In a city awash in foreign interests, dual citizens, and intersecting and at times conflicting loyalties, sometimes the most egregious examples are hiding in plain sight. While largely complicit in the ‘gentleman’s agreement’ that dictates, among many other things, that we never ever mention that the Long Island-raised editor of the once venerable Atlantic magazine … Continue reading “Tel Aviv’s Man in Washington”
The Ukraine War Has Been a ‘Great Bargain’ for US in the Black Sea
U.S. officials view the war in Ukraine as a way of achieving geopolitical objectives in the Black Sea, an energy-rich region that connects Russia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. At two recent Senate hearings, State Department officials portrayed the war as a means of transforming the geopolitics of energy in the Black Sea. As long … Continue reading “The Ukraine War Has Been a ‘Great Bargain’ for US in the Black Sea”
Iraq Weekly Roundup: 30 Killed
There Could Have Been Peace: How the US Ensured a Long War in Ukraine
On February 27, just the third day of their war, Russia and Ukraine announced direct negotiations in Belarus. Having already said that he was prepared to abandon Ukraine’s pursuit of NATO membership, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky went into the negotiations “without preconditions.” That round of talks, having identified priority topics, led to a second round, again … Continue reading “There Could Have Been Peace: How the US Ensured a Long War in Ukraine”
Who Should We Blame for Civilian Deaths in Gaza?
According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, 12,000 people in Gaza have been killed since the start of the current Israel–Hamas war. While some people including President Biden have claimed the figure cannot be trusted, a senior U.S. official recently stated that the true death toll is likely even higher. Indeed, a simple check suggests … Continue reading “Who Should We Blame for Civilian Deaths in Gaza?”
Could Israel’s War on Gaza Go Nuclear?
Yes, on a radio show, Israeli Minister of Heritage Amihai Eliyahu insisted that there were “no non-combatants in Gaza” (assumedly including the thousands of young people slaughtered in recent weeks in that “children’s graveyard”). He then added that “one option” for Israel was to consider using a nuclear weapon and so wiping out more or … Continue reading “Could Israel’s War on Gaza Go Nuclear?”
Rape, ISIS, Mein Kampf and Other Lies: How Israel Lost All Credibility
On Saturday, November 11, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari claimed in a press conference that Israel had killed a “terrorist” who had prevented 1,000 civilians from escaping the Shifa Hospital. The allegations made little sense. Even by the standards of Israeli propaganda, falsifying such a piece of information while providing no context and no evidence, … Continue reading “Rape, ISIS, Mein Kampf and Other Lies: How Israel Lost All Credibility”
Nikki Strangelove: ‘How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.’
The movie Dr. Strangelove, a Cold War comedy satire, warns about the potential of a thermonuclear war. The film is still pertinent today with the renewed Cold War and political hacks lacking geopolitical understanding and strategic thinking. One of the most reckless presidential candidates who lacks geopolitical awareness is Nikki Haley. A career politician, Halley … Continue reading “Nikki Strangelove: ‘How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.’”
Israeli Deceit and the Battle of Shifa Hospital
Reprinted from Consortium News with the author’s permission. UPDATES: Biden defends Israel incursion into al-Shifa hospital against Hamas ‘headquarters’ – The Hill. “You have a circumstance where the first war crime is being committed by Hamas by having their headquarters, their military, hidden under a hospital. And that’s a fact, that’s what’s happened,” Biden said on … Continue reading “Israeli Deceit and the Battle of Shifa Hospital”
What’s Next for Ukraine: The Outlines of a Peaceful Settlement
As Ukraine’s counteroffensive begins to unravel, it is not clear that the hundreds of thousands of deaths already suffered have purchased any of its goals. Ukraine is not in NATO, and it has not received any firm assurance that it will ever be. All that has happened is that the fifteen year old promise that … Continue reading “What’s Next for Ukraine: The Outlines of a Peaceful Settlement”