To Joe Biden: Time for Confession

Dear Sen. Biden, I don't have to remind you of the importance of this Thursday's debate from a political perspective. But as you prepare, I invite you to spare a few minutes to look at the opportunity from a moral and religious perspective. You may wish to examine...

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Campaign Rip Tides From the Forgotten War

In last Friday's presidential debate, John McCain went after Barack Obama on the surge in Iraq: "Senator Obama said the surge could not work, said it would increase sectarian violence, said it was doomed to failure. Recently on a television program, he said it...

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A Dial Marked ‘War’

The War Party loves generals: John McCain mentions Gen. David Petraeus at the drop of a hat, citing him as the final military and moral authority when it comes to U.S. strategy in the Middle East. The reverent tone is supposed to indicate that no further argument is...

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Brief Talks With Syria Spur Speculation

A series of meetings between U.S. and Syrian diplomats, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her counterpart, Foreign Minister Walid Moallem, at the United Nations over the past week is stirring speculation that Washington may at last be moving toward...

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Is Kurdish-Arab ‘Honeymoon’ Over?

Tensions between Kurds and the Iraqi government over disputed territory have heightened recently, raising fears that they might lead to ethnic clashes between Kurds and Arabs at a time when the war-torn country is slowly recovering from years of sectarian violence...

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Wednesday: 8 Iraqis Killed, 37 Wounded

At least eight Iraqis were killed and 37 more were wounded in the latest attacks. The lion's share of the casualties occurred during an attack on a shrine in Balad. No Coalition casualties were reported anywhere in Iraq. The Eid al-Fitr holiday continues, so there may...

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Backtalk, October 1, 2008

Decline and Fall Dear Mr. Raimondo: I have followed your articles for six years. Your writing is always passionate and persuasive, and you have been frighteningly prescient far more often than not. You are in general a voice for sanity amid the madness that has seized...

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Israel’s Breeding Ground for Terrorism

The words "Jewish" and "terrorist" are not easily uttered together by Israelis. But just occasionally, such as last week, when one of the country's leading intellectuals was injured by a pipe bomb placed at the front door of his home, they find...

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It Can Happen Here!

The German name Sternhell means "bright as the stars." The name fits: the positions of Professor Ze'ev Sternhell indeed stand out sharply against the darkness of the sky. He warns against Israeli fascism. This week, Israeli fascists laid a pipe bomb at the...

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An Amicus Brief for Neville

On Sept. 30, 1938, 70 years ago, Neville Chamberlain visited Adolf Hitler's apartment in Munich, got his signature on a three-sentence declaration, and flew home to Heston Aerodrome. "I've got it," he shouted to Lord Halifax. "Here is a paper which bears his name." At...

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