Saturday: 91 Iraqis, 1 Marine Killed; 1 Coalition Soldier, 129 Iraqis Injured
27 Oct 2006
Excerpt: With the end of Friday curfews and the Eid al-Fitr holiday over, violence re-ignited today in Iraq. At least 91 Iraqis were killed and another 129 were wounded, so far. Today, the U.S. military reported that a Marine was killed on Friday “due to enemy action” in the volatile Anbar Province. Also, a Polish helicopter made an emergency landing after being hit by small arms fire; an unspecified Coalition soldier and another Iraqi soldier were injured in the incident.

Readings in the Age of Empire
26 Oct 2006
Excerpt: State of Denial: Bush at War, Part III Bob Woodward Simon and Schuster, 2006 558 pp.

Fiasco Then, Fiasco Now
26 Oct 2006
Excerpt: Are we now officially out of our minds? On Tuesday, Gen. George W. Casey, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, and Zalmay Khalilzad, our ambassador to Iraq, gave a joint press conference in Baghdad that was all for home consumption. By home, I mean Washington D.C. I mean Indiana. I mean Texas. Baghdad’s Green Zone was essentially a stage set for a political defense of the Bush presidency.

America’s Kingdom of Heaven
26 Oct 2006
Excerpt: On Oct. 18, President George W. Bush signed an executive order creating a new national policy which loudly proclaims that the U.S. will brook no restraint of any kind on its “rights, capabilities, and freedom of action” in space, and that it has the right to deny space “access” to any power deemed hostile to U.S. “national interests.” The report did not elaborate on how the U.S would restrict this access, but Air Force officers have written position papers calling for an “active military posture” in space that may include “deception, disruption, denial, degradation, and destruction” by “hunter-killer microsatellites” and “spaced-based weapons platform[s].” Essentially, Bush has declared outer space an American colony with the stroke of a pen.

50 Years After Suez, US Hegemony Ebbing Fast
26 Oct 2006
Excerpt: As the Middle East prepares to mark the 50th anniversary on Oct. 29 of the Suez Crisis that effectively ended European colonialism, a half century of U.S. hegemony in the region also appears to be coming to an end, according to a growing number of analysts.

A Jewish Hitler?
26 Oct 2006
Excerpt: With the entry of Avigdor Lieberman into the government as deputy minister for “strategic threats”—essentially in charge of preparing for war with Iran—Israel makes a qualitative step toward a regime that increasingly resembles, in all its essentials, a rogue state, and, I might add, potentially a very dangerous one.

Friday: 41 Iraqis, 1 US GI, 1 UK Soldier Killed; 15 Iraqis Injured
26 Oct 2006
Excerpt: Violence diminished dramatically during the three-day, feast holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which ended yesterday. With various curfews in effect during todayand#8217;s day of prayer, violence is expected to stay low. Yet, 41 Iraqis have already been reported killed today, while another 15 are known injured. Searches are ongoing for the missing U.S. soldier who was kidnapped earlier in the week. The military also reported that an American cavalry soldier was killed in the Diyala province. He was “injured as a result of enemy action,” but died later at a medical facility. Also, the UK Ministry of Defence announced the death of a British soldier in a traffic accident near Basra; no link to violence was reported.

Which Will It Be, Stability or Democracy?
25 Oct 2006
Excerpt: The Muslim Brotherhood is probably one of the most important organizations in the Islamic world, so I was delighted when I was asked recently to take part in a public meeting at New York University’s Center for Law and Security to debate whether or not the U.S. government should be talking to them.

The Fault Lies in Ourselves
25 Oct 2006
Excerpt: During my professional lifetime, liberals and the left wing have focused on failures and misdeeds of the private sector, while libertarians and conservatives have focused on the failures and misdeeds of the public sector or government. It turns out that both sides are right.

Inventing Irrelevance
25 Oct 2006
Excerpt: On Saturday and Sunday, the citizens of Serbia are expected to vote in a plebiscite on the new constitution. In a rare display of political unity, the draft constitution was supported in the parliament by both the government and the opposition parties. However, remnants of the former DOS regime and the “non-governmental” organizations that support them have launched a campaign against the document; these Jacobins are assailing the constitution as “undemocratic,” and particularly object to its preamble, which defines occupied Kosovo as an integral part of Serbia.

Slave Labor at US Embassy in Baghdad?
25 Oct 2006
Excerpt: Several months before a U.S. construction foreman named John Owen quit in disgust over what he said was blatant abuse of foreign laborers hired to build the sprawling new U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Rory Mayberry witnessed similar events when he flew to Kuwait from his home in Myrtle Creek, Ore.

Thursday: 74 Iraqis, 5 American Servicemembers Killed; 52 Iraqis Injured
25 Oct 2006
Excerpt: Reports on Wednesday place the number of Iraqi dead at over 74, another 52 were injured. Also, the U.S. military reported that five American servicemembers were killed on Wednesday. Violence was tempered by the three-day Eid al-Fitr holiday; however, hotspots remain, especially in the Diyala and Anbar provinces. The holy city of Najaf is also on alert.

{ Fish or Cut Bait in Iraq}
25 Oct 2006
by Charles PenaExcerpt: In his weekly radio address over the weekend, President Bush said, “Our goal in Iraq is clear and unchanging: Our goal is victory. What is changing are the tactics we use to achieve that goal.” This statement begs two questions.

The Bush Administration’s War of the Images
24 Oct 2006
Excerpt: Recently, speaking of his war in Iraq, George Bush put the Vietnam analogy back in the public eye. He was asked by ABC’s George Stephanopoulos if New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman was on the mark in suggesting that what “we might be seeing now is the Iraqi equivalent of the Tet Offensive.”

Kurdistan Oil Troubles Begin to Surface
24 Oct 2006
Excerpt: ARBIL —Through a steadily worsening security situation and deepening political divisions, a dispute is now erupting between Kurdish leaders and the Baghdad regime over access to oil resources.

No Excuses
24 Oct 2006
Excerpt: In the veritable tsunami of recantations and recriminations pouring out of former supporters of the war, from Francis Fukuyama to various Republican members of Congress, there is one constant theme: Don’t blame us! Who knew that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction? No one could have known about the rise of the insurgency. Nobody told us!

Wednesday: 49 Iraqis Killed, 39 Injured
24 Oct 2006
Excerpt: The end of the Muslim holy period of Ramadan was thought to mark the beginning of a more peaceful time in Iraq; however, the killings and attacks continue at only a slightly decelerated pace. Today at least 49 Iraqis were killed and another 39 were injured in ongoing violence throughout the country. No foreign military deaths were reported, but one U.S. soldier is still MIA, and U.S. forces launced an air raid on Sadr City.

Georgia—on Moscow’s Mind
23 Oct 2006
Excerpt: With the failure of the Orange Revolution, Ukraine is being drawn back into Moscow’s orbit. Now, Georgia, another former republic of the old Soviet Union, is finding that ex-colonies of the empire pay a price for becoming estranged from Mother Russia.

Imperial Arrogance in Iraq
23 Oct 2006
Excerpt: In the run-up to the Nov. 7 elections, U.S. politicians from both parties are telling Iraqis that they are not doing enough to improve their own security. Democrats are disparaging Iraqi security efforts and criticizing the Bush administration for not pressuring Iraqis to do more. In response, the Bush administration is said to be creating a specific timetable of milestones for the Iraqi government to disarm militias, reduce sectarian violence, and increase stability and security in the country.

Tuesday: 54 Iraqis Killed, 52 Wounded; 4 Servicemembers Reported Killed
23 Oct 2006
Excerpt: In Iraq, Eid al-Fitr continued today and so did the attacks. Even though the violence was tempered by the holiday, 54 Iraqis were killed and another 52 were wounded. The U.S. military reported that a Baghdad-based soldier died at 2:15 a.m from an explosive device planted in the city. A sailor and two Marines were killed on Monday due to “enemy action” in western Anbar Province. An American soldier is still missing in the capital; gunmen reportedly kidnapped him from a relative’s home.

Oil, Nuclear Power, and Iran: A Lesson in Opportunity Cost
22 Oct 2006
Excerpt: Imagine that you have an oil well that contains enough oil to supply annually three times the amount you would ever want to use in a year. Suppose that one of your main current uses of oil is to generate electric power for your ranch. Would you want to buy electric power from someone else, power that is generated by burning some other fuel, or, possibly, made by a nuclear reactor?

The Lobby, Unmasked
22 Oct 2006
Excerpt: While it may be in questionable taste to celebrate at this time of national disaster, with Iraq falling to pieces and the security of the United States compromised as never before, one can’t help but savor this delicious moment as the neoconservatives fall from their formerly dizzying heights.

Monday: 83 Iraqis Killed, 42 Wounded; GI Missing
22 Oct 2006
Excerpt: With Ramadan over, Sunni Muslims today began to observe the joyous holiday of Eid al-Fitr. Shi?ite Muslims begin this celebration of the end of Ramadan fasting tomorrow. While some Iraqis have used the holiday as an opportunity to end violence, many others are shunning public activities with good reason: at least 83 Iraqis died today and another 42 were injured. Also, a U.S. soldier is missing in Baghdad. Troops are conducting house-to-house searches for the missing GI.