Month: February 2008

Accept Iran’s Regional Role, Says French Envoy

In a sharp departure from U.S. policy, a leading French diplomat has called on the international coalition sponsoring UN sanctions against Iran to support a larger Iranian role in the Middle East. Ambassador to the United States Pierre Vimont told a conference on Iran at the Middle East Institute in Washington Friday that one reason … Continue reading “Accept Iran’s Regional Role, Says French Envoy”

The Dragon or the Snake?

The biggest threat to the success of the Beijing Olympics this coming August is China itself. Come August, the world will see China for what it truly is, many for the first time. Although China’s human rights record, environmental issues, and recent export scandals are both widely reported and known, it will be the theatrical … Continue reading “The Dragon or the Snake?”

MoveOn’s Obama Endorsement

MoveOn.org is mobilizing. The “antiwar” group’s Political Action members across the country voted overwhelmingly to endorse the Democratic candidacy of Barack Obama last week. MoveOn claims to have 1.7 million members in states that vote in Tuesday’s primaries. “[Our] endorsement means a fresh infusion of people-power for Obama in the critical days before Super Tuesday,” … Continue reading “MoveOn’s Obama Endorsement”

The Chaos in America’s Vast Security Budget

The new 2009 defense budget has just been released. The more you look into the numbers, the more things become unclear, very unclear. Most of the numbers being released are inaccurate or incomplete, or both. Other numbers will change as the year progresses, but we do not know if they will go up or down. … Continue reading “The Chaos in America’s Vast Security Budget”

From Stalingrad to Winograd

For some days, the country looked like the Place de la Concorde in 1793. The entire public sat expectantly facing the guillotine, waiting for the tumbrel to bring the marquis, for the marquis to lie down, for the blade to fall on his neck, and for a soldier to hold up the bloody, severed head … Continue reading “From Stalingrad to Winograd”

Monday: 39 Iraqis Killed, 24 Wounded

Updated at 6:45 p.m. EST, Feb. 4, 2008Turkish warplanes resumed bombing Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) targets in northern Iraq. The number of casualties, if any, is unknown. Elsewhere, at least 39 Iraqis were killed and 24 more were wounded in various attacks. No Coalition deaths were reported. Also, influential Mahdi Army leaders are pressuring Moqtada … Continue reading “Monday: 39 Iraqis Killed, 24 Wounded”

What to Do About Pakistan

With the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, one of Pakistan’s foremost opposition leaders, the bottom fell out of the Bush administration’s already creaky policy toward that South Asian nation. The administration had hoped that Bhutto would return to a country in turmoil and take the position of prime minister to give presidential dictator Pervez Musharraf’s government … Continue reading “What to Do About Pakistan”

Can Obama Save Us?

The endorsement of Barack Obama by MoveOn.org, the progressive antiwar group that represents what remains of the left wing of the Democratic Party, is perfectly understandable. After all, what’s an antiwar Democrat to do these days? The party has consistently voted to give George W. Bush all the money he needs to prosecute a war … Continue reading “Can Obama Save Us?”

Sunday: 2 US Soldiers, 31 Iraqis Killed; 17 Iraqis Wounded

Updated at 11:50 p.m. Feb. 3, 2008In an attempt to quell bad feelings between Sunnis and Shi’ites, the Iraq parliament passed a law allowing former Ba’ath Party members to return to the posts they held during the Saddam regime; however, there is a possibility that the law could be overturned during an automatic review process. … Continue reading “Sunday: 2 US Soldiers, 31 Iraqis Killed; 17 Iraqis Wounded”