In 1996, Sir Robert Cooper published a pamphlet entitled "The Postmodern State and the World Order" [.pdf]. In it, he suggested, "The postmodern world has to start to get used to double standards. Among ourselves, we operate on the basis of laws and...
When Iraqis Gave Up on Government
with Ali Al-Fadhily BAGHDAD - The Iraqi government headed by Prime Minister Noori al-Maliki, like earlier governments assigned by U.S. occupation authorities in Iraq, appears to have killed Iraqi dreams of a brighter future. General elections on Dec. 15, 2005 brought...
The Year Everything Changed
To say that the year behind us has been interesting would be an understatement. On one hand, there were no wars in the Balkans; no insurgencies, pogroms, or massacres. On the other hand, Imperial influence in the region has decreased dramatically, most likely as a...
Thursday: 80 Iraqis, 4 GIs Killed; 110 Iraqis, 1 GI Wounded
Updated at 11:00 p.m EST, Dec. 28, 2006 As millions of Muslims began the annual hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, 80 Iraqis were killed and another 110 wounded in violent attacks throughout Iraq today. Also, two American servicemembers were killed and another two were...
Study War for Peace
The war will still be around and quite possibly expanding next week. It's Christmas again, and the phenomenon I whine about every year that this country lacks an adequate peace culture remains a problem. To be sure, there's a more...
Did the Russian Mafia Kill Alexander Litvinenko?
They're making a movie about the Litvinenko affair, but if Hollywood hews to the narrative dished out by the British tabloids, then I wouldn't count on it being a box office hit. After all, the idea that the Kremlin would assassinate such an insignificant...
Wednesday: 134 Iraqis, 7 GIs, 2 Coalition Soldiers Killed
Updated at 2:05 a.m EST, Dec. 28, 2006 The U.S. military reported the deaths of seven GIs today. Also, two Latvian soldiers were killed and three were injured in a roadside bomb attack, and seven Britons were injured in a separate bombing. Meanwhile, 134 Iraqis were...
A Grim Christmas for Iraqi Children
With Ali al-Fadhily FALLUJAH - Ahmed Ghazi has little reason to stock Christmas toys at his shop in Fallujah. He knows what children want these days. "It is best for us to import toys such as guns and tanks because they are most salable in Iraq to little...
Tuesday: 119 Iraqis, 4 GIs Killed; 147 Iraqis, 3 GIs Wounded
Updated at 11:00 p.m. EST, Dec. 26, 2006 While several bombs rocked Baghdad today, the U.S military announced that four GIs were killed and three wounded in separate events. Also, the Iraqi appellate court upheld former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein’s death...
The Embarrassment of the Wretched
A recent call for a cultural boycott against Israel by John Berger and others has elicited one of its more wretched responses in the Guardian (Dec. 22), signed by Anthony Julius and Simon Schama. I confess I haven't heard of Anthony Julius before I am told he...


