Jim Lobe

The stunning victory of the Islamist Hamas party in parliamentary elections Wednesday in the Palestinian Authority (PA) poses stark new challenges to U.S. President George W. Bush’s hopes of advancing an Israeli-Palestinian peace process and promoting democracy throughout the Arab Middle East. Hamas, which gained 76 seats in the new Palestinian parliament compared to only … Continue reading “Hamas Upset Rattles Bush Strategy”

"Let us state the obvious," wrote Reuel Marc Gerecht, the resident Gulf specialist at the neoconservative American Enterprise Institute in the Weekly Standard‘s feature article Monday. "The new president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is a godsend." "Thank goodness for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad," wrote Ilan Berman, the neoconservative author of a hawkish new … Continue reading “The Demagogue Neocons Love to Hate”

Iraq tops a list of countries whose minorities find themselves most at risk of persecution and even mass killing at the start of 2006, according to a new threat index released Thursday by the London-based Minority Rights Group International (MRG). The index, the centerpiece of MRG’s 2006 edition of the "State of the World Minorities" … Continue reading “Iraq Tops Nations With Minorities at Grave Risk”

The Bush administration’s "global war on terrorism" continued to set back the cause of human rights in 2005, according to a major U.S. rights group, which said that U.S. and European hypocrisy in carrying out that war led to a "global leadership void" that had been taken advantage of by more opportunistic powers, particularly Russia … Continue reading “Rights Group Criticizes US, EU Hypocrisy”

Despite objections by major Jewish organizations in Venezuela and the United States, some influential U.S. neoconservatives are charging President Hugo Chavez with anti-Semitism, which they say is consistent with the country’s friendly relations with Iran. In what appears to be a new line of attack against the populist leader, two of the White House’s favorite … Continue reading “US Neocons Accuse Chavez of Anti-Semitism”

If U.S. President George W. Bush is looking for good news, he should be talking less about Iraq and more about Afghanistan, according to the latest survey results from that country. Despite grinding poverty, a widening divide between rich and poor, and the continued empowerment of regional warlords, more than four out of five Afghans … Continue reading “Afghan Survey Finds Broad Support for Govt”

Nearly a week after a massive stroke effectively removed Prime Minister Ariel Sharon from Israeli politics, the outlook in Washington is mostly worried and pessimistic. The administration of President George W. Bush, who personally clearly admired the former general and offered strong backing for both his harsh crackdown against the second Palestinian Intifada and his … Continue reading “Sharon’s Demise Gives Analysts the Jitters”

Resorting once more to controversial “recess” appointments, U.S. President George W. Bush has named two political cronies to key administration positions without Senate approval. Ellen Sauerbrey, a former state lawmaker and unsuccessful right-wing Republican candidate for governor of Maryland, will now move into her new office as Assistant Secretary of State for Refugees, Population, and … Continue reading “Bush Bypasses Senate on Two Crony Appointments”

Although morale among members of the professional corps of the U.S. military remains generally high, the military’s confidence in President George W. Bush and other civilian government leaders slipped substantially during 2005, according to a major new survey released Monday by the Military Times. The survey, the third in an annual series, found that approval … Continue reading “Military Confidence in Bush Hits New Low”

The Reader-in-Chief is at it again, and anti-imperialists around the world have reason to be concerned. According to the White House, U.S. President George W. Bush has taken two books with him to Texas for his holiday reading, which he will presumably indulge between his favorite ranch pursuits – clearing brush and biking. The first … Continue reading “Anti-Imperialists Beware – Bush Is Reading Again”