Monday: 1 US Soldier, 5 Iraqis Killed; 21 Iraqis Wounded

Updated at 5:30 p.m. EST, Jan. 20, 2009Tensions between Kurdish authorities and the central government increased dramatically today when the Kurd leader openly spoke against tribal councils. Elsewhere, at least five Iraqis were killed and 21 more were wounded in violent attacks. One U.S. soldier died in a non-combat incident as well. Meanwhile, Shi’ite cleric … Continue reading “Monday: 1 US Soldier, 5 Iraqis Killed; 21 Iraqis Wounded”

Shock, Awe, and Belated Soul-Searching in Israel

JERUSALEM – "If only my three daughters will be the last victims of this horrible conflict," wept Dr. Ezzadin Abu al-Aish, a Palestinian gynecologist recovering from his wounds in Tel Aviv’s Tel Hashomer hospital. An Israeli tank shell killed three of his nine children, aged 20, 15, and 14, as well as a 14-year-old niece … Continue reading “Shock, Awe, and Belated Soul-Searching in Israel”

Inauguration Day, 2009:
A Day of Mourning

When Thomas Jefferson was inaugurated, he sought to dismantle the evolving Federalist tradition of pomp and circumstance. In a ceremonial sense, royalism seemed to have been restored, or so it appeared to him. As this blogger put it, “Dressed in simple attire, Jefferson walked over to the Capitol with a phalanx of riflemen, friends, and … Continue reading “Inauguration Day, 2009:
A Day of Mourning”

US Jewish Peace Lobby Isolated on Gaza

The three-week-old war in Gaza – halted Saturday by an Israeli cease-fire – has had a polarizing effect on the U.S. Jewish community, resulting in a deeper and at times acrimonious split between dovish groups that are skeptical of the Israeli military campaign and centrist and hawkish groups that have been broadly supportive of it. … Continue reading “US Jewish Peace Lobby Isolated on Gaza”

Liberals, Realists Set to Clash in Obama Administration

Just as the foreign policy of President George W. Bush was characterized by a continuous battle for control between hawks led by Vice President Dick Cheney and realists based primarily in the State Department and intelligence community – and, in its last two years, the Pentagon – so the incoming administration may find itself split … Continue reading “Liberals, Realists Set to Clash in Obama Administration”

The More Things Change…

Well, it looks as if we will soon have a president who is able to string sentences together in a reasonably coherent fashion, if sometimes a little slowly and with lots of pauses. At least Barack Obama, whether it’s true or not, will give the impression that the pauses reflect consideration of the question rather … Continue reading “The More Things Change…”

How Bin Laden Bankrupted America

For a man who spent years living in caves, Osama bin Laden sure knows his Sun Tzu and the basics of jujitsu. Sun Tzu’s famous dictum was “know yourself” and “know your enemy.” Jujitsu is based upon using your enemy’s strength against him, e.g., like Jack in “Jack and the Beanstalk,” who used the giant’s … Continue reading “How Bin Laden Bankrupted America”

‘Good Cop, Bad Cop’ Approach to Pakistan

NEW DELHI – Exasperated by what it regards as “a continuing pattern of evasiveness and denial in Pakistan’s response to the terrorist attack on Mumbai,” India seems to be fashioning a two-pronged approach towards Islamabad to get it to act firmly against terrorist networks based on its soil. If one element in this approach is … Continue reading “‘Good Cop, Bad Cop’ Approach to Pakistan”

Sunday: 1 US Soldier, 3 Iraqis Killed; 35 Iraqis Wounded

Updated at 7:20 p.m. EST, Jan. 18, 2009 At least three Iraqis were killed and 35 more were wounded in the latest attacks. One attack occurred at the Qayara home of a politician. Also, a U.S. soldier was killed in a roadside bomb blast in Baghdad. The Electoral Commission is investigating reports that a number of … Continue reading “Sunday: 1 US Soldier, 3 Iraqis Killed; 35 Iraqis Wounded”

‘Good Cop, Bad Cop’ Approach to Pakistan

NEW DELHI – Exasperated by what it regards as “a continuing pattern of evasiveness and denial in Pakistan’s response to the terrorist attack on Mumbai,” India seems to be fashioning a two-pronged approach towards Islamabad to get it to act firmly against terrorist networks based on its soil. If one element in this approach is … Continue reading “‘Good Cop, Bad Cop’ Approach to Pakistan”