Uncertain Quiet Descends on Syrian Front

HIRI, Syria-Iraq border – There has not been any fighting lately near the desolate border village of Hiri, as there used to be after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, inhabitants here say. Nor have any cars or people crossed the border from Syria into Iraq at the official crossing. It was closed by the Iraqi … Continue reading “Uncertain Quiet Descends on Syrian Front”

Fallujah: Little Stalingrad

According to people who have been there, Fallujah is not a very big city. You can walk across it in half an hour. Yet when the history of this miserable war is written, I suspect it may loom large. Like Stalingrad, it will mark the point where the war turned against the invader.You may recall … Continue reading “Fallujah: Little Stalingrad”

FBI E-Mails Reveal More Abuses in Iraq, Cuba

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) e-mails released Monday by a civil liberties group provide new details of abuses committed by U.S. military personnel in Iraq and at the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba, including one note that alluded, possibly incorrectly, to a White House order permitting a number of contentious techniques. The e-mails make … Continue reading “FBI E-Mails Reveal More Abuses in Iraq, Cuba”

Hezbollah Threat Hovers Above Palestinian Poll

DAMASCUS – For the second time this year, the Syrian capital Damascus was shaken last week by a bomb attack against a leading figure of the fundamentalist Palestinian group Hamas. The target of the attack survived but it was another reminder of the role that Syria seems to be playing in Palestinian affairs. The country … Continue reading “Hezbollah Threat Hovers Above Palestinian Poll”

Iran Tries to Quell Internet Media Wave

Iran’s judiciary has threatened Internet journalists with torture and prison if they do not renounce accusations that authorities abused members of the electronic media and dissidents who were rounded up months ago. According to New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW), the chief prosecutor of Tehran, Judge Saeed Mortazavi, threatened three recently released detainees with severe … Continue reading “Iran Tries to Quell Internet Media Wave”

In the Zone With GI Joe

You come out of the subway at Times Square across the street from the Gap and catty-corner to ESPN Zone, walk past the Drug Enforcement Agency’s temporary museum (“Freedom is … Drug Free!”) with its “Target America: Drug Traffickers, Terrorists, and You” show, stroll past the New York Police Department’s office, its name outlined in … Continue reading “In the Zone With GI Joe”

Weapons-Grade Paranoia

According to Undersecretary of State John Bolton, "[T]he United States strongly believes that Iran has a clandestine program to produce nuclear weapons, and has been warning publicly about Tehran’s weapons ambitions for over a decade." Now, having nuke ambitions is one thing. Having the fissile material – plutonium-239 or uranium-235 – needed to produce nukes … Continue reading “Weapons-Grade Paranoia”

Persian Gulf Junk

On the eve of Bush’s invasion of Iraq, Undersecretary of State John Bolton met with Israeli officials in Tel Aviv. According to Ha’aretz, Bolton told the Israelis he had "no doubt" that "America will attack Iraq," soon, to disarm Saddam Hussein. The Israelis reportedly told Bolton they were much more worried about Iran having nukes … Continue reading “Persian Gulf Junk”