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Home >> United States & Canada Foreign Policy & Military Countries in Glass Houses Shouldn't Threaten Boycotts
Jennifer L. Jackson - 5/3/2008
A large number of organizations, celebrities, politicians, and average Americans are calling for a boycott of the 2008 summer Olympics in China. The boycott demands range from snubbing attendance at the Opening Ceremonies to complete withdrawals of athletes from competition. Public figures including Hillary Clinton, Steven Spielberg, and Bob Costas have all weighed-in on the issue; all have expressed outrage regarding China's human rights abuses and support of the Sudanese government. Mia Farrow termed the Games the "Genocide Olympics." Dick Enberg, a veteran broadcaster set to cover tennis... What US delegation may discuss
Sunita Paul - 5/2/2008
According to latest news received from Dhaka, US Assistant Secretary of States, Mr. Richard Boucher and Counter-Terrorism Department's Coordinator and Assistant Secretary Dale Daily are expected to arrive in Bangladesh on May 7 on a 3-day visit. Time to lean on Mexico about Extradition
Ross Kaminsky - 4/22/2008
Marine Corporal Cesar Laurean, suspected of murdering a pregnant Marine, 20-year old Corporal Maria Lauterbach, then burning her body and burying it, was arrested in Mexico by police officers who thought he looked suspicious. Why Democracy-Mongering is a Problem
Kyle Bristow - 4/22/2008
The desire to spread democracy abroad is not exclusive to contemporary neoconservative ideology. During the 5th century BC, a superpower that was plagued with politicians who exhibited hubris that is not dissimilar to the hubris of warmongering neoconservatives caused war to roil the ancient world. The Smarter Jimmy Carter Charter
David Singer - 4/20/2008
Ex-President Jimmy Carter has hogged the media spotlight this week over his intended - and subsequent - meetings with Hamas head honcho Khaled Meshaal and other Hamas leaders - thereby incurring the wrath of Israel, the United States, the European Union and the Palestinian Authority. Lennonism Imagines The Middle East
Prof. Barry Rubin - 4/17/2008
The Middle East today is driven by five big conflicts: Among states for power; the Iran-Syria alliance’s war on everyone else; the struggle between Arab nationalists and Islamists to control each country, and the Sunni-Shia and the Arab-Israeli conflicts. America's Failure: Russia and Serbia
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 4/13/2008
The United States had two strategic goals as it faced its reluctant allies in NATO in the April 2008 Bucharest Summit: Brzezinski’s Back
Ted Belman - 4/10/2008
Events of the past few days indicate that the Zbigniew Brzezinski faction of lunatic Russia haters have now won the upper hand inside the secret councils of the Anglo-American finance oligarchy, displacing the hitherto dominant George Shultz-neocon faction. Although George Bush and his cronies still occupy the White House, the policies that are being carried out are coming from the Brzezinski left CIA machine. Brzezinski has returned to public prominence in recent months due to his role as top establishment controller for the Obama campaign. But Brzezinski is not waiting for the outcome of the November elections to take over key parts of the US government. Podhoretz in defense of Bush, Sharon and himself
Ted Belman - 4/10/2008
Norman Podhoretz, as you will recall, was a staunch supporter of George W. Bush, and is staying the course, and was in support of Sharon’s Disengagement. He now replies to his critics of both these positions, in his Commentary article, Israel and the Palestinians:Has Bush Reneged?. Anyone interested in the peace process from its beginning in Madrid should read this very informative article. He begins, The Immorality of Interventionism
Kyle Bristow - 4/7/2008
Otto Von Bismarck understood why interventionism was not prudent when he said that “The whole of the Balkans is not worth the bones of a single Pomeranian grenadier.” Failed Rice Mission
Abdul Ruff - 4/5/2008
Not withstanding the efforts from the USA to find a lasting solution to Middle East turmoil by establishing a Palestine state to exist side-by-side with its arch foe that keeps killing innocent Palestinians in its air-strikes conducted intermittently, Israel has once again invaded the Gaza territory of defenseless Palestinians. This generated world wide criticism and many nations requested US to quickly intervene to stop Israeli air-strikes in Gaza . With a view reducing tensions in Gaza , US president George W. Bush dispatched his Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to the region. US Pushes Pie-in-the-Sky Missile Defense in Europe
Prof. Tom Sauer and Prof. Dave Webb - 4/4/2008
Missile defense will figure high on the agenda at the NATO summit of heads of state in Bucharest. The odds are that, without any meaningful parliamentary debate within or between European states, Europe will quietly go along with the US proposal to install missile-defense interceptors in Poland and a powerful radar system in the Czech Republic. The Jewish Left wants Washington to pressure Israel
Ted Belman - 3/30/2008
Following up on my article Liberal Jews support Obama in part because they blame the Jews too in which I pointed out that "progressive Jews" were naturally allies of Obama, I came upon this Prospect Magazine article by Gershom Gorenberg entitled A Liberal Jewish Lobby. Oil May Not Grease Friendship
Amity Shlaes - 3/25/2008
In the post-Cold War period, researchers have long wondered why some countries befriend the US. They have noted some common characteristics of US friends – cultural affinity, urban dominance, level of entrepreneurship and so on. They also noticed that oil wealth can correlate with hostility towards the US. Much of this work, while evocative, is anecdotal. Financing Failure: How Foreign Aid is Mismanaged
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 3/25/2008
Who can explain the logic of first propping up a seemingly friendly autocrat, then disregarding the autocrat’s disloyalty, only to end this trifecta by subsidizing it all along? Take for example the late Yasser Arafat, whose decades of murdering diplomats and overseeing hit-squads was legitimized overnight by overt international assistance. Somewhere along the line, it was deemed that any hypothetical Palestinian state required the presence of an imposing “strongman,” someone to keep the apparently crazier folk down. (So who better than a Jordanian to do it?) Interview with Sam Vaknin: Private Armies and Private Military Companies
Barry Zellen - 3/18/2008
Barry Zellen conducted this interview with Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. Dr. Vaknin (http://samvak.tripod.com) is the author of Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited and After the Rain - How the West Lost the East. He is the associate editor of the Global Politician and has served as a columnist for Central Europe Review, PopMatters, Bellaonline, and eBookWeb, a United Press International (UPI) Senior Business Correspondent, and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory and Suite101. Is the Sun Setting on US Dominance? – Part II
Jiang Qian - 3/3/2008
CAMBRIDGE: It has become fashionable to talk about the arrival of a multipolar world, in which the US faces increasing competition from rising powers like Europe, China and India, or resurgent powers like Russia and Japan. Proponents of such a "multipolar worldview" often claim to hold a "realist" view of international relations. They believe the US should retreat from its ideological crusade and instead engage in a contest for influence with other global "poles", ŕ la "the Great Game," on "unclaimed playgrounds such as Africa or Latin America. The North American Union Farce
Laura Carlsen - 3/3/2008
It's got millions of rightwing citizens calling Congress, sponsoring legislation, and writing manifestos in defense of U.S. sovereignty. It comes up in presidential candidates' public appearances, has made it into primetime debates, and one presidential candidate—Ron Paul—used it as a central theme of his (short-lived) campaign. Is the Sun Setting on US Dominance?
Joergen Oerstroem Moeller - 2/28/2008
As the world’s economic and security interests become increasingly interconnected, many analysts speculate on what global leadership will emerge throughout the 21st century. This two-part series examines the changing role of the United States in the world‘s economic and security scene. In the first part of the series, Joergen Oerstroem Moeller, visiting senior research fellow with the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, argues that the US may be losing grip of the steering wheel and Asia will likely emerge as the world’s largest and most dynamic economy. Asian financial institutions coming t... America's Destruction of the Control Spy Satellite US 193
Monotapash Mukherjee - 2/28/2008
Feb. 21, the US military destroyed a defunct and out-of –control spy satellite US 193 with a specially designed SM3 ballistic missile with pin-point accuracy. It was an unprecedented mission for the navy, so extraordinary that the final go ahead to launch the missile was reserved for Defense Secretary Robert Gates rather than a military commander. We the People
Amil Imani - 2/12/2008
In the United States, the oath of office for the President of the United States is specified in the U.S. Constitution (Article II, Section 1): Bush's lasting legacy for Arab League
David Singer - 1/22/2008
President George W. Bush delivered a severe rebuff to the Arab League in remarks made by him at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem on 10 January 2008 ( "the King David Declaration"). Bush and Musharraf - The greater evil and the lesser evil!
Iqbal Latif - 1/21/2008
The hatred of the two unite Liberals and Extremists with equal zest and enthusiasm US-Iran Tensions Heightened
Roger Gale - UK Member of Parliament - 1/17/2008
The war of words and actions between the Iranian regime and the US administration has been at the forefront of all Middle Eastern affairs since the invasion of Iraq in 2003. However, one incident in the last week brought this to our sharp attention. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in the Straight of Hormuz were seen to have threatened a US naval fleet with what can only be described as extremely provocative actions. This most recent event occurs less than a year after 15 British sailors were detained in international waters by Iranian officials, taken to Iran and paraded on TV. Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush
Prof. Barry Rubin - 1/17/2008
Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of articles have been written on President George Bush's visit to the Middle East and the Israeli-Palestinian issue. And not a single one that I've seen has mentioned the ridiculously obvious point that goes so far in explaining everything. President Bush, the PLO, Rocket Science and Commonsense
David Singer - 1/8/2008
President Bush's last ditch effort to save his two state vision will reach a climax with his visit to Israel and the West Bank this week. The President must have shivered in his boots as he read some of the welcoming statements that were published in the Jerusalem Post last week ["PA official says Olmert must be living on a different planet" - 2 January] - obviously made with the President's imminent visit clearly in contemplation. Too Much America Bashing: Bad For World’s Security
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 1/8/2008
The fight against terrorism is not over. It is not even, in reality, nearly over as Osama bin Laden and other senior al- Qaeda leaders are yet to be captured or killed by America and her allies united for the fight against international terrorism upon the aftermath of September 11th. Nevertheless, as this year comes to its close, it can be said that the fight against terrorism though lopsided and tedious at times have so far, nevertheless, has helped to shape the future campaign. His Beatitude's Attitude Leaves Bush With No Latitude
David Singer - 12/27/2007
President Bush must be aghast at the call for the rejection of Israel as the Jewish State made by the top Roman Catholic clergyman in Israel - His Beatitude Michel Sabbah Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. His statement mirrors similar views recently expressed by Mahmoud Abbas - Chairman of the PLO and President of the Palestinian Authority and Saeb Erekat - chief negotiator for the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The Year of Acting Dangerously
Prof. Barry Rubin - 12/26/2007
While 2007 didn't greatly change the Middle East compared to some of its predecessors, here are some of its significant trends which will continue to dominate the year to come. What A Difference A Year Makes!
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 12/24/2007
From mid-2003 throughout the end of 2006 no one was more disheartened over the course of U.S. involvement in Iraq than I. What was a clean, successful, three-week liberation somehow devolved into an unnecessary and counterproductive occupation. Iraq, we were told, was to be a quick, in-and-out, SWAT-like takedown. Infinite Space And Our Difficulties Getting There
Angelique van Engelen - 12/22/2007
Pioneers of mathematics often encountered significant resistance to their work during their lifetime. Donald Coxeter, a man described as the King of Infinity knew about this first hand. As did Rene Descartes. Both made significant strides into infinity. Of “Moderates” and Radicals
Ted Belman - 12/8/2007
“Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists," said President George W. Bush said after 9/11. He went on to identify N. Korea, Iran and Iraq , the “axis of evil” and to declare the “war on terror”. The last thing he wanted to do was to identify the enemy. N. Korea was included in the list for fear that someone might think, G-d forbid, that Moslems were the enemy or that Islam was the enemy just as Communists and Communism were during the cold war. Everyone is switching to the radicals, US included
Ted Belman - 12/6/2007
The Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad leader was invited for the first time to the OCC meeting of six Gulf Cooperation Council leaders which opened in Doha Monday, Dec. 3. DEBKAfile: His warm welcome by the “moderate” Arab rulers further bankrupts Washington’s policy backed by Israel’s Olmert government, which attempts to draw a distinction between “radical” and “moderate” Middle East governments. Drilling a Hole in the Lifeboat
Prof. Barry Rubin - 12/3/2007
What would you do if your foreign policy agenda had these priorities: Musharraf: An American Dilemma
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 11/25/2007
Someone once asked me, what are the similarities, between Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and the Dog’s tail. I said, I don’t know. He smiled and said, they are pretty similar, both are very stubborn. He went on saying; I’ve never seen anything as stubborn as the dog’s tail nor have I seen any human as stubborn as Musharraf. Demise of US Supremacy in the Middle East and its Consequences
Mahmood Ahmad - 11/12/2007
The advent of Modern Middle East marked by Napoleon’s arrival in Egypt just two centuries ago – some 80 years after the demise of the Ottoman Empire, 50 years after the end of the colonialism, and less than 20 years after the end of the Cold War – the American era in the Middle East, has ended and a new era in the modern history of the region has started to evolve. New actors and forces competing for influence will shape it, and will try to master it. Is America Doomed?
Amil Imani - 11/7/2007
Because we are our own worst enemy. Because it is going to take more than 9/11 to wake us up. Because our politicians don’t have the stomach to tell the truth. Because we have lost our will to call a spade a spade. Because we are ignoring the most important element of intelligence -- understanding the mindset and dedication of our enemies -- and because being politically correct has become our norm. The political face of war today
Ian Lawrence - 11/7/2007
It was said that during the Vietnam War the face of America at war had greatly transformed. With fresh footage screened right across American homes on the nightly news, the reality of war was presented into our living rooms for the first time ever. The political repercussions of a nation at war were now real, and potentially threatening to the government’s ability to handle national security objectives in the strategic interest of the country. Clinton, Carter, Condoleezza and Candour
David Singer - 11/7/2007
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack revealed this week that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been talking to ex-Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton about their experiences in trying to negotiate peace between Israel and its Arab enemies. Has President Bush's Vision Succumbed To Reality?
David Singer - 11/6/2007
President Bush appears to have abandoned any hope of creating a new Arab State between Israel and Jordan. His closest confidante--the Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice--suggested as much when she made this blunt observation after her visit to the Middle East this past week: The Cycle of Wishful Thinking
Lee Harris - 10/11/2007
THE AGE OF illusions is over," the historian Walter Laqueur wrote recently, referring to the illusions the West continues to entertain about the confrontation with radical Islam. Needless to say, Laqueur did not mean that we in the West no longer have any illusions on this subject; those still abound. He meant, rather, that we can no longer afford to harbor them and that the time has come to shed them. Yet human beings have great difficulty in freeing themselves from illusions — even quite dangerous ones — as long as they offer comfort and provide peace of mind. The best place to start the fre... Military Use Of The Occult, Remote Viewing
Angelique van Engelen - 10/11/2007
Officially, the US military does not make use of Remote Viewing activities, having closed down the departments that were involved in them in the 1990s. Private Remote Viewing experts however, are involved in drawing sketches of far off locations, some of which turn out remarkably precise. One US ex-army officer involved from Texas who's involved in Remote Viewing, claims to have seen Iranian complexes which are used for creating nuclear bombs. An interview with UK artist Suzanne Treister, who created HEXEN2039, a project about the military's historical use of the occult for psychological warfare. FBI On Blackwater's Case
Angelique van Engelen - 10/6/2007
Investigations into Blackwater's Iraq dealings have been handed over to the FBI, the State Department has said. The FBI bridges the process to its next stage, which will be in the hands of the Iraqi ministry of Justice or the US Justice Department. Facebook for Analysts: Launching the International Analyst Network
David Storobin, Esq. - 10/3/2007
In recent months, the Global Politician has worked with the Intelligence Summit and private analysts to create the International Analyst Network. The International Analyst Network brings together experts around the world in the fields of foreign policy and geopolitics. This network offers updates with the latest news and analysis on an hourly basis. US Investigation Into Iraqi Government's Corruption Is 'Classified Information': State Department
Angelique van Engelen - 10/3/2007
The government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is corrupt. The Bush administration knows it. Yet the State Department in Washington has decided that the investigation into this issue will be classified to the extent that all ‘embarrassing issues’ will stay out of the public domain. An October 4 hearing by the House government oversight and reform committee (which has powers to investigate any federal legislative issue) is seriously impeded by the secrecy. How Can We Win Without Going To War With Iran?
Ghazal Omid - 10/3/2007
It would be a mistake to go to war with Iran. America neither has to go to war nor negotiate with Iran. There is a third choice. There is an expression in Farsi, “You don’t have to open a knot with your teeth when you could open it with your fingers.” This proverb should not be interpreted to mean negotiation. It simply means logical decisions based on facts that make sense are better options than are obligatory triggered by emotional fuel.” Defending Blackwater and Understanding the Western Way of War
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 10/2/2007
Judging from the reactions of fellow diplomacy students, one may have fallen under the impression I was justifying Jeffrey Dahmer’s eating habits. Regardless, I am coming to believe something is apparently very wrong with me, in that I feel private military companies (PMCs) –– particularly Blackwater USA –– are amongst the most efficient humanitarian organizations in business. Ackerman Resolution on Lebanon Passed by House 415-2
Pierre A. Maroun - 9/27/2007
(Washington, DC) Congressman Gary L. Ackerman today led the House of Representatives to pass of his resolution calling for strong U.S. support for the government of Lebanon by a vote of 415 to 2. Ackerman, the chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, warned the House that “Lebanon is being bullied” by Iran, Syria and their proxies, Hezbollah, Amal and Gen. Michel Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement. Mythmakers About the Middle East
Prof. Barry Rubin - 9/25/2007
People don't often threaten to murder me face to face. But in the spring of 2007, Alexis Debat, director of the terrorism program at the Nixon Center and consultant to ABC News, did so. Bush Must Resist The Threatened Arab Boycott
David Singer - 9/21/2007
President Bush's planned meeting on the Middle East in November has been dealt a severe body blow as the Palestinians and Saudi Arabians threaten to boycott the meeting if their agenda demands are not met. A senior advisor to Palestinian Authority and PLO Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is reported in Israelinsider on 17 September as stating: General Petraeaus Reports
Prof. Barry Rubin - 9/20/2007
Everybody in Washington has been waiting for General David H. Petraeaus to give his report on the Iraq war. Expectations became most inflated, as if he would deliver America of this seemingly unsolvable problem in a messianic manner. Dealing with Iran: The Key to Bush’s Middle East Legacy
Namjoo Hashemi - 9/15/2007
The recent resignation of Alberto Gonzales, Attorney General, and long-time friend of President Bush, follows the path of Carl Rove and Donald Rumsfield. While things have not been going well for the Bush administration on the domestic front, his foreign policy has taken even greater hits. There’s been no progress to report in Afghanistan; rather, the Taliban gain ground there daily and though the recent surge in troops in Iraq, while it may have offered temporary relief in limited areas, any sign of a long term positive affect are fading fast. With criticism mounting from all sides, the White... What the future might hold if we fail to deal with the Leftist/Marxist-Islamist Alliance
David J. Jonsson - 9/11/2007
With every passing year following the events of 9/11 the rise of Leftist/Marxist-Islamist Alliance has increased global instability. By the beginning of 2006, nearly all the combustible ingredients—far bigger in scale than those leading to World Wars 1 and 11 and the Gulf Wars of 1991 or 2003—were in place. Strategic Assessment Of The War Between The West and Islam
Jan Lamprecht - 9/11/2007
Five years after 9/11, it’s time to focus and analyze the military and political consequences of it. The mere fact that no terrorist acts have occurred on US soil since then tells us that the enemy caught American Intelligence by surprise on September 11. But this has been remedied. From various sources, it appears that the CIA went on a secret worldwide offensive based on the principle that attack is the best form of defense. The idea being to nail the terrorists before they get to the USA. All in all, the CIA has not done badly. Americans have done a reasonable job of keeping terrorism out o... The Phony War On Terror
Ted Belman - 9/11/2007
As a result of the Muslim atrocity of 9/11, President George W. Bush declared war on terror. On Sept 20th he spoke to the combined houses and declared “On September the 11th, enemies of freedom committed an act of war against our country.” Although he did call it an act of war, he limited the perpetrators to “enemies of freedom” even though all 19 hijackers were Muslims motivated by the Koran. And 15 of these were Saudis. America’s Limited Options In The War On Terror
Ted Belman - 9/11/2007
Before 9/11, Islamists attacked American forces, ships, diplomats and Embassies from time to time with relative impunity. The enormity of 9/11 demanded that the US put an end to such attacks. Her first response which came within 24 hours of the attack was to enable plane-loads of Saudi VIPs to leave the country. Thus even before determining who was responsible and what course of action to be taken, the Bush decided to absolve and protect the Saudis. Incredible, considering that 15 of the 19 terrorists were Saudis. Is American Foreign Policy Responsible for 9/11?
Ryan Mauro - 9/11/2007
After the attacks of September the 11th, many questioned, “Why do they hate us?” While any deliberate attack on innocent civilians is deplorable, it is important to find the cause of radical Islamic terrorism. Many people point to the sources of anti-Americanism as the cause of terrorism, but anti-Americanism does not translate into an acceptance of, and willingness to participate in, suicide bombings. It is not fair to blame anti-Americanism (and thus American policy causing anti-Americanism) as the cause of the sickness, because hatred of one country’s policy does not lead most people to jus... Extremist Navy Officer Receives Slap On The Wrist
Christopher Pryor - 9/9/2007
On September 12, 2001 , Americans throughout the country were mourning catastrophic loss of life as well as the destruction and damage of treasured American icons - the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. US policy has always been the same
Kamala Sarup - 9/9/2007
US Freedom and democracy means that the general population has control of the legislators. I think, post-World war two US policy has always been the same as pre-World war two US policy. Freedom is not a short term gain; it is long term. It is about "the fundamental values of democracy". That sentimental concept is the kind of powerful statement that the US govt puts out to its citizens. The US gov't., since 1776, has used such appeals to "democracy", "American way of life", "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness", "four score and seven year ago etc., in the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address" and other appeal. Losing On Democracy Promotion in the Middle East, an American Foreign Policy Challenge
Timothy Brown - 8/28/2007
The August 2007 by-elections in Lebanon were held to fill the parliament seats that became vacant by assassinations earlier this year. Former president Amin Gemayel, whose son Pierre was slain in March, lost to a relatively unknown candidate in the early August elections. In the New York Times (10 Aug 2007) article, “U.S. Backs Free Elections, Only to See Allies Lose” by Hassan M. Fattah, describes how Mr. Gemayel’s demise was more than like attributed to his backing by the United States rather than a split Christian vote, the Armenian vote, and alleged election rigging. In January of 2006, th... Foreign Policy Towards Middle East: Engage, Moderate, Split
Prof. Barry Rubin - 8/27/2007
Engage, moderate, and split--that's the mantra for Middle East policy of the wrong-headed in many foreign ministries, newspaper editorial offices, universities, and other places where the rapidly growing international bad-ideas industry is centered. The Secret of anti-Americanism
Mencius Moldbug - 8/26/2007
As a young American living outside the US I often found myself exposed to the odd belief system that's often called "anti-Americanism." I had trouble understanding how or why anyone could think this way. Reality, which my father brought home every night in the slim and serious form of the Herald Trib, was one thing, and anti-Americanism quite another.
And yet the creed seemed quite popular. Moreover, it was no peasant superstition. If anything, the local elites - with whose spawn I was of course raised, and whose wealth and sophistication were unden... How the West Lost the Cold War
Fjordman - 8/26/2007
The girlfriend of a politician from the Sweden Democrats, a small party critical of mass immigration, was recently attacked at her home outside Stockholm. The young woman was found bound with duct tape in the apartment block where she lives with Martin Kinnunen, chairman of the youth wing of the SD. Three men had forced their way into the couple’s apartment and held the 19-year-old at knife point. Kinnunen tells of several threats and anonymous phone calls to the family. Indo-US Nuke Deal In Line of Fire
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 8/25/2007
“Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is a traitor who has betrayed the nation by continuous bluffing on the Indo-US nuclear deal. Had an American President done that he would have been removed, if it were in China they would have settled it with one bullet in his head.” These comments are made by the NDA convener and opposition leader George Fernandes. Kucinich Must Find a Better Role Model Than Bob Ney
Hassan Daioleslam - 8/24/2007
Bob Ney, a current federal prisoner and former Ohio Congressman, has left quite a legacy. Throughout his tenure in the US Congress he received bribes in exchange for providing services to a variety of clients. Ney was finally convicted for several charges including accepting bribes from lobbyists and international arms dealers in an effort to circumvent sanctions to sell US-made airplane parts to Tehran1. In the US congress, Ney was an active and outspoken advocate of the Iranian mullahs. He fought hard against sanctions, toned down the pro human right statements against Iran and worked hard t... Baghdad Ablaze: Interview with Prof Ray Tanter On Winning In Iraq and Iran
Ryan Mauro - 8/20/2007
Professor Raymond Tanter is the president of the Iran Policy Committee. The IPC has just published their new book, “Baghdad Ablaze: How to Extinguish the Fires in Iraq and Allow for a Triumphant Return Home of US Military Forces.” Raymond Tanter served at the White House as a Senior Member on the National Security Council staff, from 1981 to 1982. In 1983-1984, he was personal representative of the Secretary of Defense to arms control talks in Madrid, Helsinki, Stockholm, and Vienna. In 1967, Tanter was deputy director of behavioral sciences at the Advanced Research Projects Agency of the U.S.... Tancredo's Call To Bomb Muslim Holy Sites Promotes Anti-Americanism
Ahmad Al-Akhras, Ph.D. - 8/12/2007
It was shocking to hear presidential candidate Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) call for the bombing of Muslim holy sites as a deterrent to terrorist attacks on our nation and that is part of his “presidential anti-terror package.” When reported overseas, such bigoted words can contribute to anti-Americanism, endangering American’s and providing Al-Qaeda and its ilk with a tool to recruit support and raise funds. Appearance is Everything
Jonathan Spyer - 8/9/2007
US Secretary of State Condolleeza Rice has now completed her four day trip to the Middle East. Dr. Rice was evidently well-pleased at what she found, describing herself as "impressed by the seriousness of (Olmert and Abbas) to really advance this two state solution." A number of commentators have remarked on the similarity between the current moment and the days of the Oslo peace process. A notable difference, however, is that during Oslo one had the sense that the protagonists, or at least some of them, really believed they were on the way to making peace in the Middle East. This time around, the whole thing has a strained, slightly unreal sense to it. What lies behind this? America Alone
Stephen W. Browne - 8/8/2007
I tend to be skeptical about disaster scenarios based on statistical reasoning. Firstly, I'm old enough to remember when the fashionable disasters were the Next Ice Age, one-square-meter-per-person overpopulation, and famine deaths in the billions - the latter set to arrive without fail in 1980. Fashion disaster accessories included exhaustion of natural resources and the extinction of blondes by the year 2000. America’s Lopsided Foreign Policy
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 8/6/2007
A foreign policy crisis has loomed in America. And what should the president intrude? What he should do to mend all his mistakes and in next several months build a new foreign policy model, one that could help him earn a distinguished place in the history books. United States Caught in an Abusive Relation With Mullahs
Prof. Kazem Kazerounian - 8/5/2007
The dynamics of the relation between the United States and the Iran's mullahs resembles that of an abused wife and the batterer husband. Domestic violence comes as a form of bullying, as a means that is easier than other methods. There are different reasons why spouses stay in physically abusive marriages. Some women stay because they fear the community's reaction, some hope that their husbands will change, some stay out of fear of the husband's violent reaction, some stay because of low-esteem, and some stay because they can't find a way out. United States must find a way out of this dishonorable cycle. Pro-Ayatollah Disinformation and Manipulation Campaign by Washington Think Tankers
Hassan Daioleslam - 8/3/2007
The policy of United States on Iran over the past decade has been amalgamated with confusion and shortsightedness. This is not accidental. A key factor in shaping this policy has been a disinformation campaign by the pro-Iranian circles. A leading champion of this propaganda crusade is the Council for Foreign Relations (CFR) and Dr. Ray Takeyh. Dr. Takeyh is a senior fellow at CFR and has testified frequently at various congressional committees and has appeared in numerous media venues. Takeyh until early 2000s was an ardent opponent of engagement with Iran but surprisingly became a strong adv... Bush And Abdullah Chew Over The Bones Of Palestine
David Singer - 8/2/2007
US President George W. Bush held talks at the White House at a hastily arranged private dinner on Tuesday with Jordan's King Abdullah II to discuss major regional issues - with no joint public appearances afterwards. A Sino-American Turf Battle In Pakistan?
Ahmed Quraishi - 7/30/2007
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—An anti-American Islamic fanatic is arrested in Afghanistan, flown to Guantanamo Bay and then released back to Afghan authorities. He’s supposedly seething with anti-Americanism. But after crossing the border and returning to Pakistan, his first mission is to kidnap and kill a Chinese engineer. President Bush Presses The Palestine Panic Button
David Singer - 7/21/2007
President George Bush is having a panic attack as his five year old vision of implanting an Arab state between Israel and Jordan in 6% of historic Palestine - the Bush Dream - has turned into a nightmare. The President has been exposed as totally powerless and lacking in influence to resolve what seemed to him to be so readily achievable in 2002. Flanagan Method: West's Policy Towards Middle East
Prof. Barry Rubin - 7/18/2007
Father Edward Flanagan was a great man. In 1917 he founded Boys Town, now Boys and Girls Town, in Nebraska as an orphanage combining revolutionary and traditional approaches to help orphans who had never before known kind treatment. Flanagan was an innovative educator but he never meant his methods to be used in Middle East politics or international affairs. The House Vote Is A Recipe For Horrific Mass Murder In Middle East
Iqbal Latif - 7/15/2007
President George W. Bush is right when he says "I don't think Congress ought to be running the war, I think they ought to be funding the troops." The 9/11 terror attacks were not conceived in vacuum. Those who draw moral equivalence to terrorist acts today, citing that post 9/11 has encouraged extremism, forget that pre-9/11, there was no justification to destroy civilian targets in the heart of NY City. If the reaction would have been like post USS Cole or post Kenyan embassies, the world would have seen the war and its theatre shifted to the heart of western civilisation. Someone then would ... Daniel Pipes - A Zionist Islamophobe?
M.A. Khan - 7/8/2007
Mr. Daniel Pipes, a leading American scholar on the Middle East Politics, has recently been accused of being an Islamophobe for his no-nonsense critique of the Palestine Authority and of the Islamic world in general. He has naturally made too many enemies that not only include the Muslims but also their strange but committed leftist allies. Become a Middle East Expert/Make Big Bucks/Astound Your Friends
Prof. Barry Rubin - 6/27/2007
Dear Career Counselor: I am in bad shape. I cannot get a job or support myself. I want to be rich and famous and powerful but I have no idea what to do. Can you suggest a powerful, prestigious, high-paying field where I need do no study or training? Signed, Destitute and Dumb. Where Should Bush Drop His Bombs Next?
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 6/18/2007
After Iraq, what next? The plainest answer to that question is that much depends on how the war on Iraq and Afghanistan proceeds. But after years of bombing, the campaign it seems is merely in its early stages because of America's inability to win any war dating back to its confrontation with Vietnam. There is no Saddam in Iraq, and no Taliban regime in Afghanistan, but so far, it is more striking how little has happened in the war than how much more is expected of America and its allies. Bush, Osama and Iraq
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 6/15/2007
In 1991, when the American- led coalition force drove Iraq ’s ramshackle army out of Kuwait, it could have easily brought Saddam Hussein on his knees by invading Iraq . But American troops chased Iraqi forces from Kuwait back into Iraq and left Saddam Hussein untouched. Why America left the dictator untouched? Probably because, Senior Bush was worried that Iraq might descend into the land of chaos, mayhem and anarchy or that America might be left with a permanent mess there upon its victory. The case for bombing Iran
David Harris - 6/14/2007
When the United States strikes Iran - as it will - the result will be a disaster, but a disaster that cannot be avoided. Today, Iran's radical Islamist military, security and intelligence machine reflects the extremism of its history and entrenched masters. It has made Iran an engine of global instability and menace. For Iran today is on the verge of grasping the nuclear club, even as it remains an ungovernable influence in the international community. The Fight against Jihad: Dealing with India and China
Wolfgang Bruno - 5/24/2007
The most important task in the fight against Islamic Jihad is to reunite the West in the defense of its own civilization, which can only happen by derailing Europe’s path to Eurabia. Raphael Israeli has suggested an Alliance of Western and Democratic States, at the center of which will be the US, Canada, Israel, Australia and Western Europe. This system may sidetrack the chaotic situation in the UN today, where Islamic countries and dictatorships have too much influence. It would probably also presuppose scrapping the EU in its present form. This alliance should maintain amiable relations with... Defeating Defeatism - The End of the Phony War
Wolfgang Bruno - 5/23/2007
I have stated before that we in the West need to face down our internal enemies, the twin trolls of Denial and Defeatism, before we can have any chance of dealing with Islam. Yes, the Islamic threat is very real and could lead to a cataclysmic world war unless stopped. No, it’s not too late to win this. Not yet. Writer Mark Steyn does a good job at devouring the former troll, but insists on feeding the latter. As Lawrence Auster demonstrates, Steyn continues to claim that we have in fact already lost, and must settle for "a Muslim majority world.” He talks as if he is the Churchill of our age,... U.S. Policy Toward Iran and Russia
David J. Jonsson - 5/20/2007
After September 11, Bush explained that the attacks showed that the friend of your enemy is also your enemy. As he put it last September, “America makes no distinction between those who commit acts of terror, and those that harbor and support them, because they’re equally guilty of murder.” What Future for US - Europe Relations?
Fjordman - 5/12/2007
The relationship Americans have with Europe has always been complicated. On one hand, it is the Mother Continent. On the other hand, there is a skeptical or rejectionist view of Europe in the US, as many European Americans left precisely to get away from the Old World. I sometimes wonder whether the best way to understand this paradox is that the early pioneers wanted to create an improved version of Europe: A country steeped in the best of Europe's cultural and philosophical traditions, but with less of its religious intolerance and elitism. The Consequences of Withdrawal from Iraq
Ryan Mauro - 5/7/2007
Over 3,000 Americans have been killed and depending on which number you believe, Iraqi casualties are either in the tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands. Progress has been stalled, mistakes have been made, and the purpose of the mission seems unclear. The temptation for a precipitous withdrawal from Iraq is prevalent, and understandable. Watching young soldiers die in a far away land, leaving behind broken families is heart-wrenching and our policy should be to minimize such pain wherever possible. Department of Defense Finds Catch-22 When Dealing With EADS
Michael Reilly - 5/5/2007
Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of the clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle. ‘That's some catch, that Catch-22,’ he observed. [1] The reality of industrial globalization means that the United States will increasingly rely on foreign suppliers of military equipment. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as long as we know that our global suppliers want to be true defense partners, are trustworthy, and will compete fairly to provide the best value for American taxpayers and the best products for American warfighters. Appeasement in Our Time
Baron Bodissey - 4/30/2007
In the comments on Belmont Club last year, Wretchard said: "It is supremely ironic that the outcome of political correctness may ultimately be a consociational world; a world divided into mutually hostile ethnno-religious groups restrained only by mutual fear. The world as Lebanon and the Balkans. The logical outcome of Muslim “rage” at any real and imagined slight is that every Hindu, Sikh, Jew, Orthodox Christian and just plain old Christian has the right to take the same offense. Historically, political correctness hasn’t been ‘understanding’ but its reverse -- the process of feeding litt... Peace In Our Time
Baron Bodissey - 4/29/2007
If you look through a campus coffee-shop bulletin board, in all likelihood you will see notices for more than a dozen militant organizations with the word "peace" in their titles. Or try the internet -- while googling up random lefty sites, you will find, for example, a list of local "activist" organizations in Austin Texas. On the progressiveaustin.org page are: Peace In Austin, Austin Center for Peace and Justice, Austin Dialog for Peace and Justice, Austin Peace and Justice Coalition, Austin Taxpayers for Peace, Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Dialog for Peace, Jewish Alliance for Justice and Pe... Wrong Time To Go Wobbly In The War On Terror
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 4/28/2007
The United States, unknowingly, has been at war with the Iranian leadership since Ayatollah Khomeini’s own declaration in 1979. Iranian surrogates have for decades killed and maimed more Americans than any other asymmetrical network in the world, save al Qaida one lucky morning. People like Imad Mugniyah caused unbelievable carnage at the behest of Tehran and Damascus, and today most of these men, including Mugniyah himself, not only remain dangerous and at large but are virtually unknown across this very country. Perhaps the most lethal individual on the planet, I am still not at all that confidant that a majority in the House and Senate could properly pronounce or identify his name. Is Condoleezza Rice Legitimizing Iran?
Joel C Pousson - 4/27/2007
American soldiers fighting in the Global War on Terror may have thought that support for their mission among Democrat Party operatives on Capitol Hill was, at most, lukewarm. Now, the men and women fighting every day in Iraq have another Washingtonian insider to regard with wary eyes, and her name is Condoleezza Rice, the United States Secretary of State. Eugene Jarecki’s Juvenility
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 4/24/2007
After having watched acclaimed and accredited director Eugene Jarecki’s exposé Why We Fight the other night, there is only one conclusion I can draw upon: I apparently suffer from the military-industrial complex. This had been the second time I saw the film, both experiences leaving me with the similar impression of having just witnessed a pseudomentary, sinister in its presentation, attempting to explain the world’s ills on some cynical and amoral Strangelovian cult inside the Pentagon. The Faithful Spy: Amerithrax Spoiler Alert
Ross E. Getman, Esq. - 4/23/2007
New York Times correspondent Alex Berenson has written a spy thriller called Faithful Spy. The hero, John Wells, has been undercover so long that the CIA is no longer sure where his loyalties lie. Only the mid-level CIA analyst at Langley, Jennifer Exley, believes in him. But as Zawahiri's plan to unleash the most devastating bioterrorist attack in history unfolds, Wells and Exley know they must stop him, with or without the help of the ass-covering bureacrats at Langley. Spoiler alert: our hero gets the girl. It's The Oil Stupid: Why foreign divestment statutes and Congressional efforts to override constitutional defects don’t work
Jerry Gordon - 4/23/2007
I have no problem with trying to strike back at Islamist terror in whatever form, be it in the Sudan, Tehran or Israel. In fact I applaud efforts here in the U.S. to do that. But, if you’re going to arouse grass- roots action in support of doing something about Islamist terrorism make sure that it’s constitutional. John McCain’s Finest Hour
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 4/23/2007
Let me begin merely by confessing previous hesitancy to embrace Senator McCain’s policy prescription of sending more troops to pacify Iraq. For longer than five years now, from the prewar period to the present, I have read and studied various points of view regarding the overall scope and size of our footprint in that troubled war theater. To paraphrase Christopher Hitchens, I refrain from seeking the mantle of generalship. I am admittedly not Pattonesque, nor as learned in military affairs as more qualified commentators. Therefore illustrating my “perfect war” will be saved for future col... US Normalising Relations With the Axis of Evil?
Abid Mustafa - 4/21/2007
In March 2007, North Korea and the US concluded their first set of normalisation talks, which are part of the agreement reached in Beijing last month. Oddly enough the talks also coincide with American efforts to establish cordial ties with Iran. In her testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced that that Washington will join a "neighbours meeting", convened by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to be followed by ministerial talks in April. Bush's Plan for the Middle East: No Palestinian State, Iraqi Partition, Cooperation with Syria and Iran
Abid Mustafa - 4/15/2007
Over the past few months, the Bush administration in the backdrop of the Iraq Study Group's (ISG) report has announced its plan for Iraq-apart from the Presidents refusal to formally engage Iran and Syria- the plan broadly concurs with the recommendation laid out by the ISG. Furthermore, the US has mobilised its surrogates in Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and the gulf countries to implement this plan and prepare the ground for the emergence of a new middle east. What follows is a brief summary of what America is planning to achieve in Palestine, Iraq, Iran and Syria This Spring America's war is in Pakistan, not Iran
Abid Mustafa - 4/15/2007
On February 27 2007, US Vice President Dick Cheney paid a surprised visit to Pakistan and held private talks with General Musharraf. After the meeting, Cheney refused to comment on the nature of his visit and left for Afghanistan. The New York Times stated that Cheney was sent to remind Musharraf that he must take stiffer action against the Taleban; otherwise US aid will be in jeopardy. The Pakistani government issued the following statement: "Cheney expressed US apprehensions of regrouping of Al Qaeda in the tribal areas and called for concerted efforts in countering the threat", and also ta... Global Threats Leading to the Leftist/Marxist – Islamist Takeover
David J. Jonsson - 4/4/2007
In order to understand the issues faced by the West it is necessary to review history and look at the many factors that are currently leading to the almost intractable solution to the crisis developing worldwide. Will Arab Muslim “Allies” Support the West in a Time of Crisis?
David J. Jonsson - 4/3/2007
Iran captured 15 British military personnel last week, accusing them of illegally entering Iranian waters, and British Prime Minister Tony Blair has warned that the dispute would enter a “different phase” unless they are freed. Iran has denounced the U.N. resolution as illegal and has vowed not to suspend its nuclear work, denying Western accusations it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Putin, according to the Kremlin, said the recent U.N. Security Council vote on a new resolution expanding sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program had sent Iran a "serious political signal of the need fo... Peace In Our Time
Baron Bodissey - 3/24/2007
If you look through a campus coffee-shop bulletin board, in all likelihood you will see notices for more than a dozen militant organizations with the word "peace" in their titles. Or try the internet -- while googling up random lefty sites, you will find, for example, a list of local "activist" organizations in Austin Texas. On the progressiveaustin.org page are: Peace In Austin, Austin Center for Peace and Justice, Austin Dialog for Peace and Justice, Austin Peace and Justice Coalition, Austin Taxpayers for Peace, Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Dialog for Peace, Jewish Alliance for Justice and Pe... Iraq, Iran, Global Warming and The Apocalypse
David J. Jonsson - 3/14/2007
Islam has many apocalyptic prophecies; this aspect of Islam contributes to the driving force of Islam. Iran joined by Syria wants to end the democratic experiment in Iraq. Iranian money, weapons and expertise are used by terrorists to kill Americans in Iraq. Iran’s support of Hamas disrupts Palestinian peace efforts. Hezbollah, a group also backed by Iran and Syria, seeks to destabilize Lebanese democracy and restart a border war with Israel. Iran which denies that a European Holocaust ever took place is now planning to create a second Holocaust in Europe and in the U.S. with the development of nuclear weapons and the missiles to deliver the weapons. U.S.-China Trade: Implications of U.S.-Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Trends
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/13/2007
Statement to the U.S. International Trade Commission Investigation No. 332-478. Strategic partnerships, treaties and roadmaps?
Lorna Thomas - 3/12/2007
The first two months of 2007 show America and Britain are nations divided in strategy for their future, while European nations are forming important strategic alliances that can greatly impact the future. This article describes the signaling of possible trouble ahead. Looking Beyond Iraq – Part II
Pratap Bhanu Mehta - 3/2/2007
The decade after the end of the Cold War was a remarkably stable moment in international relations. American hegemony was uncontested because it was relatively benign – and even worked to strengthen international institutions and multilateralism. That has changed. In the second article of a two-part series, analyst Pratap Bhanu Mehta examines how Washington’s failure to recognize the limits of American power has led the rising powers of China and India, along with a rejuvenated Russia, to become increasingly assertive in their own foreign policies. The growing strength of these powers need not... Looking Beyond Iraq – Part I
Strobe Talbott - 2/25/2007
The Bush administration – known for its “go it alone” approach in foreign policy – has less than two years left in office. As that chapter in history comes to a close, the world anticipates a new direction in US policy, an end to the war in Iraq and perhaps a new balance of power. This two-part series analyzes foreign-policy challenges confronting the world today and the resistance the US faces in setting a world agenda. In this first article, Strobe Talbott, president of the Brookings Institution, examines how the Iraq War has become a policy disaster. US policymakers must now turn their atte... Alternate Plan for Iraq: Interview with Col. Douglas MacGregor, Ph.D.
Ryan Mauro - 2/21/2007
Douglas MacGregor is the best-selling author of “Breaking the Phalanx” and is an independent defense and foreign policy consultant with Glenside Analysts, Inc. He served in the Gulf War, served in the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe during the 1999 Kosovo War, and served as an advisor to the Department of Defense during the run-up to Operation Iraqi Freedom. He spent 28 years in the military. Global Politician's Ryan Mauro interviewed him, Simply Not Serious: Complaining About Defeatist and Juvenile Discourse
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 2/20/2007
Observation: with the notable exception of the U.S. military, on the ground intelligence agents, some spirited individual diplomats, policymakers, politicians, pundits, and dedicated private citizens, this country, on the whole, is not serious about fighting Islamist fanaticism. Cowardice is the only word for PC-gurus on primetime television who opt to say the nice thing but fail to do the research and work –– and showcase some genuine gusto –– by saying the correct thing. This Congress, on the whole, is not serious. Our bureaucracies, on the whole, are inept, hindered by red tape, and lacking in seriousness. And most of all our media is not serious. America’s China Worries – Part II
Joan Johnson-Freese - 2/20/2007
For more than a decade, the US was a lone superpower in terms of economic, diplomatic and military might. But China has steadily stepped up to the challenge, demonstrating its intent to serve as a counterweight to US influence when it comes to global affairs. In the first of this series of articles about challenges to US-China relations, Joan Johnson-Freese, chair of the US Naval War College’s National Security Decision Making Department, analyzes the specter of an arms race in space thrown up by China’s recent destruction of a weather satellite. China was irresponsible in shooting down its ow... Imagine a world without the United States of America
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 2/13/2007
Critics of American foreign policy and most importantly of its troop’s presence in Iraq are found in ever nook and corner of this world. They worry that an influx of American troops threatens the soul of Iraq ’s sovereignty. They may be right but there are those too, who favor the presence of American troops in Iraq given the condition Iraq is now necessarily not because of American troops but because of the fierce communal rivalries sparked much further by those, who are fishing on the flooded water of Iraq. America’s China Worries
Bruce Stokes - 2/10/2007
China has emerged as both mammoth producer and consumer, and that means more countries, including key US allies, depend on China for their economic well-being. The second article in this three-part series on worries besetting China-US relations explores how one nation’s expanding influence over global trade policy diminishes the other’s influence and flexibility. As the US trade imbalance with China surges to unprecedented heights, the Bush administration has brought a case before the WTO over China allegedly subsidizing its industries. Representing a dramatic reversal of Washington’s longstan... Iraq: America's Losing Horse In The War On Terror
Kamal Hana - 2/1/2007
The situation in Iraq has been a real disaster since the United States invaded the Arab country in 2003. American forces have lost hundreds of soldiers in approximately three years, without succeeding to implant a strong security and well-structured democracy. President George Bush administration has been " less smart" by deciding to intervene. President Bush's Speech - The Global Impact of Iran and Iraq
David J. Jonsson - 1/30/2007
With the conflicts heating up both in the Pacific with the threat of North Korea becoming a nuclear force and the Middle East, the need for diplomacy becomes more critical. However, diplomacy offers little hope in dealing with nations committed to bring about the apocalypse. Appeasement as occurred during the rise of Third Reich will not solve the problem. Becoming involved in a conflict between the Sunni and Shiite Factions each seeking their domain and spheres of influence could result in a no-win war. There is little doubt that Russia and China, the recent supporters of Iran and North Kore... America: Changing the game in Iraq
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 1/24/2007
Saddam Hussein is gone now, and gone in a big way. Whatever else Mr. Hussein achieved during his tenure as an Iraqi dictator, his death has suddenly divided the world into two fractions - one faction supporting his hanging and the other faction condemning . Diplomacy as Afterthought Wins US Few Mideast Converts
Fawaz A. Gerges - 1/24/2007
CAIRO: While elaborating on his new Iraq war plan, President Bush announced that he was sending Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to the Middle East on a serious diplomatic mission. Political leaders, though skeptical, had hoped that Rice would have a specific plan to break the Palestinian-Israeli deadlock and lay the foundation for a Palestinian state. They had hoped that a breakthrough on the Palestine-Israeli front would create political momentum for an eventual resolution of the Iraq conflict. On both counts, media commentary and overall reaction expressed disappointment with the initial results of Rice’s mission. Confronting China to Save Free Trade, and More
Prof. Peter Morici - 1/5/2007
Since the end of World War II, the United States has promoted free trade in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the World Trade Organization, and regional agreements like the North American Free Trade Agreement. What America, Britain and Israel Need To Wake Up To
Lorna Thomas - 1/2/2007
In July 2005, Tony Blair stated: 'September 11 for me was a wake-up call. Do you know what I think the problem is? That a lot of the world woke up for a short time and then turned over and went back to sleep.' While the unprecedented September 11 attacks initially gained America the sympathy of much of the world, America's 'war on terror' in Iraq has left the country and its leadership with a tarnished image. Bernanke, Chinese Currency Subsidies and the
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/19/2006
In the prepared text for a speech at the conclusion of high-level meetings in China, Ben Bernanke noted that China's undervalued yuan provides an "effective subsidy" for firms that "focus on exporting." He used the word subsidy three times in prepared remarks but backed away from this language in his actual speech. Washington’s Iraq Dilemma: Why Engaging Iran Is a Good Idea
George Perkovich - 12/15/2006
Many states throughout the Middle East have authoritarian leaders, disgruntled citizens, troubled economies – and governments as tenuous as houses made of cards. The report from the Iraq Study Group warns that the war in Iraq could widen into a regional conflict and encourages US policymakers to change tactics by initiating direct engagement with Iran and Syria to gain their cooperation in stabilizing the Middle East. This two-part series examines the challenges and opportunities if the US opens dialogue with the two nations. In the first article, analyst George Perkovich points out how the st... Washington’s Iraq Dilemma: Dialogue with Syria Could Serve Bigger Purpose
Matthew Lee - 12/14/2006
The Iraq Study Group report recommends diplomatic initiative to resolve the war in Iraq. If the US administration heeds the advice of the Iraq Study Group, by seeking containment of the Iraqi conflict through dialogue with regional powers, one promising candidate would be Damascus. In the second of this two-part series, Matthew Lee explores how, for a brief moment, the interests of the US and the secular Bashar regime may have come to coincide. By pressing the right buttons – particularly by supporting return of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to Syria – the US could bring progress on major... Iraq Study Group: A Substitute for Victory
Ryan Mauro - 12/11/2006
As critics debate over the recommendations put forth by the Iraq Study Group, politicians on all sides have been given an easy pass. The Iraq Study Group’s positions will become every major presidential aspirant’s positions. Any politician willing to challenge this report’s conclusions will be seen as narrow-minded, and out-of-touch with the situation in Iraq. As of Wednesday, December 6, 2006, the major debate ends, and the question becomes how to implement these changes to bring stability in the region. However, stability will require the consent of the Baathists of Syria and the mullahs of Iran. The American century is about to end
Abid Mustafa - 12/5/2006
Barely six years have elapsed since President Bush took office and the much coveted 21st century belongs to America is about to come to an abrupt end. America's pre-eminence in four corners of the world is being challenged by friends and foes alike. White House: Between Rhetoric And Reality Over Iran
Abid Mustafa - 11/26/2006
The recent American overtures to induct Iran in any political settlement over Iraq have immensely troubled the Israel. So perturbed has been the government in Jerusalem that it has mounted a concerted campaign in America to keep alive the notion that Iran poses a grave danger to the US and must be thwarted at any cost. On 12/11/2006, The Jerusalem Post reported that the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson told the newspaper that, "Only a military strike by the U.S. and its allies will stop Iran obtaining nuclear weapons." The Amorality of the Stability Seekers: Bob Gates and the Iraq Study Group
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 11/22/2006
Something larger is at works in Washington than a simple changing of the congressional guards. Republicans who had forgotten the primary tenets of republicanism were for two years feebly unwilling to pass legislation which the majority of the public eagerly endorsed. In the tug-of-war struggle between lobbyists and constituencies, they balked, chose the former, angered the latter, and for that will pay the price of losing the House and Senate. But representatives come and go every twenty-four months with midterm cycles. Domestically, changes are frequent and commonplace; they are to be expected, and even in losing graciously, to be welcomed. Time For Change
Imran Khan - 11/15/2006
At the end of October an opinion poll (Just before the mid-term elections in US) was conducted in the 4 closest allies of United States of America including Great Britain, Canada, Mexico and Israel. Leading newspapers La Presse (Canada), The Toronto Star (Canada), Haaretz (Israel), Reforma (Mexico) and The Guardian (Great Britain) conducted the poll in respective countries. A thousand people from these countries were surveyed. The results were very surprising. Getting Them Mad - On Angering Our Enemy
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 10/18/2006
Much fuss has been made about the most recent National Intelligence Estimate (NIE). Amongst other things, the document contends the war in Iraq has become the “cause celebre’ for jihadists, breeding a deep resentment of U.S. involvement in the Muslim world and cultivating supporters for the global jihadist movement.” Perhaps this is the 2006 election’s equivalent of the overlooked weapons cache a few days prior to the 2004 contest? Remember how all that false display of anger –– “How could we not have found every piece of ammo the enemy had?” –– went away immediately following Senator Kerry’s concession speech? Bush's Speech Sounds Too Partisan
Antonio Fabrizio - 9/17/2006
On the fifth anniversary of 9/11 attacks, American citizens commemorated the victims of the tragedy that "changed the world" and people worldwide expressed their solidarity to the victims' families. Bush's speech, however, was highly criticized, both at homeland and abroad, since it sounded too "partisan" - with close midterm elections taking place in November, to vote for the new American Congress – in a moment when partisanship should, instead, be left aside. The Crisis of Multilateralism
Prof. Walden Bello - 9/15/2006
Already buffeted by institutional crisis and policy conflicts, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank are heading into their fall meeting—scheduled to begin September 13 in Singapore—with yet one more problem. Desperate to win credibility among civil society groups, the Bank and the Fund had given official accreditation to representatives of four civil society organizations. The Singapore government had a different idea. It banned the groups “for security reasons.” This commentator was among those specifically named and banned as a “security threat.” Energy Independence and Global Warming in a Time of War
David J. Jonsson - 9/6/2006
There is no magic wand which one could use to provide energy security. However, a key element in finding a solution is to understand the magnitude of the problem. Perhaps most fundamentally, we must integrate the energy, environmental and foreign policy tracks of our national security. For too long these have been separate, and the energy, environment and foreign policy worlds have hardly spoken to each other. But if we make energy security a top foreign policy priority, we can work for a world in which the interests of energy consumers and producers are increasingly aligned rather than torn a... The Ideological Blindness of Cold War Liberalism
Dr. Daryn Glassbrook - 9/5/2006
A number of prominent liberal pundits have been calling for the Democratic Party to embrace the legacy of Cold War liberals such as Dean Acheson, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. as a politically viable alternative to the unilateralist, bellicose tendencies of the Bush Administration and its Congressional allies. Perhaps the leading advocate of this position has been Peter Beinart, columnist and editor-at-large at The New Republic. In the December 13, 2004 issue of TNR, Beinart published an essay, "A Fighting Faith: An Argument for a New Liberalism," in which he praises the "milit... How To Spot A Spy In The Family
Professor S. Brown - 9/3/2006
At a time when the understaffed British security services are openly recruiting more intelligence personnel and the war on terror pulls former spies out of retirement and back into the field - surely you'd know if your parent, brother or sister was a spy? In short, no. More and more national resources are spent covering the lies of intelligence personnel. You may think your relative works at the Ministry of Work and Pensions (DWP). You may have met him for lunch there. You may have seen papers hanging around about the retirement age debate. You may even have met his DWP friends and spent a wh... Axis of Appeasement - The Inconveniet Truth
David J. Jonsson - 8/29/2006
On January 20, 2002, President George W. Bush in his State of the Union Address stated: "States like these, and their terrorist allies, constitute an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world. By seeking weapons of mass destruction, these regimes pose a grave and growing danger. They could provide these arms to terrorists, giving them the means to match their hatred. They could attack our allies or attempt to blackmail the United States. In any of these cases, the price of indifference would be catastrophic." Preemptive Use Of Force Under International Law
James Catano - 8/28/2006
The article is written in reference to the parallel between National Security Strategy 2006 and the Caroline Incident of 1837, specifically, the preemptive use of force. Preemption, and the preemptive use of force in response to an imminent threat, remains a recognized, viable option within the framework of international law.1 In the Caroline Case of 1837,2 which provided the foundation for preemptive use of force pursuant to customary international law, the then Secretary of State Daniel Webster asserted that necessity and proportionality are imperative to the legitimacy of a preemptive st... Plan to replace governments with single rule over all North America
Jan Allen - 8/25/2006
The Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) was signed at Baylor University on March 23, 2005; it is the plan to replace existing governments with state corporate rule over the entire North America continent. At the Cancun Summit, March 31, 2006, the three presidents called for the "trilateral regulatory cooperation framework" -- the "executive branch of state corporate rule" to be in place by 2007. New North American governance will be hyperinflationary with the dollar eventually becoming worthless. One is wise to transfer all of one’s wealth out of fiat investments (stocks, bonds, money market accounts, and ETFs) to the physical security of gold. U.S. Trade Sanctions Seek to Pressure Latin America
Ariela Ruiz Caro - 8/24/2006
The U.S. government's announcement that it will review the possibility of limiting, suspending, or withdrawing trade preferences under the General System of Preferences (GSP) to three Latin American countries—Argentina, Brazil, and Venezuela—is political pressure to make these nations participate in the model of regional integration proposed by the United States. Can America solve the Middle East crisis?
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 7/28/2006
In 1920, H.G.Wells published his “Outline of History”. It was meant to awaken people to the realization that only a rationally ordered world – state would save humanity from destroying itself. But how secure are such conclusions today in the Middle East shrouded by the brutalities of irrational war? That may seem an odd question to ask, given the assumptions that the consensus in the Middle East is more pro – American than it looks. Security Council: Championing Consensus in Diplo-World
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 7/26/2006
Much has been said lately about the perceived transformation of the Bush administration’s foreign policy. Mike Allen and Romesh Ratnesar pondered in their Time exposé if current U.S. multilateral and conciliatory policies meant an end to the “cowboy diplomacy” of the first term. Many of the so-called hardliners that served in the Pentagon left after the 2004 reelection to pursue careers in the private sector. Advocates of Mr. Bush at the National Review look on at current State Department-dominated diplomatic dogma with great suspicion. Thomas P.M. Barnett calls this the “post-presidency,” dec... Disassembling Tehran’s Proxies: We Must Back Siniora and Maliki
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 7/25/2006
For those still suffering from the moral quandary of not knowing where to place blame in the recent Mideast war, consider the following as a locus classicus: amongst the prisoners Hezbollah is demanding to be released in return for two kidnapped Israeli soldiers, is Samir Kuntar –– a romanticized folk hero on the Arab street –– who serves a prison sentence for killing four Israelis in 1979. One of Kuntar’s victims was a four-year-old girl, who was murdered as Mr. Kuntar held her head onto a large rock and crushed her small skull with the butt of his rifle –– which he used to kill the other three. Detail Diplomacy: Micromanaging Adversarial Behavior
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 7/15/2006
It was late 2001. Northern Alliance soldiers, aided by U.S. commandos, had ended the brutal reign of Mullah Omar. With the Taliban fleeing to the sky-high and mountainous Tora Bora terrain, the al Qaidists had been run out of their camps and bases, and the Afghan locals had reclaimed their towns. Men began listening to the radio and, if they felt so inclined, shaved their beards; women began enrolling in schools and showing their faces –– all once outlawed under the theocratic rule of the now-overthrown regime. A return to some semblance of normalcy was i n the air, and a yearning for respectable statehood and independence was prevalent. Will America and Britain be taken by surprise by the emergence of a new super-power?
Lorna Thomas - 7/12/2006
During the last decade I have written that unless America and Britain change, Russia would become a major player on the world scene and would, in the future, together with Germany, form part of the leadership of a giant military/economic colossus. The balance of power in the world would dramatically shift from a Asian nexus: Will it reduce the U.S. presence in Asia?
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 7/10/2006
To many, the ongoing ferocious urban warfare, and the recent series of rage at United States military forces in Iraq, is all about the American military presence in the gulf, but the accusation is only a spark that has ignited the long simmering grievances. American Bases To Be Moved From Germany To Eastern Europe
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 7/10/2006
Invited by a grateful United States, the Czech Republic sent in February 2003 a representative to meet with Iraqi opposition in Kurdish north Iraq. The country was one of the eight signatories on a letter, co-signed by Britain, Italy, Spain and the two other European Union central European candidate-members, Poland and Hungary, in support of US policy in the Gulf. America the Narcissist
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 7/8/2006
The majority of worldwide respondents to the last two global Pew enter surveys (in 2002 and 2006) regarded the United States as the greatest menace to world peace - far greater than the likes of Iraq or China. Thinkers and scholars as diverse as Christopher Lasch in "The Cultural Narcissist" and Theodore Millon in "Personality Disorders of Everyday Life" have singled out the United States as the quintessential narcissistic society. Suggestions of Bilateralism: Should the U.S. Talk to Tehran?
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 6/19/2006
You have to hand it to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. His lunatic rantings, denials of the Holocaust, anti-Semitic verses, apocalyptic predictions, messianic boasts, and calls for the destruction of Israel and the United States have only earned him the attention, recognition, and fear he wanted. Pundits of all political persuasions are suddenly urging the Bush administration to hold direct bilateral talks with Khamenei, Ahmadinejad, and the rest of the Iranian mullahs. European delegates offer packages of incentives for the regime to quit uranium enrichment, which the mullahs promptly dismiss as insu... American Foreign Policy and Hyena Hysterics
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 6/17/2006
What a strange, strange year. Although political absurdity is to be expected during congressional midterm campaigns, there has been a new wave of it emitting from the mouths of those who routinely castigate the decision to topple Hussein. Some of the in-vogue refutations and accusations of ’03-’04, have ever so gently morphed into what are now utter contradictions. While they have been repeated ad nauseum, it would be helpful to expose their apparent inconsistency. Operation Dung Beetle: the U.S. partnership with Somali warlords
Abukar Arman - 6/6/2006
Somalia is on the verge of sinking deeper into the abyss of anarchy and perpetual bloodshed and the Bush Administration might have a role. As this latest factional fighting in Mogadishu has grown more violent- claiming the lives of hundreds of mostly unarmed civilians and causing thousands more to flee their homes for safety- the U.S. is said to be in the center of this long-burning ring of fire. This time, the U.S. is in partnership with a collaborative of warlords that many, ironically, consider the criminal elements that kept the political fire burning for over a decade. The Industrious Spies
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 6/1/2006
The Web site of GURPS (Generic Universal Role Playing System) lists 18 "state of the art equipments (sic) used for advanced spying". These include binoculars to read lips, voice activated bugs, electronic imaging devices, computer taps, electromagnetic induction detectors, acoustic stethoscopes, fiber optic scopes, detectors of acoustic emissions (e.g., of printers), laser mikes that can decipher and amplify voice-activated vibrations of windows, and other James Bond gear. The Truth About Guantanamo Bay: Interview with Col. Gordon Cucullu
Ryan Mauro - 5/25/2006
Colonel Cucullu has recently traveled several times to Guantanamo Bay with General Paul Vallely to work on a forthcoming book on the subject. He is also the author of the best-selling book, Separated at Birth: How North Korea Became The Evil Twin, and is a frequent guest on Fox News Channel. He also contributed to War Footing: 10 Steps America Must Take To Prevail in the War for the Free World. The Secret Of America's Iran Policy Revealed
Prof. Daniel M. Zucker - 4/8/2006
Shhhh! Don't let anyone else see this, it's top secret! I'm about to reveal to you a secret about America's policy towards Iran. It is so confidential that even Congress has no idea about it. Truth be told, neither does the administration, because, here it is, here is that top secret: no one knows it because it doesn't really exist! Developing a New U.S. Latin America Policy
Laura Carlsen - 3/19/2006
The following is the text version of a presentation by IRC Americas Program Director Laura Carlsen to the plenary of the Latin America track of Ecumenical Advocacy Days in Washington DC, March 11, 2006. USA Intel On UAE is Wrong - More Reasons Not To Trust UAE With Ports Of Entry
Ghazal Omid - 3/8/2006
In the course of more than120 radio talk shows and interviews, Americans repeatedly asked me what they should know about the terrorists and why American are hated in the Middle East. The American Hostel
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 3/7/2006
The movie "Hostel" (2005) is a potent depiction of gore and graphic horror. More subtly, it is also a counterfactual and jingoistic political allegory for the post 9-11 age. A couple of wholesome American youths (one of them a Jew) are nabbed by a ring of east Europeans who cater to the depraved needs of sadists by providing them with fresh supplies of torture victims. The good guys are invariably American (or mistaken for Americans, or the allies of Americans, Japanese). The bad guys are invariably European; a decadent and unfaithful Icelandic, seductive Czech and Russian women, a Dr. Mengele... UAE Port of Entry Contract: Gateway To Another 911
Ghazal Omid - 3/7/2006
The day before 9/11, cursed lifelong by premonitions of tragic events, I was possibly the only uninvolved person on earth that knew what was about to happen but I was helpless. I did not know where to turn because I could not prove what I foresaw. I am not going to take the same chance by failing to speak out about the United State’s ill-considered decision to grant Dubai access and control of US ports because I know in my heart and soul and from very recent information, gathered directly from Dubai residents, that America will witness another 911. Why did the United States Congress refuse to ratify the Treaty of Versailles
Serban Brebenel - 3/1/2006
Why did the United States Congress refuse to ratify the Treaty of Versailles?! After all, the US was the power able to turn the table on Germany and its allies and was able to play an essential role in drawing the conditions of the Versailles Peace Treaty. Doesn’t it seem strange that the very country who actively worked in creating the framework for the postwar status should be the very one not to ratify it? While this may seem so, it is important that we have a glance at what lay behind these motivations, especially in terms of national politics. Ports, UAE and The Addiction to Foreign Dependence
Sajjad Khan - 2/22/2006
Of course there is a double standard; of course there are inconsistencies; of course there is hypocrisy. This is a ‘War on Terror’ guys not a boy scouts field trip to plant trees. People seem perplexed as to why so many senior US politicians would want to block the operating of six seaports by a company owned by the United Arab Emirates government. Why the incredulity and noise, ports are on the front line of a nation’s security, they are as important as the operating of tanks, missiles or Special Forces and even Rumsfeld (who has overseen a huge growth in private military contractors) wouldn‘... Cartoons and Western Inability To Defend Its Views
Sajjad Khan - 2/19/2006
Who said politics was boring? As Mark Warner the former Governor of Virginia said recently, we are not witnessing a battle between right and left, or between conservatives and liberals, but between the past and the future. In the battle of ideas around the cartoons controversy, the Muslims are advocating the future, whereas the West remains wedded to the past. Of course it's not pitched like that, for most people the West remains the bastion of intellectual progress, vibrancy and enlightenment. For them, the Muslim attitude towards the Danish cartoons has an uncanny resemblance to their own Da... Bush Should Embrace MEK In Battling Iran
Professor Daniel M. Zucker - 2/6/2006
The threat from the Islamic Republic of Iran grows every day as the antagonistic regime of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneí and his appointed president, Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, continues in its relentless pursuit of nuclear capabilities. Iran's claim that it seeks to use nuclear energy for peaceful production of electricity has been proven a lie by the announcement of Russia that none of Iran's atomic sites hold any of the necessary ancillary equipment needed for producing electricity. On the other hand, there is abundant evidence that Iran is busy producing long range missiles capable of ca... Middle East: America's democracy advance puts secularism into retreat
Abid Mustafa - 1/23/2006
Not so long ago, President Bush announced his much coveted Greater Middle East Initiative. The aim of the plan was to preserve the existing secular order across the region through the promotion of freedom and democracy. But in today's Middle Eastern societies, Bush's initiative is having just the opposite effect. Islamists throughout the region have shown unprecedented gains in recent elections and now pose a direct challenge to the dictatorships and monarchies that thrive under American patronage. The Last Round of Ammunition
Sue Vogan - 12/1/2005
Sue Vogan could never have imagined the rioting that would take place in the streets, nor in her wildest dreams could she have foreseen the kidnappings and assaults that happened. And, by no means did Sue ever entertain thoughts that anyone would be humiliated enough to take revenge over Sue’s obligation to help two American soldiers, stationed in a foreign country. But, what was most difficult of all to visualize was at what lengths someone would go to deliver that revenge or how long she would have to live the nightmare. Internal US Legal Issues In The War Against Terror
Angelique van Engelen - 11/25/2005
The controversy surrounding the US war in Iraq is reaching unprecedented heights as the net closes in on the CIA intelligence leak and a snowballing effect is setting in. President Bush tried to shake off his opponents by calling people 'deeply irresponsible' that think that they can 'rewrite the history of how that war began' during his Veterans Day speech. Yet his words might have the opposite effect. Iranian Anti-Semitic Web Site Hosted in the U.S.
Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. - 11/16/2005
An Iranian administered anti-Zionist website formerly hosted in the United States is now off line. The site was www.zionot.com. Its Internet Service Provider was the Fayetteville, NC-based Advanced Internet Technologies (www.aitcom.net/contactus.php). Informed of his company's hosting of the site, Alex Lekas, Vice President of Corporate Communications for Advanced Internet Technologies said in a telephone interview, "We (have taken that domain down), in addition to the two mirrors that point to it. (www.321wwz.com and www.4-3-2-1-0.com).We will comply with the provision of the law that governs... The Costs of Coalition Building
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 11/14/2005
Foreign aid, foreign trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) have become weapons of mass persuasion, deployed in the building of both the pro-war, pro-American coalition of the willing and the French-led counter "coalition of the squealing". Request for Help from a Victim of Michael Moore: Interview with Joanne Duetsch
Ryan Mauro - 10/27/2005
Mrs. Joanne Duetsch appeared in filmmaker Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 9/11,” during a scene filmed in Washington DC. In the film, Duetsch converses with Moore and his companion, Lila Lipscomb, the mother of a fallen soldier in Iraq. Duetsch claims she never signed a release form, seeks legal assistance, and wants to reveal how Moore edited the scene. She has come to me asking for a way to tell her side of the story. These are her responses to my questions which were given via email and an in-person interview. America's Catastrophic Nuclear Administration
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 10/17/2005
We are living at a critical juncture of the human history-perhaps not as dramatic as that of the Cold War catastrophe, but a moment no less crucial laced by the threats of the nuclear turmoil and the weapons of the mass destruction. The only question that has been recurring again and again is, "How long can the world avert another nuclear catastrophe after that double strike by the United States in August 1945? " The First September 11
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 9/26/2005
September 11, 2001 was not the first time an airplane crashed into a skyscraper. Actually, such tragedies are more common than is thought. Bush Betrays Poor Women Again
Yifat Susskind - 9/23/2005
This week’s United Nations World Summit—originally intended to assess governments’ progress on pledges to reduce poverty and promote development by 2015—is in danger of being derailed by the United States. The meeting itself is proceeding with much fanfare, but the United States is working to ensure that its outcome will do little to alleviate the suffering and human rights violations experienced by the world’s poorest people—most of them women and their children. The Building of the Pentagon
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 9/22/2005
The Pentagon was completed in 16 months. It was built on a swamp and on the area of the old Washington airport. Trucks hauled some 5.5 million cubic yards (4.2 million cubic meters) of junk and soil and dumped it in the marshes. The building's foundation rests on 41,492 concrete piles. Lindbergh, Charles Augustus
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 9/20/2005
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was the first person to cross the Atlantic in a nonstop flight. This made him an instant celebrity. When, in 1932, his 19-months old son was kidnapped and murdered, the nation was appalled. Terrorists To US: Soon We Will Slaughter You
Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. - 9/19/2005
A chilling video available on an apparently Japanese hosted Internet site threatens more terror on the United States. After showing pictures of terror masterminds Osama bin Laden and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3483089.stm), including an apparent picture of bin Laden looking benevolently at a child sitting on his knee, the Arabic video continues with horse- riding, robe- clad, flag-waving individuals apparently seeking vengeance. The Semi-failed State
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 9/18/2005
The US State Department's designation of "rogue state" periodically falls in and out of favor. It is used to refer to countries hostile to the United States, with authoritarian, brutal, and venal regimes, and a predilection to ignore international law and conventions, encourage global or local terrorism and the manufacture and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Most rogue states are not failed ones. Drinking Neo-Conservative Kool-Aid
Abukar Arman - 9/8/2005
In his essay titled "Drinking The Kool-Aid", Col W. Patrick Lang who is a former defense intelligence officer describes a daunting case of paranoia- based "groupthink" that is prevalent in Washington and warns against a dangerous trend that is driving the current US foreign policy in high speed and without brakes, so to speak. Thanks to the Neo-conservative movement. Terror From Hartford (Part II)
Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. - 8/29/2005
[Part I can be found here] While checking activity recently on the Yahoo groups message board "Islamic Resistance," I found a very disturbing message. From kashmirmujahideen@yahoo.com, (km) it read in part, "I wish I could fight in jihad, but who will supply me? I'm just one man in my eyes. I say, I can help, put me on the first flight, but (are) there other men and women of Islam like me? In dreams I... Terror From Hartford (Part I)
Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. - 8/15/2005
By day I run a faith- based homeless shelter. By night I surf the Internet looking for cyberterror. Some people wonder what the director of a homeless shelter is doing trying to close down radical Islamic web sites and defeat the radical Islamic agenda. That's an easy question to answer. Above anything else, Joy Junction (http://www.joyjunction.org/) is a faith- based ministry which shows the love of Jesus Christ in spiritual and practical ways to the many homeless women and families who come to us looking for help. Unless we start taking the fundamentalist Islamic agenda seriously and realiz... After Iraq, Who's Next?
Angelique van Engelen - 8/4/2005
Future global power structures are very much dependent on countries' economic developments and it is likely that in the next ten to twenty years a dozen or so 'second tier' countries - population wise - will begin rise to prominency on the world stage. What impact will the increased focus on a primitive factor like the size of a country's population have on international relations? World Movement for Democracy—Made in the USA
Tom Barry - 8/2/2005
The “world’s democratic movement” is not another one of the transnational citizens’ movements, like the anti-globalization or anti-war movements, that prides itself on having no central structure, no dogma, or even an office. This movement is highly organized, better funded, and even has its own “secretariat.” Unlike other leaderless but world-shaking transnational citizens’ networks that emerged after the end of the Cold War, the “world’s democratic movement” is not a product of global civil society but a quasi-governmental initiative based in Washington, D.C. To Give with Grace - On the Causes of anti-Americanism
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 7/25/2005
Yankee Go Home. Nato is Nazo. American trash culture. The graffiti adorn every wall, the contempt seems to be universal. America and Americans are perceived to be uglier than ever before. It borders on hatred and xenophobia. Are we talking about Serbia in the midst of its Kosovo baptizing by fire? No. America-bashing seems to be a phenomenon engulfing rich (Czech Republic) and poor (Macedonia), the lawful (Greece) and the lawless (Russia), the Western orientated (Bulgaria) and the devoutly Slavophile (Serbia). Often, America (and Britain, its Anglo-Saxon sidekick) stand as proxies and fall guy... Mission Creep in Latin America - U.S. Southern Command's New Security Strategy
Tom Barry - 7/13/2005
U.S. security strategy in the Western Hemisphere has had, except in rare occasions, little or nothing to do with protecting national security and the U.S. homeland. Since the early 19 th century, the pursuit of U.S. national security in Latin America and the Caribbean has largely been grounded in the pursuit of U.S. interests. Purging vs. Co-opting Tyrants
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 7/5/2005
History teaches us that there are two types of tyrants. Those who preserve the structures and forces that carry them to power - and those who, once they have attained their goal of unbridled domination, seek to destroy the organizations and people they had used to get to where they are. Marine Corps and Naval Surface Fire Support
Samuel L. Morison - 6/27/2005
In present and future U.S. military, a question about the Marine Corps has been seriously raised about abolishing the Marine Corps. Today's senior Marine Corps leaders are running their troops into the ground and nobody seems to know or care enough to do anything about it. Even their own Inspector General in a June 20, 2005 report to Congress has indicated such. Chesty Puller, a true Marine Corps leader, must be rolling in his grave in anguish and disgust over the current state of the Marine Corps! Today’s Marine Corps are turning into a Naval Infantry. Thirty thousand men and women of the 2nd... US Hegemony In The Far East Under Seige
Angelique van Engelen - 6/10/2005
The rise to prominency on the world stage of China and India has implications for the US hegemony in the Far East. Over the past six months, moves and counter moves have been being made by the major players in the region that all were motivated by one factor; the scramble for energy resources. There's no international etiquette apart from the legislation that prevents war, but US foreign policy which is clearly centered around 'serving the US interests' is being duplicated by the rapidly developing countries in the East. Manishankar Aiyer, petroleum and natural gas minister of India spoke fo... Saddam's Trial Might Turn Out A Curse For The US
Angelique van Engelen - 5/26/2005
It is unlikely that Iraq's leader will go out with a bang by having a court trial that's going to vindicate the US for waging war against him. Yet perhaps the reason to believe that US influence in Iraq is finally going to recede on terms less favorable than looked likely just after the elections might really turn out to be a result of a trial of the former leader. A Solution for U.S. Foreign Antagonists: The Battleship
Frederick Stakelbeck, Jr. - 4/20/2005
Over the past month, Oliver North and Jim Carey, both well-respected columnists and distinguished veterans, have made strong, well-reasoned arguments for the re-activation of two mothballed U.S. battleships to address potential global threats. In his insightful April article, "Save the Battlewagons," Oliver North credited the battleship USS New Jersey (BB-62) with saving his life, the lives of his platoon, and over 1,000 fellow Marines in Vietnam. Antero Leitzinger Explains US Relations With North and South American States
Ryan Mauro - 4/10/2005
Antero Leitzinger is the editor of the book called "Caucasus-An Unholy Alliance". He is a history researcher on topics ranging from Russia to Islam. The majority of his works are in Finnish, including various travel guide books, textbooks, and works about the history of liberalism and the history of Finnish immigration. He is working with other authors for an English book about Eastern European history and human rights policy in that region, of which he will write about the Karaim minority in Lithuania. The Roots of Anti-Americanism
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 4/6/2005
The United States is one of the last remaining land empires. That it is made the butt of opprobrium and odium is hardly surprising, or unprecedented. Empires - Rome, the British, the Ottomans - were always targeted by the disgruntled, the disenfranchised and the dispossessed and by their self-appointed delegates, the intelligentsia. The Economics of American Foreign Military Bases
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 3/20/2005
The US military spent the first quarter of 2005 evaluating the economic and social impacts of the closure of 425 domestic bases. It seems to have dedicated no second thoughts to the relocation of its foreign outposts. Yet, the effects on local economies and populace can be as devastating and destabilizing - if not more so. America, the Reluctant Empire
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 3/17/2005
When the annals of the United States are written, its transition from republic to empire is likely to warrant special attention. Nor is the emergence of this land and naval juggernaut without precedent. Though history rarely repeats itself in details - both Ancient Rome and Byzantium hold relevant - albeit very limited - lessons. | 
