Month: January 2010

Iran Ceasefire in the Making?

As Iran nervously awaits the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution on Feb. 11 — the day that has traditionally drawn the largest public demonstrations — a subtle change in public discourse can be detected. While hard-line forces in the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad still resort to the narrative of "sedition" caused by the … Continue reading “Iran Ceasefire in the Making?”

Wednesday: 4 Iraqis, 1 Iranian Killed; 8 Iraqis, 5 Iranians Wounded

As the Arbaeen holiday approaches, an increase in pilgrims visiting holy sites could put them at greater risk. The first confirmed attack against Shi’ite pilgrims, who were visiting from Iran, occurred today in the capital. At least four Iraqis were killed and eight more were wounded. Also, one Iranian woman was killed and five more were wounded. A U.S. soldier was also wounded in an attack.

Farewell. It’s Time to Move On

To quote Mr. Dickens, they were the best of times and the worst of times. This is Galloway writing "-30-" and a farewell to this weekly column after almost seven years and wrapping up half a century in the newspaper business. Oh, I will still write an occasional op-ed piece when the b—— in Washington … Continue reading “Farewell. It’s Time to Move On”

Behind Cautious Signal, a Decision for Afghan Peace Talks

KABUL – Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal’s very cautiously-worded support for a negotiated settlement with the Taliban leadership in an interview published Monday is only the first public signal of a policy decision by the Barack Obama administration to support a political settlement between the Hamid Karzai regime and the Taliban, an official of McChrystal’s International … Continue reading “Behind Cautious Signal, a Decision for Afghan Peace Talks”

Our Wars Are Killing Us

Back in 2007, when Gen. David Petraeus was the surge commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, he had a penchant for clock imagery. In an interview in April of that year, he typically said: “I’m conscious of a couple of things. One is that the Washington clock is moving more rapidly than the Baghdad clock, … Continue reading “Our Wars Are Killing Us”

JAG Officer: Indefinite Detention ‘Defies Common Sense’

U.S. President Barack Obama’s decision to detain 47 of the just-under 200 remaining prisoners at Guantánamo without trial indefinitely is drawing scorn from legal experts and human rights advocates, who charge that the government simply does not have enough evidence to convict the detainees it says cannot be tried but are "too dangerous to release." … Continue reading “JAG Officer: Indefinite Detention ‘Defies Common Sense’”

Old ‘War-Bloggers’ Never Die…

The brouhaha over the "conversion" of Charles Johnson, proprietor of the "little green footballs" blog, from a rabid party-lining rightist to an equally rabid party-lining Obama-oid is being given a lot of attention, by the liberal media for obvious reasons – it confirms their own narrative of the redemptive power of Obama-worship – and by … Continue reading “Old ‘War-Bloggers’ Never Die…”

Why Freeze Spending on Only Part of the Budget?

The results of the special election for the Massachusetts Senate seat once held by Ted Kennedy reverberated like a "shot heard ’round the world" – or at least one heard ’round Washington. All the spending lately in Washington has apparently alienated the political independents that Barack Obama won in November 2008. And the president gets … Continue reading “Why Freeze Spending on Only Part of the Budget?”