Month: January 2007

A military victory in Iraq is unattainable, just as it was in the Vietnam War. At the close of the Vietnam War in 1975, a telling conversation took place between an NVA colonel named Tu and an American colonel named Harry Summers. Col. Summers reportedly said, “You never beat us on the battlefield.” Tu replied, … Continue reading “The Irrelevance of
Military Victory”

Updated at 11:25 p.m EST, Jan. 15, 1007 Before dawn, Saddam Hussein’s half-brother and a former judge were executed in Baghdad. Another 87 Iraqis were killed and 80 were wounded in violent acts throughout the country today. Also, the first American troops in U.S. President Bush’s new Iraq plan arrived in Baghdad. Two of Saddam … Continue reading “Monday: 87 Iraqis Killed, 80 Wounded; Two Saddam Aides Executed”

As American troops storm what is, or was, an Iranian consulate – at least that’s what the Iraqi government calls it, in spite of American denials – and the president accuses Tehran of arming and aiding Iraqi insurgents, the answer to the question "Why are we in Iraq?" should begin to dawn on even the … Continue reading “It’s All About Iran”

While the president’s announcement that an additional 20,000 troops would be sent to Iraq dominated the headlines last week, the real story was the president’s sharp rhetoric toward Iran and Syria. And recent moves by the administration only serve to confirm the likelihood of a wider conflict in the Middle East. The president stated last … Continue reading “On the Mideast Escalator”

Fellow columnist Molly Ivins has launched a crusade of sorts to end what she calls “this evil war.” I’m afraid that columnists, other than having the ability to occasionally embarrass a politician who still has a conscience, are pretty much without influence in the corridors of Washington. There, the lobbyist and his money get the … Continue reading “‘Crusade’ Against an Evil War”

Updated at 12:10 p.m. EST, Jan. 15, 2007 Saddam Hussein’s half-brother, Barzan Ibrahim, and Awad Hamed al-Bandar head of Iraq’s Revolutionary Court were both hanged early Monday morning. Violence picked up in the capital and continued apace in Mosul and Kirkuk. Overall, 101 Iraqis were killed or found dead and another 26 wounded in violent … Continue reading “Sunday: 101 Iraqis, 3 GIs Killed; 26 Iraqis, 5 GIs Wounded”

Updated at 12:45 a.m. EST, Jan. 14, 2007 Baghdad was relatively quiet today. There were no major incidents besides the typical discoveries of dumped bodies. However, other cities reported multiple attacks. Throughout Iraq, 58 people were killed or found dead today and another 20 were wounded in violent attacks. A British soldier was killed, and … Continue reading “Saturday: 58 Iraqis, UK Soldier Killed; 20 Iraqis, UK Soldier Wounded”

WASHINGTON – President George W. Bush’s address on Iraq Wednesday night was less about Iraq than about its eastern neighbor, Iran. There was little new about the U.S.’s strategy in Iraq, but on Iran, the president spelled out a plan that appears to be aimed at goading Iran into war with the U.S. While Washington … Continue reading “Bush’s Iraq Plan – Goading Iran Into War”

A man I once knew survived his tour of duty in Vietnam. In the privacy of a rented house trailer he drank alone until he finally had the “courage” to kill himself. I don’t know if he saw combat. He never said. I only assumed he had because when he spoke, what he said had … Continue reading “A Cure For Yellow Ribbon Patriotism”

NEW DELHI – The stunning story by the London Sunday Times alleging that Israel has drawn up plans to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities with nuclear weapons has focused attention on the growing global nuclear danger and on the worsening situation in the Middle East. It also raises many questions of critical importance. Is the Israeli … Continue reading “Ratcheting up the Nuclear Ante”