Month: February 2007

If, as she insists, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is determined to make concrete progress toward achieving George W. Bush’s vision of a two-state solution, one in which Israel would be required to make major territorial concessions, it appears that she faces a major foe in the White House. No, not only Dick Cheney and … Continue reading “Rice Faces Formidable White House Foe”

Updated at 12:35 a.m. EST, Feb. 23, 2007 At least 70 Iraqis were reported killed today and another 30 wounded in various incidents around the country. Also, the U.S. military reported that an American soldier was shot dead in Baghdad on Tuesday, and today in Diwaniyah one soldier was killed and three others wounded when … Continue reading “Thursday: 70 Iraqis, 2 GIs Killed; 30 Iraqis, 3 GIs Wounded”

There has been a noticeable shift in the rhetoric emanating from the proponents of war with Iran, almost certainly due to the perception that armed conflict with Tehran will not be as easy a sell as was Iraq. The shift is most marked within the Bush Administration itself, where daily attacks on Iran that started … Continue reading “Old Europe and the Mullahs”

The edifice of lies in the Balkans, built up by the Empire over the past decade and a half, is beginning to crumble. Croatia is wrestling with ghosts of World War Two, most recently awakened through a spat with Rome over atrocities against ethnic Italians, and a mysterious case of sugar packets with anti-Semitic jokes. … Continue reading “The Unraveling”

NEW DELHI – Horrific as it was, the fire-bombing of a speeding India-Pakistan train, killing 68 civilians from the two countries, is being seen as an opportunity for their governments to cooperate on anti-terrorism operations and reconceptualize security issues. "The incident only adds to the urgency for us [India and Pakistan] to cooperate," Pakistan Foreign … Continue reading “From Horror, an Opportunity for Peace”

Once upon a time, an American president would have been a leader in the effort to bring peace between Israel and its neighbors, since, after all, such reconciliation would bring stability to the Middle East and serve long-term U.S. geopolitical interests. In that context – with the struggle over the Holy Land at the core … Continue reading “Is Washington Being Sidelined on the Middle East?”

Updated at 12:45 a.m. EST, Feb. 22, 2007 Despite the continued security crackdown, violence still rages in Iraq. At least 123 people were killed or found dead and 153 wounded in various incidents. Two GIs also lost their lives and a U.S. helicopter was shot down. Another U.S. soldier was killed on Tuesday in Anbar … Continue reading “Wednesday: 123 Iraqis, 2 GIs Killed; 153 Iraqis Wounded; US Helicopter Shot Down”

Cowed into funding a war neither they nor the majority of Americans believe in, congressional Democrats are taking the line that what’s needed are some "benchmarks" – well-defined criteria by which to assess whether our efforts are paying off. The idea is to make continued U.S. support contingent on the Iraqis measuring up to these … Continue reading “Scooter Libby and
World War III”

Anti-warriors and even formerly gullible reporters are taking issue with Bush’s claims that Iran is supporting the Iraqi insurgents, but this could represent a serious strategic mistake in our efforts to prevent another war. Choose your battles wisely. We are witnessing the Bush administration’s attempt to frame the debate about a (supposedly unplanned) military confrontation … Continue reading “So What if Iran Is
Interfering in Iraq?”

There were few constants during my stay in Egypt. One was the wiggling of the eyebrows and winks of passersby, an abbreviated version of an Egyptian’s first words to most any visitor: "Welcome." Another was the gently put yet insistent question of religion. Are you Muslim, Christian, or Other? There are the People of the … Continue reading “From China to Cairo”