On February 25, 1969, Lt. (j.g.) Bob Kerrey, a Navy SEAL, led a patrol to Thanh Phong, Vietnam, an action for which he won the Bronze Star. Nearly four decades later, that mission casts light on the current concern over what apparently happened in Haditha, Iraq, on November 19, 2005.

Last weekend President Bush returned to West Point to address the Class of 2006 and defend his foreign policy doctrine on the same podium he previewed it in 2002.

New revelations about massacres of civilians in Iraq are certainly not needed to confirm the abysmal failure of the “adventure in Iraq”, which is a euphemistic way of putting it since this whole thing is no less than a full-fledged colonial enterprise — indeed replaying the 1920s British one — that has set back the…

Al Gore in 2000 was inconvenient, but it turns out he would have been the right man at the right time in November 2000. I seriously underestimated him at that time; or perhaps he is a dramatically new and different Al Gore today — finally punching above his weight.

Think about it: George W. Bush has created such enormous and intense antagonism among 48% of the Nation that they are unanimously opposed to him and counting the days until they come out in gigantic numbers to end one party government in America.

Bizarre reading of the Vienna agreement about Iran’s atomic program in the Washington Post this morning. In a news analysis Glenn Kessler writes: For years, the Bush administration has warned of the Iranian threat, but its concerns were belittled or ignored as yet another example of American hyperbole.

For many months, at least since President George W. Bush announced that we would “stand down” in Iraq as quickly as the Iraqis “stand up”, it has been a puzzle as to why we were building permanent military bases in Iraq if “standing down” meant, as most Americans assumed, getting out–withdrawing our troops.

By now, I should know what I’m getting into when I agree to help Steve out with the blog — just like last year, he’s managed to assemble an impressive array of guest posters. No doubt we can expect some sparks again, as events seem to flare up as soon as Steve leaves for vacation….

I may occasionally check in while on vacation, but TWN readers are in for a treat this week. When I travel, I try to invite a diverse group to consider blogging about whatever moves them, in a diverse set of areas.

The flurry of hope and skepticism that proposed talks with Iran will lead anywhere are dominating the news, even here in Athens.