Month: September 2010

Wednesday: 16 Iraqis Killed, 67 Wounded

Updated at 6:26 p.m. EDT, Sept. 8, 2010 As the Eid al-Fitr holiday draws near, small attacks are on the upswing. At least 16 Iraqis were killed and 67 more were wounded in the latest violence. Also, the first group of American soldiers deployed under Operation New Dawn have arrived in Iraq.

Anti-Interventionism: The Left-Wing Tradition

In conversation with a progressive friend of mine the other day, I had occasion to hear a valid criticism of my writing: why, he asked me, do you limit yourself to attacking the left on the war question, why not praise them when they’re doing something right? This is a paraphrase, and not a word … Continue reading “Anti-Interventionism: The Left-Wing Tradition”

No Tears Needed Over the Demise of the US Empire

In a recent column, Thomas Friedman, probably the most influential “internationalist” – read: proponent of U.S. interventionism in faraway places – has finally discovered that the United States must soon turn inward and put domestic economic growth first because of its massive public debt, huge federal budget deficit, and looming fiscal crisis caused by a … Continue reading “No Tears Needed Over the Demise of the US Empire”

Religious Leaders Condemn Growing Islamophobia

Leaders of some three dozen mainstream U.S. religious denominations Tuesday condemned what many commentators have called a rising tide of Islamophobia touched off by the recent controversy over the construction of a Muslim community center in Lower Manhattan, two blocks from the site of the twin World Trade Center towers destroyed in the 9/11 terrorist … Continue reading “Religious Leaders Condemn Growing Islamophobia”

Will Our Generals Ever Shut Up?

The fall issue of Foreign Policy magazine features Fred Kaplan’s “The Transformer,” an article-cum-interview with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. It received a flurry of attention because Gates indicated he might leave his post “sometime in 2011.” The most significant two lines in the piece, however, were so ordinary that the usual pundits thought them … Continue reading “Will Our Generals Ever Shut Up?”

Tuesday: 2 US Soldiers, 16 Iraqis Killed; 19 Iraqis Wounded

Updated at 6:50 p.m. EDT, Sept. 8, 2010 A Kurdish Iraqi soldier killed two U.S. soldiers in one of four reported attacks on American targets. At least 16 Iraqis were killed and 19 more were wounded as well. Meanwhile, six months have passed since national elections, yet the new government has not been selected. Also, looted artifacts are slowly being returned to Iraq.

Lights Out in Gaza

GAZA CITY – The Muslim festival Eid approaches, but not the end to power cuts that have darkened the month-long Ramadan fasting leading up to the festival. Or to the agony of Gazans, made worse by the reminder that it’s approaching a festive time. The prolonged electricity cuts, lasting from 12 to 16 hours daily, … Continue reading “Lights Out in Gaza”

Devils and the Deep Blue Sea

The non-victory-lap victory lap broadcast from the Oval Office last week showed beyond any lingering doubt that young Mr. Obama is every bit the prevaricator that young Mr. Bush was. But the mission semi-accomplished speech carried an even darker announcement: the unconditional surrender of our political leadership to the American Pentarchy, that malevolent confluence of … Continue reading “Devils and the Deep Blue Sea”

Obama Follows Bush on Iran

When Barack Obama was running for the presidency in 2008, he wanted, first and foremost, to differentiate himself from George W. Bush, who was despised by a large majority of people practically everywhere on this planet. Obama had opposed the invasion of Iraq, and during his campaign he continued to criticize the invasion and its … Continue reading “Obama Follows Bush on Iran”