Iraq Carnage: 69 Killed, 176 Wounded
Iraq suffered significant bomb attacks in multiple cities today, leaving at least 69 dead and 176 more wounded.
Month: April 2012
Taliban Attacks Weaken US, NATO Position
Sunday’s well-orchestrated — if unsuccessful — attacks by Taliban forces on Kabul and three provincial capitals in eastern Afghanistan could further shake ebbing public confidence in the U.S. and its allies that their strategy for securing Afghanistan is working. Billed as the opening of the Taliban’s spring offensive, the attacks also raise new questions about … Continue reading “Taliban Attacks Weaken US, NATO Position”
The Disappearing Terrorists
Night is here but the barbarians have not come. And now what shall become of us without any barbarians? Those people were some kind of solution.– Constantine Cavafy It hardly makes sense to have a global war on terror if there are not that many terrorists threatening to blow themselves up in Peoria. Terrorism can … Continue reading “The Disappearing Terrorists”
Report on Iran’s Nuclear Fatwa Distorts Its History
The Barack Obama administration’s new interest in the 2004 religious verdict, or “fatwa,” by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei banning the possession of nuclear weapons, long dismissed by national security officials, has prompted The New York Times to review the significance of the fatwa for the first time in several years. Senior Obama administration … Continue reading “Report on Iran’s Nuclear Fatwa Distorts Its History”
Kurdistan’s Barzani To Meet With Iraq’s Hashemi While in Turkey
The leader of the Kurdish Regional Government, Massoud Barzani, will travel to Turkey tomorrow to meet with Turkish leaders and Iraqi Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi. At least six Iraqis were killed and 20 more were wounded in attacks.
How to Trump a Superpower
Chalk it up to the genuine strangeness of our second Afghan War. Americans, according to the latest polls, are turning against the conflict in ever greater numbers, yet it’s remarkable how little — beyond a few obvious, sensational events — they know about what’s actually going on there in their name. Take as an example … Continue reading “How to Trump a Superpower”
New Clothes for Old Naked Lies
Elements in Israel and the West intent on attacking the Islamic Republic of Iran are creating the appearance that war is inevitable. Since the turn of the year, anti-Iran propaganda has intensified into a storm of hysterical nonsense. The media tells us that the Israelis are no longer the only ones facing an Iranian “existential … Continue reading “New Clothes for Old Naked Lies”
For You, a Thousand Times Over
At the start of The Kite Runner, a novel by Khaled Hosseini later adapted for film, a brave and selflessly loyal Afghan boy runs to help his much wealthier friend, singing out his love for him: “For you, a thousand times over….” They have been flying a fighting kite (these are kites with edges sharp … Continue reading “For You, a Thousand Times Over”
Race and Empire
America is obsessed with matters of race, and always has been. Back in the day, this preoccupation was focused on who could and could not sit at a lunch counter, or at the front of the bus. Now that we are living in a “post-racial” world, and the President of these United States is what … Continue reading “Race and Empire”
Save Money by Ending Costly Alliances
Continued U.S. economic sluggishness, induced by a massive national debt in excess of $15 trillion, should be causing soul-searching in the American foreign policy community about which unnecessary alliance commitments can be shed to save money. Yet, predictably, interest groups supporting empire continue to tout “American leadership” in “strategic” regions of the world. For example, … Continue reading “Save Money by Ending Costly Alliances”