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By July-August 2001, it was clear that something dramatic was about to happen.
Pepe Escobar, our "Roving Eye", was
traveling in Afghanistan and the tribal areas of Pakistan. The rumor was that
US forces were about to use Pakistan to launch a raid into Afghanistan.
Escobar's article, published by Asia Times Online on August 30, 2001, was
headlined Get
Osama! Now! Or else ... Our Karachi correspondent, Syed Saleem Shazad,
was meanwhile filing articles like Osama
bin Laden: The thorn in Pakistan's flesh (August 22, 2001) ...
August 2004
 COMMENTARY
The
al-Qaeda striptease
Like a stripper in the dance of a thousand
veils, Pakistan continues to reveal al-Qaeda suspects at crucial times. But
beyond the titillation that keeps those in Islamabad and Washington enthralled,
it is Pakistan itself that is being exposed in this dangerous show. - B Raman
(Aug 31, '04)
After Muqtada, the
militias ...
Getting Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr off the battlefield and into the
political process is only a part of the solution in Iraq. Still sidelined are
the former "pillars of power" in the form of ex-Ba'ath Party members, tribal
chiefs, army top brass and the clergy. In the meanwhile, Shi'ite militias have
taken root in the south, with help from neighborly friends. - Syed Saleem
Shahzad (Aug 31, '04)
THE
ROVING EYE
In God, and
terror, we trust
Be afraid. Be very afraid. That is the essence of the Republican platform for
"four more years" of the president of permanent war. Oh, but don't ask how the
"war on terra" is actually going, with the 1,000th US soldier about to die in
Iraq, which along with Afghanistan is in chaos; because God, and Karl Rove's
dirty tricks, are on George Bush's side. - Pepe Escobar
(Aug 31, '04)
Don't look
closely, just swallow
As with the complementary macaroni and cheese dinner included in the
press kit, what matters at the Republican National Convention is not the
unpalatable ingredients but the package itself. The Republicans do indeed have
a program for their next term in office, but they are hoping moderate American
swing voters won't read the fine print. - Ian Williams
(Aug 31, '04) |
The terror in Indian cell phones
Much to the annoyance of India's journalists, among others, terror anxiety has
led to a ban on cell phones in the presence of senior government officials. In
an age when technology advances at unimaginable speeds, the fear that all
gadgetry can be used for evil deeds has become a way of life. - Siddharth
Srivastava (Aug 31, '04)
Closing the gap in al-Qaeda fight
Institutional complexity remains a chief source of America's vulnerability, and
now President George W Bush has taken corrective measures to improve the US's
capabilities to deal effectively with the highly adaptable forces of al-Qaeda.
But there is still some way to go. - Ehsan Ahrari (Aug
30, '04)
After Russia's 'September 11'
September 11 was a wake-up call for the US, and the loss of two passenger
planes to terrorism last week may be a wake-up call for President Vladimir
Putin. It's also a chance for him to shake up his security and military
establishments. - Peter Lavelle (Aug
30, '04)
Iraq test for Moscow
The possibility of Russia deploying up to 40,000 troops to either Iraq or
Afghanistan is still in the cards. Clearly, Moscow would score invaluable
points in Washington with such a deployment, probably outweighing the negative
implications. A bigger issue, though, is whether Russian troops would be up to
the job. (Aug 30, '04)
US-Iranian tug and pull over Iraq
 Muqtada
al-Sadr's three-week resistance at the Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf appears over,
with the brokering of a truce. But now the real battle begins. Through Muqtada,
Iran is emerging as a potent power in the political maneuvering with the US
over whether Iraq will become some sort of a secular or semi-secular democracy,
or an Islamic democracy. - Ehsan Ahrari (Aug 27,
'04)
Russian bear calls on gray wolf
After the collapse of the USSR in the early 1990s, nationalist Russian
politicians, ex-communist cadres, ambitious Russian generals, local mafia,
Turkish groups and international oil executives all entered the fray on the
Caucasian chessboard. Not much has changed as President Vladimir Putin heads
for Turkey. - K Gajendra Singh (Aug 27,
'04)
Fear of
terror in Russian skies
The separate but nearly simultaneous crashes of two
Russian passenger jets on Wednesday remain unexplained. Investigations have
begun into the crashes, which came just days ahead of presidential elections in
Chechnya. Chechen rebels have threatened to use violence to disrupt the polls.
(Aug 27, '04)
Iraq war cost in New Yorkers' faces
A flashy new billboard in New York City's Times Square
reminds Americans exactly how much they have spent, and are continuing to spend
at the rate of more than US$122,000 a minute, on military operations in Iraq.
Meanwhile, a left-leaning think-tank has detailed how it believes $144.4
billion could have been better spent on national security.(Aug
27, '04)
The reinvented, more youthful
al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda's ability to regenerate itself in the face of
adversity, including the recent arrests of top operatives, is one the United
States' counter-terror experts would do well to study. Not only is fresh blood
running though its veins, but the group has transformed itself into an
ideological movement - none of which bodes well for Washington's "war on
terror". - Sudha Ramachandran
(Aug 24, '04)
'Pre-election plots' and
the politics of fear
Americans are on edge once again, amid
speculation that al-Qaeda is planning a Madrid-style terrorist attack to
coincide with the November presidential election in the US. But comparisons
with Spain are unhelpful, and the domestic US variables are so many that
questions of if, when and how such an attack might occur are unanswerable. As
far as the campaigns are concerned, it might not matter. -
Ashraf Fahim (Aug 24, '04)
Pakistan near endgame in al-Qaeda
hunt
Pakistan's ongoing crackdown on
al-Qaeda has resulted in scores of arrests. And with President General Pervez
Musharraf due in Washington just weeks before the US elections,
the likelihood of him announcing the capture of "high-value" targets
increases. At the same time, a parallel roundup of jihadis in Pakistan has
caused bitter resentment, as one leader tells Syed
IMG height= cellPadding=/fontFONT color= Saleem Shahzad. (Aug 24, '04)
THE ROVING EYE
Martyrdom or victory for Muqtada
The longer Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's confrontation with US troops in
Baja continues, the more enhanced is his status as a resistance icon, and the
loss of face for Prime Minister Riyadh Malawi. And Muqtada is in no hurry to
lay down his arms. - Pepe Escobar (Aug
23, '04)
China's view of US 'lily pad' strategy
Ancient civilizations have a powerful sense of history and an
uncanny ability to study their competitor's advantage and conclude
that their own disadvantages are only transitory. So it is with China's
view of the planned US global force deployment, its "lily pad" strategy.
Beijing will continue its strategic maneuvers and adjustments, advancing in
spite of Washington. - Ehsan Ahrari
(Aug 23, '04)
Iran: The babble and the bomb
 The
US under President George W Bush and his neo-conservative policymakers has
every intention of unsheathing the regime-change strategy that was launched
with such dubious results at Iraq, if Bush is re-elected in November. And the
prime target would be nuclear-power-to-be Iran, which, despite distractions in
North Korea and other places, has never dropped off the United States' radar
screen. - Ehsan Ahrari (Aug 20, '04)
What do we call the enemy?
Three months after the New York Times expressed regret for the quality of its
reporting in the run-up to the Iraq war, the Washington Post has done something
similar. But do these retroactive mea culpas go far enough? Tom
Engelhardt believes the US media even now are not getting to the
heart of the Iraq story, and when they try, the words they choose can obscure
the truth. (Aug 20, '04)
War beats economy as top
US concern
For the first time since the Vietnam War era, US citizens are putting more
weight on foreign policy than on the economy, according to a new poll. The
numbers are largely driven by ongoing worries about terrorism, and by dwindling
- though still in the majority - support for the invasion of Iraq.
(Aug 20, '04)
 The
fog and dog of war
Self-styled vigilante Jack Idema, now on trial in Afghanistan on
kidnapping and torture charges, has a reputation for tall stories. His claims,
therefore, that the Pentagon put him up to his escapades have been greeted with
skepticism. Maybe this is a typical Idema smokescreen, though, and his real
sponsors lie elsewhere in the Bush administration. - David Isenberg
Trigger-happy and
troublesome
Jack Idema says he has a string of military awards and served in elite forces
around the world. This is open to dispute. What cannot be denied is that he is
foul-mouthed and aggressive, and quick to seize a commercial opportunity, as
Richard S Ehrlich found out.
(Aug 20, '04) |
Iraqi vote of no-confidence
It was clear that Iraq's National Conference wasn't going to satisfy everybody
as it went into an unscheduled fourth day on Thursday. After the procedural
wrangling was finished, many delegates left contending that Iraq's experiment
in participatory politics had been hijacked. (Aug
20, '04)
Pakistan tosses the US heads, not
tales
 The
US is identifying key al-Qaeda and other suspects in Pakistan and demanding
that Islamabad take action. This the Pakistanis are doing; perhaps more so than
Washington would like, with some suspects dying or disappearing before
the FBI gets its hands on them. Raids across the country continue, but
somehow the results are unsatisfactory. - Syed Saleem Shahzad
(Aug 19, '04)
Into the Valley of Peace
Muqtada al-Sadr's appeal and power rest on his opposition to the presence of
foreign troops in the country and their presence in Shi'ite holy cities. But
whatever happens in his opposition to such troops in Najaf, the resolution of
Iraq's problems lie not in Najaf but in Baghdad.
(Aug 19, '04)
US
MILITARY REDEPLOYS
(Aug 19, '04)
Reshaping Washington's global
footprint
The US has remained relatively tight-lipped about the
intricacies of its planned global troop redeployment, which suggests that the
devil may be in the details. One thing is certain, however. By no means is
Washington about to reduce its ability to intervene militarily around around
the world. - David Isenberg
Russia unfazed by US
plan
Washington's planned global troop redeployment won't slow Russia's push to
secure its Central Asian interests. After all, the two may not be enemies, but
they're certainly "not yet allies". And then there's NATO's expansion into
three former Soviet states. - Sergei Blagov |
 Pakistan
turns on itself
The Pakistan government, by taking on the Jamaat-i-Islami, the premier
fundamentalist party in the country and the real mother of international
Islamic movements, including al-Qaeda, is driving a stake into the very
heart of Pakistani society, which includes the military. - Syed Saleem Shahzad
(Aug 18, '04)
The Iraqi people have their say
Iraq's National Conference, intended to create an advisory body for the
interim government, has turned into a freewheeling forum where some 1,300
delegates have discussed virtually every element of policy, including how to
deal with Muqtada al-Sadr's rebellion. Whether all the talk will translate into
action is another matter. (Aug 18, '04)
|
 ANALYSES
Muqtada al-Sadr:
Shi'ite hero or villain?
(Aug 17, '04)
Threat
to the political process
he US siege of Najaf, Iraqi tribal and religious leaders are attempting to
persuade Muqtada to call off his fighters and participate in the country's
nascent political process. Iran, too, sees the cleric as a threat to its plans
for Iraq. - Syed Saleem Shahzad
THE ROVING EYE
A
unifying factor across Iraq
e alike condemn the United States offensive in Najaf as a "bloodbath", but the
longer the fighting continues, "the image of [Muqtada] being the only one
capable of unifying the country beyond communal divisions" will grow even
stronger. - Pepe Escobar
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Geopolitics in Iraq an old game
The Americans are not the only ones to have had a tough time of it in Iraq.
Neither the Persians nor the Ottomans could keep the population effectively in
check, and the British occupiers also failed. Iraq's troubled history goes back
centuries, and its echoes resound forcefully today. This is the first article
in a series by Henry C K Liu (Aug 17 '04)
Neo-con ideology, not Big Oil,
wanted war
It wasn't Big Oil or the "ruling class" that pressed for the war in Iraq, as
many critics allege. While some economic interests may have added momentum to
the push to war, the decisive factor was the ideology of neo-conservatism, a
vision permeated by fear and grounded in the belief in the battle between good
and evil. - Jim Lobe (Aug 17 '04)
Saving Afghanistan from the
killing fields
 With
presidential elections due in Afghanistan in October, the Afghan government and
its American masters are worried about the dangerous role of the burgeoning
poppy trade on the evolution of democracy. Maybe the Taliban could help. - Ehsan
Ahrari (Aug 16, '04)
Taking on the Taliban
The increased number of skirmishes in Afghanistan between the Taliban and
US-led forces does not mean a resurgence in the resistance. It's all part of
the plan, explains a US colonel in the thick of the action.
(Aug 16, '04)
Judoka takes a fall for Tehran
With Iranian world judo champion Arash Miresmaeili failing to take to the mat
against his Israeli opponent at the Olympic Games, sports authorities are
deciding on possible penalties for him and his teammates. Tehran, meanwhile, is
trumpeting a great victory. - Safa Haeri (Aug 16,
'04)
 US
poised for killer blow against Muqtada
With US troops ringing Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and his militia in Najaf,
commanders have the option of going for the killer blow, which would mean
entering the Imam Ali Shrine, the world's holiest for Shi'ite Muslims. If the
US does that, or decides to wait it out, the end result is not likely to
work in Washington's favor. That leaves negotiation, and fighting has ceased to
allow that to happen. - Jim Lobe (Aug 13,
'04)
To terminate or not ...
If United States soldiers kill Muqtada al-Sadr, his death would simply
eliminate a figurehead, and Shi'ite resistance to the US-led occupation of Iraq
would surge, as would Muslim anger around the world.
(Aug 13, '04)
Fear stalks Pakistan's anniversary
As Pakistan prepares to celebrate its 57th anniversary on Saturday, the mood in
the country is muted through fear of retaliation for the recent arrests of key
jihadi figures, even though President General Pervez Musharraf has taken steps
to ease the tension. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (Aug
13, '04)
SPEAKING FREELY
Lessons from the 'war
on terror'
As the third anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11 approaches,
it is becoming clear what works and what doesn't in the global campaign against
terrorism. In Southeast Asia's case, its Muslim populations need to be
convinced that the threat to their way of life from the Jemaah Islamiyah
network is real. - Khoo How San (Aug 13, '04)
Bush gambles as Najaf burns
The Bush administration has gambled on a
watershed victory for both the war in Iraq and the US presidential election by
launching the offensive against Najaf. - Michael
Schwartz (Aug 12, '04)
Iraq
and Iran swap blows
Once again calling Iran its "number one" enemy, Iraq has
arrested Iranian intelligence officers and a journalist, and stepped up
accusations that Tehran is aiding Muqtada al-Sadr's Shi'ite rebellion in Najaf.
Iran has vigorously denied meddling, but it does have an agenda of its own for
Iraq. - Safa Haeri (Aug
12, '04)
'Pivot of Asia' sees
China-Pakistan exercises
Recent
China-Pakistan military exercises in Xinjiang primarily demonstrate Chinese
power and its ability to suppress all signs of terrorism and separatism in its
far west. Predominantly Muslim Xinjiang is known as the "pivot of Asia" for its
key position in Asia's ethnic, economic and strategic affairs. - Colin
Mackerras (Aug
12, '04)
House of Saud exits
cocoon of denial
The Saudi monarchy has finally woken up to the
threat of its imminent extinction, as al-Qaeda keeps its sights set firmly on
regime change and internal forces battle. This has led the oil kingdom to
embark on a rescue mission with Washington, to save what may to be a doomed
cause. - Ehsan Ahrari
(Aug 12, '04)
Abu Ghraib: Foxes in
the henhouse
The initial sense of urgency to investigate the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in
Iraq has dissipated, and without a genuinely independent investigation,
impunity is the order of the day. - Ashraf Fahim (Aug
12, '04)
SPEAKING FREELY
Evolution of the al-Qaeda
brand name
The events of September 11, 2001, and reaction to it accelerated the
decentralization of al-Qaeda's leadership. To remain legitimate, al-Qaeda must
now rely more than ever on its manufactured symbolism - its "brand name". US
Air Force intelligence officer Jonathan Feiser notes that the key to
winning the "war on terror" lies in recognizing this new reality. (With
comments by W Joseph Stroupe.) (Aug 12, '04)
Cracking open Pakistan's jihadi core
 There
has always been someone in the Pakistani establishment to pull the strings of
jihadis. Now, with the arrest of two key Pakistani jihadi figures, the
string-pullers are being exposed, and there is an opportunity for a decisive
blow at the heart of the jihadi movement. - Syed Saleem Shahzad
(Aug 11, '04)
The Pakistan problem
In its "war on terror", the US government is up against old-fashioned Islamic
scholars trapped in centuries-old thinking. In this struggle, Pakistan is both
the problem and the solution. (Aug 11, '04)
Malacca
Strait: Target for terror
Terrorism confronts a world addicted to oil, and there's no better
way to bring an addict to his knees than by cutting off his supply - or by
raising its price. Thus, the lawless Strait of Malacca, a vulnerable chokepoint
for the world's oil trade, is a perfect terrorist target. Recent measures
adopted by the three littoral states - Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia - to
stifle the threat appear to be pitifully inadequate. - Ioannis Gatsiounis
How it could happen ...
About three and a half hours ago, a tanker traveling through the Malacca
Strait carrying highly flammable liquefied natural gas slammed into a
second tanker loaded with 2 million barrels of crude oil docked at a refinery
in Singapore ... - Fiction by Gary LaMoshi
(Aug 10, '04) |
Two low blows for the Chalabis
Whether intended or not, the warrants for the arrest of Ahmad Chalabi and his
nephew Salem Chalabi - on unrelated charges - are a setback for the two former
Iraqi exiles, and especially for Ahmad as he tries to revive his political
career by siding with radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
(Aug 10, '04)
Muqtada
sticks to his guns
Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has answered calls to end his resistance in
Najaf with gunfire, even threatening to target Iraq's vital oil export
facilities. And with supreme Shi'ite leader Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani out of the
country (suspiciously, says Iran), just who can get Muqtada to silence his
guns? (Aug 10, '04)
From one blunder to the next
/atimes//images/pakistan-head-small.gif size=/atimes/Middle_East/FH18Ak02.html
/FONT
In exposing the identity of a key al-Qaeda source, Washington has dealt itself
a severe blow in the three-year battle against the group. Compounding the
discomfort, the US has angered its close ally in the "war on terror", Pakistan,
by concocting a fake plot to kill one of Islamabad's top envoys. - Jim
Lobe (Aug 10, '04)
COMMENTARY
Surprise,
surprise - Bushites caught napping
Among Bush administration opponents there's a deep-seated, and not
unreasonable, fear of an October or even November 2 "surprise" - Osama bin
Laden crawling out of a spiderhole somewhere in Pakistan, say. But there have
been plenty of surprises already, catching the Busheviks woefully unprepared. -
Tom Engelhardt (Aug 10, '04)
SPENGLER
Islam: Religion or political
ideology?
 Some
secularized Muslims say Islam is not a religion but "a political movement set
to conquer the world". But it is a religion, and that is precisely what makes
it so dangerous: for it is driven to jihad by holy rage.
(Aug 9, '04)
Jihadi's arrest a small step for
Pakistan
The extradition of jihadi leader Qari Saifullah Akhtar from Dubai to Pakistan
will go some way to allaying US concerns over Taliban and al-Qaeda activities
in Pakistan. But such activities are deep-rooted, and Akhtar is only one part
of them. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (Aug
9, '04)
Philippines on trial
over hostage tale
American missionary Gracia Burnham - once a hostage of
the Abu Sayyaf - has apparently exonerated the Philippine military from charges
she made earlier that it colluded with the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group. At
least that's what the government says. A tape of her testimony proves
otherwise. - Leslie Davis (Aug 6, '04)
COMMENT
Presidential war games
This week Republican Senator John McCain supported his party's president, sort
of, even as he dealt him one of the deadliest subtle put-downs in recent US
history. Provoking his ire were TV ads questioning Democratic
presidential contender John Kerry's Vietnam War record. - Ian Williams
(Aug 6, '04)
Muqtada stirs up new storms
Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has shattered a two-month truce in the south
with his renewed declaration of "revolution" against US-led forces in Iraq. And
his supporters have been linked to bloody attacks on Christians last week. - Sudha
Ramachandran (Aug 6, '04)
'Broke' Iraq too poor to pay UN
Whether it really is broke, or is just sending a message to the United Nations,
Iraq says that it cannot pay the US$14.6 million it owes the world body in
accumulated dues, despite receiving billions of dollars in aid and oil revenue.
(Aug 6, '04)
 Winning
hearts, minds
and firefights in Uruzgan
Photo-essay by Carsten Stormer
A US
battalion is deployed in the poor, mountainous Afghan
province of Uruzgan. Its mission: to kill or arrest Taliban and
al-Qaeda militants and lay the foundations for reconstruction of the country.
Locals,  however, find
it difficult to understand how one day
soldiers come armed with candy and medicine and build wells and schools,
and return the next day to kick in doors. (Aug
5, '04)
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Fear behind the wheel in Iraq
Foreign truck drivers trying to make a living in Iraq know they are moving
targets, viewed by insurgents as easy prey. It's been an exceptionally bad week
for them. But continue they must; the Turkey-Iraq route feeds 50,000 Turkish
families alone. (Aug 5, '04)
Thailand's chance to ease
southern tension
A report accusing Thai troops of using excessive force to
confront poorly armed Muslim militants in Thailand's south may give the
government the chance to mend fences with the country's Muslim minority. But
resentment runs deep. (Aug 5, '04)
COMMENT
Toward a truce with the Muslim
world
A hudna - truce - rather than an increasingly dangerous "clash of
civilizations" is the only way for the US to avoid a long, ultimately
catastrophic conflict with the Islamic world. Since the United States itself,
whoever wins the November presidential election, will never undertake such a
thing, it's up to Europe to be the good broker. - Mark LeVine
(Aug 5, '04)
 Musharraf
steps back from the US
After giving out strong signals that it would send troops to Iraq, Pakistan has
now emphatically rejected such a move. This will not please the US, but
President General Musharraf has extremely compelling reasons for his decision.
None of which has anything to do with two dead Pakistani truck drivers. -
Syed Saleem Shahzad (Aug 4, '04)
Whistleblower explodes
9-11 report
The US government wants her to shut up, even though her former employer the
FBI, which she charges with a litany of errors and cover-ups surrounding the
September 11 attacks, has never denied her veracity. For Sibel Edmonds, there
was one last hope that the truth would come out: the 9-11 Commission. She was
bitterly disappointed, and says so in an open letter. - Ritt Goldstein
(Aug 4, '04)
 Letter
to Thomas Kean from Sibel Edmonds
Forces that would
rip Afghanistan apart
Afghanistan functions through qaum, a network of affiliations that is
most intense in the family, in which are nested wider loyalties to tribe, clan,
occupation, ethnic group and finally country and region. When these
decentralized forces trust each other, all is well. When they don't, the
political system breaks down, and civil war erupts. Right now, the country
teeters on the edge. (Aug 4, '04)
Afghan aid as a military weapon
Groups in Afghanistan are accusing the US and British military of subverting
aid to further their military interests, saying the military threatens to
cut assistance to those in need unless they provide information on insurgents.
This has already caused the departure of a major aid agency from the country.
(Aug 4, '04)
COMMENT
What's
his name with the turban?
That guy with the beard and the turban has all but disappeared from the US
media, his position as the man America loved to hate stolen by Saddam Hussein.
But don't be too surprised if, suddenly, in George W Bush's hour of need, Osama
bin Laden again dominates the news. - Ian Williams (Aug
4, '04)
Pakistan produces the goods, again
 Information
gleaned following the most recent al-Qaeda arrests in Pakistan - that key US
financial institutions are potential targets of terror - turns out not to be as
fresh as it could. This is not Pakistan's concern. Islamabad's brief in the
"war on terror" is to produce suspects for the US, and this it can do on call.
- Syed Saleem Shahzad (Aug 3, '04)
Dangerously quiet in Kurdistan
Compared to the rest of Iraq, Kurdistan so far has been relatively peaceful.
But little has been done to relieve the plight of nearly a million homeless,
and historic tensions remain just under the surface, threatening to erupt at
any time into conflict that could tear the country apart. - Jim Lobe
(Aug 3, '04)
Indians lured into the jaws of
terror
Even as the hostage crisis involving three Indian truck drivers plays out in
Iraq, Indian workers, with no prospects in their own country, are being duped
by employment brokers to work in Iraq, where they, too, will likely become
targets of terror. - Sudha Ramachandran (Aug
3, '04)
COMMENTARY
Enemies of convenience
Nearly three years ago when it declared its "war on terrorism", the Bush
administration failed to define terrorism. It still has not done so, with the
consequence that those with agendas different from most Americans' have come up
with their own definitions. Even the 9-11 Commission has, judging by its final
report, redefined the "war" as a narrow one against Islamist terrorism alone.
(Aug 3, '04)
 SPENGLER
Careful what you Bush for
America's Democratic leadership has all but muzzled opponents of the Iraq war,
so the battle for the White House will be fought on George W Bush's ground, not
John Kerry's. Bush will be re-elected, but only to find himself starring in the
next act of a great tragedy. (Aug 2, '04)
Strong and wrong
With the Democrats' selection of John Kerry, an anti-war party has rallied
around a pro-war candidate, believing they must oust George W Bush from the
presidency at all costs. But by suffocating their own passion, Democrats may
lose the energy that has brought them this far. -Jonathan Schell
(Aug 2, '04) |
Muslim troops no guarantee for Iraq
The idea floated by Saudi Arabia for an all-Muslim force to be sent to Iraq to
help with security has some merit. The plan's weakness lies in the fact that it
has been hatched to meet the needs of the Saudis' own agenda, rather than as a
genuine proposal. - Ehsan Ahrari (Aug 2, '04)
US defense budget to be
'subcontracted'
A new report indicates that private contractors may be involved
in helping draft the next US defense budget. Though the defense
department has denied any conflict of interest is involved, the news
underlines the importance of contractors to the US military, especially in
Iraq, where they have already received US$47.8 billion.
(Aug 2, '04)
Iran unbending on
nuclear hard line
More talks, and more official assurances from Iran to its European
interlocutors that it is sticking to its promise not to enrich uranium. The
hardline media, which is close to the conservative leadership in Tehran,
reflects a different reality. - Safa Haeri (Aug 2,
'04)
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