Month: May 2010

Hope Amidst Grim Prospects for Mideast Peace

RAMALLAH – Proximity peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians, due to begin shortly after months of delay due to Israel’s continued settlement building on occupied Palestinian land, appear to have little chance of making a breakthrough. However, there appear to have been some positive developments which have altered the equation somewhat and which could provide … Continue reading “Hope Amidst Grim Prospects for Mideast Peace”

Jerusalem Divided Between Hats and Hearts

JERUSALEM – There’s a Jerusalem saying that the city wears too many hats – Jewish hats, Muslim hats, Christian hats – so it’s difficult to get at its brain. As Israelis and Palestinians wrestle for the right to wear the prime Jerusalem hat, U.S. President Barack Obama is being made aware that his special envoy … Continue reading “Jerusalem Divided Between Hats and Hearts”

Iran’s Ever Imminent Nukes: A History of Hysteria

For nearly three decades we have been hearing or reading dire predictions by the officials of the United States, Israel, and their allies that Iran is on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Such “warnings” have been common, but none has come true. Now that the talk of imposing “crippling sanctions” on or even attacking … Continue reading “Iran’s Ever Imminent Nukes: A History of Hysteria”

35 Years Since the Fall of Saigon

The United States’ wars have always been very expensive and capital-intensive, fought with the most modern weapons available and assuming a modern, concentrated enemy such as the Soviet Union. The ever growing Pentagon budget is virtually the only issue both Republicans and Democrats agree upon. But there are major economic and social liabilities in increasingly … Continue reading “35 Years Since the Fall of Saigon”

Faisal Shahzad: An Ordinary Man

The day after President Obama made his Predator joke at the White House Correspondents dinner, Faisal Shahzad, a Pakistani-American, was in the middle of Times Square trying to blow the place up. I’m not saying there was any connection, although you never know: yet there is indeed a link between the casual arrogance that allowed … Continue reading “Faisal Shahzad: An Ordinary Man”

Iraq: Controlled Devolution or Uncontrolled Disintegration

Recently, Massoud Barzani, president of the northern Kurdish region in Iraq, bluntly declared that the American visions of a strongly unified Iraq were “bird dreams and wishes.” Barzani then proceeded to heighten pressure for greater decentralization of the country and expanded Kurdish control over oil. At the same time, Arab Sunnis, previously more inclined to … Continue reading “Iraq: Controlled Devolution or Uncontrolled Disintegration”