| H1 New York Times Plan Sets Series of Goals for Iraq Leaders Bush Plan for Iraq Requests More Troops and More Jobs Washington Post Critics Say 'Surge' Is More of The Same Past Troop Buildups Have Not Quelled Iraq - Criticism grows in and outside White House that proposed troop buildup, economic aid and political benchmarks will not do much to stabilize Iraq. The Smart Surge: Diplomacy By Wesley K. Clark War Against Time Once Again, a U.S. Plan for Iraq Envisions Months Where Years Are Required By Jackson Diehl, War's Toll on Iraqis Tripled in Late 2006
In first six months, 5,640 Iraqi civilians and police were killed; 17,310 were killed in latter half, according to data provided by a health official. Independent on Sunday Future of Iraq: The spoils of war Iraq's massive oil reserves, the third-largest in the world, are about to be thrown open for large-scale exploitation by Western oil companies under a controversial law which is expected to come before the Iraqi parliament within days Blood and oil: How West will profit from Iraq's precious commodity Sunday Times Israel plans nuclear strike Air force squadrons are training to blow up Iran's uranium-enrichment facility using low-yield nuclear “bunker-busters”, according to several Israeli military sources Focus: Mission Iran Leader A giant and scary leap Israel is planning an audacious attack on Iran's nuclear sites at Natanz, Isfahan, and Arak. How seriously should we take this threat of action? One last push and that’s you finished in Iraq, Mr President
Simon Jenkins The idea that such a hellhole can be policed back to normality with extra troops is absurd New York Times Getting the Middle East Back on Our Side By BRENT SCOWCROFT The 'Surge Strategy': Political Arguments and Military Realities
Stratfor By George Friedman AEI Choosing Victory: A Plan for Success in Iraq Executive Summary+ Full Report (PDF; 3.6 MB) Cordesman: In Iraq Speech, Bush Must ‘Admit Failures’ and Produce ‘Credible Plan’ Looking beyond the Surge
Source: Center for Strategic & International Studies - The current debate over surging U.S. military manpower has steadily lost focus on the real issue: Providing more U.S. troops can only serve a purpose if it is tied to a new and comprehensive approach to providing stability and security in Iraq. The problem is not total U.S. force levels or the security of Baghdad. It is the ability to reverse the current drift toward a major civil war and separation of the country by finding a new approach to US intervention in Iraq. + Full Document (PDF; 882 KB) CFR Impediments to National Reconciliation in Iraq Financial Times Republicans’ division over Iraq grows Salon The real Iraq Study Group Christian Science Monitor If Iraq Fragments, What's Plan B? A partitioned Iraq, which could preempt ethnic cleansing, looks ever more likely to experts. By Edward P. Joseph/Michael E. O'Hanlon As the nation and world await President Bush's speech on what could be his last chance to get Iraq policy right, it is time to face the reality that a multiethnic, integrated, democratic Iraq is probably no longer attainable. Newsweek Richard Haass: The New Middle East Fareed Zakaria: Vengeance of the Victors We did not give them a republic. We gave them a civil war. Foreign Policy Why Hawks Win
Why are hawks so influential? The answer may lie deep in the human mind. People have dozens of decision-making biases, and nearly all favor conflict rather than concession. A look at why the tough guys win more than they should. By Daniel Kahneman and Jonathan Renshon Weekly Standard The Consequences of Failure in Iraq They would be awful. But failure can still be averted.
by Reuel Marc Gerecht McClatchy Military `surge' not enough to save Iraq, U.S. commander says Los Angeles Times U.S., allies campaigning to staunch Iran's oil flow Washington is quietly persuading banks and oil companies to pull out of projects that would expand the nation's petroleum infrastructure. Bush aides preview 'surge' proposal The president will likely argue that leaving Iraq would be too costly, ask public for patience, sacrifice. Arab nationalism's last gasp By Robert D. Kaplan Saddam Hussein's execution likely means the end of the foolish secular Arab nationalism movement. Independent Brown plans 'independent' foreign policy Gordon Brown signalled that as Prime Minister he would forge a foreign policy independent of the US. Patrick Cockburn: Some advice for George Bush: a 'surge' in US troops in Iraq will not bring about peace Time The Next Meltdown It took one act of terrorism in 1914 to cripple the world's financial markets. Why it could happen again By NIALL FERGUSON Return of the Nixon Doctrine As Somalia shows, the U.S. is letting others do its bidding. Here's why that can't last By PETER BEINART Dan Drezner "Mind the Gap." Why policymaking elites and foreigners alike distrust the judgment of Americans. The National Interest, January/February 2007 End the Crusade by Dimitri K. Simes The debacle in Iraq reaffirms the lesson of a thousand years ago: there is no such thing as a good crusade; divine missions are not conducive to sensible policy. Beyond Petroleum by Michael O’Hanlon The U.S.-Saudi relationship is based on more than just oil—it hinges directly Recycling Petrodollars
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of New York Independent on Sunday Wesley Clark: Bush's 'surge' will backfire Geoffrey Lean: Oil. Fast-vanishing drug the world can't live without Leading article: The oil rush A 'Surge' Faces Trouble In the Senate Robert D. Novak Time William Kristol: There Is a Way Forward in Iraq If Kristof's wishes were horses The Iranian petroleum crisis and United States national security
Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences The Observer New China. New crisis Will Hutton investigates the only country with the muscle to challenge America as the global superpower. Ivo Daalder How Civil Wars End A World Free of Nuclear Weapons By: George P. Shultz, William J. Perry, Henry Kissinger and Sam Nunn The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) Nuclear weapons today present tremendous dangers, but also an historic opportunity. U.S. leadership will be required to take the world to the next stage -- to a solid consensus for reversing reliance on nuclear weapons globally as a vital contribution to preventing their proliferation into potentially dangerous hands, and ultimately ending them as a threat to the world.
| H2 Ha’aretz Turkey - the West's last line of defense? Accept Turkey into the EU and you gain an important ally in the Middle East and Islamic world, some say. However, Ankara's influence on co-religionists and Turkic countries amounts to naught. By Michalis Firillas FT COMMENT AND ANALYSIS: The feeling is mutual: why Turks are growing disillusioned with Europe Djerejian US Troops In Kurdistan? Financial Times Dov Zakheim COMMENT: Why America should operate from Iraq's borders Up to two brigades should be devoted to Kurdistan and a roughly equal number to the far west of Anbar province. The forces in Kurdistan would help forestall a Kurdish declaration of independence that would prompt a Turkish invasion. ABD Irak'ın sınırlarına konuşlanmalı Dov Zakheim IHT Setting a higher bar for Turkey? NYT - DAVID BROOKS Making the Surge Work It’s time to merge the military Plan B — the surge — with a political Plan B — flexible decentralization. See full text here Brooks questions whether sending more troops will work. The plan would have to compel the Maliki government to deliver public services in a nonsectarian way, convert Shiite theocrats in the Iraqi government into ecumenical multiculturalists, persuade Sunni leaders to accept a dependent role in Iraq, induce Iraqis to stick together, and sustain American political support for a policy that begins with a 17 percent approval rating. He says the odds are not good. Instead it may be time to merge the surge with a plan for flexible decentralization. WP Clarity on Iraq, and Beyond By Jim Hoagland, A US nuclear umbrella for friendly Middle East countries, a two-state solution to the Palestinian/Israel crisis, and a conference with the Iraqi militia leaders and Iran to help create peace in Iraq. Debka Bush Poised to Stake His All on Iraq Victory Bush’s willingness to go all the way in Iraq is prompted by a simple line of reasoning. If it ends in victory, he will be able to boast that American courage prevailed over the enemy in the long haul. However, if it fails, Bush will be in exactly the same position as he is today: heading for the history books as the American president who lost the Iraq war and the struggle against terror. He therefore has nothing to lose and everything to gain by staking his all on victory. Link to full text. Independent For the first time, a real blueprint for peace in Iraq By Ali Allawi
After Saddam, A Sunni-Shiite Thirty Years' War? By: Iason Athanasiadis World Politics Watch An Unholy Alliance Threatening Catastrophe By: Anatole Kaletsky The Times of London What now seems to be in preparation at the White House, with the usual unquestioning support from Downing Street, is a Middle Eastern equivalent of the Second World War. The trigger for this all-embracing war would be the formation of a previously unthinkable alliance between America, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Britain, to confront Iran and the rise of the power of Shia Islam. From Der Spiegel, Western governments must act quickly to combat the rise of China and Asia. The West should discuss an ambitious project: a European-American free-trade zone. Why are the Iraqi Kurds turning against their US allies now?
Aljazeera.com – Öcalan: Kürtler bölücü değil, Musul ve Kerkük Misak-ı Milli'nin dışında tutulduğu için Kürtler isyan etmiştir BBC News Kurdish struggle for Iraq's oil More oil, please Kurds are not getting access to enough fuel in oil-rich Iraq The PKK and PJAK fighters of Qendil - V - KurdishMedia US News The Kurds Are Returning to Kirkuk American University to be built in Iraq EP delegation visits Iraqi Kurdish Parliament PUK inner-crises deepen: Reformist vs. corruption! Iraqi Kurds hold the key to PKK problem New Anatolian Iraq-Kurdistan oil minister says in talks with oil majors ... Google News Kurdish Kurdish Media Saddam'ın sonu ve İran'ın yükselişi ÖMER TAŞPINAR Google News Greece - Cyprus Kıbrıs'ta tarihi buluşma In the EU-Turkey relationship, 2007 will be the same as 2006 ...
Cyprus Mail Türkiye fena halde yaşlanıyor OKAN MÜDERRİSOĞLU BOTAŞ spot piyasadan yüzde 11 pahalıya gaz alıyor Güngör URAS Gene de en güvenilir olanı 'Rus gazı' ABDURRAHMAN YILDIRIM Türkiye'de kriz sonrası asıl parayı yabancı kazandı Borsaya 13 milyar yatırdılar 32.5 milyar dolar oldu Faik ÖZTRAK Bu yıl küresel 'balonlar' ve seçim kırılganlığı artıracak Osman ULAGAY Türkiye ekonomisi sınıfta mı kaldı? (2) Yaman TÖRÜNER Uluslar nasıl zenginleşiyor? Saruhan Özel Tam anlamıyla çaresizlik Gazi Erçel Halkın enflasyonu Seyfettin Gürsel Politik iktisadın gölgesinde bir yıl ERGUN BABAHAN POAŞ'lama Enis BERBEROĞLU Medya yasasıyla infaz olmaz Dış Basında Türkiye Turkish Press Review Google News Turkey Turquie Türkei TurcoPundit Economic Security and Development in the Black Sea Region Center for Strategic & International + Full Document (PDF; 318 KB) Congressional Research Service + Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia: Political Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests
+ Central Asia: Regional Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests
New Analysis Briefs From the Energy Information Administration
+ Caspian Sea: Securing Tyrants or Fostering Reform? U.S. Internal Security Assistance to Repressive and Transitioning Regimes
Source: RAND Corporation SIPRI Yearbook 2006: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security
Pocket-size Summary Edition.
36 pages; PDF. Older editions available here. The Political Economy of Capitalism Source: Harvard Business School Working Papers For a capitalist system to evolve in an effective developmental sense through time, it must have two hands and not one: an invisible hand that is implicit in the pricing mechanism and a visible hand that is explicitly managed by government through a legislature and a bureaucracy. Inevitably the actions of the visible hand imply a strategy, no matter how implicit, short sighted or incoherent that strategy may be.+ Full Paper (PDF; 234 KB) | H3 NABİ ŞENSOY, MİLLİYET'İN SORULARINI YANITLADI: Soykırım tasarısı gündeme gelecek Fatih Çekirge İade etmeye ABD’nin gücü yetmiyormuş Ruşen Çakır| Irak'ta asker artırımı Türk-Amerikan ilişkilerinde yeni krizlere kapı açabilir Ömer Lütfi Mete Türkiye’nin Irak’a girmesi Yasemin CONGAR Erivan'la normalleşmek Referans Petrol baronlarıyla Iraklı Kürtlerin Londra pazarlığı Cengiz Çandar Petrol Yasası'na Kürtlerin onay vermesi önemli Ankara'da zafiyet işaretleri
Murat Yetkin Washington'da Türkiye planları Murat Yetkin ERDAL ŞAFAK "O artık bizim" Bilal Çetin Seçim kaygıları Erdoğan’ın önceliklerini değiştiriyor mu? Ekrem Dumanlı "Kürt sorunu" papatya falı değildir Kürt sorunu vardır Tarhan Erdem Ruşen Çakır Saddam da olsa asardı Can Ataklı Kerkük’e girsek ne olur? [Yorum - Prof.Dr.Mahir Kaynak] MİT Müsteşarı ne demek istedi? From the Archive October 25, 2005: U.S. National Intelligence Strategy October 18, 2006: IC Strategic Human Capital Plan "Future of Intelligence Analysis", Volume II, Annotated Bibliography: Publications on Intelligence Analysis and Reform Fact Sheet: Real Progress in Reforming Intelligence (PDF; 367 KB) Source: Office of the Director of National Intelligence An Overview of the United State Intelligence Community
40 pages; PDF Aslı Aydıntaşbaş MİT'in yeni doktrini Enis Berberoğlu MİT: Bilgi saklama değil alışveriş dönemi başladı Ali Bayramoğlu Devletten gelen farklı ses: MİT - 07.01.2007 Mehmet Metiner MİT’in yeni doktrini Taha AKYOL MİT Müsteşarı ne diyor? Semih İDİZ Taner'den 'koyu muhafazakârlık' uyarısı [Yorum - Prof.Dr.İhsan Dağı] Küreselleşme ve ulus devlet kıskacında Türkiye İlnur Çevik Warnings of MIT show the critical path ahead Arslan BULUT
MİT müsteşarı, BOP eş başkanının emrinde değil mi? İsmail Küçükkaya MİT’in mesajları... Serdar Akinan MİT’in yeni paradigması Can Dündar MİT ne demek istedi? Metehan Demir Erdoğan siyasetçilikten devlet adamlığına... Ama... Ankara'nın hedefi bir taşla üç kuş Hükümete yakın kaynaklar, krize yol açan Lokmacı üstgeçidinin yıkılmasının, 'Türk tarafına yapıcı çözümden yana imajı vereceğini, Türk esnafı rahatlatacağını, Rum tarafına uluslararası baskıyı artıracağını' ileri sürüyor Hasan ÜNAL Talat’a hak ettiği cinsten... 'Steps should be mutual and concurrent' Talat'ın zor günü Ferai Tınç KKTC’nin bağımsızlığı ’köprüye’ kadar mı? Rauf DENKTAŞ
AB sürecinde Kıbrıs Gül: Paşa’yı başarılı buluyoruz Başer: 'ABD PKK'yla Mücadelede Samimi' ‘Doğalgazda sorun giderildi’ İsrail Türkiye üzerinden vuracak Mensur Akgün İyi ki 1 Mart Tezkeresi geçmedi 'Azerbaycan savunmasına Türk general' Lale Sarıibrahimoğlu Terörle mücadelede komplo teorileri çözümü engelliyor Future of joint anti-PKK mechanism in question - Turkish Daily News (subscription) Sibel Edmonds & the Neocons' Turkish Gravy-Train Irak'ın petrolü 30 yıl İngiltere ve ABD'ye akacak Erivan ataması ABD’yi gerecek LA Times Armenian genocide question hits home Talabani: Türkiye içişlerimize karışmamalı Mustafa Akyol 'Doğan Grubu Milliyet'i satıyor' Deniz Ülke Arıboğan Yeni küresel mücadele Ali Ünal Irak'ta kaybeden kim? ALİ H Aslan [WASHINGTON] Süper gücün süper nineleri ve dedeleri Ali Bulaç Mezhep savaşı Türkiye ve İran'a tuzak kuruluyor
MUHAMMED EL SEMMAK Silahlı 100 bin peşmerge Türkmen katliamı için Kerkük’te [HABER İNCELEME] CHP, son dört Çankaya seçiminde inisiyatif alamadı Sight and Sound - Modern and mythless: Turkey today The country is like a prefabricated building on historic land. Zafer Senocak looks at the mythological vacuum in a Turkey that remains divorced from its past Üst geçit yıkılacak mı bugün belli oluyor KÜRŞAT BUMİN Baş yazar haklı: 'Bir bu eksikti...' Nasuhi Güngör Soğuk savaş uykusu Türkiye kendi kabuğuna çekilen bir ülke olamaz [Yorum - Doç.Dr.Melih Can] Türkiye ya küresel aktör olacak ya da cüce! Turkey’s military satellite program: a model for emerging ... The Space Review Washington Post It All Began One Night Near U Street How a Turkish Boy Learned To Love Jazz in Washington Op-Ed Hugh Pope ? Apologist for Turkey Hellenic News of America Erdoğan: "Irak, şu an AB sürecine göre öncelikli" Seyfi Taşhan Where do we stand with the EU at the end of 2006?
Trade with Turkey booms despite political strains Azzaman.com Iraq’s import bill is estimated at $15 billion and at least one third of it goes to Turkey |
| H4 New York Times Bush Plan for Iraq Requests More Troops and More Jobs Bush’s plan could add as many as 20,000 American combat troops, supplemented with a jobs program costing as much as $1 billion, officials said. Plan Sets Series of Goals for Iraq Leaders President Bush’s new policy establishes benchmarks for Iraqis to ease sectarian tensions and bring political and economic stability. Getting the Middle East Back on Our Side By BRENT SCOWCROFT War Could Last Years, Commander Says DAVID BROOKS Making the Surge Work It’s time to merge the military Plan B — the surge — with a political Plan B — flexible decentralization. Not the Case By NOAH FELDMAN Saddam Hussein was guilty, but his trial was another botched aspect of the war. PAUL KRUGMAN Quagmire of the Vanities The only real question about the planned “surge” in Iraq is whether its proponents are cynical or delusional. Denying the Facts, Finding the Truth By: Slavoj Zizek | H5 Washington Post Critics Say 'Surge' Is More of The Same Past Troop Buildups Have Not Quelled Iraq - Criticism grows in and outside White House that proposed troop buildup, economic aid and political benchmarks will not do much to stabilize Iraq. War's Toll on Iraqis Tripled in Late 2006
In first six months, 5,640 Iraqi civilians and police were killed; 17,310 were killed in latter half, according to data provided by a health official. Editorial A 'Surge' in Iraq? A troop increase that few in the Pentagon, Congress or the Iraqi government really want The Smart Surge: Diplomacy By Wesley K. Clark War Against Time Once Again, a U.S. Plan for Iraq Envisions Months Where Years Are Required By Jackson Diehl, Baghdad Needs Iraqi Troops, General Says No. 2 U.S. Commander Wants Next Push to Target Both Shiite, Sunni Fighters Iraq Will Be Petraeus's Knot to Untie General Known to See Peace as Still Possible Democrats Vow to Resist Buildup Coming Iraq Plan to Meet Harsh Scrutiny William Arkin The Overrated General Petraeus Predictions for 2007, and one surprising death 2007 from the War Room Wars Ultimately Measure Tolerance of Pain By Shankar Vedantam There's a question with three different answers. The first answer is derived from arithmetic. The second comes from common sense. The third is based on psychology. Clarity on Iraq, and Beyond By Jim Hoagland, Bush's choices on Iraq come down to two: clarity, or continued confusion of goals, methods and priorities. His impending address to the nation will reveal which choice he has made. It will also mold his foreign policy agenda for the gathering twilight of his presidency. Iraqi Leader Plans Security Push Premier Promises Nonsectarian Campaign Against 'Outlaws' in Baghdad New Top Spy Inherits an Office Still Finding Its Way McConnell's Tasks Include the Ongoing Integration of Agencies as Well as Advising the President The Hanging: Beyond Travesty By: Charles Krauthammer While You Were at War . . . By Richard A. Clarke In the Global Energy Rush, Nuclear Gets A Resurgence Democrats to Deal With Iraq War With Bush to Announce New Plan, Domestic Policy No Longer Primary Focus Poisoning Of Ex-Agent Sets Off Alarm Bells Nuclear Regulators Fear Wider Attempt Russia's near total domination of the world's legal trade in polonium-210 has focused new international attention on the country's production and controls. Afghan-Pakistani Bond Steadily Deteriorating Plan for Border Fence, Mines Seen Deepening Distrust U.S. Agencies Should Share Intelligence Local Police Need Information To Help Prevent Terrorism I'm Tortured by Doubt By Scott Adams, Lately I've moved from 'pretty certain' to 'doubtful' about the effectiveness of torture. Censorship Persists in China As grip of censors endures, a poem satirizing local officials accused of corruption lands a man in jail. Editorial A Balanced Budget In 2012. Maybe. A review of The Best Intentions: Kofi Annan and the UN in the Era of American World Power and Complicity With Evil: The United Nations in the Age of Modern Genocide. A Bad, Bipartisan Tax Plan By Sebastian Mallaby A Bush Tax Increase? By Robert D. Novak | H6 Guardian Bush plan to draw Iraqis into fold
Officials running scheme will work under US army.
UN urges Maliki to stay executions Many more sons will die while the Democrats do nothing to stop the war Gary Younge: They have failed to take on the principal reason they were elected and, tragically, the US public is unlikely to force them to. The plight of our armed forces is something we ignore at our peril
Max Hastings: After decades of neglect, terrible accommodation and plummeting morale, the services' real battle is in Britain, not Basra. The spy who came in from the heat Joseph S Nye, Jr Jan 05 07, 08:30pm: John Negroponte's decision to step down as America's intelligence chief has caught Washington by surprise. Romania's gift to the EU - a caucus of neo-fascists
Accession states mean group has enough MEPs. Power, corruption and lies
Will Hutton argues that we have misunderstood China - and the consequences could be grave. The Observer New China. New crisis Will Hutton investigates the only country with the muscle to challenge America as the global superpower. Sending American reinforcements is George Bush's last roll of the dice
Christopher Bellamy: Increasing the number of US troops in Iraq by 30,000 to 40,000 is probably the last and only hope the US has of achieving any sort of 'victory'. Editorial A last chance for Iraq to save itself from civil war America's new military strategy for Iraq, which began emerging yesterday, leaves room for a new optimism. Kremlin Inc ready to take on the West Gazprom, the Russian gas monopoly, began the new year with more sabre-rattling. But strong-arm tactics won't always serve Britons to be scanned for FBI files
· Anger over airport fingerprint plan
· Terror tests to start this summer Iraqi PM reveals US crackdown
President set for showdown with Democrats as he pours in 30,000 more soldiers. Brown condemns Saddam death
Chancellor leaves Blair isolated in his refusal to criticise manner of hanging.
If Gordon Brown has a world view, it's high time he shared it
Martin Bright Torn asunder Ruaridh Nicoll reports on the case for Scottish independence that is gathering support on both sides of the border. Tony, you can leave the stage with them still wanting more
Matthew Taylor: Blairism will not die when the Prime Minister departs No 10 if he pushes through the reforms he still feels passionate about |
| H7 NRO VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: The problem in Iraq isn’t simply one of troop numbers, and a surge will fail miserably unless this is understood. “Stasis or Victory?” CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: Iraq is an unholy mess. “Shiite Happens” US News The Saddam Hussein Execution: "Measure for Measure" by Fouad Ajami JONAH GOLDBERG: The I's aren't the only ones. “Let's Talk About Isolationism” Although isolationism may be misguided, it's also intellectually serious and far more complex than its scare-word usage might suggest. FRANK GAFFNEY JR.: We need a Judge Clark, not a Negroponte. “The Bureaucrat Who Couldn’t” Political Peak Oil By: Ronald Bailey Reason One thing stands in the way of secure and abundant supplies of oil: government. Seventy-seven percent of the world’s known oil reserves are in the hands of state-owned oil companies. Such “companies” do not respond with alacrity to market signals and so are under-investing in new production technologies and even in maintaining the production facilities that they currently have. More Troops = More Targets Human Events, by Oliver North. Weekly Standard The Consequences of Failure in Iraq They would be awful. But failure can still be averted.
by Reuel Marc Gerecht Thus All Too Seldom to Tyrants
Saddam's punishment was a rare instance of just deserts.
by David Gelernter Playing Offense Congressional hearings? Go on the offensive.
by Robert Kagan & William Kristol New York Sun Iran's Secret Plan for Mayhem - Eli Lake - Iran is supporting both Sunni and Shiite terrorists in the Iraqi civil war, according to secret Iranian documents captured by Americans in Iraq.
Under Ford, The National Security System Worked Hartford Courant
Containment has been the key time and again: Yale's Ian Shapiro on how the Bush administration's mistakes in the Middle East might have been avoided by a simple history lesson.
Keeping Faith with a Bloody Tradition - Christopher Hitchens, LA Times
What We Need is Some Resolution - Mark Steyn, Chicago Sun-Times
Return of the Realists Town Hall
When the U.N. Fails - Peter Brookes, New York Post
Washington Note Evaluating the President's Iraq Escalation Proposal From TNR, Michael O'Hanlon on how Americans can stop genocide. Choosing chaos over stability in Somalia: How can we assess the justification for war when we don't have the basic facts? No Easy Way Out: Democrats need to realize that the Iraq war is likely never going to end without them doing something to end it. What new strategy in Iraq? Immanuel Wallerstein wonders. With opposition to its role in Iraq, what is the real position of Britain on the world stage today? From the Carnegie Council, Jonathan Clarke on the threats to One Humanity; and a debate on the United Nations: Still relevant after all these years? As Ban Ki-moon takes charge at the United Nations, a look at the prospects for this troubled body and for its peacekeeping efforts round the world; and call the blue helmets: Can the UN cope with increasing demands for its soldiers? | H8 Google News Iraq Iran Syria Mideastwire.com - NPR Iraq BBC Democrats warn Bush on Iraq plans The newly-empowered Democrats warn President Bush he will have to justify plans to boost troops in Iraq. Divisions deepened
Saddam Hussein's demise exacerbates the Sunni-Shia rift Intellectual assault
Militia attacks fuel severe brain drain of Iraqi academics
Washington Times Fingers in the wind The nation awaits President Bush's announcement of a new strategy in Iraq, but the battle lines are drawn. US unit works quietly to counter Iran's sway Boston Globe McClatchy New ambassador in Iraq faces challenge Top Democrats oppose Iraq `surge' Sanctions Imposed on Iran, Syria Arms Suppliers By: Bill Gertz | The Washington Times Syria seen as moving away from Iran
World Peace Herald From The National Interest, a review of Hidden Iran: Paradox and Power in the Islamic Republic Richard Dawkins on how sparing Hussein and studying his makeup could have provided valuable research Washington Times Impending Iran crisis (Kenneth R. Timmerman) Editorial Securing Somalia Won't Last; Invest in Arab Education By: Raja Kamal | The Daily Star Weekly Standard Ethiopia versus the Islamists What the U.S. military has been up to in the Horn of Africa. by Vance Serchuk Al-Sharq al-Awsat reports in Arabic that Abdul Mahdi al-Karbala'i, an aide to Sistani in the holy city of Karbala in the south, said Friday that a failure of the al-Maliki governmen might well discredit the whole "Islamic line." Saddam's execution: an end to unified Iraq? Rediff – India the Borderlands: Al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters use the Afghan-Pakistani border regions as a haven. Changing that situation will take more than either country realizes. From HNN, what turned Sayyid Qutb against America? Lawrence Wright investigates Boston Globe America's Many Failed Attempts at Mideast Peace - Michael Oren National Review Iran Has Some Radical Plans for the New Year - Joel C. Rosenberg Why Are Arabs Upset by Saddam's Execution? - Efraim Karsh (New Republic) The Iraqi Insurgency: Actors, Strategies and Structures SWP Time to Pursue Democracy in Egypt
Source: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace For Whom the Bell Tolls: Top Ten Ways the US Enabled Saddam Hussein Brookings The Escalating Humanitarian Crisis in Iraq CFR Impediments to National Reconciliation in Iraq Iran: Khamenei not dead!
Israel Insider | H9 Ha’aretz – PM heads to China, will focus on Iran nuclear plan An alibi for the Arrow If the Arrow system is so effective and successful, why should we be asking for information on U.S. systems? Eldar Not Peretz aloneTransferring control over security (and peace) policy, once and for all, from the military to the government is vital. MI official: Intelligence work during war was unprofessional IDF: Drop in Israeli casualties despite increased terror activity Think tank: Israel could attack Iran's nukes program on its own Teddy Kollek played key role in forging the CIA-Mossad alliance Back to the Eisenhower Doctrine By Yair Hirschfeld Alon Liel: Saddam's hanging will ultimately embarrass the U.S. Israel Denies Plan to Nuke Iran Iran: Israel Will Regret Any Attack Jewish Members Assume Key Committee Positions in New Congress - Hilary Leila Krieger (Jerusalem Post) The Region: Can you handle the truth?
[ BARRY RUBIN, From Forward, Israeli experts say Middle East was safer with Saddam in Iraq. 'Only military action will stop Iran'
Jerusalem Post Who's who in fighting Iran
Jerusalem Post Daily Alert.org - EJC Israeli Press Review – Google News Israel – Former Longtime Confidant Accuses Ariel Sharon of Assassinating Arafat. Peace without Golan Like Turks, Israel must show determination in dealings with Syria Ynetnews, It's Not About Israel - David Harris, Jerusalem Post Arabs vs. Israel: A View from Pakistan - Farrukh Saleem (Jang Group-Pakistan) Yedioth Ahronoth Is nuke attack realistic? Gabriel Schoenfeld Once considered reliably pro-Israel, the party has become the home of disturbingly contrary views. From Commentary, a review of Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East, 1776 to the Present; and a review of A Match Made in Heaven: American Jews, Christian Zionists, and One Man’s Exploration of the Weird and Wonderful Judeo-Evangelical Alliance. AJC Letter in New York Times
American Jewish Committee Israel's dilemma over Syria
Seattle Post Intelligencer The Nation, a review of Palestine Peace Not Apartheid by Jimmy Carter |
| H10 Christian Science Monitor If Iraq Fragments, What's Plan B? A partitioned Iraq, which could preempt ethnic cleansing, looks ever more likely to experts. Plan for troop 'surge'
in Iraq gathers force Bush plans to lay out his strategy this week, and could opt for an increase of US forces. Capitol Hill prepares for tough hearings on Iraq A growing number in Congress oppose a troop surge, but will not vote against funding the war. Euro gives dollar run for the money The dollar's declining value and the US trade deficit are hurting the reputation of US currency. · Europeans pine for francs, deutsche marks Bush claims power to open Americans' mail without warrants 'Signing statement' says he has power to do so in 'emergency situations.' An article I've been waiting years to blog By Thomas Barnett - Barnett argues for a Sino-American alliance for the preservation and betterment of life long-term. The US and China together are the ultimate head-and-body superpower, capable of tackling the world's biggest problems in the context of shared vulnerabilities and desires. He stresses that their cooperation is essential to combating environmental issues and the war on terrorism. Link to full text in primary source. From Japan Focus, an article on Japan’s neonationalist offensive and the military. Orville Schell on Japan's war guilt revisited The List: Headlines To Expect in 2007 Foreign Policy YaleGlobal Too Much Globalization, Or Not Enough? | H11 IHT Status quo at the UN The United Nations Security Council chose Ban Ki-moon as secretary general because they wanted a low-key bureaucrat who wouldn't rock the boat, and the world has gotten exactly that. As EU goes greener, industry fears cost EUROPE What to Expect from the German Presidency CER Danger and Opportunity in Eastern Europe RAND Corporation “The recent emergence of nationalist and populist forces in eastern Europe, coupled with the rise of Russia, now threatens to derail efforts toward further EU integration, weaken NATO, erode the continent’s stability, and damage U.S. interests. Washington must ensure that the region’s new politics do not damage the European project, for a strong and cohesive EU is in everyone’s interest.” + Full Document (PDF; 800 KB) Financial Times: Interview with Angela Merkel Newsweek Germany Forgets Its Past Geopolitical Diary: Merkel's TAFTA Agenda Stratfor Today’s European Union is 27 States in Search of a Story By: Timothy Garton Ash | The Guardian Beneath the surface, political Europe is morose, ill-tempered and uncertain of its future direction. Individually, most Europeans live better than before, but collectively they don't feel good about their voluntary empire. Rarely has such a successful enterprise been so plagued with self-doubt. A Fate as Clear as Mud By: Ian Traynor After a year of hopeless negotiations, the UN is preparing to pronounce on Kosovo's future. What kind of country will it be? The Best Idea: Do Nothing By: Vladimir Dlouhy and Bill Emmott A twice-yearly European ritual began this week when Chancellor Angela Merkel announced her priorities during Germany's six months as the next president of the Council of the European Union. Germany's best policy for its EU presidency would be to do nothing. From The Weekly Standard, an essay on Holland's post-secular future: Christianity is dead. Long live Christianity! if people cannot identify with an idea of Europe, what can EU institutions really achieve? “The Talk of Paris” — A Harris Interactive Survey for France 24 and the International Herald Tribune (PDF; 312 KB) Source: Novatris/Harris Interactive Economic survey of the Euro Area 2007 See Also: Policy Brief
12 pages; PDF Full Text of report is fee-based. Source: OECD Merkel heads EU, vows constitution for Europe (Andrew Borowiec) | H12 RFE/RL Google News Azerbaijan Economic Security and Development in the Black Sea Region Center for Strategic & International + Full Document (PDF; 318 KB) Congressional Research Service + Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia: Political Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests
+ Central Asia: Regional Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests
Securing Tyrants or Fostering Reform? U.S. Internal Security Assistance to Repressive and Transitioning Regimes
Source: RAND Corporation Bolstering U.S.-Russia Ties By: Edward Lozansky | The Washington Times
An unbiased observer will easily see that both sides are at fault for the decline of U.S.-Russia relations. We should invite both Russia and the United States to make concessions on at least one of the key issues separating them. From Transitions, will the death of Turkmenistan’s president, Saparmurat Niyazov, one of the world’s most bizarre dictators, open the way to democracy or throw Central Asia into chaos? From Chechnya, war-torn and bloodied, the rebuilding of a nation begins. But can its controversial young premier, Ramzan Kadyrov, lead the country to peace? Russia heads into 2007 facing the question of whether President Vladimir V. Putin’s centralization of power can ensure the smooth and credible election of a new Parliament After revolution's romance, Ukrainians can cope with democracy's disillusion, says Alexander J Motyl Some world leaders have cut a dashing figure – articulate, sophisticated, well-dressed, charismatic. Then there was Nikita Khrushchev... more» |
| H13 The Times Bush's Iraq strategy in danger as Congress rules out blank cheque Divide and conquer: the new Baghdad challenge Nouri Al-Maliki has vowed that his new drive for stability would take on all illegal armed groups 'regardless of sect or politics' American diplomat secures top political post at UN Lynn Pascoe, the US Ambassador in Indonesia, is the leading contender to take over as under Secretary- General for Political Affairs Leader High Noon in Washington The EU’s trade policy is as absurd as its climate change plan is worth mulling 'We are on a knife edge – we have to engage Bush' Peter Mandelson says that a global trade deal is doomed unless the American President backs it Congress may still deliver a final blow Bronwen Maddox: World Briefing
Mandelson’s mission looks like a quixotic attempt to make the case for free trade, while knowing the cause is probably already lost Martin Fletcher For six months Somalia's Islamic courts achieved the near-impossible feat of restoring order to the country Archbishop who spied for secret police resigns minutes before inauguration Sunday Times Israel plans nuclear strike Air force squadrons are training to blow up Iran's uranium-enrichment facility using low-yield nuclear “bunker-busters”, according to several Israeli military sources Focus: Mission Iran A giant and scary leap Israel is planning an audacious attack on Iran's nuclear sites at Natanz, Isfahan, and Arak. How seriously should we take this threat of action? One last push and that’s you finished in Iraq, Mr President
Simon Jenkins The idea that such a hellhole can be policed back to normality with extra troops is absurd Now she has the power to go with her grudges Nancy Pelosi became the most powerful woman in America. She is second in the presidential line of succession, and now gunning for President George W Bush Brown attacks Saddam hanging
The chancellor has added to the pressure on Tony Blair to speak out over the execution of Saddam Hussein Wall Street Journal Dynamic Ideas for Iraq How about a "counterinsurgency economic czar"? By DAN SENOR AND ROMAN MARTINEZ 'Our Only Hope' A successful strategy in Iraq needs more than a troop surge.
By BING WEST and ELIOT COHEN A Heavier Iraq 'Footprint'
A strategy to secure Baghdad has never really been tried. Happily Ever AAFTA
U.S. global strategy must have a hemispheric foundation.
By ROBERT B. ZOELLICK With Friends Like These . . .
Europe's new pro-Israel voices.
By FANIA OZ-SALZBERGER Nurturing Our Most Important Relationship
There is a great deal of untapped potential in bilateral economic relations between the EU and its trans-Atlantic partners.
By MATTHIAS WISSMANN We Are All in It Together By: Michael Spence It would be useful if we stopped pretending or alleging that China's exchange-rate policies are the root cause of our trade deficit. If our savings rate is stubbornly stuck below our investment rate, and if China does allow its currency to revalue over time, then we will simply run a deficit with another collection of countries, and from a domestic point of view, nothing much will have changed. Pakistan's Silenced Press
As the Taliban embed themselves deeper into Pakistan, journalists are being driven away from a story with global consequences.
By BOB DIETZ American Roulette: In our winner-take-all casino economy, the middle class is getting royally screwed. A call to arms for populism, before it’s too late. From Global Politician, an article on the shadowy world of international finance | H14 Financial Times Republicans’ division over Iraq grows Leading Republicans showed further signs of dissent over President George W.?Bush’s reported plans to send more troops to Iraq, while the Democrats said they would not give the president a “blank cheque” for reinforcements. White small-town America pays price in Iraq Dov Zakheim COMMENT: Why America should operate from Iraq's borders The wrong way to bridge the Atlantic Angela Merkel, Germany's chancellor, wants to create a single transatlantic market for investment by harmonising US and European Union regulations The US and EU will not be able to decide on a single measure that would benefit consumers. No prices will fall as a result of such a treaty, writes Wolfgang Munchau. The new model of power and efficiency is no longer the general or the guerrilla but the corporate CEO, writes author, Ian Buruma. Having spent two decades muscling in on one manufacturing sector after another, China wants to spend the next two decades moving from ’Made in China’ to ’Invented in China’. US and EU talks revive hopes of trade deal Negotiations between the US and the European Union have revived hopes that a deal can be struck on the stalled Doha round of world trade talks by the end of the month, according to EU and American officials. EU divided by plan for ‘second-class’ commissioners Splits have emerged at the heart of the European Union over whether some small countries should be given second-class membership of the club’s executive body in Brussels UN under pressure to extend presence in Somalia MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA: Iraq-style insurgency urged on Somalis EUROPE: EU's grim climate change warning LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Time for a concerted effort to restore transatlantic relations Evidence America is losing faith in death penalty America’s attachment to the death penalty is well-rooted but there are significant signs that US courts, politicians and public opinion may be turning against capital punishment. Nato to thrash out Afghanistan policy Foreign ministers from Europe and North America are set to hold an extraordinary meeting at the end of this month in an attempt to bolster the troubled transatlantic... LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: The rest of the world should take note of how Asia is already changing the face of global trade | H15 Los Angeles Times U.S., allies campaigning to staunch Iran's oil flow Washington is quietly persuading banks and oil companies to pull out of projects that would expand the nation's petroleum infrastructure. Bush aides preview 'surge' proposal The president will likely argue that leaving Iraq would be too costly, ask public for patience, sacrifice. Arab nationalism's last gasp By Robert D. Kaplan Saddam Hussein's execution likely means the end of the foolish secular Arab nationalism movement. Looking through rose-colored microscopes Richard Dawkins;Max Tegmark;Jonathan Haidt;James O'Donnell;Steven Pinker;Jean Pigozzi;Jared Diamond;J. Craig Venter;Roger Highfield Why some scientists are optimistic about the future. Despite hefty risk, McCain is unwavering in support for troop surge Bush aides lay groundwork for Iraq surge The EU's ugly little challenge By Colum McCann Adding Bulgaria and Romania may force it to confront a reflexive hatred of Gypsies. Old guard back on Iraq policy: An influential faction of neoconservatives is behind Bush's expected call for more troops. Still a national nightmare By Matt Welch Ford's right-hand man was the first to recognize the ambitions of Rumsfeld and Cheney. Editorial A good start for Congress Democrats launch solid ethics reform in their first few hours in charge. |
H16 American Politics Newsweek McCain vs. Hagel: Two Views on the War
For most members of Congress--as for most Americans--the Iraq war has been an abstraction, to be debated and defended or deplored, but never experienced in any real or personal sense. Only a half dozen or so lawmakers have children who have served in Iraq. Time Looking for Mr. Right Conservatives aren't very happy about the leading G.O.P. contenders for President. So they're beating the bushes for a candidate they can love Wilfred M. McClay The GOP’s poor showing at the polls does not carry anything like the ideological significance that some have assigned to it. NYT Would-Be Presidents With Cold Shoulders The campaign for president will dominate American politics in the coming year, and Republicans and Democrats face a common strategic challenge: How do you deal with the folks back in Washington? CSM Four stars lead early GOP race Mitt Romney is the most recent entrant for the 2008 presidential nomination. Polls this early are mostly driven by name recognition. They Legislate, We Decide
The view from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. by Fred Barnes Oh, now the right wants to talk nice By Jonathan Chait After raining fire on Clinton for years, conservatives are becoming obsessed with tone now that Democrats are in power. Will Iraq Split Bush and GOP? - Dick Polman, Philadelphia Inquirer
Dems Sidestepping The 'Surge' - Howard Fineman, Newsweek
Warrior & Hero, McCain's Time is Now - Jay Heiler, Arizona Republic
Conservatives Looking for Mr. Right - Karen Tumulty, Time
Hillary's Chinks Exposed - Salena Zito, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
From The New York Daily News, a leaked memo shows Rudy's '08 Battle Plan. America's Holy Warriors: Chris Hedges on how the radical Christian right is coming dangerously close to its goal of co-opting the country’s military and law enforcement. realclearpolitics – ABC’s The Note - Early Bird GovExec The 100-Hour Agenda: The New Congressional Majority’s Uneven Proposals
Source: The Heritage Foundation | H17 Daily Telegraph Brown to end Blair's terror strategy Gordon Brown vowed yesterday to take on President George W Bush and the Americans over foreign policy as he spelt out plans to break from Tony Blair's approach to the "war on terror". Brown's 10-year leadership plan Leader Inaction over Iran is risky business By a series of stumbles and lurches, we have come closer to a nuclear conflagration than at any time since the bombing of Nagasaki. Although Israel has disavowed reports that it is planning a direct strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, there can be little doubt that Tel Aviv would authorise such attacks if the only other option were a nuclear Iran. Euro leaves bitter aftertaste for Slovenia Sunday Telegraph Old order is out, old disorder is in If there were an American Evelyn Waugh alive today, he could ask for no better subject matter than the recent history of Somalia, explains Niall Ferguson. Israel 'planning Iran strike' Jewish state has devised plan to hit nuclear targets. Brown's foreign policy UK shock... A more deliberative prime minister, a more cautious interlocutor, will think more carefully before pledging to save the world, says John Kampfner. No 10: execution was 'completely wrong' | H18 Independent Brown plans 'independent' foreign policy Gordon Brown signalled that as Prime Minister he would forge a foreign policy independent of the US. Patrick Cockburn: Some advice for George Bush: a 'surge' in US troops in Iraq will not bring about peace Israeli strategist: military strike is only way to stop Iran An Israeli strategic analyst says armed force is the only way to stop Iran acquiring nuclear weapons if effective sanctions are not imposed. Leading article: Israel should give diplomacy more time to work Bush to offer $1bn in aid and 20,000 troops to Iraq Independent on Sunday Future of Iraq: The spoils of war Iraq's massive oil reserves, the third-largest in the world, are about to be thrown open for large-scale exploitation by Western oil companies under a controversial law which is expected to come before the Iraqi parliament within days Blood and oil: How West will profit from Iraq's precious commodity Wesley Clark: Bush's 'surge' will backfire Geoffrey Lean: Oil. Fast-vanishing drug the world can't live without Leading article: The oil rush Perceptive Analysis Contrasts With White House Rhetoric by Patrick Cockburn The international organisation says that almost 200 of its peacekeepers around the world have been disciplined for sex offences, but no- one has yet been prosecuted US general points the finger over 'doomed' troop policy in Iraq Israel 'has plan for nuclear strike on Iran' |
| H19Military Intelligence Terrorism "Joint Operation Planning" (pdf) is a new publication from the Joint Chiefs of Staffs that "reflects the current doctrine for conducting joint, interagency, and multinational planning activities across the full range of military operations." See Joint Publication 5-0, December 26, 2006. "U.S. Arms Sales: Agreements with and Deliveries to Major Clients, 1998-2005," December 15, 2006. "Technology Collection Trends in the U.S. Defense Industry," Defense Security Service, June 2006 (33 pages, 2.5 MB PDF). Department of Defense Draft Emergency Supplemental Budget Request Source: U.S. Department of Defense (via Council on Foreign Relations) “This draft budget requests an additional $99.7 billion for fighting the global war on terror in 2007.”
+ Full Document (Word; 526 KB) China’s National Defense in 2006
Source: Information Office of the State Council SIPRI Yearbook 2006: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security
Pocket-size Summary Edition.
36 pages; PDF. Older editions available here. December 12, 2006 - Border Security: Barriers Along the U.S. International Border V-22 Osprey: Wonder Weapon or Widow Maker? (395 KB) Source: Center for Defense Information
“Faster than the fastest helicopter, able to leap vertically to lift troops and supplies to inaccessible locations behind enemy lines, the Osprey epitomizes a transformational super-craft able to swoop, raptor-like, onto an enemy with deadly results. But throughout the V-22’s development, 30 people have died—and now this glitch-plagued program that survived one cancellation and numerous design and operating problems is poised to reveal fundamental flaws that may cost even more lives.” Facts and Figures about Homeland Security Spending
Source: American Enterprise Institute CRS China and Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Missiles: Policy Issues
+ Covert Action: Legislative Background and Possible Policy Questions
+ The Military Commissions Act of 2006: Analysis of Procedural Rules and Comparison with Previous DOD Rules and the Uniform Code of Military Justice
+ Nuclear Arms Control: The Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty
+ Treatment of “Battlefield Detainees” in the War on Terrorism
+ U.S. Military Operations in the Global War on Terrorism: Afghanistan, Africa, the Philippines, and Colombia Congressional Research Service (via FAS, Open CRS)
+ 9/11 Commission Recommendations: Implementation Status
+ Border Security: Barriers Along the U.S. International Border Guantanamo Bay Inquiry
Source: FBI + Part One
+ Part Two (PDF; 5.5 MB) United States of America: Five years on ‘the dark side’ — A look back at ‘war on terror’ detentions
Source: Amnesty International | H20 Slate New Republic The problem with class in America
by Seymour Martin Lipset (1922-2007) Exceptional American
Seymour Martin Lipset, 1922-2006.
by Michael Barone Seymour Martin Lipset was one of America’s “most useful intellectuals”... WashPost ... NY Sun ... Weekly Standard ... NY Times CRS The U.S. Trade Deficit: Causes, Consequences, and Cures World Bank: The Year in Review 2006
Source: The World Bank Group Taxing Citizens in a Global Economy
Source: New York University Law Review International Migration Statistics
Source: Migration Watch UK Report to Congress on Financial Implications of U.S. Participation in the International Monetary Fund (PDF; 32 KB) Source: U.S. Department of the Treasury Report On U.S. Holdings of Foreign Securities At End-Year 2005 U.S. Department of the Treasury The survey measured the value of U.S. holdings of foreign securities at year-end 2005 of approximately $4,609 billion, with $3,318 billion held in foreign equities, $1,028 billion in foreign long-term debt securities (original term-to-maturity in excess of one year), and $263 billion in foreign short-term debt securities. The previous survey measured U.S. holdings at year-end 2004 of approximately $3,787 billion, with $2,560 billion held in foreign equities, $993 billion in foreign long-term debt securities, and $233 billion in foreign short-term debt securities. U.S. holdings by country at the end of 2005 were by far the largest for the United Kingdom ($815 billion), followed by Japan ($531 billion) and Canada ($419 billion). Crossing the Borders: The Structure of Transnational Corporate Activities
HWWA This 58-page German study analyzes the structure of cross-border corporate activities, assessing the development and strategies of multinational corporations on various levels Low-Intensity Conflicts and Sniper Attacks: Lessons from Iraq IDSS Positive and/or Negative Impacts of the Abolishment of Former Secret Services Immediately After Democratic Change DCAF Tactical Implications of the 'Smoky Bomb' Threat Stratfor Draft: Security handbook for the use of police authorities and services at international events
37 pages; PDF. Rescue at Sea: A guide to principles and practice as applied to migrants and refugees
Source: International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) From TAP, under the Bush administration's space policy, the sky's the limit for commercial and military exploitation of the galaxy In the last 18 months, Google Earth has revolutionized military intelligence, but the military doesn't like to admit it. George Scialabba reviews House of War: The Pentagon and the Disastrous Rise of American Power by James Carroll. The prestige of U.S. military life is being wrecked by high social mobility, easy jobs, and infinite possibilities for youth. The U.S. needs a foreign legion... more» A review of Dangerous Nation: America and the World, 1600-1898 by Robert Kagan | Independent The universe gives up its deepest secret Scientists have created an image of dark matter, the invisible material that makes up most of the cosmos. Steve Connor: The mystery that has endured since Big Bang The paradox of prosperity: making people richer does not always make them happier. Maybe governments ought to make happiness a goal, rather than economic growth... more» Multiculturalism’s bad news. Robert Putnam has shown that the more people of different races live side-by-side, the less they trust each other... more» Try to Play Nice, Wicked Wide Web In 2006, the big Internet news was YouTube, MySpace and Flickr— not so much a publication as a global conversation. In 2007, the challenge may be keeping that conversation from descending into the muck. By RICHARD POWERS The speech-recognition software the author uses to write is remarkably precise, far more accurate than most typists. Happiness 101 Can classes in positive psychology teach students not just to feel good but also to do good? 'On “The Wealth of Nations”' P. J. O’Rourke read all 900 pages of “The Wealth of Nations” so you don’t need to. Ancient Rome is where our heart is
Will Hutton: As the classics die out in our schools, we should remember the debt we owe those civilisations. Google Book Search. Greek Literature, for Latin Literature, Bible/Judaism/Early Christianity. All still in the process of coming together, although now perhaps fit to be viewed by the electronic world...For the most useful parts, see Catullus and Horace on the Spycraft as Thespianage Future Lock-in: Or, I’ll Agree to Do the Right Thing…Next Week
Source: Harvard Business School Working Papers “When making decisions a person often thinks that she should make certain choices (e.g., increasing savings, reduce gas consumption) but does not want to make them. This intrasubjective tension between ‘multiple selves’ has been referred to as a ‘want/should’ conflict. In four experiments we show that people are more likely to choose what they believe they should choose when the choice will be implemented in the future rather than implemented immediately, a tendency we refer to as ‘future lock-in.’”
+ Full Paper (PDF; 175 KB) On a date you’re a performer and a spectator in a two-ring circus, as you troll for wit, kindness, and curiosity. It’s the loopy logic of love... more» In praise of ... ... the Dictionary of National Biography
There is a certain glorious insanity to a publishing project which after a century's work produced a book too big and too expensive for all but the most indulgent of private buyers. Samuel Johnson was “willing to love all mankind, except an American.” And that was likely on a day when he was feeling benevolent... more» A professor of possibility Beyond his astonishing achievements, Professor Stephen Hawking has fulfilled enough dreams for several lifetimes. FT Protect research from hybrid horror fantasies At first hearing, it sounds like a horror film recipe for making a half-human hybrid: transfer the nucleus of a human cell to a cow or rabbit egg, give a jolt of... No human bond is as strong as the one between parent and child. It is therefore natural that middle class families should invest much time and effort in improving... Revisiting the Early Net A 1995 list of predictions about the Net reveals what's changed online -- and what hasn't changed a bit. Perils of Prediction If you are tempted to make predictions about the future at this time of year, consider keeping them to yourselves. History can so easily make a fool of you. Opinion: The Wikipedia way to better intelligence China's healing arts fuel a firestorm Critics blast Chinese medicine as a dangerous derivative of witchcraft. For adherents, that's heresy
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