Month: January 2014

In what looks to be a clear victory – at least for now – for President Barack Obama, a major effort by the Israel lobby and its most powerful constituent, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), to pass a new sanctions bill against Iran has stalled in the U.S. Senate. While the legislation, the … Continue reading “Israel Lobby Thwarted in Iran Sanctions Bid for Now”

At least 115 people were killed and 145 more were wounded in a continuing bomb spree in Baghdad and ongoing clashes in Anbar province. Several cities near the capital were also targeted today.

Ron Fournier wants to get politics out of foreign policy decision-making: "This paragraph from a New York Times story on proposed new sanctions for Iran sent a chill down my spine: "’Behind these positions is a potent mix of political calculations in a midterm election year. Pro-Israel groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, … Continue reading “It’s All About Politics”

As their massive sacrifices in the future of Iraq go up in flames (more than 4,000 American lives lost and greater than $1 trillion in taxpayer dollars wasted) Americans watch pundits on TV argue that their government did too little and abandoned Iraq too soon. For example, John McCain and his ubiquitous sidekick Lindsay Graham, … Continue reading “Obama Should Be Careful of the Slippery Slope Back Into Iraq”

Clashes continued in Anbar, while Baghdad suffered several bombings. At least 65 people were killed and 80 more were wounded.

As we approach the centennial of World War I, we will read much of the blunders that produced that tragedy of Western civilization. Among them will be the “blank check” Kaiser Wilhelm II gave to Vienna after the assassination by a Serb terrorist of the Austrian Archduke Francis Ferdinand. If you decide to punish the … Continue reading “A Blank Check for War on Iran”

The hidden ball in the debate over the NSA’s collection of phone and e-mail metadata (vs. tapping into actual conversations with a court order) is that the NSA actually prefers the metadata approach because it strips away privacy more efficiently, says ex-NSA analyst Kirk Wiebe. By Kirk Wiebe Senior national security officials, from President Barack … Continue reading “NSA’s Preference for Metadata”

Back a little over ten years ago I wrote an article for The American Conservative magazine called "The Jihadi War." I had only recently left the CIA and it was the first article I had ever written for any publication, so I was grateful for a little friendly editorial advice when I inevitably discovered that … Continue reading “We Told You So”

As the head of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon, visited Iraq, Baghdad erupted in series of blasts that targeted civilians. Fighting continued in Anbar province, while the usual violence occurred elsewhere. Overall, at least 46 people were killed and 99 more were wounded.

Congress’s decline from the Founders’ vision as “first among equals” in government to an echo chamber of the unitary executive, has been a slow but steady process. In the process we have seen a steady stream of unconstitutional wars and civil liberties abuses at home. Nowhere is this decline more evident than in the stark … Continue reading “Congress Defers to President on NSA Reform”