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President Barack Obama at UN

Eight exceptional(ly dumb) American achievements of the twenty-first century.

Free Syrian Army soldiers

Before there was a civil war and before Syria became the world’s chessboard, there was a peaceful uprising for freedom and dignity.

Protest against NYPD surveillance

Americans remain mostly blind to the abusive treatment of terror suspects on US soil.

America's Afghan Victims

An in-depth look at the civilian toll of America’s longest war.

A recounting of three horrific US/ISAF civilian massacres, the procedures implemented to prevent such events from happening again—and why those procedures were inadequate.

Soldiers in Afghanistan

Coalition forces sometimes pay compensation to civilian victims and survivors of the suffering we have inflicted—but ISAF keeps no comprehensive records, and the US military denies all responsibility.

A boy injured in an airstrike

Even among staunchly antiwar politicians and pundits, few bother to mention the cost of the war to civilians.

Blogs

Last week, during an appearance by Ambassador Richard Holbrooke at the Brookings Institution, I had a chance to ask him a key question about the war, concerning the Pakistan-Taliban alliance. Oddly enough, in his answer, Holbrooke -- who is the US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, said that discussion of how to defeat the opponents of the US in Afghanistan shouldn't be conducted "in public."

January 12, 2010

The "good war" in Afghanistan isn't going so well, but the Obama administration may soon learn that the "bad war" -- that would be the one in Iraq -- isn't over yet.

January 11, 2010

Yesterday, Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made a rare public appearance to speak about America's challenges in the Middle East.  However, contrary to some news reports and blog accounts of Mullen's comments, the admiral clearly backed away from anything that sounded like a military threat, and it was clear throughout his entire remarks that Mullen, and the US military, is exceedingly averse to an armed confrontation with Tehran.

January 8, 2010

One of the paradoxes of America's bumbling intervention in Afghanistan is that the United States knows next to nothing about the country it is occupying.

January 6, 2010

The Obama speech was about what I expected: on the one hand/on the other hand, I reject false choices, needle-threading "pragmatism." I have to say I find this rhetorical approach increasingly wearying. There always seems to be the implication, hidden between the lines, that only the author of the speech truly understands how complicated the world is. During the race speech, that was appropriate and affecting: there are few people who've experienced race in as much of its full complexity as Barack Obama. But I don't think the same thing holds for war and peace.

December 10, 2009

Here in Copenhagen, Obama's Nobel--which was awarded in part because of his re-engagement with the climate change negotiations--carries a special set of ironies.

December 10, 2009

White House officials announced yesterday that President Obama has decided to deploy 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan within the next six months, nearly tripling the American military presence in Afghanistan that the president inherited when he took office.

December 1, 2009

Hampshire Students for Justice in Palestine defy Dershowitz and plan first national campus Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions conference.

September 25, 2009

The House Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight met today to discuss issues of sovereignty and stability in Iraq ranging from the country's longstanding financial obligation to neighboring Kuwait to its even longer-standing issues with the Kurdish people. But Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) seemed mostly interested in berating the Iraqis for their lack of gratitude.

September 17, 2009

Today is the 39th anniversary of the killings of four student antiwar protesters at Kent State University.

May 4, 2009
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