Greeting Hu With
a 21-Gun ‘Salute’

On Tuesday April 18, Chinese President Hu Jintao landed in the United States and, after a tour of a Boeing plant, made his official way, with all due pomp and ceremony, to the expectable “state banquet” in Washington… no, not at the White House but at the Washington State home of Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates. … Continue reading “Greeting Hu With
a 21-Gun ‘Salute’”

Ritter Gets It Wrong

It’s odd that just as the tide turns irrevocably against the U.S. occupation of Iraq – both here and there – the otherwise steady Scott Ritter panics. He recently posted a harsh critique of the contemporary U.S. antiwar movement on his blog. In it, Ritter makes three main claims: (1) There is a “growing despondency” … Continue reading “Ritter Gets It Wrong”

The Ongoing War on Truth in Iraq

"The people of England have been led in Mesopotamia into a trap from which it will be hard to escape with dignity and honor. They have been tricked into it by a steady withholding of information. The Baghdad communiqués are belated, insincere, incomplete. Things have been far worse than we have been told, our administration … Continue reading “The Ongoing War on Truth in Iraq”

Iran War Drumbeat Has a Familiar Rhythm

The drumbeat in some Washington foreign policy circles for "regime change" in Iran has striking similarities to the run-up to the Iraq invasion, and is being led by some of the usual suspects – like the American Enterprise Institute’s Michael Ledeen. Though not well-known outside of Washington, Ledeen’s "views virtually define the stark departure from … Continue reading “Iran War Drumbeat Has a Familiar Rhythm”

Birth of an Empire

Review of Fools’ Crusade by Diana Johnstone 317 pages, Monthly Review Press, New York, 2002 Books that have accompanied the 1990s Balkans wars have by and large been complete rubbish. There were, to be fair, some works worth reading. Yet the Balkans tragedy was missing a book that would explain things in layman’s terms – … Continue reading “Birth of an Empire”

Rumsfeld’s Fall Drags Hawks in Its Wake

Despite White House efforts to put an end to the controversy, the battle over the fate of Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld shows little sign of abating. And the outcome, which is by no means certain, could well determine the trajectory of U.S. policy in key areas – including Iraq, Iran, and even China – through … Continue reading “Rumsfeld’s Fall Drags Hawks in Its Wake”

Busting Empty Bunkers

On April 12, Bloomberg News reported, "Iran, defying United Nations Security Council demands to halt its nuclear program, may be capable of making a nuclear bomb within 16 days, a U.S. State Department official said. "Iran will move to ‘industrial scale’ uranium enrichment involving 54,000 centrifuges at its Natanz plant, the Associated Press quoted deputy … Continue reading “Busting Empty Bunkers”

How Long Will MoveOn.org Fail to Oppose Bombing Iran?

MoveOn.org sent out an e-mail with the subject line "Don’t Nuke Iran" to three million people on April 12. "There is one place where all of us can agree: Americans don’t support a preemptive nuclear attack on Iran, and Congress must act to prevent the president from launching one before it’s too late," the message … Continue reading “How Long Will MoveOn.org Fail to Oppose Bombing Iran?”

An Embargo Is Not a Peaceful Alternative

As the drumbeat for military action against Iran grows louder, some members of Congress are calling to expand the long-standing U.S. trade ban that bars American companies from investing in that nation. In fact, many war hawks in Washington are pushing for a comprehensive international embargo against Iran. The international response has been lukewarm, however, … Continue reading “An Embargo Is Not a Peaceful Alternative”