Month: August 2007

“No American President can stand up to Israel.” These words came from feisty Admiral Thomas Moorer, Chief of Naval Operations (1967-1970) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1970-1974). Moorer was, perhaps, the last independent-minded American military leader. Admiral Moorer knew what he was talking about. On June 8, 1967, Israel attacked the American … Continue reading “US Israel Policy Harms Both Countries”

US Hegemony Spawns Russian-Chinese Military Alliance Let those Americans who still don’t get it read Paul Craig Roberts’ “US Hegemony Spawns Russian-Chinese Military Alliance.” Let them hear his message loud and clear. Those of us who are condemning the neocons and the Bush administration for their policies are not doing so solely because of our … Continue reading “Backtalk, August 16, 2007”

Updated at 11:45 p.m. EDT, Aug. 15, 2007A day after a coordinated bomb attack in the Sinjar region, the casualty count continues to mount. The death now stands at more than 500 dead and 375 wounded, making it the deadliest attack of the war. In the latest attacks, at least 87 Iraqis were killed or … Continue reading “Wednesday: 87 Iraqis Killed, 44 Wounded”

When a top U.S. commander in Iraq reported last week that attacks by Shi’ite militias with links to Iran had risen to 73 percent of all July attacks that had killed or wounded U.S. forces in Baghdad, he claimed it was because of an effort by Iran to oust the United States from Iraq, referring … Continue reading “US Blames Iran for Casualties from Its Own Attacks”

Is America going the way of Rome? David Walker, the comptroller general of the U.S., has issued a report that basically answers in the affirmative: "The U.S. government is on a ‘burning platform’ of unsustainable policies and practices," Walker avers, including "fiscal deficits" and "overseas military commitments threatening a crisis if action is not taken … Continue reading “Decline and Fall”

If a restaurant, dry cleaner, or home-repair business provided inferior goods or shoddy services, it is likely that the concern would go belly-up. Yet when the U.S. government makes a blunder, the more its citizens reward its failure with further money and authority. For example, after the Bush administration exacerbated the worldwide threat from Islamic … Continue reading “The State Perpetuates Itself
by Failing”

On these hot, sticky days of the Israeli summer, it is pleasant to feel the coolness of Oslo, even if the visit is only virtual. Fourteen years after the signing of the Oslo agreement, it is again the subject of debate: was it a historical mistake? In the past, only the Right said so. They … Continue reading “Oslo Revisited”

Bush and Cheney have little to lose from spreading the war, but the Republican Party has very much to lose. Its only way out is to impeach Cheney. That would bring Bush back to reality and alleviate the main pressure upon him to expand the wars. A new war, $5/gal. gasoline (as analyst Jim Cramer … Continue reading “What to Do With Cheney?”

Updated at 10:14 p.m. EDT, Aug. 21, 2007At least 572 Iraqis were killed and 1562 more were wounded in the latest round of attacks, which included a major coordinated bombing in northern Iraq. Also, six GIs were killed and three more were wounded in separate events. One American servicemember was killed and three others were … Continue reading “Tuesday: 572 Iraqis Killed, 6 GIs; 1562 Iraqis Wounded”

BAGHDAD – Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s increasing ties with Iran have triggered a splintering of his government. Several groups, both Sunni and Shia, have followed the Sunni al-Tawafuq bloc (Iraqi Accord Front) in quitting the U.S.-backed government. But Maliki refuses to make the concessions necessary to bring his "unity" government back together. Spokesman Iyad … Continue reading “Iran Ties Weaken Iraqi Government Further”