The Five-Sided House of Usher

The tea leaves tell me we're about to experience a seismic event that will produce the next collapse of our five-sided House of Usher, the Pentagon. The last time we saw a temblor of that magnitude was in November 2006. Just before the mid-term election, young Mr....

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Brazil-Turkey-Mediated Iran Deal Puts Ball in US Court

The administration of President Barack Obama has reacted skeptically to the nuclear swap accord signed Monday by Iran, Turkey, and Brazil, suggesting that Tehran would have to take significant additional steps to satisfy U.S. and Western demands to curb its nuclear...

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Monday: 5 Iraqis Killed, 5 Wounded

At least five Iraqis were killed and five more were wounded in light violence that focused in Diyala province, where two Sunni imams were killed. Meanwhile, an Iraqi court threw out the disqualifications of nine candidates accused of ties to the Ba’ath Party.
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Shielded by US Umbrella, Israel Joins OECD

UNITED NATIONS - With tongue firmly entrenched in his cheek, an Arab diplomat recounts an Israeli cabinet meeting interrupted by an aide rushing in with the latest statistics on the state of the economy. The crops were down, growth was low, reserves were minimal, and...

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Obama’s Gulf of Tonkin

The claim by the US government that the Times Square would-be bomber, Faisal Shahzad, was “trained” and “directed” by the Pakistani Taliban is looking more bogus by the moment. The latest: one of at least three people arrested in connection with the alleged “plot,”...

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A Political Black Hole

Just to die of envy. How the British manage to do these things! What a democracy! What dignity! Elections within a month. A new coalition within five days. A change of government within 70 minutes. A visit to the queen. The departing prime minister takes his wife and...

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Obama’s Flailing Wars

On stage, it would be farce. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, it's bound to play out as tragedy. Less than two months ago, Barack Obama flew into Afghanistan for six hours – essentially to read the riot act to Afghan President Hamid Karzai, whom his ambassador had only...

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Sunday: 7 Iraqis Killed, 1 Wounded

At least eight Iraqis were killed and one more was wounded in unusually light violence. Seven of the dead were prisoners killed under mysterious circumstances earlier in the week. Also, the Iraqi government condemned yesterday’s statement from Saudi prince and intelligence chief Turki al-Faisal, who accused Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of trying to steal the election.
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US Funds Israel’s Apartheid Roads Plan

The construction of sections of a controversial segregated road network in the West Bank planned by Israel for Palestinians – leaving the main roads for exclusive use by settlers – is being financed by a US government aid agency, a map prepared by...

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