Month: February 2007

with Jon Elmer GAZA CITY – Explosions, fierce gunfights and ambulance sirens ripped through the Gaza strip again Thursday, only two days after a ceasefire ended a bloody week of factional fighting that left more than 30 Palestinians dead. As night fell on Gaza, the death toll was at six, with more than 60 wounded. … Continue reading “US Backing for Fatah Stirs New Conflict”

At the moment, the spectacle of the I. Lewis Libby trial, of the den of thieves falling out, of the unraveling of old administration war stories, and of the possibility that, in the near future, the vice president might appear in the witness stand for a grilling all occupy Washington’s center stage along with a … Continue reading “The New Investigation Season”

The political vacuum caused by Syria’s abrupt departure from Lebanon in 2005 has prompted a tense power struggle for control in this tiny Middle Eastern state. The fight for power in Lebanon has rekindled old sectarian and tribal divisions that were tamed under Syrian domination. Numerous assassinations, bombings, mass demonstrations, a war with Israel and … Continue reading “The Lebanese Dilemma: A Primer”

They won’t admit it, but four years ago practically everyone in Congress knew that President Bush intended to invade Iraq irrespective of what Saddam had done, was doing, or intended to do. Senator Robert Byrd (D, WV) was one of the few who tried to stop Bush In the Senate on February 12, 2003, Byrd … Continue reading “Next on Bush’s ‘Hit List’”

Updated at 12:35 a.m. EST, Feb. 3, 2007 Although violence is usually lighter on Fridays, at least 104 Iraqis were killed today and 22 injured throughout the country. Also, six American servicemembers died on Thursday and two died on Friday. In Coalition news, three American soldiers were killed in separate vehicle accidents. Another soldier died … Continue reading “Friday: 104 Iraqis, 8 GIs Killed; 22 Iraqis Injured”

Increasingly concerned about the escalating rhetoric against Iran by senior U.S. officials, including President George W. Bush, members of Congress are trying to put limits on his ability to attack the Islamic Republic. Their efforts so far have primarily taken the form of what one lobbyist refers to as "Resoliferation" – that is, the proliferation … Continue reading “Lawmakers Move to Restrain Bush on Iran”

Senior Congressional Democrats are brushing off questions about cutting off funding for the Iraq war, and indicate they will do little to forcefully stop President George W. Bush from sending 21,500 additional U.S. troops to Iraq. On Wednesday, after returning from a trip to Iraq, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi sidestepped questions over whether … Continue reading “Democrats Sidestep Defunding Demands”

The Hagel boom continues. Of course, regular observers of this space know that it started here, and here, but it is really beginning to take off now that Peggy Noonan has weighed in: “Mr. Hagel has shown courage for a long time. He voted for the war resolution in 2002 but soon after began to … Continue reading “The Maverick”

President George W. Bush, backed by a nearly united Republican Party, took the US into war against Iraq. The Bush administration, resolutely supported by a phalanx of neocon ivory tower warriors, GOP-minded pundits, and grassroots conservative activists, undertook to build democracy in Mesopotamia. For nearly three years a right-wing Greek chorus has spouted the president’s … Continue reading “George Bush as Fifth Columnist: Aiding America’s Enemies”

Antiwar.com is pleased to announce the winners of its first-ever Student Essay Contest, held summer 2006. Today we present Michael Long of the United States, 1st place winner in the senior division. Alexia Gilmore Executive director, Antiwar.com It was 82 BC, after the great civil war in ancient Rome between Marius and Sulla. Pompey the … Continue reading “Pro Legibus“