All Commentaries
Israel and the Futility of Attacking Iran: Interview with Abolghasem Bayyenat
Given the largely conflicting political identity of the two governments which in most contexts has defined conflicting foreign policy interests for the two countries , the United States views its relations with Iran as a zero-sum game and will thus struggle to contain Iran’s growing power and influence in the region, even if this would mean swimming against the tide and creating unnecessary costs for its foreign policy in the region.
Is China’s String of Pearls Real?
China’s “string of pearls” consists of port and airfield construction projects, diplomatic ties, and force modernization. These “pearls” range from the coast of mainland China to the recently upgraded military facilities on Hainan Island, China’s southernmost territory. They extend through the South China Sea to the Strait of Malacca, over to the Indian Ocean and along the coast of the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf. They include an airstrip on Woody Island in the Paracel archipelago east of Vietnam. A container shipping facility in Chittagong, Bangladesh, a deep-water port in Sittwe, Myanmar, and a potential naval base in Gwadar, Pakistan are also “pearls,” all of them representing Chinese geopolitical influence or military presence.
Will Fukushima Survivors Be Doubly Victimized With Radiation Sickness and Stigmatization?
Some Fukushima refugees have been exposed to the same stigmatization as Hiroshima and Nagasaki’s victims of radiation sickness
Justice Department Gives Torturers a Pass
The Romans had an expression for it: “Nulla poena sine lege,” no punishment without a law. But people sometimes forget that the opposite is also true: Without punishment for offenders, a law itself can die.
Afghanistan Bleeding U.S. Financially Even More Than It Did the Soviet Union
Congressman McDermott’s floor speech reminds us that out-of-control Afghanistan spending brought down the Soviet Union.
Obsolete Pentagon Programs Among Beneficiaries of House Funding Increases
When the economy goes south, congress persons cling to defense programs and jobs for their district.
On Heels of Anti-BDS Bill, Israel’s Right-Wing Parties Seek to Further Limit Dissent
One the bills that Israel’s right-wing parties seeks to pass proposes the creation of a “commission of inquiry” to investigate outspoken human rights groups like B’Tselem.
Will Iraqi Commandos Trained by U.S. Be Turned Into Another Republican Guard?
Iraq may use the U.S.-trained Iraqi commando corps as a security apparatus as Saddam Hussein did with the Republican Guard
Reduce Corruption, Defeat the Taliban
The possibility of a negotiated settlement for the 10-year war in Afghanistan finally gained some traction when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced a political surge in February. Since then President Obama and other prominent officials have refuted the notion that the conflict can be resolved by military means alone. The goal is to create political solutions led and agreed upon by the Afghan government and the insurgency, and acknowledged by major regional players including Pakistan.
The Audacity of Free Trade Agreements
Congress could vote any day now to strike a new blow against already-battered U.S. workers and the unemployed. Committees in the House and Senate recently marked up the Colombia, Panama, and South Korea Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). The Obama administration is urging passage of all three relics of the Bush administration before the summer recess. The full-court press on the FTAs represents a reversal for a president elected on a trade reform platform.