Month: February 2008

How did we manage to mire ourselves in the midst of Mesopotamia, enmeshed in a three-sided (at least) civil war, with vanishing hopes of extrication – and the putative Republican presidential nominee hailing a hundred-year occupation? The key to this mystery may be traced back to an earlier act of "liberation" effected through the vehicle … Continue reading “Iraq and the Kosovo Connection”

Americans traditionally thought of their country as a "city upon a hill," a "light unto the world." Today only the deluded think that. Polls show that the rest of the world regards the U.S. and Israel as the two greatest threats to peace. This is not surprising. In the words of Arthur Silber: "The Bush … Continue reading “What Do We Stand For?”

The Pentagon has long had a conflict of interest. The Department of Defense builds the weapons of war (albeit in a grossly inefficient manner using a captive defense industry that is a ward of the state). Yet the department also supervises and funds 85 percent of the intelligence effort to identify threats that those weapons, … Continue reading “Threats of Our Own Making”

Updated at 1:22 a.m. EST, Feb. 18, 2008The U.S. Army noted that attacks on Coalition troops and Iraqi security forces dropped significantly over the last year; however, two American soldiers were killed and another was wounded during a small arms attack in Diyala province this morning. Elsewhere, at least 24 Iraqis were killed and another … Continue reading “Sunday: 2 US Soldiers, 24 Iraqis Killed; 22 Iraqis Wounded”

Updated at 1:30 a.m. EST, Feb. 17, 2008A U.S. general warned that, despite a drawdown, there may be more troops in Iraq by next summer than it did before the surge. At least 22 Iraqis were killed or found dead and another 10 were wounded in the latest attacks. No Coalition deaths were reported; however, … Continue reading “Saturday: 22 Iraqis Killed, 10 Wounded”

President Bush is correct to refer to the proposed military trials of the six alleged terrorists as similar to the Nuremberg trials of several Nazis. In both cases, the law is made a farce. In the case of the Nazis, if the Allies wanted vengeance, and they did, they should have rounded up the Nazi … Continue reading “The Rule of Law Is Not Charity”

BAQUBA – Lack of electricity in Baquba has shattered businesses, and the lives of families. Months of power failures has darkened morale everywhere. In Diyala province, just north of Baghdad, a generation has grown up in dark. The province, and its capital Baquba 40 km north of Baghdad has lived with intermittent electricity supply since … Continue reading “Iraqis Still Left in the Dark”

According to a recent report by the Congressional Research Service, entitled "Pakistan’s Nuclear Weapons: Proliferation and Security Issues," "The main security challenges for Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal are keeping the integrity of the command structure, ensuring physical security, and preventing illicit proliferation from insiders. "While U.S. and Pakistani officials express confidence in controls over Pakistan’s nuclear … Continue reading “Loose Nukes, Here and There”

The recent spectacle of Congressional hearings on the alleged use of steroids and/or Human Growth Hormone (HGH) by Roger Clemens, a professional baseball player nicknamed “the Rocket,” throws into question the viability and functionality of a Congress controlled by the Democratic Party. The House Government Reform Committee, chaired by Representative Henry Waxman (D-California), carried out … Continue reading “If Only Saddam Had Injected HGH”

Updated at 11:15 p.m. EST, Feb. 15, 2008At least 33 Iraqis were killed or found dead and 21 more were wounded during the latest violence. It is the weekly prayer day, and two suicide bombers took advantage of mosque worshippers to stage an attack in Tal Afar. No Coalition deaths were reported.Two suicide bombers killed … Continue reading “Friday: 33 Iraqis Killed, 21 Wounded”