In July of 2006, I spent many nights up listening to bombs go off. Everyday that passed I would feel more and more helpless and yet my hate for what Israel would only increase. We couldn't leave our homes, The airport was blocked off, and Hizbullah we thought would be our own way out. Though I never was a Hizbulllah supporter, never agreed with their views, at that time I respected them for standing up to those who were invading. Today ...More »

It started two days ago. Earlier in the week the government announced its decision to replace the Beirut airport security chief Brig Wafiq Shoqeir for alleged ties to Hizbullah, He allegedly allowed Hizbullah to install their own security network with in the airport. The government also announced that it will close down Hizbullah’s telecommunication network. And thus overnight Hizbullah leader Hassan Nassrallah contended that these decisions are declarations of war and thus moved his gurilla army to take over Beirut. And ...More »

It’s like a vacuum. On this side of the ocean people have become so tired of it that ignoring it has become the norm. On the other side of the ocean, despite claims that things are improving, instability still reigns in Iraq. Millions have fled the country, millions more are displaced within it, it boasts the highest child mortality rate in the world, is governed by a wholly ineffectual government that still has little to no ability to act beyond the policies of those occupying ...More »

Historical resentment has its drawbacks, especially when you’re militarily occupying a country. In the case of Iraq, its Shia majority has been under the thumb of Sunni minority governments since the British installed Faisal as king in 1923. During the tenure of Saddam Hussein they were persecuted, as were the Kurds, and following the Gulf War were left hung out to dry by the international coalition when they attempted to stand against Hussein’s regime. When US forces entered Iraq in 2003, the Shia were the ...More »

Time. It seems funny to think that the time the surge was supposed to provide Iraqi politicians to make inroads with regards to healing national political divisions is mostly likely now going to allow them more room to politically exploit the time given them rather than focus on efforts of political reconciliation. As Robert Reid of the Associated Press recently pointed out… “Washington threw more personnel and firepower into Iraq to give the Iraqi leadership more room to settle disputes and adopt U.S.-backed reforms. But the signals ...More »

They’re all replete with the same questions and the same confusions. Papers from London to Sydney, Los Angles to Berlin, all pondering the exact same thing – what was the point of Petraeus and Crocker appearing in front of the joint committees this week? Over the summer, Petraeus’ testimony was continually pointed to as the defining moment, one that would provide clarity and, more importantly, answers. Over the last two days he has done anything but. In fact, were he not to have bothered, the outcome ...More »

It’s nice to see someone actually use the word ‘bribe’ for a change… “American forces are paying Sunni insurgents hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash to switch sides and help them to defeat Al-Qaeda in Iraq. The tactic has boosted the efforts of American forces to restore some order to war-torn provinces around Baghdad in the run-up to a report by General David Petraeus, the US commander, to Congress tomorrow. Petraeus will tell Congress that there has been great progress at a local level in Iraq following ...More »

Arms proliferation has various goals. The most obvious is the continued protection and advancement of ones own arms industry. From there motives diversify, including the use of military aid to those in a specific region that will then force ones adversaries in that region to adopt a policy of accelerated defense spending to match the increased military capabilities of those around them. In the case of the recent military aid packages promised to both Israel and numerous, and predominantly Sunni, states by the US - ...More »

No matter the promises made by the Democrats, who secured a House majority in last year’s elections, little progress has been made with regards to seriously addressing the conflict in Iraq. Of course, legislation has been tabled and passed by both Houses and vetoed by the President, but many have become disenfranchised with the Democrat’s inability to make real progress. Given the scandals that have plagued the Bush administration, there has also been little action with regards to addressing the issue of impeachment as a ...More »