At least 10 Iraqis were killed and 17 more were wounded in new violence. Among the dead were a mosque preacher and Yazidi citizens. A curfew remains in effect as security forces scour the Tikrit area for detainees who escaped in Thursday’s jailbreak.
read moreNetanyahu Backs Off on Iran
The main takeaway from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s U.N. speech was the inference that he has been forced to relent on the possibility of military action against Iran, with his threats deferred past the U.S. election on Nov. 6 and off into next spring...
The Enduring Schism
History, Religion and the Great War In October 1912, the Balkan Alliance - Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria and Greece - declared war on the Ottoman Empire. At its conclusion in 1913, the Ottomans’ presence in Europe was reduced to a bridgehead in Thrace. To the victors,...
Syria and the Dogs of War
Cry "Havoc," and let slip the dogs of war; That this foul deed shall smell above the earth With carrion men, groaning for burial Julius Caesar Act 3, scene 1 William Shakespeare “Blood and destruction,” “dreadful objects,” and “pity...
The Clinton-Rice Credibility Gap
Two weeks after Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were murdered in Benghazi, Libya, the Obama administration has conceded it was an act of terrorism. The attack on the U.S. Consulate, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton now admits, was part of a...
The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Iran And The Bomb, Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Facts
As our Nobel laureate President ascended to the podium on September 25 at the United Nations for his last international speech before the election, we again were the recipients of fine oratory and rhetorical flourish about America’s problems in the world. Focusing on...
Living in Hiding From Libyan Militias
Farrah Hamary looks the picture of despair as sweat trickles down his face in Tripoli’s heat and humidity. Hamary is too afraid to give his full name or to allow his picture to be taken. He shows IPS the scars criss-crossing his back, the cigarette burns on his...
Bibi’s Crazy UN Speech
It’s no wonder the Israeli Foreign Ministry initially held back from releasing a transcript of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to the UN General Assembly: Bibi’s wackiness doesn’t bear close scrutiny. Perhaps “wacky” isn’t quite the right word for his...
‘Our (New) Terrorists’ the MEK: Have We Seen This Movie Before?
Yes, and what kind of mind-boggling corruption -- of the worst kind -- influence peddling by a "foreign power" (as defined by the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to include foreign terrorist groups) -- lies hidden behind the curtain? Could some members of...
Americans Take Anti-Drone Stance Directly to Pakistan
"You’re not really going to Pakistan, are you?" "You’ve seen the State Department travel warning?" "Don’t they hate us over there?" There are questions our friends and relatives are asking as we embark on a delegation to Pakistan to protest the drone attacks that have...
