Everyone wants America to be safe and secure. And our government has a wide array of tools for accomplishing that.
Fresh Thinking on National Security
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60-Second Expert: Kwangju Uprising
The 1980 citizens’ uprising in Kwangju marked not only the beginnings of a steady struggle towards democracy, but also the growth of anti-American sentiment in South Korea. Six weeks following the assassination of dictator Park Chung Hee on October 26, 1979, a group of army commanders led by Lt. General Chun Doo Hwan, the chief of military intelligence, took control of the military and were clearly intent on seizing total power. Peaceful anti-government protestors, mainly comprised of students and workers, openly opposed Chun through street demonstrations and direct appeals to the United States. Publically, the Carter administration criticized the authoritarian policies of the South Korean government and championed international human rights. In practice, the actual decisions made by Carter’s administration reveal a different story.
Gaza Flotilla: Prelude to a Wider War?
Polls show two out of three Israelis disapprove of the attack on the flotilla, but are the two military men running the Tel Aviv government listening? Or are they about to take advantage of a crisis to launch a regional war that would make the Gaza boat attack look like a glass of spilled milk?
Obama Administration Reviews Ottawa Treaty
When it comes to the US joining the Ottawa Treaty banning anti-personnel landmines, President Obama is getting the same nonsense from the Pentagon and State Department that President Clinton did when the treaty was being negotiated. “We need those mines to block a North Korean invasion of South Korea!”
What’s Next for the Nuclear Disarmament Movement?
The last 19 months have been a tumultuous time for the nuclear disarmament movement, placing it, today, on the cusp of some important decisions about its future direction.
Demining for Gold
Last month, 68 U.S. senators sent a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to join the UN treaty banning landmines. That is enough senators to guarantee passage of the treaty. The arguments for and against landmines have centered around the dangers they pose to civilians and the deterrent capability they offer to the military. But one issue hasn’t received much attention: the role demining can play in economic development.
Blaming Turkey
Last year, Lauren Rosenberg was walking across a four-lane highway in Utah when she was hit by a car. Now she’s suing Google for $100,000 in damages because Google Maps told her to take that route.
Will the Flotilla Attack Be Our “Kent State” Moment?
Gaza flotilla attacks may be a “Kent State moment” that wakes up the American public to Israel’s heavy-handed responses to anything resembling a provocation.
Krauthammer: Gaza Flotilla a Threat to Israel’s Existence
Monitoring Charles Krauthammer on Islam — a dirty job but somebody’s got to do it.
After the Massacre: The Global Impact of the Gaza Flotilla Crisis
When the histories are written, it is certain that Israel’s Flotilla Massacre will be remembered as a key battle in what Richard Falk, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Occupied Territory, calls Israel’s “war of legitimacy.” And this battle, Israel has already lost.