It's said you can discern a man's character by who his friends are, which may or may not be true, but in my view there's a much more reliable way to gauge what someone's all about: by who his enemies are. In Chuck Hagel's case, it tells the whole story. Who are...
Nine Killed Across Iraq
UN launches major investigation into civilian drone deaths
A UN investigation into the legality and casualties of drone strikes has been formally launched, with a leading human rights lawyer revealing the team that will carry out the inquiry. The announcement came as the latest reported US drone strike in Yemen was said to...
War on Terror in Mali
Abraham Lincoln referred to the "terrible arithmetic" that it would take for the Union to win the civil war, meaning that the greater number of soldiers supported by the more advanced economy would eventually wear the Confederates down, though at great cost...
At least 51 Killed, 98 Wounded in Iraq Attacks
Baghdad Focus of Violence That Leaves 33 Killed and 77 Wounded
Foreign Policy and Defense in a Second Term
John Kerry and Chuck Hagel--two of the best mainstream nominees that President Obama could have selected for Secretaries of State and Defense, respectively--will soon face Senate confirmation. With these nominees, hopefully Obama is signaling a veering away from...
Bibi’s Choice
The Israeli elections delivered a blow to the conventional wisdom, always a welcome development: although widely expected to lurch rightward, Israeli voters surprised everyone by moving toward the center – and even giving a bit of a boost to what passes for the...
Will the Next War Be in Asia?
Once upon a time, former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping suggested that Asia’s Pacific powers and wannabes should “put aside differences and jointly develop resources.” That was, of course, when China itself was still something of a wannabe and no...
Iraq: 18 Killed, Including al-Qaeda Suspects
At least 18 Iraqis were killed and 19 more were wounded. Security forces killed nine al-Qaeda suspects and arrested 10 more in Salah ad Din province. In Mosul, gunmen killed two policemen and wounded a third one. A shopkeeper was gunned down. A bomb wounded three...