Month: July 2007

In a classical American Western, the difference is as glaring as the midday sun in Colorado: there are Good Guys and Bad Guys. The good ones are the settlers, who are making the prairie bloom. The bad ones are the Indians, who are bloodthirsty savages. The ultimate hero is the cowboy, tough, humane, with a … Continue reading “A Trap for Fools”

The Chinese government has responded to the product crises that resulted in deaths and recalls around the globe. The execution of State Food and Drug Administration director Zheng Xiao Yu met with approval here in China, where death is seen as the only deterrent for corrupt officials. In addition, the government has shielded and defended … Continue reading “Keeping Up Appearances”

Updated at 12:35 a.m. EDT, July 23, 2007At least 78 Iraqis were killed or found dead and 69 Iraqis were wounded in various incidents. An attack at a meeting near Taji left a number of Sunni leaders dead or injured. No foreign casualties were reported.In Baghdad, 21 unidentified bodies were found dumped in various locations. … Continue reading “Sunday: 78 Iraqis Killed, 69 Injured”

Updated at 12:05 a.m. EDT, July 22, 2007At least 103 Iraqis were killed or found dead and 91 more were wounded in the latest violence. A number of the dead were suspected militants who were killed in security operations in Baghdad and Diyala provinces. Also, a Task Force Lightning soldier died from injuries received in … Continue reading “Saturday: 103 Iraqis, 1 GI, 1 Briton Killed; 91 Iraqis Wounded”

At the end of June, a few members of the US Congress made a discreet move to limit this country’s exports of cluster bombs, a weapon that has been used around the world since the Second World War to devastating humanitarian consequences. Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Democrat from Vermont, included a provision in the Foreign … Continue reading “Will US Finally End Cluster Bomb Exports?”

It’s not a bad idea to step back a few paces and remember the track record of those doing the estimating. Any discussion of a threat estimate from the vaunted U.S. intelligence "community" must begin with an acknowledgment that U.S. intelligence has often gotten things wrong, and perhaps done so more often than not. Even … Continue reading “Getting It Wrong”

PESHAWAR – A week-long campaign of suicide bombings that killed more than 130 people across Pakistan, has seriously demoralized security personnel in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, that have become a safe haven for the Taliban and the al-Qaeda. Directed at police and army targets, the bombings are believed to have been carried out to … Continue reading “Suicide Bombings Demoralize Security Forces”

Well, if you’re worried that Bush’s next war of aggression will involve nukes, there’s good news and bad news. First the Good News. The Cheney Cabal has apparently concluded that their previous ridiculous argument isn’t working. That Iran’s nuclear programs – albeit Safeguarded by the International Atomic Energy Agency – are somehow an existential threat … Continue reading “Bush’s Next War of Aggression”

It is now clear that the proper name for the war going on in Mesopotamia is the "Republican War." Never before has a political party so decisively asserted ownership of a foreign war. The Republicans refuse to share it with the Democrats, who, despite their many resolutions, have yet to call for a complete withdrawal … Continue reading “The Republican War”

Updated at 11:56 p.m. EDT, July 20, 2007At least 55 Iraqis were killed and 30 wounded during the latest round of violence. Three American servicemembers were killed and one was wounded in separate incidents yesterday. Also Pentagon statistics revealed that daily attacks reached a new high in June. A Task Force Lightning soldier was killed … Continue reading “Friday: 3 GIs, 55 Iraqis Killed; 30 Iraqis Wounded”