President Barack Obama recently expressed a reluctance to send U.S. forces to Yemen and Somalia, two "failed states" where al-Qaeda is active. Obama seemed to realize that such a U.S. military presence might make the terrorism problem worse. If he...
Is Dick Cheney Unpatriotic?
Learning the Wrong Lessons From the Attempted Bombing
The botched attempt by a Nigerian, apparently trained in Yemen by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, to conduct a suicide bombing on a plane as it neared Detroit has highlighted the U.S. government's overzealous, ineffective, and even counterproductive efforts to...
Trying to Reduce Our Only Existential Threat
Obama’s Peace Prize Continues Tradition of Dubious Choices
President Barack Obama has been primarily criticized for winning the Nobel Peace Prize so early in his term that he hasn't yet done anything to deserve it. Only a few commentators, including the president, seemed to sheepishly realize the irony of his receiving the...
More ‘Corruption’ Is Needed in Afghanistan
Pay for the War, or Just Call It Off?
Congressman David Obey (D-Wis.), the powerful chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and an opponent of President Barack Obama's Afghan War escalation, recently proposed a special "temporary" income surtax to fund the war. Although his intentions are...
Government Terrorism Lists Are a Holiday Turkey
As the holiday travel season rolls around again, the government's terrorism watch list and no-fly list get ever more bizarre. Of course, for starters, the list has always been unconstitutional, because the government does not have probable cause to believe the vast...
Civilian Trials for 9/11 Suspects Aren’t Enough
The Obama administration's decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-described mastermind behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and four alleged co-conspirators in civilian court is a laudable return to the rule of law from the Bush administration's kangaroo...
Why Most Counterinsurgency Wars Fail
In recent history, very few counterinsurgency wars have ended in success. Guerrillas are often outgunned by a wealthier invading power, but they do have two powerful advantages. One is that they are fighting on their home turf, which they usually know much better than...


