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Clinton seeks "smart power" in the Middle East
Clinton seeks a 'smart power' Middle East strategy By ROBERT BURNS and ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writers WASHINGTON – Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday that she intends to revitalize the mission of diplomacy in American foreign policy, calling for a "smart power" strategy in the Middle East and implicitly criticizing the Bush administration for having downgraded the role of arms control. At a daylong confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, President-elect Barack Obama's choice for secretary of state sailed smoothly through an array of non-contentious questions until two Republican committee members pressed her to take additional steps to ensure that former President Bill Clinton's global fundraising work does not pose even an appearance of conflict with her role as the chief U.S. diplomat.The USSR's Role in the Middle East Goes Down the Memory Hole
[David Bernstein, January 8, 2009 at 11:14pm] The USSR's Role in the Middle East Goes Down the Memory Hole: One thing I find interesting in reading various authors who discuss the history of the Arab-Israeli or Israeli-Palestinian conflict is how the role of the USSR in exacerbating the conflict, and the role of its demise in providing an opportunity for a potential settlement of the conflict, is generally completely, or almost completely, ignored. [A few sentences only tangentially on point deleted, perhaps a subject for a separate post.] Consider, first, that Israel could have bought itself quite a bit of security if the U.S. had allowed it, France, and the UK to triumph in the Sinai War in 1956.Obama the Underminer
Obama the Underminer By addressing the "Muslim world" from Cairo, the president is helping Tehran. By Lee Smith (Slate) If President Barack Obama's speech in Cairo on Thursday is designed to hit "reset" on Washington's relations with the Muslim world, the White House may soon find that it is pushing the wrong buttons. Public diplomacy in the lands of Islam is a deeply complicated affair, and Muslims do it much better than U.S.Winds of Change?
Winds of Change? Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times Thomas L.Fixing Uncle Sam’s Image Problem
Recognizing that America can't go it alone is the best way to boost the country's standing. Kishore Mahbubani NEWSWEEK Since 2000, the United States' standing has deteriorated in all parts of the world, and anti-Americanism has grown intense. The 2008 Pew Global Attitudes survey reveals that in the past eight years, favorable views of the United States fell from 78 percent to 30 percent in Germany, 50 percent to 22 percent in Argentina and 75 percent to 37 percent in Indonesia.5-year terrorism threats forecast for U.S.
The Associated Press updated 7:57 p.m. CT, Thurs., Dec. 25, 2008 WASHINGTON - The terrorism threat to the United States over the next five years will be driven by instability in the Middle East and Africa, persistent challenges to border security and increasing Internet savvy, says a new intelligence assessment obtained by The Associated Press.Has Obama "Cryed Havoc" in the Middle East
Obama Is Pushing Israel Toward War President Obama can't outsource matters of war and peace to another state. by Brett Stevens Events are fast pushing Israel toward a pre-emptive military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, probably by next spring. That strike could well fail.PA judge: Jews have no history in Jerusalem
By KHALED ABU TOAMEH The Jerusalem Post August 26, 2009 The Palestinian Authority's chief Islamic judge, Sheikh Tayseer Rajab Tamimi, said on Wednesday that there was no evidence to back up claims that Jews had ever lived in Jerusalem or that the Temple ever existed. Tamimi claimed that Israeli archeologists had "admitted" that Jerusalem was never inhabited by Jews. Tamimi's announcement came in response to statements made earlier this week by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who said that Jerusalem "is not a settlement," and that "the Jews built it 3,000 years ago."The Face of Terrorism
Many are arguing about the verbage being used with respect to the attack and deaths of those recently at one of our military bases here on American soil, perpetuated by an American on other Americans. While the act is unforgivable, some feel it is important to name it "terrorism" and connect the dots to perhaps others who may seek to cause harm. I see this act as perhaps a result of a man who may have been mentally ill, afraid to go to the middle east himself, or perhaps was indeed acting as directed from a Muslim extremist.Coal Group Misrepresents Veterans
The coal front group American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity has been in hot water lately for employing an astroturf group that forged letters to Congress opposing the House climate bill—and then for possibly lying under oath about their position. Now ACCCE is in trouble again—for misrepresenting the views of two major veterans groups in an email hyping coal's role in energy security. The email, sent in anticipation of Veterans' Day, argues that coal can play a vital role in reducing America's dependence on foreign oil and cites two groups—VoteVets and Operation Free.
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