George Washington University professor Jonathan Turley said it best yesterday on Keith Olbermann regarding the British Public Inquiry into the Iraq War that recently saw former Prime Minister Tony Blair extensively questioned: “The British have this quaint notion, don’t they, that their leaders should have to explain decisions that cost thousands of lives and billions [...]
Archive for the ‘democracy’ Category
A Little Island with More Backbone than a Super Power
Posted in 9/11, Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, democracy, Egypt, Fundamentalism, Iran, Iraq, islam, Israel, Middle East, Muslims, Osama, Pakistan, Radical, September 11, South Asia, Sunni, Taliban, terrorism, U.S. Foreign Policy, tagged 9/11, Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, America, Americans, democracy, Egypt, Gaza, Iran, Iraq, islam, Israel, Jordan, Middle East, Muslims, Palestine, Palestinians, Radical, Saudi Arabia, terrorism, U.S. Foreign Policy on February 10, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Terror Spirals From Pakistan to Iraq…
Posted in 9/11, Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, democracy, Fundamentalism, Iran, Iraq, islam, Middle East, Muslims, Osama, Pakistan, Radical, South Asia, Taleban, Taliban, terrorism, U.S. Foreign Policy, tagged 9/11, Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, America, Americans, Iran, Iraq, islam, Middle East, Muslims, Pakistan, Radical, South Asia, Taliban, terrorism, U.S. Foreign Policy on February 3, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Pakistan has come to another critical point in its war against extremism with the unconfirmed reports that the Pakistani Taliban leader, Hakimullah Mehsud, has succumbed to wounds he sustained in a U.S. drone attack in January. If the reports prove true, that would be two Taliban leaders, as well as numerous mid-level operatives, lost [...]
Europe and Its Muslims: Removing the Veil of Insecurity
Posted in Al Qaeda, democracy, Egypt, Europe, Fundamentalism, islam, Middle East, Muslims, Radical, terrorism, U.S. Foreign Policy, Uncategorized, Women, tagged Egypt, Europe, islam, Middle East, Muslims, Radical, terrorism, U.S. Foreign Policy on January 25, 2010 | 1 Comment »
France’s parliament will be debating a full ban on the hijab, or Muslim face veil, this Spring. The Dutch are considering a similar ban in schools and government offices. Several states in Germany have already banned teachers from wearing the veil. The Swiss will most likely debate a ban soon, after recently prohibiting the construction [...]
“A Pakistan on the Verge of Greatness” ???
Posted in Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, democracy, Fundamentalism, India, islam, Israel, Middle East, Muslims, Pakistan, Radical, South Asia, Taleban, Taliban, terrorism, U.S. Foreign Policy, tagged Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, India, islam, Middle East, Muslims, nuclear, Pakistan, South Asia, terrorism, U.S. Foreign Policy on January 18, 2010 | 1 Comment »
One wonders exactly where Pakistani President Asif Zardari was when he first wrote the above headline for his Washington Post Op-Ed that appeared in the print edition this past Friday. (The Post subsequently changed the headline in the on-line version. Hmmm…). Perhaps Zardari was in his villa in Dubai or his chalet in Switzerland. Maybe [...]
Iran’s Mullahs Fall: The Day After
Posted in Afghanistan, Ahmadinejad, democracy, elections, Fundamentalism, Hamas, Hizbullah, India, Iran, Iraq, islam, Israel, Lebanon, Middle East, Mousavi, Muslims, nuclear weapon, Pakistan, Radical, Shia, terrorism, U.S. Foreign Policy, tagged Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Mousavi, mullah, Muslims, nuclear, U.S. Foreign Policy on January 14, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
As Iran’s Summer of Outrage gives way to a sustained Winter of Discontent, those who predicted the protest movement would wither in the face of massive state repression are scrambling to re-evaluate. Brave Iranians have not backed down, despite rape, murder, torture, and, most recently, indications of targeted killings. On the contrary, the bravado of [...]
Islam’s Shame
Posted in 9/11, Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, democracy, Fundamentalism, Iran, islam, Israel, Middle East, Muslims, Radical, September 11, South Asia, Taleban, Taliban, U.S. Foreign Policy, tagged Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, Americans, Egypt, Hamas, Iran, Iraq, islam, Israel, Jordan, Middle East, Muslims, Pakistan, Palestine, Palestinians, Radical, South Asia, Taliban, U.S. Foreign Policy on December 14, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
As revelations emerge of more and more American citizens becoming receptive to the Jihadist message- from Nidal Hassan to the Minnesota Somalians to the five Americans most recently captured in Pakistan- we must increasingly ask ourselves what is so appealing about this radical ideology. What motivates these people and why do they choose violence? [...]
You Don’t Need Foreigners for An Occupation
Posted in Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, democracy, Egypt, Fundamentalism, Hamas, Iran, Iraq, islam, Israel, Middle East, Muslims, Pakistan, Radical, South Asia, Taleban, Taliban, U.S. Foreign Policy, tagged Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, America, Americans, democracy, Gaza, Hamas, Iran, Iraq, islam, Israel, Middle East, Muslims, Pakistan, Palestine, Palestinians, Radical, Taliban, terrorism, U.S. Foreign Policy on December 3, 2009 | 1 Comment »
“This Soil is Ours” reads the caption below the cartoon above, displayed during the annual Quds (Jerusalem) Day demonstrations in Iran, when the clerical regime likes to whip up support against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands, diverting attention from very real problems at home. This year, however, the Iranian people did not toe the [...]
Confronting Our Own Extremists
Posted in 9/11, Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, democracy, Fundamentalism, Iran, Iraq, islam, Israel, Middle East, Muslims, Osama, Pakistan, Radical, September 11, Taliban, U.S. Foreign Policy, Uncategorized, tagged 9/11, Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, America, Americans, democracy, Iran, Iraq, islam, Israel, Middle East, Muslims, Pakistan, Palestine, Palestinians, Radical, Saudi Arabia, terrorism, U.S. Foreign Policy on November 22, 2009 | 1 Comment »
You know what they say about pictures. I took this one in 2004, at the hallway bulletin board outside the main cafeteria of what was back then the U.S. embassy complex in Baghdad, Iraq. Why was there openly religious propaganda posted in what was ostensibly a federal government building? Language exhorting the thousands of people per [...]
Losing Sight of Victory in Afghanistan
Posted in Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, democracy, Iraq, islam, Middle East, Muslims, Osama, Pakistan, Radical, Taleban, Taliban, U.S. Foreign Policy, Uncategorized, tagged Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, America, Americans, democracy, islam, Middle East, Pakistan, South Asia, Taliban, terrorism, U.S. Foreign Policy on November 18, 2009 | 2 Comments »
Yesterday evening I attended a talk by Dr. David Kilcullen, a former Australian infantry officer who is now the chief strategist for the Office of Counter-Terrorism. He has written a widely acclaimed book called The Accidental Guerilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One. Usually these Washington policy wonk meetings are way [...]
Unleashing the Muslim Middle Classes
Posted in Afghanistan, democracy, elections, Hamas, Iran, islam, Israel, Middle East, Muslims, Pakistan, Radical, U.S. Foreign Policy, tagged Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, America, Americans, democracy, elections, Hamas, Iran, islam, Israel, Middle East, Muslims, Pakistan, Palestine, Palestinians, Saudi Arabia, South Asia, U.S. Foreign Policy on October 29, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
I had a chance to sit down with a member of Congress recently to talk informally about foreign policy, the Muslim world, and the challenges that we face in places like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and Israel/Palestine. I was immediately impressed with this Congressman’s breadth of knowledge and interest level, particularly since he was not serving [...]
