An article in the Washington Post on July 6, 2010, reported me standing before the White House, announcing a new epithet for President Barack Obama: “Wuss – a person who will not stand up for what he knows is right.” The report is correct – and so, I believe, is the...
Obama’s New Restricted War on Terror Is Unlikely to Be Lasting
Prior to the 2012 election, President Obama told aides that he wanted to institutionalize the ad hoc war on terror, thus shaping it for years to come whether he was re-elected or a successor took over, according to the New York Times. This desire led to the recent...
The Eternal War?
Twelve and a half years after Congress didn’t declare war on an organization of hundreds or, at most, thousands of jihadis scattered mainly across the backlands of the planet, and instead let President George W. Bush and his cohort loose to...
Why John McCain Wants to Aid Syrian Terrorists
When John McCain slipped into Syria the other day to meet with Islamist rebels, Sen. Lindsey Graham tweeted "best wishes" to his fellow warmonger and claimed "dibs on his office if he doesn't come back." Leave it to Sen. Graham, who has been agitating along with...
Iraq Bloodshed Continues: 49 Killed, 102 Wounded
The Unraveling of Sykes-Picot
The thrice-promised land it has been called. It is that land north of Mecca and Medina and south of Anatolia, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf. In 1915 -- that year of Gallipoli, which forced the resignation of First Lord of the Admiralty Winston...
Our Twisted Politics of Grief
Darwin observed that conscience is what most distinguishes humans from other animals. If so, grief isn’t far behind. Realms of anguish are deeply personal—yet prone to expropriation for public use, especially in this era of media hyper-spin. Narratives...
Iraq Carnage Leaves 81 Killed, 246 Wounded
The Real Meaning of President Obama’s National Security Speeches
This past Thursday and Friday, President Obama delivered two speeches designed to outline his new thinking on national security and counter-terrorism. While much was made in the media of the president’s statements at the National Defense University and the US Naval...
Why I Spoke Out at Obama’s Foreign Policy Speech
Having worked for years on the issues of drones and Guantanamo, I was delighted to get a pass (the source will remain anonymous) to attend President Obama’s speech at the National Defense University. I had read many press reports anticipating what the President might...


