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In two major speeches at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) in 2003, President Bush sketched the outlines of what he called “a forward strategy of freedom in the Middle East”: in short, a militantly interventionist foreign policy in the Middle East. This new paradigm, according to the President, … Continue reading “One Year After the Invasion: Baghdad and Beyond”

Following the March 11, 2004 terrorist attacks in Madrid, Secretary of State Colin Powell told ABC TV’s “This Week” that he hoped Europeans, recognizing that no one is immune, would dedicate themselves to “going after” terrorist organizations with military force, intelligence, and law enforcement. He said that all of us have to get together to … Continue reading “Defeating Terrorism, Step One: Look in the Mirror”

Despite a rash of suicide attacks and roadside bombings directed at US troops and foreigners in Iraq, Secretary-General Kofi Annan is preparing to send a team of UN officials back to Baghdad to help Iraqis hold elections and form a new civilian government. “We are all very conscious of the security conditions (in Iraq), and … Continue reading “US Arm-Twists Iraqis to Seek UN Help Before June 30”

It is Déjà vu in Kosovo, back to 1999. After four years of creeping secession and covert ethnic cleansing, the Albanians have taken the next step and begun a war on UNMIK, KFOR, and whatever Serbs remained after the 1999 war. Throughout the occupied province, Serb houses and churches are burning, UN offices and KFOR … Continue reading “Kosovo Burning”

One year after the U.S.-led attack on Iraq, civilians are seeing some improvements in human rights but violence is endemic and many people live in fear for their safety, says a report by Amnesty International (AI). Based on a series of visits to Iraq over the past year, as well as media accounts, the report, … Continue reading “Rights Group Slams US Actions in Iraq”

During the five-hour debate on this resolution, Congressman Paul was not given an opportunity to speak, even though he is a fairly senior member of the House International Affairs Committee. Much more junior member of the committee, Kathryn Harris of Florida, was given two opportunities to speak on the issue. Clearly, the GOP leadership did … Continue reading “Praise the Troops, Not the War”

A group representing reporters and editors at Spain’s state-run news agency, EFE, says the agency knew about evidence pointing to involvement by Islamic terrorists in the Mar. 11 train bombings in Madrid that very morning, but kept it under wraps due to pressure from the government of Prime Minister José María Aznar. “EFE knew, from … Continue reading “Silencing the Truth About the Attacks in Spain”

Pakistan is grappling with local resistance as it presses tribesmen along the Afghan border to hand over people accused of harboring foreign militants, in an effort that coincides with a major U.S. offensive aimed at nabbing al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders in Afghanistan. The deaths in a firefight Tuesday that left 40 people dead, including 16 … Continue reading “Pakistan Courts Resentment as it Seeks Tribal Militants”

Amnesty International is expressing “serious concerns” about reports that least 20 people have been killed and hundreds of Syrian Kurds arrested by security forces since clashes broke out at a football match in the largely Kurdish town of Qamishli last Friday. Unrest spread to several other northeastern cities where Kurdish demonstrators clashed with security forces … Continue reading “Syria’s Treatment of Kurds Sparks Concern”

I suppose you could make a case, and in fact not a bad one, that the bombings of hotels and attacks on hotels and patrols in Basra, Baghdad, Falluja and Baquba should be viewed in some context. Even if things were going reasonably well, we could have expected opposition forces to be able to muster … Continue reading “A Year On: Time to Change Course”