In a preview of the heated divisions likely be triggered by the formation of a "truth commission" to investigate detainee interrogation, warrantless wiretapping and other alleged violations during the administration of President George W. Bush, witnesses...
The appointment of a top-ranking retired diplomat and vocal critic of Israel to a key intelligence post has triggered an intense backlash from hawkish Israel supporters in Congress and the media who are pressing the administration of President Barack Obama to...
Updated at 7:05 p.m. EST, March 5, 2009A significant bombing south of Baghdad shattered the relative peace of the last few days. Dozens of casualties were reported. Overall, at least 21 Iraqis were killed and another 73 were wounded across Iraq. No Coalition...
In two court cases that could test the limits of the Barack Obama administration's executive authority as well as its commitment to transparency, human rights lawyers are challenging the government's right to use information obtained through warrantless wiretapping as...
Ending a four-year diplomatic embargo on Damascus, the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama Tuesday confirmed that it is sending two high-level officials to Syria this week for "preliminary conversations," presumably on improving relations. The...
Updated at 7:30 p.m. EST, March 4, 2009At least 16 Iraqis were killed and 40 were wounded in the latest attacks. No Coalitino deaths were reported. Also, the Turkish foreign minister hinted that Ankara would allow Washington to use Turkish territory for the withdrawal...
Those who bought into the slogans "Hope" and "Change" last fall should have read the fine print. We were warned. Over and over during the campaign for the presidency Barack Obama made it clear that "withdrawal" from Iraq on his flexible...
Last week, I had the opportunity to travel to Manama (my first visit to the Middle East/Persian Gulf) to attend the Bahrain Security Forum and Exhibition (BSFE) co-sponsored by the Ministry of Interior and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). Fifty-eight...
I've just published the first definitive list of the 779 prisoners held in the U.S. prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, which is available in four parts. Click on the following links for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4. The list is the result of three years'...
When U.S. President Barack Obama announced his plan last week to pull out all U.S. combat troops from Iraq by September 2010, the news did not generate much enthusiasm among Iraqi Kurds. A simple math operation reveals the reasons behind the Kurds' anxiety – add...
