Month: January 2008

Nukes, Spooks,
and the Specter of 9/11

"The next president may have to deal with a nuclear attack," averred ABC’s Charles Gibson at Saturday night’s Democratic presidential debate. "The day after a nuclear weapon goes off in an American city, what would we wish we had done to prevent it and what will we actually do on the day after?" It’s a … Continue reading “Nukes, Spooks,
and the Specter of 9/11″

The Fatal Conceit in Foreign Policy

Question: Which Pakistani leader should the U.S. government support? You wouldn’t know it from watching most of the candidates for president, but this is a trick question. Why is it a trick question? Because it’s like asking, "When did you stop beating your wife?" If you try to answer when you stopped, you implicitly admit … Continue reading “The Fatal Conceit in Foreign Policy”

Sunday: 1 US Soldier, 33 Iraqis Killed; 44 Iraqis Wounded; 13 Iraqis Kidnapped

Updated at 1:10 a.m. EST, Jan. 7, 2008A spate of bombings marred the Army Day holiday across Iraq. One suicide bombing in Baghdad alone killed at least 11 people. Overall, at least 33 Iraqis were killed and 44 more were wounded during attacks across the country. Another thirteen Iraqis were kidnapped in Khalis. Also, one … Continue reading “Sunday: 1 US Soldier, 33 Iraqis Killed; 44 Iraqis Wounded; 13 Iraqis Kidnapped”

Bhutto’s Murder Rekindles Ethnic Suspicions

The assassination of Benazir Bhutto, leader of the powerful Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and twice prime minister, has pushed to the brink a country already known for regionalism and ethnic suspicion. Bhutto was widely acknowledged as the only leader who enjoyed popularity in the four ethnically distinct provinces of the country, Punjab, Balochistan and the … Continue reading “Bhutto’s Murder Rekindles Ethnic Suspicions”

Saturday: 1 US Soldier, 23 Iraqis Killed; 39 Iraqis Wounded

Updated at 10:35 p.m. EST, Jan. 5, 2008U.S. officials today confirmed that an Iraqi soldier shot two American soldiers to death the day after Christmas. Another American soldier was killed today in an IED explosion. Meanwhile, at least 23 Iraqis were killed and 39 more were wounded in the latest violence. Also, Iraqi newspapers have … Continue reading “Saturday: 1 US Soldier, 23 Iraqis Killed; 39 Iraqis Wounded”

Evidence of Israeli ‘Cowardly Blending’ Comes to Light

It apparently never occurred to anyone in our leading human rights organizations or the Western media that the same moral and legal standards ought be applied to the behavior of Israel and Hezbollah during the war on Lebanon 18 months ago. Belatedly, an important effort has been made to set that right. A new report, … Continue reading “Evidence of Israeli ‘Cowardly Blending’ Comes to Light”

Special Forces on Standby

Last July, after Pakistanis in the so-called "tribal areas" launched a series of attacks, including one against a Pakistani military convoy, in which 17 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 13 wounded, the Bush-Cheney administration publicly demanded that President Gen. Pervez Musharraf "rein in" those tribal Pakistanis. Or else. Or else what? Quoth White House spokesman … Continue reading “Special Forces on Standby”

Friday: 1 US Soldier, 22 Iraqis Killed; 15 Iraqis Wounded

Updated at 11:59 p.m. EST, Jan. 4, 2008In a day of light violence, at least 22 Iraqis were killed and 11 more were wounded. Fridays are usually quiet because it is the prayer day. Also, one U.S. soldier died in a non-combat incident in Baghdad on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a vehicle curfew was slowly lifted across … Continue reading “Friday: 1 US Soldier, 22 Iraqis Killed; 15 Iraqis Wounded”

The War and the Elections

The last election was all about the war, a referendum on a policy that has led us ever deeper into the Middle East, and the verdict was clear: the voters have had enough. In the interim, however, we’ve had a veritable D-Day-style propaganda campaign, designed to fool the public into believing that the so-called “surge” … Continue reading “The War and the Elections”