Month: March 2009

JERUSALEM – As the fires of human misery continue to smolder in Gaza, the situation in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem is emerging as another potentially explosive issue in, and far beyond, the Middle East. The future of the city is considered an issue of prime importance to both Palestinians and Israelis, as well as to their … Continue reading “East Jerusalem Settlements Ratchet Up Tensions”

The tempestuous relationship between the United States and Pakistan is akin to a sordid soap opera featuring a fickle, selfish lover and her unpredictable mistress prone to volatile tantrums.   The ensuing violence and instability paralyzing Central Asia is their inevitable progeny. Recently, a top US diplomat warned that Pakistan poses a bigger security threat … Continue reading “The Pakistani Monster”

Updated at 6:30 p.m. EST, March 6, 2009On a relatively quiet prayer day, PM Maliki spoke out for reconciliation with former Baath party members. At least four Iraqis were killed and four more wounded across Iraq. No Coalition deaths were reported. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki asked Iraqis to forgive those formerly aligned with Saddam Hussein; … Continue reading “Friday: 4 Iraqis Killed, 4 Iraqis Wounded”

Few things that happen in the Balkans come as a surprise to experienced observers. Certainly, last week’s conviction of the Serbian political, military and security leadership by the Hague Inquisition, for the alleged conspiracy to expel Albanians from Kosovo during NATO’s war of aggression, was as predictable as it was nonsensical. Anyone who did not … Continue reading “Tinker, Traitor, Soldier, Spy”

Aid groups are urging Israel to end its blockade of Gaza and allow unrestricted passage of critical reconstruction materials and humanitarian aid into the territory. "This unlawful blockade is the primary impediment to reconstruction and to the economic activity that is essential to any society," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of the international advocacy group … Continue reading “Aid Groups Push Israel to End Gaza Blockade”

The arguments for maintaining a major U.S. combat force in Iraq at least through 2011, escalating U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan and assuming a confrontational stance toward Iran appear to assume that the United States remains the dominant military power in the region. But the pattern of recent history and current developments in the region … Continue reading “US Military Dominance in Mideast Proven a Costly Myth”

In the wake of Israel’s massive assault on heavily populated civilian areas of the Gaza Strip earlier this year, Amnesty International called for the United States to suspend military aid to Israel on human rights grounds. Amnesty has also called for the United Nations to impose a mandatory arms embargo on both Hamas and the … Continue reading “Obama and Israel’s Military: Still Arm-in-Arm”

Today is a good moment to give some thought to one of the worst remaining legacies of the Bush era, the prison where that administration’s grotesque offshore detention policies – the beatings, the torture, the works – were first put into play, the prison that has yet to go away. And as Karen Greenberg, the … Continue reading “Obama’s Guantánamo?”

Author’s note: The following is the text of a speech delivered at a forum sponsored by the Students of American Liberty at East Tennessee State University, on March 4. Illusions die hard. Especially the ideological kind. When the illusion of Barack Obama, the peacemaker, is finally dispelled, we are going to wake up and find … Continue reading “Obama’s War”

Updated at 7:05 p.m. EST, March 5, 2009A significant bombing south of Baghdad shattered the relative peace of the last few days. Dozens of casualties were reported. Overall, at least 21 Iraqis were killed and another 73 were wounded across Iraq. No Coalition casualties were reported. Meanwhile, Sweden urged the European Union to take more … Continue reading “Thursday: 21 Iraqis Killed, 73 Wounded”