Month: November 2010

Behind Drone Issue in Yemen, a Struggle to Control Covert Ops

The drone war that has been anticipated in Yemen for the last few months has been delayed by the failure of U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) to generate usable intelligence on al Qaeda there. That failure has given the CIA a new argument for wresting control of the drone war in Yemen from the Joint … Continue reading “Behind Drone Issue in Yemen, a Struggle to Control Covert Ops”

In Jerusalem, East Is Nobody’s

JABEL MUKABBER, Occupied East Jerusalem — The Palestinian Prime Minister ventured into Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem bypassing Israeli security authorities who tried to stop him. The city’s Israeli mayor, who also wanted to venture into the eastern of part of "his" city, was unable to because of objections from those same Israeli authorities. For four decades … Continue reading “In Jerusalem, East Is Nobody’s”

Wednesday: 9 Iraqis Killed, 42 Wounded

Updated at 8:58 p.m. EST, Nov. 9, 2010 At least nine Iraqis were killed and 42 more were wounded in new violence. Most of the attacks in the capital targeted Christians. Meanwhile, political leaders are closer to forming a new government. The Iraqiya party has apparently accepted the speaker of parliament position but may still be balking at having Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki given a second turn at the premiership. Ayad Allawi, Iraqiya’s leader, may have also accepted to head the Political Council of Strategic Policies.

What Laila Sees

Kabul, Afghanistan – “We live in constant fear of suicide attacks,” said Laila, an Afghan woman who lives in Kandahar city and who visited with us yesterday. “When will the next one strike and where?” “Twelve days ago,” she continued, “a good friend was walking home from the mosque. A four-minute walk. An IED was … Continue reading “What Laila Sees”

Muslim Americans Foil Terror Threats

A new report on violent extremists in the United States finds that terrorism plots by non-Muslims greatly outnumber those attempted by Muslims, and that Muslim-American communities helped foil close to a third of al-Qaeda-related terror plots threatening the country since Sept. 11, 2001. The report comes from the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), a not-for-profit … Continue reading “Muslim Americans Foil Terror Threats”

The Pentagon Must Protect Whistleblowers

The grisly details continue to drip out. Five American soldiers have been accused of setting up “kills” and murdering innocent Afghans earlier this year, according to charges filed by the U.S. Army against them. But could some of the murders have been stopped earlier? And could potential whistleblowers within the military’s chain of command have … Continue reading “The Pentagon Must Protect Whistleblowers”

Notes of a Traveling Agitator

By the time you read this, I’ll be somewhere between Danbury, Connecticut, and Boston, probably on an Amtrak train wondering if I’ve missed my stop. I’m not a good traveler, as you might imagine: like all writers, I much prefer being in my study, researching my next project, or perhaps hanging out in my garden … Continue reading “Notes of a Traveling Agitator”

Netanyahu: Intellectual Father of the ‘War on Terror’

Writing last week on Antiwar.com the redoubtable Phil Giraldi said: “The Israel connection is significant because Israel has long been at the heart of America’s foreign policy woes. America’s misguided war on terror is in fact a complete adoption of Israeli security paradigms without any regard for the actual threats that confront the U.S., making … Continue reading “Netanyahu: Intellectual Father of the ‘War on Terror’”