Month: July 2011

‘Flytilla’ Debacle Another PR Nightmare For Israel

BEN GURION AIRPORT, Tel Aviv — Confused foreign tourists arriving at Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport on Friday would be forgiven for thinking that a terrorist attack was about to take place. Hundreds of armed Israeli soldiers and police spread throughout the airport as Israeli police surrounded six Israeli pro-Palestinian peace activists who were arrested … Continue reading “‘Flytilla’ Debacle Another PR Nightmare For Israel”

Pakistan Military-Aid Hold Deals New Shocks

By suspending $800 million in U.S. military aid to Pakistan, the administration of President Barack Obama appears to be taking a calculated gamble that Islamabad — and especially its powerful army — has no interest in substantially escalating the growing crisis in bilateral relations. While it is still too early to say whether the gamble … Continue reading “Pakistan Military-Aid Hold Deals New Shocks”

Afghanistan: Leaving as Tragic as Staying

“What do we care?” That’s what Bing West, former assistant secretary of defense and Vietnam veteran, exclaimed when it was suggested that Afghanistan might slip “back into warlordism” if the U.S. military stopped focusing on governance and development there. “The reason we tried nation-building in Afghanistan was because of our hubris, on the one hand, … Continue reading “Afghanistan: Leaving as Tragic as Staying”

Washington’s Physics Problem in Iraq

The Joint Chiefs of Staff, says its chairman, Adm. Mike Mullen, has a “physics problem.” According to a 2008 accord between the United States and Iraq, the U.S. military is to be evacuated from Mesopotamia — down to the last tank mechanic and dishwasher — by the close of the calendar year. Lately, there have … Continue reading “Washington’s Physics Problem in Iraq”

By Torpedoing the Gaza Flotilla, Israel Sank Its Own Ship

Instead of high-fiving each other for their success in thwarting the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, Israeli officials should be throwing overboard the propaganda hacks who catapulted the flotilla into headline news for weeks and left Israel smelling like rotten fish. Last year, when the Israeli military killed nine aboard the Turkish ship, the incident made waves … Continue reading “By Torpedoing the Gaza Flotilla, Israel Sank Its Own Ship”

Next Up: Pakistan

I see someone besides myself has noticed all the “leaking” going on in the upper echelons of Washington over our rocky relationship with Pakistan. Suddenly Islamabad is on the verge of being classified as part of the Axis of Evil, with the head of the joint chiefs, Admiral Mullen, openly accusing the Pakistanis of “sanctioning” … Continue reading “Next Up: Pakistan”

Israel’s Instilled Memory

For several weeks now, our army and navy have been in a state of high alert, bravely facing a deadly threat to our very existence: 10 little boats trying to reach Gaza. These vessels are carrying a dangerous gang of vicious terrorists, in the form of elderly veterans of peace campaigns. Benjamin Netanyahu has affirmed … Continue reading “Israel’s Instilled Memory”

Sunday: US Soldier, 4 Iraqis Killed, 5 Iraqis Wounded

Just 10 days after taking over his new post, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is in Iraq to pressure leaders into deciding whether they will ask for U.S. troops to remain in Iraq after a year-end withdrawal deadline but that decision will likely not happen for another couple of weeks. Not only have four Iraqis been killed today, so has one U.S. soldier. Another five Iraqis were wounded in the latest violence. Also, Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has rescinded his threat to reactivate the Mahdi Army.