Iran announced a nuclear ‘achievement’ on Wednesday. President Ahmadinejad was present at the Tehran Research Reactor for the loading of uranium fuel enriched to 20 per cent purity. Ahmadinejad also claimed that Iran has 3,000 new centrifuges for enriching uranium. Reactions in the United States ranged from hysterical warnings of imminent nuclear doom to suspicions [...]
Archive for the ‘Iraq and Iran’ Category
What to do with Iran
Posted in Iraq and Iran, Nuclear Disarmament, Sanctions and Security on February 16, 2012 | 2 Comments »
Sanctioning Iran
Posted in Iraq and Iran, Nuclear Disarmament, Sanctions and Security on February 3, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
The conventional wisdom in Washington is that tougher sanctions are necessary to prevent Iran from building the bomb. My view is the opposite. The imposition of punitive sanctions has failed to change Iranian policy in the past, and there is little prospect that more of the same will succeed now. Don’t get me wrong. I [...]
Yes, We Did: A Victory for the Antiwar Movement
Posted in Iraq and Iran on December 15, 2011 | 1 Comment »
The withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq is a victory for the antiwar movement. It is a success for all of us who opposed the invasion, worked to end the occupation, and elected a president who has now fulfilled his pledge to bring the troops home. We have many mixed emotions on this occasion. Many [...]
Reflections on the 10th anniversary
Posted in Afghanistan/Pakistan, Counterterrorism, Iraq and Iran, Nonviolence on September 9, 2011 | 1 Comment »
I’ve been invited to The Hague this week by the International Center on Counter-Terrorism for the presentation “Reflecting on the Effects of Counter-Terrorism Measures since 9/11: A Civil Society Perspective.” My talk focuses on the erosion of political freedom and human rights in many parts of the world resulting from repressive counter-terrorism measures. It feels [...]
An Open Letter to the Iraqi People
Posted in Iraq and Iran on August 2, 2011 | 5 Comments »
The U.S. military ordeal in Iraq is scheduled to end in December, but the Pentagon seems to be unwilling to let go. For months we’ve witnessed the bizarre spectacle of U.S. military officials practically begging Iraqi leaders to ‘invite’ American troops to stay longer. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen [...]
Thoughts on watching “Fair Game”
Posted in Iraq and Iran on January 3, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
I finally had a chance to see Doug Liman’s “Fair Game,” which depicts the Bush administration’s efforts to silence former ambassador Joe Wilson by outing his wife, CIA agent Valerie Plame. The film should be required viewing. It effectively exposes the blatant deceit and criminality underlying the decision to wage war on Iraq, and the [...]
Iraq Sanctions End
Posted in Iraq and Iran, Sanctions and Security on December 17, 2010 | 1 Comment »
After 20 years, UN sanctions on Iraq finally have come to an official end. Let’s consider their tragic legacy. First, the good news: The sanctions were successful in restraining Iraq’s attempts to develop nuclear weapons and other means of mass destruction. They cut off the supply of vital nuclear-related materials. An official report of the [...]
How (not) to counter terrorism
Posted in Counterterrorism, Iraq and Iran on September 7, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
In my inbox this week are three important reminders of the costs and consequences of our country’s overly militarized responses to 9/11. In his Informed Comment blog Juan Cole offers the “speech President Obama should give about the Iraq War (but won’t).” With customary eloquence and unusual passion Cole tells the truth our political leaders [...]
Thank you, Mr. President. Now end the war in Afghanistan.
Posted in Afghanistan/Pakistan, Iraq and Iran on September 1, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
President Obama is fulfilling his campaign pledge to end the war in Iraq, and for that we are deeply grateful. He is holding to the letter of the Iraq security agreement, with combat troops gone now, and all remaining troops scheduled to be out by the end of next year. This is a remarkable achievement, [...]
