Month: July 2007

After a week and a half of Senate debate, including an all-night session Tuesday, the possibility that legislation to de-escalate US military intervention in Iraq soon could be adopted by a strong bipartisan majority appears to have receded, at least until mid-September, if not well into next year. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s decision Wednesday … Continue reading “Partisan Lines Harden in Iraq Debate”

The United States intelligence community’s latest assessment of al-Qaeda and the threat it poses to the homeland appears to have both renewed questions about the wisdom of invading Iraq and returned the spotlight to an increasingly strife-ridden Pakistan. The latest National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), a two-page unclassified version of which was released here Tuesday, found … Continue reading “Pakistani al-Qaeda a Real Threat – US Intelligence”

What in the name of all that’s holy is going on with Russia and the Brits? The British government has recently expelled four Russian diplomats, supposedly in retaliation for the Russkis’ refusal to extradite Andrei Lugovoi – a suspect in one of the most bizarre murder cases of all time. It all started with the … Continue reading “Framing the Russians”

Responding to the call of Pope Urban II at Claremont in 1095, the Christian knights of the First Crusade set out for the Holy Land. In 1099, Jerusalem was captured. As their port in Palestine, the Crusaders settled on Acre on the Mediterranean. There they built the great castle that was overrun by Saladin in … Continue reading “This Is How Empires End”

This is a tale about politics, influence, money and murder. It began more than 40 years ago with a bloodletting so massive that no one quite knows how many people died. Half a million? A million? Through four decades, the story of the relationship between the United States and the Indonesian military has left a … Continue reading “Enabling the Indonesian Military”

President Bush’s announcement of a new Middle East summit is being dutifully reported as a move to “revive” the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, designed to culminate in a two-state solution. But the meeting, if it ever comes about, will be nothing of the sort. U.S. officials have already made clear that the gathering’s purpose will be … Continue reading “Yes, Bush Is Naked, What of It?”

It was a chilling moment on a split-screen of history. While the Senate debated the Iraq war on Tuesday night, a long-dead senator again renounced a chronic lie about congressional options and presidential power. The Senate was in the final hours of another failure to impede the momentum of war. As the New York Times … Continue reading “From the Grave, a Senator Exposes Bloody Hands on Capitol Hill”

President George W. Bush and his supporters live in the world of “what ought to be.” The U.S. ought to be able to crush the insurgency, establish liberal democracy, and impose Western values in Iraq. America ought to be able to spread U.S.-style political systems throughout the Mideast. Washington ought to be able to remake … Continue reading “The Conquest of America by Iraq”

Updated at 11:59 p.m. EDT July 19, 2007Five American and three British servicemembers were killed in separate events today and yesterday. Meanwhile, at least 74 Iraqis were killed and 24 were wounded. Also, two Turkish soldiers were killed and six were wounded when Kurdish rebels staged a cross border attack a day after the Turkish … Continue reading “Thursday: 5 GIs, 3 Britons, 74 Iraqis Killed; 24 Iraqis Wounded”

As the United States and its United Nations allies plan to push for stiffer economic sanctions on Iran over its refusal to halt its nuclear program, an Iran sanctions bill making its way through Congress includes several key measures that may threaten US diplomacy towards Tehran and split key allies on the issue, including Russia. … Continue reading “Congress Pushes Sanctions on Iran”