN Security Council, and after two and a half years of European efforts to find a solution to the problem through negotiations, the Iranian file was finally reported to the Security Council on March 8, 2006. However, even when the Security … Continue reading “The Politics Behind the Iranian ‘Nuclear Threat’”

The folks at the Weakly Substandard have joined the ranks of “conservatives” calling for a crackdown on journalists who “leak” national security “secrets.” In an essay entitled “Leaks and the Law,” Gabriel Schoenfeld tries to make “the case for prosecuting the New York Times“: "Can journalists really be prosecuted for publishing national security secrets? In … Continue reading “‘Conservatives’ Condemn Freedom of the Press”

July 1 was the 46th anniversary of Somalia’s "independence," and it was celebrated in a rather desultory fashion with a ceremony held at the "Peace Hotel" in war-torn Mogadishu. Former army general Mohamed Nor Galal gave a speech in which he averred that these aren’t exactly salad days for his country: "We just commemorate the … Continue reading “Somalia: A Case Study in Interventionism”

GOOD NEWS! The deadline for the essay contest has been extended to October 31. Antiwar.com is committed to promoting a vigorous and informed worldview on the part of young people, particularly in the areas of international relations, U.S. domestic policy, and nonintervention. The reason for this is obvious: the young hold the future in their … Continue reading “Summer 2006 Student Essay Contest”

Bit by bit, the meaning of July 4th has been lost. It now involves far too much celebration of the U.S. military and far too much deference to governments. I am a big fan, in many ways, of the U.S. military. As a professor at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, I have taught military … Continue reading “The Meaning of July 4th”

As demonstrated by yesterday’s landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the legality of military tribunals to try "enemy combatants," the administration of President George W. Bush has consistently sought to expand the power of the presidency in the name of the "global war on terror." The president has claimed he has "inherent rights" under the … Continue reading “Courts, Congress Resist Growing White House Power”

On June 29, the U.S. Supreme Court in a 5-3 decision ruled that President Bush’s effort to railroad tortured Guantanamo Bay detainees in kangaroo courts "violates both U.S. law and the Geneva Conventions." Better late than never, but it sure took a long time for the checks and balances to call a halt to the … Continue reading “Bush’s Assault on Freedom: What’s to Stop Him?”