Month: July 2008

The tectonic plates of the geopolitical landscape are shifting, visibly, as the consequences of our crazed foreign policy are being felt at home and abroad. That alarming crunching sound you hear is the impact of the sudden realization that, in Iraq, the government our troops are fighting and dying for is openly demanding that we … Continue reading “The Shift”

A question I’m often asked is whether military action against Iran is still an option for the Bush administration. The short answer is "yes." Last week, when a reporter raised the issue of "a spate of recent stories about possible military action against Iran before the end of the year" President Bush responded that "the … Continue reading “Is Iran Still an Option?”

Updated at 11:50 p.m. EDT, July 8, 2008One American servicemember was killed and five others were wounded in separate incidents around Baghdad. In northern Iraq, four Coalition contractors were also killed, but their nationalities are unknown at press time. At least 36 Iraqis were killed or found dead and 28 more were wounded in other … Continue reading “Tuesday: 1 US Soldier, 4 Contractors, 36 Iraqis Killed; 28 Iraqis Wounded”

Conciliatory noises from Tehran over the nuclear issue have left Washington and Brussels baffled and unconvinced of Iran’s intentions. Having grown accustomed to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s uncompromising language, Tehran’s new tone has raised more suspicion than hope among cynics in Western capitals. At a lunch with a dozen U.S. journalists in New York last week, … Continue reading “Reading Solana in Tehran”

And speaking of oil, just when we were barely getting used to Big Oil and Iraq hitting the front pages of American newspapers in tandem, here comes Afghanistan! Who now remembers that delegation of Taliban officials, shepherded by Unocal (“We’re an oil and gas company. We go where the oil and gas is…”), back in … Continue reading “The Bush Administration Strikes Oil in Iraq”

The U.S. House of Representatives is considering a resolution (HR 362) that calls on the Bush administration to take strong action against Iran, including a naval blockade of its ports. A similar resolution is being considered by the Senate (SR 580). The two resolutions are supposedly non-binding. They also mention explicitly that they are not … Continue reading “Deconstructing the Anti-Iran Resolutions”

Stephen Zunes’ Backtalk Stephen Zunes wrote: “In reality, ‘the Iraq War, the threat of war with Iran, and the policy of non-engagement with Hamas and Hezbollah’ have actually hurt Israel.” Now you’re arguing semantics. For that matter, almost everything Israel has done since 1948 has “hurt Israel.” “In terms of U.S. taxpayer-funded military aid to … Continue reading “Backtalk, July 8, 2008”

Updated at 7:50 p.m. EDT, July 7, 2008At least 24 Iraqis were killed and 58 more were wounded in the latest attacks. Several bombings took place across Iraq, including another suicide bombing carried out by a woman. Awakening Council members were targeted in several cities as well. No Coalition deaths were reported. A female suicide … Continue reading “Monday: 24 Iraqis Killed, 58 Wounded”

It doesn’t take much investigation to discover that Algeria has a bleak human rights record, which is one of the reasons that, until last week, when 49-year-old Mustafa Hamlili and 28-year-old Abdul Raham Houari were freed from Guantánamo, no Algerian prisoners had been repatriated. This was in spite of the fact that at least 10 … Continue reading “Repatriation as
Russian Roulette”

The neocons and their media enablers are in attack mode, decrying Barack Obama’s "flip-flop" on the Iraq war. The War Street Journal avers that it’s the Audacious One, rather than the GOP nominee, who’s running for "Bush’s third term." The oracular Charles Krauthammer is predicting that the candidate’s upcoming Iraqi trip will be the occasion … Continue reading “Fake Flip-Flop Flap”