Defense officials from Russia and the United States last week helped block a new demand for an international probe into the Uzbekistan government’s shooting of hundreds of protesters last month, according to U.S. and diplomatic officials. British and other European officials had pushed to include language calling for an independent investigation in a communique issued by defense ministers of NATO … Read More
Hiding The Truth
Why is the White House refusing to hand over NSA documents regarding Bolton, so that the Senate can confirm/deny him as UN Ambassador? Is it national security, or is someone’s ass being covered? In tomorrow’s New York Times, an article will appear suggesting that the White House is holding the documents tight to the chest because they contain the names … Read More
Worse Than Appeasement
Not long ago, the right-wing blogosphere was chastizing the left because (supposedly) we all wanted to “appease” Saddam. Of course, “appeasement” in our view meant inspections, fly-overs, sanctions and a whole host of other active efforts which—let’s be honest—are just the opposite of appeasement. Today’s LA Times has a piece by former NSC director Steve Andreasen which takes Bush to … Read More
New Rule on Amnesty International
NEW RULE: Amnesty International is a legitimate source for human rights violations of other countries, but is an unreliable and irresponsible source for reporting on the U.S. On March 27, 2003, Rumsfeld said: We know that it’s a repressive regime…Anyone who has read Amnesty International or any of the human rights organizations about how the regime of Saddam Hussein treats … Read More
The Man Who Saved The World
Incredible(!) story from The Moscow News about something that happened in 1983 that you didn’t know about, because you were sleeping soundly in your bed. I reprint it here in full: The Man Who Saved the World Finally Recognized Sirens blaring, warning lights flashing, computer screens showing nuclear missiles on their way, one man in charge of a red button … Read More
We So Crazy
57 per cent of Australians think US foreign policy to be as great a threat as that of Islamic fundamentalism. Can’t imagine why. Unless you think about it. I mean, of ALL the nations on this planet, which one has been involved in more wars and had more of its troops in other sovereign lands? Which nation invokes "pre-emption" as … Read More
Foreign Affairs News
From Reuters: Ousted Kyrgyz Leader Says Not Resigning MOSCOW (Reuters) – Kyrgyzstan’s ousted President Askar Akayev, in exile in Russia following last week’s coup in the Central Asian state, said on Tuesday that he would not resign. "So far I have not resigned as president. That’s why I consider myself the one and only legitimate and elected president. At the … Read More
As Expected
The world reaction is one of head-scratching: The United States nomination of Paul Wolfowitz as World Bank chief drew a cool response from European officials on the bank’s board but they had little chance of blocking it, board sources said on Wednesday. Sources close to the World Bank board said Wolfowitz’s name was informally circulated several weeks ago among the … Read More
Republicans and War
From E&P: Gallup: Americans Don’t Like Syria, Iran, N. Korea, but Don’t Want War A new Gallup Poll released today shows that while Americans have very negative opinions of Syria, North Korea, and Iran, by very wide margins they do not want to go to war with them. Still, about 4 in 10 Republicans would support "military action" against each … Read More
Great Ad
This is a great advertisement that you will probably never see on American television because it concerns an issue that does not affect Americans. Which is too bad, because the ad itself is specifically designed to speak to Americans.
America is #1?
I hate to burst the bubble of America’s rah-rah-nothing-wrong-here types, but this country needs improvement. From the Minneapolis-St. Paul News come this list of where America really ranks: The United States is 49th in the world in literacy (the New York Times, Dec. 12, 2004). The United States ranked 28th out of 40 countries in mathematical literacy (NYT, Dec. 12, … Read More
Recycled Nuclear Photos
This might be tough to follow. But here goes . . . Yesterday, an eagle-eyed blogger realized that CNN was using the same photo in two different stories. One story, from February 9, was about Iran‘s purported nuclear program; the other story, from February 12, was about North Korea‘s purported nuclear program. But . . . both stories carried the … Read More
Changes In Foreign Policy?
Arab world: Bush’s speech was a bunch of empty long-winded words, meaning nothing. Bush White House: Bush’s speech was a bunch of empty long-winded words, meaning nothing. George Bush 41: My son’s speech was a bunch of empty long-winded words, meaning nothing.
American Foreign Policy
Matt Yglesius is right. Can anyone look at the countries as categorized below (reflecting the statements of the Bush Administration), and come up with a coherent foreign policy or doctrine? "Outposts of Tyranny" Cuba Burma North Korea Iran Zimbabwe Belarus Allies In the War On Terror Tunisia Saudi Arabia Uzbekistan Egypt Jordan Kuwait Ambiguous Third Category Russia China Vietnam Syria … Read More
And How is Generalissimo Franco??
Arafat is dead and in a coma. Well, either way, he’s not making too many plans.