I was desperately hoping to be wrong last week. I was delighted and surprised that I was indeed mistaken about President Obama being unlikely to pardon army whistleblower Chelsea Manning. My cynicism in the previous column was a challenge to the president, almost an act of reverse psychology. Wonder of wonders, Manning will be free …
Continue reading “What the Clemency of Chelsea Manning Means About Obama”
Militants are taking out their frustrations on civilians in Mosul.
As President Obama leaves office, much of his foreign policy record remains shrouded in the symbolism that has been the hallmark of his presidency. The persistence of Obama’s image as a reluctant war-maker and a Nobel Peace Prize winner has allowed Donald Trump and his cabinet nominees to claim that Obama has underfunded the military …
Continue reading “Obama’s Bombing Legacy”
On Jan. 3, outgoing Attorney General Loretta Lynch secretly signed an order directing the National Security Agency – America’s 60,000-person-strong domestic spying apparatus – to make available raw spying data to all other federal intelligence agencies, which then can pass it on to their counterparts in foreign countries and in the 50 states upon request. …
Continue reading “A Parting Shot at Personal Freedom”
Troops are in the final stages of clearing militants from eastern Mosul.
MEMORANDUM FOR: President Barack Obama FROM: Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS) SUBJECT: A Key Issue That Still Needs to be Resolved As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take the oath of office Friday, a pall hangs over his upcoming presidency amid an unprecedentedly concerted campaign to delegitimize it. Unconfirmed accusations continue to swirl alleging …
Continue reading “A Demand for Russian ‘Hacking’ Proof”
If the New York Times is to be believed – a problematic proposition – then it looks as if Trump Derangement Syndrome has gone international. In a front page article headlined “As Trump Era Dawns, A Sense of Uncertainty Grips the World,” we are told: “The Germans are angry. The Chinese are downright furious. Leaders …
Continue reading “Trump the Disruptor”
For some, the "manslaughter" conviction – following the murder by Israeli army medic, Elor Azaria, of already incapacitated Palestinian man, Fattah al-Sharif – is finally settling a protracted debate regarding where Israelis stand on Palestinian human rights. Nearly 70 percent of the Israeli public supports calls to pardon the convicted soldier, who is largely perceived …
Continue reading “The Balancing Act Is Over: What Elor Azaria Taught Us About Israel”
Witnesses say the Tigris River is red with blood and littered with the bodies of militants fleeing eastern Mosul.
The world’s media is touting the “coming out” party for China’s lone aircraft carrier, the Liaoning. The carrier and its’s entourage of escorting destroyers and frigates made a splash when they left the first island chain behind and sallied forth into the open Pacific Ocean past Taiwan and Okinawa. The ship and its battle group …
Continue reading “The Threat From China’s Lone Aircraft Carrier Has Been Overstated” 
