Is Iran a kind of vampire — sucking on the current weakness of a seemingly-overextended United States to gain regional and international strength that allows it the chance to play the international brinksmanship game? The word "brinksmanship" usually implies a kind of a posturing game like "chicken," where where one side will pull back. The difference is that there are … [Read more...] about Is Iran A Vampire?

THIS JUST IN from investigative reporter Andy Borowitz:Bush Transfers Detainees From CIA to DMV Will Wait on Line Until They Talk, President Says President George W. Bush stunned the international human rights community today by announcing that he would transfer a dozen detainees being held in secret CIA prisons to the Department of Motor Vehicles in New York City. While … [Read more...] about This Just In!

Mega-Moments in Modern American History PLUS - New Senate, House, and Governor Outlook Summary Charts The death of Nellie Connally a few days ago brought back an aching shock and a flood of unhappy memories for Americans about fifty years of age and older. The last survivor of the JFK assassination car in Dallas, Mrs. Connally was the final personified reminder of a day that … [Read more...] about Sabato’s Crystal Ball: The Politics of Sad Memory

The BBC is reporting that "Nato's leaders have urged member countries to provide reinforcements to help in its campaign against Taleban guerrillas in southern Afghanistan". Now, I realize that "Nato troops took over leadership of military operations in the region from the US in July," but it seems to me (as to many others) that the situation in Afghanistan would be a lot … [Read more...] about Wanted: More troops in Afghanistan

How many more troops? Will the numbers guarantee any success against what I have been describing as fearless and independent Afghanis? Five years have passed of the occupation of Afghanistan by American troops and we still witness a killer bomb attack in the most protected area of Kabul. So if such a central place like the US Embassy cannot be secured, how would any number … [Read more...] about “NATO Wants More Troops in Afghanistan”

New Jersey Republican senatorial candidate Thomas Kean has called, as I mentioned on Monday, for Donald Rumsfeld's resignation. I'm sure other Republicans dislike the defense secretary as well, and perhaps some would also like him to resign, but it's the Democrats, of course, who are his more vocal critics. This was evident on Wednesday when a "Democratic-sponsored resolution … [Read more...] about Democrats play politics with Rumsfeld

Decide after you read this. … [Read more...] about Is There A Political Affliction Named “PDS?”

Remember those enthusiastic reports of an alleged drop — a significant one — in Baghdad's death toll for August? I wrote about them here. Well, they were wrong. And I was too quick to trust their veracity. Essentially, the L.A. Times (and other news outlets) reported that the Baghdad morgue was "on track [in August] to receive less than a quarter" of the 1,800 … [Read more...] about Death toll deception in Baghdad

When will British Prime Minister Tony Blair step down? When, as is expected, will Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown assume the Labour leadership and move next door to 10 Downing Street? Last month, I reported that Blair was determined to remain in office for at least another year. But Brown, his long-time rival, apparently wants him to leave sooner rather than later, and … [Read more...] about Brown v. Blair

Some more good news. Israel ended sea blockade in Lebanon on Friday, says Reuters. Earlier Israel had lifted the aerial blockade. … [Read more...] about Lebanon’s Aerial and Naval Blockade Ends

We have an unusually large number of new, thought-provoking posts on this site today (and cobloggers have a batch more in the pipeline). So be sure to SCROLL DOWN to explore them all. … [Read more...] about Important Note To Readers: Keep Scrolling Down

(Click on photo to enlarge) Whatever be the motives of allowing Iran's former President Mohammad Khatami to visit five cities of the United States in these unpredictable times - and in the face of opposition from hardliners in both America and Iran - it bodes well for keeping open the door for dialogue/discussion instead of reaching for the trigger in the face of a … [Read more...] about Khatami’s US Visit : Hats Off To President Bush

NOTE TO READERS: The post below this notes that Variety reports that ABC is considering pulling "The Path To 911" entirely. That's all speculative at this point. This commentary was actually written for the Unity08 website as a crosspost but it has not gone up yet and we are posting it now due to its timeliness. How often do you see a corporation truly step in it — I … [Read more...] about “The Path To 911” Catches ABC In Political Mousetrap (UPDATED)

Variety reports that ABC bigwigs are considering pulling "The Path To 911 altogether:"The Path to 9/11" is looking a lot like "The Reagans, Part II." Bill Clinton loyalists are demanding wholesale changes to the upcoming miniseries -- and while ABC is making some snips, the alterations, insiders say, may not please the Dems. But a bombshell decision may happen anyway: Sources … [Read more...] about Variety: ABC Is Considering Pulling “The Path To 911”

"Gaza is dying," reports Patrick Cockburn from Gaza in The Independent. "The Israeli siege of the Palestinian enclave is so tight that its people are on the edge of starvation. Here on the shores of the Mediterranean a great tragedy is taking place that is being ignored because the world's attention has been diverted by wars in Lebanon and Iraq. "A whole society is being … [Read more...] about “Gaza Is Dying —- People Under Seige Are Starving”

Saw this website by chance. Read some poems by Joan Hughes. Haven't heard her name before. Liked this one... LEAFLETS Handing leaflets out No, don't shout, don't shout Press gently into hand They'll read what it is about Near the Foreign Office each Monday On the dark street corner stand Light a candle in the gloom Put a leaflet into hand Sunset over St. James Park Our work … [Read more...] about Don’t Shout…Just Say It Gently…

In a recent interview with Essense Magazine, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice discussed to the current situation in Iraq, endeavoring to place it in the context of the American Civil War. Her remarks included an attempt to buttress the "stay the course" mantra of the administration by striving to liken critics of the current policies towards the situation in Iraq to those … [Read more...] about Misunderstanding history

The relationship between George Bush and Tony Blair will not change despite the British Prime Minister's announcement he will step down, the White House has said, reports BBC. The US president's spokesman Tony Snow insisted Mr Blair was "a valuable ally" and said the pair still had "a lot of work to do" on the world stage. "He is somebody whose counsel the President much … [Read more...] about Goodbye Tony Blair…After One Year?

Is President George Bush again rolling the political dice for a high risk bet? The AP:President Bush is casting the war on global terrorism as the central issue of the midterm elections. But it's a risky political strategy. The approach carries reminders of failures inIraq, prisoner treatment at Guantanamo Bay, warrantless wiretapping at home and Osama bin Laden's endurance … [Read more...] about Is Bush Rolling The Dice In His Election Strategy?

...by White House surrogate Majority Leader Bill Frist? Andrew Sullivan sees signs of it... … [Read more...] about Will McCain Be Bypassed On Trying Terrorism Suspects