Samir Quntar: the changing face of 'resistance'
July 20, 2008 2 min. read

The program “What's Next?” on Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV recently featured the first interview (accessible here) with the recently released Samir Quntar. In the interview, Quntar symbolically wears a Hezbollah-styled uniform with a Lebanese flag arm patch. He speaks about the kidnapping operation he took part in, as well as the military achievements of Hezbollah's resistance. […]

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The RAND Study on Insurgency in the Muslim World
July 20, 2008 2 min. read

Earlier this year, the RAND Corporation issued a study of the threat of “Islamist” insurgencies: “War by other Means – Building Complete and Balanced Capabilities for Counterinsurgency.” The press release for the new study is also a summary of the main idea: “U.S. Lacks the Capability to Counter Insurgency in the Muslim World.” The language […]

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A Pope's apology
July 20, 2008 2 min. read

Child abuse or sexual abuse is an euphemism for what is really happening and has been happening for a very long time.  Let's just call it what it is – child rape. The Catholic Church, already having paid out billions of dollars in compensations ($2 billion in the US alone), is having to make some […]

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Wind
July 19, 2008 2 min. read

I wrote about all the huffing and puffing by the "Alliance to Save Nantucket Sound" in my recent look at the great book, Cape Wind.  One of their arguments is that the windfarm will destroy the view.  Here's the thing:  I am among a number of folks who think the view of offshore (or onshore) […]

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Conviction in Dubrovnik Attack
July 18, 2008 1 min. read

JNA General Pavle Strugar was sentenced to 7 and 1/2 years in prison for his role in the shelling of Dubrovnik, Croatia, during the conflict accompanying the breakup of Yugoslavia. Dubrovnik, known as the “Pearl of the Adriatic” for its historic and beautiful old city, was subjected to a 7-month siege during the war. 2/3 […]

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Talking To Iran, Part IV
July 18, 2008 2 min. read

By now you have heard the news that a U.S. representative will attend a previously scheduled meeting tomorrow with an Iranian representative in Geneva. Although this represents a dramatic departure from the U.S. effort to isolate Iran, a skeptical observer may ask why this such an important move. Do we really expect a breakthrough? An op-ed […]

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Gali residents in Abkhazia – food shortages
July 18, 2008 2 min. read

On July 1, the breakaway region of Abkhazia was in a state of emergency because of a bomb near the Inguri bridge.  The bridge is a vital trading link for the thousands of Georgians living in the Gali district, a region inside Abkhazia that borders the ceasefire line with Georgia.   Abkhazia is seeking independence from […]

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Out of the Mouth of Babes
July 18, 2008 1 min. read

“Pretty much all the honest truth telling there is in the world is done by children.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., Writer (1809-1894) ‘Out of the mouth of babes’, they so often say when a child just blurts out the truth, and it appears that truth telling is something all too often left behind in […]

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Very Young Girls…The American Reality. What do we do?
July 18, 2008 4 min. read

The film Very Young Girls takes you into the reality of sexual exploitation and trafficking of American girls, a true eye opener that is a must see for anyone who wants to see that Americas youth are given their chance at the American dream. Our eyes must be opened to the exploitation of our own […]

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Embedded in the "War of Ideas"
July 18, 2008 3 min. read

Thankfully, we have a debate here — on the ideas behind Jim Glassman's “War of Ideas.” It is a topic worthy of debate, although to many it may seem like inside baseball. It was Glassman, the new Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy at the US State Department, who earlier this month called for a “War of […]

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Talking To Iran, Part III
July 18, 2008 1 min. read

Today's New York Times offers some analysis (Policy Shift Seen in U.S. Decision on Iran Talks) of the potential breakthrough mentioned in the last post, and it looks like oil prices are starting to respond to the lessening tensions between the U.S. and Iran. In this video from The Council on Foreign Relations, foreign policy […]

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U.S. District Court Judge denies injunction for bin Laden driver, Hamdan
July 18, 2008 3 min. read

In what can only be seen as a victory for the Bush administration, Judge James Robertson for the U.S. District Court in Washington denied Thursday a motion to delay the trial of the former driver of Osama bin Laden, Salim Hamdan. Hamdan, a 37-year old Yemeni national, will be the first “enemy combatant” in the […]

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