Month: April 2007

BEIRUT – Lebanon is caught in political gridlock in the face of sustained opposition to the U.S.-backed government. The government is refusing to give in to opposition demands for more representation. The government says it is there to stay; so do the protestors. Their opposition is very visible. Scores of tents, many with solar-powered television … Continue reading “This Protest Won’t Go Away”

The language on a timetable for U.S. withdrawal from Iraq voted out of the House-Senate conference committee this week contains large loopholes that would apparently allow U.S. troops to continue carrying out military operations in Iraq’s Sunni heartland indefinitely. The plan, coming from the Democratic majority in Congress, makes an exemption from a 180-day timetable … Continue reading “Democrats’ Timetable Allows U.S. War in Sunni Region to Go On”

As the fact-finding mission of the UN Security Council arrives in Belgrade this morning, the war of words over the occupied Serbian province of Kosovo continues. Last week, U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns warned of a "new conflict" if the province – dominated by ethnic Albanians – is not granted independence under the Ahtisaari … Continue reading “Enter the Veto”

Jeff Slocum is a 41-year-old chief master sergeant in the United States Air Force. He’s spent the last 21 years in the military and has been stationed in Europe, Korea, Honduras and the Middle East. He’s now an engineer at Pope Air Force Base near Fayetteville, North Carolina. He loves his work, has enormous faith … Continue reading “War Causes Air Force Sergeant to Change Course”

Let us imagine for a moment that the years of George W. Bush as president have already passed us by, that it is perhaps 2017. In this imaginary time, what might the former president’s Wikipedia entry look like? Here is a guess: “George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) was the 43rd U.S. president. His … Continue reading “The Bush Legacy:
Headed for Hisses?”

Updated at 12:45 a.m EDT, April, 26, 2007Violence in Iraq was at a moderate level on Wednesday as the UN scolded the Iraqi government for holding back figures on civilian deaths. Overall, the media reported that 52 Iraqis were killed or found dead today and 80 were injured in violent attacks. The U.S. military reported … Continue reading “Wednesday: 1 GI, 1 Briton, 52 Iraqis Killed; 80 Iraqis Wounded”

Whac-a-Mole is a classic arcade game in which the object is to pound the "moles" with a mallet when they randomly pop up out of their holes. The fun and frustration of playing Whac-a-Mole is that no matter how many times you whack the moles, they just keep popping up. This is exactly the phenomenon … Continue reading “Still Whacking Moles in Iraq”

Six and a half years after U.S. President George W. Bush launched his “global war on terror,” suspicion of U.S. motives remains pervasive throughout the Islamic world, according to a new and highly detailed survey of four countries [.pdf] released Tuesday. An average of more than 75 percent of respondents across the four countries – … Continue reading “Survey Finds Suspicion of US Pervasive in Islamic World”

Communism wounded Russia, grievously, almost irreparably – and Yeltsinism delivered the death blow. The legacy of Boris Yeltsin, who presided over what Paul Klebnikov described as "one of the most corrupt regimes in history," is, quite literally, the death agony of the Russian nation. As David Satter pointed out in the Wall Street Journal: "Between … Continue reading “The Legacy of Boris Yeltsin”

Last Jan. 16, a car bomb blew up near an entrance to Mustansiriya University in Baghdad – and then, as rescuers approached, a suicide bomber blew himself up in the crowd. In all, at least 60 Iraqis, mostly female students leaving campus for home, were killed and more than 100 wounded. Founded in 1232 by … Continue reading “The Blacksburg Massacre in Global Context”