Wednesday, April 28, 2004
Books: America's Grand Strategy
"In his new book, 'Power, Terror, Peace, and War: America's Grand Strategy in a World at Risk,' Walter Russell Mead analyzes America's historical approach to the world and then examines the sometimes explosive foreign policy of the Bush administration and the uproar it has caused both at home and abroad. Bush, according to Mead, is often strategically right but tactically at fault in his attempts to lead a divided nation -- and a divided coalition of allies -- in a dangerous struggle against ruthless enemies. "
Books: America's Grand Strategy (washingtonpost.com)
Chat session of WPost with Russell Mead covers a lot of foreign policy issues.
Tuesday, April 27, 2004
The U.N. to Bush's Rescue?
"Forget the president's grand rhetoric about 'staying the course' and a free, democratic Iraq. The administration's hopes to avoid a bloody quagmire now rest with the U.N.'s Lakhdar Brahimi negotiating some political settlement in the months ahead.
This is not what they wanted, but there's little choice; six more months like the last one and, to paraphrase Dick Cheney, George W. Bush will be 'toast' in November.
Even from 6,000 miles away, news accounts and other reports from Iraq make clear the situation is deteriorating. Violence is escalating and not limited to one region; other countries are pulling back resources as the costs for America, in lives and dollars, are soaring."
by Albert Hunt, Wall Street Journals "Executive Washington Editor"
Read more...
Handelsblatt.com: Meinung Analyse: American View: The U.N. to Bush's Rescue?
A gloomy picture drawn by WSJ senior editor.
My hope is,... that the handover of power on June 30 is a) credible, b) that a genuine Iraqi leadership can step in front and start building a country instead of fighting other Iraqis and the "occupation" forces, c) that they are accepted by the Iraqi people and that this will be apparent in a well organized election in January next year.
This is my hope.
My fear is,... that a so called handover of power is a) not credible to the Iraqis, b)the Iraqi factions will keep on fighting each other and the "occupation" forces, c) that the fighting will turn into chaos in which no credible election can take place, d) that consequently, the "occupation forces, d1) turn brutal, d2) are forced to flee.
What will the steady course of George W. Bush be?
Thursday, April 15, 2004
President Addresses the Nation in Prime Time Press Conference
This afternoon I had a chance to catch up on some old news. So I watched President Bush on real video at his press statement and conference of the other day.
He looked to me like a charming and determined man. A dedicated democrat, who has made up his mind as to what his task as a president is. You may not like it, but he is crystal clear. As clear as the Al Qaida group in their message of terror. We just might need a man like George W. Bush.
President Addresses the Nation in Prime Time Press Conference
Thursday, April 08, 2004
Are There Any Iraqis in Iraq?
Without more allies, without more global legitimacy ? and without an Iraqi center ready to stand up against their Khmer Rouge now posing as their Viet Cong ? we cannot win in Iraq. We will be building a house with bricks and no cement. In that case, we will have to move to Plan B. Too bad we never really had Plan A.
Spot on analysis of Thomas Freedman.
The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Are There Any Iraqis in Iraq?
Wednesday, April 07, 2004
Since '94 Horror, Rwandans Turn Toward Islam
"When 800,000 of their countrymen were killed in massacres that began 10 years ago this week, many Rwandans lost faith not only in their government but in their religion as well. Today, in what is still a predominantly Catholic country, Islam is the fastest growing religion."
+ The New York Times: Interactive feature: Audio/ Photo
+ NYT: Since '94 Horror, Rwandans Turn Toward Islam
Tuesday, April 06, 2004
Rwanda marks genocide anniversary
Who shot down the plane that triggered the genocide? The Tutsi's, as a French report claims? Or have the French blood on their hands, as the present Tutsi President claims?
BBC NEWS | Africa | Rwanda marks genocide anniversary
Learn From Rwanda
Former President Bill Clinton sais he is sorry for not responding adequately to the Rwandan genocide. He speaks words of hope for the future and words of concern as regards to the HIV- AIDS epidemic.
The right words, I am only missing an analyses why he didn't act in the days of horror.
Bill Clinton: Learn From Rwanda (washingtonpost.com)
Monday, April 05, 2004
Media practice prevented objective reporting on WMD
A study of the University of Maryland concludes, among others, that the widely used "inverted pyramid" in news journalism resulted in pro- government reporting on Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD).
According to the study, news coverage attributed to the strong belief that there existed WMD in Iraq. The news media were not critical on government claims.
Other conclusions:
+ News coverage saw WMD as a single category. It made no distinction between nuclear and chemical weapons.
+ WMD and terrorist organizations were easily connected as an established fact, though a link is not actually proven yet.
+ The media followed the White House to easily in setting the media agenda with regard to WMD. The widely accepted practice of the "inverted pyramid" contributed to this.
+ Susan Moeller, "Media Coverage of Weapons of Mass Destruction, March 2004.
+ Writing from the Top Down: Pros and Cons of the Inverted Pyramid
+ Inverted pyramid, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
+ Inverted pyramid checklist
Creating the enemy
A lengthy, but interesting essay by Brendan OŽNeill on the war on terror after the Madrid attack.
The war on terror is best understood as the internationalisation of the West's domestic crises. It is clear from the nature of the war on terror, from its very title, that it is not a traditional counter-terrorist operation. In the past, there were 'campaigns against terrorism', small-scale, focused and usually secretive operations to destroy terrorist outfits. Western governments with a 'terrorist problem' most often dealt with it by doing two distinct things - by privately seeking to disrupt or destroy the terrorist group, and publicly stating that 'life must go on'.
The war on terror transforms the targeting of terrorist movements into an international military campaign, and as some commentators have pointed out, the notion that you can declare 'war on a concept' is nonsense (40). The war on terror is less about pummelling the terrorists, than an attempt by the elites of America and Europe to cohere themselves around a new Mission Against Evil. (...)
The real problem of terrorism, in terms of both its origins and its impact on contemporary society, begins at home, in the struggle for moral consensus and moral authority. Instead of launching wars in far-off lands, surely what our societies need are debates about what we stand for and why; about the values we hold dear and wish to pass on to future generations; about our vision of the Good Society and how we might achieve it. Such debates might help to move us away from the deep moral uncertainties that can give rise to nihilistic violence, and make us more resilient against those who execute such violence.
(...)
But that is one battle that the establishment has long lost the will to fight. Those of us who are interested in progress and opposed to terrorism should have no truck with the war on terror. It is in our own societies, rather than in misplaced wars abroad, that we might discover some solutions to the contemporary malaise.
(...)
The Spanish protests looked less like a defence of democratic values, than an incoherent statement of empathy and angst, an expression of confusion and uncertainty. Protesters raised their hands in the air in a gesture of resignation; they marched in silence; some carried placards declaring 'We have no words'. If we are going to make our societies more resilient, we need a clearer sense of what we are for, and how we might fight for it.
In my perception it is Prime Minister Blair who tries to do just that. Telling where he stands and what he will do. OŽNeillŽs analysis is quite right, but he refuses to give credit to a politician who holds a firm and consistent line against terrorists.
spiked-essays | Essay | Creating the enemy
Arms Control Association: Arms Control Today
A lengthy interview with WMD researcher David Kay.
According to Kay, Dick Cheney should stop being in denial. The WMD inspections were more successful than anyone thought. The Iraqis were prevented from restarting their WMD program because of the thread of inspections. They concentrated on delivering the material by missiles. Their program was concentrated on missiles. They thought they could easily restart the WMD program if so convenient. The facilities were still there.
These were some phrases stuck in my head. There is much more, read it.....
Arms Control Association: Arms Control Today
Thursday, April 01, 2004
The Story That Puts Other 'News' In Perspective
Nice column by Tina Brown.
The Story That Puts Other 'News' In Perspective (washingtonpost.com)
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