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Sunday Reading For analysis of the situation in Palestine this past week, few observers are cannier than Helena Cobban at Just World News. And from the liberal Israeli side, Daniel Levy on ‘Plan B.’ True or false? Syria is an economic basket case, with no prospects of moving away from a bloated, inefficient state socialist […]

Cole’s Advice to Hillary on Iraq Reply to Edwards on the South Lite The Chicago Sun Times has a run down of what the Democratic presidential candidates recently said, some of it Iraq-oriented. Actually, I would argue that everything in this election is tinged by Iraq. The article, like many others, notes that at Hillary […]

29 Bodies Found in Baghdad Erdogan Warns on PKK 29 bodies were found in Baghdad on Wednesday, according to McClatchy. There was also mortar fire in Baghdad, an attack on police in Mahawil, and US military clashes with the Mahdi Army of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. About that orphanage that the Iraqi government was running, […]

Vigil for Detained Iranian Intellectuals Amnesty International is hosting a vigil in New York next week for three detained intellectuals, including my friend Haleh Esfandiari. I urge everyone who can attend, to do so, and make a special plea to fellow bloggers to publicize this event. (The bigger it is, the more successful it will […]

The Situation in Gaza I have been traveling and not able to spend as much time as usual scanning the news, but of course have followed the events in Palestine with dismay. It is to be expected that a lot of comment in the United States on these events will be rife with racist attitudes […]

Paris Hilton & Iraqi Prisoners American cable news has been fixated on the jailing of socialite Paris Hilton for the past week, on grounds that she twice violated the probation sentence she earlier received for drunk driving. They interrupted coverage of world leaders at the G8. They briefly spliced in Gates’s decision not to reappoint […]

US Troop Death Toll more than 3500 British Toll at 150 Immigration Law Defeated by Iraq War (!); Muqtada Blames US, Rejects Iranian Influence On Thursday US military spokesmen announced that Iraqi guerrillas had killed another US GI, bringing the troop death toll over 3500. A British soldier was also killed, and three wounded, by […]

Hubert Humphreys of the Right Wrong Information Given out in New Hampshire Rudy Giuliani maintained during the Republican debate that “It’s unthinkable to leave Saddam Hussein in charge of Iraq and be able to fight the war on terror.” If he means by “war on terror” the counter-terrorism struggle against al-Qaeda and kindred groups, then […]

Libby Sentenced to 30 Months $250,000 Fine Thompson tied to Head Leaker Judge Reggie Walton threw the book at Irv Lewis Libby on Tuesday, sentencing him to 30 months in prison and imposing a $250,000 fine. Libby, VP Richard Bruce Cheney’s chief of staff and national security adviser, was formally charged with obstruction of justice. […]