Month: March 2014

At least 98 people were killed and 34 more were wounded across Iraq today. In Diyala province, security forces are trying to prevent militants from taking over Buhriz.

At least 39 people were killed and 48 more were wounded across Iraq today. Anbar province was fairly quiet, while most of the violence occurred in the north. Also, a famous radio journalist was killed in Baghdad at the hands of a Kurdish Peshmerga member.

Sweeping through Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania this week, Joe Biden reassured all three that the United States’ commitment to Article Five of the NATO treaty remains “solemn” and “iron clad.” Article Five commits us to war if the territory of any of these tiny Baltic nations is violated by Russia. From World War II to … Continue reading “Marching as to War”

Several attacks on police stations left a bloody trail across Iraq today. Civilians were also targeted. At least 113 people were killed and 148 more were wounded in these attacks.

As the weekly – sometimes daily – news stories never tire of telling us, domestic drones are coming. And as ABC News reported on March 17, they are arriving faster than the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) can suss out the rules over their use. Though it’s technically illegal, and the FAA may issue fines if … Continue reading “Domestic Drones Are Inevitable”

Exactly a month ago the Ukrainian crisis seemed on the verge of a peaceful resolution: the European Union had mediated negotiations between the government of Viktor Yanukovich and leaders of the opposition, and an agreement had been reached. The government consented to a truce in exchange for a promise of early elections, a downsizing of … Continue reading “Ukraine’s Mysterious Snipers”

At least 56 people were killed today, mostly militants in Anbar and other provinces. Another 18 people were wounded. However, gruesome images and video, allegedly taken by soldiers in Anbar province, suggest that the death tolls could be much higher than is being reported. Soldiers are also reporting high rates of desertion among troops.

Initially, I was gratified to learn that Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, was unafraid to take on the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) over the issue of domestic spying. The CIA is limited by its charter to stealing secrets from foreigners outside the U.S. However, in a recent dust-up, Feinstein … Continue reading “Freedom for Me, but Not for Thee”

According to American Senator John McCain, "We are all Ukrainians now!" Of course in the United States it is of comparatively little significance what you actually are while of eminent importance what someone calls you; we having long since given up achievement in lieu of imagery. Therefore in interest of providing equal time to the … Continue reading “Post-Modern Post-State Post-Identity Crisis”

At least 115 people were killed and 128 more were wounded in attacks and clashes today. A large number of people were killed or wounded during shelling in Falluja, and Baghdad saw a number of bombings agian.