Thomas Knapp

When the US government sends $400 million in cash, stacked on pallets, to Iran on the same day the Iranian government releases four imprisoned Americans, it looks an awful lot like ransom. On the other hand, when the US government decides to keep $400 million sent to it by the Iranian government pursuant to an … Continue reading “$400 Million: The Partial Price of Peace?”

On June 12, Omar Mateen killed 49 patrons at Orlando, Florida’s Pulse nightclub. His weapon: A Sig Sauer MCX carbine. On July 3, Abu Maha al-Iraqi killed more than 300 shoppers and diners in Baghdad’s Karrada neighborhood. His weapon: A van packed with explosives. On July 14, Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel killed at least 84 Bastille … Continue reading “The Problem Isn’t Tools, It’s Terror”

In December of 2002, Congress released its report on the “Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities Before and After the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001.” Part of that report, anyway: 28 pages remained classified until July 15, 2016, when they were finally presented to the public with significant redactions. Why the long wait, and … Continue reading “9/11: 28 Pages Later”

The US State Department’s “Dissent Channel” is a mechanism through which department personnel may disagree with administration policy without fear of job retribution. On June 17, Mark Landler of the New York Times revealed the existence of a recent “Dissent Channel” memo bearing the signatures of 51 diplomats and other department officials and calling for … Continue reading “Syria: Change the (Dissent) Channel”

Today, Americans will seize the opportunity to sleep in an extra day, fire up the family grill, and maybe – probably not, but maybe – wheel out to a family cemetery, lay flowers on graves, and contemplate the memories of their beloved for a few minutes. Veterans’ organizations will parade in celebration of their own … Continue reading “This Memorial Day, Remember the Victims of Democide”

US President Barack Obama’s late March visit to Cuba, continuing his initiative to re-establish friendly relations between the two countries, aroused opposition on both sides of the aisle in Washington. The Republican complaints, of course, are to be expected. If Obama walked across the Florida Strait without wetting the hems of his trousers, Ted Cruz … Continue reading “Obama Visits Havana: Cuba Libre for Real?”

Testifying before the US Senate’s Armed Services Committee in early February, Generals Mark A. Milley (the US Army’s chief of staff) and Robert B. Neller (commandant of the US Marine Corps) endorsed extending mandatory Selective Service registration to women. Because, you know, equality. I have a better idea. It’s time to end draft registration for … Continue reading “Just Say No to Draft Registration for Women – and Men”

“How sweet it is” and “screw the UN” seem to be the major media tag lines to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention’s ruling in favor of political prisoner Julian Assange: The former from Assange himself, welcoming vindication of his claim that more than five years under house arrest and/or confined to Ecuador’s UK … Continue reading “When in Rome: ‘Criminal Consequences’ for Assange’s Tormentors?”

Since 1986, Americans have observed the third Monday of January as a federal holiday: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Schools and communities put on marches and commemorative events. Some workers (sadly not including most of the working poor of all races to whose advancement King dedicated his life) get the day off. It’s an election … Continue reading “King for a Day – the Rest of the Year, Not So Much”

An October/November survey covering the midsection (adults between 18 and 29) of the “millennial” demographic finds that after the November terror attacks in France (but before the December 2 attack in San Bernardino), that demographic’s support for deployment of US ground troops against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria jumped from 47% to 60%. … Continue reading “Millennials: Let’s You and Them Fight”