Jim Lobe

Monday’s nomination by U.S. President George W. Bush of Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden to take over the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from the hapless Porter Goss has predictably intensified speculation over what is really going on behind the scenes. Most analysts see the shifts as the latest battle between the director of national intelligence … Continue reading “Cui Bono? Negroponte or Rumsfeld?”

As if rallying fading public support for keeping more than 100,000 U.S. troops in a disintegrating Iraq and preparing the ground for a possible military attack on Iran were not enough, some influential hawks are now promoting a more confrontational stance against Russia and China, as well. Their eagerness to take on new and bigger … Continue reading “Hawks Looking for New and Bigger Enemies?”

With Congress on the verge of approving yet another record Pentagon budget, a task force of nearly two dozen progressive policy analysts is calling for major changes in the way the United States allocates money for its common defense. Noting that Washington currently spends six dollars on its military for every one dollar it spends … Continue reading “Groups Urge Overhaul of Pentagon Budget”

Despite receiving some $8 billion a month in economic aid and military support over the past year, Iraq and Afghanistan rank among the world’s 10 weakest states, along with much of Central Africa, according to the "Failed States Index" for 2006 released here Tuesday. Iraq ranks number four – the same rating it received in … Continue reading “Iraq, Afghanistan Among Top Ten Failed States”

However much President George W. Bush’s "freedom agenda" asserted itself into U.S. foreign policy in the wake of the Iraq invasion three years ago, traditional geo-politics – and the realpolitik that goes with it – is making a remarkably strong comeback. From the energy-rich Gulf of Guinea, across the Islamic Middle East to Central Asia, … Continue reading “Give Me That Old-Time Geo-Politics”

Four years into the "global war on terror," terrorism appears to be thriving, according to the 2005 edition of the annual "Country Reports on Terrorism" released here Friday by the U.S. State Department. While the control and reach of al Qaeda, which carried out the spectacular Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on New York and the … Continue reading “Terrorism Still Thriving, State Department Says”

WASHINGTON – Two years after the abuse by U.S. soldiers of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq first came to light, accountability for what turns out to have been a widespread pattern of mistreatment at several detention sites, including torture and at least eight homicides, remains elusive, according to a new report released by … Continue reading “Impunity Endures Two Years After Abu Ghraib”

When U.S. President George W. Bush breaks bread with his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, for lunch at the White House Thursday, their diplomatic – if not their culinary – plates will almost certainly be full to overflowing. Given China’s astonishing ascent to global-power status over just the past decade, there is scarcely any issue in … Continue reading “Guest Hu Coming to Lunch”

Amid a new escalation in threats between the United States and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program, some prominent Republicans are calling for the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush to engage Tehran in direct talks. At the same time, indications that Tehran may itself be hoping to engage Washington have been growing steadily, despite … Continue reading “Amid Threats, Some Republicans Seek Talks on Iran”

Despite White House efforts to put an end to the controversy, the battle over the fate of Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld shows little sign of abating. And the outcome, which is by no means certain, could well determine the trajectory of U.S. policy in key areas – including Iraq, Iran, and even China – through … Continue reading “Rumsfeld’s Fall Drags Hawks in Its Wake”