President Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear President Obama, Nothing you don’t know, but let me just say it: the world’s a weird place. In my younger years, I might have said “crazy,” but that was back when I thought...
Violence Leaves 11 Killed Across Iraq
Manning vs. the Marines
As far as villains go, Pfc. Bradley Manning is hardly quintessential. At 5 foot 2 inches tall, his slender frame and bespectacled image has invoked snickers, sarcasm and according to reporting over the last two years, a lifetime of bullying. That bullying reached an...
Iraqi and Kurdish Forces Trade Accusations over Buildup
A Note to My Readers
A mild winter cold has morphed, overnight, into Something Greater, which has turned me into a wheezing fever-stricken mess. Of course, going out into the storm that buffeted Northern California for the past few days couldn’t have anything to do with it. In any case —...
US Building $100-Million Underground Bunker at Secret Israeli Missile Base
Walter Pincus reported in The Washington Post a few days ago that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has put out a request for proposals, seeking contractors with top-secret clearances to develop a $100-million underground military facility for the Israeli army. Here’s...
Truth and Trauma in Gaza
Dr. T., a medical doctor, is a Palestinian living in Gaza City. He is still reeling from days of aerial bombardment. When I asked about the children in his community, he told me his church would soon be making Christmas preparations to lift the children’s spirits....
Thanks for the Warnings, Israel
I have been in Gaza for five days now, and I am having difficulty understanding the eight-day war and the subsequent ceasefire. Let me explain the difficulty I am having. The Israeli Offensive Forces insist they protect civilians in Gaza, only targeting terrorists....
Nine Killed Across Iraq
US Senate Passes New Sanctions on Iran
The U.S. Senate approved a new round of economic sanctions against Iran Friday, ignoring warnings by the White House that the additional measures could prove counter-productive to the goal of persuading Iran to curb its nuclear programme. The 94-0 vote, which was...


