Month: November 2007

Hallelujah! The International Atomic Energy Agency has, once again, verified "the non-diversion of declared nuclear material in Iran." It seems the Iranians continue to provide the IAEA access to all "special nuclear materials" – as proscribed by the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons – and all relevant nuclear material accountancy reports, as well as … Continue reading “IAEA Again Verifies Iranian Compliance”

Two US Army deserters who fled to Canada and sought refugee status on grounds of their opposition to the war in Iraq have lost their bids to have the Supreme Court of Canada hear their cases. The court refused to hear the appeals of Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey Thursday, who were rejected two years … Continue reading “Canada Shuts Doors to US War Resisters”

The United Nations atomic watchdog issued a report Thursday saying that Iran had been generally truthful about key aspects of its past nuclear activities, but warned that knowledge of Tehran’s program was "diminishing." The International Atomic Energy Agency said that Iran continued to enrich uranium contrary to the decisions of the UN Security Council, and … Continue reading “Nuke Watchdog Report No Brake on Sanctions”

It is long past time for American politicians to quit carrying water for the state of Israel and its powerful U.S. lobby. Congress’ craven obedience to the lobby is a disgrace. America’s strategic interests in the Middle East lie with the Arab countries. Israel is a strategic and economic liability. The U.S. government’s slavish support … Continue reading “Cut Israel Off”

Updated at 12:15 a.m. EST, Nov. 17, 2007A large U.S.-Iraqi raid on two villages south of the capital marked an otherwise quiet prayer day. Overall, 22 Iraqis were killed or found dead and 24 more were wounded. One U.S. soldier was killed in a vehicular accident while in Kuwait.U.S. and Iraqi forces launched a pre-dawn … Continue reading “Friday: 1 U.S. Soldier, 22 Iraqis Killed; 24 Iraqis Wounded”

American thinker George Santayana once observed: "Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it." And German political philosopher Karl Marx, who had studied the policy miscalculations made by the European leaders of the 19th century, mused: "History repeats itself, first as a tragedy, second as a farce." The two renowned theorists were … Continue reading “US Cannot Force Regime Change in Pakistan”

Amid growing polarization between President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and Pakistan’s civilian opposition forces, US hopes of salvaging a power-sharing accord that would marry the military dictator to former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto are fading fast. Indeed, Bhutto’s public break with the military dictator – enunciated, among other places, in a Washington Post column Wednesday that … Continue reading “No Easy Answers to Pakistan Crisis”

I had to laugh, albeit bitterly, when I saw the headline: "Democrats vow not to be bullied by Bush on Iraq." Oh, the poor dears, are those dastardly Republicans kicking sand in their faces? That wimpishness just about sums up the style and spirit of the Democrats’ alleged "antiwar" campaign. No matter how critical they … Continue reading “The War and the Wimp Factor”

The decline of the foreign exchange rate of the U.S. dollar – approaching ten percent this year – contributes to broader American anxiety about the U.S. economy. Despite the stock market’s high level and many economists’ reassurances that the economy is doing well, that national anxiety persists. Americans’ unease is due to the real estate … Continue reading “The Anti-Interventionist Geopolitical Potentials of a Declining Dollar”

BAQUBA – Facing violence, unemployment and poverty, the capital city of Iraq’s volatile Diyala province now finds itself confronting corruption. This follows the failed promises of reform, reconstruction and rehabilitation at the beginning of the US occupation of Iraq. Billions of dollars of US and Iraqi funds were set aside for rebuilding Iraq, ruined by … Continue reading “Corruption Adds to Baquba’s Problems”