Month: June 2007

The boycott by Israel and the international community of the Palestinian Authority finally blew up in their faces with Hamas’ recent bloody takeover of Gaza. Or so argues Gideon Levy, one of the saner voices still to be found in Israel. “Starving, drying up, and blocking aid do not sear the consciousness and do not … Continue reading “Divide and Rule, Israeli-Style”

That the rhetoric used to justify war against Iraq sounds eerily similar to the case being made to start a war against Iran and Syria is not purely a coincidence. Many of the advocates of a muscular policy against countries regarded as outside the pale or perceived as a threat to Israel come from the … Continue reading “Neoconned Again?”

The fetishization of all things martial by the bulk of 21st-century conservatives is inescapable and worrisome. Whether it’s rapturous warmongering in the pages of The Weekly Standard or embarrassing displays of machismo on the part of our president-cum-fighter pilot, the sentiment is difficult to evade, yet impossible to understand. It is a thoughtless and superficial … Continue reading “Conservatives Must Oppose Militarism and War”

Updated at 11:50 p.m. EDT, June 26, 2007During a quiet news day, 42 Iraqis were killed or found dead and 21 more were wounded during several small incidents. Four American servicemember deaths were reported.An American soldier was killed today in Diwaniyah during clashes with the Mehdi Army. In Anbar, a Marine was killed conducting combat … Continue reading “Tuesday: 4 GIs, 42 Iraqis Killed, 21 Injured”

As Iraq struggles to define its future, there is one important group that has been largely left out of the process: women. But they are refusing to be left behind. With little international support or media attention, a network of more than 150 women’s organizations across Iraq is fighting to preserve their rights in the … Continue reading “Iraqi Women Resist Return to Sectarian Laws”

CAIRO – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad surprised many last month when he announced his country’s readiness to reestablish diplomatic relations with Egypt. But last week the Egyptian foreign ministry appeared to dash hopes for rapprochement, describing Iran’s regional policies as a "danger to Egypt’s national security." "The spread of Iranian influence in Iraq threatens Arab … Continue reading “Egypt Turns Down Iranian Overtures”

Five years after His Highness G.W. Bush – president of the United States of America, czar of Afghanistan, emperor of Iraq, democratizer of the Middle East, etc., etc. – launched his “Road Map for Peace in the Middle East," announcing a Palestinian state by 2005, the Israeli public has a new pastime. The public discussion … Continue reading “Palestine: Blood Is in the Air”

This is an excerpt from Chapter 4 of A Tragic Legacy: How a Good vs. Evil Mentality Destroyed the Bush Presidency, released today. Why would the president, in the midst of substantial and growing cooperation with the Iranians, suddenly decree Iran in 2002 to be part of an axis of evil, and all but declare … Continue reading “A Confederation of War-Seeking Factions”

“I may be dangerous,” he said, “but I am not wicked. No, I am not wicked.” – Henry James, The American It was a failed administration’s ritual scapegoating, the ousting last winter of its ruinous secretary of defense. But in the sauve qui peut confirmation of his replacement – “The only thing that mattered,” said … Continue reading “Robert Gates, the Specialist”

Updated at 12:20 a.m. EDT, June 26, 2007Violence picked up again today, with a number of notable suicide bombings occurring throughout Iraq. At least 92 Iraqis were killed and 141 were wounded during these attacks. Also, four American servicemembers were killed and three were wounded in separate events. A Task Force Marne soldier was killed … Continue reading “Monday: 4 GI, 92 Iraqis Killed; 141 Iraqis Wounded”