Iran's most repressive clerics and the USA's most militaristic neocons share a common interest: They're very eager to see the failure of Iranian activism for democracy and human rights. On the surface, no outlook could be further from Washington's reigning mentality...
Shi’ites: Game; Kurds: Set; Sunnis: Match; US: Loss
There is something pathetic in the recent efforts by the Bush administration (reported by the New York Times this week) to try to enlist Europe, the Arab world, and the United Nations to pressure the ruling Shi'ite-Kurdish coalition in Baghdad led by Prime Minister...
Iran’s Cynical Voters Look at Presidential Race
TEHRAN - "This election is absolutely unprecedented in terms of numbers of candidates and their supporters. [But] it seems the people and the eight hopefuls are from different planets," says Ali Hasani, 56, a self-employed businessman commuting between Dubai...
‘Heathens’ Not Welcome at Air Force Academy
In late April, the Washington-based Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a longtime religious watchdog group, called the nation's attention to numerous incidents of religious bias and the official promotion of fundamentalist Christianity at the...
Lebanon’s Aoun Makes Dramatic Comeback
BEIRUT - Former exiled general Michel Aoun made a dramatic comeback in the penultimate round of Lebanon's legislative elections, sweeping 21 seats out of the 58 contested. The Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader's unexpected victory represents a major upset to...
The Hidden Costs of War
The cost of war is always more than anticipated. If all the costs were known prior to the beginning of a war, fewer wars would be fought. At the beginning, optimism prevails. Denial and deception override the concern for the pain and penalties yet to come. Jingoistic...
Sen. Specter: End ‘Crazy Quilt’ Detention System
In its first attempt to develop laws governing the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay and other U.S. military prisons, Congress Wednesday began to travel the tortuous road between the argument that "enemy combatants" have no rights, and rising concerns...
Backtalk June 15, 2005
War: Realities and Myths Your article is a clear message of truth and paints war exactly for what it is, a tragedy made by men. As a career military officer and combat pilot, I find the Iraq war to be the greatest failure of the American system ever recorded. The...
Reviving the Foreign Aid Racket
"Debt Cut Is Set for Poorest Nations" was the headline in Sunday's Washington Post over the lead story. "The world's wealthiest nations," wrote Paul Blustein, "agreed yesterday to cancel more than $40 billion in debts that some of the world's poorest nations owe to...
How Bush Is Contributing to Civil War in Iraq
Sunnis and Shi'ites are now sliding toward a civil war, and the Bush administration has shown no interest in trying to avert it. With Congress growing increasingly restless over the absence of an administration exit strategy, opponents of the occupation...


