So, what does John F. Kerry (who served in Viet Nam) have in common with the current crop of winter soldiers? From Obiter Dictum
In May 2006 an IVAW member named Jesse MacBeth appeared in a video widely circulated on the Internet. MacBeth claimed to have been a Ranger in Iraq who had committed horrific atrocities with his unit, including the execution of hundreds of men, women and children. However, MacBeth was exposed as a fraud who had been dismissed from the Army before... Read Full Story
The Middle East dynamic has fundamentally shifted of late, but there is a danger that the past US policy set remains in play. The axis tilted its geopolitical alignment and the resultant dynamics will demand a new approach from President Obama. The drivers of the shift in the regional alliances are varied. Iran was freed to pursue a broader regional role inadvertentlyby the US, when it deposed the Iraqi strongman, Hussein. This broke the surface tension and allowed Iran to take its eye off... Read Full Story
We have, of course, been following with close scrutiny the debate on the Gaza, and the relative positions of those who are pro-Israel or pro-Hamas. There are many positions in between these two ends of the spectrum, but it is the extremities that garner both the most scrutiny and and are most often cited in the heated world of the Internet debate. It took another article, however, to spark our little epiphany that it is the debate itself , and often the most extreme examples, that shape... Read Full Story
When Prince Turki of Saudi Arabia sends a direct message via an opinion piece in the Financial Times to President Obama that Saudi is running out of patience, whether you think Saudi is a valuable partner or not, you still better take notice. Prince Turki would not make such an open declaration without explicit authorization, and his resume itself is impressive in Saudi terms. Prince Turki is chairman, King Faisal Centre for Research and Islamic Studies, Riyadh. He has been director of... Read Full Story
Sometimes you need to look deeper than a headline or catch phrase to gain an understanding of a world issue. Such is the case in the West’s supposed war against ‘Radical Islam.’ The Whitehouse and the Washington press corps have an ability to summarize and popularize a concept through the use of a linguistic shortcut, also known as a catchy turn of phrase. There are many examples, but a few will suffice to demonstrate this skill - war on terror, radical Islam, fight them over there, not over... Read Full Story
Arms are still funnelling into Iran, often including US components, from states allegedly friendly with the US. In some instances the transactions are transparent, the shipper knows exactly who the end recipient is, and in other cases, there is a degree of opacity. Some parties appear to be used as gullible transhippers, but regardless of the methodology, the supposed sanctions against Iran are proving ineffective in practice. The supposedly impartial Dubai and other UAE states have been... Read Full Story
The US war in Iraq has subtly, but crucially, shifted the balance of power in the Middle East. The ramifications are still playing out, can be seen at work in the Israeli attacks on the Gaza, and may be the single most important policy bungle that costs the West in the coming years. President Bush was, always and at best, a flawed man with a limited understanding of geopolitics. He did not have the ability to foresee the future damage of the policies he pursued while in office. There was... Read Full Story
