Monthly Archives: August 2005

August 24, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MIDDLE EAST POLICY Presents "The Third Option in Iraq: A Responsible Exit Strategy" The first detailed plan for a negotiated exit from Iraq, to be published in the September issue of Middle East Policy, … Continue reading →

"What they are doing is to go for broader level of support because of political considerations, because of the need to build consensus, because of the need to isolate the insurgency from the Sunni population."  Khalilzad Congratulations, Mr. Ambassador!! It … Continue reading →

I am not a big fan of Senator John Kerry.  His behavior in the US after his return from duty in VN eliminated any possibility that I would ever support him for anything. Nevertheless, the process of relentless, remorseless, cruel … Continue reading →

"According to Kurdish and Sunni negotiators, the US ambassador, Zalmay Khalilzad, proposed that Islam be named "a primary source" and supported a wording which would give clerics authority in civil matters such as divorce, marriage and inheritance. If approved, critics … Continue reading →

"Shi’ite, Sunni and Kurdish negotiators all said there was accord on a bigger role for Islamic law than Iraq had before.     But a secular Kurdish politician said Kurds opposed making Islam "the" — not "a" — main source of … Continue reading →

There is some thing strange about the case of Lieutenant Colonel Shaffer (USAR) and "Able Danger." His story, accepted thus far by the media, is that he was working in some Army or joint job as a reservist on active … Continue reading →

"The major sticking points — the role of Islam in determining Iraqi law, issues of self-rule and regional autonomy, and the sharing of oil revenue in a federal context — put the goal of consensus beyond the reach of the … Continue reading →

"The Iranian penetration of Iraq was a long time in planning. On Sept. 9, 2002, with U.S. bases being readied in Kuwait, Supreme Leader Ayatullah Ali Khamenei summoned his war council in Tehran. According to Iranian sources, the Supreme National … Continue reading →

Despite the awesome power of the US armed forces, President Bush will find his military options for dealing with Iran tightly constrained by both political and military realities. What will be absolutely impossible to achieve is regime change Iraq – … Continue reading →

I am asked what "Jacobins" might be — "In the context of the French Revolution, a Jacobin originally meant a member of the Jacobin Club (1789-1794). But even while the Club still existed, the name of Jacobins had been popularly … Continue reading →