31 January 2003: An Important Day in the Life of Bush and Blair

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This won’t read like Faulkner, but I think it’s important to compare three passages written by serious analysts documenting the pathway and decision-making chronology leading up to the Iraq War. Journalist Bob Woodward, former British Ambassador to the U.S.

Stephen Walt Responds: NOT Fired

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I received the email note that follows from Stephen Walt last night in response to my post yesterday about whether he was being demoted or not. I think Walt’s views and account of his situation are level-headed and make sense and coincide with Kennedy School Dean David Ellwood’s account, published here on TWN yesterday.

Stephen Walt, the “Israel Lobby” paper, and Academic Freedom

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I am going to obscure the names in the vignette I’m about to share to protect folks who don’t deserve harrassment. Once I had a brilliant young fellow at the New America Foundation, now a prominent national journalist, who wrote about the subject of “hero inflation” in America.

America the Pugnacious: Feinstein Provision Raises Hurdle for Foreign Students to Access U.S. Universities

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How did America become great? Some would argue that it was indeed great before restless explorers, settlers seeking economic opportunity, and persecuted religious victims and others migrated here — and I get that point.

Light Sentence for Abramoff. . .So Far, but More to Come

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Just announced. . .Jack Abramoff sentenced to five years, 10 months in prison. This is too light for someone who so badly damaged this democracy. Wait….update….this is just for the Florida fraud case. He still needs to be sentenced for federal crimes. Good.

Philippe Sands Who Unearthed Bush-Blair War Memo Speaking Tomorrow

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(Philippe Sands, Queen’s Counsel and Professor of Law, University College London) On 31 January 2003, David Manning — who now serves as British Ambassador to the United States — recorded notes on a secret understanding between British Prime Minister Tony Blair and President George W.

Reactions to the Israel Vote: Israel’s Political Right has Collapsed

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(Meretz Political Ad: Two Sperm Meet and Talk at Airport) Some observers are suggesting that the new parties and new personalities in Israeli politics have clobbered the old. I think that the bigger story is that the political right in Israel has imploded.