Originally posted at TomDispatch. During the Israeli attacks on Gaza this past summer, U.S. officials were unusually vocal. After shelling killed four young Palestinians on a beach, for example, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki called it “horrifying.” “The tragic event makes clear that Israel must take every possible step to meet its standards for protecting …
Continue reading “One Family, Two Doors, Nowhere to Run”
At least 103 people were killed and 18 were wounded across Iraq.
At least 236 were killed and 32 more were wounded across Iraq. Several bombs exploded in or near to Baghdad, but most of the dead were militants.
Today the US House passed what I consider to be one of the worst pieces of legislation ever. H. Res. 758 was billed as a resolution “strongly condemning the actions of the Russian Federation, under President Vladimir Putin, which has carried out a policy of aggression against neighboring countries aimed at political and economic domination.” …
Continue reading “Reckless Congress ‘Declares War’ on Russia”
Israelis are fed up with Binyamin Netanyahu. They are fed up with the government. They are fed up with all political parties. They are fed up with themselves. They are fed up. That is the reason for the disintegration of the government this week. It did not fall because of any particular issue. Certainly not …
Continue reading “The Israeli Plebiscite”
South Stream is no more. While Western government and press hacks on both sides of the Atlantic gloated over the cancellation of the trans-Balkans pipeline as Russia’s "defeat", they missed the absolutely crucial point of Monday’s announcement, made by Vladimir Putin during the state visit to Ankara: Russia will replace the project stalled by US …
Continue reading “South Stream Blues”
At least 65 people were killed and 26 were wounded in the latest attacks and battles. Shi’ite militias not only cleared Jurf al-Sakhar of Islamic State militants, they have, apparently, also cleared it of Sunni civilians. The last Sunnis who left the city were told not to return for several months. Also, the one Sunni …
Continue reading “Battles, Airstrikes Leave 65 Dead Across Iraq”
So are things getting better – or are they getting worse? Every once in a while it’s necessary to step back and ask ourselves this question. otherwise, we have no clue as to what effect our efforts are having on the public policy debate – and no sense of where we are. We set off, …
Continue reading “War and Peace Scorecard”
Originally posted at TomDispatch. It was the end of the road for Chuck Hagel last week and the Washington press corps couldn’t have been more enthusiastic about writing his obituary. In terms of pure coverage, it may not have been Ferguson or the seven-foot deluge of snow that hit Buffalo, New York, but the avalanche …
Continue reading “The War Party Ascendant”
At least 139 people were killed across Iraq. Bombers struck in the Baghdad area and in Kirkuk, which suffered its first major bombing in several months. Another 116 people were wounded.
