Tag: russia

The NATO Nuisance

Large and firmly implanted bureaucratic organizations are almost impossible to kill, even when they have no reason to continue to exist, as NATO has not since the Soviet Union, communism, and the Warsaw Pact all collapsed. There is no equivalent to driving a stake into the heart of a bureaucracy, whose impulse to live is … Continue reading “The NATO Nuisance”

Let’s Get Our Own Foreign Policy House in Order Before Criticizing Others

On March 31, 2010, the New York Times wrote an editorial that briefly expressed horror in response to the Moscow subway terror bombings, then warned that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin might yet again use terrorist attacks to further consolidate his power, and finally lectured Russia that the only way to defeat such extremism was to … Continue reading “Let’s Get Our Own Foreign Policy House in Order Before Criticizing Others”

Russia’s Metro Bombings

Those behind the bombing in Moscow’s Metro system, which took 39 lives – and shook the building that houses Russia’s Federal Security Bureau (FSB) – must be "scraped from the bottom of the sewers" and exposed, said Vladimir Putin. But what if that particular sewer leads all the way back to Washington and London? Russia … Continue reading “Russia’s Metro Bombings”

Does the US Government Understand the Terrorist Threat?

Most Americans just assume that the U.S. government’s actions to protect them from terrorism, if not perfect, are rational, based on sound information and analysis, and undertaken with the intention to protect the most people possible. But the government’s response here to the tragic bombings on the Russian subway should raise questions about such assumptions. … Continue reading “Does the US Government Understand the Terrorist Threat?”

Georgia: Nothing Is Coming Up Roses

The Russo-Georgian war of 2008 provides the clearest current example of how war propaganda works – and how counter-propaganda can negate it and turn the tables on the War Party. You’ll recall that as news of the conflict broke in the West, the war was reported as stemming from a Russian "invasion," i.e. the Russians … Continue reading “Georgia: Nothing Is Coming Up Roses”

Russia, China Sustain Military Toehold in Yemen

Russia has stolen a march over the United States in the multi-million-dollar arms market in cash-strapped Yemen, whose weapons purchases are being funded mostly by neighboring Saudi Arabia. The Yemeni armed forces, currently undergoing an ambitious military modernization program worth an estimated four billion dollars, are armed with weapons largely from Russia, China, Ukraine and … Continue reading “Russia, China Sustain Military Toehold in Yemen”

Can Iran Trust Russia and France With Its Uranium?

Iran’s formal response to a preliminary nuclear agreement whereby 1,200 kg of its low-enriched uranium (LEU) would be shipped to Russia and then France for enrichment from 3.8 to 19.75 percent and conversion to fuel rods has angered the European Union (EU). The compromise had been agreed upon between Iran’s delegation to the International Atomic … Continue reading “Can Iran Trust Russia and France With Its Uranium?”

Neocons and Pentagon Rage Against the Dying of the Fight

Despite the public relations campaign that has so many folks convinced the surge was a success, Iraq is still a zoo. It has been almost three years since the surge strategy was announced and David Petraeus was installed as commander in Iraq. As professor and retired Army officer Andrew Bacevich puts it, Iraq is "now … Continue reading “Neocons and Pentagon Rage Against the Dying of the Fight”

Empathy for ‘Adversaries’

Empathy is a term that connotes the touchy-feely notion of getting in touch with someone else’s feelings or perspective. That’s what psychotherapists and social workers do. It obviously has no place in the hard-knocks world of foreign affairs and national security. Or does it? In world history, the best generals are experts in empathy. They … Continue reading “Empathy for ‘Adversaries’”

Black Sea Wars

In August, the Georgian navy seized a Turkish tanker carrying fuel to Abkhazia, Georgia’s former province whose declaration of independence a year ago is recognized by Russia but not the West. The Turkish captain was sentenced to 24 years. When Ankara protested, he was released. Abkhazia has now threatened to sink any Georgian ship interfering … Continue reading “Black Sea Wars”