So Much for the Pretense of Iraqi Sovereignty

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Iraq throws out Blackwater. America keeps employing them and has Blackwater stay. Someone in the White House press corps be sure to ask Bush about that “Rule of Law” thing. (I know. . .Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, Haditha, illegal wiretaps. . .). I’m in Denver now — flying to Los Angeles.

Will Bush Bomb Iran?

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I think not, at least not in the way that those asserting that Bush will bomb Iran have been arguing. I make my case in a piece titled “Why Bush Won’t Bomb Iran” that ran as the lead on Salon.com yesterday.

Zimbabwe on the Verge of Collapse

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This is what state failure looks like. Zimbabwe is in everyone’s backyard. In an increasingly interconnected world, cooperating to help Zimbabwe pull itself together is in everyone’s interest. Everyone ought to read the International Crisis Group’s important report.

Bhutto Fires Back

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8

Last week I published an article in Foreign Policy.com titled “Why We’d Miss Musharraf” that has generated pushback from Benazir Bhutto’s political party and the PR firm she hired, none other than Mark Penn’s Burson-Marsteller.

Beyond the Usual Campaign Stupidity

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We take it for granted that Presidential candidates say dumb things during campaigns. Sure. That’s a given. Mitt Romney’s taking it a step farther with a letter to the United Nations he released today.

Hearings Set for Law of the Sea

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Unilateralists are getting ready to squirm. The date for the first hearing on the Law of the Sea convention has been set for September 27, when government witnesses will testify. In October, treaty opponents and business representatives (all supporters) will testify in a second hearing.

American Torture On Tour

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If you’re in the Southwest United States in the next few days and have some spare time, you’re in for a treat. My colleagues Raj Purohit and Tom Moran are on tour with Michael Otterman. The three are discussing Otterman’s important book, American Torture.