by Rodger Payne | 15 Jan 2007 |
How many innocent people have died in Iraq as a result of the war?That number is a political hot potato -- and not merely for the reasons you probably think.The Bush administration asserts that the violence in Iraq, "particularly in Baghdad," has reversed the political gains that were reflected in the 2005 elections. By stabilizing the situation in and around the capital, they assert, the U.S. can help the current government control Iraq -- and...
by Peter | 15 Jan 2007 |
There is only one prime-time network TV show that I watch regularly, and the season premier was tonight: Jack Bauer is back for another season of 24. Sure, its a bit far-fetched, and sure, no one can get around LA with no traffic in the middle of the day and always find available parking, and sure, Jack was just tortured 15 minutes ago and is now torturing someone else. But the show is great. Its perhaps the best suspense-driven,...
by Peter | 11 Jan 2007 |
If you haven't already picked up a 2007 calendar (and I certainly have not yet done so), you may want to check out the National Counter-terrorism Center's 2007 Desk Calendar.The US National Counterterrorism Center is pleased to present the 2007 edition of the Counterterrorism (CT) Calendar. This edition, the largest since the Calendar first appeared in a daily planner format in 2003, contains many features across the full range of...
by Rodger Payne | 11 Jan 2007 |
The President was on television last night, selling the Iraq war.**As he has often in the so-called "war on terror," the President relied upon fear appeals: Failure in Iraq would be a disaster for the United States.The consequences of failure are clear: Radical Islamic extremists would grow in strength and gain new recruits. They would be in a better position to topple moderate governments, create chaos in the region, and use oil revenues to...
by Peter | 8 Jan 2007 |
About 10 years ago, Thomas Friedman (before he was Mr. Globalization and was merely Mr. Middle East Peace), offered his view of what it would take to bring real progress on peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.* In a nutshell, each side would need to fight (and 'win') a civil war before either could reasonably make progress on Peace.Friedman said:In the Arab world the internal struggle pits on one side those who want to open their...
by Peter | 5 Jan 2007 |
Yesterday I wondered what was going on with the reports that Negroponte was leaving the DNI post to take over as Deputy SecState. Well, I awoke to NPR reporting that this is part of a much larger reshuffling of Bush's Iraq team--and yes, you really do need a program to keep up with who is going where.Negroponte out at DNI, in as Deputy SecState, to handle Iraq issuesMike McConnell to be nominated to be DNIKhalilzad out as Ambassador to Iraq, in...
by Peter | 4 Jan 2007 |
Reports out today indicate that John Negroponte is planning to leave his job as Director of National Intelligence to become Deputy Secretary of State.This is a very curious move, one that leaves me scratching my head just a bit. The move is clearly a step down. Negroponte will be leaving a newly created, cabinet-level, highly powerful, high-profile position that is central to the GWOT to be come a Deputy, the number two person in State which,...
by Dan Nexon | 31 Dec 2006 |
Senan Murray of the BBC reports the gory details.There are no Christmas decorations, the radio stations are still playing hip-hop and rap and some children recoil at an image of Santa decrying it as evil."His costume looks phoney and his face is strange," says eight-year-old Ifunanya Chima when shown a picture of the benign bearded old man in his trademark red cloak with white fur trimmings."We prefer masquerades," he told me referring to the...
by Rodger Payne | 30 Dec 2006 |
Are you desperate for some Duck of Minerva action?Well, I've been engaged in an exchange with someone named "Red Stater" (or perhaps "Red's Tater") on his/her blog. It's mostly been in the comments thread...and I wouldn't say anything except that he's practically convinced that I'm Ward Churchill's evil twin, capable only of partisan spin and student indoctrination.If you are truly in need of something to read, see the comment threads attached...
by Peter | 27 Dec 2006 |
Former President Gerald Ford died yesterday.I'm sure that there will be much discussion of Ford's legacy as the only non-elected President in US history, following the resignation of Nixon, and the implications of his pardon of Nixon, perhaps the defining moment of his presidency. As he was only in office briefly, serving out the remainder of Nixon's second term, Ford is not generally credited with many major foreign policy initiatives or...
by Peter | 25 Dec 2006 |
Ethiopia launched an invasion of Somalia yesterday:Ethiopia officially plunged into war with Somalia’s Islamist forces on Sunday, bombing targets inside Somalia and pushing ground troops deep into Somali territory in a major escalation that could turn Somalia’s internal crisis into a violent religious conflict that engulfs the entire Horn of Africa.The coordinated assault was the first open admission by Ethiopia’s Christian-led government of...
by Peter | 23 Dec 2006 |
Where to start? About 2 years ago, Patrick and I did an event with the campus Debate Club, where he and I each teamed up with a student and debated "US Foreign Policy: Going to Hell in a Hand Basket." It was great fun. I was on the side of hell in a hand basket (and won), though it helped to have reality on my side. Reality is back in force, and its not good for the Bush Administration and its not is it good for US foreign policy.The Washington...