Month: July 2008

One thing I hate about the Fourth Estate, and our culture in general, is the very short attention span that traps us in the present. No one remembers anything. Everything is now, now, now. There is no follow-up: stories aren’t developed so much as they are announced, and then shoved down the Memory Hole. The … Continue reading “Follow That Story!”

Updated at 9:29 p.m. EDT, July 24, 2008A female suicide bomber ended this week’s relative peace when she attacked an Awakening Council patrol in Baquba today. Overall, at least 20 Iraqis were killed and 39 more were wounded in the latest attacks. No Coalition deaths were reported, but U.S. forces came under fire in Kirkuk … Continue reading “Thursday: 20 Iraqis Killed, 39 Wounded”

In the name of "global war on terror," the US government is waging war on non-governmental organization by applying "shortsighted, undemocratic policies" that are "constraining the critical activities of the charitable and philanthropic sectors, stifling free speech, and ultimately impeding the fight against terrorism." This is the conclusion of a new white paper prepared by … Continue reading “NGO ‘Blacklist’ Unfair and Arbitrary, Groups Say”

BAGHDAD – Welcomed at first after the US-led invasion in 2003, most NGOs have run into skepticism and mistrust. Few remain to help. Hundreds of local and foreign NGOs became active in Iraq since the US-led invasion in 2003, after decades of restrictions under the regime of former dictator Saddam Hussein. "The former Iraqi regime … Continue reading “Most NGOs in Iraq Losing Face”

In a few short weeks the party Beijing has been preparing for the last eight years will finally kick off, and the government’s disconnect with the people attending the party is growing ever deeper. Around Beijing, the word is that these are the “No-Fun Olympics” and the entire city is forcing a smile for the … Continue reading “The No-Fun Olympics”

A one-line communiqué from the office of the Serbian president flashed across the world on Monday: Radovan Karadzic, wartime leader of the Serbs in Bosnia, was arrested in Belgrade. He is wanted by the Hague Inquisition for allegedly masterminding the Bosnian War, the siege of Sarajevo, and the "genocide" in Srebrenica – in effect, for … Continue reading “Everyone’s Favorite Villain”

As the 63rd anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki approaches, the world continues to face a litany of nuclear concerns. There is the failure to safeguard all the nuclear material lying loose around the globe. And proponents of nuclear power have gained ground as a result of the current energy crisis. But … Continue reading “Avoiding Brinksmanship with Iran”

Updated at 5:34 p.m. EDT, July 23, 2008As predicted President Talabani rejected a controversial elections law. This will likely delay provincial elections until next year. Today’s light violence was marked by a significant amount of arrests, particularly in Babel province. Overall, at least seven Iraqis were killed and five more were wounded. Also, $3 billion … Continue reading “Wednesday: 7 Iraqis Killed, 5 Wounded”

Two of Washington’s most prominent foreign policy graybeards praised Saturday’s direct participation in multinational talks with Iran by a senior U.S. diplomat but called on the administration of President George W. Bush to drop his demands that Tehran freeze its uranium enrichment program as a precondition for broader negotiations. Retired Gen. Brent Scowcroft, who served … Continue reading “Realists Urge Bush to Drop Iran Precondition”

Now that Barack Obama has pulled the rug out from under John McCain’s "victory or death" campaign theme, with the invaluable assistance of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, he’s preparing the way for a surge of his own: an Afghan surge, to be precise. Averring that we need to put more troops in Afghanistan, whose … Continue reading “Is Obama the ‘Antiwar Candidate’?”