Monthly Archives: June 2006

The old John Lennon song begged that we should “give peace a chance.” The noise generated in the United States over the issue of “amnesty” for insurgent fighters in Iraq who may have killed or wounded American soldiers makes it … Continue reading →

The Bliss of Ignorance It has been my good fortune to finally be reading The Spirit of the Laws by Montesquieu. (It was a book I was to have read in college, but I was evasive and lazy, and dishonest, … Continue reading →

"An Israeli military official said a total of 64 Hamas officials were arrested in the early morning roundup. Of those, Palestinian officials said seven are ministers in Hamas’ 23-member Cabinet and 20 others are lawmakers in the 72-seat parliament."  Gutkin … Continue reading →

""Negotiations with the United States would have no benefit for us, and we do not need them," the television quoted Khamenei as telling Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade."  Yahoo ————————————————————————- This man is the boss, the "Supreme Guide."  The president of … Continue reading →

"These developments offer an opportunity. If the terrorist operation is thwarted through the efforts of Mr. Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas, the way may be opened to a shift by the Palestinian government away from violence. The … Continue reading →

"Under the plan, the first reductions would involve two combat brigades that would rotate out of Iraq in September without being replaced. Military officials do not typically characterize reductions by total troop numbers, but rather by brigades. Combat brigades, which … Continue reading →

"The Republican-controlled Senate yesterday soundly rejected two Democratic proposals to withdraw troops from Iraq, turning back the Democrats’ argument that there should be a clear policy change in the war.     "Withdrawal is not an option. Surrender is not … Continue reading →

"The Mujahedeen Shura Council, an umbrella organization of five insurgent groups led by al-Qaida in Iraq, posted an Internet statement Monday claiming it was holding the American soldiers captive and that "we shall give you more details about the incident … Continue reading →

"A noncommissioned officer and two soldiers each have been charged with violating several articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice including murder, attempted murder, conspiracy, communicating a threat, and obstructing justice," an announcement said. It added that "on the … Continue reading →