Month: September 2006

Iraq: Media Dead Zone

with Salam TalibIn Iraq, the Sunni Association of Muslim Scholars is accusing the US military of carrying out a massacre during a pre-dawn raid in a small village Northeast of Baghdad. The Association said the raid, which was carried out on Monday in Muqtadadiya, left five dead including an elderly man, a young man, and … Continue reading “Iraq: Media Dead Zone”

Bush the Pitiful

People are beginning to feel sorry for President George W. Bush. And with good reason. A new poll by Harris Interactive published in the Financial Times reveals that our traditional European allies regard the United States as a much greater threat to world stability than Iran, Iraq, and North Korea. In European opinion, the axis … Continue reading “Bush the Pitiful”

The World’s View of the US ‘War on Terror’

The USA’s mass media constantly tell us how Americans see the “war on terror.” But the same outlets rarely tell us much about how the rest of the world sees it. Five years after 9/11, the gap between perceptions is enormous. Countless polls confirm the overall chasm. Yet, day to day, the media messages that … Continue reading “The World’s View of the US ‘War on Terror’”

The Law of Opposites

Everyone is aware of the Law of Unintended Consequences. Most members of Congress understand that government actions can have unintended consequences, yet few quit voting for government “solutions” – always hoping there won’t be any particular unintended consequences this time. They keep hoping there will be less harmful complications from the “solution” that they currently … Continue reading “The Law of Opposites”

The Korean Imbroglio: Disengage and Ignore

You have to wonder what America has done to deserve to be stuck in Korea. What curse are we suffering under? On the one side are the South Koreans, whom we have defended for five decades. Large numbers think more highly of China and North Korea than of America; many view the U.S. as the … Continue reading “The Korean Imbroglio: Disengage and Ignore”

War on Terror Leaves
World in Turmoil

Five years after U.S. President George W. Bush launched his “global war on terrorism” (GWOT), the world has become more unsafe, more divided, more strife-prone, more paranoid, and ironically, more vulnerable to terrorism. The Middle East, the globe’s most volatile region, now seethes with enormous anger, and more violence and conflict than it did before … Continue reading “War on Terror Leaves
World in Turmoil”

EU and Iran Find Their Roles Reversed

Scheduled talks between Javier Solana, high representative for the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, and Iran’s National Security Adviser Ali Larijani were postponed Wednesday over disagreements on the nature of the exchange – would the parties discuss or negotiate? During much of the summer, the Europeans were seeking Iran’s approval of the June … Continue reading “EU and Iran Find Their Roles Reversed”

How Human Rights Watch Lost Its Way in Lebanon

The measure of a human rights organization is to be found not just in the strides it takes to seek justice for the oppressed and victimized but also in the compromises it makes to keep itself out of trouble. Because of the business that human rights defenders are in, they must be held to a … Continue reading “How Human Rights Watch Lost Its Way in Lebanon”

Poll Finds Waning Faith in Intervention

Five years after 9/11, the U.S. public is considerably less enthusiastic about projecting military power abroad, according to a major new survey, the first of a spate of polls that are likely to released in the run-up to Monday’s fifth anniversary of the attacks on New York and the Pentagon. The survey, conducted by the … Continue reading “Poll Finds Waning Faith in Intervention”