Dan Plesch, Director of the School of Oriental and African Studies’ Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy, and international security consultant Martin Butcher have recently authored and released "Considering a war with Iran: A discussion paper on WMD in the...
Do you remember Walter Russell Mead's Jacksonians? A few years ago, Mead wrote a very good book, Special Providence, which described four major visions of American foreign policy. Of the four, the...
First Steve Poe; now this. From the same International Studies Association e-mail listserv as before:Dear Colleagues,It is my very sad responsibility to notify you that Hayward Alker, past President...
How much more excitement can the Senate handle? With prospect of a confirmation hearing heating up the Hill, this crosses the web-page of the Washington Post: Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) was arrested...
The NY Times is reporting that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has tendered his resignation.This is a pretty big deal, I think-- Gonzales was under fire for all kinds of activities, many stemming from a secret intelligence program that includes spying on American targets without a warrant. He had lost a lot of credibility and ability to function effectiviely as the nation's highest law enforcement officer. However, one thing that sticks in the back of my mind--when Rove resigned, he mentioned that White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten said that anyone leaving should leave by Labor Day,...
Duncan Black posts what should be the final nail, but won't be, in Friedman's credibility:I hold out some vague hope that this is out of context.But if it isn't: there you have it, Friedman's underlying rational for the war was an incoherent revenge fantasy based on the "paper tiger" theory of coercive diplomacy. Afghanistan wasn't enough to prick "their bubble," so we had to find another example. Could have been Saudi Arabia, could have been Pakistan... doesn't really matter. All that matters is that we toppled a second Islamic country. I think Thomas Friedman needs to take a remedial...
Several days ago, Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Carl Levin (D-MI) returned from a visit to Iraq and called for the ouster of Prime Minister Maliki, calling him "non-functional."On the one hand, Levin makes a critical point. The main problem in Iraq is political, not military, and the dysfunction of the Iraqi government is not really helping to solve the problem. Indeed, the Iraqi parliament is indicative of the sectarian and political conflict that continues to plague the country.On the other hand, be careful what you wish for. In the on-again, off-again, on-again, off-again, its not...
I'm back in town after having been blissfully detached from the news cycle for two weeks. I seem to have missed quite a lot: resumption of long-range bomber flights, the bombing of the Nevsky Express, yet another (alleged) Russian incursion into Georgian airspace.I'm still working on catching up with everything. In the meantime, here's something for your viewing pleasure: manly man Vladimir Putin goes shirtless in the Siberian forest. Note the crucifix perched on his well-defined pecs. Oo-la-la.
I am shocked and very sad to learn that Steve Poe, an international-relations specialist at the University of North Texas and the editor of International Studies Quarterly, has died. The following email just went out over the International Studies Association mailing list:Dear Colleagues,It is my extremely sad duty to inform you that Steve Poe, our editor in chief of ISQ, a friend, and a major contributor to our profession, passed away last week. Visitation is being held today in Denton Texas and he will be buried tomorrow. His family asked that instead of sending flowers people could make a...
Kenneth Turan, movie critic for NPR and the Los Angeles Times, weighs in today with a review of the latest remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Having not seen this newest version yet, I can't speak to the quality or accuracy of his review (and I probably won't be able to until the DVD comes out -- hard to get out to non-G-rated movies with young children, sigh). But I would like to call attention to one rather striking omission from Turan's comments: he characterizes the original film as "a B movie about zombies" and declares that all subsequent remakes adhere to this "pulp...
How awesome is this?
I've expressed skepticism in the past about the idea that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization represents counterbalancing against the United States. And I still believe that the primary purpose of the organization isn't to function as a NATO-like block, but more as an alternative or "exit" option for public goods provided by the US. But The rhetoric certainly sounds an awful lot like, if not balancing, then some sort of proto-balancing. BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan - The leaders of Russia, China and Iran said Thursday that Central Asia should be left alone to manage its stability and security — an...